Caching Family

Matooka kids couture Review

2010-06-30T17:45:00.006-04:00

I was recently contacted by Matooka kids Couture to host a review from their Spring 1010 line. Not having a little girl, I thought a Goddaughter would be the next best fit. Not only does little Ana LOVE to dress us, she lives in a town in which these clothes would be perfect - slightly ritzy yet with your everyday citizens.
It wasn't long before I received a package in the mail with a beautiful red top with a white skirt, it was the 'flapper girl' outfit and just perfect for Ana. The clothes are very soft making them so comfortable for your little darlings! Ana absolutely loved the outfit and couldn't wait to try it on; in fact, she made her mom do her hair for these pictures!
Would I buy Matooka in the future? You bet! When clothes are fun for both mom and daughter you have a real winner!! The outfit that I received is to hand washed and lay flat to dry. Not a big deal at all, but keep that in mind if you don't have time for it.
You can bu these clothes at select stores that you can find online, and you should be able to purchase them from online stores this fall.

Ana had so much fun modeling 'Flapper Girl'.

The clothes retail for:

Dresses from 95 to 130
Tunic/legging sets are approx 110
Skirt sets 140
This all depends on the vendor selling the clothes.

If you like these clothes, head on over to their Facebook page and become a fan.

Matooka kids couture was started by two mothers that wanted to create a line of clothing that was 'contemporary and edgy but still young and sweet.' My favorite thing about them? They donate 10% of their proceeds to infertility treatments.

This outfit was sent to me by Matooka kids couture and all opinions are completely mine.

The Woombie Review and Discount Code

2010-06-02T18:00:00.001-04:00

I want to share a story with you...
Our Little Guy was born on Tuesday, April 6th and as expected he didn't sleep throughout the night and even if he had we would have woken him every three hours to nurse. We came home on Friday, April 9th and my Woombie was in the mail. Being particular about items I had to wash it before using and didn't need to do his laundry for 2 days so he didn't wear it immediately.
The first two nights he cried a lot and we pretty much camped out in the baby's room as we were needed often. We were stressed and my husband asked if we should call somebody to see what to do. Well, the 3rd night home rolled around and The Woombie was clean and ready to wear. Our Little Guy didn't wake up on his own but we did wake him every 3 hours for a feeding and he went back to sleep immediately!!
Over the next week we were exhausted and 'overslept' the 3 hour feedings, at one point he slept for 5 hours straight!! We went for his 2 week appointment and the doctor said he could sleep through the night since he was back to his birth weight, we thought this was a joke... Low and behold, he slept from 10pm until 8am. This happened the next night, and the next, and now that Little Guy is over 7 weeks old my husband and I do not know what sleep deprivation is!!!
I will admit that he has been up a few times around 3:30 but we are on vacation and I really feel that his schedule is a little off whack.....

This comes from The Woombie site

Swaddle your baby Safely and Effectively with The Woombie ... designed to ease your mind and comfort your baby so you may both achieve a better nights sleep. The Woombie is the safest & most NATURAL way to Swaddle your baby, encouraging baby to softly stretch extremities as needed, just like in the womb. The Woombie comforts, softly confines arms & gently compresses baby's unique curves to hug baby... preventing Startling issues, face scratching, overheating and also preventing dangerous loose unraveled blankets from covering baby's face.

No more worry of blankets unraveling which can lead to potential blanket suffocation.

No face scratching or Startle Reflex to awaken baby.

See a marked improvement in Colic symptoms.

Effective swaddling without the need to tightly restrain baby.

Prevents overheating due to over-wrapping. (Overheating is linked to SIDS)

Great peanut shaped ergonomic design. Hugs the shoulders/arms, waist/abdomen, hips and feet.

Babies sleep an average12-18 hours a day or more! Allowing movement is healthy and allows for proper motor development.

Comfortable:

-Soft, ECO cotton fabric gently hugs baby
-Baby feels secure, not confined, easing transition from WOMB to World!

Safe:

-Follows Pediatrician & S.I.D.S. guidelines
-Maintains airflow and will not overheat baby
-No loose blankets covering airways
-Prevents face scratching

Effective:

-Prevents unnecessary waking due to the Startle Reflex
-Soothes babies with colic
-Will not come undone
-Promotes natural motor development
-Easy to use, just zip it up

I have highlighted the ones that I feel are most important and that drew my attention to The Woombie. I have always been worried about SIDS and have taken every precaution possible so was thrilled when the people at The Woombie offered to send me one.
I have offered to buy Woombies as shower gifts as I think this is the GREATEST item I have ever used for our Little Guy. I thought about really testing the product and not putting it on my son one night but instead trying a different 'velcro wrap' that we have. However, I am afraid that I would not get a full night of sleep and don't want to take any chances... My husband recently asked when we were going to order the next size!!!
There are a couple of things I wanted to make point of:
~Little Guy has NEVER gotten his hands out of this (he does with the 'velcro wraps').
~It is absolutely adorable and I love to watch his stretch his body it there.
~The minute I put him in there, he knows it is bed time and as soon as he finds his cuddle spot he is ready for bed.

You can find other great stories on their Facebook page.

***Buy It***
Go over to The Woombie, place your order and use promo code '10%sale' for 10%off.

I was provided an organic woombie by 'The Woombie' company and all thoughts are completely mine. I was not compensated in any other way for this review.

Tilly Tally Diaper Review and Giveaway

2010-05-20T19:01:00.012-04:00

Tilly Tally Diapers is an ETSY shop run by a stay at home mom who decided to try cloth diapering after having her second child and deciding that disposables were too expensive. She tried many different designs until she came up with the one that worked just right for her little ones (and mine too!). She now uses this same design on all sizes of diapers that she makes.

I had the opportunity to review the newborn size cloth diaper, here is what Naomi says about her diapers "This Newborn(approximately 6-14lbs) Pocket Diaper is made with 1 MIL PUL on the outside, and lined with white microfleece on the inside. It is bound with plush Fold over Elastic. It has a back pocket opening for the insert placement. It has excellent snap placement to ensure a good fit without being too tight against baby's legs or tummy. This diaper pattern has been baby tested to absorb and contain extremely well. Comes with tri-fold super thirsty insert."

Naomi was super generous and sent me the newborn diaper in the 'Go Green' color along with 4 organic bamboo jersey wipes. When Little Guy was one week old we put his first cloth diaper on and this was it! Honestly, he did wet through that time but has not since then so I think it was because we were inexperienced and they probably hadn't been prewashed enough. The tri-fold soaker definitely held a lot after that! I really like that this diaper is sized for a newborn; we bought a lot of one-size fits most and they just look SO BIG!! The only downfall I found with this diaper is that it is hard to stuff as the pocket is so small, but that can't be changed as this is a newborn diaper.

The bamboo wipes are so soft!! I have actually reserved these diapers for his face only. I like to wash Little Guy's mouth and face each day and these are the only ones I will use.

You can buy the newborn cloth diapers for only $10.99, that is an amazing price and for how well they work I think we will be picking up some of these when the next child comes along.

**Win It**

Super-generous Naomi is giving one of these newborn diapers away!!

**Mandatory Entry**
Follow my blog.
Be sure to include your email address in all of your entries. If your name is drawn but your email is not present, I will choose a new winner.

This contest will end Friday, June 18, 2010 at 11:59pm. A winner will be randomly chosen and contacted via email.

**Extra Entries**
~Visit Tilly Tally Diapers and tell me which diaper is your favorite (1 entry)
~Grab my button. (2 entries)
~Blog about the contest. (2 entries)
~Subscribe via email. (1 entry)

Tilly Tally Diapers provided me with the the diaper and cloths for this review. No other compensation was received and the opinions are all mine.

Vote for a chance to win $250

2010-05-14T22:29:00.002-04:00

The American Baby magazine is hosting a contest and you have a chance to win $250. They want you to vote for your favorite baby item - you have until May 31st to get your idea in.
I was a little dissapointed because I was going to vote for The Woombie (review to come soon) but there was no category for it. The categories you can enter items in are Meal time and feeding, playtime, baby medical musts, car seats, high chairs, and nursery. Click here to vote for your favorite baby item.

I'd be interested to know if you voted and what your favorite item is, you can leave a comment and let us all know.

Oatmeal Lactation Cookies

2010-05-13T22:48:00.002-04:00

When I was talking to a friend about my milk production she told me that eating oatmeal helps and also told me about a recipe for oatmeal cookies that were beneficial but she had not personally tried them. So, being curious and really wanting more milk for Little Guy, I got the ingredients and had my mom and sister make them. They were definitely delicious!!
I want to share the recipe with all of you...

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (available at WalMart)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
2-4 tablespoons brewer's yeast (Buy 1, Get 1 at Puritan's Pride)

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350°.
2 Mix the flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
3 Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar well.
4 Add eggs and mix well.
5 Add flaxseed mix and vanilla, beat well.
6 Sift together flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt.
7 Add dry ingredients to butter mix.
8 Stir in oats and chips.
9 Scoop onto baking sheet.
10 Bake for 12 minutes.
11 Let set for a couple minutes then remove from tray.

Breastfeeding woes....

2010-05-12T17:18:00.002-04:00

Growing up I always assumed that I would breastfeed my children - in my mind it was that natural thing that all Momma's do. Not only that, but the benefits of breastfeeding are numerous. I was excited when our Little Guy came along, I had plans to feed him all summer and then to pump when I returned to work so he could have the best milk around.

After Little Guy was born he was brought to me in the recovery room so I could feed him, he was less than an hour old at this time and seemed to latch on without a problem. Over the next few days we woke him every 3 hours so he could eat; I felt that something wasn't right but since I had never done this before I listened when the nurses reassured me that this was breastfeeding. It hurt like crazy (I was bleeding before we left) and he kept falling asleep; I know that these are both normal but something just wasn't right! Be we were released I asked to see a lactation consultant (I had seen them throughout my stay but never during a feeding)but she was busy. Yes, we could have waited but after 4 nights we were ready to go home! Instead, one of the nursery nurses walked me though it again and gave me a few pointers - this time I felt good about it. My other concern was that Little Guy hadn't had a wet or dirty diaper in over 24 hours; the nurses were a little concerned but said that since he had so many in the 1st day he was probably okay.

The next afternoon the lactation consultant called to see how we were doing and I mentioned that he still had only had one wet but no dirty diapers. She told us to bring him in and we weighed him, then fed him before weighing him again. Besides the fact that it hurt and he wasn't latching on well, he only gained 0.1 ounce!!! I felt that I was neglecting my son because I wasn't feeding him enough.... Since he really needed to eat more but we wanted to breastfeed she suggested that we feed him for 10 minutes on each breast and then use a syringe and tube to give him more. The tubing would be tucked into the corner of his mouth and he would suck it out- this would improve his sucking (immediate reward) as well as help me produce more milk. While this was quite a production it was definitely worth it to help our little one grow!! She also suggested that we start pumping and giving him my milk and supplementing with formula as needed.

We did this for 3 days before going in for our next appointment with the lactation consultant...

These were 3 very long days...the feedings took over an hour and then we had to turn around and start over again three hours from the start time. This left no time to enjoy our family that was visiting, no time to sleep, and we were VERY stressed!! We went in ready to just bottle feed and while the lactation consultant wanted to help us out I was almost in tears so she suggested that we simply bottle feed and I continue to pump.

The pumping is going okay. It is definitely tough to make time for it while I am home alone with the Little Guy but I know how much better my milk is for him. Do we get enough for him to live solely on breastmilk? No way!! In fact I have tried many different things including fenugreek, blessed thistle, eating oatmeal, homemade oatmeal lactation cookies, etc.

Do you have any suggestions to increase milk production? I would love to hear them!

