Suburban Saving Mama

Aloha Friday

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:21:00 +0000

Hip Hip Hooray for Friday! Today we are headed on Day 3 of our house hunting...hopefully it is successful!

Question: Have you ever ate a Filet-O-Fish from McDonalds?

Answer: Nope! Although Hubby said he ate them in college and they were good...I think I will refrain.

For more Aloha Friday questions, visit An Island Life.

Giveaway Link Up (3/11)!

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:50:00 +0000

Starting NEXT WEEK on St. Patrick's Day, I am going to be starting a 'Going Green' Event. I am so excited to be reviewing and offering some great products to everyone as well as showcasing various ways to 'go green' in your household. Also...if you consider yourself a 'green' family and would like to guest blog during the Going Green event about ways that your family is decreasing your carbon footprint, please leave me a comment. Grab my button on the side bar and be sure to let me know that you have done so...it will give you extra entries into the giveaways!

If you have a Giveaway Event going on right now or one coming up...please let me know so I can add your button to my sidebar!

Wordless Wednesday

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0000

The Breastfeeding Chronicles: Part 1

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:34:00 +0000

See this active little cutie?? Now imagine trying to nurse this little one when she is this excited! Around 4 months of age, Lauren started to get very distracted while nursing...looking at everything, trying to grab everything, scratching my face, putting her hands in my mouth, pulling my hair....ugh! We tried many various things: dimming the lights, making sure the t.v. was off, different positions, different rooms, but this little girl is just way too excited about life!

To make matters worse, she has started to bite and tug when she is nearing the end of nursing. Today we are finally headed to La Leche League! I can not wait to hear what suggestions they have about her distraction and biting.

Curious if any other mommas have been to an LLL meeting and their opinions about the support that they received. We have a monthly meeting here but I am not sure if you come every month or just when you need some advice related to breastfeeding.

eShakti Contest = $10 Gift Certificate!

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:44:00 +0000

Do you remember my review about eShakti?? They are an amazing woman's online store that offers affordable custom-sized/designed pieces of clothing. Right now they are having a great contest that is looking for a definition of the eShakti woman! Full details can be found here.

Why should you enter?? EVERY entrant gets a $10 gift card in addition to the winner getting $250 and 25 other entrants receiving $50!!!!

How do you enter? Click on the link here. Be sure to mention that Jamie sent you from Suburban Saving Mama (www.suburbansavingmama.com).

Leave a comment letting me know that you entered and what you want to spend your $10 on. The contest runs until 3/31/10 and the winner will be announced through email by eShakti and on their website in April.

Aloha Friday

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:57:00 +0000

Yea for Friday! Take it easy by answering the simple question below in the comments section. Visit An Island Life for more Aloha Friday questions.

Question: What is that one 'why' question you have always wondered about?

Answer: Why do some people wallpaper their entire house and/or carpet their bathroom?
(Can you tell we have been house shopping...)

6 Months Old!!

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:32:00 +0000

I can not believe that my tiny little Lauren is now 6 months old. Six short months ago, I was getting kicked in the ribs, going to the bathroom every hour, and imagining what my little boy or girl would look like wearing this onesie...
Now SHE is wearing that onesie, playing peek-a-boo, and giggling away with her one dimple. Nothing that I could have possibly imagined...

Giveaway Link Up (3/4)!

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Feel free to link up your current giveaways! Make sure the link goes directly to your giveaway and not just your blog.

Wordless Wednesday

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:52:00 +0000

Someone didn't want to wait patiently for their breakfast to be mixed together...

...Sleep in Heavenly Peace...

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:24:00 +0000

I remember watching my hubby rock Lauren one night around Christmas singing 'Silent Night' and reflecting on the words of the song: "holy infant, so tender and mild...sleep in heavenly peace". Lauren was just about four months old and our sleep was HORRIBLE. She was sleeping in her crib and waking up about every 2-3 hours to eat. It would take about one hour to get her settled back into her crib so I was only getting about 1-2 hour stretches of sleep at night.

One morning after about five hours of interrupted sleep, I asked hubby, "What does 'sleep in heavenly peace' mean??" For me, sleep was interrupted far before Lauren even came along with pregnancy sickness, frequent trips to the bathroom, worrying about everything that needed to get accomplished, and so forth. I couldn't remember the last time I had sleep in heavenly peace the entire night!! When she did on occasion sleep longer stretches, my body would automatically wake up and immediately I would wonder how she was doing and have to get up and check on her.

