Once Upon a Baby

We Were Right!

2012-01-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know how else to begin this post, so I'll start with "we were right". We went to the appointment with the specialists at the children's hospital. They saw the same things in L that we see everyday. L is autistic. He now has a diagnosis.

Here's the weird thing: I'm not upset with L being diagnosed with ASD. I'm not upset about the diagnosis, because I already knew it. I was upset about it months ago, when my husband and I realised what was going on. We went through a very emotional process then. Now, the diagnosis is validation. I AM a good mom. I do KNOW my kid. I've let other peoples opinions make me feel crazy and doubt the doctors. Now I know that I can trust my instincts and our doctors, and I will learn to stand up for myself.

The best part of the diagnosis is that now we know where to go from here. We have referrals to some new therapy programs. The people at the autism center were amazing and so informative. We left there with such a positive outlook and so many ideas on how to help my little boy.

Now I have to be an advocate for a minute. We were told that if we hadn't started early intervention therapies with L, we would be in a very different place. I have a small request of my readers. If you notice any delays in your child, or if your gut tells you that something isn't quite right, talk to your doctor. It could make a huge difference in your child's life.

A Bundle of Nerves

2012-01-06T13:39:00.000-08:00

After more than six months of waiting, we finally got in, and will be taking sweet little L for his official autism assessment appointment in just a few days.

I'm so nervous about it that I could just scream. The last year has put us through all sorts of things from twice weekly therapy to an EEG. He has shown so much progress with the early intervention that we have made such a priority lately. All along this appointment has been what we have been waiting and hoping for.

Now that the appointment is here, I'm so worried that it will not go as we expected. They will tell me that he is one smart little man, a hilarious little firecracker, with his own way of doing things. Maybe they'll laugh at us for thinking anything was off, after all, every child is different. They'll tell us that we've wasted their time and that there are kids with real problems waiting to get it.

I know I'm probably nuts. I know this little guy so well. I know he has something special going on, that needs extra special attention. If it's not autism, I don't know where that leaves us. Deep down I know how this will probably go. I just need a giant chill pill. Deep breathes, mama.

Tot School Tuesday: Bird Nests

2012-01-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

This week in tot school, we are learning about birds and I put together a little bird nest craft.

You'll need:

Construction Paper
Glue
scraps of yarn
magazine clippings of birds

1) Cut out one nest and a bunch of leaves from brown and green construction paper. (mommy did that part)

2) Have the kids glue the nest and leaves to the paper, followed by gluing the yarn bits all over the nest.

3) Ask the little ones to pick their favorite bird and have them glue it in the nest.

For more fun Tot-School Ideas check out 1+1+1=1 and other participating blogs by clicking the image below.

EndedFlash Giveaway!

2011-12-14T10:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all of my readers! I've changed my work at home mama business in the last few months and now I'm making hats rather than diapers. I love the change and it's been very successful for me so far. As a thank-you to both my blog readers, and those who have helped me succeed with my hats, I'm giving away one ready to ship hat to one lucky winner. The winner will get to pick any one of the following three hats: Child Sized Mini Hat, 0-3M size Penguin hat, or the NB newsie hat pictured.

To enter, simply follow my blog and leave a comment on this post telling me so along with an email address to contact you by.

Want an extra entry? "Like" my hat page on facebook HERE. Leave me a comment telling you that you "like" the page, and include your email address.

This giveaway will end *TONIGHT* at 9pm pst. Winner will be drawn randomly with random.org, and will be notified immediately via email. As long as response from winner is rapid, the hat of choice will ship tomorrow.

Good Luck!

Update! The giveaway has ended and the winner is #2! Congrats Jackie! I'll email you asap :)

Big Old Stocking Stuffers List for the Kiddos

2011-12-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

Last December I was out and about shopping for stocking stuffers at our local Walmart (gasp!). I went down the Christmas isles picking out things like M&Ms in a tube, and I realised that the entire aisle was full of a)things that are totally processed and completely unhealthy, b) plastic craptastic toys (sorry ma') that are only going to last a day or two before they are toast, and c)excess packaging that creates even more waste.

So I went home and vented to my husband and we came up with a plan to keep us out of those isles and from buying things that will be in the trash within a week. Here was our oh-so-complicated-plan: Buy handmade. That's it. After all, these stocking are from Santa after all, and I've never heard of a Walmart on the North Pole. Aren't all his toys and goodies made by elves?

It does take a little bit of planning ahead of time, but if you hit up some local bazaars, small boutiques that offer local goods, and etsy, you should have no problem putting together an awesome stocking. Now, I'm not perfect at sticking to this plan. We always put a couple of things in every year that are store bought, like a toothbrush. Here is the list I made up of stocking stuffers for little ones. A post full of mama and daddy stocking stuffers will follow in the next few days. Enjoy!

An Orange (Why the heck not!? There was always one in my stocking. Economical, Green, and a great space filler)
Play dough (I ordered some from this etsy seller: Mama K's Aromatic Play Clay)
A Book (store bought, but you could always go used on this one!)
Crayons (even better, go for some cool shaped recycled ones like these)
A harmonica/ maracas/ whistle (probably store bought on this one too, but you could always check and see if you have a small local shop that could help you out)
Wooden car/ Train car (I've seen these at every bazaar I've been to this year)
Socks! (you could try and find some cute hand knitted ones, or hand dyed ones)
A Hat or mittens (again look local or on etsy, you could even support my shop)
Bath Toys (probably back to the store for this one too, Green Toys does have some fun ones as well)
Bubble Bath/Bath Bomb/Soap (these are super duper cute)
An ornament (check etsy!)
Cup or mug (like this one)
Hot coco mix
Playsilks
T-Shirt (again, there are some great choices on etsy)
Bean Bags (heck, you could even make these your self)
A hair bow/clip for the girlies
Felt/Crocheted play food
I spy bag (I like this shop)
Kaleidoscope
Card games (such as Old Maid, or Go Fish)
Small Puzzle (search etsy for wooden puzzles)
Rubber Stamps
Toothbrush (my kids get a fun one every year)
YoYo
Stickers
Magnetic numbers or letters
Finger/Hand puppets
Small stuffed animal or doll (Etsy baby!)
Undies or a Cloth Diaper (bam! Etsy again

Check out my Etsy treasury for kids stocking stuffers.

Stroll in Style: Baby Jogger City Mini Review

2011-12-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

As time goes by my stroller needs have changed here and there, and we recently unloaded our giganta-stroller and started looking for something new. B does not want to sit in it anymore, so there was no use in hanging on to a triple that barely fit in our trunk. So we went and bought a popular brand of double umbrella stroller from a big box store. That was a huge waste of money! Yes, it folded up nice and small, but if the kids stretched out their legs we'd abruptly stop in an aisle with a foot smashed under the wheel. Screaming children, holding up traffic...not my idea of a good time.

Just as I was complaining all over about that little piece of useless metal stroller, the kind folks at Baby Jogger contacted me. I was thrilled at the opportunity to review the Baby Jogger City Mini Double Stroller. I had heard so many wonderful things about them from other twin moms, and I could not wait to try it out. The big brown truck dropped it at my door and I immediately had it out of the box. This baby was so easy to put together. B did most of it to be honest, with a little mommy help here and there.

We put this stroller through rigorous testing before I was ready to write this review, and let me tell you, the results are great! Along with everyday use, we also tested it out shopping at the mall, to the doctors office, and at a regular preschool drop-off/pick-up.

Let's talk everyday use first. This stroller takes up much less space in the trunk than our last jogging stroller, meaning the groceries will fit around it! It is easy to manoeuvre and the wheels are nice and small, and can swivel or be locked. Also, one of the first things I noticed about it, is that the wheels do not stick out from the side of the stroller. Another great feature is the adjustable canopies. Sometimes L needs to be a little more closed off, than just shaded from the sun. A simple shopping trip can be overstimulating for him. These canopies come way down. He can have most everything blocked out and feel more comfortable. It's like this stroller was made for us!

We rarely go out with all of the kids, especially not to crowded places. It is just such a hassle with all of buckling and unbuckling of car seats and strollers, the hazards of a parking lot, or a little one wriggling out of your grip. Those days may be over for me! We took the City Mini Double to the mall on a busy night with lots of Christmas shoppers about. We had such a relaxed time. We manoeuvred through the crowd with no problem. The store that I never go to, because the aisles are too narrow was a breeze for once! I love, love, love how narrow this stroller is! I seriously can not get over it! My husband pushed it for a while and commented on how much he likes the placement of the handlebar. It is easy to push and he didn't have to stoop over. We made a few purchases that were easy to store underneath in the basket, and when I tired of carrying my purse, it fit snugly in the mesh storage on the back of the seats. We even got a compliment from another shopper about how sleek and stylish the orange and grey is. We give it an A+ for shopping with!

Where I probably complained most about the past strollers was that they did not fit well through the doors at the pediatricians office. I hate (with a passion) handling doctors appointments alone with all three boys, but sometimes I just have to do it. For this I need the stroller. The City Mini Double preformed fabulously here too. It fits through doors with no problem, and can turn in tight hallways with ease. It is also super duper easy to put the kids in and get them out when it is their turn to see the doc. The buckle is easily accessible and manoeuvrable and there is no hassle involved. I give it an A+ for doctors office use (with a couple extra credit points for being so easy to fold up and get back in the car)

Three days a week I have to pick B and his best bud up from preschool. Not only am heading in the building with the twins, but I also have another little one from my home childcare that comes a long with me. Coming out of the building I have 5 kids with me! While it isn't a super busy parking lot, it is still not the easiest thing to get them all to the car without some one trying to run off (most often L). The City Mini has made this much easier too. Before we got it, I would not use the stroller because it was either too much of a pain to get set up and folded down, or because it didn't fit in doors. Now, it saves me time to put them in it, rather than chase a tot around the parking lot while holding a string of hands of 4 other kids. Nice visual right? Not so fun. I love that I can put Mr. Squirm away from mama in the stroller with his brother and the big kids can all help me push. Everyone stays together and we get through the parking lot quickly and safely. After everyone is buckled, it only takes a second to fold up and put in the back. I can even get it put away with one hand. For preschool pickup the stroller gets another A+.

Baby Jogger. There are actually quite a few additional accessories that can be purchased for use with the City Mini, including a glider board that attaches to the back for an older child to ride along.

The Baby Jogger City Mini Double stroller can be purchased through many retailers (check here for a retailer near you) or through various online stores such as Baby's R Us, and Buy Buy Baby.

As always this is an honest review full of my own opinions. I was not compensated for this review other than being sent a sample of the product to review.

Some Great Deals on Zulily!

2011-11-29T16:07:00.000-08:00

If you haven't checked out Zulily.com yet, you are missing out on some really great deals this week! Plus, use coupon code FREESHIPZU212 for free shipping on orders over $60. These are just a few of my favorites, but there are so many cute things on sale, it's hard to pick! You'll have to check it out for yourself!

This Playful Chef Deluxe Set is only $21.99

This Melissa and Doug boys travel set is on sale for $22.99.

And my personal favorite, the Happy Trails Dog rocker is only 39.99 (down from $90)! I think one of my boys is probably getting one of these. Too stinking cute!

Small Business Saturday!

2011-11-26T08:51:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving! Yesterday was black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. Today is Saturday and let's all remember to support small businesses that could use our support too this holiday season. Here are some ideas to get you going online, but remember to support local shops too!

thredUP- Kids Clothing at a Great Price

2011-11-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of thredUP? It's my favorite way to buy used kids clothing. This box cost 19.95 (some are a bit more), including the shipping and was well worth it!!!

(I appologize for the craptastic quality of this video...next time I will set the camera on two building blocks instead of just one)

Seven Months Without Shampoo, and why you should ditch it too!

2011-11-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

It's time for an update on the no-poo experiment! No shampoo, that is. Seven months ago I ditched shampoo (see this post) and started following a regimen on baking soda and vinegar. I'm happy to report that it is still working fabulously, and I encourage you to try it too. I seriously have never had healthier hair.

There are several reasons that I ditched shampoo. My biggest concerns are that many "big brand" shampoos contain ingredients that are very bad for our bodies. I know that sounds over the top, but it's true! So without further ado, and in no particular order, allow me to introduce you to some shampoo top-toxic-offenders.

Fragrance (or perfumes): Of course this is what makes your hair smell so sweet and clean, but this baby is nasty! I have a big problem with ingredients that are not fully labeled, and certainly do not consider "fragrance" to be an appropriate label. It's a combination of various smelly chemicals, which turns out are commonly full of neurotoxins and is toxic to our immune system. Also, consider the allergy concerns that are associated with fragrances.

DMDM Hydantoin. This is another nasty little irritant that is an immune system and skin toxicant. Also, according to the EWG, there is concern of formaldehyde contamination.

Propylene Glycol: This one is another chemical that causes immunotoxicity and is also toxic to our organs. Watch out for this one as it is absorbed quickly by skin contact and often causes irritation.

Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate: Make sure to keep this away from your babies. It causes developmental and reproductive toxicity, and is dangerous to endocrine distribution.

I encourage you to do research on every product you put on your body. A fabulous place to start, where much of my facts came from today, is the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. I bet you'll be surprised at what you find out about your favorite beauty products.

On a slightly different topic, I had my hair chopped a few weeks ago. What do you think?

Happy Birthday Twins!!!

2011-11-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

My tiny little babes turned two today! I can not believe how the time has flown by. I've been running full speed, trying to keep up. It's easy to forget to slow down and enjoy it. I have two two-year-olds! How did this happen?! Where did my little nurse-all-night babies go?!

I must be a bad parent

2011-08-10T16:04:00.000-07:00

...because right now, the TV is babysitting my child. No, this is not a regular occurrence. The boys are sick. All three of them.

It's not the snot and coughing that is wearing me down. It's the fact that for the last 8 hours or so I have barely had a moment of not being touched. Crazy, right? I'm an AP mama that has had too much attachment today. (explanation for fuddy-duddy relatives that have no clue what I'm talking about: AP=attachment parenting) Is that even possible? Do I fail at AP because I. JUST. NEED. ONE. MINUTE. OF. NOT. BEING. TOUCHED? Eh, well think what you want. I'm cool with the situation.,but, then again, at this point my brain is only working by the wonders of coffee.

Dear person who sent me a thred-up box and threw in a Baby Einstein VHS as an extra, (that I thought I would never, ever use) I thank-you for ten minutes of cling-free time.

Hippy Hippy Snap Diaper Pattern Review

2011-07-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

I chose to sew from the Hippy Hippy Snap diaper pattern this week. It is another one of those infamous diaper patterns with great reviews in the diaper sewing community, so I had to try one for myself.

The Hippy Hippy Snap pattern, is a great price at only $5 at doddlebee.com. As with the last pattern I reviewed, this pattern is also a download. I really love that. It's convenient and I don't have to wait for it to be mailed, just print it out and tape the pieces together. The pieces fit together with no issues and was easy-peasy to cut out. The pattern has 4 different sizes NB, small, med., and large.

