I figured a few people would read my last post and that would be all. I was surprised by how many people actually did! After reading over it I thought of a few more green ways.
In the dishwasher, if you have hard water and can't stand the hard water marks, use citric acid. I buy it in bulk from Amazon.com. I put about a tablespoon in the second/open spot in my dishwasher and it works great! Also, great kitchen storage is canning jars. I make sure to buy freezer safe. I make big batches of beans in my dutch oven and freeze them in can-size servings. I try to avoid canned goods due to the BPA in the lining. I also freeze leftovers in them when I know they won't get eaten in a few days.
For laundry I dump about 1/2 cup of vinegar in to wash my towels. I put it in the center of my top loader, where the fabric softener would go. It gets rid of the stink. If you don't have that you can use a Downy ball.
For hand soap I use some Seventh Generation, but have also found that I love to use the foaming soap pumps with about 1/3 cup (or less) of soap and the rest water. Which soap do I use here? My favorite-Dr. Bronner! In our bathroom I have 2 options, one Dr. Bronner bar soap for me (because they're usually cheaper) and Seventh Generation liquid for hubby and guests. I've tried making the gallon of soap from one bar and it turned into a big glob of slimy goo that didn't get our hands clean. Another Pinterest fail :)
In the baby care section I forgot about milk storage. I plan to dodge plastic by using canning jars (freezer safe kind) to store my milk. Ball makes a plastic reusable storage lid for the jars. I know it's plastic, but if stored upright, it shouldn't come in contact with the milk. I hate to think of the precious liquid gold soaking up the chemicals from the plastic milk storage bags.
I'm sure I'll think of others, but that's all for now.
Kristy
Family 2014
James 2
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
Green Life at the Lewis House
So I've had a few friends asking questions lately about how we clean and eat at our house. I decided to take the opportunity to type it all out. I was your guinea pig.:) I have been working toward living a very low chemical lifestyle and I've tried many different products. I'll let you know what works for us and hopefully you'll give it a try.
I'll start with cleaning, since that seems to be catching on quicker than other areas.
My favorite cleaning tool=ecloth. Find it on their website, on amazon or azurestandard.com. You use only hot water with it to clean and disenfect your house. For the extra tough jobs (bath tubs, kitchen sinks, etc.) I use Norwex Cleaning Paste from Norwex.com, It's pricey, but it lasts forever. Once you get it and see how it works, you'll understand. Norwex also sells the cloths, but they're 3 times as expensive as the ecloth. Ecloth also makes a cloth for windows and you spray the window with water and wipe clean. Shiniest windows ever! I also love their mop. Hot water on the floor is wayyy better than any chemical under my babies' feet and hands.
Bathroom
When cleaning the bathroom I like to use something with my ecloth besides just water. My most common spray is vinegar, water and tea tree oil. Half vinegar, half water and 20 drops of tto. I also use borax (found in the laundry aisle in walmart) in the toilet to give me some scrubbing power. Also, we use a fabric shower curtain liner. The vinyl kind puts off chemicals as it heats up in the shower. I find these cheapest at TJ Maxx.
Kitchen
For the kitchen I like Seventh Generation dish soap and dishwasher pods. They also make a rinse aid. Soaking fruits and veggies in half vinegar and water helps get rid of the pesticides. I have tried two different homemade dishwasher soaps and they were TERRIBLE! Pinterest doesn't always work :)
Carpet/Dusting
For shampooing the carpet I like Dr. Bronner Sal-Suds. It only takes two drops in the tank of the shampooer. It comes in a huge bottle and lasts forever. If your carpet needs freshened in between shampoos, just sprinkle baking soda and leave it set for awhile before vacuuming it up.
For dusting I use a dry ecloth. They make one specifically for dusting that I'm excited to try, but the basic cloth works ok.
Laundry
I have a few different soaps that I use. I made my own with borax, baking soda, fels naptha soap (laundry aisle at walmart), and oxi clean. I felt like it turned my white scrubs yellow, so I use that on my baby clothes and my dark clothes. For my whites I like Greenshield Organics, or Nellys. For stains I like the Babyganics spray or Honest Company spray.
