How To Be Better In Time Managment In The New School Year?

As the new school year is beginning most moms find it difficult to adjust to the new time schedule and pressure to find enough time to manage everything.

So here are some tips to make your days more efficient and less stressful. 

Watch less TV. OK, OK. I know.  Almost all time managment lectures mention the role of our TV consumption habits on time managment. It might seem a bit boring but it does have a reason why this topic is so over-talked. We really do watch too much TV. Or maybe you personally not. But hey. Be honest. Don't you spend a bit too much time with Facebook, Twitter or Instagram? It might also help if you reduce this time by 10 minutes every day at first.

Plan your weekly menu in advance. Creating a menu for the week in advance helps you write your grocery shopping list easier and will make you more focused on creating a balanced diet for you and your family.

Buy your groceries online. It will be easier with the help of  you weekly menu.:) 

This way you will save all the time spent in the car on your way to and back from the grocery store.

By the way lists. Create a daily/weekly/monthly schedule on cleaning.This way you won't forget about anything and save yourself the stress of forgetting when you last watered your plants.

Avoid the crowd. Get information about the 'rush hour' of shops, resturants, fitnes centre, etc, you go to . This way you will be able to find out the best time to go to avoid the crowd and save time.

I hope you find these tips helpful.

I wish you a smooth beginning of the new season and  the new school year.

XX,

Pippi

The First 16 Months ...

First of all, sorry for being a bit quiet about my son. I hardly ever find the time to sit down and write down my experiencs as a mom.

But now, that my son turned 16 months old I feel like it is time to share some of my experiences with you.

The mere facts are:

89 cm, 15 kg, 16 teeth

But as any proud mom would do, I want to boast about what he already can:

- run

- go up and down the stairs,

- open and close wardrobes, even the ones with a baby safe opening system. :) Hell, they were a waste of money....,

- open the fridge and find his favourite stuff,

- take off his shoes and clothes,

- climb out of the bath tub,

- open the door with a key,

- tell appr. 50 words,

- help me cleaning. 

Fav activities:
-watching dogs and cats,
- imitating the sound of cars,
-yelling 'Mom' (the sweetest thing ever)
- riding a tricycle

And the inevitable question: Are you planning to make him a sibling?

Of course! Soon!

Earlier I posted about how to get back in shape after pregnancy which you can read about here.

About baby carrying you can read more here.

About breastfeeding you can read more here

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

XO,

Pippi

Artichoke Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients:

1 big zucchini

200 g artichokes in oil

5 big tomatos

Garlic 

Oregano

Basilicum

Salt

White pepper

100g Edam cheese

2 spoonfuls of Gran Padano cheese

300 ml water

Directions:

Wash the zucchini and cut it half lengthwise. 

Scoop out and discard pulp.

Place it in a baking pan, put salt on it and add the water into the pan.

Peel the tomatos and cook them with some water for about 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, garlic, oregano and basilicum. Cook it for another 3 minutes. 

Stuff the zuccinis with the artichokes (without the oil) and add the tomato sauce.

Cover with both types of cheese.

Cover the pan and put it in the oven for 35 minutes on 180 C.

Enjoy it hot or cold.

Thanks for stopping by!

XX,

Pippi

By The River

You can see other Insta related posts on the blog here, here, here and here.

Thanks for stopping by!

If you like these pics, don't forget to follow me on instagram.

Have a nice day.

XX,

Pippi

Flower Love

If you like these shoots, go and check my previous Insta related posts on the blog here, here, here and here.

Thanks for stopping by!

If you like these pics, don't forget to follow me on instagram.

XX,

Pippi

Corn Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients:

1 big zucchini

300 g corn

200 ml yoghurt

200 g cottage cheese

Garlic 

Green pepper (sharp)

Salt

White pepper

250 g Mozarella

500 ml water

Directions:

Wash the zucchini and cut it half lengthwise. 

Scoop out and discard pulp.

Place it in a baking pan, put salt and white pepper on it and add 300 ml water into the pan.

Cook the corn in the rest of water for 5 minutes.cut the green pepper in small pieces.

Put the yoghurt cottage cheese, salt, pepper, garlic and green pepper into a pan and add the corn. Mix it.

Stuff the zuccinis with this sauce.

Cover it with cheese.

Cover the pan and put it in the oven for 35 minutes on 180`.

Enjoy it fresh and hot.

Overwhelmed...

First of all, I am terribly sorry for having been so absent recently.

