styled living simply achieved by Jacqueline deMontravel
Squirrels are gathering, leaves are beginning to fall and I am in a total panic. The onset of an endless winter presents a seasonal challenge. Do you think The Shining could have been set in the summer? Thus I’ve begun crafting a robust itinerary for the kids. Active ones where they are not losing themselves in digital worlds. One sport that stands out is rock climbing.
Rock climbing is an exceptional outlet for kids in a digital world.
Once mid summer hits beaches, firecrackers and anything involving a flotation device begins to lose its recreational appeal. Finding new ways to extend the season becomes more urgent as Back to School promotions infiltrate the shopping aisles. Connect with the outdoors and contribute to a healthy lifestyle by picking your own fruit as an alternative summer event. We chose blueberries because an abundance of this anti-oxidant rich fruit is always welcomed in our household.
The natural appeal of fresh picked blueberries.
A few things need to be avoided in the summer: sunburn, bugs, crowded beaches, hearing the ice cream truck’s eery melody right before dinner and anything that can be plugged in. After a winter of bad weather, where escaping into computer worlds became a symptom of the season, make up for the lost time by engaging in an electronics-free summer.
Games you played with as a kid never cease to amuse.
Once in the not so distant past all you needed to get a party going was a cake, clown and group of energetic kids. Now hosting a splashy birthday has fallen into the annals of team tryouts and college acceptance letters in the game of parental oneupmanship. As a possible safeguard against future teenage pressures, we find keeping it simple with a classic twist to be a successful model.
A homemade cake with a themed pattern and treats achieve a festive setting.
Put the mobile device down. Sounds similar to a counter terrorist expert trying to diffuse a madman and, in many respects, we have become a bit psychotic when it comes to our electronics. Take a moment, or days, to unplug for fear of an Orwellian outcome. How to break from our devices on summer weekends? Circle back to holidays spent pre emoticons and wind chime ringtones, where the simplest activities are the most rewarding.
If you must use a vehicle, get in the nostalgic spirit and choose a vintage model.
You have to love the contractions of children–some kids actually need to gain weight, find meal time an annoyance that takes them away from their activities, and are oblivious to the diet/calorie counting world of grownups. Though healthy eating to gain weight naturally can be a challenge when you serve a nutritious meal and receive looks like they are about to eat a plate of dancing beetles. Eliza Savage, RD at Middleberg Nutrition navigates a healthy eating approach for young eaters.
A stealthy smoothie by adding such powerhouse ingredients as avocado and protein powder.
“Keeping kids on a healthy nutritional track can be challenging, whether you have a tantrum-prone toddler, picky preschooler or finicky grade school age child,” says Savage. “I recommend including children in food choices from the beginning, involving them in shopping and cooking (when appropriate), and exposing them to as many foods as possible.”
Fruit, avocado and nuts are snack stables for a healthy diet.
Even the chirpiest optimist can become an Eeyore once winter doldrums hit, making any event an opportunity to bemoan the cold. To remedy the season’s challenged climate, we look to Scandinavia’s ritual of hygee that honors simple comforts and a healthful approach. Winter activities and an attention to nurturing rituals will transform the cold season into an anticipated time of year.
1. Layer pieces: Find enjoyment from the art of bundling up. Winter layering can be found in everything from decor, cooking and clothing. Your cold weather wardrobe checklist should include long johns, wooly garments, boots, trapper hats, scarves, mittens and insulated coats. The result shows personal style to keep you warm and more enthused to engage in outdoor winter activity.
Make dressing for the outdoors an event.
2. Winter activities: Carve a day around ice skating, skiing, snow shoeing, sledding–cold weather sports invigorate.
Sledding is a simple form of fun that never tires, aside from all the extra runs.
We know the super foods, typically some form of nut or bright leafy green, but when it comes to an overall efficient meal I’ll fill my bowl with healthy cereal. What is considered a reliable breakfast food helped me through weekend mornings feeding myself when the parents slept in, overcoming bad food in college, and eating on the run in those hectic single city girl days. Now, with motherhood, it’s the go-to option when hunger calls despite the time crunch called family life. Though cereal need not be the loud packaging variety with enough sugar to disintegrate a tooth, it’s a matter of understanding ingredients that may be included on those super food lists such as oats and almonds. Here is our guide to the ultimate healthy cereals with guidance from our trusted nutrition expert Eliza Savage, RD at Middleberg Nutrition in Manhattan.
A healthy breakfast with the added bonus that kids can prepare themselves.
