Routine at Last!

Since S was born I have been struggling to come up with a solid night time routine. I would come up with something that I thought would work, then something else would get in my way or I wouldn't have the patience to follow through until he was all the way asleep. Well, I am saying good-bye to those days. I have found something that works and I am sticking to it.

It all begins with one nap a day. If he takes two naps it's game over, up until 10 p.m.

Around 4:30 S will start getting hungry for dinner so I get him set up in his highchair and make sure he eats enough to get him nice and full, he will not fall asleep if he is even a tad hungry. After dinner we head straight to the bathtub where we will splash around in the water to get our giggles out. S will stand and play with the faucet, then plop down to make a big splash - repeat that about 10 to 15 times :)

When bath time is over I snuggle him up in a big cozy towel and bring him into his room to sing our jammie song, by this time you can tell he's getting pretty tired, big yawns. We get on his jammies and get settled in the rocker to read Good Night Moon, this never changes, we read the same book every night. As he gets older I will make up my own stories, but for now, this consistency is key.

After the book, we rock and nurse. While he is nursing, I sing Home On The Range. Yes, Home On The Range :) it works. Soon after, it's all zzzzzz's. I bask in the moment for awhile then move him to our room to lay him in our bed where my husband and I will join him hours later.

I am jumping for joy over here! The lack of routine has been eating away at me. Consistency is what I have been yearning for and I've finally caught it. I am one happy mama. (By the way, S said Mama for the first time this past Saturday!!)

Natural Cough & Cold Remedy

It's that time of the year again, kids are back in school. That means germs are flowing and you and your little one might get sick. I don't know about you, but I am not a big fan of taking unnatural medicines or giving them to my child. Although they provide relief, they can also be harmful to your body. Luckily, we have sweet Mother Earth to rely on.

Here is a simple, safe and totally affordable natural remedy that you can use on your whole family. Most people have the herb right in their own home! Thyme. This infusion is fool proof!



(Note: children, babies and adults all take a different dosage. See list below. Do not give to babies under 6 months of age without professional advice)

Directions:

Simply steep 2 level teaspoons of dry thyme in 1 cup of boiling water (one teaspoon if you are using fresh thyme)

cover for 5 - 10 minutes

Strain and let cool

Dosages:

Standard: take 1 cup 3-4 times a day

6 - 12 months: take 1/3 cup a day

1 - 6 years old: take 1 - 2 cups a day 

7 - 13 years old: take 2 1/2 - 3 cups a day


 I don't have a fancy tea pot, I just dump my herb into a jar and pour the boiling water on top. I cover the jar with a towel and strain with a regular mesh strainer when it is done.

 

This infusion can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. It's not that long, but that's okay because it's simple enough to make it as you need it.

I hope you try this out! Let me know if you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them!

All of my information came from the book Natural Health Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier

Little Waldorf Baby

School. In my city there are a few options. You have your good ole Catholic schools, the type of school I attended all of my school years, the not so good city public school, the Language Immersion School (which is pretty awesome, in my opinion), charter schools and our local Waldorf school.



I have always gravitated toward the idea of sending S. to a Waldorf school. It is everything I have ever wanted for my son, education for his whole self, his heart, hands and head, all while being surrounded by a very diverse group of individuals.

 

The other day I was talking with a friend and she mentioned this 12 week Parent Infant class that the Waldorf school holds and my ears immediately perked up. It is a class where parents learn games and songs to play with their babies while also learning to develop our ability to quietly observe and interpret children’s movements, gestures, and vocalizations. I told her I was totally interested and that I would love for her to send me the information.

 

The lady in charge contacted me right away. It turned out that there was only one spot left. She told me that if we were interested, she could hold it for us until we got our registration and payment in. I looked over the info and found out that it is actually super affordable, so of course I said yes!

 

I am so happy that everything worked out in our favor. I am super eager to learn new things with S. and make new friends together. This is going to be an amazing opportunity that I have only dreamed about....it's actually becoming a reality!! Class starts August 28th! I will be sure to post about it =)     

Sunday Moment

Good Morning :)

this kid is awesome

It still amazes me that I helped create an individual, a soul. I pushed a mind out of my body. Woah. I gave life to a person who will grow up and be a citizen in our world.

