Month: March 2013


Mar
2013

Pregnancy 2.0 Update: 36 Weeks

categories: baby, pregnancy

Woohoo, three pregnancy updates in a row!  We are on a roll, people.  You can read my other pregnancy 2.0 updates here, and read all my pregnancy posts here.  We are now entering the home stretch, and are sooo ready to meet our daughter.  Because we are trying for a VBAC and lots of people have lots of questions about what that entails, we’ll be live tweeting as much as we can during the birth.  You can follow along on Twitter or on the Bare Feet on the Dashboard Facebook page for those updates when labor begins.

36 Weeks Update
Feeling:   Great!  I have lots of energy so far this week, which is a big change.  
Wearing: Muumuus, basically. And sandals.  There is a reason that ladies used to go into “confinement” those last weeks of pregnancy.  It ain’t pretty.  
Weight Gain: not telling, but significantly less than last time
Pregnancy Side Effects: waking up 18 times each night to pee, lots of Braxton Hicks contractions, hip pain, swollen feet and cankles
Belly Button: Still in.  It never popped with Bear so I’m assuming that it won’t this time either.
Craving: raw carrots and Cadbury Eggs 
Baby:  She has officially moved down and is engaged in my pelvis. Her head is putting pressure on my cervix, so it is 1 cm dilated, 50% effaced, and at the mid position. She weighs about 6 pounds and is fattening up for birth, and is about the size of a bowling ball.   
Gender: Girl!  (We sure hope that ultrasound was right or we’ll have a lot of pink stuff to sell on Craigslist.)
Name: We still haven’t decided and are open to suggestions.  
Nursery: We have the paint, but haven’t painted.  Bear will continue to live in there until he is ready to move to a big boy room this summer.  Mini Bear will room with us for the first few months for convenient night time breastfeeding and mommy’s paranoia.  
Preparations: This week we are packing the bag and preparing the house for her arrival.  Next week I plan to freeze some meals.  Some friends are throwing me a little sprinkle this week, too.  So fun.  We are trying for a VBAC.  
To-Do List: pack hospital bag, prep a changing station for our bedroom, work on decorations for the nursery, make headbands and bows, practice relaxation techniques for labor

What is one thing you wished you had packed/plan to pack in your hospital bag?


Mar
2013

Pregnancy 2.0 Update: 34 Weeks

categories: baby, birth, family, pregnancy, recipes
I’m really trying to update every two weeks from here on out, so I’ll have it for Mini Bear’s baby book and for the 7 of you who want to know how the pregnancy is going.  You can read my other pregnancy 2.0 updates here, and read all my pregnancy posts here.  

34 Weeks Update
Feeling: Sick – I’ve been fighting a cold/cough scenario for the whole week.  
Wearing: anything that fits, lots of flowy skirts, wide shoes – even my super wide Keens are tight now
It might be time to bust out the old Birkenstocks from college, much to Jed’s horror.  
Weight Gain: not telling, but significantly less than last time
Pregnancy Side Effects: I still have ankles, but my feet are super puffy. I’m having Braxton Hicks contractions all day long.
Belly Button: Still in.  It never popped with Bear so I’m assuming that it won’t this time either.
Craving: Sweets and sushi.  I eat vegetarian sushi while pregnant, but I’m longing for the real stuff.  
Baby: She is head down and has moved down significantly.  Yay, I can breathe again!  She is now over 4 pounds and is about 18 inches long, the size of a small pumpkin, opening and closing her eyes and reacting to light.
Gender: Girl!  (We sure hope that ultrasound was right or we’ll have a lot of pink stuff going to waste.)
Name: We still haven’t decided and are open to suggestions.  
Nursery: We have the paint, but haven’t painted.  Bear will continue to live in there until he is ready to move to a big boy room this summer.  Mini Bear will room with us for the first few months for convenient night time breastfeeding and mommy’s paranoia.  
Preparations: We created our birth plan with our doula, and I’ll share it with y’all soon.  We are trying for a VBAC.  We pretty much have all the necessary items for our sweet girl, with a few more things to check off the list.    
To-Do List: work on decorations for the nursery, make headbands and bows, practice relaxation techniques for labor

When did you start packing your hospital bag? 


