tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20498224779923715992024-03-12T18:07:56.640-05:00Dupage MamasFarrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-89402425281228737572009-08-08T00:21:00.003-05:002009-08-08T00:34:52.360-05:00We've Moved!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8mZm_C1DSlVssla_1nCzhhlJFC2c8RnE_ZfF37HhnKBuYSzT52w2tH1t-4zU_CPorAY8OCVRg96WPZ77w_eB9k-0PV_xlUSKMZ5bdL6Lk9qcd3txh53dbIZV5i4gjZCApIbFaL10OR0/s1600-h/3399827984_cb25a650d7_o.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 100px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP8mZm_C1DSlVssla_1nCzhhlJFC2c8RnE_ZfF37HhnKBuYSzT52w2tH1t-4zU_CPorAY8OCVRg96WPZ77w_eB9k-0PV_xlUSKMZ5bdL6Lk9qcd3txh53dbIZV5i4gjZCApIbFaL10OR0/s400/3399827984_cb25a650d7_o.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367461876067191522" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">We are SUPER EXCITED to tell everyone about the new look of Dupage Mamas!! We got a makeover courtesy of my fabulous hubby!<br /><br />Come check out our new look!<br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);font-size:180%;" ><a href="http://www.dupagemamas.com/">WWW.DUPAGEMAMAS.COM</a></span><br /><br />Please update your reader or any links to us with this address. All future posts will be at the new site and we don't want you to miss a thing!! As always, we welcome your feedback- what do you love, what do we need to add/change,... Let us know! We will soon be announcing some giveaways and contests especially for subscribers so be sure to get in on that action early! And tell your friends too!<br /><br />We have loved having all of you on this new adventure so far... please continue to join us as we<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Guide Our Kids through Our Community!!</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dupagemamas.com/"><span style="font-size:180%;"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">WWW.DUPAGEMAMAS.COM</span></span></a><br /></div>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-9436231114178124752009-08-07T07:36:00.005-05:002009-08-07T08:03:07.090-05:00Winter Hats?- WPF<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinf4zSXkjpIuPXIUAX75SqVrIbW2iUcBqY6yi39qbPiN-lBM1tRiLVjoVFNXZe79UhqqtP7vJ1HuqKi1cqF1z0Q9EToslDmW_HwilMolv_JQkCBqvPothcWA7wd3AEsGcn_qmzy4Q1kGM/s1600-h/08062009172.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinf4zSXkjpIuPXIUAX75SqVrIbW2iUcBqY6yi39qbPiN-lBM1tRiLVjoVFNXZe79UhqqtP7vJ1HuqKi1cqF1z0Q9EToslDmW_HwilMolv_JQkCBqvPothcWA7wd3AEsGcn_qmzy4Q1kGM/s320/08062009172.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5367200053637121810" border="0" /></a>My toddler wanted us all to wear hats yesterday. He picked out one for me (his winter hat) and for himself and for his brother. We played "Polar Bears" for most of the morning. And then we took off the hats and pretended to be sharks. :) I tried to capture the three of us with our hats on with my cell phone camera. It happens to be the only camera I have right now. Obviously, I am not that good at self-portraits with my cell phone. Maybe I should practice more. Or maybe I should just buy a new camera. We could call it my 1yr. old's birthday present (which is next week-Ahhhh!!!). Anyone have a good point-and-shoot they could recommend? I was thinking about getting a Nikon 'cuz I have had bad luck with Canons. (But it might just be me.) Any thoughts?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you'd like to join in, p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(76, 76, 76); line-height: 18px; font-style: italic;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">ost your own Weird Picture Friday photo to your blog and link back to us. Then, leave a comment so all the Dupage Mamas can stop by your blog and have a laugh. Don't have a blog? No problem. E-mail us the picture and we'll feature it right here in an upcoming Weird Picture Friday post!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We would love to get some pictures from all of you. Please send us your own weird pictures. You know you got em'!! </span>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-55392024145777053422009-08-06T06:05:00.001-05:002009-08-06T06:05:00.727-05:00Enjoying Summer- Dupage Links for August 6thThe weekends of summer are quickly counting down. I don't know about you, but I feel like it took us so long to get into the swing of summer that now I want to cram as much fun in as I can before the weather turns cold again. And with all that is <a href="http://www.discoverdupage.com/vis_eve.cfm?StartRow=31&OrderBy=E.StartDate,%20e.EndDate,%20e.EventName&b=1&EventTypeAnswerID=&CityID=&StartDate=08%2F05%2F09&EndDate=%7Bts%20%272010-02-01%2000%3A00%3A00%27%7D">going on around us</a> in the next few weeks, it seems I am not the only one trying to pack on the fun.<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.triblocal.com/Glen_Ellyn/Detail_View/view.html?type=events&action=detail&sub_id=86242">All night Garage Sale</a>- Friday August 7th 9am through Saturday August 8th 4pm<br />Wheaton Drama Playhouse 111 N. Hale Street, Wheaton<br />Admission is free. Come see what treasures may await... at 1am!! :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.veggiefestchicago.org/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Veggie Fest 2009</span></a>- Saturday August 8th 11 am - 8 pm and <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qjp8Xi3dcvIcShpD30tLsYJTQUZR7OlSzElKL5GixsQz9LPP1AB1WXu-C0pKKOd1CeCxnFEF7I8qaE7VHW8scURPthRghdoGpGXt4970T79MeWIiUBodU_6pRsNCZWiEcJ7XybCr_k0/s1600-h/fresh-produce.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 137px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qjp8Xi3dcvIcShpD30tLsYJTQUZR7OlSzElKL5GixsQz9LPP1AB1WXu-C0pKKOd1CeCxnFEF7I8qaE7VHW8scURPthRghdoGpGXt4970T79MeWIiUBodU_6pRsNCZWiEcJ7XybCr_k0/s200/fresh-produce.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366707362499923586" border="0" /></a>Sunday August 9th 11 am - 7 pm<br />Science of Spirituality Meditation Center, 4S 175 Naperville-Wheaton Road, Naperville<br />This free <a href="http://www.triblocal.com/Naperville/Detail_View/view.html?type=events&action=detail&sub_id=69747">event</a> features cooking demos, over 100 food vendors, and health talks by medical professionals... all centered around eating vegetarian and making healthy lifestyle choices. There will also be events and games for kids, live music and a food drive collecting non-perishable vegetarian foods to be donated to the People's Resource Center. I was perusing the video and comments about the event last year. It seems pretty cool. Are there any vegetarian DupageMamas out there that want to check this out and take some pictures to share?<br /><a href="http://www.triblocal.com/Glen_Ellyn/List_View/view.html?type=photos&action=detail&sub_id=82855"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZx1-IdjMl6OTiB4yXYNO4rcMb5ZSsAgsSIx7iLxk_3zT6qJGqiakk35G3OVE729cHyYwfjFJlapKnhS6jaC-qIz1Sp2ZULxBqJrrC0RzqlmF3u8WPXr08hY29-nAn1hl3KQPL96eMTtI/s1600-h/poochapalooza.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZx1-IdjMl6OTiB4yXYNO4rcMb5ZSsAgsSIx7iLxk_3zT6qJGqiakk35G3OVE729cHyYwfjFJlapKnhS6jaC-qIz1Sp2ZULxBqJrrC0RzqlmF3u8WPXr08hY29-nAn1hl3KQPL96eMTtI/s200/poochapalooza.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366707128117815826" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.triblocal.com/Glen_Ellyn/List_View/view.html?type=photos&action=detail&sub_id=82855">Poochapal</a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.triblocal.com/Glen_Ellyn/List_View/view.html?type=photos&action=detail&sub_id=82855">ooza</a>-</span> Sunday, August 9th 1pm-4pm<br />Spring Avenue Dog Park, 185 Spring Avenue, Glen Ellyn<br />Fun for your whole family, including your canine friends. There will be pet vendors and demonstrations and a performance by the Purina Incredible Dog Team. The cost is $5 per pooch and you can register at www.gepark.org. I am for sure taking my Beagle down for some puppy-fun. If nothing else, maybe he'll learn something from the highly trained Purina dogs. It can't hurt to try.<br /><a href="http://www.triblocal.com/Geneva/Detail_View/view.html?type=events&action=detail&sub_id=83423"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Children's Flea Market</span></a>- Wednesday August 12th 10-11:30am<br />Geneva Public Library Youth Services Department<br />A place for kids to sell their unwanted toys and trinkets and browse other kids' unwanted treasures too. All items must sell for $1 or less. Visit <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.geneva.lib.il.us" target="top" class="red_normal">www.geneva.lib.il.us</a> for more info and to register. What a great idea!! Although, with my will-power I would leave with more toys than I came with.<br /><a href="http://www.triblocal.com/Glen_Ellyn/Detail_View/view.html?type=events&action=detail&sub_id=85040"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">League of Women Voters of Glen Ellyn's Annual Wine and Cheese Event</span></a>- Thursday August 13th 7pm<br />Hungry for some stimulating conversation and some free wine and cheese? This event is for you. The Glen Ellyn League of Women Voters is holding their annual new member's event. The focus of the evening is talking about ways you can get more involved in local and state politics and discussing current issues that affect us all. The event is free and open to the public but is held in a private home so send an e-mail to info@lwvge.org to find out the event details.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.triblocal.com/Hinsdale/Detail_View/view.html?type=events&action=detail&sub_id=84124"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Surviving the Recession" Workshops</span></a>- Saturday August 15th 8:30am - 1:30pm<br />DuPage County Administration Building, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton<br />Information about different programs in <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.dhoc.org">DuPage county</a> that can help resolve issues regarding health care, employment, and food assistance. Also advice on how to<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.dhoc.org"> avoid home foreclosure </a>and stay afloat in these challenging financial times.<br /><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.discoverdupage.com/event_details.cfm?EventID=7734&b=1&EventTypeAnswerID=&CityID=&StartDate=8%2F1%2F09&EndDate=8%2F31%2F09">County Fair</a>- Saturday August 29- Sunday August 30th<br /><span class="body">Kline Creek Farm County Farm Road Winfield</span><br />A recreation of an 1890's county fair, complete with a flea circus. :)<br /><br />Also at Kline Creek Farm, don't forget their regular <a href="http://www.dupageforest.com/calendar.aspx?id=2158">children's story hours</a> and <a href="http://www.dupageforest.com/calendar.aspx?id=2178">chore times</a> for some classic summer fun.<br /><br />Other great resources for Dupage summer fun:<br />Outdoor concerts, movies, and more at the <a href="http://www.mortonarb.org/calendar.html">Arboretum</a><br />A very <a href="http://www.discoverdupage.com/vis_eve.cfm?StartRow=31&OrderBy=E.StartDate,%20e.EndDate,%20e.EventName&b=1&EventTypeAnswerID=&CityID=&StartDate=08%2F05%2F09&EndDate=%7Bts%20%272010-02-01%2000%3A00%3A00%27%7D">extensive list of events</a> around Dupage County courtesy of the DupageConvention and Visitors' Bureau<br /><br />Wanna take your kids to a ballgame but don't want to drive? Check out the Pace Bus routes to <a href="http://www.pacebus.com/sub/espd/wrigley_field_express.asp">Wrigley</a> and <a href="http://www.pacebus.com/sub/espd/us_cellular_express.asp">U.S. Cellular Field</a>.<br /><br />And as always, be sure to check with your loal park district to see what summer fun they have planned for the next few weeks. Then just get out there are enjoy the last few weeks of summer with your family and your community!Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-86555124743773299622009-08-05T07:44:00.000-05:002009-08-05T07:44:00.729-05:00Organic...or not?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz88A2LUy2sUQGK2Z22Ft92okDJmOK7QwrR9jAvlyIGOBJPOzKZQQvVmgcGvCMFAra70Y5oNWp5n7cRnkxId10iWtQ_aNvPkSjzvSMTJlxNiDZj_3gpTiZZG2u-MHLNBQni5b6spfwStmB/s1600-h/DSC_0038.