It's the Little Things...

When becoming a Parent you realise it's the little moments that count... But for real... The little accomplishments and successes throughout your day can make you feel oh so much better. Even if it's just getting a shower in, or a diaper change without tears, or getting the squirmy baby in her carseat without setting off the fire engine of baby screams ( you know what I'm talking about! And if you don't... Well... Not sure if we can be friends...) Today I experienced one of these moments. The tiny moment that was so small in my day but just made the world better! So... A bit of back story here... Rhapsody LOATHs baths. We have had only two baths without tears and that was because I got in with her.... So. Today I was sitting in my chair, doing a couple of crafty things for my best girls baby shower, Rhapsody was crawling around, jabbering, and exploring the house. She came into the living room, crawled over to me and stood up. Nothing too out of the ordinary there... Except I smelled the horrible odour of male dog pee. I looked down at Rhaps and saw that she was soaked. GROSS!!!!! Apparently Nali had peed and Rhaps just crawled right through it! I stripped her down and started running a bath. I hate bath time when I'm by myself, but at this point I had no choice. While the bath filled I cleaned the mess, let Rhaps crawl around nakey baby style, and gave my dog some seriously scathing stares... Once the bath was warm and full, I put Rhaps in her brand new bath seat. A nifty little thing that suctions to the floor of the bath and has a back and front to keep a little miss stable. And to my surprise... NO crying! Oh yeah! Happy momma! We giggled, played, she ate bubbles, I washed her hair, we even played with the sprayer on the shower! It was fantastic! Momma didn't even have to get in the bath, and there were no tears! Most successful bath ever. Little did I know, the horrible Nali had struck again... Pee... A giant puddle... Exactly where the last one was! After copious amounts of shouting at a wolffish fiend, I got Rhaps in some jammies and put her in the crib so I could clean up the mess. On my way to the kitchen I stubbed my pinkie toe and cut it, then slipped when grabbing the paper towels. I then had to clean up the disgusting mess left by my gross dog! Meanwhile an adorable baby screamed her head off because mommy wasn't giving her a cuddle. After ALL of that I was still in a good mood. Such a little, happy moment made the rest of my day better. I gave my daughter a nice cuddle when I was done being a maid for Nali. A short feed later, and she was out like a light! Yay me! I'm one rockin' mom tonight!!

Now enjoy this picture of my Nakey Baby while the bath was draining!


Welcome to My Version of Life

Nom Nom Nom...

When Rhapsody was 6 months old Richard and I decided to try out Baby Led Weaning. For you American's don't get caught up on the 'weaning' word! We aren't decreasing breast feeding! Baby Led Weaning in Britain means, quite simply, giving your baby EXACTLY what you are eating. It's not mashing up food, or buying baby food, or making baby food, or worrying about 'this and that'. And dear Lord, the relief was instantaneous! I was feeling overwhelmed with trying to sit down and feed Rhapsody baby food. Especially because she hated it! She would just spit it out and cry... At a WIC appointment I was told she needed to be eating "6 tablespoons of baby cereal, and a jar of baby food a day." WHAT! I could barely get a single tablespoon of baby cereal down her happy little throat! That day I came home, and with a quick google search found a couple of great sites about baby led weaning. What it told me was that I didn't have to worry. I was a good mom. And my baby had the ability to chose how and when she ate. YES! I wasn't doing anything wrong! (contrary to the WIC lady's words.) And since that day at the breakfast, lunch, and dinner table Rhapsody get's what mommy and daddy eat! I have to say this has seriously encouraged me to eat healthier. Instead of opting for a quick microwave meal, I instead make an organic whole grain spaghetti. It's healthier, takes only a bit more time, and Rhapsody loves it! So in the AM, Rhapsody gets cheerios, some fruit, and whatever else we are eating. Snack time she gets freeze dried fruit (she loves those things!) Lunch she gets whatever we eat, or if what we eat isn't convenient for her she gets the last days leftovers, and dinnertime she gets whatever I make. It's fantastic! I don't worry about anything. Rhapsody hasn't shown a single sign of allergy. We don't stay away from cheese, and just recently gave her some whole milk (she accidentally put something very spicy in her mouth! And she loved the milk...) I have to say that Baby Led Weaning was the best choice that we could have made for Rhapsody and ourselves. I no longer worry about how 'good' of a parent I am just because of what I feed my child. She knows when she is hungry and what she wants. She's quit nursing as much (thank God!), and my supply is dropping. I'm okay with this. I feel like an easy transition out of breast feeding is really good for both of us. For some mom's and baby's the whole baby food thing isn't a big deal, but if your child hates baby food I suggest just giving them whatever you eat! We have found that Rhaps dislikes bland food. She'll eat a biscuit over cheerios, or steamed and seasoned veggies over rice. Baby led weaning is very messy, but get a good catcher bib (we have a plastic tommy tippee one) and messes can be kept to a minimum. The whole thing with baby led is letting your family figure it out without the pressure of preparing extra food, or testing things out a week at a time. It is my biggest advice for mom's struggling to get that yucky baby food into their child's belly!

