I'm dealing with a bit of diaper remorse right now. Omega had a really bad diaper rash--we actually ended up buying a box of disposables once it progressed into some open sores. And I discovered that I hate, hate, hate disposable diapers--the smell, the crinkly-ness, the smell. Not to mention the squishy feeling they get when they are soaked--or the way I leave them on for longer than I should, so I can get the most for my money. But with cloth diapers, I couldn't use my normal remedy of butt paste. And I needed something for the poor, little guy right now--not in 3-4 days. Arg.
So, after a full week of disposables (I'm sure my mom thanked me), he's finally healed up. No more open sores--patches that are obviously new skin, but no more open sores. And I'm soooo glad to have him back in cloth.
But, I'm a little mad too. When I first started diapering, I was using prefolds and covers and there was nothing going wrong. Then I decided to switch things up and started using pocket diapers. And I passed on all my covers and prefolds. Now I'm wishing that I had them back--everything was so much simpler then. I've even gone so far as to look into getting some more prefolds and covers--just the bare minimum. But I'd be looking at about $20 per dozen prefolds and $13 per cover.
I think the hard part is that in my head I'm an all-or-nothing kind of person. I want to be all pockets or all prefolds/covers. And on some level I feel like I've already done the prefolds/covers and moved away from them--what's to keep me from moving away from them again? Arg. I hate my indecisiveness.
Showing posts with label cloth diapering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cloth diapering. Show all posts
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Bum Genius 4.0 with aplix--a review
Every place I looked, I only heard good about bumGenius! 4.0 One Size Pocket Diaper. There were never any used postings for them on my favorite diaper sites, so I figured they had to be good or people would be returning them. I was excited to try them. I finally broke down and bought 2 hook and loop versions (in twilight). I took them out of the packaging, and thought 'hmm--what's all the fuss about?'
But after using them, they quickly became my go-to diaper for going out and bedtimes. The leg openings fit snugly without leaving any of the inner suedecloth exposed (I've had issues with this in other pocket diaper fits). The hook and loop allows for a very customizable fit around the waist. I have not had any leaking or blowouts with these diapers!
I did not start out with these on a newborn. Omega was about 9 months when we started (19 pounds, 28 inches--a little on the skinny side). But, even now at 11 months, he is still in the smallest rise setting. Just for laughs one day, my 4.5 year old asked to try them on--and they fit great, even with 3 large inserts stuffed in! I have no doubt that these diapers will be with us up until the end of diapering Omega.
Perhaps my favorite feature is the 1-2" strip of outer waterproof material that is at the top of the inside front of the diaper--I believe they call this feature an 'insert stopper.' It's great for keeping waistbands from touching the inner suedecloth. No more wet tummies if the insert gets too wet.
And speaking of the insert, the adjustable one-size insert that the diaper comes with holds a ton! One insert can go through the whole night with Omega--although I like to add a second one as a booster, just in case. I don't use the newborn size insert (it comes with both the one-size and a newborn size) except occasionally for extra absorbency at nap time or bed time.
There are two things that I would change about this diaper. 1. I would add another rise setting--a few of the other pocket diapers I have tried have 4 rise settings, instead of just 3. But as evidenced by my 4.5 year old, they do have a wide range of fit. 2. I would like to see these with some brighter colors and/or more prints. But that's just cosmetics.
Overall, I would highly recommend these diapers--I've joined the bandwagon and you won't be seeing mine on any used diaper posting.
But after using them, they quickly became my go-to diaper for going out and bedtimes. The leg openings fit snugly without leaving any of the inner suedecloth exposed (I've had issues with this in other pocket diaper fits). The hook and loop allows for a very customizable fit around the waist. I have not had any leaking or blowouts with these diapers!
I did not start out with these on a newborn. Omega was about 9 months when we started (19 pounds, 28 inches--a little on the skinny side). But, even now at 11 months, he is still in the smallest rise setting. Just for laughs one day, my 4.5 year old asked to try them on--and they fit great, even with 3 large inserts stuffed in! I have no doubt that these diapers will be with us up until the end of diapering Omega.
Perhaps my favorite feature is the 1-2" strip of outer waterproof material that is at the top of the inside front of the diaper--I believe they call this feature an 'insert stopper.' It's great for keeping waistbands from touching the inner suedecloth. No more wet tummies if the insert gets too wet.
And speaking of the insert, the adjustable one-size insert that the diaper comes with holds a ton! One insert can go through the whole night with Omega--although I like to add a second one as a booster, just in case. I don't use the newborn size insert (it comes with both the one-size and a newborn size) except occasionally for extra absorbency at nap time or bed time.
There are two things that I would change about this diaper. 1. I would add another rise setting--a few of the other pocket diapers I have tried have 4 rise settings, instead of just 3. But as evidenced by my 4.5 year old, they do have a wide range of fit. 2. I would like to see these with some brighter colors and/or more prints. But that's just cosmetics.
