Birth, Babies and Beyond Birth and Parenting Fair 2013

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Central Florida Veg Fest is this Saturday!

When: Saturday, October 27 from 10 AM – 6 PM – Rain or Shine!
Where: Orlando Festival Park, 2911 E. Robinson Street, Orlando, FL 32803
Admission is FREE to this family-friendly, dog-friendly, smoke-free event.

You can find Orlando Green Guide information and me, the new owner of the Guide at the Central Florida Birth Network booth number 42. From the Community Garden at E. Robinson and Festival Way, turn right and we are on the right just past the fourth vendor. I would love to meet you. Hope to see you there! 

Central Florida Veg Fest is an exciting day of educational exhibits and events, offering a variety of food vendors and food preparation demos, health and wellness exhibits and activities for kids in the Veggie Kids Zone. Vegetarian or not, you will find that it’s a great place to learn more about Eco-friendly living, health and wellness, and great food ideas, with fun for the entire family complete with live music and entertainment, artists, and the animal haven pet adoptions.

Veg Fest, now in its 7th year, is one of the biggest and best vegetarian festivals in the country!

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Central Florida Birth Network Community Potluck

This community Potluck, held by Central Florida Birth Network, is a great way to meet families and get acquainted with the birth professionals in our community. It’s fun for the entire family, complete with a playground for the kids!

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Central Florida Veg Fest is back-bigger and better than ever!

Fun for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, the Central Florida Veg Fest is a great place to learn more about healthy living, and local green businesses.  The Veg Fest offers live entertainment, cooking demonstrations by local vegan chefs, health and wellness exhibitions, and kids activities.  

The Veg Fest will be held October 22, 2011 at Loch Haven Park from 10am to 6pm.  Admission is free to this family friendly and smoke free event.  

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Free Admission to Florida State Parks Sunday September 11, 2011

Visit a state park FREE on Sunday, Sept. 11. Just bring a library card, a book checked out from a library or donate a new or gently used family-friendly book. Many state parks will host special events, such as book exchanges or reading with a park ranger.

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Raising Healthy Kids Workshop

Y360 Health is hosting a “Raising Healthy Kids Workshop” on Saturday, June 25th at 11:30am. The workshop will be presented by Dr. Leif Martensson, a Chiropractor at Y360 Health. Dr. Martensson will present topics on family health and wellness including information on childhood vaccines, the effects of posture on children, and the top healthiest snacks kids will love.

Y360 Health is a chiropractic center focusing on overall health and wellness for your entire family. Headed by Dr. Dan Yachter, they believe in treating the root cause of sickness and disease and not just the symptoms.

Their workshop will be held in the Y360 Health Center located on Lake Emma Road in Lake Mary. Register to attend the workshop by calling them at (407) 333-2277 or  visit their website at http://www.y360health.com.

Y360 Health Center

3621 Lake Emma Road

Lake Mary, FL 32746

(407) 333-2277

http://www.y360health.com

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Karate classes for children and adults in Downtown Sanford

Two Dragons Tang Soo Do opened its doors in March of this year in Downtown Sanford. Owned and operated by Master Constantino Terrigno, they offer Karate classes Monday – Thursday for children and adults. He accepts children from 8 to 12 years old, but I’ve seen some younger than 8 attend. It all depends on your child’s readiness. Adult classes are for ages 13 and up. My son and husband attend classes here at separate times.

The facility is a nice 1800 sq ft with an open waiting area, 1100 sq ft training floor, and changing rooms. It’s a very family friendly environment. The thing that attracts me most is Master Terrigno himself. He began his martial arts training in 1981. He has a calm, soothing, wise demeanor that reminds me of Chuck Norris; even in his appearance. Whether he is training children or adults, he relates his training to real life scenarios and teaches the importance of self defense, self discipline, and self confidence.When I think of a martial arts instructor, I think of people like Mr. Miyagi from the Karate Kid movies and in my opinion Master Terrigno falls right in line with the best of them.

Overall, the classes are very affordable for 4 days out of the week. There are also combined rates for families. You can come as often or as little as you’d like. However, your success to the next level or the next belt depends on your commitment to learning the art and training. Occasionally, Master Terrigno will offer Women’s Self-Defense classes or Buddy Day for kids currently enrolled to bring a friend for one free day of instruction.  Currently, my son has 2 passes left for Buddy Day on Monday, June 20^th, 2011 from 6:15p to 7:15p for all you young budding martial artists. Contact me, if you’re interested.

Two Dragons Tang Soo Do is located at 115 S. Oak Avenue in Downtown Sanford.  You can find them online at http://www.twodragonstsd.com or phone them at 407-312-9702 for more information.

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Free Cloth Diaper Education in Central Florida

The use of cloth diapers gives parents the opportunity to help the environment and provide a healthy alternative to disposables for their children.  If you are considering cloth diapering or would just like to learn more about it,  BabyBottomsBoutique  is now offering free private consultations in Central Florida.  BabyBottomsBoutique  also holds free monthly parenting workshops.  Workshop topics include cloth diapering, breastfeeding, baby wearing, natural childbirth, and making your own baby food.  For more information, dates for parenting workshops, or to schedule a consultation, contact Kelly Martin.

