I am officially a Savannah resident. No, I don't have a house, and no, our Evans home hasn't sold either. Since we felt God led us here, we wanted to hurry up and begin our full time ministry here. So, we packed up what we could and moved into the church. A largeish Sunday school room with adjoining bathroom is now where we call home. It is working out nicely, and though not ideal long term, is working out for us for now. :D
**On a side note, our realtor informed us today that an offer might come through for us tonight. We are praying earnestly that it is true, that it is a good one, and that we can get it sold soon!
Besides from the busyness of the move, we have been more active at church, projects around here, and the logistical aspects to living in a church. It takes us a bit longer to do laundry since we have to do it at someone else's house. I have been less "internet active" here because we have satellite internet. AKA SLOW INTERNET. It makes you not even want to get online... ;(
Anywho, we are loving living here and glad that Jonathan is full time doing what God called him to do. I'm hoping to devote more time to blogging when I get time. Until then, keep searching out those deals and using cloth. I've got so much to share, got so much new cloth that I'm loving and I know you'll be excited to read about it! :D Right?
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Nine Years...
I've been teary all week. I don't really know why, as I don't think I am an overly emotional person. I read "The Last Song" and cried several times. I NEVER cry while reading a book. But the girls dad dies of cancer and it just struck me as very tragic and realistic. And I cried. I read it in two days. Thats my problem with reading. I want to know what happens too fast. So I stay up way too late reading a book when I should be sleeping. I stayed up until 3:15 am two nights ago to read it. It was worth it, but Jonas was raring to go at 8ish, so that was tough! :D
Last night I went and saw Dear John with Dear Addie. While I didn't exactly enjoy how it ended, it was a good movie, again, a movie that I gave myself a headache holding back tears. They didn't fall, but they wanted to. And I had a headache the rest of the night from not letting my emotions fall. Weird.
Today is the ninth anniversary of my Grandma Edith's death. Normally I would post a picture here, but it seems that all digital copies of pictures that I have of her are on an old computer. Gotta find them. Of all my grandparents, I guess I would say that I was the closest to her. She had some eccentric character traits that were funny sometimes, but she was endearing and I know she loved me very much. My grandparents moved to the beach to "retire" several years before they died. In a way it made it surreal when they did die because it was almost like they were just still at home, since we didn't get to see them much after they moved.
My grandpa had cancer. He outlived the 2 years the doctors gave him. He struggled, but he survived it. Then in February of 2001, my senior year of highschool, my Grandma was diagnosed with cancer. It was everywhere. Within a month, hospice was called in. By the time I got to see her, she didn't know who I was, or make any coherent conversation with anyone. She died the next day. I'll never forget dad coming and waking me up at 3 in the morning to go to Auntie's house. She died. And Grandpa gave up too. I didn't leave the house where she died and where Grandpa was dying for a few days. I was afraid I'd miss something. I didn't. I saw every bit of the agony of his death. I don't know for sure if I regret watching, or regret remembering the vivid details of those days. Looking back it was some of the hardest time of my life. Who's grandparents die two days apart of cancer? It is weird. It was devastating. I was halfway through "Fried Green Tomatoes" when he took his last breath. I never have finished watching that movie.
I remember that my tears were selfish. I wanted them to see me graduate. I wanted them to be at my wedding. I wanted them to meet my children. They would have loved Jonas. But I didn't get any of that. I realize that everyone has stories like this, and that breaks my heart. It also makes me long for heaven. There will be no more broken hearts, no death, no pain, no cancer. It's good to know they are there, with no pain. Selfishly, I wish they were here. Their funeral was horrible. They chose to be cremated. It was awful. There was no closure seeing that little box, knowing that my grandparent's bodies were supposed to both be in it. It was ugly. Nothing like what I think Grandma would have picked out. She was gaudy. She liked bling and big florals. Her Christmas tree was always decked with terribly huge ornaments. She would have chosen something different. I don't know how people are supposed to react, but I've never felt at a funeral like I did at theirs. For that reason, I think that cremation is selfish. It makes no difference in the long run what happens to this old earthly body, but I think closure would have been easier if I was not supposed to believe that both of my grandparents were in that little ugly box. I wish I could forget that week of my life.
Another part of that story that breaks my heart is that I feel like my time truly loving my grandpa were cut too short. As a child, I remember him drinking all the time. I remember he was gruff and I remember trying to avoid him. Philip and I played outside most of the time. We didn't want to irritate him. Grandma was nothing but patient with us. Looking back, that must have been quite the feat. :D But when I was 13 I spent a week at the beach with them alone. And that week, I helped Grandpa re-roof his building outside. We really bonded, and I think he had stopped drinking by then. All I remember was that we laughed and joked, and truly had a good time. He drove me back home. I was worried about being cooped up in the car alone with him for that long, but after that week, it was fine. We talked and joked. It was great. But it is really the last real memory I have of him not sick. And then he died. And now nine years later, I still feel sad knowing that most of my life I had no real relationship with him. At least we have all eternity to make up for it.
I'm not really sure how mom made it through. Looking forward, I dread nothing more than the death of my parents. I truly hope Jesus comes back for us first!
Now as I type this, I look around my house. The house my groom and I bought a month before our wedding. The house we furnished together little by little. The house we did little projects in making it ours. The house we brought our firstborn son home to. And while we've truly outgrown it, and it's still technically ours until it sells, I find myself crying again. It is sad to close this chapter. I am looking forward with great anticipation for how God is going to use Jonathan and our family at our new church. That is exciting. I look forward to moving, but I think you can understand how this is bittersweet. Packing these boxes is hard. Unorganizing all my cabinets is difficult. Boxing up baby things is bittersweet. But unpacking one day in Savannah will be wonderful, because it is where God has led us.
Life is sometimes hard. But God is Good! And He has been so good to me. He gave me a wonderful family. Special memories with my grandparents, who are gone, but never forgotten. He gave me almost four years in Augusta close to my inlaws. And as I tape up this next box, I tape it up with security, that no matter what happens in this life, or wherever God leads us, He is with us and He will see us through. Through these tough times, He has been faithful and I know He will continue to be faithful. After all, that is His character. And He promised.
Last night I went and saw Dear John with Dear Addie. While I didn't exactly enjoy how it ended, it was a good movie, again, a movie that I gave myself a headache holding back tears. They didn't fall, but they wanted to. And I had a headache the rest of the night from not letting my emotions fall. Weird.
Today is the ninth anniversary of my Grandma Edith's death. Normally I would post a picture here, but it seems that all digital copies of pictures that I have of her are on an old computer. Gotta find them. Of all my grandparents, I guess I would say that I was the closest to her. She had some eccentric character traits that were funny sometimes, but she was endearing and I know she loved me very much. My grandparents moved to the beach to "retire" several years before they died. In a way it made it surreal when they did die because it was almost like they were just still at home, since we didn't get to see them much after they moved.
