Nurturing Closeness in Your Family

Sometimes it’s nice to have someone to follow.

When you’re new to parenthood, you look around, taking and using what you liked from your own parents’ style of parenting, and sometimes looking for new mentors from whom you can gain fresh ideas and perspective.

And, most importantly, you listen to your instinct.

I feel lucky to have stumbled across the path of Mimi Doe, the author of a phenomenal range of parenting books, a mom herself, and the creator of the “Spiritual Parenting Newsletter”, a monthly newsletter that I’ve received for a couple of years now. My instinct tells me that Mimi’s advice is immensely valuable.

I love receiving these newsletters, and reading them feeds my soul, inspires me, centers me and reminds me of what is really important in life – connection and joy. I always close the newsletter feeling so grateful for Mimi’s timely reminders and positivity.

I’d love to share an extract from Mimi’s most recent newsletter. She calls the following list a “Family Unity Checkup”:

• I have a scheduled, predictable time to gather with my family for fun.
• I have discussed family rules and consequences, and evaluate the appropriateness of these rules every 6 months or so.
• I tuck my young child into bed each night I am home, or spend time with my older kids.
• We eat at least one meal together most days.
• Put-downs and mean-spirited teasing are not allowed in my home.
• We have laughed together at least once this week.
• We listen to each other with respect even when we disagree.
• I know what my child worries about.
• We talk about our family traditions, history, and ancestors.
• We have predictable opportunities for each family member to be heard, family meetings, a family journal, open discussions at mealtime, carpool conversations, etc.
• I know my child’s favorite song, music group, or sports team.
• Our family watches less than 7 hours of television a week.
• I don’t expect perfection. Trying hard is applauded, and lessons are learned from mistakes.
• Our family strives to live agreed-upon spiritual beliefs, and we often discuss how to do so.

Because our children are young, Darren and I are very involved in their lives and find it easy to connect with them, but this checklist reminds us to make sure we retain that level of connection as they grow older.

Is there something in this list that resonates with you? Maybe there’s an area you feel could be improved upon in your family – if so, perhaps you could think about positive solutions, or chat about solutions with your partner?

I love the Spiritual Parenting newsletters (can you tell?), and if you’d like to subscribe, just head to www.SpiritualParenting.com. I’ll be reviewing one of Mimi’s books in an upcoming blog, but her newsletters are a great way of discovering what she’s about (you can check out newsletter samples at http://www.spiritualparenting.com/archive.htm).

We’re all following our own paths, taking a bit of this advice, and a bit of that, and ultimately making a life guided by our own inner compass. But how wonderful to have reminders that help us stay on track…

Mimi Doe is the founder of Spiritual Parenting.com and the award-winning author of Nurturing Your Teenager’s Soul, Busy But Balanced, 10 Principles for Spiritual Parenting, and co-author of Don’t’ Worry Get In. Mimi’s free newsletter, Spiritual Parenting, has more than 30,000 subscribers from around the world. Sign up on the website: www.SpiritualParenting.com.

12 Powerful Tips for Recharging Your Vibration

In Karen Knowler’s Successfully Raw newsletter distributed on July 26, 2008, she wrote: “There is a popular saying in the personal development world (that) ‘You become most like the five people you spend most of your time with,’ and I really do believe this to be true,” says Karen. “The good news is,” she continues, “you don’t have to physically be around these people. It doesn’t matter where they are on the planet. If you’re reading their books, watching them on YouTube or on a DVD, going to their events, reading their web site and so on, it’s entirely possible that at least one or two of those mentors could be one of those five people you spend most of your time with! Just think who you could become with one of those guys or gals almost permanently at your side!“

So, RawMom readers, piggy-backing from Karen’s words in her “The Power of the Right Mentor” Successfully Raw issue, I challenge you to pick the five people you’d want to spend most of your time with for personal development reasons. Who instantly comes to mind?

One person who’d be so high on my 5-person list is Living Foods Educator and Bikram Yoga Instructor, Kathryn (Kate) Mitchell. In fact, I just spent about three hours with Kate last Saturday, nurturing my spirit. Like the sun warms my body, Kate warms my soul. Instantly. No question about it! Wouldn’t you want someone who helps you to feel this way in your presence pretty often?

Even though Kate and I don’t see each other in person as often as I’d like, as Karen Knowler states, physically being around a “mentor” is not mandatory to reap the benefits of what they have to offer. So, my e-mail, text message and phone communication with Kate has its rewards, too. However, I am super blessed to only have to drive about 45 minutes to St. Augustine, Florida to be in the physical presence of this amazing lady whom I have now titled my Soul- Nurturing Mentor.

