Cow Appreciation Day!

Woohoo!  Today is one of my favorite times of the year!

Every July, Chik fil a has a Cow Appreciation Day where they give away free food to the customers that dress up like cows.  Sounds ridiculous?  It is!  That's why it's so fun!

I love this day.  It's like Halloween, but just for cows.  Everyone looks different even though they are all dressed like cows... I love the diversity and ingenious ideas for cow costumes!

Some crazy simplistic costumes I witnessed:

Here are our costumes from today!

That's supposed to be a bell around my girl's neck, BTW.  The cow hat idea I got from this tutorial.  My girl loved helping glue the spots on!  Easy peasie, and also a little funzie thang to do! 

So, hurry up!  Get your cow costume on and get some free food!  You have just a couple hours left!

Confessions of a Working Mom - Oh, the Guilt

The best part about working full-time is the nice paychecks.  The worst part about working full-time is the guilt.  Oh, the guilt.

Two months ago, I finally got the full-time job I had been looking for.  It was an arduous process, to say the least.  I graduated in December of 2011 and had been looking for a full-time job since.  During my searching process, I stayed home with my two girls and worked sixteen hours a week on the weekends.  I enjoy staying home with my two girls, but I prefer to put my skills to work in an industry, so each night I would apply online to as many jobs I qualified for.

I am so happy I got the job I did.  I love what I do.  I really enjoy it.  My boss is amazing and the people I work with are a delight.  The guilt does not come directly from my job, it comes from my babies.

Each work day when I have to wake my girls up super early in the morning to get them all dressed and ready to go to the sitters, I feel guilty.  I just want my sweet babies to have their beauty sleep.  When my four year old snaps at me with a sassy tone, I feel guilty.  I feel like she's sassy because I'm not there enough to keep her in line.  When my tiny baby poops right as I take her out of her car seat to go to the sitters, I feel guilty.  I don't want her to think I'm sending her away because she has gross pants!

So much guilt.

I debated even writing about this, because I feel like I should have a solution to my guilt by now, but I don't, at least not yet.  I try to spend time quality time with my girls when I'm home.  I tell them stories that I make up, play blocks, write with chalk and bike.  I also try to have conversations with my four year old in the car.  Sometimes these things disperse my guilt, but usually not.  The hardest is when I'm trying to be nice, and both of the girls are just mad and tired because they've already had a long day.  My tiny baby is whiny and my four year old turns into Sassy Pants Sally.  Not fun to be around, but then I feel guilty for thinking that they aren't fun to be around.  Ugh.  Never ending games inside my head!

I think this is going to be a working process.  I need to find what works for me and the girls.  It has only been two months, so my hopes are that I will be able to iron out these guilty feelings as time passes... wishful thinking?  ...maybe.

-Amber

      

So... my garden might be done for the season...

This morning I woke up, stretched, and smelled the beautiful after-rain smell in the air. I opened the blinds to the window looking out in my backyard and I was greeted with this:

...hooray.  That is my garden.  Was my garden, destroyed by my awesome dog Cayenne.  Oh,... Cayenne.

Shame.  ShaAAAAAme!!!!!

So cute, yet the causer of so much destruction.

This is the third time she has done this, FYI.  The first time it was just dirt in the garden box, the second time it was just seeds, and the third time -this time- it had my two inch pea and onion plants.  My beautiful plants that I have babied for the past month and a half.  We just got a ton of rain yesterday (which is pretty rare of as of late in Colorado), so I was thinking, My garden is probably looking real good! It probably was, too.  I haven't even gone out there to clean up the mess yet.  I might just water the dirt with my tears.

"I think we just need to accept that we cant have a nice yard with a dog" Tim says.

Um...

IT'S POSSIBLE!  I really want to believe!!!

So, my goal is to find a way to dog-friendly-ize our yard. Multiple fences might be in order.  This is going to be a tough feat because I'll be working against Tim on this one since he is already convinced:

THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS

I suppose my first goal should be convincing Tim that we CAN have a nice yard. Okay, TWO PART GOAL.  Part one: Convince Tim we can have a nice yard. Part Two: Find a way to have a nice yard.... 

Oh geez.  Cayenne just came inside with grass hanging from her jowls.    

Will It Work? Hanging Baskets Lined With Magazine Pages

And now it's time for another episode of "Will It Work?"!

These episodes usually revolve around newly dating couples. Yukyukyuk. Only kidding!  I've never had any episodes.

