The Great Cloth Diaper Experiment

While I was pregnant, I seriously considered using cloth diapers. But once the little man arrived and I had a few diaper changes under my belt I decided I wasn’t hardy enough to try it. Once W was on solid food I revisited the idea of cloth diapers. Fortunately, cloth diapers have come along way – or at least that is what my mom says - and they are super easy to use. 

I thought about using a diaper service but I decided to save my money and go out on my own. I purchased six Bumkins contoured diapers and a Thirsties diaper cover. Right now, I use the cloth diapers a couple of times a day since I only have one diaper cover. I am about to order another one but I was hoping to find a Bumkins brand cover. 

Bumkins contoured diaper

Thirsties cover 

Diaper inserted into the cover

My only complaint so far is the bulkiness of the diapers. It might be because I'm using the contoured diapers. Even though I've only been using them for a few weeks, we haven't had any leaks. Which is great because W is crawling and pulling himself up - he never stays in one place too long. It has been a pretty hot summer here in Atlanta so I feel like the cloth diapers are better for W's skin since they should breathe easier. Plus, it's been pretty easy to dry them outside on a drying rack. As far as care goes, I just wash the diapers using Dreft and when possible I dry them outside or run them in the dryer. 

W in action

 I know there is a lot of debate as to how much money you save since you are using more resource such as energy and water by washing the diapers. This is the same argument that many use for why its not necessarily better for the environment to use cloth diapers. Regardless of how much money I save or the environmental impact that I may or may not be making, it certainly feels better knowing that I'm keeping a few diapers out of the landfill. 

Keeping Cool at the Georgia Aquarium

Earlier this summer, we had a friend visit us from New England. The few days he was in town it was HOT. So instead of sitting around our house, we decided to venture downtown to the Georgia Aquarium. At first, we were concerned that W wouldn't enjoy it or it would be too much for him since he was only 6 months-old but we were wrong. W loved it.

W trying to pet the penguins

W really enjoyed watching the penguins and trying to pet them through the glass. He also loved watching the beluga whales, whale sharks and the manta rays. 

Watching the penguins swim by

I'm sure as W gets older he will enjoy the "petting" areas and the playground, but for now he enjoys just watching the fish swim by. We ended up getting annual passes so we can visit every few months. I'm sure each time we go he will take in more of the exhibits and experience the aquarium even more. I can't wait to see how well he does on our next visit. 

The Picture Show

Since I'm at home now, I have been watching more TV and seen more movie trailers than I care to comment on. But there are a few movies that I'm dying to see. Since it would take a bank loan to buy two tickets and pay for a babysitter, I will either be going with a friend to the theater or waiting until these come out on DVD. These are just a few of the movies I would love to see this summer on the big screen. 


The Help - I read this book last year and I can't wait to see the movie. 

Crazy Stupid Love - I'm only so-so on Steve Carrell in comedies but I really love to see him in more serious roles. I also really like Emma Stone and Julianne Moore so I think this is going to be a movie that I will enjoy seeing. 

One Day - I don't know much about this movie but I'm intrigued enough by the trailer to want to see it.

Midnight in Paris - I think I might be too late to see this in theaters but I love Woody Allen movies. Grant it most of his movies over the last few years haven't been his best but I think this movie will redeem him. Plus its set in Paris so it can't be that bad, right?

Have you seen any good movies lately?

My New Favorite Pasta Salad

I planted a garden this spring. I had hoped by now that we would be eating squash, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes from that garden but by mid-June all the squash had died leaving me with peepers and tomatoes. My one Super Sweet 100 cherry tomato plant has been my garden's saving grace. Every few days, I get at least 10 cherry tomatoes from the bush. 


I've been using these tomatoes along with my herbs to make pasta dishes. I was excited to see a special recipe section in the July issue of Southern Living dedicated to tomatoes & basil - two ingredients I have in abundance these days. A few weeks ago I tried the Tortellini-and-Tomato Salad recipe and it has become my new favorite dish of the summer. 


My husband doesn't eat raw tomatoes (I know he's weird) so before I made the salad, I just half the cherry tomatoes and put them on a cookie sheet to roast in the oven. If you want to roast your tomatoes too, just drizzle them with a little olive oil and salt. Roast them a 300 degree oven for about an hour. Roasting the tomatoes gives them extra flavor so I don't mind the extra work.  


Last night, I halfed the recipe and used the cheese tortellini from Trader Joes. It is delicious hot or cold.  

Do you have any good and easy recipes to share? I would love to hear about them since I'm always looking for new ideas. 

