Menu Monday #2

When menu planning, I like to consult a variety of sources: cookbooks, friends, the internet.  Pinterest is a great tool for finding new recipes, and one of my favorite websites is Once a Month Mom.  Her menu planning consists of freezable meals that she prepares a monthly menu on. Before I had Will, I did a few months of once a month cooking, but haven’t gotten back into it since.  It’s a little overwhelming prepping an entire month’s menu with a toddler and an infant.  Not to mention, we don’t have a deep freezer,so freezer space is limited with breastmilk taking up my entire top shelf!  So I pick and choose and whatever recipes are easily freezable, I will make double batches (or single, depending on serving size – since we are only cooking for 2.25 here). 

my shamefully disorganized freezer

Here is our menu for the week – I delved into my freezer stash as well as added to it this week:

*indicate meals I split/doubled for our freezer

Day 1 - Lentil Tacos

Day 2 - Lasagna (previously prepped/frozen dish)

Day 3 - Ginger & Cilantro Baked Tilapia with Creamy Rice and Veggie Casserole*

Day 4 - French Bread Pizza(homemade)

Day 5 - Balsamic Chicken (slow cooker)*

Day 6 – Dinner out

I don’t typically plan out what days we eat which meals.  With two kids, often times our evenings become unpredictable, so I try to remain flexible and picking and choosing from our weekly list.  Our dinner out may be on a Wednesday, or it may be Friday.  Also,I never plan a menu for Saturdays.  We are usually all over the place on Saturdays – it’s our big errand/play outside of the house day.  So many times we eat out, sometimes we pull from our freezer stash. Just depends on when/where we are!

Do you have any menu planning secrets?  I'd love to hear them!

Striking a Balance

Striking a Balance

In 2011, 58.5% of married-couple families had both mom and dad employed in the workforce. I - like many of those moms - work a demanding full time job. And I’m in good company because according to this article, both women and men both find that striking a balance between work and life is challenging. Compared to how the traditional roles were defined in the 60s, dads are doing housework and handling childcare more than ever before. …Boy I wish that were the case in my house!

So with all these competing priorities, how do we balance our professional life with our family life? We all want to nurture our children and move up the corporate ladder, which I think is a part of the new American dream. A desire for both shouldn’t bring on a flood of “mommy guilt” either. But it often does; I am not supermom, no matter how scheduled and structured I make my day. Unfortunately, I can’t always feed my family only homemade convenience foods, I can’t keep our house spotless, and I can’t be a beautiful trophy wife because I’m too busy wiping a toddler’s butt, doing dishes, and finishing up laundry. Something always has to give. For example, my daughter needs new shoes? No problem - bought. For me? The heel just broke off my only pair of brown heels and I have yet to make it to a DSW. My daughter and my husband’s needs always take priority over my own.

Does any of this sound familiar?

I’ve learned over and over that I can’t continue to short change myself. I just end up getting upset about everything and instead of getting irritated at an annoying situation, I find that sometimes I blow up. And it’s from all the times I’ve let my needs slip because I always put my needs last.

The truth is, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to how to balance everything. What works for your family may not work for mine. But what I do like is idea-sharing. So here are five things that I do to create a line between work and home:

My work schedule is 8 – 4. I am a salaried employee and am lucky to have an employer and boss that will let me work through my lunch so I can leave an hour early. If I don’t finish my work, I can do it at home. It’s a really nice perk to have this flexibility. When I leave early, I can get a workout in while my daughter is still at daycare or if it’s a rest day, I’ve given myself a free hour to do whatever I want to. Read, clean, browse FaceBook or Twitter. It’s my “me” time, early.

When I cook meals, I sometimes make a double batch and freeze the leftovers. Home cooked meals are best, but some recipes can take awhile to prepare, which can throw our nighttime routine off. Let’s not forget about the nights I have to work late at the office. Having something to only reheat makes rushed nights lots easier.

The dishes can wait. Actually, this includes most all of the household chores. I know lots of people are super sticklers about dirty kitchens and houses in general, and I used to be one of them! But at home, I field about 95% of the chores and toddler caretaking. My husband works full time and also attends part time classes at Texas State University to complete his BFA. After dinner, he’s usually working on homework, which leaves me to bathe and put our daughter to bed. A friend told me once that this is a chapter in my life where everything will be in a constant state of chaotic mess. I’m slowly coming to terms with the fact my house will not be a picture of perfection. I can really only do 1 chore or so a night, if I even get to it.

It’s ok to buy convenience items. I’m not a huge fan of buying pre-packaged dinners like frozen pizza because they contain a lot of unnecessary ingredients that I wouldn’t use if I were making it from scratch. And I hate hitting the drive-thru because most of the choices are not very healthy ones. But they are oh-so-convenient when I need to save some time and energy. So my compromise is I usually look at menus of drive thru’s beforehand to find a healthier choice. I don’t think we’ll die by eating a drive-thru hamburger, and I don’t personally have any political beefs with any of them. I just want what’s best for my family. At one point in time, I made things like buns for our hamburgers to try to save money. All it did was cost me time and made me feel like a crazy person. There are wholesome products available and it’s ok to buy them!

