bare feet on the dashboard

What Can You Do to Help The Humane Society Stop Puppy Mills?

2013-06-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am passionate about preventing animal cruelty. Over the years I have picked up countless strays, volunteered with animal rescue organizations, protested animal testing, and stood on many a soap box lecturing about the importance of spaying and neutering pets. I've seen animals who survived horrific conditions and lived to be rescued. Some of the worst animal cruelty today happens in the form of puppy mills, and millions of Americans support these houses of horror without even knowing it. If you've bought pet supplies from a store that sells puppies, you most likely supported a puppy mill.
What is a puppy mill?
Puppy mills are factories that produce pets for many Americans and do so through horrific conditions. Mother dogs are kept caged and constantly pregnant, bred over and over again with no breaks, no affection, and no exercise. When puppy mills are raided the mama dogs often can't walk and are blind and malnourished from lack of nutrition. Puppies born in puppy mills are often sick, weak, and inbred.

How can you help stop puppy mills?
1) Never shop for pet supplies at a store that sells puppies. Pet stores that care about dogs and animal cruelty don't sell puppies.
2) Adopt your pets from a shelter or rescue organization. Over 30% of animals in shelters are pure bred, and most breeds have their own rescue groups if you are passionate about a particular breed. I'm a dachshund lover, so I totally get the breed thing.
3) Never buy a pet from a private breeder unless you are allowed to see where the puppy was raised and meet the mother dog. Puppy mill owners use deceptive practices to hide their inhumane businesses.

4) Click on the super cute puppy above to sign a petition supporting The Humane Society's work against puppy mills. Make your voice count today.

Green Cleaning with the Norwex Dust Mitt & Kitchen Cloths

2013-06-14T16:01:00.002-05:00

Last week I reviewed the Norwex Enviro Cloth for y'all, which is my favorite Norwex product. Today I'm sharing details about two of my other favs, the dust mitt and the kitchen cloths. Together with the Enviro Cloth and the Window Cloth, these products have helped us drastically reduce the chemical usage in our home, as well as reduce our paper waste and bring down our cleaning budget.

First up is the dust mitt. In my opinion, this little beauty is the most fun to use. You put it on and just go for it, dusting any and every surface. You don't need Pledge, chemicals, or paper towels. When you are done you bang the dust out of it (like you would a rug) and throw it in the laundry after a couple of uses. It picks the dust up without spreading it around, so your surfaces stay dust free for quite a while and nothing ends up on the floor. It can easily clean between mini blinds and the tops of ceiling fans. The dust mitt retails for $16.99 and will last for years, paying for itself in savings on paper towels and chemical dusting sprays in a few months. You can also get it as part of the Household package (my personal favorite deal) with the Enviro Cloth and Window Cloth for $48.99. Click here to shop and be sure to list me (Becca Eby) as your hostess.

My other must have item from Norwex is the kitchen cloth. This comes in two sizes (cloth and towel) and I have both. I love the small one for cleaning up after meals and wiping down the counters and Bear's high chair, and the large one for bigger messes. As you can see below it has a looser weave than the Enviro cloth which helps it to grab onto big food particles and pick them up rather than spread them around. The kitchen cloths contain silver making them anti-bacterial. As long as you wring them out after each use bacterial growth in inhibited in the cloths and they won't cross contaminate. You can buy the small kitchen cloth for $9.99 and the larger kitchen towel for $19.99. You can get a better deal and buy them together in the Kitchen Microfiber Collection with the Veggie and Fruit Cloth and Kitchen Scrub Cloth for $54.99.

If you are truly interested in reducing the chemicals in your home, reducing your paper waste, and reducing your household cleaning budget, give Norwex a try. There are several small collections you can check out just to get started. The products are made with fair trade practices and will last for years, paying for themselves in savings on chemicals and paper goods in just a few months. Feel free to email me or comment below if you have questions. You can check out the full line of Norwex products here and shop away. Please put my name (Becca Eby) as your hostess. My online party will be open until June 20th.

Get a Coupon for a Free Flatbread from Chili's

2013-06-13T20:11:00.002-05:00

Chili's is giving away 1,000,000 full size flatbreads for a limited time when you join their email club. I joined ages ago and get great coupons for free kid's meals, appetizers, and other great offers all the time. Take 2 minutes and sign up now using the link in the photo to get your free flatbread.

Frugal and Fast {Last Minute} Father's Day Craft and Card Round Up

2013-06-12T06:30:00.000-05:00

As the Queen of Procrastinators, I found myself searching Pinterest for Father's Day craft ideas this week in a desperate quest to find that perfect project. I found a few great ones to share with you if you are in the same boat. It's not too late! All of the projects below can be done at the last minute for very little money, but will still make that special Daddy feel loved. I'm still wavering but I think I'm going with the chalkboard cookie jar and some Instagram magnets. If the magnets work out well {fingers crossed} I'll post a tutorial soon. If you choose to pin this post (and I hope you do) please use the image above, and pin the projects from their original sources. Both the photos and text below are linked to the original bloggers with permission.

DIY Chalkboard Cookie Jar from City to Sticks

Easy and Reusable

Rustic Wood Free Printable Father's Day Card from Agus Yornet

Available in English and Spanish!

Free Printables from She's Kinda Crafty

All you need is a printer and a pen.

"I Love You to Pieces" Goody Jar from

Scrappy Mel

This one is super fast and easy.

S'mores Gift Basket and Chalkboard Frame from Gallamore West

What do you have planned for the father or grandfather in your life this week?

Frugal Summer Fun in San Antonio: Texas Travel Discounts & Coupons

2013-06-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

If you are local to San Antonio or traveling there this summer, I've got three great discount coupons to share with you. The first is for Six Flags San Antonio, and the other two are for great local water parks. I love an amusement park probably more than your average bear, and hope to visit Six Flags Fiesta Texas when are kids are a little older. I've got the whole park memorized at our local Six Flags in Arlington so it is time for a new park.

Click HERE to save $15 off the price of admission at Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

Click HERE to save $2 off the price of admission at Granite Beach Water Park on Lake LBJ.

Click HERE to save $7 off the price of admission at Splashtown San Antonio.

Have you been to San Antonio?

What is your favorite water park?

Five Easy Ways to Entertain Toddlers in the Summer {and a $100 Giveaway from Kelly's Closet!}

2013-06-09T16:04:00.000-05:00

Summer is officially here and our regular week day events during the school year have slowed down or stopped completely until September and we are constantly looking for ways to keep the Bear entertained. Today I'm breaking down my favorite toddler entertaining ideas for you that are all free or super cheap ways to beat the heat and keep that kiddo happy. I'm also featuring a $100 giftcard giveaway from Diapershops.com and Kelly's Closet. I'm a Kelly's Closet Affiliate, so this post will contain some affiliate links.

#1 Fill up a Kiddie Pool in your yard. We actually have 2, one from Amazon and one from a consignment sale and he LOVES them. He will splash and play for hours in both of them. Give a toddler a hose and a few buckets and he will be happy all day. At the end of the day we take his buckets and water the plants and trees with whatever is left in the pools, so nothing goes to waste.

#2 Visit you neighborhood pool. Our city has 5 neighborhood pools and membership is super cheap ($60 for the whole family for all 5 pools all summer). We visit a different pool every few days and swim our hearts out. The Bear has a great little Puddlejumper life jacket and is already jumping off the wall into the water. We love it and he always eats and sleeps well after a big swim. As a former pool rat (shout out to my Leawood pool peeps) there is no better summer getaway than the neighborhood pool. We use cloth swim diapers in both our backyard and our neighborhood pool. You can read all about swim diapers here and shop for them here.

#3 Go to Story Time at the Library. Air conditioning + free = awesome. Our local library has story times for every age group as well as one for the whole family. We signed up for the toddler class and are so excited to have an air conditioned, fun, educational, and FREE place to get out of the sun all summer long.

#4 Find a free Splash Park in your area. We are so lucky to have several free splash parks near our house and will be spending lots of time there this summer when the playground equipment is too hot to touch. Check out your city's Parks and Recreation website to find splash parks in your area. They typically have several water elements and a soft pad underneath for kids to run on barefoot.

#5 Mall walk and play at the indoor playground. Several of our local malls have great indoor, air conditioned play spaces perfect for toddlers. We pack up the fam and a picnic lunch and head to the mall in the morning to mall walk like champs getting a little exercise for mama and then hit the mall play ground to get a work out for the Bear. Everybody wins and nobody sweats.

How do you entertain yourself and/or your kids in the summer?

Use the coupon code above to find all your baby and toddler must haves from Kelly's Closet. They have swim diapers, sunscreen, sun hats and clothes, and so much more for your wee ones this summer.

Enter the giveaway from DiaperShops.com and Kelly's Closet using the Rafflecopter form below. You don't need a blog or Facebook to enter, just an email address. You won't win if you don't enter. a Rafflecopter giveaway

DFW Frugal Summer Fun: Coupon for Zone Action Park in Lewisville

2013-06-07T15:06:00.002-05:00

I heart mini golf.

