Baby Food Fridays Series - NurturMe Review

            Ever since Myka started eating real food, baby food has been my new obsession. While my husband and I LOVE making our own baby food for her, it is not exactly feasible to take with us on the go since it needs to be refrigerated. That’s where NurturMe NurturMeals come in!

            So, how are NurturMeals different from regular baby food? Instead of using the traditional canning process, fruits and veggies are freeze dried or drum dried. Because of this, more nutrients are preserved. It also means a longer shelf life AND no refrigeration! NurturMeals are also USDA certified organic, kosher certified, gluten and GMO free, and their packages contain no BPA! Oh. And it’s made in the U.S.A. It doesn’t get much better than that!

            Since NurturMeals come in powder form from being freeze/drum dried, how do you prepare them? It’s easy! You can mix them with water, formula, or breast milk until you reach the desired consistency for your baby and even add them to toddlers’ food for a boost in nutrients. NurturMe’s website even includes a page with videos of recipe ideas for adding NurturMeals.

           I first came across NurturMeals in a subscription box. It was right around the time we were introducing solid foods to Myka, so it was great timing! The first “flavor” we tried was the Plump Peas and I’ll be honest, she was less than thrilled. However, I think she just wasn’t used to real food yet. Ever since the second time she tried them she has absolutely LOVED them. I mean, she gobbles them up! She has even had peas that I made and packaged for her and doesn’t even like them as well as her NurturMeal peas which, hey, that’s fine with me. I’m just glad she likes peas! These are one of her favorite foods right now, which I’m sure you can tell by the picture below. :D

            NurturMe was kind enough to send the following products for Myka and I to try. (Yes, I try them too!) Here’s how they stacked up:
            -Plump Peas: Like I said, she LOVES these and it is her favorite veggie by              far!

-Squash, Banana, & Green Kale: Much to my surprise, she really seemed to like this. Myka is usually iffy when it comes to new foods, but she ate this pretty well the first time, which makes me a happy mama since kale is a superfood.

-Crisp Apples: She was a little unsure of this the first bite or so since they were so much sweeter than the ones she’s used to, but she gobbled them up like she normally does anything with apples in it!

-Protein-packed Quinoa: I’m not going to lie. Myka was less than enthused about this. She’s usually not crazy about most foods when she first tries them, though, like I said. I’m hoping she likes it better next time. I might try to spice it up a bit.

-Sweet Potatoes, Oatmeal, and Bananas: I could tell this wasn't her favorite, but she still ate it. She had never had oatmeal before, so the whole consistency factor might have been part of it. 

 

The surprisingly well received kale blend. See? Looks just like a normal puree once you mix it with your liquid of choice!

           
            I love everything about NurturMeals, but my favorite thing is that I can take them with me while I’m out. I have been trying to go for walks at least several times a week because 1) They help me clear my head and feel less cooped up on my days off work and 2) So I can pretend like I’m going to get back into shape. With NurtureMeals I don’t have to worry about extra food spoiling while it’s not being refrigerated and as long as I have some water with me and a bowl and spoon, I can mix them up quickly. I know what you’re thinking. What if I don’t have a place to rinse the bowl and spoon out before I stick it back in the diaper bag, right? I can always just take a plastic bag and stick it in there and wash it when I get home! And yes, I have used these while I wasn’t home. Just last week we took my husband lunch at work and Myka gobbled up her peas as usual. :)

            I also like taking these to the babysitter’s sometimes. I was lazy about feeding Myka real food at first and would sometimes skip several days in a row, especially if I took her to the sitter’s. Now I am making sure she eats real food at least once a day and NurturMeals are a convenient way to make sure she is still eating real food while I’m not around!