 

As S is getting bigger, I am becoming more aware of the individual he is. I could just sit here and observe him all day. He is becoming more and more interesting every single day. Tomorrow he will be 10 months old! Wait, what? 10 months old????

He crawls, laughs, yells, babbles, loves to eat (especially blueberries, whole blueberries!) and totally enjoys hanging out with other kids. He listens, observes, plays, climbs and pulls himself up to stand. He thinks dogs are hilarious and he chases his chickens. This kid is awesome.

Man, I love this life!

soft egg

This week is Yellowman's second week of laying eggs.

  That's Yellowman

Right now she is the only hen of five that is laying. I went outside today to collect her egg and was surprised to find that it was soft and rubbery. I am new to the chicken business, but have heard of this before. I understand that this common with newly laying hens and I also know that it can be caused be a calcium deficiency (among many other things). I have decided to crunch up a bunch of egg shells that I just tossed in the compost pile and feed them to the girls. I am hoping that will help harden her eggs. Compared to oyster shells, a commonly used supplement, they are free and easy to come by. We'll see if it helps!

Cluttered Brain

During the past couple of days I have had so many posts run through my mind. There is so much going on inside of my brain that I don't even know where to start. I think I'm going to go the list route. Yeah, a list sounds good, complete with pictures of course.

This is kind of old news, but our coop is finally complete! I am so proud of my husband for creating the plans and constructing this masterpiece single hand-idly. Built out of 90% (free!) up-cycled materials - f yea!

 


The St. Louis Zoo opened their new seal exhibit, it was pretty sweet.

 

 


S is walking with his little walker toy that Old Grandma Lila got him from a garage sale at the farm. I am so happy she found it! S just pulls himself right up and away he goes.

 


The child LOVES to swing. I mean, I think he would stay in that thing all day. It's funny because he hated his swing when he was a baby......as if he isn't a baby anymore ;)




He has five best friends. He chases after them until he gets a few good pets in. He thinks they are hilarious.

 


We got our first eggs!! What an amazing feeling it was to open the latch and see 2 little eggies waiting to be collected.

  


And last but not least, our FREE chair. Found it in front of someone's house while taking a walk with S and the baby I nanny. It was covered with a sheet and had a sign that said "take". Don't mind if I do!

 

For the Love of Rain

 
Evening, Independence Day at the farm

Lately I have been confused, wondering if I live in Death Valley or not. These past few weeks have been extremely hot and dry. The grass is crunchy and the crops are sad.
Our local farmers are truly taking a hit. 4th of July firework displays were canceled all over the region in fear of the fireworks starting wildfires. It has been extreme to say the least.

Last night was the first time in four long, tired weeks that the rain decided to shower down on this thirsty land.  I can truly say this - it was the most beautiful rain I have ever experienced. It was spiritual. The ground, the trees, the flowers, they all gulped it up with such eager mouths. I put myself in their position and allowed myself to take it in from the vegetation's perspective. I breathed easier. I inhaled and exhaled with such a tender, sweet sense of relief. I imagined steam rising from my whole surface.

As we drove down that 2 lane highway I stared as the sinking sun put on a mystical display of thick yellow and pale blue alternating rays. The rays seemed as if they were growing among layers and layers of different types of clouds, its soil - fog.

We gained miles while the sun quickly dipped and a dusty rose reflection beamed off the glossy black interstate. I was in a trance.

It really is amazing how we are all connected, humans, plants, insects, animals, land and water.

The Power of Song and Dance

Lately we have been listening to a ton of music, all different genres. It keeps us moving throughout our day. If there is a strange funk, we just turn on Pandora and dance it out. 

It's amazing how much influence music has on S. Now that I started turning on Pandora, S plays independently while I have a moment to clean. If he fights his sleep, we just turn on a fun dancing song and dance around the living room until he tires out. Works every time.

 Today, Miike Snow saved the day.

 

How I Became a Stay at Home Mom - Part 1

 


Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I knew that I had to stay at home with my baby. I knew that time with him would be my very top priority, along with quality time with my husband. After S was born I dreaded going back to work, but I had to. We needed to pay the bills. Every single day I would brain storm ways to be able to stay at home, you could say I sort of became obsessed.

