Do As I Say, Not As I Do

A month or two ago, I completed an application at the local Whole Foods to be a Whole Foods Ambassador. I found out last week that I was chosen. The Ambassador Club is basically about 10 people who are selected to provide the managers with feedback regarding products, customer services, improvements/renovations, and any other recommendations.

When I arrived to Whole Foods Plantation, I was directed to a small store next door that is the Whole Foods Bakehouse. I had to walk up a flight of stairs to a conference room. Each participant received a reusable shopping bag, some snacks, and a $25 gift card. Cookies and fruit were on the table.

We began by doing introductions. Each person had a reason for being there... one woman had a daughter with autism, so she followed a gluten-free, casein-free diet. One woman's husband was on a sugar-free diet. One woman was vegan. There were two men who frequently shopped at Whole Foods. Here's the surprising part -- when I looked around at the 9 participants, myself included, 6 were obese (some morbidly obese). They was also minimal ethnic diversity. Now, obviously, our weight and our ethnicity were not asked about on our applications... but it definitely did not seem to be an accurate cross-section of Whole Foods customers.

Obesity really is a serious issue in this country. I think I may have written about it before, but my generation is supposed to be the first generation with a shorter life span than our parents' generation...and that is due to obesity. One woman stated that it is very important that her children eat healthy food, to the extent that she does not allow her kids to eat food with any dyes because of the hazards, but she herself does not eat that way. The "do as I say, not as I do" attitude about food just doesn't work for me. Clearly, if your child has food restrictions based on allergies or textural issues, then your child may need to eat something different than you. But how do you expect your children to be healthy eaters if you are not modeling that behavior yourself. I don't always eat healthy -- but I make a genuine effort to eat well. I eat a somewhat diverse diet. I like foods from all different cultures, I prepare hot meals, cold meals, simple dishes, complex. I introduce Lydia to everything that I prepare (sometimes I make hers less spicy, but it's the same basic flavors). So when I saw that these individuals represent a small group in terms of personal choices and ethnicity, their opinions became slightly less valuable to me.

So what did we talk about? I offered up several ideas:
1. When I go to the milk section at Whole Foods, I get very overwhelmed. I know that dr's tend to recommend almond milk nowadays and different yogurt drinks, but then there is also pasteurized milk, ultra-pasteurized milk, milk from cows that are grass fed, goat's milk, rice milk, coconut milk, etc. I suggested some information outlining the different types of milk, similar to what they do in the cheese section.

2. Speaking about the cheese section, I suggested they check all their cheeses daily, as I have found cheese that is moldy and handed it over to the person working in that section. I also suggested that they redesign the cheese section as it is somewhat scattered/disorganized.

3. I thought the signage was good, especially as it relates to upcoming events.

4. I suggested they start carrying at least one or two brands of cloth diapers. They are pretty limited in their diaper options. I am not impressed by Seventh Generation and Earth's Best.

5. Often times I want to purchase prepared foods. There is always an ingredient list posted by the prepared foods, and at the bottom of the list, it says "This item contains the following" and it lists potential allergens (e.g. soy, nuts, wheat), but it does not state whether or not it contains meat. Products such as stocks, bases, and broths are in a lot of rice dishes, soups, etc. so it would be easier if it was listed at the bottom so I don't have to read 20+ ingredients to figure that out.

6. Sometimes I want to purchase a small quantity of their baked goods, but often you have to purchase a large package (one dozen brownies, 20 cookies). I suggested they sell smaller packages, 2 brownies, 4 cookies.

Other people offered all different types of suggestions. Some were a bit out there for me, but some were valuable. It's nice to know that even chain grocery stores value their customers' opinions. I think this is a great program, and I hope they really consider our suggestions to make some improvements. It's just too bad that I feel like the sample of participants is somewhat limited. The next meeting is December 8th. I look forward to contributing more ideas and discussing issues that directly impact the variety and quality of food available to my family.

