Barbells For Boobs

So, check this out… A long time friend of mine, Courtney, has taken a step in the right direction in helping women get mammograms early and help catch breast cancer before it’s too late!

This is a great opportunity to help women who can’t afford a mammogram for one reason or another (because let’s face it, medical stuff is never cheap)…

http://fundraise.barbellsforboobs.org/fundraise?fcid=264535

So hop on over and give her page a looksie.

Get on it people..

🙂

J

P.S. If you wanna check out her totally awesome blog click the link to the right that says Journey of A Dreamer! She has been killing it with Cross Fit, Running races of all sorts, and general awesomeness!!!

Winner Announcement & Life Stuff

Hello Friends…

First off I would like to congratulate Tara on winning the very first giveaway!  And to those that didn’t win, there will be another giveaway soon. 😉 Also thanks to The Little Bee Co for giving me the opportunity to have a giveaway and blog out a review! Sooo exciting!!!

Next, I wanted to talk about some life stuff that Hubs, Sweet-T and I have been working on.

Sweet-T (we’ll start with her because she is the cutest) went for her 4 month check up today and has grown quite a bit! She started her life out in the 30th percentile and has jumped to the 50th in just 4 months. She is quite the chunky monkey (but we love her and her little chubby legs)!  13 lbs 12 oz and 24 inches long… Not bad at all. Every day she continues to amaze us with her sweet (and often hilarious) personality. She has been eating various fruits and veggies for a month or so now, and has several favorites, but only one thing she can’t tolerate: peaches. Sweet- T is also teething, which has made some days really rough, but overall she has been such a sweet baby.

Hubs and I have been working on things around the house (largely with help of my parents). We got our permanent solar powered clothes dryer installed a few weeks ago (aka the clothes line) and it has been amazing to be able to hang ALL the diapers on the line instead of a few and the rest inside.

We have also been chatting about the next one… you know… a sibling for Sweet-T. Next year we will begin the adoption process again. So soon you ask… well yes, largely because the second one takes considerably longer than the first because a lot of birth moms (not all) consider choosing families that have no children in the home before choosing a family that has one already. So realistically Sweet-T could well be 2 or 3 before a baby brother or sister comes along.

Aside from that, we are just looking forward to the holidays and Sweet-T’s adoption finalization. It has been a wonderful process and 100x’s over we would do it all over again.

So… what have you and your family been up to?

Have a good day friends! Hope to see you soon!

J

Where Have I Been? & Review/Giveaway!

Oy. It has been almost a month since my last post, but things have been absolutely crazy around here!

I came down with a horrible sinus infection, then hubby got sick, then I got sick again, and on top of all that Sweet-T is teething. (Yup two little shiny white teeth are trying to force their way down.)

Aside from that, things have been otherwise stable. Sweet-T’s adoption date should be coming up soon and we are excited to make her “officially” ours.

Now, down to the real reason you are probably reading this in the first place… the Review and Giveaway.

A little while ago The Little Bee Co (if you haven’t checked them out already go do so) decided that they would give me a chance to review a cloth diaper for them and  host a giveaway! I was so excited! I carefully poured over the website, looking around  at all the diapers, the sweet prints and vibrant colors… and I couldn’t decide. There was the Bee Changed Bamboo diaper… and the Bee Changed UltraCool. And the colors… did I like Japanese Cherry Blossom or African Rain? The choices were mind boggling. So I was super excited to open my package and discover one of each, a UltraCool in Japanese Cherry Blossom and an Bamboo in African Rain.  This review and giveaway is focused on the Bamboo diaper. The UltraCool will be another post, probably tomorrow.

African Rain

Tag: Bamboo Diaper

As you can see (well maybe you can’t) but the diaper is a pocket diaper… Which means you do have to stuff it. But surprisingly, as much as I HATE pocket diapers, this one is actually easy to stuff. The leg area is not super narrow, which makes it easier to get the microfiber inserts all the way down into the diaper without risking an atomic anger meltdown as I have done in the past with other pocket diapers.

The inside of the diaper (that touches your babies bum) is 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton. This keeps baby cool and dry, without over drying the skin. And also provides only natural fibers touching your little ones bum.

