Savvy Smarts: Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby

By Jacqueline Shaprow ~

It is fun for babies to explore different textures, colors, and tastes as they embark upon the journey of eating solid foods.  Most babies are ready for solid foods at 4 to 6 months of age.  However, it is important to remember to consult your pediatrician before beginning solid foods, because your doctor may have very specific instructions for you.  Pediatricians will discuss detailed feeding routines with parents, and they will ensure that your baby is growing according to schedule.  According to The American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations, mothers should breastfeed their babies exclusively for at least four months and preferably for six, and mothers should continue breastfeeding even after solid foods are introduced until a baby is 12 months old.  Remember that solid foods are not meant as a substitute for the nutrition provided by a mother’s breast milk.  Therefore, it is important to make sure that your baby is getting enough breast milk or formula even after she begins eating solid foods.  A good way to ensure your baby gets enough breast milk is to nurse her before feeding her solids.  If a baby is producing one to two bowel movements per day and makes a good amount of wet diapers, then you are probably on the right track in terms of your feedings.

Every baby is different.  Some babies will eat two jars of baby food in a day, and others will only eat a few spoonfuls of solid food per day when solid foods are initially introduced.  Since every baby has different needs, it is important to be sensitive to your baby’s cues during feedings to ensure that they are receiving the right amount of solid food for their own individual needs.  Feed as slowly or as quickly as your baby wants to eat.  If your baby turns her head away as you offer more food, then you may want to slow down the feeding.  Simply wait for your baby to show readiness to eat again before giving her another spoonful of food. If your baby continuously turns her head away each time you offer more food, then you may want to end the feeding period because your baby is probably full.  Pay close attention to your baby’s cues during feedings, and look out for the below signs to tell if your baby is full or still wants more.

Cues that your baby is done eating:

• Pursing of lips, or closing the mouth when the spoon approaches
• Turning the head away as the spoon approaches
• Looking down
• Spitting out food which they have been fed
• Unexplained crying or whimpering

Cues that your baby is still hungry for more:

• Opening the mouth as the spoon approaches
• Reaching for the spoon and attempting to put it in their mouth
• Reaching toward the bowl or jar containing food

When you enter Whole Foods Market, Ralphs, or any grocery store, you will see the following baby food options: peas, sweet potatoes, squash, apples, bananas, carrots, green beans, pears, oatmeal, and rice cereal, among others.  There are organic and non-organic baby food options in most grocery stores. Some mothers choose to buy jars of baby food in stores, while others opt to make their own baby food with a baby food maker, an instrument that steam-cooks and purees fruits, vegetables, and meat.  Some moms love preparing their own baby food, while others may find it overwhelming and stressful. Every mother is different and every baby is different, so do what works best for you!

While shopping for baby food, it is important to be aware that some vegetables may contain nitrates.  Specific vegetables to watch out for are the following:

• Carrots
• green beans
• spinach
• squash
• beets

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents refrain from feeding their babies the above vegetables, which may contain nitrates until a baby is three months old.  The AAP recommends starting babies on solid foods at four to six months, but if parents do choose to give their baby vegetables before three months of age, then they should be careful to avoid carrots, green beans, spinach, squash and beets.

It is important for parents to be aware of food allergies when introducing solid foods to babies. The below foods are responsible for 90 percent of food allergies in young children:

• Shellfish
• Soy
• Dairy products
• Tree nuts
• Wheat
• Peanuts
• Egg Whites
• Honey (may cause Botulism in infants, so it should not be fed to infants who are less than one year old)

A lot to think about, right? After considering which vegetables may contain nitrates, which solid foods to introduce first, whether your baby is producing a good amount of bowel movements, whether to buy organic or non-organic baby food, whether to buy jars of baby food or to puree your own baby food at home, and which foods are responsible for most allergies – it is also important to keep one last thing in mind – safe food handling practices to help protect your baby.  Below are easy ways to prevent food poisoning.

• Store baby food that has been opened in the refrigerator for no more than three days.  Most baby food jars will have this particular instruction printed on the food label to remind you.

• Throw baby food jars away if you are not positive how long they have been sitting in the refrigerator after they’ve been opened.  It’s much better safe than sorry!

• Clean baby bowls and utensils carefully before each use.

• If you buy baby food jars, then before each feeding put a small amount of the food from the jar into a bowl.  Do not give your baby food directly from the jar because the spoon may transfer bacteria from your baby’s mouth into the jar.  The bacteria left in the jar may multiply. Unless you are going to feed your baby the entire jar in one sitting, refrain from feeding directly from the jar for this reason.

