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I am Not Perfect but I am Enough

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I love being a public blogger and having an active Facebook page. I love interacting with all of you! However, I understand that it may come off like I’m perfect. It’s easy for me to hide the mess on social media. So, let me just get this off my chest…I AM NOT PERFECT. In fact, I am nowhere near perfect. Yes, I make delicious meals for my family and snap pictures of them for all of you to see. Yes, I snap pictures of me and my kids playing together. Yes, I profess my love for my husband. One big, happy family, huh?

I am not perfect…

I clean my house once a week. I mop once a month. My house is dirty and there is dog hair everywhere. There is dried snot on the couch from one of the kids wiping their nose on it and boogers on the wall next to my daughter’s bed. Let’s not even discuss my son’s high chair. I am not perfect.

I rarely fold my family’s clothes. I let it pile up over several weeks and, eventually, my husband folds them. I feel guilty watching him because that’s “my job” as a mother and wife.

I yell at my kids. I get frustrated and scream. My 4-year-old looks at me like I’m the devil. I feel so un-perfect.

I put the TV on in the morning so I can enjoy my morning coffee. I sit down on the couch to drink it and baby brother brings me a book. I set it down and tell him “later”. I want to be alone in my coffee. Then I look at him trying to read it by himself and I feel it again…GUILT. 

I drive-thru Chic-Fil-A, at least, once a week. ::GASP:: This is so not Paleo and I am such a bad mom for not having every, single meal planned out and perfected in health.

I set our family budget and then blow it. When I’m questioned about it I throw rapid fire because this is, once again, “my job” being questioned. “How dare you? Why don’t you try to make a budget and pay all the bills and then tell me how easy that is?!” I’m so defensive.

I have taken my kids to church just for the “free” childcare. This is so not perfect. God forgive me.

I let the kids run free in the house so that I can have “ME” time in the bathtub. When they ask to get in, I tell them it’s “mommy-time” and to let me have a few minutes by MYSELF. I get frustrated when they throw ponies and cars and choo-choos in the bathtub to get my attention.

I forget to feed my dogs some days.

I forget to feed myself.

I forget to feed my husband dinner when he get’s home from work late after the kids are already in bed. I’m sitting on the couch when he walks in…my “job” is over.

I forget to call my parents back.

I am too tired to have any kind of intimacy with my husband after “dealing” with my kids all day.

I need more “me-time”. I need more clothes. I need more fun with girlfriends. I need…I need…I need.

I need a life. I’m *just* a stay-at-home mom.

I feel overwhelmed with mommy guilt. I feel like a bad mom, a bad wife, a bad friend…a bad daughter.

But, you know what?

BUT I am enough…

I am enough for my kids. They don’t see the dirty floors. They won’t remember wearing clean or dirty clothes. They remember all the new places I took them in the mornings, instead of cleaning. I am enough. I clean enough.

I am not perfect. But I am more than enough for my kids. They adore me. They cling to me like hemorrhoids. They love me. They love me because I do read to them. And it’s ok for me to have my coffee in the morning, but it’s also ok for my son to sit on my lap while I drink my coffee. I am not perfect…but, boy, can I multi-task. I can drink my coffee, read a book, hold my son, and flip the pages without spilling my precious coffee. I am awesome.

I am enough for my family. I provide the healthiest food I can and I don’t always get it right. I fail…I fail A LOT. But, I am enough. They are healthy. I am healthy. We are blessed to have more than enough food at our fingertips. God is enough for us.

I am enough for my husband. I love him more than enough. I am defensive because I want to be perfect for him. I am jealous because I feel so un-perfect. But, my husband adores me. I am enough for him and he is enough for me.

I am enough for myself. I don’t have to live up to Pinterest. I don’t have to make cute napkins. I don’t have to have every holiday planned out with crafts and gifts and food and themes and new traditions. I am enough.

It’s not about me. It’s not about you.