This morning while I was nursing Lauren down for her morning nap, I laid beside her on the bed with my hand on her belly until she was fast asleep and chuckled because I remembered a funny invention I saw on my friend's blog awhile back... introducing the Zaky or what the The Poop likes to refer to as 'Dismembered Mommy Hands'.

Taken from The Poop: The Chronicle Baby Blog

For you see, it wasn't until we realized what Lauren needed from us and responded to her that our sleep become much better. She needed us! She needed the safety and warmth of her mommy's arms, the availability of her favorite coping mechanism and source of food, someone to respond to her breathing cues, and someone to wake up next to in the morning.

I understand that co-sleeping is not for every family. My philosophy on baby sleep is this, 'do what works for your family' in regards to where baby sleeps best. If your current sleeping situation is not working for you, re-evaluate what the needs are of everyone and figure out an alternative. Everyone functions much better when a good night of sleep is achieved!

Bedding, Bedding, Bedding

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:40:00 +0000

I did not think that I would be like this...but ever since having Lauren, I want to make her bedroom into a little girlie princess room. We were not aware of her gender while I was pregnant and got all gender neutral bedding and room decorations. Even more so, I was convinced that she was a boy which influenced my color choices! I have been fantasizing about all the things I can do to her bedroom with kids bedding from CSN Stores.

She doesn't sleep or hang out much in her room now anyways so I can't wait until I can decorate when she gets a big bed. I love this Danielle's Daisies Series from JoJoDesigns:
Here is a little sneak-peek at her gender neutral room. We have been taking her picture each week next to a little lovie Monkey to watch her grow. These were taken at 1 week and 24 weeks old, ten pounds of growth!
I am curious as to what other people did in decorating their kid's room. Did you wait until your baby was born to decide what color palette and decorations you wanted or decide before they were born!

Aloha Friday

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:54:00 +0000

It is Friday! Take it easy by answering the simple question below in the comments section. Visit An Island Life for More Aloha Friday questions.

Question: If you could attend any musical concert free of charge, who would it be (they have to be alive)?

Answer: Hubby has me addicted to Styx, Journey, and The Who but I would definitely go to a Third Day concert...love their new song 'Born Again'.

Holding Your Baby Too Much?

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:13:00 +0000

Lauren riding in her sling

Oh, if I could make $1 for every time I heard, "Don't pick your baby up too much, you will spoil them!", I would be rich. When I hear people say this or something similar I always question...what is holding your baby 'too much' and how am I spoiling them?

We tend to lean more towards the style of Attachment Parenting (AP) in raising Lauren. One of the main facets of AP is babywearing. Research has shown that "carried babies fuss less and spend more time in a state of quiet alertness" (Sears, W. & Sears, M., 2001: The Attachment Parenting Book). Quiet state of alertness is the time that babies absorb the most amount of information in regards to their surroundings. Contrary to popular belief, babywearing is not a new phenomenon but has been around for ages and seen in many different cultures.

Not only is babywearing good for baby, but it makes life so much easier for mom, dad, and caregivers! Being a current graduate student, one day a week, I have to make the long trek into the city for class. To decrease the amount of time that Lauren spends in daycare, I bring her with me into Chicago and drop her off at my friend's house. Babywearing has SAVED my life! We start our day by catching the forty minute train ride into the city. Once in the city, we walk one mile to the bus stop, wait there, and then catch a fifteen to twenty minute bus ride to my friend's house. The entire time, Lauren rides in the Moby wrap on my front and I carry my backpack on my back (quite the work-out). We play at my friend's house with her almost fifteen month old until I leave for class. My friend survives by wearing Lauren on her back (so she is still able to nurse her little one). I am gone about 2.5 hours and when I return, I nurse Lauren before making our two hour commute back out to the suburbs!

I got this beautiful text on my first day of class. Also the day we figured out that Lauren needs to sleep on her back so she can still nurse.

These are some of the benefits that babywearing has provided for us:
1. Increase in milk supply in addition to more frequent nursing
2. Decrease of fussiness
3. Closer bond
4. More face-to-face contact where Lauren can watch how I communicate with her and learn how to communicate verbally herself
5. Discreet nursing
6. Makes going out in public easier and less of a hassle trying to tote around a large stroller
7. Makes cleaning and other household tasks easier
8. Allows Lauren to take more quality naps

I would love to hear if you are a babywear and the benefits that it has provided for your family!

