Thursday, December 31, 2009

Types of Carriers

Ring Sling ~ A carrier that is a piece of fabric with 2 rings attached at one end. The fabric is threaded through the rings to make a pouch part for the baby and a tail which can be adjusted. More versatile than a pouch as it can be adjusted and worn by different size wearers.



Wrap ~ Is the simplest baby carrier it consists of a long piece of fabric. The most versatile of all baby carriers on the market. A wrap can be used to carry your baby in almost any position imaginable, front, back, either facing you or facing away from you, or on your hip. Wraps are completely adjustable and can be worn by different size wearers based on your wrapping style.



Asian Style Carriers (Mei Tai) ~ The Mei Tai carrier consist of a square piece of fabric with long straps on all four corners. These carriers hold your baby to the front or back of your body, using the four long straps to secure your baby. Mei Tai's work well for infants and toddlers and can be worn by different size wearers.

Pouch ~ A pouch is a tube of fabric with a curved seam sewn in the middle providing a pouch for baby to sit in.. Most pouches are custom fit for the wearer.. although adjustable pouches are now available. A pouch is convenient as it had the least amount of fabric as the ring slings or the wraps making it easy to fold up and have in a diaper bag.

You can also find soft structured carriers on the market as well Ergo has become a very popular brand of these carriers.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Body After Baby Challenge 2010

MamaNotes

So I have been doing quite a bit of reflecting these past few weeks.. I need to make some changes.. I need to make myself a priority and take care of my body.. I want to be able to play with my kids and have fun with them...not just watching form the sidelines.. I want to get in there and play...It starts with ME. Mamma Notes Body after Baby Challenge comes at a great time for me while making the decision to take care of my self Mind Body and Soul... I want to loose some baby weight from Baby #1, #2, and #3..



I was 20 when I had Seamus and on Delivery day I weighed 138lbs... Seriously...What I would give to see 138 on a Scale again. Jacob Came along and On Delivery Day I weighed 185lbs.. I would love to see 185lbs again.. Along came Aiden and on Delivery Day I weighed 230lbs... Today my Current Weight is...202lbs...

I feel relieved to get that off my chest.. I am now accountable....


My Goals for this 8 Week Program Are

  • To get Smart about food labels.. If I don't buy it..I won't eat it..


  • Drink lots of water.. keep Bottles of water on hand at all times


  • No more Pop*


  • To Exercise Daily. Wii Fit*, Fitness DVD, Put on a dance CD and Dance with the kids for 30 minuets.


  • To Loose 20lbs

*Pop..Pepsi has been my best friend and worst enemy for the past 7 years. I would drink about 1 litre of Pepsi a day. On December 19th I decided to make a decision and stop Drinking all pop products. I had a day where I drank one glass of pop and I am back on the wagon.. I am trying to drink more water and Tropicana Calcium Orange Juice.
* Wii Fit has so kindly let me know that I am overweight... Also My Wii fit age is 43... I am 27 soon to be 28 years old..wow..


Looking forward to all the challenges that Samantha from Mamma Notes has up her sleeves. Here is to a New Year and a New Rear... Bring It On!!!

I will do before and after photos....

Monday, December 28, 2009

Sprout Baby Give Away Winner

Drum roll please.......and the winner is Michele P. with Comment # 11, her grandson loves his pears and pineapple.

Thanks to all who participated, be sure to head on over to Sprout Baby, they have so much more than baby food and they have a SALE going on as we speak... What are you waiting for?

SayWrap Product Review and Give Away


When comfort is Needed....SayWrap! Sarah is the crafty Momma behind the Scenes at SayWrap a unique Etsy Shop that I am super pleased to have come across while getting geared up for the Babywearing Event.

