Anyone need some moolah?

Well Christmas is over and I'm already starting to think about next year.  I spent way too much 'last minute' money on gifts.

Next year I'm going to plan ahead better and have more 'free' money to spend.  How you ask?

Mystery Shopping!

Bestmark is a company that I am very active in and participate at least once or twice a month (But I'm going to increase my number of activities per month to tuck away some more money).  If you have any questions please comment below and I will try my hardest to answer them for you.

Right now they have lots of active recruiting areas - DuBois, Somerset, St. Marys, Altoona, Mechanicsburg - PA; Youngstown, Warren, Akron - OH; Depew, Buffalo, Orchard Park - NY; and Warrenton - VA to name just a few.

Plus - if you have or have access to (you don't have to personally own it) a Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, or GMC you can become eligible for FREE auto services PLUS bonus cash payments upwards to a $100!  My mom has personally done this shop and was very pleased with how easy it was and how much money she was paid to do it.

All you do to sign up is go here - and put my shopper ID - PA7978 in the application as the person who referred you.  If after you sign up and you select a shop please comment below and I'll email you to help you through your first one.  Once you submit everything they will send you a check for your payment (no worrying about amazon gift cards or paypal credits).

I really highly recommend this program :) You'll be pleasantly surprised how quickly the money adds up.

I did it again....

yep. I did it again.

she chomped down on me and I yelled.  ugh... it just hurts so bad and it's so sudden... it's just instinct and reaction. boo. boo. boo.

why can't she just give me a slight warning... a little pressure before she chomps down so I can be prepared and react better. 

so we are now on our 2nd nursing strike.... and she's sick.....and she's tired.... and I'm tired.... and I'm stressed (Christmas is like 5 days away and I am no where close to being ready!)... this is not a good combination at all. 

sigh.  maybe we'll get through it.  maybe we won't.  maybe this will be the end of our nursing relationship.  maybe it won't.  i really don't know.... all i know is right now i could use a good cry, a soak in a big tub, a nice long nap, and three children who were behaving.  but knowing that's not going to happen... i'm off to make use of the 30 minutes of rest time for my oldest, pop open a can of pepsi, find some hidden Christmas cookies and retreat into a good book for about 10 minutes.....  and then figure out what the heck i'm going to do next. 

Some of my favs

So as a blogger you never know who you're helping or annoying by posting links... but just in the past few days I've had a couple friends let me know that they have appreciated some of the links I have been posting lately.  And well that made me warm inside! So here I am sharing with you my favorite articles from the past month or so.  They may not pertain to me directly (no newborn here) but they sure are full of valuable information to tuck away for future use!

Hugs to all of you and I hope you are all enjoying a peaceful holiday season (I on the other hand haven't wrapped one gift yet - eek!)

The Root of Yelling - Sadly having #3 has brought out the worst in me at times :(

Where's the Baby, Ma'am - hilarious post about trying to share unwanted formula!

Breastfeeding a new baby - this letter from a newborn to it's mommy may just make you cry (I did!)

Finding Joy: dear mom who likes everything perfect - This is just a plain awesome post. period.

Avoiding early holiday weaning - I am just thankful some friends found this helpful.

*to anyone who would like to read all the dear mom letters - here's a link to her site. 

Hey Ma! Look at me!

So I will be honest...I have been so busy this past week with...POTTY TRAINING...that I didn't have a chance to start my reviews on the trainers yet!  So while Miss A is at school this morning and Baby J is napping, I decided to fill you in on the HUGE progress we have made this week with my stubborn little potty learner!

Last Tuesday we FINALLY had our first potty hit...Miss A's very first pee in the potty!!  At 3 1/2, it was bound to happen soon!  And mama was *so proud* and just made the biggest deal about it so that Miss A would get the idea that this is a good thing!!!  We did more potty sitting Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday but with school and other things going on, we didn't have a hit.  She seemed to be waiting and specifically going in her trainer.  Even when I kept her naked, she would hold it and then go in her trainer at nap time.  So I knew that naked time would work!!  DH and I decided that we were going to get all of our errands done on Friday so that we could be home all weekend and let Miss A run naked with two parents to watch her and care for Baby J!

So Saturday morning arrived.  DH and I were both nervous and dreading the fight that was to come.  As soon as she got up, we stripped her and had the potty talk once more!  She got up around 9...it took her until 2:00 to finally pee on the potty!!!  This girl can HOLD IT!  She had 3 sippy cups of milk in her and two meals!  And FINALLY she peed on the potty!  DH and I had promised a trip to Chuck E Cheese when she peed on the potty (my least favorite place especially on a Saturday) so we packed the kids up and headed to  CEC!  While there, I needed to use the restroom and for the first time ever, I asked if she wanted to come and she said YES!  So we marched to the bathroom and she sat on the potty.  After a few minutes she said "all done potty" but she hadn't peed.  So I asked her if she needed to pee and she said "no."  Oh well, I still chalk that up to a success because she is becoming aware!

Sunday we again got her up and stripped her immediately!  It took her until 1:00.  LOL!  This kid is so stubborn!!!  But this is still HUGE progress!

Monday was by far the biggest surprise!  I was nervous to be alone with a potty training naked toddler and a 6 month old...but this was a good thing!  Miss A has reached the point with potty training that she can run around and play and then run to the potty when she needs to go!  TWICE on Monday she peed on the potty!!!!  And neither time did I or DH say or do anything.  She was playing and then ran for the potty and peed!!!  Mama is SOOOO proud!!!  Naked time WORKS!

Yesterday (Tuesday) we had a small set back but also a HUGE success!  Yesterday our internet was out and I had to call the cable man to come out and look at it.  While we were waiting for him to come...Miss A pooped on the potty for the first time!!!  We had been trying all weekend to get her to poop on the potty but she would hold it and go in her trainer at nap time. :(  But yesterday we finally got a poop!  YAY!!!  Then when the cable man pulled up to our house I had to throw a trainer and pants on Miss A...can't have a naked kid running around with a strange man...the cable guy was at our house for an hour and a half and Miss A peed in her trainer.  Boo.  Such a high and low day.

