How To Have A Eco-Friendly Birthday Party- Plus Pics From Arabella's 2nd Birthday

I think the first key component to having a great Eco-Friendly Birthday is to pick a great location.  If you have a wonderful setting, you don't have to do a ton of decorating.

I am so thankful to my friends for letting me have Arabella's eco-friendly 2nd birthday party at their beautiful home.

Her party was a "Winged Theme".  So anything that had wings was there.  Butterflies, Fireflies, Dragonflies, Fairies and Sprites.  All of the kids were welcomed to wear their wings too.

The second key component for me to have a wonderful party is to have great friends and family there.  Of course Dada in the top pic gets the kings of guest.  The bottom picture is one of Arabella's best friends, Brooklyn.  Her mom and I have been best friends since we were about their age. : )

I love how all of her guest dressed up in some way in the bottom picture.

Jo Jo (Arabella's Grandpa) gets the other crown for king of guest.

For some actual decorations.  I used all my old sewing scraps and tied them to my Christmas lights.  We hung them in trees and then lined the walkways with them.

You can re-use these decorations for Christmas too.

In the bottom picture, I took old egg cartons and made flower petals out of them.  Arabella, Helene (my friend that shared her birthday with Arabella) and I used finger paints and painted them.  We also sprinkle glitter on the wet paint.  I then made a hole in the bottom and put more Christmas lights in holes.  We strung these in all bushes.

For the food, I used all organic ingredients.  Here we stuffed raspberries with chocolate chips and called them "Bugs and Berries".

I bought organic gummy worms, dipped them in chocolate and then put them on lollipop sticks.  I used pieces of raspberries for the eyes.  These were "Chocolate Caterpillars" to go along with the Wing Theme.

I bought yogurt covered almonds to be the "Caterpillar's Eggs".

We made rainbow fruit sticks that could also be "Rainbow Caterpillars".  Just put fruit on skewers and stick into a melon.

For Arabella's cake, I used all organic ingredients.  I would love to try the fondant cakes at some point but I have to research on how to not use those dyes.  I used some all natural dyes for Arabella's cake but not sure if it would work for a fondant.

: )  Found these at Hobby Lobby.  No, not eco-friendly but you have to break the rules sometimes for cuteness.

I made Arabella's top out of organic cotton fabric.  My favorite selection is from Fabric Worm .com.

The best eco-friendly gift Arabella got was a caterpillar in this little holder.  They are suppose to turn into a cocoon then a butterfly after about 8-10 days.  This didn't happen with hers but I will share that story another time. : )  She LOVED this gift and so did the other kids.  Brooklyn had to go get one the next day.

These are the wings I made for Arabella.  I used a  pair of Helen's old wings and just added all sorts of goodies.

Mama and Dada deserve a good kiss after pulling that off. : )

Thank you again to the O'Hagen's for allowing us to make some wonderful memories at their house! And thank you so much to Chisty Baldwin Photography for capturing these moments for us!  She was amazing.  She would hide away in the corner snapping her pics and you wouldn't even know she was there.  I realized now what a blessing it is to have someone take pictures for you while you get to enjoy the moment.

Happy Birthday planning!

-Tara

Homemade Bread

Is there nothing better then the smell of Homemade Bread baking in the oven?  Or that first warm slice with a little melted butter on it.

One of my goals when we moved out to the farm, was to make all of our bread fresh from scratch and without a bread machine.  I was inspired to do this after I read my favorite cook book- "The Organic Family Cookbook".  Anni (the author) and her family did this for one year straight.  She talks about how it brought and extra loaf of love into their home. : )

The process of making the bread is just as fun as eating it in the eyes of a toddler.  Arabella LOVES being able to make a mess and feel it squish through her hands.  I let her get as messy as she wants (as you can see about it in the pic).  I usually have to take a couple deep breathes during the process when I see the counter and floors. : )

My recipe-

I buy the organic wheat berries from New Leaf (my local health food co-op).  I then grind them in my whisper mill.  This creates a super nutritious flour that is easier to digest. 

6 cups flour
1 tsp salt (I like Celtic sea salt because it has more minerals in it)
2 cups warm water
2 Tbs active dry yeast
1 Tbs honey

Mix together flour and salt.  Dissolve yeast in warm water for about 10 minutes.  Add honey to that (the warm water will help it dissolve).  Mix all together and knead your bread for about 10 minutes.  Put in warm area (I put mine in a slightly warm oven if its not warm enough outside), covered with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes.  Split the recipe in half and make two loaves.  Place 3 Tbs. olive oil in bottom of loaf pans.  Brush the tops of the loaves with egg (this will give a nice crisp crust).  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Breaking bread with the ones you love is such a blessing!

