Jan 30, 2010

Bathtime

Bathtime used to be a calming, zen-like experience, designed to help ensure a restful sleep... some things you just can't control, why bother!

This is our new "big girl" bathtub - $14.99 @ Walmart. Munchkin brand. It's wicked! Jane loves it, it's super comfy for her and, if you squeeze the "beak" it quacks! tee hee hee. Definitely recommend if your baby bathtub is getting a little too restrictive for your playful monkey!

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Jan 29, 2010

Baby Gates Solution

Jane's getting to the age where she's going to start to crawl. She's been getting herself up on all fours for the last 3 weeks now and, lately, it seems like it's all she wants to do... now she just needs to learn to go forward. Or does she? Part of me is excited for this new stage and the other part is dreading it. Right now, I can plunk Jane down on the floor in her playroom and cook supper or clean the kitchen and not worry too much about tripping over her. Once the crawling starts... life will change. Like I said, the other part can't wait to see her develop!

Over the holidays we started thinking about baby gates among other things (e.g. putting the crib mattress lower). Problem with our house is that both stairway entries (is there a better name for this that my brain is not allowing me to remember?) have one side wall and the other side pretty-posty-thingy (I am 100% positive that there is a better name for this that I can't remember).

So, we bought the pressure mounted Safety 1st gates and here was our problem:
  • Because one side was a fancy post, the pressure mounts wouldn't securely hit the post
  • Because the wall side had a molding, once again the pressure mounts wouldn't hit the wall evenly
So, my dad built the following solution (see pictures). I know there are other baby gates out there that we could have used but these were the ones be bought and, I'm pretty sure, are the most common. With our solution, these gates are SO sturdy! They are definitely not going anywhere. Thought I'd let ya know in case you have these gates or similar, a similar issue and are looking for a solution! I plan on painting them white to give it a more finished look but only God knows when I'll get around to that, if ever. Another benefit to this "fix" is that it's not permanent. We don't plan on living in this house forever and even if we did, plans change, so you don't want to do something permanent that can't be fixed up with a bit of putty and paint (e.g. screwing into your beautiful hardwood stair posty-thingy).

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Jan 28, 2010

Big Girl Seat

FYI... great deal.

We just bought Jane her "big girl" car seat - a convertible - as she's quickly approaching the height limit on her Graco Car seat that came with our travel system.


One of the
top rated Convertible Car Seats is the Britax Marathon - consistently at the top of all the lists I found online. On Babies-R-Us it's $350 including tax and shipping (Canadian) but we got ours at Baby Proofing Plus for $250 tax included and free shipping in Canada.

Wanted to give y'all a heads-up as this is an AWESOME price for this car seat - and, like I said, it's one of the best out there.

If you're in the market, this is worth buying now.

Rear-facing weight limit: 30lbs
- which is awesome as a few articles I read online said the longer they can stay rear-facing, the safer they are.
Forward-facing weight limit: 65lbs (insanely fabulous)

Height limit: 49"


UPDATE: Got a few questions on whether or not this seat was approved for use in Canada - some car seats are not tested in Canada or do not meet our requirements but are approved in the US. I heard back from BabyProofingPlus.com and, YES, this Britax car seat and all the car seats on their site are approved and properly stickered for use in Canada.

Today's regular post below :)

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Baby Food 101

A few of you fabulous ladies passed along this great site, wholesomebabyfood.com, with awesome recipes and info on safe storage of homemade foods, etc. Thanks! Definitely worth checking out!

Here's another great "recipe" that I used to introduce meat to Janers:

Sweet Potatoes and Chicken:
(I say "recipe" cause it's serious rocket science)

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in slices
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed - 2" cubes or so

Boil it all together for 20-30 mins, until sweet potatoes are soft and chicken is well cooked.
Strain it and keep a cup or two of your boiling water from the pot.
Blend together, starting with 1 cup of your boiling water and adding until you reach the desired consistency.
Freeze in ice cube trays - my recipe filled two ice cube trays but it depends on the size of your chicken boobies and potatoes!

