Diapering Essentials with Huggies

March 28, 2016

I'll go ahead and admit that the diaper changing station took a lot of precedence over other things as far as organizing went. I just couldn't stand the idea of being knee deep in a dirty diaper and not having what I needed. That's just one of the things that goes with being a first time mommy. The one thing I knew for sure that was going into my changing station were Huggies diapers. 

So the months coming up the delivery I pinned a ton of ways to organize the baby changing station. I finally settled on my own way of doing things, and a year later it as stayed the same tried and true way.


The one product I've come to trust the most has been Huggies.

We are just a Huggies family.

My mother used them on my sister and I. My sister used them for my nephew, and now I'm using them for Harrison.

If I'm being frank, I tried about 4 brands when Harrison first came home from the hospital and this is the only one I wanted to stick with. Issues I had with other popular brands included the infamous blowout, but the hands down worst was that the lining in one brand literally stuck to his little boy parts and I had to peel it off at every change. In my diapering comparisons, Huggies Sung & Dry definitely stops leaks better than the Luvs Super Absorbent.

It was so bad that before I had used up all the other diapers we had that I literally spent every diaper change that my husband was home lamenting the fact that once these were gone we were only every using Huggies diapers again.


Once that was all settled I could sleep well knowing that the baby was fast asleep in his Huggies with up to 12 hours of triple layer protection to stop leaks and Mama wasn't going to be getting up to change a diaper in the middle of the night.

Except for that time we had the virus.

Luckily our beloved Huggies Snug & Dry kept the blowouts to a minimum.


Aside from our Huggies diaper must-have, our changing station has grown to include a few things that I've deemed must haves, especially with a little boy: 
  • Petroleum Jelly
  • a few types of light lotion
  • a thick cream for dry skin spots
  • good diaper rash ointment
  • teething oil
  • a vapor rub for runny noses
  • Huggies Natural Wipes


I like to keep all my necessities in a rectangular wicker basket on the top of the dresser, and then in the drawer right below I keep a box of wipes. 

A little note on something else I do - I save all my Huggies Rewards points in that drawer until I've got a good handful and then I enter them all in on their website. It's helped me keep better track of where they all are. 

You probably also noticed the wipes warmer, I can't decide how much of a necessity I deem that to be. When we are home over a long break I put wipes in it, and use my drawer of baby wipes to refill it. Otherwise during a regular work week the wipes dry out in the warmer since we don't use as many at home. 

Regardless, it's there and apart of the line-up. 


I shopped at Kroger to get our Huggies diapers and if you'd like to get some to add to your diaper changing station as well you can find them there. If you stock up your changing station I'm sure you'll qualify for their "Baby Me" Event.

Shop at Kroger during the "Baby Me" Event going on between 3/20/16 - 4/2/16 and spend $40 on participating baby items so you can receive a $10 off coupon good towards anything at Kroger. (while supplies last)

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Huggies, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #HuggiesatKroger  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
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Current Happenings

March 22, 2016

Eating: It's been a mix of Whole30 and whatever, I've been a bit discouraged by the 10lb weight gain that came along with knocking nursing session down to morning and night. My plan is to start The Dukan Diet after Easter until the weight comes off and then gradually phase out the dairy and go back to a mostly Paleo way of eating.

Reading: This has been a book filled month, I'm still reading It Starts with Food and For the Love by Jen Hatmaker. Earlier in the month I read French Women Don't Get Fat... that's what reminded me of losing weight before we went to Puerto Rico on the Dukan Diet. I highly recommend For the Love, I'm going to be so sad when I finish it. Jen is great about slapping you in the face with what you're slacking on as a Christian.

Watching: Basically any British BBC documentary I can get my hands on on Youtube. I'm a Real Housewives junkie, admitting is the first step right? I justify this by the fact that I've watched since the first season of Orange County and can't walk away now. It's total garbage, but those women are an interesting train wreck to observe. I'm interested to see what is happening withYolanda this season. Also... Downton Abby ended. Like for good y'all. I'm heartbroken. What will I do with my winter TV time slot for the rest of my life. You're slowly killing me Julian Fellows.

