Easy Pancake Recipe - How to Make Fluffy Pancakes

Who doesn't love yummy pancakes on a weekend morning. I like to go by the rule of eating like a king in the morning, a prince in the afternoon, and a servant in the evening. Though I'd like to say that breastfeeding makes me eat like a king nearly 4 times a day 😩. Not complaining though since I'm providing essential nutrients for my baby.

Moving on to today's topic; my love for pancakes led me to try different recipes until I landed on one i absolutely love and find really yummy. These pancakes are incredibly fluffy and delicious. They literally can be eaten alone, taste amazing with cream cheese, syrup, butter, and would be delightful to eat.

I decided to share my recipe with you all.

Ingredients:
1 Cup (160g) All Purpose Flour
Dash of salt
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
Cinnamon
2/3 Cup Yoghurt
1/3 Cup Milk
2 Tspn Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
4 Tbsp Butter

Process:
Combine the dry ingredients first and then mix the wet ingredients separately at room temperature. Add melted butter to the wet ingredients and then mix wet with dry.

Here's a short video to show you the step by step process.

See ya later alligator 😉

Creamy Body Butter for Yummy Looking Skin

I love natural body butters and I'm sure you do too which is why you have landed here. Body butters are not only really good and nourishing for the skin but making them yourself keeps you in control of what goes into the mix and even better, keeps you in control of the price 😉.

Body butters can be made with a mixture of hard oils and liquid oils. The only thing to pay attention to when making body butters, is the ratio of hard oil to liquid oil depending on the consistency you want.

Personally I don't like my body butters too hard or too soft. I like them nice and creamy so when applied to the skin, they melt in and spread easily. For this reason, I keep my hard to liquid oil ratio at about 3:2.

I love to experiment with oils and so you may do so too to create your own unique recipe.

Here's the recipe in the jar pictured below:

Shea Butter 3 Oz
Grapeseed oil 1 Oz
Olive oil 1/2 Oz
Coconut oil 1/2 Oz
Essential Oils - 12 drops

Method:

1. Melt Shea Butter using double boiler method or by placing in a bowl and leaving the bowl in warm water for some time.
2. Add liquid oils and transfer bowl to a fridge or freezer until the sides of the oil mix start to form a solid again.
3. Take bowl out of fridge, add 12 drops of Essential oils of your choice and use a hand mixer to mix for 15 - 20 mins on medium speed, stopping to scrape sides from time to time.
4. Mixture should turn a lighter colour and should look really fluffy.
5. Transfer body butter into a jar and it's ready to use.

I like to place mine back in the fridge to set some more before use.

Comment below what oils you love to use and any magical body butter recipes you recommend.

Don't forget to connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest.

See ya later alligator 😊

Medela Pump in Style Advanced Vs. Freestyle

After my maternity leave, returning to work was one of the hardest things for me because leaving such a tiny baby who depended on me for all of his nutrition seemed out of this world. But as I got to a point where staying at home was starting to affect me financially, I was forced to return to work when my baby was just 9 weeks old. It was so painful to have to leave him for nearly 10 hours everyday but I had to.
Because I was exclusively breastfeeding, I had one more thing to worry about; that was, how to keep my milk supply up when away from my baby for prolonged hours. As some of us already know, being away from your baby can mean that milk supply would soon dwindle since it works as demand and supply.
The only way to prevent diminishing milk supply, was to pump at the same time my baby would ordinarily feed. This served two purposes; it ensured my breast milk flow never went down but increased instead, and it ensured I always had milk stored in the freezer just in case.
Breast pumps are a must have for most working mothers who are still nursing and with an abundance of options to choose from, it is without a doubt that a lot of new mothers are perplexed about which breast pumps best suit their needs.
For this reason, I have decided to briefly outline the pros and cons of the 2 breast pumps I used based on my own experience with them. They were both Medela breast pumps but functioned in very different ways. I hope you find this helpful and it can bring you an inch closer to making a decision on what breast pump to buy. I have also made the breast pumps clickable links so you can easily find where to buy them.

Medela Pump in Style Advanced

Pros:

• Very good suction
• Sturdy design
• Easy to clean parts
• Easy to use
• Adjustable speed
• Comes with 2 free bottles

Cons:

• Can't move around when using it
• Weird noise

Medela Freestyle

Pros:

• Lightweight and sleek design
• Can move around with it.
• Long battery life
• Comes with a breast pump bag and free bottles (love me some freebies)
• Adjustable speed
• Easy to detach and clean thoroughly.

