Recently Funky Monkey sent me a t-shirt to review. I will admit I really like the cute pink monkey design, and got lucky because they sent me a gray shirt. I am kind of particular about the colors I wear since I have red hair and don't like anything that clashes with my hair color.

The t-shirt itself is pretty much just a t-shirt, but it is comfy. I live in tees and shorts during the summer and I can say the cute Funky Monkey shirt livened up my closet a lot, since I tend to wear a lot of black clothes with things like monsters on the front. They are my husbands, and much more comfortable than my clothes for some reason ;)

The company, tshirtprinting.net, offers customizable tees, hoodies, vests and other clothing. You can add your own logo to their tees for any occasion affordably, but there is a minimum of 12 items to order. Overall, good quality, much more comfortable than I thought when I opened the package, and I've only had it a week and worn it three times.

You can order your own custom tees and more here: http://www.tshirtprinting.net/printed-t-shirts/. Have fun!

I got a free t-shirt for this review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

The Middle of Summer Blahs

Well, here we are. The middle of summer, also known as my birthday. Also, my least favorite season of the year. Don't get me wrong, I love the flowers and the swimming, and the butterflies and the fresh wild blackberries and blueberries.

But the heat. Oh. my. goodness. Not my favorite thing. I usually end up sweating so much my husband won't give me a hug or sitting in a pool of cold water for most of the day. It's aging, I used to love summer.

Well, not anymore. Blah!

Anxiously awaiting September, and my favorite month, October,
Super Sweaty Cloth Diapering Mommy

Mixbook Review and Giveaway (With Discount!) CLOSED! Winner emailed!

Like all moms, I have millions of pictures on memory cards. I literally have four FULL to capacity memory cards of my kids! I also never have went to get all these pictures printed, so I was absolutely elated when Mixbook offered me the chance to review their online scrapbook service.

Ok, I am going to describe Mixbook to you guys. Its like you have all the scrapbooking supplies that you need, but don't have to worry about choosing the right glue or cutting your photos crooked. I'm left handed, but cut with my right hand so everything is always crooked.

Mixbook lets you choose a theme if you have a lot of photos from a specific season or holiday, but everything is totally customizable. If you don't like one page in a ready made book, then you can just take it out. So cool.


They had my scrapbook printed and mailed to me the same week I ordered, too! Love, love fast shipping. I had so much fun choosing my images that it took me a couple days to get my book done, but you can easily upload your images and have a themed book ready to print in just a couple hours. You can also choose no theme and choose all your own backgrounds, stickers, text and photo embellishments yourself.

The resulting book is amazing. You can add text anywhere, so you could even make your own family story book for kids.

Mixbook has decided to provide one of you guys, my readers, a free 20-page, 11x8.5 landscape, hardcover Mixbook photo book for FREE! The winner will get a totally customized by you book printed and shipped. All you need to do is choose your photos and customize the book.

Mixbook is also offering everyone a 25% discount on their products! Just use the code MMYTO625 at checkout for the discount. The code can be used only once per customer.

Here is how to enter:

MANDATORY: Be a follower of my blog, and tell me your favorite Mixbook product.

Extra entry- Follow Mixbook on Twitter and leave your Twitter ID in a comment

Extra Entry- Follow Cloth Diapering Mommy on Twitter and leave your ID in a comment.

The contest is open to international readers, so everyone can enter! Winner will be chosen on July 1st. Mixbook sent me a free book in exchange for my review, but the opinions expressed here are my own.

Flats Challenge: Why Am I Joining?

I love cloth diapers. Seriously, I love all cloth diapers in all shapes and styles. Let’s face it, though, flats aren’t the simplest thing to use. They do require more frequent changes than even prefolds and need a snappy or, in my case, pins and a cover. So why am I going to use flats exclusively and handwash them for the week of May23?

Why the Challenge?