            We also received a sample of the Caribbean Crop flavored Yum-a-roo’s, which are a healthy snack for older babies and toddlers. The fruits and veggies in these are also quick dried, but left in small pieces, so that they dissolve into soft bites that are easy for children with new teeth! Since Myka isn’t old enough for these (or have any teeth, for that matter), I decided to give them a try. They’re really tasty! I love that it has natural sweetness from the fruit, but still has veggies too for extra nutrients. The pieces are small enough for little hands to grab easily too. I also like that the pouches are re-sealable in case your little muncher doesn’t finish them all in one go.

NurturMeals and Yum-a-roo’s come in several other flavors and can be purchased at a very reasonable price on NurturMe’s website HERE. You can also find them on Walmart, Target, Meijer’s, and many, many other websites. I also encourage you to check out their page on becoming an Nmoms+Dads ambassador HERE.

National Parks Kids Programs (That Adults Can Be Involved In Too!) Part 2

            I love this next program I’m going to tell you about because it’s not only great for people who already live active lifestyles, but gives incentives for those of us who are a little more sedentary than we would like to get out and move! In fact, the name of the program is “Let’s Move Outside.” It was originally created by First Lady Michelle Obama as part of her “Let’s Move” campaign to end childhood obesity.

            The “Let’s Move Outside” program, as you can imagine, is aimed to get children and families moving outdoors to improve health. Its goal, as stated on its website, “…is to get kids active so they see the physical activity they need not as a chore but as a fun way to explore our country.” Their website has plenty of resources and tips on where and how to get active and healthy eating as well.

            How do national parks play into this program? I’ll tell you! Like the Junior Ranger program booklets you can pick up at parks, you can grab a walking record for the Let’s Move Outside program. I can’t attest for other parks, but at ours we have separate ones for kids and adults. (I’m kicking myself now for not grabbing one of the kids ones to show you guys!) Either way, you write down the date, what trail you walked/hiked, start/end time, and HOW LONG it took you altogether.

            So what’s the big deal about recording how long you go for walks in the park? You get “free swag” as my ranger friend likes to say, once you’ve completed so many hours. For example, once you’ve reached 5 hours of hiking you will receive a free water bottle. After 10 hours you will get a free baseball cap! After that you receive free items at 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 hours. That’s a lot of walking! All you have to do is fill out your walking record and let a park ranger (or volunteer, perhaps) look over it and they will give you free stuff! Not a bad deal, right? 

           I will tell you that not as many parks participate in this as the Junior Ranger program. The ones that do are many of the larger, nature-based parks, with plenty of hiking trails, which makes sense. If you’re planning a family vacation to any national parks this summer, click HERE for a list of parks by state that participate in the Let’s Move Outside program. 

I'm also kicking myself for not thinking to start this when I first started getting out and walking. I would be so much closer to my 25 hour prize! 

National Parks Kids Programs (That Adults Can Be Involved In Too!) Part 1

           While this may sound like a sponsored post, I assure you it is not. The company I’m currently employed by works closely with national parks. In fact, they run most, if not all, of the gift shops you will find in national parks from the east coast of the United States to Kansas! They donate their profits made from sales back to the park system. Pretty cool, huh? To get to my point, though, since I work IN the national park here in Hot Springs, I have learned about some neat programs the national parks have in place for children. Now that vacation season is upon us and some of you may be visiting national parks, I thought I would share some information on these programs.

            The Junior Ranger program is tailored towards children ages 4-12, although each park varies slightly. For example, our park’s program is geared towards 6-12 year olds, Great Smoky Mountains towards 5-12 year olds, and I have seen at least one park whose program is suitable for ages 4-12. Upon first glance this might not seem like that much of an age difference, but think about how different a 6 year old is than a 4 year old in their development…and attention span, for that matter! While there is an age suggestion, children of any age may participate. (At least at our park.)

            What exactly IS the Junior Ranger program? It is a program to get children involved and interact with the park they are visiting by completing an activity booklet during their visit. While the activities in the booklet are made to be fun for kids, they are also educational! One of the great things about this is that, from my experience, most of the kids seem to thoroughly enjoy completing the Junior Ranger program. It is the first thing that some kids (and parents) seek out as soon as they walk into our visitor center.

