When my first child, who is now four, was born - I had lofty visions of making all of my own baby food from scratch. Hand picking organic fruit from my garden that I would cook and puree and store myself, you know, along with all of the sleep I would be getting and time for pruning a garden. 

Ah, first time mom Mandi was so cute.

​Fast forward four years and another baby later, and I know a few things about motherhood. I also know you don't have to sacrifice quality when it's done for you if you know where to look.

Lucky for us busy moms, Smart & Final has launched their own Sun Harvest baby food brand this month that is organic, clean, GMO-free and made simply from fruits and vegetables. That's it!

Available in an array of delicious flavors and only $0.99 per ounce serving, the packaging is also BPA-free, which you know is a huge must for us and most mamas. ​

You can choose from Mixed Vegetables, Pear, Apple Mango, Pear & Banana, Carrot, Apple, Banana and Strawberry and Sweet Potato, giving your little one a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables to please their budding palate. Which you know I am a huge fan of. Diversity in a child's diet, from a very early age, helps them to like an array of vegetables and fruits as they grow. 

For store locations and information on Sun Harvest, as well as other products offered at Smart & Final, you can visit their website here. 

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #gardeinmeatlessmeats #lovesprouts #CollectiveBias

As the school year begins, and we prepare to move into our newly renovated modern farmhouse, #PimentalRanch, I am setting up all the easy solutions for our days to run smoothly. I call these solutions my daily rhythms. 

One of them, even though we home school, or maybe especially because we home school, is having our meals prepped and ready to grab at mealtime. Having them prepped for the day or week ahead, helps me keep the meals on our school table nutritious and balanced. 

As a nutritionist mama to a kiddo that loves veggies, (praise! Hoping all my littles share this love, haha), I love having vegan mealtime options. Your family needn't sacrifice taste or texture when opting for vegan entrees in a school lunch. You can parent young ones while leading a plant based life. Gardein offers a large selection of products to choose from for variety throughout the week.

Our favorites this week have been the Sweet and Sour Porkless Bites and the Seven-Grain Crispy Tenders that we picked up at Sprouts. I'm sharing a list of options below to accompany each entree for a well-rounded meal for your kids or yourself. 

Good for the body and the planet, it's choices we can feel good about. With a wide-variety of the products on a path to Non-GMO verified, Gardein doesn't use any artificial colors or flavors. This is HUGE on my mama radar - artificial coloring and flavor can cause so many problems in our bodies, that we want to protect our kids bodies from being exposed to things we can prevent. 

For those of you with soy or gluten sensitive kiddos, the ones shown wouldn't be an option but they do offer gluten-free varieties!. For those who can enjoy these ingredients, these are a great option - good for little growing bodies. 

To make well-rounded meals every day of the week, bookmark this list to check out some of our favorite sides to accompany the Gardein entrees. Easy to pack into lunch boxes, these are healthful hits with kids and adults alike.

To accompany the Gardein Seven-Grain Crispy Tenders

• Fresh Berries
• Vegan Macaroni
• Corn Chips
• Grapes (cut in half for safe eating)
• Avocado Slices
• Apple
• Salad
• Pasta Salad

To accompany the Gardein Sweet and Sour Porkless Bites

• Edamame
• Rice
• Quinoa
• Carrot Sticks
• Celery
• Pineapple 
• Snap Peas 
• Orange Slices

​To make it easy to implement plant-based lunches and go meatless at mealtime, you can find a "Buy 2 Get One Free" coupon below you can use at Sprouts. Click on the Sprouts Digital Coupon link to be taken to the coupon.  ​

Coupon offer good 8/13/2019-11/09/2019.  Buy 2 Gardein Meatless Meat products and Get 1 Free at any Sprouts Farmer’s Market Store. 

What are some of your favorite plant based back-to-school lunch options? Share them in the comments below! 

#gardeinmeatlessmeats #lovesprouts

What a beautiful, exhausting, joyful, emotional sixteen months it has been as a mother. 

I count myself blessed every moment I get to spend with this little guy who is becoming such a spunky, quirky, cute, funny little person. No one tells ya all the feels you will have EVERY DAY playing this role, and so I thought I'd compile a little entry of what motherhood is to me. To inspire others, as a keepsake for myself and to lighten the usually heavy conversations that can arise in this season. 

Motherhood is...

