Five Must-Haves for Making Your Own Baby Food

#2's first bite of food, sweet potato thinned with formula

Have you read some of the ingredients on the back of baby food jars recently? Yikes! I can't pronounce some of those words! That's why I decided to make my own baby food. Is it as easy as opening a jar? No. But let's be honest, nothing about motherhood is easy! And when you realize how easy it is, not to mention that it's better for your baby and it costs less, making your own baby food might be the right decision for your family.

Here's what you need to make your own baby food:

1. small food processor
2. books like Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron and/or The Healthy Baby Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel
3. ice cube trays
4. baggies
5. fruits & veggies

This post is really just to tell you how easy it is to get started. Check out Wholesome Baby Food for details about the proper way to make, store, and thaw your homemade baby food. 

Sandra is the family editor for Today's Housewife. She's a pastor's wife, mom to two boys and is in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. You can see what her family is up to at Celebrate Every Day and follow her on Twitter at @SandraPeoples.

Is Exercising Your Hobby?



Source



Have you seen my new favorite commercial during Biggest Loser?  "I lift things up and put them down."  It makes me laugh every time!

I am trying to get rid of the baby weight that came along with #3.  I have been pinning exercises on pinterest and recently started doing some of them!  I haven't been able to go back to the gym yet since the baby isn't 6 months old yet.  I have been exercising when and where I can! 

I started out taking the kids to the little park near my house.  While they played, I ran a lap around it and then walked a lap.  I did 10 laps and then a set of lunges at the end.  They loved playing and I was able to get in a little work out.  I could tell it worked since I was sore for a few days!

We have a work out bench in our back yard, so one day, my husband and I worked out while the boys (and dog) played.  I did a little bit of weight and worked out different body parts. 

I also did a cardio and leg pyramid that I found on pinterest.  It made me sore for a few days--feel the burn!  It required no extra weights or anything, so anyone can do it! 

I am definitely not a buff gym-obsessed "I lift things up and put them down" person, but I am trying to spend some time each week getting in better shape as well as show my kids the importance of exercise. 

Do you spend any time exercising?  What's your favorite exercise?

Kama is married to Ben and is a mom to 3 kids 3 and under. She loves anything Spanish, quilting, sewing, being frugal and freebies! Kama also has a Squidoo page listing fun freebies!

Wishing you lots of...brokenness for 2012!?!?!

We are already wrapping up January!  The New Year really snuck up on me and the thought that we are already almost a whole month in...is just crazy!  

Did that title get your attention?  Let me explain...

2011 (and 2010 if we are keeping track) hasn't been an easy year for us.  It has been trying...and overwhelming...and down right hard more often than I would have liked.  And to be honest...I really hope that your 2012 can look a lot like that.
Have I lost it???  Am I wishing bad things on you and yours?  Of course not!!!  I hope that you can get out of 2012 what we got out of 2011 as painlessly as possible.  But, I do hope that you can gain an understanding of what we learned and obtained through these times.
Because when I say that this past year has been rough...I have to follow that up with saying that it has BY FAR been the most amazing, beautiful, blessed year of my life.  My husband agrees...and (depending on the day you ask), I'm pretty sure my kids would too.  I think that this new way of understanding living started when we traveled to Uganda to adopt our son (October 2010).
It continued as we started the transition to becoming a family of 4.  It has continued as we have walked through my almost 5 year old's juvenile rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and treatment.  Then when my husband fell through a church's ceiling while working (as a firefighter) on a structure fire.  Through his surgery and 8 months of rehab - and working a desk position.  Through the financial burden that put on us.  When we realized that our transition to "normal" life with our son would last far longer than we anticipated due to the things he went through before we got to him.  Lots of things have happened...and we have just sort of sailed through.  Put our heads down and trudged forward.  Didn't always do it right, but for the most part...we have been thankful for it all.  With every hard time...there is triumph to celebrate.  And we have (again, for the most part...nobody is perfect) chosen to focus on the triumph.
And there have been these incredible moments...that I really can't explain...the kind of moments that make me tear up with joy to think about them.  The moments where my son looks up at me (despite his history) and says that he loves me.  When my daughter sits in my lap, takes a deep breath, takes her shot like a champ, and shows this pure, brave, proud smile...cause she knows that she. is.  amazing.  The moment I found out that my husband caught himself with his shoulder and was dangling above church pews...then pulled himself up with ligaments and tendons that were shredded.  The moment our friends came together to bless us and help us make ends meet.
I am sharing this with you for a reason.  I want you to understand that this life we live isn't easy (who can argue with that???).  There are people I know who are going through things right now that I can't imagine going through.  They make my year look like a walk in the park...yet they have peace.  Sure, they hurt and cry, BUT they know that as long as you KNOW JESUS, everything is going to be OK.  In fact, it will be so much better than OK.  It will be perfection.
So, what I am really saying is that I hope your hear is filled with HIS peace, HIS joy, and HIS understanding.  Not your own.  Because HIS love isn't circumstantial.  And HE will carry us through every moment of every day of 2012.  We need only to be still.

