Save Money by Preparing Organic, Preservative-Free Food for your Baby

My Facebook Friends Were Right—
Sprouts Has the Best Selection of Organic Produce

Every year, more parents are deciding to prepare their baby's first solid foods at home rather than shelling out the big bucks for convenient ready-made portions.

Buying baby food may not seem too expensive at first. However, take into consideration that organic, preservative-free baby food typically costs around .50 cents an ounce. Yesterday, I purchased a large organic sweet potato from Sprouts Farmers Market for less than $2. Once prepared, this sweet potato yielded over 30 servings of scrumptious puree for my baby. That is a total savings of more than $13 . . . eat that extreme couponers.  

Preparing your baby's fruits & veggies will heed large quantities of food for a fraction of the cost. Your child will also enjoy additional benefits by eating only the purest, GMO and preservative-free, organic, fresh ingredients . . . especially during their precious early years.

Baby's First Sweet Potato Puree Recipe

Thirty Servings of Organic, Preservative-Free Baby Food for Less Than $2

Believe it or not, making baby food is easy. I have a Baby Bullet, but any blender will work just fine. For my six-month-old baby's third vegetable, I decided to make Sweet Potato Puree. The recipe (like all baby recipes) is super simple and easy-to-follow. Don't forget to wash your hands, all surfaces and tools before prepping the food . . . nothing is more important than cleanliness in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 Large Sweet Potato

1 Cup Water

Tools

Vegetable Peeler

Blender (I use the Baby Bullet)

Silicon Spatula

Glass Cup/Bowl

Baby Food Storage Containers

First. Wash, peel and cut sweet potato into medium-sized chunks, then add it to a little over one cup of boiling water.

Second. Once the sweet potato is soft enough to break apart easily (this took around 15 minutes), remove it from the heat, and pour a cup of the boiled water into a glass measuring cup (The boiled sweet-potato water contains a lot of the nutrients!). Cover ingredients, and allow them to cool.

Third. Add the cooled sweet potato and water into the blender. Puree the ingredients until they are at the proper consistency, adding additional water or fresh breast milk to achieve the desired texture.

Fourth. Portion out your baby's food accordingly. Store properly, food keeps for three days in the fridge, 30 days in the freezer. Thaw frozen food by moving each serving to the fridge a day prior to feeding it to your baby, or if necessary you can defrost it by placing the container in cold water. 

Start strong by preparing the best for your baby, and for years to come you will see the benefits in their health and attitude, while saving money. Who said buying organic is always expensive? I say, you just have to be smart!  ; )

Seven-Month-Old Milestones

Teething - You can typically expect your baby to cut their first tooth between their fifth and seventh month, so chances are at seven-months-old, you are attending to a drooly, fussy baby from time to time. Charlotte cut her first tooth around six months, so if you're looking for teething pointers, look no further than here.

Motor Skills - Babies really start to master their fine motor skills in the seventh month. You may start to notice your child having a preference for one toy over another, as well as the new-found ability to hold a sippy-cup or onto their spoon. Charlotte has been doing all of the above, and I love watching how much stronger and better coordinated her movements get every day. Watching her army crawl over to the bookshelf and pull of a book today, only to then eat it, I was very impressed with how well she follows through with her intentions.

Food - Now that your baby is getting older, most pediatricians would have already recommended that your infant should start on solid foods. If that is the case, your baby is probably ready to eats food with the consistency being a little thicker than purees. Be sure to check with your pediatrician first. I tend to take things slower, so I will probably wait to introduce a thicker consistency of food until I get the okay from my baby's pediatrician at next month's appointment.

Three Months Milestones

Language - You may notice a difference in your baby's language skills this month. Many babies by this point are babbling consonants within their baby talk, responding to their name, expressing their happiness or frustration vocally, among other language milestones. Charlotte in particular sounds like she's the lead singer of a heavy metal band or the squeakiest little fairy-chipmunk in all the land . . . there is no in between.

There is nothing more satisfying than watching your child light-up as they learn and grow. What are your favorite seven-month milestones?