So, down to the actual functionality of the diaper!

Elastic: SUPER SUPER Strong, this is probably some of the strongest elastic I have seen in a pocket diaper (or just a diaper in general). No chance of this stretching out anytime soon. (Unless of course you are playing tug of war with your diapers and a Bull Mastiff…)

Snaps/Poppers: Great! I am kinda 50/50 on the whole velcro vs snaps debate when it comes to diapers. But the snaps are perfect, they offer the right amount of options for sizing customization, and are strong! (No cheap quality snaps here.)

Absorbency: Awesome! We used both inserts one night (Sweet-T is a heavy wetter) and alas, we had NO leaks the next morning. However, both inserts do make for a rather squishy bum on a 4 month old. But in pajamas it makes little difference as long as she is dry and I don’t have to change crib bedding in the morning. During the day we used the infant and the larger insert separately on several occasions and found that they do well. The infant one was best for us around the house when she (and her diaper) are more carefully monitored, however the large one did great out and about shopping or visiting relatives.

Color/Print Hold: The colors stayed bright and vibrant without fading in the wash!

Staining: Wash as directed with cloth diaper safe detergent and sun dry and you won’t have stains! They just vanish… poof.. bye bye.

Other: These diapers are super cute, super soft insides (Hey, Little Bee Co, how about adult sizes… haha) Concerned about having to unstuff the diapers after a nasty poo or a hubby who forgets to unstuff? Don’t worry about it! I found that by washing the diapers stuffed 9/10 they unstuff themselves. Of course you could always run them through a rinse cycle alone or with a few other diapers that have not been unstuffed and the pressure from that should do the trick before you wash. (I use a top loading washer, front loaders may differ.)

Cons: Honestly, I love this diaper 100% and would say the same had I purchased it. My only con I could find is that they are too cute that I feel I need about 100 more… and hubby says that is out of budget. Phooey.

So, are you ready to take the plunge and try and win a free cloth diaper from The Little Bee Co? This is a giveaway for Bamboo Bee Changed Diaper in your choice in colors! The Little Bee Co will ship it directly to you!!! Contest opens 9/23 12 am and ends 9/27 at 12 am. Enter below. Open to U.S. Residents. Just click the link below!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for dropping by and stay tuned for a review/giveaway of the UltraCool Bee Changed Diaper. I have actual on baby pics of that diaper!

J

The Little Bee Co sent me two diapers in exchange for an honest review on my blog and offered two diapers of equal type as giveaway prizes. These opinions are my own and not of the Little Bee Co.

Lil Helper Making Big Changes

Did you know that 1 in 3 moms in the U.S. and 1 in 5 in Canada can not afford to put fresh clean diapers on their babies? For real according to a study, many moms in two of the planets most well developed countries can not put a diaper on their babies behind. How would you feel? Choosing between diapers or food for your family?

I can’t imagine that choice when it comes to Sweet-T. So enter Lil Helper who has committed not only to be eco friendly as possible, but donates a new cloth diaper to a family in need for every three diapers purchased! And they donate those diapers out of their own pockets… we all know how hard cash is to come by these days! So Mohammed and Nader are working hard to help those in need, while also trying to build a company they believe in… pretty snazzy if you ask me!

Head on over to Lil Helper (link featured above in post and also in side links) and shop around. They have some awesome diapers, great policies, and are super friendly!

-J

10 Things About Me…

Been working hard lately at being a good mom, wife and daughter. Sometimes I don’t believe our society credits moms for all they do (unless it is Mothers Day or they did something wrong). So… As a mom/wife/daughter, I wanted to share a few things about me, my life, my inner workings, etc.:

1. Carrots. They are in nearly every meal we eat at home. They are my favorite veggie.
2. I struggle with self image. I always find myself comparing myself with others…. What if I was taller or thinner or more outgoing…. Regardless of the fact that I know it is rather destructive behavior to always compare ones self to others.
3. If they ever find a way to shrink elephants to the size of a house cat, I will pay any price to own one.
4. Sweet-T is the sweetest baby I know, and if anyone breaks her heart I will break them… In half…. With my bare hands.
5. N*Sync is still one of my favorite bands. Yes, I watched the VMA performance, yes my heart fluttered just like it did in the 90s.
6. Disney films are better on VHS. End of story.
7. We gave up cable over a ywar ago, and do not regret it at all.
8. Sweet-T would have a Minecraft themed nursery if it was up to me.
9. I have inner dialogs on a regular basis… And often confuse them with real conversations, telling myself and others that I did tell them I had a drs appt or that I needed milk at the store.
10. I am obsessed with cloth diapers and constantly scan the web in search of brands to try and prints to acquire.

