Fabulous Baby-Safe Jewelry For Moms!!!

Here I am, days away from having a baby. As you know, I love to dress up and accessorize, and pregnancy has been very good for that. See, you have this beautiful new body and this gorgeous baby bump to show off. Now towards the end of the pregnancy journey, I am thinking about what I can do to be the best mom ever...but also a fashionable one at the same time. During recovery, I'm imagining I will feel kind of blah. So when you don't have time for make-up and the whole nine yards, the next best thing is to wear huge sunglasses and accessorize well. I have lots of distracting, clunky, fun costume jewelry that will do the trick, but is it safe for baby? No, probably not. She can pull the beads, they can pose a potential choking hazard, the paint on them is probably not baby-safe, clasps might be sharp or jewelry might scratch delicate baby skin, and the list goes on. I've been thinking about this for quite some time now. So, you can only imagine how thrilled I am to have found Teething Bling by Smart Mom Jewelry!

Our hospital bags are packed and I am pleased to announce that I will be including my fabulous Jade Teething Bling necklace and bangle. Who says I cannot be the most stylish new mom in the maternity unit? To most, perhaps these gorgeous pieces look like stone. Well they are not stone, they are actually baby-friendly, and made from the same FDA approved teething material as most baby toys. YES, actual jewelry made for mom and safe for baby! Baby can pull on these, baby can stick these in her mouth, baby can even teeth on these - they are completely safe and that is what they are made for. These are vegan-friendly and chemical-free as well.

On the necklace, the cord is a breakaway cord and it is silky, making it safe if the baby pulls on it. It has a nice length so as you are holding baby, you will be comfortable, and baby can grasp or munch. This necklace and bangle are a perfect size as not to pose a choking hazard to baby and to also let mom stand out. I wore these out yesterday and received compliments on them. I love that in the hospital I can wear Teething Bling and hold my new baby, without worry of scratching her. I love this concept and the folks at Smart Mom are absolute geniuses! Unsafe jewelry and babies pulling and eating mom jewelry has been a problem for forever, I am ecstatic that there is finally a cool solution. I love these and cannot say enough good things about them. If you are a mom-to-be, a mom, or know someone who is, what a great gift! These come in a multitude of colors and styles on the Smart Mom Jewelry website and you can also find these baby-friendly baubles at baby stores (I recommend using the retail locator if you happen to be planning one of your baby store outings and want to check them out). Their website seems to have every color and style imaginable if you are a no-fuss kind of gal who just wants her Teething Bling...like stat!

Don't feel left-out Dads, Smart Mom Jewelry has you covered with the Babe Magnet Tie! It comes equip with squeaker and rattle! Perfect gifts for the expecting parents in your life; a Teething Bling gift set and a Babe Magnet! I have been invited to a few baby showers recently and will be getting these for the parents-to-be just because I love them so much.

I could go on and on and on, but I won't. If you want to feel as fabulous as I do (about to pop any second here), you might want to get yourself some Teething Bling. I feel confident that once I am ready to start dolling up in the hospital, I will look pretty and be baby-safe with these totally neat mom accessories.

PS - I DO NOT envy moms of the past who had to live without such cool stuff that us gals have today. This is a wonderful and liberating time to be pregnant and to be a mom. Makes you feel quite special, doesn't it?

Could it be Nesting?

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." -Mahatma Gandhi

Do you find that (especially late in pregnancy) you are exhausted, it is hard to move, your body aches, you don't want to go anywhere...besides the baby store? Why is it that picking up a few groceries right down the street seems like a struggle, however we can fold freshly laundered baby clothes at warp speed? Or how about when hubby and I are shopping and he goes off to the restroom, I can waddle so quickly to the baby isle and be back at the restrooms waiting for him, holding armfuls of 0+ clothes and toys?! Is it nesting?

