This week we’ve marked all of our bumGenius cloth diapers and Diaper Sprayer down 10%!

bumGenius 4.0 One-Size Cloth Diapers

$16.16

Econobum One Size Cloth Diaper

$8.96

Flip Stay Dry One-Size Diaper

$15.26

bumGenius Diaper Sprayer

$40.46

Do you have a blog? Would you like to partner up with us in our “get a leg up” promotion?

We are looking to partner with 20 blogs, offering each blogger a pair of BabyLegs in exchange for adding just 2 hyperlinks to their blog. It’s easy, it’s fast, it’s fun. Want in?

Click here to fill out our super short 4 question survey to get started!

Here is a peek at some of the great deals to be had:

[bump] Daddy Tee’s

$55.95 $50.36

Good Daddies are Hot! Tee by Preggers n’ Proud

$30.00 $13.99

Pink Axle Edgy Soft Caps

$19.99 $10.50

Baby K’tan Baby Carrier

$69.99 $62.91

Julian & Co Cuff Links for Dad

$106.95 $96.25

My first impression of this phone was that it felt light and easy to hold in my hand.  I could easily talk on this phone for hours if needed (but trust me I don’t do that because I have four little ones that seem to sense mom’s distraction the moment I touch a phone and unpleasant things can happen in a short amount of time!).

The initial setup was very easy to go through and within a few minutes I was ready to make calls.  I’ve never used a Windows phone before (my regular cell phone is an iphone) so it took a few minutes to learn where everything was located but Windows has done a great job of simplifying the user interface so you have quick and easy access to the apps you use the most.

I found the phone to be quick and I didn’t experience delays when navigating around.  The touch sensitivity was sensitive enough that I didn’t find myself pushing hard on the screen or having to redo motions because it didn’t register.   The phone has three main navigation buttons on the front;  a back button, home button, and search button.  I really like the back button as it works in all the apps and in navigating the Windows screens.

The Nokia comes with a HD lens for taking 5 Megapixel high quality photos and 720p video.  In good light the photos and video come out great.  The biggest problem is when working with limited light.  The camera has a hard time focusing and figuring out the best saturation level to give you the best picture.  It does have a built in flash which makes taking pictures in zero light still possible.  Overall the camera is good enough for daily use.

The phone comes with some pre-installed apps.  For example the social app called People is great because it organizes all your social media outlets (facebook, twitter, etc…) in one hub making it easy to get the latest information at the touch of a finger and without the need to browse different apps.

My favorite app is the Nokia Drive, which is exclusive to the Nokia phone.  Its easy to use interface gives you turn by turn directions which are easy to understand.  Even in rural areas like Northern Idaho, I found the maps to be detailed and up to date.

The only issue I had with the phone was with finding and installing apps.  There is a section called App Highlights but it only gives you access to a few of the most popular apps available.  In order to access all the rest of them you need to use a computer to log into Microsofts App website to find and purchase apps.  From there they are sent to your phone.  I don’t like the fact that a smartphone requires a separate computer in order to access all the available apps for it.  UPDATE: I was contacted by the company and informed that “you can access and download apps directly on your device (without using a computer). Tap on the Marketplace icon – it has a shopping bag image. Or you can find it under the app list. From there, you can search and download apps.”

Overall the Nokia Lumia 710 is a well built and easy to use phone.   Having a built in HD camera allows you to keep your purse/pockets free from having to carry around an additional device.  Microsoft has done a good job with the Windows mobile OS giving users a great alternative to the iPhone.
What about you, what kind of phone do you have and do you like it?

Would you like to win a Nokia Lumia 710 for yourself (or a friend)? If so, simply follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below.  We will choose the winner next Monday the 28th and you have several ways to enter (including a daily twitter option).  Please note that you can only view the Rafflecopter form if you are on the blog so if you are reading this post via email you will need to click over to the live site).  The winner must be a US resident and a T-mobile customer or be willing to switch over to T-mobile’s service.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We are excited to announce two new products by Belly Bandit, and we are offering them at 15% off this week!

Belly Bandit BFF

$79.98 $67.98

Our new revolutionary band is being described by many women as their “BFF”. While it will become your very best friend for 6-8 weeks after you deliver, the B.F.F. also stands for Body Formulated Fit. Click here to learn more.

Upsie Belly

$79.90 $67.91

Belly Bandit Upsie Belly provides immediate relief, making it easier to increase your range of motion and daily activity throughout your pregnancy. Click here to learn more!

We’ve also marked all Belly Bandit Abdominal Compression Binders down 25% this week!

Belly Bandit Abdominal Compression Binder

$59.90 – $74.90 $44.92 – $59.92

The one-of-a-kind post pregnancy Original Belly Bandit was created especially for a woman’s post pregnant body. This basic uncovered version is the one that started the craze! Simple, effective and all together cute! Click here to read more!

