The only thing better than a cookie? A variety of them. A holiday cookie exchange is the perfect way to share a bounty of baked goodies with friends and family. While we can never pass on a classic sugar cookie, why not get creative in your holiday exchange with this Organic Coconut Flake Snowball recipe. These gorgeous and delicious Christmas cookies are sure to impress your friends and family and bonus—this cookie recipe is a snap to make.
Coconut Flake Snowballs

Ingredients:
•  1 3/4 cups Wild Oats unsweetened shredded coconut
•  3 tsp Wild Oats coconut oil
•  3 tbs maple syrup
•  2 tbs milk or unsweetened coconut milk
•  3/4 tsp vanilla extract
•  Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place 1 cup shredded coconut and 3 tsp oil into the bowl of a food processor.  Process on high speed, until it is a smooth consistency.
2. Add maple syrup, milk, vanilla extract, and salt and process on high speed until all of the ingredients have combined.
3. Add 3/4 cup of additional shredded coconut and process on high speed until all of the ingredients have combined and formed a batter.
4. Shape the coconut mixture into 1” balls and coat with the additional shredded coconut. Keep in the fridge, bringing to room temperature before serve.
5. If you have time to get creative, try decorating snowballs like snowmen.

In the world of medicine, we like to have official words for routine things.  What you call a “burp” (and we call it that too), is officially called an “eructation”.  I know  … that’s weird … that’s medicine for you!  Well, “Sleep Hygiene” is the medical term for activities and routines that promote healthful, regular sleep.

So, the topic for today is your children’s sleep hygiene, specifically related to how they will do in school and with behavioral and aggressiveness problems. Now, you would figure that if your 7 year old has erratic sleep routines  … he or she will probably do poorly in school.  And, yes, you’d be right.  But the information I’ll be sharing today is your child’s sleep at age 2 or 3 … and its effect on school performance and behavioral/aggressiveness issues at age 7 or 8!

2 separate studies were done:
●  one study looked at 11,000 children and the relationship between a consistent/regular bedtime at ages 3, 5 and 7 and school performance at age 7.
●  the second study looked at 42,000 children and the relationship between “undesirable sleep schedules” at age 2 and school-age behavioral problems (3 attention problems and 4 aggressiveness problems).

From these studies, here are the 5 most important findings for late or irregular toddler bedtimes (age 2-3) on school-age children (age7-8):
●  A 60% increase in attention problems
●  An 80% increase in aggressiveness problems
●  Significantly lower reading ability
●  Significantly lower math ability
●  Significantly lower spatial perception and problem solving ability

OK, that is really clear information with a huge study sample population.  Bedtime patterns from early childhood affect later childhood behavior and academic performance!

In another study of 10,000 children between the ages of 0 and 5, the researchers looked at a consistent bedtime routine. The results showed that those children with a set bedtime routine:
●  went to bed earlier
●  fell asleep faster
●  woke-up less often during the night
●  slept longer
●  had less “daytime” behavioral problems

Setting a consistent bedtime routine is good for our children.  It’s not hard to do if you are committed to it!  Start winding them down an hour before lights out.  Whether it’s a bath and a bedtime story, or clean pajamas and quiet play, or some other lower stimulation activity, create a bedtime routine as the end to their busy days.  They’ll be better off for it …. and so will we!!!  Oh, and Christmas Eve qualifies as a special exception  –  it gets its own bedtime routine!  Joy to the family!  Joy to the world!

Additional Resources:

CDC’s Sleep Hygiene Tips

Spatial Perception Predicts Success

During the holiday season everyone is a little more stressed out than usual, which can weaken our immune system which helps us fight off colds. It’s important to eat foods that are rich in antioxidants to help support healthy immune function and keep us from being over-exhausted and down on energy when there is a lot of good (and bad!) going on in our lives.

The foods in this tasty recipe that are high in antioxidants are cranberries, walnuts, sunflower seeds and spinach. It looks so beautiful on the plate and tastes so delicious you won’t even realize that’s is good for you too!

Antioxidant Rich Red Quinoa Salad:

1 cup Wild Oats organic red quinoa

1 teaspoon Wild Oats Italian organic herb seasoning

A dash of Wild Oats organic garlic powder

2 cups Wild Oats organic chicken broth

1 cup celery, sliced thin

2/3 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

2/3 cup raw walnuts, crushed

1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds

The juice of ½ a lemon

1 large handful fresh organic spinach per person

Extra-virgin organic olive oil to drizzle on top

Grated Parmesan Cheese for garnish

Rinse quinoa. Bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. When it boils, add the quinoa, celery, cranberries and Italian seasoning. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes until almost all of the water has absorbed. Add the sunflower seeds and walnuts. Add the lemon juice to the mixture. Mix over the heat for about one minute. Turn off the burner on the stove and let sit.

On one salad plate per person, put one handful of raw organic spinach. Drizzle organic olive oil on top of spinach.

Add a heaping of quinoa mixture to the center of the plated spinach. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Looking for a gift that spreads good will to more than the gift recipient? Choose last minute eco-friendly gifts made with sustainable materials! Not only will these gifts promote holiday cheer, but they will also help protect the planet for years to come. Check out my segment on Daybreak featuring these products!

Black Poodle Jewelry by Madeleine O’Connell
Madeleine O’Connell is a Colorado artist who repurposes vintage pieces and forgotten sparkles into new and standout jewelry that your loved one will treasure. You’ll find unique pieces that are thoughtfully put together to reflect someone’s individuality. Make sure to check out the statement necklaces that can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. www.mwoconnell.com

Sjotime Industries
Sjotime Industries (pronounced “Show-time”) based in Denver, Colorado crafts modern furniture products that delight and inspire. The creative spark behind the name is Dan Sjogren, who merges traditional woodworking techniques with high-end digital production. His amazingly cool vases are made from Birch wood scraps and test tubes and reflect a modern flare that will liven up any environment. shop.sjotime.com

Xob Upcycled
Xob gloves, hats, scarves and purses are made using a process called upcycling, which utilizes existing items as raw materials to create something new of higher quality or environmental value. Making Xob products requires virtually no new materials and gives new life to fabric and outdated clothing. Last year alone, Xob products diverted over 30,000 pounds of material from the waste stream. www.iceboxknitting.com/xob_pages

Green Toys
Green Toys Inc. makes an awesome line of classic children’s toys constructed from recycled plastic and other environmentally friendly materials. This helps reduce fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improving the overall health and happiness of the planet. www.greentoys.com

Check out Wild Oats Holiday Recipe E-Book featuring delicious recipes from some popular bloggers…including me! You can download it by clicking on the cover. Happy holidays!