Using Cloth Wipes

When I started using cloth diapers I never thought I'd get to the point where I would be ok with using cloth wipes. As it turns out, it took me almost a year into my cloth diapering journey to start using them but once I gave them a try I kicked myself for not trying them sooner!

What I would clean up with 5 disposable wipes I could usually do with one or occasionally two cloth wipes. They work so much better than I ever thought they would!

I used to try to make up a fancy concoction to soak the wipes in before using them, but I quickly discovered that was too much work which usually ended in me not even bothering to make up a batch of wipes.

I had read a lot of moms just put water on their wipes. After all, we don't wash our butts with soap and fancy things... Just a dry piece of toilet paper! So this became my new routine. Run some warm water at the sink. Get the rags wet, squeeze them out, and throw them in their container.

Now, while I really like the simplicity of just water, we occasionally need something a little more which is when I boil some water on the stove, let it cool a good bit and then put in a spoon of organic coconut oil and let it melt. I've found this to be very helpful when we are dealing with diaper rash. My little one has sensitive skin so when a rash breaks out I make up a batch of thesr CO wipes.

In the beginning I just used an old wipes box container to store the wipes in. Then I got into the eliminating plastics thing and decided to come up with a non-plastic alternative. That's where the mason jar stepped in. Of course the lid on this container is still plastic since I haven't run across a place to buy non-plastic lids that fit mason jars, but over all I'm quite impressed with the alternative I've come up with. Oh, I also had hubby poke some holes in the lid so that there would be air flow and mildew wouldn't happen.

Dry wipes storage is the wipes folded and set in a spare basket on the changing table. I think we have 30-40 wipes but we almost never use all of them since I wash diapers several times a week and then I just reuse the wipes from those loads once they've been cleaned.

I have several different edges on my wipes. My favorite by far are the ones I took to the sewing machine and did a zigzag edge on twice around each wipe. I tried regular straight edge scissors and those wipes made a mess with threads coming off them. I've also tried pinking shears but those also had issues with threads. All my wipes are cut from flannel fabric so they're nice and soft. They're single layer. I think most are 8x8 size and that's really just about perfect too.

I have to say I really do like using cloth wipes and am glad I took the plunge and tried them out. :)

Local, Raw Cows Milk

Raw cows milk in my fridge may seem weird to some, but not to me! I grew up with neighbors who had dairy cows. When they had extra milk we would sometimes be given a gallon. I loved it! My mom never really bought milk from the store because she always felt it wasn't good to drink a lot of milk or consume a lot of dairy products I general.

Living with hubby, we've bought a LOT of store bought milk. Milk is one of his favorite things to drink. During some time I spent researching, I really felt we needed to make the switch to raw milk. This particular article from Dr. Mercola's website really helped make this decision easier. So began my hunt for a local dairy farm.

After a little looking around, I came across the Real Milk website. Here I was able to find a famer that offered hormone and antibiotic free, raw cows milk for a price I could justify.

One of the most fun parts of real milk is you get the cream on top too. I've decided to use it to make homemade butter for now but would eventually like to try other things with it too such as cream cheese or whipped cream. Here I am seperating buttermilk from the butter I just ran through the food processor. As a kid, I remember one time where we all passed around a jar of cream and took turns shaking it. Thats too much work for my taste so I pulled up The Prairie Homestead tutorial and followed that instead. Much easier to gain results!

Here we have it: buttermilk on the left and fresh, sweet cream butter on the right. I've been storing the butter in the fridge for now, but may attempt leaving some out on the counter so its soft and ready to use since it gets pretty hard in there.

I like knowing our source of milk because then I know that what we are drinking or using for cooking is not riddled with hormones or antibiotics. There is peace in knowing I'm giving my family the best I can find.

Random Thoughts On My Cloth Diapering Experience Thus Far

Diaper laundry. Seriously something I never saw myself doing before I got pregnant with my first born. Honestly I think I remember only one person using cloth diapers on their kids when I was growing up. This was just not a normal thing to me pre-kids.

I'm not sure at what point I decided to look into using cloth diapers, but I know it was because of the money it would save our family. My cousin had been using cloth diapers for her little one and sent me several videos on how to use the style she had. It was much easier to see this working through her videos than it was through pics of how to put together diapers that I had come across on several blogs. I originally thought I would just use them here and there. In fact, it wasn't til my first was almost 2 months old that I tried them at all... And then I was sold.

