So you are Headed to Fort Irwin

So, you found out you are headed to Fort Irwin... that sucks! Just kidding! Fort Irwin DEFINITELY has its down falls, more than you will care to count, and by the time you leave, you will (most likely) hate this place. HOWEVER, it has its upsides too! And I will share the good, the bad and the ugly with you!

When my husband was considering reenlisting, we were given a few options of places to go, and my first question was "are these places worth going to" so let me start out by saying, if you have the option of going anywhere else, go some where else... but we aren't all that lucky, and home is where the army sends you, so time to make the most of it!

Location:I am constantly torn between feeling like this is the worst location ever (being 23 miles away from the nearest highway) and the best location ever (being 2.5 hours away from Las Vegas and LA).

With us being so secluded, simple trips like going to Target (over an hour away) just doesn't happen, even going to the movie theater is a bit tricky (actually we have a theater on post, but they show 1 movie on like Friday and Saturdays, so if you aren't wanting to see THAT movie, you have to go off post).

While You're Here: 
Because there is NO competition for businesses, the customer service here sucks, So get use to calling Pizza hut 50+ times, just to get someone to answer the phone, and then expect the delivery time to be over an hour! patients is a virtue when you live here! 

eating on the patio at Sam Adams.

There is one sit down restaurant (Sam Adams) and one bar place (Shock Wave)  neither have great food, both have terrible service, but its nice to eat out every so often, just make sure you have 2 or more hours (especially at Sam Adams) to sit and wait for food! There are also your standard fast food restaurants pizza hut, subway, BK, Popeye's, etc (no wonder army wives are stereotyped as fat! there are like NO healthy choices) !

The PX I always joke is like Kmart and Walgreen's had a baby, with a love for designer products?? its strange, its small, but it has everything you need.  However, its not really a place to just walk around in, at least you don't have to drive all the way to Walmart (about 45 minutes away) just to pick up a new shirt!

The commissary is fairly similar, although it seems like they are trying to bring in a wider variety of foods! Its pretty small, at least compared to what I'm use to, and things like organic fruits and veggies, have an even smaller selection! But the fresh food is fresh, and the prices are good.  Its also sometimes nice to NOT have a million different things to choose from, They also have started to bring in more "naturally raised" meats, which is awesome, however they still don't (to my knowledge) have any organic meat, which I would love.

B and E at the splash pad

There are some things to do with kids during the day (especially the summer) there is a pool, and a splash park.  There is also a skate park, and the movie theater, like I mentioned, also a bowling alley, and a Golf course (which is my husband and Is little secret place, its a small, maybe 5 hole golf course, BUT there is GRASS, and no one is ever there, so we like to lay out and have a picnic there!!) .  There is also a great mommy and me work out class, and there use to be play groups, however they cancelled them.

B and E hanging out at the pool 

There are also two gyms, and 1 day care center.  I use to work at the daycare center, and I personally would not put my child there (that is why I quit, I don't think its OK to give infants someone else breast milk and keep it a secret from their parents, or for preschoolers to somehow be left out on the playground or get out into the parking lot, and management seems to think that is totally OK.) however, its halfway decent if you need to work, and they do have hourly care, which can be a real life saver if you need to be childless for an hour or two!  The gyms are decent, they have classes (some are free, some are not).  There is NO childcare available at the gym, (they are pretty small).  the gyms do have a basketball court, and racquet ball courts!

The CYS and Teen Center have some great programs, I have worked at both of them, and actually quite a few kids/teens actually take advantage of these after school and weekend programs!



Living On or Off Post: 

This is a view from our "back yard' this is what our neighborhood looks like, each building has 4 houses in each one. the top floors have no back yard, the bottom ones have VERY small fenced in yards. 

I would say most  people live on post, because the nearest town (barstow) is about 45 minutes away, and Barstow is not a great city (its actually a pretty scary city) I would say the only city I would be willing to live in, is Apple Valley or Hesperia, and that's well over an hour of a drive (each way, Plus traffic) so, I don't know, I'm not willing to give up that much time with my husband.  I know some people also choose to live in Yuma, which again, I wouldn't, but the housing is much much cheaper there, so if you are into a commute, you could probably save some money (not sure after paying for gas and car maintenance though)

Housing is very much either great (although the people who live there will complain anyways) and terrible... there is "new housing" and "old housing" and very little in between.  we were super lucky, and go the super old housing (sarcasm) which was fine when it was just my husband and I, but after having my son, we are now BUSTING out of this house! That being said, we have never had a problem with like things breaking, or anything like that, they are built solid, they are just a million years old.  I hear the "new housing" is bigger, but they were built less solid, so things break, and such, Im not positive on that, but I suppose there are positives and Negatives no matter where you live.

One great thing about living on post is that, a lot of families, are one vehicle families! My husband works at the hospital, and its just maybe a 15 minute walk for him, although he usually drives or bikes, its no big deal to get just about anywhere without a car, I have even walked to the commissary (although don't get anything that is perishable because its HOT, ALWAYS).


Getting Away: 
Now that the day to day sort of...sucks.. there are some positives, like all the different places that are relatively  near by... we found that since there is so little to do during the week, we actually save a lot of money, and can use it to splurge on weekend trips!