            My favorite thing about this program is that children who either complete the entire booklet or a certain number of sections in it (again, dependent upon park) will get sworn in by a park ranger (It’s like a mini-ceremony. No joke. It’s the cutest thing ever. Be sure to have your camera!) AND receive either a Junior Ranger’s badge or patch.

While not all national parks, historic sites, monuments, etc. have a program, MANY do. Just be sure to look around or ask someone working in the visitor’s center wherever you go if they participate and have the Junior Rangers booklets. From my understanding the booklets are free most places, but I’ve seen at least one that charges a small fee. Also, I have found that some parks offer special summer Junior Ranger programs led by interpretive rangers, so be sure to ask about those too!

Be sure to check out some of the links at the end of this post for some other interesting facts about our national parks system and what parks participate in the Junior Ranger program. Also, please visit part 2 of this post on the “Let’s Move Outside” program!

Park systems nomenclature:

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/hisnps/NPSHistory/nomenclature.html

Number of parks, battlefields, monuments, etc. and listings of each by state: http://www.nps.gov/news/upload/CLASSLST-401_updated-03-27-13.pdf

List of parks, battlefields, monuments, etc. that offer Junior Ranger programs:

http://www.nps.gov/learn/juniorranger.cfm

Baby Food Fridays Series - The Great Solid Food Debate

            As many of you may already know, there is quite the debate in the parenting community over when it is safe to start feeding your baby solid foods. I found out the hard way several months ago that some people get pretty riled up about this topic. From my experience, there seems to be three main groups people fall into, though everyone is different, of course.

            The first group are those who start feeding their baby solid foods around 4 months of age. While some parents do this simply because they feel their child is ready, there are some doctors who still recommend this age to start baby on oatmeal, rice cereal, etc. Some people, however, argue that babies’ digestive systems are not fully developed yet by this point and therefore shouldn’t be eating anything other than formula and/or breast milk.

            The second group consists of parents who start feeding their baby “real” food around 6 months of age. Many people feel that their children’s sensitive tummies are developed well enough by this point to handle solid food. From my personal experience, this seems to be the most common “group”. Most of the websites and books I have looked at on what and when to start feeding baby solid food have 6 months as a jumping off point. Does this mean it’s the correct, appropriate age? Not necessarily. We’ll go more into that in a minute.

            Finally, parents who wait until their children are around 9 months of age make up the third group. Again, just from my experience, these tend to be “crunchier” mamas. If you’re not sure what crunchy means in this instance, check out this link. Most crunchy moms are more concerned about exclusively breast-feeding and baby led weaning, hence not giving their children real food until they are older babies. Even then, a lot of them like to cut up regular food into small pieces and let baby eat it that way instead of making purees like most parents are accustomed to nowadays.

            If you’re anything like me as a first time mom, you enjoy researching baby-related topics, such as this. However, it can also become extremely overwhelming with the amount of information that is available on the internet. This may seem kind of obvious or stupid, but keep a few things in mind. Remember, just because it’s on the internet doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s true! While websites with forums, such as babycenter, can be great for connecting with other like-minded parents and gaining helpful tips, everyone is different. What works for one person with his/her children may not work for you!

            Also, while I’m not telling you to blatantly disregard your pediatrician’s suggestions, just because he/she is a doctor doesn’t always mean they know what’s best for your child. You alone know that. Use common sense. Trust your instincts. If you ever have any doubts or concerns, DISCUSS it with your doctor. In my opinion, all babies should not be “prescribed” the same set age for beginning solid foods. Some babies are ready sooner than others.  

            In case you’re wondering what group I fall into, the answer is somewhere between the first and second. It’s funny looking back a few years ago when I babysat a couple of young boys and think about how I felt about the then 6 month old eating solid food. At the time I thought, “He seems way too young to be eating solid food!” Fast forward 3 years later and my now 8 month old daughter has been eating solid food for several months. Funny how your attitudes and opinions chance when it’s your OWN child, isn’t it?

