Keeper of the Home

Baby Poll!

2009-07-18T03:00:00-07:00

We're now past 37 weeks and are in the final countdown before baby comes! I thought it might be fun to have a baby poll, and let you give me your best guess as to the details of baby's arrival!

Here's the way it will work:

1) Leave a comment letting me know 3 things:

WHEN you think baby will come (a date and a time)
Which GENDER you think it will be
How much you think that baby will WEIGH

Just to help you out a little, my due date is August 5 or 6th. With my first baby, I went into labor 2 days late and had her the next day. With my second, he was born 8 days early, but with the help of a labor cocktail (yes, castor oil, ick!) to help him arrive in between my hubby's chemo treatments. My guess is that without the cocktail, he would have been early still, but probably not a full week. Also, my daughter was 7lbs 11oz, and my son was 6lbs 6oz.

2) When baby arrives, I will sift through all the guesses, and narrow them down, first by gender. Then I will take all the guesses with the correct gender and find the one that came closest to guessing the date and time of the birth. If there needs to be a tie breaker, I'll take the one that was closer to baby's birth weight.

3) The winner will get a $20 Amazon gift card, for anything their heart desires. They will also win a free copy of my ebook, Healthy Homemaking: One Step at a Time. Not to mention the distinction of being the one who gets to say "I told you so". :)

I hadn't been planning to post this up quite yet, but with the sudden nesting urge that has hit me and the fact that I feel like this baby is practically about to burst it's way out, I decided it was time!

I've actually been sick for the last week and a half, fighting a cold that just doesn't want to say goodbye. Despite the fact that I'm physically worn out, I have had the strongest need to nest, clean, organize and just get everything ready for baby. I can't really explain it as anything other than an absolute compulsion! Tired or not, I couldn't stop doing it if I wanted to! The house is now quite clean (though there's more I want to do still), the laundry's all caught up, all the home birth stuff (pool included) is set up, the food has all been completed, the kid's bag is packed, and I'm hoping to just finish up a few things in the garden. Phew!

It is possible that even if baby doesn't come in the next week that I will slow down in my blogging just a bit. Having been sick this past week, I've been using up all of the posts I like to pre-write and always be working on ahead of time. The reality is that it's more important for me to rest, finish recuperating and rebuild my strength while the kids nap/take quiet time than to it is to blog. I know that all of you mamas out there understand. :)

I'm eager to see your guesses! And to meet this precious baby! I'll keep you updated!

Healthy, Natural Pregnancy: Preparing for Labor

2009-07-17T03:00:00-07:00

**I don't usually like to post two lengthy posts, two days in a row, but since this topic is what's on my mind these days, it seemed fitting to get it up quickly, before baby actually arrives and while it still feels relevant! :)

Image by Friarsbalsam

Nobody said that labor was easy. There's a reason they call it labor (not "walk in the park" or "piece of pie", though those do sound a bit more appealing, don't they?). :)

Nonetheless, it is entirely possible to prepare oneself as much as possible to be ready to cope with the work, sweat, exhaustion, and yes, pain, of natural childbirth. God made women's bodies uniquely capable to not only nurture life for 9 months, but also to bring that life out into the world!

If you have had a previous difficult birthing experience or are preparing to welcome your first child, may I just say this to you: You can do this! Your body is capable, and it knows what to do. You have been created to be a nurturer and mother and giver of life, and through God's strength and grace, natural and uncomplicated childbirth is not only possible, but something to earnestly anticipate.

Yes, there can be challenges and yes, not every birth does go smoothly and naturally. There is always a small percentage of women who truly have trouble with giving birth or have dangerous situations arise, and in those situations, how grateful I am that we live in a time and place where medical help is available to us. Praise God for that and for the mothers and babies that are saved!

I am of the opinion, though, that this should account for only a very small percentage of births and that most women, when well prepared and given adequate support and care, will be able to birth naturally. Let's pursue that goal, shall we?

I thought that I would share with you some of the ways that I have been preparing for my upcoming labor and birth. I am by no means an expert (I'd be interested to see how differently I would write this once I'm on my 7th child, instead of my 3rd!). There are many different techniques and ideas out there. These are simply some of the ones that I have chosen to employ, and that have worked for me previously.

1) Exercises to prepare my body for birth.

Having a fit body is probably the most simple preparation for birth. Keeping active helps to ensure that we will have the physical strength and endurance for labor. A few other specific exercises that are useful include:

Kegel exercises
Yoga (I like this video, minus the first and last segments which have a bit of an Eastern meditation focus. I just skip them.)
Walking
Squatting (especially deep squats that are sustained for several minutes or longer)
Tailor sitting (basically sitting cross-legged, but with an awareness of opening your pelvis and keeping your knees as spread apart and low to the ground as possible). This is a great way to sit while folding laundry, watching a movie, reading to your kids, etc.

