moomah!

Okay so I don't live in NYC so it took me awhile to hear about this one, but my friend Norma told me about it this summer and I finally got around to finding Moomah when I saw a piece on Tracey Stewart in good'ole Cookie Magazine (RIP)...


Moomah is a place that is kind of like going to your really creative friends house and having a playdate! You know that friend, ever an incredible project going on... Moomah is a friendly environment that fosters kids imagination and is overflowing with amazing ideas. One of my favorites is Gloga - or glow-in-the-dark yoga! Including classes for Mommy and me, 2-3 year old and also 4-7 year olds -- I love the idea and I can imagine kids just think this is great!


When Norma went to Moomah this Summer she made shadow boxes with her kids, they had 3-4 different kinds of boxes that kids could make, different sizes, things to put inside like grass, trees and branches, fabric, rocks and shells, etc. I thought this was a great idea so we made some shadow boxes for ourselves... you see if you just visit Moomah you will be inspired to do many of these things yourself!


Moomah also has great food and the best coffee...or so I've heard!
I will certainly be in to try and I can't wait to visit and find out what all the Moomah is all about!! ha!

Moomah, 161 Hudson Street
(between Laight and Hubert streets in Tribeca)
8am - 7pm
DIT table (do-it-together) open 9am - 5pm
visit the website here for more information

NEW robin mollicone necklaces!

I love it when people go crazy for things that I put up on nonchalant mom and Robins necklaces went fast... but I just got a new selection in of one of a kind pieces! Robin found some amazing antique Italian beads this time including some in Jet black and they are faceted! yes, I said FACETED they are so small that I can hardly believe it but the result is an amazing piece that I specially requested and she made just for us! (she told me about the beads and I just had to have them!).


Her new pieces are my favorites for this fall, the silver beads are perfectly simple and can be worn for day and at night (I love that in a piece of jewelry!). These beads are tiny, tiny, tiny.. about the size of the head of a needle (god, I actually think they are smaller!) she threads them one by one so each piece takes a few days to make.. it's crazy but the result is BEAUTIFUL! and I treasure her work.

So thank you Robin for working hard to bring us your amazing work!
(but get to work on the next thing and keep them coming!!)


click here to see Robin Mollicone necklaces on Nonchalant Mom

sugar, sugar, sugar....

Halloween is over and now the candy frenzy begins... This year it is especially important because of the threat of swine flu to be careful with the candy intake for you and your kids! Obviously everybody knows how bad candy is for you but there are so many levels to the 'badness'... most people are concerned with candy rotting away teeth, but that's only the beginning... Candy weakens your body and immune system and it is particularly alarming this year with the swine flu sweeping through schools and neighborhoods. So just be extra careful to watch the amount of candy being consumed.

I see lots of kids whose diet consists of white pasta, milk and bread... all of these 'foods' (if you can call them that..) are exactly what creates mucus in the lungs and sinuses add to this lovely meal processed sugar in the form of candy and you are in big trouble. I don't think that the 'scientifics' need to be explained here, it's all pretty clear, right? Be extra careful that you are eating a balanced diet and pile on the steamed or raw veggies at this time and you will help fight colds and flu and not add to the problem.

It's all pretty simple but sometimes you just need a 'nudge' or a reminder to keep on track. It starts to get crazy now with the candy at halloween, the cakes and cookies of Thanksgiving and then the final ZAP with Christmas and the Holidays! So think ahead and come up with ways to keep everyone healthy and happy without so many sweets this season... I know this is not easy but if you are a new family with young kids it's a good time to start some healthy holiday eating habits and they will never know the difference!

Here are some ideas to start you off but come up with your own and please share them with us here but adding your comments!

-bake your own cookies instead of buying them and then half the sugar in the recipe... exchange rasins for chocolate, apple juice for milk, or even experiment with alternative flours and see what you and your family like best.

-serve hard cheese or goat cheese and get your kids used to them, they have less milk and fats and you will be surprised at what your kids like!

-edamame makes a great snack and sometimes kids love to peel them out of the hull (if not your kids will love the ones out of the shell) remember to always buy organic when you are looking at Soy products.

