Personal Lesson

My lesson for the day: If a recipe sounds too good to be true, it probably tastes like crap!

I learnt this lesson the hard way this afternoon. I was hungry, so hungry I could eat anything, well...almost everything. With my husband working 2 jobs right now we have been low on groceries since we only own one car. I can walk to the corner store if need be, I can walk to the big grocery store if I really feel like walking. But both the baby and I have been sick. Its the kind of sick that makes your whole body feel like your pulling weights behind you. We are both very congested and my asthmatic butt is not walking anywhere far from my nebulizer. So I had to come up with a solution to my rumbling tummy without leaving the house.

My idea came to me on Pinterest. Pinterest has never failed me. However, I have had many Pinterest-fails. This one however, was not my fault. This was a case of having a bad recipe. See, things that are "quick" most of the time aren't tasty. That is why when I find something relatively quick and it actually taste great I put it here. There is a reason why there will be no recipe attached to this post. The recipe I found was for simple sesame noddles. Essentially it is Ramon noodles without all the crazy preservatives. It was great, everything needed I had. The ingredients were noodles/spaghetti, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, rice vinegar, pure sesame oil, hot chili oil, canola oil, and green onions. It said it would only take 10 mins which I only had 15 until my eight year old got off the bus. I made this easily and was so happy I found something so easy that doesn't require me to buy extra ingredients I don't usually keep on hand. I made up a bowl of these noodles, I took one bite and spit if back into the bowl. Yuck! It tasted worse then Ramon noodles!

I learnt an important lesson from this experience. Quick food often doesn't taste very well. Put the effort into cooking, it will reflex the quality in the taste.

Chow Mein

The Chow Mein....

Ingredients
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 (5.6 oz) packages refrigerated Yaki Soba noodles (found in the produce section of the grocery store)
2/3 c. chopped celery
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and black pepper. Set aside.
Remove Yaki Soba from packages and discard included flavoring packets. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.
Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add celery and onion and saute for about 1-2 minutes or until onions start to become soft and transparent.
Toss Yaki Soba noodles and soy sauce mixture with the vegetables over medium-high heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until noodles are heated through.

I love this recipe, its super easy and it has most of the same fresh ingredient as the Orange Chicken. Its easy to prepare the sauces for both the orange chicken and the chow mein to cook later. I will prepare it while the baby is napping at like noon, I'll cover it and put it in the fridge and then cook it at dinner time.I used to put in cabbage but my husband and I have found it better without it. If you choose to just add the cabbage after you saute the celery and onion.

The Second Child

I recently read a blog that gave 5 reasons why your second child has it easier. I read it and couldn't disagree more. I realized that my two children, even though my parenting is very much the same, are growing up completely different. Just having the other sibling has an effect on the other one's life so greatly that it makes everything different.

Here are my reasons why my second child has it harder than my first.

Less Mommy time.
This is the biggest give in. The truth is, no matter how much you try to manage your time there will be less mommy time for both children once there is another child in the mix. This is natural, you are only one person after all. But my first child had 100% of my attention which means she never had to cry for anything. I got to her needs before she even knew she needed something. Diaper changes where usually in the middle of her actually doing her business which means I was changing a diaper after I already changed a diaper. I feed her at the first sign of hunger. I watched her sleep in her crib and she spent many hours of her first year sleep on my chest on the couch. Nothing would interrupt me cuddling with my first daughter. Now, I'm lucky I can get through nursing without having to get up for something. There is no quiet day dreaming while a baby cuddles up to me. Its a lot of cleaning up toys, spills in the kitchen from my oldest trying to pour her own drinks, and a rush of the morning routine.

Routine rules now
The daily routine that revolves around my oldest makes my youngest the second priority. There were no routines when my youngest was a baby. She always woke up naturally. I made doctor appointments around her usually nap times and feeding schedules. Life revolved around my oldest daughter's routine. Life still revolves around my oldest's routines and my youngest has to follow this schedule. I have to wake up the baby in order to get my oldest to the bus stop on time. Sometimes I'm also waking her from her nap to get her sister from the bus in the afternoon. I put off nap time for dance class on Saturdays. Doctor appointments are made whenever I can make it work between school bus pick up, drop off, driving distance now that we live in a town with the better school district when we used to live right by the doctor's office. Life is just busy with another child.

