Mothering

Tonight I learned that Mothering magazine is no longer in publication and they have now become a web only company: MotheringDotCommunity (MDC).

You can read Peggy O'Mara's editorial, "How We Became a Web Company" which explains the long road to this decision to cease printing.

I'm glad to see they will continue the online community with articles, resources and forums but I will dearly miss the print editions.  It was the only parenting magazine wherein I found full support, education and reflections on many of the 'natural parenting' ideals I believe so strongly in and I considered it an important resource.

The importance of having a circle of support be it family, friends, service providers and access to supportive resources is a vital component to parenting to the best of my ability and making informed decisions.  We are not meant to do this alone.

I will certainly miss having access to this incredible publication but will make a point to follow them at their online community.

I encourage you to check them out as well as Mothering is a treasure trove of information and connections for our journey in motherhood.

How to be sick and be prepared

Came across this post today on ohdeedoh called 5 Survival Tips for Being Sick at Home With Kids which was pretty timely considering I'm just now on the mend from a nasty cold, the likes of which I'd never experienced before let alone with a baby.

As a single mom I don't have a partner to shoulder the load once the door closes (I do have the eagerly sweet help from my own parents who are Fantastic) so amongst the several things I thought were great about the post was the fact that she found herself sick while her husband was away which meant her tips were easily relatable for single parents.

I too rarely keep cash around but when the 3 block walk to the store with a baby means getting you both in a state that will pass public approval, dragging yourself through the store and walking back you'd faster sign up for a commitment to the marathon 6 months from now than that when you are on your last gasp.  And after being advised on which over the counters that were safe for breastfeeding I realized none of it was of use to me still on the shelf as it was at Rite Aid. I'd never maintained a medicine cabinet pre-mommy hood but I assure you that long walk will be our last if I can help it.

If there are any ways I can save time and make things easier while maintaining our quality of life I'm all ears and eyes so this was a welcome gold nugget.

The price of cloth

I really enjoy reading the personal finance blog Money Ning and just this week there was a post on clothing diapering: How Much Do Cloth Diapers Really Cost? Of course any time I see writing on cloth diapering it piques my interest. In the end the writer did say there is a cost advantage to cloth diapers if you wash them yourself but it brings me here to share that there is a HUGE spending divide in the world of cloth diapering. One extreme is hilariously touched on in the article Why I will Never by a Good Mama Cloth Diaper and the depths one can go to however you can do cloth diapering super cheap by getting all your diapers secondhand or just getting 2 dozen flat diapers and a few covers with pins or snappis. As little as $50 to $500 setting yourself up given all the options. I think I've spent in the range of $350-500 primarily because I tried several things and bought about 18 pocket diapers (which is the most expensive style of cloth diapers with price ranges within that) because we use cloth 24/7 and I thought that would be easiest (and has proven to be best choice) for daycare and grandma, grandpapa and auntie to use. I have been able to sell off my stash as we outgrow things and retire ones I got as trial runs so that is new found savings as well. Also I now use the marketplace on Diaper Swappers to buy diapers gently used and had I known of this at the start I would have built my whole stash from the fluff there and bought handmade ones from one of the many WAHM (work at home mom) shops online.

When considering the price of cloth know that aside from being a means to significant reduction in new baby expenses it most importantly offers a tremendous savings of environmental resources.

Peas please?

For such a huge milestone its incredible how little guidance in starting solids there seems to be beyond "begin rice cereal". I suppose if you are buying store bought baby food there is a greater chance at feeling a sense of direction in how to begin because it's labeled by stages etc.

I've chosen to make my own baby food and so far at the end of week one I found applesauce, sweet potatoes and banana were GREAT first foods because they blend smoothly and easily.

Our nemesis at the moment is peas. Such a shame because they are in season at the farmer's market but after 2 batches I admit it just doesn't seem to be coming out fully pureed no matter what. Batch 1: I pulled out everything I had in the arsenal, steaming, blending, food mill, straining, boiling all of it still left me with a lumpy mess I wouldn't serve without my hand hovered over the mobile ready to dial 911 upon entry. But tonight we are closer; I steamed, then blended with water and went ahead and froze the puree that resulted however pausing to serve it because it still had a few soft partial peas throughout.

I just don't get it.

Or maybe I do and just don't realize that's well...as good as it gets.

Thank goodness for 2 very helpful resources:

The Starting Solids forum at Diaper Swappers and a site called Wholesome Baby Foods.

Of course asking friends, family, and other moms etc. will help. I also think it’s interesting how much culture affects this important milestone too and in having a few conversations with moms recently about what they served first etc. it was incredible the range of answers I received. Every one of them were what they felt were right for their baby so I guess with this it’s like everything on this journey. Find your groove and find what's best for you and yours.

So about those peas...is the 3rd try the charm? To be continued...