If you live in the DFW metroplex or are visiting our fair metropolis this summer, I'll be posting coupons and discounts for local attractions all summer as I find them. Today's deal is from Zone Action Park in Lewisville and is good for $10 in free arcade tokens and buy one get one free mini golf.

Click HERE to get the coupon.

Zone Action Park was voted the "Best Place in Lewisville for Family Entertainment." ZAP is an indoor/outdoor family entertainment center with something for everyone and admission is always free. They have 2 go kart tracks, 2 mini golf courses, 8 batting cages, 3 bounce houses, a video arcade, and a restaurant and are open every day this summer. Thanks so much to Zone Action Park and US Family Guide for the great discount coupon!

Fun in the Sun Giveaway from Melissa and Doug ~ Win a $200 Gift Code

2013-06-07T08:13:00.000-05:00

Summer weather is here! Melissa & Doug has all kinds of great toys for you to help keep the kids entertained for the summer. You can get toys for all ages including classic toys, tents, sand toys, puzzles, arts and crafts, plus more! We love Melissa & Doug toys, especially their wooden puzzles. They have great toys for every age of child and every developmental stage.

Not only do you have the opportunity to win this giveaway but you can also head on over to the Melissa & Doug on Facebook fan page and then click on the Play to 250k Sweepstakes tab to enter the Play to 250,000 Fans Sweepstakes.

Each time their fan base grows by 1,000 fans, a fan will win a selection of Melissa & Doug toys. Plus, when the Facebook page reaches 250,000 fans, all fans will receive a special gift. WOW!!

If you are curious about what real moms thinks about Melissa and Doug toys, you can read these reviews:

Baby Costcutters Review

Mom to Bed by 8 Review

One lucky winner will receive a $200.00 eGift Code to Melissa & Doug!

Giveaway ends June 27, 2013 at 11:59pm, open to US only, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: By entering this giveaway you agree to receive email communications from Melissa & Doug. I received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of your own. Bare Feet on the Dashboard is not responsible for prize shipment.

This event was organized by MomPoweredMedia please contact tina@babycostcutters.com with questions or to see your business or blog featured on the next big event!

Mama Owl Etsy Shop Review ~ Handmade Aztec Tribal Print and Linen Scarf {and Nursing Cover}

2013-06-05T15:33:00.001-05:00

Y'all know I have an Etsy problem, right? I've downloaded the app and now my favorite activity while nursing Ellie is browsing Etsy shops. Dangerous. Today I'm so excited to bring you a review of another great Etsy shop, the Mama Owl Shop. Martha, the artisan behind Mama Owl, sent me a rockin' scarf to sample for the review. I'm always one cotton skirt/t-shirt combo away from an episode of "What Not to Wear" so I need all the accessory help I can get. As a nursing mama, I immediately thought the scarf would be perfect not only to jazz up an outfit but also to cover my wee one and I when she needs to eat somewhere very public. I don't always cover when nursing, but when I do it's with a super cute scarf (said in my version of the "Most Interesting Man in the World") voice.

Where did baby go? Under that super cute infinity scarf!

I love the combination of linen with an Aztec tribal print. The scarf is well made, comfortable, and super cute. The color combination goes with a wide range of outfits. I love versatility in an accessory. The Aztec Tribal Linen Chunky Infinity Scarf retails for $20 and you can buy it right here. I found no negatives about this product. I think I will wear it more in the fall as it is infinity degrees hot in Texas in the summer, but it is light enough to wear year round.

Martha also creates a wide range of crochet products from baby shoes to peter pan colors, as well as knit headbands, toddler bow ties, and bows for girls and women. Check out a few of my other favorite Mama Owl items. The images below are from Mama Owl's shop.

Handmade Crochet Bow Headband ~ $17.50

Crochet Rosette Floral Headband Crown ~ $18.50

Mommy and Me Knit Knot Headbands ~ $9.50 each

Like what you see?

Check out the Mama Owl Shop on Etsy here.

Follow Mama Owl's blog here.

Follow Mama Owl on Facebook for shop updates, sales, and deals.

**I was not compensated for this review, but was sent a free product to sample.

Free Blogger Event: Blast Zone Air Walker Bounce Castle Giveaway

2013-06-04T21:05:00.000-05:00

           Bloggers Wanted for a FREE Event!



                          Blast Zone Air Walker Bounce Castle Event
              Organized By: Newly Crunchy Mama Of 3
                                       Dates: 6/29-7/19
                          Sign-Ups Can Be Found HERE.

Don't forget to tell them I sent you! Thanks.

If We Had a Million Dollars: The Publishers Clearing House Win $1 Million Plus $5000 Every Week For Life Mega Prize is Back!

2013-06-03T13:36:00.000-05:00

Our favorite road trip discussion topic is, "What would you do if you won ______ amount of money? The amount varies to keep the discussion interesting. I enter to win things all the time, and have had a lot of success winning smaller prizes which is so fun. One contest fascinates me every year and has since childhood. The Publishers Clearing House Win $1 Million Plus $5000 Every Week for Life Mega Prize is so different from so many others because not only do you get a big lump sum at the beginning, you also get $5000 a week FOR LIFE. We've all seen the videos of the winners of the Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes answering the door to the Prize Patrol and losing their minds. What would you do if they came to your door and handed you a giant check? Publishers Clearing House sponsored today's post and asked me to share with y'all how I would spend the Mega Prize.

If I won the Mega Prize I would have to create a budget. Y'all know I'm all about the budget and the bigger the budget the more there is to lose if it is mismanaged. You might think, "With that much money, who cares about a budget?" That's how you end up being the sad sob story on "How the Lottery Changed My Life." Think this through, people. It isn't as sexy as what some folks would do with the money, but it's my dream and I'll budget if I want to.
Here's my game plan:
$1,000,000 Lump Sum
Give to our church and Young Life Missionaries and Camps: $100,000
Pay taxes: around $350,000
Pay off our house: $149,000
Buy two nice but not ridiculous vehicles: $120,000
I want a red fully loaded Tahoe. Jed would get a nice truck.
Invest for the future in Growth Stock Mutual Funds through our financial advisor: $100,000
Set up college funds for both kids: $30,000 (They are young so we have a while for each account to grow.)
Take a nice vacation (maybe to an all inclusive resort in Costa Rica): $20,000
Set up a Foundation for charitable giving: $40,000
Give a cash gift to our parents, nieces, nephews, and siblings: $5,000 each totaling $90,000
Buy new curtains for my house: $1000 (This might seem lame, but I HATE almost all of our curtains.)
There's my plan for the $1,000,000. It isn't glamorous, but I like it. What would you do with the lump sum?

Now for the $5000 per week for life. Let's budget it out monthly because that's the way we do our normal budget. I'll add in some of our current amounts to give y'all some perspective on how winning this Mega Prize would completely change our lives.
$5000 Per Week or $20,000 Each Month
Tithe: $2000 - We currently give to our church and to Young Life missionaries as part of our tithe. We see missionaries as part of the big C Church as a whole. We would also add other missionaries into the increased budget.
Pay Taxes: $5000 - This might be more but we'll go with this amount.
Insurance: $1000 - Health, cars, etc...
Grocery: $800 (Our current grocery budget is $380.)
Dining Out: $600 (Our current dining out budget is $70.)
Invest for Retirement: $2500 (Our current contribution is $200.)
Save for a New Home: $2500 (currently $0)
Vacation Fund: $1000 (currently $50)
Mad Money: (Money each person can spend on whatever they want. $500 for each adult, $100 for each kid totaling $1100 (currently totals $190)
Clothing Fund: $300 for each person, totalling $600 (currently $150 total)
Entertainment Fund: $300 (currently $20 per month)
Home Improvement (new furniture, remodeling, decorating, etc): $1000 (currently $50)
Maid Service: $250 YES!!!
General Savings: $650

What would you do with $1,000,000 plus $5000 per week for life? Tell me in the comments section and then enter to WIN it all.

Chances of winning the Mega Prize are small for sure, but I definitely won't win if I don't enter and neither will you. You don't have to buy anything and buying magazines from Publisher's Clearing House won't increase your chances of winning (but they do have some great deals). Click any of the PCH links or images to enter. No purchase necessary. Thanks to Publishers Clearing House for sponsoring this discussion.

Green Your Summer Giveaway Hop: Win Norwex Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products $48 Value

2013-05-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Green Your Summer Event! The Blogging Mamas Network has come together with like-minded bloggers to make sure your grass isn't all that is green this Summer!
Each blogger in the Event is bringing readers a great green prize to win. You have until June 13th to enter, so be sure to hop around to them all and find great eco-friendly products to help you go green!
While you're hopping, be sure to enter the TWO Grand Prizes for to Green Your Summer for Mom and Baby! You'll find prizes including a Lunette Menstrual Cup, Amber Necklace and Bracelet Set, a Merino Wool Sleepsack, and earth-friendly Vinyl Wall Decals from Walls Need Love!

