Girl's First Dentist Visit!

Finally took Nui Nui to the dentist. She's almost four and I've been feeling pretty guilty about it (not that it kept me up at night though :>). I've talked to many parents and dental offices and most, if not all, said they started taking their kids at 1 or 2 years old, or it is recommended.

Nui Nui finally got dental insurance and I didn't want to wait any longer— this, like most of the other ninnies I've been up to lately, has been in preparation/anticipation of things I wanted to do before #2 arrives.

So I found this dentist, who didn't have a ton of reviews but her rating was high and she accepted Nui Nui's insurance. She wasn't specifically a pediatric dentist, though, but her reviews were better than another pediatric place I read about. Pickings are slim with the insurance she has. At the other place, I read the dentists there performed unnecessary procedures, which, as a parent, scares the crap out of me.

I went with my gut.

The visit went smoothly and I couldn't imagine it happening better than it did. Sounds silly but I hoped the dentist, in the least, had stickers.

This office didn't have a hygienist and the dentist herself cleaned Nui Nui's teeth. She was really patient, too. She showed her each tool before she used them on her, including moving the chair up and down. Nui Nui did so well and was very brave. I got to told her hand the entire time and was so proud of her.

Nui Nui got the works. Her teeth were checked, water-picked cleaned, polished, and flouride'd. She has all her baby teeth in and no cavities! All looks good and Nui Nui's smile is now even a little bit shinier :>

I was also assured by the dentist that this was a good time to bring her in and have no need to feel bad about not bringing her in earlier. That, in my opinion, is at least one sign you know you're working with an honest dentist, which I appreciate. So much so that I wouldn't mind trying her out myself.

If you have kid(s), when was the first time you brought your kid(s) into the dentist? Share below and your experience, we'd love to hear! :> xo

We Are Warriors

Warriors.

When I was pregnant with Nui Nui back in the summer of 2011, the mother for whom I was finishing up tutoring her twin boys wrote:

'All the best to you and soon to the third female warrior in the family.'

From then on, I referred to us women of the family as Warriors. And though the reference was not my own, we own it.

We are fighters. We believe in love, happiness, and good health. We fight against illness, tough times, and the hate (or disapproval) of our unconventionalism. We fight for each other and we do it together. As individuals, we are strong but, with our combined strengths, we are even stronger. We are warriors. xo

School Update, Art - October 21-25! :> - And Getting Sick

Our family's health has plummeted the past few weeks now and I'm now finally just trying to catch up on Nui Nui's school updates, so this is from a couple of weeks ago— week October 21-25.

In case you're wondering, it all started with Nui Nui. She got a cold and stomach bug, which consisted of coughing (which she is still battling because she refuses to spit out the phlegm when she coughs it up), vomiting followed by diarrhea. The latter thankfully has passed. Then I vomited and was out for a day and a half last week and picked up her cold as well. I'm still dealing with congestion. Then my parents got sick and my mom was diagnosed with shingles today. And the hits just keep on coming! :>

Trying to remain positive. Glad I am at least well enough to be able to go to work and take care of Nui Nui. This humidifier is definitely helping :>

Anywho, back to school! Here are the pics from a couple of week's ago!



It's so fun to read these little nuggets of info and I'm just so please Nui Nui is thriving. She loves talking about the people at school and even requests to go back. Always a good sign, right? :>

What have you been up to or learned lately? :>

Share in the Comments below, we'd love to hear! :> xoxo

Nui Nui's 2 Year Well-Child Visit! :>

Nui Nui had her 2-year well-child visit yesterday and did really well. We avoided any and all tears. It helped that she didn't need any shots :> In fact, the doctor said she's all up-to-date and won't need any until she's 4. FOUR! (That doesn't include flu shots, which I am all for and we'll be doing next month...).



Nui Nui is doing really well (as if I needed to go to the doctor's office to know that :>). She's 3 feet tall and weighs 28.9 pounds, putting her in the 100th percentile for height (and head circumference) and 85%ile for weight. Nobody is taller than her, I told her :>

The doctor said she might be drinking too much milk so we'll see how we can maybe reduce it but I'm not too concerned and it won't be restrictive. I mean, she is a pretty tall kid so I don't think a little more would hurt. It's not like she's drinking soda or excessive amounts of juice.

