I am a huge fan of powerful purees! Purees are a great way to get more nutrition into your favorite recipes and help you and your family meet your daily needs for veggies, fruits and proteins. They go beyond the smoothie, but we’ll start here.

Smoothie and puree cubes are a great tip to make a quick smoothie ahead. While smoothies and protein shakes are an easy breakfast for both you and the kids, most require several ingredients in order to be well balances (and not a morning sugar-bomb). Just add a few cubes to your blender with liquid, and serve!

Smoothie cubes can easily be made ahead and stored in the freezer up to one month. I suggest using a combination of protein, healthy fat, fiber, greens and some fruit. 

• Protein – Use your favorite protein powder or yogurt as your base.
• Healthy Fats – Scoop of nut butter, coconut oil, MCT oil, tahini, avocado or hemp hearts (my fave!) TIP – buy frozen avocado chunks instead of fresh.
• Fiber – Ground flax, chia, psyllium husk powder, acacia fiber powder, pumpkin seeds
• Greens – A good quality greens powder or frozen greens. I prefer frozen over raw as they are easier to digest. Frozen greens are quickly blanched and frozen at the height of their season which make them a great option.
• Fruit & Veg Puree – For one smoothie serving I would stick to about 1/3 cup of berries and 1/3-1/2 of banana if needed (for a workout, extra satiety for the kids etc). Fruit is an excellent source of healthy carbohydrates but we want to keep it balanced.
  A fun way to switch it up is to add a 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree, cooked sweet potato, frozen cauliflower, squash. Incorporating vegetable purees is a great way to get extra servings into your day and more nutrition into your smoothie!

There is no real science to it, make a blend with your favorite ingredients and make sure it’s tasty, then pour into ice cube trays and freeze. The silicone trays are great because you can easily pop them out. Here is an idea of what you can do.

Smoothie Cubes

2 cups berries (or a veggie here)

1 banana

1 T maple syrup or 1-2 dates (optional for extra sweetness)

2 T favorite nut butter or ¼ cup frozen avocado

2 T ground flax (I prefer ground as its easier to digest)

2 T cinnamon (Ceylon is anti-inflammatory)

Handful of frozen spinach OR 2 scoops green powder

A few drops vanilla extract for flavor (optional)

2-3 scoops of protein powder or 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

A small splash of water or milk of choice if needed to blend

Blend and pour or scoop into trays to freeze overnight until you are ready to use them.

When you are ready to make a smoothie, try 4 cubes + 1 cup of liquid and adjust from there to desired umber of servings and consistency.

 

Enjoy!

2021 spring market is a challenging one. The inventory is at its lowest ever and homes are selling for as much as hundreds of thousands over asking. There is no denying this is a tough time to buy, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done and that there aren’t advantages as well. Interest rates although volatile are still at all-time lows, so even though the market is competitive and prices are rising your monthly mortgage payment will still be relatively low. Rates are expected to rise next year and what your payment is now could be 25% more expensive assuming prices only increase 10% and, in some areas, values are increasing at a 40% clip and have long eclipsed that 10% increase. Long story short, buyers still have strong buying power due to financing.

For many expanding families out there, do not despair! There are ways you can still find value in this market!

Here are 5 tips to help you do just that!

1. Work with a buyer’s agent!

I know this sounds self-serving but it’s more important than ever that buyers have an agent who is active in the market and is advocating for them. Many buyers are taking on unnecessary risk and not understanding the implications. Furthermore, the market is rising faster than the data, meaning recent sales are not indicative of future pricing. For example, let’s say there are three identical homes, one closed last week at $500,000, one is under agreement after being listed at $500,000 and one is new to the market listed at $500,000. The home that is under agreement might have accepted an offer at $550,000 which is a more accurate indication of pricing than the home that just sold but if you’re not active in the market in that area, you wouldn’t know that. If you want a chance of submitting a competitive bid, it’s vital to work with an agent who is an active participant in the market.

2. Focus on the bones of the house.

Many buyers are getting swept up by the homes that are decorated and designed to today’s latest style. These are the homes that are getting bid up to astronomical prices. If you want to have a competitive edge in this market it’s important to have an open mind. In the grand scheme of things, the most important elements of a home are its structure and layout. Everything else can be fixed and changed predictably. What kind of foundation does the home have? Is it a layout that you can work with? The most expensive part of a renovation is when you are changing the layout. When renovations are cosmetic only (paint, refacing cabinets, replacing countertops) is when costs are predictable and manageable. In my experience, most buyers do not use their imagination enough when looking at homes and miss opportunities to buy a home that is less expensive because they can’t see past its dated aesthetic.

