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As Halloween is fast-approaching, you may be thinking about what kinds of treats you’ll have available for the trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood. Now, maybe you don’t give out treats (the Mom-side of me thanks you for your pretzels, fruit leathers, pencils, stickers, or pennies for Unicef!).  But if you do offer candy, you may want to consider keeping Nestlé treats out of your trick-or-treat bowl this year.

  
(Image source: http://www.phdinparenting.com/2010/10/25/international-nestle-free-week-2010-join-us/)

Why No Nestle? A very short synopsis: there has been an active boycott on Nestle since July 7^th 1977, stemming from their promotion of breastmilk substitutes (infant/baby formula) over breastfeeding, particularly in under-developed countries. Nestlé continues to violate the WHO (World Health Organization) code by persisting in their marketing of infant formula in places where doing so (instead of promoting breastfeeding) can lead to illness, malnutrition, and death of babies (for reasons such as formula mixed with contaminated water is dangerous, formula is too expensive for many women to purchase, and often gets watered down, resulting in malnutrition). Nestlé also controls much of the bottled water industry (and thus the sources of water) in the United States. (If you’re ready to be frightened by the state of water in our country, I highly recommend the movie Tapped) Nestlé also promotes unhealthy eating through their production and marketing of high-sodium “Gerber Graduates” processed foods to toddlers.

For more information on the Nestlé boycott, here are some good places to start:   

http://info.babymilkaction.org/nestlefree

http://www.phdinparenting.com/tag/nestle-boycott/

http://boycottnestle.blogspot.com/

So, you'd like to try to keep your Halloween Nestlé- free, but not sure which products Nestlé produces? Well… take a deep breath; they’re everywhere (I'd rather not directly link to their site, but if you Google Nestlé, you can find everything they have their name on - and it's a ton)! For the purpose of International Nestlé-Free Week (which runs from October 31^st thru November 6th) I’ve created a list, limited strictly to candy. 

List of Nestlé Candies, Chocolates, and Confections:

100 Grand

Aero Bar

Abuelita

Baby Ruth

Bit O Honey

Bottle Caps

Butterfinger

Cailler

Carlos V

Chewy Spree

Chewy Sweetarts

Chunky

Crunch Bar

Everlasting Gobstoppers

Fruit Runts

Goobers

Kazoozles

Kit Kat (outside of the U.S.)

Laffy Taffy

Lik-M-Aid Fun Dip

Mix Ups

Nerds

Nestle Milk Chocolate

Nips

Oh Henry! (inside the U.S.)

Oompas

Orion

Pixy Stix

Raisinets

Runts

Shockers

Smarties (outside of the U.S.)

Sno-Caps

Spree

Sweetarts

Wonka Exceptionals

So… Which candies CAN you buy this year?

My vote is for Fair-Trade Organic Chocolate or Organic Lollipops! Of course, that’s not always practical nor affortable! So, here’s a list of...

Conventional Candies NOT Produced by Nestlé:

3 Musketeers

Almond Joy

Bounty

Bubble Yum

Cadbury Crème Egg

Cadbury Dairy Milk

Dagoba

Dove Bar

Galaxy

Good & Fruity

Good & Plenty
Heath Bar

Hershey’s Kisses

Hershey’s Special Dark

Ice Breakers Gum

Jolly Rancher

Kit Kat (inside the U.S.)

Krackel

Mars Bar

Marathon

Mauna Loa

Milk Duds

Milky Way

Mini Eggs

M&M’s

Mounds

Mr. Goodbar

Oh Henry (outside of the U.S.)

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Reese’s Pieces

Rolo

Skittles
Smarties (inside the U.S.)
Snickers
Starburst

Summit

Symphony Bar

Take 5

Twix

Twizzlers

Whatchamacallit

Wrigley’s Gum

York Peppermint Patty

Zagnut

Zero

Thanks for considering participating in Nestlé-Free Week and... Happy Halloween!

Posted: Oct 28 2011, 09:59 by kelly | Comments (26) |

Filed under: Breastfeeding | Children | Healthy Eating | Nestle Boycott

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Breastfeeding my two children over six years was one of the most rewarding parts of my mothering adventure. I’ll always be glad I went for it, was successful, and stuck with it. Whether you’re thinking of breastfeeding, or have breastfed for a few days, weeks, months, or years, you know that nourishing your baby at your breast is natural, healthy, and offers benefits for both baby AND mom. It’s not always easy to get started, or keep going, but the advantages are great. If you’re having trouble and need a little encouragement, or just a pat-on-the-back-reminder of why you’re doing what you’re doing, I’ve compiled are a few joyful breastfeeding quotes to keep you going.

