Well, Owl Bee

Fun and Easy Headband tutorial for babies..girls..and grown ups too! :)

2011-07-08T11:43:00.001-04:00

So I'm a HUGE fan of Pinterest.... Not sure if any of our followers are signed up on there - but it's free and wonderful. You do need to be invited by a current member - so If interested leave your email or message us at contactowlbee@yahoo.com for an invite. So with all the fun tutorials I've come across, this has easily become my favorite. It's actually a combination of 2 different tutorials into one. I do best with seeing actual pictures when checking out a tutorial, so that is what I've done for you. Hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave questions or comments or share some tutorials you LOVE. Also we are participating in a HUGE giveaway this month with my favorite photographer Little Lane Photography - If you would like to WIN ONE OF THE HEADBANDS IN THIS TUTORIAL Then click on the link BELOW for contest entry info..there are a TON of other great give aways as well ... Scroll down towards the bottom and you'll find OWLBEE!

Little Lane Photography - Contest Info! Scroll down to find OWLBEE!

Tutorial Time: Below is a picture of the fabrics I used. You need some taffeta and some regular fabric...I actually used scrap fabric since size is not an issue.

*Cut out circles (don't worry about them being perfect - imperfections are a + here) Make a large circle, then a slightly smaller, and another smaller, and then a baby circle...you can use only 3 or do up to 5 circles depending on the size you want your flower to be. I stuck with 4 circles for this one.

*Cut strips of fabric, you can choose the width and the length (The longer the fabric is the larger your pinwheel will be.)

* Grab a candle and make sure you turn on a fan or have some ventilation for this step...

*Now your going to slightly burn the edges of the taffeta... You want to keep the fabric away from the flame and hold it on the edge and find the "heat spot" Don't hold it in one place too long or it will catch on fire O.o !!!! Keep rotating until your happy with the look of the flower! **Pardon my purple glitter chipped polish on my thumb :P )

*Here's what it looks like after it's been crisped up a bit ;)

*Both colors done...each have 4 circles...Set those aside OR if your only making these scroll down a bit to find the steps for completing them.

* Next we're going to create our fabric pinwheels...Take your strip of fabric and grab a glue gun OR fabric glue and glue both corners down to create your starting point. It was hard to take a picture of the wrapping step b/c you need both hands... so I will explain it the best I can... After you get your starting point (pictured above) then start twisting and wrapping at the same time (wrapping around your starting point) every little bit you'll want to add a drop of glue to hold it in place (Hot glue gun works best) keep wrapping and twisting until your almost out of fabric....

*Use the last little bit of fabric (tail) and glue it to the bottom of the flower to add support...feel free to trim away any excess fabric from the (tail) piece on the bottom.

*Top of flower...now we just need to add a middle embellishment...that will come in a few - You want to let it dry.

All four of our flowers almost done - Just need top embellished and to glue the taffeta flowers together.. Pardon the scissors, I wanted them in the picture to help show you the size.*

*FINAL STEPS for TAFFETA flowers - You want to use Fabri Tac glue for this step or hot glue works as well. place a small dot of glue in the center of each petal and attach the petals to one another... Then pick a pearl or button or any other embellishment and glue it to the center. I usually let these dry for a bit after this step.

*Showing both flowers with the top embellished and attached to headband... To see how to attach them to a headband keep scrolling :)

*Other pair :)

How to attach to a head band... You'll need Felt - black or white works... Then you'll want to glue your flowers to the felt... glue them onto a larger piece of felt and trim away excess after you've glued them. Above I attached both flowers to the same piece of felt to keep it less bulky and more comfortable....after you trim away the excess felt put a large amount of glue on the headband and the felt...then take another piece of felt and sandwich the headband in between the two pieces and press firmly to secure it. and TAD AA! :)

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and remember if you would like to WIN one of these headbands then be sure to check out Little Lanes Blog and enter the contest . http://littlelanephotos.blogspot.com/2011/07/bon-voyage-give-way_07.html

Why choose cloth?

2011-06-03T14:20:00.001-04:00

Please pardon this post in advance. We are smack dab in the middle of a move and just as the Internet guy came to move my connection down the street a thought occured to me. So I am posting from my phone( all hopped up on allergy pills too)

I Watched a video of a mom illustrating the use of diaper liners when I saw a comment about how much of a hassle it seemed to cloth diaper.

Is it more work than sposies? Yup.
Is it kinda stinky? Oh yes
Is it worth it? Abso-freaking-lutely

Even if you arent doing it to pass down a healthy planet to your descendants, or to save some seriousy moo-lah, there is still a good reason to do it.

The other reason occurred to me while reading the hassle comment and it is:

Saying it is too much work to do cloth is like saying it's too much work to make your kids food from real ingredients. As a society we have become too accustomed to having everything done for us. Someone else will make my food and someone else will deal with all of the trash I throw out. We trust that these companies will choose what is best for us but in reality they are never concerned with what is in our best interest but with their own bottom line. We need to take back responsibility for our own well being by knowing what is in our food and being in control of the chemicals we expose ourselves to.

I know cloth does not work for everyone but I think more often than not we just make excuses for why it won't work. I know I did when I had my first. I'm just glad was able to make the changes I am, knowing I have done my best.

Nursing Pads....Which to wear and not to wear...that is the question!