• One shaved leg because the nap ended early. It's also a great reason to wear yoga pants everyday and dub it your "momiform".
• Not being able to put any gifts under the tree until Christmas morning or ornaments on the bottom half of your tree, but this time of year becomes THE MOST magical it's ever been since your own childhood so none of that matters. Bare tree and all. 
• Never getting to finish your sandwich because toddler hands are always nearby, while at the same time it's feeling proud your little one is eagerly asking for the spinach and tomato wrap that's packed full of nutrients. 
• It's loss of sleep, muscle tone, me time, and time with your spouse - but it's gaining a new way to experience love, the most precious gift from God, a new little buddy, newfound laughter and the earth's greatest joy. So really, who cares if your pants don't fit the same and you need GOBS of concealer to look like you're rested? 

​
Afterall, they're only small a little while, so soak up every moment, love them hard and enjoy the ride. 
​

This month has brought on  A LOT of new tastes to little man's palette and many more opportunities for him to sample foods outside of the house. This has made going out, and bringing him along on our date nights, much more fun and easy. 

Not having to bring so much external food from home makes it easier to be spontaneous and I'm thankful he is eating so many fruits, vegetables, healthy oils and meats now because we can order something for him at almost any restaurant I can eat at. 

He's moved to having lunches and dinners that are unique to what we are having, so moving forward you will see separate breakfast, lunch and dinner sections for even more meal ideas. 

We also introduced, GLUTEN. (insert shocked gasps here), for many reasons, that I will talk about in next months post, but you will see some bread included in the meals below. 
​

​*Note that these are the meals he's served from breakfast, lunch and dinner. He also gets two-three snacks a day. Snacks include apple slices, pear slices, organic teething cookies, organic puffs and vegetable based baby food purees

As we dive deeper into Baby Led Weaning, I thought it would be fun to share the meals that little man enjoys. He's got SUCH an appetite and it's no surprise he's our child, since he's a foodie through and through. We stick to organic, healthy choices for him, and as of yet he's still dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free and pretty much Top 8 Free. We are going slow with introductions and now that he's almost 1, we will be introducing more and more for variety and nutrition. 

I've posted some photos of the meals I put together for him, and I plan to share along the way, leading up to toddler meals. These are the meals he's currently enjoying at 10 months of age. 

I would love your ideas too! If you have some great infant or toddler food or meal ideas, feel free to share. Any recipes of a specific dish I make for him, I will link to the recipe here on NoshandNurture.com! 

*Note that these are the meals he's served from breakfast, lunch and dinner. He also gets two-three snacks a day. Snacks include apple slices, pear slices, organic teething cookies, organic puffs and vegetable based baby food purees. 

The beauty of eating clean, whole foods, is that Grey can usually eat some of what I order. 

When traveling in Long Beach, we stayed at the Westin and for breakfast I ordered scrambled eggs, gluten free toast and avocado. 

I shared my avocado with Grey, ordered him a side of bananas and brought a puree pouch of baby food to round out his meal. 

Mama + baby were satisfied. Done and done! 

Keep an eye out for What Grey Ate, every month on Nosh and Nurture! And as always I'd love to hear your feedback and what you're feeding your littles.

I also share a lot of our mealtimes, and more, on my Instagram Stories, so if you're over there, follow along! Find me @noshandnurture. 

This post was sponsored by Balance Bar and while I was compensated for this post all opinions on this deliciousness are my own,
​

As the countdown to Baby P draws to a close we are wrapping up all the finishing touches to be best prepared for our new "day to day" routine and that includes my business affairs.

Working from my home office as an editor, journalist and nutritionist, I found it tricky to choose my dates for maternity leave, as stopping at any point left me feeling like I'd leave loose ends, and I have a feeling it may be equally hard to decide the right time to go back to work. Not knowing what to expect from raising our first newborn and inevitable sleepless nights that lie ahead, mixed with the need to create and get back to my clients, I'm interested to see how it will all play out. 

I have had an amazing response from talented guys and gals who have stepped in to guest blog for me and the magazine's Fall issue wrap came right before my due date, giving me some time to step down from my roles and enjoy baby cuddles and some time away. And what I am learning most about all of these new transitions is that balance is key. 

