Best New Mom Christmas Gifts

Got a new mom on your Christmas list this year?

I've been a new mom. Twice. So I get how hard it can be to buy for a new mom. What do you get a sleep deprived, hormonal, emotional often overwhelmed female that won't cause her to become even more emotional/overwhelmed/hormonal/etc.?

Sure, a candle, some bubble bath, a massage gift certificate are good ideas, but you can do better. Chances are she isn't getting into a relaxing bubble bath any time soon and a massage- while a lovely idea- is just not going to be enjoyed by a nursing, engorged mom like it should.

When time is of the essence and everything around her feels abnormal, a new mom needs a gift that is going to make her feel special, help her gain back some time, or just save her sanity.

So do you have a new mom on your list this year?

Make her sparkle!

Following the birth of both my sons, I felt frumpy. I lived in yoga pants and a ponytail (that was likely unwashed). I was really a shell of who I had been pre-kids. I think most new moms have felt that way. So give that mom something that will make her feel shiny and chic. And what could be more perfect than a big, sparkly ring? Earrings and necklaces are likely to be tugged on and ripped off at some point, but a ring is the perfect piece of jewelry - something that can be slipped on her finger when she's running out the door with baby in tow or when she (finally) gets that (rare) night out sans child.


Our fav? We are obsessed with rings from Tissh by Gloria Lee. Available at a great price point (from $50-$60 CAD), they add a touch of elegance and shine to any outfit. Excellent quality and stunning in person- they're sure to get the new mom on your list back feeling a little more chic.

Warm her up!

Yes, a warm robe and fuzzy slippers are nice, but reusable heat pads are a new mom must-have. Perfect for those sore backs, aching muscles, linger epidural pain, or just cold hands - these gel pads get hot in seconds (with just a click) and stay warm for up to 90 minutes. They can warm you up while nursing in the middle of the night or keep hands and toes warm during cold winter walks. I had a ton of back pain following the birth of my first son and was stuck using bulky water bottles that often were cool before I could apply the heat. What I wouldn't have given for a click and heat pack!

Our fav? ClickHeat reusable heating pads are super easy to use, come in a variety of sizes and uses (from tiny hand warmers to large back pads). Colourful and portable, savvy moms can even use them to heat up their baby's bottle while on the go!


Sweeten her up!

New moms and showering don't seem to go hand-in-hand. You might not be able to give her time to shower every day but you can help her smell great and feel a bit refreshed, even when she can't shower! Buy the new mom on your list some delicious smelling products that don't require a bath- some dry shampoo
to freshen up her roots, luxurious hand/body creme and a travel-sized perfume (perfect for the diaper bag- or days she forgets that all important deodorant)

Our fav? In our opinion, there is no product on the market that smells better than Cake. Buy their Satin Sugar dry shampoo powder (for light or dark hair) and Milk Made Velveteen Hand Creme (which I use everywhere- especially in the winter). For a delicious scent on the go, buy that new mom on your list a Marc Jacobs Fragrance rollerball trio from Sephora- three sophisticated, feminine scents that are sure to please!




Make her life easy!

No new mom's life will be the same once they have been gifted with an easy-to-use blender. From whirring up homemade stew into baby food to whipping up smoothies for breakfast- a small countertop

blender is the perfect gift. Added bonus? They're great for mixing up a cocktail:)

Our fav? The Magic Bullet. It takes up a small amount of space but packs a big punch. They'll chop up nuts for homemade protein bars, whip up "green monster" smoothies full of spinach and kale or turn your dinner into baby food. Quick to use and easy to clean, they are what every new mom needs!




Really, REALLY Spoil her!

For those days when getting out of the house is just not happening, where non-stop crying only gives way to the silence of a nap, or a group of girls are coming for a playdate - nothing is more luxurious (and sometimes necessary) than an at-home espresso maker. It can be a real day saver.

Our fav? In our experience, nothing has made a better at-home espresso than the Cuisinart Espresso Maker. It has a warming tray, a steam nozzle, and cleans up easily (a must!). Make one cup or two- although, who are we kidding? New moms will always make two cups of espresso. Added bonus- it's quiet enough that you won't wake the baby!












Bonus gift? Give her your time. Show up at her house with some indulgent bath products (We love Airbonne Aromassentials Sea Salt Scrub - check out www.tarahollenbeck.myarbonne.com for more products!), a magazine, and send her away for an hour or two of relaxing in her own bathroom (super bonus if you give her an additional hour to nap and/or do her hair!). Make her promise not to come see the baby until she has properly relaxed! Sometimes time is the best gift of all!

