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We Are What We Eat: The 2013 Dirty Dozen & Clean 15 Lists Are Out!

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Every year the Environmental Working Group [EWG], a non-profit advocacy group, updates their list of the fruits and veggies that are most pesticide-ridden “The Dirty Dozen Plus”, and therefore best to avoid, as well as the “Clean Fifteen” which are those fruits and veggies best to choose when possible. EWG is offering the public the science behind what we eat. These pesticides they are identifying are hormone disrupting and they are showing up in the most unusual places–such as on our plates and in our bodies. The idea is that with the knowledge of what to avoid when possible, and what to purchase when available, we can reduce your family’s exposure. For a complete list of the Dirty Dozen Plus and the Clean Fifteen click here.

Here is a sneak peek at the Dirty Dozen [listed in order of most to least residue]:

  1. Apples
  2. Strawberries
  3. Grapes
  4. Celery
  5. Peaches
  6. Spinach
  7. Sweet Bell Peppers
  8. Nectarines
  9. Cucumbers
  10. Potatoes
  11. Cherry Tomatoes
  12. Hot Peppers

Alternatively EWG publishes a list of the Clean Fifteen which are the fruits and veggies with the least pesticide residue. Here is a sneak peek:

  1. Asparagus
  2. Avocados
  3. Cabbage
  4. Cantaloupe
  5. Corn
  6. Eggplant
  7. Grapefruit
  8. Kiwi
  9. Mango
  10. Mushrooms
  11. Onions
  12. Papaya

EWG video takes you on a trip through the grocery store to identify which fruits and veggies are safe and which are not: Click Here

If you have a tough time remembering what is on the list EWG is happy to send you a laminated copy of the Shoppers Guide to Pesticides in Produce for a small donation. Or you can download an app for your iPhone or Android here. Head to EWG for more info.

Get Ready, Get Set: Screen Free Week Is Coming…

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Screen Free Week is coming up, April 29 through May 5, 2013. This is the nationally organized week dedicated to getting us all to turn off electronics and commit to play, read, create, and get physically active!

But wait, how could we get along in this world without our multiple gadgets and screens? How many times do you find yourself just checking that last email as you are trying to rush your kids out the door? Let’s take this week and power down! Let’s roll model how to be present and unplug!

I was excited to hear that the City of Lafayette’s Bob Berger Recreation Center is offering kids K-12 a free week pass to the Rec Center if they register and commit to go screen free. More information and to register for the FREE REC CENTER WEEK PASS here.

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Want more information on how to go screen free? Ideas for homes, schools, and communities can be found at screenfree.org. http://screenfree.org or visit them on Facebook.

Boulder Public Library Renovations: Have a Say!

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BPL Reading ImageThe Main Boulder Public Library is slated for some renovations. This is really exciting because it has been over 20 years since they last renovated the space. Have your voice heard! If you want to have a say in how this renovation looks this is the right time to get involved!

The reason I bring it up on Boulder Families is that we are SO lucky to live in a community where our public library system offers incredible programming for families and the entire community. They are an insanely valuable resource for kids and I want to make sure they understand how important they are to Boulder Families.

What can you do?

  • Atttend a meeting: April 18th is the next meeting. They are offering childcare. See their Facebook Page for more details.
  • Fill out a feedback form on their website.
  • Take part in their events and let them know how important they are to your family! Boulder Public Library events

If you value the Boulder Public Library and want to have your voice heard make sure to get involved! I am looking forward to the renovation–it could offer space expansion, additional resources, fun new programming opportunities, etc…

A big shout out to the staff at the Boulder Public Library for being such an integral resources in our community for Boulder Families!

Giveaway: Win a Pair of Tickets to the Boulder Opera’s Production of Cinderella La Cenerentola

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We love give aways! Read on to see how you can win a pair of tickets to this production of Cinderella La Cenerentola. The giveaway is over 4/21, so get your chance to win–see details below.

The Boulder Opera Company is bringing Boulder their first installment in their Children’s Series: Cinderella–La Cenerentola. This is a humorous take on the classic tale, set to upbeat melodies and modern twists.

The Boulder Opera says: Cinderella goes to the ball, bracelets are exchanged instead of glass slippers, mistaken identities make for hilarious escapades, and the quick paced action will make this hour-long show fly by in seconds!

  • Showtimes: Thurs, 4/25 at 10:30am; Saturday, 4/27 at 11:00am & 2:00pm; & Sunday 4/28 at 12:00pm and 3:00pm.
  • Location: Nomad Theater, Boulder
  • Detailed Info: boulderoperacompany.com

Here is your chance to win a pair of tickets to one of these shows! How do you win?