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz88A2LUy2sUQGK2Z22Ft92okDJmOK7QwrR9jAvlyIGOBJPOzKZQQvVmgcGvCMFAra70Y5oNWp5n7cRnkxId10iWtQ_aNvPkSjzvSMTJlxNiDZj_3gpTiZZG2u-MHLNBQni5b6spfwStmB/s200/DSC_0038.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366203427675941810" border="0" /></a>No sooner did I write <a href="http://dupagemamas.blogspot.com/2009/08/improving-my-diet-one-bpa-free-meal-at.html">this post</a> about when to buy organic foods than I heard the <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article6736031.ece">shocking news</a>: Organic food might not be any healthier than conventionally grown foods.<br /><br />Ok, so I wasn't shocked. This isn't the first time that the label "organic" has been called into question. Its become such a popular term that everyone is looking to slap "organic" or "natural" stickers on their products, often without really meeting the standards the consumer is hoping or expecting.<br /><br />I have a lot of questions though. For instance, the study suggests that the nutritional content is not higher in organic food than in conventionally grown food. That makes sense to me. But what about benefits that come from <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> having exposure to pesticides? Was that studied as well?<br /><br />I've never been converted to the full organic lifestyle, though I do try to make that choice when it is affordable, convenient, and seems important to me. But intuitively, food grown without chemicals seems better to our entire eco-system than food with chemicals.<br /><br />I'm not the only one with questions - an entire industry has been put on edge by the news. I have a feeling we'll be seeing more studies in the near future.<br /><br />In the meantime, Organic gardening is all the rage this year, studies or no studies. After Michelle Obama planted an organic garden at the White House with her own hands, there was literally a run on organic seeds and plants at Garden Centers all over the world. Even the Queen of England <a href="http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2009/06/first-lady-factor-in-action-new.html">started a garden</a> at Buckingham palace, for the first time since World War II.<br /><br />Now, my friends and I planted an organic garden this year as well, even before Michelle put her's into the ground. Who's to say that the Queen wasn't equally influenced by my garden?<br /><br />Yeah, I guess not.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-83026512422898085492009-08-04T06:26:00.001-05:002009-08-04T06:26:00.099-05:00A Lucky Find- Hot Spot Hot Dogs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4BCmaTJ9wsFte0KIijHpMgzmNdrK_meeIgfnp0RvCNhy3hVnwR1jlcSnZlkzrl_hx0NCcxzIkZdFePZXCjq-v7iBM2thctQVZ_igZQQz-DM_YJJeogWIqHD5veW-QZVAuXAfJEQp2mU/s1600-h/Hot+Spot+Hot+Dogs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4BCmaTJ9wsFte0KIijHpMgzmNdrK_meeIgfnp0RvCNhy3hVnwR1jlcSnZlkzrl_hx0NCcxzIkZdFePZXCjq-v7iBM2thctQVZ_igZQQz-DM_YJJeogWIqHD5veW-QZVAuXAfJEQp2mU/s320/Hot+Spot+Hot+Dogs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365961275343845794" border="0" /></a>Have you ever found a truly awesome place to eat or shop totally by accident? Whenever I find myself in that scenario, I always feel so proud of myself, like somehow my good taste helped me maneuver my way into a lucky find. When in actuality, it is just that. A lucky find.<br /><br />After a recent trip to a very <a href="http://www.csparks.org/Facilities/Armstrong.htm">cool park</a> with my boys and some good friends, we ventured out to find some lunch near by. One mom knew of a great little local sandwich shop, but when we got there we realized it had fallen victim to the poor economy and closed down. So, being in an area that none of us were all that familiar with, we were forced to go with what was in the same strip mall. Lucky for us, we stumbled into<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/hot-spot-hot-dogs-carol-stream"> </a><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/hot-spot-hot-dogs-carol-stream">Hot Spot Hot Dogs</a>.<br /><br />Located in a strip mall near the Fountains of Carols Stream (near the corner of Gary Ave. and Leis Rd.), Hot Spot Hog Dogs is a small little eatery with big flavor. The unassuming exterior may lead you astray. But once inside, the food is great! Hot dogs, burgers, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Italian</span> beef, and tamales (yes, tamales!) are the mainstays of the minimal menu. We tasted a little of everything between those in our group. It was all fabulous. The extras are amazing too. The fries are unpeeled, home cut, and fried to be a little soft and perfectly salty. I got some pasta salad with the intention of feeding it to my 1yr. old and ended up eating most of it myself. It was <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">de</span>-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">lish</span>!!!<br /><br />The cool factor gets taken up a notch when you pick your beverage. You can certainly order the run-of-the-mill 12oz. soda in a can. But, they also have all kinds of old-school sodas in bottles cooled in big metal tubs. Orange <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Fanta</span>, Root Beer, yummy sweet tea. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">HotSpot</span> has dozens of different bottled drinks to quench your thirst and give you that little bit of nostalgic flare.<br /><br />The prices are reasonable, probably because they haven't invested too much<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzjuC92Wz96PVqqhqfJNUpVfLqe0V-FZ-jEONMNMGbwFmw1WRu7jqr4hnc6UPrlXhcYUYltBFrNM6P1h9w5K2T_RbanQC5LIPzuj9ZKffblByphrGFqVRKqKjWKLT50EmSk5kiuuZzHo/s1600-h/Hot+Dog+Spot+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzjuC92Wz96PVqqhqfJNUpVfLqe0V-FZ-jEONMNMGbwFmw1WRu7jqr4hnc6UPrlXhcYUYltBFrNM6P1h9w5K2T_RbanQC5LIPzuj9ZKffblByphrGFqVRKqKjWKLT50EmSk5kiuuZzHo/s320/Hot+Dog+Spot+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365962267891647026" border="0" /></a> in seating for their customers. The only downside of my new favorite lunch spot is their lack of table space. They only have two picnic tables and a few bar stool tables for those of us who like to eat-in. It seemed that most of the constant stream of customers had their food packaged to-go. But what they lack in atmosphere, they more than make up for in taste and friendly service. They do have a super cool metal representation of the Chicago skyline on the wall.<br /><br />It is a lucky find, indeed. One I will be going back to again and again and telling all my friends about. It was that good. And I was that lucky to find it.<br /><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/2/1412775/restaurant/Chicago/Hot-Spot-Hot-Dogs-Carol-Stream"><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">HotSpot</span> Hot Dogs</a><br /><span class="adr"><span class="street-address">1030 Fountain View Drive</span><br /> <span class="locality">Carol Stream</span>, <span class="region">IL</span> <a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/zip/2/60188/Chicago-restaurants.html" class="quiet-link postal-code">60188</a></span><br /><span class="phone tel">(630) 690-3644</span><br />Mon-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.<br />Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-85181040089089590542009-08-03T06:30:00.000-05:002009-08-03T07:04:20.044-05:00Improving my diet, one BPA free meal at a time<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxz8pfRrM-01bBCtMAOzfkH_bEHRrZlA5V839eGXAdMZxRyMHPaJjP_NruVwlEko7_Ui_cnDyZqhAwI3eZ_oD-LIMe9xFsgrXIQWb4zrE-1_HAwLjzvEFIW_QI_JYrVTvNGXH35lBXUQvB/s1600-h/DSC_0106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxz8pfRrM-01bBCtMAOzfkH_bEHRrZlA5V839eGXAdMZxRyMHPaJjP_NruVwlEko7_Ui_cnDyZqhAwI3eZ_oD-LIMe9xFsgrXIQWb4zrE-1_HAwLjzvEFIW_QI_JYrVTvNGXH35lBXUQvB/s200/DSC_0106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365560282962297778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the next post in our new series on </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://dupagemamas.blogspot.com/2009/07/sweeter-than-honey.html">Feeding our Family</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. If there is a specific idea or post topic you would like to read about as part of this series, e-mail us at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dupagemamas</span>(at)<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">gmail</span>(dot)com.<br /><br /></span>When it comes to feeding my family healthy-not-harmful food, I've long since decided that "perfect" isn't going to be my goal. Instead, I'm shooting for marks like "improvement" or "better." When I shoot for perfection I realize it doesn't exist, so I fail and get discouraged and end up doing less. When I shoot for taking baby steps towards improving I succeed and get excited and end up making real progress. <div><br /></div><div>So, I'm always looking for rules of thumb or tips I can follow. I recently came across the three tips that <a href="http://www.ewg.org/Healthy-Home-Tips-02?utm_source=tips2-toxics&utm_medium=email&utm_content=second-link&utm_campaign=kid-health">EWG suggests</a> for feeding your family. They suggest you <span style="font-weight: bold;">limit your exposure to foods with pesticides, foods with BPA, and foods with growth hormones. </span></div><div><br /></div><div>Ok, that sounds about right. But how?</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Avoiding pesticides</span> typically means buying <span style="font-weight: bold;">organic</span>, which I find is often easier said than done. The single most helpful "hint" I've found is <a href="http://www.foodnews.org/EWG-shoppers-guide-download-final.pdf">this document</a>, which lists the "Dirty Dozen" - the 12 items of produce that carry the most harmful pesticide residue - and the "Clean 15". So if you can only afford to buy some organic foods, this list will help you know what to prioritize and when its ok to buy conventionally grown foods.<br /><br />Then there's the little matter of <span style="font-weight: bold;">BPA</span>. The main place where this nasty chemical will show up in our diet is in certain kinds of plastics and basically all canned products. The way to avoid it is to be sure that the plastics you use for storing water and food are BPA free. The worst plastic for BPA is the kind with a #7 recycle label, while those with a #1, 2, 4, or 5 do not have BPA. As for canned goods, by fresh or frozen instead of canned whenever possible. That goes for veggies, fruit, soup, pasta, beans...if it comes in a can, it has BPA.<br /><br />As for <span style="font-weight: bold;">growth hormones</span>? These may be showing up in your non-organic meat and dairy, but cannot be used in meat and dairy that is labelled as organic. I personally haven't made this leap yet, and its a costly one.<br /></div><div><br />So here are the rules of thumb for healthier eating:<br /><ul><li>buy organic produce, at least when shopping for "<a href="http://www.foodnews.org/EWG-shoppers-guide-download-final.pdf">the Dirty Dozen</a>"</li><li>avoid using #7 plastics for food or water and stick to #1, 2, 4, or 5</li><li>avoid canned goods when possible</li><li>consider buying organic meat and dairy </li></ul>This isn't going to make my family's diet perfect, and I won't be following this perfectly either. But these tips have helped me improve our diet. One step at a time.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Do you have any rules of thumb or quick tips for improving your family's diet? </span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Please share! You can leave them here <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">in the</span> comments or, better yet, write your own musings on feeding your family and we will post it as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">part</span> of our series.