Raw Vegan "Waldorf" Salad

Delicious, tasty, nutritious! (and yes, I eat the entire thing myself)

This is my favourite raw vegan salad. It's a play on a waldorf salad, without the mayo (although you could use vegan mayo if you wanted). If you're not raw or not vegan (or not raw vegan) the salad is still delicious, especially for lunch! I might add some chopped chicken if I was in the mood:)

This salad is crunchy, sweet, salty and sour. It's the perfect combination- colour, satisfying mouth feel, tasty and it takes forever to eat (which is good because it gives you time to digest and receive signals from your stomach that you're full!)


Raw Vegan "Waldorf" Salad

Ingredients

1 apple (use a crispy apple- Gala is my favourite), chopped
1/2 head of celery (about 4 or 5 stalks), chopped
Handful raw walnuts, chopped *omit if allergic
Handful raw, pitted dates (about 5), chopped
Lemon juice (just need a squirt)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of sea salt

How to do it:

Add together all your chopped ingredients (apple, celery, walnuts, dates). 

Add a squirt of lemon juice (will help the apples not to brown too quickly), a dash of sea salt and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. 

Mix gently and enjoy!

Eating Raw(ish)- Day 5 of 5

YEAH! I did it!!!

Five days, no cheats- pure raw vegan diet.

If you have been following along (catch up here, here, here and here),  I began a 5 day experiment with eating raw vegan in an effort to get back control over my eating habits (which were horrendous) and, even more, just to see if I could do it:)

Well, I did.

There were moments it wasn't easy. Not because I had big cravings (I didn't) but I didn't always have time to go into the kitchen and make a huge salad or chop up a honeydew melon. It sounds silly, but it's true.

So what did I learn?

1) I don't love meat and not eating it isn't a big deal;
2) I didn't miss starchy carbs;
3) I found time to make food when it really mattered. I am busy, yes, but I'm not so busy that I need to put everything else in my life above my health;
4) I miss working out (ya, that's out of left field but I do miss working out);
5) It wasn't that costly - in total I spent $60 in food over the five days…so $12 a day.

I'll be maintaining my raw vegan diet for another day (I have a lot of fruit and veg that has to be eaten before it goes bad) and then I'll be mindfully maintaining a vegan diet (not necessarily raw, however).

My eats…

Breakfast
One sliced pear
A handful of grapes

Snack
Handful of raw walnuts
Pineapple chunks

Lunch
Huge salad- half head of romaine lettuce, chopped carrots, one avocado, lemon juice, a sprinkle of sea
salt
A few more pineapple chunks

Snack
Handful of raw cashews
A few baby carrots

Dinner
Homemade Larabar (yes, not the BEST choice but it was tasty!)

Snack
Vegan peanut butter balls (raw peanuts & almonds buzzed together with dates)- THESE ARE GREAT!

AND HERE'S A VIDEO WRAP-UP:

Eating Raw(ish): Day 4 of 5

Woke up another pound down! Whoop:) I have been feeling really good on this diet today. Maybe I'm hitting a bit of a groove? I think it's important to note that meat and I have never been best friends. I was a vegetarian for a year. I generally eat fish or chicken if I do eat meat. The occasional steak or rack of ribs is a treat to me, but not a norm. So the idea of cutting meat is not a big deal. What I am missing is warmth. Maybe it's because I live in Canada and I began eating raw exactly as the cold weather hit my part of the country. I find myself just wanting something to warm me up. Obviously, raw food is not going to do that. Thus, herbal teas and coffee are still part of my diet- part habit but more out of the desire to feel warm from the inside out. My kids are having pasta tonight, with a side of salad. I, of course, am abstaining. And honestly I don't feel too bad about it this time. Here are my eats for Day 4.

 Breakfast
One banana, sliced
Two handfuls of red grapes
Sprinkle of cinnamon (this felt a bit like a treat, oddly)

Snack
One pear, sliced
1/4 pomegranate (seeds only, of course)

Lunch




Homemade Larabar (cashews and dates) with a few shavings of coconut - I didn't even try to make this into bar this time- I just piled it in a bowl and gobbled it up. I sprinkled a few leftover pomegranate seeds in there for good measure:)







Snack
Handful of walnuts

Dinner
Huge salad:) - one head green leaf lettuce, one whole avocado, a few chopped baby carrots, one baby cucumber, two stalks of celery, a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds.

I had originally planned to have HALF a pomegranate in my salad HOWEVER someone thought those juicy seeds were delicious and, well, ate them all.

