Event Recap: Diapers, Dads, and Drafts!

Our "Diapers, Dads & Drafts" event on June 23 was both fun and informative! Thanks to the generous donations of our sponsors, we were able to make this our most enjoyable event for fathers yet. National Bohemian was nice enough to donate 4 cases of beer along with hats, magnets, shirts and much more! Casey from CookieRide made a special delivery of creative and tasty mustache cookies in 4 flavors. They were a perfect addition to our refreshments table, along with chili, pulled pork sliders, dips, veggies and muffins.   

We had our in house consultants for clothdiapering, babywearing as well as labor support on hand to teach a quick crash course for dads that were interested. Upon departure, dads were given a large mug filled with gift cards to Ale House Columbia as well as Pub Dog Columbia. We also held a fun door prize drawing for gifts donated from National Bohemian, Monster Mini Golf, Victoria Gastro Pub, Earth Trek, and Ale House Columbia. It was a great turn out of dads and we look forward to seeing them back in greenberries real soon!

Come Celebrate With Us!

Greenberries is proud to invite you to join us in our participation in the 14th Annual River Hill Independence Day Parade. The parade is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 4th and travel down Great Star Dr. to the Clarksville 5th District Fire Station. Greenberries will be meeting at Pointers Run Elementary School to assemble our group at 8:15 am.

We are limiting our participation to parents wearing children in a carrier, supervising them while walking, and/or pulling them in a wagon (you must be able to provide wagon, feel free to decorate it!). For everyone’s safety and enjoyment, strollers, bikes, scooters, skates, and any other wheels that aren’t wagons or wheel chairs should be left at home or in your car.

We ask that you are mindful of your children’s limits while choosing how they will participate, so everyone involved has a fun and fantastic time! We are handing out lollipops and enjoying the day with you, our loyal customers! Per your participation, you will receive $5 ‘Berries Bucks as a thank you for joining us. If you are interested in getting involved please email Shannon, our events manager, at shannon@greenberriescompany.com

(P.S. how cute is this? As a kid with an oddly spelled name, I never really had custom name items, but this is awesome! It's from an Etsy seller!Did you know that greenberries has items that can be personalized? We do! ask about it the next time you're in!)

NEW Featured Product: Tula Carriers

We're so excited to announce that we're approved to be a carrier of Tula brand infant and toddler carriers. We're placing an order and will have some in stock as well as be able to special order for you, so if there's a particular Tula you've been waiting to get your hands on, let us help! If you aren't familiar with the awesomely chic and quality carriers that Tula makes, you can check them out here, on their website!

And while you're at it, head on over to our facebook page and join in the conversation, everyone's excited about this new addition to our premium selection of babywearing and toddlerwearing options! As always, you can get full babywearing support from our knowlegeable and friendly staff.

Spotlight on Dads: A Little Q&A!

I asked my husband, Rob, a few weeks ago if he would mind “guest blogging” for Father’s Day.  At first he said “NO”. Plain and simple.  I did, however, talk him into doing this little questionnaire that I made up. J He spent a lot of time on his answers so they’d be just right.  I think they are awesome.  I know he put a lot of thought into it.  Not to spoil it, but you’ll read that our son is the only baby he’s really ever been around.  He is so good with our boy; he’s a natural.  From the day my son was born, Daddy has been on point.  I couldn’t be any happier with my husband, and he couldn't be any more in love with our little boy.  They are best buds for sure. 

p.s. Rob nicknamed our son the “Grumpkin” when he was a teeny tot. Grumpkin is 6.5 months old. J

As a new dad…

What has been the most unexpected thing for you?

I had never been around babies until my son was born. Never even held a baby before him.  I really thought I would be lost, but I think I’m doing ok.

What has been the most challenging thing for you?

The most challenging thing for me I think is two fold. There are times when I am on the verge of losing my temper and I just have to squash it cuz I know he is watching and I really don't want him to think the things I know are wrong with myself are the right way to be or the right way to act. The other is time management. Time just feels like a commodity you don't have enough of.

What is your favorite cloth diaper? Why? What is your least favorite? Why?

OsoCozys are easy but they seem like they leak easy if they aren’t on just right. Prefolds are a pain in the ass. I like the ones that you stuff with microfiber even though I hate touching microfiber. Those ones seem to be the best at keeping the mess under control.

What has been your favorite moment so far with the Grumpkin?

I wouldn’t say one but every afternoon when I get off work and I come home, when he first sees me he gets excited and wants to get picked up. Just seeing him light up like that is my favorite moment.

How do you think you have changed since Grumpkin was born?

I lost my dad the year before my son was born and it made me really think about how much time I have. I want to make everything I do, and all the time I spend with him count because what there is is all there will ever be. I don't want things to be left unsaid. I don't want things to be undone. And I don't ever want my boy to ever doubt how much I love him.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Get up. Get the baby ready for his day. Go to work. Come home. Spend time with the family. Maybe mess with the computer or play xBox for an hour after the baby goes to bed. Rinse repeat.

­About your son…

What do you think his first word be?

I don't know but my guess would be something out of the ordinary

Which of his toys is YOUR favorite?