Health and Beauty
If you want to know how healthy your current products are, check out ewg.org. You're able to put in your product and they'll give you a break down of everything that's in it. Scary! Baby Magic is one of the worst.
I don't use shampoo and conditioner on my hair any more. I use Dr. Bronner castille soap. They come in several scents and my favorites are citrus or almond. You put a squirt (probably a little less than 1 tbsp) in a cup and add 1 cup of water. Pour that on your hair and scrub and rinse. I use Dr. Bronner conditioning rinse as a conditioner. 1 cap with 1 cup of water. Pour that on your hair, scrub it in and leave it in for a few minutes (the longer, the better). You'll probably notice that your hair seems kind of dry at first. It's actually not, it just doesn't have all the weird silicon or whatever slimy chemicals they add to regular products.
I use the Dr. Bronner castille soap on a loofah for body wash and face wash.
I'm still trying to figure out the perfect lotion and hair product. As of now I'm using Great Value brand of Aveeno lotion (which is better than some, but still not great) and a gel or hair cream that's not natural at all. I've ordered a hair cream from Dr. Bronners to try.
For face moisturizer I use coconut oil at night and Alba brand moisturizer during the day. I still use Mary Kay make-up and hope to gradually make the change to better products soon.
I use natural toothpaste with NO SLS or flouride. SLS gave me terrible canker sores and it's in nearly every single toothpaste at Walmart. Flouride has been proven to cause issues such as decreased brain function. Google it! We get enough in our water so I'm not concerned about cavities. One of my favorite toothpastes is the "Now" brand in cinnamon flavor. When I do get canker sores, I swish with warm coconut oil for 10-20 minutes and that seems to heal them quickly. Spit it in the trash, not the drain! It will clog them up. It's actually recommended to swish with coconut oil every day. I'm not quite that good.
I've recently been experimenting with my homemade deodorant. I found one that works great on the wellnessmama.com website, but after using it for a week it started burning. I took a few days off and used it again with the same results. I made one without baking soda (which is causing the burn) and it did NOT work. I'm going to try using less baking soda in my next batch.
Baby Care
I have used several different brands and have been the happiest with the Babyganics brand. I've found it at Target and Babies R Us. They make soap, lotion, sunscreen, bug spray, butt cream, etc. and I've been happy with it all. It's one of the lower priced products I've found. I also like coconut oil on a sore bottom. No stinging, just soothing. I have yet to switch to natural diapers. Hubby wasn't on board for cloth and the natural disposables are crazy expensive. I also made most of my own baby food using a magic bullet to puree. I stored it in the smallest glass canning jars with the reusable plastic lids. They freeze well were easy to clean. I used some glass bottles and plan to use all glass with the next babe.
Eating
We use very little plastic in the kitchen. I bought a ton of the little 2 cup pyrex dishes for leftovers. I use only glass in the microwave to avoid the crazy chemicals from plastic leaching into our food. Also, no saran wrap in the microwave. And by the way, "BPA free" isn't any better. I do use plastic sippy cups, but plan to switch to stainless steel as soon as the little guy can figure out how to work the seals. I've started buying more and more organic foods. Between pesticides and GMO's I don't want to risk it. I buy whole wheat and regular pasta and mix the two. We just can't quite get used to the whole wheat by itself.
We don't buy low fat or fat free anything, besides milk for hubby and I. There are strange chemicals and additives in those items and fat from real sources is healthier than fat from a donut. The little one gets whole milk and probably will until he's an adult. Hubby and I drink 2%.
No artificial sweeteners are allowed in our house! They're terrible for you. I know first-hand after having head-to-toe joint pain for months and realizing it was caused by my light yogurt and Crystal Light that I was eating daily.
I also don't recommend any meal replacement plans or diets.Eat real food and you will feel better and lose weight the way our bodies were intended to.
I recommend Rainbow Lite multivitamins, or a similar organic product.
We order bulk meat from a company called Zaycon Foods. This meat is natural and free of hormones and antibiotics. The prices are much cheaper than the store! You have to buy 40 lbs, but I've never had trouble finding someone to go in half.
Now, where does all of this come from?