YOU are enough. So, put down that mommy guilt and stop trying to live up to YOUR expectations. Being a mother is dirty…it’s gross…you catch vomit from your sick kids and poop from potty-training toddlers with your BARE hands. You cut 50 finger nails without cutting a one, and if you do, you know how to kiss it perfectly until the pain stops. You make cheap cake when you can’t afford to buy a “nice” one. You make forts out of pillows, fairy houses out of sticks. You decorate your walls with the writings of your kids…markings that remind you that these moments with them is short and fleeting. You know secret tickle spots and scars and dimples. You know how to tie your husbands tie and tie your little superhero’s cape. You can breastfeed your baby while walking through Target, pushing a cart, and trying on new clothes that may not fit like they used to. You can drive your car, hand your baby her binky, put on makeup, and sing songs with your kids ALL AT THE SAME TIME. You say words that heal…that smile…that bring a little bit more love into this changing world.

My Superhero!
My Superhero!

You make life happen!

You make everyday an adventure for your family. You are the glue.

You are beautiful to the bones. You are beautiful with your stretch marks, cellulite, and makeup-less face.

You make love happen.

YOU BIRTH LOVE and then feed it from your breasts.

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Source: https://amandagreavette.blogspot.ca/p/paintings.html

You nurture. You nourish. You give the best and provide the best you can.

You pour out your life for your children. You kiss them perfectly and know how to sooth the deepest of pains.

You are spectacular.

You are enough.

You are more than enough.

 

 

 

My Cloth Diaper System

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I have a 4 year old daughter and a 20 month old son and both have worn cloth diapers…my son Frankie from birth and my daughter from 1 years old and on. I was so scared to start. I remember when I was pregnant with my daughter, I researched for hours on cloth diapers, but became so overwhelmed that I didn’t even give it a try. When she turned 1, I read an article on how much this mother had saved using cloth diapers. I did the math and realized I had thrown so much money away on disposables.

So, I ordered a trial package of like 10-15 different types of NEW cloth diapers from this site and gave it a try on my daughter. I fell in love! She looked so cute in them and they were so easy. I kept the diapers I liked from that package and returned the rest. I then ordered more diapers for her.

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During this time I was confused on how to actually set up the diapers. Where do the poop diapers go? Do they all mix in together in one wetbag? How do cloth wipes work? Should I do cloth wipes too? So, to make it easy on you, I’m going to explain what has been working for me for the past 3 years.

This is my cloth diaper system…

I keep all my cloth wipes near the sink. In our house we are able to fit the changing table in the bathroom. In our last house we couldn’t fit in the bathroom so I kept the wipes on the changing table. When my son was a newborn and very sensitive to temperature, I put a batch of cloth wipes in a wipe warmer on the changing table. Now, that he is older and doesn’t mind cold water, I just keep them near the sink and wet them when I need them. I’ve also used a spray bottle to spray the wipes but this works better for us in this house.

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Cloth wipes are just easier when you are cloth diapering. You don’t have to worry about throwing anything in the trash, it all just goes in the wetbag. I also don’t ever rinse off cloth wipes. They all go in the large wetbag (I have 2 of these; one for current use and one to use when the other is in the laundry) next to the changing table. I also don’t use anything fancy, just baby wash clothes work great!

Here is my changing  table area…

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All my diapers are underneath for easy access and there is a large wetbag, in a trash can, next to it. All the WET diapers go into that trash can and also all the cloth wipes

Aren’t the diapers so cute?!?!

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So, what about the poop? If you plan on cloth diapering, I HIGHLY recommend you get this lifesaver…

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It is called a diaper sprayer and it attaches to the toilet. You just spray the poop right off! It’s awesome…just make sure you have it pointed down when you squeeze it, cause I have, totally, sprayed myself in the face before!  Then I have a bucket next to the toilet that LOCKS and I throw the poopy diapers in there. I keep the poopy diapers separated in the bucket because they get really sopping wet when I spray them and I would rather quickly throw them somewhere close instead of carrying across the room. Also, the bucket locks any kind of smell in and locks my kids and dogs out! :/

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 What are some other brands I have tried that didn’t cut it?