This pattern is written to be sewn into either a PUL pocket, or a fitted pocket (not waterproof). I chose to make another PUL pocket diaper, so I used an inner layer of suede cloth and an outer layer of a fun orange ooga booga printed PUL. I made a medium, and it came together very well. It was another very easy to follow pattern, will well written instructions. I do wish that it had some explanation on the sizes just for reference, but over all it was a nicely made pattern.

The finished diaper turned out really cute. It is a very trim diaper through the rise. I actually have a little bit of trouble getting the soaker stuffed into the diaper, because it is such a tight fit. I should probably make up a slender little soaker just for this diaper. There is actually a supplementary pattern on the website for a soaker pattern to go with this diaper.

The fit is great on my boys, and overall it's a very nice little diaper. I would love to try this pattern again to make a fitted.

{this moment}

2011-07-08T11:14:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit SouleMama.

Fattycakes Pattern Review

2011-06-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

I'm on a mini-mission to actually use every unused pattern that I own, this year. Way back when, before I started sewing and selling Very Baby diapers, I bought pretty much every diaper pattern under the sun. I've never really used them, so I thought it's about time to put them all to use.

I looked through all of my patterns, trying to decide which to sew first. It was an easy decision to start with Fattycakes, because I've only ever heard it's praises. So many diaper seamstresses love this pattern and many sew and sell from it. I was a little bit worried about the fit, because my boys are anything but fattycakes, more like skinnysticks.

Fattycakes is available as a PDF download from Inspired and is only $6. I consider that to be very affordable and it's nice to not have to wait for the mail man to deliver it. The pattern pieces print out on 3 sheets of paper and are easy to cut and assemble.The pattern is really adaptable and can be sewn into a fitted, all in one, or a pocket diaper.

I chose to make a pocket diaper. Rather than pinning and cutting it out, I find it easier to trace the pattern with a fabric pen and simply cut along my markings. I used an inner layer of suede cloth and an outer layer of PUL. The instructions are straight forward and well written. It went together in a flash with no glitches. I top stitched around the entire thing, just for my own personal preference.

I really love how it turned out. The fit is actually really good for my skinny guys! The waist snaps make it so adjustable that it fits both my 27 lb babe and my 20 lb babe.

So, in short, it's a great pattern and a fabulous way to spend $6. Licensing (to sell from the pattern) is also available only if you are an active member of Diaper Sewing Divas, and is on a case to case basis.

We were adopted.

2011-06-22T15:56:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes, I forgot how much work puppies are! Chewed shoe, check! Hole dug, check! Three zucchini plants ripped out and the then buried, check! Cabbage eaten straight off the plant (days before ready for picking), check!

Meet Willie, our little rescue pup. We found him abandoned in an empty parking lot a few weeks ago, with the intentions of taking him to a shelter on their next business day. He made himself at home, and fit in so well that we couldn't bear to part with him. He's become best buds with Oscar, and he loves the kids.

He checked out very well with the vet, who thinks he is a lab/Aussie mix. Whatever he is, he sure is a cutie. Now if I can just survive the constant training, we'll get along just fine!

Sweet Baby L

2011-06-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

L is autistic. There, I said it. It's out. We don't know where he falls on the spectrum, but we know that he is on the spectrum. It will be at least six months before we have any more information. This is our new reality. I can't seem to get my mind off my sweet babe.

I don't think that any family ever wants their child to have ASD, although it is relieving to know why L is the way he is. Through this whole ordeal, all I want to do is scoop him up and hold him, snuggle him, and never let him go. Unfortunately that won't happen because he isn't a fan of being held and touched, only on his own accord, which is rare.

I've had a couple of very sad and teary weeks. It's time for me to move on from my denial/pity party. My child is healthy. He is happy. He doesn't know that he is any different. He is special. He is beautiful. I love him for his differences, not despite them.

I don't want anyone's pity, only support and love. Please send vibes of strength and attitude renewal my way. On another note, I have found that comments like "there is no way that an 18m old can be autistic, that's ridiculous", "he's too young to know that", "I don't believe in autism", or "autism is just an excuse for poor behavior and learning deficits" are completely unhelpful, not at all comforting, and honestly rather insensitive. Even comments made with the best of intentions are not always a good idea. If you know anyone going through something like this, it might be something to keep in mind.

{this moment}

2011-05-20T05:38:00.000-07:00

I've Ditched Shampoo

2011-05-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

I'm sure your thinking "Lost it now, she has. Off the deep end, this one is" (or maybe you don't speak like Yoda. I like to imagine that some of my readers have quirky personalities)

Allow me to elaborate. I never thought of ditching shampoo until it became a hot topic on a message board that I frequent. At that time, I was couponing like crazy and had just stocked up on shampoo, so going no-poo wasn't on my short list. I couldn't imagine a way to loose the poo and not have greasy, stringy hair. About a month ago, I decided to look into the method a bit more, after being a bit sick of dandruff or oily hair. I read about it on a few eco-friendly blogs and decided to make the leap.

I've been without shampoo for one month now and I'm amazed at the results. Now, no shampoo does not mean that I don't wash my hair. I do. I just use baking soda, water, and vinegar. It's super easy. I take a cup with a tablespoon or two of baking soda, and add water until it is a little thinner than a paste. Starting at the front of my head, I massage this into my roots and then rinse it away. I follow this with a quick rinse with equal parts apple cider vinegar and water, then rinse it out with just water.

My hair has never felt this healthy. Shampoo strips your hair of it's natural oils. This makes your scalp freak a little bit and make more oil to compensate. If your like me, you are washing all the time to get the rid of the overproduction of oil. Then, I end up with dandruff from shampooing too often. Ah, what a nasty cycle it is. Also, most shampoos contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and mineral oils, two things that I avoid putting on my body.

If you'd like more info on going no-poo, this is the best source that I've found so far: Babyslime: Info Shampoo Free. She goes into much more detail about SLS and mineral oil on that page.

Local Spotlight: Middleton Six Sons Farms

2011-05-18T09:58:00.000-07:00

I mentioned recently that we have been eating asparagus like crazy, taking full advantage of it while it is in season. So far we've gone through three 20lb boxes of it from Middleton Six Sons Farms, and I don't plan to stop until it's season is over. It's become a part of our daily diet and I'm so going to miss it when it's gone!

There is something charming about buying produce within eyesight of the source. Once every one to two weeks, I load the kids in the car and drive out to a little stand out in the country, about five minutes from our home, where the asparagus is picked daily and Laura, one of the owners is there to greet you with a smile. (Yes, she was posing for this photo, but she really is as kind as she looks.)

The cute, little, red, stand is set right on the edge of the field. You can take a 30 second walk over to the growing asparagus and show your children how and where it grows. I want my children to know where their meals come from, and this is a fabulous opportunity for me to demonstrate that.

The price and quality is fantastic. For only $25 you can purchase a 20 lb box. If stored properly, it lasts us about a week, and we do not let any go to waste. If 20lbs seems a little outrageous, they do offer 10lbs for $12.50, 5lbs for $6.25. Any quantity smaller than that is $2.00 a pound, still far better than grocery store prices.

Local folks, I suggest that you check them out. For all my non-local readers, research your local resources. I'll bet that there are local farms near you that would love to sell you some spring produce. Get to know the growers, and the nice people who run the stands. I guarantee you that it will be worth your while.

I'm committed to supporting my local farmers by buying my produce locally, I hope that you are inspired to do the same. Visit farms, join a CSA, shop at farmers market, or find some u-pick fields/orchards. Just don't spend your summer in the super market. If you do, you'll really be missing out.

For more information on Middleton Six Sons Farm, please visit their website: http://www.middletonsixsonsfarms.com/ or their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/middletonsixsonsfarms. To Learn more about eating local (aka the locavore movement), visit Locavores.com.

These Are a Few of my Favorite Things

2011-05-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

These are my very favorite blogs, and some written by some very close friends. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have, and continue to.

Valley girl has baby, goes crunchy

The First Bites of Spring!

2011-04-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

It's been spring for weeks now, and I've been not-so-patiently awaiting the emergence of the local asparagus. The first asparagus signals to me the kick-off of the growing season. Normally, around these parts, asparagus starts shooting out of the ground in the beginning of April. This year, the local growers have had a tough spring full of chilly nights and frost-covered mornings. Finally, today my favorite local asparagus farmers Middleton Six Sons Farms, opened up their roadside produce stand and with that I finally felt the glow of springtime.

This year I have a lofty goal of not only eating locally this spring and summer, but also putting as much by as possible to keep us through the winter. I plan to shop at farmer's market weekly for our produce, visit local farms and u-pick farms orchards, buy organic (locally) as often as possible, and buy local meat from reputable farms (grass fed when possible). We've also started our own mini-homestead in the backyard with our two lovely chickens. I hope they turn out to be a great egg source in the coming months. Our garden will begin to grow soon and we will eat from it and preserve what we can. We also plan to dig a small root cellar to store our potatoes, carrots, and the like. This is all a very exciting chapter for us to undertake and I can not wait to see where it leads.

For now, I know that we will be eating loads of asparagus as long as it's season lasts. It all started today folks and I'm elbow deep in broken stalks, a pot is ready to blanch in, the food saver is running, and soon the freezer will be a little more full. Let's see how many 20lb boxes we can work through this season!

Tot School Thursday: C is for Caterpillar

2011-04-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

This week in tot school, we finally used our Letter of the Week curriculum, and learned about the letter "C". The kiddos really had fun with it, especially the art projects. We paired our activities with reading Very Hungry Caterpillar and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. B bear has both nearly memorized now. I'm not looking forward to returning the latter to the library this week.

I also found some fun "C" thing on No Time for Flashcards, and of course we couldn't talk about caterpillars and not do the classic egg carton craft.

For more fun Tot-School Ideas check out 1+1+1=1 and other participating blogs by clicking the image below.

{this moment}

2011-04-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Tot School Thursday: Counting Eggs

2011-04-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

   Last weekend I made these little counting eggs for B Bear to help teach him number recognition and order. I found this idea on Counting Coconuts, but instead of using fabric paint, I decided to embroider the numbers on the felt.

   B has played with them a little bit, but surprisingly L is completely captivated by them. I introduced the eggs to the twins while B was out at his grammie and papas house. L and A poked at them a bit and A quickly lost attention. As soon as A was off doing something else, L swooped in, grabbed the little bucket and took it to a quiet spot where he could play alone.

He spent over a half an hour dumping the bucket and then putting them all back in. After that half hour, I sat down with him and he would hand me one egg and wait for me to say, "That's an eight!". Then he would smile and hand me another one.

    I've left the bucket of eggs out for a few days now, and my little man keeps going back to them, over and over again. I guess the time it took me to cut felt and embroider numbers, was time well spent! I only made the numbers 1-10, but I think I'm going to make 11 and 12, because the little bit of OCD in me is really irritated with ten eggs, since we all know eggs come in dozens.

For more fun Tot-School Ideas check out 1+1+1=1 and other participating blogs by clicking the image below.

Planting Starts

2011-04-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

B Bear and I took advantage of the twins' long nap time today and planted our starts! (or at least the first set of them) He was fascinated by the pellets that expand when you add water, but not so much with the seed planting. He did help me sprinkle seeds in, quite a few more than necessary, but oh well. We planted two kinds of tomatoes (Black Krim, and Cherokee Purple), eggplant, jalapenos, sweet bell pepper mix, parsley, thyme, and basil. I have many more things to start and even more to plant directly in the soil.

There are so many things I'm looking forward to this growing season. I can't wait to watch him learn about the plants as they sprout and grow, to get covered in dirt with him in the garden as we prep our soil, to teach him which plants are weeds and get pulled, and transferring the starts to the soil together and help them grow. Most of all I look forward to picking fresh produce from our back yard and teaching my son where good food comes from.

I made a promise to my sons over a year ago and I have not held to it as well as I intended to. I've been lazier (aka very busy with a million other things) than I should be. Their well being is the most important thing to me, and I am getting back on track with their nutrition and chemical exposure NOW, and our garden is a big part of that, and a big part of teaching my boys about nutrition.

Help us name the girls!

2011-04-04T08:44:00.000-07:00

We've had these lovely ladies for two weeks now and we can not seem to come up with names for them. There is only one name on the table for the yellow one, Minerva Louise, but we're not set on it.

Without further ado, meet the girls. Any name suggestions are appreciated! More to come about the chicks soon.

April Sensory Tub

2011-04-03T05:36:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking on the sensory tub for too long! When I put it together, I fully intended to change it up every month and keep it "new" and "fun". L spent the day with his Grammie yesterday, so B, A, and I went to Hobby Lobby to restock our art supplies. I have to say, it is so much easier to shop with only two kids! I had no idea!

I browsed through the Easter basket section and ideas for a Easter Themed sensory tub kept coming to me. I bought a couple of little packets of confetti (bunny shaped and flower shaped), some little wooden flowers, small felt Easter eggs, small plastic eggs (hopefully to be replaced with felted wool eggs that I'm working on today), and B's favorite: pom poms. This time I dyed the rice pink and green with Wilton Icing Colors, and baked it at 200 degrees for about 20 minutes. I threw a little bright green Tupperware spoon in for him to scoop with.

The kid LOVES it. Next month my goal is to avoid the plastic items in it, and make it a bit more natural. If you are thinking of starting a sensory tub, Counting Coconuts is a great place to stop by for inspiration. Her April tub is pretty darn awesome.

A Safer Bath: Boon Flo Review

2011-04-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

A while back (okay months ago), when the twins were becoming more active at bath time, I started shopping for a faucet cover. It seemed like I was constantly trying to keep them from bumping their little noggins on the spout.

The only ones that I could find around here were either shaped like cartoon characters or rubber duckies. neither of which are quite my style. I started browsing online, and I found the Boon Flo. Eureka, finally something I won't feel like I need to remove before house guests come! Boon Inc. was generous enough to send me the Flo to review.

I love almost everything about the product. It comes in three colors: pink, blue and green. The blue is perfect for us, since it goes well with our shower curtain and towels. It fits easily onto the faucet by simply squeezing it, and is remains snugly in place. When it is in place it still allows access to the shower diverter. The Flo is soft and helps to protect against head injury. I can just sit back and watch my boys splash, no longer worrying about them smacking their heads on the faucet.

When you turn on the water, it shoots out away from the faucet like a mini waterfall. It is much gentler than the faucet alone. My boys will sit in the tub while the water is running, as long as the Flo is attached. Another major selling point for me is that the Flo is phthalate, BPA, and PVC free!

The Flo also has a bubble bath dispenser. It is easy to fill and dispenses with the push of a button. The running water makes it bubble up into a very nice bubble bath. The only downfall to this, at least with our particular Flo, is that it drips in between baths leaving a sticky bubble mess behind. It really isn't that big of a deal however, because as soon as you turn the water back on, it rinses right away. We've chosen to just not use that part anymore, since we use natural bubble bath that is a little pricey and we don't want to waste it.