<br /></span></div>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-5389717774236356232009-07-31T00:05:00.000-05:002009-07-31T00:05:00.497-05:00Weird Picture Friday- Photo Booth Fun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScsX1W1ea0M_dozYZNWn5XBpLZmKqHm4OrmzYENFyQtGQWIVmAoQhc-RiIzQiToa7joE0z6vMO4_kQz0JTYjm_4X5YBPrWLpdv-RsaS9c6lVXhP4YYogMYlUa4yaIEa0i18YtPFHySaI/s1600-h/601232294_Xj8g8-X2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjScsX1W1ea0M_dozYZNWn5XBpLZmKqHm4OrmzYENFyQtGQWIVmAoQhc-RiIzQiToa7joE0z6vMO4_kQz0JTYjm_4X5YBPrWLpdv-RsaS9c6lVXhP4YYogMYlUa4yaIEa0i18YtPFHySaI/s400/601232294_Xj8g8-X2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364453610518876082" border="0" /></a>Cath and I went to a swanky party last weekend for <a href="http://www.chicagomomsblog.com">Chicago Moms Blog</a>. They had this fun photo booth for the guests and we decided to take full advantage. It was so fun to get dressed up and go downtown for a little solo-fun. As much as I love my babies and even love having them in the sling, I do love to have some time when I am my own person with no little person hanging on me. We had some good conversation, good laughs, and good cocktails. It doesn't get much better than that! <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you'd like to join in, p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(76, 76, 76); line-height: 18px; font-style: italic;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">ost your own Weird Picture Friday photo to your blog and link back to us. Then, leave a comment so all the Dupage Mamas can stop by your blog and have a laugh. Don't have a blog? No problem. E-mail us the picture and we'll feature it right here in an upcoming Weird Picture Friday post!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We would love to get some pictures from all of you. Please send us your own weird pictures. You know you got em'!! </span>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-6271166696531215142009-07-29T23:07:00.009-05:002009-07-30T00:36:14.549-05:00Weekend Events and the National Night Out- Dupage Links for July 30, 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKbS6Mhdgq9HGsbwPASJj885Vjl2uzRXIYvDKpHIrP5NCHaEygAO2_HNDUHArdAVEuCdL4Y-RecQbKeO9EGon9iXx0SeKIfueID-9pjOQ3Cyk94IktyqENnLhoz_6sPhdciHjpGCdWig/s1600-h/funbackgrounds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKbS6Mhdgq9HGsbwPASJj885Vjl2uzRXIYvDKpHIrP5NCHaEygAO2_HNDUHArdAVEuCdL4Y-RecQbKeO9EGon9iXx0SeKIfueID-9pjOQ3Cyk94IktyqENnLhoz_6sPhdciHjpGCdWig/s200/funbackgrounds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364122316071574418" border="0" /></a>This Saturday, August 1st, stop by the <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/wheaton/storecalendar.php">Whole Foods in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Wheaton</span></a> for some singing, dancing, healthy and delicious samplings, book readings, prizes and more! PBS' <a href="http://www.missloriscampus.com/">Miss Lori</a> will be there as part of the <a href="http://www.missloriscampus.com/latest-news/the-wttw-great-food-fan-van-health-and-nutrition-summer-tour.html">entertainment</a>.<br /><br />Or if you like your entertainment a little more tactile, the <a href="http://www.winfieldparkdistrict.com/">Village of Winfield</a> is having their annual <a href="http://www.winfieldparkdistrict.com/programs.asp?type=7&pid=939">Touch a Truck</a> extravaganza also this Saturday the 1st at 11am. We went to <a href="http://dupagemamas.blogspot.com/2009/06/we-touched-trucks.html">a similar event</a> a few weeks ago and the boys LOVED it!! You can't go wrong with ginormous <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">dump trucks</span> and diggers! Visit the website for a map to Winfield's Founder's Park on County Farm Rd.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBuz6qXd6ZAOWlSDL-VjbwwOj19T-GnIEyXO_yVUx8rMV6o_J50h20X2S4yWogAqE1KDH5AiCEQ_kbXxBc3ln-7uPZyQlZwnK1l9QB5qeJk3ifK8VDZOR9AEf50OZYVD4qLFTWXEE7qw/s1600-h/200x280-images-stories-visit-events-TheartreHike_CharlottesWeb3.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBuz6qXd6ZAOWlSDL-VjbwwOj19T-GnIEyXO_yVUx8rMV6o_J50h20X2S4yWogAqE1KDH5AiCEQ_kbXxBc3ln-7uPZyQlZwnK1l9QB5qeJk3ifK8VDZOR9AEf50OZYVD4qLFTWXEE7qw/s200/200x280-images-stories-visit-events-TheartreHike_CharlottesWeb3.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364120562387355394" border="0" /></a><br />Every weekend during the summer, the <a href="http://www.mortonarb.org/calendar/article/13431/theatre-hikes-charlottes-web.html">Morton Arboretum</a> holds Theater-Hikes. In August, they are doing <a href="http://www.mortonarb.org/calendar/article/13431/theatre-hikes-charlottes-web.html">Charlotte's Web</a>. They perform part of the play then the entire group hikes to the next location for the continuation of the play. We can't go this weekend, but we are definitely gonna try to fit this in this month. I think it sounds so fun! If you go, let me know what you think.<br /><br />Next Tuesday, August 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span>, is the <a href="http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/">National Night Out</a>. National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness and to generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs. It is also meant to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. Most communities will have increased police presence that night and are encouraging their residents to turn on all outdoor lights and get outside and talk with your neighbors. Some communities are having neighborhood watch meetings so check with your local village/city hall to see if your town has anything planned for the evening.<br /><br />On August 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span>, the Catholic Charities and the <a href="http://www.dupage.k12.il.us/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">DuPage</span> Educational Foundation</a> will be holding a Back To School Fair where they distribute backpacks and school supplies to families struggling financially. This is done in cooperation with the <a href="http://www.humanitarianservice.org/">Humanitarian Service Project</a>, a group that strives to do the same year-round for under-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">privileged</span> families in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">DuPage</span> County area. If you are interested in donating money or supplies to this effort, check out these links with contact information. My family and I are going to donate a backpack or two. I am always on the lookout for tangible ways to teach my sons about the importance of giving to others out of the abundance we have been blessed with. I am excited about this chance to let my family give back even in a small way to our community. Would anyone want to contribute something as a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">DupageMamas</span> community? Leave a comment here or drop us an e-mail.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Do you know of any events coming up? Let us know so we can spread the word - or write up a post and we'll put it up. If you go to an event, write about it! Or take a picture for us to see the fun you're having.</span>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-78643473706302098982009-07-29T06:14:00.004-05:002009-07-29T07:08:28.613-05:00Park District Roulette<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6-27jDEqoSbOq65NKkweKdPGTyAbN9c3IsJDNE2EUQbPP3MaQs9WjBpLg3DUBpp-7jJNSshBjRuWd4dCZpeNiXYMTeRsaeHdb6FbLYyJZK2EweV4UJkCNHZxhnwm8PBNlZYnAubdkOk/s1600-h/soccer+camp.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6-27jDEqoSbOq65NKkweKdPGTyAbN9c3IsJDNE2EUQbPP3MaQs9WjBpLg3DUBpp-7jJNSshBjRuWd4dCZpeNiXYMTeRsaeHdb6FbLYyJZK2EweV4UJkCNHZxhnwm8PBNlZYnAubdkOk/s320/soccer+camp.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363852793622939282" border="0" /></a>One of the many wonderful things about living in Dupage County is the well resourced Park Districts in most towns. When you have little kids with lots of energy, getting out and doing something structured and fun can be a "must." I always pounce on the Park District catalogs when they come, looking for fun things to enhance our week. Park Districts are like the multi-vitamin of daily fun: a great supplement.<br /><br />And I don't limit myself to just one town either. I'm not afraid to pay the non-resident rate if I find something we could do with friends or just looks fantastic. We've done soccer camp at one town, swimming lessons in another, and tumbling class at still another - though not at the same time.<br /><br />But there is certainly a sense of spinning the roulette wheel when we register and show up for the first day. Some classes and activities have been home runs - like the Chicago Fire MLS soccer camps held by real players with cool accents and great coaching skills. But there have been some major busts - like the gym class that promised to get lots of wiggles out playing games in the gym for 40 minutes. They spent 10 minutes in the gym and 30 minutes doing free play in a chaotic classroom with only one supervisor. (We didn't bother going back to that one).<br /><br />Having paid for my share of Park District wins and loses, I'm convinced it comes down to the quality of the teacher, which in many respects comes down to the quality of the Park District itself. I can remember a teacher who facilitated a great tumbling class, and my friend raves about a <a href="http://www.weeheartmusic.com/">wonderful music teacher</a>. But I also have a fresh memory of a terrible story-time teacher who didn't come prepared with anything more than two books to read to a room full of two years olds that had an hour to spend in her care. Total miserable chaos.<br /><br />Reading the Park District catalog at home, its hard to know what you're going to get. Everything I've signed up for has sounded fantastic. Some have really lived up to my expectations. And some have fallen so flat I've asked for my money back.<br /><br />What Park Districts, teachers, or classes have you had a great experience with? I'm much more likely to sign up with a strong recommendation than to spin the roulette wheel these days.Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-54361918424973772342009-07-28T06:51:00.001-05:002009-07-28T06:51:00.449-05:00Orange<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACgo9aiftlTiTpFG1kcVkgfw4NGfiTISi4npEZDi_0w5-Lf0O0fuyl70IDxg0Z4-8DbgV0AfTUX3-FpwmM595hqGqr1ekxzJ9Vv7tWtgIKZV6tv-kTyCQF-iyxSai6gcBZ0A4-LbbSQQ/s1600-h/DSC_0012.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjACgo9aiftlTiTpFG1kcVkgfw4NGfiTISi4npEZDi_0w5-Lf0O0fuyl70IDxg0Z4-8DbgV0AfTUX3-FpwmM595hqGqr1ekxzJ9Vv7tWtgIKZV6tv-kTyCQF-iyxSai6gcBZ0A4-LbbSQQ/s320/DSC_0012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362140019892103442" border="0" /></a><br /><span>We've been talking about feeding your family around here lately. But what about when the "family" is a seven month old? </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span></span>As soon as he could hold his head up, my baby <span style="font-weight: bold;">B</span> howled with frustration at meal times because he wasn't getting any. As soon as he could move his hands he did his best to remedy that by swiping at our foods. As soon as the Pediatrician gave me the go ahead, I started him on solid foods.<br /><br />Its been confusing though. Some days he'll gobble up the whole jar and start howling each time I take the spoon back to refill because it is now six inches away from his mouth and that is just Too Far. Other times when offered food he'll turn his head to the right and begin crying bitterly each time the spoon comes near, with a distinct tone of "you have <span style="font-style: italic;">got</span> to be <span style="font-style: italic;">kidding</span> me."<br /><br />(Just for the record, I told my husband before <span style="font-weight: bold;">B</span> was born that this child would be more compliant but a horrible sleeper and a picky eater. No word yet on compliance but otherwise I'm 2 for 2).<br /><br />In my sleep deprived state it took me until this week to recognize the pattern. He loves peaches, sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash. He screams with personal offense about anything and everything else.