Trade It Tuesday: Fresh & Easy

A new Fresh & Easy store recently opened up in our area.  Any new grocery store prompts at least one visit because I'm a grocery store junkie.  It's always like a treasure hunt to see what new treats the store may carry that our family can have. 

I was NOT disappointed in Fresh & Easy.  In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised.

Several factors contributed to my joy:

1. I got to cross a picket line to enter the store because the grocer's union is picketing the store's non-union status.  (Seriously, if the employees wanted to be union, wouldn't they have gone to work for a unionized grocery store?!?)
2. All Fresh & Easy store brand products are labeled right on the front if they have no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.  
3. They have tons of prepared, chopped or portioned food, and most of it is all-natural - things like hummus, popcorn chicken, pizza, and prepared vegetables or marinated meat.  
4. Even though you check and bag your own groceries, the employees are always there to help.  They also roam the aisles and ask if you've found everything okay.  And they do this with a lot less employees than you find in a typical grocery store, which theoretically means lower prices.
5. Their prices are much lower than Whole Foods Market, although the shopping experience isn't quite the same (I'm a sucker for WFM - that salad bar!!!)
6. They have a rewards program that is easy to use and in just a couple of months has already earned me about $20 or so in cash back.   

A couple of things to warn you about beside the fact that you have to check and bag your own groceries.  First, the store near me only has a liquor license for beer and wine - so no hard alcohol.  Second, you wouldn't go there for ALL your groceries all the time, because they don't have everything a typical grocery store would have.  For example, you can't find all the cuts of meat or fresh spices that you would find at a Bel Air. I go there about every other shopping trip and fill in at Bel Air with the things I can't find at Fresh & Easy.

Here are some examples of the products we buy at Fresh & Easy.  I show a lot of store brand products, but they do carry other brands as well!

These are my kids' FAVORITE granola bar.  They can't get enough of them.

Come on, I don't always cook from scratch - especially on school mornings.

The pint sized F&E ice cream does NOT contain corn syrup, but the larger size does.
Since Breyers is no longer all-natural, this is now our go to ice cream.

Haven't tried this yet, but I thought it would be easy for busy nights
after soccer practice.

I just found these!  We tried a Thai Curry simmer sauce the other night and
really liked it.  I mixed it with chicken, eggplant and green beans
and served it over rice.  They have about eight different flavors. 
Chile Verde is on tonight's menu. . . maybe with that Spanish Rice!

I'm always excited to find all-natural bread in a store.  We like the taste
of the Nature's Pride better (I find it at Bel Air) but this is a close
second and says right on the package that it's preservative free.

As far as I know, the Feingold Association has not yet researched Fresh & Easy products.  So if you are a new Feingold Family, you may want to avoid these products until you are well established on the program.  Not all of the store brand products are preservative free - for example the sausage only says "No Artificial Colors or Flavors".  The absence of "No Preservatives" tells me there are preservatives.  But the labeling is awesome and requires a lot less reading of ingredients!

These stores are popping up all over town.  If you aren't immediately dissuaded by having to bag your own groceries like my Dad is, then I suggest you give this store a try.  You may find a few snacks, cereals, breads or other items that can replace things with artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. 

A (Not So) Quiet Summer

You've probably noticed by now that I took a two month break from blogging.  When my friends asked me about it, I told them, "I don't know, I feel like I just lost my voice".  It's not that I didn't have anything to write about - Lord knows we've been very busy this summer.  For some reason, I just didn't feel like I had it in me to tell you about it. 

But over the last few weeks I'm feeling the urge to start writing again.  I'm home with a sick kid today which tends to be the perfect opportunity to get caught up.  Unfortunately, I realized that I have taken NO photos with my good camera in the past couple of months, and the only pictures I have are iPhone shots.  Oh well, here's how we've spent our summer:

My Little Sister's Bachelorette Party

My sister is ten years younger than me.  The thought of partying with her and her 25 year old friends in San Francisco scared the crap out of me, so I called in an expert - my lifelong bestie, Sarah.  I could be in a padded room and still have fun if Sarah was there.  Plus she brings out the "Catalina Dina" in me, and can help me party like I'm 25 again.  The result?  My little sister's bachelorette party was a blast for us all.  Here's some proof:

You would not believe the amount of STUFF we fit in this vehicle. 
There was hardly room to sit.

