Fluffy Envy Giveaway!

I have been keeping my eye on the Fluffy Envy blog...a new to the blog world (started in July 2010). There is even a wonderful article on mama cloth! I have not been able to test out their store yet...but I hope to in the near future (my fluff money has run out for a bit...). I have heard great things about their costumer service.

Fluffy Envy's August promotion is out and when they hit 1,750 fans on their facebook page they are going to giveaway two prizes!

First prize is an AppleCheeks Little Bundle - in your choice of size and colour

Second prize is a Weehuggers cover - in your choice of size and colour

I LOVE my AppleCheeks...that is no secret so I will jump on any contest that includes them.

I love the fact that they fit so snug around the thighs...preventing any blow-outs. I also love the arrangement of the snaps...and they have amazing inserts!!! Nothing can beat AppleCheeks bamboo inserts and they are sooooo soft. That is one insert I don't mind using next to my DD's skin.

Now on to my new obsession....Weehuggers!

I actually haven't received my fluff mail yet...they are suppose to be in the mail next Monday! So all I can really comment is what I see on their website and what others have said. They are soooo cute! Who could resist those little mittens??? I can not wait to try them out...and maybe even do a review on here. Please check out their website and their cool new video...it is sooo cute! Also, pass it on to your friends....it may just help spread the word about using cloth diapers (and it is quite a catchy tune too).

So if you want to get in on the action just head on over to the Fluff Envy Blog and follow the directions on how to enter.

Oh and don't forget to invite as many friends as possible to "like" them on their facebook page. They are only giving the prizes out if they reach 1,750 fans.

Good luck to everyone...and I am crossing my fingers that I win!!!

Lots of Bunny-Hugs!

Cecette

How Many Is Just Right...

My little girl turns 8 months here in August and it is amazing how she has grown. She now can almost crawl (a commando style where she pulls her self along with her arms), can get to her hands and feet (with her bum in the air) and is developing a personality of her own. It is fun to see how she reacts to new things and is just starting to get into everything. It is amazing how she knows what I don't want her to play with as she seems to be attracted to those things.

However, with her turning 8 months my thoughts do turn to having a second child. At this time we haven't really set a limit on the number of children we want. It originally started out as 3 kids (as both my husband and I have two siblings) but for me the number changes every day. I do know that I would like to provide a sibling for Hannah so I know the number we want is more than one. I do like how compact that two children are (not the children themselves but the amount of stuff that you have to bring) compared to 3, 4, 5 or more. However, I see moms in the store with 4 little children toddling after them, it looks so cute. I know that in reality more kids are stressful and can be a money strain but I do think that there are some positives to a larger family.

So how do you know when you have hit the perfect number of children????

After a lot of thinking and searching the net for help I have narrowed down to a few questions that might help us decide....

What is the maximum age you want to be when your last child is born?
The chances of complication rises with age, as well as a decrease in fertility. Also do you want to be in your mid to late thirties and still be getting up with a newborn?
I am 24 right now so I think I have a little more leeway with the age issue. However, I would like to still be less then 35 when I am having my last child. Now, I don't want to say that people shouldn't or can't have children over the age 35 (my husband will be 38 at that point). For me and my husband it would be ideal if our children were at least in there 20's before I turn 55. That way we would have time to save for our retirement plus have a few years were we don't have children in University to support.
So for me it works out to being about a 10 year span that I would want my children in.

What age gap is right for you?

If you want 5 years between each, you want to be finished having kids at the age of 35 and you are having your first at 23. Then you really can only have two children...unless you alter one of the parameters...such as different age gap or your maximum age (cause if you already have a child you can't really alter your current age :D)
This one I really still struggle with...so I will go into this in the next post (I have been doing lots of fact finding on what people are saying about the perfect age gap).

How many children can the place you live accommodate?
If you are not willing to move then your have to think about the living arrangement that you can accommodate. Would you have every child have their own room or would you want to double up in a room? I grew up in the same room as my sister and didn't get my own until she went to University (I was then in grade eleven). Eventually my hubby and I will be taking over the family farm where the homestead house has 4 bedrooms (other then the master room) plus there is room in the basement for at least two more bedrooms. So this really does not limit us.

Can you/are you willing to get a bigger vehicle if needed?

We have a VW GTI and a Chevy extended cab truck. We could squeeze three kids into the car but anymore and we would need a larger vehicle. My ideal situation would be to get a large SUV and keep my car for work travel. I don't really see this happening but I could always dream.

