Surprise! My early Christmas gift!

Surprise!

Oh boy (or girl), Here we go again!!!

We had our first OB appointment yesterday and there was our "bun" with a healthy heart beat of 128bpm. I am not due till August so we have a ways to go!

If you could keep us in your prayers for a healthy uneventful pregnancy and the strength and peace to handle three kiddos ;)

I am back on my lovenox injections, prometrium, and vivelle dot patches. I am also on Zofran to try to help with some serious morning sickness. I sure hope that part passes quickly! I miss food!

I can not believe we are doing this again so soon, and it still doesn't seem real. I know that it will sink in soon enough. And I know God's plan is perfect and what He brings you to, He will bring you through! So meet bun, our third and final :)

Thirsties review/giveaway!

First of all I want to apologize for being absent lately! We have been under the weather (aka battling one of the worst bugs this year!) and I had to take care of two little special someones. We are not yet 100% but thankfully much, much better!
Thank you all for being patient!

Now on to the review ;)

Thirsties is a well known and well loved company! Started in 2004, they have strived, and succeeded to make fab diapers for fab babies! Here is their mission:

 "Thirsties line of cloth diapers were launched in 2004 in an effort to offer sustainably produced and quality designed diapers at affordable prices. Our mission is to make it easy and attainable for every family to choose cloth while simultaneously investing in our local economy and sustainable business practices."

One of the things that I personally LOVE about Thirsties, is that all of their diapering products are made here in the USA. This is important to me and I love supporting local companies!

Also, their diapers are adorable. Seriously cute fluff! Look at some of their new prints!

Aren't those gorgeous!?

Thirsties is currently making their famous fab fitted which comes in many beautiful colors, their sized diaper covers, their new duo wraps (a two sized cover system), and their new duo diapers (an all in two). They also provide prefolds, inserts and an assortment of different accessories!

For review I received the duo wrap and a stay dry duo insert to use inside it.  

The duo insert is WONDERFUL!! It is two inserts, one polyester and one hemp/cotton blend. They snap together for easy use and easy laundering. The insert is super soft and after we prepped it, it is super absorbent! All I have to do is lay it in the wrap and put it on EJ. Like a trifolded prefold but without the work, and with much more absorbency. Also I love that I can decided what material is against EJ's skin. You could use the fleece or the hemp if you want all natural fibers against babies bum. An extremely versatile item. I bet you could use these as a pocket insert as well and would work fabulously! Few things can beat the combo of microfiber and hemp for heavy wetters!

As far as the duo wrap is concerned, it is one of my favorite covers. You all know I love wool, but this is a close second. I love how the cover is soft and moves easily so it is not sticky, sweaty, and it doesn't restrict movement.  Another thing I love is that they come in your choice of aplix or snap closure. I prefer snaps as they tend to last longer and my little magician can't get it off!

They thing that really surprised me about the duo wrap was the sizing. They come in two sizes (size one and size two) and each size is adjustable by a snap down rise. With EJ being 26 pounds now and having a 18 inch rise, I need adjustable. I need a diaper that will fit him well and will fit through potty learning. A generous diaper will fit over his huge fitted diapers, and will be comfortable while being leak free. The duo performs! The size 2 duo is a large cover and very generous in its sizing.  While all other covers either don't fit, or are on the largest setting, he wears the duo comfortably on the medium setting. He has plenty of room!! I was thrilled with this! When he wears this over his duo insert, the trimness can not be beat.

I have been a long time fan of Thirsties. I have had their covers since we first started cloth diapering. I will attest to their quality and customer service. Almost two years ago, when one of my diaper covers had a seam that came undone, Thirsties paid to mail the cover back, fixed it, and sent it back to me within a week. Time and time again they have proven to be one of the best products out there and they stand by their products.
True work horse covers for a great price!

So I just know you are wanting in on the Thirsties love!!! Well you are in luck!
Thirsties is generously offering to give one of you a duo wrap in your choice of color and size, and a stay dry insert!!

