Trick or Treat! Sticky Rice and Mango Pumpkins

Halloween was a blast!  We went to an awesome party down in Waikoloa.  We were even able to squeeze in 3 houses of trick or treating between poker and ping pong!

Some people pulled out all the stops!  This garage in particular, with its rabid Easter bunny and ambiguously real or fake inhabitants was super spooky.  Ikaika did go all the way inside (walking on his own - I didnt carry him in) and after several enthusiastic encouragements ("look at the cute bunny!"  "Kaika, look! A mouse!"  "What a precious little dragon!"" etc) he even seemed to like the decorations, especially the anamatronic undead animals.

One person gave us pretzels and another gave fruit snacks so Im encouraged to see people chosing different options than straight up candy.  And the pretzels complimented by beer-in-a-plastic-cup perfectly!

I made these cute rice pumpkins for Halloween.  Its sticky coconut rice with mango slices underneath.  The pumpkin tops are celery greens.  I got the recipe at Super Healthy Kids and changed it slightly by using sweet/mochi rice (coloring the soaking water orange) and mixing the steamed rice with a coconut milk and sugar mixture.  I think they turned out so cute and they were good (although not as sweet as normal because I couldnt add too much milk or they wouldnt stick together).

Sewing my first Halloween Costume

I am so excited about this costume!!!

I was poking around Craftster and I came across this awesome Starfleet Commander's uniform. Thinking back to the countless hours I spent with my dad watching Star Trek the Next Generation, nights my sister and I would pretend our trundle bed was the USS Enterprise, and reveling in my general nerdiness, I knew this was the perfect first Halloween costume for my kid!


I LOVE THIS SHIRT! I can already tell that its going to get a life beyond Halloween. Its perfect for HPA basketball games.

I ended up using 2 T shirts from the thrift store ($1 each), cutting and piecing the whole thing back together. Im sure theres an easier way to do it, but all together this project still only ran me about 2 hours of time. The communicator and rank insignia are irridescent gold & silver puff paint. The sleeves are a bit short but I think this will work out well considering we are Trick-or-Treating in Waikoloa, Land of Hot.

Speaking of Trick-or-Treating, Im not sure how this is going to work out. We dont let Ickey eat candy and Mr A doesnt eat candy and I dont need to be eating any candy right now...so why are we even doing this? In all likliness we will knock on 3 doors, take a few pictures, and then head over to whoevers house has the BBQ and beer.

Snuffy - the runny nose lifesaver

It goes by many names: Snuffy, Snuffalufagus, Squeegee, Nose Squishy. But, no matter what we call it, I couldn't survive a runny nose without it.

When I was pregnant and this was on the checklist, I was thinking 'i am ever going to use this thing?'. The answer is YES!!! Because the baby doesn't have the capability to blow his own nose, this thing gets all the boogers and snot out so he can breathe easy (for at least a few minutes). Our child actually sits still and let's us clear his nasal passages, probably because he enjoys the relief so much.

Ickey has had a runny nose for the past week and the one day we misplaced the Snuffy...well, let's just say it was ugly.

Ditching the Diapers - Phase Two: Wee Weka Knickers and Small Potty

All great minds think on the pot...


In case you were wondering - he's reading Little Husky's Big Game, a rhyming board book about The Apple Cup (UW vs WSU). I like the book because it uses terminology like "tight end", "nose guard", "screen", and "that punt's got hang time". Precious and educational. Ickey likes it because it combines his two great loves: dogs and football.

Notice the infant toilet. No baby bjorn but it is two pieces, easy to clean, and whimsical without being annoying.


So here are some training pants I made using the super SIMPLE tute for Wee Weka Knickers over at The Nappy Network.
Id like to thank my mother for sending me two shirts that no grown woman could ever hope to fit into! One shirt, as small as they were, made two pairs of knickers. I lined them with microfiber cloths I had in my diaper stash.


Even thought this material is surprisingly sturdy, I would like to try making trainers with PUL or some other water proofing material on the outside. The baby is far FAR from using the potty consistently so I'm trying to find the perfect compromise between full blown diapers and underwear.

