Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Wordless Wednesday-- Most Expensive Slide Ever (Video)
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Funny Destructoisms
1) We were at Toys R Us the other night. He barged past a lady rather rudely. I corrected him and told him he needs to say "Excuse me" next time. He stops, turns back around, looks right at me, and says "Beep, beep" and barges past her again. She laughed and I wanted to die of embarrasment at my rude kid.
2) While at the same store, Destructo ran away from me. This is only funny now after nearly a week and him being completely fine. I was scared to death at the time. Anyways he was walking beside me. Normally when we shop he stays in the cart or I hold his hand the whole time. But he had been with Mr. Destructo and then followed me and I had a shopping basket in my hands and his diaper bag so I was letting him walk beside me without holding him. He was mad because I told him he couldn't have a fruit pouch until we found daddy and got in the car.
I saw Sam two aisles up so we were walking that way and I glanced at a toy on an end cap for ten seconds. Destructo took off. I thought he had ran up to Mr. Destructo so I walked that way. When I realized he wasn't there, I took off to find him (calmly might I add since I knew panicking wouldn't help.) Found him at the front door waiting for us and yelling daddy daddy. When I told him he wasn't listening and we do NOT run away, he looked at me and said pouch with a frowny face. Boy thought since I was mean and wouldn't let him have one until we were in the car, he would just wait for us at the door.
3) Anytime anyone asks Destructo what his name is he replies with either Baby but more and more Daniel. His name isn't Daniel in any way, shape, or form. He just really likes Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.
4) At church Sunday, he got away from me and made it half way up the middle aisle to the altar before I caught him.
5) At church when the priest raised his arms for the final blessing, Destructo screamed out "TOUCHDOWN!!!" loudly.
6) At my 5K the other day, I opened the car door not realizing how close Destructo was and bonked him in the head with it. He was silent for a second, and then screamed "Why?????" before he started sobbing. Way to make the momma feel guilty.
7) When Mr. Destructo made Kai's remote controlled truck crash into his train, Destructo also screamed "Why?" and started sobbing while hysterically trying to beat the truck up. Obviously he is protective of his trains. Remind me not to take him to a monster truck rally anytime soon.
8) He absolutely refused to let me send a picture of him to his Auntie Kara. He only wanted it sent to Auntie Dayna. He is so opinionated already.
9) He also has opinions on which diaper he wears. I have noticed he likes the red one a lot. But tonight he picked owls and kept saying "Whooo, whooo" the whole time he was wearing it.
10) He makes truck noises to correspond with what type of truck their are. Cement mixers say mix mix. Dump trucks say dummmpppp. School buses say beep beep. Monster trucks say honk honk. It is quite funny.
Monday, January 28, 2013
I ran my first 5K
My goal for the race was to run the majority of it and only take breathers walking if I had to. Thankfully my sister was with me and offered to push Destructo because the running path was narrow in spots and dirt, gravel, zoo bamboo paths. I never could have ran even the majority of it if I had to push the stroller and Destructo.
I successfully completed the race running the entire thing except for the loose gravel because my feet kept slipping around and I was afraid I would twist my ankle and then I walked by the wallabies because they were adorably cute and fighting and jumping. My time for the race was 32:55.4 or 10.37 per mile. If I had known my time was that good, I definitely wouldn't have stopped to take off my jacket and tie it around my waist. I probably could have been closer to 10 per mile. But overall I am super proud of myself and excited to run another one and try to better my time!
Here are some pics from the run:
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| The lovely Dayna |
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| Destructo in his neon yellow sweater I bought just for the race |
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| Me before the race |
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| After the race. Check out the crazy hair and red face! |
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| My sister made me wear fancy fun race day socks |
Women Helping Women
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Prayer is Such a Strong Force
I have an internet friend who was 23 weeks 3 days with twins when she went into preterm labor. Doctors told her that labor was imminent and were actually on the bed ready to deliver. She went from 3 cm dilated to 10 in a matter of minutes. People all over the world were praying for her and her twins. Then labor miraculously just stalled. It was still touch and go for a few days (and still is obviously) but when examined today she had went from fully dilated to an 8-9 cm and her bag of waters which had been taut and bulging has receded and is soft now. Such huge improvement from just hours before. Her doctors have said their is no medical reason that labor should have stopped.
Obviously she still has a long road to bringing these precious babies home, but hitting 24 weeks tomorrow is a huge step. The steroids will also have had time to work which will help the babies lungs develop more quickly. If you guys have any prayers, please pray for her and her precious little ones. Her name is Jennifer by the way. If you are interested in seeing updates, friend me on the Adventures with Captain Destructo page and I will keep you updated there. But no news is good news right now!
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| Source Two candles for two babies |
Psalm 107:28-30 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Ten Things Destructo Does that Make me Irate
Toddlers have a unique talent of making their parents totally irate but at the same time being so darn cute that somehow they get away with it. I guess this was God's design. Well played God. Well played. Destructo is no different. I regularly have to hide my smile behind a hand while I put my angry eyes on.
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| He is lucky he is cute! |
Here are the top ten things he does that make me so angry that I want to scream or maybe just drown my sorrows in a big old glass of wine. Blackberry of course.
1) He does this spitting noise when he doesn't like something or someone. He isn't actually spitting. Just making a spitting sound to express his extreme displeasure or dislike of something. He does it 1000 times a day. We tell him it is nasty and we don't do that, but he ignore me and does it anyways.
2) He hits when he doesn't get his own way or he gets mad. I hate hitting. I especially hate getting hit by a pint sized hellion at least 35 times a day. Okay that is a bit of an exaggeration, but still.
3) Occasionally he bites. Mainly me. Rarely other people. I am sporting a nice bruise on my arm from where he bit me. He knows he isn't supposed to because as soon as he comes out of time out he is saying gentle, gentle and showing me gentle hands. But he still does it. Luckily this is only a once or twice a week thing unlike the hitting.
4) He tortures the dog and then gets mad when she jumps up and he falls or when she barks at him. We are constantly showing him how to pet her gently but he is a toddler and impulse control is not his strong point. He is darned lucky we have a great dog who is willing to put up with a lot of his crap.
5) He doesn't eat well. This one is maddening to me. He won't eat dinner, but is hungry so he will spend the next hour until bedtime begging for treats and snacks. No you don't get treats when you didn't touch a bit of healthy food. Plus I really hate fixing healthy meals for him when he refuses to eat. Double plus it is super wasteful and that drives me doubly crazy.
6) When he asks to do something and I am going to let him, but don't move quick enough and he starts throwing a massive temper tantrum. Well then I can't do what he asked. I have to listen to him scream and kick and throw things for ever until he calms down enough because I can't reward bad behavior.
7) When he talks loudly in church. This happens every Sunday. He can whisper. He just doesn't.
8) When he makes epic messes with things he isn't supposed to play with. Baking soda would be the one I am thinking of at the moment. (Stay tuned to a Wordless Wednesday near you tomorrow for visual proof of this one.)
9) When I walk in the door from work and he immediately starts throwing a temper tantrum and screaming for no reason. He does this a lot. I am sure it is because he has missed me all day and is just acting out because I am home. But it still drives me crazy.
10) When he cries for entire car rides only changing it up to make loud fire truck sounds. He is actually a fairly good car traveler, but every once in awhile we just have a horrible trip where my nerves are shot by the end of it.
So what do your children do that drives you absolutely crazy and/or makes you so angry?
Linked up at:
Mommy Moments
Linked up at:
Mommy Moments
Monday, January 21, 2013
Oh My Garden
I am thinking about my garden. I love to garden. I attempt organic gardening (and sometimes it works!) I keep getting all the plant catalogs in the mail and thus far I wasn't excited about it. Since Destructo was born, my garden has been on a steady decline into nothingness. Last year I finally got my plants in the ground the end of June (which is nearly two months too late for a lot of them.) I got tons of tomatoes, but not much of anything else.
