I’ve grown, stored, prepared, and eaten squash of various kinds my entire life, so I speak as an humble authority. They happen to be one of my favorite foods.

The standard procedure to make baby food is just to puree cooked food until smooth, adding water if needed. Following are specific tips on how to cook different types of squash.

Winter squash (with hard skins like pumpkin, acorn, and butternut) you don’t eat the seeds or the skin. You cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, then bake them until soft. We like to put them face down in a microwave dish with a couple spoonfuls of water and cook them that way. Or you can put microwave-safe plastic wrap around the tops and microwave them face up.

Butternut is also good in soup! Peel, halve, seed, and cube them, and toss them into the pot!

Spaghetti squash is a winter squash – you don’t eat the skin or the seeds. However, spaghetti squash tends to stay rather firm. You seed and cook them like other winter squash, then scrape the insides with a fork and it comes out like long strands of yellow spaghetti! It is done when it has a little bite to it (think pasta al dente) and is awesome with a little butter or even with your favorite pasta sauce. Very calorie friendly! I can’t imagine it as baby food but I guess you could do it. I’d overcook it a bit and blend the heck out of it, and even then I would wait until baby can handle some texture.

Pumpkin may have to be broken into smaller pieces to fit into the oven to bake. Always good as pumpkin pie, of course. Or you can fix it up like a sweet potato with brown sugar and cinnamon. You really should try eating it as a regular squash, either plain or with a little bit of butter – it is fantastic. (I’d only use fresh for this. Canned pumpkin is nearly always hubbard squash – still good but not the same, and definitely distinguishable without the sugar and spice of pie filling.)

Summer squash (like yellow squash, crookneck, and zucchini / courgettes) where you eat the outside, you can eat the whole thing, seeds too! They are technically a fruit. Cool, huh?

Summer squash is entirely edible. Just cut off the stem and flower ends, cut into pieces, and steam them up until soft. For baby food, first let them cool completely in a sieve so they drain more liquid, then blend or process them (seeds and all) and they turn out great. No need to strain. For our family, we quite often cook a big steamer full of yellow squash, zucchini, and sweet onions to go with dinner.

Here is the yellow squash I pureed and froze for baby food. Aren’t they a beautiful color?

Yellow Squash Baby Food Cubes

Zucchini (also known as courgettes) have to be canned with an acid so normally you find it with tomato sauce. You can grate raw zucchini, freeze, and use it for zucchini bread. I actually buy freeze-dried zucchini to toss in pasta sauces and stews during the winter months. I can’t stand the canned stuff because they put tons of salt in it and I don’t always want tomato sauce with them! So fresh is definitely the way to go. Plant a couple of seeds in the garden – the things are nearly impossible to kill – and you can feed the whole block! My grandpa used to say he wishes he could grow half of a zucchini plant! (You actually need two for pollination, though.) As an example, here are the results of my garden a few years ago: The best onion, the best potato (lol), and the best zucchini:

What are your favorite ways of eating squash?

“Appearance, after all, was a reflection of what a person thought of themselves and therefore, by extension, of others. A person crippled by self-loathing or self-doubt reflected those feelings in their appearance. Such visual clues did not inspire confidence in others because, and while not always completely accurate, for the most part they did reflect the inner person — whether or not the person realized it.” – Terry Goodkind, Chainfire

FlyLady recommends that getting dressed and “fixing your hair and face” should be done every morning, no matter how you feel. Many times that can lift your spirits and, in turn, make you physically feel better as well. It really only takes a few minutes, and I’m able to accomplish this while keeping an eye on a very active toddler.  Since all I use is Bare Mineralsit is very fast, looks natural, and actually keeps my skin healthy due to the absorbent nature of the minerals and the added sunscreen protection. It is nice to know that you already look great when the unexpected visitor or emergency errand comes up!

It seems to be a good influence on my daughter, too.  At 18 months old, she brushes her teeth, brushes her hair, and plays with a big fluffy makeup brush as I do these things in the morning.  I hope this excitement for personal hygiene continues as she grows older!

