Monday, August 31, 2009

Giveaway

http://bluecricketdesign.blogspot.com/2009/08/ive-got-this-in-bag-giveaway.html

Sunday, August 30, 2009

11 months: Devon (August)

OMG. Devon is 11 months old today and every day that gets closer to his 1 year birthday I get sad and happy at the same time. He gets bigger everyday (before my eyes at times) and I miss him being so little, but look forward to all the new things he will do.

Devon had so much fun playing with Uncle B while he was here visiting. Devon reaches out to him whenever he sees him, something he usually only does with me and Joe. Ben is so great with him, making him laugh, giving him bottles, carrying the car seat and being such a support to me while he is here. I don't know how many times Ben, Devon and I have been out to lunch or shopping and people comment what a cute family we are since Devon is so comfortable being carried by Ben. Sort of awkward since Ben is my BROTHER and not my husband, but I enjoy watching people's faces when I tell them that. It's sort of a mixture of embarrassment and horror ;)

Devon is a pro at pulling himself up to stand as well as getting down with care. He is learning to be much more gentle with the Sam the cat, but still whacks him in the face and pulls on him every once in a while. He is learning the words "gentle" and "soft" when petting the cats and mom's hair as well. He just started going up stairs this week and it is giving me anxiety. I should get my super-duper baby gate on Monday. He has also started standing on his own and will occasionally stand up from the ground without any help from anyone or anything. He will give you the 'ole eye brow raise as if to say, "Dude ... did you just see that? I'm standing all by myself. Ahoy! I'm a stander." (* If you have seen What about Bob, say that last part like he does ;)We have been meeting up with Aunt Jane and 2 of her girls at the mall every week to play as well and going to story time at the library and then playing toys with Roman and his mom afterwards.

He loves to spend time with his Daddy sitting on his lap at the computer, watering the garden or crawling over him in bed. Devon is definitely to that age when he is very attached to us and doesn't like us to be away for too long. Our 8 year anniversary was classic-first-anniversary-with-a-baby because the babysitter called us right after we ordered our dinner to tell us that he hadn't stopped screaming for 45 minutes. We packed up our food and went home. Once we got there he OF COURSE stopped crying and went to bed 30 minutes later. In spite of that it was still a great anniversary because we got to spend the evening together without TV or computers.

Devon loves to eat mandarin oranges by the fist full, banana and sweet potato yogurt and is gaga for Cheerios. I think he is a snacker in general and will eat anything including cat food, whole cloves of garlic and breath mints. He is back on a schedule and takes one nap a day and is in bed by 7. Yeah Devon!

He is such a good kid I know that I have been spoiled with having him first. Even when he is really tired he doesn't really fuss he just gets very quite. He is starting to "hug" and hold us tight when he wants to be held close. He has an easy smile and an wonderful giggle and we are having a blast. Next month all 3 of us will take our first trip together to California so Joe can fight in a jujitsu competition and spend some time seeing the sights.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Recipe of the day: Pork chops and mint pesto

This. Is. Delicious.

It is SUPER easy to make and very inexpensive. Full of flavor and Joe said he could eat this recipe all the time. Here it is:

1 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
1 clove garlic
3 T. olive oil
1 T white vinegar
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. slivered almonds
salt
pepper
8 pork chops
1/4 C. jelly

* This recipe calls for lamb chops, but since I don't cook lamb and Joe doesn't really like it I'm sure this would work for chicken as well as pork which is what I used. It also called for apple jelly, but I couldn't find at the store so I used the apricot jelly I had in the fridge and it was fine. Any jelly would work since it is really just to get a little sweetness and carmelization going.*

Brown chops on each side until almost cooked. Brush jelly over chops and continue browning them until cooked through. While chops are cooking blend cheese, mint, garlic, salt, pepper, almonds, vinegar, olive oil until nearly smooth.

That's it. It should take about 15 minutes from start to finish. Before I started browning the pork I started cooking the rice which takes about 30 minutes. I also served it with corn. This is a very simple recipe that is packed with fresh flavor and easy on your budget. Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The Perfect purse kit

Let me just start off by saying this .... I am an organization person. I am also that person who has an emergency roadside kit in her trunk and have seriously been eyeing the 3 day survival kit at Costco just in case my car breaks down and I need bags of water and MRE's to eat for the next 3 days so I don't die. I keep a pair of socks in the storage pannel in my driver's side door just in case I forget to bring my own when I go bowling. Believe it or not that actually happened. I feel like I may be sharing too much here .... whatever.

Everything does have a place and when I can't find something when I need it I find that situation maddening. When have you needed something from your purse, but you can't find it even though you KNOW it's in there? I have tried to fix this problem by putting things in the same place every time they go in my purse. I have also put things into little pouches or "kits" so they don't go all over the place in the event that my purse tips over. I love making these little kits. I'm a dork .... that goes without saying, but I am an organized dork so I'm OK with that.

Case in point.

I was shopping with my friend, Emily, last week and the zipper on her skirt was stuck. This made trying on clothes a challenge since she couldn't get the skirt off. When she tried to unstick the zipper it broke entirely. She asked me if I had a safety pin and I was filled with pride in the moment that I went to my purse, dug around and actually found one in my first aid kit. That got me thinking .... if I was going to make the perfect purse kit what would it contain?

I have the standard stuff that I carry all the time. You may laugh at some of my "standards", but what can I say .... I'm fancy and my standards are pretty high ;)

1 tube of lipstick, 3 tubes of lip gloss, 4 lip liners, chap stick (that is all in my make up kit) mineral misting spray, fruit leather (I think I have like 8 of them right now), 2 pair of sunglasses, a book, a pen size hand sanitizer spray, a mini version of the same hair spray that I use at home, a little booklet to hold coupons, receipts, and an emergency $10 (just in case I spend my emergency $20 in my other pouch), wallet, a first aid kit and my diaper kit. My diaper kit has diapers, wipes, sanitizing wipes, toys, formula, a baby bottle with water, Cheerios, and Devon's vaccine record. No wonder my purse is huge! It's not THAT huge (TWSS), but I am one of those people who likes to be overly prepared.