Overall, I would highly recommend these diapers--I've joined the bandwagon and you won't be seeing mine on any used diaper posting.
my favorite load
As I was folding my diapers today, I realized that I absolutely love doing diaper laundry. It's the only load that I can't wait to get folded. Most of my other loads sit around in their baskets for a day or two before I get around to folding them, but not the diapers. There's something calming about getting everything put together and seeing everything stacked up and ready to go. It makes me smile--until Omega decides to pull everything out.
See, doesn't it just make you smile? Well, okay, so it probably only makes me smile, but still...
Monday, December 27, 2010
itching
One of my favorite cloth diapering sites has been having a 20% off sale ending tonight at midnight. And I'm itching to order something. The kicker is, I don't really need anything. Omega has more diapers than he needs right now, and the ones that I want to order aren't even my favorites. I just really like the new patterns that they came out with. So I find myself inventing reasons to order something. Sigh. Only a few more hours to go until the sale is done and the temptation won't be as huge.
On another shopping note, I ordered a Kindle yesterday and am very excited for it to come in the mail. In my head, I'm telling myself that I'm not going to buy any books, that I'll just download the free books that are available. However, I know in reality I will buy books. So maybe what I need to do is come up with a plan for how I'm going to save that money from a different part of our life. Oooooohh, so excited!
On another shopping note, I ordered a Kindle yesterday and am very excited for it to come in the mail. In my head, I'm telling myself that I'm not going to buy any books, that I'll just download the free books that are available. However, I know in reality I will buy books. So maybe what I need to do is come up with a plan for how I'm going to save that money from a different part of our life. Oooooohh, so excited!
Friday, November 5, 2010
a sock hop is just hopping with socks, right?
Let me start by saying that as I type this I am listening to CD snore away on the bottom step of the stairway upstairs. She has been sleeping there for 5 nights now because there are bugs in her room--granted there are bugs (Japanese beatles and box elder bugs) all over the house and have been for weeks. But evidently there aren't any on the bottom step. And yes there are, I've checked.
Tonight was the elementary school sock hop. Last year P's mom took TO and then told her that they'd go together again this year. However, she ended up dog-sitting and couldn't come down. I wasn't able to find a sitter, so the 4 kids and I trooped off to the sock hop--thank goodness for my sling. Omega was more than content to be carried that way the entire time.
The party started at 6:30 and we got there around 6:45. The noise level in the entire school was almost unbearable for me. I wasn't able to hear LE or CD unless I squatted down and they talked directly into my ear. And my children are not quiet children to start with.
We enjoyed the pizza dinner--and by we I mean TO, and possibly LE. For $3 a piece, each of the kids got a huge slice of greasy pepperoni pizza, a handful of carrots and dip and water (there was a choice of pop, but I chose water for everyone). CD picked a few pepperonis off of hers and ate a few carrots. LE ate all his carrots and about half of his pizza. TO ate her pizza and ignored her carrots.
After supper, we headed into the gym for dancing. And I still can't believe it. But the entire gymnasium was lit by one strand of white Christmas tree lights. We're talking a whole gym, filled with 5-11 year olds running around and lots of parents and younger siblings too, is completely in the dark. It was close to impossible to keep an eye on the kids. So, I found my one position on the floor and stayed there. TO went off with friends and kept coming back to check in like I knew she would do. Surprisingly, LE was scared in the dark gym and stuck pretty close to my side. So did CD. At 7:30 they finally turned the lights back on for the hula hoop contest and everyone crowded to one corner of the gym. They had all the kids that weren't going to be hula hooping sit in a semi-circle, and I let LE and CD go join the kids--TO was waiting her turn to hula hoop. And as soon as the contest started, the kids started standing up--and because I wasn't right next to LE and CD, because there just wasn't room--I lost my line of sight. I was so frustrated. I knew a general direction of where they were, but being short myself, and having short kids, there was no way I could see over the rest of the grown ups standing around. LE finally got tired of not being able to see and came back to find me, I sent him back in to get CD and we spent the rest of the contest behind the crowd--they ran around with the rest of the kids that were too short to see.
After TO came back--none of us got a chance to see her hula hoop--I decided I'd had enough of it. Omega was almost asleep in the sling and I was exhausted trying to keep track of all 3 of them. We got home at 8:15pm. All in all, I think 1.5 hours with 4 kids in terrible crowds by myself was pretty good. I know that they would have liked to have stayed longer, and maybe if we had, they would have gotten to do some of the dances they'd been practicing in school. But, I was the bad mom that made them come home. I was the mom that knew I'd met my limit for the night.
Next year, I'm going to try to arrange for a sitter and only take the school age kids. It really was too much for me to have all of them there, and I'm sure next year Omega will not be content to be hanging out in the sling. I'm proud of myself for doing it, but I don't think I'll do it again--at least not by myself.
-----
I ordered my cloth diaper detergent today. I found a website that had free shipping on any purchases over $49 so I bought 4 bags in order to get the free shipping. I haven't ordered more of my new diapers though. I'm still holding off. As much as I love them, it does seem to be a waste, since I already have enough diapers. A girl can dream though. When I do decide to order some, my favorite cloth diapering website has free shipping--so there's no rush.
