Almost Fluffy Friday: Swim Diapers

June 30, 2011 By 4 Comments

Have a post that relates to cloth diapers?  Link it up… tomorrow!!!

Ok, so maybe it’s NOT Friday yet, but sometimes a girl just has to talk about fluff!  Actually, I had a couple of requests that I wanted to address.

First, in regards to Fluffy Fridays, I’ve decided to keep the linky open longer than just on Fridays.  Just because I want to talk about cloth on Fridays doesn’t mean you have to… so, from now on the Fluffy Fridays linky will be open from Friday until Tuesday nights.  This gives everyone a chance to browse the different Fluff posts and to link up!

Second, I mentioned that Sophia received a swim diaper for her birthday that was purchased at Walmart.  I was curious, as well as some of you, to see how the Ocean Pacific brand swim diaper would compare to my others {Bummis and Monkey Doodlez}.  I’m actually happy to report that it held up really well.  It fit her great, she was in a Small.  What I’m not so happy about… it blew right off our 9th floor balcony during a gust of Beach Breeze!  So, unfortunately I won’t be using that swim diaper again.

After trying the three different types of swim diapers that we have in our stash at the beach, my favorite is still my Bummis Swimmi.  Although… I haven’t got my hands on an AppleCheeks swim diaper yet!  ;)   But it is nice that Walmart shoppers, who may not even know about modern cloth, now have a choice between disposable swim diapers and cloth now!

 

Filed Under: cloth diapers, fluffy fridays, Review

Do you Yard Sale?

June 30, 2011 By 1 Comment

Source.

If you follow me on Twitter or know me IRL, you know that I’ve been stressed to the max with getting my Yard Sale together for this weekend.  Every year that I have a Yard Sale, I say it’s going to be the last one I ever do and this year is no exception.

They are so much work, especially when it comes to the preparation:

  • Pulling it all out the house
  • Pricing
  • Advertising the Sale; Making signs
  • Setting it up and Organizing in a Eye-Pleasing Way

Over the years, I’ve come up with a few things that I really think make my Yard Sale a better shopping experience for my customers.

  • I hang all the clothes that are for sale.  There’s nothing I hate more than rummaging through a huge box of clothes.  We tie up cable {very, very strong cable, might I add} between two of our trees, in the front yard.  All the clothes are hung there.
  • This year, I’ve decided to do a system for the pricing of clothes, instead of pricing them individually.  T-shirts are 50 cents, Shirts are $2.00, Pants are $3.00 for Adults.  Of course, there may be some that are in worse/better shape than others, so that will be taken into consideration, but it saved me so much time!
  • I used to have a Free Box for Kids.  It was filled with little knick knacks that weren’t worth asking 5-10 cents for.  However, I found that so many kids were embarrassed to take things and parents were hesitant as well.  This year I’m making the box a “Fill a Bag for 25 cents!” box.  It’s still basically free, but I’m thinking maybe if they think they are paying for it, they’ll be more likely to take it?  We’ll see…
  • And, Shhh… keep this one between you and I, but I plan on making Saturday my 1/2 price day!   Everything that’s left will be sold for 50% off the price it’s marked.  My second day is always slower and at my last Yard Sale, I did this and it really seemed to encourage people to buy a bit more.

 

So, while I’m doing my last minute finishing touches, I’d love to hear some of your tips.  If you hold Yard Sales/Rummage Sales/Garage Sales, what are some of your tips?  I want to hear it all.

If you just like to attend them, what’s something you look for in a Yard Sale?  I’m not talking specific items, but what makes a Yard Sale more appealing to shoppers!?

Filed Under: Green

Bedroom Furniture Planning

June 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This is a guest post from Laura, in association with Very.co.uk.

Whether you’ve just moved and are decorating your new home for the first time, or if you are looking to update your house with a spot of redecorating, furniture can play an important part in shaping the look and feel of a room.

One of the most important rooms when it comes to decorating and getting everything just right is the bedroom. This is the room where the majority of people spend most of their time; sleeping in their beds, starting their mornings there and ends their days. So when it comes to picking out bedroom furniture it is important to get it right.