Six Month Milestones

Our Favorite Things – Custom Tutu

At one point in time, tutus were a staple you'd as a part of every ballerinas' costume. Now you'll see tutus as part a bold and adorable fashion statement worn by little girls everywhere. While I'm not always the girliest of girls, I thought that if my baby does end up being a girly girl one day, it is only fair to have a couple pictures of her looking like a fairy princess. We knew it would be the perfect opportunity to capture Princess Char when we won a tutu and matching bow through our friend's Instagram giveaway @rileyelizabethmodeling.

This customized tutu and bow was handmade by Riley's awesome mama, Tina. I chose the colors light purple and dark purple, mostly because purple is my favorite color. We set up for a quick photo shoot this morning. Charlotte was really distracted by the beautiful tutu until we put it on, then she was just trying to grab the camera. All in all, it wasn't a bad start to my morning. Look at that face! Thanks Riley and Tina for the beautiful tutu, we're in love. 

Photography - Easy Amateur Maternity Shoot

I am beyond excited to welcome another sweet baby girl into my life. My best friend and neighbor is currently 36 1/2 weeks pregnant with Violet Elizabeth. Crystal and Adam are anxiously awaiting little Violet's arrival, so in the meantime we all decided to capture the joy of pregnancy before it was too late.

Crystal is 36 weeks pregnant, which is ideal for a pregnancy photo shoot. She is at the point to where she is showing enough to look dramatic in pictures, while not too far along so that she can still move. Also, if a pregnant mama waits too late in her pregnancy to take pictures, she might lose her window of opportunity by going into labor.

The pictures turned out amazing. For a shoot that took less than 45 minutes, I am really impressed by how many different poses we were able to get done. I have to admit, there were a lot factors that worked to my advantage . . .

First. My models were absolutely gorgeous, and they were good listeners. I was able to pose them and physically move their bodies and parts into the position I wanted them.

Second. I've known Crystal and Adam for years. I spent all my free time at their studio in college, and we even lived together at one point. We have also been neighbors twice. What I'm getting to is comfortability. It was comfortable talking and joking with them during the photo shoot, and it made the situation more comfortable being able to make them laugh by saying ridiculous things. I learned today that a photographer's confidence and ability to make their subjects feel comfortable are of huge importance.

Third. We chose the best time to utilize the natural lighting. While we did use a reflector on the pictures of Crystal solo, we did not need to use any additional lighting tools to get great results. Depending on the time of year, the best times of day to take photographs in the sunlight are around 9a.m. and 4p.m. However, today was overcast so our window of opportunity was endless . . . think of an overcast sky as a giant light diffuser.

Fourth. The photo shoot was even more effortless, because we chose a location that was close to home to make it easier on everyone involved, especially the mommy-to-be. Photo-ops are easier than you might think—look around your local neighborhoods for textured buildings and greenery. Those will serve as strong backgrounds.

My last piece of advice is to take a couple cheesy photos. Get the up-close belly shot. Bring along some fun props. After all, this may be your last chance to get a photo of the babe before they're out in the real world.

To pregnant moms out there: While pregnancy may feel normal to you now, once you're holding your baby in your arms, the reality of being pregnant will slowly fade away. All you will have, besides your child, are your pregnant memories frozen in the simple and beautiful maternity portraits you opted for.

Have any maternity photo questions or advice? Feel free to share below!

Impatiently Waiting for you Baby to Arrive? Click HERE

Our Favorite Things — Bibdanas

Bibdanas are Cute and Practical for a Teething Baby

Every parent knows that with teething comes drool . . . LOTS of drool. I was browsing the Internet as Charlotte fell asleep while nursing one day, and I stumbled upon some super cute customizable Bibdanas for sale in an Etsy shop named Young at Heart CO.

I fell in love with the vibrant, colorful and gender-neutral patterns in particular. I purchased the Bright Colored Giraffe Bibdana. It is reversible and I was able to choose the color, which of course I chose yellow. My next choice was the Wild Animals Bibdana with reversible gray. The items were only $5 each, and shipping was extremely affordable. Each handmade item arrived today in the mail, along with a free gift. 

I was excited, and Charlotte was already soaked in drool, so we started on our photo shoot right away. Charlotte looks mighty cute sporting her new drool bib. There is nothing better than baby items that are practical and cute!

Organic, Non-GMO Baby Food

How Can You Guarantee That Your Baby is Eating Only the Best?