Today, I decided to finally transplant my peppers into a larger pot.  Yes.  Yes, I do procrastinate.  Our growing season it pretty short here, but even to Colorado standards... I'm pretty behind.

I have two hanging baskets that I've used for peppers in the past.  The only thing that has stopped me from putting them to use was the fact that I needed some sort of liner in the hanging basket before putting any dirt in. Remember me telling you that I hate buying things?  Right.  Still do.  However, I knew I had to get these poor pepper plants out of their plastic growing pots, so I needed to think of something... or just buy the liner.

Enter ingenuity!!!

I tore up old magazine pages and lined the basket with them, then plopped all my dirt in along with my pepper plant.  Will it work?  I'm not sure.  Magazine pages are going to hold up better than newspaper, but I'm not sure how long they will hold up.  I've already watered it once, plus it rained a little bit (put out that fire, rain!) and the magazines are holding well... so far.

I'm still a little skeptical of my replacement liner.  I'm half expecting to come outside in a few days and my pepper plant roots will be hanging out of the bottom of the basket.  Yet still, I will not buy a liner.  I can't even explain my thinking to you.

So, will it work?!  We will see...  

-Amber

The Perfect (free) Cloth Diaper Drying Rack

Crib recalls happen on the reg in the US.  It's understandable, but there is so much waste with each recall!  It's a little sad.  My older daughter's crib was part of one of the many recalls, and it had been sitting in our backroom to trash for quite a few months (what can I say, I'm a procrastinator!).

As we were preparing for baby number two, I was looking into buying a drying rack to dry cloth diapers on.  New baby expenses were rising higher and higher at the time for us, so I decided against buying one.  Instead, I searched my house for something that could double as a drying rack. I found the recalled crib which was stashed away in a closet with plans to throw it away... Perfect!

Repurposed crib rails as drying racks!

The side rails of the crib have been great for drying diapers!  I lean the rails long ways against a wall outside or in.  Most of the time I only need one rail, but there are times I need two.  I'm so glad I kept both! I put my rails behind my couch when I'm not using them, but you could also slide them underneath a bed.

I feel like I should confirm that I threw away the rest of the crib.  I'm not a pack rat!

The Essentials and Luxuries for Cloth Diapering

I love cloth diapers! I've said this to so many people, and recently I was asked, "Why?  What is it that you like so much?" Uhhhh... what's NOT to like?!?  But seriously, I had trouble thinking of an answer on the spot, so I went home and thought of THREE.  THIS girl will not be caught off guard again!

Three reasons why I love cloth diapering
1. I'm definitely an environment conscious person, so it always brings me joy when less trash goes into land fields.
2. I'm not huge on chemicals and such, so it's a big plus in my book that there are no chemicals touching my baby's tushy when she is wearing cloth.
3. I think cloth diapers are so freaking cute!  There are so many choices compared to a plain disposable diaper!

My sweet baby's butt, about 4 months old along with the rest of her body.

It is safe to say that when I first started cloth diapering my reasoning was 70% money related.  My husband and I were dirt poor, and I wanted to make costs as low as possible, so I decided to do cloth diapers.  My mom had done cloth with me when I was a baby, so I used my mother as a guide when I bought my things.  Not the greatest move since cloth diapers have come such a long way in twenty-five years, but it did save me a crazy amount of money, and I learned what the essentials and luxuries are to cloth diapering.

I have compiled a short list of what I have found to be the essentials and luxuries to cloth diapering. TUR-DA!

The Essentials and Luxuries

• Somewhere to clean off poop diapers- It should be known that breast milk poop is water sulable, so you can literally toss a 100% breast milk fed baby's poop in the washer and you will see no trace of the poop after the diaper is washed.  I've tried it.  Once the baby is eating other things besides breast milk, or is a formula fed baby, you need to clean off the diaper with water.  The best place to do this is in the toilet.  This can get nasty for obvious reasons, and if your baby is older she might flush the toilet with a diaper still in it.  Happened.  Luxury-  disposable liners, diaper sprayer  

• Somewhere to store the soiled and wet diapers- As I mentioned before, we had nilch money when we had our first baby, so I simply used a free plastic sack to store my diapers.  This is not ideal because the smell seeps through more that it would with a luxury cloth diaper item.  A friend of mine simple threw the used cloth diapers directly in the wash and then washed the cloth diapers each night. Luxury- wet pail, wet bag  

• Wipes- I used to make my own baby wipes with paper towels, but you can also buy them, or use cloth.