If you've ever wondered if there was a way to reduce the chemicals in your home while cutting your cleaning budget and reducing your paper waste at the same time, the answer is YES. Norwex is a company with a mission doing just that, and one lucky reader will win the Norwex Household package valued at $48 to get them started. I've teamed up with a few other blogs and Emily Leonard (a Norwex consultant) to bring you this giveaway. To read a full review of Norwex Enviro Cloths, click here or the photo below.

I reviewed the Household package, consisting of one Enviro Cloth, one dusting mitt, and one window cloth. With those three items alone she brought her family's paper towel usage down by about 90%. Seriously. The other fabulous thing about Norwex products is that you clean with just the cloths and water. No chemicals. And they work. For real. The Enviro Cloth is also naturally antibacterial because it is made with silver woven throughout the cloth. Norwex isn't just cleaning products. They have everything from household cleaning cloths to mops, towels, a skin care line, and so much more.

To check out all that Norwex has to over head over to Emily's Norwex page here. Choose the products you want to try, then choose me (Becca Eby) as your host. Be sure to check out the full line of Norwex products.

Norwex Enviro Cloth Review Summary:

Positives - reduces paper towel waste, reduces household chemical usage, reusable, 2 year warranty, 60 day satisfaction guarantee, naturally antibacterial (from silver woven into each cloth)

Negatives - start up cost, availability (you can't get it at Target)

So, if start up cost is one of only two negatives I found, why is it budget friendly?

Much like cloth diapers, the initial cost of family cloth products can seem daunting. The Enviro Cloth retails for $16.49. Your average pack of paper towels retails for around $12. I was using about 3 rolls per week at $1.50 a roll or $4.50 per week. At that rate my Enviro Cloth paid for itself in a little over a month. Now if you add in the dust mitt and window cloth, the cost goes up to $48.99 for the Household package. With less than 3 months of usage your cloths have already paid for themselves and you still have 1 3/4 years left on your warranty. You can read testimonials of customers who've used the same cloths for over 10 years. When you add in the money you save from not buying cleaning products like Clorox wipes, Pledge, Windex, All Purpose Spray, etc, the Norwex products become an even better deal.

What steps does your family take to reduce waste and environmental impact?

Check out the products and enter to win. You must do the 2 mandatory entries, but the rest are optional and only increase your chances of winning. You don't have to have a blog to enter, just an email address.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

According to Jenny, So Easy Being Green, the Blogging Mamas Network, and the Green Your Summer participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Eleanor Pearl at One Month

2013-05-27T06:30:00.000-05:00

Eleanor Pearl

One Month Old

Weighs 10 lbs 2 oz

21 3/4 in long

85 percentile for weight and height

50% for head size - making her the only one in the family with a normal sized noggin

Loves bath time in the sink, snuggles, being outside, and mama milk.

auburn hair that falls naturally into a mohawk

beautiful blue eyes (I hope they stay!)

sleeps 5-6 hours straight at night

naps like a champ except for the early evening

Loves being worn in the Ergo.

Precious and lovely in every way.

We are so thankful to the Lord for this good and perfect gift of our daughter. We are so in love with our sweet Ellie girl.

Truth and Coffee

2013-05-26T13:26:00.000-05:00

Growing up, we all made fun of my mom constantly for her habit of leaving half drunk cups of coffee all over the house. I never understood how she could keep forgetting her cup and never quite get through it without having to reheat it. Let's just say the veil has lifted.

I am now the mother of 2 children under age 2 and can barely find time to feed myself, much less finish a cup of coffee before it gets cold. I've found my forgotten half drunk cups all over the place from the microwave to the changing table and everywhere in between. The other day I found myself complaining about never getting a chance to just sit down and enjoy my coffee and breakfast. I felt an ache in my heart for my old job in full time ministry with Young Life. I loved that job and pray that He calls me back to it when this season is over. In that moment I felt the Lord's gentle reminder that THIS is the season I am in right now and it won't last long. This season of 2 in diapers and nonstop breastfeeding and 3 hour intervals and never being alone and never having a completely clean house for more than 10 minutes - THIS is where He has me right now. In a brief moment my baby will be a toddler and my toddler will be a big kid. Before I know it their complete dependence on me will be gone forever and I will have all the time in the world.

I am so thankful for the reminder to be where He has placed me right now. So today I am choosing gratitude. I am thankful for 2 healthy children who need me constantly. I am thankful for an easy childbirth and quick recovery. I am thankful for a teacher husband who has only a few days left of school before summer vacation. I am thankful for nap time. I am thankful for this high calling to be a stay at home mama. I am thankful for a God who loves me even when I choose to be a brat instead of a grateful child of His.

What are you thankful for today?

Frugal Friday: Reducing Our Cleaning Costs with Norwex ~ An Enviro Cloth Review

2013-05-24T10:25:00.001-05:00

Our family strives to live frugally and reduce our environmental impact and waste as well as the toxins in our home. For this week's edition of Frugal Friday, I'm thrilled to share with you a line of products that are helping us meet those goals. I was introduced to Norwex a few months ago by a friend who hosted a home party demonstration of the products. I'll be the first one to tell you I'm not really a home party direct sales kind of girl, and Norwex is a direct sales company. However, Jed and I had recently discussed how much paper waste we created as a family, specifically paper towels, and how we could reduce that waste and cost. The party came along and I was intrigued. My friend has 3 kids and talked about many messes she cleaned with her Norwex cloths and how much she had reduced her paper waste, and I decided to try them for myself.

I bought the Household package at the party, consisting of one Enviro Cloth, one dusting mitt, and one window cloth. With those three items alone I brought our paper towel usage down by about 90%. Seriously. The other fabulous thing about Norwex products is that you clean with just the cloths and water. No chemicals. And they work. For real. Jed thought there was no possible way the Enviro Cloth and window cloth would clean Bear's dirty finger prints off our glass door with just water, but they did leaving no streaks. He was shocked. My reply was, "Did you think I would buy something that didn't work?". The Enviro Cloth is also naturally antibacterial because it is made with silver woven throughout the cloth. I've used the dusting mitt all over my house with no Pledge, and it really picks up the dust instead of spreading it around like a feather duster. The Enviro Cloth is my favorite product, because it really works. A few of the messes I've cleaned with just the Enviro Cloth and water include: chocolate, bbq sauce, and crayon off my white couch; coffee and crayon off the carpet, countless counter spills, olive oil grime off the stove, and many others.

Because I've become such a believer in Norwex products, I'm doing something I never thought I'd do. I'm hosting a Norwex party at my house and right here on the blog. You, fair reader, get to join in the party just as if you were hanging out at the Norwex Play Date I'm hosting for my mom friends here in Dallas.

To shop through my party, head over to Emily's Norwex page here.

Choose the products you want to try, then choose me (Becca Eby) as your host. Be sure to check out the full line of Norwex products.

They have everything from household cleaning cloths to mops, towels, skin care, and so much more. I can't wait to try more, which is one of the reasons I'm hosting this party. I felt weird at first asking my friends both in real life and online to shop through my party, but then I realized how many home parties I've gone to for other folks and how many great products I've discovered through other bloggers' reviews and I knew I had to do it.

Norwex Enviro Cloth Review Summary:

Positives - reduces paper towel waste, reduces household chemical usage, reusable, 2 year warranty, 60 day satisfaction guarantee, naturally antibacterial (from silver woven into each cloth)

Negatives - start up cost, availability (you can't get it at Target)

So, if start up cost is one of only two negatives I found, why include this on a Frugal Friday post?

Check out my Norwex consultant Emily's video explaining the ins and outs of Norwex microfiber cloths.

My Norwex party will run from May 24-June 20. If you are interested in hosting a party yourself, contact Emily and she will help you out. From May 30-June 13 I will be hosting a Norwex giveaway here on the blog as a part of the Green Your Summer Giveaway Hop. Be sure to come back and enter to win. I'll also post a few more Norwex reviews during the event here on the blog. If you are in the DFW area and interested in coming to my Norwex Play Date to see the products in person, send me an email at barefeetonthedashboard@gmail.com.

What steps does your family take to reduce waste and environmental impact?

Trying for a VBAC Guest Post: Carson's Birth Story

2013-05-22T14:26:00.000-05:00

My name is Holly Faske. I am 25 years old and have been married to my husband, James for 4 years. Our first son is named Aiven and he is 19 months old. He was breech, so we decided to have a c-section instead of try for a vaginal breech birth. Our second son was born January 18th, 2013 and we had a natural home birth.

We live in Denton, TX and attend Denton Bible Church. We have a wonderful husky-lab mix dog named Hudson (who is in some of our home birth pictures) and a beautiful cat named Cider.

I am a stay-at-home mom and enjoy it very much!!

