I use an app called co-star that sends me a sometimes-ambiguous daily statement based on my horoscope.
Today’s hit me a little differently.
“Your body is, first and foremost, a dwelling.”
So naturally I wanted you to dig deeper into what co-star is trying to tell me here so I googled “dwelling.”
The first thing that pops up is that a dwelling is a home — where someone lives.
And I just started thinking.
As moms we give so much of our bodies and our energy to our kids. This is the nature of the job, and I’m here for it.
We, as moms, need reminding that our bodies are ours first and foremost.
We have one body to live with, one dwelling, one space.
The shape we keep it in impacts our day to day life. Our thoughts, our emotions, our level of overwhelm, our feelings of well-being.
In our homes, we get rid of clutter, take out the trash, keep the space as clean as possible, and we feel so much better when the work is done. Maintaining that feeling is, of course, an ongoing task.
But why not apply the same practice to the dwelling that is our body?
Get rid of the clutter in your mind, feed your body nourishing foods, think happy positive thoughts, stay hydrated, and truly maintain a pleasant dwelling. Just as housework, this will be a journey, an ongoing task to maintain.
And we will have so much to show for it.
Our children, especially in the very beginning, are so heavily dependent on us. We give so much of ourselves to them, but how much of ourselves do we have available to give?
The better we take care of ourselves, the more we have available to give.
We fill our cup so it can overflow and fill the cup of others.
This is the major, overarching topic I cover in my signature online course, Thriving Momma Blueprint.
Surviving isn’t good enough, we deserve to thrive.
We will be happier, and by extension, so will our kiddos.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself, momma.
Your body is, first and foremost, a dwelling.
I used to be a breakfast cereal person. Especially when I was pregnant and then adapting to my new life as a mom. I knew it wasn’t the best way to start my day, but I figured (1) at least I was having breakfast and (2) there are worse things I could be eating (I was eating “healthy” cereal - Catalina Crunch).
I knew I needed to start my day with more protein, but I didn’t want eggs and sausage every morning. Plus they take time to make.
I had a protein powder I LOVED years and years ago, but I had to stop eating it once I discovered I was sensitive to some of the ingredients.
I decided I would look into it again anyway because I just needed food to taste good again and be satisfying.
Turns out…they reformulated, and there’s nothing in it my body says no to! 🙌
I started having 30g of protein first thing in the morning again with my shake and MAN has this made such a difference in my day.
Here’s the linkto the protein powder (Chocolate AIVIA Plant Protein)! You get a discount by subscribing, which, let’s be honest, you’re gonna want to. Plus you have the option to cancel whenever, so why not?
I add an extra scoop of cacao powder because I like it extra chocolatey, and I add some frozen fruit because I like it a little sweeter.
Side note: At first I was disappointed that the new formulation isn’t as sweet as the old one, but I actually love that I can control how much sugar goes into my morning shake.
I also throw in a handful of organic greens because you can never go wrong with an extra serving of veggies.
I add hemp seeds for the omegas and extra 10g of protein.
I use my homemade almond milk, but any kind you want is fine. I actually just use water if I'm out of milk.
I use about 2 cups of ice because I like to feel like I’m having a milkshake for breakfast.
It’s so so yummy that sometimes I’ll have it twice in a day. On the days when I’m not sure what’s for dinner, or I’m just in the mood for another milkshake for lunch!
I had attempted homemade almond milk years ago unsuccessfully. At this point, I don’t remember what I was doing differently back then, but I revisited this unfinished business of mine because I didn’t want to use store bought almond milk for my son’s “Healthy” Birthday Cake.
After researching different recipes, I settled on one I liked the looks of from eatingbirdfood.com, and I was pleasantly surprised!
It’s really not difficult, it’s more economical than store bought milk, and it’s much better for you since it only contains whole food ingredients and no additives!
It tastes so good, I don’t even buy almond milk at the store for myself anymore.
It’s quite the eye opener when you’re eating something you don’t want your child to have.
If you wouldn’t want your child to eat it, why are you feeding it to yourself?
We’ve reached the stage where my son wants to eat what I’m eating, so it’s been really good for me to “check myself” a little extra on what I’m nourishing my body with since my son will be eating it too!
Eating well is an act of self respect. Eating well is an act of self love.
Homemade Almond Milk
1 cup of almonds, soaked overnight (minimally 6 hours)
4 cups filtered water
2 dates
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
Toss in your Vitamix and blend on high for 4 minutes. Note: the milk will be HOT when you’re done.
Strain through a nut milk bag. You’ll need to squeeze some through.
Store in the fridge for about 5 days.
It’s completely normal for the milk to settle. You’ll just shake it up before using it again.