If you are going to make a Perfect Purse Kit here are the rules:

The pouch itself has to be small enough that it can fit in any bag you own. (The one I used is 2 x 4 inches, has a soft leopard print and is the "mini" bag that fits inside a larger one that I use for diapers, wipes, and snacks.) It is stuff you don't really need all the time, but would save the day if you had it on hand.

I FINALLY had the perfect use for all those free gift bags from Lancome I've been accumulating over the years. Here is what I came up with so far:

1) 1 tampon to get me through an outing until I can get home and stock up. I don't like to carry tons of them in my purse unless I need them. Why carry something for 3 weeks out of the month that I will only need for one?

2) 2 bobby pins in case I need to put the front of my hair up or if I need to pick a lock or something.

3) 1 ponytail holder. Just because it's Tucson and it's hot.

4) Nail clippers and a small nail file.

5) A mini-lighter.

6) A mini-roll of tape. It is the same size as two stamps.

7) 2 stamps.

8)A mini-post-it-note pad and space pen. Yes, it has to be a space pen if you need to write while underwater or upside down.

9) A safety pin, plus an extra one in the first aid kit.

10) A mini tube of lotion. They have really great mini lotions at L'Occitane (said like "lox is tan", but take out the "s" in is). My favorite is lavender.

11) A Leatherman tool. It has scissors, a knife, tweezers, a screwdriver, and a bottle opener all tucked away inside.

12) A sewing kit. Who really needs this, but I guess it's good to have.

13) Emergency $20. If you forget your wallet and need to buy gas or if you have to "cab it" home.

I think this is a pretty good list, but I am happy to have your suggestions. Remember, the pouch is very small and only holds so much crap! I also carry a mini first aid kit that has all the standard stuff like band aids, neosporin, Tylenol, cough drops, but it also has a forehead thermometer and motion sickness tabs. Plus an extra safety pin .... for safety.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

The good: Dr. Brown's baby bottles



Even if you are nursing it is nice to have a few bottles on hand for those occasions when you are away from your baby on a date, out with friends, or letting Daddy take over a late night feeding. I started out using Avent bottles, but the milk seemed to leak out both sides of his mouth no matter the size of nipple I used. Quite a few of my friends were using Dr. Brown's so I gave them a try. They take a little assembling, but basically there is a long tube that runs down the middle of the bottle. It is supposed to act as a pressure regulator as the baby feeds simulating breast feeding. This reduces gas, colic, spitting up and helps to maintain essential nutrients in the milk.

The instructions say to fill with water, add formula and then "swirl" until dissolved so the formula doesn't get stuck in the tube. To side step the stupid swirling I would put my hand over the top before adding the tube and shake it. Until I tried it one day with all the pieces in place and just shook it to see what would happen. No clumps of formula in the tube. No need to swirl .... I can't believe I did that as long as I did ;) Silly new Mama .... we'll fall for anything.

They have a whole line of accessories that cover the gamut of bottle care. Brushes, sterilizers, cooler tote bags, glass bottles and more. I liked the brush just fine, but I was not wild about the drying rack. It said it was specifically made for Dr. Brown's bottles, but these bottles are really tall and the rods that support the bottles are really short. The bottles flop all over the place and doesn't look organized. This sort of bothers me since I like to keep a clean kitchen. Admittedly it doesn't look that bad in the picture, but with all 6 bottles, plus all the pieces it looks messy. Plus, even though there are 2 levels of storage it is really tough to use the bottom rack without taking the top rack off. I did that for a while then I gave up and just started making a pile of stuff on the top shelf. Again .... messy.

I do have a couple of bottles that leak, but I think that may have happened the one time I set my dishwasher to "sanitize" and it totally overheated everything I washed. It think that extra heat did something to the bottle top seal. It literally melted my food processor into a pile of plastic and that spinner thingy at the bottom of the dishwasher got annihilated.

The only mishap I had with leaking bottles outside the house was when one leaked into my diaper bag. These bottles take a little assembly as I said and they come with these little white disks. If you don't put the disk between the rubber top that is attached to the tube and the nipple it will leak. I thought it was ok to throw away those disks until I went to the store and saw that replacement disks were for sale. I went home and read the instructions and figured out that they are essential when packing away bottles with liquid in them.

Since these bottles are plastic (and I over heated them) I would probably get new ones if I had another baby. I have a few 4 ounce bottles that I used when he was really little so those are fine, but I would replace the 8 ounce ones. I only have 6 bottles that I use everyday and then wash at night so it's not a huge loss to replace them. The 4 and 8 ounce bottles are the same price and they run $14.99 for a 3-pack. The drying rack was $16.99 and bottle brush $4.49.

On a practical note (if somewhat girly) the bottles are very slim so they don't take up a lot of much needed space in your diaper bag compared to short, wide bottles. I have even started carrying 2 bottles for those longer days away from the house (one for milk, one for water) and it hasn't over crowded things.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The perfect purse kit

Let me just start off by saying this .... I am an organization person. I am also that person who has an emergency roadside kit in her trunk and have seriously been eyeing the 3 day survival kit at Costco just in case my car breaks down and I need bags of water and MRE's to eat for the next 3 days so I don't die. I keep a pair of socks in the storage pannel in my driver's side door just in case I forget to bring my own when I go bowling. Believe it or not that actually happened. I feel like I may be sharing too much here .... whatever.

Everything does have a place and when I can't find something when I need it I find that situation maddening. When have you needed something from your purse, but you can't find it even though you KNOW it's in there? I have tried to fix this problem by putting things in the same place every time they go in my purse. I have also put things into little pouches so they don't go all over the place in the event that my purse tips over. I love making these little kits. I'm a dork .... that goes without saying, but I am an organized dork so I'm OK with that.