With concern about a few things I’m trying to sort out in my life, Kate wrote this to me: “Sometimes having a listening ear is good, so please come talk to me if you feel that. I understand you have a lot happening, so do what feels right at the moment and jump in the car or don’t….just go with it if you need time to think and pray in quiet, which is also very very important. You know, Ralph Waldo Emerson says that ‘a true friend is someone you think out loud with’…meaning without any judgement and with total understanding on all levels. Talk to me.” Kate also said: “I want you to just do whatever you feel and know I’m here for you! I want to see you, but I am more concerned you are taking it EASY and nurturing yourself!”

While I believe that loving, encouraging, teaching and nurturing folks the way she does are simply natural gifts that Kate showed up on Earth with, the fact that she takes time to carefully and intelligently work on every aspect of her health at the cellular level increases the power of her gift of giving to others. You know the saying….put good in and good comes out! Kate puts GOOD in and GOOD undoubtedly comes out! She has really mastered the art of not forgetting to nurture herself in spite of how much she extends to others — a healthy practice that many of us need reminding about, I’m sure. I know I do.

Because I was recently starting to feel wiped out from a few circumstances, I eventually reached the point of knowing that by any means necessary I needed to see and hang out with Kate…NOW! Therefore, I made it happen instead of allowing everyone else’s schedule to take high priority over mine, as I had been doing lately.

If you, too, have been operating this way and noticing that you’re having to dig deep into your reserves for energy and clarity that should be flowing easily, you must check out Kate’s 12 amazing nurturing-yourself tips that’ll get you back into top-notch action in no time.

Imagine how quickly my battery began recharging when I showed up at Kate’s house last weekend and we rode off in the breeze — on a moped — for our lunch outing in downtown St. Augustine. Kate knew just what this girl’s soul needed. And to think I had never even told her how crazy I was about riding motor bikes while growing up in Bermuda.

Vroom, Vroom, here goes:

Kate’s 12 Tips for Recharging Your Vibration

1. For sun prana (energy), sunbathe without sunscreen for 10 minutes per day! The sun is the source of all life and will instantly revive your soul. Afterwards, remember to ‘open your eyes and let the light in,’ allowing yourself a few minutes to sit quietly and also absorb light through your pupils while focusing on something that is beautiful to YOU in nature (not directly on the sun, of course!).

2. Drink plenty of Living Water! If you put your filtered water in green glass bottles and set them in the sunshine, it will help ‘structure’ the water molecules and make it more absorbable by your body. Add some cucumber, basil, lemon, or create whatever infusion strikes your fancy!

3. Take a few minutes everyday to sit quietly and contemplate how you are feeling, in your heart especially! Then, allow a few more minutes to clear your mind and let it go fuzzy. A simple meditation is as follows: Keep your spine straight, but sit comfortably. Thinking to yourself…inhale sunlight, joy and vitality…exhale peace, love, and restfulness. Continue with any mantra (repetition of words) of your choice for at least 10 deep, slow breaths. You should feel the breath prana energize you in moments!

4. For earth prana, walk barefoot at least once a day! If you can walk on cool rocks or wet green grass, all the better. Be as close to the CORE as possible and you will instantly feel a grounding effect. A little heat under the feet — like warm sand — is wonderful for calming the neuro-muscular system.

5. SWEAT! Be it a brisk walk in the sunshine, a nice sauna session (preferably infrared!), or a sweat-lodge meditation, get it all out through the skin since it is the largest eliminatory organ. My personal favorite way to burn karma through sweating is a Bikram Yoga session or just a simple hot bath with sea salts.

6. Get moving….20 minutes a day minimum! It doesn’t matter what you do, but do it everyday if you can. Walk, ride, swim, stretch, dance, garden, or just play! It’s all about ‘FLOW’, so get your heart beating and your blood pumping to feed all of the little cells in your body with oxygen. Whatever you choose to do, make your decision based on what is going to also put a smile on your face while you’re doing it that day. It may change from day to day, so listen to your body and your heart for advice!

7. Laugh! I like the advice about ‘becoming like the five people you are around most often,’ and I try to surround myself with friends and family members who have a good sense of humor (thank you, Penny!) I am always inspired by people who are most child-like; I find it’s a sign of an open heart. And, it has always been said that laughter is the best medicine, and I couldn’t agree more. So let it ROAR!!!!!!

8. Be open to something new, whether it’s a new restaurant, a different place to find solace, or a new friend! If you are felling ‘stuck’, things can shift very quickly when you remain open to change. Just DO IT!!

