Today is supposed to be about eight fears. The nice thing about this list is that none of them are so extreme that I am frozen in fear. I'm happy to say that I'm not afraid of anything that keeps me from living my life.
Death. Not the actual after life part, but the act of dying. I know that earth is not a permanent home for me...and my hope/desire is to get to Heaven, so I'm not scared of what is beyond this life. I'm scared of literally dying. I don't want it to be painful or scary--I hope I go in my sleep at a ripe old age.
Snakes CREEP ME OUT. They are just so slithery and quick--not to mention potentially fatal (see above!).
Bugs, in general. I don't like bugs at all. I know they serve their purpose, but they are icky and spread germs.
Mice.rats.rodents. I am the biggest supporter of any "we hate rodents" club.
I'm afraid of my wallet being stolen and having to go through all the hassle of canceling cards/accounts and monitoring my credit report for years.
I'm afraid of being in a wreck, especially with G in the car.
Debt. I'm definitely fearful of being in debt for the rest of my life. Thus, we are on a tight budget and are living modestly and frugal... for now ;-)
I'm "fearful" of the Lord...that counts, right?
Ps. If you know me personally, you may be surprised to note that "needles" are not on this list. After surgeries, being pregnant, giving birth naturally, etc...I can say that I am not afraid of needles any longer. Sure, I don't love them, but I can deal with them. Giving blood, on the other hand, still not up for that one.
Seven Wants. Is this different than seven wishes? As in, is this supposed to be material items that can be purchased, or can it be non-tangible things? I'm going to list both.
I want my daughter to have a quality life and out live me. I have so much empathy for those parents who out live their children, and it brings me to tears to think about losing my baby. I don't want that to happen, so this is my number one wish. My husband out living me is a given.
I want my parents to live as long as they are healthy. I don't want them to suffer.
I want to be a good example of a wife and mother to those I encounter. Of course, I have my weak moments, and I often wear my heart on my sleeve...but it is my primary goal to be the best wife and mother I can be, while showing others how to do so. I'm still developing this.
Selfishly, I want a Honda Pilot. I don't need one, so that's why it's considered a want. Sure, I have other dream cars...but this is a realistic want that would be practical for our family.
I want to put down roots in a nice area--where we live now would be good. I want to buy a house, make life-long friends, and become 'that nice baking lady' to the neighborhood families and priest.
I want a new computer. My Mac book is over 6 years old. I am running an operating system that is so old, I can't download Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. I also can't update my phone's operating system because my OS is too old...so yeah, please donate to the get Kaylene out of the stone-age fund!
I'd LOVE to buy my husband a new truck. He not only deserves it, he needs it. His truck is becoming a money pit.
Today's personal blog is about six places. That's pretty vague! I'll list some favorite places and some places I want to go :-)
One of my favorite places is the kitchen. I love to bake and cook. I consider myself a pretty good 'home-cook.' I don't claim to be a fancy-schmancy chef or anything, but I make up recipes and I only measure certain ingredients. I do use some box things (mainly for brownies), but love making things from scratch. I like using my hands in the kitchen, just as a guy likes using his hands in the garage. Call me old-fashioned...I don't care.
Another of my favorite places is the gym. Being an athlete is part of who I am. I have a competitive nature and a need to de-stress, the gym fulfills that. I know my way around any gym I walk into, and enjoy a mix of all activities--functional training, cardio equipment, weight machines, and free weights. I also love pilates and am okay with yoga or fitness classes. I also used to do spinning classes, but haven't gotten back into those since being pregnant.
Another of my favorite places is the beach. Cliche as that may be...there's something to be said for crashing waves, fresh-smelling breeze, warm sand, and a cool beverage in your hand. I've only been to the gulf and Atlantic beaches...but soon hope to experience the Pacific cost.
Three places I'd like to go:
Ireland. I've heard it's pretty boring, except for the green coasts, but I'd still like to see it for myself.
Rome/Vatican City. 'nuff said.
...on an all expenses paid cruise to several islands.
