I've recently had some long awaited time away from my kids. Way too long awaited, and looking back, I set myself up for for how long it took.
Sure, I've got an hour here and there to do things like go take care of my horse, run to the grocery store, go to a hot yoga class, or go to the YMCA to work out. But, because I always feel guilty for ever asking whoever agrees to watch them (usually my mom when it's that short) I'm always rushed to get back home, and there is not a leisure, casual enjoyment about it. Because I always feel guilty for asking anyone to ever watch my kids, I also tend to underestimate how long they will be watching them, always hoping I'll be back sooner for their sake. Hense the rushing back part. I honestly don't know why I do this, because it's not like my kids are terrors or anything. And, people always have the option to say no if I ask. I guess it just goes back to that guilt thing for asking.
Plus, from September til the beginning of February we were making weekly trips down to Children's Hospital for both children. Both of our children have had some pretty serious chronic medical conditions that has required close medical monitoring. It was not uncommon for us to have several appointments in one week on different days. Of course, this required us to ask people pretty regularly to watch one or the other of the kids when one would have to do appointments where the other couldn't be there, like for radiation (which unfortunately both of them had to do quite a bit as a diagnostic tool). So, when we were asking folks (those few we trusted) to watch the kids so much already, I felt pretty bad asking them to watch the kids any more just for my sanity sake. Looking back, I really should have and don't know how I survived that time of our lives; it was so aweful and stressful.
Another reason I didn't make it out before now: Most people have this impression that because my husband is a firefighter and has a schedule of two to three 24 hour shifts a week, he's home all the rest of the week and is just chillaxin at home with me and the kids. NOT the case. We typically get a half a day a week where we're all there at the same time. What most people don't know is he has 2 other jobs that keep him gone long hours, and most days he's "home" from the fire department he's out at those jobs fixing fire trucks and ambulances. It's the price we've chosen to pay for me to be able to stay home. So, this false impression I think led many people to believing that I didn't need help.
Nursing the little one has also made leaving the house a challenge for me. I''ve always worried that he'd suddenly starve if I was gone too long, and was extremely hesitant to move to bottles at all, in fear that he'd begin reject nursing in favor of bottles.
Well, three weeks ago all excuses were forced aside and I pulled some long ass 12 hour days away from home. Low-and-behold, he took the bottles (and my boob that night) just fine. I'd worried that I would miss them so much my heart would burst and low-and-behold, I did just fine. I did better than fine. I really, really, enjoyed it! I found myself more patient and engaged with them when I got home those evenings! I'd also worried that my husband would not do well having both of them alone that long since he hadn't done it before. Low-and-behold, he did just fine as well! Shocking! Not to discredit his abilities, he's an excellent hands on dad. He'd just been playing it off until then that 2 was too much for him, I think just to avoid the stress of it. At any rate. Lessons learned:
1.) Do not feel sorry for asking for help; people CAN say no
2.) Schedule the time away regularly; they will survive with out me
3.) My own sanity benefits from the separation
4.) I look at them with fresh eyes when I return
5.) Landon (the little one) will take a bottle, and still loves the boob!!
6.) If anything, over-estimate the time I'll be gone, so I can relax and enjoy it, even if it's doing
simple things like grocery shopping
7.) My husband does just as good a job with 2 as he does with 1 and even if he doesn't do it
MY way, he still does it well (note to self: let go control freak)
8.) Time away IS a good thing
Friday, February 26, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
WAY cheap, easy make at home laundry detergent!
Since we've went cloth (see 2/20/10 post) and just since we've had two kids in general, laundry loads have nearly doubled in this house. Knowing that biodegradable laundry soap was what was best for the environment, that's what we were using for probably the past several years, even before kiddos. That was until my husband went to the store while I was recovering from a c-section (the only reason he'd go instead of me, he despises it THAT much). He got Tide, I suppose because that's what he always had before he married a greeny like me. There was a marked difference in the clothes and it could not be denied that the greeny brand just sucked ass.
