Sing Us a Song...

I have the worst singing voice...ever. Grayson doesn't care. We sing about our food..."C.A.R.R.O.T.S... that's how we spell carrots YES! Carrots are orange and help you see! Carrots are as yummy as they can be. So be momma's sweet little bunny and put these carrots in your chubby tummy:)! We're eating bananas... B.A.N.A.N.A.S...we're eating bananas!" I make up songs about EVERYTHING...bath time, bed time, getting dressed, rolling over...you name it. I'm pretty sure G won't remember how awful my voice was...just that mommy had a smile and a song for him everyday and I'm happy to oblige.

Mommy Money and Time Saving Tip of the Day!

After preparing dinner do you often end up with a little of this & that leftover, especially by way of veggies, that you can't really make a meal out of? I do often since my hubby eats like a 2 year old toddler and abhors anything green! I have found that if I am just doing a simple "get done fast" boil on my fresh or frozen veggies for a quick meal, I like to do it in veggie or chicken broth. This way you can combine all of the left over vegetables with the stock they were cooked in for a super fast soup base for lunch the next day and it gives them more flavor without the addition of any butter or tons of extra salt. Throw in the leftover protein course you had for dinner and/or some extra pasta/rice/noodles you have hanging out in the fridge getting old(we always seem to make too much pasta or have leftover rice from Chinese takeout!) and you have a super fast, hearty meal in just the time it takes to bring everything to a boil or a quick run through the microwave if you are at the office.

I hate wasting food and lord knows you have no time to cook one intricate meal a day( let alone 3)when you have baby permanently attached to your hip, bottles to sanitize and make, laundry to be washed, dried,folded and put away, housecleaning to put off, grocery shopping trips and the mobilization of a small country to leave the home with baby, strolls through the park to enjoy,baths to be given, diapers to be changed, feeding and hosing down of baby to be doing and every now and then showering and using the restroom in privacy!

Also, speaking of making too much pasta when making dinner and having tons of plain noodles left over... if you run spaghetti noodles back under hot water they will become ummm... noodley again! :) The greatest thing to do with leftover pasta is to make a super simple Spaghetti Carbonara which basically just requires noodles, eggs, bacon and cheese unless you want to get authentic and make an extra trip to the grocery store! Of course if you are only making enough for yourself just eyeball it!

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound fresh spaghetti, cooked al dente

4 large eggs, beaten

Salt

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 6 minutes. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all of the oil except for 3 tablespoons. Add the garlic. Season with black pepper. Saute for 30 seconds. Add the crispy bacon and the pasta. Saute for 1 minute. Season the eggs with salt. Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble. Add the cheese and re-season with salt and pepper. Mound into serving bowls and garnish with parsley.

Deal of the Day!

Paper, Plastic orrrr tiny little tote bags that will never hold a whole week's supply of groceries? No more! I found these guys at The Dollar Tree for ( you guessed it) a $1 each. They are the size of a large beach bag and made of sturdy canvas with colored piping. I got green...go figure. Keeping these bad boys in the car for future shopping trips!

Baby Steps!

I sometimes look around my house with complete disdain at all the things I know are wrong and unhealthy but feel overwhelmed to change everything all at once! So this month I have been thinking "Baby Steps, Baby Steps, Baby Steps!"

So far this month I have recycled my entire supply of plastic grocery bags and replaced them with brown paper sandwich sacs. Since I am Queen of the Litter Box this was a super sore spot with me. Seeing all those little plastic bags of poop going in the garbage was driving me batty! At least I know that paper will break down eventually though I wish there was a better alternative for even that! Any ideas are welcome:)

I bought a sweet little bird house and painted it a welcoming aqua and pale yellow and will be hanging it up for our little birdie friends this week. I also bought a bat house to put out...when I figure out how to hang it. Did you know a single bat can eat around 600 mosquitoes in ONE hour? Since mosquito attractant apparently runs through my veins I am UBER excited about my little blind critters replacing all the crap I have to spray on myself to keep from being sucked dry in the summer on my back patio! I also put out an adorable hand made toad house for my yard toads...thanks http://www.etsy.com/! Tonight I released 1,500 lady bugs into the yard which were supposed to go in my lovely garden that my hubby was supposed to be helping me create but I got tired of holding my breath for that to occur!

So nasty bitey bugs...you're days are numbered around these parts and no chemicals to boot!