It is good for your health, too.  Obviously, bathing is always good, as is brushing your teeth.  But did you know that flossing your teeth can prevent heart attacks and miscarriages?  Using a loofah or scrub sponge can help your skin absorb the moisture and nutrients it needs to keep it looking great?  Brushing your hair makes it stronger and more lustrous by distributing the natural oils?  I realize that I am getting to the age where adult acne shouldn’t be as much of a problem anymore, but I have noticed a dramatic improvement since I started using the mineral makeup every day.  There are many reasons to be sure you take a little bit of extra time on yourself, especially when you are under the weather.

Taking pride in your appearance also shows a respect for your spouse. Sure, he or she should love you for “who you really are” even when you don’t look your best – but aren’t you really someone who takes pride in themselves, and how you reflect on your family?  Besides, the person I most want to look good for is my husband.  It gives him an extra boost to know that I am willing to take the time even though he is the only one to see me that day.

I hope I have encouraged you to set this worthy goal of developing this morning ritual for yourself!

This toy has downloadable options, the best of which is programming it to say and spell your child’s name. I only wish they had “Dot” as one of the name options; right now we’re using “baby” which is okay but definitely not the same. I’m hoping the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and I keep posting on the Leapfrog forums to get her name added to the list.

The first few days, Dot was obsessed with the “off” button/paw, and would get very frustrated. You see, that is the one with the bright red circle on it, and red seems to be most attractive to babies. It was a couple of days before I could convince her that the other paws were much more interesting. It is nice to have a quick silencing mechanism, but perhaps it could be a tug of the ear or tail instead of the paw button. What would really make this toy the best (and I would pay even more for it) is if I could load my own music or other mP3s on the fourth paw, with the two-, five-, and ten minute options similar to the lullaby paw.

Every morning after breakfast, Dot rocks Violet:

The lullaby music is a wonderful idea, although I found most of the tunes to be a little too upbeat. I always look for slow and gentle tunes, and nothing with harsh pitches in it. Thanks to a large selection, we have found five tunes that we love. It would be nice if there was a small white LED in her tag that would give a constant soft light during the lullaby music to provide additional comfort in a dark room. The red LED in there now just makes the tag look red instead of purple when it flashes.

The play and music paws are very creative! At first, Dot learned how to cycle through everything a split second at a time until she hit her favorite tune. Now she at least pauses for the “My Favorites” song and the one that spells her name. She also likes doing the animal imitations. She can’t talk yet but at fourteen months she could meow, bark, and moo! She is learning signs for all of the animals and likes it when Violet asks her about them.

Dot loves to pull apart the velcro on the back! If there was a small section in the middle that was a bit wider, it might preclude little hands from pulling it open so easily. At least it is very well made and safe even when she’s open!

For a little background on how My Pal Scout came into being, see this post by Jeff Katz, LeapFrog CEO:
Creating New Products Goes Beyond the Elves at the North Pole.

Along with the Alphabet Pal, this small LeapFrog collection of two items has me impressed with the company and I will be making more purchases in the future. I am EXTREMELY picky about Dot’s toys, opting for fewer, higher-quality toys that serve some educational purpose. She is a very bright and active 18-month-old who can read nearly 100 words, identify all of her body parts, identify many animals through sounds and ASL signs, differentiate ten different geometric shapes and 9 basic colors, manipulate shapes into a shape-sorter toy, and even find middle C on the piano. She thrives on learning and I am pleased that LeapFrog provides products to help nurture that very important aspect of childhood and help it develop into a life-long love of learning.

Note: This review is entirely voluntary and not paid for in any way!

As a busy wife, mom, and entrepreneur, I barely have time to write for my own blog, let alone read others. So, when I find one that ultimately saves me time AND money, I take notice.

Deal Seeking Mom is one of those blogs.

