An expanded about me.....

Hello!


I'm so excited to be contributing to TMG. I really am hoping things make me more accountable to blogging. I started a blog (www.andtheycallherblessed.blogspot.com) probably a year ago and was wonderful with posting often... really often.  And then I quit my job - and became a SAHM....um so yeah you know where this is going... suddenly I had NO time to blog :)  But now that my youngest Miss N is almost 6 months old and sleeping 10-12 hours a night I feel human again.


A little more about me - I am a SAHM who up until a year ago worked at a local university. I have three children - Miss L who is 4 1/2, Mr J or is 2 1/2 and Miss N who is 6 months.  Life is busy to say the least. We also have a rescue dog named Rufus who is lucky he makes it to the next day sometimes.... he's the biggest trouble of all four! I am married to my first and only boyfriend - my other half who completes me.  I am so blessed to have him in my life. I am very involved in our local church and have a wonderful church family.  This fall I will begin homeschooling Miss L and hopefully teaching Mr J some things along the way too. I am very excited but yet nervous at the same time. 


I do not CD although I wish I could/would. I had every intention of doing that with my third child but then she came and something had to give and that was my vision of CDing. It just wasn't going to happen - life was too busy and sometimes you just have to say 'No' even though you really don't want to. I am a huge supporter of breastfeeding though and absolutely love doing it. I nursed my first two children till between 14-16 months and Miss N is still going strong. Those quiet nursing session in the middle of the night are my favorite.... just you and the baby snuggling deep into bed... sigh.... heaven on earth!


My contribution to this blog is going to be sharing some of my money saving (and money making) tips that has helped us become a family with a SAHM. :) I won't say it's easy and we give up a lot of stuff but the benefits way out weigh those material things we are giving up. I hope to be honest and upfront with you.  I will also say that anything sites that I share with you I have tried these programs and am an active member in them. I will not (knowingly) share sites that will spam or trick you. I will cover everything from surveys, home tips, recipes, product testing groups, to things we've done to cut corners. I will also share any local classes that I will be teaching - see my first one listed below!  I have presented at large conferences, small groups, and at retreats. I am open to traveling ;)


I hope you enjoy the ride!

And just to show you how wonderful some of my posts will be – here’s a new program I just found out about and have already had success with - Smiley360.com. I signed up and within minutes completed my profile and checked out my ‘Offers for you’.  I was selected for Knorr Homestyle Stock Mission – I’m going to receive 1 Full-size pack of Knorr Homestyle Stock, 3 coupons to share, 1 cooking ladle, and 1 recipe booklet.  Sign up today and let me know what you’re selected to try!

For those of you who don't know me...

Hi Guys!

You all know me, but a new bio and updated story never hurts!  I want us all to seem like old friends to you and not just like writers for a parenting blog!  So grab a cup of coffee (decaf for you pregnant ladies) and here is a little more about me!

I am a 29 year old wife and mommy from central Pennsylvania.  I met my husband in college, so many crazy and unbelievable occurrences happened to bring us together and we are still amazed that the cards lined up so perfectly for us!  We met in May of 2005, were engaged July of 2006, and married June of 2007.  Yep, didn't take me long to KNOW that he was the one for me!  He is my best friend and I could not get through a single day without him!  In June of 2009, we welcomed our first little bundle of joy, Miss A.  My pregnancy was quite easy with her, no morning sickness or problems, until my 32 week appointment.  At that appointment I discovered that my blood pressure was rising and I had developed PUPPS (pregnancy rash).  These two concerns were my constant companions for the rest of my pregnancy.  Lucky for me and for my little unborn Miss A, neither was too much of a problem and at 39 weeks I delivered her vaginally and started my incredible journey as a mama!

My first moments as a Mommy with Miss A.

When Miss A was born, I was still working Full Time as a Labor and Delivery nurse.  I absolutely loved my job!  Nothing compares to bringing life into this world and witnessing the miracle of birth on an every day basis.  I started working in L&D in 2007 and for sure, it was the perfect fit for me.  But what is even better than your dream career?  Your dream of being a SAHM!  This was my absolute #1 all time dream...but never thought it would be possible!  I tried not to hope or wish for it, but God must have heard my prayers!  Around Miss A's first birthday, my husband took a job with a better salary to cover what I was making and it was further away with longer hours, making it impossible for me to continue work anyway!  My dream of becoming a SAHM was finally a reality!