Free sample for breastfeeding moms

2010-05-11T23:43:00.002-04:00

Get a FREE sample of The First Years Nursing Care Instant Relief System to heal & soothe sore breasts. Click here http://tinyurl.com/y9c2fjl and fill out your shipping address and we'll send you a free sample!! This is a new doctor-developed product that naturally soothes and begins healing sore nipples. A cooling gel pad slipped into a milk protein treatment sleeve provides quick relief.
I got mine in the mail and can't wait to tell you all about it!! FYI- You only get one gel pack and might want two so I would suggest signing a good friend up for one as well :)

SKOY Cloth Review and Giveaway

2010-05-10T22:01:00.005-04:00

SKOY cloth was started by 2 California stay-at-home-moms who wanted a quality cloth that was also environmentally friendly.

SKOY cloth is a reusable and biodegradable (made from natural cotton and wood based cellulose pulp) cloth that is meant to take the place of paper towels (which can be super expensive and used only once!) You can use these in place of paper towels, wash cloth or sponges and are much healthier since they dry quickly lessening the chance of bacteria breeding.

When I got my SKOY cloths in the mail I had a hard time using them because they were so cute with a flower design on each; I did decide to use one for each room of the house and one for the floor. So, I labeled them with 'bathroom', 'kitchen', 'laundry room', and 'floors' and got started cleaning for my baby's arrival. I was very impressed with the quality of the cloths - I have been using one to hand scrub my floors for over two months and there is still no sign of wear! I use the other three to wash counters and cabinets so I expect them to last quite awhile. For washing they suggest putting it in the microwave, dishwasher, or washing machine. I have put them in both the microwave and the washing machine and both came out clean, and when you wet it and put it in the microwave it steams and is excellent for giving your microwave a quick clean.

I absolutely love the convenience of the SKOY cloth and feel like I am helping save the earth everytime I grab one instead of a paper towel!

--Buy It--

You can go to the SKOY website and buy a 4-pack for $6.99

**Win It**

The people at SKOY cloth have generously offered a reader 2 cloths of their own.

**Mandatory Entry**

Visit the SKOY website and tell me something you like or learned.

Be sure to include your email address in all of your entries. If your name is drawn but your email is not present, I will choose a new winner.

This contest will end Friday, May 28, 2010 at 11:59pm. A winner will be randomly chosen and contacted via email.

**Extra Entries**

~Visit SKOY on Facebook and leave a message on their wall telling them that Caching Family sent you. (1 entry)

~Follow my blog. (1 entry)

~Grab my button. (2 entries)

~Blog about the contest. (2 entries)

~Subscribe via email. (1 entry)

SKOY provided me with the cloths for this review. No other compensation was received and the opinions are all mine.

Winner

2010-05-05T22:52:00.000-04:00

Winner!!!

The winner of the Seventh Generation free and clear kit is Bebemiqui.
Congratulations and thanks to those that entered.

Bebemiqui has been emailed and has 48 hours to respond.

Dapple Baby Review

2010-04-21T23:38:00.007-04:00

dapple

Recently I have been on a big kick to use natural cleaners around our house. This has a lot to do with the recent addition of Little Guy; I want a safe environment for him as well a a healthier planet for his future. I found an amazing product online that is geared specifically toward cleaning baby items from dried milk on bottles to sticky finger prints on toys. Dapple makes natural baby products to help with everyday clean-up around the house.

The company was started by two moms who couldn't find organic baby products meant to clean toys, cups, bottles, etc. Everything they used left the detergent smell and a residue, not something you want in your baby's mouth. So, they made it their mission to create products that would be safe for babies and clean up the necessary messes. And they succeeded, all Dapple products use natural-based ingredients that are environmentally-safe, biodegradable, and free of parabens, SLES, and phthalates, as well as synthetic dyes or fragrances.

I had the opportunity to try the Dapple dish liquid and the Dapple toy cleaner spray. I was so excited as these items came in the mail just days after purchasing used toys at a local consignment sale.
I feel it is very important to wash all toys, both brand new and used, before children play with them. I had already washed the new items that we received as gifts at baby showers but was not thrilled as some of them got water inside when I put them in the soapy water. That wouldn't have happened with the Dapple toy cleaner spray as it isn't on there long enough, yet I felt confident that the toys were clean.
Here is what Dapple says about the toy cleaner spray:
Features:
Natural-based ingredients
Phtalate-free, paraben-free, SLES- & dye-free
Fragranced with pure lavender essential oil
Biodegradable
Not tested on animals
Certified to contain no detectable levels of dioxane
What’s in Dapple Toy Cleaner Spray?
Purified water, baking soda, cleaners made from fruits, tree oils and glucose, French lavender essential oil, essential oil dispersant, preservative derived from natural amino acid.

In line with latest medical research, Dapple Toy Cleaner Spray is not antibacterial. It works like a thorough wash with soap and water – so baby can build up a strong immune system while enjoying clean surroundings. Just spray, wipe and play.™

I sat down with all of Little Guy's toys, a cloth, and the toy cleaner. Everything that had a solid surface was washed and the cleaner wiped away - simple as that!! I LOVE the lavendar scent but it doesn't stay with the toy, it just makes cleaning more fun for mommy :) I also wiped down the swing as a friend had given it to us and it was very dirty, I was amazed at how much dirt was on the cloth when I was done. A little of this product goes a long way, I actually sprayed directly on the cloth and was able to clean a few toys with just a couple of sprays. I am very comfortable with Little Guy putting toys in his mouth and I know I can easily clean them again when necessary.

Little Guy's drawer or toys - I did not wash the animals with Dapple toy cleaner spray, if you do they suggest that you do a small patch test first.

If you are a bottle feeder, which I am, you understand how important it is to have clean bottles. We buy the BPA free ones but then turn around and wash them with soaps that are full of chemicals. Not any more!!

Here is what Dapple says about their dish liquid:

Features:
Rinses fast
Natural-based ingredients
Phtalate-free, paraben-free, SLES- & dye-free
Fragranced with pure lavender essential oil
Biodegradable
Not tested on animals
Certified to contain no detectable levels of dioxane
What’s in Dapple Dish Liquid?

Purified water, baking soda, cleaners derived from fruits, tree oils and glucose, French lavender essential oil, essential oil dispersant.

After Little Guy was born and breastfeeding didn't work for us, I found myself washing a ton of bottles. The first soap I reached for, and still do, was the Dapple liquid. I was so excited as the lavendar scent was back.... I noticed that the soap was a little thicker than traditional dish liquids and the suds don't last long. Be assured - these do not change the quality of the soap - I was very happy with how clean they were and how easy they were to rinse.

Dapple has focused on making organic baby products and they are very generous and make donations to a variety of organizations.

Would I buy Dapple in the future? Absolutely!! You can always buy online, but if you just want a small amount you will need to find a local retailer.

The products were given to me by Dapple but all opinions are mine.

Our Birth Story, Part 1

2010-04-20T23:58:00.003-04:00

My husband and I planned on birthing our son completely natural - free of any drugs unless medically necessary. Well, that was my plan and my husband was supporting me in my decisions. It was important for me to take this route as I wanted our Little Guy to enter the world peacefully and for myself to be completely aware of my surroundings and in control of my body.

Great plan until my doctor informed me that he would not let me go over my due date considering that I have protein-s deficiency. With this my blood clots more than normal and even though I had been giving myself a shot each day throughout the pregnancy he said that my chances of clotting would increase with each day that I went over the due date. So, an induction was planned; we took the latest date we could - April 5th (his due date was Tuesday, April 6th). A couple of weeks before this I would have given anything to have him as I was so exhausted and still working every day. At this point I was on spring break and since I could relax at home I would have been willing to wait a few more weeks!

The doctor planned on using Cytotec to induce me as I wasn't dilated enough for pitocin. I went home and read all about it and started to freak out as the drug is not meant for labor instead it is an ulcer medication and a side effect is contractions. After my research I called the doctor and he calmed me down and I realized that I am not the only person in the world to use Cytotec for induction and the rare things that I read about could have happened to just one person but every case needs to be reported...

So, Sunday night we made sure we were packed and then got a lousy night of sleep due to finishing touches around the house, nerves, and getting up early. We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 am Monday, April 5th and got one of the rooms we wanted - a larger one with a tub! I immediately reminded the nurses that I wanted a doula but they suggested we wait to see if anything actually happened. After taking about 45 minutes to answer all of the necessary questions, I got my first dose of Cytotec. Yes, I said 1st dose- I didn't know that we would be getting more of this if it didn't take effect!!!!!!!!!!! After taking this medicine I had to lay in bed and be monitored for 2 hours for both the fetal heartrate and the contractions. After 30 minutes I had my first contraction and a few more followed within a short time; I was excited as I was sure something was beginning to happen - I was induced for goodness sake!!

We were taken off of the monitor at 10:30 and were allowed to walk around; our first stop was always at the nursery to see all of the new little ones :) There was a large rectangle in the maternity ward that was perfect for walking around and we completed so many laps that we had to turn and go clockwise after awhile... We had 45 minutes and spent a good portion of this time walking during which I felt several contractions but nothing that was extreme. The deal was that we would get the 45 minutes then be monitored for 15 and again get 45 to do as we pleased. The walking always brought on better contractions that the cytotec and laying in bed but that was not a choice that I was given.
After our first round with all of this we were given a 1/2 dose of Cytotec at 12:30 and they allowed me to eat a small lunch and the only really good part in all of that was the cookie!! I was told that if we did not make progress it was possible that we might be allowed to go home and come back as needed or Friday when my doctor was on call. This was one of those promises that seemed broken as nothing really did happen and I still had to stay... This dose followed the same path as the first; better contractions when we were up and walking than when we just layed there. At 4:15 the doctor came in and did an internal exam; we were 2cm dilated, 50% effaced, and -1 station. At 4:55 we were given 3/4 pill of Cytotec and the contractions started to become stronger and came every 2-3 minutes. Unfortuantely, this didn't last for too long...

Cloth Diapers this cheap?!?

2010-04-17T14:38:00.005-04:00

When my husband and I talked about cloth diapering we were looking at saving money and space in our landfill. However, we also knew that the start-up cost of cloth diapering would be rather expensive and we almost chose disposables as money is rather tight right now. We put it off for what seemed like forever before sitting down with two computers and looking at different brands. My husband found Nubunz on Ebay and when I went to research the company and read reviews I found that they were cheaper on their website. Yes, the one size pocket diapers are only $9.50 each and come with two inserts!
As I read more on their website I saw that there were 'factory seconds' for only $5.50 or you can order them without the inserts for only $3!! I was a bit nervous about the idea of factory seconds as I didn't want to waste our money but we decided to order 20 anyways. Yes, we got 20 cloth diapers that will fit our child until he is potty trained for only $126 and that included shipping and handling.
Apparently, the company that they order their PUL from sent some not so waterproof PUL and some of it leaks and some doesn't, essentially you are taking a gamble when you order these but they say there is a 20-30% chance that you will have a problem with the PUL. They will still cover problems with the diapers just not the PUL itself. Also, if you get the diaper and decide that you don't want it they will allow you to return them. Knowing this, I washed one of each color and tried them on our Little Guy before washing the rest. Since we had no problems I have washed the others and now have a great stash of diapers.
Even with the one size, they are fitting our Little Guy who is a little under 7lb. right now. He had a very loose BM last night and it held everything inside, absolutely love these diapers!! Also, with this being my first time using cloth, I must admit that I am very impressed with how well they wick the moisture away from his little bottom. We will definitely continue to cloth diaper!!

I suggest that you head on over to the Nubunz website and check out their factory seconds.

Go quickly as they are moving very fast, they are already out of the velcro square tabs.

Our first night in Cloth Diapers

2010-04-16T20:39:00.003-04:00

We first put our Little Guy in cloth diapers on Tuesday, he was one week old at the time. I would have started earlier but I was so nervous to wash them - I was afraid of doing something wrong. I hadn't used them at night as I hadn't washed enough and was nervous about leaks.
He wore them all day yesterday and I continued with them at bedtime. You also need to know that I had offered to take baby duty all night as my husband had an early interview and he needed sleep.
So, the 12:30 feeding came around and he had wet through and the sheet was soaked. (I like to keep two sheets on so I can pull one off and not have to make any changes but he had wet earlier in the week.) So, I put him on the changing table and proceeded to change him into a new outfit. I placed a washcloth over his penis so he didn't spray all over as that is rather common these days. He may not have sprayed but he did wet and it got him and the changing pad sheet soaked!! At this point I started to think about the humor in it all and the great post it would make.
Since there were no clean mattress pads I didn't want to put him in there and took him into the cradle in our room instead. He slept well in there and I am happy to say that he did not wet through for the rest of the night.
He has not been in a disposable diaper since yesterday morning will continue to be in cloth diapers for daytime, nighttime, and on the road- we are loving this!!

