In Review: That First Kiss

If you pay attention to my blog, you saw that about a week ago, I did my first review for Cherry's Blog Tours.  Today I am happy to bring you my second review for them, unfortunately a bit later than expected due to an eventful week.  Today I am reviewing That First Kiss  by J.C. Valentine.

Synopsis:

Mercurial and charming, Tate Larson is a rising author and playboy who has a different woman on his arm every night of the week. Focused on his work, Tate has no plans to settle down any time soon. That is until he meets his pretty new assistant, Piper Donovan.

Desperate to escape the promise of backwater living, Piper ditched her Alabama hometown and never looked back. That was almost two years ago. Now that she is out of a job and her bank account is running on fumes, she’s desperate to find a job, fast. She finds the break she is searching for when she lands a position at Bookish Temptations. A little dancing and a lot of drinks with the girls seem the perfect way to celebrate. After a brief but explosive encounter with a man she was never supposed to see again turns out to be the same man she will be bending over backwards to please, her every instinct tells her to run. But when running means leaving the life she has struggled so hard to create, Piper decides her only option is to continue working for the devastatingly sexy Tate Larson...even if it kills her.

Unable to deny their growing attraction, they struggle to keep their distance in a relationship that requires anything but.

About the Author:

Brandi Salazar started writing poetry, short stories, and novels at a very young age, weaving tales to share with her friends that were geared toward making them laugh. Today her writing habits reflect that, ranging from mystery/suspense/thriller to paranormal and YA romance, and no matter how different her works may be, you can always find a healthy dose of action, romance, and humor. Under the pen name J.C. Valentine, she also writes erotic romance fiction.

A longtime resident of Ohio, Brandi lives with her husband, three children, a dog and five cats that keep her very busy. She holds a degree in Business and has plans to continue her education so she can one day become an editor to authors everywhere. When she isn’t crafting her next novel, toiling away at schoolwork, or hanging out with family, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair with her nose buried in a  
book.

My Thoughts....

I was excited to see another book by Brandi Salazar because I really enjoyed Spring Cleaning.  So needless to say, when I got the email and saw her picture, I was looking forward to reading That First Kiss.  The storyline of the book is well written and it is easy to see Piper's frustration with a boss that acts like a dictator, especially when things start heating up between them.  It's the classic office romance issue and deciding what the best course of action is.  I enjoyed the story and finished the book within one day.  It was a bit harder for me to read, because there are some typos along the way.  I know that happens, we all make mistakes, but for some reason, when I start seeing them, it can make it harder for me to want to keep reading.  I did though, because you can't write a review without having read the whole book.

In all of the books I've read, there have been some really good and some terribly written erotic scenes.  Brandi Salazar aka J.C. Valentine, writes them quite well.  There are some good, steamy scenes in That First Kiss, the first of which is near the beginning of the book.   I am glad that I took the time to read it, because I enjoyed the book.  Like I said before, I will definitely be happy to read more of Salazar's work.

You can check out reviews from other bloggers by going to the Virtual Tour on Cherry's Blog Tours.  If you decide to read That First Kiss, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts!

A New Stage Begins...

...Potty Learning.  Yes, I said it.

A is not quite 21 months (she will be 21 months a week from today) and has gone potty on her potty twice since yesterday afternoon.  Okay I know it's only twice, but that's still pretty good considering she was scared of it a few weeks ago.

Yesterday she surprised me by refusing to let me put a new diaper on and asking for her potty instead.  Within a minute, she peed in her potty!  I was so proud of her!  This morning, she woke up with a dry diaper.  That's never happened before.  She asked for her potty and did both within a few minutes!

So I guess I'm on the hunt for trainers!  I have two right now and a few more on the way.  I am hoping to be able to make quite a few of them for her.  I have the pattern and have made one for a friend, but need to pick up some more materials. 

This is an exciting time.  I guess I should be glad that she is starting to potty learn when it's summer, so we can do dresses or shirts and not worry about pulling pants up and down too.  It is bittersweet though, because as you know, I am addicted to cloth diapers.

If you have a little one who is potty learning or has already potty learned, what were your favorite cloth trainers?  So far I love the Blueberry trainer we have.  It's so soft and it surprised me when it held a whole pee without leaking when I have heard they are not very absorbent from others.  I am looking forward to this experience and fully intend to post reviews of all the trainers we try!

In Review: Spring Cleaning

Those of you who know me, know that I love to read.  So when I found about Cherry's Blog Tours and the opportunity to read and review books, I jumped on it.  This is my first one and hopefully, there will be many more to come.  The book is called "Spring Cleaning" and is written by Brandi Salazar.

 Synopsis:

Sometimes, relationships can be deadly.

Terri thought she was marrying a strong, loving man, only to find that beneath that
handsome face lies something cold, brutal, and dangerous. After years of abuse,
Randy takes things a little too far, and Terri finally summons the courage to take
matters into her own hands and make her escape. But freedom comes at a price.

Forging a new life, Terri tries to forget her past, but she can't help looking over her shoulder at every turn. When prison bars can no longer hold Randy, and her past comes knocking, Terri finds that the strength to trust again may be her only salvation.

About the Author:

Brandi Salazar started writing poetry, short stories, and novels at a very young age, weaving tales to share with her friends that were geared toward making them laugh. Today her writing habits reflect that, ranging from mystery/suspense/thriller to paranormal and YA romance, and no matter how different her works may be, you can always find a healthy dose of action, romance, and humor. Under the pen name J.C. Valentine, she also writes erotic romance fiction.

A longtime resident of Ohio, Brandi lives with her husband, three children, a dog and five cats that keep her very busy. She holds a degree in Business and has plans to continue her education so she can one day become an editor to authors everywhere. When she isn’t crafting her next novel, toiling away at schoolwork, or hanging out with family, you can find her curled up in her favorite chair with her nose buried in a book.

My Thoughts...

As you know, I have a toddler at home.  I don't get a lot of time to read.  Usually just while I'm eating breakfast in the morning or occasionally while I'm on lunch at work.  I finished "Spring Cleaning" the same day I downloaded it to my Nook.  It was really, really good.  The book is written to alternate the story from the point of view of each of the main characters.  I loved how you can watch Terri grow stronger as the book progresses to it's finale, where she finally takes a stand and faces her fear.

