Hey ladies check out Stephanie's blog.
I've been following her vlog's on youtube since before Mimi was born. She's a working mommy and definately more fashionable than I!
Also wanted to say that Mimi is walking more than crawling lately--so exciting and cute.
Later Gators!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Making your own babyfood--is it for you?
I tell you, this one lady's smugness just gives me all kinds of fuel for blog entries lately.
First off, let me say that Mimi ate pre-made store-bought babyfood and she is still alive today!
So making you own babyfood. My opinions, suggestions, and pros and cons.
So did I make my own babyfood for Mimicans???
--you bet....90% of the time yes.
I made my own food because is was cheaper, seemed fresher and kept me busy while I was staying at home full time. It was also kind of fun, mixing and matching to make unique flavors for Mimi to try. Her favorite was apple/squash or mango/squash.
Without a doubt making your own babyfood, organic or not organic, is cheaper than buying pre-made babyfood. For example, you can buy a small bag of organic carrots for $1.69 at my local grocery store--this small bag steamed and pureed with a small amount of water will make over 30 1oz servings(icecubes), which the small baby food jars are 2.5 oz. So for under $2, you can have 12 jars of organic baby carrots, which sell for 50 cents a piece at our local grocery store (Earth's Best Organic 2.5 oz jars). As far as organic foods go i did find that is was cheaper to buy organic prunes pre-made due to the high cost of organic prunes in the store.
The foods I made the most were organic peas, organic carrots, organic apples, organic squash, sweet potato, bananans, green beans, blueberries, mango, and organic pears. When she got a little older I mixed in oatmeal instead of rice cereal, due to her constipation issues. We slowly transitioned into solids and table foods and now she eats what we eat.
So did Mimi have store bought food?
--Yes on several occasions. Store bought food was convenient for two different situations for me. My daycare does provide food, but no organic foods. So when the Earth's best foods went on sale, I would stock up and take them to the daycare. So Mimi ate those two days a week from about 5-7 months. Other than that, she ate the jarred stuff when we were travelling for more than 3 days, or if we found ourselves unprepared and had to stop in a grocery store while out and get her some food.
Preparing and serving your own baby food is SUPER easy. Basically, peal and steam the foods, anywhere from 7-15 minutes depending on the food, then puree them with water, breastmilk or formula. I poured mine in icecube trays, froze overnight, and popped them into a freezer bag. Label the bag with the food type and date. Foods stored in a conventional freezer will last 3 months. Take 1 or 3 cubes and put in a microwave safe bowl (I prefer glass) and microwave for 20-30 seconds on high. You can mix in cereal (rice or oat) to make it a thicker consistency, or leave it plain. Voila--home-cooked, cheap and tastes so fresh!
I did notice that foods I made myself were a lot more flavorful (to my taste buds atleast) and brighter in color than the jarred ones--especially peas. But to tell you the truth, Mimi showed no preference. So there you go.
Pros--cheap, fresh, fun
Cons--prep time, storage space, not always convenient on the go
"It's a lot healthier, it doesn't get that processed sit on the shelf for three years taste"
First off, let me say that Mimi ate pre-made store-bought babyfood and she is still alive today!
So making you own babyfood. My opinions, suggestions, and pros and cons.
So did I make my own babyfood for Mimicans???
--you bet....90% of the time yes.
I made my own food because is was cheaper, seemed fresher and kept me busy while I was staying at home full time. It was also kind of fun, mixing and matching to make unique flavors for Mimi to try. Her favorite was apple/squash or mango/squash.
Without a doubt making your own babyfood, organic or not organic, is cheaper than buying pre-made babyfood. For example, you can buy a small bag of organic carrots for $1.69 at my local grocery store--this small bag steamed and pureed with a small amount of water will make over 30 1oz servings(icecubes), which the small baby food jars are 2.5 oz. So for under $2, you can have 12 jars of organic baby carrots, which sell for 50 cents a piece at our local grocery store (Earth's Best Organic 2.5 oz jars). As far as organic foods go i did find that is was cheaper to buy organic prunes pre-made due to the high cost of organic prunes in the store.