Around this same time, I took the plunge into cloth diapering.  Miss A has very sensitive skin and we were having trouble with eczema and other skin irritations.  Add to that, I had just become a SAHM and wanted to save some bucks!!!  So I started looking into cloth, but got so overwhelmed that it just turned me off immediately!  I met with some friends not too long after this, and one of my BF's (new contributor Laura B.) had her little girl in cloth diapers!  I casually asked her about them and about what she was wearing, and thus started my journey...um, addiction, with cloth diapers!

One of the first CDs Miss A tried...a BumGenius 3.0.

Being a SAHM is on of the most incredible and rewarding jobs EVER!  But it is also one of the most challenging and stressful jobs EVER!  Miss A definitely keeps me on my toes and there is never a dull moment...and she is almost THREE!  But she is my little bundle of energy and spunk!  I have never spoke on here about some of our more recent problems (mainly out of embarrassment) but we have had some speech delay problems and I plan to discuss this journey more in coming months.  We had noticed for a long time that she was not where she should have been speech wise, but our pediatrician (love him dearly but...) blew it off as nothing to worry about.  As she reached 2 1/2 we took matters into our own hands and had a speech consult.  I knew she was behind, but that evaluation really opened my eyes to just how behind she was.  The eval was just before Christmas and I am happy, proud, thrilled, etc to say that she has made HUGE improvements and is well on her way to getting back on track for her age.  It is just scary because a speech delay may or may not indicate other issues later in childhood and life.  So it is a constant worry and concern for us, but the improvement is astounding, so we keep hoping and praying that is was just a speech delay and won't be something more!

Add to all of that...we are expecting baby number two on June 6th!  Little man (Baby J) is 33 weeks baked and we are just so excited to meet him and become a family of four (seven if you count our dog Daisy and cats Maddy and Molly)!  I am excited to meet him, see what Miss A thinks of him, and just start our journey as a bigger family.  It is just so hard to believe that I am 33 weeks already...seems like just yesterday we were trying and getting nowhere fast!  It took us about 8 months to get pregnant this time which was extremely frustrating after we got preggo the first month we tried with Miss A.  It seemed like forever.  I know in the grand scheme of how long most people try to get pregnant, 8 months is nothing...but I can completely sympathize with those of you having troubles!

31 weeks preggo with Baby J.

My pregnancy this time has also been extremely easy.  No problems thus far!  No morning sickness and I got through my 32 week appointment last week with no BP issues...so I am going to keep doing what I am doing and pray that I can get to my due date with no concerns!  I have been working out (most of the time) and have been trying to watch what I eat a little better.  The past week or two, my diet has seriously slacked and so has my exercising...so I need to be better about that...especially in these final weeks when I really want to keep my BP in check!

I am really excited for the newborn stages coming soon!  Our nursery is back to being a nursery (we moved Miss A into her big girl room), I still need to wash baby clothes, but they are all out and sorted.  So washing is all I need to do and we will be ready for baby J.  I am excited for the prospect of the not knowing when he will come, when labor will start, etc.  I am just so anxious to see how his entrance into the world will be!  My labor and delivery with Miss A was fairly easy, so I am curious to see how this one will be!  I am excited to breastfeed again and do all of those tiny infant things!  Miss A was a breeze with breastfeeding, so I am anxious/excited to see what breastfeeding Baby J holds!   I am excited to get newborn cloth diapers on baby J and see how cute they are on him!  I am just excited for the whole deal!  The next 7 weeks just cannot pass fast enough!

30 weeks, my 4D Ultrasound picture of Baby J.

So here we are, with a new fresh start to my little blog!  I started this blog in August of 2010, just shortly after I got into cloth diapering.  After my experience with getting started and seeing how completely overwhelming the world of cloth diapering can be, and how wonderful online mamas were for helping me to get started, I wanted to pay it forward and create a blog where parents could come for honest information to help them on their journey!  From there it branched into other topics such as breastfeeding, babywearing, natural parenting, etc and now has grown to include 4 other mommies and their experiences!  I am extremely anxious and excited to see all of the wonderful things that come from this newest addition to the blog!  Each mama has her own flavor and ideas for what she hopes to do on the blog!  We still have a ton of kinks to work out, but this is extremely exciting!