<br /><br />Orange. I guess his favorite color is Orange.<br /><br />My feeding-your-child philosophy has always been: <span style="font-style: italic;">Offer what is being served. If child does not want it, he can have a no-thank you helping. If that's all he wants, fine, he won't starve. If he's hungry enough he'll eat it. Under no circumstances will a separate meal be prepared. Avoid power struggles and slippery-slopes. </span><br /><br />This is a seven month old though. Power struggles are still in the future, but the slippery slopes begin now. So I'm baffled - do I buy mostly Orange Stuff because he's a baby and needs to eat? (He is, after all, still a very little Bee). Or do I continue to buy and toss Other Colored Foods? (But what is the point of buying food I know will only go in the garbage?) Or, do I mix a variety of foods into a still-predominantly-orange blend resulting in a more balanced diet but not teaching him how to eat (and enjoy!) what is being served?<br /><br />In the meantime, all our rags, bibs, and increasingly, clothes, are permanently stained Orange.<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-69406827846202949332009-07-27T06:27:00.001-05:002009-07-27T07:51:31.340-05:00Feeding our Family: Toddler Lunches<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDz5_LrwQ-IsFOoiMtk6lbJkrxDU8fWdgT8SdMRZGOu-LFFt9xfjCEoWU3rEbQxWJKzlmLVIs9ygDoLg_Rylt6RsFTBGi1Ukwqif4S9LBWeeKEs8MHGzmd3cG-_fhT6zQMgI8qZ59QWQw/s1600-h/IMG_0277.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDz5_LrwQ-IsFOoiMtk6lbJkrxDU8fWdgT8SdMRZGOu-LFFt9xfjCEoWU3rEbQxWJKzlmLVIs9ygDoLg_Rylt6RsFTBGi1Ukwqif4S9LBWeeKEs8MHGzmd3cG-_fhT6zQMgI8qZ59QWQw/s320/IMG_0277.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5363114093477631794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the next post in our new series on </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://dupagemamas.blogspot.com/2009/07/sweeter-than-honey.html">Feeding our Family</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. If there is a specific idea or post topic you would like to read about as part of this series, e-mail us at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">dupagemamas</span>(at)<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">gmail</span>(dot)com. </span><br /><br />One of the hardest things for me about the daily grind of motherhood is feeding little people. It has always been a challenge for me to make sure my boys are getting a good mix of all the necessary <a href="http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html">food groups</a> and nutrients. Lunches are particularly hard for me. The flow of the day rarely seems to lend itself to laid back lunch prep and drama free meal-time. Either we are on the go or nap time can't come fast enough. All this has led me to do some research on different lunch ideas that are quick and healthy or can be made ahead of time and frozen for easy heat-up. I like to mix it up and not feed the same <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ol</span>' lunches all the time- you know, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">PBJ</span> and chicken nuggets and mac-n-cheese and ... I worry that I am not giving them enough veges or calcium or grain or protein. There is so much to think about on top of making sure that they will actually eat what I manage to get in front of them.<br />So, for any of you who find themselves in the same boat as me, here are some websites and healthy lunch ideas I found to get you out of the lunch-time rut too.<br /><br />Egg "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">McMuffins</span>"- fried egg on a buttered <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">english</span> muffin, maybe with some ham for a little extra protein<br />Scrambled eggs with some grated cheese (My 3yr old LOVES this for any meal and I feel good '<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">cuz</span> he is getting good protein)<br />Fruit and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">vege</span> and cheese plates- raw veges or slightly steamed to make them easier to crunch<br />Cheese <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Quesadillas</span><br />Mini-pizzas on pita bread or bagels<br />Soup- chicken noodle, tomato, beef barley (We love the boxed versions from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">WholeFoods</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">TraderJoes</span>- quick and healthy)<br />Pasta- plain or with a little butter or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">parm</span>. cheese<br /><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Lazy-Baked-Macaroni-and-Cheese/Detail.aspx">Baked mac-n-cheese</a>- you can cut this into squares and freeze them for quick re-heating<br />Turkey/Cheese roll-ups (or any lunch meat- <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16361276//">nitrate free is best</a>)<br />Ravioli- canned or frozen or homemade and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">pre-frozen</span> if you are super <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">ambitious</span><br />Bread or crackers with Hummus spread (we love this too! Good source or grain if you use wheat bread and a good protein source too)<br />Grilled cheese with ham or even a little tomato slice added in for some extra nutrients<br /><a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Mini-Meatloaves/Detail.aspx">Mini Meatloaf</a> made in muffin tins-also can be made and frozen<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Ramen</span> noodles- only use a portion of the seasoning mix and remove some of the broth so it is a little less messy<br />Peanut butter and jelly in an ice-cream cone- a little twist on a classic, good for a quick snack too<br />Fruit Smoothies- add a little wheat germ or soy protein powder in there and they will never know. You can also juice some veges (in a juicer) and add that in too.<br /><br />Here is a fun, toddler-friendly recipe to try: Put a stick of string cheese in a buttered <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">hotdog</span> bun. Microwave for 45secs. Serve with a bit of marinara sauce for dipping.<br /><br />Some helpful websites:<a href="http://www.wholesometoddlerfood.com/toddlerlunch.htm"><br />Wholesome Toddler Foods</a><br /><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/273494/6_easy_healthy_toddler_lunch_ideas.html?cat=22">Healthy Toddler Lunches</a><br /><br />Since I am all about moms helping other moms, I must give a shout out to my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">bloggy</span> friend <a href="http://musings.thejonesjourney.com/">Terra</a> who does such a good job being creative in how she feeds her family (and from who I got a lot of these ideas!).<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Do you have any recipe ideas or helpful resources that we all could use to help us on this journey of feeding our family? Please share! You can leave them here <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">in the</span> comments or, better yet, write your own musings on feeding your family and we will post it as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">part</span> of our series. Thanks Y'all!! (I met </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/paula-deen/recipes/index.html">Paula Dean</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> at </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://babyloveslings.blogspot.com/2009/07/one-step-outside-circle.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">BlogHer</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"> this past weekend... so maybe that has me inspired to cook.. and say y'all!) </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">**P.S.~ The new look of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">DupageMamas</span> debuts THIS WEEK!! HOORAY!! I can't wait to show you!! **</span>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-27060474455768205922009-07-24T07:20:00.000-05:002009-07-24T07:20:01.034-05:00Weird Picture Friday- Toddler Fashion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaMIU5Itwskaffae1duUxX3Jiwe64Hx9bJRpHyioBCiC5WEKKIyejkfJLIcTZYcQoVdnVrNx5ldmQKmnA46wYZxnzQG1592ZB1Kn9QNB0x8OHIltmQtvvVaqKS7RtgG96iPM6q8J4ruc/s1600-h/Wes_Thomas_underwear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYaMIU5Itwskaffae1duUxX3Jiwe64Hx9bJRpHyioBCiC5WEKKIyejkfJLIcTZYcQoVdnVrNx5ldmQKmnA46wYZxnzQG1592ZB1Kn9QNB0x8OHIltmQtvvVaqKS7RtgG96iPM6q8J4ruc/s400/Wes_Thomas_underwear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360408816973168946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Today's picture is from Lindsay from St. Charles. She says...</span><br /><br />First of all, as if his head isn't big already, it's distorted because his face was right up at the lens of the camera. He had also just gotten his first pairs of Thomas underwear (in hopes that it would inspire the potty training process). My husband jokingly put the underwear on his head and then for several days my son wanted to wear them around like that. He is also wearing one sock..which he did for a while. Who knows???<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh, the joys of toddlers and their fashion choices! Thanks so much Lindsay! </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you'd like to join in, p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(76, 76, 76); line-height: 18px; font-style: italic;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">ost your own Weird Picture Friday photo to your blog and link back to us. Then, leave a comment so all the Dupage Mamas can stop by your blog and have a laugh. Don't have a blog? No problem. E-mail us the picture and we'll feature it right here in an upcoming Weird Picture Friday post!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We would love to get some pictures from all of you. Please send us your own weird pictures. You know you got em'!! </span>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-80671236746766048242009-07-23T12:51:00.005-05:002009-07-23T13:44:21.157-05:00Concerts and Conferences and Fairs, oh my!Its Fair Time! We've said it before, but its finally here - the <a href="http://www.dupagecvb.com/redirect.cfm?type=Event&id=7831&address=http://dupagecountyfair.org">Dupage County Fair</a>! There's so much to do - check it out. <div><br /></div><div>Are any of you Bloggers going to <a href="http://www.blogher.com/blogher_conference/conf">BlogHer</a> this weekend? Bloggers from all over the world are flying to our very own Chicago for one of the coolest blogging conferences around. I wasn't able to get a ticket in time (bummer!) but Farrah will be there so keep your eyes peeled! </div><div><br /></div><div>Do any of you like <a href="http://www.dupagecvb.com/event_details.cfm?EventID=7995&b=1&EventTypeAnswerID=&CityID=&StartDate=07%2F23%2F09&EndDate=07%2F26%2F09">Keb Mo</a>? He's got some cool tunes, and he'll be playing at the Morton Arboretum on Friday, July 24th. And if that wasn't enough, <a href="http://www.dupagecvb.com/event_details.cfm?EventID=7994&b=1&EventTypeAnswerID=&CityID=&StartDate=07%2F23%2F09&EndDate=07%2F26%2F09">Smokey Robinson</a> is playing on Saturday, July 25th! So, head to the Arboretum and enjoy the music and nature together.