After 9 months, we finally decided to make the move. Our plan is this - I would nanny a couple days a week, give swim lessons here and there and stay at home the rest of the week. This would give me more time at home to save. Here are the ways we decided to stretch our money. 

First, we decided to get rid of all unnecessary bills. The only extra bill we had was our $8.00 a month Netflix bill (I know that sounds so cheap, but hey, it adds up). It was an easy decision. We already don't have cable. Jordan and I feel that our time is better spent when the television is off. We also do not have a home phone, cell phones only, which brings me to my next tip.

Cell phones. We keep it simple, never had the urge to get the latest and greatest "phone". No internet, no unlimited data; just a little text and talk plan. Jordan has an old school flip phone and I have a one of those fancy phones that slide open ;) For some reason we don't feel like we need the world at our finger tips at all times; we need the ability to get a hold of each other, our friends and our family.  I like the feeling of being "unplugged" it feels free. Paying for the internet at home is enough for us.

Food. This is a big one for us. With both of us working, we'd spend an ungodly amount of money on food. I worked in the Central West End, a trendy area in the heart of the city, and would go out for lunch every day. Not only would I buy lunch, but I would buy breakfast from the little cafe down the hall from my office. It was much too convenient. Jordan would do the same. We would both get home from work late and not feel like cooking and cleaning up the mess. Naturally, we would choose to eat out (most of the time). Now I have time to plan meals and grocery shop. We also hit up Soulard Market (a huge semi outdoor farmer's market with great prices) on Saturdays and get our farm share every other week. We use what we buy and Jordan brings his lunch to work.

(Soulard Market)

Cooking and baking from scratch can really save a ton of money. Not only do you save money, but you know exactly what you are putting into your body. It makes me feel great knowing what every single ingredient I am consuming is, makes me feel even better knowing that it counts - well, most of the time anyway ;)

English muffins are a hot item in our home. Instead of spending several dollars on them every week, I am now spending pennies by making them from scratch. I will post the recipe soon. We do not eat many loaves of bread, but I bake them as well.

All of our baby's food is hand made. He usually eats a mashed version of the veggies we make ourselves for dinner. Sometimes he even eats it cut up in pieces. For breakfast he eats a bit of fruit from our farm share and some rolled oats. I buy a big bag of Bob's Red Mill organic rolled oats for $4.00 and make about 1/3 of a cup a day. It lasts a long time and keeps him full and energized. We also buy steel cut oats and make them on occasion, but they take about 20 minutes to cook. Quick oats are what we stay far away from, especially the individual packets - way too much sugar and artificial flavor AND they are way overpriced. Now that I am finished with my oat tangent I will move on.

Transportation. Right before our little guy was born we decided to trade in my old gas guzzling Blazer for a *used* Ford Escape Hybrid in great condition. We live in the city so this was a super smart move for us. Those who do not do much city driving wouldn't benefit much from this, mainly because city driving is what saves you. Our Escape also has a 5 star safety rating so that helps on insurance costs. Jordan drives a Jeep and a motorcycle that is more like a street legal dirt bike. The Jeep is not doing so good so our plan is to sell it and become a one vehicle family. That will save us tons of money on gas and insurance. We live several blocks from Jordan's work so he has been riding his bicycle on the cooler days and motorcycle on the super hot days. So far, so good.

Clothing. Never ever ever buy something for the full price! It will go on sale. Everything I own was either given to me second hand or bought off the clearance rack for 50% off. Now I'm not super trendy or overly concerned about my clothing, but I do like to look cute. I do so living by this essential rule.

I will not pay over $7.00 for a clothing item for the baby. I simply can not justify it. He just grows so fast! Carter's always has amazing sales. All of his brand new clothes are bought from Carter's for under $5.00 an item. Just can't beat it!


I have many many more ways that we are saving money. They tend to be a little more on the crunchy side and I'm sure there are people who would never go this far, but it totally works for our family. I will be posting more about this next week. Keep in touch!

Tree of Life

 

This year was my first Mother's Day and a beautiful one it was. It was pretty laid back for the most part, but I had one thing I was determined to do.