Giveaway Rules: 

1. Leave a comment HERE [Why you want to go. What you may have heard about the production. Really anything you are thinking about taking your child to see this show.]

2. Head to Facebook and “Like” Boulder Families [if you haven’t already].

We will draw a name on Sunday April 21, 2013. Good luck, these shows look super fun!

The Intersection of Yoga and Parenting

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DownwardDog-300I love yoga. I don’t do it enough, but I still love it! Yesterday I was at a delicious yoga class at The Little Yoga Studio deeply immersed in sweat and downward dogs, when my mind started to wander. I cherish the time when I give myself the space for my mind to wander -it doesn’t happen a lot these days. All at once the words that yoga instructors have said over the years started to accumulate in my head. They came flooding in. It started with the yoga instructor telling us about her decision to bring Joy back into her life. Joy. Joy? Joy’s honorable. We all want to feel joy, right?

I was joyful, in between praying with all my being that this was not a class that was over 1 hour and wondering how I was going to ask my friend Wendy this question since she seemed to in the moment and engaged any time I glanced over to see if there was an iota of an opening to ask my very important question. It was hot in there, I was seriously sweating, I hadn’t been to yoga in a few weeks, and I know my body sort of turns off after an hour of yoga. I guess I was panicking a bit. I forgot at first how much more than exercise I get every time I am on my mat. But here were all these thoughts about ways of being that were floating around my head.

Back to the intersection of yoga and parenting. The words of past yoga teachers flooded in and it occurred to me how yoga informs parenting. And vice versa. But at this point with a pre-teen boy and a pre-pre-teen boy in my house I was really appreciating how yoga could support me.  I need some support. Some of the words of wisdom that were ringing though my head about how the essence of yoga cold support parenting include:

  • Be kind to yourself. If you need to take a break just take child’s pose or let your family know you need a break [even for a moment just go outside] and accept that it is okay to not be perfect.
  • If you wobble, it’s okay. Think tree pose and life. We will all wobble. It’s okay. Be accepting.
  • Look for joy. We are given many opportunities to find joy in our lives we just need to let them in. Don’t take life too seriously. 
  • Find ease [smile] even when it is tough. It’s not where we stand in times of comfort and convenience, but rather in times of difficulty and hardship that matter! [paraphrase of the MLK quote] Think of how this could transform the act of getting out the door in the morning.
  • Be thankful. Appreciate that you are here on your yoga mat. It’s okay to do something good for yourself. 

There are so many more wise words I have heard and wish to live by, but these are a few of the ways that yoga and parenting intersect.

Add to the conversation. What are the ways you see yoga and parenting intersecting and informing each other? I would love to hear from this amazing, yoga loving community!

Kid’s Movie Review: From Up On Poppy Hill

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The newest installation of brilliant anime from the Miyazaki family is finally here. From Up On Poppy Hill is written by Hayao Miyazaki, but directed by his son, Goro Miyazaki. I trust this collaboration will lead to the same quality movie as my family has grown to love. Time to rejoice because here is a great movie for your kids that and you will enjoy too! Rated PG and appropriate for age 9 and up [based on a review by Common Sense Media]. And it is playing in at Century Theaters in Boulder. Show times and tickets here.

My kids love Miyazaki movies and have seen all of them [I think]. If you are not familiar with Miyazaki movies you are missing out. They are stunning, positive, creative, magical, and beautifully done animated [anime] movies. Some our family’s favorite Miyazaki movies:

These movies appeal to kids based on the anime, content and themes. They appeal to parents because they are really positive in nature and capture the imagination of children without resorting to violence. Consider renting the older movies which I think can be shown to much younger kids [6 and up for some of them].

The review of From Up On Poppy Hill from Common Sense Media:

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Does your family love Miyazaki movies? If you saw From Up On Poppy Hill, did you like it? Did your kids like it? Would you recommend it to other Boulder Families?

And the winner of the Boba G3 is…

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Boba G3Congratulations Dillon Kenyon, you are the winner of a Boba G3! Dillon, choose a fabric style by heading to the Boba Family website. Then email me your fabric choice and contact information @ Boulder4Families@gmail.com. Get me the details and I will ask the great folks at Boba to send one out to you ASAP!

And don’t forget to sign up for Boba’s upcoming Healthy Babywearing Class. It’s FREE and will give you a lot of support if you already love to wear your babies or if you just want to learn more about it!

Happy Babywearing To All!

Cheers, Amanda

 

Parenting Resources: The Huffington Post Rocks!

