5 Easy Ways to Reduce the Toxins in Your Home

I didn’t start out as a naturalist healthy eating tub cleaner making mom… It all started with a bottle of method bathroom cleaner… I bought a bottle of Lysol bathroom cleaner afterward and could barely breathe.  Then I got pregnant and like many new parents I wanted to create a safe environment for my little one, and then I saw Food, Inc.  That was it.  I haven’t removed all of the toxins in our house, but we are pretty damn close.  Here are the 5 easiest ways I’ve found to remove toxins from your home and your life.

1.)    Out - Teflon pots and pans : In – ceramic/ stainless steel

I know it costs a lot for a whole new set.  I have committed to buy 1 new pot/pan a month usually from Marshalls or TJMaxx on sale.  Keep your eyes open.

2.)    Out – plastic Tupperware : In – Glass/Metal containers

A glass tupperware set is a bit more expensive than the plastic but it is worth the peace of mind.  Metal storage sets are usually a bit cheaper but harder to find.

3.)    DIY – house cleaners, essentials to keep on hand - white vinegar, baking soda, natural dish soap
               Recipes: http://www.food.com/recipe/tub-and-shower-magic-434275
                                http://www.marthastewart.com/267380/clean-green-natural-cleaning-products
                                http://cleverlyinspired.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/dirty-ovenso-sad.html

4.)    Swap out cosmetics – everyone uses the same products and buy in bulk – lotion, soap, deodorant, shampoo/conditioners.

5.)    Buy less processed food – don’t give up the stuff you love, usually it’s cheaper to make it yourself.  Don’t have the time? How about a freezer dinner swap with friends? Don’t forget about the crock pot.

http://greatist.com/health/healthy-crock-pot-recipes/

The Essence of Beauty

I have feminist tendencies but I love girly girl stuff.  I love the princess, diva, ballerina, you name it I love it.  Lucky for me I have 2 beautiful girls.  They have bright sparkling eyes, broad button noses, heart shaped full lips, and heads with tons of kinky curls.  They are a reflection of me (and hubby too, I guess).   I want them to see their own beauty for themselves and not just through my eyes.  It wasn’t enough that my mom told me I was beautiful every day, all I could see was my “flaws”.

Essence Magazine

 In an effort to reinforce their sense of beauty I have subscribed to Essence magazine.  Pages upon pages of Black women in every shade with every type of hair imaginable are scattered around my house.  This is not because I want my girls to be materialist fashonistas but because they need to see Black beauty in others so they can see it in themselves.  Images are powerful.  Influence extends farther than my reach.  Willow is whipping her braids and A loves to wear her hair in braids and whip them even though she is the only girl in her school with them.  I know the days are coming when they will want more than nothing else to conform.  I just hope I am laying a strong foundation in self appreciation so those days are short lived.

Anyone Moving to the Caribbean

Dark Livingroom furniture

 

I wish someone would have told me.  It is not a good idea to have a lot of dark furniture in a climate with a large year round mosquito population.  This among many lessons I have had to learn the hard way.  Mosquitoes love to hide in the cherry and mahogany stained bookcases all day to come out for a blitz attack at night or day it doesn’t really seem to matter to them. 

The only real ace I have is my Zapper! I can “sweep” all the dark spots and get them before they get me… or not, but even if they get me I can still get them.  I have even been known to show a little leg as bait and zap them when they come (they always come) for a quick snack.  The house is never 100% mosquito free, but it is much more manageable now.  Even with the dark furniture.

Zapper

Racially Ambiguous

I was raised as a Black American.  I am, by ethnic origin, not only Black American but also Arabic.  Being raised by only one parent it was easy for me to forget or even dismiss my Arabic heritage.  I felt Black, therefore I was Black, but this is not really the case.  On more than one occasion I have been caught in an awkward situation of a White person discussing racial matters under the assumption that I wouldn’t be offended by an off color remark.

True story, at a party last year an older lady was building up to a racist Obama joke in the small circle of women that included yours truly and was literally saved by the host making an announcement.  My mind was racing double time hoping that she wasn’t saying what I thought she was saying and how on earth to put her in her place and not alienate everyone one else in the room (because of course I was the only person of color).  Luckily it didn’t come to that and I was only left to wonder why on earth someone would try and tell a joke like that in front of someone like me.  Don’t they see me the way I see me? NO.

RACE: Are We So Different?

