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If you like Dagmar’s momsense, please consider voting for me to be one of the Top Vegetarian Moms.

As you might know, I’m in the running and No. 20 right now. To be on this list is a big deal — the Top 25 will be presented to Circle of Moms’ 6 million members, and there are only 2 days left to vote!

Healthy living is very important to me and encompasses avoiding plastic, food dyes, gene-manipulated (GMO) food, and eating organic, vegetarian food.

As much as I’m passionate about helping moms with breastfeeding, I’m passionate to inspire people to consider a healthier, greener, more sustainable lifestyle. I try to infuse this wherever I can — when blogging for HealthyChild.org, or when starting discussion as a leader for the Ebates Savvy Living and Horizon Organic communities.

Last year, I was voted Top 25 Eco-Friendly Moms, and making this Top Vegetarian list would be just as much of an honor.

Making this list makes it possible for me to reach more people about a non-toxic, green, and vegetarian lifestyle.

I’m not trying to convert anyone to be a vegetarian, but if you are interested in learning why I am vegetarian or interested in becoming a vegetarian, watch the documentary Fork Over Knives, or even just this trailer.

You’ll be stunned by what you’ll learn.

We have been lead to believe that we need a lot of protein in our diet, but humans don’t need animal protein and can get all the protein they need from a vegetarian diet. One cooked cup of spinach has about 5 grams of protein, and cup of broccoli about 4 grams, for  example.

Our Juice Cleanse

Don is on his second day of his extreme 30-day juicing cleanse, and he’s lost 4 pounds (he wants to lose 30).

I’m waiting to get the go-ahead from a local company who wants me to try their three-day cleanse. I’m really excited about it and can’t wait to start it — it’s going to help me with my goal to lose 10 pounds and get fit and toned again.

Don got very interested in this juice cleanse after hearing about the Australian Joe Cross who went on a 60-day juice fast. We watched his documentary, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, and seeing Joe’s body change so dramatically in just 60 days is inspiring. He lost 90+ pounds and was able to get off of all his medications.

Joe was 100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids, and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease. With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help, Joe turns to the only option left — the body’s ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for 60 days to get off all his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.

So this is what Don’s meal looks like right now:

And since I don’t want to waste all that organic fruit and vegetable pulp left over by the juicing, I decided to use it to make Landon and myself green smoothies with organic, frozen Acai that I got for free the other day (by liking their Facebook page).

I had to add quite a bit of orange juice to reconstitute the pulp, and then I put it in a glass jar. I’m almost rid of all of my plastic containers – I now keep glass jars instead of recycling them and store all my dry food (cereal, nuts, etc.) and leftovers in them.

If you enjoy my blog, please consider voting for Dagmar’s momsense!

You can vote 2 more days, once a day from every computer and iPad and phone you have. Let’s see if we can make this happen! I truly appreciate your vote.

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A funny video about a subject that’s not so funny: heart attacks in women.

Take care of yourselves, moms!

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See that little white table? I recently spray-painted a sad, brown side table I’ve had for a long time, and now I’m hooked. All of our furniture pieces should worry that I might just point a spray paint can at them.

Oh, how I love decorating and DIY projects. You can follow my DIY board on Pinterest here. And I just wrote two posts about 10 easy DIY Valentine’s projects for kids and adults.

Last night’s live chat in the Ebates Savvy Living community about Valentine’s Day was so much fun. But honestly, I’m looking forward to tonight’s live chat even more:

We’ll talk about all things DIY tonight at 8PM CST/9PM EST!

Get the kids to bed early – you don’t want to miss this!

We will exchange DIY ideas and tips during this live chat. And you don’t even have to go to the community – just show up here on Dagmar’s momsense and participate by writing your comments in the box below.

The discussion will turn live at 9PM EST but you can already leave a comment or ask questions. See you then!

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This teddy bear is smaller than you think.

I found him on Etsy and knew right away that I wanted to buy him for my mom.

My mom loves the color blue, and teddy bears are a symbol of love in our family.

My mother greets us with a new teddy bear at the airport every time we visit her in Germany.

“Tiny blue bear” is flying to Germany right now, to keep my mom company.

This tiny guy is so little, she can keep him in her purse as a reminder that we love and think of her no matter where she is. We are all still having a very tough time dealing with my dad’s passing.

{I’m in the running to be one of the 25 Top Vegetarian Moms. To be on this list is a big deal – the Top 25 will be presented to Circle of Moms’ six million members. Please vote for “Dagmar’s momsense” with just one click! I’m No. 18 right now. You can vote once a day from a computer and phone for the next 7 days. I appreciate your help so much! Thanks!}

Link up your WW post!

And check out these blogs for more WW and Wordful Wednesday fun:

Live and Love Out Loud, Dear Crissy, Project Alicia, Mama Dweeb, Mist and Lilies, Mommy Paradise, Better in Bulk, Verena’s Schoene Welt, Ein Bisschen Haushalt, A Rural Journal, and Pinke Post!