With all of the above information in mind, it is now time to begin exploring new foods with your baby – and remember to have fun!  Everything is new and exciting for your baby.  As your baby tastes each new food, she will have fun making a mess on her high chair and splattering food on the floor. Your baby will marvel at the color of the food that splatters everywhere while she eats.  Your baby will play with the food textures that collect between her fingers and she will squeal with delight as she tries a new food she likes.  Capture every moment and enjoy.

Jacqueline Shaprow is a writer, an attorney, and a graduate of Yale. Her psychological research was published in the Journal of Health Psychology and distributed internationally.  Shaprow publishes motherhood articles and teaches a Decision Making course to pregnant women and new mothers.  This course assists mothers with making positive life decisions, and it evaluates the psychological processes underlying the decisions we make. She is the President and Founder of the THE BABY SHOWER FOUNDATION, an organization that brings joy to homeless and low-income pregnant women by organizing special Baby Shower events for these women and providing them with high quality baby care products to assist them in caring for their newborn babies.

Photo Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

Savvy Smarts: Have a Healthier Halloween

By Cheryl Tallman ~

Halloween is truly a kid’s holiday –- good friends, creative costumes, event-filled parties –- all with a cool spooky theme — who could ask for more? Oh yes, one more thing, the treats –- lots of sugary candy treats!

With all the fun of this holiday come a parent’s worst fears -– too many sugary treats in your kid’s possession and the arguments that ensue over this treasured trove. If you don’t feel like to contributing to the neighborhood children’s tooth decay, consider giving treats that are healthier. Here are some suggestions:

• Cheese and cracker packages
• Naturally flavored and sweetened gun or sugar-free gum
• Small bags of pretzels
• Small packages of nuts or raisins
• Peanuts in the shell
• Fruit-Roll Ups
• Granola bars

If you are not opposed to sugar, but would prefer your treats to be natural or vegan, we suggest you visit your local natural food store. There are many natural candy companies that offer a big variety of candies. The one drawback, expect to pay more for these items. Natural products come at a higher price tag.

You could make a homemade treat. Unless you are in a neighborhood with close friends, we don’t suggest this approach. Most parents are trained to go through the Halloween candy and throw out unopened, unwrapped or homemade treats. If you decide to make your treats, wrap your homemade item up well, and add your name and phone number to the bag with the treat. If the parent recognizes your name, it will make them feel the treat is safe.

Halloween treats do not have to be edible

An alternative to avoiding the junk food challenges is to hand out a non-food treat. Today, many families are opting for this choice. With a little bit of thought and some clever shopping, you can find some really nice items for a few cents per item. Here are few ideas:

• Cool stickers or temporary tattoos
• Halloween balloons, you can even rent a helium tanks and fill them on the spot
• Crayons, pencils, colored chalk or fun-shaped erasers
• Whistles or noise makers
• Rubber spiders, worms, or other equally creepy figure
• Spider, skull, or pumpkin plastic rings

Check your local dollar store for fun items. There is also plenty of time to shop online, and have items shipped to you. A quick search on Google will give you plenty more online shopping choices.

Halloween Day:
Start the day off right, with a festive breakfast of bagels, pumpkin cream cheese (recipe follows) and fresh apples. This meal also works as a great treat for a morning Halloween party at your child’s school.

Pumpkin cream cheese

Beat in a bowl:

8 ounces softened cream cheese

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup of canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Serve with toasted bagels and fresh apple slices.

Before your children venture out in their costumes, make sure they eat a meal before going trick-or-treating. Try the Incredible White Bean Pizza recipe below. It is fast and simple. With full tummies, they won’t be so tempted to dig into their bag of goodies before they get back home. Ask your kids not to eat candy while they are out.

Incredible Bean Pizza
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon oregano
1 pizza crust (like Boboli)
Shredded Mozzarella cheese
Fresh diced tomatoes
Chopped basil

Directions:

Puree first five ingredients in a blender and spread mixture over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese, fresh, diced tomatoes and chopped basil. Bake in a 425 degree F oven until cheese is bubbly, about 10-12 minutes.

When your children arrive back at home, don’t let them take control over their bag or bucket of candy. Working with them, check the treats and keep only treats which are unopened. Be sure to inspect fruits and homemade goods for anything suspicious. While you are going through their candy, let them pick two or three treats that they can eat on this special night. Store the rest of the candy out of reach and out of sight.