I wanted to take this into consideration as I packed our new diaper bag. Mr. Charming and I each purchased our own, and each have our own packing system and needs when it comes to venturing outside of the house with Baby P.  Mine is equal parts baby and me, as I love to get outside of the house and work from local coffee houses and cafes and take meetings when I need to. 

Wanting to have all baby essentials on hand, it was also important for me to be able to function outside of the house with baby as I ease back into work and I feel I was able to strike a nice balance between baby mama and business woman with my selections - so I wanted to share below my necessities to packing the perfect Momprenuer diaper bag. 

• Diapering Essentials - It's a good rule of thumb to have one diaper for every two hours you are out, plus a couple of extras for emergencies or if you are held up and end up being out longer than planned. In addition, you will want to have a changing pad, plenty of wipes (they are great for little hands and sticky faces as well!) and your ointment if you use one. 
• Feeding Supplies - As a breastfeeding mama I have my accessories and scarf with me at all times. If Mr. Charming and I are out for multiple hours or if I have a networking event I can pump ahead of time and supply him with bottles of my milk for the baby. No matter if you're feeding baby breast milk or formula, have enough to match how long you will be out, again, keeping in mind emergencies or extra time. I also invested in a bag that came with insulated bottle pouches with removable freeze bags to keep the milk chilly until it is needed. 
• Change of Clothes - There are many reasons (some of which I'll spare you, if you're a mama, you're familiar) your little one may need a change of clothes. I always keep two extra onesies in the bag at all times. As the weather starts to cool in the fall I will add a small cardigan, extra socks and a little hat for added warmth if we venture outdoors. 
• Linens - As we are in the middle of a very hot summer here, linens are kept to a minimum when it comes to what I need to venture out with. But a lightweight blanket for swaddling and a few burp clothes will always be with me. 
• Planner - My planner is one of the items that keeps me sane and keeps my business, and daily schedule, running smoothly. Running two businesses, a household and now preparing to become a mom, it's nice to have a place where I can keep all appointments, posts, clients, feedings and chores in one place. 
• Snack - Quick, portable and nutritious options are my go-to. Aside from bags of mixed nuts, fruits and veggies, Balance Bars are my snack of choice because they feel indulgent while giving me filling fiber and lean protein for under 200 calories. The balance of the fiber and protein sustains my energy and helps me when I'm on the go or when I'm working away from home while also playing the mom role. They also pair so well with a mug of tea at the local cafe when I want to have a little "dessert" in the middle of my day.

• ​Tech - I bought a small laptop just for blogging on the go a few months back and it fits nicely in the diaper bag along with baby's things. That way, I always have access if I need to write a post or respond to emails. I also have my phone, an extra portable charger and USB flash drive for photos. 

I am pretty picky with what goes in my bag so it's not too cumbersome or over-packed. I try to pack just what we need, including my favorite brands of what I need. From the diapers I choose to the lotions we use, it's planned in advanced before it's packed up. 

When it comes to my noshing, I'm able to crave freely and Balance Bars are perfect because they are easily portable, pack a ton of protein and nutrients and now have a line, Balance Bare, that is completely dairy-free and gluten-free so that I can pack a couple of extra to share with special-diet clients that I meet with for coffee. As a nutritionist, it's important to me that my food is as balanced as my day and Balance gives me something decadent to enjoy while supplying me with fiber ( a MUST for a postpartum diet) and vitamins to give me energy as a new mama.

​Along with Balance, I am hosting a giveaway, so you busy mamas too can score some snacks for your on-the-go lifestyle!

I would love to know your packing tips, mompreneur tips or just a comment on how you'd pack up this delicious snack if you win the 6 pack. 
​

Prize Details: Prize: 1 6-pack box of Balance in  Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat, Chocolate Peppermint Patty, Dark Chocolate Turtle orDulce De Leche & Caramel varieties. We cannot guarantee flavor preference.
ARV: $7.74. Contest runs 8/12-8/15. 

​For more information on Balance:

​Balance is available at CVS, Amazon and select Walmart stores nationwide.

​This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TenaTips #CollectiveBias

Pregnancy is filled with many amazing moments .

Feeling your baby kick. That connection to a little human you've never seen. The "glow". The longer hair and nails. The attention and care for your well being from pretty much any and everyone. 

But, if you've been there, you know it's not always paradise in pregnant town. There's the flip side, the side that is still totally worth it, but the side that makes the nine months feel a little more like a few years. Or is that just me? No?

