Midweek Meditation: Compliments

I'm starting something new and wordy for Wednesdays. I want to make a small suggestion on meaningful things which we can aspire to do. This weeks I am thinking of compliments and thanks.

I want you to make a point of trying to give FIVE genuine compliments, or to genuinely thank them, every day this week.

You're laughing, I know. But think about it. I'm not saying to tell a stranger "nice shoes," or "thanks for passing the ketchup," but genuine heartfelt compliments and expressions of gratitude."

Example.
Wrong; "Thanks for watching the kids."
Right "Thank you for spending your time playing with Mongoosine this evening. The time you spend together means a great deal to her, and the way you realligned your schedule to help me out means a great deal to me. It is.a essing to have you in our lives. Thank you."

See the difference?

Wrong: "You rock."
Right: "Your generousity of spirit and patience with advising me when I was struggling with breastfeeding questions and issues has been a tremendous boon to me, and I am grateful for the time you've taken to help me."

I think you get it.
Go forth. Spread the heartfelt goodness we never take the time to put into words, but that will mean so much to the people we want to let know we admire, rely upon, and for whom we are grateful.


Love & Light

Pink Saturday: Real Men?

Real men dig pink. Real men dig pink while hangin' with the granny squares and sporting a Cupie hair style and rockin' out a purple diaper. Baby Dude has got hiz teknology and is ready to watch some serious PBS.

For more Pink Saturday, head over to How Sweet The Sound, where Beverly has some lovely pink and all the pink links.

WeeEssentials Review

WeeEssentials = Too Cute.

So I had another truly milktastic moment. About three weeks ago I was laying in bed in that early morning drowsing kind of way that I lay there when I have zero desire to get up, but alas, Snapdragon was awake and opening his mouth in that way that can only mean "hey you with the boobs, yes, you, feed me. Now." Sweet, right? So I cuddle him to me, which isn't hard since we cosleep and he's always right there. Of course, this might be part of the reason why he wakes up with that "baby you, you got what I need" kind of look. In any case, he latches on, and the next thing you know, my arm, some 12" or so from my chest is being sprayed with milk, *through my shirt.*

Talk about a let down.

This had to stop, and as I've stated before, we are trying so very hard to do this baby raising thing as sustainably as possible. That's why I was so excited when one of my tweeps recommended WeeEssentials. Not only does she make mama cloth, baby wipes, wet bags, and divinely smelling soap bits which are perfect for homemade wipe solution for those cloth wipes lovers out there, she makes some of the cutest nursing pads I have ever seen. Nope, the cutest.

They're made with an uber-adorable printed layer that goes against your skin, either a cotton or bamboo absorbent layer, a layer of PUL for waterproofness, and a layer of white flannel so as to avoid the whole "why are there rainbow hearts showing through your shirt" awkward moment that you all know would happen if they were constructed the other way around. And however much we'd like to say it, "Because I <3>

The sweetheart behind WeeEssentials sent me both a bamboo and a cotton set of nursing pads, as well as some soap bits to try out so I could tell you all whether her goods are actually as spifftacular as they look.

The answer is: No.

They're More Spifftacular.

I like the cuteness of her nursing pads, but I love that the cotton prints feel nice against the tatas. I like that the edges are pinked instead of surged. I like that they wash up well. I love that I haven't leaked past them while using them, despite my letdown of doom superpowers.

I love that they're even thinner than the LLLI nursing pads I also reviewed.

That said, because they aren't contoured, depending on the exact shape of the girls, they might be more visible under a tight clingy shirt. But if you're anything like me, tight and clingy shirts went out when TTC turned into TTGSS (tryin' to get some sleep).

I love that they're comfortable. If you have a gnawing nurser like I do, you know that some days you get sore, and when you're sore, you certainly don't want something that isn't perfectly comfy.

I also LOVE that when you're buying from WeeEssentials, you're supporting a WAHM, which means you're supporting a mom, a creative mom, and you're also supporting her family, and it feels awfully good to be able to buy great products and know that there are individuals to whom it makes a difference.

Did I just say great products?

Yeah, Soap Bits. I am in love. And not just that new "omg, you're so hot and we both breathe air through our noses so we must be meant for eachother" kind of infatuated love, but real diaper change time love with Soap Bits. You can dissolve them in water to make a wicked cool wipe solution that smells absolutely delightful (we tried Witches Brew and Eucalyptus Spearmint) and doesn't irritate sensitive baby skin. I had been using either water or water with aloe for wipe solution, but it is so nice to have a sweet smelling solution that doesn't have any nasty harmful chemicals in it and that smells good. Love it. Love it love it love it.