Over the next few days or weeks, rationing the treats is the best approach. Allow your children to make their own selections, but tell them they can pick one large piece or two small pieces. If your children have trouble with this, do it for them (in advance). Just place small amounts of candy in bags, and let them select one of the bags. If there is just too much candy, consider donating some of it to a shelter. It will bring smiles to others.

About the author:

Cheryl Tallman is the co-founder of Fresh Baby, creators of the award-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit, and author of the So Easy Baby Food and the new book So Easy Toddler Food: Survival Tips and Simple Recipes for the Toddler Years. Visit Cheryl online at www.FreshBaby.com for more delicious tips.

Savvy Smarts: How Mother-Baby bonding Enhances Development

By Jacqueline Shaprow ~

Proximity and touch are essential ingredients when it comes to establishing a strong bond between a mother and infant.  Science shows that the development of a baby’s central nervous system and brain is heavily influenced by the way in which babies are cared for by their mothers.  Many hospitals and birthing centers now recognize that mother-infant bonding and skin-to-skin contact directly after birth is crucial, which is why mothers are provided with ‘The Golden Hour’ after their baby’s birth.  During this critical hour, nurses will place a newborn baby on his or her mother’s chest, and both the mother and baby are left alone to enjoy an invaluable bonding experience.

These first moments with a baby are unforgettable.  I remember my newborn baby girl’s distinct smell and gazing into her eyes as she latched on to get her very first taste of breast milk – her eyes rolled back in her head from sheer pleasure.

Moms may engage in the below practices to facilitate a strong mother-infant bond:

·         Breastfeeding

·         Baby-wearing

·         Co-sleeping

Modern day mommies who lead busy lives should not disregard co-sleeping, baby-wearing, and breastfeeding, because all of these practices facilitate touch and proximity to the infant.  Additionally, breast milk is wonderful for brain development – specifically brain structures associated with social behaviors, depression, and violence.  Breast milk has essential fatty acids that are beneficial for cell development and the development of an infant’s brain.  The act of breastfeeding also aids in mother-infant bonding by providing babies with more comfort and cuddling from mom.

A study in the Journal of Pediatrics demonstrated that babies who were breastfed by their mothers for a longer period of time, actually scored higher on pattern-recognition and vocabulary tests and were more cognitively developed than babies who were breastfed for a shorter period of time.
After a baby is born, their brain experiences a tremendous increase in neural connections, and during this critical period, mothers should strive to establish closeness with their babies.

Baby-wearing, practiced in many cultures throughout the world such as Chinese and Native American cultures, is an excellent way of giving an infant love and stimulus. Studies have demonstrated that babies who are carried by their mothers are more often in a state of ‘quiet alertness,’ and this state facilitates learning and development of an infant.  Researchers have even found that babies who are carried demonstrate a greater level of auditory and visual alertness.
Touch and proximity are key components to mother-infant bonding.  Studies Dr. James Prescott has conducted illustrate that a lack of touch and proximity results in many abnormalities including violence, substance abuse, and depression.  Additionally, a lack of touch may also result in malfunctions of the immune system in babies.

Why is this true?  Research shows that when there is a lack of touch, it causes the release of cortisol (a stress hormone), and this stress hormone can cause long-term damage to brain structures. Touch deprivation in infant monkeys has dramatic effects, causing an increase in stress hormones, sleep disruptions, and a weakened immune system.  Some scientists contend that love changes the chemicals in the brain and overtime can even alter the structure of the brain.

Science tells us that there is no such thing as “too much love” when it comes to parenting and establishing a strong mother-infant bond.  Bonding with your baby will help enhance their cognitive and social-emotional development, and it will leave an indelible imprint of maternal love on your child.

About the Author

Jacqueline Shaprow is a writer, an attorney, and a graduate of Yale University. Her psychological research was published in the Journal of Health Psychology, presented at the NAASO Conference, and distributed in Germany, Russia, Scotland, Norway, and Spain.  She has contributed to a legal book, and has published legal articles in the California Family Law Monthly and the Los Angeles Daily Journal.  She has also published articles in the areas of entertainment, fashion, music, and travel.  Shaprow currently resides in Los Angeles with her daughter, Arianna, and recently began teaching a Decision Making Course to single pregnant women and new mothers.  This course assists single mothers with making positive life decisions and evaluates the psychological processes underlying the decisions we make. For more information, contact Jacqueline at jshaprow@gmail.com.

