Top Ten Most Popular Posts of 2013

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Here are my top ten most popular posts of 2013.  Check them out in case you missed them the first time around!  I want to wish everyone a safe New Year's Eve and a wonderful 2014.  Thanks for reading along with me for the past year.  

1)  The Bare Essentials Baby Registry   This post was about what I would consider necessities for anyone working on a baby registry with links to my favorite products in each category.  This is my hardest worked on, most proud post of this year haha.

2)  What I would Put on a Cloth Diaper Registry  In continuing with my popular registry post, this is what I would put on a cloth diaper registry if I could go back and do it all over again.  This is a great resource to first time cloth diapering mommas.

3)  You Might be Raising a Spirited Child if....  This post is a humorous look into raising a very spirited child.  

4)  Cloth Diapering Advantages A to Z  I realized as I was compiling my most popular post list that my readers really like my cloth diapering posts.  I need to work on more of these in the new year for sure.  This post was an A to Z list of all the advantages to cloth diapering.

5)  What Traits make a Spirited Child "Spirited"?  The title says it all.  This one also has a great book reference for those of us that are blessed with spirited honey badger children.

6)  Bummis Super Snap Review  Yep I really need to do some more review posts about all the different cloth diaper brands I have tried.  It will be even more fun when I have a newbie to try them out on and can even see fit on an older toddler since Destructo still uses diapers over night.

7)Spring Forward in the Latest Fluff Butt Fashions  This post was all about spring fashions for the flufy butt in your family.  You can pick the proper diaper for the type of spring outing you are having.  

8) Bummis Tots Bots Easy Fit Review  Yet another cloth diaper review.  I really do like these diapers a lot.

9)  The Expanded Edition Baby Registry  This was one of the three baby registry checklists I worked on.  This was the really nice to have things that went beyond basics, but weren't really luxury items either.  

10)  Snap EZ Review  This post makes me sad.  I loved this diaper and it was my only bright red diaper.  It has since went missing and I can't find it anywhere.  How does a cloth diaper just disappear?  I mean none of my wet bags are missing so I know it wasn't left behind somewhere.  This happened once before and I found it six months later (after an entire winter) under my deck where it had been sunning.  That diaper still worked and I use it regularly although it is a bit stained up.  Shows just how resilient cloth diapers really are.  I have similar hopes that this diaper will turn back up one day.

Fun Fake Snow Toddler Activity

Okay sorry for the silence up in here.  With Christmas, family gatherings, my last full week of work, and my husband and I both getting the cold from hell.  Hopefully everything gets back to normal next week. 

Anyways for this fake snow you take 3 cups baking soda and 1/2 cup conditioner and mix them all together.  It can be shaped like snow balls and even has a cold feeling to it.  Destructo enjoyed playing in it even if he didn't particularly like touching it with his hands.  He is weird about certain wet/ goopy type sensory activities.  

Try it out with your kiddos!  It bought me a good half hour of peace so I could clean the kitchen up after I had to suffer one of the layers of hell truffle making with a two year old.  

Mom's Wear Many Hats

As I busted my butt around the house today trying to work on Destructo's big boy bedroom, clean, get stuff together for Christmas baking, and begin the process of world domination (errr organizing my clutter bin of a house) Destructo kept bringing me different hats to wear.

I put them all on to avoid listening to his copious amounts of whining.  He was a whiner all day.  I swear he could have filled a swimming pool with his tears.  I think it is because he has one of his last two two year old molars about to come through.  I hope this is it.  I swear if this kid is getting sick again after nearly six weeks of sickness, I will lose my mind.  Loco I tell ya.

But motherhood is also a wearing of metaphorical hats.  I mean as a mom I am a short order cook, a sanitation expert, a fixer of toys.  I am a dancer, a singer, and a human jungle gym.  I could run sprints in the Olympics, jump hurdles with ease since I have to jump over toddler, dogs, and toys, or at least juggle with ease.  Okay I can't juggle.  Not even a little bit.  Destructo might actually be better at this than I am.

While thinking about the many hats I wear, I am also quite happy to be taking one of those hats off semi-permanently.  This week was my last full week of work.  I am going to work Monday's for the month of January just to help ease the transition between me and new me at work.  But working is nearly done.  I finally get to be a stay at home mom.

I am so excited.  I have disliked being a working mom since my first day back from maternity leave after Destructo was born.  I never feel like I get to spend enough time with him and everything has suffered.  When I spend a lot of quality time with him, my house starts falling apart.  If I manage to keep my house clean, I feel like I am not getting to spend any good time with Kai.  Hopefully I manage to find a good balance between house work and doing fun things with my wonderful son.  You know until we rock the boat all over again when the new baby is born.  

