I hate cleaning (less)

If you have known me for a while you probably know that I really don't like cleaning. Growing up my room was always a disaster. I would have several pairs of sweatpants and jeans on my floor that looked like someone had just taken them off and could jump into them in an instant to put them right back on. Chores were my least favorite part of my week and unless their was an incentive or a punishment rarely would I decide to tidy on my own.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the benefits of having a clean place. The order, the floors you can see, the lack of worry when a friend says they are stopping by.

The thing with clutter, a messy house, and stacks of dishes is that they make your brain feel that way. I have noticed that the more chaotic I feel reflects the state of our home. SO, I decided things needed to be different.

Well I feel like I have turned a new corner here folks. Things are slowly getting better. I wish we could hire a maid, but alas that isn't in our budget fight now. Here are the small things I am starting to do daily/weekly to keep our place a tad bit more clean, and it's working! I have been reading a little bit from FlyLady to help keep me organized and on top of things (a little) more. These things are super small, simple, and easy.

#1 Swish and swipe (3 minutes a day)
Ever feel that wave of panic when someone is coming over and asks to use your bathroom? Thoughts of "I hope there isn't too much dust on the toilet. Do I have a hand towel in there? Gosh I think I flushed last time, right? Hopefully my underwear isn't on the counter! Is that cute ring around the toilet bowl still, I swear I cleaned it last month" can create internal terror. So, every morning, Swish and Swipe, and your bathroom will always be guest-ready!

-Keep paper towels and window cleaner in the bathroom
-Spray the mirror, counter, faucet, and toilet with the cleaner
-Wipe down the mirror, counter, sink and then use this paper towel to wipe down the top and underside of the toilet.
-Scrub the toilet bowl quickly
-Wipe down the toilet seat and base with a new paper towel

DONE. It's so easy and if you wipe down the counter you need to make sure you put everything away that is living on the counter, so it keeps the clutter of bobby pins, toothpaste, and face lotion down.

#2. Clean Sink (10 minutes ~2x a day)
We don't have a dishwasher so it is really easy for our dishes to make babies and things get our of control in no time. Keeping the sink clean helps me cook better food because I have more space to prep. John is a dear and washes dishes regularly after dinner so I love getting help with this one.

#3 Zone Control
I divided my home into 5 zones. Bedroom, office/Caleb's room, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Each day I do one thing to beautify the "room of the day", or I pick up a few things in a certain area of that room. For example Monday is "bedroom day" and I washed the sheets. Simple and easy! This is a great way for someone who is a new mom to follow. It is so easy to start to feel bad about not cleaning the whole house from floor to ceiling. One small thing a day can make a huge difference!

#4 Solutions for Storage
Right now I am working on solutions for storing and ordering systems in our home. There are so many places that need help right now I am focusing on the entryway first. It is the gateway to crazy messy if we let things stack up and pile on the floor. I am thinking an easy-to-access storage bench but we shall see.   

Here are some fun pics from the past few weeks!

DIY Tie-Dye Woven Wrap

I got a few requests to do a tutorial on my woven wrap I just made for me and Caleb!

It sure was a process but sooooo worth it to see my little dude melt into the wrap when I wore him. Overall I I enjoyed being creative and I can tell this is just the beginning of a DIY obsession with making baby carriers!

I joined a DIY Babywearing Group and was inspired by all of the amazing projects people were posting. I also joined a Dyed Baby Carrier group and was able to learn so much before attempting my dye job. If you are considering this project you need to join these groups! They are a wealth of knowledge. I did a Low Water Immersion dye with Tulip dye but there are so many more options out there to dye a wrap or a baby carrier if you are interested!

Steps simplified: 
1. Buy supplies
2. Scour and wash fabric
3. Hem wrap
4. Dye wrap
5. Rinse and wash
6. Wrap you baby!

Before you start:

-Decide what size wrap you want and add 1-2 yards for shrinkage. Click here for sizing info. I made a size 6 wrap + a Kanga and I got 8 yards of fabric to account for shrinkage.

