Newborn Diaper Rental Kit

Shortly after finding out we were expecting, BF and I decided we wanted to try cloth diapering. I spend A LOT of time researching and deciding on what kind I wanted to try and what I felt would work (or wouldn't work for us). During one of my many days researching I stumbled upon a post from Earth Crunchy Mama stating she had 'Newborn Rental Kit' and she wanted to test it out with a few moms. This sounded great to me. It would give me the option to try a few different brands of diapers without making a huge commitment. I immediately sent Jenn at Earth Crunchy Mama an email to get more information. We spent a couple days sending emails back and forth trying to figure out what the best way to set up the package would be. As I had never cloth diapered before I had a LOT of questions. We set up my kit to include: 


1 wet bag
1 pail liner
1 bag of RnG detergent
1 package of cloth wipes
fleece liners
and an assortment of diapers including GroVia, bumGenius, FuzziBuns, prefolds and Thirsty covers


I paid a deposit of $125 to start this and the package was set to be shipped two weeks before my due date. I had been in touch with them and had an agreement that if lil miss came early we would get the package sent earlier. I used the package for 2 months and it had a rental fee of $15.00/month. When I was ready to return my package I sent them an email and they got me all set up to send my stuff back and let me know what was left over from my deposit (deposit subtract monthly rental fee subtract any extras I chose to keep) so that I could use for in store credit. In my case I feel in love with some diapers and we are considering having another so we chose to keep a couple of the favorites for the next baby.

I am VERY happy with this program and would recommend it to anyone. I have already decided that when the time comes for another one, we will be doing this program again. I loved that Jenn was able to answer my questions and never seemed annoyed, even after my millionth email lol. There were a few small snags through out the program as I was their first Canadian to try this program. But this never changed my opinion. She was always in touch and I knew exactly what was going on at all times.

Rumparooz Lil Joey's Review

Right before Aaraiha was born I was approached by Rhonda from   Sweet Lil Dimples Baby Shop to see if I wanted to try Rumparooz Lil Joey's. I thought I'd give it a try as they sure did look cute. She sent me two of the white ones and both BF and I thought they were adorable and really really soft. I ended up buying a red one and a ladder print one to add to my collection before she was born! We started using cloth when Aaraiha was about 1.5 weeks old. We were nervous to start with the meconium poops so waited a bit. We LOVED the Lil Joey's. Aaraiha was about 8lbs when we started using them on her and they went until 12lbs 4oz before we needed to retire them. We had a few different newborn diapers in our stash but our Lil Joey's were always our go to diaper! We loved the double gussets in the legs, and the snap down for umbilical cord was really nice as well. They do take a little longer to dry as they are all-in-one but we didn't mind. They can be bought in Rhonda's store. They come in packs of two for 29.95 with the option of snaps or aplix. When the time comes to add another little one to our family I will be making sure to add more Lil Joey's to our stash!!

Sorry...Life got ahead of me

So in meaning to catch up - I have to admit life got a head of me. Aaraiha is now 3 months. I'm back to work and prepping to get back to school. And somewhere along the line I thought that opening a co-op group would be a great idea! I plan to get some more thorough updates up this week as well as some of my reviews that should have been done a long time ago.
To come later this week: Lil Joey's, and my Newborn Rental Kit.

Alva Sneak Peak Review

I like my current Alva's but when I found out the have come out with a new design that includes double gusset and double snaps I knew I HAD to try it! There isn't a whole lot of selection right now - but that's ok I found one I like and it's been ordered. In the mean time I stumbled across a review done by Midnight Mommy make sure you check it out and enter her draw! Hopefully mine will get here soon so I can do a review of my own!

Do you cloth?

As a lot of my upcoming reviews involve the new (to me) world of cloth. I thought I'd write up a quick intro. Although Aaraiha is my 4th baby - she is the first one I've used cloth diapers with. 

With cloth diapers we also use cloth wipes and I've started with Mama Cloth (pads) and Mama Milk Cloth (nursing pads). Now that we've been doing it for 6 weeks, I honestly have no clue why I didn't start it back when I had twins. Ok I'll be honest, the whole idea of cloth then scared me. I mean you really have to wash that stuff? LOL And the pins - don't you end up stabbing yourself or the baby? That just sounds like so much work. Who needs MORE work when you have twins to worry about? 

Well after my boys were too old to consider cloth for (they were then potty trained lol) I started hearing more people talk about this wonderful world of cloth. Yep I'll admit I thought they were nuts. But then I started realizing it wasn't as scary as I thought. There were all these different styles of diapers (none of which included the scary pins!), and a lot of them were really cute! So that peaked my interest. The idea of washing them no longer bothered me. After dealing with blow outs from disposables and having a boy who was a puker as an infant. It doesn't seem to phase you anymore when you have to wash a dirty diaper lol. And honestly I don't mind doing laundry. If it would fold itself and put itself away I'd be doing really good. But the job of actually doing it isn't so bad. Where I am living now I do have my own washer and dryer so that's not an expense. And the bonus is that heat/water is included in my rent so I don't have to worry about that as an expense (unless we ever decide to move). When I considered the price of disposables in our small town or the fact of having to drive half an hour to get diapers at a reasonable price - it just seemed more budget friendly to purchase cloth. Then we started the journey of what 'style' do we want. When I was pregnant we thought for sure we wanted prefolds/covers with maybe a couple pockets. That has changed now that she's here. But it's been a fun experience along the way. 