I have recently started using a co-op company called Azure Standard. It's mostly organic and they carry food, health and beauty items, ecloth cleaning supplies, Dr. Bronner soap, produce, etc. Their prices are lower than any other place because you pick them up from the truck yourself. You can find a "drop point" close to your home. I'm picking mine up in Topeka next week.
I also find a lot of good products on Amazon.
Target carries Dr. Bronner soap, but it's way more expensive there. Dillons is cheaper, but not quite as cheap as Azure.
Seventh Generation is at Target, Dillons or Azure.
Pinterest has many good ideas, but know that Dawn dish soap is not a low chemical product and this is added to many so-called "green cleaners" on there.
http://ecloth.com/
www.amazon.com
azurestandard.com
wellnessmama.com-Deodorant Recipe and much more!
drbronner.com
zayconfoods.com
Well, my eyes are blurry after this rant. Hopefully this is helpful to those out there looking to live a healthier life.
Be well!
Kristy
I'll start with cleaning, since that seems to be catching on quicker than other areas.
My favorite cleaning tool=ecloth. Find it on their website, on amazon or azurestandard.com. You use only hot water with it to clean and disenfect your house. For the extra tough jobs (bath tubs, kitchen sinks, etc.) I use Norwex Cleaning Paste from Norwex.com, It's pricey, but it lasts forever. Once you get it and see how it works, you'll understand. Norwex also sells the cloths, but they're 3 times as expensive as the ecloth. Ecloth also makes a cloth for windows and you spray the window with water and wipe clean. Shiniest windows ever! I also love their mop. Hot water on the floor is wayyy better than any chemical under my babies' feet and hands.
Bathroom
When cleaning the bathroom I like to use something with my ecloth besides just water. My most common spray is vinegar, water and tea tree oil. Half vinegar, half water and 20 drops of tto. I also use borax (found in the laundry aisle in walmart) in the toilet to give me some scrubbing power. Also, we use a fabric shower curtain liner. The vinyl kind puts off chemicals as it heats up in the shower. I find these cheapest at TJ Maxx.
Kitchen
For the kitchen I like Seventh Generation dish soap and dishwasher pods. They also make a rinse aid. Soaking fruits and veggies in half vinegar and water helps get rid of the pesticides. I have tried two different homemade dishwasher soaps and they were TERRIBLE! Pinterest doesn't always work :)
Carpet/Dusting
For shampooing the carpet I like Dr. Bronner Sal-Suds. It only takes two drops in the tank of the shampooer. It comes in a huge bottle and lasts forever. If your carpet needs freshened in between shampoos, just sprinkle baking soda and leave it set for awhile before vacuuming it up.
For dusting I use a dry ecloth. They make one specifically for dusting that I'm excited to try, but the basic cloth works ok.
Laundry
I have a few different soaps that I use. I made my own with borax, baking soda, fels naptha soap (laundry aisle at walmart), and oxi clean. I felt like it turned my white scrubs yellow, so I use that on my baby clothes and my dark clothes. For my whites I like Greenshield Organics, or Nellys. For stains I like the Babyganics spray or Honest Company spray.
Health and Beauty
If you want to know how healthy your current products are, check out ewg.org. You're able to put in your product and they'll give you a break down of everything that's in it. Scary! Baby Magic is one of the worst.
I don't use shampoo and conditioner on my hair any more. I use Dr. Bronner castille soap. They come in several scents and my favorites are citrus or almond. You put a squirt (probably a little less than 1 tbsp) in a cup and add 1 cup of water. Pour that on your hair and scrub and rinse. I use Dr. Bronner conditioning rinse as a conditioner. 1 cap with 1 cup of water. Pour that on your hair, scrub it in and leave it in for a few minutes (the longer, the better). You'll probably notice that your hair seems kind of dry at first. It's actually not, it just doesn't have all the weird silicon or whatever slimy chemicals they add to regular products.
I use the Dr. Bronner castille soap on a loofah for body wash and face wash.
I'm still trying to figure out the perfect lotion and hair product. As of now I'm using Great Value brand of Aveeno lotion (which is better than some, but still not great) and a gel or hair cream that's not natural at all. I've ordered a hair cream from Dr. Bronners to try.
