You could probably say my cooking style is similar to other stay-at-home-mom's...
Quick and easy.
I could just end this here. It's straight forward and to the point. But,...I'm not usually one to stop short. We all know I like to ramble.
Honestly though I think it's a bit more elevated than that. I do like to cook. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have a 2.5 year old that loves to help me in the kitchen. I also have a 9 month old who hangs onto my legs and makes it very hard for me to move about the kitchen. And even with this I try to cook healthy meals that my girls will enjoy as well as myself.
My style involves looking up and trying out new recipes as well as throwing in a few tried and true meals that I know we all love. I really enjoy cooking new foods. I have several cook books that are finally getting a bit more use out of them. When I meal plan I use a combination of cook books, magazines, online searches and friends recommendations.
Most importantly to me they need to be healthy. And in my family that means minimal sodium (no added salt usually), ZERO trans-fats (ever), no TBHQ/BHT and as natural or close to nature as it can be. Because of this I do usually have to edit recipes from my current cook books because most of those are very high in salt.
I like cooking fresh foods. I love using the crock-pot, though I despise cleaning it, and I' starting to love stir-fry. Something I'm not good at is freezer meals. I tried my hardest to do them before my first daughter was born. I did actually a ton of work on them with my mom the Wednesday before I went into labor (just 2 days later) but we ended up not eating all of what we prepared and I HATE soggy foods and a lot of the freezer meals turned out soggy after reheating them.
Well...that's it. I'm not sure if they gives you any sense of the "style" of cook I am. As long as I can make it quickly and it's healthy I'm game!
Monday, October 12, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Toddler Fashion Friday: Mommy's clothes
We were making fall decorations. Target has these for only $5.00! And it was super easy for Alivia and I to do together.
Thursday, October 8, 2015
The Great Escape: Thoughtful Thursday (NaBloPoMo Day 6)
So I've escaped from the house. Without the kids. Or my husband. It's just me. Maybe "escape" is a bit extreme but,...no, escape sounds about right. Don't get me wrong I love my family. I'm sure if you've read any other post I've written that would be apparent. But one can only take so much before you need a break.
I did escape. After the baby woke up I laid in bed with her for about 25 mins while she cooed and made silly baby sounds. Alivia was surprisingly still asleep so I told Dustin I was going to run out before she woke up. It's much easier to leave the house when she is sleeping. She never wants me to leave. She tells me so every day. Even days that I'm home all day with her. "Mommy I don't want you to ever go anywhere". haha :-) it is sweet.
The moment I start thinking about leaving the house several thoughts run through my head. All the places I can go, where should I go, what should I do? Oh the possibilities. I'm a stay at home mom now. I'm used to working. To going. To always having something that needs done. And that's still the case but now it's all centered around my family so when I get a chance to run free what do I do?
Here's a sampling of what goes through my mind while I'm getting dressed to leave:
I'd like to finish my book. I really should finish it. The library would love to have it back. They keep sending me emails about Bobby Joe down the road who's waiting for the book. I'm sorry Bobby Joe, it's taking me 18 times longer than it used to to finish a book. OK. I'll go to the library and I'll finish the book there and then I'll return it while I'm there. Yes, that's what I'll do.
I should bring my laptop, though, too. What if I want to write something. Or sort through my 5,867 pictures that are taking up space on my computer. That would be a good idea. It's hardly functioning at this point it's so full of pictures. But if I bring my laptop I'll need to bring my external hard drive too so I can pull pictures on to there. That's a lot of stuff to bring. Maybe I'll just bring my book and my laptop and then I can wander around the library for a bit. I can look at all the books. I'm rarely at the library with out 1 or 2 children with me so it'll be nice to walk around by myself.
OH books! Maybe Barnes and Noble! YES! I love new books. OK, that's where I'll go. I'll take my library book to Barnes and Noble and I'll read it there and then I'll stroll through the aisles looking at all the new books. And planners. I love planners. I'm terrible at using them but I'm really great at buying them. It does take me forever though to pick one. I'd hate to spend my whole time away from home trying to pick a planner to buy. Wait, I don't need a planner. Stay away from the planners.