I will still be working on cloth diapers (Miss A has no desire to PL) and will be doing my newborn cloth series after baby J is born!  More breastfeeding, babywearing, natural parenting, natural household supplies, and other topics to come from me!!!

A Little Backstory To Say Hello....

     Hello TMG followers. My name is Robin and I will be Tuesday's blog contributor. I am have been married for almost 4 years to my "balancer". I call DH that because with him being so laid back and me being so outgoing (and outspoken), he has calmed me down alot! At the same time I have brought him out of his shell a bit as well! We have three beautiful children together, all which have been "pushed out" and breastfed. Jubba, our eldest daugher, just turned 5 in March. Captain Caveman, our only son, will be 3 in July. And the Velociraptor, our youngest daughter, was born in December of 2011 and is just 4 months and still breastfeeding. Our children are 2 years and 4 months apart from each other and none were "planned" considering I was on bc when I got pregnant with each of them ! I consider them blessings and treat them as such. I have always wanted to be a Mommy for as long as I can remember. People would ask what we wanted to be when we grew up and most of my friends would say ballerinas or princesses... I would say I want to be married and have LOTS of babies!

     I am lucky to be a stay at home Mommy at this point. It is the most rewarding job I have EVER had. I get to watch my babies grow and learn on a daily basis. My children have never been in daycare nor do I have any plans on them ever being there. Jubba started K4 this past fall in a cyber school program that offers a brick and mortar facility for them to attend actual school. I would LOVE to homeschool but I believe socialization is a big and important part of a child's learning experience. We do have a membership to the children's museum and use it quite often. I also enjoy taking my kids to the zoo, the park, the aviary ... really anywhere were they can experience new and exciting things. Watching them enjoy themselves makes my heart smile.

     I am a cloth diaper addict. I currently have two in cloth, but I am hoping that Cpt. Caveman will potty learn soon. He has expressed intrest so as soon as it warms up a bit more we will start "bootcamp" (which will be a blog series in itself). I started using cloth on Cpt. Caveman when he was 20m and I have never looked back! Cloth is my new favorite addiction! I love all things cloth! I have a stash of over 100 dipes and it continues to grow! My stash contains pockets, aios, ai2s, fitteds, prefolds, doublers, covers, and woolies ... I do NOT descriminate, I LOVE all cloth =) I also use cloth wipes, wipe solution, cloth friendly bum creams and cloth friendly detergent on all my laundry. And when Auntie Flow decides to visit again I will be using cloth pads as well! I have wooden teethers for the Velocirapor (when she's not devouring her Sophie) and I have nusing necklaces that protect me from pinches and also double as teethers. To help some this part up, because my list can go on and on .... if it's related to cloth or natural in anyway I probably use it =)

     I am a big fan of baby-wearing and do it as often as possible, even around the house! I love it and so does the Velociraptor. I love being close to her just as much as she does to me. Though some people would say I spoil her with this I say that is where babies belong! She is a well-balanced baby, she is not always in the ring-sling she gets some much needed tummy-time too! Baby-wearing helps me get stuff done around the house and keeps my baby happy so in my opinion two rights can not make a wrong =)

     I enjoy all things outdoors. Camping and fishing are two of my faves. I also enjoy reading, it allows me a little time in another world "away from it all". I love making matching dresses for me and my daughters. I am trying right now to take my sewing skills to a new level by trying my hand at making some fitted diapers for the Velociraptor. I enjoy listening to music, I have tons that I love and only a select few that I don't. I'm not big on wearing make up though I will for certain events and I own dress clothes and heels but am more comfortable in jeans, a cute top and some tennis shoes. I am pretty easy going and can be very spontanious at times, though being a Mommy has given me alot more responsiblities and spontanaiety and parenting does not fit all the time!

     I will be posting alot about my children (obviously, lol) and my experiences with them. I will also be doing alot of reviews (and giveaways!!!) on items I use and some I have never tried. I want to be as interactive as possible whe it comes to reviews so if there is anything you would like to see reviewed please let me know and I will do my best at securing it for you =) Speaking of reviews and giveaways ... I have a couple all ready lined up so be on the look out! I look foward to sharing my experiences with you and I hope you enjoy reading them =)

Let me introduce myself...

