2007 June | A Mama's Blog

Attachment Parenting 2007 Auction- Now Open!

June 30, 2007 By A Mama's Blog Leave a Comment

I belong to a local Attachment Parenting group, which operates under the national organization, Attachment Parenting International, or API for short.

API is trying to raise funds so they can accomplish three goals, which are: (1) Fund API’s General Operation Budget, (2) Complete Website Renovation, and (3) Develop the ”Eight Principals of AP” Parent Education Curriculum.

One of the ways they are trying to raise funds is by an online auction, which started on June 29th, and will end on July 21st.

I donated three items from my on-line shop, Little Pumpkin Sweet Pea Designs: a baby onesie, a toddler T-shirt, and a woman’s T-shirt.

I am very proud that one of my friend’s creations from her shop, Attached At The Hip, a breastfeeding advocacy T-shirt, is the current item in the auction with the highest bid!You can also donate ANY item or product you have, by clicking here, and then scrolling down the page, to the DONATE icon.

If you have an item from your business, or just want to donate some household items for API, it doesn’t have to be an “AP” item. When you donate, you can add a link to your website or business, which has the potential to be seen by 4,500 AP supporters. That number will grow, as the supporters will forward the auction link to their friends, and family.

Even if you don’t have anything to donate, check out the auction, and check back often- there are some great items already listed, like a Moby Wrap Sling, Blue Man concert tickets, Bravado Nursing Bras, and The No Cry Solution parenting books by Elizabeth Pantley, just to name a few!

Attachment Parenting promotes “Peaceful Parenting for a Peaceful World,” and assists parents in building secure attachments with their children. It is a great parenting resource so if you can, please help them out.

Thanks!

Filed Under: Attachment Parenting

Ryan’s New Bike

June 29, 2007 By A Mama's Blog 3 Comments

Last week as we were leaving the grandparent’s house, a neighbor of theirs was putting out some bikes by the road, and I noticed there were two bikes that were just Ryan’s size.

I stopped and looked at them: one was pretty beat up, but the other one looked like it was in good shape, so we got it. When Joe got home he looked at it, and he did a few adjustments on it, and that night, him and Ryan went to the store for training wheels.

The next morning, Ryan was out on full force on his bike. He loves riding it. He likes to look down at his feet, so we stay right behind him, in order to avoid a crash. Here is the big boy on his new “big boy” bike. (I know, we need to get him a helmet)

Filed Under: Activities, Ryan

NEW PAGE: What I am Reading

June 29, 2007 By A Mama's Blog 4 Comments

I decided to try to start reading more- I really love to read, and unfortunately, I haven’t been reading as much as I used to (I wonder why?!).

I created a new page titled, “What I am Reading,” where I will list all the books I have read, are reading, and plan on reading in the near future. I will also write a review when I am done with each book.

If you like to read, check this page from time to time, and if you have a suggestion on a book, leave me a comment, and maybe I’ll add it to the list!

Here is my current list:

Recent books from my library

Mortgages For Dummies, 2nd Edition by Eric Tyson

Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner

Ravenhill by Timothy Hillmer

Two Little Girls in Blue: A Novel by Mary Higgins Clark

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards

Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner

Filed Under: Activities, Me

“Stripping” the Ol’ Fuzzibunzs’

June 26, 2007 By A Mama's Blog 5 Comments

I started using Fuzzibunz cloth pocket diapers when Ryan was about 18 months old. I absolutely LOVE them! They are so easy to use, and it is great being able to customize the amount of protection needed, by simply inserting another insert, or even wrapping the inserts with a cloth (I use one insert and then wrap that in a microfiber cloth.)

Most of the Fuzzibunz I got for Ryan were size large, but as soon as I found out I was having another baby, I started buying the size smalls and mediums. Cole has been in Fuzzibunz since he was born, and while I still use disposables on occasion, I can only imagine how much money we have saved by using cloth the majority of the time. At first I thought I would hate doing the extra laundry, and how do you get the solids off the diaper, it was gross, etc.

I started using flushable diaper liners with Ryan in the Fuzzibunz, and those work great for me. I just set a liner in each diaper, and then when it is soiled, I can just pick the liner out, and dispose of it. I have enough diapers that I only have to wash them every two or three days (if I push it), so it hasn’t been that big of a deal. We also invested in a front-loading washing machine, and with the exception of about two cold months in the winter, I hang them up outside to line dry, so it is VERY economical for us to launder the diapers.

The only downside I have had with the Fuzzibunz, is sometimes they seem to hold in the unpleasant smells, despite several washings and hanging them out in the sun to dry. I have heard that using too much detergent can cause this, and heard you could “strip” the diapers to get rid of this. I wasn’t sure how to do it, but looked it up yesterday and did it last night.

