High Fashion Tots for Winter

Flipping through a few magazines I was really surprised to see what some of the trends were in kid's fashion for this weekend. For one thing some of the styles are quite grown up. Your kid is supposed to be in clothes that are as tailored as yours.

For example designer Philip Lim showed a collection that was all mustards, burnt oranges, and bone and tan colors. Kids were outfitted in little riding pants, cropped fifties style jackets and trenchcoats. Big bulky suede boots in milk chocolate brown complete the ensemble. This is a wonderful look if your kid likes to ride horses! I would probably only dress up my kids like this if I had to take them to wedding or a funeral. These are not every day looks even though celebrity moms insist they are.

Another interesting trend is the footwear for kids. There are a lot of gold and silver shoes on the market to buy for kids. The only problem with this idea is that once again, they are not really for every day wear unless your little girl is very neat.

Another trend is to make your kid look like a bit of a flower child. This is a much happier and more comfortable look especially for teenagers.

Everything that is tie-die is in including tie-dyed T-shirts and leggings. This is paired with long johns and shirts with tiny Victorian floral prints like violets or roses. Many girls are wearing short wool skirts or jean cut offs over this get up.

Straw hats worn with vintage sweaters with pictures of reindeer on them are also popular as are recycled corduroy skirts with floral inserts.

The key to a successful hippie look is to wear many layers including vests, belts and scarves as well as a perky wool artist's tam. In terms of footwear think Frye boots in a tam color and Jesus sandals for slogging around at home. Mocassins worn with socks and bright and shiny satin style leggings in a neon color are also in style.

Looking like a little jailbird is also cool. Gray flannel shirts, pants and dresses with lateral stripes are also considered to be very cool.

One look at this fashion trend tells me that it is probably a great idea to take my kids right to the used clothing store so they can mix and match their own look. It is a good way to teach them to put an outfit together on a budget!

Parenting Tips
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The Benefits of Juicing Apples

As a mom I find my juicer has become my best friend. They say that 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' but drinking a glass of your own freshly apple juice every day is even better. Drinking pure apple juice goes even further helping to keep you gorgeous and healthy and also reversing some chronic conditions and diseases.

For instance, a study done at the University of Southampton in London found that eating just two apple as a week can reduce your risk of developing asthma by as much as 32%! If that is a fact then just imagine what drinking the pure vitamins, minerals, antioxidants flavenoids, and other nutrients in apples can do for you if you drink them as a juice.

Squeezed fruit juices are dense with nutrients and almost become like a healing tincture in a glass. It gets into your system very quickly because it is a raw liquid that is lively with enzymes.

All apples are beneficial for your health however there can be some subtle differences in nutrition between varieties. For instance a giant yellow Golden Delicious Apple may have slightly more Vitamin A in it than a tiny bright red Northern Spy; on the other hand the Northern Spy might have more Vitamin C.

For the most part ALL apples contain very high amounts of Vitamin A followed by Choline, Vitamin C and Vitamin C. They also contain lesser amounts of E, K and Folate and trace amounts of Niacin, B^ Pantothenic acid and Betaine. All apples also have a super-high level o potassium plus calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, fluoride and iron.

However in 2004, the US FDA did studies on which two apple varieties are the most nutritious and the answer was the Red Delicious (bright red) and the Granny Smith (bright Green). Out of a list of one hundred foods that were measured to be high in antioxidants compared to serving size, the Red Delicious and Granny Smith were twelfth and thirteenth on the list.

It is also to your benefit to buy organic fruits and vegetables as they will contain fewer pesticides than other types. Be sure to choose fruits that are firm, ripe and not bruised. Bruised fruit can carry some toxins in them that can harm your health.

Before you juice any apple be sure to clean it well. This is because you are going to be juicing the peel. The peel contains more Vitamin A than any other part of the apple. Most apples are covered in a very thin layer of wax to help keep them fresh so be sure to scrub them well. You can buy special fruit and vegetable soap that helps get this residue off your fruit as well.

Parenting Tips
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