At least Call the Midwife comes back on PBS soon.

PBS and the BBC are my way of justifying my Housewives issue.

Doing: I've got my garden going. My zucchini sprouted this weekend and I'm all the praise hand emojis at the moment.

Buying: Orthodontic pacifiers. The Wubbanub broke and we've got to make the switch before his teeth are ruined for life. We tried the Nuk, fail. So I ordered a Chicco and something else and I swear he better take to one of them. I can't have a teenager who is still nursing with crooked teeth and a paci. He has to pick one weird vice and not have them all!

Loving: This spring weather is amazing, sadly it will only last ten minutes. I'll just take a minute to soak it up while it does last before the miserable South Louisiana heat begins.

Hating: Pollen. It appears the baby has the same aversion to it as I do. We are a snot nosed bunch right now, let me tell you.

Crafting: I've been working on painting over a sign I had to make it say BAKE and hang it in the kitchen above the window. I don't think any amount of white paint is going to cover that black lettering though. We'll see how that's still going next month!

Listening: I'm cheating on the reading front by listening to It Starts with Food. It's good, but can seriously give you a food complex.

Pinning: I've been stock piling Dukan Diet pins in preparation for next week. Fingers crossed this make that "no more nursing weight" move. If not I'll just call it the "Oh well, mama had a baby at 30 weight."

Going: No where. And all the angels sang!

Enjoying: Baking like a mad woman still. I made my grandmother's Lemon Whipper Snapper recipe for Celebrate Recovery this past week and Jeremy said they were a hit. I'll be posting that one this Thursday.

Hoping: That Harrison will start walking before the summer so he can enjoy the aquarium a bit more.

Considering: I guess you can say I'm considering what we are doing for our anniversary, or when we are going to New Orleans for that matter.

Wearing: I admit it, I wear work out clothing 90% of the time. If I'm not at work you better bet I've got on athletic wear. Luckily I workout after work so they're justified ha! 
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Meal Pinning Monday

March 20, 2016

I don't feel like I've been much of a blogger lately. 

Meal Pinning Monday and a recipe here and there, but not many life updates. I think I need to remedy that one. 




[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.

Monday - Paleo Pizza Casserole (didn't make it last week)

Tuesday - leftovers

Wednesday - Enchiladas (to redeem myself for trying to kill Jeremy with a British Stew recipe)

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Good Friday - eating out and meal prepping for Saturday! 

Saturday - Easter Menu - Black Ham, Hashbrown Casserole, Pea Salad, Deviled Eggs, Pimento Cheese with Spicy Ranch Crackers with Saltines, Banana Pudding, Bread Pudding, Cheddar and Chive Biscuits







Sunday Breakfast - Lemon Poppy Seed Rolls, Fruit Salad, Hard Boiled Eggs
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Turmeric Cauliflower Rice

March 17, 2016

If you've spent anytime around here at all you've probably figured out that meal prepping and planning is my thing. 

Every Sunday afternoon I get out what I'm eating for breakfast and lunch for the upcoming week, cook it, and ration it out between 6 containers. If you aren't one for repeating meals, I totally get it, but the ease that comes with grabbing a container and leaving in the morning saves me SO. MUCH. TIME. 


Granted it takes a bit of time, and I spend a good hour doing it, but I feel like in the end it's worth the time it takes to have a healthy meal every day for breakfast and lunch. 

My breakfast this past week has bee the Coconut Apple Breakfast Bowl, I throw all my dry ingredients in snack bags and just dump everything in the food processor in the morning. 

I feel like I'm making meal planning sound dreadful, it really isn't. I actually enjoy it and use my kitchen time as alone time quite often. 


Turmeric Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients::
1 small head cauliflower
1-2 tsp ghee
2 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste

Directions::
Rice cauliflower using a food processor, preferably with the grating attachment, but you can just throw it in a pulse as well. Melt ghee in a pan over medium high heat, sprinkle in cumin and turmeric. Once heated well add cauliflower and coat with the spices. Add in chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes or until cooked through. 

*if making this ahead for meal prep cook the cauliflower for about half the time to adjust for reheating. 