As a mother who has dedicated over six months of her life so far to exclusively breastfeeding her child, when it comes to introducing something new, I find myself more hesitant than Charlie's pediatrician recommends. The only way I feel confident in giving her something new is by preparing it myself (or ourselves).

My fiance Josh, myself and Charlotte took a trip last Saturday up to Oak Glen (locally known as the "Apple Orchards") as a part of the Inland Empire Food Bloggers group, on behalf of the website I am proud to work for, IEShineOn. All three of us had an amazing time making new friends and enjoying the beautiful staff and scenery at Willowbrook Apple Farm. We enjoyed an exclusive tour of the farm, which was full of towering apple trees that are over 100 years old.

One of the many perks of the farm was its option to pick your own apples. Our little family picked a five pound bag of an assorted variety of signature apples. Upon leaving, I realized that these beautiful GMO-free, organic apples could serve as Charlotte's first serving of fruit! We had such a great time in Oak Glen, and we are so excited to share our super simple baby recipe for organic apples.


Baby's First Apple Puree Recipe

19 Servings of Preservative-Free, GMO-Free, Organic Baby Food for Less than $4

At about six and a half months, little Charlotte is hungrier than ever. Organic locally grown apples served as her first fruit. Her reaction was not what we expected. She ate the entire tablespoon we gave her to try, but she was unsure the entire time, most likely because it was her first time experiencing something slightly sour. This recipe (like all baby recipes) is super simple and easy-to-follow. Don't forget to wash your hands, all surfaces and tools before prepping the food. Nothing is more important than cleanliness in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

3 Small Apples

1 Cup Water

Tools

Vegetable Peeler

Blender (I use the Baby Bullet)

Silicon Spatula

Glass Cup/Bowl

Baby Food Storage Containers

First. Wash, peel and cut apples into small-sized chunks, removing the core and stem. Then, add the apples to a little over one cup of boiling water.

Second. Once the apple is soft enough to break apart easily (this took around seven minutes), remove it from the heat, and pour a cup of the boiled water into a glass measuring cup (The boiled apple water contains a lot of the nutrients!). Cover ingredients, and allow them to cool.

Third. Add the cooled apple and water into the blender. Puree the ingredients until they are at the proper consistency, adding additional water or fresh breast milk to achieve the desired texture.

Fourth. Portion out your baby's food accordingly. Store properly; Food keeps for three days in the fridge or 30 days in the freezer. Thaw frozen food by moving each serving to the fridge a day prior to feeding it to your baby, or if necessary you can defrost it by placing the container in cold water.

Preparing Charlotte's food with my fiance as she watched was really rewarding. Not only did we get to see where the apples were coming from, but we got to learn about Willowbrook Apple Farm, and we were able to pick the apples ourselves. She might not be too sure about apples quite yet, but at least I feel confident that what she is eating is safe. 

It's Never Too Late to Nest

Decorating our Baby Girl's Room is SO Much Fun!

Much like a bird builds a nest out of twigs in preparation for their baby birds, expectant mothers are notorious for experiencing a strong "nesting" instinct towards the end of their pregnancy. Pregnant women feel the need to put together the perfect nursery by assembling, organizing, cleaning and overall creating a harmonious place to bring their newborn home to.

My boyfriend and I live in the upstairs apartment of a historic house in the downtown area of our town. Our place has two bedrooms and a large sunroom, which is like an indoor/outdoor patio. The living room is spacious, and we really have an amazing deal for the location, because my fiance has lived there for over 10 years, and the rent has never gone up.

The property has been owned by various landlords and management companies over the last decade, all of whom have neglected the desperate repairs the house has needed. The second bedroom in our house has been used for storage since I moved into the house a few years ago. The drywall on the ceiling in this little room was damaged, so it was unusable for anything but storage.

This was frustrating to say the least when we found out we were pregnant. There I was, desperately wanting to create a nursery for my baby, but the room that could house her was unfit for anyone to inhabit. I instead set up the crib in our bedroom (I knew Charlotte was destined to co-sleep in bed with us anyway), and the rest of her items were organized into half of our giant living room, which we sectioned off. It has worked for the past six months, and at the time I was pregnant, it provided me so much relief to have a special space for her belongings.

