Bento-so-awesome!!

I have discovered Bento!! And I LOVE it!! Reilley is not yet old enough to get the idea of a puzzle shaped sandwich but I figured I will get these things that I (ahem) need, so I have them ready for when he is.

It all started after a conversation about polenta, I suggested maybe we can make some cute little shapes that he could possibly feed himself with. Then I remembered about the bento sites I have been looking at, so decided to get a 'starter' kit from Neat To Eat. There are heaps of other places around that sell bento items but I wanted to get something then and there, so ordered a few things and waited.

Much to my surprise they arrived 2 days later!! Yippee! At the moment most of what I ordered isn't suitable for an 8 month old so I decided to make Reilley some boiled eggs for lunch, as well as some cute little polenta shapes. So first off the eggs: I got these 2 egg moulds, a fish and car.

Having never made these before I was a bit unsure on how they would go. I boiled the eggs, peeled them while hot (THAT was difficult!) and placed them into the moulds. So far so good! I squished them down and placed them into a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes was up I opened them with caution, not knowing if I opened it too fast they would break. Success!! A fish and a car shaped egg!! That is just SO cool!! Reilley will love these when he is older! But for now I have to cut them into smaller pieces, but that's OK, at least they worked!! I think I might have to get some more egg moulds now!

Next step was the polenta. I had cooked and cooled it earlier this morning so it would be ready for Reilley's lunch. I only added vegetable stock to it as I thought I would try plain polenta and see if he likes it. (I was also going to fry up the rest for us adults to go with dinner tonight!).

All I had to do was cut out shapes. For this I had bought some little shape cutters - though any cookie cutters would work. I got these ones because they were little quite little, and knowing Reilley hasn't handled large pieces of food in the past, these would be absolutely perfect. Plus they are tiny and cute which I like! :) I figured I would just do a few shapes to start with to see how they work.I chose the smaller of the shapes and started stamping away at the thinner part of the polenta.

This also worked really well, the polenta did get stuck in there but a simple poking tool fixed that problem and I pushed them out easily. I made a small handful of shapes and put them on the plate ready to go.
While I was doing all of this Reilley had come into the kitchen and I heard him behind me banging on something. He just worked out not only how to open the kitchen cupboards, but how to keep them from swinging shut. Then he worked out there were plates! (hmmm cupboard locks are now on the shopping list!)

 

Well, that's all done so it is time for lunch! I put the cut up egg onto the plate with the polenta. It was a decent lunch. Let's hope he likes it!

Woo-hoo! He loved it! First of all he grabbed a piece of egg and put it in his mouth. He wasn't quite sure of it but after a few chews he realised it is food, and he went in for more. The polenta got squished between his fingers for most of the lunch, but he did eat a lot of it too. In the end I think he ate roughly 3/4 of his lunch which I was super impressed with. He also didn't choke on ANY of it which was a major win in my books. He also enjoyed the bland-ness of the egg and polenta, which is great. I think I will add more flavour next time but it was great to know he liked it as it was.

Overall I am SO HAPPY with these moulds and shape cutters, can't wait to cut shapes out of other foods now. I will also be getting more bento related products in the very very near future! 

Treasure Baskets

So I have a bit of time on my hands and decided to write a list for a few suggestions of items that can go into treasure baskets.

By all means search around your home to find what else you can put in, but don't go overboard with items.

If you find you have loads of items in the same category, consider making 2 baskets, maybe for different areas of your home! Try to limit the amount of items in each basket (5-15 per basket depending on size). Also use a low lying basket so that baby can easily grab out items.


*Remember to always supervise your child when they are playing with the basket

Plastic

• Measuring spoons
• Nesting tupperware
• Small toy animals or army men
• Toothbrush
• Small Calculator or old mobile phone
• Hair rollers
• Rubber ducks
• Mini silicone muffin moulds
• Water bottle filled with coloured rice
• Old CD
• Christmas ornament (no glitter!)
• Plastic lids
• Combs and brushes

Metal

• Jar lids
• Tea strainer
• Spoons (no knives or forks as they can be sharp and pointy!)
• Large bells
• Keyrings with keys
• Large Whistle
• Egg cup
• Chains
• Egg whisk
• Harmonica
• Music Triangle
• Large bulldog clip
• Cymbals
• Handheld mirror

Wooden

• Rattles
• Bobbins and cotton reels
• Cubes of wood (sanded)
• Castanets
• Clothes pegs (dolly type with no metal)
• Coloured beads on string
• Driftwood (make sure no bits can come off)
• Any wooden toys
• Napkin or curtain rings
• Honey dippers
• Coasters
• Sticks (sand off any pointy sharp bits)
• Wooden spoons of various sizes
• Mini rolling pin

