Gluten Free, Wallet Friendly Breakfast Ideas!

Alot of people I know are pretty crunchy and are going gluten free or have been for years! This is for people like me, who want to be gluten free, but are finding it expensive or hard to do. Gluten is in tons of things you wouldn't even think about! So I asked a few friends to help me collect some ideas for breakfast since it's the "most important meal of the day." You really want the breakfast of champions, don't you? *wink*

Let's get started:
3/4 cup Oatmeal with 1/2 of a cut up fruit or a handful of berries

Eggs (yum!) Some are not fans of eggs and if you're vegan, of course, this isn't an option. ;)

Sheep herder potatoes (recipe) You can use whatever meat you want(or no meat)

Frittata! Throw last night's leftover veggies into the pan with some eggs and cook to your preference.

Muffins! I like blueberries myself. (recipe)

Everybody loves pancakes and if you don't, you're crazy! (recipe) I love peanut butter on mine. There are always all natural peanut butters out there, if that's what you like. Go to whole foods stores. Good choices :)

Raw milk! Can't go wrong there. I have a few friends that have this as a major staple in their diet. It CAN get a bit on the spendy side. I think $3-4 for half a gallon? But you're getting fuller with it, so it's worth it.

I've heard lots of good things about bean bread! A friend showed me this recipe.

Fruit smoothies! Throw your favorite fruits in with your choice of milk, protein, & blend it up!

Egg muffins (recipe) Easy to make, easy to throw in the freezer for a fast breakfast the next morning!

Midmorning snack! White bean vanilla cake (recipe)



If you have any breakfast ideas you'd like to send in, I will include them in this post with a shoutout to you. :)

Having Dreadlocks is a LIFESTYLE! Here's Mine...

So it's been almost a month since I decided to dread my hair. I used the twist and rip method. Didn't use any products and stopped shampooing my hair (I use the no poo method)

This is 2 hours after I started twisting and ripping. It took a long time, as I had to wait for the kids to either be taking a nap or in bed for the night.

A fan asked me how "one would put dreadlocks in their hair", so I made this tutorial...

                                       

All done! I left out my bangs, so I could do more with my dreads.

One week old dreadlocks! (yes, this is my weirdo smile)

Yay! Two week dreadiversary! It hasn't been all rainbows and unicorns in dread-land. The transition from using shampoo to just using baking soda and apple cider vinegar for my hair left it feeling oily and it was hell trying to ignore it. I almost took my dreads out to escape the way my scalp felt.

Yes, that IS an awkward empty spot on the back of my head. The downfall to having done my dreads by myself.

Three weeks into the dread life and going strong! My hair has almost fully transitioned and is starting to lock up. I had bands in the bottoms of them because I was paranoid that they would unravel. I cut up an old t-shirt to sort of wrap my hair to keep it out of my face instead of using a ponytail, which was pulling hairs out of my dreads and would leave them bent from being restrained.

Some advice for those of you who want to dread your hair: There are a few ways to dread your hair.
1) Back comb
2) Neglect
3) Palm roll
4) Twist and rip

I used twist and rip. I almost wish I had done neglect. Although it does take a little longer for them to lock up and gather into dreads, I've encountered many people who have done neglect, where their dreads are smaller, which is what I would have liked for my thinning hair (just had a baby 10 months ago and my hair was falling out like crazy!). Do not use regular shampoos! You need a residue free shampoo or you can us baking soda and ACV. I've also heard some good things about Dr. Bronner's soap. Another thing: Never EVER use wax. I don't care what Knotty Boy tells you, you don't need to buy products to be successful at dreading your hair. Good luck and I hope you enjoyed this post! I look forward to posting updates on my dreads! *thumbs up*

You're A Section, A Number (To Him, That Is)

photo courtesy of www.improvingbirth.org

There is a lot wrong with today's maternal healthcare. Things that should have nothing to do with bringing our babies into this world. Birth rape, abuse, lies, blame, humiliation. Just to name a few. Everyday, birthing women and new mothers are made to feel inferior and minuscule. Too many women go into pregnancy uneducated, naive and scared. They believe doctors are God and what they say goes, wether you like it or not. Against your will and you don't think you should refuse because there is a baby involved in the decision.