Can you afford childcare if both parents have to work?or is one willing to stay home?
I just signed my DD up for childcare to start in January of 2011. For an infant full-time is $500/month and a toddler is $450/month. Now I am not sure if there is a discount for the number of children you have in at once but it can get pretty expensive. I work as an RN and will be going back to work to help support the family when my husband starts to farm. My hubby would be able to parent on weekends, evenings, and nights but he has lots of farm work to accomplish. Plus, after the move there will be lots on his plate to figure out. So it is just easier for us if we can get our daughter into daycare.

I have also read online that with more kids eventually you do have someone who could look after the other kids. Now this also depends on your oldest child's temperament. Are they capable of looking after the other kids (and will the other kids co-operate with having a sibling babysit?)

I believe that the amount of children you have should be based on how many you can emotionally, physically and financially support.

The best piece of advice that I came across was on the website Family Education. At the end of the article about planning for more children it talks about being flexible. That the best idea is to have a "settle-in period after the birth of each child" and then you can "readdress the issue if more children". This is important because it "prevents you from finding yourself overloaded based on a random number you may have pulled out of your head long before your wedding night."

I think that is a pretty good idea.

or I could just take an online quiz and have it decide for me...lol...if you were wondering I did take several, and they usually said 3 or more....hmmmm didn't really help lol

Lots Of Bunny-Hugs

Cecette

Oh A Camping We Will Go...

Well I am finally getting around to posting about my camping with cloth diapers. Enjoy!

Camping...with a 6 month old...in cloth diapers...I am sure people would think I am nuts. My family and I were invited to a family reunion which would be located in a small rural community in northern Alberta. There are no hotels so we were tenting it. Turned out that everyone but one other family were using a tent...the rest had trailers. Now when I say tenting it most people would envision a 6 man tent, maybe with a nice vestibule. Well, that is not really what we have. We have a small 2 man tent...a pup-tent more in looks then anything else. So this is how our holiday went...

For those who are interested this was in my cloth diaper entourage:

- 8 PUL covers (fishnoodle, thirsties, wonderwrap, bummis)

- 2 wool covers (royal bunz. niffty nappy)

- 7 microfiber inserts

- 4 hemp inserts

- 7 velour doublers

- 1 thirsies fab fitted

- 2 goodmama fitted

- 1 goodmama one cover

- 1 bumgenius pocket OS

- 2 applecheeks covers

- 1 happy heiny pocket OS

- 2 rump-a-rooz pocket OS

- 2 small fuzzibunz pocket

- 2 med fuzzibunz pocket

- 2 grae-flats P&E

- 12 yellow edged GMD

- 4 flats

- 2 applecheeks inserts

- liners

- wipes

- 3 wetbags

- rubber gloves

- pail

- soap

all of that was packed quite nicley in a dry sack...which is very handy if it might rain.

Day One:

I packed for most if not all this day (a Friday) till my hubby came home after work. We left at around 6-7pm and traveled till 12pm. On the way we had to take a couple gravel rodes (as the main highway by our city is shut down do to it being flooded out because of all this rain) and even took Hannah on her first ferry ride. When I say ferry it is not that grand of an event...just across a small river. But it was fun none the less. We arrived at our first camping spot about half way to our destination. We managed to set the site up quite quick. It helps when your tent is as compact as ours is.

Day Two:

The next am I had only a few prefolds dirty so I chose to wash them up so they could dry on the back seat while we drove. We had a pail that I could wash the diapers in and another collapsible one that I could go get water with. It turned out that there was a place for showers so I got the water there (which was nice cause it was warm). This was my first time washing by hand let alone in the outdoors. So I put them in just water first (my prerinse) and shook them around and kneaded them (that is what the gloves were for). Then I dumped that water down the toilet and got more fresh water I did the same thing but with soap. I let them soak a bit and gave them a pretty good scrub. Dumped the water down the toilet and rinsed them out two more times. It worked out pretty well...I think it would have been easier with more diapers to make for better swishing action.

While I was washing diapers my Hubby was making some breakfast....mmmm nothing like a hot meal over a fire!

Next we were on the road again to the reunion site. It was another 5 hours drive and our little girl was such a trooper!! She only got upset if she was starting to get hungry. The only down side was that on the road there are really no baby stations for changing. So most of time my little one had her bum changed in the car.

We got to the reunion just in time for supper. It was awesome! Next we had family pictures (each section of the family had a different colour shirt - my grandma had 13 siblings) and sat by a fire talking.

Day Three:

Woke up to a wonderful breakfast with the family and had a fun filled day of games and such. I found that even in the warm weather my wet bags held in any smell and the Rockin' Green Pail Shaker helped a lot. I never really got around to washing the diapers as it was a very busy day and we had decided that we were going to Edmonton to visit my Hubby's aunt (said we could use her washing/drying machine). If we were staying camping longer I am sure the hand washing would have work very well. We even had a clotheslines that I would have been able to string up.

