It's here! It's really, really here!

Charlotte's shopping cart cover is here! After a rough couple of weeks, Nani was able to finally conquer all obstacles and complete this totally adorable project. When Nani dropped off the seat cover this morning, I had this overwhelming sense that there just must be something that we needed at the grocery store. Well... I guess Charlotte and I will just have to muster up the strength for a quick trip. Hey, while we're at it, we'll take her seat cover for a whirl. How convenient  ;)

It's pretty funny that something like this can make my day, but then again, how could cute monkeys and colorful swirls on fabric not make my day? The fact that I didn't have to lug around Charlotte's car seat and watch her strain her neck, trying to look around at the produce was enough to put a little spring in my step. Charlotte loved being able to look all around at the brightly colored packaging, the signs that we passed by (and that she almost knocked over), and even to play with the credit card reader in the checkout lane. So not only did I get the kidney beans for our chili dinner tonight, but Charlotte got to see the world from a whole new perspective -- okay, maybe not the world, but at least a little part of it.

It's the little things...

The Goods

It only took me a couple minutes to learn that it's helpful to have some key items in your arsenal when you are making and storing baby food.When I first started, I was kind of lost. How was I supposed to get these solid foods to be mushy? How was I supposed to store the mush once it was mushy? How do I feed the mush to the baby? How do I stop the never-ending flow of dirty dishes in the kitchen? Ok, so this last one I can't help you with. But the others? I can at least tell you what works for me.

Charlotte's first food was sweet potato. I looked it up on my fave baby food site, read about the nutrition, the timeline, and the preparation suggestions. I was ready to rock and roll. My first attempt at pureeing the sweet taters was kind of a lumpy, orange mess, but I figured this was the norm. I used my mini food processor and whirred the stuff up, but never really got the smooth consistency I was hoping for. I had gone out that day to buy some pretty nifty covered ice cube trays at Bed Bath and Beyond that I read about on the baby food site, and spooned the lump-mush into the trays. I froze it for the night then put the frozen cubes into a labeled quart size, ziploc freezer bag, then back into the freezer. Voila! My first attempt at baby food-making was surprisingly close to a success.

The next week, I decided to make some peas. This time, I used the Magic Bullet that my mom gave me. Who would have thought that this would end up being my favorite puree'er? It's quick to set up, easy to store, simple to clean, and it purees perfectly! This is now my go-to for everything from peaches, to peas. From barley to green beans.

A Magic Bullet, covered ice cube trays, and some freezer bags -- my life is complete.