I have donated all of my Tupperware to Goodwill and replaced it with glass containers for my leftovers. I have bought more wooden and stainless steel cooking utensils and hopefully will have all the plastic ones out of the kitchen ASAP! Next to go is that mishmash of plastic cups that accumulate & multiply in the dark while we are sleeping. Plastic is the DEVIL! I make sure all of G's baby items are BPA Free too!

Speaking of Baby G, I have been going crazy trying to keep as many chemicals away from him as possible but it is a huge struggle as a new parent. I had no idea it was not necessary to slather your baby up with baby lotion, oil and powder and that it was actually bad for them! I always saw everyone else using that stuff so I stocked up on items before he even got here. Come to find out most of that stuff is carcinogenic and clogs up their tiny pores CAUSING the skin issues...thanks Free Market for allowing companies to produce & market crap like that for the unaware consumer knowing it poses major health risks:P I have found some great products though that I order online until I start making my own.They are organic, plant based, chemical free,stored in BPA Free containers, and even produced with solar power right here in the good ol' U.S. of A!

Ever wonder what is in your every day products you use on yourself or you little ones? Definitely check out this website http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

It is most definitely eye opening and SUPER scary! I was absolutely shocked at the things that are sold as safe for baby every day...it's disgusting really! For the most part if you keep your baby in a clean diaper and take a regular bath they don't need any of that market driven superfluous junk on them. G hasn't had a diaper rash in over four months...since we brought him home from the NICU with one anyway. I think he smells amazing without reeking of fake baby powder smell too.I LOVE to bury my face in his neck and just breathe in his baby smell!

The last little overhaul I have made this month is finishing up the last of my chemical cleaners. Anyone that knows me KNOWS how much of a germaphobe and clean freak I am so it has been hard to get over this mental block. I am typically the kind of person who loves the smell of bleach and chlorine and will Lysol you if you stand still long enough! I'm trying to break those habits bit by bit and embrace the world of vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda lol! I have switched the remaining cleaners and detergents to Seventh Generation products which claim to be harmless so here's to hoping. I know they do say "not harmful if swallowed" on the warning labels so that makes me feel better.

Next on the To Do list is making my own laundry detergent. I found a ton of recipes online but they are for the most part the same as follows:

Liquid Detergent
1 quart water (boiling)

2 cups bar soap (grated)
2 cups borax

2 cups washing soda

1. Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.

2. Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the borax and washing soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.

3. Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.

4. Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Once it's cool, add 5 - 7 drops of your favorite essential oil per gallon. Stir the soap each time you use it (it will gel).

Powdered Detergent

2 cups finely grated soap

1 cup washing soda

1 cup borax

1. Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.

2. Use 2 tablespoons per full load.

I read you could use Fels Naptha, Zote or even Ivory soap but I haven't researched them yet to make sure they are safe. I'll post once I get to this next project!

So, for now, this is what I have accomplished this month. I have a ton of projects planned though to get us even farther on our way to a healthier, greener household that I am super excited about. Fingers crossed I can get these seeds sprouted and in the ground in time to produce fruits & veggies for making all my own baby food! Baby steps!

Taking the First Step

Well...as some of you may know I have bid adieu to Corporate America hopefully for the first and last time! I am now home taking care of my little king until he gets a little older and off of his pesky apnea monitor. I have been a busy little daydreamer though...handmade soaps, red worms, compost, OH MY! I have convinced my city slicker hubby to till up a large slab of sod in our back yard and soon will be filling it with lovely organically grown fruits, veggies and herbs and I can't wait! I have been educating myself on organic gardening for a couple weeks and think I am ready to get to digging in the dirt...now to find some good poo lol! I have also been veeeery interested in making my own baby skin care products so I have been learning about that as well. It really disgusts me the crap companies are allowed to bottle up for you to slather all over your little angel and most people have NO idea how bad it is for them! I'll stop there though...it's a little late to start a full out big business rant this evening...errrrr...morning:) So fingers crossed we don't end up in a cardboard box under an overpass somewhere without my paycheck coming in! We are in the process of refinancing the mortgage but I'll save that for another time. Trust me...you'll want to know about that! Anywho, good night to all and sweet dreams, this baby of mine should be up soon to chug a bottle!

Instant mashed potatoes...