<br /><br />If that's not enough to choose from, Oak Brook's <a href="http://www.dupagecvb.com/event_details.cfm?EventID=7725&b=1&EventTypeAnswerID=20&CityID=&StartDate=07%2F23%2F09&EndDate=01%2F01%2F10">Mayslake Peabody Estate Open House and Art Fair</a> is Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25th, with live music and theater and tours of the Estate. <br /><br />Last but not least, my son's third birthday party is this coming Saturday - but not open to the public. :)<br /><br />Its summer! Get outside, hear some live music, eat some donuts, and enjoy the sun. <br /></div>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-44753050173876289802009-07-22T09:13:00.001-05:002009-07-22T13:12:49.265-05:00Three<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCuSUg1pssTX7Kf98eb_ucWB-Kwy3NQz3bmvk6KJ8Z2HE2XTzKiRXYjiOCC2R5xoyGR-CTiyf9kxhn8mbGWBvfdhdV8R3vfaUtGvkuYwvUdLD1Gaf3hUkaNoJBjzag28Oberusd4S1mYi/s1600-h/image+%281%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 228px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCuSUg1pssTX7Kf98eb_ucWB-Kwy3NQz3bmvk6KJ8Z2HE2XTzKiRXYjiOCC2R5xoyGR-CTiyf9kxhn8mbGWBvfdhdV8R3vfaUtGvkuYwvUdLD1Gaf3hUkaNoJBjzag28Oberusd4S1mYi/s320/image+%281%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361106234525636722" border="0" /></a>In the weeks leading up to my oldest son's first birthday I had time carved out to reflect, to remember, to intentionally set down those things I didn't want to leave behind. My baby had grown up so fast. I <a href="http://lifeaslyricpoetry.blogspot.com/2007/07/letter-to-my-son-on-his-first-birthday.html">mused</a> over his transition from baby to little boy. I couldn't believe it had gone in the blink of an eye.<br /><br />In the days leading up to his second birthday, I cut his hair for the first time. He looked so grown up, so handsome; he was so spirited, so independent. And I <a href="http://lifeaslyricpoetry.blogspot.com/2008/07/two.html">said</a>, "if I thought the baby days were leaving us behind last year, they are clearly long gone now."<br /><br />Now, in the hours leading up to his third birthday, I look back at the pictures from a year ago and contradict my former declarations once again. Surely it was this year, these twelve quickly passing month that truly saw him move from baby to boy. After all, this is the year where he left behind so much of the baby routines for Big Boy things instead.<div><br /></div><div>Nothing can really compare to that first year. It begins with an umbilical cord and ends with walking and first words. If that's not an amazing journey, I don't know what is. Of course, there's also the nine months the preceeds it - beginning with bodily fluid and ending up with a person. </div><div><br /></div><div>But this Two-to-Three year is nothing to shake a stick at either. <div><br /></div><div>We left diapers behind this year, the high chair, the sling, wispy baby curls, sign language and transition words, rocking chair, bottles, and cribs. Instead we have Big Boy Bed, Big Boy Pants, Big Boy Chair...</div><div><br /></div><div>I have a friend (you know who you are!) that used to sing this homemade song "She was a baby baby baby...now she's in college college college." Three is much closer to Baby than to College. But on some days, I can hear the echo. </div><div><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a></div></div>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-90948004718790992572009-07-21T06:25:00.000-05:002009-07-21T11:00:17.744-05:00Witnessing TransformationFor his 3rd birthday, a friend gave us this ultra-cool butterfly kit by <a href="http://insectlore.stores.yahoo.net/liveinsects.html">Insect Lore</a>. It comes with a net habitat and a certificate for the caterpillars. Although I thought the gift was a great idea (creative, out of the ordinary, educational,...), I honestly forgot about it for awhile. And then on one inspired day while cleaning off my desk, I found the certificate and mailed it off. About 3-4weeks later, this is what arrived at my house:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnsiylZe0Lc8Pevo3SulbBGbsjIGk3oEnezdeLHm_aMXAl6h230x-_Ief4T877LxnOnvY7dNRz8uf7tJppmxmjIPkaC9Xmpr8rEjbgmNbAIXlTGPYypXZDt5PceDYQE64pwmQhvNEQcQ/s1600-h/insectlore_2059_16330534.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggnsiylZe0Lc8Pevo3SulbBGbsjIGk3oEnezdeLHm_aMXAl6h230x-_Ief4T877LxnOnvY7dNRz8uf7tJppmxmjIPkaC9Xmpr8rEjbgmNbAIXlTGPYypXZDt5PceDYQE64pwmQhvNEQcQ/s200/insectlore_2059_16330534.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360763166535279250" border="0" /></a>... a plastic jar with some sort of pectin food at the bottom and 5 tiny little caterpillars (about the size of your finger nail). We set the jar on the counter, not sure exactly of what to expect. They didn't move much at first. But slowly, they started to grow and eventually got to be an inch or two long. And then, about two weeks later and as if they knew they were on display and being watched, these little caterpillars moved their way to the top of the jar. They hung upside down from the lid of the jar and we could actually see them spinning their silky chrysalis around their bodies. <span style="font-style: italic;">They are making their cocoons!! This is actually working!! </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fZwAlJH3apnbsHf2lLs3MvT8gIuBdkg4zuvQcV2xpoT3ODZaYKlcU1pzo9jXiDu7rDYTcFm1jVWRY3XKpRm_GVkZ5oIhAV-eEGAIFhaa-E3nuI_Kdx1LtEHNLRdIKlw5jXyAF8kuLvQ/s1600-h/Chrysalids.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fZwAlJH3apnbsHf2lLs3MvT8gIuBdkg4zuvQcV2xpoT3ODZaYKlcU1pzo9jXiDu7rDYTcFm1jVWRY3XKpRm_GVkZ5oIhAV-eEGAIFhaa-E3nuI_Kdx1LtEHNLRdIKlw5jXyAF8kuLvQ/s200/Chrysalids.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358912383370432818" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the 5 chrysalis</span><br /></div><br />We moved the chrysalis to the net habitat and waited. It was the first thing we ran to in the morning and the last thing we looked at before bed. We were waiting to see what would happen. Then one morning, about a week or so after they spun their tiny cocoon, we woke up to a beautiful butterfly in our net!! <span style="font-style: italic;">WOW!! </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLI6KeE0YA5HtsRahnFrZDXCZBOkU4pa3o_1Jqt2OQ-RLNopUQD1IiPEuGO2XphJez2AbNL8BS8xk8bHZiDERnjK2dlBPhc-8iJVjg0xi4gzBv6BVR4F141RpOeSdbRfMqifKa2antFg/s1600-h/transformation+3.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLI6KeE0YA5HtsRahnFrZDXCZBOkU4pa3o_1Jqt2OQ-RLNopUQD1IiPEuGO2XphJez2AbNL8BS8xk8bHZiDERnjK2dlBPhc-8iJVjg0xi4gzBv6BVR4F141RpOeSdbRfMqifKa2antFg/s200/transformation+3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358912378167267250" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">the first butterfly, coming out of the chrysalis</span><br /></div><br />My little guy couldn't have been more excited. He sat there and stared at it. I have to admit, I was pretty enamored by the whole thing myself. Maybe it is the biology junkie in me or the joy of watching my son's amazement, but I couldn't get enough. It took about 3days for all of the butterflies to emerge and each was mostly brown when they first came out. It took a few days for them to fully open their wings and display their gorgeous hues of orange and pink and yellow. We fed them sugar-water on paper towels and slices of oranges and watermelon for the week or so that the butterflies lived in my kitchen. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nPzvGfpju5tDDFrHQRkP9tbBNSMjRhZAlE9W0tzXOQHB9OnixZuXpuHJ76F8mEMMD8_WgmSFxxH5ILueaiVE-ELl6R5-3QT8vpUxXNm6HS0VZNf5BB84bRPI9Dr8BAR54PL4UN_wZgI/s1600-h/the+transformation.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 175px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nPzvGfpju5tDDFrHQRkP9tbBNSMjRhZAlE9W0tzXOQHB9OnixZuXpuHJ76F8mEMMD8_WgmSFxxH5ILueaiVE-ELl6R5-3QT8vpUxXNm6HS0VZNf5BB84bRPI9Dr8BAR54PL4UN_wZgI/s200/the+transformation.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358912376433307090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBCO18mTnA_Oh7NT7xvIQt8G46ztU7lEKEnPz02RRxUe8_iU06evuKohOiS5xyHw7Xsj5Bd1NpZ1fGARO3i2bA7KjxyO52FEBzDZ-EXCFiGFA7gZqHfp7DZ28Q7JZFGPn4b9JipUvQaY/s1600-h/Butterflies!!.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 172px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBCO18mTnA_Oh7NT7xvIQt8G46ztU7lEKEnPz02RRxUe8_iU06evuKohOiS5xyHw7Xsj5Bd1NpZ1fGARO3i2bA7KjxyO52FEBzDZ-EXCFiGFA7gZqHfp7DZ28Q7JZFGPn4b9JipUvQaY/s200/Butterflies!!.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358912367022547618" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">From the beginning of this process, we started preparing him that we would have to let the butterflies go. He claimed to be fine with that, as long as he got to "hold one" first. We actually did open the net a few times and stick his arm in and the butterflies would land right on his hand. My son and his butterflies became fast friends. I didn't know how much he loved this little science experiment until it did come time to let them go. Tears were shed (him and me) and prayers said for God to "protect our friends the butterflies." Then in one of the beautiful off-the-beaten-path gardens of the Arboretum, we let the butterflies go. One at a time so we could say good bye to each one. It was one of my favorite moments of my son's life so far. The wonderment on his face as he put his hand out to let get each one out of the net and then watched as it slowly discovered it was free to fly away- it was awesome to watch. He was sad, but so tender and precious. It was one of those moments I will never forget. <br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENi9ocXRLvYdemB2_UdzusQyaihTZRKG2ujhYp1f_BMwkxGJVjDIjm7cftqeieT0pNutAstdWhqeJMYQp2lzRlp7vJbRUJL5z9LwbEiDjrqF0ILE3NPXcpBb1VEgknai1x9hhv3HdcKo/s1600-h/IMG_0267.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiENi9ocXRLvYdemB2_UdzusQyaihTZRKG2ujhYp1f_BMwkxGJVjDIjm7cftqeieT0pNutAstdWhqeJMYQp2lzRlp7vJbRUJL5z9LwbEiDjrqF0ILE3NPXcpBb1VEgknai1x9hhv3HdcKo/s320/IMG_0267.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360750073118712882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Letting them go</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitufNVVu_WZvqzPQfDzadp1-blpprRqykqZpYY8EW2nxGhtbvasQLHicECZUC9khyhXCU0NNrku1gccZqlDIjsLmSLvE9_8_fgqEnZqsapfxUE3nZXqVBc3YDjbAQn9_RXzMp9l3kwMv4/s1600-h/IMG_0272.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitufNVVu_WZvqzPQfDzadp1-blpprRqykqZpYY8EW2nxGhtbvasQLHicECZUC9khyhXCU0NNrku1gccZqlDIjsLmSLvE9_8_fgqEnZqsapfxUE3nZXqVBc3YDjbAQn9_RXzMp9l3kwMv4/s320/IMG_0272.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360750076852269730" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Holding the butterflies</span><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEvWyCVTd2qQmQBUSknFcjk1gP_OEjGu_y_aCR17mRJpASSuYiPGrAEcmjdU7JTS9ZlFBGEui1-b2D6B76_hkkNbh7ARrn-Y_EkXJXJPIl5J7egeyB9sD1iyz_TCNiefE-8o1GAgS6vg/s1600-h/IMG_0262.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEvWyCVTd2qQmQBUSknFcjk1gP_OEjGu_y_aCR17mRJpASSuYiPGrAEcmjdU7JTS9ZlFBGEui1-b2D6B76_hkkNbh7ARrn-Y_EkXJXJPIl5J7egeyB9sD1iyz_TCNiefE-8o1GAgS6vg/s320/IMG_0262.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360750077764722834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Saying good bye to butterfly friends is hard work! </span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">This whole thing, from jar to Arboretum, has been such a fun experiment. I loved watching the transformation and watching my son as he soaked it all in. We will definitely do it again!! <br /><br />You can get your own Butterfly kit at local <a href="http://www.learningexpress.com/">Learning Express</a> stores or online at <a href="http://insectlore.stores.yahoo.net/liveinsects.html">Insect Lore</a>. They have other things besides butterflies... maybe we'll do the Praying Mantis next... :)<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Do you have a product or something that you have done with your kids that other DupageMamas may want to know about? E-mail us your idea/thoughts dupagemamas(at)gmail(dot)com. </span><br /></div></div>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-79570863830708372382009-07-20T01:30:00.005-05:002009-07-20T01:42:27.771-05:00Sweeter Than HoneyFEEDING OUR FAMILY:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the beginning of a series of posts about Feeding Our Family. For the next few weeks, we will have at least one post each week which focuses on all the different aspects of this topic and how we can help each other in this often daunting task of making sure our families eat healthy, well-rounded, on-time meals. If you have an idea for a post on this topic, please e-mail us at dupagemamas(at)gmail(dot)com. We would love to hear from you! Stay tuned for some really great discussion about how we can better Feed Our Family. </span><br /><br />In this quest to be smart and healthy in how I <a href="http://chicagonista.com/featured/freshness-delivered/">feed my family</a>, I am always on the look out for places that help me on this path. And while I always want to serve the best to my family, I don't always feel like cooking that food in my own kitchen. That is when it is super nice to have someone else who is cooking the healthy, organic food that should fill my boys' tummies.