​Being surrounded with intelligent business savvy women makes for a very motivating environment. I want everyone I encounter to win! When I heard about the successes my Cousin-In-Law was having transitioning into a healthier lifestyle; I wanted her to contribute to MomLifeManual.com. Below is a delicious and healthy pancake recipe made with Arbonne products. ​
Arbonne is a company that empowers people to live a healthier life. Arbonne includes nutrition, skincare, makeup, bath & body, and even rE9 advance items. If you're interested in learning more or purchasing products, please click this link www.arbonne.com and Johnna will service you with knowledge in addition to class!

What I’ve learned along the way was that how I was eating wasn’t properly fueling my body. I was not as healthy as I could and should be. I’m not rocking a six-pack (extra stretched out postpartum belly anyone?), but I FEEL amazing! I don’t have to a “mombie” anymore.  The fact that I look and feel better at 35 than I did at 25 is amazing by itself, but the best part is that I’m creating healthy habits for my children that will set them up to be healthier and happier adults. 
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Now, onto the fun stuff!  Let’s talk about FOOD!  Who doesn’t like pancakes on a Saturday morning??  Most pancakes are gluten and sugar bombs that will make anyone crash an hour later.  How do we create a sweet morning treat that fills you up rather than make you tank? I was so happy to come across this Arbonne recipe, which I have tweaked a little to satisfy even the sweetest tooth.  It has become a weekend staple in my home, and I make enough each weekend to last my son through the week since my hubby won’t cook, and I leave for work well before he wakes up. 

READY IN: 15-20 mins
SERVES: 6-9 Pancakes
 
INGREDIENTS

• 4 scoops Arbonne Vanilla Protein Powder
• 2 scoops Arbonne Fiber Boost
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
• 4 Eggs (well beaten)
• 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk or Unsweetened Coconut Milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.
2. Whisk all ingredients together.
3. On a large griddle set to 325 degrees and spray with coconut oil.  
4. When hot, use ½ cup of batter per pancake.  
5. While pancakes are cooking on the first side, add choice of berries or chocolate chips to each individual pancake.  
6. These are ready to flip when they are golden brown on one side and easily flip over​

 *Trying to figure out when to flip these pancakes is more difficult than normal pancakes because these pancakes won’t bubble up like regular ones will.  

Tips!
 
Use coconut oil instead of butter to make this dairy-free. You can top pancakes, with either 100% pure maple syrup or agave nectar. My kids prefer chocolate chip pancakes with no syrup, but they’ll opt for a touch of syrup if they don’t have chocolate chips. I prefer mine with an abundance of blueberries, so I don’t have to use any syrup at all. 

Infants aren’t ready for in tub bathing until their umbilical cord has fallen off. Umbilical cords are what transport a mother’s nutrients and oxygen to a baby. An umbilical cord will generally fall off between 10 days and three weeks after birth, after which you can submerge their bodies in water. 
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Another consideration is a baby's soft spot typically found at the top of the head. The soft spots are the areas of the scalp that provided a child to easily adapt to the birthing canal. Bather’s want to be aware and extremely gentle during contact of that area. 

For male infants, parents should be careful that circumcision incisions are healed. In the interim, you can cleanse infants by sponge bathing. If you are uncertain of how to properly give your child a sponge bath, please review the created steps following.

Instead of a traditional bath, The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sponge baths until the umbilical cord stump falls off and circumcisions are healed. If you’re not familiar with sponge bathing, you can follow my process below.

​Step 1: Check the water temperature. Make sure the temperature is just slightly above 100 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid scalding but just warm enough to prevent chilling.  
Step 2: Fill up basin or tub to a level where your child’s navel is not submerged. Keep in mind if you are bathing a male, do not permit for the water to touch his private part.
Step 3: Loosely wrap your child in the receiving blanket leaving the front open.
Step 4: Place your slightly wrapped child into the tub.
Step 5: Moisten sponge and lather. 
Step 6: Support your child’s head and bathe.

• Open the front of the receiving blanket to expose the chest area and using the damp sponge wipe down the chest and belly area staying away from the umbilical cord. 
• Proceed to sponge down the remaining parts of their body. Make sure to get under the neck, behind the ears, under their arms, and slightly pass over private parts. 

You should not bathe your infant every day. According to The Mayo Clinic, you should only wash a baby three times a week because bathing a child more than the mentioned may dry out their skin. You can increase the amount of bathing as a child starts to crawl and explore.  ​​