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I visit lots of parenting sites looking for good content for Boulder Families and my life. There are lots of them out there. I set them all up to feed to my Google Page so I can check in on them daily and see what is happening in the parenting world. Blogs, newspapers, websites, etc… They are all important to me. I want to give a shout out to the Huffington Post. They curate the best information and offer amazing resources!

The latest resource offered by the Huffington Post is their Stress-less Parenting Site and Online Workshop. They offer information on some of the most important issues in parenting:

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I love these articles. I head here when I need inspiration or words of wisdom. Give them a try and see what you think. You can request to receive information to your email about topic areas that interest you. Simply go to the Stress-Less Parenting site. In the upper right hand corner you can enter your email address and click “get alerts”. You will then be directed to a page where you can decide which areas of the Huffington Post interest you.

It’s simple. Enjoy!

Movies for Kids: How Does a Parent Decide?

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hollywood signRecently I have had a lot of discussions with other parents about movies what movies are appropriate for our kids. This is but a mere portion of the larger discussion on media and technology that we must address as parents. What is a parent to do? How do we make good decisions? We have to use Common Sense!

I will never forget the moment when I let my child who was WAY TOO YOUNG watch The Green Hornet. I let myself get swept away by another parent’s enthusiasm–and my son’s too. I did go with him and not a minute went by that I didn’t want to scoop him up and leave the theater. Maybe I should have. But I didn’t, and it did lead to some good discussions. But I vowed never [this word needs a loose interpretation] to go into another media situation without a better compass.

What I always find most confusing about movies is that the ratings don’t always make csm-logo-apr12sense. They especially don’t make sense if you are comparing a current movie rating with that of an older film. We have a general rule to not let our 3rd and 5th graders watch rated R movies, but some older ones are exempt and make it in the mix. We came to this rule because without a rule we were floating out there in media-land without any compass. Our kids fight it. But it just makes sense to us.

How do we make decisions about what movies our kids can watch? We use discussion with other parents we know we share values. We also lean heavily on Common Sense Media. This is a nonprofit organization that rates movies in a way that I can understand the content and underlying tone. They break things down so that I can ensure my kids aren’t getting the stuff we don’t want and get to watch shows with themes we can live with or are looking for. The break down includes rating by parents and kids in terms of how old kids should be to watch the film, the quality of the film, the overall message, positive role models, sex, violence, language, consumerism, & finally, drinking/drugs/smoking.

Here is an example from the movie, Chasing Mavericks, that we watched on our last family movie night:

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Common Sense Media gives us an opportunity to preview the movie and think about how we will talk about themes in the show that come up. Sometimes we do. Sometimes we just let the message speak for itself.

Where do you get the scoop on what to let your kids watch?

Baby Wearing: Get Into It! [Free Class and Boba G3 Carrier Give Away]

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I know we are in Boulder so for many of us baby wearing is an integral part of our lives. It has not always been like that and it certainly is not like that in other parts of the country. Of course as soon as you cross the border [especially South of the border] you find baby wearing is simply a part of life. Baby wearing is not simply a fad. There are amazing benefits to baby wearing for both parent and child. Don’t worry, Boba G3 give away details are below.

  • Baby wearing benefits for the baby: babies cry less, get better sleep, learn more, are happier.
  • Baby wearing benefits for the parents: enhanced communication between parent and baby, is convenient, encourages weight bearing exercise, allows you to move around on all different terrain

I want to introduce Boba. They are a local Boulder, mom-owned, company that has been helping parents connect to their babies and young children. I knew they were a great company when I met their well traveled founder in a mutual friend’s studio, where she was creating pottery on a wheel when she was approximately 10 months pregnant. She told us stories of traveling with her young children and clearly baby wearing was a passion! The Boba Family lives the life and promote baby wearing for all the great benefits it bring to families. You can find more detail on the benefits of baby wearing from Boba’s founder here.

In April, Boba is offering a FREE Healthy Baby Wearing Class through the YMCA. If you are interested you can learn more and sign up here.

Boba.BabywearingClass.OnlineImageBoba G3 Give Away: Want to win a Boba G3 Baby Carrier like the one on the top photo? You get to pick the color. Learn more about the Boba G3 here. To win here is what you need to do:

1. Leave a comment here about your experience with baby wearing or your question about baby wearing AND…

2. Go to our Facebook page and “like” the page. Click here to find BoulderFamilies on Facebook.

3. Voila! You are entered to win a Boba G3, a $120 value.

4. All “entries” must complete steps 1 & 2 to be entered. Entries must be complete by March 31, 2013. Check back April 1 to see if you won! Enter now!