Tip of the Day

I am always looking for ways to save money and in this economy every little bit saved helps. I have been eating healthier the last couple of years but it seems that the price of fresh fruit and vegetables seems to be going up every year. I would love to buy organic produce but sometimes it is just to expensive. I have been participating in Bountiful Baskets, a food c-op, for the past month and it has helped me cut my grocery bill in half. This co-op is available in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, and Washington. I pay $15 a week, or $25 for organic, and I get a basket of vegetables and a basket of fruits. I only had to pay a $3 start up fee and I only participate the weeks I want to. There are lots of pick up locations by my house so it's very convenient. You don't get to pick the types of fruits and veggies you get but their is a great assortment and it changes every week. The amount of produce you get is wonderful. Some weeks I have so much that I give some to my parents and in-laws. If you don't live in these states you can go to Local Harvest and try to locate a co-op in your area.

Do Infants have Nightmares?

My daughter has never been a good sleeper. She would take very short naps, around 30 mins, during the day and she would get up 3 to 4 times a night for feedings. Then at around 3 months she began to sleep at night for 8 hours before waking up for a feeding. I was so happy I really thought she would start sleeping through the night. Then when she turned 4 months she began getting up throughout the night screaming. It was as if she was having nightmares. She would be fast asleep and then out of no where she would start screaming. I would go running to her crib and she would still be asleep but screaming loudly. I thought to myself is she having a bad dream? Which lead me to question do infants have nightmares? This kept happening night after night and I just didn't know what to do. I would pick her up every time and rock her back to sleep but it didn't stop the bad dreams. It would happen so many times throughout the night. I really felt helpless. I wanted to make her nightmares go away but I just didn't know what to do. I discussed this issue at my support group and it seems that some of the other children around her age were also having the same problem. One of the other mother's called them night terrors. I did some research online and I found a very useful article on night terrors. It seems that night terrors occur when the central nervous sytem is still maturing. They said its best to not wake the child up and that the child has no memory of the night terror. The article stated that night terrors would likely disappear on their own as the nervous system matures. I think this article is pretty accurate because her night terrors just stopped all of a sudden. She is back to her old sleeping habits and I am very happy to be getting sleep again.

Do Parents Really Know Best?

I have been getting a lot of unsolicited parenting advice from well meaning family members lately and its starting to drive me a little crazy. I don't want to sound rude or ungrateful but is their a nice way to say I don't want your advice?  Most of my family members never breastfed, used cloth diapers, or made their own baby food so their parenting style is much different than mine. A lot has changed since they were parents. Their advice is not up to date and sometimes it is just plain wrong. It's not that I don't want any advice, I do, but I don't like feeling obligated to follow it. I just want everyone to know I am the parent and I know what is best for my child so please respect my rules and follow them.

Easy Guacamole Recipe

If your running short on time try this guacamole recipe. It's easy, quick, and delicious.

Prep Time: 5 mins

Ingredients
2 large ripe avocados
1 ripe roma tomato
1 serrano pepper (Mild use 1/4 of the pepper, Medium use 1/2 of the pepper, Hot use the whole pepper)
1 lime
salt

Directions
1. Cut the avocados in half. Using a spoon scope out the avocado.
2. Wash the tomato and cut in four pieces
3. In a food processor place the scooped avocado, cut tomato, and serrano pepper. Chop for about 2 mins. For a thicker guacamole chop for 1 min.
4. Add salt and lime to taste.

Cloth Diaper Review - Cotton Babies Econobum and Flip

When I made the decision to use cloth diapers I wasn't to sure which brand to use. I researched all the different types of diapers: organic prefolds, contour, fitted, all-in-ones, and pocket. I liked the variety but I didn't like the prices. I wasn't sure if I would stick with the cloth diapers since I had never used them before so I wanted something more economical. I also didn't want to purchase individual diapers, I wanted a starter kit. I wished more cotton diaper companies had starter kits. Only two companies carried starter kits: Bummis and Cotton Babies. Bummis had an organic cotton prefold diapers starter kit and Cotton Babies had a prefold diapers kit, Econobum, and an insert kit, Flip. Since the Econobum kit was only a third of the price of the Bummis starter kit I decided to try Econobum. This starter kit came with 3 one size diaper covers and 12 prefolds. I had to prewash the cotton prefolds 3 times before I could use them and the diaper covers only had to be prewashed once. I loved the one size diaper covers and the cotton prefolds! The diaper covers snap system was very easy to use and they fit my daughter well. The elastic in the back of the diaper cover and the legs kept her runny stool from leaking. The cotton prefold was very soft to the skin and had great absorbency. The only con to these diapers were the bulkiness. They were so bulky that some of her clothes didn't fit over her diapers. Since I was so pleased with Cotton Babies I decided to try their Flip starter kit. I am so happy with these diapers. The Flip system had the same great diaper covers and the inserts had the same great absorbency but without any of the bulkiness. My husband even thought our daughter was wearing disposables!  I was able to use my exisiting diaper covers with these inserts so I didn't have to buy any additional covers. I bought additional inserts so I wouldn't have to do laundry everyday. I am very happy with the Flip system and wished I had bought it from the very beginning.