Eating Raw(ish)- Day 3 of 5

I woke up feeling good again. A little more hungry this morning, but not starving and certainly not craving anything:)

Down another 2 pounds (that totals 3 pounds in 2 days).

Today was a busy day though. I was on TV to discuss a daycare in Canada that had fined a mother $10 and fed her child some Ritz crackers as she did not provide a "grain" her child's lunch. Ridiculous.

Of course, between working and mothering, food was not a priority.

BUT I didn't stray from my raw/vegan lifestyle one bit!

Check out Day 1 and Day 2 of my raw/vegan experiment!!!

Breakfast

One banana, sliced
Half package raspberries
Coffee (not raw, not organic, but necessary and yummy)

Snack
One pear, sliced
Handful raw almonds
One homemade Larabar (sadly, my family ate most of them so I'm going to have to whip up another batch)
Half a honeydew

Lunch
Apple
Handful of walnuts
* I should have done better here but I was on the go and this is what I ate*

Snack
One homemade Larabar
Coffee
Blueberries

Dinner

BIG salad full of avocado, cucumber, carrots, red pepper, raw pumpkin seeds and red leaf & romaine lettuce. Squirted some lemon juice on top.

Water to drink

Night Snack

I am hungry and grumpy:(  I know I under ate a bit today, due to some last minute running around. 

Half pomegranate

Peppermint tea

RECAP!

Eating Raw(ish)- Day 2 of 5

Morning!

I actually woke up feeling great:) I thought I would be starving but in fact it was quite the opposite. I wasn't too bloated and I felt light, not sluggish.

See my Day 1 update (including an end of day video recap!)

A few notes:

• down one pound! *I thought it would be more but again, this is for health/skin/sleep benefits and less for weight loss (although I'm hoping for that!)
• I will be keeping track of how much I spend specifically for raw/vegan food this week. It will consist mostly of veggies and fruit- so far I have spent $56.
• My kids/husband are not following my diet for these 5 days. They do eat a plethora of raw fruit and veggies however (which I obviously think is awesome!)
• This is not about deprevation. I'm supposed to eat as much fresh fruit/veg as I can. I can promise you I'm not starving myself at all! (and not counting calories either!)
• Daily recaps will be posted at night! 

Day 2

I spent the morning at the grocery store. Here's my raw/vegan haul (for a total of $56):

Then I came home and made homemade Larabars, using this recipe from Oh She Glows:

 

Dates and raw cashews, pulverized in my Magic Bullet. The recipe, of course, calls for some chocolate. I could not find anything that would be categorized as raw/vegan and I cannot stomach raw cacao nibs (I would rather forgo chocolate than add cacao). However, this recipe, even without the chocolate, is GREAT! Will be making again (FYI, I let it set for 30-45 minutes in the fridge or freezer so it's not sticky to the touch anymore. Once they are room temperature they are sticky again... not sure how to mitigate this but they taste good anyway!).

Breakfast:

-one banana, sliced

-half package raspberries

-one pink grapefruit

Snack:
- two homemade Larabars (YUM!)



Lunch:
-one sliced pear
-peppermint tea (2 cups, but only used one bag)
-one homemade Larabar (I need to stop but they're good. My sons are obsessed with them too)

Snack:

-half a honeydew melon

Dinner:

-large salad made of: romaine and red leaf lettuce, chopped peanuts (raw), chopped apple, and a cranberry dressing (cranberries and some olive oil in my magic bullet- a bit too tart for my liking so I just drizzled a smidgen for some taste).


*My salad was half eaten before I remembered to take a picture. It was MUCH larger than this!


*I'm going to a board meeting tonight, so I will likely have some more veggies after I get back. I will deserve it after resisting all the homemade treats the girls bring:(






Night Snack:

-whole mango- I actually eat the mango skin. I know, gross, but I think it tastes good and I read once that it improves problematic skin. Not sure if it's true but it's worth a shot, in my opinion!
-decaf coffee (at my meeting)

AND THE VIDEO RECAP!

Eating Raw(ish) - A 5 day experiment

I have been fascinated by the idea of eating "raw" for a long time. Once upon a time I had a plethora of starts and stops on the vegan/raw eating train- it was hard to follow, and it got my roommate in a pretty nasty situation.

To be fair, I think information regarding raw eating was lacking 13 years ago, when my then-roommate adopted a raw food lifestyle which I would classify (after educating myself) as "fruititarian". She ate fruit all day long and a big salad every day; however, she didn't consume protein of any sort and after a year of the "lifestyle" she ended up in the hospital with awful stomach pains and massive digestion problems.