All you have to do is visit Thirsties and leave a comment letting me know what color and size of duo wrap you would want!

For extra entries (leave a separate comment for each)
1. Be a public follower of this blog via google friend connect
2. Request a Thirsties Catalog
3. Be a fan of Thirsties on Facebook
4. Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link
5. Follow me on Twitter

Contest is open to Canada and USA. Giveaway will end December 31st, 2010 and winner will be announced January 2, 2011. Good Luck!

Bitty Bumz winner!!

Congrats!!!!

Chany said...

http://twitter.com/#!/chany10/status/14399824967237634

December 13, 2010 1:41 PM

Please email me asap!!

OweWhoaWhen review/giveaway!

OweWhoaWhen is an amazing shop run by Linda. You can find her on etsy or at her other site  http://www.owewhoawhen.com/. Linda specializes in wool soakers and the quality of her products are incredible. It never ceases to amaze me when I receive an item that has been handmade and it is flawless.You can tell so much time and talent go in to each and every one.

This is the soaker Linda made for EJ. It was a semi custom soaker, so I picked the embroidery and she picked the wool. Isn't is just gorgeous!? Her embroidery is what really sets her apart from other shops. I love having such a unique piece in our stash and I am always showing this off to people. I am just in love!

As far as functionality goes, it is great. It has a second layer stitched into the wet zone for better protection and fits like a glove even on his chunky thighs. The waist and leg openings are nice a stretchy and are soft against his skin. He loves this cover because of the turtle and I can't blame him ;) We have worn this over prefolds and fitteds and it fits great over both types. Because of its stretch it really can accommodate any diaper. The rise is high enough to cover the top of his diapers generously but does not go too high like his night time covers do. An ideal rise for an anytime cover. So if you are looking for function and one of a kind designs, OweWhoaWhen is perfect for you.

In fact, one of you will win an OweWhoaWhen cover for yourselves!

(Winner can choose any in stock soaker!)

All you have to do is be a public follower of this blog via google friend connect, visit OweWhoaWhen and leave me a comment letting me know what cover you would get if you won! That's it!

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each)

1. Follow me on twitter

2. Like OweWhoaWhen on facebook

3. Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link (can be done daily)

4. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link

5. Have the cool cloth event button on your site

Giveaway will end December 31, 2010 at 12pm and the winner will be announced January 2, 2011 at 12pm. Good luck!

Grateful Buns review

Sometimes, there is something I come across that is so great, I just can not wait to share it with you! This is one of those things!
Marion, owner of Grateful Buns, has the most incredible talent! Her etsy store is overflowing with gorgeous hand made items from amazing super soaker wool diaper soakers and longies, to hand knitted items galore.
Marion stays super busy with a farm and two boys but still has time to creat these one of a kind items.

When I received a soaker for review, I was thrilled with it from the moment I opened the package. Marion's most absorbent and thick soakers are called "underwater" and the soaker I received was a "half underwater". There are a couple of things that set her soakers apart that I just love. First of all, notice how the stitching is outward? I loved that! That means only the softest seams are facing EJ. Babies are super sensitive and I know I wouldn't want any itchy serging against their tender skin. However, you could always turn it inside out if you wanted for a more finished look.
Also, her soakers are the thickest most flawless wool ever. If you are familiar with an aristocrat, these are even more thick and wonderful. The fit is great and there is just enough stretch. Her sewing skills are perfection and I have to add that she must lanolize her soakers with a lanolin/lavender mix because they smell heavenly. We have been using ours at night for a few weeks and it still smells so so good! If you have a super soaker this is definitely the cover for you! There is nothing going to get past her underwater soakers! Definitely the most bulletproof cover we have! Lastly, her prices are amazing and you truly are getting the most bang for your buck with a Grateful Buns cover. Beautiful, well made, and a workhorse diaper cover all for under $20. Can't beat it!