Savvy Smarts: Five Ingredients to Finding Peace

By Allison Manswell ~

One of the quotes that I am best known for in my career as a life coach is “Money matters, but mindset matters more.”

Now, as my book Finding My Peace: Empowering Poetic Essays from the Soul is released with so many personal details, life-changing “A-ha!’s” and a lifetime miracle, I realize how much peace matters.  Money is simply what you chase when you don’t know that you need peace.

Peace is the elusive “it” that everyone wants. Most of us don’t know what it is – much less how to find it. It’s almost as if it is lost, and our life assignment is to find it. I found my peace through an elusive journey that I didn’t even know I was on.  And now, in what feels like an instant, I understand the search, self-discovery, recognition and acceptance of my “it.”

Oddly enough, the opposite of peace is not necessarily chaos.  Chaos is easily identified.  However, it’s the status quo that’s challenging – the safe place where nothing changes but you. Identifying the stagnant places in your life is harder to detect because we fill emptiness with stuff before we realize it was ever empty.

This journey has taught me that, though the details differ from person to person, there are at least five universal and essential elements of peace:

What parts of your childhood are still impacting your life?
Each of us comes to Earth with the energy of the circumstances surrounding our conception and childhood. That energy is either ours to harness and leverage (e.g. being born into a wealthy family) or ours to overcome (e.g. being born into a wealthy family). Interpreting what these seemingly unimportant details mean is a difficult task, but one that proves well worth the effort when we figure out how important these puzzle pieces really are.

One of my clients had a life-changing “A-ha!” when I helped her understand the impact of losing her mother at an early age.  Once Rita realized that she had to grow up to live with other relatives, she was able to understand the impact of missing her little girl play days. Finally, she had the missing element to find her joy.

What parts of that impact are within your control? Out of your control?
It is often said, “it doesn’t really matter what happens to us. It only matters how we respond.” Being able to dissect the parts of what we are and are not responsible for is critical to having the right response. It’s easy to confuse the two.

For example, have you ever met someone who continues to replay and internalize an event that was random and out of their control? Conversely, have you ever seen someone make a mistake, not take responsibility for it, and proceed to repeat it? Lastly, have you ever considered that maybe that someone is sometimes you?

Who are you really? What does your alter ego have to say?
It took me a long time to see the world through my own eyes.  While I was in school, I used my mother’s lenses to motivate me to study hard, get a good education and then get a good job. Then I used society’s lenses to dictate what a good mother does. I allowed myself to be riddled with guilt and self-doubt as I developed my career and had to be away from my children. I tried to live up to the persona of a good wife and ignored many of my own needs in the process.

And then, finally, I listened to a voice that sounded like my alter ego, and I stepped into a new role. In my book I call it “DIVA For Real,” and my biggest wish is that every woman finds this inner voice for herself.

What are your major life lessons?  What parts of your personality do others consistently mirror to you?
We are here to learn, grow and evolve. As such, our major assignment is to grow through what we go through. Every experience, every celebration, every crisis is customized to support our personal growth.  The grief of losing my mother led me to focus on the lessons I was supposed to learn from her life. Once I got that, I still missed her but the pain was transformed into sustained gratitude for the gifts she developed in me. From that point forward, I was better able to use, appreciate and leverage those gifts.

Lessons are repeated until we master them and move on. Life’s curriculum is pass/fail. You retake until you pass.  One of the ways that lessons are provided is in the people who show up in your life. Follow the patterns of personality traits that irritate you and circumstances that repeated themselves. Those are really modules that you are struggling with. You will know you have matriculated when new patterns surface.

Again, the biggest shifts I have seen are with the clients who are ready to do the work of self-discovery, get to the answers that have eluded them for years and then make new behavior choices. The question people ask next is – How?

What actions do you need to take to move yourself forward?
This is hard. I am educated and credentialed in the field of learning and development, and it still took me 21 years to figure this one out.  Having children is a miracle, but it’s a common miracle that happens every day all around the world. So finding my father was the biggest uncommon miracle I have ever experienced. After 21 years of searching, I found him within 24 hours of the last necessary action required. How is it possible that a series of seemingly random coincidences would line up with such precision? My inquiring mind needed to know how this happened, so I examined the formula that activated that miracle.

