Memorial Day Weekend and Giveaway Updates

What is it about four day weeks that makes them feel longer than normal weeks?? And how is it possible for each day to fly by but the week still seems to drag on forever? It always seems to happen that way, doesn't it? Memorial Day seems like it was about a month ago, not just four days ago.

Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend! We spent Sunday with family enjoying the new patio and some yummy food (and of course margaritas).

                                               Garland

And then we took Trent on his first zoo trip on Monday!

We were hoping to take advantage of the fairly new addition of giraffe-feeding, but apparently they had just been fed and weren't hungry. So Trent didn't get the up close giraffe action. But he did manage to drop his giraffe right at the exact moment the zookeeper was taking a picture for us...right next to the sign that said "No loose items, please." Whoops. Thankfully he just dropped it forward and didn't launch it over the railing. 

   
That's better..

By the end of the day, he was SO worn out. We got this new stroller a while back, and he totally loves laying back and napping in it. Huge improvement.

Not much else to report over the holiday. So glad it is finally Friday again. When is the next three day weekend?? Not soon enough, that's all I know.

Also...giveaway updates! We just need TEN more people for the OPK/HPT giveaway to go live! Woohoo! And after that, we won't need too many more for the Mavi Bandz giveaway and the oh-so-coveted chevron bag giveaway to move forward! So spread the word, join the blog, invite your friends, etc! We can't wait to finally have some WINNERS! And those of you already following...don't forget to leave a comment on each of the giveaways you want to enter!

My Take on the Latest Fertility Campaign

I got a call from my father this morning telling me about a news article he came across...a pro-fertility, pro-babymaking campaign going on the UK right now. Babies and Brits?? I had to check it out. I was shocked with what a quick Google search came up with. 

Get Britain Fertile ad and magazine cover

My beloved First Response is sponsoring the new campaign, which they are calling "Get Britain Fertile." You can read the full message here, but the main idea is encouraging women to start their families (or at least planning for their families) earlier in life, theoretically sparing them from the problems associated with fertility and pregnancy later in life. The face of the campaign is Kate Garraway, a British TV/news personality, who struggled herself with conception in her 40's. The ad features an "aged" Garraway cradling her fake baby bump. The ad is being met with mixed reviews, and with a topic so near and dear to my heart, I had to put in my two cents. And this is just MY personal opinion on the subject..

Since going through our own fertility struggles, I have been a very public (pushy?) advocate for TTC ASAP! I am constantly badgering my friends about hurrying to get pregnant! But..I AM ALWAYS JOKING. While there is always the possibility of someone struggling with infertility when they do start trying to conceive, I don't think that is a reason to have a baby before a couple is prepared financially, mentally or otherwise. It is such a personal choice and HUGE decision, and even though I am pro-early TTC, I definitely don't support the scare tactic this ad uses.

The campaign and associated articles implies that finances, careers, etc are relatively unimportant issues when compared with possible problems conceiving, and Garraway is even quoted as saying, "“I know careers and finances seem important but you only have a small fertility window." While I myself was guilty of a similar way of thinking, that was my own personal opinion, and I just can't believe this is being publicly pushed to millions of British women that are NOT ready to have a baby and, up until now, may not have even been thinking about it. To me, this is telling women not to worry about a career, finances or getting their life in order...and just to 'hurry and have a baby, and figure everything else out later.' That just sounds like crazy talk! 

Garraway even goes on to hint at the idea of rushing into settling down with a partner...even if it is not necessarily the right one. WHAT? She says, “I’m not suggesting for a minute that you settle for the first half-decent man who comes along – every woman has the right to hold out for Mr Right – but you may find that really addressing your feelings about having a family means the man you thought was Mr Right comes in a different form. I suppose the word for it is mindfulness.” So...women should settle for someone sooner just for the sake of having a baby sooner? I have no words...