Today Miss A is at school.  Her teachers are *wonderful* and when I explained to them this morning that she was doing so well they were SO excited and agree to ask her later if she needs to use the potty!  I guarantee that she will say no...but they agreed to plant that little seed in her brain! ;)  She tends to hold her pee while at school so maybe she will pee when she gets home!!!  *fingers crossed!*

So naked time is going WONDERFULLY!!!  For those of you dealing with difficult and stubborn potty learners...I highly recommend naked time!  Hopefully your child won't hold it to the point of explosion like mine!!!  I just don't know how we are going to transition back into pants!!! LOL!  She does amazingly well when she is naked!  But ANY time she is in pants of any kind...pull-up (for school), cloth trainer, big girl underwear, etc she just pees.  Not sure how to get her to stop doing that.  We are still early in the potty learning process, so I'm hoping it just *clicks* and she is good to go! :)

One other tip to share...Potty Presents!!!  We first got Miss A to pee on the potty promising Chuck E Cheese!  Obviously the prizes needed to come down in cost! LOL!  So we have a bin filled with toys and treats from the dollar store!!!  She loves to pick out the next prize, we sit it on the entertainment center, and then when she pees she finally gets to have it!  Then she picks out the next one and we have to work toward that prize!  I was just going to keep the bin of prizes handy and let her pick when she goes, but she likes to know what she is getting next!  Hey, whatever works!!!

Next week I hope to start getting the reviews up for the cloth trainers.  That is my plan.  But I may wait and see how Miss A does with the potty.  She definitely has some that she prefers and some that she doesn't love.  I am going to rate them based on absorbency, fit, how mom likes them, how toddler likes them, if they are good for night time, washing, and cost.  Is there anything else you want to know about the trainers?

Stay tuned for our continuing adventure in Potty Training!!

Nursing Status

I've been hitting the blog pretty heavy lately with all my Christmas deals and ways to save or make money - thought I would go a different route this morning.  (But if you're interested in those - click on my label Jess B below and all my past posts will show up!).

Thought I'd give you a nursing update... my little girl is now 1 yr, 1 month, and 1 week. :) It's gone by so fast and she seems to be accomplishing things much faster then my other two.  Except talking - she feels no need and that grunts or screams get her exactly what she needs - which they do because my older two completely dote on her. Eh... it will come eventually.  So yes I am *that* person who is now nursing a toddler! GASP

I worked full-time up until I was 5 months pregnant with our third so day weaning really wasn't an issue with my first two children.  But at 11 months we were still nursing every 3 hours (except night time) with miss N. I had no idea how I was going to start spreading those out (and honestly I wasn't sure I wanted to).  I love to nurse my babies.  While I enjoy being pregnant the thing I really look forward to is nursing - the way God created our bodies to nourish our own offspring just blows my mind. 

But slowly and surely we started to spread them out - this is how my day looks now:

Either middle of the night or early morning session (between 3am-6am)
After she gets up for the morning she's more interested in eating table food so her next nursing session is about mid-morning (when I'm trying to start school of course!)
Then she eats lunch and will nurse right before she goes down for her nap.
After her nap she may want a quick snack and then eats dinner with us.
Then it's the bedtime feeding. 

The thing is these nursing sessions are only about 10 minutes long each time.... short and too the point.  I'm torn about that.... I love to nurse and I think she's going to be a self-weaner early.  I nursed Miss L until 14 months, and Mr J until almost 16 months - but only first thing in the morning and bedtime.

Who knows... she might become interested again or we'll just slow and steady drift off I'm not sure.  There are times where she knows what she wants and will get it one way or another.... by climbing up under my shirt. ha! I love my little munchkin!  This hasn't been an easy journey with her - we've had some bumps along the way (remember the nursing strike?).  But I'm sad to say I think we're on the tail end of this journey and I'm not sure I'm ready to end it :(

Is that crazy?

Ode to a Potty

Most of you know about our on-going quest for potty training with Miss A.  It has been (and still is) quite the ride!!!  She has been completely anti-potty and still is!  But mama knows that at 3 1/2 she needs to be thinking about it!  She will be headed off to Pre-K next year and HAS to be potty trained or no school!  We were quite lucky to find a Preschool that would take her not fully potty trained.  Since it is only 2 mornings a week it is not that big of a problem!  Most days she comes home and her trainer is completely dry!  She can definitely hold it and is in control of her bladder and bowel!  But trying to get this chick to go on the potty is like trying to climb Mount Everest using only your teeth...it's impossible!!!

Yesterday, we had a break through...or at least I hope we did!  Miss A peed on the potty for the VERY FIRST TIME!!!

Yesterday was day two of the potty sit.  I started making her sit until she pees.  Monday it didn't work because after 2 1/2 hours of potty sitting, Baby J needed me and I had to put Miss A in a trainer.  Within a minute of being back in training pants...she peed!  I was upset but this proved that she was just holding it to go in her pants. :(  So I decided that yesterday she was going to sit there until she peed.  So after 3 hours of sitting and 2 sippy cups of milk...SHE PEED!!!  We had the biggest, loudest, wildest party!!!  We danced, we sang, we yelled, we clapped, she got candy, a sticker on her potty chart, and Daddy came home for lunch with a big cookie for her!

So we partied and made a big deal hoping to put that imprint in her head that she is to pee on the potty!

And then we had a small set back.  After she peed in the potty and we danced and partied...she asked for underpants.  I was getting ready to make lunch anyway and the little chick hates being naked, so I put a Blueberry trainer on her and went to make lunch.

A few minutes later she came to me grabbing her crotch.  She had SOAKED her trainer. :(  Apparently she had not fully emptied her bladder and had finished the job in her underpants.

I was bummed.  I went from excitement and the beaming mother to bummed in no time!  I knew that she wouldn't potty train at the snap of my fingers but DANG that was a blow!

Today she has school, so today is a set back in and of its own because we are not potty sitting.  Tomorrow we will potty sit again and see if she will pee sooner on her own.  Because there was some pee in the potty and then she emptied in her underpants, I am not sure if she was in control of the pee in the potty or if she just could not hold it anymore and some came out.  What do you think?  Has this happened to you while training?

But now that she has gone in the potty once and we made a big deal about it, I am hoping that the concept is in her brain and she will catch on!  If for no other reason than the candy and the party!!! :)

Do you have any ideas or tips for the stubborn potty learner?  I am open to anything!  I think I have tried everything...LOL!!!

