tips Archives - Painter Mommy

Top 10 Tips For Introducing Solid Food to Your Baby

September 3, 2019 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Starting your baby on solid food is an exciting yet intimidating milestone. Baby food is mostly mashed up food, how difficult can it be? It is a bit more elaborate than that. You are essentially teaching your baby how to eat. That’s right, babies have to learn how to chew and swallow. And their body is becoming accustomed to digesting something other than breastmilk and formula.

Typically, 5 to 6 months is the ideal age to introduce solid food to a baby’s diet. This is when a baby can sit with support and has neck and head control. However, you shouldn’t rush feeding solids; duly consult your pediatrician to learn the right time to begin.

We have put together some helpful tips to help you embark on this tricky new phase.

Start slow

Eating food is an entirely new experience for your child. Taking that into account, try to space out introducing a new food by 2-3 days. Not only will this allow your baby to familiarise with different tastes and textures, but it’s also easier to detect any allergies or intolerances.

Usually, symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea or rashes appear within a few hours of eating. In such cases, consult a physician immediately.

Take your time

Even adults need time to get accustomed to a new cuisine. Similarly, your baby will start enjoying solids only after a few tries. It takes 10 or more tries before your baby will accept a new food.

So don’t throw in the towel if your baby initially rejects the food. Keep trying with gaps in between or mix it with something your baby already enjoys.

Don’t shy away from the variety

The assortment of baby food available will truly astonish you. You can start with simple foods such as apple sauce, rice cereal, mashed bananas and pureed squash and then move on to complex items.

Alternating between different foods will keep your baby interested, and something will certainly strike his/her fancy! You can get everything from apple cereal to pureed meat on BritSuperstore.

Seasoning is fine

Of course, at first, you should start with completely bland food. But eventually, there is no harm in introducing some seasoning into the mix. A bit of salt, cinnamon or cumin is perfectly fine.

Meat is fine too

Baby food isn’t just limited to fruits and vegetables. You can add pureed beef or chicken to your baby’s diet. Eating meat ensures proper intake of iron and zinc, which are important nutrients for growth and development.

Veggies before fruit

Though there is no solid evidence that a baby would prefer fruits over vegetables, it’s better to stay on the safer side. It’s recommended to start vegetables before fruits as the baby isn’t used to the sweetness of fruits.

Avoid sugar and other additives

Carefully read the label and reviews before purchasing any baby food. Stay clear of added sugars and preservatives. Thickening agents such as flour and starch are a big no-no. They are difficult to digest and lack nutrients. Also, avoid highly salted food.

Get organic food

Organic food is highly nutritious and safe. Look for organic baby food with no added preservatives or sugars. If you are unable to find affordable, organic baby food, you can always get organic ingredients and make it at home.

Focus on solids

When you are introducing new foods, keep it limited to solids. Avoid overly sugary juices that promise nutrients and vitamins. These just add unnecessary sugars and preservatives to a baby’s diet.

Use a spoon

Though food pouches are quite convenient for feeding, they don’t actually teach your baby how to eat. Whether you are feeding from a jar or a pouch, use a spoon.

In conclusion, learning how to eat and enjoy food takes time, so be patient. If you are confused about anything, it’s always advisable to reach out to a doctor.

Cozy Cooking – 5 Ingenious Ways to Save Space in a Small Kitchen

April 22, 2019 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Photo by Brooke Lark on Stocksnap

If you live in in a small home, a studio apartment, or a big city where space is at a premium, and you love to cook, you may feel frustrated some days by the minuscule size of your kitchen. There is hope! Instead of allowing the size to discourage you, you could flip your perspective and enjoy the creative challenge of a small kitchen. Below are five ingenious ways you can kill it in the kitchen when the space is tight.

Don’t be Afraid to Hang Things

Get out the hammer, nails, and ruler and prepare yourself to hang everything you can. Get your knives up off the counter onto magnetic strips, capture potholders on wall grids, and scoop up your measuring spoons into little containers that you can string off of racks with hooks. When shelf space is a struggle, don’t be afraid to hang your cookware from your ceiling above your stove. Another way to save space and make cooking more convenient is to attach your most commonly used utensils on the wall above your stove.

Get Vertical

What can’t fit in drawers could go up! Vertical shelving could be your ticket to additional storage on your counters, above your appliances or in any open space. If you remove the doors, you can add an artistic flair to your kitchen as you thoughtfully decorate with pieces like mixing bowls and mugs. If you do incorporate open shelving, consider investing in either matching or purposefully mismatching jars to store your various flours, grains, and spices—your kitchen will look attractive, clean and organized!

