Our "Autism at Disney" Experience

We recently went to Disney World for the first time since Bu was officially diagnosed…and certainly for the first time since we've gotten to know about Bu's specific needs! Here is some information about the accommodations we were able to receive, and ways we helped Bu enjoy his trip.

Here's some stuff you should know to clarify what's said in the video:

1) Bu is 3 years old, he's on the GFCFSF diet, and he's on the autism spectrum. He doesn't speak (yet), is very sensory seeking (except for touch/tactile), and has hypotonia, which is low muscle tone. He is getting better with all of these things, but he cannot stand or walk for very long without getting fatigued, so he is carried or strolled more than a typical kid his age.

2) Bu gets his supplements several times a day in his "juice", which is typically a homemade, organic fruit-and-veggie puree mixed with water. This is why I personally bring organic baby food pouches or jars/tubs with us to the parks.

3) I took the supplements in "pill organizers" to the park, which was then put in my backpack. If we'd have stayed longer, I might have taken our refrigerated supplements with us and kept them at the hotel. When they would have NEEDED to come with us (such as, after checkout on the last day), I would have taken a separate lunchbox and filled it with ice at the hotel to keep it cool. I also would have added more ice at the parks (asking for free cups of water with lots of ice at any counter service restaurant!).

4) Bu is VERY picky about his chips, which is why I made a point to bring a big bag for each day into the park. At Animal Kingdom (I didn't notice at any other park), they had a booth that sold gluten free and vegan foods, which would have been great for Bu provided I also found a soy-free choice…but a SMALL bag of chips (which wasn't the kind Bu even likes) was SEVEN DOLLARS. Crazy.

Please comment or email me with any questions and I can either answer based on my experience, or I can find out for you. We have annual passes so if there's something in particular that can only be answered at the parks, let me know and I'll do my best to ask or find out next time we go!

Autism Vlog - Goals for July through December 2014

Just a little personal update on my son's diagnosis and what it means for the next 6 months of our lives ;)

I'd love to hear from any other parents in a similar position, or even ABA/OT/Speech professionals. Any and all advice is appreciated!



If you're having a hard time seeing the video above, you can click here to see it on YouTube.

At Home Therapy?

Firstly, a huge thank you to everyone that has contributed in any way to the #AllForBu campaign, and a special shoutout to Jose Marti School in Little Havana, Miami, FL for their outstanding support.

We're setting up a therapy room/learning space in our home for Bu, and we're hoping for any advice or suggestions we can get from other parents or even from professionals that have experience working with special needs kids or kids on the spectrum.

If you can't see the video above, you can watch it directly on YouTube here.




Click here to contribute!
Click here for progress updates!

My First Kombucha Brew

As part of #TotalDetox2014, one of my goals this year was to successfully brew my own kombucha.

Why kombucha? What is kombucha?

Kombucha tea is made by fermenting sweetened black tea with a flat, pancake-like culture of yeasts and bacteria called the "Kombucha mushroom" or SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). It is not actually a mushroom, but is called one because of the shape and color of the sac that forms on top of the tea after it ferments. The result is a tangy, usually fizzy drink that has numerous health benefits. 

One of kombucha’s greatest health benefits is its ability to detox the body. It is rich in many of the enzymes and bacterial acids your body produces and/or uses to detox your system, thus reducing your pancreatic load and easing the burden on your liver. Because it’s naturally fermented with a living colony of bacteria and yeast, kombucha is a probiotic beverage. This has a myriad of benefits such as improved digestion, fighting candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth, mental clarity, and mood stability. It also has antioxidants that support energy and mood.

Truth be told, I was incredibly intimidated to begin this process. Aspects of it are pretty gross until you wrap your brain around them, and then there's the whole "purposely ingesting bacteria" thing...

This whole process took a little over a month from beginning to end...I started growing my SCOBY from store-bought kombucha on April 14, 2014, and finished recording this video on May 21, with the first batch fully ready to drink and a second batch almost ready for bottling and flavoring!

If the video above doesn't work, you can view the video directly on YouTube here.

Hope you enjoy watching the process, and forgive the shaky camera, ridiculous family moments and sometimes not-family-friendly language ;)


Sources: 1, 2

Superfoods and Supplements - Protein Rich Superfoods

If you cannot access the video above, please click here to watch it on YouTube.

What are some ways that you incorporate protein into your picky eater's diet? Please share your comments and suggestions below! The next video in the series will be up next week :)

Superfoods and Supplements - Probiotics

If you cannot access the video above, please click here to watch it on YouTube.

Do you give your child probiotics? Have you experienced any benefits or even drawbacks? Please share your comments and suggestions below! The next video on protein-rich superfoods will be up next week :)

Superfoods and Supplements - Nutritional Yeast

If you cannot access the video above, please click here to watch it on YouTube.

Please share your comments and suggestions in the comments! The next video on Probiotics will be up VERY soon! :)

Superfoods and Supplements - Coconut Oil

 If you can't see the video above, please check it out on YouTube HERE.

This is the first post of...well, many...about superfoods and supplements. As promised, I'm going to detail different things we give our son to fill holes in his nutrition that his diet might leave to be desired. There's also benefits to mommas including most of these in their own diets as well!