Barstow is the closest "town" its kind of janky, they have radio commercials reminding people not to put their needles in the garbage, and its where Erin Brockovich was made (water anyone??) However it does have a halfway decent outlet mall, which is nice since the next closest mall is another half hour away, it also has a Chipotle, and a Chilis, they just put in a Panera, and a walmart.  Barstow also has a pretty awesome drive in theater, which can be awesome (especially with kids, because they can just fall asleep, and mom and dad can enjoy the next movie)

Our first trip up to Big Bear

 My husband and I love to go to Big Bear, its a small little mountain town on a beautiful lake, there is like a main street with little shops and restaurants (even a wine tasting place that is wonderful!) and in the winter they have like snowboarding, skiing! Its about an hourish drive, and its even worth it just for a day trip on a Saturday or Sunday! the weather there is significantly different, so make sure you check the weather before you head up the mountain in shorts and a tank top, and find yourself a foot deep in snow!

Las Vegas is an obvious choice- this is a very very very common weekend get away, we even had our military ball in Vegas one year! This is also the Easiest place to fly in and out of! (Ill cover that later) Check out priceline negotiator, or Hotel Tonight for great deals on hotel rooms! and don't be afraid to try old town, or stay off the strip (its just a block walk and it can save huge $$)

LA- is also close (mile wise its actually closer than Vegas, just that traffic can get in the way) and obviously there is a million things to do around there!

San Diego- about a 4 hour drive, and well worth it!

A very typically Summer day, I have seen it go even higher, although I rarely see it go below 100 from about March onward

Weather:  It is just about always hot here, even if you are a summer person, you will grow to hate 110 degrees! Since its the desert, it obviously doesn't rain very often, but when it does it usually floods (even just a 5 minute rain can make things flood) and we have wind/dust storms fairly regularly.  The wind use to make the power go out (for over 24 hours at a time) but they seemed to have fixed what ever that problem was!  The end of fall/winter is usually pretty nice! Just remember with the heat that your puppies should NOT go for walks, if the ground is too hot for your hand, its too hot for their paws, I didn't realize this at first, and my poor puppy ended up with blisters like crazy all over her paws, it took weeks for her to walk normally again! 

Wild Life: Considering the fact that nothing should survive, because there is no water, and no living plants really, I do love seeing the animals on post! There are wild coyotes, which if you have small pets, could be a danger, however my 25 lbs dog has never had an issue, and they are so weak and sick looking, I don't think it can chase anything.  There are also DONKEYS, can you believe that? wild Donkeys, just hanging out on the street and such!  I have heard we have spiders and snakes and such, but I have honestly seen 1 snake, and the spiders I have seen are like your standard house spiders, although I am sure there are more! There are also plenty of lizards (probably my dogs favorite part about living here) if she gets out, she will chase lizards all day long! 

In all this place is 100% what you make it, get INVOLVED, and MEET people (although its hard here) get off post, and try to enjoy your time here, as best as you can, for the most part, you wont get deployed here, so sit back and enjoy this time as a family! 

Am I missing anything? Feel free to leave questions! 

How we finally slept through the night

Bennett had always been a VERY good sleeper, I don't say that to brag, trust me, He never had a single "up all night" phase, from day one he was adjusted to night and day, HOWEVER staying asleep, and going back to sleep on his own, has always been a challenge.

He just hit 10 months old, and is finally sleeping through the night (if your child is older than 10 months, this is again not to brag, I am sorry, I know you are tried, I know you feel like a zombie, but it will get better!)

At 9 months old, he was still waking up between 2 and 4 times a night, I had read all the books, I had done all the research, I was pretty sure I was doing everything right, but still, no sleep for momma (even though he eats and falls right back asleep, I spent all night feeling like it was water torture "He is going to wake up the second I fall back asleep") add the fact that the first few months I was exclusively pumping, so he would wake up, take a bottle, and then id have to pump for 20 minutes, finally fall back asleep and he was awake again!

Finally I had enough, I was so tired, I was scared to drive some days. And I wasn't even being a good mom, I just laid on the couch and let him play, so I could trick my body into thinking it was sleeping. I took to social media, and asked EVERYONE for ANY advice I could get, what I got was a lot of the regular tricks "add cereal to his bottles" "have a bedtime routine" "play soft music" blah blah blah...

What we were doing: 

He took naps, one 1.5 hours after he woke up, and one strictly at 1pm, after lunch, he was always exhausted and crabby by the time bedtime came, wh
ich I thought was great (that has to lead to more sleep! right?)

We had a bedtime routine, at 6:30pm (yes thats early, but babies are wired to go to bed early!) actually let me back up, we have dinner at 5pm, and then a bath, if needed, and then a little play time, THEN bedtime starts at 6:30, change into a night diaper and PJs, lotion up, go into his bedroom, have a bottle, read a book or 10, sing a couple songs, and then into his crib he went, awake but drowsy!  He would wake up for the morning at 7am, about 12 hours after he went to bed, which is great, but those 3+ bottles during the night were killing me!

I was actually doing a lot right, but I was missing so many things!!
I took everyones advice, and combined it into one amazing pile of delicious sleep!

He even wakes up HAPPIER now! 

What we do now: 

Black out curtains: we added black out curtains to his room, actually I lie, we added sheets on top of his curtains (hey we are moving soon, and I don't know what the windows will be like in our new home!) this keeps the room extra dark, and stops the sun from shinning into his room at the crack of dawn, it also seems to keep his room cooler, in the morning, when the sun shines in

Earlier Bedtime: we now start our bedtime routine around 6pm, instead of 6:30, he is much less tired, but he falls asleep much faster!

