My Mellow Mei Tai

"Oh my goodness. I love the Mei tai. It is so beautiful and very well made. I can't wait to learn to use it and it smells so wonderful. How cute is it. E loves it." -Heidi


There is nothing that I enjoy more than hearing happy feedback from a mama and her baby that love their new carrier. I have come up with a design that I not only would share with others, including my closest of friends, but also one that I would use myself for my own children and I do! I hope that they get many hours of use out of their Mellow Mei Tai! 

Baby wearing

So I am proud to say that I have been accused of being a baby wearer. I could careless if I'm implicated of spoiling my babies. As my grandparents always say, "Our kids aren't spoiled they are loved a lot." Baby wearing is a great way to form a bond and experience an overwhelming feeling of constant love. There are many benefits to baby wearing. Babies who are worn by their mothers have been proven to be less fussy babies. Studies have shown that over all they cry much less. Even in the evening hours babies are said to be much more content if they were worn for at least 2 hours during the day. Since, we co-sleep there is hardly a moment when my youngest is put down. Now, this would be exhausting and nearly impossible with out my carriers. My youngest daughter is one of the most easy going and happy babies I know. So this has proven to be true in my experience. Baby wearing promotes healthy, secure attachments between the babies and their caregivers. Physical interaction boosts maternal responsiveness and aids in a baby trusting their caregivers. A mothers scent becomes calming and familiar. Her voice is a beautiful song. Her heartbeat is soothing. Baby wearing benefits a mothers relationship with her young child. To me this is reason enough to hold my babies close to my heart day in and day out.

Living as a mama with RA or Lupus

Being a mama is hard work. It requires bending, moving, running, heavy lifting and the list goes on. From sun up until sun down, moving quickly is a necessity. Flipping the pancakes at breakfast, lifting up the baby from the crib, reaching for the plates in the cupboard, bending down to get the juice out of the fridge, twisting the top on a sippy cup, lifting up the toddler to help her wash her hands, bending down to put the baby in her bouncer, lifting the toddler into her high chair, carrying the plates with food over to the table and this is only before breakfast! Needless to say, my body is sore by the end of the day. Arthritis and other inflammatory diseases are hard to live with. They cause a struggle of pain and agony every day. You suffer with deformity, swelling, pain and stiffness. The mornings are the worst. Seasonal changes aggravate it. It can be debilitating at times, but children never stop needing you. You can't put their needs on hold until you are feeling better. You have to push through the pain even on your worst days. If you're anything like me, you have tried all sorts of pain medication and none of it works 100% of the time. The pain always comes back and is usually much worse than before. It is because you are masking the pain and not curing it. Besides that, if you are nursing or breast feeding many of the medications aren't safe to use. I have a few natural alternatives for you to try. Trust me, it is worth it!
There are so many natural options for people with arthritis, many of them date years back. Medications and treatments have become so complicated! Let's go back to the basics. Start with your diet. Eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, especially antioxidants and Vitamin E will make a drastic difference.  Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to keep your symptoms at bay. Foods that are high in Beta-Cryptoxanthin, such as grapefruit, butternut squash, apricots or pumpkins, are great for your bones and cartilage. Foods high in Alkaline have also been said to balance pH levels and help reduce inflammation. A healthy lifestyle starts at the foods we consume.
Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish oil, flax-seed, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Omega 3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation caused by autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis and Lupus. Several studies have shown a reduction in the need for corticosteroids in patients who used fish oil supplements, which are high in Omega 3's. Evening Primrose oil is another great supplement that I swear by for myself. I would tell anyone who is suffering through pain caused by arthritis to try one of these supplements and see what works best for you. And since we know that pregnancy, lack of sleep and breast feeding can cause flare ups, adjustments to your daily life may be necessary. Keep in mind that mothers with Arthritis, Lupus and Fibromyalgia are far more likely to have postpartum depression. Eating a balanced diet, getting rest and allowing others to help will notably decrease the risk of postpartum depression. 
Diet and supplements in combination with regular non-strenuous exercise can significantly decrease the need for other invasive medications and improve quality of life. We have talked a little about diet and natural remedies, but have you tried a nice hot bath? I know how hard it is to find time for yourself as a mama, but an Epsom salt bath can be soothing and help with immediate pain. Remember, if mama is happy and healthy, everyone in the house will be happy! 

