So, lots of freebies today!
There's 'Free Chocolate Friday' from Mars.
Orange Julius is giving away free Light Smoothies today only.
And A&W is celebrating their 90th Anniversary by offering free root beer floats between 2-8 pm!
Also, I won salsa twice from the Pace Pick N Win instant win game - so try your hand at that! And I won a Shred Sled in a blog contest!
Just for fun - try to guess this sound to win $2,000
Enjoy!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Productivity
Ugh, is anyone else wasting WAY too much time on the computer? Between blogs, contests, sweeps, random facts that I -MUST- know and email, facebook - good.ness. Is there any time left in the day for an actual life?
But, this is me throwing it out there. How do you manage your time? I for one an awful at all things organization whether it be stuff or time. I don't think I was always like this. When I'm REALLY busy and have places to go and people to see, I can make it all work. But with no stress of a deadline, I'm totally missing the boat. Children are so unpredictable that I'm afraid if I put myself on some kind of schedule I'll pop each time there's a deviation.
What is this elusive 'middle ground' and how do you find it? No. Really. I need to know!
But, this is me throwing it out there. How do you manage your time? I for one an awful at all things organization whether it be stuff or time. I don't think I was always like this. When I'm REALLY busy and have places to go and people to see, I can make it all work. But with no stress of a deadline, I'm totally missing the boat. Children are so unpredictable that I'm afraid if I put myself on some kind of schedule I'll pop each time there's a deviation.
What is this elusive 'middle ground' and how do you find it? No. Really. I need to know!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Monday, June 1, 2009
Why Cloth Diapering Rocks My Socks
It's not as bad as you're thinking. I promise.
I'm kind of the least organized person I know and I can do it, so believe me when I say that you can too! There are many ways of doing it, and you can choose which way fits your lifestyle.
When I was pregnant with Kitt I had a 'cloth diaper' baby shower. I asked each person to bring one Fuzzi Bunz diaper and gave them a link to wildflowerdiapers.com. One high end cloth diaper is about the cost most people are looking to spend at a shower anyways, so it worked out very well. We got about half our collection this way, and got the other half of our first set gifted to us from my parents. Initial cost to me - zero. My MIL was pretty sure I wasn't going to stick with it and gave me a bunch of disposables for when I decided to call it quits, but I'm a little competitive, so maybe having someone say I couldn't/wouldn't do it made me all the more determined to make it work!
Kitt outgrew the small size within the first three months, which was not so cool. I didn't realize I'd have an off the charts baby (I'm 6' tall, I should have known!!) and so had to scramble right around Christmas time to get a set of mediums for her. This was probably the worst part, having to buy a whole new set with each growth spurt. For that reason I switched to Bum Genius diapers when I needed to replace all the pink and purple diapers for Mac.
The great news about cloth diapers is that they have excellent resale. If you think buying used diapers is kind of gross - eh, okay, but for those of us who are okay with a little bit of second hand it's a really affordable way to get into a new size or try out a new diaper. And, I was able to resell my old pink and purple diapers at about 70% of the original cost. I used craigslist.org and diaperswappers.com for that. For new diapers check out the sales at diaperpin.com, an online resource for online cloth diaper retailers and consumers.
Okay, so, to break it down - here is why cloth is easier and better that you think:
1) You don't have to actually spray out the poop. I never have! When they're breastfed it's too watery to worry about and when their poop gets more substantial you can get disposable diaper inserts. I LOVE disposable diaper inserts, they look like dryer sheets, and are totally flushable, they SAVED me from quitting on cloth!
2) There really aren't many extra steps. I mean really, have you ever made that late night run to the store because you were dangerously low on diapers? How about never doing THAT again? You change the diaper just like normal - wipe (with disposables, or get the reusable flannel kind), just like normal and then drop it in a covered bucket until you do a load (every day or two). On wash day, you dump the bucket upside down (I keep a trash liner in mine or you can use a reusable one like -this-) in the washer and set it once for cold with some oxygen bleach and fragrance free detergent (I like Allen's) and then give it a hot rinse. Dry it in your dryer or out on the line.
3) It's so much cheaper for the long haul. Disposables are about $60/month, that would buy you three high end cloth diapers that would last you kid after kid. Need I say more?
4) It's really okay to use disposables when you want to. Really. No one will judge you if you don't want to carry around smellies in your bag while you're on vacation or out shopping for the day. Or not caught up on laundry. Or using a babysitter that isn't comfortable with cloth. I've been there, most people using cloth have been there.
5) They're made better than disposables. The only time I've ever had a blow out poop was in disposable diapers. The cloth ones are made with much better materials and hold in your baby's poo like a diaper should. It's like the difference between paper plates and real plates. Even good paper plates shouldn't be used for spaghetti sauce.
6) They don't clog up landfills. I don't live in a metropolitan area, but I'd still like to do my part to keep our landfills light. It's estimated that it takes 250-500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose (I got that from realdiaperassociation.org) and they're made from all sorts of nasty materials that you don't really want your baby snuggling up to 24/7.