2011-05-28T23:50:00.000-04:00

Nursing pads.... Could they be anymore annoying?? At night I just want to jump into bed without tearing open 2 nursing pads and stuffing my bra...However, I don't HAVE to wear nursing pads throughout the day anymore, THANK GOODNESS...not since around month 2 when my milk supply became regulated... BUT I do still have to wear nursing pads to bed every night... (not nursing for 11 hours during the night) And I have found that I like to wear them during the day sometimes if the shirt I am wearing is thin...Breastfeeding leaves certain things poking through if you know what I mean... ! So since I find myself STILL purchasing nursing pads I thought it might be a light and easy post.... There are a TON of different brands and styles out there....from disposables to silicone reusable...to terry cloth...to bamboo... It all kinda sounds like Cloth Diapers if you ask me :)

Even though I cloth diaper I have found that I cannot rely on the cloth nursing pads out there....It's true I have only tried one brand - a pretty inexpensive one at that. BUT I hate waking up in the morning with a wet t-shirt.....no wet t-shirt contest for this momma!!!!! Please if you have found a cloth style nursing pad that you LOVE, then you have to share with all of us :)

So the brands I've tested are as follows....
-Lansinoh Nursing Pads.. This has become my most dependable nursing pad to date...It's super absorbent and is pretty thin..which means it doesn't show through clothing!
-Lily Padz Reusable Nursing pads...I loved the idea of these nursing pads...However I feel the "stick" gave out after on about a month or two of use. I even purchased the special cleaner that was suppose to help keep them tacky. I did love how discreet they were and the fact that I didn't have noisy paper rustling around in my bra... Another down side to these was I never knew where to put them while I was nursing...Anything they touched stuck to the backing.
-The first years with lanolin...These are my top pick for NEW nursing moms. They are a little thicker than the Lansinoh which is great for extra absorbency AND they have lanolin applied to the center of each pad...Pretty genius I know!
-Simplisse Disposable pads... Now I actually haven't tried these. BUT they are ordered from my FAV Amazon and should be arriving Wed. I have heard great things about them and I feel at this point in my nursing game that I deserve the thinnest pad on the market... I'm excited to test it out and get back to you all :)
-And sadly I can't remember or find my purchase history on Amazon for the cloth/washable pads I had tried...I will update this post when and If I find that info....I am curious to which you have found to work best for you and why. I am SUPER interested in finding some awesome cloth nursing pads, so again please share if you know of some ;) Happy Memorial weekend Mommas!!!!!!

Meeno Baby cool me stroller/carseat liner!!! LOVE THIS!!!!

2011-05-26T15:03:00.001-04:00

We live in FLORIDA, to say it's smoldering outside is a slight understatement. I felt so bad that she was getting so hot and sweaty while riding in the jogging stroller, even with the sun canopy over her. I started researching some options and a friend of mine actually had commented under one of my fb pics I had posted of sweaty Jema passed out while on a run.... She said and I quote ;)

*** you need the meeno baby for your stroller! :)

I was like...a what??? So I googled Meeno Babies to check it out. It was exactly what I had been hunting for!!! Thank You Melissa :P I love having friends with smart shopping taste! Here's the picture that she posted under...My poor hot, sleepy baby! I need to take a pic of the stroller WITH a Meeno baby attached, I will do that and add it after nap time!

I'm super happy to report that today was our first day using the Meeno Baby and we're in love!!! It's a universal fit so it fits most strollers AND car seats! She was not sweaty at all...just a little warm which is unavoidable in this HEAT! I highly recommend this product to moms that are or planning on working out with baby in tow or even just a day at the park or Zoo...and don't forget you can also use it in a car seat for those road trips or extremely hot summer days when your scared to set your baby down in a hot car seat. :)

How I entertain and contain my 8 month old!

2011-05-26T13:28:00.024-04:00

        I was playing with Jema this morning and it struck me that I should post about all the fun things we do in our day and how to baby proof a room - Entertaining and stimulating a mobile baby takes a lot more work than entertaining a baby that is content laying on an activity mat! haha!
    Gone are the days of rocking and holding Jema all day long....Feeding...Burping...Changing Diapers repeat....repeat..repeat... The days of entertaining a crawling adventurous baby have arrived! I remember wishing for this time to hurry up and arrive, but now that it's here I sometimes miss my fragile and needy infant.

     Don't get me wrong...I can't believe how many new things she is doing over this past month... But I'm always keeping my ears peeled and eyes open and waiting for her to find some microscopic fiber that has been left on the floor. I now understand that when I don't hear anything....I better investigate or my entire book shelf could be destroyed.

    So this is what I've found to work for us at this age.... I have baby proofed our computer room...and when I say baby proof I mean BABY proof and toddler proof. This has turned into our play room which works out great b/c I can sit at my computer sometimes while my little Brownie plays :) So it's a mommy/baby play room of sorts! I think it's a great idea to have at least one room in your home that can become the babies space to explore, play, and become comfortable in leading to furthering milestones! I have put up a baby gate keeping the dogs out of this area of the house...for cleanliness and to just protect them from Jema's death grip on their fur! :) So just in the week since we have zoned this as her area we have been having a blast!!!! I play baby Einstein on the computer at times and baby signing as well... then her favorite thing is for me to lay on the ground with her and play and let her crawl all over me...I guess moms make good jungle gyms!!!! haha. And then I get some computer time to browse and play a little on the computer and post on here all while she's happily playing right near me safely! The pictures that follow are the things we got to baby proof this room.

     At this age I've noticed that they really enjoy the feel of freedom... It's like turning 16 and finally getting your Drivers License..you just want to GO GO GO, same thing happens once they learn to crawl - So I think I have managed to give her the illusion that she can rome free and far...I'm sure in a few months she will be crying at the gate to be set free, but for now I have a very happy and productive baby! I should mention that she not only has rein over the computer room but of the hallway and her whole bedroom...

      Another great thing for that's great for entertaining them is to go outdoors...Florida is HOT right now and will only get HOTTER as the summer progresses...So we make sure we got out early in the morning for a walk..She really enjoys this and I've read that it's great for their sensory development to see and hear all the things outside! And not to mention it's good for us moms to get outside and move a bit!!! That's my favorite time to listen to music or listen to audio books <3

   Between all these things and Naps we pretty much have a full day everyday... Being a mommy is such an important JOB and I am constantly trying to better myself as a mother...If you can think of any suggestions or if your willing to share some of your entertaining tricks please comment BELOW :)

Goodbye stink!!!

