Gross

Somebody I live with --  I'm not naming names-- barfed on my Kindle.

I'll give you a hint: It wasn't Josh and it wasn't me.

I'm no Expert BUT... Part 2

Remember this post? I wrote it when Sonny was 4 months and it was very relevant then.  Well It has been 6 months since, and I have done a lot more research, purchasing, trashing and saving and this is what I have used and loved these past 6 months.

1)  Dining. My friend Corinne had this for her daughter, the Boon Catch Bowl. Whenever we would meet up for dinner or lunch she would stick it to the table and eat as though a baby wasn't at our table.  I bought one, and it is fantastic.  It makes eating so much cleaner.  Most of the time.  I used to put his food on the tray of his high chair and  hope he didn't fling it everywhere.  Now with this bowl, it is... contained.  That is nice.  We take it everywhere.  Restaurants, just stick it ot the table, throw some food in there and you get about 5 minutes of peace.  Which is 5 minutes more than what you get with out it.  Bibs.  Eh. You don't need bibs. I bought a variety of bibs, from organic cotton to silicon and we don't use any of them.   What works great is an old t-shirt.  It is long enough that it catches dropped food and easy to wash.  Whenever I tried to put a bib on the babe, he would freak out and try ripping it off, this solves that problem.  My Mom also suggested an old towel with a whole for the head cut out in the middle. This keeps their arms free and their front totally covered.

2)  Food. There are a lot of different organic baby foods out there.  Which do I think is the best?  Jar baby food? uh-uh. Frozen homemade pureed food?  Nope (takes too long). After searching shelves and websites it is obvious that the way to go is pouches.  Oh and once you learn that, then you have to learn about all the different brands!  I first tried Ella's Kitchen.  I liked it.  Pro's: A large variety of flavor, taste good, good story, available at Target and online. Con's: Consistency.  It isn't smooth.  Don't get me wrong, I like chunks but there is something off about this brand that I don't love.  Sonny will eat it, but it is not his favorite.  Then I tried Happy Baby. This is my least favorite.  Yes, Dr. Sears is involved with this brand so it sells and it is popular, but it is not good.  Pro's:  Least expensive of the "good" pouches, available everywhere, variety of flavors and options -- if you can't find the other brands in a store, chances are you will see this one.  Cons: Gross.  I bought a bunch of these at Whole Foods when we were traveling once and had to return them.  I did not care for the taste and neither did Sonny.  We gave them a chance, sampled different ones and we were not satisfied.  Call me a baby food snob, it's ok, I don't care.  I recently tried Earth's Best.  I just don't love this brand for anything. Maybe it's the logo or how they have saturated the market of organic goods, I don't know.  I just don't love them.  Pro's:  Well known brand, lot's of options, good price point.  Con's: Too many extra ingredients, too commercial (maybe?).  So what does that leave?  My favorite and my TOP pick for baby food: Plum Organics! I love these.  Pro's: Flavors!  Taste! Consistency! Branding! Con's: Price.  I guess you get what you pay for.  These are by far the smoothest, tastiest food pouches out there.  I can eat these all day long and when I need to give Sonny a little snack or meal on the go, he loves these too.  Mango Pear?!  Yummy.  Even the veggie mixed with fruit combos are good.  I've shopped around for the best price and Ecomom seems to be the best.  Sometimes Babies r Us will have then 10 for $10 and that is great.  Otherwise,  Ecomom is the way to go. You can also buy a variety pack so you aren't stuck with a bunch of one flavor your little one doesn't like.


Now, the paragraph above also goes for snacks and intro foods.  Plum wins hands down.  Their puffs are far supierior to other leading brands.  Their meal pouches are also pretty good. 

