Summer Over Already?

The summer has flown by already. I don't really love the heat of summer, especially since down here heat is what we get the most of but at the same time I really love the idea of summer. I suppose the love of summer is instilled in us as children and being free from school and tight schedules to enjoy the playtime of summer. And even though I'm no longer in school I can still appreciate all that summer holds. And now it is over, well the being free from school part. We still must endure the heat of summer. And now I find myself facing the choice of enrolling my almost three year old in school, yes already. I have some beloved family that have a strong opinion of putting Jojo into Montessori school but I can't see myself doing that just yet. I am struggling with the idea because she is still my baby! I know she is getting older and needs to grow and learn but I suppose because I was homeschooled I don't feel ready to let go of my precious time with her. I can see sending her somewhere to play a few times a week but I don't know about school. Perhaps I am being to clingy or too controlling. I am trying to be more open minded but I am having a hard time. Any ways if anyone happens to have any experience of Montessori school I would love any in put, even if you don't have first hand experience.

Even though it is hot outside and school is in session, we can all still enjoy the sunshine which thankfully we get an abundance of down here!!!

Be Cheap

cheep cheep

Just thought I would share a few deals and websites that help me be cheap.

My tips:

~Free breastfeeding covers at Uddercovers.com to promote Breastfeeding Week (Aug 1-7). Use Promo code "breastfeeding" and only pay shipping. Or use it on a gift set to save $32.00

~JJ Cole diaper bags about 50% off at Gilt.com in the "Alexandra's favorite picks for baby" section. Buy something in the children's section and get a $25 credit on your next order. Invite below if you need one.

http://www.gilt.com/invite/babycheapskate

gilt.com

~Added Baby Cheapskate to my favorite pages and keeps me updated on deals

~retailmenot.com helps you find coupons or codes for online purchases

~coupons.com for coupons to take to the grocery store

Keep on bein' cheap!

To Cloth or Not to Cloth

SooOOoooOO, cloth diapering.... is pretty great. I have been using cloth diapers (for the most part although I don't have enough to use them exclusively yet) for almost three weeks and it is almost time to send them back :( I have fallen in love with a few of them and I am going to call jilliansdrawers.com to see if I can keep them (I already paid for them I just wouldn't get the deposit back on those particular diapers).

Here are my top choices and why as of now:

1. GroVia diapers: because it's a shell that you can use and just replace the snap-in inserts and oh-so-easy. Also the shell is so nice a snug and looks nice and has not stained once. The velcro is soft (i think it's that new type of velcro) and stretches so you can adjust how tight you want it. Also it has snaps so its adjustable for growing babies... so you don't have to buy any more! Another handy option with grovia is that they sell disposable inserts for the shells so if you are on the go you can just change baby and then dispose as a regular diaper. These disposables are earth friendly and will decompose much quicker and natural than regular disposable diapers. And they look so cute!

2. Thirsties duo cover wraps: these are also velcro tabs (but not the new kind of velcro so its a bit scratchy) and snaps so they grow with your baby and have a soft fleece covering on the inside (I think to help absorb any extra fluid the cloth diaper doesn't catch). To use these you use either a prefold or flat cloth diaper (think what our parents used on us and that is what these are) to absorb the messes and then you put this lovely wrap around the cloth diaper so no leaks or messes! These are bulkier since the cloth diaper is bulky.

For the prefold I found a smaller size on greenmountain.com so hopefully this will be less bulky!

3. Thirsties wraps: these don't have any fleece on the inside and also no snaps to grow with your baby but with no fleece this means you can use multiple times without washing and are the cheaper diaper wraps. Even with no snaps to adjust for height of baby they still last for a long time (medium cover works for baby from 18-30lbs).

The two things I don't like about cloth are that they are bulky and I have to wash much more often than I would like (but in my sample package there were not that many cloth diapers so thus more washes). The two best things about cloth diapers are that in the long run they are much much cheaper and that they help keep waste down. A friend told me that it takes a regular diaper 500 yrs to fully decompose?!?! Crazy! (I haven't researched this yet but I will)

I have had some awesome friends help me figure these cloth diapers out and some websites that have helped:

jilliansdrawers.com

nickisdiapers.com

greenmountain.com

and searched youtube.com on how to fold flat diapers

I have already purchased unbleached prefolds (unbleached allows for the cotton to absorb more but isn't the pretty white color but that may be a good thing since they won't be white for long!) and unbleached flat diapers. I plan on buying thirsties covers both the duo wrap and the regular and I will try some bummis covers (just like thirsties but a bit cheaper) and I think I will splurge on a few fancy items like the GroVia and maybe eventually try the new bumgenius :)

Here are a few pics of some of the cutest looking covers!

Slow Down Time, Everything is going by too Fast!

And it is August already. School will be back in session soon and after that cooler weather and all the wonderful holidays! I do look forward to the cool weather and the holidays but at the same time it seems that summer just began. The days are ever fleeting and I just want to squeeze every precious moment for all it's worth. My girls are growing up! Josephine will be 3 in a month and I felt that it was time to work on potty training. She seems to finally be getting the hang of it but we are definitely not out of the woods yet. And her hair is so long and when I pull it back she really seems like a little lady. Not only that but I will be sending her to Mothers-Day-Out starting in about three weeks for two days a week. I will try it for a month and go from there. I'm not sure if I can handle her being away from me. This is all happening too fast!!! And Eloise is going on six months old already, rolling over and beginning to sit up almost by herself! I am so blessed to have my two beautiful girls in my life. They bless me beyond measure. I do still have my moments or even days when I don't think I can take it any more, such as yesterday, first day of intense potty training. But I remind myself of a book my grandma got me when I first had Josephine called Everyday Blessings. And it talks about life before baby arrived and then after baby arrives. Here is a short excerpt:

Since you've arrived I've learned to look around, Not to hurry so much, to take my time and slow down Because... someday I will miss the floors full of toys, The laughs, the cries, and all of the noise... (many other memories that I'm not including here) You've taught me to stop and enjoy everything, Each and every moment and all that life brings -- Because messes clean up and tears fade away, but you can never go back and relive today. I thank you baby for showing me all of this, For without you, imagine what I would miss!

Sometimes I get so sentimental I cry but I know God doesn't want that either. Just to enjoy this moment, not to be in such a hurry for the next thing. We are not promised tomorrow. But that doesn't mean we can't plan for tomorrow! :)