Case in point.

I was shopping with my friend, Emily, last week and the zipper on her skirt was stuck. This made trying on clothes a challenge since she couldn't get the skirt off. When she tried to unstick the zipper it broke entirely. She asked me if I had a safety pin and I was filled with pride in the moment that I went to my purse, dug around and actually found one in my first aid kit. That got me thinking .... if I was going to make the perfect purse kit what would it contain?

I have the standard stuff that I carry all the time. You may laugh at some of my "standards", but what can I say .... I'm fancy and my standards are pretty high ;)

1 tube of lipstick, 3 tubes of lip gloss, 4 lip liners, chap stick (that is all in my make up kit) mineral misting spray, fruit leather (I think I have like 8 of them right now), 2 pair of sunglasses, a book, a pen size hand sanitizer spray, a mini version of the same hair spray that I use at home, a little booklet to hold coupons, receipts, and an emergency $10 (just in case I spend my emergency $20 in my other pouch), wallet, a first aid kit and my diaper kit. My diaper kit has diapers, wipes, sanitizing wipes, toys, formula, Cheerios, and Devon's vaccine record. No wonder my purse is huge! It's not THAT huge (TWSS), but I am one of those people who likes to be overly prepared.

If you are going to make a Perfect Purse Kit here are the rules:

The pouch itself has to be small enough that it can fit in any bag you own. (The one I used is 2 x 4 inches, has a soft leopard print and is the "mini" bag that fits inside a larger one that I use for diapers, wipes, and snacks.) It is stuff you don't really need all the time, but would save the day if you had it on hand.

I FINALLY had the perfect use for all those free gift bags from Lancome I've been accumulating over the years. Here is what I came up with so far:

1) 1 tampon to get me through an outing until I can get home and stock up. I don't like to carry tons of them in my purse unless I need them. Why carry something for 3 weeks out of the month that I will only need for one?

2) 2 bobby pins in case I need to put the front of my hair up or if I need to pick a lock or something.

3) 1 ponytail holder. Just because it's Tucson and it's hot.

4) Nail clippers and a small nail file.

5) A mini-lighter.

6) A mini-roll of tape. It is the same size as two stamps.

7) 2 stamps.

8)A mini-post-it-note pad and space pen. Yes, it has to be a space pen if you need to write while underwater or upside down.

9) A safety pin, plus an extra one in the first aid kit.

10) A mini tube of lotion. They have really great mini lotions at L'Occitane (said like "lox is tan", but take out the "s" in is). My favorite is lavender.

11) A Leatherman tool. It has scissors, a knife, tweezers, a screwdriver, and a bottle opener all tucked away inside.

12) A sewing kit. Who really needs this, but I guess it's good to have.

13) Emergency $20. If you forget your wallet and need to buy gas or if you have to "cab it" home.

I think this is a pretty good list, but I am happy to have your suggestions. Remember, the pouch is very small and only holds so much crap! I also carry a mini first aid kit that has all the standard stuff like band aids, neosporin, Tylenol, cough drops, but it also has a forehead thermometer and motion sickness tabs. Plus an extra safety pin .... for safety.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Happy Anniversary

8 years ago today Joe and I got married.


We met in high school and started dating when we were 16. I know we are holding up 17 fingers for my 17th birthday, but we had been dating nearly a year by this point.

Prom was our first official date.

We dated for exactly 5 years and one day and got engaged at the Grand Canyon. He asked a girl to take our picture so there are actual photos of him proposing. See him holding the ring? Even though I lived in Arizona my whole life my first trip to the Grand Canyon was with Joe when he proposed. Our anniversary is April 13th and on our 5 year anniversary it landed on Friday. Joe didn't want to get engaged on Friday the 13th so he waited an extra day. We got married nearly 5 months later. It rained every day of the week leading up to our wedding, but didn't rain until the reception was over which was amazing since the party was held outside. We went on a cruise to the Caribbean for 2 weeks for our honeymoon.


Every year we've been married we have taken a trip outside the country to celebrate. When I asked Joe how many countries we've been to he responded, "A lot." We set up a bank account that we put money into all year called "travel". When I do the laundry and empty out the change from his pockets, it goes into a huge water cooler jug. We take that money and put it into our travel account. One year that jug of coins paid for our plane tickets. Traveling is amazing, but I have always said that my favorite part about it was getting Joe all to myself while we are gone.

We are only 5 months apart in age. When ever he has a birthday (making him officially OLDER than me) I always call him "the old man". It's amazing that in 1 year I can say that I have known Joe half of my life. This is from our first Christmas together. He gave me a music box and a silver ring with "1-4-3" engraved on the inside which means I love you. 1 letter for I, 4 letters for love and 3 letters for you.

On date nights we try to go to a yoga class together and then out to dinner. We also like to stay home, fold out the couch, pile on blankets and pillows and rent a movie. This photo was when we were 18 and I surprised him by showing up in South Carolina to meet him when he was in the Army and graduated from AIT. We hadn't seen each other in months.

7 years after we got married we had Devon. Now our love has taken on the form of a 10 month old in diapers crawling around the house saying, "Mmmmmmmama! Dadadadadadada!"

Life truly is about love.

Recipe of the day: Lasagna



For sauce:
2 large onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2 carrots, chopped fine
1 large red bell pepper, chopped fine
a 28- to 32-ounce can whole tomatoes with thick purée
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 teaspoon basil, crumbled
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

15 ounces part-skim ricotta (about 2 cups)
1 large egg, beaten lightly
2 scallions, chopped
twelve 7- by 3 1/2-inch sheets dry no-boil lasagna pasta
12 ounces part-skim mozzarella, grated (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)

Make sauce:
In a heavy kettle cook onions and three fourths of garlic in oil over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened. Add turkey, carrots, and bell pepper and cook, stirring to break up turkey, until carrots are barely tender. Stir in tomatoes, wine, herbs, spices, and salt and pepper to taste, breaking up tomatoes, and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and simmer 5 minutes. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, covered.

