Giggling Elmo's Hot Tomato Game

After Lucie was born, my sister Jamie and my parents took care of Ella as I recovered in the hospital. Generous soul that she is, Jamie came bearing gifts. One of the gifts she brought was Giggling Elmo's Hot Tomato Game. Ella was just barely three at the time and she didn't quite understand how to play "Hot Potato". Although she thought the Elmo ball was cute, she didn't play with it much as she was transitioning out of her Elmo phase and into the Princess one. And so, this sweet little Elmo sat waiting to be played with...until Lucie discovered him a couple of months ago.

Brett was out for the night working so we had a Girls' Night. Per tradition, we got some McDonald's and watched a movie...and as a surprise, I decided that we should try our hand at playing with Elmo. Basically all you have to do is press Elmo's orange nose and the Elmo ball starts giggling and shaking for an unknown amount of time. You can simply play "Hot Potato" with it or there are other cards for more advanced play. Ella was just able to catch it and throw it. Lucie, well, not so much. She thought it was hilarious and it brought her great joy. However, this is how she most liked playing with it....

Oh, I soooo want one!

I LOVE Cost Plus World Market but rarely get to go there. We have one about 40-minutes away that I could go to, but it's not very feasible with two kids in tow. It's downtown...you have to park in a structure and walk a bit to get there. If I actually bought anything, I'd have to schlep my purchases along with kids back to the car and up the multi-level structure. So, I almost never get there. But, I love to look at their ads and online.

On Sunday afternoon, I saw their ad and was this close to making an online purchase until life intervened and I got distracted. I wanted some of these babies -- the non-paper cup.

I have wanted a porcelain travel cup forever but I didn't think that they actually existed. (I don't like how the plastic and metal ones retain smells and flavors.) Well, they do now. These are porcelain cups (in solid red or green OR the patterns seen above) with a silicone sleeve and lid. Oh, I soooo want one. Today I went back online to try to order one and they've disappeared from the website. It's so strange because usually World Market keeps the listing up and writes "Out of Stock" if a product becomes unavailable. Now the listing is nowhere to be found. Perhaps they still have them in the store but there isn't much chance that I will make it there anytime soon. So, if any of my siblings are reading this, you know what you can get me for Christmas!

Frugal Friday: Misto Sprayer

About a year and a half ago, I attempted my first loaf of homemade bread. Oh, was it delicious! Well, I started making it pretty regularly and went through non-stick cooking spray much more quickly than usual. It seemed that cooking spray was one of those things that never really went on that good of a sale...and I always hated throwing away the bottle.

I remembered that I had seen a pump-style cooking spray bottle from Pampered Chef years ago. So, I turned to the internet to find something similar. I came across the Misto Olive Oil Sprayer.

Priced at $10, the Misto is an aluminum bottle that you fill with any type of cooking oil and then hand-pump to pressurize it. The way I see it, the benefits of it over store-bought spray are:

• It's cheaper. Just buy one bottle & reuse over and over.
• No aerosol cans going to the landfill.
• It's healthier. No artificial stuff. Just the oil that you put in it.
• As long as you have oil in your cupboard, you won't run out of spray. You never can tell when you're going to run out with those store-bought bottles!

Overall, I've actually had pretty good success with the Misto. I admit that sometimes on glass pans, the results aren't as fantastic as non-stick cooking spray. But, it hasn't bothered me enough to switch back to store-bought spray. I recommend it!

For other money saving ideas, stop by Life as Mom on Fridays for Jessica's "Frugal Friday" post and links from other money-conscious bloggers.

Laptop Lunches

Two summers ago while we joined my husband at a conference in Lake Tahoe, I came across the Laptop Lunch System in a gift shop. And, boy did I want one...and I don't even pack a lunch! Basically, its an American-style bento box that is designed to help families pack healthy, environmentally-friendly lunches for when they're on the go. They're a system of reusuable plastic boxes that fit together in various configurations (BPA, phthalates & lead free, of course). When I saw them at the store, I believe that it was about $40 for the bento box with containers and utensils, beverage container, a carrying case and a user's guide with recipes. I just couldn't justify spending that much money on a lunchbox. But, I was intrigued and thought that packing a lunch could actually be fun with such a cool box!