The foods I made the most were organic peas, organic carrots, organic apples, organic squash, sweet potato, bananans, green beans, blueberries, mango, and organic pears. When she got a little older I mixed in oatmeal instead of rice cereal, due to her constipation issues. We slowly transitioned into solids and table foods and now she eats what we eat.
So did Mimi have store bought food?
--Yes on several occasions. Store bought food was convenient for two different situations for me. My daycare does provide food, but no organic foods. So when the Earth's best foods went on sale, I would stock up and take them to the daycare. So Mimi ate those two days a week from about 5-7 months. Other than that, she ate the jarred stuff when we were travelling for more than 3 days, or if we found ourselves unprepared and had to stop in a grocery store while out and get her some food.
Preparing and serving your own baby food is SUPER easy. Basically, peal and steam the foods, anywhere from 7-15 minutes depending on the food, then puree them with water, breastmilk or formula. I poured mine in icecube trays, froze overnight, and popped them into a freezer bag. Label the bag with the food type and date. Foods stored in a conventional freezer will last 3 months. Take 1 or 3 cubes and put in a microwave safe bowl (I prefer glass) and microwave for 20-30 seconds on high. You can mix in cereal (rice or oat) to make it a thicker consistency, or leave it plain. Voila--home-cooked, cheap and tastes so fresh!
I did notice that foods I made myself were a lot more flavorful (to my taste buds atleast) and brighter in color than the jarred ones--especially peas. But to tell you the truth, Mimi showed no preference. So there you go.
Pros--cheap, fresh, fun
Cons--prep time, storage space, not always convenient on the go
Top ten things annoying me right now....
So I am so friggin' hormonal right now I want to bite off everyone's heads and then go cry about it.
As this blog is my outlet, here goes-10 (or more if I get going) things that are irritating me now....
1. Hypocritical people. The other day I made a crack about someone else and the person I was talking to made me feel bad about it--even though they make cracks about the same shit all the time---ugh
2. Selfish work colleagues. I have a girl I work with who keeps stealing projects from me. It's annoying. I want to spit at her, she is so shady she doesn't even realize i'm mad at her--to her she does nothing wrong
3. Friends who don't get back to you and make you feel all paranoid like they're mad at you and you can't figure out what you did.
4. The weird damp summer smell in my car. For realz-I clean my car all the time--where is it coming from?
5. Skinny woman who pop out babies and wear bikinis 8 months later. Die.
6. My husband deciding that he doesn't like chicken breasts so therefore we can never have it for dinner. Hello? I don't like sardines and anchovies but I don't ban them from our table!
7. People who tell me how to parent. Go have your own kids.
8. My brother-in-law for having a fake wedding on Halloween weekend in CA when he's already been married over a year---costing our family 1000 to travel there for 3 days. And his general lack of consideration for other people.
9. My mother in law for treating me like I am dispoable accessory of my husband. Wait to see how much I involve you with your grandkids--better be nice to me, i'm the one who's popping out those kids
10. My acne starting to come back--why!? I am 28, when will end.
I've drank too much coffee and stayed up too late.
As this blog is my outlet, here goes-10 (or more if I get going) things that are irritating me now....
1. Hypocritical people. The other day I made a crack about someone else and the person I was talking to made me feel bad about it--even though they make cracks about the same shit all the time---ugh
2. Selfish work colleagues. I have a girl I work with who keeps stealing projects from me. It's annoying. I want to spit at her, she is so shady she doesn't even realize i'm mad at her--to her she does nothing wrong
3. Friends who don't get back to you and make you feel all paranoid like they're mad at you and you can't figure out what you did.
4. The weird damp summer smell in my car. For realz-I clean my car all the time--where is it coming from?
5. Skinny woman who pop out babies and wear bikinis 8 months later. Die.
6. My husband deciding that he doesn't like chicken breasts so therefore we can never have it for dinner. Hello? I don't like sardines and anchovies but I don't ban them from our table!
7. People who tell me how to parent. Go have your own kids.
8. My brother-in-law for having a fake wedding on Halloween weekend in CA when he's already been married over a year---costing our family 1000 to travel there for 3 days. And his general lack of consideration for other people.