Less room.
With more children, you accumulate more stuff. I have my living room jam packed with baby stuff. There is a swing, an exersaucer, a bouncy seat, changing pad, a package of wipes, a small stack of diapers, blankets on every piece of furniture, and a pack'n play in the corner I can unfold if I need it. I had all these things for my oldest, in fact, most of them are my oldest child's. But when it comes to toys my oldest doesn't want to part with many of her stuff animals and even a few baby toys because she is very attached to them. Her glow worm for instance, was one of her lovelies growing up. She wants to save it for her children and doesn't want her sister chewing it anymore than it already is. I get that, I'm the oldest in my family as well. Though I parted with things, there are some things that are just "sacred". But this means more stuff of my oldest daughter's in my second bedroom, the one that eventually both girls will share, an little room for my youngest daughter to have. My youngest is spread out between three rooms. She has one toy box in the second bedroom, one toy bin in the living room, and a few toys in a basket in my room along with her crib, and a few other items. Her clothes are in a dresser in the second bedroom but her sheets and blankets are in my bedroom and her bibs are in the kitchen. My youngest daughter really has no place of her own.

Hand me downs
Even with the large gap between my two children, the majority of my youngest daughter's things are hand-me-downs. Everything from clothes, to nursery items, to toys are passed down from big sis. Few things have been bought for my youngest which brings me to my last point.

Lack of quality
Hand-me-downs are only a part of my youngest daughter's wardrobe. The rest is bought at stores like Walmart and Target at the lowest price. My oldest daughter got beautiful clothes. I went through this phase of buying nothing but classic Winnie the Pooh items, then it was Disney Princesses. Everything was pink and pretty. With my youngest, its whatever was the least expensive. Her baby bathtub is ugly and doesn't have the sprayer attachment like her sister's had. Her infant car seat doesn't match the stroller (which also matches the swing and highchair. Yup, its all from big sis). Her bowls and bibs are cheap solid colored nothing special when big sis got everything Princess from the Disney store. Children are expensive and with each one added to the list, the less money you have.

It can be tough being the second child, though it can be true for the oldest as well. It can tough being the pet when a new baby comes along. I think the phrase "the grass is always greener." applies here. I would love to revist this topic when both kids are older. Time might just change how things are done around here.

Orange Chicken

One of my favorite things to make is orange chicken. Its a great recipe and paired with chow mein (for the recipe click here) it has many of the ingredients which cuts down on your grocery shopping for this dinner.

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
white pepper
oil (for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red chili pepper
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Orange Sauce for Stir Fry:

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 orange, zest of

Directions:

It is easier to prepare the orange sauce first. Put soy sauce, water, sugar, white vinegar, and orange zest in a bowl. Whisk it up and set aside. In a large bowl stir together egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the oil and mix well. Stir cornstarch and flour together. Mix flour mixture and egg mixture. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat. Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp. (Do not overcook chicken). Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry until fragrant; about 10 seconds. Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken. Heat until sauce is thickened. Stir in sesame oil last minute. Take off heat and serve over rice.

Mother's Day gift Ideas

Mother's Day is fast approaching! Here are a few gift ideas....

Alex and Ani

I can't get enough of these bracelets! I not only enjoy getting these bracelets, I enjoy giving them. They are a perfect gift for any woman, a collector or not. You can also buy Alex and Ani at most The Paper Store.

Lisa Leonard Design

Continuing on the idea that mom might like some jewelry, there are these custom jewelry that cute and fun and not pricey. Don't forget to sign up for their newsletter and get 15% off!

Lush

Some moms just want to relax on Mother's Day. So what better gift than a nice soothing bath with one of Lush's bath bombs and soaps. There are many gift packages to choose from or pick a few out yourself and put them in a nice gift bag. 

Edible Arrangements

Sometime mom would rather indulge in something delicious for mother's day. Forget boring box of chocolates, you can't eat flowers but you can buy mom a beautiful edible arrangement.

Hope some of these ideas help you this Mother's Day!

Moby Wrap

When I found out I was pregnant with Freya I was watching two year old twins. In warm weather I enjoyed taking the twins out for walks in their stroller. I also took them to Morrigan's bus stop in their stroller. How was I going to take the twins and an infant to the bus stop? I was trying to come up with a solution when my husband told me he had the option to get a Moby wrap for free. Since it was for free I took it. A wrap would allow me to carry Freya and have my hands free to push the twins in their stroller.

