Being a stay-at home Mom is rewarding and we all love being around our babies and children, but let’s face it, we all need some alone time and some adult interaction. Forming bonds with other mothers in the same situation is a great way to get validation and build long-lasting relationships. Your circle of new Moms should try to get out to do something fun together at least once a month. Hire a babysitter or get Dad involved so that you can take a break and have some much deserved time to yourself. Here are some fun ideas to do with your friends:
1) Go to the Spa. Schedule a package deal for your group at a local spa for a massage, facial and manicure or any combination of these things. All Moms can use a little pampering and this is a great gift to give yourself. A less expensive option would be to buy manicure kits, nail polishes, etc. and set up a relaxing spa atmosphere in someone’s home where you give each other manicures.
2) Have a Bunco night. Bunco is a dice game that is all the rage for groups of 12 or more people (4 people per table/group). The official bunko rules and instructions on playing can be found online at WorldBunco. Of course, food and drink are a must at bunko parties so have everyone bring a little something to share.
3) Have a progressive dinner night. Each one of the women in the group hosts a part of the dinner at their home – one for appetizers, one for the main course, one for dessert and then the final stop for drinks.
4) Have a game night. You can play group party games such as Cranium, Catch-phrase, Pictionary, Outburst or Taboo. There are so many great games out there so find some that appeal to the tastes of your group and don’t be afraid to try something new.
5) Go out to a dinner theater. Many cities have local dinner theatres where you see a musical show and eat dinner. Check your newspaper or local phone book for a location in your area.
6) Throw a pool party or backyard barbecue. Fun in the sun is a great way for the women in your group to kick back and relax.
7) Have a dessert night. Each mom brings her favorite dessert to share. What woman doesn’t have a sweet tooth?
Go bowling. Most bowling alleys have open bowling on the weekends and even some weekday evenings. Be sure to call and reserve the number of lanes that you’ll need for your group and double-check to see what evenings or days have open bowling.
9) Go to a movie or watch a DVD at someone’s home. This would be the perfect time to see one of those “chick-flicks” that you’ve been wanting to watch. Crying and laughing with your girlfriends is a great way to bond.
10) Outdoor activity like biking, canoeing, walking in the park, etc. Mom’s often don’t have time to exercise and having buddies to “workout” with is a great way to get motivated.
Organic baby food is the perfect start to a long life of eating healthy. Our babies are so delicate that adding additives, preservatives, pesticides, and growth hormones in their diets is unacceptable. The things that are in our food today are making people question their health tremendously. Many of the ingredients we are exposed to over long periods of time are thought to lead to cancer, infertility, and other disorders and diseases. There is nothing better than the gift of organic that you can give to your new baby. When you begin feeding solids you are paving the way to how your child will live with food for the rest of your life.
Why Organic Is Better Than Non-Organic
When it comes to organic baby food, there is nothing better. Non-organic foods still add additives and preservatives to your baby’s food. There is also too much added salt and even sugar. There is no guarantee that where your baby’s food came from does not use growth hormones and/or pesticides. When you go organic you are promised that none of the chemicals in other types of baby food are present. What you see is what you get. No additives. No preservatives. No harsh chemicals or growth hormones that can harm your child in the future. We spend the first part of their life making sure that we nurture them in the womb and then feed them for the best start possible. Once they make the transition to solids they should also continue to get the best.
Jarred Verses Home Made
When it comes to baby food there are many ways to serve it up, organic or not. There are plenty of companies that make jarred organic baby food. While this choice does promise you a pesticide and hormone free meal for your little one, you are faces with additive and preservatives. With retail jarred foods you have to have these in them as they are out on the shelves for prolonged periods of time as well as your pantry. Making your own is the best way to be sure what is in or left out of the food. The best thing about making your own is that you can simply puree the vegetable and fruits that you buy for yourself. This makes dining with baby extremely easy.
Best Way To Store Baby Food
There are several ways to store organic food for a baby. The best and easiest way is to freeze it in ice cube trays. Each cube can be a serving and as the baby gets older you can add cubes for more. This is makes serving and preparing baby food simple. You do not have to worry about what type of jars or containers to buy. Simply make your food, put it in the trays, and put it in the freezer. The amount will be used in a timely manner so that worrying about storage time is not an issue either.
Are you stressed thinking what you are going to feed your baby? Do you cringe at tasting jarred baby food and you only give it to your baby because you think he or she doesn’t know the difference? Then learn how to make nutritious homemade baby food recipes and you will not only give him the healthy benefits but will also help you save a lot of money.
According to experts, a 4 month old baby can start solid foods in combination with breastfeeding. However, some say that it is safer to start it on the 6th month of your baby’s age. Baby food recipes to ideally start are rice porridge, mashed potatoes or bananas, or pureed apple. The recipe includes simple easy-to-digest foods such as cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Foods other than milk are really not important during the early months of his life. So there is absolutely no hurry to start solid foods. It is also ideal to create your own baby food recipes just like what you did when you were making your pregnancy diet plan to save money.
What You Should Not Forget When Making Baby Food Recipes
Always wash your hands, clean cooking utensils thoroughly, disinfect the preparations surface and wash the ingredients. Cleanliness is a must since the one who will eat the food preparations still has a sensitive tummy. Give your baby the same homemade baby food for 4 days to test for allergies. So don’t give more than 1 type of food at a time. Don’t prepare solid foods that can cause aspiration. Some examples include raw vegetables, peanuts, popcorn, candies, meat, and grapes. After feeding, air can cause discomfort to your baby and may cause reflux or vomiting after feeding. Avoid it by carrying him safely against your shoulder with your hands firmly supporting his head and back then gently rub his back. Another way to this is by positioning him on his stomach on your hand supporting his back. The safest thing to do before introducing solids to your baby is to discuss this with your paediatrician.
Additional Tip: After a continuous breastfeeding or bottle-feeding to your baby for more than 1 year, weaning may be necessary. It is important that you do it gradually to make it easier for your body and baby to cope with the changes. Weaning can be done by initially replacing one to three breastfeeding sessions a day with a bottle of formula milk or a bottle of fruit juice if bottle feeding (fruit juices should not be given to babies younger than 6 months old).