2011-05-24T06:52:00.000-04:00

After I wrote this post about hitting a wall, I went to work getting to the bottom of my stinky dipes. I am happy to say I think I have it all figured out!
Florida is notorious for hard water, REALLY hard water. I think I had mineral build up in my diapers and that is where the stink was coming from. So after doing the RLRto get extra detergent out I started adding a cup of vinegar to each diaper load(and most of my clothing loads) to work on the mineral deposits. I can get a gallon and a half of white vinegar for $3.57 at Sams and like I said before, it is a great softener and helps to clean out my washing machine too.
So the stink is gone out of all but the worst dipes. The boys have both been on antibiotics since it turned out Kayden was the carrier monkey in the family and had been infecting Adam and I over and over with Strep Throat. That caused some major blow outs that I will have to sun but all of the other dipes are great!

When daddy is in charge...

2011-05-17T08:05:00.001-04:00

Since my husband was working 80-100 hour weeks when our first was born until just last year, he escaped changing diapers. In fact he was not around to do much with Kayden as a baby.

Now that he is on a regular schedule(yay!) we work well with divide and conquer. Adam is in charge of Kayden and I handle Liam when we are all at home. It works really well and Adam gets to avoid diapers even more.
When I made the switch to cloth, he was very supportive, in part because he doesn't change diapers anyway!

When daddy is in charge of both kiddos I can bet Liam's diaper wont be changed so I make sure he is in a fresh one before I leave. Since I am still breastfeeding I am not ever gone more than three hours anyway.

I guess Liam wanted to make sure his daddy gets plenty of cloth experience because the last few times I have left both kids at home, he has had major blow outs! On Saturday he had two explosions with the dreaded'poop up the back', all in the space of three hours.

The funny things about this is I never know where he is going to put the dirty diapers. They typically get left beside wherever Liam was changed and end up leaking pee into whatever the diaper has come in contact with. I have to roam around the house and find the dirty dipes and put them in the wet bags, the location and use of which Adam is fully aware of.

So on Sunday night when I discovered my purse smelling so strongly of ammonia I thought I was going to pass out I had to to retrace my steps. Actually my sister prompted that thought after I shoved what I thought was a clean diaper in her face and told her to smell my newest cloth woe. She dismissed my ammonia build up concerns and said "well, are you sure it was clean?".

Turns out Adam had changed a pee diaper, opened the door with the wet bag hanging on it(pretty sure he had to touch the darn thing in order to open the door too) and put the diaper on top of the dryer, next to a stack of clean diapers I had made earlier that day.

We all got a good laugh and I was sure my wonderful husband understood the importance of the wet bags.

Then last night I came home to a poopy diaper sitting on the rocking chair pad, leaking all sorts of lovely-ness onto the pad.

Hitting a wall

2011-05-12T07:02:00.000-04:00

I havent been posting all that much lately and there are a few reasons for that. One, we got strep throat for the THIRD time since late January. We cannot figure out what is going on so our next step is to swab the whole family to see if one of us is a carrier.

Then we found out that the home we have been renting has been foreclosed on and we need to move. Moving is all consuming for me so if I am on my computer it is to look at listings. Luckily it looks like we may just move a few doors down which is awesome because we adore our neighborhood. We will find out when and where we will move in the next week, so for now I am trying to relax until we know what is going on.

And finally, I have hit a wall. A cloth diaper wall filled with some very stinky diapers. It all happened after Liam started solids. The dipes would smell fine after washing but when I would open the dryer I would be overwhelmed by the lovely smell of hot poop.

I set about doing everything I could to get the smell out. I used RLR, which did a great job of getting stains out. I stripped with Blue Dawn(1tsp for Front Loaders and 1tbs for Top Loaders) added in the wash cycle and followed with rinse cycles until there were no bubbles. I have added vinegar(a great softener by the way!). I have used a few types of detergent(Rockin Green, Charlies, 7th Gen, Arm and Hammer) but the lingering stink is still there in both the pockets and inserts and now even slightly in my prefolds. I stopped putting a cloth dipe on Liam during the night. Not because it was leaking but because he smelled like pee every morning when i went in to get him.

I am working on a few other fixes that other cloth diapering mommas have suggested. I am also thinking about bringing my entire stash to my mom's house and wash them/sun them there(which is news to my mom- Hi Mom!).

Even with this stinky wall I have hit, I am still happy with my decision to cloth diaper. In reality, the diapers only stink when I bury my face in them or if Liam is in need of a change. I knew this was something that could happen and that it could be difficult to fix.

I wanted to put this post up, not to discourage those who are thinking about cloth, but to portray an accurate picture of what cloth diapering entails. When you research cloth you see all of these fluffy pieces that only talk about the good points(of which there are many) of cloth but never discuss what to do when you are stumped.

I think I am close to my fix and I can't wait to share it with you! In the mean time, if you have any suggestions, please send them on over! I am trying almost everything(except for the person who told me to use MORE detergent. In cloth, less is more!).

Convertible Carseat shopping!!!!

2011-05-05T10:50:00.002-04:00

Jema is now 8 months old and growing out of her "bucket" car seat so quickly. Not to mention that she prefers to sit up more vs the steep recline of the traditional bucket style seat. She has clearly let me know that she is ready for a big girl car seat aka convertible seat. Then begins the dreaded part of picking a car seat that it's both SAFE and FUNCTIONAL for my #1 Gem.

My requirements were, Rated very high on the safety test, Steel reinforced framing, side impact tested, EPS foam, Allows rear facing for an extended time, 5 point harness, Head support, not too bulky, not overpriced.

