One of my favorite money-saving tips was to make my own no-sew Moby wrap. My sister-in-law and I got together deciding that we could buy fabric together and split it so that we could each have a wrap that would only cost us about $17 or so. (You can buy less-expensive fabric or clearance fabric to make the deal sweeter). I am a huge supporter of baby wearing, and found that with two children, being able to wear the younger one made my life so much easier. I tend to favor the wrap style carriers (Moby-like baby carriers)for younger babies because of the versatility.
So here are my simple tips/directions for making your own no-sew Moby.
1. Find 6-8 yards of jersey knit fabric that you like that won't require sewing. I prefer the stretchier fabrics where the ends will "roll" so you don't have to sew them. Some fabrics fray. I don't recommend those fabrics unless you really want to sew. The amount you will need really depends on your size. I am 5'4" 115 lbs and need about 6 yards. I like the extra "tail" that is created by the fabric. If you don't have enough, it gets harder to tie on. Keep in mind that you can always cut off extra fabric. Adding on gets more complicated.
2.Cut the fabric in half length-wise and share with a friend! If the fabric is wider, you could even cut it into thirds. It really boils down to taste at this point. Thirds will make the wrap less-bulky.
3.Find the center of the fabric (length-wise) and mark it. This will be the marker that will always line up with your belly to get the wrap started. I purchased an iron-on applique to mark the center of mine.
4.Put it on and enjoy! For tips on how to wrap your baby see http://www.wrapyourbaby.com/ and look at the left side of the screen for links to instructions for various carrying options. My personal favorite is the Pocket Wrap Cross Carry.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Increase Your Milk Supply with Pumpkin Nut Lactation Cookies!
Previously I posted a recipe for lactation cookies. When you are a breastfeeding mom, anything that can help boost your supply is a good thing! While I was searching the net, I came across this recipe that sounded too good not to pass on! Though the traditional cookies are excellent, this recipe is perfect for fall!
*note: the original recipe comes from a mom at Why Cloth Diaper. I just made a small tweak to it to suite my taste buds.
Once you make the recipe let me know if it helps make a difference for you! I already know they are yummy!
You will need:
4 c. whole wheat flour
3 c. old-fashioned oats (uncooked)
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. pumkin pie spice
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened)
2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
4 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. flaxseed meal
2-4 tbsp. brewer’s yeast
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 16oz. can of pumpkin
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
"Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl combine the water and the flaxseed meal; let sit for 5 minutes.
In one bowl, combine flour, baking soda, yeast, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy.
Slowly beat in the sugars.
Add vanilla, egg, and flaxseed mixture. Beat until smooth.
Add pumpkin and mix well.
Slowly add your dry ingredients and beat until well mixed.
Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and nuts. (Tip: I use my hands in order to get the oats completely covered. If they’re not covered, your cookies will have dry, flaky, uncooked oats in them.)
Place dough in 1.5 inch lumps, 1-2 inches apart, with a medium scoop. You can use a spoon, but the scoop makes awesome looking cookies!
Bake for 13-15 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Remove from oven and transfer from cookie sheet immediately to a cooling rack."
Mouth watering yet?
If you are a cloth diapering mama, or considering it, check out their blog for great info on cloth diapering! http://www.whyclothdiaper.com
*note: the original recipe comes from a mom at Why Cloth Diaper. I just made a small tweak to it to suite my taste buds.
Once you make the recipe let me know if it helps make a difference for you! I already know they are yummy!
You will need:
4 c. whole wheat flour
3 c. old-fashioned oats (uncooked)
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. pumkin pie spice
1 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 c. unsalted butter (softened)
2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
4 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. flaxseed meal
2-4 tbsp. brewer’s yeast
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 16oz. can of pumpkin
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
"Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl combine the water and the flaxseed meal; let sit for 5 minutes.
In one bowl, combine flour, baking soda, yeast, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy.
Slowly beat in the sugars.
Add vanilla, egg, and flaxseed mixture. Beat until smooth.
Add pumpkin and mix well.
Slowly add your dry ingredients and beat until well mixed.
Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and nuts. (Tip: I use my hands in order to get the oats completely covered. If they’re not covered, your cookies will have dry, flaky, uncooked oats in them.)
Place dough in 1.5 inch lumps, 1-2 inches apart, with a medium scoop. You can use a spoon, but the scoop makes awesome looking cookies!
Bake for 13-15 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Remove from oven and transfer from cookie sheet immediately to a cooling rack."
Mouth watering yet?
If you are a cloth diapering mama, or considering it, check out their blog for great info on cloth diapering! http://www.whyclothdiaper.com
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Birth Control Without a Pill, Ring, Condoms or Anything?
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the sale of the birth control. I think in typing that I imagine men everywhere cheering (and some women too). It is a big deal, regardless of whether you love it or hate it.
When I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome 8 years ago, my OB/GYN immediately put me on birth control, to help with symptoms. At the beginning, I really liked my birth control ring. All of a sudden I was getting regular periods and my hormones seemed to balance out.
Not long after that, my hormones did a 180 and started a mutiny. I started to feel depressed and moody all the time. So, I switched to a different type of birth control, the patch.
