Heat Pack for Gwen

I love how the heat pack turned out for my mom and decided to make one for Gwen since she complains of leg pains at night.  I usually give her my electric heating pad which means it ends up staying on all night and this seemed like a much better idea. 

Of course she wanted pink and purple fabric and I was all set to take a trip to the fabric store when I remembered that I had saved the little fabric bag her sheets came in (Target clearance for, like, $3).  I repurposed the fabric for the gathered front, some lightweight canvas-y type material from a basket liner that had wripped in a few places that was used for the front accent piece and inner lining, and a burgundy piece for the back that matched the floral pattern nicely. 

See, it matches her sheets!

As with the first pack I used wheat berries for the filling along with some dried lavender.  It smells so good!  I heat it for 2-3 minutes in the microwave, shake it around to evenly distribute the heat, then put it on Gwen’s legs before pulling up the covers.  Even when it’s not heated up it smells good so hopefully it will provide some restful aromatherapy for her. 

overlapping pillow case-type opening in back for insert

I made the dimensions slightly different the second time around to work with the piece of fabric I had after cutting apart the bag.  Also, I decided it would be nice to do French seams so the inside looks nice and tidy without raw edges.  Basically, I topstitched around the pieces with the wrong sides together, turned it inside out and stitched again to enclose the raw edges, then turned it right side out again.  Since the back has the opening for the insert I don’t have to leave an opening for turning – so easy!

Preschool: M is for Music

Moving and grooving to the holiday beat, whipping out some Christmas crafts and goodies, trying not to feel pressured to finish everything on my To Do list – including preschool.

In addition to the regular printables we use (you can find them on the homeschool page), I always look for supporting materials to go along with the theme I’ve planned for the week.  Sometimes a craft or activity is obvious – like, one would assume with a week focused on music, we’d listen to lots of music, right?  Ha, funny thing… other than playing Christmas music or listening to the radio, we only watched one music DVD.  I had so many good intentions!  But then, that seems to be the re-occurring theme in my life.

We started off the week with a bang, decorating the Charlie Brown tree we picked from the yard over the weekend.  I don’t mind if there are huge gaps in the branches - that just means I get to fill in the gaps with ornaments!  I really do love how it looks, and the experience is fun for the kids.  We were supposed to decorate it as a family, but we had a disagreement with our light strands.  Yup, you know how that goes. 

   

I let the kiddos play, as only they can do, and later on we made cookies in a jar for our mail lady.  They love pouring stuff (and begging for M&Ms).

Bible
Last week we learned about David and Goliath – a classic!  Christian Preschool Printables is one of my go-to websites for finding printables to supplement a Bible story.  I could create a lapbook with all the things they have – like I did when we talked about Noah’s Ark – but more often than not I choose one or two to keep it simple.  A favorite of ours is to print a minibook for the topic – once for telling the story, and again on cardstock or to laminate for sequencing cards.  It’s like a puzzle to Gwen, and in trying to figure out the story she ends up re-telling the story and remembering the events.  Pretty cool!

I stumbled upon this neat idea for turning the story of David and Goliath into an object lesson, but instead of using rocks, I thought - marbles!  We have lots of marbles already – and hey, M for marbles for the letter of the week – and they’d be so much easier on the floor.  So I got out the jar of marbles – the kids were so excited at the prospect!  I don’t usually let them play with the marbles so it was somewhat new to them. 

First we each had five marbles to represent the five stones David had, and we had to hit the large marble in the middle, representing Goliath.  After that, we played traditional marbles, and I have to say – it was so much fun having Daddy home to play with us, and my two little kids caught on really quickly!  It wasn’t one of those games where I’m impatient to have it over with already (like Candyland – c’mon, admit it already!).

 

Theme
I suppose I could have done something fun like M for monsters, or machines, or… I dunno… but my kids like music so that seemed the obvious choice to me.  We made toilet paper tube maracas - actually a rather time-consuming project waiting for the layers of tissue paper to dry - and all three of us had fun decorating them with glitter glue.   