I have said to Matt on countless occasions, "I am so glad we didn't wait too much longer to start trying for a baby, because if I had been 35 and then had all of these struggles, we might never have a baby." IVF could have been unsuccessful for me later in life, my eggs could have been lesser quality, etc. BUT, all that being said, we didn't rush into trying for a baby simply because we were in an ideal "window." No, we actually waited about 15 months from when we started talking about it because we wanted Matt to establish himself at his new job, build some savings, move into a permanent home, etc. It is really the fact that I have been through problems conceiving that prompts me to personally believe people should start early "just in case," but I would never advocate throwing all of the responsibility of preparation and readiness out the window. It is easy to think that way AFTER you have been through it. I sometimes think I wish we had NOT waited that 15 months to get everything in order. I wish we had just started TTC immediately and figured out our finances, etc along the way...but of course that is only in hindsight. If we had done that and had gotten pregnant right away, we would NOT have been ready! (not that unplanned pregnancies aren't sometimes the greatest of blessings!) This is probably why Garraway, who had her children later in life and struggled with fertility herself, is the face of the campaign. She has a deep personal connection to the issue. But in my opinion, it should be exactly that...a personal take on something very personal, not a national public ad campaign.

Anyway..I could go on, but I think I would just be repeating myself. My main point is while, yes, I would personally support trying for a family early to avoid the problems we experienced, I think it is insane to try and frighten an entire country into making a baby when they are unprepared. Having a child is life-changing, challenging, time consuming and so much more, and it should not be taken lightly. Those women who choose spend their 20's and 30's establishing an amazing career, traveling, saving money, etc aren't doomed to struggle with infertility. Many women have NO problem conceiving, even much later in life, and we are so fortunate to live in a time when medicine can perform miracles. Plus...Matt and I are a perfect example that infertility knows no age, and even starting early doesn't guarantee anything. So...bottom line...it is a personal choice. Everyone has their own priorities, beliefs and timeline...shame on First Response for spending all that money I have given them over the past couple of years on this!

Fur Babies

I have had this post on my mind for a while now, but something that happened yesterday catapulted it onto the top of my list...

The whole time I was pregnant, I would always say to everyone (mostly joking) things like, "This baby is going to have to take a back seat to Bevo," and, "Bevo will always be my first born/my number one." Moms everywhere assured me that I would change my tune, but I just couldn't see it. Bevo was my baby. He was my everything. Other doggy mommas know what I am talking about. Making homemade dog treats, celebrating your dog's birthday with a bigger party than you own, letting the dog sleep (sometimes between the two of you) in bed, painting pictures of them (and actually hanging them in your house) spending an inappropriate amount of time during your vacation watching the doggy webcam in their suite at the dog hotel ...you know, the whole nine yards.

But then...the human baby came along. And, just as everyone told me they would, things changed so drastically and so immediately. Poor Bevo...the picture of neglect! Multiple walks daily turned into once a week if he was lucky. Constant snuggles and love turned into "Dammit, I just touched the dog..now I have to sanitize my hands." Car rides with the window down were a thing of the past...he was relegated to the "way back" where the windows don't even open. And that's if he was lucky and actually got to come with us when we went somewhere. Poor baby...the dog who didn't know he was a dog...the dog who was the center of our universe...was faced with a harsh reality...he was suddenly number two! 

So after those first several weeks (months, maybe, but who's counting?) of getting adjusted to the new routine, we decided we had been really slacking as dog parents and vowed to be better. But then, yesterday happened. We went out on a few errands and put Bevo in his cage, the usual routine when we are going to be out of the house for a while. We came home, fed Trent, watched TV, googled, had a few drinks...just enjoyed the end of the weekend. And then, after at least an hour and a half, I went to get something out of the laundry room. That's when I saw him...poor, neglected Bevo...still in his cage! OMG!! We had been home for at least 90 minutes and had completely forgotten about him. I used to think about Bevo the whole time we were out somewhere and the whole way home...waiting to run in and let him out and get some cuddles. Not yesterday, though. I felt like a complete failure as a mom. And the worst part was that Bevo didn't whine or bark or yelp or anything. It was like he didn't expect anything less from us...like he was used to being forgotten.....ugh. So of course we immediately let him out and gave him tons of apologetic affection, and right then and there we renewed our vow to give him at least a shred of the pampered life he used to have. We are going to make this the summer of Bevo! Starting with this post honoring all things Bevo/doggy. Here are a few picks for Bevo, Baby and Mommy..

