To Blog or To Not?

In case I didn’t tell you this already, this blog was initiated solely for a school assignment. I have contemplated in my head for ages to start a blog where I can pretty much go on and on about related topics such as the one’s I have already begun to chat about so far. I didn’t intend initially to show this blog to anyone outside of my academics, but I have to say I feel like I might be on to something here. 

My hope is that if I really put some effort forth toward this I will appeal to someone like me. 

Like me?   

Someone that has become a mom for the first time, or might be contemplating it soon. Someone who cares about living longer and living healthier, someone that is a little bit superficial, but not in the obnoxious sense of the word, someone that just thinks it’s cool to come across someone else that thinks in a similar fashion. 

I cannot guarantee I will take this anywhere, let’s just say it, blogs are like a%%holes, these days everyone has one. I don’t want to Ann Frank this blog, I mean for others to read it.

I live life day to day, I doubt my “awesome” new blog will be the exception.

I Don't Play With Toxins

I will admit, I have always had a touch of the OCD, but nothing really going off the deep end, or that’s what I like to tell myself. I am also a self proclaimed germaphobe. Indeed, if you sneeze or cough around me, you will find me lifting my shirt up around my face and running away from you unabashedly so. When it comes to food, I definitely prefer healthier varieties of “clean” eating. Sorry, but can I just say that watching people eat fast food makes me yak. Yes, to each his own, but I still shake my head at you…lovingly of course. 

What am I getting at here? I have always placed an emphasis on my personal quest for healthier living, but becoming a mom has made me crazed with avoiding toxins, especially when it’s anything that comes near my baby. 

Since having a baby, a whole new depth of knowledge has opened up for me. Do you realize baby products widely harbor toxic ingredients? I think as consumers we assume baby products would be safe. What? Compromise mine or my child’s health to commodify and profit, they wouldn’t, would they? Yeah they WOULD. 

The Government doesn’t require any chemicals to be tested for safety before new products hit the store shelves even. If you have a baby and even if you do not, I can bet you anything I have that you are currently using a lot of product brands you would assume to be playing by the rules, looking out for your best interest, right? The sad fact is they aren’t.  A lot of the ingredients in these products are super scientific with fancy chemical jargon. They make me yawn before I can finish attempting to pronounce them, but they are covertly working away at making sure we have a lot less birthday parties.

Effects of using products laced with hidden toxins have been linked to breast and prostate cancer, early-onset puberty, and polycystic ovary syndrome just to name a few little oh really’s.

Basically, these chemicals are in EVREYTHING people! 

My wish for you is to also start your own journey into really deliberating over what you’re using in your home, on your body or on your babies. 

What do you say!? YOU and ME toxic FREE! Yes, I have some nachos for that cheese.

Baby products I could never live without and I suggest you don’t either:

These products are in no certain order and some of them aren’t items you might use might use past the 4 month mark, but nonetheless, all of these make my mommy essentials list.

That being said, I have spent countless hours toiling away in stores or at Amazon (my love) searching for baby products that would make me and my husband’s life easier. I have a 7 month old, so I won’t have anything listed for toddler years because I am not there yet. If you have any suggestions for me though at that point, please chime in! 

1.       The wubbanub

Once you get past the fact the pacifier is not removable (that’s the point), you will see this is an ingenious little product. Not only is it super adorable, and you get all Of Mice and Men when you see your baby using it, it’s pretty functional. For the ittle wittle babies it’s a great sleeping aid. If your baby is like mine and just sleeps better with a binky in their mouth, this works. For when they cannot hold it yet, you can prop it in their mouth's. It helps them to relax and fall asleep. It’s better as they get older because they can hold it and play with it at the same time. Here you go kiddo!

 

2.       Sleep sacks

They have many different names, but look for the ones that zip up. Being swaddled looks torturous to us, but the babies love it, let’s just get over it. Yes, some babies aren’t havin that, but for the majority, it just works. I suggest the zip up because it’s a no brainer and swaddling to me is just tedious, I don’t have time for that.

 

3. Cloud B Sleep Sheep

I discovered very early into mommy hood that white noise was the best invention ever! It has been a key factor into my baby’s talented ability to fall asleep on her own. It relaxed her in the car when she went through her, “I hate this car seat” phase and now when she hears it, she knows its bed time. Any white noise maker will do if you can’t get this one. There are dozens of free iphone apps I used just as much, if not more.

 

4.       Cloth Diapers

I began using cloth diapers when my baby hit right around 3 months. Before I looked into, I was totally against them, and if you haven’t converted yet, I was just like you. In your best whiny voice you might think, “They’re gross”, “Too much laundry”, “Poop in my washing machine!? Umm No”.