My grandpa had cancer. He outlived the 2 years the doctors gave him. He struggled, but he survived it. Then in February of 2001, my senior year of highschool, my Grandma was diagnosed with cancer. It was everywhere. Within a month, hospice was called in. By the time I got to see her, she didn't know who I was, or make any coherent conversation with anyone. She died the next day. I'll never forget dad coming and waking me up at 3 in the morning to go to Auntie's house. She died. And Grandpa gave up too. I didn't leave the house where she died and where Grandpa was dying for a few days. I was afraid I'd miss something. I didn't. I saw every bit of the agony of his death. I don't know for sure if I regret watching, or regret remembering the vivid details of those days. Looking back it was some of the hardest time of my life. Who's grandparents die two days apart of cancer? It is weird. It was devastating. I was halfway through "Fried Green Tomatoes" when he took his last breath. I never have finished watching that movie.
I remember that my tears were selfish. I wanted them to see me graduate. I wanted them to be at my wedding. I wanted them to meet my children. They would have loved Jonas. But I didn't get any of that. I realize that everyone has stories like this, and that breaks my heart. It also makes me long for heaven. There will be no more broken hearts, no death, no pain, no cancer. It's good to know they are there, with no pain. Selfishly, I wish they were here. Their funeral was horrible. They chose to be cremated. It was awful. There was no closure seeing that little box, knowing that my grandparent's bodies were supposed to both be in it. It was ugly. Nothing like what I think Grandma would have picked out. She was gaudy. She liked bling and big florals. Her Christmas tree was always decked with terribly huge ornaments. She would have chosen something different. I don't know how people are supposed to react, but I've never felt at a funeral like I did at theirs. For that reason, I think that cremation is selfish. It makes no difference in the long run what happens to this old earthly body, but I think closure would have been easier if I was not supposed to believe that both of my grandparents were in that little ugly box. I wish I could forget that week of my life.
Another part of that story that breaks my heart is that I feel like my time truly loving my grandpa were cut too short. As a child, I remember him drinking all the time. I remember he was gruff and I remember trying to avoid him. Philip and I played outside most of the time. We didn't want to irritate him. Grandma was nothing but patient with us. Looking back, that must have been quite the feat. :D But when I was 13 I spent a week at the beach with them alone. And that week, I helped Grandpa re-roof his building outside. We really bonded, and I think he had stopped drinking by then. All I remember was that we laughed and joked, and truly had a good time. He drove me back home. I was worried about being cooped up in the car alone with him for that long, but after that week, it was fine. We talked and joked. It was great. But it is really the last real memory I have of him not sick. And then he died. And now nine years later, I still feel sad knowing that most of my life I had no real relationship with him. At least we have all eternity to make up for it.
I'm not really sure how mom made it through. Looking forward, I dread nothing more than the death of my parents. I truly hope Jesus comes back for us first!
Now as I type this, I look around my house. The house my groom and I bought a month before our wedding. The house we furnished together little by little. The house we did little projects in making it ours. The house we brought our firstborn son home to. And while we've truly outgrown it, and it's still technically ours until it sells, I find myself crying again. It is sad to close this chapter. I am looking forward with great anticipation for how God is going to use Jonathan and our family at our new church. That is exciting. I look forward to moving, but I think you can understand how this is bittersweet. Packing these boxes is hard. Unorganizing all my cabinets is difficult. Boxing up baby things is bittersweet. But unpacking one day in Savannah will be wonderful, because it is where God has led us.
Life is sometimes hard. But God is Good! And He has been so good to me. He gave me a wonderful family. Special memories with my grandparents, who are gone, but never forgotten. He gave me almost four years in Augusta close to my inlaws. And as I tape up this next box, I tape it up with security, that no matter what happens in this life, or wherever God leads us, He is with us and He will see us through. Through these tough times, He has been faithful and I know He will continue to be faithful. After all, that is His character. And He promised.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Shades of Blue
Just thought I'd share a quick book review. I recently read Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury. I was on a KK kick of reading for a while, now I am taking a break and reading "The Last Song".
Shades of Blue is a about an ad excecutive who is about to marry the girl of his dreams, his boss's daughter. Before he can tie the knot, he feels the need to make ammends with an ex-girlfriend who he had dated, and gotten pregnant, and taken to get an abortion. I won't ruin the whole plot or outcome for ya, but I loved reading this pro-life book that really nailed it about what those who had abortions must be experiencing afterwards--the girl and guy too. A really cool part is that the book was set at Holden Beach, NC where my grandparents lived while they were alive...so I felt like I knew the place I was reading about. It was neat! The book is a bit like a play on that song by Tim McGraw, "Red Rag Top". Remember it? If you like Christian fiction, I definitely recommend this book!
Moving...
Posts have been scarce this week because it is our last week in Augusta. I am frantically squeezing in photo shoots, trying to pack, and spend time with as many people as I can! :D That leaves little time for blogging. I will get back to my normal posting self after we are settled in our new "home" and explain our whole story! :D For today, just thought I'd share some picturesa from last night's photo shoot...
Precious Miss Emree!
Looking forward to Brinley today!
Looking forward to Brinley today!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Just had to mention...
Envibum overnight, one insert (couldn't even get two to fit)....NO LEAKS!!! It was on him for 12 hours!!! Put it on him during 19 Kids and Counting, took it off for bath this morning after breakfast (since he wasn't wet!). NO LEAKS! And it was soaked, I'm amazed!! No microfiber either! WOWZA! Now what to use those two extra inserts for???
On a side note, today's plan of action:
-Thank you notes
-Laundry
-Burn CD's for church
-Target, WAG's, and CVS if theres time
Hold me to it! :)
On a side note, today's plan of action:
-Thank you notes
-Laundry
-Burn CD's for church
-Target, WAG's, and CVS if theres time
Hold me to it! :)
Monday, March 8, 2010
Fixin' the Floor...