I am starting to think, at least here and now, what is on the inside matters as much as what’s on the outside.  People will make assumptions about me based on what they see.  What is important is that I stay true to myself and inform my girls of their ancestors and not just their Black American and Jamaican ones.

To Nuke or Not To Nuke

There has been a lot of internet chatter about microwaves lately with this study that says everything we thought was bad about the microwave isn't. Count me among the confused, especially since I've been trying to go old school reheating our leftovers on the stove.  It helps that our microwave was on the fritz... it actually caught on fire, so I decided it was out of commission. 

The truth is, if it was MY microwave I would have gone out the next day for a new one, but the microwave came with the house and it took my landlord almost 3 weeks to replace it.

Food tastes better reheated on the stove. There I said it.  It's a slower process so there is less risk of over heating, but there is a downside - what I consider a "first world problem" . The dishes.  One of the highlights of leftover night is not washing pots a pans.  Not any more.

So is it worth it? I don't know. We were able to live with out the microwave for a few weeks and now that I have another one I'm not using it as much as I did before. I stopped using plastic in the microwave years ago and that seems to be the source of most of the danger.

 

Picture Day

Photo of this cutie is from
http://precious-curls.tumblr.com/post/43440672300

Picture day is coming and I have NO idea what to do with the girls hair.  I have a feeling this is going to be a recurring problem for me. Both A and E are in "school" and (thank God) they wear uniforms so there is no worry about that, but their hair? These are photos that they are going to keep forever and show their friends and future whoever..... I know I'm totally over thinking this "first world problem".  Oh well, I guess I'll just head over to the mall and find a couple of totally over the top headbands.   You can't go wrong with headbands and ponytails.... and lots and lot of gel.

My New Venture

Satin Fuschia Princess Pillowcase

I have a passion for natural hair.  I was always interested in it, but didn't realize how important it is to appreciate and care properly for natural hair until A was born.  This has lead me to create satin pillowcases with designs for little girls. I was looking for satin pillowcases for my girls and realized they were all plain and boring solid colors.

Here is the link to my website Sleeping Little Divas and a link to my etsy shop Sleeping Little Divas on Etsy

Thank you for your support!

A Smoothy a Day...

The saying goes an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  I think it needs to be updated, did they have blenders back when someone coined this phrase? Probably not. It is the best way for me to get a concentrated dose of my daily nutritional requirements. Banana? Check! Blueberries? Check! Strawberries? Check! Spinach? Check! Mango juice? Check! 

Making smoothies is so much better than juicing.  I just don't have the heart to throw away all that "trash" which is actually good food and fiber.  There is no specific recipe, my smoothies are usually composed of whatever fruit and/or vegetable I have on hand.  It has become part of our daily diet and when I don't get one I can feel the difference.

Yay for drinking your fruits and vegetables!!!

Denman vs. Tangle Teezer

I remember the first time I got my Denman brush.  It literally moved through my hair like butter.  No fighting, no fussing, no more tangles. :) If a wide tooth comb and a paddle brush hooked up and had a baby it would be a Denman  During my transition from relaxed to natural hair I shared my Denman with A and it worked as well on her hair as it did on mine.  Then about a year ago I happened upon the Tangle Teezer It was all a buzz online and constantly sold out at Sally's. It was months before I could get my hand on one. When I finally did it replaced my Denman for A.

It worked great but a year later I'm starting to have some reservations. I used it to detangle my hair one time and the brush pulled away from the handle - not good - and I haven't been able to put back together the same way since.  It is good for thinner curls but if you're dealing with a thick head of 3b/4a ish type curls (thick and tight) your better bet is the Denman hands down.

I have since bought another Denman for A, I'm tired of sharing!

All Things Bright and Beautiful

All Things Bright and Beautiful,by Ashley Bryan.  What a beautiful book!  A picked this one out of her collection a month ago and it is now firmly in the rotation.  I’m not a religious person and the inspiration for this book is an Anglican hymn, but I the references to God are general and not Christian specific.  She loves the pictures of the fish; I love the diverse images of the people and the art work in general.  The words are simple enough that A pretty much had her favorite parts memorized by the 4^th reading.  I recommend this book to anyone looking for a simple artistic children’s book that doesn’t mind general references to God as the creator.