But, that big orange Tide box was sooo expensive! I couldn't believe it, and at the rate we were going through it, we could be paying on another car practically! But I justified it because I kinda, well, really DID want our clothes actually clean. And, to justify getting non-biodegradable laundry detergent we bought front load energy star washer and dryer which was saving electricity, gas, water, and in effect money. It seemed to equal itself out in my mind.
By chance, during Christmas time when I was looking for recipes for home made apple butter, I came across a recipe for home made laundry detergent. Man oh man! Can I tell YOU how leery my husband was. He must have warned me a million times that IF our laundry didn't come out as clean as it was on Tide, we were going back immediately! Well, we've been on the home made laundry detergent for a month now, and I've heard no complaints. And, can I tell YOU how easy, and cheap it is to make this stuff! Not only that, but they make our clothes clean, and our cloth diapers with out leaving any icky residue. I can't imagine many other things besides daily poopy diapers to test the efficiency of a detergent.
Washer Machine Detergent---diaper tested, daddy approved!
1 cup grated soap (such as fels naptha or Ivory)
½ cup Borax
½ cup Arm & Hammer washing soap
Can add essential oils for scent
Mix well (I store it and mix in a large glass container with a lid)
2 Tablespoons per load of laundry
The fels naptha and washing soap can be found in the laundry detergent section at most grocery stores, and I've even seen it at Bartell Drugs.
Hope it works for y'all! Let me know how ya like it!
But, that big orange Tide box was sooo expensive! I couldn't believe it, and at the rate we were going through it, we could be paying on another car practically! But I justified it because I kinda, well, really DID want our clothes actually clean. And, to justify getting non-biodegradable laundry detergent we bought front load energy star washer and dryer which was saving electricity, gas, water, and in effect money. It seemed to equal itself out in my mind.
By chance, during Christmas time when I was looking for recipes for home made apple butter, I came across a recipe for home made laundry detergent. Man oh man! Can I tell YOU how leery my husband was. He must have warned me a million times that IF our laundry didn't come out as clean as it was on Tide, we were going back immediately! Well, we've been on the home made laundry detergent for a month now, and I've heard no complaints. And, can I tell YOU how easy, and cheap it is to make this stuff! Not only that, but they make our clothes clean, and our cloth diapers with out leaving any icky residue. I can't imagine many other things besides daily poopy diapers to test the efficiency of a detergent.
Washer Machine Detergent---diaper tested, daddy approved!
1 cup grated soap (such as fels naptha or Ivory)
½ cup Borax
½ cup Arm & Hammer washing soap
Can add essential oils for scent
Mix well (I store it and mix in a large glass container with a lid)
2 Tablespoons per load of laundry
The fels naptha and washing soap can be found in the laundry detergent section at most grocery stores, and I've even seen it at Bartell Drugs.
Hope it works for y'all! Let me know how ya like it!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Cloth Diapers for this family
Having two children who are 12 months (and 10 days) apart means I basically have two babies. Well, actually, they are often referred to as, "Irish twins". This also means double diapers, which means double expense! After a month and a half of paying over $300 a month in diapers, I knew there had to be a better, more cost effective way. We weren't even fitting all the diapers in our weekly garbage pick up! THAT was embarrassing, knowing that Americans produce more garbage than any other country in the world. I was becoming more of a contributor to this problem than I cared to! So, after much research and preparation, we went cloth.
This took a lot of finesse with my husband. I'd suggested we try it with our first son, but I never got him really on board. He thought it was too much work, very icky, and inconvenient. By our second child, he was immune to the stank of poop ass, was used to baby bodily fluids spilling onto him, and had realized that children in general were inconvenient. As I started to throw the idea around out loud after our second, he softened up a bit, then when I told him how much we (he) was spending a month on diapers, and how much we'd save on cloth, he was SOLD.
I'd already decided on using a brand called, gdiapers (www.gdiaper.com OR www.diapers.com) for two reasons. One, they could be purchased locally at Fred Meyer. Two, we could use cloth or a disposable insert. The disposable insert sounded more user friendly for traveling outside the home, because it meant not having to pack around wet used diapers. Plus, the disposable inserts can be flushed down the toilet, which is convenient for almost anywhere you are!