Maybe I'll go to Starbucks. I can sit and read and have my half-caff americano and I'll read my book. And I'll take my laptop.
Oh and I'll bring my head phones in case I want to watch a couple YouTube videos, I have a few I'd like to catch up on.
Wouldn't it be nice though to walk around the mall?! I could do that. It's so far away though. The baby needs to eat every 2 hours. It'll take me 45 mins to get there and 45 mins to get back. That's hardly worth it. And I don't have any money so I should stay away from the mall.
Is it too early to go to the bar? A glass of wine would be nice.
I'd like to look at the trees again in the mountains before they stop changing colors. A nice drive up to the mountains without a screaming baby in the back. Wait that's too far away. Maybe this week we can drive back up there again. I heard that Vail has some incredible golden trees right now. Yes, I'll ask my family about going up on Sunday to Vail so we can see the trees. Oh yeah and I want to go back on that hike again to Lair 'O Bear, but that has to be on a Wednesday because the castle is closed on weekends. So Wednesday. I need to ask my mom if she'd like to go on Wednesday with us.
We also need to plan a trip to Anderson Farms to pick out our pumpkins and take the girls around the farm. OK, that's it. I'll go to Barnes and Noble and I'll bring my planner and I'll plan out our month of October with places we should go and things we should see. There's a lot going on this month. It'll be good to get it all down on paper. Oh,...I left the house without my planner. That's ok. I have my lap top. I'll just put it on Google calendar.
Well if I'm going to plan I should do my meal planning for the week too. And we need groceries. So I'll just plan out our meals and then make a shopping list and then later today I can go shopping with the girls.
Is that really how I want to spend my time though? Meal planning? Ugh.
...I'm not even kidding. Please tell me I'm not alone in this. There's probably more but I just can't even think about it right now. This is almost constant though. Whether I'm leaving the house or not I'm always thinking about what needs to be done, should be done, can't be done, will be done, when will any of it be done. I'm working on it. When playing with the girls I'm a lot better about just being there mind, body and all. Just there. But it's not long before my mind starts wandering again.
So where did I end up you may ask? Where did my great escape of 2 hours take me? Let me tell ya...
I drove to Barnes and Noble. Then decided I'd grab something at Target to eat at B&N so that I wasn't spending so much money on breakfast there. I got to Target at 8:01...they open at 8 thank goodness. Target is a black hole my friends. Really. I'm serious. And they have this magical pull once you get inside the doors that says "you must wander through all the aisles...even the fishing aisles. You don't fish. But go, look, lose 15 mins of your day". Actually it appears that this magical pull has a much further reach than the front door because I was parked at BARNES AND NOBLE......
What did I get?
What in God's name did I get?! A Halloween Banner for $3, Crisp Apple hand sanitizer for $1.29 and an alligator Halloween costume...for a DOG. I don't have a dog people. Do you see any food there? No? Neither do I. Even though $7.59 is the cheapest I've ever gotten out of Target for...it's nowhere near what I was there for.
So I go back to Barnes and Noble. And they don't open until 9. What the hell? Do they not realize the thought process it took me to get there?! So I'll go to the library. But I'm starving. So I stop at the Krispy Creme that's forcing their fatty doughnut smell all through the shopping center. (at this point I also contemplate walking around World Market but somehow stop the thought before my legs can take me there). So I go in and get myself a free doughnut and start to head to the library.
....they don't open until 9:30. See maybe I should add to my empty planner the opening times of all these places. Then next time my random thoughts will know where I can actually go.
So Starbucks it is. It's 9:11 right this minute. And what have I done the entire time I've been here?
This. This post. This rambling, weird, jumbled up post. I bought a coffee and a bagel. The bagel is still in the bag and the coffee...well the coffee I'm drinking black which I don't usually do but I bought this new cup here because I thought it was cute and I can't get the damn lid off. Which I knew before I bought it because as I was deciding to buy it I attempted opening the lid and couldn't. The barista told me it's because it's new. So they filled my new cup up with my coffee and put the lid on and I can't get it off. And some older guy laughed because I couldn't open it...thanks buddy.