-Set aside four days for this project (deep cleaning day, hemming day, dying day, rinsing and washing day)

-Make sure you have all of your supplies

Supply list: 

-3-8 yards Osnaburg fabric (I got mine at walmart)
-1-6 packets of dye (depending on how many colors you want)
-Soda ash
-Large tub/bucket
-Matching thread for hemming (it will not pick up dye)
-Iron and Ironing board
-Working sewing machine 
-Optional: rubber bands

Scour/Deep Clean your fabric:

The purpose of the scouring step is to deep clean your fabric before dyeing. It helps in removing invisible sizing or other finishes that can interfere with dyeing, though there are some finishes that can't be removed so easily. There are a few ways to do this, but here is what I did:

-Place fabric in bath tub
-Boil as much water as possible
-Pour boiling water over fabric and (optional) place a trash bag over it to reduce heat loss
-Stir with a wood spoon (I pounded it!)
-Add 1/2 cup soda ash
-add boiling water to cover fabric
-Let sit, stirring every 10 minutes for 1 hour
-Put your fabric in the washer and do hot cycle followed by a hot dry. Repeat this step (2x wash/dry)

Hem your Wrap 

Watch this video prior to hemming, this will save you tons of time! This lady is an amazing twin baby-wearing mama.
*tip: to cut fabric to size, you can rip!

Most wraps are ~30 in wide, I left 2 in on each side

Iron and roll technique

Test out your wrap!

Kanga (with extra fabric!!)

Dye Your Wrap
-Mix your dye according to the instructions and based on the type of dye job you are doing.
-Apply rubber bands if the technique you are using requires it
-Apply your dye based on how you are dying (some processes require you to soak your fabric in soda ash first)
-At this point your wrap should either be in a plastic bag or in a bucket/tub
-Let it sit for at least 12 hours to let the dye set

Low water immersion, folded into the bin

I added dye first then fixed it with soda ask 1 hour later

Kanga (no folds)

Rinse your wrap
-Put your wrap in the bathtub and RINSE away with cold water! It is helpful to commit 30 minutes to this part because the water must run clear in order to insure all the dye has been rinsed out. Dye can be toxic to babies if it is not rinsed out properly.
-Wash your wrap on cold 1x, then hot 1x.
-Dry on hot

After rinsing and washing. the wrap is done!

Kanga

I did some cloth diaper pre-folds too!

Wrap your baby 
-For wrapping techniques and advice, check out this website!

Super comfy wrap!

Caleb 6 Months

Age: 6 months
Weight: 22lbs
Size clothes: 9-12 months

Interests: Caleb loves to watch us eat food and drink our Spark in the mornings. He will try to grab at anything I have in my hands. We have learned that Caleb is happiest in the water. He would stay in the bath all night if I let him, he adores Daddy Shower Time, and the beach is just about the happiest place on earth. He loves getting his whole body in the ocean and kicking around like he is doing eggbeater or breaststroke. I will take him to the YMCA pool 1-2x a week and he wins over everyone in the pool with his swimming attempts. Another one of Caleb's interests is smiling. He brings so much joy to strangers because of his infectious smile. I love seeing people's faces light up at the sight of my dear son grinning from ear to ear and squealing at them. I haven't had much experience with other people's babies, but a lot of people tell me "he is such a happy baby!" and I have to agree. He is really interested in faces, people, and can recognize the people who he sees the most (family, Stephanie, and other babies we know). It is so fun for him to see John walk in through the door and he can go from fussy to all smiles in 2 seconds when he recognizes who just came home.
 

Sampling the sand

Challenges: Nursing is continuing to be a big challenge because of the distractability factor. We usually nurse right before he naps and right when he wakes up so that if we go out he won't be hungry. A good thing and a challenge has been the long naps. They are amazing for him, for me, and for being a homebody. However it is really challenging to plan something in advance because I want to respect his sleep and give his little body a chance to grow and recover. During said naps Caleb loves to put his blanket over his face, smell it, suck on it, and play around before he falls asleep. I know they are really breathable and he won't suffocate, but it is heart-stopping every time I go in to check on him and the blanket is on his face. He sleeps without clothes and just in a diaper for naps so it is pretty hilarious to see him sprawled out and the entire blanket is bunched up on his face and nowhere near his body.
 

Caleb's preferred sleeping position (EEEK)

Milestones: Caleb has started to blow raspberries and will do it like he is having a conversation with us. His coos are becoming more conversation like and he is laughing at things that are actually funny. We have given him tastes of food and started to let him explore a few things with his mouth and hands. We are waiting to officially introduce solids until he is sitting independently and I am in no rush whatsoever after seeing what a mess he makes! If you read my Movement Readiness post you will remember that John and I are intentionally not putting him in a sitting position until he can independently put himself into one (try it out by lying on your tummy or back and then sit yourself up, it's hard!). We want his spine to have the best chance to develop normally and without all the messed up things we have going on that give our chiropractor so much business.
 