Tip of the Day

Are you tired of buying unhealthy products at the grocery store? Since my daughter was born I have been noticing how unhealthy the products my local grocery store carries. I would never want to feed my daughter this food. So I decided to make her baby food from scratch. While I was looking for good recipes I came across this site Cookus Interruptus.  They have tons of recipes and video demonstrations. Their videos are very entertaining and they really focus on making eating  local organic wholesome foods easy for a busy family.

How to make Poached Pears in Pomegranate Sauce with Mascarpone

Cloth Diaper Introduction

When I first became interested in using cloth diapers I was overwhelmed by all the choices. Cloth diapers had come a long way from my mom's time. I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers because not only were they good for the environment they were also very economical. I tried to do some research online but I wasn't able to find anything that was helpful. So here's the 411 on cloth diapers that I have gathered so far.

Prefold Diapers - These are the cloth diapers that your mother probably used. They are rectangular with thick inner layers. You usually fold these diapers in thirds. Once the diaper has been folded to the size you need you must place a diaper cover over the prefold. Prefold diapers are very economical, about $2 -$5 per diaper, and are also available in organic cotton. You can use these prefolds until your child is ready to be potty trained.

Bummis Prefold Diapers

Contour Diapers - These diapers are shaped like an hourglass and usually have a padded middle. Unlike the prefolds you don't have to fold these diapers. You just place a contoured diaper on top of a diaper cover. These diapers usually cost about $6 - $10 each. You will probably have to buy at least two sizes of contours as your child grows.

 Kissaluvs Contour Diapers

Fitted Diapers - These diapers have elastic at the waist and the legs and can be secured by Velcro or snaps. You still have to use a diaper cover over these diapers. These diapers cost about $8 - $20 each. You will probably have to buy two sizes of fitted diapers as your child grows. Some fitted diapers are one size and can be adjusted to grow with your child.

  Sugar Peas Hemp Fitted Diapers

All-in-one Diapers (AIO) - These diapers are the closest to disposable diapers. This is a fitted diaper with an attached waterproof cover. They can be secured with Velcro or snaps. They range in price from $10 - $25 each but a diaper cover is not needed. You will probably have to buy two sizes of all-in-one diapers as your child grows. Some all-in-one diapers are one size and can be adjusted to grow with your child.

Fuzzi Bunz All-in-one Diapers

Pocket Diapers - These diapers have a waterproof outer layer and a soft inner layer, usuallyy microfleece. There is an opening in the front or back of the diaper. You then insert a prefold or special made insert into the pocket opening. They are fastened with Velcro or snaps. No diaper cover is needed. They are about $15 each. You will probably have to buy two sizes of pocket diapers as your child grows.

Blueberry Pocket Diaper

I started with the cotton prefolds and I really loved them. They absorbed very nicely and I had no leaky diapers or any exploding poop issues. They con side to these is they are pretty bulky. I then bought some contoured diapers and I was able to use my existing diaper covers. These diapers weren't bulky at all. It was as if my daughter was wering disposables. The only problem to contoured diapers is that they don't stay in place as well as the prefolds. I also bought some all-in-one diapers so it's easier on me when I go out. It's just as easy as disposable diapers. I use my Bummis Wet Bag to store my dirty diapers until laundry day. It's important to follow the manufacturers cleaning instructions and to use the correct laundry detergent.

Baby's First Christmas Ornament

Since this was my daughters first Christmas I wanted to make an ornament to celebrate the day. I went to Buy Buy Baby and I bought the hand print ornament kit.

Step 1
I worked the mixture to remove the air bubbles and I shaped it into a ball.

Step 2
I placed the ball on top of a sheet of aluminum foil and I rolled it out into a circle. You have to use a metal aerosol container because the rolling pin provided doesn't work at all.