I had a chance to review a SayWrap and what I like about this carrier.. Is first off how the product arrived.. It was Secured with hemp twine and beads..attention to details..it was a great first impression of SayWrap. Second is how light the wrap is. it was so comfy.. I carry Aiden quite a bit throughout the day while we are home and doing well...everyday things..getting Seamus on and off the bus... getting Jake ready for the day..cleaning, and blogging... this wrap was great, I did not find it at all too warm for use inside the house..the material was breathable... The material used is 100% ORGANIC lightweight Jersey Cotton, the edges are unfinished as Jersey Cotton does not fray, I was a little hesitant popping this wrap in the wash..but low and behold it was fine, and does quite well in the wash. My guy seams to suck on the fabric while he is being chauffeured around. So I need a wrap that can hold up to the washing machine.

A wrap can be overwhelming for a first time user. Practice... get your wee one settled and practice with her or him... Support your baby until you feel confident with the wrap or hold that you have chosen.

Sarah has taken a lot of the guess work out of the equation with these great videos to show you how to tie your SayWrap www.youtube.com/user/saywraps

I had a few questions for Sarah about her product and her view on the benefits of Babywearing
1. What inspired you to start your own business?
First, my baby, Evan. He was born March 13 of this year and I have been doing anything to avoid going back to work full time. Second, the wrap. After making my own wrap when he was about 2 months old, I was amazed at how helpful and comforting it was for both me and Evan. So, I put the two reasons together and would love to be able to help as many parents and babies as possible while making a little money at the same time.

2.What sets the SayWrap apart?
Most wraps are either very stretchy or not at all. The jersey cotton I use is in the middle. It's stretchy to be very comfortable for the newborn, but has a strength to support the older infant as well. My material is lightweight which keeps both carrier and baby cooler. They are also individually made with love from a SAHM:)

3.As a parent what benefits have you experienced from wearing your baby?
Oh, my. Where do I start? I love knowing that my baby is comfortable. Truly comfortable. Being worn must be the closest to being back in the womb there is. Wearing Evan helps calm him down if he's agitated, helps him handle new situations better, helps put and keep him asleep, and he just likes it! When he sees me putting my wrap on, he gets all smiley and happy!
It has also benefited me personally in many ways. It allows me to get things done around the house without hassle. It makes going out or shopping so much easier. (No worries about gross shopping cart seats!) And I don't have to worry about lugging around a big awkward stroller. (Which I did a couple times when he was a newborn, and I felt so silly and cumbersome) Also, I am an "attached" parent and I honestly just love having him right next to me; content. And now that he weighs a bit more, wearing him is a definite back saver. All in all, it makes me happy that I can do anything with him by my side; and he's happy to be there.

You want one....


You can purchase your very own SayWrap just pop on over to the SayWrap Etsy Shop.. SayWrap is having a grand Opening sale, you can choose a free onesie with a purchase of a wrap.
WIN IT!!!
SayWrap has offered one Babywearing Event Reader a beautiful SayWrap in an amazing Green Colour.. Great for boy or girl..
Mandatory Entry: Head on over to SayWraps Etsy Shop and tell me what you would choose from the shop. Leave a comment below..
be sure to leave an email address or make sure that it is visible in your profile
Extra Entries
  • Grab my Wear Your Babies Button
  • Grab Judson Family Button
  • Follow Judson Family Publicly
  • Head on Over to SayWraps and Heart SayWraps Etsy Shop
  • Follow Judson Family on Twitter and Tweet about Give Away!
  • Blog About Give Away 2 EXTRA ENTRIES

Winner will be chosen on January 4th, 2010, For those of you who have qualified for extra entries please make sure you enter your own entries as I will not be doing them for you.

Wear Your Babies





I will be adding a photo of the SayWrap in use on Tuesday...we are spending the holidays at my parents and I have forgotten the cord for my Camera. My sister is bringing it to me on Tomorrow. You will get to see the the Colour of the Wrap that is up for the give away.. Trust me it is beautiful..