Cloth diapering is certainly not the easy route to take, but I knew that from the beginning. Finding a routine that worked for me took some time and eventually I found that washing diapers every 2 days worked perfect. I stared by air drying on hangers in our doorways. It wasn't the most practical, but it got the job done. Somewhere along the way my cousin sent me another video of things she had been working on around her house and I happened to notice she had her diapers air drying on a rack similar to the one I have picture here. I thought, "how easy is that!" So I got one and man has it made life smoother on diaper day. No longer do I lug out hangers and clothes pins to dry diapers. Now I give a quick shake and lay the diapers over the rack and we are good to go.

When I first started out I only had 10 covers and 30 prefolds. How I managed a young baby pooping frequently with ten covers? I don't have a clue. Somehow it all worked. But eventually I found myself wanting more covers and that's when I discovered cloth diaper buy/sell/trade groups on Facebook. New covers for the brand I was using had gone up considerably in the first year of using cloth diapers. I wasn't about to pay $11 for a single cover... I know its not *that* bad, but I'm doing cloth to save on cash... So the hunt began. I would occasionally stumble across covers for $7 shipped to me and usually they had two or three so I could get them for $10 or $15 shipped depending on how many I bought. I bulked up my covers to where I had 24. I dont think I'm completely happy with not every prefold having a new cover to use, buta Im sure I'll go on the hunt again soon for a few more covers. Another thing I eventually added was a few packages of flour sack towels to make a thicker "overnight" diaper once little one was starting to sleep 8 hour stretches consistently. And, after unsuccessfully trying to get hubby to change diapers when I had to go somewhere and he was left to babysit, I bought him some all-in-one diapers which have been worth every penny to not have to buy disposables just for those rare occasions.

I think one of the biggest mistakes I made was trying to "strip" my covers before I fully understood the process. Several had been stained a faint yellow with that awful breastmilk poo and they always looked dirty. A bleach bath did nothing, sunning for several days did nothing... I decided to "strip" them. Unfortunately I did something wrong and ended up practically ruining the PUL. Thank god they did not leak after that... But their quality was not longer great. Fortunately I hadn't stripped my entire cover stash so only a handful were half ruined by this mistke. After that I decided stains really didn't bother me that much, after all these are POOP catchers we are talking about here!

I've been one of the rare few who used homemade detergent on diapers and *not* suffered major consequences. (This is based on things I've read on threads in cloth diapering groups I've followed.) At one point I attempted to switch to Tide laundry powder because, on one such group i was following, they swore that homemade laundry soap would ruin your diapers. Dont know why I didn't just leave well enough alone and keep doing what was working for me. My little one ended up with a red bum right away and I swore I'd never do that again. (He does have sensitive skin which is sort of one reason we use homemade laundry soap in the first place). In recent months I've experimented with a more natural laundry soap recipe. Its taken a few months to work the kinks out in the recipe ingredients itself and all that, but one thing I do know is I dont like it for diaper laundry. So back to my original homemade recipe it is, tho I may hang onto the new recipe for clothes, towels, blankets and such.

When we discovered we were expecting a second child I knew right away I would need to add to my diaper stash. This time I want to start out with cloth as soon as possible. I really think I may give myself a week or two to recover from birth before I expect to be back to some of my normal routines. Buying newborn diaper covers is quite fun because they are SO small! I'm thinking I may have two in diapers, at least for a little while, so I've added another 10 diapers to my stash and some that are more hubby friendly. I may add a few more if I feel we need it once the new baby arrives.

I must say I sort of feel like a pro at using cloth diapers now. Its been quite an interesting experience and I've learned a lot by using cloth. Any time I've used a disposable on my son they just frustrate me to no end and I can hardly wait to get back to our cloth bums. (We use disposable while away visiting family because it makes the whole vacation go smoother, plus before we leave I have all the diapers washed and air drying so they are ready to use the second we get back home).

When my grandma saw my son in a cloth bum for the first time, not long after I had first started using them, she remarked at how fancy mine were compared to what she had used on her babies. Even my mom, who I found out used cloth diapers too, was impressed with the snaps on the covers because she had to use pins to keep diapers on me when I was a baby and she thought they were just awful. I know what I have is pretty basic compared to what is available out there today, but I thought it was interesting they both wished they had then what I have now. Makes me grateful to be a cloth diapering mama in this time period.

I find it encouraging that several friends and my sister have shown interest in cloth diapering their children because of their exposure to cloth diapers through me. I do cloth diapers because of my little one's sensitivity to many of the disposable brands and because it saves us money. I'm always glad to answer friends questions and help them find something that will work well for them because I love cloth diapers and want everyone else to love them too.

