Food For Days

Over the past few weeks I have been sharing my new love of food with those who follow me on social media. Several of you have asked for recipes I am using and if I was following a meal plan. I do plan to start sharing my recipes. But I wanted to start with what program I'm using. First let me start by saying that I LOVE FOOD. I have no fear when it comes to food and will always try something new if I am afforded the opportunity! I can sit down with a whole container of freshly ground honey roasted peanut butter and a stack of honeycrisp apples and empty the whole container of peanut butter without feeling an ounce of guilt! Second, I have been trying to eat cleaner. It is (almost) always my goal, but an occasional trip back to East Tennessee makes me weak at the knees, or maybe it's the eyes and belly!


For those who know the East TN area, Pal's Sudden Service is a small fast food chain that has the best frenchie fries in all of fast food! Oh, and their sweet tea or even half and half is like tasting a sip of heaven in a cup. Add some Razzie or Peachy flavor and you've just created perfection! I probably gain 5 pounds every trip I make home just because of this place! Plus the fact that they built one in my hometown does not help the addiction! Okay, getting back on track.

I have been following the 21 Day Fix program by Beachbody. It is a great exercise and eating program that gives you seven 30 minute workouts, one for each day. Then you repeat them each week for 21 days. The eating part of the program is vital-and the hardest in my opinion! It teaches you how to have healthy portions of all food groups based on your needs of gaining or losing weight. In my case, I'm not necessarily wanting to lose weight as much as I am needing to tone my muscles. Regardless of the results you want to achieve, there is a portion control container system that helps you measure out your foods. I will admit that I was quite confused and intimidated by this container system at first! Once you figure out how it works, you can make a meal without them in your head!

Below is what my container system looks like. Red=Protein, Purple=Fruits, Green=Veggies, Yellow=Carbs, Blue=Healthy Fats, and Orange=Seeds & Dressings. 

Most of my recipes follow this meal plan structure, but don't feel like this is something you have to do. I use it to help keep myself in line with what my current fitness goals are.  And right now, my fitness goal is "Fit In This Dress for Military Ball!" My husband's unit is having their Military Ball next month, and I want to rock my dress! If you don't want to follow the structure you can still eat these meals without measuring the portions. These recipes are fairly simple to make. Nothing too complex and time consuming, I promise! Cause ain't nobody got time for that! (Insert cheesy laugh).







Here are just a few of my favorite recipes that I've incorporated into my routine. I can admit that I am the world's worst at finding a recipe I like and running it into the ground. When we came back to Texas a few months ago, I made it a goal to not repeat meals over and over. Since then, I have forced myself to venture out and find new recipes and experiment to find new ways to cook foods. If you're unsure of where to get started, then try Pinterest. You can always find plenty of new food recipes there and also Google it! My mother, a nurse, has always told me that if I didn't know how to do something or what something is to look it up. It helps you to learn something you didn't know! I will start with a specific food and search for recipes with this food and go from there. Once I get all the recipes written down and ready, I will be sure to post them!

Essentially,

Andrea

Guarding Your Heart

It took a lot of courage to write this post, but it has been on my mind a lot. Hopefully someone out there can benefit from reading this.






While I was back home getting my undergraduate degree, I was working at the local hospital in the Transport department. I've never had an interest in anything related to the medical field. Having a mother as a nurse, I told myself I did NOT want to do that. However, I found myself very curious about the heart and wanting to know about all the various tests, why they were needed, different  medications and all sorts of things! I would ask nurses, techs, and even doctors questions if one was floating around in my mind. What harm was it going to do? I was very intrigued! With this new found interest, I began praying and asking God to show me His will for my life.






Years ago a previous boss had told me, "Andrea, you would make a great Physician's Assistant." Several other people during my time at the hospital made comments like, "Oh you are so caring and compassionate, you would make such a great nurse!" or  "Why aren't you going into nursing? You should really look into it! Not everyone can be a nurse, but you could!". The most common one was, "What year of nursing school are you in?" At the time I thought these people were crazy! I was a Business Management major, not even anything related to the medical field.  But as I opened up my eyes, ears, and eventually my heart, I realized that God was pointing me in this direction and saying, "Hello, this is what I am calling you to do!"

So as I continue to take the next step in following His will, I have started looking into a couple of medical schools, taking the MCAT, admission requirements, and just trying to process the thought of potentially going back to school. Debating on whether or not I want to transition from the Army Spouse side of life to the Army Officer side and potentially become a dual military family. Trusting God with the whole process and letting things happen in His time and not my own is where I struggle the most. 