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

Last October, Lydia was just a month old. I was so excited to take her to different Halloween events, but but obviously it was a lot more for me than for her. This year, however, she loved visiting the pumpkin patch at Bedner's Farm Fresh Market. Check out two of our cutest pictures. Did I mention that I recently purchased Photoshop?? :-)

Next weekend, we are going to a fall festival and maybe the Flamingo Road Nursery. Lots of fun fall/Halloween activities to come!

Yellow Green Farmer's Market

Living in South Florida, I am often disappointed by our lack of alternative shopping options. When you visit more metropolitan areas, there are produce stores and delis, real bakeries with fresh breads and specialty cheese stores. Most people here shop at Publix. Our only real options are still corporate - Whole Foods and Fresh Market.  But then I heard about the Yellow Green Farmer's Market. I figured it would be two small stands with a few heads of lettuce and some homemade granola. Was I wrong!! 

Yellow Farmer's Market in Hollywood, FL is the closest thing I have seen to the famous farmer's market in Seattle (I visited that 2 years ago and it was pretty amazing). Some of the items we purchased included good olive oil from Spain, whole grain ciabatta bread, Amish jalapeno cheese, burrata cheese, raw wildflower honey, garlic and chive pasta, and a whole snapper.  I used the burrata cheese and ciabatta bread to make an awesome panzanella salad. Delicious! So many of the food vendors had samples, so you can try all of their products before purchasing. There were also eco-friendly vendors like Dirty Peaches Clothing Co., boutique items for babies, fresh produce, landscapers, smoothies, spices/teas, and so much more! Oh, and live music, too.

We probably walked around for about two hours, looking, tasting, and learning. If you live in South Florida, I highly recommend visiting the Yellow Green Farmers Market. They are open Saturdays, Sundays, and Thursday evenings.

Flings Bins Review

As my readers should already know, I am co-director of Abi's Place, a nonprofit organization in South Florida for children with severe disabilities. September 25th, we hosted a Go Green Event, uniting eco-friendly vendors and nonprofits in a family-friendly, fun-filled day. It was a great event at a big county park, with so many generous donations from businesses and members of the community.

One of the best donations we received was from Flings. They sent us two cases of Flings Recycle bins. I had never used their products before, but after seeing a review on another blog, I decided to contact them. I was so excited to show off this product at our event. So many people asked where I got them because they were so cool! Basically, it's a sturdy printed plastic bag with cardboard structures to make them stand. Vendors/customers placed recyclables inside the bins which were located throughout the event pavilion. At the end of the event, we were able to condense them all and place them in a larger bin for recycling - because the entire bin is recyclable. These would be great for picnics, birthday parties, indoor events, etc. Convenient and earth-friendly!

At the end of the day, we raised over $1600 for children with disabilities. We hope to make this an annual event. Thank you, Flings, for helping to make this event a great one!

Three out of three babies agree - this was a great event!

Auctions to Benefit Abi's Place

Brooklyn's Bowtique on Facebook is hosting an awesome auction to benefit the children of Abi's Place. Up for grabs are some really great items donated by mommy businesses: hair bows, leg warmers, hats, flowers, headbands, tag blankets, an awesome monkey toy, and so much more! Please check out these auctions and place some bids. Children with disabilities will receive generous donations, smaller businesses will be supported, and most of all - You'll get some GREAT new items for your little one!! WIN-WIN-WIN.

Just "like" Brooklyn's Bowtique and check out the photo album entitled "Abi's Place Auctions." Look at the minimum bid -- and start placing your bids!

If you want to learn more about Abi's Place, visit our newly-renovated website.

Thanks so much for your support!

Nifty Knees Review and Giveaway ends 10/15

Nifty Knees contacted me to do a review and giveaway, and I quickly responded! With Fall approaching, I love to find cute new fashions for my little one to stay warm (we have a few cool days in Florida). We were sent one pair of leg warmers in bright pink and a cute floral print drool bandana. The leg warmers look great with a onesie for younger babies or with a cute dress or shorts for toddlers. The drool bandana would be perfect for a baby who is beginning to eat solids.

Nifty Knees has some great leg warmers in seasonal colors/patterns on sale for just $6. These would be awesome as part of a Halloween costume! They also carry mini leg warmers for newborns and infants, drool bandanas, custom tees, and fleece hats.