 
 



Before I jump straight to it, I'm going to explain. While pregnant with S, I explored my options regarding my placenta. Our plan was to get it encapsulated. It sounded like the best option for me considering it helps with milk production and the baby blues along with many other benefits. Well, his birth came and went and the placenta remained in our freezer. I thought about it countless times. As the weeks passed, it no longer seemed necessary to have it encapsulated. Months past and it was still hanging out in the freezer.





As Mother's Day approached I finally had my mind set on what I planned to do with my beloved placenta, my tree of life. I couldn't imagine just throwing it away. Letting it rot away in some land fill next to garbage. I decided to plant it under a baby peach tree. This amazing organ that my body grew then housed and cradled my baby boy was now going back to the Earth. Back to the Earth to fertilize the soil and give back to us for years to come, in peach form.


 


So on Sunday we woke up bright and early to pick up the tree before Jordan headed off to work. S and I spent the day livin' easy. Took a long walk around the park, S napped, nursed and napped again. Once Jordan got off work we headed to GG and Paw's (my parent's) for a Mother's Day dinner. Before the sun set we headed home to dig, plant and water.


 


When the hole was ready we placed the placenta at the bottom then topped it with the tree. S was getting really tired at this point and was just ready to go to bed.


  


We mulched the tree and gave it a big long drink then headed in for bed.

After S was snuggled in our bed, I sat on the couch and remembered how I wanted to plant a tree for him, his birth tree. I envisioned him watching it grow as he, himself grew too. I envisioned him playing under it, climbing it, kind of like a close friend. Ended up killing two birds with one stone, so to speak.

It was the best Mother's Day I ever had ;)

Time Well Spent

This is how we cook.

Actually, this is how we do everything. S in one arm while we juggle our daily tasks with the other. He loves to be held and we love to do the holding. He doesn't like the sling, or any other carrier for that mater, but he sure loves to be in our arms. It's probably that he feels included in what we are doing, instead of sitting on the sidelines. Honestly, we wouldn't do it any other way. We could have him sitting in the other room on the floor or in the kitchen sitting in his bouncer, but we all like to be in on the action. He sure isn't to young to start helping! Maybe the more his is involved in the preparation, the better the eater he will be. He might enjoy the chickens a little more because we included him in the interaction at an early age. What I do know is that I am happy we choose to do this. This won't last forever. These are times we can never get back and we are making the absolute most of them.  I'm happy he enjoys being in our arms, time well spent. 

Homemade Yogurt

 A couple of weeks ago my sister-in-law gave us a huge jug of raw cow's milk. I am not the biggest fan of drinking milk so I had to come up with something to do with it. I gave a portion of it away, Jordan used some in his coffee and the rest was turned into yogurt. 

Our process is actually quite simple, just keep in mind that *I am not an expert*. We do not own a yogurt maker so we do it the good old fashioned way.

First, make sure you have everything together:

raw milk or any milk, really (except ultra pasteurized)

sterile jars

food thermometer

large pot

plain "starter" yogurt with live cultures, 1/4 cup per quart (I used Stonyfield) - you can also save some from your homemade batch to make the next batch

There is the low-temperature method and the high-temperature method. I used the high-temperature method.

Get your jars together and make sure they are really really clean. They must be very clean because we plan on fermenting the milk and don't want any bad bacteria to get in the way.

If you are using raw milk, make sure you skim off the heavy cream so you can turn it into butter or whatever you prefer.

Next, pour the milk into your pot. Heat it to 180 degrees over medium heat.


 


Once your milk reaches 180 degrees, remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool down to 110 degrees. You can do this quickly by submerging the pot in iced water.

Now, add your starter yogurt and stir well.

Transfer yogurt to your clean jars.


  


Now, cover your jars with a towel to ensure that your milk remains between 80 and 100 degrees and let it sit for 10 to 24 hours. I made mine on a warm day that our air conditioner was off so I could just cover it and leave it on the counter to ferment. A couple other options are to turn on your oven and leave the jars in there or place your jars on a heating pad and cover with a towel.

Refrigerate before eating.

We use our yogurt to make salad dressing, to bake with and to eat with fruit and granola.

I hope you enjoy!

