A Greener Mama....for a Greener tomorrow

Paperless reading. Yes please

2011-09-07T15:11:00.000-03:00

In my home we're green. Well we're at least as green as we can be for that day, but one thing I do prefer is less waste of paper. I don't get the newspaper, I read my news online, I get a few magazines, which I hold onto and donate to schools for art projects. I recycle as much as I can possibly stuff into my little recycling box etc etc.

What I do not have is an e-reader. Although I would love one, it has just not been in my budget, what with 3 children and a husband who all need much more than I would need that beautiful toy.
I would however be willing (ready ABLE and willing even) to product test one for my fave marketing group Bzzagent. Over the years I have gotten to try out various cool products but this by far has to be the most awesomest!
I can definitely see myself reading a lot more often, and I can see it being a wonderful learning tool for my youngest (8.5 months).
Fingers crossed!!

My laptop issues.

2011-08-07T08:21:00.000-03:00

This is a branch of the norm for me but I have to post this for those Mamas out there who are in love with their portable facebook devices....yes, your laptops.
The last 12 months, during most of my pregnancy even up til now, I have gone through 3 yes THREE laptops. All met the same untimely death as the other. Coffee. I have a nasty nasty habit of sitting my coffee on the couch next to me, heaven forbid I should have to reach or anything while chatting right.
Well, I am thankful that not only is my husband a tech and can fix almost any issue (minus the damage all the sugar in my coffee has) but he is a patient patient man as well.
I am a lucky lucky woman.
Oh and this picture I am posting below here, is a good laugh, its for a FutureShop facebook app, painting myself red. Its for a chuckle or 3 and a couple of giftcards too (makes for good stocking stuffers for your tweens!!)

Painted myself red with BE0027!! haha

Baby led...first day on the job

2011-06-02T15:50:00.000-03:00

Well not really the first day, Arik has had organic teething biscuits for about a week, plus snippets of this and that off my plate. Crumbs of bun and cheese mostly, but he seemed interested. Last week he stole a fry off my plate, I was going to let him see what he thought of it but he dropped it before he had a chance. Oh well, plenty of time for that.

Last night was his first real meal, in his highchair. We prepared (I prepared) broccoli, some halved blueberries and some brown rice. He was interested in mushing it with his hands but that was about it. Oh and he sampled the broccoli a few times, the reaction was priceless to say the least.

Arik's first real BLW meal

This is my first attempt with BLW, as the tweens were fed mush and baby cereal from about 4 months. I am not responding to all the voices who whisper to give him food to help him sleep through the night, for they are not in my shoes. I want Arik to get all he can out of being a baby..and if that means me nursing every 2 hours (as it has for the past few days) then so be it.

Has anyone else done BLW...if so, what were your experiences?

Simply on Board.....Simply BRILLIANT

2011-05-11T09:21:00.002-03:00

As any parent will know and come to loathe, its the pick me up game. You know what I mean right. The baby drops it...and you pick it up again, and again, and again. At home I have no problem with that game, its fun, we make it silly, and for the most part my floors are clean enough to eat off (I reiterate..MOST) When we are out, on the other hand, its a pain in the butt. I have to find a place to wash off said toy, or whatever it was he couldn't hold on to for too long. I had a chance to review a toy strap recently, and although I have owned straps in the past, they don't always measure up to MY standards.
My standards, probably are the same as your standards.

The strap needs to HOLD the toy, more than one type of toy, bottle, whatever the case may be.
The strap MUST be long enough for him to get the toy if fallen, but not long enough that he can somehow wrap it around his neck (always the paranoid)
The fastening mechanism MUST hold. Some snaps/or loop and hook enclosures just don't measure up after use.
It HAS to look nice, please...