9. Practice being cheerful! When we practice any virtue over and over, soon we become it. Just make up your mind every day that no one or nothing can disturb your peace, and BE CHEERFUL! Yogananda, of the Self-Realization Fellowship and Church of All Religions, reminds us in his teachings that “Cheerfulness consists principally in the attitude of the mind and is conditioned only incidentally by outside factors.” So, your happiness need not die when stricken with negativity or sorrow…you have the strength within you to overcome all obstacles. You can leap tall buildings in a single bound if you have the right attitude. Go, Superwoman!

10. Eat at least one mostly-green, raw meal a day! Hippocrates says, “Let thy food be thy medicine.” The energy from organic, green, high-chlorophyll foods — especially sprouted, living foods — can be essential for healing and revitalizing the body and mind. Give thanks for the nourishment from the earth and also the hands that prepare your food, as these are the reasons that food can be so full of high vibrational energy. Food made with love can put a giggle in your talk and a wiggle in your walk! That one was for you, Penny!!!

11. Love unconditionally! Practice increasing your Spiritual Magnetism daily. Quietly send love out to those who have hurt you or done you wrong and at the same time release them to their highest good, but actively show kindness and compassion to those around you if you feel it in your heart. Don’t hold back!

12. Listen to inspirational music! I like to listen to uplifting music throughout the day, and one of my personal favorites is Lenny Kravitz’s Let Love Rule.

Here’s to recharging your vibration and letting love rule!

Much Love,

Penny and her Soul-Nurturing Mentor, Kate!

“Pimp My Smoothie” by Debbie Young

 When I came across Debbie Young’s feisty blog the other day, I was totally excited to get her on board and contribute some of her green lovin’ in preparation for our upcoming Green Smoothie Day!  So, my lovelies, with no further ado, heeeeere’s Debbie, pimpin’ Green Smoothies!!

Green smoothies abound in the raw food world; they are as ever present as beer at a ball game. Why green? What’s so bad about just blending up some fruit and water and sucking it down? Green is where it’s at; it’s where all the chlorophyll, minerals, vitamins, proteins and micronutrients live. By adding green love to your standard fruity blend, you up the ante of fiber, dense nutrition and lip smacking satisfaction.

Say you are new to this party, not sure what to add and what to take out. Perhaps you have had ten thousand green glasses and are bored and thinking about Shamrock Shakes again. I have the ultimate guide to pimping your smoothie and making it yours, unique and custom geared to suit your tastes and fill your belly with delight. So grab your high-speed blender and let’s boldly go where all raw foodies need to go: To the menu of goodies!

Like any good anarchistic community, raw food has no rules save for that it be raw and uncooked. Green smoothies are the same way but to make it really rock, you need a few foundation ingredients. Then you can play and improvise and generally run amuck.

Base Liquid:
You need at least two cups of liquid. Some are thicker than others, so choose
by flavor and desired consistency.

• Almond Milk use unsweetened vanilla or plain unsweetened
• Coconut Milk: make this using a young Thai coconut, the juice and meat together,
  thick, creamy and sweet!
• Coconut Water: sweet, like water in consistency, O.N.E. brand is good
• Pure Water
• Fresh Juices: the skies the limit, flavors galore, be sure you juice it
  yourself fresh!

Greens:
You can vary the amount from a handful to a few cups. The greener the less sweet
it will be, unless you have very sweet veggies!

• Collards: remove the ribs
• Kale: remove the ribs of curly, use dino kale whole
• Spinach: wash it well
• Romaine: use ½ head up to one full head
• Bok Choy: chop it up a bit
• Sprouts: any and all work, but sunflower and pea are the sweetest
• Cucumbers: peel if not organic!
• Broccoli stems
• Avocado: this will make it thicker, almost pudding like.
• Celery: this can be stringy, cut it up to make it blend better.

Fruit:
Add one cup or more of fruit. Freeze it for a thicker, slushier smoothie.

• Apples: peel if not organic, use seeds if desired
• Strawberries
• Banana
• Pineapple
• Mango
• Cherries, berries of all sorts: Traders Joes has lots of frozen berry blends
• Lemon: go easy if you don’t like tart flavors! Lime works too.
• Watermelon: very yummy on it’s own but a great addition.
• Melons: musk melons, cantaloupe, melons rock, even on their own.
• Dried Mulberries: these add thickness and are mildly sweet.

Thick it Up:
Sometimes you need a little somethin’, add these to thicken your blend.

• Almond Butter: raw only, chunky is great
• Macadamia Nut Butter: very thick, lots of natural oil
• Tahini: just a little bit
• Flax Seeds: grind them up to make a meal, do it fresh, it tastes better
• Chia Seeds: these form a sort of gel consistency and add nutrients galore
• Soaked Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, have fun!
• Ice Cubes: freeze good pure water
• Frozen Fruit
• Raw Ice Cream: wow, that’s a whole other blog post!
• Coconut Oil or Butter: just a tiny bit

Sweet Love:
Always taste test your blend, if it makes you pucker add some of these!

