Mom Fan of the Week: Chrissy Racho

Meet Chrissy Racho, a knowledgeable mom of two beautiful girls under 3 years of age. Chrissy is also a blogger, professional photographer and a real state marketing consultant (and is training for a half marathon!). Busy mom!! 
She raises her kids in a gluten-free, vegetarian lifestyle in New England, USA.

1. Best advice to make your kids eat healthy:
From the very beginning, we knew we wanted our little girls to have a taste for various and interesting healthy foods. I am incredibly passionate about creating delicious recipes that are healthy and very nutritious. That is one of the reasons I started Sassy Little Cabbages, a lifestyle blog.  We do not eat a lot of "typical" meals based on the average American diet, I am gluten free and we do not eat meat. We focus on a mostly plant based diet, which means we substitute a lot of things like tofu or flax seed for eggs, almond milk for cows milk, etc. We try very hard not to eat any processed foods. Standard snacks for my little ones are fresh fruits and vegetables, hummus, fresh cooked fish, miso soup and so on. Basically, we just do not buy food we do not want them to eat and ask friends and family to stick to our rules. Of course, naughty snacks do sneak in and we do not want to deprive them. I feel that if you start young, they are most likely able to adapt to the food choices you teach them. Frankly, I could talk all day about healthy eating!


2. Kid Gear you couldn't live without:

We really love our pack and play. It allows us to get things done while baby is safe and playing with all of her goodies. When our first daughter was born, we bought all of the essential things most parents buy, but we are pretty minimal, so the basics seemed to suit us just fine! 

3. Mantra to keep calm in chaotic moments:

There will come a time where they are all grown up and as trying as the chaos is, we will miss it.

4. Tricks to keep in shape:

I am committed to working out six days per week and am training for a half marathon and am going to start training for a sprint triathlon. Fitness and overall health are at the top of my priority list and it means really sticking to my goals. My tip to busy moms is set small, realistic goals and even when you are not in the mood to exercise, do it! Once you put on your workout clothes and sneakers and start warming up, you will forget that you didn't want to start in the first place. Also, really be aware of your diet and nutrition. From the way you feel inside to the way you look outside, it all starts with how we nourish our bodies.
 

5. Best busy mom beauty trick:

Always wear blush and mascara. Always. You will feel brighter, happier and prettier no matter what you are doing! And pearl studs...I do not leave the house without them!
 

6. One green guilt:

When running out shopping with two little ones in tow, I know I can be much better about using my reusable grocery bags.

You can access Chrissy's blog at www.sassylittlecabbages.com, and her photography business at www.lilycamelia.com.
 

If you'd like to be featured as a Mom Fan of the Week, please e-mail us at EcoLogicalMom@ymail.com

Fan of the Week: Claudia Kalur

Meet Claudia Kalur, a bright interior decorator of children's spaces, and founder of A Room for Frances.
Claudia is also an experienced mom of a 2.5 year old daughter, Margot. She has a lot to share! We are thrilled to feature Claudia as our "Fan of the Week".

1.Best advice to make your kids eat healthy / What is in their lunchbox?

Avoid sweets at any cost, but not completely. Margot gets in her lunchbox everyday a Happy Baby Fruit Juice (organic juice filled with vitamins, fiber and Omega-3s); a YoToddler yoghurt (also filled with vitamins and omega-3s); an organic fruity cereal bar, her main meal (I try to always have at least one vegetable in it - she LOVES Dr. Praegger's broccoli and spinach dinosaurs), a piece of organic fruit (bananas or blueberries or strawberries) and a small container with cookies.

2.Kid gear you couldn't have lived without: 

Hmmm, we don't really have or really ever needed "gear". Margot never needed a stroller (or could sit long enough in one). I had a carrier, that I used only a couple of times at home, so that I could do dishes. We had a hiking backpack but used it once and as soon as she started walking, we never used it because she LOVES to walk with us. Ah, we do have a "harness" that we have used a couple of times - we love how safe it keeps her and she doesn't mind at all because she can still run and walk without feeling "tied" to us. We bought it in England where these children harnesses are very normal - it looks like a real harness around the chest (none of the doggie backpack things) and we've heard some weird remarks from people here in the USA but we don't care -- it's about keeping a highly active toddler safe and us having peace of mind!