Day Four:

Rain rain go away! We had a very loud thunderstorm that night followed by even more rain in the am. It is quite difficult taking down a tent and all the stuff in your tent when it is raining. Also tip for all those who might want to camp...keep your rain gear in the tent so you don't have to go out in the rain to get it. We had one last breakfast with the family and headed to Edmonton.

Day Five and Six:

Woot woot shopping!!! Oh and the diapers held up pretty good no leaks and got to wash them in a real washing machine!

Day Seven:

Packed up and started to hit the road back to Saskatchewan. We stopped off at Jack Fish Lake to spend a few days camping. Set up our camp site again and even put up a tarp this time so that if it did rain our table would still be dry in the am.

Day Eight:

Went swimming in Jack Fish Lake with Hannah... I think she thought it was too cold so we didn't stay long. My hubby also tried a little bit of fishing but no luck in finding any fish.

Day Nine:

Had another thunderstorm...with very close lightning. Hannah even enjoyed the loud booms and managed to sleep right through most of it. Woke up to a wet camp site. We packed up again and headed home.

In all I think it was a wonderful trip. Did not get to test washing the diapers by hand much but there were a few things that I concluded.

1. I love prefolds - easy to wash and easy to dry

2. I love apple cheeks covers and bamboo inserts - takes a little longer to dry but you never be wondering of they will leak. and with a little extra they can be a wonderful night time diaper.

3. Rockin' Green Detergent is the best for camping...cleans well when hand washing and rinses out easy

4. Rockin' Green Pail Freshener - a must if you are going longer then 3 days to keep your bag smelling clean. I sprinkled a little on each diaper when it was placed in the bag.

I would never think twice about camping with cloth diapers, it was a very rewarding experience.

lots of bunny hugs,

Cecette

What would you do??!!

This past weekend my daughter and I had a girl's weekend at a spa located about 3 hours from our home. We had a wonderful time with my mother in law, her mom, her sister, and my sister in law. The water (which is a mineral spa) was wonderful and I even experienced my first ever "real" sauna (and no I did not take my daughter in the sauna...she stayed out with her grandma). It was interesting and it almost took my breath away...very hard to breath in there at first. I must be a wimp cause all I could stand was at the most 5 minutes.

I also think that I have a little fish for a daughter cause she LOVES the water! She even giggles with excitement after being dunked underwater. So in all it was a very good weekend.

The issue was just before going home. It was just me and Hannah together at this point and I really really need to use the bathroom. Seeing as I was already at a gas station to fuel up I could use theirs how convenient! Well I was wrong....warning the following is about an experience with a small child in a very inconvenient public bathroom.

First of all it was 30 degrees Celsius out so even if I was a mother who would leave their child in the car while I went inside (which I am not) I would/could not that day. So into the store my baby went with me. I located the bathroom (only one for both male and female). To my shock when I got inside there was no change table (I should have realized that there wouldn't be one it seemed quite small from the outside). Inside there was one toilet, one pedestal sink (meaning that the edge was maybe 2 inches wide), a garbage can built into the wall, a paper dispenser built into the wall, and a very very dirty floor. Oh and did I mention that I really needed to pee??

This was the first time I experienced this dilemma. Usually I am with someone who can hold my daughter while I am in the bathroom or there is some sort of change table area. OH WHAT TO DO!???

So there I was trying to hold my baby (as far away from the toilet as possible..cause the floor was too dirty for words...no way I would put her on that. Plus she is at that stage where everything goes into her mouth) and pee at the same time! It was quite difficult...but I managed. Then I propped her on the side of the sink (she can sit a little which is nice) leaning against me while I washed my hands (I was prepared before hand and I wiped down the sink the ledge before hand so not to get anything on her bum). It was quite successful with what I had to work with...but I still wish the place had something that I could have put her on.

So what would you have done???

Lots of Bunny Hugs!

~Cecette

First Friday Blog Hop

If you would like me to follow you please leave a comment below with a link. This is my first blog hop so not expecting too much :P

Lots of Bunny Hugs!

~Cecette

Perfect Timing or Fate...

It isn't a mystery to anyone who may run across my blog that I LOVE giveaways!!! Who doesn't???

It is also no mystery that one of my favorite bloggers (who I look up to as a great blogger, reviewer, and giveaway expert) is Kim at the Dirty Diaper Laundry. Every time I need a kick in the pants to write on my blog all I have to do is browse through the archives there to get a little motivation.

