Today I realized that I would be completely lost without Google. I Google just about EVERYTHING I need to know, or think I need to know. For example, if I need to halve a recipe - I have not a clue on how to convert things. Just Google - how many ounces in _____ and it will calculate it for you. Here are some more reasons why I love Google:
1. Google calculates kitchen conversions
2. Google maps out directions
3. Google locates businesses and their addresses
4. Google has satellite imagery (its just cool)
5. Google finds products for me
6. then rates them
7. then tells me where to buy them
8. Google can offer you a diagnosis for you illnesses (unfortunately it will almost always tell you that its cancer, but none-the-less...)
9. Google finds the absolute most cheapest of whatever item I am looking for
10.Google tells me who's calling when I don't recognize the number
11.Google tells me what's for dinner (http://www.allrecipes.com/ Google found it for me!)
12. Google I think I love you....
Friday, February 29, 2008
Frugal Friday - Cloth Diapering Update
6 months old this week and still cloth diapering!!! HURRAY! I have read this is somewhat of a milestone for people who cloth diaper, because when the solid foods start going IN, the big solid smelly poops start coming OUT. Well, I'm very proud to stay that we're sticking with it anyway! (And yes, they are bigger, rounder, harder, and twice as stinky!)
For anyone who is considering cloth diapering or is comtemplating stopping cloth diapering once the solids start - It is really not that bad!! Honestly, I think it is SO MUCH EASIER now than it was in the beginning! Goose is only pooping about once every other day now, so even though that PARTICULAR poop is a little gross, there are practically 48 hours before and after it of nothing but pee dipes! Plus, now that the poo is more solid - you can dump it in the toilet with ease and so the diaper pail actually smells better now.
A word on cost - for those frugalizers out there - I have spent roughly $250 on cloth diapering supplies. MOST of my supplies are one-size-fits-all brands (such as BumGenius All-in-one, One-size) and Prefold Diapers. I also have 3 one-size diaper covers, and several Dappi Brand Nylon (&vinyl) covers in size S-XL. I can reuse all of these items with another child, so we have one more child and I don't have to replace any items, then our average diapering cost per child is $125!! Very frugal!
Now, I do occasionally use disposables. I get these on the cheap at CVS for emergencies. Sometimes my diapers are still drying when I need a fresh one so I pull out a disposable. Or sometimes, due to the cut of children's clothing, I will use a disposable if I want a certain outfit to look cuter for a picture or special occasion. But we are 95% cloth in our house.
I never thought I'd be a cloth diapering kind of parent, but once I got started, I just loved it! So if you are considering cloth diapering, congratulations! Give it a try, and start small if you are unsure, so as not get overwhelmed. It is such a rewarding experience. Thanks and happy Friday! For more tips head to Frugal Friday!
For anyone who is considering cloth diapering or is comtemplating stopping cloth diapering once the solids start - It is really not that bad!! Honestly, I think it is SO MUCH EASIER now than it was in the beginning! Goose is only pooping about once every other day now, so even though that PARTICULAR poop is a little gross, there are practically 48 hours before and after it of nothing but pee dipes! Plus, now that the poo is more solid - you can dump it in the toilet with ease and so the diaper pail actually smells better now.
A word on cost - for those frugalizers out there - I have spent roughly $250 on cloth diapering supplies. MOST of my supplies are one-size-fits-all brands (such as BumGenius All-in-one, One-size) and Prefold Diapers. I also have 3 one-size diaper covers, and several Dappi Brand Nylon (&vinyl) covers in size S-XL. I can reuse all of these items with another child, so we have one more child and I don't have to replace any items, then our average diapering cost per child is $125!! Very frugal!
Now, I do occasionally use disposables. I get these on the cheap at CVS for emergencies. Sometimes my diapers are still drying when I need a fresh one so I pull out a disposable. Or sometimes, due to the cut of children's clothing, I will use a disposable if I want a certain outfit to look cuter for a picture or special occasion. But we are 95% cloth in our house.