Boobs, Boobs, Magical Boobs

Before I gave birth to my son I knew I was going to breastfeed.  During my pregnancy I read just about every piece of literature about birth and breastfeeding out there. All signs were pointing to yes. Yes, breastfeeding is what I want. Not only for the health benefits or the practicality, but the emotional aspect as well. Here is a list of just a few reasons I chose to nurse my son.

1. It's free! The more you nurse/pump, the more you have 
2. Makes for a calm mama by releasing Oxytocin in the brain
3. Easy pregnancy weight loss
4. Natural contraceptive/no period (yes, there are exceptions)
5. No bottle washing
6. No preparing to walk out the door - Baby, check, diapers, check, boobs, check!
7. Nursing soothes baby instantly
8. Every teaspoon of breast milk has 3,000,000 germ killing cells in it. Hello! click for source
9. Easy for baby to digest
10. Live antibodies line little one's gut to prevent illness
11. As baby gets older, milk adjusts to fit the changing needs
12. More sleep for the whole family
13. Instant availability (at the perfect temperature)
14. Life long connection between mama and baby
15. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS
16. Gives baby and mama the feeling of security 
17. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer
18. Breast milk is an intestinal soother
19. It's green! No wasted packaging
20. Breast milk has never been recalled
21. Breast milk cures pink eye
22. Human breast milk is made for human babies

Milk vs. formula - check it out under the microscope!

diy decoupage map mirror

Not too long ago while stumbling around on the internet I found this amazing set of drawers. I fell in love. I started thinking how I could create something like this for my own home. My original plan was to transform a thrifted side table I found at Goodwill, but never really got around to it. With Jordan and I working completely different schedules, trying to find time to decoupage is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I had to think small and quick.

*A mirror. Perfect!

S even helped :)

Looking around my house I found all of the supplies needed.

• a map
• a mirror (I found mine for $5 at an estate sale!)
• mod podge
• a foam brush
• scissors

Directions:

simply cut your favorite parts of your map into strips or squares long enough to wrap around to the back of your mirror

brush mod podge onto the back of your map, one piece at a time

apply a piece of the map to the surface of your mirror use your fingernail to press the map into the decorative creases so it lays neat 

and flat against every curve and crevice

wrap the extra length of the map to the back of your mirror and make sure it is secured flat repeat until finished once the mirror frame is covered

apply a thin coat of mod podge to the entire frame and allow to dry

I sill have to find the perfect place to hang it.

Viola! You have a beautiful mirror hand decorated by you.

Leave a comment and let me know how your mirror turns out. I would love to hear your feedback.

coop under construction

The time has come! The chickens have flown the "coop". Their indoor coop that is. We are all so ready for them to move into their permanent outdoor home. The only problem is that it doesn't exist.





Jordan and I have these great master plans to build the entire thing out of materials we already own or can get for free. 100% of the wood is coming from shipping pallets found near my sister in law's church. We scored some huge posts from a few really long heavy duty pallets. We are using an old door that came off our back porch. The nesting boxes came from my grandpa who raises and races pigeons. One of the coolest parts of the coop are the screens we will be using. When we moved into our 74 year old house we discovered tons of old window frames and screens in the basement. I have made so many plans top put these to good use, but this is the most practical use so far. We will be using the wood framed screens for the top half of the coop. I can't wait to share pictures!






S and I sat outside in the alley and offered our support. We cheered him on as he was making progress. So far he has the overall frame and the door frame built.





Hopefully we will get this thing done this weekend!

my old block

Talk about nostalgia. This afternoon S and I went on a walk through the neighborhood I grew up in. The weather was perfect, a warm sunny day with a touch of wind and a few clouds to keep us from breaking a sweat. I pushed the dude in his stroller down the sidewalks that created my childhood memories.

Every shaded strip of side walk brought back another memory. Every large bump created by tree roots growing underneath gave me good feelings. I couldn't help but smile.

Everything looks exactly the same. Mature trees lining the sidewalks, so beautifully shaded and green. Backyards filled with toys and chill dogs that stop what they are doing just to smile. Short fences that allow evening chats with the neighbors while barbecuing.

It's funny how big things seem when you are a kid. So tall and open.