Smartipants Winner!

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:12:00 +0000

Thanks to everyone who entered the Smartipants Giveaway sponsored by Diapers Etc. The lucky winner is: #225, Andrea. She has 48 hours to respond to my email before another winner is chosen at random.
Visit Diapers Etc. to purchase your own Smartipants Cloth Diaper!

Giveaway Link Up (2/25)!

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:48:00 +0000

Feel free to link up your current giveaways so we call all check them out. Be sure your link goes directly to your giveaway and not just your blog. Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Love Your Heart Book Review

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:29:00 +0000

Written by Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas, Love Your Heart is that classic father-daughter book that every family should enjoy! Written to signify the relationship between Tim McGraw, his daughter,...and their dog, this book covers topics such as competition, Christianity, self-esteem, and social skills.

I read the book several times to Lauren, although the concepts are far too large for her to understand at this point in time. She absolutely loved the beautiful illustrations! The best thing about this book is the conversation that families can have regarding competition and Christianity. So many other children books focus on winning and competition with others. This is one of the first books I have read that explains how we can encourage and help others in competition and feel just good without winning. I wish the flow of the book would be been a little better though. The first and second half of the book seem like two separate books instead of one smooth read.

I would recommend this book to families with children around the age of five. The story can be loved by all ages, but the concepts of Christianity, competition, and self-esteem would be best understood by those around the age of five and up.

*The book received for this review was provided for free by BookSneeze. My honest opinion was given about this book. This was not a paid post.*

Like Mother...Like Daughter!

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Lauren was getting antsy while I was preparing the menu for the week so I let her take a look at the ad from our local supermarket. She was in love; we may have a future coupon diva on our hands!

Oh, Nutella is finally on sale this week!

Potatoes for 10 cents each! You've got to be kidding me!

Let me take a closer look at that!

We made some delicious homemade spaghetti sauce with ten cent tomatoes, garlic, and onions. Later this week we are going to try out homemade gnocchi with the ten cent potatoes we got. Love it when we can cook an entire meal for the family under $1!!

Aloha Friday

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:29:00 +0000

Hip Hip Hooray for Friday! Feel free to answer the question below in the comments section and visit An Island Life for more Aloha Friday questions.

Question: Are you giving up anything for Lent this year?

Answer: Our church encouraged us to give us something of value and replace that with spending time with God. Hubby and I are giving up 30 minutes of t.v. each night to read some Christian marriage books that have been sitting on the shelf for far too long!

Giveaway Link Up! (2/18)

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:38:00 +0000

Link up your current giveaways so we can all come and check them out. Make sure the link goes directly to your giveaway and not just your blog.

Wordless Wednesday

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Helping make the bed!

C.D. 101: Storing your Dirty Diapers

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 22:35:00 +0000

Where do you store your dirty diapers? That is the question that I get a lot when talking with people about cloth diapers. Today the storing method is much different than what it was like when my mom was cloth diapering because of the evolution of the modern day cloth diaper.

TYPES OF STORAGE
Parents have the option of using the wet or dry pail method of storage. Each method is exactly what it reads, the wet pail has a water solution in the bottom of the pail, the dry pail is dry!

WHY WET PAIL METHOD
Back in the day...parents primarily used diapers similar to prefolds except they were not prefolded with plastic pants over them. The wet pail was generally the method of choice to soak their cloth diapers before laundry dry. In addition, diaper sprayers were not the norm. If using the wet pail method, you need to launder every 3-4 days. Fill your pail about half way with water and then 1/4 cup of vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, or baking soda.

WHY DRY PAIL METHOD
Today, many diapers contain applix/velcro closure which are better suited for the dry pail method. If you let a cloth diaper with velcro sit in a pail of water, the velcro will wear down much faster and decrease the longevity of your diaper. With the invention of the infamous, diaper sprayer, parents are able to spray the nasties off the dirty diaper before placing it in the pail which is a better option than placing your diaper in a pail of water. The dry diaper pail will also decrease your cleaning on laundry day: you will not have to dump the dirty water and clean out your pail in addition to less bacteria growth. If you use the dry pail method, you will need to launder every 2-3 days.

