There is no bad Weather

That wonder though

That wonder though

As the adage goes, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing. I used to be the type to stay inside on a rainy day. And while I still love a good excuse/opportunity to snuggle with a book or babe, having my own toddler has led me outside in the most unexpected weather.

It snowed this week and while there was only a short window where it actually stuck and gave us time to play, we got out there and enjoyed it.

And with the spring coming, I couldn’t encourage you more to get out that rain gear and jump in all the puddles. Or better yet, let them go barefoot! Yes, it’s a mess, but what an amazing sensory experience. What better way to connect with nature than to be in it!

No one knows how long we will all be in quarantine, but luckily, we are allowed to be outside. So skip the playground and get outside. Here are some ideas:

Snow day

Snow day

  • Have a picnic in your yard or local park

  • Allow your toddlers to help with every day outdoor chores like raking, planting, shoveling, etc.

  • Take walks around your neighborhood

  • Hike local trails

  • Take a day trip, pack a picnic, and visit a new outdoor location to you

  • Set up an outdoor scavenger hunt in your backyard or neighborhood

  • Set up a tent outside

  • Start a garden

  • Set up a flower exchange!

Montessori learning encourages both learning through life skills (like helping raking or shoveling), sensory experiences, and learning through nature. Playing outdoors can accomplish all of these. And I promise, you will feel wonderful, too. There’s nothing like fresh air especially when we’re all a bit coup’d up for this quarantine.

Be well, everyone.


For inspiration from our day to day life, follow us over on instagram @plantbasedbaby.us. Here’s a preview below of what you can expect.



Plant Based Pantry Staples

Trying to stock your pantry during a quarantine may be challenging but eating more plant based is definitely not so. Below is a list of ingredients that I keep on hand for my go to recipes. And I find that by having these things, when I look up a new recipe, I’m often not SOL. It takes time to build up if you’re not used to cooking and eating this way but once you get it set up and you’re only refreshing, it’s pretty easy to maintain. Plus this way of eating is delicious, naturally healthy and ethical.

Plant Based Pantry Staples

Grains

  • Long or short grain brown rice

  • Basmati brown rice

  • Rolled Oats

  • Pasta

  • Quinoa - Technically a seed but I eat it in the way I’d eat a grain so it’s going here

Nuts and Nut Butters

  • Almond Butter

  • Peanut Butter

  • Tahini (Sesame Seed Butter)

  • Cashews

  • Almonds

  • Walnuts

Seeds (I store mine in the fridge once opened)

  • Hemp

  • Flax

  • Chia

Legumes

  • Red Lentils

  • Brown Lentils

  • Chickpeas - Canned or Dry

  • Black Beans - Canned or Dry

  • Cannelloni Beans - Canned or Dry

Additional Canned Goods (Or Jars or Cartons)

  • Coconut Milk

  • Diced Tomatoes

  • Tomato Paste

  • Shelf Stable Almond Milk

  • Shelf Stable Soy Milk

Dried Fruit

  • Dates

  • Dried Mango - Not in many recipes but always in my pantry

Oils, Vinegar and Other Liquids

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil

  • Sesame Seed Oil

  • Coconut Oil

  • Soy Sauce, Tamari or Coconut Aminos

  • Red Wine Vinegar

Produce - This post is not featuring the produce we buy but these stay so long and are used so frequently and are often stored in the pantry!

  • Fresh Garlic

  • Yellow Onions

Spices - This list could be it’s own post but here are my staples

  • Cumin

  • Smoked Paprika

  • Turmeric

  • Table Salt

  • Pepper

  • Nutritional Yeast - Not technically a spice but I use it as one

  • Garlic Powder

  • Onion Powder

  • Red Pepper Flakes

  • Cayenne Pepper

  • Cinnamon

  • Pumpkin Pie Blend - Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger

  • Curry Blend - Cumin, Turmeric, Coriander, Ginger, Mustard, Black pepper, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cayenne pepper

Let me know in the comments below what your pantry staples are. Are they similar to my list or wildly different?


For inspiration from our day to day life, follow us over on instagram @plantbasedbaby.us. Here’s a preview below of what you can expect.