So now you are wondering how you can get one of these for your very own? Just hop on over to Grateful Buns and order to your hearts content. Trust me you will love your new soaker! Also, any of you who order, just let Marion know you came from Nault's Nook and she will discount any item $2 for you! Now what are you waiting for!?

Flora Gayle- wool longies and soakers (review and giveaway)

Flora Gayle is a wonderful etsy shop, owned by Amanda, and has beautiful recycled wool longies, soakers, and unique fabric necklaces. What drew me to her store was her gorgeous soakers but after talking with her more I knew what a great company she has. Amanda's husband has been serving in Iraq, and I can't help but feel good knowing that when you buy a soaker from her, you are supporting a military family! But back to her wool, they are truly one of a kind!

See what I mean? However when it come to cloth diapers, it doesn't matter how cute it is if it doesn't work! Function is key especially with a diaper cover. Wool is known for its benefits with cloth diapering. It is highly absorbent, leak proof, breathable, and all natural. I find that a good fitted with a wool soaker is bulletproof for night time diapering. There is no way I could do it without wool! I think it is safe to say I am a bit obsessed with all things wool. Especially cashmere! So when Amanda generously sent me a pair of cashmere longies I was over the moon! Cashmere is the softest material I know, all while allowing one to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I love that EJ has something so soft and wonderful to wear to bed at night. Also, our longies have a double layer of wool, with a heartier wool in the soaker area sewn right in to the inside. We have used these longies for a couple weeks now and we have never had a leak or compression wetness. The fit is perfect on my hard to fit toddler. EJ has short legs, chubby thighs, and a 19 inch waist and she was able to send us something that fits like a glove! Another thing about Amanda's shop is that she strives to make wool affordable for all. Almost all of her wool in under $20 so there is something for everyone. Her what she says:
"One of my main goals in making my diaper covers is to make wool affordable so that more people will be willing to try it. I got in to cloth diapering to try to save some money (among other things), so I couldn't justify paying $30 or $40 on one diaper cover--no matter how cute it was! Especially considering how fast babies grow.



I'm lucky enough to have learned to sew as a child, so now I'd like to offer some cute, functional, eco-friendly, well crafted, recycled wool diaper covers to others who might not be able to pick up a pre-loved sweater at a thrift store and turn it into and item of baby-couture. Don't be intimidated by wool, either. It's not hard to care for! "

The best part of all of this, is that Amanda is going to give one of you a wool soaker/longies of your choice. You pick the size, let her know if you have a boy or girl, and whether you want a soaker or longies and she will do the rest!
All you have to do is be a public follower of this blog, visit Flora Gayle and leave a comment letting me know what item is your favorite!

For extra entries: (leave a separate comment for each)
1. Follow me on Twitter
2. Tweet about this giveaway and leave the link (can be done daily)
3. Blog about this giveaway (leave me the link)
4. Have the cool cloth button on your blog

Giveaway will end November 12/31/2010 at 12pm and the winner will be announced 1/2/2011 at 12pm. Good Luck!

Knit Together review/giveaway

Beautiful right? Well I think it is no secret that I love wool. I believe there is a place for a PUL cover, but for me, wool is supreme. Especially with sensitive little ones with eczema and prone to rashes, wool is our best option! I have some super soakers for bed time, but what about a perfect daytime wool cover? Something super light weight and breathable. Something super cute :)

Knit Together has the answer!

These shorties are so darn cute I can barely stand it. For review I received a pair of shorties in this gorgeous turquoise color. Right from opening the package, I knew I would love these. Debbie, the owner of Knit Together,  has an amazing gift! I only wish I could knit like this. She also hand dyes her wool yarn! Talk about talent!