With cloth diapers we brought in cloth wipes. To me it just made sense if I'm washing cloth diapers I might as well use cloth wipes and that way they can all go into the wet bag and through the wash cycle, instead of having to put the diaper in the wet bag and finding a garbage for disposable wipes. Plus again having to buy disposable wipes all the time seemed a hassle. I love the wipes! They not only get used as bum wipes but hand wipes and burp wipes and drool catchers lol.


Mama cloth and Mama Milk Cloth came after the diapers and wipes did. It just wasn't something I had thought about at first. Until towards the end of the pregnancy I was attempting to find nursing pads that were 100% latex free - guess what they don't exists. I managed to find one box in my entire pregnancy. So that brought in a need to go re-usable so that I could avoid the irritation of my latex allergy. That made me consider the idea of Mama cloth as I was sure the same issue would happen with finding latex free disposable pads. I bought a package of disposable pads to use post pardem that used to be latex free (from previous pregnancies) and thought I would slowly add to my mama cloth collection as needed. Well only a few days PP I realized that the pads I had were not latex free. Trust me that is not something you want to learn the hard way. That started my mama cloth collection. 


As my reviews go on I will continue to share my journey. Feel free to ask any questions as we go along.

Getting back into the swing of things!!

Baby Aaraiha is now 5 weeks old and we're finally getting into the swing of things around here! I know I have been neglecting my blog and I'm sorry. I really hope to get it up and going over the next couple weeks. There are a lot of reviews coming up as I have had a few things on route while I was expecting and a few baby thing waiting on baby A's arrival. Now that she's here there is a lot of catching up to do. Keep your eyes open for the following:

Soap Nuts
Baby Wipes
Cloth diapers (few different kids)
Newborn Cloth Diaper Rentals
Baby Trend Stroller/Car Seat
Wool Dryer Balls
Cloth Diapering Book

and more!! I'm quiet excited to get everything going again!

Get out of my room!!

What are the rules in your house when it comes to bedrooms? Currently DS#1 and #3 share a room. DS#2 has his own room. And Lil DD is in with us. The boys like their own space sometimes. They don't always want another person in their room. We've had it set that they aren't to be in our room either. We have a lock on the door for when no one is in there (to keep out unsupervised hands). When we are in our room they do try to come in often but are often reminded to stay out. Throughout the day we are not in there often unless we are a) changing or b) one of us is napping/working with DD. We do not need someone crawling all over us during those times. 


So what's the rules in your house?

Are you ever frazzled?

It may seem like a weird question to some - but there is a slight reasoning behind it to me. Today on Facebook I posted - "is getting back into the swing of things - it all starts with being frazzled by noon lol" and didn't think much of it. I just went a to read the comments a little while ago and noticed someone had thought this ment it was a bad day. I had never really looked at frazzled meaning a bad day - around here that is normal. 


So does it happen to you? Is it normal or is it not that frequent? Personally I look at it as I am a blended mom to seven. Four of which are currently four years old and younger (one only a newborn). I will be returning to work (on a casual basis) shortly and 99% of the time take on way to much - and enjoy the chaos. Frazzled is normal and welcome. The fact that I made it to noon before getting frazzled - yep it's a good day !! LOL. 


If the person who made this comment is currently reading - please do not think I was offended or anything along those lines. It really gave me a different perspective to look at my status. I like that. 

And she's here!!

After I thought this day would never come, Little Miss has decided to join our family!! Aaraiha (pronounced a-rae-ah) Ryland Hope was born on Tuesday August 2nd at 11:55pm. She weighed in at a nice 7lbs 9oz and was 19.75 inches long. She is a very content and quiet baby (unless your changing her bum). 

Now onto the birth story for those who have asked for it. For some this may be a little of 'to much information' so feel free to stop reading if that is the case. Otherwise feel free to join us on our journey of Little Aaraiha's arrival. 


On Monday evening I was pretty sure my water had broken. It wasn't the movie style gush that everyone talks about (or you see on movies) but more so just a constant trickle. Bf and I went for a walk in the evening in hopes to get things started. And although I had a couple instances of minor gush's nothing was really starting. It seemed as though little A was quiet happy where she was as I could feel her moving around as normal. I decided to call it a night and see what happened. 