Well, a few weeks ago, I decided that I would indeed start packing a lunch every day for my hardworking teacher husband. He already had a lunchbox (metal Batman if you must know) but he didn't use it because none of the containers we had actually fit inside of it. On the rare occasions that I did pack a lunch for him, it was always a challenge to find a container that would fit what I was feeding him, that wouldn't leak and that was easy for him to cart around. For some reason, I thought about those Laptop Lunch boxes and decided to look into them again. To my happy surprise, you don't have to buy the whole system! The manufacturer now sells just parts of the system.

Specifically, they sell "Bento Buddies" - a set of 4 lidded boxes that are a companion to the newest version of the system (2.0) for $12.99. It includes:

• extra large container (6 x 5 x 2 inches)
• large container (4.75 x 3.12 x 2 inches)
• medium container (3.12 x 2.5 x 2 inches)
• small dip container (2 x 1.5 x 1.5 inches)

After I found an online coupon at RetailMeNot, I decided to "splurge" and buy some boxes. The boxes are high-quality, convenient and allow me to fit more types of food in my husband's lunchbox. Plus, I kinda like packing a morning snack and his lunch in the cute boxes. I figure that they're worth the money because:

• I'm more motivated to pack a lunch - thus keeping my husband from eating out.
• They're high-quality so they should last quite awhile.
• I won't be spending money on things like plastic baggies or other disposable packaging.
• I can actually fit a snack AND lunch in his box. He gets a greater variety of food as well as a greater amount.

An extra bonus is that Laptop Lunches puts out a sample online lunch menu with ideas of how you can use your Laptop Lunch System. It's great for inspiring some new lunchbox ideas. You can see the menus here.

For more info on packing lunches, visit LifeAsMom for links to other "Lunchbox Love" ideas.

Frugal Friday: DIY Desk Calendar

As the daughter to two teachers and now the wife of a teacher, my life has ALWAYS revolved around the school year. Even though my girls are not yet school age, I still really think of my year in terms of the Academic Year. So, when the end of August rolls around that's when I gear up for the year to come and get organized. Once the school year starts, we go from a relaxed schedule to a packed schedule with amazing speed.

Because our lives revolve around the school year, we use an Academic Year Calendar as opposed to a standard yearly calendar. Several years ago, my husband enlisted me to use my computer skills to create a calendar that would meet his specific needs. He wanted a large desk calendar (8 1/2 x 11 pages) with ample room to keep track of important events as well as month reference blocks and room for additional notes. I came up with this version and he loves it. It is perfect for using at his desk at work and carrying home in his briefcase. I have my own that I keep at my desk so that I can keep track of my appointments and important days (like birthdays) as well as my husband's busy schedule. My life would be much more chaotic without it. Plus, I love having it be portable as opposed to a wall calendar so that I can take it with me if I need to.

Calendars don't come cheap. Sure, we could just purchase one at an office supply store, but small versions cost upwards of $17. By designing and printing it on my own, I was able to make and bind two copies (one for each of us) for about $10. We prefer to have ours spiral bound because it's very durable with a plastic cover, the binding doesn't get in the way of writing in it, and it is much more portable than a binder. In the 5 years that I've been doing this, I've saved us well over $100. Not only have we saved money, but we've been able to personalize the calendar covers with our own photographs. I much prefer having a personalized calendar rather than a store-bought generic version!

To make your own, it's easiest if you have a program like Microsoft Publisher. However, it will only produce the most basic of calendars - like a Wall Calendar. Unfortunately, that program isn't designed to create a desk calendar, so I've made mine pretty much from scratch. It took some time, but I enjoy that sort of thing.

However, not everyone has the computer program, skills or patience to design their own calendars. Since I've met other moms who have complimented me on my calendar AND my husband's coworkers have requested their own copies, I've decided to offer a printable 2009-2010 Academic Year Desk Calendar for sale on Etsy. For just $6, you can purchase this PDF and print and bind your own stylish and useful calendar. All you need is a inkjet or laser printer, some inkjet or laser paper (at least 24 lb. to prevent show-through) and a 3-ring binder or folder with fasteners. If you want to make a more durable product, take your printed pages to a store like Staples or OfficeMax and get it comb or spiral bound for about $5.

