We’re almost there; Avery is approaching 6 months and we’ll attempt to start feeding her food other than breast milk!
I’ve read a few signs to look for to know your baby is ready is for them to sit up on their own and that they lose their reflex to push out with their tongue. Right now, Avery does not sit up on her own and I’m pretty sure that tongue reflex is how she rejects the bottle every day. But we’ll start slow and take it from there.
She still has 12 days before she’s officially 6 months anyway, so maybe an intense core workout will build up her strength to sit on her own. Bad idea?
Well, what’s not a bad idea is making your own baby food. Those little jars of pureed grain and produce can and do add up fast, so it only makes sense to make your own. It’s healthier, puts you in control, and saves money!
Here’s my top 10 list of recipes, tip, tricks, and helpful tools to have you on your way to making a nutritious puree!
1. This is a long one but a good one!
2. Gotta have the tools!
3. If you don’t know it already, homemade costs less and is healthier!
4. If I had a printer, this would be printed.
5. This is great for any left over breast milk bags. They also make bags like the little fruit squeeze pouches that cost an arm and a leg, but they are reusable for your homemade food. Here’s the link.
6. Yes, I’m getting this!
7. Good to know a schedule of what to start with.
8. Another good info source.
9. Make that Crock-Pot work!!
10. More tips and ideas. Can’t have enough of these!
Do you make or plan on making your own baby food?
Any stories (good, bad, funny, etc.) you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them!
We’ve all heard of high intensity interval training (HIIT) as a great way to workout in a short amount of time. The most common form of HIIT is sprinting, and for good reason, it will get your blood flowing and lungs burning fast. This equates to an efficient calorie burning, do anywhere exercise anyone can utilize.
I’ve been into long distance running for years, and the hours spent running high miles is rewarding, but there’s not always time to fit in a long run. Lately, I do more sprinting, mostly up a hill, and keep going until my legs and lungs are begging me to stop.
Now that we have Avery, being able to run for over an hour is scarce, and if I do, I have her in the B.O.B. and our dog, Abby, in tow. Not the most comfortable, but it’s not that bad…..unless it’s windy, that stroller is like running with an umbrella!
Luckily, I have a Fiskars Reel Mower to lend a helping hand at accomplishing chores and a workout all at once! Just mowing with a reel mower like the Fiskars provides more cardiovascular activity than the gas-powered alternative, but why not up the ante?
How, you ask? By combining HIIT sprints with reel mowing of course! In the Fiskars StaySharp Max Owner’s Manual, they provide a useful outline of how to mow your lawn with their reel mower. I’ve provided the picture below:
Use this as a great way to plan your sprint mowing workout. I like to get the edging out of the way first as my “warm up” and then proceed to sprint back and forth across the lawn with as little rest as possible.
Yes, corny pose, I know, lets just try and look past that…mmmmkay?
I enjoy making things hard on myself, so as you see, I’m wearing a weight vest. This just adds another level of difficulty and helps keep me primed for when I mow wearing Avery and she doubles in weight.
Caution: DO NOT sprint while wearing your baby!!
To help you out, I put together a little video of me sprint mowing in action. This was during Avery’s naptime which is why I have a hurried look on my face.
Again, you do not need to wear a weight vest, sprint mowing is already a great workout.
This is just another way I am enjoying our Fiskars Reel Mower and plan on keeping fit by mowing while wearing Avery in the Onya or by sprinting with a weight vest. It’s a great form of exercise while tending to your household duties, and I recommend you give it a spin.
Do you have any fun ways to fit in a workout and accomplish household tasks? Please share if you do!
Hiking can be something as simple as just walking out your door and going around the neighborhood. It’s easy, healthy, and fun! I’ve been hiking with Avery in our Onya Baby Outback around our neighborhood almost daily, and even mowed the lawn, but getting off the paved road is always more exciting!
I had this bright idea to drive to Whole Foods Market which is 30 miles away on Tuesday, and knew of some trails in the area. I’ve been running on them before and Going Mom and I raced a few 5k’s there as well. So, if I’m making the trek to Whole Foods, why not stop at the trails and show Avery something other than the houses in our neighborhood?