Come morning I'm still leaking, but no contractions. No cramping, no signs of anything happening at all to be honest. So decided to call the midwife and see what we should do. I was told that for most people labor will start within 24 hours of water breaking... but I should probably get checked and make sure it is my water and we can discuss what to do from there. I knew I couldn't get in 'right away' but would be able to later in the afternoon. The midwife assured me that coming to the clinic around end of day would be good and call if anything changed in the mean time. So what does a mom do when she finds out that there could be inducing in her near future. Well she packs the last minute things, makes arrangements to get into town and then goes out for lunch! Lol looking back it seems kind of funny now, but at the time all I could think was I want a good meal in me before we get this show on the road. So after lunch with a co-worker I got her to drop me off at the midwife office where BF met me. It was a bit of a sit and wait time while she finished up some appointments but it gave us a bit of time to talk and decide a bit before hand what we want and how we feel about things. Soon enough our Midwife brings us in and does a check to confirm that yes my water has broken. She does a cervix check and I'm already 3-4cm so I agree to let her stretch and sweep. Now we have to make a choice. Normally it is recommended that you induce after 24 hours as the possibility of infection can increase. But she is open to us waiting overnight if we want. We had already decided lets get this show on the road and start an induction. The midwife said she'd have to call and get an order for the medication, and she thought we should go for supper and that would give her a little bit to get a bite in herself and get everything ready. So off for supper we went. Yes I had just ate lunch, but a small snack worked. And we grabbed a few munchies for in the hospital and off for the induction. During this time I wasn't sure if I should be excited or nervous. But I knew things were soon about to change!


We got to the hospital shortly after 7 and it felt so weird walking in with all our stuff and being able to register and not be in a rush, not trying to walk through contractions. Once I got registered and into the room I got changed into a gown and bf got our stuff put away and organized. The midwife started an iv - which took a few attempts. For some reason I don't get IV's very well. And by 7:40pm the iv had started with the oxy. It didn't take long for contractions to start. But when they did they weren't strong at first. I was joking around with everyone and not really that uncomfortable until about 10pm. At that point I knew things were going to get moving quickly. By 10:30 I had informed Bf he needed to call in my other labor coach or she wasn't going to make it. She is a nurse in the hospital but wasn't due to be off work until 11:30pm. Fortunatly her co-workers like her and she was able to get out early and run over to be able to witness everything with us. By the time Bf hung up the phone I was demanding drugs lol. I knew going into this I would probably want the gas so I wasn't surprised at all (nor was BF) when all I could say through contractions was 'give me drugs' lol. The midwife was quiet co-operative in getting the gas set up for me and letting me use that while I tried a couple different possitions. Thought of standing up - that didn't last long lol. Then tried hands and knees which actually lasted much longer then I expected. Until finally the midwife asked how I felt and it was like a light bulb went off I need to push. So she check and said I'm 9cm but there is a small lip. Lets try moving around a bit and see what we can do to get rid of that lip. So we tried with BF behind me that worked for a bit - but not really long. Back onto my hands and knees I went it seemed to be the best position. I remember screaming through contractions and pushing a little through them. They were getting stronger but I still didn't think she was moving much. Finally the midwife said no more gas just try pushing through lets see if we can get her moving. I agreed but under MY terms lol I was not letting go of my gas. At this point I had the tube disconnected so no gas was actually coming to it, and the mask piece had come off so I couldn't actually use it - but you were not taking the medal piece out of my hand I don't care who you think you are. So with that settled we started pushing. I thought for sure she was never coming out. The mw recommended me moving to my side to see if that would help as it was obvious that although hands and knees were more comfortable it was defiantly not bringing her here any faster. So onto my side I went. Through each contraction I pushed. And squirmed and pushed and squirmed and finally we felt progress!! She was born with me half on my side half on my back (really weird to explain) but it worked! It felt like forever but she was here!! She got plopped on my stomach and I was so overwhelmed I had no idea what to do with her I just stared at her and held her for a while. Once the cord stopped pulsing BF cut it and we moved her into a better position for me to hold her and see her while everything else finished up. 


It was an amazing experience. I was so glad my second labor coach actually got to be there this time. She has been with me through my previous pregnancies as well. The first pregnancy she was able to be there for the labor but was unable to be there for the actual delivery. The second pregnancy she missed altogether. So this was the first time she got to be there with me to the end and it ment the world to me to have the extra support. Don't get me wrong BF did a great job figuring out what I needed and doing it for me (I was not good at stating what I did want - just at what I didn't. Ie: don't rub and shut up lol) She was able to do other things like grab ice chunks for me or help me get my gown off when I decided it was too hot to wear it but I couldn't get the words out. I must say as much as the gas was a necessity for me - that stuff tastes horrid. 


One moment I remember and can laugh at now - although at the time was sure I was going to hurt someone was towards the end I was laying half on my side half on my back - she was getting ready to crown and along comes a strong contraction. Since I had been on my hands/knees for so long just previously I felt the need to stretch out through this contraction. So legs straight out with my ankles cross I stretched. It felt right so that was what I was doing. BF being the thoughtful one he was states "you realize if you cross your legs she can't get you" which was politely and loudly answered with SHUT UP lol. 


I had some issues with iron levels going into this so I stayed on the iv overnight although after a couple hours it was able to be turned off. We just left it hooked up in case there was any further issues.


I feel everything went very well and am very happy with how things turned out. Switching to a midwife late in the pregnancy was the best decision I could have made!

