Ballet and Babies - Blog

All baby food makers are NOT equal

8/12/2015

So much has happened recently! My LG moved and so I was in a whirlwind of interviews finding the perfect family to work with. At the same time I tore a toenail, so had to take it easy in ballet. I just started in my new position, a nannyshare again working with two different families.

Today I worked with a new baby food maker for the first time. I was not impressed with the Nuk baby food maker, to say the least. It was new, but it had a hard time mixing even soft cooked fruit. The carrots took about 10 minutes to make a smooth mixture, and I had steamed them so soft they were practically falling apart.

I've worked with both the Cuisinart and BEABA Babycook Pro-Gipsy baby food makers before. Both of these had the additional advantage of being able to steam the food right in the mixer also, which was a great feature. It definitely cuts down on dishes. These two mixers handled mixing much better than the Nuk, and in a much shorter time. I also felt I had to add less water to get it to mix.

What is your favorite baby food maker?

Stitch Fix #2

4/26/2015

I got my second stitch fix, and wanted to share it here. If you haven't heard of this yet, it's a personal styling service. You fill out a style profile, pay $20, and then you get sent five items a stylist thinks you will like. Anything you don't like you put into a pre-paid envelope that gets sent back to them. If you decide to keep something, the $20 goes towards your purchase. If you keep all 5 items, you get 25% off. Super fun and easy.

First item I got, was the Farrah Crochet Trim Blouse from 19 Cooper ($64). I like flower patterns, and the delicate lace trim. I don't really wear sleeveless blouses, though. Plus, the white was see-through. To make matters worse, the top portion was a little small, and seemed to flattened my chest. Not a successful item for me, so back into the envelope it went.

Next up was the Lex Textured Floral Knit Fit & Flare Dress by Brixon Ivy ($74). Now, I was already super excited about this dress before it even got to me. I peeked at what I was getting beforehand. After searching Pinterest, I found some fellow stitchers who already got sent this dress, allowing me to see it! My love only grew as I felt how soft the material was. I tried to hold back my love as I tried it on, thinking surely it would be too short, or not fit. But it fit perfectly! The skirt has plenty of twirl room, and looks great on, thanks to the heavier material that makes all my curvy bits look smooth. A definite keep.

The third item I tried on was this Melodie Smocked Detail Polka Dot Print Blouse ($68). I hadn't been able to find a picture of this, so my first impression was seeing it in the box. I liked the subtle polka dot pattern, but was jaded from the other polyester blouse. I thought this might be tight in the same area. It fit perfectly though! I wore it around my room, tucking it into a pencil skirt while stumbling into different heels. Then I realized I could also wear it to work with a pair of jeans on days he has movement class. The teacher always has us rolling on the floor at some point- not a class you want to wear a skirt in! I debated if it was really worth the price, but in the end, I had already styled too many outfits with it to return it.

Next up is the Kathy Striped Fit & Flare Dress by Pixley ($68). I had seen this dress before getting it. I liked that it had sleeves, but scoffed at every blogger that said it was flattering and super comfortable. I wasn't thrilled to get this- I was firmly in the camp of, there was no way a horizontal stripe dress would look good on me. I pulled it on, and had to admit it was really comfortable. I stood in front of the mirror, and was really surprised. This dress does work some kind of magic. It was super flattering. Did I need another dress though? Yes, especially one that I could wear to work.

The last item I tried on was the Shiloh Tonal Dot Print Sleeveless Blouse by Skies are Blue ($58). Purple is totally my color, and the scalloped bottom and polka dots certainly helped. It would have to be pretty fabulous for me to keep a sleeveless blouse though. Unfortunately, this one had the same fit problem as the white one. To add, it also seemed to short to wear comfortably. It went into the envelope with it's similar friend.

All in all, a pretty good fix! I love the dresses, and can see myself wearing the polka dot blouse a lot too! I have my fixes scheduled to come every other month, and I already can't wait!

*I don't make any money from my blog, or this review, but if you follow my link in this post and purchase a box for yourself, I could get $25 for referring you. I would appreciate it greatly, but will continue to do this even if no one uses my link! :-) *

Do you do stitch fix? How do you like it?

Summer Sampler

4/25/2015

Boston Ballet had a sampler of their adult summer intensive program today. For the elementary class, there were so many people we were able to use studio 7! I loved every moment being able to dance in such an amazing space. For the variations class, we had to move back downstairs, though. We learned a part from Raymonda (act three). Then they had a lecture about Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. My legs were so tired I had trouble getting to the T after. I would really be interested in doing their intensive, but it's not at the location downtown. Going all the way out to Newton in time for class every day would be impossible. Hopefully, they will offer other adult variation classes at their downtown location in the future.

Tofu in Peanut Sauce

4/24/2015

Three years ago, I had a super picky one year old under my care. One protein that I could always get him to eat was tofu. Sometimes I just baked it plain with a little salt (no pepper- he wouldn't touch it). He would dip it in BBQ sauce or ketchup, and could eat it for days. This recipe kept his friend in the nanny share happy, who enjoyed a few more flavors, while still keeping my picky eater happy. My Little Guy (LG) now likes really spicy food (go figure!), so I go liberal with the red pepper flakes and spices. If you aren't doing peanuts yet, or have an allergy, you can substitute almond or cashew butter pretty easily. I love that I can cook up some roasted asparagus (one of LG's favorite foods) at the same time. I just cut off the ends, sprinkle with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and cover with foil. It takes the same amount of baking time as the tofu!