Now I have been procrastinating starting up my own business (though I do have my business now registered, one check on the to do list! But I will be announcing more about that later :D) and I have been looking at snap press for my future products. What email did I find in my inbox this week! Dirty Diaper Laundry is reviewing snap pliers and has a gift certificate for KAM Snaps as a giveaway. WOOT WOOT! I have actually been looking at that very site trying to decide between the snap pliers and a professional snap press.

Now is that not just perfect timing!!!

If you would like to enter the giveaway please go here and follow the instructions on how to enter!

Lots of Bunny Hugs,

~Cecette

Rump-a-rooz Contest Two Days Left!

One of my favorite blogs Dirty Diaper Laundry is hosting a Rump-a-rooz contest with Granola Babies...which has only two days left! I am really excited and really hope I win so that I can try out the snap version of the Rump-a-rooz.

The Rump-a-rooz diapers are definitely in the "most used" portion of my stash. In the near future I am going to build up my Rump-a-rooz stash; so that when my little Roo has to attend daycare next year I can send this very easy to use diaper.

What is special about the Rump-a-rooz?

- awesome leg gussets!! they hold in runny baby poo in wonderfully!

- easy to stuff

- The 6r soakers are wonderful inserts, I love the fact that the newborn insert is very trim

- amazing colours

- love that you can choose between snaps and tabs (I am going to need snaps for when Hannah can undo tabs :D)

- I love the fit, we are on the second snap setting (which is considered the small setting) and Hannah is 5 months(50% for weight and 75% for height)

- even though my Roo still is exclusivly breast fed I am sure that more solid poo would come off very easy (so no dunking and swishing!)

So what are my concerns...

- not sure how the fit will be later on, I have heard reports that some babies (especially longer ones) grow out of them before potty training. However, there is lots of buzz that this was an issue with the older style G2 not the current version.

- and my own internal dilemma with the choice of tabs or snaps!!! Now that is not really an issue with the Rump-a-rooz it self but a concern I have none the less. I always feel like I can get a tighter fit with either snapless or velco (even though I have several Goodmama diapers which I can get a pretty good tight fit). So I really need to try out the snap layout of the Rump-a-rooz to get a good feel for the diaper and how the fit is.

For a more detailed review please see the Dirty Diaper Laundry Video Review

(note the review is of the first style of G2)

TTYL!

So much to do...and I just don't want to start

Hi All!

Sorry for the lack of my own posts :D was away at the inlaws for the Victoria Day/May Long Weekend. But I have lots of things to do before this weekend but I just don't know if I am gonna get it all done. Especially since I don't even want to start. *sigh*

This is my to do list:

- make a baptismal cake - maybe one like this but by just making a regular cake not with soda (I rented a book shaped pan from Nutter's so hopefully it works out)

- make cake pops

- blog about Dirty Diaper Laundry/Granola Babies Rumparooz giveaway

- clean the house (really don't want to do that...but it is really gonna need it after I bake :D)

- the always popular washing of the diapers (got to have my favorites for the weekends :D)

- finish my friends slideshow for her wedding reception (that one I know I won't get done this weekend but I want to have most of it completed)

- upload/organize pictures

- attend #kangacare twitter party (this Thursday at 9pm EST)

hmmm not too long of list but I am sure I am missing other things I am suppose to be getting done...oh like get that chip fixed in my windshield and call some people back. It seems that people love to phone when I am trying to either feed or put my little Roo down for a nap. Needless to say I keep forgetting to phone them back. Well off to complete my cake and other baptismal things. That's if I can drag myself away from the computer...the diaper pin is too addictive :D

TTYL!

The Most Girly Giveaway Ever!

I have a little girl and I can not wait till she wants to play dress-up and wear a Tutu! :D (well I hope she will want to...lol) I have also been dreaming of the day that I have a little girl tottling behind me with little pigtails, dressed in pink, calling me "mommy"....sigh! I know there are plenty of "other" things that are special about a little girl (and plenty of things that are special with little boys too not to leave them out); those are just some of the things that came to mind when I heard about this wonderful giveaway!

Mama Dweeb's little princess is turning three on June 5th. Wow, I bet Mama Dweeb (or Annie) would say that the time has past by fast :D. Please visit Annie's post here for what she has to say about her little one turning the big 3!

Here are two of my favorite Girly items that are included in the giveaway (in no particular order :D):

Everything Princess - $50.00 gift certificate
Such a cute website I LOVE the Princess Castle Cake or really anything in the Princess Birthday Baking :D. I love baking and I loved the fact that my mom was able to make wonderful cakes for my birthday and I want to do the same for my little bunny.