-----
I made a list of my ideal housekeeping schedule. How often I would sweep and mop and vacuum, etc. If I'm supposed to have a 1 year, 5 year, 10 year, etc. plan for my life--why not have a final goal for my housekeeping. Let's face it, it's pretty much non-existent right now. I broke my list down into each room and decided what I would do ideally, if procrastination and ambition never played into it. Now, I'm going to pick one thing to start with and do that for an entire week. Then add another item each week. I'm hoping that by having a clear cut goal, I'll be able to see clear steps in my achievements. Yay for me and all that!
Tonight was the elementary school sock hop. Last year P's mom took TO and then told her that they'd go together again this year. However, she ended up dog-sitting and couldn't come down. I wasn't able to find a sitter, so the 4 kids and I trooped off to the sock hop--thank goodness for my sling. Omega was more than content to be carried that way the entire time.
The party started at 6:30 and we got there around 6:45. The noise level in the entire school was almost unbearable for me. I wasn't able to hear LE or CD unless I squatted down and they talked directly into my ear. And my children are not quiet children to start with.
We enjoyed the pizza dinner--and by we I mean TO, and possibly LE. For $3 a piece, each of the kids got a huge slice of greasy pepperoni pizza, a handful of carrots and dip and water (there was a choice of pop, but I chose water for everyone). CD picked a few pepperonis off of hers and ate a few carrots. LE ate all his carrots and about half of his pizza. TO ate her pizza and ignored her carrots.
After supper, we headed into the gym for dancing. And I still can't believe it. But the entire gymnasium was lit by one strand of white Christmas tree lights. We're talking a whole gym, filled with 5-11 year olds running around and lots of parents and younger siblings too, is completely in the dark. It was close to impossible to keep an eye on the kids. So, I found my one position on the floor and stayed there. TO went off with friends and kept coming back to check in like I knew she would do. Surprisingly, LE was scared in the dark gym and stuck pretty close to my side. So did CD. At 7:30 they finally turned the lights back on for the hula hoop contest and everyone crowded to one corner of the gym. They had all the kids that weren't going to be hula hooping sit in a semi-circle, and I let LE and CD go join the kids--TO was waiting her turn to hula hoop. And as soon as the contest started, the kids started standing up--and because I wasn't right next to LE and CD, because there just wasn't room--I lost my line of sight. I was so frustrated. I knew a general direction of where they were, but being short myself, and having short kids, there was no way I could see over the rest of the grown ups standing around. LE finally got tired of not being able to see and came back to find me, I sent him back in to get CD and we spent the rest of the contest behind the crowd--they ran around with the rest of the kids that were too short to see.
After TO came back--none of us got a chance to see her hula hoop--I decided I'd had enough of it. Omega was almost asleep in the sling and I was exhausted trying to keep track of all 3 of them. We got home at 8:15pm. All in all, I think 1.5 hours with 4 kids in terrible crowds by myself was pretty good. I know that they would have liked to have stayed longer, and maybe if we had, they would have gotten to do some of the dances they'd been practicing in school. But, I was the bad mom that made them come home. I was the mom that knew I'd met my limit for the night.
Next year, I'm going to try to arrange for a sitter and only take the school age kids. It really was too much for me to have all of them there, and I'm sure next year Omega will not be content to be hanging out in the sling. I'm proud of myself for doing it, but I don't think I'll do it again--at least not by myself.
-----
I ordered my cloth diaper detergent today. I found a website that had free shipping on any purchases over $49 so I bought 4 bags in order to get the free shipping. I haven't ordered more of my new diapers though. I'm still holding off. As much as I love them, it does seem to be a waste, since I already have enough diapers. A girl can dream though. When I do decide to order some, my favorite cloth diapering website has free shipping--so there's no rush.
-----
I made a list of my ideal housekeeping schedule. How often I would sweep and mop and vacuum, etc. If I'm supposed to have a 1 year, 5 year, 10 year, etc. plan for my life--why not have a final goal for my housekeeping. Let's face it, it's pretty much non-existent right now. I broke my list down into each room and decided what I would do ideally, if procrastination and ambition never played into it. Now, I'm going to pick one thing to start with and do that for an entire week. Then add another item each week. I'm hoping that by having a clear cut goal, I'll be able to see clear steps in my achievements. Yay for me and all that!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
a whole lot of little bits
Let's see, let's see...what to say about today.
Omega actually slept through the night last night! Went to bed by 8pm and slept until around 6:30am. I can't believe it and although I'm hoping--I'm not expecting it to happen again.
TO, LE and CD had appointments this morning to have some dental x-rays done. Now, here's where I admit that I'm a terrible mother and none of my kids have been anywhere near a dentist. And TO is 8 now. But, we're getting that taken care of now. Today were the x-rays, and knowing TO's anxiety with anything new, last night, I explained exactly what would happen during the x-rays. How they would bite down on some "plastic" and a picture would be taken, they'd wear a heavy bib, etc. Yeah. Nothing like what actually happened. Apparently the orthodontic office where we were today is a bit more up to date than my old dentist. But, the kids all did very well and I was surprised that they all, especially LE and CD, were able to hold still for the whole time. So, yay kids!