Overall the Boon Flo gets an A+ from us, and is one thing that I'll be giving parents-to-be, at future baby showers. You can purchase it at many online retailers, including Amazon.com.

{this moment}

2011-04-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Tot School Thursday: Our Family

2011-03-31T14:12:00.000-07:00

B Bear has been enjoying drawing people lately, and this mama bear is Loving it! Last weekend we decided to make family portraits to showcase his new talent. I set out some construstion paper and markers and just let him do his thing.

He started with Mama and Daddy:

Then drew his brother L, who is sad in this drawing:

And then his brother A, who is very happy:

Then a gorgeous self portrait:

And it wouldn't be complete with Oscar, our big black lab, complete with a long ear, tail, and a ball (the thing to the right of him).

The whole family is now hanging on my wall and I'm very much enjoying the new artwork.

For more fun Tot-School Ideas check out 1+1+1=1 and other participating blogs by clicking the image below.

A Small Revelation

2011-03-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

*I hope that this post makes sense. The big old jumble of expression swimming around in my head may be coming out as nonsensical banter.*

Lately I've found that time for myself is few and far between. I've just kept pushing along because with three little children, isn't that how it should be? Isn't it normally for a stay at home mother to spend all day, everyday, caring for other people and doing housework? Shouldn't I always have happy, well entertained children, dinner on the table, and a clean house, and a smile on my face when my husband gets home from work. Well, I'll tell you, that can only work for so long. Mommy gets overwhelmed and exhausted. I can't believe that I've been trying to be the perfect little house-wife/mother/everything. That is just ridiculous!

Here's the deal. I'm a stay at home mother, a child care provider for one sweet little girl, and a (very) small diaper business owner. That is enough for a full time job in itself. I know that my husband works outside the home (7 days a week right now, ugh). It has made sense that I take care of the cooking and housework, since I am at home, and he is tired when he comes home.

Let me clarify this, he is not some pig of a man that will not do housework and expects dinner ready when he gets home. My husband is a great man, a loving and caring man that wants me to be happy. I have just not asked for the help that I should. It's been my opinion, not his, that he shouldn't be asked to do too much after working for 8+ hours. Now, this also doesn't mean that he doesn't do anything. From the time he gets home at night we are busy, busy, busy! With three little boys, there is a lot to keep up with. He often takes care of cleaning up dinner, or bathing the boys. There is just so much more to do!!!

Now, back to that sentence about working 8+ hours. I realized the other day that I work as much as he does, I just happen to do it at home. In January of 2010, I made a resolution to make time for myself by blogging often. And, I did it...last year. You can see from my post count lately that that didn't happen this year. I don't know what happened in the last few months, but I just haven't been able to find any little moments to sit and type, or sit and sew for that matter. Perhaps it has something to do with my A and L running about and getting into everything.

I need to find the time again. While first and foremost, I will always be a mother, I am so much more. I need to spend more time caring for myself and giving myself the time do what I like, like blogging for example. My favorite, most often used mantra is "loving myself by caring for my mind, body, and soul, makes myself and my family happier and healthier." I find more wisdom in this every day.

An Easy Way to Reuse

2011-03-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

Do you ever find yourself in the check-out lane, realizing that you forgot your shopping bags? This happens to me often enough. I know, terrible, right? Sometimes making it in and out of the car with all three kids is enough trouble. Somethings are bound to be forgotten. At least it's the bags and not one of my boys. ;)

When this happens to me, I opt for paper, rather than plastic. I know we can debate over and over which is more "green". Here is my reasoning... Think of the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. (Of course the first thing is to reduce: aka use your reusable bags.) I don't really reuse plastic bags. They end up bundled up in a massive pile in our garage, waiting to be dropped off at the store recycle bin. However, paper bags are always used in our house. Why not cut it up and use it for a canvas for the little one's art projects? Of course, when you are done you can always save it, or recycle it.

(project idea for the marshmallow rainbow comes from No Time For Flashcards)

Happy Valentines Day from "blogger MIA"

2011-02-14T16:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! Oh, how time flies and how children grow. My adorable little munchkins have been keeping me so busy lately, that I rarely have a spare moment to type.

In the last couple of months, L kept struggling with weight gain, and B Bear joined him. I am so happy today to have been told not to worry about either of their weight anymore. They are both growing well again! When I saw their charts of the last two months growth, I was astounded at how much they both leaped up the chart. I really never imagined in a million years that I would be told that L is gaining well and I can start to lay off the high cal diet! Life is full of little blessings.

To add to the stress of trying to force weight on two of my little ones, at a routine appointment our pediatrician heard a "prominent murmur" in A's heart. We were told that he needed an urgent echo-cardiogram, as it was likely a small hole or valve problem. I have never been so tense in my entire life. I didn't even realize how tense I was until I was able to relax two days later, when we got the results. A has a murmur. Nothing more.

If all that does not keep me busy enough, B bear fills in any down time with his lovely toddler behavior. I recently read this post, on one of my favorite blogs, Baby Rabies. It describes my child perfectly. So, Jill, if you find a decent "swaddle blanket", I want to be the first to know. ;)

Needless to say, 2011 has been absolute chaos thus far. (I didn't even get into the cold that we have been passing around our house for a month) I hope to be back in the blog-o-sphere again really soon. Let's just see how long it takes me to get my house in order and my toddler entertained long enough to type.

Getting out the Seed Catalogs

2011-01-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know it's still January. I don't care. I'm planning my garden now anyway. The seed catalogs started arriving weeks ago, and it took so much will power to not start placing orders right away. I normally order a huge seed assortment from several companies, but this year I plan to do things differently.This year I am taking the following things into consideration:

What do we eat a lot of? Last year I had far too many eggplant starts. Rather than waste them I planted them all. We had too many eggplant to eat, and couldn't find enough people to take them off our hands, so many went to waste. This year I will plan to only grow what we will eat or can preserve. I also tend to order a lot of interesting veggies...like purple carrots, or those really long green beans. This year, I'm not going to order things just because they look so cool.

What costs the most at the grocery store? There is a good case to be made for growing more of the produce that would cost more for you to buy. For example I love to eat green beans and sugar snap peas, which are both on the higher end of the grocery cost spectrum. Since I know that we will eat as much as we can grow, I plan to use more garden space and pay more attention to these.

What preserves well? As I said above, I hate to waste produce. I'm taking into consideration which crops will freeze, or can well, which can be pickled or put into sauces. I want to get the most out of our work and space.

What do we need more of in our diet? My increasingly picky eaters need a bit more "adventure" in their eating habits. I think that if B took a part in growing our food, he might be more apt to eat it. (perhaps that is wishful thinking) While my boys do well with the regulars of green beans, peas, carrots, and sweet corn, they turn up their noses at pretty much every other veggie. We rarely eat beets, turnips, Brussels sprouts, radishes and squash, (things that the hubs and I both enjoy) so this year I plan to try and introduce those to my kiddos.

I don't have much worked out yet, but I'm glad to be started with the planning. I can't wait to get my hands in the soil and show my boys how to grow healthy food in our back yard. I hope that you are all enjoying browsing through your seed catalogs as well.

On to Sippy-Cups: Tommee Tippee Review

2011-01-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

How is it possible for my babies to grow this fast? I don't have babies anymore, they are toddlers. This week we are officially ditching the ba-ba, and moving on to the sippy! We really should have made the switch months ago, but with the weight gain issues we've had, I decided to let them eat however they wanted to, rather than switch it up.

L is particularly sensitive when it comes to the food and eating category. He's been through months of occupational therapy for "eating aversions". Things that wouldn't matter to the average child are huge setbacks to him. For example, he was very slow to take to feeding himself solid foods. Once he finally had the hang of it, we had a bout of the stomach flu and he was so sick that we ended up in the ER. Somehow, he associated vomiting with feeding himself. It took a full month to get him to feed himself again.

Understandably, I've been very nervous about the transition from bottles to cups, particularly for L. I decided to start with a sippy with a soft spout and work up to a more "toddler" cup in stages. After a bit of research I decided that I wanted to try the Tommee Tippee system. They were kind enough to send each of my twins an Explora L'il Sippee Spill Proof Training Cup. This is their stage 1 cup, for ages 6 months and up. These cups feature a soft spout, which is a great transition from the nipple of the bottle. They have handles, making them easier to hold and the one piece valve is a cinch to clean.

I was pleasantly surprised at how well they have handled the transition. It was not a big deal at all! Both twins took to it seamlessly. I went to my local ToysRUs and stocked up on them. I bought a few of each of the next stages and even a couple for B. They have several different spout styles to choose from. If you're in need of some sippy-cups, head on over to TRU, or order at TRU online.

Thank-you tommee tippee for sponsoring this review. I was not compensated in any way for this post, other than receiving 2 free sippee cups, I did end up going and purchasing more. All opinions expressed are truly my own.

Christmas Goodies

2010-12-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

I really love Christmas goodies. I've been baking all week with B and having a blast doing it. We've made peanut butter fudge, buttery spritz, Santa's whiskers, and Oreo truffles. The Oreo truffles are by far my favorite! In case you haven't heard of them yet, I found the recipe on Bakerella and they are so easy to make....and yummy beyond belief.

What are you baking this year? I'm always on the look out for new things to try...the easier the better!

The End of an Era

2010-12-21T06:27:00.000-08:00

My time as a breastfeeding mother of twins has come to an end. I knew it was coming as my little self weaners lost more and more interest, but I was really trying to hang on. I know how the majority of people I know feel about extended breastfeeding. I'm on the other side of the fence on this topic with, it seems, most everyone...so I tend to avoid it. Hi, My name is Jennifer and I'm a closet extended breastfeeding supporter. I suspect that while I avoid the topic, if you really know me, you had your suspicions. I write an eco-friendly/ attachment parenting blog for goodness sake.

I really wanted to make it longer, 18 months...24 months... whatever my boys wanted to do. I just didn't expect them to end at 13 1/2. Technically 12 1/2 for L, he lost interest once we started a high calorie diet for him. I really don't know why it hits me so hard. I should be proud. I nursed twins for over a year. It seems that that is nearly unheard of, and I did it. I fought hard to make it this far. We had setbacks. I've lived on lactation cookies, fenugreek supplements, and EMAB MilkMaid tea.

So, why does this make me so sad? I feel like I'm losing a bond that has tied us together for over a year. I'm saddened that my babies are now toddlers. (Don't get me wrong. I DO NOT have baby fever. My hands are full and my heart is overflowing.) More than that, I just don't know. I don't know why it is such a kick in the gut.

My once snugly little boys now rarely let me cuddle them. There are trucks to push, animal sounds to be made, and things to climb. Mamas "num nums" are no longer needed, they slow them down. Such is life I suppose. Sigh.

A Green Way to Wrap

2010-12-20T16:26:00.000-08:00

First of all, I've gotta say that I am a huge fan of Chicobag. Out of all my reusable bags, these are by far my favorite. Their holiday bags are always adorable, as this years holiday bag certainly is! They sent me the blue bag and I love it. I feel so festive doing my grocery and Christmas shopping with it. It's available in three colors, all equally adorable, and retails for 12.99.

The brilliant folks at Chicobag put together a charming Youtube video showcasing how well their bags work as gift wrapping! What an awesome idea. I know that I would love to have a present under the tree wrapped in a cute Chicobag! It's like getting two presents, a new grocery sack and whatever is in it. I love how they make the bows look so cute on the gifts. Check it out. It's not too late to order in time for Christmas! Their website says to order by 12/22, so don't wait too long. ;)

I was not paid for this post and all opinions are my own, as always. I was sent a product to sample and review.

Earth Mama Angel Baby Review

2010-12-16T07:50:00.000-08:00

This morning I give myself a little pat on the back for nursing the twins for 13 month and counting. It seems to be going downhill lately as their diet revolves more and more around table foods and we continue to struggle with L's low weight and high calorie diet. I'm not ready to call it quits just yet, and neither is A. L has pretty much lost interest, but A still nurses for one or two mini-sessions daily. I know my supply is very low and I'm just hanging on to breast feeding by a thread.

Earth Mama Angel Baby was kind enough to send me their Organic Milkmaid Tea to help boost my supply. I've tried basically every lactation tea that you can buy and this is by far the best! I definitely notice an increase in supply after I drink a few cups. I've had a few days when I thought it would be our last day of nursing, just because my supply is just so low. On those days I make sure to drink a few cups of Milkmaid Tea, and it has saved me so far. Another thing that I love about EMAB Milkmaid Tea is that the flavor is more mild that other varieties. In all of the other teas that I've tried, I've noticed that the anise is almost overpowering. If your not familiar with anise, it tastes like black licorice and isn't my cup of tea. (bwah ha ha). EMAB is much better than the others and is what I will use for now on.

Earth Mama Angel Baby has so much more to offer. If you are like me, and do not use baby products with nasty toxins on your baby, you will love EMAB. All of their products are organic and toxin free and rate zero in the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Safety Database. By the way, that database is a fabulous resource and you should check it out.

When I went on a rampage last year, eliminating everything that I considered unsafe from our baby care products, diaper creme was one of my main concerns. I ordered the highly recommended EMAB Bottom Balm and will never go back to the old cremes. A big plus is that it is safe for cloth diapers!

Mini Muffin Tin Advent Calendar

2010-12-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

This little project was on my to-do list last year, after seeing numerous tutorials all over the web, but I was a little too busy with having two newborns to find the time to make it. This year it was my first Christmas project and I love how it turned out. I didn't really follow any tutorial. It's pretty simple to figure out. Here is a good tutorial though from Somewhat Simple, that is a little different from how I did it in that she used little magnets rather than magnetic sheets.

I purchased a roll of adhesive back magnetic sheeting from Hobby Lobby for 9.99. I cut some scrapbook paper with my Fiskars paper cutter and actually used it to cut the magnets too. This gummed up the blade, but was worth the saved time and perfect little squares to me. I peeled the backing off of the magnet, and stuck a piece of the scrapbook paper on it. I forgot to pick up some number stickers, so I used my Cricut to cut them with the A Child's Year cartridge on red card stock. I also used my Cricut to cut little circles on green card stock with the New Arrivals cartridge because the numbers didn't really stand out on just the scrapbook paper.

Overall, I love how it turned out. The only problem that I found was that the mini muffin tin that I used had tiny compartments, too small for even a Hershey's Kiss. I did find some little Dove chocolates that fit and are so tasty!

B Bear has really enjoyed opening one slot every day and finding a chocolate. Before he opens it, we count up to what ever number we are on. After he opens it, we count how many days we have left. I look forward to it becoming part of our families Christmas traditions.

Deals to share!