The Beauty of Beets

Beets make the best food coloring EVER!  It's that rich pink that is usually only achieved with a strong shot of red 40, but without the harsh chemicals and additives, and it has the bonus of injecting your comeda of choice with a few vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients :-).  I am on a muffin kick and in my search to keep things fresh and interesting I decided to add some beet puree to my next batch. 

To be honest I first got the idea a couple of years ago from Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food, by Jessica Seinfeld. A loves the taste and I love what's in them. Yum yum happy mum!

The Best Cereal Ever...

is the one that you make yourself... unless you love cornflakes. LOL. I have no recipe for that ;-).  Since moving to Puerto Rico I have had a hard time getting the breakfast cereal that I love.  My first choice is Kashi's lean crunch, A loves it too.  My cereal has lots of protein, fiber, vitamins, etc. without a cup of sugar to go along with it.  Here I could keep buying Kashi but it costs twice as much and isn't always fresh.  So I've looked up some recipes and got the basic ingredients and decided to make my own... and I wondered why I didn't do this a long time ago. The ingredients may seem to cost a lot on the front end, but I've made about 4 batches and am only half way through my supplies.

Ingredients - Everything varies based on your preferences

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup puffed wheat

1 cup puffed rice

1/2 cup oat bran

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup flax seed

1 cup walnuts (finely chopped)

1 cup almonds (finely chopped)

1 cup pecans (finely chopped)

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 cup honey

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp. powdered ginger

1 tbsp. nutmeg

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. olive oil



Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (sin spices). Mix the olive oil, honey, and maple syrup in a small mixing bowl. Put the oil in first to keep the honey and syrup from sticking to the sides. Add the spices to the honey and syrup. mix the "wet" ingredients into the dry ingredients. Fold in the coconut. Put in a shallow pan lined with foil (to make it easier to remove when done). Bake at 350 degrees for 15 mins. Remove and let cool. Add the cranberries and move to a container. You should store it in a cool dry place. This should make about 1 bag of cereal. Enjoy!

Girls Hold Up This World

Girls Hold Up This World, by Jada Pinkett Smith.  I love this book!  My mom got it for A when she was first born and we read it every night as part of our bedtime routine.  It is a poem with wonderful photographs of girls from diverse background.  When A was a baby she loved looking at the different faces.  As she got older she loved the rhyming of the words.  I’m not sure if she understands the message yet - that all girls are smart and powerful - but my hope is to embed it in her subconscious.  I recommend it for everyone with a little girl at home.

The Evolution of a Toddler Diet

One thing I know for sure is that when it comes to my toddler and food, there is nothing that I know for sure. She eats bread but not the crust, she eats the crust but not the bread, she eats potatoes sometimes (usually when fried), she eats fish, she only eats raw food, she eats nuts, and she eats berries but only the red ones. LOL! I can’t keep up.


We have evolved from fish sticks and chicken nuggets though. These days A is eating mostly almond butter and honey sandwiches on whole wheat bread (it would have been peanut butter but Costco only offered almond butter as a less processed alternative to the main brands of peanut butter). It is the meal/snack of request 95% of the time and to be honest I really can’t kill her for it. It has lots of protein and lots of fiber; omega 3’s and is low in cholesterol, etc. It is also really easy to make ;-)

So that is it for now… oh, that and Chinese food. Anything that starts with the word Chinese she is game for. Go figure.

You know you live in a Jamaican House when…

Curry chicken is your last minute meal. LOL. At least once every couple of weeks I run out of ideas for dinner and turn to my staple of curry chicken.  I like it best with boness skinless chicken thighs but that's no fun for the bone lovers in the family (of which A has become a member).  Here is a recipe from Jamaicans.com that I thought was good and simple.  I also add potatoes and carrots to mine.  Enjoy!

Curry Chicken

INGREDIENTS :

•1- 3lbs chicken

•2 tablespoon curry powder

•onion, thyme, garlic, pepper, black pepper.

•salt to taste

•lemon or lime juice


METHOD:

1.Clean, skin,and cut chicken in small pieces,then wash with lime or lemon juice

2.Drain, season with curry, onion, thyme, garlic, peppers, salt and let marinate for awhile

3.In a skillet pour about 3 tablespoon of oil. Let oil heat but not too hot

4.Add chicken and let cook until done.

5.Serve over white rice

Benefits of Kids TV

Kids TV isn’t just for kids.  We frequently set down as a family to watch cartoons with A.  I think we’re all getting the same thing out of it. LOL. I find it much better for learning phrases and names of objects because they speak slowly and clearly.  You can’t yell at the novella  “habla despacio por favor!”