My 2014 is totally going to be a huge time of change.  Working mom to stay at home mom.  Mom of one son to mom of two sons.  Starting over again in the baby stage (which I dread if I am being honest since I have really come to love the independence Destructo has gained.)  But hopefully 2014 is a good year.  Only time will tell.  

Top Ten Cutest Cloth Diapers

I mean all cloth diapers are awesomely cute and have their purpose.  Even the plain old white ones.  I used those for photo shoots when he was an itty bitty.  A plain red diaper or green diaper could be props for a Christmas photo shoot.  Orange or black diaper for Halloween.  Well you get the point.  Oh and I swear my kid does occasionally wear clothes.  Less often as he gets older and is able to strip his own clothes off but hey that is another post.

But here is my top ten cutest diapers for boys, girls, and gender neutral that are available right now.  I have a few I would rank a few in this list that are retired prints, but that seems mean because then when you fall in love with it, you can't have it.  Hahahaha  Most of these are pockets or all in ones because that is what I used most of all.  Click on any of the links below the pictures for more info on these diapers.

Boys  

Bumgenius 4.0 in Albert

Math and science equations on my baby's butt.  Surely that is going to make him a genius through osmosis right?  Obviously these aren't in any certain order.  That would be way too hard to to decide which one is my top favorite print.  I mean it is hard enough to narrow it down to ten as is.  Hence the three categories lol.

Moraki AI2 Fun and Funky

I mean mustaches on a diaper?  Does it get much cuter than that?

Rumparooz G2 in Ladder

My little man is a huge fire fighter fanatic.  So much so that he has requested his big boy room to be fire trucks.  So of course this diaper gets a top ten spot in my book.

Rumparooz G2 in Charlie

Something about this diaper keeps speaking to me.  It is saying buy me.  Buy me for Captain Destructo version 2.0.  You know you want to.  And yes, yes I want to.  I have refrained thus far, but it is coming.

Thirsties Duo in Scottish Storm

I am a sucker for plaid.  Blame my 10% (probably more who knows) Scottish roots.

Kawaii Snazzy Minky in Dinosaur

Dinosaurs and a minky diaper.  Life is good.  One of the cheaper diapers in my stash as well.  I actually ordered this one on Black Friday and it just came in today.  Can't wait to get it prepped.

Grovia AIO in Drift

This diaper just makes me think of lazy summer days and I love the colors in it.

Bumgenius 4.0 in Jules

This diaper is perfect for a beach vacation.  Hmmm I am apparently having a summer themed moment.

Kawaii Good Night Heavy Wetter in Holstein Cow

Moo cow butt.  Need I say more.

Simplex 2.0 in Monkey

Girls

Moraki Fluffy in Red with Bubblegum

I mean ruffles on a little girl's diaper.  Too cute.  Almost makes me wish I was having a girl.  Almost.

Simplex 2.0 in Paisley

I love paisley prints and this is one of my very favorite color combos ever.

Rumparooz G2 in Preppy

I love plaid and this particular plaid is so bright and colorful.

Tots Bots Easy Fit in Night Owl

Stars and owls and purpleness oh my.  I bet you guys haven't noticed I like owls with the sheer amount of owls on my cutest diapers list. 

Rumparooz G2 in Eco Owl

And once again it is owls and purpleness.  So cute.  Little owls.  This reminds me that I really wanted my nursery wall to say grow wise little owl.  I never managed to get around to doing this with Captain Destructo.  Maybe this time around lol.

Thirsties Duo AIO in Polka Dance

Polka dots are so bright and cheerful and happy.  I really like this diaper because of that.

Kawaii Snazzy Minky in Owl

Their big owl eyes get me every time.

Blueberry in Baby Blooms

Such a pretty combo of colors and flowers.

Grovia Kiwi Pie fitted in Cats/Dogs Pink

It is a fitted but so cute and girly.

Best Bottom Cover in Foxy Frolic

If I have one thing I like nearly as much as owls, it is foxes.  Isn't this cover just adorable?

Gender Neutral

I will say a lot of the diapers in either the boy or girl category can technically be gender neutral.  I just feel compelled to share even more cute diapers haha.

Moraki Organic AIO in Tour de Pants

This print is a Kelly's Closet exclusive print and is so cute.  With as much as I am recommending Moraki's on cuteness factor alone, I really need to try one of these out for the blog and do a review.  