When it comes to picking out bedroom furniture it is important to get the dimensions right. Nothing can make a bedroom look smaller and more crowded than if you fill it with bedroom furniture that is too big, the same goes for if you have too many pieces of furniture for the room.

So, before you even hit the shops, make a list of what bedroom furniture you actually need and also what you would ideally like. The next thing is to measure the space in your room and decide on what you can fit in there. Keep the dimensions of the room in your head when shopping for bedroom furniture and remember to take a tape measure with you to measure any items of bedroom furniture you take a shine to.

Once you’ve passed this stage it’s on to the fun and maybe most stressful part, bedroom furniture shopping! But first of all you need to have decided upon the colour scheme for your bedroom. You don’t want bedroom furniture that clashes with the rest of the room. But once you’ve decided upon that and the style you fancy you’re free to roam the shops and find the perfect furniture for you and
your room.

Once you’ve found your perfect bedroom furniture you can get on with the serious task of setting up your cozy bedroom.

Filed Under: sponsored

She’s Moving on Up.

June 29, 2011 By 2 Comments

Well, she will be soon.  With the new baby coming, we’ve decided that Sophia will take over, what is now the Guest Bedroom, and the baby will simply take over her Nursery now.

I didn’t realize how excited I would be to actually decorate a room for Sophia.  Since we chose all of her furnishings and decorative bedding before we even realized if we were having a boy or girl, her Jungle theme is not really tailored to her.  Although, she has enjoyed it for the past year, it’s time for something new!

I’ve been busy “google-ing” paint schemes, checking out decorative bedding at area stores,  AND looking for a big girl bed!  Since she won’t actually be sleeping in the bed for a few more months, we’ve decided that we’re going to go straight to a Twin Bed and skip the Toddler Bed transition.  It will end up saving money and we’ve been trying to find beds that sit low to the ground.  It will be positioned against a wall on one side and we’ll use a rail on the other.

While searching for beds, I came across these beauties from Bedstar…


Although we will probably go with a bed similar to the Captain-style on the right, isn’t that pink super cute!?  I love the functionality, storage capacity, and neutral tones of the Captain bed.  To see even more lovely childrens beds, as well as Bedroom Furniture, Mattresses and more from Bedstar, click here.

This is a Sponsored Post, in collaboration with Bedstar.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
Filed Under: parenting, sponsored, toddler

My kid hates Ice Cream.

June 28, 2011 By 4 Comments

For real!  She despises any sweets, which is obviously a good thing, but I do wonder how long it will last.

She wouldn’t eat her Birthday Smash Cake and we’ve tried to give her Smoothies, Slushies, and Ice Cream but she always spits them out.  Now, I’m not saying that we’re trying to force feed her sweets, but we find it hilarious that she refuses them and turns to her fresh fruit or broccoli for happy eating.

But… a few weeks ago, we found an Ice Cream that she just can’t put down.

So, it may not be the real thing, but it’s as close in looks as it gets.  These Haba Biofino Ice Cream Bars from Maukilo are the cutest, aren’t they?  They’re made of super soft fabrics and are a wonderful alternative to plastic play food.  These toys have also held up remarkably well, to be in Sophia’s mouth so often.  They’re very easy to spot clean and still look relatively brand new.

This pretend play food set has brought such joy and variety to Sophia’s kitchen area!  She loves to watch Mommy be silly and pretend to gobble up the chocolate ice cream bar!  Although, as you can see, she prefers the Spirello herself!

I love the “eco-friendliness” of felt play food and I am definitely planning on adding more to Sophia’s collection.  I have my eye on a couple others from the Maukilo website, including this Grill Set Sizzle Expert!

Although I was sent a complimentary set of Haba Play Food for review purposes, I was not paid/enticed to write a fabulous review for this product, all opinions are expressed are 100% mine! You may view my full disclosure policy, here.
Filed Under: family, parenting, Review, toddler

Mom Blog Monday

June 26, 2011 By 11 Comments
Are you a Mommy blogger?
Do you blog about your kids?
Do you blog about great things for Mommies?
Do you wanna meet other Mom Bloggers?