Yes, absolutely, you just have to make an educated choice and enforce portion control. What you pair the cereal with is important, especially as many cereals are relatively low in protein. If you can’t have grass-fed, organic milk or plain greek yogurt with your cereal, then I would suggest boosting protein and fat with chia or flax seeds and/or nuts. Fresh fruit can provide added sweetness and additional fiber.
Review the nutritional panel for cereals low in sugar, high in fiber and no artificial coloring.
◦ Look for first ingredient to be listed as 100% whole grain, unless you have a specific dietary restriction, like gluten-free.
◦ Low in sugar (under 10g per serving).
◦ Good source of fiber (at least 3g per serving).
◦ Free of artificial colors or dyes (these have been shown to cause hyperactivity in children, and have no nutritional benefit for anyone!)
◦ Look for protein. Many cereals do not have a ton of protein, so you can increase protein with milk or an organic, grass-fed yogurt. See above for other ideas.
◦ Check portion size (should be 1/2 cup or 1 cup). You’ll notice that granola or high-sugar, high-calorie cereal generally has a portion size of 1/3 or 1/4 cup.
Almonds/nuts, chia seeds, cinnamon, dried fruit/fruit, flax, honey, yogurt.
Healthy toppings that add to the taste and make it a more well rounded meal.
Gluten is only off limits if someone has an allergy or intolerance. If not, 100% whole grain is a nutritionally sound choice. Unfortunately, gluten-free cereals do tend to have more additives and generally have lower protein and fiber as a result of the rice or wheat-alternatives used.
Choosing organic is best, but not always the “best” nutrition-wise.
This is so individual, based on the person and their restrictions. Though I would suggest the following healthy cereal options:
General: Cheerios, Trader Joes O’s, Barbara’s High Fiber Medley, All-Bran, Kashi GoLean, Cascadian Farms Purely O’s, Total, Wheaties, Heart to Heart, Grape Nuts.
Gluten-Free: Jessica’s granola, Cheerios, Barbara’s Puffins, Rice Chex, Arrowhead Mills Buckwheat Flakes, Nature’s Path Mesa Sunrise, Purely Elizabeth Hot Cereal, Bob’s gluten free rolled oats.
Colored bowls: http://www.boboandboo.com.au/
Summer is loose with its liberal stance on iGadget time, bike riding until bed, eat-the-brownies-we-made-last-night-for-breakfast approach. Everything about the warm season is scaled back, including busy moms who also need a summer off from parenting. And then you pay for it… To avoid getting the new teacher phone call about your child, and I am not referring to the one where she breezily checks in to say what a delight he or she is but how they simply are, ahem, struggling to get back into the routine. Routine is a necessity in our young citizen’s life and if family holidays were not only spent on the shore but at home, you can always get back into the groove.
Prepare gear the night before to omit one stress on the first day, just nix the light saber.
Begin by helping them prepare their backpack with its new supplies, help them choose their clothes, and make the last days of summer vacation count by planning structured activities. They will find enjoyment in being a part of the process and excited for the New Year ahead. Also, if they try to smuggle their light saber into school as my son did, make it funny and suggest that a new teacher may not be as receptive to their aspiring Jedi ambition on the first day.
Resources:
Backpack, lunch bag: https://us.soyoung.ca
Amazon was a South American region back when I went to grade school and school supply shopping happened after the first day, checking off items from a Xeroxed list. Now it’s pre-ordered, with online updates, specific brands, and a calculated depth to your pre-sharpened pencils. While I didn’t go to school carrying a pail with a piece of chalk and turnips for lunch, I do feel the generational gap kick in.
Securing school supplies doesn’t have to be another September task like warding off lice. I remember the excitement from choosing folders with your favorite cartoon character, colorful erasers, and pencil cases that would accompany the school year with me. Now it’s as impersonal as filling-out a medical form.
Bags by Built are both durable and can be used for a variety of needs.
This year I will stay true to the list (it’s not right for my son to be targeted as the rogue school shopper based on his mom’s views) while adding a few extras so we can add another memory to the ephemeral grade school years. Here, we supply a round up of products that are both school approved and of top quality and style.
Backpack, lunch bags and snack bag: http://www.builtny.com
Paper folders: http://www.officedepot.com
Scissors: http://www2.fiskars.com/
Pencils: http://www.dixonticonderoga.com
Colored pencils: http://sargentart.com
Post It Pads and labels: http://www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/
Books: http://www.scholastic.com/home/
Activity books: https://usborne.com