The Contenders :

BRITAX BOULEVARD

And

SUNSHINE KIDS RADIAN XTSL

Lets talk about the BRITAX first, Britax has been around forever and has proved time and time again to be a top contender in the car seat market. We took a trip to BuyBuyBaby to test out a few seats and see what Jema thought of each one. She really seemed to love the Britax boulevard and it was EASY to adjust and buckle her in. I liked how the seat hugged around her body and the softness of the seat. Also this seat fits into almost every category on my "must have" list except it doesn't have a higher weight limit for longer rear facing, and it is a very wide and bulky seat. Also I feel like the fact that we're in HOT Florida that the hugging effect that the chair offered would also contribute to overheating my already toasty baby. But the real deciding factor was when we put her in the car seat and installed it into the car that her feet were already touching the back seat... Which means her legs would be cramped sooner than later and since we are planning to rear face until at least 2 years old we need as much growing room weight + height as we can get. The britax only accommodates up to 35lbs rear facing....and my baby is already over 20 lbs at only 8 months old. Overall I think it's a great car seat but it fell short on a few factors that were important to me as a consumer and mom. :) here's some Info about the BRITAX Boulevard courtesy of Amazon.

*True Side Impact Protection
*Patented HUGS system, tangle-free 5 point harness with belly pad and one pull front harness adjustment,
*Flexible buckle LATCH system
*Extra comfort padding, infant body pillow for cozy fit
*Rear facing: 5 to 35 pounds. Forward facing: At least 1 year old and 20 to 65 pounds

Now lets talk about the Sunshine kids Radian XTSL, This car seat brand is a slight newcomer to the ultra competitive car seat world. They didn't let that stop them from quickly rising to the top and I can see how they managed with an impressive safety feature list and some really cool new angles. At first sight the Sunshine Radian looks different than a lot of the other convertible car seats in it's class, it's slimmer and taller frame give it a sleeker look. I had a hard time believing that it would fit rear facing in my car b/c of the height of the chair back - but it fit with no problem. We did the same thing as listed above in the Britax review - took a trip to BuyBuy Baby and put Jema in it to evaluate the seat. Right away we noticed that it was a little bit harder to install...not hard at all, but not as easy as the BRITAX. Sunshine Kids offers something called the SUPER LATCH system which is the only metal latch that is rated for use up to 80lbs. Impressive in my book of safety! Also the Radian is rated to use rear facing up to 45 lbs. - that's 10 lbs higher than the BRITAX , and more than 10 lbs on some other brands that I looked into.Another great feature I noticed right away was the leg room Jema had when buckled into the seat - Her feet do not touch the seat back and still have a few inches before they will touch, letting me know that she has plenty of growing room before facing her forward. Side Note*New research is stating that children should stay rear facing until at least 2 years of age.... Like I said it's NEW research, I don't want to offend people who did not rear face until 2.*
The Radian is rated very highly by NCAP - See below for some facts courtesy of Sunshine Kids.com

New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) is 35 mph crash testing used to determine a vehicle's safety. NCAP testing has been required for all cars since 1981, but is not required for child car seats. NCAP simulates a severe accident - almost double the impact forces of a standard crash test. Many safety advocates believe NCAP should be a required, 'fail-safe' test for all child car seats.

Safety Features

Steel alloy frame and aluminum reinforced sides
Adjustable head support, reinforced for complete side-impact safety
Energy-absorbing EPS foam panels on all sides
Safestop® energy-absorbing harness system
SuperLATCH™ installation up to 80 lbs – no seat belt required
Easy-Tite™ adjuster for quick and easy tightening, installs in 1 minute
Rubber bottom grips for no-slip installation
5 shoulder and 3 buckle positions for proper harness fit
Forward and rear facing tether system

We ended up choosing the Sunshine kids Radian XTSL for the simple reason that it allows for longer rear facing between the higher weight capacity and the leg room allowance. I love the BRITAX as well and I highly suggest that carseat if extended rear facing is not at the top of your priority list and also if you don't plan to have more than one carseat in the back seat. Sunshines slim design allows 3 carseats to fit at once.
We purchased our Radian at BuyBuy Baby last week during a sale and also used a 20% off coupon and snagged this awesome seat for $184!!!!

An evolution of baby food

2011-05-04T10:02:00.000-04:00

First, it's mother's milk(or formula). Just when you are getting the hang of that we start introducing solid foods in the form of thin soups of veggies and fruits. Cereal might be added. You add slowly, making sure there are no allergies, watching for the smallest hive or rash. Then all of the sudden you can give your baby puffs, yogurt and other things with actual texture! The world of possibilities just opens right up!

When Kayden was young, I gave him every stage baby food at the appointed time. Snacks and even toddler meals were specially and expensively packaged just for my 'graduate'. Thinking back I cringe at the pasta pick ups, mini TV dinners and sugar filled cereal bars I gave him. At the time I thought I was giving him the best money could buy. But who said the most expensive thing is the best? We ended up with a very picky eater who was not accustomed to eating what his parents were eating. I always ended up making two dinners. It has been a long struggle to get him to even consider the food we eat and we still have a few issues. If Kayden had it his way he would eat PB&J for every meal. He is slowly adding food onto his approved list but it has(and still is) been a struggle.

This time I was determined to get Liam used to adult food as soon as possible.

If we are having toast and fruit for breakfast, he gets soft wheat bread torn into pieces with a soft cut up banana.

Overcooked pasta is perfect for little hands and so when Kayden asks for macaroni and cheese(a new favorite, which is fine because it is easy to hide veggies in it), Liam gets some too.

Yogurt with oatmeal or mashed banana is Liam's favorite breakfast. Infact, he gets mad when the bowl is empty.

Last night he had brown rice, cheese and wheat bread with some tiny cut up pieces of chicken.

We also will steam squash, yams and zucchini cut up into little pieces. And like his big brother, muffins are a big hit.

He LOVES feeding himself and I love being able to eat at the table with him and Kayden. I have learned not to be afraid of chunky, textured food. If Liam does gag on something he quickly clears it out. Once I have had to smack him on his back to help but every other time he has cleared whatever food is stuck before I can even get out of my chair. It is a skill I want him to learn but I still watch him like a hawk when he eats because he shoves fistfuls of whatever is on his plate into his mouth.