Heat Wave

Anyone else enjoying (or maybe enjoying isn't the word) a heat wave about now? It is currently 38c (100.4f) with the humid-ex and I feel like I'm dying. We've kept everything closed up tight during the day which has helped a bit. And the a/c is on in the bedroom but it doesn't work for the rest of the house. It does mean I do get a decent sleep (when baby allows) but makes the day a little rough. What do you do to pass time in the heat?

Laundry Mission!

Today I'm on a laundry mission!! Anyone ever have those times where they realized they have fallen WAY behind on laundry? At 4am last night when I couldn't fall back to sleep, I realized this is completely me lol. When BF moved in a couple weeks ago we agreed to wash all cloths he brought over so they were clean and he can decide what he wanted to keep and what we could donate. Well that ment A LOT of laundry landed in my basement. I have slowly been picking away at it, and mixing in what else needed to be done regularly around the house at the same time. And now that the boys are here for the week we have extra laundry needing to be done. Especially since my youngest son likes to change at least his shirt (some times his whole outfit) minimum 3 times a day. So this morning I thought I should take advantage of them being in daycare and get an early start on laundry. Once I got down stairs I realized that there isn't as much left of BF's stuff as I thought. So my goal is to get as much laundry put through today (and yes that includes folding and putting away). I have pushed through two loads so far and am working on folding everything (plus the three loads that needed to be folded that were pushed through this weekend). I'm hoping I can be caught up on bf's laundry by tonight or tomorrow. And then I can catch up on the house hold stuff tomorrow (as we already have a half load of boys cloths ready to go through - which won't take long to go to a full load). Then maybe just maybe I can get all bedding done this week as well and be fully caught up by Friday!! If all this works then the fun stuff starts. I have a lot of cloth diaper stuff that needs to be stripped (second hand) or prepped (new) that I want to get working on this weekend. I have some cloth diaper stuff that is on route that I hope makes it here for the weekend. If not I'm sure I have enough here that I can start with what I have and do the rest when it arrives. 


What's your laundry routine?

Enjoying Summer

Summer has finally showed up here!! We are having more then one day at a time with good temperatures and sunny skies. What are you doing to enjoy your summer? We took the boys to the spray pad yesterday and today I set up the sprinkler in the yard. Both of these worked well for me as they got to run and play in the water to cool off and I got to sit by and watch without too much effort which means relaxing was able to happen.

Home Organization - Week 3 - Teaser

Week three article is posted here! This week we check back with week 2's goals as well as start into lists. Please let me know what you think. I'm waiting on a bit more participation before I do a giveaway but still have one in mind for those who want to participate in the weekly goals.

Baby Gourmet Mail Day!!

Yesterday was a great mail day!! I had gone to the post office expecting a few parcels to start showing up soon. There is still a bit of a delay thanks to the Canada Post situation but they are starting to come in. Next thing I know the post lady is bringing me a very large box. I didn't remember ordering anything of that size but was quiet excited! I brought it home to see that it was the prize we won on the Father's Day giveaway from Definition of a Wife!! I was very surprised to see what all it entailed. There was a picnic basket with 6 packages for each stage (6months, stage 2, stage 3) of their baby food from Baby Gourmet!! I can't wait to be able to try it out. I think I'll be sharing the stage 2 and 3's with a friend just as my little one won't quiet be at that stage for a while to come. But the basket is amazing! Of course I didn't think to take pictures of the lovely packaging before digging right in, but I did manage to snag a few this morning before I put them all away.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

What's everyone's Canada Day (or Canada weekend plans)??? We have had a lazy morning as the boys all slept in! They are anxiously waiting for lunch which is cooking. And then as promised we are going outside to play bubbles. They also have the rest of Gnomeo and Juliette to watch so we can do that during quiet time. By then I am beginning to think it will be time for them to clean up and go to their dads as this is the start of his week. 


For us after the boys go we have nothing planned today. I'm really hoping to relax tonight. Tomorrow and Sunday there are things going on with BF's family that we are to go to. Hoping to get my hospital bags packed before hand (as they are an hour away) and then enjoy the weekend. It would be nice at some point to get some extra relaxing in too!!

Home Organization - Week 2 - Teaser

Week 2 has been posted here with a new goal! Is anyone following this? I'm thinking of doing a giveaway for those who attempt to participate along with me. Who's in?

First Day of Summer!!

Today is officially the first day of summer!! I'm hoping it brings some summer weather with it soon. We have had a lot of dull days as well as a lot of rain. I don't recall getting a full 24 hour period of nice weather with no rain in a long time. 

What are your summer plans? I am hoping to hit the beach this year with the boy at least a couple times. As well as the local pool. We have a family event coming up that we plan to attend. As well little Miss is due to arrive in the summer. If all goes planned BF, Little Miss, and I might even make it to Saskatoon to visit a friend for a few days. 

I'm looking forward to hear about others adventures as well.

It's Moving Day!!