2010-12-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

I was introduced to Zulily last night and I'm in love with it! I'm totally the kind of mom that is always looking for great deals and I adore Melissa and Doug toys. Zulily hosts various events for diferent brands that usually only last 72 hours, and they always have a few going on at once. I have heard that shipping time can be a bit long, but if you're looking for a deal, they have them. You do have to be a member to purchase from them, but the good news is, membership is totally free and you can sign up here.
Here are a few of my current favorites:

Melissa and Doug Blocks Rock Toy Bundle 29.99 plus shipping (was 48.00)

See Kai Run Pink Ruffle Mary Janes 18.99 plus shipping (was 32.00)

KidKraft Figure 8 Train Set 22.99 (plus shipping) was 40.00

I'm Back!!!! (and catching up with winners)

2010-12-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

Wow...not having a computer for a few weeks was really sucky. I did teach myself to knit in the meantime, so that's something! Now, I'm not saying I'm good at it,(note the twisted stitches and added stitches) but it's a start, right? Now I'm trying to decide on my next project. I'm super in love with the Hudson Hat, but not sure that I can handle it just yet.

In other news, we had mass amounts of snow. Well, mass amounts for our area anyway. B Bear had some fun playing in it, but is very tired of it now and wants it to go away so he can go to the playground.

And, I'm catching up with all of the giveaways that have ended recently, and will be emailing the three lucky winners shortly!

Have you sent your Christmas cards yet?

2010-12-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

I'm popping in for a moment and blogging from my in-laws place. Our computer is still not working. I'm having serious Internet withdrawals. It sucks big time. The good news is that the hubs and I finally decided to take the computer to a paid professional for repair! I should have my computer up and running again in a few days.

In the meantime I wanted to share a great company that I've been worked with this year on our photo Christmas cards. I had the opportunity to work with TinyPrints to create my cards and they are fabulous! am so impressed with their customer service and quality. It seems like these days, there are not too many companies that take the time and put in the effort to build a good relationship with their customers. Tiny prints went above and beyond to make my cards perfect.

When I created our cards I uploaded our photos to their site and picked the style I liked and the wording as well. It was so easy, and they have styles to suit everyone. A couple of days after I finalized our order I received a phone call from tinyprints. A couple of our photos were grainy and they were concerned that it would affect the overall quality of our cards. They helped me change out the photos and sent me a high res proof of them to approve before they started. After I switched out the photos, I received another call to confirm the order. These were real people calling too, not an automated machine. The second employee that I talked to even took the time to trouble shoot my camera settings with me, to help me get better photos on my camera from now on. I was amazed that they took the time to help me, when they would have sent me some slightly grainy cards and I may never have noticed.

As you can see, my cards are beautiful, and just what I wanted. (I blacked out our names, you know...for a little bit of privacy.)I'm so excited to send these out to all of our friends and family this year. I've never actually sent out Christmas cards before and this is the perfect way to start. Thank-you TinyPrints for the beautiful cards. Be sure to check them out, it's not too late to order for this Christmas. They also have several products that would make great gifts!

Disclaimer: I was not paid for this review. It is of my honest opinions and was written only by me. I did receive photo cards to review, free of charge.

Sad broken computer

2010-11-24T12:19:00.001-08:00

My trusty computer has a virus and is out of comission. I'll be back asap as soon as it is back in working order. Until then, Happy Thanksgiving!

{this moment}

2010-11-19T16:45:00.000-08:00

A HappyBelly is just one bite away...

2010-11-19T16:38:00.000-08:00

While exploring options for organic baby food, I came across Happy Baby and am so excited to share their awesome products with you. They carry a huge line with a lot of variety. From baby snacks like puffs and melts to toddler meals, they are sure to have just what you need.

What caught my attention right away is that their baby foods come in pouches rather than jars. The reason for this is that it allows them to preserve them without additives and at a lower temperature. This is important because preserving at a lower temperature yields a higher nutritional value. Another great thing about the pouches is that they are BPA and Phalate free! Woot Woot!

HappyBaby pouches come in three stages. Stage 1, Starting solids includes classic starters like pears and mangos. Stage 2, Simple Combos has some really fun combos like “banana, beet, and blueberry”. Stage 3, Balanced meals, are geared toward the more practiced eaters with a bit more texture and options like “amaranth ratatouille”.

We were lucky enough to review HappyBellies organic baby cereals. They come in three varieties: organic brown rice, organic oatmeal, and organic multi-grain cereals. They are the first baby cereals to incorporate DHA and probiotics (good bacteria that strengthen the digestive system and help to prevent allergies).

My babies are past the point of eating just cereal mixed with breast milk, although it can be prepared that way. We have had some food aversions and setbacks in the eating development area, that had to do with the fact that they were born 5 weeks early. So, I have been working with them on texture by adding cereal to their purees. A is doing great with it and will pretty much eat anything you put in front of him. L however, is back on a non-gaining streak again. Ugh.

He refuses anything with texture, with the exception of cheerios. Who knows why. The “big brand” infant cereals tend to clump up when mixed with purees, but I have not found this to be the case with HappyBellies cereals. It seems to me that it is more powdery and mixes more nicely into the food. I started by mixing it with sweet potatoes. L didn’t have a problem with it at all, and he normally spits out anything that I mix with cereal. Also I love that the mixed grain cereal is a combo of whole oats, amaranth, and quinoa. It's a much more interesting combo than the other available options out there.

HappyBaby has many other baby and toddler foods that you should check out, and they are kind enough to be giving one reader a set of coupons for free products!

To enter, head over to HappyBaby and comment on this post, telling me about one other product that you like, other than what I mentioned in my review.

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Open to US residents only. Ends on 12/13/10. Winner will be determined by random.org. Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. As always this is an honest review full of my own opinions. I was not compensated for this review other than being sent coupons for free samples of the product to review.

A new hat for baby!

2010-11-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

I made this new hat for A this week and I'm head over heels in love with it. I can't help but show it off here, so forgive me while I do just that. The best thing is that it was super easy and took less than two hours. The pattern is the Brr Baby Beanie. You can find it for free on Ravelry. The awesome yarn is from my friend Tina, hand dyed by Mrs. Fuzzy Wuzzy herself! Check out her shop here and here for beautiful yarns and the worlds best dryer balls.

Another great product from Thirsties

2010-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Cloth diapering folks, you've got to try this detergent from Thirsties! We started having some diaper issues about a month ago. It seems that baby A has very sensitive skin and something in my favorite powdered detergents was really bothering him. I'm not sure what it was, but it was just rash after rash, and only on A. L didn't show any signs of irritation. So, I switched diaper detergents. I now use Thirsties Prewash and Superwash. His skin is clearing up and we pretty much rash free.

I've loved Thirsties products since we started using cloth, and I've talked about their duo diapers before here. When I started looking for another wash solution, Thirsties was the first thing on my radar. Not only did it clear up the rash, but it really simplified our wash routine. All you have to do is pre-clean the diapers with 1/2 ounce of Thirsties Prewash on cold. Follow that with a 1/2 ounce of Thirsties Superwash on hot, with one extra rinse. That sure is an improvement from the complicated laundry routine we were doing. Also, with my old laundry routine we had terrible ammonia build-up and were regularly stripping diapers once a month. There is no need for that anymore, as we haven't had ammonia issues since the switch.

Here's a bit of info on Thirsties Prewash:

•Completely non-toxic solution

•100% biodegradable

•Custom formulated by a chemist specifically for use in pre-washing diapers

•Designed to help loosen and rinse away waste and bacteria

•Antimicrobial ingredient purifies naturally
•Washes completely clean; will not leave residue
•Highly concentrated to reduce costs and carbon output
•HE Safe
•Made in the USA

And a bit of info on Thirsties Superwash:

•Completely non-toxic solution

•100% biodegradable

•Odorless & colorless

•Custom formulated by a chemist specifically for use in washing cloth diapers

•Probiotic solution introduces good bacteria

•Reduces odor

•Helps prevent diaper rash

•Effectively brightens and whitens without harmful additives
•Washes completely clean; will not leave residue
•Highly concentrated to reduce costs and carbon output
•HE Safe
•Made in the USA

You can purchase Thirsties Prewash and Superwash at various online retailers, and be sure to request one of their catalogs here.

Thanks to the fabulous folks over at Thirsties, you have a chance to win a set of Thirsties Prewash and Superwash!

~~Here's how to enter:~~

~~This comment is mandatory and if not included, all other entries will be void.~~

~~Visit~~ ~~Thirsties~~ ~~and comment here telling me about one other product that you'd love to try.~~

~~(make sure to leave an email address to contact you with)~~

~~Want extra Entries???~~

~~Leave a separate comment for each entry.~~

{Ended} The winner is: # 12, Chelsea! Congrats, I've just contacted you!

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Giveaway open to US residents only. Ends at noon pacific time on 11/28/10. Winner will be determined by random.org. Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. As always this is an honest review full of my own opinions. I was not compensated in any way other than receiving this product to review. Thank-you Thirsties.

There's a Party in my City!

2010-11-13T12:50:00.000-08:00

This last week was a light blogging week for me, because we went out of town to take B and the twinners to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live, in Spokane, WA. Spokane is only a couple of hours away for us, but we decided to make a little mini-vacation of it, and went up Thursday, caught the 3:00 show on Friday and came back home afterwards.

If your family has a Gabba fan, you don't want to miss this show. I heard comedian Paul Scheer describe it as Mardi Gras for kids. He couldn't have described it better. Confetti was shooting from the stage. Thousands of balloons were falling from above. The excited squeals of hundreds of preschoolers was unreal. When Biz Markie came out to do Biz's Beat of the Day, I thought B might pee his pants. He was that excited. There was not a dull moment. B never looked away from the stage.

I was a bit worried beforehand at how the babies would handle it. We've never taken them anywhere with so many people, or such loud noises and bright lights. L freaked out initially, but it only lasted a split second and then he was completely consumed by the show. A loved it, and swayed back and forth in the Baby Bjorn that my husband was wearing him in. He "danced" through the entire show. I love baby "dancing". I'll be so sad when he grows out of it, and like B refuses to dance if anyone might be watching. Maybe he won't.

So, about that book...

2010-11-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

Remember how I was sent Jenny McCarthy's new book, Love, Lust & Faking It: The Naked Truth About Sex, Lies, and True Romance? Well, I read it about a month ago and have actually decided not to post an in depth review on my blog, because, being a family friendly blog, a review may not be entirely appropriate for my younger viewers. I did read it from cover to cover and it was pretty funny, with a little bit of serious here and there. There is a chapter on Brad Pitt that will leave you laughing for sure.

That is all I have to say about that right now, but I do have another copy, signed by Jenny McCarthy, to give away to one lucky reader.

~~Here's how to enter:~~

~~Follow my blog and comment here telling me why you want this book.That's all you have to do! Easy Peasy!~~
{Ended}
The winner is:

#1 Mommy Minded! Congrats, I've just sent you an email :)

Open to US residents only. Ends on 11/22/10. Winner will be determined by random.org. Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. As always this is an honest review full of my own opinions. I was not compensated for this review other than being sent a book. Prize will be shipped from me to the winner, via usps media mail, so delivery may be a tad on the slow side.

Miracle Blanket Giveaway!

2010-11-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to have the opportunity to give away a Miracle Blanket! When the twins were little this was a lifesaver! You might remember my review of them Here. If you weren't with me then, go back and read the review. It's a fabulous product.

Miracle Blanket is running an awesome Miracle Fall Festival and is giving away 30 miracle blankets with 30 different blogs. I'm lucky enough to be one of those blogs!!! Enter here and be sure to check out some of the other participating blogs on Miracle Blankets Facebook page.

Here's how it is going to work:

Head over to facebook and "like" Miracle Blanket and then head to Twitter and follow Miracle Blanket. You must do both of those things to be eligible to win. Then, enter here by leaving a comment telling me your craziest/funniest/most desperate getting baby to sleep story. That's it!

I will chose a random winner with random.org and the winner will be announced on Tuesday afternoon on Miracle Blankets Twitter and Facebook pages only. So keep your eye out there!

Disclaimer: I was not paid in any way for this post. I received a sample for my review months ago, but nothing for this post. The prize will be shipped by Miracle Blanket and the winner will only be announced on their facebook and twitter pages. Ends 11/8/10 and is open to US and Canada residents only.

Teething? Inspired by Finn Review and Giveaway {ended}

2010-11-01T16:01:00.000-07:00

I hate teething! My babies sure are not a fan of it either. I thought it was tough when we went through it with B, but that was nothing compared to teething twins. We've had two very fussy little guys around here lately and this mama is trying everything! That restless nights, followed by fussy days is getting old, and fast!

My favorite pain reliever for my teething babes is their amber necklaces. Hold up for one second. I know how this is going to go. I'm going to tell you about a magical necklace made of magical little amber stones with healing properties. Then you will stop reading and tell me that I'm a crazy crack head and probably never return to my little blog. Eh, off with you then, and that includes you too my darling husband. For those who stuck around and want to know how amber really really does work for us, here we go. Oh, and for those who are a bit o.c.d. like myself, amber isn't a stone...it's fossilized tree resin.

When I first heard about amber teething necklaces, I thought they were meant to be chewed on my the teething baby. In my mind, it was something that the mama wore and her little AP baby, always in a carrier could grab at it and chew on it to soothe those sore little gums. Nope. These necklaces are for baby to wear.

So, my next thought was, how is this safe? I ordered a relatively small one, so that it would not hang down for my little ones to grab at it or to get caught on anything. You can also chose to have a magnetic clasp if the thought of it being caught up on something worries you. I did not chose that option, because frankly the thought of losing the amber necklace worries me more. Besides, my kiddos are always supervised when wearing their amber and I take it off when they sleep. The genius part of the necklace is that it is knotted between each bead. If a amber tug of war breaks out between your little angels and it snaps, you are not going to have a bunch of beads spilling all over the floor for the little ones to pick up.

Now I'm not saying that Amber jewelry is the miracle cure, but it seems to help. When my boys wear their necklaces, they are less fussy and happier all day. You can read more about why Amber works on Inspired by Finn's website. I started using these with B quite a while ago, and now all of the boys have one. When my wisdom teeth started to poke through and bother me this spring, I ordered myself an adult sized one. I wear it all the time and I do notice that I reach for the tylenol bottle far less often on days when I am wearing it.

To purchase your own Inspired by Finn baltic amber jewelry visit their shop here. To save 20% go over and like them on Facebook and use code FB20. To save even more 25%, go over to facebook, click like and suggest their page to your friends. Of course you should try to win one as well! Inspired by Finn is giving one lucky reader their choice of in stock amber jewelry 16" or smaller.

Here's How to Enter:

~~Visit~~ ~~Inspired by Finn~~ ~~and comment here, telling me one benefit of Baltic amber.~~

~~(This comment is mandatory, and if not included all other entries will be void.)~~

{Ended} The lucky winner is #2 Josephine! I'm sorry about the delay in drawing a winner. Congrats Josephine!

Extra Entries:

leave one comment for each entry

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Open to US residents only. Ends on 11/20/10. Winner will be determined by random.org. Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. As always this is an honest review full of my own opinions. I was not compensated for this review other than being sent a necklace to review.

