Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Dibs!
Katy is always having great contests and giveaways at Dibs! Also check her out on Facebook! The entries for her giveaways are always super quick and easy to do. Go check her out!
Monday, September 27, 2010
What I've Been Working On
So the boy wipes came out pretty cute.
And I finally got up the courage to try my hand at a diaper. It turned out reallllly cute, I think. It's a little too big in the legs for Devin. I think if I add more snaps to the rise and try to stretch the elastic a little further next time, it'll be a perfct fit. This dipe has a flannel outer with pul underneath. The inner lining is suede cloth. It's a pocket style diaper and works with my current inserts. :)
And I finally got up the courage to try my hand at a diaper. It turned out reallllly cute, I think. It's a little too big in the legs for Devin. I think if I add more snaps to the rise and try to stretch the elastic a little further next time, it'll be a perfct fit. This dipe has a flannel outer with pul underneath. The inner lining is suede cloth. It's a pocket style diaper and works with my current inserts. :)
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Perspective
I read this today on one of my message boards. It's written by a lady named Anna Quidlen
“All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast.
Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like.
Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.
Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished for me now - Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, all grown obsolete.
Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are,they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories.
What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations - what they taught me, was that they couldn’t really teach me very much at all.
Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything.
One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2....
But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs.
There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.
I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.
Even today I’m not sure what worked and what didn’t, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I’d done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top.
And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That’s what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.”
“All my babies are gone now. I say this not in sorrow but in disbelief. I take great satisfaction in what I have today: three almost-adults, two taller than I am, one closing in fast.
Three people who read the same books I do and have learned not to be afraid of disagreeing with me in their opinion of them, who sometimes tell vulgar jokes that make me laugh until I choke and cry, who need razor blades and shower gel and privacy, who want to keep their doors closed more than I like.
Who, miraculously, go to the bathroom, zip up their jackets and move food from plate to mouth all by themselves. Like the trick soap I bought for the bathroom with a rubber ducky at its center, the baby is buried deep within each, barely discernible except through the unreliable haze of the past.
Everything in all the books I once poured over is finished for me now - Penelope Leach., T. Berry Brazelton., Dr. Spock. The ones on sibling rivalry and sleeping through the night and early-childhood education, all grown obsolete.
Along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are,they are battered, spotted, well used. But I suspect that if you flipped the pages dust would rise like memories.
What those books taught me, finally, and what the women on the playground taught me, and the well-meaning relations - what they taught me, was that they couldn’t really teach me very much at all.
Raising children is presented at first as a true-false test, then becomes multiple choice, until finally, far along, you realize that it is an endless essay. No one knows anything.
One child responds well to positive reinforcement, another can be managed only with a stern voice and a timeout. One child is toilet trained at 3, his sibling at 2....
But the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs.
There is one picture of the three of them, sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4 and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night.
I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.
Even today I’m not sure what worked and what didn’t, what was me and what was simply life. When they were very small, I suppose I thought someday they would become who they were because of what I’d done. Now I suspect they simply grew into their true selves because they demanded in a thousand ways that I back off and let them be. The books said to be relaxed and I was often tense, matter-of-fact and I was sometimes over the top.
And look how it all turned out. I wound up with the three people I like best in the world, who have done more than anyone to excavate my essential humanity. That’s what the books never told me. I was bound and determined to learn from the experts. It just took me a while to figure out who the experts were.”
Friday, September 24, 2010
Lovies for the Girls
Here's the completed girls' wipes. Hopefully, I can get the boys' done tonight.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
My First Review & Giveaway is Coming!
I will be reviewing a Baltic Amber Necklace from Inspired by Finn! I am very excited to be doing this. Watch for the actual giveaway in the coming weeks.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Frazzled Housewife
It's one of those days where yesterday's make-up is still on and smeared, my hair is back in a ponytail but is frizzy around the ears, and I just generally feel like poop. It probably doesn't help that I just started my first PPAF. I had been so worried about my milk these last few days. Guess this explains things. Looking at the bright side--I'm not preggo lol.
Devin has not been sleeping well at all. It has been taking literally 2 hours of screaming for him to go down at night. I thought for sure, with his laid back temperment, he would be the complete opposite of Mitchell, but he's proving to be his big brother made over again. I have to really hang onto my patience to make up for Josh's shortcomings. He's a great dad and all, but he's just not very good with marathon sleep-fighting screaming.
