Do you hear me now?

My youngest child, Squiggle (now 13mo) has never passed a hearing test in her right ear. I kept getting told it could be fluid, just wait and test again, etc etc. She failed test after test, but she does respond to sound. They said she cannot hear below 1000 hz, and that her left ear is also probably compensating.

At 6 months of age, she got  nasty ear infection (both ear drums ruptured, pus coming out, etc). It didn't go away until late February/early March. They suggested tubes since it didn't respond to antibiotics well and since she had a hearing loss. They figured it would help. She had double tubes placed in march. She has had continual ear infections (complete with pus) since (so much for tubes!), and the tube in her right ear isn't even in the ear drum anymore (so much for them helping with hearing!)... it's just chilling in the canal. The left ear is the one that keeps getting infections. You know, the one she can hear out of just fine.

Just hours after her double tube placement.

I don't know what to expect in the future with her. She seems to be doing just fine and I've refused the sedated tests where they measure something with her bones. I just didn't feel it necessary. She responds to us. She mimics us. She signs well. Thank goodness we already owned Baby Signing Time, Signing time, Potty Time, and had done ASL with Bobble. I wasn't sure how to respond to the notion that she might not hear out of one ear when she was first born, but my husband had the best response: Good thing we were learning sign language and already owned Signing Time!

He took it with that attitude. He wasn't upset or concerned. He was simply positive about it. This gave me more incentive to start watching the videos more with Bobble again. I will probably go ahead with the bone hearing test when she is older, or just wait until they can test her some other way. I feel she is doing well enough to not see the need for a sedated procedure.

Do you sign with your children? If so, what is your reason for using sign language?

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$150 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Welcome to the $150 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway Event

Sponsored by Pure Crafted Beds

Hosted by Mom Powered Media & Conservamom

Pure Crafted Beds is a company who knows Beds. Their factory was started in 1946 and is still owned by the original family and into their third generation! They began by renovating porch furniture and mattresses in the 1940's, to a modern manufacturing facility located in Lansing, Michigan. They've been in business close to 70 years and have brought forth an amazing selection of products that will give you a great night's sleep. Your comfort is their business! Each bed is "hand-crafted" and they always strive to provide the best value for each customer, whether at $299 or $2,999. They carry two basic mattresses the TruEssence and TruSlumber. The only difference between the two beds is the core foam layer, and the TruSlumber bed does not have a base layer of foam. This helps reduce the overall height of the bed, which makes it perfect for children, bunk beds, and other situations where a thinner mattress is required! However the unsurpassed quality remains the same in both! One of the most fantastic features of Pure Crafted Beds is their use of an innovative product called the Eco Shield Cover. Every Pure Crafted Bed has this unique EcoShield cover. This amazing cover is resistant to bed bugs, dust mites, mosquitoes, and moths... all without any artificial chemicals! The proprietary EcoShield fabric is infused with Geraniol, a natural plant extract which provides all natural protection. Many anti-bed bug and dust mite products on the market today use synthetic chemicals. EcoShield® is the first product that is truly 100% natural, with no artificial chemical additives that uses a unique micro-capsule delivery system for long-lasting effects! Through a special process the Geraniol is infused into our EcoSheild® cover, and is slowly released over time as movement occurs on the mattress.

EcoShield® is Scientifically Proven!

To find out more on how these beds are made head over to the video below! Sleep equals health, Don't trust your sleep to just any mattress. Thanks to Pure Crafted Beds One winner will get a $150 Amazon Gift card. Giveaway ends August 21 at 11:59pm, open to US ages 18+. Only one entrant per household, per address. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Enter using the giveaway form below. Good luck!

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: The participating bloggers were not compensated for this post. No purchase is necessary to enter. One entrant per household, per address. Void where prohibited by law. Winner(s) will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is chosen. The sponsor(s) will be responsible for product shipment to winner(s) of this sweepstakes. This event is in no way administered, sponsored, or endorsed by, or associated with, Facebook and/or Twitter, Google, Pinterest. Contact Elia@mompoweredmedia.com if you have any additional questions or comments.

When Cloth Diapers Are More Than Just Diapers

The other day I was heading to an Indian buffet with my youngest child, my husband and my mother who was up for a visit. I'm a sucker for Indian food, and this place is amazing. I'm not so much a fan of the fact that if you drop any food on yourself, you've secured a stain-removal attempt for your next laundry day.

