v 5 issue 8: Black & White

Black and white adapts itself so easily to any occasion. It is simple and elegant as well as fun and full of pizazz.

Cover by Fara Smith










1 A gorgeous tapestry print exudes elegance with shades of black & white in this infant dress from Kidbodies Versatile in both size and style, top-tie straps allow for adequate length adjustment and the dress promises to look great alone or worn over a black knit top and ruffle pants. Available in sizes6 to 18 months for $48. Enter code: TTWFALL for 10% off your purchases.

2 Visit gap.com to pick up a dress full of retro voguish flair with an affordable pricetag. Clean lines and a zigzag print turn this shift dress into a must have for late summer/early fall. Grab this one before it's too late. Enter code: SAVE for 15% off $75, 20% off $100, or 25% off $150, online only. Offer ends: 9/8/09.

3 An elegant motif and sharp color contrasts create the irresistible pattern of the Midnight Garden Baby Sling. At tot-to-go, cotton/lycra fabric is crafted into uncomplicated one piece designs which easily fit into carrying bags, unlike bulky carriers. Great for hands-free soothing of fussy babies, so you can actually get stuff done! Enter code: TOTTRENDS for 20% off regular priced slings thru 09/30/09.

4 The Betsy Clippie Set from Ruby's Closet includes a padded animal print heart with a bow and a clippie with a small black crystal. Available in tan animal prints, camo, and, of course, black & white. All sets only $7.50! Enter code: trends20 for 20% off entire order including shipping!

5 The Hipster is a black & white version of the Mop Top Hat. Full of fluff and fun, these hats put pizazz into the art of keeping warm. Sizes begin @ 0-6 months and go all the way up to 2-5 years. @ zooniwear.com. Enter code: TOTS15 for 15% off thru 9/30/09.

6 Sprout Shell, the place to find chic infant carrier covers, offers a black swirl design for lovers of clever curves and classy color schemes. Elasticized edges hug the corners of almost any carrier to keep babies free of rain, stinging sun, and peeping passers.

7 Stacked full of goodies: zippered and elastic compartments, a detachable fold out changing pad, and a snack bag. Bumble Bags are covered in the exclusive bee quilt and lined in a gorgeous print pattern. Each bag easily converts between a backpack, stroller bag, & messenger bag with it's removable and adjustable straps.

8 The fall/winter line from Kit + Lili is here and Dragonflies and Ladybugs has picked out a few special little numbers for preview. The Lucie Black Peace Sign Dress is the perfect outfit for a modern girl with a sharp eye for fads of the 60s. Peasant sleeves and waves of black and white lend a hand to evoking fashionista styles of yesteryear.


Healthy Eating Tips:
Importance of Healthy Eating

- Talk to your child about the health benefits of healthy eating, such as how it promotes a stronger immune system , the less they’re sick the more fun they get to have doing things they enjoy.

-Switch to water or milk only with meals, no sugary drinks while they are eating.

- Show them charts like the food guide pyramid and let them ask questions, they will have questions and they may even notice what parts of the chart they aren't getting enough.

-Make small changes to begin. Less sugary drinks, switch to whole wheat products; add fruits and veggies to every meal.

- Pack a nutritious lunch, snack, and drinks for your child’s school lunch. This way you know just what they are eating.

A few of our favorites:

Snacks:
Earth Balance's all-natural, no-stir nut butters are the perfect addition to any lunchbox snack (think celery and apples) as a healthier alternative to traditional peanut butters. These nut butters are infused with flax seed for excellent ALA Omega 3 content and are sweetened with natural agave syrup, a low glycemic sweetener. We absolutely love this product in our house!

Plum Organics Tots Fruity Fingerfuls are great snacks for the little tykes and bigger tykes as well. Try these freeze-dried fruits and whole grain deliciousness for a perfectly balanced snack. Available in strawberry, banana and apple flavors.

Drinks:
HINT Water is pure water, nature's original refreshment, accented with a hint of natural flavor. No sugar, no artificial sweeteners. My son loves these and I don’t have to worry about sugar highs. Thirteen flavors of deliciousness! Try them all.

Wild Waters is another flavored water choice that we highly recommend. Packed with 7 important vitamins and minerals, 100% natural ingredients with 1/2 the sugar of leading kid’s drinks. No artificial sweeteners, flavors or colors. Packaged in a convenient made-to-grip sports top package that is perfect for lunch, sports or on the go!

And for one stop shopping for guilt-free snack foods check out this site... Healthysnacksdirect.com. Enter code HGirl20 for 20% off your order thru 9/15/09. Full of many favorites such as Popchips, Pirate's Booty, Luna bars, Gnu bars, and more.



Make school lunches and snacks fun, colorful and earth friendly with these ReUsies. They are 100% cotton lined with leak-resistant nylon and are secured with Velcro® closures. Easy to clean, resists odors and are machine washable. Enter code: TOTTRENDS for 20% discount or use free shipping coupon currently in place.

From fruit bars to salads, healthy lunches can be as diverse and different as our unique children's appetites ...and our imaginations.


Getting Kids to Eat Healthier Foods
It can be difficult to get kids to eat healthy foods these days. Healthy foods seem to be their least favorite and they would rather eat candy, cookies, and all the other junk than sink their teeth into some good ole broccoli. It is even harder when society teaches them to eat foods not good for them. These lessons can be learned via television, commercials, school cafeterias, and even family events. So what can you do?

There are ways we can increase the amount of healthy foods our children eat without stressing the whole family; how we cook, how we shop and how we eat. Choose whichever methods work best for your family.

Taste is important. We can add cheese to a lot of foods to make them taste good. Most vegetables would be good with cheese, just melt a bit of cheese and pour it on top of the veggies. You can also add natural sweeteners to foods like raw honey or sucanat (non-refined cane sugar) instead of using refined sugars. There are spices you can add to food too that do not have any MSG or salt in them. You have to read the ingredients carefully, but it will make the food you eat healthy and yummy.

Encourage them to eat fruits, especially their favorites. This isn't usually too difficult to do because they are already sweet and/or sour and these are two tastes kids love. You can switch up the fruits available to them. Get some apples and oranges one week, grapes and pears another week, and plums and peaches another week. By switching it up they are more apt to eat all of the fruits every week. Put them in a big bowl on the kitchen table or counter and make them accessible for snacks.

Another tactic that works is to eat healthy foods yourself. Like it or not we are our kid’s role models and if we want them to behave a certain way, we should behave that way as well. Whether it be foods we eat, things we say or the actions we take, they are going to learn from us. So, make sure you have healthy foods on your plate at meal time, and they see you eating them.

There is a lot to say about how you shop. Shop around the perimeter of the grocery store to get fresh and healthy foods for your family. You might also try shopping a grocery store that offers a natural and organic area to shop for condiments, and boxed foods.

Last but not least check out some new and useful recipes. You can make honey pancakes, put chopped up broccoli in your macaroni and cheese and more. These are additional ways to make foods healthy even when they still taste good. Give it a shot and your kids will be eating healthy in no time.