My Top 10 Baby Items: #2

 

It seems like everyone I know is having a baby, and of course, I just had one. Even though Felix is my second child, we still had to rack our brains about what we needed this time around, what we already had, and what we needed to buy. It's amazing how fast 3 years goes by and how much we had forgotten over that span of time. Therefore, I have put together a list of my Top 10 Baby Items (in no particular order) that we simply could not do without.

1. Travel System

 

This is one item we have used time and time again. A transportation system normally consists of a carrier, a stroller, and a car seat base. The car seat base is installed in the car and allows the carrier to snap into it. The carrier also snaps into the stroller, though a child can ride in it without the carrier, if necessary. Transportation systems are basically the stroller and car seat packaged into a set .

 

Before we had Anya, we opted for a Chicco design. Though Anya was a girl, we bought a green design so that we could use it with the next child regardless of if the next were a boy or a girl. Now that Felix is here, he is riding in the car seat and carrier and is able to ride in the stroller in his carrier or lying down. Anya is also able to still ride in the stroller.

 

There are a few perks to purchasing a travel system. One is the storage area in the stroller underneath the seat. Though it can be a pain to constantly travel around with the stroller, you can't beat being able put your purse underneath the seat. Many travel systems also have cup holders for the pusher and the passenger. Yet another perk  of buying a travel system is that grandparents don't have to buy a car seat. All they have to do is purchase the car seat base (which is generally much cheaper) and as long as the baby travels in the carrier, it will lock into the base.

 

 

Anya in the car seat when she was just a baby.

 

 

Felix hanging out in the same car seat only a few years later (and sporting Anya's sunglasses without the lenses).

 

Big News...

....for my blog, that is. Sorry to all of you that thought we were going to make some big announcement!

In an attempt to do something bigger with my blog (I am sure you have noticed all the changes around here in the past several weeks), I have decided to convert to Wordpress. This will allow me to have more control over my content, and once I get the hang of using Wordpress, I think it will ultimately be better for me as a blogger and for my readers.

So if you follow me, please note that my new blog will be located at www.alifeintune.com. It may be messy for a few days while it is still under construction, but I am looking forward to getting my blog settled into its new home. I am expecting to completely redirect everything from this address within the next few days.

Thanks for reading so far, and I really hope you decide to follow me to my new place!

Adventures in Crop Sharing: Veggie Stock

This year, our family joined up with another family to buy a partial share of a crop share (a CSA) in our area. This is our first experience with a crop share, and so far, we are really enjoying the weekly supply of vegetables (and some fruits) and trying out new vegetables and recipes. In this series, I will share some of our experiences.

 

 

Veggie Stock

 

 

I have heard of people making their own vegetable stock and had always wanted to try it. Now that we are getting all these different veggies from the CSA, I thought I would try it. I just kept all the "scraps" from the veggies we have been using and put them in a gallon freezer bag that I stored in the freezer (at a friend's suggestion). Once I got a full bag, I dumped them in a large pot and filled it with water until the water was covering all the veggies. I then used some fresh herbs from the CSA (basil, oregano, and tarragon) and some garlic to give it a little more flavor. I let it simmer for almost 2 hours.

 

 

 

 



We froze it in 1 or 2 cup proportions in plastic containers and then popped them out of the containers once they had frozen. Then, we stuck them all together in a gallon freezer bag. We got 9 cups of it. So far, we have only used a 1/2 cup and it certainly did the job. I think I will be making more of this in the future, assuming I can keep the veggie scraps away from Eric who wants to use them in his compost bin.

Photo Shoot: Part One

At the end of June, we had a photo shoot to get family pictures, Anya's 3 year pictures, and Felix's 3 months pictures taken. It is difficult to choose which to post, but I will attempt to post my favorites. Today, I have posts of Anya and Felix together.

 

 

Friday Funnies!

Don't we all need a little humor on Fridays?

Anya happened to see that I got a new razor in the shower because it was a different color. When she saw it, she asked my husband, "Did Mommy get a new leg scratcher?"