Bedtime Snack: even though bedtime is just 1 hour after dinner, we have started to give him a bowl of cereal, just to make sure he is nice and full (not stuffed, but full to the brim) he loves cereal, and I don't usually give it to him, so he has started to love getting this "snack" before bed!

Sound Machine: we actually always had a sound machine, I just had it on a timer, that turned off about 30 minutes after I laid him down, which means if anyone makes noise outside, it wasn't doing me any good.  We now let the sound machine play all night, and even plugged in a fan, I cant imagine sleeping with such noise, but he is sleeping GREAT!

Later afternoon nap: I now switched his afternoon nap from 1pm to about 2 or 3pm, this sounded crazy to me, but it actually really worked! I wake him up by 430, if he isn't already awake, but this keeps him from getting overly tired before bed! He also has a lot more energy for play time, which tires him right back out, in time for bedtime!

Sing the same songs: we started singing the same two songs every night, right before I put him in his crib, he has started to associate these two songs, with bedtime, I do not sing them before nap time, just bedtime!

I should also say that I totally believe in crying it out, I once heard a child researcher say something along the lines of:
"if your baby chokes on food, you wouldn't say "oh no you choked, and it hurt you, now you can never eat again" or if they were learning to walk, and fell you wouldn't say "you fell and got hurt, you can not learn to walk now"  Crying is apart of the learning process, and like anything, babies need to learn how to sleep, just as you perhaps have a routine to help you fall asleep, children need to learn their own sleeping mechanisms" 
so I definitely agree with that, Crying is totally acceptable, however in the middle of the night, I can't do it, I am too paranoid that something happened, maybe a snake got into his crib and bit him, or the ceiling fell down on him, or he has a fever, and my mind races (even with a camera monitor) so if you do have to go in, make sure you keep the lights off, and do not talk or make eye contact with your child! keep it boring, so they realize that this is sleeping time, not playing time!

the first night we added these extra bits to our routine, he woke up once, around 5 hours into his night.

the second night, he slept 10 hours, took a bottle and back to sleep

and since then he has started sleeping 11 hours, took a bottle, and back to sleep for 2-3 more!

I seriously feel like a whole new person! try it out, see if they help  you! let me know how it goes! 

Infant Lead Weaning, for the toothless baby

When Bennett first switched to having some "baby foods" I would spend the afternoon peeling, steaming, and blending vegetables, freezing them into little single size servings, and then, when he was ready to eat, unthawing the food, usually waiting for them to cool down, and then trying to get more of the food into his mouth, and less from getting on the floor/face/hands/everywhere other than his mouth. we played this game for a while. and for a while it worked, sorta.

Not only was I sick of doing this same routine, Bennett hated it! I knew I needed to switch something up, but he still didn't have teeth, so I was really unsure what I could do, he couldn't possibly eat food with out teeth, could he?? 

I started slowly, with soft foods like bananas, and avocados.  But how many bananas and avocados can a kid eat? finally I took the plunge, I was eating dinner one night, I believe it was ground chicken tacos (YUM!) and decided, maybe he could try this... and he did, and he ate more than I have ever seen him eat before! 

I simply gave him some ground chicken (in small bits) cut up the tortilla (about the size of a cheerio) and peeled a tomato and cut it up into little chunks! and he ate it ALL without a single issue!!! I was amazed! 

Our menu QUICKLY grew from there! He is now 10 months old, and we feed him basically  anything we eat, and he STILL has NO teeth! 

We just follow a few simple rules, and he enjoys his meal!

1. SOFT Veggies- I have found that frozen, or steamed work best, carrots, broccoli, peas, beans, corn, spinach, squash, potatoes, tomatoes (we either peel the skin, or cut them up really small)  avacados, bell peppers,  pretty much anything under the sun!

Veggies we avoid: veggies that are stringy, or hard, for example, brussels sprouts, and asparagus!

2. Fruits- I also stick to soft fruits, I have heard that you can do an apple, but I find that bennett will stick the WHOLE apple slice in his mouth, instead of just sucking on it like he is suppose to do.  I will often pick up a bag of mixed frozen veggies, like strawberries, blue berries and cherries (be sure to cut these up so they don't pose a choking risk).  

Fruits we avoid: Although he doesn't have teeth yet, and we don't have to worry about the acidity, I generally stay away from oranges, as they have sort of a skin over each slice.  we have never tried pineapple, or water mellon, but I would assume they would both be good, water mellon just has a lot of sugar, and no real nutritional value to it!

squash and some sort of ground chicken hot dish! 

3.Meats and Protein : I don't eat a lot of meat, I actually only eat chicken and seafood, however, Bennett eats it all! Usually I serve his meat ground (chicken, turkey or beef) but he has also had chicken breast (cut into small pieces) and tuna! beans, are also great, and so is peanut butter! 

Remember to watch for allergies especially with fish and peanut butter!

Meats we avoid: I would not try any "tough" meats, like stake, I haven't eaten meat in so long, I can't even imagine what pork or lamb is like, so use your own discression on those!

