Bananas are nutrient-rich, full of healthy potassium and they have a creamy, sweet taste that babies have always loved.
When you add breastmilk ( or a little bit of formula if you choose ) you have awesome baby food.
This is the perfect banana puree for a 5-month-old baby to try when he is ready to try solids. It only takes a few minutes and it’s so much healthier than store-bought jarred food.
Stay away from that….
Check out the recipe below and watch the short video above after the advertisement to see it being made. Enjoy!
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By the way, this post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps me keep my blog up and running and I only list products that I love and have used myself. Thank you for your support!
Homemade Baby Food Recipe | Banana Puree With Breast Milk
How it’s done-
Simply take one ripe banana and mash it up well. You can leave chunks if your baby is more experienced at eating.
Then add a tablespoon of breast milk or formula if you choose. You can add more breastmilk if you want the food to have a more watery consistency. This is a good idea for first-time solids.
After the milk is added simply mash it and stir it up together some more until it is the consistency you want for your baby. And that’s it! This is literally the simplest yet most nutritious baby food you can make.
All three of my babes loved this recipe and would eat it daily with some homemade blended veggies. I hope your baby enjoys it as much as mine did!
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The keto diet has been around for ages. It has been used by bodybuilders all over the world to get lean and shredded during contest time.
But it has helped many lose hundreds of pounds too. I have been practicing the keto lifestyle myself for two years and I have never been more strong or lean.
And that’s after three kids.
I wanted to go over the guidelines of how to go about eating a keto diet so that you can get started today!
It’s not at all hard and once you get used to it you won’t crave sugar and you’ll be more satisfied with your food than you ever have been.
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Keto and Fat Loss: What You Need to Know
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The main principle of the keto diet is to consume a diet that’s very high in fat. You’ll be required to consume 75 to 80 percent of your daily calories in the form of fat.
Fats that are recommended in the keto diet are:
- Avocado
- Avocado Oil
- Cheese
- Chia Seeds
- Coconut Oil.
- Cream
- Eggs
- Fatty fish (Mackerel, salmon, sardines, halibut, etc.)
- Flaxseed
- Greek Yoghurt
- Nut Butter
- Nuts
- Olive Oil
There are many other foods besides the ones listed above. You’ll need to do your research and see what they are. What matters is that your diet is comprised of these foods and that you follow the macronutrient guidelines religiously.
20 to 25 percent of your calories will come from protein.
Most people will not be able to wrap their heads around the fact that they need to consume so much fat. They’ve been led to believe that eating fatty foods makes you fat and raises your cholesterol levels.
However, just by observing the obesity epidemic plaguing the US, we can tell that most people don’t have a clue about fat loss. Eating fat actually encourages the body to lose fat.
The real culprits for weight gain are sugar, processed foods, junk food, and excessive starchy carb consumption. The keto diet puts an end to all of these causes of weight gain.
When most of your diet is fat, two things will happen.
First, your body starts adapting and realizes that it needs to use fat for fuel, instead of the glucose that it is used to consuming. So, it gets its calories from fat.
Second, it realizes that since it’s getting ample amounts of fat, it doesn’t need to stubbornly cling on to its fat stores for future use. It will then be more willing to shed stubborn pounds.
So now, you have a body that burns fat for fuel… and it sheds the excess fat much faster. This is the best place to be if you want fast and effective weight loss.
The reason so many people struggle to lose weight is because they have been misled about what it really takes to lose fat.
The body is burning glucose for fuel, instead of fat… and it doesn’t want to let go of the fat it’s holding on to.
The keto diet solves these problems very swiftly.
Do note that while the keto diet works wonders, the principles of weight loss remain the same.
You’ll need to be at a caloric deficit of 500 calories a day.
Even on a keto diet, if you consume more calories than you burn, you’ll gain weight. So, you must be at a caloric deficit.
Once you’re expending more calories than you consume, your weight will come off much more easily, and it will mostly be fat.
You’ll lose a good deal of water weight too, in the beginning, because carbs hold on to water.
Your body will become leaner, more vascular and turn into a fat-burning machine.
It will take anywhere from 4 to 7 days to reach ketosis, depending on the individual and their compliance to the diet.
Once you reach ketosis, combine your diet with intermittent fasting and a regular exercise program and you’ll shed all your excess fat in no time at all.
You will be shocked at how well it works!
Best of luck to you!
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Hot chocolate is seriously the best, most indulgent winter treat you can enjoy in December or any of the cold months.
It’s especially fun around the holidays! It can become a really creative and fun activity too if you use marshmallows and a bit of candy.
Your kids will love making these marshmallow snowmen to top your delicious homemade hot chocolate.
Check out the recipe below and get creative with your kids!
How To Make Creative Homemade Hot Chocolate For Wonderful Winter Fun!
