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As it is...my luck isn't always something to brag about. It wasn't until FRIDAY that I found this meme for Thursday. Basically, you write 13 New Years Resolutions. I just met some great new bloggers who participated (which is how I found out), so I'm tagging myself for this one. And you guys are just going to have to get over the fact that it is now Friday and almost Saturday. lol
1. I want to catch up on my scrapbooking for Lorelei. In fact, I want to start attending Friday Night Crops on a regular basis.
2. I plan to write some great informative articles and have them published.
3. I want to open up an etsy shop
4. I want to spend some time crafting items for said etsy shop!
5. I want to learn how to make pretty baked (and decorated) cakes. The buy-worthy kind. The $50 cake kind!
6. I want to learn to make some AWESOME HEALTHY meals...that taste great and even look great
7. I want to learn to ballroom dance.
8. I want to travel to another country (like Jamaica...teehee!)
9. I want to be stronger in my faith and lead others by example
10. I plan to become a Kindergarten Sunday School Teacher
11. I want to take more pictures, and learn more about my camera
12. I MUST have Adobe Photoshop for Macs. I HAVE to!
13. I WILL do everything on this list.
Friday, January 4, 2008
Belly Casts by ProudBody
I have always loved the idea of Belly Cast kits by ProudBody but I had one reservation. Where would I put it when I'm done?
I loved the idea of my husband and I making a memory and always having a Belly Cast to show what I looked like when I was carrying our precious Lorelei. But, we ended up deciding against it because we just didn't think it would fit in with our present decor.
But, next time around...I'm so doing this! ProudBody has come up with some awesome ways to decorate your own unique Belly Casts!
You can make your own art, or copy someone elses on a 3D canvas. Or, maybe you want to add a picture of the ultrasound?
Or, you could decorate your Belly Cast in a way that would match baby's decor...
And, one of my favorites, is the flower holder! How cute is this! 
And, I absolutely LOVE the idea of placing newborn baby in the cast for their first pictures! How cute! It is such a great way to preserve memories and show everything from shape of your pregnant body to size of baby, etc. Love it!
Each ProudBody Belly Cast comes with all you need to make a belly cast.Each kit includes:
• 5 rolls (4 inch wide by 5 yards long) of premium-quality, extra-creamy artist's (not medical grade) casting material. This is equivalent to a 5 foot x 5 foot sheet of material. Our casting material conforms to the health requirements of ASTM D-4236. There is no heat reaction when using our casting material.
• All-natural Belly Rub Lubricant
• Plastic drop cloth
• Pair of Nitrile (safe alternative to latex) gloves
• Sanding screen
• Easy-to-follow instructions written in English, Spanish & French
• Color decorating sheet with hundreds of decorating ideas
Then, it's up to YOU to make yours unique!
In fact, I'd love to see what you come up with, so send me your pictures!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Princess, please...
As most of you know, I LOVE the whole princess theme. Not so much the cheapo disney version with bubble gum pink and purple...
I found this little carriage at poshtots a couple of years ago. I never forgot it. I think it's absolutely adorable... and at only $47, 000 each, I'll take 4! One for each room in my house!
(Just kidding - and NO, I didn't lose the decimal point).
It's cute, but for 47 K around here, you could buy a small house!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Cloth vs. Disposable
Cloth vs. Disposable
When Lorelei was born, I didn’t know I had a choice between cloth and disposables. Like many moms, I knew cloth diapers were out there...but I thought they were the same diapers my grandparents used. The flat cloth diapers that you folded, pinned, and then swished in the toilet. And, for me...that wasn’t even an option.
It wasn’t until a few months ago, that I started doing research. I wanted to know what was going to be best for my baby. And, if I helped the environment and saved some money...then great.
I wanted to make some of your searching for information a little easier. I’m a little partial to cloth, but I understand the convenience of disposables as well. So, below I’ve compiled some facts for you.
Disposables:
-Easy to use, little to no learning curve
-Convenient to use...like paper plates.