When we moved into our townhouse almost 4 years ago, everything was brand spankin' new! :) It was super clean, and sparkly white! It wasn't long before I realized that the "builder basic" white linoleum in the kitchen was my least favorite aspect of our ever shrinking house (we filled it up faster than we ever thought we would...hopefully the next house will have more square feet). Shortly after moving in we covered that awful white floor with an inexpensive fix, peel and stick textured neutral tiles. They are lovely, and at first, some of our friends didn't know it was peel and stick. It was great! And that white floor, that I constantly cleaned (and even cried over it once or twice because it would be dirty immediately after cleanin' it!) was gone forever! :)
Well a year or so later, some of the tiles shifted, don't know how or why, but some gaps occurred. So when you swept (or when I swept), trash would get stuck in the crack. It was uneven and ugly. And now two different prospective buyers have given feedback about loving our house and not liking the kitchen floor. We (and our realtor) thought something so small could be mentioned in the contract (duh!) and concessions could be made for replacement...I mean, if we put down wood, we'd limit our interest, and the same with laminate or tile or whatever we put down! It is a very personal decision, so instead of wasting lots of $$ putting something we liked down, we thought we'd give a "flooring allowance" or something. But since that seems to be a hurdle for some buyers, Jonathan decided to try and fix the shifting floor. So he went to Lowe's, bought some glue and some extra floor tiles that match, and he and his dad repaired the cracks in the floor. It looks good as new, so now hopefully we are more buyer ready! :)
Our house is competetively priced, so we are hoping the Lord will send a buyer our way soon and sell this house so we can move into a nice little house in Savannah, and out of the church lickedy split! But if He wants us to wait just a little bit longer, He must have a reason for it and we're just gonna be patient. After all, all these "temporary homes" will make some great scrapbook pages and memories to tell our kiddos about... "...when we were young we lived in an RV behind the church on weekends for five months..." :)
Something Pastor mentioned at church Sunday (it was a quote by Spurgeon I think...), "A little faith will get your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul." I want heaven in my soul!
Goodnight all!
Well a year or so later, some of the tiles shifted, don't know how or why, but some gaps occurred. So when you swept (or when I swept), trash would get stuck in the crack. It was uneven and ugly. And now two different prospective buyers have given feedback about loving our house and not liking the kitchen floor. We (and our realtor) thought something so small could be mentioned in the contract (duh!) and concessions could be made for replacement...I mean, if we put down wood, we'd limit our interest, and the same with laminate or tile or whatever we put down! It is a very personal decision, so instead of wasting lots of $$ putting something we liked down, we thought we'd give a "flooring allowance" or something. But since that seems to be a hurdle for some buyers, Jonathan decided to try and fix the shifting floor. So he went to Lowe's, bought some glue and some extra floor tiles that match, and he and his dad repaired the cracks in the floor. It looks good as new, so now hopefully we are more buyer ready! :)
Our house is competetively priced, so we are hoping the Lord will send a buyer our way soon and sell this house so we can move into a nice little house in Savannah, and out of the church lickedy split! But if He wants us to wait just a little bit longer, He must have a reason for it and we're just gonna be patient. After all, all these "temporary homes" will make some great scrapbook pages and memories to tell our kiddos about... "...when we were young we lived in an RV behind the church on weekends for five months..." :)
Something Pastor mentioned at church Sunday (it was a quote by Spurgeon I think...), "A little faith will get your soul to heaven, but a lot of faith will bring heaven to your soul." I want heaven in my soul!
Goodnight all!
Special Delivery!!
The first of Jonas's birthday diapers have arrived. UPS delivered a box from www.cottonbabies.com this afternoon (after I had already washed the diapers!). I was super excited to open my first BumGenius purchases!
I got:
-One 3.0 Clementine/Light Orange (this is the "standard" one size pocket diaper that comes with a snap down adjustable insert and a newborn insert/doubler)
-One Flip Day Pack in Ribbit/Dark Green
This included two green covers and six stay dry inserts (that I plan on using with gDiapers too!)
This system is NOT a pocket, but rather a cover that has two flaps, one in front, one in back that hold in insert (I'll let you know how it works!). The insert is essentially right against the skin, so I don't recommend using a microfiber insert in these w/out some kind of liner or "sock". These inserts have markings for folding down for optimum fit. I look forward to trying these out. They are super easy to "stuff". In fact another perk of this system (unless you really want a completely NEW diaper at each change, which isn't necessary) is that if it isn't soiled on the edges of the cover (like if it is only a pee diaper, or if it all stays on the insert) you can just swap out the inserts and reuse the cover. Even if the poo gets on the cover it is still not supposed to leak. I'm sure I'll find out if this is true or not.
My biggest concern is bunching. I wonder if I'll have issues with the insert bunching up, especially in front. ??? You can also use prefold diapers or flats in this cover. It is really unique and has super reviews. I will be giving my review after Jonas uses it a few times.
Cottonbabies (the creator of the BumGenius line) is a great website and they had fast shipping, it was free too, since I purchased so much. Also w/ any $50 order, you get a free (for now anyway) pack of Flip disposable inserts. I am not much for doing the disposable thing, but I hear it is great for vacation, so I'm saving mine for such instances. Why use disposable inserts and not just disposable diapers you ask?
Here is some info I found online of the benefit:
"Unlike conventional disposable diapers, these inserts do not contain plastic, meaning they can, in theory, biodegrade in about 50 to 150 days rather than 500 years. Since most landfills are designed to prevent materials from biodegrading, many disposable inserts also offer the options of flushing the inserts in a toilet or composting wet inserts at home. (Soiled inserts should not be composted, due to the potential contamination from human waste. Customers who are interested in flushing inserts should follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully for best results.)"
Read more at Suite101: Disposable Inserts for Cloth Diapers: Convenient, Environmentally Responsible Baby Diapering http://potty-training.suite101.com/article.cfm/disposable_inserts_for_cloth_diapers#ixzz0hd0TV260
So, they biodegrade faster, not filling up landfills, and no harmful chemicals touch your infant. I will blog about such risks/benefits later. I have come to realize that there are some dangers to using disposables, even though that was not initially the reasoning behind starting to use cloth. I'm sure you'll be interested in this research as well! These "hybrid" (Flip, Grobaby, gDiapers) diaper disposable inserts are a bit more pricey than the typical disposable diaper, but the benefit outweighs the cost if you are using them on a limited basis, like say when less washings is needed. You could essentially go all week with a few covers and disposable inserts instead of a huge stash of pockets or AIO diapers. Okay, enough rambling! Of course I'll let you know how I like those inserts too! :)
Initially, my thoughts about the 3.0 are are that the inner lining is not as soft as on the Kawaii. I am pretty shocked. The lining is really like the ComfyRump diaper that I don't really like. The snaps seem good though, and they are cute. They look smaller than the Kawaii, which isn't necessarily a pro or con except that for us, we need all the wiggle room we can get. The colors of these diapers are delish, and I'd love to have a sampling of them all. Lets see how they work first and then I'll decide if my stash "needs" more. I'd love to be able to recommend this easy system to other mamas! Check back for my honest opinion in a few days! I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!
