Uh oh!…

... I found new diapers that I LOVE! They are hybrid diapers, sort of like my Flip ones but are even better... :S This is definitely not good for my pocket book... Lol

I have been having leakage problems with my Flips so while researching how to fix this problem (which I sorta did) I discovered a new brand that makes a lot more sense to me... I am not sure why I did not get these before...

They are called GroVias and here is a small review.... (GroVias on the left, Flips on the right)

The Shells:
Compared to the Flip, the GroVia shells are skinnier and also have a layer of mesh while the Flips just have the waterproof PUL exposed. Also the snap system on the G's work side by side, while the snaps on the F's are stacked. When they are side by side, I find the closure is a lot more secure.

The Inserts:
For each brand of diapers, there are different options for the inserts. For the Flip diapers you can get a cotton/Polyester blend, organic cotton, as well as disposables (I think the disposables are silly...) The organic cotton is of course more expensive. For the GroVia diapers, there's hemp/cotton blend, organic cotton and disposables too. I liked how there was a choice between natural fibres and they were the same price.

The G inserts (soaker pads) have a more contoured shape that fits nicely to the baby. Also, they have a few more layers to increase absorbency. There's elastic gussets on the legs that prevent leakage. Theres also a water resistant layer on the back. The F inserts are very plain. They are thin, flat, wide are there isn't any water resistant layer. What I like about the G's is that they snap onto the shell whereas the F's just tuck into the shell... The GroVias pads are definitely more stable in there.

Who needs Starbucks?

As the beautiful summer weather is approaching, my cravings for cool refreshments are too! One of my favourites is Starbucks' double chocolate chip frapuccino.... However, they can be pretty expensive and they are super easy to make at home anyway!

1 cup crushed ice
1 cup of milk (I use coconut milk...mmm so good)
Handful of chocolate chips
2-3 tbsp of sugar
2-3 tbsp of chocolate syrup
Whipping cream, to top it off (optional)

Blend everything in the blender, top with whipping cream and drizzle some extra syrup and voila!

My personalized high chair

We found the perfect highchair at IKEA the other day. It suits my needs quite well: It's small, easy to clean, and for $25 I couldn't pass it up. It's not fancy by any means but that's okay. I think I am going to enjoy it very much.

The only thing I found wrong with it is that there wasn't a cushion or support that came with it and right now Ella is still a bit floppy. So I found the BARNSLIG support cushion at IKEA which fits nicely in the chair but the material it's made up is definitely not designed for sloppy, messy baby food. And although its machine washable, I'd have to wash it everyday which didn't really appeal to me...

So I decided to make a waterproof cover for it... I made the cover so that it can come on/off in case it gets really dirty. I used snaps, but you could probably use Velcro or even string to be easier.

It would be ideal to use laminated cotton for this project, but they didn't have any at Fabricland, so I found some PUL fabric. It's a polyester/polyurethane laminate that's waterproof, breathable and machine washable. It's actually the material that's used for most cloth diapers. I wasn't sure if it stains easily or not so I got one with a crazy print on it just in case. :)

I also got some ribbon to make loops for the high chair straps to go through.

It was a pretty easy fabric to work with. It's a bit slippery but you can pin it like normal cotton. I didn't really have a pattern- I just worked it from my head- but I think it turned out pretty good!

Total High Chair Cost: About $45

PUL fabric and some matching ribbon

The original BARNSLIG support cushion

The front of the finished covering

The back of the finished covering (snaps and all)

Ribbon turned into strap loops

How it all works together

Startin' the solids!

Last weekend Ella turned 5 months and we decided to celebrate by giving her food with substance! I am definitely going to be making all of the baby food for her (or as much as I possibly can) as I like to know what goes in the things I eat. Plus, it's going to be fun experimenting with different kinds of food.

So the first thing I made for her was the basic rice cereal. I was kind of reluctant to start on the cereals because there isn't much nutrition there but it was mostly for experimental purposes. Plus, *they* say to start on rice cereal because there is a less chance of a reaction. I hope to add some fruity flavour in the next week or so!

So rice cereal it was! Pretty easy to make... I use brown rice because there is more nutrients in it then white.

1 cup water
1/2 cup ground brown rice
1/4 cup breast milk

Boil the water and then add the rice. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring constantly.

Let cool then purée in a blender. Add some breast milk until desired consistency is reached.

Voila! Homemade rice cereal!

It was fun to see Ella's reaction... She actually quite enjoyed it very much! Right now, I only feed her in the morning so just in case she does react to it, then I won't have to be up all night! She's taken to it very well though,

I then went on to make oatmeal which is basically the same thing. I think Ella liked this one better (more flavour maybe or more substance...) I then mixed the rice with the oatmeal so now I have a nice big batch that I can use throughout the week. (minus the breast milk- I'll add that to that separately so it doesn't go bad). Later I can add some other things to it, too!

Learning a new skill

I forgot to post this but about a month ago we bought a piano!

My three goals for 2013 were to..
1) Get healthier
2) Become greener and
3) Learn a new skill.

The skill I chose to learn is the piano. Okay, I'll admit that learning piano isn't a new thing for me (I think I took 2-3 years of lessons) but this is the first time that I actually enjoy it. Before, in my younger, adolescent years, piano practise was more of a chore. I also wasn't the most patient child either. I got frustrated extremely quickly when I couldn't do things and hence why my piano "career" ended so fast.

But now I'm older, wiser(?) and a little bit more patient with things. I actually get excited when I think about playing. Maybe it's because it is something that I chose to do myself.

I'm really excited to progress! (I usually don't blog about things that aren't exciting anyway) I'm excited that one day I will be able to play the church hymns and, perhaps one day, we can have family music time together! Maybe Ella will join in too (I wonder if she'll play piano... Or maybe guitar like her daddy.... )

:)

If you love animals....

...Then you'll love this app!

It's called WWF Together. You can learn about endangered animals in an interactive way.

The design is beautiful and fun... Love it!

I thought it was neat so I had to share :)

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=COPOEOnRnNk&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DCOPOEOnRnNk

http://worldwildlife.org/together

Library Awesomeness

I always have my eye open for free, yet fun, things to do with my family so when I found out that the Edmonton Public Library is giving away free library cards for a year, I was thrilled! Apparently it's the 100th anniversary of EPL this year so they are trying to promote library use by offering free cards for this year.

It's amazing! And I think it sorta fits into this blog somehow... It may not be natural... But reading books (I mean real books) seems to be declining on the "fun" scale. You don't see a lot of kids reading these days. I, myself, haven't really picked up a novel to read just for pure enjoyment. I used to read hundreds of books a year. My nose was always in a book, my mind becoming enlarged with precious knowledge! I loved reading, I think novels were my best friends.

And going to the library reminded me of my love for books! And it excited me! There's nothing like the good crunch sound of the crispy plastic cover when you open a book... It's awesome!

And the library has so much to offer! There are not only books, but magazines, music, DVDs, and video games. They even have classes that you can drop in with your family, your baby or just yourself to learn about, well, everything and anything! And it's all free! I cannot emphasize the "free"ness enough! :)

We even signed Ella up for a library card too and they give babies a free board book just for signing up.... A book to keep! It was free! We picked "Moo, Baa, La La La" by Sandra Boynton. I love her books! I think my sister has bought every one of her books for her kids and they are adorable! And I got one for free!

Anyway, so Justin and I decided to make trips to the library a part of our lives... It's a great, (free) way to spend time with the family and it's also fun too!

It may not fit with my "natural" theme but it is something that makes me feel good about and THAT is worth a blogging about...

(Family library cards... Can you guess who's is whose?)