1. Elk Antler Chew - I know what you're thinking. I wasn't going to let my dog chew on a poor elk's antler either, but then I found out that elk actually shed their antlers...so no elk were harmed in the process! These things are AMAZING. I can't say it enough. My brother and sister-in-law brought one to Bevo from their recent trip to Colorado, and he has not put it down since. They are virtually indestructible, and there is something about the tissue/marrow of the antler that the dogs absolutely love (and actually has some nutritional value, I think). You can read more about antlers as dog chew here.

2. Frosty Paws - So, so good for a dog on a hot summer day. Stay tuned for how to make your own! 

3. Operation Kindness Dog Day Afternoon -  An awesome day out in the DFW area for dogs with tons of activities, food, games, contests and fun.

4. Frisco Dog Park
   

5. No Sew Dog Bed
  I made something similar for Bevo a long time ago using just a big pillow on sale at Hobby Lobby, and it is his favorite thing EVER. He chooses it over our bed now, actually. It is super cheap and easy to make as well as very easy to wash. I made my doggy-nephew a matching one later, and apparently he loves it, too! Tutorial to come.

6. Ball Launcher
 
7. Kong Mini Squeaker Balls

We don't know why, but Bevo LOVES these miniature tennis balls way more than regular sized ones. Something about being able to get his whole mouth around it and squeak away. Not good for while the baby is napping, though.

8. Pet Head Products
OMG, blueberry muffin doggie shampoo in cute bottles? Nuff said.

9. Life is Good T-Shirt

10. Snack Plates

11. I Love Bevo Bib

12. I Love My Dog Shirt

13. Surf Dog Swim Trunks

14. Dog Suitcase
This is the perfect little bag for us to pack for Trent when he goes to Grandma's for the day! It is a great size (bigger than the diaper bag, but not too big) and has plenty of compartments. There is even a strap on the back so the adult can carry it like a backpack. Plus it will be adorable when he can start rolling it around himself.


Conclusion...it is possible to be both a doggy parent and a baby parent, but it definitely takes some adjusting on everyone's part. Don't forget about your little fur babies! And now...a few photo tributes to our first born..

Don't forget to enter our awesome giveaways here, here and here.

Never Too Early For Christmas Ornaments! (DIY)

It is Saturday morning, and I have a million things to do...but as usual I am spending the few free minutes of my day while Trent naps doing something that was never on my to-do list to begin with. To be fair..I was trying to get "clean the house" checked off of my list, but I just got totally sidetracked when a DIY project came to mind.

For a couple of weeks now, this Mother's Day balloon has been half-floating in our kitchen, and I was cutting a hole in it today to flatten it and throw it away, but it made me a little sad. It was my first Mother's Day, for crying out loud!

I also had this balloon in our bedroom that was still floating, over a year later, from Valentine's/IVF egg retrieval in February of 2012. That balloon would have stayed fully floating forever, I think, and we always credit it with being our good luck charm throughout the IVF process and pregnancy. Every time we would get ready to throw it away, we just couldn't bring ourselves to get rid of it!

So I decided I needed to find a way to keep them around without scotch taping them to the wall like I did with every balloon I got in middle school. I got this box of clear ornaments at Hobby Lobby for $6 when they were on 50% off with the plan of putting Trent's hospital bracelets, etc in them. They are perfect for this project, though! 

Here's what I did:

1. Cut a slit in the balloon and let all the air/helium out. Lay out flat.

2. Cut the back from the front to have a single layer to work with. Then cut the balloon into about 1/2" or 3/4" strips. I used less than half of the front of the balloon for each ornament. They don't have to be perfect by any means.

3. The Valentine's balloon curled itself into awesome little ribbon curls as I was cutting, but the Mother's Day one didn't do so well. I lightly ran the scissors along the strips (just like curling ribbon for a present) to give them more of a spiral shape.

