Thursday, June 10, 2010
Pizza Cutter to the rescue
Emme started eating solid foods months and months ago, and we have now settled into a routine of various staples, including pancakes, quesadillas, grilled cheese sandwiches and various frittatas. She can't really bite any of these yet given that she still only has two little teeth, so I always cut these into little squares for her to feed herself. I always used my sharpest knives for cutting up her food but found that my good knives were going dull from pressing into the cutting board! One day, I happened to have the pizza cutter out and gave it a try. It worked perfectly! Since then, I cut up almost all of her food with the pizza cutter-- It works really well! Give it a try!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Make Room for Baby!
I have a very good friend, Ranee, after whom I have modeled many of my parenting techniques and who has taught me endless tips to take better care of Emme. Ranee's son is almost a year older than Emme so she has lots of wonderful experience on her side! Ranee is also extremely organized and neat which fills me with envy every time I go to see her. Hoping for some more helpful advice, I was moaning to her the other day about the space issue that I have encountered lately: basically Emme's stuff multiplies and spreads on almost a daily basis and it is getting harder to find places to put it all! Ranee usually has such helpful advice, but this time, she commiserated with me! She opened cabinet after cabinet in her kitchen and showed me the same problem that I have, which is basically, baby plates, bowls, cups and various utensils in every available space on her cupboard shelves!
I went home and analyzed my shelves and found that this same issue has not only affected my kitchen cupboards, but also my linen closet and pantry as well. The problem is that I never organized my cabinets to make room for all the incoming items, but instead, pushed existing items aside and squeezed in new items as they came in. I'd like to think that if I had a "nesting period" before Emme came, I might have gotten a bit more organized, but I really didn't foresee the kind of space I would need (that and being organized ahead of time is not really my style). So here is my advice, particularly for those moms to be: Make Room for Baby! As Ranee and I discussed, it is much harder to get something as tedious as organizing shelves accomplished when you have a curious baby or toddler around.
This can certainly be challenging if you don't have a lot of cabinet space to start with, but it will really save you on headaches to come. Baby blankets and towels stack up! Babies need plates, bowls, sippy cups, snack cups, utensils and bottles galore! They will also have snack foods, (cheerios being the most popular in our home right now), juice bottles and formula or jarred foods. The worst trouble I have faced is that I have been making my own baby food for Emme, which requires freezing, but my freezer is already jam packed. In taking a look at Ranee's freezer, I also realized that frozen foods are going to continue to play a big part in feeding Emme over the next year or more, so it is time to clear out the old to make room for the new!
The ideal situation would be to completely clear a shelf in your cupboards, pantry, freezer and any other place that you use for storage, and save that space exclusively for your baby. Don't worry if those shelves look dismally bare at first! You will appreciate that space when your baby starts solid foods as that will be a time when your supply needs will jump. It is also good to have shelf space available for when you start buying those wipes and diapers in the bulk packages because let's face it, those pretty changing tables/dressers don't hold all that much.
The added bonus of being organized is that when you pack for baby, either for an outing or a longer trip, you will have everything that you might need at your fingertips, rather than spread all about. It is also a great way to help your husband find things when you aren't around as even he can't miss a delegated shelf! If you're like me and are already seemingly too entrenched in using available nooks and crannies, then I suggest baby steps. Try tackling one shelf at a time, and if anything has been sitting on a shelf unused for more than a year, chances are it is expired or expendable, so go ahead and move it out to make room for baby! Good Luck!
I went home and analyzed my shelves and found that this same issue has not only affected my kitchen cupboards, but also my linen closet and pantry as well. The problem is that I never organized my cabinets to make room for all the incoming items, but instead, pushed existing items aside and squeezed in new items as they came in. I'd like to think that if I had a "nesting period" before Emme came, I might have gotten a bit more organized, but I really didn't foresee the kind of space I would need (that and being organized ahead of time is not really my style). So here is my advice, particularly for those moms to be: Make Room for Baby! As Ranee and I discussed, it is much harder to get something as tedious as organizing shelves accomplished when you have a curious baby or toddler around.
This can certainly be challenging if you don't have a lot of cabinet space to start with, but it will really save you on headaches to come. Baby blankets and towels stack up! Babies need plates, bowls, sippy cups, snack cups, utensils and bottles galore! They will also have snack foods, (cheerios being the most popular in our home right now), juice bottles and formula or jarred foods. The worst trouble I have faced is that I have been making my own baby food for Emme, which requires freezing, but my freezer is already jam packed. In taking a look at Ranee's freezer, I also realized that frozen foods are going to continue to play a big part in feeding Emme over the next year or more, so it is time to clear out the old to make room for the new!