Anyway...I need to head back home now because the baby needs a nap and she won't go down for Dustin. I know this because he's texting me right now telling me so.
Here's my book. I brought my book.
Sorry Bobby Joe...
I did escape. After the baby woke up I laid in bed with her for about 25 mins while she cooed and made silly baby sounds. Alivia was surprisingly still asleep so I told Dustin I was going to run out before she woke up. It's much easier to leave the house when she is sleeping. She never wants me to leave. She tells me so every day. Even days that I'm home all day with her. "Mommy I don't want you to ever go anywhere". haha :-) it is sweet.
The moment I start thinking about leaving the house several thoughts run through my head. All the places I can go, where should I go, what should I do? Oh the possibilities. I'm a stay at home mom now. I'm used to working. To going. To always having something that needs done. And that's still the case but now it's all centered around my family so when I get a chance to run free what do I do?
Here's a sampling of what goes through my mind while I'm getting dressed to leave:
I'd like to finish my book. I really should finish it. The library would love to have it back. They keep sending me emails about Bobby Joe down the road who's waiting for the book. I'm sorry Bobby Joe, it's taking me 18 times longer than it used to to finish a book. OK. I'll go to the library and I'll finish the book there and then I'll return it while I'm there. Yes, that's what I'll do.
I should bring my laptop, though, too. What if I want to write something. Or sort through my 5,867 pictures that are taking up space on my computer. That would be a good idea. It's hardly functioning at this point it's so full of pictures. But if I bring my laptop I'll need to bring my external hard drive too so I can pull pictures on to there. That's a lot of stuff to bring. Maybe I'll just bring my book and my laptop and then I can wander around the library for a bit. I can look at all the books. I'm rarely at the library with out 1 or 2 children with me so it'll be nice to walk around by myself.
OH books! Maybe Barnes and Noble! YES! I love new books. OK, that's where I'll go. I'll take my library book to Barnes and Noble and I'll read it there and then I'll stroll through the aisles looking at all the new books. And planners. I love planners. I'm terrible at using them but I'm really great at buying them. It does take me forever though to pick one. I'd hate to spend my whole time away from home trying to pick a planner to buy. Wait, I don't need a planner. Stay away from the planners.
Maybe I'll go to Starbucks. I can sit and read and have my half-caff americano and I'll read my book. And I'll take my laptop.
Oh and I'll bring my head phones in case I want to watch a couple YouTube videos, I have a few I'd like to catch up on.
Wouldn't it be nice though to walk around the mall?! I could do that. It's so far away though. The baby needs to eat every 2 hours. It'll take me 45 mins to get there and 45 mins to get back. That's hardly worth it. And I don't have any money so I should stay away from the mall.
Is it too early to go to the bar? A glass of wine would be nice.
I'd like to look at the trees again in the mountains before they stop changing colors. A nice drive up to the mountains without a screaming baby in the back. Wait that's too far away. Maybe this week we can drive back up there again. I heard that Vail has some incredible golden trees right now. Yes, I'll ask my family about going up on Sunday to Vail so we can see the trees. Oh yeah and I want to go back on that hike again to Lair 'O Bear, but that has to be on a Wednesday because the castle is closed on weekends. So Wednesday. I need to ask my mom if she'd like to go on Wednesday with us.
We also need to plan a trip to Anderson Farms to pick out our pumpkins and take the girls around the farm. OK, that's it. I'll go to Barnes and Noble and I'll bring my planner and I'll plan out our month of October with places we should go and things we should see. There's a lot going on this month. It'll be good to get it all down on paper. Oh,...I left the house without my planner. That's ok. I have my lap top. I'll just put it on Google calendar.
Well if I'm going to plan I should do my meal planning for the week too. And we need groceries. So I'll just plan out our meals and then make a shopping list and then later today I can go shopping with the girls.
Is that really how I want to spend my time though? Meal planning? Ugh.