3. Concentrate on homes that have been on the market longer than 2 weeks.

The person who has the most options is the person who has the most negotiating power. If you are one of thirty buyers bidding on a house, the seller holds all the cards. If the home hasn’t sold right away, it’s still important to act with urgency but we can actually negotiate in these situations versus succumbing to the sellers’ whims. Most homes haven’t sold right away because they are over priced and then buyers assume there is something wrong with them and refuse to see them. I cannot tell you how many opportunities are missed because of this mindset!!! If you want to find a “deal” or at least have some negotiating power, I strongly encourage you to focus on homes that are NOT new to the market!

4. Make it at least a 5-year home.

If you are buying in this market, it’s important that you plan to stay there for at least 5 years. A lot of homes are not appraising at the time of purchase, but are in a few months when the market data catches up to the market! No one can predict the future so the best way to hedge your bet is to plan to purchase a home where you can live there comfortably for at least 5 years.

5. Get clear on why you are buying and have conviction in your decisions.

You are going to kiss a lot of toads in this market meaning put in offers and not get them accepted. It’s inevitable so brace yourself! Real estate is about taking on calculated risk in order to achieve your goals. There are no winners and losers and there is no right or wrong. To not be discouraged focus on why you are buying! Is it the school district that is going to open up possibilities for your children’s future? Is it to be close to family? Is it to have that gorgeous entertaining space so you can host Thanksgiving for years to come? These are things that we can put a monetary value on and are what will make this a home and not just an investment. Honor your risk appetite and what the home value is to YOU not the market.

I have helped over 100 buyers find their perfect home – we lose some offers along the way – but EVERY SINGLE TIME when they find “the one” we are so grateful for the ones we lost along because it eventually brought us to the path of that perfect home.

Need help finding the perfect home for your family? Get in touch with Ali today.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Studies show the leading cause of physical child abuse is Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS). There are many parents who had no intention of hurting their child. Frustration with baby crying is the number one cause of Shaken Baby Syndrome. With 20% of infants having colic, even the calmest parent can act out of frustration. This month is the perfect opportunity because research shows that giving parents sound information and supporting them decreases the incidence of SBS.

What is Colic?

Colic is Crying. Excessive crying. Providers use this diagnosis/symptom when they do not know why the baby is crying. Old rules used were if a baby cried 3+ hours a day, 3+ days per week, for 3+ weeks. New rules don’t necessarily make babies have all these. If they are crying more than normal, they also get this label.

 

What can be causing the crying?

There are a few theories as to what causes colic and why babies grow out of it. Some of these are an immature immune system, immature nervous system, immature digestive system, and since humans are the only mammals that talk, the way we learn to regulate our breathing for this purpose and how there is confusion that includes crying. These theories pose that when the body develops more, the crying will go away. One example of this is the inability to break down certain proteins in food because the body is not making enzymes for that food until 4 months old. When the body starts making these enzymes to digest the protein, there is no longer pain and crying stops).

What about other diagnoses?

Only 5% of colic is found to have a confirmed diagnosis. Most major diagnoses are ruled out when the provider at the pediatric office does a thorough history and physical. These include inborn metabolism issues caught on a newborn blood screen, heart defects, and things like hernias. Viral and bacterial infections are also ruled out. But there are some things that are not found on exams nor do we have tests to check like silent reflux or food “intolerances”.

How do we treat colic?

Of course, if a diagnosis is identified, treatment can be given specifically for that. BUT, there are things to try in the case that a cause is not identified. There is promising research that a few probiotics have shown promise in decreasing crying in babies: L. reuteri and B. breve. There can be elimination of certain foods to check for sensitivity to these. After an elimination diet of the mama who is breastfeeding or change in formula to one with easier proteins to digest, reintroduction of these can occur as the baby grows.

If we don’t have a diagnosis, how can I calm the baby?

Some ways to soothe a colicky baby include swaddling, loud white noise, bouncing while you hold them on an exercise ball, change the stimulation (less or more), football hold your babe, or take a drive. Parents find success in changing baby bottles, holding upright after eating, skin to skin contact, bathing in warm water, belly massage, or using a gas releasing tube.

What if nothing is working, and the baby is still crying?

Most importantly, take care of you! It is NORMAL to feel super stressed and decreasing your stress and energy is key to prevention. Call a friend, take three breaths before picking up your baby, leave your baby in a safe place (bed) and take a shower. You can put in headphones and listen to music. Plan time for you away from the baby. This can be with friends, a counselor, or a trip alone to the grocery store. Taking care of your mental health IS being a good parent to have the energy and patience to care for your little one. You also can go to https://www.childhelp.org/hotline/ where they offer and also get text support! Reach out and know that you are not alone.