Hi!  I am Jen and I will be Monday's contributor : )   I am very excited to try my hand at blogging & add to TMG!

I have been married for 6 years to my best friend from high school...we dated for forever (ok, "only" 8 years lol) and we have our Cub, the most amazing 20 month old son I could ever have asked for.  We also have a "daughter," Miss Riley Jade, our English Bulldog. 

I have nursed my son since the beginning and we are still a great nursing team.  I never thought to quit, even through allergies and sensitivities and pumping at work (which was quite an adventure, but I'll save that for another post : )  I love "wearing" Cub and he loves it just as much!  He has had a fluffy butt since around 3 1/2-4 months old and we use cloth wipes as well.  I made all his baby food.  Add to this all working full time and you have one very tired and sometimes overextended mama!

I'm all about taking Cub places like zoos, farms, aquariums, and anywhere we can see and do and enrich.  Don't mistake me for a crazy teachermama though, I am extremely babyled and whenever he is ready for things, he lets me know.  I'd describe my parenting style as an overprotective surfergirl--I let him do his thing but hover ; )

I lovelovelove scrapbooking (and I finally have the Holy Grail of scrapping...a BABY!!)  I have started sewing (cloth wipes, snack bags, flannel pants for Cub and a skirt for me, not too bad) and I am thoroughly addicted to Pinterest.  (Thanks to Pinterest, this weekend, Cub now has tons of homemade playdough and 5 bleached tees--another post for later :) 

I wear many hats--mama, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, teacher!  I teach second grade and have been for 5 years now.  I have taught at two different schools, first a religious school (4 years) and now a charter.  My students have always been my kids, but things really change when you have a baby of your very own.
   
I work and this is a tough thing for me.  I can't quit and stay home to be with Cub.  I love teaching but of course I'd much rather be home snuggling and playing.  I suppose I get the best of both worlds--a paycheck and all the regular school vacations.  But still, it rips my heart out every morning and I race home every afternoon.  My son is such an incredible little creature and being away a moment is painful.  But life goes on!  Gotta keep on truckin' until that winning lotto ticket falls into my hands!  hehehe

<3 Jen

BIG News!!! Meet the new TMG Contributors!!!

First of all, a HUGE thank you to everyone who submitted their name and information to become a contributor for the TMG blog!  I was amazed and touched by just how many of you wanted to come on board and write for the the blog!  It was very difficult choosing from all of you, but after long debate (including making my poor husband read all of your stuff and helping me decide) I finally came to my decisions!  So without further ado, here is the TEAM of people that will be bringing you the new and improved TMG blog!  We are all excited to get started as a team and really make this blog shine!!  Each person will be bringing their own flavor and expertise to the blog, so this is going to be a ton of FUN!!!

Up on Mondays...Jennifer!

My name is Jen--although I am referred to as "mum!" or "Mrs. M!!" 99% of the time.  I am a working mom of my "Cub," Drake, who is 20 months.  I have been cloth diaper-and-wiping my son since he was 3 1/2 months old and it was the best decision our family has made!!  I am a rabid baby wearer--yes he still lets me!--and extended breastfeeder, since my son loves his milk so much and I am so attached to the cuddles.  We have had a time of it with sensitivities and allergies, so nursing has not been without challenges.  My interests include my son! crafting, sewing (I am starting out, so get ready for my attempts!) and teacher related things--which really, are kids and creativity rolled into one : )  I am excited to explore blogging about parenting, fluff, craftiness and being a working mom.


Up on Tuesdays...Robin!

Hi! My name is Robin I am 30, married to my "balancer" and a proud Mama of three children DD1 ~ "Jubba" ~ is 5y, DS ~ "Cpt. Caveman" ~ is 2.5y and DD2 ~  "Velociraptor" ~ is just 4 months. I have been cloth diapering for about a year and a half now and my journey opened my eyes to a different way of living - a cleaner, greener way! I have experiences in many areas that I will be sharing with you all. Some of the topics that I will be discussing include, but are not limited to ...cloth diapering, baby wearing, breastfeeding, mama cloth, co-sleeping, child birth, and potty learning ... just to name a few. I look forward to sharing my experiences with you =)


Up on Wednesdays...Laura D. (me!)

