Mama In Style

“We were pregnant with a second baby, and at eight weeks I miscarried. And that was a very emotional experience,” Bethenny Frankel said this morning on The Today Show.

Watch her interview here.

After rising to fame on The Real Housewives of New York, she got her own reality show where she shared her life, including her first pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood experience of her daughter Bryn. On The Today Show Frankel revealed that the miscarriage was recent and therefor would not be featured on the new season of her show, which is probably for the best. I understand that reality tv is supposed to show real life – the good, bad, ugly, and sad – but I think there are certain things that should be private, and the loss of a child certainly falls into that category.

So sad.

On a happier note, the new season premiers on February 20th, and we can watch her balance being a wife, mom to 21 month old daughter, and mega successful entrepreneur all while keeping us entertained with her witty NY humor.

In our family, we like to think we’re healthy, but honestly, we dont always stick to our health initiatives. Some weeks our diets consist of more Starbucks and Trader Joes frozen pizza than I care to admit. But what’s a girl to do? Life is hectic. I dont always have the time or mental energy to think about making 3 full healthy meals a day, 7 days a week. Yet, I don’t want my family’s health to suffer just because I can’t muster the energy to steam some broccoli.

This is why I love smoothies and juices. If I feel like we haven’t had enough fruits or veggies in our diet, a quick smoothie or juice can easily make up for it. Veggie drinks are especially great for toddlers, who can sometimes be picky eaters. Even if Miles doesn’t want to eat a plate of vegetables, he’ll always drink a juice.

There is a great little healthy foods Cafe in Seattle called Healeo. They specialize in organic food, juices, smoothies, coffee, and tea. Our favorite drink there is the Green Drink which contains kale, spinach, celery, parsley, and apple. Miles loves this juice, which of course makes his mommy happy .

However, going to a juice bar can sometimes get a bit spendy, especially for a family. Luckily it’s just as easy to make these drinks on your own.

Here’s my current favorite to make at home:

2 cups of kale
2 carrots
1/2 cup parsley
2 sticks of celery
1 apple
1 scoop of antioxidant protein powder
2 cups of hemp milk
2 cups of ice

I don’t have a juicer, but I just blend these up in my blender, and Miles and I drink it through out the day.

“The French view is really one of balance, I think. … What French women would tell me over and over is, it’s very important that no part of your life — not being a mom, not being a worker, not being a wife — overwhelms the other part,”

Perhaps it is because I was raised this way (even though I’m American), or maybe it’s because my husband is European, but this is the philosophy we tend to use in raising our son. We try not to be too anal about things, such as Miles’ schedule. If we’re out at a park or out to lunch having a great time, we don’t feel the need to cut the day short to rush home for a nap. As long as he naps sometime between 11 and 3, thats all that matters. Babies are amazingly adaptive and resilient, and I think as parents, sometimes we forget that. Maybe having a flexible nap schedule isn’t right for you and your kid(s), but we all have areas where we can perhaps loosen the reigns to allow for a more balanced life. I think it”s important to have fun with your kids while making them a part of your life and not jumping through hurdles to make their life “easier,” if that just means more needless stress for you.

I remember during a trip to Cannes, France before we had Miles, my husband and I sat watching as families with young children walked along the promenade at 9 PM. The children were self content while the parents looked relaxed, happy, and of course stylish. We realized that this was exactly how we wanted our family life to look. We don’t always succeed, but we definitely try. I think because of this, Miles is basically our little buddy. He tags along happily wherever we go (and I’m not just talking about to zoos and parks) and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Somehow, these just never get old! In honor of Fashion Week, check out “Sh*t Fashion Girls Say.” My favorite line: “hash tag chic to the next lev.” (#chictothenextlev). Hahah!

On Friday Johnson & Johnson announced it was recalling its entire U.S. supply of infant Tylenol. The recall comes on the heels of about 17 parents complaining about problems with a new dosing system. Read the full story here.