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Meal Pinning Monday

March 13, 2016

It's nearly Easter. 

I feel like the weeks before a holiday are simply me planning for the holiday in my head. I just love a good holiday menu. 

So until then... here's a regular menu. 



[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.

Monday - Meatballs with Cauliflower Mash

Tuesday - Sheet Pan Fajitas with Spiralized Potato

Wednesday - Paleo Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - eating out

Saturday - Curry Chicken with Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Sunday - undecided
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Nanny's Recipes - Death Chicken

March 9, 2016

If you're familiar with Sweet Potato Queens it's likely you've seen this recipe before. 

Ages ago when one of their first books came out my mother and grandmother decided they loved this recipe and I fondly recall eating it for Sunday lunch many times. 


It isn't a quick bake, but prep time is minimal. 

However, when it's done the chicken is insanely tender and delicious. 

Before making this my mother suggested I use Zatarain's Long Grain Rice, I highly suggest that or some other good quality long grain. Eveything else will just go mushy. Also, you can season the chicken a bit more after pouring over the sauce, I think I'll toss over a little Cajun Seasoning next time for a bit more kick. 


Death Chicken


Ingredients::
6 slices of bacon
1 cups uncooked long grain white rice
1 chicken cut into pieces (I used all leg/thigh pieces)
salt and pepper to taste
few dashes of paprika
1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of water
pinch of garlic powder and nutmeg
1 tsp oregano
2-3 tbsp parsley

Directions::
Line a 9x13 pan with 6 slices of bacon. Pour one cup of uncooked rice over the bacon. On top of the rice, put your chicken pieces. Salt and pepper the chicken and sprinkle over a little bit of paprika. Whisk together 1 can of cream of mushroom soup with 1 cup of water, season with garlic powder, a pinch of nutmeg, and 1 tsp of oregano. Pour mixture over the chicken and cover the whole pan with heavy aluminum foil. Bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours, no peeking at the chicken. 


This isn't by any means healthy, but it sure is good. The baby even approved of it, flapping his wings and insisting I shovel more rice into his mouth. (He's decided that he'd rather me feed him messy food so it all gets in the right spot. Ham!)

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Coconut Apple Breakfast Bowl

March 8, 2016

 One of my trusty Whole30/Paleo breakfast recipes has been this one. 

Even without the eggs that I often think I need, this keeps me full until lunch and is super satisfying. 

IMG_6584

One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is because it's packed full of nutrients that really help with your milk supply while breastfeeding.

Before you start thinking it's only for breastfeeding, it isn't.

Foods like almonds, flax, and high fat coconut milk are just good to have. I personally like the flax because it is a known galactagogue.

IMG_6585Why else do I love it?

Well, all you have to do is pop it into the food processor and it's come together in under a minute.

That is, it comes together quickly if you are a meal prepper.

On Sunday's, if I'm eating this for breakfast for the week, I'll portion out all of the ingredients minus the almond butter, milk, and apple; so that all I have to do is toss it into the processor come morning.

IMG_6586

Coconut Apple Breakfast Bowl


Ingredients:
1 dried prune (or date)
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tbsp flax meal
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp slivered almonds
almond butter
coconut milk (I like SoDelicious Culinary Coconut Milk)
1 large Granny Smith apple

Directions:
Put all ingredients minus the coconut milk and almond butter into a food processor and chop into a mince. Place mixture into a bowl and top with a spoonful of almond butter and a splash of coconut milk. Enjoy.

IMG_6587
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Meal Pinning Monday

March 7, 2016

Another Monday, another menu. 

What I'm making tonight I'll be posting the recipe for on Thursday, hopefully there's enough light outside when it's done to take a picture. It's one of my grandmother's recipes, yeah I never finished that series. I'll be working on it for eternity just FYI. 




[What is Meal Pinning Monday?]
MPM is how I meal plan for our little family. I once spent a lot of time searching the web and my recipe books hunting for new recipes and ideas for what to cook every week. Then, Pinterest came along and made meal planning much easier for me. Every weekend I look over what I have pinned the prior week and decide what I would like to cook and make my grocery list from these recipes. MPM came about as a way to share what I am cooking, and to also see what others are cooking every week to hopefully get even more dinner ideas from other bloggers. If you don't pin your recipes feel free to just share what you are cooking.