• Raw Agave Nectar: I like the dark variety.
• Raw Honey: full of bee’s pollen and flower love
• Dates: if soft use them whole (take the pits out!) or soak them a bit to
  soften
• Figs: dried or fresh
• Coconut Flakes: dry, organic, yum!
• Vanilla: use the bean or the extract
• Stevia: teeny tiny bits will add sweetness with no acidity: just go light.

Super Foods:
If you really want to pimp out your smoothie add these Super Heroes.

• Goji Berries: pricey, just use a little bit
• Frozen Acai Berries: at Whole Foods
• Spirulina: Green algae full of protein and minerals and green love
• Bee Pollen
• Hemp Seeds: sweet, full of protein, so good for you
• Wheatgrass Powder: I use INS Bioscience powder, smooth and yummy
• Green Tea Powder: get it at an Asian market, just a little, it’s bitter
• Kelp/Dulse: add in powder form or use the leaves

Exotic Rides:
If you are feeling randy, try these crazy combos for a new level of taste treats!

• Cilantro, garlic and cayenne/ turmeric: Viva the Hotness!
• Fresh Mint and Cacao Nibs: Mint Chocolate anyone?
• Cacao/Maca Powder: Move over Mc Donalds, THIS is the real chocolate deal.
• Chai Tea: enjoy a natural alternative to Starbucks tazo chai latte.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice: tastes twice as nice.

So go wild, have fun and share your pimpin’ with us, send the RawDivas your recipes and tell us about your green smoothie concotions!

Oh and be sure to get some of those fat straws.. gonna need them.

The Cheap and Easy Way To Make Green Juice

Despite the kindness of so many people who emailed and posted regarding my Green Juice confessional, I have to admit, I didn’t actually manage to pull it off until Jamie the Wonder Goddess of yoga and green juice, emailed me THIS! Honestly, I would give my juicer away tomorrow if it were not for the fact that it still makes the best banana ice cream!

Thank you, Jamie!! You can check out Jamie’s other articles on greens in our upcoming Health in High Heels and on the RawMom site!

The Cheap and Easy Way To Make Green Juice 

by Jamie Abrams

I started green juicing nearly a year ago. Up until that point I had been a green smoothie queen. I loved them (still do) but, I was finding that I was feeling really heavy after my morning helping. My skin was reflecting this to me as well through pussy pimples and acne outbreaks. Not really what a girl wants when she is nearly thirty!

Finally, I knew I had to break my love affair with my green smoothies and move to something that served my body better. Drum roll please…..GREEN JUICES.

We already know how fabulous fresh fruit and vegetables are for our bodies. But, as soon as we liquidize these babies they become even more potent and powerful, especially greens. The five biggest benefits of greens are their chlorophyll content, trace minerals, vegetable protein, enzymes and alkalizing abilities. All these formidable effects are enhanced when we put them into the easily absorbable form of juice.

Like many people starting on their juicing journey I kitted myself out with one of the best masticating juicers on the market. If you are like me and maybe a lot of others who have these diamond studded juicers you probably tired easily of all the fiddly cleaning of bits and pieces. Any one juice could require using up to thirteen parts!!! Who has time for this?

Not wanting to forfeit my daily prescription of green juice I got resourceful. I first heard Sergei Boutenko and then the Rainosheks suggesting to people to use their blenders and nut milk/ sprout bags to make juices and by doing this you without doubt half the set-up and clean-up time.

If you would like to give this a go try the following with or without little hands helping:

Bod-A-Bing-Ba-Da-BOOM Juice

1 cucumber
3 stalks celery
1 small pineapple or 1/2 large
1 apple
2 carrots with their tops
bundle of spinach
bundle of rainbow chard
sprinkle of watercress

Chop the following up into chunks your blender can manage. Add enough water to cover your blender blades (1/4 -1/2 cup usually does the trick). Place ingredients in the blender as listed above. By placing the high water content items at the bottom you are more likely to have an easier blending experience. Turn on your blender. Poof. You have thick muck. Place your nut milk bag inside a jug or bowl, pour half the blender contents into it and get squeezing. Ring out all the juice from the bag. Place pulp into compost and repeat again or until your blender is empty.

Magic! You have a smooth, delicious green juice in minutes!
Did I mention how sparkly you look now?

PS. For those with little people about: Have your munchkin place the ingredients in the blender, turn the blender on and allow them to help you squeeze the juice out. My little guy’s hands are like lightening when ringing out the juice. It always tastes so much more gorgeous when he has added his energy to it. Plus he loves to drink it with me!