Faith Life

It is not characteristic of our modern culture to know what it means to wait. I mean to truly wait. If there has been a demand for speed on any facet of our human existence, someone has created a "convenience" to gratify our exigencies. We are born and raised in a fast-paced environment in which we learn to thrive off of accessibility. Convenience, by definition, means "the quality of being suitable to one's comfort, purposes or needs." (Yahoo Dictionary) Who wouldn't want to live a life of comfort by having your needs met at the snap of your fingers?

I naively thought at one time that I was living a convenient and comfortable life. I was 27, just married, bought a beautiful home and had a great job. Things seemed to be flowing effortlessly for my husband and I. We were happy, in love and ready to begin a family. I always thought that I would quickly become a mother. You see up until this point of my entire 27 years, most of my life had been fairly easy. I had a few minor set backs every now and then but nothing that really seasoned me. I look back now and see how unintentionally shallow of a life I lived. I had not been put in a circumstance that truly tested my faith. I always knew that I had faith but I rarely lived by it on a daily basis. The funny thing about faith, is that it is typically grown out of having to wait. Faith can best mature when you find yourself inconvenienced and uncomfortable. Now, after almost three years of struggling to get pregnant, I have found myself inconvenienced and uncomfortable. I have found myself relentlessly waiting on something that my heart yearns for day in and day out. I am having to learn how to wait in a society that glorifies everything that is "on demand."

I could describe all the emotions that infertility has loitered me through. I could tell you how depressed I have felt over the last three years. I could go through all the highs and lows of pursuing fertility treatments. However, what is most important about this season of my life, is that I have been given a "faith lift." God is carrying me through an incredible and purposeful journey that has led me into a deeper relationship with him. As, I reflect over the last few years, I see this beautiful tapestry of testimonies that have been sewn together. My life has been changed in remarkable ways because of divine appointments that God so cleverly arranged. If I would have had a child on my terms and in my time, I would be lacking in so many qualities that God has been nourishing. While the waiting is still not easy, my spirit remains resilient. I have learned that when you believe, God will reveal his desires and plans for your life. When you believe, you see. I think in the past my faith was based on circumstantial evidence. My faith would widen when God gave me what I wanted but it lacked depth. Now, while I wait to be a mother, praying for God to fill my empty arms with a child, my faith is as deep as the ocean. I know God wants to give me the desires of my heart. However, those desires are in his time, not mine.

God has placed so many influential individuals on this journey. Many of them have struggled in far worse situations than mine and have shown me how to gracefully keep my head above water. They have transparently shared their testimonies and my own has been built upon their vulnerability. They have helped to change my perspective on waiting. I have decided that if I am to walk the road paved "reproductively challenged," then I am going to do it with dignity. I want to walk by faith knowing that on the other side of this storm we will find a rainbow. I want to cherish every lesson along the way so that I am prepared for the next season.

You may not be able to relate to the struggles of infertility, but I am sure you can find some commonality in waiting for something. Maybe you are waiting for a job or to meet the man of your dreams. You could be waiting to overcome an illness or waiting for your teenager to respect you. At some point, we must choose to quietly wait with God or get lost in the bustling chaos of the world. At some point, we must choose to live our life with conviction or with convenience. One builds faith, the other can destroy it. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" Hebrews 11:1


by Cara Holdman 
For the full story please visit: www.caraholdman.wordpress.com

Valentine's Day Treats

We've rounded up some Valentine's Day treat ideas!

Click on the links below each picture to find out more!

 Brown Sugar Brownies from Baked Perfection

 Chocolate Strawberry Heart-Shaped Ice Cream Sandwiches 

from Martha Stewart

 Chocolate Covered Pretzels from Love from the Oven

 Heart Shaped Cinnamon Rolls from Poppies at Play

 It's Love Cookies from Pikadilly Charm

 Candy Cane Hearts from Nest of Posies

What a Birth Doula Really Does

Several years ago I started down the path to becoming a birth doula. I was working with women at a crisis pregnancy center and saw it as a way to connect more deeply with the women I was serving. I have since fallen in love with all things birth! Doulas are becoming more mainstream, but there is still a good bit of confusion and misinformation over the role of a doula.  Doulas are a great resource and are worth knowing about if you or someone you love is preparing to welcome a new addition to the family. 

The number one question that I always get when people hear I am a birth doula is, “How is a doula different than a midwife?” The biggest difference is that as a doula I am considered a non-medical birth professional.  Doulas do not do exams on their clients and only offer non-medical advice. In the case of a medical issue the doula always defaults to the client’s midwife or doctor. A doula is strictly a labor support person who is there to offer continuous physical, emotional, spiritual and educational support to the birthing mother and her partner. Physical support means being present continually for the birth and offering suggestions on ways to cope with labor. Emotional support can be serving as a sounding board for the mother both prenatally and during the post-partum period.  Spiritual support is an element that, as a Christian, I integrate into my practice through prayer and encouragement to my clients. Educational support consists of answering questions, assisting in the writing of a birth plan and offering books, DVDs, and even personal childbirth classes to clients to help them prepare for birth.  