My new snow suits for Omega came in the mail today. A bear suit for this year (which is a bit big now, but we are looking at close to 6 months of wear) and a size 3T suit for next year. Not knowing how big he's going to be next winter I wanted to go a bit big. I was surprised to find that it fits CD--a bit snugly, but still, it fits. The cuffs on the sleeves and legs are tight enough that it will probably stay above his hands and feet next winter--especially when you add boots into the mix.
I also got a birthday check in the mail from P's mom. And now I get to decide what to do with it. It's enough that I could get 2 more of my new favorite diapers--and only have to add an extra $1. This is the path I am currently leaning toward. But I also feel like maybe I shouldn't jump the gun and I should try those diapers out for more than one try before I fall completely in love. However, figured into the equation is the fact that I'm almost out of diaper detergent. I know that I can probably get by with detergent from the store, but we have really hard water here and it's hard to get the diapers nice and clean. I found this detergent that was specially formulated for washing diapers in hard water. And if you don't figure in the shipping, it's no more than Tide or one of the other name brands. However, the shipping can be a bear since it's detergent, which means it's heavy. So, I'm looking around for a website that carries the detergent that might have free shipping. And most sites do have free shipping--if you spend a certain amount. Why can't my mind handle these little decisions. Why is it so hard for me to choose. Arrg.
Omega actually slept through the night last night! Went to bed by 8pm and slept until around 6:30am. I can't believe it and although I'm hoping--I'm not expecting it to happen again.
TO, LE and CD had appointments this morning to have some dental x-rays done. Now, here's where I admit that I'm a terrible mother and none of my kids have been anywhere near a dentist. And TO is 8 now. But, we're getting that taken care of now. Today were the x-rays, and knowing TO's anxiety with anything new, last night, I explained exactly what would happen during the x-rays. How they would bite down on some "plastic" and a picture would be taken, they'd wear a heavy bib, etc. Yeah. Nothing like what actually happened. Apparently the orthodontic office where we were today is a bit more up to date than my old dentist. But, the kids all did very well and I was surprised that they all, especially LE and CD, were able to hold still for the whole time. So, yay kids!
My new snow suits for Omega came in the mail today. A bear suit for this year (which is a bit big now, but we are looking at close to 6 months of wear) and a size 3T suit for next year. Not knowing how big he's going to be next winter I wanted to go a bit big. I was surprised to find that it fits CD--a bit snugly, but still, it fits. The cuffs on the sleeves and legs are tight enough that it will probably stay above his hands and feet next winter--especially when you add boots into the mix.
I also got a birthday check in the mail from P's mom. And now I get to decide what to do with it. It's enough that I could get 2 more of my new favorite diapers--and only have to add an extra $1. This is the path I am currently leaning toward. But I also feel like maybe I shouldn't jump the gun and I should try those diapers out for more than one try before I fall completely in love. However, figured into the equation is the fact that I'm almost out of diaper detergent. I know that I can probably get by with detergent from the store, but we have really hard water here and it's hard to get the diapers nice and clean. I found this detergent that was specially formulated for washing diapers in hard water. And if you don't figure in the shipping, it's no more than Tide or one of the other name brands. However, the shipping can be a bear since it's detergent, which means it's heavy. So, I'm looking around for a website that carries the detergent that might have free shipping. And most sites do have free shipping--if you spend a certain amount. Why can't my mind handle these little decisions. Why is it so hard for me to choose. Arrg.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
a cloth diapering addiction?
I have been cloth diapering now for over 8 years and 4 babies. I can hardly believe it. But I can honestly say that this is the first time (and by time, I mean baby) that I've fallen in love with it.
Initially I looked into cloth diapering to save money. The start up cost was a bit shocking, but if you penciled it out, you could really save quite a bit. With TO, I used prefolds and a snappi inside Bummis Super Whisper Wraps. I loved the prints available with the covers. I figured if I had to have my baby in cloth, I might as well be able to have them in something cute.
By the time LE had come along, I had met a friend who also cloth diapered and I had seen that she used wool covers the prefolds. I thought that it was a neat idea, so I gave it a try. And, I have to admit, that to start with I really liked them. After a while, I got really tired of hand washing the covers all the time. I really missed being able to wash the covers in the washer.
With CD, we used a combination of the Bummis and the wool covers with prefolds. But once TO was diagnosed with leukemia, the cloth diapering went to the wayside. Not knowing when we'd end up in the hospital, I didn't want to have to worry about dirty diapers being left unwashed too long. So she spent most of her diaper days in disposables.
When Omega came along, we knew that we wanted to cloth diaper again--but I had already gotten rid of ALL my cloth diapering supplies. My cloth diapering friend lent us her newborn size prefolds, so all I needed to do was buy the covers initially. I fell back to my Bummis and prefolds again, but decided that since Omega was our last, I wanted to try a one-size diaper cover--one that could take us from baby to potty-training. I found--and really liked--Wonder Wraps.