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“Lifeskills” Class for Homeschoolers at SPARK! on Fridays

We homeschool our children, David and Loralei, with a hands-on, child-led approach.    They take many classes and go on 8 to 10 field trips (or outings) a month.  I strive to expose them to great literature and authentic learning experiences rather than workbooks and seatwork.  Not sure what I mean?  The following examples may help:

Sea Turtles

Gather information about sea turtles.
Visit a sea turtle rehabilitation center.
Record observations in science notebook.
Create a lapbook about sea turtles.

Honey Bees

Gather information about honey bees.
Visit and talk with a local beekeeper.
Make bee crafts such as beeswax candles.
Share facts learned via a blog or website.

Manatees

Gather information about manatees.
Visit a natural manatee refuge.
Write a letter to lawmakers thanking them for
making laws to protect the manatee.

Pioneer Life

Read “Little House in the Big Woods.”
Visit a pioneer village or museum.
Learn to churn butter and make candles.
Create a lapbook about Pioneer Life.

Space

Gather information about space.
Visit Kennedy Space Center or planetarium.
Develop a model of the solar system.
Go stargazing and record observations.

We absolutely love homeschooling and feel that this eclectic approach that emphasizes life learning is the right fit for our family.  Our children are active learners and don’t even think we’re “doing school” because they’re engaged in what we’re doing.  

I recently returned to graduate school and have been finding that I need more time to complete assignments than I expected.  As a homeschooling mom, I am with them 5 days a week, so finding those extra hours to study can be challenging.  When I heard that SPARK Family Enrichment Center in Winter Springs was going to be doing a new Lifeskills class for homeschoolers on Fridays, I decided to give it a try.  I was excited about the fact that I’d be able to have a few hours to study while they learn to sew, cook, and more at Spark.

Last Friday was our first week, and I’m happy to report that they had a blast!  They learned to sew and even made their own pillows.  They also made quiche and learned some French terminology.  They also participated in a drama class (with costumes) that encouraged imaginative play and cooperation.  I feel that this class falls right in line with our homeschool philosophy.  I like knowing that they’re learning so much while having FUN. The fact that this class provides me with a few ”kid-free” hours once a week to work on papers and do research is just the icing on the cake.   

Here is David with the pillow he made at Spark.

This class runs every Friday from 10:30 to 3 at Spark.    It costs $35 for the first child and $30 for siblings.  When you consider the fact that they’re providing 4.5 hours of classes as well as the materials for the activities, it’s really a great value. If you’d like more information, give them a call at 407-649-7775.

 

 

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Tasty Dairy Substitutes

Two years ago, I made the transition from being with my kids full-time to working full-time outside the home.  During that period, it was hard for us to eat as well as we should.  We’ve recently made several lifestyle changes that include having one parent home again with the children.  While I truly loved my students, I’m very excited about our return to more relaxed, family-centered lifestyle.

We were vegetarians for several years before we added poultry back to our diet and began to rely too heavily on dairy products.   I told myself that I’d make major changes as soon as I was home again, so we’re officially meat and dairy-free at home now. (We’re still on the fence about organic, free range eggs and seafood.)  Our family enjoys cheese, and my kids have never liked cheese substitutes.  Since I had no luck with soy and rice-based products in the past, I was very happy to see some almond-based products at Chamberlin’s and Whole Foods.

I can’t believe that I actually found a cheddar substitute that my daughter, the ultimate grilled cheese girl, actually likes!    I made grilled cheese for both my children with The Original Almond (Cheddar Style) by Lisanatti, and it was a big hit!  It melts like regular cheese and tastes good!    I should mention that the ingredient list does include a small amount of casein (a milk protein),  but I’m okay with that small amount since we’re letting go of all the other dairy products.  While Loralei does have digestive and skin issues with dairy, it appears that this small amount of casein does not affect her.

My daughter really enjoyed the Muncheez American Style Snack Sticks by the same brand, but I couldn’t eat more than one bite.

We’ve also switched over completely to Almond Breeze milk for smoothies, cereals, and cooking.  I must say, however, that I can only recommend buying it in the refrigerated section of your supermarket.  Unfortunately, not all of our local stores have the half gallons in the dairy section.  I find that the type that’s kept at room temperature separates and is not as good as the refrigerated version.

Another surprisingly good dairy substitute that I tried recently is an oatmeal-based cheddar style dip by WayFare Foods.  While this one didn’t pass the kid test in my family, I really enjoyed it!  It took me a few bites to get used to it, but I ended up eating the whole container!   Thanks to Jen Dostie for introducing me to it.

I absolutely must mention the “sweet treat” we got at Whole Foods today.  They are ice cream sandwiches made with Almond Dream.  They’re new, and I can’t even find a picture of them online.  While I won’t be buying them regularly, it’s nice to know that there’s a tasty ice cream sandwich that’s not made with cow’s milk.

I have certainly not attempted to cover all the types of milk substitutes here.  I simply wanted to share a few that we’ve tried recently.  The soy substitutes, in my opinion, just don’t taste good–not to mention the fact that I limit the amount of soy my kids consume to tofu once or twice a week.

What dairy substitutes do you like? Please leave a comment here so other Central Florida Green Guide readers can benefit from your experiences.

Related Links:

Plant-Based Calcium: Sources and Absorption

Calcium in Plant-Based Diets

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