I am going to get an earlier start this year. Do you hear that Mr. Destructo if you are reading this? Fire up the tiller. I have the gardening bug already. I just have to figure out how to balance keeping Destructo from destructoizing my garden while still allowing him to play outside while I work in it (or else I won't get to work in it.) I am hoping that he will be old enough to actually help a little bit this year or at least understand we don't stomp all over plants which is what he seemed to enjoy last year.
I have always had great luck with tomatoes which is shame since Destructo won't eat them and I don't like them. But typically I have good luck with cucumbers as well. Our yard has a privacy fence on three sides and a chain link fence across the back. I hated it when we moved in, but love it now since I can grow beans and cucumbers up it. I have had zero luck with green peppers and won't even bother planting them this year since in three years of having a garden, I have had 2 very small peppers.
Early vegetables will be sugar snap peas and carrots. Heck I might even go crazy and do some broccoli this year. Oh and spinach in pots since it does well. Then the summer veggies I know I will plant are tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini squash, green beans, maybe an eggplant or two, maybe an okra plant since it loves my garden. I will probably try my hand at birdhouse gourds and decorative mini pumpkins as well since I can grow them up one side of my fence as well.
Then I also have a strawberry bed that is much neglected, but hopefully I can get all the weeds out before they start growing again and then get the black plastic down around the plants. I also have two blueberry bushes, but they have never done much and a raspberry bush that I have to learn about fertilizing since it has taken off. Oh and we have an apple tree, peach tree, and plum tree and two pomegranate bushes. Oh and figs. But we don't like figs so they feed the birds. (The people before us planted them.)
I am also going to research an herb garden. Mr. Destructo really likes to cook with fresh herbs. But they are so expensive. I just have to figure out a good place for them to grow. I am not sure of their requirements, but this is nothing I can't figure out before spring time.
The thing I won't be doing this year is starting my own seeds. I love doing this and that was the healthiest best garden I ever had. But they took up a lot of room inside and I can't see Destructo leaving them alone so I am pretty sure it wouldn't work anyways. I will just buy my plants until he is bigger.
So those are my plans for the garden this year. Do you guys garden? What do you have in your garden?
I am going to get an earlier start this year. Do you hear that Mr. Destructo if you are reading this? Fire up the tiller. I have the gardening bug already. I just have to figure out how to balance keeping Destructo from destructoizing my garden while still allowing him to play outside while I work in it (or else I won't get to work in it.) I am hoping that he will be old enough to actually help a little bit this year or at least understand we don't stomp all over plants which is what he seemed to enjoy last year.
I have always had great luck with tomatoes which is shame since Destructo won't eat them and I don't like them. But typically I have good luck with cucumbers as well. Our yard has a privacy fence on three sides and a chain link fence across the back. I hated it when we moved in, but love it now since I can grow beans and cucumbers up it. I have had zero luck with green peppers and won't even bother planting them this year since in three years of having a garden, I have had 2 very small peppers.
Early vegetables will be sugar snap peas and carrots. Heck I might even go crazy and do some broccoli this year. Oh and spinach in pots since it does well. Then the summer veggies I know I will plant are tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini squash, green beans, maybe an eggplant or two, maybe an okra plant since it loves my garden. I will probably try my hand at birdhouse gourds and decorative mini pumpkins as well since I can grow them up one side of my fence as well.
Then I also have a strawberry bed that is much neglected, but hopefully I can get all the weeds out before they start growing again and then get the black plastic down around the plants. I also have two blueberry bushes, but they have never done much and a raspberry bush that I have to learn about fertilizing since it has taken off. Oh and we have an apple tree, peach tree, and plum tree and two pomegranate bushes. Oh and figs. But we don't like figs so they feed the birds. (The people before us planted them.)
I am also going to research an herb garden. Mr. Destructo really likes to cook with fresh herbs. But they are so expensive. I just have to figure out a good place for them to grow. I am not sure of their requirements, but this is nothing I can't figure out before spring time.
The thing I won't be doing this year is starting my own seeds. I love doing this and that was the healthiest best garden I ever had. But they took up a lot of room inside and I can't see Destructo leaving them alone so I am pretty sure it wouldn't work anyways. I will just buy my plants until he is bigger.
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| Source Oh how I wish my garden was that pretty |
So those are my plans for the garden this year. Do you guys garden? What do you have in your garden?
Friday, January 18, 2013
What I Would Put on a Cloth Diaper Registry
I have been cloth diapering Destructo for 20 long months now. So that makes me a semi-pro at it. Is there some sort of merit badge for poop containment expert? But when I started my cloth diaper registry way back when some 2 years ago I had no idea what to put on it or what I would need. So today, I am here to tell you what my registry would look like if I could go back in time.
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| Never too many diapers |
First off, I would start my registry at Kelly's Closet. This is my very favorite cloth diaper store. They have a registry feature that works like any other baby registry (scroll to the bottom of the page if you don't see it.) They always have coupons if you spend a certain dollar amount you get a free diaper. You can really bulk up a stash this way and get to try new diaper brands out. A lot of my favorites were freebie diapers!
Now as for what I would put on this registry: (Side note: I am including links to my top choices. But cloth diapering is all about trial and error and the diapers that are my very favorites might not be your favorites. The good thing is that diapers retain a high resale value and then you can feed your addiction and buy MORE cloth diapers! Also I am a working mom and had to have diapers that were close to disposables for hesitant caregivers so I went with the path of least resistance when Destructo was born with pockets and all in ones. I have since tried fitteds and prefolds so what I use with baby number two will probably be slightly different since I am hoping to stay at home.)
18 pocket or all in one newborn sized diapers. My favorites of all the different one we tried (see post here) were Bumgenius newborn diapers so I would most likely go with mainly those since I know they work. But I will admit I would have to get a few Swaddlebees newborn simplex just because of my love of these one size diapers.
12 prefolds (or two packs). My choice would be Bummis organic cotton prefolds in size 1. I have had good luck with these as an insert for my pockets. Then the high point is if you no longer want to use prefolds, they can double as a insert for pocket diapers.
4 diaper covers. I would use Thirsties X-Small covers. I have loved this brand no matter what I was trying from them. I don't see why covers would be any different.
2 large wet bags. I loved the Planet Wise hanging wet/dry bags when Destructo was very small. Since breastfed baby diapers don't stink horribly and don't require rinsing, I just left it hanging on the door knob of his room. The problem was once he was eating solids and rinsing the diapers was required, I still did this and ripped the handles. So don't do this haha. I still use the bags though I just sit them in a bucket in the tub.
2 small wet bags
1 medium size wet bag. I use Plant Wise wet bags for these as well. The small ones are perfect for quick trips out and hold 1-2 diapers. I use the medium one if we are going to be gone an entire day.
cloth diaper safe ointment. Grandma El's is my favorite. It smells good and really gives a good wetness barrier on baby's skin.
cloth diaper friendly detergent. This one is really dependant on your water type, washing machine, etc. I have used Rockin Green hard rock thus far.
cloth wipes (if you plan on using them)
This would be enough to wash every 2-3 days. I had 18 newborn diapers with Destructo but he was a huge pooper going through 15 diapers a day some days so we had to use some disposables. This is why I plan to have prefolds and a few covers next time around to make up for the super poopie days but still mainly use the all in ones.
Then if I was going all out and doing even my one size diapers as well I would also include:
18-24 one size pocket, all in one, or hybrid diapers. I have used a multitude of diapers but if I could start all over I would go with 8 Grovia shells, 12-18 organic cotton soakers, 4 cotton boosters and maybe 12 Swaddlebees one size Simplex. (We have mostly pockets now since this was what my family/Destructo's caregivers preferred.)
6 hemp inserts. Joey Bunz were my preferred choice.
6 nighttime pocket diapers. Take your pick. Right now I am using Happy Heiny's, but have used Bumgenius 4.0's and Kawaii's all with success.