Last night, we tried a relaxing shower, which went great until we got out and he froze to death. Shortly after that, we moved on to swaddling (haven't done that in over a month). It worked, but he still woke back up 5 minutes after I laid him down. I don't know what else to do but just ride with it and do what I've been doing. On top of taking forever to settle, he's been getting up 4-5 times a night. That's a guess, cause I am very out of it when I grab him and bring him into bed with me.
What gives, kid?! You're turning me into a frazzled housewife!
Ok, rant over.
I love you little man.
Devin has not been sleeping well at all. It has been taking literally 2 hours of screaming for him to go down at night. I thought for sure, with his laid back temperment, he would be the complete opposite of Mitchell, but he's proving to be his big brother made over again. I have to really hang onto my patience to make up for Josh's shortcomings. He's a great dad and all, but he's just not very good with marathon sleep-fighting screaming.
Last night, we tried a relaxing shower, which went great until we got out and he froze to death. Shortly after that, we moved on to swaddling (haven't done that in over a month). It worked, but he still woke back up 5 minutes after I laid him down. I don't know what else to do but just ride with it and do what I've been doing. On top of taking forever to settle, he's been getting up 4-5 times a night. That's a guess, cause I am very out of it when I grab him and bring him into bed with me.
What gives, kid?! You're turning me into a frazzled housewife!
Ok, rant over.
I love you little man.
Wipes Project
So, Lora at Bippy Diapers has generously offered to put my wipes up for sale on her site! So excited! I got to go fabric shopping yesterday and pick out some fun girl prints--something I've never gotten to do.
Here's what I'm working with:
They are 7x7 flannel/flannel in boy, girl, or gender neutral.
Here's what I'm working with:
Monday, September 20, 2010
SpongeBob Diaper!
Fluffy mail is so exciting even if it's only one item you're getting. I ordered a SpongeBob dipe on Friday and lo and behold it was in my mailbox today. I was having quite a rough morning, but that sure put a smile on my face. Mitchell was quite excited too. I'll see about getting some pics of it in action when it's done in the wash.
ETA: Fits him nicely!
ETA: Fits him nicely!
Kamsnap Giveaway
KamSnaps is having an awesome giveaway on their blog. Go check it out for a chance to win a $20 @KAMsnaps.com gift certificate towards snaps, pliers, or a press, plus your choice among over $3000 worth in prizes including Ooga Booga fabric and designer jewelry/handbags!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
It's Been a While
Since I've written on a blog. A little over a year. Since my last post in my other blog, I managed to get pregnant (and stay pregnant) and have a new little one to cuddle. That makes two boys--3 if you count my hubby. I've always been a little on the "crunchy"side, but after having Devin, I have decided to go even more "crunchy". We have delved head first into a wonderful world of reusable products.
Sadly, with Mitchell I was completely unaware of diapering options outside of sposies. I never questioned--just went about our lives. But shortly after Devin was born, I began reading more and more about the advantages of using cloth. It has changed our lives!
It wasn't very difficult to get Josh on board. I quoted approximately how much money it would save us over the years, and he was right there with me. Not to mention some of the articles regarding the chemicals in sposies made his eyebrows raise a little.
So here we are, some 40+ dipes later and I am a total addict. I've even begun making cloth wipes & solution and baby leg warmers (dang, they're cute!) One day, I would love to try my hand at an actual dipe. We'll see how that goes. :)
I would love to make for others one day. Maybe sometime in the future, I will pursue that. :)
Here's a couple of things I've made recently:
Cloth wipes
Baby Leg Warmers
Sadly, with Mitchell I was completely unaware of diapering options outside of sposies. I never questioned--just went about our lives. But shortly after Devin was born, I began reading more and more about the advantages of using cloth. It has changed our lives!
It wasn't very difficult to get Josh on board. I quoted approximately how much money it would save us over the years, and he was right there with me. Not to mention some of the articles regarding the chemicals in sposies made his eyebrows raise a little.
So here we are, some 40+ dipes later and I am a total addict. I've even begun making cloth wipes & solution and baby leg warmers (dang, they're cute!) One day, I would love to try my hand at an actual dipe. We'll see how that goes. :)
I would love to make for others one day. Maybe sometime in the future, I will pursue that. :)
Here's a couple of things I've made recently:
Cloth wipes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)