Topic Tuesday: Milk and your baby - cows milk, goats milk, alternative milk and why

My 19 month old drinks coconut, almond, or hemp generally. I started him out on alternative milk after noticing that his tummy got upset when I fed him other dairy products. I'm lactose intolerant so I figure he probably is a little bit too.

My two have always just done regular cows milk. My youngest (who is 13 months) has just started drinking milk and has been doing just fine with it so we have opted not to try other milk since it is more expensive. I drink soy milk though (because I like the taste much better!) and so that is a treat my older daughter gets sometimes.

My 13 month old still nurses which we plan to do until he is two. He does however, drink coconut milk or almond milk as well. We pretty much nurse on demand and have a sippy cup lying around if he wants it. My plan was to pump a sippy cup for him and do just breast milk but haven't had much luck pumping after I stoped 7 months ago.

Topic Tuesday: What is your guilty pleasure food?

Claussen pickles (found in the refrigerated section of your store), a slice of cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, and of course Ben and Jerry's strawberry cheesecake ice cream... yum!

I love dark chocolate Silk Almond milk. It is so rich and delicious. Love it cold but it also makes the best hot chocolate ever

If someone told me I could only have one snack food for the rest of my life... I think I would have to choose Ice cream. I LOVE ICE CREAM!!! I've been on the Paleo diet which doesn't allow me to have my beloved ice cream, so I've had to improvise with this Banana ice cream. Try it out sometime, it's pretty darn good!

Topic Tuesday: What does your house look like right now?

I so wish I could tell you that my house was in tip top shape! No dirty dishes in the sink and no laundry in the wash... Sadly that's not the case in fact I've been telling myself for the past several hours to clean it up!  I keep negotiating with myself... "ok take a shower then unload the dishwasher...ok work on your website and then you HAVE to unload the dishwasher... Ok do your blog post and THEN unload the dish washer".... and here we are! So right now my house has dirty dishes in the sink... Clean ones in the dishwasher, a load of towels in the wash, and the trash can over flowing (I keep telling my husband that the trash is mans work!!) Not to mention my table looks like Hobby Lobby threw up on it! I'm in the midst of planing Bentley's first birthday and for the past month now the stuff on the table keeps growing and growing! anyway I should probably get to the dishes.... but then again maybe not!:)

So, a lot of my family will be visiting us tomorrow... meaning my house is pretty clean right now! I need to mop the floors in the morning still (with a messy eater in the high chair this chore always needs to be done!). And I do have some super stinky cloth diapers that need to be washed ASAP... While typing this I thought of this funny quote on pinterest. Haha, so so true! That is why I tell my husband we need to have people over to our house at least weekly :)

Right now my house feels dirty. Looking at the kitchen floor I see little pieces of food from yesterday's breakfast/lunch/dinner. So much needs to be put in its place: boxes taken to the post office, toys put away, jackets hung up. Its amazing how quickly things get dirty and how difficult it is to maintain true cleanliness! Setting aside time today...

Topic Tuesday: What are your guilty pleasure T.V shows?

Well I have to admit I have quite a few shows that I shouldn't enjoy as much as I do! My faves include, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Desperate Housewives [I'm sensing a theme here...;)], Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Gray's Anatomy and most recently Pretty Little Liars.

I've watched a lot of t.v in my day. I'd have to say my guilty pleasure t.v shows are Gossip Girl and Downton Abbey. Two completely different shows and both so addicting! Like Hannah, if I get hooked on a show I find it hard to not think about watching it all of the time.

                                                                      Honestly, I don't watch a ton of tv shows...  I just don't have much free time to watch them. And the problem is, if I get hooked on one, that is all I want to do! The three shows I do try to keep up on though are Modern Family, Downton Abbey, and Parenthood.

Topic Tuesday : What are 3 things you could do with your little one on a rainy day?

1. Check out this post with fun activities  involving masking tape
2. Have fun with this shadow puppet theater
3. Or set up a string scavenger hunt

Coming from Washington state it's pretty easy for us to adjust to those days when it's just possible to go outside. Here are 3 things we love doing:

1. Have a dance party - even my 17 month old loves dancing. I turn on a fun pandora station (usually veggie tales or Glee) and we get our dance on!

2. Draw with chalk - our new house here in Colorado has a chalkboard wall that's been super fun!

3. Hide and seek - it seems like my little guy can play this forever sometimes. It never gets old.

It has been so rainy here, so lately we have been doing these things:
1. Playing in our homemade potato sensory bin
2. If he will sit long enough, I love cuddling and reading books together. Here are some of our favorites.
3. Ok, I know I've mentioned this before but we love going to Target to walking the aisle.