This is enough to wash every 3 days which is what I aim for. If you are using a hybrid system like the Grovias, you can actually get by with far less.
Extra things I might add if the mood struck me:
Diaper sprayer
Wool dryer balls. These really speed up drying time and help with static since you can't use static cling sheets in your dryer with diapers since it can cause repelling issues.
Baltic amber teething necklace.. These work very well. Take my word for it.
Reusable nursing pads if you are breastfeeding. I plan on trying these next time around.
So there you have it. My redone cloth diaper registry. Too bad hind sight is 20/20. Oh and even if you add all these diapers and get them all, one day you will look at your stash and laugh at how many diapers have found a home in your diaper collection. I might really like collecting diapers and constantly trying new brands. Plus Destructo really needs a cow print diaper and a camo print diaper and a diaper in each color and a diaper with monkeys and on and on. Raise your hand if you are with me. Anyone??
So what was or would be on your cloth diaper registry?
Now on to the exciting part of this post. Kelly's Closet is offering two giveaways to help add a little fluff to any new or expecting mom's stash.
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First check out Kelly's Closet Virtual Blessingway Giveaway. These prizes are too awesome not to enter to win.
Second, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Linked up at:
Better Mom Monday
Mama Moments Monday
Mommy Moments
Monday Meet Up
Tuesday Baby
Thursday Favorite Things
Titus 2sday
Kelly's Closet provided me with the opportunity to partcipate in this giveaway. AWCD is not to be held responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prizes. This post contains affiliate links which compensate Adventures with Captain Destructo with a % of the sale. Using these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and my family. Thanks!
Now as for what I would put on this registry: (Side note: I am including links to my top choices. But cloth diapering is all about trial and error and the diapers that are my very favorites might not be your favorites. The good thing is that diapers retain a high resale value and then you can feed your addiction and buy MORE cloth diapers! Also I am a working mom and had to have diapers that were close to disposables for hesitant caregivers so I went with the path of least resistance when Destructo was born with pockets and all in ones. I have since tried fitteds and prefolds so what I use with baby number two will probably be slightly different since I am hoping to stay at home.)
18 pocket or all in one newborn sized diapers. My favorites of all the different one we tried (see post here) were Bumgenius newborn diapers so I would most likely go with mainly those since I know they work. But I will admit I would have to get a few Swaddlebees newborn simplex just because of my love of these one size diapers.
12 prefolds (or two packs). My choice would be Bummis organic cotton prefolds in size 1. I have had good luck with these as an insert for my pockets. Then the high point is if you no longer want to use prefolds, they can double as a insert for pocket diapers.
4 diaper covers. I would use Thirsties X-Small covers. I have loved this brand no matter what I was trying from them. I don't see why covers would be any different.
2 large wet bags. I loved the Planet Wise hanging wet/dry bags when Destructo was very small. Since breastfed baby diapers don't stink horribly and don't require rinsing, I just left it hanging on the door knob of his room. The problem was once he was eating solids and rinsing the diapers was required, I still did this and ripped the handles. So don't do this haha. I still use the bags though I just sit them in a bucket in the tub.
2 small wet bags
1 medium size wet bag. I use Plant Wise wet bags for these as well. The small ones are perfect for quick trips out and hold 1-2 diapers. I use the medium one if we are going to be gone an entire day.
cloth diaper safe ointment. Grandma El's is my favorite. It smells good and really gives a good wetness barrier on baby's skin.
cloth diaper friendly detergent. This one is really dependant on your water type, washing machine, etc. I have used Rockin Green hard rock thus far.
cloth wipes (if you plan on using them)
This would be enough to wash every 2-3 days. I had 18 newborn diapers with Destructo but he was a huge pooper going through 15 diapers a day some days so we had to use some disposables. This is why I plan to have prefolds and a few covers next time around to make up for the super poopie days but still mainly use the all in ones.
Then if I was going all out and doing even my one size diapers as well I would also include:
18-24 one size pocket, all in one, or hybrid diapers. I have used a multitude of diapers but if I could start all over I would go with 8 Grovia shells, 12-18 organic cotton soakers, 4 cotton boosters and maybe 12 Swaddlebees one size Simplex. (We have mostly pockets now since this was what my family/Destructo's caregivers preferred.)
6 hemp inserts. Joey Bunz were my preferred choice.
6 nighttime pocket diapers. Take your pick. Right now I am using Happy Heiny's, but have used Bumgenius 4.0's and Kawaii's all with success.
This is enough to wash every 3 days which is what I aim for. If you are using a hybrid system like the Grovias, you can actually get by with far less.
Extra things I might add if the mood struck me:
Diaper sprayer
Wool dryer balls. These really speed up drying time and help with static since you can't use static cling sheets in your dryer with diapers since it can cause repelling issues.
Baltic amber teething necklace.. These work very well. Take my word for it.
Reusable nursing pads if you are breastfeeding. I plan on trying these next time around.
So there you have it. My redone cloth diaper registry. Too bad hind sight is 20/20. Oh and even if you add all these diapers and get them all, one day you will look at your stash and laugh at how many diapers have found a home in your diaper collection. I might really like collecting diapers and constantly trying new brands. Plus Destructo really needs a cow print diaper and a camo print diaper and a diaper in each color and a diaper with monkeys and on and on. Raise your hand if you are with me. Anyone??
So what was or would be on your cloth diaper registry?
Now on to the exciting part of this post. Kelly's Closet is offering two giveaways to help add a little fluff to any new or expecting mom's stash.
Second, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Linked up at:
Better Mom Monday
Mama Moments Monday
Mommy Moments
Monday Meet Up
Tuesday Baby
Thursday Favorite Things
Titus 2sday
Flashback Friday-- Destructo's First Birthday Party
For Destructo's first birthday party, he told me he wanted a Kentucky Derby themed party. You know since his birthday is so close to the Kentucky Derby. In fact, I was in labor on Derby day (and three other days gag.) My wonderfully creative mother happily (more or less since it was definitely not her first, second, third theme choice) obliged me.
So without further blathering on my part here is Destruto's first birthday in photo form. I did mention I am a huge horse racing fan right? Oh and the super crappy part was we had even more plans than we were able to do since Mr. Destructo fell off a 10 foot ladder at work when it fell out from under him. He suffered a dislocated elbow, fractured wrist, and concussion a day before Kai's party so I was at the hospital with him all the next day. He missed most of Kai's party. Hence the reason there aren't many pics of Kai.
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| Racetrack with cupcake infield. And yes Secretariat is winning the race by 31 lengths even if they are going the wrong direction which both me and my dad pointed out to my mom. |
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| Homemade party favors |
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| Plates and napkins (bought off Amazon) |
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| Kai's racehorse named Captain Destructo complete with saddle cloth and blanket of roses |
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| Baby Jockey |
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| Full jockey outfit |
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| He was so tired and not sure about the cake at all. (And yes it was a healthier alternative haha.) |
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| He screamed and cried and refused to try it until I put a taste in his mouth. |
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| In a cake coma |
Thursday, January 17, 2013
I Breastfeed and.....
The topic at this weeks Breastfeeding Blog Hop is I breastfeed and... so here goes.
I breastfeed and am a bit crunchy or a tree hugging hippie as Mr. Destructo has taken to calling me. I have always been interested in green living and tried to recycle and reduce my carbon footprint so to speak. But once I was pregnant with Destructo, this urge really ramped up. So here are the ways I am currently a "tree hugging hippie."
I use and love wool dryer balls. They soften your clothes, reduce drying time, and also reduce static cling.
I choose to skip purees and go with a baby lead solids approach. I figured at least then I knew exactly what was in the foods he was eating.
I cloth diaper and love it.