So Easy Being Green
This blog hop is hosted by The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom, Luxury Living Frugal Style, and So Easy Being Green!

Rules to Hop?

All we ask is that you follow the co-hosts: The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom, Luxury Living Frugal Style, and So Easy Being Green… the first three blogs on the linky! Then follow Spot #4 which is the featured blog of the week!

We would LOVE it if you’d grab our button and put it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post! This would help us spread the word. However, you aren’t required to.
Be sure to leave us a comment so we can follow you back!

This week’s featured blog is…

ornateframe

Hello! My name is Christy and I’m a stay-at-home, homeschooling momma to FIVE young knights-in-training. They range in age from not-quite 17 years down to 16 months. I have been married to Papa Bear, my knight-in-shining-armor for over 18 years. All of my boys keep me busy, to say the least, and it’s never a dull moment around here. Blogging is a way to for me to connect with other women, share what I’ve learned, and tell a story without condensing it down to the bare bones details. When you drop by Raising Knights, you’ll discover an eclectic collection of posts that give you a glimpse into my journey through the joys and perils of raising boys, along with an occasional product review and recipe. If you’re a mom of boys, be sure to check out my new Life With Boys Link-Up. Hope to see you soon!


Filed Under: blogging, parenting

Saturday Smiles.

June 25, 2011 By 9 Comments

I just had to share this with you, this Saturday.  Hopefully it makes you smile like it does me, every.time.I.watch.it.

 

Sophia and I were sitting in the floor Thursday afternoon and she began twirling in a circle saying “Assshh.”  I was shocked.  We’ve sang Ring Around the Rosies before, quite a few times actually, but not recently.  I have no idea where she stored this bit of info, but it came out flowing.  We’ve been doing nothing but singing “Ashes, Ashes.  We all fall down!” all weekend!

 


Please ignore my singing!

Filed Under: baby, family

Fluffy Fridays: Little Monkey Designs {giveaway!}

June 24, 2011 By 5 Comments

Congrats to Erin Nicole!  You are the lucky winner with comment #189 out of 234 entries.
Winner has 48 hours to answer SEBG Winning Email before another winner is chosen.  Random.Org screenshot available upon request.

Have a post that relates to cloth diapers? Link it up!!

Little Monkey Designs

I am so excited to share a great product for this Fluffy Friday! If you’re like me, when you go out, you’re diaper bag is absolutely stuffed to the max with the kitchen sink everything.  This is the reason that I look like I’m lugging around a huge suitcase when we’re running errands.  But, what about the times when I don’t need to lug the big, although pretty, diaper bag around?  I have the most lovely answer for this dilemma…

Cloth Diaper Pod

How lovely is this Cloth Diaper Pod from Two Little Monkeys!? It is the perfect size for little trips.  I usually keep it in our larger diaper bag and pull it out when we go into a store, etc.  You will see it on my arm when Sophia goes to her Grandparents House for a couple of hours, when we’re going on our morning walks, when we’re strolling through the Mall, and especially when we were out and about at the Beach.  Since we were a bit crammed during our travels, we didn’t take our normal stroller… we borrowed my parent’s umbrella stroller.  I made the mistake of trying to hang our monster-of-a-diaper-bag on it and if Sophia wasn’t sitting in the stroller, it would literally flip it.  Not to mention the constant scrubbing on the wheels.  My Cloth Diaper Pod fit wonderfully on it, especially with the snap strap wristlet!

The Momma behind Little Monkey Designs {formerly known as the Two Little Monkies Shop} is such a sweet lady and a wonderful seamstress.  This diaper bag looks like it was taken off a shelf from a designer boutique.  The sewing looks completely professional and I have never got as many compliments as I get with this bag.  Because it’s smaller {and extremely hip looking, if I may say so myself}, everyone asks, “What is that?”  They’re surprised when I say a diaper bag!  They’re even more surprised when they see what all I’m able to stuff in it!