For our trial period, we started out with 6 diapers for both kids, and 6 inserts. Not enough. We now have 8 diapers, and 12 inserts and that usually gets us through an entire day for both kids.
(I would also recommend buying gender neutral colors for the diapers if you plan on having more children so that the diapers can be handed down between all children.) We typically wash the diapers and inserts once a day and it has just become part of our nightly routine, like brushing teeth. For the trial period, I intentionally waited until we were almost out of disposable diapers in the house. I knew if they were around, my husband would be too tempted to go the easy way (disposable) instead of cloth (they really aren't any harder once you get the hang of things). It took me less than a week to realize that cloth was definitely the way to go for us, and we were committed for the long haul. I felt good about knowing how much less impact I was having on our land fills, I liked spending that much less a month on diapers, and I think there is just nothing cuter than a baby in a bright colorful cloth diaper! I will say though, that we do disposable diapers at night lined with one of the disposable gdiapers inserts because the cloth ones always leaked through over night. So, we now end up buying one large pack of disposable diapers a month at diapers.com for $32.99 for night time diapering, and use the cloth diapers for all day time diapering. That saves us a whopping $267 a month on diapers alone!! And, once we were regularly doing the cloth diapers, I realized, why not go all the way and do cloth wipes as well.
For those, I was at a loss on what to do so asked a friend who'd also been cloth diapering. She turned me onto diaper lotion potion (http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=703) which is AMAZING stuff! It can be used two ways; either as a spray directly onto the bum then wiped with cloth wipes, OR, you can use it as a liquid to soak your wipes in while storing them in a wipes warmer. Each to their own. We use the spray and wipe with a dry wipe. I can say that this stuff is wonderful for keeping the skin well hydrated, and it smells nice too! As far as I can tell, one bottle will most likely last us at least a year which makes it super cost effective. It also has all natural ingredients. Whatever stuff was in the disposable wipes had made the skin on all of my fingers begin to peel off (seriously) and since we've switched to the cloth wipes and the diaper lotion potion, my fingers are all better! Extra bonus. For those of you who want to do the wipes warmer, most any Prince Lionheart warmer will work (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Lionheart-Warmies-Bamboo-Warmer/dp/B001QIN6ME/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1266792260&sr=8-2) as long as you have the Prince Lionheart wipes warmerever fresh sponge in it (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Lionheart-Warmies-Bamboo-Warmer/dp/B001QIN6ME/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1266792260&sr=8-2). There is a warmer that is made just for cloth wipes, but I've tried it with a disposable wipes warmer and it worked fine.
What cloth wipes to use? I think that is a matter of personal preference. In the beginning I felt really compelled to use wipes that were "meant" for the purpose of cloth diapering so started off with bumgenious flannel wipes (http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=110&products_id=104) which were again, recommended by a friend. While we waited for them to come in the mail I began using our regular ole baby washclothes, and in the end I think they both work equally well. Before switching to the cloth wipes, we were going through two boxes of Kirkland Signature wipes at $60 a month. We still use disposable wipes when we're out of the house, but now only spend $30 every other month. That's approximately $45 a month savings! So, in total, we now save $312 a month!
One last thing that is handy to have when cloth diapering are these things called wet bags (http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=1769). These are just glorified bags that can be used to store wet diapers in when out in public. They come in lots of CUTE differen patterns, and three different sizes. I've found the small to work fine for me. We had been using the plastic bags you get from the grocery store that are used to put selected fruits and vegetables in. These worked ok, but tore easily, sometimes came un wound, and, I wasn't comfortable with justifying using those bags at the grocery store when they really aren't needed. The wet bags zip up, can be thrown in the wash, and work great for storing wet diapers, and any dirty clothes too. We just keep our wet bag in our diaper bag all the time now.