We still carry puffs and yogurt drops with us since they are a great way to snack on the run but I get to ignore most of the baby isle at the grocery store completely! I have exactly 2 jars of 'just in case' baby food in my pantry and I keep a frozen tube of organic yogurt and my Boon Spoon ready if we are going to be out of the house for breakfast.

I know we have not skipped over the picky eater stage but my hope is he will pull out of it sooner than the 2 years it took his brother.

What are your feeding tips and tricks?

The Great Cloth Diaper Change

2011-04-25T07:43:00.000-04:00

In an effort to bring more awareness to how cloth diapering has changed in the last decade, prominent members of the cloth diapering industry got together to create The Great Cloth Diaper Change. Parents from all over the world gathered together on Saturday to set a world record for the most cloth diapers changed at once. Our local event was hosted by the owner of Wee Willie Winks, Carissa during the Central Florida Earth Day Celebration in Downtown Orlando(Lake Eola Park).

Since Adam was set to be a witness, we decided to make a morning of it and

set off to enjoy a lovely day on the lake!

Lots of dogs were there and Lomi got a ton of attention(another thing Jodi and I have in common are our Pomeranians who are almost the same color).

We played in the kiddos area

Liam was wiped out by the heat

But was bright eyed and bushy tailed when it came time to make our way over to the changing area.

Liam started the day in a Thirsties Duo Wrap

See how lazy my dog is? She rode in the stroller more than the kids.

And the cloth diapering parents were out in force! I think we had 42 at our location.

I chose a Rumparooz to change him into because I figured it best resembled a traditional sposie. A few people observing the event even came up to ask me about cloth diapers!

I cant wait to hear what the final tally was!

Sprout Change WINNER!

2011-04-25T07:09:00.001-04:00

And the winner is.....

Congrats Caedmen! email us at contactowlbee at yahoo.com with your address and color choice! And thank you to The Willow Store for sponsoring this giveaway!

If you didn't win this time, head over to The Willow Store to get your fix! I really do love our Sprout Change diaper!

Sprout Change Diaper GIVEAWAY!

2011-04-19T10:09:00.000-04:00

The wonderful people at The Willow Store-makers of the Sprout Change diapers I reviewed last week, are offering one of their diapers for a giveaway with us! I have loved this diaper so much! I have loved using covers and prefolds these last few weeks so even if you are a strictly pocket user, I would suggest giving the Sprout Change cover a try.

Here is how you enter:
*follow us the blog, our Facebook page and Twitter.
*Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter( each day you share is a separate entry)
*Like The Willow Store on facebook
*Visit their website and then come back and comment to let us know which color combo you would love

*****Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry*****

So, that is 7 ways to enter, more if you share each day. The giveaway ends on Sunday, April 24th and the winner will be announced on Monday morning.

I'm in LOVE with this new face wash....

2011-04-16T09:47:00.000-04:00

Being that I am now a stay at home mom...We have to make smarter shopping decisions. I love the challenge and always try to shop with coupons and to find products in the beauty industry that will not break the bank. I come from the world of Saks Fifth Ave. where we sell face creams ranging from $50-$1,000.... After working in the makeup retail world I found myself getting numb to the high price points of makeup and skincare.... Although I stand my ground with the saying you get what you pay for, b/c I've never seen more effective creams, face washes, eye creams, serums....the list goes on and on... With that said and with me no longer getting (Gratis aka FREE) products and shopping with a discount I have been on a mission to find GREAT skincare items that perform like my high priced products.

I am IN LOVE with this new face wash+makeup remover in ONE.Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover, 6-Ounces (Pack of 2) People have this idea that if you wash your face that it's taking off the makeup as well...True it takes off most of the makeup but I challenge you to use a cotton ball with some toner after washing your face and SEE if any residue was left on your skin...makeup or dirt. The Fix??? Using a face wash that is formulated to dissolve dirt and makeup...I will tell you this little hint - Usually GEL based face washes do not have the ability to dissolve makeup. You want a face wash that has a creamier consistency EVEN if your oily. These creamy face washes should work up a good lather with just a little bit of water added. My all time favorite have been Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Lathering Tube soap $24 a tube. Not anymore...I now LOVE Neutrogena's Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover face wash... Not only does it have a soft non perfume scent, but it lathers up so easily and takes off even my eye makeup with little effort!

Some of the Key factors in making this MY pick are :
*86% naturally derived - the remaining ingredients are essential to blend the product and maintain effectiveness and shelf life.
*Not tested on animals
*NO harsh chemicals, sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals, dyes, phthalates In other words all BAD things were left out of this product.
*Great for Dry, combination, Oily skin types...SO Everyone young and old should try this!
*Compares to my high priced face washes and surpasses most of them in performance.
*$12.74 for a pack of 2 on Amazon - $6.99 at your local drugstore and Target is also offering a $1 OFF coupon right now that will be accepted at other locations like Publix and Walgreens $1 OFF coupon
*Dermatologist Recommended

If you try this product please leave a comment under this post and let me know what you think! I'm curious to see how different people feel about this great new cleanser!

The REAL cost of disposable diapers.

2011-04-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

I hate math but for some reason I had an urge to figure out how much money I spent on Kayden's disposable diapers. Here is my breakdown:

1st 3 months at 8 changes a day= $91, requiring 2.6 boxes of 276ct pampers

The next 24 months until pull ups: $805 5 changes a day , requiring 23 boxes of 156 ct huggies diaper for $35 each.

Next 12 months in pull ups(this is how long it took Kayden to become day trained)=$1079.10
4 changes a day 90 packs of jumbo huggies pull ups

This equals a staggering $1975.10. Looking back I wish I had never used the pull ups. I think he would have been trained earlier if we had stuck with diapers but hindsight is 20/20.