Or if you have a child with a speech or developmental delay, how did you overcome potty training?  I still wonder if the speech delay might be part of our problem, but I have found that she uses this as a crutch at times.  She is smarter than we sometimes give her credit! LOL!!!  For more on her speech delay, go here.

Are you currently potty training?  How's it going?

And if you have used or are using cloth trainers, what have you used?  What have you liked/disliked?  For more on what brand I will be reviewing, go here.  If there is a brand that you are interested in seeing a review for, please leave a comment below!

***The Minnie Mouse Potty in the picture above is the same one that Miss A uses.  It is much easier to have this in the living room than trying to potty sit in the Bathroom for hours and hours.  Cute potty is a MUST for the stubborn potty trainer!***

Swag, Amazon, and Gluten Free Stuff

I recently was able to bless another family by getting some awesome gluten free stuff from Amazon and it's much easier then you think - may take a bit of time but it's so worth it!

So to get some free stuff off of Jess's Amazon Page

• sign up for swagbucks here.
• download the tool bar and search for everything possible - multiple times a day (gmail is searched at least 10 times a day) There are many ways to earn swagbucks - taking surveys, printing coupons, watching tv, playing games, etc. I sadly do not have time for those and basically just search whenever I'm on the computer.
• Once you earn some swagbucks and reach 450 - redeem for a $5 e-amazon gift card.  (they will start to accumulate quickly don't worry).  You can redeem multiple e-amazon gift cards and just stockpile them for a large order. 

Then go here to shop Jess's Amazon Page (This is my affiliate link and it's like leaving me a virtual tip that doesn't come out of your pocket - I am saving for my daughters next specialist appointment)

Please bookmark this as your amazon shopping page (Jess's Amazon Page)and I'll be forever grateful to you! And share with others too - everyone shops Amazon and it's great that they have this program to help us small bloggers!

Below are some of the great deals that have been out there lately:

Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix, 16-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4)
Bob's Red Mill Organic 7 Grain Pancake & Waffle, Whole Grain Mix, 26-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4)
Bob's Red Mill Organic High Fiber Pancake & Waffle, Whole Grain Mix, 26-Ounce Bags (Pack of 4)

*Please ignore the annoying little white boxes behind my links.  I can't figure out why they are there or how to remove them :) 

Cyber Monday Deals

Here are some of the deals I've found for Cyber Monday - as I find more I will try to update this page! Happy Shopping! :)

eMeals - 30% with the code CYBER  You can read my review on this awesome program here.  This would make a great gift for a busy mom or someone who is trying to eat healthy for the new year!

Amazon - insane deals and steals.  If at all possible if you are buying via Amazon - please go through my link! :) Jess's Amazon page Right now they have the Kindle Fire for $129 - just enter FIREDEAL at checkout (Limit 1 per person)..... I have this on my wish list!!!

And don't forget no matter where you are shopping online go through ebates or shopathome to get 1-10% cash back at participating retailers (which is almost all of them!).  This is like free money and the check you'll get after the new year will be much appreciated!  These programs are above and beyond any cash back you'll receive from credit cards - if you shop on line it's really silly to not belong to these program.

- When you join ebates after making your first $25 purchase you'll receive a free $10 gift card of your choice.
- When you join shopathome you'll receive a $5 credit to you account.

*The above are my affiliate links - they money earned goes towards my daughters specialist doctor appointments.

One month to go!

I am due December 22nd, so I have only one month left til my due date.  I of course am hopeful that I go a bit early, just so it's not so close to Christmas!  I do realize there is a big chance that it will be close, since thirds are unpredictable, and I only went 2 days early with A.  C was induced 5 days before my due date, but so far I have no signs of needing an induction!  I had high blood pressure with him, and this pregnancy has been doing really well so far.  Fingers crossed it stays that way, as I don't enjoy pitocin!! Who does!

  I plan on having a natural birth like I did with A.  I went in and was 3 cm with her, walked the halls to keep progressing.  I used the birthing ball and listened to a nature cd, found comfort in the shower with DH rubbing my back with soap.  A entered this world, 12 hrs after my first contractions at home.  I had no pain medication and though it was very intense, it was a wonderful birth that I'd love to repeat.  Thankful to have such a supportive husband to be by my side again for our last baby's birth.  We choose what works best for myself and our babies.  After having such a traumatic pitocin induction with an epidural, needing forceps and a 4th degree episiotomy, I am very pro natural!  I of course realize that things arise and birth is never predictable, but I;ll be going in with the intention to do all in my power to have a natural and pain medication free birth again. 

This time of the year is so busy, so not sure how much you'll be hearing from me on Fridays.  I will have wifi at the hospital, so I hope to put up a post about baby's arrival and how our birth went.  Also, things to look forward to are a few reviews I will be doing once baby comes!!!  The most exciting part of baby's arrival for us, is finding out if we'll be adding a little brother or sister to the family!!! Can't wait!!!

The get to vs have to attitude

From about mid-November till the 1st week in January our calendar is packed.... it seems every weekend has something in it - if not multiple things on the same day.  This past year we have tried to focus on a different perspective in almost everything and I am anxious to apply this to our upcoming busy time.  The 'have to vs get to' attitude..... 

Do you - 

• have to go to church or do you get to go to church
• have to help someone or go somewhere or do you get to minister to someone with the love of Jesus
• have to wait around and talk with other church goers or do you get to fellowship, encourage, life up and enjoy being with believers
• have to spend time with people once a year or do you get to spend time with people you only see once a year
• have to cook and prepare food or do you get to show your love to people by nourishing their bodies with yummy food you made
• have to change your schedule because your babies are exhausted or do you get to change your schedule and have a very good reason for doing it - you're doing what's best for you babies (and you've got a great reason to!)
• have to spend money on gifts or do you get to take a different route and gift something that means something to you or something to share about God
• have to eat that 2nd helping of pumpkin pie or do you get to enjoy an extra piece of pie because God has blessed you with good fortune

It's all about perspective and what you make of it. If you have a bad attitude it's going to rub off on others and pretty soon the enjoyment time you were hoping to have is suddenly filled with grouchy and cranky people.... all because of you and your attitude.  Turn everything into a thankful situation and you'll be amazed how quickly everything changes.... it could be worse, a lot worse - we have lots of freedoms here and we need to be thankful for those everyday.