Moraki AI2 Candy Snaps in Hippie

It is tie dye for all us hippie crunchy mommas with bright colored snaps.  So bright, cheerful, happy and fluffy.

Best Bottom Cover in Fox Trot

This diaper cover has foxes and bright colors.  I really wish I had it but since I have an entire stash of Grovia covers can't justify getting more since I mainly use pockets and all in ones.

Best Bottom Cover in Hedgehog

Again it has adorable hedgehogs but I can't justify buying a cover.  Boo.  Maybe I should use prefolds and fitteds more this time so I can justify buying it.

Rumparooz G2 in Quinn

Yay for more plaid prints.

Grovia AIO in Pudge

PANDAS!!!!!  That is all the comments needed.

Grovia Kiwi Pie Fitted in Ziggy

This one is a fitted diaper but has the cutest elephants ever.  I think this is next on my fitted diaper must try list.  I have some Thirsties fitteds that I like but that is the only fitted I have ever tried.

Kawaii Fun Print in Blue Kawaii Jean

Blue jean butt.  So stylish.

Kawaii Goodnight Heavy Wetter in Green Animal

I have this diaper and it is bright lime green and has cute animals all over it.  I also really like these diapers for over night (or anytime really.)

Kawaii Good Night Heavy Wetter in Lime Dotty

Dots and bright colors and I am sold.

There you have it.  30 adorable diapers that are available in the cloth diapering world right now.  I will work on a newborn adorable diaper post very soon.  Bed is calling my name tonight.  Oh and what diapers would you guys include on this list of cute diapers?

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!
 

Week 25: Califlower

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How far along: 25 weeks.  What you mean I actually managed to get this posted in my 25th week?  Crazy talk.

Total weight gain: 13 pounds.  Not only did I get this posted in my 25th week, but I have an actual weight since I stayed the night at my parents and used their scale.  I am doing so much better this time around than I did with Kai.  I really hope to get back in better shape again quicker this time.  I miss jogging.

 Maternity clothes: All of them.

 Stretch marks: Not any new ones that I didn't have from Kai. 

 Sleep:  Eh I have averaged 5-6 hours of broken sleep all week.  I am dragggggiiinnngggg this week.  But it is my last full week of work before I use up my vacation time and then become a full time stay at home mom.  Yay!

Best moment of this week: Taking Destructo to the fire station for pancakes with Santa.  He was so psyched to get to go in the fire station and eat pancakes with fire men.

 Miss anything:   Jogging.  I want to run so badly.

Movement:  Regularly especially at night.  This baby hates letting me sleep.  Maybe he is getting it all out of his system before he is born and will be a great sleeper after.

Food cravings:  None this week.

Have you started to show yet:  Yeah quite a lot.

Gender: Bouncing baby boy. 

 Labor signs:   Braxton Hicks a lot.

 Belly button in or out:  Out gag me.

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time: Moody since I am so tired.  Destructo also hasn't been listening well and has been quite mouthy and rude so it is wearing on my nerves.

New Year Gift Card Giveaway

Welcome to the Getting Ready for a New Year Gift Card Giveaway sponsored by the Daily Digest and hosted by The Parenting Patch!

 Four (4) lucky readers of The Parenting Patch and Adventures with Captain Destructo will each win one (1) $50 gift card of choice. Each winner chooses a $50 gift card to any retailer that offers electronic gift cards. To enter for your chance to win the Getting Ready for a New Year Gift Card Giveaway, simply use the following Rafflecopter form. Good luck! Happy Boxing Day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Getting Ready for a New Year Gift Card Giveaway is open worldwide. An international winner will receive $50 via PayPal in lieu of the specified prize. The Getting Ready for a New Year Gift Card Giveaway ends at midnight CST on December 28, 2013. Four winners will be chosen at random via Rafflecopter. The winners will be sent an email and will have forty-eight hours to respond. If no response is received within forty-eight hours, another winner will be chosen. The Parenting Patch and other participating blogs are not responsible for prize fulfillment.

Week 24: Cantaloupe

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How far along: 24 weeks (You know last week of course  I am actually 25 weeks and 2 days.)

Total weight gain: Around 15 pounds give or take.  Still no new scale at home.  It is making me crazy.

 Maternity clothes: All of them.

 Stretch marks: Not any new ones that I didn't have from Kai. 

 Sleep:  Okay although I am waking a lot still even if I take Benadryl or Unisom.