I never thought I'd be a cloth diapering kind of parent, but once I got started, I just loved it! So if you are considering cloth diapering, congratulations! Give it a try, and start small if you are unsure, so as not get overwhelmed. It is such a rewarding experience. Thanks and happy Friday! For more tips head to Frugal Friday!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Something that happened that changed my faith in God
In the Fall of 2003, I said a prayer. I remember looking out of my bedroom window in my apartment in Massachusetts, looking at the stars and asking God to PLEASE make the next the one, "the one". I was so incredibly tired of dating. I was ready to settle down and was just plain sick of dating complete jerks and losers. A few weeks later, October 16th I think it was, I got an email from a "funkywhiteboy" that was a member of Match.com, as was I. I think he said something simple like, "you seem cool, hit me back". And so I did - and spent the next two weeks falling in love with words on a screen and a voice on the phone. We met in person on November 1, 2003 and 3 years later we got married in our backyard on a hot, humid day in July, on the coast of gorgeous North Carolina, surrounded by our family and our closest friends. It was a GREAT day.
I'm not sure what exactly led me to write this post today, but I've just been thinking about how God has answered my prayers and made me believe in him just by how specific he answers them. My prayer for God to let the next guy I dated be "the one" was the first of many prayers that fit that description and that was the major thing that changed how I feel about God.
Last year a series of really miraculous events transpired. Every one of which I prayed about. Basically, I was pregnant and Hubby was unhappy with his job. Amazingly he found a job two hours away that was a perfect fit for him. So we put our house on the market and started making plans. Our house needed to sell by March 17th in order for us to get a lease on a temporary apartment while our new home was being finished two hours away. If we didn't sell the house in time, we would basically not be able to afford a short lease and would have been out of luck!
The sell of our house was completed on March 16th - and we moved into our temprary housing on March 17th. Talk about cutting it close - but I just kept praying and praying...
Then there was the birth of our son. I really needed the birth to happen in our new town!! (although I know that babies don't really care about that sort of thing!) But the closing date of our new home was scheduled 2 weeks before my due date and our lease was coming up on the apartment, and then the builder tried to move our closing date to the same day as my DUE DATE!! I was a nervous wreck. But I prayed about it.
We moved into our home on August 17th, Goose was born 10 days later. Again, we cut it pretty close, but I just kept trusting in God and saying those prayers! And it all worked out.
There is, of course, much more to this story. But it all started with a prayer. The inside of my husband's wedding ring in engraved with this - "I prayed for you". Because I prayed for him and God delivered! Happy Thursday everyone!
I'm not sure what exactly led me to write this post today, but I've just been thinking about how God has answered my prayers and made me believe in him just by how specific he answers them. My prayer for God to let the next guy I dated be "the one" was the first of many prayers that fit that description and that was the major thing that changed how I feel about God.
Last year a series of really miraculous events transpired. Every one of which I prayed about. Basically, I was pregnant and Hubby was unhappy with his job. Amazingly he found a job two hours away that was a perfect fit for him. So we put our house on the market and started making plans. Our house needed to sell by March 17th in order for us to get a lease on a temporary apartment while our new home was being finished two hours away. If we didn't sell the house in time, we would basically not be able to afford a short lease and would have been out of luck!
The sell of our house was completed on March 16th - and we moved into our temprary housing on March 17th. Talk about cutting it close - but I just kept praying and praying...
Then there was the birth of our son. I really needed the birth to happen in our new town!! (although I know that babies don't really care about that sort of thing!) But the closing date of our new home was scheduled 2 weeks before my due date and our lease was coming up on the apartment, and then the builder tried to move our closing date to the same day as my DUE DATE!! I was a nervous wreck. But I prayed about it.
We moved into our home on August 17th, Goose was born 10 days later. Again, we cut it pretty close, but I just kept trusting in God and saying those prayers! And it all worked out.