1 Thessalonians 5:18(NASB)  ^'in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.'

And as a side note - there is nothing we HAVE to do except what God tells us to do - it's ok to say no to another get together, or another gift exchange, or another office party.  Saying no is sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself and your family. 

What is something that you feel you 'have' to do but you really 'get' to do today or this week?

*I am also in no way saying that just because we have good thoughts we can change our lives or what happens to us - we can just change how we react to those things that do happen.  Only Jesus can truly give us the joy that never ends!  If you want to know more about that - please go here - Are you a good person?

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Homemade Christmas Ornaments

This year I have been trying really hard not to spend a ton of money on Christmas.  I do have certain traditions that I love at Christmastime that I didn't want to leave out, just because of money.  So I came to the crafty conclusion to make some things!  For instance, I love for my kids to get brand new pajamas on Christmas Eve.  They are to wear that night and when they open gifts in the morning they look adorable!  This year I bought the fabric and made the kids matching jammies!  Not only did I save some money, but they are much more special than store bought ones.

Another tradition we have is to get a new ornament every year.  Well at first I'd go to Hallmark and pick out ornaments that fit their year they had or something memorable.  It just became way to expensive.  Last year I got them each one from Walmart, but still they weren't exactly what I had in mind.  This year I decided why not make the ornaments, too! 

This pregnancy has my hands in such pain from carpal tunnel though.  I knew I couldn't do something too intense, but wanted something cute.  I picked up some clear Christmas balls.  I've done ornaments with these in past years, snowmen made out of hand prints, faces of snowmen, marbled paint inside, etc.  I needed something extremely easy this time though and also personal to each child.  I grabbed my gold paint pen and wrote on their initials. Since baby's gender is a surprise, I needed to make 2!  Then I took a pencil and used the eraser side, dipping it into red and green paint (I didn't even pour the paint out, just used the paint inside the cap after shaking the paint up) and dotted the ornament.  This made for easy peasy polka dots. I just did the top sides, so I could leave them in the carton to dry. I was going for easy!  I think they turned out really well and took me a couple minutes to complete! 

Last Day

Today's the last day to get this ebook for 99cents~  Tomorrow the price rises to $4.99.  This is so much more than just an easy and enjoyable read - it's practical and life changing.  And it wouldn't take long at all to read - waiting for a dr appointment, picking your kids up off the bus - 15 minutes to change your insane month of December.... totally worth it right?

I thought so:)

Here's the link for the book -Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas

*The above is my affiliate link that helps me to pay for my daughter's learning specialist. 

Turning of the Tides...

So...the newborn series is complete...there are a few other things that I may write reviews on later...but for now we are going to skip right along from newborn diapers to cloth trainers!!!  My my how they grow! LOL!  Nah, Baby J is still in his diapers...but Miss A is getting closer to potty learning and we have been using more cloth trainers.

A few months back, I decided to take the hard line that Miss A was DONE with diapers.  Big mistake.  This child does not want to potty train and there I was stuck between not wanting to go back into diapers and give her the wrong message and the FEW cloth training pants that I had.  I hadn't bought many because I *thought* that potty training would be rather quick!  I hear all of these stories about how kids train in a few days or they just BAM potty train!  So many mamas on the swap pages are selling never used training pants because their kids potty learned before they could use them!  So I didn't bother to buy a bunch.

And then I found myself not wanting to put Miss A back into diapers...but needing something more absorbent than underwear!!

So I have invested in a bunch of Training Pants...and you get to benefit too!  Trainer reviews to come from Best Bottoms, GroVia, Flip, Blueberry, and good ol' Gerber!  I had posted reviews on the Fuzzibunz and Smart Bottoms trainers previously, but will update those as well! :)  Are there any other trainers you would like to see reviewed???  Open to suggestions!!!  I haven't found a great one for night time, so Miss A still wears a cloth diaper at night!

Also, who has some good potty training tips???  I think I have tried them all....but always looking for new ideas!  My little girl has a LONG stubborn streak!  So I need ideas for the stubborn child.  Her latest is when I ask her if she needs to use the potty her answer is "I did poop in potty."  Um....no you didn't!  Little liar!!!  LOL!  Going on 3 1/2 and needs to be thinking about using the potty!!!  When did your child potty train?  And was it hard, easy, etc?  Fill me in!

Also, for experienced mamas...what is the one piece of advice you could give to a mama about to potty train her child?

Another book giveaway!

And we have a winner - TRACEY!  We are working on numbers in our schooling and I asked my daughter what her favorite number was between 1 and 10 and she chose #5! So comment #5 won! Tracey - I will send your information on shortly.

And don't forget - if you still want this book (which I highly recommend) you can get it for only .99cents and then on Friday the price goes up to $4.99!  So get it now and be prepared for Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas :) Blessings to all.


Here's a flash giveaway!

MoneySavingMom has come out with another awesome book - Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas

After her last one - 21 Days To A More Disciplined Life  you can't go wrong with buying this book.  She gives such wonderful and practical suggestions and advice for simplifying and enjoying your holidays.

TODAY only - one reader can win this book (or purchase it for .99cents here - Celebrating and Savoring a Simple Christmas on Friday the price will go up to $4.99)

To enter leave a comment sharing one of your tips on how you simplify your holidays and I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning (Wednesday).

Share the contest and earn an extra entry (just leave another comment saying you did).

Packing the Hospital Bag

I know I have some time, but I am a list maker!  So even though I have about 6 weeks til baby arrives, I am itching to get a list started.  We were at Walmart this week and I picked up some baby essentials.  Some newborn Huggies, even though we cloth.  I have no idea how any of my cloth stash will fit the baby, so have to have some back up ready!  Some wipes, baby shampoo and baby wash, etc were also purchased.  I like to feel prepared.  There is nothing I am in control of while being pregnant, and I like to feel some control.  So the nesting has begun.  I feel better having stuff purchased and now to get packing!   I am starting to think about all the things that need to be packed for the hospital.  Here is my list so far.