On a side note, I found out my Kawaii order is essentially on backorder. I was bummed to find out that after I paid for my order, the items I want are not in stock. April expects them the 12th or 13th (they are coming from China I think!) and if nothing causes delays, she'll ship on the 14th. Since she is in Canada, it takes at least a week to get them to me. By that time, we'll be full time in Savannah, so maybe I should contact her and change my shipping address, huh? :) Glad I thought of that!
I got:
-One 3.0 Clementine/Light Orange (this is the "standard" one size pocket diaper that comes with a snap down adjustable insert and a newborn insert/doubler)
-One Flip Day Pack in Ribbit/Dark Green
This included two green covers and six stay dry inserts (that I plan on using with gDiapers too!)
This system is NOT a pocket, but rather a cover that has two flaps, one in front, one in back that hold in insert (I'll let you know how it works!). The insert is essentially right against the skin, so I don't recommend using a microfiber insert in these w/out some kind of liner or "sock". These inserts have markings for folding down for optimum fit. I look forward to trying these out. They are super easy to "stuff". In fact another perk of this system (unless you really want a completely NEW diaper at each change, which isn't necessary) is that if it isn't soiled on the edges of the cover (like if it is only a pee diaper, or if it all stays on the insert) you can just swap out the inserts and reuse the cover. Even if the poo gets on the cover it is still not supposed to leak. I'm sure I'll find out if this is true or not.
My biggest concern is bunching. I wonder if I'll have issues with the insert bunching up, especially in front. ??? You can also use prefold diapers or flats in this cover. It is really unique and has super reviews. I will be giving my review after Jonas uses it a few times.
Cottonbabies (the creator of the BumGenius line) is a great website and they had fast shipping, it was free too, since I purchased so much. Also w/ any $50 order, you get a free (for now anyway) pack of Flip disposable inserts. I am not much for doing the disposable thing, but I hear it is great for vacation, so I'm saving mine for such instances. Why use disposable inserts and not just disposable diapers you ask?
Here is some info I found online of the benefit:
"Unlike conventional disposable diapers, these inserts do not contain plastic, meaning they can, in theory, biodegrade in about 50 to 150 days rather than 500 years. Since most landfills are designed to prevent materials from biodegrading, many disposable inserts also offer the options of flushing the inserts in a toilet or composting wet inserts at home. (Soiled inserts should not be composted, due to the potential contamination from human waste. Customers who are interested in flushing inserts should follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully for best results.)"
Read more at Suite101: Disposable Inserts for Cloth Diapers: Convenient, Environmentally Responsible Baby Diapering http://potty-training.suite101.com/article.cfm/disposable_inserts_for_cloth_diapers#ixzz0hd0TV260
(Credit for the above quote goes to: http://www.potty-training.suite101.com/article.cfm/disposable_inserts_for_cloth_diapers) You can copy and paste the link for the complete article.
So, they biodegrade faster, not filling up landfills, and no harmful chemicals touch your infant. I will blog about such risks/benefits later. I have come to realize that there are some dangers to using disposables, even though that was not initially the reasoning behind starting to use cloth. I'm sure you'll be interested in this research as well! These "hybrid" (Flip, Grobaby, gDiapers) diaper disposable inserts are a bit more pricey than the typical disposable diaper, but the benefit outweighs the cost if you are using them on a limited basis, like say when less washings is needed. You could essentially go all week with a few covers and disposable inserts instead of a huge stash of pockets or AIO diapers. Okay, enough rambling! Of course I'll let you know how I like those inserts too! :)
On a side note, I found out my Kawaii order is essentially on backorder. I was bummed to find out that after I paid for my order, the items I want are not in stock. April expects them the 12th or 13th (they are coming from China I think!) and if nothing causes delays, she'll ship on the 14th. Since she is in Canada, it takes at least a week to get them to me. By that time, we'll be full time in Savannah, so maybe I should contact her and change my shipping address, huh? :) Glad I thought of that!
Blue Light Special!
So, last night we were five minutes away from our church, heading back home (we have a 2 1/2 hour drive each way) when we saw the blue lights. The road our church is on leads us all the way to Hwy 16. Along this path, you enter a new city, (all rural though), and for no apparent reasoning, the speed limit goes up and down between 45 and 55. It changes several times. Jonathan was going 59 (he never goes over 5-6 over the speed limit). Unfortunately, he didn't realize the speed limit had dropped to 45, so he was going 14 over. Now isn't that special? A blue light special! :(
Let's just say it was not an enjoyable ride home. Mom would be proud though! I kept my mouth closed and didn't get too mad about it! :D I figured God had always taken care of us, and though this situation was pretty irritating and costly, He's never let us go without! So why would he start now. Maybe he was keeping us from some other danger ahead, right? Deer were everywhere, so maybe it was God's plan of protection! :) I am choosing to look at this positively, it is far too easy to look at it negatively. I chose not to fight with Jonathan, and on the way home, though I was too aggrivated to snooze, thought about it this way: Satan does not want us to do things for God. We made the decision this weekend to move to Savannah and live in a "parsonage" room full time, leaving our house vacant for showings. You see, we have been commuting every weekend for 5 or 6 months now. We've stayed on an air mattress on the nursery floor, in an RV, and most recently in Jon's office on the floor. I feel sure we are about to face much scrutiny from others with good intending opinions, and more than that, I know we are about to face increased hardships/trials since Satan wants to get the victory. That being said, this is just one of those many trials that are not fun, but we will live through.
Even in the valley, God is good....God is good, All the time! :) That's our motto. That, and our newest one (on our church sign too, thanks Janet!), "God wants full custody, not just weekend visits!" Pretty funny in our situation, huh? :D
Jon called today, and to our delight, the ticket will only cost $100. That is a HUGE blessing, I was expecting $300 or more! :) Also, if he had been going ONE MILE AN HOUR FASTER (15 over), he would have gotten a point on his license and our insurance might have increased. But thankfully, the officer clocked him at 14! Talk about God's Grace!!!! :D Maybe I'm absurd for looking at it this way, maybe you don't understand. But, we all have a choice. You can choose to be angry, mad, or irrational. Or you can choose to be peaceful, happy, and forgiving. Which one will make you feel better? I think the latter, don't you?
If you see me getting upset about anything (and I was a bit at first last night, see my facebook status!) please call me on it! I want to take things in stride and create a calm atmosphere!
Thanks be to God for His grace, and who for now, has blessed me with the greatest family, friends, and church I could ask for!
Until Later!