Doesn't this look better than delivery OR digiorno? It's homemade ;-)
me and my husband before our friends' wedding
attempting a family photo before the reception
We ate at steak n shake before leaving town. Yum -- Cheese Fries!!
note the pack n play smushed between the wall and the bed
Ok, so the story with the hotel... We tried to get a two room suite so the baby would be able to sleep and we wouldn't have to lay silently during naps or go to bed at 7 pm. Apparently they don't exist in the town of the wedding. I reserved what I thought was close enough--a kid suite. The description on the hotel's website:
"TEENS THINK THE FREE WI FI ACCESS IS A MUST AND TWEENS LOVE THE SEPARATE KIDS ROOM WITH BUNK BEDS AND A 32 INCH HDTV PARENTS APPRECIATE HAVING MORE ROOM IN THEIR SLEEPING AREA NOT TO MENTION A SECOND 32 INCH FLAT PANEL TV WITH HBO AND QUEEN BED WITH UPGRADED BEDDING IN A FAMILY FRIENDLY SUITE"
Lies. All Lies. First of all, there is not any more room in the 'parents' sleeping area. Then the best part: "separate kids room" actually means divided area without a DOOR. What good does that do us, when we were trying to have a separate room for the baby to sleep in??? Ugh, we were so disappointed. The only good news: it was much cheaper than getting two connected rooms.
The room is essentially a regular size room, except where the second queen bed would be, there are bunk beds and a TV inside a "room" without a door. We decided to put G's PnP next to our bed, so that my mom could have the "separate" room to "relax" in, while we were at the wedding activities. It wasn't a completely miserable situation, but it definitely wasn't what we had hoped for--and no one slept very well...especially the baby.
Today's personal blog is about 5 foods. I guess I should write about my favorite foods?
Ice Cream. My favorite Ice Cream is Blue Bell's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. It.is.so.good. I almost die and go to Heaven with every bite. The vanilla ice cream is creamy, rich, and flavorful itself--then add dark chocolate flakes and pieces of cookie dough that taste fresh, and you have a seriously dangerous tub of dairy. I could never be vegan.
Soft pretzels & Spinach Cheese Dip...not from anywhere...only from Flat Branch Pub & Brewery in Columbia, Missouri. The pretzels are always perfectly cooked and the dip is like none other. Everyone that I've ever introduced to it is in love too. It's the first thing on their menu for a reason.
Oranges. I love oranges, in fact, I could eat an orange everyday (and sometimes go through phases when I do). Apparently my love of oranges started as a baby, when my dad would let me suck on his orange. I ate a million oranges while pregnant, so G will probably love them too.
Chicken & Dumplings. This is one of the first things I learned to make from scratch, and it's my favorite comfort food. I've only shared my recipe with one other person, so don't expect it to show up on here...sorry, I like to keep it secret ;-) Once you've had my chicken and dumplings, you can't go back.
Waffles. My favorite breakfast food is a big belgian waffle with some butter and syrup. Ohhh, I love them so much! Do I make them? Not really! My husband is the official waffle maker in our family. I do the pancakes and he does the waffles--we each specialize ;-) He does a great job and why mess with a good thing!
I bought or received almost all of G's cloth diapers prior to her birth. She has started to outgrow her current diapers, so our stash needs to grow too. I've been looking around at some different brands--not because I didn't like our current brands--but because there are so many different ones out there, I wanted to see if we could improve upon what we already had.
One brand that I had heard about, but never tried is the sponsor for this review/giveaway: Mother-ease Cloth Diapers. Our Bradley Instructor used Mother-ease and highly recommended it. I thought the systems were a bit pricey, so I went with some other brands and received some diapers as gifts.
Now that my cloth diaper knowledge is more developed, I feel their prices are actually more conservative than I had previously realized. In my opinion, Mother-ease is competitively-priced and very high quality, all while being made in North America (Canada). Mother-ease has been in the business since 1991 (US-1995), and was born from personal experience and experimenting with different types of diapers. By staying in the cloth diaper world for that long, I feel like they deserve some major respect.