...I'm not even kidding. Please tell me I'm not alone in this. There's probably more but I just can't even think about it right now. This is almost constant though. Whether I'm leaving the house or not I'm always thinking about what needs to be done, should be done, can't be done, will be done, when will any of it be done. I'm working on it. When playing with the girls I'm a lot better about just being there mind, body and all. Just there. But it's not long before my mind starts wandering again.
So where did I end up you may ask? Where did my great escape of 2 hours take me? Let me tell ya...
I drove to Barnes and Noble. Then decided I'd grab something at Target to eat at B&N so that I wasn't spending so much money on breakfast there. I got to Target at 8:01...they open at 8 thank goodness. Target is a black hole my friends. Really. I'm serious. And they have this magical pull once you get inside the doors that says "you must wander through all the aisles...even the fishing aisles. You don't fish. But go, look, lose 15 mins of your day". Actually it appears that this magical pull has a much further reach than the front door because I was parked at BARNES AND NOBLE......
What did I get?
So I go back to Barnes and Noble. And they don't open until 9. What the hell? Do they not realize the thought process it took me to get there?! So I'll go to the library. But I'm starving. So I stop at the Krispy Creme that's forcing their fatty doughnut smell all through the shopping center. (at this point I also contemplate walking around World Market but somehow stop the thought before my legs can take me there). So I go in and get myself a free doughnut and start to head to the library.
....they don't open until 9:30. See maybe I should add to my empty planner the opening times of all these places. Then next time my random thoughts will know where I can actually go.
So Starbucks it is. It's 9:11 right this minute. And what have I done the entire time I've been here?
This. This post. This rambling, weird, jumbled up post. I bought a coffee and a bagel. The bagel is still in the bag and the coffee...well the coffee I'm drinking black which I don't usually do but I bought this new cup here because I thought it was cute and I can't get the damn lid off. Which I knew before I bought it because as I was deciding to buy it I attempted opening the lid and couldn't. The barista told me it's because it's new. So they filled my new cup up with my coffee and put the lid on and I can't get it off. And some older guy laughed because I couldn't open it...thanks buddy.
Anyway...I need to head back home now because the baby needs a nap and she won't go down for Dustin. I know this because he's texting me right now telling me so.
Here's my book. I brought my book.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Most beloved dish: NaBloPoMo Day 5
Here we are on day 5 of NaBloPoMo. Though I do believe I've posted each day in December? I'll have to take a look back and see. Today I'm very tired and it's getting late so I hope this post makes sense by the time I'm done writing it.
I think I mentioned that I'm also doing Vlogtober this month so in addition to writing here each day I'm also (attempting to) create videos that I'm up loading to my YouTube channel. I've found that I really love editing video of my family and it's such a great way to make home videos really stand out. I love it. I do wish it's something I would have realized I enjoyed doing before I had children. Though I'm not really sure it ever would have come up back then because pretty much everything I want to capture is of them :-) But it would have been easier to have already gotten past the beginning stages of learning to edit when I had more time. And more sleep. And more brain power...
But that's not how it happened. And that's ok, I'm am having fun learning now and I hope that it'll be something I can continue with. I love the idea of us being able to look back with the girls and see what we were doing while they were growing up. It's really taking the "home video" to a whole new level. But I've gotten off topic here. I guess what I'm getting at is it's been a long day AND I've already edited and uploaded a video. (if you're interested...Vlogtober Day 7 )
OK. Onto this. Here. My blog.
What are the dishes that defined your childhood? What were your favorite dishes to eat?
What do I say about this. I must have repressed memories from my childhood because all of these questions just don't spark much of anything. I know I ate food growing up. I just don't remember much about it. I can say that I know I had a lot of mac-n-cheese with hot dogs in it. Yummy! I only know this because of my intense hatred of hot dogs and my mother explaining to me that it's most likely because I ate a lot of them growing up. It's a staple isn't it? In most kids diets? Or at least it used to be. And it certainly is for those that don't have a lot of money or time to cook more elaborate meals. My mother was a single working mother of two children for a time. And as in any family that most likely will equate to a lot of easy meals. At least in my case it was. I do have to say though that I love mac-n-cheese lol.