Brandi Salazar does a great job of leaving you wanting more.  It was hard to put down this book and I would highly recommend reading it!  The only thing that made me sad was that it was over so quickly.  It is not a very long book.  But while short, Brandi does an excellent job of filling in all the necessary detail and giving you the stories that made the characters who they are.  "Spring Cleaning" is definitely a book I will be reading again and I suggest you read it as well.

You can get your copy of "Spring Cleaning" on Amazon or at Barnes & Noble.  Or you can enter a giveaway to win your own copy using the form below.

Entry-Form

Check out more reviews!  Listed below is the schedule for the "Spring Cleaning" tour.  Please note that these are links to the blog, not necessarily to the review itself.

Schedule:
May 28^th- Cherry’s Blog Tours Review
May 29^th- Our Wolves Den Review
May 30^th- Cherry Lemonade Review
May 31^st – Fluffy Bum-Green Home Review
June 1^st- Secret Life of a SAHM Author Interview
June 4^th- Cherry’s Blog Tours Author Interview
June 5^th-Cherry Lemonade Author Interview
June 6^th-Cherry Lemonade’s Book Obsession Review

Disclosure: I received a copy of "Spring Cleaning" for review purposes.  No compensation was received by writing this post.  All opinions are my own.  Each person has a different taste in books, so yours may differ.  Fluffy Bum - Green Home is not responsible for fulfillment of prizes.

Flats & Handwashing Challenge Day 1: Why Take the Challenge?

 

You may or may not have seen me announce on my Facebook page, but this week is the Third Annual Flats & Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry.  I participated in the challenge last and actually found it to be fun.  I did not expect that at all.  Everyone I told about it thought I was crazy.  In fact, last year I didn't tell my husband or my mom (who watched my daughter at the time) about the challenge until the day I started it!

I'll be honest, I don't use my flats that often.  But I do enjoy using them from time to time, when I'm

First flat today!

in the mood.  So why did I decide to do the challenge again?  Because I wanted to.  And yes, my husband still thinks I'm crazy for doing it.

Lately it seems there have been a lot of newspaper articles floating around online and on Facebook about how people can't afford to buy diapers.  It's true that in many communities, there are no diaper banks.  There is no government support to purchase diapers for your little one if you are out of a job or just tight on money.  The thing is, a lot of people don't even realize cloth diapers are an option.  An affordable option.

The purpose of the challenge is to show people that cloth diapering can be easy and inexpensive.  You don't need fancy diapers or a washer and dryer.  Is it more convenient that way?  Sure.  Is my stash mostly "fancy" diapers?  Yes.  I admit that I started cloth diapering to save money.  By five months, we had spent over $300 on disposable diapers.  Yup, that's a lot of money.  I haven't totaled up what I've spent recently on my stash of pockets and fitteds lately, but I know I'm saving money.  I can reuse these diapers on our next baby and sell them when I'm done.  You sure can't do that with disposables.  If I had to, though, I would most definitely choose flats and handwashing over disposables.  And that would definitely be a huge savings.  It wouldn't cost anything near that $300 I spent.

So here I am, once again using flats and handwashing them to show the world that it's doable.  And it's inexpensive.  Is anyone else taking the Flats & Handwashing Challenge?  Why are you doing it?

Wordless Wednesday: Roses

Okay so not really relevant to what I normally write about, but they're so pretty, I had to share.  My hubby is in the Army Reserves and is away for three weeks for training.  He won't be back for Mother's Day, so he sent me these, from my daughter.


It was pretty cute to see A pointing at the flowers and wanting to sniff them.  I can't wait until they fully bloom.  They'll be gorgeous.

Just Simply Baby and Tags & Rags Giveaway Winner

There were 879 entries from 91 different people for the Just Simply Baby and Tags & Rags Giveaway.  Thank you to everyone who participated. 

The winner of the $25 gift card and snack bag is......Kelly U.!  Congratulations, Kelly!  I have sent you an email or you to confirm your winnings.  Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Thanks again and be on the lookout for more reviews & giveaways in the future!

This crazy thing called life...

Life.  It's kind of gotten in my way of writing much lately and I'm sorry about that.  I still don't have my own computer, which is problem number one.  The rest started with a sick toddler and went downhill from there.

A has been sick.  She had the stomach flu and an ear infection.  She was a pretty miserable little girl and wanted lots of Mommy time.  I'm not going to complain.  She snuggled a lot and she doesn't normally do that much anymore.  But when you have a snuggly toddler, it's hard to get much done. 

Add to that trying to find a job, clean, sew, keep up with emails, and keep myself well-rested and something had to give.  I'm not going to lie.  I really need to clean.  I'm exhausted and I have about 200 unread emails in my inbox.  Yup, I am now playing catch-up.

On the bright side, I will have more giveaway coming up soon and I am super excited to have my first cloth diaper giveaway coming soon.  And I actually really like this diaper.  I'm rambling.  My apologies.  It's the lack of sleep.  Which is what I am now off to do...

Gearing Up for Baby Giveaway Blog Hop: $25 to Just Simply Baby & a Snack Bag!

Welcome to the Gearing Up for Baby Giveaway Hop! This event is hosted by Mommy's Favorite Things and Mama's Baby Cupcakes. 

This hop is focused on items you'd want/need for a child ages 0-12 months. After visiting my giveaway, make sure you use the linky below to take a look at the other 30+ blogs and see what they have to offer for you and your little one! Each blog has a minimum prize package of $25 per winner. 

Also be sure to check out the Grand Prize featured on Mama's Baby Cupcakes blog. The grand prize is sponsored by Halo, Tiny Love, and The Pecking Order for a total value of just over $200 in prizes.

As for my part of the giveaway, I have paired up with Just Simply Baby and Tags & Rags. 

Just Simply Baby has graciously provided a $25 gift card for one lucky winner. They carry a variety of baby items, including cloth diapers and accessories, nursing pads, bibs, paci clips, and so much more!

Tags & Rags is offering up a snack bag in the winner's choice of boy, girl, or gender neutral print.  Now you may be asking what snack bags have to do with babies, right? Well don't forget that mommy might need a snack for herself in that diaper bag!  They are also great for bringing cheerios or puffs for a snack for an older baby. Tags & Rags was kind enough to send me a hemp doubler to review.  Please stay tuned for the review to be posted!