While researching Deal Seeking Mom for my shopping list this week, I saw this wonderful article by Ponn Sabra, who blogs for American Muslim Mom:

From Confused Coupon Criticizer To Coupon Connoisseur-in-the-making

Think Strategic Shopper, not Cheap Couponer. CouponMom.com found that 47% of women who use coupons are educated, affluent women who choose to use coupons, not necessarily out of necessity but for the savings.

As busy as I am, I find coupon shopping a valuable addition to my weekly schedule.

Again, from Ponn Sabra:

Have you ever thought the following?

* I don’t have time or patience to clip and organize coupons,
* I can never save enough money to make it worth my while,
* I’m too brand-loyal to even find value from coupons,
* My family eats too much red meats, dairy, and fresh produce; coupons will never make a dent in my grocery bill,
* Searching circulars is too much work,
* Organizing a whole week’s menu is mind-boggling,
* I despise getting newspaper ink on my hands (no, really…),
* Ugh…all this coupon lingo is so confusing, and [...]

To answer the broader question, does couponing work?  

A picture is worth a thousand words. Or, in this case, 6,000 diapers:

That was three truckloads, and that truck is full; cargo, back seat, AND front seat and floor.
All while six months pregnant.

I always joke that I got my baby at a discount.

I MADE about 30 cents on every pack I walked out of the store with.  I used the overage to buy breast pads, formula, and other expensive baby stuff that I needed.  I’ll probably still have diapers left over after “Little Brother” (baby #2) and could sell anything left for at least $5 a pack, although I will likely give them away to friends.  As a matter of fact, I give a ton of food and other stuff away to our local church missionaries.  I get Similac, Enfamil, and Good Start formula for less than half price. I stock up on organic baby food carrots at 25c – 50c a jar. (I make the rest of my babyfood at home.) Dot liked the store’s carrots better than mine, but she ate anything I mixed with them! I guess if I cooked my carrots to oblivion she might have eaten those, too. They are good for carrot cake now that she has outgrown them.

I like to brag when I entertain 6 to 17 people every month, including dessert and lots of leftovers, that I fed the entire crowd for less than $20. I have well over a years’ worth of cleaning supplies and health & beauty items that I either got for free or made money on. We eat pasta once a week, and I have a mountain of it, too, getting it for free or close to it.

Some say you can’t be brand loyal while using coupons, but I’ve found that not to be true in most cases.  My deodorant and DH’s body wash are the the only brands that I haven’t found for free (yet), but I certainly get them for less than half price.  All three brands of shampoo our family uses, I get for free, as well as our favorite toothpastes, which I will NEVER pay for again.  Same goes for free bandaids, and free toothbrushes which I have coming out my ears.  (Great for hygiene kit service projects.) I even get my Sonicare replacement heads at a discount, thank goodness.  DH’s Miracle Whip, my Hellman’s Canola Mayo, and Mom’s mayo with no soy and no egg yolks, were all on “The List”.  Our favorite cereals are stacked up in my pantry, and the most I’ve paid is $2 a box.  Campbells’ soup is on sale with coupon all of the time, I think ours were around 50c a can.  (Only one or two varieties that we can eat.) I usually get 12-packs of Coca-Cola products for less than $2 each; once I got 8 packs for $4!! 

We eat very little prepared food due to a number of food allergies (and other health reasons), but I am still able to find the no-salt no-sugar vegetables on sale with a coupon, and I get my frozen veggies for less than 50c a bag.  I know people that eat ONLY organic food and they say that coupons are still worth it to them.  You tend to see the sales cycles on produce and meat, too; I freeze and can meat when it is on sale, and pick which stores have the best prices on produce that week. 

I pay $5 a week for four newspapers (one for each family member), but I check what is coming out in the paper first before I buy them.  This week I only got 2 papers, and some weeks I get none.  You don’t clip the coupons, either, just file by date; the best sites tell you what date and what insert to find the coupon you want, so you only clip what you need.  To get the most savings, you should make space for some stockpiling; about 12 weeks worth will coincide with sales cycles, although I know people that make it work without it.  I personally store food and other supplies for a year, following the advice of my church leaders.