How much have I spent on my cloth diaper stash and supplies?
For 37 diapers plus:
diaper sprayer
2 Rumparooz hanging wet bags
1 purse wet bag
detergent(Charlies, Rockin Green, Seventh Generation)
cloth wipes
diaper liners
2 doz prefolds

Minus $35 in stash cash I used

equals a total of ....

$540

Now, tell me... how can you afford to NOT cloth diaper?

An indoor garden

2011-04-12T15:13:00.000-04:00

We have started our own indoor garden!

I wanted to start with seedlings so Kayden could see his plants grow so we chose these mini pots and then picked up cute herb pots from Target and re-purposed an old votive holder to keep them on our kitchen table. Every morning Kayden and I see what new growth happened over night and get gets to water them. We have strawberries, peppers, tomatoes, basil, chives and parsley. Eventually we will have to transfer them to larger pots but for now we are enjoying our kitchen garden!
Another plus is since I have my kitchen blinds open all day, I am better about keeping my kitchen cleaner!

Sprout Change diaper review

2011-04-12T08:28:00.001-04:00

My obsession with cloth diapers is my excuse to try every cool diaper out there. I have been leaning towards diaper covers lately because it seems my pre-folds are less likely to hold on to poop stink or stains than my pockets. I also love covers because I can use them until they get poopy, therefore taking up less space in my wet bags than my big pocket diapers.
So when I saw a post on Kelly Wel's website about the Sprout Change Diaper, I knew I wanted to try one(even though the reviewer ended up screwing up her diaper before using it.... it made me more careful about adjusting it).

I love that the Sprout Change diaper is reversible. Now that we are hitting 90 degrees in the sunshine state I tend to put Liam in just tee shirts and a diaper so I like to get matchy. Even though I have a micro fiber insert and a prefold in this diaper, I feel like it is trimmer than some of my diapers with just one insert.

One of the unique things about this diaper is how it adjusts. See the third snap on the left?(Ignore the fuzzy picture, I am still getting the hang of my new camera), it opens up and allows you to adjust the waist and leg opening. This is great for a chunky legged baby like mine. Liam is pear shaped so keeping the waist tight enough without the legs getting cut into can be tough. This adjustment eliminates this issue.

So far we have not seen any leaks. This diaper fits so well I dont see that happening any time soon either.
One of the things I have learned from my cloth diapering experience is don't commit to one type of diaper until you have tried a few different types of diaper. While I still like my pockets, I wish I had branched out in the beginning. I am having issues with my pockets and poop stink. I have stripped, RLR'd, sunned and soaked but I still have this faint poop-fresh-out-of-the-dryer smell that is driving me crazy. For now we are sticking with our pre-folds and cover until I can figure out what the deal is. Anyone have any suggestions??

Interview with a Cloth DIapering Mamma

2011-04-06T07:51:00.000-04:00

Once I started cloth diapering, I thought back to my friends that had been doing it for a while. I'm pretty sure I thought they were crazy when they told me they cloth diapered but when I found out my friend Becca, of The RLR's, was a cloth diaper diva I was not at all surprised. Becca is creative, fashionable and thoughtful. She is a fantastic mom who has little ones close in age to mine. Infact her little(well, maybe 'little' is the wrong word) Zeke was born one day before Liam.
Since Jodi and I are still newbies to the world of cloth diapering, I thought it would be nice to get a perspective from a cloth diaper veteran.

What made you try cloth diapering with your first?
I was always a bit "crunchy" minded. I met a girl in my birthing class that used cloth diapers and then I just started reading a little bit about it and then decided I'd like to use them. I also wanted to save money and create less waste.

You used Prefolds with your first and now pockets with your second, what prompted the change?
After I started CDing I got some supplies and diapers from friends who were done CD-ing. Some of the things I got were pocket diapers and so that is where I first had experience with them. I had also seen blogging friends who used the pocket diapers. When I got pregnant with my second baby, I saw that Babies R Us and also Target had Bumgenius diapers on their registries. I registered for some, just to give them a try and got some as gifts. So, that was my first time using the Bumgenuis pocket diapers. I really liked them and now use them most of the time

For a newborn, what was your favorite fold?
Eve was such a small baby that I didn't start putting her in cloth diapers until she was 6 weeks old. We mainly stuck with just folding the diaper in thirds with the excess length folded over in the back. We tried using snappi fasteners (again, hand me down from a friend) but didn't like that so much of the wetness was against her skin with the diaper wrapped all around her legs. We always just folded the diaper in thirds and didn't fasten it with anything.

Same question for a 6 month old and then a toddler?
Diaper folded in thirds. Just laid in the cover and snapped the cover on. Same for 6 months and for toddler.

What are your favorite pre folds and pockets?
My favorite pocket diapers so far have been Bumgenius. Prefolds have been OsoCozy (they are the only ones we have used though.)

What are your favorite covers?
Favorite covers have been Bummis super snap. Again, we haven't tried a large variety of covers though.

What is the biggest hurdle you faced with cloth diapering?
I think the biggest hurdle with cloth diapering was replacing the elastic in the covers we had for Eve. She used the medium size covers from the time she was about 8 months old all the way until she was over 2 and so the elastic wore out after too much washing. I think it was partly my fault. I didn't always line dry them and I think too much heat from the dryer caused the elastic to wear out. Anyhow, ripping out and replacing the elastic was time consuming and annoying. The only other hurdle was washing out the poop before we installed a diaper sprayer. That diaper sprayer made a HUGE difference. Oh, and if I didn't keep up with the laundry, sometimes I'd be almost without diapers!

Most used detergent?
I just make sure that my detergent has no dyes or additives. I have used Earth's Best laundry detergent, All, and also some homemade detergent. I occasionally add baking soda or borax to the wash too.

Any tips for new CD moms?
My tips would be to make sure to get the accessories you need. Like wetbags for when you are on the go and also cloth swim diapers. I also highly recommend using a diaper sprayer on the toilet! And using some essential oil in the diaper pail is very helpful (some pail liners have a tab you can put the oil on or you can just put some on a rag and throw it in your pail.)

