This Adventure, Our Life

We have moved, New Info update

2010-05-31T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!

We have moved! We are still making changes but please join us at our new place!!

http://www.thisadventureourlife.com/

Our new feed is: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThisAdventureOurLife

Email me if you have any questions or issues: cindy at thisadventureourlife dot com

Thanks, Cindy :)

MIA a bit...

2010-05-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I just wanted to give you a heads up that this blog will be moving!!

I will be posting a new feed and blog address in the next few days, we are just trying to get some kinks worked out.

I will not be posting until we get everything worked out, due to everything being transferred already... So I will be a little scarce on here.

Thanks and we will see you soon, at our new place!! Our next post will be our new feed and information!!

Cindy :)

Bailey is ready to "move" to our new location :)!

Solids Gone Bad...

2010-05-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

{Solids Gone Bad}

The first time that we introduced Bailey to solids, she gave us the best faces ever. You must understand that now, and every time after this she is good, and eating fabulously, click here!

So here they are:

I think some things just take some getting used to and time, but overall I think she liked it.

{Laughing}

I just had to post these initial solid food adventure photos, her face is just priceless!!

Everyday seems to get better, and she is becoming happier each time with the process.

WW- What the Ergo is Really Made For!!

2010-05-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

We decided to go bowling, and how do you bowl with a 6 month old baby? Like this, you see...

And you may say, well you can not bowl with a baby, well, look at here:

Yes, the C is for Cindy and I did get the "X" which is strike!! Very proud, with a 14 pound baby in an Ergo on me, yep...so there...

Speaking of the Ergo pack, we are pretty convinced we know what the front pocket on the Ergo is for:

And you thought is was to put the cover/ hood in, well you were missing out!

Because it is not at all for that, it is a "fancy schmancy beer/ drink holder"! I mean come on, every Momma needs one once in a while, whether alcoholic or not! Now if I could fit my wine glass in there, I would be made. {laughing}.

And Bailey, she is quite embarrassed by her parents! Or just tired?!

Okay, well she is tired, and get this, she slept through my last rounds of bowling, simply amazing, I wish I could sleep with this much peace!

We had a great time! Bowling with a baby, this is how we roll :)

I think we have taken babywearing to a whole new level!!

Adventuring into Solids...part 1

2010-05-24T23:57:00.000-07:00

We have adventured into solids just in the past 2 weeks now. We decided to wait until she was 6 months to start, as she is primarily breastfed. It did not start out so well, but now it is going great. Bailey did not like the food at first, and we had to stop briefly due to some tummy issues, but now everything is going well in the solids department as well as usual in the nursing department. Bailey is now eating fabulously and enjoying a little bit of all the purees I made her along with a little cereal. We are still nursing every 2-3 hours as she demands and using the solids as extra, just to introduce her to them. Our baby is growing up too quickly! I will go into more detail in the next post. Here are some pictures of Bailey enjoying different things, more to come soon. {Oh yes, and I will be posting the photos we took of her really despising disliking solids on the first try. She has come a long way!}

Bailey, I am soo proud of you!! I love you little one! Love, Momma

Marvelous Mondays-Tomorrow...

2010-05-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

All these photos have something in common, something that is on my mind today....

What is it?!

Vacation? Photos taken by me? Well they were all taken by me, on vacation...

Sunsets, well one is not!

Tropical places? Not really, the picture right above was taken on the good old California Coast!

Okay, so WATER. I am thinking about water. This Monday I am thankful for water. There are many different forms of water that I love but today I am thankful for a special activity in water. Tomorrow will be Bailey's first time in the pool, yep, first time! We are doing Mommy and Me swim lessons. We will be going in the morning to a pool in our area that is at someone's home, it is a large salt water pool that is heated. I think Bailey will do great since she loves her baths and has been in the shower several times. I really hope she likes the water.

Over the next few months we are going to try to enjoy playing and having fun in the water. This feels like a big step, she is growing so quickly!! The awesome thing about having swim lessons at the place we are going is that they have Saturday lessons, so Tony is excited to take Bailey to lessons! I have been thinking about tomorrow all week, so I am excited to see what is to come...

I guess I will have one of my favorite songs in my head tomorrow,

Daughter by Loudon Wainwright III

Hope everyone has a Happy Monday, What are you thankful for today, small or large?

The Winner is...

2010-05-21T16:19:00.000-07:00

Bailey says Congratulations!!! Cloth Diapers are GREAT!

Search RANDOM.ORG

True Random Number Service

True Random Number Generator

Min: 1

Max: 19

Result:

Her comment was:

I tweeted:
http://twitter.com/mynewlifeasmom/status/14145671...

stephanie at mynewlifeasmom dot com
My recent post Monday's Little Miracles - Week 1

Congratulations Stepahnie @ My New Life as Mom!! You are the winner of a cloth diaper of choice, and you choose:

I would like to change my vote. Since I have so many FB's already, I'd love to try out a Happy Heinyz OS Snap diaper in cow hide!

Oh that would be the best!
My recent post Monday's Little Miracles - Week 1

I will email you to get your information! Congratulations and Thank you all for participating!!

(Sorry everyone about the copy paste job, I am on a Mac, and apparently I do not have a print screen key nor F13, I am puzzled on how to do this, if anyone knows, let me know, so I can post the pretty random and comment trackback)

Blog Hop Friday- Cupcake time!

2010-05-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Blog Hop Friday, hosted by My New Life As Mom, Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Take A Mom's Word For It, Bree Bee's, This Adventure Our Life and Belly Charms! We invite you and your friends to link up every Friday and join us for a wonderful blog hopping adventure! We're all about making friends and having fun so come join us! Here's how you can join in on the fun;

Link up to your blog, using our inlinkz link list, below.

Follow the host/hostesses located in the first 7 slots.

Follow any other blogs that you feel appropriate! :)

Add the Blog Hop Friday button to your sidebar.

When following a new blog, please remember to leave a little personal comment love.

If you get a new follower, please feel free to reciprocate the love.

This is a new list every week, so please remember to come back and link up, every week!

Please remember to send a little comment love when you follow someone's blog. The point of this is to gain new followers and new friends, so please take a second to send a personal comment on their latest post, something you like about their site or maybe something you find interesting.

We understand that not everyone has time to follow and comment on every Blog Hop Friday Participant, just do what you can and are willing to do. We will do the same! Take your time and go at your own pace.

The link list is only open to add new blogs on Fridays but will be visible all week long.

So go link up and hoppy blog hopping!

Today, My Mom and I decided we were going to try out some cupcake recipes for fun, (well really in preparation for Bailey's birthday, but that is far off). We decided to try The Barefoot Contessa's Coconut Cupcakes (we cut the recipe in half and it made 12 cupcakes, below is the full recipe)! Oh my gosh, they are simply amazing. I can also say they are calorie free, that is right, yep, and healthy for you....Enjoy!

Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 cups sugar

5 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

14 ounces sweetened, shredded coconut

Directions for Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese at room temperature

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1 1/2 pounds confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 3 parts, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold in 7 ounces of coconut.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill each liner to the top with batter. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until the tops are brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove to a baking rack and cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on low speed, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Enjoy!!

