Friday Favorite- Kale Chips

I've been making veggie chips using this method for a long time, but Heather Crosby at YumUniverse put together an awesome video tutorial for kale chips.  Check it out here.  The almond flour (you can also use almond meal, available at Trader Joe's) makes the kale chips taste almost breaded and deep fried- they taste completely unhealthy, but are absolutely the opposite.  I've used the same idea to make zucchini and spinach chips in the food dehydrator with great success.  


When Tye was newer to solids, I made sure the chips she ate were really crunchy and crumbly and it was an easy way to incorporate otherwise stringy, chewy leafy greens into her diet.  Now when I pull a batch of kale chips out of the oven, Tye gasps with delight and barely waits for them to cool before stuffing them in her mouth.  They're a salty, delicious snack to feel really good about.

Friday Favorite- Bedtime Favorites

The only constant in our bedtime routine is that it's always changing.  The main components of the routine stay the same- put on pajamas, brush teeth, apply a calming essential oil, read books, then rock, sing, and nurse to sleep.  Within that routine, though, we go through phases. 

Our newest must-read bedtime book (and really, Tye's favorite book any time of the day) is the book The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood and Audrey Wood. 

I first discovered this book when I taught a classroom of two year olds in Germany.  Daily, the majority of the students requested this book, and everyone was captivated by Little Mouse.  The simple plot, in which Little Mouse picks a red, ripe strawberry and can only save it from the Big Hungry Bear by sharing it with the reader, is easy to follow for young readers.  Children seem easily engaged by the text, too, in which the reader speaks directly to Little Mouse rather than telling a story about the character.  Each reading, the child participates in an interaction with the mouse and helps to solve his problem.  Tye, who particularly likes eating the strawberry along with Little Mouse, could read this book on repeat for hours.

After our books, we turn out lights, say a prayer, sing goodnight to Mico, Baby, Mommy, Daddy, and Tye, and then sing a lullaby as we rock and nurse.  Since April, I've been singing the lullaby "Su La Li" to Tye, one that we learned in Music Together and I have now sung for hours upon hours.  Tye's newest infatuation is "Story About Sammy," a sweet children's song I learned as a teacher.  

(I have no clue who these kids are, but thanks to a search on YouTube, you can watch their adorable faces sing "Story About Sammy")


Now as we rock each night, Tye requests "Sammy song" and falls asleep listening to my version of the song, in which Sammy is a girl with a very, very long list of animals she'd like to imitate on her way to the store.  Should I dare attempt to sing any other song, Tye will open her eyes and ask for "more Sammy song."  While I can only guess why Tye loves this song so much, I have a feeling it's because of the simple, repetitive verses combined with animals and their actions.


Many nights in the past, I've brought my phone or Nook into Tye's bedroom with me so I can play games or read as she falls asleep.  Recently, though- perhaps because her second birthday is around the corner- I've been cherishing our time together as we rock and sing.  I remind myself that today is the youngest Tye will ever be again.  Tomorrow, she'll wake a day older, and I never know when our bedtime routine just might change again.  

Friday Favorite- Computer Time

Sometimes the tiniest glimpse of a person's life tells a great deal about them.  I've always loved looking through other blogger's blog rolls.  It's like a peek into their medicine cabinet or a rummage through their purses.  I feel like I'm snooping through their online life.  


I've never kept my blog roll on the sidebar here, mostly because- like the contents of my purse- the list changes pretty frequently according to what is currently fascinating me most.  I don't read every post on every blog, mostly because I'm constantly working on spending more time away from my computer.  Today I thought I'd share the blogs I've been reading recently- an unedited list, perfect for snooping into my reading life.  I considered dividing them into categories- friends, food, mothering, etc., but too many of them overlap categories, so you'll just have to read through them, though I did highlight a few of my favorites.  Happy exploring!

