Baby Yums

Ok, I decided to make this post, because like myself, there are so many mommies out there just tryin to get the low down, or is it down low? Meh... The diggity on whats best for our children. There are so many things advertised as organic and healthy but once you turn over that package and read the ingredients you quickly realize, what the eff is this stuff?! 

I recently had this problem with teething biscuits and snacks. I was at Wholepaycheck (Wholefoods) in the baby isle for a good 20 minutes. Gutting the ingredient lists from every infant teether and snack. I left a very VERY disappointed mama! 

Everything!! Had "organic dried can syrup" or "organic sugar"! Here they go, slappin organic on there. Makin' themselves look like they know whats good. 

Heres the deal ladies and gents... 

Sugar in any form is pretty much one of the worst things on the planet. 

Why you ask? How can it really be THAT bad?! 

Lemme break it down for you. 

Sugar... 

Promotes inflammation in the body

Leads to insulin resistance

Leads to weight gain 

Contributed to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease 

Is a fertilizer for cancer cells 

Suppresses the immune system immediately after consuming 

Has cocaine like effects on the brain 

Now, this is just a VERY small list of the many reasons why in no way should we be feeding our princes and princesses this crap! 

Organic or not, in any form, sugar is not good for you. 

With all of that said here are a few bomb.com options I found for Evonae. 

I will also show a few examples of products that seem ok but really, they're not. 

Plum Organics is one of most popular ones that has in my opinion a sad story for list of ingredients. 

Not only do these things contain sugar they are packed full of artificial vitamins. They have processed these snacks so much that they no longer contain their natural vitamins and have to have them re-added at the end of processing. I don't know bout y'all but I would much rather my child have just good 'ole natural vitamins from the source. 

What I have found instead are organic freeze dried fruits. They are packed full of nutrients and they are super soft and most of the time dissolve in your mouth. Perfect for little ones with, like with all things, supervision of course ;) 

                                                                   Yes                                                                       No 

Oh Baby Mum-Mums. Even the original, non flavored biscuits are tainted! Seriously what is the purpose of this?! 

Little Yums... also, are fruit flavored and still gotta throw some sugar in the mix! Whyyyyyyyy??? 

Most chances are, if its for a baby, it has sugar in it. Shoot, who am I kidding if its for anyone it has sugar in it. Its seriously so sad. Lay off the addiction A'meeeerica 

I have found a few good teethers though that are sugar free and have very simple yummy ingredients 

Earths Best makes a maple flavored biscuit. Although it smells good, Evonae isn't a fan. Honestly I'm not either. They break apart in very large pieces and are super hard. With her not yet having any teeth, this is too scary for me. 

If your little one has some teeth, this is a good option. 

My most recent and favorite find, is Cocomo Joes Baby Bar. Very simple pure organic ingredients and are so delicious! They have a firm texture so perfect for little gums but also easily break into small pieces. They are mostly made of coconut so if your little one doesn't like coconut I wouldn't recommend this one. 

                                                              Yes                                                                                        No 

                                

                             

Those two are sadly the only options I have found thus far. I know we could be new age Betty Crockers and make our own but honestly "I ain't got time for that!" Lol seriously I am the worst "housewife" ever! I would rather be exploring the world and creating with my daughter than cooking and cleaning lol I obvi do it, but not a fan that's for sure. 

This is all I have for you all for now. As time progresses and Evonae grows I will post the best things I come across and of course things to avoid. 

Thank you all for reading <3 

Have a fabulous rest of your week! 

XO 

Oil Pulling

You want me to do what for 20 minutes?!? 

Yea, that was definitely my first thought when I came across an article on oil pulling. 

Put a tablespoon of oil in your mouth and swish for 20, yes 20! Minutes. 

Just the thought of it made my eyes water. 

I decided to hold off simply because the ish sounded disgusting and although many had sworn by it, I convinced myself it couldn't possibly be good for you. 

Months had passed and I kept seeing posts online here and there about it but never really paid it any mind. 