Itty Bitty Lydi - gift certificate for Tutu or headbands/head clips
wow...wow...WOW!!! That (and a gitty laugh) was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I saw this site. So many cute girly things to choose from!!!! After pondering over everything that they have; I have to say that I would go for the Boutique Birthday Tutu. I chose this one because I would love my little girl to wear a Tutu for her first birthday. I just have to convince my husband that a Tutu would be a good idea. :D

So there are just two of the many wonderful prizes. It was really hard to only pick two to talk about. But I told myself that I would not review more or it would take away from Mama Dweeb's post. So are you tempted??? Well for the entire list and to sign up for Mama Dweeb's blog (so you don't miss any of the updates - which is very important) please go here

Thank you to Annie for putting on this wonderful giveaway and I wish your little princess a (early) happy birthday!!!


TTYL!

Pic of Goodmama woven fitted diaper!

Just wanted to post a pic of my baby in her Goodmama woven fitted diaper!

Getting Motivated With New Ideas

I normally talk about cloth diapers (and a little about my daughter...or maybe that should be a lot). But I have found myself a little less then motivated when it comes to making meals. This in turn has made for a few weeks of unhealthy eating which does nothing to add energy and again de-motivated me.

So I decided that I will try one new dish (that I have never ever cooked before) each week. Maybe if I tried new things I can get back into the groove of cooking again. As I will need more motivation when it comes time for our little bunny to start eating (we are going to attempt baby-led weaning...which I was shocked to hear our public health nurses are looking into and maybe starting to promote...but that is another story for a different time). Which unless she shows real interest I plan on holding off till at least she is 6-8 months.

This week I actually did two new dishes!

The first was from the most amazing food blog called Mennonite Girls Can Cook. It is called Spaetzle and both my husband and I really enjoyed it. In fact I actually really enjoyed making the dish it was new and exciting! Spaetzle tasted some what like a pasta and I would definitely make it again. The only thing was that I didn't have that handy Spaetzle maker so used a flat grater and a spatula. This worked out quite well but I think I need to use a grater next time that has smaller openings...my Spaetzle was a little thicker then what they have in the picture. But it still tasted great!!

The second was Tapioca pudding...which yes I have never ever in my life made. This one was harder to do mostly due to the fact that I thought of something to make and then had to find the recipe. I settled on this recipe due to the fact that it has no sugar (as my husband has diabetes...so only the carbs from Tapioca has to be counted). I thought the recipe was ok but it took a lot of time standing at the stove stirring as I didn't want to burn it on my first attempt. My husband said it tasted good but I think next time I would use bigger tapioca balls.

So those were my two attempts at a new dish...if anyone has dishes they think I would like to try please send them along!

TTYL!

P.S

Sorry no pictures this time...I will have to remember that for next week.

4 month check-up

Well today was Hannah's fourth month check-up with her GP (she gets her 4 month immunizations tomorrow).

According to the nurse who took her measurements (I will post tomorrow if the health nurse has different measurements...cause last time there was a pound difference in weight and 4 cm in length) Hannah is:

Weight: 6.07kg (13.4 lbs) = 50th percentile

Length: 65cm (25.6 inches) = 75th percentile

Head circumference: 41cm (16.1 inches) = 50th percentile

She is hitting most if not all her milestones. Also it was nice because she was in a good mood so was a very willing participant in showing off what she can do. Lots of smiles and vocalizations. She made me very proud.

I did however make a slight slip I forgot to take off Hannah's amber teething necklace. Oops. I got a little lecture on how she could choke on the necklace etc etc etc. I however, just listened and didn't say much back because there was no changing her mind. Plus, I was just going to do what I wanted when I left anyway so no point in arguing. I don't let her sleep with it on and I am always around when she is wearing it. I know some would say that I should find a Dr that is more in line with my parenting style but that is really hard when you live in a rural community. You only have a small pool to choose from and it shrinks even more when you narrow it down to the few who are still taking patients. So I have the best of what I had to choose from.

We also attended our 6th tots swim class and Hannah did very well. We have a very small class to begin with but the weather was not very good so it was just us. I guess we just got a private lesson! Hannah enjoyed her front floats, managed some back floats (floats were all done with a little help from mom :D) and went for a few underwater swims. In all everything went smooth and she didn't mind getting her face wet. I look forward to next week which will be our final two classes.

I would also like to send a shout out to everyone who sent me their blog url during the cloth diaper twitter chat. I have a lot of reading to do and I am very excited to learn more from each and everyone of you.

TTYL!

Fluff On The Road

This past weekend Hannah and I traveled to a family birthday party for my husband's cousin's daughter (her mom is also one of my best friends from nursing school). The travel time was about 3 hours one way and we stayed there Fri-Sun.

