Parenting

Moomah The Journal: Barbie Angst

I love the beginning of this article from Moomah The Journal, because it’s so true! Before you become a parent, you are an excellent parent – full of the certainty that you will not fall into the clearly bad parenting habits that others have. And then you have a baby and suddenly feel quite willing to adjust some of your pre-baby principles in exchange for a moment or two of peace and quiet.

Barbie Angst

Before my husband and I had children, we were excellent parents. We would tsk parents who allowed their children to play with Gameboys while out to dinner: “Dinner is family time.” We would tut parents who allowed their vehicles to become children’s home entertainment centers: “Those catatonic children are literally letting the world pass them by.” Our children, whilst fictional, would never be amongst these casualties of modern culture.

Then… they arrived. Our beautiful, magical, relentless, exhausting, non-fictional children. That shut us up for good.

We now know that in the never-ending process of actual parenting, choices are not so black and white. Since I am no longer allowed to have uninterrupted conversation with my mate, DVD-infused car rides have become our long walks on the beach. Spongebob and Scooby allow us time to catch up with each other. And, bless the iphone and its myriad apps, for without it we might not ever complete a full dinner out. 

Then there’s Barbie. She’s the one leftover from my pre-actual parenting days that I was determined not to give into.

… Read the full article here.

Mum & Baby Activities

Mom & Baby Fitness

Teutonia Stroller

Even though we only did a teeny bit of jogging I was surprised how well it worked to run with our the Teutonia stroller

This morning Alec and I tried out the stroller workout that Oh Baby Fitness offers in Piedmont Park in Atlanta.

I started working out with Oh Baby! while I was pregnant, taking prenatal yoga and water aerobics classes, which I loved, especially yoga. And Alec and I have been doing pilates and “H2O Baby” since I got the go-ahead to workout again after my delivery. The stroller workout is basically a shorter (45 mins) boot camp-type workout with the added bonus that your baby might start fussing and give you a reason to take a little break while you are meant to be doing the plank. My bestie told me today that she is starting stroller workouts in Stockholm next week.

It was a gorgeous morning in Atlanta and we really enjoyed this session. It only got too hot towards the end of the workout, so it was bearable for the mums and the babies. I woke up this morning feeling half-dead but luckily my husband encouraged me to go to class as planned and I’m so glad I did. It’s really the perfect way to start a Friday. And with the temperatures creeping up in Atlanta right now, 9am is really the only time you can be out with a little baby anyways. We’ll definitely plan to make a habit of Friday morning stroller workouts!

 
 

Food

Lactation Cookies

When my friend Olivia heard about lactation cookies, she asked “is this some kind of a trick?”. My reply was “probably, but it’s a trick I’m very willing to fall for”.

Lactation cookies are based on the concept of “galactogogues” – substances that promote lactation by increasing milk supply. I have previously bought lactation cookies from Milkin’ Cookies.  Who knows if they work, but they can’t hurt, right? Milkin’ Cookies are definitely delicious, but also high in calories and sugar. And although they are individually packed, I found that they took on that freezer flavour when I stored them as recommended in the freezer. They’re also a little expensive.

Based on a little recipes research and the ingredients found in the lactation cookies you can buy, I baked my own lactation cookies yesterday to give to the moms in my moms group when Alec and I hosted our latest playdate today. They turned out really well! Here’s the recipe:

  • 5 tablespoons water
  • 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal (Also known as Linseed meal) – found it at Whole Foods
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons of brewers yeast – Whole Foods
  • 4 cups rolled oats
  • 1-2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Mix flax seed and water and let stand for 5ish minutes
  3. Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and flax/water mixture.
  4. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, brewers yeast and add it to the rest.
  5. Stir in chocolate and oats
  6. Spoon onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 mins, just until golden brown. They’ll firm up once they are cool.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies!

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