This picture above is from one of our Sunday Suppers.  We have been so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family come together on Sundays to "break bread" together. 


Love,
Tara

Farm Animal Yoga

Farm Animal Yoga is a great way to be creative and interact with your toddler or child.  There are no rules- just have fun.  I have a couple of animals I teach but then I let the kids create the rest or just guide them when they have a idea.

On the top picture, Arabella and I are doing Down Dog.  The picture below, Isabelle is doing a flamingo.  She came up with the idea of doing a flamingo, I showed her how to do the legs and then she bent forward and flapped her wings.  Both of these moves are a great stretch and wonderful for balance.

 

We also created what a cow, chicken, horse, frog, cat, donkey, snake, giraffe and sheep might do.  With the cow, we got on all fours and arched our back with a big sway in our back like a cow has.  The cat is the same position but rounding your back like a cat does when he gets scared.  The donkey and horse were kind of like the picture at the top but we walked around.  Frog, we got into a deep squat and hopped around.  The sheep were on all fours and added a BAAA to it.  With snake we laid on our tummies and pushed up with arms to get a nice back and ab stretch.  Giraffe, you stand up real tall and stretch your neck out as much as you can.  

Again, no rules.  Just have fun!

-Tara : ) 

This Day At Lodestar Farm- running, yoga, cooking, massage and cow chasing : )

This day at Lodestar consisted of a little running, a little yoga, a little cooking, a little massage oh and a little cow chasing. : )

The Second Annual Healthy Mama, Happy Baby 5k Event turned out to be the best yet!

The running was perfect as a cool breeze came in after the rain.  Everyone loved the track through the oak trees and by the spring fed pond.  Congratulations to Mason Bell who won (even though there wasn't suppose to be a winner).  The inner competitor came out in me and I tried to catch him but that hill caught me. : )

We did a little Farm Animal Yoga to stretch after the run.  Arabella and I are doing Down Dog here.  The kids helped me come up with what animals to do and how to do them.  They loved being creative and just moving.  Below Isabelle is showing me what a flamingo would do. : )

I had a little cooking class for the kids on how to make a raw healthy snack.  I used raw sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, dates, coconut oil (has wonderful anti-microbial properties to create a healthy gut) and a dash of salt (all organic).  Pureed in a food processor and Voila you have a snack that has protein, healthy carbs, healthy fats and taste good too!

The day couldn't get any better after sharing it with wonderful friends!  Well, I take that back, getting free massages from the AMAZING Jesse Corry might be a hard topper.  Sorry Helene. : )

You know I had to make Arabella a tutu to run in. : )

Where else could you run a 5k and chase some cows while you were at it! : )

Thank you to everyone who came out and made this day so wonderful.  A special thanks to Lydia Bell from Elle Belle Photography for capturing these amazing moments!

Easter Craft

This Easter Craft is so easy and the results are so pretty.  We made these last year and if they can survive the hands of a toddler- they will keep for years.

First, you drill a hole in the eggs.  We get eggs from our farm, so the shells are tough (which means lots of good minerals).  We had to borrow Dada's drill and make a hole on each end of the egg.  Blow the egg out.  I used vinegar to clean the egg out.

I bought this ribbon at JoAnn's for a dollar.  Glue (with a glue gun) end of ribbon to one hole of the egg and start wrapping the ribbon.  I placed a little dot of glue here and there to keep the ribbon in place.  Of course we had to make our "Golden Egg" hot pink and we added a little frill on the bottom. : )

In the above picture I made little chocolate birds nest with all organic ingredients.  Yes- sugar but still organic.  I use organic pretzel rods for the twigs, organic melted chocolate for the nest too and then organic yogurt covered almonds for the eggs.

This face is why we try not to have sugar- The Sugar Crash.  I don't want her to ever feel deprived on holidays so I do allow sugar (without the dyes and chemicals).  To counteract the affect of sugar I make sure she has enough protein in her system so there isn't such a spike.  But sometimes you just can't avoid it.

This was Arabella's 1st Easter.  She was 6 months old.

Happy Easter!

Love,

The Poseys



This Moment- Daddy's Girl

Doesn't her look say it all.  There is nothing like being a daddy's girl.  : )

This is at our new house.  Roasting organic hot dogs and marshmellows in the fireplace.

Life is good.

-Tara

My Favorite Shoe- Five Fingers

If you know me, you know I don't promote something unless I absolutely believe in it.  I LOVE the Five Fingers Shoe! 