As for word count, the doctor asked us if she knows 20 words...

As for phrases— can she put a few words together?... She has to say: 'I would like XYZ please.', if she's going to get anything from me :>

I filmed our visit and it honestly felt good to edit. Amongst the projects I'm working on, I must get back up and running. I'd be crazy not to. [...that was just a mental affirmation for myself... :>].

Enjoy and, as always, thanks for reading and watching! :>



In the meanwhile, I'm working on planning for Nui Nui's birthday. We've gotten her a lot of stuff already :> (haul to come? :>) and now it's celebrating with friends and family. Cake! Has been ordered! :>

How was your last doctor's visit?

Share in the Comments below, we'd love to hear! And please give this post a thumb or a share, it means the world :> xoxo

Interesting Social Media Bits For Families! :>

Lots of interesting stuff going on, on Facebook (aka. Familybook?) and Google+ this morning... :>

On Kids and Biting:

My friend posted...

Does your baby bite you? [My daughter] broke my skin at my toe yesterday and she tried to go for it again. Tonight she bit my belly. What is it? Shark week?

I responded...



On Peanut Allergies and Judging Others:

Another friend posted...

I responded...



On Nutrition, Health, and Edu-tainment!

YouTube on Google+ posted... and I responded...

Stellar sample of nutrition and health edu-tainment! http://t.co/LyXieMhQ1P What If You Stopped Going Outside @AsapSCIENCE #healthybutjuicy

— m (@mdesenna) August 30, 2013

What interesting things have you read lately? Share in the Comments below or Tweet/Instagram us, we'd love to hear! xoxo :>


Also, follow us on all of our social media sites (Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Twitter, this blog!)! Links in the sidebar! :> :>

Why Women Can't Have It All... Or Can They? (**HealthyButJuicy REPOST**)

I just stumbled upon Glamour.com's recently-published article: Why The Woman Who 'Has It All' Doesn't Really Exist'.

'Why Women Can't Have It All, According To Barnard College President Debora L. Spar', though, is the title that actually appeared on my Facebook newsfeed and one that drew me in.

Barnard, in case you didn't know, is Columbia's all-women sister school— I went to Columbia, only reason I know. I was curious to see what this Barnard president had to say, expecting something empowering and inspirational. Something on the lines of: 'Feeling down about yourself? [Yes]. Don't feel bad because it's an ideal/unrealizable goal anyway. [...Ok, but that's not what Facebook is telling me...].

The article's headlining photo is a woman dressed as Wonder Woman running in New York City's midtown with a hoard of other women running after her trying to keep up.

As you can see, the woman is 'svelte', 'scantily-clad', hair so thick 'like Beyonce', beautiful enough to be in Glamour's publication, and, actually, real. How appropriate. Does she, the model, have it all..? Clearly, I'm missing the point but the image is loud, hard-to-miss, and relevant. No?

Spar touches on major life areas— self-image, marriage, motherhood, and career— pointing out despite womens' increasing freedom, we are pin-holing ourselves into a greater misery than when we were suppressed. She writes, 'Feminism was meant to remove a fixed set of expectations; instead, we now interpret it as a route to personal perfection. Because we can do anything, we feel as if we have to do everything. In other words, women today face towering expectations: a pileup of the roles society's long heaped on us, plus the opportunities feminism created.'

On this note, Spar has a point. While feminism has opened a lot of doors, at the same time, it has also increased the pressure to achieve more. But is that a bad thing? And is striving for more the same as trying to be perfect? It's one thing to beat yourself up over things you can't necessarily control like finding your soulmate or even landing your dream job— yeah, that's not HealthyButJuicy— but it's another thing to blast others for trying to reach their goals and criticizing 'Why Women Should Stop Trying to Be Perfect'.