 

When they were finally dry, we danced around with them while watching “Let’s Make Music,” a favorite since Gwen was a baby. 

 

I really wanted to play freeze dance with them, but this fell by the wayside.  I printed out My Musical Instrument book half the size and we talked about the groups of instruments, after which I helped Gwen categorize the types of instruments on her music worksheets (some of them are obviously for older kids, so they’re great to keep for future reference, but you can bring any number of activities down to a younger child’s level).

Letter
We’re officially at the halfway point in the alphabet!  Gwen has come a long way since her first week of preschool and I’m so proud of her.  Since I’ve been including Josiah more in things I often try to divide an activity, rather than print something out twice.  So Gwen decorated the uppercase M from her letter poster while Josiah decorated the lowercase M.  They made macaroni Ms with pasta I dyed different colors. 

 

There’s just something about those Do-A-Dot pages; the kids love ‘em! 

They also love dry erase, and Gwen did her usual slew – letter hunt and worksheets that I put in page protectors.  Even though I try not to push writing, she’s been getting better at it, and to break things up I often bring out her Kumon tracing book (it seems like fun tracing lines but she’s really learning how to hold a pencil).

 

I don’t usually take pictures of computer time, but we usually do the Starfall letter activity at least once a week, and Gwen often gets some computer time on any number of interactive websites.

Number
Twelve was our number for the week, and though we did various counting activities, I think this is the only week we forgot to color the number poster.  Oh well!  One of the books we read talks about the twelve months of the year, and though I didn’t think of it then you could also discuss he twelve days of Christmas (which actually begin after Christmas, contrary to popular belief).

Rhyme
I know there must be lots of rhymes about music out there, but I stuck with “Ride a Cockhorse” from my copy of The Puffin Baby and Toddler Treasury.

Bulletin Board

The kiddos put their artistic skills to good use and helped me decorate our Christmas cards.  I hope the recipients turn the card over to see their handiwork!

Book Basket
Theme/Vocab
Snow Music
The Singing Ringing Tree

Letter
Monsters Are Like That
Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel
Madeline
Melody’s Kooky Cover-Up
No More Monsters for Me!
My Messy Room
My “m” Book
Momma’s Magical Purse
Move!
My Mommy Is Magic
Mirette On The High Wire

Number
The Twelve Days of Winter
Twelve Hats for Lena

DVDs
Monsters, Inc.
Mulan
Let’s Make Music!

Holiday
Celebrations! 
Kirsten’s Surprise – A Christmas Story

Linking Up…

Gwen is 4 years old (48 months) and Josiah is 2 (24 months).

Natural Powdered Sugar

Little by little I have been weeding out white flour, white sugar and other refined foods from our diets.  But still I’ve kept some of these ingredients on our shelves and in our pantry, “just in case.”  I finally decided that I don’t want to compromise with unhealthy ingredients, no matter what I’m making and for whom I’m making it.  Side note: I do continue to keep white flour for homemade play dough.  

However, while trying to decide on a birthday cake for the kiddos, I realized that many frosting recipes contain powdered (confectioners’) sugar.  I know there’s “organic” powdered sugar, but it’s still powdered white sugar.  I remembered reading somewhere that you could make your own powdered sugar but wasn’t sure if it would work for my sugar of choice: Rapadura (scroll down for a good definition).   

I have gone through a few different “natural” sugars before settling on Rapadura.  My first substitution was brown sugar, which is the exact same thing as white with a bit of molasses added back in.  For a while I was on an agave nectar kick – especially the flavored varieties for pancakes – but when I learned that this can be worse than HFCS I trashed it.  As one of the least-processed sweeteners, Nourishing Traditions advocates for the use of Rapadura over any other natural, turbinado, muscavado or demerara type sugars, but I couldn’t find it in stores.  Instead, I opted for Sucanat - very similar to Rapadura although slightly more processed; it’s also more grainy and doesn’t seem to mix in or dissolve as well.