Mar
2013

Baby Bloom: Minted Review and Giveaway ~ Win a $50 Credit to Minted.com

categories: baby, giveaway, pregnancy
I am so thrilled to share with you a review and $50 giveaway to Minted that you can use for birth announcements, wedding invitations, party invitations, art prints, greeting cards or anything of their other products!  Have you been to Minted.com yet?  Minted has been around since 2007 and strives to bring the  best in stationary design and paper goods to the world.  From Minted.com:

“Minted is a global community of independent graphic designers and an online store that prints and sells the best of their designs in the form of paper goods.”

Minted’s independent designers come from 43 different countries, so the variety of designs is unparalleled.  I found so many birth announcements I loved, then found myself looking at children’s and nursery prints, and birthday party invitations.  There are thousands of fun options.  Pricing is competitive, and if you subscribe to Minted’s email newsletter they often send out discounts and deals.  One thing that really sets Minted apart is the quality of the paper.  Maybe that sounds silly if you aren’t into paper goods, but my sister and I were discussing this and agreed that out of all the printing companies we’ve used, Minted has the highest quality products.  She actually brought it up when I told her I was reviewing the company.  

Baby Bloom - Bare Feet on the Dashboard by Becca, see more birth announcements

I created 2 inspiration boards for you to check out a few of the options I’m considering for Mini Bear.  These are five of my favorite birth announcements, and 3 of my favorite art prints.  I can’t decide which I like the best.

Baby Bloom II ~ Bare Feet on the Dashboard by Becca, see more kids art prints

I ordered Christmas cards from Minted, and fell in love with their free addressing service.  You enter your recipients’ addresses and choose the font, and your envelopes arrive addressed for you.  Genius.  I’m excited to check this off the list before Mini Bear arrives so that all I’ll have to do is add her photo and birth stats.

Head over to Minted and pick out your favorite products and enter to win a $50 credit on the Rafflecopter form below.  You don’t need to have a blog or a Facebook profile to enter, just an email address.    
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is the first post in my Baby Bloom Blog Event series.  Stay tuned for more reviews, giveaways, and baby themed good times here on Bare Feet on the Dashboard.

**I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.  I did receive products in exchange for a review.


Mar
2013

Meal Planning: Chicken and Peppers with Minute Rice

categories: meal planning, recipes

 Ok, everyone remembers that I’m not a food blogger for several very good reasons, right?  Be that as it may, I like to share my favorite recipes with y’all from time to time.  Lately we’ve been on a meal planning jaunt, and it has been good to us.  We are seriously only going to the grocery store once a week, and staying under our $380 a month food budget.  Yay!  This is one of our favorite recipes, and I recently made the switch to using Minute Rice Whole Grain Brown Rice in place of white rice.  We try to buy chicken when it is on sale, and freeze it in serving sized baggies for later use.  We also try to keep veggies and whole grains on hand all the time for easy meal planning.  Fresh veggies – check.  Whole grains – check.  Lean protein – check.

Quick and Easy Chicken and Peppers with Minute Rice
Ingredients: 
3 Bell Peppers (I prefer to use one red, one yellow, and one orange.)
1 Onion ( I like Vidalias best.)
2 Chicken Breasts (about 13 oz)
2 servings Minute Rice Whole Grain Brown Rice
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning
Olive Oil (about 2 tbsp)
2 cloves minced garlic

Directions:
Boil your chicken til it hits 165 degrees and then shred it.  If you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, throw your chicken in there and shred it with the paddle in about 30 seconds.  Pure magic.  I’ll spare you the raw and shredded chicken pics.  No one wants to see that.
While the chicken is boiling, chop your onion and peppers.  Saute the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp of the olive oil until your onions are well cooked.  Then toss the peppers in with the their friends.  Liberally sprinkle the Cavender’s and Tony C’s all over the onion/pepper mixture, and stir in the other tbsp of olive oil.  Sprinkle on more seasoning for good measure.

Now would be a good time to start the rice.  It only takes 10 minutes, so no worries.  Follow the directions on the box and you’ll be good to go.
Once the chicken is shredded and the peppers are cooked, toss the shredded chicken in with the peppers and onions.  Feel free to sprinkle on more seasoning.  Once the Minute Rice is ready, toss it in, too.  And you’re done.  Woohoo!

What’s your favorite go-to weeknight meal?  Do you meal plan? 