Fit. The style of the Sandy diaper is different from any other diaper we have. For starters, the diaper and cover snaps are on the side. I really love this feature because it helps me get the diaper adjusted perfectly for G's chubby legs yet trim belly. There are 3 snap options on both the cover and diaper. I'm really impressed that the small diaper size (8 - 20 lbs) fits G on the second leg snap and first belly snap--it's really stretchy and I bet it will fit her past her first birthday. The large size is estimated to fit babies 20 - 35 lbs, with newborn and toddler sizing also available. The Air Flow cover is very roomy, so there isn't extra diaper fabric poking out--and comes in more specific sizes since it's not as stretchy as the diaper itself. G is in a medium (10 - 20 lbs) cover and she is on the smallest settings with room to grow in the rise, so I think this will fit her for a long time too. The liners come in small or large.
Quality Materials. I loved how thick and soft the Sandy's diaper feels. I only have one other brand of fitted diapers, but it in no way compares to the quality of Mother-ease Cloth Diapers. After three washings (beyond the first prep washes), it is still just as plush as when I received it. I have line and machine dried it--both methods work just fine and keep it comfy for G. The diaper doesn't feel stiff after line-drying, like other brands I have. The Air Flow cover is much different from the covers I am used to. It is soft and flexible. The inside feels slick, with water resistant materials, but it seems cushiony (you'll just have to try it to see what I mean). I always line dry my covers. The stay-dry absorbent liner is amazing. I don't know how it works so well, but it keeps G feeling dry on every centimeter of her body that the liner touches, while also feeling soft. My only wish is that the stay-dry feature was on the entire surface of the actual diaper!
Leak Proof. Fitted style diapers, in general, offer the best protection against dirty leaks because they have multiple lines of defense--the waist and leg elastics of the diaper AND the waist and leg closures of the cover. We have not had any leaks; wet or dirty. The Sandy's diaper has extra absorbency sewn into the middle area, right where it's needed. The small size holds up to 12 ounces, and the large size holds up to 15 ounces. The Air Flow cover allows breathability, while keeping G's clothes dry. I think the cover is a nice middle ground between wool covers and plastic pants--as it minimizes irritation, protects against leaks, and reduces heat inside the diaper area.
Ease of Use. These are not exactly the easiest to use cloth diapers, as there are several steps to using a fitted diaper. I get the liner situated on the diaper and lay G on top of the diaper/liner combo. Then I snap both sides (4 snaps) and then get the cover on top (4 more snaps), and then adjust the placement to make sure she is comfy. I suppose it would be easier if G wasn't SO wiggley, but she's at the age where diaper changes are harder than ever as she always wants to be on the go.
Green Company. "Mother-ease is a socially responsible, green powered Canadian manufacturer committed to exceeding customer expectations with original designs including natural and organic cloth diapers while leaving a minimal carbon footprint" (their mission statement). Since 2007, they've been producing cloth diapers with 100% green power.
You can purchase Mother-ease diapers on their website, as it is the best online resource for accurate product names and stats.
Mother-ease has also graciously offered one Letters from Momma reader a free Sandy's Diaper System. Enter to win using the rafflecopter form below. Open to US/Canada.
I received the above product to facilitate this review, and received no other compensation. All opinions are my own, yours may vary.
Thank you to ALL who entered my Brownie Prize Pack giveaway! It was a lot more successful than I had anticipated it would be, with 60 people entering and 277 entries! For a non-baby giveaway (as I am a mommy blogger and most of my followers are moms), I'm really pleased with this!
The winner is Darby Provance! Congratulations! She has been notified and has 48 hours (Wednesday at 10:45 AM central) to respond, or a new winner will be chosen.
My newest review and giveaway, a Sandy System cloth diaper by Mother-ease will be posted tomorrow! I hope to see you all entering!
Today's challenge calls for four books. I was a BIG reader when I was younger, then in sixth grade we participated in a program called AR (accelerated reading). My reading level was 12th grade+, so the books I had to read were really ridiculous for a 12 year old to be reading.
The Scarlet Letter was what did me in. I suppose it's a classic, but it's really dry and boring to a sixth grader. Ever since trying to finish that book, I haven't cared for reading. Sure, I still read, especially when I had to for school, but I don't enjoy it nearly like I used to. I hope G doesn't get burnt out on reading. Oh, and I did re-read the book in high school and hated it even more.
