Isher on a Mission

[thesunflowergal]

My mission this month is not to buy any bread, and make my own. I am pleased to be able to say that thanks to my ishy friends, I am on track
This is dispite negative comments from people who do not seem to understand my reasons behind it, nor the growing fruit/veg, keeping chickens, baby wearing etc etc.

I was wondering what challenges have you set yourself recently?

Nikki

[Thomzo]

My boiler gave up in January and I haven't had it fixed yet. My aim was to see if I could survive with just the wood burning stove.

I did have a small electric heater on back in Jan/Feb but haven't used it since. I think last week was the worst for being cold.

I just wish my fire was a bit bigger.

Zoe

[naomij]

Well done for the bread! I have been lax the last few weeks, so you are an inspiration

Local farm have offered to deliver bread flour with the veg box, that would really mean I had to bake it all so I might commit to that when I am feeling brave. What sort of bread are you baking?

keep going with the babywearing and ignore the naysayers, some people seem to get all defensive when we choose to parent in a different way to them. I don't know why. Maybe there is a slingmeet near you where you could meet other babywearers, if you haven't tried that.

[herbalholly]

No bread buying sounds like a good one! What kind of bread are you making?

My recent mission was to make enough snacks and exciting lunch box stuff for me and my partner to not have to buy anything snacky or lunchy when we are at work. It's working really well. He's completely stopped his snickers at the vending machine habit and now has flapjack or nice homemade cakes and biscuits instead. For us the key was to accept that we do like sweet snacks rather than just feeling virtuous when we make up our lunches and then caving in at 3.30ish!

[Pennylane]

Love the Baby wearing..we had a sling at the front when mine were little, now fully independant grownups...follow your instincts, its your baby

[Mr and Mrs luvpie]

How's the bread making going? We cheat and have a machine but even then sometimes have to buy a loaf as we forget to make it in time, how daft is that. Reading this is giving me motivation and later i'm going to find out how to make flat breads.
keep up the baby wearing, dylan has yet to find out what a pushchair is, i get those comments all the time, cloth Nappies and breast feeding (still at 4 months, shock horror) i just smile sweetly and look at how happy george is despite being brought up like that :D :D

[crowsashes]

never tried the sling with my little on, c-section and all made it difficult.

my mission for the month is to clear out my 'room of doom' its been the dumping ground for the past year or so so its pretty rammed full of junk. got a few items going today then a few more to be offered on freecycle later. big mission to the charity shop soon too. then its onto the mass redecorate it has to be done by the end of august as im back of to college and for once want a tidy finished home.

i might bake a loaf tomorrow, now ive almost perfected the recipe.

as to the comments , id ignore it. i got them because i didnt immediately put LO onto formula when i couldnt breast feed, instead i expressed and gave it via a bottle, hard work but worth it, although i only managed to 5 mths. he went straight on to organic formula, many raised eyebrows as i chose not to use the popular brand around here ( begins with an 's' )

there is always a lot of criticism especially when you do things differently, after all we are bombarded with ads telling us we need a huge mega travel system thing with bags for this that and the other.

i know i got laughed at when i used flannels for burping cloths ( well clean up anything cloths ) rather than muslins 5 flannels £2 or 3 muslins for £10 the math makes sense! i never bothered with moses basket sheets, pillow cases did the job just as well and i brought single sheets and cut them in to halves or quarters to use as sheets. i saved a fortune and all the 'stuff' i got for lo is now being used in one for or other around the house.

people still dont 'get' me and why i do what i do but mum saves me the loo roll tubes, glass jars and bottles for me and my neighbours happily put there odd food scraps on my compost heap for me i probably look like a right nutter but im past caring

now off to tell my sister 'i told you so'
( she was gibbering on about not needing a garden etc etc and is now complaing her lo cant play out side in the sun )

[thesunflowergal]

I messed up at the weekend, and hubby had to buy a loaf . I was so busy cooking for the Ish meet that I ran out of time. But back on form today.
I have been making normal loaves and rolls, flat breads and soda bread. I have a fab flat bread recipe if you want it Sarah ??

Herbalholly - I do the whole snack making thing to, they also go into the lunch boxes. I try to make snacks twice a week, its doesn't always happen like that.

Nearly killed myself wearing Teme at the weekend he is far to heavy to go on my front, for all but very short distances. I need to practise getting him off my back whilest he is in the Mai Tai. I use the buggy a fair bit too, as my two year old will walk but she is sooo slow. I also would not want her to burn off too manny calories

Good luck with you missions everyone, Nikki

[Mr and Mrs luvpie]

I made chappati (?) for lunch :D how easy are they?
Nikki have you been to a sling meet? I went at weekend just to have a proper instructor spot me while i got dylan on my back, was fab as she didn't panic when i tossed him over my shoulder, so you might pick up some tips x

[thesunflowergal]

Sarah. haven't made those before, are they that easy? What did you eat them with?

Thanks both for the idea of the sling meet, but I have looked several times over the last two years and nothing. I have no problem getting him on my back, its just getting him off again.

[Mr and Mrs luvpie]

They were really easy, wholemeal flour 4oz add 3ozish of tepid water, kneed and leave for ten mins, should feel like shortcrust pastry, divide into 5 balls flatten to about 5" diameter then cook in hot dry pan, they only took a couple of minutes basically till they start to colour and swell slightly. Had it with chicken, onions and peppers with a balti seasoning and a cold cucumber, tom and onion salad, it was lovely.

I still try and be near a chair when i take dylan down if he is on my back. Not sure if there is anything on it specifically about getting them down but there are links to all the best videos on slingguide.co.uk what type of mt do you have?

[thesunflowergal]

I have an Ellaroo. I used to fine with Trixie, but I dropped Teme (don't worry he was fine, and it was only about an inch) and i have sort of lost my nerve. I think I just need to practice. Does George walk then, when your wearing Dylan? I will have a look at that website thanks.

Oooo I will have a go at making those then, sounds easy enough.

[Mr and Mrs luvpie]

Most the time he walks, but then he is a chunk so he needs to! But i always have the chair just in case of strops :D
must get my ellaroo out as haven't used it with dylan yet (have a little obsession so just haven't got that far through the pile ops)
the breads were really easy, going to do them again at weekend as we are having a curry night, hey if the prunes don't work ;)

[thesunflowergal]

Hopefully the prunes will sort the little chap out!!

I only have two. The closer which he is really too heavy for now, but I love and the Ellaroo. I did have a ring sling but hated it as Trix had reflux so would not lie in it, but was too dinky to sit up. I would like some more but Kai hates them, he wants to burn the Ellaroo. What else do you have then?

[Mr and Mrs luvpie]

Currently have, ellaroo, didymos shorty, babyhawk mt, rocking baby ringsling, melkja mt, ocah mt wrap conversion, connecta buckle mt, two gypsymama long gauze wraps, oh and a stretchy and a pouch, that are out on loan waiting to get them back. Looks bad when you write it down, just hope rob doesn't look on here :D i'm currently only using the gypsymamas rob uses the connecta but if you wanted to try any give me a shout, I'll try and update my photos on facebook next week.