Sew-Along Day 7

2010-11-01T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is the last day of the sew-along, and is far behind schedule. This little project is the "Baby-in-the-Hood Jacket" from the book, Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby. I was a bit distracted by my two smallest ones turning one year old today, and let myself fall behind. Today I'm supposed to be attaching the buttons, but what do ya know....I forgot to buy buttons for this one. Oops! So, I'm going to briefly walk you through sewing on the plackets, and then show you my buttonless near-finished product.

Take your placket pieces and fold one of the long edges in 1/2 inch. Press this well. Place your strip of fusible interfacing on the placket piece and make sure that it is at least 1/2 inch from the other edges. Fuse it in place.

Take your 1x16" strip of fabric and press it in half, right sides together. Unfold it and fold each long edge in towards the crease. Press it. You should end up with a 16" long, very skinny strip, with all of the raw edges hidden on the inside. Cut this into 4 equal pieces. Pin those pieces onto the outer part of the jacket front and tack down with your machine.

Now, Lay the placket piece down right sides together on the front of the jacket. It will hang off the top and bottom by 1/2". Stitch the seam and press it open. Like so....

Fold the placket in half, right sides together, The creased edge will meet the seam that you just made.

Sew along the top and bottom edges of the placket, using 1/2" seam allowance. Turn it right side out, and press. I clip my corners before I press because I find that it has a crisper look to it. Position the placket fabric so that the edge that is in the inside of the jacket covers the seam that is there and top stitch it together.

And, that is it! Well...except for those pesky little buttons. :) What do you think of it? It's a birthday present for one of my twins. What's better than a handmade item that will be saved and hopefully become an heirloom.

Thank-you Pocketful of Roses for sewing along with me. I can't wait to see your finished jacket!

If anyone else was sewing with us, hit the contact me button on the top...yep way up there... and shoot me an email with a photo of your jacket. Although, I think it was just the two of us sewing. ;o)

Sew-Along Day 5 and 6

2010-10-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

Holy Moly! This week has gotten away from me. I didn't get to post day 5 yesterday, so here it is today. For the day 6 sew along, visit my buddy at Pocketful of Roses.

Day 5 is attatching the hood to the jacket. Start by basting the hood to the outer material, right sides together.

Then, lay the lining material on top of this , right side down. The hood will be between the outer and inner layers.

Next, sew the bottom edges of the jacket lining and outer fabric together, being careful not to catch the sleeves of hood in your stitches. Turn it right side out, pulling through the side. Adjust the fabric so that the arm lining fits nicely inside the outer arm piece and stitch topstitch along the edges.

My last little tip for the evening is to press just as often as the instructions say. I used to skip these steps, but it really makes for a more polished finished garment.

Goodnight, my littlest boys are turning one in just a couple of days and I have a party to prepare for. I'll see y'all tomorrow.

Sew-Along Day 4: Construct the Lining

2010-10-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

My jacket is coming together! I love seeing fabric turn into something wonderful. Today is day four, where we are constructing the jacket lining. I realized, as I was photographing my progress, that these are the exact same steps that Pocketful of Roses went over yesterday. So, rather than spend an hour typing roughly the same thing, I'll direct you back to Pocketful of Roses. Check back tomorrow for day 5, where we will attach the hood to the jacket, which is not as difficult as it sounds. See you soon, and I promise to have some nice photos of my jacket up with tomorrows post. Goodnight for now.

Sew-Along Day 3: Sew the Main Jacket

2010-10-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by for day 3 of the sew-along. Today we are focusing on constructing the main jacket. If you're new to our sew-along we are working on the Baby-in-the-Hood Jacket from Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby. Scroll down through this weeks posts for more info.

Pocketful of Roses is going to walk you through today's steps (24-31) on her blog. So head on over to Pocketful of Roses and check it out. (While your there, hit that little button on the side that says "follow". It's always appreciated.)

:) See you tomorrow, when I'll construct the jacket lining.

Sew-Along Day 2: Construct the Hood

2010-10-25T22:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to day two of our little Sew-Along! In case you missed it, we are busy making Baby-in-the-Hood Jackets from Anna Maria Horner's newest book, Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby. Yesterday we transferred our pattern to paper and cut the fabric. You can catch up on that with my Sew-Along partner, Pocketful of Roses.

Today we are constructing the hood and will cover steps 15-23. For this portion we need the hood pieces and the hood stripes. You should have four hood pieces, two in your outer fabric and two of the lining. There should be two hood stripe pieces, one in the lining and one in your contrasting fabric.

The first step is super simple. Sew the hood pieces to the hood stripes. Make sure that you have right sides together. I'm working with a brown corduroy, and some cotton quilters fabric. I find that since the cord has a bit of a stretch to it, a walking foot is helpful in keeping the fabrics from stretching and slipping all over the place. I'm not by any means a professional sewer. I'm mainly self taught, so take my advice with a grain of salt. It works for me, so maybe it will work for you too.

Once that is done, clip your curves (careful not to clip into the seam!), and press your seams. Fit the outer hood into the inner hood, making sure that right sides are together, like so:

Pin along the front of the hood, and sew along the front opening with 1/4 inch seam allowance. Then, turn it right side out and press it very well along the front seam. Now we will sew 5/8 in from the same edge to create a casing for the elastic.

Thread the elastic into the casing. I have this awesome handy hi-tech elastic threading tool. I call it a safety pin. Meet my friend.

Tack that elastic down at both ends and you are golden baby! All that is left to do is baste along the bottom of the hood. I just use the longest stitch length on my machine to baste it. And voi-la! Gorgeous finished hood!

Make sure to come back tomorrow for day three, when we are doing steps 24-31: constructing the main jacket. It's not too late to join in, pick up the book and some fabric and play a teensy bit of catch up!

Sew-Along Day 1: Transfering Pattern and Cutting Fabric

2010-10-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome to day one of the Baby-in-the-Hood Jacket Sew-Along. I'm so happy to be partnering up with Pocketful of Roses to bring you this sew-along. It's been a crazy past week for me, as we had a horrible bout of the stomach flu in our house. Everyone was sick. I'm so glad to put that all behind me and start something fun and productive.

It's not too late to join in. Pick up a copy of Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby and some fabric and you are good to go! Today we are focusing on transfering the pattern and cutting the fabric. Please visit my friend over at Pocketful of Roses for a more detailed look at today's progress. I've got to say, I LOVE her fabric choices! So cute!

I'll be back tomorrow to show you how to construct the hood. See y'all soon.

Tot School Tuesday: Button Activities

2010-10-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

I'm starting something new here and adding Tot School Tuesday to my regular blogging schedule. I'll be linking up to the tot school blog roll with 1+1+1=1. Check out some of the other blogs for other fun tot school activities.

For our family, tot school is a time that I spend daily working on an activity one-on-one with B Bear. It isn't structured, it is more about learning through play.

Lately we've been having a lot of fun playing with buttons. B loves handling tiny things and this is a great supervised activity for him. Since buttons are a choking hazard, we only do this when the twins are napping, and we have a rule that the buttons have to stay on the blanket to prevent stray ones from turning up in the babies' mouths later.

There are so many different ways to play with buttons. I normally give B a little bit of "free play" with them before we start sorting. He really enjoys picking through them and finding his favorites. There are a couple of shiny buttons that really peak his interest.

After he has had a little time to play with them, I will direct him on small tasks, like "do you see any blue buttons? Where?" or "Find me the biggest button you can see." We also sort the buttons by their various properties. We sort by color, size, and number of holes. Before we stop to pick up the buttons, we make a "button train" and count the buttons as we add them.

Hygeia EnJoye Breastpump Review

2010-10-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with the twins, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed. I had some small concerns, as I knew it would be a totally different experience than it was with B Bear. I knew that supply issues could come up, and I wanted to have a professional quality breast pump on hand.

I was given the opportunity to review the Hygeia Enjoye and I'm so glad that I did. When the twins were born, nearly a year ago, I had such a proliferate supply that my freezer was packed full of breast milk. Then, in February the trouble began. Since then I have been dealing with an off and on battle of maintaining my supply. I have done a combination of things to bring it up and continue breastfeeding, including pumping regularly. I was so glad to have my Hygeia Enjoye on hand when things started to go down hill.

The Hygeia Enjoye breast pump is a professional-grade, electric/battery, double pump that is designed for long term, frequent pumping needs. It is the perfect solution for working mothers, or mothers with supply issues, like myself. While it is excellent for use as a double pump, it can also be used as a single pump if desired. It is easily portable and I love it for on-the-go pumping. The battery is rechargeable, so there is no need to replace it, and therefor less waste. I also love that all parts that come in contact with the milk are BPA and DEHP free.

I was very happy with my Hygeia pump. Unlike the hand-pump that I used with B, the Hygeia Enjoye was comfortable. It never hurt me or made me sore, and I have used it a lot. The speed and pressure controls make it very easy to customize to mimic your baby's suckling, as well as meet your comfort level. Compared to the Medela rental that I previously used, this was more productive and more comfortable. I also found it to be quieter.

Another feature that I love is that you can record your baby's cries and play them back to encourage let down. I recorded L's cry on it when he was only a few months old, and listening to it now brings tears to my eyes. I don't think that I will ever be able to update or change it. There is something so sweet about those tiny-baby cries, that is so different from big-baby crying. (not that I enjoy any crying...you know what I mean)

One thing that sets Hygeia apart from other breast pump companies, is that their breast pumps are green. How so? Most pumps on the market are only meant to be used by one mother. This is not the case for Hygeia. They design their pumps to be shared by multiple mothers. Each mother simply needs her own personal accessory set (contains all parts that touch either the mother, or her milk). Once you are finished using your Hygeia breastpump, and have no one to pass it to, follow their recycling directions to send it back to Hygeia and they will make sure that it does not end up in a landfill.

To get your own Hygeia Enjoye breast pump, visit Hygeiababy.com to find a retailer near you, or order through Amazon here. To learn more follow Hygeia on Twitter, Facebook, or sign up for their mailing list.

I was not compensated in anyway other than receiving a pump to review. As always, this review is of my own honest opinions.

{this moment}

2010-10-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Halloween is on it's way

2010-10-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

What are you doing to celebrate this year? Are you doing anything to green your Halloween?

Ours is still up in the air, but I do know that my guys will be the cutest little dinosaur, bat, and lion out there. And, as always we will be handing out yummy Hershey's chocolate. I'm an addict, what can I say?

Check out www.CelebrateWithHersheys.com/Halloween for some fun ideas. It's not too early to start planning.

As a member of mom bloggers club, I am entering to win a chocolately Hersheys prize pack.

A Sew-Along is on the Way!

2010-10-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be pairing up with Pocketful of Roses to bring you an awesome sew-along. We've chosen the Baby in the Hood Jacket from Anna Maria Horner's newest book, Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby. Pocketful of Roses and I will go through each step, from the cutting to sewing on the buttons. As we get going, we'll create a flikr pool, so that everyone can share their progress and creations. You won't want to miss this!

We'd love to have you sew along too. The sizes that this pattern includes are 0-3m through 18-24m. So if you'd like to sew a long, order the book Hereand make sure to have your fabric by Sunday the 24th. If you are nervous about ordering the entire book, just for one pattern, don't be. The rest of the book is full of other fabulous patterns that are all worth making. Perhaps, in the future we will have another sew along from it again.

I can't wait to sew with you!

It's International Babywearing Week!

2010-10-13T09:02:00.000-07:00

This week, October 6-12, is International Babywearing Week. Babywearing is a topic that is very near and dear to me. I really don't know how I would manage without it. I use my carriers daily, around the house and for outings. Taking all three of my children anywhere by myself would be near impossible without a carrier. Let's add "babywearing" to my list of things that I am grateful for today.

Babywearing International has provided this little video/ psa for the occasion, highlighting the benefits of babywearing. I particularly like the mamas that are wearing more than one at a time. Enjoy:

And don't forget to check out some other great green blogs in this weeks green blog hop. If you're a green blogger make sure you link up too. :)

It's past my bedtime...

2010-10-08T23:51:00.000-07:00

All three children are sound asleep, what a rarity. This is it, my opportunity to catch up on some much needed rest. Yet, do I? Of course not. I'm too excited to sleep. Today a package I've been anxiously anticipating arrived! You see, a couple of weeks ago, I was contacted about reviewing a new book, written by someone that I absolutely love, Jenny McCarthy. She just happens to be one of the few moms in the media spotlight that I admire, and I have greatly enjoyed two of her previous books, Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth, and Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood. I also admire her for being an activist for "greening" our vaccines.

You can imagine my joy to open up my mailbox today (well nearly yesterday) and find a nice little box with a signed and personalized copy of her new book, Love, Lust & Faking It: The Naked Truth About Sex, Lies, and True Romance. You know what else? They sent a copy for me to give away too! It get's better. It's a signed copy!!!

I'll be the first to say that this is diferent than most of the items that I review, but I NEED something to read that is not about positive discipline for toddlers, increasing my milk supply, or the many toxic chemicals to avoid in pretty much everything. So off I go to read. I wouldn't be surprised if I don't put it down until I'm finished, but I hope that I can be more sensible than that. Believe me, I'll let you know what I think as soon as I'm done, and with that review will be a giveaway for the other copy. Squeeeee!!! I'm so excited!

Now, if for some reason you just can't wait and you absolutely need it now, you can purchase a copy here, from Amazon. If you've signed up for Amazon Mom (who hasn't, right), you'll get it super fast with the free Amazon Prime 2 day shipping.

{this moment}

2010-10-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Make Your Own Soda with SodaStream

2010-10-07T14:04:00.000-07:00

We try to be crunchy and stay away from overly processed foods in this house, we really do. My one big battle is with soda. I love it and I know it isn't good for me and creates a ton of waste, but I crave it anyway. I had the opportunity to review a SodaStream home soda maker and I happily accepted.

Most store bought soda contains the #1 item on my personal "to avoid at all costs" list, yet I buy it anyway. What is this horrific ingredient? High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). Don't be fooled by the new name for it "corn sugar", it's the same nasty ingredient.

The fabulous thing about the soda stream syrups, is that they do not contain HFCS (or aspartame for that matter)! They sent me a large variety of the flavors to try and our favorite is the cranberry raspberry. They sell over 30 flavors of syrup, including diet flavors. Each bottle of flavoring makes 12 liters of soda. The one thing that I didn't really like about the flavors in their regular collection is that they all, both regular and diet, contain sucralose (aka splenda). Since I received my machine they did launch a small line called Sparkling naturals, that do not contain any artificial sweeteners. Sparkling Naturals come in four flavors.

Since the flavorings we received contained splenda, we used the machine a lot to make sparkling juices. We followed the regular directions to make carbonated water and mixed it with equal parts of juice in a pitcher. B bear loves it. He now asks for juice pop.

The sodastream system is all you need to make your own sodas and fizzy water at home, using your own tap water. The fountain jet doesn't use any electricity and the bottles are reusable, so there is minimal waste.