Before I had a Moby wrap, I honestly thought these wraps were far too much work. I also worried about the safety of basically tying a baby to you. But once I got my Moby wrap and tried it out a few times with a doll, it completely changed my opinion. Luckily, Moby wrap doesn't only offer a guide in with the wrap but there is a YouTube channel that actually shows you how to tie the wrap. The wrap is very easy to tie and its very secure. You may have to try it out a few times to learn how to tie the wrap to fit you and baby the best.  I have a long torso so I had to bring up the wrap on my stomach a bit higher than the instructions indicated. The first time I put Freya into the wrap she was far too low. She was face first in my boobs. The instructions are simple enough that it was only logical for me to start higher up on my stomach.

Fair warning though, if you have a baby that runs hot like mine only put them in either light clothing or even just a onie. My poor babes was cranky and sweaty the first time I wore her in the wrap. I had to take her out, which is a lot easier than you think, strip her done to a onie, and put her back in and she was fine after that.

The wrap has also been helpful while breastfeeding. If you are considering to babywear with a wrap, which I now can recommend. I have used my wrap when I was out as a cover. I even wear Freya around the house so I can do house work during Freya's cranky times. Sometimes a baby just needs to be close to Mommy and sometimes Mommy has to do things at that moment. My Moby wrap has been a life saver in those moments.

There are two different wrapping methods, folding and gathering. I have learnt from the Moby YouTube channel two holds. One being the newborn hug hold and then the hug hold for the 3 months and older. Freya didn't like the newborn hold as she has always hated being swaddled. But once she was of age I tied it so her legs could dangle in the 3 months wrap she was fine. 

So, if you have been on the fence about these wraps I can say I was skeptical at first but really these wraps are great. Here are some videos instructing you how to tie a Moby Wrap.

Moby Wrap gathered 

Moby Wrap folded

Newborn Hug Hold

Kangaroo Hold

3 Month + Hug Hold

Moby Safety Check

This is not from Moby Wrap but a good video to show another newborn hold, the cradle hold.

This is also not a Moby Wrap video but this is the best instructions on hold to use the Moby wrap during nursing.

For those with Twins, this too is not a Moby but I thought I should include a wrap hold for twins.

I personally do the folded wrapping and I have used the Newborn hug hold and the regular hug hold. I have not used kangaroo hold. My advice is to try a hold a few times with a doll or a stuffed animal with legs. Pretend its your baby so you can feel what it is like to have to support a baby while putting them into the hold. 

Freya had a strong preference on what side she liked to put her head on me. She only would rest her head on my left shoulder. So I would pull my left side in first, it would be the side closest to my body. Also you can tuck in things into the side of the wrap, which I never thought of until I watched Making Life Simple, Check her out here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbSmFV37Njy3fzbbESpZfwQ She also made the great suggestion to put your wrap on at home. Not only does this prevent you from dragging the wrap on the ground, yuck! It also works great for those of us in New England and other colder areas to make a quick exit from the car. Where the Moby is so warm for you and baby so not only will baby be dressed lightly but so will you. On a cold day that you can't avoid the grocery store with baby in tow you are going to want the wrap on already so you are not standing there without a jacket in the cold shaking cold trying to wrap the Moby.

Moby Wraps are not the best fabric but compared to other wraps that can cost you over a hundred dollars, Moby Wrap is only $39.99 typically at Target and does the job just fine. Hope this little review helps those on the fence about using wraps and especially those looking into buying the Moby Wrap.

Happy wrapping!

April Vacation

Many parents still have to work during April vacation, but my husband and I are lucky to be home when our children are. With my husband working as a teacher this year we were able to enjoy more time together this school year then we ever have. Though we don't really have it in our budget to vacation, we don't lay around the house. We spent time with family and friends but also time with just the four of us. 

I was very excited to go to the Museum of Science over this break. Morrigan is so interested in every exhibit. We spent our time in only one wing of the museum missing the other 3 because Morrigan loves to really learn from each exhibit. Her love of learning makes the Museum of Science so much fun. I was a bit disappointed in myself for not taking my camera but we got a few pictures with our cell phones. 