4. Take the ornament topper off, and feed the curls, one at a time, into the ornament.

5. Cut the string/ribbon from the balloon to use as a hanger for your ornament. 

6. Tie on a small tag with the date, memory, phrase, etc to remind you of the occasion. I used a paper puncher to punch out a heart shape for the IVF/Valentine's balloon and a circle for Mother's Day.

7. Tie the top in a bow or knot, and curl the ends.

There you have it! A cute, easy and cheap way to save your balloons (especially all of the ones you get in the hospital)! The colorful front and the silver back of the balloon strips make it look super festive on your tree. This would also work great for all of those wedding, baby shower or bridal shower cards you have been hanging on to forever! You can punch pieces out of them with different shaped punchers (or even just a regular hole punch), or you could just cut them by hand with scissors into small squares, etc. There are really endless ideas for filling these ornaments... a small amount of sand from your beach trips (just an inch or two up) or flower petals from your bouquet are just a few other ideas. Now if only Christmas would hurry up and get here!

Stars and Stripes

Memorial Day is right around the corner with Fourth of July close behind, and I am definitely in summer/BBQ mode! I can't wait for some grill outs and pool action ASAP! When I am out and about, I can't believe how much cute red, white and blue stuff there is! Where was all this last year when we were planning our red, white, blue and aqua baby shower BBQ?? There is something about adding aqua to the mix of red, white and blue that makes it so much lighter, more fun and less reminiscent of Tommy Hilfiger clothing circa 1999. Guilty.

Here are a few of my picks for the upcoming summer season!

1. FC Dallas t-shirt: #DTID ! 

2. Toast iPhone case: Seriously...could this be ANY cuter? I know it is a total waste, but I love changing my phone case out to go with the season.

3. Share a Coke: Have y'all heard of this new Share a Coke campaign they are doing in the UK? They took the top 50 or 100 names in the UK and replaced the "Coca-Cola" logo on the bottles with them. So when people see one in the store with a friend or relative's name on it, the idea is that they should buy the Coke for that person. Genius. Matt and Holly are on the list. Score. We are planning on calling Matt's mom to put in our request :)

4. Paper Garland: An essential for the patio BBQs.

5. Liberty Goldfish: I eat Goldfish by the boxful, and I never miss a special edition variety. Goldfish colors are my favorite...there is something about the texture of the colored ones I like way better..so I know I will love these. Plus they are too cute!

6. Grillmaster Platter: With the new patio finally being finished and the weather straightening up slightly, we are planning to use the grill and patio as much as humanly possible. This platter is super cute and reminds me of my brother's wedding at Smoke. 

7. Meat Markers: Because there's always that one person who wants their steak well, well, well done. No shout-outs here, Dad. :)

8. Sno-Cone Cones: I am not much of a homemade sno-cone fan. There are too many awesome sno-cone trucks out there that just can't be beat. So I plan on using these cones to hold...what else..fries! Or some other equally delicious BBQ side dish.

9. Small Fry Onesie: I can just see Trent in this with his little red, white and blue checkered shorts. OMG. Too much. Because what else says summer like fries?

10. Stars and Stripes Ape PJs: As I've said before, it is much too hot in Texas for Trent to have to sleep in full footy PJs in the middle of the summer. The Gap and Old Navy two piece/shorty jammies are so cute and will keep the little one nice and cool. 

11. Striped Swimsuit: I CAN NOT wait to see him in this. Searching for a matching one for myself (and you, too, Matt) right away.

12. Stars and Stripes Romper: Good Lord this is adorable. I thought that the romper style would look a little too girly, but after trying it is is SO adorable. Easier than shorts and a shirt or shorts and a onesie but still has the same idea. And this one is just too much cuteness. 


I could have made about ten collages full of summer swag, but this is a start! In the meantime I better start looking for these shorts in a bigger size. He is so close to growing out of them, and I don't think I will be able to go on without another pair! Hands down favorite article of Trent's clothing, and that is saying a LOT.