That side, ladies, is what I'm touching on today and how it pertains to how we can still be functioning, beautiful, fit creatures on this roller coaster of an emotional, nauseated, tired, moody, incontinent journey to motherhood. 

It was important to me to maintain some resemblance of my Paleo diet and fitness regime through my pregnancy. 

In the first trimester it was still easy to fit into my cute, tiny yoga attire and due to the fact my morning sickness was so bad I didn't worry about gaining weight. We were more worried I would lose to much. I was also put on a no-workout restriction due to being a high risk first trimester - so skipping ahead to...

The second trimester. This is called the pregnancy honeymoon phase for a reason. My energy soared, my morning sickness tapered off around four months and there were days when aside from my burgeoning bump, I sometimes forgot I was pregnant. This was when prenatal yoga was still a breeze and walking and hiking was still something I tried to do on a regular basis. Even though doing so left me a little winded and proved that my reality was that I was, in fact, growing another human being and needed to start listening to my body and its new, foreign limitations. 

Now, the third trimester, where I am currently residing with puffy feet, crazy cravings and all, brings about the greatest challenges for going about your day It's where your body really starts to ramp up to labor day. The baby grows at lightning speeds, your muscles stretch to their max and your bodily functions change up a bit. And ladies, if we are being honest that can mean gas issues, incontinence when your gleefully getting in a light jog or sinus pressure like you reside in a ragweed meadow. 

Again, totally worth it to cuddle that little human that will be here before you  know it. But still, a challenge.

To help you be prepared, I have put together my workout arsenal, along with my favorite Tena products, to help you feel as confident and ready to take on whatever the day brings. 
​

Water, water & more water - Carrying another human, it's only natural for your nutritional needs to increase and water is no exception, it's actually number one. Even though somedays tacos can feel like number one. Mmm, tacos. For your water intake, aim for 1-2 glasses more a day than normal, 3-4 additional on days you work out. 
​

Non-Restrictive Attire - You want to be comfortable and able to move freely. Maternity yoga pants, a long, fitted maternity shirt and a supportive bra is my personal go-to. And comfortable shoes!! Having support for your legs and feet is crucial to help balance the extra weight you are carrying. 

Light Weights - Pregnancy isn't a time for heavy lifting, but it is important to keep muscles toned. I carry a small pair of 2 or 3 lb. weights to curl when I'm walking or at the gym doing a stretch session by the mirrors. 

An Extra Hand Towel - Living in Arizona, where it is currently 120 degrees today in my third trimester, no joke, I sweat. A lot. I actually hardly ever broke a sweat, even during hard workouts pre-baby, so this is very new and very unpleasant to me. So I throw an extra hand towel in my bag for really hot days or harder workouts. 

TENA Overnights or Pads - Many women deal with bladder control issues in the last trimester of pregnancy (and many times, beyond) Ah, the joys of motherhood. Depending on your level of need, whether it be light or heavy when exerting yourself through excercise, TENA makes a whole line of products to match your personal needs. TENA allows us women to feel confident and supports us so that we don't have to forgo a workout or any other life activity where a leak may happen. 
​

​Healthy snacks - This one isn't just for the gym. Carrying healthy snacks wherever you go can keep your blood sugars even and help you avoid unhealthy splurges. Protein bars, protein balls, crisp veggies, apple slices or a hearty trail mix is my go to in both my gym bag and purse. 
​

What have been the greatest tools in your Third Trimester Pregnancy workout bag? Share in the comments below! 

As you all know I am already a Pampers mama. I not only adore the actions they've taken to provide hypoallergenic options for sensitive babies, which if Baby P is anything like his or her mama, will be, but the customer service I've received in speaking directly with them has been phenomenal and makes me feel like a valued mama every time.

​I get to share something special with you fellow Pampers mom's who currently use diapers or training pants. And if you're not currently a Pampers user, the coupon coming out this weekend will make it worth trying. 

Since June is National Potty Training Month, I've partnered with Pampers to tell you about an offer you can find in your Sunday paper THIS WEEKEND, on June 12th, 2016. 

There will be a coupon offer for $3 off two bags or one box of any Pampers Diapers or Pampers Training Pants. So put on a hot pot of coffee, feed the kiddos breakfast and get out the scissors as you kick back, relax and peruse the paper while getting your savings. 