The shorties she makes are flawless and squishy soft. They are only one layer which makes them ideal for day time use. My favorite thing about them is that they have a drawstring waist. I just pull them on, just like shorts-Ha!, and then tie them up. Never an issue with fit this way! I bet these will be our go to spring/summer cover. Ej loves them because of how comfy they are for him. No tags, no tight waist to hinder movement. Perfect for my little "on the go" EJ. I truly think everyone should have a cover like this. If your babe needs to air out, especially during illness or during a bad diaper rash, but you don't want them to go completely coverless, you have to get one of these. Or two! have you seen all the colors!! Sigh :) Also for a hand knit item her shipping was super fast! I was amazed at how quickly it came!

The best part of all of this is that Debbie is going to give one of you a pair of her fab shorties! You pick the color and the size and she will get them to you!

All you have to do is be a public follower of this blog, visit Knit Together, and leave a comment telling me what color/size you would want if you won! That's it!

For extra entries: (leave a separate comment for each)

1. Follow me on twitter

2. Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link (can be done daily)

3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link

4. Have the cool cloth button on your blog

Giveaway will end 12/31/2010 at 12pm and the winner will be announced 1/2/2011 at 12pm. Good luck!

My Eco baby review

My Eco baby is a wool lovers paradise. An adorable etsy shop, owned by Gabriela, and has the most gorgeous wool sweaters and longies. Her creations are just to die for. With a heart after all things eco friendly and talent for recycling wool, her wool sweaters and longies are one of a kind.  

The thing I love about the longies she sent me for review, is the fact that they have elastic in the waist.  With a generous and roomy fit, the elastic is key. Now you don't have to worry about your little ones cover constantly coming off, or pulling up their pants 10 million times! My Eco Baby longies are only one layer of wool, so this is a great day time cover. Now that it is fall, and now that it is getting chilly out, a nice pair of wool longies are perfect. Put on your favorite prefold or fitted, and slide these right on over it! Diaper cover and pants in one! Plus, with as cute as these are you wouldn't want to cover them up!

These longies will definitely fit over the bulkiest of diapers. EJ often has a nice big fluffy bum, and these longies fit over it with room to spare! He can move around, run, play, and they stay up perfectly without restricting movement.

So head on over to My Eco Baby and have a look around!  Whether it is a gorgeous sweater or some comfy longies for your little eco baby, I know you will find the perfect gift! 

Crunchy Angel-Toodle Bugz (review/giveaway)

Crunchy Angel is a cloth diaper boutique selling cloth diapers and accessories! When Wendy contacted me, I was thrilled! Wendy is super sweet and has excellent customer service! She always responds super fast to my emails and always goes above and beyond helping her customers.

Wendy generously sent me two pairs of Toodle Bugz leg warmers for review. I choose the Bambooz Navy and she sent me the Monkeying Around pair as well.

The first thing I will say is that I love these leg warmers. I have a ton of babylegs and I do like them, but these are so much better in my honest opinion. For one, they are sized so you can ensure a perfect fit, they are super soft, and they have gentle elastic so no red marks on your little ones thunder thighs! I got the toddler size and they fit EJ perfectly and they also fit Austin! The bamboo pair I received are a just a bit softer than the regular and almost silky. I love bamboo so much! The Monkeying around print is adorable and EJ loves the "mokeys". I have washed both pairs several times and they show no wear at all.

These are perfect for under pants to add extra warmth in the winter, great for those who are still crawling to protect their knees, and great for quick diaper changes! You don't have to hassle with pulling down the pants first and then leaving their little legs exposed while doing so. Toodle Bugz would also be perfect for your arms! I have Austin wear them with short sleeved shirts to warm up his little arms when he gets chilly! So versatile! I just love leg warmers and Toodle Bugz are the best I have tried.

The best part is that Wendy has generously offered to give one of you a fabulous pair of Toodle Bugz in your choice of print and size! All you have to do is be a public follower of this blog, visit Crunchy Angel and leave a comment telling me what pair of Toodle Bugz you would love!