*Joe is not a huge fan of ground turkey, but he loves this recipe. Ground turkey (especially turkey breast) is super lean and makes this one of the better-for-you lasagna recipes. The sauce "as is" is just fine, but is very light. I like it to be a little more saucy so I add a small can of tomato paste and that is much more my style. I love using the no boil pasta. It is much faster, but it doesn't taste as "noodle-y" because the no boil noodles are thinner than the boil ones.*

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a bowl stir together ricotta, egg, scallions, and salt and pepper to taste.

Pour 1 cup sauce into a baking dish, 13 by 9 by 2 inches (sauce will not cover bottom completely), and cover with 3 lasagna sheets, making sure they do not touch each other. Spread about 2 cups sauce over pasta. Drop one third of ricotta mixture by spoonfuls onto sauce and gently spread with back of a spoon. Sprinkle one fourth of mozzarella over ricotta mixture and make 2 more layers in same manner, beginning and ending with pasta. Spread remaining sauce evenly over top, making sure pasta is completely covered, and sprinkle with Parmesan and remaining mozzarella.

Cover dish tightly with foil, tenting slightly to prevent foil from touching top layer, and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake lasagna 10 minutes more, or until top is bubbling and golden. Let lasagna stand 5 minutes before serving.

*I make this a few times a month and it is great as leftovers. I used fresh basil, thyme, oregano and chives from our garden. Without the cost of fresh herbs this should cost you about $20-25 to make. I never use cooking wine and I don't think using a $20 bottle is worth it either. I just buy the cheapest drinking wine I can find since the flavors are usually much better than cooking wine. The wine I used for this was $2.50 for the bottle. No joke! Alberstons always has great wine specials and I usually get a few bottles and stock up for future recipes.*

Nutritional information:
8 servings
Calories: 556.8
Total Fat: 24.0 g
Cholesterol: 141.7 mg
Sodium: 589.4 mg
Total Carbs: 32.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.0 g
Protein: 41.6 g

Saturday, August 15, 2009

The Good: Graco Contempo High Chair - Deco


After the booster chair debacle, I stared researching high chairs. I read reviews online to figure out what I was looking for and set my price point. I figured that I would have to spend about $100 to get a high chair that would be functional, last through a couple of kids and not hurt my eyes every time I walked by it. I didn't want it to have toys or God forbid make any sounds. I have enough toys that do that as it is I don't need some squeaky voiced, eerily perky 40 year old woman singing "Opposites are lots of fun, in and out, off and on" while he's eating. I hear that enough in the car (and in my sleep).

I took my older sister, Jane, with me to Babies R Us and we looked around. I am one of those people who has to see something in person before I buy it. I hate it when I buy something online that says "soft blue" and it basically glows in the day it is so bright. Anyway, Jane has 4 girls so I figured she could help steer me in the right direction. I knew I didn't want a wooden one, no toys, not a compact and I wanted a tray I could take off and put on with one hand. If I can't use a product with one free hand and a baby in one arm I am not as likely to I get it. I finally landed on the Greco. I had a coupon that my Mom got in the mail for 20% off so I walked away with a high chair and only paid $80. Fancy.

My only complaint about it is probably my fault and not actually something wrong with the chair per say.
*WARNING: Baby poop mention alert*
Devon was eating in what I call his "baby outfit" (diaper only). The diaper couldn't contain the contents and some of it leaked out onto the seat. I gave Devon a bath, some PJs, a bottle and put him down for bed. I went back to clean up the chair (about 20 minutes later) with a damp paper towel to get rid of the mess and I went over it with a disinfectant wipe to kill the germs. The place where the mess was suddenly turned a pink-ish color and it won't come off.

Any suggestions? Like I said, it's not really a problem with the chair, but diapers leak and it seems a high chair should just be able to wipe clean without leaving a stain. Maybe the disinfectant wipe activated something, because it was gone when I wiped it with a wet paper towel. Whatever .... moving on!

I really like this chair. The material is super soft, it wipes down easily (except for the poo), it folds away and fits in my pantry if I don't want to have it out all the time, I didn't have to put it together (hallelujah!) and it has straps that keep baby secure (though he doesn't need these when I have the tray in place). It also has an adjustable back and a neck supporter option for smaller babies, but does not come with it included. The tray is great. It has the basic base tray, but it also has a top tray that is removable. This way you can feed baby, pop the top tray off to wash it, but the base tray is still clean and keeps baby in place. Honestly, it is also great if I use the top tray for breakfast, but forget to wash it before lunch comes around I can use the base which is still clean. It can go in the dishwasher and cleans easily. It does have the option of attaching toys to the tray if you want to do that to keep baby entertained. I have quite a few friends who have this chair and I would recommend it also.

The Bad: Safety 1st Blue Sit n Go Booster Seat


The fact that is seat is called "Safety 1st" is totally hilarious. It could not be further from the truth.

I was feeding Devon in a bouncy seat for a few months until he started to do that "I want to sit up" thing and knew that he was ready for a high chair. Hoping to skip yet another expense and consume yet another thing that would clutter up my house I wanted to get a chair with a tray, that could be anchored to a dining room chair that would convert to a booster as he got older. I don't know why, but I just didn't want to get a high chair. Maybe getting a highchair actually meant that I really did have a baby living in my house. As if the car seat, bottles, diaper genies and BABY weren't enough of a clue, but I digress ..... I went to Babies R Us and asked an employee to help me in recommending this product. She actually hands down said this one was the best and it only cost me $22.99. It was not the cheapest and not the most expensive (usually my purchasing parameters for buying baby stuff) so I bought it.