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Homemade Hot Chocolate First
To create the perfect homemade hot chocolate you’ll need Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract.
Adding chocolate chips is what gives this perfect recipe it’s creamy authentic chocolate flavor.
- To start, Place your milk in a saucepan over low heat. Using whole milk is definitely the best choice to make this like liquid chocolate cream but you can use a milk alternative or lower fat milk if you want. It will still turn out fabulous.
- Whisk in cocoa powder and sugar, and heat until good and warm.
- Once everything is heated, add chocolate chips, whisking until they melt completely.
- Add a splash of vanilla extract to add full-bodied flavor,
- Serve immediately but if you plan to make the marshmallow snowmen, make those first!
Check at the bottom of the post for the exact recipe and amounts for the ingredients.
What you’ll need to make these cute snowmen:
- medium size marshmallows
- straight small pretzel sticks
- candy corn
- toothpicks
- and melted chocolate
How to make:
Use a pretzel to put the three body parts together including the head, middle, and bottom. Just gently stick the pretzel through the marshmallows to hold the snowman together.
After that, melt a bit of chocolate in a small tray. Wait till it cools slightly but not till it rehardens.
Once it’s a thickened consistency use a toothpick to draw the features of your snowman on with the toothpick using the melted chocolate.
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Then put a bit of chocolate in the center for the nose. Stick a piece of candy corn on and hold it for about half a minute or so while the chocolate hardens. It will act as glue to hold the candy in place.
Make your hot chocolate and drop your snowman on top!
You can also create other things with the chocolate and marshmallows. Get creative and enjoy!
Hot Chocolate Recipe
- 4 cups milk (preferably whole or 2%)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
And here are the instructions again:
- To start, Place your milk in a saucepan over low heat. Using whole milk is definitely the best choice to make this like liquid chocolate cream but you can use a milk alternative or lower fat milk if you want. It will still turn out fabulous.
- Whisk in cocoa powder and sugar, and heat until good and warm.
- Once everything is heated, add chocolate chips, whisking until they melt completely.
- Add a splash of vanilla extract to add full-bodied flavor,
- Serve immediately but if you plan to make the marshmallow snowmen, make those first!
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Getting sick is part of life, it happens to the best of us.
But as a parent, you’ll want to minimize illness and create healthy habits that will help bolster your children’s immunity right from the start.
Taking a few common-sense steps will go a long way in boosting your child’s immunity for life.
While some parents are already masters of this art, we can always learn something new from Mother Nature when it comes to finding the best ways to help them become stronger and their immune systems tougher!
Below are some good ways to boost your child’s immunity from an early age.
By the way, this post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
5 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Child’s Immune System
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Prevent their exposure to cigarette smoke
Before we skip to introducing new habits, how about we cover the one that should be abandoned for good?
This will be an excellent way to set the stage for great role-modeling, but also a crucial change in your kids’ health since secondhand smoke is known to be dangerous even for adults, let alone our youngsters.
It can impair their lung development and cause a range of diseases, all the while making them more prone to respiratory issues.
If you‘ve been looking for a perfect way to motivate yourself to quit or to inspire your spouse to do so, your kids’ health should be your top priority in that regard.
Create a sleep schedule
Just like you can barely think straight when you haven’t had a good night’s sleep, imagine how poorly the lack of rest can affect your little ones and their developing brains.
Yes, they are active little rascals, but provide them with ample opportunity to be active during the day, limit their screen exposure before bed, and they will soon develop a healthy sleeping schedule.
Getting enough Z’s is crucial for keeping their immune systems up and running optimally since night is the time when our bodies rest and repair, and a consistent sleeping timetable lets your kids’ circadian rhythm become stable and healthy.
Lack of sleep, on the other hand, can be harmful to their defense mechanisms since it causes inflammation and poor hormonal function that will make them more prone to getting sick.
Related Posts:
- How To Help Your Baby Sleep Through The Night So You Don’t Lose Your Mind
- 5 Ways To Deal With A Super Stubborn Child
- 7 Things You Can Do To Prevent Sagging Breasts After Breastfeeding
- Instant Pot Peruvian Chicken Soup
Get active as a family
Your kids are growing fast, and in order to have healthy bones, enough muscle mass, and maintain their weight at a normal level, they need to be active very often and avoid a sedentary way of life.
Once again, teaching them to find other ways to have fun instead of watching the TV can help them build healthy habits, and why not make those a family tradition?
Regular field trips into nature, cycling to school and in the park, walking your pooch, and hiking can all come in handy for optimizing their energy levels and keeping their cardiovascular endurance high.
If they are too young to take up cycling on their own, you can find a child’s bike seat to attach to your own bicycle and take them on rides regularly before the time comes for them to go it alone.
Think plant thoughts
This has become as clichéd as it gets, but it’s still an essential part of your parental efforts to boost your kids’ immune system: teach them to never skip their fruits and veggies!