Find your Zen. We all have had those rough days at work only to come home to your child boycotting dinner, baths, and diaper changes. It’s important in those stressful times you have a way to release the tension built up from the day and night. For me personally, I find growing and tending to a vegetable garden is what helps me unwind.

I hope you found my list at the very least, interesting. At most, I hope it gives you ideas on what your family can do to help strike a balance between your professional life and your home life.

Wordless Wednesday: Oversupply

Menu Monday #1

As a busy mom, I know what it’s like to have food in the pantry and fridge, but not have a single clue as to what to make for dinner.  To help me organize, I attempt to create menus on a weekly basis. It doesn’t always happen, and it doesn’t always happen on time - there have been plenty of times when I've created a menu mid-week!

I also participate in a food co-op and every two weeks, we get a basket of half vegetables and half fruit for $16.50. We can't beat the price, and this week’s fruit and vegetable haul includes: 

• Lettuce
• Avocado
• Anaheim Chilies
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Asparagus
• Broccoflower
• Red Potatoes
• Mangoes
• Bananas
• Honey Dew Melon
• Blackberries

So to use up this week's basket, here’s my menu. With all my vegetables, I try to get at least 1 meatless meal in a week.

Monday – Crispy Beef Tacos w/Tomatoes, Lettuce, and Avocado (double taco meat batch, freeze for another meal.)

Tuesday – Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

Wednesday – Meatloaf Patties w/Roasted Red Potatoes and Broccoflower Florets

Thursday – Sautéed Chicken Breasts, Roasted Asparagus and Cucumber Salad

Friday – Out

Saturday – Spaghetti with Marinara and Side Salad, or out, depending on how I feel.

Sunday – Chicken Enchiladas and Green Enchilada Sauce (freeze leftover enchiladas)

What do you plan on eating this week?

Cesarean Awareness Month

 

April is:

In 2010, 32.8% of babies born in the United States were born via C-Section.  That means one in three babies in our country came into the world on an operating table.  Some states have rates close to 40%. My current home state of Florida had a rate of 37.8% in 2010. Some hospitals have rates over 50%.  The hospital where I delivered my daughter, via cesarean section, had a rate of 33% in 2010.

Cesarean Sections are an amazing life saving tool, and have greatly reduced maternal and infant mortality rates.  However, it has become commonplace to suggest that mothers, especially first time mothers, resort to c-sections when it may not be in her or the baby’s best interest.  Unfortunately, some obstetricians and midwives have resorted to what is known as “defensive medicine” – where doctors make treatment decisions based on CYA (cover your ass) practices instead of providing actual evidence-based options.

It happened to me.

My daughter was born August 28, 2010.  I found out at my 39 week appointment on August 26 that she was breech (I had asked a midwife a few weeks earlier about her position and she told me she thought she was head down – however, she had not moved during those few weeks.  But that experience is a story for another time).  I was given few options due to how far along I was.  I was told I could try moxibustion (acupuncture – which I went in for a session the next day), an external cephalic version (which I scheduled for that Monday, August 30), or schedule a c-section.  I wanted a c-section to be my last resort, as up until that point, I had been preparing for a med-free/intervention-free birth.  But, my daughter decided for me, as I went into labor the next night.

This past year, when I was pregnant with my son, I was talking to the midwife that assisted in delivering my daughter in one of my prenatal appointments.  We were discussing things that may prevent me from having a successful Vaginal Delivery After Cesarean (VBAC) (such as breech positioning).  I asked if she agreed with the “c-sections for all breech babies” idea and she told me that it was due to how litigious our society was that she won’t deliver breech babies.  Then, she went on to tell me how she delivered breech babies all the time when she worked abroad.  So, there I was, with a care provider experienced in delivering breech babies that chose not to use her skills (skills that are a rarity these days) and allowed me, as a first time mom, to undergo major surgery when she could have helped prevent it.

Breech Positioning is just one reason that potentially leads to unnecessary cesareans.  I say potentially, because there are several different types of breech presentations, some of which are more favorable to vaginal delivery than others, and some that pose greater risks.  My daughter was a mix of complete and frank breech.  Other reasons include:

Unnecessary Inductions: Just like cesareans, inductions should be used when there are existing conditions which could pose a risk to mom or baby if the pregnancy continues.  However, more than 40% of first-time moms have their labor induced.  When medications are used to force labor, a first-time mom doubles her chance of having an unplanned C-section.  Remember, the due date is actually “due month” and having a baby anywhere between 38 weeks and 42 weeks is NORMAL. 

Failure to Progress (Failure to Wait):  Labor is not a race.  It is work.  Normal labor can last hours, days, or even weeks.  Sometimes women are admitted to the hospital while in early labor (vs. active labor) and this can lead to what is considered failure to progress.  If mom is doing well and baby is doing well, there is no reason a mother shouldn’t be allowed to labor as long as necessary.