Banana Bread Recipe

This is a family recipe that has been around for quite some time. I personally love it because its not too sweet, it has a good texture even a few days after you bake it, and is an easy way to use up bananas on our "off" weeks where we don't eat every single one I buy. Another bonus is this is a completely dairy free recipe!

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 egg

2 tablespoons water

4-5 ripe, mashed bananas

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar, and nuts.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, water, and mashed bananas.
4. Add wet mix to dry mix and combine.
5. Place in a greased loaf pan (or, as pictured, in a greased bundt pan).
6. Bake in oven for 60 minutes.
7. Eat when ready or turn out on a cooling rack to cool completely before storing. It can be kept out on the counter in a food storage container for several days.

7 Reasons I Love Cloth Pads!

If you are unaccustomed to thinking about cloth women's products, this post may be a little weird for you, but lets bring it into perspective... Only recently have disposable feminine products come into existence. For thousands of years prior, cloth pads have been used for women's menstrual period. Personally I have not had experience using these while on a period, but I did buy myself some panty liners as those are about all I need of these types of products while pregnant/breastfeeding.

Why choose cloth over disposable?
1. Cloth fabric is SOFT and comfortable and does not stick to you like disposable liners.
2. Cloth can easily be washed with your underwear and other laundry, adding no extra work for you.
3. Cloth is not full of chemicals that soak into your skin and may cause other problems such as heavier bleeding during your cycle.
4. Cloth is reusable and therefore you WILL save money on cloth products.
5. Cloth means no plastics are against your skin!
6. Cloth means no waste! Nothing is being thrown away here, all reusable!
7. Cloth means fun colored fabrics. Many sites let you CHOOSE the fabric color of your pads. With ordering through Frontier I usually end up with whatever they happen to have in stock, but that's ok with me.

Which pads I have. 
I personally love my panty liners from Glad Rags. I order through Frontier Co-op and usually snatch a few when they go on sale for $5 a piece. I have a small collection now that really is enough for daily use (about 7 liners now) while not on a period. I think the savings bit will take a year or so before it catches up with me, but I'm already SO in love with my liners that I really dont care!

I did order a Party In My Pants sample pad. While it is great, it has PUL backing which I'm not terribly fond of. I keep it on the bottom of my stash and only use if my others run out (which rarely happens).

I *am* looking into buying some cloth pads for menstrual use, but I think I would prefer to use a DivaCup or something similar since I'm more a fan of tampons anyway. We will see how that goes when my period returns!

Related Posts

• How To Become a Frontier Co-op Wholesale Member

Using Herbs While Breastfeeding

Something I've been doing a little research on is the use of different herbs while breastfeeding. I thought I would go ahead and post what I have and then I can always edit later to add more information if I look into some of these other herbs listed. As you can see, some of these herbs I've looked up a good bit of information on, others not so much. On a few (fennel in particular) I've also included information I've found about using essential oils of that herb while breastfeeding.

Alfalfa

• General: may increase milk supply.

Barley

• General: may increase milk supply.

Basil (sweet)

• General: may increase milk supply.

Blessed Thistle

• General: may increase milk supply.

Chickweed

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Dandilion

• General: may increase milk supply.

Fennel

Bitter Fennel Essential Oil (EO) Information

Sweet Fennel EO Information

• General: may increase milk supply and fat content of milk.
• Fennel is a purported glactogogue and is included in some propritary mixtures promoted to increase milk supply. No scientifically valid clinical trials support this use, although one old, small study found and increase in milk volume and fat content with fennel therapy. Source: http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/fennel.html
• We do not recommend using fennel essential oil (EO) to increase milk supply as the EO is not recommended as safe for babies and children under 5 years of age... Fennel (bitter), Fennel (sweet)Foeniculum vulgare - avoid using (all routes) on children under 5. Source: http://www.learningabouteos.com/index.php/2014/02/07/essential-oils-and-children/
• Fennel herb... can be used to increase mother's milk supply... passes through breastmilk to help baby's digestion and relieve symptoms of colic... can be used in combination with other herbs such as fenugreek, alfalfa,nettles, and blessed thistle... should be used in moderation since too much might actually cause decrease in milk supply... do not use fennel essential oil on small children. Source: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/milksupplyproblems/a/Fennel.htm
• Brochure recommends keeping Fennel essential oil out of the reach of children. Source: http://www.doterratools.com/documents/Fennel_Essential_Oil_Product_Information_Page.pdf
• Fennel Essential Oil, not to be used on children under 5 years. Not to be used by breastfeeding women. Source: Essential Oil Safety second edition by Robert Tisserand (see images above).