Then, I couldn't help but smile when our pastor started to reference the heart recently one Sunday morning in church. His message was talking about the things that we should keep guarded. The first and probably most important (in my opinion) is the heart, followed by the ears, eyes and our direction. What he said about guarding our hearts was spot on. He had referenced Proverbs 4:23 as the verse that God tells us to guard our hearts. "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it." (Proverbs 4:23, NIV)








We should pay special attention to what and whom we let into our lives and in particularly our hearts. What goes into the body, must come out. That is science. In one way or another, it'll come out! If garbage is all that is going into your body, then that is all that will come out. The people we hang out with begin to "rub off" onto us. Then we will turn around and reciprocate those behaviors and actions onto others we are around. I never realized until I was older, just how true this statement is. Occasionally, my parents used to tell me when I was younger, "You need to lose the attitude, Andrea! You're starting to act like (insert friend's name)." My attitude would change based on the friends I was hanging around. HA! After all this time I just thought my parents were crazy! Now that I have a small toddler that mimics everything I say and do, it has really started to sink in. The music we listen to, the television shows we watch, the food we eat, all of these are inputs that affect how we act and who we are. If you are constantly watching and listening to music and shows that are negative and depressing, then obviously you are not going to have a very positive outlook on life. It doesn't seem like much, but we must carefully choose what we let in.







After the sermon I just had to share with the pastor a recent painting I had finished. It was my first piece and it tied perfectly with his sermon. I had searched multiple verses in the Bible that I wanted to go with this painting, and ultimately had chosen Proverbs 4:23. I showed him the painting and he said, "I think its very clear that God wants you to guard your heart right now." Those words hit me like a ton of bricks!

Here is a photo of my painting. I'm calling it "Shielded Heart".

Over the past few years, I had not been guarding my heart. I had let people into my life (and ultimately my heart) that should not have been there. My heart had been broken and disappointed by many people in my life. I had kept people in my life that were pulling me down as opposed to building me up. I also couldn't let go of some people that, for various reasons, had little to no respect for me and didn't see the value I brought into this world. This led to a broken and callused heart that gave me a poor outlook on life. I have always been that friend that listened to other people's problems but when the roles are reversed it seemed like no one was there to listen when I needed a listening ear. I finally found someone to listen. We could literally sit and talk for hours on end and not think twice about it. Enjoying coffee, which is always a bonus in my book, and talking about everything! Laughing about our children and daily adventures in parenthood. My heart was so happy and full to have connected in a way that it never had before. My mind, on the other hand, kept telling me that I needed to get out of this friendship. I hated to say goodbye because I felt like I had value when I was around my friend. My friend enjoyed me for who I was, without having to pretend to be someone I wasn't. Sadly, it was not a healthy friendship and eventually led to a lot of heart ache. And still does occasionally. I could not see that I had opened my heart to someone who did not deserve it!







As I focus my life on what God's will is, I want to do so with a guarded heart. Picking carefully whom I let into my life. Both men and women. As a military spouse, this is extremely hard. We move so often that sometimes its so nice to finally make friends with a neighbor or hang out with someone from the same state as you. But this is not always what's best. Keeping a guarded heart is vital in maintaining a healthy Christian life. I must also guard my eyes and ears to better guard my heart.





Ladies, I want to tell you from experience, do not give your hearts to just anyone. This goes for female friends and also to the men in your lives. If they are not a positive influence in your life and pushing you to be the best version of yourself, then maybe you need to evaluate why they are in your life. Remember, what goes in must come out. The friends you choose can and will play a vital role in your life. Choose wisely!! As for the men in our lives, there are some very high standards that you should want to look for. Am I saying that they need to be perfect? No! No one is perfect! However, a man should ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS show you the respect you deserve as a human being and as a lady. This is a basic necessity! If this quality is not there, do not think twice about getting out or getting help. There isn't a single reason for you to be in a relationship where you do not feel respected, loved, or safe. Do not let those infamous three little words make you forget everything else about someone and think that everything will be okay. Often times, people say those words and do not even know their meaning! They will use those words to keep you around and satisfy their needs, whatever they may be. I saw a quote floating around social media recently that said, "Do not marry a man unless you would be proud to have a son exactly like him." That is a hard pill to swallow. Especially since I have a son. My husband (or any man in my life, like my father, father-in-law, and even brothers) need to be examples of how to treat a woman. These visual examples will one day reflect how he loves his future wife. Likewise, I must show CJ what kind of Godly qualities to look for in a wife one day. That is a very large responsibility as a spouse and as a parent!




I say all of this to reiterate my point, guard you heart! Choose wisely the people we let into our lives. Choose friends who will better you as a person. Choose friends who will be uplifting and positive even during the tough times. Do not give people the chance to tear you down. Do not be afraid to get out of a friendship. It is never too late! These choices will directly impact other choices we make and have long lasting effects.