Quality Control:

Bailey approves this recipe!!

{This Moment}

2010-05-20T00:20:00.000-07:00

This moment everyday is one I will treasure in my heart forever.

This moment has changed my life.

Forever.

I always want to remember her big eyes starring into mine.

Focused on one another.

Beauty.

At this moment my heart is more in love, than ever before.

I love my little girl, and I would not give up this moment for the world.

Love and Peace sum it up.

Wordless Wednesday- Being Mobile

2010-05-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

I think this picture says it all about being mobile, maybe it is not all fun like they say it is!!

The Measure of a Day

2010-05-17T23:54:00.000-07:00

I used to think that a day was measured by how much I accomplished

What I did, what I checked off, how many hours I worked

It was about getting chores done, that needed to be done at the time

Have to was a word that was in my daily vocabulary

If I did not get the things on my list accomplished I was unproductive

Unproductive, not fulfilled, my day was measured by what I could get finished

Then I had you, and right away I figured out that a single day

can not be measured by what I have checked off on my "to-do" list

A single day can not be measured in working hours

Productive days are not always full of have tos, per say

A day is not measured by what I can get finished

The measure of a day to me is the happiness I have in that day

More importantly the happiness you have in that day

A day where we may not get anything done, but you are smiling

A day that we do not have "have tos" but rather "want tos"

The measure of a day is smiling, laughing and loving

The measure of my day is you knowing you are loved

Knowing that you are wanted, needed, cared for, for always

My day is measured in your happiness, your joy, loving you

A day that sees production, as time well spent together, nothing is better

The measure of a day, month, and year, exists because of you

Being on the D-list is cool, sick, and well wicked!!

2010-05-17T13:42:00.000-07:00

This is our blog and life ADVENTURE (thus the name!) My name is Cindy, I am wife to Speed Racer (aka Tony), Mommy to our beautiful baby Bailey. I am a mostly stay at home mom who loves cloth diapering, baby wearing (see below), photography, crafts, cooking, architecture, while trying to be more environmentally friendly. Most of the time you will find me avoiding what I need to do, while playing around with my little one and our crazy dog, Roxy. This is my life.

I am trying to journey through this adventure while living in the NOW. Join me in the fun.... Here is my family, my life and all that goes along our journey of becoming a family.... (I could go on and on) But you can read all about us here in this blog, that is what it is for, and we know you are here for pictures anyway, so here they are:

This is Us, Our little Family (minus our crazy dog)

Oh yes, and here she is our crazy dog, Roxy!

This is me, Cindy, the one responsible for blogging this adventure!

Yes, we are baby wearing while bowling, this is how we "roll".

And I even got a strike. Believe it or not Bailey fell asleep during this bowling adventure!!

More on this in another post...we found out what the Ergo is really made for...soon to come!!

And we know you are really here to see our little one, BAILEY!

I mean, who can resist her, num num num!!

Thanks for stopping by, we enjoyed having you, please come again!! If you have not please follow our adventure and leave a comment so we can come and visit your adventure.

Oh yeah, Bailey loves comments and will love you for leaving one, and hey, she's cute, she's a baby, so who can resist!! We all love a little baby here!!

Join our giveaway HERE, a cloth diaper of your choice!!

Marvelous Mondays-Just Being

2010-05-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

Today, in particular, I am feeling a little weird. We had a all too relaxing weekend and did not do anything in particular. I guess It is just one of those days where I just feel like an awful Mom. I think the lack of sleep (and I am not complaining) causes me to be a little impatient. I hate being impatient, especially with Bailey. I am talking about small small moments but none the less I feel like a awful Mom, wife, friend, person...everything.

But this is Marvelous Monday, so today I am thankful, as I am everyday, for my daughter. No matter how impatient I am she just looks at me and smiles and hugs me. I mean, who in the world does this, most of the time when we are impatient as adults we look at each other like "well, she really NEEDS a NAP!"... Maybe we should be a little more patient with each other and learn to have compassion.

As I feel like a bad Mom I try to tell myself that I am just having a bad day, and to shake it off, but "Mommy Guilt" is a powerful thing and starts the day you find out you are pregnant and parades on you like no other. Feeling like this to me, does not help anything, it just makes me feel worse, eats me up inside. So today and each day, I will try to remember all the happy moments, all the reasons I am a good person, a good wife, and a good Mom. I am trying. I love Bailey's smile, it really does bring me through every sleepless night and whining/ crying day. It is also what makes every single day bright. Bailey helps relieve this guilt, and I think I must be doing something small right, because when I look at this, I am amazed.

Guest Blogger: Cynthia from Her Quiet Hands in Mine + GIVEAWAY

2010-05-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you very much to each and every person that voted for Bailey!! She came in #26 in votes out of like 6000+ children! We are impressed and even though she did not win the people's choice spot, she may be considered by the judges for the other 9-10 spots they have. We think she is a beautiful little girl, and so without further adieu, our winner for the $20.00 Gift Card of choice is Amy from Marvelous Mommy (if you did not win you can blame my husband, he choose the name from the bowl!) Amy, I will email you. Thank you for all your votes everyday and for posting on face book.

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Today Cynthia joins us from Her Quiet Hands in Mine here to share her adventures with cloth diapering. She has a darling daughter Isla! Anyone who is not making polar bears cannibalistic is super cool (check out her Q & A below). Check out what she has to say about cloth diapering and then hop on over to check out her blog and leave her some comment love!!

We are wrapping up our Cloth Diapering Series with a Special surprise! One lucky reader will win a Cloth Diaper of choice, yes, any brand or type (Limit $25.00 USD and something I can get my hand on!). I do not believe one diaper is the right one, so choose away! This is open to our Canadian friends, because Cynthia is from Canada, you know!!

What you will need to do to enter: Each as a SEPARATE Comment!
(You must be a Follower publicly of This Adventure, Our Life (if you are not you may not be chosen to win).
1. Leave a comment below telling me why you would like to win a cloth diaper, and which diaper you would choose (Please be exact with a color, etc) and if you would like give Cynthia some comments with your choices.

Extra Entries:
3. Become a Facebook Fan of This Adventure, Our Life and "Like" it
4. Follow me on Twitter @this_adventure
5. Share this on Twitter and put your link from sharing in the comment (one per day)

Winners:

Winners will be chosen Friday May 21, 2010!! You must either leave your Blog/ email or an email in the comments. Winner will either be selected at random.org or the old fashioned way picking from a hat... any questions contact me at: cindytonyaguilar at mac dot com

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How long have you been cloth diapering and how old is (are) your child(ren)?I tried my hand at cloth diapering on April 1 and it wasn’t very successful. I tried again with another brand on May 6 and I’m in love. I have one daughter, Isla, and she is almost 14 months old.

What, if any, were your fears/misconceptions before cloth diapering?When I was pregnant, using and washing our own cloth diapers wasn’t really an option. It’s not that I didn’t want to do it, I just didn’t really think about it being an option in the first place. Luke (my husband) and I looked into a diaper service, so my fear stemmed from that… I feared the cost. Our local diaper service company was charging $25 a week, and not really knowing how many diapers our newborn would need I feared that the diaper service would run us out of house and home.