The night of Thursday, January 17th I went to sleep at 10 pm and woke up at 12:30 am to go to the bathroom. I came back to bed and as soon as I laid down I felt pain and pressure really low for just a few seconds and then a big release of water! I just kind of laid there in shock! Right then James was coming to bed (because he was on call for work) and I said, “Babe, my water just broke.” His reaction was, “What?! Are you sure?!” I got up to go back to the bathroom and I texted my midwife, Donnellyn. She wrote back immediately asking how much came out and if it were clear. Contractions hadn’t started yet, so she said to lay back down and try to sleep till the contractions started. But I didn’t get a chance to do that. We called our parents to let them know we’d have a baby in the next 24 hours! Then I had James wash our sheets :-) By 1:15/1:30 am I started having small contractions only lasting a few seconds. We had all of our supplies for our home birth that we needed, but we were still caught off guard with going into labor at 38 weeks! So James started making the bed and picking up! By 1:40 am the contractions were coming closer together, getting a bit stronger, and lasting 30-45 seconds. By 2 am we were ready for Donnellyn to come and she was on her way! James started getting the birthing pool ready. In between contractions I was brushing my teeth and putting out all the birth supplies on our dining table. Aiven was sleeping peacefully in his room and we were going to have my Dad and Peggy come get him only if he woke up. Donnellyn got there at about 2:30 am and 2 of her students got there about 15 minutes later. I was so glad when she got there. Every time I had a contraction she would stop what she was doing and rub my back and talk me through it. I would just lean over a table or chair with my hands on the surface and sway back and forth – breathing and relaxing my body. If there was anything that looked tensed up, Donnellyn would point it out and tell me to relax it. It was so very helpful to relax through each contraction, allowing my body to do what it is supposed to. Once James was done filling up the birthing pool he was able to be there rubbing my back through each contraction.
At about 3am, Donnellyn took my vitals, listened to the baby’s heart beat and checked me – I was at 9 cm! She said I’d be having this baby soon and that was so exciting to hear! After that I got in the birthing pool which felt SO amazing!!
After I got in the pool I’m not 100% sure on all the timing but I don’t think I had very many contractions after that till I started feeling the need to push. Once I started wanting to push is when things got painful. I kept pushing through the contractions, thinking it was soon over only to have Donnellyn say that I need to bare down and get him down through my pelvis.
In between contractions I felt very relaxed and extremely tired – just wanting to sleep really. James was right there with me, holding me, kissing my forehead and telling me how much he loved me, how amazing I was doing and how we would soon be holding our baby boy…I couldn’t ask for anything more. Oh, and he also let me squeeze the crap out his arms :-) Best.Husband.Ever. Then I guess not too long after that he was crowning and I was pushing him out! It felt like I didn’t do that for too long and then he was being placed in my arms! During the stage of pushing him out that’s really all I was focused on. Yeah, it was painful, but my mind knew that he was almost here and all I needed to do was focus and push! Donnellyn was such a great coach, telling me how to breath, to vocalize in a low tone and not to waste a contraction by crying! I said “I can’t do this” only once and I think it was mostly to hear from them that I could do it and that I was doing it!
Once he was out and in my arms I felt so wonderful. I had done it and I was holding our sweet baby boy! He was born at 4:47am on Friday, January 18th – just about 3 ½ hours after contractions started! We stayed in the water for maybe 10 minutes, just soaking up our sweet baby boy! Hudson was pretty interested in what the heck just happened as well :-)
From there me and baby got up and wrapped ourselves in towels and went to our bedroom to lie down. Aiven slept through ALL of this (which is crazy because I was pretty darn vocal!) and didn’t wake up till he heard his baby brother cry for the first time :-) Baby boy latched on immediately after we got in bed. James went to get Aiven up to meet his baby brother. He looked so sleepy and confused but when he saw the baby, he kept saying “baby, baby” – it was so sweet.
Then baby and I both got in a herbal bath that they prepared in our bathtub. It was so nice and relaxing.
After that we went back to our bed and Donnellyn did the newborn exam right on our bed while James, Aiven and I lay there together watching – and Aiven eating cheese, haha. J He weighed 8.2 lbs. and was 21 ½ inches long. I was so shocked by how big he was since I was 2 weeks early – but good thing I was or I would’ve had like a 9-10 lb. baby!!
After the exam, at about 6:30am, my dad and Peggy arrived with breakfast! Once Donnellyn was done doing the newborn exam, taking my vitals, and the students were done cleaning up and emptying the birthing pool – we all piled in our room and Donnellyn prayed for our sweet baby boy. It was such a sweet moment and I felt so thankful and blessed.
Then they left by 7am! We all ate breakfast and then my dad and Peggy took Aiven with them so James and I could get some sleep :-) It took us until Sunday, but we finally named our baby boy – Carson Ray Faske. My dad had suggested the name a few weeks back and Ray is my Dads middle name. The birth of our son was so sweet and was everything we wanted. It went so smoothly and quickly, I couldn’t have asked for a better birth! Yes, it was painful, but so worth it knowing that, to me, I was doing the best I could for my baby and for myself. I loved being at home, because I felt so comfortable. I loved not having to pack up and get in a car during contractions! I loved holding my baby till his newborn exam and even then not being separated from him. I loved crawling into my own bed immediately after giving birth. I loved not feeling drugged during and afterwards, but being completely present in the birth of my son. I am so thankful that the Lord allowed me to have a vaginal home birth after having a c-section with Aiven. If we ever have another child, we will definitely plan to go this route again, Lord willing!

Carson Ray Faske

Friday, January 18th, 2013

4:47 AM

8.2 lbs.

21 1/2 inches

Thanks again to Holly for sharing her incredible birth story with us. Read more from my Trying for a VBAC series here.

Travel Guest Post: Adventure in the Holy Land with Nicole of Three 31

2013-05-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

While I'm enjoying a little maternity leave blog break, I've got a few awesome guest bloggers who'll be sharing their adventures with y'all. Today's travel guest post is brought to you by Nicole of Three 31. Enjoy!

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Hey BFOTD readers! My name is Nicole and I blog at Three 31 — connect with me on social media too! I am a sweet tea drinking, Jesus loving, country girl from Kentucky married to a Texan named Husband. (Well, that's not really his name but that's what I call him.) We live near Fort Worth on a small spread with a white horse named Blue. While I have never given birth to another human, I consider my eighth grade students (129 in all) to be my precious, annoying, and hormonal angel babies. When I'm not blogging or teaching language arts, I enjoy photography, cooking, target shooting, reading, mission and volunteer work, reality TV, and traveling. My most recent travel experience and passport stamp came from Israel where I toured the Holy Land.
If you have plans to visit the Holy Land, may I offer the following suggestions:

lose all expectations
become a dry sponge willing to soak up all the sights, sounds, and experiences
wear comfortable shoes + sunscreen
take your camera, extra batteries + memory cards too

In regards to expectations, it is important to remember that the Holy Land has endured battles, uproars, disagreements, wars, and power struggles for thousands of years. Modern ideals (i.e. religious law, gender roles, clothing, food, etc.) must respectfully take a backseat during your visit. I also suggest you dust off your history books and religious texts. According to tradition, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (also called the Church of the Resurrection) sits atop Golgotha (Calvary). Visitors can kneel at an elaborate altar and touch the stone believed to have held Jesus' cross. There is also a large stone slab in the Rotunda where Jesus' body was prepared for burial, the Anointed Stone. Once the tour group left the airport in Tel Aviv, we went to the coastal city of Jaffa, the oldest port in the world. According to the Bible, Jonah set sail from Jaffa before encountering the whale (or was it a fish?), and it was in Jaffa where Peter raised Tabitha from the dead. Inside most temples, cathedrals, and churches were the most beautiful tile mosaics I have ever seen. Along the Via Dolorosa, I saw this incredible mosaic (about 8-feet tall and 20-feet-wide) of Jesus carrying his cross. Every tile had to have been cut and polished by hand, then very carefully arranged to create this beautiful image. I'm still in awe. The hill of Mount Zion, the highest point in Old Jerusalem, is dominated by the Church of the Dormition (left photo, below). According to Christian tradition, it is the place where the Virgin Mary died. Nearby is The Upper Room, where Jesus washed his disciples' feet and served The Last Supper before being crucified, and King David's Tomb. The Church of Saint Peter in Gallicantu (right photo, below) is a stone's throw from The Upper Room, located on the lower east side of Mount Zion. This Roman Catholic Church takes its name from Peter's triple rejection of Jesus. The church has been rebuilt several times, the latest construction in 1931, and further connects Peter with the golden rooster on the roof. Inside are multiple underground caves and crypts. Some believe Jesus was imprisoned here. On the north side of the church is an ancient staircase that leads to the Kidron Valley and many Christians believe Jesus followed this path down to the Garden of Gethsemane. There were so many wonderful, magical moments on this trip. I had a blast following the footsteps of Jesus and visiting places important to his ministry. However, walking along the stone streets of Old Jerusalem put so much into context. I don't know if it was the conglomeration of three major religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) or the sense of old world charm in a bustling metropolis, but I loved every minute of it. Luckily, my tour group spent the last day of our pilgrimage in Jerusalem. We even shared Holy Communion in the Garden of the Empty Tomb. Even though the final day focused on the Via Dolorosa, I intentionally stayed at the back of the pack (like I normally do in large group settings) to capture lifestyle shots. Anybody can Google the places I've seen, but I wanted photos that captured the essence of the people who live and thrive inside the ancient city's walls. There were open-air markets and street vendors selling shawarma (meat prepared on a rotating spit), brightly colored scarves blowing in the breeze, a variety of candies and sweet treats displayed on tables, and more fresh produce than this country girl could ever imagine! It was truly a magical day, an unforgetable experience. More highlights of my Holy Land trip came from experiences with water. Where there is water, I usually find a way in ... literally! I
~~swam~~floated in the Dead Sea (which was so cool and made my skin feel AMAZING!) and another day I ate Saint Peter's fish (similar to tilapia) beside the Sea of Galilee (which is really a big lake and fresh water, not saltwater). After lunch, I snuck away from the group to dip my toes in the very chilly water. The large rocks provided perfect coverage for my secret mission. I was eventually discovered and joined the tour group on-board a cruising vessel. The skies were a perfect shade of blue, the water was calm, and the captain turned off the engines to play a soft melody of It Is Well With My Soul over the speakers. If you get the opportunity to sit atop a camel, just do it already! There were 54 adults standing and gawking, talking about how cool it would be to ride a camel, but nobody was willing to get on the furry animal until Yours Truly demonstrated it was perfectly safe. And no, Mister Camel did not spit or bite me.