When I do use disposables (typically when travelling or too lazy to stuff diapers before going to bed), I use bleach free disposables such as
or 
. I can typically get the Earth's Best diapers cheaper since they go on sale in big boxes at Babies R US, but the Seventh Generation is more convenient since my local Publix carries them.
I baby wear occasionally. Destructo was never a huge fan of the confinement though. I plan to try again with baby number two in the hopes that he/she will like it more.
I don't use any hormonal birth control. I have in the past and it made me crazy and I never will again.
We kind of eat organic foods at times, but not to the extent I would if we were rich and/or had a Whole Foods near us.
I nearly never wear make up. But don't let me fool you, this has zero to do with being crunchy and everything to do with being lazy.
I make a lot of my own cleaning supplies such as homemade laundry soap and lots of vinegar and baking soda. As I run out of store bought cleaning supplies, I am replacing them with home made things or at least ecofriendly things like
Seventh Generation dish soap. I love it and it doesn't dry my hands out as bad as others.
I also practice attachment parenting to an extent except cosleeping as I have violent nightmares and kick and trash and jump out of the bed and run across the room. We also did some sleep training since we were blessed with the world's worst sleeper.
Overall I am slightly crunchy with a propensity to be very crunchy. Haha
Linked up at:
Modest Monday
This post contains affiliate links which compensate Adventures with Captain Destructo with a % of the sale. Using these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and my family. Thanks!
I breastfeed and am a bit crunchy or a tree hugging hippie as Mr. Destructo has taken to calling me. I have always been interested in green living and tried to recycle and reduce my carbon footprint so to speak. But once I was pregnant with Destructo, this urge really ramped up. So here are the ways I am currently a "tree hugging hippie."
I use and love wool dryer balls. They soften your clothes, reduce drying time, and also reduce static cling.
I choose to skip purees and go with a baby lead solids approach. I figured at least then I knew exactly what was in the foods he was eating.
I cloth diaper and love it.
When I do use disposables (typically when travelling or too lazy to stuff diapers before going to bed), I use bleach free disposables such as
or . I can typically get the Earth's Best diapers cheaper since they go on sale in big boxes at Babies R US, but the Seventh Generation is more convenient since my local Publix carries them.I baby wear occasionally. Destructo was never a huge fan of the confinement though. I plan to try again with baby number two in the hopes that he/she will like it more.
I don't use any hormonal birth control. I have in the past and it made me crazy and I never will again.
We kind of eat organic foods at times, but not to the extent I would if we were rich and/or had a Whole Foods near us.
I nearly never wear make up. But don't let me fool you, this has zero to do with being crunchy and everything to do with being lazy.
I make a lot of my own cleaning supplies such as homemade laundry soap and lots of vinegar and baking soda. As I run out of store bought cleaning supplies, I am replacing them with home made things or at least ecofriendly things like
Seventh Generation dish soap. I love it and it doesn't dry my hands out as bad as others.I also practice attachment parenting to an extent except cosleeping as I have violent nightmares and kick and trash and jump out of the bed and run across the room. We also did some sleep training since we were blessed with the world's worst sleeper.
Overall I am slightly crunchy with a propensity to be very crunchy. Haha
Linked up at:
Modest Monday
This post contains affiliate links which compensate Adventures with Captain Destructo with a % of the sale. Using these links doesn't cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and my family. Thanks!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Top Ten Ways Destructo Makes Me Feel Guilty
I am having a serious serving of working mom guilt with a side dish of good old regular mommy guilt. So to go along with that, here are the top ten ways Destructo makes me feel guilty.
1) Hearing that he cries for me sometimes in the mornings when I am at work when he first wakes up. This makes me sad. I always feel bad that I leave before he wakes up anyways. Especially since a number of family members keep him so I am never sure he knows who he is waking up to.
2) Knowing that by four in the afternoon, he gets fussy and cries for me. I hate days when I am delayed in getting home since he is used to me being there by then.
3) When I can't give him dessert or "treats" as he calls it. This is almost a nightly occurrence in our house due to his picky eating. We have started the you have to try one bit of everything (although I don't strictly enforce it if it is something he absolutely hates like mac n cheese weirdo.) But things like chicken that I know he will normally eat or fruits and veggies, I make him at least eat a bite of and swallow it since he outsmarted me for a while and would put it in his mouth and then immediately spit it back out since I only told him he had to at least put one bit in his mouth. This becomes a battle and then I have to deny him dessert. I hate the look on his face when he realizes I am not going to let him have any treats.
4) When we have to miss play dates or fun outings with other kids his age. This one happens a lot because everyone pretty much does play dates during the week. I hate it. My mom's group visits a nursing home with the kids and I want to go so badly. But alas I am a working mom. I can't wait until I stay at home and can do more fun things with Destructo. In the mean time, I try to set up play dates on Fridays when I am at home.
5) When he begs me to play with him and I have to say no. Don't get me wrong, I try to make the most of the weekends and play and go to parks. But I do still have to grocery shop, clean the house, pay bills. I hate when I have to tell him I am busy since I already have to leave him and go to work 4 day a week.
6) When he spends hours begging to go outside and can't because it is raining, cold, I am cleaning inside, etc. Plus our back yard is a bit of a cluttered mess and he gets into everything. That is part of my get my house organized goal. At some point, I am going to shame myself enough by posting pics of my back yard and patio to get super motivated like I did with my closet and get it all cleaned up and more kid friendly.
7) Every single morning when I walk out the door to work. This invokes enough guilt to smother and elephant.
8) When I picture having another baby and Destructo not being the sole apple of mommy's eye. I can't picture loving another little baby as much as I love him. Although I know that everyone says love multiplies when you have another and that it isn't divided. I am sure this is true, but I do still feel guilty when I picture it.
9) When I picture not having another child. I can't imagine having grown up without my sisters. You know the one who reads the blog and the one who doesn't. Haha. But then I think well what if I have a girl. We only want two kids. So my daughter doesn't get a sister and my son doesn't get a brother. So of course I have to have two boys. But we all know that the odds of having a boy is 50/50. Arrghhh. Then my head explodes and I stop thinking about it.
10) When I am putting Destructo to bed and he begs me nearly every night for one more book or one more minute rocking or a final drink or what not. I oblige to some extent but you know a toddler's persistence. At some point, I just have to tell him no and that it is time to lay down. Cue the guilt express.
Edited to add: Haha I am apparently a super guilty feeling person. I wrote this post about mommy guilt a while back and forgot all about it.
Linked up at:
Mommy Brain Mixer
Top Ten Tuesday
1) Hearing that he cries for me sometimes in the mornings when I am at work when he first wakes up. This makes me sad. I always feel bad that I leave before he wakes up anyways. Especially since a number of family members keep him so I am never sure he knows who he is waking up to.
2) Knowing that by four in the afternoon, he gets fussy and cries for me. I hate days when I am delayed in getting home since he is used to me being there by then.
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| Who wouldn't want to say home with that adorable face all day? |
3) When I can't give him dessert or "treats" as he calls it. This is almost a nightly occurrence in our house due to his picky eating. We have started the you have to try one bit of everything (although I don't strictly enforce it if it is something he absolutely hates like mac n cheese weirdo.) But things like chicken that I know he will normally eat or fruits and veggies, I make him at least eat a bite of and swallow it since he outsmarted me for a while and would put it in his mouth and then immediately spit it back out since I only told him he had to at least put one bit in his mouth. This becomes a battle and then I have to deny him dessert. I hate the look on his face when he realizes I am not going to let him have any treats.
4) When we have to miss play dates or fun outings with other kids his age. This one happens a lot because everyone pretty much does play dates during the week. I hate it. My mom's group visits a nursing home with the kids and I want to go so badly. But alas I am a working mom. I can't wait until I stay at home and can do more fun things with Destructo. In the mean time, I try to set up play dates on Fridays when I am at home.
5) When he begs me to play with him and I have to say no. Don't get me wrong, I try to make the most of the weekends and play and go to parks. But I do still have to grocery shop, clean the house, pay bills. I hate when I have to tell him I am busy since I already have to leave him and go to work 4 day a week.
