Bye Bye Paci… or maybe not… (Difrax pacifiers to the rescue)

Aria loves her pacifier. Yes, we have been saved by the little suckers, but now it’s a bit of a curse considering she can’t seem to live without them. We were recently told by the dentist she should be giving up the habit, but like all addictions it’s not going to be easy. Fortunately, we have been weening her off of them (only for sleeping now or when mommy wants a quiet car ride), but there is no way this child is giving them up… not without a fight.

That’s why I was thrilled to find out about a pacifier that was designed to help encourage your child to give them up. Can you believe a company actually made that? No repeat customers there! Well, in fact it’s genius because I’ve found out (after lots of mom talk and googling) that I’m not the only mom trying to break up their child’s first serious relationship.

The Difrax 3-Stage Pacifier was introduced to me a while back, and as soon as I heard about it I thought we must have one. I had bought a MAM orthodontic pacifier in Duane Reade prior to getting the Difrax.  MAM also is supposed to be better for jaw and teeth development and claims to be recommended and developed by dentists, but I loved that the Difrax 18 + months has similar benefits and also is supposed to ween your child off (or encourage them to give up) their pacifier.

I was concerned when I first gave Aria the new Difrax pacifier. It’s more solid and stiff than most and she had been a bit of a pacifier snob, but after not getting her beloved Avent back, she seemed to accept the Difrax and now is very happy with them. So happy in fact, that I have to wonder if they are actually encouraging her to give up the habit. She may be the exception because so far she still seems hooked. At least I am comforted by the fact that the orthodontic model is supposed to be better for her jaw development and help with the orthodontics. Baby steps I guess.

Follow Up: I just discovered that Difrax also has a FREE E-BOOK on their website that is a 15 day stop plan to help little ones give up the pacifier.  Downloading now!

 

City Find: Yoga At A Deep Discount

So, Oma came in the other day and gave me a break from the little one.  Since no yoga studios seem to offer child care, the first thing I do when I am baby free is try and get in a class. My go-to is PURE, but seeing as I only had a limited time I decided to stay downtown (much to my chagrin PURE has yet to venture down to the best part of NY city).  I had also purchased the Yoga Pass Book (one of the best deals in the city) and still had a slew of studios to check out before it expires at the end of the year.

Aria and I had spent the morning on the playground in Washington Square Park (btw– Aria seems to have graduated from the little toddler playground there to the big kids one — but I love that there are two options),  so when my mom met us, I decided to head over to Yoga Vida, which is just a few blocks away.  Because the timing worked, I ended up going to a “50/50 Community Class” which is “pay as you wish” (awesome), and also has the studio contributing 50% of the class proceeds to charity (even more awesome). That being said, I ended up not even using the Yoga Pass Book pass and just paid my way.  (Side-note: bring your mat or a few extra dollars because they rent their mats– kinda weird but OK)

The class itself is taught by a teacher who is in or has just graduated from their teacher training, which I am all about having gone through it myself.  I found the flow good and the studio space is great (spacious with lots of light and great floors). The only drawback is they are right on Broadway, so you do hear the occasion truck horn or subway rumbling down. Once the music was on it was all good, and the whole thing was totally worthwhile.

So next time your looking for a low cost yoga session and a way to give back, check out Yoga Vida. They have two locations downtown (one on University and one on Broadway), and offer an array of classes (community classes typically are at 2pm). For more info head to www.yogavida.com. OM on!

Dentists, Doctors and Big Purple Dinosaurs

Aria went for her first dentist appointment a few weeks back. She was not a fan.  We were actually about a year late since they say you should take them at age one. Aria had no teeth at one—or maybe one or two—so I decided to spare her. Here’s what the dentist told us after her first visit (at almost two).

1. We should be brushing her teeth. We had let her do it herself which seemed to be working just fine, but apparently even though she still waiting for quite a few molars to come in, we should be getting back there for her.  Also, toddler toothpaste only (it has no fluoride and is safe to swallow). So far, so good. She’s cooperating on these.
2.  She needs to give up the bottle and the pacifier. Granted, her teeth are perfect now but apparently if we don’t want them to get completely misaligned (and other issues), two of her favorite things have gotta go. So far, neither has been easy. I’m following up this post with a product that has helped, but going cold turkey on either just isn’t an option. Not yet at least.
3. She’s due back in 6 months (really, a toddler needs to go to the dentist every 6 months??)

Next, comes her 2 year old doctor appointment, which neither of us is looking forward to.  At her 18 month appointment she seemed to have put together that the doctor was not fun, and I felt like she was traumatized when they had to take blood for a lead test (for which I had to hold her down. Talk about mom-guilt, she cried and said “no more mommy…all done…all done,” over and over. Completely heart wrenching.)

I am not looking forward to shots this go-around. I am hoping that she’s a little bit more prepared for it this time, since a big purple dinosaur has been chatting her up about the doctor.  She’s a sucker for Barney and her go-to on Netflix lately has been  “Barney Goes To The Doctor” (over and over and over again.)  I’m hoping that the big purple guy has given her better understanding into it all.  Somehow she seems to think he is the king of all the universe and she’s a loyal follower. We’ll see.

Weekend Delight: Whole Wheat Pancakes (that actually taste good!)

It’s was rainy Sunday morning at the lake house, so breakfast got more attention than usual. I discovered this amazing whole wheat pancake recipe a while back, and ever since I made the first batch Aria’s been asking for more. She now also wants to “help”, which usually includes a spill and added cleanup, but is still super cute . I spruce up the recipe by throwing sliced bananas in the mix  (as well as on top of the finished product along with fresh strawberries).

Oh, don’t get scared off by the fact that the recipe has you adding apple cider vinegar to milk to essentially curdle it (ew). These are so light, fluffy and really delicious.  A great way to sweeten up a rainy day.

AMAZING WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES 
Serves 2-3

What you’ll need:

1 cup of milk
1 tsp of vinegar (white or apple cider)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp of sugar (I even skipped this and they were still great)
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/4 tsp of baking soda
1/4 tsp of salt
2 tsp of melted butter (and a bit for melting on griddle)
1 egg
1 banana (optional)
3-4 fresh strawberries (optional)

Directions:
Combine the milk and vinegar and let the mixture curdle and then mix together the other ingredients while it does.

In a big bowl, whisk to combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the egg, melted butter, and the curdled milk, until it looks fairly homogenous and smooth.

Then, whisk the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, and stir the two together until just barely mixed. Make sure any visible loose flour to be stirred in, but leave the lumps. If you stir out the lumps, the pancakes will likely be tough.

Gently stir in 1/2 a banana sliced (optional)

Preheat a nonstick griddle to 375 degrees F and grease the surface with butter.  On my stovetop I just put the flame a little above mid-way.

Add small scoops of pancake batter w large spoon.  Cook for a few minutes, until you start to see bubbling on the surface. Flip the pancakes and cook for a few minutes on the other side, Both sides should be golden.

Garnish with rest of banana sliced and some sliced strawberries.

Enjoy!

Additional HealthyStyle Note:
You can skip the syrup to kick up the nutrition factor. I use a little Agave on mine, and Aria is still happy enough with them as is (I’m all about keeping the sweet stuff away from the littles until it’s impossible to hide it from them!) Real Maple Syrup is also a much better option than a lot of the store bought stuff.