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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