The Cloth Diaper Report

Llama, llama, home with mama: New Book Release ~Plus~ 3 Winner #Giveaway (9/20)

2011-09-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

Cold and flu season is just around the corner and although we try our best to avoid getting sick, the odds are high that someone in your family will get the sniffles. And doesn't it always seem that if one person gets sick, the whole family ends up coming down with something?

This new release brings the comforting familiarity we know from those sick days where mama took care of us, and now that I am a mother I find this book especially sweet as Llama knows what to do to care for mama when she gets sick. More than just a sick day, this book celebrates the mother-child bond and the role models we can be for our children. This quickly became a favorite and is currently on my daughter's nightstand.
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Wordpress Update

2011-09-09T16:25:00.000-05:00

So my designer Melanie and I are busy at work getting ready for my big switch! I have actually surprised myself with how much I have been able to do on my own and how much HTML and CSS literacy I picked up over the years to change the color schemes, margins, borders and install other things in the design like signatures. It will take a little time for me to reach the same comfort level as I have in Blogger, but I think it will be a good step as my blog continues to grow and I have more control over my hosting and other options.

I don't have an exact time or day for the official transfer yet, but I am hoping it will be some time next week and I will keep you posted. There will be some downtime during the transfer, but hopefully it will be brief. Stay tuned!

Freebie Friday: Link Up Your #Giveaways (9/9)

2011-09-09T15:25:00.000-05:00

We have another fun-filled weekend with a baseball game and overnight hotel stay while enjoying the company of my brother and his 36-week-pregnant wife! Enjoy the cooler weather and when you have a minute enter my current giveaways and link up yours!

American Express Prepaid Card: A Budgeting Tool Idea for Families

2011-09-08T22:03:00.000-05:00

So maybe you are getting a little carried away buying cloth diapers and baby gear, or have a hard time keeping within your food budget for the month. As a daughter of an economist who instilled budgeting and financial responsibility in me I wish I could say I had the whole budgeting thing down to a "t". But I don't. We have a set amount that goes towards savings, IRA and other retirement funds and know how much our mortgage and other utilities will cost for the most part, but somehow life's surprises, road trips or a splurge at the mall seem to creep up throughout the month.

The new American Express Prepaid Card in my opinion is much like a cross between a debit card and a rechargeable gift card and can help your family keep within your budget goals for the month or year. The funds for these cards can come from your checking account, however, are not linked to it, so once the limit on the card is reached there is no money left to spend...until you add additional funds. So no over-drafting, fees, credit report worries or anything like that, yet there is protection for it if it were to get lost or stolen.
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Do You Meal Plan? My Meal "Theme-ing" Success ~Plus $20 Visa Gift Card #Giveaway (9/15)

2011-09-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit

I have had the intention to meal plan and started a few times over the past couple of years, only to last about a week before I get back into my old, non-meal planning habits. I kick myself, because I know I could save time and money by sitting down and planning some things out, but it is easier said than done. I have tried meal planning websites and leaving post-it notes in cookbooks, but I have a hard time following through and don't have a particularly good reason why.

One thing I have had success with this past month was having a general theme for two days a week. This helps me narrow down dinner plans for those particular night, without restricting me to a particular recipe and if I'm inspired to make something else, that is fine too. It is only for two nights, so I don't get overwhelmed by over-planning, yet I feel like I am having some success in meal planning.
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Free Disney Princess Call Promotion at Target ~Plus~ #Giveaway (9/18)

2011-09-08T10:59:00.000-05:00

The older my daughter gets, the more she reminds me of when I was a little girl. Tomboyish and girly all rolled up into one. She has started to really get into the princess phase and went from just liking them to constantly playing tea party, wanting to call each other "your highness" or "majesty" and playing dress up.

I filled out the form through the Target website for a free Princess phone call this week and she won't stop talking about it! She was really excited to tell my husband that Ariel called and keeps asking if we can go visit her and if we can call her back. Although we are limited to two phone calls per phone number, she has been so excited about it that we may need to call in a favor from some family members during the promotion.
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Canvas Prints Are My Preferred Hallway Decor ~Plus~ Uprinting Canvas Roll #Giveaway (9/14)

2011-09-06T15:22:00.003-05:00

It took three years and two review items for me to finally decide on the perfect decor for my hallway. I have mentioned this very briefly in the past, but I went through a major earthquake when I was 11-years-old and my mother always tells her story about crawling through the glass of the shattered family pictures that were in our hallway to get to us kids on that tragic day. I think you would agree you would also be leery to put glass frames in your hallway after growing up with an experience like that, yet, the hall seemed so bare I was itching to do something.
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Dora's Halloween Parade DVD #Giveaway (9/14)