4.Grains: I can't think of any grains he doesn't eat, and love (someones a carb person like his momma) he has bread, noodles, pizza (in very moderation!) tortillas, anything really! we just make sure to cut them up to about the size of a cheerio, and he just gums it until he is ready to swallow!

spaghetti with meatballs! either cut the noodles up small, or keep them big for easier holding! 

5. Dairy: I was very nervous to introduce dairy to his diet, for what ever reason I was scared he may have allergies to it, but I tried it (waiting to try it, isn't going to change the outcome, he is either allergic or not!) and he loves it! Cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt are his favorite! 

It is not recommended to start cows milk until after the 1st year of life, but this does not include dairy products, its simply switching from formula to cows milk

I am always blown away by the foods he is able to eat! so don't be afraid to try it with your toothless baby! 

So whats your experience with infant lead weaning? how does your toothless child do? any other tips or tricks for parents who want to try this out? 

If I could Redo my baby registry

I had a TON of baby showers before Mr.Bennett was born.  I was absolutely overwhelmed by the number of amazing gifts I was given and I am forever appreciative of all of the love and support we got at such an exciting time in our life...

But I had NO idea what to ask for, and since I had no idea what to ask for, my registry ended up with like a million products, and half of them were not even useful!

I had been working with infants for the year before I got pregnant, and while I was pregnant. So I thought I had it all figured out!!
I knew which kind of diapers I preferred (Huggies,  and still do!) I knew which bottles I liked best, I knew that I wanted him to use a pacifier, and what diaper rash cream I preferred,
but once I actually got into motherhood my opinion on these changed DRASTICALLY!
hello! I LOVED feeding babies with Dr. Brown bottles, but thats when I wasn't the one washing all 500 parts that it has!


so here are the products we asked for, and the products we SHOULD have asked for! I will also add the products we did get that we LOVE and couldn't live without!


What We Asked For:

 We got one of these carriers, it wasn't this one exactly, but I believe it was something like $20 and honestly it worked, (I know it doesn't hold their legs in the best position ever, but I honestly didn't wear him in a carrier all that often, mostly just for shopping and such) it was fine, nothing special, but my son grew FAST, and by the time he was 5 months old, he couldn't fit in there, and honestly, by the time he weighed about 15 lbs my back would hurt SO bad wearing this thing! The cheap carriers do not keep mom in mind when they make them! maybe its just me, maybe I need to work on my back strength, but after about 5 months we ended up buying an ergo, and have NEVER looked back!

What We SHOULD Have Gotten:

WE LOVE OUR ERGO! My chunky man can sit in there all day totally comfortable, and its comfortable for me too! plus how cute are the little whales?! yes it did cost us something like $120 but its worth every single penny! We use it to travel, shop, WORKOUT, everything! he is so much more secure in it, plus it has the waist strap to give extra support to me! I also love the hood, because Bennett usually can't fall asleep if there is a whole lot of activity going on, but toss that hood up and he will fall right to sleep! the shoulder straps are amazing (although they can get kind of toasty, its still worth it!) they are so thick and comfortable, and its super easy to adjust so Eric and I can switch between us super fast!



What We Asked For:
swaddling blankets, If you have read/watched Happiest baby on the block (WHICH YOU SHOULD!) you know how important swaddling is to a happy baby, that being said, I packed my list full of blankets, but babies are good at getting out of those blankets, no matter how well you swaddle them!!

What We Should Have Gotten:

AMAZING! they come in just about every color and design under the sun, and they adjust for a growing baby (although they do have a few sizes too) Bennett lived in these for the first few weeks/months! and I give them 100% credit for why he was such an amazingly easy baby!

he absolutely loved his SwaddleMe

What We Asked For:

  

Don't get me wrong, I actually absolutely love Dr. Brown Bottles, They are excellent for babies who spit up or have a lot of gas, colic, and I honestly say have a couple, I always use these bottles at night, when I really don't want him having bubbles in his belly, or spitting up, but these are an absolute pain in the ass to wash (excuse my language, but its ridiculous ABSOLUTELY ridiculous!)  no only do you have to wash like a million bottles with a newborn (they eat every 2-3 hours!) but you have the bottle, the nipple, the ring, the little vent thing and the straw!!! the vent and the straw have little nooks and crannies to get into! Its just a mess, I ended up throwing half of them away, because id put off washing the bottles so long, that the milk would start to get nasty (sorry thats gross, but I had a new baby, I did not have time for all that!)

What We SHOULD have got:

medela is a very basic bottle, as basic as they come (no venting!) and so with that, you have to sort of, remove the nipple from babies mouth, every so often to let the air back in (imagine drinking out of a water bottle, how it crushes in as you drink the water, well these don't crush in, so eventually the nipple like collapses) however, these are too easy to wash! they are nice and little (especially at first, when they are only drinking an oz or two, to wash an 8 oz bottle just drives me nuts) these are also awesome if you have a Medela, pump, these are great for pumping right into, storing the milk in the fridge, and then just sticking a nipple on and it being a bottle!

We did pick a couple products that we absolutely love! and so you have to put these on your list! They are, in my opinion the best products at the best price!

PUT THESE ON YOUR LIST:

So I actually got the "snugapuppy" instead of the bunny (they are the EXACT same thing, just the animal is different)  but I guess amazon is not selling the puppy right now (although the puppy is way cuter) we LOVED this product! It can swing side to side (which babies love way way more than front to back) and it has different songs, and you can adjust the volume, you can also adjust the speed of the swing! and it actually doesn't take up that much space (we live in a shoebox and found enough space for it!)  The seat of the swing also adjusts, from laying back to more of a sitting up position! just all around a great product!

