Tiny Oranges – Fresh, fun blog for OC moms

Completing HAVE TO activities each day with my headstrong two-year-old can be challenging to say the least.

Essential tasks like going potty, brushing her hair (don’t even get me started on the washing hair drama), brushing her teeth, getting dressed, etc., can sometimes turn into situations where I am forced to exercise patience I really don’t have.

The teeth brushing process for awhile was horrendous. I tried everything…using big sis as an example, songs, trying to give her some sense of power with “your turn” then “MOMMY turn!”

It even got down to me naming the “sugar bugs” in her mouth I was getting out while brushing. “Morgan! I see Sammy the Sugar Bug back there, open wide, I have to get him out…!”  That lasted for maybe a few brushings as she peered at me with angry, skeptical eyes as the toothbrush was working to evict Sammy.

But sadly it usually ended up with me having to brush those little things against her (SCREAMING) will which is SO not pleasant for either of us and can set a mama’s blood pressure through the roof.

But every time I felt like throwing in the towel, my pediatrician’s voice would be in my head…”If she didn’t feel like riding in her car seat would you let her? Same thing, her teeth have to be brushed, there is no choice.”

Then I remembered seeing something on www.MyFavoriteEverything.com awhile back about a Spinbrush for kiddos and thought maybe getting a new exciting toothbrush might be worth a try.

The Arm & Hammer Kid’s Spinbrush My Way! is a battery-powered toothbrush that comes with 141 waterproof stickers that the kids can use to decorate their own toothbrush.

Really brilliant because I have two girls and they even come with sticker letters so you can put your name on it.

According to Arm & Hammer, kids brush 38% longer with a battery-powered toothbrush. That is huge. So we got two and gave them a try!

My five-year-old loves her new toothbrush and I feel that she is doing MUCH more thorough job using this toothbrush vs. the normal old one.

And, I am happy to report that my two-year-old is BETTER using this toothbrush. I am not going to claim she is clamoring to get those pearly whites polished up, BUT the battles have been drastically reduced, and that to me is a success!

They are available now at most grocery stores and drugstores, but you can also buy online here. I also wish I knew these Arm & Hammer coupons were online before I bought ours!

If anyone has any toddler tooth brushing tips - PLEASE DO TELL AND COMMENT HERE!

One of my friends, Dr. Lyndsay Elliott, is a clinical psychologist specializing in eating disorders and body image. When she recently emailed me to ask if I would ever like her to write something for my blog about how parents can help promote a healthy self-image in their children, I almost screamed through the computer, “YES!!”

As a mom raising two girls, it is something I think about a lot.

More than anything I want them to grow up with a healthy relationship with food and a good appreciation for their bodies. In today’s world, especially living in Orange County, I know it will be challenging.

That’s why I am so happy to give you Dr. Lyndsay’s suggestions on things we can do as parents to help…

Read More >>

After my second pregnancy and especially when I turned 35 that same year, there was a definite shift for me in my attitude regarding health.

So over the past year and a half I have taken up running and Pilates and have made my health and my family’s health a top priority for me.

This is not easy, it takes time and hard work, but the payoff is WELL worth it!

At my last physical my doctor told me that most people don’t get nearly the amount of fiber in their diet that they should. Did you know a woman under 50 should get 25 grams of fiber per day?  Have you ever counted your fiber grams?  I honestly had never paid attention until she mentioned it to me.  It’s interesting to count how much you are getting in reality. You might be surprised to find out it is less than you might think.

The benefits of fiber in your diet include promoting bowel health and regularity, lowering blood cholesterol levels and can help aid in weight loss.  And as moms, who wouldn’t want help controlling their weight?!

If you find you are not getting the recommended amount, it is easy to make small changes to increase your intake.

This great article on fiber offers six tips on how to boost your fiber intake.

Tip #1?

Wake up to a high fiber breakfast or one with 5 or more grams of fiber and you will kick start your day and it can also help you manage your weight.   I know as busy moms sometimes we are tempted to wake up and GO GO GO and we tend to forget about breakfast.

But eating a nutritious, high fiber breakfast can help give you the energy you need to take on the day ahead!