For more tips on why and how to get started saving money with coupons, be sure to read Ponn Sabra’s article.

Happy Bargain Hunting!

Congratulations! Your brain will now be running nonstop thinking of all the things that you need to accomplish before the baby is born. You’ll also be bombarded with advice, both reasonable and absurd. Fielding the comments can be stressful, too, especially since it seems the general population lose their manners when discussing your pregnancy! There are many things to do once you find out you are pregnant, and we’ve compiled a list of the most important things to know right away, and to discuss with your doctor.

So what is most important to do immediately after discovering the big news? Keep yourself – and that baby – healthy! Many women – new moms, especially – have no idea that there are now foods you should avoid, exercises to modify, and other lifestyle changes that need to happen as soon as possible in order to insure the best possible outcome for both you and the new life that you are creating inside you.

1. Medications. Of course, everything should be reviewed with your doctor, but there are a few things you need to stop right away: Aspirin, Aleve, and Advil (ibuprofin); most decongestants, antihistamines, and cold medicines; fenugreek (sorry lactating moms), and many herbal supplements. Contact your doctor immediately regarding any prescription medication; he can advise you on what to do prior to your appointment. Make a complete list of all medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements that you normally take. Be sure to add ingredient labels from any herbal teas you drink, too. You are going to need this for your doctors to review. Dr. Oz suggests that anyone taking three or more pills a day runs a 90% chance of having a drug interaction! So this is good advice for anyone. Always have this list with you whenever you visit any of your doctors so they can review it, especially if you start or change medications.

2. Vitamins. Get sufficient folic acid and iron in your diet. Folic acid is the substance from which DNA is built. When that is gone, it starts grabbing whatever is there, and can cause errors in the process. This is quite scary when you think about DNA being the computer program for building your entire body! Iron is important in creating blood, and Calcium is needed to build bones, both for you and the baby. Start a vitamin regimen if you haven’t already. If nothing else, take a 400mg folic acid once a day. I personally do not take prenatal vitamins, not only because of the soy content in nearly all of them, but because the iron in them tends to make my stomach hurt. (It tends to constipate, too.) I have my OB keep an eye on my iron levels, and have promised him that if they are ever low, I will take a supplement, but it hasn’t happened yet! There may be prenatal vitamins with no or low doses of iron, and that is what I would suggest to start with. Chewable Tums are very handy; just munch on one with breakfast and dinner to supplement your calcium. In addition to this, add high-quality sources of folic acid and iron to your diet. Cook with an iron skillet if you have one. Be sure to get some red meat at least every other day. Oranges, beans, and green leafy vegetables are winners, too. It is always best to get your vitamins from the real thing, and it doesn’t hurt your tummy, either! Add a b-complex to your vitamins as well, if you aren’t taking a prenatal or multi. More on that next:

3. Nausea. Keep nausea at bay. It can be caused by your body’s reaction to the new levels of hormones, and is different for everyone and with each pregnancy. Although it is recommended that everyone eat frequent, small meals throughout the day, this is even more important when pregnant. It helps to always have a little something in your stomach; never let yourself get hungry. Don’t eat huge meals, either; not only does this help with nausea at the beginning of your pregnancy, but you will appreciate being used to the idea when the baby is crowding your organs and reflux can be an occasional problem. So spread out your meals all throughout the day, even moreso than you normally would. Spicy foods won’t hurt, but judge how you feel; your tolerance may change as time goes by. Add ginger to your diet, too; either fresh, as a spice, or herbal tea. It is a natural nausea remedy. Even ginger ale is good; find natural soda that uses real ginger, and avoid the high fructose corn syrup. Keep saltines and peppermint candy available, and have some in your purse. Getting enough B vitamins both before and during your pregnancy is said to help prevent queasiness, as well. Have some anti-nausea medication handy, too, such as Emetrol and your basic antacid.