HOW TO STORE WITH A DRY PAIL
There are many different types of storage methods: a trash can, 5 gal bucket, zipper bag, and so forth. We use a diaper champ with a Thirsties Diaper Pail Liner, you could even use a regular garbage bag. The great thing about a reusable diaper pail liner is that you dump your dirty dipes in the wash and throw the bag in with them. You should really invest in either two diaper pail liners or a larger wet bag so you have a back-up for laundry day. We use an All-Day Wahmies Wet Bag on laundry day.

Please share how you store your dirty diapers! I am always looking for ways to decrease the funk when you open the lid!

Get Financially Naked Book Review

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:28:00 +0000

"'Happily Ever After' is not a financial plan!" Talking about finances with your spouse can be a daunting task, especially during these difficult economic times. With so many marriages ending in divorce as a result of finances, it is really important that couples learn how to communicate with one another to achieve financial success.

Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money With Your Honey by Manisha Thakor, MBA, CFA and Sharon Kedar, MBA, CFA is a step-by-step guide to teach couples how to communicate with one another about finances...without fighting! Not only do the authors outline how to understand your current financial situation but also detail how to sustain your finances once you reach your goals.

With a section for 'FAQ', couples are able to understand more about disagreements that they may be having at home....like what to do when one person is a saver while the other is a spender!

I really enjoyed reading Get Financially Naked. As someone who considers myself to be 'frugal', there are many aspects of finances that I do not understand, like investing and sustainability. Thakor and Kedar were able to outline finances in a way that I could understand and relate to with my husband. Instead of arguing about fruvolous spending, my husband and I can come together and communicate about our financial goals.

I would highly recommend this book to any couple in a serious relationship who are looking to move forward in their finances together. The reason that Get Financially Naked is different than any other financial book that I have read is because of the audience it is intended to reach: couples. I have read so many other books that include great tools and advice but fail to educate the reader on how to communicate these things with their spouse!

Interested in this book but aren't in a committed relationship, Thakor and Kedar also wrote: On My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl's Guide to Personal Finances.

*Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money With Your Honey was received for free from Moss Media Relations in exchange for a review. My honest opinion was given about this book.*

Hubby's Cloth Diaper Confession

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:43:00 +0000

I always hear funny stories about husbands and cloth diapers but never had a great story to share. My hubby is GREAT with cloth diapers! Initially when we made the switch, I told him that I would always change Lauren's diaper if he let me try cloth. Of course he was on board with that agreement but it didn't really work if I had to run a quick errand. When we went traveling with our leftover disposables over the Christmas holiday, hubby was the one that mentioned about twenty times that I should have brought the cloth diapers because the disposables always leak...yes, we had 6 explosions in disposables over Christmas!After almost 4 months of cloth diapering...he has made his first 'opps' that I just had to share for giggles! Whenever he changes her diaper, I usually ask what she is wearing so I know when I need to change her again based on the level of absorbency. He replied, "That really soft diaper!". I went through my mental cloth diaper list and thought maybe he was referring to a Kissaluvs or our Crickett's hemp diaper...nope those were both in the laundry. Oh, the woolie Nifty Nappy diaper cover (in the pic above)! That was okay but I wondered why he didn't use the Flip diaper cover (the pink one in the top picture) that she already had one...until I discovered....she was wearing the Woolie Nifty Nappy Diaper Cover with the Flip Diaper Cover over it! Thankfully I discovered this before she wet or soiled all over the wool which would have required me to lanolize it again! I gave him a wool tutorial after this and also explained that the wool should never go in the diaper pail or in the wash.

I would love to hear other 'oops!' stories, feel free to share your funniest diapering story (cloth or disposable) in the comment section. It is Monday, we could all use a good laugh!

Aloha Friday

jamie@suburbansavingmama.com (Jamie) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:17:00 +0000

Yea for Friday! This Friday we are attending a Cloth Diaper Swapping Event at our local cloth diaper store: Comfy Bummy. If you live in the Chicago area and would like to receive notification of cloth diaper events, let me know.

Rules of Aloha Friday: Leave your answer to the question below in the comments section, it is that easy! For more Aloha Friday Questions, visit An Island Life.

Question: How did you choose the names of you child(ren)? Did you just like the name or is there a story behind it?

Answer: Hubby and I always liked the name Lauren because we believe it is a timeless name. I have two great friends: Lauren Page and Kelsey Lauren who make the name sound prettier to us. After throwing around several middle names we chose Paige (the same last name as my friend Lauren).

Kelsey and I before a Cubs game.

Lauren Page meeting Lauren Paige