When it was time to go on the family camping trip, we decided to use cloth diapers and needed to extend our stash in order to do so. I was really tired of the prefolds though. Cloth diapering had never been a joy for me, but it was definitely no fun at all anymore. So, I decided to try something completely different. After lots of review reading, I decided on Fuzzi Bunz One Size Pocket Diapers. And I fell in love with cloth diapers for the first time. I quickly expanded my Fuzzi Bunz stash to 18 diapers--enough to get through 2-3 days of diapers. The only downside to the Fuzzi Bunz was that they were only available in plain colors. No cute prints.
Then, low and behold, a few days ago, I ran across the cutest pocket diapers I had ever seen--Rumparooz. And I bought 2. I used them now and am completely over my Fuzzi Bunz love. I've spent the last two days wondering how I can go about restocking my diaper stash into Rumparooz. I wonder how I can go about selling the Fuzzi Bunz. Ebay seems like a lot of extra work, but at $25+ a diaper, I just can't seem to justify adding Rumparooz into the Fuzzi Bunz collection with out downsizing.
I prowl the cloth diaper web sites looking for that next new love, wondering where it will hit. Maybe I need to mix my stash up a bit more, and instead of having all the same kind of diapers, branch out into a few of many different kinds.
Oh the tough decisions a cloth diaper addict has to make!
Initially I looked into cloth diapering to save money. The start up cost was a bit shocking, but if you penciled it out, you could really save quite a bit. With TO, I used prefolds and a snappi inside Bummis Super Whisper Wraps. I loved the prints available with the covers. I figured if I had to have my baby in cloth, I might as well be able to have them in something cute.
By the time LE had come along, I had met a friend who also cloth diapered and I had seen that she used wool covers the prefolds. I thought that it was a neat idea, so I gave it a try. And, I have to admit, that to start with I really liked them. After a while, I got really tired of hand washing the covers all the time. I really missed being able to wash the covers in the washer.
With CD, we used a combination of the Bummis and the wool covers with prefolds. But once TO was diagnosed with leukemia, the cloth diapering went to the wayside. Not knowing when we'd end up in the hospital, I didn't want to have to worry about dirty diapers being left unwashed too long. So she spent most of her diaper days in disposables.
When Omega came along, we knew that we wanted to cloth diaper again--but I had already gotten rid of ALL my cloth diapering supplies. My cloth diapering friend lent us her newborn size prefolds, so all I needed to do was buy the covers initially. I fell back to my Bummis and prefolds again, but decided that since Omega was our last, I wanted to try a one-size diaper cover--one that could take us from baby to potty-training. I found--and really liked--Wonder Wraps.
When it was time to go on the family camping trip, we decided to use cloth diapers and needed to extend our stash in order to do so. I was really tired of the prefolds though. Cloth diapering had never been a joy for me, but it was definitely no fun at all anymore. So, I decided to try something completely different. After lots of review reading, I decided on Fuzzi Bunz One Size Pocket Diapers. And I fell in love with cloth diapers for the first time. I quickly expanded my Fuzzi Bunz stash to 18 diapers--enough to get through 2-3 days of diapers. The only downside to the Fuzzi Bunz was that they were only available in plain colors. No cute prints.
Then, low and behold, a few days ago, I ran across the cutest pocket diapers I had ever seen--Rumparooz. And I bought 2. I used them now and am completely over my Fuzzi Bunz love. I've spent the last two days wondering how I can go about restocking my diaper stash into Rumparooz. I wonder how I can go about selling the Fuzzi Bunz. Ebay seems like a lot of extra work, but at $25+ a diaper, I just can't seem to justify adding Rumparooz into the Fuzzi Bunz collection with out downsizing.
I prowl the cloth diaper web sites looking for that next new love, wondering where it will hit. Maybe I need to mix my stash up a bit more, and instead of having all the same kind of diapers, branch out into a few of many different kinds.
Oh the tough decisions a cloth diaper addict has to make!
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
ummm...not sure what I'm going to do
So, yesterday I called and left a message for my one baby-sitting source (possible source, as I'm not sure that either of the girls does baby-sit). And I haven't heard anything back yet. I asked TO if there were any younger kids at the sock hop last year and she told me "no." Which makes me wonder what exactly to do. I'm going to call the school tomorrow and see what the receptionists have to say, but if younger kids aren't appreciated, I'm going to have one very disappointed TO on my hands.
I got my diapers in the mail today! Happy Birthday to me--I mean Merry Christmas to Samuel! Unfortunately I think I'm really going to like them. And, that's unfortunate, because I already have enough cloth diapers and don't really need any more, but ahhhh....new fluff--I love you so. I'm debating if I sold my current collection second hand--if I could come away with enough $ to buy a meager stash of the new ones. Sigh. Probably not. I may have to settle for watching the 'gently used' page at Nicki's to see if any come up.