Carla's besite, Peter Pecker, and her other friend Rachael.
Ha, see what I did there?

Evening #1, drinks at an Irish Bar.  That's the Ghost Hunter at the bar behind us.
Seriously.  The guy with his back to us.

Day #2, a Giant's game!

Sarah and I came to the costume party dressed as CJ's conscience. 
Oddly enough, we didn't even have to discuss who played the angel
and who played the devil.  I guess if the shoe fits. . . .

Somewhere during the night CJ traded her pink cowgirl hat for a
greasy diner hat.  Sort of goes with the outfit, though.

The beauty of being 35 instead of 25 after a bachelorette party?  Well, certainly not the recovery time, because I guarantee it took me longer.  But the welcome message from my kids that I found waiting for me when I arrived home.

 
Boating & Camping

We haven't done as much this year, mostly due to our busy schedule and finishing the landscape in our backyard (pictures to come soon!).  But we've gotten a couple of trips in - Lake Comanche, New Melones, Silver Lake.  It really doesn't matter where we go, we always have a good time.

In our hand-me-down 1977 Avenger.  Good times.

In our hand-me-down 1969 Gregor, towing a 2011 Raft.

Scott drew the short straw and rode with the kids in the raft,
while Darrin, Kate & I rode in the Gregor with the dog. 

Ben and Nick chilling in our tube at New Melones. 

Another Bachelorette Party

Recently I made a last minute trip to Phoenix for my bestie Morgan's bachelorette party.  Morgan gets married tomorrow!  Woot woot!  The pictures are fuzzy, but so were our brains after all that wine.

Enjoying daiquiris by the pool at The Phoenician. 
It was only 103 degrees by 10am.

Shannon, Morgan and I.  The only picture we remembered to take
all night! 

Between the events above, Darrin and I also took a trip to Washington DC, but I'll make that a separate post.  Otherwise it's been work, backyard, gardening, housekeeping, soccer practice, family dinners, zucchini bread, homemade ice cream, backyard barbecues, swimming in our pool, sangria and rap music with best friends, and more. 

Our summer has been a great one, but the kids are looking forward to starting school, and I'm actually excited for them, too.  This fall brings three weddings, first and third grade, our first sports season with two kids playing, business is picking up, and we have a very important election in November.

I think I got my blogging voice back just in time!

Pirates For The Win

Ben with Coach Aaron

Saturday afternoon marked the end of baseball season for us.  We feel extremely lucky that Ben was on the Pirates, because the coaching staff and parents were all awesome.  Coach Aaron took baseball seriously, and along with the support coaches (Frank, Todd & Vic), the boys learned discipline, commitment and many new baseball skills.

In a very, very close game against the Dodgers, our Pirates pulled out the win in the last two innings.  Whew, that's a lot of pressure for us parents in the stands!  

In the last couple of weeks of the season, Ben got very serious about practicing, and he and Darrin would go outside almost every evening to play catch and bat.  The improvement we saw in Ben was amazing, and we were so proud of him for really working to improve his skills.  It's once again a testament for how far our son has come - from the boy who could not focus on baseball at all last year, to the boy who now wanted to practice every evening.

Gold medal or not, this baseball season was a huge win for Ben.

Here are some pictures from his season and yesterday's championship win.

Sheesh, Tim, where's the string line when you need it?

The Joy Of Being A Mom

I love Mother's Day.  

My kids and husband woke me up this morning wishing me a happy day.  The kids had each made me presents at school, and Darrin bought me a fancy lounge chair for sitting by the pool.  We had a fabulous brunch this morning with my siblings and my parents, and this evening we will join my Mom along with the rest of our family for a barbecue at my Aunt and Uncle's house.