I finally found Rapadura at a nearby natural food store – for a whopping $8 a bag!  Which explains why I was psyched when I found it online for almost half that.  Both Vitacost and Amazon currently have the lowest prices, and I’ve been purchasing mine from Vitacost so I don’t have to place a bulk shipping order.

But what to do about the powdered sugar?  Someone else made powdered sugar from Sucanat, so I figured I’d give it a whirl with my Rapadura.  I poured half the bag into my blender and gave it a go, tipping the blender this way and that to make sure the contents all got to the bottom.  When I took off the cover there was a glorious little cloud of powdered sugar dust – sweet victory!  

Before & After
 
 

I haven’t tried it in a recipe yet, but if making a white frosting be aware that you won’t get pure results!  I’m sure it will work beautifully in a chocolate frosting.

If you’d like to order some for yourself, feel free to order through Vitacost - you can get $10 off through my link.  I like to stock up on organic palm shortening, honey, coconut oil and SLS-free toothpaste to qualify for the free shipping over $49.

Linking up…
Simple Lives Thursday on Sustainable Eats & Gnowfglins.

Breast Is Still Best

Nursing Josiah

You’ve all heard the “breast is best” slogan, and perhaps it’s high time we as a nation started believing it.  The article When It Comes to Breastfeeding, We Can’t Handle the Truth had me knodding my head in agreement, and got me thinking of my own experience.  Despite having read much of the breastfeeding research out there and understanding its many benefits, I have always felt guilty for pushing “my way” onto other mothers and expectant mothers.  I think the idea of being tolerant has become so enmeshed in our society that we are seen as the enemy when we speak up on these issues.  Similar to telling people they shouldn’t eat sugar and refined foods; but in the case of breastfeeding, it’s a baby who can’t make that decision for him or herself.

Formula companies make money just like any other commercial food company, and it’s in their best interest to make their product look good.  And in a society of convenience like ours, it seems like such a good idea.  Doesn’t it?  This website has excellent information on the ingredients in formula, and how other countries have actually controlled its availability due to its harmful effects.  There may be instances where the giving of formula is medically necessary – and even then I question its necessity (hello breastmilk banks) – but we are doing our children a disservice by allowing it to be so widely available and not informing consumers of its true nature.  But if we aren’t told what’s in the food on our table, why should we expect it to be any different for the food advertised for babies?  

I believe there are instances where some mothers truly cannot – for whatever reason – nurse her child.  But this is the exception, not the rule.  And you can always find a story to defend your position rather than looking at the facts and statistics.  While breastfeeding may have many benefits, it’s not a cure-all. Kids (breastfed or otherwise) that are in daycare or some type of school environment tend to get sicker just by being around other children.  If you’re giving your older baby or toddler fast food or refined foods, or course she’ll have a tendency to get sick.  But as a rule, breastfed babies tend to get sick less often, and when they do get sick, it’s for a much shorter duration.  I can attest to that.  Don’t believe me?  Go to the La Leche Leauge’s website to read all about the benefits of breastfeeding.

I didn’t have an easy time nursing Gwendolyn, my first.  She was only a week early, but weighed just over 5lbs.  I came down with rH disease during my pregnancy with her, and had IUGR to boot, so everyone was concerened about her size.  She cried constantly, always wanted to nurse, and I thought my body couldn’t keep up.  Did I mention how much it hurt?  Here I thought nursing would “come naturally,” and I was in pain for at least the first three months.  I kept saying, No wonder some mothers give up!  My pediatrician wrote “poor growth” on her charts, harped on it with each visit, and I was devastated as a first-time mother – I couldn’t feed my own baby!  She kept talking about supplementing, which I was firmly against.  Despite the fact that my baby was healthy, she remained on the small side, so all I got was insistence that she was too small and I needed to supplement.  Well, I didn’t give in, and Gwendolyn is just fine.  Turns out this is just her genetic pattern – on the small side, in the 5th percentile according to the charts they’ve developed for pediatricians.  Charts, mind you, based on averages for formula-fed babies.   I wonder how many mothers just take their doctor’s say-so because they’re supposed to be the expert.  I did see a couple lactation consultants, and will honestly say they weren’t much help; when my babies were newborns, they didn’t have a good latch so I just had to work at it and give it time.