Best moment of this week:  My little man finally feeling better and getting my houses floors mopped.  Yes I know how sad that is.

 Miss anything:  Not being achy all the time.

Movement:  Regularly especially at night.

Food cravings:  None this week.

Have you started to show yet:  Yeah quite a lot.

Gender: Bouncing baby boy. 

 Labor signs:   Braxton Hicks at times.

 Belly button in or out:  Out to a disgusting extent. 

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time: Moody since I have a cold and am miserable with that and not getting much done around the house.

Spark of Amber Necklace Review

I received an amber necklace from Spark of Amber to review and one to give away to one lucky reader.  I have mentioned amber necklaces numerous times on this blog.  I was quite skeptical of them when I first decided to start using them but as I was in teething misery decided to give it a try.  And boy was I impressed.  It truly does seem to make a difference.

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This necklace was no different.  I choose a raw amber necklaces over a polished one since I have two polished ones already.  I am so glad I did.  I think this necklace is so pretty.  I have Destructo wear it as a necklace all day and then when he is sleeping, he wears it on his ankle just to be safe. 

Amber necklace on his ankle at bed time

 Amber necklaces are said to work by your body heat releasing the succinic acid in them as they lay against your skin.  They are said to have anti-inflammatory, calming, and natural pain relief properties.  We started using one when Destructo was about six months old and within a week noticed he was a bit happier and not quite as irritable and fussy.  Two years later he is still wearing his.  Two teeth to go and we can be done with it although I will for sure miss seeing him in his cute little necklace.  It is one of the parenting milestones you don't realize make you a bit sappy.  My baby will really be grown up the day I no longer have to put on his amber necklace.

Even fire fighters need amber necklaces

Each bead on this necklace is individually knotted so that if the necklace breaks at most one bead falls off.  There is also a breakaway clasp in case your child was to get caught on something with the necklace.  This makes me feel much safer having him wear one 24/7.  Like I said though, I still am a bit paranoid as a mom so I put it on his ankle at night (and until recently it was on his ankle inside his sleep sack as an added bit of protection from him messing with it.)

If you haven't used an amber necklace before, I highly recommend checking out Spark of Amber to get one.  Or one lucky reader can win one!  

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Yochi Yochi Shoes Review

I received a pair of shoes from Yochi Yochi to review on the blog.  I can say they fully lived up to my expectations and then some.  The company is doing their part to be earth friendly which I love.  They use water based dyes on their products so as not to affect the environment around them.  They also have rain water storage for daily use and use energy efficient air conditioners and other machines to cut back on energy consumption.

As for the shoes themselves, they are very flexible which I like for newly walking children.  They are made of nylon and breathe very well which I like for my sweaty footed son.  They are also adorable.  The pair he got was blue with frogs on them.  They are velcro shoes which makes it quick and easy to get on a wiggly child's foot and he can take them off by himself (which now that he is past the I need to take my shoes off every single second phase) is nice.

They come in four designs a skull, panda bear, lady bug, or frogs.  You can see them here.  The one feature of these shoes that parents will love or hate (and most likely both at once haha) are that they squeak.  But not to worry, the little squeakers come right out if that isn't for you.  I love that they squeak when we are out in a crowded public place.  I can know Destructo is right near me without even having to look.  He is independent at times and refuses to hold my hand so it is nice to be able to hear his every step.

We were at a Christmas village shopping craft fair a few weeks back and he decided to wear these shoes.  I was so thankful for the squeaking as it was very crowded and he did not want to sit in the stroller that day but walk.  It was hard to push the stroller through the crowd one handed and hold his hand so at least I could let him walk right next to me and maneuver and not have to keep my eyes solely on him.  Plus when he went off with my mom, I was able to figure out exactly where they were just by listening.  No need to call and try to figure out their location that way.  All I had to do was stop and listen for squeak, squeak, squeak.

Overall I really like these shoes and so does Captain Destructo.  He is one of the loudest kids around and the squeak factor of these thrills him.  Sometimes he just stands and jumps in them to hear himself.  Check them out!


Disclosure:  I was given a pair of Yochi Yochi shoes 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.

Week 23: Grapefruit

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I am too suggestionable while pregnant.  I really want some grapefruit now.  The only grapefruit I have are quite old and probably not very good.  I have been saving them to half for the birds.  But I really need it now.  Ugh.

How far along: 23 weeks (You know last week of course.)

Total weight gain: 11 pounds according to the scale at work.  But this was also last week.  Still no new scale.  I went to buy one at Target and they were all 35 bucks and I am cheap.