As soon as I got it out of the box I could tell I just bought a total piece of crap. It SMELLED like it was going to absolutely just fall apart. I decided to give the salesgirl the benefit of the doubt and assemble it anyway. This was her #1 pick! While I was snapping stuff into place and anchoring it to the chair I was literally shaking my head thinking,"There is no way I am going to put Devon in this." Once I had it all set I said to the chair," Sorry, but I freaking told you so." There is no way that sales girl had ever seen this product, let alone used it. I have a feeling that she was probably trying to be helpful, but didn't know anything about one product in particular and just picked the first one she saw.

It was shaky, totally unstable, the table was nearly impossible to snap into place, but once you got it in place it was nearly impossible to unsnap it! Devon is a totally average sized kid and he would probably barely fit in this when he was 7 months old. This was supposed to be a booster seat at some point right? No way this chair could hold a 2 year old.

I couldn't get it back to the store fast enough. I took it back that day and walked away empty handed. I am sure there are better seats out there that are similar to this one that actually work. I wanted to warn you against this one in particular. I did go to their website and read reviews about this product when I got home. I wish I would have done that in advance because it had nothing but negative reviews and only got one star out of 5. Some reviews even said they would have given zero stars, but you have to give one even if it sucks. This one definitely does.

I did eventually do the deed .... I bought a highchair. It is the greatest thing ever. More on that later.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Baby wearing: the joy, the back pain and your options

Let me just start out by saying that I love baby wearing. I wanted to be close to Devon all the time and baby wearing was the easiest way for me to do that. It just felt strange to put him on the floor all by his little self. The first month he was born I just held him all the time. I mean ALL THE TIME and I loved it. I can remember on many occasions holding him, staring at him, marveling at him from one feeding to the next without putting him down. I did a lot of couch time since I needed the rest to heal, but by the 2nd month I was ready to be more active. I wanted to be able to be hands free while cleaning, doing laundry, playing Guitar Hero at Christmas, cooking or just sitting at the computer, but not having to hold him with one arm and type with the other.

I know that lots of parents shy away from baby wearing for a myriad of reasons:
- It hurts my back.
- The carriers are expensive.
- The carriers are too complicated.
- My kid won't learn to be independent.
- It's too granola.
- It's one more useless thing I have to buy that won't last for more than a year before they out grow it.

Baby wearing is believed to have many positive benefits to the parents and baby that trump many apprehensions about it. Some of the benefits include: babies crying less, babies learn more being higher up, closer to your voice which helps develop language, is in a state of "quiet alertness" when they are able to learn the most because they are not crying or fussy, happier babies because their needs are attended to faster, it allows babies to extend the "womb experience" by being close to the mother and simulate the motion and warmth by being in the carrier, babies are more aware of the caregivers face and voice, babies are often smarter since they have greater exposure to stimulation by being carried instead of laying on the floor when they are awake, learn communication rhythms, have greater trust with the caregiver because they are in a state of constant comfort and the list goes on and on and on. Depending on the weight limits for your carrier, some of them can carry babies up to 35 pounds! You could potentially wear your baby until they are approximately 3 or beyond.

I would say that I wear Devon at the very least an hour a day when we are at home. It used to be much more than that (all day practically unless he was asleep). I'm surprised he can crawl at all since he wasn't on the floor that much, but he is crawling like a maniac now and wants to be on the move. I hated lugging a stroller in and out of the trunk and constantly bumping into displays in stores since lots of them do not have wide enough aisles to accommodate a stroller. I always wear him when I go to the store, to Costco or to the mall unless I am there to try on clothes. I even used to keep him in the carrier when I went out for meals and he was too little for a highchair.

*Dec. '08 and 15 pounds heavier. I blame Ben for taking me out for these tacos .... even though it was me who suggested the place ;)

It has started to be part of his bed time routine that gives him the cue that it's time to start winding down. Once I put him in the "pouch" it is less than 10 minutes before he is asleep.

I own 3 carriers: The Maya, The Moby and the Ergo. Future blogs will be about these options so stay tuned! I also put up links to their websites if you want extra information.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Recipe of the Day: Enchiladas


It may not look pretty, but it tastes really good.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups chicken stock
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 jalapeño pepper
1 clove garlic
1 jar (12 oz) salsa *(I use fresh salsa from the deli usually mild)*
1 cup shredded low fat cheddar *(I buy one bag of Mexican blend cheese. I put most of it inside the enchiladas and used the rest to cover. I don't measure it in cups) *
1/2 cup shredded low fat Monterey Jack
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 can (2.25 oz) sliced black olives, drained
1 can (16 oz) traditional enchilada sauce
1 can (16 oz) green chile enchilada sauce
*(Make sure you get ENCHILADA sauce. I bought some other red sauce on accident and it is NOT the same. I usually get mild and add heat later)*
30 small tortillas

PREPARATION:
Heat oven to 425°. In a medium pot, boil stock, chicken, jalapeño and garlic 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Strain chicken and shred into a bowl. Mix in salsa and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine cheddar, 1/4 cup Monterey Jack, cilantro and olives; set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, combine enchilada sauces. Stir until simmering. Set aside. Coat an 11" x 13" casserole pan with nonstick spray. Microwave 2 tortillas at a time for 20 seconds. Place small handfuls of cheese mixture and chicken in center of each tortilla, roll up and place in pan, seam side down. *(Before you start stuffing the tortillas put 2 more in the microwave for 20 seconds. You should be able to roll both while they are warming. This will save you time)* Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Ladle on sauce, then add remaining 1/4 cup Monterey Jack. Bake 20 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce on the side.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
Nutritional Information per serving 528 calories, 14.3 g fat (6 g saturated fat), 47.7 g carbohydrates, 52.1 g protein, 7.9 g fiber

This makes great leftovers and is even better for breakfast. At our house we call them "egg-chiladas" mixing 2 enchiladas in with eggs. This is a favorite and I make it a few times a month.