For face moisturizer I use coconut oil at night and Alba brand moisturizer during the day. I still use Mary Kay make-up and hope to gradually make the change to better products soon.
I use natural toothpaste with NO SLS or flouride. SLS gave me terrible canker sores and it's in nearly every single toothpaste at Walmart. Flouride has been proven to cause issues such as decreased brain function. Google it! We get enough in our water so I'm not concerned about cavities. One of my favorite toothpastes is the "Now" brand in cinnamon flavor. When I do get canker sores, I swish with warm coconut oil for 10-20 minutes and that seems to heal them quickly. Spit it in the trash, not the drain! It will clog them up. It's actually recommended to swish with coconut oil every day. I'm not quite that good.
I've recently been experimenting with my homemade deodorant. I found one that works great on the wellnessmama.com website, but after using it for a week it started burning. I took a few days off and used it again with the same results. I made one without baking soda (which is causing the burn) and it did NOT work. I'm going to try using less baking soda in my next batch.
Baby Care
I have used several different brands and have been the happiest with the Babyganics brand. I've found it at Target and Babies R Us. They make soap, lotion, sunscreen, bug spray, butt cream, etc. and I've been happy with it all. It's one of the lower priced products I've found. I also like coconut oil on a sore bottom. No stinging, just soothing. I have yet to switch to natural diapers. Hubby wasn't on board for cloth and the natural disposables are crazy expensive. I also made most of my own baby food using a magic bullet to puree. I stored it in the smallest glass canning jars with the reusable plastic lids. They freeze well were easy to clean. I used some glass bottles and plan to use all glass with the next babe.
Eating
We use very little plastic in the kitchen. I bought a ton of the little 2 cup pyrex dishes for leftovers. I use only glass in the microwave to avoid the crazy chemicals from plastic leaching into our food. Also, no saran wrap in the microwave. And by the way, "BPA free" isn't any better. I do use plastic sippy cups, but plan to switch to stainless steel as soon as the little guy can figure out how to work the seals. I've started buying more and more organic foods. Between pesticides and GMO's I don't want to risk it. I buy whole wheat and regular pasta and mix the two. We just can't quite get used to the whole wheat by itself.
We don't buy low fat or fat free anything, besides milk for hubby and I. There are strange chemicals and additives in those items and fat from real sources is healthier than fat from a donut. The little one gets whole milk and probably will until he's an adult. Hubby and I drink 2%.
No artificial sweeteners are allowed in our house! They're terrible for you. I know first-hand after having head-to-toe joint pain for months and realizing it was caused by my light yogurt and Crystal Light that I was eating daily.
I also don't recommend any meal replacement plans or diets.Eat real food and you will feel better and lose weight the way our bodies were intended to.
I recommend Rainbow Lite multivitamins, or a similar organic product.
We order bulk meat from a company called Zaycon Foods. This meat is natural and free of hormones and antibiotics. The prices are much cheaper than the store! You have to buy 40 lbs, but I've never had trouble finding someone to go in half.
Now, where does all of this come from?
I have recently started using a co-op company called Azure Standard. It's mostly organic and they carry food, health and beauty items, ecloth cleaning supplies, Dr. Bronner soap, produce, etc. Their prices are lower than any other place because you pick them up from the truck yourself. You can find a "drop point" close to your home. I'm picking mine up in Topeka next week.
I also find a lot of good products on Amazon.
Target carries Dr. Bronner soap, but it's way more expensive there. Dillons is cheaper, but not quite as cheap as Azure.
Seventh Generation is at Target, Dillons or Azure.
Pinterest has many good ideas, but know that Dawn dish soap is not a low chemical product and this is added to many so-called "green cleaners" on there.
http://ecloth.com/
www.amazon.com
azurestandard.com
wellnessmama.com-Deodorant Recipe and much more!
drbronner.com
zayconfoods.com
Well, my eyes are blurry after this rant. Hopefully this is helpful to those out there looking to live a healthier life.
Be well!
