I don’t discuss politics on the blog for obvious reasons but no matter what your political views are get out there today and vote! Your vote is your voice let it be heard!
I was going to vote this morning but E decided to get up at 4am (I blame daylight savings) so I was more focused on getting a little rest and coffee in me before Neil left. I figured I’d go when Neil got home tonight because we are a one car family and he was taking the car to work. Then I got to thinking it’s only 3.6 miles round trip to the polling station, maybe I could just walk. I decided to take the chance that E might fuss the whole way but I was going to go (and good thing I did because Neil’s prospects of arriving home in time for me to vote is looking grim). So E and I walked…err I walked the 3.6 miles with E in the Ergo. The walk was amazing! E slept for 70% of it, the sun was shinning and absolutely no fussing!
Anyways if E and I can walk 3.6 miles to vote you can get out and vote too!
1-15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed, mashed
1 red onion, diced
1 Anaheim chile, diced
8oz button mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Spice Mix:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Heath the oil in a medium saute pan. Add the peppers and onions to the pan; cook for 5-7 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and garlic; cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the spice mix to combine. Stir in the chickpeas and vinegar, cover and turn to low; cook 5 minutes. Serve on tortillas or atop a salad with the tahini sauce (recipe below).
Tahini Sauce:
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup canola oil
pinch of cayenne
Place everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
As I was saying yesterday E and I have been babywearing at home more which is really helping me to be more active at home. Now we have a number of different carriers including slings, wraps and soft-pack carriers and they have all been great at different ages and activities. Currently Neil and I have been wearing the Boba Carrier the most as it is the newest that we have added to our collection and I am really loving it.
As with anything there are pro’s and con’s and the Boba Carrier is no different.
Pro’s
I love the pattern of the Boba. We chose to go with the bird pattern because it seemed fitting with our “Put A Bird On It” theme for E’s nursery (yes that is a Portlandia reference).
I love the fit of the Boba and how it wears. I find that after awhile most carriers start to bother my back (need to work on strengthening my core) and while the Boba does start to bother it after awhile it usually takes longer than other carriers.
The bag strap. This strap holds E’s diaper bag or my purse in place on my shoulder without having to hold it there.
Rain/Sun Cover. This is a must with E because it protects her from both but it also is great when she is tired and needs a nap. As soon as I see those heavy eyes I put the cover up and she passes right out.
The phone holder. On the front of the Boba Carrier there is a pocket that fits my iPhone perfectly and is great for easy access.
Con’s
The length of the straps to tighten the Boba once it’s on are a little short. I do okay with the length but Neil on the other hand has a different frame and is unable to tighten the straps without my help.
Lacking a good sized pocket to hold phone, keys and change purse. This is a big down for me because when I go out for a walk I often wear leggings and I don’t have a pocket to hold things in. Like I said above there is a small pocket for a phone and there is a tiny pocket on top that could hold my keys but that’s it.
The infant hold. I don’t love the infant hold which you can see here. I wore E in it for a few times but the fit was just really uncomfortable and frankly an unflattering look on me. I ended up changing it back to the normal fit and I put a blanket at the bottom for E to sit on since she is still too small to wrap her legs around me.
Overall I am a huge fan of my Boba Carrier and I loved my Boba Wrap when E was tiny.
Interested in the Boba Wrap or Carrier? Boba is providing my readers with a coupon code for 10% off from now until December 1st, just enter NaturallyFamily10 at checkout!
Disclaimer:Boba provided me with their product at no cost. I was under no obligation to review them if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway.
I have never spent so much time sitting on my ass in my life it’s crazy. Having a baby takes up so much of my time and this little girl loves to eat so we spend about 70% of the day on the couch or in bed nursing (also in that 70% is my time sleeping and eating). So what about the other 30% of the day-and this is all just a guess because I haven’t totally tracked it- maybe I should?
During the 30% of the day that I’m not sleeping or nursing or eating myself I am trying to focus on doing more things that get me moving. I really hate just sitting on the couch especially when I have to because it’s where E likes to nurse but it’s like quick sand once you sit down you just sink in and it’s really hard to get back up (yes we have tried nursing in the carrier and it’s okay but not my or her favorite place). One of the greatest things I have done for myself is sing up for the Best Body Bootcamp, it’s keeping me motivated to workout and not only am I working out 5 days per week I am also finding myself being more active in other ways.