Recently I was sent two different FiberPlus Antioxidants cereals to try by Kellogg’s which include high fiber content and are rich in antioxidant vitamins C & E.  You can also click here to visit the Kellogg’s website and find a Kellogg’s coupon for $1 off two boxes of the FiberPlus cereal!

The FiberPlus AntioxidantsYogurt Berry Crunch has 10g of fiber, twice the amount recommended for your breakfast and one serving contains 40% of your daily recommended fiber. Love this!  A 1 cup serving with ½ cup skim milk has 210 calories.

The cereal was sooooo yummy!  Crisp whole grain wheat and rice flakes with sweet yogurt and berry flavored clusters sprinkled throughout.  I loved the crunch mixed with the sweet flavor.  I also love knowing that I am getting a super high fiber breakfast.

I am careful to measure out a serving size and not pour a monster “teenage boy” portion however. If you pour a big bowl, sometimes you don’t realize how many calories you are actually consuming.

Yum!  High fiber breakfast and one cup of coffee = happy mommy!

The FiberPlus Antioxidants Cinnamon Oat Crunch has 9g of fiber and a ¾ cup serving with a ½ cup skim milk has only 150 calories and contains 35% of your daily recommended fiber.

This is the type of cereal you can grab a handful for a snack as well.  My two-year-old has food allergies to eggs and milk so finding cereals that are free of these ingredients can be difficult.

I was excited to see that she could have this one (with her Rice Milk of course!) and she loved it!  After taking a bite, she also wanted to offer me one too!

Something to note, both of these cereals do have sugar as the second ingredient (which is probably why they both taste SO good!) so it is not something that I will serve in heaping portions, but I am a believer of all things in moderation.

If you have a challenge getting your kids to eat fiber or if your kids need help with regulating their bowels, this is a great way to help things along!

Something important to mention, both these two cereals do not contain high fructose corn syrup.  This is important to me as a mom.

As moms I know we all strive to keep our families fit and healthy so I think being aware of your daily fiber intake as well as your kids’ fiber intake is something that can help boost your families overall health.

Now I am off to have a bowl of cereal and take on the day!

{Disclosure: This is a paid post sponsored by Kellogg’s.  I received one box of Berry Yogurt Crunch and one box of Cinnamon Oat Crunch to facilitate the review.  My opinions are my honest ones – as always!}

Good To Go From Head To Toe’s 2nd Annual Family Fun and Wellness Fair will take place on Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Pretend City Children’s Museum.  This health fair is open to the general public right outside the museum at no cost, but if your kids participate in all the screenings, they have the opportunity to receive a free admission ticket to Pretend City with purchase of an adult ticket.

The event features free developmental checkups, community and health-related activities, nutritious snacks, crafts, a Move and Groove dance competition, kids bands and lots of other fun stuff for the entire family.

Developmental checkups are head-to-toe assessments that ensure a child’s growth and development is progressing on track.  A startling number of children in OC do not receive developmental checkups as it is not part of the standard well-child visit.

Free checkups available at the Family Fun and Wellness Fair are for children 0-5 and include hearing, speech and language, behavior, BMI, height and weight, blood pressure and dental.

If a child visits all of the checkup stations, they will receive free admission, an $11 value, to Pretend City with purchase of an adult ticket to the museum.

Pretend City is located at 29 Hubble in Irvine. Additional parking will be available at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater with a complimentary shuttle to the museum. You can also find more information about Good to Go by checking out its public service announcements Rhyming Fun at the Beach and Round, Red, Crunchy Apples.

Have a great weekend everyone!

{Disclosure: Pretend City is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor}

I had been hearing a lot of good buzz about True Food Kitchen in Newport Beach since it opened last summer but had yet to check it out until last week. Being an OC mom blogger, one of their representatives contacted me informing me of their new fun-to-eat healthy kid’s menu. This innovative new menu features dishes with sneaky, hidden nutritional elements and is based on the belief of their executive chef that healthy eating applies to ALL ages! I was instantly intrigued.

We went on a Monday night for dinner, and it happened to be my 36th birthday. Baby sister stayed home with the grandparents and Emma got all dressed up and was excited for dinner in a fancy restaurant a la Fancy Nancy going to the King’s Crown! Moms with girls over age 3 probably know what I am talking about!