Taco Pie

Tonight we had taco pie. It was super simple to make. I baked my crescent rolls rolled out into a pan based on the package directions, while I browned the hamburger meat. I added the packet of taco sauce and water. Then I took the pie crust out of the oven and added the hamburger meat, crushed taco shells and cheese to it. Then I put it back in for a few minutes to let the cheese melt. I would love to adjust the recipe some to make it healthier and gluten free. It wouldn't be too hard with the right ingredients. This month, though, I am just working on inexpensive and easy meals. Next month I will work on making them healthier! It turned out great. I am such a picky eater, but I must say that I enjoyed it.

Mashed Potato Pie

Now, although I am trying very hard to buy as naturally and organically as possible, it is very spendy and we can't always afford it. Last night I bought 80lbs of hamburger from Sam's at $2.09/lb. I thought that was a great deal! It beats the $7.49/lb for organic grass fed beef. While I do feel it is healthier, for the time being this will suffice. At least we are staying away from the Pink Slime!
With 80lbs of hamburger, I guess we will be eating a lot of meals with beef! It was a good start to the month of food on a budget though. Tonight we had Mashed Potato Pie. Mashed up Potatoes, beef, beef gravy and corn all baked together. The family loved it and it cost me less than $5 to make! We can't even do that on the dollar menu! ;)
I have accepted the fact that while we need to make the best possible choices for our families health, we also need to be realistic. We avoid chemicals, preservatives, even gluten and dairy as much as possible, but if we were to cut out every thing that is in some way bad for us, there would be nothing left! We are just taking it day by day. I am happy with today though. Dinner was a success!

Becoming a blogger

Writing my blog has become a way to track my progress on becoming a better person. Today's technologies have made it possible for me to easily look back at my progress and share it with others! It amazes me how much I once thought I wanted to accomplish. It also amazes me at everything I have accomplished! I think the best lesson to learn from this is that some times we just don't know where we need to be or what we want to do. There is nothing wrong with that. Life is a learning PROCESS. Unlike in The Matrix, it takes time to learn and grow. Just let go and take time.

Food Budget

It sure is hard to stay on budget, isn't it?!? Now I am trying desperately not to beat myself up over my short comings, but none of us are perfect. Right?!
This month we are giving it another go at our budget. Basically the same as last months, but with a little more stipulations. We are spending $100 a week on groceries and $100 and month on miscellaneous. I think that by breaking the budget down, it won't tempt us to spend money on some thing at the begining of the month to be short by the end of the month on some thing else. I have learned that the single most best thing for saving money is planning. Plan everything. Heck, you can even plan to be sponteneous! Nothing wrong with that. The biggest errors in my budget have been the days that I simply did not have a plan for our meals or activities for the day. We got bored and spent money we wouldn't have otherwise spent.
The things I have learned through this whole experience is make a plan and stick to it, avoid getting bored and don't beat yourself up if there are hiccups in your journey.

The BIG arrival!

Our newest addition, Willow Anne Lane made her grand entrance on January 15th, 2012 at 6:32pm. She weighed 6lbs 12oz and was 19in long. We have enjoyed every moment with her for the past two weeks. It has been joyous. But I must be honest, I have not been doing the best on staying on track of my goals. How could I?! Look at that face!

The newest recipe that I HAVE to try

Apple Crisp

•4 big apples or8 small - peeled, cored and sliced
•1/2 cup of brown sugar
•1 cup of all purpose flour
•3/4 cup of white sugar
•1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon of salt
•1 egg, beaten
•2 tablespoons of butter, melted
Directions



1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2.In a 9 inch square baking pan, mix sliced apples with brown sugar. In a large bowl, mix together flour, white sugar, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl, beat together egg and melted butter. Stir into flour mixutre. Spread evenly over apples.
3.Bake in heated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until topping is golden and crisp.