I can easily fit:

  • 2-3 cloth diapers {depending on how trim they are}
  • Wipes Case
  • Change of Clothes
  • Sippy Cup {sometimes I put this in the outside pocket}
  • iPhone and Keys {outside pocket}

Buy It: You can purchase a Cloth Diaper Pod from the Little Monkey Designs Etsy Shop for only $16.00.   While you’re checking them out, look at her other items… such cute Crayon and Car Caddies, Bibs, and Kids Neck Pillows for sale!

Win It: Would you like to win one of these awesome Cloth Diaper Pods to make your Friday a bit Fluffier?!  One lucky So Easy Being Green reader is going to!

If you’ve never entered a SEBG giveaway, or need a re-fresher, visit the SEBG Giveaways page.

This Fluffy Friday giveaway will end at 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, July 3rd.  It is open… WORLDWIDE!

Links you may need for this Giveaway:
Little Monkey Designs: Etsy Shop //  Facebook

{ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE}

 

Please use the Google Form (above) to enter, as any comments on this post will not count towards the giveaway. You can view all entries to this giveaway on the spreadsheet (private information is hidden). Winner will be chosen by random.org,  The winner will be announced on the blog, emailed, and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Although I was sent a complimentary Cloth Diaper Pod for review purposes, I was not paid/enticed to write a fabulous review for this product, all opinions are expressed are 100% mine! You may view my full disclosure policy, here.

Filed Under: fluffy fridays, Review

I cried.

June 23, 2011 By 18 Comments

Last night, I cried.

Let me preface this statement a bit.

Since coming back from Vacation, we’ve not exactly got back on our normal sleeping routine. While we were in Florida, Sophia slept with Rob and me. Sophia got used to it… and so did we.

This child used to be such an independent sleeper. Even as a Newborn, when we co-slept, she never wanted to cuddle up to us. It was a natural transition for her when we moved her in her crib.

So, when I decided that Tuesday was the day that her pacifier would be taken away, we got a new child in exchange. She’s done very, very, very well… much better than I ever expected. More surprising, she’s become more active, more talkative {babbling and some words}, and so much more cuddly. She’s went right to sleep without the paci both nights now, but she’s woke up after a few hours and I’ve brought her to our bed. She’s refusing to sooth herself with a stuffed animal, blanket… she only wants to cuddle her Mommy and Daddy. {and we love it!}

So, last night, while Sophia held onto her Daddy’s hand while cuddling up to me, I cried.

  • I cried for the amazing amount of love I feel for this sweet little child.
  • I cried because I realized just how fast she’s growing up.
  • I cried thinking about another sweet baby that’s growing inside me and wondered how I could ever make my heart grow enough to love them both as much as I love her.
  • I cried when I thought about my Mother and Father and realized that they too love me as much as I love my daughter.  That there were probably nights where they held me the same way I was holding her.
  • I cried for the mothers who would give anything to hold their child this way again.
  • I cried.  I cried because I was happy, sad, emotional, and loved.

Filed Under: baby, family, parenting, toddler

{should-be-but-it-isn’t} Wordless Wednesday

June 22, 2011 By 8 Comments

Since I’m still recovering from our Vacation, I just had to share some picture highlights from our trip to the Beach.

It was our first time traveling to Pensacola, FL {although we’ve been to Destin, only an hour away, quite a few times}. We decided to keep it cheap and travel with 2 other couple friends and rent a Condo owned by Rob’s work. We had a blast!

Most of the week was spent at the beach, at the pool, napping, and eating… Perfect-o in my eyes!

Although one day, we decided to do a bit of sight-seeing and visit the National Naval Aviation Museum where the Blue Angels were doing their practice. I had never seen anything like it and enjoyed the show about as much as relaxing by the waves!

Sophia wasn’t very fond of the sand, but she did love when her Daddy would take her in the Ocean. Her favorite activity was definitely the swimming pool!

She did love napping on the Beach, though!

Filed Under: family, travel
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