The last few months have been full with highs and lows both in my personal  and in my professional life (being hacked and not managing to get my polyvore collages and therefore loosing hundreds of posts just to mention a few) and I felt totally overwhelmed.


As you might have realized, I have still been active on my Insta but could not find the time and energy to keep posting here.

Well, the storm is still not over but from now on I will concentrate on this platform again. :)

I am really thankful for your support and nice messages during this difficult time.

As always, thank you for reading.

XX,

Pippi

Baby Carrying Or What I Am Gonna Do Differently With My Second Child

When I was pregnant I tried to imagine and figure out how I was going to manage all the household chores. As my mother passed away a long time ago and other family members work long hours, getting help on weekdays seemed almost impossible. What makes things more complicated is that my  grandma lives with us und she doesn't really eat ordered food and she always has lunch at 12.00. It has been like that for 96 years, so it must be like that for the rest of her life. ( Yes, 96!!!!! Living history)  At the beginning, one of my aunts brought her lunch so that I did not have to be all stressed out. But I knew that it wasn't going to be like that forever, so I had to find a way to have my baby close, to be able to entertain or help him sleep and have two hands free to cook, clean, etc..

Today I would like to sum up the most important infos i would have loved to know earlier. :)

Knit jersey wraps are ideal for newborns for front carrying. Their main advantage is that they are relatively easy to use and  are adjustable to the baby's and mother's needs. As they can only be used in the front, they are recommended to be used with a baby under 7 kilos (carrying a baby over 7 kilos in the front is not ideal for your inner organs). 

Cotton, linen, wool or gauze wraps can be used to carry an infant, toddler or even child in a variety of positions including in the front, the hip or the back. However, when it comes to learning how to wrap the baby, theory is easier than practice. :) But as intimidating as it seems at first, it is not impossible to learn it. 

A ring sling is a one shoulder carrier and they come in different materials.  A pair of metal rings are securely attached to the end of a roughly two-meter-long piece of fabric. The weight of the child in the carrier secures the rings against slipping.  They say it is ideal for mothers who want quick up and down carries. At least, they say. :) To tell you the truth, as for me it was the most difficult to use. 

Meh dais (from Chinese) have a panel of fabric with two shorter straps that are meant to go around the waist and two longer straps to wrap over the shoulder. Some meh dai straps are  padded to make carrying more comfortable. They are relatively easy to learn how to wear and can be used for front, back, and hip carries. Different schools of baby carrying claim different ages and levels of movement development as ideal for meh dais. Just to make sure, you'd better choose it if your baby can already sit safely as meh dais cannot be adjusted 100% to the needs of the carried nd the carrier. 

Soft structured carriers (SSCs) are sometimes mocked to be backpacks with babies in them. Their main advantages are that they are comfortable, convenient and relatively easy to use. Their padded waistbands and shoulder straps are mostly really appealing and these features make them attractive even to men. They can be used for front, back, and sometimes hip carrying. The mainly offer extras such as sleep hoods, front pockets, adjustable seats, etc.

Some SSC manufacturers claim that their products are ideal for carrying infants with the help of a special infant insert but I'd rather you didn't fall into that marketing trap. These inserts are neither ergonomical  for a ewborn, nor comfortable for the adult. SScs are ideal when your baby can sit and stand safely.

As you can see, it is not easy to choose which type to use so I recommend you trying as many types as possible.  The best way is finding a club where you can try and borrow different types of carriers and get professional help.

And here is what I am going to do differntly with my second child:

With A I did not borrow a knit jersey wrap but a cotton wrap which was a mistake as cotton wraps are more difficult to use. Knit jersey wraps are ideal for learning how to wrap. :)

I hope I could help you with these information. Please, let me know if you have used any of the above mentioned carriers and what were your experiences.

XX,

Pippi

Winter With And Without Snow

Thanks for stopping by!

If you like these pics, check out my instagram account

XO,

Pippi

Moment Of The Week..

...watching the snow with my son.

I wish you an amazing weekend.

XX,

Pippi

Instapippi ...

You can see other Insta related posts on the blog here, here, here and here.

I wish you a wonderful day.

XX,

Pippi

Sustainable Fashion

Did you know that according to Earth Pledge at least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles and 25% of the world's pesticides are used to grow non-organic cotton? And what's worse,  still two thirds of a garment's carbon footprint will occur after it is purchased.