The presents are nice, the special attention is great.  But we moms don't do this job for the praise we get on Mother's Day.  We do it for the random "I love you, Mom!" moments, the "Thank you for an awesome dinner, Babe" moments.  We do it because we see our kids stroll confidently on the playground with their favorite green T-shirt that we had washed and ready.  We do it for the smile of appreciation when we bring a special treat to our child's classroom.  We do it for the A+ on the spelling test, or the little wave from the dance recital stage.

Being a mom and wife is my favorite job in the world.  It brings me more joy than my career, or any accomplishment I've ever known.  My family is my world, and even without the joy of Mother's Day I would forever love taking care of them in a way that only I can.

To all the moms out there, and especially to my Mom, my Step-Mom and my Mother-In-Law, I hope you have a fabulous day.  Thank you for all you do for your families.  Relax, and enjoy your special treatment today.

The Cup

Life often gets in the way of blogging.  But then something will happen that inspires me to come back here and write an entry.  This morning I read something that needs to be shared.

One of my favorite people in the entire world, my Uncle Jody, has spent the last several years battling with drugs.  Our family knew it, but we also knew (thanks to previous family history of addiction) that we could not help him if he was not ready to help himself.  And so we watched, painfully, as he slipped away from us.

A few weeks before last Christmas, my Unc posted on Facebook about his new job.  I wrote on his post that I was proud of him.  I'll never forget that evening, because Unc called me and slowly admitted the hell that he had put himself through, being basically at rock bottom, but beginning to pull himself out of the fog.  On that day, he had been clean for about a week.  Something in his voice made me believe him, and that  evening I made the decision to help my Uncle.

Over the next few weeks, we took it day by day.  Of course I was torn inside - was helping him just enabling the drug lifestyle he had been living or was he truly on the mend?  With constant support from my husband, and after much prayer to God for wisdom and guidance, I followed my heart and did whatever I could do to help my Uncle while he got back on his feet.  Thankfully, other members of our family began to help as well.  Then, the point quickly came when my Uncle was able to support himself.

During this time Unc and I had so many conversations, honest and raw conversations, about what he had been through and what it took for him to recover. My Unc's ultimate goal was to gain his family back, his three beautiful almost-grown daughters, who had spent several years with a shell of a father.  My Uncle knew it would take time to win their trust, and he put one foot in front of the other, day after day after day.  Meanwhile, he continued to earn success and praise at his new job, with each small victory helping him build his confidence and giving him momentum to move forward.

My Uncle Jody is a success story.  He takes responsibility for where he has been, and he takes responsibility for where he is going.  He is grateful and awed by the help he has received along the way, and although at times the road seems insurmountable, he continues to move along step by step by step.  His girls see that he is dependable, that he is there when he says he will be there.  And all of us are beginning to trust him again.  More importantly, we are all enjoying him again.

During our conversations those first few weeks around Christmas, I suggested to my Uncle that he put his story into writing.  Unc is a beautiful writer, and the emotion in his story could help so many other people.  Here we are a few months later and Unc has found his voice.  His postings on Facebook inspire me every day.  Today's post especially illustrates the journey my Uncle is on, and I want to share it with you.  I don't think he will mind, since he is very honest and open about the story himself.  I hope that his story inspires you, too.

The Cup, by Jody

During the end of February and the first few weeks of March, I had the occasion to walk over 100 miles since I had no other way to get to work and come Hell or High water I just wasn't going to let a little problem like being without a car keep me from my appointed rounds....There were some hard days as well as some easy ones and it was certainly a great way to find my way around the new digs albeit a little tiresome at times.
One day Kelcie offered me a ride and I politely declined and said I was just fine walking, I explained to her that in my mind, every mile I walked was in some small fashion, my way of paying due diligence and a form of penance for some of the wrongs I had committed during my lost days of drug addiction and loneliness. I felt that for every step I made walking it may somehow lead me back to the path of goodness that I so badly wanted to be on.


