Before I start, I feel like I need to say up front that my intention isn’t to ignite a firestorm on the topic of babyled weaning (BLW) vs purées. I’m not preaching purées over BLW. We personally have used a combined approach. If you read my prior post in this series, you’ll realize that my point in writing this baby food series is to encourage mama to feed baby using foods already in the grocery budget, rather than using purchased “baby” foods. Obviously, if you’re practicing BLW you already know this. :-)

Avocado - Baby Foods You Can Make on Your Own in Less than 2 Minutes

Here are a few alternatives to packaged baby food, each of which takes only a minute or two to prepare.

Avocados

This is an incredibly nutritious food, and is an excellent choice for baby’s first food. (Yes, as baby’s first food! Contrary to common belief, babies don’t need to eat white rice cereal. White rice has very little nutritional value, and (hey, it’s a fact) contributes to constipation.)
Avocados contain healthy fats, which are essential for the development of baby’s brain and central nervous system. They are also a good source of vitamin K, B6, and folate.

As far as preparation, you really can’t get any easier than avocados. Wash, peel, and mash some up with a fork. Or, if baby is feeding herself, you can cut ripe avocado into little pieces. Easy peasy!

Canned Pumpkin/Winter Squash

Purchase plain canned pumpkin in the baking aisle. It’s the same pumpkin they use to make jarred baby food, except without the additives. And, it’s a fraction of the cost. Win!

Of course, it doesn’t have to be canned. If you have the time and desire, you can halve, deseed, and oven roast your own winter squashes. Prepared this way, it can also work as (a messy) finger food.

Nutritionally, winter squashes are a good source of both vitamins C and A, which are excellent for the immune system. It’s also very easy on baby’s digestion! (I like to stick to pumpkin and squashes rather than sweet potatoes or yams, because the latter are much higher in sugar.)

Quinoa Flakes

Quinoa’s recent surge in popularity is for a good reason. This unique food — actually a seed, not a grain — contains all nine amino acids and is, on its own, a complete protein.

Quinoa flakes are extremely easy to prepare, since you just add water and cook for 90 seconds. You can mix cooked quinoa cereal in with any other food to add protein to baby’s meal.

Don’t be scared off by the relatively pricey cost of quinoa flakes (~$5/box). A single box goes a very, very long way when you’re just using it to feed baby; one has literally lasted us for months.

Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. As this series on baby/toddler food progresses, I’ll talk more about practical ways to feed baby with the same ingredients you’re using to cook the family’s dinner.

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How To

How to use Google Images to find the original source of an image on Pinterest

September 14, 2011October 12, 2011 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

Click photo to enlarge.

When you repost an image from Pinterest onto your website or blog, always make sure you credit the image’s original source. (“Source: Pinterest” or “Image via Pinterest” doesn’t count.)

If the image was pinned directly from the original source, you’ll easily be able to find that source just by clicking on the image. However, lots of stuff on Pinterest wasn’t pinned from the original source, so clicking it will just bring you to an uncredited version of the image on someone’s Tumblr or blog. (Sad face!)

If that happens, here’s to how to find the original source:

In Pinterest, right click on the photo. Select “Copy Photo URL”.
In Google Images, click on the camera icon.
Paste photo URL and click “search”.
Locate the original source from the results.

Now, go back into Pinterest and leave a comment on the pin with the original source, so the pinner can update their pin! =)

Want to know more about how to credit images? Check out this poster by Pia, Erin and Yvette on Design*Sponge.

Cloth Diapers, How To

Part 2 | Frequently Asked Questions about Cloth Diapers | Best Practices for Laundering and Care

June 8, 2011October 12, 2011 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CLOTH DIAPERS - oaxacaborn blog series

Last time, I talked about various types of cloth diapers. This installment, we’re looking at —

Best Practices for Laundering and Care

What Detergent do You Use?

You can’t just use any old laundry soap for washing cloth diapers. You need one free of fabric softeners, fragrances, dyes, optical whiteners, and enzymes. Washing in the wrong detergent will result in fabric which repels instead of absorbs liquid, leaving you with leaky diapers. It will also allow ammonia to build up in the fabric’s fibers, causing an awful smell and leading to diaper rash. Basically, improper laundering is the root cause for most of the problems that give cloth diapering a bad rap. The right detergent, on the other hand, will transform cloth diapers from yucky to honestly enjoyable.

So how do you know which detergent to choose? Thankfully, there’s a fantastic cloth diaper detergent chart over at Diaper Jungle. This convenient resource ranks dozens of detergents on a scale of 1 to 4, letting you know which ones to avoid at all costs and which ones are ideal for diaper laundering. (Tide? Don’t even think about!)

Personally, I use Rockin’ Green*, a wonderful powdered detergent naturally scented with essential oils. Rockin’ Green comes in different formulations, depending on whether you have hard or soft water. I first tried Rockin’ Green by using a small sample, and I’ve never looked back.

