Air Quality i.e. Pollution

Last week, the little dude and I had a chance to be a part of a documentary about Air Quality.  At first - I didn't know exactly how Soren and I could help, but after our interview it became obvious.  ​

Sara asked some pretty broad questions but I kept finding myself coming back to the same theme - health, nutrition and our environment.  It didn't hit me until the interview was over (not just how granola I might actually be), but how important the quality of the environment is to me and how it effects my son's ability to prosper.  ​

It's not just what types of food he ingests.  But where it comes from, the soil it is grown in - is it sustainable?  I want it to be available to him for ages to come.  For his children and his children's children.​

I thought I was concerned before, but now... I am beyond concerned - I am appalled!  Sara shared some information about pollution and statistics that were pretty mind blowing.  Things I would have never considered before - like, have you ever thought about how much soot and pollutants are being released by just one school bus alone, idling outside waiting for the bell to ring?  ​

Although it was heavy information and the weather was chilly - Soren still had a great time.  Here are some shots from Soren's first Video shoot!  Thanks Sara, we had a blast!​

Have you ever worried about air quality?  What sort of pollutants worry you?  Sara asked me what my greatest fears for Soren were, entering the world independently - what are yours for your children?​

Here is a video on how they are working on filtering out some of the soot and pollutants for school busses.  When you see the the soot from the second bus, remember how close the children at the back of the bus are to that exhaust pipe.​

Toddler Playroom

Soren's room is probably one of my favorite projects.  Which in all reality becomes a project for the entire apartment.  Of the many things I love about Rick - one I absolute adore is how we both ​see our home as a place for Soren to explore and play.  Sensory play can happen at a drop of hat while baking biscuits with flour, doing the dishes and filling bowls, watering and re-planting indoor fauna, wrapping up yarn balls or even setting up his truck and car ramp on the stairs.  It's all game.

However, we do encourage Soren to 'clean-up' and help put things away.  I follow this wonderful blog, MPMK (Modern Parents, Messy Kids) and she has great ways to organize playrooms (in our case - the whole apartment...).  I implemented some of her ideas and snagged some toy ideas here and here.  The place is really starting to come together.​

I love the picture labels.  Soren knows where everything is and so do we!  He even helps us put things back in the bins and when he spills something exclaims 'I see water, dropped it!', grabs a 'TOW-ellll!' and helps clean it up.  The methods are working great.​

​Better yet - the tools have helped us communicate with him avoiding those wonderful tantrums.  Not to say we don't have them on a daily basis - but they are much ​more manageable.  A mom said to me recently about her toddler 'I don't view it as parenting any special way, I just treat her as a person.  She's just smaller than me.'.  She respects her daughter as a person.  A person with feelings  and experiences - that fears and that loves.  

The importance in her voice when she told me that struck a chord.  So when it comes to designing Soren's play area, fortress or room...however you see fit to call it - I try to think of that.  If he were to re-design my office, bedroom or day, how would I expect him to respect it?  So this is what we came up with.  We ditched his old infant toys, pilfered through the stuffed animals and voila!  Easy to find, easy to enjoy and fun to clean up!​

A Very Happy Weekend

Easter Weekend!  This was our last weekend off as a family for the next 8 weeks.  Yes! 8 weeks....​

And, yes - we took advantage of the time off together.  Soren and I hit up an Easter Egg hunt in the morning in Washington Park, gathered materials for Easter buckets for Sunday, and got home in time for him to sneak in an hour nap before our neighborhood Egg hunt in the afternoon.  The evening was beautifully spent bringing our own Mt Carmel brew to Dusmesh for some sweet, sweet Indian food in the evening (which Soren delightfully scarfed up almost all the naan and more than half of my Paneer Masala.  The waitresses couldn't believe it... did I mention he is a huge​ flirt too??).

Then Sunday we were off to the Grandparents to hang out with cousins and snag some Ham.  That was Soren's third​ egg hunt and he had a blast with the girls.  The evening was spent with wine, my awesome dudes and the pup eating some homemade soup and munching cheeses.  It was, *sigh - perfect.  

I am beginning to strategize how I will make our intermittent day's off just as amazing.  Did I mention how awesome my fazam is yet?  Well, just in case - they are.  My 2 dudes and a pit - they complete me.  Here are some shots from our fun filled, action packed weekend.  Now off into the season home stretch and prep for Opera!​

​Soren made a new friend at the neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  These two blondies are too ​cute!

how do you maximize days off with your family?  how do you budget a busy schedule?​

Autoimmune Deficiency

Eczema - A particular type of inflammatory reaction of the skin in which there are typically vesicles (tiny blister-like raised areas) in the first stage followed by erythema (reddening), edema (swelling), papules (bumps), and crusting of the skin followed, finally, by lichenification (thickening) and scaling of the skin. Eczema characteristically causes itching and burning of the skin.
Eczema, which is also called atopic dermatitis, is a very common skin problem. It may start in infancy, later in childhood, or in adulthood. Once it gets underway, it tends not to go quickly away.

​Yuck - I know.  Soren and I both have it and it is characterized under the autoimmune deficiencies.  Most medical professionals tend to blame it on consuming a food or the use of some kind of cream, soap, etc....  They never think a diet could be deficient in anything.  Well - except steroids apparently, their answer for any type of inflammation.  Since we are naturally supposed to take those anyway?!  (Yes - sarcasm)

As it turns out - the two of us are deficient in something.  What that is - I am not so certain, but Juice Plus+ seems to be fulfilling the void.  I ran out of my sample pack 2 days ago (we got our shipment today - yeah!) and I had two new patches in two different locations yesterday.  That speaks volumes.  My eczema was disappearing just last week - two days off a whole food supplement and I have brand new patches.  Unbelievable.​

Nutrition is so important and I fear we take it too lightly at times.  There's a pill for this - a steroid for that, a supplement for that side effect.  NO!  Did we ever think to check our diets?  To be sure we are absorbing the natural micro-nutrients our bodies need to thrive?  We thought we did, but we weren't serious enough about it.  I got serious - I wasn't going to be stuck on steroids the rest of my life and I was only paving a road for disaster with my son.  Lead by example, right?

This is a real deal product and I stand behind it because of what it has done for this family.  If you don't believe me - watch this video with Dr. William Sears (I bring him up A LOT in this blog - the man that coined Attachment Parenting.  He's A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!)​.  Even better - here is a great, short article about autoimmune diseases and how Juice Plus+ has treated them.  It gives a quick, concise explanation on what happens with these diseases and how whole foods can affect them positively.

So now we are all on it (Juice Plus+) - and feeling fantastic.  Soren gets pumped for his gummies and its been awesome seeing his red cheeks turn pale pink again.  For more info click here - and to order click here.  If you have any questions or concerns contact me here. ​

​This was one of the first shots I have taken in awhile, his cheeks weren't bright red.  My happy little reader!

are you on Juice Plus+?  how has nutrition affected your life/autoimmune deficiency?​