Brobee. I forgot I’m still hungry!

What are his top 3 all time favs (everything counts!)?

Mommy, Daddy, Yo Gabba Gabba

What are his top 3 DISLIKES?

Sleeping through the night. Cold milk. The vacuum cleaner.

…. And closing statement(s)?

Go Ravens!

A Perfect Summer Lunch: Egg Avocado Salad Sandwiches!

Egg Avocado Salad Sandwich

2 hard boiled free range eggs (1 whole and 1 white only)

1/2 avocado

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Dash of garlic powder

Himalayan pink salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Slivered almonds (optional)

Mash together all ingredients and serve on whole wheat bread with spring mix  or in a whole wheat pita with sprouts and sliced roma tomato.

Local Favorite: Dr. Zaneb Beams!

Our first Greenberries Local Favorites vote has closed, and your voices were heard! We heard from many parents who told us the shining reasons that Drs. Lasseter, Beams, Chatterjee, Klebanow and Assoc., Khurana, Lancaster, Tsai, Alexander, Anthony, and Ambush are their favorites in pediatric care.

Dr. Beams had the most votes in our two week contest and will be our Local Favorite Pediatrician until next June! Suzie was the voter who was randomly selected via random.org to receive $5 off her next greenberries purchase.

Thank you all for voting, and stay tuned for a spotlight on our winner, Dr. Beams, as well as information on our upcoming category for July: Best Place to Host a Birthday Party! Congratulations, Dr. Beams!

See you this weekend!

Save the date if you haven't already, for our event: Diapers, Dads, and Drafts! Come for socialization, mini classes if you want to take advantage of them, and good food, drinks, and door prizes from our sponsors, which include The Ale House, Victoria Gastro Pub, Natty Boh, and Cookie Ride. We'll see you there!

Re-use: A $15 Patio Set Refinish

A couple years ago we picked up this old patio set from some friends who were moving and didn’t want it anymore. We figured we’d use it at our new place, but never did, it wasn’t really the “sit and relax outdoors” kind of neighborhood, so the already worn out set sat in the rain and the sun and the shed in rotation without any use, the handles getting a bit icker, the paint getting a bit chalkier, and the welding getting a bit rustier.  

We just moved again, and this time, I was thrilled to use the deck set finally, but upon moving it and trying it out, it was apparent that the set wasn’t just unappealing visually, but it would leave tracks of chalky worn out paint on your skin and clothes when you tried to move it or sit on it. Eww! I don’t want to be a chalky mess just because I was relaxing on the porch for a few minutes. Time to re-do! I   decided to do each piece a different color to lend a mis-matched but cohesive vibe, borrowing inspiration from peacocks and Fiestaware.

Needed:

Scotch brite pads

Rubbing alcohol

Old cloth

Outdoor OK Spray Paint with primer all in one

Drop cloth, tarp, newspaper, or any protector 

Spray off your old furniture to get rid of any grime, then let dry. Rub well over every surface with a scotch brite pad, buffing away anything that might interfere with the paint bonding to the surface.

Pour rubbing alcohol on an old cloth and wipe all the surfaces down, focusing on any dirt that might have escaped the spray down and the buffing with scotch brite. The alcohol will dry quickly and clean the surfaces to ensure the paint sticks well. 

Now you can start painting! My parents were in town visiting and helped me with the project. Dad reminded me to leave one spot open to let me turn over the piece I was working on. Work slowly and evenly, but not too close, paint will drip if you’re too close. 

Once you’re covered all the way, turn the piece over and get any spots you may have missed. Walk around the piece and look from every angle until you’re sure you’ve got all the spots covered. 

Let the paint dry according to the instructions, for our paint it was one hour of initial dry time, then 24 hours until use. The chairs aren’t sticky to touch and handled the rain quite well.  Now I’ll get a couple more seasons out of this set, and it cost me just a few dollars.

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Simple, Light, Refreshing: Infused Water

Infused water, it's amazing. Low to no calories while still being healthful, hydrating, and impressive if served while entertaining (or heck, impress yourself, I did! I made the photographed one as a reward for me, for transplanting a wild rose from the back yard to the front one.) There are so many variations, and they are a simple way to get myself to drink more water. What can I say? I think water is so boring! I know it's good for me, but I'd rather drink tea or kombucha or iced coffee or some other concoction. In the hot weather, I know I need just plain old water, but I don't wanna! So here's my compromise! Serve it in a large glass carafe or pitcher, in mason jars, in wine glasses, anything fun and fancy. It's like being little and playing tea party. :)

The one pictured is lemon and mint: to one gallon of plain filtered water (or whatever water you drink, ours is filtered from a well.), add a whole lemon, sliced thin, and a few stalks of mint, crushed gently. Let it sit and chill for 30 minutes to get a really good flavor to it, then serve over ice!

Other variations to play with: strawberry and basil, lime and mint, tangerine and cucumber, lemon and thyme, raspberry and rosemary. Fresh herbs, citrus fruits, and berries are all great items to start with. Nectarines, apples, pears, and other orchard fruits are lovely as well.  If you want to really live on the edge, try some edible florals, they all have unique essences to lend. The sky's the limit. Enjoy your de-boring-ified hydration!