What convinced you that you should cloth diaper?Oh my… I think the question should be what didn’t convince me to cloth diaper. I mean, there are so many reasons… Besides the toxic chemicals touching my Isla’s most sensitive parts, and the tons of diapers my household would eventually be contributing to the Earth, it was the Earth in itself. I feel like we should take responsibility to ensure that we give our kids a fighting chance to enjoy and save the planet.

What is your best advice about starting cloth diapering?Do your research! I researched for about three months – I looked over prices and shipping, cotton and cotton disposable, hybrids and all-in-ones, pockets and snap-ins. There are so many choices and the initial investment of cloth diapering is not cheap. Before I spent a dime, I researched my face off… Even then, it didn’t do me any good.

Were you intimidated? Is there anything that still intimidates you?I was more intimidated by finding the information on cloth diapers than I was about using them -- I was so giddy when placed my order, I just couldn’t feel intimidated. I feel like this whole motherhood thing is just one long learning experience, and cloth diapering just adds to the learning. One thing that did intimidate me the most was the cost. I remember looking at bumGenius diapers on a third party website and thinking that $23.95 must be like a six diaper pack. Boy, was I surprised to find out that $23.95 was just for one diaper.

Why do you prefer cloth diapers over disposables?I like knowing that I’m not making polar bears cannibalistic by using disposable diapers.

Disposal diapers>>>>>Garbage>>>>>Landfill>>>>>Methane gases>>>>>Global Warming >>>>>Hudson Bay not freezing>>>>>Polar bears hunt each other because they can’t cross the unfrozen lake

So far, what’s your favorite brand(s) and why?Since cost is a huge issue for us, I tried Econobums. I tried to make them work, I really did… But after two weeks of battling diaper rashes, a rash from the PUL cover and at least two leaks a day… I was so over them. I moved on to Babyland diapers that I found online. So far I love, love, LOVE them. They’re an inexpensive pocket diaper—Think bumGenius for $5 a diaper. They’re made in China, so maybe the quality assurance isn’t always there… But I have 40 of their diapers and each one is identical.

What would you tell someone who is skeptical of cloth diapering?I’m the first (and hopefully not the last) of my friends to make the switch, so I have a lot of converting to do. Rather than tell them about all the benefits, I’d rather buy a little starter kit (a few diapers, some detergent, a wet bag and some cloth diaper cream) and print a sheet full of facts for them. When it comes to random people, I’d tell them about the chemical burns I’ve heard of from the new Pampers and I’d tell them about how much Earthly destruction disposables actually do. I suppose my tactic for strangers is to scare them into cloth diapering… LOL.

What’s the best part about cloth diapering?The best part about cloth diapering is knowing that I’m doing what I can to keep this family eco-friendly. By eliminating the biggest waste producer from this house, I can feel a little less guilty about driving around in an SUV.

Do you find them harder, easier or the same to use as compared to disposables?Econobum: At first, they were much hard to use than disposables, but I got used to them and they were easy peasy. However, when Isla wasn’t in the mood to cooperate… Boy was it a chore, and I wasn’t even pinning the diapers – just trifolding!

Babyland: They’re much easier than cloth diaper, actually. You don’t have to mess with “unfolding” the tabs or keep adjusting the tautness around the waist. I know exactly which snaps Isla is in right now, so every diaper is a perfect fit. They’re so easy, I think my husband won’t mind changing these cloth diapers. The only thing that sucks is stuffing the diapers after a wash. I hate that part.

Do you have any funny cloth diapering stories to share?It’s not really a funny story, but I get a kick out of it: I rather enjoy hanging Isla’s diapers on the line to dry… Luke gets rather embarrassed by it. We haven’t had any comments from neighbours though, so he worries for no reason. Plus, I think we should be proud that we made such a huge move towards being green!

What is your cloth diapering routine?I bought a trash can from WalMart, the lid locks on so that it’s airtight. It fits about 20 to 30 diapers so I launder her diapers when it’s full, which is every 3 to 5 days. It’s a small trash can so I haul the whole thing downstairs, throw her diapers in the wash, wash the bucket out and bring it back upstairs. I usually hang dry the diapers, but sometimes I don’t have the patience… or its raining. Soon enough, it’ll be winter and there’ll be no line drying.

Do you have any tricks, shortcuts or fun information about cloth diapering?I always stuff the diapers before I put them away… I would hate to have to fiddle with an insert while Isla’s lying on the table stark naked. I also air out her bum, I let it dry from the wipe before I put a new diaper on her… I hate wearing clothes while I’m wet, why would she like it? Plus, a friend gave me that advice to help stave off any diaper rash from moisture issues.

What is a must have when you are cloth diapering?Honestly? Disposable diapers and wipes… I keep them on hand in case a bad diaper rash breaks out and I have to use some heavy-duty butt cream. I also keep them handy in case I miscalculate or overlook exactly how many diapers and/or wipes I have left. Don’t worry, I buy Seventh Generation diapers and I use Aleva Bamboo Wipes when that happens.

How is the husband handling the cloth diapers?He wasn’t sold on the whole cloth diapering thing from the beginning, so he never had to change an Econobum… Lucky guy. Now that we’ve made the switch, I’m sure he’ll be able to handle the Babylands. I mean, I’m going to be without Isla for a girls night… eventually.

Have you had any funny comments when cloth diapering?Since I’ve only been doing this for a month, I don’t have a plethora of absurd comments from people. One person has asked me if I thought about switching to organic disposables though… I thought that was kind of funny. Here I am trying to save money and there she was asking me why I’m not spending more money on organic disposables. What’s more organic than cotton washables!?

A cutie patootie!

2010-05-15T23:28:00.000-07:00

A little Bailey love for your Sunday!

And a little more beauty for the day...

Taking Care of Business (Awards) and MORE!

2010-05-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

VOTE FOR BAILEY + be entered in a GIVEAWAY!! (and let me know in the comment): HERE (to see info about contest and giveaway, click here)

ALL you need to do:
Click above
Click "Vote for me"
Type in question/ phrase exactly as seen (Has to be exactly as seen)
Then if vote went through, it will say Thank you for your vote...

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I was tagged by Dawna at Hiccups in Time! This was actually my first time being tagged. I think what I'm supposed to do is go to the 8th folder in my photo folder, then the 8th photo, and explain the picture (Oh no, this is going to be an oldie!!)

Okay, so I have MANY photos (and did not take Digital till later, film people film!!)...This one is from April 2001. We were in Mammoth with my parents. We were not married yet, but had been dating for about 4 years... We were just getting ready to hit the slopes skiing for the day! It was a great day. At this time I had known Tony for 7 years :) of course for the first 3 years we pretty much disliked each other, go figure, a story for another day!

Dawna from Hiccups in Time , Amy from Marvelous Mommy and Jenny at I'm a Full-Time Mummy have also awarded me the Versatile Blogger award!