For extra entries: (leave a separate comment for each)

1. Follow me on Twitter

2. be a fan of Wendy's facebook page

2. Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link (can be done daily)

3. Blog about this giveaway and leave the link

4. Have the cool cloth  button on your blog

Giveaway will end 12/31/2010 at 12pm and the winner will be announced 1/2/2011 at 12pm. Good Luck!



Winner of the Petsmart/visa giveaway!!!

Congrats Trista! You won the $150 petsmart giftcard and the $50 Visa giftcard!!! I sent you an email :)

Anonymous said...

I follow you on twitter @tristawalker007

tristawalker007@yahoo.com

Thank you everyone who entered!!!

Bitty Bumz review

Bitty Bumz Boutique is another etsy favorite of mine! Amanda is the genius behind these adorable diapers and she is amazingly talented. Just take a look at these little works of art~

Tell me those are not the cutest things you have seen! Perfect for the holidays! Bitty Bumz diapers are unique in that they are a one size fleece all in two. The shell is fleece with a snap in soaker on the inside. You can choose either a snap in contoured bamboo soaker, or a snap in petal soaker. I had the petal soaker and it was fabulous! These diapers fit pretty trim and are really squishy soft. They stretch great to get a perfect fit and are not bulky at all between the legs. And again, these are so so soft!! Not all diapers that claim to be "one size" really go the distance, but with these diapers I truly feel as if they could fit through potty training. There was still room to grow for EJ but I can also see it fitting much smaller babies with how trim it is. These diapers have a wonderful fit! Also, we only washed our diaper once and wore it for almost two hours. The insert was barely wet so I call that a success! It was super easy to snap in and snap out as well. You could definitely reuse this shell if you needed and either snap in a another soaker or even use a prefold trifolded. All in all fabulous diaper!

Now the fun part!!! One of you is going to win one of these fabulous diapers!
All you have to do is be a public follower of this blog via google friend connect, visit Bitty Bumz Boutique and leave a comment letting me know which one you want if you win! 

For additional entries (leave a separate comment for each)
1. Follow me on twitter
2. Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link (can be done daily)
3. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link
4. Have the cool cloth event button on your site!

Giveaway will end December 15th, 2010 at 12pm and winner will be announced December 16th, 2010 at 12pm. Good Luck!

Some fine print:
Now although I give this diaper 2 thumbs up, I do have to let you know I found out EJ is sensitive to fleece. Since wearing this diaper (and him having a reaction to it) we have tested several different fleece items on him and he broke out in blisters to all of them. Even his fleece blankets when rubbed on his skin directly cause a horrible rash. This is in no way related to Bitty Bumz diapers and I wish he wasn't reactive because his diaper is soooo cute! Fleece sensitivities are extremely rare but if your little one is also sensitive, please realize this diaper would not be for them.

Abby's Lane review and giveaway

Abby's Lane is a fabulous diaper shop owned by Stephanie. In her own words:

"Hello! Welcome to Abby's Lane, a unique boutique offering products to make your parenting experience enjoyable and a little closer to nature. I am Stephanie, owner and founder of Abby's Lane, which opened in September of 2004, we are currently located in Northern Virginia. My husband, Phillip, and I are proud parents to our 3 beautiful daughters and one little son.


Our cloth diaper journey began when Abby was 3 months old, Camille, Lucy and Sebastian have been cloth diapered from birth. I was a reluctant participant at first, I believed the myth that cloth diapering is messy, messy, and...well...messy! I assure you that is entirely false! Cloth diapering has been the most wonderful experience, and if my husband is an advocate, anyone can do it! The products I carry at Abby's Lane are carefully chosen to make your cloth diapering experience an easy and enjoyable one."

What I personally love most about Abby's Lane is Stephanie herself. Sure the free shipping on all orders is a huge plus as well as the vast selection of cute cloth diapers! But her customer service is what has made me the most loyal of customers.