I knew when I finished my Christmas shopping early that I would struggle with running across something else for the kids that would be just perfect. And CD was the hardest to buy for--especially her big guy gift. She's old enough to know what she likes, but not old enough to tell you exactly what she wants. As a result, I finally picked up a Baby Alive Baby All Gone after she had mentioned it on several days. Then today she comes downstairs with the toy flier (I didn't realize that the kids still had that) and pointed out the Fisher Price doll house in there. And I melted. I had really wanted to get her the doll house, but knew that buy the time we bought the house and the furniture and the people, we'd be way over our budget. But, now I'm struggling. If I returned everything that I'd picked up for her and used the leftover money that had been budgeted for the kids' Christmas presents, I could probably swing the doll house. But, I'm thinking that I'm going to hold tight for a bit yet. I've tossed the toy flier out and I'll wait and see if she mentions it again--today was the first time she mentioned a doll house. Sigh. Maybe next year...
I got my diapers in the mail today! Happy Birthday to me--I mean Merry Christmas to Samuel! Unfortunately I think I'm really going to like them. And, that's unfortunate, because I already have enough cloth diapers and don't really need any more, but ahhhh....new fluff--I love you so. I'm debating if I sold my current collection second hand--if I could come away with enough $ to buy a meager stash of the new ones. Sigh. Probably not. I may have to settle for watching the 'gently used' page at Nicki's to see if any come up.
I knew when I finished my Christmas shopping early that I would struggle with running across something else for the kids that would be just perfect. And CD was the hardest to buy for--especially her big guy gift. She's old enough to know what she likes, but not old enough to tell you exactly what she wants. As a result, I finally picked up a Baby Alive Baby All Gone after she had mentioned it on several days. Then today she comes downstairs with the toy flier (I didn't realize that the kids still had that) and pointed out the Fisher Price doll house in there. And I melted. I had really wanted to get her the doll house, but knew that buy the time we bought the house and the furniture and the people, we'd be way over our budget. But, now I'm struggling. If I returned everything that I'd picked up for her and used the leftover money that had been budgeted for the kids' Christmas presents, I could probably swing the doll house. But, I'm thinking that I'm going to hold tight for a bit yet. I've tossed the toy flier out and I'll wait and see if she mentions it again--today was the first time she mentioned a doll house. Sigh. Maybe next year...
Thursday, October 28, 2010
a bit of...
I have to admit that these last few days have been particularly hard on me, and I'm not 100% sure why. Physically, I haven't been feeling up to snuff--which I'm sure is the result of being off the ww wagon. The only thing better than carrot cake with cream cheese frosting is Ben & Jerry's Carrot Cake ice cream--with a cream cheese frosting swirl! But, I digress. I'm finally feeling like I should start counting points again, and am just wondering when would be the best time to start. Yeah, yeah, no time like the present, and all that crap. I need time to plan, time to get the food in the house. And, maybe most of all, I need time to prepare my mind--to get it out of the deprivation mindset that it automatically sinks into anytime the word "points" comes up. I'm also fairly nervous about getting back on the scale. I know that I'm still fitting into the size-smaller jeans that I got before vacation, but they are fitting a bit tight. And, I'm wondering just how much damage I managed to do while enjoying the jalapeno poppers, chili and carrot cake ice cream.
Mentally, I have not been at the top of my game either. I'm still taking a nap almost every morning. And while I tell myself that it's just because I'm still getting up with Omega during the night, part of me wonders if it isn't a bit of depression setting in. Things are so lonely here during the day. And now with Omega so mobile and getting into everything, I'm having to leave the computer off while he's awake. I'm realizing just how much time I spent on the computer every day.
I was an avid FrontierVille player on facebook, but I started having a lot of problems with the game--the internet needing to refresh all the time, etc. And I realized that I was spending up to 2 hours a night (not counting anytime during the day) just getting the basics of the game done. Not to mention that I needed lots more friends to make the game play easier--and I refused to friend people I didn't know. So, I gave up--I gifted all the items that I could to my friends that play and have unliked the application and blocked all the posts from my newsfeeds.
I've chatted up everyone that I could about our trip, which now leaves me with not much to talk about--and I don't feel that I can pester my few friends that often without too much going on. And I'm definitely getting the feeling from my mom that my phone calls are coming at inopportune moments--namely any time of the day. So, I'm really feeling cut off from grownups--which is just kind of feeding the depression issue.
I am currently on my 3rd attempt to knit a hat for Omega--and I tried the bottom on him today--which was a struggle considering the needles and yarn were still attached. And it's looking a little big. I'm really getting ready to throw the towel in and just buy the poor kid a hat. Pretty soon, he's not going to be able to get by with just the hood on his jacket. But, I really wanted to make him a hat--so maybe I'll have to start over from scratch and use some yarn that I'm more familiar with--something that's more uniform.
For TO's halloween costume (she was a witch), I needed a length of rope or twine to tie around her waist. And of course lacking that, I looked up some instructions on how to "finger knit." I was able to make her belt (big enough to tie around me) in under 10 minutes. Now I'm debating about teaching TO how to do this--it was extremely easy--and see if she would want to make a big long chain to use as garland on the Christmas tree this year. The instructions for finger knitting are here--I used the photos, not the video--which did not match the photos, and for the belt--and garland--I only used 2 fingers.