I will pass this one on to:

Diana @ Hormonal Imbalances

Sara @ Unofficial Mom

Devan @ Accustomed Chaos

Amy at Marvelous Mommy also awarded me the Kreativ Blogger Award

I will give this one to:

LeQuan @ luvtoeat

Christina @ Finally Mom

Kristin @ A Mother's Work is Never Done

Christina at Finally Mom also awarded me The Happy 101 Award

I will give this one to:

Amy @ Marvelous Mommy

Alysha @ The Tarr Pit

Laura Jane @ Call Me Laura Jane

To read about me you can go HERE and HERE

I also wanted to send a Thanks out to Laura at Melodramommy for mentioning me HERE. If you have not check out Laura's Blog, you should. It is hilarious!! You will not be disappointed!!

Thank you also to Diana at Hormonal Imbalances for the nice words HERE. I appreciate it. Thank you for being a great blogging friend. I look forward to reading your blog every day!

Okay and that my friends is all!

Now, go vote for Bailey, she needs votes!!

Blog Hop Friday- Our Mini Vacation!

2010-05-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first, ever, edition of Blog Hop Friday, hosted by My New Life As Mom, Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Take A Mom's Word For It, Bree Bee's, This Adventure Our Life and Belly Charms! We invite you and your friends to link up every Friday and join us for a wonderful blog hopping adventure! We're all about making friends and having fun so come join us! Here's how you can join in on the fun;

Link up to your blog, using our inlinkz link list, below.
Follow the host/hostesses located in the first 6 slots.
Follow any other blogs that you feel appropriate! :)
Add the Blog Hop Friday button to your sidebar.
When following a new blog, please remember to leave a little personal comment love.
If you get a new follower, please feel free to reciprocate the love.

This is a new list every week, so please remember to come back and link up, every week!

Please remember to send a little comment love when you follow someone's blog. The point of this is to gain new followers and new friends, so please take a second to send a personal comment on their latest post, something you like about their site or maybe something you find interesting.

We understand that not everyone has time to follow and comment on every Blog Hop Friday Participant, just do what you can and are willing to do. We will do the same! Take your time and go at your own pace.

The link list is only open to add new blogs on Fridays but will be visible all week long.

So go link up and hoppy blog hopping!

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VOTE FOR BAILEY + be entered in a GIVEAWAY!! (and let me know in the comment): HERE (to see info about contest and giveaway, click here)

ALL you need to do:
Click above
Click "Vote for me"
Type in question/ phrase exactly as seen (Has to be exactly as seen)
Then if vote went through, it will say Thank you for your vote...

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A couple weekends ago we decided to go on a vacation to Lake Tahoe (precisely North Shore, on the Nevada side). Last time we went it was in January... This time we left on a Friday morning and stayed through Monday. We had our trip all streamlined this time...We cloth diapered, cloth wiped for the trip, we made it up in 9-10 hours (which is more on par with time, our last trip, oh yes 13 hours on the road...my my!) and back in about 9 hours. Bailey was a great traveler only whining when she wanted to nurse or needed a new diaper! We had a nice and relaxing time together! We just hung around, stayed up late, hung around in bed late in the morning, took a hike around a lake trail, and went to dinner at our favorite spots. To us Tahoe is just a special place. Here are some photos from our trip:

Beautiful views, serene, and calming.

Some rest and relaxation, just hanging out.

Playtime, and num numming Sophie the Giraffe! Aww, the life!

Family time, yep a weekend of that :)

Taking a little hike, Bailey is loving it!

Enjoying the views, how could we not?!

We had a great time! Let's go back soon.

She Makes Me Smile...

2010-05-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

She makes me smile, with out doing anything special

Just being herself and laughing away

She finds joy in our expressions

I love her little face

Her eyes, they are amazing to me

It is fabulous how little ones find joy in the smallest things

Somehow we lose this as we get older, I wish we do not, but we do

I love to watch her see things all around her and smile

No matter what, she always gives us her biggest grin

The world makes her smile, she makes me smile

When I am having a bad day, all I need to do is look at her

She smiles, Her smile makes me smile

My day is not so bad any longer

With this smile, I can do anything

I can be the Mom I want to be

She loves nothing more than being silly

Silly to the point of laughing now

I love her little laugh

Her laugh makes me smile

My whole world looks brighter with her in it

Everything I was thought to be important has changed

As she see the world, I again experience it

This time though, through her expressions

She makes me smile, because she is herself

She makes me smile, and the world is better for it

She smiles, and I smile back

My world will never be the same again

And this, is the best thing that has happened to me, ever.

Keep on smiling little one. You make my day bright.

Check me out, I got D-listed today!! YAY!!

Wordless Wednesday (Wordful)- My Heart is Full

2010-05-11T21:19:00.000-07:00

There are moments that make me happy

There are moments that make me sad

Moments where I just can not explain how I feel

Overfilled with joy

Laughter filling my heart

Emotions flowing like a river

These days are unpredictable and the ones that I live for

It is easy to find sadness, but happiness, you have to seek

Sometimes it is easy, other times not

But when I walk into the room in the morning

after sticking a load in the washer to find this,

My heart melts, and I know this is our happiness

This is what I love for

What we live for

(sorry about the quality of these photos, I had to capture it quickly which meant iphone in the dark)

Mother's Day this year...

2010-05-11T00:32:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day this year, I woke up to a clean kitchen and breakfast!

Not just any breakfast, but my favorite breakfast, chocolate chip waffles, strawberries, and whip cream... Yummy!! Thank you Tony, I appreciate it very much!

Bailey and Tony also surprised me with a nice note and these flowers,

beautiful!!

We made some handmade cards for the Grandmas.

We tried to get cute little handprints, but footprints were more feasible.

We spent time together just hanging around the house.

It was an ordinary day, for the most part.

Little extra special gestures though to let me know I was loved.

Like a nice lunch, a clean car, and some wine and chocolate from my sister.

The best part of my day was this little cutie, my little baby girl, whom I love.

She makes me smile, laugh, and appreciate my life.

Not a life of have to's, but a life of want to's.

I feel at peace with her, like she makes me slow down.

Slow down so I can find what is important.

This, this is always the answer, nothing more, nothing less.

Thank you for teaching me how to be a Mommy, Bailey.

I sure hope I am doing a good job.

I love you very much little one.

Please Vote for Bailey Updated!!

2010-05-09T23:30:00.000-07:00

I have entered Bailey into a magazine cover contest for Parents Magazine! If you think Bailey deserves your vote, please vote and see below for a "giveaway".

Click HERE to vote for Bailey!!! Bailey's Voting is from May 10- May 16, I believe it is one vote per computer/ day, even though it says per email...

The Details: The 10 winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to be photographed for the November 2010 issue of Parents magazine along with a prize package provided by Canon! One child will appear on the cover.

What you need to do:
Click this Link
Click "Vote for me"
Type in question exactly as seen (Has to be exactly as seen)
Then if vote went through it will say Thank you for your vote...

Giveaway: I know that it takes time to vote everyday. Each day if you vote and leave a comment on my blog telling me you voted (for one or all of the photos) you will be entered into a drawing to win a $20.00 gift card to a place of your choice (I must be able to get a gift card to this place). If participation is good there might be 2 prizes.