Here’s to you meeting your own breastfeeding goals - whatever they may be. Go, mama!  You can do it! 

The natural power of breastfeeding is one of the greatest wonders of the world. It is about real love. It is about caring and celebrating the wondrous joy of nurturing a new life. It is about enjoying being a woman.

~ Anwar Fazal

Breastfeeding is a mother's gift to herself, her baby and the earth. 

~ Pamela K. Wiggins

Breastmilk satisfies.

~Ohio Department of Health

She doesn’t need to count how often she feeds the baby any more than she counts how often she kisses the baby.

~ Babette Francis (Journal of Tropical Pediatrics & Environmental Child Health)

The newborn baby has only three demands. They are: warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three.

~ Dr. Grantly Dick-Read

Breastfeeding a baby – what could be more natural?

~ LLL; The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding confers significant short and long-term health benefits for both the mother and her infant, which go beyond the period of breastfeeding itself.

~ National Health Service of Great Britain

Nursing does not diminish the beauty of a woman's breasts; it enhances their charm by making them look lived in and happy. 

~ Robert A. Heinlein

Breastfeeding is more than just a method of feeding. It is a lifestyle choice.

~ Dr. William Sears

While breastfeeding may not seem the right choice for every parent, it is the best choice for every baby. 

~ Amy Spangler

Mother's milk, time-tested for millions of years, is the best nutrient for babies because it is nature's perfect food. 

~ Robert S. Mendelsohn

When she first felt her son's groping mouth attach itself to her breast, a wave of sweet vibration thrilled deep inside and radiated to all parts of her body; it was similar to love, but it went beyond a lover's caress, it brought a great calm happiness, a great happy calm. 

~ Milan Kundera

My opinion is that anybody offended by breastfeeding is staring too hard. 

~ David Allen

Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it.  It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form. 

~ Christine Northrup

The one thing that has evolved with humans, to nourish humans, is breast milk. It is the ideal evolutionary model for what nourishment should be. It is a remarkable fluid.

~ J. Bruce German, a food science professor at the University of California, Davis

Imagine that the world had created a new 'dream product' to feed and immunize everyone born on earth. Imagine also that it was available everywhere, required no storage or delivery, and helped mothers plan their families and reduce the risk of cancer. Then imagine that the world refused to use it.

~ Frank Oski

Babies were born to be breastfed!

~ U.S. Department of Health & Human Services

Breastfeeding is an unsentimental metaphor for how love works, in a way.  You don’t decide how much and how deeply to love – you respond to the beloved, and give with joy exactly as much as they want. 

~ Marni Jackson

With his small head pillowed against your breast and your milk warming his insides, your baby knows a special closeness to you. He is gaining a firm foundation in an important area of life – he is learning about love.

~ La Leche League pamphlet  c.1956

In breastfeeding, the infant is cradled in the mother’s arms. Pleasure in sucking, the satisfaction of hunger, intimacy with the mother’s body, are united with his recognition of her face.

~ Selma Fraiberg

Posted: Oct 26 2011, 18:38 by kelly | Comments (1) |

Filed under: Babies | Breastfeeding | Inspirational | Parenting

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When Adam asked me what I’d like to do for my birthday, naturally, I said I’d like to go for a hike.

(Leaves had fallen all along the trail... beautiful!)

We’ve been hiking together for 17 years. I’ve hiked through two pregnancies, hiked with a newborn, hiked when the snow was up to my hips and when the wind blew so hard and cold that the water was freezing in my drinking water line, hiked when the mosquitoes have bitten my ankles til they’re swollen. Together we’ve woken with the sun, put a tent up in the dark, and the rain, hiked on the Appalachian Trail, in Canada, Mexico, and several US states, and have carried everything we needed for days on our backs. Our children have been along with us for much of the journey. So when we say we’re going hiking – they shout joyously: WHEN!!  It warms my heart to see how much they love the woods, too. 

See, nature is my second language. When I’m out in the woods, everything is clear, right, and okay. We could be cold; it’s okay. We could be lost; it’s okay. We could be tired; it’s okay. The energy of the trees, the synergy between sun, air, ground, plants, animals, humans… the world is condensed, tangible, reachable, when you’re in the woods. There aren't any hard, fast schedules, no expectations, no limits. Everything seems possible, and life, perfect.