The Cheap and Easy Way To Make Green Juice

Even though this article was posted on our Raw Divas blog, I HAD to post it here, too. It’s just sooo helpful!! Thank you, Jamie!! We loooooove you! -t

by Jamie Abrams

I started green juicing nearly a year ago. Up until that point I had been a green smoothie queen. I loved them (still do) but, I was finding that I was feeling really heavy after my morning helping. My skin was reflecting this to me as well through pussy pimples and acne outbreaks. Not really what a girl wants when she is nearly thirty!

Finally, I knew I had to break my love affair with my green smoothies and move to something that served my body better. Drum roll please…..GREEN JUICES.

We already know how fabulous fresh fruit and vegetables are for our bodies. But, as soon as we liquidize these babies they become even more potent and powerful, especially greens. The five biggest benefits of greens are their chlorophyll content, trace minerals, vegetable protein, enzymes and alkalizing abilities. All these formidable effects are enhanced when we put them into the easily absorbable form of juice.

Like many people starting on their juicing journey I kitted myself out with one of the best masticating juicers on the market. If you are like me and maybe a lot of others who have these diamond studded juicers you probably tired easily of all the fiddly cleaning of bits and pieces. Any one juice could require using up to thirteen parts!!! Who has time for this?

Not wanting to forfeit my daily prescription of green juice I got resourceful. I first heard Sergei Boutenko and then the Rainosheks suggesting to people to use their blenders and nut milk/ sprout bags to make juices and by doing this you without doubt half the set-up and clean-up time.

If you would like to give this a go try the following with or without little hands helping:

Bod-A-Bing-Ba-Da-BOOM Juice

1 cucumber
3 stalks celery
1 small pineapple or 1/2 large
1 apple
2 carrots with their tops
bundle of spinach
bundle of rainbow chard
sprinkle of watercress

Chop the following up into chunks your blender can manage. Add enough water to cover your blender blades (1/4 -1/2 cup usually does the trick). Place ingredients in the blender as listed above. By placing the high water content items at the bottom you are more likely to have an easier blending experience. Turn on your blender. Poof. You have thick muck. Place your nut milk bag inside a jug or bowl, pour half the blender contents into it and get squeezing. Ring out all the juice from the bag. Place pulp into compost and repeat again or until your blender is empty.

Magic! You have a smooth, delicious green juice in minutes!
Did I mention how sparkly you look now?

PS. For those with little people about: Have your munchkin place the ingredients in the blender, turn the blender on and allow them to help you squeeze the juice out. My little guy’s hands are like lightening when ringing out the juice. It always tastes so much more gorgeous when he has added his energy to it. Plus he loves to drink it with me!

Love,

Jamie

Making Sense Of Me!

The last few weeks I’ve posted on the idea of “Making Sense of Men”.

I don’t quite know how to say this, without sounding a bit silly, but, as I had been warned, within about 24 hours of my last post about feeling great with independence, Mr. Right smacked me upside the head like a pickup truck out of nowhere.

I think I mentioned I’ve been doing a bit of self-reflection–looking at how the decisions I’ve made in relationships have ultimately lead to some, well… less than ideal circumstances. And it’s not easy to look back on your choices and wonder, “Why on EARTH!?!…”

One of my life’s mottos is:

“Never regret yesterday, life is in you today and you create your tomorrow.”

How true. So while I’ve not been willing to beat myself up for some of my choices, I have been wanting to get clarity on WHY certain decisions were made and how to stop repeating irrational patterns.

I’ve done a lot of that kind of work on myself recently, and it’s clear that my life has taken a complete 180 degree turn.

So, what about this “Making Sense of Men” thing?

Well, frankly, having received the materials in the mail, they leave me uninspired.

Why?

Because I think what’s more important than someone’s interpretation of what “men” need or what “women” need–I think what’s more important than these gendered generalizations–is the power of communication, and an ability to decide.

I think when you DECIDE what you want for yourself in relationship to another person, and when you’re willing to communicate about what is needed and wanted BEFORE you jump into things, to really find out if this is a team that can survive and support each other in powerful ways, then I don’t know what more you really need.

These things and the willingness to constantly co-create a relationship seem like the missing ingredients in a powerful relationship.

I believe people really can create the lives they WANT for themselves–not just survive and trudge through life. I think once I started Making Sense of Me, the right man just POOF! appeared. (Ildiko was right, he showed up faster than she could type her little message!)

Okay… so, I’ve got some unopened CDs and understanding men to send back in the mail and a green juice to make this morning.

Isn’t life neat when you get a few more things into perspective.