I went back to work part-time, and pumped so my daughter would have breastmilk.  I never produced much milk (I firmly believe this correlates so breast size!), so I would set my alarm and get up at different times at night. Inconvenient?  Heck yeah!  But I’m so glad I did it.  I ended up nursing her past a year, until one day she shook her head “no” when I went to nurse her.  I thought I would be the one pushing for her to wean – I wasn’t ready!

Nursing for me wasn’t quite like riding a bicycle - the second time around it took a bit to get back into the rhythm.  Now, with Josiah at 19 months, we’re still going strong.    And since a toddler nurses far less frequently than an infant, some people have no idea we continue to breastfeed.  I love nursing him, and will be so sad when he stops.  Some people ask why you can’t get the same intimacy with cuddling as opposed to nursing.  ”Just cuddling” isn’t the same as nursing – besides the nutrition and antibody aspect, it provides an intimacy and comfort that can’t compare. 

I consider myself a private person – somewhat self-conscious and not the most comfortable in my own skin – so I try not to nurse in public if I can help it.  I’m perfectly comfortable nursing in the front seat of my car before I go into a store, and tend to be as discreet as possible.  Though I’m proud of breastfeeding, I’m not ready for the scrutiny and criticism, especially when breasts are seen mainly as sexual objects in our society.  Truth be told, I get scared off by stories of patrons told to leave a restaurant because they offended someone by breastfeeding their baby (nevermind the scantily-clad gals the next table over), people who approach nursing mothers and give them an earful.  You don’t have to be a tree-hugging, crunchy-granola mama who is comfortable baring her breasts in front of everyone to enjoy breastfeeding.  I love the bond it has afforded, treasure the calories it helps me burn, and feel wonderful knowing I’m doing one of the best things for my children by giving them the healthiest start in life.

Put Down That Chocolate Milk

A few weeks ago I read an article about the proposed ban of flavored milks in public school systems, opting instead for healthier white milk.  At the time I thought how ironic it was, considering that neither option is really “healthy.” 

Everyone has her own opinion on the matter, of course, and recently I came across an article entitled “Why Banning Foods in Schools Sends Kids the Wrong Message.” Aside from being a mom, the author is a registered dietitian, interesting to note while reading her remarks as well as her response to comments. 

Since reading more about food choices these days, becoming informed on the food products available in our grocery stores, I have been appalled at some of these so-called “foods” that are played off as having any semblance of nutritional value.  Just like any other Big Business, the USDA’s nutritional guidelines are skewed by those that give the most financial contributions to their cause.  I give them props for adding such a large portion of produce to the proverbial plate, and suggesting a reduction in sodium and “sugary drinks,” but they still recommend products that contain unhealthy ingredients. 

It scares me, seeing how much the government has injected itself into our every-day lives, trying to control how we raise our children, drive our cars, and even having a say in the food we eat.  While I’m against government control, don’t think they should have a say in what we choose to eat or drink, I find it interesting that they would suggest a ban on sugary drinks in schools or implementing a beverage tax, rather than informing people of the true nature of much of the packaged foods they throw at us in order to make a profit.

I actually haven’t followed up with the flavored milk proposal, although I believe the proposed beverage tax was defeated.  Do you think it’s a good idea for the government to make these decisions for us in the interest of public health?  Gets me thinking about my kiddos’ vaccination schedule (arrrgh)… but that’s for another time.