Baby Eve

Baby Zeke(I love the BabyLegs!)

Thanks Becca! And Becca also happens to be the winner of the Baby Brezza Kitchen Wipes! I promise it was randomly chosen!!!

Baby Brezza Wipes Giveaway WINNER!

2011-04-05T18:13:00.000-04:00

Congrats Super B! Hope you enjoy your wipes! Email your address to contactowlbee at yahoo.com

Liam is famous!

2011-04-04T10:52:00.001-04:00

A month ago I took a cute picture of Liam in the Dash and posted it on the Phil&Teds facebook page. They asked if they could use it on their website. I forgot all about it until I checked out the chatterbox page on the p&t site. Look who greeted me!

Also noted on the Phil and Teds site today is the release of the Verve stroller! As always they have taken an amazing product and made it even better. I cannot tell you how much I want to just TRY one of these beauties! If you have a second(or first!) baby coming soon, please check this stroller out... and then let me take it for a spin!
Watch the video here.

The newbie with a newborn

2011-04-04T09:36:00.000-04:00

Since I started cloth diapering Liam at 3 months, I avoided the whole, what to do with a newborn question.
I have a few friends that are due to have their first little ones over the next year and plan on cloth diapering so it will be interesting to see what they end up doing. If we were to have another little one(which we are NOT planning on) I can tell you what I would do and how I would stock up.

1. I would absolutely chicken out and use 'sposies for the first 2 weeks. Bringing a newborn home is exhausting. You are recuperating and adjusting. You have meconium and then breast milk blow outs. Most newborns go through a dozen diapers a day. That is a ton of laundry to add to an already tiring time.

2. For the first 4 months I would use fitted diapers and pre-folds. Newborns usually have skinny thighs, which means it is tough to get a good fit through the legs. Pre-folds and fitted diapers allow for adjustments at an economical price. Purchase 2 to 3 dozen diapers plus a handful of covers(4-6). Prefolds are the easiest to clean in my opinion. I use them on Liam when he has a diaper rash(sans cover) and folded in my gDiapers. They always come clean and never have the stink some of my pockets have. Make sure to get a few snappis in place of diaper pins.

3. Consider your child care situation. Make sure to check with your day care/friend/family member (whomever will be with your little one during the day if that is not you) that they are willing to use cloth as well. More and more daycares are allowing cloth diapers but have rules on what kind they will use. If they have not had anyone ask and are therefore skeptical, show them examples of diapers you are going to use and how easy they are. I've heard most prefer pockets with APLIX and a wet bag.

4. Slowly build your stash throughout your pregnancy. Buying diapers here and there and looking out for some deals over a 9 month period is a smart way to make sure your are stocked by the time you bring your baby home. Buy a variety and take good care of all of your diapers. If you end up not liking a certain style or brand you can re-sell them as long as they are in good shape. This brings the cost WAY down on diapering in the long run.

5. Leave the registry for baby essentials. Especially if you are a new mom and need a ton of stuff, leave diapers off of your registry. While some people will bring a pack of diapers to a baby shower, no one wants to show up with one expensive diaper. In reality you are responsible for purchasing diapers whether you use 'sposies or cloth. Friends are going to want to buy you the fun stuff like baby baths, outfits, diaper bags and toys. In my opinion, let them!

The great thing about cloth diapers is there are so many options! It may seem like the up front cost of building your stash is high, but when you compare that cost to the $3000 you will spend on disposable diapers in your child's diaper years you always save money. Again, take good care of them and you will lower your cost by selling them when you are done.

I would love to hear from mommas who did start out cloth diapering from the beginning and what you used!

Reader Request- How I labor

2011-03-29T22:25:00.000-04:00

Jodi and I are going to be tackling some reader requests from past posts over the next few weeks but we got one tonight that seemed interesting. Sarah asked what we think of epidurals, pitocin and the overall labor process.

Now, this is a very touchy subject and I want to preface this by saying two things:
1. Birth is a very personal process. It should be thoroughly researched and thought out.
2. There are about as many ways to bring a child into this world as there are children. Each has it's own benefits and there is no one size fits all birthing plan.

I have been blessed enough to have been a labor coach during quite a few births. In fact, the first baby I ever helped coach into the world is about to turn 9. Well before I was ever pregnant I was interested in the birthing process. If I could pick a dream job, it would be to be a labor and delivery nurse.

Before I was pregnant with my first son I had a fair idea of how I wanted to bring my children into the world. I am most comfortable in a hospital setting. The monitors in the background, being able to watch the heart rate and knowing that if something did go wrong I would have access to the medical procedures I or my child needed. I am a paranoid person. I prepare for the worst so no matter what I am not caught off guard. It's a big reason I knew a hospital birth was right for me.

I do believe that some maternity wards can be baby factories. If you are not progressing fast enough, they give you drugs or cart you off to a C-section. They want you to birth a certain way...unless you speak up. Just because I wanted a hospital birth did not mean I could not be in charge of how I labored.

I am lucky that my grandfather is a nurse anesthetists. He has given countless epidurals and attended so many C-sections in his career. The first thing I asked him was if he could talk the hospital into letting him administer my epi, if I got one. I was most afraid of that big needle in my back, not as much pushing something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a lemon. I really wanted to do a 'walking epidural' but he quickly talked me out of it because they were not as reliable. He said, if you are going to get the epi, might as well get the one you know works and not have to get the whole process re-done.

I wanted to make sure I could walk around so my labor could progress. I also wanted to wait until I was 7cm to get the epi if I was going to get it. I wrote out the most detailed birth plan you have ever seen. I emailed my mom and sister with copies months before I went into labor. I kept trying to have meetings with them about it. In short, I was obnoxious.