Natural

• Shaving brush
• Feathers
• Bark
• Small raffia mat
• Polished bone
• Woolen ball
• Sea sponge
• Large shells
• Large leaves (make sure they aren't dry and crumbly)
• Cinnamon sticks
• Walnuts
• Large piece of cork
• River rocks
• Gourds and mini pumkins (squash are great)
• Whole pieces of fruit/vegetables (apples, oranges, lemons etc)
• Pine cones

Leather/rubber/textiles

• Bouncy ball
• Rubber tubing
• Bath plug (clean one!)
• Small pouch with scented herbs
• Golf ball
• Scarves
• Pompoms
• Cloth napkins
• Small box filled with fabric squares baby can pull out
• Fabric swatches (try different textures)
• Scrunchie hair bands
• Leather purse
• Doilies
• Silk ties
• Coloured ribbons

Paper & Cardboard

• Small notebook with spiral rings
• Paper or toilet roll tube
• Greaseproof paper
• Egg carton (6 pack is fine - no eggs!)
• Small cardboard gift boxes with lids
• Mini board books
• Thick card cut into interesting shapes

Other suggestions for treasure baskets can be:

• Mixed - filled with random objects
• Kitchen - anything from the kitchen (not sharp things)
• Food - filled with various food objects (make sure they can't bite big pieces off)
• Soft - toys, socks, flannels,hair ties, small fabric pieces, cotton wool
• Noisy - fill various sized containers with dried, coloured rice, lentils, dried beans etc, keys, bells...
  
• Colourful - anything brightly coloured! Fill bottles with water and add coloured glitter and metallic confetti.
• Scented - fill satches with scented items (lavender, rosemary, herbs, lemon, etc)

Its best that when you get your child to play with treasure baskets, you pick a time when they are well fed and awake - their enjoyment will last longer! Place the basket close to your child so they can reach each object easily. Give the child a new treasure basket every few days to keep the activity fresh. Regularly check the items in the basket to ensure they are still intact and therefore, not dangerous for your child to play with.
Once your baby becomes mobile, place baskets on shelves low to the ground so they can help themselves to different objects.

Reilley J | BONDS Baby Search 2013

FEEL FREE TO VOTE FOR MY LITTLE SQUISHY :)

So I decided to enter my son into a competition to be one of the faces of baby Bonds (the clothing people)

I am sure he is the absolute cutest baby around so will surely win (out of the millions of other entries....)

But just in case he isn't a sure winner, I would GREATLY appreciate it if you could click on the link below and vote for him. Will only take a minute and you could make this mumma very happy if he were chosen!

It is a long shot buy hey, someone has to win right?!

------->  Reilley J | BONDS Baby Search 2013 <--------

THANK YOU IF YOU DO VOTE!!!! xxxx

The world of MCN

I have decided to try out MCNs. Well.......where do I start!! First of all there were SO many acronyms floating about: OSFM, AI1, AI2, CC, as well as the insane amount of BRANDS!! The list goes on! I had to work out what all of these meant before I could even begin to think about doing this.

Lots of research and question asking followed my decision and I *think* I have most of it worked out. It actually isn't as bad/difficult as I first thought!

My partner took a bit of convincing. It does seem like a bit more effort involved rather than using disposables, but in the long run it WILL save us money, so can't be too bad surely!

Now, the other thing to decide is what kind do I start with? There are many, many different options to choose from when it comes to MCN. Prefolds, pockets, AIOs or AI2s, velcro, snaps, sized, OSFM (one size fits most).... AARRGGHHHH!!! 

The other problem was my chunky baby. Some brands won't fit over his huge thighs! I decided to get some CC's to begin with until I get the hang of using them, and I won't have spend loads on them in case they don't work. I bought 5 to start with. I am also hiring a nappy trial pack from Ecobums. These are great, they give you a range of different brands to test out - try before you buy! I will be picking the pack up in the next few weeks but until I do, its CC testing all the way!

I do hope they work well, there are SO many different colours and prints, all too cute! Can't wait to see his little bum covered in a cute print! :)

The tooth hurts

My little bubby turned 6 months old today. Happy half birthday Reilley! To celebrate I got him a 2nd hand baby walker for only $10!. Bargain. I was going to get brand new but figured if he didn't like it I haven't wasted a lot of money. Good for the ol' hip pocket that!

I plonked him in and he didn't really get it. Not surprising considering it it yet another thing he has to learn! He will work it out anyway I'm sure. Baby has smarts!