Because what about the writer/speaker herself? Spar is the president of 'arguably the most important all-women’s college in the United States', or at least that's what is touted on her book's description on Amazon.com. She is a mother of three, is married to a husband whom she 'adores', and engages in the daily 'burden' of keeping up appearances by spending about 282 hours per year on beauty (unlike the noted, average 30hrs/year compared to men).

It's funny. She shares...
On beauty: 'Any magazine rack confirms our obsession with one scantily clad celebrity after another... As a requirement for success, beauty becomes just another burden.' Huh? Why is this woman publishing her thoughts in Glamour of all places?— a woman's 'guide to the latest fashion trends, outfit ideas, hair + makeup how-tos, and celebrity scoop', and where the focus is all about beauty and 'burden'.

On marriage: 'Marry someone you love and like; finding a person who doesn't care if you're perfect is a good start.' You hear that ladies?! Stop wasting your time on douche-bags you don't even like. Duh. It's easy as finding a box of fiber cereal for breakfast, a great way to start the day. Try the supermarket?

On motherhood: 'Now we've set the standard that if you can become a biological mom—by spending exorbitantly and undergoing endless medical procedures—then you should. Is that liberating? To me, it feels like another way women have to be perfect or, in this case, perfectly fertile.' Ouch. Let's seriously hope her infertile 'friend' doesn't see that comment...

On work: 'Professional women are frequently asked, "How do you do it?" I hate the query, because doing it all, as is expected of women today, is not doable.' But seriously, how did she do it?

Her conclusion: 'The most crucial thing for women to know today? No one does it all. We each, if we're lucky, will have our chance to leave a mark on the world, but we are trying too hard to be perfect. So don't emulate Wonder Woman; think about what's wonderful to you instead. Then boldly, audaciously, joyfully, leave the rest behind.'

In other words, 'You'd be lucky if you have any impact in this world. Stop trying to be like me. And just settle.'

HealthyButJuicy thinks otherwise.

On beauty: To reiterate MissGlamorazzi's philosophy, 'Makeup is a supplement, not a requirement.' Other than maintaining acceptable hygiene (ie. showering), if you adhere to a beauty routine that feels burdensome, stop it. Use the time to work on your inner beauty.

On love: Source


On motherhood: However you became a mother— through sex, adoption, or one of the 'at least 15 additional ways.. none of which involve sex'— makes you no less of a woman nor crazy.


On being a homemaker: Spar referred to the toils of having to make this dish— Harvest Vegetable Pancakes With Greens and Goat Cheese via Martha Stewart's Everyday Day Food magazine. This is yet another case and point about the author and reason to question how relevant what she is saying is to the average consumer/woman/reader. Who makes vegetable pancakes with beets, carrots, potatoes, and chickpeas? From scratch? Seriously. Who? At the risk of sounding controversial, people who are health-conscious might. People who have the time might. People who are highly educated are the most likely. Time and time again, studies show folks with higher education tend to be healthier. It's an unfortunate disparity but one that still has not yet been bridged. Moreover, it doesn't help when leaders in our educational field don't help, or even make the gap wider with garbage to sell.

On work: There will always be someone out there who is better than you. Likewise, though, there will always be someone out there who lacks your talent. But who even cares? It's not about them, it's about you.

The HealthyButJuicy conclusion: Like everything you hear about health, take what Spar is saying with a grain of salt and always ask questions. Is she a reliable source of information? What will you do differently (if anything) and, ultimately, will your actions make you a better, happier version of you?

All in all, women can't always get what they want. That much is true. Neither can men. But does that necessarily and automatically restrict your ability to be happy, to have drive, to be HealthyButJuicy, or to have it 'all'?

I'm single and unemployed. I lost 10 years of my life to illness, and friends and career-building time along with it. I have this beautiful sunshine I call daughter and the most amazing mother that is an angelic warrior who loves me. I smile. And I laugh. It's not a perfect life nor am I expecting it to be but I kinda feel like I do sorta have it all... Is that crazy?

What're your thoughts? On Spar's opinions, article on women, perfectionism, and having it 'all'? Share below in the Comments and/or Tweet us your thoughts. We'd love to hear!