That being said, for the first few months my roommate was on a raw/vegan 80:10:10 plan, she had beautiful skin, improved digestion, better sleep and a ton of energy. What I discovered through her experience is that a raw food lifestyle might not be a beneficial long-term lifestyle, but its short-term benefits were plentiful. 

Recently, I have let my diet slip (significantly) and consistently feel sluggish and heavy (gaining about 7 pounds!); my skin has also been breaking out and just looking tired. I'm kind of fed up with eating the scraps of whatever is leftover from the kids' meals and I'm incredibly sick of complaining about never having time to do anything. My stress has been crazy high, I feel like I am busy 24/7 and never have time to do the things I enjoy (which, shockingly, includes preparing food).

In an effort to gain back some control over my life, I have decided to adopt a modified version of a vegan/raw lifestyle for 5 days. If you're interested this video will give you an overview of a 80/10/10 raw/vegan day. 

Of course, you may be familiar with this diet based on the hubbub over a pregnant blogger's admission that she is following this lifestyle- the backlash has been crazy (and perhaps with good reason).

But I am not pregnant, nor will I subject my kids (or husband) to this style of eating- I am merely interested in how it makes me feel, how it improves (or not) my digestion and skin issues, and if I can actually follow through with it!

I have modified the 80/10/10 diet slightly to suit my purposes (remember I am doing this for the alleged health benefits, not based on my beliefs surrounding food, etc.- I have no issues with eating cooked food or meat, generally), following a variety of online plans, including Tone It Up's suggestions for "bouncing back". Each day, I'll update on what I have eaten (honestly! If I "cheat", you'll know!) and wrap up at the end of the day with how I'm feeling overall and what my plan for the next day is. I will not be working out any more than I have been - walking, playing with kids, etc.


Day 1- Sunday

Breakfast
-One banana (sliced) mixed with a huge handful of red grapes.

-Apple

-Coffee (this is not raw, but I'm modifying the diet to meet my needs and at this point coffee meets my needs!)







Snack


-One banana (sliced)

-Handful of raw walnuts (these are eaten throughout the day, when feeling like I need something that isn't fruit!)





Lunch

-Half a container of raspberries

-Sliced pear

-Peppermint tea

- Handful of raw walnuts







Dinner

Massive salad- variety of organic lettuce, half a head broccoli, whole carrot, three mini cucumbers and a scoop of homemade coleslaw on top (made of red and green cabbage and kale, shredded carrots, with a vinegar-based dressing)

RECAP:

When Rob Ford Gained My Sympathy

*EDITED TO NOTE: When I wrote this originally, Rob Ford had not made the public (humiliating, degrading) comments about his wife. Since those comments, I have lost significant sympathy for this man. Yes, he is still human but no, I cannot defend his words or his actions.


I didn’t vote for Rob Ford, nor can I think of a scenario in which I ever would. 

He is a man who I once saw in the same light as a Saturday Night Live, Chris Farley-esque character- a bumbling, laughable buffoon.

And yet, in the wake of Ford’s most damaging scandal to date, I find myself increasingly sympathetic toward Rob Ford.

When the alleged ‘Rob Ford Smokes Crack’ video recap appeared in my news feed, I assumed it to be true. It would explain so much of what I believe about Rob Ford- the often erratic, nonsensical, ‘foot in mouth’ man that is Toronto’s mayor fits my (uneducated) impression of what a functioning drug-user may look like. I jumped on the bandwagon- calling for Ford’s immediate resignation, assuming a lack of outright denial of the actions caught in this alleged video equaled guilt.

The more this story unfolded, however, the more something changed for me. I read the accounts of the alleged crack-smoking video and then I read the tweets and Facebook posts touting this video recap as fact, not the allegations they truly were.

I read the fat jokes and the saw the out-and-out mockeries on tv.  

And, at some point, I began to feel a growing concern and sympathy for this man I once laughed at and dismissed.

Allegations are a slippery slope. They can take on a life of their own and, in this day and age of social media, become a widely believed, unquestioned truth. I dare say that none of us discussing the allegations made by Gawker and the Toronto Star had seen the footage of Rob Ford smoking crack; but we all talked about the video like we watched it with our own two eyes.

Imagine living through that media firestorm. Living through the constant media attention and allegations. Imagine finally, in a moment of defeat or weakness, admitting to that which you had been accused of for months- to actually smoking crack cocaine.