He was in a grizzly, poop machine mood today too. Mum was babysitting while I had to work and he just wasn't the same happy baby I normally leave her with! Something was up. I thought maybe it was the change in formula perhaps? (Yes he is formula fed, not my initial choice but it had to happen). Later on in the night I get him gums again. They were super hard and lumpy earlier today but I wanted another feel to confirm there was no teeth.

Oooh sharp!! Huh? Hang on, sharp means teeth right? Oh my!! Reilley has sprouted a tooth!! His teething toys must have helped to break the gum. POOR BUBBY!!

'First time mummy' me decided to show her face and I went into overdrive!! Silly I know, but I just sort of got all worried!! Took his temp, it was a high 37.8, gave him panadol which he instantly threw up. 3 times. Worried he was too hot or too cold.....thirsty, but will it hurt his speck of a tooth?? Aaargh!! He was nothing. Just in a bit of pain and likely just not feeling great.

My advice for today - for people who like brand spanking new toys (like me) some second hand toys are great, so give them a go first!

Also, frozen teethers work an absolute treat! Especially the flatter ones. :-)

What made me start this whole blog....thing....

This basket of goodies is why I started this blog. Yep. A basket. It is called a treasure basket and I heard they are a hit with babies. Uh huh, not my baby who loves to play with something for a minute, then roll away to play with something else. OR find a tiny speck of something on the floor to play with.

Meh, what do I have to lose? I gathered a whole bunch of plastic items for Reilley to play with (this is a plastic themed basket) These items included:

• Buckets and cups
• Old CD
• REALLY old film canister (for all you old folk around who know what film is!)
• Tape measure
• Plastic container with rice inside
• Paperclip holder
• PEZ dispenser

Thats it. I really couldn't find many more items that may be 'suitable' for a 6 month old to play with. Ahhhh what the hell, this will do! I plonked it in the middle of the lounge and waited for Reilley to wake.

2 hours later.....

FINALLY he woke, after a change and feed I placed him in front of his treasure basket. OHHHH I MUST SAY....I tried this the other day but he got distracted by his other toys lying around, so this time I took them ALL away.

Needless to say it was a hit! For a while. He pulled out the cup and basket first, banged them together for ages. I atually took them away after a while to get him more interested in exploring the basket. He went through and slowly picked out each item and played with them.

I sat back and watched as he inspected each item, turning it over and around, tasting it, waving it about. It was actually really fascinating to see him looking at these items so intently! His favourite items were the CD and tape measure.

Getting started.....where to begin

Now this first initial post will be HUGE! I will explain the reasons WHY I started this blog, and where I began. 
Blogs. Never really wanted to start one, never really interested at all either. But now things have changed. I am a Mum.

Everything changes when you become a first time parent. And I mean EVERYTHING!! You can pretty much say goodbye to your old care-free life, now you have a helpless human being to look after. And helpless is an understatement! They can not do a single thing for themselves. Exept poo. And spew. Crying...

If you want to prepare for children, get a litre of milk and leave it outside for a week. Once the week is over, tip a little bit on your self each day for a month, and ONLY use a wet wipe to remove it. Or your sleeve. Or possibly leave it there all day. Once you can handle that, grab a sack of potatos and cart it around with you to every single place you go, even around the home. If you don't think its too bad, you will probably enjoy a child.

In saying all of this though, I really would change nothing. Not a thing. Seriously! Being a mother is the absolute best job in the entire universe, watching your tiny baby grow into a tiny person, learning new things everyday and then practicing these skills to refine them. It is amazing.

Then there are things I have learnt too. Poo and spew ARE actually ok. They won't kill me if I touch them. In fact, even when he spewed on my FACE, it didn't harm me at all. Who would have thought huh?!

There are also things I realise I never knew. Looking after babies is easy! (Providing you happen to give birth to an awesome child!) Reilley is the most content, happy, smart little boy. Oh, and totally gorgeous! :) He is cool with just sitting on the floor by himself and playing while I get house work done. Along with having an awesome little bub here are a few of the other things I have learnt:

• Lack of sleep is really not as bad as you think. (I have not slept better since having a baby!)
• Patience is a virtue.
• You can never have enough spew rags....
• The amount of stuff you can get done while baby sleeps is amazing!!
• The amount of things you can do with one hand is also amazing!!
• You CAN have too many toys - and frankly, it's not necessary.

Im sure there are loads of other things I have learnt too but for now that will do. By creating this blog I hope to inspire someone. Anyone at all. Just a single person I do not know, and I will be satisfied. I would like to be able to provide the average Mum with some neat and handy ideas for helping to raise their children, as well as a few other random, fun, interesting bits and pieces. Home. Garden. Anything that I, as a half SAHM, half working mother, can do.

So in saying that, I will get my blog sorted out, work out what I am doing and hopefully come back with a shorter post! :)