We're Back!!

2010-04-12T21:48:00.003-04:00

Tuesday, April 6th was a big day for our family as we welcomed Tate Thomas into this world!! He was born at 3:55 pm, weighed 7lb 4 oz. and was 20 1/2 inches long.

Holey Donuts Review

2010-04-03T13:42:00.005-04:00

I recently had the opportunity to review some products from Holey Donuts, a company that makes donuts without deep frying them creating a lighter donut with a lot less fat.
The donuts happened to be shipped right about the time that a big snow storm came through the South so they took 6 days to get here compared to the 2-3 that they prefer. Please note - this was at no fault to Holey Donuts, we can blame Mother Nature here! When I contaced them concerning the delay they said the donuts would be fine as long as they were not melted. While the dry ice was gone, the donuts were still in great condition and we got them right back into the freezer.
From the Holey Donuts page -
Did you know the average donut has 15-20 grams of fat and as much as 480 calories?
Our patented cooking process avoids deep frying, creating a light, fluffy donut with as little as 3-4 grams of fat and 150-250 calories. You'd actually have to eat 4 of our full-sized, delicious donuts to get the amount of fat in just one traditional donut. What's more amazing is that we do not use any artificial sweeteners or fat substitutes to make our great tasting donuts. Unlike other "lite" or low fat foods, nothing about these donuts tastes low fat.
Our donuts are hand-made, flash frozen and delivered via express mail to arrive at your door, picture perfect and delicious! Keep in your freezer for a great low fat and low calorie treat anytime!

Low Fat Classic Vanilla Frosted

The vanilla frosting (and donut) were quite delicious! We happened to get these just before Valentine's Day so the pink sprinkles really added to the spirit of the holiday!!

Jumbo Reduced Fat Cinnamon Buns

These earth shattering full size Reduced Fat Cinnamon Buns contain no raisins or nuts. What is nuts, is the nutritional comparison! While both are about the same size, the Reduced Fat Cinnamon Bun from Holey Donuts! is super moist and delicious, yet has only 5 grams of fat compared to the Cinnamon Buns at Cinnabon with 54 grams of Fat!
We had a geocaching weekend planned so we took these out of the freezer the day before so they were perfectly defrosted when we were on the road and needed breakfast. Oh my goodness, these were absolutely delicious!! Even the guys, who were not sure how a low fat cinnamon bun would taste, were licking their fingers clean and saying they would definitely consider buying these again. I didn't feel that any flavor was lost by taking out the raisins and nuts, in fact - the apple flavor really added to it!

Sampler Favorites A

Included in this box are:

Reduced Fat Fudge Boston Cream (1): Low fat Boston cream filling with a delicious vanilla crumb topping.
Reduced Fat Raspberry Vanilla Truffle (1): Nothing beats this light combination of vanilla and light red raspberry.
Reduced Fat Caramel Apple (1): Rich caramel drizzled over a light crumb with real chunks of apple in the filling.
Reduced Fat Blueberry Crumbcake (1): Low fat blueberry filled donut with a cinnamon crumb coffee cake topping.
Reduced Fat Lemon Graham Cracker (1): Zesty lemon filling with a low fat graham cracker topping.
Low Fat Vanilla Crumb (1): Vanilla frosting and a light, fresh crumb topping (actually made from low fat muffins!)

While my husband wasn't too big on these donuts, I personally really enjoyed them. My favorite was the fudge boston cream, who doesn't like a good filled donut!!

Would I ever order them again?
Honestly, I do feel that they are a bit expensive and then the shipping makes it much higher as they need to keep them frozen. However, they often offer sales (one going on currently and they are more than 1/2 off) which dramatically lowers the cost. That would make it easier to place an order as they are a healthier alternative.

What would I do differently?
We immediately put ours in the freezer and took them out 1 or 2 at a time and microwaved them (one suggested way to defrost) but it seemed that the outside got soft while the inside cream was still a bit chilled. If I had microwaved them longer then the outside would have been too hot and possible the top melted. Another time I set them on the counter wrapped in a paper towel (they do not suggest this way) and they seemed to be too dry and I am not patient enough to wait an hour to eat my donut. They best that we ever had them was leaving the entire box out to thaw overnight (recommended).
Also, if I ordered these again I would probably repackage them before freezing. They come in a cardboard box with one piece of tape on them and since we didn't eat them quickly enough they became dry and picked up other flavors fromt he freezer.
I would definitely be willing to give these tasty, low fat donuts another try now that I know a little more about how to defrost and store.

Baby Update

2010-04-02T18:12:00.007-04:00

We are due on Wednesday but the doctor refuses to let me go over the due date as I have protein-s deficiency and he wants the environment to be as controlled as possible. I really want to have this baby as naturally as possible so I would prefer to not be induced but I also understand his point. So, we go in Monday morning at 7:30 to get things started....

In the meantime, here are some pictures that a friend took when we were 38 weeks pregnant. We went to Lake Murray and she had some fabulous ideas and got some great shots.

I can honestly say that I wasn't too keen on bare belly pictures as I am a bit overweight, but Jordin worked with me and then I finally suggested that I try a belly pic!! If you live in the Lexington/Columbia, SC are and want to have belly picures (or any other for that matter) made let me know, I will hook you up!!

Seventh Generation Review and Giveaway

2010-03-31T20:35:00.008-04:00

If you hadn't heard of Seventh Generation before, I'm sure you have now that they have commercials out. For over 20 years they have been working hard to 'protect planet home' with natural household products. Their headquarters are in Burlington, VT - that alone is exciting to me as my husband and I were there for our honeymoon and first anniversary and just love the area.

I really want to have a healthy home for our baby but had never purchased natural products in the past as I always thought of them as being too expensive...boy was I wrong! The prices may be a little higher but the health benefits are worth a million!!! Wanting to get my house CLEAN before our baby comes, I decided to contact a few 'green cleaning' companies to see if I could review their products. Seventh Generation was very willing to send me a package of my choice and they were wonderful to work with! I chose the 'free and clear starter kit' as I prefer not to have the scents or dyes if I can help it. This kit includes the following:

Free & Clear Natural Glass & Surface Cleaner -

Cleans without streaks and uses no harsh chemicals. Excellent for effectively cleaning glass, mirrors, chrome, and other hard surfaces around your home. Truly free and clear of fragrances, dyes, and masking agents. The day I received this in the mail I was washing the sliding glass door and was impressed that something with all natural products was able to get my windows clean and it didn't leave streaks! We have glass dining room and coffee table tops along with a large mirror in each bathroom. I have used the glass cleaner a few times and found that everything is absolutely clean. The only issue I had was with the top of the mirrors just below the lights where a few streaks were left. I am thinking that the heat from the lights dried it out before I had a chance to fully wipe it clean. When I repeated the mirrors wiping the top first I had no problems. One time I picked this up instead of the all purpose cleaner and uused it on my kitchen counter - it worked just as well!

Free & Clear Natural All Purpose Cleaner

Effectively cleans and degreases hard surfaces both inside and outside your home. Excellent for wet mopping. Not recommended for use on wood floors. Truly free and clear of fragrances, dyes, and masking agents. This was my favorite product of everything I was able to try, I began intensly spring cleaning the house and used this for everyhing and was very impressed every time!! We use this for the normal counter cleaning but I have also used it to wash the front of all of my cabinets, the top of my fridge, and all of my floors. Yes, I washed the floors on my hands and knees and have now decided not to replace the mop that I broke a few months ago...I will be using the Seventh Generation All Purpose Cleaner from now on! I was so excited to clean the top of my fridge because as soon as I used the all purpose cleaner all of the dust wiped away.

Free & Clear Natural Dish Liquid

Our new improved formula cleans more dishes than ever, and comes in a new 25oz bottle made from 90% post-consumer recycled plastic. Everyone can pitch in on the dishes thanks to our safe, non-toxic formula. When my husband first used the dishsoap he said it didn't bubble as much as the name brand product we traditionally use. However, he did find that it cleaned just as well and I don't feel guilty using it on the baby bottles. We later found that there were more bubbles if we put it directly in the water as opposed to putting it on the cloth to wash.

Free & Clear Natural Laundry Detergent, 50 oz

A unique combination of plant-derived cleaning agents and enzymes to power out even the toughest stains. Truly free and clear of fragrances, dyes and masking agents. I have used this on many different loads from darks to lights to my sheets, this allowed me to try a variety of temperatures including the steam cycle. Everything came out smelling fresh which I never realized I would love so much! Even after letting the clean and dry laundry sit in the closet for a few weeks it still smelled wonderful.

(2) Natural Paper Towels - 120 Count

Buying products made from recycled paper helps reduce the need for virgin wood pulp, which means more trees are left standing. These hard-working paper towels absorb spills quickly, even when wet. I don't use a lot of paper towels but found the Seventh Generation towels to be as absorbent as the towels we keep on hand. I did use it them my carpet to clean a spill and it did break apart rather quickly. I must admit though that I have never seen a paper towel stay in one piece except on TV commercials.

Reusable Tote

This of course is a typical reusable tote and even though I already had a few, getting this one gave me the push I needed to remember them at the store.

I also had to opportunity to review a few of their other products.

Natural Fabric Softener

Canola-derived fabric softener makes your laundry naturally fluffy and static-free. Add to your final rinse cycle or use for hand-washing delicates. Truly free and clear of fragrances, dyes, and masking agents. We typically don't use liquid fabric softener but did find it to be convenient and left my laundry soft as well as free of all smells.

Automatic Dishwasher Pacs

These concentrated automatic dishwasher pacs deliver our phosphate and chlorine free formula in a convenient single-use pac. We use our dishwasher all of the time and I found this to wash the dishes just as well as the name brand product we typically buy. We tend to over stuff the dishwasher and the items came out clean on the 1st wash!

Baby Laundry Liquid

New Concentrated 2X formula! This detergent is perfect for getting out those stains that are part of having a baby. Free of dyes & fragrances. I was very adament that all of our Little Guy's laundry needed to be washed in the super-expensive brand name baby laundry soap that everybody uses, boy was I wrong!! This is much cheaper and cleaned just as well. My mind has changed and my pocketbook and the Little Guy are thanking me! Everything turned out clean with no harsh smells.

So, my mind has changed and I will now be purchasing more products by Seventh Generation. I really want to try their disinfecting products as we do a lot of chicken and turkey and want to make sure the area is free of all germs after prepping them. A few weeks after I started using these products, I was touching up the bathroom and didn't want to alk to the kitchen to get the Seventh Generation Products so I picked up a colored product from the bathroom cabinet and almost gagged from the smell!!

We also don't have any bleached bracelets on our shirts; this used to happen when my husband used a bleachy cleaner on the kitchen counters and accidently dragged the cuff of his shirt in it.

Want to try these Seventh Generation products yourself? Head to their website and find out where you can but them locally.

Seventh Generation was very generous to offer a reader a Free and Clear Started Kit which will include the first 6 items I listed above.

****Mandatory Entry****

To enter, visit their website, find the product you want to try and tell me one fact about it. You will need to leave a separate comment for each entry and your email address each time.

The contest will end Friday, April 30th at midnight.

****Extra Entries****

~Subscribe to me via email

~Follow me (2 extra entries)

~Grab my button
~Tell others about the contest, make sure you tell me what you did

Seventh Generation provided these products free of charge, all of the opinions are mine.

To tear or not to tear?