The cover art that is available with this pdf is rather feminine. Most likely, I'll have a more masculine version available soon. (I've got to get one ready for my hubby and I don't think he'd like pink and yellow flowers!)

For more ways to stretch your dollar, head over to Life As Mom for Frugal Fridays.

Frugal Friday: Make Espresso at Home!

At our house, we LOVE coffee! Call us nerds, but we actually have held coffee taste tests at family gatherings. It's true.

We live in a small town that actually has an abnormal amount of pastry shops and coffeeshops. It's a tourist town. However, our town fiercely protects itself from chains so we don't have a Peet's or even a Starbuck's for that matter. (Not that I'm a fan of Starbuck's...I'm a Peet's girl!) I like my coffee good and strong. Unfortunately, I haven't found a place that serves coffee (the more economical choice) as strong as I like it. So, when I go out for coffee, I usually like to order an espresso drink for the stronger flavor. However, I can rarely do this without feeling a bit guilty about shelling out $3.50 for a small espresso drink.

So, if I really want one, I usually make one myself. It really isn't that hard or that expensive to do. You do NOT need a big fancy espresso maker to do it either. To me, that kinda negates the frugality of making your own. Instead, try a nice little stovetop espresso maker. Bialetti is a well-known Italian maker of these. A 3-cup Bialetti Moka Express (that produces 6 ounces or 3 "espresso cups") sells for about $25. But, I found this little baby in the home goods department at Ross Dress for Less for under $10. It's not Bialetti, but it has worked for me for nearly 8 years. You might have luck finding one at stores like Home Goods or TJMaxx as well.

Yesterday, I posted a homemade iced coffee recipe along with a tutorial on how to use this little wonder. I decided to price the drink out just to see what it actually costs me. I weighed out the coffee grounds that I used on my little scale. The amount barely registered on my scale, so I know that I did not use more than 1/2 ounce of coffee beans. Lately, I've been using good-quality beans from a local roaster ($10/pound). I also used 3/4 cup of milk (at $3/gallon) and 3 teaspoons of sugar (negligble cost). So, according to my calcuations, my homemade espresso drink cost me a mere $0.45! That's about a $3 savings for just one drink made with the equivalent of 2-shots. Even if you shell out $20 for the maker, you can "earn" back the cost of it if you make an espresso drink at home seven times. If you don't like your drinks as strong, you can use half of the espresso and make two drinks out of it at just $0.30 each. Not a bad deal.

For other money-saving ideas, check out Life As Mom for Frugal Fridays.

A Stop at Del Sol

After a kinda rough-ish day yesterday, I decided to get the girls out of the house today. With a little help from Brett in getting out the door on time, the girls and I walked over to our local library for story time. It was the usual trip - stories, a craft and then we got a few books and a kid-friendly DVD. Lucie picked out "Wul Wol" -- That's "Word World" for those of you who don't speak Lucie.

The trip to the library was routine, but the trip home was not. Usually, we just take the straight shot home down the main road - sometimes with a brief stop in the "magical garden" (aka Ace Hardware's Garden Center). However, today I tried something different. Today, I let Ella call the shots and choose our route home. One of the benefits of living in a touristy town is that it makes walking around that much more interesting. Lots of things to look at. To my surprise, Ella did not opt for the "magical garden" route. Instead she had us turn down a different road so that we could go to "the ring store." I honestly had no idea what she was talking about at first. Our town has some stores with jewelry, but I couldn't remember her ever getting excited about those. Then, it dawned on me what store she meant.

There is a store in town called Del Sol - it's a chain of stores that are usually located in sunny, touristy areas. They specialize in products that change color in the sun. In our town, they occasionally entice people into the store by giving out plastic rings that demonstrate what their products do. They are just simple plastic jewelry that change from clear to a color, but Ella sure does love them. It's like magic!