6) When he spends hours begging to go outside and can't because it is raining, cold, I am cleaning inside, etc. Plus our back yard is a bit of a cluttered mess and he gets into everything. That is part of my get my house organized goal. At some point, I am going to shame myself enough by posting pics of my back yard and patio to get super motivated like I did with my closet and get it all cleaned up and more kid friendly.
7) Every single morning when I walk out the door to work. This invokes enough guilt to smother and elephant.
8) When I picture having another baby and Destructo not being the sole apple of mommy's eye. I can't picture loving another little baby as much as I love him. Although I know that everyone says love multiplies when you have another and that it isn't divided. I am sure this is true, but I do still feel guilty when I picture it.
9) When I picture not having another child. I can't imagine having grown up without my sisters. You know the one who reads the blog and the one who doesn't. Haha. But then I think well what if I have a girl. We only want two kids. So my daughter doesn't get a sister and my son doesn't get a brother. So of course I have to have two boys. But we all know that the odds of having a boy is 50/50. Arrghhh. Then my head explodes and I stop thinking about it.
10) When I am putting Destructo to bed and he begs me nearly every night for one more book or one more minute rocking or a final drink or what not. I oblige to some extent but you know a toddler's persistence. At some point, I just have to tell him no and that it is time to lay down. Cue the guilt express.
Edited to add: Haha I am apparently a super guilty feeling person. I wrote this post about mommy guilt a while back and forgot all about it.
Linked up at:
Mommy Brain Mixer
Top Ten Tuesday
Monday, January 14, 2013
Swaddlebees Simplex Review
I placed an order with the wonderful Kelly's Closet for some diaper supplies I need mainly diaper ointment and detergent one time. Well there was a coupon code for a freebie diaper. I got a Swaddlebees Simplex one size diaper. Little did I know that this diaper would leave me craving more of these. If I could go back, I think I would comprise my stash entirely of this diaper and probably Grovias.
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| The inner is 100% cotton and is 10 layers of cotton. Photo via Kelly's Closet |
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| You can pull the attached soaker out and lay it on the diaper so it is a stay dry diaper. Photo via Kelly's Closet |
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| Look at all the adorable designs. I have monkeys and owls. Photo via Kelly's Closet |
I love so many things about these diapers. They are nearly as slim fitting as disposables. You have the ability to stuff an extra insert in them which would make them more bulky of course. But honestly I never have and haven't had a single leak ever with these diapers. (I have not used them overnight though. Not really sure why. Probably because they are so cute I always reach for them during the day haha. I will try them overnight next time they are clean and edit this post!)
My very favorite feature though is that you don't have to unstuff these diapers before throwing them in the wet bag. The sewn on soaker (and any that is stuffed in the pocket) actually agitate out in the wash. It has worked every single time. I love not having to pull out smelly, wet inserts. It has openings on both sides to make it easier to agitate out in the washer. This diaper is an all in one with a pocket how cool is that?
The only cons I can really think of to this diaper is it is a bit pricier than some of the other pocket diapers. But honestly, it is well worth it to me. I love this diaper. I want all the Swaddlebees ever.
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| Best picture you guys get. He refused to show off his monkey butt. |
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Sunday, January 13, 2013
Oh Destructo
Destructo likes to watch an episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood in the mornings when he first wakes up. I guess it is like his morning cup of coffee or something. I am okay with this because it allows me to make his breakfast without him climbing my leg the entire time. This morning breakfast was ready and I called for him and was met with ignoring.
I went into the living room where he was sitting in the recliner and got on his level and whispered "Destructo breakfast is ready. Come eat." since talking in a normal tone of voice wasn't working. He whispered right back without taking his eyes of the TV "No." All right then. I died laughing and let him finish his morning fix before I forced him to come eat.
This is also the same little boy who a few nights back checked the dog for "junk" and asked if Daddy and Mommy had "junk." I don't know if I should be horrified that I have said would you get your hands off your junk because you are getting poop everywhere while changing diapers enough that he actually learned it or if I should be amazed that he is smart enough to associate girls/boys based on if they have junk or not. Oh parenting. It sure is a funny ride.
I went into the living room where he was sitting in the recliner and got on his level and whispered "Destructo breakfast is ready. Come eat." since talking in a normal tone of voice wasn't working. He whispered right back without taking his eyes of the TV "No." All right then. I died laughing and let him finish his morning fix before I forced him to come eat.
This is also the same little boy who a few nights back checked the dog for "junk" and asked if Daddy and Mommy had "junk." I don't know if I should be horrified that I have said would you get your hands off your junk because you are getting poop everywhere while changing diapers enough that he actually learned it or if I should be amazed that he is smart enough to associate girls/boys based on if they have junk or not. Oh parenting. It sure is a funny ride.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Some Exciting Blog Happenings
So since one of my New Year's resolutions was to improve the blog and work on a few blog goals that I never seem to find time for, I wanted to tell you within the next little bit I will start accepting ads on the blog. So watch for it soon! Edited to add: It is ready! Yes for meeting blog goals! Check out my new advertising page! Yay me.
I am sure you have noticed the new blog design created by the lovely Ashley of Life as Ashlet. She is very affordable and did a wonderful job. I have social media buttons which was one of my huge goals for the blog last year and I never seemed to have the time to figure it out. If you need a new blog design, be sure to check her out. You won't be disappointed.
In other exciting news, I was lucky enough to get visit from the Fairy Hobmother who works for these Fairy Overlords. It is his mission to go around and reward bloggers for their hard work and dedication with an Amazon gift card. You can imagine my excitement when I got my visit (email) from him. If you would like a visit from the Fairy Hobmother, all you have to do is a leave a comment on this post and he might come on by and spread joy and cheery on your site as well. Thank you so very much Fairy Hobmother!!
Finally in the next three weeks, I will be doing a review and sweepstakes for a 20 dollar gift certificate from the Snap-EZ company. So if you are in the market for a cloth diaper or pair of cloth training pants, say tuned. You might just be able to win one very soon.
Thanks for being such great readers! I love all the comments and support I get from all of you guys!
I am sure you have noticed the new blog design created by the lovely Ashley of Life as Ashlet. She is very affordable and did a wonderful job. I have social media buttons which was one of my huge goals for the blog last year and I never seemed to have the time to figure it out. If you need a new blog design, be sure to check her out. You won't be disappointed.
In other exciting news, I was lucky enough to get visit from the Fairy Hobmother who works for these Fairy Overlords. It is his mission to go around and reward bloggers for their hard work and dedication with an Amazon gift card. You can imagine my excitement when I got my visit (email) from him. If you would like a visit from the Fairy Hobmother, all you have to do is a leave a comment on this post and he might come on by and spread joy and cheery on your site as well. Thank you so very much Fairy Hobmother!!
Finally in the next three weeks, I will be doing a review and sweepstakes for a 20 dollar gift certificate from the Snap-EZ company. So if you are in the market for a cloth diaper or pair of cloth training pants, say tuned. You might just be able to win one very soon.
Thanks for being such great readers! I love all the comments and support I get from all of you guys!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
A Letter to Myself on my First Night as a Mom
Dear Melissa,
Prepare for your world to turn upside down. You have given birth to this creature that will amaze you, mystify you, and at times horrify you and make you crazy. You will look at him and know that you couldn't possibly love anyone more than you love him. Just looking at him will actually make your heart hurt because you love him so much. But on the other hand, if bonding isn't immediate know that it will happen in its own time. It isn't always like the movies portray.
The next six weeks will be the hardest weeks of your life. A wise woman will tell you that each day that goes by is one less day to get through until you are out of the newborn stage. This is oh so true and something to cling to on the bad days (and there will be bad days.) But while clinging to this truth, don't let Destructo's newborn days slip away. That saying holds true the other way as well. He will NEVER be this young again. The days of squishy newborn babyness where he is completely dependent on you for everything are very numbered.