9. My mother in law for treating me like I am dispoable accessory of my husband. Wait to see how much I involve you with your grandkids--better be nice to me, i'm the one who's popping out those kids
10. My acne starting to come back--why!? I am 28, when will end.
I've drank too much coffee and stayed up too late.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Happy 4th of July! (and 3rd & 5th too!)
Friday night poor Mimicans had a fever of 101.4 that woudn't respond to Tylenol---why does my kid pick the WORST times to get sick!? Not that I'm mad at her, but why has the "good health fairy" hexed us at the worst times? So the Dr.'s office was closed so I left a message with the after hours pediatrician on Saturday because she still had a fever, but they didn't call me back until MONDAY. Luckily I kept a close eye on Mimi and her fever was down by Sunday but boy was she a child to be reckoned with this weekend. She was some kind of rotten. Our friends that were visiting are Mimi's soon to be god parents and I swear everytime they've seen her she's been sick or overtired and acting like "birth control baby," you know, the kid who makes all non-parents pretty sure they don't want to venture into parent land? Anyway...
Here is us letting Mimi do what she wants so she won't scream....
This morning the Dr. 's office called and told me I should bring Mimi in because she had had that fever for two days and we noticed she had been sticking her fingers in her ears---but turns out nothing was wrong with her ears, but she had an ulcer on one of her tonsils from a viral infection, which likely caused the fever. She's fine now and back to her old self again.
We said goodbye to our friends and went over to Kim's for her "5th of July" party. Her friend from New Foundland brought an entire bathtub of 5 lb lobsters--I kid you not.
Doesn't this make you smell melted butter and lick your lips? Unless you're allergic to shelfish of course...
Other than lobster, there was a pretty awesome spread--including snow crab, other grilled meats, salads, key lime pie, drinks, etc. Grace--if you're reading this, you missed out girlfriend! Where were you?
In other news---Mimi's room is COMPLETE :-) After almost a year, I finally broke down and bought the shelf for Mimi's room and set it up. I feel at rest. Her nursery feels clean, organized, and complete.
Hope you all had a great 4th!
I can't wait to hear how y'all's fourth went!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Photos for Cuteness Factor
My Jess Craig Inspired bathtub photo shoot--mine came out blurry however, how did she do it with no flash and no blurryness?? Need to get better with the ol' Rebel
Cuddling with Daddy one morning. She's so huggy and cuddly when she wakes up...
My house is clean, I uploaded photos and cleaned off our cameras, my daughter walked tonight, and i'm going to be by 11pm. This nice evening made up for a bad day at work :-)
Funny Stories
So yesterday I'm in my local Grocery store, Publix. If you have never heard of it, it is one of nicest chains I think I've been to (except Wegman's of course). This is one of Mimi's favorite places to go with Mommy. I think when she was little it was all the bright lights--nowadays I'm pretty sure it's the smiling faces and free cookie from the bakery. Well, 1/2 cookie, Mommy eats the other half. and YES, I am a "horrible" parent who gives my <1 year old a cookie---may god strike me down!
Anyway....they also have this thing called "Apron's Kitchens" where everynight from 5-7 pm there's this area where there is a woman cooking something "dinner like" and next to her is a freezer thing with everything you'll need to make that dinner. They give out samples hot off the stove for you to taste, with a little salad and bread to boot! This is actually a perfect Mimi portion. So i'm standing there feeding her off my mini plate some risotto, chicken, and brushcetta and this man, about mid 30's walks up to me. Typically when strange men walk up to me I feel instantly weirded out and protective of Mimi (as a mom should I guess). He smiled a big goofy smile at me and said:
Well thanks for the boost strange grocery store man. I do try to expose Mimi to all types of food. I actually noticed that she was the one that initiated her transition from purees to more solids. I noticed around 7 or 8 months she started to refuse "baby food" or purred food, and wanted to not only eat larger solids, but she also no longer wanted me to feed her with a spoon. Even now at 11 months, she wanted to put the food on the fork or spoon herself and eat it. Mostly she still eats with her fingers, but is feeding herself all the same. I don't think I deserve any kind of award for this--I didn't really do anything. The only thing I did do was let go of my intense fear of her choking and let her learn to chew. I don't give her foods that she can choke on, but I give her some pretty hefty size cuts of foods and she does really well all on her own. She now can be given 1/2 of a banana not cut up and do just fine with it.