2010-03-08T22:41:00.003-05:00

We went for our 36 week check-up today and I shared my birth plan with our midwife. I had written that I would prefer an episiotomy over tearing.
Let me explain...even though I want an all natural childbirth, I would prefer to have a local anesthetic and be cut as opposed to an unexpected tear.
Well, the midwife looked at me and said, "You really want an episiotomy? I didn't expect that from you!" She explained that evertime a woman pushes it stretches the perineum a little before the baby slides back. So, with every push, the perineum stretches a little bit more so when the full delivery comes it has stretched enough that if you do tear it should be rather small and not to a serious degree.
However, if the doctor cuts you, the area below the tear has not been stretched at all and is very likely to tear; this would cause a larger open wound from both the cut and tear. With all of this she asked me to go home and research it more.
Honestly, that was rather eye opening for me! Now that I have looked at all of the information I will ask for perineum support and if the doctor tells me that I need to be cut we will have a quick discussion as to his reasoning and go from there. If there is an issue with either Tate or myself and we need a quick delivery or the baby's position requires a little extra room then I would be okay with an episiotomy, otherwise I now prefer to have a small tear as opposed to being cut.

Geocaching Acronyms

2010-03-02T21:44:00.005-05:00

If you have decided to try geocaching, you will come across a lot of acronyms and wonder what they are. Here are the basics you will need to know to get started (and some extras that are simply fun!)

CITO - Cache In, Trash Out - Since we are out and about in nature, it is suggested that we clean up around us during our cache find. Sometimes cachers do this, but when trying to get your numbers up, you may find you are in too much of a rush to do this so that is where the events come in. Once in awhile a cacher will host a CITO event in which the whole goal is to clean up a specific area. These are usually held at state parks, national forests, or local parks.

TFTC - Thanks For The Cache - This is simply another quick way to write something in the log, I often use it if I don't have much else to say.

SL - Signed Log - This is just a shortened way to write on the online cache page that your were there and signed the log.

TNLN - Took Nothing, Left Nothing - When the cache is large enough and you have the opportunity to trade out items, people like to let others know that they didn't make an exchange.

P&G - Park and Grab - This is used to tell that a find is quick and you can often park rather close to it.

FTF - First To Find - This is a favorite for everybody!! It simply means that you were the first to find a particular cache!!

DNF - Did Not Find - This is used when you were not able to locate the cache.

BYOP - Bring Your Own Pen - This is ofen written on the cache page when the cache is too small to hold a pen.

UPS - Unusual Pile of Sticks - When in the woods the caches are typically not buried but can be covered with leaves, rocks, etc. In this case you have a pile of sticks (obvious to the cacher) covering the cache container.

Clean Green Event

2010-02-16T20:44:00.002-05:00

With our first baby on the way, there is no better time to change over to 'green' products around our house. There are a ton of benefits to more earthly materials, but the two that come to mind the quickest are the health of my family and keeping the Earth beautiful for our children of the future!

My husband and I recently started recycling at home and have been doing so at work throughout the year. Okay, so I may be joining the movement a bit late, but that is better than never. We also plan on cloth diapering our little guy to save room at the landfills (and health benefits among others).

Knowing that the nesting phase has begun and will only increase as the due date comes, I want to clean the house using only green products. I am looking to host a review/giveaway event here at the end of March, if you would like to see a company on here let me know and I will try my best. I currently have a great package lined up from Seventh Generation and am hoping for many more.

Geocaching 101

2010-02-13T21:47:00.005-05:00

As much as my husband and I enjoy geocaching I told myself I would blog about it when I initially started this, that was 4 months ago and this is my second log. A goal of mine is to write more about this amazing sport to inform others so that they might also join in.

Geocaching is an outdoor activity in which the cacher uses a GPS system to locate hidden items. Geocaching requires internet access so you can determine the coordinates and a GPS system so you can go on the hunt. People of all ages enjoy geocaching, I look forward to our entire family getting out for hikes.

To begin, go to the geocaching website and click on 'getting started' to sign up for a FREE membership.Now, you can get a premium membership for $30 which will give you a few extra benefits and access to some 'members only' caches, but to begin with I would suggest the FREE membership to see if you really like it.

Type in your home zip code and a list of local geocaches will pop up. Choose one that is close and read more about it. Then you just need to put the coordinates into your GPS system and head on out.

Once you find the geocache, you will need to sign your geocaching handle along with the date. Once you are back on the computer, go back to the cache page and on the top right hand side, choose to log your visit. Click and choose that you found it (hopefully) and write a note about your find.

Now you are ready to find your next cache!! Over the next few weeks I will post more information about geocaching hoping to interest many more people in the sport.

The Groundspeak Geocaching Logo is a registered trademark of Groundspeak, Inc. used with permission.

Babywearing

2010-02-12T20:57:00.002-05:00

With our baby due in a little over 7 weeks, I have to really consider how much I want to 'wear' our baby. With all of this I decided to check around online and share it with my readers.
So with what I found, babywearing simply means to wear your baby in a sling or carrier. Since most parents do this at some point or another, I typically consider babywearing to mean carrying your baby in a sling for long periods of time and throughout most of the day.

There are many benefits of babywearing, including:

Happy babies - carried babies cry less
Confident parents - parents that carry their babies begin to learn their expressions and cues quicker than those that do not carry their babies
Healthy babies - this is especially beneficial for premature or special needs babies
Comfort and convenience - you can get housework done without putting your baby down!
Good for mental development - babies are comfortable and in the 'quiet, alert state' which is most conducive for learning
Good for emotional development - babies develop sense of trust and security

When I looked up the cons of babyweearing, the only thing I could find was that some carriers are uncomfortable...not really a con if you ask me, just find one that you like.

I was surprised at the little bit of information I found; yes, there are more sites out there but I guess I was hoping for more information.

So, will we babywear? I do have a sling and have registered for a carrier as I think my husband will be more comfortable with a tradional carrier. I am fortunate and will not return to work until our little guy is 4 months old (I teach and will have the summer off) so I will have the opportunity to have him on me as much as possible. However, I strongly feel that if a baby is held a lot, it will expect to be carried and in somebody's arms most of the time; this is not something I want in our household. Yes, I love my baby and want to cuddle with him, but I know I can't do it at all times! I want our baby to be able to play independently and believe this starts at an early age. Does this mean that I will put him down and leave him for long periods of time? No way!! What it means is we will get him used to playing with his toys, falling asleep on his own, etc.

What I don't like and see a lot of is taking their child in their carseat everywhere they go. Thise are the times that I will wear Tate - church, grocery store, restaurants, etc.

Do you babywear? Please share your thoughts with me.

Information for this blog somes fromt eh following sites:

Baby Wearing International http://babywearinginternational.org/pages/whatisbabywearing.php

thebabywearer.com
http://www.thebabywearer.com/index.php?page=bwgreatthings

askdrseaers.com
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/t051100.asp#T051103

Holey Donuts Contest

2010-02-08T20:33:00.004-05:00

Wow, don't they look delicious? Want to try some for yourself? Head on over to Holey Donuts and buy some or sign up for their mailing list and you will be entered to win the February Love Assortment consisting of 4 boxes of our latest, best selling, super yummy Holey Donuts! Low Fat Treats and $250 Holey Donuts! store credit good for 1 year. That right there would be enough for me to sign up!! But, there's more - sign up and you receive special offers, free shipping, super private discount codes!!
To enter into this contest go to their website, head down to the bottom and click on 'contact us'. From there all you will need to do is enter your email address and in the message box tell them you are interested in entering the contest and that you found out about it on the 'Caching Family' blog. You may be wondering why I would have you do this... Well, I can honestly say that I want to win $500!!! The blogger that gets the most people to sign up will win that in cash; I know we can use that money toward bills and the baby on the way!
I have never tried their products but they are sending me some samples and I will be sure to review them - if I get any with my husband around!! A good friend of mine has tried the donuts and really enjoyed them so I can't wait!
The low fat cinnamon bun middles pictured above are only 100 calories or 2 weight watchers points each!! All I can say is wow!!! These are one of their newest - jumbo low fat chocolate chip donuts - only 5 grams of fat apiece, how can you feel guilty about that?!?

How about these for Valentine's Day? Wouldn't your sweetheart enjoy waking up Sunday morning to these delicious donuts - you don't have to mention that they are only 3 grams of fat each, but that would make it SOOOO much sweeter!!

Be sure to enter for your change to win 4 boxes of donuts and $200 store credit and enter 'Caching Family' into the box.

Free Kashi Sample

2010-02-07T19:55:00.003-05:00

Who doesn't love a satisfying, healthy meal or snack? I know I do and most often turn to Kashi brand products to fill that need. They are currently giving away a free sample of either GOLEAN Crisp!™ Toasted Berry Crumble cereal, TLC® Dark Chocolate Coconut Fruit & Grain bar, or GOLEAN Crunch!® Honey Almond Flax cereal. Personally I am going to try the toasted berry cereal since that is one I haven't tried before.
To get your FREE sample, go to www.kashi.com and click to get your free sample. You will then be given a choice of the 3 products mentioned above and then you will be prompted to give your mailing information. The hardest part is having patience as it does take 4-6 weeks to get your sample.
Kashi offers a variety of products from frozen entrees to delicious cookies. Here are a couple of my favorite products. The original 7 grain crackers are great on their own or can be paired with cheese and be mighty tasty!! Be careful, you might want to eat most of the box!!

I also love their cookies, especially the oatmeal dark chocolate. Imagine a cookie that is actually healthy for you!!! Of course, you can't eat the entire container and consider it to be healthy but 1 or 2 sure does satisfy a craving!!

Be sure to get your free sample and check out some of their other products the next time you are getting groceries!!!

Wooldins Review Update

2010-01-25T21:35:00.002-05:00

Back in December I had an opportunity to review some cloth wipes from the Etsy shop Wooldins. If you recall, the wipes that the owner Carolyn sent to me were definitely seconds - but still usable.
Carolyn felt bad about the quality of wipes I had received and wanting to correct it so she sent me 6 wipes and a pair of nursing pads!! The quality of the wipes was much better than the first ones I received and the nursing pads have a dart, or a tapered tuck, to give them a better fit. The feel of the pads against the skin is so soft, I can't wait for this little guy to be born and actually wear these!!
My point with this post is: if you order something from Wooldins and the quality isn't 100% (not likely to happen) Carolyn will work with you to make it right. Keep in mind that I wasn't a paying customer; I don't think a paying customer would have any problems at all and if you did, she will correct it. This really says a lot about Carolyn and how she wants to portray her company.
Stop on over to her shop, she has a variety of items and I'm sure there is something you can use!!

My Sweet Punkin Patch Review

2010-01-06T20:50:00.009-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to review a ring sling from My Sweet Punkin Patch. The ring slings are made from medium weight linen. I really like this as I feel it will be breathable for both my baby and I during the hot South Carolina summers. Since we plan on hiking quite a bit with our little one, I don't feel either of us will be sweaty as we grab more geocaches. The ring slings are fully adjustable (about 78" long) and can be used for newborns through toddlers, up to 35 pounds. I plan on babywearing a bit and will also use it as Tate becomes a toddler and we take day trips.
The rings are non-welded aluminum made specifically for baby carriers; they have been submitted to rigorous testing to ensure the highest quality. Knowing this makes me feel confident to carry my baby and not worry about slipping or breaking.

Brook is very generous and was wonderful to work with to work with!! Not only did she give me the sling to review but she gave me options in colors. Since we didn't know the sex of our baby at the time I chose the wheat; a few days later she sent me an email with a picture of 3 different ribbons that would go with the material. Wow, talk about customer service!! I was a very happy person at this point and got even more excited when I opened the package to find this beautifully wrapped sling.

The ribbon is used at the pocket and near the rings. I really like the idea of a pocket, it is large enough to hold a pacifier, burp cloth, or my cell phone and wallet.

Since our little one is not here yet I cannot tell you how comfortable the sling is or how easy it is to adjust and maneuver in. However, on my recent trip to NY I was at the mall with some friends and one realized I had brought my sling to show her and used it to carry her 13 month old around for a few minutes. She did say it was comfortable and she seemed to get her angel in and out without any problems.