Meredith
Let's just say it was not an enjoyable ride home. Mom would be proud though! I kept my mouth closed and didn't get too mad about it! :D I figured God had always taken care of us, and though this situation was pretty irritating and costly, He's never let us go without! So why would he start now. Maybe he was keeping us from some other danger ahead, right? Deer were everywhere, so maybe it was God's plan of protection! :) I am choosing to look at this positively, it is far too easy to look at it negatively. I chose not to fight with Jonathan, and on the way home, though I was too aggrivated to snooze, thought about it this way: Satan does not want us to do things for God. We made the decision this weekend to move to Savannah and live in a "parsonage" room full time, leaving our house vacant for showings. You see, we have been commuting every weekend for 5 or 6 months now. We've stayed on an air mattress on the nursery floor, in an RV, and most recently in Jon's office on the floor. I feel sure we are about to face much scrutiny from others with good intending opinions, and more than that, I know we are about to face increased hardships/trials since Satan wants to get the victory. That being said, this is just one of those many trials that are not fun, but we will live through.
Even in the valley, God is good....God is good, All the time! :) That's our motto. That, and our newest one (on our church sign too, thanks Janet!), "God wants full custody, not just weekend visits!" Pretty funny in our situation, huh? :D
Jon called today, and to our delight, the ticket will only cost $100. That is a HUGE blessing, I was expecting $300 or more! :) Also, if he had been going ONE MILE AN HOUR FASTER (15 over), he would have gotten a point on his license and our insurance might have increased. But thankfully, the officer clocked him at 14! Talk about God's Grace!!!! :D Maybe I'm absurd for looking at it this way, maybe you don't understand. But, we all have a choice. You can choose to be angry, mad, or irrational. Or you can choose to be peaceful, happy, and forgiving. Which one will make you feel better? I think the latter, don't you?
If you see me getting upset about anything (and I was a bit at first last night, see my facebook status!) please call me on it! I want to take things in stride and create a calm atmosphere!
Thanks be to God for His grace, and who for now, has blessed me with the greatest family, friends, and church I could ask for!
Until Later!
Meredith
Friday, March 5, 2010
Diaper ***Crazy***
So, I had permission to purchase some more cloth diapers with some of Jonas's birthday money (I checked with Jonathan!), since I need a few more, and they are for him anyways. :D So it was fun deciding, and also hard to decide! I went back to my previous wish list and here's what I went with:
1 - BumGenius (Moonbeam) 3.0
1 - Flips Day Pack (Ribbit) - 2 covers, 6 inserts (we'll see if I like this)
1 - EnviBum - a real splurge, but had to try it! It is green too!
and an order of Kawaii (the cheaper cloth diapers that I love!)
3 - Blue Stripe Velvet
2 - Yellow Heavy Duty
2 - Light Blue Heavy Duty
2 - Blue Heavy Duty
3 - Goodnight Lime Diapers
10 Extra inserts (for use in other diapers, they are super absorbent!)
(She made me a deal on all that, with free shipping!)
So I am overly excited to get these diapers to try! As always, you'll be seeing pics and reviews for these very soon! You can't wait, can you? :D
One a side note: Once these some in, I'm going to resale some of the ones I don't "love" on diaperswappers, and put that money in Jonas's savings. So it is kind of like some of these are just "trades" right?
He will have some bday money left for his savings anyway, and I bought him 2 much needed church outfits already too. People were very generous to us! We are very thankful for all of our family and friends who came and celebrated with us.
1 - BumGenius (Moonbeam) 3.0
1 - Flips Day Pack (Ribbit) - 2 covers, 6 inserts (we'll see if I like this)
1 - EnviBum - a real splurge, but had to try it! It is green too!
and an order of Kawaii (the cheaper cloth diapers that I love!)
3 - Blue Stripe Velvet
2 - Yellow Heavy Duty
2 - Light Blue Heavy Duty
2 - Blue Heavy Duty
3 - Goodnight Lime Diapers
10 Extra inserts (for use in other diapers, they are super absorbent!)
(She made me a deal on all that, with free shipping!)
So I am overly excited to get these diapers to try! As always, you'll be seeing pics and reviews for these very soon! You can't wait, can you? :D
One a side note: Once these some in, I'm going to resale some of the ones I don't "love" on diaperswappers, and put that money in Jonas's savings. So it is kind of like some of these are just "trades" right?
He will have some bday money left for his savings anyway, and I bought him 2 much needed church outfits already too. People were very generous to us! We are very thankful for all of our family and friends who came and celebrated with us.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The boy who stole my heart....my firstborn.
I love this little man!!!
:) He has gotten in the habit of waking throughout the night....so ***Lord Willing*** I am going to let him cry it out tonight. It's weird, he's very "babywise" in the fact that I can lay him down and he'll go right to sleep, but for some reason (maybe with all this travel), he wakes several times throughout the night, needs me to rock him for a few seconds (literally a minute or two tops) the I lay him back down. But is has to stop. He already woke up once. :( We'll see how it goes. By the way, I am not torturing him, he needs his sleep. And so does his momma. He put himself back to sleep quickly this first "wake" so hopefully the rest of the night will follow suit. :)
Isn't my one year old precious???
Frugalista Finds! :)
Today's Shopping adventure included 4 stops! :)
1. Wee Peats Consignment Sale (in the old Circut City building until Saturday). I thought their prices were steep for most items (a lot of clothes looked really worn.) I'm all for buying used, but I don't want it to look used. They had toys, but honestly I can find cheaper ones elsewhere. One thing I passed up on was a gallon ziploc bag full of Avent bottles (small ones). It had about 5 in it, and now I wish I would have gotten it. It was $10, but they range from $6-9 each at the store. Oh well. I got Jonas two really cute smocked rompers (the kind that run around $70 each at children's shops). One has frogs and bugs, the other a scuba dude and fishies. :D Precious church clothes.
2. Target - Great deals today! :)
Swiffer Wet Jet Starter Kit (since I can't afford a steam mop yet!) - on sale for $18.99 (red one!)
I had a coupon for $5 off, and a coupon for a free refill w/purchase of starter kit. So, I got the kit and an extra refill for $13.99!
Lightbulbs - Each pack was on sale for $2, I had a Target Coupon for $1.50 off each one, and then a manufacturer's coupon for $1 off 2, and Target will stack coupons like that. So I got 2 pks of lightbulbs (GE Reveal) (8 bulbs) for FREE! :) I just paid tax.
Pedialyte - on sale for $4.79. I had a coupon for BOGO, and a coupon for $1.50 off. So $3.30 for two bottles of NAME BRAND Pedialyte. Not bad. :D $1.65 a bottle.
Cookies - Cheesecake center Keebler cookies, mmmm! :) On sale for $2.52, had a $1 off coupon. Splurge. Oh well.
I also had a $5 giftcard from a few weeks ago, so I only spent $15ish out of pocket. :D Yipppeeeee! That is cheaper than a swiffer wet jet alone!