Listen up! None of this is true! They are the best thing ever since sliced bread. The washing is easy and no poop is in your washing machine honey! They save you tons of money, and best of all you’re keeping your baby away from the harmful toxins found in your 150 pack of Huggies. They are so stinkin cute! Once you start, I promise you will become obsessed! Suggestion for slackers like myself: The Best Bottom Diapering System (this one takes the fear out of it).

 

5.       Baby food maker

As you will soon learn I am all about calling out toxic products and avoiding them, especially for my baby. Yes, they have organic baby food, but it’s prepackaged and some of them have one too many ingredients to really be safe. Making your own baby food is really worth it. You get to hand pick your babies nutrients and start off their taste buds early. Who wants a picky eater? I have a niece that will only eats chicken nuggets and I often want to talk to her like she isn’t related to me. 

 

               

6.       Baby Carrier

Please, please, please, if you are a new mom-hop on this train! There are a lot of great baby carriers on the market. Avoid Baby Bjorn- it will jack your baby’s hips up. My favorites are, The Boba Carrier, The Hava, The K’Tan and the Ergo. There are actual studies that have been conducted that baby carrying will make your baby cry less and it also adds a big boost to their vocabulary. Added bonus: if you like to shop, pop the kiddo in there and they will leave you to it.

 

I really have tons more product suggestions, but I think I will individually feature them. I don’t want to make this post as long as I really could.

I implore you to buy these products. Especially if you are a new mom, they really will make your life much easier.

"I just do NOT want children"

You’re pregnant?!

It’s not too long ago I became a mom for the first time. The “Really!?” moment shared by most of my friends and family has long since passed as I am now 7 months into this gig. Their surprise came from the fact that I decided to have a baby after ages of refusing parenthood as an option for me. For as long as I have known, I have been the, “I don’t want kids--EVVERRR” chick and that was just how it was. Every time I would express this to anyone of course, I would get a lot of, “Pfft…you’ll change your mind when you meet THE ONE.” I believed that was the cheesiest thing I had ever heard in my life and would quickly dismiss that possibility.

I think a lot of the opposition to becoming a mom was soured from the fact that I was the youngest of 2 older sisters, sisters that had become moms themselves when I was fairly young. One of my sisters decided she would become a mom at 16 years old even. Well, I doubt she decided this, but she sure became the Leah, Dawn and Janelle of her day. On top of this my mother became a nanny...oh did I mention, in my house?! I spent many of my teen afternoons hiding in my bedroom from the cries and smells of babies, all of that looked horrible and depressing from where I stood.

This is how bad it got…

I remember solidifying my own pact to never have children one day when I attended the Ringling Bros. Circus. I am a big animal lover and I attended just to see the animals (don’t judge me). Yes, later I discovered this circus is a hotbed of animal abuse and as a side note, I will never attend this again, but that’s neither here nor there. So-- I am in the audience and I see a family of 5. I look at my best friend and ask her, “How the &%*# do you afford to take a family to things like this?! Yes, I have a potty mouth (don’t judge me). Probably another reason I didn’t want kids. We both loosely calculated by the time they sat in their seats, with their concessions and souvenirs just for each kid to throw under their bed the minute they got home, it would have been something I would never pay in my life.

They say never say never for a reason….

Soon after that time, I was home in bed watching The Tyra Banks Show (I miss that show man). The topic was about couples who had decided they NEVER wanted children. My PEOPLE! I paid close attention as I heard each woman on the panel speak my own thoughts. One lady even wanted elected surgery to have her tubes tied. She mentioned that all the doctors she sought for this basically told her to leave their offices with that nonsense because anyone her age should never elect to take away their own right to procreate. I was offended for her, why not?!

Ohmigawd I am the cliché they said I would become…

I’ll spare you the how we met details, but I became the cheese ball I declared I wouldn’t. I met my soul mate, I wanted to have his baby, and the fever broke I guess, because all of the sudden I was ready to be a mom. We were blessed because it was way easier than I thought to become pregnant. Upon finding out, my husband was happy, but I was in complete shock, and I was even in denial. Once the disbelief that I was actually preggo left, I was so excited that this was happening. It had all come full circle and I was pregnant, I was going to have a baby, I couldn’t wait to buy her popcorn and overpriced light up souvenirs that she would throw under her bed and the rest is history…there you go, a cliché to follow my own cliché.

7 months later 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE being a mom! Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be the Von trapp family and have a slew of them, but I have found my daughter to be the best thing this earth has to offer. I often get sad thinking I was so dead set against ever having her at one point in time. Deciding to become a mom was the best choice I ever have made, next to marrying her dad of course. This is me, cheese ball all the way and the happiest I ever could be!