-have carrot sticks cut and ready when kids come home from school, if they are 'dippers' use a bit of salad dressing mixed in with greek yogurt.

-use rice crackers (or also rice cakes) instead of regular wheat based or processed crackers (and try them with apple butter for a sweet snack)

-toasted nori seaweed - just prepare it by toasting it on your stove until it turns bright green. most kids love the taste and if you don't act like it's a crazy kind of food they don't know it's anyting different! so even if it's not normal for you keep up a good face and watch your kids eat it without a problem! (babies LOVE the stuff!!)

-if you don't have any allergies in your family nuts are great... just keep trying different nuts to see what your kids like, there is bound to be something they will love... my kids love pistachios! (of all the crazy things...??) - this one is not for babies as you have to be alert for alergies so talk to your pediatrician to see when your baby is ready for nuts.

-an apple a day keeps the doctor away... we take this saying to heart and we ALWAYS eat an apple a day especially now when they are at their juicy best!

But you get what I mean.. if you think about it it's easy to come up with wonderful snacks that have nothing to do with processed food and sugar.

Halloween Costume Contest

Halloween night is almost upon us. Our kids have finally made up their mind about what costume they want to wear. I'm having a lot of fun making my daughter's 'Peacock Princess' costume festooned with colorful feathers... and if I'm lucky it will turn out just as she described to me. Our son has decided he wants to go for a more mysterious costume this year and has opted to be a Ninja. There's lots of wrapping with black cloth and he's never tired of pulling down his scarf to hide everything but his eyes. Then he jumps around in karate poses. It's always exciting.

Don't forget to take a picture of your little one in their costume and send it to us to enter into the Halloween Costume Contest. Just to remind you, this year - we want to offer two prizes:

Best Halloween Costume: Win $80 in Nonchalant Kids Clothing !!! 

Most Original Costume: Win a Lucky Fish children's t-shirt !!!

We'll leave the contest open until 5 November 2009 to allow for your pictures. You can send your pictures to karim@nonchalantmom.com with your child's first name only and city. We will consider them all. Keep in mind we will share them with our other readers. All of us here at the office will make the final choice for winners of both categories. Once the decisions are made, we'll contact you via your original email to us. We can't wait to see them!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from all of us at Nonchalant Mom. 

So, let's see those costumes! 

DREAM Transport

the Workcycle

My husband and I remind each other all the time about getting around on bikes - especially after my first visit to Amsterdam a few years ago. When we lived in NYC, even against the odds, we used to bike everywhere (not so wise with the kids though). It's a dream of ours then and now - particularly since the bike of choice around where we live is usually either an off-road type or a racing bike. Our area is not made for cruising into town for shopping..... and that makes me rather sad. Nonetheless, a girl can dream, right?

The Bakfiets Model (just LOVE that weather cover above)

So, my eyes brightened when our friend Rachel at Hand Made Charlotte spotted some bikes recently and shared them with us. I allowed myself several minutes to dream about cruising around town with one of these bikes and the kids.... groceries in tow! I'd be in the fresh autumn air, huffing and puffing to get to cruising speed! But, for now, that's where it stays - only a dream.

But, since I'm dreaming I'd like to tell you which one I've had my eye on for some time. I'd start with the Bakfiets version (though my kids are both pretty much beyond that one now) just because I've always thought it looked so nicely designed and efficient. Later (which would be right about now) I'd opt for the 3-seat Workcycle with the kids on back. Or, if I was feeling particularly daring (hoping the kids would help peddle this foot powered limousine) I'd definitely go for the multi tandem version of the Onderwater...... how FUN that would be with the kids out front. I can just imagine the nightmare that would create on our town's Main Street - you know what they say about us Rhode Island drivers.....hmmm. My husband and I, for the longest time, tried to think we could compromise by at least just getting the cool saddle bags for the back of our existing bikes.... but deep down we knew they wouldn't be put to use as much as we might hope. Either way, if you've got the kind of environment friendly enough for these beauties, and the spare cash to plop down for the privilege then I strongly suggest you go for it! 

the  Onderwater Tandem

Thanks to Rachel for brightening up my day. And, if any of you are already using these bikes, please let me know (with a pic too) so I can salivate at your good fortune for being able to do so! You know I'd be soooooo jealous. For more images and ideas, you can check out the bikes on Dutch Bike Seattle for a good start.

flu season is upon us..

