The Blog

How To Live In Sync With Your Menstrual Cycle: Intro
Fertility Carley Mendes Fertility Carley Mendes

How To Live In Sync With Your Menstrual Cycle: Intro

Just like the lunar cycle, there are 4 different phases of the menstrual cycle. Fluctuating hormones in each phase can heavily influence your mood, emotions, energy, food cravings & more. You have the ability to live much more harmoniously when you live in sync with your menstrual cycle and work with the natural ebbs & flows of your body instead of against them.

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Ginger Snap Cookies (or Gingerbread Cookies)
Recipes Carley Mendes Recipes Carley Mendes

Ginger Snap Cookies (or Gingerbread Cookies)

I know that baking is a science. I know that you can’t just throw a bunch of ingredients together in a bowl and hope for the best. Especially when you’re working with alternative flours like coconut flour or almond flour. I really hate wasting food in the development process. That’s why I much prefer creating no-bake dessert recipes because even if the trial batches aren't perfect, they're usually always still edible.

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The Important Difference Between Choking, Gagging & Coughing in Babies
Babies and Toddlers Carley Mendes Babies and Toddlers Carley Mendes

The Important Difference Between Choking, Gagging & Coughing in Babies

When starting solids with your baby, choking and gagging are always the biggest concern. Choking is probably the number one reason why parents don’t give baby-led weaning a chance and decide against introducing finger foods from the start. This is an incredibly important topic and I wanted to cover everything you need to know so you can keep the baby safe and have more confidence with solids.

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6 Travel-Friendly Snacks For Kids
Recipes Carley Mendes Recipes Carley Mendes

6 Travel-Friendly Snacks For Kids

Being prepared with healthy snacks for my kids on road trips has saved me many times. These 6 travel-friendly recipes don't require refrigeration. They're all kid-approved and delicious for the whole family to enjoy.

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The Video of Stevie's Home Birth
Pregnancy and Birth Carley Mendes Pregnancy and Birth Carley Mendes

The Video of Stevie's Home Birth

Completely in awe of birth, I've spent countless hours immersed in the beautiful videos that women have graciously shared online. Getting a glimpse into these empowering births has been such a gift, and I'm so honored to have the opportunity to pay it forward. Stevie was born peacefully and powerfully into the water on August 20, 2016.

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My First Meal After Giving Birth & A Recipe For Birth Broth
Recipes, Pregnancy and Birth Carley Mendes Recipes, Pregnancy and Birth Carley Mendes

My First Meal After Giving Birth & A Recipe For Birth Broth

Nourishing food is one of the most important parts of postpartum recovery. I’ve never experienced hunger quite as I did in those first few days postpartum when my milk was coming in, but immediately after birth, it’s best to start slow with easily digestible and nutrient-dense foods. Think of foods you would turn to when recovering from the flu. As you can imagine, the organs in your abdomen are all going through a massive shift, and digestion can be compromised.

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The Birth Story Of Linus
Pregnancy and Birth Carley Mendes Pregnancy and Birth Carley Mendes

The Birth Story Of Linus

The thing about a second birth is that I had already experienced a birth before, so I somewhat knew what to expect. The other thing about a second birth is that you have expectations of what that birth will look like. But as we all know, no two births are alike, and the birth of a baby is a mysterious process, not to be interrupted with any of our own plans.

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5 Energizing Ice Cubes to Make for Labor (& Morning Sickness)
Recipes, Pregnancy and Birth Carley Mendes Recipes, Pregnancy and Birth Carley Mendes

5 Energizing Ice Cubes to Make for Labor (& Morning Sickness)

I shared a post on Facebook about some simple, but very effective, coconut water ice cubes for labor that ended up being the most popular post to date. I wanted to write a follow-up blog to share more information with additional options because as I experienced first hand, you never know what scents and flavors will appeal to you during labor. So it’s best to have two or more of these different ice cube flavors prepped ahead of time.

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Orange Juice Gelatin Gummies
Recipes Carley Mendes Recipes Carley Mendes

Orange Juice Gelatin Gummies

These gummies came to be after I received a carton of organic orange juice in a weekly staples box delivery from SPUD. I'm not usually a huge fan of fruit juice because once the fiber is removed it can spike your insulin quite drastically, which (among other things) can negatively impact energy and mood, especially in children. A cup of orange juice raises blood sugar so quickly that it’s one of the recommended foods to bring someone out of a diabetic shock.