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Bring on the New Year

Christmas was not at all how I Imagined it would be this year..I am not ready to share what is going on. Life is Tough sometimes... We continue on... I am looking forward to the New Year..


My family spent the Holidays at my Parents home and it worked out that all the sisters ( I have 3) My little brother and their families were all together.. It was definitely a full house. Although it was not what I imagined it was what it was and I am so happy to have gotten through the Holidays with some great memories ..

Bring on the New Year

What is Babywearing?

Wear Your Babies

Babywearing simply means carrying your baby or toddler in a sling wrap or other type of carrier.



My son Aiden is almost 7 months old and I have enjoyed the convenience of Babywearing with him. I am an everyday mom trying to maintain a household filled with two very active rough and tumble boys ages 4 and 7 and a 6 soon to be 7 month old. The reality was that I did not have enough hands.. That is where babywearing has save me . I was never one to tug around a car seat or push my kids away from me in a stroller. I always preferred to hold the boys close to me.. I am surprised that I was not aware of the benefits of babywearing or the options and variety of carriers with Seamus and Jacob.



I started out looking for a Moby wrap I had heard so many great things about them, I went to the only store on our island that Sells the Moby and was very surprised at how much time they gave to me in helping me select the Moby, they wrapped themselves, and then wrapped me. I was encouraged to PRACTICE!! and I did. I have to admit I was intimidated at first with the massive amount of fabric. Once you are comfortable with the types of holds and how to wrap it is not an issue.



Take the time and get comfy with your carrier of choice, Get in front of a mirror and get wrapping or slinging.





Wear your Babies


Saturday, December 26, 2009

Babywearing Event

Babywearing event begins tomorrow right here on Judson Family.. If you have not already entered for extra entries..what are you waiting for... go here for details. looking forward to spreading the word on the the benefits of wearing your baby..also some great Give Aways..



Wear Your Babies


Friday, December 18, 2009

Aloha Friday #4

It is Aloha Friday! In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that people take it easy and look forward to the weekend.Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your comment below and link in Kailani’s blog.

Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new blog friends!

This Weeks Question

Gift Cards... they are so convenient, I am undecided about how I feel about giving Gift Cards as Christmas Gifts...Do you like to Give Gift Cards? Do you like to Receive Gift Cards?


Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Wordless Wednesday

Jacob strategically placing the M&Ms on Mr.Gingerbread
Taadaa
Yummy....
Seamus eating more icing than he is putting on Mr.Gingerbread
Point Proven
Trying to decide where to begin..

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Snugglebugs

Hubby is away again, on a business trip....He left for Calgary Alberta, Monday Morning.. The boys are quick to stake out their spots in our King size bed... I am very thankful that my boys are snuggle bugs. I will be happy when he is home on Thursday, I am missing him, maybe it is because of the time of year, there is so much to do and so little time.. and Honey is away from his Honey Do List...



6 month Update


Aiden was 6 months old on the 12th of December. Where do the months go? My baby is 1/2 a year old. sniff. sniff..
Still no teeth.. Seriously...
Aiden is now sitting up on his own
When on the floor he will roll to get to where or what he wants. Aiden is very vocal and in constantly jabbering away..I love it!!!.
He is developing his own playful attitude. He loves when Seamus comes home from School to play with him.. Aiden absolutely loves Jacob and is always trying to get his hair in his hands..Jacob on the other hand is keeping his distance. Aiden is very much aware of the people around him, and is very social.

We are getting ready to celebrate Aiden's First Christmas. And Looking forward to what the new year has to bring us, as they boys continue to grow.

All I want for Christmas is....

My Two Front Teeth..

Seamus is making his living these days from the money he is collecting from the tooth~fairy. He will be 8 years old in January and is now just loosing his teeth.. He was the last one in his class to loose his first tooth.. He claims he worked hard getting those teeth out!! Do you know how many time I wiggled that tooth?

Love the toothless Grin!!!