And did I mention that her prices are really great? I didn't? Well, they are. A pair of nursing pads only cost $4.50, and her shipping is fairly low too. So what are you waiting for?

Check out her shop. You won't be disappointed.

Disclosure: as previously mentioned, I was compensated for this review with soapbits and nursing pads. The opinions are mine entirely, and if they're swayed, they're only swayed because baby butt smells good and my shirt isn't moist.

Wordless Wednesday: Gothling Fashionista

More Wordless Wednesday

President Obama: A Day in the Life of America’s Leader

I very nearly went into politics.

The art of who gets what and how they get it excites me.

This is an excitement I endeavor to instill in my children.

Whether it's dragging poor Mongoosine into the voting booth with me and explaining each step of the process to her very quietly as I select my favorite candidate for each of the positions.

I encourage her to think critically about things like why it's important to understand how your government works, and why it's crucial to participate.

Consequently, when I found out about TIME for Kids' President Obama: A Day in the Life of America’s Leader, I was more than a little excited to review it, because I wanted to share this book with my daughter, in the hopes that it will help her take one of the first steps to involvement- education.

This is not to say that Mongoosine is into politics.

Getting her to read President Obama: A Day in the Life of America’s Leader has been somewhat similar to pulling teeth.

Did I mention she's a tween? Well, our President isn't a vampire, so I had to trick her into reading it by reading it myself then saying "hey, come look at this" and letting her be engrossed some 3 minutes at a time. She'll tell you it wasn't interesting, but then she'll tell you about President Harrison's grandchildren being pulled off in a cart by Whiskers the goat.

Because my degree is in History, and my emphasis was the use of pop culture media for propaganda, I have to say, the book is well put together. The images are vibrant and engaging, the personal details are memorable, and the information is accessible enough to be meaningful to the intended audience. President Obama: A Day in the Life of America’s Leader was written for 9-12 year olds, though I can think of a certain 7 year old who will just love it.

President Obama: A Day in the Life of America’s Leader does a marvelous job of breaking down the basic structure of government and the interaction of the various branches, and divisions within the branches of government. It also tricks the reader into learning the various governmental functions and terms by interspersing them with attention grabbing details and easily understandable charts.

If you are considering this book, this is what I feel you should know.

It does a superb job of simplifying what goes on in Washington so that it is accessible and interesting for a child who shows some political interest. President Obama: A Day in the Life of America’s Leader even has something to offer the older reader. Wouldn't you love to have a handy dandy breakdown of the line of succession, from the Vice President all the way through the next seventeen rungs in the ladder, down to the Secretary of Homeland Security? Of course you would.

Overall, I like this book. I love that it gives children an opportunity to see what the President's day is like, how enormously busy he is, the types of responsibilities he has, and just how things really get accomplished. I particularly like that although President Obama is a democratic president, the book is remarkably centrist. President Obama: A Day in the Life of America’s Leader is not going to turn your children into liberals, but it will help you to educate them, and that, is fantastic. Would I buy it had I not been sent a copy to review?*

Honestly, I might have. Because I have a niece who is very interested in government, so much so she memorized all the presidents in order at the age of six, I very well might have thought that this might be the perfect gift for her.

So if you've got a budding politician or leader- this is a wonderful book for her.

Want it?

President Obama: A Day in the Life of America’s Leader can be purchased from Amazon.com for under $10.

*Disclosure- I was sent a free copy of this book to review.

there's a GroBaby youtube clip.

Okay, I admit it, I'm a cloth diaper fanatic, so if you want, you can go check out this GroBaby YouTube clip.

Its cute.

What is this food of which you speak?

Snapdragon is 24 weeks old today. If we used a lunar calendar, tha'd be six months.
But we don't, and it isn't.

In case you missed it, the current reccomendation is to wait until at least six months before introducing solids. There are a lot of good reasons. The two that stay foremost in my mind are 1. To prevent/reduce likelyhood of developing allergies. 2. To wait til the baby is developmentally ready for foods.
Well, Snapdragon *wants* food. He strains against his highchair strap, stretching his neck and arms, trying to get our food. He mimics our behavior at dinner time. He wants the food. He very nearly got ahold of Spouse's banana this morning.
But I'm supposed to put it off for another 16 days, by the calendar.
16 days.
What difference can this two weeks and two days possibly make?
The paranoid part of me that won't eat peanut butter because dr.s in some countries say the protien to which people are allergic passes directly into breastmilk, that part saus "but what if I expose him to foods 16 days too early and he develops an allergy?
Then part of me sees his frustration at not being able to eat with the rest of us, and I feel like he's developmentally begging for a chance to taste something other than mama-milk.
So frustrating.

