Learning to wrap!

I have been experimenting with wrapping. I really want to master back wraps, because they seem so comfy, easy, and useful. I really wanted a good quality woven wrap, but couldn't afford one. I happened to stumble across one for a pretty reasonable price. The mama who sells it even gave me a great deal! I got it in the mail yesterday and tried it immediately. It was so much easier to wrap with than my other gauze wrap! It was super duper comfy. I loved it, and I think Brady did too.

Here are some videos and links that helped me learn:
This one is basically a compilation of different instruction videos and picture tutorials.
This video was what I used to practice with.

And now, of course, some pictures!

Success!!!

Motherease giveaway!

Just wanted to pop in real fast to write about this giveaway! It is for a Motherease diapering kit! I have heard great things about these diapers, and would really love to try some out!

You can enter the giveaway and read about the diapers here.

I am an awful blogger

Goodness, it's been forever since i've updated this blog. I have so much to write about! First, i'll start with the most recent exciting event.

I've been getting interested in couponing. Yes, it is partly thanks to TLC's new show, Extreme Couponing. But it's also because we really could use the savings. The deals that we could find are amazing! Tonight I went to a coupon class, and I learned a lot. She did a little raffle, and I won a reusable bag to bring out shopping with me! I really wanted the binder to organize my coupons, but oh well. Guess i'll have to find a coupon to get one!

I am slightly overwhelmed with all of what needs to be done. I plan to become email buddies with the lady who ran the class,and i'm hoping she can point me in the right direction of where to start!

I encourage everyone to check out her blog!

Going green!

I have been on a mission to become a healthier, more natural, eco-friendly family! I have been switching out all-purpose flour fr whole wheat, and loving the results! I made a super yummy banana bread, and nobody even knew it had Organic raw cane sugar, agave nectar, and whole wheat flour. I also used applesauce in place of the butter. All of my nay-sayers (aka family!) have quited down after trying the bread! It was so mois and yummy and decadent tasting. Add to that my homemade butter, and we have a hit! So yummy for breakfast!

I've also made my own all-purpose cleaner. It is super easy and I really love the way it cleans. Here is the ridiculously simple recipe:

1 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
3-6 drops grapefruit extract

Mix in a squirt bottle and spray onto surfaces!

Another random thought: our Earth Day FuzziBunz diaper came in today. It is so cute! Action shots to come :) 

6 months!

...and 1 day.

I am a day late in writing this post, but Braden turned 6 months old yesterday! Where did the last half a year go?? I am in denial. He is still my squishy, soft, cuddly newborn. No, he doesn't sit up unassisted, eat solids, laugh, say "mama", or try to crawl. I refuse to believe it!

Speaking of, HE SAID MAMA!! He says it so often now. I know he doesn't really completely understand that he is addressing me, but man does it make my heart melt. It's funny, because he tends to say it when he is hungry. Coincidence? Maybe. But then again, maybe not. :D

We got some 6 month/Easter pictures done today. I will share when they come in!

Happy half birthday baby boy, mama loves you more than anything in this entire galaxy!

Vanilla Bean Pear Sauce

Ok, I suck at blogging. I haven't written a post in over a week! I am going to add a few posts now, to make up for it. First up is this recipe for Vanilla Bean Pear Sauce.

I came across this recipe while checking out the Smitten Kitchen blog. She has such seemingly fancy recipes, so I was super excited to try out the pears. This recipe has a swirl of balsamic vinegar in it, which I thought was so strange. When I tasted the end result, though, I was super surprised. The vinegar adds a depth and a richness to the pears. It is so much more than vanilla flavored pears. It's a flavor experience! Ok, so here is the recipe. It is super duper easy! Braden loved it, so I highly recommend trying it out!