3)  Teething.  You all have seen Sonny's necklace.  Yes, it makes people assume he is a girl BUT I think it works.  Josh likes to say, "if nothing else, at least it looks cute."  It does look cute and my experiments show its success.  During a rough few days of teething, I took the necklace off and to me he was visibly worse.  More irritable, more restless and less him.  It could have been that it was just a bad day OR it could be that the necklace really does help soothe and regulate balance, pain and irritabilty. I am going with the latter.  I bought ours from Inspired by Finn.  What I learned after and am passing on to you- is that the lighter the color the more powerful the healing.
Our fail-proof go-to remedy are the Boiron Camilia Drops.  These things are great. I can't even tell you how many boxes we have gone through.  True Story - It was Sonny's first day with a new sitter and he was in teething in a bad way.  We told her about the drops and that they were in his diaper bag should he need them.  When I picked him up after work, she said he was really upset and fussy and she gave him a drop and within a minute he was a completely different baby.  Happy and smiling and back to normal.  It's true, I see that transition every time we use them. The other product I like are the Humphrey's Teething Pellets #3.  We use these at bedtime during bouts of restlessnes and fusiness caused by the teething.  They work.  Yes, I am aware that they have Belladonna and some people aren't OK giving it to their babies.  From what I learned about it and the amount in the pellets, I am fine with using them. Like I said it works.  Three pellets right before bed = sleep, which =  :) Me.

4) Brands.  One of my go-to baby brands is ZoLi.  They are a smaller company and of their 10 products (not counting variety of each product) I have 5.  Their Teething sticks are the best.  They come in a pack of two.  They are used so often and lost so often in our house that we have had to reorder them 3 times.  Josh was worried at first that Sonny would poke himself in the eye with it, but he never did.  We gave it to him when he was 4 or 5 months.  The Sumo Stack is also used daily in our house.  I love it because it really keeps all his snacks seperate.  In one simple container we can have: dry snacks, fresh fruit and veggies. Or a grain or whatever else you want to take with you.  Lastly, the sippy cup.  I thought I was mad at it for leaking once, but it turned out I just didn't close it properly that time.  I really like this.  I like the weighted straw, the handles and it's size.  It fits perfectly in Sonny's hands.
H&M. I have found the best, stylish, plain, not overly boy clothes and accessories at Baby H&M.  The prices are good and if on sale they are great.  I will warn you though that the sizes run very big. I'm still dressing Sonny in 4-6 month clothes.  Added bonus:  a lot of their staple items come in Organic cotton.

5)  Skin/Sun Care. This is a hard one.  It took me a while to find sunblock that I felt good about using regularly on the baby this summer.  One of my favorite blogs Growing a Green Family dedicated a couple posts to sun safety.  If you are interested in learning about the chemicals and free radicals that enter our bodies via ordinary sun block, that is a good place to start.  As always when buying ANY skin care item I strongly suggest you check it on Skin Deep first.  We used two sunscreens this year. For long exposure and to cover the baby head to toe, I like Loving Naturals.  It has a 1 rating on Skin Deep and their ingredient list is friendly.  When we were just out and about walking around we used the Badger Face Stick. This also has a 1 rating.
The other major summer skincare item for us is mosquito repellent. If you know me, then you know I am a magnet for any type of bug that can bite.  It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have an allergic reaction to any bite. They last forever, and bruise my skin.  Anyway, I wanted to get some products that I would be comfortable using for myself and Sonny.  Again, I found two I like. One for a good head to toe and the other for out and about last minute application.  For all-over spray on protection I opted for Alpenglow Insect Repellent.  It rated 0 on Skin Deep! All their products are hand made in Alaska and are wonderful.  I am really really happy with this spray.  For the last minute application, Badger won again, we use the Badger Anti-Bug Balm Stick. This also has a 0 rating.