2) Herbs that tone and prepare the uterus and cervix.

For the past 3-4 months, I have been drinking a nutrient tea, which included Red Raspberry Leaf, Red Clover, Peppermint, Oatstraw and Nettle. Now that I am in my final weeks, I have switched over to only Red Raspberry Leaf tea. Red Raspberry Leaf is specifically known as a uterine toner, which means that it helps to prepare the uterus to work strong and effectively in labor.

Though I have never taken specific birth preparation herbs before, this pregnancy I am using Dr Christopher's Prenatal Formula. You begin to take it 6 weeks before your due date (though my clinic suggested that I wait until 5 weeks before). Each week you up the dosage, starting with 1 pill daily, then 2 pills daily the second week, and so on. I have noticed since I began taking it that my Braxton-Hicks contractions have picked up considerably, which also helps to prep both baby and the uterus for labor. I have also heard good things about Gentle Birth Formula, and it was also approved by the naturopath at my clinic.

3) The Bradley Method

This is a method that focuses on full body relaxation, being mindful of the work that the uterus and cervix are doing and using that relaxation to avoid "getting in the way" by tensing up and/or fighting the pain of contractions, and also particularly on husband-coached childbirth. Lately I've just been reviewing the book Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, refreshing myself on the concepts and techniques, as will my husband so that he is prepared to coach me once more.

We have used this method both times previously, and though we didn't use every aspect of the teaching, we found it very useful overall. For us, the best parts of this method are the relaxation teaching, and the involvement of the husband. I was amazed at how it really came together for us, even during our first birth. My husband was able to really pinpoint for me how I could better relax, and because of the practicing that we had done, I felt able to respond to his gentle guidance and encouragment. This enabled me to get through a particularly long, draining and painful posterior birth (though we did ultimately need medical intervention), and continue on to have my daughter vaginally.

4) Spiritual Preparations

I've spent a lot of time lately praying over our upcoming birth, releasing my fears and anxieties, asking the Lord to be present and to guide us through it, to provide protection and safety, and to supply me with His strength and grace in abundance.

I might try making scripture cards to use for this birth, as I've head of several people who have done that and found it helpful. I'm thinking of picking 10 scriptures that I would find particularly comforting or encouraging, and keeping them nearby to help me meditate on a certain verse during contractions. I will also choose some worship or instrumental music that I would like to have ready, as that has been really helpful for me both times previously. I have found it very calming and soothing, and helpful for keeping a more worshipful countenance. It also helped to pass the time, and somehow just going through contractions one song at a time kept me calm and focused.

5) Optimal Nutrition

As any athlete prepares themselves before a big race or competition, it only makes sense to pay attention to what we put into our bodies as we gear up for such a great physical task. I've been increasing my protein lately in particular, as well as upping my iron and calcium intake. I'm working hard to stay well hydrated (which also decreases the risk of early or false labor). Eating plenty of fresh, healthy foods (especially with the abundance of produce in the summertime!) will also help to keep my body full of all the nutrients that it needs.

I just made a batch of Labor-Aid this morning, freezing some into popsicles as well as putting some in the fridge (labeling it specifically so it isn't mistaken for lemonade!). This will help to keep me hydrated and also to maintain good electrolyte balance as I labor.

6) Preparing Mentally

I've been reading a lot of birth stories lately. My desire is to prepare myself for the numerous types of labor/birthing scenarios that could come. Long, short, easier, really challenging, progressing smoothly, or needing to be more patient and try out some different techniques, methods or positions. There are so many variations within labor, and even with the same woman, each baby is an entirely different experience! This helps to remind me that I can't predict how it will go, and to be ready to accept the different possibilities it holds. Every birth is completely unique.

7) Comfort Measures

I'm preparing some basic comfort measures, and getting ideas for what I might like to try during labor. I borrowed a heating bag (with rice inside) for my lower back, as I am prone to a lot of back labor. (I saw Michelle Duggar use one in this clip on labor, and thought it looked really soothing). I will bring up the exercise ball from the garage, which I plan to use in a hands and knees position, to bring back relief. I still need to get some tennis balls for providing counter-pressure on my back. I've got a plastic folding chair that I intend to use to sit on in the shower. Just last night I picked up the wonderful birthing pool that we will be using and need to get it blown up later today.

I pray that you might find some of these suggestions helpful as you prepare for your own labors!

How do you prepare for labor? What has been particularly helpful or effective for you?