1. GroVia (one-size pocket diapers) – they are great for smaller babies, but if you’re gonna pay over $20 for a one-size diaper, then they better be able to convert to all sizes. Well, these didn’t do it for me. At around 20lbs, my son outgrew them. Thankfully, I didn’t spend over $20 on them since I got them online during a half off sale, but still…I was still upset they didn’t live up to the “Gro” part of “GroVia.”

2. FuzzyBunzs (one-size pocket diapers) – These are another that didn’t grow too well with my kids. They are another one-size diaper and I ended up selling them off before my son was even a year old.

3. I’m not a fan of microfiber – even though many of these diapers come with a microfiber insert and I still use them, I have my issues with them. Since it is not a “natural” material, it does not clean that well and requires extra care. However, microfiber is cheap and makes cloth diapering even cheaper, so I grudgingly use it.

What are my favorite brands?

1. I love BumGenius diapers. Anything BumGenius is great! I have never had any issues with them. In fact, they are on their 3rd year and going strong. I’ve tried other brands but they never worked as great as BumGenius.

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2. For night-time, I really love Chelory Night–time Inserts. They are really thick and I stuff them inside a BumGenius pocket diaper. My kids pee A LOT in the night and these are bulletproof!

 

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3. I also love the Flip System using their organic inserts. This is a diaper cover with an insert. You can use the cover over-and-over before washing, until it becomes soiled on. This is a very frugal way to cloth diaper. I also love the Flip system when we are traveling. It only requires you pack 4-6 covers and then the inserts. It takes up less space than packing a bunch of BumGenius pocket diapers.

4. Wetbags – I love this pail liner for in-home use. It fits perfectly into a trashcan with a lid. I recommend 2 of them. One for current use and one to use when you are washing one.

I use this wetbag when we are out-and-about (also, recommend 2 of them).  You throw the diaper, with the poop, in there, zip it up, and take care of it when you get home! Very easy! I never use disposables when we go out…like some people.

I did cloth diaper my son from birth as well. He was a chunk at nearly 10lbs so it took him about 2 weeks to fit into the one-size diapers I had for him (his sister’s hand-me-downs!). However, the first few weeks we used Thirsties covers in extra-small and GMD prefolds. They worked out great for that tiny phase!

I hope this helps you get an understanding of how SIMPLE cloth diapering can be. There are some things that make it even more simple:

– If you are breastfeeding for the first 6 months, you don’t even have to rinse the poop off. Breastmilk poo disintegrates in the wash.

– You can RE-SELL your diapers if you don’t like them or if your baby outgrows them. You can sell them on Craigslist or Diaperswappers.com.

My Wash Cycle goes like this…

  1. Throw all the diapers from the poop bucket and the large wetbag into the washer.
  2. Wash on the longest cycle, in warm water, without soap.
  3. When the cycle is over, put on HOT water and wash again, adding soap (I now use Ecos detergent with no problems).
  4. When the second cycle is over, put on an extra rinse. This gets rid of any detergent left on the diaper.

Let me know if you have any questions!! I love converting people into cloth diapering ::insert evil laugh:: and over to the dark side! 🙂

 

“Posted at Small Footprint Fridays, Natural Family Friday, and Thank Your Body”

 

 

 

 

 

Fishy Bites <><

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This one is for the kids! Ok…I won’t lie, I eat more than the kids do! These are delicious and another frugal way to get some fish into your body!

I’m a HUGE fan (and so are my kids) of these chicken nuggets. They are delicious and freeze really well too. So, I used some of the ingredients from the recipe and adjusted it to make Fish Nuggets or Bites…whatever you want to call it! The first time trying it…it was a HIT! The kids didn’t even know it was fish! Haha! Now they are a weekly thing we make together. The kids love helping with this one!

Hope you enjoy!