3.Mantra to keep calm in chaotic moments: 

"she's only a toddler, you can't reason with a toddler, she's only a toddler", repeat as needed...

4.Tricks to keep in shape: 

Chasing a 2.5 year old...

5.Best busy mom beauty trick: 

Put the make up on in the car!

6.One green guilt: 

None of my beauty products are "organic". I've tried several brands and I always end up with my usual daily cream and make-up brands... 

If you'd like to be featured as a "Fan of the Week", please e-mail us at EcoLogicalMom@ymail.com

Fan of the Week: Bethany Beets

We really think that our readers have a lot of knowledge to share! We love the new "Fan of the Week" postings because we always learn a bunch about parenting and lifestyle.


We are very excited to feature Bethany Sheets as our "Fan of the Week", from Massachusetts, USA:

Bethany's household went from hardly green in the past year to "greener by the minute",  as she said. She also mentioned that although her daughter was on cloth diapers, they practiced Elimination Communication, so at one year, she is out of diapers already! 
As a smart mommy, she buys her fruits and veggies from local farmers, and is looking forward to growing her own garden next year. 

Here is more of she has to say about being a green parent:

Best advice to make your daughter eat healthy during the Summer:
I'm answering in terms of an easy picnic lunch on the go for this summer!  She also doesn't have any teeth yet, so that makes it a little tricky but not too bad -- Our current favorite is whole wheat pita bread, homemade hummus, and a soft, ripe pear or peach.

Kid gear you couldn't have lived without:
We love our ergo carrier.  And my daughter is so happy when I pop her on my back and off we go!  (In the beginning it was a Moby.)

Mantra to keep calm in chaotic moments:
"Just get out the door."

Tricks to keep in shape:
Walk everywhere with a baby on your back.  And breastfeeding!

Best busy mom beauty trick:
I don't think I have one to be honest.  Looking forward to reading others' responses.  I figure everyone is looking at my cute baby instead of me anyway!

One green guilt:  
We need to convert our ziploc bags to some cute reusable bags ASAP!  I've seen some adorable ones on etsy!




If you'd like to be featured as a "Fan of the Week", please e-mail us at EcoLogicalMom@ymail.com.

Fan of the Week: Sofia Reino

We are super excited to introduce our first Fan of the Week: Sofia Reino.

Sofia is an awesome mom, great cook, full-time worker, and a blogger. Needless to say, she has great tips and insights for us. Check them out!

Kids' age: I have a daughter who just became a teen (13 years old) and a toddler who keeps me busy (2.5 years old)

Profession: Art Director for eCornell (online certificates from Cornell University)

State and country: A Portuguese living in Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Sofia's Blog: http://food.metroideas.com

Best advice to make your kids eat healthy / What is in their lunchbox? 

First and foremost I always have a bowl filled with fruit so to attract both my daughters but also their friends to choose fruit as a snack. Mornings start with some protein (sausages, bacon, chicken breast from the night before) and a fruit smoothie consisting of yogurt, soy milk and frozen organic fruit. They usually take lunch from home to school. I pack them some leftover from the previous night's dinner, fruit and some yogurt.

Kid gear you couldn't have lived without: 

Aluminum water bottles. We have a huge collection of them as I avoid buying plastic. Apart from that BPA free lunch boxes for them to take to school as well as in day trips.

Mantra to keep calm in chaotic moments: 

Two things, spending time outside working in the gardens and cooking with the kids. When away from home, sitting down, reading a book, some quiet time is always good for them and I.

Tricks to keep in shape: 

hmm...  have to work in this department. I have to make a better effort in thinking of myself, but one good thing is that seldom is the day our house has junk food or sodas, so that is a help. I do a lot of gardening work which also helps, but NEED to learn how to take an hour a day to do some type of exercise.

Best busy mom beauty trick: 

No make up and when I do use I make sure it is of high quality and with organic ingredients. I cannot seem to go to bed prior to washing my face and adding some Yes to Carrots night cream. During the summer when peeling cucumbers we all enjoy the ends of it and scrub our faces with it. It is great to clean it as well as very refreshing.

One green guilt:

Must I really say it? Well in busy days (especially with my teen's dance schedule) we DO pass by a fast food place, but I limit it to once a month.

If you want to be featured as a Fan of the Week, please e-mail us at EcoLogicalMom@ymail.com