• Breastfeeding Moms Unite
• Cave Mother
• Clean- totally inspiring ability to re-use, re-purpose, make anything from scratch, and live simply
• Cranberry Moms- two cousins who own cranberry blogs and take turns writing about motherhood
• Crunchy Domestic Goddess
• Design Mom
• Ina May- only a couple entries ever, but if she ever writes anything, I want to be sure I know about it and read it!
• Joyfolie- the most gorgeous little girls' shoes ever created.  Ever.
• Knitters-Knitters- never have autism and knitting been knit together so beautifully
• Kozy Konversations
• Making It Lovely- an Oak Park mom of 2 and interior designer who makes me want to beautify my own home
• Mila's Daydreams
• Our Family Carr
• Mother, Mae I?
• Mothering- the one-time magazine lists new articles as they're posted on the Mothering.com website, saving me time searching through the site
• My World Edenwild
• Oh She Glows- yum, some amazing food creations
• Our Family Life...
• Smitten Kitchen- perhaps not healthy food, but a great database for delicious recipes and cooking how-tos
• Tam-Sense
• teamBoo- originally drawn in by the name, this chick is funny!
• The Cardinal Foods
• The Mommypotamus
• The Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog
• TheFeministBreeder- where motherhood meets punk rock feminism- a different way of looking at the shared parenting values
• Yum Universe- healthy vegan foods (perhaps to balance Smitten Kitchen)

What are your favorite blogs to follow?  Some of these are very rarely active now- so I wouldn't mind adding a few more to my reading list.  Please share!

Friday Favorite- Internet Radio

Tye dancing with Granddad

While I've long been a fan of Pandora internet radio for my own listening, we recently began using the site to listen to children's music during the day.  Just like my own listening stations, Pandora creates for us a personalized station based on the children's song and/or artist we chose initially.  When each new song plays, we have the option of "liking" or "disliking" the song.  By liking it, the station automatically plays other similar songs, or by disliking, we are assured we won't ever hear that song on the station again.  


The biggest downside to Pandora is that it plays 30 second commercials every 5-6 songs.  An online commercial-free option is Grooveshark.com, where I can create my own playlist from songs I find on a search.  This is great if I want to listen to only one or two bands at a time.  Grooveshark also has a radio option for more listening variety, but the like/dislike options don't seem to personalize the music as well as Pandora.


Our recent favorite artist on either radio site is Laurie Berkner.  Her silly, quirky lyrics and catchy tunes are favorites among kids, and totally bearable- even quite enjoyable- for adults.  Most days, I connect my laptop to our stereo so we can listen to an internet radio site on surround sound.  Adding music to our day makes chores more enjoyable, and of course, I can't help but smile when I see Tye dance to the music.  Internet listening sites keep us dancing for free.


Who are your favorite children's musicians?  How do you listen most often?

Friday Favorite- Lentil Soup

I made this super-easy lentil soup this week for lunch, and Tye loved it so much I thought I'd share the recipe.  With each mouthful, she made her "MMMMmmmmm!" sound of pleasure before she eagerly signed for more.  The fresh ginger alongside the carrot gave the soup a subtle sweetness that Tye loves in food, and the lentils are a great source of protein, fiber, and iron (more easily absorbed with the vitamin C in the salsa).  Plus, this is a super affordable lunch or dinner, even with all organic ingredients.  This recipe will be a new staple in our kitchen.

Brown Lentils

Tye's Favorite Lentil Soup


40 ounces broth* (I used 1 32 oz box No-Chicken flavored broth plus 1 cup water)
1 cup water
1 cup salsa (I used Trader Jose's Organic Tomatillo salsa)
2 Tbsp butter (optional)
2 cups dry lentils, rinsed (I used brown lentils, but orange would be beautiful)
1 large carrot
1 square inch fresh ginger
4-6 cloves garlic


Combine broth, water, salsa, butter, and lentils over medium-high heat in a pot with lid tilted.  While waiting for the liquid to boil, combine carrot, ginger, and garlic in food processor and pulse until pieces are about the same size as lentils.  Add this to the soup.  When soup reaches a boil, reduce heat to simmer and keep lid tilted.  Cook until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes (keep cooking until they're mushy for younger eaters).


*Have I shared yet my favorite way to make homemade vegetable broth? Whenever I trim vegetables like carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, peppers, leeks, etc., I combine the trimmings (onion skins, carrot tops, celery leaves, etc) in a 6-8 cup freezer-proof container.  When I have a full container, I plop the contents into the crock pot, add some herbs like Thyme and Sage, then cover with water.  I cook this on low all day or high for 3-4 hours.  After it cooks a bit, I strain it and add salt and pepper. Then I can divide it into quart jars to freeze, or use it in soup that evening.  Super easy, super frugal, super healthy, super soup!