I grabbed youngest's diaper bag and started reaching for her bib. I absolutely love her bumkins bibs, and I always keep one on hand in the diaper bag.

Well, almost always. Apparently I didn't replace it the last time we ate out. It happens so infrequently (us eating out) that I had no clue. It has been months since our last meal out. Thankfully, I have cloth diapers.

I always keep a "quick change" diaper on hand, meaning a pre-stuffed pocket or an AIO. After that one, however, I keep 2-3 flats and prefolds on hand. I saw no bib, but I saw a flat. I now have a bib.

As we were cleaning up youngest, I gathered the flat up in my hand and wiped a bunch of food crumbs from her into a pile and set the 'bib' down. The waitress came over and grabbed some plates and went to grab that, then stopped. She commented on how she thought it was one of their rags at first, but that it looks like a cloth diaper. I mentioned it was, but it was a bib for today. She said they love using those as rags to clean up because they do such a good job.

Didn't expect to have a cloth diaper conversation at the Indian buffet!

What other uses have you found for flats?

Disclaimer: Thoughts Of Fluff was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Post contains affiliate links.

Homemade Bread Bowls

The weather has been unseasonably cool lately, and I've been loving it! (Autumn is my favourite season, though!) I decided to make a soup and bread bowls for dinner the other night. I have never made any sort of yeast bread/rolls in my life, so this was a completely new experience for me. I had a lot of questions, because I had no idea what I was doing, but my friend (remotely) walked me through the process. It was not as hard as I thought it would be!

I temped the water before adding the yeast/sugar, and then took pictures to document (almost) every step of the way!

My dough didn't rise again after I deflated it and broke it into balls, but that's okay because it turned out great anyway. I think it didn't rise again because I kept breaking it apart and resizing everything (thus, technically kneading the bread again which could have over-done it). I also didn't have any flour sack towels (despite hearing how awesome they are for using as cloth diapers!), so I used the smooth side of my unpaper towel to cover my bread for it to rise.

These turned out great, too! Everyone loved it, though hubby (who has been cutting back on refined sugar and grains like this) only ate half of his bowl. The recipe was from allrecipes.com :

French Bread Rolls to Die For
Original recipe yields 16 rolls

Ingredients :

1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. To the yeast mixture, add the oil, salt, and 2 cups flour. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
3. Deflate the dough, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, and form into round balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

The only thing(s) I did differently were I used sunflower oil instead of vegetable oil, and I only baked the bread bowls for 8 minutes. It didn't need 18-20 minutes.

Below is the walk-through of my first time making bread. It was not as difficult as I feared it would be.

The Yeast/sugar/water mixture is ready!

Stirring in the flour mixture to the yeast/water

As you mix, it gets so thick you have to use your hands

My dough ball! Time to knead!

It rose!!!

Covered with a damp (unpaper) towel. Use a smooth material, not the terry side! (oil top of dough well so it doesn't stick to the towel!)

Cut into size desired (and let rise again)

Deflate!

Baked until done! (They aren't golden as I didn't coat with butter or an egg wash before baking)

Bottom is lightly browned

Cut the top off the bread at an angle, using fingers to hollow out the rest

 

Toddler-sized bread bowl with fresh, hot soup!

Disclaimer: Thoughts of Fluff was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Post contains affiliate links.

Crockpot French Toast

In an attempt to make breakfast easier for everyone, I decided to go with some crockpot french toast. Preparing the dish was simple, and cooking it was simple. The taste was good, though hubby and I both agreed we would prefer to just make french toast on the stove top. The kids devoured it and loved it. That, alone, is reason enough for me to make it again.

It was super simple, but cleanup wasn't as easy as it could have been. Despite greasing the crockpot, I still ended up with a baked on layer. Not burnt, mind you, just baked on. I'd recommend placing wax paper inside to avoid this.

Crockpot French Toast

·         10 Slices of Bread

·         6 Eggs

·         2 c. milk

·         1 T. light brown sugar

·         1 t. cinnamon

·         1/2 t. nutmeg

·         1 t. vanilla

·         1/2 c. raisins (optional)

1) Grease the inside of your crockpot with butter or coconut oil.

2) Cut bread into bite-size pieces and place in crockpot. If adding raisins, mix raisins in now. (Bread can be cut larger, or even left whole, though bite size pieces now make it easier to serve up later.)

3) Mix together eggs, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.

4) Pour mixture over bread, gently pressing down on the bread in areas that might not have been saturated. (If leaving bread whole, you might want to dip the bread in the mixture before placing in the crockpot and pouring the extra over the top.)