Love and hugs,

Tera

"How Do I Get My Kids To Eat More Fruit?"

Hi Raw Moms!

I’m a raw foodie mama of three gorgeous girls! I’m raising them mostly raw vegan as well. I’m having trouble with my two year old as she will eat anything green, and loves seeds but WILL NOT eat fruit unless it is blended in a smoothie… isn’t that funny???!!! She’s always been this way. Even when she first started eating solids she flat out refused baby food of any kind and opted for noodles / quinoa and smoothies (even green smoothies!).

Any ideas of how I can get her try a piece of fruit???

Thanks!
Jennifer, Jana (2), Naia & Ananda (14 weeks)
(Check out Jennifer’s Story below)

Shannon Says…

Hi Jennifer,

Things we fear will become the lifelong legacy of our children if we tend to make an issue of it instead of understanding that it really is a passing phase. Now I know it can seem odd to you that your daughter won’t eat a whole fruit unless blended, and yes, this phase has been going on a while and may continue a while longer, but the important thing to keep in mind as a mom is always the Big Picture.

In this case that is that she IS getting great nutrition- and in her wisdom she is wanting it in the most digestible and balanced form- the Green Smoothie. It is NATURAL for us moms to compare our children to others, but we do so at our and our children’s peril because it causes so much stress all around. I used to be a Nanny to a family of 5 girls and 1 boy- 2 deaf and 1 Autistic.

The boy ate from Organic Baby Food Jars until he was 8!!! It used to drive his parents crazy. I never worried because he was gaining weight and his health never faltered.

Do you want to know when he finally chose to break this little habit?

When he went to school he would NOT eat until he came home because he didn’t want the other kids to see. But at around 7 or 8 when he started to have kids over on play dates, he had nowhere to hide! He just dropped his baby food diet on his own due to peer pressure that he himself felt.

For the next year, I am giving you permission to give yourself permission to give your daughter permission to allow what is- allow your daughter to continue to make her very clear and not unhealthy food choices when it comes to preferring blended fruits over whole fruits…in fact, I would encourage you to go one step further and RELISH your daughter’s uncanny ability to intuit what she needs here. Celebrate her clarity and your blessings.

With much love and enjoyment,

Shannon

Ardis Says…

Dear Jennifer,

I think it’s great you are raising your 3 beautiful daughters raw! It sounds like, since your 2 year old will eat her fruit in the form of smoothies, loves greens and seeds, she is getting a wonderfully nutritious and well-rounded diet. As for getting her to eat an actual piece of fruit, a couple tricks that have worked for me are:

Get her involved! When making her smoothie, let her put the chopped pieces in the blender. Take bites as you go along – “mmmm, mango! mmm banana!” Maybe she’ll want to take nibbles as you go along, too.

Just keep offering her a wide variety of fruit as an option (particularly when she’s really hungry), but without any pressure. You might be surprised to find that on the 15th offering she actually accepts! My son does this all the time. For example, he would never touch tomatoes, and I actually stopped offering them to him. But recently, he saw some cherry tomatoes and devoured almost an entire pint! Now he can’t get enough. It also helps to make sure the fruit is perfectly ripe and in season; children’s intuitions about these things are really strong.

I hope some of this helps. But for now, it sounds like you’re doing a great job!

Love, Ardis

Tips from Tera

Skewers and kebabs make for amazing fruit sculptures. While I can’t easily find any pictures right now, I know that my very first cookbook as a young girl had spiders made from peach halves, carrot shavings for legs, and clove buds for eyes! There was a mouse, too, made out of half a pear!

Playing with your food is perfectly acceptable, Mom. Get your muffin to build fruits sculptures and peek around online to see what you can find about making animal shapes out of fruit.

I think the other advice from moms are great, too. Also, exercise, getting outside and running definitely increases the desire for fruit. When your little muffin starts to get more physically active and working up a sweat, the hunger for fruit will come, I’m sure.

Keep us posted, my dear!

Love and hugs,
Tera

Summer Homeschooling Idea For Kids: Love Bugs!

I have always found that we fear the things we do not understand. Since summer is in full swing, and bugs are everywhere, why not take this opportunity to inform you little ones about bugs. I’m always a bit saddened when I see kids squealing in fear around bugs. They just need to understand a little bit more about them, and this squeamish fear can quickly transform itself into curious fascination.

I loved these little tidbits about bugs that Angela forwarded me the other day! Enjoy! And read it to your kids!

By Angela Elliott, Author of Alive in Five

Did you know that for every person, there are at least 200 million bugs? In every square mile of dirt, there are more bugs than there are people in the world.

Bugs are pretty cool when you think about it.