We had a late start from Avery taking her time but not refusing the bottle (of course), and then there was a little poop mishap (not pointing any fingers) which resulted in us both changing clothes. Fun. But, finally, we took off in the early afternoon.
For a little background, I worked at this Whole Foods Market right out of college for just less than a year. I had my bachelor’s in Finance, but with a passion for healthy food, I planned on working my way up from a grocery stocker to corporate in no time.
Well, the plan was a bust. I had a manager holding me back most likely because he felt threatened. He kept letting me know he only made it through high school and blah, blah. So, I moved on and went to work at a major financial company with Going Mom. It is a great company, but now I’m a proud stay-at-home dad! And back to the trail trip……
A small dose of adrenaline rushed through my veins as we entered the trailhead. It’s been a long time since I have been able to venture anywhere other than the grocery store, and I was excited to have my daughter along for the experience.
I opened the door to get Avery secured in the Onya and she greeted me with excitement.
It was there, trust me! Maybe she was questioning my choice of slip-on New Balance minimalist shoes for hiking in tall grass?
Anyway, we were all set and ready for adventure in no time.
See? Avery is trying to hide her face because she’s so excited. Okay, well she wasn’t crying! I think being in a new place just kept her quiet. We started on the paved road until we found the trail.
Beautiful! I was giving Avery an earful of how thrilled I was to be there, on a trail, with my little girl. As we walked past the trees and plants and I would point and show her anything I could explain. I’m no botanist or anything close, but she seemed interested in our surroundings.
We eventually came to a split in the trail where one part was a steep descent that would put you close to the river.
I’m always tempted to take the more challenging route, so I crept closer to evaluate my options. But, no, too risky with Avery, so we continued straight ahead until Bart Simpson greeted us.
Avery received a quick description of “The Simpsons” and then we took advantage of the sewer foundation for a father-daughter picture.
As we progressed, we were treated to an opening that exposed a great view of the river and we stopped to enjoy.
Not the clearest river around, but with the nice weather and my daughter content in the Onya, I didn’t mind a bit.
I tried to show Avery the river, and she might’ve took a glance, but seemed more interested in my red shirt.
Still showing no signs of disapproval from Avery, we forged on our surrounds grew more dense and difficult to navigate. It really wouldn’t be that bad, but I had to do a lot of backwards walking to keep Avery out of harm’s way.
Eventually, the grass was up to my waist, but I wanted to go a little further. After a few more steps, I looked up to see a shirtless guy buttoning his pants. Hmmm, that’s our cue to turn around now! I let Avery know he was just changing his diaper and we began to head back.
On the way, I saw another split in the trail, and this time it was a steep ascent. Okay, I can do this one with Avery for sure!
I mapped out my short course and made the climb. Things just look worse than they really are sometimes; I was at the top in two minutes.
It still felt awesome to do as I love climbing anything on a trail. Yep, my inner boy always comes out when trail hiking!
We finally made it back to where we started and I happily proclaimed to Avery she just finished her first trail hike!
Don’t mind the giant nose in the way….please.
Hmmm, okay, I’ll just have to remind her when she wakes up. I spotted a bench and figured she could use a break, so we sat down for a minute and took in the fresh air.
After our short break, it was time for Whole Foods! The last time I was there was when Kelley was pregnant with Avery. I always love perusing the aisles and chatting with any old co-workers that are left.
We arrived within minutes from the trails and I loaded Avery back in the Onya once more. Excitement started emanating from my body again, but not like at the trails.
The store changed since last time I was there and looked a lot better. Oh boy, more things to look at. I walked around showing Avery the various types of fresh, organic produce and explained how we’ll cook with them when she’s older.
I spent about 90 minutes in there mainly because Avery fell asleep and I didn’t want to disturb her. Plus, it’s not like I see the store very often. But in the end, it really wasn’t worth the drive for the store.
I will happily go back to the trails with Avery, but there are closer stores that offer the same things our family wants/needs. So, I’m glad Avery got to see a lot of new things, but Whole Foods just isn’t as exciting as it used to me. Is this what being a dad does? Oh well, I love it!
Do you enjoy taking your little ones on trail hikes?
Any fun or scary stories?
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