Cloth diapering has a lot of up front cost, and there is a learning curve. But, in the end, I would say it is well worth it. Some studies show that cloth diapers lead to earlier potty training. I can say that my 17 month old is already holding it through 3 hour naps, and wakes up dry. Whether or not that is due to cloth diapers, I truely can't say and only time will tell when he's ready to actually be potty trained.
This took a lot of finesse with my husband. I'd suggested we try it with our first son, but I never got him really on board. He thought it was too much work, very icky, and inconvenient. By our second child, he was immune to the stank of poop ass, was used to baby bodily fluids spilling onto him, and had realized that children in general were inconvenient. As I started to throw the idea around out loud after our second, he softened up a bit, then when I told him how much we (he) was spending a month on diapers, and how much we'd save on cloth, he was SOLD.
I'd already decided on using a brand called, gdiapers (www.gdiaper.com OR www.diapers.com) for two reasons. One, they could be purchased locally at Fred Meyer. Two, we could use cloth or a disposable insert. The disposable insert sounded more user friendly for traveling outside the home, because it meant not having to pack around wet used diapers. Plus, the disposable inserts can be flushed down the toilet, which is convenient for almost anywhere you are!
For our trial period, we started out with 6 diapers for both kids, and 6 inserts. Not enough. We now have 8 diapers, and 12 inserts and that usually gets us through an entire day for both kids.
(I would also recommend buying gender neutral colors for the diapers if you plan on having more children so that the diapers can be handed down between all children.) We typically wash the diapers and inserts once a day and it has just become part of our nightly routine, like brushing teeth. For the trial period, I intentionally waited until we were almost out of disposable diapers in the house. I knew if they were around, my husband would be too tempted to go the easy way (disposable) instead of cloth (they really aren't any harder once you get the hang of things). It took me less than a week to realize that cloth was definitely the way to go for us, and we were committed for the long haul. I felt good about knowing how much less impact I was having on our land fills, I liked spending that much less a month on diapers, and I think there is just nothing cuter than a baby in a bright colorful cloth diaper! I will say though, that we do disposable diapers at night lined with one of the disposable gdiapers inserts because the cloth ones always leaked through over night. So, we now end up buying one large pack of disposable diapers a month at diapers.com for $32.99 for night time diapering, and use the cloth diapers for all day time diapering. That saves us a whopping $267 a month on diapers alone!! And, once we were regularly doing the cloth diapers, I realized, why not go all the way and do cloth wipes as well.
For those, I was at a loss on what to do so asked a friend who'd also been cloth diapering. She turned me onto diaper lotion potion (http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=703) which is AMAZING stuff! It can be used two ways; either as a spray directly onto the bum then wiped with cloth wipes, OR, you can use it as a liquid to soak your wipes in while storing them in a wipes warmer. Each to their own. We use the spray and wipe with a dry wipe. I can say that this stuff is wonderful for keeping the skin well hydrated, and it smells nice too! As far as I can tell, one bottle will most likely last us at least a year which makes it super cost effective. It also has all natural ingredients. Whatever stuff was in the disposable wipes had made the skin on all of my fingers begin to peel off (seriously) and since we've switched to the cloth wipes and the diaper lotion potion, my fingers are all better! Extra bonus. For those of you who want to do the wipes warmer, most any Prince Lionheart warmer will work (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Lionheart-Warmies-Bamboo-Warmer/dp/B001QIN6ME/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1266792260&sr=8-2) as long as you have the Prince Lionheart wipes warmerever fresh sponge in it (http://www.amazon.com/Prince-Lionheart-Warmies-Bamboo-Warmer/dp/B001QIN6ME/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1266792260&sr=8-2). There is a warmer that is made just for cloth wipes, but I've tried it with a disposable wipes warmer and it worked fine.