I was first struck by the AMBIANCE. Very modern and chic with natural elements incorporated all over like miniature gardens of herbs out front, a hostess stand covered with faux clovers and bowls of big, colorful fruits on the bar.

We were shown to our table in the beautiful outside patio…

The general manager, Darryl Cuilla, visited our table and shared a little about their restaurant and it’s concept of “Great tasting food that’s good for you!” {<--- what a concept!}

With a menu based on seasonal, sustainable local ingredients I learned that the restaurant is 98% organic, nothing is fried and the focus is on simple, pure flavors. I was excited to taste these flavors and watch Emma’s reaction to her dinner. Because as we know, super healthy doesn’t always equate to super yummy and kids know the difference.

First we perused the True Food’s Kids Menu. Click that link because you will want to see the inventive options! With items like Almond Butter, Strawberry & Banana Sandwich I was impressed with the creative combinations. Emma opted for the Mozzarella and Organic Tomato Pizza and their Homemade Strawberry Lemonade. In the meantime, Darryl sent over a variety of appetizers for us to try while we were deciding.

My eyes popped out of my head when I saw the delicious platter of Local Vegetable Crudites! Served over a bed of crushed ice, it was a colorful mixture of radishes, snap peas, broccolini, cherry tomatoes & two yummy dipping sauces ($10).

Just look at the COLOR…

And you know they are doing something right when we were popping veggies like they were chips and guac! I called Darryl over and asked, “what makes them taste THIS good?” I mean Emma was eating cherry tomatoes like they were M&Ms and gobbling up the broccolini and saying “yum!” This never happens. I am not kidding you. I wish I had it on video. He told me it’s because the vegetables are SO fresh. You truly can taste the difference.

We also sampled the Herb Hummus which was beautifully presented with triangle pita slices, and a garish of tomatoes, onions & feta cheese on top. The Edamame Dumplings with a daikon radish & white truffle oil. These were to-die-for. So light and creamy! And the Caramelized Onion Tart which had smoked garlic, black fig & gorgonzola. This was the richest of the apps, but still not heavy, and just melted in my mouth. YUM.

I probably could have made an entire meal out of the appetizers alone. But I had my entree coming and it will be one I will be thinking about for awhile.

You know how you have those salads at certain restaurants that you CRAVE? This one will be bringing me back to True Food Kitchen for years to come.

Here is the Chicken Chopped Salad ($14) in all it’s glory!
I might have to rename it the “Best Salad in Orange County”

It was a beautiful combination of chopped chicken, mango, apple, avocado, almonds, manchego cheese & champagne vinaigrette. But here’s the thing. We have probably all had a salad sort of similar to this before at a restaurant, but this one was different. The difference was in the flavor. Every item was so fresh it had a whole new type of flavor to it. For example, the avocado. I have never had one that tasted that good. And the almonds were so fresh and crunchy. And there was a difference in the taste of the chicken, deliciously moist. All the flavors and texture together was superb. Truly. You have to try it.

And then there was Emma. The pizza was GOOD sized. Pretty big actually and she is not a terribly big eater. But will you look at how much she ate of her pizza? It is not the prettiest picture, but she kept going and going, I swear no one else had a piece! Notice the broccolini on the side. Little better than french fries, huh?! My gosh I loved taking her out to eat and feeling good about it!

And then there was dessert.

A flourless chocolate cake made of cocoa, vanilla ice cream caramel that I will be seeing in my dreams. There were actually chunks of pure 78% cocoa in it. Not a bad way to ring in my 36th year!

So mamas, if you are out doing some holiday shopping at Fashion Island, True Food Kitchen would be the perfect place to take your kiddos to lunch. Or meet girlfriends there. Or, take your hubby to dinner on a date. Essentially, it doesn’t matter who you take but you HAVE TO GO! I would recommend probably a daytime lunch visit if you were going with small kids. And I love patios for dining with children.

True Food Kitchen
451 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660

Click here for hours, menus and directions. I just read they have brunch on the weekends until 3pm. I am so going back.

{Disclosure: My family received a complimentary meal to facilitate this post.
Thanks to True Food Kitchen for the stellar birthday meal!}