The ideal situation would be to completely clear a shelf in your cupboards, pantry, freezer and any other place that you use for storage, and save that space exclusively for your baby. Don't worry if those shelves look dismally bare at first! You will appreciate that space when your baby starts solid foods as that will be a time when your supply needs will jump. It is also good to have shelf space available for when you start buying those wipes and diapers in the bulk packages because let's face it, those pretty changing tables/dressers don't hold all that much.
The added bonus of being organized is that when you pack for baby, either for an outing or a longer trip, you will have everything that you might need at your fingertips, rather than spread all about. It is also a great way to help your husband find things when you aren't around as even he can't miss a delegated shelf! If you're like me and are already seemingly too entrenched in using available nooks and crannies, then I suggest baby steps. Try tackling one shelf at a time, and if anything has been sitting on a shelf unused for more than a year, chances are it is expired or expendable, so go ahead and move it out to make room for baby! Good Luck!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Wee Wee Pads: Not just for your pet!
A very good friend (and fellow Mommy) helped me to register at Babies R' Us before my baby shower last year. This proved so helpful for me since there were so many things I had no idea I would need! Not to mention that knowing the lay of the land of a Babies R' Us is information that will come in handy time and time again. That same friend came to my shower and brought me all the little items on my registry, including saline nose spray and mylicon gas drops, that most of my friends might not think to reach for (as opposed to those cute little dresses), but that any mom will be happily reaching for in their baby's time of need!
I have gotten great use out of most everything that I had registered for, but the items that are really worth passing on are those that I received at the baby shower that hadn't been on my list. One fellow Mom brought me a pack of Blue "Wee Wee" pads. If you've never had a puppy before, you might not be familiar with these, but they are basically large cotton squares that have a plastic lining on the back. They are meant to catch your puppy's piddles until they are potty trained. Once you've had a baby, these will be more familiar as the hospital uses similar pads when you are in labor. When I saw these pads, I thanked the mommy profusely and smiled as she explained that they were to be used as liners on Emme's changing table, but I honestly didn't think I would be putting them to much use.
Fast forward to those first days after we brought Emme home, and two or three accidents on that changing table later, and suddenly I was pulling those pads out of the closet! The pads are fantastic because they are absorbent and disposable and nice and big so that the corners can be used to wipe or cover your baby if you need a quick and handy towel. Not only that, but they fold up really tight and are easy to fit in a diaper bag or even a purse. They can be used on public changing tables and are great for traveling. Where they have been the very best is those changes in the car when there is a surprise dirty diaper; the white surface and flexibility that you can get from the cloth like pads ensure that you can see and contain any stray "contaminants"! My husband really liked having them because in those first days when he was still learning how to change diapers, he would get a lot of anxiety about getting the changing table pad dirty. Needless to say, we used every one of the pads, and were soon back at Babies R' Us, looking for some more. But here's the thing: Babies R' Us doesn't carry them! You will need to go to your local pet store to find a pack, which, if you don't have a pet, could definitely be a stop out of your way, but it is well worth it because you will use them!
One important note: If your baby is older and already rolling over, you may not be able to use these on your home changing table. We don't anymore because Emme likes to grab the corners and roll up the pads which makes things harder rather than easier!
I have gotten great use out of most everything that I had registered for, but the items that are really worth passing on are those that I received at the baby shower that hadn't been on my list. One fellow Mom brought me a pack of Blue "Wee Wee" pads. If you've never had a puppy before, you might not be familiar with these, but they are basically large cotton squares that have a plastic lining on the back. They are meant to catch your puppy's piddles until they are potty trained. Once you've had a baby, these will be more familiar as the hospital uses similar pads when you are in labor. When I saw these pads, I thanked the mommy profusely and smiled as she explained that they were to be used as liners on Emme's changing table, but I honestly didn't think I would be putting them to much use.