Friday Favorite- Travel Baby Food

When traveling with an infant or toddler, so many concerns need to be taken into account that any opportunity to simplify must be utilized for sanity's sake.  This is where we've been fortunate- we've always had a safe, healthy supply of God's perfect food right on my chest, no heating or refrigeration needed.  Nothing travels better than your own breasts!  As Tye grew older, we were also fortunate to have found some food options that travel almost as easily.  Here are our three favorite items for travel-friendly baby food.

Not long after Tye started eating solid foods, we discovered Ella's Kitchen Organic Baby Foods.  The packages fit my criteria for non-homemade food for her: organic food, BPA-free packaging, and no fillers or sweeteners- only vegetables and/or fruit.   Unlike other favorite brands, like Sprout Baby Food (which we also love), the Ella's Organics come in a squeeze package with a spout opening.  This allows Tye to suck the food out of the package using the same oral motor muscles as nursing.  While Tye loves this method because it provides easy access to the food she wants, I love it because it skips the spoon step.  From the carseat to the airplane to the middle of a store, Tye has eaten these just about everywhere with little to no spilling or mess.  

Another reason to love Ella's Kitchen Organic Baby Food is the food combinations, which provide vegetables in addition to fruits in blends like broccoli, pears & peas, sweet potato, pumpkin, apples & blueberries, and carrots, apples & parsnips.  Even when Tye was going through her picky "I only eat things that are white" stage, she would happily down some colorful vegetables out of one of these packages.  Another travel bonus: they don't need refrigeration, making packing them super simple (we've loaded up suitcases with pouches before).  The only downside I've found is that they've become difficult to find; while I used to pick these up at Target or BabiesRUs, the vegetable blends seem to be sold out most places.  Hopefully they'll be back on shelves soon!

ProBugs

Another squeezable food package we've come to love more recently is the Lifeway ProBugs kefir pouches.  They feature organic whole-milk kefir in enticing, kid-friendly packaging and flavors.  While I wish they offered a plain flavor, their packaging is even better than Ella's- it has a no-spill flap that prevents drips when inverted (not when squeezed, of course, but any little bit helps, right?).  These kefir packs came with us for the flights to and from Seattle last weekend and were a huge hit with Tye.  One package even replaced Tye's need to nurse during takeoff because "nursing" the kefir pouch cleared her ears effectively.  While these need to be refrigerated, they are an excellent option for short-term and/or infrequent travel.

By far our favorite travel food is Trader Joe's Freeze-Dried Banana Slices.  These were Tye's first travel finger food because they are all-natural (the only ingredient is banana!), relatively clean, and their almost melt-in-your-mouth texture was easy for a relatively toothless little one to eat.  When Tye was ready for finger foods but still wasn't eating grains, these were a perfect travel option in place of cereal or baby puffs (which all have added sugars, too).  These are such a staple that at any given moment, there is a full package in my diaper bag, and I always feel good about giving Tye several chips.

While these foods make eating on the go easier, it's still something we try not to do often.  It's important to me we teach Tye good eating habits in addition to good manners.  Eating is something I'd like to teach her to do seated at a table, with few distractions other than good company.  At home, Tye and I eat all our meals together seated next to each other at the kitchen table.  When we're out and about, I think it's worthwhile to either come home for a meal or sit down somewhere to eat, whether it's at a restaurant, a cafe, or a picnic.  When that isn't possible- because, really, life doesn't always provide those opportunities- at least we have some great travel food options.

What other travel foods do your kiddos enjoy?  I'd love to hear more ideas!

Friday Favorite- Mothering Magazine

When I was newly pregnant, I bought every pregnancy magazine I could find.  I wanted to soak up information on pregnancy, birth, and parenting, and I thought periodicals were a smart addition to book reading because they are so current.  That, and I was spending every non-working moment lying on the couch or in bed, so I might as well have some good reading materials.  I found, though, that most of the magazines had little to do with the style of parenting I envisioned for myself.  There are also only so many ways to write an article covering how to write a birth plan, or the limited diet of a pregnant woman (most aspects of which didn't apply to me, anyway, as I wasn't eating animal products).  I ended up skimming the magazines quickly and only truly utilizing the articles listing new baby gear and clothing.  Before I had given birth, before I was even put on bed rest, I stopped buying the magazines altogether.


