Insurance Not Needed

So, basically since Roman was born (maybe around 5 weeks or so) I've been adament about having a freezer stash of breastmilk "just in case". This did come in handy when I was back at work, Ryan would rotate through the old while I pumped and froze the new. Then when I quit and started staying home, it just wasn't needed.

Some of that milk now is probably either near, or already bad. I've tried using some to give to Roman in his sippy, but he gulps down anything (water or breastmilk) in his sippy, and I don't want to replace a feeding with it. I.can't.throw.it.away. I just can't.

I was talking to a good friend about my little dilemma and she said something that stuck with me.
"That freezer stash was your insurance policy in case something bad happened, you got sick, etc. You didn't have to use it. That's a good thing, and if you have made it to the point where its been frozen long enough that it's now bad, well, it's done it's job."

Agreed. Now keep in mind, I still can't bring myself to throw it away yet. But I don't feel bad anymore about it sitting in the freezer.

Toys!

This post is the sequel to the previous post, basically a list of things I'm thinking of for Roman's big Birthday. Links to follow.

I'm sure this is annoying, but looks fun!

Learning Stuff!

Looks interesting.

Might help bedtime

Pretty sure I've given this as a gift

I want this for in the car

Looks fun?

Neat!

yeesh, looking for diapers for the kid is way easier than trying to figure out what toys he'd like.

It's coming!

Roman's first birthday that is. I'm going to be posting some links to some items I'm thinking about for him. And duh, of course some of them include diapers!

http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/clothdiapers/onesize/bumgeniusonesizepocketdiaper
those can be found anywhere, we're really in need of some daddy and grandparent friendly dipes, those will do the job!

http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/diapercovers/thirstiesduowrap
we LOVE these covers, we have 3 in other colors, I've been wanting a blue one for awhile.

http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/accessories/clothwipes/swaddlebeesclothwipes
I want to get a combination of colors of those. We're in dire need of more wipes, and since those are cotton velour.. can you say soft?

http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/products/clothdiapers/accessories/snappidiaperfastener
these are always handy, I really want a turqoise one.

http://hyenacart.com/theelimonster/index.php?c=16&p=55115
Look how cute!

http://hyenacart.com/theelimonster/index.php?c=14&p=79563
She has a set of 6 custom AIOs for $99 I really want to try, she has super cute original prints.

Next post... Toys!

Going Green to Save Green, Part Deux

Part two of homemade, natural cleaners. I also wanted to add that I don't use paper towels while cleaning, we do still keep some in the house, but a roll lasts FOREVER because they just don't get used. If you go to Family Dollar you can get a 30 pack of washcloths for $5. This is what I usually use and just wash my cleaning rags once a week and cycle through them. Also microfiber cloths are amazing for cleaning anything, you can get 3 packs of them in the automotive section, or even thinner ones at the dollar store!

Dishwasher Detergent- there are tons of recipes for this on the net, what I have been using is 1 tablespoon of borax, and 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Now most recipes call for citric acid, or like a tablespoon of lemon juice. I currently have neither, it WOULD make the recipe work better using it, and I intend to when it's time to go shopping. But in the meantime, the two ingredients are working. Depending on whether or not you have hard or soft water, this recipe may have to be tweaked to work for you.

Rinse Aid- White Vinegar! Yep just pour into the container where you would normally put Jet Dry.

Glass, Window, Mirror Cleaner- Wait for it.... White Vinegar! I just pour some into a spray bottle and clean with a microfiber cloth. My mirrors have never been cleaner!

I will be updating more periodically, my next cleaner to tackle is laundry detergent. I'll keep you posted.

Going Green to Save Green

I've been trying to become more enviromentally concious since Roman was born, I also want to limit what chemicals/toxins he's exposed to. On top of that, it tends to be cheaper! And honestly, I'm trying to save as much money as we can lately. So making my own cleaners has become sort of a necessity (it's also super easy). So I'm going to list a couple easy to use/make home products.

All Purpose Cleaner- 1:1 vinegar and water, in a spray bottle. I also add a couple drops of Tea tree oil and a squirt of Dr. Bronners. This is my go to cleaner for everything. Kitchen counters, stove, microwave. I used it the other day to clean up a pee mess, courtesy of the pug, on the carpet. I continue to find uses for it everyday.

Easy bathroom cleaner- Vinegar. put in spray bottle, done. I use it to clean the counters in the bathrooms, and our porcelin tub comes out sparkling.

Toilet Cleaner- sprinkle about a half a cup of Borax into bowl, pour about half a cup vinegar into bowl. Let it sit for about a half hour, clean. Your toilet will have never looked cleaner.

Bathroom tile scrub- Just plain vinegar doesn't work that well in our stand up tile shower in our master bath. so I make the following paste (I use an old tupperware) pour in some borax, vinegar, small squirt of Dr. Bronners. The amounts vary depending on the consistency you want the paste. I dip a sponge or scrubbing brush in it and the tile gets remarkably clean!

Laundry fabric softener- we have a front loader, so the detergent, and fabric softener have a slot thats pulled out, pour some vinegar into the fabric softener slot. Voila!

I'm continuing to test out more and more cleaners for various jobs around the house, so there will be more to come!

Cured That

For quite awhile, like most babies, Roman has had an obsession with making out with the washcloth during baths. Going through the bathroom drawer searching for a towel, I find the washcloth puppet (in the image of a monster) that came with one of his hooded towels.

Apparently I threw it in a drawer when he was itty bitty not needing it. So I thought to myself.. let's see if he likes it now!

So Roman is happily making out with his washcloth in his bath, I slip on the "monster" and dip him in the bath. Roman is eyeballing me at this point, looks back at the monster, I move it around in the water and start washing his legs with it. He's unsure at this point, I bring it up and begin "talking" with it. "Hi! My name is Slappy, I'm gonna tickle you!"

He panics! Panics! He starts sliding all around reaching for me, busts out in tears. Fuck. I've scarred him for life. Tell you what though, dropped those other two washcloths quick! Didn't pick 'em back up either. Cured that obsession.

Co-Sleeping

When I first had Roman, we by definition co-slept with him. He slept in his bassinet portion of the PNP shoved next to my side of the bed, for easy midnight feedings. He actually was a pretty great sleeper and didn't wake that often to nurse. Then when I started working again, and he began the battle with the bottle, his night wakings increased... by a lot. Roman had begun to reverse cycle, meaning since he was refusing feedings while I was away he made up for them at night.

So I brought him in bed with me and would nurse side-lying and we both slept wonderfully! I felt like I needed that re-connection with him after being away from him while at work. Eventually he started taking bottles better and stopped reverse cycling, but he stayed in our family bed.

It's the sweetest thing in the world to open my eyes and look over and see his tiny face fast asleep, with his sweet baby breath breathing on me. Ahhhh Love..

Roman spent 9 months growing in my belly, the thought of him spending all that time feeling warmth and love and then making him sleep alone in another room... I couldn't do it. Eventually he'll sleep in his own room and crib/bed at night, but it will be on his terms and we'll make the transition as easy as possible. Babies have been sleeping with their mamas for thousands of years in order for them to survive, and hey, who am I to argue with nature?

I found this blog to be extremely insightful.