DIY Learning Tower {Ikea hack from Happy Grey Lucky}

Learning Towers are a pretty amazing thing. They, quite simply, bring children up to our level. And in doing so, they give them independence and access. My two year old absolutely loves to help out in the kitchen. We cook together nearly every day and he is by my side for all of it, pouring and stirring, involved in the whole process. Sometimes he’ll have a meal standing in it. Sometimes he plays with other things on the counter top like his lentil tray. {More on that activity in another post.} Needless to say, he uses it multiple times a day.

But, when I first looked into buying one, I was shocked by the sticker price. I could not believe how much a simple gated stool would cost. So, I took to facebook marketplace and craigslist and I did see them from time to time but the resale value was still high for me and anything reasonable was gone in a flash. So, I thought I’d look into making one myself. I am fairly handy, but not an expert by any means so I always read about and gauge the challenge level before starting a DIY project. {Okay, that might not always be true. I might sometimes abandon ship or phone a friend. But, mostly, I am prepared.}

So when I found this tutorial from Happy Grey Lucky, I was absolutely thrilled. It’s not just a DIY, it’s an Ikea hack, meaning part of the piece is already there for you and you’re just adding onto it. Using the Ikea BEKVÄM stool, it was really simple to make. My only caveat is that the platform for this one is significantly less wide than most that I’ve seen so it may not last as long if you have a bigger toddler. Mateo is huge for his age at 35 lbs and 3 feet, and he’s still able to use it nicely, although getting up and down has become a bit tight. I may take off the back dowel at some point. And, I’d recommend to get the plain wood stool instead of the white stool. Ikea didn’t have that option when I got mine but I have seen it since. The white looks nice but the paint chips and I had to spray a coat of paint on top of it recently to stop the little bits of paint from flaking everywhere. So, skip that and just get the raw wood because it looks just as nice, or maybe nicer. And, then you don’t have to paint the DIY part because it will already match. Annnnd, go! You got this!

Update: I recently saw Ana White made this larger sized kids’ tower. Check out her The Littlest Helper DIY blog post. She’s wonderful.


Comment below if you’ve made this hack or a similar one or if you bought one and love it like I do!


For inspiration from our day to day life, follow us over on instagram @plantbasedbaby.us. Here’s a preview below of what you can expect.



Resource Round Up

I absolutely love youtube. I started subscribing to inspirational channels around the time my son was born because while I mostly stayed present and off my phone for nursing and snuggling, he’d also have many hours asleep on me and when I couldn’t sleep myself, I loved watching little, 5-20 minute clips. I never really knew how much time I had so these sound bites of wisdom and fun were really great for me.

As I think about it now, they truly have changed my life. For example, I actually didn’t really know much about Montessori principles until I came upon The Hidden Gem. I learned so much about Montessori at home and the philosophy overall. And, Gemma recommended the book The Montesorri Toddler by Simone Davies which was incredibly helpful, and beautiful, and an easy read that taught me so much.

And, after being a vegetarian for 20+ years, activist Ellen Fisher, along with her sister, Hannah McNeely, truly changed my perspective and are why I converted to plant-based a few months ago. Hannah recommended Pick Up Limes and holy smokes, as Sadia says, have I gained so much plant-based cooking inspiration and dietitian advice. I love her channel so much. It’s like a little bit of peace and calm and a whole lot of mouth watering deliciousness.

And speaking of peace, I also absolutely love Do It On A Dime. Katherine is a gem. She is so down to earth and real and speaks from her heart. She is not vegan, plant-based or a Montessori follower but she is a former teacher and mother and has incredible DIY and budget friendly projects. She is lovely. The common thread? All of these channels are so real. They are authentic people, speaking from the heart. And I absolutely love them. So those round out my favorite resources to date. I hope you check them out and subscribe to get all of the love in your feed as well.

What are your favorite parenting, plant-based, vegan, montessori, etc etc resources? I’d love to hear. Post in the comments below.


Resource Round Up Recap


For inspiration from our day to day life, follow me over on instagram @plantbasedbaby.us. Here’s a preview below of what you can expect.

Follow Me on Instagram, @plantbasedbaby.us

Logo Temp.jpg

To get this party started, I am posting inspiration from our day to day life over on instagram @plantbasedbaby.us. So head over there and check it out. Let me know what types of posts you’d find most helpful. Here’s a preview below of what you can expect.