2011-09-04T20:32:00.001-05:00

Start getting in the fall spirit with some Dora favs on this new DVD release. To view additional details about this DVD as well as other recent Nickelodeon DVD releases, visit my other article here.
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New Nickelodeon Releases ~Plus~ iCarly DVD #Giveaway (9/14)

2011-09-04T19:51:00.000-05:00

School has started or is just around the corner, so it may be hard to make time for your kids to watch their favorite Nick shows, but with DVDs they can watch old or new episodes in between their homework and extra curricular activities. There are quite a few titles that have come out over the past month and Yo Gabba is always a hit for us. The new Dora release reminds me that Halloween is just around the corner and after being in temperatures near 100 degrees this past weekend out in Branson, MO the cool weather this week is a welcome relief. Check out the titles below that are on shelves now or go shopping online with my affiliate links!
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Check Out the premiere of Game Time: Tackling the Past, this Saturday, September 3 on NBC at 8pm ET/7pm CT

2011-09-01T22:55:00.001-05:00

We have only been to the movies as a family once since my daughter was born, can you believe it? My husband and I do most of our movie watching at home on T.V. or through Netflix and the rest of our time we are surrounded by kid-oriented entertainment. We try and make an effort to spend time together a few nights a week after the kids have gone to bed to enjoy a show together and it is a nice way to unwind after a busy day.

Labor Day Weekend Free Diaper with Purchase Coupon from Kelly's Closet

2011-09-01T22:11:00.000-05:00

Going Shopping? Support my blog and click on my affiliate link below:

Freebie Friday: Link Up Your #Giveaways (9/2)

2011-09-01T21:59:00.000-05:00

Most likely by the time you are reading this and entering your giveaways, I will be on my way to Branson, MO! My husband actually has the whole long weekend off for a change without any ceremonies or work obligations to attend. So check out my giveaways and link up yours and have a lovely holiday weekend!

Music as a Motivation for My Redundant Daily Chores & New Mat Kearney CD Release

2011-08-31T17:14:00.003-05:00

So a huge part of any parent's day can seem repetitive or redundant. Wake up, put breakfast together, clean the house, pick up after everyone, work, changing diapers, doing the laundry, cleaning up messes. The list goes on. I received a copy of Matt Kearny's new CD release to sample and found myself feeling like I had a little more energy and you can't help, but start to bounce to the rhythm of his recent hit "Hey Mama".

Do you have certain music, television shows or mommy entertainment that help you whiz through your chores without dragging your feet behind you?
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The Benefits of Being Organized & My Upcoming Organizational Project Using the Brother P-Touch Label Maker

2011-08-30T21:49:00.003-05:00

Although it seems like a battle with no end in sight, I continue to put hours of effort into keeping my home clean and organized. Except I feel like all I am doing is picking up before I ever get to cleaning, or I end up moving something from one part of the house to another. As in the clutter tends to migrate to different parts of the house. If the kitchen is sparkling, there are piles of unfolded laundry taking over the master bedroom, or if the toys are cleaned up there are art supplies covering the table. I know a good number of you are nodding your heads right now. How can we feel like we're a step ahead of our game or set ourselves up to successfully keeping our home clean and organized?
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How I Pick a Booster Seat ~Plus~ Prince Lionheart BoosterPOD #Giveaway (9/8)

2011-08-30T18:01:00.002-05:00

Boosters are perfect when your kids grow out of their highchair but the table still comes chest-high making it hard for them to eat. We also like their portability of boosters when traveling. But with all the choices, which one do you choose? I have only owned two and tried a handful when we were at friends houses, but I am big into researching products before I purchase them and often take weeks or months before making a purchase.

When I originally did research on boosters a almost two years ago, I narrowed down my top picks to two or three seats and ended up going with the Mutsy Grow Up! chair. The Prince Lionheart BoosterPod was in my original top three picks, so I really wanted to give it a try and jumped at the chance when I was able to select this item to review.
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Just Jen Customizable Swarovski Crystal T-Shirts ~Plus~ #Giveaway (9/7)

2011-08-29T10:32:00.002-05:00

Although my left-hand bling is what matters most, you can't go wrong with more sparkle. Being in a military community and with 4th of July, Labor Day weekend and essentially year-round patriotism all around me, I chose their pre-made USA T-shirt to flaunt on those days or occasions where I want to show some U.S. pride.