Topic Tuesday: What is one item you could not make it through the day without?

My water bottle! I seriously take it everywhere with me because I drink a ton more water when I have it. Right now my favorite is this camelbak one.

I love my Timex watch/HR monitor. Its so nice not having to carry my phone with me wherever I go and being able to just glance at my wrist to see the time and date

My iPhone, Is that bad?! Some days I think of all the money I could save by not having a smart phone and then I think, "are you kidding, I can't live without it!!!!"

                                                                 

Topic Tuesday: What is your favorite quick and easy breakfast?

I love Malt-O-Meal! It is super fast, I usually just cook it in the microwave. I like to add a little soy milk and some brown sugar. It doesn't get much easier then that! My husband is not a fan of it at all so if I'm cooking for the two of us I usually do some type of eggs. Boring, I know.

 My favorite quick breakfast is a green smoothie. There is pretty much no prep and I always have tons of energy after I drink one. I usually throw in a banana, some frozen berries, ice, pre-washed spinach, kale, and swiss chard, and some almond/coconut milk 

One of my favorite easy breakfasts consists of two fried eggs with avocado slices on top. I will usually eat a piece of fruit too or an English muffin with peanut butter and honey!

Topic Tuesday: What is your favorite way to relax after a long day?

Somehow every day feels like a long day with a toddler lol. After we put Lewis to bed I immediately wash my face to prep for bed then grab my favorite book, something to snack on (I'm a horrible after dinner snacker lately!), and then I head to the living room to read/watch a show with the hubbs. Its so nice to just put my feet up at the end of the day and not have to "do" anything at all.

I do the same as Leah. I have a hard time getting motivated to work on any projects after a full day with the girls. So lately my evenings have included a huge bowl of popcorn sprinkled with garlic salt and the 3rd season of Downton Abbey :) This summer my hubby and I have also spent many evenings relaxing around our backyard firepit. It is a nice place to just hang out and talk and enjoy a few roasted starbursts (if you have never had a roasted starburst go buy some now... your welcome).

I absolutely love taking a nice candle lit bath at the end of the day! I've always loved getting in the tub even before having Bentely. In fact, I lived one year in Wyoming in a little old house with no tub. I can remember nights where I was almost in tears because all I wanted to do was soak in big bubble bath! Since then I've always told my Husband that the house we end up buying better have an amazing master bath with a huge tub.

Topic Tuesday: What is a Bible verse/saying that gets you through the day?

So I posted about this cd before, but I love to listen to Hidden in My Heart in the mornings while getting ready for the day. I find that I sing the verses to myself throughout the day and am so encouraged by them! One line in particular which usually pops up in my head throughout the day after listening to the music is "be still and know that He is God." That line helps me to not stress about things or to relax when I am having a hard day with the girls.


I have always loved this bible verse but just recently read it again for bible study: "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5 Its so encouraging to know that God loved me, knew me, and made a plan for me before I was even part of this world. Whenever I feel like I have no purpose, or I'm feeling sad and lonely it encourages me to reflect on the depth of God's love for me.

My all time favorite Bible verse is: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 I just love this. Whenever I feel stressed or unsure about the future (pretty much everyday!) I think about this Bible verse I am reassured that God has plan for me. He has a plan that may not be what I had in mind but it's Something even better!

Topic Tuesday: What are your favorite blogs

I have so many favorites! Here are the blogs that I check on a daily basis. Most happen to be food blogs...:

• Smitten Kitchen
• Daily Garnish
• The Fitnessista
• Minimalist Baker
• Sarcastic cooking

I too have so many favorites! Here are a few:

• Under the Sycamore (you will be taken in by the beautiful photography, DIYs, and honesty in her writing about everyday life with 5 kids!)
• The Creative Mama (the title explains itself but there is a little something for everyone there)
• Adventures in Pinksugarland (I love her style of photography!)
• Styleberry blog (just go there, I always find her posts inspiring)
•  1+1+1=1 blog (great homeschooling resource and lots of free printables)
• Katherine Marie (seriously, where does she find the time?!)

Here are my Top three:

• Turnip Tootsie
• Little Baby Garvin
• Young House Love

Topic Tuesday: What are you reading now?