Soon after Tye's birth, my friend Alison gave me a new mother's gift of an electronic subscription to Mothering Magazine.  When my first issue arrived in my inbox, I devoured it, cover to cover, in one long nursing-nap session (Did you know that with an e-subscription, you can click on links to all the adds and go straight to the websites? It's fabulous!).  Then I headed for the Mothering website, which has additional articles and back articles.  Amazing.  In the past year, I've found the Mothering resources to be much-needed support and validation on topics like babywearing, cloth diapering, nursing, and bedsharing.  For every article on babycenter.com claiming that doing one of the above would harm my child, Mothering had one supporting the practice, complete with scientific studies and convincing arguments to back it up.  I've learned invaluable information from the Mothering resources, and every time I see a new issue in my inbox, I get excited for the special mama time I'll set aside when Tye is sleeping to read it, hot cup of tea in hand, and I'm thankful for the gift of knowledge and information.  Thank you, Al.


A few of my all-time favorite Mothering articles for new moms:

• Your Walking Medicine Chest- breastmilk cures 
• Mothering, Mindfulness and a Baby's Bottom- Elimination Communication
• How the Stats Really Stack Up: Co-Sleeping Twice as Safe
• Finding Your Tribe
• Hold Me Close: The Many Advantages to Wearing Your Baby
• A Nursing Triad- tandem nursing

Friday Favorite- Moments of the Week

It's been one of those weeks for the past two weeks now.  Tye went straight from teething to worse teething to now having a full-blown cold.  And yet, there were some great moments, too, and I'd rather focus on those than, say, being sprayed in the face by green snot when Tye sneezed this morning or sleeping sitting up wearing the Ergo last night so she could breathe.  So here are the highlights of our week:

• Dinner with Tye at Whole Foods Monday evening.  It was like a date, just her and myself, singing along to Bob Dylan over the loudspeakers.
• Curried squash soup made from scratch.  I ate the whole pot in 3 days.  Yum.
• At Tuesday morning's AP Parenting meeting, watching Tye spend the vast majority of the meeting crawling around on the floor with the other kids, pulling herself up onto the toy box to find new toys, and sharing with friends.  She's truly one of the big kids at our meetings now.
• Realizing that no, Tye didn't break my laptop- she just pushed the brightness button and turned the screen off.  Whew!
• Watching Tye chase after the farm dog at the orchard after a morning of apple picking.  She took off army-style to chase his wagging tail all around the yard and couldn't get enough of his long, red, soft fur.  
• Pushing Tye in the swing at the park and hearing her giggle with every back-and-forth.
• Hearing Ines tell me, "She's not going to get cancer from one dose of Tylenol" the morning after giving Tye a dose to ease her teething pain after two straight hours of non-stop full-out crying the night before.  Thanks, Ines, for keeping life in perspective.
• Teaching Tye to clap to Pat-A-Cake yesterday.
• This morning's mocha from the local bakery during our walk.  Tye was calm walking in the carrier, Mico waited patiently tied to the tree outside while I ordered, and I got my dose of coffee and feel like myself- not my sleep-deprived twin.  While I'm not proud of turning to caffeine, even on a rough morning, I know I'll be proud of what I accomplish thanks to the cup.  Like this post.

See, it was a good week, after all.

Friday Favorite- Video Monitor

Some of the best advice I received about baby products was to purchase a video baby monitor.  My friend Caryn told me, "You'll think you won't need it, so you'll buy the regular sound monitor, but in about two weeks you'll want the video monitor and you'll go buy it, too.  So save yourself the cost of the regular one and just buy the video monitor now."


I'm extremely grateful I heeded her advice!  The video monitor has worked well with our non-conventional sleeping arrangements.  Tye sleeps best in our bed, both at night (before and after I join her) and for naps.  When Tye wakes up from a nap, she usually happily plays with Ziggy on the bed until I walk in to pick her up.  I know, though, that one of these days she'll go crawling, and I need to be able to watch her closely without having to stay in the room with her.  

We have the Summer brand video monitor, and it works well for us.  It's Tyler's favorite gadget because the camera zooms and pans across the room with a little joystick on the receiver.  Daytime viewing is in color, and darker viewing uses a night-vision camera.  The battery on the receiver doesn't last all that long- only about two hours, about enough to get us through a nap, but it plugs into any outlet- but that is my only complaint.  Otherwise, our video monitor has become a baby product I couldn't imagine living without.  