Fast forward to those first days after we brought Emme home, and two or three accidents on that changing table later, and suddenly I was pulling those pads out of the closet! The pads are fantastic because they are absorbent and disposable and nice and big so that the corners can be used to wipe or cover your baby if you need a quick and handy towel. Not only that, but they fold up really tight and are easy to fit in a diaper bag or even a purse. They can be used on public changing tables and are great for traveling. Where they have been the very best is those changes in the car when there is a surprise dirty diaper; the white surface and flexibility that you can get from the cloth like pads ensure that you can see and contain any stray "contaminants"! My husband really liked having them because in those first days when he was still learning how to change diapers, he would get a lot of anxiety about getting the changing table pad dirty. Needless to say, we used every one of the pads, and were soon back at Babies R' Us, looking for some more. But here's the thing: Babies R' Us doesn't carry them! You will need to go to your local pet store to find a pack, which, if you don't have a pet, could definitely be a stop out of your way, but it is well worth it because you will use them!
One important note: If your baby is older and already rolling over, you may not be able to use these on your home changing table. We don't anymore because Emme likes to grab the corners and roll up the pads which makes things harder rather than easier!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Always put away baby's toys at night
As I was nursing my little one tonight, my mind was wandering. I was thinking about trying to solve the problem of steamed plums that came out too tart while at the same time, surveying Emme's bedroom floor and seeing all her little toys scattered outside of her toy bucket. As I looked, I remembered that a fellow mom had been to my house for a Christmas party and told me her Trick: Always put away Baby's Toys at night. She then proceeded to put all of Emme's toys in her little toy bin. At the time, I replied, "Oh don't bother, they will only all be pulled out tomorrow!" She tried to explain to me that it was a good habit to start as it sticks with your children as they get older (her daughter is now almost 3), but I just laughed and chased her out of the room. It was a party after all :)
I will admit that I am not the tidiest person in the world and I am not going to be a hypocrite and start demanding this of my child. Not that Emme is even old enough to "clean up" anyway, being only 9 months, but I don't think that was really the point. Instead of being open to her idea, my reaction was defensive. Another Mom suggested I do things differently, and I felt that maybe I was doing things wrong. But then sitting there nursing and looking at the scattered toys, I thought back to the Toys comment and let it sink in that it is a great habit to get Emme into! It would only take a minute or two to load the blocks and various little toys into her toy bin, and maybe I can build habits in Emme that could carry over to me as well. Not to mention that it is never too early to start thinking about how to make my life easier in the future! A neat child can only be a blessing :)
So starting tomorrow, I am going to put the toys rule into effect. Who knows, maybe a few months from now, I'll be able to blag (blog brag) about what a neat and tidy child I have!
This may seem like a silly trick to start this blog with, but it really defines what I am trying to accomplish. It seems like every time I hang out with another mom, I pick up some useful piece of advice that I hadn't thought of before. I too have come up with a couple tips over these last 9 months that I wouldn't mind consolidating in one place. With this blog, I can be reminded of the advice that I found especially valuable and post it as a reference for myself and all my friends who will undoubtedly follow with babies soon!
Oh, and after a little internet research, I decided to add Agave syrup to my batch of steamed plums to tame the sour edge, as several sites said it was safe for babies. I usually use grape juice but I didn't have any on hand. I just happened to have some Agave Syrup and I wasn't ready to break out the white sugar just yet. I think Emme is still a little too young!
I will admit that I am not the tidiest person in the world and I am not going to be a hypocrite and start demanding this of my child. Not that Emme is even old enough to "clean up" anyway, being only 9 months, but I don't think that was really the point. Instead of being open to her idea, my reaction was defensive. Another Mom suggested I do things differently, and I felt that maybe I was doing things wrong. But then sitting there nursing and looking at the scattered toys, I thought back to the Toys comment and let it sink in that it is a great habit to get Emme into! It would only take a minute or two to load the blocks and various little toys into her toy bin, and maybe I can build habits in Emme that could carry over to me as well. Not to mention that it is never too early to start thinking about how to make my life easier in the future! A neat child can only be a blessing :)
So starting tomorrow, I am going to put the toys rule into effect. Who knows, maybe a few months from now, I'll be able to blag (blog brag) about what a neat and tidy child I have!
This may seem like a silly trick to start this blog with, but it really defines what I am trying to accomplish. It seems like every time I hang out with another mom, I pick up some useful piece of advice that I hadn't thought of before. I too have come up with a couple tips over these last 9 months that I wouldn't mind consolidating in one place. With this blog, I can be reminded of the advice that I found especially valuable and post it as a reference for myself and all my friends who will undoubtedly follow with babies soon!
Oh, and after a little internet research, I decided to add Agave syrup to my batch of steamed plums to tame the sour edge, as several sites said it was safe for babies. I usually use grape juice but I didn't have any on hand. I just happened to have some Agave Syrup and I wasn't ready to break out the white sugar just yet. I think Emme is still a little too young!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)