Being a manufacturers coupon, you can use the coupon at any grocery, mass retail or discount store where diapers are sold. If you are new to Pamper's there are many options to choose from in the Pamper's line - 

​For more information on Pampers diapers and training pants, visit http://www.pampers.com

​Or visit Pamper's on social media - 
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Pampers)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/Pampers)
​YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/Pampers)

Do you currently use Pampers? Which ones are your favorite? I stocked up on the Pampers Sensitive for when I bring Baby P home this summer but would love your feedback! 

A very special post today! I was honored to be interviewed by The Stealthy Kitchen Mama for her Children's Book Worm Series. A lover of all books, spending hours on end at traditional bookstores, and lover of the written word, I was so happy when she asked me to be a part of this. I believe wholeheartedly in planting the seed of the magic of books in children from a young age. 

You’re going to be a mom. Again. This was the initial thought I had when I discovered I was pregnant with my 2nd bundle of joy. I started picturing adorable clothes and nursery décor. My Pinterest became overloaded with adorable baby ideas and tips.  Then a few weeks later reality set in as I started to remember what it was like when my oldest was born and the things I had learned the first time around. I admit, with that first born, it was truly trial and error. I didn’t research a lot of things up front – I used the diapers that my friends said were best, I picked out his car seat because it was cute, not because it won the safety rating award… yes I definitely played Russian roulette on certain things.

The advice started coming as soon as I told people I was pregnant with the 2nd one. It seemed everyone knew what was best for my child and wanted to make sure I knew they were the expert on certain things. This wasn’t my first rodeo so most of their advice I would politely nod at and take it with a grain of salt. The one topic that did seem to keep coming up was disposable versus cloth when it came to diapering. I was hearing more and more about cloth diapers and the pro’s for using them. My hairstylist was the first person to give me the low down on cloth diapers. She had done her research and was very open about the pros AND the cons to cloth diapering. My oldest always got horrible diaper rash and I never thought it might be because of the diapers, I just assumed he was prone to diaper rash – Like I said earlier, he was my trial and error baby for sure. I started doing my own research and even found a class at a local baby boutique that educated parents to be on the ins and outs of clothing diaper. I was curious to learn more… the next step was getting my husband on board. I tried starting with the selling point that we were raised in cloth diapers so why not use what was used on us. He just gave me an odd look like I was crazy. I asked him to join me at one class and if it wasn’t something he wasn’t 100% on board with then we could go the disposable route.  

The class was very informative and got my hubby on board. We learned that there was a variety of cloth diapers – prefolds, covers, all-in-ones, pocket diapers… It seemed like the options were endless. The instructor showed each kind and went over the pros and cons of each. There were so many questions that we had, that were just like the other parents. We also learned the average cloth diapered baby is potty trained at 18-22 months, while disposable is 26-30 months. When it came time to potty train my oldest, I remember I tried pull ups until I realized they were glorified diapers, as soon as I put real underwear on him, he was potty trained within two days. The thought of cloth potty training a child sooner made sense.

I also did my research on natural disposable diapers such as Honest Company, Huggies Pure and Earth’s Best. I loved the designs that the Honest company offered, I loved that I could find Huggies in Target and Earth’s Best was the brand of baby food I had used with my oldest – all names that I was familiar with and felt “safe” with. They had their pros as well – they were hypoallergenic, made without fragrances and latex and have you seen the cute designs by The Honest Company?? My husband and I went back and forth on what we wanted to do. It ultimately came down to cost and our child’s health. The upfront of investment for cloth made more sense for us versus the long term cost with disposable. The chance of diaper rash with cloth was a lot less than with disposable – and in the event my 2nd was prone to diaper rash, I wanted to avoid it at all costs. We made the leap into cloth diapering and 6 months in, so far, it’s not that bad. I hardly notice the extra laundry – but I could do without the smell – yes, I admit, the smell of pee when you open up the wet bag that holds the dirty diapers, knocks you on your butt the first few times… but so does a diaper genie. 

There were also some myths that I would love to debunk.

Karly is a true southern girl through and through. Wife and mama to two sweet boys, she is also a professional event planner and publicist and has traveled with her littles more times than she can count. The sweet tea, loving Granola Mommy is a first time blogger on Nosh & Nurture and plans to continue writing on topics on various platforms to help mama's make healthy choices for their children.