What cloth wipes to use? I think that is a matter of personal preference. In the beginning I felt really compelled to use wipes that were "meant" for the purpose of cloth diapering so started off with bumgenious flannel wipes (http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=110&products_id=104) which were again, recommended by a friend. While we waited for them to come in the mail I began using our regular ole baby washclothes, and in the end I think they both work equally well. Before switching to the cloth wipes, we were going through two boxes of Kirkland Signature wipes at $60 a month. We still use disposable wipes when we're out of the house, but now only spend $30 every other month. That's approximately $45 a month savings! So, in total, we now save $312 a month!
One last thing that is handy to have when cloth diapering are these things called wet bags (http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=37&products_id=1769). These are just glorified bags that can be used to store wet diapers in when out in public. They come in lots of CUTE differen patterns, and three different sizes. I've found the small to work fine for me. We had been using the plastic bags you get from the grocery store that are used to put selected fruits and vegetables in. These worked ok, but tore easily, sometimes came un wound, and, I wasn't comfortable with justifying using those bags at the grocery store when they really aren't needed. The wet bags zip up, can be thrown in the wash, and work great for storing wet diapers, and any dirty clothes too. We just keep our wet bag in our diaper bag all the time now.
Cloth diapering has a lot of up front cost, and there is a learning curve. But, in the end, I would say it is well worth it. Some studies show that cloth diapers lead to earlier potty training. I can say that my 17 month old is already holding it through 3 hour naps, and wakes up dry. Whether or not that is due to cloth diapers, I truely can't say and only time will tell when he's ready to actually be potty trained.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Being a SAHM requires ingenious ways to save time and money!
When my husband and I were pregnant with our first son, I worked full time right up til the end. We were nervous what my lack of income would do to our lifestyle during maternity leave, and possibly afterwards, if I decided to go part time. Within 5 days of returning from maternity leave, I knew I didn't care WHAT it meant, I HAD to reduce my hours and be home more. I did not feel it was a choice, more like an impulse or a need. And so, when my son was 17 weeks, I went part time. This made my husband very nervous, and rightfully so. He became the sole income earner, but, we found ways to reduce our monthly output, and still manage to save money (my small part time income became savings money). We refinanced a very expensive vehicle, payed off our credit cards, ate out less, and I quit buying so many plants for our new home. My new part time job was school year only though, so after 5 months on the job, the job ended as school did, and I never went back to work.
It's been 8 months since I've worked, and we now have two children which means our bills have increased, while our income has decreased. Initially, we found ways to cut more cost in our lifestyle; less eating out, using cloth diapers, buying kids clothing only at consignment stores, and buying low cost foods. However, I soon realized that a great way to save cost was to make as much from home as possible. As in, cook...Betty Crocker style.
My husband had always been the main chef of our house, mostly because my work schedule always kept me out later than him. So being the cook was new to me. But, not long after my first son began eating solids I really saw the benefit to learning this skill. And learning it well.
My first difficult lesson with food and cooking was how much time it took to cook something when the kids needed so much of my time, all of the time. Of course, time is all relative. But, my solution quickly became to cook meals during nap time, and to cook as many things ahead of time as I could. Bellow is a recipe that is cost effective, and easy to make in large batches so some can be eaten in "this" weeks meals, and more is frozen for later!
Cheesy Chicken Curry Casserole----Kid tested, mother approved!
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
* 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
* 2 cups broccoli florets, cooked (broccoli grows great in Western WA gardens!)
* 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
* 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon curry powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
* 1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Preparation
Combine first 9 ingredients and red pepper, if desired. Spoon into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Stir together breadcrumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over casserole, and bake 10 more minutes. Let casserole stand 5 minutes before serving. This casserole tastes really good served over white or brown rice.
Note: Freeze unbaked casserole, omitting breadcrumbs and butter, for up to 1 month, if desired. Allow to stand at room temperature 1 hour. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Stir together breadcrumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over casserole, and bake 10 more minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
** My son I'm nursing has a dairy allergy and so I've substituted all dairy ingredients for dairy free options and it still turns out great. I've also used low fat versions of dairy ingredients when making it with dairy, and it STILL turned out great.