 Maternity clothes: All of them.

 Stretch marks: Not any new ones that I didn't have from Kai. 

 Sleep:  I have actually slept really well this week even unmedicated.  Well until Monday when I got Kai's virus.  Colds and pregnancy aren't fun.  I am so out of breath all the time from the cold and being bigger.  Ugh.

Best moment of this week:  Thanksgiving for sure.  I love Thanksgiving food.

 Miss anything:  Turkey and ham Subway sandwiches.

Movement:  Feeling him every day. Numerous times a day.  He even kept me up late one night having a dance party in there.

Food cravings:   I pretty much wanted all the food.  All of it.

Have you started to show yet:  Yeah quite a lot.

Gender: Bouncing baby boy. 

 Labor signs:   Braxton Hicks at times.

 Belly button in or out:  Out to a disgusting extent. 

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time:  Stressed.  So much to do, so little time plus Destructo could not seem to get healthy.  But pretty happy since it was Thanksgiving.  You know when I wasn't stressed.

Resolutions

Welcome to the December 2013 Carnival of Natural Mothering! 

This article is a part of the Carnival of Natural Mothering hosted by GrowingSlower, Every Breath I Take, I Thought I Knew Mama, African Babies Don't Cry, and Adventures of Captain Destructo. This month's topic is Natural New Year's Resolutions. Be sure to check out all of the participants' posts through the links at the bottom of this page.

Bloggers, visit GrowingSlower to sign up to write for next month's carnival.

This year I have one main resolution.  To survive the first few months with a honey badger and a newborn.  I kid, I kid (although that is high on my priority list haha.)  No my main resolution is to get my house more clean and organized.  Yeah yeah yeah I know that was on my resolutions list from last year and in some ways I got a bit done but this year it is even more important.

I am going to have a very active, very spirited honey badger of a toddler and a newborn that is needy.  I won't be able to watch Destructo like a hawk to make sure he isn't finding things he doesn't need to get into that is stored in with the clutter.  Plus I will be home all day long every day now and my house stresses me out because of the clutter.  There will be no escpaing to work anymore.

I am not sure how to accomplish this goal though.  I know I need to form  habits now in the few months I am staying home with just Destructo before newbie comes that hopefully will endure.  And I have gotten better since I got married.  I clean up the kitchen nearly every night after dinner.  I pick up Destructo's toys nearly every night before bed.  But I have to tame the clutter.

My plan right now is to focus on a small area each day/week and try to tame the clutter there.  Then move on to another small area and so on until I start making progress.  I have to get Mr. Destructo on board though as the clutter isn't just mine.  It is our clutter.  Aww so sweet.

So do you guys have any clutter taming tips to help me out?

My other goals are to live more frugally than we are now.  With only one income, we will have to.  I also plan to continue in my natural living walk.  I recently bought reusable snack bags to stop using Ziplocs.  I want to continue to make my own cleaning supplies and as I run out of store bought, find more ecofriendly and frugal solutions.  I want to expand my garden even more this year.  This one might be a bit of a stretch though this year since I will have a newborn.  But we learned to can in 2013 and ate the first cans of tomato sauce and they were actually good.  We could have canned far more than we did, but we just didn't have the time. 

Week 22: Papaya

 

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How far along: 22 weeks  (again this is last week.  I am currently 23 weeks 5 days.)

Total weight gain: 11 pounds according to the scale at work.  I finally got batteries for mine and yeah it isn't the battery.  I have to get around to finding a cheap scale because I am going nuts not being able to weigh myself.  Not that it matters in the great scheme of things as long as baby is growing and healthy but still.

 Maternity clothes: All of them.

 Stretch marks: Not any new ones that I didn't have from Kai.  But now the varicose vein on my right leg that I got with Kai has gotten horribly disgusting looking.  :(

 Sleep:  Yeah I have to take Benadryl or Unisom every single night to sleep.  It is awful. Sleep isn't my friend.

Best moment of this week:  Getting Mexican food with the hubby.  How I love Mexican food.  White cheese dip yum.

 Miss anything:   Running more than anything now that the weather is cool.

Movement:  Feeling him every day. 

Food cravings: None this week.  Maybe milk.  But that isn't anything new.

Have you started to show yet:  Yeppers.

Gender: Bouncing baby boy. 

 Labor signs:   Braxton Hicks at times.

 Belly button in or out:  Out to a disgusting extent. 

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or moody most of the time:  Stressed.  So much to do, so little time.