So I wanted to keep a running tally on odd cravings I've been having lately. I figured myself for an icecream, chocolate, sweets kind of pregnant lady since those are the things I rarely want to eat. That has not been the case!! So far my odd cravings have been resembling my hangover cravings:

*Ramen Noodles (hellloooo Gordon College circa 2000-2001)
*Instant mashed potatoes...you know the kind you add water to that can double as mortar for housing projects!
*Spring Rolls and Egg Drop Soup...yum!!
*Skittles...I don't eat Skittles normally b/c they make me feel like my jaw is going to pop out of socket
*Pizza, pizza and more pizza (blast you Little Ceasars and your $5 pizzas!)
*Hot Pockets! (I feel like a 10 year old!)
*Salt and Vinegar Kettle Cooked chips...salty sour little bites of Heaven
*Bean burritos and sour cream
*Anything with cheese on it...especially baked potatoes or quesadillas
*Mayfield milk...the closer to whole milk the better!
*Biscuits, bagels, Triscuits, Goldfish, cornbread...carb carb carb!

...and that's been about it so far. Why can't I have a healthy craving that involves some kind of fruit or vegetable...sigh. I always thought I would be one of those nutty moms that would only eat an uber healthy diet of organic fruits and veggies, lean proteins and whole grains only. What happened??? I'm so disappointed in myself! :)The only good thing that has come out of this so far is I have had no cravings for beer or to smoke since I found out for sure I was pregnant. In fact, right now I would rather drink a 20oz bottle of Pepsi than a six pack of Yuengling which is unheard of for me! I cheated last night and took a sip of my hubby's soda in front of the fridge with the door wide open...I almost fell to my knees from the sheer pleasure of it:). I have had a weird aversion to poultry so far..and it took me about 5 weeks to be able to handle any meat in general again...strange! We'll see what the next two trimesters bring.

It's the end of the world as we know it!

Ok ok...I have had "start blogging" on my internal To Do list for such a long time now. I have just been so busy with life that I haven't had time to put it in words...which is crazy considering I sit on my butt at work 8 hours a day and find time to check Facebook every 30 minutes (which is all just beside the point)! Anyway, I figure there is no time like the present especially with all this new stuff going on that I don't want to forget about. So my first story I'm going to share is about what I like to refer to as "D Day" a.k.a. the day I found out I was preggers.

So, as some of you may know I didn't particularly want children...oh sure I had grand visions of adoption 5 or so years from now when I was settled down and...well...done with my own life but NOT anytime soon! We were having so much fun with our little tribe of friends who didn't particularly care to have children either that it was the last thing on my mind. We had cookouts, boating outings, drunken weekend getaways and camping trips, concerts and festivals, nights out acting like fools...you know the usual comings and goings of your typical foot loose and fancy free youngish adult crowd! Everything was awesome and we were having such a great time this summer and then I started feeling REALLY tired all the time. There were a few weeks where I would come home from work and literally crawl right into the bed without eating dinner and go to sleep. Then the stomach issues begin...gagging and dry heaving for no reason...feeling sick to my stomach all day long. Ok so some of you are saying "Ding , ding, ding...here's your sign!" right? Well, my excuse is that I was told I would not be able to conceive on my own and I was not feeling sick at all in the mornings...I mean who knew "morning" sickness doesn't REALLY mean in the mornings only? Another weird but not SO weird sympton was my vastly increasing cup size. I remember standing in the mirror one night and saying something about it to my hubby. He said "Yes, they have been getting so much bigger since you have been gaining weight." Yes...20 pounds in one year actually...thanks for noticing lol! So again...odd but not so weird that it set off sirens in my head. Obviously, I was in the denial stage. Then came the late period...dunh dunh dunhhhh. I finally gave in and bought a test after spending the previous evening swearing up and down to my family that there was NO WAY IN HELL I was pregnant while the women folk just chuckled to themselves and looked at me all knowingly. So, I come home from work and pee on this test...the second line in the window immediately shows up before I can even finish! I was literally blown away like I had been gut punched. I scramble for the phone and call my best friend and my sister but no one answers so I sit start pacing around the house in circles sobbing my heart out. Then my husband comes home and I run outside to meet him before he even gets in the door. I am choking I am crying so hard at this point and I demand that he goes back to the store and get a different brand of pregnancy test b/c obviously this one was not working correctly. He then speeds out of the driveway and comes right back home with a new test that I race inside with praying to whatever god is out there to let it be negative. Same thing again...the line shows up immediately even though I am huddled over the test still on the toilet with my pants around my ankles crying my eyes out. Anyway, to make a loooong story short my husband was ecstatic...I was not to say the least but I'm coming around. I even made him call my own mother to tell her because I couldn't even say the words. In fact, I went around saying I was "knocked up" instead of pregnant for weeks and weeks! I got so many phone calls and emails that said "Congrats...?" All I can think about now is that this is the story I get to tell my child when they ask me what I did when I found out I was pregnant. Poor baby!!! How do you make up for that lol???