Minute® Rice is so quick and easy to prepare and is great pantry staple. When meal time seems like a hassle, Minute® Rice is a go-to ingredient your whole family will love and allows you to have more quality time doing what your want with your loved ones.
Leftover rotisserie chicken or veggies from a meal earlier in the week? Minute® Rice can easily be paired with some of your leftover ingredients to make a quick, easy and wholesome meal your whole family will love in just a matter of minutes.
Visit http://www.minuterice.com/ to create a great main meal or side dish for your next family get-together or potluck.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Rice.


Mar
2013

Trying for a VBAC: Preparing

categories: baby, birth, medical, pregnancy, vbac
Our second baby is due at the end of April, and we are hoping and trying for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean section).  This is one of a series of posts about Trying for a VBAC.  There are many reasons why we are heading this direction and I hope to share them with y’all over the next few months.  You can read the Bear’s full birth story here to see what our first child’s birth entailed.  If you read that story you will get a little glimpse into why we are now on this journey to VBAC and a normal birth.  This process has been all consuming for me and this blog is my space to express the way I feel about the whole situation.  Many folks have strong opinions about VBAC vs. repeat cesarean, and I hope that whatever your opinion might be you will respect mine.  VBAC is not the right decision for every c-mama, and it doesn’t always work out no matter how you prepare.  Our hope and prayer is that we can have the best birth possible for our little girl. *UPDATE* We had a successful VBAC with our daughter and you can read her full birth story here.
This week I’m sharing what we’ve done to prepare so far for a VBAC.  I’m not an expert by any means, but I’d love for others who are on this path to one example of how to prepare.
 
1) Do your research.  Read, read, and read some more.  Talk to your OB.  Talk to another OB.  Talk to the ladies in your local ICAN chapter or online.  Talk to your partner and get on the same page.  Watch The Business of Being Born together. If you come to the conclusion that you want to try for a VBAC, go for it!  The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology has come out recently in favor of most c-section moms having a trial of labor after cesarean.  If your doctor says anything to the contrary they are going against their own governing body.  That being said, there is a small percentage of women who do not qualify for VBAC.  If you have found a doctor who is known for supporting trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC) and she says you are not a candidate for a particular reason, that is important.
2) Find a supportive OB or Midwife.  My former OB is awesome and I love her as a person, but she just doesn’t do VBACs.  She told me that I was a good candidate but that she just didn’t do them.  I started looking for a new doctor soon after that appointment, long before I was even pregnant again.  My first choice was a midwife run birth center, but the one I like only does 2VBACs, not first time VBACs.  They recommended my new OB, as did my ICAN chapter.  The first time I met her I knew she was a great fit.  She loves natural labor and backs up the birth center I researched.  She read through my records and told me I should have at least an 80% chance of successful VBAC and she would be happy to support my birth choices.  Such a relief.  She doesn’t induce without medical reason, and won’t talk about induction for a VBAC mama until I hit almost 42 weeks.  Yay!  She even recommended I hire a doula, and gave me several cards of doulas she likes to work with.  This is not normal for OBs, but is sure does rock.
3) Hire a Doula.  A doula is a birth assistant.  They don’t take the place of your partner or your OB/midwife, but they can help coach you through labor and achieve your birthing goals.  Rates of VBAC drastically increase when a doula is part of a birth team.  Doulas cost anywhere from $250-over $1000, depending on the experience of the doula and the rates in your area.   I interviewed several doulas until I found the right one.  She will meet with us to create our birth plan and also work with us to teach us natural child birth techniques.
4) Take a Natural Child Birth Class. We took the natural childbirth class offered by our former hospital, and it was a joke.  This time I’ve taken some classes online, read several books, listened to Hypnobabies cds, and will have a private refresher course with our doula.  There are Lamaze, Bradley, Hypnobabies and Hypnobirthing classes in most metro areas.  If you live far outside a city, get yourself on Amazon and order some books.
5) Practice Relaxation Techniques and Positioning Exercises.  If you want to use a certain technique for labor, practice it now.  I’ve been working on my breathing, relaxing tense muscles, and repeating my positive birth affirmations (cheesy, I know, but people swear by them).  Bear was in a poor birthing position, so I’ve been practicing the exercises from Spinning Babies and using my birth ball instead of slumping on the couch. I prepared a DIY heating pad using rice and a sock, and scented with lavender essential oil for calming and relaxation.
6) Create a Birth Plan and Share It with Your Team.  I’ve worked on mine and have it narrowed down to what I want and don’t want for the most part.  I’ll flesh it out with Jed and my doula next week, then discuss it with my OB.  Last time I had a birth plan but I’m pretty sure none of the doctors or nurses ever looked at it.  I was so wishy-washy about what I wanted that I ended up with none of it.  This time around it may still go off course, but at least I will have made informed choices about my preferences.  I think this step would be especially important if your mom or other family members will be in the room.  They may get totally thrown off by delayed cord clamping or the squatting bar. You can read our complete birth plan here.
7) Make Sure Your Birth Location Lines Up with Your Plan.  If you plan to birth at home, this one is a little easier.  Most birthing centers and hospitals have policies in place that aren’t flexible.  You need to know what those are before you are there in labor.  Can you move around during labor?  Will you have access to a shower or birth tub?  Are birth balls provided? Can you eat or drink? Can you wear your own clothes? Can your baby stay with you for several hours after birth?  Whatever it is that is important to you, make sure you have peace of mind about it long before labor starts.  We were so relieved after our hospital tour because so many of the things we thought we might have to fight for are normal practice there.  Yay!
8) Trust Your Body and Your Instincts.  Your body was MADE by your Creator to do this.  You were given all the instincts you need to birth without assistance.  Technology is great, but it can also convince us that we are helpless without it.  You are not helpless.  You are an amazing woman who is carrying a life inside her and trying to do what is best for that baby and your own body.  Trust that.
More on Resources for VBAC Preparation:
From Growing Slower
Hiring a Doula
Find a Doula in Your Area
Find a Lamaze Class
Birth Boot Camp Classes
Spinning Babies
Click here to read all of my Trying for a VBAC Series.
Looking for resources and information about VBAC and cesarean recovery?  Try these:
International Cesarean Awareness Network
VBAC.com
Birth Without Fear
VBAC Facts
The Unnecesarean
How did you prepare for birth (of any kind)?