 

 

 

 

Comment with something funny your child has said!

 

 

Thrifty Thursday: Use Your Credit Card, Part 1

That's right. The title of this post says to "use your credit card." I must say that with a word of caution, though. If you are one of those people who cannot control yourself and have an unhealthy obsession with the way your credit card sounds as you swipe it in the machine at the store, then this tip might not be for you.

However, if you are one of those perfectionist, Type A personalities who can't stand for her bills not to be paid in full each month, then you could really make some money by using your credit card.

First, make sure your credit card has some kind of rewards program. Sometimes these programs are in the form of airline miles, points, or actual cash, among other things. If your card does not have a program like this, I would strongly consider getting rid of it and finding one that does. There are tons of cards out there that offer incentives for you to use them. One thing to be sure of, though, is that they do not have an annual fee. Some credit cards do still have these, so be sure to clarify that a card does not have one before signing up for one.

After you have applied and been accepted for your new card, then you can start accumulating rewards. We charge almost everything and get quite a bit of money back through these rewards program. Then, once you have accumulated a certain number of points, cash, or whatever, you can often redeem them for money or gift cards (or whatever the company's incentive happens to be).

The key to this is that you DO have to pay the credit card bill in full each month. If you don't, then the credit card companies win, folks. If you cannot (or know you will not) pay off your bill in full each month, then I would not recommend doing this. This only works if you pay it off each month, and that means you have to keep track of how much you have charged. No, you can't just go out on a shopping spree with your brand new shiny card and swipe it anywhere you please. Check out your purchases online and make sure you know how much you have on the card and how much you can reasonably pay off each month.

Stay tuned for Part 2 to find out how we make hundreds of dollars each year doing this!

My Top 10 Baby Items: #1

It seems like everyone I know is having a baby, and of course, I just had one. Even though Felix is my second child, we still had to rack our brains about what we needed this time around, what we already had, and what we needed to buy. It's amazing how fast 3 years goes by and how much we had forgotten over that span of time. Therefore, I have put together a list of my Top 10 Baby Items that we simply could not do without.

1. Breast pump

If you plan to breastfeed your baby and will be working at all after the baby is born, even part time, you will definitely need a breast pump. And you will definitely want an electric one (not a manual), unless you are ok with developing carpal tunnel. After seeing the prices of everything baby-related, you will totally be tempted to cheap out on this item, as some of them are $300 or more, depending on what you get. But believe me, you will want to get a good one.

Here's why.

When you are away from your baby and cannot nurse him/her, your breast pump not only allows you to pump your breast milk to feed the baby while you are gone, but it also is meant to stimulate your breasts to produce milk. If you do not pump regularly or pump enough milk, it can cause a drop in your supply which can eventually result in not having enough milk for the baby when he/she is around to eat. Therefore, you want something that will do the job right.

There are numerous brands to choose from. I personally have a Medela Advanced Pump in Style similar to this one. Yes, it was expensive, but you can always wait for them to go on sale or wait for a coupon. Babies R' Us sends out coupons frequently. There are lots of others on the market as well, so be sure to do your research. Whatever you get, I recommend a double pump so you can pump both sides at the same time and not have to do just one at a time. I also would not spend the extra money on a hands-free pump, as there are bustiers you can buy that will make them hands free and they are cheaper than the extra money it costs to buy a hands free pump.

Feel free to comment with any other pumps you have had experience with.

Friday Funnies

Don't we all need a little humor on Fridays?

I spend a few days a week at home with my kids, and while we are home, Anya and I always joke that Felix is "our boy" and not a "Daddy's boy." We tease Daddy about that a lot. A week or two ago, Anya told her Grandma that "Felix isn't Daddy's." That's when I realized that I need to clarify more what I mean when I joke with her!

 

 

 

Feel free to comment with something funny your child has said!