Greens are a pivotal part of their diet that will help them grow properly, ensure they have a balanced gut flora with ample prebiotics, and of course, you’ll give them enough vitamins and minerals through food to satisfy their daily needs.
Sometimes, you can add various natural supplements that will help you strike the right balance in their nutrition in case their diet isn’t enough, but make sure you get advice from your family doctor to avoid any nutritional deficiencies.
Clean your home wisely
Finally, keeping your home clean at all times is always a priority for parents, but perhaps it’s time to re-visit your cleaning approach in case you’re using chemicals that could actually be harming your kids.
If you take a look at a typical label on a store-bought product, you’ll see they are packed with toxins that are not just bad for the environment, but also dangerous for your family.
You can remove the germs and potential disease culprits with simple ingredients such as apple cider vinegar, baking soda and water, and there are numerous recipes you can rely on to make your own safe mixtures for all your cleaning efforts!
So these are just a few great tips that will help boost your child’s immunity. They may not seem like much but they will help tremendously.
Good luck to you mama!
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When you’re a new mom or expecting a baby one of the biggest hurdles is sleep.
You don’t have to feel helpless though because there are some good strategies to get your baby on a sleep routine.
Hang on tight mama, sleep is on the horizon. Check out these tips to get the sleep rolling for you and your little one.
By the way, this post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
9 Ways To Get Your Baby Into A Gentle Sleep Routine
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Wait until your baby is old enough
You should give it a little time in the beginning.
During that first couple of weeks, your baby is figuring out life. They need you to hold, cuddle, and love them!
Don’t get overly anxious about starting a sleep routine when they are newly born.
After everything starts to settle down you’ll be able to begin working on a gentle routine that will allow you both to get enough rest.
****Want Freebies For You And Your Baby? Get $330 Worth Of Gear! I have partnered with many companies to give you the best baby freebies online including Nursing Pillow, Pregnancy Pillows, Nursing Covers, Baby Leggings, Baby Clothes and so much more. You can find out how to get your freebies in this post right here.
Start to establish a routine early
Your baby doesn’t have to be a great sleeper for you to start a sleep routine with them.
Reading a book, cuddling, and taking a warm bath are all great ways to lullaby your baby to sleep.
You can start this routine when they are first born up until they don’t like it anymore. Spending that extra quality time with your baby will never be something you regret.
Developing the perfect sleep environment
When you are preparing your nursery you should consider different elements that will help your baby sleep better. Dark curtains that don’t let in too much light are a good idea.
A fan or a white noise appliance can be very soothing too.
There are some great ones on Amazon like the Cloud B Sleep Bear. We own this and it’s seriously awesome. I used it with all three of my little ones and it’s lasted the test of time.
The temperature is important too. You don’t want your babe to be too hot or cold
. No one likes to sleep when they’re sweating or freezing and your babies are no exception.
Prep the nursery with the right gear
When I was pregnant, it was super important that I had the right gear for my baby.
I always researched to make sure we got the best and safest products available.
In doing research, I visited the Women’s Choice Award website and saw that Sealy Baby had earned the Award consistently since 2013.
They’re highly recommended by 9 out of 10 of their customers as well as moms across America.
So if you’re planning your nursery, make sure you add Sealy Baby’s mattress and bedding to your list.
The Sealy Select 2-Cool 2-Stage Crib Mattress and the Sealy Stain Defense Crib Mattress Pad are both products a new mom needs to have in the nursery.
It has stain repellent and releases technology to help keep stains off the mattress.
Plus, this crib mattress pad is hypoallergenic and will keep your crib mattress like-new for many years.
The Sealy Select 2-Cool 2-Stage Crib Mattress offers everything you could possibly want in a crib mattress.
It offers your baby the firmness of an ultra-sturdy and lightweight polyethylene core with a Cool-Tex waterproof and stain-resistant fabric cover that resists bacterial and fungal growths and many viruses for luxury and comfort.
This is my favorite product as far as mattresses are concerned, I cannot say enough good things about it. It’s the best money can buy at an excellent price point.
Swaddling
I’m sure by now you’ve heard of swaddling.
Swaddling can help calm and control your baby’s startle reflex.
When she startles she can suddenly wake up and it can cause a lot of broken sleep for everyone.
Swaddling your baby tight will keep them more relaxed and she will sleep deeper. The Halo Sleepsack is a great option.
Dreamfeed
When your baby is still really young and needs all those breastfeeding sessions you can use this technique.
Breastfeeding them for a good while right before bed will help them sleep longer because their little tummies won’t be as empty.
Once they’re older it’s good to find other ways of soothing them to sleep but before they’re 4 months old you can dreamfeed them So they’ll sleep more soundly.
Don’t rush in every time your babe cries
Sometimes he will make little sounds or cry at night.