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A Review Of Our First Month With Baby-Led Weaning
Babies and Toddlers Carley Mendes Babies and Toddlers Carley Mendes

A Review Of Our First Month With Baby-Led Weaning

I was actually a little nervous to start Stevie on solids. Partly because exclusive breastfeeding is just so easy and starting solids meant an additional layer of responsibility as a mother. It also meant I could no longer deny that my little baby was growing up. But I was mostly nervous to see how she’d take to baby-led weaning. I’m such an advocate of the method… I’ve written blog posts declaring my love, taught seminars about it, and even created an online guide to help other parents benefit from the wonders of a self-fed baby.

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Colorful Coconut Bliss Balls
Recipes Carley Mendes Recipes Carley Mendes

Colorful Coconut Bliss Balls

I've become pretty excited about experimenting with natural, food-based dyes after the Easter eggs I made this year with my son, Jones. I'm so pleased with how these colorful coconut sprinkles turned out and I'm very surprised I haven't seen them around before. I think this fun and easy method should be much more popular. Since I made them, Jones has been sprinkling them on everything. Colorful coconut sprinkles on his morning smoothie, then on his apple slices with almond butter. At dinner he asked for the green sprinkles to put on top of his broccoli. "To match" he said. Of course I had to let him, just grateful that I have a toddler who willingly eats broccoli.

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Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs
Recipes Carley Mendes Recipes Carley Mendes

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

At almost 3 years old, my son's patience and manual dexterity are improving by the day, so we've been getting into more crafting projects together lately. I thought this Easter would be a great time to try the naturally dyed eggs that I've been wanting to make for years now. He was involved in each step along the way and excitedly checked the progress as the eggs began changing color. Among other things, artificial food dye is strongly linked to hyperactive behavior in children. In Europe, food containing artificial coloring is required to have a label warning that it “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”. So even if you don't plan on eating your dyed Easter eggs, it's best to limit your children's exposure as much as possible.

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5 Strategies For Feeding a Picky Toddler
Babies and Toddlers Carley Mendes Babies and Toddlers Carley Mendes

5 Strategies For Feeding a Picky Toddler

The absolute best way to build healthy habits for your child is to begin as soon as they start solids. Offering a wide variety of textures and flavours right from the get-go helps to broaden their palate and encourages adventurous eating. When a baby or toddler is introduced to a new food and rejects it, it's important to continue reintroducing as it can take several attempts before a new food is accepted. If you have a picky child you may fall into the rut of serving similar and accepted foods time and time again, because they don't 'like' other foods. Although the less they're exposed to, the less likely they will be to explore different foods when given the chance.

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Turmeric Chia Seed Pudding
Recipes Carley Mendes Recipes Carley Mendes

Turmeric Chia Seed Pudding

I can't get enough of turmeric's earthy flavor these days. Many ancient cultures placed an emphasis on soft, warm foods during the postpartum period and believed that warming spices were essential for restoring strength in a new mother. This turmeric chia seed pudding is especially beneficial for new mothers with its warming spices to help ground & provide balance.

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Breastfeeding Support For The New Mother
Postpartum and Breastfeeding Carley Mendes Postpartum and Breastfeeding Carley Mendes

Breastfeeding Support For The New Mother

Many women focus on assembling a support team during birth, but new mothers need early postpartum support as well. Have friends and family help with household chores, make you food, or take older siblings while you rest, heal and establish breastfeeding with your baby. Being skin-to-skin with your little one will increase your levels of prolactin, a hormone responsible for helping initiate and maintain breast milk production.

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Coffee Alternatives For The Sleep Deprived Mother
Postpartum and Breastfeeding Carley Mendes Postpartum and Breastfeeding Carley Mendes

Coffee Alternatives For The Sleep Deprived Mother

I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker, but after having a baby I welcomed the occasional pick-me-up after a sleepless night. A morning cup of coffee soon became a daily ritual and I knew deep down that it wasn’t serving me. Instead of making me an energized supermom, coffee was leaving me anxious, jittery, and much less patient.

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