All Entries in the "hhm contributors" Category

mioara | sushi salad recipe

Most people love sushi. Some only go for the mild flavors of California Rolls, if they don’t have the palate for eel, roe and wasabi. While we were still in Lebanon our great friends invited us to a buffet brunch at Jeita Country Club with spectacular views of the Christian city, Jounieh. We dined on [...]

tess | boosters and barriers: things that increase and decrease milk supply

A mother’s breast milk supply naturally varies from day to day, and even from hour to hour throughout any given day. Milk volume is not a constant. However, most fluctuations in milk supply are not large enough for mother or baby to notice. There may be a few additional feedings requested by the baby for [...]

carolyn | time-out as a life skill, not a punishment

Imagine a world where people realized their self-control was waning and they would excuse themselves until their coping skills returned.  They would retreat to a place where they found comfort, perspective or distraction.
Meditation is a kind of time-out, so is reading, or an afternoon nap.  School detention, Juvenile Hall and prison are also time-outs.  The [...]

tess johnson | weathering the storms of breastfeeding

Weathering the storms of Breastfeeding
In Fresno, the skies have been dark and gloomy for days, with great downpours of rain filling the streets. Travel was sometimes challenging this past week, as the drainage gutters failed to keep up with the huge volumes of water being sent their direction. Then came Thursday morning, when it became [...]

martha-marie | pregnancy without pounds

Hello Happy Hour Moms.  It has been a little while since I have posted an article, but my brain has been fried.  At first I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t think of one single thing to write about,  much less why I couldn’t keep all my daily thoughts straight, as well.  Then it hit [...]

carolyn | girl wars in kindergarten

In recent weeks I have been approached three times about conflict between little girls.  I am not talking 10 year-olds when the Queen Bee dynamic is firmly in play, but dominance, exclusion, and tests or games to determine friendships between four, five and six year-olds.
Now, anyone who has spent time with four-year-olds knows that they [...]

amber | this is not what i signed up for

In 2001, when I met my husband, I was a young girl with big dreams. I can sit here and say that my dreams included becoming a successful, powerful, and highly-respected businesswoman. But I would be lying. I wanted to meet a successful, powerful, and highly-respected man who wanted to take care of me.
I would [...]

tess | lactation cookies?

are there really cookies that can help increase milk production?

Many women who breastfeed worry about the challenge of keeping their milk supply high enough to meet baby’s needs. For most of these mothers, simply increasing the frequency of feedings, or adding some pumping after the feedings, will provide enough added stimulation to build plenty of [...]

mr. mioara | strawberry avocado cocktails

Avocados are healthy and delicious, but have you ever thought about pairing them with strawberries, bananas and a hint of sweetness with real honey? A cocktail in Lebanon can mean anything from a real martini to a blend of fresh, local fruits with fresh juices, and ashta (clotted cream, which is time consuming and [...]

carolyn | when a child hits or kicks a parent

When my child doesn’t get his way, sometimes he will strike out at me, either kicking me or hitting me, and/or using angry words (”If you don’t let me do XYZ, I won’t ABC!!”).  I try to stay calm and explain that I won’t let him hurt me, but I would love some suggestions on [...]

why there should be a tour guide in the breast pump aisle

Any mother who has tried to navigate through the array of breast pumps at her local baby store would probably agree that it would be nice to have a knowledgeable tour guide available for the adventure. There seem to be as many types of pumps out there as there are flavors of ice cream in [...]

tess | in search of breastfeeding classes and support in fresno

British philosopher Bertrand Russell once said, “The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge.”  And in the minds of most women who want the “good life” for their babies, a more accurate statement about breastfeeding will never be found. It is first a powerful love for the precious baby being nurtured within [...]

jennifer | who are birthmoms, really?

Chances are, you know an adoptive parent or an adopted person, but when you get to the third member of the adoption triad, a birthparent, far fewer of you have someone who immediately pops into your head, right?  A birthmother (or “firstmother” as some prefer), is defined for our purposes here, as a woman [...]

carolyn | my daughter won’t eat in her high chair, help!

Several months we moved into a new home. Throughout the chaos, we found ourselves having “picnics” on the floor for a week or so until our dining room table arrived. Ever since then, my daughter refuses to eat in a high chair, booster seat, etc. I find that I’m somewhat successful in getting her to [...]

mioara | famous soup recipe

In Lebanon is called “sharba” in romania its “supa” and to anyone that eats this soup is the “best soup you’ve ever tasted!”
Ingredients:
4 medium carrots
1 green pepper
1 medium white onion
2 small zuccini, chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
2 medium potatoes, small cubes
1 handful Eqyptian rice
oil
3 tbls. dried celery leaves
1 lemon
cream
For meatballs:
1/2 lb. ground beef or lamb
2 tbls. [...]

tess | the amazing value of postpartum lactation care and support provided in the home

Much has been said about the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby throughout the life spectrum. Additionally, it is common knowledge that while most women initially choose to breastfeed, some will not succeed past the first few days.  The question, then, is what can be done to close this gap. If most women [...]

jennifer pedley | you mean i don’t have to go to china to adopt a baby?

Many people don’t realize that domestic adoption has always been the most common way in which Americans adopt children. Adoptive Families Magazine reports that in 2008, there were 25,000 to 30,000 infants adopted in the U.S. (excluding foster and relative adoption), more than all the international adoptions from every country combined! In the [...]

carolyn | when your kids say they don’t like you

“I don’t like you” is a common refrain of the three-year-old, quickly replaced at four by “you’re not my friend” and “you’re not coming to my birthday party.”  Preschoolers, who are just beginning to engage in reciprocal relationships, wield this power over their peers and attempt to wield it over their parents.  Don’t take it [...]

quick garlic tip from mioara | in a dash

Hate chopping garlic? How about when you need only one or two cloves? I swear that between my family and I we have tried so many different kinds of garlic presses to avoid using our fingernails to scrape out all the leftover chunks…so gross. (love garlic, hate when you smell like it all day!)

Lebanese cooking [...]

tess johnson | hhm’s newest contributor

Thanks again to Happy Hour Mom’s most recent guest host, Tess Johnson, RN, PHN, IBCLC. An incredible woman, mom of three, and one of the best resources for your lactation needs here in the Central Valley. Check out Tess’s website for more details at http://www.tjlactation.com. Her services include:
Home Visits, phone consultations, etc.
Eco-friendly breastpump sales and [...]