I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe you learned a few things too. I'd love to visit Jerusalem and the Holy Land again sometime. Have you traveled to the Holy Land? The Middle East? What were your favorite spots? What other destinations are on your dream list? Someday, I want to travel to Africa and Asia.
Thanks so much for sharing your adventure with us, Nicole! I long to visit the Holy Land and see all the places I've read about since childhood.

Frugal Friday Guest Post: DIY Sugar Scrub

2013-05-17T20:50:00.000-05:00

For this week's Frugal Friday post, I'm excited to bring you a guest post from Michelle Pino of Skana Spa at Turning Stone Resort in upstate New York. Thanks so much for sharing your DIY sugar scrub recipe with us, Michelle! I think this scrub would make a perfect Mother's Day (or any day) gift. I personally love using sugar scrubs because they don't burn like a salt scrub, but still give killer exfoliation. Check out Michelle's recipe below.

Pampering yourself with a spa treatment is a luxurious experience any time of year. However, with the promise of summer temperatures just around the corner, spring is the perfect season to refresh the dull, dry skin that’s been hidden under winter outfits. While melting snow gives way to blooming landscapes, consider rejuvenating your skin with a DIY sugar scrub.

Sugar scrubs at our central New York spa offer a blend of natural ingredients that include organic herbs and essential oils designed to gently exfoliate dead skin cells and leave the body with soft, smooth skin. Now that it’s almost time to pack away those bulky sweaters and coats, you’ll want to anticipate looking fresh and sleek in shorts, sundresses and tank tops.

The good news is you don’t even have to leave your house to enjoy the revitalizing benefits of a sugar scrub and at the same time avoid costly spa treatments. A sugar scrub is simple to make and fun to personalize. Here’s a basic do it yourself scrub made with the following ingredients that are easily found in your pantry or the local health food store.

Ingredients:

1 cup white granulated sugar

½ cup sweet almond oil

4-6 drops of lemon essential oil

Preparation:

Blend the lemon essential oil with the almond oil. Slowly combine this with the sugar, adding more or less of the oil depending on the desired consistency. It’s best to avoid a scrub that is too “soupy”. This recipe can be modified to suit your mood and skin type by varying the ingredients you use.

You can experiment with brown sugar rather than the white for different exfoliating preferences. Sweet almond is an all purpose carrier oil that works for most skin types, but if your skin is mature or tends to be extra dry, you might replace it with more moisturizing oils such as avocado or sesame.

Lemon essential oil may be substituted with sweet orange, tangerine or grapefruit oil to add a cheerier note. Including lavender oil creates a more relaxing blend with a clean, floral scent, and using peppermint oil will provide a refreshing, energizing experience.

While showering and after cleansing, apply your scrub to the skin with gentle, circular motions followed by a thorough rinse. It’s best to avoid using this scrub on your face since it may be too abrasive for more sensitive, facial skin.

Thanks again to Michelle for sharing her spa wisdom with us! Do you ever DIY beauty products?

Totally Toddler Giveaway Hop ~ Enter to Win a $75 Credit to PatchPak!

2013-05-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the Totally Toddler Giveaway Hop! This event is hosted by Mommy's Favorite Things and Mama's Baby Cupcakes.

This hop is focused on items you'd want/need for a child ages 1-6 yrs old. After visiting my giveaway, make sure you use the linky below to take a look at the other 25+ blogs and see what they have to offer for you and your little one! Each blog has a minimum prize package of $25 per winner.

Also be sure to check out the Grand Prize featured on Mommy's Favorite Things blog. This grand prize package is sponsored by Pediped with 3 pair of shoes in gender and size of choice, and 2 Red Hens for a snack bag set and a Toy Nanny for a total value of just over $200 in prizes.

One lucky Bare Feet on the Dashboard reader will win a $75 credit to PatchPak to choose a backpack, lunch bag, or binder for their child.

You can read my full review of the PatchPak here. We received a youth size backpack to review, and it was a big hit with the Bear.

PatchPak products are well made, easily personalized, and perfect for toddlers through school age kids.

PatchPak products come in red, pink, blue, and green.

Retail Prices:

Youth Backpack - $32.99

Large Backpack - $39.99

Lunch Bag - $19.99

Binder - $24.99

Patches - $2.99

Each PatchPak product can be personalized with velcro patches your child can easily remove and replace on their own. There are endless possibilities for personalizing.

Personalize your child's PatchPak here.

Become a PatchPak fan on Facebook.

Follow PatchPak on Pinterest.

Add PatchPak on Google+.

Like what you see? Enter to win a $75 credit to PatchPak using the Rafflecopter form on this post. You don't need a Facebook page or a blog to enter, just an email address. Complete the mandatory entry to enter, and then as many optional entries as you choose to increase your chances of winning.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Bare Feet on the Dashboard, Mama's Baby Cupcakes, Mommy's Favorite Things and the Totally Toddler participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Frugal Friday Guest Post: Shopping at Farmers' Markets

2013-05-10T06:30:00.000-05:00

Today's Frugal Friday Guest Post is brought to you by Dede from Savings in Seconds. She is a busy mama loves to find ways to save time, money, and a bit of sanity. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Looking for a fun outing with the kids that won't break the bank? Need to stock up on some groceries? Head over to your local farmer's market and enjoy local, sustainable produce while giving your family a valuable lesson in budgeting. If you've never been to a farmer's market before, you are in for a real treat! If you're not a gardener, or if you haven't had the chance to get yours started yet, this is a great opportunity to get some fresh veggies at a rock-bottom price.

Find out where your farmer's market is located and write down the hours. We like to go on Saturday mornings because there are usually more vendors. Our local market is also open on Wednesdays. The traffic tends to be lower on those days, so it's a nice time to take a stroll around the area and really get to look at all the offerings. We like to go early in the morning, mostly because my kids wake up before sunrise. If you go later in the day, some vendors might be willing to part with their goods for less so they don't have to pack it all up. There are benefits to both scenarios....figure out what works best for your family.

Make sure you take cash to pay for your goods. I usually spend $10 per trip but I take extra in case I want to buy something unexpected. I also give each of my children $2 to spend. That is always enough for them to buy a drink and a snack at the market. If you don't want to spend that extra cash, be sure to pack a little snack bag for each child. Part of the reason that I want my kids to buy a snack while there is that they learn to prioritize their money. They enjoy walking around all of the tables, then making a decision about what to purchase. It's also a good opportunity for my kids to practice bargaining skills. Many a farmer is willing to take 25-cents less for a cucumber if asked politely.

Know what you want to buy in advance, and leave a little wiggle room for an impulse purchase. I typically need greens, tomatoes, and onions. Those are the veggies we'll use up in a day or two. We also like to buy meat from a certain vendor who always has fresh beef and sausage. The prices at the farmer's market are usually comparable to, if not lower than, the local grocery store. I also don't have to pay tax on my purchase, which is an extra savings. Fresh homemade breads and canned jams are also favorites. At the market where my sister-in-law lives, we always have to get a fresh fried doughnut dripping with homemade glaze. There's so much more than food at the market, though! Flowers, crafts, jewelry, and clothing are all available at our local market. It's fun to see what each table is selling. My kids love to see the unique creations at the tables, and I love that they are learning how talents can be productive.

Take a reusable tote with you. Most of the vendors will have plastic grocery bags, but why bother if you have a tote handy? It's also easier to take your haul into the house when it's all packed in one bag.

Be a regular. Find those vendors who have the best of what you want and visit them frequently. They'll treat you right! Going more often also allows you to purchase just what you'll use up so there's no waste. Visiting your local farmer's market is a terrific way to keep your dollars right in your hometown. You'll learn what varieties of foods grow best in your area, your children will have a chance to see "real farmers" and it's just FUN!