The shirt is soft, comfy and the crystals have washed up surprisingly well. I was a little nervous they would start falling off. I had my husband take photos of me wearing this shirt two different times, but the first time I spilled some sort of barbeque all over myself and the second time I just looked fat (he was taking the photo from the floor while playing with the kids: terrible angle!). Oh and good news, the inevitable-when-you're-wearing-a-white-shirt stain came out.
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I'm Finally Making the Switch to Wordpress

2011-08-29T09:17:00.000-05:00

It is Monday morning and it seems like as good of a time as any to make this announcement. After going back and forth on this for the past year, I have finally decided last week to make the jump and migrate to Wordpress. I put it off as I figured the grass is always greener on the other side and am really comfortable in Blogger. I have butterflies in my stomach as I am a little anxious and excited about adjusting to something new, but I think it will be much better in the end.

The design will stay as similar to the current layout as possible, but there will be some changes to best adapt my current design in the new platform. I have switched hosts so I am paying for my own hosting and I am working behind-the-scenes with my new designer Melanie who I have worked with in my earlier blogging days.

When we are ready to switch the content there may be a little down time, but we will try to do it during off hours to avoid any inconvenience. I will also be transferring GFC and RSS over, so hopefully we don't lose any of you in the process! If so, just sign back up and we'll pretend it never happened. :-) This won't be for another week or two, but just a heads up.

Wish me luck in the new and crazy journey and I hope that I will be able to make my blog even easier to navigate and will continue to provide valuable resources and interesting articles for your enjoyment! I will keep you updated as we make progress.

Freebie Friday: Link Up Your #Giveaways (8/26)

2011-08-26T14:01:00.000-05:00

Don't miss the pajama giveaway, link up and enjoy your weekend!

$25 Credit to Crazy For Bargains Sleepwear (8/28)

Wordless Wednesday: 8 Months Old Tomorrow

2011-08-24T14:34:00.000-05:00

Chowing Down on a Rice Rusk

Setting Yourself Up for Diaper Washing Success: Diaper Storage

2011-08-24T14:23:00.001-05:00

So odds are you have dealt with stink issues at some point in your cloth diapering journey, and if you're lucky enough that you haven't, let's try and keep it that way! There are many culprits for stinky diapers including detergent built up, too little water and ammonia to name a few, but today I will specifically address diaper storage which can help control load size on laundry day.

What happens to many well-meaning cloth diapering families if they select a wetbag or pail liner that works best for them and toss them in the wash when it's full. Unfortunately, if you are family with a high efficiency washing machine and a large pail liner, for example, you may be washing twice as many diapers in each load than is recommended.
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Winners

2011-08-19T17:05:00.000-05:00

Below are the latest set of winners drawn randomly on Rafflecopter. Are you loving how the new widget makes it so easy to keep track of what you have done? I am digging it!

And the winners are...
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We love Pajamas! Crazy for Bargains Review & $25 Store Credit #Giveaway (8/28)

2011-08-19T16:20:00.000-05:00

We love pajamas around here. As in my husband will often come home from work on days we don't leave the house and he will find us still in our pajamas. I have never really owned more than a handful of "proper" pajamas, and usually end up in big T-shirts and lounge pants, but why should my daughter get all the matching PJ fun?

So during this review I discovered the nightshirt. It's like my beloved oversized T-shirt, but I don't have to worry about wearing any pants, because it is long and has been perfect for warm summer nights. We are excited to have our first "Mommy and Me" matching PJ set and it makes me feel young again, like we're having a slumber party or something festive.
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Freebie Friday: Link Up Your #Giveaways (8/19)

2011-08-19T11:59:00.000-05:00

This has been a long week for me with a teething baby, that's all I can say. Hopefully you week has gone by a little quicker. I just have the one giveaway going on today, but I have some really great ones coming this week, so link up and stay tuned.

Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves (8/21)

Another Sort of "One Size" Diaper: The Knickernappies Medium Pocket

2011-08-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

So although I have tried to spare my son from the girlish colors and prints, he has ended up with a large number of hand-me-downs from sister. As in, almost all of her diapers. The diaper I am specifically speaking of today is a melon-colored size medium Custom Fit Pocket Diaper by Knickernappies that fit my daughter until she was almost 40 lbs. and has fit my son since he was around 6 months old. I didn't try it any earlier, so it may have fit even a tad before that, who knows.

I have chunky Gerber-baby-cheeked darlings, so don't go rushing out to buy this diaper on account that they fit my kids from 6-36 months, nevertheless, it has a pretty darn good size range. It is reminiscent of a "size two" diaper from a two size system and it feels great when a sized diaper has a long lifespan. These are also side-snapping, which was a heaven-send for us when my daughter went through her diaper-stripping phase.
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Wordless Wednesday: My Charmer, Drama Queen & Sewing Project

2011-08-17T09:04:00.000-05:00