I thought this was one of those stupid products, that you would only use for like a week, and never use it again, but I have to say we LOVED our bumbo (Bennett did sit up at 3 months on his own, so it really did feel like we only used it a week or two, but they were blissful weeks!) I am fairly certain this product is part of the reason Bennett did learn to sit up so early (although there is no actually study that shows that to be true) I think it gave him the motivation to learn! You can also use the Bumbo as a bath seat BRILLIANT! and they have tray tables you can add too! We also loved it because Bennett hated tummy time, but was starting to get a flat head, and although tummy time is important, and we still pushed him into having it, this gave him even more time off of his head!

We LOVE LOVE LOVE our travel system! I love having a jogger, even if we never actually go jogging, it just feels like a smoother ride! it also has a little spot for your cellphone, as well as an obvious cup holder! the bottom basket is huge! which is a great plus and I love that the carseat just clicks right in there! All of the smaller strollers we have tried out, felt like the handle was kind of low? and im short, so im not sure why this is, but this handle is at the perfect height!  We did eventually get a smaller stroller, for quick trips and what not, but if you plan to actually go out side with the stroller (even as little as walks) this is a wonderful stroller! also when we first had Bennett, we had a small call, the stroller did fit into the trunk, but even if you car is even smaller, the front wheel comes off and so does the tray to make it even more compact! this is not to say its not a big stroller, it is, but thats what makes it great! we also love the carseat, I mean a car seat is a car seat, it keeps him safe, it does make him kind of sweaty?? and I saw other people had the same issue, but he doesn't seem to mind it one bit!

This was HANDS DOWN the best product I decided to buy! I exclusively pumped for about 5 months, but I also had a chronically low supply, so I was hooked up to my pump for 8+ HOURS a day! this was such an amazing product, I had tried a couple other pumping bras, but the little holes for the pump would get stretched out, and one of them the zipper broke right away, this bra is AMAZING it totally adjust to anyone, and even adjusts to how close, or far away, your girls sit from each other! This was the best best best product ever, so if you plan to pump, even just occasionally, GET THIS BRA!

Is there any products you would add to this list?? anything you couldn't have survived without? anything you got, that you didn't need? 

Why I Serve Bottles Cold

When my son was about 5 weeks old he was hospitalized with a Subgaleal Hemorrhage, at that time I had been trying (unsecessfully) to breast feed, while he was in the hospital (for what seemed like forever!) I ended up switching to exclusively pumping.
   Anyways, while he was there I would pump the milk, and give it to a nurse to refrigerate, and then when he was ready for a feeding, I would ask for the milk back and she would give it back to me.  I remember the first time I asked for the bottle of milk, the nurse came back with a PIPING hot glass of water, to warm the bottle in. I told her that I didn't need the glass, he drinks the bottles cold.  She looked at me, like I was an alien from outer space, thought really hard for about a full minute, and goes "thats absolutely brilliant".
she then proceeded to ask "does he really take it cold though?" and I said "well he doesn't really know any different, and he seems to prefer it over nursing!"

This has been, perhaps, the BEST parenting choice I have made (I mean for a small scale decision, probably insisting that the ER was wrong, and bringing him back into the pediatrician when I noticed the bump on his head was the BEST decision I made, but thats not the kind of decision im talking about here)

So why do I think its the best choice I made? even though grandmas every where think I am a terrible mother. let me tell you!

1.  When you warm up breast milk too fast, or too hot, you actually LOSE nutrients! thats right, that bottle of liquid gold, can actually be losing its nutrients (before baby ever gets it) just because it was warmed up TOO fast or TOO hot (*this does not happen if you run it under luke warm water, but I found its very hard to keep a sink running luke warm, and luke warm water is not always available, and we live in Southern California, and there is a massive drought going on) this is why you should NEVER warm up breast milk in a bottle warmer!!! NEVER NEVER NEVER!

2. I burned Bennetts mouth- one time, when I warmed up his bottle, it was the middle of the night, half asleep, I forgot to check the temp (or maybe I did check the temp, and I just didn't realize how hot it was) when I shoved the bottle in his mouth he let out the worse SCREAM I had ever heard! he was just a new baby and I NEVER wanted that to happen again! for the next few days he would literally wince as he started to suck on the bottle, like he was actually afraid of it too!! This was just not something I was willing to risk again!

3. Do you ever drink warm milk?? I know some people do actually, but the thought literally makes me nauseous! WARM milk! gross, plus when you are thirsty, would you rather a warm drink, or a cool drink?? id prefer cool! thank you very much- plus I believe this is why his transition to water/juice and eventually regular milk has been so easy!

