A Toy to Last for Generations

The ark can only keep the animals on board with just the right balance. There are 10 animals in total and each player places one animal on the ark with their turn. Expect uncontrollable laughing and giggling from toddlers (while learning a bit of physics)!! 
Children will love the challenge of this delicate game of balance, done in high quality hardwoods. One of those toys that will last forever!

For ages 3+

Made by Sevi

Eat your Breakfast, Kid!

Two interesting studies were reported this morning about the impact of breakfast, and fructose consumption in our diet.

The first one relates to kids' breakfast. A large study, reported by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, compared breakfast-skippers, cereal eaters, and kids who had "other" breakfasts. Cereal-eaters came out on top for healthiest diets. The breakfast skippers got more of their daily energy from "added sugars" than breakfast eaters and ended up with less fiber, fewer nutrients, and the smallest percent of their daily energy provided by protein, resulting in larger waists and a higher BMI.
Although not related to the study, we always recommend cereal with the minimum amount of sugar to kids. This will help them develop their taste buds for healthier foods!

The other study, released by the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, links fructose consumption to high blood pressure.Fructose, such as the sweet syrups made from corn used to sweeten beverages, baked goods and other processed foods, can raise levels of a compound called uric acid, resulting in contracted blood vessels and increasing blood pressure.
That is not the case with other sugars such as sucrose, made from sugar cane or beets and found in table sugar. Several studies have suggested that cutting back on sugary soft drinks could significantly reduce blood pressure risks. A study last month in Circulation found drinking one less sugary drink a day significantly helped lower blood pressure.

Sources: Reuters, msnbc and American Dietetic Association and American Society of Nephrology

YOGA

Yoga refers to traditional physical and mental discipline originate in India. The word is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism Major branches of yoga in Hindu philosophy comprise Rāja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga.

According to the reliable Indian philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, yoga, based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, comprises one of the six main Hindu schools of philosophy (darshanas), together with Kapila's Samkhya, Gautama's Nyaya, Kanada's Vaisheshika, Jaimini's Purva Mimamsa, and Badarayana's Uttara Mimamsa or Vedanta. Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, counting the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.

The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings, and is resulting from the Sanskrit root "yuj", meaning "to control", "to yoke" or "to unite". Translations include "joining", "uniting", "union", "conjunction", and "means". It is also possible that the word yoga derives from "yujir samadhau," which means "contemplation" or "absorption.

The Ultimate Convenience

Changing a crib sheet is a lot easier when you don't have to take off the bumper, lift up the mattress and take off the fitted sheet. No need for a mattress pad, absorbent pad or even a fitted crib sheet! This crib sheet is all of the above rolled into one product. The top layer wicks moisture away from the baby, the inner layer is super absorbent, and the bottom layer protects from leaks. Installation requires simply snapping the sheet’s four corners onto crib bars, making this quick-change bedding ideal for those middle-of-the-night accidents.

Made with naturally grown organic cotton, this Ultimate Organic Crib Sheet is very convenient!

Made by Summer

Cold Coffee Drinks

Hello Coffee Drink lovers! We got a hold of a couple of recipes to make top favorite Summer Cold Coffee drinks. Below are the recipes. Enjoy! 

Frappuccino
Servings: 2 glasses

• ¾ cup double-strength coffee, cold
• 3 tablespoons os honey (or granulated sugar)
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 2 cups ice
• 3 tablespoons caramel topping to drizzle (caramel topping makes it too sweet for many, we eliminated this ingredient and the result was very good!)
• Whipped cream (definitely a NO NO for us, even when we go to Starbucks!)
• Chocolate syrup to taste (we used dark cocoa powder for a less sweet, but just as good version)

Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker: That should be 2 tablespoons of ground coffee per each cup of coffee. Chill before using.
To make drink, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. Pour into two 16-ounce glasses, and serve with a straw.

Based on recipe provided by  Group Recipes

Iced mocha
Servings: 1 glass

• 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
• 1 cup double espresso or very strong coffee, hot
• ¼ cup milk (you can also use skim, reduced fat, or half and half)
• 4 ice cubes

Stir chocolate syrup into hot coffee until melted. Transfer to a blender, add half and half and ice cubes, and blend at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately in a tall, cold glass.

Source:  Food Network

Parents in America and Overweight Kids

New research published by Newsweek reveals that parents in America mistakenly believe their kids are leaner than they are. A new poll included in the report finds that the majority of Americans believe that childhood obesity is a “significant and growing challenge for the country,” and yet 84 percent say their children are at a healthy weight. Nearly one third of children and teens are overweight, which means their body mass index, or BMI, falls between the 85th and 95th percentile for their age and sex,  or obese, at or above the 95th percentile.

Americans understand there’s a problem; they just don’t think their kids are a part of it. Skewed weight perception is a well-known phenomenon in the research world. In one study, only one third of parents of overweight kids recognized their child’s weight status accurately and few were worried that it might be a problem. In another, 60 percent of parents of overweight children inaccurately identified their child as healthy weight or even underweight. African-American parents were more likely to underestimate than white parents. And in a study of a low-income Latino population, mothers preferred a plumper figure for their children than themselves. This is especially worrisome given the trends in black and Latino obesity rates and the health problems—diabetes, heart disease, cancer—that can ensue.

Source: Newsweek

Summer Harvest: From the Farm

A weekend highlight for me is visiting local farms. I'll take this over stifling, over-sized mega supermarkets any day. Summertime means an abundance of local delights.

At Old Hood Farm in Emerson: New Jersey sugar plums and raspberries. Both are like nature's candy.


Blueberries. Love seasonal berries over granola and either almond milk or soy yogurt as a simple summer breakfast.


Jersey beans. My mom sautés these in Earth Balance (or use olive oil), garlic and parsley. Mine never come out as good as hers. I think even peanut butter and jelly tastes better when your mom makes it.


At Abram Demaree Homestead on Old Hook Road in Closter, some new items were offered from last week's visit.

Bruschetta, the perfect recipe to make with summer tomatoes and basil. I topped it on a crusty bread I picked up at nearby Old Hook Farm. Served with their chopped salad (assorted greens with diced celery) and you've got a light summer meal.


Charbroiled zucchini, topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Veganize at home: just leave off the cheese.


Salsa bites: tomato, garlic, onion and chipotle in a pastry crust.

I eat a little something sweet every day. No apologies. Burnt sugar cookies.


Home grown flowers.

Wishing you were here...


I left thinking of 10,000 Maniacs delightful ode to the infectious pleasures of summer, "Stockton Gala Days," and its declaration:

"That summer fields grow high.
We had wildflower fever.
We had to lay down where they grow."

Catch wildflower fever, and delight in all the season's bounty.