My Sweet Punkin Patch also offers a beautiful selection of bibs, wipes, and pouch slings (these are made specifically for you using your measurements!!

Check out the My Sweet Punkin Patch etsy shop or go to her personal website where you will see some materials and other great offers. Her prices are very reasonable and I will probably be ordering some wipes from her in the future!

It's a Boy!!

2010-01-04T21:11:00.004-05:00

My husband and I couldn't decide if we should find out the sex of the baby or wait. I really wanted to wait as I wanted a surprise and I didn't feel that I would be surprised in the doctor's office...so, we compromised and came up with a plan.We had the ultrasound picture put in an envelope and I gave it to a lady at work who was willing to make a cake for us; the inside of the cake would be pink if it was a girl and blue fir a boy. We had plans to take the cake to NY, have dinner with our parents the night of our arrival, and then share the cake for dessert; nobody knew we were going to find out.After the 30 hour drive (major snow storm) the cake arrived in good condition, it was shifted a little but we couldn't see the inside. The lady did a wonderful job on the cake, we'll definitely be going to her in the future.
During dinner we had a discussion about what everybody thought the sex would be, between the 6 of us we were divided equally. Once we were done we told them that we were going to find out and brought the cake in. This definitely surprised them as they thought we were waiting until the end...

Everybody stood around as we cut, especially our mothers who were just as excited as we were!! Even though I'd had a dream that it was a boy (I've found dreams like these to typically be accurate), I had my heart set on a girl. My husband also thought it was going to be a girl; our chances of a girl are not very high as there are very few girls in his family.

And the cutting revealed...a blue cake!!!! So, Tate Thomas it will be!!

Winners

2010-01-03T11:11:00.004-05:00

Winners!!!
The winner of the Wooldins

cloth wipes is Wehaf.
Wehaf said, "I like the AIO microfleece-backed menstrual pads."

The winner of the Turn A New Leaf

cloth diaper is Life More Simply.

She said, 'shower button'

Both winners have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond.

Thanks to everybody who entered both of these contests.

My Apologies

2010-01-03T10:40:00.003-05:00

I feel that I owe all of my readers an apology as I have not been on here as much as I had planned and not posting winners to my readers. I truly thought that with a 2 week break from work I would have more time to be on here; but that time meant travel, being with family, and some serious geocaching (more information on geocaching to come soon). I am going to choose the winners and I have another review to post.
I also owe an apology to Brook from My Sweet Pumpkin Patch as she has sent me a sling to review and I have yet to post it.
This new year brings a lot for my household as we get ready for our little one to come. Then, I have the whole summer off!!!

IKEA Furniture in Nursery

2009-12-25T21:36:00.010-05:00

Once my husband and I started our baby registry, we started seriously looking at furniture for the nursery. We LOVED everything at Babies R' Us but unfortunately had a tough swallow when we looked at the pricetag. They fit all the requirements we had: slats spaced appropriately (mmost are these days), side did not move up and down (this was before the big recall), sturdy, and could be conerted to a toddler bed and to add to all of that the would was very thick and would be perfect for our baby!! After realizing we could not pay $1500 for a bedroom set, we began to look elsewhere. Yard sales and consignment shops brought mismatched pieces; maybe I am a bit selfish, I wanted a matching furniture for the room...
This led me to look online at IKEA for their baby furniture and I came across some wonderful pieces! After a bit of coaxing, I finally got my husband to make the 1 1/2 trip with me (it's amazing what he will do if there is a geocache involved). Let me just say that I fell in LOVE with the store as soon as we entered; beautiful furniture for every room in the house. Then onto the children's section and I wanted to buy one of everything for our little one. We found the pieces that we liked and they also fit our criteria; even though they are simple, they are sleek and very sturdy. Calculating everything that we would get for the nursery, we knew it was a good deal when we could walk out of there and pay less than $900 for the essentials and more! We didn't buy them on the first trip but went back before Thanksgiving and picked it all up.

I want to share a little with you about each of the pieces-

Leksvik crib

Features:

~The bed base can be placed at two different heights.

~Converts into a toddler bed.

$159

Not only do I love the price on this piece, but it looks so simple which reminds me how how laid back they are in other countries (exactly where this is made).

The toddler bed is also adorable, I'm not sure if we will use it as we plan on having more than one child.

Leksvik chest with 2 drawers

Features:

~Solid wood, a hardwearing natural material.

~Drawer with drawer stop prevents the drawer from being extended fully and falling out.

$149

We also bought the changing table for the top for an extra $40. This is easy to attach and when we are out of the diaper stage we can remove it and use the dresser. I can honestly say that with the changing table attached it is hard to get into the shelves or the top drawer as the changing table sticks out too far. However, I am really big on how things look and I really want everything to go together, I am willing to put up with the slight frustration in this case.

Leksvik Wardrobe

Features:

~Solid wood, a hardwearing natural material.

~Deep enough to hold adult size hangers.

~2 adjustable shelves and clothes rail: easy to adjust according to need.
$229

This wardrobe will hold all of our little one's clothes for years to come!! It actually has 2 clothes rails, I might remove one though as it sat rather low. This will definitely need to be secureed to the wall as it is rather tall and am afraid it could possibly tip over.

Leksvik High Cabinet

Features:

~Solid wood, a hardwearing natural material.

~Drawer includes drawer stop.

$179

This piece will sit right next to the changing table and hold the cloth diapers, wipe warmer, and possibly a nice lamp.

Leksvik Wall Shelf
Features:

~Solid wood, a hardwearing natural material.

$39.99

This will not hold any necessities, most likely just a baseball cap and some trinkets.

We have not finished painting the bedroom yet, but we had to get the furniture set up as the boxes were just witting on our bedroom floor. Imagine these pushed against the wall with everything ready for the little one to come home in April.

My husband did all of the woodwork in the room, a very nice look that is mature enough for the baby to grow with it.

What I love about IKEA is that you walk in and they have the rooms set up so you can really imagine all of this being used in your home. We wish we knew about IKEA earlier but swear we will go there whenever we redo a room in our house.

I absolutely loved all of the simple, wooden toys they sold at IKEA, here are a couple that I really want to get in the future.

Mula Push Along Toy
Features:

~The small figures jump up and down when the toy rolls forward/backward.
$7.99

I think of the modern 'popcorn popper' when I see this, but I love this so much more. It's not that I don't like noise; it has more to do with being an educator and understanding that children can learn without

Mula Stacking Rings

Features:

~A soft stick helps prevent injury.

~Develops fine motor skills and logical thinking.

$5.99

Not only is the price incredible, but this toy will allow your child to think with the unnecessary bells and whistles that the newer toys have.

I should mention that I love toys like this and it has nothing to do with the noise bothering me. It actually comes from being an educator and knowing that children can learn without the music and noise. Yes, it is good to learn to music and many things can be taught this way. However, these days many children cannot sit still without being entertained; I really want our child to be able to entertain himself learn at the same time!

TurtleTurtle Winner

2009-12-19T08:10:00.003-05:00

Winner!!!

The winner of the TurtleTurtle

gift certificate is Emily B.

She said, 'I love the egg warmers (and the name is super cute!)

I'd get one in either grass green, or charcoal grey. '

She has been emailed and has 48 hours to respond,

otherwise another winner will be chosen.

Our Journey Home

2009-12-19T08:10:00.002-05:00

We left for NY at 4pm yesterday and are currently in VA; we have moved 242 miles in 16 hours!!! I have lost count of the number of times we have been stopped in traffic; at one point we had the truck turned off for over 3 hours. We pulled into a rest area and a bunch of the tractor trailers went down into the 'car' section as their lot was quite full. We couldn't leave the parking lot for over an hour as there was a tractor trailer stuck near the 'car' exit, I was so frustrated that he didn't follow directions! They ended up closing the rest area and backing the cars out one at a time, we had a long wait as we were right behind the trailer...
Luckily, we are from the north so my husband has quite a bit of experience with the snow and we ppersonally have not had any problems. We also have 4 wheel drive, but even that doesn't matter when you are not moving.
One would think I could use this time to blog and enter different giveaways but I was so tired at one point that even that didn't matter... I have been sleeping on and off during the night but I have also been eating in between sleeps as the roads are very bumpy due to the ice and snow - pregnant woman with lots of bumps leads to queasiness and eating tends to help that. My husband actually looked at me with some disgust and said, "I don't think you should be eating if you don't feel good." Normally I would agree, but being pregnant brings on a whole ton of new things...
The GPS says we will be in a little after 5, uuummmm we had dinner plans with our parents around that time....and that is only if the traffic moves at regular speed!! Needless to say, this trip that normally takes 12 hours will take over 24 and I hate to ask to use the bathroom at this point...

Turn A New Leaf Review and Giveaway

2009-12-16T20:32:00.007-05:00

I was taking a look on the Turn A New Leaf Inc Etsy shop and ran across some beautiful handmade items. When I contacted Tracey, she was willing to send me a couple of cloth diapers(not available for sale until after the New Year) if I placed an order with her store. There were two box sets that I wanted to try but I decided to go with the Pure Baby Gift Box which includes a 28" square hemp blanket and 10 8"x5" double layer wipes which retails for $20.

Each of these items is extremely soft and are the perfect addition for our upcoming bundle of joy!! Everything is high quality, I can tell Tracey takes great pride in all of her work. I have never owned anything made of hemp and wish I had found items long ago, I have been tempted to take these cloths and use them on my face!! I am also thinking that this blanket will be used in a lot of pictures and we will probably bring the baby home from the hospital in it.

The cloth diapers that were sent are size 1, newborn - 15 pounds, and are made of 100% certified hemp and will retail for $20.

I have taken the following information from Tracey's blog site, Wildflower Mama Designs.
"This size 1 AIO hemp diaper is designed to lessen drying time and “no stuffing needed”.
My New AIO hemp diaper has a Pul outer layer with a full layer of hemp terry hidden inside. A hemp fleece layer is added with the softest side touching babies bottom. NO sewn in layers lessen your drying time and helps moms who would rather air dry their diapers. A 3 layer hemp doubler, slightly contoured, snaps into place for added absorbency. Simply snap the doubler into place and you have 5 organic hemp layers in total.
This size 1 AIO hemp diaper fits newborn to 15 pounds. For newborns, unsnap the 3 layer doubler and fold over the front using the inside snaps to fit snug around babies belly."

This is the first cloth diaper in my collection and I am very impressed with the quality. Our baby will not be born until April, so right now I am basing my review on my impressions. The elastic around the legs looks like it will be secure around by baby's legs but not too tight. The hemp feels so soft, so much better than disposable diapers. With the insert I feel that we won't have leaks going on in our house! The outer PUL is a soft cream color so it will work for either gender, this is good sice we don't know what we are having. The snaps are very secure and do not seem to pull on the fabric as I snap and unsnap and the sewing around the edge is very nicely done.
Tracey will be getting her size 2 diaper, 15-35+ pounds on her Etsy site at the beginning of the new year, she will also be adding a few differernt outer layer PUL fabrics so you will have choices!!
I am loving all of the products I have received and can't wiat for this little one to get here so I can use them all (I will wait and use the wipes on the baby).
Tracey's Etsy shop is currently closed so she can enjoy her Christmas, she will reopen on January 4th at which point these cloth diapers will be for sale. In the meantime, you can head over to her shop and sign up for an email to be notified when she reopens.
The other item that I thought about getting is meant for new moms (yes, we need to think about ourselves too) and includes 3 pair of hemp breast pads, calming tea, and soothing nipple tea bags, valued at over $40. I was reading her blog the other day and saw that she is giving a box away!!! Yes, if you head on over to her blog you can enter to win!! Hurry though, the contest ends on December 20th.
All of the items are made in British Columbia, Canada and shipped in recycled boxes. Tracey was wonderful to work with and I was very excited to receive these products and get to feel the hemp and see the quality of her work.

Tracey has been very generous to send one of the diapers for a Caching Family reader!! I currently have the diaper but will keep this open to United States and Canadian residents.