As I said in Solid Savvy, when introducing this recipe to Jane, I first mixed it 1/2 and 1/2 with cereal to dilute the taste in case she wasn't a big fan. After a week, she loved it!

Notes:
When I say "your boiling water" I mean the water you used to cook the food in... not really hot water.
Be careful! These foods are super hot so be REALLY careful when cooking, blending, etc. Keep babes away! If you prefer, cool before blending.
Jane is scared to death of the blender so be forewarned... blending/processing may make babies cry! :(


More recipes to come...

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PS - Another FAB Giveaway coming this Monday... SkinFix! Check back for details!

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Jan 27, 2010

Weigh-in Wednesday

Dear Lord, I've gotten myself in over my head now... Save yourselves!

I'm starting
Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred... and shred is about the perfect description of what I want to do to this DVD at this point. :p

Y'all know I've been saying for like 500 months now that I need to exercise. I got this DVD when I was still pregnant, knowing, eventually, I'd want to get myself back into shape. I can't dislike myself any longer. I want to be proud of myself again and get back to being confident, sexy, me. Oh yes, I said sexy. Cause that's what this is all about - Operation
Bringing Sexy Back Baby! I am SOOOO cool!

The 30 Day Shred is currently numero uno on
Amazon.com's Bestselling DVDs. Not surprising, being that it's January and basically the whole world decides come January 1st to lose weight. Regardless, I've read quite a few reviews and it seems to be a good bet. PLUS, and my fav part, the videos are only 20-30 mins each which is totally doable and fits my in-between-naps schedule.

Here's the "to dos" for the 30 Day Shred:

(1) Take you measurements - Measure each arm (thickest part), each thigh (thickest part), upper waist (smallest), lower waist (at your belly button), and your hips (biggest part). I did this. To my shock and dismay, I am not the 36-24-36 that I envisioned beforehand! :p

(2) Get your
DVD and set aside about 30 minutes EVERY DAY (oh Dear Lord) for the workout. Apparently, and I quote, "It's very difficult in the beginning because you will be so sore, it will hurt to live." Awesome. I remember kind of liking the pain after a good workout but that was when I wasn't required to do much besides lie on the couch afterward (i.e. pre-Mommy).
(3) Start with 3lb or 5lb dumbbells depending on your fitness level - I'm starting with negative weight. I'm actually having Dan lift my arms for me! ha ha ha.

(4) There are three levels of difficultly (I was actually going to put "1, 2 and 3" after that first sentence... like it wasn't obvious. No, they'd be levels 1, 4 and 22!). You start with level one (duh) and, ideally, every 10 days move up a level until you're at 3. We'll see how well that works with the whole "hurt[ing] to live" thing.

(5) At the end of 30 days, take your measurements again. Even if you haven't made it to level three, you're supposed to see some good results - typically around 10 lbs.


30 days. 30 days. I can do 30 days can't I? I'm half tempted just to see if I can stick to it, not even because of the weight-loss potential... just to see if I can start it without quitting. It'll be harder to quit now that I've posted about it and included pictures cause I'm relying on y'all to hold me to it! We're expecting some results in 30 days ladies!
BTW, the pictures are hideous. I'm thinking if I post really horrible looking pics of myself today and then get myself prettied up for the final photos, then y'all won't notice if I didn't lose a pound! :p Not really true but sounds better than - I was too lazy to put on makeup and brush my hair! :)

Anyways, here are my stats for pre-shred:

Starting WIW weight: 157 lbs

Starting Shred weight: 145 lbs

Pounds lost since WIW start: 12 lbs

Pounds to lose: 7 lbs


As I said, save yourselfs... or join me. :p

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*Note - this WIW post was written on Monday, pre-shred start.

Update #1 - First day of the shred done. It was hard. Not as hard as I expected but afterward, my legs were a little shaky walking back upstairs. Tomorrow should be interesting.

Update #2 - Was a little sore in my legs, abs and chest today when I woke up. Then, I had to do the shred again. I found the exercise easier, somehow, today (I was pushin' it more) but my body was hurting a lot more too. Tonight my body is KILLING me, I can barely move! :p

Update #3 - Morning number 3. On scale of 1 to 10, body hurting at a 5ish, so not bad. A lot better than I expected after barely being able to move last night. We'll see how I feel later this morning after the workout.