4. ITS SO EASY! I am sure someone will shoot back with a "your a lazy mom" comment. but hear me out, how do you keep a bottle warm out in public?? once a bottle is warmed up, you gotta drink that up pronto, keep a bottle in a little cooler, and it is good for hours!! HOURS!
Now that we use formula, this has only become more and more convent, just carry formula and a bottle of water in our diaper bag, and he can eat within 30 seconds of wanting a bottle, at any given time.
While I was doing research on this, I saw someone say that it should be abuse,and that if you are out and you need a bottle, just ask for hot water, and let it sit until its cooled off enough- excuse me?? you want me to let my baby be hungry for, what, 15 minutes? while a glass of HOT water becomes warm water?? when I could just grab this glass of water I'm drinking, and pour it into a bottle and he will be DONE eating, before your bottle cools off!
We also prep bottles the night before, and then stick them in the fridge, that way throughout the night, all I have to do, is grab a bottle from the fridge, and plop it in Bs mouth! no measuring, no scooping, no nothing! fridge to mouth in 30 seconds flat!

5. It is not harmful! so many people think cold bottles will give a baby colic, or make the unsettled, or  make them stay awake.  Which I really don't understand.  Bennett was the BEST baby ever- I swear he never had a SINGLE fussy day in his new born life ( now that he is an older baby, he is, strong willed lol) barely ever spit up, and was an excellent eater! now sure that could be a coincidence. maybe it would have been that way if he had warm bottles, or maybe not.  Im just saying, there is not a single piece of evidence (aside from people who say that it should be warmed because thats what their parents did, and their parents before them did) that says it will give a baby colic, or make them sleep less- also Bennett has always been a great sleeper, he wakes up to eat, but he has never been wide awake in the middle of the night, and im talking not once since day 1 of his life!


what do you think? have you ever heard of serving bottles cold? do you do it?? what is your experience with it? 

How we afford for me to be a stay at home parent

When we found out we were pregnant, both my husband and I were OVER JOYED. It honestly didn't even seem real. We had always planned on me being a stay at home parent, at the time I was majorly under employed, working in an infant class room at a local daycare center, so the idea of sending my son to my work, so I could take care of other kids, while other people took care of him made NO sense what so ever!

*this is not to bash working moms! I am all for working moms*

so it just didn't make sense to me to go back to work, and spend MOST of my paycheck on daycare! however, that was going to drop our income by MORE THAN HALF (yes I was the bread winner, if you don't count all of Eric's benefits, like housing, and health insurance)

BILLS:
1. we cut the cable- I know this is starting to be a bit of a trend, but we did this almost a year and half ago, before it was "cool".  I literally remember calling up verizon to tell them we would no longer need their cable, and they asked where we were moving, like people didn't just NOT have cable of any sort- instead we opted for the $99 apple tv, and then we already had netflix and added hulu!
Hulu has been AMAZING, even more so than netflix I think, since you can watch shows that are on tv NOW, just watch them the next day!
before we payed about $130 per month for internet/cable- we now pay $55 for internet, and $8 for netflix,  and $8 for hulu- grand savings of $59 a month
with apple tv you can also get showtime and HBO which we get every few months (i think its $10 a month) and then binge watch shows! also we occasionally get movies or shows off iTunes!

2. downgraded our cell plan. we dropped some data, and saved over $20 a month, we both have it so we pick up wifi automatically, both at home, and at local places we go to (seriously even the grocery store provides free wifi, connect once, and you will automatically connect every time you get close! you will be AMAZED how much data you can save!)

3.I have heard you can also call the companies for your other bills, and just nicely ask if they will reduce your bill, and often times they will, however we live in military housing, in which we do not pay any other bills!

4. WE DO NOT HAVE A CREDIT CARD- unless you pay your card in full every month (use it for the perks) there is no need to have a credit card- you will be paying more in interest than anything! if you cannot afford to pay for it in cash, YOU CANNOT AFFORD IT. Its that simple.

GROCERIES 5. Freezer meal/Meal planning- ok so this one does take a bit of work, and a bit of practice, but even for the novice, this can seriously save some money.  If you follow my other BLOG, you know that I am a major freezer meal maker! I try to find similar recipes, and make them in large quantities, and freeze them into the size we need for 1 meal.  This saves money in multiple ways 1. I can buy in bulk, especially if things are on sale (which im bad at the whole sale searching, but that could really make a difference) 2. we aren't wasting ANY food, I have literally gotten our meals down to a science, we rarely have leftovers and if we do, its like just enough for a late night snack or lunch the next day! we RARELY throw out any food AT ALL! and 3. It stops us from going out to eat, we just don't, unless its a special occasion, we just do not eat out, ever! I personally like to cook, so thats nice, but even if you don't, by cooking all your meals for a week in 1 day, it takes the pressure off from cooking every day!

6. infant lead weaning- we started with all of those fancy baby foods, and guess what? Bennett hated it, so we have switched to almost 100% infant lead weaning (we do give him oatmeal the 'old fashion way' just because im not willing to deal with that mess).  he literally eats what ever we eat (so long as its not too spicy) and not only does it mean we have started eating way way way better, but he gets so much more of a variety of food! foods you don't typically see in baby foods (hello! spinach!!).

7. non traditional couponing- I do not have time nor the patients to go around finding coupons and clipping them, no thank you, plus I find that I end up buying crap I don't need, just because I have a coupon.  but i LOVE the app Ibotta (use referral code kkjksg if you decide to try it out) it pays you BACK for the products you buy (and a lot of them are not even brand loyal, its just like "20 cents off a dozen eggs") seriously how awesome is that?? it adds up FAST, especially on things you already bought!