Parents everywhere are struggling with the rising costs of gas, food and necessities. Disposable diapers add to this burden. There are parents who reuse their disposable diapers (which can’t be washed, remember) or who don’t change their baby as often as needed to conserve their resources. This can be devastating to a baby’s sensitive skin and can even cause infections from bacteria.

Flats are a viable alternative to disposable diapers. Parents can use their cloth diapers part-time at home, allowing their stash of disposables to last longer while still providing their baby with the safety and comfort they need to develop. There are some things to notice when using cloth diapers for the first time, however. Full time cloth diapering is ideal to save money, but even a part-time commitment can make a huge difference in costs.

I am joining this challenge so that other parents, especially those looking for an economical alternative to disposable diapers, can get some insight about flats and how to use them as a safe alternative for their child. You can get a FULL stash of flats and covers for less than $100. In fact, a dozen flats or flour sack towels from Target costs less than $15, so three dozen diapers plus a few covers can be less than $70 depending on the covers used.

I am going to cover all the basics of choosing and using cloth diaper covers next posting, so check back!

I would also like to give a huge thanks! to Diaper Junction for sponsoring my commitment by sending me a dozen flats for the challenge! Thank you! While I did get free flats for the challenge the sponsor doesn't influence my postings or opinions in any way. Everything I write is based on my own opinions and experiences!

Getting Lucky

Luck. It really isn't something we have been having a lot of lately. Both cars have broken down, our check that we were expecting has been delayed for up to a month and we had nearly two weeks where my husband couldn't get to work because of either the weather or the car breaking down.

But, what is luck? I don't think it is necessarily getting everything that you want or even having the best timing. Luck is chance, and like everything else it is random. I have had some great luck in the past. All my kids were born healthy thanks to random combination of DNA, I love my job because I was lucky enough to have someone teach me the basics, I love that I have become educated enough to type this blog post without a ton of spelling mistakes.

I also love being lucky enough to talk to other moms who cloth diaper and spend my time at home with my kids. Now, that is lucky. I do have some lucky things I carry with me though. I have to admit it. It's not luck I am thinking about but more of an OCD type of thing where certain items have to be on me at all times. Like, for example, an extra pair of baby socks. You never know when your kid will need another pair of socks!

And a deck of cards. I always have a deck of cards in my bag, even if I only have my diaper bag. Its like my lucky little thing that I always carry with me! I really feel exceptionally lucky every day. I am lucky to have healthy, funny, intelligent kids. That happen to also be hilarious. I am also lucky to have an AMAZING husband who does all the heavy lifting around the house.

Did I mention that he is awesome? He gets up early and takes the kids to school when they miss the bus, washes my cloth diapers and even cooks on occasion. Although last time he cooked I got VERY sick so I am thinking that his cooking really isn't that lucky. :| But, otherwise, I really hit the jackpot when I married him.

I think that luck has a lot to do with our outlook. Are we lucky because our car broke down? Well, we got to spend some extra time together. Are we lucky because our check was delayed? Maybe. We might need the money for something more later than we do now. Luck is definitely linked to your outlook, like a glass half empty, glass half full type of thing. I know I am lucky. I love my life!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Bookieboo and "Earthies Wants You to Feel Lucky" blogging program, making me eligible to win a pair of Earthies shoes and American Express Gift Cards. For more information on how you can participate, click here. http://www.bookieboo.com/forum/topics/earthies-wants-u-to-feel-lucky

Seventh Generation Giveaway!

Winner has been emailed! Thanks everyone for entering!

Seventh Generation recently sent me a ton of their feminine care products to review and offered to host a giveaway package for one lucky reader! Let me start off by saying that I totally advocate cloth pads because they are reusable, but let's be honest. Most women are looking for the convenience of disposable pads and tampons.

Seventh Generation feminine care is a good choice because they are made from organic cotton and are 100% chlorine free! If you are looking for an alternative to use then Seventh Generation is much, much more eco-friendly than traditional pads and tampons and keeps more chemicals out of your body. 100% cotton, what's there to complain about?!?