I almost flat-out didn’t have a birthday cake for my son’s first birthday. I didn’t want him having sugar, dyes, preservatives, or any other weird or unhealthy ingredients you find in box mixes or bakery cakes.
“He won’t know the difference. This doesn’t make me a bad mom,” I told myself.
The thought occurred to me to try to make him a cake myself with minimal and healthy ingredients, but I was having a hard time finding a recipe that actually met my standards for him. Plus I’d have to find a frosting recipe to go with it.
It seemed like a daunting task to me, and I felt like it would be more trouble (and time consuming) than it was worth - especially if this was going to be a typical smash cake situation where Baby has a couple bites and then he’s done.
Then some friends reminded me of a couple things: (1) the cake is less for Baby, and more for Mom. It’s all about that photo op! (2) The only person who needs to like it is your baby, so you COULD just slather the cake in mashed sweet potatoes and not even concern yourself with a frosting.
By the grace of God and many Google searches, I stumbled upon eatingbirdfood.com, and sure enough she had a recipe for “‘Healthy’ Birthday Cake” that I modified with my preferences.
And it’s actually really yummy! It’s more of a banana bread consistency and less of a cake consistency.
“Healthy” Birthday Cake
3 large eggs at room temperature
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup melted coconut oil
2 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 cup cassava flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray three 2c Pyrex glass bowls with oil or line with parchment paper.
- Whisk together “wet” ingredients in a large sized bowl.
- Mix together “dry” ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
- Add “dry” ingredients to “wet” ingredients and stir to combine.
- Pour evenly into three bowls and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Make cupcakes with any leftover batter!
I won’t bother sharing the frosting recipe since it really wasn’t tasty. I’ll get back to you on that if I ever find a good one that’s not loaded with refined sugar. In the meantime, I’d recommend just using mashed sweet potatoes to support the cake layers.
I’m not going to pretend like you or I are only ever making homemade food for baby from scratch. In a perfect world? Totally. In my current reality as a single working mom? Absolutely not.
I still want the best for my child, though, and I’m sure you do too.
When I buy organic applesauce I make sure the ONLY ingredient is organic apples.
Thrive Market has made my life a lot easier, and they have some really great organic options for Baby. It’s an online grocery store that delivers straight to your door.
Pumpkin Tree/Peter Rabbit Organics seems to have the most variety and cleanest ingredients at the best price. (Example: Banana, Mango, Broccoli & Kale Pouch ingredients are Organic Banana Puree, Organic Mango Puree, Organic Broccoli Puree, Organic Kale Puree, and Organic Lemon Juice Concentrate at close to $2 per pouch)
Serenity Kids appears to be the best of the best, it’s just definitely more expensive at over $3 per pouch. (Example: Grass Fed Beef with Organic Kale and Sweet Potato Pouch ingredients are Organic Sweet Potato, Water, Grass Fed Beef, Organic Kale, Himalayan Sea Salt. I really wish the beef was also organic, but overall the ingredients are stellar.)
I will not buy anything for my child with weird looking ingredients. Additives, gums, preservatives, emulsifiers - not for by precious babe’s developing gut. Not for as long as I can help it - especially before Baby is 1!
As Baby gets older and eats more solid foods, I’ll have a little less control over what he eats. I’m going to feed him as best as I can for as long as I can.
If I can’t picture an ingredient I see listed as a whole food, I prefer not to give it to my child. So, another example is Serenity Kids does have puffs, BUT ingredients for their Bone Broth, Broccoli, & Spinach Grain Free Puffs include Dicalcium Phosphate and Calcium Carbonate so I’m like “ehhh….pass.”
I did accidentally happen upon some puffs for my baby though. I actually bought them for myself, but my son was eyeing them. I checked the ingredients and realized I was okay giving them to him so now it’s a favorite! They’re called Paleo Puffs and the ingredients are Organic Cassava Flour, Organic Coconut Oil, Tapioca Starch, Organic Coconut Flour, Sweet Potato Flour, Himalayan Salt. They’re available on Thrive Market but they’re actually even cheaper on Amazon.
Brown rice noodles are another food my baby loves, especially with red sauce. I get my red sauce from Thrive Market as well, and it’s organic with no garlic or onion!
The “no garlic or onion” is a “me thing." The “organic” is a total win because tomatoes have historically been on the dirty dozen list, and it’s not easy to find organic red sauce - especially in a recipe with no garlic or onion.
With these high standards in mind for my child’s food, you can bet your bottom dollar he didn’t have the usual sugar and dye filled birthday cake on his first birthday. Stay tuned next week for the recipe to “Healthy” Birthday Cake.
