Are you Corrugated?

Let me ask you a question, you can tell me your answer in the form a comment!!
Are you
A. Silky
You enjoy the fact it's 2012, and you don't have to DIY a lot of things.  Technology made it possible for you to purchase and consume nearly everything you need.  LIFE IS GOOD!!

B. Textured
While you consume somethings, brought to you by 100s of years of manufacturing, soap, shampoo, maxi pads.  You also like to DIY lots of things.  Curtains, cloth-diapers, tend a vegetable garden to feed your family off of, can those vegetables for the winter.  You feed your family lean clean, unprocessed but don't own a farm, so it comes from Walmart, or the Farmer's Market! 
 

C. Crunchy  
You are a DIY, self sustainable wonder of the world!  You make your own soaps, clothes, have a vegetable garden and a chicken coup out back! Proctor and Gamble have noting on that luxurious body soap and cleaning products you make!

Keep in mind I have friends that run the spectrum!  I was way more Crunchy in HS and college... no surprise I was an BFA major with a philosophy minor in college... YEA, lot of good that is doing me these days!! :)  

Remember my rant about 'trending' bean sprouts, yep.. those things you plant in your garden!!  The fact that people would pay big money for something I accidentally sprouted in my COMPOST!! Yea that pretty much still pisses me off!  But these next things are a multi layered type things.  On paper most of it actually makes sense!  And it shouldn't be a 'Trending' Topic, because it has been around for freaking ever and just makes logical damn sense!!  Why are people too lazy to think??

This is how I eat...

 I've been eating like this since shortly after Mister Jr was born.  LONG Before I spotted this video >2months ago, In the National MS Societies, group FB page.  I suffered from a knock down drag out MS relapse after I had him.   So I knew it was time for a change.  I started with diet and exercise, stress elimination!  Something I seem to be battling on a daily basis!


HEY POINT, where the F are you???  I started this post, 3 weeks ago!  A 900 mile trip and Nursing Strike Number 2, trying to juggle the world and do it with out breaking a sweat, or at least not one anyone can see, have come in between me and the bog.  Good thing this isn't a freaking job, nor am I getting paid to type cuz I'd surely get my ass canned!!!

Oh yes, add to the 'Trending' tab Paleolithic diet.  So gluten free, carb free, fake sugar free is no longer enough for people to go CRAZY over..  let's all 'rediscover' the way that people have been eating since we wiggled ourselves out of the molten pools.... ANNOYING.. It's called eating with a brain, if it isn't made from real things don't put it in your mouth!.

I give this 18months and everyone will be back to eating chips... remember those chips that never made you fat, just your ass leak.. yea that was a great idea!!  Anyone remember what they were called???

I see this not being a life style for those track suit wearing housewives.  They'll jump this diet ship once they realize how hard it is, and how much inconvenience it is to their lives!  These 'diets' take real balls!  This way of thinking/eating/living is with purpose.  For me it is for my health, for my husband's health, and for my children's.

I mainly just wanted to show this clip for the zillionth time.  It's all over my Facebook and twitter the last 3 months!

Thanks:  I am Textured, for health reasons and well it's cheaper to cook 3 square meals and grow/can vegetables then have green giant do it for you!!

Management

A Day in the Life

A day in the life of Little Miss E.  This is a tentative day for our nearly 4 month old.  A great guide to go off of!

7:30-8:30 am she wakes up,

**I can be found rocking in the fetal position whining NOOOOO NOOO NOOO!!  Still mourning the fact that my days of not opening my eyes past 9am are forever O V E R!!

We play, make the beds, gather the laundry, and cook her brother, Mister Jr, breakfast.

She nurses 2 times during this period.

at 10-10:15 she goes down for her morning nap until 12pm

Then she wakes up plays with Mister Jr on the floor, while I make both their lunches.  We finish 3tbs of cereal mixed with breast milk by 1:00.  Clean up lunch, play, nursing up to 2 times during this period after her morning nap.

at 2-2:15pm-no later than 4:30pm it is nap #2.  Mister Jr also goes for his nap at this time, he is nearly 4 yrs old.

Wake up and placed in a jumper, or high chair watches me prep/cook dinner, vacuum, and play on the floor with Mister Jr.  Nurses upon waking up.  Eats a serving of pureed veg or fruit.  They are veg that I've canned fresh from the garden, or fruit from the farmers market 5:30pm, while dinner finishes. 

**foods so far, single grain rice cereal, sweet potatoes, string green beans, bananas, soon oatmeal and apples

Yep he eats salad now!!