So… that is me in a nutshell. What about you? What’s your thing?
-J

BumGenius FreeTime Review

BumGenius (by Cotton Babies) is a fairly large and popular company in the U.S. diapering forum. They offer a variety of diapers to suit your budget and your needs. We tried several so far, but today I will be reviewing the BumGenius FreeTime diaper.

It’s an all in one diaper, which means no stuffing (or more importantly unstuffing) pockets. They come in the same sweet and vibrant colors and prints as the BumGenius 4.0’s, and are available in snaps or hook/loop (aka Velcro).

The diaper is ample big enough for a baby to grow into, and the stay dry material inside ensures that your baby will have a nice dry tush (well dry enough for a diaper anyways, it is by no means miracle fabric lol). The hook/loop is pretty standard, it does seem to follow most other brands in that it loses stickiness or begins to fold up/catch everything in the washer. The snaps are super strong and more reliable, so unless you just absolutely can’t deal with snaps, I would recommend them. The only positive that hook/loop has over snaps for closures is it provides a better fit on babies with smaller waists.

The elastic is pretty good so far (only 3 months in so time will tell) and stains are easy enough to get out of the inside with a little sun. The real downside to these diapers is there must be pressure on the fabric for it to wick moisture away from your baby’s tush. Which means if your baby is under 10 or so lb’s you probably will have leaks at nap/night or tummy time. Especially if you have a heavy wetter like Sweet-T is!

Overall, for now, I would rate them a 7 on the scale of 1-10 for the hook/loop and an 8.5 for the snaps. My main disappointment with these is there is little room for additional inserts to be added without expanding the leg areas too much and causing excessive leaks. And the hook/loop version could really use better quality hook/loop. Also the need for compression is good, but not at when your baby is lighter. But the diapers do their job, when Sweet-T is awake and upright we never have leaks and we can trust these diapers for a longer car ride, without worrying about having to stop every hour to check her.

You can find them online at Kissed By The Moon or at the Cotton Babies website.

Hopefully in a few months when Sweet-T is older and heavier I will be able to review these again and maybe have a better result.

Jessica

**BumGenius in no way requested or reimbursed me for these statements. These are my own opinions and I am expressing them without compensation. **

Thirsties Fab Wipes

Cloth diapering is a whole experience in itself when it comes to the realms of parenting. I mean, most people assume it is like it was 100 years ago, with diaper pins and ugly rubber pants to keep the diapers on and for the most part not leaking. But… diapers have come a long ways! And with the change in cloth diapering, also comes the changes in cloth wipes. Hubby and I were skeptical to use cloth wipes… it is one thing to deal with a diaper, but a cloth wipe? Isn’t that just a little too hippy of us?

Well… no, not really. Enter the Thirsties brand Fab Wipes!

These things are absolutely amazing! Double sided, super soft, and they don’t stretch or stain! These amazing wipes are just the right size for the job, wash up soft, and even line dry super fast! They come in packs of 6 and are either “girl” or “boy” colors… either of which are more than appropriate for either gender. Thirsties Fab Wipes are 8×8 cotton micro-fleece on one side , and cotton velour on the other.

Go ahead and check them out for yourself! They are an incredible gift for baby showers, even if a mom is not planning to cloth diaper because of the other uses they can have (such as wiping dirty faces or gunky eyes).

Kissed by The Moon carries them in stock and has super fast shipping!!!

Jessica

**Opinions are my own. Was not compensated, reimbursed, or otherwise requested to do a review of Thirsties Wipes.**

My Little Sweet-T… What shall I do with her?

