It’s time again for Mommy and Me Monday. Pop out from behind that camera and capture yourself in action with your kids.  Check out the inaugural Mommy and Me Monday for more information.

I don't win things very often, but Friday, I got an email that we won some Imagination Movers tickets. We did some schedule rearranging, and nap missing and made our way over to the Cobb Energy Centre (which is a great venue...nobody bombarded us to buy $15 cotton candy or a $10 balloon...in fact, we didn't even see anything to purchase.)

We were getting ready to get our "jam" on so daddy got a picture of his girls. 

The concert was really good. They actually covered some popular songs (and cleaned them up, like Blink 182 and Coldplay) and kept it good for parents and kids. The kids were dancing all over the place and interacting with the Movers who actually came into the audience all the time.

My sweet E along with the rest of us had quite a day (with a kindergarten "graduation" ceremony in the morning), she slept during the entire concert (most of which I had my hands over her little ears). She's my little snuggle bug.

Sunday we went to an indoor play center (thanks Karen for the picture) and learned about a new reader app. E was actually out of her wrap and hanging out. She was giving sweet smiles until the camera came out.

Next Monday is Memorial Day, so I hope you spend the long weekend with your families and make sure to get a picture of you with your kiddos. 

<center><a href="http://www.reallyareyouserious.com"><img alt="Mommy and Me Monday at Really, Are You Serious?" src="http://www.reallyareyouserious.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Mommy-and-Me-Monday-Button-125.png"></a></center> <center>Hosted by <a href="http://www.reallyareyouserious.com" target="_blank">Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?</a></center>

**There really is only one requirement here, a picture of you and your baby or babies; your children, your “baby” (ie significant other) or even your fur babies.  If your picture doesn’t feature you (meaning you must be in the picture), I will have to delete your link.  It’s not fair to the others that follow the rules.**

I try to make sure and visit all of you and leave some comment love.  Please spread the love!  And, I never mind the comments, either:)

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If you follow me on instagram (@SeriousKrystyn), I know you've seen these, but well, you all don't, so here you go. I'm not being original. Many of my blog friend do a phone dump and put it into a collage.

I'm sure most of them do it way more efficiently than I did, but alas, here's the last week's worth.

Smiles from a happy baby with a squinty eye just like daddy ~ Sisters watching tv waiting for their baby sister to finish eating so they can go to school ~ Cuddles with mommy ~ Kisses from mommy ~ View from the kitchen: swinging sisters while Big is reading Bible stories to the Middle ~ Middle wanted a kiwi; she got one, a cutting board and a plastic knife and started getting it ready ~ Mother's Day present: puzzle ~ Tea party remnants in the bathroom ~ Kindle reading while rocking the babe ~ Sweet, soft, delicate little hands ~ Happy smiles for three months ~ More snuggles with mommy (I can't get enough) ~ Calm, cool and collected after breakfast ~ Heading out to get the bigs from school

Whew! Well, what can I say, we snuggle a lot. I've got one more week of the girls in school and I know those snuggles are going to be few and far between. Maybe I can convince them to all snuggle with me?

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Our grocery budget is $80/week. Crazy right? 5 people (well, 4 and one that only gets breastmilk)....and we keep within our budget because we use cash (we do purchase our ground beef and chicken separately). We do this by shopping at ALDI.

I have to admit, when a friend told me she shopped there, I was shocked. I thought that ALDI was a store where they sold "seconds" items. I couldn't be further from the truth. With the exception of one or two things we've purchased, everything is awesome. ALDI exclusive brands are manufactured by many of the nation’s leading food producers, and in the ALDI test kitchen, ALDI ensures that products meet or exceed the quality and taste of the national name brands. And, if you do have a problem, all ALDI food products are backed by a Double Guarantee: If for any reason a customer is not 100 percent satisfied with any ALDI food product, ALDI will gladly replace the product and refund the purchase price. 

Along with a couple other media, I went and had a tour with the ALDI people of one of the newest ALDI locations in Atlanta. I was so surprised at how much they think of everything.

• Ergonomic chairs for cashiers
• UPC codes all over packages so the cashiers don't have struggle with scanning
• A great starting pay and benefits
• Concern about costs at every corner (from flooring to HVAC to shelving and more).

Just an example of the savings while I was there. Avocados were $0.59. They were over $1.00 at another local store. Take a look at the chocolate pricing. Most of it imported and over half the price of other stores.