Step 3
I placed my daughters foot on top of the mixture. I then washed her foot. I was a little surprised to see how big her foot was! You can get your child to open their hand by clapping it against your hand. You can place the foil on top of your hand and then clap. Warning: If your child is a little older they might try to put the mixture in their mouth.

Step 4
The circle they provided to cut the mixture in shape was useless so I used an angel cookie cutter instead.

Step 5
Place a straw in water and the place the straw at the top of the mixture. Twist to remove the material. This will become the hole where you will place the ribbon.

Step 6
Let the ornament dry for 2 days

Step 7
Place the ribbon, I used 2 Christmas ribbons, through the hole and tie a knot.

Tip of the Day

I work full time so when I get home I don't have much time for dinner. I was trying to find quick and easy dinner recipes online and I came across Betty Crocker.com. This website has tons of recipes and is a huge time saver. You can search recipes by meal types, cuisine, main ingredients, and they even have a quick and healthy section. You can sign up for an account and store the recipes you like under your account. These recipes usually don't have very many ingredients, are easy to follow, and taste great. They list nutritional values and most recipes come with useful tips. You can also review each recipe or read other peoples reviews. They are constantly updating the site based on the season. Of course Betty Crocker promotes their own products in the recipes but I usually just buy the generic version of the product to save money. For Thanksgiving I made the classic cranberry sauce and the impossibly easy pumpkin cheesecake and they were a huge hit. Best of all it only took me 1 hour to make both! Enjoy.

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Tips for Moms Who Exclusively Pump

My daughter is 4 months old and I have been exclusively pumping for about 3 months. I had preeclampsia and she was born at 36 weeks weighing only 4 lbs. Since she was so under weight I had to supplement her with formula. I tried nursing her for the first month but the nipple confusion from the bottle caused her to have problems latching on. I saw several lactation consultants and none was able to fix the latching on problem. When I returned to work nursing became harder to do since she was having the bottle all day while I was gone. I decided that the most important thing to me was that my daughter drink breast milk instead of formula. If it meant I had to give it to her in a bottle than that is what I would do and I began to exclusively pump. It was very hard to do at first and my milk supply was very low since I had not been pumping correctly.

My lactation consultant told me to pump at least 8 times a day for 15-20 minutes. Since I was taking care of a newborn who wanted to be held all the time, this wasn't easy to do. I pumped every 3 hours for at least 5 minutes after the last drop of milk had come out. At first my pumping sessions didn't last very long. I would pump and use that milk for her next feeding. When she had finished all of the breast milk I would give her formula if she was still hungry. To help myself remember when I needed to pump I wrote down the times I needed to pump at the beginning of each day and then after each pumping session I would note how many ounces I pumped during that time. It helped me to monitor my progress. The first week I started pumping I would only pump an extra half ounce each day and it was a bit discouraging but I still kept with it. At the second week I noticed I was producing an extra ounce a day and that was enough to feed my child all day. Eventually my milk supply increased enough that I had more milk than my daughter took in a day. I froze this milk and I kept it on hand for days that I would run low.

When my I felt my milk supply had increased enough I began pumping every 4 hours for at least 5 minutes after the last drop of milk had come out. Sometimes if I was out and I didn't get home in time I could stretch it out to 5 hours. My milk supply is still doing well and I don't have to give my daughter any formula. I am still working on the latch problem and maybe some day she will get it but if not I am fine with pumping.

The important thing to remember is don't get discouraged. It is very hard at the beginning and there were many times when I wanted to give and just switch her to formula. I kept at it and I am very happy I did! My daughter has tripled her birth weight and she is doing very well and I am sure it has to do with the breast milk she is taking in.

More tips on increasing milk supply

Product Review - Fisher Price Deluxe Auto Mirror

I received the Fisher Price Precious Planet deluxe auto mirror with music as a baby shower gift. I was very excited to use it because I knew it would be a useful gift. The mirror works well and has a good range so I can see my daughter well. The music has 3 options off, medium, loud. Unfortunately the medium volume never worked. Since the music calmed my daughter down when she was crying I decided to just deal with the loud music. My daughter really loved the music feature. It helped soothe her when I was driving and unable to stop. The only problem was that after a month the music stopped working. The remote didn't work all the time and the music feature became unusable. Since I hadn't purchased this item I was unable to return it. I called the Fisher Price Customer Support and they told me this product was made by Blue Ridge and I would have to call them for support. I was given the Blue Ridge number and I left a voicemail message. I was sure I wouldn't hear back from them but they promptly called me back the next day. Since they guarantee their products for 1 year I was sent a replacement mirror and remote. The funny thing was they sent me a different mirror, the Ocean Wonders mirror. I did some research online and it seems that the music breaking is a common problem among this product. Also the Ocean Wonders has a smaller mirror so I am not able to see my daughter as well. I really don't recommend this product. It is a great mirror but the music feature will probably break. So save your money and buy a different product.

