Tag: Momma

Our Gardening Journey week 6

Our Gardening Journey week 6

by alexa parisi ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

So this week I had made some major changes to our garden. I not only managed to repot some plants but I somehow ended up buying more seeds to grow more flowers and vegetables.

The first thing that I did was I repotted some of the vegetables and flowers. Weeks ago I bought some special trellises that came in a pack of 3 and can hold up to 40 quarts of soil. So far they are holding up really well. I desperately needed to replant the green beans and cucumbers. However, my tomatoes are taking some time to grow so those won’t be getting transplanted for a while. I also replanted the Jumping Junipers and Sweet Williams into two flower hanging pots. Every thing that I bought off of Amazon is linked below. If you click on the Amazon link you will be directed where I bought my items.

The second thing that I did was I somehow ended up back at home depo to buy more vegetable seeds. This time however I bought purple coneflowers, bell peppers, and a different kind of tomato called a cloudy day hybrid tomato.

Overall, I’m excited to see our little garden grow! You can certainly say that I caught the gardening bug! I’m hoping to make our backyard into our own little piece of heaven.

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My top advise for new moms

My top advise for new moms

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So one thing that I really want to talk about and get off my chest is advise for new moms. This is something that I dealt with my whole pregnancy and the first year of my sons life. Everybody is going to give their own two sense about your child. When I mean everyone I mean everyone. While some advise is great, however, some of it is not so great. At first it was irritating but I’ve learned a few things a long the way.

The first thing is that you don’t have to please anyone. What I mean by that is you don’t have to say yeah I will do that. You can say flat out say no or say sorry but that doesn’t work for us parents. For example, when I was pregnant a lot of people told me oh you should get him pacifiers. I flat out said no because for one thing it will mess up his teeth and for another it will be a power struggle to get him off of them. However, when I had him he had to have a pacifier when he had jaundice to keep himself “occupied” so he wouldn’t pull down his mask while under Billie Rubin lights. I only let him have it then and after he came off of the lights I took away the pacifier because it was causing all of us sleep issues. It took him a few days to adjust but he was fine without it and we all slept better without it.

Secondly, you are the parent you know your child best. If you don’t like what someone is doing to your child or the unsolicited advise that they are giving you just say hey I’m the parent I’ll decide what is best for my kid. Better yet I would say that’s something that is between me and their pediatrician.

Lastly and most importantly follow your gut. If you agree to whatever advice is given to you then that’s great but if you don’t then that’s okay too. Just remember at the end of the day that you are the parent.

Overall, that is your child. As mom to mom and parent to parent no one knows how that kid is better than you. Take every piece of advise with a grain of salt.

How to make edible paint

How to make edible paint

by alexa parisi ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

So this week I wanted to do something really fun with my son. He is still too little to hold paint brushes or crayons and I didn’t want to spend a ton of money either. So I decided to try out finger painting with him!

The first thing that I did was I bought poster paper from CVS. No it wasn’t a big poster board but it was poster paper that was cut down. I wanted something that was thick. I didn’t want to buy construction paper because I wanted the paint to really pop on the page. Poster paper is thick enough to put on a lot of paint and it not be totally soaked though.

The second thing that I did was make the paint. Buying the paint would have been much more simpler but you don’t always know what manufacturers put in those paints. Plus this paint is a lot easier to clean and it doesn’t stain like most store bought paints do. Below is the recipe that I used to make edible paint.

1/2 cup of flour

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of salt (optional)

Food coloring of your choice

Ziplock bags

Containers to store paint

First, you mix the flour and salt until they are well mixed. You don’t have to add the salt but I did because it adds a sensory experience for children. Then you add water and mix until it’s smooth. Then you divide up your batch into ziplock bags with how many colors to want to use. Then you put the food coloring into the bags and you shake them up! Then store it into containers. I slipped off the end of the bags like I was going to pipe a cake and let the paint come out that way into the containers.

Lastly, have fun with it! For my son it was his first time painting and he did get it all over him. I do have to recommend making your child take a bath afterwards! My sons facial expressions were so funny too. He was looking at me like what is this stuff mom? I wish I did take pictures of him painting though!

Over all this is a fun activity to do with the littles! They get to have fun and learn about colors. I would recommend doing this activity when they are young!

To breast feed or not to breastfeed that is the question

To breast feed or not to breastfeed that is the question

by alexa parisi ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

To breast feed or not to breast feed that is the question that crosses every womans mind when have their first child. I’m not for or against it but I’ve always had this notion that if it happens then it happens and if it doesnt then so be it. For many women this is a very sensitive topic and some will say yes do it all the way while others will say nah its not for me. Well, I was one of those that was in between. Yeah, sure I wanted to try it but it probably wasnt in my best interest to continue after the first year thanks to post partum.

While I am glad that I did it, however, a part of me knows that it isn’t in my best interest to do it again or at least for as long as I did it. I am fine with my second child, whenever we become pregnant, to have formula. We did supplement with my son until he started eating food. I really do think that pumping or breastfeeding, whatever you want to call it, really did play a huge part in my post partum depression. In fact I know it did because once I stopped I almost became like my old self again except with a kid of course! It was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders and I felt happier again. Of course I could feel my hormones shift but I felt happier and that I could really enjoy my son. Many women still get post partum without breast feeding but because of the hormone fluctuations I feel like it made mine worse. I strongly do encourage that if you do have post partum to talk to both your doctor and a therapist. I did and it sure did help me get the help that I did.

If covid didn’t happen then I would have stopped a lot earlier than when I planned to. However, since we were and still are in a pandemic, I decided to continue until my son turned a year old. I am all for the health benefits that it gives babies but for me it had a darker side that came in the form of post partum. Am I glad I did it? Yes I am glad because I stuck to my guns you could say when I had people tell me to literally give up. I’m glad I did it because I knew I was giving my son antibodies to fight covid after he got it from me. I’m also glad I did it because I really do believe it helps with protecting him from having allergies down the line. Overall, I’m glad I did do it.

So overall if someone were to ask to breastfeed or not to breastfeed I would say to look deep down inside yourself and ask why. If they still want to go through with it then i would say if in a few weeks you change your mind then you can stop. However, if you dont want to stop then hey more power to you!

My Covid baby one year on

My Covid baby one year on

by alexa parisi ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

So my son was born during the height of covid in 2020. I never would have thought that when I first got pregnant with him that he would be born during a pandemic. Like many other moms in 2020 I had so many plans of bringing him places and doing things with him that were shattered because of the pandemic.

If you would have asked me before covid who would I have liked to be with me at the hospital I would have said my family and friends. That didn’t happen. Instead it was just me and my husband. In some ways I did like it because we got to bond with him but in other ways I did not. It would have been nice to have someone their to help me out while my husband went back home to shower and eat.

When the whole pandemic started I heard on the radio one morning that this pandemic is going to take a toll on our mental state of minds for both adults and children. What they didn’t mention are the covid babies.

In my past career I was a Montessori teacher for toddlers. I’m used to being around kids that are active and a little bit socially mature both in and outside of school The thing that I find interesting about the pandemic is that all these babies that were and still are being sheltered are a lot more cautious when meeting new people or going out in general. When I’ve spoken with other covid moms that had babies in 2020 they have noticed the same reactions even if their child was their second baby. Every time my son meets new people or relatives he hasn’t seen in over 2 weeks he does this face that makes him look like he is mad. It’s honestly a funny and cute looking face though. It’s also kind of a sad reality that masks are normal for him outside of our house. Having a covid born baby is making me wonder what effects this is going to have on them mentally and socially later on down the line.

I will say though that the only good thing about being pregnant during a pandemic is the 6 feet away part because that kept people from touching me while pregnant. However, I’m hoping that the last part of 2021 and 2022 will allow us all to hopefully go back to somewhat normal.

Top 5 items to buy for baby

Top 5 items to buy for baby

by alexa parisi ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Disclaimer: I am not being paid for any of my opinions or advertising. These are mine and only my opinions only.

1. Mug/ bottle warmer for your car

Seriously I never thought about this before having my son but having a bottle warmer in the car was very beneficial. We didn’t need one until we started taking him out to more places. This is a great idea especially for long car rides and trips. I wish I would have put this on my registry list. The one that I got is this one. https://amzn.to/3uVUalJI will say though that you have to really push in the charger for it to go on. It does take some time to warm up but it did the job. Plus you can also use it for coffee and tea too.

2. Camper high chair.

You won’t just use it for camping. I used mine for going to see my in-laws a lot. This especially came in handy when we went on a recent trip. It was the best $50.00 I’ve ever spent on baby products. I didn’t want to buy an extra bulky high chair to lug back and forth between houses. Another added plus is that they are really easy to clean. The one that I used is from Ciao on Amazon. It has a plastic table “tray” that is easily wipeable. It is so easy to clean.

3. Cuisinart baby food maker/bottle warmer

Seriously this is the next best thing to buy. All I wanted was a gadget that gets the job done of making his food and warming his bottle. I didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars for those high end brezza baby products.

4. Dehumidifier

Getting one will help loosen baby’s boogers especially when they are a newborn. You can get them anywhere. I had one running in my son’s room during the winter or when he had a bit of a stuffy nose.

Just a cute picture of my son and our dog pepper!

5. Nose frida

I can’t say how much I love this product. My son on the other hand not so much. It really gets some of those hard to reach boogers out especially when they are sick.

All of these items can be purchased on Amazon. I also want to know what are your top items that you bought for your baby?

5 things that you don’t need on your baby list

5 things that you don’t need on your baby list

by alexa parisi ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

1. Lots of clothes that are 6 months and above

◦ I know it’s really temping but do not put clothes that he/she will not use in the first 6 months. Especially if your child is a premie or grows like a weed. If people give them to you and you don’t have them on your list then that’s fine but chances are that if you put clothes that are 7-12 months then they will get you that instead of 0-3 or 3-6. My son was already in 6 month clothing at the age of 4 months.

2. Newborn clothes

◦ Most babies will only fit into these for a week or two. If you do have a premie then by all means get them but for the most part have on your list 0-3 months clothing.

3. Wipe warmers

◦ For one thing this is just a extra gadget that you don’t need. Many babies have survived with wipes that are not from a wipe warmer. Plus wipe warmers dry out the wipes faster. Wipe warmers are very much unnecessary and most of the time your newborn will be drowsy at night when you are diaper changing them. Plus if the wipe warmers is defective you could be possibly run the risk of it being a fire hazard. Also, if the baby is always used to warm wipes then it could be problematic when you are out and about and all you have is cold wipes.

4. Swaddles/sleep sacks.

◦ I’m going to get a lot of flak for this but swaddles that have the arms in you don’t need. You are just prolonging having to deal with the startle reflex at night. I’ve taught infants in a Montessori classroom and the ones that had a harder time falling asleep without one were the ones that have slept with sleep sacks with the arms in. The only time my son had one was in the hospital. It took him a week or two at the very beginning to learn not to sleep with it. If you wait till 3 or 4 months you are just adding onto the reasons why your baby is more cranky at night on top of teething. However, if you are going to buy one then look for a brand with the arm holes so you can put their arms out. Also, again this is a item that the baby industry says that you need in which you don’t really need. Many babies have survived with out being swaddled at night for the first 12 weeks outside of the hospital.

5. Nursing bras or pads.

◦ This is something that you need to buy on your own! You need items that the baby is going to need only! If you are going to nurse your baby that’s great but people are not going to buy that for you. They are going to buy items that are specifically for the baby.

5 things I’ve learned being a new mom

5 things I’ve learned being a new mom

by alexa parisi ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

1. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help

◦ If things get really hard ask for help from your support team. It’s okay to ask for help from your partner, parents, and friends when you are having a hard time. Having a infant is tough in and of itself. This also helps when you just need time to yourself.

◦ 2. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone.

◦ Especially if you are dealing with anxiety and post partum depression. I thought that I wasn’t going to have depression because I’ve handled kids for years being a teacher. Boy was I wrong. My body could not handle the change of hormones and talking to someone and taking the right medications helped a lot.

3. Don’t plan big life events in the first year

◦ This one is really important especially when you have a infant and are trying to get into a routine. My husband and I put our house up for sale when our son was two months old. That combined with my post partum and covid on top was not a good situation. While I am glad that we are in our new home my husband promised me to not ever put us through that again.

4. Have a support group.

◦ This is extremely important especially going through post partum depression. Anyone that will be able to help you or even talk to you when things get hard. It also helps to have someone that already has kids and can give their advice.

5. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries

◦ This is especially important when it comes to grandparents or strangers. If you don’t feel comfortable then just say it. You are the parents and only you can decide what you want for your child.