Saturday, January 2, 2010

If you like it, put a ring on it


Hayden just loves the song "Single Ladies," as does every other baby out there. I've never seen so many little ones shaking it to a single song like I have to this Beyonce hit. It was a YouTube sensation in 2009 that still gets our attention.

My little lady hated the bathing experience until I decided to start singing this tune during the process. I didn't know all the words, so I customized them into her own personal bath time song (Jacob had his own version of "Hot in Herre" when he was a baby).

Of course, I started with the repetitive "all the single ladies" over and over again, then "put your hands up." After "out in the club," the sky was the limit. It goes something like this:

"Out in the club,
Rubba dub dub,
Hayden loves her tub, ooh!

She loves the splishin' and a splashin',
Splishin' and a splashin',
Rubba and a rubba dubba dub, ooh!"

I'll spare you from the rest of the lyrics, but I do eventually chime in with "if Hayden likes it then she's gonna get a ring on it." You all know the rest.

Now that we're in the new year, a lot of resolution makers are trying to find ways to look hot in that leotard (or other sleek garment). What better way than by sipping on a Hot Pink drink from "Raw Food Real World." It's one of my faves.

What's in it?

It's just beets, pineapple, strawberries and ginger. Sounds odd, but it's delicious.

And, speaking of rings, I had been meaning to make a raw version of the traditionally jarred spiced apple rings, so I saved some of my brightly colored beverage for this task. Then, I added a bunch of cinnamon and apple cider vinegar, and used it to marinate cored apple slices (I bet pineapple rings would be yummy, too). Not bad if I say so myself (especially if you let them sit in the juice overnight).

This year is definitely off to a good start. I'm eating right (one of my resolutions is to up my veggie and green intake, as I've been consuming mostly fruit and raw unbaked treats), sleeping more soundly (I've also resolved to improve my sleep, now that Hayden is getting more shuteye; I just need to clear my head and relax at night) and started to pick up after the holiday (I need to reorganize the house since Christmas exploded in it; where do I put all this new stuff?).

Last on my list, I need to teach Hayden to drink from a sippy cup. She is exclusively breastfed ("from the tap," so to speak) and won't take a bottle. This is wonderful in many ways, except for the times that I need a break. At this point, I have to be with her 24/7 (I haven't gone back to work yet, and panicked the one time away from her when Jacob and I got lost in a corn maze after dark) and no one can share in the feeding process (even when I got sick and ended up spreading my cold to her).

I have heard that you can train a 6-month-old to drink from a cup if he or she won't take a bottle, so Santa came through with a transitional sippy cup in Hayden's stocking. She is only a little more than 4 months at the moment, but it looks as though she may be able to handle it sooner than expected. Just look at her reaction to receiving the cup on Christmas day. Wish us luck :-)