For Labor:
Lotion for massage
Massager
Ponytail Holder
Chapstick
Nature sounds CD and headset
Change for snack machine (for Daddy)
Gatorade
Camera and charger
Video Camera and charger
Cell phone and charger



For Postpartum:
Boppy Pillow
Bed Pillow
Nursing Cover
Nursing Pajamas
Robe
Nursing Bra 
Toiletries
Pads
Big Granny Panty style Undies ;)
Going Home Outfit for Baby
Warm Blanket for Baby
Carseat
Fun items for Big Brother and Sister


Okay so what am I forgetting???? Leave a post to what you wish you had or are so glad you remembered!

We have a winner!

And the winner of a 3 month subscription to eMeals is -

Congratulations - I'll be in touch soon. :) Jess B

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Heinys Mini Review

Who can resist the ADORABLE prints of the Happy Heinys diapers???  Not me!!!  I love Happy Heinys and their adorable and huge selection of colors and prints!  We had a few OS Happy Heinys for Miss A and I just had to snag a few of the minis for Baby J!  I was also excited about the Mini since it is designed to fit longer than most Newborn diapers!  If you would like to read more about my initial findings with cloth diapering a skinny baby and our rocky start to cloth diapering Baby J, please see the Intro post here.

Fits:  4-16 pounds

Price Per Diaper:  (3/5 Stars)  This diaper retails for $18.97.  This is average or just a dollar or two above the average price per newborn diaper.  The added price, may be completely worth it for those of you considering this diaper due to the higher weight limit and ability to fit longer than most newborn diapers!  Most newborn diapers stop fitting at 10-12 pounds, the manufacturer guidelines for this diaper fits up to 16 pounds.

Leaks:  (4/5 Stars)  Ahhhh...once again, my skinny boy caused problems!  The HH OS did not fit Miss A well for a long time due to the generous leg openings, and we had the same problem with Baby J and the HH Mini.  (for the record, moms with chunky kids LOVE HH diapers!!!)  The leg openings on this diaper were just WAY too big on my little man!  His skinny chicken legs just were NOT cloth diaper friendly!!!  This diaper is very versatile since it is a pocket and can be stuffed as desired for your child.  This diaper comes with two inserts, one shorter for the smaller rise setting and one longer for the larger rise setting or you can use both for added absorbency.  This diaper was EXTREMELY absorbent!  So if you have a heavy wetter, this is the diaper for you!  If it hadn't been for the leg openings not fitting my little man, I would have loved these!!!  This diaper did not fit well until 10-11 pounds...seriously.  My chicken leg little boy just didn't put meat on his legs until that point, so I was not able to use these until then...and by then my OS were starting to fit.  

Fit:  (2/5 Stars) The fit around the waist was PERFECT!  This diaper has a great aplix closure and it overlaps for small waisted babies.  But those leg openings were just huge on my little man!  This diaper was just OUT for many weeks because those openings were so large!  It made me really sad because I was really excited about this diaper!  This diaper does feature something that many newborn diapers do not, a snap down rise!  Just like the OS counterpart, you can snap down the rise for smaller babies and then let it out as your baby grows.  This makes the diaper fit longer than most and gives you the most bang for your buck!!  This diaper does not have a snap down for the umbilical cord, but with the rise snapped down, it was clear of this area for us.  Some shorter babies may have to wait until the stump falls off to get into this diaper though.

Ease of Use:  (5/5 Stars)  This diaper is extremely easy to use!  The aplix closure and overlapping tabs make it a cinch to get the perfect fit every time!  The pocket is nice and wide and easy to stuff!  And the this diaper is extremely easy to wash and care for!

Washing:  (4/5 Stars)  This diaper is extremely easy to wash.  Simply unstuff the diaper, toss in the wash, toss in the dryer, stuff the inserts back in, and back on baby!  The pocket is very easy to stuff and makes your job easy!  My only complaint would be the wash tabs.  The tabs come undone in the wash very easily and can cause a diaper chain in your wash.  I did find that the HH's did this quite often!  The HH Mini has a very soft inner fleece that is soft against baby skin and easily releases poop marks/stains...even those pesky EBF stains!  Very nice to wash!

Overall Performance:  (4/5 Stars)  I was very excited about this diaper...but like most it just did not work on my skinny guy. :(  For the majority of babies, this diaper would be a home run.  But for those skinny kids on the block...this just isn't a great one!  Once my little guy got big enough for this diaper to work, it was quite nice on him!  But by then my OS diapers were starting to fit!  

Total Stars:  22/30

Preparing for Christmas

  Yes I know we just got through Halloween and now are all looking forward to Thanksgiving.  Believe me I am not trying to skip over my all time favorite holiday!  It's just that this baby is due 3 days before Christmas! 

  I started a list of present ideas about a month ago.  Thanks to internet shopping, I purchased the kids presents all in one afternoon from my recliner!  And at 7 months pregnant, it was the PERFECT way to shop.  Also I've been picking up a few odds and ends on some of the mama bargain sites online as I've seen things here or there.  Can't beat good deals!  So the presents are rolling in thanks to Mr UPS and the mailman!  I'm collecting them all in a hidden corner of the basement under a sheet.  Once they are all here, I'll do the wrapping and hide them back there.  I'm also glad that last year Santa decided to not wrap his presents, so the gifts from him are just placed under the tree.  Saves mama a bit more time!  I want to get everything done before Thanksgiving.  That's when I'll have a month left til baby's due date.  I figure then I'll have time for decorating for Christmas (always do it the day after Thanksgiving), and doing our usual traditions and crafts with the kids.  I'll also have that time to finish up preparing for baby, washing up the padding on the swing, bouncer, etc.  Getting everything out of storage and ready to use!

  I like to sew pajamas for the kids and made them cute Halloween ones this year.  Here is the tutorial I used. Yesterday I finished their Christmas Eve pajamas, made out of cute gingerbread flannel that Clayton picked out. So I'll have 3 matching sets, and praying that the baby will be here in time for Christmas Eve at our house in it's matching jammies! I also want to save some money and make them ornaments this year.  Every year they get a new ornament.  I started out getting Hallmark ones, then last year got some cheaper ones at Walmart.  This year my plan is to paint their initials on clear glass balls.  I saw a cute idea on pinterest where you take scrapbook paper and curl it, putting it inside the ornaments.  So I might dig through and find some old Christmas scrapbook paper and do that and just paint their initial on it as well!  All those scrapbook supplies that have been sitting dormant for years since having my babies will get some use finally! LOL 

So that's my game plan.  I know my circumstances are different because it's like I'm running a race and the finish line is the baby's due date, but are you starting to prepare for Christmas too???

eMeals review and a giveaway!

eMeals Easy Meals for Busy and Frugal Families

Recently eMeals contacted TMG to conduct a review of their products and host a give away (3 month subscription!!!).  Laura was so kind to direct her to me and I was pretty giddy to take on the challenge.

and let's be honest....