Here are a couple links for some BLW sites! (keep in mind these sites are British so make the proper wording adjustments. i.e. chips are french fries)

The Mush Stops Here!
Baby Centre UK
Net Mum's Guide to BLW

And enjoy this youtube video of Rhapsody eating her whole grain spaghetti with organic tomato sauce (lightly seasoned with sea salt and Italian seasoning)

And my advice for first foods, at least the ones Rhapsody liked!

• Any steamed veggies, especially carrots (they are very flavorful) and broccoli
• Chips (french fries)
• Freeze dried fruit (there is a Disney brand that I buy that is cheap and really good)
• Raw carrots or string peas
• Cheerios!
• large noodles (penne and bowtie because they can pick them up)
• An organic whole grain pancake 
• Toast! or bread of any kind
• Whole grain mini bagels

Also, when we first started feeding Rhapsody she wouldn't let us use a spoon to feed her. It wasn't until recently that we were able to 'feed' her ourselves, and its only the messy stuff. Just let your baby feed him or herself!

Welcome To My Version of Life

A Better Me

My first job is being a mom. I love being a mom to my sweet baby Rhapsody. However, after having said sweet baby, my body has not been the same. Nor will it ever again be the same. I am technically the SAME weight that I was before I had a baby, but boy does my belly look way different! That's okay because my child loves me and my husband adores me. Pudgy belly and all. However, I recently learned about an amazing program called Advocare. What's so fantastic about Advocare? It's NOT a diet! I don't have to diet to feel good about myself, and my body! I don't have to starve myself or drink funny shakes to lose weight. Advocare is all about getting me the vitamins and nutrients my body needs to get healthy, supplementing my current diet. Richard and I have already made changes in the way we eat (i.e. whole grains, fresh fruit and veg, organic sauces, etc), and Advocare gives me a little lift, helping my body work its best. I just finished a 24 Day challenge, a great way to get introduced to Advocare, and lost a total of 8 lbs and 3 inches! My clothes fit better, and I feel more confident! Here's the crazy thing. I don't necessarily feel more confident because I am 'skinnier.' In fact, I can't tell (aside from how my clothes fit) that I really lost any weight at all. There is the same little pudgy belly, and bright pink stretch marks. However, when I look in the mirror I don't think "ew, look at that fatty!" anymore, because I FEEL good, I FEEL energized, and I FEEL happy. I don't even linger on the tiny bit of pudge left over from carrying my angel. Advocare just makes me feel great! Spark gives me the energy I need to wake up in the morning and begin the long day ahead of me taking care of my house, my baby, my husband, my jobs (I do tutor/cook/babysit for other people), my dogs, and my super busy life! Catalyst helps my body work more effectively to burn that extra fat when I go to the gym. Omegaplex  makes me feel good, and my skin look great! I love all of my Advocare's products! And so... I sell them too! Advocare get'st to be my second Job (or 4th or 5th depending on how you look at it). This post isn't to get you to buy the products, or con you into doing something you don't want to. It's merely to share my experience, and yes, I will include a link at the bottom because what kind of sales person would I be if I didn't! If this is at all something you are interested please contact me. We can skype, phone call, email, facebook, whatever you find to be easiest.