Today they weren't doing any free ring giveaways on the sidewalk, but I thought that going inside might be a good way to entertain Ella for a bit. They have special lights in the store so you can "try out" the merchandise. We had lots of fun testing out the various products -- frisbees, nailpolish, hair clips, etc. Then, the owner noticed us, found his trusty jar of plastic rings and let Ella pick out one for herself and one for Lucie. I decided to splurge and buy a bottle of Color Change Nail Polish in Ruby Slipper that changes from sliver glitter to red glitter. So, after Ella finishes her nap today, we've got a date to paint her nails!

Interestingly, the store owner also told me to store the nail polish upside down if I want to be able to use all of the bottle. Apparently, it keeps it from drying out. I'd never heard that one before...even from my manicurist sister Jamie. If you're interested in any of these fun color-changing products, you can buy them online or at one of their many locations worldwide. To find a location, go here.

Toolin' Up Tuesday: What Relaxes You?

Over on Life as Mom, it's "Toolin' Up Tuesday" and FishMama posed the question today, "What helps you relax?" For her, it's a cornbag. For me, well, I had to think about it for awhile. I did think about a nice cup of tea, but I blogged about that a little while ago. Then, I thought of something else -- it's a new "tool" that I got for Christmas. (Actually, I specifically requested it for Christmas and my hubby obliged.) It has been buried in my bathroom cabinet for several months until I just rediscovered it last week! It's the True Blue Spa Roller Ball Massager from Bath & Body Works.



I saw this years ago in the store and wanted one, but I couldn't bring myself to pay the $19.50 for it. However, back in December, I was preparing for the arrival of Baby Lucie and dreading the inevitable labor. I had tremendous back labor with Ella and feared it would happen again. Then, I remembered this little roller and decided that if it helped me during labor than it was worth $19.50! Thankfully, I didn't have back labor with Lucie, but I did have my mom massage my back with it during labor. It was very relaxing! It's very easy to use too -- even my three year old knows how to use it. So, now that I've found it again, I just may have Ella give me massages with it!

Ella and the Rainbow

When Brett ran off to, I mean chaperoned a trip to France during Spring Break, I was bummed out and tried to find some solace in shopping. While in Long's Drug that day, I came across Elmer's Paintastics -- they're a combo pen/paintbrush of sorts. Since it advertised "NO MESS! Instant Drying Paint!" on the packaging, I thought that it might just work for craft time with Ella. Well, it didn't work out quite as I had expected. They were a little difficult for her to learn how to use -- you've got to squeeze in a certain spot to release the paint to the brush. So, I "primed" them for her and then let her create. It's true that the paint dries relatively quickly, but when a child decides to paint her HANDS, I don't think that you can really have "no mess"! Plus, she started getting a little rough with the brushes -- you know, smashing them with force onto the paper as a 3-year old is wont to do. So yeah, I decided that we'd wait for her to get a little bigger before we tried those again.

Yesterday morning I felt optimistic and thought that perhaps Ella could handle using them now that it has been a couple of months. I did help start the flow of paint for her and re-demonstrated how to use them gently. She seemed to get the grasp of it, and I let her go to it. When I came back in the room a few minutes later, I was astonished to see that she had painted a rainbow all on her own. When I praised her work, she told me, "I made the bestest rainbow in the whole world for Daddy!" It was such a precious moment that I had to snap a picture...plus, you never know when a 3-year old will decide to obliterate her artwork! Thankfully, the drawing is still intact and hangs on our fridge.

Beco Baby Carriers on Sale!

Awhile back I posted about the cool new Beco baby carrier that I got. Apparently, the Beco company does not usually authorize retailers to discount the price of the carriers. (That explains why I couldn't find a deal on any of them months ago!) However, this summer they have authorized a sale! They normally retail for $145 at Euphoria Maternity, but right now they are on sale for as low as $109! To check out the sale, go here. Yes, they are pricey, but I think that there are some things in life that are worth spending the money on. This carrier is one -- it's a tool in my book. It really does make my life a lot easier when out on the go with two kids. Plus, Lucie loves it!

Knuffle Bunny

Allow me to introduce you to Knuffle Bunny. Now, I don't want you to be like me and pronounce it incorrectly. Technically, it's pronounced "Kuh-nuffle" rather than "Nuffle" Bunny. Unfortunately, we didn't know this and started calling it "Nuffle" and then we watched it on DVD where it is pronounced "Kuh-nuffle". But, I think it's too late for us and we'll probably keep pronouncing it wrong, but there is hope for you! So, with that little lesson out of the way, let me introduce you to Knuffle Bunny.