Besides, I have the dreaded mercury fillings in my mouth. Oil pulling can't be good for that. 

Or so I thought. 

I was board one night after putting baby to sleep and decided to do a little more research on it. Browsing countless websites, I came across an overwhelming amount of great testimonials from people who had tried it. 

Not to mention it has been practiced by ayurvedic Shamans. 

I couldn't find anything though saying wheather or not it was safe to do with mercury fillings (oh trust, these things are coming out of my mouth the second I'm done breastfeeding! Another subject for another day). 

It claims to detoxify the body through your mouth. The swishing motion of the oil causes the toxins in your blood stream to stick to the oil, thus removing it from your body. Toxins are in my opinion are the number one cause to illness and disease. So, the more ways of removing them the better. It supposedly removes toxins that a full body detox are not even able to remove. Impressive, right?! I thought so! It also claims to whiten teeth, heal tooth decay and cavities, clear acne and remove allergies. All of which I thought was cool but I was more interested in the toxins part. 

Anyway, once your 20 minutes is up, you have to spit the oil in the trash or toilet. Not the sink because it will eventually clog your drains. 

So, I decided what the heck. I have nothing to lose. 

The next morning right when I woke up, I busted out my bucket of coconut oil (I use that stuff for everything) and dunked my shovel sized tablespoon in. It was cold the following night so my coconut oil was nice and solid. GAG!!!! I put the spoon full of solid oil to my mouth and instantly start gaging. It didn't even make it to my lips. 

I calmed myself and just took a deep breath and did it. OMG it was awful!! The first few seconds until that oil melts is seriously one of the grossest things ever. I thought there wasn't a chance I could do the full 20 minutes. 

Once the oil was melted and I could actually swish, it wasn't bad at all. It's like swishing any other mouth wash or water. You can't feel the oily consistency at all. 

Within the first 3 minutes I had mucus trying to come up from my throat and my nose was running. This is a sign of detox. It happened very fast for me. The hardest part for me was not swallowing the oil. I breastfed so I'm pretty much a raisin at all times, I can not drink enough water. I was so thirsty. 

Surprisingly, the 20 minutes went by with ease. I spit out the oil in the trash and rinsed my mouth with apple cider vinegar. This isn't recommended but I felt it was necessary to kill all the left over bacteria chillin in my mouth. Then I scraped my tongue with a spoon and brushed my teeth like I normally would. 

Right away I noticed my teeth were dramatically whiter. Not the result I was anticipating; it was nice but now how bout them toxins?! 

The first day I had noticeably more energy, which only increased over the following days. 

My teeth got whiter and whiter and my head felt so clear. My memory started increasing (holllllllaaaa, cuz mommy brain got me twisted), my focus was much stronger, I felt more creative, I started losing weight. No, this is not a drug lol seriously this oil pulling stuff is pretty much a miracle. 

That was a month and a half ago and I'm still going strong. I feel an overall wellbeing honestly. Even my tastes buds have changed. 
I have skipped days here and there but when I do I feel like I didn't brush my teeth. I don't feel as though my mouth is clean. I know, I went 27 years of my life never doing it, whats the issue now. Meh... I don;t know all I do know is I'm all for Oil Pulling and recommend it to any and everyone. 

So, go out and get some coconut oil and start swishing! Your body will thank you. 

xo 

Shadows and Lippies and Blushes, Oh My!

Mini Make-up Haul!! 

Heyyyyy! 

Who doesn't love make up?! Pretty much EVERYONE! Hello! And those who "don't", don't try to say you're all natural because even you love a fabulous lippie! 

So, as if it wasn't obvious enough, I avoid parabens like the plague! They're pretty much hidden in every beauty product on the market. From Shampoo, to deodorant, to lotion and of course make up. Luckily, people are starting to become aware and conscious about what they are putting on and in their bodies. Resulting in more companies going back to nature (where we should've all been in the dang first place). Anyway, I have tried MANY natural lines of make up and well lets be honest. Majority of them are pretty much terrible. The pigments are always off and don't stay on, foundations are ashy. The list goes on really. 