Lydia is beginning to take her first steps - Nifty Knees leg warmers are a great way to keep your baby's legs a little bit safer while he/she is learning to crawl or walk.

Funny story - The day our Nifty Knees leg warmers arrived in the mail I attended an 80s theme bachelorette party. Even mommies can wear these leg warmers as 80s accessories on their wrists or ankles!!

BUY IT! Visit Nifty Knees and use the promotional code hmreview to receive a  15% discount off your purchase. Offer is valid until December 1, 2010.

WIN IT! Win a $25 gift certificate to use online for any Nifty Knees items, including leg warmers, drool bandanas, custom tees, or fleece hats.

MANDATORY ENTRY: Visit Nifty Knees and tell me what items you'd love to have for your little one!

For additional entries, you can do any of the following (one entry each):
1. Become a follower of my blog through Google Friend Connect.
2. Like Nifty Knees on Facebook.
3. Follow Nifty Knees on Twitter.
4. Like Abi's Place (the non-profit organization where I work) on Facebook.
5. Follow my sister blog Moms on a Mission.

Be sure to include your email address with each entry so that I know how to contact you. This giveaway ends on 10/15 at 11:59 pm EST. If you are the winner, you will have 48 hours to respond before I choose another winner. Good luck!

*I received this product for free, and I was not compensated for writing this review.

Okay, so my baby is a year...

Lydia celebrated her first birthday on 9.2.10. Wow! A full year! It's definitely one of those things where I feel like she has been a part of my life for so long, and yet it flew by so quickly. But why is one year so special? I feel like there are so many expectations attached to "one year."

Breastfeeding...Full-term breastfeeding is one year. That is the recommendation. When I first began breastfeeding, I told myself I would do it for 6 weeks. When I hit 6 weeks, I said I'd try for 6 months. When I hit 6 months, I challenged myself to do it for a year. I used to think anyone who made it to a year was kinda crazy... but the REALLY crazy people breastfeed for more than a year. Why would they do that? Well, I am learning something pretty simple. Babies like boobs - and more so than that, babies don't know they're one-year old. They haven't read the books that say they only 'have to' breastfeed for a year. They don't see an expiration date or a deadline. They love boobs, they love mommy, mommy's boobs are comforting and bring love and affection. That's what babies know. Weaning is a process. Lydia can easily go 8 to 10 hours without breastfeeding if I am at work. But when she sees me, it's a whole other thing. She associates me with this comforting feeling and she wants to experience that frequently. I started to get bothered by it recently...and then I stopped and thought. She's just one. So when will I wean her? Who knows!

Sleeping... I was always told that babies should be sleeping through the night by a year. Well, not my baby! In fact, she was a much better sleeper at one month than she is at one year. She starts every night off in her crib. Her night starts between 9 and 10 pm. She will not go to bed before that recently. She's just not tired. She stays in her crib maybe 3 hours, wakes him crying and standing in her crib, comes out, and spends the rest of the night in our bed. Throughout the remainder of the night, she wakes up every 1 - 2 hours, and I just allow her to nurse. Babies are not 'bad' because they don't sleep through the night. I'm not a great sleeper, she's not a great sleeper. This is just who she is.

Eating...now THIS she has down! She loves food, and eats almost everything. Her new favorites seem to be olives and blueberry waffles (not together, of course). I love that she's so easy to feed. Since about 8 or 9 months old, she's eaten basically whatever we eat. Cooking for her is so much fun! I look forward to cooking with her one day. I hope she enjoys it like I do.


Walking & Talking...I feel like 'one year' has all of these cognitive and motor milestones attached to it. Babies should be walking at around a year. Babies should have lots of single words at a year. Babies should be able to put in and take out at a year. Lydia can do most of these things. I think her receptive language is actually a bit advanced. I think her fine motor skills are actually really good. Over the past few days, she has started to stand independently for a few seconds at a time, she cruises long distances, and she can walk with a walking toy (as long as she is provided with some resistance - the tile is too slippery). As for talking - she can greet people, she points and says "that" to make requests, she said "cat" at a young age (like 9 or 10 months), duck, book, ball...so her language is coming along. She understands some simple one-step directions, like "give me" and "put in."