7) They're oh-so cute! I mean, have you seen them? Bright solids and prints, you won't want to dress your baby all summer long :)
8) They double as a swim diaper. You need one of those for summer anyways, right?
Now, for a little bit of honesty on the cons for a fair and balance article. Diapers, cloth or disposable, are still smelly, you'll have to find a good place to keep them. I keep mine dry in a covered pail, but you can get some little oil scented tabs to drop in water and keep them wet until you wash them. They will wear out eventually and you'll have to replace them, they don't last forever, but they have lasted me through 2 kids so far. My daughter had a problem with not having enough breathability because she had a naturally occurring overgrowth of bacteria on her body so we had a little bit of a rash problem that was cleared up with tea tree oil and switching her back to disposables, but I've had no such problems with my son.
Even after that though, I really recommend trying cloth diapers for your baby's bum! I hope this helped you out, f you have any questions about my personal experience, feel free to ask me!
I'm kind of the least organized person I know and I can do it, so believe me when I say that you can too! There are many ways of doing it, and you can choose which way fits your lifestyle.
When I was pregnant with Kitt I had a 'cloth diaper' baby shower. I asked each person to bring one Fuzzi Bunz diaper and gave them a link to wildflowerdiapers.com. One high end cloth diaper is about the cost most people are looking to spend at a shower anyways, so it worked out very well. We got about half our collection this way, and got the other half of our first set gifted to us from my parents. Initial cost to me - zero. My MIL was pretty sure I wasn't going to stick with it and gave me a bunch of disposables for when I decided to call it quits, but I'm a little competitive, so maybe having someone say I couldn't/wouldn't do it made me all the more determined to make it work!
Kitt outgrew the small size within the first three months, which was not so cool. I didn't realize I'd have an off the charts baby (I'm 6' tall, I should have known!!) and so had to scramble right around Christmas time to get a set of mediums for her. This was probably the worst part, having to buy a whole new set with each growth spurt. For that reason I switched to Bum Genius diapers when I needed to replace all the pink and purple diapers for Mac.
The great news about cloth diapers is that they have excellent resale. If you think buying used diapers is kind of gross - eh, okay, but for those of us who are okay with a little bit of second hand it's a really affordable way to get into a new size or try out a new diaper. And, I was able to resell my old pink and purple diapers at about 70% of the original cost. I used craigslist.org and diaperswappers.com for that. For new diapers check out the sales at diaperpin.com, an online resource for online cloth diaper retailers and consumers.
Okay, so, to break it down - here is why cloth is easier and better that you think:
1) You don't have to actually spray out the poop. I never have! When they're breastfed it's too watery to worry about and when their poop gets more substantial you can get disposable diaper inserts. I LOVE disposable diaper inserts, they look like dryer sheets, and are totally flushable, they SAVED me from quitting on cloth!
2) There really aren't many extra steps. I mean really, have you ever made that late night run to the store because you were dangerously low on diapers? How about never doing THAT again? You change the diaper just like normal - wipe (with disposables, or get the reusable flannel kind), just like normal and then drop it in a covered bucket until you do a load (every day or two). On wash day, you dump the bucket upside down (I keep a trash liner in mine or you can use a reusable one like -this-) in the washer and set it once for cold with some oxygen bleach and fragrance free detergent (I like Allen's) and then give it a hot rinse. Dry it in your dryer or out on the line.
3) It's so much cheaper for the long haul. Disposables are about $60/month, that would buy you three high end cloth diapers that would last you kid after kid. Need I say more?
4) It's really okay to use disposables when you want to. Really. No one will judge you if you don't want to carry around smellies in your bag while you're on vacation or out shopping for the day. Or not caught up on laundry. Or using a babysitter that isn't comfortable with cloth. I've been there, most people using cloth have been there.
5) They're made better than disposables. The only time I've ever had a blow out poop was in disposable diapers. The cloth ones are made with much better materials and hold in your baby's poo like a diaper should. It's like the difference between paper plates and real plates. Even good paper plates shouldn't be used for spaghetti sauce.
6) They don't clog up landfills. I don't live in a metropolitan area, but I'd still like to do my part to keep our landfills light. It's estimated that it takes 250-500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose (I got that from realdiaperassociation.org) and they're made from all sorts of nasty materials that you don't really want your baby snuggling up to 24/7.
7) They're oh-so cute! I mean, have you seen them? Bright solids and prints, you won't want to dress your baby all summer long :)
8) They double as a swim diaper. You need one of those for summer anyways, right?
Now, for a little bit of honesty on the cons for a fair and balance article. Diapers, cloth or disposable, are still smelly, you'll have to find a good place to keep them. I keep mine dry in a covered pail, but you can get some little oil scented tabs to drop in water and keep them wet until you wash them. They will wear out eventually and you'll have to replace them, they don't last forever, but they have lasted me through 2 kids so far. My daughter had a problem with not having enough breathability because she had a naturally occurring overgrowth of bacteria on her body so we had a little bit of a rash problem that was cleared up with tea tree oil and switching her back to disposables, but I've had no such problems with my son.