 


Mar
2013

The Neighborhood Geese are NOT Our Friends

categories: toddlers
The Bear and I love to walk down the creek to see all the ducks, geese, and turtles.  Sometimes we feed them, sometimes we just watch.  The other day Bear decided to chase them.  It did not end well.  I had to fight off a goose who nipped Bear’s jeans, which is what’s going on at the end of the video.  What I didn’t know was that Jed pulled up in the car after work and was watching the whole thing go down.  He was pretty entertained.  We now steer clear of the geese.  They are mean and loud and most definitely not our friends.  


Mar
2013

Frugal Friday: Cheap Toddler Entertainment

categories: cloth diaper, frugal, toddlers
On a recent grocery store trip I accidentally purchased the wrong kind of dried beans.  I was going for kidney but came home with pinto.  I meant to return them but kept forgetting.  Best $2 I ever accidentally spent.  I didn’t get the red beans and rice dish I was craving, but I did create a fresh way to entertain Bear.
We took half the bag of beans and poured them into Bear’s sand pail and got out the rest of his sand toys as well as a few plastic cups.  Every afternoon we go outside and sift, pour, and dump the beans til his little heart is content.
He LOVES them.  I love them because they are super easy to scoop back into the bucket and there is no harm done if a few end up in the grass.  All that scooping and sifting is great for his motor skill development, and keeps him completely entertained.
I’ve seen lots of sensory trays on Pinterest and have wanted to make one for a long time.  Instead we have a cheap sensory bucket.  Yay for cheap entertainment!
How do you keep your kids or yourself entertained on the cheap?

Mar
2013

Let’s Make an Easter Basket – A Tutorial

categories: crafts, handmade, holiday, kids, tutorial
I love the joy of Easter and the new life it brings.  You can read some of my other Easter posts here.  Last year I looked long and hard to find the perfect Easter basket for the Bear, but all the options I loved were too pricey.  I had paint and ribbon on hand and decided to make a frugal, durable, cute Easter basket. I purchased a peck size basket at Hobby Lobby for about $4.  Here’s a crappy image of a peck basket from Amazon so you can see what it looked like before.  I totally forgot to take before pics.

I painted the basket using Rustoleum Painter’s Touch Satin in Heritage White and a sponge brush.  It took two coats to really cover the wood.

I used my glue gun to line the inside and outside with satin ribbon leftover from our wedding.  Yes, we’ve been married almost 5 years.  Yes, I probably over bought on wedding ribbon.  Oh well.  The ribbon serves two purposes.  It looks super cute and covers up the rough edges and staples that hold the peck basket together.