Kristy
Monday, December 17, 2012
Healthy: pregnant or not
I've had an interest in health for a long time. As a child (older child that is...as a young child I was going to be a singer or dance when I grew up;) I wanted to be a nurse. My grandma, who I've always looked up to, is a retired RN and amazing person and I wanted to be as much like her as I could. Well, a little over a year into the nursing program I realized that WAS NOT the place for me. I had a wonderful advisor who suggested a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion. I dove in and really did love it. I'm not currently using my degree at work, but once you know this stuff, it's hard to forget it. So, I live a fairly healthy life and have had compliments on my lifestyle and that makes me proud. Now don't get me wrong, I am farrrr from perfect, but do little things every day.
The biggest culprits for weight gain for me were pop (soda, coke, whatev.) and alcohol. I learned this in college when I went 1 month without any and lost several lbs and my pants fit again. Do I still drink pop and beer? Yes. Do I have only 1 or 2 per week? Yes. This way, nothing is OFF LIMITS and I don't "need" or crave them.
Another move I had to make (literally) was to exercise. I think some people think I exercise everyday or do something crazy hard. I don't. I work out 2-3 times per week (usually 2) for 30-40 minutes and include both cardio and weights. My go-to videos are these: Cathe Basic Step and Prevention and you'll see they aren't advanced at all. I know that they work because other than walking, these are the only exercises I've done since having James and I currently weigh less than I did before I got pregnant. See! You don't have to do Insanity, or P90X to lose weight. Now, if you're looking for washboard abs then you may need to.
Eat fruits, vegetables and chocolate everyday! Yes, I said chocolate. To be healthy (and sane) nothing needs to be off limits. I eat some sweets everyday. The key is small portions. Do not go to Dairy Queen everyday. Eat food from all food groups to get all the nutrients that your body was built to run on. Carbs are good for energy, protein is good for muscles and filling up your belly, dairy is good for your bones and fruits and veggies have SOOOO many benefits. Speaking of muscles, we need to build muscles because even at rest (while eating popcorn, watching a lifetime movie) muscles burn way more calories than fat. Life some weights (even if it's your own body weight-push ups, lunges, squats, crunches, planks, etc).
I still have (and have always had) a squishy belly. If I were better at eating, I'm sure this would go away, but knowing that I eat what I enjoy and still manage to stay in a healthy state, I'm ok with the squish.
Pregnancy does NOT mean "eating for 2" or "eat whatever you want". It also doesn't mean that you can stop exercising. I did step aerobics up until 3 weeks before I had James and was back doing them 2 weeks afterwards. I took it really easy, but I felt great and bounced back in no time.
Hopefully this helps someone realize that being "healthy" doesn't have to be hard or perfect.
Live well!
Kristy
The biggest culprits for weight gain for me were pop (soda, coke, whatev.) and alcohol. I learned this in college when I went 1 month without any and lost several lbs and my pants fit again. Do I still drink pop and beer? Yes. Do I have only 1 or 2 per week? Yes. This way, nothing is OFF LIMITS and I don't "need" or crave them.
Another move I had to make (literally) was to exercise. I think some people think I exercise everyday or do something crazy hard. I don't. I work out 2-3 times per week (usually 2) for 30-40 minutes and include both cardio and weights. My go-to videos are these: Cathe Basic Step and Prevention and you'll see they aren't advanced at all. I know that they work because other than walking, these are the only exercises I've done since having James and I currently weigh less than I did before I got pregnant. See! You don't have to do Insanity, or P90X to lose weight. Now, if you're looking for washboard abs then you may need to.
Eat fruits, vegetables and chocolate everyday! Yes, I said chocolate. To be healthy (and sane) nothing needs to be off limits. I eat some sweets everyday. The key is small portions. Do not go to Dairy Queen everyday. Eat food from all food groups to get all the nutrients that your body was built to run on. Carbs are good for energy, protein is good for muscles and filling up your belly, dairy is good for your bones and fruits and veggies have SOOOO many benefits. Speaking of muscles, we need to build muscles because even at rest (while eating popcorn, watching a lifetime movie) muscles burn way more calories than fat. Life some weights (even if it's your own body weight-push ups, lunges, squats, crunches, planks, etc).
I still have (and have always had) a squishy belly. If I were better at eating, I'm sure this would go away, but knowing that I eat what I enjoy and still manage to stay in a healthy state, I'm ok with the squish.