Then sits at the table while the rest of us eat dinner.  Watches me clean up dinner, and cluster nurses, PJs go on at 7pm.  At 7:05 she sometimes receives a 4 oz bottle of breast milk or formula if the nursing isn't satisfying her, maybe 2x a week (as she falls asleep and doesn't fill up on the breast)

She is tucked in her nursery by 7:30, she isn't always happy about that!!

There have been recent nights where I've had to feed her once or twice in the wee hours of the morning, I believe it was a total of 3 nights during this past week.  But I've noticed that it only happens if hasn't nursed properly through out the day!!

She Nurses between 8 and 9 times a day.  And since starting solid food averages a BM every 3rd day

Thanks: I wrote this here mainly for myself to keep track of what she does in a day, Thanks to my MS brain!!  And to help other Momas trying to figure out how to navigate their 4 month old!!

Management

Garden Party

Here is that LONG awaited Garden Party Post!!  *phew*  Let's start at the beginning.  First step to a successful garden... PLAN PLAN PLAN!!!  Here was my plan for this season!

It is missing plans for Kale.. But as I've already planted the above, I realize I have room for some Kale along side my peas!!

BOX ONE

What is with the netting?  Well last year when my never going to turn red tomatoes finally did turn, the local Mocking Birds dove in for a sample.. I am hoping that the nets will make them think other wise!  Since a giant German Shepard doesn't work!!

BOX TWO

Climb peas Climb!! Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower and soon KALE

BOX THREE

These squash, with the blossoms, are transplants from my 'Not So Compost' Compost!!  What??  Here I'll show you!!

"Now You See It, Now You Don't See-Through Compost Container"$25.98 Wayfair

You probably shouldn't be taking Composting Tips from me... Clearly I am doing MANY THINGS wrong... or am I!!  I think that this is a very happy Squashy accident!!  I should have turned it more regularly, not threw the runts in there (you know when you have to thin out your rows!!) and cut up the kitchen waste smaller so roots of scraps couldn't keep growing, AND a LID!!  Just to name a few!!  Just buy the pre-done ones... you more than likely won't end up with a garden in a box where your compost should be!!

Herb Garden

Hate your Bradford Pear Tree, Not a problem!  Smother the crap out of it with an herb garden!  Then no more Horrific smelling blossoms every year!  Just an ugly dead tree sticking out of your pretty herb garden!!!

Thanks:  So that is what I'm growing!  Even my scraps are making new vegetables!!  Not too shabby aye?

Management

Post Pregnancy Transformation Pt III

 The scale says I'm back to my Pre-pregnancy weight.  130 if you must know.  That being said before I got pregnant I was working on a regiment to tone up for a leaner look.  Not to mention to keep my MS under control!!

So 3.5 months after popping out little Miss E, I can get back on that goal I started. I started my goal when we bought the Bowflex with our 2010 tax refund!!  I continued to workout on it throughout my pregnancy, aiding in my super easy, super fast, seemingly painless delivery of an 8lb Little Miss E!!

At nearly 4 months post delivery, this is where I am at.  An MS relapse doesn't show on the horizon.  If I keep at it, eat the way I've ate for the last 3 yrs, lean and clean.  And Managing my stress (I do so by laying waste to it on the Bowflex).  I think I can continue to stay MS drug Free, no injections make me happy!!

This picture does nothing for my butt!!  That being said, Little Miss E has been going through a growth spurt, and up most of the night feeding for the better part of a month.  Since her bottle binge and nursing strike ended she has gone on cereal 2x a day, starting Sunday, giving me my nights back.  She did great on her new feedings last night, and slept beautifully.  So I will be back to 5-6 days a week working out!  Hooray!!!

What I don't get is why I still have a hormonal line down the center of my lack of abdominals!!  It's fading, but it still shows and really annoys me!!

Since I'm back according to the scale I do not feel the need to do these updates once a month.  That plus, do you realize how incredibly stupid I feel taking pictures of myself!  Now if 3 months from now I have rock hard abs, I'll let you know but I'm done taking pictures of my mid section!!

The whole point of doing this, was to show you ladies, that with hard work and determination, your body post pregnancy does not have to mean:

Mom Jeans
Muffin Tops
Pajama Jeans
Now go get your Sexy back girls!!!  BTW that bra is a nursing bra from Motherhood Maternity, click on THIS LINK, and it will bring you to your very own!!  I love their bras, they don't look like Nursing Bras!!

 Thanks:  It is only April, not too late to take on a resolution.  And too early to give up on your new years goals.  I have MS if I can do this, so can you!!!

Management

I love to think myself CRAZY

I like to keep my Mama on her toes and CRAZY!!!