Fortunately, the owner of our house agreed to a walkthrough about a month ago, and she decided to invest some serious cash into revamping our sweet home. So far, new ceiling fans have been installed, all the popcorn ceiling has been removed, the ceilings have been retextured, and the walls and ceilings have been painted the colors we chose. In the next week, they intend on replacing the tile, counters, cabinets and sink in the kitchen, which will leave us with a practically brand-new kitchen.

I feel like all my hopes and dreams have been answered in giving Charlotte the bedroom she deserves. We made so much room for her in our lives, and now we have a space in our house that is 100 percent dedicated to her comfort, entertainment and privacy.

This weekend we are going to organize her room, and her new curtains are set to be delivered. You can expect a follow-up blog post in the near future!

Click HERE to read more about pregnancy and nesting!

Our Trip to the Los Angeles County Fair

The Los Angeles County Fair served as a date night, work event and family trip for me this year. It (technically) wasn't Charlotte's first trip to the fair, because we enjoyed the fair last year when I was a little over 20 weeks pregnant. I remember taking along my pregnant friend because, "neither of us could have any fun."

This year, my experiences at the LA County Fair were exciting, because I got to attend the Media Preview Night for the fair on behalf of www.ieshineon.com. The event was held on a warm summer evening, two nights before the fair was set to open. It consisted of free drinks, an enormous amount of fair food and a stroll through the brand-new attraction entitled "Luminasia." 

Curiosity, wonder and enjoyment rushed over us as the tram dropped us off in front of the towering, illuminated arches that lead into the exhibit. Upon entering the glowing hillside garden of over-sized lanterns, upside-down red umbrellas led us through a never-ending twisting maze of Chinese idols, international landmarks, California poppies and and so much more. We enjoyed as many drinks, ramen-burgers, deep fried entrees and chocolate covered treats that our short time allowed . . . Charlotte has been refusing a bottle from anyone but me recently, only allowing myself up to two hours of free time after 6 p.m.

Upon leaving the media event, my fiancé and I were each handed gift bags that included one any-day ticket to the fair. I'm pretty sure we were part of the first group to leave, as the coordinators were running up to the tram, gift bags in hand, when they saw us departing. 

We planned our return visit to the fair a week following its opening day. Charlotte enjoyed smiling at strangers, looking at animals, rotating between the stroller and being held and becoming mesmerized by all the flashing lights.  Overall, it was a great excuse to expose our daughter to a little bit more of our southern California culture.

I wrote a comprehensive guide to the LA County Fair, highlighting the best food, attractions and events. Check it out here, and let me know what you think!!

Is Crawling Important?

Don't Worry if Your Baby Isn't Crawling

My baby is 28-weeks-old (six-months +), and for the last week she has been propping herself up into a pre-crawling position on her hands and knees. She is not quite rocking back and forth yet, and when she gets tired, my daughter decides to army crawl and roll about the wood floors. Needless to say, she is absolutely mobile.

As she is on the verge of crawling, I have been recalling competing information regarding the importance of a baby's first mode of transportation. Some reports claim that crawling is an essential developmental milestone, while others say you shouldn't sweat it if your baby never crawls. Let's get to the bottom of this.

Crawling is an important activity, because it helps babies attain a valuable skill set. However, crawling is not the only way a child will ever develop this skill set. According to WebMD, babies who don't crawl but instead scoot and wiggle still tend to reach other developmental cues on time. They continue by explaining that babies often miss developmental milestones, and it shouldn't be something you need to discuss with your doctor unless your child is consistently missing steps.

In the end, the most important thing to watch for is that your baby is progressing in general. There is no exact timeline for when to expect the next new thing, giving you a whole world of leeway when it comes to each child's development. If your only problem is that your baby gets stuck army crawling until they start pulling themselves up to stand with the coffee table, we assure you there is nothing to worry about.

Miracle products that claim to help your baby's development aren't necessary. Instead, playing, talking and paying attention to your baby helps more than you would imagine.

Let's start this discussion with other moms! When did your baby first start crawling or walking?

Click HERE to read about other milestones in our lives.

