Medela Breast Pump
When I had my older girls , hubby and I rented a breast pump from the hospital for about $80/month. What were we thinking? With my oldest I bought the cheapest hand held manual pump I could find and I think I got carpel tunnel after a week! This time around I had to get a pump and a good one even though I am a SAHM. My son was nursing fine, but after having guest after guest several days in a row,we ended up feeding him the sample formula that we got from the hospital and thus I missed nursing a few times. Skip nursing a couple of times and you will FEEL it! I had to sneak out and get a pump. I headed to Target to look for something not so high priced but that worked well and was comparable to a hospital grade pump. I know that my hospital rental was a Medela so that is what I was looking for. There was a double pump with case and all the works for over $300 which was a little much for me, I saw 2 different travel size pumps, one double with some bells and whistles and a single one for just over $100. I ended up purchasing the Medela Swing for $149.99 and I LOVE it. It came with 2 bottles, a carrying bag, electrical cord, extra valves and great instructions. It is a single pump but is great for those that need to pump occasionally. It makes a quiet purring sound when turned on and has a 2 step pumping process. I HIGHLY recommend this pump. Visit Medela’s site for info on all of their products! www.medela.com
Hands Free Pumping!
I decided to nurse my son, just as I did my daughters. Although I nurse most of the time there are still times when I need to pump. I will write another post about which Pump I purchased last week and am in LOVE with! Anyway, a while back I won a giveaway on a website www.hisboyscanswim.com from Snugabell , which was a wonderful contraption called a PumpEase. I just tried it out today and can’t believe how much easier it made pumping! It basically looks like a tube top from way back that has 2 slits in the front that hold the breast shields. Why didn’t I think of that? Literally you don’t have to hold the bottles while you pump! You are completely hands free!
Why do you need a PumpEase™ hands-free pumping support?
you would like to multi-task (do other things while pumping)
you are returning to work
you want to donate to a Milk Bank
you are adopting and want to induce lactation
you need relief from frequent painful engorgement
your baby has a medical condition, such as a cleft palate or tongue-tie
your baby was born premature and is still in the hospital
you have mastitis, milk stasis, a blocked duct or thrush
you need to maintain your milk supply during a lapse in breastfeeding (e.g. travel, medication, hospitalization)
your baby does not completely empty your breasts (tongue-tie, ineffective suck, latching problems)
you want the freedom to be able to leave your baby with your partner or caregiver for a feeding
your partner wants to feed, and therefore bond with, your baby
you need to boost your milk production
you have flat or inverted nipples (pumping can be helpful at drawing out the nipple)
you gave birth to multiples
Check out www.pumpease.com
Baby Carriers – Maya Wrap
So with 2 girls and a 2 week old I had to find a way to free up my hands a little. You know, so that I could, cook, clean and do a little laundry 
I remembered that I had a baby carrier tucked away in the basement and searched high and low until I found it. My carrier is a MAYA WRAP adjustable pouch which has now been continued. I do have to say that I LOVE this carrier. I got it when my youngest daughter came home from the hospital and wouldn’t stop crying, she was diagnosed with Gerd and the only way I could quiet her was to carry her…yes All day, every day…and to this day she is pretty touchy feely. My 2 week old didn’t take to the carrier at first but now he loves it! The great thing is that you can multi-task, nurse the baby, walk around, fold laundry etc….
Here is a little info from their site which explains the benefits of their carriers(Maya Wraps)…
www.mayawrap.com
Maya Wrap Product Features
Cool: All of our baby carriers are 100% cotton and are comfortable in hot weather. Our fabrics look the same on both sides, eliminating the need for sewing two fabrics together to hide the wrong side of a fabric. One layer of fabric is cooler than two layers and allows for better air flow to help keep your baby from becoming over-heated.
No Bulk: Our carriers (except the Lightly Padded Sling) have no padding. The Lightly Padded Sling has a small amount of padding in the shoulder. This means all of our carriers are not bulky. They fit easily into your diaper bag or purse when you are on the go. The Maya Tie uses slightly more fabric but will still fit nicely into a larger diaper bag or backpack.
Comfortable: Our Slings distribute baby’s weight across your back for a comfortable, secure fit. Wearing two MamaBaby slings allows you to distribute baby’s weight over both shoulders for extra comfort. The Maya Tie distributes baby’s weight over both shoulders and your hips for ultimate comfort. It is excellent for heavier children or babywearing for long periods of time. Unlike other woven cottons, our hand-loomed fabrics “give” for a more comfortable fit while still being supportive.
Versatile: All of our baby carriers are usable in a variety of positions for newborns and toddlers. Our slings grow with your baby over time. Wearing two MamaBaby slings makes it possible to wear your newborn in a high “burp” position. The Maya Tie can also be used for a very comfortable and secure back carry.