Cons:

• Weird membrane affects suction sometimes and this can be particularly hurtful to milk supply if it's persistent.
• Weird pump sound.

I also give a review on my breast pumps on my YouTube if you want a visual.

Leave a comment to let me know what breast pump you used and if you can recommend it.

Don't forget to connect with me on:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africanladyandababy/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/africanladyandababy/
And my podcast: https://linktr.ee/africanladyandababy

See ya later alligator!😉

My Really Easy Photography DIY Backdrop

If you are a little like me, you are probably also crazy about anything you can create by yourself. It was my birthday on the 1st of June and just the day before, I suddenly got the idea to create my own backdrop. I wanted something nice and inexpensive to take pictures of myself (and my baby) with and I was determined to use only items I already had to create my backdrop. It turned out to be really beautiful, bold, and a true reflection of me; earthy and natural.

For my backdrop, I made use of an old fleece blanket and simply used safety pins to attach leaves and my eucalyptus garland. If you want to achieve a backdrop similar to mine, you totally can with any plain sheet of fabric. I recommend using these Eucalyptus Garlands from Amazon because they are so so natural looking, full, and easily bendable to conform to whatever shape you want. They also work so pleasantly for a variety of uses such as wedding photography, home decor, baby shower decor and photography, etc. I ended up using about 5 of them for my backdrop but to be honest, you can work with whatever you want to achieve whatever look you want to achieve. I also added a range of artificial plants to create a full look and simply arranged them to fit the frame for my picture and that was it.

For my pictures, I used my Samsung Galaxy S10e (you'd be amazed how great the camera of this phone is and how professional photos come out) and a really inexpensive Phone Tripod. Don't forget good pictures have everything to do with excellent Lighting. You may buy one at a relatively good price or you can use natural light and just ensure all lights are on if done in-house.

These are my tips and tricks for today, let me know what you think in the comments section. I'd also love to see what you create from this very simple trick so please share with me on Pinterest and Instagram. See you later alligator! 😊

How to Maintain a Healthy Breastmilk Supply

Before I had a baby, I watched a ton of videos on YouTube about breastfeeding and thought I was prepared for what was to come. Little did I know, that what was ahead of me the days to follow after birth, was going to be one of the most overwhelming things about my fourth trimester. Where was the baby who literally would crawl up to my breasts instinctively? Where was the milk that would come out magically? I really was not ready!

As I laid down hoping to catch at least an hour of sleep, the nurse walked in with a breast pump and said it was time to start trying to feed. The shock! I didn't even imagine I would feed my baby just in a few hours after birth haha. The next week proved challenging as my milk trickled in tiny bits and my baby was really sleepy and wasn't latching.

We eventually got him to latch on and my milk supply started to flow so much that I produced enough for 2 babies. He is now 15 months old and I am doing extended breastfeeding. My milk supply albeit not as much as before, still splashes far when I'm in the shower and I still get the fullness of milk. Here are some of the tips that helped me maintain a healthy milk supply.

• Eat a Healthy Balanced Diet: I focused a lot on my nutrition throughout my pregnancy and after. I remained conscious of the fact that whatever I take in goes into my baby and so eating a well balanced diet with key nutrients was important to me. It is also important to not skip meals when breastfeeding because you need food to nourish your breastmilk.

• Pump Regularly: In the first couple of weeks especially, I made sure to pump after every feed. In the first few days when my milk supply was not in yet, I pumped for 20 minutes every 3 hours regardless and I am sure it made a wealth of difference in my milk supply subsequently.

• Stay Hydrated: on my YouTube channel, I talked about how little things like drinking water can seem like common sense but it can be much more difficult for a new mother. Approximately 90% of breastmilk is water and so it is very important to drink a lot of water when nursing a baby. As part of my hydration, I also drank this tea and I think it helped.

• Don't Wear Tight Bras: these can cut off your milk supply since they press on your milk ducts. It is better to using nursing/maternity bras when nursing.

• Avoid Stress: Stress can have a big impact on milk supply. It is important to get as much sleep and rest as possible. Accept help where you can and stay mindful of the energy around you.

• Take your Prenatals: a lot like eating healthy, what you take in is what you give out and so i continued to take my prenatals and still do. But I would recommend you always talk to your doctor first before taking any medication. 