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmM5egYtimVPmmV1VIykhhRythR0CLPoiFjRgIvfIjroxZD6yQafB7l-diHzb7yIuIBhZs41-ZrtWsUF50fOB79mwGdkRO85hvk2DW0hrrw6ClMmcjdMdCz9bsFPSOnXhqxEInSyzIPNk/s1600-h/honey+2%2B.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 162px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmM5egYtimVPmmV1VIykhhRythR0CLPoiFjRgIvfIjroxZD6yQafB7l-diHzb7yIuIBhZs41-ZrtWsUF50fOB79mwGdkRO85hvk2DW0hrrw6ClMmcjdMdCz9bsFPSOnXhqxEInSyzIPNk/s320/honey+2%2B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5360426577395989874" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.honeycafe.net/">Honey</a> is an amazing restaurant in downtown Glen Ellyn, in the western suburbs. They call themselves a "modern comfort cafe" and that pretty much says it all. Except I might add "yummy," and "delicious" and "soul-satisfying" to the list of descriptors. It is comfort food in the true sense that it is warm and flavor-ful. But beyond that, it is comfort food because I know that what my family and I are eating is good for us and good for the earth. Their produce is all organic, their meat is free range/grass-fed and often local. Even the wine and beer and coffee are organic. They bake most of their own bread and sweets every morning and make all their own sauces and salad dressings from scratch.<br /><br />While these things are great and certainly key, I think the thing I like most about Honey is the atmosphere. It is laid back and friendly. It is the type of neighborhood place where people could sit with a cup of free-trade coffee and chat about the local happenings. I don't know if people actually do that, but you could. It is comfortable that way. It brings healthy, organic food down to an approachable level and makes it available for everyone. The prices are pretty reasonable for what you are getting. They cost more than a breakfast at your run-of-the-mill pancake house, but you are getting so much more for your money. When your options include Filet Mignon Benedict and Triple Chocolate French Toast, you know you have found a gem. For lunch and dinner, they have everything from yummy meatloaf and pot pie (see, comfort food!) to sandwiches to just about everything in between. They even have something called "Truffle Mac-N-Cheese" made with white truffle oil. Modern comfort cafe, indeed!<br /><br />There is a "Little Honey's" menu for the kiddos with organic chicken nuggets or mac-n-cheese or organic PBJ. Even if you don't come for a meal, you gotta come for the dessert. For dessert, try the "cupcake of the day." You can't go wrong with that.<br /><br />Honey offers delicious food that you know is good for your body. Sitting there eating yummy food in a laid back neighborhood cafe... comfortable!<br /><br /><br />Honey<br />499 N. Main St.<br />Glen Ellyn, IL<br />630-469-0000<br /><a href="http://www.honeycafe.net/">www.honeycafe.net</a><br />Mon-Sat 9a-9p<br />Sun 9a-3p<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Originally posted by <a href="http://www.babyloveslings.blogspot.com">Farrah</a> at <a href="http://chicagonista.com/featured/sweeter-than-honey/">Chicagonista</a>.<br /> </span>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-79551457707447611572009-07-17T06:45:00.000-05:002009-07-17T06:45:00.158-05:00Weird Picture Friday- Bouncy Babies<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtISeZkj9okjQhTWU82uepCW3K-tOWZNbS133vbtCARthk2klPedKU9XPqcRc7271vi7t8xGA5AZ_qdNTWwy9oMa1ZmBLhZ3FC0CuLoPnfoiRtLH54pwTuJn92-9Nl-lJgKtcXhOkvlvY/s1600-h/Jamie_and_Ducky.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtISeZkj9okjQhTWU82uepCW3K-tOWZNbS133vbtCARthk2klPedKU9XPqcRc7271vi7t8xGA5AZ_qdNTWwy9oMa1ZmBLhZ3FC0CuLoPnfoiRtLH54pwTuJn92-9Nl-lJgKtcXhOkvlvY/s320/Jamie_and_Ducky.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5359270629626850802" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Thanks <a href="http://atwood4.blogspot.com/">April</a> (from Plainfield) !! So cute!! Something tells me big sister had a hand in helping create this picture. :) I love the expressions on the baby's face. He's like.. "What in the world is going on here?"<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you'd like to join in, p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(76, 76, 76); line-height: 18px; font-style: italic;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">ost your own Weird Picture Friday photo to your blog and link back to us. Then, leave a comment so all the Dupage Mamas can stop by your blog and have a laugh. Don't have a blog? No problem. E-mail us the picture and we'll feature it right here in an upcoming Weird Picture Friday post!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We would love to get some pictures from all of you. Please send us your own weird pictures. You know you got em'!! </span>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-54311951813632243652009-07-16T08:20:00.001-05:002009-07-16T08:20:00.337-05:00Rivers, Fairs, and Sidewalks - Dupage News and Events for 7/16/09<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF2ZafPVgxx1L02xFSMp2eZ70d2gjVed9OcWShRoZnYRGcXMGZVo04biGQYxQ23kLA5xLJZSOHV8uFzRGoKFJ6NAUzy44YriLyVQx_QJA-_86chwf6GhHacEESMwq_DFJNkkChq70S-4/s1600-h/riverwalk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 153px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitF2ZafPVgxx1L02xFSMp2eZ70d2gjVed9OcWShRoZnYRGcXMGZVo04biGQYxQ23kLA5xLJZSOHV8uFzRGoKFJ6NAUzy44YriLyVQx_QJA-_86chwf6GhHacEESMwq_DFJNkkChq70S-4/s200/riverwalk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358894150195581554" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Feel like strolling along the river?</span><br />If you're looking for a nice summer stroll, you're fortunate enough to have the World's best option. Well, maybe that's going too far. But the <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102639595348&s=3893&e=001zRhp34anWE5Op6x30MOib7RvfET5asVNRO9b5acl1yBp3ASnZMmBHZtV56Un87NewugQ2at8pO3GiHwtnlSaZzR_i0ywIvQKZJgn7hgYvp9TDKAUsVC9Uwe44wM8TMyZFwjtuwmDAeM=">Naperville Riverwalk</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> just voted the Most Loved City Park in <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102639595348&s=3893&e=001zRhp34anWE4drfommzBcUCWPQVs1LBjVhJr-HCw4hucxEW0fXANgEJWNLiXyBasWlyuCx5CNCykHAFzXmoQV_o24tsCluZkO4i2LeqFGVHfYFk6lCpAwvAGfaSzphwibdcAo3AiMsDHIt43zeqvGH-LV6kh87PKU">Glancer Magazine's 2009 Reader's Choice Awards</a>. From the city press release: <span><span><span><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><div><blockquote>Built in 1981 to commemorate the city's 150th birthday, the Riverwalk features fountains, covered bridges, the Riverwalk amphitheater consisting of the Celebration 2000 Millennium Wall and labyrinth, gazebos and shaded sitting areas, a large sled hill, the Riverwalk Eatery, a picnic pavilion and paddleboat rides. The Riverwalk is maintained by the Naperville Park District and is open year-round. </blockquote></div>Way to go Naperville! I may just have to stroll on over myself one of these summer evenings.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Its Fair Time!</span><br />The <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><a href="http://www.dupagecountyfair.org/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:12;" >Dupage County Fair Takes Place July 22 To July 26</span></b></a></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><a href="http://www.dupagecountyfair.org/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:12;" >.</span></b></a></span> Unlike past years, all concerts are free with admission to the DuPage County Fair. Besides music fair goers can experience carnival rides, food vendors, livestock exhibits, a demolition derby and several types of kids' activities. Nothing says "summer" like wandering around the Fairgrounds with cotton candy and mini donuts. I can't wait. Will I see you there?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sidewalk Sales!</span><br />Another great hallmark of summer when I was a kid were sidewalk sales. Remember those? I remember hitting the sales with my mom and stocking up on school supplies, off season clothes, and even Christmas presents each summer. This weekend downtown Elmhurst is having <a href="http://www.elmhurstcitycentre.com/sp/sidewalk-sale-09.html">sidewalk sales July 17-19 during business hours</a>. Show 'till you drop!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rockin' for the Troops</span><br />This Saturday, July 18th, is the 4th annual <a href="http://560wind.townhall.com/pages/rockin">Rockin' For the Troops</a> benefit concert event at Cantigny Park in Winfield. Gates open at noon for you to claim your spot on the lawn and check<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIioMGxObhXLMf0v9cPctEGN4Dle1uq4Pe3vE1s3ye9iQajq_6CcIYMBMKgfKvLZ6VoFoSCft6jFe0ZF4QPUTsowfz7vEQXHesMYFHruGHEieX9SQ6DGmiLy7fh8NPYtesEPwa5GEO_I/s1600-h/ltdcsi.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 117px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIioMGxObhXLMf0v9cPctEGN4Dle1uq4Pe3vE1s3ye9iQajq_6CcIYMBMKgfKvLZ6VoFoSCft6jFe0ZF4QPUTsowfz7vEQXHesMYFHruGHEieX9SQ6DGmiLy7fh8NPYtesEPwa5GEO_I/s200/ltdcsi.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358895510779474994" border="0" /></a> out all the food vendors with <a href="http://www.triblocal.com/Naperville/List_View/view.html?type=photos&action=detail&sub_id=79778">opening acts</a> starting around 3pm. Headliner <a href="http://www.ltdanband.com/">Gary Sinise and his Lt. Dan Band</a> goes on at 8pm. I went a couple years ago and Gary Sinise is actually really great! Plus we had a picnic on the lawn and had a fabulous evening! Tickets are $25 with all profits going towards sending boxes of goodies to troops serving overseas. You can get tickets by clicking the link <a href="http://560wind.townhall.com/pages/rockin">here</a> or at your local Jewel-Osco.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Do you know of any events coming up? Let us know so we can spread the word - or write up a post and we'll put it up. If you go to an event, write about it! Or take a picture for us to see the fun you're having. </span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-14963906336742679912009-07-15T07:05:00.000-05:002009-07-15T07:05:00.536-05:00Which Sunscreen?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8owSkcPL45zMsjy_sVQGb5V2X5JsRpNKYSdtp9WrWeR30ZvS3ywFhl2Tq9HYsJGxQkoN760MyRShvz42uiktBDroboIAcFU4yfDw-QahEyZL_TnDSE0fEsuNBXVnjwP61ltk_XgYGA29Z/s1600-h/DSC_0621.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8owSkcPL45zMsjy_sVQGb5V2X5JsRpNKYSdtp9WrWeR30ZvS3ywFhl2Tq9HYsJGxQkoN760MyRShvz42uiktBDroboIAcFU4yfDw-QahEyZL_TnDSE0fEsuNBXVnjwP61ltk_XgYGA29Z/s320/DSC_0621.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5358027999594915794" border="0" /></a>Its a sign of the times that I'm asking "which" not "if." When I was a kid - not that long ago, really - sunbathers laid on the tanning oils before laying out. Now, we don't even play outside without SPF 30. Its not a question of "if" we wear sunscreen, its a question of "which" sunscreen will provide the most protection and do the least harm.<br /><br />According to the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group</a>, three out of five sunscreens don't work: either they provide ineffective sun protection or they're full of dangers materials. During this brief window of non-winter-weather in Illinois, my boys and I are chomping at the bit to get out of our small condo and into the sun. Slathering them up each day is one of my least favorite chores. They're squirmy, screaming, eager to get out. If I'm going to go through all this work, I want it to be helping them.