If you would like a daily "reminder" to vote email, please click here to email me

Here are the photos that we entered (all taken by me): Bailey says "Thank you sooo MUCH!!"

Happy Mother's Day!!

2010-05-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

Being a Mother is true love.

Bailey thank you teaching me how to be a Mom

Thank you for showing me this love

I do not know what my life would be like without you in it

Mom, Thank you for being a great mother

You are the absolute best

All the time, thinking about us, not yourself

Now, I have an idea about how you really feel about us

When I hold Bailey, I feel what you must have felt

A love that is unconditional and absolutely amazing in every way

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there.

Mothers to babies on earth, Mothers to babies in heaven

Aunts, Grandmas, and Great Grandmas.

The Unaffordable Onesie!!

2010-05-05T23:48:00.000-07:00

So my crafting adventure started out with making freezer paper stencils for onesies with my friend Suzanne. What is turned into was being able to have my unaffordable onesie in a different manner.

Okay so on Etsy there are these ohh soo cute onesies that say 5 months, 6 months, etc... and I wanted them for Bailey really bad. I mean really bad. But they ran like $40.00 plus for 1-6 months and another $40.00 plus for the 7-12 months as seen HERE. I do not by any means want to de-value the time and skills of the maker because they are beautiful, and if I had the money maybe I too would buy them but right now, they are too expensive. So I accepted that Bailey would not have them and just took regular monthly photos as seen HERE.

So a little about the freezer paper method (thank you to Suzanne):

1) Take freezer paper (bought in the grocery store) and trace any pattern onto it, either something you draw by hand, print off the computer, etc...

2) Using an exacto knife cut out the parts you want to paint in.

3) Iron it onto the onesie (make sure to iron on any little pieces inside- also a note: cutting stickers or masking tape out works great for blocking paint out of the small little spaces when making letters and designs).

4) Paint anywhere you want paint with fabric paint.

5) Peel stickers off (or wait till the end if you want them white)

6) You can use stencils to do other shapes on top, and presto!!

**It works best to wash the onesie first.

This is how it turns out, I think it looks pretty nice (I messed up a little on one part, but ohwell!). Instead of costing a lot, it only cost a couple dollars for the onesie and a couple for the paint (which I will use many times). I will do different designs every month with the same font lettering and placement.

These are some other ones I did: (the intricate one is done with stencils) I am still working on some others (and one that is not pictured has a "B" for Bailey on it!). My other ideas: a skyline with buildings (the architectural side in me), a present for a baby shower (another name shirt), and some possible chinese letters (like peace, dream, etc...)

Also that day we made some $2.00 "Baby leg warmers" from knee socks from Target: That was fun, but I still need to sew the bottoms (maybe next week, they are super cute though and cheap!!) All you do is get the knee socks and cut the bottoms off and hem them, that is all, so easy!

Here is a picture of Suzanne's youngest son Baby Bug and Bailey; he is her little boyfriend, well one of a couple :) !!

Wordless Wednesday- The Baby and the Hat

2010-05-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a change of hats says it all...

From this...

To This...

Which is more fitting? Depends on the moment!!

This is why we come here...

2010-05-01T21:48:00.000-07:00

For a lake view, family time and a little peace from life...

{Click photo to enlarge, had to make this small because Blogger will not upload my BIG file!!}

Also, a little cuteness being a cutie in the car!!

More later, trying to catch up!

Month 6

2010-04-29T22:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Bailey,
As I write this time I am having a harder time accepting that you are already 6 months! Time flies little one, but I would not change the last 6 months for anything in the world. You are an amazing little girl, do you know that? You are very full of personality, so much more than last month even. Your Daddy and I really enjoy your giggles, smiles, kisses, and you even started hugging us, the big bear type of hugs where you open your arms wide and wrap them around us! We both agree that one of our favorite things in our day is you always, without a doubt give us a smile every single time we meet eyes with you. It is truly amazing and we love that about you. Your laugh to us is the most beautiful sound in the world. You have been trying very hard to crawl, and everyday we say any day you will be moving everywhere! You were sitting up last month, but this month you are sitting up with much more stability. You can already spin 360 degrees (which your Dad is very proud of) and crawl backwards, we were very impressed with this one.

Your social interactions are amazing. You love to smile at everyone who will look at you, you flash that cute smile and then we have another group of people around us. Speaking of that, we can not have one outing to this day, where we do not have people stopping your Dad or I telling us how beautiful you are, ohh and telling us to buy a shotgun to ward off the boys later, much later we say (yes, we have had this comment from about 10 people, funny). Your expressions are changing and you are beginning to "voice" concern for your likes and dislikes. You are very strong willed and know what you want at all times. We find your tantrums quite amusing, for now. You now know how to blow raspberries, and when you are bored, that is exactly what you do!! Bailey, you talk up a storm, soo many new words... you still say Mom Maaa and you even reached for me as you said it, maybe a coincidence, but it melted my heart into pieces non the less. You also started to say "b" words like baaaa, lots of "m" words, "n" words, and ahhhs! We love to hear your little voice and we love to have little and big conversations with you.

You are growing big, yet you are still small. I love that you still fit perfectly in my arms, but I think you always will have a huge spot there. We started solids for 3-4 days, then stopped, it just was not time yet. We have introduced you to water, we gave you a sippy cup which you kind of know how to use, but you much prefer a regular cup. You enjoy taking drinks of Mom's water! You continue to nurse like a pro, I enjoy that time with you. You are cloth diapered and cloth wiped, everyday. You are now fitting in 6-12 month sizes, although your pants are still more like a 3-6 month size. I feel a little sad every time you change sizes, just a reminder again that you are growing up. Do not grow up too fast our little baby.

Bailey, you love to be held, not just sometimes, but ALL the time. We love holding you Bailey, we know this time is short, and you will not want to be held later (and if you do, we will always be here). We try to encourage a lot of floor time, and you are practicing your many skills, you love toy balls. This month you have actually grown to love toys, and playing. You are grabbing at everything in your sight. You are so curious about the world and many people have commented since you were born how alert you are.

It is really hard for us to believe that you are already 6 months, that you are halfway to being 1 years old. Just 6 months ago you were in my belly, and we both were excited for you to be here. It really does feel like you have always been with us, We do not know life without you anymore. We have many thoughts and dreams for you Bailey, but we are trying to just enjoy you now, you are the most beautiful little girl. Your Dad and I love you more than words can say. We hope you know this, always.

We love you to the moon and back,
Daddy and Mommy

These are the photos we took at home (your 6 month photos are coming very soon)!!

A Picture Trip to Costa Rica

2010-04-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

I will write about some of the adventures we had in Costa Rica a while back, but today, a small picture trip of the beauty we experienced while there, I want to go back. Here are just a few of hundreds of photos...

Ohh, to be there again... Dreaming...

The Diaper Bag Spit Up, really...