Fetal Macrosomia (“big baby”): The size of your baby alone should never be a reason to consider a cesarean, even if attempting a VBAC.  Ultrasounds are not an accurate way to predict the size of your baby in the late 3^rd trimester, nor is there a way to accurately measure your pelvis to determine whether or not the baby will “fit” down the birth canal.  In fact, ultrasounds have been shown to be off as much as a full pound (either plus or minus).  Also, your physical stature provides no indication on the size of baby you will be able to deliver.  If you are petite, you could still very well easily deliver an 11lb baby.  My husband’s aunt, who I would consider petite, delivered all four of her children, all bigger than 9lbs at birth, vaginally.

“Once a Cesarean, Always a Cesarean”: If you have already had a previous cesarean, it is no longer “required” that all subsequent deliveries be via cesarean.  In fact, most women who have had a previous cesarean are candidates for VBACs and 75% of women who attempt VBACs are successful. I am proud to say that the birth of my son allowed me to be a part of this positive statistic. 

There are many great resources regarding Cesarean Sections and VBACs.  I encourage you to visit these sites for more in-depth information:

What Every Pregnant Woman Needs to Know About Cesarean Section (2012)

Welcome!

Welcome to The Art of Nurturing, a new site focused on finding a balance between work and motherhood.  The authors, Jessica and Christina, have known each other for over 25 years.  They have watched each other grow up, get married, and start their families.  Despite being very different individuals, they are both working moms with tendancies towards an attachment parenting philosopy. 

Here is a little more about each of them:

Jessica

Who are you? Describe your family.

I am Jessica.  I have a daughter, Abigail born in August of 2010, and a son, William born in November 2012.  I met my husband Steve in 2001 and we were married in 2006.  We currently live in Tallahassee, Florida but have previously lived in Colorado (together), and separately we have spanned many, many states. 

Where do you work? Describe your job.

My actual job title is a “GIS/CADD Supervisor” – which probably means nothing to most of the world.  Basically, I make maps.  I’m a cartographer.  Only I do it with very specialized software that pulls information from a database.  So I also do a little bit of IT work/database management.  But I am also a supervisor, so I also handle all of the responsibilities that comes along with that.  I work for a state agency, so I am considered a “public servant” though, probably not as well respected as policeman or firefighters, but I am ok with that.

Describe your parenting philosophy.

My parenting philosophy is simple.  We do what we feel in our hearts is right for our children and our family regardless of what anyone else says.  We make the best decisions we can with the information we have at our fingertips.  What works for us may or may not work for anyone else, but it doesn’t matter, because it works for us.  I have been labeled “AP” in a lot of ways, but, I didn’t go into motherhood saying, “I want to follow the rules of attachment parenting.”  We fell into a lot of AP type practices because that is what works for our family.

Why did you want to start this blog?

I feel passionate about this blog, because while there are tons of resources for stay at home moms, or on attachment parenting in general, there isn’t much out there to support working moms, and especially working AP moms (or working moms with AP tendencies).  Maybe it’s because us working moms have so little time as it is, that starting a blog would be too much.  But I feel like it is important to be able to share with other moms that YES you can work and still be a fantastic, loving mom and be as “attached” to your kids as any stay at home mom.  I think many moms struggle (both working moms and SAHM) in many similar ways, and it is always good to find a resource that can provide support and make you feel like you are not alone (and that you are definitely not crazy!).

Christina

Who are you? Describe your family.

Hi! I’m Christina. I’m a homegrown Texan and in 2007, married my very long time boyfriend, Scott. Together we have a 2 year old daughter named Sydney, who incidentally is named after my Dad (Sid Jr.) and Grandfather (Sid Sr.) Scott and I met during my freshman year at Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX, but he is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. Sydney was born in the city we live in now, San Antonio.

Where do you work? Describe your job.

I work for a global consulting firm in Business Process Outsourcing, or BPO. My specific job is within Human Resource Services – I am a Senior Analyst in Compensation and Performance Management. We’re more “admin” than analytics, but above all, we’re policy enforcers. So it’s like we’re the salary, bonus, promotion and demotion police. Because my job is highly operational, a huge portion of my time is dedicated to finding process improvements and efficiencies using Six Sigma principles and tools.

Describe your parenting philosophy.
 

We tend to subscribe to a good portion of the Attachment Parenting philosophies, though we don’t subscribe to all. When Sydney was an infant, I just did what I felt came naturally to me. Thankfully I have a supportive husband who didn’t oppose anything I wanted to do. Despite the fact that even my mom raises her eyebrows at some things we choose to do, the bottom line is that they work for us, so that’s all that matters to me!

Why did you want to start this blog?

I think it’s important to share experiences and ideas for taking care of your family. I also want to help create a resource and community of working mom’s who share some of my same philosophies. There aren’t many (if any) mom groups here that meet up at times convenient to working moms – and my thing is, working moms need support, too! And I hope they find it here.