I am pleased to report that I have my clean smelling Fuzzibunzs’ back! With a front-loading washing machine, you really have to cut down on the amount of detergent used, so I think I was using too much. I’ll have to use about half of what I was using so this doesn’t happen again. Here is what I did that worked so well:

1. Wash all diapers, inserts, and anything else you stuff in the diaper on a hot wash (no detergent).

2. Wash everything again in a hot wash with detergent (Allen’s Natural was suggested, but I used my high efficiency natural wash for front-loaders from Costco, and it worked fine).

3. Run a cold-water rinse. If smells still linger, repeat the cold-water rinse.

4. Line dry, or tumble dry in dryer.

I only did the cold water rinse once, and noticed just a faint, faint smell in a few diapers, after they had dried, so if I had to do it again, I would have run one more cold-water rinse. Also, this took about three hours just to wash them, (not counting the time it took to line dry), so make sure you have enough time. I think you will be pleased with the results if you have a need to do this.

Happy diapering!!!

Filed Under: Cole, Household, Ryan

My New “Do”

June 24, 2007 By A Mama's Blog 5 Comments

Before having children, I was devoted to getting my haircut every two months. Even if I didn’t want to take any length off, I would at least have the ends trimmed out, and my hair thinned out.

That’s right-thinned out. I have very thick, curly hair. My siblings used to call me “hair helmet” when we were growing up, because it was curly, thick, frizzy, and I had a ton of it.

I realized a week ago, that it has almost been a year since I have had my hair cut. A YEAR….gasp. The last time was last July, right after Cole had been born, and my sister was visiting me from out of town. She offered to stay with the boys, so I could go get it cut, and I took her up on it.

Needless to say, I needed a haircut desperately. I have been reliving my ”hair helmet” days. I think I have beat my old record and have worn my hair in a ponytail for probably three months straight now- it is the only thing I can do with it, when it gets this way, so it isn’t totally frizzy and out of control.

It is funny how something that was SO important to me before having kids, now barely registers on the scale. In fact, if I didn’t have a family wedding coming up, with several parties, in the next few weeks, where I actually have to stop and figure out what I am going to wear, and then-oh-yeah- what am I going to do with my hair? pops into my brain, I probably wouldn’t have thought of it.

I guess when the only people who see me day in and day out, is a three-and-a-half-year old, and a one-year-old- who hug me and kiss me all day, no matter what I look like, how my hair is cut, doesn’t matter that much to me anymore. That being said, I do want to look nice at these family events and am glad that I finally got it cut. My neck feels about 5 pounds lighter, and my head feels a lot cooler, without all that extra hair hanging around. No more ponytails for a while!

Here is a picture of me the night before I got it cut- no make-up on, and in my tie-dye shirt that I bought at the little studio where we took Ryan and his cousins to make their shirts at: (please don’t laugh too hard)

Here is a picture of me from yesterday, at my future sister-in-law’s bridal shower, and I am holding my niece. I’d like to point out that actually have dress on, AND make-up:

I was feeling very nice, and pretty, on my way out the door to the shower yesterday, and then Ryan saw me. Here is how that went:

RYAN: Mommy, why are you dressed like that?

ME: I’m going to a bridal shower for Aunt Kat.

RYAN: Why are you wearing this for the shower? (walks over to me and touches my dress) What is THIS? (scrunches up his nose, like I am wearing a burlap sack or something)

ME: This is a dress honey; Mommy wears a dress, for special occasions.

RYAN: What are those things on your shoes?

ME: Those are called high heels.

RYAN: I don’t like those…where are your flip-flops?

ME: These are nice shoes to go with the dress.

RYAN: I don’t like the dress…where are your shorts?

SIGH…. obviously my son doesn’t see me dressed up very often. He’ll be in for a surprise when he sees me in the dress I bought for the wedding. It is probably one of the nicest dresses I have bought in recent years.

But I have to admit, it did feel nice to get dressed up, even though it was a very hot, day- about 100 degrees, and it was lovely to go to a nice tea, and eat little finger foods, and not have to worry about cutting up someone’s food, or making sure they didn’t break a tea-cup or a dish, or answer “Mommy Why?” questions all afternoon, or try to soothe a crying baby. When my niece started to cry, I got to hand her back to her mother, and that was a switch- usually I am on the receiving end of a crying baby. Most of all, I enjoyed talking to other adults and having uninterrupted conversation for 2 whole hours!

Maybe I need to get out of the house more, but darn-it- I’d have to get my hair cut on a regular basis then.

Filed Under: Activities, Family & Friends, Me, Ryan