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When I was first researching cloth diapers and deciding to use them, I wanted to make sure I knew what I was getting into. One of those things I researched was the washing routines and detergents. It seemed a little daunting at first, but I kept researching. Over and over, I saw people saying how much they loved EcoSprout, so I had to check it out.

The first thing I noticed is that it is created by a work-at-home-dad who wanted something natural and safe for his cloth diapers. They list their ingredients right on the site:  Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate, natural water softeners, sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, natural & biodegradable surfactants. (Natural fragrance in our scented formulas only).

You can purchase it in three sizes;  24, 48 and 96 oz. and it comes in unscented (in the buff) as well as green tea, lilac breeze, ocean blue, sandalwood vanilla, lavender chamomile, warm vanilla sugar and fresh linen. They are very lightly scented with the subtlest of natural oils. It comes in a super cute little bag with a plastic zippered pouch with the detergent inside. As soon as I opened the box it came in I could smell it. Yum! But, when I washed with it, I never noticed a smell on my diapers.

They recommend doing a soak first when switching to EcoSprout, and then using the following as an average guideline for washing. They even include this chart and directions in the package so you don't have to get on the computer to figure it out.

** The above chart is the recommended amount of detergent for an average size load of diapers (15-20 diapers). If you are washing a smaller or larger load, you can adjust the amount of detergent accordingly.

When I first started with the detergent, I did the soak. I think I had a lot of build up from a previous detergent because there were tons of bubbles. Once I did a couple rinses, they were nice and clean. At first, I was trying too many variables with the washing routine, but I contacted EcoSprout, and Jared, the creator and owner himself wrote me back. We troubleshooted (troubleshot?) back and forth and discovered I was using too much detergent and not enough water. I went back to a simple, recommended routine and now my diapers are clean and don't stink (by the way, I have a top loader, with soft water. I do a warm rinse. And a hot wash with 2T detergent, and then two cold rinses).

The only thing I'd like to see if getting rid of the plastic bag the detergent is in. I'd like to see something that's better for the environment as well as the little zipper slider broke off. I just put it in a jar and all was well.

EcoSprout would like to give one reader their own 24oz bag (around 24-48 loads) in their choice of fragrance.

*I received a sample to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this post.

This giveaway is not endorsed, sponsored or administered by Facebook. 

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How has it been three months already? I feel like I was just telling everybody that she had arrived and sharing her birth story. And, now, she's a smiling, coo-ing, head-holding up-ing, giggling-only-one-time little person.

I can't get enough of her. Just looking at these pictures I want to run upstairs and go get her and snuggle her. I didn't.

She's the sweetest and (despite the gassiness) easiest baby. I guess she has to be when she has to go everywhere with us. Please don't let me jinx it by typing it out.

The bigs started going to daycare right around this age, and I went back to work. I can't even imagine leaving her at their school (not that the school isn't awesome, just that I'm not ready to leave her). In fact, she still hasn't been in the nursery at church either. Yeah, I'm not really sure who I am. 

Happy 1/4 year sweet girl!

(just because I love to remember what the older two looked like at the same age!)

Isabelle at 3 months

Natalie at 3 months

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It’s time again for Mommy and Me Monday. Pop out from behind that camera and capture yourself in action with your kids.  Check out the inaugural Mommy and Me Monday for more information.

Happy Mother's Day! I hope you all had a great day (and hopefully a great weekend!)

Mr. Serious (and the girls) surprised me with a box of See's Candies straight from California...yum! And no, I don't share! And all meals were prepared for me. Definitely a win.

I asked the girls to grant me a Mother's Day wish and let me get a picture with all of my girls and that I wanted them all on my lap. 

What a silly request. I need a bigger lap. I got them all on there, but it was tough. And, they are so stinking tall now that you can barely see me...

I give you the Serious girls on Mother's Day 2012.

<center><a href="http://www.reallyareyouserious.com"><img alt="Mommy and Me Monday at Really, Are You Serious?" src="http://www.reallyareyouserious.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Mommy-and-Me-Monday-Button-125.png"></a></center> <center>Hosted by <a href="http://www.reallyareyouserious.com" target="_blank">Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?</a></center>

**There really is only one requirement here, a picture of you and your baby or babies; your children, your “baby” (ie significant other) or even your fur babies.  If your picture doesn’t feature you (meaning you must be in the picture), I will have to delete your link.  It’s not fair to the others that follow the rules.**

I try to make sure and visit all of you and leave some comment love.  Please spread the love!  And, I never mind the comments, either:)

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When the cat's away the mice will play?