BTW, the workout is pretty wicked - I LOVE that it's only 20 mins. It's really hard to not do it when it's only 20 mins!

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Jan 26, 2010

Stranger Anxiety

At Christmas, we experienced our first few episodes of stranger anxiety with Jane. Apparently stranger anxiety usually sets in around 8-9 months but can start as early as 6 months.

Interestingly, her anxiety was completely unpredictable. For example, on Boxing Day, we went to my brother's house for dinner and Jane didn't react at all to my bro, sis-in-law or niece. She was happy as a lark (kind of, cause that was the day after the first night of no sleep and the start of my
Zombie Christmas).

The next day, my parents arrived from Toronto. As soon as they came through the door, she caught a glimpse of them and the look on her face was priceless. It was concern-fear-curiosity all in one. Immediately, she looked at me to see my reaction - I smiled and purposely talked in a super happy voice, knowing what her expression meant (which seemed to prevent the crying). But when Grammy or Poppy reached for her, she clung to me and the bottom lip started to pucker outwards.

As much as I felt bad for her anxiety of these "new people" (to her anyways), I had to admit, I kind of enjoyed the feeling of her needing me. I mean, she's always needed me but I hadn't really noticed over the past few months that she really recognized me (cause it's always just me and her) and that she knew I was Mommy and I would "protect" her.


Five seconds later and some high-pitched talking from Grammy and she was over it. Took her a little while longer to warm up to Pops but it's obviously something to do with men because it became quite clear over the holidays that women didn't worry her as much as these taller, deeper-voiced, bigger people with short hair! :p

Later that day, we added a mustache into the mix and she was never sold on that. Poor Graham (our good family friend)... he just loves kids and is so great with them and Jane just wasn't open to the man with hair on his face! :p Soon as she'd see him she'd get that face again... no crying, just the face (see picture). ha ha ha.

As far as dealing with stranger anxiety - my advice, slowly! Don't scare your babe even worse by brushing off their fears and throwing them into the arms of someone they are obviously concerned about. Wait it out. Let them see you interact with the person. Slowly have them interact with the person.

My Mom was great. She kept putting her arms out towards Jane to see if Jane would reach for her. The first few times, Jane would tuck further into me but after a few tries, you could tell she was open to it and that was the end of it. My girlfriend, Emily, also kept her distance at first... slowly and slowly getting closer, then touching her and eventually Jane was all over her! Other than that, don't get embarrassed or uncomfortable because of it. I mean, it makes you feel bad when someone (especially your parents) come to visit, and your baby cries at the sight of them! But what are ya gonna do about it? That's life and this is a stage of it!

Oh, add baseball caps to the mustache fear... both Jane and my niece, Anna, are not fans of the baseball cap! Who the heck is under there?!?!? :p

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PS - Check under Giveaways to see if you're the lucky winner of our Burt's Bees Giveaway!

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Jan 25, 2010

Wonder-ful Bumpers

Previously, I have discussed Bumper Pads and why, in my experience, I understood the dangers of them...especially when Jane was a newborn. Although a bumper pad came with my crib bedding, I immediately put it in the linen closet, knowing it was recommended not to use bumper pads to help prevent SIDS.

However, as she's gotten bigger and started rolling around, I've sometimes reconsidered the bumper pad. I regularly put Jane to sleep awake and, before her naps, she usually plays around in her crib for 20 mins or so before falling asleep. I cannot tell you the number of times that she has bonked her head on her crib rails. Also, a few days ago, she was up playing before naptime and suddenly I heard a "different" cry come through the monitor. All Moms know the drama-queen cry (a.k.a. the if you respond to me I'll do this all the time to get what I want cry) and the I'm hurt cry. But this one was different... almost an in-betweeny. So, I ran upstairs to find her little leg jammed between the crib rails. I literally had to turn her perpendicular to the crib to get her leg out. She was fine, just a little scared, I think, from being trapped.