<br /><br />I looked up the brand we use on EWG's helpful <a href="http://www.ewg.org/cosmetics/report/sunscreen09/Beach-Sunscreens">Sunscreen guide</a>, a list of 660 available sunscreens they've tested and how they scored. Or at least, I tried to. Scrolling down the list of products I've never heard of (sorted by top scorers first) I was down to 200 before I gave up. That can't be good. I finally just used the search function to find it, and am frankly too discouraged to even report what they had to say. Well, at least I know what to buy next time.<br /><br />Or do I? My kids and I have been all over in our mainstream-brand sunscreen, and frankly, so have most of the people I know. You name it - the zoo, the beach, the pool, mid-day, all day, Illinois, California. And we've never burned with it on or even close. So its doing the job I'm trusting it to. And I can both find and afford it.<br /><br />Don't let my discouragement stop you. I would recommend checking out EWG's <a href="http://www.ewg.org/cosmetics/report/sunscreen09/Beach-Sunscreens">Sunscreen Guide</a> for yourself - its an interesting education if nothing else. But I highly recommend their <a href="http://www.ewg.org/files/2009sunscreenguide.pdf">Shopper's Guide</a>. This one lists the "best easily found" sunscreens, as well as information to be aware of when choosing and using sunscreen. <a href="http://www.ewg.org/files/2009sunscreenguide.pdf">This guide</a> is helpful and not overwhelming. I really <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> choose one of these the next time sunscreen is on my list.<br /><br />So here's to safety in the sun! Do any of you actually still use tanning oil? Do you slather your kids but not yourself? Do you wear SPF 50 even in the winter? What have you found works for you?Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-17088985107646096302009-07-14T07:39:00.002-05:002009-07-14T07:39:00.222-05:00Sad news from Cosley Zoo<span style="font-style: italic;">Today's guest blogger is <a href="http://justwemoms.blogspot.com/">Mandie</a> from Wheaton:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wheatonparkdistrict.com/images/cosley/draft_horse.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 176px;" src="http://www.wheatonparkdistrict.com/images/cosley/draft_horse.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Have you heard? The beloved horse, June, who has made <a href="http://www.wheatonparkdistrict.com/pgs/parks/cosley/default.html">Cosley Zoo</a> home for the past several years died this past Sunday. She was 14 years old. According to one of the zookeepers, she was sick and taken to the vet, but did not survive. She died on Sunday evening, July 12, 2009. June was an American Cream Draft Horse and shared her stall with Pro the Shetland Pony. Pro appeared to be somewhat lost while on display today. Normally he is seen following June as she wanders in the horse enclosure. The zookeeper said, "He knows something is different, but I don't think he knows what," as she sympathetically scratched him behind his ears. Since June was not in the stall with Pro at her time of death, the keeper staff does not believe she is mourning at this time. According to Danielle, a zoo spokesperson, they hope to get a new companion for Pro since horses thrive with companionship.<br /><br />There will be a memorial fund to remember June, but details are not yet available. If you are interested in making a donation in honor of June, you can do so by contacting the staff of the Cosley Zoo.<br /><br />On a personal note, while the ducks are String Bean's favorite zoo animals by far, she is always thrilled to see the horses. Today was a sad day as the big white horse no longer is with us.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Have you heard a piece of news that might interest Dupage Mamas? Write us a post and we'll put it up. </span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-86546462685242928452009-07-12T22:22:00.003-05:002009-07-12T22:28:06.841-05:003 Is The New 2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdb34REOsNbE79fnlShXrzBGs4LxW3kbTtUURF6NtLWzYhXPdryvRvserv5U8BhCIfctF664VW-eHPrwhTquMuPp8m2Td-gsKCdOnslUnExtECjSSVvMgVuT5Vbpc9Ca00kKIU_GexB8/s1600-h/lucas+sunglasses.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdb34REOsNbE79fnlShXrzBGs4LxW3kbTtUURF6NtLWzYhXPdryvRvserv5U8BhCIfctF664VW-eHPrwhTquMuPp8m2Td-gsKCdOnslUnExtECjSSVvMgVuT5Vbpc9Ca00kKIU_GexB8/s320/lucas+sunglasses.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357780592092858370" border="0" /></a>Whoever it was that coined the phrase "terrible twos" committed a huge injustice to parents, in my opinion. You brace yourself starting with the "I can move independently and thus get into trouble" stage knowing that the naughtiness and whining and exercises of free-will will continue but hopefully peak through that second birthday. Once you can see that third birthday on the horizon, relief from the tantrums and stubbornness is in sight. Right? Not in my house.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /><p>What is the phrase for three? Is there one? Can I suggest "Talk-back Threes" or maybe "Throwdown Threes?" After only three months experience with age three, I would gladly go back to two. My <a href="http://www.chicagomomsblog.com/2009/04/my-tender-bully-rtp-pic-sent.html">3 yr.old son</a> is stubborn, constantly testing the limits, playing Hubby and I against each other. He is smart enough to know my emotional buttons and is not afraid to push them. He has the vocabulary of a middle-schooler and never stops talking. He has very well defined ideas of how he thinks the day should go and what everyone around him should be doing and God-forbid if we should stray. The whining, the "No, I will NOT do that!", the shaking his finger at me as if I was in need of a lesson or two. I didn't have to deal with any of this at two. He has always been a smart kid and fairly whiny at times. But age three has taken the defiant whining to a whole new level.<br /></p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /></p> <p>The other morning, he went into full meltdown mode at 7am because I would not let him watch <a href="http://disney.go.com/cars/">Cars</a> (a very typical 3yr. old boy obsession from what I can gather). I told him he could watch it when I was putting his brother down for his morning nap which was a mere hour away. Not good enough. He started crying and stomping and muttering things like "I am just going to run away from you! Then how would you feel?" When I didn't respond, he said "Can anyone hear me? I said I was going to run away! Doesn't that bother you?"</p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /></p> <p>Now, so as not to paint my little guy as a holy terror, he is a very sweet boy who loves his mama very much. He is tender and loving and comes up with the most adorable and creative things. I adore him. Truly adore him. We are deeply attached and connected and both prefer to be with each other than with anyone else. But, lately if things are not how he wants them, he scrunches up his cute little face and squints his eyes and tells me what he wants. Or he ignores what we say and continues doing whatever he feels like doing.<br /></p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /></p> <p>How did my 2yr. old baby who was simply learning to exert his independence and test the boundaries become this 3yr. old little man who can't be bothered with obedience? How can he go from the most loving child one minute to this whiny mess simply because I won't let him eat peanut butter out of the jar with his fingers while watching a movie on the couch?<br /></p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /></p> <p>It is a constant battle to ride the line. You know, that line between giving into his toddler-tantrums and trying to help him learn better ways to express himself. I don't want to crush his sweet spirit, just reign it in a bit. I certainly don't want to miss the joys of this age by focusing so much on the challenges. Even though the whining drives me to the point of insanity, this age is like the culmination of his "baby-ness" and the beginning of being truly a "little boy." Kinda bittersweet. I want him to grow into a functional, wonderful, healthy little boy who has a strong self-esteem and an even stronger sense of the love of his family. But I also don't want to loose my mind in this stage of dealing with his seemingly constant opposition.<br /></p><p><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /></p> <p>9 more months to go.... 4 will be better, right? </p> <p><em>This is an original </em><a href="http://www.chicagomomsblog.com/"><em>Chicago Moms Blog</em></a><em> post.<br /></em></p>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-41044012150859954582009-07-10T09:24:00.000-05:002009-07-10T09:24:00.176-05:00Weird Picture Friday - Scary picture of Moi<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3ShG05vywe3iXf62WK15BnaFJFZhOYY2zM3zh3ZS0-aXMj0RceFs_FpTtwqunYsbrD7Zqz-AQaRg7sLFhf_N54hlXA6kqFBElniD6VG3O8JupcqRB_0UWJx8O8BrpX1_GSmi0kSHw0YW/s1600-h/06142009143.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD3ShG05vywe3iXf62WK15BnaFJFZhOYY2zM3zh3ZS0-aXMj0RceFs_FpTtwqunYsbrD7Zqz-AQaRg7sLFhf_N54hlXA6kqFBElniD6VG3O8JupcqRB_0UWJx8O8BrpX1_GSmi0kSHw0YW/s400/06142009143.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353312408184307090" border="0" /></a>What is this?? Strange art? Something that got twice exposed? Its a weird picture, that's for sure!<br /><br />I was actually sitting in the car messing around with my camera when I took this self portrait. I expected it to be just my head but - lo! and behold! - the rest of me showed up as well, in the background, reflected off the car window.<br /><br />So you know what this means. Its slim pickin's around here. Send in your weird pictures!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you'd like to join in, p</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(76, 76, 76); line-height: 18px; font-style: italic;"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">ost your own Weird Picture Friday photo to your blog and link back to us. Then, leave a comment so all the Dupage Mamas can stop by your blog and have a laugh. Don't have a blog? No problem. E-mail us the picture and we'll feature it right here in an upcoming Weird Picture Friday post!</span>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-8370754246476095682009-07-09T00:07:00.001-05:002009-07-09T00:23:12.118-05:00County Fair and other DuPage News<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTzq_kz-a1B7nQ1Kp3LCrPTq-SXWZp_Die8cAIvhSVUq-M6g7TIbcuqntjs0PUVBjTN4gy7ZWD1B-77Jjmtq2Qf1VEXYAxoVQOmnINTOk6Kh7tVt4U_ARDNDbZiTN1buYSgrQF7I7m5E/s1600-h/Carousel+with+Daddy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 217px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzTzq_kz-a1B7nQ1Kp3LCrPTq-SXWZp_Die8cAIvhSVUq-M6g7TIbcuqntjs0PUVBjTN4gy7ZWD1B-77Jjmtq2Qf1VEXYAxoVQOmnINTOk6Kh7tVt4U_ARDNDbZiTN1buYSgrQF7I7m5E/s320/Carousel+with+Daddy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356316875444557794" border="0" /></a>Coming to a fairgrounds near you.... the<a href="http://www.dupagecountyfair.org/"> DuPage County Fair</a> July22nd-26<br />Adults are $10, Kids 3 and up are $3 (ride tickets are extra)<br />(<a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/ads/landing/dupagecofair/index.htm">Click here for a $2 coupon</a>)<br /><br />I was 9months pregnant at last year's fair and we had a ball! We loved the carousel and the petting zoo and, of course, all the yummy treats!<br /><br />Want to go and then blog about it? We would love to see the fair through your eyes! Send us your thoughts and pics.<br /><br />Speaking of carnivals... Would you travel halfway across the globe to work at local fairs for the summer? <a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=305310&src=2">These two girls</a> did.<br />(BTW- the <a href="http://www.glendaleheights.org/">Glendale Heights </a>Summerfest Festival is going on now through Sunday if you want to meet these two ladies for yourself.)<br /><br />Looking for other free fun options, check out <a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=304378&src=121">this list</a> of some funky free concerts around DuPage County this summer. I'm thinking the Sting Rays 50's/60's cover band looks fun!