Am I nuts here? Is it too soon?
When did you start solids with your little one? Any regrets?

GroBaby BioSoakers!!!

So I'm excited about yet another awesome product from The Natural Baby Company.

Being without a washer for over a month, possibly over 2 months now, I'm getting REALLY sick of handwashing diapers. I know, I know. Environment. Yeah.

I want my hands back.

So when I heard that they were launching their biodegradable and less evil than sposies line of Bio Soakers, I was pretty thoroughly looking forward to said release.

When I read today that they were running a promotion where established bloggers could blog about their new product and that they'd then send out a sample, I was even more excited, because frankly, I need this.

So yeah, disclosure- I'm getting free Bio Soakers for writing this.

So here's the deal.

They use an adhesive to attach to your GroBaby like the snap in soaker would, only with the advantage of being totally biodegradable. It's bigger than the regular soaker, so poo splosions are less likely to mean having to wash the shell. This is a great idea for travel. Most people aren't in the handwashing position I'm in, but would love to not have to cart around so much in the way of dirty diapers when on short trips. For that purpose, these, I've heard, are a godsend. I'm hoping they'll be a godsend for me too!

I mentioned biodegradable.
They're also perfume free, hypoallergenic, chlorine free, plastic free, compostable, dye free, and breatheable. What more could you want? They're as near to self washing that an eco-friendly diapering option can get. So yes, I admit it, I'm excited.
So swing on by the Natural Baby Company, and check out the Bio Soakers.
I doubt you'll be sorry, cuz face it, GroBaby are already dang cute.

See?
Dang Cute!

Pink Saturday: Sneak Peak

Mongoosine loves to try new stuff, and so here she is, rockin' out in a PINK "My Mom Rocks" t-shirt, while trying to figure out just how to work the Labyrinth Balance Board from Challenge & Fun. Here she's using 2 of the balls, instead of three, and trying to get them to go in toward the middle.

Pop back by and pretty soon, after we've had time to form an honest opinion, and you just might find a giveaway...

Self promotion aside, I admit, I do kinda love it when she puts down the latest and greatest tweenage vampire romance novel and gets out in the sun to soak of some good old fashioned Vitamin D, and breathe in some air that smells less like her dirty socks, and more like the pine trees that have shed their needles all over this picture.

There is something refreshing about a kid doing kid stuff, as opposed to trying too hard to be much too big, far too soon.

For More Pink Saturday, head on over to How Sweet The Sound.

Apologies: I've been very bad about not getting around to these the way I should, hence the lack of great suggestions. Ever since Spouse appropriated my computer, after his died, I get to do all my bloggy goodness two nights a week, and everything else is playing catch-as-catch-can from my phone. Thanks for your patience and understanding!

But I'm Shy

I get about a hundred emails a day choc full of things I can get involved in. That I want to get involved in. That mean something to me and all I have to do to participate is show up. But I'm shy.

Okay, I really get like four a week, but still, they add up, and the toll they take on my brain while I'm thinking "rally to save the library? Love to!" but the rest of me says "then again, what if the people there all know each other?"

Snapdragon was 3 months old before I sucked it up and went to my first LLL meeting. Three months. Do you know how beneficial it could have been had we gone in the first month? And how wonderful would it have been to sooner meet some other "sorta crunchy" moms who don't look at me like I'm crazy for breastfeeding, babywearing, co-sleeping, cloth daipering, or even leaving my sweet Snapdragon intact? How much a relief would it have been to be able to discuss the day to day trials, tribulations, and triumphs of livin' la vida AP, and preferably sans BPA without causing a debate?

It would be huge.

So this got me thinking. Why don't I go to the events that I know will be filled with like minded people, with whom I'd probably get along quite well? Why not go just a little out of my normal routine to spend time with real flesh and blood human beings, people with whom I can make eye contact and probably agree with on major issues? Oh yeah... because I'm shy.

Why don't I just show up and make a difference? Because I'm shy.

So here's the thing. We need to stop being shy.