Essentially,

Andrea

Diaper Duty

Many of my friends know I cloth diapered my son. Cloth diapering is slowly becoming more mainstream, but some people are completely clueless about what cloth diapers are! I promise you, if you are clueless about them, you are not alone! Just a few years ago, I was one of the clueless women who knew nothing about cloth diapers except for those old school safety pins that I didn't even want to think about putting close to my body-let alone my baby's! I constantly receive phone calls, texts, and messages on social media asking for advice and input on the crunchy cloth diaper debate. I have compiled a list of the top questions I most frequently receive and want to share those with you in light of helping to make cloth diapering more mainstream.

1. What brands should I buy? 

This is a tough one! And in my honest opinion, there is no right or wrong answer. There are several factors that can play into your choices, such as:  budget, choosing to cloth full or part time, how heavy your child urinates, and how you feel about laundry. 

I was slightly obsessed with the pattern choices, so that sometimes played a decision on my brands. For the most part though, I didn't want to have just one brand. CJ was a very heavy wetter so I had to make sure that he had extra absorption at night or we would be changing the sheets constantly! We were blessed to have a brick and mortar store here in town to help me with some of the questions I frequently answer for friends. This was also helpful in picking brands. I was able to see how durable they were and compare the absorption of multiple materials. 

Before I list what brands I have in my stash I must mention that I specifically chose to have a variety so that my husband could see what brands he liked as well. We were both changing diapers, so we both had to like them. For example, we used pre-folds in our stash in the beginning. Once we used them a little while we realized that pre-folds were not really our cup of tea (or coffee in my case!) So we sold our pre-folds and got a few more OS diapers.

Okay, lets get to that list!! Brands I have in my stash and why:

BumGenius AIO- Perfect for dads! Once the diaper is used one time, its time to put on a new one. Simple enough concept for new parents. Material is absorbent enough for daytime use, but I wouldn't use for an overnight diaper. 

Thirsties Pockets-The inserts are super absorbent! CJ outgrew the infant cover quickly but I continued to use the inserts for additional layers in other diapers.

Best Bottoms Hybrids- LOVE these for traveling! Inserts snap in and out very easily and the Hemp inserts are very absorbent! Hook & Loop doesn't get worn easily! 

Sustainablebabyish- These were our go-to night time diapers when we realized CJ was a heavy wetter. I wouldn't go with anything else! Pair these with a Flip or Sweet Pea or Best Bottom cover and you're good! As long as the legs have a double gusset (to prevent leakage!) you'll be safe!

GroVia Hybrids- Another great brand for traveling! Super cute prints too! (Always a plus!!)

Simplex- These diapers are very absorbent and also have an opening at both ends for easy access if needing to add additional absorbency to the diaper! 

Tots Bots-These are the cutest little diapers ever! They only come in Hook & Loop, but I love that the OS diapers come with a flannel insert used for easy removal when baby has a bowel movement. 

Kawaii 

I also have a few WAHM brands that were made for special occasions. Such as CJ's Sock Monkey diapers and ACU print diaper. These can be a hit or miss, but its worth a shot. Support a fellow crunchy mamma and buy her diapers! I happen to find a picture of CJ in his ACU diaper and his Sock Monkey diaper. You can see now why I had to buy them!!

I have also heard great things about Rumparooz, SoftBums, and Fuzzibunz. I just cannot attest to them myself. 

Okay, lets move on. 

2. Do I really need the diaper sprayer or Spray Pal?

Ha! Well, if you enjoy handling bowels on a daily basis, then no. But rinsing diapers out in the tub gets kind of old. Plus, having that nifty Spray Pal to attach the diaper to and then just rinsing and squeezing it out without having to get messy is always a plus in my book. 

All joking aside, we went the first month without them and did just fine. However, it does get quite messy sometimes and I wish we would have invested in them sooner rather than later! You can check them out here!

3. Can I just use my Tide detergent on my diapers?

NO, NO, NO and NO! There are people who do, but they end up having to strip their diapers because of the additives in Tide (and other popular brands). The additives can build up in the diapers and prevent them from absorbing properly. Therefore stripping (removal of the buildup) is required. You may be thinking, "Oh its just buildup!" But let me just warn you! "That buildup" mixed with urine can cause MAJOR irritation on your babies bottom! ZERO FUN, SIR!! Therefore, I ONLY recommend using detergents approved to be safe for cloth diaper usage. I chose to buy several sample packets of Country Save, Rockin' Green, and BumGenius and give them all a try. I eventually went with Country Save because it had no extra stuff added and my husband noticed it got everything really clean! He particularly saw a difference in our towels. He said they were more absorbent and soft! We switched from Purex and exclusively use Country Save now! It has been the greatest choice!! One large container of CS can last us 5-7 months and costs $20. And that is counting all the washing I do with J's ACU's and PT uniforms too! So for a non-military family it could potentially be stretched out even longer! Can you say goodbye grocery store detergent!! 