Roll Whatever You Can

Your small kitchen most likely does not include a kitchen island, so consider purchasing a rolling island to create some additional counter space anywhere in the kitchen. Another option on wheels is a tiered storage or bar cart that you can seasonally decorate and scoot from place to place easily if company arrives. Finally, if you are feeling crafty, you could consider making your very own rolling pantry.

Enlarge your Cutting Board

If you are struggling for space to chop your vegetables or roll out your pie dough, you may want to invest in a cutting board that fits over the top of an open drawer, your sink or the stove. You will immediately gain counter space instead of your cutting board monopolizing precious real estate.

Fold Up Your Kitchen Table

Don’t worry, this is not where you go back to your early twenties and eat off a folding card table—instead, it is where you might consider adding a table that can fold up into your wall, similar to the functionality of a murphy bed. Instead of a typical kitchen table chair, you could use a soft bench to create a seamless flow to the room when the table is folded up and make the absence of the table less obvious.

If you enjoy cooking you are going to spend a great deal of time in your kitchen, so why not create something that captures your style while strategically allowing you to save space? When shelving is tight, don’t be afraid to add more and go vertical. Maximize your counter space by hanging whatever you can, finding a cutting board that fits over your sink and adding a rolling island or bar cart. You can even throw tradition to the wind and put in a kitchen table that folds up into the wall. Allow your small kitchen to morph from your nemesis to your most significant accomplishment.

Looking Good – 5 Tips to Look and Feel Great in 2019

April 16, 2019 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Sometimes, you can get to a point in your life when you’re tired of the “same old” you. You don’t feel all that good about who you are, lack confidence, and you’re merely going through the motions of what feels like a drab and lackluster existence. Life is for living to the fullest, not for stagnating. If you want to start being at your best so you can feel better and have more confidence, then consider these five tips below.

Source: Mark_Mook_Fotografie/Pixabay

Look at Cosmetic Dentistry

Did you know that much of your confidence comes from your smile? If your teeth are yellowing or stained, then you are going to be more likely to remain tight-lipped. One way to feel far better about yourself is by taking care of that problem with teeth whitening. Within a few hours of sitting in a dentist’s chair, you can be grinning from ear to ear with confidence.

Get Fit

More than 35 percent of US citizens are obese, which means around that many are not getting enough exercise. If it has been a long time since you pounded the pavement, don’t you think it might be time to start? Choosing to get fit and healthy can be a monumental decision and one that helps you to feel better about yourself and look better too. What’s more, it’s something you can do with friends, expanding your social horizons. If motivation is a barrier, get yourself an exercise buddy, or hire a personal trainer to help keep you focused and accountable.

Passion for Nutrition

The average woman will work almost eight hours a day, with the average man around eight and a half. By the time you come home, do your chores, feed the pets, and help the kids with their homework, you’re slapping dinner together at the last minute – be it nutritional or not. Draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough.

If you want to feel and look good, you need to be more conscious of what you are putting in your mouth. Get that old cookware out of mothballs and start whipping up more fresh meals, rather than relying on processed food. A new diet coupled with exercise can transform both body and soul.

A New Wardrobe

When was the last time you went shopping and bought yourself a full new outfit? If you can’t remember, then it was too long ago. However, when you hit the mall, don’t stick with the same old garments you always buy. Become a new, confident version of you. Draw upon the experience of shop assistants so you can walk out with an outfit that enhances your figure and suits your personality.

New Year, New Hair

Whether you’re a man or a woman, there’s something cleansing and exciting about changing your hairstyle. However, men will only do it around four times in their peak adulthood, with women more likely to do it every 18 months. If you’re tired of looking in the mirror and seeing the same face and style, then take a trip to your local salon. Try something new, exciting, or even drastic that will see you looking and feeling great in the new year.

Not everyone is comfortable or confident with the skin they’re in. However, it can be hard to make a change. When you’re stuck in a rut, or you’re used to doing things a certain way, you can forget that another way exists. Make 2019 your year.

Look at cosmetic dentistry to grin with confidence, change up your hairstyle, invest in a new wardrobe, and get fit and healthy. You’ll then glide into 2020 looking every fit as fabulous as you feel.

How to Get Rid of Ants From Inside of Your House

August 29, 2018 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Seeing a few ants every now and then is not the end of the world. But when a long trail of ants is being spotted marching across the floor of your house on a daily basis, this can be a cause for concern. Not only can ants be a nuisance, but also they can create a health hazard by easily getting into your food causing contamination.

When it comes to controlling ants there are a few different treatment options available, you could try to solve the problem by doing it yourself.

Here are six steps that will help you to effectively get rid of ants in your kitchen inside of your house and the backyard without the need of hiring a professional.

Keep the Area Clean

Ants are most likely to appear in your kitchen and bathrooms first, because of moisture and food being readily available there. All other rooms in your house can also attract ants if there is food left behind. For the most part, ants are drawn to, scattered crumbs on the floor, grease traces on the kitchen counter and sweet products in the pantry.