-Contains:
-Sodium Polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel) which is argued by both sides of its toxicity. Disposable diaper manufacturers argue that it’s safe, while others argue that it can cause irritation, cause organ damage, allergic reactions, has been linked with Toxic Shock Syndrome in Tampons, and is very harmful to pets.
-Dioxin and dyes- According to the EPA, is known to cause damage to the Central Nervous System, kidneys, and liver.
-Fragrances - FDA has received reports that some fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness, and rashes.
-Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include: chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, plastic tabs tearing into the skin, and ink staining the skin.
Cost between $40 - $80/ month
In order for the “biodegradable” disposable diapers (not all are) to decompose, they must be exposed to to oxygen and sun (which is unlikely if they are in a landfill).
Roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually.
It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone
It can take several hundred years for the disposables to decompose, while some of the plastic material never will.
Cloth Diapers:
-Larger start up cost, depending on which type of diapers you choose to purchase. ALTHOUGH, if you choose to use the “old-school” cloth diapers, cost is VERY minimum for start up
-Many Daycares refuse cloth diapers
No monthly cost UNLESS you hire a diaper service
Feels better on baby’s skin
Because of updated diaper styles, vinyl pants, pins, and “swishing” is no longer needed.
You can expect to pay a start up cost of $60 for flat diapers OR $200 and up (NOT PER MONTH...one time), depending on the style of diaper you choose
You can reuse cloth diapers with subsequent children
Will increase laundry load, although only by a couple of loads a week
Will cut down on baby rashes and decrease chemical exposure
Some styles are more bulky than disposables (although not all are).
There are ALOT of choices for cloth diaper styles, meaning it can sometimes be overwhelming to switch.
Some styles are just as absorbent as disposables, while others are not.
Whether you choose disposables or cloth, like everything else...it’s always good to know your options and to be informed. And, with all diapers, it is important that wet diapers be changed frequently.
When Lorelei was born, I didn’t know I had a choice between cloth and disposables. Like many moms, I knew cloth diapers were out there...but I thought they were the same diapers my grandparents used. The flat cloth diapers that you folded, pinned, and then swished in the toilet. And, for me...that wasn’t even an option.
It wasn’t until a few months ago, that I started doing research. I wanted to know what was going to be best for my baby. And, if I helped the environment and saved some money...then great.
I wanted to make some of your searching for information a little easier. I’m a little partial to cloth, but I understand the convenience of disposables as well. So, below I’ve compiled some facts for you.
Disposables:
-Easy to use, little to no learning curve
-Convenient to use...like paper plates.
-Contains:
-Sodium Polyacrylate (the super absorbent gel) which is argued by both sides of its toxicity. Disposable diaper manufacturers argue that it’s safe, while others argue that it can cause irritation, cause organ damage, allergic reactions, has been linked with Toxic Shock Syndrome in Tampons, and is very harmful to pets.
-Dioxin and dyes- According to the EPA, is known to cause damage to the Central Nervous System, kidneys, and liver.
-Fragrances - FDA has received reports that some fragrances in disposables caused headaches, dizziness, and rashes.
-Problems reported to the Consumer Protection Agency regarding disposables include: chemical burns, noxious chemical and insecticide odors, babies pulling disposables apart and putting pieces of plastic into their noses and mouth, choking on tab papers and linings, plastic melting onto the skin, plastic tabs tearing into the skin, and ink staining the skin.
Cost between $40 - $80/ month
In order for the “biodegradable” disposable diapers (not all are) to decompose, they must be exposed to to oxygen and sun (which is unlikely if they are in a landfill).
Roughly 5 million tons of untreated waste and a total of 2 billion tons of urine, feces, plastic and paper are added to landfills annually.
It takes around 80,000 pounds of plastic and over 200,000 trees a year to manufacture the disposable diapers for American babies alone
It can take several hundred years for the disposables to decompose, while some of the plastic material never will.