I just came across Wonder Bumpers in PTPA's Award Winners and gimme, gimme, gimme! If you can't tell from the picture, they are vertical crib rail wraps that wrap each "jail bar" separately in cushy fabric. They would perfectly fulfill my need to keep Jane from hurting her little noggin' again and it also looks like it would reduce the gap size between rails - hopefully keeping her legs inside the crib where they belong! Most importantly, air can still circulate between the crib bars - preventing the increased risk of SIDS that normally accompanies a standard bumper pad. Now, I just need to choose my design - so many fabulous colours (I think the pink and cream is my fav so far - pictured above)! YIPEE! What a great idea!

They may seem a little expensive, starting at $119 for a 24 pack. However, to put it in perspective, my bedding set cost $200 and the bumper pad was BY FAR the most significant item in the set and it sits in my linen closet unused. Had I just bought the Wonder Bumpers and some sheets separately, I probably would have spent the same amount, or less, and actually gotten something I would use!

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PS - Find Wonder Bumpers at Go Mama Go Designs.

PPS - Today is the LAST DAY to enter our Burt's Bees Giveaway!

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Jan 23, 2010

thredUP Kids Clothing Exchange

Currently, in my guest room closet, I have two huge Tupperware containers full of Jane's clothes that she no longer fits in. I plan on keeping them, until the next babe comes along and we find out if it's a he or she. If it's a he... most of the clothes will go (I'm gonna keep the "special" outfits for memories, you know). So, what to do, what to do, what to do... with all that clothes?

Here's a fabulous new shop? service? idea? Hmmm... not really sure what to call it.

thredUP is a convenient, affordable and, most importantly, fun way to exchange kids clothes online. Launching in February, thredUP aims to make selling and swapping kids clothes easier, green and more budget friendly than ever!

Here's how it works:
(1) thredUP members browse and choose boxes of clothes they’d like to receive. For example, if you want a box of tops for your 3 yr old, or some snow clothes for your newborn babe. All transactions are pre-paid and no trips to the post office are required.
2) Members build and upload virtual boxes of clothes (10 + items/box) that are available for selection. No pictures, no detailed descriptions, just a simple overview of a box of gently worn items (e.g. “Size 3T, Boys, Pants & Jeans, Gap, Target & Old Navy). Posting is fast & convenient.
(3)
Then thredUP enables and manages exchanges. thredUP facilitates exact matches, ensures quality, and remedies the lack of coordination that plagues offline clothing swaps. thredUP is strickly peer-to-peer so they never take possession of the clothing.

**Note: thredUP also allows parents to just sell or buy on the site so you don't have to swap. The service will also allow you to bring friends who you already swap with locally online to swap for free!

Once launched, thredUP will be available to US customers only (sorry Canadian girls, you got the Burt's Bees, these guys get the thredUP).

Here's the cool part - if you go here and sign-up as a founding member, you'll have a shot at swapping your first box of clothes for free ($20 value).

Definitely think this is worth a look - with the economy the way it is, this is a great way to save money, avoid waste and still enjoy shopping. I imagine when your box arrives it's like Christmas morning with a box full of surprises! :)

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Jan 22, 2010

Baby Legs for Haiti

Hey Everyone,

If you've never heard of Baby Legs they are pretty awesome! We have a pair for Janey. They are like little leg warmers that protect baby's legs when they are crawling around having a no-pants party. My Fav pair is shown in the picture.

Here's the great news:
Right now,
Baby Legs is donating 100% of their sales from their O'Rose Designs to Haiti relief efforts.

Check it out and help if you can! You'll get a fabulous product that will make you feel good too! If you haven't already given to the relief efforts, this is a great way to do it. Or, you can tune in and donate to the Telethon this evening that will be broadcast across all major networks.


Thanks Jenny for passing along!


Today's regular post below...

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Bibs-N-Bubbles

I know that I mentioned wanting to start Jane swimming a few months ago and, finally, Jane and I started swimming lessons last week. It is AWESOME (ok, obviously, ignore the whole having to be in a bathing suit post-baby trauma)!