Some of the challenges you will face are day and night mix ups. Getting that baby in the sun during the day and keeping everything quiet and calm at night will soon remedy this. But don't be afraid to hold him all night if that is what it takes. You can't spoil a newborn. Also when you feel like he will sleep in the swing until he goes away to college, it's not true. Don't stress over getting him to sleep in his bed. He will do this in his own time and with very little fuss.
Exhaustion will affect you like never before. It is an exhaustion that you can't even imagine. I am pretty sure that it could be used as a torture device. You will get through this and one day you will sleep again. Although honestly I don't think you every really get to sleep well for quite some time. Even at 20 months old, Destructo will still occasionally have middle of the night scream fests and early morning wake ups. But it is so much better than it was.
Going back to work after 12 short weeks will be the hardest thing you have ever done. You are very lucky in that even at 20 months, your son still hasn't had to go into daycare. (Thanks a bunch awesome family.) But it still sucks to have to leave your precious little boy four days a week. Be thankful for the flexibility that your job allows you and the fact that your boss is a family man who understands your desire to only work 30 hours and supports breastfeeding. Pumping while at work will never be a problem. Don't let the fact that you have to work make you bitter. When it is God's time for you to stay at home, it will happen.
You will feel like you have no idea what you are doing nearly all the time at first and be afraid you are going to permanently screw up your child. You won't. Kids are quite resilient. Plus if you screw up Destructo you can always try again with a second kid!
But far and beyond, your biggest struggle and achievement in this next year will be breastfeeding. Just a sneak peak to say no matter how bad things get, you make it through and at 20 months are still breastfeeding occasionally. (Sidenote for my readers: I really really wish I actually had this letter when I was in the early days of breastfeeding. You just have no idea how much.) It does actually become the easiest thing in the world. In the mean time, you will go through hell and back to get there. But it is still worth it.
Pay attention to clogged ducts and immediately treat them with Advil and hot compresses and lots of pumping or nursing. Mastitis isn't fun, but even this you will get through. As you cry watching Destructo drink a bottle of formula because your supply has tanked from the mastitis know that you will get your supply back up and well down the road actually be able to donate 150 oz of breast milk to a baby girl who needs it. When you are having razor blade nursing sessions because of the yeast infections you get from the antibiotics you used to treat the mastitis, know that this too will pass. Grapefruit seed extract helps as does diflucan.
All the days you think about just giving up because your beautiful son will NOT latch and becoming an exclusive pumper, don't. He will catch on and by six weeks it will be easy. Speaking of pumping, you will hate and loath the pump but be eternally thankful for it since it enables you to exclusively breast feed your son the entire first year even though you are away from him four days a week. Then on the last pumping session, you will feel an actual sadness because in your heart you know it is just one more step towards Destructo not needing you anymore.
Know that ultimately you prove all the naysayers wrong. Your entire pregnancy people questioned your choice to cloth diaper and breast feed and skip purees. Well you stuck with it and proved everyone wrong. Yes you are a bit of a hippie, but hey there is nothing wrong with that. Remember your stubborn streak on days when Destructo shows his. It serves you well as an adult.
Speaking of cloth diapering, you might develop a bit of an addiction to collecting cute cloth diapers. This is okay just keep it in check or else you really won't be saving money by cloth diapering. This is probably the second best parenting choice you make in those early days as it saves money and truly is best for the baby. Plus it is awful fun to call Destructo a monkey butt when he is wearing a monkey diaper.
One final thing, prepare for your heart to absolutely melt when you pick your little man up out of his crib at four weeks and are greeted by the most amazing smile. It will make everything you have struggled through and the sheer exhaustion all seem worth it. The love you will feel for him at that moment will nearly be enough to make you cry. But just wait until you hear momma for the first time or see his faltering, wobbly first steps or hear that first I love you (which let me add you are still waiting on at 20 months.) You would go to the moon and back if that is what your son wanted.
Motherhood is a crazy, winding, and sometime rocky road but it is better than anything you can imagine. Hang in there. It gets much easier.
Love,
Your future self
Linked up at:
Better Mom Monday
Breastfeeding Blog Hop
Courtship Connection link up
Little Wonders Wednesday
Modest Monday
Mommy Brain Mixer
Monday's Musings
My Pregnancy Journal
Titus 2sday
Tuesday Baby
Tuesday Link Up Party
Welcome Home link up
Women Helping Women
Prepare for your world to turn upside down. You have given birth to this creature that will amaze you, mystify you, and at times horrify you and make you crazy. You will look at him and know that you couldn't possibly love anyone more than you love him. Just looking at him will actually make your heart hurt because you love him so much. But on the other hand, if bonding isn't immediate know that it will happen in its own time. It isn't always like the movies portray.
The next six weeks will be the hardest weeks of your life. A wise woman will tell you that each day that goes by is one less day to get through until you are out of the newborn stage. This is oh so true and something to cling to on the bad days (and there will be bad days.) But while clinging to this truth, don't let Destructo's newborn days slip away. That saying holds true the other way as well. He will NEVER be this young again. The days of squishy newborn babyness where he is completely dependent on you for everything are very numbered.
Some of the challenges you will face are day and night mix ups. Getting that baby in the sun during the day and keeping everything quiet and calm at night will soon remedy this. But don't be afraid to hold him all night if that is what it takes. You can't spoil a newborn. Also when you feel like he will sleep in the swing until he goes away to college, it's not true. Don't stress over getting him to sleep in his bed. He will do this in his own time and with very little fuss.
Exhaustion will affect you like never before. It is an exhaustion that you can't even imagine. I am pretty sure that it could be used as a torture device. You will get through this and one day you will sleep again. Although honestly I don't think you every really get to sleep well for quite some time. Even at 20 months old, Destructo will still occasionally have middle of the night scream fests and early morning wake ups. But it is so much better than it was.
Going back to work after 12 short weeks will be the hardest thing you have ever done. You are very lucky in that even at 20 months, your son still hasn't had to go into daycare. (Thanks a bunch awesome family.) But it still sucks to have to leave your precious little boy four days a week. Be thankful for the flexibility that your job allows you and the fact that your boss is a family man who understands your desire to only work 30 hours and supports breastfeeding. Pumping while at work will never be a problem. Don't let the fact that you have to work make you bitter. When it is God's time for you to stay at home, it will happen.
You will feel like you have no idea what you are doing nearly all the time at first and be afraid you are going to permanently screw up your child. You won't. Kids are quite resilient. Plus if you screw up Destructo you can always try again with a second kid!
But far and beyond, your biggest struggle and achievement in this next year will be breastfeeding. Just a sneak peak to say no matter how bad things get, you make it through and at 20 months are still breastfeeding occasionally. (Sidenote for my readers: I really really wish I actually had this letter when I was in the early days of breastfeeding. You just have no idea how much.) It does actually become the easiest thing in the world. In the mean time, you will go through hell and back to get there. But it is still worth it.
Pay attention to clogged ducts and immediately treat them with Advil and hot compresses and lots of pumping or nursing. Mastitis isn't fun, but even this you will get through. As you cry watching Destructo drink a bottle of formula because your supply has tanked from the mastitis know that you will get your supply back up and well down the road actually be able to donate 150 oz of breast milk to a baby girl who needs it. When you are having razor blade nursing sessions because of the yeast infections you get from the antibiotics you used to treat the mastitis, know that this too will pass. Grapefruit seed extract helps as does diflucan.
All the days you think about just giving up because your beautiful son will NOT latch and becoming an exclusive pumper, don't. He will catch on and by six weeks it will be easy. Speaking of pumping, you will hate and loath the pump but be eternally thankful for it since it enables you to exclusively breast feed your son the entire first year even though you are away from him four days a week. Then on the last pumping session, you will feel an actual sadness because in your heart you know it is just one more step towards Destructo not needing you anymore.