When we hear the notions sustainable fashion, eco fashion, ethical fashion or slow fashion, we tend to think that big companies are the only ones that can make a difference. But as the result of Earth Pledge's research shows, it is us, costumers, who cause the worst part. Yes, companies overproduce, use pesticides, etc., but it is also the costumer who makes mistakes. Just think of the average American throwing away 70 pounds of clothes a year. Isn't it an insane amount?!

The good news is that it is also us who can make the biggest change. 

Yes, you and me too. 

I know it might seem a bit hypocritical that a fashion blogger who sometimes also buys and promotes pieces by fast fashion brands, talks about sustainable fashion. But I truly think that by changing our ways we can make a difference. So here are my tips for easy steps towards being more conscious and doing less harm to our environment through our fashion choices:

Donate

When I was about 6 or 7, I received a wonderful purple winter coat with Minnie Mouse on it. I loved it but grew out of it soon. My mom decided to give it to a family in our street as they had 3 younger than me daughters. First, I hated seeing that other girl in my wonderful coat but I got used to it. And my mom went on, she donated more of my clothes to that family. Later it was already me who asked one of my classmates who had 13 siblings, whether they would come over to my place and choose from the clothes me and my sister did not wear anymore.

Look for materials that last 

This way you will wear one piece longer. The longer you wear an item, the better for your environment. 

Buy vintage

But be careful. Vintage shops -just like fast fashion shops - may seduce you to overshopping. Always ask yourself twice, whether you will really wear that piece at least 25 times.

Borrow And Lend

We tend to be more lenient with wasting children's clothes. We tend to say that we cannot do anything against the fact that children grow really fast. And on top of that, children also often damage their clothes. 

That's all true. But hey! 

How about borrowing. Of course, I know everybody will buy clothes for their children but there are pieces that can be borrowed. Winter coats,  hats, rainboots and other pieces that are not worn away so soon can be borrowed or lent. My son usually grows out of a size  every 5-6 weeks. For this short period of time, it isn't really necessary to buy everything he needs new. We often visit one of his cousines who is 3 years old now and go treasure hunting in their cellar. It's actually quite a fun as well.

Go shopping in your own closet

First of all, select your closet. You mightfind pieces you have long forgotten about. You might find something that is 'in' again. Or something your sister/friend needs. You might suprise someone you love without spending.
Or you might find something, that you thought you would never wear but turns out to be suitable for a new situation. Like my late mother's fur coat. You can read the story here.

 Only buy things approriate to your lifestyle 

There is no point in buying 20 cocktail dresses if you are only invited to 2 parties a year.

Challange yourself: No shopping for 1/2/3 months

Sometimes shopping is only impulse shopping. Sometimes it happens  simply because we are bored. Sometimes because we are happy, sometimes because we are disappointed, etc.. Try to avid these situations. Your wallet and your environment will be glad.

Recycle/Upcycle

Some shops collect old pieces for recycling, others use them in related fields of the textile industry.I have just sent an old pair of jeans to a company that uses them for sofas.

And last, but not least: Concentrate on slow designers/companies

One of them, I have come across recently is wearpact.

Brendan, the founder, believes that creating clothing should not come at the cost of people, or the environment. That’s why he partners with organizations that ensure the wellbeing of  workers and the environment. By using the best sustainable ingredients, pact creates clothes that don’t just feel good, you can also feel good about wearing them.

How about you? What are your tips to make fashion  more sustainable?

Thanks for reading.

XX,

Pippi

Photo credit goes to: https://http://www.jiangluosan.net/category/cartoonfashion

This post was not sponsored. All opinions are mine.

Instapippi Lately ..

For further Insta related posts click here and  here.

Don't forget to follow my Instagram account.

XX,

Pippi

Tested ...Caudalie & Ahava

Ahava Purifying Mud Mask

An easy and comfortable to use, not too thick mask. It only takes a few minutes to use and the result is very nice. This product cleans the pores deeply and leaves  a fresh, even complexion. It soothes the skin. It did not leave my skin dry. It smells like mud but the odour is not too strong.

Caudalie Micellar Cleansing Water

The biggest pros for this product are that it does not contain any  parabens, sulfates or phthalates.

It has a nice, uplifting fragrance from orange and lemon blossom, watermelon and mint leaves. Not too strong absolutely not disturbing. It leaves a refreshing feeling but makes the skin feel a bit tacky. It cleans the skin gently and does not leave it dry. However, it could not fully handle my mascara.

How about you? Have you tried any new beauty products recently?

XO,

Pippi