4. Food. Avoid cold deli meats such as salami, pastrami, bologna, and hot dogs. (If you heat them well it should be okay.) Don’t eat soft cheeses unless it says pasteurized on the label. Avoid fish high in mercury content, such as swordfish, shark, tilefish, mackerel, tuna, and albacore. (Canned chunk light tuna is fine once a week.) Avoid raw sushi, mainly those fish listed above, and especially from untrustworthy sources. Don’t eat raw eggs and watch out for fresh Caesar dressing. (Eating a fully-cooked egg three times a week is a good idea; there are lots of good nutrients for both you and baby.) Toss out the artificial sugars; avoid saccharin (Sweet and Low) and aspartame (Nutrasweet) entirely. Definitely avoid anything you are allergic to; you will be even more sensitive to it. It is suggested to avoid peanut butter, but there is very little proof that it causes the baby to have allergies, and it is a good protein source. Although there is no way for peanut butter to “cross over” into the baby’s bloodstream, you may want to avoid it if your husband has any extreme nut allergies. I’d probably avoid anything that he was extremely allergic to. I would consider adding some prunes to your diet; being pregnant tends to stop you up a bit! Find prunes that aren’t processed with chemicals, and munch on two or three as a before- or after-breakfast snack. Knowing where to find good-quality prunes will be handy for making baby food in a little over a year, too! Be sure you are drinking your water; it is easy to get dehydrated when so much is being used to create fluids for your baby, and you’ll be using it to flush waste from two bodies, now!

Stop drinking, stop smoking, and stop drinking caffeinated drinks. Alcohol, even in tiny amounts, has been proven very harmful to the fetus. Caffeine can cause miscarriage and preterm labor. I won’t go into the opinions and issues here, but my advice is to stop them altogether. Dr. Oz has some great suggestions on breaking the habits in 28 days.

5. Exercise. For the most part, keep with your regular exercise program, as long as it isn’t too rigorous. Don’t scuba dive, water ski, or jump into a pool, although swimming is okay. Discontinue any contact sports, weight training, and anything that has a risk of falling. Your balance will quickly become an issue as the weight distribution of your body gets rather funky. If you haven’t been exercising, try to at least walk 30 minutes a day, do some abdominal crunches (not too many, maybe 10-20 a day), and practice pelvic tilts to strengthen the pelvic floor. Get a yoga ball, sit on it, and rock your hips back and forth. The ball will become useful for the crunches later on, when you can’t lay on your back. Try not to stand in one place for very long. Some adjustments that may need to be made: Hang onto something with any balancing exercises, avoid standing still while doing upper-body exercises (sitting is ok, the yoga ball works), and keep everything low-impact. Strength training is still okay, but never use more than 2-lb weights, and switch to 1-pound weights about halfway through your pregnancy. (Basically don’t carry anything that would hurt the baby if you dropped it on your tummy.) You can do exercises on your back and stomach until they are uncomfortable, actually, but be thinking about exercise adjustments to avoid laying flat on your back. Be sure to stretch, too, and be careful not to overdo it – being pregnant releases a chemical that relaxes your muscles and you will be able to stretch farther than you normally would. You should discuss your exercise plans with your doctor during your first visit.

6. Dental. Take care of your teeth, and be sure to floss every day. Tooth plaque has been linked with not only heart disease, but miscarriages, as well. Cancel any X-rays, and only schedule required dentist visits during the second trimester. Get your OB’s approval!

7. Chiropractor. If you haven’t found one, find a good one. It will feel good to get adjusted every month or two as your joints relax and you put more stress on your spine as your pregnancy progresses. I managed to squeak by an entire pregnancy with no back pain, largely due to regular adjustments.