I tried them out, and can say that:
1. They don't have that stupid irritating plastic that rubs and chafes like most commercial pads and
2. They are super comfortable and convenient. I will admit it. I love cloth, but these are easy which is cool.
3. I love the logo/motto "In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations" a saying that is from The Great Law of The Iroquois Confederacy. When you have kids, nothing can be more important than thinking about the future and what kind of environment we are leaving behind.

If you want something to use while your are out and about, need a backup for your Diva Cup, or want a healthier alternative to commercially made pads and tampons then check out Seventh Generation. They are now available at Target, Wal-Mart and lots of other stores across the nation.

Now, onto the giveaway! If you want to enter to win your own feminine care gift pack of organic tampons and pads from Seventh Generation just follow these guidelines.

Mandatory Entry

Follow my blog publicly, and tell me something you learned about Seventh Generations line of feminine care products that isn't mentioned on this page. Go to Seventh Generation here.

Extra Entry
For an extra entry, tell me one reason that you prefer using organic cotton tampons and pads. You can check out the videos and other resources on the Seventh Generation feminine care website to learn more about reasons to use natural, organic feminine care products. Good luck everyone.

The winner will be drawn on Feb. 25 using random.org and entries will be verified before notification. Winner has 48 hours to reply by email to claim their prize or another winner will be drawn.

Seventh Generation provided products to me free of charge, at my request, for this review and giveaway. The opinions expressed here are my own, and not influenced in any way by third parties.

GroOrganic Garden Planner Review

I was recently given a subscription to GroOrganic Garden Planner to review for my blog. I love gardening and really don't use chemicals on my garden at all. We have had some success but this year I really want to be prepared and armed with all the information I need for a really successful garden so I can can and freeze veggies for the winter.

The GroOrganic Garden Planner has really helped me prepare for this season by showing me how much ground to prepare for the number and type of plants that I want to grow and by giving me tips and information on each of the different types of plants I am going to grow.

Some things I really like about the GroOrganic garden planner include the ability to track your garden over the span of several seasons and years and the staggered planting feature. For example, with the staggered planting you might grow squash in one area of your garden for two months then switch to tomatoes instead of squash. This technique works well when you don't have a lot of space to grow veggies and herbs but want to have a full variety during the growing season.

Remember when you were a kid and there was always WAY TOO MUCH of one veggie and not enough of another? In my case we ate squash with every meal for three months but only got tomatoes once in a while :( With the GroOrganic garden planner you can actually track the success of your crops and regulate the number of plants you have to the numbers you want the garden to produce. I think that this tool would work best when used for two or more years consecutively. On the second year you could be able to adjust the amount that you need for each type of plant.

I also think beginners could use the GroOrganic Garden Planner to help manage their garden and produce a more successful crop. You can right click each type of plant at the top of the planner for growing information, get your frost dates and also learn how to rotate your crops from season to season with the planner. I have a lot of trouble knowing where to plant crops so the planner takes the guess work out of planting a garden for me.

I really like this tool. I do recommend checking out all the videos before you get started so you can learn how to use the GroOrganic garden planner to its fullest potential. All of the features are explained in the videos and they are pretty short and concise. I also think that this planner would work best in the second year, like you may not notice as many benefits the first year as the second and later years of using the tool. Good luck gardening!

If you want to connect with GroOrganic or start using the tool for yourself, then you need this info:

Buy GroOrganic

GroOrganic on Facebook

GroOrganic on Twitter

GroOrganic on Flicker

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Updates, Snow and Upcoming Giveaways

Wow, what an amazing and interesting week it has been. First, we got a LOT of snow for this area. We ended up with about 2 feet of snow during the past two weeks. My kids haven't even been to school in a little over two weeks, too! But, I have some amazing news! Starting next week I will have two giveaways that are confirmed for my blog!