When the time came to deliver Kayden things went a little differently than planned. I had to be induced because my blood pressure was approaching pre-eclampsia levels, my normal contractions turned into very painful leg contractions that made walking out of the question. At 5cm I received an epidural that helped me relax enough to go from 5cm-9cm in 15 minutes. I was pushing 2 hours after getting the epi. I pushed for 3 hours and thankfully had a wonderful doctor that worked as hard as I did to deliver vaginally. Later she told me it took so long to get Kayden out because I had overdone my kegels to the point that my birth canal was extremely narrow. In the end I had an amazing baby born without any complications. I remember thinking as they wheeled me up to the mother and baby unit that I could do that again the next day.

Liam's delivery was much like Kayden's except that he was sunny side up and not putting enough pressure on my cervix to get it to dilate. Again, I was blessed with an amazing medical staff(and support group), this time a nurse, who understood my desire to avoid a c-section. She moved and positioned me in such a way that Liam finally turned. I was able to push him to crowning a whole hour and a half before my doctor thought I would be able to. She was in surgery when he was crowning so the staff midwife delivered Liam. By the time I was pushing my epidural was 12 hours in and had completely worn off. I felt every bit of that delivery, but I was able to nap during the labor with the aid of the epidural and I think that is the only reason I had enough energy to to the kind of pushing I did to get Liam to turn.

Both times I had my mom there to coach me. She(and my sister for Kaydens birth) kept me calm and focused. While I knew my medical needs where being attended to, I had my family there to take care of my emotional needs. I find that equally important to any kind of medical support I received.

But in the end I knew what was going on because I took the time to research what my options were and think long and hard about what I was most comfortable with. I have friends that have done home births, water births, scheduled c-sections, VBAC, emergency c-sections and births like mine. In the end we all had the same result, a gorgeous new baby. Some would have changed what they did and some loved their own special birthing experience.

Deciding on a birth plan is one of the first choices you will make as a parent. And just like any other important decision you make, what is most important is how YOU feel, how YOU will be most comfortable and how YOU want to bring your child into this world.

A Giveaway!!!!! Baby Brezza Kitchen Wipes!

2011-03-28T09:33:00.001-04:00

The Baby Brezza Kitchen Wipes safely keep your baby's appliances and utensils clean.
Made with food grade ingredients, these non-toxic wipes quickly and effectively clean baby appliances, utensils, accessories and any surface that baby touches. The convenient package is perfect for home or travel.
*I like using them on her paci's or toys to wipe away germs. You can't beat the 100% food grade ingredient list!

The giveaway is Baby Brezza Kitchen Wipes for one of our lucky US readers. Each of the following counts for 1 entry, so if you do all 4 you will be entered 4 times - Just make sure you leave a comment for each one you do (4 separate comments). All you have to do is #1. Retweet or post this giveaway on your FB status or wall to share with others! #2. LIKE our OwlBee Facebook Page Owlbee's Facebook Page #3.comment under this post with a suggestion on a blog post you would like to see. #4 Follow our Blog!
Good luck! The giveaway will close on April 4th at 11:59pm and the winner will be announced on April 5th!

How alike are we?

2011-03-23T19:38:00.000-04:00

I'm sure you have noticed a theme to some of the posts Jodi and I put up. We end up buying the same thing or have the same thoughts on subjects. That isn't just for this blog. We really are eerily similar.
For example:
We both worked in the beauty industry for a long time before we had our kiddos
We know a ton of the same people but didn't meet until 2 years ago. We didn't really become friends until a year ago.
Our hubbies not only grew up together but also ended up working for the same law firm(which is how we met, at the company Christmas party)
We got pregnant within a month of each other. Our husbands went out to lunch one day very early into our pregnancies and they both spilled the beans and we started emailing each other.
We own so many of the same things I have lost count! From diaper bags and strollers to baby stuff we have ended up buying the same stuff without the other's knowledge that I was not even surprised to find out we have the same basic bathing suit(she has owned hers for a while and I just bought mine)
We both love Chicken Bryan from Carrabbas
We have almost the exact same personality.

It makes it easy to be friends and I really don't know what I would do without her! I am grateful that she let me talk her into doing this blog with me because that just gives us more reasons to text, talk and hang out! And a huge plus is Kayden(and Liam) love miss Jodi and are as excited as I am when we get to see her, Jema and Carl!

Baby Brezza : My Review

2011-03-23T10:30:00.000-04:00

I did a lot of research before purchasing a babyfood processor...Brie was very happy with her Beaba Babycook Baby Food Maker so that was my first choice - But after spending some time researching I found a brand that was NEW and was not for sale until late January- Baby Brezza. (I was shopping in the beginning of January) So I felt torn...I knew the beaba was a great processor, but I was intrigued by the $50 smaller price tag of the Baby Brezza AND the one step feature which required no switching over the food before processing - You literally press ONE button and leave and when you come back 15-20 min later you have the creamiest baby food EVER!
The things I really enjoy about the Baby Brezza are - *It was $100 vs some of the other one step babyfood makers higher price point. *Its dishwasher safe (Except for the drive shaft) I learned that the hard way, which brings me to my next point. *Great Customer Service - Since I have been in the customer service business for so many years, I really appreciate quality care from a company - especially a Large company. After I accidently put the drive shaft in the dishwasher the adhesive came off leaving the Processor broken...I placed a call to the customer service # I found on their Facebook Page - I was called back right away and my question was what kind of glue could I buy to fix it myself...They said not to worry and they asked for my address and mailed me a NEW drive shaft, no questions asked or shipping charged! I was impressed to say the least. Ok, back on track *I love the ONE step puree button, After peeling and dicing up whichever fruit or vegetable you are making, you just look up the cook time in the included *Recipe Book* and it tells you the appropriate steam time for that item - Then you just push the timer button and leave it to it's job! Below is Jema's favorite "Sweet Potatoes"
Steaming

Blending

Mommy gets to taste test!