If you are a big soda drinker and would like to give SodaStream a try you can purchase any of their home soda machine products here. They even offer a few kits. The starter kit, which retails at 109.95, has everything you need to make your own soda: a fountain jet, bottle of carbonator, two soda bottles, and three drink mixes. You can purchase their products online through SodaStream, or at various retailers.

As always, I was not compensated for this review in any way other than receiving product to review. This review is written by myself and contains my own opinions.

Green Blog Hop

2010-10-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for other fabulous "green" blogs to read check out the green blog hop, run by Tales of the Wife, Going Green With Noah, and And Then There Were 4. And, if you write a fabulous green blog, be sure to link up!

A Very Special Giveaway

2010-10-06T14:36:00.000-07:00

I keep meaning to tell you all about this, but every time I go to post it I seem to get distracted and write about something else. I also don't want to seem like I'm just spamming you all with my diaper business, however this blog is about me, my life, my family, and that includes my diapers. I do promise though to not overrun my blog with business talk...just today apparently. This does not mean an end to diaper reviews and giveaways either. I love trying new diapers, whether they are sewn by me or not.

After falling head over heels for cloth diapers and spending a pretty penny on a diaper stash, I decided that it was time to start sewing my own. I worked and worked on my own pattern, and while it was okay, I wasn't fully happy with it. So, I bought every stinking diaper pattern that is out there, and tried them all. I fell in love with Very Baby diapers and contacted the company. After quite a bit of work of sewing up samples and setting up shop, I am now a proud Very Baby approved Seamstress.

You can find my diapers at my shop here, stocking on the 15th of every month or on the Eco Nest congo. I am approved to sew from all of their patterns, but I am currently only offering the all in one, one size pocket, fitted diaper, and the one size fitteds. I will begin offering Simply Nights in bamboo or hemp on the 15th of this month, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Giveaway has ended and the Winner is #33, Rebecca O! Thanks for playing and for checking out my shop. Rebecca, I'll be contacting you and you will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.

So, in celebration and because I love my followers, I suppose that it is only fitting that I offer up a special custom diaper to one lucky follower. Also, here is a special coupon code for f15 percent off for blog followers that will expire on 10-30-10: blog15.

The Prize:

One custom diaper! You chose between an AIO, One Size fitted, One size Pocket or a sized Fitted. The winner will pick chose all of the details and can pick from all of my available fabrics. Sound good?!! I thought so!

How to Enter:

Visit my Hyena Cart shop and tell me one thing about any of the products that strikes your fancy. You must be a follower of my blog to win this giveaway and this entry is mandatory and if not included will not count.

Extra Entries:

leave one separate comment for each entry

Like Once Upon a Baby on Facebook.
Follow me on Twitter.
Grab my button (see my sidebar) and post it to your blog. Leave a link for me to view it.
Tweet This (you can do this once per day for a daily entry): Win a custom Very Baby diaper from Once Upon a Baby! http://tinyurl.com/2f8nxo9 #green #clothdiaper #giveaway #eco #blog
Vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs by clicking the button on the upper right side. (you can do this once per day for a daily entry)

Open to US residents only. Giveaway ends on 10-20-10. winner will be drawn by random.org and will have 48 to respond or another winner will be drawn to replace.

{this moment}

2010-10-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Green Toys Review

2010-09-29T10:49:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, I was given the opportunity to review a little red dump truck for Green Toys. We received an awesome little red and yellow dump truck to review and my boys have really put this to the test, and it has come through with an A+.

We use our dump truck as an indoor and outdoor toy. From carting blocks around the house to dumping sand in the sand box, this little baby gets the job done. One thing I love about it, is that it's super sturdy. It will stand up to the "toddler test". You know, getting rolled off the table, stepped in (dump truck roller skates...yeah, I was thrilled), jumped on, sat in, smashed against the wall. It's been through it all and is no worse for the wear. Of course, I don't suggest that you do any of those things.

Another thing that I personally love about this toy, is that it is simple. It is not overly painted, doesn't have flashing blinking parts, and doesn't make "monster truck" sounds or play obnoxious rhyming music. There is no need for any of that either! I don't understand why it seems like every toy is competing to have the most bells and whistles. I love that this truck leaves something to the imagination. There is nothing wrong with a truck just being a truck.

Most importantly, I love that Green Toys makes their items using recycled milk jugs. You can read more about how Green Toys are made here, but in short they are made from one of the safest and cleanest plastics possible. Their packaging is also 100% recyclable cardboard boxes that are also recycled. The packaging doesn't contain any of those obnoxious and not so eco-friendly cellophane, twist ties, or plastics. They are made in the USA and meet all of the CPSIA requirements, and drum roll please.....do not contain any traceable amounts of BPA or phthalates! That is a toy that I can get behind! Way to go Green Toys!

To learn more about the company and see their full selection of toys visit their website here. Take a peek at the recycling truck. It's adorable.

This review is written by myself and is full of my own opinions. I was not compensated in any way other than receiving product to review.

Welcoming Fall

2010-09-25T23:35:00.000-07:00

It's officially fall. I welcome the change in season with open arms.

We started to change our nature table over to fall. These new additions from WoodMouse are a welcome change to the table. They are part of the Children of Nature series that WoodMouse is offering and they are darling! The only downfall is that I can't keep them on the table because B loves playing with them. They're reasonably priced and she has some other darling items that I have my eye on (this and this, oh and this one too to be exact).

B and I have been reading about and talking about apples this week and we did a fun apple printing activity together. It is so easy that it doesn't need instructions, but I'll give them anyway. Cut an apple in half. Give your child said apple, big blob of paint, and some paper. They'll know what to do. Make sure they don't try to eat the apple when they are done and it is covered in paint, like my child did. ;) Excuse this first picture...we are silly people and like to cheese it up.

My favorite book this week was One Red Apple by Harriet Zieffert, which follows the life cycle of one apple from the seed to eating and back to the ground. The pictures are spectacular. Here are some of the other books that we have been reading and a few that we'll be reading next week, when we start reading about pumpkins.

A Sensory Tub for B

2010-09-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

I need to come up with much more enticing and creative titles for my posts. "A Sensory Tub for B"...gosh how boring.

One day last week, during nap time, I threw together a sensory tub for B to enjoy. I got this idea from Counting Coconuts. Her tubs are much more impressive than mine, so make sure you check them out. I had planned on making a fall themed tub, and I had intended to go out and shop for some little fall related things to go in it, and I was just never able to make it out of the house. So, I just tossed in what I had.

The tub has lots of little things in it, so it is always used with supervision and not around the babies. Some of the things in his tub are multi colored noodles, lots of rice, red beans, pom poms, little plastic farm animals and turtles, and various buttons. I also threw in some measuring cups and other kitchen tools to play with. He really loves scooping the pom poms with a spoon into the measuring cups.

B has had a lot of fun with it, so my basic sensory tub works for now. I think next month I'll change it up a bit and try to make it themed...or at least add some things to it.

Our Stash

2010-09-22T09:15:00.001-07:00

Holy cow! Someone must be sneaking diapers into our stash, because there is no way that I have bought this many diapers. I really didn't realize how many there were until I laid it all out to photograph. I'm now asking myself, why on earth didn't you start sewing diapers earlier, before you bought a stash large enough to diaper quads?!

Ok, here we go.... I'm starting with the wool, because it's my favorite part of the stash. First picture is all longies, second one is soakers and the third is shorties. If I counted right that is 30 pieces of wool.

On to the fitteds! The diapers in the top row are BuBuBeBe. The second row are GoodMama and one Fluffy Mail. The last row is all made by me. That's 17 fitteds in all.

Now to the Pockets and AIOs! First up is a whole mess of Bum Genius. The top two rows are one size 3.0s, the bottom row is 6 organic AIOs, 4 med 3.0s and 1 small 3.0.

Followed with the rest of my AIOs and pockets. Top row One VB AIO made by me, rumparoo, 3 TKCuddlers (s-hook closure). The next row is 2 Ella Bella Bum pockets, and one chunky monkey AIO. The bottom diaper is a VB o/s pocket, made by me.

And now the more boring stuff. Two dozen blue edges prefolds, one dozen yellow edged, one dozen red edged. The second photo also shows two daddy flats, 6 birdseye flats, a big stack of wipes, and another stack of inserts. The last photo is 10 covers, mostly bummis.

Whew! That's a lot of diapers: 30 pieces of wool, 17 fitteds, 37 pockets/aios, 48 prefolds, 8 flats, and 10 covers. That's a total of 110 diapers and 40 covers. And that doesn't even include the for sale or trade pile! (which I'm now convinced that I should add to.) The diapers they've outgrown aren't shown either!

Rhythm; The Cure For the Common Home

2010-09-18T13:05:00.001-07:00

As you can imagine, our house has been in utter chaos for months. It is a lot of work to manage all that is on my plate. I found myself feeling frustrated that I can never seem to get ahead. There is always a massive pile of laundry, dirty dishes on the counter, a pile of diapers to put away, toys ALL over the living room floor (and other odd places), and well, you get the picture. To add to the chaos, B-Bear has been going through a really difficult stage, needing extra attention, and has been expressing his own frustrations in not so pleasant ways.

A few weeks ago, I was worn down, defeated, and panicked that I was failing miserably at motherhood and creating a pleasant environment for our family. In an effort to save my sanity, I ordered a few highly recommended books from Amazon and started reading.

The first was "Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids". This book is absolutely amazing, and I swear to you has changed our life. I was drawn to it, thinking "Simple. This is what we need. Yes yes yes!!", and as I read it, I found myself repeating that thought over and over."

The book is full of ways to simplify your life, including making changes to your environment, and filtering out the adult world, both of which I would love to get into at a later time. The part that really helped us was chapter 4, Rhythm.

I'm not talking about running a tightly scheduled household, where dinner must be eaten at 5pm on the dot, every single night. What we have done is established a certain order to our day, that is consistent from one day to the next. As Payne says in the above mentioned book, "Rhythms establish a foundation of cooperation and connection." You've got that right Mr. Payne!

I spent a few days off of the computer and off the phone. I concentrated on watching our habits and establishing a daily rhythm that would work well for us. The first few days was a bit tough, but it has paid off in a huge way. With predictability and some simplification, I have noticed huge differences in both B-Bear and myself. B knows what is coming next. He is more cooperative throughout the day, seems to feel more included with daily household activities, and is also more respectful of my authority. He is truly a happier toddler.

I am now significantly less stressed out and have found myself laughing more. I have been able to lighted up and un-tense. I feel like a totally new person. Having certain times during the day for housework has really helped me to make use of my time. I used to feel that I was constantly running around all day, trying (and failing) to accomplish a never ending list of chores. Dinner was always late, and it seemed that no matter how hard I worked, I was always getting farther behind. This life style is no more! I can't explain in words how much better things are now in the OnceUponaBaby house. In addition to less stress and more order, I am a calmer and more attentive mother.

And now ladies and gentlemen, this is the rhythm that has done wonders for us. Such a simple thing, but such a dramatic difference. Keep in mind that none of this happens at a certain time, or goes by the clock. It isn't a schedule, just the same routine every day. I don't include things like diaper changes or nursing sessions in this, as they happen whenever they need to happen.

Wake
Prepare for the day (shower, take B potty, change diapers, brush teeth, get everyone dressed)
Breakfast
Chore Time: This usually lasts around 45 minutes. The babies play together on the floor while B and I do chores. B loves helping with things like throwing laundry into the washer, splashing in the sink while I wash dishes, putting all of his blocks in a basket, putting his undies in his drawer, etc. (On Thursdays, we spend chore time running errands around town)
Morning Snack
Outside Time: At this time the babies are getting very sleepy and they go down for a nap. Once they are happily snoozing away, B and I go outside. This happens rain or shine. I feel that toddlers need to play in the dirt and mud, pick up sticks, dig holes, find ripe tomatoes on the vine, throw grass into the air, find bugs and chase butterflies...and yes, every single day. He looks forward to this and we had so much fun during outside time. (the dog appreciates it too) Outside time normally lasts around an hour, sometimes longer.
Wash Up
Lunch Time: As I prepare lunch, B works on a quiet activity at the table. (ex: coloring, color sorting toadstools, lacing beads)
Story Time: B picks 3 stories and we read them together
Nap Time: by this time the babies are up, have fed and will usually nap again in the afternoon
Mamas Time: As the boys nap I either work on sewing diapers, housework, or RELAX (I'm surprised that I even have that word in my vocabulary)
Afternoon Snack: I try to have a snack ready for B when he wakes. By this time it is normally around 3pm.
Project: B and I work on a tot-school type project together. Examples from this week are apple printing, making granola bars, setting up our nature table, and finger painting.
Dinner prep: I set the babies up with a finger food snack in their highchairs, give B a fun activity (sensory tub for example) and start dinner.
Dinner Time: Daddy is home by now and we all sit at the table and enjoy dinner together. No one gets down until we are all finished and we discuss our days. B loves telling his daddy about his project, or things like the school bus that drove by our house.
Clean-up: Immediately following dinner, we clean up any mess associated with it. Mama, Daddy, and B do this together. This really helps mama out and has reduced her work load.
Family Time: From the moment that dinner is cleaned up until it is time to start getting the boys ready for bed, we enjoy family time. We spend this time doing things like playing with train tracks and blocks, or dancing around the living room and singing "Here we go loop-di-loo" with various noise makers (even the babies love that one). There is no TV during family time.
Bed Time: Tooth brushing, jammies on, bath time (if need be), reading a story, and tucking them in.
After the boys are in bed, the hubs and I either spend time together or work on whatever is left to be done around the house. Sometimes I will cut fabric or sew and he will browse blogs that he loves. Then, we go to bed. Easy peasy...and so simple, right?

If you feel that you would benefit from a little more rhythm in your home, I highly recommend Simplicity Parenting. A couple of other great books are Seven Times the Sun and Beyond the Rainbow Bridge.

You were supposed to be a pumpkin!

2010-09-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Every year it seems that we end up with at least one thing in our garden that we did not plant. Two years ago we has some adorable teensy tiny volunteer tomato plants, last year it was the attack of the "birdseed" sunflowers, and this year we had two "mystery plants". Normally we are pretty good at identifying our volunteer plants, but this was a tough one.

We were pretty sure that it was a pumpkin. You see, in the fall we always buy a couple of pumpkins to sit on our doorstep and welcome our visitors. As the season goes on, our pumpkins start to look less and less welcoming. So, once they reach a certain point, we just set them in our garden. The theory is that they will rot and wither away, and in the spring we will some lovely little pumpkin sprouts in it's place. It has worked for us before.

Well, not this year. We thought all along that these plants were going to provide us with our fall pumpkins, and about a month ago we realized how wrong we were. Little itty-bitty cantaloupes appeared on the vines. Let me tell you, this was much to my husbands dismay. If there are two things the man does not like, they are cantaloupe and cucumbers, in that order. We are assuming that they must have come from some cantaloupe that ended up in our compost bin and was turned onto the garden plot as we spread compost. (And by the way, I say "we" as if I actually took part in the manual labor of turning or spreading compost. Hehehe.)