This reminded me of all the places we have traveled with Hannah's little fluffy bum and not ones put on a disposable (which I am quite proud that I could pull it off...even though I still do travel with a couple of disposables just in case). In our short time using fluff (almost 4 months) we have traveled at least 3 times each month, making the total around 12 trips away from home; it ranged from 3-4 days. That isn't even counting the day trips to the nearest larger centre (which some days can be a challenge as it is about an hour from home). So really Hannah and I are away from home quite a bit and still manage to successfully make cloth diapers work.

I however over pack each and every time...if the diaper is clean and it fits (even if it is not my favorite) it makes it into my daughter's HUGE diaper suitcase. I usually pack her dozen+ prefolds (12 yellow edged, 3 infant, 3 orange edged), dozen kissaluv fitted, several goodmamas (even if they don't quite fit yet...), 3 small Fuzzibunz pocket(I use these as my covers for night time), Fuzzibunz pocket one size (OS), a Happy Heiny pocket OS, a Bumgenius pocket OS, 2 size one AppleCheeks, 2 Rumparooz pocket OS, and other randoms that are in my stash. So it ends up that we go home with more diapers left in our suitcase unused compared to what is in our wet bag. I think it is better to be prepaired and have too many vs. not enough. We usually stick to the prefolds and kissaluvs though I am now venturing into the pockets and other fitted.

I am now going to prepare for a longer vacation with Hannah in a few months time. Hannah and I are going to visit my parents for a week. The actual drive won't be different, it is only 2 hours away. The difference is that before I would have enough diapers to last the 3-4 days without having to wash them. However, a week is a lot of diapers and a long time to make the diapers wait to be washed. So I have to decide, do a take my gallon of detergent (it has a pump on it that dispenses the right amount) or do I take my soap nuts?? I have not used my soap nuts yet and are not sure how well they clean diapers. My mom has offered many times for me to use her washing machine I just never did cause I knew I would be home in a few days. I guess I am going to have to take her up on her offer this time. I will post after my trip to let you know how it went.

If anyone has any tips or experiences about vacationing with cloth diapers I would love to hear them!

TTYL!

AppleCheeks Swim Diaper Contest

Here is the post from the AppleCheeks Contest for their new swim diaper. It looks so comfy I am going to have to get a pair for Hannah. (The words below are those of the AppleCheeks blog)

Yes, it is the first of April, but this giveaway is no joke!

Happy April, everyone! It's promising to be a bizarre one on the weather front with temperatures getting up around 25°C/77°F this weekend here in Montreal. But global warming concerns aside, we aren't complaining! I for one will be taking time to smell the crocuses this weekend, assuming I can get that close to the ground what with this big belly cramping my style and all.

Though local outdoor pools won't be open for another two months or more, we know you're all gearing up for the summer swim season, so that is why this month's giveaway will be our new Washable Swim Diapers! WOOOHOOO!! Rock on SUMMER!!

For those of you who somehow missed it (because I know you all RELIGIOUSLY read everything I write, right?), here is my original post about our new, adorable Swim Diapers, which should be available for purchase from your local retailer in two weeks!

We will be giving away FOUR Washable Swim Diapers total, in the size and colour of your choice. Four winners will be picked at random from your comments on this blog entry.

Here's how to qualify. Each point will earn you one entry unless otherwise specified:

1. Make sure you're following me on Twitter.

2. Tweet this giveaway. One tweet per hour, please!

3. Follow my blog publicly.

4. Repost my post on YOUR blog.

5. Tell me your favourite of our two gorgeous colour choices (this will require you to read my other blog post as I'm not mentioning them here).

6. Subscribe to our mailing list. Note that this list is for our eStore customers and will keep you apprised of special offers. It is not updated very often, but when it is...it's worth subscribing to!

For those of you who would like to be kept up to date on other special AppleCheeks™ offers and updates, make sure you're follow us on Facebook!

This contest will close on April 14, 2010, at midnight DST(EST). Any entries submitted after that point will not be accepted.

Itty Bitty Bottoms And The Fluff On Them!

Well I had decided quite some time ago that I was going to participate in the Cloth Diaper Carnival VII- Newborn Cloth Diapering. Well the date came around to blog about my experience on this topic (which is really the only experience I have on the topic of diapering) and I forgot to write it on my calendar. So here is my very late (I feel really bad that I didn't blog sooner about it...so my apologies to my fellow cloth diaper bloggers) experience with my baby.

I guess it is confession time...I was thinking about cloth diapering even before I was pregnant...and I even bought some of my diapers. From the time we were thinking about having a child I was on the web as much as possible trying to find as much information as possible. To this day I have read tons of reviews and are still seeing if there are any other diapers I could add to my already larger stash (I have at least 30+).