They are the perfect shoe because they work with your body to help it function the way it was suppose to.  We weren't made to wear shoes.  Our anatomy is designed where we use our toes and soles of our feet to take in the shock of movement and balance.  Five Fingers allows you to do this.  Regular shoes bunch your toes together so they can't function and they make you heal strike.  This causes knee, hip and low back issues.

I have knee issues from an accident when I was 16 and I couldn't run the way I would like.  Ever since I got my Five Fingers, I can run, run, run.  And it feels so free because you don't have those heavy shoes on.  Also, my feet would burn and ache after being on my feet all day at work, but not now. : )  Still could use a good foot massage every once and a while (hint hint, Cory : ).

I do have to admit that the transition was tough.  I had to redevelop the right muscles to work again.  I was very sore the first couple of times I ran in them.  I just stretch a little extra and took Epsom salt baths.  So don't get discourage when you first get them.  Also, stay on soft surfaces.  We weren't made to run on concrete.  I try to mostly trail run but I don't have a choice some times.

Thank you to The Shoe Box for being our official sponsor at my 5k.  They have a wonderful selection of Five Fingers and the most friendly staff.  They are also a family owned business and we all need to support our small businesses.

If you come out on to the Second Annual Healthy Mama, Happy Baby 5k you could win either a $100 or a $50 gift certificate to the Shoe Box to get your pair of Five Fingers. : )

Cheers to Happy, Healthy Feet!

-Tara

Creative Play

The theory behind Creative Play is that you don't distract your child with too many toys so they can create their own play.  It is amazing what they come up with when you do this.  It's a lot cheaper and easier to clean up too. : )

It is so funny what Arabella will choose to play with even if she has toys around.  Not to say she doesn't love her toys but most of the time she will create her own "toy". 

In the top picture she found a box and I pushed her all over the house in it.  Then I started doing like the Tea Cups at Disney World and starting spinning her.  A box slides and spins really well.  I wanted to jump in for a ride. : )

The picture below was our leaf piles for the fall.  She played for hours and days in them.  I had forgotten how fun and soft leaf piles can be.

She has also just found sticks of different sizes and made a mama, dada and baby family of sticks to play house with.

At the beach she took our Starbucks (I know they put something in it to make us addicted : )  They do have some great teas if you are avoiding caffeine) cup rings and made sandcastles with them.

Like I said, she loves her baby dolls and toy cars (Thanks Uncle DJ) but it is amazing what she will come up without all the stuff.

Happy Playing!

-Tara

Strawberry Soup

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm Strawberry Soup.  Doesn't it just sound good.  It is so easy to make but it taste like something very special.  It is our new favorite dessert, snack or syrup. 

All you do is puree however many strawberries you have in a food processor with a little water (depending on how soupy you want it) and a little sweetener if the strawberries are a little tart.  Right now we are at the end of strawberry season so I need a little sweetener.  I use raw organic cane sugar, agave or honey depending on what I have. 

For a dessert, I put a little square of my organic dark chocolate (Green & Blacks is my favorite kind) in a special bowl.  For a snack, I mix it with plain organic greek yogurt.  And for syrup, I put it over french toast or pancakes.  IT is delish no matter how you do it.

Also, strawberries are loaded with vitamin C, so this is healthy. : )  This will help you fight of colds as long as you keep the sugar low.

This is us having breakfast at our new house.  This morning we had homemade french toast made from homemade bread, fresh farm eggs and strawberry syrup.  Not a bad breakfast table setting, huh.  The pond is right behind us.  : )

Cheers with Strawberry Soup!

-Tara

Grandparents : )

I am so thankful for my parents and what great Grandparents they are to Arabella.  They want to be with her all the time, and they can be now that we live within walking distance.  All a grandchild, or any child, really wants is your time with your undivided attention. 

JoJo and Dara take every opportunity to come see Arabella and they make the most out of each visit. They get down and play with her on the floor, they read to her, they paint with her- they do just about anything she asks of them (except TV and videos- they do refrain from that activity.)  For example, Arabella loves to run and jump, and of course she asks JoJo to cartwheel for her. He never disappoints her. He is right there running, jumping and laughing with her.  Talk about Physical Therapy. : )

There are many studies that show when a child has her Grandparents involved in their lives, they feel more secure and confident.  Extended family help a child just as much, although it does not necessarily have to be blood-relatives. The WHOM is not as important as the WHAT. A child needs to feel love and security among those closest to them, regardless of whom the caregiver may be. I am so thankful for ALL of Arabella's extended family.  She is so blessed to have so many wonderful people in her life.

Love, Tara