****Mandatory Entry****

If you would like to win this cloth diaper, tell me why you chose to cloth diaper.

Be sure to include your email adress in all of your entries.

If you are a winner and your email address is not present, I will draw for another winner.

This contest will end Saturday, January 2, 2010 at 11:59 pm. A winner will be randomly chosen and contacted via email.
****Extra Entries****

~Subscribe to me via email

~Grab my button

~Grab my 'Welcome Baby, Shower' button (before the giveaways started)

~Following me

~Email others about my blog and this contest(cc cachingfamily@yahoo.com)

~Tell me how you found my site

~Blog about this contest (3 entries)

Thanks for looking and have a wonderful holiday!

Udder Covers Review and Discount Code

2009-12-16T17:56:00.007-05:00

Udder Covers for nursing mothers sells some of the most important things a nursing mother needs - nursing covers, breast pads, and nursing bracelets. You can order just the nursing pads, the Udder Cover, or the set of three and save some money.
At the beginning of my pregnancy I received an email offering a FREE Udder Cover, all I had to do was pay shipping and handling. However, there was a rumor out in cyberspace (more about that later) and since we were tight on money, so I decided to put off on ordering.
When I looked around for the rumor, I found that people had ordered with their credit cards and shortly after had fraudulent charges added as well. A good frind of mine, from the Life More Simply blog was curious and did some research on the company (click here to read more( and found it all to be false.
I was bummed because I had missed the opportunity to get a free nursing cover... That was when I contacted Udder Covers and they were very generous to send me the Jones gift set for review.

Jones nursing cover

The nursing cover with a pack of breast pads, and a milk band bracelet.

The lady I worked with was absolutely wonderful! I received my gift set very quickly, unfortunately I have not had a chance to use it as the baby is not due until April. I can still tell you what I think about each item though!

Jones nursing cover (retails for $32.00):

Our rigid neckline gives you direct eye contact with baby.

Our fabrics are made of 100% breathable cotton.

Stainless steel d-rings allow fully adjustable neckline.

Machine washable (made with 100% cotton).

The nursing cover measures 33" wide by 23" long with a 23" adjustable neckline. I chose the 'Jones' style as we do not know what we are having and I truly feel that it will work well for either gender. When I received the cover, the front neckline had a bend in it making it look more like a slight 'V-shape' and I was a little bummed about that. However, now that I have had it out of the package for a while the bend is gone, leaving a very nice opening to peek at my little one. I feel confident that if this nursing cover gets stuffed in the diaper bag the 'stiff strip' won't get ruined!! I have worn this around the house a few times and it is very comfortable to wear while sitting or standing and I will look like a super chic momma when I feed my baby outside of the house!

100% Cotton Breast Pads (10 pair for $32.95) :

Product Benefits:

Leaking milk and moisture is drawn away from skin by 5 layers of absorbent cotton fabric Machine-washable and reusable

Soft layers conform to breast shape for a natural look under clothing

Product Features:

100% Cotton

5 Ply

Even though I am not currently breastfeeding, I felt the only fair way to review these was to wear them. They are extremely comfortable, have no roughness to them, and have the added benefit of some extra warmth. Once April comes around I know I will grab these pads from the drawer often!

Milk Bands nursing bracelet:

Milk Bands™ breastfeeding bracelet keeps track of what side you nurse from, what time and how long all on one wrist!

Years ago people wore a safety pin on their bra to show which side they last nursed on, now some people write every feeding down. Personally, I don't have time for either. I will be able to wear this bracelet on one wrist and know when I last fed and on which side; all I'll have to do is turn it inside out to show the side and move the sliders to show how long the feeding lasted or what time it was at. I am already having 'pregnancy brain' so I know this will come in handy when I have one more person to worry about!

Milk Bands started in 2005 and recently started carrying the covers and pads, all products are made overseas. You will notice some items are currently on backorder, looks to me like a lot of people are picking these up for the amazing price.

Since the economy is so weak, Udder Covers is offering this product for FREE, you'll simply have to pay shipping and handling!!! They say this offer will last until the economy turns around, but I would suggest ordering sooner than later so you can make sure to take advantage of this opportunity. I tried it yesterday and was able to put the promotional code in successfully so you shouldn't have a problem; you can actually order anyhting from their site and save $32 (the price of one Udder Cover). You will still have to pay S&H which is $8.95 for the cover. Place your order and type '1free' in the promotional code box, make sure you do not add any spaces.

I truly feel that this is a wonderful deal and just might pick them up for my pregnant friends.

I am curious to know if you place an order; leave me a comment with the design you chose.

Wooldins Review and Giveaway

2009-12-14T21:54:00.017-05:00

I was recently in contact with Carolyn of Wooldins online Etsy shop concerning a review and giveaway. She was very generous and willing to send me to cloth wipes, one to review and one to give away. Carolyn makes a variety of items and uses 100% organic bamboo, flannel, and cotton fleece to make most of her items. I was very interested in her items as she has such adorable materials and I plan on cloth diapering and wiping, and breast feeding - many of her items fit into these categories. Check out some of her products:

7"x7" double sided flannel wipe

Retail: 8 for $8.00

Looks so soft for my baby's bottom!

4.5" double layer organic bamboo nursing pads

Retail: $4.50/pair

I know that nobody really sees these, but the design would make me feel more feminine during such an interesting time!

Organic bamboo velour fitted diaper

Retail: $21.95

Perfect because one size fits all!!

Carolyn also makes menstrual pads, diaper covers, baby blankets, and children's underwear - all from her home in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her online shop, Wooldins, is very successful - she has 100% positive feedback and supplies to international business customers.

I received two wipes from Wooldins, one bamboo and one fleece/flannel. I was definitely surprised to open the envelope and see the following wipes:

Double layer cotton fleece with flannel in pink stripe
Bamboo wipe with brown serged edge

These wipes didn't seem right to me (neither was actually square and the stitching around the bamboo wipe had a small gap) so I contacted Carolyn and she was able to clear up that she sent me seconds (Whew!! I had a hard time believing these came from her shop) and she would never send these to a paying customer. She also said that she has been teaching her 12 year old daughter to sew and these were probably from that pile. Either way, I still feel that these wipes would feel great on my baby's bottom and will definitely add these to my stash! Hearing how wonderful her cloth diapers are, I might be purchasing some before my little one comes in April!

Carolyn is being very gracious and will send a couple of wipes from her online store to a CachingFamily reader!!

****Mandatory Entry****
If you would like to win these cloths, head on over to her Etsy site and tell me what your favorite item is.
Be sure to include your email adress in all of your entries.
If you are a winner and your email address is not present, I will draw for another winner.
This contest will end Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 12:59 pm. A winner will be randomly chosen and contacted via email.

****Extra Entries****
~Subscribe to me via email
~Grab my button
~Grab my 'Welcome Baby, Shower' button (before the giveaways started)
~Following me
~Email others about my blog and this contest
(cc cachingfamily@yahoo.com)
~Tell me how you found my site
~Blog about this contest (3 entries)

Thanks for looking and good luck!!

TurtleTurtle Review and Giveaway

2009-12-07T21:18:00.011-05:00

Kelley of TurtleTurtle recently sent me an egg warmer and a nursing cover to review and I have been wearing the egg warmer nonstop!
TurtleTurtle is as Etsy shop that you muct check out for yourself!
If you have never had a chance to wear a belly band I suggest you find one quickly as they are SO comfortable and can be worn over anything. Although this is still a belly band, I think it is so cute that they are called egg warmers at TurtleTurtle, this is such an appropriate name!
Wearing an egg warmer allows you to:

wear your non-maternity clothes a little bit longer as you can cover up the unbuttoned, partially unzipped pants
cover your 'just-a-bit-too-big' maternity clothes
have the layered look even if you are not pregnant

Here are a couple of pictures from the TurtleTurtle site showing the egg warmer.

I got mine in the mail just in time to go out to dinner for my father-in-law's birthday. I came home from work and just had to get my jeans back out of the 'non-wearable' bin and was so excited to be able to wear them again!!! The material wasn't sticky, itchy, or too hot; the material is light enough to 'breath' but thick enough to provide you with a little extra warmth. There is only one seam and I must honestly say it is very nicely constructed. I had no problems with the egg warmer, in fact I felt adorable with the layered look going on!

I also like to wear this with my maternity pants because it is cute and it covers those not so cute stretchy pants. Again, this is completely versatile and will make any wearer warm and happy.

Kelley only uses 100% organic cotton jersey knit for her egg warmers and they are available in a variety of colors. They are available in sizes XS through XL and meausure 8" tall. It is machine wash/dry with the only rule being not to use bleach. I have washed this once and the next time I wore it, it was just like new! Kelley started making these when a family member was pregnant, didn't want to wear maternity clothes too early, and didn't want to spend a ton of money on a store bought belly band. Making one lead to making hundreds....

TurtleTurtle also sells nursing covers, she generously sent me one of these as well. Honestly, I have not used this yet as I am still pregnant but have great plans to use it in April!!! So I can't tell you how well it works for nursing, I can say that it is totally cute and any mother would want one of these! I do have two different nursing covers and this is the only one with an adjustable neck strap (using a D-ring) which is perfect as no two of us are exactly the same. Also, it has a 'pop out see me space' so you can watch your baby as you are nursing. I find this truly amazing as she has simply sewn it into the top and it has just the perfect curve so my baby and I can see each other and continue to bond. My favorite part about this feature was that when Kelley packaged it she didn't create a fold in the curved material so it looks absolutely perfect! These are made of 100% cotton fabric and are machine wash/dry, again don't use bleach on these.
I can tell that Kelley truly enjoys what she does and takes pride in all of her work. All of the seams were perfect, this includes all pieces of thread trimmed. Being a mom herself, shwore realizes what moms of the world want. Not only was she generous enough to send me these items, she wanted to make sure I was truly happy with the egg warmer so she sent two, told me to try them both on to see which had the better fit and included the packaging to send the other one back to her. She literally send the package to me the day after I emailed her, that is what I call service.

I definitely want to work with her in the future. She has a very interesting Asian style carrier called a Hawley Sack which she made when she needed more than a front pack or a sling with her young son, I am thinking of ordering one as my husband and I do a lot of hiking and this would the perfect carrier! Again showing her generosity, she has the pattern for this on her personal blog.

You can buy any of these items at her TurtleTurtle shop, the egg warmers retail for $20, the nursing covers for $15 and the Hawley Sack sells for $67. These are all extrememly reasonable prices, especially considering the quality and effort Kelley provides to satisfy her customers.
Kelley was wonderful to work with and one of you will have a chance to see for yourself as she is giving one reader a $30 gift certificate for TurtleTurtle.

****Mandatory Entry****

If you would like to win this gift certificate you must first

head on over to TurtleTurtle and tell me how

you would spend your gift certificate.

Be sure to include your email adress in all of your entries.

If you are a winner and your email address is not present, I will draw for another winner.

This contest will end Saturday, December 19, 2009 at midnight. A winner will be randomly chosen and contacted via email.

****Extra Entries****

~Subscribe to me via email

~Grab my button

~Grab my 'Welcome Baby, Shower' button (before the giveaways started)

~Following me

~Email others about my blog and this contest

(cc cachingfamily@yahoo.com)

~Tell me how you found my site

~Blog about this contest (3 entries)

Thanks for looking and good luck!!