The Lazy Girl's Way to Save

I am a failed couponer. I have read all the blogs and watch the extreme coupon show. I've tried my best to cut my grocery bill in half. I save money with coupons but I've never been one to buy $400 of groceries for $40. I wish I could but its just not in the cards for me. I still check-in each day with Southern Savers to see if there are any deals that I can take advantage of and I'm happy to save money even if its just a few dollars. 


I have managed to cut back in other ways. So here it is the lazy girl's way to save on great stuff for herself and her baby. Beware, all of these sites can be addictive so this is my disclaimer. 


Groupon: Once just a site for big cities, Groupon is growing by leaps and bounds and adding new cities everyday. The one-day deals are great for restaurants, outings, classes, and even deals for online retailers. I just recently purchased a Groupon for a month of Gymboree classes. You never know what the deal is going to be so sign-up to get their e-mails. 


Plum District: Just like Groupon, this site is expanding. I love Plum District because their deals last a few days so if get busy and forget to order the deal that day - you still have a chance to get it. Plum District deals are geared to moms and kids so they have a lot of great finds for clothes, gear, spa services, and exercise classes. 


Living Social: Living Social is a discount site that specializes in experiences. Everything from fine dining, travel and adventure, to spa services. They offer some of the best things to do and experience in Atlanta. 


Gilt City Atlanta: Gilt City is the newest discount site to offer great deals in Atlanta. So far I've seen deals for restaurants, concerts, yoga classes and massages. With Gilt City, you can afford to hire a babysitter and have a great night out without breaking the bank. 


Amazon Mom: I love Amazon and the Amazon Mom program. Once you sign-up for the Amazon Mom program, you will get 3-months of free 2-day shipping. Then you can earn more free shipping by purchasing $25 in baby products. For every $25 order, you earn a month of free shipping. Great deals on baby products and free 2-day shipping, sign me up!


Zulily: I must confess I have a Zulily addiction. Designer baby clothes at a discount is my weakness and Zulily is my weakness. These limited quantity sales start at 9 AM EST every day and the collections change daily. The only problem with Zulily is that most items sell out early. I have bought several smocked and embroidered john-johns at huge discounts from Zulily. 


Totsy: Totsy is a new site that I just started using - in fact I just placed my first order a few weeks ago and I'm in love. Similar to Zulily, this site offers a limited quantity of items for sale at a discount. Instead of offering daily sales, they have new sales every few days. So far I've seen sales on clothes, gear, toys, and women's clothes. I like both their prices and selection. 


Now that I've covered easy ways to save, I've also found a few easy ways to earn money and rewards. 


Swagbucks: Last year a friend turned me onto this site and I love it. Swagbucks is a search engine that you use just like google. But you earn "Swagbucks" for searching. These "Swagbucks" can be used to purchase rewards. My favorite way to spend my "Swagbucks" is on Amazon gift cards. I can't tell you how much baby gear and toys I've bought at a discount on Amazon and saved more by using my Swagbucks earned gift cards. Its the easiest way to earn rewards just by doing the things you normally do - surfing the web. Instead of logging directly onto a web site, I just go to Swagbucks and type in the site name. It adds an extra step but its worth it to me since I'm earning an Amazon gift card every few weeks. I plan on stocking up on my gift cards for my holiday shopping this year. 


Ebates: Some days its just too hard to make it to mall or even just to go to Target. Shopping online is so convenient and with Ebates you get paid to shop. With Ebates, you are able to earn a percentage back on your purchases at major retailers like Diapers.com, Groupon, Macys, Target, Land's End, and Nordstrom. Ebates will send you a rebate check each quarter. In the last year, I have earned over $50 in cash back. Also, if you are planning a trip soon check out Ebates because a lot of the airlines and hotel chains offer rebates. I could have earned a ton of money if I had known about this site sooner. 


What are you doing to cut back? I would love to know your tips and tricks for saving money. 

Shopping Queen Turned Penny Pincher

Oh retail therapy, how I have missed you. And with the last few weeks I've had, I really could use a little retail therapy about now. The first friend I made when I moved to Atlanta was a girl I worked with, Anna. At first she and I would run out on our lunch hour to the mall or TJ Maxx. I loved shoes and she loved purses. It was a shopper's match made in heaven. When I first got married, my husband worked weekends so Anna and I would go shopping on Saturday mornings and have lunch. We bonded over Coach, Tory Burch and Michael Kors. Even though we don't work together anymore our friendship has continued and our shopping days have dwindled.