Knuffle Bunny is a treasured stuffed animal that belongs to a little girl named Trixie in the children's books by Mo Willems. Brett bought Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, as well as its sequel Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity for Ella's birthday this year. We read these stories at least a few times a week...sometimes a few times a day. Honestly, I don't get tired of reading them. Perhaps it is because of the beautiful combination of black/white photographs and color illustrations. Perhaps it is because the story is something that parents can relate to. (Ever had a kid throw a fit and go "boneless"? Uh yes, we've experienced that.) Perhaps it is the fact that the Daddy reminds me of Brett and the little girl reminds me of Ella (in Knuffle Bunny Too when Trixie actually has hair). Whatever it is, I love these books and Ella does too. In fact, just tonight I read Knuffle Bunny Too to Ella. After I left the room, it was Daddy's turn for the bedtime ritual with Ella. She surprised him by telling him both Knuffle Bunny stories nearly word for word! I love it!

If you've got little kids, I highly recommend these books. They are very well done and are even both Caldecott Honor Award winners (2005 & 2008). I think they will be treasured in our household for many years to come.

Lucie & The Beco

After weeks of waiting, my Beco Baby Carrier finally arrived! You might remember me talking about deciding to purchase it on an earlier post. It arrived two weeks ago just as we were returning from a trip to Santa Barbara. I quickly unloaded the car, put Ella down for her nap, and busted it out of the package.

At first, I was a little overwhelmed by all of its straps and buckles. But, they do include a DVD with it to demonstrate how to wear it properly. (On a side note, I was thankful for the DVD for other reasons – I wanted to hear how they pronounced "Beco"! I wasn’t sure if it was beak-oh or beck-oh as I’d been pronouncing it. For future reference, it’s beck-oh. Moving on…) So, I got down to watching the video and once Lucie woke up from her nap I tried it out on her.

My first reaction? Am I wearing something? I think what shocked me was that Lu was right up against my chest. With the Baby Bjorn, there were straps between us and her arms went through specific holes. Not so with the Beco – it’s just a layer of fabric on my chest, and Lucie can pull her arms right up to her face if she wants. She seems to enjoy it and has fallen asleep almost every time that I put her in it. Overall, it IS a very comfortable carrier. I feel much more balanced than with other carriers, and it is easier to maneuver around.

One temporary drawback is that Lucie still needs to be in the built-in infant pouch. The pouch itself is a great thing – it helps her sit higher in the carrier. But, it does require laying her down to get her into the pouch…not the easiest feat when you’re in a parking lot and your front car seat is slanted. But, I’ve managed it…it just takes a moment. At the rate this child is growing, she’ll be out of the infant pouch in no time. At that point, I can put her in while standing up.

So far, I’m really pleased with the purchase. I use it nearly every day, so I do think I'll get my money's worth. It’s great for walks, shopping and even around the house. The other night Lucie wanted to be held, and I needed to get dinner on the table. So, I popped her in it and swung her around to my back so I could cook without worrying that she'd get hurt. It worked well.

Lucie seems to enjoy it -- I swear, she smiles when I take it out. She just knows that she gets to be next to Momma for awhile. And, she almost always falls asleep after I put her in it...as you can see in the picture above.

Cloth Diapering: Day 1

If you have no interest in my latest adventure (aka cloth diapering), just enjoy the pic of Lucie. If you're interested, read on....

So, yesterday was the first day that I used cloth diapers. My first impression of cloth diapers? Bulky. There’s no getting around it. To absorb, the diapers need several layers of microfiber terry cloth unlike disposables which have a synthetic something or other to do the job. So, there is going to be bulk…I’ll just have to get used to it. ....