            Being the overly paranoid first time mom that I was/am, I followed our pediatrician’s suggestion and started trying to feed Myka whole grain rice cereal around the time she was 4 months old. As it turns out, I had confused her general curiosity for her being curious in my food, which is said to be a sign babies are ready to try solid food. I thought she was ready to eat! (Wishful thinking.) So, we would try a few times per week, some weeks not at all, until she was about 6 months old. Basically, the opportunity was there for her, but we didn’t force her to eat it.

            As of today, Myka has tried all kinds of fruits and veggies, even beets! (Some people would probably argue that she’s still too young for those, too.) Just like anyone, she has her favorites, ones she will tolerate, and ones that, if she could speak, would probably tell me she never wants to eat ever again. I still try to get her to eat some of the ones she doesn’t care for as much every now and then, but I don’t force her to eat all of it. Maybe just a few bites. ;) I just hope she isn’t as picky of an eater as I am and that us feeding her healthy food will rub off on us as well!

            I’m curious: Where do YOU stand in the debate? Are you a hardcore believer in waiting until 9 months to feed your child real food, or do you fall somewhere in between groups? Did you puree food for your little ones or did you wait until they were able to eat tiny, bite-sized, finger food? Did you follow the “normal routine” as far as introducing veggies first, then fruits, etc. or did you perhaps feed meat to your baby as one of their first foods? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below! (Remember: Every parent is different and every child is different. Let’s be civilized about this discussion, please. Thanks!)

Wordless Wednesday

Myka's first time in the pool!

Baby Food Fridays Series - Cooking Methods

            Many people have the same question when it comes to making homemade baby food: How do I cook it? The answer is so simple you’ll probably think, “Duh! That makes sense!” once you see it. The truth is, there is nothing special about how you cook food to make baby food. You can cook baby food in many of the same ways you cook your own. You’ll obviously want to avoid deep frying and grilling methods, but other than that you can use just about any method you want! There are 4 main ways that people choose to cook their children’s food.

            One of the best methods you can use is steaming. Why is it one of the best? The longer and more water food is sitting it and being exposed to higher temperatures results in greater loss of nutrients. Therefore, since it takes relatively little time to steam food and it is not being submerged in water, it is best to steam food for baby. If you’re worried about the little amount of nutrients that ARE lost to the steam, you can always add a little bit of the water back in when you go to puree your fruits and veggies.

            Steaming is super easy! (I’m not a big fan of cooking so, sadly, I had never steamed anything before. Don’t let it intimidate you!) All you need is a medium to large sized pot, a steamer basket, or metal colander. Fill the pot with water to just below where the fruits or veggies will be sitting in the colander or steamer basket. You can either place your food items in the steamer basket and then place all of it in the pot, or you can put your steamer basket in first, then add your food. Once everything is in place, put a well fitting lid on your pot and turn your heat up to medium to high. You will want your food to be soft and tender, but don’t overcook it as this can lead to loss of nutrients and make your food soggy.

You’ll obviously want to make sure your food is diced up so that it cooks more evenly and quickly. Some people like to leave skins on fruits for added nutrient value, but that is solely up to you. I would suggest taking them off for younger babies since they won’t be able to digest them completely anyways.

Baking is also a great option for cooking baby’s food. I like this method because most fruits and veggies you can just cut in half and lay face down on a baking sheet, stick it in the oven for roughly 20 minutes to an hour (everything varies), and get something else accomplished while they’re roasting! Baking is said to be the best method for keep food flavorful and that it can actually enhance to flavor in some produce. Baking times and preparation will vary for different fruits and veggies, not to mention everyone’s oven behaves differently! My best suggestion is to play with times and temperatures. 350 degrees Fahrenheit is always a good starting off point. Keep in mind, fruits that are already on the soft side, such as bananas and pears, are not going to take as much time. Again, leaving the skins on is your choice. Don’t forget you can always add spices to baby’s food too! Tell me baked cinnamon bananas don’t sound good to you!

