Summer Fun

So a few weeks ago, we got out the little play pool for Kaileigh. Though we enjoy going to the neighborhood pool, this is great for when I need to get work done and can sit at the table on the patio and let her go to play! Below is a video of her first summer 'swim'.

While watching her play in the pool, I was once again I was so reminded of the adventures in mothering. It's these little things of her giggles and just pure joy and excitement to do the simple things like play in a swimming pool. I just pray that I remember these little squeals and joys as she gets older. I'm so blessed that I can be around to watch this!

Cooling Off With Cloth

Summer is - almost here - though lately here in Colorado with 70 degree weather at the beginning of March - it does feel like summer! Obviously, with summer comes the higher temperatures. Disposable diapers, like anything lined with non-breathable plastics, are HOT!

The Summer heat can also contribute to diaper rashes. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 54% of one-month old babies using disposable diapers had rashes, with 16% being severe rashes. Diaper rashes are caused by a several different issues, but a hot, dirty diaper is one of the most common causes. Cloth Diapers are much cooler than disposable diapers, and necessitate more frequent changes; keeping your baby cool and dry for these hot summer months. Course, I have come to realize now that Kaileigh is older, we are not changing her diaper near as much as when she was a newborn.

When shopping for the right diaper for your child, some good pointers to keep in mind.

• Look for a fitted diaper - this is the diaper inside a cover. You don't have pin or fasten! It's just like using a disposable diaper.


• You can choose from all sorts of varieties of diapers: organic cotton, fleece knits, or milled cotton. My favorite brands of fitted diapers are the Bum Genius & Bummis Super. And really,anything in the Bummis line is just amazing -fitted & with covers. Bummis covers are waterproof, but are EXCELLENT for breathing! Kaileigh has never once gotten a rash when wearing the cloth diapers


• All fitted covers work with prefold diapers. Chinese prefolds are definitely top of the line, but I have found normal prefolds to work just as well.

If you are looking to start cloth diapers for the first time, or aren't quite sure, you should check out all that the Nurtured Family has to offer. You can order most of your supplies from them and they are quite competitive with other companies that carry the same brands of power washers, diapers, covers, etc.

Nurtured Family also has supplies and tips from maternity to toddlers! So, not just diaper products are here. I have ordered from them several times and will continue to use them!!

A Nanny Is For Anyone

We are not rich. We are not poor. We just are!


My freelance work is such that there are times I must have quiet and concentration. I am either making phone calls or needing to develop something that requires no interruptions. Up until about 6 months ago, I was doing great: wake up, feed Kaileigh, feed myself, dress Kaileigh, maybe dress myself, start working. While Kaileigh was awake, I could work in 30-45min "intervals", if you will; she could watch a veggie tales or other movie in the pack'n'play and I could get phone calls made. Then, she could sit in her exersaucer in the office and play around, which usually lasted about another 30min or so and then I would have enough work done so that I could play with her and attend to her until morning nap. PERFECT routine & schedule!


Then the walking happened - then running - then the need to constantly be moving. No longer were there exersaucers and pack'n'plays to keep her contained. Yikes! Then maybe she'd take a morning nap, maybe not. Yikes, Yikes! How am I going to get all this work done that has to be completed at specific times?? I was starting to slack in the areas that some of my clients depended on me most. And we honestly, just couldn't afford to lose them right now. So, my husband and I got creative. We started putting local ads in Craigslist for PT babysitters/nanny's, but nothing was really exciting us. I then got an email from MOPS International saying that they had a site they trusted and recommended -Care.com. It was very cheap to join; though they do have free memberships as well. With the paid membership of $18/month, I was able to search for sitters in our zip code, the price range I was willing to pay, run background checks, and get references from them! We found a PT nanny within 2 weeks of signing up. It was amazing! And not only can you find nanny's, but you can also search for Senior Care Specialists, Pet Sitting, Housekeepers, AND even tutors!