Adjustable: All of our products come in a range of sizes and are fully-adjustable, ensuring a perfect and secure fit every time! Our carriers can be tightened over a wide range. Frequently both parents can share one carrier even if they are different sizes.
Discreet: You can breastfeed in all of our baby carriers. For those who prefer to breastfeed discreetly, the tails of our slings can be used as a cover up. When selecting a sling, if nursing coverage is not important to you, you may prefer to select a size smaller. The smaller size will have a shorter fabric tail past the rings.
Kids bookstore and candy store in Chicago
On monday my friend and I made a quick trip to the city with our 4 year olds. We ended up finding to great places that I wanted to write about.
The 1st place we visited was Chicago Kids Bookstore located on Southport in Lakeview. The girls were excited to run in as there are books, toys, clothing and more. While we were there they were about to have story time for infants. There were cozy places for the girls to sit as well as large stuffed animals(horses, dogs, etc…) for them to sit on. It is a whimsical yet educational environment as after all it is a Bookstore 1st and foremost.
After visiting the book store we headed down the street a block or so to Candyality and let me tell you, good luck getting your kids out! The have candy from the days when we were young, as well as chocolates by the pound and every other candy you can imagine. We were greeted warmly by the owner who showed the girls around and gave them the golden rule of “not putting our hands in the candy bins and only using the scoopers”. There is a cooler in the front full of frozen treats, movie style popcorn, t-shirts and gift items available. My daughter picked up a little gift bag of treats for her daddy that said “SOME SUGAR FOR MY DADDY!” how cute is that? I ended up spending $19 on candy but so enjoyed my bag of chocolate covered pretzels and chocolate covered peanuts on the way home!
If you are in Chicago, these are both great places to visit with your Kids and are local favorites (not touristy spots). Just click on the names of the places above to visit their websites.
Saving the Environment
I have so much to Blog about but thought that I would start with this important post. With EARTH day last week, my girls came home so excited to do somethings to help our environment. Now, keep in mind, that my husband calls me his “hippy chic” because I recycle so many items every week that we now have 5 recycle bins, I use only natural household cleaners and do my best to be conscious of the environment. I am no way doing all that I could, I am a beginniner..in the 1st stages of what I know my potential is.
So here are the 1st couple of changes that we are making in our house:
1. planting a garden instead of planting flowers this year. We will give extra vegetables to a local shelter
2. stop receiving catalogues in the mail. These end up being recycled or in a land fill and are in everyone’s mailbox everyday! You can stop these catalogues by going to one place for them all. www.catalogchoice.org is the one place stop. You have to create an account and can use multiple names at one address, you have the option of choosing to stop your catalogues all together, receive them a few times a year or on holidays only. It keeps track of the choices you have made and lets you know when the companies have accepted your request. It’s simple, easy, and will really help the environment!
These are our projects for now, very simple but if each person does something simple, we will make a huge impact on our environment.
Miss Jessie’s Hair Products
Ok, my girls have curly hair, VERY curly Hair and I searched high and low for products that would moisturize and de-frizz their hair. After finding a hairdresser that had the “same” hair as us, she led us to these wonderful products by “Miss Jessies”! We haven’t used anything else…and won’t. Their products make my girls hair manageable, frizz free, and makes them PROUD to have curly hair! A big thank you to Everyone at Miss Jessie’s for creating awesome products!
Here is a little about their site and their products!! AWESOME!!!!
ABOUT MISS JESSIE’S
In 1997 sisters Titi and Miko opened Miss Jessie’s Salon to respond to the demand for expertise in natural hair and naturally curly hair. Their experience with curls started over 20 years ago. Born to a Japanese mother and African-American father Titi and Miko had a head full of hair that was multi textured. “Back then our parents were attending school so this left little time to care for our hair” lamented Titi.
At that time going to a Japanese salon was not an option. Salons that catered to Black hair were more interested in taming what they thought was unruly hair. This usually meant relaxer straight styling or greasy hot combing. Visits to salons that catered to straight hair was always an adventure as they watched the stylists eyes bulge with fear due to their lack of experience with varied hair textures. ” So , if we wanted to look cute on picture day we had to do it ourselves!” They have been doing hair ever since.
The Salon soon became the go-to place for natural and naturally curly hair attracting clients nationwide. In 2004 Miss Jessie’s Products were introduced consisting of styling cremes, moisturizers and deep conditioning treatments. From the very beginning it was always about listening to our customers, understanding their issues with their natural and naturally curly hair and finally offering the Miss Jessie’s product line that helps our customers overcome the issues that they traditionally face.
With the introduction of Curly PuddingTM, Curly ButtercremeTM, Curly Meringue®, Baby ButtercremeTM, Unscented Curly PuddingTM and now Rapid Recovery Treatment®, Miss Jessie’s products soon garnered a cult following and continues to be a market innovator in the natural hair and naturally curly hair segment.
www.missjessies.com