Walking past 4059 I remembered my older, much wiser neighbor friend, Fransis tell me how she could count to 20. She pulled me in the wagon while counting over and over again. It seemed like it took forever to reach 20 when really it only took a few sidewalk squares worth of time.

As we turned the corner I remembered picking up a lost baby squirrel and bringing it home with me to give it a better life. Turned out my dad wasn't to fond of me carrying around a live city squirrel so we had to let the baby go.

On the next block I couldn't help but laugh while looking down the slope of the sidewalk. It made remember the time when my best friend, Christine and I came up with a genius plan of pulling my little sister (at the time about 5 yrs old) down the hill in the wagon. Since we pulled her down it was only fair that she had to pull both of us up the hill. Christine's mom drove by on the trek up and told us to get out and pull her....

I feel so lucky to live within walking distance of my old stomping grounds. Having S here makes it that much better knowing similar memories are being created and stored in his fresh little brain. Knowing that he is listening to the same church bells that I did when I was a kid makes me comfortable. It feels like the color green. It feels soft and free. It feels like the sun setting behind huge motherly trees with the scent of bbq steak floating in the air.

I feel thankful.

6 months

First time eating carrots. 4/4/12

You are six months old now and sweeter than ever. You are so much more than I could ever describe in words, but if I had to I would say you are relaxed, happy, inviting, tender, strong, determined, engaging, handsy and most of all, love. Pure love.

A smile is always on your face stretched from ear to ear. If someone stops to talk to you in the grocery store, you connect with them with such focused eye contact and a gummy grin. You seem to enjoy people, a little social butterfly. You are always at ease in a room full of happy souls.

At the end of my work day, after I walk through the front door, you reach your arms out to me asking to be held and flash a big grin that stops time in an instant. You truly are my joy. I never knew my heart was capable of loving so strongly until I met you.

Your dad never fails at making you happy; you have such a strong connection that was present the moment he held you in his arms. I am very thankful for the time you have together each week. Your bond is getting stronger and stronger. You think he is just hilarious. I can't make you laugh nearly as much as he can no matter how hard I try.

I am loving your time as a baby. I am also finding myself wondering what you are going to be like as a kid. What are you going to draw? What is your voice going to sound like? Are you going to like gardening? What questions are you going to ask? Is your hair going to be curly? Will you want to continue to sleep in our bed or will you want to be on your own? What I do know is that I am going to love every answer to these questions because I love YOU!

new chicks on the block

I have been thinking about owning chicks for awhile now and finally decided to take the plunge. I've been researching and researching trying to learn as much as I possibly can in order to be the best chicken mom I can. Things like, use pine shavings for chick bedding instead of cedar because cedar can cause respiratory problems later in life, never use newspaper for the bedding because it becomes wet and slippery and can cause a permanent deformity called "splayed leg" and check the chick's bottoms for "pasting up".


A couple of weeks ago we got 5 baby chicks - a Red Star, Golden Sex Link, Silver Laced Wyandotte, Barred Plymouth Rock and a Rhode Island Red. Their names are Millie, Yellowman (named by the little neighbor boy), Ophelia, Raven and Peckerson.


The chickies are posted up in our living room for the time being. We chose to keep then in there instead of the basement so we can keep an eye on them and really get to know their personalities. Millie and Ophelia are really quiet and sweet. Peckerson is the feisty one. Yellowman is calm and friendly, always happy to perch on an arm. And then there is Raven. She reminds me of a middle child, a lot like myself. I am going to have to get to know her more before I can accurately describe her.

Ophelia and Millie

Our little neighbors have discovered that these chicks are now residing at our home and stop by daily to hold them. I really love when I hear the knock at the door; it brings me back to when I was a little girl. I just know I would be doing the same thing. The kiddos sit on our front porch holding them and call out their names as they pass the girls back and forth. They always ask if they can have one or at least "chick sit". I tell them they can pretend they own them and to come over anytime to visit. At dusk, they run home and beg their moms and dads to get them chicks of their very own.


We are now in the process of designing and gathering supplies to build the coop, a 2 story gem with a garden on top. Our plan is to build the entire thing out of shipping palettes. Well, most of it anyway. Jordan has been scanning the backs of business buildings that throw them out, daily, trying to collect the perfect pieces. I will share more about that when the time comes.