Vanilla Bean Pear Sauce

A few pears (I used bosch)
Swirl of balsamic vinegar
Splash of vanilla, or a vanilla bean
Water

Peel, core and slice pears. Place pears in a medium sauce pan with about an inch or so of water. Add the vanilla bean or vanilla extract and the vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then turn the heat down to allow to simmer, covered. Once the pears are soft (about 30 minutes), remove the vanilla bean if you used it and transfer to food processor. Give it a whirl and you're done!

I froze mine into cubes!

Homemade gummy candy!

I am a gummy bear fanatic! And not just bears. I love worms, bears, rings...anything gummy! So when I found a recipe for homemade gummies, I ran to the store to get the ingredients and try it out. I must say, they came out wonderfully. You can find the recipe I used here. I am thoroughly impressed. I used raspberry jell-o for this time, but I bought about every flavor jell-o on the shelf to make next time.

Lots of pictures and some CD reviews!

I found a great deal on fleece soakers on Etsy, buy 3 get 1 free. I picked some cute prints and bought them. I love them! They are so adorable he can wear them like shorts, and they contain leaks like nobody's business. I bought from this shop. I am really impressed both with prices and quality. There is an extra layer sewn into the wet area of the soaker, for maximum protection. The fabric is stretchy so it has no problem going over even an extra fluffy diaper. I could go on and on about these. Buy them! Here is a picture of Braden in one of his (with his grandma Cassy):

I bought some Kawaii's off of Diaper Swappers. I like them enough, but I have some serious issues with the laundry tabs. They do not stick well. They always form diaper chains in the washer, and it drives me nuts. I'm not sure if the inserts I have are Kawaii or not, because they have no tags. They were sent to me with the Kawaiis, but who knows. I've never had a new Kawaii.

I bought a Goodmama, also used, off of DS. I thought "Ok, let's see what all the hype is about." I really wondered why people sat in front of their computers refreshing the page to buy a $30-$45 diaper. I have to admit I do really love the diaper. It's really absorbent, still very soft and of course adorable. I have a space ship print. I just bought 2 more Goodmama's. 1 Good.night, and one regular Goodmama. I am pretty excited to get them.

I've been using my CDs for almost a month now. I am really loving my BumGenius dipes. I have 3 pockets and 3 All-In-Ones. They fit B perfectly. I especially love how stretchy the tabs are. Really just a fantastic diaper.

Ok, that's all I have for tonight I think. Here are some random pics from the past few days!

Braden with his daddy before bed! 

 B eating his feet after a nap. 

 With Auntie Jess

 Modeling his Apple Tree Boutique bib! 

 Spending time outside with mommy and daddy

 Tissue paper?!?!!!!!

Been busy!

So I've been cooking up a storm. Today I tried out making my own cheese crackers. They came out alright, but I wouldn't say mind blowing. They are pretty addictive though.

Yesterday I experimented with tofu. I made tofu nuggets for dinner, and blended some into B's dinner as well. B liked his. It was tomato, carrot, tofu and basil. I thought it smelled pretty yummy, and I was so excited to be able to give him fresh basil from the garden! I liked the tofu nuggets alright. I served them with marinara sauce. Jon ate one, but wasn't too big on it. I guess I won't be making those again!

Here are my tofu nuggets:

 And here is Braden's dinner! 

I have a ton of pictures to share, and some cloth diaper reviews. I'm going to put them in a separate post :)

I've got myself a garden!

That's right, i've started a garden. I bought a few roma tomato plants, cilantro, basil, rosemary, and parsley. I also have a strawberry plant! I am so happy to have fresh herbs to cook with. I have been looking for homemade fertilizer recipes to use. I feel like such a housewife when i'm out there with my watering can!

Last night I was browsing Diaper Swappers and came across this thread, about making packaged foods homemade. I love it! I decided to try the Pop-Tarts. so, at 10pm, I was rolling out dough! They came out alright. The dough is a little bit flaky. It crumbles easily. I am not sure if it's because of something I did wrong or just the type of dough. I am going to search for a new recipe to try. The brown sugar and cinnamon filling, however, was delicious. It tastes just like the Pop-Tart kind! I plan on making the gummy candy and butter next!