The most important in not attracting ant is to keep your kitchen area clean. Ensuring that you wash all your dishes and get rid of food stains from the counters is a very good start. Regularly sweeping and vacuuming the floor is always a great help too.

Identify the Type of Ants

Ants are one of the most successful, well organized and structured insects. They live in colonies that range from a few hundred to many thousands of individual ants.

There are many different ant types around, but only a few common pest ant species in the urban environment are known to cause havoc inside homes and gardens. The very first step in successful ant control is to determine what type of ants are causing the problem. Take a closer look at them, or have them identified be a professional. Alternatively you can search for information about this particular ant online in order to find as to what steps can be taken to keep them away from your house.

Use Acidic Wips

If you see only a few ants in an area of your house, you can be sure that more will follow, especially if there is a smaller ant type infestation. What works well in preventing ants is, mixing one part of lemon juice with one part of water and using it for wiping all areas and surfaces on which ants are trailing. Vinegar is also very effective and can be used, mixed with three parts of water for mopping the floors. Ants are deterred by all acidic products and lose their sense of following their tracks. It will eliminate the scent that the outside ants use to follow the trail of those who already inside.

Locate and Kill the Ants Nest

When the odd ant appears it makes sense to spray it immediately. But if you are starting to see an army of ants regularly parading on your kitchen counter, it is a sign there may be a more serious issue. In this instance, it is always a good idea to find out where all the ants are coming from. Follow the trail and it will often lead you to the ants nest. You can use vinegar and water mix to kill the colony.

Set up Ant baits

While finding the ants nests is not always possible, setting ant baits can be an excellent alternative. All ants are drawn to moisture and food and setting food baits for ants is the most effective way to get rid of these annoying pesky pests in your home. Ants will naturally find themselves going into those traps transferring the poison bait throughout the entire nest.

Once this happens the ant colony will be eliminated and all the ants should disappear. This is one of the better choices to ensure the entire nest is dead and ants are no longer an issue.

Weigh up Your Options

It is it not always easy to engage in effective ant control during the hot summer months, especially when the problem gets out of hand. But if you keep the area clean, set bait and use ant traps, you will have a very good chance of eliminating the entire ants nest.

While getting rid of some ants may be an easy task, cases of a severe ant infestations may be best left for the professionals.

Simple and Cost Reducing Tricks to Make Your Home More Stylish

April 5, 2018 by Painter Mommy Leave a Comment

Making your home look stylish may seem out of reach. However, it does not have to cost a lot of money to bring style into your home decor.

Mix and Match Sheer Curtains

Most people tend to stick with matching curtains. However, when they are sheer, they add an elegance to the room and the window when you mix and match two sets of curtains.

Tie Ribbons to Shower Curtain Rods

This gives the bathroom an elegant feel. You can add napkin rings and ribbons if you don’t like the look of ribbons directly on the rod.

Frame Your Television

For an elegant look in the living room, you can frame your television. Try using distressed wood or elegant looking pieces of trim cut to size. You can also hide all of the cords within a shower rod to give the room a simple and organized air.

Spray Paint Old Air Vents

Air vents tend to take on an aged look when they have been in place for some time. Give them a fresh coat of spray paint, and they appear like new.

Use Photo Frames to Accent Your Light Switches

Light switch frames do not have to be boring and light-colored. Instead, opt for a colorful picture frame, picked up at the dollar store or a yard sale, and frame the switch plate to make it look fresh and new. It adds style to the room in a way that you might not notice at first, but it is worth the effort.

Paint the Ceiling a Bright Color (Think Accent Wall)

Accent walls have been popular for a long time. Now, you can opt for a brightly colored ceiling to be the accent “wall” in the room. Instead, of choosing a wall around the room, draw the eye to the upper area. It brings style and gives the room a boost in energy as well.

Make the Room Look Bigger

You can opt for half-painted walls, which will make the room appear taller. You can also make the windows in the room appear bigger by using curved curtain rods. These can help give the room the illusion of more space, which can make people feel more comfortable and less cramped in the space.

Infuse Your Closet Doors with Style

You can purchase mirrors for reasonable prices. Opt to buy matching mirrors and attach them to the closet door. It is a good idea to paint the doors to match. Then, they appear built-in and very elegant.

Add Hardware to Tie Curtains

Tie-backs with a simple hook and ring connected to simple rope can give your curtains an elegant style. Meanwhile, you can opt to basket-weave the top of the curtains to provide another shot of elegance to the room.

These tips, along with resources like The Stylish Splash, can be very helpful if your home needs a bump in the style sector. They can also be helpful for renovations to sell your home. You can make it look irresistible to potential buyers with limited investment.