Fishy Bites

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Ingredients:

Directions:

1. In a food processor combine 1/4 c almond flour, 1/2 c shredded coconut and some salt/pepper. Pulse a few times till the shredded coconut becomes crumb-size. Set aside on a plate. This is the coating.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the fish, 1/2 c almond flour, onion & garlic powders, eggs, and some salt/pepper. Mix it with your hands until everything has been incorporated. The mixture should be wet enough from the eggs to mold into nugget shapes. If not, add another egg.

3. In a saute pan (or 2 saute pans), melt the coconut oil or your fat of choice over medium heat.

4. Take about 2 tablespoons worth of the fish mixture and roll into the shape of a ball. Drop it into the almond/coconut mixture and roll the fish ball around with your fingers. Make sure it’s completely coated.

5. Repeat with the rest of the fish mixture. Place in the saute pan and cook on each side until nice and brown. I use 2 saute pans and add 1/4 coconut oil to each

6. Enjoy! I mix up some mustard and honey to make honey mustard for us to dip! Delicious!!!

***If you would like to make something similiar but more of a “patty”, check out my Salmon Patties!

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Giveaway: Kaeli-O-Kookies

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It’s about that time again!!! I’m loving all these giveaways…aren’t you?!

Kaeli-O-Kookies has perfected the Paleo cookie! These cookies are delish! They sent me a few to try out and the kids and I gobbled them right up. They are very hearty and filling as well! My personal favorite was the Honey Berry!

Kaeli-O-Kookies is going to giveaway 6 of their fantastic cookies to one lucky winner (3 Honey Berry and 3 Chocolate Chip)!!!

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Honey Berry Ingredients: Almond Flour, Raw Organic Honey, Walnuts, Thompson Raisins, Dried Cranberries, spices (only the Mixologist knows)….

CoCo Chip: Almond Flour, Raw Organic Honey, 100% Pure Maple Syrup, Organic Unsweetened Coconut, Pure Vanilla Extract, 60% Cacao Chips

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How to enter: PLEASE COMMENT ON MY BLOG POST BELOW!!!

1. Like Kaeli-O-Kookies on Facebook: leave a comment saying you “liked” them, or like them already.

2. Like The Paleo Mama on Facebook: leave a separate comment saying you did, or do already.

3. Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter! Leave another comment saying you did.

That’s it! You have the chance of leaving up to 3 SEPARATE blog comments! Giveaway ends March 24, at 9pm. I will use the WordPress plug-in “And the Winner Is” to choose a winner at random.

Week’s Worth of LOCAL Groceries & My Budget!

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I am such an advocate of shopping local! Since my daughter was born, I made the decision to pursue healthier eating and shopping at local Farmer’s Market’s is one of the healthiest, most frugal way to eat better!

This week I’m gonna show you all that I got from my local Farmer’s Market and talk about my weekly food budget. We are a family of 4 and my grocery budget for EVERYTHING (paper products, dog food, household items, batteries, etc) is $200 a week. I get about 80-90% of our food from my local Farmer’s Market and supplement with trips to Costco or Publix.

Today I spent $91 at the market and came out with TONS of groceries! There are a few things that I don’t buy at the market because of the cost. These are…

  • Bacon – I buy that at Costco for cheap
  • Spices
  • Beef and Pork– too expensive for us. I either find a local meat market to purchase “Family Packs” or buy from Costco.
  •  Alcohol – my husband will never give up his beer!
  • Oils, vinegar, and Maple Syrup – I buy them from Costco.
  • Eggs – I usually get these from a local hobby farmer but she was out of them so I bought some today from the market. I usually get them for $3. I found this local lady off Craigslist. At the market today they were $4.
  • Milk – my kids just started drinking raw milk again because I found someone local who sells it. I buy this for $10 a gallon and they get a gallon a week. When it’s out, it’s out.