Take dragonflies for example: they squirt water out one end to shoot themselves forward like an airplane. They can catch thousands of mosquitoes by making a basket with their legs. Ants work together in a colony to look for food, build their homes, and care for their babies. Bees work together to make honey and can lift and pull 300 times their own body weight!

When a bee finds food, it flies back to the hive and tells the other bees where the food is by doing a dance in a certain direction and at a certain speed. How about those amazing caterpillars? They turn themselves into beautiful butterflies. How cool is that?

OK, I’ll admit that there are some nasty bugs out there…. Like the flea. Even though they can be nasty, they can sure do a neat trick! Did you know that fleas can jump 100 times their own body length and they always land backwards? That would be like us jumping up to the top of those tall buildings downtown.
Did any of you see A Bug’s Life? In the movie, one little bug had the courage to be different and brave enough to help his entire colony. The greatest message in the movie was that we can accomplish anything if we have the courage and if we all just work together to do the right thing.

I guess if you really think about it, we can learn a lot from the insects around us. When you see a cockroach on your floor or a flea bites you on the leg, you may wish we didn’t have bugs, but without bugs, butterflies and silkworms, all the plants would not get pollinated and you wouldn’t have any chocolate, peaches, apples and other yummy things to eat? Not to mention, the world would be a much dirtier place, because believe it or not, bugs clean up after us.

Spend some time learning more about the bugs in your environment and see what you can learn from the ways they work and live together. Bugs are hard working little critters and definitely worthy of being called our “friends!” So careful where you walk and bring a magnifying glass next time you go to the park!

Happy Summer!!

-Angela

3 Simple Steps To Get Clutter Under Control

By Vanessa Stewart, the Clutter Free Diva

Does the clutter & chaos in your living space feel like it’s taking over your life?

Are you feeling tired, confused and overwhelmed by it all?

Would you like to have a sense of peace, calmness and control in your life?

If you’re like most people, you’ve answered YES to more than one of the above questions! In today’s busy and hectic world, we tend to gather way too much clutter. It may be in the form of paper, books, toys, clothes, or who knows what. The big question is…”What do I do with ALL this “stuff ?”

Clutter most often represents delayed decisions.

Today I’d like to give you a few “Helpful Tips” to help you make the “decision”. Take back the control, add peace & calm as well as become more in love with your home again!

1. Schedule “de-clutter time”
Set aside a block of uninterrupted time, even 15 minutes a day will go a long way. Use a ticking timer to keep track, you can always re-set it if you want to do more!

2. Pick One Area
Decide on an area to tackle. Be real; set a goal that will allow you to see progress. It may be a drawer, closet or even a small room. When you start small, you are more likely to do it!

3. Evaluate your belongings
Walk thru your home or office and take a “look” at what you have. Are your belongings enriching or draining you? You want to be surrounded only by the things that you love, need and use.

Simple Steps to De-clutter your life!

ASK THESE 3 SIMPLE QUESTIONS:

Do I LOVE it?Do I need it?Do I use it?

And just for final measure…

How is it serving me in my life today? If it isn’t, and you didn’t answer YES to the 3 questions, it’s time to it let go! Give back!

Once you decide what you no longer need, don’t just throw it away. Give the items to a homeless shelter, or like-minded organization. This act of “sharing” will give you a sense of abundance and doing good in the world, it’s a win-win for everyone!

Clutter free kisses,
Vanessa

Vanessa Stewart is a certified Professional Organizer and Feng Shui Consultant. Her main goal in life is to “help people fall in love with their homes & offices all over again!” And she’s also our Clutter Free Diva!! Her 30 Day Clutter Busting program will be coming out in juuuust a few weeks, so watch for it!!

Sometimes Life Throws Us Unexpected Surprises. Be Ready To Catch Them When They Come!

By Jennifer Kleinberg My story into RAW starts when I was 21 and I went out one night with some friends and someone at the club drugged me with homemade ecstasy which caused me to go into seizure. The seizures went on for months, several and often many times a day resulting in me having to move in with my parents and be under constant supervision. The neurologists told my parents that as far as they could tell the damage was permanent although they could not quite pinpoint the origin of the convulsions. I got under regular Chiropractic care as well weekly acupuncture and started to detox my highly animal protein based diet into a diet more focused on greens and fresh foods. Within 3 months I was able to get around on my own and started to care for myself a little more at a time. I found local government funding and eventually convinced them into funding my flight and part of my tuition to school. The day I left, my mother refused to come to the airport but I told her not to worry – I believed in the innate power of my body to heal itself.

After a few years in school and on / off a vegetarian diet I married my sweetheart – Adam, who cared for me while I was ill. He had been a vegetarian / vegan for 12 years and he coached me into living a more healthy, sustainable and balanced diet.