First I will be hosting a Juppy Walker giveaway. I am not a fan of "baby holders", you know, those things that we all use to keep our babies contained when we are busy. If I can't do the job when holding my baby then I just use a carrier or wrap to wear my baby. But, this product is different. It isn't meant to be a baby holder! I will give you all the details when I have my giveaway posted!

I am also working with one of my favorite companies, Seventh Generation. I totally love that their products are made with the Earth and our future, and children's future, in mind. I am going to be hosting a special giveaway for women during the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled!

Enter Your Recipe on RedGold for a Freebie

If you join RedGold and leave a recipe, they will send you a free set of measuring spoons! I end up buying a set of measuring spoons at least twice a year because my kids use them for odd things. Like making mud sculptures and to eat cereal with. We aren't civilized, obviously ;)
Anyway, you can share a recipe here and they will send you some measuring spoons. Make sure you sign up to get 'em!

Storyland Yoga Review

We recently received Storyland Yoga for Kids to review. First, let me say that we do yoga five days out of the week, just me and Little Zelda Fanatic. Little Wiggler is there, too, but he isn't into yoga yet. :)

First, the benefits of yoga. Yoga is thought to help people become more focused and centered, and also relieves stress. Yoga can also help bring you closer to the natural world, as well. Of course, this DVD is for kids and can be used inside or out with a portable DVD player. After a while, Little Zelda Fanatic learns all the yoga stances in a sequence so we don't need the DVD unless we are learning something new, which makes it easier to exercise outside.

Storyland Yoga is completely kid-oriented. Each chapter (there are three) tells a story using simple yoga exercises that keep kids interested and moving. We have only had time to do the Condor Trek because of everyone being snowed in and keeping me busy. Little Zelda Fanatic recreates the story randomly for people, so I know it was a hit! He was trying to tell his dad about biking up the mountain to save the egg just last night. He also asks for yoga now, which is a very cool development.

The exercises include a lot of imagination and pretend, something that my three year old loved. We also did the Condor Trek as a family with my 10 and 11 year old kids. The exercises were simple enough so that even as beginners in yoga they can easily keep up. The pace is perfect for Little Zelda Fanatic at three years old but is also fast enough for the older kids to maintain their interest in the DVD.

One thing I like about the Storyland Yoga DVD is that you don't have to have a lot of knowledge about yoga to use it. You can actually just use this as a regular exercise DVD if you want. We also liked that the stories are vivid and interesting. Little Zelda Fanatic was especially psyched about the story, while the older kids liked being able to get active in the living room. This DVD is actually the perfect solution to getting rid of some excess energy when you are cooped up inside from the weather.

I also love that it gives me and the two littles in my house a chance to play together. I want health to be important to them as they grow, and nothing is more influential than getting involved and giving them an example to go by. I help them with the poses as needed, but it is important not to push your kids too hard when they are getting started. Storyland Yoga is totally fun, and isn't meant to be a competition.

You can learn more by visiting Storyland Yoga , or you can buy the product here on Amazon . I would definitely recommend Storyland Yoga to anyone who wants to help their kids become more active. This DVD could also be super helpful when you need to get active as a family and have a lot of ages, like our family. We have kids ages 11 through 3 that all loved the DVD.



I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Unsupportive Friends and Family; Cloth Diapers

Personally, cloth diapering and going green have been a very positive experience. My friends and family were very supportive, and so far I have provided cloth diapers for at least 4 kids in my family, which I was absolutely ecstatic to do. One other mom with two on the way has also committed to using a diaper service for her babies after birth. I love sharing the love! One of the moms is only using cloth as a backup, but two other moms I know have now switched to cloth diapers.

My husband, in the beginning, wasn't as supportive as I would have liked. He didn't want me to invest in cloth diapers. Today, I am pretty sure he would be totally disappointed if I went back to using disposables. We haven't bought any disposable diapers in over a year.