This week, I got a text from Anna asking me to join her for her shopping day on Saturday. Of course, I had to decline. Not because I didn't want to go, I would love to go but these days money is tight. I know many Americans have cut back over the last few years so I'm not the only one watching her pennies closely. In my post-pink slip days, I don't have the extra money to buy anything non-essential. With an infant, I have enough extra expenses with diapers and formula. 


Every afternoon, I spend with the little man I am reminded how important this time is with him. Even though I'm not home by choice, I am enjoying the time we are spending together partly because I know it won't last long. The time with W is fleeting and with every passing week, we are learning to live with less and thrive despite it. I'm not a great couponer but I've figured out a few tricks and I will share them later. 


In the meantime, I am wishing Anna happy shopping at the mall. As for me, I will keep my shopping trips limited to the grocery store and my afternoons full of playdates with a very special little man. 

The World's Most Expensive Baby Mirror

We are an Apple family. It started several years ago when my husband was in graduate school with our first iBook and an iPod. We knew once Apple released the iPad 2 with the camera, it was time for us to add another product to our collection. It didn't take long before W became fascinated with the iPad.   

W taking his picture with the iPad

Initially, we used the it to Skype with grandparents. Like most babies, W loves looking in the mirror. So we had some fun turning the camera on him and taking pictures. Then one day, as W was starting to crawl, my husband started a new game..."chase the iPad." It's a game that goes something like this: turn the camera facing your baby and with any luck he will follow his reflection.  After a few weeks, he was crawling all over the place.   

Playing chase the iPad

Now W's 8 months old, and he stalks our iPhones, the iPad, and loves to pound the keys on the laptop.  Like most children of his generation, he won't know a world without global communication.  Skype allows W to connect with grandparents and relatives hundreds of miles away.  Distance isn't a barrier to him, and it never will be. 

Now I'm just waiting for the day when he masters the iPad interface, and no longer needs me to set-up Skype so he can talk to his grandparents. I have a feeling it will be here sooner than I think.       

An Organized Mess Seeks Relief

My big secret is I'm very organized and on top of projects at work. However, at home I'm a mess. I've been able to manage my mess and keep it all together until recently. I guess once you add a baby to the mix it gets harder to keep things straight. Of course, the sleep deprivation doesn't help. 


I've always used a Franklin Covey planner at work to keep my to-do lists together. Since I was on maternity leave at the beginning of the year, I put off purchasing the 2012 pages. Once I went back to work, I had every intention of getting to the store but I never made it. And well before I knew it, I didn't have a job to go to so I didn't need a 2012 calendar - or so I thought. In my post-pink slip days, I've been using the calendar on my phone to keep up with appointments but I knew it wasn't really working. 


Its hard to say exactly when I realized I wasn't doing a great job of keeping it all together. There was the interview that I thought was at 11 but really was at 9 - thank God I confirmed it before I went. Then there was the day that the pest control man showed up as I was eating breakfast (PJs and all). But as they say with addicts, the first step is realizing you need help. 


Just as I was I thinking I needed to invest in a calendar, I saw a post by a blogger I have followed for years, Blue Eyed Bride. The Blue Eyed Bride was creating a home organization notebook for herself and she shared on her blog how she did it. It looked simple enough and I had most of the stuff needed to start it. So I did. I've been working the system now for a few weeks and I'm happy to report its working. 


I just used a simple 3 ring binder and divider tabs. The Blue Eyed Bride was generous enough to include links to the pages she used. Most of these sites have several versions of the pages, so its easy to find the lists to fit your needs. 


This is how "My book" looks. 

My tabs at a glance

Monthly calendar

Since I'm trying to get back into shape, I added a Workout worksheet so I can track my workouts (or at least I have the reminder to workout).

Workout tracker 

My daily list of to-dos

My weekly planner to keep track of blog ideas

So what are you doing to keep to yourself organized? 

My Love/Hate Relationship with "Babywise"

Before I even entered the third trimester, I had received at least 3 hand-me down copies of the "Babywise" book. Each giver said to me, "This is a must-read and do if you are going back to work." Well, I knew even before the baby was born I going back to work. You see we had two major life events occur last year, we bought a house and had a baby - all within a few months of each other. Being house poor and baby poor at the same time isn't the best thing for your savings account. 


So I sat down with the books and started reading, it sounded great. Get your baby on a schedule will make your life and the life of your baby a breeze. It made parenthood seem like a dream! Well, I'm now 8 months into parenthood and we've only been on the "Babywise" plan for 2 months. I'm not saying that you can't get your baby on a plan during the first 6 months, I'm just saying that I couldn't. 