First of all when I received my Blueberry diaper for review from her, it had a slight manufactures defect in the bamboo lining. I contacted Stephanie and told her and she responded within an hour. She paid my shipping to and from, and sent me a brand new diaper within three days. Fabulous! Although defects are rare in diapers, they can and will happen on occasion. Knowing you have someone backing you and who will always go above and beyond to correct any mistake (even in this case it was not her own!) shows what kind of company she has. Furthermore, she ships FAST. No waiting and waiting for your fluffy mail to arrive!

As if this wasn't enough, I have been emailing Stephanie for about a month now about some serious stink issues we have been having recently. She always responds right away and has given me lots and lots of great tips. She is patient and relentless in her pursue to make cloth enjoyable for everyone. Sure enough after trying almost everything, it was Stephanie who has helped me refine my wash routine and I am happy to say we have zero stink and zero rash. She has made all the difference for me.  That is the difference in a person who loves what they do! We have even talked on the phone and she is always willing to help! I don't know how she does it with four little ones!

Needless to say, Abby's Lane is by far one of the best companies I have had the privilege of working with.

 Blueberry diapers have long been considered one of the best. With there generous one size sizing and their luxurious minky outer, they left little room for improvement. That was of course, unless your little one was sensitive to polyester! Almost all pockets out right now have a fleece or a microsuede lining on the inside. EJ has never been able to wear these diapers with out getting a rash and therefore although I wanted a blueberry for my own, I never could get one. Until now ;)

Blueberry now makes a bamboo pocket, with the inner lining made of a bamboo/organic cotton blend! So of course I had to try it and I have to say I am impressed! The outside minky of the diaper is buttery soft, like a velvet. I love having something this soft for EJ to wear. The inner is super silky soft as well. Plus the great thing about this diaper is it is a pocket, so you can customize the absorbency. We love this diaper for outings, or for when we need a quick change. EJ has worn it over night but I prefer my fitteds and wool for that. All in all  this is the greatest pocket I have tried. Natural fibers, great absorbency, snap closure, and so stinking cute. Also EJ is 21 months and 25 pounds. This diaper fits him great and we can even wear it on the medium setting. He wont be out growing this any time soon! I imagine it would be a bit bulky on a small baby, but for my toddler the fit is wonderful. You simply must try this diaper!

                                                             How cute is this cow print??

So the best part of all this? Abby's Lane has generously offered to give away a $10 store credit to her shop! I can think of about 100 different things I would want that $10 for! Maybe you have been looking at a new diaper, some new detergent, or maybe a diaper sprayer? Now you will have an excuse to splurge :)

All you have to do is be a public follower of this blog and visit Abby's Lane and leave a comment letting me know what item you would purchase with your gift certificate!

For extra entries: (leave a separate comment for each of the following)

1.Follow Abby's Lane on Twitter

2. Follow me on twitter

3. Like Abby's Lane on facebook

4. Tweet about the giveaway and leave me the link (can be done daily)

5. Blog about this giveaway and leave me the link

6. Have the "cool cloth" button on your blog

Giveaway will end December 31, 2010 at 12pm. Winner will be posted on January 2, 2010 at 12pm. Good luck!



let the cool cloth event begin!!!!

Are y'all excited???? You should be!! Starting tomorrow I will be hosting reviews/giveaways everyday during the cool cloth event! Diapers, discount codes, wool covers, detergent, you name it!

I love cloth diapering and I am so thrilled to share it with you! Here we go! See you tomorrow!

perfection is

Cold weather, warm snuggles, good food, and fun crafts. And all of this with two little boys whom I love more than life.















Yep, that's perfection.

update and some pictures

Well for starters EJ is now 21 months old! Bitter sweet! I love that he is growing and changing, but just can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that he is almost two years old. How is it possible that my baby is almost two?