Doulas Birth Partner

2009-11-30T21:50:00.003-05:00

Ever since I was young I have planned on having only my husband in the delivery room with me. Not only are we quiet people, but I feel that this will be another great time for the two of us to bond as I rely on him for so much.My plans changed last week when I was looking at our hospital website (Lexington Medical Center) and found that they offer doulas for all of the laboring moms. I had only heard of doulas once before, when I was in college a professor had told us her daughter-in-law used one; I assumed this was something that only wealthy people used. Knowing that the hospital offers these for all women and for free I decided to do some research.
The word doula come from ancient Greek and means 'women helping women'. According to the brochure from the hospital, "these women have been trained to help guide you through the pain and stress that accompanies labor and delivery by providing emotional support, physical comfort measures and informational support. They are skilled in working with you, your physician/midwife and your nurse to provide support during the journey of birth, helping to create the birthing team. If you elect to use a doula in your birthing experience, she can suggest ways for family members to be involved in childbirth and help new dads ease into their roles of coach and father. Her presence does not take the place of family involvement but rather complements it. She will be as involved as you want or need her to be. Your doula will remain with you throughout labor and delivery, regardless of time or shift changes, caring for you with everything from soothing tired muscles to helping you breastfeed your baby. The doula will also visit you the next day, providing additional support, breastfeeding assistance and information."
You typically meet with a doula a couple of times before elivery to go over your birthing plans and meet a week or so after the baby is born. However, since these are provided by the hospital, you only see them during your time there.
So far this sounds great to me!! To have one consistent person, besides my husband, with me thoughout labor and to have them focus on us. Many times the people in the room are excited about seeing the baby and not about making sure mom and dad are content, this is what I really need. I will take a cpoy of my birth plan for her to review and will be comfortable knowing that she will communicate all of my requests to the doctors and nurses. For example, I want a medication free delivery, want my husband to stay with the baby when it leaves the room after birth, and do not want the little one to have a pacifier - the doula will make sure all of this is taken care of while I am exhausted and cannot yet get off the delivery bed.

Benefits of Doula Services
National studies have shown:

~reduce cesarean deliveries
~reduce the need for medication
~shorten the length of labor
~fewer forcep deliveries
~reduced use of vacuum extraction
~reduced maternal bleeding following birth
~enhance self confidence of the mother-to-be
~mothers have higher regard and increased sensitivity toward babies
~reduced incidence of post-partum depression
~fathers report greaeter satisfaction with the birth and more comfort with supporting their wives appropriately

Education of a Doula
While trying to find what a doula needs to do for certification, I was amazed to see that there are no set requirements!!! If you want to be certified through Doulas of North America you need to attend a workshop, read 5 books from a required reading last, purchase a birth doula certification packet, attend a childbirth education class, and provide a series of paperwork. After 3 years a doula needs to recertify. To be certified through Childbirth International you need to read a comprehensive set of study guides, support 2 women through lobor, read 3 books, complete a survey, and complete 2 assignments. After this you are certified for life. Surprising, yes!! But keep in mind that these ladies are not doing anything medical, they are simply a support system.
With all of this information I definitely plan on having a doula present at my first birth. I like that I choose how much they help, but know they will support me in my choices.
All information comes from Lexington Medical Center, http://www.ithacadoulas.com/, http://www.dona.org/, http://www.childbirthinternational.com/

Leg Cramps

2009-11-22T13:37:00.002-05:00

As we entered week 19 I got my normal pregnancy update and this time it focused on leg cramps. My first thoughts were, "I got them about a week ago, I didn't realize they went along with the baby!"
Although they do not know for sure what causes these leg cramps, there are several theories:

fatigue from carrying around extra weight
blood vessels in the legs being compressed
excess of phosphorus or shortage of calcium or magnesium in your diet
dehydration
hormones!!!!

At first I didn't think too much of it as I have had them in the past. I made sure to drink a lot of water and bought bananas; I had always been told leg cramps were caused by a lack of potassium. After that one night and my 'solution' the cramps didn't come back. A few weeks later I had them again but I also realized that I had run out of bananas so I went back to my cure and didn't have them again.

Now, I am not saying that bananas are the cure, here are some suggestions that I found online:

straighten your leg and flex your ankle toward your nose (I usually forget which way I should flex and go the wrong way causing even more pain)
stretch your legs before going to bed
put your legs up as often as you can during the day
avoid standing or sitting with your legs crossed for long periods of time
stand on a cold surface
drink enough during the day
exercise each day
gently massage your legs during the cramp
take a warm bath before bedtime
avoid getting too tired
sleep on your left side

I was talking to a friend and she had also heard about putting a bar of soap under your bed sheet; my first thought was "That sounds crazy!" Thank goodness I hadn't needed to go that far, if I ate a banana a day I wasn't having a problem.

I did look the tip up though as I was curious to know more. Sure enough, most websites that talk about leg cramps suggested the bar of soap trick. I decided to keep this information the the back of my head as I just might need it one day. Go figure, 4 nights ago I had leg cramps again and I had been consistent with the bananas!! After 2 nights with no relief I decided to put a bar of soap under the fitted bed sheet, if nothing else the bed would smell clean!! I woke up the next morning and was amazed that I hadn't had a cramp!! I tried it again last night; I have a head cold and was up most of the night, if I felt soreness in my leg I would locate the bar of soap and lay my leg on it for immediate relief!!

I am very amazed by all of this, who would think soap would take the serious cramp away?

Still curious, I looked up the reasons for soap relieving cramps, here is what I found: "Most leg cramp maladies can be associated with dehydration and depletion of potassium. Gator-ade has sodium chloride, which replenishes lost potassium, as well as rehydrates. Amazingly enough, most bar soaps also contain sodium chloride. During sleep, it is absorbed through the skin from the bar of soap."

So, I am here to tell you it works but I have found a difficulty with it. The bar of soap moves around under the sheets and I have to locate it as I need it. Also, one bar of soap isn't big enough for 2 legs!! I have thought about cutting an ace bandage in 2 and wrapping a bar of soap on each leg; I I continue to have problems I just might!!

I am curious if anybody else has had a problem with leg cramps during pregnancy and what you found to be helpful.

Help with information for this blog comes from www.marchofdimes.com, www.whattoexpect.com, www.babycenter.com, and www.answers.com.

Upcoming Giveaways

2009-11-16T22:12:00.002-05:00

I finally feel like my hard work is paying off!! Starting in early December I will be posting reviews on baby items that have been sent to me. I have a discount code and should have a couple of giveaways by that point. There are some WONDERFUL people out there who have offered to send items and are also willing to send an extra item for a giveaway.
I am so excited to share these items with you and have some really great people to brag about. Grab the 'Welcome Baby, Shower!' button by the beginning of December and you'll have an extra entry in each of the giveaways.

Leapstart Learning Gym Review

2009-11-05T20:35:00.008-05:00

I am a big fan of the Leapstart / Leap Frog family of products as everything is geared toward educating our children. Being a teacher, this is a big concern of mine!! Babysitting most of my highschool/college life I was able to play with many of these toys myself and feel that most of them are worth their money and can truly help a child get a headstart.
My husband and I recently purchased the Leapstart Learning Gym for our little one to use once he/she is born. This gym plays music, has lights, and speaks foreign languages to the child. This is not tacky like so many of the sound/light toys that are on the market today, in fact I actually enjoyed the music. The foreign language is not overpowering either; there are just a few words and it gives your child a chance to hear the different phonemes used around the world.

The activities help develop fine motor skills and encourage baby to bat, reach and explore. For the youngest child you have the mobile in primary colors which easily attract the child's eye.

For the lie-down infant, the gym is truly a multi-sensory learning experience, with twinkling lights, 10 minutes of instrumental melodies from around the world, and a colorful, motorized mobile to fascinate baby.

As your baby grows, the gym transforms to a sit-up activity center that introduces animal names, colors, numbers 1-5 and opposites. Activities also introduce "hello" and counting 1-5 in five languages (English, Spanish, French, German and Japanese).

On the back of the toy the parent has the option to set it for lay down or sit up, this will then set the sounds to be used in that mode. You also have the option to change the volume - if the baby is falling asleep you can walk over and turn it down without turning it off and completely startling the little one.
We recently had some friends over so I got this toy out and their 9-month old completely enjoyed playing with and reaching for everything!!

I cannot wait for our little one to come along; I know the Leapstart Learning Gym will provide us with hours of quality time...

Welcome Baby, Shower!

2009-10-30T19:32:00.003-04:00

My family will be hosting a baby shower for me in December and I want to review and giveaway items that are baby shower appropriate. I received my 1st item for review yesterday and am so excited about it that I would LOVE to post my review today!!!! I would like to start the reviews in the middle of December and post one each day until the shower. If you or anybody you know is interested in having a product reviewed let me know and we'll get it on here!!

Saving Money

2009-10-27T21:45:00.003-04:00

Today's economy has called for some significant changes in most American households, ours included. Looking at ways to save money, my husband and I are considering doing the following:

*Dropping our home phone and using just our cell phones (I have heard that we can choose 5 non-Verizon phones to call anytime for free, I need to look into this).

*Dropping our internet and using only the Verizon air card. We currently have wireless at home and the air card for when we are on the road. We never get close to the minutes on our air card and we have come to rely on the ability to get online anywhere so it makes sense to keep the air card over the home internet.

*Let go of our HBO. Before I moved in my husband used to watch a couple of shows on HBO but there is currently nothing that interests us, we find ourselves searching for something on HBO just to use it.

My husband also reminded me that we could use other stores' ads when we shop at WalMart and they will match the price. I double checked at customer service for their policy and am also listing it here for you -
Price matching
Our goal is always to be the low price leader in every community where we operate. Our customers trust us to have every day low prices ... there's no need for "special sales."

Our unbeatable promise:
Store managers make the final decision in always taking care of our customers, but we do have guidelines for matching our competition.
~We do honor "Preferred Shopping Card" advertised prices. Must be like items, be advertised and require a competitor's shopping card, for the discount to apply.
~We do not honor advertisements that require a purchase in order to receive the advertised price or free product.
~We do not honor "Buy One / Get One Free" advertisements.
~We do not honor double or triple coupons or percent off advertisements.
~We do not honor other retailers' "Misprinted" advertised prices.
~We do not honor Internet Pricing.
~We do not honor competitor advertisements from outside of the store's or Club's local trade territory.

I have been price matching for 2 weeks now and cannot believe some of the deals I have received!! This week one of the competitors had 'lean ground beef' on sale for $0.99/lb. so I took it to WalMart and their lean ground beef was the 93/7. This meat normally retailed for $18.86 for a 5.5 pound package and we paid $5.44 for this package!!! I bought two that night and went back today, the last day of the sale, and got two more!!

Another store had eggs at $0.88/dozen. I eat eggs each morning and normally buy 2 flats (5 dozen) at a time. This week I bought them by the individual dozen and saved over $1.00.

We also stocked up on butternut squash that was on sale for $0.88/lb. and normally retailed for $1.56/lb. at WalMart. We bought a couple more today as they will last for a considerable time in the fridge.

My favorite deal of the week was definitely the ground beef!! I typically don't eat beef as it is harder for the body to break down but turkey has been a complete turn-off this pregnancy so we decided to try this, it was so delicious!! Anyways, I divided it into 12 oz. servings (6 oz. for each of us) and froze it to use in the future. I ended up with 30 double-servings of protein for under $22.00 and I know it will go a long way...

My other thought for saving money is to look for free activities in your area. We have a lot of state parks and this time of year is perfect for hiking! They typically do charge about $2 to get in but we bought a yearly park pass and now we don't have to worry about this charge each time. This weekend we are going to a local park and will pick up some geocaches while we are out...

We also have a zoo pass and can get into our local zoo and about 50 others in the United States for free. We have definitely gotten our money out of this pass, I think I have visited 3 different zoos this year!

Also, look for a discount movie theater, we have one here and we pay $2.00 per person to watch a movie. Granted, these are now new releases; they are typically movies that have been in the theaters and are ready to move on. But if you are looking for an enjoyable and inexpensive date night this is the way to go!

These are just some ways that we are saving money, what ideas do you have?

Boon Frog Pod Review

2009-10-24T07:16:00.012-04:00

The Frog Pod is designed to scoop up the children's bath toys, then allows all of the water to drain out, and stores them until the next bath time! Who doesn't love an all-in-one accessory that not only functions properly but is absolutely adorable?