Soaked Tortilla Tutorial

2009-07-16T03:00:00-07:00

We just love us some homemade tortillas in this family! (Gosh, I'm learning to talk more and more like an American all the time- I love you gals! :)

After buying the whole grain or sprouted store bought ones for years, we are completely sold on eating homemade ones instead. Their texture is softer and less chewy, and we find the taste much nicer as well (as with most homemade foods). Not to mention, they're cheap to make!

I used to be intimidated by making tortillas myself, but finally decided to give it a try about a year ago. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy of a process it is! I also use a soaked method (which is not any more complicated or time-consuming than an un-soaked process), in order to reduce phytates and enhance digestibility.

My recipe comes from my absolute favorite whole grains recipe book: Sue Gregg's An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking . You can see a review of this book that I wrote just over a year ago. Everything I try turns out wonderfully, and I use this book at least 2-3 times a week. I am not affiliated with Sue Gregg's company at all, but just think that this is such a valuable book for anyone desiring to learn to do healthier baking, including soaking and sourdough, with excellent results right from the start! (This is also the last of her recipes that I will post, because I want you to buy her book, not just use my site for recipes!)

Here's the recipe:

(I always at least double it, if not triple or quadruple)

Soaked Tortillas

1 Tbsp melted butter (or coconut oil works well, too)

2 Tbsp whey or cultured milk (or lemon juice or apple cider vinegar)

Pour both ingredients into a liquid measuring cup, and then top the cup up to the 3/4 mark using filtered water.

In a large mixing bowl, add:

2 cups Kamut or spelt or whole wheat flour

Stir the liquids in to the flour until just mixed. Squeeze the dough together with your hands until it is evenly moist, and forms a nice, stiff ball of dough. Place it back in the bowl, and cover it with a damp kitchen towel, and if you like, another dry kitchen towel over top (I find this helps to keep it more moist).

Let it sit overnight, for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

The next day:

Add a 1/2 tsp of sea salt and mix it in well, kneading the dough for about 2 minutes (use a little bit of flour below to prevent sticking).

Let it sit for 30 minutes, covered with a towel (for easier rolling).

Divide the dough up into small balls. This recipe makes 1 dozen 6" tortillas. To do this, I cut the dough in half, then each half in half again, then each half into 3 even pieces, and roll them all into balls. Another alternative is to make only 8-10 tortillas and then make them a little bit larger (more like 8-10"). I find this easiest to do with a serrated steak knife.

These are my 4 big balls of dough, from a quadruple batch. Each of these will be cut into 12 (or 10) small balls.

Here is where it gets fun! I recently bought a tortilla press, and I just love how it makes the rolling procedure so quick and easy! However, I did the rolling by hand for nearly a year before I broke down and bought this, and it's easy enough to do it that way. Just make sure that your counter is well-floured enough so that you can easily peel the tortilla off to put it in the pan.

If you choose to purchase a press (I'll give a couple resources at the end), the way that I have found to make it easiest is to take a large Ziploc storage bag and cut the seams off, leaving me with two square pieces of plastic. I put one on the press, sprinkle it with a bit of flour, put down my ball of dough, sprinkle just a bit more flour, and then put the other piece of plastic on top. Then I press it. I find (with my press, anyways) that it helps to lift up the press and re-press the tortilla at a couple of different angles to press my tortillas as thinly and evenly as I like to have them.

Here's my 4 year old, Abbie, working the press. This has become a really fun kitchen activity for us to do together, because she is able to roll the balls after I cut them and also to press them for me. I have made 2 sets of the plastic pieces, so that I can always have one tortilla ready and waiting to be cooked, and she can be preparing another one for me.

This is my press. It's made in Mexico, of cast iron, though it has some other kind of coating. Even if it weren't easier with the plastic pieces, I would probably use them anyways just to avoid having my dough touch the metal coating. Regardless, this press works wonderfully and saves me time and effort! This is an 7.5" press, but you can also get ones that are 6.5" and 8".

Once you've rolled or pressed your dough balls, you want to carefully lay them on a pre-heated pan, without any oil or grease. I start mine at just above medium, and turn it down to a little below medium after it's been on for quite awhile. They need about 15-30 seconds on each side. I flip mine when they just begin to bubble up a bit like this one.

After each tortilla has been cooked on both sides, I make a stack on a kitchen towel, and keep a second towel on top of the pile. This helps to keep them soft and moist while they sit.

This recipe freezes well, and I usually keep a bag of 10-12 in the fridge for immediate use, and then freeze the rest in bags of 10-12 (this is about the size of a store-bought bag).

By tripling or quadrupling my recipe, I can make up to 48 tortillas (or more like 40 if I want them a bit bigger) in about 1 1/2 hours, not counting the overnight soak.