My mom did cook though, quite a bit I remember after she met my step-father. Chicken. We just talked about chicken she used to cook. What's strange though is the one thing that really stands out is my step-dad's chili. Tim if you're reading this, (which I doubt anyway) please forgive me. But what I remember was how bland it was! He used to make this chili all the time, in a crock pot and we used to lovingly tease him that he had never heard of a spice before! It feels like this went on for years but probably not. In his defense he is a much better cook now and we don't tease him like we used to...as much.
I'm probably most fond of my grandfather's cooking. My brother and I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. We were very lucky to have them so close to us and to be able to spend so many days with them. My grandfather was one of my most favorite people in the world. Every morning that we went to their home I would walk into the smell of sausage and bacon cooking. And eggs. And he used to cook the eggs in the bacon grease haha. Certainly the opposite of a healthy meal. To this day if we cook this breakfast at home and leave the house for a bit, the moment I open my front door I am reminded of my grandpa. Maybe I should have lead with this...but it wasn't even until I started writing that I thought about it.
That happens a lot actually and is partially why I enjoy writing to begin with. More often than not I sit down to write, not even sure of what it is I want to say, and as I get into it I find myself somewhere I didn't expect.
I think I mentioned that I'm also doing Vlogtober this month so in addition to writing here each day I'm also (attempting to) create videos that I'm up loading to my YouTube channel. I've found that I really love editing video of my family and it's such a great way to make home videos really stand out. I love it. I do wish it's something I would have realized I enjoyed doing before I had children. Though I'm not really sure it ever would have come up back then because pretty much everything I want to capture is of them :-) But it would have been easier to have already gotten past the beginning stages of learning to edit when I had more time. And more sleep. And more brain power...
But that's not how it happened. And that's ok, I'm am having fun learning now and I hope that it'll be something I can continue with. I love the idea of us being able to look back with the girls and see what we were doing while they were growing up. It's really taking the "home video" to a whole new level. But I've gotten off topic here. I guess what I'm getting at is it's been a long day AND I've already edited and uploaded a video. (if you're interested...Vlogtober Day 7 )
OK. Onto this. Here. My blog.
What are the dishes that defined your childhood? What were your favorite dishes to eat?
What do I say about this. I must have repressed memories from my childhood because all of these questions just don't spark much of anything. I know I ate food growing up. I just don't remember much about it. I can say that I know I had a lot of mac-n-cheese with hot dogs in it. Yummy! I only know this because of my intense hatred of hot dogs and my mother explaining to me that it's most likely because I ate a lot of them growing up. It's a staple isn't it? In most kids diets? Or at least it used to be. And it certainly is for those that don't have a lot of money or time to cook more elaborate meals. My mother was a single working mother of two children for a time. And as in any family that most likely will equate to a lot of easy meals. At least in my case it was. I do have to say though that I love mac-n-cheese lol.
My mom did cook though, quite a bit I remember after she met my step-father. Chicken. We just talked about chicken she used to cook. What's strange though is the one thing that really stands out is my step-dad's chili. Tim if you're reading this, (which I doubt anyway) please forgive me. But what I remember was how bland it was! He used to make this chili all the time, in a crock pot and we used to lovingly tease him that he had never heard of a spice before! It feels like this went on for years but probably not. In his defense he is a much better cook now and we don't tease him like we used to...as much.
I'm probably most fond of my grandfather's cooking. My brother and I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. We were very lucky to have them so close to us and to be able to spend so many days with them. My grandfather was one of my most favorite people in the world. Every morning that we went to their home I would walk into the smell of sausage and bacon cooking. And eggs. And he used to cook the eggs in the bacon grease haha. Certainly the opposite of a healthy meal. To this day if we cook this breakfast at home and leave the house for a bit, the moment I open my front door I am reminded of my grandpa. Maybe I should have lead with this...but it wasn't even until I started writing that I thought about it.
That happens a lot actually and is partially why I enjoy writing to begin with. More often than not I sit down to write, not even sure of what it is I want to say, and as I get into it I find myself somewhere I didn't expect.