Our local sports centre offers swimming lessons for babies aged 3 months+ called "Bibs-N-Bubbles". Our first class focused on getting the babes used to the water, splashing, and assessing their comfort level with it all. We sang songs, splashed around, had the babes jumping in and out of the water (with our assistance - do I even need to say that?), etc. Jane had been splashing like crazy in the bath at bedtime so I thought it would be a great time for her to get even more comfortable in the water. By the end of the course, babes will be learning to "swim" - kicking their legs as we move them through the water, how to hold their breath and be "dunked" under the water (which I'm scared to death about but comforted by the lack of fear of all the other parents). I blame it all on Oprah and her story on Dry Drowning. As much as I hate passing along this fear, I think it's important for everyone to be aware of the risks of everything. Obviously, dry drowning must be fairly rare as this Oprah-case is the only one I've ever heard of ever - although I'm sure there are other cases.

Anyways, we're loving it and Jane's amazed by this "new room" in our house with the giant bath tub (as I'm sure she sees it in her little brain). :p

I thought I'd provide a list of the things I brought with me, to save you the trouble of thinking it through (if anyone has anything to add to the list, comment please!):

For Janers:
  • Swim suit - or not. If you don't have one, a diaper alone is fine!
  • swimming diapers - reusable (like Gabbys or Bambinomio Swim Nappies) or disposable (Huggie's Little Swimmers). FYI - I got Little Swimmers and I had no idea what size to get (S, M or L). Jane is 27" long and 17 lbs, and the small fit her perfectly (for comparison).
  • regular diapers/diaper bag (for afterward) - Personally, I just stuck a diaper, some wipes and vaseline in our swim bag. The less bags the better!
  • Car seat/stroller - initially when I brought it in, I was cursing myself because obviously it wasn't going to fit in my locker! Then, it worked out perfectly as a place to put Jane while I dressed myself. I brought it out to the pool deck with me, embarrassed, to find 3 others sitting next to the kiddie pool. :p
  • 2 towels - One towel for just out of the pool and one to keep warm while changing (the first one gets pretty wet so doesn't provide much warmth). My FAV are the Pottery Barn Kids Bath Wraps ($30 US). I find the baby towels too small and PB's wraps are huge and thick! I love 'um!
  • Baby Lotion - chlorine can be pretty drying to the skin.
  • Change pad - to sit on while changing/dressing... cause change rooms are gross.
For Mommy:
  • Bathing suit (scary thought but took comfort in fact that all participants where Moms/Dads and not swimsuit models as I feared)
  • T-shirt - If your babe is anything like Jane, the pretty ties of your bathing suit are a gold-mine... cover them up with a t-shirt (among other things you want to cover) and you won't have to worry about baby pulling off your top!
  • Towel for me - although, drying myself off was pretty near impossible with Jane in my arms, so next time I'm not bringing it "on deck" with me. I'll leave it in the change room.
  • Lock for your locker.
  • Flip flops - cause change rooms are gross.
  • An extra arm - out of 10, it was a 7 on the hard-to-do-it-alone scale. Obviously would have been easier with an extra arm to hold Jane while I got dressed/undressed, dry, etc. But it wasn't so difficult that I was stressed by it. I know some dressing rooms have playpens and such to put your babe in while you take care of yourself but the thought freaks me out a bit... yucky change rooms! :p
  • A plastic bag - to keep your wet stuff separate after "pimming".
Oh, another FYI... the water was as warm as bath water. It was fab. I kept an eye on Jane and she didn't seem to get a bit cold. Hope you can find similar accommodations!

Will keep ya posted on how it all goes!

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PS - Thanks to the girls on Facebook for helping me figure out the swimming diaper situation last minute!

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Jan 21, 2010

Baby Food 101

So now that I've found a few foods Janey likes, I've started making them myself.