Not only will this make bathtime with our little one fun, but I won't have to worry about mold and mildew building up on the toys. It will also grow with my child- it is cute for a baby and I think a toddler or young child will be very excited to use the frog's back to scoop up their toys. Now for the fun mommy feature - it holds a few bottles of soap, shapmpoo, etc. between the frog's eyes and your shower wall.
Cleaning this frog is a snap as you are already in the bathwater-simply run the soapy washcloth over it once a week. I would also feel completely comfortable putting the two smaller pieces into the dishwasher if it needed to be cleaned. It would be fine to put the body in, but it is rather large so I prefer to wash it by hand.

According to the Boon website this frog can hold between 5-20 pounds depending on how it is secured to your wall. You have four options - suction cups which hold about 5lbs, the adhesive strip and the silicone adhesive strip each hold about 10lbs, and securing it with screws will allow it to hold up to 20lbs!! I personally have the suction cups but have had a problem with it falling so I will be investing in the mounting bracket with the adhesive strips.

This frog comes in three pieces: the wall mount, the frog's body (sits securly on the wall mount), and the basket which is actually the frog's back (this sits securly on the body).
Okay I'll be honest, I didn't find this product on my own...I saw it on another blog and thought it was absolutely adorable!! Here is mine in the bathroom that the baby will eventually be bathed in.

If you have a minute, head on over to the Boon website and check out the frog and their other great products. I love the fact that everything is so modern and adorable!!

Baby Update

2009-10-20T21:23:00.003-04:00

We went back to the doctor today for our 16 week checkup. Everything is going well although I know I gained way too much weight. The doctor said it was okay this time, he gets really concerned during the 2nd half of the pregnancy as that is when most of it goes to the baby, causing a big and unhealthy baby.
Knowing that I do not have an excuse (I have my energy back) I made myself go to the gym tonight and went for a 45 minute walk when I got home. The hardest part has been the food but we got home and I made turkey meatballs and put them on the grill with some vegetables. It was a delicious meal and I will have the healthy leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
The doctor also listened to the heartbeat and said it was beating in the 150's but he had a hard time getting an exact number as it kept kicking, he was happy as the baby is healthy and moving!! I can only imagine how it is going to be when I feel all of these kicks....
We go back in four weeks at which time we will get the big ultrasound, we will get a copy of it on DVD to share with our family and friends. As quickly as the days and weeks go by I know the ultrasound day will be here before we know it!

Reading to Our Children

2009-10-19T19:13:00.004-04:00

Reading aloud is such an important aspect in teaching children to read. As children hear words and see them they begin to associate the 'picture' of the word with what they are hearing, they will eventually begin to associate the different sounds with the letters.
How many of you have ever read to a young child and had the light up because they could 'read it' to you? Imagine how many of the hundreds of times that you read the book you frustrated because you read it so many times before... Each and every one of those times your child was picking up bits and pieces of the book and over time he/she was able to recite it to you. Yes, children can repeat a story long before they can actually read, this is one important reason you should consider reading to your child at least once a day.
Reading is dear to my heart; not only enjoying books myself but reading them to a variety of children. I started babysitting when I was 12 and took a variety of books to read to them each time. During college I started collecting my own books and now have over 1,700!! Honestly, I have lost count and no longer put them into my computer - there are just too many!! I pick them up at yard sales, thrift stores, Scholastic orders, and new from book stores. I rarely get them from book stores as they are expensive and since many of my books go to my classroom they get a lot of wear and tear. I would rather pay a cheaper price and not feel bad if something happens to them.
Recently, my quest for books has changed - I am now looking for board books, soft books, and books geared toward young children (such as Goodnight Moon). I have recently acquired The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson and illustrated by Beth Krommes. The fact that this book is a Caldecott Medal Winner and has simple text I was quickly drawn to it, this is one that I plan on reading to my little one very soon.
The one thing I struggle with it: when should you start reading aloud to your child? I had always said I would start as soon as I knew I was pregnant. However, once I was pregnant it seemed silly for me to read when the baby couldn't even hear me. I did read one book, Guess How Much I Love You? by Sam McBratney in which a little rabbit keeps telling the big rabbit how much love he has but the big rabbit always comes back loving it more. I like to think that the little baby truly loved the book but am not sure it heaerd a word. Maybe now at 16 weeks would be a better time to try...
Either way I am comforted in knowing that my baby hears me read to my students 5 days a week and heaers me talk all of the time.

Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

2009-09-29T21:35:00.005-04:00

Dieting is not an option when you are pregnant; however, you should definitely be aware of what you are putting in your body.

In February my husband and I joined a gym, started with a personal trainer, and started a strict eating plan. We were doing so well and didn't cheat for 5 weeks!!! Within a few short months I had lost 30 pounds and my husband had lost 40 and then we hit a plateau...this was followed by cheating more often as we weren't seeing continued success and were getting discouraged.

Anyways, enough of my rambling!! I met with my doctor in July and he was impressed with my weight loss and recommended I continue with the eating plan when I got pregnant as I really wouldn't need too much more. He also suggested that I not lift heavy weights, instead I should up the repetitions.

Shortly after meeting with the docter we found out we were pregnant, that was followed by serious aversions to all of the healthy foods!! Yep, turkey burgers and salads were out and cheese, peanut butter, and whole wheat pasta were in! I was also eating more often because if I didn't then I began to have a very undesirable feeling in my stomach...

Shortly after this I started back to work (I am a teacher) and everybody had this idea that since I was pregnant I could eat as much as I wanted of anything I wanted. Now, I knew this was wrong as I had already talked to the doctor and he told me to continue on my current plan. So many people would say to eat as I was pregnant, one girl actually said, "Girl, you are pregnant - I want to make you something, what do you want?" I explained that I was trying to eat healthy and that I was okay without anything.

Now keep in mind, I do not always eat healthy and I wish I was better than I am. I have good days and bad days but am hoping to have more of the good days!!! I was talking to a great friend of mine who has a little girl (read her blog at http://lifemoresimply.blogspot.com/) and she helped put things into perspective for me. She told me how much easier life will be to get the baby weight off if I put less on. She reminded me how important healthy eating is and told me this one piece of advice that has really stuck- "You can have a scoop of ice cream, just don't go back for a second." When I am not dieting I have a specific mentality and go back to my old eating habits in which I eat whatever I want and since we haven't been on plan (foods don't sound good) I am often eating poorly. However, after talking to this dear friend I have began to do better, I have started salads again and am enjoying a variety of fruits and lean meats. Now I just need to get over the snacking when I come home from work and as I am cooking dinner.

Sometimes my body craves specific foods and as I have been told, this is your body's way of getting nutrients it needs. Let me leave you with this - If you are craving chocolate milk try to get over it, but if you are craving orange juice you might want to stop and pick some up!! That's what I did this week!!

Enjoying a Trifecta

2009-09-27T19:59:00.000-04:00

A trifecta is simply getting 3 First-to-Finds (FTFs) in geocaching in one day. Well, it really isn't too simple as there are a couple of factors involved:

* There must be at least 3 new caches in your area in one day and they must be in driving distance of each other to get them all in 24 hours.

* You must be the first to Ground Zero (GZ, otherwise known as the place the cache is hidden) and make the find before anybody else. Many times, if there are many people looking for it they will share an FTF and of course, this still counts!

If you plan on getting an FTF there are a few ways to give yourself the one up:

* Have all new caches sent as a text message to your cell phone.

* Have an Internet source available to you at all times (blackberry, iPhone, Verizon air card).

* Have a job where you can leave at anytime or no job at all.

So, today we had planned on meeting a group of friends to look for a cache that had been out for over a week and nobody had found, my husband and I had been out a few times and really didn't care to go back as we were looking for a micro in the middle of a bamboo forest. So, we met 13 other people there and searched for close to 1/2 an hour before somebody found the sneaky little cache!! Come to find out, my husband had been searching in the area seconds earlier and had made the cache visible for the next person who walked over!! Anyways, this was out 1st FTF of the day.

We headed out to cache with the group and split off after a few to grab some that we didn't have. While we were out 4 new caches came as text messages!!! One of these was ours so we couldn't go but the other part of the group could. We decided we would try for the others, you can't get an FTF if you don't try!! I happened to have the Internet on, thanks to our Verizon air card, and looked the new caches up immediately - two of these were close to our house and we were nowhere near there, go figure!! Anyways, I called the other part of the group to give them the coordinates as well, and we were on our way... We got there and my husband and the other cacher had the cache in hand before I even got out of the truck!! Being friends with the others we decided to wait for them to sign the log and then we could all share FTF; however, after a couple of minutes a different cacher pulled up so we had to sign the log... From there, my husband and the cacher we had been with headed to another new cache while I went home to get lunch ready and he called to say I could log it as an FTF!! WooHoo, we had another trifecta!!

I say another as this was actually the third time we got three new caches in one day. The first this happened for us was on August 25th; after an appointment we grabbed a land cache that nobody had gotten all day and then got two different water caches grabbing the last one just before the park closed!! On September 1st my husband was able to get 3 more but these were all during my work hours so I was not with him.

We are fortunate (when it come to FTF hunts) that my husband owns his own business and as long as there is not a ton of work piled up he can leave as he pleases.

He is currently on another FTF hunt (I stayed home as I was on the phone when the text came in); if he gets this would the day be considered a quadfecta?

Using the Basal Method to Conceive

2009-09-27T15:59:00.000-04:00

When trying to conceive, there are many methods you can use to find the days you ovulate. My husband and I, actually it was just me, chose to use the basal method as it seemed easy and I could start it right away. I was so excited that instead of ordering one I saw online, I looked at Wal-Mart and bought the one they sold. My husband didn't feel we needed to use this, he thought we would be fine just trying for a baby as this was our first month.
We ended up with the Mabis Healthcare Digital Basal Thermometer and I began using it the next morning. The thermometer came with charts so we could track my temperature for 12 months; after taking my temperature I recorded it on the chart and was ready to begin my day. Of course, the chart is meant to be started at the beginning of your menstrual cycle (1st day of your period) and you record everyday until you don't need it anymore but I wanted to get an idea of what my temperature was so I would know when it spiked.
The theory of the basal thermometer is that your basal temperature, your temperature at rest, rises slightly when you are ovulating. And as we all know, you need to have egg/sperm contact when you are ovulating if you want to conceive. When you chart your temperature daily you will begin to see a pattern and over a few months time you will know which day of your cycle you are ovulating. As my doctor told me - you need to actually have intercourse before you ovulate in order for the sperm to meet the egg. By taking your temperature each day, you will know when you are ovulating so you can time everything correctly. He also told me that we should start trying about 3-4 days before ovulation and have intercourse every other day for 7-10 days.
Every other day? Doesn't everybody assume that the more you try for the baby, the better your chances? Well, my doctor's theory is that the man's sperm won't have the levels (of hormones and such) that it needs to make a baby.
Taking your temperature is very easy. You need to make sure you take it before you get out of bed each morning, this will ensure your body is completely at rest. You should take it before going to the bathroom or getting a drink; it is best to keep it by your bed so it is ready for the morning.
My husband and I were very fortunate and didn't have to take my temperature for more than a month as we found out we are expecting a baby!!!!

Just Beginning

2009-09-26T18:29:00.000-04:00

I follow a lot of blogs and have always considered starting my own but was unsure if I would have the time or creativity - and would anybody follow me? Well, it is time to find out.
My husband and I have been married just over a year and the day after our 1st anniversary we found out we were pregnant!!! We are currently 12 1/2 weeks along and due on April 6, 2010. We have each always wanted children but decided to wait a year after marriage to begin trying. This was a great idea as it gave us a chance to bond and for me to get a year of teaching under my belt.
We look forward to the birth of our little one but in the meantime we continue to enjoy our lives to the fullest. We LOVE to geocache - my husband lives and breathes it - and have recently found our 1,000th cache. We also enjoy getting our kayaks out; life is perfect when we can kayak our way to a geocache!! We plan to continue these activities after the baby is born, but there will be a few more limitations!!
My husband and I plan to use cloth diapers with the little one as well as cloth wipes and other natural products. We are currently getting the nursery ready, this will take a little while as we are sanding the walls as they are all textured and then need to decide on the paint and other options.
I hope you enjoy reading this and feel free to leave me comments.