5) Cover and cook on low for 6 - 7 hours.

Baked, complete with horrible morning lighting!

6) 10 - 20 minutes before serving, uncover crockpot and melt some butter on top of the french toast, sprinkling with cinnamon and sugar if desired.

cinnamon and sugar covered

syrup covered

Disclaimer: Thoughts of Fluff was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Post contains affiliate links.

Mamaliga Baked with Cheese

In the spirit of trying something new, I decided to try the Baked Mamaliga recipe I saw in my favourite cookbook: Russian, German & Polish Food & Cooking.

It looked pretty simple, though I couldn't find the specific cheese it called for (Kashkaval). Some digging revealed that I could use Swiss cheese in lieu of Kashkaval so I planned on doing that. I used 1/2 feta and 1/2 goat cheese for the cooked-in cheese.

I didn't use fresh green onion because we were in the middle of a pretty crazy storm and I couldn't pick any, but that's okay. I got a general idea. I also didn't serve with tomato sauce because I forgot I was supposed to until typing this post. Oops.

Leftover Baked Mamaliga

Overall, we liked the dish, but it needed tweaking. I have done some searches and there are so many different ways to make Mamaliga it isn't funny. Even "baked mamaliga" turns up a bunch of different recipes. Some call for sour cream inside it, some for warmed cream to be served with it, others call for none. It definitely is a savoury dish and you'll want to plan around that, but we repurposed the dish with frying some thin slices with more cheese to reheat it. We also discussed having it with spinach.

Either way, this recipe was good but not perfect for our tastes. We just need to find that missing item (or items) that will really bring this together for my family. I'll likely try other versions of this recipe before experimenting on my own since I am completely new to mamaliga.


 Mamaliga Baked with Cheese

Ingredients:

• Generous 1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
• 4c. water
• 1/4c. unsalted butter
• 1 1/2c. feta cheese or brinza, drained and crumbled
• 1/2c. hard kashkaval cheese, grated, for sprinkling
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• bacon and scallions, sliced lengthwise, to garnish
• tomato sauce to serve

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Stirring occasionally, dry-fry the cornmeal in a large pan for 3-4min. or until it changes colour. Remove from heat.
2. Slowly pour in the water and add a bit of salt. Return the pan to the heat and stir well until cornmeal thickens a bit. Cover, reduce heat, and let sit for 25min., stirring often.
3. Remove from heat when thick enough to cause a wide trail to be left when a wooden spoon is dragged through the mixture. Mix in the feta (or brinza) and butter and season well.
4.  Spoon into an 8" greased springform pan. Bake for 25-30min or until firm. Let sit overnight or for 2-3 hours. Serve sprinkled with Kashkaval cheese, bacon, and scallions. (Serve with tomato sauce, too.)

Ready to top!

Disclaimer: Thoughts of Fluff was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Post contains affiliate links.

Up all night?

I love music. Music flows through my veins... it always has. I love a wide variety of music, and one of my favourite artists would be Talking Heads.

I don't know what it is about them that I love so much. Perhaps it's the quirkiness of David Byrne. It could be that I can laugh at some of the lyrics and relate to others. It could just be that their songs are so darn catchy. Either way, one thing has changed for me in my enjoyment of the band since becoming a mother: the meaning of the lyrics in "Stay Up Late" off of their album Little Creatures.

I don't know the premise behind this song. I don't know how it was intended at all... it could have been meant as a jab at people without kids who don't understand. Then again, it could have been written by a person without kids who simply doesn't understand.

Listening to this song pre-kids, I sang along. I enjoyed the silliness of some of the lyrics:

Cute. Cute. Little baby.
Little pee pee. Little toes.

I enjoyed the instrumentation.

I just enjoyed it.

Now I'm a mother. I can't help but get frustrated at this song. I still love it, honest. It still just gets to me though:

Baby, baby, please let me hold him
I wanna make him stay up all night
Sister, sister, he's just a plaything
We wanna make him stay up all night

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO MAKE A CHILD STAY AWAKE!? Seriously.. let the baby sleep! On behalf of all sleep deprived parents everywhere.... parents of children who are teething, colicky, sick, have day and night confused, or just simply don't sleep well:

LET. THE. CHILD. SLEEP.

I love you, David Byrne, but I want to smack you upside the head for that one.

What do you view differently since becoming a parent?

Disclaimer: Thoughts Of Fluff was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Post contains affiliate links.