In my experience, it was impossible to get my son on a eat, play, sleep schedule. Especially since he would fall asleep as soon as he finished a bottle. I was on FMLA for maternity leave so I returned to work exactly 12 weeks after giving birth. Since we had to leave by 7:00 A.M. and I had to get us both ready for work/daycare, I started waking W up at 6:00 A.M. for his first bottle. This was the first time in 3 months that we were on a feeding schedule and it was a great start to "Babywise" plan. While he was at daycare, they continued feeding him every 3 hours. 


I got laid-off from my job when he was 5 months old and we stuck with his feeding schedule starting at 6:00 A.M. At our 6 month old appointment with the pediatrician, we got the green light to introduce solid food and a new schedule to follow. We were going to drop a bottle feeding and work to stretch out his eating to every four hours. The first week of the new feeding schedule was rough since he didn't like the baby food, but we were able to get him to eat every 3.5 hours. Once he adjusted to the baby food, we were able to get him to eat every 4 hours. 


Around 7 months we were able to get him into a normal nap routine. We put him in the crib for a nap 2 hours after he eats. The more new moms I'm around, I find that every baby has a different routine. Sometimes I resent the schedule if I want to run an errand or meet a friend when they are only free during nap time. But, overall I find comfort in knowing that we have a set routine for the day, that no matter what happens nap time starts at 1:30 P.M. Having said that, there are somedays when I adjust a feeding a few minutes early so we can go out. But I try to just do it for one meal and then we are back on track for the next feeding. 


Right now, this is W's daily schedule:


7:00 A.M. - Wake up
7:30 A.M. - Breakfast
9:30 A.M. - Nap
11:30 A.M. - Lunch
1:30 P.M. - Nap
3:30 P.M. - Dinner
5:30 P.M. - Nap (sometimes he will nap but most days he skips this nap)
7:00 P.M. - Bottle
8:00 P.M. - Bedtime routine begins and he is asleep by 8:30 P.M. 


I've read other blogs were new moms bragged about how easy and great "Babywise" was for them. And they are right, once you get on the plan it is great. But I felt like a failure because I couldn't get W on the plan. If you are struggling with "Babywise" know that you aren't alone. Just keep at it, it gets easier to do the older your baby is. 

Drop and Give Me 20

I must confess that I am envious of other moms who tell me that their babies nap for 2 hours at a time. I can't help but think of all the things I could do in 2 hours - cook, clean, blog, job hunt, exercise... the list is endless. 


Back to reality, my son W is the king of the cat nap. I'm lucky if he sleeps for 45 minutes and getting him to sleep is another challenge. Recently, he has started crying as soon as we walk into the nursery - he knows it coming. Even on those days when he can barely keep his eyes open, he just cries and cries before a nap. My motto these days is "Drop and give me 20" - I'm like a baby drill sergeant. My pediatrician is big on the "Babywise" schedule and crying it out. With his advice, W is allowed to cry for 20 minutes before I call a nap time out. Some days he's asleep within in 2 minutes, some days it takes a little longer and some times he stands in the crib crying for the full 20 minutes. I'm thankful now that he is finally getting on a nap schedule. Sometimes I hate it because I really want to run an errand during nap time, but I know its best for me to respect the schedule and nap time. 


Well, my time is about up. The King of the Cat Nap will be stirring soon and ready to go. 

Oh Happy Day!

It is official! W is drinking out of a sippy cup. It just dawned on me yesterday that he drank all of his "bottles" from sippy cups. It might not seem like much to you but its been a couple of long months to get to this point. 

At our 6 month checkup our pediatrician gave us the green light on sippy cups. It took us a couple of weeks before we started but boy was it a DISASTER. Since W had been using the Born Free bottles (which I LOVE), I bought him a Born Free trainer cup.  At first he thought it was a great toy, dropping it over the high chair. 


After a few days of playing with it, I added the formula and put it in his mouth and the meltdown commenced.  After a few minutes I gave up and transferred the formula to a bottle. This scene played out in my kitchen for weeks on end. Every few days we would try to introduce the sippy cup without any success.


Once W started crawling, I was determined to get him drinking out of a sippy cup or at the very least to hold his own bottle. But just like everything with babies, it just clicked one day. I wish I could tell you that there is some kind of trick but it just takes time and a lot of patience.  


At first it was small steps, he would only drink a fourth or half the formula from the sippy cup and then before I knew it he figured out how to lift the cup up to get the very last drop out. 

Sippy cup success! 

If you are transitioning from the bottle to the sippy cup, hang in there. Your baby will eventually figure it out. 