6)  Shoes.  There are always two or more sides to every theory when it comes to raising and caring for kids.  When it comes to shoes, I am on the side of soft soled shoes are best for new feet.   There are plenty of articles online to read about the development of the bones in babies feet. I think this article gives a nice simple break down of baby feet development.  Long story short: baby feet bones are super soft and constintally changing and fusing together. We need to let their feet be free to grow and develop naturally without hard conforming shoes.  Ok, there are a ton of soft soled shoes on the market. I have reached out to mom groups, pediatricians and friends and I've learned which are the best and why.  My favorite (I ordered a pair- haven't received them yet, so they are just my favorite in theory- so far) are Soft Star Shoes.  These are hand made in Oregon with formaldehyde free leather and lined with sheepskin.  They are a little more expensive than other brands, but I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for.  When Sonny was just cruising and taking a few steps we used Robeez.  They are tried and true and probably your most common soft soled shoe.  I like that you can get them for a good price on Amazon, they come in all sorts of colors and styles, they are easy to get on and off and they stay on.  However, I don't think their leather is chemical free.  Some other brands you might want to consider are: See Kai Run, Pre-Schoolians, Bobux (these are made with eco-leather and are a safer alternative to Robeez),  Pedipeds and Nowali.  That will give you a good place to start.  I will say on our next kid, I will skip Robeez and do Bobux.


7) Carriers.  You can carry your baby a million different ways, in a dozen or so carriers. The most common are the Ergo, Bjorn, wraps, ring slings and Mei Tai's.  I've put Sonny in everything except the Bjorn.  My favorite hands down is the Ergo. It is easy and I feel the most secure with it. However, I will say that with more confidence I would have used the wraps more and started using my ring sling earlier.  If you are interested in carriers and live in NYC then I highly HIGHLY recommend you contact Caprice at The Art of Baby Wearing. She is a baby wearing genius and can help with all questions you might have.  Once a month she does classes here in Inwood and I think she also teaches in other locations (does house calls too).  There are other places like Slings in the City which can be helpful. I'm not going to judge you if you have a Bjorn, but I will suggest that you learn more about the development of baby hips, spine and pelvis.  When your baby is in a Bjorn, their legs are not supported and they just dangle there.  That is not ideal for their hips and spine (so some experts say).  Naturally, babies (especially newborns) should have their legs up in frog position. Later, they should be in a wrap-around-you type position.   


Phew, that is a lot of information.  I sincerely hope you get something out of it.  If you have a product you use and think I will love, please tell me about it!  I am always eager to try new things.

a couple weeks ago at the Highline

Summer Vacation

I'm a month late with these pictures.  You didn't even know we went on vacation, because I didn't want to tell you when we would be gone, that way you can't sneak into my house while we were in North Carolina.  So now that we have been back for a while, I will tell you all about it.

Josh's sister and her family (4 kids - 9, 5, 2, & 2) rented a beach house for a week and we were able to stay there for a few days.   Josh's mom and youngest brother also stayed the night and his other brother's family (one 2 year old)  joined us during the days (they only live 15 min from the rented house).

We had a lot of fun.  The babe loved playing in the ocean, there were tide pools that were perfect for holding the right amount of water for a baby.  Although he loved the water, I think he loved playing with his cousins more.  There were such good influences on him that he started to walk!  For real.  He would watch these three two year old kids run circles around him and he wanted in on the action.   We were eating at a Mexican restaurant one night and he just got up and started walking around. From then on it has been non stop walking and climbing.

We went on Josh's brothers boat, Sonny was NOT thrilled. I think it was because his teething was really bad that day, not because he doesn't like being on open water with the wind blowing through his hair (the little he has).  Although, I am positive the anger could have stemmed from wearing a life vest. The boy HATES to be strapped into anything.

Oh we also went swimming, and Sonny liked that too.

biting a balloon.

Place Holder

I have a post 90% complete. I have been working on it for over a week but haven't had the time to finish and post it. It is a follow up to my I'm not Expert BUT post I wrote in February, so it is very comprehensive and takes a long time.  I try to be very thorough and thoughtful when I post this type of list.  A lot of research and trial and error goes into the products and theories I buy into.  I want to make sure I am giving you the best information I have.  I hope to finish it this week.

