Sweet Carolina Blog

There are so many dos and don'ts when it comes to our health, especially the health of our children. As parents we have such a huge responsibility to feed our children a variety of healthy foods to foster a healthy lifestyle for them and a strong, growing body. So is juice one of those healthy options? I think that question is way too vague. There are so many different types of juices! Is apple juice always a healthy option? I don't think so. Even if your child gets only one glass of watered down juice? I still think there is a better option, without totally depriving your child of juice. I read a blog post that outlined an interview with a Pediatrician. She said that no juice is healthy. It's all full of sugar. In most cases, I would absolutely agree. But our juice is not just "juice". P gets one glass of watered down juice every day. We use Fruit and Veggie 2 Go twist tubes and add them to water. They're made by the Nutrilite company so I know they

The first few weeks of having a newborn have got to be the hardest. No one tells you that! Now at 11 months old, things are seeming a little more manageable. Do I have it all figured out like I assumed I already did the day before she was born? Hardly. I'm sure I have more and more questions and uncertainties with each day rather than more answers. Welcome to parenthood! One of the biggest challenges so far has been breastfeeding. People told me it could be difficult, that it was painful and don't feel bad if you can't do it. I had a several things on my side that have helped me to succeed. At the top of that list is my mom. She breastfed all four of us kids and seemingly effortlessly. I saw how much she enjoyed it too and how healthy each of us has been. Also I loved to be healthy and natural and I knew this was the way God intended for babies to be fed. So it would be the very best option for my baby! Outside of these things the single thing that kept me going, e

Am I the only one (please, lie if I am the only one) who feels like my head is spinning when I go anywhere with my child? My attention is pretty constantly divided. She's only 6 months old and not yet mobile, so she does still require quite a bit of my attention. But see if this scenario sounds familiar to you: A friend says, hey let's have lunch! The kids can play (which at 6 months old or younger is a stretch. I'm lucky if she plays on her own for any amount of time.) You think, yes! Totally. That would be fun. We can get out of the house, be entertained. If we leave right after nap time we will have TONS of time until we have to be back for the next nap.  Like...2 hrs or something! Loads of time. So after nap, you're getting the last few things ready, pack up the car and on your way you go. If you're lucky, this actually does happen on time. You get there and it's all, how are you, look at the kids playing, chit chat, catch up. And half an hour just we

Motherhood is something I thought I knew all about. I thought I knew exactly how I wanted to do things. And then I became one. And simultaneously became a crunchy, hippie momma. Lol! Ok, maybe not in everything, but in a lot of things. My husband and I are all about what is healthy and natural. We also followed the paleo diet strictly for three months when trying to get fit and LOVED it. We know it is the healthiest way for us to eat. It takes a little more planning and thought, so we are not always 100% paleo. But we had long ago decided that we wanted to start our little one out on a paleo diet. That didn't change. What is baby led weaning? Baby led weaning is a form of introducing solids, that I suppose was made popular in Europe. But baby led weaning in the US should be termed "baby led solids". Weaning in europe simply means, introducing solids. In the US it means ceasing breastfeeding. That's really not it at all. It involves "skipping the mush"

I decided to do a little feature day, because it's fun and everyone else seems to be doing it. It's a great idea!! So on Wednesdays, I will share one of my favorite things. Today it's the  Forever21 Favorite Scoop Neck Cami . It is no wonder it's a "favorite" item since it rings up at a whopping $1.80!!! The quality is great, they're not too thin and they are perfect for layering. They come in all basic, neutral colors and there are even a few jewel tones thrown in there. My absolute favorite thing about these camis is that they can double as nursing tanks. Super stretchy, I just pull them down and nurse away! Layer them under any other top and bam! It becomes a nursing top as well and your belly stays covered. Which is a legitimate concern when your body recently housed another human being and may not be ready to show off to the world.  I even wore these tanks throughout my pregnancy and they stretched enough to cover my entire bump. All the way t

Ooooh apartment living, how very strange you are. I lived my entire life in a ranch style house (my parents house) before getting married (minus a few early years I don't remember in a trailer and duplex). I romanticized the idea of apartment-living because it meant my OWN space! Freedom! And that first year or two, it was pretty fun. We collected our own furniture, most of which was bought for us or given to us.  In the years that followed, we quickly began to outgrow our space and "upgraded" to a 2-bedroom with close to 300 extra square feet. We quickly filled that up as well, but as long as I keep a handle on our clutter and try to toss or give away what we don't use or need, the space stays manageable.  My husband LOVES apartment living. Mainly because, we have no yard work to do, since he hates to mow. Also because, anytime something breaks, it's someone else's job to fix AND pay for it ;-) But there are some other odd things that take place when yo