I also want to figure out how to make one of these piddle pad things for the car seat! Although for 8 bucks - I should save myself some sanity and just buy the damn thing for Christmas.

KEIKI ON BOARD: refashioned fashion for kids

After months (ok, years) of thinking about it but not doing anything about it - I finally got some of my creations up online where people can buy them and enjoy them!

Check out my new shop: Keiki on Board

Yay! Feeling so productive!

Raising a Dairy Free Kid - How to Make Almond Milk

Dr Shaklee said if you want to keep your kid healthy, the three things they absolutely must avoid are refined wheat, refined sugar, and dairy.

I buy what Dr Shaklee is selling (literally and figuratively).

It makes sense to me to limit the amount of dairy in my kids diet. I spent my entire childhood and much of my adulthood with chronic ear infections and my husband suffered from severe allergies. Dairy as it is consumed today, cold and homogenized, causes mucus build up. This build up aggravates respiratory symptoms, including problems in the ears, nose, and throat.

I occasionally do give Ikaika yogurt or kefir because I feel like the benefits of the live active cultures outweigh whatever dairy issues may arise (the cultures also help break down the lactose so its not as hard on his system). But, now that we have decided to stop breastfeeding, finding a substitute for milk has become an issue.

One great alternative to whole dairy milk is fresh almond milk. Almonds are not only a great source of absorbable calcium, they also contain essential fats, iron, potassium and magnesium. On top of that, its super easy to make and cheaper than cows milk (at least in Hawaii where milk is $8 a gallon).

MAKING ALMOND MILK AT HOME

Start with 3-4 tablespoons of raw almonds.


Soak them for a 4-6 hours or overnight. Drain the water then peel the skins off by gently squeezing or rubbing them between your fingers.


Put the peeled almonds with 2 cups of purified water in a blender. Start on low and increase the speed until the almonds have been liquified. You can also add a tsp or two of brown rice syrup or pure maple syrup for added sweetness.


Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Yum yum! Mix with cereal or enjoy in a cup!

Infant Toilet Training - Phase Two

Lately, I feel like Ikaika and I have hit a plateau with the potty.

For those who don't follow my life religiously - I cloth diaper my now one year old and have been using the basic principles of Elimination Communication with varying degrees of commitment since 2 weeks old. He began sitting on the toilet using a little seat insert when he was about 3 months.

Since he started eating solid foods and (more or less) sleeping through the night, his digestive system has become increasingly predictable. Therefore, I feel like now is the time to take this whole potty thing to the next level.

But where is the next level?

My number one frustration is that I dont feel like Ikaika is communicating with ME about the potty. Ideally, I want him to be able to let me know if he wants to go. Go into the bathroom, point at the potty, grap at his crotch, anything that would give me a clue as to what hes thinking. Usually, catching anything in the toilet feels like sheer luck. Also, now that his communication skills are improving I want him to be able to spend at least part of his day in cotton underwear and/or training pants.

He already cooperates with sitting on the toilet, he has peed and pooed in the potty (as long as I get him there), doesnt seem to be scared of flushing, etc. Can I really expect any more from a 12 month old?


According to this book I read yesterday, the answer is yes. Diaper Free Before 3 by Dr Jill Lekovic presents a theory that is somewhere between "diehard EC" and "wait till they are ready". I think this book is very in sync with my own thoughts about potty training.

The new ideas I took away from this book are as follows:

1) now that Ikaika is older and more regular, its time to start treating the potty as part of our daily routine. Just like feeding, dressing and bathing, I need to incorporate trips to the toilet into other activities for the day. After he wakes up, after he eats, before bath, before bed. I need to be more consistent about offering the toilet to him instead of just doing it whenever I think about it.

2) Its time for an infant potty. Sure, he can sit on the seat insert and use it without much problem. But a toilet that is his size will enable him to sit on it or go to it without my assistance. It will make the toilet more accessible to him. He can also mimic - go to the potty at the same time as Mr A or myself - a technique thats worked like a dream for teeth brushing.

3) I have to be able to take the plunge and put him in training pants. Ive been doing it all morning today with surprisingly uneventful results! Because he already uses cloth diapers, training pants are more about training ME to be aware of what hes doing and not rely so much on diapers.