Boiling fruits and veggies is one of the less desirable methods to cook with. Why? Much of the nutrient content can be leached out into the water while being heated. So, if you do want/have to boil, be sure to do it with as little water as possible. While this isn’t a great method, remember you can always add a little bit of water back for pureeing, which will add some of the nutrients back. You will definitely want to slice and dice fruits and veggies before boiling for the same reasons as steaming: the pieces cook more evenly and quicker. Cook times will vary according to produce and volume, but make sure you cook it until it’s nice and soft so it blends easily!

Last, and my least favorite method, is the microwave. I suppose if you just want to make something small and quick, this would be an ok option. There are some major drawbacks, though. Some produce loses its nutrient content faster than others if cooked in the microwave. Be cautious of food cooking unevenly too if you use this method. It’s very important safety-wise that food be cooked thoroughly for babies! The biggest advantage of using the microwave is that it is quick. You will still need to slice, dice, and peel your produce along with possibly having a little water for it to cook in. Again, you can always use some of the leftover water to puree with.

Regardless of what method you choose, cooking and making baby food is not as daunting and time consuming as it may seem. Remember, you can make as much or as little as you like, simple or fancy, or quick or prolonged. You cook for the rest of your family, so why not your baby? It’s a very rewarding experience knowing exactly what is going into your child’s tummy!

            

Baby's Own Room Gift Certificate Giveaway

Hosted by: Everything Mommyhood

Sponsored by: Baby's Own Room

Special Thanks to Our AWESOME Co-hosts

My Four Littles, Boys Oh Boys, Four Littles Media, The Coupon Crazy Mom, Simply Southern Couponers, Fun With Four, and The Born Unique Baby Guide.

This giveaway is part of the Bloom Into Baby Event.

Baby's Own Room sells bedding and room decor for Babies, Toddlers, Kids, and Teens. They sell a variety of different brands, including, but not limited to: Sweet Jojo Designs, One Grace Place and Whistle & Wink. Baby's Own Room has low prices and offers FREE shipping on every order, no minimums! Twin, Full/Queen sets are always 10% OFF no coupon code required.  

Who wouldn't love to snaz up their kid's room with some of these super cute bedding sets? This is a great giveaway if your child is outgrowing their baby bed or perhaps they're getting too cool for Sponge Bob and the like to be not so proudly displayed on their bed. 

One lucky reader will win a $75 Baby's Own Room Gift Certificate.

This giveaway is open to the United States only.

This giveaway will begin 12:00am EST 6/6/2013 and end 11:59pm EST 6/27/2013.

All entries will be verified.

Good luck and thank you for entering!

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Don't stop now! Enter some more Bloom Into Baby Giveaways! Disclosure: This giveaway is not associated with, affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or any other social media platform in any way. Social media outlets are in no way responsible for sponsor prize fulfillment. The sponsor alone is responsible for fulfilling the aforementioned prize. This blog did not receive compensation for posting this giveaway. Your information will not be shared with anyone without your explicit consent. This giveaway event is hosted by Darci from Everything Mommyhood. You can contact Darci at everythingmommyhood@gmail.com with any questions, concerns, or to your company featured on an Everything Mommyhoood.

Wordless Wednesday

A rare picture of the elusive writer behind Getting Green with Baby (me) and my sleepy little hiker. 

Go With Me Chair Giveaway

         

            Many of us have probably seen the child sized, portable, fold up chairs for sale in stores, but have you even seen the Go With Me Chair? Made by Kelsyus, these chairs are suitable for children ages 3 months to 6 years and consist of three main stages: sitting, standing, and big kid. For the sitting stage there is a 5-point harness included to keep your little wiggle worm secure. If your child is just learning to stand there are leg holes under the seat flap and a foot bag to keep your child’s feet clean and away from hazardous things if used outside. Last, for the big kid stage, the 5-point harness can be removed and the foot bag rolled up and secured with Velcro tabs. Not only is the Go With Me Chair versatile, it also includes a cup holder, carrying bag with handles, a removable tray for toys and snacks, AND a removable sun shade! This chair has come in SO handy for us, indoors and out!

