20 Ways My Life Has Changed Since Becoming Mom

1. MY schedule... what's that? I live on GAVIN'S schedule. 2. Sleeping in now means sleeping until 8am, and that has happened ONCE that I can remember since August 21st, 2014. (Gavin's birthday) 3. I love going to bed as early as possible. If I could go to bed when Gavin does (8:00pm) I would (but my husband doesn't let me...). 4. I actually have some muscle in my arms now, thanks to having...

Sweet Potato Puree - Homemade Baby Food

I usually use 2 sweet potatoes when I make Gavin his purees, that way I have plenty to last him quite awhile! But you can use more, or less, depending on how much you want to have on hand! Here's What I Do: 1. Peel and wash sweet potato.  2. Cut into small pieces and steam in boiling water until sweet potato is soft when pierced with a fork. Before I strain it, I save a small glass...

Green Beans & Peas Purees - Homemade Baby Food

These two purees I make separately, but the exact same way. Super easy! I use frozen & organic for both. Here's How I Do It: 1. First I rinse the veggies, then I steam them in boiling water until they are soft and tender. 2. Once cooked, I set aside a small glass of the water I steamed the veggies in (nutrients from the veggies seep out into the water while you steam them)...

Oatmeal - Homemade Baby Food

Banana Oatmeal .... yummm We chose to completely skip rice cereal with Gavin. Why? Because (long story short) it's totally unnecessary and not at all of any nutritional value!! I wasn't going to feed Gavin something that's just a "filler", and not nutritionally benefiting him. So, his very first foods were avocado, banana and sweet potato (and he LOVED them all!).   I'm just now introducing...

Gavin's 7 Months!

Age: 7 Months Stats: 23 pounds & 30 inches Teeth: HE GOT HIS FIRST TOOTH!!! 1 bottom tooth :)  Clothes Size: 12 month Favorite Foods: Avocado, sweet potato, banana, pear, carrot, ....hang on, what DOESN'T this kid like?? He eats everything, and a lot of it. Other Favorites: Harley- he laughs at Harley the dog all the time, even when Harley is laying there doing absolutely nothing...

Spring To-Do's

If you're anything like me, you have a Spring "To-Do" list in your junk drawer that's about a mile long. I was actually tempted to go count how many things I currently have on my list, but there's no point because there's way too many, and I'm always adding to it. BUT, the point of this post is that we have some exciting house projects coming up!! If you're interested in DIY & home improvement...

Apple Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Ok, so this is the second kind of apple puree I've made. But this one takes the cake.  Way better than my other one (I think, and Gavin agrees). In my other apple puree, I used granny smith apples (less sugar), but they're more sour. They're not bad mixed with other fruits, or sweet potatoes, but they're still not the best tasting apples for a baby that's getting used to new tastes! This...

Why I Chose Homemade Baby Food

If you're debating on whether or not to make your own baby food- then this post will be great for you! Honestly, this should be a really short & sweet post, but I'm sure it won't be (knowing me). Here it is: I chose to make my own baby food for Gavin because I believe: 1. It's healthier 2. It's cheaper. 3. It's easy. See. I could end my post right here.... but of course that'd be...

Cauliflower Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Another great food choice for your baby, cauliflower is packed with all kinds of nutrients!! Like broccoli, it has a stronger taste, so it probably shouldn't be one of your babies first foods!  *Helpful hint: cauliflower mixes good with other baby food purees including apples, broccoli, green beans, peas, squash and zucchini. I've seen some suggestions where they recommend waiting...

Broccoli Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Broccoli.... why give your baby broccoli?? Well here you go:First, look at the nutrients broccoli contains: vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A (from beta-carotene), B vitamins, fiber, calcium, iron, folate (folic acid), omega 3 fatty acids, zinc, protein...and more!  Second, it really boosts your baby's immune system and it has anti-inflammatory properties!  No wonder it's considered a...

Old Cabinet Door TRANSFORMED TO Fun Chalkboard!

Before... After! Ok, so you really can't go wrong with a cute chalkboard in your house! Especially when you can make one yourself, for essentially FREE (or pretty darn cheap)! This project did not cost me a penny! But, that's also because I had all of the supplies on hand already, and I was lucky enough to have found a couple old cabinet doors out at my parents house! So let's...

Butternut Squash Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Gavin LOVES squash! It's one of his absolute favorite foods! I used one medium sized butternut squash, and I got 2 1/2 ice cube trays worth of puree! It also only took a total of 20 minutes from start to finish. Can I also just quick say that the difference in the taste & even coloration of homemade baby food vs store bought baby food is CRAZY! My husband even commented on it (and that's...

Zucchini Puree - Homemade Baby Food

Another super easy & nutritious food to make for your baby! It took all me all of 15 minutes to make this puree, start to finish!!  (Using 3 medium organic zucchini, once pureed, I got almost 2 ice-cube trays worth of baby food) *When preparing zucchini, DO NOT PEEL THE SKIN!!! The skin of the zucchini actually contains the majority of the nutrients!! * 1. Wash zucchini & cut...

*Pear Puree* - Homemade Baby Food

What You Need: Pear(s) (I use organic) Blender/Food processor 1. Wash & peel pears.  2. Cut into small pieces. 3. Add pears to small pot of boiling water, reduce heat and then simmer until pears are soft. (I used very ripe pears, so I probably only simmered them for 5 minutes, and they were ready) 4. Let pears cool slightly, then blend until desired consistency  (I...

*Banana Puree* - Homemade Baby Food

Yummmmm Ok, it does NOT get easier than this. All you need is a banana (I use organic) and a blender/food processor. Yup, it's that simple! Toss the banana into the blender/food processor and blend until it's the right puree consistency.  I didn't need to add any breast milk to thin it- the banana itself gets good & creamy.  (When making my homemade baby food purees, I...

12 Things About The First 6 Months as a New Mom

1. In the beginning you'll be tired. Very tired. But, your energy will finally decide to come back, eventually (or maybe you just get used to being tired...???hm.). 2. Your days no longer revolve around your schedule. Your days revolve around baby's schedule. 3. Wait until your baby's morning nap to make your coffee- well, if you want to enjoy it while it's actually WARM. 4. Baby...

Paint Existing Trim WHITE in 5 EASY Steps

In my opinion, there is nothing more gorgeous than a house with all white woodwork. Trim, doors, everything. I think it gives the home such a fresh, clean & crisp look. Not to mention, it goes with any paint color! Our house we currently live in was built in the 70's. The previous owners did some updates- but what they did- really only made things worse. When it comes to trim..they did horrible...

Reminders for Mamas on Tough Days

What mom doesn't need a little inspirational pick me up here & there.  These are the things I reminded myself of that somehow brightened up my crying baby, spit up covered, never-ending dirty diaper days (those days where all you want to do is crawl under the covers and go to bed!).  Oh and incase you were wondering, no, you are not the only one who has...

My Beloved Coffee Bar

Ok so one of the highlights of my day currently, is when Gavin goes down for his morning nap, and I get my morning coffee. Ahhhhhhhh. Peace, quiet, and coffee!! So nice. So, I was pathetically excited when I finally got my "coffee bar" that I'd been desperately wanting! I have this weird thing, where I really hate having clutter all over my kitchen counters- we don't have a TON of kitchen...

Motivation for Breastfeeding Mamas

This post is especially for those mamas struggling with breastfeeding.  I have been in your shoes. The more women (moms) I talk to, the more I realize- wow, a lot of us have been in the same boat. More specifically, in the same boat when it comes to breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding. A word that I think scares some women. Why? Because maybe it was wasn't easy for them. Maybe they...