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
International Babywearing Week 2015: NaBloPoMo Day 4
Happy Tuesday everyone! Today I'm veering off topic from the BlogHer.com NaBloPoMo prompts. If you're participating in Blogtober or NaBloPoMo or would to you can find daily prompts here.
Today's prompt is:
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Who did most of the cooking in your house when you were growing up?
But today I want to talk about International Babywearing Week! This kicked off on Monday (though I think some places started Sunday) and is in celebration of and to promote, "babywearing". As I'm sure you might guess from the name, it simply means carrying your baby with some sort of a baby/toddler carrier or sling. This week is a way to get the word out, educate families about how and why to babywear and also an opportunity to meet up with like minded people who also love babywearing!
I always laugh remembering the time I told Alivia (2.5 years old) that I was going to wear Juliana for our walk (9 months old) and she stopped and looked at me, then stared laughing and said "wear her like a SHIRT!?" lol. She was being so silly and now every time I say "Where's the Tula" she'll say "are you going to wear her like a shirt again mommy?" and she'll giggle. What's even better about that is she knows she's being goofy.
Now that I think about it, I take that last statement back...what's even better about her recognizing what I'm doing is that she, at the tender age of 2, is already learning a great way to care for a baby. What a great way to start teaching her, without even intending to! Obviously she has many many many years before she'll be taking care of her own children, should she choose to have any, but just like anything else we learn as young children, these things will be deeply instilled in her and hopefully will benefit her for years to come.
(by the way, she loves wearing her baby dolls...I really need to get her a doll carrier that works better. She has a really cheap one from Home Goods but the babies keep falling out lol)
There are so many great reasons to babywear, to list a few...
When baby is first born they are most vulnerable to outside stimulus, noises, sights, smells, you name it. The world is unknown to them. The only thing they have known is the sounds and comfort of their mother's womb. Of always being held close, warm and comfortable (even though their feet in our ribs and heads on our bladder were less than comfy for us...). Then they are born and WOW what a change?! Luckily the motherly/human/animal instinct is to keep them close. The moment they are born we are bringing them to our chest, putting a blanket over top of them and holding them right against us. (This has so many benefits but that's enough for a whole other post!) Doesn't it just seem natural that you'd want to mimic that comforting environment as long as you can?
Once mama is up and moving around a bit more at home, babywearing is a wonderful way to be able to do things around the house while still keeping your baby close. I have done laundry, cleaning, dishes, cooking, playing with my 2 year old, all while wearing Juliana. She cries less and we're both happy!
Babies who are carried tend to cry less in general. They are always near their favorite person, still hearing their breaths, heart beat, smelling them and hearing them talk. They feel connected still to their mother; why wouldn't they be happier?!
I say "mother" but any caregiver can, and is encouraged to, wear the little ones they are taking care of. Just because it's typically the mother that you may thing about out and about or cleaning the home with their baby attached to them that's not to say there aren't thousands of papa's, grandma's, grandpa's, nannies,...the list is endless. And this allows the baby to bond with other loved ones when mama isn't around or just needs a break!
If you happen to be a breastfeeding mama than I highly encourage you to learn how to nurse your baby while they are in the carrier. It can be tricky at first and each carrier/sling will present a different challenge in the beginning but let me tell you...it's a life saver! It's incredibly convenient to be able to feed your baby right then and there. It's especially nice if your a mother who somewhat shies away from nursing in public. It's almost a built in "cover" since you're already holding baby so close to you it's hard for others to see what's going on in there anyway!