So when will Lydia wean? When will she walk? Will she always be a good eater? When will she sleep through the night? Who knows! I have a question though - when will she get some more hair?? :-)

$50 Best Buy Gift Card Giveaway! ends 9/1

This is my simplest giveaway yet! Abi's Place, the nonprofit organization where I work, is collecting votes to win $500,000 from Kohl's Cares on Facebook. This money would help our organization buy a new, fully-equipped school for our children with severe disabilities. Most of our children are diagnosed with rare genetic disorders, but we also accept children with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and low-functioning autism.

Click here if you are interested in learning more about Abi's Place. You can also watch our amazing YouTube Video.

Please help to support a great cause, and enter to win a $50 Best Buy Gift Card.

To Enter, click HERE and follow the directions to vote through Facebook.

After voting, leave a comment below saying I VOTED with your email address.

The contest ends September 1st at Midnight EST. The winner will be chosen at random and notified immediately. Thank you!!

$25 CSN Stores Gift Certificate Giveaway - Ends 8/8

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I am hosting a CSN Stores $25 gift certificate giveaway. What is CSN Stores? It is one website that unites 200+ online retailers selling a broad range of products, including home decor, baby/children items, tools, pet supplies, office supplies, and so much more. The website is very easy to navigate. The website's search engine allows you to search by keyword or brand. All of the stores offer very competitive prices, often much lower than retail price.

I decided to put my $25 gift certificate toward a new car seat for Lydia. Everyone I know recommended Britax, so I searched all of the car seats and found several Britax car seats. As I had expected, the price was at least 20% lower than the leading baby department stores. The car seat I found was under $200 and was gender neutral, which was important to me. The site also offered free shipping, which was awesome.

One thing I would recommend - I searched the site several days in a row to really figure out what I wanted. Unfortunately, I initially picked out one car seat, but when I looked the next day to purchase it, it was already sold out. However, the car seat I picked out was just as nice and less expensive - Bonus! So, when shopping on CSN Stores, if you really like something, purchase it that day. If you are uncertain, search for a few days, as merchandise is constantly being updated.

Here's Lydia sleeping in her new Britax car seat. What's so great about this car seat? She'll be able to use it until she is ready for a booster seat. It is rear-facing for now, but converts to a forward-facing seat when she is ready. Definitely an eco-friendly choice for my family!

 

WIN IT! You can win a $25 gift certificate to CSN Stores, to be used at any of their 200+ retailers.

Mandatory entry: Visit CSN Stores and tell me what you think you'd put your $25 toward.

For additional entries - leave one comment per entry:

1. Follow CSN Stores on Facebook.

2. 'Like' Huppie Mama on Facebook.

3. Follow Huppie Mama on Twitter.
4. Become a public follower of Huppie Mama.
5. 'Like' Abi's Place (the non-profit where I work) on Facebook.
6. Vote for Zimmerman School House dba Abi's Place to win $500,000 in the KOHL'S Cares campaign by clicking the link to the right (just above the Facebook Badge). You get 5 votes.
7. Follow my new sister blog Moms on a Mission.
(*If you are already a follower of my blog, twitter, or Facebook, leave a comment telling me that - one for each)

Be sure to include your email address with each entry so that I know how to find you. This giveaway ends on 8/8 at 10:00 pm. If you are the winner, you will have 48 hours to respond before I choose another winner. Good luck!

30 Years Later - Have we moved forward?

Earlier in the year, my mother-in-law had a fire in her house. No one was injured, but it caused her to have to go through everything in her house. In doing so, she came across a lot of my husband's old papers, photos, etc. and gave him a big box of stuff. One thing she found and gave to us was his baby book. She kept really detailed information about his development until about the age of 5, which was so cool to read. She also included a guide that was given to new parents in the hospital, written by the American Academy of Pediatrics. I just wanted to share some of the information in this guide that was published back in the 1970s.