Pull the dead baby card and mom will submit to anything you want. Give a woman inaccurate statistics for the benefit of your agenda and you have a willing participant of whatever you want to do to her. Make her feelings invalid, you have a patient that's afraid to protest your orders. Here's a story of a momma that admits she could have avoided c-section, had she been more informed of her rights and about birth.

My first pregnancy I was pretty naive (even with my 2nd), and had no idea what I should ask, and even asked what I should be asking. Most of my appointments I was just checked, got a lot of ultrasounds and pictures, and was told "Ok see you next time!". I had mentioned once that I wanted to see about a water birth, but was told "Only whales birth in the water". When I woke up December 20, 2005 at a little past 5 am, I was so uncomfortable, and couldn't get back to sleep no matter what I tried.

My significant other had work that day, and I told him to go ahead and go, if anything happens I would call him. I went to my Grandmother's house while he was at work, just in case. The entire day I couldn't sit, stand, lay down, nothing! My back hurt and I was exhausted. Finally around 630 pm I called my SO and told him to meet me at the hospital, because things weren't changing. 

When I got to the hospital, I was wheeled into a room, layed down, and immediately hooked up to machines and an IV. There were so many "nurses" and a couple "drs" in the room. They were waiting for the on call dr from my dr's office to get there. I was given something to help "move things along". "Drs" and "nurses" were in and out, and I dont know how many times I was given just "a little bit more" of whatever to "get things moving". My SO got there and as soon as he walked in the door, I said "I think my water just broke". I vaguely remember feeling like a water balloon popped. I don't remember exactly how much time was passing, or how quickly things were going. I just remember not knowing what was going on, I was scared, and I was in pain. 

I was asked if I wanted an epideral, and I remember declining, but the pain wasnt going away and I was so tired, so I caved. I remember having the urge to either push or poop. I think I did both LOL My dr came and he was in and out, he checked me a couple times, but never really stayed in the room longer than to look at the machines, and check to see how I was progressing. Then at around 2 am, December 21st, I was told we had to have an emergency c/s because the baby's heart rate was not good. 

I was wheeled into the surgery room, lifted onto the bed, and I remember hearing my dr INSTRUCT the surgery! "No dont cut like that, cut like this" - Heard that a couple times. "No we have to stitch like this, not like that". I wanted to scream, I wanted to say "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" I couldn't do anything! I could barely do more than look at my SO and cry! 

I remember looking at him and thinking "Please help me!" He just looked at me, caressed my head, and said "It's ok. Everything is ok." I remember feeling every slice, every pull. I felt like my abdomen was on fire! I felt them pull on my baby like she was stuck. Right after everything was done, my doctor just left. 

Over the next few days, the in house pediatrician tried talking to me, nurses tried talking to me, the "LC" tried talking to me. I couldn't comprehend ANYTHING anyone was trying to tell me! The only thing I remember being told in the hospital was that I would never be able to EBF a baby bc I didn't have all my milk ducts. She could "tell" bc the underside of my breasts are/were flat. So I "had" to supplement. Not to mention, my baby was losing weight on just breast milk. I was under the impression she wasnt getting enough, so I let them supplement. 

But even after all of this, I should have just felt happy because I had a healthy 7 lb 13 oz baby girl. It wasn't until after 3 months a friend's mom told me that the hospital I was to use was a "learning" hospital, and most the "nurses" and "Drs" there were students, or brand new looking for a guinea pig. I was also informed that that dr I had on call pushed for c/s. I, also, later found out from a different dr who I went to when I was pg for #2, that he pawned of his deliveries. She stopped working with him bc he always pawned them on her. He didn't like delivering naturally, *he* preferred c/s.

Forcible Retraction on an Intact Male Infant/Child: Don't Let It Happen To Your Son!

my poor sick bug

My youngest child(7 months old), "L" has had a fever the last 3 days. I became very worried when it spiked this morning to 105.5 degrees fahrenheit. After a dose of Tylenol, I took him in to the Emergency Room, like many concerned parents would do. They took his temperature, which had dropped to 103. Still, the previous temperature had us very worried. We waited for them to get everything together to get urine and blood. I was told that using a catheter to catch his urine would be best because "the extra skin cells(his foreskin) would affect the test results and contaminate the culture".