Yes, I believe that Ford’s reputation was already tarnished by his many outbursts, off-the-cuff comments, and less than desirable decisions during his tenure as Mayor thus far, but I, for one, am beginning to feel sympathy for a man whose reputation has been tarnished and mocked worldwide. 

I have begun to feel sympathetic toward a man whose resignation from the office of Mayor of Toronto is being demanded, based on these allegations, that proved to be true, of drug use.

It is highly likely that his new ‘crack-smoking Mayor’ moniker will follow him for the rest of his political career, if he even hopes to still have one.  A reputation tarnished by allegations, found later - admitted under much duress- to be truth, is a reputation that is unlikely to ever fully recover, no matter what he does at this point.

Now that we know the alleged crack-cocaine smoking video is true, however, I feel even more sympathetic toward Rob Ford, because it likely means that he has some level of addiction to drugs. It would mean that he requires outside help to not use an illegal substance, that he is probably in denial about this need for help, and that he will likely fight a battle with drugs for the rest of his life. 

I feel sympathetic toward a man, that many believe has great political promise, who now stands to see his entire personal and professional life crumble at the hands of drug use. 

Ford must have known that his private life would eventually become public; that what he did in the dark would eventually become light.  And yet, despite the overwhelming potential consequences, the Mayor could not stop himself from smoking crack-cocaine. 

That man I feel sympathy for.

While people are making t-shirts joking they’ve smoked crack with Toronto’s Mayor, successfully raising a staggering $200,000 to purchase that (once alleged video), and mocking everything from his weight to his voice to his final admission that he has smoked crack, it is becoming clear to me that we have lost sight of that fact that, outside of politics, Rob Ford is a son, a father, a brother, and a husband. 

He is not a late-night sketch comedy character meant solely for our comedic pleasure. 

He is a real person who needs real help.

Rob Ford chose to run for the Mayor of Toronto, he chose to be a polarizing figure, and he chose to be confrontational with the media and even, at times, those who backed him. 

I don’t support Rob Ford the politician, but I sympathize with Rob Ford, the human being. 

Yes, the Mayor should step aside from his powerful political position in the wake of evidence and admission that video of Rob Ford smoking crack is true. 

But in spite of it all, I can't help but remember that Rob Ford is a human being who deserves much much better than the treatment he is enduring.

Why giving of yourself is so darn hard

Yesterday my newspaper column focused on volunteering. 

You can read it here.

In essence, I applauded our education system for requiring high school students to complete 40 volunteer hours in order to graduate.  That's 10 volunteer hours PER YEAR of high school. TEN HOURS.

While some commenters agreed, and some disagreed, I was a little shocked to get a few not-so-nice emails referring to "forced labour" and "slavery". People actually took the time after reading my opinion to sit down and write out an email, for my eyes only, advising me that I am in favour of SLAVERY if I think high school kids should be required to volunteer their time and talents.

So I want to reiterate what I wrote in my column:

"Sometimes, we need to require students to do something they might not willingly engage in on their own."

I think the same can be said for adults.

Why is giving of yourself so darn hard for people to wrap their head around?

When I was in high school we were not required to commit to any form of volunteering but it was strongly suggested if we planned to go to university. So I did volunteer, even though I had a paying job and school work to worry about.

Sometimes I volunteered willingly, sometimes begrudgingly, and sometimes because my parents volunteered me (which, of course, I hated). But I can tell you unequivocally that, looking back through adult eyes, those volunteer experiences helped me to realize the vastness of need in the world; to see beyond my own personal circumstances and gain empathy for others. 

Volunteering as a youth led me into teaching and it has led to me to volunteering as an adult. 

There are so many (really good and valid, believe me) excuses not to volunteer- kids, family commitments, work, lack of 'me time' as it is-  but there are so many more good reasons to give a few hours- for free- to people/places/things that ask for only your TIME. 

It is truly shocking to me that people are more willing to give their hard-earned money away to charity than their time. 

Are we really so callous that we believe that if there is no money attached to something that it is valueless? That without payment any type of effort is not worth our time?

As a parent, what kind of message does it send to our kids when we are hoarding our time and holding it so tightly that we refuse to give any of it away without dollar signs attached?

I don't spend hours each week volunteering. I spend about 6 hours each month (I teach sunday school and sit on a board of directors for a preschool). I'm not a martyr, I'm not a super-parent, I'm not special or awesome for doing it, and I certainly don't think you're awful if you're not volunteering. I'm just a little shocked at the STRONG beliefs that ADULTS display against volunteering, against giving their own time away.

What about you? Do you put any stock in volunteering or do you think that time is just too precious (or too limited maybe?) to give away?