Not only am I getting consistent workouts in I am also getting out a few days a week with E for playgroup and baby yoga and we get out almost daily for walks. Beyond playgroup, baby yoga and walks I have been spending a lot more time babywearing at home so that I can move around hands free with E and we are spending a lot more time on the floor together working on her rolling and tummy time and more time on my feet dancing with her. It seems to be working out well for both of us because I move more and E naps more because she gets tired out more easily. Now just to figure out how to convince her to sleep somewhere other than in my arms….
Q: New moms how do you get off the couch?
Q: Are you participating in BBB? What is your favorite move?
I know it seems crazy sage plus nuts and honey, but it is delicious! I am also loving the cinnamon clove and the rosemary. These squares are a great combination of salty and sweet and the best part are wheat, gluten, soy and dairy free! Since sometimes putting a full lunch together is a challenge these have been great to grab and eat while I hunker down on the couch and nurse for hours (and hours). I am currently all out of them and just searched their site to see where I could find them locally because I need to restock!
These Kur Coconut Cream Delights are so delicious! These are just like one of Neil and my favorite snacks, coconut rolled dates, except these have a bonus – the addition of cashew butter (another thing I love). Kur also has a brownie flavor and mint which are okay but the coconut flavor stands out and has been a tasty snack that Neil and I have been enjoying around here.
I have been loving Go Raw Super Chips and Cookies especially when I am craving chocolate or chips (or chocolate chips). Right now I am loving the chocolate and lemon super cookies and the pizza super chips (yes they totally taste like pizza). However, I can’t name a favorite yet because I have a few more flavors to try however I think carrot cake might be a contender for favorite if it’s as good as it sounds. I do however love the spirulina super chips and have bought these time and time again because they are so good.
3. Homemade Kombucha
Who knew that brewing your own kombucha could be so easy! It takes patience but the end result is worth it. I really love our the blueberry black tea Oregon Kombucha my only gripe is that it’s a little bit too sweet. Neil and I both agreed that we are going to use less sugar in our next batch. Now we are trying to figure out which flavor we will brew next- any suggestions?
5. Autumn Tea
Often I find myself wanting something sweet or warm but not hungry so I have been turning to tea to appease my craving. I am usually a black or chai tea lover, and of course I still am, but lately I have been enjoying the Cranberry Autumn and African Autumn teas that Harney Tea sent me to try. I also bought a tin of my favorite Harney Tea Hot Cinnamon Spice tea which is amazing when you want something super warming and lightly sweet.
Disclaimer: Simple Bars, Kur, Go Raw, Oregon Kombucha and Harney Tea provided me with their product at no cost. I also purchased Go Raw and Harney products to review with my own money. I was under no obligation to review them if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a giveaway. All opinions are my own.
Happy Halloween! I have had a busy week but I wanted to stop in and let you know about some really great posts that are up on Naturally Family . First off for those of you who are new to RWT Naturally Family is a blog that both my husband, Neil, and I created just before E arrived. We feature baby updates, new parent topics and lifestyle posts. Last week we featured a few really good posts that I think might interest some of you and one tasty recipe that you all should make.
Baby Gear 0-3 Months: Clothes, Sleeping, Nursery & Diapering: I thought I might do a follow up to my Most Used Registry Items post over on the Ergo Baby Blog. In this post I go beyond the registry and talk about the things that we felt we really needed, the items that we liked but were necessities (take it or leave it) and the things that were unnecessary for us. Since I have so much to say this is going to be (at least) a two part post. In this first post we will discuss clothes, sleeping, the nursery and diapering.
Breastfeeding In Public: A reader commented a few weeks back regarding a post on breastfeeding in public:
You don’t have to answer this or write a post on it if you don’t feel comfortable but just wondering… how do you feel about breastfeeding in public. I stopped breastfeeding when my baby was about 1 month old…
The other day in our play group we got to talking about nursing in public. For some women it was no big deal, others tried to avoid it if possible and then others commented that their spouses were the uncomfortable ones.
Chocolate Coconut Lactation Oatmeal Cookies: Our pediatrician suggested that I eat oats daily to help increase my milk supply. As much as I enjoy a bowl of oatmeal some days it’s just not what I’m in the mood for so I have been working on new recipes that include oats. These cookies are delicious and although I call them lactation cookies there is no need to be breastfeeding to enjoy them!
This little patties are a wonderful twist on my one of my favorite foods-falafel. They are baked instead of fried and include a special ingredient, roasted red peppers! They are delicious with a yummy tahini sauce and are great on top of a salad, with pita or rolled into a wrap.
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 bunch parsley leaves
1-12oz jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for brushing
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor; process until just combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl when necessary.. Form mixture into balls and place on the lined baking sheet. Press the balls down into patties and brush with olive oil. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, flip patties and bake an additional 20 minutes, until crisp and browned.
