DIY Nursing Tank

While it hasn't been easy, I take pride in the fact that I'm able to nurse/pump for my twins. They have been exclusively on breast milk since being released from the NICU at 3 weeks old and have been thriving. In fact, at their last doctor's appointment the nurse didn't even believe that they were preemies because they're gaining weight so well.

Any mom who has breastfed in the past will remember the pain in the butt it is to maneuver your clothes every feeding time. Nursing tanks are a fantastic addition to any nursing mom's wardrobe since she can nurse without having to expose her whole stomach. Let's be honest for a second, no one wants to see my twin belly stretch marks, and I sure as heck don't feel like showing them. The only problem is these suckers can be expensive! Even Target sells theirs for $25+! 

I'm already doing a ton of laundry in this house. Between two kids who love to spit up, cloth diapers, a husband who seems to be constantly changing outfits throughout the day, and myself we have quite the pile of dirty clothes. Even if I tried to make due with one or two of these tanks, I'd probably never find them in the mass of laundry at the top of the stairs. 

In comes the little DIY voice in my head and a quick Pinterest search. I bought several camisole tops from Walmart, all at $5.88 each. Then, you simply cut the straps from the back of the top, create a small loop in the front and sew. Trim the remainder of the strap and voila! A new tank that hooks onto your nursing bra! 

Keep in mind you still need a nursing bra to make this work, but now every time I go to feed the kiddos, my whole stomach doesn't have to come out to play too. It helps me to feel a bit more comfortable, so I'd call that a success. 




What's for dinner?

The kiddos had a cold last week, so no one was happy in this house. With two sicklings and a sick mom and dad, things like grocery shopping got put on the back burner. It's times like this that I'm glad that I have a well stocked pantry. It's like a game to me to come up with something for dinner from what's in there already.

Tonight's dinner is going to be an easy yet healthy one, taco soup. It also happens to be one of my husband's favorites. I won't tell him that it's also one of the easiest meals I make. I lucked out on that one!

For those who want to give it a try:

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1 large can Rotel tomatoes with chilis
1 can low/reduced sodium corn
1 can low/reduced sodium pinto beans
1 can low/reduced sodium kidney beans (dark or light)
Chicken broth
Taco seasoning

Directions:
1. Open all cans (Corn, tomatoes, beans). Drain each and empty contents into crockpot.

2. Place both chicken breasts in crock pot.

3. Add chicken broth until beans and chicken are mostly covered. How much broth is really up to you. If you want it soupier, add more. If you prefer it more like a chili consistency, add less.

4. Sprinkle taco seasoning on top. I have a large jar of taco seasoning that I bought at a local market and usually put about 2 heaping tablespoons into the pot. I eyeball it, so sometimes it comes out spicier than other times, but no one seems to notice but me.

5. Stir everything together.

6. Turn crockpot on Low for 6 hours, or if you forgot to put it on at lunch time like I did, put it on High for 4 hours.

7. When done, take two forks and shred the chicken in the soup.

8. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese and crushed whole grain tortilla chips on top.

Enjoy!

What's your favorite easy recipe?

Knit Sparkle Shrug

Oddly enough, not only do I have boy/girl twins, but I am a twin myself. So much for skipping a generation... Haha, Mother Nature!

My twin brother is getting married to a wonderful woman the first weekend of March. I have to admit that I'm stressing a bit about flying from Georgia to Nebraska with them. I'm sure most parents worry the first time they fly with their kids, but I think I'm especially nervous since they were born two months early. That makes their lungs extra fragile and their immune systems extra vulnerable to infections. Yikes!

Ok momma, deep breaths...

Instead of focusing on the scary parts, I'm trying to focus on the fun part, dressing up the nuggets!! I found an adorable little shirt/vest combo at Walmart online for Lo but still need the perfect dress for Lil. I'm still deciding between a few, but what I do know is that whichever one I pick, she'll need a little shrug or sweater to go over it since it'll be a bit chillier in Nebraska than we're used to.

In comes this adorable shrug idea. I had the yarn but unfortunately took the label off forever ago and have no idea what it's called. Oops! It's a light grey with a silver metallic thread woven throughout. I modified this basic baby cardigan pattern that I know fits the kiddos and voila! I'll be adding some pearl buttons to dress it up just that little bit extra. I'm sure it'll be adorable over whichever dress I choose for her to wear.

Now back to stressing about the actual traveling part...

Any tips for traveling with infants?

How do you find the time?

When people find out that I have infant twins, I get a lot of different types of responses. Many of these are looks of horror or a pat on the shoulder with a "good luck to you" as they back away slowly. Believe it or not, I cherish the few positive comments of being blessed because I truly believe we are. We've hit the baby jackpot as I like to say. We've been blessed with not one, but two babies and a boy/girl combo at that!

Now, this life certainly isn't easy, but seeing as these are my first children, it's all I know. So, how do I find time to remain me and enjoy the things I used to do before I became a mom. One simple word...naptime.

I've learned to cherish the silence, whether it be for 30 minutes or several hours. It's funny how I used to hate the silence in my house, particularly when my husband was deployed. Now, I see it as a blessing and have truly learned to enjoy it.

Naptime is me time, when I can explore my crafty side or play in the kitchen. When it's over though, the mom hat goes back on, and I couldn't be happier to care for these little love nuggets. This is my life, and I'm grateful for every minute.