Wisdom Teeth & Baby Food

I had my wisdom teeth removed (FINALLY!) yesterday and have been on the liquid diet ever since. Last night, after eating so much yogurt, ice cream, and avocado, I finally made myself some fruit from a recipe I used to make for my little one when she was just beginning baby food: mango and banana. What a relief!

Since I was going to school and working when I trying to make my own baby food, I found some short cuts to making it fast and keeping it manageable. 

1. When short on times, use foods that are low in pesticides (kiwis, avocados, bananas, and mangos), especially if you cannot afford organic (although many times organic avocados ect. cost the same)- you can throw all of them in the blender without steaming them.
2. Go to the farmer's market to buy other fruits and vegetables. It's a fun trip that will tucker out the little one with all the excitement, and you'll be supporting the local farmers!
3. Steam veggies and fruit in microwave with some eco-friendly plastic wrap (like Natural Value, roughly $4 but it lasts a long time) and a bowl. It will save you at least 30 minutes this way. 
4. Use an ice cube tray to store the food. 

My favorite recipes: Avocado and Banana; Sweet Potato and Apple; Mango, Kiwi, and Banana

Green Points:

1. Less waste from containers.
2. Buy organic produce without pesticides and other chemicals. 
3. Can support local farmers.

Mommy Points:

1. Cheaper than buying pre-made baby food if you know when and where to buy produce (super market has more expensive produce like mangos and avocado's periodically on sale).
2. You know how much actual food is in the mixture rather than guessing from the watery mixture of pre-made baby food. 

I Miss Breast Feeding

It has been a couple weeks since I had to stop breast feeding, and I miss that connection that I had with my daughter. I feel odd talking about it with most of my close friends since none of them have children. Most of the time I hear complaints about how they think it would be too painful or that it is gross.

I think it was one of the best things I could have ever given my daughter for her first year of life. She is very healthy. She has only had a cold twice, and she did not seem to mind them at that. It also gave me time to just completely relax with my daughter through out the day without having to think about all the homework I had due the next day or how many hours of work I had managed to scrape up that week.

Medela Pump in Style- AMAZING

Also, it saved so much money and prevented a lot of waste from having to buy formula bottles and other waste.

I think every young mom going to high school or to college should know that they do have options to continue breast feeding if they chose that route because I initally did not know how I was going to pull it off. Nurses at the school clinics are more than willing to provide you with a room to pump breast milk.

Green Points:

1. Do not have to use up more plastic bottles or tins of formula.
2. No pollution emitted from creating breast milk. 

Mom Points:

1. Better for baby's health. 
2. Time to relax and bond with baby.
3. Helps shed pregnancy weight and decreases chances of breast cancer.
4. Low cost.

It's definitely the best thing I have ever done.

Christmas Gifts

I did my Christmas shopping late this year since I had exams and traveling to do before holiday. While I was at West Elm, I found the cutest, eco-friendly children's toys! Usually I prefer recycling toys by passing them on to friends or buying from Goodwill, but these were irresistible. These Green Toys reminded me of the toys I used to have as a child: trucks, dinner ware, and blocks.

The recycled plastic is also free of BPA- perfect for the little ones! I cannot wait to open them up and let baby girl play!

Green Points:

1. Recycled materials
2. No BPA

Patriotic Mommy Points:

1. Fun for kids
2. 100% made in the USA!

Exams

Exams. It was my first semester back at  university since having my daughter, and my fears that studying time would be tight were being manifested in my minimal-sleep-part-hallucination-part-reality existence. Yet, through the lack of sleep, the mother in me was fully re-charged, thinking of new ways to study while taking care of the little one.

While looking for some baby shampoo in the cupboard, I passed by some Crayola Bathtub Crayons I had picked up at the store awhile back, thinking when I was bored I would create a Mona Lisa on my shower walls. This of course never happened. However, I decided, this might be my ticket to studying. I wrote out all my notes on the mirrors above the sink and the tiles around the shower, repeating sections I did not remember well. So, after laying down the little one for bed, I could take a shower and give myself a 5 minute quiz.

Green Points:

1. didn't waste paper
2. made me want to take an even shorter shower

Studying Points:

1. as most of my best thinking occurs in the shower, so did my best studying
2. a nice cold shower really wakes you up for an all-nighter study session

No Time

In between getting little girl dressed and packing my bags for school, there is no time for a shower. Finally, I discovered dry shampoo that did not emit aerosol gases! Although many of the spray cans of dry shampoo are recycable, you can just smell the aerosol as you "shampoo" your hair. I love the Klorane dry shampoo. It's recycable, does not use aerosol gases and saves me time that I can't spend washing my hair.

Environmental Points:

1. No aerosols
2. Recycable
3. No water wasted

Mommy Points:

1. More time to get baby ready
2. Get out the door on time