8. discounted liquor- both my husband and I like to enjoy a nice adult beverage every now and again (seriously look at the name of this blog) but it gets EXPENSIVE, fast! We have switched to almost exclusively getting boxed wine (and Ibotta has a $2 off black box wine) sure its less fancy, but by the time you drink a glass, or 3, you really don't care any more! unless its for a special occasion, we go cheap on our alcohol and beer, at first we were like "This is TERRIBLE" but its really not!  also costco liquor stores have excellent products at a great price!

9. feed the dog scraps- our dog has ALWAYS eaten human food, she is our first born, and if we are eating chicken, I feel like she should have some chicken- so any time we are having, or cooking, meat or veggies, she gets the scraps, either the scraps that we choose not to eat (like the trimmings) or just our left overs that we can't finish, or Bennetts pile of food he drops on the floor, she eats like a queen, and we rarely buy dog food (*NOTE: only do this if you have a healthy dog who is use to human food, don't switch up a dogs diet too fast)

10. Frozen veggies- we eat a LOT of vegetables in our house, LOTS AND LOTS, and that adds up really fast! we have cut our bill, by switching to SOME frozen veggies instead of fresh- especially frozen broccoli, or any veggies B eats for a snack! also frozen veggies work good IN cooking, like stir frys or fried rice, any freezer meal (I mean its getting frozen anyways) and it can save a LOT - another plus: is it doesn't spoil as fast!



PURCHASES 11. We discuss every non-essential purchase- now that probably sounds super ridiculous, but its a little easier than that, anything over about $50 we discuss, nothing crazy just a "hey im thinking of getting these $75 sunglasses what do you think?" and USUALLY the other person is like "go for it" but sometimes, we will say something like "you just got sunglasses 2 weeks ago, you don't need them" and BOOM you just saved $75! I cannot even begin to explain how much money this saves us. Its ridiculous!


12. we WAIT before making any "big" purchases, for example, my husband really wanted a new grill, we have a perfectly good charcoal grill, but he wanted some fancy gas grill, and so he put it up on the white board in BIG BOLD LETTERS. and we waited, and after about a MONTH, he still wanted his grill, so he started to research, and research and research, and THEN he bought his grill, and I was very surprised he decided to go with a much smaller grill than he had originally wanted (which saved us a few hundred dollars) once you are out of the "I WANT THIS, AND I WANT THIS NOW" mind set, you are much more likely to buy what you NEED, and not all the bells and whistles!

13. online shopping-we rarely just go shopping, every time we walk into a target, we leave with an entire cart of things we never even wanted in the first place! so we have started shopping almost exclusively online- need a pizza cutter? get it on amazon for $5.  need a pizza cutter, and go to target to get it? spend $150 on a zillion things, and walk out with no pizza cutter! Amazon prime is also awesome if you do a lot of online shopping, free 2 day shipping, and it almost always gets to us by the next day!


INCOME
14.  I do Direct sales from home-  this is not to advertise my business, but I do work for It Works! from home!  I do very minimal work, maybe 20 minutes a day, and I bring in extra spending money, its nothing HUGE, but its easy money! plus if we have something coming up, that I know about in advance, I try to make a lot of sales, so we can have that extra spending cash.
There are other great ways to work from home, just none that I was willing to do! but don't be afraid to look into them!


Trust me, if we can afford it (how much an E4, now an E5 in the military makes is public information, google it, its NOT A LOT OF MONEY) anyone can make it work!

was this helpful? do you have any other tips for saving money?? let me know in the comments below!! I love getting feed back from you!! 

Everything you need to know: Flying with a baby

Bennett is now 9 months old. In his short life, he has been on 10? different airplanes.. and all have been...well, we have learned from each one! Almost all of the flights,  it has been just me and him, flying alone (the joys of being a military wife) so we have really got the hang of this now.

We are prepping for another flight this weekend, and what has, in the past, been a major stress, is now easy peasy! I thought "hey I should share this with other mommies" and so I will!

Let me start by saying your needs defiantly change as your child grows.. Bennett was maybe 8 weeks old the first time we flew home for the holidays! At the time I was pumping,  he was TINY, but he was a new born, which meant he slept like a baby! --- now, well, a lot has changed.

Bennett first flight (see what I mean by he just slept when he was a newborn) p.s this picture was staged!

So without any further ado here are my extra smart tips for flying with a baby

This is EVERYTHING I pack, plus his blanket, but he is napping with it right now!

1. PACK LIGHT-
       What??!! I am sure I sound crazy, babies need THINGS, sure... but, not really! This list obviously changes a bit with age, but overall, it has stayed the same. (ok so this list actually looks really long- but its mostly advice that goes with the items I promise!)