The other day I was thoroughly pooped out. Let me tell you, towards the end of your pregnancy you will be pretty tired. Your body has done a lot of work in 9 months. Yet, when we have something that needs to be done in the nursery or that is baby-related, move over hubby, here we come! Even feeling very tired out, when my husband brings up a fresh load of baby laundry, I pounce on that with cheetah-like speeds and everything is soon nestled away in perfectly organized, Better Homes and Gardens nursery-worthy, fashion. What I can (or am willing to) do, I really put my all into it.

Has anyone else experienced this strange phenomena? A surplus of energy that comes to you when you have the opportunity to take part in baby preparations? Is that nesting or what?

What We Had For Dinner Last Night

Hungarian-Style Braised Mushrooms

This is my favorite PETA recipe that my hubby and I have been making for years and years. We absolutely love it! Tons of flavor and you can change the recipe up by using different types of mushrooms for variety. We served this over spaghetti, but we've had it over any grain like rice, quinoa, or different types of pastas. It is also delicious by itself as a type of soup or stew.

Fun DV Fact: PETA's recipes really saved my ass when I first became vegetarian and subsequently vegan. I also bought their recipe cards, that I still have to this day, and I spent a lot of time on their website and online learning everything I possibly could about animal rights. The reason I am the Dirty Vegan is because I watched an undercover PETA video that exposed animal cruelty at a factory farm. I started posting in the PETA2 forums and wished that I could be more of a voice for animals. I then started writing letters to companies, politicians, and law enforcement in response to action alerts. Every chance I could get, I would promote veganism and have been an animal rights activist ever since I became veg, which was the second I viewed that PETA video. Now, thousands of people from all over the world read this blog. I've received lots of emails from folks who were inspired to become veg after reading my work. Even if someone were to make my recipes, or go meatless sometimes in order to try them, we are still saving lives. Whether it is big or small, it is joyous to see the positive changes we are making for our cause and movement.

This is what this amazing Hungarian Mushroom dish looks like once you add in the cashew cream. Yummy! Definitely one of my favorite dinners ever! You should really check out the recipe.

What is your favorite dinner? You know, the type of dinner that if you had to choose only one dinner to eat for the rest of your life, you would choose it.

Quick Breakfast Sandwich Idea

 Make a quick southwestern tofu breakfast sandwich on the fly! Being pressed for time shouldn't mean skipping important nutrients and protein in the morning.

Press some tofu, slice it, and pan-fry it with vegan butter. Also, pan-fry veggies like peppers, onions, and fresh baby spinach. Melt vegan cheese on top, dollop on some salsa, and place between two slices of your favorite toasted bread.

And well...enjoy! 

Tofu stuff like breakfast sandwiches, burritos, and scrambles are my go-to breakfasts for when I want something filling and need to put it together in a flash. What is your go-to breakfast?

Love Me Some Soda Pop!

I don't drink a lot of soda, but when I do I opt for regular and never diet soda. I stay away from the chemicals in diet sodas and a little bit of sugar won't likely hurt a healthy person. However, for us vegans, we never know what sugar is vegan-friendly and not processed with animal bone char, unless it is confirmed. I tend to stick to definite vegan products, ones that someone has confirmed are vegan-friendly. I came across these sodas at Trader Joe's on our last grocery shopping trip, and I wanted to share.

 These vintage sodas taste amazing and the bottle is cool! I love drinking soda from a glass bottle because the beverage gets really cold and I find that it tastes more refreshing.

I like these vintage Trader Joe's sodas. As you can see, this one is gluten-free (I'm sure most, if not all, are free of gluten) and contains no artificial flavors or preservatives. I used to be real keen on Jones Soda, however Jones does contain "natural and artificial flavors". These Trader's sodas are a real good option if you are skeptical on soda, but want to include it in your life occasionally. I know a lot of people who ban soda in their household, and I probably would have felt that way too if I hadn't found an inexpensive and all-natural soda like this.

Are you still a soda drinker? How do you feel about soda and including it in your family's diet?

Crazy Pregnancy Craving Turned Amazing!

Welcome to the world of crazy pregnancy food. We pregnant women get cravings of all kinds, but the most intriguing of all, are the odd combinations. This combo came out pretty darn delicious and I just had to share the recipe with you.