Right now I'm reading The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan it is the first book in a 12 book series called The Wheel of Time. The verdict so far: I love it! Its classified as a fantasy and reminds me of both the Lord of the Rings and The Game of Thrones. There is a lot of great character development and dialogue as well as adventure and excitement. So excited to read the next 11 books :)

At the moment I am reading Desperate by Sarah Mae & Sally Clarkson. I am loving it and highly recommend it to any mama out there needing a little encouragement! I also just finished reading the Hunger Game Trilogy. I held off reading the books for a long time because I didn't think I would like them, but I finally gave in after watching the movie and I am so glad I did. They are really hard ones to put down so only start if you have a few days to devote to reading :)

I'm so bad about reading... I usually pick up a book read it for a few days and then forget about it. Once I remember that I need to continue to read it, I have to start over because I have forgotten what I had read! With that being said I'm trying really hard to be better at this and have started reading Twilight....I know, I know it's so 2005! But everyone keeps telling me that it's an easy read that you can't put down. So I guess I will be the test of that!

Topic Tuesday: What is in your diaper bag?

I have a very random assortment of...goodies in my diaper bag. I usually try to keep some diapers and wipes in there but many times forget to stock up! I also keep some wash cloths for wiping dirty hands/face/nose, hand sanitizer, baby sunglasses, wet ones for grocery cart handles, trail mix/ some other emergency snack, water bottle, and these awesome German animal figurines for Lewis if he gets bored.


Let's see I have quite a few things in my diaper bag! I can't leave the house without one to two of my fuzzibunz, wipes, and wet bag. I also make sure to keep my nursing cover and snack tower filled with puffs, Cheerios, and rice cakes. I love these face wipes  when he makes a mess and cleaning wipes for when Bentley drops his toys on the ground or if I need to wipe a tabletop off at a restaurant. I make sure to keep a few small toys on hand and a light weight blanket!

I am almost always carrying around the following: a cloth diaper or two, wet bag, wipes, nursing cover, burp cloth, snacks (for both girls and me!), my waterbottle, a few toys, change of clothes for the baby, my clutch (since my diaper bag is my purse right now), and my camera! I collect all sorts of other things in there so I try to clean it out every few days so it doesn't get too heavy :)

What are some of your diaper bag must haves???

Topic Tuesday: What is the one beauty product you can't live without?

Probably my chi hair straightener... I use this one and love it! I fought spending a lot money on a hair straightener for years but after having to replace my cheap ones every few months I finally gave in. It doesn't rip my hair out like the cheap ones and I can make it go super hot so I only have to go over each section of hair once or twice.

I love my Maybelline Define-A-Lash mascara. It doesn't clump and makes your lashes so long and beautiful. On those days when I don't have time to put on a lot of makeup I just apply a coat or two of mascara to brighten my eyes. Its perfect for a night out on the town or a day at the beach! Another added bonus is that it is super affordable and you can get it at pretty much any drug store/Walmart/Target, etc.

I am a huge MAC addict! With that being said however, I started using Smashbox BB cream and love it! I talked about it here in this post. I love it because it acts as a five in one.  All you have to do is put it on, throw on some mascara and lip gloss and you're good to go!

What do you love to use?

Topic Tuesday: How do you set aside time for yourself during the day?

Bentley's afternoon nap tends to be a little longer then the rest which gives me about an hour and a half to unwind. I take a nap, watch a show, or call a friend. I really try to use this time for me other then the house, that way I feel like I'm recharged and ready for the second part of the day!

I usually get a little time midmorning to myself whileAddy is napping and Madelyn is in roomtime. Most days though I use this time to finish getting ready for the day, start a crockpot dinner, clean up something, ect. But there is also typically an overlap in the girls' afternoon naps where I nap myself or read or blog or something. One thing I really want to start this summer with Madelyn is an independent reading time where we are all together in the same room but quietly reading our own books. She cannot read on her own yet but I still think it would be benificial for her to pretend read in her head/be able to look at the pictures quietly. Plus, the hope is that we will work up to 20-30 minutes or so and I will be able to read my own book without being interupted! I will let you know how this goes...

I take advantage of Lewis's afternoon nap to have time for myself. He usually naps for 2-2.5 hours so for the first part of his nap I work on cleaning up the house and for the second half I just do whatever I want: read, sew, blog, watch a show, nap, etc. I have found that I really need this time during the day to feel recharged. If Lewis doesn't take an afternoon nap for some reason I generally make time for myself after dinner when he is in bed.

Topic Tuesday: What is your daily routine?