Babywearing offers great exercise to the mother as well! I don't know about you but since I've had my two girls exercise has been at the bottom of my list. Not because I don't see the value and importance of it but I simply don't have the time! But when taking into consideration that I'm up and about a lot, taking walks, grocery shopping, cleaning up...all with an extra 18lb weight add to me! That's some good exercise people! I don't have proof of this but I can't help but believe that babywearing may help you be more active in general. Strollers are great, don't get me wrong, I use one still plenty, but when you plop your babe down in the stroller and 10 mins into your walk they start crying because they want to be held you're going to be less likely to keep going out on those walks. Because if you're like me you end up carrying the baby anyway and trying to push a stroller with one hand. And come on...that's too much work ;-)
I say "baby" a lot but this all goes for toddlers as well. There are many baby carriers out there that can hold your child well beyond the infant stage. Just because these little people can walk and talk and demand things now doesn't mean that they are all grown up and don't need the love and protection that wearing them can offer. The world can be very frightening and over-stimulating to a small child and wearing them is a great way to help combat there fears. I see this most helpful in crowded places; the zoo, museum, farmer's markets. There are a lot of people and while the little one may want to get down and run around a bit they still like to come back to home base and receive some extra security knowing their mother (caregiver is there). Personally for our family if we are going on a walk around the neighborhood my toddler likes to run, climb, jump, spin, basically she's just all over the place and wearing her wouldn't do either one of us any good but if it's an extra long walk or say out hiking, they get tired too and it's a nice comforting place for them to snuggle back up to you.
I'd like to add that wearing our children is also very helpful for parents with children who have special needs. There are many different handicaps out there that almost make baby/toddler wearing a necessity and help make life a tad bit easier for everyone.
I could truly go on and on and on about this. Can you tell I love babywearing?! But it's getting late, I'm tired and I don't want to start boring anyone here. :-)
There are so many resources out there to assist with purchasing slings and carriers, as well as support groups to help you get started, get the right fit, right size, right carrier. It's not "one size fits all" by any means and it can seem a little over whelming at first. I do promise you that if you get into it and get some help getting started you'd love it! It may take a few tries and maybe borrowing a carrier before you know which one you really want, but usually that's all it takes. Once you and your baby are comfortable you'll start seeing all the benefits yourself.
Babywearing isn't new. People all over the world and for hundreds of years have been wearing their babies and toddlers. But it is something that I feel could use a little more awareness. Anything that can make a baby and their new families life easier has got to be shouted from the rooftops! And hopefully this well help spread the word.
Good night friends.
P.S. I'd love to hear about your experiences with babywearing and how it's helped you!
Today's prompt is:
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Who did most of the cooking in your house when you were growing up?
But today I want to talk about International Babywearing Week! This kicked off on Monday (though I think some places started Sunday) and is in celebration of and to promote, "babywearing". As I'm sure you might guess from the name, it simply means carrying your baby with some sort of a baby/toddler carrier or sling. This week is a way to get the word out, educate families about how and why to babywear and also an opportunity to meet up with like minded people who also love babywearing!
I always laugh remembering the time I told Alivia (2.5 years old) that I was going to wear Juliana for our walk (9 months old) and she stopped and looked at me, then stared laughing and said "wear her like a SHIRT!?" lol. She was being so silly and now every time I say "Where's the Tula" she'll say "are you going to wear her like a shirt again mommy?" and she'll giggle. What's even better about that is she knows she's being goofy.
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| Red Rocks Amphitheater |
Now that I think about it, I take that last statement back...what's even better about her recognizing what I'm doing is that she, at the tender age of 2, is already learning a great way to care for a baby. What a great way to start teaching her, without even intending to! Obviously she has many many many years before she'll be taking care of her own children, should she choose to have any, but just like anything else we learn as young children, these things will be deeply instilled in her and hopefully will benefit her for years to come.
(by the way, she loves wearing her baby dolls...I really need to get her a doll carrier that works better. She has a really cheap one from Home Goods but the babies keep falling out lol)
There are so many great reasons to babywear, to list a few...
When baby is first born they are most vulnerable to outside stimulus, noises, sights, smells, you name it. The world is unknown to them. The only thing they have known is the sounds and comfort of their mother's womb. Of always being held close, warm and comfortable (even though their feet in our ribs and heads on our bladder were less than comfy for us...). Then they are born and WOW what a change?! Luckily the motherly/human/animal instinct is to keep them close. The moment they are born we are bringing them to our chest, putting a blanket over top of them and holding them right against us. (This has so many benefits but that's enough for a whole other post!) Doesn't it just seem natural that you'd want to mimic that comforting environment as long as you can?