Pregnancy does NOT mean "eating for 2" or "eat whatever you want". It also doesn't mean that you can stop exercising. I did step aerobics up until 3 weeks before I had James and was back doing them 2 weeks afterwards. I took it really easy, but I felt great and bounced back in no time.
Hopefully this helps someone realize that being "healthy" doesn't have to be hard or perfect.
Live well!
Kristy
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Fevers. Boo!
Our little guy has had a fever for almost 2 days and just can't seem to beat it. We've kept it down with tylenol, but he just isn't himself. If it hangs on tomorrow, we'll take a visit to the pediatrician. Our pediatrician has a walk-in clinic on Sundays, which is soooo nice. I've taken advantage of it twice and haven't had to wait long either time.
One thing I didn't mention in my "what I've learned" post was how awesome a Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper is for newborns, especially those with reflux. Last night, it showed off it's awesomeness once again. James was not sleeping well yesterday with his fever and runny nose. We put him in it to help with the drainage and actually got some sleep last night. Poor little dude :( Another great invention is the nosefrida snot sucker. Find it here Nosefrida This thing seems super gross (it's really not), but shoving that bulb syringe in his tender little nose all the time was really making it sore. We also shoot saline up there and that's been really helpful.
He still thinks it's funny when we scare him and has played a few rounds of peek-a-boo with his burp rag, but other than that, he just wants to snuggle. I'm ready for our happy guy to be back to normal. He's just so pitiful.
Get well, wild man!
One thing I didn't mention in my "what I've learned" post was how awesome a Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper is for newborns, especially those with reflux. Last night, it showed off it's awesomeness once again. James was not sleeping well yesterday with his fever and runny nose. We put him in it to help with the drainage and actually got some sleep last night. Poor little dude :( Another great invention is the nosefrida snot sucker. Find it here Nosefrida This thing seems super gross (it's really not), but shoving that bulb syringe in his tender little nose all the time was really making it sore. We also shoot saline up there and that's been really helpful.
He still thinks it's funny when we scare him and has played a few rounds of peek-a-boo with his burp rag, but other than that, he just wants to snuggle. I'm ready for our happy guy to be back to normal. He's just so pitiful.
Get well, wild man!
Friday, November 30, 2012
What I've learned in 6 months
Our little guy is 6 months old already! Wow! They weren't lyin' when they tell you that it will fly.
It's so crazy that we went from this...
To this...
so quickly.
And for that, I'm very thankful.
Now, onto what I've learned:
1. Having a baby in NICU for almost 2 weeks makes it very hard to teach your baby (and yourself) how to breastfeed. I also learned that exclusively pumping is A LOT of work! I was able to do it for 5 weeks and decided to switch to formula to save my sanity.
2. If you have a baby that's colicky, the only cure is time. This time is usually around 3 months,but when your baby is a preemie they're colicky until their adjusted age is 3 months. We luckily had a colicky baby that slept fairly well so that was helpful.
3. Swaddling. Do it! No, really. Yes your baby will fight it and holler at first, but this will be your saving grace. Watch "The Happiest Baby on the Block"to learn more soothing techniques. James slept twice as long when he was swaddled. Also, buy a Swaddleme brand swaddler (or 3 if you have a spitty baby) with velcrohttp://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Swaddleme-Cotton-Small/dp/B002WTANPY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354300226&sr=8-2&keywords=swaddleme+small . These make it so easy! Also, if you have a summer baby, the Aden and Anais muslin blankets are wonderful! They're huge, get softer with every wash and are breathable. Those from Amazon are a little better quality than the kind you find at Target. They are pricey, but they'll be a great "blankie" as baby gets older too. aden+and+anais+swaddle+blankets
4. Towels and washcloths. Skip the thin newborn towels and go straight to your bath towels/beach towels. They cover more ground and are much more absorbant. I also use the regular size washcloths since they do a nice job of covering a belly to keep baby warm. Also, skip the cutesy robes. Newborns usually HATE baths and you just need to hustle to dry them off and get them dressed again quickly.
5. Burp rags. Go for the Gerber Premium Prefold Cloth Diapers. They're thick and soak up wayyyy more than anything labled "burp rag".