8. Cats. Stop cleaning the litterbox. Okay, make sure it GETS cleaned, but avoid doing it yourself, unless you wear a mask and gloves. Toxoplasmosis is carried in cat feces and can cause birth defects. No, you don’t have to get rid of the cats! (I have fourteen!) As long as you are reasonably careful, there is very little risk. My OB actually runs a test for immunity, and seeing as how I have had cats all my life and have participated in kitten rescue for seven years, we expected that I would have it. (Normally humans who are exposed just develop antibodies and never know or need to worry about it.) Amazingly enough, I have never been exposed! In reality, with the thousands of cats that come through our rescue, we’ve only had one case, and he wasn’t one of my fosters. So even though there is little worry about a rare occurrence, it is best to be safe, and assign litterbox duties to your husband for the next nine months. What has helped us is the Cat Genie, which is an automatic litterbox that hooks up to your plumbing. All I have to do is push a button! You can use code F18914 for an extra $30 off.

9. Miscellaneous. Avoid hot tubs and saunas, and limit your warm baths to 100 degrees. If you paint your house, use water-based paint and ventilate well.

10. Shopping. You won’t need to worry about baby clothes quite yet, but it is good to get some things done now to be prepared. During the first trimester you may feel like someone has thrown your emergency brake without telling you; this is the period to concentrate on items you need for your own comfort. Don’t worry; if you have fatigue, it should likely dissipate during the second trimester, when you will have more energy to prepare for the new arrival. Here is our suggested shopping list for the first trimester:

* Body Lotion – get something you really like, and start using it after your bath or shower, both on your tummy and breasts. There are mixed opinions on whether this helps prevent or reduce stretch marks, but any moisture and elasticity you help your skin retain has to be a benefit!
* Yoga Ball – very useful for low-impact exercises, stretching, crunches off the floor, and pelvic tilts.
* Body Pillow – you’ll start needing props to stay comfortable at night, especially if you’re not used to sleeping on your side. You might end up needing two if Daddy starts confiscating it!
* Parenting Book for Dad – we like The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be – it is lighthearted, funny, and loaded with good info for dads, written by a dad.
* Pregnancy Book – there are a lot of books out there; our favorite is The Pregnancy Journal: A Day-to-Day Guide to a Healthy and Happy Pregnancy
- it doesn’t get into scary what-if scenarios, and gives a good detail on what to expect and what is going on with the baby. Great fun to read a daily update for the entire family, and has places to take notes, too.
* Pregnancy Journal – get a diary or program and keep track of how you feel, ideas you have, and anything else that comes to mind.
* Tub or Pool thermometer (for making sure your baths aren’t too hot)
* Prunes (chemical-free and no added sugar; you may need premium or organic varieties)
* Ginger Ale (real)
* Anti-Nausea medication (Emetrol)
* Tucks (or other medicated wipe with witch hazel) – useful now and after birth.
* Prenatal or other vitamins (pending your doctor’s advice)
* Maternity pants – find a couple of cute pairs now, before you have to leave the house in sweatpants or pajamas!

11. Doctor’s appointments. Again, with the doctor! Have we convinced you that this is important, yet? Call your family doctor and schedule a checkup and an official pregnancy test as soon as possible. Find out when your Obstetrician wants to see you for the first time. You’ll want an ultrasound at around six weeks to be sure all is well; ask your Obstetrician about scheduling this to comply with your insurance. You’ll get a pretty accurate due date from this, too.
If you have any belly pain at all, especially at this early stage, call your doctor immediately.
Have a notepad in your purse or a special place on your phone to write down questions as you think of them, and review this list during every visit. Print this article out and highlight any questions you may have, but be sure to discuss the following items right away, both with your family doctor, then with your obstetrician:

* Medications, vitamins, and herbal supplements: what are you currently taking, what changes should be made.
* Exercise; discuss what you do currently and what changes you’d like to make.
* Drinking, smoking, caffeinated drinks.
* Foods to avoid; foods to eat!
* Nausea concerns and recommendations.
* Dental appointments.

Add to your list the date of the first day of your last period; everyone will ask this!

Hopefully this has helped to enlighten your mind, alleviate some stress, and allowed you to concentrate on the most joyful process of creating a new life!