Once mama is up and moving around a bit more at home, babywearing is a wonderful way to be able to do things around the house while still keeping your baby close. I have done laundry, cleaning, dishes, cooking, playing with my 2 year old, all while wearing Juliana. She cries less and we're both happy!
Babies who are carried tend to cry less in general. They are always near their favorite person, still hearing their breaths, heart beat, smelling them and hearing them talk. They feel connected still to their mother; why wouldn't they be happier?!
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| First carousal ride! |
I say "mother" but any caregiver can, and is encouraged to, wear the little ones they are taking care of. Just because it's typically the mother that you may thing about out and about or cleaning the home with their baby attached to them that's not to say there aren't thousands of papa's, grandma's, grandpa's, nannies,...the list is endless. And this allows the baby to bond with other loved ones when mama isn't around or just needs a break!
If you happen to be a breastfeeding mama than I highly encourage you to learn how to nurse your baby while they are in the carrier. It can be tricky at first and each carrier/sling will present a different challenge in the beginning but let me tell you...it's a life saver! It's incredibly convenient to be able to feed your baby right then and there. It's especially nice if your a mother who somewhat shies away from nursing in public. It's almost a built in "cover" since you're already holding baby so close to you it's hard for others to see what's going on in there anyway!
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| Easy to nurse in! |
Babywearing offers great exercise to the mother as well! I don't know about you but since I've had my two girls exercise has been at the bottom of my list. Not because I don't see the value and importance of it but I simply don't have the time! But when taking into consideration that I'm up and about a lot, taking walks, grocery shopping, cleaning up...all with an extra 18lb weight add to me! That's some good exercise people! I don't have proof of this but I can't help but believe that babywearing may help you be more active in general. Strollers are great, don't get me wrong, I use one still plenty, but when you plop your babe down in the stroller and 10 mins into your walk they start crying because they want to be held you're going to be less likely to keep going out on those walks. Because if you're like me you end up carrying the baby anyway and trying to push a stroller with one hand. And come on...that's too much work ;-)
I say "baby" a lot but this all goes for toddlers as well. There are many baby carriers out there that can hold your child well beyond the infant stage. Just because these little people can walk and talk and demand things now doesn't mean that they are all grown up and don't need the love and protection that wearing them can offer. The world can be very frightening and over-stimulating to a small child and wearing them is a great way to help combat there fears. I see this most helpful in crowded places; the zoo, museum, farmer's markets. There are a lot of people and while the little one may want to get down and run around a bit they still like to come back to home base and receive some extra security knowing their mother (caregiver is there). Personally for our family if we are going on a walk around the neighborhood my toddler likes to run, climb, jump, spin, basically she's just all over the place and wearing her wouldn't do either one of us any good but if it's an extra long walk or say out hiking, they get tired too and it's a nice comforting place for them to snuggle back up to you.
I'd like to add that wearing our children is also very helpful for parents with children who have special needs. There are many different handicaps out there that almost make baby/toddler wearing a necessity and help make life a tad bit easier for everyone.
I could truly go on and on and on about this. Can you tell I love babywearing?! But it's getting late, I'm tired and I don't want to start boring anyone here. :-)
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| At the zoo |
There are so many resources out there to assist with purchasing slings and carriers, as well as support groups to help you get started, get the right fit, right size, right carrier. It's not "one size fits all" by any means and it can seem a little over whelming at first. I do promise you that if you get into it and get some help getting started you'd love it! It may take a few tries and maybe borrowing a carrier before you know which one you really want, but usually that's all it takes. Once you and your baby are comfortable you'll start seeing all the benefits yourself.
Babywearing isn't new. People all over the world and for hundreds of years have been wearing their babies and toddlers. But it is something that I feel could use a little more awareness. Anything that can make a baby and their new families life easier has got to be shouted from the rooftops! And hopefully this well help spread the word.
Good night friends.
P.S. I'd love to hear about your experiences with babywearing and how it's helped you!
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| On a hike. |
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