Monday, December 14, 2009

Sprout Baby Review & Give Away

I had the opportunity..or shall I say Aiden had the opportunity to give Sprout Baby Food a try. We received a variety of fruit and vegetables to sample. what else can we say but yummy!
I made the decision to make our own baby foods for a multitude of reasons. One of the main reasons being that I was not entirely sure what was in the food. Second main reason was the cost.

Sprout Baby foods are amazing first thing I noticed was the list of ingredients... there are no additional ingredients. What you see is what you get,
Made with all certified organic ingredients. No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

Sweet Peas
Ingredients: Organic Sweet Peas, Filtered Water.


Roasted Butternut Squash
Ingredients: Organic Butternut Squash.

Baked Sweet Potato
Ingredients: Organic Sweet Potatoes.


Allergen Information: Does not contain Milk, Nuts, Egg, Soy, Wheat, Gluten, Fish or Shellfish.

Sprout Baby Foods are inexpensive. Check out their website for a variety of packages to choose from.



What I like about this product.
  • Organic.. I always try to buy organic when I can.
  • Taste.. The Baby food actually tasted like food. Banana's taste like ban ans, Sweet potato's taste like sweet potato's.. Yummy
  • Convenience... The packaging makes this product so easy to take along. toss one in the diaper bag along with a spoon.. easy.

I am unsure about my opinion on the packaging, we try to purchase packaging that is recyclable when possible. This packaging is not recyclable, also It is really difficult to get all the food out of the packet.

Now for the Question we all are waiting to hear...

What does Aiden Think? He Loves it!!!... Everything seemed tasty to him especially the bananas.


Moms point of View. Sprout Baby Foods is definitely a product that I would purchase. I am still committed to preparing home made baby food, but I do like the option of having Sprout Baby Food on hand for quick on the go moments, I like the ease of having the pouches in the diaper bag.

Would I Recommend this product to other moms? ... Yes I would.. I would recommend Sprout Baby Foods to all moms. Check them out Here.


Sprout Baby is Celebrating their First Birthday Stop by for your chance to win $2,500.00.

BUY IT
Visit Sprout Baby and as a bonus you can use this code SBBL125 to receive 15 % off of your first purchase.

WIN IT

Sprout Baby has generously offered one of Judson Family Readers the chance to win a $25 gift certificate that is good for anything on Sprout Baby Website.

Mandatory Entry: Go to Sprout Baby and tell me what you would purchase with the $25 GC if you are the lucky winner?

Additional Entries
  1. Follow Judson Family Publicly on google Friend connect.
  2. Grab the Judson Family Button
  3. Follow Judson Family on Twitter and Tweet about Sprout Baby Give Away!
  4. Purchase anything on the sprout Baby website using your 15% off code SBBL125 and receive 5 extra entries( all entries will be verified)
  5. Follow Sprout Baby on Twitter
  6. Become a fan of Sprout Baby on Face Book
  7. Blog About this Give Away and receive two extra entries
  8. Answer this question.. What is your child's favorite food?
RT@JudsonFamilyStop by http://smjudson.blogspot.com for a chance to win a $25 GC From @SproutNation


Give away ends December 20th, 2009.. Good Luck!!!

Christmas Wreath How To!

I am going to attempt to show YOU!! how to make your very own Christmas Wreath. I make the wreaths out of Fir Boughs that I cut myself from our own back yard. We are very fortunate to live in the country and we have access to our neighbours wood land. Always check with the land owner and get permission before cutting fir. I have also noticed that you can conveniently purchase the boughs from fresh tree stands or tree farms for a price. I however prefer the free do it yourself option. Key word being free.. It also gives me an excuse to have an Adventure with my son Jacob see here to read about our adventure in the woods.
Step One
Find the fir trees...check
Sect Branches and determine where to cut... When making the decision where to cut, I always count at least three sections down on the branch.. It very much depends on the branch. If the branch is full cut as far down as you can, you can use the bottom section as filler when working with branches that are not so full.