When he wasn't being supportive, I just ignored him. I have the talent (or curse) of not really caring what other people think even if I respect their opinion. So, when my husband was upset over me "wasting" money on cloth I just did it anyway. But, I also have the luxury of having my own account so he really can't tell me what to buy!

People always suspect that those using cloth diapers are too poor to afford "real diapers". My dad asked me if I was having problems buying diapers when I told him I switched to cloth! If only they knew that the investment in cloth and wool that I have made really exceeds the amount I have saved by switching to cloth. Most often, money saving isn't the point of using cloth. Saving the environment is.

I am always curious when moms aren't being supported in their decision to use cloth. My husband is amazing. He washes all the diapers and hangs them out to sun when needed. I don't know if I could have gotten so far without his support. Does your spouse support your decision to use cloth diapers? If not, how do you deal with it?

Furniture Safety for Babies and Toddlers

I really think that furniture safety is something every parent should know about. I personally didn't think about it until I had #5, and then only because we brought huge bookshelves into our house. I suddenly realized that these shelves were totally dangerous. My husband went through our home and attached everything to the wall using hooks, screws, or safety latches as needed. I know you may worry about drilling holes in your furniture, but nothing is worth the cost of something falling on your child.

These tips can help you attach your furniture safely for the littlest members of your family. Also, don't forget about bedside tables and other smaller furnishings. They may not seem big, but can easily hurt a small child.

- Read the report from The US Consumer Product Safety Commission. You can find it here. There is some good information there on furniture safety for babies and toddlers.

- Don't store items that kids might want to grab, like TV remotes, on shelves that may tip. Always put your television on a very sturdy surface, and then keep it as far back as possible.

- Buy furniture latches. You can find them online at Amazon.com. Here is an example of what to look for. If you are searching through Google, a search like "furniture strap" or "furniture safety baby" can help you find other products to choose from, but there are a lot on Amazon, too.

-Check your straps and safety latches often, especially after your child has pulled on the furniture being held by the strap. It is always recommended that you insert the safety strap into a stud to ensure the strap is being held securely. If you aren't sure how to find a stud on your own, then buy a stud finder at the hardware store. They are only a few dollars, and well worth it when installing furniture safety straps.

Safely installing straps on each piece of furniture in your home doesn't really take a long time, and it is relatively inexpensive.

Wow- What a Season!

Every winter we end up battling colds and coughs. My youngest daughter has allergies, so its a double battle with her. This year we have switched to mostly homeopathic medicines and guess what? No winter-long cough! For the past three or four years she has coughed all winter long, despite trips to the Dr. I don't feel comfortable giving them Clartin or other over the counter medicines on a daily basis, plus they made my son have a terrible stomach ache. So, no thanks to that.

We used natural honey and peppermint when we did have a cough. And lots of Four thieves oil. I added some 4 Thieves essential oil to a bottle of sweet almond oil and let them rub a dime sized drop on their chest before bed when the had a flu bug. It seemed to work, they were all 95% better the next morning. Of course, we did visit our doctor and I recommend everyone else do the same if you have symptoms of the flu.

I also use Four Thieves oil in my oil burner during the whole time they were sick, and neither me, my husband, or Little Wiggler got sick. I'm totally giving that to the Four Thieves, since I always get sick when the kids do.

What are your favorite homeopathic or natural remedies? I would love to know!

Zobha Contest for Yoga

There is a cool free yoga stuff giveaway here: http://blog.zobha.com/index.php/inspiration/how-would-you-use-free-yoga-gear-in-2011/

I personally love yoga, and I know a lot of other Moms do, too. They have some pretty cool stuff on the website, including clothing and accessories. Here is my list of faves from the site.

Top: The Grace V Tank in black and Moroccan blue.

I really like tops that have a V neckline.I also like a lot of their pants, especially the Harlem capris in black. They look perfect for yoga. I think the colors used on the top are very relaxing, and the pant and shirt combination is perfect for moving smoothly in yoga class.