Friday Favorite- Holistic Moms Network

When I became pregnant, I may as well have started the hugest research project ever undertaken.  Suddenly, every single decision I made had significant repercussions, from the way I spent my time to what and how I drank.  I knew other women with families must have traveled these same paths searching for answers, but I didn't know any of them.  So, I spent hours online researching and hours offline worrying that maybe I still didn't have the best information available.  


When my mom told me about a group she had found called Holistic Moms Network with a local Chicago chapter, I knew immediately I had found a priceless resource.  Our chapter meets monthly at Whole Foods (as if I wasn't there often enough already!), in addition to other gatherings and get-togethers like Moms Night Out and a Beach Breakfast Playgroup.  Expectant moms have come to ask others about midwife and doula recommendations, moms share experiences with various practitioners, and everyone shares local resources for food, remedies, and entertainment.  


HMN has a strong national online community that pools together thousands of like-minded women to answer questions and provide support on topics ranging from food sensitivities to safe play sand to homeopathy.  The online community has been an amazing resource for me, where I've searched treatments for stuffy noses when Tye was sick and safe acne remedies while breastfeeding.  Because the national community includes women who are experts in such a variety of areas, all with a similar holistically-minded background,  answers can be found for any question imaginable.  I've even been able to offer my two cents on some Early Childhood and educational questions.


What brings me back to HMN each month is the women in our local chapter.  This past month, one mentioned that her friends think she's crazy for some of the lifestyle choices she makes, and I can completely relate.  But one night each month, we can all gather with other like-minded mamas and shamelessly ask about making our own beet kvass or kombucha, or exchange recipes for deodorant or laundry detergent.  These are all very intelligent women seeking out even more information, continuing their own holistic journeys.  


Now when I have questions, I can seek advice from other moms who have experience rather than reinventing the holistic parenting wheel.  Even more important, I've found a support network of women who understand why I do some of the things I do.  To be surrounded by such a group is not just encouraging, but inspiring.  

Friday Favorite- Clip-on Seating

I just love the Phil and Ted's Me Too clip-on chair we got for Tye.  It easily attaches to our kitchen countertop where Tye and I eat our meals every day.  I love that she gets to eat at the same table as us rather than having her own miniature table; it feels like she's an equal member at the dinner party, which she is.  With this setup, clean up is easy (Mico gets the floor, I wipe the counter).  And the best part is that it only takes up one cubic foot of space whether Tye is eating or not.  Sure, it's intended for travel, but with all these benefits, our clip-on seating is an everyday favorite.

Friday Favorite- Gentle Healing for Baby and Child

This past week would have been an even longer one without the book Gentle Healing for Baby and Child: A Parent's Guide to Child-Friendly Herbs and Other Natural Remedies for Common Ailments and Injuries by Andrea Candee with David Andrusia. It was the most highly recommended book among moms in the Holistic Moms Network, which is how I discovered it.  The remedies are simple, safe, and non-invasive, and most use ingredients available at Whole Foods, like peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils and chamomile tea.  I referenced the book several times this week for solutions to Tye's head congestion, but knowing that I had a source for remedies if things changed- if she spiked a fever, or if the congestion moved to her chest- was invaluable.  In my opinion, even more mainstream moms could appreciate these remedies in effort to provide comfort and ease symptoms, whether it's along with OTC medications or not.  In the middle of the night, with a miserably sick child, this book is an excellent resource.

Friday Favorite- Creative Tshirts from Attached at the Hip

I recently found Attached at the Hip, a cafepress.com Tshirt site.  I love some of the Tshirts, like these designs (all available at Attached at the Hip).

My mama may be crunchy but my diapers aren't!

Granola Mommy

My favorite, though, is this pair for mama and baby:

Friday Favorite- Affirmations

There's nothing keeping us all from having this little girl's positive attitude.  Put on a confident smile and love yourself a little extra today!  We should all share the joy and appreciation for what we have like this girl.

Friday Favorite- Babywearing International (and Ergo giveaway info!)