Monday - Death Chicken


Tuesday - Shakshuka with Spiralized Sweet Potato Hash

Wednesday - Coq Au Vin with Mashed Potatoes

Thursday - leftovers


Friday - Beef & Mushroom Stew

Saturday - leftovers


Sunday - haven't decided yet:)
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Chocolate Fluffer-nutter Cake

March 5, 2016

 This has quickly become the official birthday cake of our family.

I'm just crazy enough that I need one.

You see, I recall very fondly the birthday cakes my mother made that were yellow cake with chocolate icing. So I had to find a cake that could be mine!


This cake is everything heavenly that I love in a cake, chocolate, peanut butter, amazing frosting. The chocolate cake is super moist, and unlike other cakes I've made it didn't go stale quick. 

I discovered this frosting recipe last year when it was Jeremy's birthday and immediately decided it was my go to frosting. Seriously the easiest ever and insanely delicious. 

Notice that I don't have a photo of the whole cake, we cut into it too fast for that. 


Chocolate Fluffer-nutter Cake

For the Chocolate cake:
adapted from Add a Pinch
Ingredients::
2 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tsp Mexican vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Directions::
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease 2 9 inch cake pans and dust with flour. 

In a large bowl, add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and instant coffee. Stir to combine. 

Add milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed and carefully add boiling water to the batter. Beat on high for 1 minute to add air to the batter. 

Divide the cake batter evenly between the two pans and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Cool completely before assembling. 

For the Peanut Butter Filling:
adapted from Picky Palate
Ingredients::
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 tsp Mexican vanilla
1/4 cup of milk

Directions::
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and set aside while preparing the rest of the cake. 

For the Marshmallow Buttercream:
adapted from Baked Bree
Ingredients::
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups icing sugar
1 7 ounce jar marshmallow cream

Directions::
Cream butter until it is light and fluffy. Add the Marshmallow cream. Beat for 2 minutes. Add the icing sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. 

Assembly:
Put a dollop of icing in the center of your cake plate. Place bottom cake layer on the frosting, top with all of the peanut butter filling. Be sure to smooth it out evenly so the next layer sits flat. Place second layer on top. Frost the cake with the Marshmallow Buttercream. 


In case you're wondering this is considered my bonus cake for The Southern Cake series. 

Happy cake eating friends! 


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12 Months Old

March 1, 2016

We survived the first year! 

There are a ton of pics in the post today of the cake smash, so scroll through and enjoy. If anyone wants a tutorial on the photo background and how I edited let me know. It was way easier than it looked! 

He just isn't as messy as the "messy cake baby" so it was mildly disappointing to his father who I think was hoping for "insanely messy cake baby." 

This is cake smash 2, by the way. I'll post cake smash one later on in the week. I attempted a no sugar added Baby Led Weaning recipe and I thought he hated it because of the cake, nope he just dislikes cake. 




Weight: 22.12 lbs

Length/Height: 28 inches


Eyes: more hazel, they go between blue to green/brown depending on what he's wearing


Hair: Brown like Mama's! 


Clothes: 12-18 months

Diapers: size 4

Likes: Meat, peanut butter, blocks, playing with other kids (Joshua is his favorite), and doing anything that gets a laugh


Dislikes: Cake has apparently made the list, he wasn't a fan. 


Eating: Basically everything, he isn't into sweets

Sleeping: all night!!!


Milestones: Cruising really well and standing without holding on when he feels like it. On his birthday he saw fit to start waving, shaking his head no, and randomly decided to give me a baby kiss when I was in bed and not feeling well. 


If I had to describe our twelfth month in one word, it would be: so much more independent, he likes to play alone more and more. Which is great because it means I can cook dinner on nights when Jeremy isn't here way easier. 

Mommy notes: Harrison's hair has totally curled! We had a minor ear ache this month but luckily it wasn't too bad. 






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