Tag Archives: Baby

Elliette: 12-week update

Our little Elliette turned 12 weeks old on Thursday!

I can’t believe how fast the first 3 months went. Much like my pregnancy, it was a whirlwind. The way life is whizzing by, I can tell I need to make some serious changes or I’m going to miss things I definitely don’t want to miss…but that’s another post.

As for Elliette, she’s showing more and more personality each day, and we love having her here to complete our family. We often call her Ellie, or El, or (my favorite) Ellie-belle. Smiles started around 6 weeks and I can get one almost every time I try. Not much giggling yet (she’s actually quite a serious girl) but the cooing is frequent…and soo cute! Continue reading

5 Comments

Filed under Parenting & Family, Pregnancy #2!

Look out, Potty! Here we come!

I knew this time would come…eventually.

My 23-month-old son has shown quite an interest in the potty for a while now, peeing occasionally, and throwing lots of paper in when we aren’t looking.

But now? We have POOP!

Not every time, but often enough to know that he’s well on his way to learning how to use the potty full-time.

So, why do I feel a stinging twinge of sadness?

Because I’ll miss my FLUFF!

The stash I researched so diligently and worked so hard to build (building a community of like-minded friends along the way, I might add! Bonus!) The stash I painstakingly laundered and sunned, sniffing to make sure they were as fresh as a spring breeze for my sweet baby’s bum.  They might be poop-catchers, but there’s nothing quite like a pile of freshly washed, stuffed and folded diapers in a rainbow of colors!

I surely don’t have the most impressive collection, and I’ll admit that we never did quite get to the point where we gave up our little stash of disposable inserts (GroVia rocks, by the way!) , but there’s just something about making that choice – the economical choice, the ecofriendlier choice, the healthier choice - that made me feel like I was doing my absolute best as a mom.

Ah, cloth. How I love thee! It saddens me that our time is coming to an end, but I have hope that someday I’ll unpack you and fall in love all over again!

Thanks for the memories!

Until next time…

(I just wonder if I’ll feel the same way about my mama cloth when I join the menopause community:| )

Wow. Did I just say menopause?! Can you tell I’m feeling the clock tick away? Come on Baby #2!

_____________________

To all my cloth diapering readers: did you miss your fluff when the potty took over? Were you sad to see the transition begin?

 

 

Leave a Comment

Filed under Cloth Diapering, Green Living, Parenting & Family

A sustainable gift from the heart

Planning to attend a bridal shower, baby shower or birthday celebration?

Maybe you have a friend who could use some well wishes?

No matter what the occasion, if you have an event coming up and need a gift idea, Pure Designs for Living has just the thing!

Behold the Blessings Box! :) Lovely, isn’t it?

 

Blessings boxes are my new favorite way to celebrate the people I love. The idea is simple: At special occasions, you just sit this box out much like you would a guest book – only it’s way prettier, and serves as the perfect way to collect thoughts and blessings from friends and loved ones so that your honored bride, mama, or birthday girl (or guy!) can read all the wonderful wishes coming their way.

Each box is made of sustainable bamboo, and is assembled in California.

Inside you also find:

  • an instruction card that can be displayed for guests that explains what to do
  • 20 recycled linen ‘blessed’ notecards for the messages (more cards are available for order)
  • a magnolia & plumeria, hand poured organic soy candle
  • a bamboo pen
  • an engraved white jade ‘blessed’ stone
  • two beautiful silver & white ‘blessed’ bracelets
(contents vary slightly by theme)

Available in Baby, Wedding, Healing, Birthday and Home themes, each box features a sliding lid and a delicate cherry blossom design. (My suggestion? A New Journey theme for people who are leaving jobs, moving, traveling, etc.)

I recently gave one of these boxes to a friend in my office, filled with marriage tips, happy thoughts and congratulatory messages from all of her coworkers. (The box has plenty of room to hold lots of cards from her wedding, too, if she wants to keep them all.)  How nice it will be, years from now, when she can look back, reminisce over her cards and momentos, and revisit her day.  She’s a greenie, like me, so the fact that the box itself is so eco-friendly and sustainably sourced made it just that much better.

Blessings boxes are available at Pure Designs for Living.

