Going Simple

We need to simplify our lives.  I've noticed that in the past several years, people have been coming back around to the simple things in life.  From growing your own garden and keeping your own chicken coop to getting rid of unneeded material possessions and trading movie night for hiking, people are simplifying.  My generation in particular seems to look back on our childhood as a golden age and I think that by simplifying our lives, we can live another golden age!  We have become so bogged down by electronics that we've forgotten the simple joys we loved about our childhoods!  Living in town and raising our boys, there is only so much we can do space and financially.  Plus weith both Jon and I working full time and keeping up with housework/kids/meals/etc our time as a fmaily is precious.  I decided that we should step away from our electronics this summer and find cheap/free ways to make lasting memories.

My first goal is to limit our tv time.  We are gulty of spending way too much time in front of the tv or playing video games.  I've started a listof things we could do that are affordable and would be fun and get us out of the house.  Some of them we've already done and some we won't get to, but here's what I came up with.
Picnics
Walks/Bike rides
Family game night
Cook and clean as a family
Eat dinner at the kitchen table (So terrible that we don't do this, I'm feeling guilty)
Use our fire pit
Build a living room tent
Go fruit picking
Go for a hike
Play with bubbles (because awesome sauce!)
Drive in theatre
Camping

I'm sure I'll find more things to add to the list and I hope we do some of them often.  Another thing I want to do is simplify our belongings.  We have way too much stuff!  I plan to clean out our closets and garage and anything that hasn't been used in the last year is going to a garage sale or Goodwill.  I also think that if Linus gets a new toy, we'll take one and put it into storage.  We can rotate toys in and out as we like but they won't clutter the house up as much.

Summer Has Arrived

We had perfect weather for a couple of weeks so we spent most ofour time outside.  I'm so glad we did because now summer has truly arrived (it's the first day of summer today!) and it is hot and humid!  Last weekend we went up to Skyline and had a picnic...

Jon had surgery to remove the cyst on his finger.  He goes this week to have the bandages removed and I can't wait!  He hasn't been able to lift ANYTHING so I've been doing EVERYTHING.  That Dr better clear him to lift things again...

And we celebrated Father's Day by serving Jon breakfast in bed...

Round Here

We've been busy soaking in the amazing weather!  It has been gorgeous around here lately and we've been trying to enjoy it while it lasts!  I celebrated my 32nd birthday and Linus is officially sitting up on his own!   Big things happening 'round here!

6 Months Old

It's hard to fathom that Linus is already 6 months old.  I just can't believe how fast time goes!!!  

6 months?!?!?!?!?!

Strawberry Jam

Today I made strawberry jam for the first time!  We went over to Mike and Michelle's and helped pick strawberries and they gave us some to take home.

It was super easy and soooo good!  Basically put 1 quart strawberries into a pot and add water until its about 1/2 way up the berries.  This is very scientific, no?  Then add 2 cups sugar and bring to a simmer, mashing the berries throughout this time.  

Once you are simmering, add 1 package fruit pectin and stir until dissolved.  Heat a few more minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes, then poor into jars/freezer containers/whatever you have to put it in!  

Yum!

Homemade Baby Food

We make our own baby food.  Pretty much because it's cheaper, but I also like that Linus is getting (mostly) fresh foods.  I tend to set a weekend and make a ton of baby food at once that should last us about a month and a half.   It's a lot easier for me to cook ahead so I don't have to spend time at night after work making his food.  I steam anything that needs cooked and use the water from the pot that has juice drippings from the veggies/fruits as they steam as the liquid to thin them as I puree them.  It's easy peasy! I know there are a lot of guidelines as to what fruits and veggies to feed babies at what age, but I follow those very loosely.  The only exceptions are if the food is highly allergenic such as strawberries, nuts, honey, etc.  Those he will not get until he's a year old.

We give Linus a new food every Saturday.  We serve it to him once or twice by itself to get him used to the taste, then we mix it with other foods he's already been eating.  That way if he happens to have a reaction to a food, we know which food it is.  He also gets cereal at every meal.  Yep, my baby gets three course meals, lol!  We've been really lucky because Linus loves everything he tries!  He's had no negative reactions with the exception of bananas, which constipate him a little and peas which give him a rash.

