It's hard to find time to get out your hand weights when you are a stay-at-home-mommy. Here a few SIMPLE ideas for getting in some toning without the gym. All you need is your baby (with semi-head-control)!
While holding your baby, lie on your back with your knees pulled in to your chest. Place baby on the front of your legs so that you are facing each other. This alone makes my little ones squeal with delight! Start simple: try just lifting your upper body off the floor (like a crunch). Each time you come up close to baby's face, say something: boo!, hi!, their name, you can count. While you're raising up and down, keep one hand on your baby's back and the other hand behind your head.
Make it a little bit harder by lifting your rear a little each time you "crunch" up. This works your lower abs more.
In the same position, keep one or both hands on baby's back and raising & lowering baby on your legs (like you're straightening & bending at your knee). You may not feel it working right away, but your hamstrings will definitely get tired after a few sets. Of course, you can keep your upper body raised up for extra abdominal work too!
Holding your baby, lie on your back and raise baby straight overhead. Try raising baby past your face toward the top of your head with your arms straight. Slowly bring baby back to the starting position. This is a good shoulder & triceps toner.
To work your biceps, while standing, simply hold your baby high on the waist or under her arms; bending at your elbow, raise and lower baby with a slow & controlled pace. Do a few sets of a least 12.
Hold half sit-up position while holding baby. Try twisting side to side.
Will ad more later!
Do you have any ideas/suggestions?
Showing posts with label babies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label babies. Show all posts
Monday, June 4, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Why I Cloth Diaper
A lot of my friends have asked me how I do cloth diapers. So I thought I would share what products I use, how I care for them and what I do & don't like about it all.
The idea of using cloth diapers first hit me when my mother-in-law told me that she had used them (pre-folds with pins & rubber pants) on Ben. It was a great experience for her since she had a diaper service. I started researching cloth diapers from there. I came to find that diaper services are not offered in many cities, but that there are LOTS of different kinds of cloth diapers that can be safely washed at home. I then started reading about all the different types of diapers out there:
pocket cloth diapers
all-in-one cloth diapers
pre-fold cloth diapers
fitted cloth diapers
one-size cloth diapers (can be pocket or all-in-one)
Then I started reading about how to properly wash cloth diapers. Lucky for me, it seemed that using an "old-fashioned" (ha!) top-loading washer was the best option because it uses the most water. That's what I have! [By the way, I LOVE my washing machine- it is one of my favorite things in my house! I actually thank God pretty often for an automatic washing machine; one trip the backcountry of Nicaragua will make you thankful for a lot of things.] HE front-loaders do work, but I found that many people could not get their diapers as clean as they wanted to in the HE front-loaders; especially not the all-in-one diapers, which is what I decided I wanted to use.
It turns out that there is a store in my area called Cutie Tooties that sells cloth diapers and related products, and they have a wonderfully helpful website. The original owner put lots of great information on there and I still reference it if I have a question.
I decided to go with an AIO diaper because it seemed like it would be a good place to start since the diaper is all one piece: no insert for absorbency, no pins or snaps (I got Velcro) and no cover. We also chose to go with the sized diapers* over the one-size diapers because we knew that we wanted them to last as long as possible (through more than 1 baby). I researched the brands and BumGenius seemed to have the best reviews. The smalls, mediums and larges also have a "pocket option" so you can insert an extra liner for added absorbency. I went to Cutie Tooties to look at them in person and they had a couple of extra-smalls on consignment so I bought 3. They were so cute & tiny!
About a month before Rush was born, we bought an 18-pack of size small BumGenius AIOs from an online store where I had found the best price. We also bought a diaper sprayer that Ben easily hooked up to the toilet in the bathroom beside the nursery. It has been great! I use a regular trash can with a Kissaluvs brand pail liner for dirty diapers. I use BumGenius detergent as I wash every other day. In my dryer, I have to run 2 full cycles on medium heat in order to get the diapers completely dry. On hot summer days, I run 1 "automatic dry" cycle and then put them out in the sun- the perfect way to remove any stains too! I also sun them in the spring and fall if I can wait a little longer for them to dry. If I am washing every other day, 18 is the perfect number of diapers. If I go a third day before I get to the laundry, I am usually using my last 2 diapers while they are in the wash. So, 18 diapers, washing every 2-3 days is perfect for us. As for accessories, I do use inserts in them night to add absorbency.