Simply on Board, a Canadian company I might add, developed a brilliant product. I love it. Its such a simple strap but sooo versatile. I can attach the straps to anything and believe me I have tried lots. His jumparoo, his highchair, the moby wrap, my ergo, you name it, I have attached something to it. The one toy Arik is fond of at the moment, is his Sophie and this strap wraps around the thin neck PERFECTLY and still has lots of space for him to latch onto, to gnaw on.
I am in love with the designs, nothing too flashy, I like a black/white pattern for a lot of his attire, garb whatnot. (Note all his cloth nappes are black with white snaps...very sharp)

I am ordering a few more straps, so I can leave them in those spots that I would normally forget to have something to latch a toy to, its not feasible for my poor tweens to keep bending over in a moving vehicle to retrieve a crumb/hair covered toy. ew.

Simply on Board is available in packs of two with four colour options: black, green, blue and pink. One solid and one polka dotted strap because there is no need to compromise style for sensibility. Price $9.99.

Visit www.oyaco.com to find a local retailer.

Simply on Board

Simply on Board Facebook


I know this is NOT the clearest, but Arik and his Sophie...via the Simply on Board toy strap <3

From one Mama to another

2011-05-06T12:56:00.000-03:00

Let me tell you I thought I remembered everything when it came to having my other two babes....either they are evolving faster than the speed of whatever goes really fast or I am just out of it . The loop, my mind....all the above lol.
Just when I think I have a handle on what to do next, boom slam, time to switch it up Mama. I guess that's the whole idea of it, keep you on your toes, alert, fresh....although I don't feel so fresh lol.
Being tired is a norm, my pajamas are becoming my garb until its time to go get the mail, if then.
I love it, every moment, even the ones where I find myself sitting on my bed crying, trying to remember to "breathe"
I am blessed 3 times over.
Happy Mothers Day <3

Sunshine as a stain remover....who knew??

2011-05-03T09:29:00.000-03:00

Arik is solely breastfed....and if you breastfeed...you know what I am talking about with the cloth diapers...Seriously stained soakers, to say the least. I tried soaking in Amaze, I tried baby detergents, I have even been using soap nuts (which I love btw) and I have been after DH to put in a clothesline for , well, since we moved in almost 2 years ago. I finally got a clothesline and I was super super excited to get the diapers out on it. (I love my husband...hes a definite handyman, but our clothesline...will ONLY support the diapers at the moment lol)
The first day I line dried them, it was cloudy but there was still a clear difference between before and after.
I have been busy with the tweens and Arik, of course, so its taken me a while to get a good sunny day coordinating with a diaper wash day. April showers bring yadda yadda yadda

I cannot be any happier with the results, I took a before and after shot with my phone camera and pulled a Mimi (my daughter) and joined them with Piknic

Can you agree? Sunshine is the BEST stain remover EVER!!

Ahhh...catnapping in the Ergo

2011-05-03T08:34:00.000-03:00

Finally some sun, some real good old fashioned squint your eyes and feel the warmth sun. Oh how long this Winter has been, too long in fact. I certainly hope it doesn't rear its ugly head once I push the submit key however.
Arik enjoyed his sunshine walk today, it made him drowsy but he loved it anyhow. I have a few wraps and carriers, a homemade Mei Tai, my Moby (LOVE IT) and of course my staple....the Ergo. I am still getting used to the Ergo as Arik is just 4.5 months now, and according to my husband I have odd shaped shoulders (really??) but the more I practice the better it is, I even tried him on my back (I know I know) in the kitchen the other day and he was happy as a lark for almost 45 minutes...which is good, considering he doesn't like to be worn in the house.
I am looking into getting myself an organic Ergo, as the one I bought off a friend, although is perfect enough, I would like a newer model, something to take me into toddlerhood.

Cloth wipes....now THAT'S a solution!!