 

When She Woke: A Book Review

I don't normally write reviews of all the books I read, but this is one that I just finished this past week. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan is about a girl living in a futuristic world in which abortion is completely illegal and is considered murder. Furthermore, when someone commits a crime, whether it be murder, theft, etc., they are "chromed," or given an injection that turns their skin a color that represents their crimes. For example, murderers are turned red. In the book, Hannah has an unauthorized relationship with someone she is not supposed to be with and ends up pregnant. Instead of discussing it with the father, Hannah makes the decision to find a doctor who will perform the abortion in secret. Unfortunately, she is caught and given a murder sentence. The book is her experience as a "Chrome" in a society that categorizes her abortion as murder.

While the story was entertaining and an interesting one to ponder, I felt it was very one-sided. For example, Hannah describes the abortion doctor as compassionate and caring while every other doctor mentioned was sterile and cold-hearted. The book got very "preachy" as it went on, and I often got the feeling that the author's intention with her book was simply to preach and not just entertain.

As someone who is very much against abortion (though I can understand and have mixed feelings about possible exceptions due to things like rape, incest, etc.), it was difficult for me to read about a young girl who felt her only choice was to kill the unborn child inside her. That being said, the author did recognize the mixed feelings and troubling thoughts a mother must feel after aborting her child. I don't necessarily believe that abortion was Hannah's best choice in this situation, but I do appreciate the conflicting emotions described in the book.

Has anyone else read this book? Any thoughts?

Adventures in Crop Sharing: Greens

This year, our family joined up with another family to buy a partial share of a crop share (a CSA) in our area. This is our first experience with a crop share, and so far, we are really enjoying the weekly supply of vegetables (and some fruits) and trying out new vegetables and recipes. In this series, I will share some of our experiences.

Greens...

I never knew how many different kinds of greens and lettuce there really was in the world. We have certainly gotten an education on this. So far, some of the greens we have gotten from the CSA include kale (different kinds, too!), lettuce, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, bok choy, beet tops/greens, spinach, and red rain. Of course, we have had lettuce and spinach before, but the rest have all been fairly new to us. Here's what we have done with some of the "new" greens.

Red leaf lettuce: We used this in salads.
Mustard greens: We used this in salads and wraps. We found it had a little kick to it and the flavor went a long way. They were also good in omelets.
Bok choy: We used this in salads and stir fry.
Red rain: We had this in salads and stir fry. It is apparently an Asian green and is used in a lot of stir fry recipes.
Beet tops/greens: We discovered that beet tops tasted great in omelets!

Changes!

As you have probably noticed, I am making some changes to my blog, including the title and the web address. I want to continue writing posts about my goals and some of the things going on with my family, but I also want to include more posts about natural birthing, breastfeeding, being a mom, cooking, saving money, and a variety of other things. Please let me know if there is anything in particular that you are interested in learning more about!

The Magic That Is Breastmilk

Monday morning I woke up with what felt like a case of pink eye. I haven't had pink eye in as long as I can remember, but my left eye was a little swollen, goopy, a little red, and somewhat itchy. I called in to my doctor who prescribed me some eye drops and it took me awhile to get ahold of lactation to be sure that what was prescribed was ok to use while breastfeeding.

I had always heard things about breastmilk being used to treat certain things, pink eye being one of them. Since it took awhile to get things sorted out with a prescription, I thought I would try putting some of it in my eye. We found an unused medicine dropper and I just put drops in my eyes every few hours, just like I would have done with prescription eye drops. Throughout the day, my eye started to feel better, so I thought I would just continue with the breastmilk and hold off on the prescription for now. Approximately 48 hours later, my eye felt back to 100% - all due to my breastmilk!

It may sound slightly crazy to put breastmilk in your eye, but it did the trick, didn't have any side effects or risks, and cost me absolutely nothing! Pretty awesome, if you ask me:)

Feel free to comment with anything you've treated with breastmilk or even anything you have heard that breastmilk treats. This is an area I'm definitely interested in!

June

Exercise: I have been able to get some kind of exercise at least twice a week (usually more) throughout June. Most of it was walking, though I did make it to Power Yoga twice. I would love to go more often, but each week is different, so we go when we can. I have to admit, though, that it is pretty frustrating to feel as if I don't have the control over my movements the way I used to. I know I just need time to build back up to where I was, but it is frustrating feeling like the weakest link.