A few tips first of all:
  • Keep the water you boiled your foods in for blending. A lot of nutrients are lost in the water when you boil foods, so I figure by reusing some of the water, you may get back some of those nutrients.
  • Don't worry about over-cooking foods. The point is to make it mushy, so it's basically already cooked to death regardless.
  • I use organic fruits and veggies - personally, I don't eat organic but for whatever reason it makes me feel better that Jane does! :p
  • I use ice cube trays to freeze my baby food. Then, once it's frozen, I pop them out and put them in ziploc bags labelled with what it is and the date is was made.

Here are two of Jane's favourites, Prunes and Apples:

Apples:
4 Organic Red Delicious Apples, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup water

Over medium heat, simmer apples in a few cups of water (to cover), stirring occasionally for about 20 mins or so. Until they are mushy.
Strain apples keeping a cup or so of your boiling water.
Transfer to blender/food processor and add about 1/2 cup of your boiling water, blend. Add more water if you want it more watery.
Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. This recipe made one ice-cube tray for me.

Prunes:
One bag Sunsweet Pitted Prunes (about 2.5-3 cups)
1 cup water

Over medium heat, bring prunes and water (to cover) to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until prunes are soft and tender.
Strain prunes, keeping a few cups of your boiling water.
Transfer to blender/food processor and add at least 1 cup of your boiling water. I found I had to add quite a bit of water to get them as runny as I wanted. So keep 2 cups of your water just in case.
Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. This recipe made two trays for me.

Notes:
When I say "your boiling water" I mean the water you used to cook the food in... not really hot water.
Be careful! These foods are super hot so be REALLY careful when cooking, blending, etc. Keep babes away! If you prefer, cool before blending.
Jane is scared to death of the blender so be forewarned... blending/processing may make babies cry! :(

More recipes to come...

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Jan 20, 2010

Graco Stroller Recall

FYI ladies... Graco is recalling 1.5 million strollers.

Here is the link to find out if your model is included in the recall.

Regular Weigh-in Wednesday post below.

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Weigh-in Wednesday

I tried on a bunch of my work clothes yesterday and here's the deal. Most of it fits in the legs (although a smidge tighter than I'd prefer) but it doesn't fit at the waist - which with the new lower rise style of everything, is basically at my hip bones.

So, typically, I'd be thinking, ok, once I get this last 6-7 lbs off, we'll be good. But I don't know. I buttoned up the pants (it's a miracle no buttons were popped) to see what the issue was and, yes, there is a little extra love in the handles but I think my hip bones are just wider! I'm not sure that if the extra love wasn't there, then the pants would fit... cause at this point, there's only a few pounds left to go and there's not so much extra love that I shouldn't be able to button my pants up without the beautiful, outstanding, super sexy muffin top. I know your pelvic bones expand during pregnancy to make room for the babe to come out but aren't they supposed to go back?!?! If it turns out that I get this weight off and my clothes still don't fit properly, that will suck big time-o.

I keep seeing people running in my neighbourhood and it motivates me so much. I loved running. I just started running the summer before I got pregnant. In fact, based on my due date and all that stuff, the day I got pregnant was within a day or two (or on the day exactly) that I ran my first 5K race. Thank god I wasn't pregnant during because that whole "don't get your heart rate too high, don't get too over-heated" thing would have been an issue (seeing as I pretty much ran my a** off and died at the end of the race). How many times have I said to you guys that I'm going to start running again? It's just so freakin hard. I'm sitting here right now, Jane's having a nap and I'll I want to do is lie down and pass out! I know exercise gives you more energy AFTERWARD but how the heck do I get the energy to drag myself to the treadmill in the first place? I guess it's not energy, it's motivation. I'd have to start out small. What's 20 minutes? 20 minutes out of the entire day. That's not even an episode of TMZ. It's nothing... hmmm, I'm still not tempted to get up off the chair. Stupid me. Maybe this afternoon.

Anyways, I didn't lose weight this week so I'm definitely starting to plateau on the diet-only weight loss. It's been harder and harder to lose the pounds each week, even though I have been eating really well. I can't believe it's taken me so long to get this weight off. I mean, at least now, I'm down to a weight that I can live with but, still, I'm looking forward to getting back to me.