Take it as it comes...

I am learning to worry less about how I am going to accomplish everything. It is pointless. There are so many unknowns in the world. Relax and live a little. So my message for today is just TAKE IT AS IT COMES!

$450 budget?!?!

We decided last night that for the month of Feb. we are going to have a $450 food budget for our family of 6 for the entire month of Feb. including eating out. This is going to take a lot of planning, since we are used to having a $1000+ to spend in food. We want to start saving larger amounts to buy our future house and food is the only thing we CAN cut back on.

Here is the start to my Two week meal plan. Now, it is just a start, because I am transitioning my family into healthy eating! =)

SNACKS: 2-3 snacks a day, usually fruit, raw veggies and dip, yogurt, cookies, crackers, etc.


Week One:
Sunday

Breakfast: French toast, scrambled eggs and bacon with juice
Lunch: mac n cheese and hot dogs
Dinner: pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans

Monday

Breakfast: oatmeal and a banana
Lunch: sandwiches and soup
Dinner: tacos

Tuesday

Breakfast: cereal, fruit
Lunch: Salad
Dinner: Beef Stew, rolls, veggies

Wednesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal or cereal with milk
Lunch: Deviled eggs/hard boiled eggs sandwiches and fruit
Dinner: Chicken and rice burritos

Thursday

Breakfast: oatmeal or cereal
Lunch: leftovers from burrito
Dinner: Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti noodles and garlic bread

Friday

Breakfast: toast with peanut butter and banana slices, milk
Lunch: Leftovers from dinner, or sandwiches
Dinner: Hamburgers, fries and "malts"

Saturday

Breakfast: omelets
Lunch: grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup
Dinner: Pizza Hut night!


Week Two:
Sunday

Breakfast: pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon with juice
Lunch: Ramen
Dinner: Chicken cheesy rice

Monday

Breakfast: oatmeal and a banana
Lunch: sandwiches and soup
Dinner: Chinese food with rice (homemade)

Tuesday

Breakfast: cereal, fruit
Lunch: mac n cheese with hot dogs
Dinner: spaghetti and meat balls with rolls

Wednesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal or cereal with milk
Lunch: left overs
Dinner: chicken Cesar wraps, fruit

Thursday

Breakfast: oatmeal or cereal
Lunch: sandwiches, chips
Dinner: chicken Alfredo

Friday

Breakfast: blueberry muffins, fruit
Lunch: Leftovers from dinner, or sandwiches
Dinner: Hamburgers, fries and "malts"

Saturday

Breakfast: ham and cheese omelets
Lunch: Mac n cheese, mixed fruit
Dinner: Mcdonalds!

Post to self-

This year, Work on letting go of others judgements! Be the parent you want to be.

Then next year, you can work on teaching others how to be more understanding, once you are strong enough to be the person you want to be!
TO A BETTER YEAR; 2012!

Goals for the New Year!

So after updating my Facebook status, I have decided that my first goal needs to be "becoming more decisive". I was slacking already in the new year, because I couldn't decide what I should plan for 2012. I know there are so many things that I want for my future, but you can't bite off more than you can chew! The hard part is deciding what are the most important things that I want to accomplish this year without fail.
An important one that is worth mentioning:
"No yelling"
This last year has been tough, but it has been the year of answers. We learned that Douglas has Autism and we have a better understanding of some of the behaviors now. Typical discipline just doesn't work for our kids. Yelling and time outs just wear the parents out. So one of my biggest goals is to tone down the stern voice. I think it will be difficult. I always feel so much pressure from the outside world to correct the kids behaviors, but I need to do what is best for my family regardless how others may judge me.
That leads me to my next goal:
"Worry less about what others think of me!"
I make my life's decisions based on what others might say or have said. This ties in with my first two goals, because if I was more decisive I would not allow others to make decisions for me and I could parent the way I choose.
For now, I am going to start with that. I need to think some more about what things are most important to ME.