cleaning from the outside-in....

I realize this is a blog dedicated to my "research"; however, I felt this need for change and balance I am craving -and so desperately need- falls into the research category given that I was inspired by all my "research" (exuberant amount of time lily-padding from one blog to another- via my new addiction Pinterest).... On my impromptu run in the humid 90+ degree weather (note- probably won't be inspired to run in the middle of a hot muggy day again) I was praying for change-specifically balance- and I realized all of my coveting order and Monica-OCD organizing tips and tricks that I have been scouring Pinterest and other mommy-bloggers for has not been in vain. My aha-ha moment of inspiration... If I create a little order each day (like day 1- junk drawers... not the entire kitchen overhaul-in-one-day-leaving-me-defeated-and-overwhelmed kind of order, but small manageable tasks that will give me little feelings of accomplishment each day without wanting to quit), just maybe I will find creating order on the outside will bring me some inner peace and balance in my role as the SAHM (still feel like that title doesn't do justice to the actual role) and domestic head of household. My intention for even posting this is that I will have accountability, and maybe one day I can look back and see the journey of creating order from the outside in...
My goals: Day 1- Organize Freezer (and maybe the fridge... if I have the gusto in between errands, tutoring, and Jayme's nap-time)
Day 2- Tackle spice cabinet (which is really a shelved version of a junk drawer)
Day 3-... maybe I ought to see how days 1 & 2 go first ;-)

so many uses for "booju"

****WARNING- this may be TMI for some folks...

if you are grossed out by the natural process of breastfeeding of coarse ;-)  ****

Since the day I found out I was pregnant until the moment I gave birth, I was mentally and physically preparing myself for breastfeeding my daughter. I went to the classes, read up everything I could get my hands on (or eyes on), took my vitamins, watched what I was putting in my body (for the most part... let's face it- no honest pregnant woman can avoid the cravings for mint & chip or bean & cheese burritos)... anyway, point being- I was determined to breastfeed and be successful no matter how tough it turned out. Whether it was all the mental and physical prepping, or just pure luck, I found breastfeeding came pretty easy... and I seemed to be a human milk machine (making enough for triplets if I had them!)... I was pumping and dumping for a couple months, until my girlfriends started giving me a hard time about throwing "liquid gold" down the sink... at that point I started stashing my abundant supply in my dad's deep freezer for "just in case" moments.
When Jayme was barely 2 months old, my nephew (in overzealous and clumsy 2yr old fashion) poked her in the eye... Ryan and I freaked out at his carelessness after several warnings, but the worst part was not even 24 hours later she developed some funky discharge from that same eye (looked like pink-eye). As new parents desperate to find a remedy, we went to the most trusted source... Google of coarse! After cross-checking several sites (some more reliable than others), we opted to try the suggested breast-milk in the eye.... NO JOKE, all the goop cleared up within 10 hours (I squirted milk in her eye 3 times in the course of those 10 hours)! Ryan proceeded to check other uses for breast-milk out of curiosity.... apparently this stuff really is LIQUID GOLD! Breast milk is not only the best way to feed your  infant, apparently this nourishing substance has the ability to heal and protect the body as well (not just baby!) To spare you any lengthier of a post, I will just share some of the most interesting uses.... glad I started stocking up ;-)

• Pink Eye (know several people who swear by this, and I am a believer after J's experience)
• Plugged Eye Ducts
• Ear Infections
• Sore/Cracked Nipples (I never needed Lanisoh)
• Mosquito and Ant Bites
• Acne/Eczema/Diaper rash (I have personally seen the amazing affect it can have on rashes- cleared up a rash on J's face, and acne- not mine, but my sister was brave enough to try as a last resort...and this is when we came up with the term "booju" [pronounced BOO-JEW] - breast milk > boob juice > booju- since we thought it was weird enough to put breast milk on one's face, it sounds less disgusting if you give it a Frenchy/fancy name)
• Immunity Boost (There are some studies about breast milk being used for cancer patients, I'm reading more into this in an effort to convince my mother-in-law to try it)
• Scratches, Burns, Gouges, and Scrapes (another one I've tried on myself and all I can say is... Neosporin watch out!)
• Chapped lips/skin

I am intrigued by the amount of awesomeness in something so natural! This is definitely something I will continue to research and update... If you have a use, example, or breast milk/ booju story, please share!

homemade with love (and savings)

Sure its easier to grab a couple jars or packets of baby food (not gonna lie, I love Plum Organics and Ella's Kitchen in the user-friendly, tasty goodness astronaut packets)... and as affordable as they seem, at $0.50- $1.50 per jar/pack, most of us don't think twice about throwing a couple dollars at a time into the cart... but have you ever done the math on a months worth of baby food?! Of course, you can buy generic brands and do your best to save money, but baby formula and baby food cost money (and lets not forget the additional costs of diapers, and other necessities that add up!) Let's say you spend roughly $1.50-$3.00/day on baby food... that comes out to $547-$1,095 a year on baby food alone! Perhaps its the over-achiever-first-time-mom, or the on-a-strict-budget-from-the-hubby-wife in me... either way, I figure I have enough time in the week to spend maybe an hour or two (tops) making my daughter's food from scratch... can I just say- 1 organic butternut squash (enough for 10-15 servings) cost me $1.99 at Trader Joes, and a 2 pack of Gerber Organic Squash was $1.79- and at least 1/4 goes to waste!) you do the math... I could continue on this soapbox for hours, so I'll end it with this.... Just think of all the cute baby clothes (or if I'm being honest, cute shoes for the hard working mama ;-) you could buy with the money saved on baby food alone!  This is my favorite site for all things homemade baby food (recipes, how-to's, guides, etc.)

Wholesome Baby Food

 

Finger food... baked potatoes

Finger food steamed carrots- gotta give her as much help in the vision department as she can get (since her dad and I both have crappy vision)

mmmmm tasty... and fun

spinach, peas, and pear

anything green and mushy grosses me out, but this actually tastes pretty good!

finished cubes to be frozen (from start to finish took me 10 minutes- seriously!)