Genius of Women, by Pope John Paul II. I actually haven't read this one (you'll know when I do), but I was told about it this weekend by the seminarian I talked with at the wedding reception. I'm really excited about it. He said that it's a compelation of the things JPII said about women being amazing people and how strong/smart we all are. By being able to bare children, we have several traits that men will never be able to obtain. I'll let you know more about the book when I read it.
What Do You Do All Day, by Amy Scheibe. This is my favorite non-religious book. I read it in college, after seeing the orange dreamsicle on the cover in the bookstore. It was my attempt to get back into reading for fun. It was kind of a 'one and done' experiment, but I did gain this wonderful gem out of it. It's about a career-woman-turned-stay-at-home-mom. It's hilarious, as the main character deals with ritzy SAHMs in the city and her career driven husband. I've only heard the "what do you do all day?" question a few times, but each time I want to smack the person with the book. Read it!
Is it cliche to put the bible here? Ok. I'll leave you with Thomas Merton's No Man is an Island. To be honest, I've only read part of the book. I really like the premise behind the book. As a person very interested in sociology, I agree with Merton's assertation that our spiritual life is based on the connection to others in our community. It's about being true to ourselves by allowing the world around us to solidify who we are.
Prologue: No man is an island --
Love can be kept only by being given away --
Sentences on hope --
Conscience, freedom, and prayer --
Pure intention --
The Word of the cross --
Asceticism and sacrifice --
Being and doing --
Vocation --
The measure of charity --
Sincerity --
Mercy --
Recollection --
"My soul remembered God" --
The wind blows where it pleases --
The inward solitude --
Silence.
This Sunday I am thankful for the following five fantastic things:
My mom came to stay with us in the hotel at the wedding we attended yesterday. My husband and I were able to attend the rehearsal dinner together and stay later at the reception because she baby sat G. It was also really nice to spend time with her on Saturday while my husband was doing groomsmen things. We walked around a craft fair and chatted. I'm lucky to have her & G loves her to pieces!
she doesn't have quite enough hair for the bow Grammy got her
My marriage is amazing, and better than ever. I am glad I have someone to carry the bags to the car, drive on trips, hold my hand, dance with, kiss in the morning, eat with, talk to, cry on, and raise our baby girl with.
G has 2 bottom teeth about half of the way out, and one on the way up top. This is a crappy experience for the most part...but I'm really grateful for her development and moving in the right direction. We are blessed!
I learned my lesson about feeding a baby prunes. Disgusting diapers will result, including 3 am. I'm grateful that it's over!!
our dear friends who entered into marriage yesterday
and finally, that the Church is alive in many of our friends, including those married yesterday. I hope they have a marriage full of unity, peace, and love. I also got to speak with a seminarian at length yesterday, as we were seated at the same table for dinner. I pray for all to listen to their vocation & trust in God's plan for their life.
Today's challenge calls for 3 films. Don't worry, I'll be posting my Sunday 5 - Gratitude post later today, once we get back from our trip.
Film 1: Marley & Me I'm not even that big of a dog person, but I watch this movie anytime it's on TV, plus we have it. The happy moments make me laugh and the sad moments make me cry. I love the story line. Happy couple feels called to nurture; get a dog...because husband thinks it will be easier than a baby...turns out not to be the case! I also love the fact that they named their baby Patrick--as that's what I wanted to name our baby if we had a boy (although my husband vetoed it) because we met on St. Patrick's Day.
Film 2: Miracle I'm sure you've probably seen this movie, so I'll save you the synopsis. I was really touched by this movie because I love sports and have a 'dig deep' attitude when it comes to my own athletic endeavors.
Film 3: Stolen Summer If you are Catholic (or not), you should check out this indie-like flick! I love it!! It's about a really adorable little boy who is in a pretty traditionally 'Irish' Catholic family. He's trying to make sense of the world around him, and befriends a young Jewish boy--whom he wants to help get to heaven. It has some humorous points and some really sentimental moments. The Eucharist plays a significant role in the movie.
