keeping track of feedings tip

a simple way of keeping track of feedings for newborn is to use a cellphone.  i use an asterisk to denote which boob and just type in the start time and hit send.  then if i need to see what time i last nursed, i just look in my call history.  so for example, at 8:18 i nursed him on my right boob.  that's 818*--note the asterisk is ON THE RIGHT.  then i nursed him on my left boob at 8:40.  that's *840--note the asterisk is ON THE LEFT.  wish i'd thought of this method when i had the 1st baby.  

car keys tip

i hate the modern car keys with the stupid remote keyless entry.  that key is twice the size of everything else on my keychain.  it's going to be uncomfortable in my pants pocket.  at first i considered just using the valet key but then . . . the passenger side doesn't even have a keyhole :o(  i miss my 95 car . . . a simpler time, a simpler car.  sigh.  bring back the simple key with keyhole on the passenger side.  please.

free napkins tip

when you go out to eat, restaurants typically will give you a stack of napkins.  keep what you don't use and take the rest home.  no need to buy napkins anymore!

and if you've got kids, it's probably a good idea to keep some napkins in the car as well.

hair tip

if you've got an event and need to get your hair done, be cognizant that some styles take a really long time to complete.  so before you commit to a style with the hairdresser, you might ask how long it would take and if it's too long then ask for suggestions of styles that would be quicker to prepare.  i once had a french twist that took freaking forever.  had i known, i would have chosen a "messy" hairstyle that was fast and easy.

turkey baster washing tip

how to clean a turkey baster?  i recently used one to baste the chicken grease, butter and maple syrup back onto the chicken skin and washed it after use.  i took apart the bulb from the "syringe" and soaked it in soapy water but even after rinsing there was serious grease trapped in the "syringe."  

take a napkin and wrap it around a chopstick.  then swirl the napkin inside the "syringe."  all clean!

pan fried trout tip

made pan fried trout for the first time.  here's how i did it--super simple.  

i got 2 trout that were pan ready from food maxx.  salt both sides and the inside.

on high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  sure, butter is way less healthy than olive oil but it smells so great!

when the butter is melted, lower the heat a bit to medium heat.  then cook one side of the fish for five minutes.  then flip and cook the other side of the fish for 5 minutes.  that's it!

you can sprinkle with lemon juice if you want but if not it's still good.  the skin is crunchy and the meat is delicious!

artichoke tip

get the bigger artichoke.  it costs more but there's way more "meat."  i recently got a couple of small artichokes and the outside leaves were completely wasted.  at least with the bigger artichoke, you get some more meat.

food tips

heads up--union landing has food trucks on thursday evenings!  and san leandro downtown has a farmer's market that's just opened back up again.

easy "frosting" tip

just made a discovery this afternoon!  beat heavy whipping cream with trader joe's cocoa almond spread.  i'm sure you could sub nutella.  sorry, i didn't measure anything out so not sure of how much of the ingredients i used.  first i beat the whipping cream until it thickened a little, then i added two big knife blobs of the cocoa almond spread.  it's runnier than real frosting and you could swear it's almost like chocolate pudding.  

i put it on some yellow cupcakes (trader joe's cake mix).  the cake mix makes 24 cupcakes but i just made a third of the recipe which worked out well.

computer camera tip

just read a frightening article in GQ about a dude with a lot of free time who would hack into people's computers.  he was able to spy on the computer user by turning on their camera.  this guy would watch people eat, sleep, go to the bathroom (people often take their laptop to the toilet) have sex, etc. 

 

stick a post-it on your computer camera to cover it.

elbow tip

on a large arm, a baby's diaper works well as a giant bandage at the elbow.  this is, if the affected area is larger than a regular size band-aid can accommodate.  you can secure the diaper in such a way that it's breathable to allow faster healing.  plus, it's cheaper than buying gauze and tape.  you'd think that it would look very strange and bulky but if you wear a sweatshirt or other loose clothing, no one will even notice.

feeding toddler tip

if you've got a spoonful of something your toddler doesn't particularly care for, put a small piece of something she likes on the edge of the spoon closest to the handle.  that way she'll open her mouth big to get to what she wants.

travel tip

you should have a list of things to take for travel.  that way you don't have to keep recreating the same list over and over again.  just keep it in or near your luggage.  easy peasy.

zucchini tip

here's an easy way to prep zucchini for a 1 year old.  cut the zucchini in quarters (4 long spears).  then chop the spears so each is about 3 millimeters.  then microwave about 2 tablespoons worth of zucchini for 1 minute.  let it cool and feed.  super easy :o)

zucchini tip

i could have been saving a lot of time all these years!  for raw zucchini, you can just cut it up and microwave it to cook!  you don't have to steam it or stove cook it.  why didn't anyone tell me?? 

photo card tip

when you're making a photo card, first find a photo that you like.  THEN, find a card background.  a lot of times you might find a great background, but the photo you have isn't a good match.  it's much easier to have the photo first before choosing a background.

mi pueblo es su pueblo

just realized something.  something HUGE!  mi pueblo, the mexican supermarket chain, has meat that's ALREADY CUT UP!  no longer will i have to spend precious time cutting up chicken.  no longer will i toil over that huge hunk of beef for stir fry.  the days of cleaving pork have ended.  can you feel the electricity in the air?!  can you feel it?! 

 

yesterday i cooked up some pastor.  it was pretty good--just something simple to eat over rice.

allergies tip

i've never understood why people have pets when their kids are allergic to the pet!  get rid of your pet so your kid can breathe in his own house.  is that insensitive?  i figure a kid is more important than a cat.  no?

polite tip

watch your tone.  even though you might not even realize it, you could be offending someone.  people can be really sensitive.

box tip

diaper boxes make good free temporary shelving.