I have a had a bit of a delay weighing in on this subject, because like everyone else I know we are all a bit confused about what to do and how to take precaution. And, as I heard on NPR yesterday you can never really predict what is going to happen with the flu, what you can be sure of is that whatever you DO predict it will be wrong... so let's start there!

In our community a crazy flu virus has ran through the school system and in one case wiped out an entire class. It varied from case to case from mild to severe but consisted of only a fever, no vomiting, no diarrhea, and very little sneezing. In adults it showed up as a fatigue that was really hard to shake and in the end needed about two days of good honest rest. So you can imagine that everyone is talkeing about whether or not to take the H1N1 vaccine -- this is a personal decision and you have to make that choice together with your pediatrician.

In talking to a few holistic doctors we have heard of some very good ideas that we are going to practice in our home and I wanted to pass them onto you. Because of the virus that is going around in our community you can be sure that we will be practicing all of the below helpful ideas.

1. Salt baths - just put a handful of salt in your kids bathtub at night, just use enough to make it just about as salty as the ocean. Let them take a nice long soak and try to get them to dunk their heads (so that their nose, ears and eyes get clean with the salt water). Just make sure their hair is dry when they get into bed.

2. Netti pot (best) or saline spray (at least) - it was suggest that these viruses nestle in the nasal passages and need to be flushed out twice a day. I can't picture my kids using a netti pot but maybe if they watch us do it they will give it a try... never hurts to try. In macrobiotics it is suggested to take a bowl of saltwater and one nasal at a time suck up the water into your sinuses and then blow it out -- it's freaky but when it's done it feels great and you can do this instead of the netti pot.

3. Gargle with warm salt water - this is easy and the kids get a kick out of making the sound! So make it fun and do it twice a day with brushing.

4. Work a vitamin C drink into the morning meal - some kids love energy-C

5. And this tip came from a reader and I thought that it made a lot of sense so I wanted to pass it onto you. Use essential oils. Most essential oils are both antiviral and antibacterial. Before going out into any crowded area, dilute an essential oil such as peppermint, tea tree oil, or lavender with a little bit of olive oil and massage the mixture all around the outside of your ears and down the sides of your throat. Also dab a little under your nose. If you use peppermint, be careful to dilute it or it will sting. I believe we contract most colds and flu through the ears when airborne bacteria land on them. The essential oils will provide a temporary barrier that I feel reduces that risk.

6. Cut out refined sugar - I know this is impossible for halloween but do your best to cut out sugar in your families diet. It will drain your energy and drain your immune system.

7. We use Astragalus for the kids instead of Echinecha because it's easier on the digestive system and we have had great results with it. But either is great for immune support especially if you catch it in the beginning so have it on-hand so that when you need it you can be ready.

8. My sister swears by homemade chicken soup! - you can't go wrong and make up your own recipe depending on what your family likes. At the very least it adds much needed liquids and a hearty dose of vegetables.

Good Luck with your cold and flu season and remember lots of exercise and good healthy eating is your best tool against illness. Meals should be full of lots of colors: beets, carrots, greens and turnips! Please don't be afraid to share your tips and information with us - send in your comment.

sweaters section on nonchalant mom

we created a section on nonchalant mom for "SWEATERS" this section will show all the sweaters on the website, I think that, especially for sweaters, you just want to see everything at once. I hope that this is helpful!

In this section you will find sweaters from:

KIDS
Milo' - amazing merino wool (but really soft!) sweaters from spain
Makié - the new tunic shape which we have for both kids and women!
Oeuf - alpaca sweaters all on sale!
nonchalant kids - the vest and new short sleeve sweater!

ADULT
nico nico - this seasons favorite poncho!
Makié - she made a super womens tunic! great shape and easy to wear

ACCESSORIES
wonderful accessories from Milo, Makié and benk for baby!