Buying a Tortilla Press:

This is a link to the one I bought I found on Craigslist. It was new, and cost $20 CAN, plus shipping (which is pricey- to my house it was $16 CAN). I'm not sure if he will sell to the US or not, but it's worth asking!

Amazon also carries several nice ones that I was eyeing before I found the one that I ended up buying:

Imusa Victoria Cast Iron Tortilla Press, 6.5 Inch

Imusa Victoria Cast Iron Tortilla Press, 8 Inch

That's it! So easy and so worthwhile! Now go make some yummy tortillas!

Have you ever made your own tortillas?

Cloth Diaper Liners: No More Rash Overnight!

2009-07-15T03:00:00-07:00

You may or may not remember how we've been having trouble with Caden getting rashes when we use cloth diapers overnight. We've been able to continue on with cloth in the day, but have been using more natural disposable diapers just at night, for the past 6 months or so.

But no longer! Last week a much anticipated package arrived in the mail. It contained numerous pocket diapers (for the new baby), and also 3 micro-fiber terry inserts that I had expressed a desire to try (thanks Mom!).

I wasn't sure if the microterry would do the trick, but I've used them for both naps and nighttime the past 6 days, and he is still rash free (whereas a rash would usually break out after only one night in cloth)! Whohoo! These are obviously much more absorbent than the plain cloth liners we've been using, and they seem to really whisk the wetness away from his skin. I couldn't be more thrilled!

Bolstered by this discovery, I went back to my new favorite cloth diaper site, Cloth Diaper Clearance, and decided to pick up a few more liners. The wonderful thing about this site is they carry a lot of really excellent and even high-end brands, but at discounted prices (and nope, I'm not an affiliate- just a happy customer!). Many of the diapers and accessories are either seconds (meaning they have minor flaws or imperfections, but are still completely usable) or are discontinued (old colors or patterns or designs) or possibly just overstocked. Either way, we end up getting a great deal!

The liners I am most in love with at the moment are the Haute One Size Microterry Insert. These come with both a small liner, and a much larger one, and they snap together and can also be used separately. They are intended for stuffing into a Haute Pockets One Size Diaper (which I just received two of and am really happy with!), but they also work perfectly as a liner for a fitted diaper with a cover. For only $3.50 each, these are a steal!

I've also purchased some Fuzzi Bunz Micro Inserts (also made of micro-fiber terry cloth). They are similar in size to the smaller liner on the Haute Inserts, except that they have square corners rather than round. These are currently a mere $1.50, and I'm equally happy with their absorption.

Has anyone else discovered this wonderful site? What kinds of liners do you find work well to keep little ones dry through the night?

Q&A: Getting the Best Deals

2009-07-14T03:00:00-07:00

Image by alamosbasement

I've been reading your blog for some time now and was wondering where you purchase your beef and chicken? I've done a lot of research and want to make sure I'm getting the best deal before I make a final choice. I appreciate your time in answering my question. Thanks

Monica

Monica, I purchase my beef and chicken (all of my meat and poultry, actually) through a small, local deli shop. It's located out in the country, about a 20 minute drive from my house. The reason I love it is because they carry animal products that are grass-fed, free of antiobiotics and hormones, as well as some specialty deli products with little or no preservatives (sausage, sandwich meat, ec.). What's equally fantastic is that because they are not certified organic, and they keep their family run business small and modest, the prices are affordable!

I think that finding local shops and/or farmers like this is ideal, and most likely the way that you will get the best deal as well. To find places like this, you really need to start digging around and researching. Ask in local health food or supplement stores, or at farmers markets. Ask other health-minded moms and dads. Ask a naturopath, nutritionist or even a midwife. Also, here's a post I wrote with a lot of online resources that will help you in your search.

As for knowing what's ultimately a good deal or not will depend on just doing a lot of research. Until I began to really pay attention to where I could get good quality meat and poultry and what the typical prices were, it was hard for me to know whether I was getting the best deal or not.

Expect to pay more than at the supermarket (just keep telling yourself how it's worth it!), but know that there are lots of places out there where you don't have to pay an arm and a leg! It helps to buy in bulk, such as buying a 1/4 or a 1/2 of a cow, or buying many whole chickens all at once. I try to save up money throughout the year to make this possible, and another good option is to find another family or two who would like to purchase with you and then split it up, to help keep costs low.

Image by John Beagle

One area that you have really inspired me lately is in your segment about clothing your children without breaking the bank. With the change of seasons upon us, we are all thinking about the new wardrobes that our little ones will need. Hence, the money will we also need to spend!

Here are my questions:

1) How far would you travel to save money on clothing or even food items? (All of the resale shops or food outlet stores are a good 30-40 minute drive from where we live).