Well not for me but today is the day that BF is finally allowed to officially move in!! He's off with his son to the apartment now to load up for the dump and then here. While they are doing that I get to attempt to clean the basement. At least organize it enough that he can pile in his stuff lol. I'm sure everything will just get piled in as he brings it over and then we can spend time organizing it all later. Makes for an interesting day today. Much better then tomorrow's cleaning day though lol.

Home Organization - teaser

I have recently been asked to work in partnership with Busy Mom's Tips each week I will be submitting an article on Home organization. Head over to her blog to check out Home Organization week 1 and feel free to participate in the week 1 goal. 


Who's in for this?

Rain...rain...rain

This summer has been a very wet one so far. We had a wet fall last year which resulted in flooding this spring. Once we thought we had the spring flooding under control, along came the rain. April and May have already brought us three times the normal amount of precipitation. And June is showing to be no different. At this rate the water table will not be able to go down enough before fall and we will be in a worse scenario next year. Currently in our town 23 homes are evacuated. There has been two months worth of sandbagging and aqua-bagging going on by numerous volunteers. Fortunately I don't have to worry about flooding out where I am located, but there is concern of the water treatment plant not being able to keep up. Currently this has put us under a water restriction where they are asking all residences to use as little water as possible and try not to flush toilets. Should the water treatment plant fail completely then there is a possibility of a town evacuation. Lets hope it doesn't go that far. Has the weather this year been any different for you? If so what adjustments have you had to make? 

Sick Kitten :( ***Update

Please tell me someone has experience and wants to give me some tips? Just over 4 weeks ago - my little kitty had 6 kittens of her own. 48 hours later we lost one - bringing us to 5. We realized a little while ago now (probably about two weeks ago) that one of the kittens was a 'little kitty.' After talking to the vet we found out that she will probably be a teacup kitten. Sounds cute right - well honestly it is. But this cute little kitten is now sick :( Since yesterday she has been pretty lethargic. We got to the vet and got her Kitten milk replacer and we've been doing a lot of skin to skin contact to keep her warm. What else do we do? I treat her like I did my preemie's when they were little little - but it's got to be different for a kitten - isn't it?

UPDATE -- Little Tinker didn't make it. RIP June 11th, 2011. After a couple close calls where we thought we lost her and she'd pull back - she finally lost all strength and couldn't pull back. It's been a rough weekend - but at least she's not suffering anymore. 

Canada Post Strike

Have you been affected by the Canada Post Strike? It hasn't hit me too hard yet. But I'm really worried it will at some point. I have packages coming from numerous parts around the world. They all have extended delivery time due to coming from all over, but I'm not sure if any will actually be delayed. I like that the rolling strike means that one area is affected for a short period of time. To me this is nicer for the consumer verses having all stations down for an extended period. I feel bad for the workers though. I know we are facing a strike with my main job as well and it can be stressful. For everyone's sake I hope they are able to settle their contracts quickly and get the systems up and going again soon. In the mean time - what sort of interesting mail should make it through? I am waiting on lots!

Comfybuns Customs - WINNERS

Sorry for the slight delay in getting the winners announced. We had some internet issues today which fortunately got fixed rather quickly. I have used Random.org to find our two lucky winners and they are:

Comment #7 - Lindsay
Comment #24 Lois

Congratulations girls!! Please contact Comfybuns Customs within 48 hours to claim your prize!! 

Comfybuns Customs - Cloth Wipes Review and Giveaway **CLOSED**

A little while back I received a "Tester Pack" of wipes from Comfybuns Customs. In it was two 'Perfect' wipes which are 8x8 and 4 'Petite Personal' which are 6x4.5.

I also did a picture with my hand between the two to give an idea of the sizes (as numbers don't mean a whole lot to me lol)

I will say I am very happy with these wipes. I washed them as soon as I got them and they came out looking very good. One thing I will state though - I chose to wash them by themselves the first time as I don't usually mix colors with anything on the first wash. They handled the wash well, but folded up a bit in the dryer causing them to come out a bit damp. After that I've been putting them through the wash with my towels and they come out looking great and being dry every time. These were put to the true test this weekend when I had my boys here. Three toddlers can sure make a mess and these worked. We used the smaller ones as hand cloths and they held up to jam, dirt, and extra (still not sure what one of the kids got into lol) I used the bigger ones as unpaper towels. Which this weekend came to be used with a lot of spills. They all held up well. The pictures were taken today after these wipes have been washed a couple times now. They still look like new (mind you a little wrinkled as I didn't fold my towels right away sshhh lol). I am looking through her site and eying up her many different fabric choices (in both solids and prints) and preparing to be purchasing much more in the near future.

In the mean time Comfybuns Customs has offered to giveaway TWO 'Tester Packs' to my readers!! That's right - two lucky readers get to win!! The Tester Packs will be done with gender neutral fabric (she has them made up all ready so they are ready to ship as soon as this is over!)


Contest is open to Canada and US. 
Contest will be open until June 6th at 9:30am Central


To enter please comment below - why you like cloth wipes and how you use them? Or why you would like to try them.