It begins with explaining how your baby is not a miniature adult:

• The bones of the head are soft and rubbery. 
• Your baby may have no hair - or excess hair all over his body. 
• The face is asymmetrical. 
• Your baby has poor vision. 
• The neck is short and supports the head poorly. 
• Extremities may twitch. 
• The skin has a purple-red color due to poor circulation. 
• Hearing is not present at birth, but appears within a few days.
• Babies can lose as much as 10% of their birth weight.
• Babies are born with their mother's hormones in the blood, which may cause swollen breasts, bloody vaginal discharge, swollen vagina/scrotum.
• Respiration is irregular.
• Spitting up is very common the first few months.
• The bridge of baby's nose is flat.
• Hiccups are common.
• Sleep patters vary in infants. Some may sleep 18 hours a day while others 7 - 8 hours.
• Bowel moments also vary greatly.
• The navel may protrude.
• The feet may turn in or out.

Before even mentioning breastfeeding, the next section is entitled "Formula Preparation." What?? Are we not even giving the mom a chance to successfully breastfeed? No information regarding the benefits of breastfeeding before promoting formula usage? This section discusses that it is no longer necessary to sterilize formula or boil water. You should use tap water to make 26 oz of formula at a time, which should be divided into 6 bottles. Scrub nipples with soap and water. Refrigerate. Warming the milk is unnecessary. Then it describes how to bottlefeed your baby and how to schedule feedings roughly while being open to feeding when baby is hungry. The only good part is that it specifically states "Never prop up the bottle and leave baby to feed himself."

Okay...here's a highly-disturbing section (I think) entitled "Friends and Visitors" - "Do your utmost to keep visitors and especially children away from your baby. The newborn baby is best kept as much to himself as possible. He should never sleep with you or with anybody else." Again, WHAT?! So the baby's father, grandmother, siblings, aunt, etc. should not interact with this child? Everyone should be kept away, and this insecure baby with poor vision and hearing (as described above) should feel lonely just laying by himself all night and day? Oh, that's right...this is for people giving their babies formula, which does not allow the baby to share the mother's immunity as breastfeeding would, so the baby's immunity is compromised, and he should be ignored. Sigh...

Finally, on page 5 of this booklet, breastfeeding is mentioned! Phew... It opens with "For maximum milk production - - your baby will be brought to you every three to four hours around the clock." While that is very important, shouldn't it really begin with "For maximum bonding and health, you should breastfeed"?? Most of the other information is actually accurate and beneficial for new moms - how to hold your baby while nursing, how to get a good latch, manually express if needed, be patient, wear a good nursing bra, etc. It talks about how you should not sleep through the night until at least the 8th week. I am still waiting for more than 3 hours of sleep at a time, and Lydia is almost 11 months old. And for some reason, after all that, it says not to weigh your baby at home. That's just odd. Just turned the page and found the best part yet, actually (no sarcasm here for a change): "If baby cries you MUST NURSE baby ON DEMAND. IT IS NORMAL DURING FIRST FEW WEEKS TO NURSE 10 - 12 TIMES A DAY!" (I think I still nurse this frequently.) This is followed by a sentence about how you need to offer your baby lukewarm water once or twice daily, but it's okay if your child does not take it. I don't think Lydia was ever offered water until about 6 months of age. I couldn't imagine offering a newborn a bottle of water. Isn't the whole point to provide your child with nourishment, comfort, and weight gain? How would water help with any of that?

The next section is on baby care, and it is still accurate. Here's the really amazing part -- no mention of disposable diapers, only cloth diapers. Intriguing! It's all about how to properly wash your diapers (doesn't even call them "cloth diapers") or to use a diaper service. One other thing I like that was in here was to not over-dress your baby. Your baby only needs as much clothing as you need. I see so many moms who dress their kids in full outfits and then wrap blankets around them - in the summer heat in Florida!  UGH!

So to wrap it all up...The biggest difference of all between the 1970s and 2010? "Most babies prefer to sleep on their stomachs with the head turned to one side." Definitely not a recommendation anyone would make anymore! Amazing how all of us turned out okay and we all slept on our stomachs. Now babies sleep on their backs and need positioners that warn against plagiocephaly (flattening of the head).

What do you think? Is the parenting advice given in hospitals better now...or better then?