We start most days at 7am. Bentley wakes up, I nurse him and then we spend the morning playing on the floor, reading books and just hanging out. I usually try to throw a load of laundry in during this time as well. Thanks to Hannah we also started doing 5 minutes of room time. So far that five minutes consists of him screaming in his room and me sitting by the door where he can't see me:(.  Between 8:30 and 9 he goes down for a nap. His first nap allows me to take a shower pick up the house, change over the laundry and that sort of thing. He wakes up around 10, 10:30 and has a snack (mango, Avocado, banana, something of that nature) This next chunk of time we usually go out. If we need to run any errands, visit any friends, or go to the park this is the time. He goes down for his next nap around 1. Now this nap is my time! I will spend it taking a nap myself, watching a show, or messing around on the computer. Bentley wakes up around 2:30 and we go for a walk, play outside, or play with toys inside. Throughout the day I try to get some cleaning in while he plays near by. His last nap of the day is around 4:30. During this nap I get dinner started and pick up toys that have been left out or whatever else needs done. He is up around 5:30 and hopefully Ryan is on his way home. We eat dinner and the three of us go for a walk. When we get home we start our bedtime routine: bath, nurse, story, and in bed by 7. Now we do have 3 different routines because Ryan works 3 different shifts. Not a whole lot changes but the days that Ryan doesn't go to work until 2pm we might do something more fun in the morning as a family.

So... I have a slightly different routine every day of the week because of my work schedule. But my routine on Monday/Wednesday is similar since I work in the morning and Tuesday/Thursday is similar since I work in the afternoon/early evening. Saturday is the day I do most of the cleaning and catch up on things around the house (unless it is my Saturday to work all day, which happens every 4 weeks). Sundays we go to church and spend time together as a family. Also, my girls come to work with me (we live at the place I work so half the time they are in the house napping or playing -super convenient). So anyways, this is what a typical Tuesday/Thursday looks like for me: 6am the baby wakes up and I bring her to my bed to snuggle and nurse and we both fall back asleep until around 7:30 when my other daughter comes in to announce she needs more cereal (my hubby is up when she gets up around 7 but then he leaves for work or school usually). We all do breakfast (baby gets some solids) and we get ready for the day. My oldest does her morning routine with an hour of roomtime at the end. Her roomtime usually coincides with the baby’s' nap at 9 so I have a little time to myself to finish getting ready for the day or do whatever I need to do around the house. The baby is up around 10:30 and I nurse her and then give her solids when we eat lunch around 11. We usually go out in the morning and do errands or meet a friend for a play date. If we go out early I will have the baby take her nap in the car seat. We are usually home by 12:15/12:30 for the baby to go down for her second nap and then I will play with my oldest/do things around the house/go to work. My oldest goes down for her nap at 2pm and we read a few books beforehand. The baby is up around 2:30 and I nurse her and then my oldest is up at 4 and she has a snack. If I am not working we do a learning activity or just play for a while. Or if I am working I will set my oldest up doing an independent craft (playdough, coloring, etc.) in the office by me. The baby will nurse again around 5:30 then go down for a short 45 min nap (she sometimes skips this nap though if her other ones have gone well during the day). I then make dinner and we eat around 6/6:30 (the baby gets some solids here too). We then clean up the kitchen and do a "main area" house clean up and my daughter starts her bedtime routine. Then we will do baths (every other night typically) or we will play in the backyard for a little bit if we have time. At 7:30 I usually put on a short show for my oldest (unless my husband is home) while I nurse the baby and put her to bed. I then hang out with my oldest for a little bit and finish getting her ready for bed and read some books before tucking her in around 8:30pm. The next two hours I have to myself to do whatever (blog, edit pictures, read, watch a movie while folding laundry of course, etc.). Or I hang out with my husband if he is home early enough (three or four days a week he will be at work until 10pm or so but he does come home throughout the day between work/school). I do a dreamfeed (meaning the baby nurses but she is half awake) at 10:30/11pm and then go to sleep! 

 

Our routine is fairly consistent each day. Our morning starts between 7 and 7:30 when Lewis wakes up. I nurse him and then we head down stairs for some breakfast. Breakfast is generally a leisurely affair. We eat slowly and relax. After breakfast we play in Lewis's room and I get him dressed and ready for the day. I generally try to get in a little exercise in the morning like a walk or run with the stroller. Around 9 or 9:30 Lewis goes down for a 45 minute nap (he is transitioning out of his morning nap) during which I jump in the shower and clean up our breakfast mess. After Lewis wakes up he eats a snack and then we usually run errands, grocery shop, or meet up with friends. I like to do one big activity per day just to get out of the house and mix things up a little. After our errands we come home and I fix us lunch and then we play some more (outside if it is sunny and inside if not) before Lewis's afternoon nap. His afternoon nap is usually around 2 or 2.5 hours long right now so I generally use the time to clean (a never ending endeavor), watch a show, read, or nap :) I need this time to re-energize each day and savor every minute. When Lewis wakes up from his nap he eats another little snack and then we go to the park or walk down the street to the mail box. After that Lewis plays in the living room/kitchen while I get dinner together. This can be tricky because he is usually a little fussy during this time of day and sometimes its hard to keep him occupied. When Jeff gets home from work we eat, he gives Lewis his bath while I clean up the kitchen, and then its bed time for Lew around 7:30/ 8

Topic Tuesday: What is one free/frugal date idea for you and your spouse?