Ha. 

The person that said that definitely wasn't a mom, because our "playing" or my playing is just making sure the house runs smoothly, everybody is fed, gets to school on time and has clean clothes (and maybe their teeth are brushed and their bottoms are clean!)...wow, can you say run on...that's how my brain feels.

Fortunately, they can be helpful, you know, when they want to be. They are really good at teamwork, as long as the right person gets to do the spraying.

I just don't get how single parents do it. I'm nursing a baby in one hand, checking homework with the other hand, and getting called to the bathroom to help wipe a bottom all in the same instance. No, I'm not complaining. I love my family, and even when I'm frustrated, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Not to mention the sleeping thing? I sleep like crap! I was up until 2:30 in the morning (might have been from the caffeine I consumed to try to kill a headache). Then, one little girl wanted a paci a little after 5. Then one walked into our room at 5:30 asking if she could get up. And, finally at 6:00 asked me to get her breakfast.

Then, there is the jealousy. Yep, I'm jealous. I know he says he misses us...blah, blah, blah. But, he's sleeping in a bed that nobody is going to wake him up in. And, he's getting complimentary "check in" to him room champagne. Oh, and let's not forget watching the sunset on the Pacific-freakin'-Ocean. And sitting down to fancy meals without having to help a kid or cutting up food.

Did I mention I'm jealous? This single parenting thing is hard. I need a work trip, stat...anybody want to sponsor a trip to NYC for BlogHer? What? Crickets?

But, I just don't get how it's done on a regular basis. How do you momma's do it that have husbands that travel every week? Or every other week? 

 
Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

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Can I brag for a second? The cloth diapering is going really well. Since coming home from the hospital, we've only used one disposable diaper (and that was when I spent 3+ hours at the imaging center and she pooped in the three diapers I brought)...I digress. We are really happy with it.

One of our favorite brands is Thirsties. It is their mission to make it easy and affordable to anybody and everybody to use and choose cloth while investing in their local economy. They use only the best USA-sourced components are used for their products so they can reduce their carbon footprint, help support domestic textile mills and their local economy. And, they are committed to making sure Thirsties products last and last! Not only do they use USA sourced components, but they are also USA-made by women, many of whom work from the comfort and convenience of their homes.

We've been testing out the Duo Fab Fitted and the Duo Wrap. It's funny, when I decided to do cloth diapers, I thought I'd only like pockets, but turns out, I really like fitteds with covers, too. They offer so much more absorbancy and surprisingly are super thin and trim...oh and super cute, too.

The Duo Fab Fitted comes in two sizes (1 and 2) and still allows for three different rise adjustments in each size for maximum fit.  It is super soft and luxurious. It's dyed with low-impact dyes with the outer layer composed of 15% polyester, 85% cotton making it stretchy for an awesome fit.  It comes in both snaps and aplix hook-and-loop so anybody can use it. 

The inner layers are composed of 100% polyester (3 layers of microfiber terry).

Just like their All-in-one, it features the tunnel design which allows for stuffing additional absorbency when needed (which we have yet to need to add anything to.).  This also allows for a better wash and quicker drying (it dries in the same time as any of my natural inserts. I typically flip it inside out half way through the drying process). 

The elastic on the legs is super soft and yet still prevents all leaks. Our 12 week old is about 12-13 pounds and still has the size one on the second rise setting and all the way snapped at the waist.

The Duo Fab Fitted is an awesome nighttime diaper for our little girl. It's amazing how trim it is. By itself, it is not waterproof, you must pair it with a cover.

We use the Thirsties Duo Wrap. It also comes in two sizes so you can use it from birth to potty (and we still use the size two duo wrap on our 35+ pound three and half year old at night!

My favorite feature of the Duo Wrap is the leg gussets. Those babies keep EVERYTHING in (and believe me, she's tested them!).

They fit and cover the fitted (and prefolds) so well!