Fenugreek Seed

• General: may increase milk supply.
• Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) appears to be the herb that is most often used to increase milk supply. It has been reported to be an excellent galactagogue for some mothers, and has been used as such for centuries. The few studies that have been done have had mixed results.  Mothers generally notice an increase in production 24-72 hours after starting the herb, but it can take two weeks for others to see a change. Some mothers do not see a change in milk production when taking fenugreek.  Dosages of less than 3500 mg per DAY have been reported to produce no effect in many women.  Fenugreek is a basic ingredient of curry powder.  Fenugreek is considered safe for nursing moms when used in moderation and is on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s GRAS list.  Fenugreek is in the same family with peanuts and chickpeas, and may cause an allergic reaction in moms who are allergic to these things. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/fenugreek/
• Fenugreek has been used in a number of geographical regions worldwide as a galactogogue to increase milk supply, and is included in numerous proprietary mixtures promoted to increase milk supply. Evidence for a galactogogue effect is mostly anecdotal. A limited number of published studies of low to moderate quality have found mixed results for a galactogogue effect for fenugreek. Source: http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/fenugreek.html

Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Jasmine

• Fresh crushed jamsine is used to decrease milk supply. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• Jasmine flowers show to decrease milk supply. Source: http://www.everythingessential.me/HealthConcerns/BreastFeeding.html#page=page-7
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Lemon Balm

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/lemon-balm.html

Licorice

• General: may increase milk supply.
• Licorice is a purported glactogogue, and is included in some asian propritary mixtures to increase milk supply; however, no scientifically valid clinical trails support this use. In fact, licorace usually reduces serum prolactin, which might decrease milk production in the early stages of lactation. Source: http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/licorice.html

Milk Thistle

• General: may increase milk supply.
• Milk thistle is a purported galactogogue, and is included in some proprietary mixtures promoted to increase milk supply; however, no scientifically valid clinical trials support this use. Although a study on the high potency purified milk thistle component, silymarin, indicated some galactagogue activity, this does not necessarily imply activity of milk thistle itself. Source: http://www.drugs.com/breastfeeding/milk-thistle.html

Nettle 

• General: may increase supply.

Oregano

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Parsley

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Peppermint

• General: can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding.
• Pepperming essential oil has been usd traditionally for decreasing milk supply. Pepperming tea is a very weak form of peppermint and only large amounts (quarts) would be expected to decrease milk supply [for some women]. Some women have sucessfully used strong pepperming candies (for example, Altoids Curiously Strong Peppermints) for decreasing milk supply. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Periwinkle Herb (vinca minor)

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Rhodiola Rosea

• General: avoid use while breastfeeding as there isn't enough evidence to prove it's safe.
• One should not take Rhodiola while pregnant or breast-feeding as the risks to pregnant women and nursing mothers have not been studied enough to know for certain if there is a potential hazardous interaction. Source: http://www.safealternativemedicine.co.uk/rhodiolaroseaandanti-aging.html
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn’t enough reliable information about the safety of taking Rhodiola if you are pregnant or breast feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use. Source: http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-883-rhodiola%20(roseroot).aspx?activeingredientid=883&activeingredientname=rhodiola+%28roseroot%29
• To date, the medical literature has not reported any adverse effects related to foetal development during pregnancy or to infants who are breast-fed. Yet little is known about the use of this dietary supplement while pregnant or breast-feeding. Therefore, it is recommended that you inform your healthcare practitioner of any dietary supplements you are using while pregnant or breast-feeding. Source: http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-rhodiola.html

Sage

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Slippery Elm

• "do not take slippery elm without first talking to your doctor if you are breastfeeding a baby. It is also not known whether slippery elm with harm a nursing infant." Source: http://www.drugs.com/mtm/slippery-elm.html
• "Scientists think slippery elm is safe in pregnancy and during breastfeeding, but no scientific studies have been done to confirm this." Source: http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/slippery-elm

Sorrel (rumex acetosa)

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Spearmint

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Stinging Nettels

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Source: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/

Yarrow

• can decrease milk supply, avoid use while breastfeeding. Read more here: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbs-oversupply/
• can decrease milk supply. Sorce: http://breastfeeding.about.com/od/howdoesbreastfeedingwork/a/Factors-That-Can-Influence-Your-Breast-Milk-Supply.htm

Find information on herbs:

• http://www.nyrnaturalnews.com/
• https://www.organicfacts.net/
• https://www.pinterest.com/HerbalAcademyNE/

Frontier Co-op

Back in October a few friends & I set up a wholesale account through Frontier Co-op. Since then we have ordered stuff almost every month and are making great savings in the process. Not only do we get bulk deals, but they offer many organic products as well.