Goo Goo Review: Making Baby Food

Finally! The second installment of the GooGoo Review is here! This week we are tackling the "make your own baby food" space. From day one I knew I wanted to make Trent's food. I have never been overly concerned about organic vs. non-organic (although I am changing my tune more and more each day), but I just felt like it was the right thing to do. Not only do I know exactly what is going in his food this way, but it is also so much cheaper than buying the pre-made pods or pouches. In addition to that, I can experiment with different combinations once he is a bit older, and more than anything, it is simply a rewarding feeling. I weaned him about a month ago which was super emotional for me and came with a lot of guilt, but making his own solid food brings back at least a little bit of that sense of being able to provide his nourishment and being needed. It sounds so stupid, I know, but hopefully some of you understand! And besides...we have to save money somewhere....good freaking God, formula is outrageously expensive. If you are going to a baby shower, screw the bathtub gift, just buy formula. Or better yet, buy the bathtub and fill it with formula.

In my quest to make all of Trent's food, I started researching all of the different baby food makers/systems out there. One popular one which I almost went with was the Baby Brezza..an all-in-one appliance that steams and purees the food with the touch of a button. It sounded great, but after a lot of research I found a slightly concerning negative review that kept popping up everywhere. Apparently the paint/coating in the reservoir starts to flake off into the food, and the water reservoir is also prone to growing mold. Hmm...mold scares the living bajeezus out of me anyway, so this was a definite no-go.

It sounded like several of the all-in-ones had similar problems (and additional downsides), and I concluded that old-fashioned steaming in a steamer basket and *finally* using our badass food processor wedding gift was the way to go. Then I came across this: The Infantino Fresh Squeezed Station. Those baby food pouches are ALL the rage now, and this product allows you to fill your own pouches.

So..it is not a baby food maker per se, but it is a "complete system" focusing mostly on the storage of baby food. There are a few accessories that aid in the steaming/mashing as well, though. I decided to go for it. Up to this point I had just been making the food the old-fashioned way (which actually probably turned out to be easier than an all-in-one anyway) and storing it by pouring into ice cube trays, freezing and popping out into freezer bags. I knew this could end up being a total gimmick and just an added cost with the pouches, but I wanted to give it a go nonetheless. Result: totally awesome. Here's how it works:

1. Wash, peel, dice or otherwise prepare your food. To really save time, you can find frozen pre-washed, peeled and diced veggies (sometimes even organic!). Watch for the frozen veggies to go on sale. Sometimes frozen is even better because they are picked at the peak of their freshness/ripeness/nutritiousness(??). Coupons and sales are awesome for frozen fruits and veggies. They are pretty cheap to begin with, and if you get them on sale it is great. You can get a huge bag of peeled and diced organic butternut squash for only a couple of bucks which will make enough baby food for 20-30 servings! Plus they are usually steam-in-the-bag which is just a huge timesaver. Obviously just make sure it is JUST veggies and no sauce/seasoning/extras. Sometimes they are sneaky about adding sauces to those bagged veggies. If you are unsure, the easiest way is to just check the ingredients. It should JUST say the veggie: "green beans." That's it.
 

 2. Steam your food. You can skip this step with foods that don't need to be cooked: banana, avocado, etc. You can either steam on the stove using a steamer basket, in the microwave using a microwaveable steamer or in the microwave using a steam-in-the-bag product. I bought the Steam and Smush accessory with the system which in retrospect was totally dumb. The main problem is that it doesn't hold very much at all (took three rounds for one large sweet potato), and you don't need the "smush" feature..For one, it will never get the food as smooth as you need for a younger baby. If you are using a food processor, the Steam and Smush is totally unnecessary. Invest in a larger microwave steam basket if you want the same convenience with a larger size. Anyway...fill the basket just to the middle of the veggies with water (filtered if possible), and pop in the microwave. I did 5 minutes for these diced sweet potatoes which was just right. Test with a fork to make sure they are done.