Now most of you know that I don't litter and for all the mistakes I've made (quite a few if you weren't keeping track) one thing I've never done is leave trash laying around...One morning while trudging the 1-1/2 miles to the office, I finished the cup of coffee so graciously donated to me by the Holiday Inn Corporation (more on that later) and since the temperature was hovering in the high 20's I just HAD to leave that empty cup on a handrail along the sidewalk so that I could put my freezing paws in my pockets. I felt horrible about leaving that cup but figured I would retrieve it on my walk back home after work. Wouldn't you know it that a big storm rolled in that day and when I passed the cup on my way home my hands were freezing again!


Now being the perpetual and consummate procrastinator that I am (try saying THAT three times with my lisp) I justified leaving the cup right where it was because it had gathered about half an inch of rain during the day and I told myself that with every drop of rain it caught, that it was a sign from the Big Guy upstairs that he was taking a notice of all my hard work and efforts in trying to find the right path again and he was keeping track through raindrops from Heaven. Well after two weeks of rain, that cup was overflowing with water and in my sick mind, I actually considered expanding my newfound business with another cup and that way I could have two locations for the God in a cup franchise I had stumbled upon.....But alas as soon as I started to get ahead on my good deeds, Spring came to the foothills and no more rain fell, and on top of that, someone or something toppled my cup and it was as dry as a bone.....My only choices at this point were to right the cup and start over again, or quit....so I righted that cup! Two more weeks of mild weather and the blessing of a new vehicle made me forget about that old cup until one Monday morning after two beautiful weeks of Sunshine, I couldn't live with the guilt of leaving it instead of putting it in the trash so I drove to the handrail where I had walked for almost a Month and much to my surprise it still sat in the little notch above the sidewalk and when I went to pick it up, I couldn't believe it but it was full to the top with what I HAVE to believe were raindrops sent from Heaven and I instantly welled up with tears on a sidewalk in the Gold Country....A grown Man crying with a Holiday Inn Coffee cup in his hand and never felt more proud in my life...Thanks Big Guy

A Very Happy Anniversary

Today marks our second anniversary of being a Feingold Family.  On April 22, 2010 my husband and I made the decision to completely change the way our family eats because of the problems we were having with our five year old son's behavior.  In doing so, we changed the course of Ben's life entirely, and ours.  Even writing that sentence brings me instant tears, because I am so thankful for the divine intervention (via my Mom!) that led us to the Feingold Diet.  I can't imagine where we'd be without it.

My first blog post ever was our story about how we became a Feingold Family, and you can read that here.

This morning I took out the Feingold Symptom Checklist, and Darrin and I both filled it out for the behavior we see in Ben today.  Is our son perfect?  Well, what IS a perfect seven year old boy?  Is there such a thing?  He still runs through mud puddles, eats like a tornado, picks occasional fights with his little sister, and thinks fart noises are the funniest thing on earth.  But those are symptoms of being male and seven. So yes, our son is perfect.

Here are the major symptoms that eating an all-natural diet eliminated in Ben, and thereby changed our lives:

1. Unresponsiveness to discipline
2. Low frustration tolerance
3. Disruptive behavior, disturbs others
4. Poor self control
5. Unpredictable behavior
6. Inability to follow directions
7. Inability to focus
8. Headaches/Leg aches

There were symptoms I didn't check back then that I later learned were also due to food, like this little high-pitched scream that Ben used to make, involuntarily.  Now that I'm informed, I know that's considered a tic.  Back then I thought he was just being rude.  I haven't heard that noise in over a year.

Two years ago I checked twenty-three symptoms on the list.  Today we checked six. And even some of those, like low self-esteem, are waning by-products of the two years before changing diets.