Daddy socks = baby legs

If you are a mom that is hip to baby clothing trends then you have already heard of "baby legs". They are sort of like legwarmers for babies (or kids for that matter) that go from the upper thigh to the ankle to keep their legs warm, they can be used like tights for girls without having to fuss with pulling them over a diaper making changing them easier and keeps their little knees protected when they are crawling. I was going buy buy some, but then I had an idea.

I went into Joe's sock drawer and got a pair of socks that he no longer wore because they were too tight. I cut the toes off and voila .... baby legs! They are pretty ghetto I will admit, but I think they look cute since the heel of the sock hits him right at the knee and gives him extra padding. They work really well when he is wearing shorts, a onesie or just a diaper and is crawling around on cold, stone floors. It is too hot here to have him wear pants all the time. Plus, I think the fact that they are made from tube socks makes him look tough ;)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Mamas on the loose: Yoga and BTO

This week I suggested for "mamas on the loose" night that we catch a Yoga Hour class at Yoga Oasis where I teach. The class is from 8-9, $4, all levels and great music. I thought it was a nice class .... not too challenging, but not too easy. I have never had a "tremor" in my life, but my left arm was shaking for 2 poses. Like, uncontrollably shaking. That hasn't ever happened to me before so it was really strange. I think I may have been dehydrated and I did have blood drawn from that arm earlier that day so who knows.

After yoga we went to this great yogurt place called By The Ounce (BTO). You help your self to soft serve yogurt (I got peanut butter .... YUM!), add any toppings and then they just weight what you got and charge you accordingly. It's a pretty sweet deal. It's like a test in portioning your food or something, but it was so good.

The last few days have been really good at home for our family. Devon seems to be back on some sort of a schedule(he's getting there at least) and that has made all the difference in his temperament. We started going back to the gym this week which has really helped regulate his naps. When he was teething we didn't go for a few weeks because he was so cranky. I didn't think he would be a happy gym baby and getting him back into the habit was tough, but I think he likes being around other kids and playing with new toys. The girls who work there just adore him so he gets lots of attention.

Today we went to The Little Gym for a free trial gym class. I use the word "gym" very loosely when talking about the class for a baby Devon's age. They play games, stretch, sing songs, blow bubbles, and play on this giant inflatable thingy. Devon pretty much hated all of it for the first half hour, but he warmed up my the end and even did pull ups on the uneven bars. He was one of the older kids there (it was for babies 4-10 months), but next week we will try a class for babies 10-18 months and see how he does. I don't think it is something we will join (it's like $350 for 1 class a week for 3 months .... crazy to pay that for a baby class), but it is still fun to try and have an outing for the day.

I met this girl named Emily and her super cute son, Roman, at the library reading time a few weeks ago. We had a lot in common and met for coffee later that week. After coffee we walked to this cool toy store where our kids were there long enough to play with and get bored with all the toys so we didn't have to buy anything. Devon and Roman seem to have a similar, laid back personality and got along really well. Babies this age have no concept of "sharing", but they did just fine. Our kids are only a month apart, we went to the same high school (though we didn't know eachother), she lives near the home I grew up in,she is really easy to talk to and a really sweet girl. She invited me to The Little Gym class and told me about a "movers and shakers" class that Devon is enrolled in next month at Udall. I think we are going to hit up all the fancy "kid gyms" around town and get our fill of free classes.

Devon has been amazing this past week. I no longer have to worry about him falling when he stands up because he can totally do it on his own and get down safely. He crawls like it's going out of style and keeps me on my toes. I think not one, but TWO baby gates are in my future. He pulls up to standing and has started letting go and standing on his own. You can see it on his little face that he is so proud. It is so fun to watch him go through all these milestones.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Not so green with envy: Confused .... party of 1

Is there anything in this world that is just safe? Uncomplicated and unequivocally safe? Is there anything that doesn't have chemicals, harmful fumes, pesticides or freaking LEAK stuff? Is there something out there that won't give me some sort of cancer when I breath, eat, sleep, get dressed, drive, fly, or exist? Seriously!?

I received my CD (cloth diapers) and I checked the label: Outer lining 100% polyester. Inner lining 80% polyester 20% nylon. I didn't realize that having a non-natural diaper would be a big deal and I almost considered it a good thing. It wasn't a DD (disposable diaper), it was reusable, it was the easiest CD out there, environmentally friendly, soft on baby's bum and economical. They say they are "breathable" and "wick" away moisture so what's the problem? I thought that would make them last longer and that the cotton ones would fall apart faster.

Then my "knows-something-about-everything" husband (I mean that to sound endearing and helpful) starts telling me about all the problems that can come from polyester breaking down over time and it's negative effects. The problem with diapers specifically is we don't know the effects of polyester breaking down over time and it's effects on the developing reproduction system/organs of infants. Polyester is a carcinogen when it breaks down. Carcinogens cause cancer. It is known that breaking down of polyester can release toxic chemicals (from dresses, shirts, etc), but we don't know the effects specifically for reproduction development in infants. While CD and DD both have carcinogens in them, CD can potentially be more harmful because you are putting that carcinogen BACK against tender baby skin time after time for years instead of throwing it away. Here is the part that really chapped my hide (pun intended). If you go with a natural insert like cotton or wool, in most cases it would come with a "waterproof" (or something similar) PUL outer shell. This outer shell is made from polyester (more than likely) and can still be harmful over time.

Also, CD could potentially use 75% MORE energy than DD if they are dried in the dryer and not line dried. If not washed with minimum water (or over washed and rinsed) or at a hotter than recommended temperature they could also use more water to maintain then it takes to make DD. This would also raise your monthly utility and electric bill, a cost you may not have anticipated when purchasing and budgeting for CD.