When we set out on our parenting journey we were very set on the idea of 2 children.  Then we had our first baby.  We were completely smitten and knew two just wouldn’t be enough for us. Twenty months later we welcomed our second child. And even in the moments immediately following her birth, I knew I wanted to do it all over again.  And just over two years later we welcomed our third little one.

Once we decided that we definitely wanted more than two children, we never landed on a definite number that we were working towards.  We always felt like we’d just kinda know when it was time to be done.   And let me just say, adding in baby #3, rocked.my.world. And for the first time since I began havin’ babies, I started thinking that I wanted to be done.  In fact, my first words following his birth were, ” I never have to do this ever again!” It took me about 18 months to regain my footing, but once again that all too familiar longing for a sweet new babe slowly began to return.

It’s been 2.5 years since the birth of my youngest, and I find myself smack dab in the middle of a very different season.  My maternity clothes have found their way to the attic. My baby wearing gear is no longer needed.  And diapers are a thing of the past…can’t say that I’m too sad about that one : ) We haven’t officially decided that we are ‘done’, but  given our previous track record, it sure does feel like it.  My husband and I are in agreement that we’d love to have another baby someday, but we are both very confident that this just isn’t the right time.  And yet, for the past year I’ve been secretly hoping that God would chose to bestow us with a little, unexpected blessing.

And I’ve found myself in this land of limbo.  Hoping that maybe just maybe ‘this’ would happen even though it wasn’t in our plans.  But I’ve recently realized that in that hoping, I’ve been holding tightly to my past season, and fighting to embrace my current season. And I know that a large part of that is the fact that my present season is just.plain.hard. I feel lost and unprepared.  My confidence is greatly shaken.  But having babies?  That’s old hat for me.  I’ve got that season down.  Let’s go back there.

I recently had a moment of revelation while shopping at a local thrift store.  Isn’t it funny the way God chooses to speak to us sometimes?  I was quickly thumbing through some summer dresses, when I stopped on the most adorable maternity sun dress.  I paused and held the dress in my hand, and for just a moment I let myself  ‘go there’.  And ever so softly, I heard a whisper in my heart, You’ve got to let that season go. Tears sprung to my eyes, and I knew there was deep truth rooted in those words.

From that simple little moment in the thrift store, I became inspired to stop looking back and start moving forward, even if it hurts. That meant getting rid of all those maternity clothes and baby clothes I had been holding onto ‘just in case’.  It also meant embracing my current season, even though it’s not where I want to be.  And currently that looks like: finding ways to deal with the stress, grabbing onto every resource that I am led to, and being real and open about my struggles.

I want to encourage you today.  Whatever season you are in… Embrace it. Own it. Live it.  And ask God to bless it…I’m pretty sure he will : )

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

Melody Gross is a Jesus lovin’ wife and mama. Her days are filled with chasing after her rambunctious brood of little people. She blogs about their wild and crazy antics at They Call Me Mama.

My initial plan had been to let the kids use finger paint to create a painting on scrapbooking paper (or any paper that is acid free so that it won’t yellow over time) and then to let it dry and frame it for the wall.  However the homemade finger paint that I attempted to use was too thick I came up with a “plan B”.  I went to Target and purchased a frame with a mat.  I opened up the frame, removed the mat and allowed them to paint it any way that they wanted to with their crayola paints.  It was fun to see how great they both turned out even though they were so different!

We allowed the mat to dry and then I marked it with their name and date.  Then I chose a recent photo of them and placed it in the mat and put it back in the frame.  The end result turned out really awesome.  I love that I have both a personal art piece but I also see how old they were at the time that they created it!  I decided that they turned out so well that I purchased another frame for them to paint as a gift for my moms birthday.  An idea like this could also be fun as a class gift to a teacher (each child could add a few fingerprints or brushstrokes) with the class photo enclosed.  If you have additional ideas, please share and feel free to pin this post on Pinterest!

Yet that is not what God does, he seems to like it.

God can create things out of dust. Adam for instance was crafted out dust (Genesis 2:7).  The pinacle of all creation came from what I try to keep out of my home.

God can heal using dust. A blind man was gifted sight when Jesus applied a mud mask to his eyes (John 9:6).

God can convict hearts in the dust. After drawing in the ground, Pharisees dropped their stones and left the woman caught in adultery standing with no one left to convict her (John 8:6).

I recently heard the song “Beautiful Things” by Gungor for the first time (if you are on my blog now you can click over on the playlist in the lower right to song #1 to hear it).  The lyrics go like this:

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new
You are making me new

My life is dusty.  Today I am reflecting and remembering.  Four years ago today our fourth child Sawyer was born still into our lives and just as silently it often feels that he was swept away like dust.  Yet in true fashion God redeems, he restores, he rebuilds.