Any of these brands will be safe for your diapers and I wouldn't use anything else! Better to be safe than sorry! I wouldn't want to ruin my investment! I can't mention detergent without adding that dryer sheets are a NO GO as well! These can cause build up too! I add essential oils to my dryer sheets to create great smelling laundry. Some combos I use are Lavender & Lemon, Citrus Bliss (smells like a dreamcicle!), Wild Orange & Spearmint (probably my favorite!!). Its a great way to have good smelling clothes and reduce the amount of chemicals in your home. (I'll do another post on this shortly!)

4. Did you water bill skyrocket when you started washing diapers?

Honestly, I could not answer that question.We lived on a military instillation where the price of our water was included into our housing allowance. I only washed diapers every other day due to the size of my diaper stash and also to ensure that I had a full laundry load. Even still if you think about it, that is only 3-4 loads more a week. If the water bill is going to skyrocket any, it would be during the prepping of your diapers. For those who don't know, prepping is when you wash your diapers a set amount of times over and over to get the material to reach its maximum absorbency after they are purchased. You do not have to do this if you purchase used (or pre loved) diapers. This is an added bonus for buying used diapers.

5. What is a decent price to spend on a cloth diaper?

On average, you will spend anywhere from $18-$30 on one diaper. The absorbency, brand, and if you buy them new or used will go into the price of your diapers. Just remember that the biggest cost savings with cloth diapers is when you use them with multiple children. You better believe that if I ever have Baby #2, that the stash of cloth diapers will be back! And guess what! They're already prepped and ready to go! If I'm ever blessed with a baby girl, then she is going to rock some awesome dinosaur and monkey diapers! That being said, I chose colors that were somewhat gender neutral, but I do have a few boyish colors. 

6. Can you dry cloth diapers in the dryer?

It depends on the diaper. If you are using inserts that you must stuff into a cover, DO NOT DRY THE COVER! This will melt the PUL material and ruin your cover!! If you can, air dry them. If you are needing the cover due to running out of diapers, try putting it on Extra Low (if your dryer has this setting) or Low for just a few minutes then promptly remove. Any inserts and AIO (all-in-one) diapers may go into the dryer on LOW heat. I repeat.... LOW! Because AIO diapers have the cover on them you don't want to get the PUL too hot! 

Being in Texas, I was lucky enough to air dry my diapers almost year round. I will occasionally stick any hemp/cotton and hemp/bamboo diapers back into the dryer to soften up the material. This reduces the "crunchy" feeling of the diaper. 

7. I heard you cannot use diaper rash creams on cloth diapers. Is this true?

Yes. The use of diaper rash creams is to create a "barrier" between your baby's bottom and the diaper. This helps diaper rash clear up in most cases. Sadly, the barrier causes a barrier on the cloth diaper and will prevent your cloth diapers from absorbing. This causes your diapers to become leaky and not function properly, which means you must strip your diapers. And who has time for that?? Not this Momma! 

There are several name brand diaper rash creams that are safe for using with cloth diapers. Thirsties, GroVia, CJ's and Motherlove just to name a few. Being the crunchy, oily momma I am, I chose to make my own by mixing Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil, Melaleuca Essential Oil, and Lavender Essential Oil and storing it in a small glass jar. It was nifty and convenient since I already had all these supplies on hand. Plus it worked wonders!! I can count on one hand how many times CJ got a rash down there. Each time he had a rash he was cutting teeth, so I'm sure there is a correlation. Want more information about the essential oils I choose then check here! 

8. Did you use disposable wipes?

Yes and no. We had several packs of disposable wipes so we decided to use all of those up first. Then once I realized how easy it would be to whip out my not-so-fancy sewing machine, I decided to make my own! I just used a few of CJ's old receiving blankets (which thankfully were already brown!) and traced out a pattern from a washcloth. From there it was just learning to sew the edges neatly. They were not perfect by any means, but honestly, they were for cleaning up poop explosions! Who cares if they aren't perfect? I kept the cloth wipes folded into a Huggies reusable wipes container since I already had that handy. The next part of using my own wipes meant I needed to find a good wipe solution to either soak the wipes in or keep in a spray bottle. I found a great recipe for a wipe solution and kept it in a spray bottle. This recipe uses the same oils mentioned above, so less I had to buy again! Another score for this Momma!! I kept the sprayer bottle beside my wipes container and was ready for diaper duty. Here is the ingredients used for the wipe solution. 

Hopefully this has helped broaden your knowledge of cloth diapering or maybe even helped finalize that choice of whether or not to cloth diaper you little one! Either way, you will know what is best for your baby. If you have any questions about cloth diapers or any of the cloth diaper accessories, feel free to leave me a comment! I would be more than happy to answer your questions! Let me know what your favorite brands are or even your favorite patterns!! 

Essentially,

Andrea