The second biggest question that I hear is, “Why does a woman need a birth doula if her husband is with her during labor?” I love answering this question because I have had great experiences working not just with mothers during labor but also with fathers. It is unfair to assume that because a couple took a childbirth class that they are prepared for all the ups and downs of labor. The average man has had no experience with birth before stepping foot into a labor and delivery room. Doulas have that experience and knowledge under their belt and can provide a calm presence that will help both mother and father be fully “there” for the amazing experience of welcoming their child. Doulas come armed with an arsenal of techniques and expertise to soothe mama and help her cope with labor.  I love being able to provide support that allows dad to feel like he is really helping his wife bring their child into the world. 

The next question that usually pops up is, “Aren’t doulas only for women who want to have their babies naturally?” The answer to this question is a definitive “No!” The motto of DONA International, the world’s oldest and most respected doula certifying organization, is “A doula for every woman who wants one!” Whether you want to go au natural or you are anxious to get your epidural placed as soon as labor starts a doula can be lots of help both prenatally, during labor and through the post-partum period.  It is true that doulas are primarily trained to help women cope with the pains and struggles of a non-medicated delivery. However, we also receive training on positions and comfort measures for women who are having medicated and/or epidural pain relief as a way to augment labor. The biggest gift a doula can give her client is walking her through the facts and reality of all of her different birth options and helping the mother to be make the right decision for herself and her family. 

There is a ton of research to support the role of a doula. Studies show that the continuous presence of a trained support person can reduce the rates of intervention (pitocin augmentation, cesarean section, vacuum extraction, forceps delivery) during birth. Studies have also shown that women rate their birth experiences more positively when they have had the continuous support of a trained labor partner.  As a birth doula I cherish every opportunity I get to support women and their families through this uncertain, unique, and awe-inspiring time in their lives. 

I have only scratched the tip of the iceberg as far as the benefits that are offered by having a doula by your side during labor. If you have any additional questions about the role of a doula please feel free to leave them in the comments and I will be happy to respond (bear with me as I have a newborn of my own!).

Jessica is a grace lover, wife, new mama, motherless daughter, reluctant missionary and birth doula. She scribbles down stories of grace on her blog a diamond in the rough. She is currently working on her first e-book about finding God’s grace and discovering the heart of the Gospel when loss and grief are a part of your everyday life.  Follow her on twitter @adiamondnrough.

Guest Post: Christmas Come Early

Now that the harried days of Christmas gift-buying, hiding, wrapping, labeling, and bowing are over, I find myself just remembering the sweet moments of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. The cookies out for Santa, reading the story of Jesus from Luke 2 Christmas morning, the screeches coming from each child as they saw their Santa gifts out in all their glory.


But I will not allow myself to be deceived… the Christmas gifting season will be on me again in no time and along with it I will be rushing about looking for deals, attempting to locate some random gift that Uncle Bill will like, and checking my list and then checking it twice… because no one wants a repeat of the year that I forgot to get my boss a gift.

With that being said, I have found a nifty little way to help with 2012 Christmas shopping starting… now. It helps me to budget each month for how much I will spend on gifts. I finish my Christmas shopping very, very early. And I don’t have to endure watching our bank account drain away in November and December.

Here’s what ya do…

1) Type out the names of the months of the year.

2) Under each month, add the names of family members that have a birthday during that month.

3) In parenthesis, note their birthdate.

4) After that type out any ideas you might have for gifting.

Here’s an example:
February
* Cupid (14) – new bow and arrow, sunglasses

5) Now, clean out a decent sized area in one of the closets in your home. Trust me… I know closet space is like gold in most of our homes, but it is sooooooo worth it when you’ll be able to laugh at all the people that go out for Black Friday while you’ll be in your PJs sipping hot chocolate!

6) And the most important step: whenever you go buy a gift for someone’s birthday, get two gifts. One gift for their birthday and one gift for Christmas! There. Now you’re done shopping for that person months early!

7) Finally, make a note of what you purchased for that person so that you don’t accidentally buy them two gifts for Christmas!

Here is the list that I keep on my iPhone in OneNote so that I always have it with me.

Hopefully this will help you to enjoy the Christmas Season of 2012 a little more… of course, that is, unless the world ends before then! haha
 
January Rowe is the stay-at-home mom of two rambunctious boys mom who’s favorite hobbies are reading and acting in her church’s drama team. You can find her blogging her life’s every moment at Rowe The Boat or on her most recent endeavor The Covenant Diet.

Linked up to Works for Me Wednesday!