2)When do you shop for the upcoming season? (I am afraid that I am already behind in shopping for this Spring/Summer. Garage sale season won't start for another 2 months or so, if I wait until then to buy for this year my kids will be wearing long sleeve shirts and fleece pants in 80 degree weather! Should I be buying for NEXT year now?

3)How do you find your swap meets,garage sales etc?

Thanks so much!!

Blessings!
Beth

Great questions, Beth!

1) Personally, I don't drive longer than about 20 minutes (each way) to any food store or market. My only exception to this would be if it was somewhere that I only went a few times each year, bought in bulk and stocked up significantly. Then I would consider driving further (and have done so in the past).

For clothes, I might consider going further, if I only went occasionally (again, a few times a year), and then I would make sure that I had saved up or discussed a budgeted amount with my husband and that I had a detailed list of exactly what we did and didn't need, and could stock up on excellent deals (like clothes for next winter, etc.). I just think that if I have to drive further (or more often) than this that it starts to become poor stewardship of my time and gas, and just isn't worth it. Obviously, everyone's situation is a little bit different, and you need to weigh all of these factors as you make your decision.

If you have times when you will be in these areas anyways (to visit friends, do something special with the family, etc.) then take full advantage and plan to stop and shop as well! Killing two birds with one stone is always the best way to do it!

2) Yes, buy for next year now! I try to always be one year ahead, although it's not always possible. At the very least, 1-2 seasons ahead. So in the winter, I will buy for the upcoming spring/summer (if I haven't already), as well as for the next winter (and hey, even the one after that if it's a great deal!). This summer I've been focusing on just filling in the last gaps for fall/winter, and also picking up anything that's a year or more in advance if the price is right. This weekend I grabbed some size 7 jeans and shirts for my daughter at a garage sale. She's only in a size 5 right now, but I paid 5 cents for the jeans, and 25 cents for each shirt, so I figured it was worth it. :)

3) My source for swap meets is local recreation centers and churches. They regularly host swap meets, as often as every month or some of them just once or twice a year. It helps to really ask around to other moms, and even to google "kids swap meet" for the area or city where you live. Try calling some local rec centers or community centers and see if they know of any that are happening!

For garage sales, I don't do it regularly enough to say that I have a real plan for it. We just occasionally pick a Saturday morning and decide to head out and look for signs in nicer neighborhoods. We'll also just stop at a sale if we happen to drive by one that looks worthwhile, even if we weren't planning to go shopping. If you really want to be purposeful about doing it, most local newspapers will have a section with either a map or just a list of the garage sales in the area and you can make a plan that way. Also, Craigslist has become a good source for garage sale info (look for "garage sale" under the "for sale" section of your local area Craigslist site), as tons of people will post up their sales the week or even the day before it happens!

For those who missed it, here is my series on Clothing Kids Without Breaking the Bank:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

How would the rest of you answer these questions? Where do you get your meat and poultry? And what do you think about travelling, buying ahead and finding places where you can score the best deals?

Home Education Schedule for the Fall

2009-07-13T03:00:00-07:00

For those who were interested after last week's post on the curriculum I've chosen, here is our daily schedule for home educating this fall:

A few notes:

Circle time is when the kids and I sit together and work on activities that don't require tablework, like memorization, read alouds, narration, devotions, etc. Abbie will also read aloud to me during these times.
I've split our read alouds into fiction and non-fiction. This is just to give us some variety. On fiction days we'll read novels, nursery rhymes or poetry, or illustrated children's stories. On non-fiction days we'll read books on any variety of topics that interest us, like insects or clouds or the human body. Though we already have a pretty good library built up (considering how young are kids still are), we will depend a lot on visits to the library for this purpose.
Our math work looks pretty minimal, but it will take us through 1 unit a week, which is currently a really comfortable speed for the level Abbie is at.
By "delight", I simply mean that we will spend this time (approx. a half hour) studying things or doing projects that interest us. This might be researching an interesting topic, finding a brief educational video online, working on a poster or lapbook, or even productive free time (my MIL's term for time when the kids aren't doing "school", per se, but they are working on something creative or worthwhile, like building with lego or making animal sculptures with playdoh).
I wanted to have one day a week that has more time available for projects that will be more time and energy intensive, so I've chosen Fridays. This will be the day that we do more involved science projects, get out a big messy art project, take a field trip, etc. To allow for this time, we won't do any math or language arts bookwork, but only a brief circle time.

So that's what I have planned at the moment. I'm anticipating that learning time will take about 1 1/2 hours per day, give or take.

I'm sure we will not stick to this schedule exactly every day, especially while adapting to baby #3 in the early months, but I like having a framework and it helps me to stay more on task and focused. I think it will also provide some useful structure for the kids, as they get into the routine as well.