Extra entries are available by doing one of the following - please comment below that you've done the extra's (one comment per extra completed).

- Follow So much ... So fast ... So cute

- Like Comfybuns Customs on Facebook

- Like So much ... So fast ... So cute on facebook

- Follow Comfybuns Customs blog

- Post about this giveaway on Facebook

- Post about this giveaway through Twitter

WINNER - Soap Nuts Giveaway

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Soap Nuts Giveaway!!! I have chosen the winner through Random.org 


And the trial package of  Soap Nuts goes to entry 22...


Jessica


Please contact Spotted Owl to claim your prize. 


Everyone else - please keep your eyes open as new reviews/giveaways will be added soon!

Pick a room - mudroom/entry way

I've decided that every few days I'll pick a room and write about must have products for that room. I ask that you comment with what your 'must haves' (or suggestions) are as well! 


Today I have picked the mudroom (if you have one - I do not) or entry way. I will admit I need help here. Currently you walk into an entry hall. The closet it off to the side. The kids dump their shoes/jackets/backpacks and walk away. They can't reach the closet as it's 'adult size', so they don't bother with any of it. And currently it is storing some extra boxes so you can't even kick off your shoes into it. First off I need to clean it out. I've been eying up something like these 

and having three across the bottom for the kids to kick in their shoes/boots and then set their back packs on top. I could maybe even hang some lower hangers above the cages so they can hang their jackets. This way everything gets moved into the closet instead of a heap at the door. My must have product for this area is our rug. Its nothing fancy at all just something that you can wipe your feet on as you walk in. But after numerous slides through the hallway due to wet shoes - it is a must have. Plus you don't notice how dirty it is compared to a floor lol. 


Ok your turn - what are your must have's, wants or suggestions?

I don't get it

It is 12:30am and here I am wide awake. I don't get it. BF is asleep as is the dog, cat, and all kittens - even baby is asleep (or not moving around anyways) and here I am WIDE AWAKE lol. Oh well it's always good to enjoy some quiet time to yourself I guess.

I'm looking forward to what is sure to be a busy weekend. There is nothing planned but I get my boys tomorrow until Monday morning. I'm excited to have them here and I'm sure they will keep me on my toes. Having three toddler boys in the house, how can things not be busy and interesting?

Had my doctor appointment on Wednesday and all is looking good with baby! We have 11 weeks until due date now but I have broken that into smaller 'goal dates' as 11 weeks seems like a scary number. There is 3 weeks until I can deliver at my hospital of choice (yes having all three boys come early makes a person think of this). And 8 weeks until 'goal date'. Again having three boys come early you pick a reasonable goal date where you are then happy to have made it that far. As long as baby is born healthy, I will be happy! Although the longer she chooses to stay and cook the better. I'm sure I'll change my tune come early August though lol.

Just a reminder that I have the Soap Nuts giveaway ending on Monday! Please pass it on to everyone who might be interested!

I have two different styles of cloth wipes that will get put to the test over the weekend with reviews to be posted on them next week. And I have been contacted by a few other companies to do different reviews so I am excited to see them come in the mail so I can post about them as well.

Good Customer Service

Just thought I would post quickly about some good customer service I just received. Here's the story leading up to the phone call I made today. I was grocery shopping Sunday afternoon and BF decided he wanted to try the Olivieri Cannelloni pasta - we picked up Spinach and Cheese. Neither of us had tried this product before but were looking forward to it. It was kept cold on the transport home and immediatly put into the fridge. Along comes Monday I open it to cook it for supper and oh my. It STINKS and is covered in mold. I double check the 'best before' date which is June 20th - so still plenty of time. And it was kept cold so that wasn't it. I checked the seal and other then where I had it opened it was still sealed well. I was disgusted. But decided since I'm sure companies want a chance to make it right I should call them. I called Olivieri today and was very happy. He asked some questions about the product. When/where did I buy it? What did I see when I opened it? What was the best before date? He did ask what the bar code was but I didn't have it - I didn't think to write it down. But was able to still get the information he needed. He then took down my mailing info and asked if the quality control dept could call me back if needed which I agreed to. He ended the call stating I am to expect to receive a few replacements in the mail in 5-10 days. I will keep my eyes open and make sure to post what comes. I also put a call into the store manager for the grocery store I bought it from. There was no answer but I left a message. I'm curious to see if he will call me back on this.

Just to note* I did not make these calls in anticipation of replacement product. I made the calls for the company to be aware of how there product was on the shelf.

I am very happy with how the call went. And in honesty if replacement coupons come I will give it another shot.

Has anyone else tried the Olivieri products? If so what do you think? Good or bad?

Soap Nuts Review and Giveaway! ***CLOSED***

I have been in touch with The Spotted Owl for a couple weeks now. In this time I have tried a sample package of Soap Nuts and prepared a review and we've agreed to do a giveaway of another trial size package of Soap Nuts so another fan can try them for themselves!!