The only other thing I've had to watch out about it letting her see my reaction to a food before she's had a chance to try it herself. For example, I HATE sardines and anchovies. YUCK. But, my husband LOVES them. When he wanted to give them to Mimi about 2 months ago, I said "well you can try but I don't think she'll like it" what the hell did I know--she loved them. My husband got a big "I told you so" out of that one. My friend kim has also given her horseradish and other other spicy things to see her reaction, and some of the stuff you'd think she'd spit out and hate she didn't even turn her nose up to. I think as parents we think our kids will have similar tastes to ours, but i've found that not to be true in many instances. I hope that I can keep exposing Mimi to new foods and let her make her own mind up on what her tastes are.
Okay, so that's my long and drawn on story for today. On other new...
My dear friend Grace has started a new blog called "Suburban Life in a College Town" Please hop on over and check her out. She only has one post right now, but I hope she'll do more soon. She's a mom, mother, and an engineer. She has some interesting takes on life, love, and parenthood. I think you'll enjoy it.
Here's a photo of Grace holding Mimicans in January. We took our girls to a local nature center where they have all sorts of farm animals to feed. It was pretty cold that day too.
Hope everyone is doing well!
Anyway....they also have this thing called "Apron's Kitchens" where everynight from 5-7 pm there's this area where there is a woman cooking something "dinner like" and next to her is a freezer thing with everything you'll need to make that dinner. They give out samples hot off the stove for you to taste, with a little salad and bread to boot! This is actually a perfect Mimi portion. So i'm standing there feeding her off my mini plate some risotto, chicken, and brushcetta and this man, about mid 30's walks up to me. Typically when strange men walk up to me I feel instantly weirded out and protective of Mimi (as a mom should I guess). He smiled a big goofy smile at me and said:
I just wanted to tell you how nice it is that feed your kid normal table food. I have twin 6 year old girls who love everything from calamari to sardines! I think it's great that you let her try everything. More people should do that.
Well thanks for the boost strange grocery store man. I do try to expose Mimi to all types of food. I actually noticed that she was the one that initiated her transition from purees to more solids. I noticed around 7 or 8 months she started to refuse "baby food" or purred food, and wanted to not only eat larger solids, but she also no longer wanted me to feed her with a spoon. Even now at 11 months, she wanted to put the food on the fork or spoon herself and eat it. Mostly she still eats with her fingers, but is feeding herself all the same. I don't think I deserve any kind of award for this--I didn't really do anything. The only thing I did do was let go of my intense fear of her choking and let her learn to chew. I don't give her foods that she can choke on, but I give her some pretty hefty size cuts of foods and she does really well all on her own. She now can be given 1/2 of a banana not cut up and do just fine with it.
The only other thing I've had to watch out about it letting her see my reaction to a food before she's had a chance to try it herself. For example, I HATE sardines and anchovies. YUCK. But, my husband LOVES them. When he wanted to give them to Mimi about 2 months ago, I said "well you can try but I don't think she'll like it" what the hell did I know--she loved them. My husband got a big "I told you so" out of that one. My friend kim has also given her horseradish and other other spicy things to see her reaction, and some of the stuff you'd think she'd spit out and hate she didn't even turn her nose up to. I think as parents we think our kids will have similar tastes to ours, but i've found that not to be true in many instances. I hope that I can keep exposing Mimi to new foods and let her make her own mind up on what her tastes are.
Okay, so that's my long and drawn on story for today. On other new...
My dear friend Grace has started a new blog called "Suburban Life in a College Town" Please hop on over and check her out. She only has one post right now, but I hope she'll do more soon. She's a mom, mother, and an engineer. She has some interesting takes on life, love, and parenthood. I think you'll enjoy it.
Here's a photo of Grace holding Mimicans in January. We took our girls to a local nature center where they have all sorts of farm animals to feed. It was pretty cold that day too.
Hope everyone is doing well!
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