• Cloth diaper safe detergent- Here is a pretty comprehensive chart for choosing a detergent.  Just remember, the most expensive is not always the best.  I use Allen's.

• Cloth diaper safe rash healer- There are a lot of different rash healers, but I have always had good luck with coconut oil.

• Washing Machine-  If you don't have a washing machine, you can still cloth diaper using a laundry mat or a cloth diaper service, but your costs will go up significantly.

• Somewhere to dry your diapers (or just the covers)- Drying a cloth diaper regularly will cause the elastic to loose its elasticity.  If you want the elastic on your diapers to last for a while it is a good idea to air dry them. I used to hang my diapers on a cloths line in the summer and all over the laundry room in the winter. Luxury- drying rack 

• Snappis-  Snappis are an awesome invention that takes the place of pins.  You only need Snappis if you are using prefolds or fitteds. 

• Cloth diapers- Obviously.  Many people will tell you that you have to have 20-30 diapers to start out.  I survived with 12.  I did have to wash them everyday, which was exhausting at times.  I have 22 diapers now and I can wash them every other day or every three days.  Your choices for cloth diapers include the following: perfolds with covers, fitteds with covers, pockets, all-in-ones, and the fairly new all-in-twos. A Simple Mom gives a nice description of the first four I mentioned.  Luxury- 20+ diapers  

HUGE super cute fluffy butt!

Stay tuned for more tips on cloth diapering!

-Amber 

How to Save Money on Kids Clothes (Without Skimping on Fashion): Part 2

Have you gone shopping yet? Did you sign up for the newsletters and get excited about all the money you can save?! I hope so and now I'm going to tell you how to get the most for your buck without over doing it.

How Much Should You Buy?

Being the fashionista and clothing lover that I am, when I found out I was having a girl I went a little crazy. I could have outfitted 3 girls for a year with the amount of clothes my daughter had in her closet. I was finding such good deals and everything was so cute. Plus, I figured I needed to buy everything in every size because that first year can be tricky. So, how do you know how much to buy?

I broke it down like this: (and to preface, I do have a girl so it is tailored toward the feminine gender)

0-3- Winter

3-6- Spring

6-9- Summer

9-12- Fall

12-18- Winter/Spring

18-24- Summer/Fall

2T- All Year

3T-All Year

4T-All Year

and so on...

Think about what age they will be at what season. The first year is broken down into 3 month increments so about 90 days for each size. Let's say I have 5 dresses, 5 pairs of pants, 5 skirts, 5 rompers, and 10 onesies. Essentially I have about 30 outfits. This is if I can interchange the onesies with each pair of pants and skirts. So probably around 25. In this case, my daughter could wear each outfit about 3 times before she outgrows it. However, at the 0-3 age they will go through 5 outfits a day sometimes, so that needs to be taken into consideration. What makes this scenario work is having different pieces that are interchangeable. Make sure you have some solid pants and some solid tops, but feel free go crazy with some patterns too. This way you can create different outfits with the same pieces. If you think about your child's wardrobe like this before you start shopping it will help you save money in the long run. I had a lot of clothes that my Elliott never wore because she had so many!

How NOT to mix and match! (Dr. Suess Day at her school)

I know what you're thinking. "My kid was in a 6 month when she was 3 months". Some kids stay true to the store brand size, but many just don't. I use cloth diapers, and so my Elliott was always needing a size bigger in pants due to the fluffy butt syndrome. Stay flexible.  When you find a good deal, buy in multiple sizes. My daughter is 17 months right now and still very much in her 12 month clothes, for the most part. I had to grab a couple short sleeve 12 month shirts because all I had were 18 month. Who knew? A couple months ago I was stocking up on 24 month and 2T clothes for next winter. I have no idea if my daughter is going to be any where close to a 2T (and I'm kind of doubting it now) but I'm not worried. Wanna know why? If I don't have the right size clothes I can sell and trade for what I need. 

Staples to Make a Little Girls Wardrobe

• White Onesies and/or T-shirts- these are great to have around for under dresses if it's a little chilly, especially when dad is holding her because we know the dress will inevitably be up under her chin. Also pair with some jeans or a skirt and a cute sweater or hoodie. I also like to applique the onesies if I want a special look or shirt to go with another clothing item. (I will be doing a tutorial soon) You can also dye them on your stove top. Ever looked for that solid pink onesie that is no where to be found? Go to Wal-Mart grab a box of Rit Dye in the Laundry department and call yourself a fashion designer!