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Love is in the air!

Ebates is hosting a Valentine’s Day Live Chat in the Savvy Living Community!

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Have you checked out Dagmar’s Green Living and Organic Deals yet?

I find you the best deals on organic and eco-friendly products that are currently on the Internet and you’ll be notified so you can take advantage of them!

ChoozOn.com and I do all the work for you — and you don’t have to go to 10 different sites yourself anymore to get one good deal.

Just sign up for Dagmar’s deal club for free and get emails about the products you are interested in.

Current deals:

  • Get Free Samples with any skin care order from Naturopathica
  • 20% off any 2 adorable, non-toxic Melamine Sugarbooger Feeding items at Diapers.com
  • Save $10 off $50+ orders from Native Remedies
  • 25% off natural bedding basics from Gaiam
  • Eco-Friendly Bio-Fuel Fireplaces with Free Shipping from SeattleLuxe.com – Qualifies for 30% federal tax credit
  • and others

Happy shopping!

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Valentine’s Day coming up too fast? Don’t know what to get your loved one yet? Help is on the way — here are some super-easy ideas for DIY Valentine’s gifts.

When I started writing my Valentine’s Day decorating post I had so many options for kids that I ended up writing a post with 10 Valentine craft ideas for kids.

Here are the other DIY Valentine’s Day ideas I love and didn’t get to share yet. You can make any one of these, most just in a few minutes.

1. Why not surprise your hubby or the kids with this easy-to-make heart garland in the morning?

2. Here are two ideas for heart-shaped cookie cutters: toast with a heart-shaped egg in the middle:

3. Heart-shaped French toast with strawberry butter. Yummy!

4. All you need for this heart-shaped wreath is some wire or twig and fabric scraps:

5. Got some leftover yarn? Make this adorable yarn heart in minutes:

6. So easy, so cute: surprise your family with these heart-shaped cinnamon rolls, or let the kids help you with them.

7. You can download and print this card in many different colors and sizes here.

8. Paint chips are free, and you don’t even need a paper punch for this adorable garland:

9. Another idea for a heart made out of paper — the kids can help you with cutting the strips or cluing the hearts together:

10. Want to dress up your kids for Valentine’s Day? This is the cutest and easiest idea for kids I’ve found: cut felt hearts to go behind kids shirt buttons.

Do you have an idea for a fast and easy Valentine’s Day project?

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Love is in the air!

Ebates is hosting a Valentine’s Day Live Chat in the Savvy Living Community.

Join us February 7 from 8-9PM EST (5-6PM PST).

Prizes: during the chat Ebates will be giving away $500 worth of cash prizes.

Ebates is giving away $100 to one Dagmar’s momsense reader!

You must be an Ebates member, so sign up here for free (and get a $10 gift card!) if you haven’t yet.

How you can win $100:

Easy – just leave a comment below about your favorite Valentine’s Day gift.

Extra entry options:

Share this post on your Facebook page, then RSVP here for the chat and let me know you did both in another comment here.

and/or

Retweet this post, then RSVP here and let me know you did in an extra comment on this post.

The reader of Dagmar’s momsense/winner of the $100 will be chosen and notified before the chat. There are more opportunities to win all kinds of fun prizes during the live chat, so mark your calendar!

I will embed the live chat in another post on Tuesday and you can participate right here on Dagmar’s momsense! No need to go to the Savvy Living community.

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I have been invited to the Quaker Heart Health Challenge and decided to take it on and make it part of my routine because this totally fits into my current goal I blogged about yesterday — to lose the extra 10 pounds I gained last year and getting fit and toned again.

February is American Heart Month and I’ve committed to complete 15 workouts in 30 days to help keep my heart healthy and strong. I think keeping track of my journey online will help me achieve that goal.

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I’m on a mission — to lose 10 pounds and to get fit and toned again.

That’s me three weeks ago — at 137 pounds. Oofta.

Yep, I have the Kim Kardashian bootie going on — but not in a good way.

I have been working out with a wonderful personal trainer for a few months, but three weeks ago I joined his 8-Week Challenge and things are finally moving in the right direction.

I worked out with Neil twice a week in the last three weeks, am eating more protein and trying to drink more water. I was feeling a little more toned, but I’m so used to the scale not moving even though I have pretty healthy eating habits that I was surprised to find out today that I lost more than 2 inches around my waist after three weeks. Yay!

That might be nothing to someone else, but I needed that reassurance. For the first time in a long time I feel encouraged that I will get back into shape again.

How did I gain all this weight and get so out of shape?

Before I met Don, I used to spin several times a week and did yoga once a week. Then I met Don when I tried out the yoga class he was teaching. We got married a year later, and I got pregnant two months later.