As I began to cook and do all the shopping, I soon realized that there was more to food than, well, food. I began to comprehend that my child's very health, his quality of nutrition, and overall being depended on me and MY choices FOR him; I began to read labels. Sheesh! How depressing that became! Items that I thought were good ole wholesome snacks for kids like graham crackers were suddenly off limits!! They have high fructose corn syrup! Well, with 2 children 12 months apart, I NEEDED quick snack alternatives. This realization led to my decision to make as much from home as I could so I knew EXACTLY what was going into my kids bodies. This has led to more savings, and more peace of mind.
Gardening our fruit and vegetable garden no longer was a hobby for enjoyment, but a practice with purpose to put wholesome food on our table. I learned (and am still learning) what to grow that I can put on our table all year long. I learned (and am still learning) how to can foods that can sustain us all year long. I learned how to cook items that I used to pay $4.00 a box for, such as crackers, (if they are organic) and can now make from home for much less.
Bellow, is a recipe for crackers (which work great frozen as teething biscuits) that cost far less than a box from the store.
Home Made Toddler Crackers-----Kid tested, mother approved!
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons shortening
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons molasses
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 cup whole wheat flour, less 2 tbs
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Directions
1.) Cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, vanilla, egg yolk and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
2.) Roll out 1/4" thick and cut into 1"x1/2" strips.
3.) Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.
4.) Store in airtight container for 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.
It's been 8 months since I've worked, and we now have two children which means our bills have increased, while our income has decreased. Initially, we found ways to cut more cost in our lifestyle; less eating out, using cloth diapers, buying kids clothing only at consignment stores, and buying low cost foods. However, I soon realized that a great way to save cost was to make as much from home as possible. As in, cook...Betty Crocker style.
My husband had always been the main chef of our house, mostly because my work schedule always kept me out later than him. So being the cook was new to me. But, not long after my first son began eating solids I really saw the benefit to learning this skill. And learning it well.
My first difficult lesson with food and cooking was how much time it took to cook something when the kids needed so much of my time, all of the time. Of course, time is all relative. But, my solution quickly became to cook meals during nap time, and to cook as many things ahead of time as I could. Bellow is a recipe that is cost effective, and easy to make in large batches so some can be eaten in "this" weeks meals, and more is frozen for later!
Cheesy Chicken Curry Casserole----Kid tested, mother approved!
Yield: Makes 6 servings
Ingredients
* 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
* 2 cups broccoli florets, cooked (broccoli grows great in Western WA gardens!)
* 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
* 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon curry powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
* 1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Preparation
Combine first 9 ingredients and red pepper, if desired. Spoon into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish.
Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Stir together breadcrumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over casserole, and bake 10 more minutes. Let casserole stand 5 minutes before serving. This casserole tastes really good served over white or brown rice.
Note: Freeze unbaked casserole, omitting breadcrumbs and butter, for up to 1 month, if desired. Allow to stand at room temperature 1 hour. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Stir together breadcrumbs and melted butter; sprinkle over casserole, and bake 10 more minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
** My son I'm nursing has a dairy allergy and so I've substituted all dairy ingredients for dairy free options and it still turns out great. I've also used low fat versions of dairy ingredients when making it with dairy, and it STILL turned out great.
As I began to cook and do all the shopping, I soon realized that there was more to food than, well, food. I began to comprehend that my child's very health, his quality of nutrition, and overall being depended on me and MY choices FOR him; I began to read labels. Sheesh! How depressing that became! Items that I thought were good ole wholesome snacks for kids like graham crackers were suddenly off limits!! They have high fructose corn syrup! Well, with 2 children 12 months apart, I NEEDED quick snack alternatives. This realization led to my decision to make as much from home as I could so I knew EXACTLY what was going into my kids bodies. This has led to more savings, and more peace of mind.
Gardening our fruit and vegetable garden no longer was a hobby for enjoyment, but a practice with purpose to put wholesome food on our table. I learned (and am still learning) what to grow that I can put on our table all year long. I learned (and am still learning) how to can foods that can sustain us all year long. I learned how to cook items that I used to pay $4.00 a box for, such as crackers, (if they are organic) and can now make from home for much less.
