Happy New Year

Choosy would like to wish all of his friends a happy and healthy new year! May 2015 bring you good fortune, good health and happiness every day!

The Christmas Vegetable

By: Natii Wright, www.NatiiArts.com

The Christmas after my granddaughter’s third birthday, she had grown just tall enough to reach up and remove items from the island around our stove top. As I began to prepare our Christmas salad, which is made particularly colorful with the inclusion of so many different vegetables and fruits, I noticed that Camille had set down her little remote dog and was watching me. By the time I began to shave the carrots she was tip toeing into the kitchen, then standing by my side, kind of like a spy in a movie. I went on preparing the salad, and soon noticed that several of my cut carrots were missing…and so was Camille. I cut a few more carrots and set them on the counter to be shaved, and before I could get to them, once again they were missing, and again, so was Camille.

I went on adding items to the salad, but this time when she returned I had not set the carrots in her reach. Up came this little hand, with fingers stretched as far as they were able. I watched as she felt around trying to find the little carrot cuts. Finally I said, “Would you like some more carrots?” Her face popped into view, and she very quickly said. “Yes”. I asked, “Do you like carrots?”, again she quickly said, “Yes!”

I thought how interesting since there was no seasoning, no salt, just a regular carrot - washed and cut – and she liked it! While I had her attention I thought I would keep exploring her little mind, so I asked her the next logical question. “Why do you like carrots?” and she responded in with most wonderful answer, “Because they taste orange!”

As she skipped away with her little hand full of fresh cut carrots, I told her that I was glad she liked carrots because they are good for the eyes. I wasn’t sure that she heard me as she turned the corner, and I was less convinced that she understood my intended message.

Well, to my surprise, during dinner as she filled her plate with salad, especially my freshly prepared carrot slivers, her Granddaddy says to her, “What’s up with all the carrots? I didn’t know you liked carrots,” to which my granddaughter happily responded, “I LOVE carrots!” and Gramma says they’re good for my eye.”

For a moment my Christmas table was absolutely silent.

It’s important that we introduce our children to vegetables with the same excitement that we do fruit. I get concerned when I see commercials in which the parents are portrayed hiding the fact that a child is eating a vegetable or something healthy. When we do this we undermine the opportunity for our children to learn the vegetables that they do indeed like, and to understand the health benefits of including fresh vegetables in their daily diet. My granddaughter had no idea that she was eating a healthy food, but to this day loves carrots and insists that her great eyesight is due to a vegetable that she thought tasted orange.

So let’s allow vegetables to take their proper place in the spotlight with all the accolades befitting them, wonderful colors, great taste and good for your health. What vegetables do your children love? How do you prepare them? Let us know!

About the Author: Natii Wright is the founder of NatiiArts, through which she develops and produces music based projects, theatre arts programs for children and young adults, and educational products that support the implementation of healthy living activities in educational environments. Natii has enjoyed a professional jazz career, yielding performances in numerous venues throughout the United States, including the Kennedy Center “Black Box” Theatre and the National Theatre of Washington DC, she is also a member of Sigma Alpha Iota, International Music Fraternity for Women. Matching her love of music, is her commitment to developing tools that support the education and enrichment of children. Natii has dedicated over 20 years to creating educational programs for youth. She is the creator, voice and executive producer of the “My Little World” Educational Music Series. Natii developed the foundations of “My Little World” by incorporating music into the pre-school curriculum. The objective was to capture attention with music, decrease behavioral challenges with fun constructive movements, and to reinforce the traditional pre-school academic lessons with memorable verses and songs. “My Little World” was implemented as a pilot program at Shiloh CDC in Washington DC from 2001-2005. The movements, timing and academic themes were deliberately structured to support the various developmental stages of young children. In 2008, the Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc. (SHIRE) selected the “My Little World” Educational Music Series to be utilized as the key component in the first of five Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention Grants, funded by the District of Columbia Department of Health and independent health organizations. Currently, the physical activity movements and educational lessons of “My Little World” are implemented in hundreds of educational environments in the Washington Metropolitan area, multiple states throughout the U.S., and in 2013 Natii traveled overseas to train more than fifty instructors in the early education development program of Liberia, West Africa! Click here to learn more about Natii.