I fell in love with this product - I have always wanted to have my meals planned out, with a grocery list attached and have everything all in one place and well not have to do all the work.  That's where this is a great product for busy moms and wives (cause they do all the work for you!).  Everything is so clean and simple to follow, they provide you with the recipes for both the main dish and a side dish, your shopping list, the list of staple items you will need for the recipes.  They provide you with two weeks worth of recipes at a time so you're able to save time and money by shopping just twice a month (in a manner of speaking).  I am a check list kind of girl so to have someone organize all this information was amazing and relieved so much of that extra time it takes to find recipes, make the lists, find the best deals, etc.  I just had to click print and the work was done.  Plus depending on which store you choose they provide you with an estimate of how much your supplies will cost - so for those who have trouble budgeting or sticking to a budget they have also done the work for you which is really nice. Even Dave Ramsey recommends it ;)



So how does it really work - 

• First thing is to select your family size - For Two (1-2 servings) or Family (3-6 servings)
• Next you choose from numerous meal options:  Classic, Clean Eating, Simple Gourmet, Paleo, Low Carb, Low Fat, Portion Control, Natural & Organic, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, and they also offer a lunch plan.
• Then you pick the grocery store you want your lists to be produced from: ALDI, Kroger, Publix, Ralphs, Safeway, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods.
• Lastly you choose the desired subscription length: 3 Months ($21 total), 6 months ($35 total), 12 months ($58 total - only $5 per month).  Plus you can add on weekday lunches for only $4 a month.

Do I think this is worth $5 a month - absolutely.  The amount of time and effort this has saved me this past week has been awesome.  Plus I would guess you could start to recognize if there is a rotation of meals and watch for sales to save even more money (which would be right up by alley).

It's really simple and they do offer you a preview of some of the recipes (but take my word for it - they are yummy!). How cute is this icon? hee hee



Now on to the giveaway - it will run till next Wednesday (November 7th), and I will announce the winner in my post on Thursday.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*The above links are my affiliate links - they help to pay for my daughter's specialist. :)  

Charlie Banana XS Review

One of the newer kids on the cloth diapering block is Charlie Banana!  This brand has become a favorite for many mamas and I myself own a few of these!  Of course, when building my newborn stash, I had to grab some of these to try out on my itty bitty!  The Charlie Banana line is very similar to the Fuzzibunz line, so I will compare a lot of the features to the Fuzzibunz.  If you would like to read more about my initial findings with cloth diapering a skinny baby and our rocky start to cloth diapering Baby J, please see the Intro post here.

Fits:  5-10 pounds

Price Per Diaper:  (3/5 Stars)  This diaper retails for $16.88 for solid colors and $17.25 for prints.  This is an average price for most newborn pocket diapers and AIO diapers so it all depends on what features you want.  I do feel that Charlie Banana diapers are a great quality diaper so you are definitely getting a good diaper for that price!

Leaks:  (3/5 Stars)  It is hard to rate this diaper for leaks.  Had this diaper fit my son well, it probably would have been leak free!  But alas, but skinny boy caused trouble in this diaper too!  This diaper is a pocket diaper with a front pocket opening and a MF insert.  I did feel that the absorbency of this diaper was more than adequate for a newborn and would have held well had this diaper fit!

Fit:  (2/5 Stars)  :(  Man, I wish I had chunky babies...another one bites the dust!  Cloth diapering a skinny baby is HARD.  If you have skinny babies or anticipate a skinny baby, I would recommend steering clear of this diaper!  Of all the newborn diapers we tried, this one had BY FAR the largest gaps around the legs.  I could have fit two of Baby J's legs in one opening!  I put this diaper on him when he was a week old, took a pic, and had to take it right back off!  There is no way that it would have contained even one drop of poop!  I tried this diaper on him again as we got to 8-8 1/2 pounds and most of his CDs started to fit....NOPE!  This one was still HUGE around the legs, so it came right back off again!  This diaper is only supposed to fit 5-10 pounds...Baby J was over 10 (almost 11) pounds before the leg openings fit his legs better...and they still were not tight enough to contain EBF poop. :(  So this diaper was just a complete flop for us!  This diaper does feature a cross over snap option around the waist which is perfect for skinny waisted babies!!  This is something I wish the Fuzzibunz had!  But if your baby has skinny legs, the waist will not matter!  This diaper does have a nice lower rise, so this diaper would fit well under the cord stump before it falls off!

Ease of Use:  (4/5 Stars)  This is a very simple to use diaper!  It is a pocket, so you simply stuff the insert in and unstuff to wash!  Very easy!  Putting on baby with the snaps is very easy as well!  This diaper also offers a front stuff pocket which is nice for many reasons.  One, this keeps inserts and linings from accidentally sticking out the back and causing leaks.  Two, this diaper is designed as a "hybrid" diaper meaning you can lay the insert in the front tab and use this diaper as a cover instead of a pocket (never put MF next to skin!). This diaper does offer ease of use and a ton of options for use!

Washing:  (4/5 Stars)  This diaper washes very well!  Just like the Fuzzibunz, the soft fleece inner releases stains and poop easily and washes perfectly!  Washing is easy!  Just a quick unstuff, toss in washer, toss in dryer, stuff, and back on baby!  My only complaint is the front stuff diaper.  Many times this part of the diaper is the dirtiest, so if you are not one for touching poop, this may not be the diaper for you!  Personally, this didn't bother me, but I do find stuffing front stuff diapers to be awkward...just something to get used to!

Overall Performance:  (3/5 Stars)  I hoped this would be a success for us!  The crossover waist tabs and snaps was something that I was very excited about.  Since Miss A was quite skinny, I knew to expect Baby J to be skinny!  But those leg gaps just SHOCKED me!  They were just SO huge and made this diaper next to impossible for us to use! :(  If you have chunky babies, this would be a great dipe!  But if you made skinny babies or this is your first, I would maybe wait to buy if you want to use Charlie Bananas.  Or buy the smalls since they start at 7 pounds and fit to 18 pounds...this would fit longer.  You run the risk that they may not fit at birth, but you would at least get your money out of them! ;)

Total Stars:  19/30

It's going to be a long one

drinking from a fire hydrant........ that has been our life the past couple days.