Cloth Diapers:
-Larger start up cost, depending on which type of diapers you choose to purchase. ALTHOUGH, if you choose to use the “old-school” cloth diapers, cost is VERY minimum for start up
-Many Daycares refuse cloth diapers
No monthly cost UNLESS you hire a diaper service
Feels better on baby’s skin
Because of updated diaper styles, vinyl pants, pins, and “swishing” is no longer needed.
You can expect to pay a start up cost of $60 for flat diapers OR $200 and up (NOT PER MONTH...one time), depending on the style of diaper you choose
You can reuse cloth diapers with subsequent children
Will increase laundry load, although only by a couple of loads a week
Will cut down on baby rashes and decrease chemical exposure
Some styles are more bulky than disposables (although not all are).
There are ALOT of choices for cloth diaper styles, meaning it can sometimes be overwhelming to switch.
Some styles are just as absorbent as disposables, while others are not.
Whether you choose disposables or cloth, like everything else...it’s always good to know your options and to be informed. And, with all diapers, it is important that wet diapers be changed frequently.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
LTD chix
I love being a mother, I really do! But, sometimes you've just got to laugh at irony. LTD chix has a line of great shirts that say it all! From "referee" to "shopping" to "laundry," these shirts say it all with vibrant colors and a great sense of humor (and fashion).
A little more about LTD chix:
We didn’t know that along with the beauty and rewards of watching our children grow, we’d also have to contend with the daily mind-numbing tasks that go along with it! But we’ve got to keep on smiling and persevere!
In the summer of 2005, our two families were spending the day together at the beach. Late that afternoon, as we wrestled to get seven rambunctious kids back into the truck, we both sat back and laughed at the insanity of it all. Kids were fighting, sand was all over the place, wet bathing suits were soaking into the seats, someone had lost a flip-flop and two boogie boards were sticking out the back window. We had to laugh…instead of pounding our foreheads into the car until we passed out.
What had happened to that idyllic dream of being the perfect mom with the perfect kids and the perfect life?
We came to a few conclusions that day. First: this was it. We were Living the Dream. Being a Mom really is tough sometimes, we’re faced fairly often with some pretty insane and chaotic situations, and WE LOVE IT! We wouldn’t trade it for the world!
On the way home that night, we started talking about how we got to this point in our lives. Why hadn't anyone told us? Did we ever truly understand when we were younger just how much time we’d spend every day doing laundry, carting our kids to activities, cooking, house cleaning and countless other chores in and out of the home?
Back when we were sitting at our orderly desks in our organized workplaces, balancing budgets and spending our paychecks on business suits and happy hour, we had no clue what was in store when we traded in 9-to-5 for 24/7. We decided then and there that we should come up with a line of T-shirts that relate to all the moms out there – shirts that really express what we all experience on a daily basis.
Mere Minerals
BEFORE
AFTERSimple. Natural. Pure.
Mere' Minerals strives to bring the most pure ingredients for your mineral makeup. I had been using some of the major brands of "regular" makeup, but was looking for something a bit more natural. But, I wanted something that would provide good coverage, be good for my body, and look great. I've found it - A natural mineral makeup that does all of this WITHOUT breaking my bank.
Their products:
-protect skin from sun and environmental damage
-keep skin soft and hydrated while rejuvenating and restoring damaged skin
-are long-wearing
-easy to use
-do NOT contain the following: dyes, lakes, carmine, talc, bismuth oxychloride, petroleum products, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, parabens, and UREA
Mere' Minerals strives to bring the most pure ingredients for your mineral makeup. I had been using some of the major brands of "regular" makeup, but was looking for something a bit more natural. But, I wanted something that would provide good coverage, be good for my body, and look great. I've found it - A natural mineral makeup that does all of this WITHOUT breaking my bank.
Their products:
-protect skin from sun and environmental damage
-keep skin soft and hydrated while rejuvenating and restoring damaged skin
-are long-wearing
-easy to use
-do NOT contain the following: dyes, lakes, carmine, talc, bismuth oxychloride, petroleum products, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate, parabens, and UREA
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