I'm back...

Hey!  Long time, no see.  Or no write, I guess. I know, I know, it's been years.  Literally.  Well, I'm back.  Why?  Because I miss writing.  Because a few friends have suggested I blog about my sewing projects  And because it's a great way for me to share what I've been doing with someone other than my two littles.


Two littles?  That's right!  There's a second one!  A is now almost 5!  FIVE!!!  Where did the time go?  She's starting K4 next week and is just so excited.  She absolutely loved K3 last year. We recently took a trip to Chicago where she bought Lea, the Girl of the Year from American Girl.  Just like I did as a child, she paid for her own doll.  She saved her birthday and holiday money, as well as the money she received for doing her chores.  I still have Kirsten from when I was a girl, so we spend some time playing together with our dolls while her brother naps.

Bug is 14 months.  He is a ball of energy, but also the best little snuggler.  He loves to climb and since he started walking, he just doesn't seem to stop.  We, of course, are cloth diapering him.  In fact, I made about 75% of his newborn diapers and some of the ones he wears now.  He has never worn a disposable diaper and I intend to keep it that way. We have also found the love of wool pants and diaper covers with him.  I might talk about some of our favorite brands in a later post.  After Bug was born, I developed some gall bladder issues.  I'll get into that more in a bit. In the photo on the right, Bug is sporting an outfit I made him.  We were chosen to spam some fabric that was going to be custom printed by Max & Meena, but sadly, the round was canceled due to low orders.  My husband really appreciated that print since he was in the Army Reserves for nine years.

Speaking of my husband....he's a truck driver now.  He hauls motorcycles around the country and is gone a lot.  It's stressful and lonely having him gone all the time.  Sometimes I feel like I never get to speak to adults anymore.  That's one of the reasons why I decided to start up this blog again.  Even if I'm not physically talking to adults, at least I'm writing to them.

Another reason I'm starting again is so that I can document my journey following my son's birth.  About two months after Bug was born, I found out that I was having gall bladder attacks.  I actually started having them soon after birth, but didn't realize that was what it was.  I did end up having it removed because it was causing other problems as well.  Ever since then, I haven't been able to eat the same.  You read about people having problems with spicy and greasy foods.  Greasy foods are not the best, but the main place I seem to struggle with...grains.  So at the beginning of this year, I started eating mostly Paleo.  I already avoid most dairy because I'm lactose intolerant.  I struggle.  I'm not perfect.  But when I do well and follow the Paleo "diet," I feel great.  We have both of the Against All Grain books and plan to buy the third one when it comes out.  Actually, I need to pre-order it so I have it ASAP.  Really, we follow a modified Paleo diet because we are Isagenix users as well.  But between the two systems, my body feels better than it has in a long time. 

So what should you expect?  Will I post every day?  Probably not.  Will I try?  Yep.  What kind of articles will you see?  You will see posts about my family, no doubt.  You will see posts about my sewing projects, my eco-friendly recipes and experiments.  You will see posts about some of the Paleo foods I've been eating.  Maybe a bit about my weight loss journey that I'm embarking on.  Some of everything.  This is me.  This is my life. 

Later on, you'll see a post about an amazing new sewing pattern that's coming out.  I was lucky enough to be a tester for it and have some awesome photos of A sporting the new clothes I made her.  I'm off for now!   I will be back later!

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!