Thanks so much to Dede from Savings in Seconds for this Frugal Friday Guest Post. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Do you shop at your local Farmers' Market?

PatchPak Personalized Backpack Review - Totally Toddler Sponsor Spotlight

2013-05-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to review and share a brand new product with y'all today, Patchpaks! PatchPaks are personalized backpacks, lunch bags, and binders with removable patches perfect for toddlers up through school age kids. Thanks so much to the folks at PatchPak for providing us with a youth size PatchPak backpack to review. Next week we will bring y'all a PatchPak giveaway where one lucky reader will win a $75 credit to PatchPak as part of the Totally Toddler Giveaway Hop.

As you can see, the Bear uses his youth size PatchPak to haul around his favorite stuffed animals. He can put it on and take it off all by himself, which he loves.

So, how do the patches work?

You and your child select as many patches as you want when you order your PatchPak. We also got the smiley face and American flag as free bonus patches.

The patches make it possible to personalize each pack as much as you want to with no sewing, gluing or pinning.

Each patch has a velcro backing that sticks to the PatchPak with one touch. Your child can rearrange their patches as they choose. The Bear has had a lot of fun removing and replacing his patches. The one negative about this option is that the patches can get removed and not replaced. I've found a few under our couch and scattered around. We are working on putting the patches back on after he takes them off.

The patches stay put really well unless they are intentionally pulled off. A major plus I can see is that the interchangeable patches would make it really easy to transition this bag to another child by just ordering new patches.

The youth size PatchPak comes with 2 large pockets, with tons of room for storage.

Would I recommend this product? I think the packs are well made, and I love the idea of personalizing each pack for each individual child. Bear loves the patches and has a blast with them. This is not the most frugal backpack choice on the market for sure, but if your child likes to express their individuality, this is a great avenue for that. I love supporting family run businesses, so that is a bonus. Bottom line, this is a great product if there is room in your budget for a nice backpack or lunch bag.

PatchPak products come in red, pink, blue, and green.

Retail Prices:

Youth Backpack - $32.99

Large Backpack - $39.99

Lunch Bag - $19.99

Binder - $24.99

Patches - $2.99

Like what you see?

Come back next week (May 13-29) and enter to win a $75 credit from PatchPak.

Personalize your child's PatchPak here.

Become a PatchPak fan on Facebook.

Follow PatchPak on Pinterest.

Add PatchPak on Google+.

Which patches would your child choose?

Trying for a VBAC Guest Post: Josiah's Birth Story

2013-05-08T14:33:00.000-05:00

While I'm on a little bloggy maternity leave, I'll be featuring a few guest bloggers. As part of my Trying for a VBAC series, some of my guest posters will be sharing their own birth stories with y'all. Today's guest blogger is Andrea. Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful birth story with us, Andrea!

Andrea has been married to Tim for almost nine years, and together they are homeschooling parents to Lydia (6), Benjamin (3) and newbie Josiah. They also remember their son Jonathan in their hearts. Andrea has been interested in all things related to pregnancy, birth and motherhood since high school, and sometimes calls her first child "well-researched."

Here is my birth story, about 99% complete. Most of this story is from what I directly remember, but there are parts that I was told about afterwards, from my midwife and doula and a friend that was there, filling in the blanks when I was too out of it to fully realize what was going on. I don’t yet have my midwife’s written notes, but it’ll be a little while before I get those, and she and I have talked about the birth, so I’ve included those bits in here and am going to call it good for now.

I also mention my Christian faith a few times, so if that will offend you, just be aware that it is there and an important part of my life.

And the final disclaimer, this is my narrative story and should in no way be taken as medical advice.

The birth story of my fourth child starts with the birth of my third. Jonathan, my third baby, was an emergency c-section at 25 weeks because of complete placental abruption (which followed my premature rupture of membranes at 23 weeks). He was with us for 27 days before we lost him due to complications from an infection.

Even if Jonathan had lived, Tim (hubby) and I would not have felt that our family was complete at only three children, but now I was a complicated case. I was sneaking up on “advanced maternal age,” I was a hopeful VBAC, I had a history of a preterm birth (even though my first two births were nearly textbook). Tim and I consulted with several people to see when we could try to get pregnant again and still have a reasonably good chance at a VBAC. The delivering OB and another one both said we could try in three months (putting 12 months between the surgery and the next birth). Other opinions wanted us to wait 6 or 9 months. We decided to start trying at 4 months, never dreaming that we would get pregnant on the first try.

I have to admit that I was more than a little nervous at first. I’d read birth stories and talked to people who had a short time span between their c-section and their VBAC. I’d also talked to people who had a full-term VBAC after having a premature c-section. But all my searching came up mostly empty when I tried to find people who had both of these factors in the same pregnancy. I didn’t know what would happen.

I saw an OB for my whole pregnancy, taking P17 shots this time, and I saw an OB all the way up until the week before I delivered. I also saw my midwife for prenatal visits that last month (but had kept in contact with her throughout the pregnancy as well), unsure until the very end whether I wanted to go to the hospital or try for another homebirth. (My second child was a homebirth, and my third child was supposed to be a homebirth as well before my water broke so early and I had to transfer out of my midwife’s care.)

I was officially due on 12/27, and in the couple of weeks leading up to that, I'd been having fairly decent Braxton Hicks off and on for several weeks, very similar to the way it happened with Benjamin (my second baby, 3 years old at the time of this birth). My due date came and went. I was a VBAC this time, so I didn’t want to be induced. I just had to wait it out. I had an appointment scheduled for 1/2 for a NST and ultrasound since I would be turning 41 weeks the next day. Then if I made it to 42 weeks, the OB was recommending induction at that time (which I was agreeable to, but still praying that I wouldn't make it nearly that far).

With both of my other full-term labors, I had light bleeding throughout the whole active labor, so I kept waiting for that to show up to indicate that I was finally in real labor, but it never did. I also was waiting for a loose stool, which could indicate my body cleaning itself out in preparation for labor, but that never happened either. (I did, however, have two separate solid BMs during labor, once it finally started.)

On 12/28 and 12/29, I was losing teeny tiny pieces of my mucous plug, but nothing to make me say, "This is it!" I just kept monitoring it throughout the weekend, and it would come and go as the days passed. I had an appointment with my midwife on 12/28 and my blood pressure had spiked a little bit, and she said that it might be an indicator of labor starting soon. She estimated his size to be at about eight and a half pounds. She also made the comment that she likes doing baby-size estimates on women with my body type because it’s easy for her to be fairly accurate. The afternoon of that appointment, I made some eggplant Parmesan using a recipe that is "famous" for putting women into labor within 48 hours. A friend of mine had made it with one of her babies and had gone into labor that same night. I made the recipe, but it was deliciously ineffective for that first night and the second night.

On 12/30, I woke up having lost a lot more of my plug the night before. I was having contractions that could still be called BH, but they were coming close enough together for me to think that they could easily turn into something more later. I texted our doula to see what time she was going to be in church, and to give her a heads up about the plug and that something might be happening later on. Tim and the kids and I went to church as well, and were there from about 9:00 to 11:30, where I continued having contractions.

After church was done, I got Tim's attention and told him that he needed to get the kids in the car (i.e. don’t dawdle and visit with people) and that today was probably going to be the day. He grinned at me. :D One of our friends who was going to come to the birth to help with chores or whatever else we needed came up to me before I could get outside and asked if I was in labor, and said that when she saw me when we first got there that morning, that it looked like I was. I told her that I don't know but that she should come over after lunch. On the way home, I called our doula and our photographer and midwife and made plans to have them all come over at their various times that they could make it (from being out of town or whatever).

My midwife got to the house first and we talked about what was possibly going on, and I went ahead and had her check me, and I was at a 3, 50% effaced, and very squishy. My bag of waters was intact but she could feel the baby's head through it. He was floating, though. Since I was still in very early labor, my midwife stepped out to grab lunch with her hubby and then run another errand.

Throughout the afternoon, the rest of my "birth team" arrived, and we were lighthearted and chatty since my labor was also lighthearted. :P The birth supplies were assembled, but I couldn’t find the little hats that I had crocheted, so I spent a little time in early labor making one more hat, just to be sure we’d have one. I also had some music on with a portable stereo, and Benjamin was laying down on the floor, directly facing the speakers, singing the familiar church songs on the CDs that I had picked out. It was so heartwarming to watch him do that. Lydia (my first baby, 6 years old at the time of this birth) played games on various electronic devices (like our photographer's iPad and my Kindle). We eventually let Benjamin take a long nap, but Lydia stayed up the whole day and all the way through to the birth. At some point, we blew up the birth pool (but didn't put any water in it yet) and the kids were enthralled with their new "toy" and kept playing over the edges of it. At one point, they managed to flip the pool on top of themselves, creating an air-filled cage. :D

I got checked early in the afternoon when my midwife first got there, and I was at a 3, 50%, and very squishy. Since labor was still so light, she went to eat lunch with her hubby and run another errand. I gradually dilated to a 5, and at that check, my midwife was able to stretch me to a 6, but then I never dilated past that because my bag of waters was keeping the baby's head from putting direct pressure onto my cervix. (My midwives called it "bag of water dystocia.") I did a round of nipple stimulation, which helped the contractions get stronger and closer together, but it still wasn't enough to move the baby onto my cervix and finish dilating. She suggested maybe breaking my water in an hour or so if there's been no progress (and if baby was not posterior).