2011-05-03T08:31:00.002-03:00

I was so stoked to work with cloth wipes, bought from a few sources (my fave being a two-sided bamboo velour/cotton)....what I couldn't wrap my mind around was how I was going to keep them moist. I read so many different techniques. Pre mixing a spray to sit on the change table and mist upon use, but that seemed tedious, wetting from the sink...ya in the middle of the night, not an option lol.....
What I settled on was a wipe warmer, they work great...but which solution. I had one I tried, it had shea butter in it, smelled good...but after a day or so the wipes started to feel slimy. One word. Gross. That wouldn't work at all for me.
A dear friend bought me some Monkey Doodlez wipe cubes. They smelled so FRESH...nothing worse than a musty smelling wipe, sitting in plain tap water......
I pop a couple in a few cups of hot water, let them melt and then pour over a pile of wipes sitting in the warmer.....that lasts a few days almost a week if wee little Arik has been holding back on the poop....which he does from time to time.....All I do is rinse out the wipe warmer when I am ready to add a new batch of solution...I MOST DEFINITELY recommend these to anyone who is thinking of converting to cloth wipes. I have hardly made a dent in my container of cubes but am planning on buying more as soon as I do. And on a plus note...my other two babes have had rashes before, not to say that it was a cause of a commercial wipe, or the perfume perhaps....but Arik has yet (knock on wood!!) to have a bum rash, and they work great on his face/hands first thing in the morning....
Arik is starting swimming lessons in the next little while. Time to find me a reusable swim diaper...I wonder if my diaper covers would work??
urls :
http://www.monkeydoodlez.com/

http://www.facebook.com/monkeydoodlez

What in the name of all that is good...did I get myself into??

2011-05-03T08:30:00.000-03:00

I have tweens.....14 months apart... I know I know, what was I thinking right. So very close to having my babies all grown up and getting all their teenage stuff going, licenses, dating (omg), career paths chosen. Well here I am, 32 years old, with a 11 year old, a 10 year old...and today Arik turned a whopping 4 months!! Ya. 4 months.

Seriously...my entire pregnancy, I was happy, glowing so excited for the most part. I remember my babies being glorious little beings, slept great, ate great. No major illnesses that were out of my control. You think you remember everything...well...you don't remember ANYTHING...
The night feedings, the crying, the teething, the fussing. All fades from your memory just as your labor pains....why else would we have more? I think we're hardwired to dim those lights in order to keep our species alive lol.
But oh its so terribly worth it. So so very worth it.
I decided cloth this time, I am older, wiser (haha) and a little more financially set to sink my teeth into the upfront cost of cloth...given the overall savings, my husband wasn't too far behind.
I couldn't be happier. I love cloth diapers...I love natural parenting...I love babywearing. All these things I never heard of before I have adopted and revered all these past few months.
Arik has just started teething...and he's not too fussy, so far. We use amber beads during the day, not at night, for fear my husband would have a panic attack, the odd dose of orajel, and I did one night give him a baby cocktail of tempra, orajel and a shot of ovol..in case whatever he was going through was fart related. By far my most favorite item to date....my Teething Bling. Its gorgeous, I wear it all the night, minus my night nurses.....no need for play thank you very much. I get complimented all the time, and when I dive into what it really is, people are quite shocked. Ya, its just what it is...Teething Bling.....bling for mama....teether for Arik....all happy go lucky.

In the next few days I will be publishing my review of Kawaii Diapers.....quite impressive to say the least...but I want to give them one more test first, so I can be overly informed

Homemade Mustard

2010-08-03T09:09:00.002-03:00

I have been a little on the busy side lately....what with being pregnant with number 3 and starting two new jobs as well, I haven't had much time or energy to be as creative as I would like.

This morning however, I was planning our bi-weekly menu and saw a couple items on my list I would like to try my hand at so there I went. I had the stuff on hand to make some homemade mustard.

First I ground up 2tbsp black mustard seeds in my mortar/pestle

Then I added 1/4 cup mustard powder, and 1/4 cup water to the ground seeds and let sit for 10 minutes.

Finally I added 2 tbsp white wine vinegar and 1 tsp of salt, it is now sitting for 24 hours, to let the flavors meld. It smells great and the little taste I took ( who could resist?) was nice and spicy, like a Dijon mustard...I can't wait to try it out.

Homemade Cheese

2010-03-13T17:38:00.002-04:00

This was a really fun kitchen experiment. I am trying my hand at making my first lasagna tomorrow, and Ricotta cheese is really hard to find here sometimes, so I looked for some recipes and voila.

Basic milk, salt and vinegar with cheesecloth and a few hours later....cheese.....how cool is that!!