You guys all know me!  I am the creator of the TMG blog!  I am a 29 year old wife and mommy. In June of 2007 I married the man of my dreams and I have the best husband in the whole world!  He truly is my best friend and I could not get through a single day without him! Our little girl (Miss A) was born June of  2009 and she is the light of our lives!  She is our funny little "monkey" getting into everything and has no desire to potty train, so she is still in cloth diapers!  We are expecting a boy (Baby J) in June 2012 and are anxious to meet him and get him in cloth diapers too!  Yes, two in CDs...should be fun!  I used to work as a Labor and Delivery nurse, but now I enjoy being a Full Time SAHM with my (soon to be TWO) kids! I started this blog in an effort to help other mamas out there navigate the world of parenting, cloth diapering, breastfeeding, babywearing, natural parenting, and whatever other topics come about!  It has been a fun journey so far, and this new twist is going to add so much to this blog that I have put my heart an soul into already!


Up on Thursdays...Jessica!

My name is Jessica and to some I am an extreme couponer but not really. I just enjoy making my dollars stretch as far as they can! I am married to my high school sweetheart (together 13 years, married 6) and we have three children - 4 1/2 year girl, 2 1/2 boy, 6 month girl.  I worked at a local university until I became pregnant with my third child and my husband and I decided that it was time for me to become a SAHM.  I was scared, excited, nervous, relieved, you name it - I was it!  We were suddenly going to cut our income in half - and thus I started my journey of saving money, cutting corners, and making those dollars last! 


Up on Fridays...Laura B.

Hi, my name is Laura!  I am a mama to 2, my son C who is 4 and my daughter A who is 2.  I started using cloth when C was around 9 months, and got hooked!  A wore cloth not long after birth, around 10 days old once her cord fell off.  I have a love of baby wearing and hope to share a lot about it with you all.  I breastfed both children til they self weaned, C at 15 months and A was around 18-19 months.  I am a SAHM who loves finding natural and frugal ways of living life.  We garden and also can a lot of things from our garden.  I am a novice sewer, but it's one of the few hobbies I make time for anymore.  


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We start on Monday with the new TEAM effort, so get ready for some FUN!  This week everyone has prepared a long bio and information on themselves so that you can get to "know" all of us!  Then starting the week of April 23rd, regular posts will start!  So tons of reviews, information, etc will be coming your way on all sorts of Parenting topics!!!  Hope you are all as excited as we are!!!

Natural House Cleaning Products Review and Giveaway!

It is no shock to most of you that I am always looking for new (and more natural) products to use around my home.  It all started with cloth diapering, and it has just blossomed...grown...EXPLODED from there!  So when I come across natural cleaning products, I just have to give them a try!  As a mama to an almost three year old, three pets, and a baby on the way...natural products are a MUST!  When I was given the pleasure of reviewing Natural House Cleaning Products: Flushy, Trashy, and Sinky I was anxious and excited to try using them!!!

Natural House Cleaning Products were designed by a MOM who wanted to clean her house with ingredients that were not only safe for her family, but would also prevent an outbreak of germs in her home.  Insert, Probiotics.  We have all heard a ton about Probiotics in the past few years, and this is just one more of the many applications where these tiny little micro-organisms can really be beneficial to you, your family, and your home!  They carefully select non-pathogenic and non-toxic Probiotic bacteria and natural plant based biodegradable ingredients for all of their products.

First up...Flushy!

Let's face it...while cleaning the toilet isn't as bad as most people make it out to be, it still is one of the most disgusting chores around the house.  Because of the probiotics in the Flushy ingredients, Flushy continues to break down waste, germs, etc between uses and can actually make your nasty chore a little bit easier!  Not only does it clean the part you can see, it also works to break down waste and toilet paper build up in your pipes and septic system!  Talk about paying it forward!!!

And even better, Flushy is a cinch to use!  It comes in water soluable packets, so all you do is simply drop one of the packets in your toilet, let it dissolve, activate, and foam for 5-10 seconds and then scrub with your brush!  When you are satisfied, simply flush all of those good probiotics down the toilet and they will continue to work on your pipes!

Next...Trashy!