3. Walgreens -
Revlon Eye Shadow - on sale for $3 off, so they came up $1.99 each. I had three $2 coupons, so I got three FREE eyeshadows! :) Black, peacock (dark green), and dark purple. All three are almost black, you know for the corners of your eyes. :)
Kotex Tampons (can't believe I'm putting this online) - on sale for $2.99, and if you buy 3 boxes you get $5 RR. So I had two $1 coupons, so I got all three boxes of tampons for $7, and then a $5 RR (so cost of 2 boxes = $2!)
Aveno lotions - $2.79 on sale for 20 percent off that. (2.39) I had two $1 coupons, so the total for each was $1.39. If you buy two bottles, they give you $3RR, so I spent $2.60 and got $3RR back. What a freebie!
My total was $11 and some change and I have $8 in RR for next time, so this stop "cost" me $3 and a few cents! The extra spent is because you have to pay tax on everything.
***The best part? She forgot to offer me a Wonka bar, I mentioned it to her (there's a huge green sign "If I forget to offer you one, it's free") and got a FREE chocolate bar, and it is HUGE! :) MMMMM!!! Success!!!
4. CVS - they didn't have what I went for (apparently I had some old info on a sale) but I had a $5 ECB to use, so I went to the clearance section. I got 3 bottles of GreenWise (by Clorox) cleaning spray (2 allpurpose, 1 window), a box of popcorn, 2 containers of salt, and 2 snickers bars. I paid $1.70 out of pocket. :D
1. Wee Peats Consignment Sale (in the old Circut City building until Saturday). I thought their prices were steep for most items (a lot of clothes looked really worn.) I'm all for buying used, but I don't want it to look used. They had toys, but honestly I can find cheaper ones elsewhere. One thing I passed up on was a gallon ziploc bag full of Avent bottles (small ones). It had about 5 in it, and now I wish I would have gotten it. It was $10, but they range from $6-9 each at the store. Oh well. I got Jonas two really cute smocked rompers (the kind that run around $70 each at children's shops). One has frogs and bugs, the other a scuba dude and fishies. :D Precious church clothes.
2. Target - Great deals today! :)
Swiffer Wet Jet Starter Kit (since I can't afford a steam mop yet!) - on sale for $18.99 (red one!)
I had a coupon for $5 off, and a coupon for a free refill w/purchase of starter kit. So, I got the kit and an extra refill for $13.99!
Lightbulbs - Each pack was on sale for $2, I had a Target Coupon for $1.50 off each one, and then a manufacturer's coupon for $1 off 2, and Target will stack coupons like that. So I got 2 pks of lightbulbs (GE Reveal) (8 bulbs) for FREE! :) I just paid tax.
Pedialyte - on sale for $4.79. I had a coupon for BOGO, and a coupon for $1.50 off. So $3.30 for two bottles of NAME BRAND Pedialyte. Not bad. :D $1.65 a bottle.
Cookies - Cheesecake center Keebler cookies, mmmm! :) On sale for $2.52, had a $1 off coupon. Splurge. Oh well.
I also had a $5 giftcard from a few weeks ago, so I only spent $15ish out of pocket. :D Yipppeeeee! That is cheaper than a swiffer wet jet alone!
3. Walgreens -
Revlon Eye Shadow - on sale for $3 off, so they came up $1.99 each. I had three $2 coupons, so I got three FREE eyeshadows! :) Black, peacock (dark green), and dark purple. All three are almost black, you know for the corners of your eyes. :)
Kotex Tampons (can't believe I'm putting this online) - on sale for $2.99, and if you buy 3 boxes you get $5 RR. So I had two $1 coupons, so I got all three boxes of tampons for $7, and then a $5 RR (so cost of 2 boxes = $2!)
Aveno lotions - $2.79 on sale for 20 percent off that. (2.39) I had two $1 coupons, so the total for each was $1.39. If you buy two bottles, they give you $3RR, so I spent $2.60 and got $3RR back. What a freebie!
My total was $11 and some change and I have $8 in RR for next time, so this stop "cost" me $3 and a few cents! The extra spent is because you have to pay tax on everything.
***The best part? She forgot to offer me a Wonka bar, I mentioned it to her (there's a huge green sign "If I forget to offer you one, it's free") and got a FREE chocolate bar, and it is HUGE! :) MMMMM!!! Success!!!
4. CVS - they didn't have what I went for (apparently I had some old info on a sale) but I had a $5 ECB to use, so I went to the clearance section. I got 3 bottles of GreenWise (by Clorox) cleaning spray (2 allpurpose, 1 window), a box of popcorn, 2 containers of salt, and 2 snickers bars. I paid $1.70 out of pocket. :D
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sixteen days and counting! :) My March Goals:
In an effort to actually keep some "March Resolutions" (a month is easier than a year right?) I decided to blog them for myself. Making lists/goals will cause me to aim for something. I am more likely to complete something if I have a list/goal. I pretty much make a list daily of things I'd like to accomplish. Do you?
First of all, I'd like to go all month without using disposables. Okay, so this is a personal thing really because it literally is NO BIG DEAL if there is a day or two here or there that Jonas wears disposable diapers. Who really cares, right? We have several on hand for situations where it is necessary. I however am trying to see how long I can go without using one.
I've done it before with coke, chocolate (didn't last long, ha ha!), and other things along my journey, but the flavor of the month is cloth diapering.
I am admittedly a little obsessed with cloth diapers and with learning what I can, and acquiring different brand of diapers. I recently started using warm cloth wipes, and it is just delicious heaven! :) If I were a baby, I would love to have a warm washcloth wipe my bum! :) Okay, that sounded very weird! But I am trying to do what is best for my baby and best for our family. I think cloth is healthier and saves money in the long run! Research for yourself if interested the health concerns with disposable diapers. I am no "tree hugger" or environmentalist, but I do care about doing what I can to reduce waste and care even more about doing what is healthiest for my kids. I won't judge you for keeping your kids in disposables, it is very convenient. I am all for convenience. But I am a stay at home mom, and I think part of my "job" is stretching our family dollar. I may not contribute (much) financially to the funds of the household, but I can make sure the money that my husband does make, lasts longer and goes farther. Using cloth diapers (all the time) and cloth wipes (while at home) will save us money. Not time, but money! :) Even with the extra washing, we save. I didn't notice any significant increase in our power or water bill from the extra 3 loads of laundry a week. I line dry, os that is free. Know what I mean?