Click here for the link for creating a wholesale customer account. There is a $10 Membership fee (I think its yearly, but it might be a one time fee... I was not the one who set up our wholesale account).

Once you create your wholesale account you are ready to go! I suggest ordering a free catalog with your first purchase so you can look through all the products available when internet isn't always up (we live in the country and don't have internet at home so the catalog is really nice for us!).

Some products that I am loving that we have already purchased and used are listed below:

• GladRags Pantyliners
• Plum Organics, Spinach & Apple Puffs
• Burt's Bees Honey Throat Drops
• (Organic & Bulk) Whole Flax Seeds
• Hyland's Baby Teething Tablets
• TwinLab Brewer's Yeast
• Rainbow Light Prenatal Vitamins

Of course I am also loving all their Aura Cacia essential oils. We have purchased/used:

• Cinnamon Leaf
• Citronella Java
• Clove Bud
• Fennel Seed
• Grapefruit
• Lavandin
• Lavender
• Lemon
• Orange (sweet)
• Oregano (organic)
• Pine
• Sage
• Tangerine
• Tea Tree

There are many other oils available, but those are the ones we have purchased so far to use.

I am always excited about their monthly sales as well. You can almost always find something you want to grab at a dollar or two cheaper than you would get it at regular price. If you use herbs and spices, buying in bulk here is also great! We love to save money by buying organic herbs in bulk. Its more costly up front, but if you have freezer space for the extra it is totally worth it! Especially for things you use quite often.

Wooden Toys For Kids

My latest thing has been finding wooden toys for my son. Quite a challenge, but there are products out there! Especially when you are able to shop online. I thought I would share a few of the things I have found recently with you.

photo via LuccaWorkshop on Etsy

I am loving these wooden alphabet magnetic letters from LuccaWorkshop on Etsy! Of course I like them cuz I'm a mom and want things to be pretty so I doubt I will end up getting them, but they ARE beautiful!

photo via LuccaWorshop on Etsy.

Now these wooden animal alphabet magnetic letters would be more to my sons taste but still please my need to have things looking pretty. These are also from LuccaWorshop on Etsy.

photo via Melissa & Doug.

These wooden alphabet magnetic letters are from Melissa & Doug. A nice feature to them is that the magnetic part covers the full back of the letter so you don't have to worry about the magnet coming off and being a choking hazard.

photo via Melissa & Doug.

These alphabet nesting stacking blocks, also from Melissa & Dough, are really neat too. (Can you tell I'm on an alphabet kick? lol).

photo via Melissa & Doug.

This wooden shape sorter cube is really awesome! It is from Melissa & Doug.

photo via Pure Kids Play.

Wooden stacking cone! I love this one because of its bright colors. It is from Pure Kids Play.


I am still looking and finding things, but this is the start of my search for wooden toys for Little C. Hope you were able to find this post useful. I've not bought or used any of these products yet, but am considering buying some of them.

Coconut Oil In Coffee

Coconut Oil has many, many benefits. One of them is helping produce better breastmilk. Awhile back I saw a post in one of my Facebook groups where a mom put coconut oil in her morning coffee. I've also heard of people putting it in smoothies, or eating it right off the spoon. I tried the smoothies, and while that is great I usually don't eat many smoothies during the cold months and eating it off the spoon is too gross for me (I don't like the texture). So I decided coffee it is...

Fun Facts About Coconut Oil
Regular consumption of coconut oil can help boost metabolism, speed up weight loss, helps with mental alertness during the day, works as a sleep aid at night, helps allergy symptoms, helps absorption of calcium and magnesium. Take a tablespoon before each meal to aid digestion.

For further reading check out this post on Organic Facts about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Back to the coffee...

Start with a hot cup of coffee and spoon out about a tablespoon of coconut oil.

 

Add it to your coffee. It will begin to melt right away as you can see above.

Stir or let it sit a few minutes in the coffee. It will melt pretty fast on its own.