Before getting my package to try, I had heard of Soap Nuts. But honestly I had no idea what they were or how they worked. When the package arrived it was a little bag with these nut things in them. To me it looked like broken up peanut shells. I'm thinking mine got roughed up a bit through transport as the picture I have found shows them whole. 

I asked how was the best way to use these neat little things, and was surprised to find out they actually hold a lot of uses. The decision was to test them out on my laundry. It seemed to me to be the most efficient way to use them where they would last a while and I could be able to put an honest review on them.


Using them in the wash was simple. Just tie a knot in the top of the bag (to hold the 'nuts' in) and throw it into the wash. I have gotten 13 loads out of my trial bag so far and I just checked the soap nuts bag and by the looks of it I can get a few more washes still!! When the nuts get soft/grey/mushy your supposed to throw it out (or compost if you do that). I was leery at first as I wasn't sure how well these little Soap Nuts were going to hold up to laundry of 6 people including three toddler boys. And we all know how messy toddlers can be. I did not notice a scent on the clothing after being washed with Soap Nuts. And everything has come out clean. Even the pants my boys chose to wear 'puddle hopping' and I didn't get them into the wash until the next day - so the dirt was nicely dried in at that point. I will be getting myself more of these to use in the future as I am very impressed. In the mean time I'm looking into finding out what other uses these have as it would be nice to try them in other was as well. 


One lucky reader is now able to win their own trial size package of Soap Nuts thanks to The Spotted Owl. I will leave this giveaway open until Monday May 30th at 9:30am Central Time. It is open to all readers worldwide!! 

To enter please comment below - why you like soap nuts and how you use them? Or why you would like to try them. 

Extra entries are available by doing one of the following - please comment below that you've done the extra's (one comment per extra completed). 

- Follow So much ... So fast ... So cute 

- Like The Spotted Owl on Facebook

- Like So much ... So fast ... So cute on facebook

- Post about this giveaway on Facebook

- Post about this giveaway through Twitter

It's May Long Weekend!!

What's your plans?

Unfortunately I don't have my boys this weekend, but trying to stay relatively busy anyways. Today  the back yard got cleaned up of the dogs business and the entire lawn was mowed. I've managed to get a few loads of laundry pushed through and even get in a nap. Now trying to lay down and chill while preparing to go work a social tonight. I volunteer with the Fire Department and part of our fundraising is doing the bar's at socials. If I go I usually just sit and sell tickets so it's not too strenuous.

Tomorrow the plan is to sleep in and relax for the morning. In the late afternoon we're heading out to get some groceries shopping done. In the evening is the Circus! It would be more fun if I had the boys with me - but I'm sure we'll enjoy it still as BF has never been before. Tie it off with an early night!

No plans for Sunday/Monday other then tidying. I want to take it as easy as possible to keep baby determined to stay in and keep cooking. We're at 28 weeks now! So that is 4 weeks until we can deliver at our hospital of choice, and 9 weeks until our goal date!!

If you're not doing anything this year, do you normally? I'd love to be able to go camping - but right now it's not in the cards.

Blog Hop Tuesday!

Does anyone else participate in Blog Hop's? I find them a fun way to meet up with other bloggers! It does take a bit of time - but it makes a lot of neat connections!

Yard Sales !!

Does anyone else go to them? Our town does a town wide one twice a year. Yesterday was our Spring one, and we'll expect another for fall season in October. We didn't buy a whole lot, but I was quiet happy with what we found! We got a dog cage thing that goes at the back of the van to keep the dog in the back and not jumping around on to the kids. It stays in all the time so that makes it easy. We got a bag of girly cloths for baby. I was surprised with how little was out there this year. Everyone must have had boys last summer lol. And I got 12 books. With being off work those should keep me going for a while. Especially since I just had a friend send me 3 new books and I just purchased a few new books. Plus the library gets a new stock in soon. I for see a lot of reading in my future - which is good as it will keep me on my butt relaxing and hopefully keeping baby inside!

So do you go to yard sales? Why or why not? What has been your best find?

Good Mail Day!!

Yesterday was a very good mail day!! I ment to post about it last night but didn't quiet make it there due to an emergency door fix that required to be done at mom's house. But now here door is fixed and I can post about mail lol. I got two packages of things to sample and review.

The first was a trial bag of Soap Nuts from The Spotted Owl. They are in my washing machine as we speak working on load #2. There will be a review to come but I am going to wait until I get a chance to use them a bit more first.

The second package was two different sized wipes from Comfybuns Customs. First thought is they look like I am going to love them!! They are in line to be washed then I will make sure to put them to use and make a review for them as well. I'm not sure about others but I always wash things when I get them. Weather it is sent by someone or I buy it myself from a store.

I know there are other things coming that I am excited to post about and review. As well I have more around the house that we've been using that I would like to review as well. If there is anything out there you would like me to try - just let me know!

Add in 6 more!!