I have been pleased with how well the diapers have held up. We are now using the size smalls for the second time. The only issue that I've had is that the laundry tabs on the inside of the diaper that hold the velcro in place while in the wash have started to loosen. This makes the velcro come free in the washer and the diapers get attached to each other and it makes the "loops" fray. But the diapers are still very usable. (I am thinking about trying to sew on some new laundry tabs myself.)
I have loved my AIOs so much that I never have gotten around to trying any pre-folds or fitteds. I have tried one pocket diaper: Rumparooz (liked them, but I just LOVE my AIOs). And I recently bought 3 of BumGenius's newest diaper, "Freetime". I am using them for nighttime.
I never liked the idea of all of those dirty disposable diapers going into the trash. Some argue that it is debatable whether or not cloth diapering is actually "green" since extra water and electricity are used to care for them. I am not sure if we will ever know which has the greater impact. But I feel like I am doing a small part to try to preserve our God-given natural resources.
I am glad that we decided to go cloth. It has been a great experience thus far, not to mention I think that it attributed to Rush being potty trained at 22 months. Another plus is that Rush never had a diaper rash one time, and so far, neither has Lottie. Cloth diapering is a commitment, but I have found that it is very doable & enjoyable!
I think that I have covered the basics. If you have any questions, please ask and I will try to answer them.
Thanks for checking in with our "Fruitful Family."
*In recent diaper "window shopping" I think that I discovered that BumGenius no longer makes the sized diapers. I can only find XS and one-size diapers.
The idea of using cloth diapers first hit me when my mother-in-law told me that she had used them (pre-folds with pins & rubber pants) on Ben. It was a great experience for her since she had a diaper service. I started researching cloth diapers from there. I came to find that diaper services are not offered in many cities, but that there are LOTS of different kinds of cloth diapers that can be safely washed at home. I then started reading about all the different types of diapers out there:
pocket cloth diapers
all-in-one cloth diapers
pre-fold cloth diapers
fitted cloth diapers
one-size cloth diapers (can be pocket or all-in-one)
Then I started reading about how to properly wash cloth diapers. Lucky for me, it seemed that using an "old-fashioned" (ha!) top-loading washer was the best option because it uses the most water. That's what I have! [By the way, I LOVE my washing machine- it is one of my favorite things in my house! I actually thank God pretty often for an automatic washing machine; one trip the backcountry of Nicaragua will make you thankful for a lot of things.] HE front-loaders do work, but I found that many people could not get their diapers as clean as they wanted to in the HE front-loaders; especially not the all-in-one diapers, which is what I decided I wanted to use.
It turns out that there is a store in my area called Cutie Tooties that sells cloth diapers and related products, and they have a wonderfully helpful website. The original owner put lots of great information on there and I still reference it if I have a question.
I decided to go with an AIO diaper because it seemed like it would be a good place to start since the diaper is all one piece: no insert for absorbency, no pins or snaps (I got Velcro) and no cover. We also chose to go with the sized diapers* over the one-size diapers because we knew that we wanted them to last as long as possible (through more than 1 baby). I researched the brands and BumGenius seemed to have the best reviews. The smalls, mediums and larges also have a "pocket option" so you can insert an extra liner for added absorbency. I went to Cutie Tooties to look at them in person and they had a couple of extra-smalls on consignment so I bought 3. They were so cute & tiny!
I have been pleased with how well the diapers have held up. We are now using the size smalls for the second time. The only issue that I've had is that the laundry tabs on the inside of the diaper that hold the velcro in place while in the wash have started to loosen. This makes the velcro come free in the washer and the diapers get attached to each other and it makes the "loops" fray. But the diapers are still very usable. (I am thinking about trying to sew on some new laundry tabs myself.)
I have loved my AIOs so much that I never have gotten around to trying any pre-folds or fitteds. I have tried one pocket diaper: Rumparooz (liked them, but I just LOVE my AIOs). And I recently bought 3 of BumGenius's newest diaper, "Freetime". I am using them for nighttime.