For those who love God, a groundbreaking promise is made: “All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose.”

This verse has been my mantra all year.  I continue to remind myself of his promise when I am discouraged, when I am sad, when I am angry or frustrated.  I lift my dirty hands to the sky and ask the Lord to do what he has already said he will do: create something beautiful from the dust.

Do you love God?  Are you called according to his purpose? On this day as I reflect on the promise of God, I invite you to enter into it.  I welcome you to stand in the dusty chaos with the full assurance of a promise that a garden is being planted that will yield good things, beautiful things.  I encourage you to call out to Jesus and ask him to be YOUR God.

He will make you new.

I am a firm believer that we were all created uniquely and as such we have have a special story to share with others.  Our newest contributing blogger, Jackie McCobb, is no exception.  While she could easily be the mom that you connect to at your local MOPS group, her local group of moms is practically a world away from us here in the United States.  In fact she has been exploring the world since she was 8 months old with her missionary parents!  Traveling experiences are just one of the things that drew me to Jackie (did you know I have visited every continent except Australia and Antartica?)  I am fascinated to hear what life is like for a mother living in another country.  I believe Jackie’s broad bank of experiences and love for Jesus will be deposited directly into our hearts and we will all be the richer for it.

Hola! My name is Jackie McCobb and my family and I live in the wonderful country of Paraguay. We are church planting missionaries and have lived here for 6 years. We absolutely love it! I have three sweet little girls, each one born in a different country, we have moved around a lot. I have many stories to tell about all of my globe-trotting (I grew up in the Amazon jungle of Venezuela, for example) so  hang around and let’s get to know each other.

I’ve been wracking my brain all day trying to thing about what to write here for my first post. Heather, who is a sweet as pie, told me I could write whatever I wanted. Should I write about how to be frugal in South America? (Hint: It includes eating a lot of bean recipes.) Should I write about the challenges and joys of homeschooling overseas? Should I write about the books I’m currently reading?  I couldn’t decide.

I finally decided to be very real with you all.

Today was looooong and icky. It was not my finest day as a mother.

My children ate chocolate boxed cereal for breakfast, chocolate bunnies for snack, ice cream, lemon bars, and lollipops.

I overcooked the spaghetti for dinner.

We barely made it through school with the first grader and when the preschooler excitedly asked to do her school I quickly shut her down and sent her out of the room.

The toddler was grumpy, I spent way too much time on Facebook, did not read my Bible today and finally, finally got a shower.

The children watched about five Pixar movies.

The pile of dishes in the sink is huge and it’s gonna stay that way.

I was feeling pretty down about myself. I know better than this. Why did I let myself sleep in? Days seem to go horribly wrong when I sleep in. Why don’t I make time to exercise? No wonder I’m pouting! Why don’t I make and freeze a bunch of muffins so I’m not feeding my kids sugar for breakfast? And on and on and on…and then I remembered why.

I’m dust.

Psalm 103:14 says “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.”

God gets it. He knows why I fall flat on my face every day. I’m dust.

How is this so comforting? I’ll tell you why…we don’t expect much to happen with dust and dirt. It’s messy and can sometimes be quite a pain.

But isn’t comforting when we remember that God knows this? He is not expecting BIG things from us. He is not expecting perfection. He knows me. He knows I’m just dust.But dust and dirt can help things grow. And in all of my messiness today, God in His mercy and grace took it, transformed it and helped my children grow.Tomorrow is another day and it may be just as “dusty,” but I will keep trying to do my best, not because I could ever be good enough, but because He is good.I will end with this with a  true story a missionary friend told me.A missionary family had just arrived in the USA from their foreign field of work. They were attending their first church meeting and were so excited because it would be in English! The four year old son of the missionary was sitting next to his mother quietly. The pastor of the church got up to pray and said, “Lord, we thank you for your  Holiness. We thank you for saving us. We are so grateful to know that You remember that we are but dust….” and at that the four year old son of the missionary said, in a very loud voice, “Mommy…WHAT is BUTT DUST???”

Ah, missionary kids. You gotta love ‘em!

Here is what I came up with:

-Take a curtain rod and mount it to the wall.
-Use curtain clips on the rod to suspend the artwork.

The beauty of this plan was that not only was it easy to do but I was able to repurpose an unused curtain rod and clips from my garage!

Before:

After:

I know there are a pletora of wonderful ideas for storing kid’s artwork.  If you have a favorite idea I would love for you to share in the comments or on our facebook page!  if you liked this idea, consider pinning this post on Pinterest!

For some more ideas:

7 steps to organizing your children’s art

4 steps to creating an art wall in your home

Artwork worth framing

How we remember and repurpose children’s artwork from Simple Organic