I recently discovered our local chapter of Babywearing International (BWI), which meets monthly at Be By Baby, a fabulous Chicago boutique.  At each BWI meeting, the group leader and other mamas are available to help teach new carrying techniques and answer questions.  By far my favorite aspect of the group, though, is the carrier library.  Our chapter has 30-40 different carriers in its library, all available to "check out" for a month.  This is a great way to try out new carriers before purchasing one.  The guidance is also a wonderful way to practice new carries, like trying out a back carry or learning to use a  long wrap to carry a growing child.

By leaving a deposit (in the form of a check that is never cashed), I checked out an ErgoBaby carrier last month.  We've been using it all month.  I was thinking Tyler might appreciate the buckles and snaps over the Kozy Carrier, which ties.  While Tyler said he doesn't have a preference, Tye certainly required some time in the Ergo to adapt to it, but now enjoys it.  I like the snap-on hood that allows me to nurse discretely (everyone assumes Tye is sleeping, which often follows nursing anyway!).  It was also a great carrier to use when putting Tye on my back for the first time because it's so simple.  

I still love our Kozy Carrier and Sakura Bloom ring sling, but having a selection is wonderful because different situations call for different carriers.  The Kozy can't be beat for comfort.  The ring sling is faster than any other carrier, perfect for running errands or taking Mico out briefly.  The Ergo is a great halfway point between the two.  Each carrier is expensive, though.  I've been incredibly fortunate to have built our family collection for very little cost because of some great searching and opportunity.  I purchased our Sakura Bloom ring sling from an online boutique that was clearing out the line and paid less than half the original price.  Then, I earned a $100 gift card to another online boutique by completing a 10 minute phone interview with a company representative, which I used to purchase our Kozy Carrier. 

images from sakurabloom.com,  kozycarrier.homestead.com, and ergobabycarrier.com

This morning, I won our family an Ergo carrier!  The Nurture Center, another online boutique, is hosting an ErgoBaby giveaway.  Each day this week, continuing today, the 100th person to leave a product review wins an Ergo carrier.  Saturday, each review left this week will earn an entry into another giveaway for 3 more Ergos.  That's great odds!  Since I won, I'll let you in on some inside information:  I made my comment last night between 7:30 and 8:30 pm to become the 100th comment.  The Nurture Center has some good items that I own and enjoy, so leaving comments wasn't hard.  Next month, when I attend the BWI meeting, I'll be able to return the Ergo I borrowed knowing that we'll have one at home!  I think I'm still going to borrow a wrap carrier, though, just to try out another way to wear Tye.  Then I'll have to find a way to get one of those on the cheap!

Friday Favorite- Traveling Pashmina

While traveling with Tye, there are two things I couldn't live without: 1) a baby carrier like our ring sling or Kozy Carrier, and 2) my pashmina.  Technically, pashmina is a type of wool, but it is also used as a term for a specific version of shawl, the same way that Band-Aid and Kleenex have become synonymous for their products.  A pashmina is scarf-length but wide enough to be a shawl.


Mine is a golden yellow color that adds contrast and pop to whatever outfit I'm wearing without clashing with many colors, making it a perfect wear-with-anything accessory.  Did I mention I paid $6 for it several years ago at H&M? (Clearly not authentic pashmina!) Here it is in hand on our trip to Dallas earlier this year.

Pashmina photo from target.com




While traveling, this is the perfect all-in-one tool.  When not in use, I wear it as a scarf, which is, thankfully, currently in style, even in summer.  It is wide enough to sufficiently cover both Tye and myself on chilly planes, serving as a clean, free blanket.  When it's time to nurse, I just spread out one side of the  scarf to cover Tye in her carrier.  I can also make eye contact with Tye while she nurses in arms by leaving the pashmina draped over my neck and using one side to cover her head above the eyes and the other to cover below the eyes, leaving just a slit so we can see each other. (Having a nursing cover on the plane is nice because the seats are so close together that the space can feel very... intimate when a breast is exposed just inches from a stranger).  I've also used my pashmina as an impromptu sling for short trips to the restroom once my carrier is off.  This trip, it also served as a drool wipe and as a source of entertainment for Tye.  She gently investigated the fringed edges and laughed when we used it for peek-a-boo.  


Pretty good for $6.