DIY First Birthday Picture Party

I was starting to feel frustrated with the lack of available 'resources' around me. The plan was not to have a party with people, but to create a memory for my son's first birthday. I opted to create a stage for photographs and have a first birthday cake plus my little celebrant - A Picture Party. 

This wasn't too much to ask for was it? So why could I not find anyone to do it for me at a price? As his birthday drew closer and it was becoming apparent i wouldn't even be able to have my picture party if I had to rely on someone else to create it for me, I decided to get hands on. I decided to bake his cake and do the birthday decor by myself with zero experience in the field. The joy!!!
I believe the world is my oyster and with the right amount of work and research, anything is possible.

Before we go ahead, if you're looking to get party supplies for your Baby Shark Party, here's the one I recommend: Oofy Parties Baby Shark Party Supplies

His Cake

For his cake, I watched a ton of videos on YouTube until I was confident in the technique I would use. I wanted a blue, tall and smooth cake (also known as a double barrel cake) with baby shark toys on top and enough space for a 'Happy Birthday' and his Number 1 cake topper. Unfortunately I cannot go into detail about how I made the cake and did the frosting but here is a picture of the finished cake.

Baby Shark Birthday Decor

To make his balloon arch, I made use of  this rather inexpensive balloon arch kit on Amazon. I blew all balloons using this electric balloon pump and then tied them up using this Fishing Line. Once the garland was formed, I hung my balloon garland using Command Hooks and filled in spaces with left over balloons, smaller 5 inch balloons, and big balloons. I made use of glue dots included in the balloon arch kit i bought, and also used a Low Temperature Glue Gun. You'll also notice I used a range of other balloons including the baby shark family. This was my way of spicing it up to my taste but here are links to every other balloon I used:

Large Clear Balloons
Baby Shark Family Balloons
Silver Tinsel

Check out my YouTube video for a visual illustration on how I made the balloon arch.

6 Useful Toys in Baby's First Year

If you are a parent, particularly a first time parent, you would most likely be somewhat confused about what toys to purchase for your baby. And if you believe in minimalism, you would most likely agree with me that a minimalist lifestyle can be difficult when you have a baby you want to raise without leaving out the necessary and important items a child needs for development.

We often worry endlessly about what toys our babies need and/or whether they will even like these toys and play with them. Thus, I am positive every parent (including myself) ends up buying more than is needed.

To save you the stress, I have compiled a list of 6 toys that I found particularly useful in my baby's first year. Some of these toys have detachable parts that can also act as 'sub-toys' and can be used for various play, learning, and feeding purposes.

1. A Swing:
Swings are a great way to soothe new born babies. Some come with little toys attached that are aimed at stimulating the senses. I had a baby who wanted to be held at all times and it was really nice to have a swing. It definitely was a breather! A good one i recommend is the Fisher Price Swing.

2. An Infant Chair:

By the time my baby was between 3 and 4 months old, I was ready to have him sitting by himself. I went scouting for a seat that would provide good support to his neck and back. This Fisher Price Sit-Me-Up Floor Seat was absolutely wonderful and useful for the better part of his first year. It also has a tray which makes weaning a breeze if you're up for some early weaning like i was.

3. Chewbeads:
This was my favourite teething toy amongst the many teething toys my baby had. While i encourage parents to definitely experiment with several teething toys, I would certainly recommend chewbeads as my number 1 favourite and a must have. They are very safe, easy to clean, and just generally feel good to hold and bite onto. Here is a link to my favourite Chewbead. They also  come in a variety of colours.

4. A Bouncer (Jumperoo):
If you're looking to help your baby strengthen his/her leg muscles while having all the fun in the world, this is the perfect toy. I call it his little amusement park. My baby absolutely loves playing in his bouncer and the one I recommend is this Jumperoo by Fisher Price. It has little parts to it that can be used in helping your baby learn colours, simple additions and subtractions, and point to animals.

5. A Sit to Stand Walker:
Traditional walkers are now considered unsafe and so I knew I would not be buying one for my baby. We opted for a 'sit-to-stand' walker instead and it turned out to be really nice and useful especially with the toy in front and piano. This one on Amazon is one I would recommend VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker.

6. Stacking Toys:

There are various stacking toys out there but this Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack is my favourite. It is super simple and cheap, yet very useful. While baby enjoys stacking and arranging, I use the opportunity to point out colours to him.








Personally, I like a toy that can fulfil multiple purposes especially when it comes to learning and enhancing cognitive skills and in the first year of my baby's life, these were the winners.