How we save money....

So, here's the list of ideas of how our Moms are saving money....
-buy store brands
-ride a motorcycle
-trade your car in
-plan meals
-buy and sell & trade on ebay, craigslist, and freecycle
-don't shop.
-buy in bulk
-stock up at sales
-lock in oil price
-work from home
-burn wood
-cook more and eat out less
-breastfeed
-live with family
-live close to where you work
-work part time
-use coupons
-only buy baby clothing on sale
-cluster errands
-pay bills on-line

This is by no means an "all inclusive" list! How do YOU save money??

Our Sweet Babies!!

Here are some great pictures from the group- thanks, Kristen!!

Good Eats....

First, let me just give a great big THANK YOU to Maggie for her Baby Food Expertise!! Most of the following is from her fantastic handouts.

Bonus prize to anyone who can name all the foods pictured above!!! What a rainbow!

Let's talk about Making Your Own Baby Food! All you need to get started is the following: big pot, steamer, food processor (or food mill or blender), ice cube trays (or "Baby Cubes") and an excited team of Mom & Babe!

Some have started solids earlier, but the American Academy of Pediatrics (or AAP for those of you who like abbreviations) does recommend breastfeeding (or bottle feeding) exclusively for the first 6 months. Most babies are showing signs like watching you eat, reaching for food, and just don't seem as satisfied with just bottles or nursing by this point.

FYI- there is not any research that I am aware of that your baby will sleep better when eating solids- an old wives tale.

How to make Baby Food- most anything can be washed well, peeled, steamed, blended up and fed to your baby! The favorites to start with are: rice cereal, oatmeal, bananas, apples, and butternut squash. Try each new thing for 3-4 days by itself before starting a new food- this way you can make sure that your baby is not allergic!

Here are the names of the books that we talked about:

First Meals by Annabel Karmel (this has nice pictures, but mixed review as far as recipes and info)

Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron (this is a thick book with no pictures, but has great advice and good recipes)

So Easy Baby Food by Joan Ahlers and Cheryl Tallman (simple and easy, just like the name)

The Baby Cubes are from One Step Ahead and are $7.95, the So Easy Baby Food Kit (book and storage trays) is available at One Step Ahead for $37.95 The So Easy Trays are available at Target for $13.99.

Here are a few of my favorite baby foods-

1. Canned pumpkin- can it get any easier than this?

2. Pureed peaches mixed with corn- they're the same color, so why not? The baby LOVES it!!

3. Pureed organic applesauce

What's your favorite baby food recipe?

What's YOUR favorite stuff?

So I started a list at the bottom of the page with a few of my favorite things....what are yours?

Baby Sign Language

This week's topic was Baby Sign Language. Here are a few tips:
1. Keep it simple- start with an easy sign- our favorite is "more" (bring fingertips together like you are clapping)
2. Be consistent- practice the sign for your baby and say "more" every time you are feeding the baby
3. Don't start too early- you can start as early as 6 months, but it might take your baby 6 months to "get it"- if you wait until the baby is 9-10 months old to introduce the sign, they will probably learn it faster!
4. Be patient- it can take a long time until your baby makes the sign back to you
5. Have fun- remember to enjoy every moment!