Sure it means a week of working up the nerve to go to something, but I nearly always find that the effort was worth it, so I need to get there. I need to find the mode of thinking and living where it becomes "save the library rally? I'm there."

Because that, dear reader, is where change comes from.

So, are you all shy like me, or do you get out there? And if you're shy and out there, please, oh please, teach me your ways, because I need some help!

In case you were wondering.... WINNERS!

The winner of the cloth LLL Nursing Pads, generously being given by A Mother's Boutique, is Jaime! You can follow her on twitter at @thelightsgodown. I'm so happy for her!

And after a lot of time determining just which direction I was going and how I was counting the numbers on the silly faces, the winner of my 100+ followers surprise giveaway is..... Nikki! Better known to some of you as @CubsMamma

You can check her out at It's a Cub's World & We Just Live in It

In the not so distant future, you can bet I'll be posting just what I sent, because lets face it, we all like to know stuff, right?

I couldn't be happier about Nikki winning. She makes me smile, and laugh, and get teary eyed, and is a constant motivator to snuggle my nursling just a little tighter and cuter, even if I'm secretly jealous of her and her baby makin' ways.

So go check out her blog, and follow her or something, she is pretty darn cool, you know.

Winners will be notified shortly and will have 72 hours to contact me with their shipping info.

Thank you all for entering, following, and rocking in general.

*hugs*

Blue Monday: Kaleidoscope Quilting

Recently, Spouse and I went out of town. And what does any self respecting me do when she's cooped up in a hotel room with a small baby?

That's right. She' quilts.
My mom wants me to make her a quilt and she had picked out some Peacock fabric for it, and what do I do? I slice it into repeats, line up the various points of convergence within the design in all six layers, cut it into identical stacks of 6 layer stacks, then chop them into equilateral triangles.
I personally find it quite amazing how very much diversity there is in just one fabric.

I personally love the kaleidoscopic affect. Don't you?

For more Blue Monday, head on over to Smiling Sally.

Pink Saturday: Nursing In Public

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I'd share a picture of Snapdragon nursing.

Studies have shown that Breastfeeding reduces a woman's risk of developing Breast Cancer.

I hope that you are doing everything you can to keep yourself healthy.

Love & Light.

For more Pink Saturday, head on over to How Sweet the Sound.

The Power of Advertising

If you picked up a baby or parenting magazine right now, there are two things I can nearly guarantee you. One, it will say somewhere that Breast is Best. Two, the ads will do their damnedest to leave you with the message that formula is what normal people do and is choc full of healthy vitamins and nutrients that your baby won't get anywhere else.

WHO Code violation anyone?

But no one cares. No one cares that formula manufacturers advertise and promote their knock-off baby milk substitute to American moms. This is a first world nation, right? It's not like the WHO Code should extend to civilization. Duh. Breast is only really best for women with dark skin in backwards lands without all the science and government oversight that makes formula far superior here. Right?

Wrong.

There are people who do care that new mothers are receiving formula samples and coupons in the mail.

There are people who do care that we are constantly being bombarded with pacifier, bottle, and formula imagery.

I am one of those people.

Are you?

I have this idea. What if we STOP buying magazines with formula ads? What if we tell the various corporations publishing the magazines we love that we won't buy them until they stop selling advertising space to WHO code violators, or at least disallow WHO code violating ads? Think we could create some change?

Baby Bond Review and Discount Code

Snapdragon is an exclusively breastfed baby. An exclusively breastfed, on demand, baby. This means he gets fed when he's hungry, regardless of where we are or what time it is. This means nursing in public if we're out and about if he gets hungry, and frankly, he's a boy who likes to "eat out."

Now, I am all about nursing in public without added wraps, covers, strange hats, and other such nonsense. I am not into throwing a blanket over my baby's head to feed him, and I don't think any woman should feel she has to cover up.

That said, sometimes I don't like being stared at, and Spouse really doesn't appreciate it when I'm showing enough cleavage to deserve to be on MTV, or worse still (in my opinion) flashing flabby stretch mark belly. No, you shouldn't feel self conscious about your belly, but I felt weird about mine before Snapdragon, so I'm surely not going to suddenly want to go showing it off now!

Even though I don't always want to flash skin, I do still want to be able to feed my baby without necessarily throwing a blanket over his head. I've had fairly good luck with a traditional nursing cover, but when I saw the Baby Bond, I was just delighted at the concept. Nothing goes over Snapdragon's head, but instead, it goes between us so I'm not being, in Spouse's words, "indiscreet," but at the same time, Snapdragon and I can have all the unhindered eye contact we'd like, and we do like unhindered eye contact.