I tied satin ribbon into bows on each handle and glued them in place.  I’m sure these will have to be replaced someday but they are holding up well so far.

I painted the Bear’s name onto the basket using a navy blue paint pen.  I am not skilled in the handwriting department so it took a few tries and a few wipe off/repaints.  I finally went with dot letters because they are very forgiving and look super cute.  I highly recommend this method if you struggle with paint pen writing like I do.

We use ribbon as Easter grass after seeing the idea on Young House Love and not wanting to find the plastic stuff everywhere.  My dad hates the plastic Easter grass with a passion (4 kids = a ton of Easter grass clean up over the years) and loves this idea.  I used two rolls of green ribbon from the dollar store and just unrolled them completely and put them in the basket.  The clean up is incredibly easy.  You just pick up each long piece of ribbon and throw it back into the basket.  We’ve made a game out of tossing the ribbon and eggs back into the basket after Bear inevitably dumps them out.

The Bear loves his basket even more this year.  He has carried it all over the house and loves playing with the ribbon and plastic eggs.

What’s your favorite Easter candy?
I’m obsessed with Cadbury eggs.

 

 


Mar
2013

Rodan + Fields Skin Care Review ~ the REDEFINE Regimen for Anti-Aging

categories: beauty, review
Skin care is a struggle for me.  I have never been big on washing my face or really taking care of my skin in general.  Yes, I know that’s bad.  I hear your judgmental tone and I completely agree.  Now that I’m heading into my (gulp) mid 30s, I’ve come to the realization that I should probably start taking better care of myself.  Little wrinkles are popping up along with their BFFs  the age spots, and I don’t like it one bit.  That’s why when my friend Jennifer asked if I’d be interested in reviewing the Rodan + Fields Skin Care line she sells, I jumped on the opportunity.  When she asked me what my skin care needs were, I was a little lost (seriously, you can ask her).  My skin is dry all of a sudden after being super oily in my teens and combination in my 20s.  It could be a combo of winter air, pregnancy, or just that whole fabulous aging phenomenon.
She sent me most of the Anti-Age line to try, which has recently been rebranded as the REDEFINE line.  I tried the Daily Cleansing Mask, Pore Minimizing Toner, Triple Defense Treatment, Overnight Restorative Cream, the Lip Renewing Serum, and the Night Renewing Serum.  My favorite products are the Triple Defense Treatment which serves as a day time moisturizer with SPF 30, and the Overnight Restorative Cream.  I have never found a drugstore moisturizer that works for my skin.  Every product I’ve ever tried is soaks up in a minute and my skin feels dry all over again.  Both of these products feel fabulous and my skin still feels great 12 hours later.  I did not love the Daily Cleansing Mask as much.  As I mentioned before, I hate washing my face.  I don’t know why, I just do.  The Daily Cleansing Mask works well and leaves my skin feeling awesome.  My issue with it is that you can use it around the eye area, so I first have to wash off my eye makeup, then wash my face.  Petty, I know.  Other than that I love the entire line.
If anti-aging is not your first concern right now, Rodan +Fields offers 3 other lines you can try: REVERSE (works to undo sun damage, lighten, and brighten), UNBLEMISH (for acne and post-acne damage), and SOOTHE (for sensitive, irritated skin).  For more information about Rodan +Fields Skin Care, please check out Jennifer’s R+F site and Facebook page.
 
Overall Review
Positives: easy to use with clear instructions for each product (so helpful for skin care dummies like me), quality products that truly work better than the competition, variety of products to fit all skin care needs, easily accessible through internet ordering, helps out other ladies through their direct sales program
Negatives: the cost – this is not a frugal skin care line
If you are interested in trying any of the Rodan + Fields Skin Care products, head over to Jennifer’s website and check them out.  The REDEFINE anti-aging regimen is $193, or you can buy products individually.
My sister and I were discussing the cost issue because she has heard great things about the line and has been wanting to try it as well.  We decided it is worth it to buy the moisturizer I love because every time I spend $15-20 on a drugstore product that doesn’t work, it could have gone towards this product that actually does.
Don’t forget to enter the Rodan + Fields giveaway here at Bare Feet on the Dashboard.  Just click the pic below.  The giveaway ends 3/17/2013.

**I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.  I did receive the products free of charge for the purpose of review.