Happy Healthy Juicy Women! HealthyButJuicy believes in you! xoxo :>

Are e-Cigarettes HealthyButJuicy?

So I'm sitting at Starbucks and out of the corner of my eye, I see a long cloud of smoke wave by me. I'm sitting two seats down from an expansive window and think maybe there's someone outside smoking. But no. Instead, it's the guy sitting next to me who is. Clarification: I'm sitting INSIDE Starbucks. What gives?



The guy is holding a pen-like device— kind of looks like a flat-ended stylus pen or a slim flashlight. With every major wave of cloud— it was a huge, extended puff of smoke, and thereby classifiable as a cloud in my humble opinion!— my heart continued to drop, my body angled itself as far away as it could from the source, and my hand even attempted to shield any inhalation by covering my nose. [I don't even wear shoes in my house, let alone voluntarily breathe in smoke!] After several dirty looks and fidgets, they guy finally let. Needless to say, I Googled 'electronic cigarettes'.

Apparently, e-cigarettes are pretty popular— about to hit $1 billion in sales, in fact. Since I'm clearly oblivious, I had to actually look up what it is. It's basically an alternative for tobacco smoking that utilizes vapor instead. The vapor might release nicotine— the drug that makes tobacco smoking so addictive— or it might just release flavors.

Now, more importantly perhaps, are e-cigarettes a healthier alternative to tobacco cigarettes and should they be allowed in public areas, like restaurants? After all, the smoking ban in most public areas has been a significant leap toward a healthier lifestyle, cleaner air we breathe, and exposure of just the image and act itself (especially for our very naive and easily-influenced children, our future). Because e-cigarettes are a relatively new product, the debate is heated and research lacking. Some claim they don't produce the negative side effects of second-hand smoke, don't contain tar or tobacco, and can possibly help with smoking cessation. But Jeffrey B. Lane of the HuffPost eloquently describes the situation and writes:

Today one in six Americans already have the disease of addiction -- that's more than the number with heart disease, diabetes or cancer. Another 80 million engage in substance use in ways that threaten health and safety. Addiction and risky substance use is the largest preventable and most costly health problem in the U.S. today. Given the history of cigarette marketing in this country and the horrific health consequences and costs that resulted, common sense requires immediately regulating and taxing e-cigarettes as cigarette products while developing a solid knowledge base about the content of these products, how they are used and by whom, their short- and long-term health consequences and the anticipated market for new users. After we have the facts, we can then build a sound regulatory structure around them. Let's not make a hasty decision to add another addictive product to the consumer market that could well sacrifice the health of another generation. Read the full article!

I, personally, could not agree more with Mr. Lane but what do YOU think?. Are e-cigarettes HealthyButJuicy? And should they be allowed in public places like Starbucks? Share your thoughts below or Tweet us, we'd love to hear! :> xoxo

Parenting Topic: Fresh Milk vs. Asceptic?!

It's funny to look at all of the little things or decisions you have to make when raising a kid. What matters and what doesn't? The cumulative differences in decisions you make for your child, I think, to a large extent, is what makes us all unique.

Love hard, though. It's the best you can do :> #mantra

But as the little decisions arise, I will continue to share my thoughts, opinions, and questions for your input. I can't get enough of your input, seriously. I'm definitely one of those people that likes to gather all data, opinion, experience, stories, everything before I sometimes can make a decision of my own... And with parenting it's no different. It takes a village...



So village people, what think you of asceptic, or UHT, milk? Comment below, We'd love to hear! :>

ps. As of this post, I still have yet not to pack fresh milk for Nui Nui...

HealthyButJuicy's Trader Joe's Bacon & Spinach Salad Review!

I'm starting a new series on my other channel— HealthyButJuicy Reviews! I'm excited for this and think this will be a step in the right direction for my long lost desire to teach and help others be empowered, healthier, happier, and more educated about nutrition, or 'expertise', so to speak.

There's a slew of pieces about me and it's all a matter of getting it out and sharing. Enjoy and bon appetite!



Want something reviewed? Comment below your requests and we might just try it! :>