___________________________________________

I received a Blessings Box at a discounted price in exchange for a product review. All opinions are my own, and based on my experience with the product.

5 Comments

Filed under Green Living, Product & Restaurant Reviews

ABE2 Sponsor Spotlight: The Soft Landing

Every once in a while, you find a company that just “gets it,” a company that shares your values and priorities on a fundamental level. For me, The Soft Landing is that company – and that’s why I’m thrilled to have them as my sponsor for A Blogtastic Extravaganza!

_____________________________________

You shouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist to choose safer products for your family. ~The Soft Landing

If the statement above is music to your ears, we just might have a lot in common. :)

For years now, I’ve been on the hunt for simple, useful products that I can bring into my home without having to worry about the harm they might cause my family. It’s a shame, but today’s market is flooded with toys, baby items, kitchenware, etc. made from plastics that contain  BPA, PVC, phthalates, melamine, cadmium, lead and flame retardants.

So what’s a health-conscious and eco-friendly mama to do? Well, you could search high and low, research into the wee hours of the morning, and shop at 100 different stores looking for safe versions of the many things you need….

–or–

you could just do your shopping in one trusted place – The Soft Landing!

The Soft Landing was created to help busy parents navigate the sea of unlabeled mama and baby products. In short, they do all the work for you! They work with manufacturers to locate tons of products (primarily plastics, but also plush toys, mattresses, and more) that are safe, non-toxic and worry-free, and they bring them to you, all in one easy online shopping experience. You don’t have to read packages, or comb through product websites – just browse The Soft Landing’s online selection and buy what you like. It’s that easy! Read more about their commitment to your family’s health here.

And the stuff they sell is super cute! Sometimes, when you want toxin-free for your family, you have to settle for functionality over eye-appeal. Not so at The Soft Landing! You’ll find plenty of things in their online store (like bath toys, popsicle molds, storage containers, lunchboxes, sippy cups, etc.) that are cute, fun, and kid-friendly while still giving you the peace of mind you want.

For example…this Beaba Feeding Set, a Soft Landing exclusive!

I gave this set a test run, and I am just in love with it (and so is my son!) It’s a great quality set, and since it’s from The Soft Landing, I don’t even have to give a second thought to the fact that it’s plastic. I know that it doesn’t contain any of the icky stuff I don’t want.

Why we love it:

  • The bright, fun colors! (A total toddler magnet!)
  • The dish and bowl are deep and roomy, with soft, slip-resistant bases to keep them from sliding – whoops! – right off the table! (check out the close-up of the bases, below)
  • The cup, also slip-resistant, is the perfect size and shape for little hands.
  • The fork and spoon included are rounded and deep to keep food ON, and the fork isn’t so dull that it can’t pick up a bite of food (a toddlerware pet peeve of mine!)
  • The whole set is very sturdy and well-made to stand up to lots of use. And, it’s top-rack dishwasher safe!

This Beaba Tableware set has become a favorite in our house, and since my son has been using it at every meal, I love knowing that it’s perfectly safe for everyday use. As a mom, that kind of reassurance is something you just can’t put a price tag on.

What’s even better? The Soft Landing has offered my lucky ABE winner a Beaba Set of their own! (retail value $29.50)

That’s right! You can win this set during my ABE giveaway as part of my “Hungry Toddler” prize package, starting tomorrow! And, since you’re here now, you can leave me a comment below for an extra entry in the giveaway!

BONUS ENTRY: Just visit The Soft Landing, then come back and leave a comment on this post telling me another safe, non-toxic product you’d like to try from their wide selection, and you’re entered! (Just make sure to come back tomorrow and complete the mandatory entry.)

Good Luck!

____________________________

Entries on this post will serve as extra entries for my A Blogtastic Extravaganza Giveaway, starting 8.17.11. Comments on this post will be added on at the end of the main post’s giveaway entries, and will be counted as the highest numbered entries. Mandatory entry must be completed or entries on this post will be deleted. Thanks for entering!

19 Comments

Filed under giveaways, Green Living, Parenting & Family, Product & Restaurant Reviews, Uncategorized

Wordless Wendysday: What a Difference a Year Makes!

Christmas 2009:

Christmas 2010:

1 Comment

Filed under Parenting & Family