For those wondering, the toddler will either participate or simply do activities near us. During circle time, I expect that he'll sit and listen and I'll probably throw in a few younger things (like a short picture book or song) to help keep his attention. I'll also let him look at his own books or toys while he's sitting with us. During our table time, I will give him his bins to play with, or else set him up to color in his high chair. The baby will either be napping or in the sling, most likely. Or nursing. Or just in my arms. Guess we'll see how it all fits together with 3 littles! This will be new territory for me!

How do you like to schedule your home education times? Do you prefer a more structured schedule or do you like to keep it more loose and flexible? Hints for occupying babies and toddlers? :)

Garlic Galore!

2009-07-11T03:00:00-07:00

Who knew that this:

would turn into this:

That's a whole lot of garlic!

On Wednesday morning, my brothers-in-law kindly helped me to pull up all of my garlic. I planted it late last October, mulched it with leaves over winter, and it has been steadily growing ever since. I probably could have let it grow even another week or two longer, but I had the manpower (literally!) available to me and wanted the garden space, so up it came!

It's currently sunning out on my deck (lucky garlic!). In an hour or so, I'm going to have to pull it all downstairs to lay it out in the garage to air out for the next few days (since we'll be out of town, I can't risk leaving it on the deck in case of rain). My goal is to dry as much of it as I can so that it can be stored through the fall and winter. Any bulbs that aren't in prime condition or that don't dry out nicely will be peeled, chopped and frozen into little cubes (my friend's idea- clever, isn't it?).

Now look at my barren garden!

Can you believe I planted a row and a half of garlic? Neither can I! But this morning I got in my two Delicata squash seedlings, and I have plans for more of the space that includes a second planting of both carrots and lettuce/greens, and more to be determined.

On other notes, I've been pulling up lovely turnips lately. Since we don't tend to eat a lot of turnips in the summer (we prefer them in hot soups, stews and casseroles), I've been peeling and cubing, and then blanching and freezing them. I did the same with some snap and shelling peas, and it looks like pea season is pretty much over for us now. More re-planting to do, I suppose!

We've also been enjoying broccoli just recently! I'm sad at how small the heads were, but it was exciting and yummy nonetheless. We have beautiful purple cauliflower heads forming, which I absolutely can't wait to eat! My tomatoes have also just begun to flower- hooray!

How are your gardens doing? What have you been harvesting lately?

Make Your Own Cloth Pads!

2009-07-10T03:00:00-07:00

Cloth pads are something I've written about several times before (here and here). Not only are they healthier to use (avoiding toxic chemicals in regular pads and tampons), but they are much friendlier on the environment and the trash can, as well as on our wallets. Pads may not seem all that expensive, but they add up quickly over the course of the year!

Admittedly, I haven't had a whole lot of use for pads during the greater part of our marriage (yay for that whole pregnancy, breastfeeding, pregnancy, breastfeeding cycle!), save for a few specific seasons. However, I very much wanted to avoid using conventional ones during my post-partum weeks, and to be prepared to use cloth pads full time whenever my cycles chooses to return after baby.

These are the ones that I have just finished making myself (with just a little help from a friend, my Nana, and my Nana's lovely sewing machine). I wish I could share the actual pattern, but it belongs to my friend who has plans to start making her own to sell as a small business, so I'll have to keep it our little secret. :)

Aren't they cute? (I know, that sounds so funny, but I love the cheery fabrics I used!)

You can see that I've made two heavier duty ones, perfect for nighttime, and two lighter ones. My friend is also blessing me abundantly with a little starter pack that she's creating, so I should have enough to definitely get me going.

What's great about these (aside from all the reasons I already mentioned), is that you can make them so cheap! For my fabrics, I used:

old baby blankets (fleecy or thicker flannel ones are great for the absorbent middle layers). I also have an old towel set aside for this inner layer, for the next time that I make more.
some random pink fleece I just happened to have in my fabric box, for an outer lay with more grip than just cotton
old diaper covers, and the waterproof inner piece from a burping pad that I ripped open (both of these make a nice waterproof bottom layer)
any cotton print (the light pink floral was left over from a skirt I intended to make years ago; the dark purple floral I did purchase, but only from the clearance section during a member's sale at my favorite fabric store)

All told, I spent about $6 (including thread), and that was with plenty of leftover purple fabric that I made into a foldable diaper change pad for my diaper bag. The only thing I might still do is add either small snaps or velcro to the wings, but they can also just be used as is.

Here are a few online resources I found if you'd like to try making your own:
How to Make a Circle Pad (this is a neat design which I haven't seen before!)
Making Your Own Cloth Pads (this site has an abundance of patterns, and lots of detailed info on fabrics, etc.)
Make Your Own Cloth Pads (great photo tutorial)
How to Make a Pantyliner
Homemade Sanitary Pads (another detailed tutorial from Hillbilly Housewife)

Has anyone else tried making their own cloth pads? Any other resources to share?