I went to an essential oils class and loved it.
We took our oldest daughter for a neuro-development appointment.
I reviewed a book and hosted a give-away.

Why you ask are we overwhelmed....

We want to completely switch our medications, household cleaning, OTC products to essential oils.

We will begin some intensive exercises to help our daughter get to the level she needs to be for her age.  This appointment revealed some amazing things and we are forever grateful for being shown this option.

I loved this book - 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life by Crystal Paine. As someone who is a professional at wasting time and putting things off this book was a HUGE wake-up call to me.  It was so simple and direct yet filled with amazing advice that is practical and easy to implement.  I am excited to start this journey and will be hopefully documenting it on my other blog. :)  This book is on sale for .99cents right now and will rise to $4.99 tomorrow.  So get it now!  It's only 60 pages long and a very easy read.

*yes these are my affiliate links above - I will receive a small portion of the sales and it will help me to save for my daughter's next appointment. 

BumGenius XS Newborn Review

As many of you know, I <3 BumGenius!!!  The 4.0 pocket is by far my favorite OS diaper!  So when I started building my stash of newborn diapers for Baby J, the bG XS were a MUST and I bought a bunch!!  I was ridiculously excited to see bG's on my tiny little boy's bum!  If you would like to read more about my initial findings with cloth diapering a skinny baby and our rocky start to cloth diapering Baby J, please see the Intro post here.

This diaper used to be called the BumGenius XS diaper because bG used to make sized AIO diapers.  BumGenius stopped making the sized diapers, but kept the XS as the Newborn diaper.  Hope this clarifies this!  The XS and the Newborn bG AIO are the same diaper! :)

Fits:  6-12 pounds

Price Per Diaper:  (4/5 Stars)  This diaper retails for $12.95.  This price is quite a bit lower than many other newborn diapers (pocket, AIO, etc) on the market!  Plus you get the bumGenius name brand and quality.  The bG diapers are fabulous because they are made WELL.

Leaks:  (4/5 Stars)  This diaper, along with most of our newborn stash, did not fit my skinny little guy at first. Since his legs were just SUPER thin, these diapers just did not get small enough around his tiny legs and would leak.  But once he hit 8-8 1/2 pounds, these were perfect!  They are super absorbent and once his little legs filled the leg openings these diapers were leak proof and one of our go-to diapers!  This is an All-in-One diaper meaning there are no removable parts.  It is a super easy to use one piece diaper!  Since Baby J was so skinny (and we loved these so much), he was able to wear these diapers past the manufacturer recommended weight limit.  As he approached 13-13 1/2 pounds, the diapers were getting too small and Baby J was leaking through them because he was peeing a ton more, but I cannot fault the diaper for that since we were using it past the recommended weight limit!  We were able to use a doubler for a short while to gain some absorbency, but even a very thin doubler added too much bulk for the diaper to continue to fit well.

Fit:  (4/5 Stars)  This diaper is incredibly simple as an AIO diaper with an Aplix closure!  There is no guess work in fitting the diaper to baby and this is AS CLOSE as you can get to ease and convenience of a disposable diaper!  For the first few weeks, Baby J was just too thin to get a good fit around the leg openings, so we were unable to use these.  Since there is just a simple aplix closure around the waist, there is  no way to adjust the leg openings, but once he got up to 8-8 1/2 pounds, these fit like a dream!  bG products always seem to fit my kids really well!  Once the leg opening problem was solved (with weight gain) these were one of our #1 go to diapers!  This diaper does not feature a snap down for the cord stump. Due to Baby J not fitting into these right away, this was not a problem for us.  I did try this diaper on him as one of the first diapers (see picture above) and it hit right at his cord stump.  He is a very long skinny boy, so I probably could have gotten away with it but if your baby is shorter, this diaper might be out until the stump falls off.

Ease of Use:  (5/5 Stars)  Can I give more than 5 stars?  If you are considering cloth diapering but thing disposables are so much easier...this is the diaper for you!  No fuss, no stuffing, no confusing diaper parts or lingo!  This is an All-in-One diaper with no extra parts or inserts that need to be moved this way or that.  This is a one piece diaper that has a simple velcro (Aplix) closure!  This is as close to a disposable diaper as you can get!  And with as many changes as a newborn needs...ease of use is a HUGE plus!  These are also one of the easiest diapers to wash since they are an AIO!

Washing:  (5/5 Stars)  Easy!  That is the one word to describe these diapers and washing them!  The only thing you have to remember it to secure the aplix to the laundry tabs before washing...otherwise there is nothing to do!  Toss in the wash, Toss in the dryer, and put back on baby!  Simple!  I also find that bG diapers release stains and poop marks extremely well!  So these wash up clean and easy!  Perfect for a beginner or a busy mom!  (what mom isn't busy?)

Overall Performance:  (4/5 Stars)  Nothing but mad love for my BumGenius XS Newborn diapers!!!  These are a FABULOUS newborn diaper and work wonderfully!  My only complaint was the not fitting my little guy until 8-8 1/2 pounds.  I wish these had fit sooner!  But my skinny boy had troubles in so many diapers that this is more a fault of ours and not the diaper!  Highly recommend these diapers!!!

Total Stars:  26/30

A Giveaway!

I was so excited to receive this book to preview and I've also been given 5 copies to give away!!!


I'll be reviewing this book on Thursday but will choose the winners on Wednesday afternoon.

To enter leave a comment below and I'll randomly select somehow :)

Camping

The family and I are taking our last camping trip of the season.  We have a tow behind trailer camper, and absolutely LOVE to use it.  We try to go as much as possible through out the spring, summer and fall.  This is our last trip of the "camping season" because the weather here is getting too cold.  We'll put the camper away and winterize it so the pipes don't freeze.  So this is our last trip as a family of 4.  Hard to believe that this coming spring when we pull the camper back out, we'll have one more joining us! 

One of the fun things I like to do in the fall is take pumpkins along.  We love carving pumpkins, but never get to really enjoy them when we are at home.  When camping you are outside almost constantly, so what better time to do jack o'lanterns and enjoy them! 