Here are some images of the steps it took.

Plain milk, 1 gallon, with a pinch of salt, bring it just to a boil, about 195 degrees

Then add 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice, stir, and let stand for around 10 minutes, enough time to see curds form.

Pour contents of pot over strainer lined with cheesecloth. Catch the whey in a container if you choose, to cook with or drink...
Leave sitting for an hour or two

Finished product is perfect for lasagna, spreading on crackers or to just eat on its own. Add your own herbs and spices to make it taste all your own.
Keep in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for up to a week...

Soap Anyone??

2010-02-21T22:26:00.001-04:00

Was a wonderfully busy weekend, as per usual with two tweens...but I found some time after market on Saturday to make a new batch of soap. A different recipe this time, seems a bit softer than the other hot process batch I made but nonetheless turned out delightful.

These soaps are to be sold at a craft fair, and homemade soap is beautifully partnered with a wooded soap dish, so there was my amazing husband in the basement, designing and creating me a dish that can be sold along with each bar....
I can't wait for Sunday's craft fair....

Mmmm tasty

2010-02-17T08:55:00.001-04:00

Wow, finally a beautiful homemade item. How much does my family spend on lip gloss? Well not that much but this is still pretty cool to make, especially for a girls birthday party. Took me less than 20 minutes, probably because I resolified the oil in the fridge...to save time, of course.

This particular "batch" is a strawberry flavored sparkly lip gloss.

I hope Princess Mimi approves.....

How cool is this??

2010-02-16T18:05:00.000-04:00

I have always wanted to make my own bread bowls, I envied people who seem to have this knack with breads and whatnot so I said, whatever...what am I going to lose, if they don't work, I have real bowls in the cupboard anyways right.....so I gave it a shot, in my breadmaker of course....and here they are!!

I am quite proud of how they turned out, seeing as its a definite first attempt on my part.

The cheddar broccoli soup shown is a new recipe for our home as well and the children both enjoyed it...although our oldest preferred the lentil soup from the day before ....lol....

No harm no foul right, take a leap and continue on....this is a huge step for me and my confidence in the kitchen.

I am a homesteading diva ....that's right... I said it.

Another one off the list

2010-02-16T09:26:00.000-04:00

I don't think I will be purchasing mayo commercially again. I honestly had no idea it was this simple to make it at home, with minimal ingredients....and ingredients I could control and tweak as I pleased.

This is a garlic mayo, I tried for my first time, would go amazing with a baby red potato/egg salad....which I just may have to make this weekend.

The dill I am growing will make a wonderful addition as well. The nice thing about doing it from home, NO CHEMICALS....you need to be extra aware of letting it get warm mind you, but as a fresh right there alternative, its top notch.

I used a mere 1/4 tsp of my homemade garlic powder and the taste is phenomenal, would also make a great dip for sweet potato fries if you add a touch of basil to the mayo.

I am quite proud of myself .....

Spring is a comin'

2010-02-14T15:39:00.001-04:00

I can feel the Spring in the air....now that I have officially stated that, we will get a dumping of snow I am sure, but it won't last...it never lasts.....
Today I started the garden indoors....first time for everything and this is a year of new beginnings for sure. I planted cilantro, habanero pepper, beefsteak tomato, arctic tomato, onion, dill, lavender...to name a few.
I hope to get the garden tilled as soon as the thaw hits. We have to get an order or two of landfill mind you, we have to landscape a front lawn too.
Its a wonderful feeling, to know you have your own land to work with.
Sunflowers will be going in the back to the side, as well as 3 wildflower/rock gardens are in the plans too.

This is going to be an intense experiment on my part, as I have nowhere near a green thumb but one step is a step closer to being more self sufficient.

mmm Hamburger Buns

2010-01-22T06:27:00.000-04:00

I am always trying to cut things off my grocery list, and make them at home. I mean I have the breadmaker....why not use it as often as possible right? Well I found a kickass recipe.....molded them best I could "imagine" and there they were baked nice and goldeny brown.
I was so impressed with myself!
So were my boys who fought over them for their lunches the next day. They were in fact made not for hamburgers that night but for pulled pork sandwiches. Yummers!