2010-04-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

I walked into the kitchen the other day to find this:

I think that my husband was trying to nicely tell me that the diaper bag is out of CONTROL! Yep, I agree, how much stuff can we put in there, really?! It looks like a mess, but I assure you everything is in piles with other things like it. I think I walked into the kitchen and just laughed, asked my husband why the diaper bag "spit up" all over the table? I mean, I think I have enough spit up with Bailey! Right? He then told me he was organizing it so I could decide what stays and goes, and he was hoping some of it would go because he could not find anything when changing her diaper, go figure, what a mess! Now, I am happy to report we have a clean and clutter free diaper bag, thank you husband!!

Is your diaper bag or purse out of control? Oh yes, and my purse, another story...

Sorry to anyone who has trouble leaving comments and it not working, I currently do not know what is wrong or how to fix it :(!!

Guest Blogger: Suzanne from One of a Kind

2010-04-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

Today Suzanne joins us from One of a Kind here to share her adventures with cloth diapering. She has two very handsome boys, one of which is Bailey's little boyfriend :)! Check out what she has to say about cloth diapering and then hop on over to check out her blog. We will be wrapping up our cloth diapering series in the next week and you will not want to miss what is to come (hint: a MORE THAN COOL giveaway!).

How long have you been cloth diapering and how old is(are) your Child(ren)?
I have been cloth diapering since early February, so just under 3 months. My kids are 27 months and almost 7 months.

What, if any, were your fears/ misconceptions before cloth diapering?

For me, it was really about the time involved. It is hard enough to keep up with regular household chores and laundry for four people, I didn't think I could handle the extra work.

What convinced you that you should cloth diaper?
Having my second baby. I realized that if I could handle a house, a two year old, and a baby, there was no reason why we couldn't throw in some extra laundry. And, after using disposables on my first son for two years, I just got so sick of looking at all that trash. It just felt so wasteful.

What is your best advice about starting cloth diapering?
Talk to others who are using them. Try some out before you buy. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow some from a friend for about a week. I got to try out different types of diapers on my boys, see what worked best, and found out how easy the process was. It also showed my hubby (who wasn't so sure about it) that I was serious, and that it wasn't too bad after all). If you can't try them out, then just talk to anyone who uses them. Or read some blogs like this one that show you first hand how everything works!

Were you intimidated? Is there anything that still intimidates you?
Nope, not at all. Luckily I don't mind dealing with lots of poo!

Why do you prefer cloth diapers over disposables?
So many reasons.... less trash, never having to go to the store for diapers, better for the environment, easier on baby's sensitive skin, and they are just so cute too!

So far, what’s your favorite brand(s) and why?
I use both Bum Genius One Size diapers and Flips. I love them both for different reasons. The BG's are just so easy. Just stuff them ahead of time, then put them on and go. Grandparents and dads love them because they are so simple. The only downside I think is that they are a bit bulky. The Flips are great because they are a little more slim fitting. Also, less laundry because you reuse the cover all day and just change the insert. They can get messy with poo though.

What would you tell someone who is skeptical of cloth diapering?
Just try it! A lot of websites offer a 30-90 day guarantee so if you don't like it you can return them. Most likely, you won't!

What’s the best part about cloth diapering?
I know it's silly, but the best part is how super cute they are. I have boys, and I don't get to dress them up much. It's fun when I can put on the bright colored diapers, and maybe some baby legs to go with them.

Do you find them harder, easier or the same to use as compared to disposables?
I wouldn't say harder, just maybe a little more time consuming. But not much. They take a little planning ahead for outings, etc.. and so you don't run out of clean ones!

Do you have any funny cloth diapering stories to share?
I can't think of a thing! Probably since I've only been doing it for a few months...

What is your cloth diapering routine?
I keep a wet bag in my baby's room, and another small one out in our living area that I empty into the big one ever night. Every 2-3 days, or whenever I almost run out, I wash them. I have a very old, very ghetto washer and dryer..... so I run one cold wash with soap, one hot wash with soap, and one short warm rinse. Then I throw everything in the dryer. If the timing is right I hang dry them outside, but since I am usually washing at night, they go in the dryer.

Do you have any tricks, shortcuts or fun information about cloth diapering?
A tip if you are diapering two kids at once.... buy one size diapers! Both my BG and Flips are super easy to size quickly. It makes it easier to just be able to grab a diaper for whichever kid needs it and put it on without trying to find a specific size.

What is a must have when you are cloth diapering?
I love my combo wet/dry bag from Planet Wise. It has a pocket for clean diapers, and a wet bag pocket for the dirty ones. Makes my life SO much easier!

How is the husband handling the cloth diapers?
He is doing well, as long as I handle the majority of it, but that was our plan from the beginning. He is very supportive of my decision, a bit slow to convince but once he saw how easy they are he was all for it.

Have you had any funny comments when cloth diapering?
Not funny comments, mostly everyone is just really interested in it. Friends, family, etc.. just want to know how they work. They want to know why I made the switch. Everyone is really curious, which is great! I love to show them off.

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

2010-04-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

We decided to take Bailey to the Zoo for the first time...

Where we saw Lions...

Tigers...

And Bears...Oh My!!

We enjoyed a great time together, as a family

(Bailey was a little tired in this photo!)

We both enjoyed showing Bailey all the animals, colors, sounds and plants around the zoo!

Bailey really liked all the animals, especially the ones that move around and of course the ones that make noise!! ROooAaaR!! EEHHH, eeehhh, ooohhhh, ewww!

Bailey loved these guys, maybe her favorite animal!

As much as she loved all the animals, she loved playing with Daddy more...

At the end of the day, we had a tired little baby, who had experienced all the animals, and loved the zoo. Can not wait to go again!!

Bailey we hope you liked your first trip to the zoo, little one!!

Marvelous Mondays-The beautiful sky

2010-04-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

I am always thankful when I see these...

They make me think of many things.

When I was a child and thought that there was an end of the rainbow, with a pot of gold.

They make me think of happiness and new beginnings.

All the beautiful colors, each created.

They make me think of happy times.

A picture does not do this justice.

I can not help but smile when I see these.

This was Bailey's first rainbow, I hope we see many more.

Beautiful.

Life Changes Perspective...

2010-04-24T01:33:00.000-07:00

Life Changes Perspective

Bailey has changed the person whom I was in very many ways.

I think about her all the time.

To me, thinking about her all the time, is well, natural.

I do not think a moment goes by where she does not pass my mind.I thought about before she was born, before I was pregnant with her,

I really did not worry about anyone.

I could leave and it was just me, of course, with my husband and family on my mind.

Now, things have changed, my mind has shifted.

Everywhere I go and everything I do, I am thinking about her.

I would not have it any other way.

This is my life.

She is mine, mine to care for, mine to love, and protect.

I worry about her, want to protect her from harm, want to love her forever.

I can not imagine not thinking about her.

I think about happiness, Bailey continually is my thought.

I am a Mom, I do not think there will ever be a day where she is not on my mind.

I do not think I will ever not worry about her.

There will never be a day that I do not love her.

She will always be on my mind, and that is my happiness.

Your details...

2010-04-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

Your eyes are amazing, I look at them everyday.

When I am gazing into your eyes I can not help but stare at your eyelashes.

They are long and dark, I love how you blink them.