There is, of course, much more to this story. But it all started with a prayer. The inside of my husband's wedding ring in engraved with this - "I prayed for you". Because I prayed for him and God delivered! Happy Thursday everyone!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Goose Cam
So my computer has a webcam on it. When we got this laptop I had no idea what I'd use it for. Then Sunday my mother-in-law called us from her home a thousand miles away (literally). She seemed sad and wished that she could see her grandchild more. Then it occured to me - DUH! I've got a webcam! I hooked it up and last night and she got to see her grandchild eat dinner and play. We've got Goose Cam in our house! Very neat. I've temporarily installed it on my blog so you can see how it works in case you have a similar situation. The website that broadcasts the feed is totally free. Just go to Ustream.tv. And PS - My house is a disaster right now, we are still in the decorating/moving in/cleaning up process so please don't think we live in constant chaos. (Actually don't all us Super Mommies live in constant chaos!??) Happy Wednesday!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Oh My God!
My child is taking a SCHEDULED nap! This is truly a miracle, as in a gift from GOD. We have only been on the SleepEasy Program for one night. Is it a fluke? Or has Goose actually learned in one night, that the crib means sleep-time?? Only time will tell, but thank God for this nap!
Sleeping again?
As some of you know, our Goose has been sleeping through the night for a long time now, with episodes of regressions lasting, at most, a week. He would always return back to sleeping through the night with no real problems though.
Well 4 weeks ago TODAY, I jinxed myself. I made the mistake of telling other new mom's with children the same age. I remember in my head thinking, "Don't Brag!". And I didn't. But did I jinx myself just by the sheer act of telling someone? Possibly. Because that was the day everything changed.
Up until that night, we could almost always put GOOSE in his crib at night and he would go to sleep for several hours. But starting 4 weeks ago today, Goose began to scream - a lot. He refused to go to sleep on his own. He wanted to be nursed to sleep. Then he would wake up screaming out like he was in pain. So we finely bit the bullet and put him on Zantac. Which helped tremendously, for about a week. The painful screaming subsided, and he began sleeping again at night, but still would not return to his old way of falling asleep on his own in his crib. Then a week after that he decided he just wouldn't fall asleep at all.
I honestly became so worried for him. I know he can sleep well at night and I know he is happier when he does. But I just cannot figure out what is keeping him up. So yesterday we bought the Book, The Sleep Easy Solution, by Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack. I followed their plan, and Goose fell asleep on his own and stayed asleep for 11 whole hours!! This I found most impressive, because that is the EXACT length of time the authors said children his age should be sleeping at night.
This book is a middle-of-the-road book when it comes to crying it out. She calls it the "Cry-Least" method, instead of the "no-Cry" or "all-cry" method. That's what drew me to the book, because I just cannot and will not leave my baby in his room alone for hours to cry himself to sleep, with no help what-so-ever.
The book does use some crying it out, which I know, I know, I know, is controversial. I have had mixed feelings about it from the get-go. On the one hand, I believe in answering your child every time he cries, but then on the other hand, I think that when babies reach a certain level of ccomprehension, its time to take the lead on their behavior and TEACH them what they need to know. I have read so many reviews on CIO that say how neglectful parents are for letting their children cry. And to a certain degree that is true, but not when it comes to teaching your children something they absolutely NEED to know and they are only crying out in resistance to it. PLUS, as I said before, I chose this book specifically because you DON'T have to leave you child alone to cry for hours.
Now we DID have some crying: Goose cried off and on for 23 minutes last night before he fell fast asleep for 11 hours. Then this morning instead of crying for me to come get him, he woke up HAPPY, making cute noises. When I went into his room he grinned from ear to ear and seemed so well-rested. I can't wait for tonight see how he does. I AM SO PROUD OF HIM! I definitely recommend this book to anyone at the end of their rope, with a frustrated child, that does not feel comfortable with the "Ferber" method.
Well 4 weeks ago TODAY, I jinxed myself. I made the mistake of telling other new mom's with children the same age. I remember in my head thinking, "Don't Brag!". And I didn't. But did I jinx myself just by the sheer act of telling someone? Possibly. Because that was the day everything changed.