I currently have 3 packages that I'm waiting for in the mail. Snow pants for TO from P's mom. Evidently she shipped them to the wrong address--again. I thought we had gotten that corrected the last time it happened, but evidently everything that she sends to our house has been addressed to the wrong address. Somehow the post office gets it here (and of course, I haven't noticed the incorrect address because when something shows up in my mailbox addressed to me, I don't stop to read the address too), but UPS gets it screwed up every time--meaning they aren't mind readers and deliver it to the address on the label. Or, at least this is the gist of the 30 minute lecture that I got on the subject--like it's my fault.
I'm also waiting for Omega's snowsuit--I had returned the ones that my step-mom sent me and am waiting for the correct ones to be sent to us (a cute bear one for this year--built in feet and mittens--and a polar fleece one for next year). I'm not really hopeful of a quick turn around time, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed--snow could be coming any day now--and as mentioned before, the poor kid doesn't even have a hat!
The third package is my birthday present/Omega's Christmas present. Perhaps I should preface this with--I told P that I wanted a birthday gift this year--we've been married 8 years now and have never exchanged presents--for birthday or Christmas. And this year--I just really wanted a birthday present to open--don't ask why, I'm not really sure that I know. I told him he has a chiropractor appointment on my birthday and that he should just stop after he was done and pick something out. So the other day he took LE and CD out for supper and it was taking them a really long time to get home. Turns out they were birthday shopping for me. They brought home a new dual handset cordless phone. And I'm not trying to sound bitchy--but it's my blog and you can stop reading if you want to--1) I really wanted something on my birthday, 2) I kind of feel like it's more for him than for me--he's the one that's been missing the cordless since it broke a few months ago, and 3) isn't it kind of like getting a vacuum? While I'm glad I got a gift, I can say I wasn't really excited about it--but honestly I'm not sure what I was expecting him to get for me anyway.
But, back to my 3rd package. I got a facebook post from Nicki's Diapers today about a new diaper that they had stocked--basically like the ones that I use and love--only with prints! Rock on! I'd been wanting prints for so long--that's the best part of cloth diapering--being able to put really cute prints on your kid's bottom. Anyway...I checked out their website and ended up ordering 2 really cute diapers--with kangaroo print! Actually kangaroos wearing diapers. Kangaroo diaper seen here. I was only $10 away from the free shipping and when I calculated the shipping--it was going to cost me $10.10. So, I went back to the site and found some inserts and bought enough to equal the $10. If I had to spend the $10 either way, I might as well get something, right.
Something completely off topic that maybe considered gross--but again, it's my blog. About 8 years ago, I started using the Keeper during my periods. And as grossed out as I thought I'd be, I really liked it. Combined with some cloth pads that I washed with the cloth diapers--I was set. Then sometime in the last move, I lost my Keeper--my apologies to whoever runs across it. I went through 2 periods using the disposable products that I had managed to collect and move over the last 8 years--of course, it couldn't be them that I lost--and hated every day of it. So after my last period, I broke down and spent the money to get a new one. However, I had trouble finding the Keeper at a reasonable price, and I decided to try the Diva Cup seen here. And after using it, I have to say, I like it a lot better than the Keeper. It seems softer, more flexible and it has a few raised rings/ridges at the base to help with removal. The site says that it needs to be replace about once a year, but I also ran across sites that had reviews from women who have used the Diva Cup for years. So, I guess I'll just see how it's doing after a year. Again the whole above paragraph was probably TMI, but again--my blog. And as long as I'm TMIing, I use the FuzziBunz Comfort Pads seen here.
I have been reading up a storm lately--probably due to the less computer time. And, I've finally caught up on the flux of books that accidentally all came in at the same time about a month ago--apparently there just aren't too many holds on older romances. So, I'm reading Master of Fire by Angela Knight right now--and the only thing I have left here at the house is Death's Excellent Vacation a compilation of short stories by various authors. I got it for the Jim the demon dog short story by Katie MacAlister, which was hilarious by the way. I still have all the other short stories to read in that book yet. Now I need to get back on the library's website and reserve some more books. And they'll probably all come in at the same time again, and I'll be right back in the same boat again.
Well, I think that's enough babbling for tonight.
Mentally, I have not been at the top of my game either. I'm still taking a nap almost every morning. And while I tell myself that it's just because I'm still getting up with Omega during the night, part of me wonders if it isn't a bit of depression setting in. Things are so lonely here during the day. And now with Omega so mobile and getting into everything, I'm having to leave the computer off while he's awake. I'm realizing just how much time I spent on the computer every day.
I was an avid FrontierVille player on facebook, but I started having a lot of problems with the game--the internet needing to refresh all the time, etc. And I realized that I was spending up to 2 hours a night (not counting anytime during the day) just getting the basics of the game done. Not to mention that I needed lots more friends to make the game play easier--and I refused to friend people I didn't know. So, I gave up--I gifted all the items that I could to my friends that play and have unliked the application and blocked all the posts from my newsfeeds.
I've chatted up everyone that I could about our trip, which now leaves me with not much to talk about--and I don't feel that I can pester my few friends that often without too much going on. And I'm definitely getting the feeling from my mom that my phone calls are coming at inopportune moments--namely any time of the day. So, I'm really feeling cut off from grownups--which is just kind of feeding the depression issue.