Choosy's Holiday Tale

By: Christine Cox (aka Choosy Mom)

Note: Be sure to click on the links to find recipes, tips and holiday surprises!

‘Twas the night before a winter’s holiday and Choosy was busy,

making sure the holiday was healthy and nifty.

It was important that the stockings be hung by the fire,

and on that eve he would wear his best attire.

The gifts needed be wrapped tightly with ribbon and lace,

and the perfect meal be ready for dinner at his place.

But Choosy found an issue as he checked items off his list:

the toe of the stockings just were not right,

and he couldn’t get the packages squished in there tight!

Choosy thought and thought about what the solution could be,

until he realized, of course, use a fruit from a tree!

Choosy ran to the kitchen where the fruit bowl sat,

picked up the roundest fruit he could snatch.

An orange could perfectly fill the toe of the stocking,

and leave a healthy treat for holiday morning snacking.

He shoved that orange into the stocking toe,

and it made it round, wouldn’t you know!

Since the stockings were finished, he checked that off the list.

Now it was time to look his best!

Red hat and red shoes were festive you see,

but he needed something else, something made beautifully.

Choosy looked in his drawers and all in his closest,

but that special something was misplaced - he must have lost it.

He sat and thought about what else he could wear,

Ah! That’s it, something for his neck and his green hair!

He made a scarf, wrapped ‘round his neck in a knot.

This truly made him more festive, did it not?

He smiled in the mirror, all proud of himself.

Wouldn’t you know, he could pass for a holiday elf!

Now onto the presents, everyone’s favorite part!

And Choosy knew these gifts should come from the heart.

Choosy loves music and dancing, indeed,

so his gift to everyone was his newest CD!

After moving and shaking to the songs that he loved,

it was time to cook a meal to be proud of.

A holiday feast of sorts, the finest for his friends,

made with healthy ingredients, plus yummy odds and ends.

Cranberry relish and mashed potatoes for sure,

a holiday ham big enough for 20 or more.

He gathered some fruits and some veggies and made a nice display.

It would be a fancy and healthy holiday!

Everything was ready, and Choosy was tired.

It was time to go to night-night and get snuggled in all tight.

Choosy closed his eyes and dozed off to sleep,

And the snow outside fell quietly, not making a peep.

Happy holidays to all from Choosy and his friends. 

Remember to be safe and healthy this holiday season – THE END!


We are honored to be part of A Whimsicle Life’s Count Down to Christmas project! Want even more Holiday inspiration? Check out all my fellow bloggers HERE.

About the Author: Christine Cox is the blog master for Choosy Kids. She has always had a passion for writing and is honored to contribute her work to this blog. Most of her writing inspiration comes from her daughter, Capri, who is fun-loving and full of energy. Click here to learn more about Christine.

Choosy Has It All – A Message from a Preschool Teacher

By: Molly Luke, of www.cciu.org/mollyluke

Salutations Choosy friends and family!

My name is Molly Luke. I am a preschool online teacher, as well as a regular education teacher in an inclusion preschool setting for children of ages 3-5 years old.  Every year, I am ALWAYS looking for new music and movement activities to keep the little ones moving and grooving! Choosy Kids provides a wide variety of themes, and I am mostly impressed with the “honest” vocabulary language within the lyrics.

Do Choosy Kids songs get stuck in your head just like me? They are addicting! Music is a natural mnemonic device for the brain…for television commercials, pop 100 songs, acronyms for an exam, etc. I always start off my year with the token “I’m Moving, I’m Learning” Choosy song. It’s a great way to get the jiggles out before settling students for a circle time activity, AND… of course to incorporate new vocabulary.  Spatial reasoning concepts for preschool age children are tough enough since they are learning body awareness, but Choosy makes learning free and easy. After dancing and singing using the vocabulary action and spatial words (fast-slow, high-low, forward-backward, twist-turn), I then continue the skill in action activities to place objects as well as give directions during our handwriting curriculum. These are every day terms and independent skills that students need to succeed and apply to situations outside the classroom.