- JetSet2CarSeat

Making Your Own Baby Food: Lessons Learned

Ok, I started out this series by confusing my lack of domestic skills. So far I've been pretty lucky and I've only had a few mishaps. 


1. Make sure you have enough ice cube trays for when you start making big batches of food. I started with only two and had to invest in a third shortly after I started. I love the OXO brand of ice cube trays. 
2. You win some and you lose some. There are some batches that just don't turn out right whether its too watery or too thick. Its just the way it goes, especially when you are making something the first time. I still struggle with getting the right consistency with squash.  So for the batches that are watery I just add a little rice cereal and mix it in to thicken it up. 
3. Sweet potatoes don't take much pureeing. Every time I make sweet potatoes, I think I'm going to blow up the motor on my blender. So I recently started just mashing them up with a manual potato masher and it works great. 
4. Mix it up. Don't be afraid to try new things. 


If you choose to make your own baby food, just be patient. It will take you and your baby both awhile to get used to it. Just keep at it, in the end you will be glad that you did. 


Stay for details on my next "going green with baby" experiment - cloth diapers. 

Making Your Own Baby Food: The Nitty Gritty

Ok, so now that I've covered why I make my own baby food and the tools that I use its time to get down to the nitty gritty: the how-to. You will need a good stockpot to boil your vegetables and cook them until they are fork tender. Depending on the vegetable and how many this can be anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

My go-to pot for green beans

Once the vegetable/fruit is cooked then you just put it in the food processor and hit puree. I generally add a laddle of water from the stockpot. This always help me to get to the right consistency but you can add more or less depending on what you are cooking. I forgot to take a picture of the green beans but here is a photo of the apples I cooked and pureed the day before. 

Apples

When you get the food to the right consistency for your baby, just fill the ice cube trays and freeze overnight. Then store them in a ziploc freezer bag. Make sure you label the bag and the date. 

Apples just out of the freezer

One of the great things about making your own baby food is that you can use almost any vegetable. So far I have made green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, corn, butternut squash, squash, zucchini, apples, and peaches. So while the other babies in your circle are just eating peas, your baby can get a head start on eating his broccoli. 

Corn, sweet potato, broccoli, and carrot baby food

Good luck and happy pureeing!

My Summer Favorite: Salted Caramel

We were lucky to have Pinkberry arrive in Atlanta last year and I was even luckier to get one in my neighborhood. I have become addicted to their delicious frozen yogurt and with this heat wave we are having its a nice way to cool off. A few weeks ago, I discovered the Pinkberry Salted Caramel and its a new favorite for me. I love it and crave it! Which is bad for both my waistline (at least its yogurt so it saves me some calories) and my post-pinkslip wallet. 


Fortunately, we have scored a few BOGO coupons and today we cashed one in.
If you don't have Pinkberry near you, you can try the Salted Caramel from Talenti Gelato. Its not as guilt-free as the yogurt but its a great splurge. Just add some sea salt to your serving and you are all set. I have found the Talenti Gelatos at both Whole Foods and Publix.


Enjoy and keep cool!

Adventures in Making Baby Food

Ok, so the first thing you should know about me is that I'm not a domestic diva. Actually, I'm far from it. Before the pink slip, we either ate out or had prepared meals. I was also fortunate enough to have some come and clean our house a couple of times a month. Unfortunately, those days are behind us and I'm cooking and cleaning up a storm.


I decided to try my hand at making my own baby food for several reasons:
1. I want me son to be a better eater than both my husband and I
2. I would save on packaging which is better for the environment long term
3. I would save W from eating food with preservatives


So I got my start making baby food with a bag of frozen peas and the food processor attachment on my blender. Once I cooked the peas and pureed them, I portioned the food out into ice cube trays. Once frozen, you just pop out the cubes and store them a ziploc freezer bag. Stay tuned for my arsenal of tools and a pictures of the final product. 

The Teething Blues

I'm finding out that there are a lot of things about babies that nobody tells you. Sometime its a good surprise and sometimes its not. Currently, I'm learning that teething can last a long time.  For my son, W, it seems like he's been teething for months. The drooling, the chewing on fingers, the rash on his chin. Every morning I anxiously check his gums for any sign of a pearly white but at eight months little man is still toothless. But the last few weeks have been different and I think he may finally be "officially" teething. In addition to the drool and chewing, he's waking up in the night, he's getting fussy and he's grabbing at his ears. So I think its only a matter of time before that toothless grin is replaced. Even though I will be relieved that he won't be in pain, I'm sure I will be sad because it will be just another reminder that my baby is growing up.