All Ready for Another Year of Home Educating!

2009-07-09T03:00:00-07:00

As Abbie will be turning 5 this year, and has recently learned to read and develop a much keener interest in exploring new topics ("Mommy, how does my body move? But I mean, what makes my muscles move my legs? But why..."), this will be our most formal year yet, although our main focus will still be on character development, Bible teaching, and learning to love learning.

Since I asked a while back for some suggestions, and have now made all of my purchases for up into the Fall and Winter, I thought you might like to see what I've decided on. My only favor I have to ask is that if I've chosen something that you really didn't care for, would you mind not letting me know? If it was a really bad choice, I'm sure I'll figure it out soon enough on my own! And just maybe, I'll actually end up loving it and finding that it works well for our family. Thanks! :)

Math

After all my hemming and hawing and researching, in the end, I went with Math-U-See. Although she is already beyond a lot of the concepts in the Primer book (the first book), we've decided to start her there anyways, to help her establish a really solid foundation in the program.

We've been using it now for a few weeks, and so far, I like it. It's not colorful or flashy, but I think it is teaching these beginning concepts well. Abbie feels successful, and enjoys doing it most days. She loves the manipulative blocks and the videos that we watch at the beginning of each unit. I love that I totally understanding what is being taught and why it's being taught that way. So far, so good!

Language Arts

I've decided to go with Rod and Staff Gr. 1, because I love the wholesome nature of their materials, and how Biblically based the program is (as in, it uses the Bible as it's source of topics for reading- I'm not saying that there is a Biblical way to teach Language Arts, because if there is, I haven't found those scriptures yet!). I know that at this young age, I could simply pull together my own program, and even find lots of free resources online.

The fact is, I'm new to all this. We're moving into a busy season of life with a new baby and a new business, and this works for me. We'll be using their Readers, as well as the Reading workbooks and the Phonics workbooks. For penmanship, I will either print off free activities from the web, or make my own, and we will probably do a lot of copy work from the Bible.

We'll also be doing a whole lot of reading, both me reading aloud to the kids and Abbie reading to me. Along with all that reading, we will be working on the skill of Narration, where Abbie will learn to either tell, draw or write for me about what she has just heard or learned about.

Bible

Our Bible study will somewhat be covered by the Rod and Staff reading program, because it is really, truly all about the Bible! How fantastic is that?

In addition, we will continue reviewing and learning new questions and answers from the catechism in Big Truths for Little Kids . We are also doing scripture memory, in line with the children's program at our church.

And lastly, I just got a really fun new book yesterday that we just couldn't wait to begin! It's called "Draw to Learn" and it will take us through the book of Proverbs. Each day, we will read a few verses from Proverbs, focusing on one key phrase or verse, and read a short paragraph talking about what the scripture means and then giving Abbie a drawing assignment. The drawings are meant to help instill the meaning of the verse and to work on learning to draw more purposefully at the same time. These are really neat books, so check them out! They have several to choose from (Psalms, Life of Jesus, etc.).

Fine Arts

Well, the book I just mentioned will be a part of this, as I give Abbie opportunities for drawing. In addition, I will be aiming to do an art project once a week or so, where we will work on other art skills like painting, cutting, pasting, crafting, etc.

At some point in the year, she will be beginning music lessons (probably piano), because there is certainly no reason not to once her Daddy is running a music school! :)

We're also going to explore some poetry, in a light but fun way. I picked up a coloring book made by Dover, where the pictures are illustrations that go along with a collection of famous poetry. I'm thinking that every so often we will pull this book out and work at listening and repeating the poem with correct rhythm, talk about the rhyming or other interesting things about it, what it means, etc. and then color the picture.

Science/Social Studies

I'm not ready to jump full force into these subjects yet, but we will explore them in a fun and easy-going way. For science, one resource that I picked up is a book called The Complete Zoo Adventure from the BC Creation Association. This is a Creation based study of different zoo animals, and is meant to help you put together an enjoyable and informative zoo field trip. Because we have a year membership to the local zoo, we will just work our way through this book bit by bit, as we visit the zoo throughout the year, exploring different groups of animals, birds, reptiles, etc.

I would also like to explore some basic physical geography. I've bought two large wall maps of both Canada, and of the world, which I've put up in our learning room. As we study different animals, we will mark on our maps where those animals come from. We will also be reading the book Missionary Stories with the Millers as a read aloud, and as we do, we will mark on our map where each story takes place and learn a little bit about that country.