Cleaning Revelations

I now know why my Mother in Law washes the dishes AS SOON as a meal is finished. In NC there was a grace period; you could let a couple of meals go by without having to do all the dishes. Nothing smelled no flies were attracted; people wouldn’t be appalled by the way you kept your home. Not any more! These flies don’t let you rest for a second! Walking in my kitchen you would have thought I hadn’t done the dishes or taken out the trash in a month. No, I do the dishes every day. The trash is taken out every couple of days but by then there are fruit flies everywhere.


I can’t stand it, but I also can’t just stop everything to wash the dishes. More often than not I have 1 hand to work with, so those dishes are just going to have to wait. Yuck.

I have also realized since coming to PR that keeping a clean house in the Caribbean is a full time job. The floor must be constantly swept and moped, the dishes must be done after every meal, then there’s laundry (I’m washing 5 days a week), and the regular cleaning, and the cooking, and the list goes on (I didn’t mention the yard). I know why so many people on the islands have a helper, maid, whatever you want to call it. When am I going to have the time/energy to enjoy paradise? I’m tired and I just got here. I just know I’m neglecting some crucial household chore while writing this…

We Found the Black Town

So we decided to take a trip to El Yunque National Forest a couple of weeks ago and took the scenic route along the beach. It took forever, but was a nice drive. On our way to El Yunque we went through a small town call Loíza. For a split second I could swear we were in Jamaica. Everyone was Black! LOL. I got kind of a kick out of it. Finally Puerto Ricans that looked like us! I don’t remember seeing any non-Black PRicans and this was a first. What does it matter you say? Nothing much I suppose. We are still American and they are still PRicans, but as a Black American I can’t help but get excited to see people that look like me in another country, especially when mostly everyone we see on a regular basis looks more White than Black.

One of the reasons we wanted to leave the US was so A & E could experience life not being a minority, but the same thing we were running from is the same thing we have run into here in PR. There is a visual class divide. PRicans with good jobs, nice homes, kids in private school, and dark skin are few and far between. Already A had to brush away a girl on the playground that kept playing with her hair. Clearly she had not seen kinky-curly hair up close before. Oh well, time to dust off Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children by Sandra Pinkney. “I am Black, I am Unique!”

Busy as a Bee

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. 

I was really productive while the girls were napping the other day.  I actually started cooking dinner at 2:30pm.  Chicken in the oven. Check.  Rice and water in the pot. Check.  Broccoli cut up and in the steamer ready to go. Check.  When the “real” time to cook dinner rolled around all I had to do was turn everything on - you have to watch the rice though, because it was soaking it doesn’t take nearly as long to cook - something that I can do while breastfeeding (ah, the art of multitasking).  I think I just found a new system.  I also managed to wash 3 loads of laundry, sweep upstairs and do the dishes.  This, of course, was only possible because BOTH girls took their nap at the same time.  

***edited to add***

The take away is this - You have to do things when you can, not always when you want to.

More Hair Stuff

I continue to refine my technique for maintaining A’s hair. The tightly curly method isn’t very practical for a toddler – at least the curl defining part. I was leaving her hair in double strand twist instead of trying to define each curl and that lasted much better through the first nap. I was also able to cornroll her hair with beads in the week leading up to the move. It lasted a week which was great, but the process of putting them in and taking them out took a couple of days.


Right now since she is doing so much swimming I am doing 3 ponytails, two in the front and one in the back. In the morning I spray her hair with water, put in conditioner and kinky curly and finger comb it. The parts are the same from the day before and I’ve decided I don’t care if her parts aren’t perfect these days. At night I take out the ponytail and make a braid then twist it into a sort of bandu knot. I have started not to braid her hair all the way to the ends and found that it’s easier to take out in the morning.

If she is doing some serious swimming then I just braid up her ponytail and make it into a bandu knot to keep her hair from getting tangled. I also did a similar style for myself at the pool the other day.

There isn’t much to report about my hair. I do as little to it as possible. Co-wash and condition every 3 days (when I have the time), I detangle after the shower instead of in it and have been using some homemade hair goop. That’s about it. If I had more time I could experiment with styles, but since E has started pulling my hair out in clumps (not exaggerating) my go to style is a pony tail.