A feature that you were born with.

The first time I laid my eyes on yours, I saw your eyelashes.

Beautiful perfection.

Oh how I love these...

2010-04-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things that my Mom made when I was younger was Nanaimo Bars. If you have not had these bars, you are missing out and should go and make them!! Really...I think they are like fat and calorie free by the way, in case you are concerned...

Here is how you make them:

Ingredients and Directions:
3/4 C butter
1/4 C granulated sugar
1/3 C Cocoa
1 t vanilla
1 egg
2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 C flaked coconut
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)
2 T instant vanilla pudding mi
3 T milk
2 C confectioners sugar
3 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1/2 C chocolate chips)
1 T butter

1) Melt 1/2 C butter in saucepan. Blend in sugar, cocoa, vanilla, egg, crumbs, coconut, and nuts (if using).

2) Press mixture into a 9" square pan

3) Cream 1/4 C butter until light, add dry pudding mix, milk, and conf. sugar. Blend well.
4) Spread mixture on top of crumb mixture and chill thoroughly.

5) Melt chocolate with 1 T butter, stirring to blend. Spread over chilled mixture. Chill, cut into bars.

6) ENJOY and SHARE if you can!!

We decided to share our batch and I think everyone enjoyed them!!

Wordless Wednesday- Innocence

2010-04-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

The innocence of children is a beautiful thing.

Bailey, I love to look in your eyes and I see the whole world in them.

I see peace, beauty, and love.

You do not know yet what is in the world around you.

Sometimes I am excited to see you grow up, and sometimes I am scared.

Scared at the world, and the people that could hurt you.

Then I look around and I see how many people in this world that are good.

Nice and loving people.

Right now, at this moment,

all you know is LOVE.

And for now, at this moment, that is all I want you to know baby girl.

Why I like babywearing...

2010-04-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

I am not one of those anti-stroller people. Strollers are great and most definitely serve a purpose. I could not have done without my stroller when Bailey was born and I was in recovery mode. Strollers help to carry all my "junk" around, well and my baby! Really though, I love babywearing. I feel like Bailey is soo close and when she whines I am right there. I guess I figure babies grow up soo quickly and I have soo many years ahead of me of not being able to hold her close, she will want to run, play and be independent. So for now, any chance I get she goes in the ergo, close to me. I love how I can interact with her, hear her little breaths, feel her weight fall against me as she falls asleep, nurse her, play with her and she will pull on my face, babble to me, then I give her kisses and talk to her! Sometimes these moments are so special to me, because I know that we many not have many more. I mean, sure I will always snuggle, love, and hold Bailey as close as I can get her, but at some point it will just not be like this anymore! Here is why I love it:

LOVE her very much.

DIY: Laundry detergent

2010-04-18T22:20:00.000-07:00

I have been researching on how to make my own laundry detergent. I would love to say that the reason I was doing this was all about the environment and using less chemicals, but not on this one. I was already using a pretty safe detergent, so my main reason for this DIY on laundry detergent was to save money. Yes, something we all WANT to do, right? I was spending far too much buying my detergent. So to the internet I went. I found a recipe off the Eco Friendly Family's website that I ended up using. There are soo many (way too many) recipes out there. I choose this one because A. She also uses cloth diapers and made a recipe for detergent for that also (which will be my next DIY when I get to it) and B. She had been doing this for a while and it worked. All the recipes I found were VERY similar though.

Here is the recipe I used:

1 cup washing soda

1 cup borax

1/2 cup of oxiclean

1 bar of soap, finely grated (Ivory, Fels Naptha...)

Here's the full recipe:

3 Boxes Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (55 oz each)

2 Boxes 20 Mule Team Borax (76 oz each)

1 Large Tub OxiClean (96 oz)

24 Bars of Soap, finely grated

I made a small recipe, I wanted to try it out first before I invested in the large batch.

Here is what I did:

I used Ivory soap, but other people love the Fels Naptha...could not find it. I will try it for the large batch possibly!

I used my small food processor (you can use a grater or coffee grinder also!) I cut the soap in smaller pieces first. The first time I did a quick and rough chop up.

I spread all the soap bits on a cookie sheet to dry out overnight, makes it easier to deal with later.

I then placed it all back inside the food processor, the object is to get it as fine as you can (making sure to give your food processor breaks!)

When you are finished gather all the ingredients together.

I used a large mixing bowl to stir mine together. When I do the whole batch I will use 2 paint buckets.

Find a container to store the detergent in. I found a storage container around the house, but I want to find something a little more airtight!

The detergent is ready to go! Make sure to keep a measuring device inside, like a tablespoon or a comparable spoon or scoop.

Now to go attack the laundry...

Overall impressions: I really like the soap, it cleans well. Our laundry does not smell like anything, which is the way it is intended to use. I have tested it on everything from spit up rags to exercise clothes (that stink also!) I would love to read up if there is anything you can do to lightly scent it. You should not use this on your towels or cloth diapers as it contains soap. I have not yet had any problems with using this and it really took no time at all. Finding the ingredients in our town, however, was a bit longer. I have an HE washer, I am using about 1.5 Tbsp per load (I am still playing with it right now). I know in a top loader you will use 2-3 Tbsp for a large load.

Advice: I found it a little hard to find the washing soda (aka soda ash). I ended up getting it at the Do-it-Center, which is like a small Ace hardware or Home Depot. Most people do not know what it is... I probably will order it online next time to find the cheapest prices. As for the other ingredients, not too hard to find!

Let the soap dry overnight, this helps a lot. Store in some sort of airtight container. Paint buckets work great (with lids).

Research it, see which recipe works for you!! If you have any questions ask, or google it, there is a ton of info on this subject!!

Bailey thinks laundry is overrated but agrees her clothes must get cleaned somehow, and likes watching the food processor grind soap, so hey...making laundry soap can not be that bad...

A Note From Bailey

2010-04-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

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mum ccbbi i7t78o 78 bubb b boliluioujuy 7 8iuu gtyiulijoio m ,..;m/

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Bailey thought there was a little too much cloth diaper talk, DIY talk, awards for Mommy talk, and was thinking she needed to have a post (and she says in color please!!)! Bailey says "Hello" to everyone that read's Mommy's blog!! She wanted to do a little video, but her Mom is a slacker :)!! Ohh Bailey, there are many posts this week coming all about little you! Enjoy!!

The Sunshine Award

2010-04-18T16:26:00.000-07:00

Laura Jane over at Call Me Laura Jane has given me the Sunshine award and the Honest Scrap award! Laura's blog is excellent, full of honesty and a fun read! Thank you Laura, I feel honored you choose me, I know you have a lot to choose from!

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world. The Honest Scrap Award is for... well, honest crap! ha ha. Everyone loves an honest blogger. We don't want it sugar coated.

See this post and this post for things about me :)!!

I nominate Nicci @ Changing the Universe
&
Dawna @ Hiccups in Time

Thank you again Laura!!!

Swinging fun!

2010-04-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite pastimes as a child was going to the park and swinging. My Mom and Dad would push us and we would just yell, faster, higher, and more!! It is funny how when you go on a swing now it still feels like you are a child once again.