Clean side of going green....

2010-01-20T13:18:00.000-04:00

I taught myself cold process and hot process soap making…..both very interesting in their own ways, the cold process did not trace for me as I thought it should but hardened all the same, and the hot process went as planned, and was cut the same day, mere hours later. I have made (so far) honey and oatmeal (cold process) and clove with cocoa for color, (hot process) both hopefully will be used as part of my Christmas gifts this year.
They were both quite easy to do, the most time I suppose was involved in the measuring of the various oils, and the diluting of the lye....that was a lot of suck.
I did the cold process mixture of lye in the house. Bad bad bad idea, made me dizzy and ill and just plain irritated because I knew I should have done it outside. Living in a PMQ however, in your yard mixing chemicals that react to include a smoke coming from the pot....funny looks lol.

Anyways, I did both processes, cold, I did over the stove and hot I chose to do in the crockpot. Hot definitely went smoother, I also used a hand blender to speed the trace so maybe that's the key in both processes.
I will be making more as soon as I get ahold of more coconut oil solid..its hard to come by in Fredericton, as far as I know anyhow.
My next soap I want to make is with Sweet Orange essential oil, and on top, before the soap sets, place blood orange slices on it, for decoration.
Will be so beautiful, in my mind anyways.

This is the way we wash our clothes.....

2010-01-16T21:03:00.000-04:00

Laundry soap....buy whats on sale? Buy whats good for your skin, buy what gets your clothes the cleanest???? Never do they seem to all fall under the same category.
As I started homesteading, it began small, homemade bread, and cereal, then butter....then I got to thinking, why can't I find an alternative to Tide?
Well I found one, its cheap, its "green" and its good for my HE washer.....

The recipe is as follows..

Homemade Laundry Soap

4 Sunlight laundry bars
2 cups of Borax
2 cups of Washing Soda (Not baking soda...washing soda)

All three items can be found in the laundry aisle at Superstore (Loblaws)
for roughly 12 dollars give or take.

I chose to use 8 bars of soap because it used up most of the borax and washing soda.

Use a grater and grate the sunlight bars into a bowl, if you would like smaller particles, throw it in the food processor. Make sure you clean the processor very well afterward to avoid sudsy food.

Mix borax, sunlight shavings and washing soda in a large container,
Per load add roughly 1/8 cups (2 tbsp)
Safe for HE/Front loaders, very minimal amount of suds.

Can use any laundry bar soap in lieu of the Sunlight, I just enjoy that smell....

It makes a LOT, 2 tbsp is all you need per load, and for an HE machine, low suds is key...

What will it be next week?

Garlic Powder...cutting back costs

2010-01-15T11:58:00.001-04:00

Garlic bulbs versus garlic powder...we go through a LOT of garlic powder in this house, I add it to almost everything....minus cookies...and even then I have been tempted.
Its expensive. No doubt about it.....so I thought, hmmm I have a dehydrator, and garlic...and time of course, lets see if this works.

I spent a good portion of my morning peeling, slicing and placing garlic onto the 5 trays of my dehydrator, learning that 10 big heads of garlic fill 5 trays once thinly sliced.
I also learned that I want a mandolin, because doing all that garlic by hand with a carving knife was time consuming.....

I am now just waiting until the garlic is dry enough, and I will be grinding it with my mortar and pestle, into a fine powder. It will be stronger than store bought I am sure, so I will hopefully need to use less, thus getting more for my buck.
This was my achievement for the week, tomorrow I will be doing the same technique with onions, as that is another staple in this home..

Begin at the Beginning

2010-01-14T12:08:00.000-04:00

Start from scratch...this will be a collection per say of my achievements in the home. In or around the home even. I want to make as many of the household items my family depends on, myself, chemical free.
Dishwasher detergent, laundry soap, garlic and onion powder, fruit rollups. Everything.
I will try at least, the very least, once a week to challenge myself.
Begin at the beginning.....that sounds just about right.