Missy from Baby Bond sent Snapdragon the Couture in Riviera to try out, and I have to say I like it. First of all, the colors are really pretty without being overwhelming. I let Mongoosine pick the color, because I like to get her involved in my nursing relationship with Snapdragon as often as possible, because I want her to have good experiences with the idea of breastfeeding, so that when she grows up and has kids, she'll have more reason to feel comfortable with the idea of breastfeeding, even in public.

The Awesome:

The Baby Bond comes in a variety of grown-up and sophisticated colors, and even a lovely stripe.

The Couture version is a one-size and adaptable option so I didn't have to mess with sizes and measuring tapes.

The Couture can be wrapped around my belly, under my shirt, so as to work like a belly band and keep nosy eyes off my belly, or rather, let me relax knowing that no one is going to be staring at it, not that they would, but comfort is *hugely* important when you're Nursing in public.

The Couture can be worn in a sash-like manner over the breast so that there is an opening between the layers so the baby can access the nipple without exposing the rest of the breast.

Despite my inability to figure very simple things out, it is quite easy to use, and has the instructions sewn inside it, with pictures, so you don't have to worry that you'll forget what you're doing.

Diaper-Bag Friendly. It's self storing, and rolls up small and neat.

It's comfortable.

It's lightweight enough for summer, but not so flimsy that I would worry about the tatas getting cold in the winter.

It washes up well.

The Baby Bond allows you to use the majority of your regular wardrobe as a nursing wardrobe, so there is no need to buy a bunch of specialty clothing in order to avoid the "whipping it out" phenomenon.

The Slightly Less Awesome:

If you're petrified of the notion that someone might momentarily catch a glimpse of your nipple before your baby latches on or immediately following a feeding, well... the nature of the Baby Bond is to allow nipple/breast access without covering up the baby's head, so that might be an issue *if* you don't practice using it a few times at home first to get the hang of covering and uncovering.

There is a bit of a learning curve. I probably used the Baby Bond cover four times before I got the hang of putting it on quickly and efficiently. Once I had it down, I felt kinda silly for struggling to begin with, because it's actually quite easy to use. I just think that if you're shy, you should practice at home so you don't get flustered in public trying to figure it out the first time.

Overall Opinion:

"Feed Your Baby. Nourish Your Relationship." The tagline of Baby Bond sums it up pretty well.

I make no bones about the fact that I'm a bit of a lactivist, and so I am loving the Baby Bond because it means more nursing in public confidence without having to cover my baby's head.

I feel the Baby Bond is a wonderful option for a nursing mother, especially if you don't want to spend two arms and a leg on a new nursing wardrobe. And, not buying new specialty clothes is my favorite color.

Want one? Buy One. Head over to Baby Bond and check them out. There are two other versions which kinda rock too, one even has an integral burp cloth so no more "oops, I forgot the burp cloth and now I'm wearing hot cottage cheese" moments.

Missy even has a special offer right now, offering a free Meet & Greet with a lactation consultant via VirtualBreastfeedingHelp.com and Mother Love nipple cream, so what are you waiting for?

Be sure to use the discount code "paisley" for 20% off between now and October 31st!

Discolsure: Missy sent me the Couture Baby Bond to review. It came in a pretty box, and we've been getting to love it pretty hard for the last month, and that's the only compensation I've recieved, pleasant conversation withstanding, because Missy's pretty sweet too.

Wordless Wednesday: Dude and Da-Dude Can Has Bonding

Less than Shiney

After sitting against his Boppy pillow and cute-ing it up for a while with the coo-ing and the chuckles, the gaah-ing and the dipthongs, I decided it was fluffy change time for one Mr. Snapdragon.
Bit as I went to cover his eyes for a fluffy change distracting game of peekaboo, I thought, my his head feels warm.
Mentioning this to Mongoosine, she rapidly danced off to the bathroom, returning with the forehead thermometer. They're not the most precise, but they sure are less invasive than a rectal thermometer.
The verdict? Between 100.4 and 102.5. The question remains as to just where.
So I'll be the non-sleeping worried-sick over sick baby type of mom tonight.
its amazing how much these kids own our hearts and how their mild siuckness can affect us.
I hope your little ones are well tonight.

Half-Hearted?

