Art Pack Giveaway Inspired by Rudi's Sandwich Box Designs-ends 8/19

Art Pack Giveaway

Inspired by Rudi's Sandwich Box Designs

Art Pack Includes:

• sketch pad
• beret
• art kit
• reusable bag
• 2 product coupons

During the month of July, 18,500 art designs were submitted to Rudi's Organic Bakery for their sandwich box art contest in support of healthier lunch options in school lunchrooms nationally.  And in conjunction with the art contest, Rudi's Organic Bakery out of Boulder, CO is giving away one of their art packs inspired by Rudi's sandwich box designs on The Curious Case of Mommyhood!  Does your child like art?  This art pack has everything your child will need to get started and inspired by art and healthy meals. 

To enter:

***REMEMBER: POST A COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY***

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Subscribe to my blog (located on the left side of my home page) and tell me how you keep your child's lunch healthy. This is MANDATORY to enter the giveaway.

Additional Entries:

• Join the Rudi's Organic Bakery newsletter found here
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• Grab my blog button and share (please post link)
• repost this giveaway on your facebook page and  post the link with your entry

The giveaway ends August 19th at midnight.  I will contact the winner with 3 days following the giveaway period.  Winner must notify me within 72 hours or another winner will be drawn.

Good luck!!!

The Curious Mommy

Disclaimer: Rudi's Organic Bakery provided me with information of this product to giveaway, and I was under no obligation to host a giveaway it if I so chose.  Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for a free product.

Please Don't Bring Your Sick Kids Around Here

Ever had this dilemma?  How do you feel about friends or family members bringing their sick and contagious children into your home?  This topic, so widely discussed, has been on my mind for days now while I watch my youngest fight a cold and now while I fight my own.  When is it okay to tell your loved ones to please avoid bringing their cold bugs into your home? 

First of all, I want to say that I am not obsessed with keeping germs away from my children.  When both of my sons were first born, yes, I was quite adamant about visitors washing their hands before they held my sons and I always sanitized my hands when we were out and about.  However, now that my sons are older I purposely don't always wash my hands following a trip to the market where I pushed a grocery cart.  I let my sons go to museums and playgrounds and sometimes forget to have them wash their hands before they consume food.  Despite that this is undoubtedly difficult for me, I force myself to relax a little on the sanitation.  I do this because I know that many germs are good for us.  However, I am not okay with my kids playing with obvious sick children.

Just a few weeks ago I had a long awaited play date set up with a dear friend whose daughter is fighting leukemia.  A few days beforehand a family member brought over his child who was coughing and had a constant runny nose.  I knew right away that I would have to cancel my play date for fear I bring a virus to her home.  And just like a virus's clockwork, my youngest and I both got a cold.  Had I gone to my friend's house for a play date, who knows what could have happened.  As of last week, her daughter's blood test results showed she has absolutely no working immune system at this time.  None.  She is quarantined at the moment. 

While there is plenty of evidence supporting the importance of children being exposed to "bugs" from things like dirt and even fecal matter early on aid in the efficiency of their immune systems later in life, there is NOT evidence to support the exposure to viruses doing the same.  In fact, children exposed to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) or bronchitis are more likely to develop asthma later on in life.  According to P.G. Hall and P.D. Sly, Between 50 and 90% of hospitalizations for bronchiolitis amongst children in the U.S. are directly attributable to RSV and substantial increases have been documented recently in admissions in North America, paralleling the spiralling increase which is occurring in asthma in pediatric and adult populations throughout the developed world. (Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2002, Vol. 196, no. 10, 1271-1275)

Influenza or the flu is also known to increase one's risk for asthma.  So when do we draw the line between good germ and bad germ exposure?  I would say when the germs can be spread by inhalation.  So why is there such a stigma in our society when we politely request parents to leave their sick children at home?  Not only would they be doing everyone else a favor, they would be allowing their children to rest and GET BETTER.  I understand that many parents work and struggle with being able to remain home with their ailing babies.  But there are still so many stay at home parents that continue to expose others of their sick children.  I guess the best choice for me now is to avoid inviting those parents into our home altogether.

~Mommy Bridget

Peter Rabbit Organic's Five New Flavors Review

Peter Rabbit Organics Five New Flavors

Once again, we had the pleasure of reviewing Peter Rabbit Organic's delicious organic fruit and veggie puree snacks.  This time, it was my 1 year old son Jude who got to try the new flavors out but not without letting me take a taste for myself.  Jude LOVED them.  He ate them in very little time, convincing me they were tasty before trying them out myself. 

The 5 new flavors are:

• pear and apple
• banana and apple
• pear and pea
• pumpkin, carrot and apple
• peach and apple

I was most excited to try out their vegetable and fruit puree snacks since not only do I want my 1 year old eating more vegetables in his diet but I love the way Peter Rabbit Organics blends the two, making a delicious and truly healthy snack.  My son Jude really loved every new flavor with the exception of the pumpkin, carrot and apple.  This was the first time I gave Jude a Peter Rabbit Organic's puree snack since it wasn't that long ago we introduced foods into his diet.  I didn't think he would know how to hold the pouch and how to extract the food but he figured it out in 2.2 seconds.  And he inhaled them! Now every time we go to Starbucks Jude pleads for a Peter Rabbit Organic's puree snack.

I thought the five new flavors by Peter Rabbit Organics were all quite delicious but like Jude felt the pumpkin flavor was less desireable.  However, if you like the taste of pumpkin I am sure you would love this flavor.  I do not like pumpkin...not even pumkin pie!  So it doesn't surprise me my child doesn't agree with it either.

Where to buy?

Peter Rabbit Organic's fruit and vegetable puree snacks are available online at amazon.com, target.com and diapers.com or in stores at Babies R Us, Albertson's, Starbucks, Publix, Whole Foods, Buy Buy Baby stores and REI.  Cost is relatively low ($1.79 per pouch which contains 4 to 4.4 oz) considering they are made with 100% certified organic ingredients!

Thank you to Peter Rabbit Organics for giving us the opportunity once again to do a fabulous and popular review.

Bridget James