I don't know if you have ever worn a regular tee and sweats when doing yoga, but trust me, sometimes your shirt ends up over your head! The top from Zobha is the perfect solution since it is tight enough to stay in place but also comfortable and stretchy enough for the fluid motions of yoga.

The contest also includes a hoodie, but I love the Lounge Wrap in black! Stylish enough to wear anywhere. I really am starting to like more feminine "girly" styles, which is kind of weird if you know me.

Zobha also has an awesome yoga bag, called the City Bag in pink and brown. Brown is defiitely my favorite color and I love it pair with bright colors like pink and aqua. A yoga bag is a must have when you are going to classes! I also have trouble keeping up with stuff, so a bag could help me get way more organized and ready to go.

They are also giving away a silk eye pillow filled with lavender. I don't know how much you love lavender, but let me tell you it is amazing! Real lavender is one of my favorite scents. If you haven't smelled the buds yourself then you don't know what you are missing. Zobha offers a silk eye pillow filled with lavender, definitely worth it if you want to relax. I also use lavender for helping my kids relax at bedtime! I know that a lavender eye pillow would be so relaxing to use, I would probably use it way more than necessary just because I love the scent so much.

These are all my favorite styles from Zobha, but they have lots of other yoga supplies, too! I am just getting started with yoga on a daily basis so I don't have all the gear yet. I would love to win the contest that Zobha is offering! All you need to do is make a blog post like this one and link back to the Zobha website with your favorite pieces from the site. They have some really cool styles, too, so you are going to find lots of things you love right away!

If I won I would definitely feel more comfortable in yoga. I totally love the colors from this company. Very modern and sleek, but also timeless enough to last for quite some time!

Five Steps to Weight Loss

Ready? You can lose weight with these five EASY steps. No dieting required.

Step One: Let your nine year old cook. Do you really need an explanation here?

Step Two: Cook stuff you always forget about, like pot roasts and casseroles, in the oven and simultaneously try to convince the three year old it's not OK to take his penis out inappropriately while breastfeeding a baby. There is almost a 100% guarantee that dinner will burn,and be inedible. If you do this often enough, weight loss is guaranteed.

Step Three: Take all the kids grocery shopping. By the time you leave the store you will have three boxes of crayons and some baking soda, but will be so anxious to leave before the baby has a meltdown over jelly beans that you forget to buy food. Serve ranch, ketchup and one box of mac and cheese for eight people that night.

Step Four: Skip dinner and go right to wine. After one glass, eat the baby's Gerber puffs you found under the high chair. Not only are they tasteless enough to discourage eating, but they are also low cal!

Step Five: Take all the kids out for pizza when they complain about the crappy mac and cheese with ketchup. Spend the whole time trying to convince the three year old food is good, and trying to keep the one year old from putting pizza in his hair. Add in the fifteen times you get change for arcade games and you have your workout for the day in! You don't have time to eat so you end up grabbing the lonely tomato left from last weeks salad when you get home.

Good luck Moms!

Being a Work at Home Mom

Being a work at home mom is a LOT harder with two little ones than I had imagined. My baby, Little Wiggle Worm, is very time consuming even when my three year old is entertaining himself. It doesn't really pay to depend on my husband or his older siblings to help out, either, just because they usually have their own projects going on.

Are you a WAHM? If so, what things do you to to ensure you have enough time in your day for your projects and your kiddos?

Going Green

Going green is really a bunch of little changes that add up to a lifestyle change. I really try to make everything I do as green as possible, but there are some things that I struggle with. Like Pine Sol. I freakin' LOVE the smell of Pine Sol. Seriously. Sometimes you can find me in Wal-Mart just sniffing a bottle because I stopped buying it. But I still love it!

Pine Sol is probably what heaven smells like, but I'm sure its all organic and chemical free there.