Who thinks to clean their garbage can?  Honestly, I never did.  And to tell the truth...it's NASTY!!  Again, this is one germ ridden area of your house that (I think) most people don't clean.  I mean really, who is going to take the bag out and look in the bottom of your trash can, but it is a HUGE breeding ground for fungus and bacteria.  The same is true of your diaper pail!  Think of the nastiness in the bottom of your diaper pail!  EW!

Trashy has been designed with those same wonderful Probiotics to get in the bottom of your trash can and/or diaper pail (yes, it actually says on the bottle for diaper pails! YAY!) and kill those nasty germs and funk that live there!  And it could not be more simple to use.  Who wants to stick their arm in there and scrub?  NOT ME!  So all you do is simply spray the bottom of the trash can or diaper pail with Trashy and then air dry.  If there is serious gunk, you will want to wipe it out of course!  Trashy has a nice fresh scent and will continue to fend off those nasty germs long after you spray!

And last...Sinky!

The sink.  All kinds of different things get into your sink.  Food, mold, mildew, grease, soap, paint, play-doh...you name it!  You may or may not have a garbage disposal, either way...Sinky is your Man!  Just like Flushy, Sinky not only cleans your sink, but your disposal and your drains too!  Those probiotics are hard at work to digest odor, grime, and clean out build up in your pipes!

And just like Flushy, Sinky is a cinch to use since it also comes in the same water soluable packets.  You simply drop one in your sink, run hot water for 5-10 seconds, and watch the foaming action work on your sink.  If you have a garbage disposal, you simply run it for a few seconds.  Very easy to use and the probiotics continue to work long after you use Sinky.

Overall...★★★★★

I really loved these products.  They all have a nice, pleasing, fresh scent to them...nothing harsh or "chemical-ly."  They are extremely easy to use!  The are all natural, plant based, non-toxic, eco-friendly, and non-pathogenic probiotics.  They are safe for me, my husband, my kids, my pets, my home surfaces, etc.  And they continue to work long after you actually clean that area.  What is not to love?

Natural House Cleaning Products has a cute video highlighting what their products are all about, please take a moment to watch it!  It is quite adorable and made me laugh.  The dog licking the toilet...I clean with vinegar and my dog always licks whatever I clean! Including the toilet!!!




If you would like to purchase Natural House Cleaning Products, please visit their website here or you may purchase their products on Amazon.

The Day Has Come...

Well folks...I tried to avoid it...but I just can't keep up anymore!  With an almost 3 year old and a baby on the way (arriving SO shortly), the blog is really suffering and it makes me terribly sad!  So I am looking for a blog contributor or two! Who would like to write for The Mommy Goods?  This is a really hard decision for me, because this blog is another of my babies, but I just cannot keep up the amount of posts that I need to and so I am hoping that one of you lovely mamas would like to help me out!  I will of course still be around and will be doing my series on newborn diapering after baby J comes, but I just cannot keep up with the blog on my own and give it the attention (and you guys the information) that I feel it deserves!

If you are interested, please email me at themommygoods@gmail.com with the following information as well as any other information you want to include!

1. how long have you been cloth diapering?

2. how many children have you cloth diapered?

3. how many different kinds of diapers have you used?

4. what are your favorite diapers?  what are some diapers that you hated/didn't work for you?

5. have you used other reusable items ie. mama cloth, cloth training pants, etc?

6. how much time per week do you think you could spend working on posts for the TMG blog?  I am hoping that between myself and potentially 2 more contributors, we can each post one day a week so that there are three days a week with posts.

7. what are some other experiences that you could write about ie. breastfeeding, babywearing, etc?

8. take one of your diapers (either a fave and/or a hate it) and write up a short review of your likes and/or dislikes and the features of the diaper  (so I can see your writing style!)

Keep in mind, most of these questions are more curiosity and just looking at background, nothing is a MUST.  If you are new to CDing and want to write, that could be a PERFECT angle!  So don't think that experience is a must!  I would like to start incorporating more informational posts ie. washing, getting started, etc so any areas of expertise and any level of experience will be more than considered!  I would also like to get back to writing about other natural parenting topics such as breastfeeding, babywearing, etc.  Again, experience in these areas is not required, but we may branch out a little with more writers and more experiences to draw from!  And of course, your ideas are MORE than welcome!

Hope to hear from you guys soon!!!

Laura