As for doing what they’re supposed to, I think they do a good job containing the mess. So far, the BumGenius! diapers (BG) have not leaked and have kept in the mess…unlike the disposables that we used this past weekend. (Just ask Uncle JJ about that one – he was holding Lucie while she had a blowout and quickly put her at arms’ length to keep from getting slimed. I think she dirtied at least 3 outfits during our 2-day visit!) I didn't try using them overnight, but Lucie did wear one for at least 5 hours without a leak -- she fell asleep for a long nap before I changed her!My guess as to why they are so good at containing the mess is that they have great elastic both around the legs AND along the back. Plus, the tabs are stretchy just like a disposable so you can make a pretty tight fit. So far, it doesn’t appear as if the elastic bothers Lucie in any way. Surprisingly, the BG’s also feel dry next to the skin even when they’re wet (not poopy). I read that the microsuede lining does that, but I didn’t really believe it until I saw it. ....

Overall, BGs seem just as easy to use as disposables -- they go on exactly the same way, velcro tabs and all. But, the real hard part about cloth diapers is that they need to be cleaned. Since the machine does the work, it's not THAT difficult...but, it does take a little monitoring. Each load needs to be washed twice -- one in cold and once in hot and then dried in the machine or on the line. Since I only have 6 of them at the moment, I needed to wash them last night to use today. So, I did find myself staying up to wash them when I really wanted to go to bed. I could see how this would be a bummer if I were close to running out of diapers and needed to clean them. I suppose that is remedied by buying enough that I'm never strapped for a clean one and by having a wash routine that works with my schedule. As for the yuck factor (and my gag reflex), it wasn't terribly gross. In all honesty, once you're diapering a child, you get a better tolerance for all of that stuff.....

It's too early to make a verdict on it...but the way I figure it, right now it is the most work it can be since I'll have to wash daily to keep using them. If I can handle it with only 6 diapers, I can handle it even better with a larger stash. I'll keep you posted....

My newest adventure

Despite always saying I only wanted to have ONE child in diapers at a time, it looked as if that would not be the case. I was pregnant with Lucie, and Ella seemed quite content to wear her Pull-Ups forever. She thwarted my attempts to potty train her on my time-table. With finance a concern, I started contemplating cloth diapering. When I mentioned what I was thinking to Brett, he said, "Are you crazy? With your gag reflex? You can’t do that!" Well, life went on…Lucie was born…and we started using disposable diapers. At the time, Ella was still using Pull-Ups (at about 30 cents each!), and I cringed every time I had to buy another package of diapers for either her or Lucie.

Then one day I was perusing my friend Rachel’s online store Euphoria Maternity for a baby carrier. Her site also includes products for babies, and I noticed a link about cloth diapering. Rachel has provided TONS of information about cloth diapering on the site, and I got sucked in! I even emailed Rachel with additional questions and got her feedback about her personal experience with cloth diapering. (She is thorough and FAST at answering questions about any products on their site!) That inspired me to look at other sites as well for more information, and once again I was contemplating cloth diapering.

I’m not going to get into the disposable vs. cloth debate – there is plenty of info out there if you’re interested in learning more. And I’m not going to pass any judgments on people for their diapering choices -- I’m sure cloth diapering is not for everyone. But, after all that I’ve read about cloth diapering, I personally felt like I just needed to give it a try at least.

So, the other day I headed to diapers.com to buy a few bumGenius! 3.0 One-Size Cloth Diapers – I had a gift certificate (thanks Jill!) so I figured that was a good place to try out the diapers. (If I end up buying more, I’ll probably head over to Euphoria Maternity since they have comparable prices, they let you choose different colors AND they give you a free wetbag.) BumGenius 3.0 is designed to go on like a disposable, but it is adjustable so that the diaper grows with the baby – no need to buy additional sizes. Plus, if you’ve got more than one child in diapers, you tote the same diapers with you – it simplifies the diaper bag! Yesterday, I gave the diapers a prep wash and today I’m giving it a whirl. I’ll report thoughts about this cloth diapering thing at a later date.

My Decision Maker

I have a hard time making decisions - especially when it comes to buying something. I do research and research and research trying to figure out what is the best choice. I think it drives my hubby a little crazy at times. Just the other weekend, I was surfing FTD's website for just the right flower arrangement to send to my dear Aunt Cass who is undergoing chemo. I don't know if you've ever been to their site, but there are so MANY choices! My hubby would have just picked one and called it a day. But no, not me. I just kept looking and looking...and looking. Finally, I knew it was getting a bit ridiculous, and I needed to make a choice. So, I called in My Decision Maker, aka Ella.