My Website!

Welcome To My Version of Life

Oh Taylor, Honey, Grow Up!

Here's a dirty little secret... And it even has to do with a song. I LOVE Taylor Swift. I like singing her tunes, and think she's fantastical. However. Her new song, "22," is ridiculous! If you would like you can review the lyrics below, if, however you are like me and already know the lyrics please feel free to skip all the "ah ah, oh yeahs!"


"It feels like a perfect night to dress up like hipsters
And make fun of our exes, ah ah, ah ah.
It feels like a perfect night for breakfast at midnight
To fall in love with strangers, ah ah, ah ah.

Yeah,
We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time
It's miserable and magical, oh, yeah
Tonight's the night when we forget about the deadlines
It's time

Uh oh!
I don't know about you
But I'm feeling 22
Everything will be alright
If you keep me next to you
You don't know about me
But I'll bet you want to
Everything will be alright
If we just keep dancing like we're
22
22

It seems like one of those nights,
This place is too crowded.
Too many cool kids, ah ah, ah ah (who's Taylor Swift anyway, ew?)
It seems like one of those nights,
We ditch the whole scene and end up dreaming
Instead of sleeping.

Yeah,
We're happy, free, confused, and lonely in the best way
It's miserable and magical, oh, yeah
Tonight's the night when we forget about the heartbreaks
It's time

Uh oh!
I don't know about you
But I'm feeling 22
Everything will be alright
If you keep me next to you
You don't know about me
But I'll bet you want to
Everything will be alright (alright)
If we just keep dancing like we're
22
22
I don't know about you
22
22

It feels like one of those nights,
We ditch the whole scene.
It feels like one of those nights,
We won't be sleeping.
It feels like one of those nights,
You look like bad news,
I gotta have you,
I gotta have you.

Oh oh yeah hey!
I don't know about you
But I'm feeling 22
Everything will be alright
If you keep me next to you
You don't know about me (you don't know about me)
But I'll bet you want to
Everything will be alright
If we just keep dancing like we're
22
22
22, yeah, yeah
22, yeah, yeah, yeah

It feels like one of those nights,
We ditch the whole scene
It feels like one of those nights,
We won't be sleeping
It feels like one of those nights,
You look like bad news,
I gotta have you,
I gotta have you."



Maybe I only have an issue with this song because I AM 22, but don't you think that by 22 you should be over getting with guys who "look like bad news?" I don't want to live in a world where being 22 doesn't mean you behave like an Adult! I understand that some 22 year olds aren't in the same place as me (married, with a child, living in England and traveling the world), but a lot of 22 year olds are graduating college, should be holding down full time jobs, and shouldn't be partying, kissing strangers, and being...well... Stupid! Yeah, 22 is young, there is TONS of life left before you, but by 22 you should be able to "have fun" like a smart person! I have tons of fun and I do it with my husband, my child, and my sensibilities. I mean for goodness sake I am only 22 years old and I lack the fear that so many have about travelling the world. I'm sure I sound like a grouchy old woman who can't take the "lightheartedness" of this song. However, it is songs, ideas, and social interactions like this that encourage people to remain children, to not grow up. Our world has allowed for people who are over the age of 22 to remain at the mental age of 18. We no longer expect people to "act their age," but instead tell people to live their lives as they will. People are going about still living with mommy and daddy at 2/, they aren't taking on responsibilities. I realise that I am not your average 22 year old, yes. I "grew up" at the age of 16 when I had two full time jobs and was still in high school. However, I was expected to pay for my things and I was expected to grow up, so I did. As soon as we quite expecting people to be responsible, responsibility went out the window. So go ahead, live your life like your 22. Have a job. Have meaningful relationships. Have loads of fun. Travel the world. But be grown up. Sorry Taylor. Not a fan of this new "hit."