When Ben was five, before we started the program, you could look him in the eyes, threaten punishment of the worst sort for a five year old, and he would still turn around and do the offensive behavior.  Nothing worked.  Not with us, not with his Kindergarten teacher, not with his daycare provider.  Two weeks on the Feingold program and that problem was minimal.  For the first time in a long time, you could see information sinking in.  Today, Ben is able to reason out his own consequences before doing something wrong, and usually change his own behavior before it happens.

Is some of the change due to Ben's age? Absolutely.  A seven year old boy is much more rational than a five year old.  But had we not changed our way of life, I'm not sure my five year old boy would have been able to learn the lessons needed to become the stable seven year old he is today.  I honestly believe our nights would still be filled with time outs, loss of Wii, punishments and frustration for all of us.

Two years ago, my Dad tried to stage an intervention with me because we had gone Feingold.  My family felt that what we were doing with Ben's diet was wrong - that we were causing him to be "different" from other children because he couldn't eat what they were eating.  He even handed me a book on parenting.  That day I told my Dad that if we didn't do something, Ben would be "different" anyway because he couldn't get along with other kids, was struggling in school, and couldn't focus enough or coordinate his muscles enough to play team sports.  I asked my Dad to give me a chance, support us, and see if changing our diets helped.  He did, and today my parents recommend the Feingold program to so many other families and are some of our biggest supporters.

The other day I spoke to Ben's second grade teacher, Mrs. B.  We were discussing Ben and his buddy Evan and their current problem of making fart noises in class.  I told Mrs. B I was sympathetic that she had those boys together in her class this year, but told her she was very lucky she didn't have them together in Kindergarten. She reminded me that she did work in their Kindergarten class.  She said "I'm so thankful you found the Feingold Program before I got Ben in my class - the difference in him is amazing!"    

The past two years have not been easy.  And it was a least a year of journaling food and tracking behavior before we identified many of the triggers that caused the bad behavior in Ben.  Even now, we experiment with how much Stage 2 food he can eat without reacting, trying new restaurants and hoping they use quality ingredients, or identifying foods we never knew caused reaction.  But over the past year Ben has matured so much with his diet that he no longer sneaks contraband food, isn't terribly bothered when he can't order his favorite meal in a restaurant, and completely understands why he can't eat the candy at the Little League Parade.

People ask me if this is something Ben will grow out of.  I don't think so.  He will always have sensitivities to food.  But as he gets older he will be able to deal with his reactions better.  Even now, he tells me when he has "crazy brain" and requests "magic soda", and we work on techniques to control his frustration or anger when he does have a reaction.   So I do think Ben the adult will be able to eat foods that Ben the kid can't, and food won't always control his life.

Meanwhile, we will celebrate our daily success and continue tinkering with diet and supplements.  More importantly, we will continue to share our information to help other families and I ask that you please share this information, too.  Nothing makes me feel better than to hear the hope in a parent's voice when they realize there is such a simple way to help their struggling child.

Darrin and I have always loved our son.  But there was a two year period where we didn't like him.  Nothing can make you feel worse as a parent.  Today our son can still cause us moments of frustration (because he is a seven year old boy after all) but more often he causes us moments of sheer joy and pride.  I am so thankful for the Feingold Program, my husband who has supported this journey every step of the way, my family and Ben's daycare providers and teachers who have done everything to help Ben stay on track with food, and Ben for being a willing participant.

The wrong food doesn't just cause bad days in our home, it causes a total disaster.  Clean food, on the other hand, brings normalcy and happiness to life as we know it.  

For more information on the Feingold Program, please go to http://www.feingold.org/.  

This Says It All

Ben graduated from vision therapy yesterday.  After 16 sessions, we can't believe the changes in him.  I'll post more about the therapy later, how we figured out he needed it, what sort of activities he did.

But tonight, I just want to share Ben's thoughts on how vision therapy helped him.  His therapist asked him to just write a few words about how this process has helped him.  Ben NEVER writes this much detail or with such attention to handwriting, so I know he really meant what he said.

I couldn't describe it any better.