Preview the new Recipes for Growing Me ~9 months edition!

New series ‘Recipes for Growing Me’

June 24, 2019

Welcome—I’m Sarah, one of the creators of Watch Me Bloom!

Being raised by the Baby Boomer generation, I’m now raising a young family of my own and have learned that new beginnings can be the greatest beginnings. We're baby bloomers! Inspired by becoming a new parent myself, I am excited to announce our new book Recipes for Growing Me ~6 months—a series of recipe poems that offer simplicity and guidance to questions first-time parents often ask when feeding infants around 6-months-old.

Why baby’s first cookbook?

The first 1,000 days of an infant’s life are critical for laying the foundation for future physical and mental success. Some of the important building blocks of proper nutrition during this developmental stage are not always common knowledge to first-time parents. When Aylee was just five-months-old, my husband suddenly announced she was ready for a banana! I remember feeling overwhelmed with so many questions: Is she ready for it? Is it healthy? What if she is allergic to it? What started as a short Google search on ‘How to know if my baby is ready for solids’, turned into a research project with plenty of websites offering suggestions, lengthy books that explained the science behind each food, what cues to look for…and the list goes on. This made it hard to devise a simple meal plan! Recipes for Growing Me ~6 months series, cover and "A is for Apple" spread The Beginning of Recipes for Growing Me

While trying to summarize everything into a concise list of options, what emerged was a collection of recipe poems that were fun to write! A few months later I met Karen who agreed to illustrate the characters—something cute to bring the recipe poems to life and turn them into an accessible A-Z guide. Her enthusiasm for the work and the ideas we generated together led us to create an expanded collection of lunchbox cards, personalized prints and matching onesies. An important distinction in the series is the inner voice of the infant, reinforcing the bond between mother and child, while also promoting health and wellness in a fun and informative five-minute read.

Friends have shared that the book has become a lovable quick reference which they’ve also enjoyed reading with their older children. But it’s not just for parents—it’s a great resource for grandparents and caregivers too.

What you’ll learn:

Possible first foods/solids to feed your infant
Benefits of iron-rich foods and mother’s milk vs. cow milk
Potential allergens, and which foods to wait or avoid
Simple preparation methods for cooking

Watch Me Bloom at Saskatoon Farmers Market, debut of Recipes for Growing Me book series and matching onesies, lunchbox cards

Our official book launch was hosted in partnership with the Saskatoon Farmer’s market earlier this year with the support of a few little helpers! The success of the series led us to create Watch Me Bloom with the purpose of building a community that encourages individuals to bloom through any aspect of life—spiritually, mentally and physically. So…please take the lead, plant the seeds, and have some fun growing with your little one.

We can’t wait to watch you bloom!
Sarah & Karen

If you’d like to support us, you can buy a book, say hello on Facebook or follow us on Instagram. If you liked this blog, share it with a new mom. Reading this for the first time? Subscribe and receive a complimentary digital download of our Love Me Forever Digital Print from the Recipes for Growing Me series.

Bonus: use the code 'BABY1ST' for 10% off your first order!

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