I gave consent, and they go ahead with the procedure. I was horrified as the nurse pulled his skin back to reveal his little "head". She wasn't gentle with inserting the catheter, either. The nurse kept jamming it, trying to get it into his bladder, but the catheter was too big. L started crying even before the catheter because his foreskin started bleeding. And he was screaming bloody murder he was in so much pain. I felt sick to my stomach and started crying. My 5.5 year old son was with me and was alarmed at how much pain his little brother was in. He started crying as well. I then started shaking in anger, because the nurse persisted with her jabbing the catheter with force that shouldn't be used on ANYONE that is having something foreign put into their body and not paying attention to him bleeding.

I fought such an internal battle of telling her to stop, but feared being ridiculed. I finally told her I wanted them to use a bag to catch his urine instead. "Oh no, I'll have someone else try to do it. I just can't get it past his urethra," she said dismissing my comment.

As she left, the attending doctor came back to see my son and her jaw fell open as she surveilled the scene in the room. My puffy, teary eyes, my screaming infant son with a catheter hanging out of him and my older son, crying in a chair off to the side. She removed the catheter and had me put my son to the breast to calm him. The doctor gingerly put a urine bag over his penis and put a diaper on him, apologized and informed me of the blood test results, which showed he was fighting an infection, possibly a urinary tract infection and that he would need antibiotics.

His urine tested positive for infection as well. He received a 24 hour antibiotic shot and we were released with a script for his medicine. I feel horrible for not knowing to advocate my son's needs. I feel guilty for not telling them to not use a catheter on him. I feel like a bad mom for allowing that stupid nurse to forcibly retract his foreskin. I am writing a letter of complaint to the hospital and asking them to educate their staff on how to care for intact boys. Never ever forcibly retract a boy's foreskin. Here are some links I am providing in my letter to the hospital, so more people can be educated and advocate for their children. Information is power, and our voice is important, because our children don't have one yet.

http://www.nocirc.org/publish/pamphlet6.html
http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/8/forced-retraction.html
http://www.thewholenetwork.org/14/post/2011/08/assistance-to-families-with-forcibly-retracted-sons.html
http://www.drmomma.org/2009/12/forced-retraction-what-now.html

If there are more links you would like me to include or write about, please email them to me at allthingsmommy2@yahoo.com or post on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/allthingsmommy

Submission in the Household: Domestic Abuse Edition *TRIGGER WARNING!*

Photo courtesy of Samurai Karate Studio. Find them at samuraikaratestudio.blogspot.com

A woman is out on a date with a guy she just met. The date is going well and they hit it off. She can't help but think "Oh, he's so sweet and perfect. I hope he'll see me again." And she does. They make their relationship official and all is well....

Fast forward 12 months. She's just forgotten to put his clothes in the dryer, because she was cooking breakfast. Now he's going to be late for work. "Why can't you do anything right?" he says stepping slowly towards her.

"I...I'm sorry, I just... forgot. I was trying to make you breakfast..." she stammers, cowering.
"Forget it! Now I have to wear wet clothes!"
She bursts into tears and can't stop herself from thinking, "He's right, I can't do anything right."

Later that week, she's bathing her daughter, and couldn't get to the phone in time to answer his call. He comes home that night, in a rage. He accuses her of cheating, since she wouldn't answer his call. "No," she pleaded. "No, I was just giving my daughter...." She doesn't finish her sentence. He hits her across the face. "See what you made me do?" He backs away and goes to take a shower, muttering about how worthless she is. She's so confused. Why did she make him hit her? It was her fault, all her fault.

Photo done by me

He comes to her in bed that night and lifts her chin. She flinches and pulls back. He apologizes and tells her it won't happen again and that he just has anger problems. She shouldn't make him mad like that.... ever again..... But she did. Everything made him mad. He didn't like her talking to friends and her family wanted to see her, but she was too ashamed of her appearance. If she doesn't get out soon, it might be too late.......

Research suggests that 1 in 4 (25%) women has experienced domestic violence in her lifetime. Women make up 85% of domestic violence, while men make up the remaining 15%.