We were on the fence about when we were actually going to start the cloth diapering. I had mixed feelings about the timing. The main reason was that I was due around Christmas so depending on the arrival date we would be visiting family for the holiday. Also I was delivering an hour away from our home. Not to mention that we were staying at a friends house for a couple days after the delivery so that the midwife could come visit us (in our province the midwives are employed by the health region and as such can not visit anyone that is not in the city at their home...thus I had to travel to the city for all my visits and for the birth).

Well it turned out we started cloth diapering (CDing) when my baby girl (Hannah) was two days old. I have to say that I was a little hesitant (given the reason above...and she was born on the 20th so we did visit family for Christmas) and it did take a few encouraging pushes from my husband to start then...but I am very happy we did. Hannah was born 7lbs 11oz but lost weight so when we started CDing she was 6lbs 14oz. She is now almost 4 months (wow the time flies) and weight 12-13lbs (I will post a revise when she gets weighed at her next visit to the public health nurse at the end of April)

So the newborn stash was as follows:

12 orange edged Green Mountain Diaper prefolds (GMD)

12 size 0 Kissaluvs fitted

2 x-small Thirstie covers

1 small fishnoodle cover

1 xsmall fuzzibunz

1 small dreameze All in One

fleece liners

3 snappis

I could go 2 days between washes which was perfect for our family. And once and awhile I would try a one size diaper which always did not go well....just not a tight enough fit.

I settled on using the GMD prefolds because of the wonderful reviews and the shipping to Canada was all added up nicely on their website (so you know roughly what it all will cost, there is usually duty on top of that at the border, however I didn't get charged any for the dozen orange and the dozen yellow edged prefolds I ordered). It came to maybe a few cents more then what I would have been paying for other prefolds...and for me I think they are worth it! I loved how the orange edged fit my little one and it was worth not having to go through sizing issues.

The kissaluvs size 0 are amazing diapers and I would say seriously consider these diapers especially if you are thinking about breastfeeding...I have never ever experienced a poop that this diaper can not handle. Not to mention they fit right at two days and had a nice notch to make sure it does not rub against the umbilical cord.

The covers I chose were based on reviews on the diaperpin...which again is were I based most of my choices. I love all three but I do reach for the Thirstie covers first; they have velcro vs the snaps on the fishnoodles. I seem to get a better fit on Hannah with the velcro. I would recommend that if you are going to buy the Thirstie covers go for the x-small. Hannah is no where near ready to move onto the small size, the range that they fit is quite large.

Now the dreameze and the fuzzibunz I barly used...only when I was getting down to the last of my stash and needed something to put on Hannah's bum till the rest were dry. So for me those were not a great buy. I just could not get as good of fit compared to the prefolds and kissaluvs.

I also loved using the fleece liners because it kept the wetness away from her bottom and helped with any diaper rash that might occur.

The verdict:

My husband loves the prefolds...he hates our other diapers thinks they are too complicated and not necessary (he knows how to fold a prefold...not so good at picking the right insert for the right pocket diaper yet...lol)

For me I loved both prefolds and the kissaluvs. It just depended on the day and what we were going to be doing. When I knew for sure I needed blowout control (ie we were going to be travelling or in public) I would use the kissaluvs. Other then that its just whatever was the closest to reach.

My biggest issue before Hannah was born was that I didn't know where to start or what to buy. For each review I found for a product I found just as many against it. I finally just had to take the plunge and buy what I thought was going to work for my little one. The other issue occurred about a couple weeks into the CDing. Hannah got a really bad rash (it didn't look like yeast) but it was quite red with a little open area and looked like it hurt. For that I had to break out the not-so-safe-with-cloth-diaper cream (penaten). However, I used fleece liner and only my prefolds (which was advice from the diaperpin forum that the penaten would not hurt prefolds...turns out they were right, no absorption issues after using it). I also started to give more naked time. Within a couple days the rash cleared up and has not returned (we do get red areas after waking from over night but gets cured with a little naked time)

Even with the few challenges before Hannah arrived I found that CDing a newborn was worth it. We never had to do late night runs for diapers (which would be hard cause we live where the only place that sells diapers that is open all night is Shoppers). We also did not have the dilemma of when to change her diaper so not to throw money away. We do not regret one bit to CD Hannah right from the start. In fact I think it might save us money because the shape that the newborn diapers are in they could be passed down to the next baby (and maybe even a third).

So what is happening now......

Well not much has changed except we had to move out of the orange to the yellow edged at around 2-3 months. The issue was more to do with absorbency rather then size...if I am in a pinch and forgot to put the laundry in I can still use the orange edged ones and Hannah can last up to 2 hours before I need to change her.