What have I been up to?  Well you see, my entire universe has been circling around my Boobs!  Over the last I'd say 3 maybe even 4 weeks, Little Miss E has been going through a growth spurt.  For the first 2.5-3weeks it meant constant nursing and adding cereal to her bottle.  Well after a 900mile both ways (pumping in the passenger seat and bottle feeding it to her in the back seat, I'll post about that later back to this tornado of craziness) 48 hour stay trip to PA, we got home and the screaming started.

I could no longer satisfy her!  So we started playing with Cereal mixed with Breast Milk and then Vegetables mixed with Breast Milk (we did that for 4 days).  She was happy and then over the coarse of the last 2 days all hell broke loose... or so I thought.  She wasn't into eating solids yesterday so following her cues I didn't force it on her.  She nursed a little and took smaller bottles.  But was content.

See babies don't come with manuals, and I sometimes get lost inside my own head.  You'd swear this was the first time I had a baby!!  Her napping has become longer, so we've gone from feeding like crazy to sleeping like crazy.  I've spent all morning researching, looking toward local moms for advice thinking that 3 days of a drop in screaming for the boob has been about a nursing strike...  She nursed a little this morning, and promptly played, laughed and went down easily @ 9am for a nap until 12:30.  The Mister has been telling me to lay off trying to force Breast milk down her throat, she isn't hungry every time she cries.  Lately she has been crying to put down to sleep....  So after much thought, *like all day!!!  She is perhaps done with this growth spurt?  This perhaps isn't a nursing strike this is a baby back to normal, who doesn't need to feed every 2-3 hrs more like 4-5 hrs.

Babies are like puzzles.  So no more solids and no more bottles, no more obsessing with feeding schedules... I hope.  She is tucked and perched on my chest as we speak about to fall back asleep!  The Mister keeps trying to tell me in his own way to relax, she has no problems expressing her need for feeding!!  And she will surely let me know, quit worrying!!!!!!  It's hard, I went so far as to start Motherlove More Milk Plus (I'll be doing a review soon!  But I have no problems with my supply that is for sure!!  Starting to stock to freezer now!!)  trying to keep up with her appetite which has considerably shrunk!!

That was all just wanted to share because I know I'm not the only Mama that obsesses over ounces and wet/dirty diaper counts!!

Thanks:  Bottom line if your baby is quiet, content and looks like this -------->

typed this whole think with one hand!

              It is pretty safe to assume you are doing every thing right!!  Except that whole thinking yourself crazy part!!!  BTW It's 1:30 and she is on nap #2!!!  Her new thing is being held and sleeping... thoughts on a Moby Wrap please!! 

Management

Talk about a green Thumb!!

Are you one of those people that think growing a garden is too hard of a task for you to take on?  Do you manage to cut your grass all season?  Rake your leaves each fall?  Feel confidant enough to rake those leaves into rows, then run them over with the lawn mower, and collect those little pieces?

Okay build a 4ft X 4ft box.  Nothing fancy, just a frame... Place those yard clippings in it... after dinner put all the waste (biodegradable non animal waste).  Throw in some left over fishing worms.  Turn it all winter and fall... when spring comes forget to turn it for about 2 weeks and see what happens...

THIS!!  

HOLY COW 

... we are leaving it be, and built a second box (for new fresh compost!).... I'll probably end of transplanting 60% of these Vegetable plants (which came from the kitchen waste) into my garden boxes the end of April!  What we will have left is, perfect, rich dirt to fold into the boxes next spring!!!  YAY!

Thanks:  This is what you'd call a happy accident!!

Management

Post preggers transformation Part II

I've been putting this off, I know I know!  The last one was over a moth ago!   Nut much has changed if you ask me, visually anyway.  The number on scale dropped by 9-10 lbs... where is it from, I don't know!  Water weight, or maybe BM since you produce like crazy in the beginning... that seems more likely.  However I feel 'slimmer' and not as squishy!!

But here you go, I am trying to do circuit training, since all that needs some work is my mid section.  Love handles and stretch marks and that damn hormone line straight down the center!  I don't mind the stretch marks, but the center line irritates the shit out of me! YUCK.. though I have less of a muffin top, Hooray!  I hate baked goods anyway!

I have a stack of jeans (SZ 1/2 R) from before my son came along that I'm working toward... they button and zip, but the result is less than flattering... so cardio is needed in addition to my weights!!  I would also like set of mini abs... slow and steady wins the race!!

Thanks:  I hope you other baby body fighting moms are having better luck, I need to make a bigger effort to find time for working out... it is my own fault the results aren't coming faster!!

Management