Even after that though, I really recommend trying cloth diapers for your baby's bum! I hope this helped you out, f you have any questions about my personal experience, feel free to ask me!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Last Day for Summer Block Party!
Hey everyone, make sure you check out the Summer Block Party ending tonight. The host blogs are:
Look What Mom Found
Life in a House of Blue
The Mom Buzz
Playdate Picks
As They Grow Up
And they're giving away great prizes, but it ends tonight, so get over there and throw your name in the hat! The prizes are from great sponsors like Casio, Revolution Foods, Cuisinart, Boob-eez, Victoria P Zurcher, Protect-a-Bub, Kushies, Kokopax, Pediped, KidsSwimWear.com, and Mutsy! There's even more than that, but as I'm busting my butt to get in a bunch of entries tonight, I've run out of steam :)
Also, make sure you hit up mycoke.com, we've won $100 in cashcards from them so far! Sweeties Sweeps has a great tutorial, check out her button on my side bar.
Oh, and this is a freebie - go to Pacific Rim winery to get the "Save Water, Drink Reisling" grocery tote for free! No catch, I just did it :)
Look What Mom Found
Life in a House of Blue
The Mom Buzz
Playdate Picks
As They Grow Up
And they're giving away great prizes, but it ends tonight, so get over there and throw your name in the hat! The prizes are from great sponsors like Casio, Revolution Foods, Cuisinart, Boob-eez, Victoria P Zurcher, Protect-a-Bub, Kushies, Kokopax, Pediped, KidsSwimWear.com, and Mutsy! There's even more than that, but as I'm busting my butt to get in a bunch of entries tonight, I've run out of steam :)
Also, make sure you hit up mycoke.com, we've won $100 in cashcards from them so far! Sweeties Sweeps has a great tutorial, check out her button on my side bar.
Oh, and this is a freebie - go to Pacific Rim winery to get the "Save Water, Drink Reisling" grocery tote for free! No catch, I just did it :)
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Giveaways Ending 5/29
So, I'm a bit of a sucker for bath goodies, i heart handmade is giving away a felted soap gift package from Persnickety Pelican. Check it out!
Also, I AM a cloth diapering mama, so have to send love to Your Mama Reviews (I love her giveaways!) for offering a set of Apple Cheeks cloth diapers!
Kind of -love- everything Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous does, so here's another giveaway from her - a gift basket with a candle, lotion and soap from Simply Pure Soy Candles and More.
Peanut Butter and Smelly is giving away a pair of New Balance shoes (ARV $100!).
J Leigh Designz is giving away a free Microplane box grater. As a cheese fanatic, I NEED this!
Also, I AM a cloth diapering mama, so have to send love to Your Mama Reviews (I love her giveaways!) for offering a set of Apple Cheeks cloth diapers!
Kind of -love- everything Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous does, so here's another giveaway from her - a gift basket with a candle, lotion and soap from Simply Pure Soy Candles and More.
Peanut Butter and Smelly is giving away a pair of New Balance shoes (ARV $100!).
J Leigh Designz is giving away a free Microplane box grater. As a cheese fanatic, I NEED this!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Little Bit of This 'n That
So, regarding the puppy that I fell in love with - we went to go 'foster' it on Saturday, but somebody had beat us to it. Nothing else at the shelter really caught our eye, until they brought out this little lab mix (maybe boston terrier in there?) that was just weeks old. We brought her home and we've had fun with her the last few days, but it has cemented in my mind that as long as I still have TWO in diapers, adding a whole extra load of poop is such a bad idea. YEACH! So, tomorrow we'll take her back. We've loved having her, and my in-laws really loved her, so I wouldn't be surprised if they pick her up and keep her after we return her. We were glad to be able to love on her and play with her, I'm sure it beats being cooped up in a little pen for a long weekend.
This is me being TOTALLY okay with not having an adorable little puppy.
...
Yes, yes, I think I'll be just fine.
On another note, I won a contest! I got a g Kissr lip gloss set from Natural Mommie. There are six in the set, they are all fair trade and sound deliciously amazing, so I'm really excited to get them :) I love that they consider them 'flavors' rather than 'scents' - don't you hate nasty tasting gloss that only -smells- like you could eat it?
And, on to my final note:
All of my girlfriends have been getting fake eyelashes. What's up with that? Is it a new trend that I've totally missed? Do you wear fake eyelashes? What's wrong with good old fashioned mascara that you don't change out until you realize your wand is completely hardend? Harumph. Everyone has big ole' bambi eyes but me. But anyways, all that to say, I ran across a contest for LashFood over at Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous that would do me good. I'd kind of love to not have to go to the extra effort of gluing hair to my face, so winning this would be pretty fantastic!
If you're feeling chatty, tell me about your memorial day weekend :)
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