Crazy Pregnant Dip

• 2- 3 tbsp salsa
• 2 vegetable burgers (either Trader Joe's Marsala or Dr. Praeger's), microwaved for about 1 minute or so
• 1/8- 1/4 cup Daiya Jack cheese wedge, sliced

Mix all ingredients together and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for 30 seconds more, if needed. Enjoy with crackers or chips!

What are/ were some of your (or your spouse's) pregnancy cravings or interesting combinations? Do you believe the old wives tale that what you are craving is what your body actually needs during pregnancy? I wonder if there is any truth to that.

Be a Good One.

I came across something that the celebrity makeup artist, Kandee Johnson said, and I wanted to touch on the topic in today's blog post.

"True beauty doesn't come from the face, it comes from the heart. There is no amount of makeup that you can put on an ugly attitude and an ugly heart that will make it look like that is truly a beautiful person. Beauty is something that you should be able to feel in a room that's totally dark and you cannot see a person. It's something that a heart can feel, not just that the eyes can see. Because I have met a lot of people that look beautiful on the outside, but their attitudes and the way they treat people is very ugly on the inside." -Kandee Johnson

It doesn't matter who you are or what you are, just be a good person. Do the right thing and make decisions that are from a good place and not a bad place. Before you do something, think about all of whom your decision might effect. Will someone be hurt by something you are doing or want to do? Does it feel wrong to be doing it? Is it something that you should hide or cannot be completely honest about? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you are not being a good person. If you have to lie about something, chances are it is not the right thing to do and you shouldn't be doing it. If you have to erase or cover up actions that you are doing, but go about your life thinking you aren't doing anything wrong, then tell me, why cover it up? Live your life in such a way, that you can sleep at night with a clear conscious knowing that your actions have not negatively effected anyone else in any way. Be aware of yourself and your surroundings and most importantly, how you effect the world around you. I believe that if people start being held accountable for the way that they live, we would have a happier world. Be honest with others and be honest with yourself. If you feel a certain way, don't hold those feelings inside. If you are making a decision for a certain reason, own it. Don't be a deceitful person because it only makes you have an ugly heart. You can dress up an ugly heart but in the end, you can't fake it. If you are mean, people can see it, no matter how much you try to deny it or fake it. If you are doing wrong in your life, trust me, you aren't that good at hiding it, no one is. No matter what you do in life, good or bad, it will come back to you. It always does. Do you think you can go around willy-nilly with your actions and there are no cosmic consequences? Oh no, no, no - sorry it does not work that way.

So, the lesson of the day is, stand up for what is right. If you have a beautiful heart, speak up when something is wrong or do not be a part of something that is negative. Karma is a real thing, because I have seen it first hand. That is why I try and live my life a certain way, mainly to be an advocate of goodness and spread those good vibes to those around me, but also I do not want karma bringing me back anything evil that I may have put out into the world first. Good karma is a wonderful thing. I have seen it come back to me and I smile because it is a beautiful feeling to help someone selflessly and then get a wonderful surprise when you least expect it. To be a good person, makes me feel happier. No matter what misfortunes life throws my way, I always look at the blessings. It is best to see things with a positive outlook. As long as I know that I am doing the right thing, I cannot be accountable for other people's crumby behavior. I can just try to influence and change the world for the better. I am proud to raise our family with the belief that, "You always do the right thing no matter what and you always think of how you would feel if something was to be done to you. If you wouldn't be comfortable with it, someone else wouldn't like it either.". Sometimes doing the right thing isn't exactly easy, but it sure is easier to sleep at night, rather than staying up at night feeling guilty about your dishonorable actions. And the worst of all people, are the ones who don't feel guilty about doing awful things. So try and be a good one. Think about others and think about yourself. When you cheat others, you are only cheating yourself. When you hurt others, you are the one that is hurting inside.

"Be a fountain, not a drain." -Rex Hudler

And for now, the Dirty Vegan is signing off. I hope you have a day full of good fortune and I'm sending lots of positive vibes your way. Pay it forward; you'll be amazed on how great it makes you feel.