Sometimes, okay, a lot of times, we all need a good, hearty laugh. Really, we should all laugh more throughout the day every day. Smiling and laughing release “feel good” hormones that actually decrease stress, and even forcing a smile has been proven to lower stress levels!
To all parents, including myself, consider this news you can use and force that grin!
Me reducing stress….
Seriously, try it out when you’re feeling stressed; just stop and force a smile. It actually works! What also works is Pinterest and the infinite posts of memes, quotes, pictures, and more of hilarious content.
For no particular reason, I recently felt the weight of stress bearing down on me and sought refuge in Pinterest. Guess what? It worked! And then it kept on working for way too long; that site is addicting!
Anyway, figured all of us could use a little laughing medicine to start another week off on the right…..errr, emotions. Enjoy these random Pinterest posts of humor to assist in an otherwise systematic week ahead!
1. Something Going Mom and I deal with daily.
2. Maybe it’s for swim lessons? Or maybe the duck was tired of them riding her tail feathers!
3. One bad bird…
4. I could do a whole post on Grumpy Cat memes….hmmmm
5. It may not be with dinosaurs, but we’re doing this to Avery some day for sure!
6. So many good cat memes!
7. They had one job…
8. This is all I’ll ever think of when I see these stickers now.
That only took me half the day to put these together since I kept getting sidetracked. Damn you, Pinterest!
Anyway, enjoy your Monday and this week!
Any plans for the week ahead?Avery is turning 9 months on the 15, and G-Ma will be watching her the entire weekend as Kelley and I celebrate our 7th anniversary at Embassy Suites. We’re just a little excited. I’ll fill you in soon!
Well, it’s here, Avery’s half year mark. I can’t believe our daughter has already been with us for 6 months! So much has happened and there is so very much still to come!
Scratch sitting up off the “to-do” list!
Going Mom was adamant about strictly breastfeeding until the 6 month mark, and true to her word, she has held her ground. So many babies miss out on the best source of nutrition (and free!), and I am glad Kelley forged through the rough patches to make sure Avery was fed well!
Now the time has come to introduce solids to Avery since at this point her digestive system is developed well enough properly breakdown and utilize various foods. Breast milk will still be her main source of nutrition up to her one year mark, but now I get to take part in “producing” food for Avery!
In my last Top Ten Pinterest Picks post, I shared links related to homemade baby food purees, but baby-led weaning is something different. Baby-led weaning (BLW) is simply letting your child feed themselves at the very start of introducing solids.
Many parents stand by this style of teaching their little ones how to feed themselves and love that they don’t have to fret over steaming, pureeing, and storing food in ice cube trays. Of course, things will get messy, and we accept that…..I think.
Although I was all for and ready to puree away, I started to get more and more into BLW as I read about it. So now, I might do a mixture of both, but we’ll be starting Avery with the BLW method this weekend and I hope to have a successful report next week.
I have green beans, baby carrots, and avocado to start with; all organic. I’ll steam the green beans and carrots to make sure they are plenty soft for Avery’s toothless mouth, and the avocado is fine as is. I plan on sticking with veggies and savory fruit like the avocado at first just to try and keep Avery from developing a sweet tooth right away.
If these prove successful, I’ll happily start giving her mango slices and bananas as a nice treat. Big things happening here in the Liley household, and we’re excited to watch our daughter experience another first soon!
Check out my top ten Pinterest picks for Baby-led weaning and share any thoughts/advice you may have in the comments section.
1. Starting Baby-Led Weaning – This is an informative post with tips on what to start with as well as covering any concerns you may have. I felt better after reading this one.
2. Getting started with baby-led weaning – Going with the “always get a second opinion” motto, this is another post on the same site as above, but it’s reassuring to read positive comments from another source, and then another, and another, and…well you get the point.
3. These might start feeling redundant, but I promise, you feel more comfortable after reading about BLW from various authors/parents. This one shares good foods to start with as well as how to properly prepare them.
4. I’m not “paleo”, but I know many are, and I assume they’d want the same for their little one. Just so happens, there’s a parent blogger who felt like sharing their experience. Paleo or not, this is actually a good source of info and is worth the read.
5. I plan on just using single ingredients to feed Avery, but if you feel like cooking, here’s a 100 recipes to get you started!
6. Unless you’re on an all liquid diet, I’m sure you know what happens when you eat solid food; poop with substance. We’re a cloth diapering family, and since we need a way to remove the “big deposits” before putting in the diaper bin, a diaper sprayer is our chosen way. Some people dunk their diapers….no thanks.
7. Since I prefer not to paint our bathroom walls with poop, this Spray Pal will keep the poo from splashing everywhere when you are spraying. I just received one free of charge from Spray Pal to review, and I’ll share my experience very soon!
8. Just another option if you don’t feel like making one yourself. Nothing wrong with it, and this is the one we just purchased.
9. Again, just making myself comfortable be reading about BLW from multiple sources. We’re all different and it’s good to get many different opinions!
10. A simple site on why these parents love BLW and a list of benefits over being spoon-fed.
What are your thoughts on baby-led weaning?
Do you prefer the traditional spoon-fed method or like BLW better?
I’m an impatient dad when it comes to playtime. I was ready to start playing games with Avery right after cutting her umbilical cord at the hospital! But, I reluctantly held off.
Once we brought her home, I attempted playtime in some form or fashion on a daily basis. It wasn’t well received….
Gag!!!
I kept trying, but she kept tight-lipped.
I’d be more amused if you actually shut-up, dad!
And then finally she acknowledged my stupid noises and facial expressions making them all worth my while!
Ha ha, hey, those dumb noises are kinda fun!
Now that Avery’s coming up on 5 months and is becoming more active every day, Kelley and I have been finding new ways to play and keep her entertained. Although she still can’t crawl, I feel the time is drawing near and she’s pretty good in her jumper or standing with our assistance.
At a loss of ideas for what to do with Avery now and in the near future, I sought out Pinterest for some fresh ideas. And thus, my list of top ten activities to do with your baby is born (semi-pun intended). Some ideas are good to do before your baby can even crawl, like Avery, and others are just great for when the time comes. Check them out and let me know if you’ve tried these or plan on trying soon. Enjoy!
1. Baby Treasure Baskets. This is simple and fun. I want to use fruit and veggies too!
2. Homemade Material Box. Save your tissues!
3. Homemade Sensory Bag
4. Discovery Bottles
5. Ball Pit!
6. Muffin Tin Sorter. I never made good muffins anyway!
7. Obstacle Course for Crawling. Pretty sure I’ll go through it too!
8. Baby Bounce. I just tried this with Avery, but all she did was stand and smile; no bouncing yet.
9. This is just a link explaining the benefits of “Peek-a-Boo”. Very interesting and I’m trying to do it more now!
10. 24 Activity Ideas to do with your Baby. Yeah, I know this isn’t one thing, but they are all pretty neat!
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