So take a look and I hope that you find the sweater that you are looking for to keep you warm this season!

click here to go straight to sweaters!

halloween costume contest!

Here we go again with the halloween costume contest!

I know that everyone is full of creativity with their costumes and last year we had a very tough time choosing a winner... there were so many wonderful entries! we hope to see the same this year so work your magic!

The lucky winner will receive $80 of your choice from the Nonchalant Kids collection! yahoo!!

We will announce the winner on November 5th so that everyone take take their photos on Halloween and send them into us!

please send your entries into: karim'at'nonchalantmom.com

Biodegradable shoes!?

On the green shoe front there hasn't been much news... organic cotton - check... naturally harvested latex - check... vegan shoes - check... now Simple shoes has come up with biodegradable shoes! I love the idea and then I went to look at the shoes and they looked great too!! (check!)


I carry Veja fair trade sneakers in my store and I love them! I don't think that there is much in the kids options for this kind of shoe so I am proud to have them on Nonchalant Mom. The adult ones are amazing as well! But the carbon footprint of importing them from Brazil is a killer... It's hard to wind everything into a tight little package, so we do our best!

Simple shoes has come up with a line for Spring 2010 called BIO-D, their first collection of biodegradable footwear -- outsoles and midsoles break down to dirt in a landfill environment in 20 years! I love that...what a great idea! the footwear is made with sustainable materials: hemp uppers, recycled car tire bottoms, organic cotton linings, recycled plastic bottles (PET) shoe laces and foot beds, and water-based glues. I think these are all good ideas AND they look terrific! so I have no need for new shoes and I will be waiting for Simple's new BIO-D line!

visit Treehugger for more information
visit simple shoes website

Sweden's green diaper rebate!

The cloth vs. disposable diaper debate can go on and on and on but this story kind of made things more clear for me and I hope that they will for you too. I found this story at the wonderful blog Treehugger (I read it weekly!), it appears that Sweden is going to make history in the cloth diaper debate, a cloth diaper company called Imse Vimse (I think that's as in "imsy vimsy spider went up the water spout.."!). At issue here is that disposable diapers use as much as three times the natural resources as cloth diaper. So from a carbon input standpoint (as diaper have to go in the trash rather than compost) cloth diapers win!

Imse Vimse says parents should get their rebate when the go to buy (hopefully organic) cloth nappies. The green diaper subsidy motion, which hasn't yet made it through the Swedish parliament, states that each family would receive the subsidy immediately on purchases of cloth diapers or cloth diaper supplies of $140 or more. Since the Swedish government has already paid out over US$69 million in green car subsidies (the regular subsidy ended earlier than proposed this summer, cut city subsidies remain in place), Imse Vimse said the the $7 million for green diapers is a good investment.

good luck Sweden and we hope they set an example for the rest of the world.. Obama what do you think about cash-for-poopies!? (you KNOW your kids would laugh at that if they could read it!)

The photo above is of babies in Imse Vimse cloth diapers!

atsulabee is two!

I have had my eye on the projects of Nicole Licht of Atsulabee for awhile now and today she sent me an email announcing a giveaway of one of her wonderful animal creations for her two year anniversary! so visit her website here and send in a comment to be part of the drawing.


Nicole will be giving away Arielle the Lion! to the lucky winner!

She has also just finished re-stocking her Etsy shop with some amazing new pieces! you will love every one of them, but act fast as they go fast... This is a great time to get something very special for your kids for Christmas, I am sure that one of Atsulabee animals would be a perfect pet for any family!

thank you Nicole!
visit the Atsualbee etsy shop here
enter the contest here

350.org and October 24, 2009

women in Erode India

I will always follow the word of Bill Mckibben and his new project 350.org, which stands for bringing our world back to 350 parts per million (ppm), is gaining momentum all over the world! This weekend on October 24 check the website for activities planned in your community and if there isn't one plan your own 350 movement!

• Why October 24?

  The timing here is crucial—there is a narrow window when we can have the most influence in international climate politics. Too early and we're irrelevant, too late and we've missed our chance to have a real impact. Though the final climate meeting in Copenhagen doesn't take place until December, governments will be finalizing positions before the meeting takes place. Late October may well be our best chance we have before countries set everyone that negotiates for the United Nations climate talks will get their final orders.