Anyway. So, now I just use tea tree oil, lavender and water. It smells pretty good and it get things clean so I can't complain. My next step is switching to all stainless steel water bottles for me and the kids. I stopped buying bottled water because of the pollution factor but now I just don't want to drink water. I also found some pretty cool filter bottles from Bobble (BPA free) that I am considering.

I also love makeup, and not the organic, bug free, all natural kind. I like really good waterproof mascara. But I don't mind mineral makeup, its actually pretty good.

My goals for this year are pretty simple as far as going green:
-grow a 100% organic garden with my kids that is more productive than last years
-Don't buy any more throw away batteries, but get the rechargeable kind for EVERYTHING. Which is a lot of stuff around here.
-Try to buy second hand whenever possible.
-Don't buy plastic (like dishes) and don't buy bottled water unless absolutely necessary.

What are your going green goals in 2011? I think I have a really good start this year. We are planning on buying clothes, games, toys and books secondhand and already have some plans for the garden!

My Baby and Beer on TV

I am a co-sleeping Mom, and nights are often the time when Little Zelda Fanatic gets my undivided attention. Last night, we were lying down watching TV when a guy took a drink of beer. I didn't even know that my son knew what beer was, but as soon as he noticed the can he goes "Beer is good".
Of course, the Mom in me took over, even though I know beer is pretty good.
Me: Beer makes you sick. Only grownups drink it.
Little Zelda Fanatic: When I get big as Daddy, I'm gonna drink beer.
Me: (shocked) OK.

What the heck? How do kids even know what beer is when their parents don't drink it and they haven't seen anyone drink it? I guess that they just learn so much it's crazy in the first few years. Little Zelda Fanatic is almost 4 now, so I think the Mommy protecting stage is going to have to turn into Mommy educating-beer-is-bad-ABCs-are-good stage.

Little Lions Cloth Diapers Review: Prefolds

I love, love prefold diapers. They are my favorite diaper, but I only use them when its warmer outside. I do stock up on prefolds and prefitted diapers for summer and spring in the winter, though. The frugal mom in me just can't resist a deal!

Last week I picked up a dozen prefolds from Little Lions for $12. Let me just say it made my day to find prefolds so inexpensively, and from a brand that I love. Little Lions are soft, cushy and long lasting. My son is one and I still have his newborn infant prefolds and capris that I bought when he was about two months old, and they are still going strong. I use the capris to stuff pocket diapers, and the preemie and infant prefold diapers for wipes.

I have to say I really love Little Lions diapers, but I have also heard that Green Mountain prefold diapers are amazing.

To use a prefold diaper, you simply need toline the back up and fold it around the baby's front. Tuck the "extra" top of the diaper by folding the front down slightly under the belly button. You can use pins or a snappy to hold it in place. You can also fold your prefold into thirds and just lay it in your diaper cover, then put the cover on baby as normal. This works great for me with Little Wiggle Worm because he doesn't like to sit still for pins at all, and snappis just don't look comfy to me sometimes.

It does take some practice to learn how to use a prefold diaper, but it is worth it. They are cute and totally comfy for baby, especially when it is hot outside. We use our prefold diapers exclusively once spring turns warm, even at night.

There is a pretty good deal on diapers at Amazon, too. This is my affiliate link. If you are a Swagbucks mom, then you can even use your Swagbucks for Amazon giftxcards and get free diapers! Last time I bought a Snappi on Amazon they sent me Prime free for a year! Indian Prefold Diaper, Unbleached Regular

It's Official: I'm a Mom

My son is embarrassed of me. The conversation went something like this:

(Me) Why are you fighting with people on Facebook? (Which my daughter showed me on her Facebook, I purposely don't snoop. But that's another topic)
(TeenAngerForce Son) Delete me off your Facebook!
(me) Why?
(TeenAngerForce Son) Well, I've already filtered you because of all the weird "cloth diaper stuff". I don't want anyone to see that!

