Feeding my family for less then $100/wk

Mornings for me consist of a groggy toddler kicking me in my side while he desperately searches for the breast to nurse as I pray he falls back to sleep so I can get even a couple more minutes of sleep. Needless to say, by the time I make it into the kitchen to make breakfast— it should probably be called lunch. So anything that makes meal-times better and more nutritious is a welcome addition to my home!

As parents we all want to provide the healthiest food for our families, however eating healthy always seems to come with an expensive price tag, and buying Organic-- forget about it! But I'm happy to tell you that Walmart has taken a big step forward by making a conscious effort to provide a variety of Organic options at a reasonable price. This month I was given the opportunity to partner with Stonyfield and Walmart to feed my family good food on a budget, and I’m excited to share with you all the yummy dishes we got to enjoy!

My family has a varied work/home schedule during the week, between me working evenings part-time and my husband working the traditional day shift Monday thru Friday, good home-cooked meals require lots of planning. So before heading to Walmart to see what options they offer I started by brainstorming 4-5 different meal options that are quick, easy, and delicious. Next I checked my pantry and refrigerator to ensure I wouldn't miss any much needed ingredients. And finally, I packed Luke up and headed to our neighborhood Walmart Grocery store. 

Immediately I was impressed with the selection of fresh produce, I make a point of buying Organic anytime I buy one of the "dirty dozen." Next I headed to the dairy section and was pleased to see they have a large variety of Stonyfield yogurt, a yummy option for parent and tot alike! 

Walmart even has an Organic store brand to help make shopping smart more economical!

In the end I purchased enough ingredients for 2 breakfast options and 3 dinner options, complete with proteins and vegetable sides dishes! All for under $100!

Breakfast: 

Organic scrambled eggs on Sourdough toast with fresh fruit.

Stonyfield Yogurt with fruit and granola, always a good way to balance healthy nutrition with a busy morning.

Dinner:

Cheese and Spinach Ravioli in Pesto sauce with grilled Tuscon chicken. Pared with lemon-garlic sautéed zucchini and squash.

Shredded Chicken taco bowls, composed of my favorite Crock-pot shredded chicken, lime-cilantro brown rice, black beans, and shredded cheese with various toppings to choose from.

Juicy flank steak with mashed potatoes. Served with oven roasted bell peppers topped with fresh basil and mozzarella cheese, drizzled in EVOO and sprinkled with salt and pepper..

Shopping Organic with Walmart and Stonyfield was a great experience, and I will definitely be doing so more often!


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Embrace The Whole You

When you become a mother it is very easy for your identity to become wrapped up in parenting. You no longer feel like the well rounded person you once were. Instead of an artist, an author , a business person, or an athlete; you suddenly feel like life has taken on a single note. You are someone's mother. 

However this simply is not the case. Yes, you are now a mother. But you are still that artist, athlete, or business person you wants were. In fact your skills have now grown to include storyteller, caretaker, personal chef, and boogy man chaser. You have blossomed from one person who is a part of an industry to someone whom is the entire world for a beautiful little life.

The moment you become a mother for the first time, the weight of responsibility can be completely overwhelming. But the joy and rewards that come with this incredible life change are absolutely priceless.

Today I encourage you to sit back, grab your favorite snack, throw on your favorite comfort clothes, and relish the beauty of your life and the whole you. Days like today I grab my coziest clothes, prAna is a favorite for being both indulgently soft and environmentally friendly, with a cup of Stonyfield Greek yogurt to indulge my taste buds while recharging my soul. Whole milk yogurt is a special treat, so delectable it coats my mouth in cream and fills my belly with happiness. All facets of your life are valuable, so today embrace #thewholeyou. 

WHOLES17DMR for 15% off prAna, offer is only good for a limited time, so don’t delay!

Cali Dress, Black, size Medium

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Our Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific

 This past weekend we had the opportunity to go to the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific. The Aquarium of the Pacific is special because it is an AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums) accredited Aquarium and works to save endangered species. Luke loves animals and I jump at any opportunity to expose him to a wide variety of experiences so we were very excited when Stonyfield joined with AZA to offer us this opportunity.

As Summer approaches consider checking out zoos and Aquariums in your area that are AZA accredited (LIST HERE). April 25thi is World Penguin Day and this year Stonyfield has joined together with AZA to save 10 animals from extinction including the African Penguin. In fact, to commemorate this partnership, the African Penguin will be featured prominently on Stonyfield YoKids packaging this year.