B-Bear and myself were thrilled and have enjoyed watching them grow. Last week I decided that it was time to break in to one of these bad boys and it made for a fun little activity for B, demonstrating that our nourishment comes from the earth and it's resources. I don't really expect him to understand that any further than, "This came from my garden. I picked it. I'm eating it.".

We went out to the garden and B-Bear picked out which cantaloupe he wanted to harvest. He lifted and twisted, wriggling it away from the vines, all by himself. He even carried it back inside, and insisted on doing this by himself too. It was a struggle, but he did it. Then, I cut into it, revealing the perfectly ripe and sweet yumminess. (No that is not a word, but it fits so well.) We took it back outside and enjoyed it for snack time, fighting off Oscar the dog as we ate it.

WubbaNub Review

2010-09-02T14:51:00.000-07:00

Some time ago I agreed to do a review for WubbaNub, and like all of my other reviews, it was put on the back burner until the summer craziness died down a bit. Today, I am delighted to introduce you to the cutest little binkies you will ever see.

WubbaNubs are adorable little plush animals sewn onto a Soothie brand pacifier. We were send the Yellow Duck to review and upon using it for a week or so, I promptly ordered another (the lion) so that both twins have their own. This makes it easy to distinguish which pacifier belongs to which baby.

Have you ever stopped everything to go on a binky hunt around your house? I know we have, and these make it so much easier. Since they have the stuffed animal attached, they are so much easier to find than your average binky. Another plus is that you are more likely to notice if you drop it when you are out and about. My boys love to spit out their pacifiers and play with them while they are in the stroller (or carrier) and we lose countless binkies over the side, never even noticing.

Another thing that I like about them are BPA, PVC, and phthalate free! Woot Woot! You can't beat that! WubbaNub puts safety first and strives to exceed the various safety standards for this type of product, in fact many NICU units and hospitals use them. They are also super easy to clean. Just pop them in a mesh bag (think delicates) and throw it in the washing machine and air dry. Easy Peasy!

They are also easier for baby to pick up and manipulate. As my little ones grew, they had an easier time getting these to their mouth than our other pacifiers.

I really and truly love these little suckers. (hehehe "suckers"...get it? Dork..yep, I know.) I love them so much that I ordered this little monkey for a dear friend who just welcomed a new addition to their family.

You can purchase WubbaNubs at boutique stores nation wide. They are also available through various online retailers, including diapers.com.

As always this review is written with my own honest opinions. I personally try out (or my kids do) every single item that I review. I was not compensated in anyway for this review, other than receiving a product to review.

Wordless Wednesday...well nearly wordless

2010-09-01T09:21:00.000-07:00

Gathering flowers from our yard.

Toadstools for B

2010-08-31T22:22:00.001-07:00

I've been off the computer for a few days, dedicating my time to observing the "flow" of our family and finding our daily rhythm. It has been absolutely amazing and I've learned a great deal about our family in just a few days. It is amazing what we miss when we are so absorbed in the hustle and bustle of daily life. I have A LOT to say about our daily rhythm, but that is for another post. This post is about toadstools, so on to that....

My toddler is smart. Not that your child isn't, or anything...I'm just saying mine is. He surprises me daily, as little things that I've said or done, show up from him in his own little way. Whether it's singing the ABC's in near entirety, telling me that the baby gate is made up of kite shapes, or saying things like this big old phrase (about his toy turtle), "Him's Honu. Him's my green turtle. Him live in Ocean. I'll rock him. Him's my favorite." That's a lot for a two year old to spit out! Holey Moley B, when did you cease being a baby and turn into such a big boy!?!

Since he is doing so well with colors and shapes, I made him a little set of color sorting toadstools, somewhat following the tutorial from Beneath The Rowan Tree. They are made from wooden drawer pulls that I bought at the hardware store and painted with non toxic paint. I have yet to seal them, since finding a non-toxic sealer around these parts, is proving tricky.

How darling are they!? I love it...and so does B. I set them out and intentionally mixed them all up. I expected him to play with them, perhaps trying to stack them something. I really did not expect him to immediately separate them by color. It only lasted a moment, but he really did that! Then he moved on to something much more fun....a toadstool choo-choo.

This was such an easy and fun activity. I have a feeling that there will be many more posts like this. As we get into our rhythm, I'll be introducing Tot-School activities geared for my little 2 year old. It isn't going to be anything terribly structured, mostly just little games and a lot of play. I'm very inspired by Waldorf education, which is so simple and nature based. I also love some elements of Montessori learning, such as teaching practical life skills. Stay tuned for more fun.

A Very Busy Day

2010-08-26T14:41:00.001-07:00

Oh the projects I line up for myself! Why do I do it?! Perhaps I should take a step back and forget about sewing diapers, sewing clothes for the boys, cooking complete meals daily, blogging, canning, baking, striving to be more "green", providing montessori and waldorf inspired activities for B, and so much more. You know what though, as much as I complain about being so busy, I like what I do. I love filling my day with domestic activities. There is never a moment of my day that I am not working on something. Literally from the time I get up until the time I fall asleep, I am busy. It baffles me how certain people think that as a SAHM I have so much free time floating about.

Enough babbling on. Today's very busy line-up included grocery shopping (with all 3 little ones), making beet and peach puree for the twins, making peach butter and processing 4 pints of it, cooking dinner (I should get on that soon), and stripping diapers (we've got the funk). Talk about a full plate. Of course the little one's decided that they didn't like my plans and so this is how I managed to get my things done:

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Birthday!

2010-08-18T15:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my fabulously sweet husband, who puts up with me so well and is such a fabulous daddy.

The Machine of My Dreams

2010-08-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

This morning I was browsing one of my favorite sewing sites Sew Mama Sew. Unless you've been living on the moon, I'm sure you too have spent countless hours browsing on this site browsing the beautiful fabrics, looking at amazing projects, and adding to your never ending list of to-do projects. I noticed today, that as part of their Back to School promotion, they are hosting a giveaway for a brand spanking new Husqvarna Viking s21 serger. Holy Moly, do I need this machine. Today's blog post, explaining why I need this machine, is my official entry in their contest.

Let's start at the very beginning (a very good place to start...yeah I'm a dork). About a year and a half ago, we started cloth diapering B and I fell in love with fitteds. I spent a pretty penny on some very fabulous, yet high priced diapers. Then one day I had a thought, "I can make these!". I thought about it more and decided that starting a diaper sewing business could be my way to afford to stay at home with my kids. I put together a business plan, put my measly savings into a business account, and received a small loan from my very supportive in-laws.

My first order of business was ordering a serger. Since I didn't have a lot of money to work with, I went with your bottom of the line 4 thread overlock machine. Don't get me wrong, this baby works alright for me. However after minimal use, she is starting to make some clunky mechanical noises from time to time. The big big downfall about Bertha (I like to name my machines), is that she doesn't offer a coverlock stitch. For those of you not in the know, a cover lock stitch is very common in clothing making.

I have made my little Bertha work for me thus far, but let me fill you in on the rest of the story. About the same time that I was starting my business, we found out that I was pregnant with the twins. I realized that it was even more important to find a second source of income, as our family was growing rapidly. However, a difficult pregnancy and loads of bed rest proved to be a great set back for the business. Since the babies birth, we have been struggling with various issues, including L's failure to thrive. My business has been nearly non-existent, until a few weeks ago. Little L started to gain, and the boys have started to take lengthy naps. I decided to go at it again at full force. In the last few weeks I've worked very hard at sewing up perfect samples and have successfully completed the process of joining the Very Baby seamstress club, meaning that I am now able to sew and sell diapers made from the Very Baby patterns.

Now that I am taking the dive to make my business a success, I could really use a reliable machine to help me on my journey. I am dedicated to making my work at home mommy business work out for myself and my family and this machine would help out a great deal. I would be happier and more confident in my work, and I believe that with a quality machine, I would be able to put my diapers together faster.

On another note, I am also making a lot of my sons clothing now, as it is a fabulous money saver. Being a mommy of three little ones on one income, has me utilizing every money saver I can think of. As I said before, my machine does not have a cover stitch. I've looked into it and the Husqvarna does have one! Boy would that make sewing my little one's clothing go faster and come out with a much more professional look and save time to boot! As a mom of multiples, I'm all about saving time. You can't see it very well, but in this pic of baby B, he is wearing a shirt that I made for him. Despite tucking in my serged tails, the hem is coming undone, and looks terrible because of the lack of cover stitch. Also, the neck piece was over stretched because of the feed of my machine and looks a bit off.

Also, since winning this machine would do wonders for my business and my home sewing, if I win I will be doing a couple of things.
1) Bertha (the current serger) will be donated to someone in need of one.
2) I will sew and donate 10 Very Baby fitteds to a charity, or charity auction.

Thank-you Sew Mama Sew for the chance.

15 lbs!

2010-08-05T13:23:00.001-07:00

I've got some great news! After months of having weight gain difficulties, little L is gaining weight! The little man is finally on the chart! He's in the 0.23 percentile...not even the first percentile, but I'm still thrilled. He gained two pounds in two weeks, which is the biggest weight jump yet. After a few visits to see the OT, he seems to be nursing a little bit longer and stronger too. Hooray for my teensy, tiny, 15 lb, 9 month old.

Keep gaining L! Mommy loves you!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-04T14:02:00.001-07:00

Wrap-N- Mat Review and Giveaway *ended

2010-08-02T14:53:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that I am on a mission to reduce our household waste. One big thing on my list of major offenders in this battle, are plastic baggies. I won't bore you with all of the reasons that one-use plastic items are bad. I've been over it many a time before. So, for this post I'll just say, plastic baggies are no good.

I was given the opportunity a while back to review Wrap-N-Mat sandwich wraps and snack pouches. Now that the craziness is starting to die down around here, I'm finally getting around to posting this. Oh, and about that craziness; I'm pretty sure a lull is temporary, but sure as heck, I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.

So, back to the product of interest. The Wrap-N-Mat has a great concept: it's a sandwich wrap and a place in one. You use it to wrap a sandwich by placing the sandwich in the center of the mat, folding in the left and right sides, then folding over the top and bottom. There is a piece of velcro to keep it in place. The snack sack works the same way, but is more generously sized and shaped.

They are made of a cotton and polyester blend and the lining is water proof. I am also pleased to tell you that they are BPA free and they comply with CPSIA lead and phthalate regulations. They are however made in China, but they assure customers that they are not made with child or prison labor. *Edited to add, the ones that I reviewed were made in china. They do offer a made in the USA version. Be sure to make sure you order according to your preference.

They work very well. They are a great size and their sandwich wrap is actually big enough to hold a sandwich, unlike others on the market. I love that they are easier to clean, as the whole thing unfolds to be flat and you aren't left trying to dig crumbs out of creases. My husband has been using these to take his lunch to work for some time now and they are holding up fabulously, even the velcro! I like them and have been using them in the diaper bag as well to cart toddler snacks around.

***Update! We have a winner! #22- Amanda. I'll be emailing you shortly and you have 48 hours to respond, or I shall have o draw again. Congrats!***

Thanks to Wrap-N-Mat, one lucky Once Upon a Baby reader has a chance to win a set of one Wrap-N-Mat wrap and one pouch in the Eco-Print fabric. Here's how to enter:

Visit Wrap-N-Mat and comment here telling me one other thing you like about Wrap-N-Mats or a tid bit of info about the company. Make sure to leave a contact email address. This comment is mandatory, and if not included all other entries will be void.

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Open to US residents only. Ends on 8/09/10. Winner will be determined by random.org. Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn. As always this is an honest review full of my own opinions. I was not compensated in any way other than receiving product to review. In this particular giveaway, the item will be shipped to the winner by me, rather than the company. All images used in this post, were copied from wrap-n-mat.com and are the property of their company.

Vacation!

2010-07-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

Holy moley! I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. To make a long story short here's why it's been so long: vacation, computer viruses galore (still isn't fixed, so I type from a borrowed laptop), failure to thrive baby, someone replaced my toddler with a monster, and I'm working on something exciting "business-wise". Deep breath. Whew that about sums it up.

So, since I missed "Wordless Wednesday", and all I'll let the pictures tell the story of our vacation. And by the way, I'm back, maybe not posting quite as often, but I'm back none the less.

FAQ: What was in your NB twin cloth diaper stash?

2010-06-29T14:24:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, I am asked this all the time. I love this question. It tells me that more and more mamas are considering using cloth. So, here you have it, my NB diaper stash for twins.

Three Dozen Orange Edged Prefolds from GMD, 10 KLOs, Four Drybees gone natural, 2 Newborn Bububebe fitteds, First class baby fitted, and green wahm mosaic moon fitted.

6 Sposoeasy XS, 12 BG 3.0 xs, 3 Magicalls S (I do NOT like these diapers), one chunky monkey aio. And the diapers in the right photo are all made by me: One daribums aio (not a fan of this pattern), one trimsies aio (LOVE this pattern), 3 fitteds.

Covers: 8 Bummis XS Superbites, two thirsties duo stage 1, Peas and carrots set preemie sized from olive janes. Wool: Longies from top to bottom: Dragonfly longies crocheted by me with pattern from here, two pairs of NB longies with Mosaic moon woodland tale and birthday boy colorways, knit by Mary's Little Knits. Blue/grey pair by HappyBumBaby, and the last pair I bought used and have no clue where they came from. Sock monkey longies hooked by Mr. And Mrs. Wooly Pants, sage green shorties crocheted by me with the honeysuckle soaker pattern from Here, and two unknown preemie soakers sent to me from a friend of mine.

Also, not pictured were a dozen WAHM preemie fitteds. We used these for about a month.

