We celebrated my son's 3rd birthday by having a painting party for a few of his friends at our house and the parents came along for the ride in form of a cocktail party. I am not against mixing the two occasions as it seems to be the only way we can see friends sometimes! Last year, I did a bit of the same, and hand made every bit of food with my nutritional flare, down to a carrot cake with all organic ingredients, no refined sugar, just agave nectar and a bit of honey and frosting sweetened with stevia. Even the food coloring I used was made from vegetables. That was when Jasper was my only child. This year, as I was holding Dakota, my 6 1/2 month old, someone asked me if I made the guacamole. The answer at every party before this would surely have been yes. After all- how difficult is it to make guacamole? "NO," I replied. "And I bought the hummus too, the cupcakes are from a conventional bakery and the party favors were made in China." People laughed, and some could not believe it. The bottom line is convenience is out there. We are not always able to deny ourselves that, no matter how healthy or mindful we try to be. It is unfair to ask any busy mom to do this- to look convenience in the eye and walk the other way. However, I do know that I will continue to fight against it, to find easier ways of preparing whole food and to walk my talk. I also know that these are not the only things that keep us balanced. Sometime, to keep calm and enjoy the ride, to make your day just a bit more relaxed, to take the stress off yourself and in turn your family, you just have to take the easy road. Tomorrow is always a new beginning- today we have to love ourselves, and respect all of our choices.