This is the coconut oil I like to use for eating (I have a different brand I use for baking). Carrington Farms. Pure, unfreined, cold Pressed Coconut Oil. 100% Organic Extra Virgin.

 

Stir in your favorite creamer and you're good to go!

I usually drink the first cup pretty quick so the coconut oil doesn't have time to return to is solid stage and then fix myself a cup of regular coffee with no CO in it.

Starting Baby on Solid Foods

Long before my baby was born I knew I wanted to breastfeed for as long as possible before introducing solids. I have food allergies, and hubby has a milk intolerance so I figured I would do my best to give our little one a shot at not having food allergies or not having as many as I have.

From what I was able to read before hand, and what Little C's doctor said after he was born I knew we would not be introducing solids before 6 months old. I was able to stick to this goal and solids were not introduced until a week shy of 7 months, due to hubby's urging (he has come a long way, but didn't fully understand that babies don't really need anything except breastmilk for the first year of their lives).

As it turned out, our son really wasn't interested in solids. We started with a jar of banana baby food (I know, not crunchy!). Little C took a few bites, like three, and was done. I mixed it up and offered him some peas (also jar food cuz I didn't know any better then), those didn't go over at ALL! I tried feeding him bites of the jar bananas at least once a day for about four days and finally told hubby that Little C just wasn't interested in foods yet.

Around 8 months hubby urged me to try foods again... so out came a jar of bananas. This round went a little better with Little C eating about half a jar after being nursed before hand (I always nursed first because I knew breastmilk was more important than solids at this age). So, for most days Little C ate about half a jar of baby food.

Between 8 and 9 months we also introduced the jar blend blueberries and apples. That quickly became Little C's favorite food. We tried peas again and they were a no go, just like before. Carrots were one of the next foods we tried. I waited a full week before introducing any new foods as I have an allergy to carrots and wanted to make sure Little C's eczema didn't flare up with the introduction of this new food. Sweet Potatoes were introduced during this time as well. The very next day my poor Little C had a rash on his butt where the sweet potato poop had been when I got him up in the morning, and he had splotches of eczema all over his chest, back and arms. That food, though it was well liked by Little C, was not given again for almost a month. (He was also teething at the time so I wanted to try them after the eczema had cleared to make sure that it was the food and not something else that had caused the outbreak.

Around 10 months I introduced sweet potatoes again. This time they seemed not to bother him. About a week later, after eating them several times through the week, I realized his eczema was coming back again. We stopped sweet potatoes completely and will try again when he is older.

One jar blend that we tried was banana, apple, strawberry. Since we had already introduced apples and bananas without an issue I figured a triple blend would be okay since I would easily know if the strawberries were a trigger food. And they were. Horrible red rash on his bum and eczema flared up right away. Strawberries are another food we have avoided all together.

At some point between 9 and 10 months I learned about making your own baby puree's. I had heard about Baby Led Weaning from moms in a crunchy Facebook group I follow, but after further reading, and discussing it with hubby we decided that was not for us at this time (hubby was especially worried about Little C choking on foods).

I started buying, and mashing bananas myself to feed Little C. He loved it! (I had given him a few bites of mashed banana when he was around 8 months, but hadn't thought to feed him those instead of the jar foods). He eats almost a whole banana for breakfast most days of the week now. As he has started getting his top teeth in and learning to chew (he has had his bottom teeth since around 6 months) I haven't been mashing the banana quite so much so he can learn to mash the 'chunks' himself. He is doing beautifully with it!

Remember my Apples post? I made all that apple sauce to feed to Little C for some breakfasts so he didn't always eat bananas. As it turns out he isn't a fan of the chunkier texture of the homemade applesauce. I think I may need to run some through a food processor to make it more smooth. I think he just might eat it like that.

I have 'made' several other mashed, homemade foods for Little C and he has enjoyed most of them. At Thanksgiving I blended some potatoes with breastmilk and some grassfed butter... he was not a fan of their texture either (he was about 11 months then).

Our most recent food introduction was Plum Organics, Plum Baby & Tots Super Greens (Spinach & Apple) Organic Super Puffs. Little C loves them so much I have to keep them hidden in a cabinet or he won't eat his other foods! I like this particular flavor because of the spinach in it since that adds iron to his diet which I've read is important for this age.

With the new top teeth almost in I am looking forward to introducing other real foods to Little C. I imagine it won't be long before he is enjoying all the wonderful things I like to cook and bake! :)