Want to mix up your traditional movie night on the couch??? Grab a blanket and your laptop {or ipad, portable dvd player, ect}  and head outside to watch your movie while snuggling under the stars. If you can sneak away to a park that is even better, but most of the time we just do this in our backyard when our girls are asleep. Watch for my post soon on how I planned a whole year of fun and cheap dates for my hubby!




During the summer one of our favorite dates is to go to grocery store buy a bunch of fresh fruit and head over to the pool. It's a great time to spend together relaxing in the sun! If you don't have a neighborhood pool you can always grab two chairs and sit out on your patio. I think this is a great date because you don't have the distraction of a restaurant or the TV at home. you're just able to visit and hang out together outside.


 We love packing up some yummy sandwiches, sides, and drinks and heading to the park/our favorite spot around town to eat and people watch. Its a fun way to get out of the house and enjoy the summer weather. Research a spot you've never been to or invite friends for a double date!

Topic Tuesday: How do you deal with disobedience

We are starting a new weekly series here on Mother's Mouthful called Topic Tuesdays. Each Tuesday we will be discussing a different topic and would love to hear your thoughts as well! If there is a topic you would like us to discuss leave a comment or email us (mothersmouthful@gmail.com)



Lucky me we aren't quite there yet, Bentley is only seven months old. I know he is capable of understanding a lot of things I just don't think discipline is one of them nor does he do anything purposely wrong. Ryan and I are not for or against any type of loving discipline I think that every child is different and requires a different response to their behavior. Some might need a spanking were as others might just need a look. I guess we will find out what Bentley needs in months to come. (I'm really praying that a word or two does the trick, it makes me sad just thinking about spanking his cute little bottom!!)



We started "disciplining" Lewis when he started crawling because he was touching everything in sight! We would explain to him (and still do) which things around the house were a "no touch" and would give him a little flick if he kept touching it. The fire place/my plants are both good examples of things we didn't want him touching or getting into. Consistency (+ grace and love) and good communication are key to good discipline, weather you are spanking or giving time outs. So many people think that its not important to explain things to babies because they can't understand but I have found that our little guy understands so much more than I think! Now, at 14 months, I say "no touch Lewis" when he is about to touch an electrical outlet or something similarly dangerous and he immediately stops in his tracks. On the rare occasion that he does continue to touch something we tell him he is going to get a "consequence" (flick) and that's that. It definitely takes more effort on the part of the parents but I think its well worth it!

 

So this is pretty broad question because it really depends on the kid and the situation. But like both Leah and Tara have mentioned, consistency is probably one of the most important things no matter what kind of consequences you choose to use. Starting young is definitely key as well because it teaches them that there are boundaries from the very beginning. For our oldest (she is almost 4), we use natural consequences (for example if she thows a toy, she will loose it) and we also spank her. We use spankings mostly when she defies something we have asked her to do/don't do (for example, if I ask her to please not bang on the wall and then she contiues to do it, she will get a spanking). It gets harder and harder as they are older to be consistent because I feel like the areas are not so black and white. There are a lot of gray areas and I tend to be more lenient and my husband more strict. We try to talk about different situations and come up with a game plan ahead of time with how we are going to deal with something that is an issue (like whining) that way we are on the same page. Also when we are going into a situation that she has had hard time obeying in in the past, I try to talk to her about it beforehand. For example,the other day we were driving to meet a friend to go walking on a little trail and I told her that when I asked her stop running that she needed to stay in that spot until I told her she could keep going (her and her friend run ahead and she has a harder time listening when her friend is disobeying as well). So we talked about it ahead of time and I told her that even if her friend disobeyed her mom that she didn't need to worry about that and just to worry about herself. Talking about it before worked great and her friend even obeyed better because she saw my daughter obeying. Another thing we do is help her pray after we discpline her (to ask for forgiveness or to help her change her attitude, ect). So anyways this is just a little bit about how we handle disobedience from our daughter. One important thing to keep in mind is that the goal is to teach little ones through discipline instead of simply punishing them for a bad choice they made!