In the meantime, my sister posted a catch-up the other day and I liked it.  In the little sister's pattern of being a copycat, here is mine:

Currently-

watching: nothing - last thing I watched was Toy Story 3 last night
listening: Traffic on Broadway
reading: Middlesex (don't love it)
enjoying: Cooler summer days, days and nights with josh and the babe, friends and a quiet still apartment
feeling: Tired-  My eyeballs feel like they are burning holes through my eyelids. Content- Had a nice three day weekend and glad I like the job I get to go back to in the morning
not enjoying: Mosquitoes, end of Summer Friday's
missing: Sleeping in and working out

I was looking through photos on my phone just now and saw this picture:

I was reminded of the delicious lunch I had last week.  Why I never went to the Oyster Bar before, I have no clue (maybe I didn't even realize it was there?  Never had a reason?  Thought it was going to be too expensive - it really wasn't...).   It might be one of my new special occasion favorite restaurants.  I work just across from Grand Central Terminal and my boss had been telling me about the Manhattan Clam Chowder for two months, so one rainy day I decided to treat myself to a nice lunch. I sat at the counter and ordered the Manhattan Clam Chowder and Creamed Spinach.  Both were very good and I thought I was satisfied - but then the guy sitting at the counter next to me ordered dessert and it looked so good.  It was contagious- I ended up ordering the Thai Basil Cinnamon Ice-Cream (pictured above).  For the 5 minutes I sat and nibbled on it-  the rest of the world stood still.  It was that good.

Now that Sonny can walk, he is finding himself all sorts of adventures:

He has become very good at taking things out of the recycling bag

And very good at going in places he shouldn't be

A Mouse in the House

Three posts on one day! You would think I have had an easy day at work. Au contraire! I have been quite busy. I just had two of these already written.


Ok. So, last night josh had to go into the closet in the back room to look for something and he came out and said “there was a mouse on one of your dresses, he was just clinging to it, like he was scared. I’m going to go back in a bit and it if is still there, I’ll catch it and put it outside.” He didn’t see it again. I went into the closet, took out my suitcase and started getting clothes together. Later, josh came in and said “Oh, look you can see the mouses tail.” It was hanging out of the leg of a pair of my pants. We thought we would catch it and then take it outside and let it go. I’m not opposed to traps, but I don’t want to see it actually die or manually kill it so we thought we would free it. Well… turns out the poor little guys foot was ll sorts of tangled in the loose thread/hem of my pants and he was stuck!

He could have been there for ages! Can you imagine if I would have pulled my pants on and felt a mouse?? Worse yet- as josh pointed out, what if I put them on and the mouse was dead! GROSS.

Josh took some scissors and cut the thread and the mouse fell into the pot we were holding out. This poor mouse had been through so much. He was missing an ear, skinny and clearly scared out of his mind. AND his foot was still caught up in the thread. We couldn’t let his leg fall off, or let him starve to death. Josh got his flashlight and tweezers and we carefully chased the mouse around the pot until we (josh) was able to loosen the thread and set his handicapped leg free. Then we fed him some snacks and gave him some water in the lid of an old water bottle. I could tell he felt better after eating and drinking. We let him rest for an hour and then josh took out side and let him go. He will probably end up back in my closet.  Traps will be set this time though.

Blueberries and Basil

Mmmmm... Why are berries so good? Every kind of berry I can think of right now is so good. Except the berries that made my lip swell up that one time. If you know the story you might be laughing right now. If you don't- it's pretty funny and very Carly.

Remember last year when I was so excited about my CSA? We did it again this year, and have been lucky enough to get a ton of delicious organic blueberries and basil each week. Sonny, loves blueberries too, so it works out perfect and we almost names him Basil They are just the right size for his tiny fingers to pick up and eat. Sometimes he likes to squish them by the fist full first, but mostly he will just eat them one by one.

With all the blueberries we have been getting, I've been thinking and experimenting with ways to use them before they go bad. Aside from the obvious of putting them in salads (i love this), I have two new favorite ways to include blueberries in my cooking.