Loved reading his indestructible book

Eating/sleeping/pooping: All of Caleb's nutrition comes from boob juice right now. With a baby led-weaning approach he has tried/sampled: watermelon, peaches, green beans, avocado, banana, hummus, grapes, sand, dirt, and grass. He is napping 2-3x a day (morning, afternoon and sometimes early evening) for 2-3 hours. At night he will go to bed between 8pm-9pm and will wake up between 4-5:30 to nurse. I bring him in bed at this point and we will snuggle and fall asleep until 8am or so. Sometimes he will sleep until 9 or 10am! I started reading The No-Cry Sleep Solution book to figure out how to help him put himself to sleep without letting him cry. I think he knew I was reading the book because without much effort on my part he just started figuring out how to put himself back to sleep in the middle of a nap, before bed, and in the middle of the night.
 

trying out some summer fruit on daddy

Funny Memory: Caleb knows how to rotate himself 90 degrees when he is playing. We just finished his Montessori floor bed (instead of a crib) and have had a few funny things that have happened at night. A few nights ago I startled awake at 5:30am because I thought someone was trying to break into our house. It turns out Caleb had rotated and was kicking his little hear out on the closet doors. What a wake up call! The next night I could have sworn he fell asleep really quickly after I nursed him. When I went to check on him about 30 minutes later to see if the blanket was on his face, he had rotated 90 degrees, had his feet on my pillow I keep next to him for nursing, and the blanket was over his face like a mummy. I had John and my sister Hannah go look at him because of how funny it was. This morning takes the cake. I heard whimpering at 3:45 and went in to check on him. He had started out in the middle of the bed, rotated 90 degrees, flipped over onto him tummy, and inched his feet of the edge of the bed and he must have flung the pillow out of the way on his way over there (pic below). I just about died laughing after I picked him up and nursed him.

floor bed fun

Uncle David pushing Caleb in the stroller

Our new water wrap I made!

Hanging out with family and friends on the 4th of July

Aunt Hannah at the beach

Such a fun visit

24 Day Challenge

John and I are on day 11 of the 24 Day Challenge and the results are in!

I lost 2 inches off my waist and I lost 4 pounds! WOOOOT!!

I am elated because I didn't expect such awesome results post pregnancy and AdvoCare products yet again took me by surprise and over-delivered. If you have never done a cleanse or have tried one that made you feel awful, you have to try AdvoCare's Herbal Cleanse. It is seriously amazing because you eats tons of great food, have loads of energy, and kick out those toxins that need to pack up and leave. It's like spring cleaning for your insides in the most gentle and uneventful way. The 24 Day Challenge includes a 10 day cleanse and a 14 day maximum results phase. My friend Jodi is the one who encouraged me to do the 24 Day Challenge again after having Caleb! She is an amazing friend and rocks at helping people get great results with AdvoCare products. I love her so much!

Before picture with Jodi, who is due in July!

Day 10 of the Cleanse

Curious about the 24 Day Challenge? Here are some common questions I get asked.

Will it work? 
Yes! The 24 Day Challenge has helped thousands of people across the nation achieve their health goals. The first time I did it I lost 4 inches off my waist, 3lbs of body fat, and a bunch of digestive issues I was having got cleared up and I felt so much energy! Watch this amazing video to learn more about the results people are seeing and how the program works.

Is it safe?
Yes, it is safe. I took products all throughout my pregnancy, during labor, immediately after birth, and now while I am nursing! (There is a list of "pregnancy and nursing safe" products). It was really important to me that the products I put in my body had research behind them and would be safe for my baby. I have been so pleased with the results I have gotten throughout every stage of my life so far! Safety is the first consideration for every AdvoCare product.  Each product is backed by more than 270 years of combined experience and expertise from the Scientific & Medical Advisory Board.  AdvoCare products are based on proven and effective science and nutrition, not on the latest fad diet. I love this! It is recommended that you check with your health care provider before starting any wellness program. 

Will I get help?
Yes! The first time we did the 24 Day Challenge our friends Rob and Jodi did check in calls with us every few days to make sure we were on track, taking the products correctly, and feeling great. The support was what really helped us get success! My husband John, myself, and our friends and mentors Rob and Jodi would be delighted to walk you through the 24 Day Challenge to help you meet your health goals. We love giving back and helping other people see the results we saw. There are also some really great tools to help you monitor your own progress in addition to personal support.