Here is what I found at my Farmer’s Market…if I remembered the price, I listed it…

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From left to right…

  • 9 bananas, 4 for $1
  • 2 large heads of broccoli, 2 for $3
  • pack of 6 large nitrate free hot dogs, $6
  • HUGE box (6 pints) of strawberries, $9
  • 6 large carrots
  • 2 green peppers
  • 5 yellow squash
  • 3 zucchini
  • 4 avocados, 2 for $3
  • 2 pints of blueberries, $3
  • 5 tomatoes
  • lots of small red potatoes
  • 2 heads of romaine lettuce
  • 1 large cabbage
  • 6 sweet potatoes
  • 1 green onion, $1
  • 1 large bunch of spinach leaves, $1
  • 1lb of Amish butter, $6
  • 2 pints of white mushrooms
  • bunch of red grapes
  • 12 dozen eggs, $4
  • Asparagus bunch
  • 2 whole chickens, 2 for $15

Total = $91!!! Can’t beat that, eh?!?!

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I got a few other things at Publix to supplement this trip:

  • 2 bottles of local wine, BOGO free $9.99
  • Yengling beer, $6.99
  • Yo Kids organic yogurt, $3.50 (I put these in the freezer for a frozen treat!)
  • BOGO watermelon chunks, $1.50 (I make popsicle with these)
  • Thyme – forgot to grab some at the market
  • Parsley – forgot to grab some at the market
  • Vanilla
  • Smoked Paprika
  • 1lb of Boar’s Head chicken cuts, $9

Total = $57

This brings my total spending to $148 for the week!

A few budget points:

I have 2 lbs of ground beef in my freezer and 2 whole chickens from the market today to use in our meals, as well as bacon for breakfast.

I will need to use $10 on milk and $10 on more eggs (we average 4 dozen eggs a week) which brings my total to $168.

I will use the other $30 on buying more meat at some point during the week from Costco. I hope to get a roast and some chicken thighs. We eat out once, maybe twice, a week and never more.

I will not go over my $200 budget. I am pretty good about that. I operate on cash, so when the cash is out, so is the food and I need to be creative with how we use it. Also, I can, and have, cut this budget in half to only $100 a week, while still eating 75% Paleo. I supplement our meals with some rice, discount foods from market deals, and non-organic produce. It is possible, but it is more challenging. You have to really shop around.

Tell me what you find at your Farmer’s Markets and how you work your family budget!!!

 

My Paleo Irish Menu for St. Paddy’s Day

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By the way, it actually should be spelled St. Paddy’s day and not Patty. I just learned that and now you did! I bet you also didn’t know that most the Irish actually eat pork on St. Patrick’s Day, not corned beef! However, we are eating our pork tonight and I’m making Corned Beef for St. Patrick’s Day, which is this Sunday, March 17, 2013.

I actually really love St. Patrick’s Day. We lived in Savannah for 4 years and I kind of fell in love with it there. It’s HUGE there. So, here’s our menu for St. Paddy’s day!  St. Patrick’s Day is traditionally a feast day, celebrating the Patron Saint of Ireland and appreciating the fact that Lenten restrictions have been lifted! So, St. Patrick’s Day usually comes with lots of meat and alcohol!

Beverages:

Homemade Kombucha 

Homemade Apple Kvass

Main Dish:

Reuben Style Cabbage Rolls – can make the corned beef yourself (recipe link below)

Homemade Corned Beef – beef brisket on sale at Kroger (Southeast region) for $3.49lb and pretty cheap at Costco

Sides: 

Faux-tato Salad

Irish Soda Bread

Homemade Sauerkraut – will also be used in the Cabbage rolls

Dessert: 

Shamrock Shake – this was given to me by a Facebook follower:

1 can coconut milk or 1 3/4 cup other milk choice
1 avocado peeled and seeded
1-3 Tbsp raw honey
1 cup ice
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Blend and enjoy!!

That’s it! We should be stuffed and plump by the end of the day but our tummies should definitely appreciate this meal. There is quite a bit of fermented foods and beverages in this meal. In fact, the sauerkraut, kvass, and corned beef must be started tonight or tomorrow to be done by Sunday!

Lots of [Irish] luck to you!!!!