I've also picked up a few books on physical geography, with lots of experiments for younger children. We're just going to use these as an add on, and every once in a while I'll let Abbie choose a topics/experiment that she is most interested in learning about.

The Big Picture

Overall, we're still going to be keeping things light and easy, with a few areas more structured than before (mainly math, language arts and Bible), making sure that we have lots of fun along the way. I want to remain as flexible as possible, am allowing for a lot of delight-directed learning, and keeping in mind this list of 10 Things To Do With Your Child Before Age 10. We'll be doing a lot of reading, library visits, hopefully field trips and whatever else we think we might like to do!

If anyone's interested, I'd be happy to post up the schedule I've made for next year, let me know in the comments and I'll make sure I get it posted up.

Have you planned out your home educating for next year? What are some of your goals and plans? Any new resources you're excited to use?

Pregnancy Update: 36 Weeks

2009-07-08T03:00:00-07:00

Unbelievable that I am about 4 weeks away, and possibly even less, from meeting our new baby!

And you may be happy to know (just because it proves that I am a real person, just like the rest of you) that I am not a Wonderwoman, either. I have hit somewhat of a wall, and though I still feel well overall and am grateful to be having such a healthy pregnancy, I'm tired. I'm uncomfortable. I'm achy, and not sleeping well. I'm even waddling. LOL! It's all good, though, and so very worthwhile! Pregnancy is a blessing, after all!

Nonetheless, I am grateful to have just a little bit more time before this sweet baby arrives, and am doing my best to finish up preparations, and am currently doing my best not to fall asleep at the computer as I write this blog post. :) I'm actually starting to feel pretty calm and prepared about baby's arrival, which I think is due to the fact that I began preparations so much in advance. I've updated my progress on my lists again- my general to-do and my freezer meal stash.

Baby is definitely in position now (and a good position, at that), and my midwife is guessing about 4/5 engaged. Braxton-Hicks contractions have picked up, and I have more and more of them as each day progresses, especially on days when I am probably working just a bit too hard. Nothing serious, though, and I don't think I'm in danger of having baby arrive too early. Since I have smaller babies (7 lbs 11 oz and 6 lbs 6 oz), I'd like to give this one about another 2 weeks to fatten up, and then it can come whenever it likes. :)

One of my major focuses lately has been on preparing for the labor and birth, and though I won't go into it in too much detail (since I'm working on a post on this topic), I'll tell you just a bit of what I'm doing. I've been re-reading my book on Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, and just refreshing myself on the techniques. It feels good to review it. I've also been reading some natural birth stories on the internet, just reminding myself of all the different ways that births can happen and being encouraged by reading about other women who've had natural childbirth as well.

My goal this time is to just feel more prepared for this birth. Caden's birth, though still a positive experience, was a bit chaotic and harried for several reasons and I was not able to relax very well, either physically or mentally. I would like to have more of a sense of calm and relaxation with this birth, even if it's speedy and intense like Caden's was.

One other thing that I'm trying this time is to use prenatal herbs, specifically Dr Christopher's Pre-Natal Formula (recommended by Lindsay). I was also considering the Gentle Birth Formula (recommended by Crystal). Both were approved and highly regarded by a midwife/naturopath who works alongside my midwife. In the end, I went with Dr. Christopher's because it came in capsules rather than a tincture and I was worried about really bad tasting herbs. :) A silly reason, but I had to decide somehow! I chose to wait until I hit 35 weeks (rather than 34) to start using them, just because I do have smaller babies and didn't know how my body would respond to the herbs. So far, so good! I've also been drinking a nutrient tea (Red Raspberry, Red Clover, Nettle, Peppermint and Oatstraw) up to this point, but this week am switching over to just Red Raspberry Leaf tea, a really good choice for uterine toning and preparation.

Just a few things left to do... get the pool inflated and our room more set up for the homebirth, buy the last of my homebirth supplies, do some more gardening and preserving, start berry picking and filling up our freezer, among a few other things, but I think it's all do-able!

Thank you so much for all of the sweet offers for guest posts, as well as the many emails and comments that I have received wishing us well with this new baby, and letting me know that you are praying for me. I can't tell you how humbling it is to feel so supported by all of you lovely ladies that I have never even met, but I am grateful for it! :)

This will probably be my last pregnancy update until the event actually happens. I'll do my best to let you know just as soon as I can when he/she is here! Once baby is here and I start my "babymoon", you can expect a steady stream of exceptional guest posts on a really wide variety of topics, as well as cute baby and family photos, and little updates or topics of interest here and there as I decide to pipe up (I have never claimed that silence or being concise with my words was one of my strengths! LOL!).

How are the rest of the pregnant mamas doing? I always love to hear how you're doing!