Choosy provides a song for almost every theme or special event covered in our classroom. Click and hear what we listen to when we are cooking and trying foods or covering Community Helpers and visiting the dentist. Choosy has it all!

THANK YOU for making our heart say “thanks” each and every day!

About the Author: Hello! I have been teaching for about 10 years now, ages preK through 8th grade…needless to say, I am a life-long learner and always looking for new thing to challenge my body and brain to do in a classroom! Outside of the classroom, family comes first! My husband Dan, baby Marshall and basset hound Penelope enjoy my naturally caffeinated personality on a regular basis. The whole family enjoys traveling, and I personally have a goal of visiting all 7 continents! 2 more to go! Wishing everyone out there in cyber land a safe and merry holiday season!

Dietary Fat: Is It Good or Bad?

By: Kerry McKenzie

Both. You see, not all fats are created equal.

Here is the “skinny” on fats:
Heavily processed, hydrogenated “trans” fats used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body. They can compromise the cardiovascular system, immune system, and contribute to behavior problems. They can also lead to weight gain, skin breakouts, high blood pressure, and liver strain.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents need to avoid placing any restrictions on the amount of fat your children consumes in the first 2 years of their life. Toddlers need fat to ensure proper growth and early brain development.  Another example of how crucial those early years are for healthy growth and development.

That said, our bodies need fat for insulation, vitamin and mineral absorption, and to protect our organs at any age. High-quality fats can steady our metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish our skin, hair, and nails, and provide lubrication to keep the body functioning fluidly. It is important for children as it helps provide energy and promotes wound healing.

Where to Find Healthy Fats
•  Avocados, olives, and coconuts are great sources of healthy fat, along with wild salmon and omega-3 rich organic eggs.
•  Whole nuts and seeds, and their butters like almond butter or tahini.
•  Look for the highest-quality organic oils when shopping.
•  Words to look for: organic, first-pressed, cold-pressed, extra-virgin, and unrefined. Avoid expeller-pressed, refined, and solvent extracted.

How to Use Healthy Fats:
•  For cooking at high temperatures (stir frying and baking), try butter, ghee (clarified butter), or coconut oil.
•  When sautéing foods, try organic extra virgin olive oil.
•  Oils like flaxseed, sesame, toasted sesame, walnut, and pumpkin seed are best used unheated in sauces or dressings.
•  Massage sesame, safflower, or coconut oil into your skin daily.  You can add a few drops of lavender, rose geranium, clove or your favorite essential oil too.

So now you are surely asking yourself how much fat is enough for a child? For children two and under, about half of their calories should come from fat according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. After age two, their diets can be modified so that dietary fats make up about one third of their caloric intake.

If you find adding dietary fats to your children’s diets is difficult, try this delicious, easy recipe. Our Choosy Mom, Christine, will tell you that her toddler loves avocados!

Avocado Dip

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Makes 1 cup

1 large peeled and pitted avocado

2/3 cup plain yogurt, goat yogurt, coconut yogurt, or almond yogurt

1 diced tomato

A squirt of lemon or lime juice

Dash or two of sea salt and black pepper

•  Mash avocado with a fork until very smooth.

•  Add yogurt, tomato, blend until smooth. This may be done in a food processor, in a blender, or with a fork.

•  Add sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste.

•  Serve chilled with mixed raw vegetables.

Tip: Best when made a maximum of 1 hour before serving.

What other ways do you incorporate health fats into your children’s diets? Let us know as we would love to share your recipes!

About the Author: Kerry McKenzie, B.A., M.S., has been working in education for more than 13 years. She is a Certified Health Coach, a 500 level (E-RYT500) yoga teacher and specializes in early childhood motor development. She has a passion for working with expecting moms, babies, toddlers and preschool age children and their caregivers at Greenville Health Systems pediatric clinic, child care centers and in the community. Click here to learn more about Kerry.