[begin rabbit trail...] My philosophy (this is a rabbit trail, sorry!) is now to look at things in light of how many hours my husband works in order to make that amount of money. Just for example sake (this isn't really his income rate) that he makes $10 an hour (that is an easy figure to work with :) ). Lets then say that I want a pedicure. Jonathan would have to work 2.5 hours (figuratively speaking) in order for me to get a pedicure. Is it worth it? Do I want him to be away from our family for that amount of time just for a pedicure? It might make more impact for you if you work outside the home and you say "I personally work 2.5 hours in order to have this or that." Is it worth your time? Is it worth your money? Something to think about, eh? [end of rabbit trail!]
I am thankful for the support I've received from friends and family on this cloth using venture. I have learned much and still have much to learn. I am keeping positive and am loving the changes that have come. Jonas has had one rash (he used to have constant ones, and needed Nystatin prescriptions) since we started and it cleared up very fast.
From what I have read, the average cost (Huggies, Pampers, or Luvs) of a disposable diaper is 19 cents. Think about that...as a newborn a baby could easily go through 12 diapers a day. Over $2 a day? $60 a month? I was blessed with a diaper shower,so we didn't buy disposables until Jonas was 7 or 8 months old. By that time he used basically half that number, and still does. I figured it at an average of $1 a day. Some brands of diapers would run more than that, some less. That figure is buying them in bulk, not the handy regular chain store/grocery store size. I also go that figure using coupons. One account I read online estimated that a family will spend around $!900 from birth to potty training per child! Cloth could be as cheap as $150 (but this would be the prefold/cover route, or buying at really good used deals!) and at an average of $400-500. And then the cost for baby number two could be $0! :)
I have some diapers that I don't love that I will be selling soon to fund other options. I also have some birthday money from Jonas's birthday that Jonathan and I have decided to spend on expanding JOnas's stash, so I won't be hard up for clean diapers over the weekend, and so I can sell these stupid Coolababy. They work in a pinch, but I'd rather have all reliable diapers. The rest of Jonas's money will be going into his savings account.
On a more personal note, I am aiming to do something else this month. It is kind of a personal challenge. I have decided to limit my grocery budget to $20 a week, trying to make up some deficit from some not so great spending habits in February and added birthday expense. We're not "hard up" for cash or anything, but I thought this would be a good challenge. If I can get away with it, I will try to spend $0. But we do need milk for Jonas, so can't skimp there. The plan is to live off the stock pile I have in the freezer (full to the rim, Praise the Lord!) and in the pantry. We also need to limit our eating out... (our weakness in Savannah!)
We also are committing (starting today) to writing down every dime we spend (cash or check or debit or credit or whatever!) so we can see where money is going! We don't keep track very well, we just check online every so often, but we really want to budget and get a handle on our debt (been trying to check out the Dave Ramsey book at the library for a month, apparently it is popular). So, pray with us that we will be able to do well with these goals.
To recap, My March Goals:
1. Go without disposables all month!
2. $20 or less a week on groceries
3. Write down all spending
Wouldn't it be nice to put money into savings this month instead of transferring it out to cover bills? :)
Hope this wasn't a bore, but I thought if I blogged "for all the world to see" it would help keep me accountable. I mean, you're gonna check up on me and see how I'm doing, right? So I have to keep these goals, because you expect it, right? Thanks for reading and letting this mamma share her heart. Let me know your March goals, and how I can pray for you! :) Are you trying to get debt free? I sure am!
First of all, I'd like to go all month without using disposables. Okay, so this is a personal thing really because it literally is NO BIG DEAL if there is a day or two here or there that Jonas wears disposable diapers. Who really cares, right? We have several on hand for situations where it is necessary. I however am trying to see how long I can go without using one.
I've done it before with coke, chocolate (didn't last long, ha ha!), and other things along my journey, but the flavor of the month is cloth diapering.
I am admittedly a little obsessed with cloth diapers and with learning what I can, and acquiring different brand of diapers. I recently started using warm cloth wipes, and it is just delicious heaven! :) If I were a baby, I would love to have a warm washcloth wipe my bum! :) Okay, that sounded very weird! But I am trying to do what is best for my baby and best for our family. I think cloth is healthier and saves money in the long run! Research for yourself if interested the health concerns with disposable diapers. I am no "tree hugger" or environmentalist, but I do care about doing what I can to reduce waste and care even more about doing what is healthiest for my kids. I won't judge you for keeping your kids in disposables, it is very convenient. I am all for convenience. But I am a stay at home mom, and I think part of my "job" is stretching our family dollar. I may not contribute (much) financially to the funds of the household, but I can make sure the money that my husband does make, lasts longer and goes farther. Using cloth diapers (all the time) and cloth wipes (while at home) will save us money. Not time, but money! :) Even with the extra washing, we save. I didn't notice any significant increase in our power or water bill from the extra 3 loads of laundry a week. I line dry, os that is free. Know what I mean?
[begin rabbit trail...] My philosophy (this is a rabbit trail, sorry!) is now to look at things in light of how many hours my husband works in order to make that amount of money. Just for example sake (this isn't really his income rate) that he makes $10 an hour (that is an easy figure to work with :) ). Lets then say that I want a pedicure. Jonathan would have to work 2.5 hours (figuratively speaking) in order for me to get a pedicure. Is it worth it? Do I want him to be away from our family for that amount of time just for a pedicure? It might make more impact for you if you work outside the home and you say "I personally work 2.5 hours in order to have this or that." Is it worth your time? Is it worth your money? Something to think about, eh? [end of rabbit trail!]
I am thankful for the support I've received from friends and family on this cloth using venture. I have learned much and still have much to learn. I am keeping positive and am loving the changes that have come. Jonas has had one rash (he used to have constant ones, and needed Nystatin prescriptions) since we started and it cleared up very fast.
From what I have read, the average cost (Huggies, Pampers, or Luvs) of a disposable diaper is 19 cents. Think about that...as a newborn a baby could easily go through 12 diapers a day. Over $2 a day? $60 a month? I was blessed with a diaper shower,so we didn't buy disposables until Jonas was 7 or 8 months old. By that time he used basically half that number, and still does. I figured it at an average of $1 a day. Some brands of diapers would run more than that, some less. That figure is buying them in bulk, not the handy regular chain store/grocery store size. I also go that figure using coupons. One account I read online estimated that a family will spend around $!900 from birth to potty training per child! Cloth could be as cheap as $150 (but this would be the prefold/cover route, or buying at really good used deals!) and at an average of $400-500. And then the cost for baby number two could be $0! :)
I have some diapers that I don't love that I will be selling soon to fund other options. I also have some birthday money from Jonas's birthday that Jonathan and I have decided to spend on expanding JOnas's stash, so I won't be hard up for clean diapers over the weekend, and so I can sell these stupid Coolababy. They work in a pinch, but I'd rather have all reliable diapers. The rest of Jonas's money will be going into his savings account.