  Also, October 24 is United Nations Day. We are very pleased about this connection, because through our work, we hope to honor the work of the United Nations as an institution—it is truly the only global institution suitable to the task of a global climate agreement. We are actively working with the UN for the 24th.

  With creative actions happening all over the globe, and photographs of those events appearing online, in the media, and on politicians' desks, we will change what these negotiators think they can achieve right before they make the important decisions of the UN treaty. Right now most of them know the science of 350ppm, but they don't think it is politically possible. On October 24, we are going to show them that not only is 350 possible, but it is what everyone all over the world is demanding they do.

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.

Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 390ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt. read more about this by visiting the 350.org website here.

A good way to get involved is to visit your childs classroom and share the 350.org information. Kids love to hear about people getting together to help the earth be a better place and the 350.org website has a bunch of helpful tools to help you talk to your kids about ways to stop the pollution of our planet and take a stand for a safe climate future.


One of my favorite initiatives so far is the president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, and his ministers held an official cabinet meeting UNDERWATER to draw attention to the pressing issue of climate change that immediately effects them. As the ocean water starts to rise their island nation is sinking. Their statement will be brought forth to the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen in December of this year.

children in Maldives

roasted beets

We love roasted beets and this year we got to use the ones from our very own garden which, as you may already know, were the size of melons! They didn't taste any different it just took about one or two to chop up into cubes and fill a roasting pan and feed the entire family (and the neighbors!) and also have some leftovers for a very nice roasted beet pasta!

These are very easy and get you over the everyday, although delicious, boiled beets. Once you peel them and cut them up all you have to do is toss them in the oven, it's my favorite way to cook things because it feels so easy. Once they are in the oven you are almost done!

Roasted Beets
preheat oven to 375 or 400 degrees
Peel and cut beets into medium - large size cubes (save the beet greens for later and see below) and but them into a bowl, drizzle with about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (I almost never worry about using too much olive oil, and if you should happen to get any one your hands just rub it in to make your hands soft!). Add a bit of salt and pepper and you can add rosemary if you want or just keep it simple. Now I have done this two ways, you can take Balsamic Vinegar (about 1-2 tablespoons) and drizzle on now or after you are done roasting them, either way it's good, maybe a bit more intense (more sweet) if you put it on before. Mix this up in your bowl with your hands and make sure that everything gets coated, pour onto a roasting pan and spread out into one layer. I try to clean out the bowl with a spatula so not as to waste anything and it makes everything all the better! You may want to add a bit more salt and pepper now... however you like it...


roast for 30 - 40 minutes and they come out juicy and delicious!

Kids love them because they are sweet, it may take a moment to get them to eat them but once they try them... they will love them! (don't forget to remind them that when they go to the 'bathroom' after they may see some crazy colors and no it's not blood!!) If you have a memory like mine, it's easy to forget what you had the night before and it can give you as scare as well but Beets are really so good for you!

Steamed Beet Greens
Clean the beet greens and chop up a bit so that it's easy for kids to eat, put in a steamer with cold water and turn on the flame, as soon as the water starts to boil turn off flame and let sit for a few minutes until greens are bright and dark but not totally wilted (and if you steam them too much it's fine.. just do it less next time). Beet greens taste great just the way they are or you can drizzle with some olive oil, a bit of salt or they are best with gomasio. But just make sure you don't toss them out, these greens are PACKED with vitamins, minerals and calcium! They are particularly yummy with brown rice!

Or a perfect meal is - sauteed tofu with onions, brown rice and beet greens and roasted beets! (just an idea...) good luck on your happy and healthy cooking!

Baby week is coming soon... please send us your requests!

I know that as my kids grow I forget to write about baby issues so we are going to do another baby week soon again and I would love for you to send in any issues that you want us to focus on and we will do some research and give it a go!

Please send in your comments and we will put together a week (or two!) of baby ideas, tips and recipes that will help you make life easier and more healthful!

Thank you for your comments!