Important Note: I recently took my car seat to my local fire station to make sure it was installed properly and I was informed to never use a car seat mirror. These mirrors are not tested for safety in car accidents. Most of the mirrors have hard backs and can fly off in an accident. Worst of all you usually point the mirror at your child's head, can you imagine that mirror flying towards your child's face at 60 mph? So you must never use a car seat mirror and if you know someone who has a mirror please let them know what a safety hazard it is!

Product Review - Bummis Fabulous Wet Bags Medium

I was looking for a good bag to store all my dirty diapers while I was away from home. I found lots of Wahmies bags on Amazon but the reviews weren't great for this product. Most people mentioned the bag becoming unraveled in the washing machine rendering the product unusable. I went to the Bummis web site and I found their Fabulous Wet Bags. I liked the snap handle which let me attach it my diaper bag and stroller. The zipper helps keep the odor controlled and the bags are lead, phthalate and BPA free. I decided to give the medium bag a try and I love my bag! It can hold multiple diapers and covers, so far I have been able to fit 2 covers and 5 prefolds, and I haven't had an odor or leak problem. The bag is fantastic. I have washed it multiple times and I haven't had a single problem. I just turn the bag inside out and I wash it with the rest of my diapers. I highly recommend this bag, it's a great product, and I look forward to trying some of Bummis other products.

Tip of the day

Instead of using disposable nursing pads try switching to reusable nursing pads. I use the Gerber reusable nursing pads and I love them. They are made out of cotton and have a textured back to prevent slippage. They work much better than the disposable pads I tried which always slipped. I bought them at Target and they were $3 for 6 pads. I bought 3 packs so I would have enough for the entire week. I just wash them with my regular laundry at the end of the week. It's a good way to save money and to produce less waste for the environment.

Tips to Increase Breast Milk Supply

When I first started breastfeeding I was having trouble producing enough breast milk to keep up with my child's demand. I got some good tips from my lactation consultant that I wanted to share with others.

Try taking Fenugreek, consult your physician first. My lactation consultant instructed me to take 2 pills 3 times a day. It can lower your sugar levels so make sure you take it with food. It can also make your urine and your child's urine smell like maple syrup. This is normal. It can be found at GNC or Sprouts Supermarket. I found that Oregon's Wild Harvest Fenugreek works much better than the Fenugreek found at GNC.

Drink plenty of water, try to drink 8 glasses of water a day. It is very important to stay hydrated because this really does make a difference. Make sure that you are taking in enough calories a day. I know this can be difficult when your dieting but if you dramatically cut your calories then it could affect your milk supply.

Try eating oatmeal. My lactation consultant mentioned that eating oatmeal increases your milk supply. I got this cookie recipe from my support group. Its suppose to increase your breast milk supply.

Chocolate Oatmeal Lactation Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
4 T water
2 T flaxseed meal (no substitutes)
2 Lg eggs
1 t vanilla
2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t salt
3 C Thick cut oats
1 Bag Chocolate chips
2 T Brewers Yeast or Nutritional Yeast Flakes

Preheat oven at 375.

Mix 2 T of flaxseed meal and water, set aside 3-5 minutes.
Cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs.
Stir flaxseed mix into butter mix and add vanilla.
Beat until well blended and mixture turns a pale yellow.
Mix dry ingredients, except oats and choc chips.
Add butter mix to dry ingredients.
Stir in the oats and then the choc chips.
Drop on ungreased or parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake 8-12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen

Product Review - Sophie the Giraffe

I saw a picture of Sophie the Giraffe on the cover of Mothering magazine and the toy was so adorable I decided to buy it for my daughter. It is a baby teething toy and it's handmade in the french alps. The rubber is made from tree sap and the paint is plant based so I felt it would be a good choice for a teething toy. My package arrived just the other day and I gave my daughter the toy today and she loves it! It is very soft and the perfect size for her small hands. She is able to grip it easily and she loves the squeaking sound it makes. I highly recommend it for your own child or as a gift. You can purchase Sophie the Giraffe at Land of Nod or for a limited time you can get $5 off at Shop Mothering.