We use the Baby Bullet for pureeing his food.  I really love it as it is so easy to use and comes with a freezer tray and a tray to use in the fridge.  The freezer tray is nice to make 2 ounce servings of staple foods in like sweet potatoes and apples.  I also like to use it to make 2 flavors together!  I just fill the bottom with one flavor and then top it with another!  

I like to freeze most of his food in these Tovolo Perfect Ice Cube Trays.  They make one ounce servings and because of the cube shape, they stack nicely for storage in the freezer!

For a few foods that we consider add-ins for flavor (blueberries/plums/mangos) because they are a little pricier and you have to buy a lot to make a little, we use this OXO Tot Baby Food Freezer Tray.  It also makes 1 ounce servings, but they don't stack because they are half moon shaped.  They work great for foods you will use less and have smaller amounts of.

Mommy Favorites: 6 Months

1. Sophie the Giraffe - I know this one is super popular and there is a reason why!  Linus LOVES his Sophie!  Chewing on this soothes his poor gums better than any other teether!

2. Nose Frieda - I wish we had this when Linus was born!  I had heard about it but everyone told me nothing could beat the hospital aspirator.  WRONG!  This thing is awesome!  It is on my mommy holy grail list to buy anyone I know having a baby!

3. Baby Bullet - We chose to make all of Linus' baby food instead of buying the jarred kind.  It saves us a ton of money and it's super easy!  We got the baby bullet system as a gift and I would recommend getting it!  It is totally worth the money!  You get a lot of storage and the blender is awesome!

4. OXO Tot Baby Food Freezer Tray - Since we are making all our own food I wanted a way to make bulk amounts so I can make food once a month and send frozen servings to our baby sitter.  This tray makes 1 ounce servings so you can easily track how much your baby is eating!

5. Tovolo Perfect Ice Cube Trays - I also love these trays for freezing baby food!  The make 15 one oz servings and because they're squares, they stack really nicely for the freezer!

6. Orajel  - Do I really need to explain why we love this?!

7. Dove Soap (bar) - Linus has extremely sensitive skin and Dove doesn't irritate it or make his eczema flair up.  

8. Excersaucer/Bouncer/Jumper - GET ONE NOW.  

A Little Bit Green

So our dryer broke.  Considering its summer and we have a LOT of bills coming in due to me being giving birth, then getting sick, Jon having to have surgery (more on that later), the brakes going out in Jon's car, and a plethora of other unpredictable expenses we've had this year, we are putting off buying a new dryer right now.  Instead we are doing this...

Jon tied a couple of clothes lines between two trees in our back yard and we are going a little bit greener this summer by drying our clothes on the line instead of using a dryer.  I'm actually really loving hanging clothes!  I grew up with clothes off the line so it's a bit nostalgic plus they smell amazing after hanging in the sun and breeze!  So all in all, we are turning lemons into lemonade with this!  Score!

Homemade Teether Biscuits

1 cup flour
1 cup water or juice
1 cup baby rice or oat cereal

Mix it all up and roll out onto a cookie sheet.  Bake 20 minutes at 350.  Cut into sticks!

Life Updates

Spring has arrived and seems to be rapidly turning into summer!  2014 has been a tough year for us and it doesn't seem to be looking up just yet.  We've had quite a bit of sickness and bad luck, but I'm trying to remain optimistic that it will look up soon.  Jon has had a growth on one of his fingers and he finally went to the doctor about it because it has been causing him pain.  The good news is its probably just a cyst, but he still has to have surgery to have it cut out.  I swear this year is setting us back financially on purpose!  It seems like every time we think we can start saving money again, something else pops up.  I've been racking up doctor bills with my intestinal problems, our dryer broker, Jon has to have surgery, and my sister is getting married and Linus, Josh, and I are all in the wedding!  Sheesh!

In good news, Linus has two teeth and has rolled over for the first time!  He's eating cereal and other pureed fruits and veggies and he loves eating!  At 5 months he was 27 in long and 17.5 lbs.  He is getting big far too fast for me, but I'm glad he's growing and learning.  I just don't think I'll ever be able to put into words how much I love him.  I suppose that's normal, lol!  Anywho, that's about all I can think of at the moment.  Life just keeps chugging right along and I don't know how time can possibly be passing by so fast, but it does! Carpe Diem!