Our Favorite Things — A Great Deal

Girls Ballet Flats for $9

While I have no problem spending large amounts of money on cameras, computers, phones and body jewelry, making things like clothes and shoes into expenses is not my style. I hope that my daughter can appreciate this when she is an adult, but if not I can always look forward to borrowing her designer garb.

My thriftiness and love of a great deal is something that can benefit my nieces from time to time. I am by no-means a shopaholic, but if I have a free shipping coupon on top of a killer deal, I might be tempted into some early back-to-school shopping.

Recently, my younger sister and I had the pleasure of picking up my niece from school. After an enjoyable lunch, we stopped into Payless (my old stomping grounds) to check out their BOGO (Buy One, Get One Half Off) deal.

After finding out the canvas Ninja Turtle slip-ons were out of stock in her size, my six-year-old niece found some American Eagle ballet flats in coral for only $9. Running through the store to test out their speed, she was happy with her pick. We purchased a second pair of ballet flats that were also on clearance for only $5, which came out to $2.50 with the BOGO deal. 

I enjoy buying nice things, and by saving money on the less important things, we are able to splurge on what we love. Although I do love to support small local businesses, sometimes I run into deals I can't refuse.

Essentials for a Teething Baby

A Teething Baby will Chew on Just About Anything . . . Watch Your Fingers!

I have only had great experiences interacting with Charlotte's doctor over the past six months. After all, our pediatrician is constantly praising our baby's development, growth and personality—what's not to like about that?

Beyond the bragging, Charlotte's pediatrician has also been great at giving us a timeline of when to expect certain changes in our baby. At our four-month checkup, our doctor shared an observation that Char would likely cut her first tooth before she hit six-months-old. Well, the doc was spot on. I first learned that Charlotte had cut two teeth (bottom front row and center) at my niece's sixth birthday party, while hanging out in the cartoon themed room a local pizza buffet fun center.

Leave it to my sister Lindsey to have her finger fishing around in Charlotte's mouth for something sharp. After her announcement of Char's teeth, there was a parade of immediate family members inspecting her mouth. At the time, I was "shocked" that Charlotte had cut teeth so soon, but looking back, I had been noticing many signs of teething. The most common teething cues include excessive drooling, fussiness, interrupted sleep patterns, clinginess, swollen gums, chewing, etc. 

Teething is inevitable, so familiarize yourself with these essential tools for a teething baby:

Bibs. We had some of the most beautiful, handmade bibs gifted to us at our "Sweet Baby Charlotte" Baby Shower, and for the first five months I was worried these beautiful bibs would never get their well-deserved use. Then teething happened. Suddenly, we didn't have enough bibs. I was digging through hand-me-downs to ensure I had at least two backups no matter where I went, and sometimes that didn't seem to be enough.

Chew Toys. Not only for dogs, a great infant chew toy can make any teething baby a whole lot smilier.  I've tried every teether and frozen gimmick to alleviate little Charlotte's swollen gums, but her favorites so far are the Bright Starts Vibrating Teether and the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder. Frozen veggies and the soft, vibrating surface each alleviate a lot of her teething pain while keeping her entertained.

Comfort. Once it's 9p.m., past the baby's bedtime, she's fussy and drooling everywhere, and I have had over 12 hours of real work . . . This is my late-night mommy trick. I have a short playlist of my six favorite sleepy time songs. They are by no means baby lullabies. One song is slightly techno, while the rest of the playlist is a relaxing and upbeat mix. It's the perfect motivation to stay positive after a long day of diaper changes and creating new ways to entertain a six-month-old babe. There is nothing better than rocking Charlotte to some of my favorite tunes. I turn them down low, sway in the dark, cuddled to my sweet, while singing and humming along to the playlist that was my mantra to and from work during pregnancy. Even if this trick doesn't lull her to sleep, it definitely calms her down enough to where a little milk wins her over.


What are your favorite mom tricks to help out a teething baby?

Tips For Successful Breastfeeding

A Few of My Favorite Things

Charlotte is very well-fed, and every soft roll on her thighs can attest to that. She is at the breast almost every hour during the day, and she wakes up once or twice throughout the night to chow down. My daughter is six-months-old and exclusively breastfed (aside from the two vegetables she has been introduced to so far).