I'd take pictures for y'all this morning as it's been awhile. But, honestly, I'm in desperate need of a shower, no make up, etc. etc. and I'm starting to get my pride back, so I can't do it. :p

Here's the details:
Starting WIW weight: 157 lbs
Current weight: 145 lbs
Pounds to lost: 12 lbs
Pounds to lose: 8 lbs

Make sure to enter our Burt's Bees Giveaway before next Tuesday!

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Jan 19, 2010

Burt's Bees Giveaway

*NOW CLOSED - Thanks to all who entered!*

I wanted to win this giveaway so bad myself that I considered a bazillion different ways to scam y'all out of it but my morals kicked in and I decided not to (1) rent a post box down the street under a different name or (2) have the prize sent to my girlfriends house in Bedford under her name.

Anyways, sadly, I am providing you with the details instead and offering one of you lucky Canadian chicks (sorry American girls, this one's for us only eh!) the chance to win this fabulous giveaway:

$75 Burt's Bees Giveaway

If you haven't heard of Burt's Bees, where the heck have you been? When I think of natural skin care products, they are the first brand that pops into my head! I inevitably end up scoping out there branded yellow and black display every time I hit a Shoppers Drug Mart. It screams to me from the end of the skin care aisle! I can't resist! I am head over heels for their lip balms... the Lip Shimmer in Watermelon is the best tinted lip balm around and it's got this pepperminty flavour that makes your lips kinda cool, it's awesome! My Mom got me addicted and now it's all I wear because I found that other lip balms irritate Jane's skin (from all the kisses) but Burt's Bees doesn't bother her one bit.

Their
Mama Bee Leg and Foot cream is currently moisturizing and cooling my tootsies as we speak... Unfortunately, I didn't discover this cream until after I was done with being preggers but it would have been a God-send on those few hot days in May with my swollen feet! My only beef with Burt's Bees - that I can't seem to find their complete Baby Bee line anywhere and I know it would be awesome for Jane's sensitive skin.

What's even better - Burt's Bees is an earth-friendly company... socially responsible. As Moms we really need to make an effort to scrutinize brands/companies more and choose companies who are do things RIGHT!

Here's the scoop:
The winner will receive $75 worth of Burt's Bees Product - including body wash, body and face creams, lip balm, lip shimmer and shampoo. I am so jealous right now, you have no idea.

Top Mommy Blogs - Mom Blog DirectoryOk, enough about me, here's what you need to do:
(1) Visit the Burt's Bees site and choose your favourite product or a product you'd love to try.
(2) Comment on this post letting me know which product you love.
(3) Vote for MOmMy bRaIn at TopMommyBlogs by clicking the button on the left.

Earn extra entries by:
(1) Tweeting about this giveaway (one entry per tweet)
(2) Posting about it on your own blog (send me the link)

The winner will be announced next Tuesday under Giveaways on the right hand side of the our homepage.

Also, check the sidebar (right) to see if you won our Shutter Buddy Giveaway today!

* Reminder - For Canadian Ladies (or gents, if I have male followers - which would blow my mind) only. :)

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Jan 18, 2010

No Phone Zone


If you didn't see Oprah today, this was her message... texting/talking on the phone while driving is AS DANGEROUS as driving with 4 alcoholic drinks in your system. Don't risk it! It's not worth risking your family's or another family's life.

Driving while talking on you cell (headset or not) makes you 4 times more likely to get in an accident (equivalent to driving drunk). Driving while texting makes you 8 times more likely to get in an accident - more than driving drunk. Think about that... can you imagine how scared, worried, pissed, angry we would be if drunk drivers were knowingly all over our roads and nothing was being done? Instead, people are texting and talking, oblivious to the dangers they are causing. Hmmm, maybe oblivious isn't the right word. We all know, deep down, that it's wrong... ignorant? I can tell you, I've never texted but I have talked and I will never do it again.

Take the pledge below:

I pledge to make my car a No Phone Zone. Beginning right now, I will do my part to help put an end to distracted driving by not texting or using my phone while I am driving. I will ask other drivers I know to do the same. I pledge to make a difference.