Tarte is one of my favorite brands. Although its not perfectly "safe" to use, it is definitely better than slathering on some of the big name make up brands full of chemicals. 

Tarte is affordable and fun with a variety of great things to choose from. 

Last week I got all of these beauties and here's my review thus far.  

The Pure Maracuja Oil is nothing less than a miracle! I don't know where they found this stuff but seriously its the business! Leaves my skin so silky smooth. Along with the eye treatment. So amazing. Leaves my under eyes feeling super refreshed. 

The foundation is the best natural foundation I have found thus far. Goes on super smooth and blends really well. I'm not 100% sold on it, but for now it definitely does the job. 

The FLASHES lashes mascara is AHHHMAZING! Oh Emm Gee! Seriously, put a reminder in your phone to go buy this little bad mamma jamma! You'll thank me later when your lash milkshake is bringin all the boys to the yard. 

Now, let's just talk about these lippies. GREAT pigments, but honestly not a big fan. They are all peppermint flavored and incredibly sticky. In a pinch I will use them but they're not my #1 go to. 

The blush goes on wonderfully, however 2 hours of wearing and its almost completely gone. I'm not big on packing on multiple layers of foundation, powder, and a "setter" however if you are, more power to ya sista! It will probably make the blush stay on longer.

Lastly, the eye shadows. I'm pretty impressed with all the colors. With a primer they go on great. Without primer though, you have to layer the colors on for them to show up. Like the blush, 2 hours in and the colors fade. So highly recommend a primer.  

There are a few other natural lines I have come across and will be reviewing them soon. Until then my lovelies! Go out and make yourselves fabulous! 

xo 

Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Milkshake

I'm not going to lie. I MISS cheesecake! Its one dessert I often contemplate cheating on Veganism for. Than I think of the aftermath and quickly have a change of heart! Lol 

Here is a new take on the ever so missed cheesecake and milkshake. 

What you will need 

1 Cup of frozen strawberries 

1/2 of a frozen banana 

1 Cup of almond milk (I used a little less because I wanted a thicker consistency) 

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract 

1/2 Tablespoon Agave (this can be completely omitted if your strawberries are really ripe) 

2 Tablespoons graham cracker crumbs 

2 Tablespoons vegan white chocolate chips (I've only been able to find one brand called King David White ChocoChips) 

Directions - 

Toss everything in the blender and blend until smooth. Thats it! Easy right? :) 

Now if you're trying to be extra fancy and impress some folks you can garnish this beast to look pretty dang tantalizing

Garnish - 

Agave 

White Chocolate Chips 

Graham Cracker Crumbs 

Put the milkshake in a glass and make sure its oozing out of the top a little bit (I don't know why but this makes you look talented as a mofo and the milkshake looks like the forbidden fruit) take the agave and run it around the rim of the glass so it starts to run down the sides of the glass. grab some of those crumbs and toss it at the agave so it sticks. Sprinkle a few white chocolate chips on top and you got yourself a delicious milkshake. 

Sit back and ENJOY! 

XO

Fruit Wataaaaah

Summer is upon us and with this recent weather here in Cali something tells me it's going to be a very hot summer.
Drinking our daily amount of water isn't always easy. I find it harder to drink water in the summer simply because there are so many other delicious things to chug down in the summer months. Getting our little ones to drink water is even more difficult. I have always used cucumbers and other fruits in my water as a refresher but never thought to add multiple fresh organic fruits to flavor the drab water taste.
The genius idea came to me while looking at all my fruits thinking about making a fruit salad but also at the same time I was so incredibly thirsty.
I threw this together and its simply delicious!! Baby loved it too which is a HUGE plus!

I used all fresh fruit except the Mangos. I chose frozen to keep the water nice and cold.

Seriously, don't be lazy it takes literally 3 minutes to make and your body will love you. Get'r done ;) 

Try making some the night before and letting it sit in the fridge over night for added flavor. 

XO