Allison Manswell (MBA, CPLP) is the President and Chief Learning Officer of Empowered Village Training & Resources. She is the author of Finding My Peace: Empowering Poetic Essays from the Soul and The Champion’s Ride: Success Skills for Teens from an SUV. To her clients, she is known as the Mindset Coach. Most importantly, to Malcolm, Mykal and Maurice – she is Mommy.

Savvy Smarts: Do You Know the History of the Internet?

Ever wonder how the Internet progressed over the years to be what we enjoy today? Check out the timeline below to get a grasp at how rapidly this field has evolved.

[Source: OnlineMBA.com]

Savvy Smarts: Sleep 101

We spend approximately a third of our lives sleeping. But how much do we know about what goes on while we snooze away? Check out these 16 facts you probably didn’t know about sleep…

Via: Psychology Degree

Savvy Smarts: Seven Tips for Mom ~ Me Self-Care

By Mia Redrick   ~

As women, we often feel that we have to take care of everyone, but the simple fact of the matter is that we can’t take care of others very well if we do not take care of ourselves.  Self-care is not selfish, but rather a necessary part of caring for our family.  Women who care for themselves typically are better mothers because they feel less stressed and resentful, and are more relaxed and carefree.  Here are seven tips for taking better care of you!

1. Make regular self-care a part of your daily routine. Your daily routine needs to be set in stone, and self-care needs to be a part of it.  It may be part of your routine to get everyone out the door on time, but after you do that, block out some time to go to the gym or to spend fifteen minutes of “Me Time” after the work and stick to your plan each and every day. 

2. Join local mom support groups in your community. Having support as a mom is extremely important.  We all want to feel like someone understands us, and no one can understand you better than other moms who are in the same boat.  By joining a mom support group, you will find a group of ladies with sympathetic ears and a new set of friends you can plan time out with on a regular basis.

3. Learn to recognize the difference between a true emergency and things that can wait a few hours. As mothers, we often drop everything and come running whenever any of our family members need us.  If Billy forgot his lunchbox, we feel the need to cut out on our daily self-care routine and run it over to his school.  However, it is important to realize that this can wait an hour or two.  It is not always necessary to rush right out and take care of mistakes made by your family members.  A true emergency like a sick child is one thing, but remember that some things do not always need to be taken care of right now.  Some things, like a forgotten school item, can be taken care of in a few hours instead of right now.

4. Make it easy for you to spend time doing the things you love to do. Remember that the time you set aside for yourself is completely yours, and it hardly counts if you waste all of it trying to find the things you like to do.  It can be a matter of setting 20 or 30 minutes aside for you to read a book every day, but if you waste 10 or 15 minutes trying to find your book, then you lose out.  Keep all of your fun activity items like books, magazines, crossword puzzles, crafts, or other items within easy reach.  Tuck them away in your car so you can do them while you wait for the kids to come out of school.  Remember that a few moments of waiting can be used to do something fun for yourself.

5. Date yourself in advance to force yourself out of the house. Purchase tickets for a concert or speaking engagement you really want to see, and then set the date.  This will encourage you to get out of the house and spend some time thinking only about the things you want to think about.  If the date has been on the family calendar for months, then there is no excuse for others to not be aware of them.

6. Spend some time with the girls. Friendship is also an important part of self-care, and going out for a night on the town with your friends can go a long way to helping you relax.  Take one night every other week or once a month and set it aside for your girl time.  Plan a movie or game night, or just go out for dinner.  No husbands or children allowed!

7. Learn how to say no. Self-care also depends sometimes on being able to say the word “no.”  We need to set boundaries for our time and keep it separate from our family time.  If we are truly going to spend time focusing on ourselves, then we need to draw the line and tell our children and husbands that we will take care of their issues afterward.

When we make the time to self-connect, we are able to share more of who we are with our family.  So, starting today, make your self-care a priority because it not only benefits you, but it helps your family when you are at your happiest.

Mia Redrick, Mom Strategist is a mom of three, author and speaker empowering one million mothers to practice better self-care.  Redrick is the author of Time for mom-Me: 5 Essential Strategies for A Mother’s Self-Care. For tips from The Mom Strategist visit www.findingdefinitions.com.

Savvy Smarts: How to Pick the Perfect Color for Any Room in Your Home ~

Interior Designer, Kristi Witt, gives her five expert tips for choosing the perfect paint  ~

Selecting paint colors for a room can be a very daunting task, not to mention trying to figure out the perfect color for every room in your house!  According to Kristi Witt, interior designer and owner of Kristi Witt Design, paint is the easiest design change to make for a space and the least expensive. Kristi offers her insight below.