I don't know how many times I've been driving and witnessed some do something dangerous - through a red light, through an intersection, cutting me/someone off - and, sure enough, on the phone. Unacceptable people. And texting... don't even go there. I can't believe people think they can text and drive safely! Who do you think you are?!?!

I know of all the people in the world, the Moms will be most on board with this. Take the pledge and stick to it 100%. That "one time" could change your life.

Today's regular post below.




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Solid Savvy

So, as y'all know, I'm by no means an expert on anything (except, perhaps, the art of eat too much chocolate while on a diet)... I'm learning as I go, following my instincts and passing along what is working for me in hopes that it may help you out. I also know I'm not the only one out there suffering from MB so, perhaps, this can help you avoid even having to use your brain to begin with! :p

So here are a few tips-n-trick that worked for me when introducing solids - I'm going to assume you know
the basics (i.e. what not to feed them, how to know if they're ready, etc.):
  • Want to make one "basics" point, however - recommended "start solids" age is 6 months. There are tons of reasons for this - important reasons. Obviously a few weeks before, big whoop, but try to avoid giving into those people who say "if you give them cereal, they'll sleep through the night" when your baby is only 2-3 months old.
  • "They" recommended breastfeeding (formula, whatever) first and, before baby's full, introducing some cereal. With bf-ing, I had no idea when Jane would be "almost full" so I bf'd her until she was full and then an hour later, gave her cereal.
  • I mixed rice cereal with water. First time, I did it with breastmilk and, without thinking, to try and get her interested, I ate a spoonful. Some women are fine tasting their milk, me, not so much. Now I make it with water. She actually seems to like the water better.
  • I used two spoons. One to feed her with and one for her to play with. This prevented sling shot-style grabbing of the spoon which FYI results in food on the ceiling.
  • I never measured the cereal out, I just poured some cereal in the bowl and added warm water until it was watery.
  • It took a good week or two before Jane really started eating the cereal. I tried every day and if she got upset or wouldn't open her mouth, I'd stop. You don't want to make it a scary or bad experience.
  • After about a week of cereal only, I started introducing other foods.
  • My doc recommended introducing veggies before fruit because they are less sweet and if you do fruit before veggies, babes may be less likely to take veggies cause they don't taste as good (smart kids if you ask me).
  • Once I had introduced a few different fruits and veggies with her cereal, I started feeding her twice a day - letting her dictate how much she would eat.
  • I kept track of the foods I introduced in a notebook and only introduced one new food every 2-3 days in case of allergy.
  • I introduced meat early using sweet potato mixed with chicken. At first, I'd mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with cereal to dilute the taste and texture. This seemed to work perfectly and she didn't mind it at all. After a week or so, she ate it alone and enjoyed it.
  • Foods we've tried with success: Prunes, apples, bananas, pears, apricots, carrots, sweet potato, and chicken.
  • Foods that didn't go over well: Squash and peaches.
  • Foods I'm avoiding cause I don't like them myself: Peas, broccoli, anything green and beef. Yuck.
  • I'm now feeding Jane oat cereal. I'm not sure why it's recommended to introduce rice cereal first as, from what I've read, it's more likely to give babes constipation and both oat and rice have 100% of the iron they need. Oat tastes better (to me anyways) so I switched.
  • At first, I bought the jarred organic baby food. I recommend finding out what foods your babe likes before starting to make your own - so it doesn't go to waste. Now I'm making my own and it's awesome. I wouldn't touch the jarred Chicken, but I love my own so it makes me feel better to know exactly what she's eating.
  • Now, I'm introducing some different textured foods - toast and such. Just a little anyways. How I'm doing it - bird style (my moms idea)! When I'm eating my toast in the morning, I chew it up a little bit and give her some. She loves it and I know it's not so big and tough that she'll choke on it. I just won't tell her about it when she's 15. :p
I'm still "introducing" solids - figuring it all out and winding my way through ups and downs. I'll keep ya posted on new suggestions or realizations.

Stop by tomorrow to see if you've won our Shutter Buddy Giveaway (obviously, you have to enter first) and to check out the details of our Burt's Bee Giveaway! YIPEE!!

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