            If you would like to read Getting Green with Baby's full review of the Go With Me Chair, click HERE. If you would like to purchase one for yourself and see what other great products Kelsyus offers, click HERE.

            Getting Green with Baby has teamed up with Kelsyus to give one lucky reader a Go With Me Chair of their own! Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win!

            I’d also like to thank Kelsyus for sponsoring this giveaway and my wonderful co-host, The Stuff of Success!

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Getting Green with Baby and all promoting blogs were not compensated monetarily to participate in this giveaway. Getting Green with Baby received a Go With Me Chair in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed here and in the review are her own.. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. The sponsor is solely responsible for prize shipment. No purchase necessary. If you have any questions, please contact Alicia from Getting Green with Baby at AliciaOwen6814@yahoo.com.    

2 Red Hens Giveaway - MCO's B-Day Bash Event

We're celebrating MCO's first blog-birthday with MCO's Birthday Bash are so glad that you could join us for this event! If you've missed the giveaways up until now, be sure to click on the photo below to enter to win some amazing prizes from Strollers to Cookware!

Click on the image below to be redirected to a list of open giveaways.

MCO's Birthday Bash is continuing their celebration with an amazing giveaway for a Rooster Diaper Bag by 2 Red Hens Studio!

Expecting a baby soon or know someone who is? These diaper bags would make a great gift, especially for the stylish mom who doesn't want something that screams "diaper bag" upon first glance. 

Photo Credits: 2 Red Hens Studio

2 Red Hens Studio formed in 2004 and based in Denver, Colorado, started off in Lori Holliday's home studio built by her husband. Today, her designs can be found online and in hundreds of boutiques all over the country. A cancer survivor, Lori lives her life by the words "nothing is done until it's overdone," and "we can do better," and this concept can be seen in her special vintage chic products for moms and children. 

2 Red Hens Studio makes an array of hand-crafted products for moms, but their most popular diaper bag is the Rooster Diaper Bag. The Rooster Diaper Bag is offered in five different gorgeous prints designed to fit your individual style! These artfully designed diaper bags provide all the style and sass you had before baby and all the needed functionality for when your little one arrives. 

The Rooster Diaper Bag features:

From 2 Red Hens Website

• Interior zipper pocket, bottle holder, and 2 elastic pockets
• Convertible stroller straps
• Attached key fob
• Magnetic snap and button closure for easy access
• Choose from five vintage-inspired patterns:  
• Peacock Mum (Seen in photo above), Owl Dots, Grey Damask, Pink Lemonade (seen in photo below), and Chevron Stripes
• Extra-long polka dot changing pad included

Photo Credit: 2 Red Hens Studio

To see a full review of 2 Red Hens Rooster Diaper Bag, use this link! 

To Purchase: Visit the 2 Red Hens website and pick yours up for $50! 

To Win: Mommys Craft Obsession and 2 Red Hens are giving away one Rooster Diaper Bag! Enter the Rafflecopter below, all entries are optional with exception of your address and color/print choice, which is necessary for product shipment if you are the winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Giveaway will close late on the evening of June 15th. The winner will be chosen at random through Rafflecopter which uses Random.org. The winner will be announced both on Rafflecopter as well as MCO’s Facebook. The winner will have their prize sent to them by 2 Red Hens. Mommys Craft Obsession and other participating bloggers are not responsible for prize shipment. Must be 18 years and older. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google are in no way affiliated with this giveaway. No Purchase Necessary. US Only.

*Mommys Craft Obsession, including myself, Getting Green with Baby, and other participating bloggers have not received compensation (monetary nor product) to promote this giveaway.