Depending on the type of survey, there is a range between 600,000 and 6 million women who are battered each year. Women between the ages of 20-24 are at greater risk for nonfatal violence from a partner or spouse. Most abuse comes from someone that the woman knows personally. Separate and divorced men and women are also at high risk for nonfatal abuse, says the Bureau of Justice Statistics, Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S. 1993-2004.

Each day, 4 women die as a result of abuse... Each day, 3 children die as a result of abuse. The FBI estimates that 32% of female homicides are by their partner or spouse.

Not many people understand the impact domestic violence has on battered women. She loves her partner and is attached to the loving part of him or her. They don't like the abuse, but in their mind, their loving gestures make up for it. "It won't happen again." "He says he's going to get help for his anger." Smoke and mirrors. Justification for the spouse's or partner's behavior.

As a woman who was in an abusive relationship, both physical and emotional, I know how persuasive an abuser can be. He persuaded me into thinking I was worthless without him, that I was irrational in all my thinking. He persuaded me into thinking that he wouldn't hurt me anymore, that it should be enough that he provided for me financially. I owed it to him to submit to him.

The day I had enough and left, only further confirmed that I was making the right decision. Saying hateful things is not something a loving person does. Hitting is not something a loving person does. Being manipulative is not something a loving person does. A loving person doesn't make you feel worthless. A loving person encourages you to be independent and achieve your goals, not keep you from them.

Photo courtesy of stopabuse.vt.edu

If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, call this number for resources 1-800-799-SAFE(7233). Don't second guess yourself in your choice. Don't listen to your abuser, when they try to get you to stay. Do not continue to submit. Fight back by leaving and never looking back. Help stop domestic violence.

Levi Jaxson's Unassisted Homebirth

This is my youngest child's birth story. I really want to write my older 2 children's birth stories, but it's a little hard, because of the choices I made and medical professionals taking advantage of me.

I haven't written in a while. It took quite some time to start to find myself. But that's another blog post in and of itself. THIS is about my new little love. My second son, who changed my perspective of birthing and how relationships should work and who I could and couldn't trust. This is the story of how he came into this world.