I never liked the idea of all of those dirty disposable diapers going into the trash. Some argue that it is debatable whether or not cloth diapering is actually "green" since extra water and electricity are used to care for them. I am not sure if we will ever know which has the greater impact. But I feel like I am doing a small part to try to preserve our God-given natural resources.
I am glad that we decided to go cloth. It has been a great experience thus far, not to mention I think that it attributed to Rush being potty trained at 22 months. Another plus is that Rush never had a diaper rash one time, and so far, neither has Lottie. Cloth diapering is a commitment, but I have found that it is very doable & enjoyable!
I think that I have covered the basics. If you have any questions, please ask and I will try to answer them.
Thanks for checking in with our "Fruitful Family."
*In recent diaper "window shopping" I think that I discovered that BumGenius no longer makes the sized diapers. I can only find XS and one-size diapers.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Baby Blog- Keeping my heart in the right place... plus a few of myfavorite things!
So, Ben and I now have 2 children: Rush is 2 1/2 and Lottie is 4 months today. It has been very interesting to see the differences in the two babies; particularly in how they find their "routine." Rush was a very easy baby as far as predictability went. He is still a very predictable toddler; from when he will eat to when he will "go" to when he will fall asleep. Lottie, on the other hand, has her own ideas about things. You can't really know how long she will sleep at night (varies from 8-11 hours), how long she will feed (still only breastfeeding; solids soon!), or when she will nap (if she does at all)! Needless to say, it has been a challenge for me. I thought all babies would go by the book like Rush did.
"On Becoming Babywise" is a widely known book that I read before Rush was born and reviewed many times during the first year of his life. The general idea of the book is to establish a daytime routine of feeding time, awake time, nap time so that nighttime sleep is encouraged. Dr. Ezzo has done years of research and has found that this daytime pattern helps babies sleep better at night. I believe it, because everyone that I know that has followed his suggestions has their baby sleeping through the night fairly early on. I do not do everything exactly as Dr. Ezzo suggests, but I am a firm believer in the eat-wake-sleep routine.
Back to Lottie... this little gal came into our world as a sleeping beauty. She slept for the first two weeks of her life! She had some nighttime fussiness like a lot of newborns, but nothing too major. Suddenly, at about 7 weeks she started having trouble napping. I could get her to fall asleep in my arms, but then she would wake up screaming a few minutes after I put her in her bassinet or crib. To make a LONG story short, I decided one day to see what would happen if I put her on her tummy (gasp!). She took three 1 1/2-2 hour naps that first day! HALLELUJAH! She hasn't been diagnosed, but I think she has "silent reflux."
There are still days when she doesn't nap well, but I have had to just go with it. I could write an entire post on how her lack of napping affected me. Boy, did I let my heart get in the wrong place those days. I was so stressed out, unproductive, mean to Rush and exhausted. One day, during a frantic phone call to Ben {I don't know why I try to make him my holy spirit sometimes, but that's a whole entire other post!} he said, "You just have to remember 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18." I knew that verse; it was one we had memorized together. I started bawling. First, because he called me out and I was ashamed, and second, because I was so thankful that God has blessed me with such an amazing husband. I sometimes still get cranky and lose my temper when Rush won't stay in his bed or when Lottie won't stay asleep without me holding her. But I try to make that verse my mantra:"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
Do any of you have circumstances that arise that turn your heart away from Jesus's? How do you turn it back to the right place?
Some of my favorite baby products:
Moby Wrap
Schwinn Turismo Double Jogger
BumGenius! Cloth Diapers
Sophie the giraffe
"God Made Me" DVD (and others)
Some of my favorite Mommy Products:
Glamourmom nursing camisole
Motherhood Sleep Bra (I wear it all the time, not just for sleeping)
"On Becoming Babywise" is a widely known book that I read before Rush was born and reviewed many times during the first year of his life. The general idea of the book is to establish a daytime routine of feeding time, awake time, nap time so that nighttime sleep is encouraged. Dr. Ezzo has done years of research and has found that this daytime pattern helps babies sleep better at night. I believe it, because everyone that I know that has followed his suggestions has their baby sleeping through the night fairly early on. I do not do everything exactly as Dr. Ezzo suggests, but I am a firm believer in the eat-wake-sleep routine.