Well, I guess I've joined the millions of Moms who have kids that are shamed by them! The good thing is that now I can wear my Pajama Jeans to pick him up school and be proud!

Car Seat Safety: Expiration Dates and Other Information for Parents

Using a car seat isn't optional, and neither is making sure the car seat that you are using is in good working order. I have been researching car seats in the past few weeks and have made some major changes in the way that my kids ride in their seats.

For example, we didn't, and don't plan to, turn our one year old forward facing until we absolutely have to. There are some great articles online about the importance of extended rear facing, such as this: http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

There are also many, many reasons that you don't want to pick up a car seat that has been used. I *love* recycling and thrift shopping but I will never buy a second-hand car seat since any seat that has been in an accident, even a minor accident, should be trashed.

Car seats do have an expiration date and should be destroyed after the date on the side or bottom of the seat. Most car seats have a six year expiration date, while others may have a ten year expiration. Don't hesitate to toss a seat that is expired according to the label. The date that you actually purchase the seat may be much shorter than the six year time span.

You also need to check for current recalls of car seats. You can check the manufacturers website, or you can check here to find a list of manufacturer's websites. The name of the company that made your car seat should be written on the label or directly on the car seat.

Finally, some recommendations for car seats. Personally, we love the Recaro brand but Britax is also an excellent brand. Don't worry if you can't afford these brands, however. Using a car seat from Wal-Mart or Target is fine as long as you follow the guidelines for use and check the expiration dates.

Roman Town Review

A while back I was invited to try out Roman Town, a computer games based on archeology. My kids love stuff like this so I was so excited to install it for them as a surprise. The game itself is super easy to install. I was worried because I have Windows 7 and that wasn't listed on the package for the game as compatible, but it worked great!

My daughter and I tried the game out and ended up playing for a couple of hours on Saturday afternoon. She did most of the playing but the graphics looked nice and she had a lot of fun with it. My three year old played, too, so you can see how versatile the game is since my daughter is 14. We planned a party to show the game to some of the homeschoolers in my family on Sunday.

If you are a homeschool family, then you know how involved something as simple as a game can be! Roman Town included some archeology-friendly recipes along with their game, so we just had to try them out. We made the fossil dip using their recipe.

The recipe is:

-One round loaf of bread, hollowed out. The suggested pumpernickel, but we used honey wheat from the bakery.
-Veggies like carrots, celery and red pepper slices to excavate the dip.
-Veggie dip. We used sour cream with dry Ranch dressing mix, it is my kids favorite!

Just use the veggies to excavate the dip! How cute.

We also used our Roman Town cups, which have sports bottle lids, to drink Fossil Juice made with lemonade, ginger ale and green food coloring! The kids loved it!

The homescghool kids all loved it and so did the moms that came over. We had a lot of fun with the beanies and the cups that Roman Town sent out, too! The game is just the right thing when you want to incorporate history and archeology into your homeschool program or when you have kids like mine that just love history.

You can find Roman Town here: http://dig-itgames.com/index.php/archaeology-computer-game-roman-town/

Its a pretty cool game! One thing to note is that if your kids are into graphics or have a lot of games they play on the Wii or something, they may not be as impressed with the fun/showy factors. This is really and educational game, so its best for learning!

Twitter Party- Win Wii Stuff!

@ResourcefulMom is helping to host a Twitter party with Mamavation Mom Leah, also known as @Bookieboo on Twitter! So go RSVP here, and enter for a chance to win some great prizes! http://www.mamavation.com/2010/12/play-your-way-personal-fitness-twitter-party-with-gamestop.html

Some of the prizes include:

1. GRAND PRIZE:Wii Bundle in black, white or red
The bundle comes with:

* Black Wii System
* Wii MotionPlus Remote
* Wii Nunchuk Controller Black
* Wii Sports
* Wii Sports Resort

Goo luck!