3. Transfer the steamed food into the food processor/blender/etc. I have seen some people use a bowl with a hand mixer which works pretty well, especially with the softer foods. Green beans and meatier foods are a little trickier if you want to get them super smooth. And Trent refuses to eat anything that isn't the consistency of pure silk. Ugh. I have also heard that KitchenAid stand mixers do a pretty decent job with the right attachments, again with the softer foods. Reserve the liquid from the steamer basket to add into the food processor as you are pureeing. You can add regular water, but adding the water from steaming allows you to preserve any nutrients that might have been lost in the steaming process. Puree for a few minutes at a time, stopping to add water and stir until it is the desired consistency.

Up until now, these are just general directions for making your own baby food purees. I used to just stop here and pour into ice cube trays, but this is where you can start using the Fresh Squeezed Station.

4. Label your pouches first to make it a bit easier. Slot three pouches into the station, and make sure it clicks firmly into place. If you are unsure, then it probably is not clicked in correctly. I thought there was a slight click, but when I went to fill the first pouch I figured out it was definitely not right..sweet potatoes everywhere! I reset the pouch, and there was a definite click. Screw the tubes on top of each pouch slot, again making sure they are tight and all the way on.

5. Squeeze the food down the tubes into the pouches. TIP: Don't fill all the way to the highest line. I would recommend stopping about half a centimeter underneath that to prevent the pouch being too full and leaking out of the top. TIP 2 (learned the hard way): Unscrew the tube BEFORE trying to pull the syringe part up. Confession: I didn't read the directions...had I, I would have known that earlier. Anyway..if you try to just pull up, it creates a bad suction and just messes everything up. So, unscrew the tube and then take out the syringe thing. I pushed out any remaining food into a bowl and used the leftovers to fill more pouches and ice cube trays at the end.

6. Slide the pouches out of the stand, and put the tops on. Those bright colored Target crates that were awesome for storing my frozen breast milk work equally well for storing frozen squeeze pouches! They sell fridge and freezer trays and racks especially for the pouches, but I think that is a bit of overkill.

A few other tips I have:

- I froze about half of my fruits and veggies in ice cube trays and then transferred to freezer bags. While the pouches are awesome and still end up being cheaper (even after filling with food) than buying ready-made pouches, I don't like using the pouches day-to-day. Using the cubed food is easy at home because it thaws super quickly in the microwave (don't forget to check for hot spots) and cuts down on the waste of the pouches. We usually reserve pouches for when we go out somewhere because they are fairly flat allowing for easy transport, thaw easily in warm water (just like warming up a bottle) and are much less messy for being on the go.

- When you know you are going somewhere, you can throw a few pouches in the fridge to thaw for a few hours, and then take them along with a little cold pack in your diaper bag. They will be plenty soft enough in time to use without necessarily having to heat up (unless you have a super picky little one!) You can also buy these little spoons that attach to the pouch for even less messy on-the-go eating.

Some pros and cons:
PROS:
  - Easy to wash, dishwasher safe
  - Good for on-the-go baby food
  - Flat pouches are easy for storing in the fridge
  - Financially friendlier than pre-made baby food (after initial investment)
  - Reasonable price
  - Pouches and accessories carried at a ton of places...Target, both major baby stores, Amazon, etc.

CONS:
   - Pouches create waste.
   - Lots of pieces to wash
   - Can only fill three pouches at a time
  

The cons really aren't that bad, and there are solutions to all three. We already covered how to reduce the amount of waste of the pouches (by using your cubed baby food day-to-day). The pieces are numerous but still easy to wash, especially being dishwasher safe. And being able to fill three pouches at a time is really not a big deal. They pop in and out of the stand quickly and easily, so you can fill 30 pouches in a matter of minutes.

Another option I am going to look into is these reusable pouches. SO cute for one, and hopefully will limit waste. They have a zippered bottom which worries me for accidental spills, but I will have to check them out in person and let you all know.

So overall...this product is not a necessity, but I absolutely love having it and would definitely recommend it! This would be a great gift for someone who has everything on their registry, doesn't have a registry or even for a second-time mom. Because it is newer, not everyone will have it or even have heard of it. So glad to have discovered it! 

OVERALL RATING: 4.5 out of 5 stars

See...Trent loves it! Ha!

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