(Starting off up the AT)

Yesterday, as usual, nature didn’t disappoint! We chose a circuit trail at the Delaware Water Gap, on the Pennsylvania side – a favorite spot since it’s not too far a drive for us, and the elevation increase from base to peak isn’t too great, so the incline is gentle – perfect for hikes with children.

(View across the gap - Mt. Tammany straight ahead, Mt. Minsi to the right)

We climbed Mount Minsi this time, which was a gentle incline on a mostly clear, not-too-narrow, and well-marked part of the AT. We crossed streams, past a couple of ponds and rocky outcroppings, and were treated to several beautiful views of the gap. At the top, Mt. Minsi opens up to a glorious view of Mount Tammany – still very green, as you can see!

(View of Mt. Tammany from the top of Mt. Minsi)

We’ve hiked Mt. Tammany with the kids in the past; it was a slightly shorter loop. The Minsi loop we chose was a ~4.25 miler up the Appalachian Trail, and down a fire lane. It was a beautiful Fall day, warm, bright, the leaves starting to fall – it was absolutely perfect for a day hike.

(Heading down the fire lane)

I hope you had a lovely weekend, and are enjoying the Fall. If you hike with your family, tell me about your favorite hiking spot - I'd love to hear! 

Posted: Oct 09 2011, 11:29 by kelly | Comments (3) |

Filed under: Children | Exercise | Family Time | Outdoors | Seasons | Sunday Spark

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When I was born, Gerald Ford was president. John Denver, James Taylor, Barry Manilow, and the Bee Gees were standards on the radio. A gallon of gas cost $.44. [Feel free to pick your jaw up off of the floor now. I can wait.] The Vietnam War officially ended. Jaws was the most popular film of the year. The VHS tape (now obsolete) was introduced and Bill Gates created Microsoft.

 
Me. Today. On my 36th Birthday

Turning thirty-six insists that I’ve officially moved into the “next age bracket”. This means that when I fill out forms, I’m no longer grouped in with the 20-somethings (see Wiki: US Census - Middle Age). I’m starting to be called Ma’am instead of Miss. The gray hairs which I’ve been sporting for the last 10 years are starting to accumulate (which, to be frank, I actually like, and am doing nothing about, so take that, Time). The “oldies” station on the radio plays 80’s music now. But I’m not complaining; I loved eighties music.

This year was awesome. I started running. Back on April 12^th, I got up off my bum, and got on the treadmill. (I only lasted about ¼ mile). I got up the next day and did it again (& the next day...). Next week, (almost exactly 6 months after starting running), I will be running a 10k event! I’m feeling healthier than I have in a long time. I’m reading much more often again. I travelled a lot this year with my family. I’m writing on my blog with greater frequency (and I think people might actually be reading it? Anyone? Anyone? Beuller…). Adam and I have gone to see real movies in the theatre recently. AND? I started back roller skating! So my 36^th year was a darned good one. 

But, here’s the thing. I’ve noticed that my hollywood contemporaries are aging, and… I don’t recognize the new ones. The 20-somethings of the world look so young to me. The teenagers I see in are babies. Heck, my own children will BOTH be teenagers in less than 6 years. What…WHAT?!  Jane’s Addiction is about to release a new album and I remember when their first one came out. My friend from college said about the new album, “I may have to get that for my Geriatric Lollapalooza mix”. Which… Exactly. (Sigh.) See, Kurt Cobain has been nearly 20 years gone, but when I listen to Nevermind, it sounds fresh to me! Time is passing, things are aging, but I’m still feeling young, and my memories of youth are still bright.

I don’t have a problem with aging, really (really, really). Age really is just a number, blah-di-blah. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit the passing of time weirds me out just a little. My kids (no longer babies) have never not known a cell phone (my youngest hasn’t ever not known a smart phone), and have no idea what it’s like to carry change around for a payphone. What’s a payphone, Mom? We sold the last of our VHS tapes at a garage sale this year, and we converted our CD collection to digital six years ago. My mother’s generation? They went to the moon. My generation? They’ve discontinued NASA and downgraded Pluto from planet status. Time passes, things change, time continues on, etc., etc....

I’ve got a lot of time left. (89 years, actually, since I plan on seeing the next century.) So I guess I’d better get used the fact that my kids are currently better on computers than I was in high school. It’s just the way it is. I embrace the passing of time as each moment shows me something new. So, hello middle age (ha!)… what can you show me?

Posted: Oct 07 2011, 15:22 by kelly | Comments (5) |

Filed under: Music | Nostalgia