Chris is a teacher so he received a card that allows him to get into the museum and many of the exhibits for free. It also gives him a discount at the gift shop as well. We got the library pass which gives us a discount for 4 tickets. Freya is free since she is under 2 so it would only be me and Morrigan that would need to pay for tickets. Chris however got us a membership for the year. He paid $85 which is a membership for two. It offers Free Exhibit Halls admission all year, Omni and Planetarium passes, plus Exhibit Halls guest passes, Free admission or discounted entry to 400+ select science centers and zoos worldwide, Subscriptions to Sparks! member newsletter and Member E-News, Waived service charges on advance reservations, 10% savings on your annual renewal when you sign up for the One-Step auto-renewal program. It also gives your discounts for Tickets to the Butterfly Garden and 4-D Theater Museum parking garage, 10% off purchases made in the Museum Store, and10% off dining selections at the Riverview Café. It also gives you special access to Member events and exhibit previews, Advance registration for summer courses and select lectures, and Priority service at the Membership Booth and at the box office. The regular tickets are $23 for me and $20 for Morrigan. Even if I didn't get anything but the tickets, after 2 trips it will pay for itself.

If you are looking for information on memberships at the Museum of Science Boston here is a link to the Museum Membership page.

Also, if you are a part of the Old Colony Library Network, simple go to the website and reserve your museum passes with your library card number. Library museum passes include Boston Children’s Museum, Massachusetts ParksPass, Museum of Fine Arts, Mystic Aquarium, New England Aquarium, South Shore Children's Museum, and Zoo New England. Starting in May, the Plimoth Plantation is also offered. Note that the New England Aquarium is only offered in day in which school is in session so no summer discounts are available for the New England Aquarium.

Our favorites ("our" meaning my family. I, on the other hand, am petrified of it.) exhibit is the butterfly garden. It was great watching Morrigan get excited when she saw a different type of butterfly. Freya also enjoyed herself but I think mostly she wanted to put every butterfly in her mouth. In fact she tried to eat a tree while we were there. Chris had to pull it out of her hands. 

 

I have a fear, okay, maybe not a fear but rather a general dislike of things with wings, more so insects with wings. I can handle large birds of prey, they are rather intelligent but fluttery things make me want to run. I am most afraid of moths. I think this stems from growing up in a house that the front porch used to be completely covered by moths at certain times of the year. After leaving the house after dark I would have moths up my pant legs and in my hair. Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl...YUCK! So you can imagine how difficult it is for me to walk through a butterfly garden. I did it the first time and the woman working in the exhibit assured me butterflies are not like moths, they fly around you rather than at you. Which seemed to be true and it brought me great comfort the next 4 times that I went.


This last time, I called her a liar!





Yes, the biggest butterfly in the room landed on my hand. I nearly peed my pants. I held him there while I was sweating bullets so a gentlemen could take a picture of his wings open. I did it in the name of good photography which never happened by the way. While his little fuzzy body tickled my hand every hair on my body stood on end.The guy with the camera waiting for the butterfly with the brilliant blue inside wings to open up said the worst possible thing to me. He said that it was a moth not a butterfly. I nearly passed out right there but Morrigan whispered to me that it was in fact a butterfly. I love having an intelligent kid. Even if she was wrong (which she wasn't) she always knows what to say to make her very anxious mommy feel better.

We also took in the lightening show right when Freya feel asleep. The noise would of been way too loud for her anyhow so only Morrigan and I went. It would of been Chris and Morrigan if she was awake as I am nervous leaving Freya since I'm her only source of food. It was shorter than usual but still just as fun. The Lightening Show at the Museum of Science Boston has the world's largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator. The show talks about conductors, insulators, electricity, magnetism, and storm safety. They even place a volunteer in a cage and hit the cage with bolts of electricity. The indoor lightning storm is so loud and sudden it usually causes at least one person in the audience to scream.

We left after spending 3 hours in the museum. Morrigan clutched a snow owl she got at the gift shop the whole car ride home and Freya ate the wing of her stuffed butterfly she got at the gift shop the whole car ride home. Chris and Morrigan both ate their space ice cream in the car. Chris also got a gyroscope as well. He opened it up as soon as we got home. Morrigan and Chris sat down at the table and played with it like two little kids. I got a straw cup with the logo on it. I needed a new one after my Bruins one fell out of the cupboard and broke, I'm practical like that.

We are already planning our next visit in 8 weeks. There is so much of the museum we haven't seen yet. Morrigan and Chris plan on doing these virtual reality machines that strap you in and you are enclosed in a capsule that turns and twists. It shows you a roller coaster and mimics the turns and loops like you are really on it. We also want to take in one of the Planetarium shows but we want to buy a sound reducing head set for Freya since babies at her age have such sensitive hearing. There is just so much you can do at the Museum of Science in Boston, I can't wait to go back!