From the tip of the branch showing where I would make the cut.
The bough.. this is a nice full branch. I make the wreaths double sided, and make as many as 20 wreaths depends, sometimes more if requested.
Step 2 get your materials ready...Check

Wreath Wire Frame... I have a local metal shop make these for me costs $15 fro 2 dozen. They can be purchased at a wreath making company as well. I also ask Friends and Family to save the wire for me and I will re use the wire frames.

Wreath Wire.. This can be purchased at your local craft store. relatively inexpensive.. tip.. I buy it after Christmas and take advantage of the boxing day or end of season sales...

Pruners (snips). We use these for pruning our shrubs as well these can be purchased almost everywhere.. Home Depot, Wal marts..ect.. They range in Price from $8- $30.
Step 3, Get your Wire Started...Check
You will need a lead of wire and I would recommend that you tie something to the end because the wire can go missing among the wreath... You will need the lead to be at least 9" you will use this to finish off the wreath and to make the loop... to hang your wreath. To start the wire simply wrap around the frame twice. With the roll of wire in the center of the frame.


Step 4... Choose the Boughs... Check

I separate the boughs into two sections
  1. To use on the top or face of the wreath. (top)
  2. To use on the back of the wreath (bottom)
The picture above would be considered TOP.. As it is a full bough.

The picture above would be considered the Bottom. It is noticeable in Rough shape.. Any bought that is not full or is rough looking will be place in the Bottom pile to be used on the back of the wreath.
In the picture above I am showing where to clip or snip a bough, when it is a larger fuller branch, You make the cut (shown above) and then place the bottom portion behind a bough that is not quite as full (Shown Below)
Not so full bough(above) paired with a lower section of a fuller branch (below)


Step 5..Lets get this Wreath started...Check.

To start the wreath (You always begin with the top/face of the wreath) select 3 top branches, and hold in your hand place on the wreath with the bottom of the boughs where the wire has been started.

Wrap the wire around three times
Pulling tight on the wire. You want it snug.
Your wire should now be on the out side of the frame.

Step 6...Flip..Check

You want to now flip the wreath over to the Back-side of the wreath and then choose three boughs from the bottom pile.



Continue the same way wrapping the wire around three times pulling tight.

When you are finished you will flip to the front and work from the front to the back.
Here is a photo of the second set of boughs being placed on the front of the wreath. (below)
Step 7. Keep the ends trimmed.. Check


I keep the ends of the boughs trimmed as I work. If find it is a neater finish. see picture below showing where I make the cut
Before... (above)
During..(above)
removing the ends...(above)
After..(above) nice and neat..



Step 8..Lets Wrap it Up.Check

Finishing the wreath can be a bit tricky and can take a couple of tries to get it right. When I get close to the end(see below) I start making the boughs a bit fuller on the front of the wreath adding one or two more boughs to each bunch.. You have to be careful not to get the wire caught up in the wreath and pull down other branches.
Step 9. Tie one..check

When you get to the end you want to leave a tail of wire the same length as the lead of wire, you want to tie a not all all the way to the frame of the wire( or as close as you can get to the boughs). You will want to hold the wires up and spin the wreath to combine the wire. You will then want to create a loop simply take each wire and wrap around the frame.
Step 10 Mark the loop. with a piece of colourful ribbon, fabric, paper.. Trust me you can loose the loop in the wreath. ( see photo above)



Step 11..Choose your Bow ..Check
I buy the Bows at the Dollar store ( I cheat a little) If you are crafty and make bows go for it they will look great on your wreath.

I have to vamp up the Dollar store Bows because they will not hold up to the elements such as Wind... I simply reinforce the bow with wreath wire and wrap it around the wreath frame making sure to put the wire underneath the boughs.


And secure it in the back...
Taaaadaaa.. Finished product.. At the this point you can trim the wreath, but I prefer to have them a little wild!!!