There may not be anything wrong with the CDs that I have, but Joe would prefer it if I got rid of them. He is totally supportive of me continuing on my quest for natural, cloth diapers. I know as moms we just try to do what's best for our kids and I don't know the answer, but I know that my CD's gotta go. I am exhausted by it at this point because there really doesn't feel like there is a right answer. It all feels like it is either not conducive to our modern lifestyle (cotton diaper and no leak-proof liner .... yuck)or unhealthy for the baby in some way or another and THAT is a helpless feeling. I will say that the diapers I ordered did seem like a really great product in the way they were designed. I have a super squirmy baby when he gets changed and these were easier to get on him than DD even though he had to be snapped in. The snaps are very secure and are all-in-one meaning you don't have to buy different sizes as they grow. I think if you were going to go with a CD based on design this would be the hands down winner.

I hate to admit that in the mean time it is back to Huggies. There is a HUGE arms race between Huggies, Luvs and Pampers for the best selling product and they are all trying to have the best product out there. When one company makes an improvement the other 2 scramble to come up with something better and safer. The CD market is so small that little companies come up with improvements, but don't really have the money to test it and back it up with research. I really really REALLY wanted to convert to CD, but I think for now I have to stick with what works until I find something that I feel is safe. (and something that doesn't give him a raging diaper rash).

I guess I could always try to go diaper less. It's a real thing people .... google it. Just type in "diaper less".

Bottom line (get it? bottom line ... HA!)is I need to get rid of my Smartipants. Anyone interested? I only used 5 of them and I have 21 plus 10 extra liners.


*Smartipants diapers passes all CPSIA requirements. A certificate of compliance with CPSIA testing can be found here on their website. Nothing I said is specific to this particular brand of diapers just diapers made from polyester in general.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Green with envy: Disposable 1 Reusable 0


I was so excited to get Devon into the cloth diapers. He wore them all day and then I changed him right before bed and he had the WORST diaper rash I have ever seen on him. He had it for a few days when he was born, but yesterday he was very red up front and had all these little red bumps. He didn't seem phased by it, but it had to be uncomfortable. I gave him a bath and plopped him back into a disposable with some diaper cream and lavender baby powder. It has mostly cleared up, but not all the way.

I have decided that I am not going to put him back into the cloth diapers until the rash totally goes away. The woman from the diaper company said it could be a yeast infection that was aggravated by the switch to fabric or it could be a reaction to new detergent. She recommended The Magic Stick (www.kellyscloset.com $13) for all rashes and even on cuts (one stick per kid). It rolls on like a deodorant so you don't have to get it on your hands. She said it is the best all around diaper ointment (great as a barrier to prevent rashes if your baby is prone to them) and safe for cloth diapers. She also mentioned something called Aquaphor that you might be able to find locally. Since the fabric is a high performance fabric they don't need to be washed more than once prior to their first use to remove any oils like other diapers before they are totally absorbent. I hope I figure this out.

I know this slew of posts on cloth diapers is lame and sort of boring for most of you, but I thought if someone out there was considering getting them some of this would be helpful. It is not the easy transition I thought it would be. Learning about new products like the Magic stick as well as trouble shooting with any problems with cloth diapers can be helpful to you or people you know down the road. I ordered my washable wipes today, but I am having a hard time finding a wet bag that I like. I want one that will hold diapers until I wash them (a few days worth) and while I would like a custom made one (www.happytushies.com thanks Katy), but that can take 3-4 weeks and I don't really want to wait. I found one on www.diapersetc.com, but I need to call them tomorrow to see if they have the XL in stock. Any suggestions?

In unrelated, non-diaper-ness, Devon has started doing this lately ....

It's like he's saying," Here. Want some? It's really good. Try it." He tried to share his Cheerios with Jasmine (the cat) the other day. She shot him down, but at least he tried ;)

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Good friends


I used to teach a yoga class on Wednesdays until I had Devon and eventually had to give up the class. It was in the middle of the day and I would have to get a sitter every week to watch him since Joe couldn't leave work to come home. I was so sad to leave since I had really grown attached to my students and I miss not seeing them every week.

Today I got a great surprise when Vivianne (a fellow Yoga Oasis teacher), Carol and Margo called and asked if they could come by and see Devon. They visited me in the past, but it has been a while and wanted to catch up on all his milestones. It was so nice to see them again, to chat and to watch them interact with Devon. They are all so sweet and he was clearly having such a good time showing off. It really meant a lot to me for them to come over and show their support for my family and to keep me included in their lives. Love the lovely ladies!

Green with envy: You are what you buy .... smartipants

I had to go to a special store to buy the Earth Save detergent that the company recommends. I could have used Tide, but if there is a detergent that works better I will make a special trip for it no big deal. I got a couple boxes of it that way I won't have to buy some for a while. You only need to use a little bit of detergent anyway so it will last me a long time. It is a very natural detergent and would probably do me some good to use it with my regular wash.

The cloth ones are much fuller than the disposable, but they aren't THAT much bigger on the baby. He does have a puffier bum (as Katy puts it), but whatever, right? I washed and dried them last night and put them together so they are ready to use. I can already tell that stuffing them is sort of a tedious job, but it has to be done and I'm sure once I get into a rhythm of doing it it won't be a big deal at all. I guess I didn't realize that I would have to "put" them together. The diaper has a long pocket that runs the length of the diaper front to back. The insert (like a long sanitary pad, but made of cloth) has to be stuffed into the pocket and laid flat to absorb and pull moisture away from the baby's skin. It took me about 10 minutes to do all 21 diapers. Sort of a pain, but it's like emptying the dishwasher or making the bed .... it just has to get done.

