Saturday, March 23, 2013

March Citrus Lane Review

I continue to be impressed by the quality and quantity of Citrus Lane. The boys received their box on Wednesday (which also happened to be my birthday).  Receiving packages is very exciting out here in the country!


This months box included:


(this by far was the favorite item....the puzzle has two sides, one with the robots the other with the primary color wheel.  The boys absolutely love bright colors.  The other plus - the box has a great handle and when you shake the box it makes a cool noise...at least to my boys it was "cool".


4. $20 off coupon to JustFab (for mommy!!)
My treat for my birthday!

5. small pack of rub on tattoos - I plan to use these in Easter eggs next weekend

Today (3/23/13) Citrus Lane advertised a deal to get 50% off your first month using the code TAKEHALF.  This was for new customers only.

Citrus Lane has introduced me to so many great baby products that I would have never been exposed to.  I look forward to seeing what the next month will bring.


This link will also give you $10 off

Do you receive any monthly subscriptions?  I would love to hear your experience.


The Great Baby Food Debate - How We Made Homemade Food for Our Twin Boys

This post has been a long time in the making.  The boys are now 14.5 months old and we have been long done with pureed foods but I thought it was important to go back and revisit this topic.


So here's our story....in the beginning we (as in my DH and me) made the decision to breastfeed our sons.    That's right - I breastfed (and still do) our twin boys.  I am working on a blog post on breastfeeding the boys from birth into toddler-hood....check back soon on that post.  That being said we also decided to follow the recommendation of the World Health Organization and The American Academy of Pediatrics and delay solids until AT LEAST 6 months.  We started off slowly at about 6.5 months and really got into the full swing around 7 months.

DH's aunt gave me a GREAT gift for Christmas before the boys were born.  It was a baby bullet.  I will say it served its purpose, but didn't last long - we soon upgraded to a 10 cup food processor.  



The first thing I made was your basic rice cereal and oatmeal cereal.  The baby bullet has two blades - one for pureeing solids and one for the grains.  Making your own oatmeal and rice takes a bit more effort - once the grains are processed down to a fine meal you can store extras in the refrigerator.  You can then use 1/4 cup of the powder to 1 cup of boiling water.  You will then need to stir constantly for about 10 minutes.  I found that the boys really liked bananas or peaches mixed in with their oatmeal/rice.


The picture above is by far the boys LEAST favorite - they are great eaters, but peas have never been a crowd pleaser.  When making peas it is very important to try and blend down as smooth as possible.  I found the trays above at Fresh Baby - they are 1 oz servings.  I would freeze the tray then transfer the cube to a quart size Ziplock and label with the type/date.


Butternut Squash - the best kept secret.  Butternut Squash is super easy to grow and taste amazing!  The easiest way for cooking - cut in half, place upside down in cake pain, add 1-2 inches of water and bake at 375 for approximately 30-45 mins (until skin starts to pucker up).  After it is cooked, drain water, turn over, scoop out yummy orange squash goodness, place in food processor and hit start!  Typically does not require any extra water since squash is primarily water.


The baby bullet came with 6 2 oz serving containers.  I also purchased an additional 6 OXO 2 oz baby food containers.  I would keep at least 6-12 of these servings in the fridge for 2-3 days as my go to before hitting the freezer stash.


Another view of the butternut squash.....


Peaches - another super easy food.  Cut peaches in half, remove pit, place peaches with pit side down into baking dish, score "X" on top of peach (helps to facilitate skin coming off), fill with 1 inch water, bake at 400 until the skin puckers.  After baking, remove skin, place in food processor, blend and store in container or freeze.

Some of my favorite resources:
2. Top 100 Baby Food Purees: 100 Quick and Easy Meals for a Healthy and Happy Baby
3. The Best Homemade Baby Food on the Planet
4. Cooking for Baby: Wholesome, Homemade, Delicious Foods for 6-18 Months


Other foods that the boys really enjoyed that require ZERO prep, storage, etc.
1. Avocados
2. Bananas

This year we have done a lot of planning and prep in regards to our garden and making sure we have many options for the boys.

Less waste, less cost, better taste, & more nutritious!

Did you make your own baby food?  Any tips?  

Sunday, March 10, 2013

February Bluum Box - Epic Fail!

Let me first start off by saying I anxiously  stalk the mailbox waiting for my "monthly boxes".  Many of you know I am a loyal Citrus Lane, bluum and Nature Box lover.  That being said, bluum is on the bottom of my list these days.  

I received my February bluum box on Thursday, March 7th!  That's right mom's and dad's - my February box that was promised mid February arrived in March.  Thankfully I liked the content that was tailored for my 14 month old twin boys.

Here is a recap:

February - Strong Hands


1. Earth Friendly - Baby Ecos (regular size $7.75, however this was a "trial" sample)

2. Edushape Ball - $5.00
The boys loved this ball - truthfully they love ANY ball.  I liked the texture and they seemed to also enjoy chewing on this toy!

3. mOmma Cup - $10.00
We are always on the hunt for a good sippy cup.  The boys do well with straw like cups and they seemed to like this one.  May be ordering a second one!

4. Ella's Kitchen - Nibbly Fingers Apple/Strawberry - $3.99
These had a great flavor!  They are very soft.  

5. Dapple Dish Liquid - Dish travel Size - $1.99
I was happy to find this sample.  This gets tossed in the diaper bag - I am already an avid user of Dapple. I find that it is gentle on all the "baby" things and does not leave any soapy residue.

6. North-South Books - Baby's First Words - $12.95
Always happy to add another book to the library for the boys

7. Bathtime Kids - Hair and Body Wash - $9.99
This was full size bottle.  We have not tried it yet, but it has a nice smell.
We are California Baby users right now, but we may try and see if we like it!

Overall I was very satisfied with the products - just not the delay in delivery.  
Did you receive your February box?  What did you get?  What would you like to see in bluum or any other baby monthly subscription box?