Tony and I decided to get Bailey a swing. We had many smiles watching her experience real swinging for the first time:

At first you were a little serious, but that did not stay for long...

because once you started swinging, you were in love. exciting.

Laughing, laughing, I love that little baby laugh.

Smiling, and especially when Daddy would catch your little feet...

Flying through the air with the sun shining...nothing better.

Bailey, you really did have a fun time, I can not wait for more times this summer to push you in your swing and listen to your sweet little laugh!!

More Awards, Oh my!!

2010-04-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

I am very honored to have received this award from the awesome Kim at Who Needs Sleep. Kim has an excellent blog and I just LOVE reading it. I must now share 10 things about myself and pass it on to 10 other favorite bloggers!

Updated: Thank you also to Kelly at All About Jayden Paige who has also chosen this blog for this award! I love reading her blog, and her little girl is soooo adorable! Check out her blog!!

1. I love to craft, I wish I had more time!

2. I love to go camping, one of my favorite trips was on our 2 week adventure to Glacier in Montana.

3. I have never been to Mexico

4. I have been to Italy two times now, and I miss it, and should probably blog about it...

5. My daughter has been in my life for 40 weeks plus almost 6 months and I can not imagine life without her, but you guys probably know this.

6. My favorite thing I make is homemade Spaghetti Sauce or Wine Chicken

7. I am a bit obsessive about taking photos.

8. I really want to take a photo class to become a better photographer, because I have no training in that yet.

9. I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate.

10. Blogging is my outlet, and my place to be positive about life. I love to share information with everyone.

1. Lequan @ Luvtoeat

2. Devan @ Accustomed Chaos

3. Cynthia @ Her Quiet Hands on Mine

4. Stephanie @ My New Life as Mom

5. Amanda @ Eatspinlive

6. Lee-Ann @ Lee-Ann's Crazy Life!

7. Laura @ Melodramommy

8. Suzanne @ One of a Kind

9. Krystan @ Are you Really Serious?

10. Shanna @ The Autry Family

Another award comes to me from Laura at Melodramommy. Laura's blog is more than funny! Read her Mr. Poopie stories for a good laugh!! You may laugh really hard :)! Laura thank you for starting out my day with a good laugh.

This award was also given to me by Lequan at Luvtoeat. Lequan is a great blogging friend, I appreciate her sincere comments, I love her yummy recipes which make me hungry, and her kids are adorable!!

The rules of this award are:
1. copy and paste the award on your blog.
2. list who gave the award to you and use a link to her/his blog (or hyperlink).
3. list 10 things that make you happy.
4. pass the award on to other bloggers and visit their blog to let them know about the award.

1. My daughter

2. My husband

3. My friends blogging and close to me

4. laughing, who does not like a good laugh

5. My dog Roxy

6. Sunshine

7. Peace

8. Sleep

9. Being together with family

10. Kind hearted people (specifically thinking of Nicolle today who sent Bailey a special something, thanks Nicolle, you thought is more than appreciated!)

1. Maggie @ Butterflies for Alexandra

2. Diana @ Hormonal Imbalances

3. Jill @ Footprints on our Hearts

4. Alissa @ Molly and Mommy

5. Debra @ Housewife Eclectic

6. Nicolle @ One Who Flys Above, One who Flutters Within

Okay Wheeewww...that was a lot but I love being able to share all these blogs with everyone!! I am tired, so time to hit the bed...

Just Us today

2010-04-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

Ohh, how I love her.

Bailey you always seem to make me smile.

My first blogging AWARD!

2010-04-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

I was soo pleased to find a comment today from Amy at A Foodie Fairytale, a blog that I read, on my blog telling me that she had chosen this blog for the Kreativ Blogger Award. Thank you Amy, you made my day! One of Amy's post featured breakfast cookies which I am wanting to try! I am soo very bad at eating breakfast! Click HERE to see this very yummy looking recipe! I mean and hey, who doesn't want cookies for breakfast, right?!

The Kreativ Blogger Award Rules:

1. Post the award. Check

2. Thank and mention the person who gave you the award. Check, Thank you again Amy!

3. Pass the award on to seven blogs who you think embody the spirit of the Kreativ Blogger Award. Check, See below!

4. Name seven things about yourself that others don't know. Check, See below!

5. Don't forget to notify your seven Bloggers about their award and post a link to their blog. Check, Okay, here is your notice :)!

There were so many wonderful blogs to choose from, but I can only choose 7 blogs, some that I have been reading for a while, some that are new in my reader! I really love all blogs, each one for their own reason. The below blogs I love each for a different reason. Hope you enjoy and when visiting the websites, vote for them and follow them if you love their blog!

1. Diana @ Hormonal Imbalances

2. Alissa @ Molly and Mommy
3. Cynthia @ Her Quiet Hands in Mine
4. Maria and Michelle@ From the Same Nest
5. Alysha @ The Tar{r} Pit
6. Kim @ Who Needs Sleep
7. Pam @ True Mommyhood Stories

Okay and 7 things that people do/ may not know (this is hard... I write too much!)

1. I have my Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, I love design.
2. I really do not like bugs, especially spiders.
3. Green is my favorite color.
4. I went to a Catholic high school.
5. My husband and I hated each other when we first met, it was like a brother/ sister hate...
6. I secretly wish to be a superhero...
7. I really like diet coke and miss it dearly...oh yes and martinis (pomegranate ones...yummy!)

Okay well hope you all enjoyed and maybe found a new blog or two or three or seven to follow!!

Will you play with me? Please!

2010-04-15T00:03:00.000-07:00

Roxy was really hoping one of these days Bailey would actually do something, like throw her ball for her...

Sorry Roxy, maybe later, but nice try!!

If Bailey will not play then I will just sleep...

Roxy, you are one silly dog! Looks comfy, huh??

Wordless Wednesday- My Sweetness

2010-04-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

This little girl makes my days seem not so bad

helps me to see life so very simply

encourages me to be the best I can

and captures my heart daily.

She is my sweetness.

♥ ♥ ♥ The love of my life. ♥ ♥ ♥

Oopsy Daisy

2010-04-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

We have a sitter now (no, not a sitter, the one that watches your child, right), Bailey is now sitting up! As a proud Mommy I feel the need to write about this. Bailey is also really proud of herself, as she looks around the room in a new view. Now, she is not really sturdy though which requires quick hands and careful watching! A week or so ago we were sitting playing on the ground as we do everyday. We were playing with her very favorite toy, the beloved Sophie the Giraffe (check out this post HERE for more Sophie lovin!) and here is how she went dowwwnnnn....

Poor Bailey, Poor Sophie (take a look at where Sophie ended up...squash!) Do not worry she did not fall hard because Mommy caught her halfway!! This week she is doing much better on the sitting front, we practice it every day (but I cannot sit too close of she just leans back for me to hold her, smart one!!) Sometimes she is not too happy with her new found trick!

Oh yes, and look what she loves to do: (sorry about the not so great photo!)

Oh my, Oh my...Bailey, just slow down a little so Mommy can catch up with you, okay??