Friday Favorite- Baby mani/pedi tools

Before Tye was born, I bought a little kit that included all the "essential" baby care items, like a bulb syringe, digital thermometer, eyedropper, hairbrush (HA!), and nail clippers. Seriously, it should have been on all those babycenter.com "Baby gear I could have lived without" lists.  Not one item has been used, but one did get an attempt- the baby nail clippers.  I tried to use them, but they were so dull that they didn't cut Tye's soft baby finger nails.  Useless.  At least I didn't try the "Deluxe" version, in which a magnifying glass was added on to the useless clippers.  I could see these being indispensable for someone with a vision impairment, but for the normal parent?  Really?

When the baby nail clippers didn't work, I tried adult nail clippers, but they were so large that they completely dwarfed Tye's tiny fingers and made the task close to impossible.  I finally found that sharp cuticle clippers work perfectly.  They allow precision trimming with good visibility and comfortable maneuverability.

Once we had the right tool established, the next struggle was encouraging Tye to sit still, or at least let us hold her hands and feet still.  We could have tried trimming her nails while she was sleepy or asleep, but considering how poorly bathtime goes when she's sleepy, I thought perhaps it was best to find a time when she was awake and content.  When she was a newborn, I could prop her up while she was nursing and clip her nails then.  Nothing would separate her from the breast! I don't think she even noticed the trimming. 

Now that she's older, though, she has less of an attention span for nursing, so I had to find something else.  We rarely have the TV on with Tye around (at least during the week).  When it is on, Tye stares at the screen with wide eyes, her eyes never leaving the moving images.  Once, I tried clipping her nails while we sat in front of the TV, and it worked beautifully.  Now, the only time Tye gets to "watch" TV is when her nails are being trimmed.  What a lucky girl- a manicure and pedicure and TV time, all in one sitting!

Friday Favorite- Onsie Extenders

Image from onestepahead.com

These little pieces of fabric are onsie extenders.  They have three snaps on each end and connect to the front and back of a onsie. And they are exactly what we need.


Tye is a tall, lean shape these days.  She is outgrowing things in length that she still doesn't fill out.  All those footed pajamas in the 3 month size got about 1 month worth of wear before she could no longer extend her legs while wearing them, so they have been moved to the Too Small basket.  A large collection of adorable onsies were about to face the same fate when I discovered these a couple weeks ago.  Now, all those too-short but plenty wide onsies will have a few more weeks in the dresser (if we're lucky).

Friday Favorite- Outdoor Restaurant Weather

The time has finally arrived in Chicago... It's warm enough to eat outside! We celebrated with a family trip to our neighborhood favorite, which just opened it's outdoor seating area. The manager recognized Mico from his visits last summer and was surprised to see our newest addition to the family!

Our neighborhood is known for it's little cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating. The portion of property between the sidewalk and the curb is transformed into a patio with tables and chairs, temporary fencing, and planters filled with herbs and flowers. In the warm months, patrons wait for hours to score a table on the sidewalk patio. Because the seating area is adjacent to the sidewalk, it makes a great location for people watching- a fun sport in our hipster neighborhood.

Okay, I'll admit... I didn't write this Friday. I was out enjoying the beautiful weather and a long lunch in the sun. I didn't write it Saturday, either- I was mourning the loss of the sunshine and hiding from the snow coming down outside. Yup, that's Chicago for you. It makes me that much more appreciative of the beautiful weather we had Friday and the opportunity to take advantage of it while it lasted!

Friday Favorite- Rockabye Baby Lullabyes

There are a few things in parenting that I don't know if I could live without. My ring sling and Kozy Carrier are high on that list, but one that I didn't expect was the Rockabye Baby lullabyes played on my iPhone. When Tye is upset in the car or on a long walk, as soon as I play the lullabyes on my iPhone, she calms down immediately. Tye can go from screaming to silent in under 6 seconds. It's truly amazing to hear her calm down so quickly, the way only nursing usually calms her.

The Rockabye Baby lullabyes are fun for us to listen to, too, because they're lullabye renditions of songs by our favorite bands. They cover everything from The Beatles to the Rolling Stones to Coldplay. One of our favorites is Bob Marley, which translates really well into tonal lullabye music. We also like Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead.

This music has been such a lifesaver for us. I'm so glad we found it! And to everyone who helped us expand our collection before Tye was born, thank you, thank you, thank you. Since I'm sure a few of you are quite curious as to what this music sounds like, here's All You Need is Love by The Beatles and Come As You Are by Nirvana- two very different genres so you can get a feel for each. I hope you enjoy the music as much as Tye does!