     - ONE change of outfit, that MATCHES what they wear to the airport- I always him in PJs, and then bring a matching pair- that way if he needs new pants, I just have to change the pants, not the whole outfit,
     - 1 or 2 SMALL toys (I wouldn't even pack toys if they are less than say 6 months, because guess what? your plastic cup is just as exciting to a baby as a stuffed bunny) for this trip I am packing 1 rattle, and 1 light up ball, and only take them out when they are totally needed! There is LOTS to see at the airport, a baby will (usually) be perfectly content flirting with all the strangers! lol
    - a few diapers and wipes- I always pack 2 night diapers, and then about 1 diaper per 2 hours at the airport. we have a long drive to the airport, so we do a quick change before we leave, once when we get to the airport, then switch him into a night diaper for the flight, and then change him once we get off the plane.  I know some people are diaper freaks and have to change them every second, but unless its poop, I say, save yourself the headache! diapers take up a lot of space, plus airplane bathrooms are TINY, they do have diaper tables, but, id rather not.
     -Formula or breast pump/nursing cover- as far as feeding Mr. Bennett, we have tried it all.  After a few weeks I switched to exclusively pumping, and then we flew to Mexico, with a huge layover, and I decided to carry on my huge electric pump DO NOT DO THIS.  if you are an exclusive pumper, or any sort of pumper, just bring a little manual one (and pack your electric one) ! Now that we gave up on the breast feeding, I pack pre-measured bags of formula (just how ever many scoops he needs, into a zip lock bag- or you can buy them prepackaged like this, but I just DIY) - always plan for about DOUBLE what they usually eat- you never know about delays and what not, and for some reason Bennett always eats like crazy when we travel- and then two empty bottles (thats it, just two!) and a bottle of water (sometimes I just buy this at the airport, but you CAN go through security with a bottle of water if it is for formula!!)  I bring two baby bottles, and then just rinse the dirty one out with a little soap and water when I get a chance!
    - a bib/SMALL spit rag (if needed) and also I now bring a jar of baby food and a few snacks
    - Tylonal and diaper rash cream- we NEVER use either of these products, I think bennett has had tylonal once or twice in his whole life, and he has had one diaper rash (that ended up being a yeast infection and not a diaper rash) but You better believe the second you don't have this stuff with you is when you are going to need it. It takes up like 2 inches of space, so I always bring it!
      -blanket and any comfort items- Bennett use to take a pacifier, so we always brought two when we traveled, one on  a pacifier clip, clipped to his clothing and the other one in his diaper bag incase it got lost. now he just goes for his blanket, which is great because airplanes get cold too!


BABY WEAR- I always bring my baby carrier, and wear him through the airport/on the plane! when you go through security you can (usually) just wear the baby and walk through the metal detector (once they made me take him out of it and carry him)  while your stroller and car seat have to be checked out like crazy by security! but this also gives you free arms while you are flying, and it makes ME and maybe him, feel safer (turbulence happens when you least expect it, and I always get nervous he will jump right out of my arms when we hit it!)

no we didn't pay for this seat- but we got it, and this is what I mean by a pacifier clip!

BRING YOUR CARSEAT AND STROLLER- but you just said to baby wear?? I know, but you can check your carseat and stroller AT THE GATE free of charge (Even on cheap flights like Spirit Airlines) I always load up my stroller with my carry on/diaper bag, plus if I stop for a soda, I have a place to hold it!

VERY IMPORTANT: when you get to your gate, and the attendant is at the desk at the gate, very NICELY ask if there are any open seats, that you could put your car seat- almost every single flight, has had open spots, and they move you to it, and just like that, Bennett gets his own seat (without having to pay for it) this is HUGE HUGE HUGE, I just put a blanket over his carseat and he (usually) sleeps the whole way!

getting some play time in at MSP

EXERCISE-  when we are at the airport, I usually get anything I need, and go directly to my gate (or a quiet place near my gate) and lay down the blanket I brought, and let Bennett have some time to be free! it started with tummy time, but now it will be crawling time. just anything after sitting in a car seat, and then in the stroller and soon in the baby carrier on the plane! just trust me, you both will be so thankful for this!

sleeping through the redeye

SCHEDULE YOUR FLIGHT SMART- I know Bennett will sleep at night (usually) so I always try to get redeye flights, so far he has always slept on them- HOWEVER these flights are also really really quiet, which means if your baby doesn't sleep, you may be keeping the whole flight awake (sucks for them, but don't worry about it!)  but usually I find that the flight being dark and quiet works awesome and I end up with a sleeping baby the WHOLE way.

NO EXTRA CARRY ONS- Remember how I told you I brought my whole double electric pump as a carry on?? don't do that! I seriously tried to get on a flight with Myself, Bennett, a diaper bag, a pump AND a suitcase carry on! I looked like a crazy person!!  I was stressed and I could not hold the baby and lift my suitcase, and it was just a huge disaster.  now I won't bring a carry on (if my things don't fit in the diaper bag I don't need it) or MAX just a small backpack! I seriously felt like a camel, or a mule, or some other type of pack animal carrying all these things!! which made me so stressed, and in turn, made bennett stressed, this was BY FAR the worst flight we took! I literally almost started to cry I was so over whlemed- I know checked bags cost money, but i promise it will be worth the $25-$30


GO POTTY- yes YOU, once you get on that flight (especially if you are alone, and your child has a seat to themselves, its REALLY hard to go potty holding a baby in those tiny airplanes!) so go go go a million times before you board that plane! you do not want to be stuck on a 4 hour flight having to go pee two seconds after take off!

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE RIGHT DOCUMENTATION- if you fly out of the country your baby needs a passport! AND if you are traveling with out the other parent have a NOTARIZED letter stating you can bring the child in and OUT of the country! I thought I had my life together, I had a notarized letter to bring Bennett INTO Mexico, without my husband, however, the US customs were a little hesitant to let us BACK into the country without proof that his parent wasn't still in Mexico (and by a LITTLE hesitant, I mean it took us something like 45 minutes to prove he was a US citizen!)


 I hope that helps! if you have any questions, or have any other helpful advice feel free to leave it below!!!