On a more personal note, I am aiming to do something else this month. It is kind of a personal challenge. I have decided to limit my grocery budget to $20 a week, trying to make up some deficit from some not so great spending habits in February and added birthday expense. We're not "hard up" for cash or anything, but I thought this would be a good challenge. If I can get away with it, I will try to spend $0. But we do need milk for Jonas, so can't skimp there. The plan is to live off the stock pile I have in the freezer (full to the rim, Praise the Lord!) and in the pantry. We also need to limit our eating out... (our weakness in Savannah!)
We also are committing (starting today) to writing down every dime we spend (cash or check or debit or credit or whatever!) so we can see where money is going! We don't keep track very well, we just check online every so often, but we really want to budget and get a handle on our debt (been trying to check out the Dave Ramsey book at the library for a month, apparently it is popular). So, pray with us that we will be able to do well with these goals.
To recap, My March Goals:
1. Go without disposables all month!
2. $20 or less a week on groceries
3. Write down all spending
Wouldn't it be nice to put money into savings this month instead of transferring it out to cover bills? :)
Hope this wasn't a bore, but I thought if I blogged "for all the world to see" it would help keep me accountable. I mean, you're gonna check up on me and see how I'm doing, right? So I have to keep these goals, because you expect it, right? Thanks for reading and letting this mamma share her heart. Let me know your March goals, and how I can pray for you! :) Are you trying to get debt free? I sure am!
Comfy Rumps Review
So, I got a **FREE** sample diaper from Comfy Rumps, a new line of diapers on the market. I gave initial thoughts in a previous post, but now it has been used and washed three times.
After trying it, I would give this diaper ** out of ***** stars.
This is a comparison of the Comfy rumps beside Happy Heiny's (left), Comfy Rump (center), and a Kawaii (right). You can see they are comparable, the Kawaii is definitely more roomy. This might be a perk if you have a smaller baby.
Opened up:
Pros:
Pretty Trim diaper
Snaps are good quality
Elastic is tight
Inserts are the best part of these diapers - one insert absorbed 8 oz of water in a test that I did. The diaper comes with two microfiber ones, much like the Kawaii but with a little less quality stitching. Overall the inserts are great!
Price - super affordable option for cloth diapering!
Added absorbency - you can stuff until you get as much as you need, comes with 2 inserts, but could fit more (but adds bulk).
Jonas has to wear it all the way opened up (even though it is a one size and is supposed to last until potty training). Jonas is 11 months here and right at 30 pounds, over the 100th percentile. Your baby will most likely fit differently. I personally get the best fit (out of our stash choices) from the Kawaii opened all the way up.
Cons:
PUL is thin. When Jonas had a BM, you could see the brown through the cover. Yuck! I prefer a little thicker pul, as I have NEVER been able to see the contents of a diaper through a pocket before. That being said, 2 out of the 3 times he wore it, he did not leak. The third time, he wore it for 3 hours and it leaked MAJORLY! But I should have changed him sooner.
Lack of color choices - They might add other colors/patterns later, but for now it is pink, blue, or white. Pretty baby basic.
One row of snaps - I prefer 2, but for the price it is decent. Good quality snaps.
Biggest Con - inner material. While at first I thought it was soft, after washing it, it was pretty catchy like microfiber. Not soft at all. In fact the last time he wore this diaper he was really red on his bum (not typical with cloth) and I am not convinced it wasn't from this inner material. I prefer the softness of the Kawaii's and some others I have.
Overall, a good fit for my chunky monkey!
We will continue to use this free one, but for my money, I'd rather buy Kawaii or a more expensive diaper, as I don't see the PUL lasting long on these diapers. I think other brands will hold up over time.
I love the look of a baby in cloth, and while for me this was only an average diaper (comparable to Coolababy), you might think differently. I urge you to try diapers out for yourself until you find the perfect fit/absorbacny/price for your baby.
After trying it, I would give this diaper ** out of ***** stars.
This is a comparison of the Comfy rumps beside Happy Heiny's (left), Comfy Rump (center), and a Kawaii (right). You can see they are comparable, the Kawaii is definitely more roomy. This might be a perk if you have a smaller baby.
Opened up:
Pros:
Pretty Trim diaper
Snaps are good quality
Elastic is tight
Inserts are the best part of these diapers - one insert absorbed 8 oz of water in a test that I did. The diaper comes with two microfiber ones, much like the Kawaii but with a little less quality stitching. Overall the inserts are great!
Price - super affordable option for cloth diapering!
Added absorbency - you can stuff until you get as much as you need, comes with 2 inserts, but could fit more (but adds bulk).
Jonas has to wear it all the way opened up (even though it is a one size and is supposed to last until potty training). Jonas is 11 months here and right at 30 pounds, over the 100th percentile. Your baby will most likely fit differently. I personally get the best fit (out of our stash choices) from the Kawaii opened all the way up.
Cons:
PUL is thin. When Jonas had a BM, you could see the brown through the cover. Yuck! I prefer a little thicker pul, as I have NEVER been able to see the contents of a diaper through a pocket before. That being said, 2 out of the 3 times he wore it, he did not leak. The third time, he wore it for 3 hours and it leaked MAJORLY! But I should have changed him sooner.
Lack of color choices - They might add other colors/patterns later, but for now it is pink, blue, or white. Pretty baby basic.
One row of snaps - I prefer 2, but for the price it is decent. Good quality snaps.
Biggest Con - inner material. While at first I thought it was soft, after washing it, it was pretty catchy like microfiber. Not soft at all. In fact the last time he wore this diaper he was really red on his bum (not typical with cloth) and I am not convinced it wasn't from this inner material. I prefer the softness of the Kawaii's and some others I have.
Overall, a good fit for my chunky monkey!
We will continue to use this free one, but for my money, I'd rather buy Kawaii or a more expensive diaper, as I don't see the PUL lasting long on these diapers. I think other brands will hold up over time.
I love the look of a baby in cloth, and while for me this was only an average diaper (comparable to Coolababy), you might think differently. I urge you to try diapers out for yourself until you find the perfect fit/absorbacny/price for your baby.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Absolutely Drooling...
over this FINALLY FEMININE camera bag!!!! Okay folks, whatever event is next...Easter, Mother's Day, my birthday, whatever, THIS IS WHAT I WANT!! :) Any of these are perfect! I would probably choose the black, but it is a tough choice!! I want it, I want it, I want it now! :) But I will wait, because I am working on finances! :)
Just thought I'd share these great bags (yet pricey!) with you. :D
http://www.epiphaniebags.com/#/details-brown/
What do you think?
Just thought I'd share these great bags (yet pricey!) with you. :D
http://www.epiphaniebags.com/#/details-brown/
What do you think?
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