He had his regular hematology appointment yesterday. His ANC was the highest it has ever been and our Dr believes he is on the cusp of growing out of his neutropenia! We are hoping for a complete recovery by this time next year! Can you believe that? This a answered prayer in a most amazing way.
In other news, he did lose some weight (more on that in a moment) and weighs 25 lbs even and is 32 inches long. Still my small fry :)

EJ has been referred to speech therapy though, for two reasons. They believe he has a language/speech delay and he has some eating, swallowing, and chewing issues. The speech delay I am not too sure about. He has about 25 words he can say. Most he can say pretty clearly. He does mumble "baby talk" most of the time with these words mixed in but I think that is pretty normal? The thing they are concerned about is the fact that he doesn't group any words together. He has never made a phrase such as "ball please" etc. So we will see what the speech therapist say.

The eating issues I totally agree with. EJ has had food issues his whole life. His current problems are that he doesn't eat and when he does he wont swallow. If it is something he really likes (like grapes) he will put it in his mouth then spit it out. Grab another bite it and then spit it out. He does this with the majority of his food. Or the other extreme is that he will swallow it whole. I don't know if he just don't know how to chew or if it is a texture thing. I am not sure but I am hopeful they will help up work it out. He needs to gain weight! I can handle picky but this is just a whole different level. Anyways...

He is a super sweet, active, playful, creative, and energetic little guy. I just love him to pieces and am thankful everyday he is mine.

Austin is doing great and I had a moment yesterday that made me burst with pride! Yall know we are homeschooling and he started reading a little over a month ago. All along when he wants to write a letter or a word he asks me how to spell it. Yesterday for Veterans day (his favorite holiday as he lives and breathes everything military and wants to be a marine) he made a picture. On it he wrote "US ORME". Do you get it? o-r-m-e spells army! He wrote his first word all by himself! I could not be any prouder of him. He continues to blow me away every single day.

Soccer has ended and he is looking forward to next season already. We displayed his trophy in his room and he is beyond proud he was able to score a goal that final game. I just could not be more proud of either of my boys.

In some random news, the foliage here is peaking and is gorgeous. Fall is such a beautiful season. I was driving around yesterday just admiring God's beauty. I think it really reflects on who He is.

Oh and also, the gnats are just about gone. Thank goodness. I have regained some sanity and am feeling much better. Finley still does not sleep at all. Up every morning by at least 4am. Adam did take him though for two whole days so I could sleep. It is amazing what difference sleep makes. Thank you Adam!

Yesterday we went to the park and had a picnic and it was wonderful. The weather was amazing at 74 degrees and we enjoyed it so much. Austin caught a little fish out of the lake with a net and that just made his day! They played on the playground, and we had a nice walk. I love the outdoors. Today it is storming (another cold front coming through) and I am glad we got to enjoy that yesterday.

One final thing. My "cool cloth" event will be starting soon and I will have a lot of reviews and giveaways planned. I can't wait to dive into cloth diapering and share it with you!

(the sun was in our eyes something awful, that's why Austin's arm is up and we are all squinting)

recipe wednesday- lemon ricotta cookies

Umm I can not tell you how much I love these cookies! One of my favorite for sure! So light and moist, they are perfect!

Here is my recipe:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
10 oz whole milk ricotta
5-6 oz plain yogurt
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon zested or 1 teaspoon oil of lemon

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon zested or 1/4 teaspoon oil of lemon

combine flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl combine butter and sugar-beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time-beating until incorporated. Add ricotta, yogurt, lemon juice, and zest. Beat. Stir in dry ingredients.

Drop the batter (2 tablespoons per cookie) onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for maybe 15 minutes. You want to bake them only until the very under edge has some browning. That is it. With this cookie it is better to under bake a bit than over bake so be careful! Let cool and then glaze :)
*Note-I usually set my oven to 350 so I make sure not to over bake. You want these to be super moist!
Enjoy!

beauty is a beast (the most random post ever)

So in an effort for a little self improvement, I decided to give myself a pedicure. It had been a long time to say the least. Well my friends, want to see what a pedicure gone wrong looks like? here ya go.
Yes that is blood. Nice. It took four hours for it to stop bleeding.
Beauty is a beast, ya know?

