I didn’t grow up cooking. My parents worked, and we found the usual American solutions to having no time to prepare food. We ate at restaurants, picked up fast food, and microwaved frozen dinners. At the time, it wasn’t clear to Americans how negatively those habits affected our health. When I got married and had a kid, I wanted to prepare real food for my family. But I felt totally overwhelmed by the responsibility of cooking. And frankly, I resented it. Even though I knew it was something I could enjoy. But then I developed these simple cooking ideas that saved my sanity and my family’s health. And I want to share them with others who feel they just do not have time to handle dinner every night. …
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It seems like microplastics are all over the news right now. We knew single-use plastic wasn’t great for the environment. But in recent years we’ve learned it also has serious effects on our health. Not only from microplastics entering human tissues, but also from endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like BPA and phthalates that are emitted from the plastics in our environment. But the question of how to avoid microplastics in our plastic world is not an easy one. To me, starting at home – where I have control over the environment – was the first step. I recently started a project to reduce the amount of plastic exposure my family was getting at home. There are many excellent sources of information on microplastics and EDCs in common household products. But I…
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You may have found travel with an infant relatively easy. After all, they sleep quite a bit. And they don’t have much of an opinion about what’s going on. A toddler is a different ballgame. They’re mobile, they throw tantrums, and they have plenty of opinions you’ll certainly hear about. But traveling with your toddler can be so rewarding. That’s why I put together this comprehensive list of tips for how to travel with kids under 4. I previously shared a Europe packing list for a toddler. Now, I want to share my best tips and tricks for plane travel with your toddler. I learned some the hard way, if I’m being honest. But at least you can learn from my mistakes! How to Travel with Kids on a Plane:…
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I was recently talking to a mom on the playground about a trip to Europe my husband and I just took with our almost-3-year-old. She has a kid the same age and claimed that she doesn’t want to travel for a few more years. It’s just too much hassle with a toddler. And I agree all the extra packing and a long flight can seem daunting. (Scroll down to get straight to the Europe packing list for your toddler!) But many of us who love travel don’t want to give it up when we become parents. In fact, we’d like to share this passion with our children from a young age. I’ve made a quite a few long-distance and international trips with my toddler, and I’ve previously written about travel with…
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So many of us drift through life for years wondering in the back of our minds when we’ll “find purpose.” The challenge to this task is that everything in modern society is designed to distract us from our purpose. Every advancement in technology and shift in media formats is geared toward grabbing our attention. Given this environment, it’s no wonder we can’t focus long enough to figure out what’s meaningful to us personally. So, how can we start to find purpose? One of the best frameworks I’ve found for shifting my perspective and focusing on what matters is intentional living. Essentially, intentional living means “living on purpose.” Knowing what matters to you – and what doesn’t. And making daily decisions based on that. Sounds simple enough, right? But it can be quite…