Up until that night, we could almost always put GOOSE in his crib at night and he would go to sleep for several hours. But starting 4 weeks ago today, Goose began to scream - a lot. He refused to go to sleep on his own. He wanted to be nursed to sleep. Then he would wake up screaming out like he was in pain. So we finely bit the bullet and put him on Zantac. Which helped tremendously, for about a week. The painful screaming subsided, and he began sleeping again at night, but still would not return to his old way of falling asleep on his own in his crib. Then a week after that he decided he just wouldn't fall asleep at all.
I honestly became so worried for him. I know he can sleep well at night and I know he is happier when he does. But I just cannot figure out what is keeping him up. So yesterday we bought the Book, The Sleep Easy Solution, by Jennifer Waldburger and Jill Spivack. I followed their plan, and Goose fell asleep on his own and stayed asleep for 11 whole hours!! This I found most impressive, because that is the EXACT length of time the authors said children his age should be sleeping at night.
This book is a middle-of-the-road book when it comes to crying it out. She calls it the "Cry-Least" method, instead of the "no-Cry" or "all-cry" method. That's what drew me to the book, because I just cannot and will not leave my baby in his room alone for hours to cry himself to sleep, with no help what-so-ever.
The book does use some crying it out, which I know, I know, I know, is controversial. I have had mixed feelings about it from the get-go. On the one hand, I believe in answering your child every time he cries, but then on the other hand, I think that when babies reach a certain level of ccomprehension, its time to take the lead on their behavior and TEACH them what they need to know. I have read so many reviews on CIO that say how neglectful parents are for letting their children cry. And to a certain degree that is true, but not when it comes to teaching your children something they absolutely NEED to know and they are only crying out in resistance to it. PLUS, as I said before, I chose this book specifically because you DON'T have to leave you child alone to cry for hours.
Now we DID have some crying: Goose cried off and on for 23 minutes last night before he fell fast asleep for 11 hours. Then this morning instead of crying for me to come get him, he woke up HAPPY, making cute noises. When I went into his room he grinned from ear to ear and seemed so well-rested. I can't wait for tonight see how he does. I AM SO PROUD OF HIM! I definitely recommend this book to anyone at the end of their rope, with a frustrated child, that does not feel comfortable with the "Ferber" method.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Frugal Friday: Goodbye Cable
This is the third time in my life I've lived without cable, although its the first time I've lived without it for reasons mostly related to money. The first time I had no cable was when I was little. We lived out in the country and cable just didn't exist out there at that time. The second time was when I was traveling the majority of the time with my old company. At that time I could have squeezed it out of the budget, but I was only home on the weekends, and sometimes not even then, so I figured why pay for something I was never going to use? The third time, which is currently, Hubby and I made the decision to forego cable when I was told we would have to pay a $99 dollar connect fee, which they refused to waive. I was pretty angry about this, because I already HAD cable, and if I had moved within my area, I would have been considered a "transfer" and not had to pay it again. So I figured I had lived without cable before, I could do it again.
For entertainment, we use our rabbit ears and Netflix. Our rabbit ears pick of the local channels. The reception is hit or miss. Some days a channel will be crystal clear, other days it will be somewhat off. It is rarely ever so bad that you can't watch though. Of course, Netflix is our real source of entertainment. We LOVE Netflix. We LOVE movies. Netflix allows us to watch as many as we want, as often as we want. Its great and CHEAP.
So if you're looking for a way to cut costs, consider abandoning your cable or satellite. You'll miss it at first, but eventually you'll find other forms of entertainment that are just as good. For more frugal tips, visit Frugal Friday!
For entertainment, we use our rabbit ears and Netflix. Our rabbit ears pick of the local channels. The reception is hit or miss. Some days a channel will be crystal clear, other days it will be somewhat off. It is rarely ever so bad that you can't watch though. Of course, Netflix is our real source of entertainment. We LOVE Netflix. We LOVE movies. Netflix allows us to watch as many as we want, as often as we want. Its great and CHEAP.
So if you're looking for a way to cut costs, consider abandoning your cable or satellite. You'll miss it at first, but eventually you'll find other forms of entertainment that are just as good. For more frugal tips, visit Frugal Friday!
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