Know that ultimately you prove all the naysayers wrong. Your entire pregnancy people questioned your choice to cloth diaper and breast feed and skip purees. Well you stuck with it and proved everyone wrong. Yes you are a bit of a hippie, but hey there is nothing wrong with that. Remember your stubborn streak on days when Destructo shows his. It serves you well as an adult.
Speaking of cloth diapering, you might develop a bit of an addiction to collecting cute cloth diapers. This is okay just keep it in check or else you really won't be saving money by cloth diapering. This is probably the second best parenting choice you make in those early days as it saves money and truly is best for the baby. Plus it is awful fun to call Destructo a monkey butt when he is wearing a monkey diaper.
One final thing, prepare for your heart to absolutely melt when you pick your little man up out of his crib at four weeks and are greeted by the most amazing smile. It will make everything you have struggled through and the sheer exhaustion all seem worth it. The love you will feel for him at that moment will nearly be enough to make you cry. But just wait until you hear momma for the first time or see his faltering, wobbly first steps or hear that first I love you (which let me add you are still waiting on at 20 months.) You would go to the moon and back if that is what your son wanted.
Motherhood is a crazy, winding, and sometime rocky road but it is better than anything you can imagine. Hang in there. It gets much easier.
Love,
Your future self
Linked up at:
Better Mom Monday
Breastfeeding Blog Hop
Courtship Connection link up
Little Wonders Wednesday
Modest Monday
Mommy Brain Mixer
Monday's Musings
My Pregnancy Journal
Titus 2sday
Tuesday Baby
Tuesday Link Up Party
Welcome Home link up
Women Helping Women
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Top Ten Things I Hope 2013 Brings
1) The prerequisite health, happiness, friendship yada yada yada that everyone wishes for.
2) A visit with my good friend Michela who left to go back to Italy right after Thanksgiving. You can read about all the fun we had here and here. I really miss her and can't wait to get to (hopefully) see her in May. We have big plans to celebrate Destructo's second birthday, go to the Renaissance festival, and in general have a great time. I am hoping we can also convince our other friend Sung to come into town for a visit and the awesome threesome can be back together again.
3) The creative spectacle of Kai's second birthday. We are going with a Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood theme since he keeps requesting that and it is his baby addiction right now. The problem is that the show has only been out since September and thus I can't just walk up in the party store and buy plates and balloons since no merchandise it out yet. But not to worry between my Martha Stewart creative genius mother and my new work bestie who I found out today freaking sews Renaissance festival dresses (who does that? I am so jealous,) I am sure I can pull it off.
4) My sister Dayna hopefully having a baby. She has had three miscarriages so far and I am really hoping she will get her sticky baby this year. You can read more about her story here.
5) To pay off all our medical bills and hopefully my vehicle. It will be nice to be much more debt free than we are now.
6) To run an entire 5K. I mentioned that I have started the couch to 5K program in October of last year. I am hoping that effort pays off and I am able to run an entire 5K and my ultimate goal is to run one in under 10 minutes/mile. We shall see if that happens.
7) To have a much better organized house that actually utilizes all it's space instead of having rooms that no one can walk in. This was another of my resolutions this year.
8) A Triple Crown winner. I mean come on we haven't had one since 1978 when Affirmed swept the Triple Crown. I deserve to see one in my lifetime. Here is a Wikipedia link in case you don't know anything about the Triple Crown. Learn something new every day. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Triple_Crown_of_Thoroughbred_Racing
9) Destructo to get to play in snow. It doesn't snow much down in the South, but occasionally it does. I really hope we get a few inch snow so Kai can play to his hearts content.
10) Horse back riding. I lost my beautiful, Arabian mare Ellie nearly four years ago. I miss her daily and I really miss horse back riding. I hope between my two friends that have horses to find time to ride more regularly now that Destructo is older and semi weaned. There is nothing like loping through a field on horse back to cure a bad day.
Linked up at:
Ten Things Tuesday
Wisdom Wednesday
2) A visit with my good friend Michela who left to go back to Italy right after Thanksgiving. You can read about all the fun we had here and here. I really miss her and can't wait to get to (hopefully) see her in May. We have big plans to celebrate Destructo's second birthday, go to the Renaissance festival, and in general have a great time. I am hoping we can also convince our other friend Sung to come into town for a visit and the awesome threesome can be back together again.
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| Kentucky Derby last year |
3) The creative spectacle of Kai's second birthday. We are going with a Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood theme since he keeps requesting that and it is his baby addiction right now. The problem is that the show has only been out since September and thus I can't just walk up in the party store and buy plates and balloons since no merchandise it out yet. But not to worry between my Martha Stewart creative genius mother and my new work bestie who I found out today freaking sews Renaissance festival dresses (who does that? I am so jealous,) I am sure I can pull it off.
4) My sister Dayna hopefully having a baby. She has had three miscarriages so far and I am really hoping she will get her sticky baby this year. You can read more about her story here.
5) To pay off all our medical bills and hopefully my vehicle. It will be nice to be much more debt free than we are now.
6) To run an entire 5K. I mentioned that I have started the couch to 5K program in October of last year. I am hoping that effort pays off and I am able to run an entire 5K and my ultimate goal is to run one in under 10 minutes/mile. We shall see if that happens.
7) To have a much better organized house that actually utilizes all it's space instead of having rooms that no one can walk in. This was another of my resolutions this year.
8) A Triple Crown winner. I mean come on we haven't had one since 1978 when Affirmed swept the Triple Crown. I deserve to see one in my lifetime. Here is a Wikipedia link in case you don't know anything about the Triple Crown. Learn something new every day. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Triple_Crown_of_Thoroughbred_Racing
9) Destructo to get to play in snow. It doesn't snow much down in the South, but occasionally it does. I really hope we get a few inch snow so Kai can play to his hearts content.
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| I will even take this amount of snow haha |
10) Horse back riding. I lost my beautiful, Arabian mare Ellie nearly four years ago. I miss her daily and I really miss horse back riding. I hope between my two friends that have horses to find time to ride more regularly now that Destructo is older and semi weaned. There is nothing like loping through a field on horse back to cure a bad day.
Linked up at:
Ten Things Tuesday
Wisdom Wednesday
Monday, January 7, 2013
Goals 3-5
I am going to group my last three goals since two of the three won't be interesting enough to warrant a full blog post.
3) Read my Bible daily. I started this in the last three months of 2012 and have done better, but not great. I started a Bible study with a wonderfully awesome lady at work and I have learned so much from her. What is funny is that while I was doing this a few nights back, I opened my Bible up randomly and happened upon this:
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore,
since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also
lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run
with endurance the race that is set before us.
What a perfect verse for me to stumble upon on a day that for whatever reason I had a particularly bad jogging session and was achy and sore. I hope to discover more truths like this. I want to raise Destructo to be a good and Godly man and learning more about the truths of the Bible will help me do just that.
4) Get back into being a couponing queen. Before Destructo was ever conceived, I was a couponing queen. Okay I was never as good as the ladies on television but a part of that was that I refuse to become a hoarder and buy 82 rolls of paper towels when I only have room for 30. But I had a well stocked pantry and occasionally even had to buy a dog toy because I had so many coupons that my groceries ended up being in the negative amounts after coupons. I kept up with it just at Publix for one year and I had saved nearly 2500 dollars with coupons.
I know that I will probably never get that good again, at least not while I am working full time as a toddler. But I hope to get back into it on a small scale so that once I am a stay at home mom, I can really save some money that way.
Here are my favorite blogs for couponing:
http://www.southernsavers.com/
I know that I will probably never get that good again, at least not while I am working full time as a toddler. But I hope to get back into it on a small scale so that once I am a stay at home mom, I can really save some money that way.
Here are my favorite blogs for couponing:
http://www.southernsavers.com/
5) Work on improving my blog.