Another note about detergents. It seems counterintuitive, but less is actually more. A lot of times a lingering smell is actually caused by using too much soap. If you’re switching to using a cloth-diaper safe detergent after using a less-than-ideal one, you’ll probably encounter stink as well. This FAQ has a lot of pointers on stripping/soaking to eliminate build-up.

How do You Wash Cloth Diapers?

The basic procedure for laundering cloth diapers is three-fold: an initial rinse in as much water as your washer will hold, a soapy wash in hot water, and a final rinse. (If your baby hasn’t started solids yet, you just put the diapers in the wash as-is.)

How this plays out in reality really depends on your individual water type and what kind of washer you have. Through trial and error, I’ve discovered that for my washing machine, the initial and final rinses need to be actual full wash cycles san soap, not just quick rinse cycles. Because I have hard water, I often soak the diapers in the soapy hot water — for an hour or so, or even overnight — as well.

Another note about the initial rinse: use warm water. Most guidelines tell you to use cold water, which I was doing faithfully until I realized that most of the diapers had gotten stained. Since I live in an second-story apartment with no balcony (and thus no yard), hanging the diapers in the sun wasn’t an option for stain removal. I contacted Rockin’ Green and asked them for advice. They told me to try an initial warm rinse instead of cold, and wouldn’t you know it? No more stains.

Still want to read more? I recommend this PDF from Rockin’ Green, which explains five different variables impacting the laundering process.

Do You Use a Diaper Pail?

No. In lieu of a pail, I use a water-proof laundry bag called a wet bag. Made of laminated polyester (PUL), the beauty of a wet bag is that no separate cleaning process is needed! On laundry day, you just toss it right in the washer along with the cloth diapers.

I keep a large bag near the changing table, and a smaller one in my diaper bag for use when we’re out and about. Most wetbags have either a zipper or drawstring closure. Obviously, a zipper closure is preferable for use away from home.

How Often do You do Laundry?

I wash cloth diapers every other day. My stash is big enough that I could probably get away with waiting a longer period of time between loads, but this schedule works out perfectly for me.

Also on Frequently Asked Questions about Cloth Diapers,

A Review of Pocket Diapers and Diaper Covers

Cloth Diapering on a Budget / Reasons to Buy Used Cloth Diapers

Have a question you’d like to see addressed in this series? Leave me a comment!

*I was not asked to include this link or to mention Rockin’ Green, and I was not compensated or rewarded in any way for doing so. They are not a blog sponsor; but I’ve included them because they’re a really company that I love!

How To

My favourite make-up/cosmetic products

March 11, 2011October 12, 2011 Gina @ Oaxacaborn

I recently cleaned out my cosmetic drawer in the bathroom, paring it down to just my favourite items. I thought i’d share which items made the cut.

oaxacaborn blog - quick and easy cosmetics - favourite make-up products 1- Maybelline Cover Stick Concealer | EWG Toxicity Score: 4

Of all the fancy concealers on the market, this simple stick is the tried-and-true — especially for those of us blessed with dark-under-the-eye genes.

2- Studio Gear Star Dust Loose Powder | EWG Toxicity Score: N/A

I love this as it has no talc, artificial chemicals, fillers, binders, waxes, petroleum, oils, chemical preservatives, or fragrance. After using loose powder, I won’t go back to pressed eye shadows, ever.

3- LA Splash Diamond Dust | EWG Toxicity Score: N/A

I use an eyeliner brush to apply this along my upper lashline. It gives a soft, fun eyeliner look without any of the harsh ‘stripey-ness’.

4- Ulta Eyeliner Eyeshadow Brush (and) 5– Blush Brush

The eyeliner brush is a recent Ulta purchase, but I have no idea where I got the blush brush. I’ve had it for a long time.

6- Alba Botanica Very Emollient Body Lotion – Unscented | EWG Toxicity Score: 3

I can’t say enough about this lotion. It’s gentle enough for the face, and isn’t a bit greasy or oily.

7- Maybelline Volum’ Express Falsies Mascara | EWG Toxicity Score: N/A

Ever since I started wearing mascara, my old standby had been Maybelline Great Lash — but I recently switched to Falsies mascara and actually like it better!

8- Clinique Blush | EWG Toxicity Score: ?

I have had this since high school. The label is worn completely off the back, so I can’t link to the same product. Because I only use blush in the winter — not in the summer — it lasts for years upon years. Especially when you spend your life in places like California and Florida. Winter, what?

Not pictured here is Pond’s Cold Cream. I’m the third generation in my family to use cold cream as a nightly ritual, and I highly recommend it. Also not pictured here is essential oil astringent, which I use to wash my face each morning and night. I’ll share my astringent ‘recipe’ in a future post.

What are your favourite cosmetic, make-up, or skin care products? Share them in the comments!

Category: How To

3 Simple Baby Foods You Can Easily Make at Home in 2 Minutes or Less