I have been doing Weight Watchers for approximately 7 weeks (by the end of June) and have lost between 9 and 10 pounds; I have about 12 pounds to go!

Reading: I finished reading another novel, which sounds like I am being slow, but it was a large book (probably around 700-800 pages). I just started another that I expect to finish in another week or so. I am also right on track with my plan to read the Bible in a year.

Writing:  There was a week in June where I didn't write much of anything, but the other weeks, I either published a blog post or started writing one.

One thing I have also done in this area has applied to be a content writer on textbroker.com. Pretty much everyone who applies gets in if you can write at all. I don't think it will make me a ton of  money or anything, but it sounded interesting, so I thought I would give it a try. I will probably post more about it once I get the hang of it and know what's going on. This is a fairly new development so I haven't completely figured it out yet.

I also signed up to take a free online blogging class for July, so hopefully that will help motivate me to continue working on my blogs.

MT Business: While I was on maternity leave, I had two students who chose not to return to piano lessons. However, I added 4 new students in June, one of whom will be coming for hour-long lessons each week, so financially this is like having 2 more students. My studio now consists of 9 students, so it has definitely grown! I also got a call last week to start doing 2 hours of MT every month at another long-term care facility in Evansville.

House Projects:  We have pretty much done nothing in this department:( And even worse is that we hired a contractor to come and fix some shingles on our roof and they told us we needed a new roof. Not excited about that at all!

Finances: As far as eating out goes, we've only gone over our budget one week this month and it wasn't by much. The rest of the weeks, we came in under budget. It has been similar with the grocery shopping. I am slowly trying to do more couponing when I have the time, so we are definitely saving some.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to save any money this month. In fact, I might have to move a small amount of money into our account to pay the rest of the bills this month, depending on when I am paid for all my work. That being said, it is mostly because we have the remainder of the hospital bill from Felix's birth to pay this month. We also had a few random things come up, such as we needed our house to be sprayed for bugs and we had to have our garage door springs fixed, which is not cheap. We bought a patio set as well. All in all, it's not too big of a deal, seeing as I haven't worked in 2 months. Once I get back into the full swing of things, it should be a little better and we hope to get back to saving money again.

In Other News...

Anya is taking a 6 week dance class this summer. They do 20 minutes of tap, 20 minutes of ballet, and 20 minutes of tumbling. She is the youngest (and smallest) in the group so she can't always do physically what the others do, but she is by far the best listener in the group. We are so proud of her for trying something new and she seems to like it. Besides, the hour we spend there is totally better than TV and is probably one of the most entertaining things I've seen in awhile;)

Both kids are signed up for the summer reading program at the library. They have finished 3 out of 4 levels and are working on finishing up Level 4.

We had a crazy month with 2 weddings 2 weekends in a row. Anya and I were both in my friend Grace's wedding. Anya was one of the flower girls and did really well walking down the aisle. However, she forgot to throw her flower petals on the way down and as soon as she got to the front with me, she asked me "when am I going to walk down the aisle and throw my flower petals? I wanted to do that..." It totally cracked me up and I didn't know how to tell her that she was supposed to have already done it. I told her to throw the petals on the way out, so she did that and it turned out fine.

 

 

 

 

Anya also turned 3 on June 4, so we had her birthday party on June 1. One of her grandmas had planned to rent a bouncy house for her birthday, but because of the weather forecast, the rental was cancelled. We ended up changing the party at the last minute and decided to have it at the "bouncy house place," as it wasn't much more to just have the party there. The party was zoo-themed (and included the monkey exhibit, aka the bouncy houses) and Anya had a zoo cake made by her Grandma Lisa. I can't believe my baby girl is 3! She is very smart and will talk to just about anyone.

 

 

 

We also had a photo shoot at the very end of June. We did family photos of the 4 of us, some photos of just the kids, Anya's 3 year pictures, and Felix's 3 month pictures. More to come on this!