Sweet-T is so much like me it makes me giggle and shudder all at once. I mean really, we share a lot of personality traits already, and she is only a few months old. I can’t wait (both with enthusiasm and sarcasm) to see what she is like as she gets older.

For one, the girl hates shoes and socks. Very Floridian of her to already prefer barefoot to cramped up toes… very rarely will you see me in tennis shoes or dress shoes (or socks even).

Another thing, this girl can’t handle heat… which makes me laugh, because while I can handle it, I sure do hate it. I mean, I hate everything about it… the humidity, the fact that my pale (non tanning) complexion goes from clear to lobster red in 3.2 seconds…. the whole kit and caboodle. Hate the heat… and now…. so does my sweet amazing little girl.

Tank tops, t shirts and shorts are the clothes she is most comfortable in. Which is great! Because while I will dress her in all the cute little frilly outfits grandmas and aunts and friends bring to her with much gratitude for the gifts they have given, I am not a frilly person. I think pink is a lovely color, but too much of it can make me feel like I am in a big sticky mess of cotton candy and bubble gum. I much prefer blues, oranges, purples and greens…. to the standard little girl “must have” of pink.

She also smiles and giggles at my dumb little jokes, appreciates the same YouTube music that I prefer, and has no problem taking a nap with her Momma in the afternoons when her Momma just ate herself into a Rice Crispy Treats Cereal coma.

Yes, Sweet-T and I are off to a beautiful beginning… I love her to the moons of Jupiter and back. All 63 (known) of em and back that is.

The Joys and Pains of Adoption

The process of adopting Sweet-T was and is a very joyful and yet painful experience. People tend to only see adoption through one side of the lens. But there are many ways to look at adoption… while it is (for most) a positive experience, I feel that the negatives get left out as well. Now, since we only did infant adoption through an agency, I can not attest to other methods (out of country, state foster to adoption programs, etc.) where the experiences may vary.

The Good:
– When we met our beautiful Sweet-T she was only 3 hours old. We were able to spend the night with her in the hospital… admittedly most of that time was spent just staring at her as if she would disappear if we blinked. (Much of the first week was spent like that.)
– We were not extremely tired when we brought her home. I had not had to experience the tiring effects of labor and delivery, and hubby had not had assist me for the last few months in doing things that I normally could do without the baby bump. So, we were ready to snuggle, cuddle, love and care for our little girl, and we were well rested to do so!
– Working with an agency afforded us the opportunity to have a group support and individual support (with our social worker) that we may not have gotten in another adoption setting.

The Bad:
– The wait to be chosen, and have a successful placement was stressful. Our first attempted placement ended with the mother deciding to parent after all. So our nerves and emotions were raw and on end waiting to see if Sweet-T would indeed be ours.
– Sweet-T, though she will grow up in a loving home, will not grow up with her biological mother, and in turn might have lingering questions or assumptions about why her mother chose adoption for her.
– We didn’t get the “standard” parent milestones… The first ultrasound, the first time hearing her heart beat or feeling her kick, etc. Our milestones were being chosen as her forever family and then waiting for her to be born.

There are more goods and bads… But overall, even given the bads, I would do it all over again, because Sweet-T is worth it 150%! We love her to the moon and back and can’t wait to watch her grow. We know there will be those difficult questions and times in the future, but for now, we just look forward to cuddling and loving her as much as we can.

The Little Bee Co

Cloth diapering is one of those things… You feel great because you are helping save the environment just a little bit by removing excess trash in the form of diapers from your output. Plus your baby gets the benefit of super soft, cozy diaper that looks absolutely adorable.

It really can’t get much better.

Then enter The Little Bee Co.

What an absolutely brilliant concept… They supply diapers to babies who need them!

So, you ask, how can you help?

Buy a diaper! Yea, that’s it, just buy a diaper (although they also have an option to just donate as well). When you buy a diaper, one of the same diaper will go to an orphan in need. That’s it. No crazy codes to enter, no wondering if they $1 you donated really will make a difference… You just buy a diaper for your little one, and a diaper just like it will go to a little on somewhere in the U.S. or Africa or one of the several orphanages/childrens homes they work with around the world.

So what are you waiting for? Get a move on! Go make a difference!!!