I wanted to go ahead and fill up the pool first, though, so we started to do that. When Tim and I had made preparations for this birth, we got a hose and some fittings to fit it onto the shower head, because our washing machine spout wasn’t easily accessible. We hadn’t run any water through the hose, though, and instead had just seen if it would screw onto the shower head prior to birth day. Once it came time to actually fill the tub, Tim had a little trouble getting the fittings tightened properly, and it kept leaking, so we had a lot of stop-and-starts when trying to fill the pool. He finally got the fittings finished and then turned on the water. About a minute later, he called down the hallway, “Here comes some water!” to make sure that someone was holding the hose at the other end. It was a humorously delayed warning, but someone had been holding the hose anyway, so everything was good.

I was in the pool for an hour or so, but the contractions slowed down, so I continued the nipple stimulation. They picked up, but again, not enough to do what they needed to do, so I got out and agreed to have my water broken. It felt like a gallon came out of me (but was really only about two cups), and it kept coming out in several spurts as I continued laying there, but as soon as she broke it, I was at an 8.5. She said that since I was so soft, it would probably be only an hour or so after she breaks my water and then the baby would be born. My amniotic fluid was meconium-stained, so it was yet another thing to keep an eye on during this birth. My doula had had a “streak” going where all of her clients had started labor with their water breaking, so I was glad to break her streak and have my water intact for so long. It took her some effort to break my water since my sac was so strong this time, which was such a change from my third pregnancy.

My contractions picked up in intensity, but not frequency, after my water was broken. I was back in the pool but couldn't get comfortable. I started vocalizing and screaming through the contractions, and at one point, they suggested that I go to the bathroom to get my full bladder out of the way (everyone had been giving me sips of Recharge and water throughout the day). I did that, and had a few contractions on the toilet and felt pushy. I wanted to get to the bed so they could check me, but I had to time it just right because the contractions were finally coming pretty close together.

I felt the contractions so low that it felt like they were running down the side of my thighs as well. It was quite the odd sensation. While still in the water, I started needing some counter pressure applied to my low back/hip area, which Tim did for me. He was amazing through my whole labor, just doing what I said I needed instead of what he thought I needed. :p Overall, I’m glad that I gave water a try, but I don’t know if I’ll do it again. It didn’t really feel like it was the “magical pain relief” that people have made it out to be.

I got to the bed and was checked, and I just had a lip that moved back and forth as the baby tried to find his way down. I was complete, but my cervix kept slightly shrinking back with the contractions. My midwife checked the position of his head, and he was asynclitic (with sort of a front "corner" of his head trying to come out first instead of the back of his head). She spent a few contractions trying to push the lip over his head and at the same time get him to rotate. Even with no water, there was room for him to do all that. Both of those techniques were incredibly painful. Throughout my contractions and especially during the pushing phase, my midwife never stopped praying for us, out loud. I greatly appreciated this as it helped keep ME focused on who was in control of the situation as well. Since I was GBS positive this time, they also gave me a chlorhexidine rinse every so often, which was cold! Brrr!

During an incredibly painful contraction, I asked if I could push, and they told me I could. Because of his presentation, I never did get the uncontrollable, “my body’s going to push whether I want it to or not” urge like I’d had with my other vaginal births. My midwife was inside me trying to show me where to push (but I had thought she was holding my lip out of the way), which was also pretty painful. She also was still trying to turn his head in between contractions to a better presentation, but then before the next contraction hit, he would turn right back. I couldn’t feel it, but Tim kept seeing the baby flip back over as he watched my belly. She told one of my friends later that I had a pelvis that could birth a 10-pound baby and that the baby just had too much room in there since he kept flipping back.

I was getting tired and weak by this point and kept saying and thinking, "I can't do it, I can't do it," over and over. But I was also aware enough to realize that his heart rate had gone down into the 90s and stayed there, so they were getting nervous about a possible cord problem. I gave it my all. They didn’t know what was causing the drop in heart rate, but my midwife knew from my previous birth records that I could push a baby out fast, so she wasn’t as worried as she might have been if I were a first-time mom or having my first vaginal birth. We didn’t have the luxury of taking an hour or more to push with that declining heart rate. Tim was trying to help me push better/faster/harder by yelling, “PUSH!” several times at me, with increasing volume, but that wasn’t helping and before it started to bother me too much, the midwives told him to stop.

At some point, I was on my hands and knees trying to get the baby to a better position, but that wasn’t working, so I ended up on my back. I have NEVER had a pushing phase hurt like this one did. I had various people giving counter pressure on all four limbs to give me traction. I wanted to scream from the pain, but I knew if I did, it would make my pushing less effective, so I tried to be quiet and just let all the energy go into my push. From Tim's point of view, there was one point where a big portion of the head was visible, but then when I stopped pushing, it slipped back. At one point, they invited me to feel his head, and based on the pain I’d been feeling, I thought I was going to feel a huge portion of it, but it ended up feeling only like a half-dollar-sized amount of head. The video is a little blurry because of the low lighting, but it ended up actually being a significant portion of head that I was feeling and not just a tiny little bit.

When the head finally came out all the way, he was looking down towards my left leg. Before the shoulders came out, he rotated clockwise, looking directly at my left leg, then up to the ceiling, then finally straight over at my right leg, and THEN the shoulders came out.

He was neither breathing nor trying to (but did still have a pulse, which my midwife monitored with her fingers on his chest while they worked on him to get him breathing). They kept him right at my feet where he had come out while they worked on him, leaving the cord intact. They suctioned him (getting a lot of watery blood out when they did this) and gave him oxygen. His one-minute APGAR score was only a 6 (but his five-minute one was 9). My friend told me that my midwife was crying at one point. After quite a bit of suctioning and some oxygen, he got a tiny spot of pink on his head which nearly immediately spread to his whole body, replacing the purple that he had been upon first arriving. He started crying and they put him on my chest. His cord (which was two feet long) ended up being wrapped around one of his feet, but that was the only place it was wrapped. And remember that 8.5-pound estimate from a couple days prior? The first thing I noticed when they laid him on me was how dense and heavy he felt. This baby was not an 8.5-pound baby. When we finally got around to weighing him, he was 9 pounds and 6 ounces, my heaviest baby so far.

Another thing I noticed about him was that he had absolutely NO vernix on him, not even in his little neck folds or anything. He was a very well-cooked baby. :D I cut the cord this time, and was surprised that I had the strength to do that since I didn’t even have the strength left to fully lift my head to see where to cut, and had to rely on others to move my hand into the proper position. And 36 or so hours after the birth, I had a sudden realization, “Oh, yeah, I cut the cord this time,” like I’d forgotten that I did it. The assistant midwife and my friend were looking at the placenta later, and that midwife pointed out the few calcification spots in there and said that it wasn’t a “bad” placenta, but it was definitely done and time for the baby to have been born.

One more thing I noticed was a “scratch” on his abdomen that looked like there had been a cat inside me with him that gave him a good clawing. It ended up being just a weird arrangement of dried blood, though, and came off in the bath, revealing smooth and unblemished baby skin.

Sometime earlier while I was still in the birth pool, I was nauseous, and threw up all the fluids I'd taken in in the previous hour or so. They wanted me to keep taking more fluids, so I kept trying, but the nausea never went away, and I also threw up all those additional fluids along with the few bites of eggs that I'd tried to eat as my first postpartum meal. This loss of fluids combined with the loss of blood made me incredibly weak and lightheaded, and I came very close to passing out many times, and actually did pass out once, later, after my herbal bath. Baby was born at about 2:24 a.m. and it wasn't until noon that I finally felt able to walk a few steps by myself and got my appetite back. I didn't even try to carry the baby before then, either, because I felt that bad, and instead just kept him near me in the bed and had Tim change all the diapers. And even after feeling better, I still had another few sporadic incidents of lightheadedness where I had to stop and bend over, and these incidents reminded me even apart from bleeding intensity that I needed to get back into bed or into a semi-reclining position.

It was a little while before I delivered the placenta. They kept checking to see if it was ready to come out or where it was. I had lost a lot of blood beforehand and they were wanting to make sure I didn’t have a bunch behind the placenta as well. When it was finally ready to come out, I didn’t want to push it out since the baby had been such an effort. But everyone reminded me that the placenta had no bones, lol, and I pushed it out and that was that.

He nursed very well, once we finally got around to it. It ended up being about an hour and a half after the birth before we were able to successfully latch. From the loss of blood and fluid, I was too weak to do it lying down (though I did try with what little strength I had) and too weak to sit up without help. I was also too out of it mentally to ask for help sitting up and to realize how much time was actually passing.