Back to Lottie... this little gal came into our world as a sleeping beauty. She slept for the first two weeks of her life! She had some nighttime fussiness like a lot of newborns, but nothing too major. Suddenly, at about 7 weeks she started having trouble napping. I could get her to fall asleep in my arms, but then she would wake up screaming a few minutes after I put her in her bassinet or crib. To make a LONG story short, I decided one day to see what would happen if I put her on her tummy (gasp!). She took three 1 1/2-2 hour naps that first day! HALLELUJAH! She hasn't been diagnosed, but I think she has "silent reflux."
There are still days when she doesn't nap well, but I have had to just go with it. I could write an entire post on how her lack of napping affected me. Boy, did I let my heart get in the wrong place those days. I was so stressed out, unproductive, mean to Rush and exhausted. One day, during a frantic phone call to Ben {I don't know why I try to make him my holy spirit sometimes, but that's a whole entire other post!} he said, "You just have to remember 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18." I knew that verse; it was one we had memorized together. I started bawling. First, because he called me out and I was ashamed, and second, because I was so thankful that God has blessed me with such an amazing husband. I sometimes still get cranky and lose my temper when Rush won't stay in his bed or when Lottie won't stay asleep without me holding her. But I try to make that verse my mantra:"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus."
Do any of you have circumstances that arise that turn your heart away from Jesus's? How do you turn it back to the right place?
Some of my favorite baby products:
Moby Wrap
Schwinn Turismo Double Jogger
BumGenius! Cloth Diapers
Sophie the giraffe
"God Made Me" DVD (and others)
Some of my favorite Mommy Products:
Glamourmom nursing camisole
Motherhood Sleep Bra (I wear it all the time, not just for sleeping)
Monday, May 14, 2012
Ideas...
I am still kind of surprised at myself for wanting to start a blog based on our family, but it hit me one day, and I figured, why not?! We're cool! ;) People might want to know what's going on in our lives here in the Mills house.
The ideas that I've come up with so far are here in no particular order:
updates on what's going on spiritually: scripture memory, sin struggles, Bible study, Rush's (and Lottie eventually) Bible learning, disciplining our children, book reviews/comments, friendship, marriage, family in general, etc.
updates on our activities: church, playdates, vacations, Ben's races, aerobics/yoga, PEP Moms https://www.facebook.com/pages/PEP-Moms-First-Baptist-Sevierville-TN/51037880408, Ben's work
updates on food in the Mills house: meal plans, my freezer group, grocery lists, new recipes, baby food recipes & tips
Baby Blog: cloth diapering thanksmama.com, breast feeding, baby food-making recipes & tips, feeding/sleeping, routine, pregnancy, growth & development, toddler activities, product reviews
cosmetic and household product reviews, tricks, and tips.
I am hoping that some of you out there will enjoy my ramblings and maybe even learn something useful. I want to be open & honest about who I am as a Christian wife & mother, stay-at-home-mom, daughter, sister, daughter-in-law & auntie. I desire for my life to be proof that "the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22 Hence, the name of our blog, "Fruitful Family."
Well, Lottie's awake; time to feed! ;)
The ideas that I've come up with so far are here in no particular order:
updates on what's going on spiritually: scripture memory, sin struggles, Bible study, Rush's (and Lottie eventually) Bible learning, disciplining our children, book reviews/comments, friendship, marriage, family in general, etc.
updates on our activities: church, playdates, vacations, Ben's races, aerobics/yoga, PEP Moms https://www.facebook.com/pages/PEP-Moms-First-Baptist-Sevierville-TN/51037880408, Ben's work
updates on food in the Mills house: meal plans, my freezer group, grocery lists, new recipes, baby food recipes & tips
Baby Blog: cloth diapering thanksmama.com, breast feeding, baby food-making recipes & tips, feeding/sleeping, routine, pregnancy, growth & development, toddler activities, product reviews
cosmetic and household product reviews, tricks, and tips.
I am hoping that some of you out there will enjoy my ramblings and maybe even learn something useful. I want to be open & honest about who I am as a Christian wife & mother, stay-at-home-mom, daughter, sister, daughter-in-law & auntie. I desire for my life to be proof that "the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22 Hence, the name of our blog, "Fruitful Family."
Well, Lottie's awake; time to feed! ;)
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