He may be dreaming or startling and you may want to rush in to check on him. But chances are, at least some of the time, that he’ll go right back to sleep.
So give it a moment and maybe, just maybe, you’ll get lucky.
With that being said, if your baby starts really crying, go on in.
I don’t believe in letting a baby ‘cry it out ‘. When a baby cries it’s because they need you and when you don’t come they can feel confused, abandoned, and frightened.
Crying is the way your babe communicates with you so respond, don’t ignore. Whoever came up with the method of allowing a baby to ” cry it out ” is lazy and crazy.
Just my opinion and I’m not afraid to share it.
Take care of yourself, mama
In the route to getting your baby on a sleep routine, take care of yourself.
This includes going to bed at a decent time and taking naps when the baby naps.
This can be hard if you feel out of control and busy but getting your rest will help you be a better, happier mom.
Take a break when you need it
Getting a baby on a sleep routine can make you feel bonkers.
That is why taking turns with your spouse is a good idea.
Let your baby get used to both of you during the nighttime sleep routine.
This is a great idea, just in case one of you needs to be absent during an evening.
The Last Word
The best thing to do to get you both on the right path is to make your baby as comfortable as possible and get them used to sleepy time cues and you’ll both work your way to a better night’s sleep.
Good Luck!
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A baby’s arrival is a source of great joy for soon-to-be-parents.
But, as anyone who’s ever had to deal with a miniature human being surely knows, your home has to be super baby proofed.
That’s why fresh-faced parents should always take the time to adequately prepare their space for the arrival of a new family member.
With that in mind, here are some excellent baby-proofing strategies that every house or apartment can benefit from!
By the way, this post contains affiliate links at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
How To Get Your Home Ready For Baby
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Set up your baby’s room
If you’ve been expecting a baby for some time now, chances are you’ve already figured out where the baby’s room will be located.
Now all that’s left is setting up the room itself.
From installing a crib and a changing table to purchasing decorations, now’s the time to turn this average-looking room into a veritable baby wonderland, complete with everything you need to take care of your little one nearby.
****Want Freebies For You And Your Baby? Get $330 Worth Of Gear! I have partnered with many companies to give you the best baby freebies online including Nursing Pillow, Pregnancy Pillows, Nursing Covers, Baby Leggings, Baby Clothes and so much more. You can find out how to get your freebies in this post right here.
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Declutter the entire home
Decluttering is the first step toward getting ready for baby to arrive.
Aside from being difficult to navigate, clutter can also be quite damaging to your baby’s still-fragile body.
Dust particles can pollute the air, while the messy atmosphere can negatively affect the behavior of your child as he or she grows up.
Take the time to instill some order in your household, and you’ll be rewarded with a cleaner, safer environment that will also boost the home’s overall value.
Identify safety hazards
Babies are vulnerable to hazards that adults and older children are generally not threatened by.
Simple things like sharp corners or small toys can prove to be disastrous when it comes to your little ones. You can buy a baby-proofing kit on Amazon right here.
Baby-proofing will likely be an ongoing effort, so try to have a handy checklist nearby that you consult to make sure you’ve covered all the bases.
*Have You taken a prenatal birth course yet? Don’t have time? Here’s the best Premium online birthing course and the first part of it’s totally free! You will learn absolutely everything you need to know and it will help tremendously so make sure you sign up. A Class is a must and I think the online ones are the best. Here’s a free Birth Planner Too!
Invest in a proper baby monitor
Baby monitors can make a world of difference in the early stages of infant-rearing when you’re still not used to how your baby will act.
Make sure you purchase one from a reputable company and place it near your child so that you can hear his or her sounds clearly. Here’s a fantastic choice if you’re looking for a high-quality monitor.
If you’re on more of a budget here’s a great choice with tons of excellent reviews.
If you want a little bit of extra security, invest in a baby monitor that also has motion detection capabilities and a video feed.
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- What To Expect The First Week Home With Your Newborn
- First Weeks With Newborn |13 Tips On How To Survive The First Six Weeks With Your Newborn
- What To Expect When You Go To The Hospital To Have Your Baby from Check In To Check Out
- How To Help Your Baby Sleep Through The Night So You Don’t Lose Your Mind
- 5 Ways To Deal With A Super Stubborn Child
- Postpartum Survival Kit | Everything You Need To Minimize Your Pain
- 7 Things You Can Do To Prevent Sagging Breasts After Breastfeeding
- 15 Signs Your Baby Will Be Born In The Next few Days
And so we’ve come to the end of our shortlist covering the most important things you can do to prepare your home for a baby’s arrival.
There are really tons to do in preparation for a baby but for the home, if you’re in a rush this would be the bare minimum for you to do.
Although you’ll likely experience quite a bit of stress as you try to get everything in order, remember to also take a step back and enjoy the miracle of life in all its glory.
Good Luck To You!