What did you do? 
We did the 24 Day Challenge, ate clean, and worked out 3-4 times a week. John does CrossFit and I did light swimming, yoga, and walking.

I'm interested. What should I do next?
Well, order the Challenge of course! I would love to connect with you and share more to customize a plan that will work with your budget and your lifestyle. You can shoot me an email at and I will get back to you to set up a time to chat!

If you want to check out the products or order you can look at these programs:

Basic 24 Day Challenge
Nursing 24 Day Challenge
Fit Pregnancy Products

Caleb 5 months

Its official. We now have a man-child. Caleb is growing up so fast and I wanted to start doing a monthly update since I have opened up the baby book twice. Hopefully this digital recording of his growth will be a good replacement!

Mom/son selfie at the beach

Age: 5 months
Weight: 20lbs!
Size clothes: 9 months

Interests: Caleb loves being outside. He will calm down instantly when we hit the great outdoors. Often John will take him for a walk in the evenings in the Ergo so I can have a little break and Caleb always comes back happier than when he left. He loves other babies and will light up with a big smile when he sees other little ones at yoga, church, or for a play date. Caleb is also really interested in grabbing our ears, mouths, noses, and hands. He wakes us up with some sweet cuddles that turn into face-grabbing sessions. He is fascinated with water bottles and cups and will watch me like a hawk when I am drinking water. I have started to give him cups to play with and explore and those are an all time favorite. Our little love bug is obsessed with being in the water. He loves the YMCA pool, baths, and showers. I put his face under every time we go to the pool and he doesn't seem to care at all! In the shower last night John reported that Caleb would dip his head into the water sideways and was letting the water run down his face. John thought he had fallen asleep or something but upon closer inspection he was just enjoying washing his own hair and letting the water run down his face.

Caleb hanging out with Emmitt and Charlie.

Norah and Caleb at Yoga

Play date with Sonny

Challenges: Caleb wakes up about 45 minutes into a nap after his first sleep cycle has ended. I have been trying to let him put him self back to sleep but usually he gets too active for that to actually work. I have to catch his little noises before he officially wakes up, and if I can get to him in time he will go right back to sleep with a little side-lying nursing or his pacifier. Another thing that has been challenging is diaper changes. Caleb enjoys the freedom of an un-diapered bottom and will become very upset when it is time to put on a new diaper. An ongoing challenge is we are now on week four of a modified nursing strike. He doesn't refuse to eat, but he will refuse certain positions, certain places, and he will only tolerate a certain amount of noise. If he is seriously hungry he will eat regardless, but it has been challenging to figure out how and when to feed him. Our go-to nursing position is side-lying before naps and when he wakes up. If we are out and about I need to put a towel over his head to make it dark or I find a quiet place free from distractions.

Naked freedom

Milestones: Caleb is passing object between his two hands and turning them over. It is so cute to see him hold an object above himself, inspect it, reposition it for the best chewing angle, and plunge it into his mouth. If he didn't get it right he will try it again. He rolled from his back to his front a few times this month but doesn't seem too interested in trying to repeat that anytime soon. Caleb is starting to do baby push ups and lock out his arms when he is on his tummy. The face he makes is priceless. He is really interested in crawling and unfortunately the chubby ones are typically delayed in the whole movement thing. More mass=  more time to build up muscle.

Push-ups on Daddy

Eating/sleeping/pooping: Caleb eats every 2-3 hours during the day but I don't really keep track of how often he eats. At night he is eating every 3-5 hours. He is sleeping wonderfully at night and will wake up only to eat and them pass out again. He takes his first night shift in our office in his Rock-n-play. If I am awake enough to move him back into the office I will, otherwise he spends the rest of the night in bed with us. He goes to sleep between 8pm-10pm and is fully awake at 6:00 am. Today he slept in until 7:30 so that was a little weird. On to more exciting topics. Pooping happens roughly every 36 hours (not every day but most days) and creates quite the fuss. He loads his diaper up when he does go poop, much different than the little pip-squeek poops of the newborn days.

Good afternoon mom!

Funny Memory: The funny memory of the month is when I dressed Caleb up in the most ridiculous outfit for an evening walk with John. John was telling me that Caleb's torso is warm but his extremities get cold when he is wearing him. I decided to put light bulb leg warmers on his legs and a frog hat on his head. Combined with the own cloth diaper cover he has a completely ridiculous outfit. I took a video of him and couldn't resist snapping a few pictures.