Blueberry Muffin Mix Makeover

Duncan Hines is available at most national grocery chains, and is my choice for this mix makeover. We are always running low on time and high healthy ambitions these days. My goal is to make healthy eating easy on moms, while children consume with little or no protest. I have a 7 year old who fears seeds all of the sudden and a 2 year old who wants to only eat red bell peppers for every meal. Trust me, I have to take into account each child’s complaints each time I make a meal. Fresh baked muffins smell so good that even a picky eater might give it a taste test. When in doubt, tell the kids they are “cake muffins” and they will never know they are consuming the healthy additional ingredients that we are going to be throwing in!

You will need to preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl add-

1 Duncan Hines Simple Mornings muffin mix (there a few to choose from, I picked the Wild Maine Blueberry mix without the streusel topping.)
2 large eggs, whites only
2/3 cup Water
1/3 cup unsweetened natural applesauce
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon raw wheat germ
1 Tablespoon ground chia seeds
Raw walnuts optional

Mix well together

Carefully fold in 1 ½ cups of fresh blueberries. The mix comes with a can of blueberries but always use fresh if you have them on hand. I place the can on a shelf and save till can food drives and use them as donations or use them later in yogurt parfaits, smoothies, or other recipes when I am in a pinch.

Lightly spray muffin pan with EVOO cooking spray or line with paper liners. 

Fill almost to the top, yields about 10-12 muffins.

Vote to win!

If you missed it, we're looking for your voices to be heard on who the best local pediatrician is and why! Head on over to this post and vote, and while you're at it, let us know what category you'd like to vote on next! There's just 6 days left until we tally the votes for our pediatric care providers, and one lucky voter will get a greenberries gift certificate, you're entered just by voting!

Recipe: Tasty Taco Pasta

Our family usually eats leftovers as lunches, so we're always looking for ways to stretch a favorite meal (and a dollar) a little bit further.
Tacos are a favorite in our house, but they don't do leftovers well and they don't stretch very far. A few weeks ago I decided to try the traditional
taco flavors with a different twist and this is what happened. Since then, we've made it a few more times, tweaking and adjusting to get the recipe right.
This is the best combination we've come up with so far. My favorite aspects to this recipe are how much food it makes on a dime, easily lasting for a dinner and several lunches,
or a big potluck dish, and how easy it is to customize with fresh veggies, in a form my son will actually eat.

Tasty Taco Pasta:

1 lb. pasta of your choice, I use gluten free Fusili or Rotini, something that really holds the sauce in there!
1 lb. ground meat. I use a grassfed beef from my farmer, but any ground meat will do, or three cups cooked quinona or chopped cauliflower as substitutes
1 medium onion, diced
2 T. Olive Oil
1 T. minced garlic
2 t. Salt
1 t. black pepper
Taco seasoning enough for 1 lb of meat. I use a homemade blend: (2 TB New Mexico Red Chile Powder, hot. 1 TB. Oregano, or one drop Oregano essential oil. 2 t. Ground Cumin, 1 T. Salt, 1 t. Garlic, 1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar)
16 oz. jar of salsa, your choice! I use Green Mountain Gringo, either original Hot or Roasted Garlic
8 oz. can refried beans, I use Amy's with Green Chile
12 oz. beer or 1. cup of broth or water (yes, if you use a beer, the alcohol will cook out)
1/2 C. Sour Cream, with additional sour cream for topping and serving
1 lb. jack, cheddar, or colby cheese, or a blend, shredded
Toppings: (all optional) Lettuce, diced tomato, chopped fresh cilantro, black olives, avocado, chopped fresh peppers, corn, sour cream, salsa, taco sauce


Preheat your oven to 300 F

Cook your pasta according to their instructions, but remove and drain about 2 minutes early, really really al dente. The pasta will cook more in the oven

Pour your drained pasta into a casserole dish, I use a Pyrex 9.5 x 15 x 2. I don't grease my casserole and have had no trouble washing it, but you're welcome to oil your casserole dish lightly if you want.

In a large skillet or wok, saute the diced onions in the olive oil, they should cook to translucence

add your meat and cook through, stirring constantly. (*fun tip* for finer textured ground meat, cook with an old fashioned potato masher instead of a spoon)

Do not drain the meat, but add your taco seasoning, salt, pepper, garlic, and beer/broth/water. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

Add the can of refried beans, fill the can with water and add that. Stir in half the jar of salsa, reserve the rest, and stir in the 1.2 cup of sour cream

Simmer and stir this until it is well mixed and hot throughout. Pour over the pasta in the casserole dish.

Top with shredded cheese and place in hot oven uncovered. Bake until bubbly at all edges and cheese is melted well.

Remove and let sit for 15 minutes, then top with remaining salsa, scoop and serve. I like mine served on a bed of fresh lettuce, topped with sour cream, fresh tomato, salsa, sliced avocado, and lots and lots of chopped cilantro, with a pinch of sea salt.