As we've been camping since C was a baby, I've learned some tips and tricks along the way.  Some I just came to on my own and others I've seen from other campers in the campground.  Here are some of the ones that made life easier for me.

Take a tote, basket or bucket to store shoes in.  We always have an array of shoes, rain boots, sandals, water shoes, etc.  This has made it so much nicer to wrangle them all and have a nice organized camper.  Plus the shoes must come off before entering camper, so my floors stay clean longer!  Not so much tracking leaves and dirt everywhere.

A collapsible hamper.  While camping there is ton of dirty clothes, towels, etc that accumulate.  Having a hamper just makes life a ton easier!  Something so simple, yet we just started using one this season!

Rainy days are sure to come.  There is no guarantee with weather and even if it rains, we still find fun while camping.  It's hard because the kids are stuck inside, but if you go prepared life is a ton easier.  We like to keep a few toys that the kids just keep in the one camper cabinet.  Baby doll, bottle, monster truck, etc.  Simple little things.  Coloring books, crayons, some misc. craft supplies, play dough, stickers, board games, card games, etc.

Dollar Tree glow sticks!  You can't go camping without them! :) We usually grab some bracelets and split the pack between kids.  They love the treat and they are SO cheap!

Food that is low prep work.  I feel like it's my break, so the less I have to cook and prepare the better.  I try to do a lot of things at home so I am free to relax on our trip.  I like cutting up veggies and making up a veggie tray with dip.  Fruit salad is also a hit! Pasta salad, taco salad and such are great lunches.  My husband does most of the cooking while camping, so we usually do a lot of foil packets for veggies.

Less is more when camping though.  We have the rainy day stuff, but never get it out unless it's really bad out.  I want my kids to play in the dirt and rocks.  Find a stick and use their imaginations.  We do bring their bikes and helmets.  And when we are going somewhere in the summer with a beach, don't forget the sand toys!  Oh and scavenger hunts are tons of fun as well!  Take the time to unplug and reconnect as a family.  I know we cherish these camping trips more than anything.

I'm sure I've got more to share, but time is ticking away and I need to get packing!!!! 

 

A Happy Birthday!

This is post dedicated to my sweet oldest daughter who turns 5 today.... where does time go???

Happy Birthday Miss L!

Applecheeks Size One Review

I had never tried Applecheeks, but when a great sale came around I decided to snag two of these to try on Baby J.  The envelope cover was intriguing to me as well as the sizing.  If you would like to read more about my initial findings with cloth diapering a skinny baby and our rocky start to cloth diapering Baby J, please see the Intro post here.

Size 1 Fits:  7-20 pounds
Size 2 Fits:  20-40 pounds (have not used)

Price Per Diaper:  (2/5 Stars)  This diaper comes in pieces.  Just the envelope cover retails for $19 and then you have the choice of adding a Microfiber insert for $4 or a bamboo insert for $8.  This means that a complete diaper retails for approximately $23-$27.  This sounds quite expensive, but when you factor in the length for which this diaper will fit and be used as well as some of its features, it may be worth the extra bucks!

Leaks:  (4/5 Stars)  Once this diaper fit well (see below) this was a great diaper.  Very absorbent for pee, but we did have the occasional EBF blow out.  This diaper features a removable insert, much like a pocket diaper, only the pocket is in the middle of the diaper instead of the front or back.  You can add additional inserts for more absorbency for naps/nights/heavy wetters.  I did not find that we needed any additional inserts as the Applecheeks microfiber insert was very absorbent!

Fit:  (3/5 Stars)  Ah, the dreaded fit.  My skinny boy was just problematic in all diapers!  But this on especially.  In all honesty, this diaper did not fit well until about 12 pounds!!  This diaper is just HUGE compared to other newborn diapers (see picture below of GroVia NB, Fuzzibunz XS, and Applecheeks size 1).  I honestly cannot picture this diaper fitting a 7 pound newborn without the diaper being up to his/her armpits!  I definitely would not try this diaper until his/her cord stump fell off.  I tried this on my little guy early, saw how huge it was and how there were fairly large leg gaps, and I took it right back off.  I tried many times over the weeks/months and it wasn't until 12 pounds that it began to fit well but we did still have a small gap around the legs that would occasionally let some poop out.  Even now at 15+ pounds there is a small gap.  It doesn't leak near as often, but it still isn't a great fit around the legs.  I do however, LOVE the snaps on this diaper.  They are slanted just like the AMP diapers and Blueberry/Swaddlebees.  I feel that this design fits quite well.  However, this diaper does need an overlap snap (which it does not have) to fit those 7 pound baby's waists that it says it can fit.  This diaper does also have the gathered elastic at the front and back which makes a nice fit every time...once your child fits the diaper that is! ;)

Ease of Use:  (3/5 Stars)  This diaper is designed with the envelope pocket in the middle of the diaper.  It is an envelope because the flaps overlap so that you can use this diaper as a cover and lay your insert on top of the fleece or you can tuck an insert into the pocket and have it entirely covered by the fleece lining to protect baby's bum.  Also, due to the placement of the envelope opening, it is much wider and allows easier access for stuffing for those with larger hands that have trouble stuffing pockets.  This is a nice feature for all of the things that I just said.  BUT, where does the poop hit the diaper?  Right where the envelope opening is.  This means to unstuff your pocket for the wash, you have to get through the poop to do so.  Not the worst thing, we have soap and water...but also not the nicest!  I also found that the insert was just a little too big for the diaper making it a little bit of a pain to stuff.  

Washing:  (5/5 stars)  This diaper washed very well!  All EBF poop marks came out with just normal washing, no stains remain and the fleece has stayed SUPER soft!!  It is a cinch to wash and these diaper still look brand new after washing and wearing!  My only complaint is having to get my hands poopy when pulling the insert out. :(  But again, we have soap and water for that!  But for you squimish ones...this might not be the diaper for you!

Overall Peformance:  (4/5 stars)  My only complaints with this diaper are that it didn't fit as early as I had hoped (or the label said) and the problems I had with the envelope opening.  But overall this is a nice diaper, great quality, very absorbent, and had a nice waist fit.  But I do not feel that it would fit a newborn well and definitely not a skinny one!

Total Stars:  21/30