You see, I've recently discovered that Ella does have preferences...and unlike her mother, she can choose between two options. So, I narrowed it down to two flower arrangments and showed them both to her and asked her opinion. I asked her TWICE just to see if she would give me the same answer both times. And she did! This is what she picked.

She's got good taste, no?

Now, I've had another decision on my mind. I've got a bunch of Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket. I've decided that I want to splurge and get a new baby carrier. We've got a Baby Bjorn, but it's already starting to hurt my back with 12-pound Lucie. But, having a carrier is pretty much essential with two kids. So, I've decided to buy a Beco Baby Carrier. It's a soft-sided baby carrier that you can wear on your front or your back...and it holds a kid up to 35 pounds. It's gotten great reviews as being functional, stylish and most of all comfortable. The problem is that there are so many COOL fabric choices. I've been debating and debating. So, with Ella's help, I've finally decided. I'm going to pre-order the "Olivia" from Euphoria Maternity -- the site belongs Rachel & Brandon, some friends who used to go to our church when they lived in SB.

Now, that the decision has been made, I just have to wait a bit longer until it's in stock. But, at least I won't be agonizing over making a decision. Ella has done that for me!

Hotsling Success

Last Spring, Ella was getting to the point where oftentimes during our shopping trips she would want me to hold her. It's not easy to hold a toddler and try to push a shopping cart... and it's not easy to shop with a kid who is whining about being stuck in a cart! Somehow I stumbled upon the Hotsling on the internet. It's basically a baby sling that doesn't have any buckles to deal with. You just put it over your shoulder and pop the baby in. What I liked about it was that you could also use it to carry a kid on your hip hands free. Since it will hold a child up to 35 pounds, I figured it would work with Ella who was only 22 pounds and it might come in handy for our Italy Trip as well. (Plus, I was probably sucked in by the advertising -- I want to be a hot mama with a Hotsling!) So, I got one. It did make some shopping trips easier for a time until Ella grew out of that phase, and I did try to use it a bit in Italy. However, I didn't nearly get my money's worth of use out of it. I hoped that I would with Baby #2.

Last summer, I loaned it to Aimee to try out with Baby Amelia. They didn't have much success with it -- Aimee said that Amelia looked smooshed in it and was none to happy about it. I hoped that I would have greater success. But, when I tried it out the "cradle" carry with Lucie, she too looked smooshed and was none to happy about it. But frugal woman that I am, I refused to give up on it, and so I've tried it a few times since then with similar results. My friend Jill suggested that I try bouncing when I put her in it and for a few minutes afterward. So, today I tried it again. By now, Lucie is big enough for the "front" carry position so I tried that. It took two tries putting her into it, but on the second try, she actually liked it! Within five minutes, she was asleep.

Granted, I don't look like one of the hot mamas that advertise the product on their website, but hopefully this sling will work for us. With two kiddos to take care of and a house to manage, Lucie has been spending a lot of time in her swing or bouncy seat. I confess, I've been feeling a bit guilty about that. So, perhaps this will help me get some things done around the house AND get to cuddle my baby at the same time.

green works

So, here we are with a 7-week old baby, a potty training 3-year-old, and a condo "on the market". Yes, we're crazy. Many women take a break from housecleaning at least to some extent when a newborn joins the family. Well, with the condo for sale, I don't have that luxury. In fact, I have an urge for my house to be cleaner (especially the bathrooms) than it might otherwise be under normal circumstances -- strangers are coming to my house! However, with the little baby around, I've gotten a little more concerned about what cleaning fumes are in my house.

Lately, I've stumbled upon a new line of cleaners from Clorox called "green works". True to their name, they are made from natural ingredients do a great job cleaning! (My toilet has never been so clean!) Plus, they smell wonderful...so much better than the chemically & fake smells of traditional cleaners. Unfortunately, they do not disinfect yet but hope to add disinfecting products to the line in the future. I don't know how widespread their availability is since I found them in only one of four stores that I checked in town. But, I recommend giving them a try if you find them in a store near you. I paid $3.50/bottle and I think it's worth every penny. You can go here for more information about them.