Sweet Potato Fries

I want to start trying mixing pureed baby food with some baby-led weaning (BLW). Basically, this encourages the child to discover food at his own pace. Learn more about BLW.

So tonight I made B some sweet potato fries. I gave him a few, and we ate the rest with our dinner. Here is the recipe and tutorial. Enjoy!

Cinnamon-y sweet potato fries

1 medium sweet potato
Olive oil
Cinnamon

1. Start with your basic medium sweet potato 

2. Wash and peel the sweet potato. 

3. Slice the potato in half, and then in long sticks. 

4. Slice the longer sticks in half so you now have fries that are about 2 inches long. 

5. Drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some cinnamon in a plastic bag. 

6. Add the potato sticks and shake it until all the sticks are well covered. 

7. Add more olive oil and cinnamon to the bag as needed. 

8. Lay the potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Mine is sprayed with some non-stick spray.

9. Cover the pan with foil. Bake at 400 for about 45 minutes - 1 hour. Check for softness every so often by poking with a fork. 

10. When they are done, they should be tender on the inside with a very thin skin of cinnamon on the outside. 

Enjoy!

Here are some pictures of brady's first BLW experience! 

Who cares what I feed my child?

Ok this is going to be a vent. Now that you've been warned, here we go...

I have begun to think about Braden's first birthday party. I believe I have come up with a theme of space ships and robot, since daddy is a space-aholic. I mentioned to my family that I was going to start looking for healthy recipes for his own little personal cake. I don't want him having all the crazy amounts of sugar in regular cakes. Well I got the eye roll and tons of comments about how he needs "the real thing". ?!?!?!?!?! First of all, natural whole foods can't get anymore "real". And also, who do you care? How does my son's birthday cake effect you in any way? It drives me nuts. I get the eye roll about not wanting him to have juice, not feeding him any sugar for a very long time, not allowing him to suck on popsicles and lick chips and cookies. I would be impressed with someone who was trying to feed their child as healthy as possible.

Why is the world so backwards sometimes?

Sigh.


In other news, I am looking into becoming a doula. I met someone who is going through the training, and it just clicked in my head like, this is what I want to do. I loved birth, and I would love to help women through it. I am planning to start the course in late May. Yay!

Here are some pics!

Out at grandma's birthday dinner!

 Trying some bread. 

 Fresh melon! He loved this one. 

 My delicious homemade peas. So sweet and fresh tasting! 

Sick bambino

Today, Brady is sick. He has a stuffy nose and a cough. I feel so bad for him. He is having a ton of trouble sleeping. I have had to hold him for naps. He randomly wakes up every 10 minutes or so crying. I feel so awful for my poor little guy! I can't wait for him to get better.

Making baby food - post 1

I am a huge advocate for making fresh baby food, so I figured I would write some posts about how I do it, and some of my favorite combinations.

The tools I use are pretty basic. I don't boil or steam very often. I prefer to bake or roast my fruits and veggies. Anyways, you will need:

• A steamer basket and roasting pan (for cooking)
• A food processor (for pureeing)
• A blender or grinder (to grind grains)
• Storage containers
• You can also use an all-in-one baby food maker, such as the Beaba Babycook or Baby Brezza. I have the Baby Brezza.

Apple-mango tango

1 ripe mango
1 medium apple
1 banana
1tbsp oatmeal cereal (if desired)

Steam apples until soft, about 15 minutes. Lightly steam mango.Add all fruits to food processor. Puree separately if you plan to use them in a bunch of different combos. Puree together if you want one big batch of this combo. Add in oatmeal to thicken and add heartiness.

Avo-nana-meal
*This is Braden's favorite.