<br /><br />Want yummy ice cream? <a href="http://www2.suburbanchicagonews.com/forms/icecream.html">Here is a map</a> of all the best ice cream places in the western 'burbs. You can even add your favorite to the list or just take other people's word for it.<br /><br />Other News...<br />Could be <a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=305307&src=121">trouble for the main Pace Bus route</a> that travels through Dupage County. With so few options for public transportation in the suburbs, it would be a shame to see this go away. But it seems as if that decision is up to the Wheaton City Council.<br /><br />But even in times of financial strain, the United Way of Dupage County is still <a href="http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/wheatonsun/news/1657507,Naperville-Miracle-networking_na070909.article">working miracles</a> for those in need in our community.<br /><br />More <a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=305319&src=2">Dupage County News Briefs</a>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-22546404114873939222009-07-08T00:02:00.001-05:002009-07-08T00:28:34.768-05:00How "Waste Not Want Not" is not like "White Elephant"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3L_e8THKLZKot2lsoE7sgnzmi9q9BS1sj7JANXwtEh5JwqX8eMjbCbzM_qVJq97_5fXcErWyvRq3iwbEdVyNexFxy-LgEf-9pBK7TaiAKO-DuoYp45I84GCb69wpqitSV7uwnuJBF_S4/s1600-h/WN,WN+Party.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3L_e8THKLZKot2lsoE7sgnzmi9q9BS1sj7JANXwtEh5JwqX8eMjbCbzM_qVJq97_5fXcErWyvRq3iwbEdVyNexFxy-LgEf-9pBK7TaiAKO-DuoYp45I84GCb69wpqitSV7uwnuJBF_S4/s320/WN,WN+Party.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355945768394150674" border="0" /></a>When I was about five years old my family was invited to a White Elephant party at church. We were new to the community and hardly knew anybody. To us (well, to my parents), White Elephant meant "give away something no one wants, for the laugh." So they elaborately wrapped up a not-currently-in-use toilet seat and we prepared for a great evening. We added it proudly to the massive stack of gifts and sat down to enjoy the fun. <div><br /></div><div>Except our mirth turned to mortification as we watched gift after gift be chosen and unwrapped - lovely, desirable, useful things. Sure, they might be second hand, but they were nice. We were pretty much ready to disappear entirely by the time one young man walked excitedly to the stack and chose the largest gift of all - our toilet seat. I vividly remember the look on his face as he opened it, and I <i>was five years old</i> at the time. My family made a pact to never, ever tell who gave that toilet seat. </div><div><br /></div><div>I have to admit as I dug through my cupboards in preparation for the <a href="http://dupagemamas.blogspot.com/2009/06/need-night-out.html">Dupage Mamas Waste Not Want Not party</a>, I was having flashbacks. Who would really want this stuff I was ready to get rid of? If I didn't want it, who would? <div><br /></div><div>When I saw the table covered in a spread of (mostly) delicious looking groceries, it looked like my fears were confirmed. Apparently the other party attenders had actually brought good stuff, while I had brought...well, stuff I didn't want. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then I heard it. "This is fantastic! Who would give away <i>this?!" </i>one person exclaimed. I turned and saw that the item she had in mind was something from my own cupboard. For about twenty minutes we all browsed and grabbed and scored a bag of staples that met our needs perfectly. Hardly anything was left for our food shelter distribution, and nothing at all that I had brought. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, my White Elephant trauma has been laid to rest. <a href="http://www.cafegalicia.com/">Cafe Galicia</a>, and their Tapas and Sangria, was fantastic. The company was exquisite. The giveaways for <a href="http://www.pamperedchef.biz/beckygosain">Pampered Chef</a> (thanks Becky!!) and <a href="http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/default.asp?sid=B3060&gid=84318925%27">Usborne Books</a> (thanks Sharenda!!) were so fun. And a phone call from my husband brought the miraculous news that my infant had woken and managed to fall asleep <i>without me</i>. </div><div><br /></div><div>What could make for a better evening?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you are sorry you missed it and would like another chance to have some fun girl time, don't fret. We will hopefully be having another Girls' Night Out very soon. In the meantime, we are having a small get-together this Sunday to learn more about </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.ubah.com/ecommerce/main.asp?sid=B3060&gid=84318925&HID=HOS146813">Usborne Books</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> and all they have to offer for our kiddos. We would love to have you join us! </span><a style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;" href="http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?event=HMTYGXBGYNXYYOFAGGHH&inviteId=XEAUBTGRSBVYNJSRBAUN&showResponse=&sortOrder=&responseToExpand=not+yet+replied">Click here</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> for more info. </span><br /></div></div>Catherinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07316677018586769316noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2049822477992371599.post-52597251989263417052009-07-07T00:05:00.002-05:002009-07-07T00:10:53.812-05:00My Babywearing Journey<a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5tleYprguxAAmdwBqDC7G-qwor-hUQcfj6bJDsWRaa5qSTvAhKKeAEPz85EguXqs40P24kziMtKsFcWlyDrBXk7XDyHZVDCpJ_HSEFPRn1q8D_HKSOWSuj3xqX1cIAbSDxqwhfuo1C0/s1600-h/elizabeth+and+zoe.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5tleYprguxAAmdwBqDC7G-qwor-hUQcfj6bJDsWRaa5qSTvAhKKeAEPz85EguXqs40P24kziMtKsFcWlyDrBXk7XDyHZVDCpJ_HSEFPRn1q8D_HKSOWSuj3xqX1cIAbSDxqwhfuo1C0/s320/elizabeth+and+zoe.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355569229428541538" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Today's guest blogger is </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.happytogetherish.blogspot.com/">Elizabeth</a></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> from Wheaton.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /></span></span> <w:view></w:view><w:trackmoves><w:trackformatting><w:punctuationkerning><w:validateagainstschemas><w:donotpromoteqf><w:lidthemecomplexscript></w:lidthemecomplexscript> 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >I was not always a babywearing mama.<span style=""> </span>Like most things in life, it has been a progression .<span style=""> </span>And this is one progression I am happy with unlike the unrelenting spread of my hips or bottom.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >When my oldest daughter Princess was born premature, my husband B and I were so overwhelmed.<span style=""> </span>She was our first baby and we were in no way prepared for her arrival let alone her premature arrival.<span style=""> </span>We felt helpless.<span style=""> </span>There was so little we could do for her.<span style=""> </span>She was so tiny and so vulnerable in her isolette under lights, taking it all in.<span style=""> </span>When she stabilized a bit, we were encouraged to hold her.<span style=""> </span>We sat and held her and talked to her and read to her for hours every day.<span style=""> </span>I think sometimes she was glad to see us leave.<span style=""> </span>But she sat there and looked at us with her gigantic eyes taking <i style="">us</i> all in.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:";" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >When she finally came home, she loved to sleep on us.<span style=""> </span>She would sleep on our chest with her head on our hearts and she would snuffle.<span style=""> </span>I am sad to say that I didn’t <span style=""> </span>wear her.<span style=""> </span>She would have loved it- but I was not at that point in my journey yet.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >My son Stinky came premature as well but was a bit stronger than his older sister.<span style=""> </span>Even so, he also loved to be held.<span style=""> </span>From the day he was born, he objected strenuously to being put down.<span style=""> </span>He really got <b style=""><i style="">MAD</i></b>.<span style=""> </span>Through parenting him, I overcame the need for a crib or a bassinet or anything else.<span style=""> </span>He slept with us. <span style=""> </span>After seeing me carry him everywhere all the time, my neighbor took pity on me and told me I needed a sling.<span style=""> </span>I was hesitant at first.<span style=""> </span>But then, I tried it and fell in love.<span style=""> </span>And so did he.<span style=""> </span>He loved his sling.<span style=""> </span>He still loves it.<span style=""> </span>He still loves being on my back. <span style=""> </span>The sling was like baby charming.<span style=""> </span>He would see it and be happy.<span style=""> </span>He would go and get it from the closet.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >Then came Peas.<span style=""> </span>She brought new meaning to sling love.<span style=""> </span>She even had a ‘sling challenge ‘ in the NICU to see if she could maintain a good oxygen level<span style=""> </span>while in a sling.<span style=""> </span>This was very beneficial for us both.<span style=""> </span>Being worn or held helped her get stronger and encouraged growth and development.<span style=""> </span>It also allowed me to feel like I was helping her, that there was something I could do that was contributing something good to my baby girl.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">;</span><br /><span style=";font-family:";" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >Through her I learned the love for wraps, for mei tais, and soft structured carriers.<span style=""> </span>My love for ring slings was already well established by wearing Stinky.<span style=""> </span>But with Peas, I expanded my babywearing horizons.<span style=""> </span>I had to really.<span style=""> </span>In our house, <span style=""> </span>it is a rare thing that someone is not tied to me.<span style=""> </span>Peas is now 14 months old and has only been in the stroller twice (and never spent the night in a crib).<span style=""> </span>With her, I have worn out three ring slings.<span style=""> </span>One of my friends jokes that Peas will someday get address labels made for my hip because that is where she always is.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:";" ><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >Babywearing has allowed me to actually accomplish things with three kids around the house.<span style=""> </span>Without it I do not see how I would ever be able to get anything done.<span style=""> </span>It also has let me bond with my children and feel close to them.<span style=""> </span>It has been a journey for sure, one I cherish and love.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" >.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";" ><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style=";font-family:";" ><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:lucida grande;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >Elizabeth blogs about her babywearing/parenting journey at <a href="http://www.happytogetherish.blogspot.com/">Making It Fun</a>. </span><span style=""> </span></p> </span></m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></m:brkbinsub></m:brkbin></m:mathfont></m:mathpr></w:word11kerningpairs></w:dontvertalignintxbx></w:dontbreakconstrainedforcedtables></w:dontvertaligncellwithsp></w:splitpgbreakandparamark></w:dontgrowautofit></w:useasianbreakrules></w:wraptextwithpunct></w:snaptogridincell></w:breakwrappedtables></w:compatibility></w:donotpromoteqf></w:validateagainstschemas></w:punctuationkerning></w:trackformatting></w:trackmoves>Farrahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09007898882390399053noreply@blogger.com3