As you guys have probably noticed, I have a new look. It isn't finished yet either so stay tuned. I will also "introduce" you guys to the lovely lady who is responsible for this awesomeness once she is finished. But other than look wise, I hope to start a blog hop about mommy fails/ realistic parenting etc at some point in 2013 and also not focus solely on Destructo. But also start blogging about me and my goals etc. I figure you guys "know" Destructo, now you can get to know the mommy behind Destructo a bit more as well. It will also let me remember who I am since that can so often get lost in the craziness of raising children.
Linked up at:
Better Mom Monday
Women Helping Women
As you guys have probably noticed, I have a new look. It isn't finished yet either so stay tuned. I will also "introduce" you guys to the lovely lady who is responsible for this awesomeness once she is finished. But other than look wise, I hope to start a blog hop about mommy fails/ realistic parenting etc at some point in 2013 and also not focus solely on Destructo. But also start blogging about me and my goals etc. I figure you guys "know" Destructo, now you can get to know the mommy behind Destructo a bit more as well. It will also let me remember who I am since that can so often get lost in the craziness of raising children.
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| And who wouldn't want to get to know this person better? |
Linked up at:
Better Mom Monday
Women Helping Women
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Sprout Change Training Pants Review
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| Sprout Change trainer |
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| Inside of the trainer |
I was sent a pair of Sprout Change training pants from The Willow Store to review. I have to say I really like these trainers. They are made with organic cotton and hemp and are very soft on the inside. The outer is PLU. They are also adjustable to fit your child from 20-50 lbs which I didn't realize at first and was like geez the fit of these is horrible. Yeah I can also attest to the awesome customer service when they explained just how to adjust them. Now they fit very well even on my very tall and skinny little man. You can even adjust these while the child is wearing them!
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| This is the little snap on the side that I missed. You unsnap it and can get to the elastic to adjust the trainer. |
Destructo has regressed and isn't showing any interest in potty training now. But when he wore these and would pee in them he felt wet more so than in his normal diapers because he would run to the potty and want to sit on it every single time he wore these. I also never had a single leak with these even though we are basically using them like a diaper so I know once he is actually potty training, I will feel comfortable using these while we are out and about.
I think he will easily be able to pull these up and down by himself, but could not get him to demonstrate this for me. So you will just have to take my word for it. Destructo is a stubborn one as you all know. I do like that these have snaps in case of poop accidents. I hated having to have kids step out of dirty underwear more than anything when I worked in daycare because it always made such a mess everywhere.
These trainers come in a number of color choices and also have the organic option (which is what I reviewed) and the stay dry option. I highly recommend you try them out if you are looking for a good reusable training pant option.
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| Yeah he was refusing to model the diaper and just wanted treats |
Disclosure: I was given a pair of the Sprout Change training pants for free to review and keep. I was not paid to review them and all opinions are honest and my own. See my full disclosure policy tab for more information.
Friday, January 4, 2013
Goal Two-- Get my House Organized
So my house is a cluttered mess. I manage to keep up with the cleaning aspects that have to get done to prevent my house from becoming a breeding ground for mold and bacteria like toilet scrubbing, dishes, laundry, wiping counters, that type of thing. But I rarely find time for the deep cleaning chores (mopping floors, dusting more than once in a blue moon, scrubbing windows, cleaning the fridge.) Nor do I ever find time to declutter and organize. I thought about hiring a cleaning person, but honestly until I tame the clutter it is kind of pointless.
So my second resolution this year is to work on getting a system in place that rids my house of clutter. I have done okay so far as over Christmas break I bagged up a small bag of toys for my sister to keep at her house, packed up a crate of toys that I want to hold onto for the next kiddo to put up in my mom's attic and a crate of too small Destructo clothes (if I could only find the missing Rubbermaid top grr), and did an entire garbage bag of stuff to take to Goodwill. Which is made more impressive by the fact that amazingly enough I actually took it to Goodwill right after I got my tire patched and jogged two miles. Yeah yeah, I felt impressive yesterday.
I think I am going to do a combo of the Justmommies cleaning calendar with a little Flylady thrown in. I love the printable calendar that was on the Justmommies site and I am going to throw in the Flylady daily missions on days I have time just for good measure. All these links are below along with one that has all different free printables to help you organize your life. I also found the Home Storage Solutions site that looks like it could be helpful as well. Check them out and let me know what you guys think!
And now, here are a few pictures of my secret shame. The most cluttered areas in my home. I hope that in posting these, it will motivate me to get the house more organized so I can post some decluttered after pics!
The office is our worst area in the house. On the other side of the room from this pic, is a futon that my poor sister has to sleep on once a week when she keeps Destructo on Monday and Tuesday. This room nearly makes me want to cry every time I step in it.
This picture really pains me as usually my closet is the one place in the house that is fairly organized. I was storing all the presents in there before Christmas and it just got worse and worse since I couldn't get in there very well. Then I got a new organizer that I am waiting on Mr. Destructo to put together so I pulled the old one out for Destructo's closet (which is super organized right now yay!)
This is under my bathroom sink. At times I have gotten it organized, just to let it slip back into chaos. It is currently driving me insane.
These ledges (there is one on the opposite side above the kitchen sink as well) are hot spots for clutter. The good news here is that they do get clutter free fairly regularly, but then it all builds back up.
So what tips do you guys have for keeping the clutter beast tamed in your house?
Helpful Links:
http://www.justmommies.com/articles/home-organization-plan.php
http://www.organizinghomelife.com/archives/4388
http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/organized-home.html
http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/
http://www.mysimplerlife.com/decluttercalendar.htm
Linked up at:
Courtship Connection Tuesday Link Up
Modest Monday
Mop It Up Monday
Teach Me Tuesday
Titus Tuesday
Welcome Home
So my second resolution this year is to work on getting a system in place that rids my house of clutter. I have done okay so far as over Christmas break I bagged up a small bag of toys for my sister to keep at her house, packed up a crate of toys that I want to hold onto for the next kiddo to put up in my mom's attic and a crate of too small Destructo clothes (if I could only find the missing Rubbermaid top grr), and did an entire garbage bag of stuff to take to Goodwill. Which is made more impressive by the fact that amazingly enough I actually took it to Goodwill right after I got my tire patched and jogged two miles. Yeah yeah, I felt impressive yesterday.
I think I am going to do a combo of the Justmommies cleaning calendar with a little Flylady thrown in. I love the printable calendar that was on the Justmommies site and I am going to throw in the Flylady daily missions on days I have time just for good measure. All these links are below along with one that has all different free printables to help you organize your life. I also found the Home Storage Solutions site that looks like it could be helpful as well. Check them out and let me know what you guys think!
And now, here are a few pictures of my secret shame. The most cluttered areas in my home. I hope that in posting these, it will motivate me to get the house more organized so I can post some decluttered after pics!
The office is our worst area in the house. On the other side of the room from this pic, is a futon that my poor sister has to sleep on once a week when she keeps Destructo on Monday and Tuesday. This room nearly makes me want to cry every time I step in it.
 |
| Cluttered Office |
This is under my bathroom sink. At times I have gotten it organized, just to let it slip back into chaos. It is currently driving me insane.
These ledges (there is one on the opposite side above the kitchen sink as well) are hot spots for clutter. The good news here is that they do get clutter free fairly regularly, but then it all builds back up.
So what tips do you guys have for keeping the clutter beast tamed in your house?
Helpful Links:
http://www.justmommies.com/articles/home-organization-plan.php
http://www.organizinghomelife.com/archives/4388
http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/organized-home.html
http://www.flylady.net/d/getting-started/
http://www.mysimplerlife.com/decluttercalendar.htm
Linked up at:
Courtship Connection Tuesday Link Up
Modest Monday
Mop It Up Monday
Teach Me Tuesday
Titus Tuesday
Welcome Home
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