6. Bibs. If you have a spitter, buy the waterproof kind and buy them big. Changing clothes every time they spit up is a huge hassle. Our favorite bibs
7. Borrow, buy used, etc. What we didn't find on clearance, or get from a baby shower, we've bought mostly used items or borrowed them. I found a travel swing (which I recommend for the bathroom) on clearance and borrowed a large swing. They only enjoy these for a limited time (if at all) and those things are pricey! We bought a used exersaucer because the cheapest were around $50 and were so boring. For half that price, we have a saucer that James LOVES! Clothes can be found for next to nothing at garage sales. I've also found some toys at online garage sales on facebook. Just give them a good scrub with vinegar and water and sit them in the sun for a few hours and they're good as new. I haven't had much luck with consignment sales as those prices aren't that much cheaper (if any) than the sales at Target.
8. Routines work. We have started a bedtime routine of a bath, a little playtime and then a bottle and snuggles/songs (wheels on the bus is his favorite :) and he goes to sleep fairly easily. This needs to be as close to the same time each night as possible. Also, if you have a car sleeper, try to avoid long car rides too close to bed time.
9. Diapers and wipes. I know every baby is different, but Pampers and Luvs have been the best for us so far. The Wal-Mart brand (Parents Choice) works well, but he always smells like pee with these. He leaks like crazy from Huggies and the Huggies brand wipes are not nearly as soft as the Pampers. As far as diaper cream goes, try coconut oil. When his bottom was red and irritated, the ointment must have burned because he screamed. We took a quick bath and globbed on the coconut oil and he was a happy camper. Coconut Oil
10. Formula. According to our pediatrician, they're all the same. Brand, type, etc. doesn't matter. "Just pick one" is what he told us. Store brand, name brand, whatever.
11. Natural. We're not perfectly "green" but I sure do try to keep the chemicals to a minimum at our house. It's easy to find healthy soaps, lotions, etc. by using this site Skin deep. Basically everything you think of babies smelling like, has chemicals and hormone disrupters (baby magic, johnson & johnson, etc.). We use some glass bottles. It's just hard to travel with the glass ones and have relied on the plastic for that. I also highly encourage homemade baby veggies/food. The veggies are super easy and really cheap. You cook them, stick them in the blender, magic bullet, whatev, and add water until they're to the right consistency. Freeze in single portions (preferrably in glass). I would have given cloth diapers a try, but Phil was not willing to have poop in the washing machine. I know crunchy mommas, he just doesn't get it :)
I'm sure I'll have more as time goes on, but hopefully this is helpful to a momma out there.
Kristy
It's so crazy that we went from this...
To this...
And for that, I'm very thankful.
Now, onto what I've learned:
1. Having a baby in NICU for almost 2 weeks makes it very hard to teach your baby (and yourself) how to breastfeed. I also learned that exclusively pumping is A LOT of work! I was able to do it for 5 weeks and decided to switch to formula to save my sanity.
2. If you have a baby that's colicky, the only cure is time. This time is usually around 3 months,but when your baby is a preemie they're colicky until their adjusted age is 3 months. We luckily had a colicky baby that slept fairly well so that was helpful.
3. Swaddling. Do it! No, really. Yes your baby will fight it and holler at first, but this will be your saving grace. Watch "The Happiest Baby on the Block"to learn more soothing techniques. James slept twice as long when he was swaddled. Also, buy a Swaddleme brand swaddler (or 3 if you have a spitty baby) with velcrohttp://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Swaddleme-Cotton-Small/dp/B002WTANPY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1354300226&sr=8-2&keywords=swaddleme+small . These make it so easy! Also, if you have a summer baby, the Aden and Anais muslin blankets are wonderful! They're huge, get softer with every wash and are breathable. Those from Amazon are a little better quality than the kind you find at Target. They are pricey, but they'll be a great "blankie" as baby gets older too. aden+and+anais+swaddle+blankets
4. Towels and washcloths. Skip the thin newborn towels and go straight to your bath towels/beach towels. They cover more ground and are much more absorbant. I also use the regular size washcloths since they do a nice job of covering a belly to keep baby warm. Also, skip the cutesy robes. Newborns usually HATE baths and you just need to hustle to dry them off and get them dressed again quickly.