Frog hat, owl diaper cover, light bulb leg warmers. Winner

Caleb is inspecting himself in the mirror

Speedo time

Park time with Ruby and Grandpa Danny

Nap time with the little dude

PSA

I have a PSA I would like to announce to hopefully save a few babies lives.

IT IS NOT SAFE TO PUT A CAR SEAT ON TOP OF A SHOPPING CART

I myself have tried this once in the Target parking lot with my mom when Caleb was 7 days old. I felt like the carseat was going to slip off if I turned a corner too fast. I ended up putting the carseat inside the grocery cart and piled my Target goods on top of Caleb's lap. Also not super safe. That was the day I vowed never to take my car seat into a grocery store because of how much of a hassle it was. Now, I wear him into every grocery store or if he is sleeping I will occasionally use my stroller and place my items inside a reusable bag. However, every time I go grocery shopping I see multiple car seats on top of shopping carts. I didn't realize the grave danger that this poses until a few moms posted about the topic in a Facebook group I follow. I started researching this issue more and would love to share how you can be a part of saving babies lives!

Why it is Unsafe to Place A Child in an Car Seat on Top of a Shopping Cart
-Car seat manuals have *WARNING* signs telling parents to never put their cart on top of a shopping cart

-Carts themselves have a warning on them telling parents it is unsafe to put a car seat on top of the cart.

-The carseat may slip off the cart

-Falls can be fatal. A 3 month old died in 2011 from falling off the cart in a parking lot.

-Clipping a car seat onto a cart using a click system can cause the seat to malfunction in a crash and doing this will void the warranty of a car seat.

-The child safety restraints found on a shopping cart are intended to restrain a child who is sitting in the shopping cart, not an infant car seat. 

A picture I took at my local Sprouts. Notice the far right image warning telling parents NOT to place their car seat on the shopping cart

Inside a car seat manual you will find this warning

Think about it:
-Shopping carts bump often in crowded areas. 

-You typically need both hands to push a cart and grab food items, reducing your reaction time to catch a falling cart or car seat


-If a parent turns away for a few seconds to look at an item their eyes are not on their child

-You have 20+ lbs an entire 4 feet off the ground on a slippery surface on wheels. Think back to Physics class for just a moment if this sounds like a stable situation...

-Babies make unpredictable movements and may cause the center of gravity of their carseat to change quickly

-Nothing you’re going to buy at Costco, Target, Trader Joe's or Sprouts is worth risking your child falling off the cart face first.

Does this look safe to you?

Solutions for moms:
 -Wear your baby in an infant carrier that has proper hip positioning. The only outward facing compatible ones I have found are the Ergo 360 and the ones mentioned in this blog post.

-If possible, leave your baby at home with another adult while you go shopping

-Bring another adult to the store with you to watch your children in the car

-Use a stroller that is compatible with your car seat and carry a hand basket or reusable bag to place your items inside. Do NOT place items on top of your baby or on top of their stroller

-Carry your baby in your arms inside the store and ask one of the store associates to help you shop. Inform them that your need them to push a cart or hold your hand basket while you grab your items.

-Use Amazon.com as much as possible!

Auntie hope modeling the best way to get around town

Save a Life: 
-Do NOT place your own child in a shopping cart while they are in their infant carrier

-Forward this blog post to any parent you know who might not be aware of this information

-If you see a parent with their child in the car seat on top of a cart, kindly inform them that it is not a safe way to shop with their infant. A good way to say this would be "You probably have no idea about this, but it is really unsafe to place your child in their car seat on top of the shopping cart. I know you care about the safety of your baby, so let me show you the warning sign on the cart" Flip up your cart to the warning sign and show them. You have no control if they listen to you or not. How would you feel if you witnessed a shopping cart accident and didn't speak up?

-Ask to speak with the store manager of stores you frequent and tell them about how unsafe it is for their customers to place car seats on top of the cart while they shop. Put in a request for the store to have infant compatible shopping carts available to customers. Also put in a request for employees to inform parents about the risks when they see parents who are not complying with their shopping cart warnings.

Further information: 
Video of a lucky baby who someone caught falling
News Report: Shopping Cart Injuries are on the Rise
A recent report states that 66 children are treated daily for shopping cart related injuries 
Video of a Wal-Mart cart and a falling car seat test