Speaking of beasts, we have a gnat problem. It would be funny but it is driving me crazy. Big fat gnats, flying around taunting me all day long. I kill at least 10 a day but they keep coming back. We have never had bug issues here. Ever. Not flies, roaches, spiders. Nothing. But now we have gnats. Big fat gnats.

On a slightly less neurotic topic, have you seen the new releases from Anthropologie? (swoon) I love them.

And that is all. I told you it was random. What do you expect when I wake up at 4 every morning. Why do I wake up at 4 you ask?
Finley. does. not. sleep.
He wakes up at four every morning and will yowl until you wake up too. He has food, water, clean litter, and a snuggly bed with a heating pad. He wants someone to keep him company. So a toddler that wakes we up multiple times every night and a kitten that wakes me for the day way before I should ever be up. Win win if you ask me!
If you have any tips please let me know. I'm desperate. As if a crazy random post like this doesn't scream "help me" enough on its own.

clean and green-baking soda (the good, the bad, the ugly)

Can you guess what this little cutie and I have in common?
We both have horrible hair issues.

Hair is never something I have loved about myself. Limp, baby fine, and with a tendency for dryness, I have never really liked my hair. Then there are my "baby hairs" that choose to stick out of my head like lightning rods at all the right moments. Yep, my hair and I are best friends.

So when I heard about the baking soda epidemic going around and how fabulous it was, I had to try it out. Not only was replacing your shampoo and conditioner with baking soda super green, it also saves you some green. Hair care products can get expensive especially when you use designer products. Or Head and Shoulders. Just sayin.

Anyways, everyone I knew who tried it had rave reviews. Their hair was moisturized, soft, silky, clean, and chemical free. Some said it gave new life to their dull ugly hair. Well, sign me up please!! Maybe I too could be a no poo convert.

So, I tried it.


Before I share my results, I wanted to talk about baking soda and how great it is.
I use it all the time in various ways. To clean with (it acts as a fab scrubbing agent that is also totally safe for small children and the environment), I use it to bake with (obviously), you can use it added to your toothpaste to help whiten your teeth (just dip a tooth brush, with toothpaste already on it, right into some baking soda), and it can even be for you hair as a great clarifying booster.

When I used it as a booster to my shampoo I was blown away by how great it was. I added about a teaspoon to my regular amount of shampoo and mixed together to make my paste. I had simply brought a little cup into the shower and just dumped it into my hand with the shampoo. I then washed as usual and then conditioned really well as baking soda can be drying. The results were amazing! My hair was so soft, like baby soft. It made me think even more about these ladies (and men) who had replaced their shampoo with it completely. If a little was this great, surely a lot would be even better!! My oh my how this thought gets me into trouble every time!

So back to my results. For me it was horrible. I'm just going to be honest here. Not everything that works for some will work for you.
I did it several times, using different formulas in hopes to make it work.
My hair had never felt more dry. Well once, when I spent 12 hours at the salon getting my almost black hair bleached to platinum. That dry. It felt like straw and was horrid. My scalp itched beyond belief and also broke out. I even tried a vinegar rinse as suggested to help condition and it did nothing but made me smell like a pickle all day.
I wanted to love it. I really did. Unfortunately, I am just now starting to get my hair back to normal. There is A LOT of deep conditioning going on at my house.

I have pretty healthy hair despite it lacking movie star quality, but it takes a lot of conditioner to make it that way. Perhaps if you have naturally healthy hair and don't have to use conditioner every shower, then this could be perfect for you. Just be careful. Baking soda, I still love you and all your great uses, but my hair is just not one of them.

I want to go green and do my part. And I do every day. I am slowly converting all areas of our life to be more eco conscious. But at the same time it has to work for us.

So I suppose there is no miracle cure for my hair after all. But that's okay! Duck hair is totally going to become the next trend. Just wait and see.