It is very flexible and easy for her to move around in. It is super soft , yet waterproof. It comes in both snap and aplix hook-and-look closures. You can use the cover multiple times before washing by just wiping it clean between washings (however, Mr. Serious totally doesn't get this, and if it's on her, it's going in the pail if he changes it!). It is made of 100% polyester with urethane coating and is FREE of VOC’s, PVC, phthalates, lead, and latex! (They think of everything!)

Pairing the duo wrap and duo fab fitted has been the perfect nighttime diapering option for our little girl. Combined they are still super trim and fit better than any one-sized diaper we've tried. It's super absorbent, but offers the option of adding more protection either in the tunnel of the duo fab fitted or outside of it between the fitted and the duo wrap.

You can request a Catalog to check out all of their awesome products.

Like Thirsties on Facebook as they often promote awesome giveaways (including a super fabulous Mother's Day one right now).

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*We received the duo wrap and fab fitted for the purposes of the review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.

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Lately, I've been all about custom monogramming and personalized items. I don't know why...I guess it's because it screams "ME!" 

I was introduced to 2 Cutie Patooties (don't you love that name?), for all things embroidery. They have so many adorable items, and added to it making it monogrammed, or adding your name? Super cute. They have towels, hats, bags and more! Check out the 2 Cutie Patooties catalog to see all of the cuteness.

I was sent the black and white everything tote. It is so cute. And, it might not look like it here,

but, check out how big it is. It's perfect for the beach or a trip to the pool! Everything for our family will fit in there (instead of bringing several bags!)

 See, it's this big..our three year old fits in it (no child was harmed in this picture, she did it all on her own!) 

The bag has a very strong magnetic snap-like closure. It also features one zipper pocket inside and two non-zippered pockets perfect for a couple dollars and a cell phone.

The bag is awesome. And, you can customize it with your choice of font, color and verbage embroidered on it. And, this is included in the price

One lucky Really, Are You Serious? reader will win either the multi-dot or black and white everything tote with your own customization.

*I was sent a bag for the purposes of the review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. No other compensation was received.

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Taking a vacation can be a costly undertaking. Depending on where you’re going, you may need to pay for airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, cabs, and exchange fees – and that’s before you even start enjoying your actual destination. Since the upfront costs of a vacation can be so large, especially if you have a larger family, many people find themselves keeping a strict budget whenever they get where they’re going.

However, keeping such a strict budget can detract from your overall vacation experience. A great way to still enjoy your vacation while not overspending is to limit your food budget. For a family of four, eating out for every meal can easily add several hundred dollars onto a vacation budget so if you want to be able to see and do all that you can, consider giving some of the following a try to save on food costs:

Look for Kitchens

When planning your trip, look for hotels and other vacation residences that can offer you a kitchen, or at least a “mini-kitchen” with a fridge and a stove top. While no mom wants to think about cooking every night on a family vacation, having such a feature gives you greater latitude to cook your own meals and less of an excuse to go out to a restaurant every night.

Although many people assume that kitchens are only accessible for those who rent expensive hotel suites or vacation condos, many lower-end hotels offer public kitchens that are open for use to all guests.

Shop Like a Local

No matter where you’re going, there’s likely to be a local population that lives there year-round – and, just as likely, spends less on food than the average vacationer. With this in mind, acting like a local can help you drastically reduce your costs.

Rather than taking the family to the hotel restaurant and buying a burger for lunch, head to the local supermarket or corner store and buy bread, cheese, and any other products to make a sandwich. Even if you don’t have a kitchen, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to cheaply buy and easily make sandwiches for the duration of your trip.

Pack A Snack

For many people, however, some of the largest food expenses during a vacation come while they are in transit. Whether you’re driving in your car or flying between airports, the food offered along the way is likely unsatisfying and overpriced. If you have children in tow, after all, you may be surprised to see how much you spend on food at the airport.

To combat this needless expense, make sure to pack a snack before leaving. At the beginning of the trip, you can do this in your own home and with your own food. At the end it’s a bit more challenging, but as mentioned above, it’s rarely difficult to find a local grocer and purchase some sandwich ingredients.

Wherever you’re going on your next vacation, have an enjoyable, relaxing, and budget-friendly time, and be sure to also check out a travel blogger or two who is focusing on your destination prior to going. You may be surprised by the insight they have to offer. And, just remember: saving on food costs can improve that last attribute without ruining either of the first two.

How do you save on your family vacations and trips? Yep, we're headed out again this summer, too, so any tips will be appreciated.

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