Well today our little kitty had 6 little kitties of her own! We knew she was expecting and was ready for the little ones to come any day now. I do have to say whomever said they'll hide before going into labor, LIED lol. He first bag of water broke on me. And then she refused to leave my side until kitten #1 was born. After a bit she took kitten #1 upstairs and went under the twins bunk bed. I gave her space and when checking in 1/2 hour later she had #4. Within an hour she had finished up and had a total for 6! All seem to be doing well. She has been out and about demanding attention and eating lots. All babies seem to be doing well too. Pictures will come in a day or two.

Cascade Action Packs Review

We normally use Cascade gel in our dishwasher. Depending on what we are washing we'll throw in a couple tbsp's of bleach as well. When I got a sample pack of Cascade Action Packs I decided it would be worth trying. We had two packs in the sample. I used one with bleach and one without. I have to say I am very impressed with what I saw. I love that they are easy to use. It was just a matter of popping one in. No measuring or pouring. I found they worked great! They worked better then the Cascade gel and up until now we found the Cascade gel had worked best for us. We don't necessarily need to add bleach. I think that's more of a machine/water preference as some glasses don't come completely clean without the bleach. I really don't think it's the detergents fault though. Once we finish our container of gel, we will be switching I'm sure.

Intuition Sensitive Care Review

Has anyone ever tried it before? I got a free Intuition Sensitive Care Razor when shopping at Theme Maternity last month. I had put it away and honestly forgotten about it until yesterday. Myself, I had never previously tried it. I have seen them in stores but was ok with my normal brand so I didn't feel the NEED to switch. I decided I would give it a try after recieving the free sample and tried it yesterday. 

I have to say I love it! It is now on my list of top choices now when razor shopping. The handle fits well in my hand which makes it easy to use. I love having the soap around the razor. For me, keeping shaving cream near the tub is a pain. And remembering to grab shaving cream when going to get in the shower never happens. This takes shaving cream out of the equation all together. This razor has given me the closest shave I have felt in a long time.  My legs feel so soft and smooth from both the razor and the soap. Even my boyfriend noticed the difference and is impressed!! I would recommend this product to anyone looking to try one. 

Please feel free to post your own opinions on this product.

And the verdict is....

Sorry I didn't get to posting a pic for guesses....I have been on the go since 6:30 am and at this point I am sure more people want to know what it is then what my belly looks like. So the verdict is


TEAM PINK!!!

Yep we're having a girl! 3d ultrasound was obvious!!

Another giveaway spotted!!

One Smiley Monkey is holding another neat giveaway! This time it is for a OiOi Baby Bag - diaper wallet. I think it looks pretty neat! Make sure you get your name in for it too if your interested!
Diaper Wallet Giveaway

Big Day Tomorrow!!

For those of you who have been following along on the pregnancy, you'll know tomorrow is a big day for us!! We go for our 3d ultrasound in the evening. If baby co-operates, we fully anticipate to find out gender! I will make sure to post an update on here as soon as we can. And plan is tomorrow morning to post a belly pic so you can post your own predictions.

I have reached 26 weeks finally! It may not seem like a big milestone to some - but due to complicated pregnancies it marks a milestone for us. 26 weeks is when we are finally able to deliver in our own province. No having to worry about being flown many hours away should baby come early. As much as indigestion is no fun, I want baby to stay put. I would love to have a full term healthy baby that I could take home with me. My first two were born at 32 weeks and were born at a large center 2.5 hours from home. They spent 5 weeks in the hospital and shortly after being released they caught RSV which caused them to be re-admitted. My third (and current youngest) was born at 37 weeks - at a non-delivery hospital - but right across the street from where we were living at that time. Although 37 weeks is 'technically' full term, he did have low blood sugar and then jaundice which caused him to be transported 1 hour to the nearest NICU where he stayed for a week. Unfortunately due to having 10 month old twins at home, I couldn't stay with him for the last four days. My final goal is to make it full term with a healthy baby which I bring home with me. In the mean time it's all small steps. We've made it so we can deliver in the province...next step is at 32 weeks we can deliver at the hospital of our choice. That means 6 weeks to that goal. Now hopefully baby agrees to wait out the next 14 weeks without complaint!

Found Giveaways

I have found two giveaways that One Smiley Monkey is doing! Feel free to go take a look and enter for yourself!!

HipKiddo One Size Cloth Diaper

GroEgg Room Thermometer

Intro

Hello Everyone!!

I thought it would be a good idea cleaning up the blog and starting fresh! So here I am starting fresh. A quick intro on me. I am a working mom (who is currently off due to pregnancy) living a newly blended family. My boyfriend has three adult children (girl/boy/girl) and I have three toddlers (all boys), as well we are expecting our first together in August. For work I do EMS and am apart of the local volunteer fire department. My boyfriend drives school bus and handyvan and as well is apart of our local volunteer fire department. We manage to keep busy between work and kids. 

I have noticed so many requests for people to post giveaways on their blogs and people looking for reviews. So I thought that along with showing an insight on our chaotic live, I would show you ways we survive by letting you know where I find giveaways and contests as well as show some reviews on the products we use in our household. If things work out the way I hope, there will be a fair share of giveaways happening as well!

If you're reading please comment, let me know you are out there and I'm not talking to myself!