Motherly changes

Okay, so my hubby says that I am totally changing...I think I am becoming my grandmother. I find myself now cleaning all the time. When Justin was little, I wasn't concerned about the kitchen being cleaned or the floor, but now that he is bigger I want it to be clean. . . and I find myself cleaning more! Is this normal? Am I being overly anal? Todd isn't complaining, says it is actually funny to him, we have swaped places (he was always the clean dude).

It just seems that being home all day and now with Justin walking all over the house, there is constantly clutter and stuff he has taken from one room to the next etc...and the kitchen floor always seems like it needs to be cleaned, so I have been sweeping daily (is this normal???) Does it get worse the more you have?

I can say that I am proud to not be a swiffer snob anymore. I have some left over, but will sweep instead...this costs less and I am not putting the swiffer sheet in the landfill. One step toward being greener.....

To make you laugh

OK-I promise I won't start posting every joke or funny thing I come across, but this made me laugh so hard..
From Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. She overheard her 3rd grade daughter explaining this to some of her friends..
"A stallion is a boy that's really fierce and bossy," she told them. "But they can give them an operation that makes them gentle and nice and helpful. You know. Like our daddies."

So many levels on which this is funny to me.

Is your baby bottle toxic?

I just got done reading this article http://www.parents.com/baby/feeding/bottlefeeding/baby-bottle-toxic/ on the safety of baby bottles. Not to suddenly seem like an alarmist but I decided it was worth being aware of.

Baby Food

I've just started feeding my 8 month old baby food regularly. I know that Dana and Darla had a homemade recipe for baby food. I was wondering if you could post it? :)
Thanks a bunch!

Not sleeping in bed......

My 2 year old is now refusing to sleep in his toddler bed, which is by the way, by the door. He would rather us tuck him in there and then as soon as we close the door, he gets out of bed and curls up in front of his door. We thought at first it was the light under the door from the hallway but that doesn't really matter if the light is on or off. We tried a nightlight in his room but he really doesn't like the nightlight and cries with the light. He likes it dark in his room unlike his older sister. So I guess I am asking if anyone has gone through this and if anyone has advice on some things to do to keep him in his bed. During the night he gets cold because he is out of his covers. So he wakes up crying and we start the whole cycle again. Any suggestions?

Cleaning Products

Hi everyone-
This morning as I was cleaning ahem, poo off the carpet I was really glad to have some good stuff to use, so I thought I maybe you all wouldn't mind if I shared my views about cleaning products. First off, we do all need to disinfect things sometimes, bath toys, bathtubs, toilets etc. Unfortunately that old favorite bleach is a strong oxidizing agent. This means that when it comes into contact with skin it burns it. From personal experience I know this doesn't not necessarily cause big bad heat type blisters, but it is still unhealthy. If you want some sources for more proof of why bleach is bad, I can look some up for you, but I have my M.S. in organic chemistry so I do know a little about chemicals. When we use bleach to disinfect things we can be careful by rinsing the surface carefully with water a bunch of times, and if the surface is non-porous this may be sufficient. However, there are alternatives that don't require so much care with their use and are equally effective. Herbal cleaning products and vinegar are two of my favorites. You can make your own, or buy them. I use products from a company called Melaleuca which sells something called Solumel (containing Tea Tree Oil) and another one that uses Thyme for disinfection. One other big safety hazard you may possess is dishwasher detergent. Most of these contain bleach also, and since we put it in the dishwasher, it is within reach of our children. Ok-enough of the blah blah blah...does anyone else have homemade cleaning products? Opinions?

Working Out . . when to find the time.

Okay. . .

I haven't been able to get back on the treadmill since I was PG with Justin. I have been able to loose about 30 pounds (in about a year), but am now feeling the need to do more before we decide to have another. Another 10 pounds gone would be fabulous. Anyone out there sharing the same? Anybody have great ideas?

I see my wedding picture up and that is still about 30 pounds away from where I am now....wouldn't..I would love to just be 10 pounds lighter - unfortunately, I don't always make the best of choices.

I do go walking with a friend 3-4 times a week, but with kids and distractions (we chat it up)...we aren't really running a marathon, but getting out is good for the soul.

I am not a great morning person, so getting up b4 Justin isn't too great an idea, plus I am full of milk at that time, so I think my best is during Todd's lunch, or at night after I put Justin to sleep or when Todd is home with him, and then you go into the whole BF issue of the milk changing taste, etc. Wow, so much....all in all, I figure I would need to get my workout in at 8pm, when I put him to bed . . or set up the gate thing I bought a few weeks ago ($20 steal) in the garage...anyone else going through the same dilema's?

I thought this was an interesting article about autism and the potential link to vaccinations. Also, there's a link within the article to "generation rescue" for alternative vaccination recommendations. I don't have a defined opinion on this yet, but I thought it was worth taking a look at.

Here's the link: CNN article