I am flabby.
No, really.
So today I promised myself that I would go back to the workout routine that helped me lose some 40 lbs in about as many weeks last year.
The basics of the routine involve swimming half a mile, more days than not, and some water pilates as feels good.
So I made it to the pool, and walked up to the edge of the lap pool. I haven't been in it in *months* because I'm a temperature wimp.
Well, I had put my big girl swim suit on, so I jumped in and started my laps. Alas, I was winded pretty quickly, so I settled for a quarter mile.
It's better than nothing, right?
How are you getting your baby weight off?

A Tale of Horror.

It's October, so I decided hat this tale isn't too frightening to share, though in fact, it very well may be. Please, if you have small children or ferrets, don't read this allowed at them, as the trauma may be permanent.
As I was cleaning in my bedroom today, yes, I was cleaning, I got near the bed. This was my mistake.
As a child I used to always jump into bed, preferably from as far away as possible. I suffered from that unnamed fear of something under the bed reaching out and grabbing me. A hand, a claw, a tentacle, I don't knoiw just what, but something. I hate that feeling. I hate standing by my bed when I'm not actively busy to distract myself from the dread of what could lurk beneath the bed.
As a child and teenagern I combatted this fear by filling the space beneath my bed with as many boxes and other junk as I could. No zombies under the bed if there's no room for them on top of the tennis racket and costume boots beside the file folder box stuffed with all of the papers and notebooks from my sophpmore year. Safety in mess.
Well, somehow the bedskirt of my bed had today become unsettled and that's when I saw it, beneath my bed, more frightening than any netherworld demon with gray and scaly flesh with three inch claws. No, this was a horror that left me cold and still as I tried to calculate the best and safest way out of the situation.
Was it a spider the size of a pitbull, you wonder? Perhaps a snake?
No.
It was one of Snapdragon's diapers.his cloth diapers. On spouse's side od the bed. But spouse hasn't changed him in nearly a month.
That's right.
A cloth diaper that has possibly been festering and fermenring for a month.
What to do?
If you cloth diaper, you understand my dread.
It won't go away for wanting it to.
No, it had to be handled.
Did I mention it is a bright yellow OS pocket? It is neither ignorable or cheap. *shudder*
Did I mention I've been handwashing these things most days?
So its me, and the scary diaper under the bed.
I steel myself for the worst and reach under (no invisible dogs bite me as I put my hand under the bed) and grab the diaper.
It isn't poopy. This is both good and bad, because it's fleece, and that means that there is only one way to verify whether it is amonia-tastic and needs to be treated separately from the rest of Snapdragon's diapers.
*The sniff test.*
That's right. The sniff test.
I had to put my nose to the diaper and inhale.
Anyone else breaking out in a cold sweat with me?
Despite my worst fears, the fluffy of doom turned out to be nothing more than a fluffy renegade, gone AWOL at the end of its last laundry tour. A lonely deserter.
That was scary. Scarier still- I need to get the underside of my bed vleaned out. Who knows what might be lurking down there?
So please tell me I'm not alone, have you ever had anything like this happen to you?

Aloha Friday: Pets?

Sayin' Aloha tot he Aloha Friday phenomenon. On the islands, or so they say, people like to take it easy on Friday, so here goes.

When Snapdragon was born, I got all paranoid about the cats who like to sleep on my face and the fact that they were going to be both bigger and sharper than the baby. Since then they've been living mostly in the garage. Don't worry, Spouse sleeps out there too *, and yes, it's insulated, heated, cooled, and no longer used as a garage. Should I call it the family room? It's supposed to be being turned into one... just that transformation is really, really, r-e-a-l-l-y s--l--o--w.

So here's my question. Do you have pets, and if you do, did you make any changes regarding them when you had kids?

*he can't fall back asleep without the TV on, whereas it wakes me up.

Nes-Quick Change

I recently found out about Nestle's WHO code non-compliance (checkout babymilkaction.org if you haven't heard yet) as well as their unethical Mugabe supporting milk buying and child slave-labor produced cocoa buying, and so I made the mistake of going through my house to see which Nestle products I currently use, and now I am faced with the difficult task of figuring out what they'll be replaced with.
Can you help me?

I need non-evil and yummy (when aplicable) alternatives to the following products.

Strawberry Nes-Quik
Ovaltine (malt)
Carnation instant breakfast (strawberry and vanilla)
Tidy Cat liter

That's all I can think of at the moment, but seriously, I need help here.
Suggestions?
(I will try to include links to all the Nestle fail I mention in the first paragraph when I am at a real computer)