Bellow, is a recipe for crackers (which work great frozen as teething biscuits) that cost far less than a box from the store.
Home Made Toddler Crackers-----Kid tested, mother approved!
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons shortening
* 2 tablespoons brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons molasses
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 egg yolk
* 1 cup whole wheat flour, less 2 tbs
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Directions
1.) Cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, vanilla, egg yolk and mix well. Stir in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
2.) Roll out 1/4" thick and cut into 1"x1/2" strips.
3.) Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.
4.) Store in airtight container for 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
I am a stay at home mom
I never thought I'd be a stay at home mom. I mean, I always wanted to be a mom, I remember as far back as elementary school the teachers asking me, "what do you wanna be when you grow up?" and my standard answer was always, "a mom". They would repeat the question in a different way as if I didn't understand, "no, what kind of job do you want?" and I would say again, " a mom".
That natural instinct for me grew into a strong desire as I grew older. Not until I had children, did I realize that staying home, and having children are like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They just belong together. I can not fathom long days away from my kids. I did it for a little while from the time Morgan was 7 weeks til he was 16 weeks and let's just say it was grueling and awful. 40+ hour work weeks with a little one at home was like having my limbs amputated when I was away.
Now that I have two, I understand that being a stay at home mom is a job like no other. There is no calling out sick when you're a stay at home mom. There are very few and far between vacations from being a stay at home mom (at least, for me). The pay is nothing, and yet, the job is priceless so I'm not sure what I'd ask for a salary anyways. A stay at home mom ends up becoming so much more than a mom I've realized! She becomes a cook, a house cleaner, an accountant, an events planner, a nurse, a gardener, and a warrior. Even in my egalitarian marriage, I still manage to have taken over the majority of previously listed roles.
So, it is these roles I will write about here. The things I do to improve my ability to parent, and the things I do to provide the very best for my children. One thing I've learned is that there is no "best" way to do things. I mean, each parent or set of parents does what is best for their family and all we can all do is our best. I also know that I've already made mistakes, and will continue to do so, but, my love and care for my children is never in vain. And so, as I am ever seeking information, guidance, mentorship, reassurance from the internet, other mothers, books, and my intuition, I realize that there is never enough out there. Because, we all do it different. We pick and choose based on all the information presented before us. My hope, is that my words, my experiences, my advice will help some moms make their choices. The human development is after all, a result of the many choices we make, and those made for us.
That natural instinct for me grew into a strong desire as I grew older. Not until I had children, did I realize that staying home, and having children are like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They just belong together. I can not fathom long days away from my kids. I did it for a little while from the time Morgan was 7 weeks til he was 16 weeks and let's just say it was grueling and awful. 40+ hour work weeks with a little one at home was like having my limbs amputated when I was away.
Now that I have two, I understand that being a stay at home mom is a job like no other. There is no calling out sick when you're a stay at home mom. There are very few and far between vacations from being a stay at home mom (at least, for me). The pay is nothing, and yet, the job is priceless so I'm not sure what I'd ask for a salary anyways. A stay at home mom ends up becoming so much more than a mom I've realized! She becomes a cook, a house cleaner, an accountant, an events planner, a nurse, a gardener, and a warrior. Even in my egalitarian marriage, I still manage to have taken over the majority of previously listed roles.
So, it is these roles I will write about here. The things I do to improve my ability to parent, and the things I do to provide the very best for my children. One thing I've learned is that there is no "best" way to do things. I mean, each parent or set of parents does what is best for their family and all we can all do is our best. I also know that I've already made mistakes, and will continue to do so, but, my love and care for my children is never in vain. And so, as I am ever seeking information, guidance, mentorship, reassurance from the internet, other mothers, books, and my intuition, I realize that there is never enough out there. Because, we all do it different. We pick and choose based on all the information presented before us. My hope, is that my words, my experiences, my advice will help some moms make their choices. The human development is after all, a result of the many choices we make, and those made for us.
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