Kristi says, “The best way to begin the process is to give yourself plenty of time to discover what you truly like, how you want to see color brought into your home and the ambiance or mood you wish to create for each room.”

Allowing time for plans, notes and thoughts to incubate is a key ingredient to picking the right color. “Don’t hurry and don’t worry”… If a color isn’t what you thought it would be – from paint chip to sample swatch on the wall – it is perfectly ok to rethink your plan or select a new color that suits you and your room better. Paint stores have small sample jars for the express purpose of narrowing down the right color without having to commit to a gallon.

1. Collect your thoughts:Pour through your favorite home decor catalogs, magazines, online sites and design books, look for inspiration and make a “wish book” for yourself. Once you have several ideas, dog-eared pages or photos of rooms saved which you are really drawn to, hone in on the key elements of these spaces and ask yourself what is the common thread with each one that appeals to you and what are your reasons for liking them.

For example: Do soft creamy neutral tones found in your favorite furniture catalogs resonate with you more or do you appreciate edgy industrial spaces that pay homage to raw building materials and texture? Are you drawn to boho chic with a flair for colors and prints or would you prefer a single bold statement-maker for a room in the form of an accent wall to offset artwork?

2. Inspiration: Take a look in your closet for further inspiration. Do the items you wear have anything in common with the spaces you like? If you’d rather throw out everything in your closet and make a fresh start, why that’s ok, too… just think of a wardrobe you would rather be wearing and imagine how this can relate to the vision you have for your home. Designer fashions in the latest trend, timeless classic pieces, accessories with punchy color, natural textures and shades, tone on tone… all can work for you.

3. Think about Space: When selecting paint for your space, think of what the space is used for. If it is a quiet bedroom or sitting room, your plan may be to afford a feeling of calm and serenity through peaceful tranquil colors such as pale blue, cream, light beige, taupe or soft grey. Bold, vibrant color creates energy, interest and excitement… a wonderful way to go with a focal wall as you enter a room to set a tone. Deep rich colors such as dark red or espresso introduce drama and can feel very much at home whether in the dining room or a powder room. Again, it is all about how you or your guests want to feel in a particular room and what you wish to say about your space, and yourself, through color.

4. Linking: Color plays a role in linking one room to the next and can be used to introduce adjoining spaces in a variety of ways. Consider where your eye will travel as you enter rooms with access and visibility to adjoining spaces: perhaps you’d love to see a sneak peek of bold color in the living room as you enter a front hallway, painted a crisp “art-gallery white”… a delightful way to be playful and dramatic at the same time. A continuation of the same hue throughout may be more your style to keep things harmonious and connected.

5. Another option: When using the same color throughout, tint or shade the color just a bit for a subtle variation. Nuance in color will distinguish each room while still maintaining a sense of order. The function and purpose of a room can also be emphasized with the color selected… much like you might play up your best features by wearing a certain color. If the room opens up to the back garden you might try to highlight the blue sky or green grass using the fairest hints of a similar color on the wall – at night, you will be reminded of your exterior space even when you can’t see it!

Picking colors for your home is a lot like picking your favorite restaurant or comfort food… you might have a hard time deciding! But even if you think you have way too many choices, you are very likely to be able to settle on one (or perhaps half a dozen) if you sat down and tried.

When considering color, ask yourself plenty of questions about what you find interesting, soothing or expressive and realize there are truly no wrong answers.  It often boils down to what “feels right.” What are waiting for? There’s a paint bucket out there with your own name on it!

About Kristi Witt

San Francisco interior designer, Kristi Witt, brings insight, energy and optimism to each project and believes understanding how her clients relate to their space is a main ingredient to good design. She listens carefully and offers options on how to achieve goals, creating comfortable, beautiful spaces that work for them, inspire them and reflect their individual personalities.

Educated in fine art and graphic design, Kristi has always been able to merge her creative talent with a love for helping others. She started out running her own catering and event-planning business in Memphis for 15 years, satisfying clients with beautifully executed parties and delicious menus. In addition to catering, she is also a published singer and songwriter, has operated her own home staging business since 2005 and has experience as a realtor. It is this varied experience that allows her to give clients a unique combination of creativity, practicality and perspective. For more information on Kristi Witt, visit www.kristiwittdesign.com.