5. Burp rags. Go for the Gerber Premium Prefold Cloth Diapers. They're thick and soak up wayyyy more than anything labled "burp rag".
6. Bibs. If you have a spitter, buy the waterproof kind and buy them big. Changing clothes every time they spit up is a huge hassle. Our favorite bibs
7. Borrow, buy used, etc. What we didn't find on clearance, or get from a baby shower, we've bought mostly used items or borrowed them. I found a travel swing (which I recommend for the bathroom) on clearance and borrowed a large swing. They only enjoy these for a limited time (if at all) and those things are pricey! We bought a used exersaucer because the cheapest were around $50 and were so boring. For half that price, we have a saucer that James LOVES! Clothes can be found for next to nothing at garage sales. I've also found some toys at online garage sales on facebook. Just give them a good scrub with vinegar and water and sit them in the sun for a few hours and they're good as new. I haven't had much luck with consignment sales as those prices aren't that much cheaper (if any) than the sales at Target.
8. Routines work. We have started a bedtime routine of a bath, a little playtime and then a bottle and snuggles/songs (wheels on the bus is his favorite :) and he goes to sleep fairly easily. This needs to be as close to the same time each night as possible. Also, if you have a car sleeper, try to avoid long car rides too close to bed time.
9. Diapers and wipes. I know every baby is different, but Pampers and Luvs have been the best for us so far. The Wal-Mart brand (Parents Choice) works well, but he always smells like pee with these. He leaks like crazy from Huggies and the Huggies brand wipes are not nearly as soft as the Pampers. As far as diaper cream goes, try coconut oil. When his bottom was red and irritated, the ointment must have burned because he screamed. We took a quick bath and globbed on the coconut oil and he was a happy camper. Coconut Oil
10. Formula. According to our pediatrician, they're all the same. Brand, type, etc. doesn't matter. "Just pick one" is what he told us. Store brand, name brand, whatever.
11. Natural. We're not perfectly "green" but I sure do try to keep the chemicals to a minimum at our house. It's easy to find healthy soaps, lotions, etc. by using this site Skin deep. Basically everything you think of babies smelling like, has chemicals and hormone disrupters (baby magic, johnson & johnson, etc.). We use some glass bottles. It's just hard to travel with the glass ones and have relied on the plastic for that. I also highly encourage homemade baby veggies/food. The veggies are super easy and really cheap. You cook them, stick them in the blender, magic bullet, whatev, and add water until they're to the right consistency. Freeze in single portions (preferrably in glass). I would have given cloth diapers a try, but Phil was not willing to have poop in the washing machine. I know crunchy mommas, he just doesn't get it :)
I'm sure I'll have more as time goes on, but hopefully this is helpful to a momma out there.
Kristy
Thursday, March 1, 2012
And baby makes 3!
We are expecting!
Because I said I was starting this blog to keep up when we had little ones, this means I need to kick it in gear.
20 weeks
We are due June 29, 2012 with a boy, and couldn't be more excited!
Because I said I was starting this blog to keep up when we had little ones, this means I need to kick it in gear.
20 weeks
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Catch-Up Cont'd
Let's try this again...
After several years of work, here is some of our progress. Having a handy husband is pretty...well, handy! :o)
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New paint/Old Porch/No Flowers
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Master Bedroom
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Living Room
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Yay for flowers!
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Living room before pictures and curtains
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Living room floors
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Woodstove and the Christmas tree, before flooring or trim
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The start of our shower
I need to get better pics of the spare bedroom and dining room and I'll post those too.
On an even more exciting note, I'm an AUNT!!! Aint she sweet? **Update*** What is this crap? Why can I only upload pictures once during my post?? That will have to be saved for next time. She's pretty stinkin' cute.
After several years of work, here is some of our progress. Having a handy husband is pretty...well, handy! :o)
I need to get better pics of the spare bedroom and dining room and I'll post those too.
On an even more exciting note, I'm an AUNT!!! Aint she sweet? **Update*** What is this crap? Why can I only upload pictures once during my post?? That will have to be saved for next time. She's pretty stinkin' cute.
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