• Leg Warmers- Baby Legs are a great brand and so are Zooties, however I like to make my own (Tutorial coming soon!). Put her in a cute onesie and a pair of leg warmers. I personally think they are the cutest thing you can do and super functional! Easy diaper change with only 3 snaps and no taking pants on and off. I still put my daughter in leg warmers all the time with dresses. If it's chilly in the morning or at night they are a perfect accessory to be able to take off and on.

• Pants, Skirts and Shorts- When I'm shopping for these items, the softer and stretchier the fabric the better. I never buy a skirt that doesn't have the panties attached. The skirt will no longer be a skirt but a necklace the rest of the day. My secret to these items is Wal-Mart and Target. They have the best skinny jeans at Wal-Mart in multiple colors and the best part is the pockets on the butt. They are easy to get on and off and they are comfortable. Elliott has a pair of red denim skinny jeans from old navy that we got as a gift. They are adorable but when she wears them I feel bad because she looks like a stiff robot. I got her shorts from Target this year and I wish they made them in my size. The key is cotton, not denim. I also like that the shorts at Target are longer and cover her. I don't approve of short shorts on my 17 month old that don't cover her diaper. Disgusting. The best thing about these pants and shorts is that I got each of them for less than $5 each!

Skinny Jeans from Walmart

• T-shirts- These are everywhere and perfect for the park, a play date, or working in the garden. Get a few with cute designs that will mix and match with pants and shorts.

• Good Shoes- Before Elliott was walking I loved dressing her up in the cutest most impractical shoes, and boy did they finish an outfit. Once she started walking I realized I couldn't pay $1 or $2 for a pair of shoes. Every once in a while I'll find a good deal. I got a pair of Wee Squeak sandals at Once Upon a Child for $4 and a pair of MooShus at another thrift store for $3. These shoes retail for $30-$40, so this was an awesome find! Shoes are not something that I skimp on, but I also won't pay full price. Find a few good pairs that have good soles, stay on your child's feet, and are comfortable for them. 

These were some of my faves when she wasn't walking

• Jackets- I love layering and accessorizing. Every season I will have a couple versatile jackets that can be thrown on for that random cold front or breezy evening. 

Saving on Accessories

Bows can get expensive. Trust me, I know. Not only does my daughter have a bow for every outfit but I also used to design and order the bows for a local children's store in Texas. They can range from $5-$30 depending on the size and detail. Whew! $30 bow? How much is the outfit?! Here are a few tricks to get the accessories you want at a cost that makes sense.

• Make them yourself- Ever heard of Hobby Lobby? Every other week their roles of ribbon go 50% off. Please don't ever pay full price. GirlyThingsBows is my favorite Bow Tutorial site. You can do it, I believe in you.

I made this bow

• Get 'em Cheap- Dollar stores are great places to find cheap bows. Sometimes they are kind of pitiful and sad looking. There's an easy fix. Layer them with each other. Take a smaller bow and either clip it into the bigger bow or hot glue it on. You could even layer 3 bows for an extra special look. Take the cheap $1 bow and spruce it up with some curly ribbons, tulle or jewels. Use the above website for ideas. 

Yep, this bow was $1

• Make them Versatile- It's all about mixing and matching. Buy a medium red bow and a large blue bow and clip them together to go with that red and blue dress. Then take them apart and put the red bow with a green bow for the Christmas romper. Buy a bulk package of nylon headbands off a site like Etsy so you can mix and match bows with headbands. I also like the crochet hats too. 

You can find these hats at Hobby Lobby and online

• Find a Friend to Make them for You- Remember all the trading we talked about? Bring that back into play if you aren't crafty enough to make them yourself. 

Making Clothes Last Through Multiple Seasons

Today I put size 6 month dress on my 17 month old daughter and am calling it a top. That's right, take last seasons dresses and turn them into tops for the next season. Most of the time this isn't a problem. This particular dress happens to be sleeveless so that's nice but even if it was supposed to be long sleeved as a dress it was probably supposed to be 3/4 length as a top;) 

Then there's the age old trick of turning pants into capri's or shorts. A lot of times kids will outgrow the length but not the waist. You can permanently shorten the pants or only temporarily. Lightly tack up the hem and create a cute cuff, use iron on hemming tape for a no sew trick, or cut 'em off, wash 'em and throw them in the dryer for a nice thready cut off look. 

So what are you waiting for? Go find some bargains and let me know how you did! And while you're out, don't pass up the clothes with a little bit of food stain because next I'm going to tell you how to get out those stubborn stains from kids clothes without bleach!

-Ashley