Candy crazy!

Sometimes I get teased by friends or family because I don’t want my kids eating junk food or sweets, especially too close to mealtime or bed time! I think we have become so indulgent in our culture that we have a “dessert first” mentality. “Let kids be kids” they say when I don’t allow a cupcake half an hour before dinner or, “It’s only a couple of M&Ms, that won’t spoil her appetite.” Well, it does! When you give a child candy soon before meal time they don’t want to eat their meal because they have had a taste of sweets and they want more.

A prime example is the other night somebody gave my daughter half of a peppermint right before supper. I put her in her chair and gave her a plate and she pointed to the counter where the other half of the peppermint was and kept asking for that instead of her supper. She kept saying “I don’t like this. I want peppermint,” while one of her favorite meals sat in front of her untouched. She eventually got down and waited an hour or so before eating.

I have noticed that the days where my daughter snacks more, she hardly touches her supper and I think it’s partly because she isn’t as hungry and partly because she has been “spoiled” all day with snacks.

I try really hard to serve balanced meals and some days are a lot harder than others. There will be days when they don’t want what you serve for dinner. On those days I offer yogurt and either a graham cracker or a piece of fruit before bed so she won’t wake up in the middle of the night starving (she is only 2 after all).

We have candy and junk in our house and my kids won’t be sheltered from the good things in life, like chocolate! I just want them to have a healthy relationship with food.

Airing my clean laundry!

Here is the recipe for my laundry detergent…

1 (4 lb 12 oz) Box of Borax

1 (3 lb 7 oz) Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda

1 (3 lb) Container of OxyClean

1 (14.1 oz) Bar of Fels Naptha Soap (grated)

1 (4 lb) Box of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda

Grate soap with either a hand grater or food processor (the soap dissolves just fine, even in cold water). I use a large dry wall bucket that I got from my Mother-in-Law and just start layering each ingredient little by little (like a soap lasagna), I mix it up with my big stainless kitchen spoon as I add each new “layer” so that it is well mixed. I use the scoop from the Oxy Clean and fill it up to the 1 for normal loads and the 2 for really dirty stuff. I usually use the “soak” setting if I’m not in a hurry but you don’t have to. A batch of this stuff lasts about 8 to 10 months in my house with laundry for four. Happy washing!

Dehydration education

As a nursing mom I have let myself get dehydrated way too many times! You get busy taking care of your children and you go all day without a drop of fluids. You eat a sandwich with a baby on your hip and think, “I’ll get some water when my hands are free”, but that never happens and before you know it you are SICK!

Dehydration presents differently in everyone but for me it usually starts with (or I start noticing when) an awful, pounding headache and nausea with vomiting. That is when I start thinking back to how tired I was all day and how I haven’t been to the bathroom in hours…

FACEPALM!

Web MD lists the symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration as:

• Increased thirst
• Dry mouth and swollen tongue
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Palpitations (feeling that the heart is jumping or pounding)
• Confusion
• Sluggishness fainting
• Fainting
• Inability to sweat
• Decreased urine output

Urine color may indicate dehydration. If urine is concentrated and deeply yellow or amber, you may be dehydrated.

Call your doctor if the dehydrated person experiences any of the following:

• Increased or constant vomiting for more than a day
• Fever over 101°F
• Diarrhea for more than 2 days
• Weight loss
• Decreased urine production
• Confusion
• Weakness

Take the person to the hospital’s emergency department if these situations occur:

• Fever higher than 103°F
• Confusion
• Sluggishness (lethargy)
• Headache
• Seizures
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest or abdominal pains
• Fainting
• No urine in the last 12 hours

Oops, I’ve never gone to the hospital for it, but my husband and family that are local know how to jump into action when I am down for the count with the flu, a cold or dehydration and usually I have a stock of Gatorade within half an hour of feeling it. I start out with Gatorade and ginger ale (in different glasses) and as that starts to kick in and my headache eases, I continue with fresh fruits (watermelon is the best) and crackers. I usually have to take extra care the next day and not over do it while I deal with a dehydration hangover.

My last episode with dehydration was in May and I have been vigilant about fluids since then. I keep a pitcher of water with lemons in my refrigerator, Gatorade and bottled water are usually within reach so I can grab and go.

Kellymom.com says that nursing moms need about 24 more ounces of water per day than women that aren’t nursing. That is a total of 104 oz per day! Now, this varies depending on the woman,but it is a good starting point. Sometimes “Drinking for thirst” isn’t a good way to monitor (at least not for me) because you don’t always get a chance to have a glass of water whenever you are thirsty.

The best advice I have to give is:

• Keep bottles of water and Gatorade handy.
• Have a pitcher of water in your refrigerator.
• Keep fruits that are easy to eat on hand (grapes, cut up watermelon, apple slices).
• Keep track with how much you are drinking (Waterlogged is a free iPhone app that helps track intake).
• homemade popsicle (spa pop recipe here)

This post isn’t intended to replace medical care and if you feel like you are getting dehydrated you should seek medical help as quickly as possible. Dehydration can turn bad quickly, so drink up… to your health 

Aden + Anais review

When I was pregnant with Izzie, I sent an email to Aden + Anais to ask about getting some samples to try out. They obliged by sending me some samples of their Soothing Ointment and their Hair + Body Wash. I was so excited to try it out that I immediately used them + fell in love!

The soothing ointment has a nice, soft, vanilla scent and is amazing! I use it on my and my daughter’s lips (I am a lip balm snob and this is by far one of my favorites), cuticles, dry skin patches and even on my nipples when they get sore from nursing. If my oldest has an old “boo boo” or a bug bite that is a little rough, I will put it on there to soften it up and soothe it. Zoey LOVES it and asks to use it whenever she sees the container.

The Hair + Body Wash smells so good that I used it more on my own hair than as a baby wash (mom fail)! I did use it on the girls, and it left their skin soft and smelling delicious! I caught myself sniffing them the rest of the day. I have pretty wild and unusual hair that doesn’t react well to some shampoos, but it worked well with this. I was very pleased!

One of my favorite parts of the Mum + Bub line is all the stuff that ISN’T in their products! Mum + Bub is free of parabens, added hormone disrupters, petroleum oils, phthalates, dioxanes from sulfates, gluten and soy, petrochemicals, DEA and artificial colors.

After I fell in love with the Mum + Bub line, I decided to try their swaddle blankets. I went to Target and got a four pack and haven’t used another swaddle blanket since (I even talked a stranger at Target into getting them as a gift for a friend when she was looking at another swaddle blanket). I used them in a photoshoot I did of the girls and, at 6 months old, I still swaddle Izzie in them. Sometimes it’s the only way to get her to sleep. I like them because they are soft, bigger than other swaddle blankets, cute and the fabric has just enough give to get a good snug swaddle. I am able to write this review right now because she is swaddled up taking a nap in her bed (thank you Aden +Anais).

Blended oatmeal cookies

You know those times when you wish you could pop a dozen cookies in the oven and take them to a friend (or devour by yourself after the kids go to bed)? This recipe makes several dozen (approximately 10 dozen)

2 cups butter

24 oz. chocolate chips

4 cups flour

2 cups brown sugar

2 tsp. baking soda 

1 tsp. salt

2 cups sugar

1 8 oz. chocolate bar, grated (I like to use a fancy one)

5 cups blended oatmeal

4 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups chopped nuts or pretzel bits (optional)

Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.

Cream the butter and both sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla. Mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda.

Add chocolate chips, grated chocolate bar, and nuts/pretzel bits.

Roll into balls, and either place two inches apart on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes or freeze in freezer bags for the next time you need a quick fix.

Cookie Monster approves!