One lucky winner will be the recipient of both of these prizes!  Open to US residents aged 18 or older.  Just Simply Baby and Tags & Rags are responsible for shipping of the respective prizes.  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Mommy's Favorite Things, Mama's Baby Cupcakes and the Gearing Up for Baby participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations

 
LINKY

Wordless Wednesday: Too Tired to Eat

This was taken a few weeks ago now, but this is how I felt today - too tired to eat!  She really did fall asleep eating her lunch and even stayed asleep while I cleaned her up and took her to bed.  That's a first.

What's the weirdest way your little one has fallen asleep?

Make It Monday: All Purpose Cleaner

Depending on where you live Spring is either here or still working on it.  Still working on it by us, but it is coming slowly.  And that means it's time for Spring Cleaning!  Is there any better time of year to consider changing to green cleaning products?  I've had a lot of friends ask for this "recipe" lately so I thought I would share it here.

All Purpose Cleaner

1/2 cup liquid castile soap
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp borax
16 ounces hot water
10-15 drops essential oil
Spray Bottle

This is a pretty easy one.  Just mix everything together in your spray bottle.  I use unscented castile soap and 8 drops tea tree oil/7 drops of lavendar oil.  I chose those two essential oils because I like how they smell together and they have some anti-bacterial properties.  If I were using this more in a kitchen setting, I would choose a citrus essential oil for their ability to help cut grease.

Make sure to shake the bottle a bit before spraying because the contents will settle.  This is a great smelling, simple all purpose cleaner you can make at home.  I have the recipe written right on my bottle.  That way I never have to look it up.

Are you going to go green this spring when it comes to cleaning?  If so, what are your favorite cleaning recipes?  I'll share a few more of mine as we progress through the spring.  Happy cleaning!

Really quick giveaway!

I have a giveaway running for a free Glow Bug cloth diaper in a group of mommy friends, but we don't have enough entries for anyone to win!  We need a minimum of 150 entries and are at right around 50.  If anyone wants a chance to win a free diaper in a low entry contest you can enter here!  But there's only 8 hours left! 

Enter Here!

Fitteds!

 I love cloth diapers.  It would be really hard for me to pick a favorite.  I've tried quite a few different brands and styles of diapers.  My recent favorites are fitteds.  They let A's bum breathe and you can get a lot of really cute prints that are not available on PUL diapers.  Whenever we're home, I always reach for my fitteds first lately.  I use a few different brands.  Here's what they are and pictures of them on A. I love fitteds coverless, can you tell?

First up is the tried and true Mother Ease One-Size fitted.  This is a regular cotton terry that I dyed with Dylon - color - Bahama Blue.  They fit fairly trim and are quite inexpensive.  This one has a bamboo insert laid inside.  I have enough MEOS to last about a day.

Next up is a WAHM hybrid fitted, Little Fancy Pants.  Hybrid fitteds are a little bit different than normal fitteds in that they have a layer of polyester fleece underneath the knit or woven outer layer.  This helps push moisture back into the diaper so that the outside of the diaper doesn't feel wet as fast.  My experience is that the area around the leg elastic tends to feel wet before the rest of the diaper.  LFP has a really strong following and all of her diapers sell out within a matter of seconds of them being listed!  I have only scored one of my four from a stocking, the rest were all bought from other people.

A is wearing a size 1 Colored Love LFP in this picture.

Next up is the GroVia Kiwi Pie fitted.  These are a regular fitted again and are made of cotton modal.  They are surprisingly absorbent for how trim they fit.  I only have one Kiwi Pie so far, but I really love it.  I would definitely get more.  I just wish there were a few more options available for prints.

A is wearing a Kiwi Pie fitted in the Ellie Print.

Last but not least....I have been making fitteds!  I think these are some of my most favorites because there is pride in letting your little one wear and show off a diaper that you made!  The ones I have made so far have all been hybrid fitteds and were made using the Rocket Bottoms one-size fitted pattern.  I love the fit of these diapers and the fact that I can customize them to make them look however I want, as far as print goes. 

In the top picture A is wearing a fitted I made out of one of Daddy's holey old shirts (I didn't use the holey part).  It's really nice to have a sentimental diaper!  The bottom one is also one that I made.  Probably one of my favorites so far!  A wore that one to her 18 month check up and her doctor said that if she were still having babies she would have me make all of her diapers!  I was surprised to receive such a complement!

So these are the brands that make up most of my fitted stash.  I also have a few Sbish snapless and OBFs that I use at night.  But since they're night diapers, I don't really have pictures of them on the bum. 

Do you like fitteds? What is your favorite brand?

Wordless Wednesday: Fish Lips!!

 I love when Daddy and A play together.  And she's at that age where she likes to try to mimic everything he does.  This was captured about a week ago.  Daddy was making fish lips at her and of course she copied.

Oh and where has the time gone?  This little princess is 18 months now!

Day 9: What's on your Bucket List?

Okay, I know, I know, I've been slacking. This one computer thing is slightly annoying.

Today is day nine and this one is a short one for me because I don't really have a bucket list. That's it, I said it.  Yes, there are a few things I'd like to do and places I'd like to see, but I really don't have to do any of them.

Just because you're curious here are a few pf the things I wouldn't mind doing:

1. Going scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef.  I love the coral and tropical fish.  They're so pretty.
2. See a few friends that I haven't seen in years because they live in different parts of the country.
3. Go back to the resort my mom, sister, and I stayed at in Mexico with my husband when I'm NOT pregnant so I can enjoy the "free" booze.
4. Spend lots of time with my family.  They really are the most important thing.

That's about it.  What's on your bucket list?  If you're a blogger feel free to link up at  Fabulous Finds by Tiffany.

Coming Soon....Gearing Up for Baby blog hop!

I'm excited to announce that I have just joined the Gearing Up for Baby Blog Hop!  I won't announce my prize just yet, but I will tell you that it's a gift card to a cloth diaper retailer and maybe a little extra thrown in by me.  More details on the event are as follows:


  <a href="http://mommysfavoritethings.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r135/mditzzy2008/gear_zpse580104b.jpg" /> </a>      Hosted By: Mommy's Favorite Things & Mama's Baby Cupcakes "Gearing Up For Baby" This Blog Hop giveaway is going to be items that are meant for 0-12 month olds. It's a baby hop! There are lots of options for finding a prize for this wonderful event. Your only mission is to find the perfect prize pack for your blog! Because this is a blog hop, each blog will be responsible for securing their own prize on their own blog. Each prize must be a Minimum of $25. The Prize can be sponsored OR you can self sponsor. Each blog can have more than 1 winner, but each winner must win at least $25 in prizes.  Joining this Blog Hop is FREE with Announcement. When: 4/15-4/29 Who: Anybody with a blog can sign up for this one! Sign ups close 4/8 Click here to find the HTML for the announcement post and Don't forget to add yourself to the Linky Below! You MUST post an announcement post in order to enter this hop! You can also join the Facebook Group for our events here -----------------------End HTML Above Line

Ladybug on a Pug Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Michelle Lee!  She won the set of 12 custom wipes from Ladybug on a Pug!  She has been contacted and has already responded regarding her prize!

As a side note, please do not cheat when entering giveaways.  The original name drawn did not even complete the mandatory options or the option that was drawn.  Winners entries ARE verified.  Please do not waste my time and yours by not following the rules.  On that note, keep your eyes open, I do have another giveaway coming up soon!

Day 4: Best Childhood Memory

For anyone who is checking in today for the first time, I am participating in a 31 Day Blog Challenge.  Fabulous Finds by Tiffany has given us daily prompts for the month of March. 

Day 4: Best Childhood Memory

There are two childhood memories that stand out in my mind as being pretty awesome.  Most of you don't know that I'm a bit of a band geek.  I begged my mom for two years to let me start playing the flute.  She finally let me start playing in fifth grade.  An amazing memory is the first time I played in church.  I didn't do that great and was so nervous, but so proud of myself afterwards. It started a sort of tradition.  I played in church every year at Christmas, during Lent, and various other times of the year, something I enjoy doing.

Another memory was getting my American Girl Doll, Kirsten.  We didn't have a lot of money growing up.  I saved my birthday money and my allowance for a whole year to be able to buy her.  I was so ecstatic when she finally came.  I still have her.  She's in storage right now or I'd take a picture for you!  I loved that doll.  They are still popular and I am quite curious if A will be interested in them when she is older.

Those are some of my best childhood memories.  What are yours?  If you're a blogger, feel free to join us and link up at Fabulous Finds by Tiffany.

Day 3: What Makes You Happy?

Today is day three of the 31 Day Blog Challenge and the topic for today is: What makes you happy?

There are a lot of things that make make me happy and I can't really pick just one, so let's list a few today.

The main thing that always makes me happy is my beautiful daughter.  A can always bring a smile to my face when I am down.  I love that little girl to pieces and she always makes me smile.

A second thing that makes me happy is fluffy mail!  So tomorrow I will be VERY happy because I have at least TWO packages coming!  I say at least because I won a few giveaways recently and who knows when they will show up, but I do know that I have five Bum Genius Elementals, some stay dry liners, and a stack of cloth wipes coming tomorrow and a box full of girly knit fabric for me to make fitteds out of!  I love fluffy mail!  It is the best kind!

Those are just two of the many things that make me happy.  What makes you happy?  If  you're a blogger, feel free to join us in the 31 Day Blog Challenge and link up at Fabulous Finds by Tiffany.

31 DayBlog Challenge: Day 2

This morning I was going through my emails, most of which are subscriptions to the various blogs I follow.  I saw one that is PERFECT for me.  It's a 31 Day Blog Challenge.  The author of Fabulous Finds by Tiffany has made this very easy for us by providing daily prompts.  I know I'm a day late, but I thought I would join in.  I will still try to write my normal posts throughout the week, which I know have been lacking lately.

Day 2: Favorite Quote

This one is actually fairly easy for me.  I first found this quote in 2006, right after my at the time fiance, joined the Army Reserves and left for Basic Training.  When he was at training and while he was deployed, I said this prayer every day.

 

This prayer has always stayed with me.  It is by far my favorite quote.

What's your favorite quote? 

If you're a blogger, feel free to join the challenge and link up daily at Fabulous Finds by Tiffany.

Make It Monday: Laundry Detergent Revisited

I know I’ve written a post about this in the past, but I also know that it has been a while and that there are quite a few new people visiting my blog now. Laundry detergent. I used to use whatever I could get the cheapest, but preferred Tide. I especially loved the ones that smelled pretty. It’s quite amazing how much things have changed. I can’t use commercial laundry detergent anymore, at least, not the scented stuff. Open up a bottle and I’m sure to be sneezing.

 My pregnancy could be to blame for part of it. I became very sensitive to smell while I was pregnant with A and while I can still wear some of my perfume from before, a lot of it was thrown out because I just couldn’t handle it anymore. Shortly after A was born, I realized that there had to be a less expensive way t have laundry detergent. I was doing so much laundry, between her clothes, my husband’s school, work, and Army uniforms, and our normal clothes. I was easily spending $15-20 a month just on laundry detergent.

I did a lot of digging and asked a lot of friends and found a recipe that works well for us, lasts about a month doing all of our laundry (except the diapers – I use EcoSprout for my diapers) and only costs about $4 a month. And I can make it scented or unscented, depending on my mood.  

Powdered Laundry Detergent

• 1 bar castile soap – I use Kirk’s. It’s about $4 for a three pack 
• 1 cup washing soda 
• 1 cup borax 
• About 20 drops essential oil, if desired 

Making the detergent is easy enough. Dig out your cheese grater and grate the soap on the smallest size setting you have. Just a little hint, if you don’t have one, I highly recommend getting a grater that has four sides and can stand up by itself. This will help expedite the grating process. Mix your grated soap with the washing soda and borax. If desired, you can use a food processor to help break down the soap even more. I don’t bother. It works just fine as is. Mix in your essential oil, if desired, and you’re good to go. Just make sure you mix very well if you decide to use the oil, you don’t want to end up with little oil stains on your clothes. Because I have a baby at home and my husband works with motorcycles all day, I also mix OxyClean into my detergent. I add about 2 cups to the finished detergent. That way I don’t have to scoop it into the wash separately.

To use: Use about 1 tablespoon detergent per load or 2 tablespoons if you added the OxyClean. Add to your washer with warm water running to help dissolve the soap. If you want to continue your wash in cold, that’s fine. Just use a little bit of warm water to help in the beginning. Dry as normal. I know one tablespoon doesn’t sound like a lot of detergent. But we’ve had really good luck with it. If I have something that’s stained, I usually just let the laundry soak for a bit before continuing the wash cycle and it works fine. Even got a spaghetti stain out of one of A’s shirts the other day without using anything else to treat it.

There are a few variations of the recipe. Some people use regular bar soap, like Ivory. It works fine this way as well, but since we’re also a green household, I like using the natural castile soap. I’ve also seen versions of this recipe with Fels Naptha. I’ve done some reading on it and it’s ingredients and they seem a bit questionable to me, so I’ll stick with the castile soap. But you are welcome to try this recipe or any of the variations.

You can find Kirk’s in with the hand-soaps at many grocery stores and at Wal-Mart. Dr. Bronner’s also makes bar soap, but it is more expensive. Washing soda and borax can be found in the laundry aisle, usually near the powdered detergents.

Have you tried making laundry detergent? What was your experience?

Snuggly Baby

I love it when A wants to snuggle. Unfortunately, since she's a toddler, that doesn't happen too often anymore. Today was an exceptionally snuggly, cuddly day. A has had a cold for over a week now and had a rough day today. Fever this morning, nose running like crazy. She just wanted to snuggle today. And while I didn't get anything done, I didn't mind. I got to cuddle with my sweet little girl. Hubby was gone all day and my phone takes terrible pictures, so I don't have any to share. But I just wanted to take a few moments to remind you to take those snuggles when you can. I hope my little girl feels better soon, but until she does. I'm enjoying the snuggles.

Review & Giveaway: Ladybug on a Pug Cloth Wipes

I've been lucky enough to find a fairly new WAHM to allow me to host a review & giveaway for you.  Let me introduce...Ladybug on a Pug!

Jamie, the  mom behind Ladybug on a Pug, is a fairly new WAHM.  She began making wipes when she couldn't find what she wanted commercially and realized that she could make high quality wipes for a lesser amount than what other companies charged for them. About her fun prints, she said, "I love fun prints so using one side with flannel seemed a great way to add a touch of whimsy to, lets face it, a messy job!"  She began selling after sharing pictures in a cloth diaper forum and finding people had interest in her design.  Ladybug on a Pug can be found on Etsy or Hyena Cart and makes both standard and travel sized wipes.


Ladybug on a Pug was kind enough to send me six girly two-ply cloth wipes.  One layer of adorable flannel print and another layer of cotton sherpa.  They measure about 8x8 square and are turned & top-stitched.  They are very well-made and came tied up in a pretty ladybug bow.  I let her choose the prints she sent me and I could not be happier with what she chose.  They are all adorable.  I think my favorite are probably the monkeys (A's nickname is Little Monkey), the brown and aqua hearts and the black, white, and pink floral.

I've been using my wipes for a couple of weeks now and other than the standard pilling that you get with all flannels, they still look amazing. There have been no issues with the stitching, like you sometimes find with serged wipes.  The sherpa side is great for poopy diapers.  I have been able to clean some very messy diapers with just one wipe.  These would also be great for cleaning up messy hands and faces after eating!  I usually use a wipe warmer for my wipes because we are currently in a basement and they get really cold otherwise.  I also like the pop up dispenser the warmer has (I started with disposable wipes, so the pop up is just a habit I guess).  The only negative I've found with these wipes is that they are a bit thick to get through the pop up dispenser in my warmer and they are so cute I want to leave them out anyways!  I may have to find a pretty little basket to put them in and just plop them in wipes solution to use as needed!

Bottom line, I love these wipes.  I may need to buy some more sometime in the near future.  You can buy these wipes on Etsy or Hyena Cart or you can win your own set of 12 standard or travel size wipes in winner's choice of prints! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today I was a Stalker....

....of the mailman and the UPS driver!

I'm sure my fellow fluffy mamas out there understand.  You ordered a diaper and your tracking says "Out for Delivery" and you want it NOW!?!  That was me today.  Except it wasn't just a diaper today.  It was a diaper AND a diaper bag.

On Friday I bought A an "Addison" diaper from Little Fancy Pants on Hyena Cart.  LFPs are hybrid fitteds made by a WAHM.  She lets her customers name new prints.  I named this particular one for A and was lucky enough to get the diaper I wanted at the stocking.  When 20 diapers sell out in less than two seconds, this is quite a feat!  Well, to my surprise, I checked the tracking last night and saw it was already in town!  Super fast for first class mail on a holiday weekend.

So today, I sat upstairs and watched for the mailman around the time he normally comes.  He was a bit late today.  I saw him coming! Up the wrong side of the street!  So I had to wait.  And once he came, I ran to that mailbox as fast as I could (thankfully, A was napping).  The diaper is so pretty!  Here is A with her new diaper on the bum!

The second piece of mail is actually a birthday present from an amazing friend.  I've wanted a decent diaper bag for quite a while.  JuJuBe discontinued the Be Hip and she bought me one!  Unfortunately, I had no clue when to expect the UPS driver so stalking him was a bit harder.  It was "Out for Delivery" at 6 AM this morning!  Ugh, the suspense was killing me.  But it finally came around 5:15 and I am SOO excited to check out my new bag!  I'm sure there will be a review to come soon, but so far, I am loving it.

So today I was a stalker.  But the suspense is part of what makes fluffy mail oh so fun!

Life Update

So I want to start out by apologizing for not being around very much lately.  We have three computers, a netbook and desktop, which are mine, and a laptop that is my hubby's.  The hard drive went out on my netbook so we set up my desktop.  Lo and behold, it's memory is shot so it won't even turn on.  I just have no luck when it comes to computers.  I was in the habit of blogging at night, and of course, that's when hubby is home and wants to use his computer.

I'm going to try to change my habits to blog during the day instead.  Hopefully I will be around to post more then.

As far as an update on the No Junk Food Challenge, this last week has been a major fail.  I do well if junk food is not in sight, but my hubby has a sweet tooth in the worst way and bought drumsticks and Oreos this week.  Needless to say, I ate WAY more than I should have and am kicking myself for it now.

On the bright side, a group of friends and I are starting a weight loss support group next month, so I will probably try to start back up then with them working with me for support.  I think having some people supporting me and helping me along will make it much easier.

On other fronts, A has a cold and her nose is running like a faucet.  Poor little girl.  I hope it goes away soon.  But if anyone has any pointers for helping a seventeen month old with a super runny nose, let me know!  We've suctioned her nose out and not even two minutes later it's dripping again.  Poor baby.

Keep your eyes open!  I have a giveaway that will be going live this week and my cloth diapering friends are gonna love these adorable wipes!

No Junk Food Challenge: Week 5

How did everyone do last week?  Friday was an epic failure for me.  It was a co-workers last day at work.  In the mornings, I am in charge of getting A ready for daycare and my husband is in charge of grabbing lunch and breakfast.  Well on Friday he grabbed neither.  And the co-worker brought donuts for breakfast on her last day.  I was starving....and had a donut.  Failure! 

Well today we start week five.  Adding no pastries to our ever growing list of no-nos.  After last week, this shouldn't be too much more difficult. 

As before, we have our 200 calories for cheat foods.  I can't really think of any specially packaged low calorie pastries out there, so just be sure to check your labels this week!

Good luck and have fun!

Wordless Wednesdays: Warm & Fuzzy with Rapped with Luv

It's snowing here in Wisconsin today, so I thought it would be a perfect day to share the cuteness of this warm and fuzzy hat from Rapped with Luv.  This amazing WAHM made this hat for A from wool and lined it with fleece to keep here nice and toasty in our cold Wisconsin winters. And what makes it even cooler is that the flower on the hat is on a clip, so we can use it in her hair or on a headband!

A loves this hat.  She will pick it up and put it on and wear it around the house, just like she did yesterday when I took this picture.

You can check out Rapped with Luv on Facebook here or at her store on StoreEnvy!

Woolzies Winner!

Congratulations Jamie J. of Arizona!!  You have won a set of six Woolzies Dryer Balls.  An email has been sent to verify your information. Please respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected.  I hope you enjoy your new dryer balls! 

Thank you to everyone for entering and good luck next time!

My Favorite Type of Laundry - Diaper Laundry!

I hate doing laundry.  I don't know why.  I just don't enjoy it.  But for some reason, I love washing my cloth diapers.  Call me crazy, but there is something wonderful about a beautiful basket full of clean, stuffed and folded, cloth diapers.

Everyone has a different laundry routine.  To be honest, finding the right routine was the thing that scared me the most about cloth diapering.  I asked a lot of online friends what worked best for them and went from there.  I started in the same way they suggested, using Rockin Green detergent.  After a few months I received a sample of EcoSprout from Kissed by the Moon and fell in love.  It got my diapers cleaner and removed the stains better.  I also love my Laundry Tarts Strip It and wool dryer balls. 

Let me start by saying I live in the Midwest.  We have hard water, but a water softener.  We also have a top loader, old school style.  I wash diapers every three days.  What works for me, may not work for you, so please keep that in mind.

I store all of my dirty diaper laundry in wetbags.  It's just more convenient that way since I send a new one to daycare every day A is there anyway.  Once they're full they get thrown in a garbage pail that used to act as a diaper pail before A went to daycare.  On laundry day I take the pail upstairs and dump all of the wetbag contents into the washer with one tablespoon of EcoSprout.  The washer is set to warm and a short wash cycle is run, for me this is a number five.

Once the first cycle is done, I go through and unstuff any pockets that need it and make sure the laundry tabs are securely fastened.  A second short cycle with warm water is run with no detergent.  The first laundry day of the week I add about a teaspoon of Laundry Tarts Strip It as a preventative.  I battled the ammonia stinkies once.  I don't really care to do it again.

Next comes the actual wash cycle.  Two tablespoons of EcoSprout and hot water.  Here's the catch with me.  We're living with our in-laws right now.  They have their water heater set really hot.  I mean scalding, will burn you if you touch the hot water, hot.  So to keep the diapers within the recommended temperatures, I let the washer fill up part way with warm water first.  Set the washer to the longest wash cycle, which for me is a number twelve.

After that I run a double rinse cycle in cold water.  Everything with PUL/TPU is hung to dry with the ceiling fan running.  The rest goes in the dryer with my dryer balls, including my wonderful Woolzies dryer balls.  If you use GroVia hybrids, I suggest flipping the inserts inside out.  They dry much faster that way.

In the morning, everything but the AIOs are dry. I can fold and stuff my diapers and wipes and be ready to go again!

Have you found any tricks that helped improve your laundry routine?  If so, feel free to share!  I used a lot of blog posts to help figure mine out, so I'd love to be a resource for others.

No Junk Food Challenge: Week 4

So week three was pretty short!  How did everyone do?  I did great!  But let me tell you, when we get to the no ice cream week, it's going to be a tough one for me.  My family always has ice cream in the house and it is quite hard not to eat it when everyone else is!

This week starts week four of the No Junk Food Challenge.  No cake, donuts, or muffins.  Now let's clarify a bit here.  There are healthy muffins out there.  I think the muffins this is talking about are the sugary sweet, humongous bakery muffins that have tons of calories...thinking Perkins here.  Let's avoid those.  You can make healthy muffins, there are definitely lots of recipes out there.

As with last week, instead of having a suggested substitute, you are allowed up to 200 calories a day of junk food.  Still, I will give you a few thoughts.  There are 100 calorie packs of muffins out there and they don't taste bad at all, so give those a try if you need your muffin.  Or think about sharing one instead.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and good luck on your challenge!

No Junk Food Challenge: Week 3

So I'm slacking this week....it's been a long week and I keep meaning to write, but I haven't been sleeping well and have been going to bed early.

That being said, this should have been posted on Sunday and it is now Thursday, so the challenge for this week will be shorter than normal.  So far we have tried to stop eating chocolate and candy.  How's everyone doing?  I will admit I did have a homemade turtle at a friend's house the other night, but I only ate one.  I really wanted more, but refrained.

This week we are going to change things up a bit.  Instead of only allowing a certain item for a cheat, we are going to allow up to 10% of your daily caloric intake to be cheat items.  So for most people, that should be 200 calories or less.  Why the change?  Simple.  If you're allowed 100 calories of candy and 1 ounce of dark chocolate, and one 100 calorie pack of cookies, you're already well over 200 calories.  So let's just change it to 200 calories to make it easier for all.

The item to give up the rest of this week is cookies.  There are a lot of 100 calorie pack varieties of cookies, so those might be good to grab if you're craving them.  I personally love the Lorna Dune 100 Calorie Packs.

Since this is posted late, the beginning of this week won't count for cookies, so don't worry if you've already had some. 

On a happy note, I now have a great incentive for losing weight.  One of my best friends asked me to stand up in his wedding this summer!  I am honored and very excited for this to happen!

Review & Giveaway - Woolzies Dryer Balls

Several weeks ago, I saw a post in my sidebar on Facebook from Woolzies Dryer Balls.  They were writing on the Facebook Walls of some of the larger cloth diaper blogs, looking for some bloggers to do a review and giveaway.  An email address was left to contact if they were interested.  I figured it was a longshot, but sent an email to Woolzies.  To my surprise, I received a response stating they would love to have me to do a review & giveaway!

So here it is, my first review & giveaway for a product that I love!  Dryer Balls!  My package got here fairly quickly and I was excited to open it.  I had a few (three) dryer balls already and knew I needed more.  In case you don't know, wool dryer balls are a natural alternative to fabric softener or dryer sheets.  They will help soften clothes, prevent static, and reduce drying time by up to 25%!

My Woolzies Dryer Balls came in a package of six natural colored balls in cardboard packaging with a handout and card containing more information about them as well.  One of the first things I noticed about the Woolzies Dryer Balls is that they were a tad heavier than the other brands I had bought.  Weighing them on the scale did also confirm that thought.  Though they were roughly the same size, the Woolzies must have been made of denser wool.  They are handmade, which you can also tell by looking at them - they are not all perfectly round.  But if they're handmade, that only makes sense!

I put my Woolzies to the test a few different ways. First, I tried the six of them on regular laundry.  The box states that six balls are for a large load.  Well, I always do extra-large loads.  I did notice that I was able to use a shorter drying cycle with the Woolzies than I was previously.  Our dryer has five settings Less Dry, an inbetween, Normal Dry, an inbetween, and More Dry.  Before Woolzies, I was always using More Dry.  I was able to go down to Normal Dry and have dry clothes a the end of the cycle!

The next test was on my cloth diapers.  Sadly, I didn't notice a difference in the length of time drying them took with only the Woolzies.  Keep in mind, however, that I was drying denser cloth diapers like GroVia Organic Cotton Soakers, Thirsties Hemp Inserts, and Flip Organics. 

The following times I did laundry, I used the Woolzies with the other dryer balls I already have - nine total dryer balls.  I was able to get regular loads down to Less Dry for lighter materials and the in between Less and Normal dry for loads that had towels or denim in them.  I was also able to shorten my cloth diaper loads to a More Dry cycle instead of an 80 minute timed cycle.  This was very exciting to me!

I'm sure if I only did large loads, the six dryer balls that come in a Woolzies package would have been perfect.  I would definitely recommend them and will buy more if I ever need them.  At the moment I am short a dryer ball.  My 16 month old daughter was "helping" me do laundry the other day and she seems to have run off with one! 

You can buy your package of six Woolzies Dryer Balls from their website for $34.95.  This price includes shipping to the United States, but they do also ship worldwide for only $6.95 extra.  OR you can enter to win your very own set of Woolzies Dryer Balls using the giveaway form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**Everything written in this review is from my opinions and observations when trying the product.  Please remember that you may have a different experience than I did and that what works for me may not work the same for you. All photos have been taken by me unless stated otherwise. I have been provided with product to review by Woolzies, however I have not received monetary compensation for this review. 

Fluffy Bum - Green Home is not responsible for sending the prize to the winner.  Contest is open worldwide and will end on 1/30/13.

No Junk Food Challenge: Week Two

Last week I started the No Junk Food Challenge.  I know one of my friends decided to join with me.  Did anyone else?  If you're seeing this for the first time, feel free to join in with us starting this week!

For anyone just joining us, here is what the No Junk Food Challenge is all about.  Every week we are eliminating one junk food item from our diets.  But because it can be really difficult, I'm allowing cheats.  Last  week we eliminated chocolate, but allowed up to 1 ounce of dark chocolate per day.  For the month of March we will try to go without all of the items on the list!



So how did everyone do last week?  I passed!  It was a hard couple of days. We are currently staying with my in-laws and my mother-in-law made dark chocolate brownies.  They looked and smelled amazing.  I wanted to eat them so badly, but I didn't.  I picked up a Dove Dark Chocolate candy bar and am proud to say that I only ate one little square!  The whole candy bar is 1.44 ounces of chocolate so I am happy with how I did.

Tomorrow starts week two of the No Junk Food Challenge.  This week's challenge?

No Candy & No Chocolate

This one will be pretty easy for me; the only candy I really eat is chocolate.  But for those of you that need a cheat, go ahead and eat some, but keep it under 100 calories.

If you've joined me in this challenge, please let me know how you're doing!

Sniffles...

It's that time of year.  Cold and Flu season.  I've been sick for almost a week now.  After enough prodding from family and friends, I finally saw a doctor.  Wonder  of wonders, it's a virus and I have to wait it out. y As you know, I am a bit on the crunchy side, which includes taking medication.  I'll try natural remedies first, so here's a few ideas to help with the cold and flu season.

Stuffy Nose:

• Of course there is always saline solutions for helping with the stuffy nose, but here's one that helps relieve congestion and will feel good on a scratchy throat: Peppermint tea.  Peppermint does wonders to help loosen up congestion and should help you breathe more easily.
• Make your own chest rub.  Add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to some coconut oil and rub it on.  It will be similar to a home version of Vicks.
• While you're at it, take a nice hot bath with some eucalyptus oil in it.

Cough/Sore Throat:

• Gargle salt water.  Tastes gross but it helps.
• Honey and Lemon Juice.  I learned this one from a friend.  I had a really sore throat and lost my voice.  He mixed some of this up for me.  It should be on the thick side.  Eat a spoonful every 30 minutes or so.  The honey will coat your throat and the acid in the lemon supposedly will help kill the yucky stuff there and help you feel better.  I'm sure there's some sort of scientific explanation, but it worked.  My voice came back a few hours later.