1st- Sautéed with Veggies. I used fresh green beans from our farm share one day and zucchini from the farm share the next. Although they were both good, I think the zucchini was a little bit better, The moisture from the zucchinis helped to make the blueberries super soft and syrupy. It was almost like eating blueberry pie guts.
If you want to try it this is roughly what I did:

2- small zucchini (sliced)
salt and pepper (to your taste)
a lot of basil leaves (sliced or chopped)
2- tbsp of pine nuts
enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of your pan
handful of blueberries

Heat olive oil and throw in the zucchini (when the oil is hot enough to sizzle when a drop of water is introduced). Sautee the zucchinis for about 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure both sides of each have had a chance to get olive oiled and hot. Add the pine nuts, basil and salt and pepper. Sautee another 2-3 minutes (on lower flame), make sure you keep stirring, otherwise the nuts will burn. When the zucchini looks soft and tasty, add the blueberries. For the next minute or two, gently mix it all together (on low heat). Voila! All done. I added some golden quinoa and it made it perfect.



That is fresh corn with basil butter and sprinkled with black caraway seeds

 2nd - Grilled Mozzarella Cheese, Basil, Blueberry Sandwich

The title says it all. This was so good. We were eating grilled cheese and basil sandwiches with blueberries on the side and josh said : "I bet blueberries in the sandwich would be really good." The next day I followed that suggestion and it was NOT a disappointment. If I had a sandwich shop, I would 100% sell this sandwich. If you want to try it, this is what I did:


Mozzarella Cheese (sliced) I used this.
Fresh basil leaves
Blueberries
Organic multi-grain bread
Butter (I used this)

If you don't know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich, I'm sorry.
Just in case- here you go:

Butter one side of each slice of bread you are using. Put the bread butter side down on the frying pan that has been on a medium/high flame. Let it warm up for about 30 seconds. Layer your cheese slices on the bread (according to your taste- do you like it super cheesy or thin? your call). Lower fire to medium. Don't touch it for about a minute and a half (depending on how much cheese you put on). Let the cheese get a little melty- not too melty, just glossy looking. Add basil leaves, and scatter a few blueberries on top. Wait about 30-45 seconds, add the other piece of bread on top (butter side up). Flip the sandwich over. Watch the cheese between the bread and when it gets nice and melted looking, you are done!

When you have your sandwich and you are going to cut it in half, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - make sure you cut it diagonally. Grilled Cheese MUST ALWAYS be cut on a diagonal.

Oh!  and look at this pretty bell pepper we got with our farm share.  I'd never seen a purple one!

I know, I know

It has been ages since my last post.  You know what is to blame? My Kindle. It makes reading so easy.  You know why I am blogging now? (**This post was started on Friday night**) Because I just finished the Hunger Games Series (Read all three books in a week and a half- not b/c they are that good, although they are good, but b/c the Kindle just makes it easy).  Before I bought my Kindle I was in a reading lull. **Let me just say, I am in no way being a paid advertisement from Amazon to you. I don' have a very big reader base**.  Why I like the Kindle:

• Reading is EASIER
• Fits into my purse/pumping bag/diaper bag, I bet it would even fit into a large pocket. 
• Access to nearly any book you want to read anytime night or day
• Light Weight
• Easy to read on the train, don't have to flip pages while standing on the A train during rush hour holding the pole with one hand, your bags in another and trying to ignore someone else's breath on your neck
• Easier to read when walking
• Easier to read at the gym
• Books are fairly priced
• Whenever we move, josh will like me more - no more heavy boxes filled with books

Things I do NOT like about my Kindle:

• Access to nearly any book you want to read anytime night or day- They add up!
• Can't put the finished book on your bookshelf
• People can't see what you are reading on the train and you can't tell what other people are reading. I miss the comradery you have when you see someone reading the same book you are reading at the same time. 
• Doesn't have a light. I think the old school indiglo would be a good idea
• Makes reading too easy
• Stands between me and chores, blogs (I still put the baby first though - only read when he is sleeping or at work)
• No more heavy boxes filled with books. 

I told josh a very brief synopsis of the Hunger Games and he said "That sounds like a FANTASTIC waste of time".  He is not a leisurely reader.  But it is NOT a waste of time if you like to read.

No I don't know what to read next.  Any suggestions?  In addition to my daily train commute, I have a plane ride and vacation coming up, so I will need some decent reading. And the last free book I got from Amazon sucked.

Here is a a unrelated picture: