In My Cabinet...

UGH.  It's been one of THOSE mornings, ladies.  I feel like shoving my head under a pillow and screaming at the injustice of it all.  Today, my toddler opened the day by dumping a full glass of chocolate milk on his lap.  Not an accident.  He watched the liquid pour, and he was smiling.  I reprimanded him, and made him clean it up.  Not twenty minutes later, he poured a glass of apple juice onto his legs and all over the floor.  Icky.  Sticky.  Apple juice.  I made my toddler clean up the mess and stripped him down to his diaper for 10 minutes.  "You can't wear clothes if you're just going to get them wet," I said.  That was punishment enough.  My boy detests going without clothing.  He huddled up on the floor and cried big crocodile tears.  Meanwhile, I nursed my baby one-handed while crouching down and helping my boy mop up the juice.  Inside, I thought, "How did it come to this?"

Now my floor is gross-sticky.  No matter how many times I go over it with a wash rag, my feet still stick to the floor.  So, now let's head into our main topic of discussion.  Kitchen cleaning products.  Oh yes.  We're goin' for all sorts of excitement today.  Half kidding.  Half completely serious.  I'm all for it on days like today when I'm in a cleaning pinch.  So, here we go.  Here's my Cleaning Cabinet Top 5...

1. Disinfectant wipes.  Usually the Clorox variety.  They're so darn useful.  As an added plus, they're great for introductory toddler chores.  One of my boy's favorite chores is to take a disinfectant wipe and wipe down all the doorknobs.  It's something easy, I usually don't get around to doing it, and who cares if he misses a spot?  Perfect for toddlers.

2. Bleach.  Whenever I'm working with raw food -- veggies, fruits, but especially meat -- I fill the sink with diluted bleach and bomb my kitchen afterwards with it.  Let it sit  for 10 minutes, then wipe down with hot water.  Heat will accelerate the breakdown of hypochlorite in bleach and make bleached surfaces safe to touch as soon as it dries.

Oh, added tip.  Remember the last time your kid threw up in the car?  No?  I try not to remember stuff like that either.  But when it happens, strip the cover off (throw in washing machine) and soak the plastic part in the bath tub in a diluted bleach for 10 minutes.  Make sure you scrub the shoulder straps.  Rinse with hot water.  Your baby's car seat will magically smell like nothing ever happened.  I speak from experience.  I may have sung hallelujah to bleach that day.

3.  Distilled white vinegar.  Oh, this baby has so many uses.  It's cheap.  It's powerful.  It's chemical free.  To deodorize a yucky drain, pour one cup of hot vinegar down the drain, wait five minutes, and rinse.  To clean out a chalky dishwasher, throw in a cup of vinegar and run a cycle empty.  To clean cloudy glassware, soak a cloth in vinegar and wrap around the dish.   To remove odors from a lunchbox or plastic food containers, wipe down with vinegar and leave a rag or piece of bread soaked in vinegar in it overnight.  For more ideas, click HERE.  Oh, and about that apple juice mess I mentioned above.  It can be easily cleaned with a homemade vinegar-based cleaner.

BASIC FLOOR CLEANER: Combine 1 cup white vinegar with 1 gallon warm water.  Use on vinyl surfaces.

WOOD FLOOR CLEANER:  Combine 1/2 cup white vinegar with 1 gallon warm water.  (When cleaning wood floors, make sure you don't saturate the floor, since wood soaks in a lot of moisture.  Dampen sponge, wring out into a bucket, then scrub.)

4.  Ammonia.  I know.  I freaked a little about buying and having ammonia in my home at first.  "It's not safe!" yelled my brain.  Calm down, brain.  If you look at the ingredients list of most household cleaners, more often than not, ammonia's already in there.  The reason is that very few surfaces can be cleaned and disinfected well without it.  Wood.  Steel.  Kitchen countertops.  Refrigerator doors.  All clean well with ammonia.  Just make sure to mix your cleaners in a well ventilated room and keep it safely stored away from baby hands like you would any store-bought cleaner.

For you curious folk, you probably wondered, what's the difference between bleach and ammonia.  They both clean and disinfect, right?  Well, yes, but there are subtle differences.  Sparing you the details, we'll just say that because of their chemical make-up BLEACH IS A STRONGER DISINFECTANT.  Ammonia still kills germs, but not with the gusto of bleach.  The benefit of that is that ammonia will clean surfaces without discoloring them.  Bleach will sometimes cause discoloration or lightening.

ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER:
2 T ammonia
1 tsp dish detergent
2 cups rubbing alcohol

In a clean, gallon container, combine above ingredients and fill the rest up with hot water.  Put in spray bottles to use.

STREAK-FREE WINDOW CLEANER
3 T ammonia
1 T vinegar

Combine above ingredients in a spray bottle and fill the rest up with water.  (I can't believe I used to pay so much for Windex.)

5.  Baking soda.  Baking soda has scrubbing power but won't scratch surfaces (use in place of Comet).   You know those hard-to-clean grease spots above the stove?  Baking soda will take care of it, no problem.

SCRUBBING CLEANSER:
1/4 cup baking soda
1 T liquid detergent.

Combine above ingredients.  Add white vinegar until creamy texture and use to scrub kitchen stains or clean the oven.

Finally, because this post somehow morphed into a homemade cleaner article, take a gander HERE for a recipe to make your own baby wipes.  I would just add a few drops of baby lotion for moisturizing properties and a splash of rubbing alcohol (about a teaspoon) to keep mold from growing and give your wipes a bit of disinfecting power.  Other than that, I could show you how myself, but this gal already did a great job and...well...I've still got sticky apple juice that needs to be scrubbed off the kitchen floor...

In the meantime, the discussion's open.  Homemade or not?  How do you get your cleaners?  Why?  If you've never tried making homemade cleaners, did this post compel you to give it a try?  Let's hear it!  And in the meantime, happy cleaning.  I keep telling myself that to kid myself into liking it.

-Alyssa

SPECIAL NOTE:  Never, EVER mix bleach with any acid, like ammonia or vinegar.  In fact, play it safe and never mix bleach with anything besides water.  Chemical reactions that result from mixing could be very dangerous.

REFERENCED:   www.thefamilyhomestead.com/homemadehouseholdcleaners.htm

Somedays I Just Need a Reminder

"The noblest calling in the world is motherhood.

 True motherhood is the most beautiful of all arts, the greatest of all professions.

 She who can paint a masterpiece, or who can write a book that will influence millions, deserves the admiration and plaudits of mankind;

but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters, whose immortal souls will exert an influence throughout the ages long after paintings shall have faded, and books and statues shall have decayed or have been destroyed, deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God."

~David O. McKay

   "Chapter 16: The Noble Calling of Parents," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: DavidO. McKay, (2003)

Losing That Baby Weight

Okay, fine.  I'm pretty sure the model above has never had to lose baby weight her young, stretch-mark-free existence, but for the rest of us who have given birth and are raising kids, shedding those extra pounds can be torture.  Weight brought on during the mommy-ing process seems to stick like glue.  Seriously.  Especially when the number of kids starts adding up and taking time to go work out becomes more and more difficult.

Now, back when I was doing my undergrad, I went through a spell of wanting to be a dietician.  Studied  it for about a year, then quit for personal reasons, but I've always loved food and nutrition.  I actually taught a supplemental class for Basic Nutrition on campus.  So, I'm by no means a health professional, but my teaching spree gave a good grounding in basic nutrition.

So how to loose that unwanted weight?  A couple, simple tips.

- Burn more calories than you eat.  Simple enough, right?  I wouldn't go all crazy with calorie counting, but keep a rough, running estimate in mind, or download one of those cool calorie apps on your smartphone.  How many calories should you be eating?  Well, that depends.  First, calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate, for an easy calculator, click HERE), then rate your activity level and use the info below to estimate your needed calories:

• Sedentary (little or no exercise) = BMR x 1.2
• Lightly active (light exercise 1-3 days per week) = BMR x 1.375
• Moderately active (moderate exercise 3-5 days per week) = BMR x 1.55
• Very active (hard exercise 6-7 days per week) = BMR x 1.755
• Extra active (very hard exercise 6-7 days per week) = BMR x 1.9

For example, say my BMR is about 1426.  If I were moderately active, the number of calories I should be consuming (to keep the calorie burn and consumption relatively equal) is approximately 1426 x 1.55 = 2210.3.  If I wanted to lose weight, I would eat less than that.

(NOTE:  It takes eating about 1600 extra calories to gain a pound, and burning about 1900 extra calories to lose a pound.  So, pound for pound, you're going to have to work harder to shed the weight.  And the difference (300 calories) equals roughly 30 minutes of moderate jogging.  It helps me to remember that before snacking with my toddler.  Most times, I end up deciding having to exercise off the extra snack just isn't worth it.)

- Recognize the difference of when you're really hungry and when you've just got the munchies.  One way to differentiate is choosing a fruit or vegetable you don't particularly love or hate and running a simple test.  For me, it's celery.  Whenever I feel like eating something, I offer myself celery first.  If I don't want to eat it, I'm not really hungry.  (True hunger means your body is telling you to refuel and you'll want to eat just about anything.)

-Recognize the difference of when you're hungry, or just thirsty. I would say 80 percent of the time when I feel like eating something, I drink a glass of water, and then I don't feel hungry anymore.  It's so crazy.  Seriously try it.  Your body may just be trying to tell you its dehydrated.

-Eat smaller portions.  Think about how much you want to put on your plate, and end up serving up about half of that.  A serving of meat or poultry is about the size of a deck of cards.  A serving of ice cream is usually just a 1/2 a cup.  A serving of margarine or butter is about the size of a dice.  And, get this, a typical bagel has 2 servings in it, which means you should be eating about a half a bagel. It seems like nothing, right?  But I'm completely serious.  Eat appropriate portions.  You can eat wonderfully delicious food, but in smaller portions.  If you're still hungry, fill the rest of the tummy space up by drinking water.  I guarantee, you will not starve. 

-Make sure your diet is balanced over the WEEK.  It's unreasonable to think everyone will have the perfect diet EVERY DAY.  Plus, I don't want to eat rabbit food day-in and day-out for the rest of my life.  So, balance your meals weekly.  When I plan dinners and make a heavier meal one day (because my husband likes stuff like that), I'll balance it out with lighter meals for the rest of the week.

-If your family has a tradition of dessert after dinner, change it.  Point blank.  Having dessert more than 2-3 nights a week is not necessary, and certainly not a healthy habit for you or your children.  I'm not saying sweets are bad, (I adore them) but having them every night is a bit much.  Cut back.  Save dessert for special occasions, like FHE.  Or serve fresh fruit instead of sugary sweets.  Your kids might complain at first, but they'll get used to it and start to enjoy the natural sweetness and yumminess of no-sugar added fruits.

-And finally, work out.  This isn't something you do to be a uber health nut.  Thirty minutes of moderate exercising a day is absolutely necessary to maintain MINIMUM levels of health...to decrease your chances of developing cancer, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, heart, liver and lung problems, and a whole host of medical issues we want to avoid.  Moderate exercise is stuff like fast walking, heavier housework, jogging and swimming...anything that causes your heart rate to increase, your body to work hard enough to sweat, and your breathing to quicken.  The most common argument against exercise I hear is that, "Well, I'm doing relatively okay without it.  I'm not super in-shape, but I'm not sick."  Har.  This is serious, people.  If you do not exercise consistently, it WILL catch up with you as you age.  Work out.  30 minutes a day. Your 50, 60, and 70 year old self will thank you for it.

So, what do you think...is this doable, ladies?  I think it's totally within our realm of reach.  Now I'd like some inspiration from you.  What sort of tips do you have for getting a good work out in when finding "alone" time is hard?  How do you keep from mindlessly snacking all throughout the day?  We'd love some awesome tips!  Thanks much, friends!

-Alyssa

He's Gone, Gone, Gone

Okay, my husband travels a lot lately with his job. It's nothing compared to how much he traveled before we had kids, but usually it's at least 1 week a month. I'm fine with him traveling and I usually handle it pretty well when he's gone and I usually can keep my cool with my 3 year old when there is no one to hand him off too, but lately it seems like Lucas knows all my buttons to push and knocks me over the edge more than he used too. I need ideas on how to keep my sanity and to stop losing my cool with Lucas. How do women whose husbands are gone more than mine handle it? I feel like I'm on a roller coaster and can't get break. HELP! What do you do to handle the stress when your husband is gone and you get no breaks from your kids?

-Megan-

Feeling a little overweight....

Lately I've been feeling depressed about my weight. It's not that I think that I am HUGE or anything, it's just that I weigh 20 lbs more than I did a year ago.



My baby girl was born just 4 months ago, so OF COURSE I don't expect to be back down to my normal size and weight yet. This is my third baby and it seems like it gets harder to lose weight the more children you have. With my first all the weight came off by the time my baby was 6 weeks old, with NO effort on my part. With my second I carried around 10 lbs for a year and a half before I finally did some dieting and got it off.

This time around I accepted the fact that I would most likely have extra weight for a while. I had 15 lbs to lose when my baby was 2 months old. I didn't worry too much though because I had started working out and I knew that worse-case scenario I could diet after I weaned my baby at a year.

Then A LOT happened all at once. I first lost my milk supply (due most likely to working out TOO hard) thus ending my short lived work-out spree. I have decided not to work out until my baby is weaned because I don't want to go through losing my milk supply again. Although I was able to build it back up... things still aren't the same - I still battle with a dysfunctional let-down.

A few days after I lost my milk supply I got very ill. Extremely ill. I developed some type of low blood sugar issue which makes me feel like I have to eat every couple of hours. If I don't, I feel so weak and sick. I now find myself eating A LOT - and as a result I've gained 5 more pounds. I am feeling a bit better, but still have to eat a lot.

My health condition and the fact that I'm nursing make it impossible to work out or diet right now. I'm hopeful that with time my hunger spree will end and when my baby is weaned I can get back to normal, but that's a long time in the future.

So, my question is not how do I lose weight (I know how to do that) my question is, how do I deal with the fact that I simply cannot have the body I want right now? I find myself feeling very depressed about it. I know 20 lbs isn't a lot, but it is hard because my clothes don't fit and I don't like the way I look right now. I don't have money for a new wardrobe either, so that makes it even more depressing to get dressed every day.

We've all had babies and suffered from having more weight that we want at some point. So give me your pointers. I just need some way to feel okay about this while it's out of my control.

~Tannie

Top 5

These are the top 5 must haves for my diaper bag lately besides diapers and wipes.  I always seem to have these five things in my bag no matter where I go!

1. Sunscreen - my kids are pretty fair skinned, and with a 3 month old, sunscreen is always in my bag.  I'm currently using banna boat's baby sunscreen (even on me and my hubby), love the smell of sunscreen, it makes me think of summer and water!

2. Extra clothes - this is for both my 3 month old and my 3 year old.  Even though we are basically done potty training, we still tend to have an accident once and awhile out and about.

3. Camera - I've been so good lately about taking my camera out and about with us.

4. Baby Sling - I got a free sling from sevenslings.com and am loving it! (If you want one for free, go to sevenslings.com and enter the code HVM or FAMILY2011, they didn't pay me of give me compensation in any way for this shout out.)

5. Granola Bars  and a bottle of water - It seems like whenever we go anywhere my 3 year old is hunger (he's a bottomless pit!), so I always pack some granola bars and a bottle of water.

What things are the current it items for bag?

-Megan-

A Village in Action

Sometimes it really does take a village to raise a child.

Due to the high risk nature of my current pregnancy (twins) and indicators of possible complications, I have had to be on bedrest for the last week and next couple of weeks.

I am amazed and humbled at all the help my family has received from our ward, neighbors and family.

We have had people come to our house daily to play with our kids.

We have had meals brought to our house and offers of many more meals.

A dear neighbor comes twice a week to pick up our laundry.

I am so grateful that so many people are willing to take time out of their busy lives to spend 4 hours chasing my two kids around. I know that because of their generousity, my health and our baby boys' health is improving.

I don't know how many of you have ever been in a situation where you had to rely on help from others or not, but I am sure that your creative minds can come up with some great answers for my questions.

1. How can I help people who come over to better navigate my house? (Is help needed or do I let them just hunt around for things if I am not available to ask aka napping?)

2. What are some activities to suggest for the kids, so they are not always just playing in the water, going on walks, or playing with cars? My kids love these activities, but sometimes you just need a little variety.

3. What is an appropriate way to say thank you? Are thank you cards enough? This question may seem kind of weird, but it is one I have so I am asking.

I would love to hear any suggestions you have. I have learned just how true the concept of a village really is as I watch it unfold in my life daily.

Thanks for your help!

~Lisa~

When Things Don't Go As Planned

I seem to have spent the last six weeks feeling out of control.

Six weeks ago, I found out I was pregnant with twins.

Three weeks ago, I was told what possible complications I might face during the pregnancy.

Last week, I was told that the babies were showing signs of serious complication that is treated by doing surgery on the babies while still in utero.

Today, I was told that surgery will probably not be needed, but that I need to be prepared to possible deliver my babies at only 24 weeks along or run the risk of losing both babies.

I am not telling you this to get sympathy. I already have plenty of that coming my way.

I am writing this because I am pretty sure we have all faced times as a mother when things do not go the way we planned.

Sicknesses come, to parents or children, that don't have a straightforward remedy.

Children are diagnosed with special needs which come with a whole new set of adventures.

Pregnancies end up being much more complicated than you thought they could be.

And let's be honest, sometimes just having small children in the house is enough to make a mom feel overwhelmed.

What do you do when you find yourself on a path you never thought you walk down?

I have spent many hours over the course of the last weeks pondering the plan of salvation and my role as a mother in that plan.

I have felt the calm assurance that Heavenly Father is aware of our situation.

However, even though I know about the plan of salvation and have a testimony of the gospel, I still feel out of control.

What have you done when you find yourself feeling out of control that helps you find the peace and strength necessary to make it through?

~Lisa~

Why are YOU an Amazing Mother?

When I was a brand new missionary, one of my leaders gave me a challenge to write a three page essay on why I was an amazing missionary.



My response? Yeah, right! How can I write anything about being an amazing missionary when I'm not!

I could easily think of million reasons why I wasn't an amazing missionary.

I couldn't speak the language (Mandarin Chinese, enough said).

 I wasn't getting along with my companion. (She was a native of Taiwan who didn't speak English. As already mentioned, I didn't speak Chinese.)

 I had no clue what was going on 90% of the time.

I thought it was a miracle we actually ever found our way home.

My faith was not as strong as I thought it would be.

My task of writing an essay about being amazing was not going to be an easy task. But, I had been given a challenge by a leader. Even if I didn't feel like an amazing missionary, I knew I could be an obedient one.

I cannot remember how long it took me to complete my essay - one week, maybe two. I only had 30 minutes each day during individual gospel study to work on it.

The process of writing the essay was transforming.

I began to look for evidences of what made a missionary amazing. I knew all the things that were commonly given as answers - great faith, exact obedience, love for everyone, etc.

But I also began to look for evidences of what made ME an amazing missionary.

The answer came in the form of a primary saying.

I am a Child of God.

As a child of God, I knew I had godly attributes already in me just waiting to be developed. I didn't have to start from stratch.

As a child of God, I had access to His help and knowledge to do the work I needed to do.

As a child of God, how could I be anything but AMAZING?

So why do I share this story?

I think it is just as easy to fall into the same rut as a mother. The rut where it is infinitely easier to list all the reasons why you are not a good mother.

My list goes something like this right now:

My house if never clean.

Laundry, dirty and clean, are strewn everywhere.

My kids don't have a normal bedtime.

I don't like to cook - ever!

I could go on forever, but that would just be depressing. You all know what that list looks like anyway because I am sure that you all have one of your own that is updated on a regular basis.

When was the last time you made a list of why YOU are an amazing mother?

I challenge each of you to just take some time in the next couple of days to sit down and write down why you are an amazing mother. You can post those comments here or just write them down for yourself in your journal. Write them whereever you are comfortable sharing them.

On my mission, this challenged changed my outlook dramatically. To this day I am impacted by the lessons I learned.

 I know that when you take the time to let Heavenly Father show you why you are an amazing mother, you will find strength you didn't know you had and a greater appreciation for the talents you do have.

Lisa

Baby Sling or Wrap

 OR

I'm in the market for a baby sling or wrap.  I've read a lot of different things on baby slings, but don't know too much about wraps and I can't decide what one to buy.  I also remember a lot of things from last year about newborns suffocating in baby slings and it kind of makes me nervous to take the plunge.  So, I'm asking you smart moms about slings or wraps that you own!

What sling/wrap do you own?
Where did you get your sling/wrap from and, if you don't mind saying, how much did you pay for it?
Why did you choose the sling or wrap that you did?


Thanks for the advice!

Megan

Also, please take a look at the poll on the right side about the recipe blog!

Couple Time: Let's Ask the Experts!

I was recently introduced to a website that I think is well worth sharing!

thedatingdivas.com
Strengthening Marriage, One Date at a Time

I know I get stuck in a rut all the time on what to do for a date night. This site provides pages upon pages of wonderful ideas, crossing the span from an all-out expensive night on the town to a cheap, stay at home while the kids are in bed kind of night.

There are many posts to browse, in addition to their regular new updates...categories include:

Date Night
Just the two of us
Four or More
Romantic Rendevous
Adventurous Amore
At Home
Out on the Town

You and Me
Show Him the Love
Show Her the Love
Intimate Moments
Lookin' Good for your Spouse
Anniversary & Birthday Ideas

Special Moments
Marriage 101
Family Fun
Not Your Ordinary Movie

...just to name a few!

The website is created and maintained by 11 women who are all busy mothers--several employed outside the home as well--who are committed to strengthening their relationships with their husbands. Kudos to them for sharing everything they've practiced!

I whole-heartedly agree with a quote they list as their inspiration:

"Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day."

-Barbara De Angelis

Check them out! The site is definitely worth even just a few moments of browsing. You'll be hooked!

~Laura~

Kid Time: When Mom is Tired

You may have noticed (or not noticed) that my Kid Time post and Family Home Evening post were absent last week. Well, my husband and I found out last week that we are expecting TWINS!!  The news took us by complete surprise.

My sweet husband has adjusted rather quickly to the idea of having four kids. Whereas, I have had a much harder time adjusting to the news. (Keep in mind, I have two other kids ages 2 and 1.) I suppose the news is more difficult for me because I am the one who is pregnant, the one who will deliver two babies, and will be the primary nurturer for four children all ages 3 and under.

Thankfully, right now I just have to worry about being pregnant with twins. My pregnancy so far has been great! I have not been sick at all. I do not have the food aversions I did with my first two pregnancies, nor have I had any strong food cravings. In fact, I have really wanted to eat mostly fruit and vegetables - a nice change from the french fries I craved with my last pregnancy.

Like I said, I have had a pretty easy pregnancy until last week. Last week, I found myself getting exhausted after just a few minutes of any activity. I had one day where I fell asleep every about two hours. If I sat down on the couch between chores, I fell asleep. When I laid my daughter down for her nap, I woke up 30 minutes later next to her on the bed. I have never been this tired before in my life!

So, here is my question...

When you are exhausted (or sick) what do you do to still give your kids attention?

What activities do you do with your kids to keep them learning and active?

I am looking at about six more months of being constantly exhausted (and that is before I bring home two tiny newborns who don't sleep through the night). I obviously cannot just let me kids watch movies for six months. That is just boring!

Please help me out! I know that we have all had those days and weeks when we are tired and/or sick.

How do you meet the needs of your kids when you are having a hard time meeting your own needs?

~Lisa~

How To Take Your Own Pictures

That's my boy almost two years ago.  Isn't he cute?  (Just nod your head.)

Let's be frank.  We love our kids.  Love em' to death.  And if you're like me, you can hardly resist taking about A MILLION pictures of these little cuties and posting them for the whole blogosphere to see...but what's the secret to getting these precious pictures to turn out?  I mean, we want to adequately portray the maximum level of cutness for all our friends to see, right?

My background:  I graduated two years ago with a bachelor in fine arts, emphasis in painting and drawing.  Not photography.  But training in photography was part of my degree, and in the scant two years I've been a mom, I've taken A LOT of pictures.  Think tens of thousands, including all my boy's milestone pictures (because paying a studio for them is dang expensive) and a few family picture sessions here and there for friends.  Here's what I've learned...(NOTE:  These tips are geared toward beginning photographers with limited access to photography equipment.)

A.  LIGHT: When your camera takes a picture, it essentially just makes a record of the light in the room.  No light = no pictures.  The essence of this idea makes sense.  If there's no light, you can't possibly see anything, and neither can your camera.  The same is true for poor lighting.  Poor light = poor pictures...like the light that comes from all our light bulbs.  Everyday light bulb lighting stinks.  That's just how it is.  Remember back when you were little and spent all afternoon playing outside?  When you came inside, the house felt DARK, right?  Well, your camera thinks so too.  That's why indoor photography studios always have those big, expensive lights that practically blind you.  So, if you don't have access to a studio, (like 99.999999999 percent of everyone...including me) there's two things you can do:  

1) Take pictures by windows.  For beginning photographers without expensive camera equipment, natural light is your best friend.  Please, TURN OFF YOUR FLASH and make use of window light to avoid the deer-in-the-headlights full-frontal flash that completely washes out faces and makes good photos hard to take.  Especially when taking portraits, I try and avoid using my flash like the plague.  Don't have windows everywhere?  I have that problem too.  There's just some rooms in my house that I don't take pictures in.  The downsides of turning off your flash is that you'll have less light to work with, which often means blurry pictures.  Help avoid blurry pics by steadying the camera against a wall or the floor, prop it up on something non-moving like books or a bag of beans, or use a tripod.

2) Go outside.  The best times to shoot are early in the morning or later in the evening (try to avoid the 2:00-directly overhead sunlight).  The best weather to shoot in is a cloudy day.  If it's sunny outside, try shooting in the shade.  We're aiming for soft light, not the harsh stuff that leaves funky shadows on your child's face. 

B.  PERSPECTIVE:  Get down at eye level with your child.  Some of the best pictures I've taken have been with the camera down at my hip or on the ground, snapping pictures from a baby's eye view.  

C.  TEXTURE:  Remember seeing all those adorable newborn pics where the baby is wearing chunky, knitted hats or sitting in fuzzy fur?  There's a reason photographers do that.  Different textures create interest in your photos.  Dress your child in handmade knits, big ruffles, multiple layers, and different patterned fabric.  Set them against highly textured backdrops like old brick walls, weathered fences with peeling paint, wheat fields, old buildings, etc.  Where are these locations?  It's different for every city, but try driving around a bit.  Some of my favorite shooting-spots have been in small, downtown side streets or alleys that don't get as much attention, so the bricks look weathered, the paint looks old, and the metal has started to rust.  Ah.  Beautiful.

D.  FREQUENCY:  My photography professor once told me about this amazing pro-photographer who had a success ratio of about 1:20.  Meaning, out of every 20 pictures he took, one would turn out good enough to keep.  I'm not nearly that good.  My success ratio is about 1:40. I delete the other 39.  That's the beauty of the digital age.  Take A LOT of pictures...from all different angles and zooms, especially when your subject matter is kids.  You never know what they'll do in front of the lens.  

E.  EDITING:  When done well, picture software editing can do wonders to enhance your photos.  There's free programs like Gimp or Picasa out there, but I'm a personal fan of Adobe Photoshop.  Yes, I know it's expensive, but worth it in my opinion.  There's just some tools in Photoshop that other programs don't offer.  (Try out a free trial at http://www.adobe.com/downloads/.  It lasts for a month, so if you're new to Photoshop, it's a great place to get a feel for it.  I'd recommend starting with Elements 9 (the more basic package) and moving onto the CS5 trial (same tools as Elements, but with a lot more "stuff" added).  You can always purchase older versions like Elements 8 or CS3 online for much less money than more recent releases.) I wish I could give more specific tips, but the best I can say it just to try out the software for yourself.  You learn as you go.  If you have any specific questions, please post them in the comments section.  I'll do what I can to answer them.  

NOTE:  If it's your very first round into into photo-editing, I recommend saving a copy of the original picture in another file.  Keep it safe.  I had a lot of mess ups in the beginning and wished I had a back-up copy of the original to go back to. 

(Ah!  His chubby cheeks kill me.  It's a good thing I'm having another baby soon, otherwise these old photos might just do me in.)

And that's a very basic intro into kiddo-portrait photography.  The tips have obviously been skewed towards infant and toddler photography, since my boy's only two and a half, but everything written above is easily adapted to taking pics of older children as well.  Now the stage is yours.  What are your favorite kid-photo-taking tips and insights?  Do you have any specific questions?  If you have one, where are your favorite locations to shoot in your city?  Let's hear it, my friends!

-Alyssa

Reader Requests 2011 - Post 5

Thank you, everyone, for your continued comments and support. This blog wouldn't be possible without our readers!


We have a new reader request today dealing with Baby Blues. This can be a sensitive issue, but please don't be afraid to share any experience or insight you have that may be helpful! Check out what our reader said:

"I need some advice on dealing with Baby Blues. This isn't my first newborn, but it is my first experience with Baby Blues. I find myself crying for no reason, and I am having difficulty enjoying time with my newborn and other children. I know that Baby Blues are a norm for many moms, so I'm hoping there is a lot of advice out there. Here are some questions:

Is it normal to have Baby Blues with one baby but not with another?

How do I know if my Baby Blues are turning into Postpartum Depression?

What should I do if I think I have Postpartum Depression?

How long do Baby Blues usually last?

What are some general tips on dealing with Baby Blues?"

Reader Requests 2011 - Post 4

On a switch from our recent posts, our new reader request deals with emotions in pregnancy. Check out what our reader said:


"I would like to talk about emotional well being during pregnancy. I am currently under a lot of stress and can't seem to find a release so I take it out on pretty much everyone. Probably not a good thing. And I happen to really love my husband and don't want to make him more stressed than he already is. How can I try to avoid unloading all my emotions on him? Is there any thing I can do to get that stress out that doesn't involve exercise and can make me less nauseous too?"

Let's help her out...

How do you deal with the emotions that come with being pregnant?

What outlets have you found helpful when you're feeling stressed or overwhelmed?

How do you keep up a healthy relationship with your husband while you are pregnant?

Thank you for your continued input!
Check out the question below as well on funding college education and put in your two cents. ;)

Reader Requests 2011 - Post 1

We have an AWESOME Reader Request this week written by one of our followers. She asks a GREAT question and then gives some ideas!! Share yours as well and keep those RR coming!


"We've talked about what to do when your kids are driving you crazy, but what about when you are the crazy one? I am fortunate to be mom to two of the most easy going, adorable boys a mom could ask for (2 years and 2 months). They each certainly have their moments, but I realized that sometimes I'll say that my kids are driving me crazy, but in all honesty, I'm the one having a moment. What do you do when you're the one who needs a "time out"?

Here are some things I've tried, but I'd love other ideas...

*Stop and assess the situation: Am I frustrated because I'm trying to do something for me when they have needs that I should be meeting? Often if I lay aside what I want to do until a better time, we're all happier - they have my full attention, I can enjoy them more and I can enjoy my activity more when they aren't needing me.

*Go to my room: sometimes I really do give myself a time out. First I make sure the kids are both in a safe place and explain that I need a break. On my good days, I think I can do this in a way that my toddler doesn't feel like he's done something wrong; but I'll admit some days need work. Sometimes he cries, but I figure it's better for him to cry while I collect myself than for me to lose my cool and feel bad (and more frustrated) when I get upset and raise my voice. Sometimes he'll even suggest the break when he can tell I'm getting frustrated! Like I said, they're good kids!

*Call my husband or, better yet, another mom friend: it helps to give perspective and have a listening ear.

*Get out of the house for a bit: go to a store, park, run an errand, visit a friend or just drive around."

Thanks for your post Tressa!! Let us know your ideas on getting a "time out" for mom.

Keeping it Clean

Cleaning the house is one of those never-ending chores...especially with small children in the house!

Is it just me, or does it seem like a room is messy again within only moments of being cleaned?

I would like to suggest a cleaning routine that can help keep the house clean on a regular basis without feeling overwhelmed or like you're constantly cleaning. There are two main components: Minimum Maintenance and Day-of-the-Week To-Do.

1. Minimum Maintenance (MM)

Set your timer for 5 minutes. Pick your first room. In that room, pick up any clutter, throw out garbage, and generally clean up the room. Here's the catch: When the timer goes off, you have to stop! It's time to move to the next room. By staying in each room for only five minutes, you are sure to not burn yourself out before you get to the rest of the house.

There are ways you can tweak this to your personal taste: Stretch it out across the day, so each room is visited at different times, or clean the main living areas of the house in one 30 minute pull. Because it's only five minutes at a time, you may want to do this once in the morning and once in the evening. If you keep it going, there is less to clean next time!

It is also easy to involve children in this cleaning. It can be a game to "beat the timer" and try to get everything clean before it starts beeping. You can also assign your child one task in the room: pick up just the blocks, put all the shoes away, etc.

2. Day-of-the-Week To-Do

You may have already figured out that if you only did the minimum maintenance cleaning, your house wouldn't ever quite get "done". This is where the day-of-the-week to-do comes in. I have assigned a particular, larger task to each day of the week. This can easily be rearranged to fit your family's schedule.

MONDAY
Deep Clean

The three whole-family areas--the living room, kitchen, and bathrooms--each get deep cleaned once a month, with the kitchen going twice. With this being done, the MM cleaning is enough to keep it nice until the next deep clean.

1st Monday: Kitchen

Aside from the usual dishes, countertops, floors, etc. add these to your deep clean this week:

~Clean out the refrigerator, including wiping down walls, drawers, and door, inside and out.
~Wipe down the inside and outside of the garbage can

2nd Monday: Living Room

~Dust all surfaces
~Vacuum under furniture
~Wash windows (at least inside)

3rd Monday: Kitchen again

~Clean out microwave
~Clean out oven
~Clean underneath stove burners, replace tinfoil if necessary

4th Monday: Bathrooms

Bathrooms vary more from person to person, depending on how often you like to fully sanitize everything. My MM includes wiping down the counters and sink and cleaning the toilet bowl and any visible messes, in addition to putting away any clutter. I am content with doing these things only once a month:

~Sweep and mop floor
~Wash rugs
~Scrub entire bathtub/shower

TUESDAY
Laundry

Aside from my MM, laundry is the only thing I worry about on Tuesday. Then I don't feel guilty about not getting anything else really clean and I have the whole day to just get laundry done.

WEDNESDAY
House Projects

If you're like me, there are always things lingering in the back of your mind that need to get done but no one ever gets around to...cleaning out that closet, reorganizing that cupboard, maybe taking down and washing the curtains. Whatever your own projects may be, Wednesday is your day to get it done! It is much more likely to happen if you have a planned and regular day to work on it.

THURSDAY
Finances

I take one day a week to sit down and go through any money-happenings of the week--paying bills, balancing the checkbook, filing any paperwork. I personally find it much more manageable to stay on top of such things if they are done more often than even once a month.

FRIDAY
Day off!

If life is all work and no play, UGH! If you've kept on top of things all week, use Friday to just play--after you've finished your MM, of course.

SATURDAY
Bedrooms, Yardwork

I like saving bedrooms for Saturday because then Dad is home and we can work all together as a family. I like my kids to be responsible for their own mess in their own rooms, and Dad has a bedroom too, right? Aside from our regular cleaning, we also change sheets and vacuum.

Also because Dad is home, this is a good day to be outside (during the warmer months). The kids can play in the yard while Mom and Dad work or they can pitch in with easier jobs. Make it a family day!


DISCLAIMER:
Obviously, what works for me won't necessarily work for you. I also recognize that there are many, many other things that need to get done in a given day, such as errands. Everything I've shared here is adaptable. I would simply like to suggest a way to keep your house clean while still having time to spend with your family. Try it out, keep what works, toss what doesn't!


And we turn it to you...

What tips do you have for keeping your house clean without feeling overwhelmed?

How do you involve your children in keeping the house clean?

Any general cleaning tips you'd like to share?

Top Ten--Revisited!

As part of our holiday season, we want to repost some of the Village discussions from the very beginning of the blog. We have many new readers, and these posts are definitely worthy of seeing again! Please leave any new comments you'd like to share, and also feel free to visit the original post and see the comments there.

Originally posted March 1, 2009 by Delia

Some of the products that make my life easier...and some I cannot live without.

Here are my top ten parenting products in no particular order:

1. Tri fold diapers. I added a panel of colorful fabric to the middle and voila it became my most favorite burp cloth. I use it for wiping up messes, catching breast feeding leakage, cleaning up spit up and everything under the sun. They hold up well, stay soft and absorbent. I love them.
2. A baby wrap. I copied a friend's wrap that looks like this one and I love it! It is a must if you have more than one. It is how I get dinner made when the baby is fussy and wants to be held. It is also nice to use if I don't want to haul out the stroller.

3. Speaking of strollers. I got the Baby Trend Sit and Stand when I was pregnant with number 2 and I really like it. It is less bulky than a double stroller and my four year old loves that he can just ride along without having to be strapped in. He gets in by himself which is a plus for me too.



4. I am a clean freak, so hand sanitizers are a life saver for me. We use it all the time. It is especially nice to have my preschooler use it after going potty (#1) so I don't have to follow him to the bathroom every time to remind him to wash his hands and turn the faucet on for him because ours sticks. It cleans his hands better than if he used soap and water by himself too.

5. Mild cleaner. I love this spray. It is mild enough to use around children but gets the job done.
I use it to spray down toys every once in a while and wiping them afterward is optional if you don't mind letting it air dry.

6. Ikea toddler plates, cups, bowls, and utensils. I love these. They are so cute and fun to eat out of. My son likes picking what color he wants each thing to be. It makes meal time and snack time fun.
7. Vinegar. It is pungent but great for many things. I use white vinegar in laundry to help my towels regain absorbency, to help get urine smell out of things, and as a child safe cleaner for mirrors, windows, and in the kitchen.
8. I also love hydrogen peroxide as a cleaner. Careful - it will bleach clothes. It is safer than other household cleaners for use around children and when you are pregnant. I use it in laundry to brighten whites as well.
9. Equate version of Eucerin cream. My oldest has sensitive and dry skin. He suffered from exczema for the first 3 1/2 year of his life and still does from time to time. This did the trick. I just slather it on him from head to toe after bathtime and it keeps his dry skin at bay (didn't go away but didn't get cracked or worse). It kept us from having to treat him with steroid creams all the time.
10. My favorite diaper bag - a nice big fake leather purse. They don't break like diaper bags do...Well not as easily. A lot of them have plenty of pockets to hold everything and they look nicer than the typical diaper bag.

These were a few of my favorites. Now...
What are your favorites?

Carrying the Load....

I love to carry my newborn around in a front pack. It's so convenient when they are little to just whip out the front pack and carry the baby while shopping, or taking a walk, or even around the house when I need my hands free. However... my back doesn't like my front pack so much. After my baby gets to be about 10 lbs it starts to be unbearable to wear.

Luckily I get to have a BRAND new front pack courtesy of my mother-in-law (a birthday present for me). She's willing to spend $100 dollars on it if need be. So I can have a NICE front pack.

What I need is advice... the front pack I have now is the $25 variety and is NOT comfortable at all. I NEED something that will offer comfort, especially since I'll have 3 children to chase. I'm not afraid of something pricey.

So... what can you tell me? Do YOU have a wonderful front pack that you like? OR, do you have a wrap or sling that you like? I'd also like safety precautions too, since I hear alarming rumors of newborns suffocating in wraps. Please, share your knowledge with me!!

The Blessings of Technology...

I was recently in charge of creating a slideshow of old family pictures for a party. I spent a long time going through files and files of digital pictures stored on my computer. I obviously do not have a good organization system. My question today:

How do you store your digital pictures?

Do you have a way of labeling or sorting pictures to find them easily later on?

How do deal with large file sizes with large amounts of pictures or those with high resolution?

Any general tips on picture organization?

Thanks!