Ingredients
block of firm or extra firm tofu
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 TBS boiling water
2 TBS soy sauce
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
optional: nutritional yeast
red pepper flakes and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Slice block of tofu into even slices about 1/4 inch thick. I usually end up with nine slices. Lay on a greased baking pan.
3. Mix boiling water with peanut butter in a small bowl until fully mixed. Combine all the rest of the ingredients to the peanut butter mixture, excluding the tofu and nutritional yeast.
4. Spoon sauce over the top of the tofu. Sprinkle top with nutritional yeast. I usually have a little extra sauce that I either dilute with a little almond milk to make a salad dressing, or you can add it to some roasted vegetables.
5. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes.
6. Let cool and enjoy!

Remembering Barre Combinations

4/24/2015

On Tuesdays and Saturdays I have to go to a different studio. I have been having trouble at barre, picking up some of the combinations. Everything is done at a faster pace, with no time for questions. A few weeks ago, I searched the internet for advice. This article kept popping up. I tried to apply a few of the ideas in class.

I realized a key part for me though, is to only mark the combination with my hands. That way I can keep my gaze on the instructor, or the classmate he is having demonstrate what he is saying. If I try to mark with my feet, I end up looking in the mirror, trying to turnout or point my foot more. Honestly, I think that the best thing you can do is keep going to that instructor's class. That way you can eventually pick up the specific patterns they favor. Just this week I finally figured out one he favors all the time either for tendus, degages, or grand battements: four front, four side, two back, two side, front, side, back, four inside. Then reverse it, starting back. That is how I break it apart in my head also. I assume the outside leg, and only specify if I have to work my inside leg. If there is only one, I only say in my head the direction. Now that the pattern is clear to me, if cambres, balances, or lunges are added, I have an easier time remembering everything.

So unfortunately for me, there isn't any quick and easy solution: just keep going to class and moving! How do you remember tough combinations?

Kindermusik in JP

4/23/2015

If you're looking for a great baby music class, I love the Kindermusik program in JP. It's held at Blissful Monkey Yoga studio. Every week we do different activities, including bubbles, parachute, balls, scarves, and drums. I've been to a lot of these sort of classes, and was surprised and impressed to see the whole hour filled with instruction. Usually there are large chunks of time that babies are instructed just to "play" and "explore". While that's great, when you're paying for something I could see some parents wanting more.

Marathon Monday!

4/20/2015

Well, the thousands of runners did a brilliant job running their race! My marathon day was a lovely mix of sleeping in, brunch, renting studio space to tap, then ballet. A perfect day off! Between the rain and people fearing the T on such a busy day, it was a small class which enabled us to have an especially fun class full of exercises everyone likes the best.

What is your favorite combination to do across the floor? I'm not very original. I love a good tombe pas de bourree, glissade, grand jete. We were able to end with that one.

Calf stretches

4/14/2015

Last night there was only a few other dancers in class, so needless to say I got quite the workout last night. My calves were particularly feeling it this morning so instead of my morning run I spent the time giving them some T.L.C. I thought I would share some of my favorite calf stretches for anyone else who might need them.

1. Foam roller: nothing makes my legs happier than this. I sit on the floor with my calves on top of my roller. Then I put my hands on the floor to either side of me and push to support my weight and roll my legs over the roller back and forth.

2. Downward dog: my relationship with yoga is complicated. One of the best poses for lots of stretchy goodness is downward dog though. You can alternate with flat feet, then go up into relevé.

3. Lunges: that old standby we learned in gym is still relevant. You can push against a wall or barre for an added stretch.

4. Theraband: use your trusty theraband under the ball of your foot and pull your toes up towards your knee. You can do your legs one at a time, or try them both together.

5. Stair stretch: stand with just the balls of your feet on the edge of a step and let your heels drop down.

Hopefully these help someone! What are your favorite calf stretches?

Boston Public Library

4/11/2015

The Boston Public Library at Copley opened up their new children's section a few weeks ago. It's a beautiful oasis of fun colors, toys, books, and activities for children. You still have to go through a work-in-progress hallway to the elevator to get there which sometimes has loud drills and construction that can scare little kids. Once through however, it's easy to spend hours there. Little Guy (LG) loves going up and down the few stairs to the stage where they have dress up clothes and puppets available. In a different section, there is bright moving bubbles, squares with different textures for children to touch, and magnetic balls to connect. They've restarted their story time and added other fun activities like a dance time.
A great place to hang out (for free!) when it's rainy or cold!

Miss you NY

4/10/2015

Broadway Dance Center just sent me an e-mail saying they miss me there, offering a discount code. I spend a week in the summer doing back to back classes making my own sort of summer intensive in New York City. While we still have thirty degree weather, I have to say I miss them too. I love Boston, but there isn't the same amount of classes available here!