When we finally did sit up, my midwife asked us if we were going to circumcise him, and we said no. She said “Yay,” but I didn’t quite understand what she said, and she had a weird look on her face and said it in a weird tone of voice. I thought that she was upset at our decision until I asked her to repeat herself. Tim and I had had that discussion while pregnant with Benjamin and had left him intact as well.

I did not tear at all, but I had some bruising. It felt like I had been trying to climb out of an above-ground pool but that I was repeatedly dropped on the edge of the pool, with one leg in and one leg out. In addition, I was swollen so much that I couldn’t pee within the time that my midwives wanted me to (even with the assistance of some peppermint oil), so they did end up cath-ing me. After that, the assistant went home but my primary stayed and dozed on the couch and wanted me to try to pee again after an hour and a half or so. I was keeping fluids down again by then so I thought I might be able to go when it was time, and I did, and didn’t have any further issues in that regard.

They offered an herbal bath for me and the baby afterwards (and they also thought I might try to pee in the bath as well, but that didn’t work either), which I took, but I got increasingly lightheaded during that, and hindsight said that they probably should have skipped it. I had to have a ton of assistance walking just to the door of the bathroom, then they had me sit in our wheeled office chair to wheel me to the bed, and I think I might have passed out for half a second. I remember sitting down in the chair, then the next thing I know, they were calling my name and I realized I was leaning on the door jamb with my eyes closed. I woke up from whatever state I was in, and then they wheeled me across the hallway and to the side of the bed.

Baby is a champion nurser. He latches beautifully and just knows exactly what to do, as if he's been waiting his whole life for it. :) He had a bit of a "click" that first day or so, and after some investigating, I found out that he was turning in his bottom lip instead of turning it out, so I’m working to help him develop a better habit there. Other than that, he is a great nurser, easily handling my gigantic letdown. At three days postpartum, he was two ounces under his birth weight, but at five days old, he was two ounces over his birth weight.

Tim changed all the diapers that first day, including the first meconium diaper, which had a HUGE pile in it for him. Tim made the comment of "nothing wrong with that system," lol.

He smiled in his sleep within the first few hours, and then on Tuesday (I’m still wondering what happened to most of the rest of Monday), I saw him smile while he was awake and in a quiet alert phase. :)

One odd thing I noticed early postpartum with myself is that my uterus seemed almost cylindrical when it was freshly empty, instead of shrinking in a rounder fashion. My midwife mentioned this to me at my postpartum visit and said that she and the assistant midwife had noticed the odd shape even from when they broke my water. I don’t remember the shape of my postpartum uterus with my pre-c-section births being anything remarkable like that.

The kids just love him to bits. Benjamin was sleeping when Josiah was born, and when he woke up this morning, I was in the bed and I asked him where my baby is. He indicated my now-shrunken tummy and said, "In your tummy." I told him that he came out, and Tim helped him climb onto the bed so he could see the baby. Benjamin promptly squished him in a hug and said that "he's sleeping" and gently touched his tiny hands. :) Lydia was still awake for the birth, and when he came out, she said that he was "so cute." :D A good friend of ours took our kids for the first 36-ish hours after birth, so that was nice, since one of the things that first made me consider a hospital birth this time was the postpartum stay without having my big kids around. :)

We sort of have a “theme” going on with our names and our kids’ names – three-syllable names from the Bible. (My name is Andrea, which is the feminine form of Andrew, so I’m counting my name as a Bible name as well.) Then Tim is legally Timothy, and there’s Lydia, Benjamin and Jonathan. What WERE we going to name this baby, to keep with our theme? We chose the name Josiah Nathan, which means, “God has healed, God has given.” We couldn’t think of a more appropriate name and are just so happy that he is finally here.

What an incredibly beautiful birth story God wrote for Andrea and her family. Thanks so much for sharing Josiah's story with us, Andrea. You can find more from my Trying for a VBAC series here.

Welcome to the World, Eleanor Pearl!

2013-05-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Our family is delighted to announce the arrival of our beautiful daughter, Eleanor Pearl Eby.

Our sweet baby girl arrived on Monday, April 22nd at 3:56 pm.

She weighed 7 lbs 14 oz at birth and was 20 inches long.

She is amazing and perfect and we are so in love.

These past two weeks have been filled with lots of snuggling,

mama milk, family, and learning to be a family of four.

My parents came to stay with us the first week, and we would

have been lost without them. The Bear asks for Dede and Poppy

every day at least twice a day.

We had a successful all natural VBAC birth, and Ellie Pearl and I are both healthy and happy. If you are a c-section mama considering VBAC, it is totally worth it in my opinion. You can read our Trying for a VBAC blog series here, and I'll post more of our birth story soon.

Ellie and I are getting into the groove of nursing, but she had a severe tongue tie that made it difficult at first. We've had to have it clipped twice, because the first time didn't go far enough. Hopefully this will enable us to have a long and healthy breastfeeding relationship and will prevent any speech difficulties as she gets older.

Her tiny hand in mine melts my heart like nothing else.

My youngest brother, Matt, drove 6 hours each way to come and meet his niece. The Bear asks for him daily as well since he went back home.

She loves skin to skin snuggles with Daddy.

Here we are ready to go home from the hospital.

We are so thankful to the Lord for the safe arrival of our sweet baby girl, Ellie Pearl.

Frugal Friday Guest Post: Homemade Fruit Roll Ups

2013-05-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today's Frugal Friday Guest Post is brought to you by Talya from Grace Grits and Gardening. She's teaching us how to make Homemade Fruit Roll Ups. Take it away, Talya.

Fruit Roll-ups were a staple snack in our house when the kids were young. Fun for them and quick for me! Plus, I admit it, I liked to eat them too.

I recently tried my hand at making homemade fruit roll-ups. They were extremely easy, healthy and tasty.

Ingredients

3 cups strawberries (or whatever is on sale)

1 tablespoon honey (if your strawberries are sweet enough, no honey needed)

Method

Puree strawberries and honey in blender or food processor.

Cover cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Pour the fruit puree over the plastic, leaving space around the edges.

Bake at 170 degrees for 6-8 hours (depending on your oven). It takes a long time for the fruit to dry out, but don't worry, the oven is not hot enough to melt the plastic wrap.

When dried and cooled (much like leather), peel the fruit away from the plastic and place it over a sheet of parchment paper.

Cut the fruit and paper into strips and roll them up.

Store in a plastic bag. They will not last long...

Thanks so much to Talya for sharing her fruit roll up wisdom with us. Talya lives in East Dallas and blogs about gardening, cooking, farming and life in general at her blog Grace Grits and Gardening. She also blogs for the Lakewood-East Dallas Advocate and provides a monthly guest blog post at Inspiration Café.

Follow her on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/TateFarmGirl/

and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/GraceGrits.

What's your favorite homemade snack?

Baby Bloom Blog Event: Graco FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect Review

2013-05-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Graco. All opinions are my own and as always I only write about products I would personally recommend to a friend. Thanks so much to Graco for the opportunity to review this jogging stroller and car seat.

Graco's latest development in jogging strollers is the super easy to use FastAction Fold Jogger Click Connect. The name is more complicated than operating this stroller, I promise. True to its name, the jogger folds and unfolds in one step in one second. Amazing. If you've tried to manhandle your share of bulky strollers, you know this is a big deal.

The jogger is compatible with all Graco Click Connect car seats for those new babies who aren't ready to use the 5 or 3 point harness in the seat. Once kiddos are bigger, the seat has multiple reclining positions to make sure your wee one is always comfortable. The Bear tried it out on a jog with Daddy, and the ride is super smooth.

The snack tray removes completely so you can clean it well. Y'all know those things get NASTY fast and are so hard to clean when you can't remove them.

When you fold the jogger (in one step, in one second) it automatically locks and stands and stores upright. As you can see it is much less bulky than some competitors and is a great option for families with small cargo spaces or storage issues.

Favorite Features: the double cupholders, smart phone cradle, and reflectors for night time and early morning safety. What can I say, I'm a details kind of girl. Our previous jogging stroller did not have any of these features, and the cupholder and phone thing was an issue for me. If there is an emergency, I don't want to have to dig through the basket under the stroller to find my phone.
Least Favorite Feature: the air filled tires. They provide a smoother ride than hard tires, but can also go flat requiring more maintenance.

This jogger is a winner for me because of the cost vs. value. The jogger retails for $179, and the complete travel system retails for $299. A quality jogging stroller for less than $200 is a frugal deal in my book. Competitive brands retail for at least double that.

This post is part of my Baby Bloom Blog Event series. Check out the other Baby Bloom posts here.

Graco’s NEW jogger is the ultimate crossover stroller, combining all the comfort and convenience features of a traditional stroller (FastAction Fold and Click Connect Technology) with performance and maneuverability of an all-terrain jogger.

As an added bonus, Graco’s innovative one-second, one-hand FastAction™ fold automatically locks & is self-standing.

This post is sponsored by the Graco.

**Thanks to Julie Harding Photography for the use of photos from the Dallas Graco Party.