I am sure there are a ton more natural remedies out there.  If you have a great one, feel free to share!  I am always looking for new ones!

Hooray for Kissed by the Moon!!

Today's blog post is completely unplanned and is just a shout out to my favorite cloth diaper retailer, Kissed by the Moon!

Today was a fun day in the cloth diapering community.  Padded Tush Stats recently finished announcing all of their 2012 Diaper Award winners.  You can see all the results here, but my absolute favorite cloth diaper store, Kissed by the Moon, just won retailer of the year.

Tami, the owner of Kissed by the Moon, is an amazing mama.  She is very dedicated to her family and her store.  She has amazing customer service, is quick to answer any questions you have, and has some really fast shipping times.  I won't shop anywhere else for my diapers.

If you're not familiar with Kissed by the Moon, I definitely encourage you to check out her website.  She has a lot of great sales and a rewards program to help you earn some extra diapers.  The thing that actually drew me to Kissed by the Moon, is her Mystery Fluff.  Oh so fun!  Mystery Fluff is a program where you spend a certain amount of money and get a mystery package with a value of up to 25% more than what you paid.  It is a lot of fun and very addicting.  It's also an amazing way to try diapers or accessories you may not have considered buying yourself.

You can check out Kissed by the Moon's website by going  here (affiliate link) or by clicking the icon in the right hand column of my blog.

Congratulations, Kissed by the Moon!  You deserve it!

No Junk Food Challenge

Those of you who have read my previous posts know that one of my goals for 2013 is to lose some weight.  I'll be honest here, I am pretty overweight.  I do not eat a healthy diet and don't really exercise.  I've tried "dieting" before and it's not easy.  I think most people would agree.  I've run across this "diet" a few different times on the internet and have always thought it was a really neat idea.

To make this easier for the average person and make it more doable, I thought it would be a better idea to start out with baby steps and start with one restriction and add a new one every week, with the final three weeks of March being the 21 Day Challenge of eating NO Junk Food.  Cutting out these bad for you items and replacing them with healthy alternatives can greatly reduce the number of calories in our diets.

For me, some of them will be easy, especially the no chips and no white bread rules, since I don't really eat those anyway.  Some of them will be harder, and because of that, I'll allow some cheat items.  I'll post the cheat item for the week, as well as the previous week's challenge every Sunday.  (This entry is late because I've been sick the past few days to the point that my husband made me stay home from work today.)

Week One (1/8-1/12): No Chocolate

I'm not going to lie, this one will probably be the hardest one for me.  I love chocolate. 

The cheat: One Ounce of Dark Chocolate is allowed per day.  Why?  Dark Chocolate can satisfy that chocolate craving, while providing some heart-healthy antioxidants.  According to an article* on Everyday Health, not all dark chocolate contains the amount of antioxidants that will produce these benefits.  Based on their article, I'm going to get some Dove Dark Chocolate for my cheat item, but only use it when absolutely necessary.

Who wants to do this with me?  If you do, please comment on the post and like me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/FluffyBumGreenHome).  We can be great support to each other during this difficult challenge and I urge you to chat freely on my Facebook page about the challenge.  Every week I will update with how my challenge is going and invite you to comment with your successes and failures as well.

*http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/1010/not-all-dark-chocolate-is-created-equal.aspx

Cloth Blog Hop: How & Why I Started Cloth Diapering

I'm excited to be participating in a blog hop about cloth diapers!  Since one of my goals for 2013 is to write in my blog more often, I thought this was the perfect thing to do.  It is my hope this will help accomplish my goal and help you learn about fluff.

Before I became pregnant, the only thing I knew about cloth diapers was what a lot of the uninformed think of: prefolds and pins.  After I became pregnant, I joined the Children & Family portion of the military support forum I belonged to and saw quite a few posts about cloth diapers.  For the most part, I ignored them.  They were too full of abbreviations I didn't understand and I wasn't too interested. 

Fast forward a few months to baby registry time.  I'm on the website for Babies R Us adding some items to my registry and an advertisement for g Diapers comes up.  It piqued my curiosity.  I did some research and thought they sounded really neat.  I talked to my husband, who had never changed a diaper in his life, about wanting to try cloth diapers.  My request was met with a resounding no.  So our sweet little girl started her life in disposables. 

We fortunately didn't have too many leaks or blowouts and I bought most of my diapers when they were on sale.  But jeepers creepers those things are expensive.  When my daughter was about five months old, I added up the money we had spent on diaper.  At that point I had spent around $300 on diapers alone.  The figure would have been quite a bit higher if I had added in refills for the diaper pail and wipes.  Since my husband would only change Addie's diapers when he was the only one home, I started researching cloth diapers again.

I joined Diaper Swappers and started stalking posts and reading some blogs about cloth diapering.  I came to the conclusion that they looked very simple and it was something I wanted to try.  I searched for websites that offered some sort of money back guarantee and some diapers in my budget.  I found Cotton Babies' website and thought the idea of Flips was pretty neat.  After talking to my mom, who was watching my daughter while I was working, I purchased a Flip Daypack, a package of Rockin' Green detergent, and a trial pack of Econobums.  A few days later I bought 3 BumGenius 4.0s because there was a buy two get one sale at the time.  I figured if I didn't like them, I could always send them back for a refund.

Well, I didn't particularly love the Econobums, but I didn't send anything back.  I fell in love with cloth and now can say that I am a bit addicted to cloth.  My stash no longer consists of either the Flips or Econobums due to a sensitivity to the elastic that Addie later developed, but it slowly grew.

When I first started I was afraid of leaks and fit issues and that I wouldn't find the right washing routine, or that I would hate the diapers.  I guess I got lucky, because in the beginning, I didn't have any problems at all.  Maybe I got lucky, maybe I just did enough homework before I made my first purchase.  Either way, I'm glad I did.  No more stinky disposables going into a landfill.  My daughter has fabric instead of chemicals touching her delicate parts, and ultimately, I am saving money.

It has been almost a year since I started cloth diapering and it is the best decision I think I have made for my daughter so far.  I truly believe that we are saving money and being more green. 

When Why did you start cloth diapering?  How did you come to the conclusion to start?  Are you a blogger and want to link up?  Write your post about how and why you started cloth and go here to link up.