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For the mothers who stay home, or who work at home, newsflash: you gotta take care of yourself. Of course, everyone says that. But when you realize you haven’t really gotten dressed in a while (sweats & yoga pants & your husband’s bathrobe doesn’t count) or done your hair (blow dry?) or thought about facial lotion, yes, it’s time to do a little self-care. Some crazies who aren’t parents envision parents who are at home during the day to be living the high life, replete with bon bons and being on the couch. Parents who work know how hard it is to be home, and parents who stay home know how hard it is to work. No parenting war here! I stay home, work at…
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I’m an advocate of co-sleeping. Big time. But for us, that means, when the baby is little. So as SweetPea is almost 6 months, I’m ready to have her start and end her night in her own room. Developmentally is this healthiest for her? The studies point both way, but to be safe, I’ll say she benefits greatly from sleeping by us. Trouble is, I’m not sure I can take any more all-night-looking-to-nurse-but-don’t-really-have-to-maybe-I-will-thank-you-very-kindly sessions. Night nursing? Absolutely. I’ll get up twice a night if necessary. Why? Because she nurses on demand during the day so sometimes that may mean she doesn’t get enough. And why else? Oh, yes, because breastfeeding during the night is an almost sure-fire way to keep your menstrual cycle from coming…
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Thousand Hills Beef from the coop? Kale from the garden? Shallots? Garlic? Tomatoes from the garden? Dinner! 1) Burger recipe. Two pounds Thousand Hills Beef from the coop. A big bunch of shallot diced up. Garlic too. Kosher coarse ground salt. Freshly ground pepper. Mix it up with your hands. Form into patties. Get that grill hot. Grill until tender and when pushed, feels like the meat on your hand between your thumb and first finger. I know this thanks to my dad loving Anthony Bourdain. Nummy. Done to perfection. Heirloom tomato from our garden. Delish. 2) Kale chips. My girlfriend over at LouLou Ingredients has a fabulous recipe and introduced me to kale chips in the first place. See her post here. AA planted…
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or how to survive letting your child move from a crib to a bed. SuperBoy is 2 years, 3 months and we’ve made the big move. Only for night sleep, not naps, but still. It’s a massive adjustment. Here’s how we did and what’s working so far. (Pictured here on the quilt I’m almost done with for my brother & new sister-in-law!) 1) Choosing a floor bed over a toddler or an elevated bed. We opted for a mattress/box spring combined double bed. It sits happily on the floor. This way, there’s no concern about SuperBoy launching himself out of bed in the middle of a crazed dream and smashing his head. The flipside is that he can more easily get out of bed than…
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So you have this little beautiful baby, right? And she just looks at you and coos, or maybe she screams a lot. Maybe she just sleeps and makes diapers, with the occasional desperate nursing session. What sorts of developmental things should you be doing to ensure your child is the next Einstein? Or Edith Stein? I’m no doctor, nor a child developmental specialist, but I am a thinking, reading, interested mother of two who’s knows what has shaped her bright children (of course they’re bright!). 1) Massage. Infant massage. Touch & talk combined. Double check. Think of it like grooming a horse. You get to know all the creaks and cracks and where the bumps are. This gives you an advantage when something new crops…
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This is part 18 of our Birth & Parenting Series. Our other parts can be found on the front page under “Birth & Parenting Series” toward the bottom, or linked here. A mother shares how she identified that her grade-school aged son needed extra help to hone his learning skills. She tells us a number of techniques that have helped him tap his learning potential. Talk about trusting her intuition and seeking out the best for her child! A great example to us all, and a set of helpful techniques for any child in his or her learning development. D is nine and going into 4th grade. He is very capable of learning but for the past 3 years D has been inconsistent in his academics. …
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