This post is dedicated to COCONUT OIL.

Coconut oil has been demonized in the past because it contains saturated fat. In fact, coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat known to man, with almost 90% of the fatty acids in it being saturated. It contains so-called Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs) – which are fatty acids of a medium length (duh LOL). Most of the fatty acids in our diets are so-called long-chain fatty acids, but the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil are metabolized differently. They go straight to the liver from the digestive tract, where they are used as a quick source energy or turned into so-called ketone bodies, which can have therapeutic effects on brain disorders like epilepsy, autism and Alzheimer’s.

Also of interest is the fact that another great source of Medium Chain Fatty Acids is… breast milk!
Breast milk is rich in Lauric acid, the same fatty acid found in coconut oil...and it’s there because, in addition to easily digestible nourishment, it provides immunity against infection. the Medium Chain Fatty Acids in coconut oil are believed to help with the body’s absorption of vitamins and minerals from other foods.

According to the research, when a lactating woman adds foods rich in lauric acid to her diet, the amount of lauric acid available in her breast milk increases substantially to levels three times the original level and nearly double the amount of capric acid. A single meal of coconut oil can significantly affect the breast milk fatty acid compositions for 1 to 3 days with the maximum increase occurring during the first 10 hours. This data supports the hypothesis that diet directly affects the quality of human milk and possibly the womb environment.

Also, coconut oil can be used to ease dry skin, diaper rash, cradle cap, even to moisturize nipples after breastfeeding or pumping!

This is my favorite way to use coconut oil, because it stays liquid even when cold or blended into smoothies...although Costco sells HUGE tubs of organic coconut oil for about $15...much cheaper than I've found organic coconut oil anywhere, even Trader Joe's. It's important to try to get organic or at least cold-pressed or virgin, because the cheaper stuff is usually extracted with chemicals.



Sources: 1, 2

From the Interwebs: "Teach Me How to Breastfeed"

I posted this on the Facebook page a while back, but it's worth reposting! I love how informative AND funny this video is, plus the song is super catchy.

Disney While Pregnant

I'm a bit obsessed with Disney World and try to go often, since I'm in relatively close proximity. Earlier this year, we took our then-19 month old son for his first time, along with my then VERY pregnant sister. Not just pregnant, but pregnant with twins! I put together this video with some tips based on what she did while on the trip to keep comfortable and have the best possible time.

If anyone has any other tips, I'd love to hear them!

In case you can't see the video above, you can see it directly on YouTube here.

Dollar Store and Target Haul for Toddler Activities

What do you do with your young children instead of tv time? Any tips on other activities I could do with the stuff I got? Thanks!

In case you can't see the video above, you can see it directly on YouTube here.

Plus Size Babywearing (3/3) - Soft Structured Carriers, ErgoBaby, Evenflo and why NOT Baby Bjorns!

Last video in the series! Please send any questions to MommaFriendly@gmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MommaFriendly

Blog: http://mommafriendly.blogspot.com/

Zulily: http://www.zulily.com/invite/plussizepreggo

Evenflo Snugli: http://www.overstock.com/Baby/Evenflo-Snugli-Seated-Soft-Carrier-in-Fleur-De-Lis/6378091/product.html

ErgoBaby: http://store.ergobaby.com/

ErgoBaby Waist Extender: http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4112255

Resource for nursing while babywearing:  http://www.babyslingsandcarriers.com/carriers_for_baby_nursing


In case you can't see the video above, you can see it directly on YouTube here. 

Plus Size Babywearing (2/3) - Stretchy Wraps, Mei Tais, Woven Wraps

As posted in the title, in this video I talk about stretchy and woven wraps, and mei tais.

Here are links to the things I mention in the video:

Infantino Sync
http://www.amazon.com/Infantino-Sync-...

http://www.target.com/p/infantino-syn...

Natibaby
http://www.marsupial-mamas.com/collec...


In case you can't see the video above, you can see it directly on YouTube here. 

Plus Size Babywearing (1/3) - Slings

I did a three part series on baby wearing for plus size women in particular, but this is information that is general enough for women (and men) of any size to benefit.

In this video, I feature pouch slings and ring slings. I give descriptions and demonstrations of both, along with my opinion and experience of them.

In case you can't see the video above, you can see it directly on YouTube here. 

Answering Questions : Cloth Diaper Basics

Answering some questions I received on the Plus Size and Pregnant site. If anyone wants more information on a specific type of diaper, washing them, etc. please let me know and I will do my best to either answer your question or point you in the direction of more resources.

Also, I'm really sorry about the audio! First and last time I use this camera, I promise!

In case you can't see the video above, you can see it directly on YouTube here. 

Facebook Group for Plus Sized Preggos and Mommas

the baby gets LOUD and SHRIEKY at one point, sorry!!!!!

In case you can't see the video above, you can see it directly on YouTube here. 

Plus Size and Pregnant facebook group

The VBAC Dilemma

The VBAC Dilemma - More Business of Being Born 

In case you can't see the video above, you can see it directly on YouTube here. 

thoughts?