I still use the kissaluv size 0 with an extra layer of absorbency (larger stomach = larger volume of output) or just watch and change her after two hours. We are just now on the last snap...and I will be sad the day we have to put them away for the next baby.

I do use more pocket diapers cause she now is starting to fit into the small size...I have added two rumparooz, a grobaby, two apple cheeks size 1, two Goodmama Goodnights, and two bumgenius all in one. I do have 6 Goodmama one size diapers but I can not use them yet as Hannah's thighs are not chubby enough to fill out the diapers (but they are waiting in the wings when they are!). So as you can see some diapers (such as the kissaluvs) can extend well out of the newborn diapering period. It all depends on the size and shape of your little baby and you won't know that till you have him/her.

To everyone thinking of CDing their newborn (or is) I hope that my addition to the carnival was helpful. Good Luck!

TTYL

a new schedule...or routine...

Hi again!

Sorry to those who read my blog for the lack of posts. It has been a very busy and hectic month. I have been learning this whole mom role and hit a few hiccups along the way. We have been trying the baby whisperer ideas of scheduling and I don't think Hannah liked the change in routine...falling asleep while eating was nicer compared to falling asleep with just being held and put in a crib.

So I plan to, every so often, post how Hannah and I are making out with our baby whispering. We have only been following the E.A.S.Y. method for three days now, so not much to report thus far.

I am still trying to figure out what kind of child I have on my hands (I think I am leaning towards a Spirited; but I think Hannah is just developing her personality). For those who have never read The Baby Whisperer (or the book I read "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems" all by Tracy Hogg) Tracy mentions five broad temperaments: Angel, Textbook, Touchy, Spirited, and Grumpy.

So what is a Spirited? (all the below ideas are from Tracy Hogg's book "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems")

Eating:
Good eater but can be impatient (yah this is Hannah, she crys when she is hungry but continues with this impatient grunt even well into the feed).

Activities:
"high energy, feisty, and active" (page 59)...Hannah to a T.

Sleep:
Hate to be swaddled (well that depends on the day) and you need to block out visual stimulation (yup!). Also they are resistant to naps (not only resistant but only will take short ones at the moment)

Mood:
vocal (if she is awake then usually she is making some kind of sound), goes quickly from happy to sad and back again (yup!), and loves action but overdoes it some times (along with the sounds comes a lot of movement all the time).

To read about Spirited kids or to read the other temperaments you can pick up one of Tracy Hogg's books or join their forum.

Operation Fluffy Bomb - We Want Babies Shakin' Their Cute Fluffy Booty On The Ellen Show

So I have official joined the ranks of cloth diapering moms bombarding (Ellen (through tweets and blogging) about getting cloth diapers on her show. It was started by the blog Dirty Diaper Laundry and it is a noble cause! Now there are many reasons Ellen should feature cloth diapers. It ranges from good for the environment to being wonderful for the baby's skin and saves money. But the reason I love (just cause I am so vain) they look just so darn cute!

I never dread or hate diaper changing time...in fact I kind of look forward to it. I see this a way to interact with my daughter. As she grows older we take more time to tickle, laugh, and sing songs. I also get enjoyment picking out her next diaper. It is not just something to cover her bum; it has become part of her outfit.

But for a more comprehensive and well written reason why to use cloth diapers I turn to the blog the Dirty Diaper Laundry (so I will quote the blog instead of screwing it up):

"I could bore you with facts about the waste produced by disposable diapers, the chemicals they contain (same chemicals outlawed in tampons), the raw resources involved to make the diapers, and even the fishy tactics used by the big disposable companies to keep parents buying them.

Without mass media exposure, something the mom run diaper businesses simply cannot afford, we can’t really let the moms of the world know that there is a better way. Mention cloth diapers to a room with 100 new moms, and maybe 10 would have heard of the Modern Cloth Diaper. The rest would think of pins, rubber pants, and stinky wet pails. The internet is full of niche cloth diaper communities, but we are preaching to the choir! They already know the benefits of cloth. The mom who watches your show every day doesn’t. She might recylce, buy organic food, compost, and drive a hybrid, and still use disposables. Why? Because she has no idea how easy they are. I have actually met people who are very green, and still use disposables for that reason!"

Help us out and follow the plan set by Dirty Diaper Laundry. When you tweet use @TheEllenShow and #clothdiapers and #operationfluffy in the tweet. Also if you want a chance to get a free diaper also include #rumparooz in your tweet. If Ellen features cloth diapers and Rumparooz is on her show, Rumparooz will give everyone who tweeted a free diaper!

So go out there and tweet and blog to hearts content. Spread the word about how wonderful cloth diapers. Cause the more people we reach the better. We can show the world how easy and even fun (yes I said fun) cloth diapering can be.

TTYL