I hoped that I would be able to use my Diaper Genies to store the diapers until I washed them. I have two. One upstairs and one downstairs. I realized that it uses plastic bags. Drat! I was going to use one for the diapers and one for the wipes and I hoped it would help mitigate any smell. I have been using disposable wipes and figured that would be fine. But then my brain started "green wandering" as I was thinking of the implications of throwing away wipes. Here was my thought process:

One (genie) for the wipes one for the diapers.
But the genie uses plastic bags and I don't want to throw that away so I can put the diapers in a pail and throw the wipes out.
But I'm still throwing away paper wipes.
Switch to cloth wipes.
CLOTH wipes?
No! That is TOO granola. Before you know it I will be wearing crocs, driving a hybrid and not shaving my legs.
But it makes sense.
If I use cloth wipes and I get a reusable bag I can put the diapers and wipes in the same bag and wash them all at once.
I already have to wash the diapers so what's a little bit more?
Cloth wipes and water it is.
Wow .... I surprised myself with that one.

Now I am on the hunt for wipes and a bag. I hear Bum Genius has a good one.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Green with envy: Smartipants re-usable diapers.


I ordered my Smartipants diapers on Friday afternoon and they arrived Monday morning. That means they were shipped within an hour of when I ordered them. Super fast service! I called the company before ordering and I spoke with the inventor/owner, Jessica. She was very helpful and answered all my questions. She also said if I ever bought other brands of diapers that I could always call her with questions on those as well. This brand of diapers seems so great because they are one-size-fits-all so you never have to buy other sizes, they snap instead of Velcro and the best part is the inserts come out in the wash so you don't have to remove them (or touch poop .... gross!) like other brands. It's as close to the ease of a disposable as you can get. But these are SO SO SO SO soft! It's amazing how soft they are.

Even though "they" say you will need 36 diapers, I ordered 21. Devon only goes through 5-6 diapers a day so I figure I can go a few days (even with just 21 diapers) before I have to wash them. Should I decide I need more I can easily buy more. I wanted to see if I could get a whole supply of diapers for $300. (That is a lot of money up front, but you could buy one at a time and slowly build your supply. They are available in 3-packs or singles). I also got 10 extra inserts in case he needs more absorption and I need to double up (through the night), but those extras are included in the $300. From what I've seen these are among the highest quality and the most affordable re-usable diapers available. I saw some that were $25 a piece! The Smartipants were $14 and it will only take me 5 months to recoup my costs. I ordered all white which may be boring when you can order them in lots of different colors, but I wanted to keep it simple. You don't even really see them anyway.

I wouldn't say I was against re-usable diapers, but I was pretty skeptical. It seemed like such a hassle, very expensive and lots of extra work. Disposable are so easy, right? I'm not some "green freak" so why would I even care if I was throwing out diapers? 80% of people who use diapers use disposable .... disposables can't be THAT bad. I also wasn't sure of the environmental implications living here in the desert with water being a scarce resource and the diapers constantly needing to be washed. However, after doing some research, they seem like a very responsible choice. Good facts about re-usable diapers to come .... but for now you can read up on the sad side of disposables.

"Babies go through approximately 5,000 diapers and as many as 11,000 depending on when they are potty trained.

The degradation of the plastics used in many disposable diapers can take half a millennium. Moreover, the chlorinated byproducts of such degradation can leech into soils and create hazards to public water supplies.

Dioxin is a by-product of the paper-bleaching process used in manufacturing disposable diapers. Dioxin in various forms has been shown to cause cancer, birth defects, liver damage, skin diseases, and genetic damage. It is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of cancer related chemicals.

Studies have been done to show that the chemical emissions from disposable diapers can cause respiratory problems in children.

Over 20 billion disposable diapers are sent to landfills each year. This is enough diapers to cover a football field 3 miles deep."


It is never to late to make a difference.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Green with envy: Re-usable grocery & produce bags


Even though this was a sewing project I wanted this one to have it's own post. This project can actually make an environmental difference and thought it needed special attention. I made a re-usable grocery bag plus a drawstring bag for produce. I really liked the re-usable produce bag idea. Seriously .... why do people put bananas and avocados in plastic bags? They have their own protection built into them! Anyway, this allows you to put all your produce in one place and eliminates the need for nectarines, celery apples and other "bag able" foods to be put in separate, wasteful plastic bags.


This was super easy to make. The pattern only called for one layer of fabric, but I doubled it to make it more sturdy and I could easily use it as a tote if I needed one in a pinch. I made the inside lining and the produce bag out of the same material so it can be a matched set. Who doesn't need to be a little fancy at the grocery store, right?

I go to the store every couple of days so I figured that one large bag would suffice. It cost me about $18 to make the set which I thought was expensive considering the canvas ones they sell at the store cost $1, but I REALLY wanted to use this particular fabric and I have plenty left over should I want to make 2-3 more bags. I know I should have re-fashioned something to make these bags to be really green, but I think you do the best you can.

Here is some information from the "Believe it or not" website on statistics on plastic bags and their environmental impact:

"Once brought into existence to tote your purchases, they'll accumulate and persist on our planet for up to 1,000 years.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually.

An estimated 12 million barrels of oil is required to make that many plastic bags.

Plastic bags cause over 100,000 sea turtle and other marine animal deaths every year when animals mistake them for food.

The average family accumulates 60 plastic bags in only four trips to the grocery store.

Plastics are forever! Plastics do NOT biodegrade. Rather, they photodegrade. A process, where sunlight breaks down plastic into smaller and smaller pieces.

Worldwide, an estimated 4 billion plastic bags end up as litter each year. Tied end to end that’s enough to circle the earth 63 times.

Each high quality reusable bag you use has the potential to eliminate an average of 1,000 plastic bags over its lifetime. The bag will pay for itself if your grocery store offers a $.05 or $.10 credit per bag for bringing your own bags. "


This website also has re-usable grocery bags for purchase.

For my environmental contribution I would be happy to make you your own set of re-usable grocery and produce bags for free. They come in 3 sizes depending on your needs. If you provide the material I will assemble them. If you want to make your own, Joanne fabrics (and I'm sure any fabric store would carry a pattern) sells "market bag" patterns for about $6.