I tell EVERYONE about this place because I have found great happiness! I now crank my work out in 2 days and have the nanny come to play with Kaileigh & she also helps with household tasks as well. It has been a HUGE blessing. She lives only blocks away from our house and is also available for us at other times as well. Talk about a perfect service that lets you be in control and find exactly what you're looking for!I also liked the fact that you don't have to sign up for several months at a time - you can go month by month and cancel at any time without any penalties, while still maintaining a free membership after that.


So if you are in need of childcare, special needs, senior specialized care, pet sitting, tutoring, housekeeping, and more , check them out today!

Flax Seed & Oil

Well, I might as well just come out and say it - my daughter is always constipated; until recently.

When first starting solid foods, bananas would always "plug" her up, so I would only feed her bananas if she could eat prunes. Well, once she wasn't eating baby food all the time and started eating whatever it is that we have for breakfast every morning, she started to have the same problem - hard or no movements. Well, though she does still love prunes and will eat them in her Super Porridge, let's face it: who wants to eat that every morning or even every other morning?!

Refusing to use the so called laxatives and other agents, I decided that there had to be another way to help "ease/soften" her exercises! So I got to thinking, I put flax seed oil into my protein shakes in the mornings because it adds a nice 'sweet' flavor to it and it helps me get that "omega 3" in. However, only flax oil can be taken by toddlers. This has a much more pungent smell and isn't quite as sweet tasting! BUT, it does naturally help soften a child's stool. One agent that I'd started to not have in Kaileigh's diet as much was the malt-barely and millet grains that help naturally aid in digestion and stool movements. I never thought about it until looking further into the benefits of Flax.

Flax oil not only softens and aides the intestines, but it is also a nutrient that facilitates absorption of the vitamins that the child is eating. Plain mineral oil (which some do use for laxative properties in toddles, just slides through and has no nutritional value).

A toddler can have up to 2 teaspoons of flax oil a day OR a tablespoon of flax seed meal (ground flax seeds). Flax seed meal is great because it not only aides in the digestion for the toddler, but it also contains FIBER. And fiber is also key for that little kiddos intestinal tract!

You can also mix up blueberries, strawberries, and other fruits with flax oil and/or meal with yogurt (or soy properties for non-dairy) and this is a great way to help get those nutrients down the child.

I am simply amazed at how intricate God has made our bodies and how there is always something natural to solve an issue with our bodies!

Healthy Toddler - My Monthly Cooking Spree!

Today was my day to cook all of the vegetables and fruits for Kaileigh. I've been using the Super Baby Food book since she was about 5months old. When I first started this "cause", if you will, it was merely out of the need to save expenses in the purchase of jarred baby food. Even with a 4oz jar at .49 each, you figure you end up buying almost $50-85 in baby food a month - not including any cereals or other foods for them. So, I decided that I was going to make my own baby food! I spend at least half of that each month and I'm able to buy fresh, organic, produce and fruits and grains that ended up lasting longer than a month ; especially the grains. All I needed was a food processor and a blender (if not grain grinder).

At first I was overwhelmed and thought that I would never be able to keep up with it. However, it took me one month of this system and after that I had it down to a 2x/mo routine. And naturally, as Kaileigh got older, the amount of 'pureeing' went down and the amount of work I had to do. At this point, Kaileigh still LOVES her "super porridge" and has it about 3 times a week. And, though I try to get her to eat "chunks" of the same vegetables, she will only eat them mashed. So, at this point I am willing to still mash up the veggies if it means she eats them! And now that we are definitely in the snacky stage of life, this book is just on the counter all the time!

Now all of that said to say this:

In addition to saving money, Kaileigh has been exceptionally healthy and is eating the same way that Greg & I do. Not EVERYTHING is 'organic', but it is always fresh and we try to buy as natural as possible. And I have had such a rollarcoaster with my own hormones since High School, that diet is everything in this house. Why not just start right away with our child?

The more reading I do, the more I realize how important it is to help shape a child's diet before the age of 2. Not saying that Kaileigh will not like things from time to time, but she will always try something once.

What started as a necessity to save money, became a true belief and lifestyle in organic & natural nutrition for not just my husband and I, but for our 1 1/2yr old daughter.