We were living in Holland when I became pregnant with our first daughter – Jana. It was in the first months of her pregnancy that I began to research the best possible diet for pregnancy which would be easy to assimilate, provide the most nutrients, and the most energy. That is when I stumbled onto the THE GARDEN DIET. A website by a family of raw foodists with remarkable health and 4 beautiful, vibrant children. (They now have 6 I believe). They inspired me and I’ll never forget my initial reaction to reading Jinjee’s story – I thought, “WOW. THIS IS ME. THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.” I shared the testimonials with my husband and together we began down the path toward live food. I researched further and discovered the Living Light Institute – the worlds’ premier raw vegan chef school. I set it in my mind that I was going to attend the school and become a Raw Vegan Chef – SOME HOW, SOME WAY, SOME DAY. I kept the image in my mind and meditated on its’ fruition.

It was nearly 18 months later that my dream was realized and, 4 months pregnant with twins and with my 18 month old daughter in tow went to Fort Bragg, CA for the two month intensive Chef Training Program. Graduating was one of the happiest accomplishments in my life. You can imagine how taxing 7- 12 hours a day in the kitchen on your feet 6 or 7 days a week with no days off for 2 months is when your pregnant with twins – let alone with an 18 month old to care for when I went back to my room and no help. BUT WE DID IT! Many of my classmates frequently commented on how much energy I had and how enthusiastic I was. I told them that I attribute my energy to my highly Raw Vegan diet and found when I ate cooked food during this time I felt PREGNANT!

Shortly after I returned from Fort Bragg I was approached by a photographer for Pregnancy Magazine and asked to do a test shoot which resulted in me being on the cover of two magazines and getting representation by FORD (as the first pregnant model they have ever hired) and also by Expecting Models – the agency for the T.V. show RUNWAY MOMS.

At 34 weeks pregnant I went into labor. Our dates were off, and we were expecting one full term very large baby. We had plans to deliver the baby at a Birthing Center in San Francisco attended by a midwife. Although we did not know we were expecting twins I had my suspicions but was reassured by our midwife that I was too small to be pregnant with twins. I had gained 28 lbs with this pregnancy at the time. My labor was long, hard and I had several convulsions due to the tremendous physical stress as my body was not ready to give birth but as we learned later – little Ananda was in distress and had initiated labor to save her life. When our Naia was born we all stared at her in shock – SHE WAS SOOO TINY! THERE WAS NO WAY THAT WAS THE ONLY BABY IN THAT HUGE BELLY!

Our midwife, who was not licenced to deliver twins or preemies in her center, called out to the assistant for help shouting “This baby is Premature – very, premature! I need an ambulance and oxygen NOW!” I felt movement in my belly and said to the Doula “There’s another baby… I can feel it!” My midwife who was giving my daughter oxygen yelled back “THAT’S JUST YOUR PLACENTA” I said, “Placentas Don’t have elbows! AHHHHHHHH!!!!” And Ananda (Bliss) was born, breach, in the sac, with the cord wrapped twice around her little neck. She was blue. My midwife didn’t miss a beat – GOD BLESS HER. She handed Naia over to her attending and dropped to her knees, ripping open her sac and unraveling the cord and when I heard a yelp, I knew my little girl was okay.

We were rushed off to the hospital, two ambulances, a fire truck, our attending friends and 7 burly fire fighters in our entourage. My poor husband – spinning around and flipping back and forth from crying to laughter went with our daughters to be sure that they were properly cared for while a friend went with me. The Doctors informed us that the babies had a twin to twin blood transfusion where Naia had sent Ananda just enough blood to help her survive her journey into the world. AMAZING.

The Doctors said that it was also amazing was that the babies were breathing on there own and seemed to be just fine! They were taken aback (and even rechecked me several times) that I had no rips or tears, and left the hospital in good health the next day. My husband later asked the doctors what the chances were if we had known we were having twins, that one was breach with the cord around her neck and with me having convulsions -of us having a natural, drug and Cesarean free birth in the hospital? They all answered unanimously “ABSOLUTELY NONE.”

My husband and I know that although to the general public and medical minded our birth story is a MIRACLE we give the credit to our lifestyle choices and practices. Highly Raw Vegan Diet + Chiropractic + Meditation + Regular Exercise = Extraordinary Healthy and Functioning Nervous System which was responsible not only for my healing from seizures but for the Miraculous Healthy Birth of my undiagnosed, premature twins.

GO RAW! GET ADJUSTED! LOVE THE LIFE YOU LIVE!

Many Blessings,
The Kleinberg Family – Adam, Jennifer, Jana, Naia & Ananda