I was about seven months pregnant in this picture, and hiking in Santa Barbara:

I kept working out throughout my pregnancy and only stopped spinning when my knees kept hitting my belly. I figured that meant it was about time to get off the bicycle. I took my last yoga class a day before L was born.

The 35 pounds I put on during the pregnancy came off pretty quickly. I wasn’t in a rush — it had taken 10 months to put them on, so I was going to give myself some time to take it off. I think it took about six months. It was easy — all I had to do was breastfeed Landon.

Breastfeeding was the best diet I’ve ever been on, for three years. I went from a size 8 pre-baby to a size 6, and sometimes even a 4. For the first time in my life I could eat anything I wanted and wasn’t putting on weight; I even lost weight. While I used to like to work out, I was now not interested in it anymore, going so far as writing posts about being a “former exercise fan.”

When L was about 3, I was still nursing him but noticed that I was starting to gain weight again. Little by little, a few pounds here and there. I’d lose some and gain some back.

But it wasn’t just the weight. Five extra pounds isn’t that dramatic, but I was starting to feel out of shape and flabby because I wasn’t working out, which made me feel like I had gained 10+ pounds.

I think it’s a combination of not having to run after a toddler anymore, starting to write Dagmar’s momsense and sitting for hundreds of hours, not working out, breastfeeding less, and turning 40 — my metabolism just isn’t the same it was five years ago.

So even though I wasn’t eating more, I kept gaining weight.

A few months ago, I couldn’t fit into my size 6 clothes anymore. I have my size 8 jeans somewhere, but I didn’t want to dig for them. Eventually, I had to buy new jeans to feel comfortable, but I was miserable. I felt like I had a tire around me all day. This wasn’t my body, this was not who I wanted to be, and these extra rolls felt awful.

I have so many cute tops that I never wore last summer or the summer before because they don’t fit. I refuse to buy new ones when all it takes is some self-control and exercising to get back into the ones I have. I had been spoiled for three years while breastfeeding. Now I was mad at myself and frustrated, which made me eat even more.

Why couldn’t I lose some measly 10 pounds when other people, like MckMama, lose 14 in just four weeks?

Around the New Year, I decided enough is enough. I had two options: either make peace with these extra 10 pounds or do something about it so I can finally stop obsessing about it.

So I’m making changes, and they are paying off. To be honest, the number of pounds I’ll lose is less important to me — I want to feel toned again and get back into  my size 6 clothes.

I hope the inches keep coming off. After today’s encouraging news, I can’t wait to see how many inches I’ll lose in 8 weeks. I found cute Adidas workout pants and a sweatshirt for just $25 yesterday at Kohl’s, and I’m ready to conquer these extra pounds.

Look out for tomorrow’s post if you’re also interested in getting back in shape. I might just have a free tool that will help you keep track of your success.

Did motherhood cause you to put on the pounds? What is keeping you from getting back in shape?

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Wordless Wednesday — Winter Hat

January 31, 2012

I took this picture of Landon at the airport after our trip to Orlando. From the sunny and warm Florida back to the cold and wintry Westchester, where you need a warm hat :) Link up your WW post: And check out these blogs for more WW and Wordful Wednesday fun: Live and Love Out [...]

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Not Me! Monday — Baby Blues

January 30, 2012

Brutally honest? I’ll give you brutally honest. One of my girlfriends just had her third child, and my niece her first. My nephew’s wife is pregnant with their first, and a friend of ours just had his first. And I do NOT long so much to have another baby. I wish I could do it [...]

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Recipe: A Fast Vegetarian Meal Thanks to Trader Joe’s

January 29, 2012

I love Trader Joe’s grocery stores — their products are fabulous, cost less, and they carry imported German cookies and chocolates I grew up with. But my favorite part is that all “Trader Joe’s” brand products contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives, no MSG or trans fats, and are sourced from non-genetically modified ingredients. [...]

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8 Tips That Helped Me Succeed With Breastfeeding

January 29, 2012

I recently was asked for some tips that helped me through the first few days of breastfeeding my son, and it became a quite elaborate list, so I figured I’d share those tips with you. I had a terrible time breastfeeding Landon during the first two weeks, I was in agony every time L latched [...]

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Our Healthier Lifestyle And Why We Became Vegetarians

January 27, 2012

I’ll come right out with it — I would like your vote for Top 25 Vegetarian Moms When you click on the button or this link, you can vote for Dagmar’s momsense once a day from every computer or phone you have for the next 19 days. I also added the button to my sidebar [...]

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Wordless Wednesday — Snowboy

January 24, 2012

We haven’t seen snow here in Westchester since Landon’s birthday in October, but we finally got some two days ago. L took advantage of it and played outside for hours. He helped Don shovel around the house, and we went sledding down the driveway. It’s already almost gone again. Too bad it wasn’t sticky snow [...]

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