Pay It Forward This Christmas

 Help a family that is in need this Christmas!  Please take a moment to read her story, it is posted on this blog:

Pay it Forward - Husband Walks out on family

My challenge to all of you is this. Target has a coupon right now up on the website:

$10 gift card with $50 purchase

Go buy groceries, toilet paper, diapers whatever you need for your family, (or maybe some items for this woman's family) and send her the $10 FREE gift card that you get. You know we all go and drop $100 at Target once a week, its free money to give to a woman in need. The coupon expires this Saturday, so get to work.

If this story doesn't tug on your heart, there are a few others that will! Help one family in need this Christmas!

 

 *Please go visit the link above and email Mama Laughlin to get info on where to send the gift.

 

Thank you all in advance!

Toddler Trip Checklist

We were able to take a trip to Charleston, SC. This was the first trip we took with Q. I tried to remember everything we would need. At the very least I wanted to pack the important items because anything else could be bought.

One thing I would highly suggest is getting a high chair that connects to the table.  I got a great deal at a yard sale for one and we used it the entire time. It's great to use in restaurants as well as the house we stayed at. We clipped it over the placemat so she couldn't try to take that off either! It was perfect. I think she likes it just as much as we do because she is right at the table with us.

Items that I made sure I packed on our trip were:

• Diapers/Wipes/Diaper Cream/Changing Pad
• Clothes - plenty of extra
• Sleep sack or blankets
• Bathing Suit
• Water Diaper or Diaper Cover
• Water Shoes
• Suntan Lotion
• Shampoo/Soap/Washcloths/Toothpaste/Toothbrush
• Medicines/Thermometer
• Milk/Food/Snacks - I give Q mostly organic foods and lots of fresh veggies and fruit so we packed most of her food for the trip
• Sippy Cups/Spoons/Containers/Bibs/Bottle Brush
• Child proof items for doors, cabinets, etc.
• Beach towels
• Pack N Play
• Radio/Music for bedroom
• Night light
• Favorite blanket or stuffed animal
• Toys
• Stroller
• High Chair
• Car Entertainment - I generally do not let Q watch alot of TV, but I did download an episode of Sesame Street on my iPad so she could watch it near the end of the trip when she was sick of sitting in her seat.

Photo A Day July - Texture

Photo A Day July - Letter

Make Your Own Baby Food

Before my daughter was born, I clipped coupons and bought jarred baby food, A LOT of it! The thought of making food for her never occured to me.  When it was almost time to start feeding her solids, I started to research.  Just like adults, nothing is better for a baby than fresh vegetables and fruits. Between my Magic Bullet blender and regular blender I started to make batches of baby food.  It is cheaper than jarred food, it just takes a little bit of time here and there. Once you make it in batches, you can freeze them in ice trays or trays made specifically for baby food and put in large freezer ziplock bags once frozen. When it's time to feed your baby, just defrost or microwave it.

One of the best sites to use for this is Wholesome Baby Food! It is an amazing resource that gave me step by step directions as well as great ideas and answered alot of the questions that I had. Including guidelines of when it is okay for your baby to move onto new foods.

My daughter loved everything I gave her and still eats great. She has at least one fruit and vegetable with every meal as well as a protein and dairy product. She loves avocado, grapes, blueberries, peas, watermelon, canteloupe, peaches, apples, sweet potato, banana, mango, and on and on. I have talked to friends who also made their baby's food and said their child is a less picky eater as a toddler than others they know. At 16 months old Q hasn't been sick once. I think this also helps keep her extra healthy.

If you have any questions and are interested in this, check out the Wholesome Baby Food site or send me an email! homesweethealthyhome@gmail.com

Photo A Day July - your favorite color

Photo A Day July - Big

Big storm today!