On Friday, November 18th, I had my membranes stripped. I was 39 weeks 4 days pregnant and very optimistic that it would do much for me. I wasn't necessarily tired of being pregnant, I was really excited for labor to start. After going for an off and on walk of 3.5 miles, I decided to give it a rest and not pursue contractions any further, so that I wouldn't be worn out the next day if anything happened. I started getting what seemed like Braxton Hicks that evening and they got to 7 minutes apart pretty consistently. They weren't strong at all, so I decided to get some sleep at midnight. I couldn't get to sleep in bed, so I came out to the couch and put some "sounds of nature" music channel on to help me sleep.
I woke up around 4:30AM, to what I thought was me just having a full bladder. I felt restless afterwards and couldn't sleep. I didn't know why, until I had a hard and very noticeable contraction. This happened again 10 minutes later and by 5AM, they were averaging 5minutes apart. Still the same intensity. I get more restless, wondering if this really is it and start pacing the living room and kitchen. I kept wanting to do something to keep me busy, but I couldn't figure out what, even though there were dishes in the sink and cookies I planned on baking. They jumped to 3 minutes apart and a minute long while I paced the rooms. 
After an hour of pacing around, I started to feel a little worn and stayed sat down for the most part. They spaced out to 5-7 minues apart, but more intense and I had to let out low moans to cope. Even though the contractions got harder, the space in between them increasing discouraged me and I started to think that this was another labor tease. heh The denial phase seems to happen alot with women.
My husband got ready for work as I labored. I was fine with it and completely prepared mentally to labor alone. He was also under the impression that I'd have a doula friend with me, but she'd left for certification training the day before. Since I hadn't experienced a completely natural birth before, even though I had 2 children prior, I wasn't as prepared physically as I thought I'd be. I had no idea how much harder the contractions would be hitting me. I wouldn't even necessarily called it pain, as much as the contractions were intense. Like waves that kept climbing and I needed to match the height of them with the sound of my voice to stay on top.
So, the husband left for work at 6:30AM and I had him hold me through a contraction right before he left and he said he was sorry that he had to go. By 7, the contractions were still spaced out to 5-7 minutes but coming harder. I leaned on the couch and it felt good to be part way bent over, rather than squatting or hands and knees, which both hurt to do.
My 2 yr old daughter got up at 8 and I made her cereal and I surprisingly didn't feel irritated with her presence like many mothers describe during labor. I even switched my music to cartoons for her so she'd stay occupied after she ate. She checked on me regularly and was curious about the sounds I made and even mimicked me a couple times.
9AM rolls around and the contractions are picking up in intensity and a little bit in length but the time between them was still the same. I'm in and out of the bathtub at this point, not sure what would make me most comfortable. I was feeling the need for being on my hands and knees in the water, but it was far too crampy for me to do this. I was getting louder with each contraction. As the waves climbed higher, so did my voice. It was like a chant that was needed to keep me grounded and solid and whole through this entrance.
10:35 comes and as I'm stepping out of the tub for the 50th time, my water breaks. It's clean and not stained with meconium, so I go on. Then the monster contractions come. I update that my water has broken on a Facebook group and when the first tidal wave of a contraction hits, I'm on the birth ball, hitting enter on the post. "Hoooooooooooooo,motherf**king sh*t. Hoooooooooooo." Not being prepared for the contractions to come faster and 3 times as hard, it left me gasping afterwards, and I knew I had to get in hot water for relief. I retreated to the bathroom and added more warm water. I laid on my side and hung onto my inflatable like a liferaft and kept my voice as high as the waves took me and I loosened my arms around the pillow as the wave died down. My jaw and eyes were relaxed as the waves washed over me and I clung on, drowning them out with my voice.
A contraction hadn't come when I thought it might and my eyes snapped open as I finished catching my breath. I had stood up to see if I could sneak out of the tub to pee before it came. And then, an invisible force pushed me down onto my hands and knees. This was the first time I felt half desperate to escape the waves. Almost like a whirlpool and I was afraid of drowning. I wanted to crawl away from the contraction, but all I could do was rock back and forth. I remember a contraction in this position that I had to growl to get through. I thought for a moment that bearing down slightly might feel good. I don't know what time it was, but I know it was less than 5 minutes of pushing. I sat 2 contractions in the tub, shaking and on the verge of throwing up. A person will NEVER understand what the uncontrollable urge to push feels like until it happens to them.
During the pushing, my daughter came in and watched for a second and asked "What are you doing mama?" grunt*Having a baby, honey* "Oh, okay. I'm gonna go watch cartoons now." Goofball.
Another tidal wave contraction washes over me and it's like someone taking a remote and hitting a button that says "push" over and over again. A neverending cascade of lost self-control. My BODY pushes once, his head is at my perineum, a 2nd push(by my body) his head is out. A third push, and I'm helping my body this time and he's out. He's sputtering for a minute and taking his time pinking up, but he finally wails once and settles down.
The placenta took 15 minutes to come out, but it seems to all be there. I had a placenta smoothie(for those that don't know, it's only a small piece of placenta blended in a fruit smoothie) after things calmed a bit. He came down so quickly that he didn't have a cone shape to his head. It's perfectly round. He's fast asleep after nursing and I couldn't be happier and feel more whole after this experience.
Levi Jaxson Wheeler
11/19/11 10:50AM
8lbs 4oz 20.5 inches
born after 5 1/2 hours of active labor

Silent Lullaby

I wrote this when I was 16.

Silent Lullaby

I wended and weaved
Through the debri
Up on the stairs
Like a rodent in a maze
The splintered boards raked at my bare legs
Everything so eerily quiet, I shivered

I, the only being alive
But unthriving
Where had all familiarity gone?
A thing so light in this great significance
Had been whisked away like a child’s blanket

The door at the topmost stair
Hung on a single hinge
And clothing which lie tattered and limp
Was strewn about the floor
The owners unknown

The dining table was upended
And partly decapitated
A mattress’s springs
Had made their way through the fabric
One slender ankle protruded tragically
From behind a tall picture
A portrait of a young couple
Painted in the 1800’s

With little ease, I stepped over a broken lamp
To reach the shredded canvas
When I removed the canvas, my throat tightened
My eyes stung with hot, sorrowful tears

Not a cut or bruise
Was visible upon this child
Yet, she lay unconscious
In a peaceful position
Holding a string of rosary beads and a teddy bear

Then, I heard it in the dead stillness….
God's silent lullaby.