We loved our day at the Aquarium, here are some of the incredible things we saw and did!

Jelly fish always look so majestic gliding through the water in their beautiful tanks.

 Luke loved exploring the huge floor-to-ceiling tanks with his cousin. The sea lions were incredibly interactive and playful during our visit.

One Sea Lion even came over to my niece and let her "pet" it!

 Next we headed to the Lorikeet enclosure where we had the opportunity to purchase a small cup of nectar to feed the birds.

Beautiful in their rainbow colored plumage, the Lorikeets were enchanting to watch and exciting to feed.

Both kids and myself loved taking turns feeding the birds. I even had the treat of one landing on my hand for a snack!

 Outside we found several touch-tanks offering sting rays, and a selection of fish and small sharks. Luke was eager to get his hands in the water, but wasn't big enough to reach any of the sea life.

The Sea Otters are always a favorite of mine. They look so cute and playful as they swim and float in their tank.

With sea life organized by region, each tank had a different theme and composition.

You can help save the endangered species by shopping Stonyfield and visiting your local AZA zoos and aquariums.

Now through the end of September families who buy two specially-marked YoKids yogurt multipacks will receive a FREE kid's admission to their local AZA-accredited zoo or aquarium with purchase of an adult ticket. Stonyfield hopes that this early exposure to endangered species will help foster a lifelong appreciation of our planet and a commitment to animal preservation.

Unfortunately, many animals are on the endangered animals list, to educate young children about the struggle Stonyfield has created a video series called "Can a Cow save a..." LINK By saying no to toxic persistent pesticides, artificial hormones, antibiotics and GMOs, Stonyfield has been saying yes to delicious, healthy food for more then 30 years.

Before we knew it our day at the Aquarium was over, but we enjoyed our day as a family and I hope we will return again soon.

#stonyfield #stonyfieldblogger #sponsored #helpingothers #kids #toddlers #momlife #blogger #doctormommy #love #blessed #baby #gooddeeds #yogurt #organic #eatorganic #probiotics #healthy #goodfood #Earth #yobaby #firstfoods #familyouting #familytime #aquarium #fun #learning

Easter Basket Inspiration

With Easter around the corner you may be struggling to come up with items to put in your baby and toddler’s Easter baskets. This is the perfect time to think about items that your child will enjoy now as well as milestones coming in the near future. That is why I put together two different baskets containing some of my favorite baby brands!

From stuffed animals to instruments, I value items that my son will enjoy for years to come rather then a bunch of tiny toys that will get thrown away in a week. Additionally, instead of filling my baskets with fake grass that will inevitably end up all over my house, I grabbed a couple beautiful swaddles from Buttermilk Babies to add a special touch.

Baby Basket-

Slumberkins Peep- Babies love to cuddle, and what better way then with an ultra plush little chick. So soft and absolutely perfect for snuggles. slumberkins.com

Modern Burlap Swaddle- I adore wrapping my baby in scripture and I can see no better way to celebrate the significance of Easter. These beautiful swaddles are also perfect for on the nursery wall! modernburlap.com

Bebe Co Maracas- Easter is a time of celebration and music is a great way to do that. These maracas are the perfect size for tiny hands and make a great decoration for the nursery. Bebecoaustralia.com

Otherware Teether- A good quality teether, perfect for tiny hands, available in a variety of beautiful colors. Otherware is a favorite brand for teething toys in our home. otherware.ca

Toddler Basket-

Hazel Village Bunny- The perfect little friend for any toddler to spend their days with. With impeccable craftsmanship and long limbs, they are ideal for your toddler's hands to hold. hazelvillage.com

Kid-O Instruments- The perfect size for toddler hands, durable, and fun for hours of enjoyment. LINK

Lollacup Sippy Cup- Learning to drink from a straw cup is a big milestone for any toddler and these cups are an adorable addition to any Easter basket. LINK

Little Sapling Toys Rainbow Stacker- I LOVE wooden toys! And stackers are a favorite in my house. They improve fine motor coordination and can be used in imaginative play as tunnels or bridges! www.littlesaplingtoys.com

Loulou Lollipop Refinery Donut Teether- Cutting teeth is difficult, but there is no reason the tethers can't be fun designs and Loulou Lollipop makes absolutely delicious options! louloulollipop.com

Books- Gifting books at each holiday is a tradition for us. I love teaching my child the significance of the holiday and books help me do that. Plus reading helps to improve language development and stimulates the imagination. LINK

Snacks- Instead of candy, I recommend including some of your toddler’s favorite snacks such as puffs, yogurt bites, and squeeze pouches.