One of my closest friends is expecting a baby girl in a little over a month. She also plans on exclusively breastfeeding her baby for at least the first year, and I couldn't be more excited to share helpful tips that aided Charlotte and me in breastfeeding.

I already shared my early breastfeeding experience in a previous post, but I figured it would be best to list additional breastfeeding tips here. Hopefully I can help other mothers have a more successful, enjoyable and convenient breastfeeding experience. After all, not only has breast milk been called a perfect food for babies, it can also be the perfect convenience for mothers. 

Tips for Successful Breastfeeding:

1. Hold off on introducing the pacifier—be the pacifier. Sitting in as a human pacifier doesn't necessarily sound like a fun gig (and it's not), but it proves to be great for your breastfeeding success. Our lactation consultant at the hospital following Charlotte's birth gave me so many amazing tips. One of the best pieces of advice she shared was telling me to withhold the pacifier until the baby was at least three-weeks-old. Especially during the first couple weeks, the time your baby spends at the breast is what my lactation specialist would call, "Placing the baby's order." The more my newborn fed, the more she signaled my body to produce more milk. I followed this advice, and in the end I had so much milk, my body had to decrease the supply. That was a great problem to have.

2. Invest in a Great Pump. Having an electric single or double pump is absolutely essential for breastfeeding moms that dream of having lives outside of motherhood. If you work out of the home, go to school or would simply enjoy the freedom of a couple hours away from the baby here and there, then you are going to need an electric pump. A nice pump will cost you, so I recommend registering for it for you baby shower, renting it or inquiring with your insurance about getting a free or discounted pump. 

3. Pump Often. I'm not sure if all mothers despise the task, but pumping is not something I enjoy. The process isn't difficult, painful or time-consuming . . . it is just a nuisance. However, it is absolutely necessary. You'll be surprised how often you will have to pump just to feed your baby for a couple hours. I pump one breast every morning while my baby empties the other. I will get anywhere between one and five ounces each session, depending on how often she ate the night before. By pumping everyday around the same time, you're telling your body when to produce the "extra" milk.

4. Familiarize Your Baby with More than Just Breast. Breastfeeding can be your best friend, but sometimes it can also feel like your worst enemy. Breastfed babies are notorious for being clingier to mom, but don't fret. Be sure to introduce your sweet little baby to the bottle around five weeks to avoid nipple confusion. Also, be sure to have your babysitters practice feeding your baby to ensure you get a little free time now and again.

5. On Demand. While a new baby should not go longer than three hours without eating, trying to get your newborn on a feeding schedule is very outdated. Instead, breastfed babies should be fed on demand. I remember the first week of breastfeeding being very exhausting. I was constantly in a sleepy haze, because Charlotte decided to eat every hour throughout the night . . . 1a.m., 2a.m., 3a.m. . . . and so on. Just remember that if you're exhausted, there is nothing wrong with letting dad give the baby a bottle so you can get some sleep. (I wish I had taken my own advice!)

6. Stay Hydrated and Well-Fed. It seems like growing a human outside of your body requires just as much water and food as it did when you were pregnant. This is because you can burn between 500-1000 calories a day breastfeeding. That means you need additional water for all the extra work your body is doing, as well as extra calories so you can keep some energy for yourself. I weigh 10 pounds less than I did before I got pregnant, and breastfeeding is one of the biggest reasons for it.

7. Baby Hunger Cues. The easiest way to keep your baby happy and not crying is by anticipating his or her demands before they have to cry about it. It is a lot easier said than done the first couple weeks, but before you know it, you will be able to decipher the differences in your baby's cries. When it comes to feeding, it is a lot easier to breastfeed a happy, hungry baby than one who is starving and frustrated. Typical hunger cues of a new baby are smacking of the lips, rooting around (opening their mouth, looking for a nipple), licking or sucking on lips, tongue, hands, toys, etc. Remember, a baby should never have to cry in order to communicate that they are hungry.

I hope these breastfeeding tips help. Please consult with a lactation consultant if one is available at the hospital, and don't be afraid to reach out to great breastfeeding support organizations like La Leche League.

Please feel free to ask questions or share any additional breastfeeding tips that I missed below.

Click HERE for more early breastfeeding advice