1/2 ripe avocado
1/2 banana
1tbsp oatmeal cereal

Prepare oatmeal. Mash avocado and banana together until smooth. Mix with formula or breastmilk to achieve the smoothest consistency. Stir in oatmeal!

Easy-peasy rice cereal


1/4 cup ground brown rice
1-2 cups water (add as needed)

Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add rice and whisk. Continue to whisk constantly for a full 10 minutes, adding water to create a smooth consistency.

*I puree after it is cooked, to remove any lumps.

Squapato


1 butternut squash
1 sweet potato

Preheat oven to 400. Cut butternut squash in half, and place open-side down into roasting pan. Fill pan with an inch of water. Roast in oven for about an hour. Poke holes in sweet potato, place on pan, and place this in the oven as well. Bake it fr 45 minutes.

When both are cooked and soft, scrape from the skin with a spoon and place into a food processor. Process until smooth. Add breastmilk or formula as needed to achieve the desired consistency.


A few other combos we really like:

• Apple & butternut squash
• Pears & banana
• Banana & mango
• Sweet potato & pears

More to come as I think of them :) 

Back from vacation!

We are back from Washington! Back to the good 'ol florida heat. The fight back was rough. Jon booked over night flights, assuming Bray would sleep. Um, no. He was very fussy, woke up a lot, and we had a 3 hour layover. But besides all that, we made it home. Brady and I slept together when we got home. I am so happy to be back in my house, even though we had a great time. I'll put up pictures in a little bit.

Now I have been able to start CDing full time! I even have a few reviews of different diapers!

First up: BumGenious AIO Elemental and BumGenious 4.0 pockets

I find myself reaching for these. So far, I am really liking them. The snaps are my favorite. I think they fit Brady's chunky little legs really well, and he definitely has room to grow! I haven't tried either at night yet, but they seem to hold a lot of liquid. I am looking to buy a few more snap styles.

Next: Thirsties Duo Pocket diaper in aplix

Eh. I like these just fine, but they seem to leave red marks on his legs. They may be a little snug fit for him. I haven't had any problem with absorbency. He just loves to poop in the striped one, and it stained the very first time. I was able to get the stain out. I am impressed at the washability, I suppose. But like I said, eh. I won't be running to get more.

Jon's first time using a CD. Did I already post this? 

 The BG 4.0 - This one is my favorite! 

 Braden playing in his Thirsties

 A package from my new obsession - Diaper Swappers! 

New blog! And Washington trip so far!

So I've started a blog! I figured I have witty things to say, right? So why not share the details of my daily life with the world? And so here we are.

We flew up here to Washington for Braden to meet his grandma (my mother in law).  We are having a great time! Today we made some Czech pastries. They are soooo good! She sent me a family cookbook with the recipe, so I am definitely making them for my family when I get home. We plan to go see some snow, make homemade chicken fried steak, and visit the mall before we head home saturday. DH booked an all night flight for us. Sigh. I guess it's good because Braden will be sleeping, but still.

CDing is going well! I am really starting to like it more! I have pockets and prefolds right now. I think I bought the wrong size prefolds, because I have to fold the front in half fr it to fit in the cover. I have been obsessed with Diaper Swappers ever since I discovered it. I have bought a bunch of diapers from there. They should be waiting for me when we get home :D I bought some fitteds, flats, and AIOs. Can't wait to build a big enough stash to CD full time! Brady poops every time I put him in one! I guess they are so comfy, he feels inclined to let loose! His first poop stained the diaper and left us with a case of the stinkies. A quadrillion washes and some vinegar later, we have a clean, fresh scented dipe! I was so proud of myself!

That's all for now. I'll update often, I hope. I will leave you with a few preview pictures of our trip up to Washington/first fluffy butts!

The mountains over Utah!

 DH's first time putting on a CD!

 Me and a scary talking bird.

 Car from 1946. It was amazing! 

 Brady and grandma

 Staring out the plane window. Look at those ears! 

 And I forgot to mention: he's sitting!!!!!!!!!