Small toys- A Kid-O wobble toy off Amazon LINK and a light-up bunny from the dollar section of Target.

Getting Probiotics into Baby’s Diet

This year’s cold and flu season has been especially long and challenging. My pediatric clinic schedule is filled with runny noses, ear infections, and coughs. While my home has been a never ending cycle of sniffles. More illnesses unfortunately mean more antibiotics, which in turn means more upset tummies!

Antibiotics work by killing bacteria, all bacteria. However, your body and your babies body, need some good bacteria to help in food digestion and overall health. When all that good bacteria is killed and the delicate balance is disrupted children get nauseated, develop diarrhea, and overall have more upset tummies. 

You can decrease the negative effects medications have by adding probiotics into baby’s diet. Probiotics are live healthy bacteria that help maintain a healthy, well balanced, digestive tract. 

Stonyfield Organic has taken a step forward in helping parents provide the probiotics baby’s need. Instead of adding another supplement to your list, Stonyfield has combined probiotics into the #1 recommended baby yogurt, YoBaby. Why do so many doctor's recommend Stonyfield YoBaby for babies over 6mo old?
- It's a great source of Vitamin D and Calcium. 
- It is the ONLY yogurt made specifically for babies. 

Luke LOVES his YoBaby yogurt, and eats some every morning along with his fruit. So when I learned Stonyfield Organic was adding probiotics to a product we already love I was trilled! And I am so excited to be able to offer one lucky person a YoBaby gift package that includes 6 coupons for free YoBaby 6-packs! Follow me on Instagram @DrMommyRx to learn more and enter!

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Big News for Stonyfield Organic

Shop smart for your child and for the environment!

Have you heard about B-Corp?!? Companies that have been certified as B corporations. This means for-profit companies are joining together to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. Translation: companies are finally stepping up and taking responsibility for the impact they have in the community and on our planet! 

It is very important that we stand together and support this movement with our purchases and with our voice. We need to encourage more corporations to step up and protect our future. 

I am so excited to announce that my favorite yogurt brand Stonyfield has joined the B Corp Community! Now I know that when I feed my son YoBaby it is not only nutritious, but made by a company that works hard to ensure environmentally healthy practices. Some other B Corp Companies: Preserve, Pukka, Purely Elizabeth, King Aurthor, Method, and Pete and Gary's. 

Read more about B-Corp HERE

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Touching Lives with Stonyfield

This year I was given the incredible opportunity to partner with Stonyfield and pay it forward. By showing generosity to those less fortunate then myself I was able to model the power of giving to my son. Raising a child whom is generous and compassionate is extremely important to my husband and myself. 

We live in Southern California, a beautiful part of the country where the sun shines and the weather is always beautiful. Unfortunately, due to the cost of living there are an abundance of people and families whom don’t have homes. 

As a small child, my family went through a period of time when we too were homeless. Despite my mother working as many as 4 separate jobs simultaneously we just couldn’t afford a home in Southern California. Over a two year period I slept on couches, under the dining room table, and even lived in an attic before we finally had a home to call our own. Despite our financial struggle, my mother always made of a point of teaching her children to give back. We volunteered at soup kitchens, visited rest homes for the elderly, and always donated any extra food or clothing that we could afford. 

Although my time of need was short lived, the homeless have always held a special place in my heart and I take great joy in buying a meal for those whom need it. When Stonyfield presented me with the opportunity to give back, I immediately knew the community I wanted to help. More then anything homeless individuals just want to be seen, they want to be respected and treated as normal human beings. 

On our journey to give back, first stop was the store. There we walked the aisles picking up a huge assortment of toiletries, snacks and treats to brighten their day. Anything that could bring comfort to a difficult situation.

Although my son is young, he was right there next to me as we shopped and assembled the care packages.  Then came the part I had waited for so earnestly. With the bags in hand we headed out on our mission to surprise the homeless individuals we met with packages of love.

To protect their privacy I didn't take photos of us distributing the care packages. Taking a moment to shake their hand, acknowledge their name, and give them much-needed necessities was life-changing. The items in the care package were small, but the act of learning their story was priceless. Altogether we were able to make an imprint on the lives of 5 different individuals. It was so moving that we plan to make this giving back an annual tradition.

Thank you Stonyfield!

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