The patch worked okay for a little while and then I was right back to feeling down and not myself. Again, I switched and this time to a lower hormone pill. Not only did it suck to try and rememeber to take a pill every day at the same time, but not long after, I was feeling down again. Just a few months before I got married I started to do research on natural methods of hormone balancing and birth control and started a method called Natural Family Planning (NFP).
Though it has its positives and negatives (as does every birth control method), I didnt have the mood side effects and I felt more like myself. I still use this method. The only issue I have with it now, is that I have no idea where I am at in my cycle because I am breastfeeding. Not to mention, on occasion I get OMG looks when I tell people that's the method I use. When done properly it can be very effective. The problem is that it takes just as much work as any other birth control method. Besides that, I have been very happy not having my hormones altered by medication.
What form of birth control do you use? What do you like, not like about it?
When I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome 8 years ago, my OB/GYN immediately put me on birth control, to help with symptoms. At the beginning, I really liked my birth control ring. All of a sudden I was getting regular periods and my hormones seemed to balance out.
Not long after that, my hormones did a 180 and started a mutiny. I started to feel depressed and moody all the time. So, I switched to a different type of birth control, the patch.
The patch worked okay for a little while and then I was right back to feeling down and not myself. Again, I switched and this time to a lower hormone pill. Not only did it suck to try and rememeber to take a pill every day at the same time, but not long after, I was feeling down again. Just a few months before I got married I started to do research on natural methods of hormone balancing and birth control and started a method called Natural Family Planning (NFP).
Though it has its positives and negatives (as does every birth control method), I didnt have the mood side effects and I felt more like myself. I still use this method. The only issue I have with it now, is that I have no idea where I am at in my cycle because I am breastfeeding. Not to mention, on occasion I get OMG looks when I tell people that's the method I use. When done properly it can be very effective. The problem is that it takes just as much work as any other birth control method. Besides that, I have been very happy not having my hormones altered by medication.
What form of birth control do you use? What do you like, not like about it?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Baby Led Weaning and Loving It
With my first child I did the baby food thing. It was the route to take as far as I knew. I didn't even think there were other options. As much as I loved spending time with her and watching her try new foods, carrying baby food, bowls, and baby spoons around was a hassle! After I learned that rice cereal was unnecessary, I started to question how I was feeder her. (Rice cereal is an extra step to get your baby used to the texture of something other than breast milk or formula. If you want to do baby food, jump right into the fruits and veggies.)
During my pregnancy with my son, I was learning about Baby Led Weaning. A few co-workers had done it and lots of my Twitter friends had done it. Everyone who tried it spoke very highly about it. So I decided I wanted to try it. Ditching the spoons and bowls and baby food sounded like an awesome plan! However, when it came down to it, I was confused. I had no idea where to start, no idea what to feed him, and didn't have a clue how I was supposed to prepare his food.
I decided to just dive right in. I cut avocados into long strips, baked strips of sweet potatoes and put them on his high-chair tray. At first he struggled getting anything into his mouth, but I didn't intervene and let him do what he could. He eventually stuck his face on the tray and sucked off the food.(I guess that's one way to get it.) I really didn't know how everything was going to go because I didn't know what to expect. I didn't do a very good job educating myself, so I was just kind of going with the flow.
Fast-Forward to today. My 8 month old son can effectively pick up his food and eat it, and I LOVE the baby led weaning method. It is not a hands-off method, so I still have to sit by him when he eats to make sure he doesn't choke on anything, and to catch all of the puffs and other food that he knocks off the tray, but I don't have to feed him with a bowl and spoon while I am sitting there. It is wonderful that I can give him the same things we are eating, to a point, and not have to worry about getting the baby food out. So far, I am impressed with the method and I am very happy with the hand-eye coordination he is developing in-part because of it.
Do you have an interesting baby-led weaning story or experience to share? What do you think about the method compared to traditional feeding with baby food?
.
During my pregnancy with my son, I was learning about Baby Led Weaning. A few co-workers had done it and lots of my Twitter friends had done it. Everyone who tried it spoke very highly about it. So I decided I wanted to try it. Ditching the spoons and bowls and baby food sounded like an awesome plan! However, when it came down to it, I was confused. I had no idea where to start, no idea what to feed him, and didn't have a clue how I was supposed to prepare his food.
I decided to just dive right in. I cut avocados into long strips, baked strips of sweet potatoes and put them on his high-chair tray. At first he struggled getting anything into his mouth, but I didn't intervene and let him do what he could. He eventually stuck his face on the tray and sucked off the food.(I guess that's one way to get it.) I really didn't know how everything was going to go because I didn't know what to expect. I didn't do a very good job educating myself, so I was just kind of going with the flow.
Fast-Forward to today. My 8 month old son can effectively pick up his food and eat it, and I LOVE the baby led weaning method. It is not a hands-off method, so I still have to sit by him when he eats to make sure he doesn't choke on anything, and to catch all of the puffs and other food that he knocks off the tray, but I don't have to feed him with a bowl and spoon while I am sitting there. It is wonderful that I can give him the same things we are eating, to a point, and not have to worry about getting the baby food out. So far, I am impressed with the method and I am very happy with the hand-eye coordination he is developing in-part because of it.
Do you have an interesting baby-led weaning story or experience to share? What do you think about the method compared to traditional feeding with baby food?
.
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