I am currently on my 3rd attempt to knit a hat for Omega--and I tried the bottom on him today--which was a struggle considering the needles and yarn were still attached. And it's looking a little big. I'm really getting ready to throw the towel in and just buy the poor kid a hat. Pretty soon, he's not going to be able to get by with just the hood on his jacket. But, I really wanted to make him a hat--so maybe I'll have to start over from scratch and use some yarn that I'm more familiar with--something that's more uniform.
For TO's halloween costume (she was a witch), I needed a length of rope or twine to tie around her waist. And of course lacking that, I looked up some instructions on how to "finger knit." I was able to make her belt (big enough to tie around me) in under 10 minutes. Now I'm debating about teaching TO how to do this--it was extremely easy--and see if she would want to make a big long chain to use as garland on the Christmas tree this year. The instructions for finger knitting are here--I used the photos, not the video--which did not match the photos, and for the belt--and garland--I only used 2 fingers.
I currently have 3 packages that I'm waiting for in the mail. Snow pants for TO from P's mom. Evidently she shipped them to the wrong address--again. I thought we had gotten that corrected the last time it happened, but evidently everything that she sends to our house has been addressed to the wrong address. Somehow the post office gets it here (and of course, I haven't noticed the incorrect address because when something shows up in my mailbox addressed to me, I don't stop to read the address too), but UPS gets it screwed up every time--meaning they aren't mind readers and deliver it to the address on the label. Or, at least this is the gist of the 30 minute lecture that I got on the subject--like it's my fault.
I'm also waiting for Omega's snowsuit--I had returned the ones that my step-mom sent me and am waiting for the correct ones to be sent to us (a cute bear one for this year--built in feet and mittens--and a polar fleece one for next year). I'm not really hopeful of a quick turn around time, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed--snow could be coming any day now--and as mentioned before, the poor kid doesn't even have a hat!
The third package is my birthday present/Omega's Christmas present. Perhaps I should preface this with--I told P that I wanted a birthday gift this year--we've been married 8 years now and have never exchanged presents--for birthday or Christmas. And this year--I just really wanted a birthday present to open--don't ask why, I'm not really sure that I know. I told him he has a chiropractor appointment on my birthday and that he should just stop after he was done and pick something out. So the other day he took LE and CD out for supper and it was taking them a really long time to get home. Turns out they were birthday shopping for me. They brought home a new dual handset cordless phone. And I'm not trying to sound bitchy--but it's my blog and you can stop reading if you want to--1) I really wanted something on my birthday, 2) I kind of feel like it's more for him than for me--he's the one that's been missing the cordless since it broke a few months ago, and 3) isn't it kind of like getting a vacuum? While I'm glad I got a gift, I can say I wasn't really excited about it--but honestly I'm not sure what I was expecting him to get for me anyway.
But, back to my 3rd package. I got a facebook post from Nicki's Diapers today about a new diaper that they had stocked--basically like the ones that I use and love--only with prints! Rock on! I'd been wanting prints for so long--that's the best part of cloth diapering--being able to put really cute prints on your kid's bottom. Anyway...I checked out their website and ended up ordering 2 really cute diapers--with kangaroo print! Actually kangaroos wearing diapers. Kangaroo diaper seen here. I was only $10 away from the free shipping and when I calculated the shipping--it was going to cost me $10.10. So, I went back to the site and found some inserts and bought enough to equal the $10. If I had to spend the $10 either way, I might as well get something, right.
Something completely off topic that maybe considered gross--but again, it's my blog. About 8 years ago, I started using the Keeper during my periods. And as grossed out as I thought I'd be, I really liked it. Combined with some cloth pads that I washed with the cloth diapers--I was set. Then sometime in the last move, I lost my Keeper--my apologies to whoever runs across it. I went through 2 periods using the disposable products that I had managed to collect and move over the last 8 years--of course, it couldn't be them that I lost--and hated every day of it. So after my last period, I broke down and spent the money to get a new one. However, I had trouble finding the Keeper at a reasonable price, and I decided to try the Diva Cup seen here. And after using it, I have to say, I like it a lot better than the Keeper. It seems softer, more flexible and it has a few raised rings/ridges at the base to help with removal. The site says that it needs to be replace about once a year, but I also ran across sites that had reviews from women who have used the Diva Cup for years. So, I guess I'll just see how it's doing after a year. Again the whole above paragraph was probably TMI, but again--my blog. And as long as I'm TMIing, I use the FuzziBunz Comfort Pads seen here.
I have been reading up a storm lately--probably due to the less computer time. And, I've finally caught up on the flux of books that accidentally all came in at the same time about a month ago--apparently there just aren't too many holds on older romances. So, I'm reading Master of Fire by Angela Knight right now--and the only thing I have left here at the house is Death's Excellent Vacation a compilation of short stories by various authors. I got it for the Jim the demon dog short story by Katie MacAlister, which was hilarious by the way. I still have all the other short stories to read in that book yet. Now I need to get back on the library's website and reserve some more books. And they'll probably all come in at the same time again, and I'll be right back in the same boat again.
Well, I think that's enough babbling for tonight.
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