Now that I am through the NB stage, here is what I would recommend as a great nb stash for twins:
36 XS aios (both BG and sposoeasy are great)
12 fitteds (I liked all of them except the KL0s, these were not great for us)
6 wool covers
diaper sprayer (although poop from EBF babies can go straight in the wash)
Two wet bags
4 dozen cloth wipes and wipes solution

Fancy Fabric Fridge Frames

2010-06-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

So father's day is literally right around the corner and as always, I'm a bit behind. I've racked my brain and why on earth is it that men are so very difficult to shop (or create) for? In my search for a great father's day gift I saw an etsy listing for some really cute little fabric covered picture frames that had magnets on the back and stick to your fridge. So, of course instead of ordering one, I decided to whip up a few on my own. They are super easy and there is no sewing involved! Here's the tutorial:

Find a frame and trace it onto a piece of sturdy cardboard. If you don't have a frame to trace, use a ruler to create an outline in any dimensions that you like. Just make sure that the hole in the middle is big enough to see your photo, but not too big.
Cut it out...simple! I used a box cutter and it worked great!
This is optional, but I find that a little bit of heavy weight fabric between the cardboard and the pretty fabric makes for a better finished product. So, I used an old towel and cut it into strips. Using a hot glue gun, I attached them to the frame.
Now, cute your pretty fabric a bit larger than your frame. Put it pretty side down on the table and trace the photo opening onto the fabric. Cut a small rectangle in the center of it and clip slits toward the inside corners of the frame. Don't clip too far. You can adjust it as you go. Oh No! You are seeing my sposies box! Don't you go assuming things now, this was just the box that some hand-me-down baby clothes came in. I'm still all about the cloth. :)
With the towel side of the frame down against the wrong side of your fabric, very carefully pull the edges of fabric around and hot glue them to the cardboard. I did one side at a time, inside of the frame first and then the outer side. Make sure to pull it tight and to smooth out any wrinkles as you go. It doesn't have to look pretty on the back at this point...we will get there. When you get to the corners, fold and pull the fabric around them to get the look you want and hot glue it down.
Find a picture you love and dam a teensy tiny bit of hot glue on one of the corners, just to keep it held in place. Be careful with this step. I somehow managed to burn myself here. :(
Cut a piece of card stock to fit over the back of your frame to cover the messiness. I made mine a little smaller than the frame so that the backing didn't have a chance to peek over the sides. And, you guessed it- Hot glue the sucker down.
And Holy Smokes, we are almost done. Next, (I'm sure you guessed it) hot glue some little magnets onto the back corners. Make sure to use strong enough magnets to hold up your frame.

Now turn that baby over, and look at what you made! What do you think? Will Daddy/Grandpa like it? What a way upcycle cardboard and use up some scraps from your stash!

Planet 2x HE Ultra Laundry Detergent Review

2010-06-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

Ah, the quest to find diaper detergent continues. While I really love the wahm varieties, such as Rockin Green and Crunchy Clean, I seem to always run out before I get around to ordering more. I have been searching for something great that I can find locally to fill in when I run out. Enter Planet 2x HE Ultra Laundry detergent. I was sent two sample sized bottles of this to try out and let me tell you folks, it's pretty darn good.

First of all, I do not have a HE machine and this worked fine. I used it for diaper laundry, so I didn't use a whole lot of it. A little bit goes a long way. I love that it is unscented and after doing the diaper laundry with Planet 4 or 5 times and line drying we didn't have any problems with ammonia build up or other stinky issues. I will be keeping a bottle of Planet on hand from now on and I'm pretty sure I will start using it on our regular laundry. One other thing to note is that their 50 oz bottle of 2x He detergent will do the same amount of loads as their 100 oz bottle of their ultra liquid detergent.

Here are a few other things you'll want to know about Planet. All of their products are hypoallergenic, biodegradable, not tested on animals, free of animal ingredients, unscented, phosphate free, and non-toxic to aquatic life. There are many other benefits to Planet products and I suggest that you take a moment to visit their website and read about them and their products.

I was not compensated for this review in any way other than receiving free samples of detergent to try. This review reflects my own honest opinions and I hope you find it helpful.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T15:04:00.001-07:00

Baking bread and getting messy.

BTW, I will probably be out the rest of the week due to a small and not very fun household disaster. Don't worry, nothing is critically wrong and no one is sick or hurt.

How I Nurse Twins

2010-06-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

This post has been a long time coming. I've been meaning to post a little guide for expectant twin mamas (and any other curious folk) on breastfeeding twins, complete with discrete photos. So here it is. I talk to so many people that find it absolutely amazing that I am able to nurse two babies, and a lot of expectant twin mommies I've talked to are very sceptical in their abilities to do it themselves.

I have worked hard, through trial and error, to find a good nursing system that works for me. Granted, it may not work for you, but I hope that in some way it helps and encourages you to nurse your twins (or singleton). Also, I've got to say that I have not figured this out all on my own. I've talked to a couple different lactation consultants, my LLLI leaders, lots of mamas on thebump.com's eco friendly family forum (check us out, we are a lovely bunch of people), and most significantly-another local twin mama that has become a great friend and mentor. Ashley, thank-you for your help and I am so glad that I am getting to know you.

First of all I find it immensely helpful to gather anything that I might need ahead of time, because once I get the babies latched on, I am not getting up for anything. On my list of things to keep near me while nursing are a glass of water, a small snack, and my pillows. Notice that I did not include remote controls or the phone. I actually try to remember to turn off my phones while I nurse, as I find it incredibly distracting to myself and the babies. I don't watch t.v. while I nurse because it is also distracting and I like to limit the noise level. I have also gotten in the habit of putting a sign on the front door when I am nursing them or when they are napping, that says "Shh, babies are sleeping. Please do not knock, ring, or call. Try us again later."

Now I am ready to nurse. I have four pillows that I use: two nesting pillows from blessednest.com, one nest egg from blessednest.com, and one throw pillow that goes behind my back. I grab both babies and hold them against myself as I plop down on the couch. Hugging both of them against me with one arm, I wedge the throw pillow behind me in a way that gives me comfortable back support. Now, I place one nesting pillow on my right side and one on the left slightly over lapping in the center. I find it more comfortable to keep their heads elevated, so I shove a nest egg underneath both pillows, where they overlap. I really love the pillows from blessednest.com because they are filled with buckwheat hulls and you can adjust them to get the firmness where you want it. (think bean bag chair) I usually make it firmer under their heads and arrange for less hulls near their bum, which puts them in a great position.

Once my pillows are in place I put one baby on my right side and adjust him to a comfy position, playing with the firmness of the pillows until he seems to be in a good place. I latch him on. I repeat this with the other baby on the left side. They are head to head, kind of like two football holds, only supported with pillows. This position works best for us and keeps both babies happy. I have tried having them overlap or lay in the same direction against each other, but as they are getting older and more aware, they seem to become more easily bothered and distracted by each other. In my position they do grab at each others hands, but at least they aren't kicking each other. If you have problems with them grabbing at each other, I've heard the swaddling them so that their arms are tight against their bodies will help.

I highly suggest getting yourself a couple of blessed nest pillows. The two that I have pictured in this post are organic, and available for $87 Here. Mine are Pacific Grove and Key Lime. They are very very handy for nursing twins, or a singleton for that matter. I find them indispensable. Here is how I use the pillow if for some reason I am only nursing one baby.

My boys are seven months old now and are still nursing every two to three hours. When one twin is hungry, I feed them both, whether or not the other twin was acting hungry. I have a better let down this way and can give my "failure to thrive twin" a little boost of easy flowing milk. Another benefit of nursing them at the same time, is that it takes a lot less time overall. For months I was nursing them separately and it seemed like all I had time for was nursing. Now I have some extra time to devote to B Bear.

One other thing that I want to mention is that I have gotten myself used to nursing in public. I realized that if I want to be able to leave the house, I have to be able to nurse them. I bought a used ring sling from a friend of mine and take it with me everywhere. If you run into me out and about, you are likely to see me carrying or nursing one baby in the sling. To do this, I loosen the sling, and put in on with the rings on the opposite side from the breast I want to nurse on. Next, place the baby in the sling so that his bottom is cradled in the sling. Lean the baby so that his head is near your breast and tighten the sling. Then I latch him on. His feet stick out the other side and really the only thing the sling is holding are his bum and thighs. I never do this hands-free. Baby's head is cradled by my arm and we are tummy to tummy.

Good luck with nursing. You can do it, and it is so so good for your baby(ies). Remember that what works for me may not be the right arrangement for you. Play around with it and see what works for you and your babies. I hope that this was in some way helpful and that you are inspired to nurse away!

Note: I was not paid in any way other than being sent merchandise to review and mention the nesting pillows from the blessed nest. Their pillows are fabulous and that is my very own honest opinion.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when your big brother has stickers in his art box.

Beautiful Finds on Etsy

2010-06-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

I'm sure that if you are the type that is reading my blog, you have already discovered etsy. As summer approaches and we are finally enjoying some nice spring weather, I've been browsing etsy more often looking for pretty little summer things. I have so many items on my list of favorites right now, but I wanted to share a few of the pretty little things that I have marked. Click the photo to view the etsy listing. (by the way, none of these are from my shop, or the shops of anyone I know or am affiliated with)

New From ChicoBag

2010-05-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

ChicoBag is rolling out a brand new line of produce bags called their Produce Stand Collection. I am a huge reusable bag advocate and after we switched to using reusable shopping bags, I started using reusable produce/bulk foods bags as well.

They are introducing 3 new types of bags that are all equally fabulous. They all have a draw string closure and are roomy enough to fit many a veg.

Hemp-Cotton: This works great for your leafy greens or green beans, since the fabric blend naturally absorbs moisture. It also restricts airflow and is great for grains as well. I've used on both leafy greens and on bulk oats. It worked great for both. I was a little nervous about spilling oats everywhere, but it wasn't an issue at all.
rePETe: This is recommended for squash, broccoli, carrots, and celery, as well as other vegetables of the sort. Each bag is made from 99% recycled materials. It is great for restricting airflow and locking in moisture.
rePETe mesh: This bag consists of one side of rePETe material and one side of mesh. The mesh allows the ethylene gas (natures ripening agent) to escape. It is fabulous for storing apples, oranges, onions, and potatoes.

I was lucky enough to receive their produce stand starter kit to review and I think it's fabulous. I love that they took in to consideration the fact that different fruits and vegetables should be stored in different ways. I also love that they carried their rePETe line over into the produce bags. I always gravitate towards something that has been recycled. My favorite bag is the hemp bag. I buy what I can in bulk and this would be the bag I would chose for those purchases. I do think however that the rePETe mesh is probably the most practical to use, since the cashier will be able to easily see through the bag. I also love the little apple pouch that comes in the starter kit. I can shove my bags in there and clip it to my purse to ensure that it's not forgotten. I've enjoyed using these at the grocery store and look forward to using them at farmer's market as we approach that season.

ChicoBag is doing a great giveaway as part of the launch of the new collection. Make sure you head on over Bag Monster Blog and enter to win the new produce stand collection. It only takes a second to enter and it ends on 6/4/10. I tell you what, they are selecting 10 winners and right now the odds are looking pretty good to me. Now, head on over there and enter.

I was not compensated in anyway other than recieving a starter kit to review. As always this review is of my own honest opinions.

The Twin Mommy and Miracle Blanket Review

2010-05-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

During my pregnancy I had no idea what to expect of twin mommy-hood. I was worried about how I would possibly be able to handle two infants and a busy little toddler at the same time. I can now tell you that I have no idea how I do it, but I manage. At times it is a very busy and often chaotic life. Imagine changing up to twenty-five diapers a day. That is common in my house, thank God for cloth, or the money we put into diapers would be outrageous. Imagine two infants crying inconsolably for hours from their reflux. Every little challenge is multiplied and let me tell you, it ain't easy. Moms of trips or more, I have no idea how you do it and I think you are amazing.

Twin mommies, let's take a moment to pat ourselves on the back. We are doing a good job caring for our children. We are doing our best and it is certainly enough. It's not easy at all, but we manage somehow. Let's not let the insane amount of things on our to-do list stress us out. Let's not be discouraged by the constant business. We are so so so blessed to have two babies at once. :::gives a high five to all the other twin mamas:::

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Miracle Blanket Review

As many of you know, we have had some off and on sleep issues with the twins. We believe strongly in attachment parenting and co-sleep with them. When they were brand new and tiny, I would swaddle them up every night before bed in a receiving blanket. They quickly outgrew that method and was left wondering what to do next. My babies were used to being swaddled and had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep if we didn't swaddle them. After too many nights of poor sleep and too many days of being worn down, I started to search for solutions.

I came across the Miracle Blanket and I was hooked by their line, "Helps even fussy babies sleep great, guaranteed!" I thought, well heck, it's worth a try, right? I contacted Miracle Blanket and was sent a natural unbleached blanket to review.

When it arrived, I immediately busted the sucker out of the packaging and ran it through the wash. My first impression was very soft and a good weight of fabric, not too hot, not too cold. They are 100% cotton, which I love.

What I liked most about it off the bat, was the lack of velcro! I get really tired to grabbing one thing out of the wash and having a giant trail of items all velcroed together pull out with it. Another problem I have with velcro is that the edges, where it is sewn to the fabric, are often scratchy and leave marks on the babies' skin. It is very nice to have an alternative to velcro.

At first glance the Miracle Blanket may look intimidating, but it is so easy to use. Miracle Blanket provides these simple instructions that anyone can follow:

We used the Miracle Blanket for months and loved it. Our boys are now no longer need swaddling to fall asleep, but it sure worked wonders while we needed it most. I should also mention, not once did either baby wiggle out of it or free so much as one arm. The Miracle Blanket made co-sleeping easier for us and helped us all to get more sleep at night. This is definitely on my list of baby must-haves. You can buy them in a variety of colors here.

As always this is an honest review full of my own opinions. I was not compensated in any way other than receiving a miracle blanket to review.

Photos of Motherhood

2010-05-26T07:41:00.001-07:00

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A Bundle of Nerves

Tot School Tuesday: Bird Nests

**Ended**Flash Giveaway!

Big Old Stocking Stuffers List for the Kiddos

Stroll in Style: Baby Jogger City Mini Review

Some Great Deals on Zulily!

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Seven Months Without Shampoo, and why you should ditch it too!

Happy Birthday Twins!!!

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Fattycakes Pattern Review

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These Are a Few of my Favorite Things

The First Bites of Spring!

Tot School Thursday: C is for Caterpillar

{this moment}

Tot School Thursday: Counting Eggs

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Help us name the girls!

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Tot School Thursday: Our Family

A Small Revelation

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Getting out the Seed Catalogs

On to Sippy-Cups: Tommee Tippee Review

Christmas Goodies

The End of an Era

A Green Way to Wrap

Earth Mama Angel Baby Review

Mini Muffin Tin Advent Calendar

Deals to share!

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Have you sent your Christmas cards yet?

Sad broken computer

{this moment}

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A new hat for baby!

Another great product from Thirsties

There's a Party in my City!

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Miracle Blanket Giveaway!

Teething? Inspired by Finn Review and Giveaway {ended}

Sew-Along Day 7

Sew-Along Day 5 and 6

Sew-Along Day 4: Construct the Lining

Sew-Along Day 3: Sew the Main Jacket

Sew-Along Day 2: Construct the Hood

Sew-Along Day 1: Transfering Pattern and Cutting Fabric

Tot School Tuesday: Button Activities

Hygeia EnJoye Breastpump Review

{this moment}

Halloween is on it's way

A Sew-Along is on the Way!

It's International Babywearing Week!

It's past my bedtime...

{this moment}

Make Your Own Soda with SodaStream

Green Blog Hop

A Very Special Giveaway

{this moment}

Green Toys Review

Welcoming Fall

A Sensory Tub for B

Our Stash

Rhythm; The Cure For the Common Home

You were supposed to be a pumpkin!

WubbaNub Review

Wordless Wednesday...well nearly wordless

EndedFlash Giveaway!