Thursday, September 30, 2010

Come a little bit closer



... I love this song.

I hope you enjoy this special Thursday morning installment of Jay and the Americans.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Seb | My little dude



Pretty scrumptious, huh? I get to take care of this little guy every day. Tonight Cody and I took our newly 4 month old Seb on a walk downtown and got icecream.

He is getting such a personality and has me cracking up all the time. A few days ago we were getting ready to go up to my office and when I put his hat on him it covered his eyes. He just shook his head side to side in the most hilarious manner until I adjusted it for him.

I love him!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Cloth | Prefold cloth diaper comparison and review

Can I just say that I love cloth diapering? I know it sounds crazy, but I can honestly say that I do, and would highly recommend it for anyone who is considering it for their little one(s).

So far I have tried two different kinds of prefolds on my little guy, and wanted to share with you my experience with both. First of all, I love prefolds. They are easy to clean, hold in the mess so well, and the cost is low on the cloth diaper spectrum.

The first Kind is Babykicks Prefold Hemp Diapers. These are the first ones that I tried and the majority of my diapers are these.

My little guy sporting Babykicks

PROS
Absorbancy: they are ultra absorbent and great for nighttime.

Cuteness factor: call me crazy, but i think they’re really beautiful. They make very pretty burp cloths, too.

Durability: hemp is one of the strongest fibers, which means these diapers are going to serve you well for multiple babies.

Size: the rectangular shape is easier to fold down in the front or back, depending on if your baby is a boy or girl.

CONS
Cost: they come to $6.99 each. This is still low for cloth diapers, but could get pricey if you’re only able to wash your diapers once or twice a week.

Snappis
are difficult to attach to these diapers because the fabric is very thickly woven. This is no problem for a newborn who isn’t very active, but would be difficult once your baby starts to roll.

Softness
: I don’t think they’re rough per se, but they could be softer. (They get rougher after washing even though they say that they will get softer)

The second is Unbleached Indian Cotton Prefolds. I decided to try these because of the cons I listed for the Babykicks above.

This is how they look after they've been pre-washed and dried

PROS
Cost: They range from $1.75 to $2.50 per diaper.

Softness
: They get really pillowy after just a few washings and are very soft.

Snappis: They work so much better on these diapers. A huge plus for an older, more active baby.

Cuteness factor: Ok, I think these are just as cute as the Babykicks

CONS
Durability: These may not last as long as Babykicks, but they should still be a good investment for multiple kids.

Bulk: They are a bit bulkier than Babykicks, but not excessively so.

Size: They’re not as long as I would like (they’re more like squares), which makes them harder to fold down in the front or back.

CONCLUSION
Babykicks prefolds have served us well so far, and I really don't have any substantial complaints about them. Probably the biggest two things are cost, and how difficult it is to put the snappis on them. I didn't think about the snappi problem much at first, but the more active my baby gets, the more I realize the difficulty. I think that when my baby grows into the next size of diapers, I'll purchase the Indian Cotton ones.

I hope you've found this review helpful!

P.S. These are the diaper covers that I use.


Friday, September 17, 2010

Decor | Home Ideas and Weekend Bits

[via decor8]

Since my husband and I, with our little Seb, will be relocating sometime next summer, I've been collecting photos of inspiring home interiors so that when the big move comes, I'll be ready with all sorts of inspiration to make our next place simply perfect. I stumbled upon this photo this morning, and instead of just dropping it in my little folder and moving on with my day, I decided it needed to be shared. I love how this room looks so peaceful and simple. I often feel that all-white rooms look undecorated or uninhabited, but not this one. The luxurious rug, old sailor painting and wood floors make this a place I would want to live in. I hope I can decorate a room like this in our new home.

I hope you have a restful weekend. We're visiting with some friends for a couple days, so I need to get our apartment clean before we leave!

A few bits:
Easy weekend kitchen craft
Fruit of the Spirit PrintWouldn't this be perfect in a gender neutral baby room?
Custom wood stamp by Note Trunk
Get 10% off Minnetonka Moccasins with PROMO CODE RN-5473

Friday, September 10, 2010

Home | Good mornin'

Every time I say Good mornin' it begs to come out to the tune of a song of that title sung by Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor in Singin' in the Rain. It really is a great song, and this is a great morning, despite the fact that I arose at 5 a.m.

What am I excited about this Friday morning? I'm excited about going home to see my family, peruse delightful and overly countrified crafty things at the Corn Festival—an event I haven't attended since highschool—and get some time away from my computer.

Here's something I want to make... tragedy that the fabric is discontinued (how cruel).

Why breastfeeding is good for Moms, too

An awesome baby website on which flash sales are posted every day and through which I bought Bobux shoes for my little guy.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Olive Green Moby Wrap


When Seb was first born I felt completely tied to our couch. He wanted to be held all the time and hated to sleep by himself. This meant that all of my household work was never done, making me feel slightly insane. The makeup never got put on, the PJ's were hardly ever put away and exchanged for daytime clothing, and the dishes were forming their very own Mt. Everest on our counter top.  That is when, in desperation, I called my friend to ask her if she would please buy me a Moby, as a 30 min. drive to the nearest Target was not going to be anywhere in my near future. I had in mind to perhaps get an oatmeal color or gray—always my favorite choice. To my dismay, she called saying all they had was black or olive green. With an enormous lack of enthusiasm at my limited color options, I told her to get the olive green, trying my best simply to be thankful that I was finally going to be able to peel myself off that place on the couch where I was making a permanent indention, and regain some sense of normalcy.

All this to say, I've heard that olive green is one of Fall's top color trends. (Ha!) Suddenly, amidst my more than lacking wardrobe, filled with too big maternity clohes, and too small pre-baby clothes, I feel ever so slightly... dare I say, trendy? I laugh a little bit inside every time I put my Moby on. "Look here, little Seb Seb! You have one stylish Mommy."

Planning our "One day" trip to Ireland





My husband asked me a few days ago where I would like to go if I could take a vacation anywhere in the world. My answer? Ireland. That was easy. He has already been there with two of his best friends, experiencing all the cozy B&B's, the most amazing dish of lamb the world has ever known (I hear about it repeatedly), and Guinness morning, noon and night. That, combined with Ireland's amazing landscape, has me dying to make a trip. After I delivered my matter-of-fact answer, he said that we will put a date on the calendar and go, even if it's 15 years from now. I hope it doesn't take that long, but if it does, I'm okay with that. In the meantime, you had better believe I'll be collecting loads of warm wool sweaters and tweed to dress my family in—wellies, too.

[photos via National Geographic]

Monday, September 6, 2010

Seb | Charger Baby




Ready for his first football game! Aunt B likes to teach him cheers:

My name is S-E-B
and I'm the MAN TO BE
yea Sebaaaastian
yea I'm Sebaaaastian