Be kind...

Just checking in...

I know my posts have been sporadic.  I try to avoid anything with a screen while Juniper is awake.  I am not always successful with that goal but I'm trying.  I need to get better at finding time to write...or should I say using some of the time I have to write.  I often just zone out during her nap times and I know that sometimes that is exactly what I need but it is also a little lazy of me.  New goal: put up a post at least once a week!  Ok, there it is in writing, now to stick with it!

It seems like spring is finally here!  Bring on the sunshine...even though a certain someone likes to rise with the sun these days.  Tomorrow is one of my tough days.  May 5th was the due date for my angel that I lost from the uterine rupture.  I am so grateful to have Juniper in my arms but do miss the what could have been with her angel siblings.  My heart is with them and with all of you that know what these tough days are like.  I love this saying and want to end this little post with it and a big hug for all of you and our loved ones...all of them...

Little shopping trip haul...

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this, but I live on an island...an island with no chain stores...so when I am able to venture off I take that opportunity to do some shopping!  Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment on the mainland so that meant a trip to Trader Joes and Babies R Us was in order.  I thought I'd share my little haul...

First stop TJ's!  I love it, not exactly sure what it is, but I could spend hours at Trader Joes.  Unfortunately I only had time for a quick peruse of each aisle but I did come away with some things I needed and for great prices!  Of course I grabbed a jar of coconut oil because as a cloth diapering, semi-crunchy mom I can't live without it.  I also got a jar of tea tree oil since I've heard it is great for using in cloth wipe solution as well as various other capacities.  Lunchtime is always hard for this mamma to get good, nutritious food and I've been hearing a lot of talk about overnight oatmeal so I grabbed some steel cut oats and chia seeds and am going to search some recipes later today.  If anyone has suggestions, please send them my way!

Juniper has grown out of most of her pajamas and I have the remainder of a gift card to BRU so that was my next stop.  First off let me say having a tall baby is a challenge when it comes to sleepwear.  At 8 months she is already height-wise in 9-12 month clothing but the clothing companies seem to stop making one piece sleepers in 12 and up sizes.  Of course my baby dinosaur had to get the dino pjs and daddy found the cute frog ones, both Carter's size 12 (which is really 9-12).  I wanted something in the next size up for summer use so since one piece was not possible at least I found a cute 4-piece set with sea turtles in Carter's size 18 (the "girl" prints/patterns were a little too flashy for my taste).  All the pajamas were 50% off so I got a great deal.

Beau has wanted Juniper to have a shape sorter since it seems like the next step from her stacking toys and we found a really cute turtle option.  She loves it and it will probably be a fun thing to play with in the sand at the beach too.  Juniper loves book time and also visiting the animals at the farm down the street, so when we found a great Eric Carle book with realistic farm animal sounds it was a must have!

I think Juniper's favorite part of the day was going out to eat with mommy and daddy.  I love when I can find something on a menu that she can share with me.  We had a grilled chicken sandwich with cheddar, bacon and avocado, and sweet potato fries.  Daddy had clam chowder and a basket of fried clams.  The weather was beautiful so we even got to sit outside under the awning and enjoy the sunshine.  All in all it was a productive day but it's always nice to come back to the peace of our little island home.

Happy Birthday Spray Pal 2.0!!

I know I have mentioned my love for the Spray Pal but I haven't told you one of the other amazing facts about it...

The creation of the Spray Pal is not only to help all us cloth diapering mammas but also to help one mamma in particular.  Mini Spray Pal 2.0 (Ryan) was born at 25 weeks and had to spend 7 months in the NICU, undergoing numerous surgeries.  He lost his hearing and the lens in one eye, remains on oxygen and is fed with a tube but against all odds he just turned 2 on March 20th!  Every time a Spray Pal is sold it is giving Ryan's mom the ability to stay home and care for him and his big sister.  In honor of this miraculous little boy's birthday Spray Pal and many wonderful businesses, both corporate and WAHMs, are doing two large giveaways!  There are some awesome prizes so please enter and also give Spray Pal 2.0 and his family some love!

http://spray-pal.com/its-here-minispbdaybash-and-giveaway/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finding hope...

A few months back I stumbled upon a blog that I have since grown to love!  Kristen from whenathome.com writes in a way that really speaks to me.  I am honored to be a part of her newest series on all things fertility related, entitled "Finding Hope".

All this week and next week amazing, brave women are sharing their personal stories.  Mine went up today finding-hope: melissa's-story .  Please read and share love with all the women who are a part of this series, and of course, read everything Kristen has written because she's awesome.  Thank you Kristen for sharing your blog with us!

Solids...a sneak peak...

We officially started solids!  I am trying to follow the baby led weaning style so we skipped purées and went straight to real food.  Juniper had her first taste of sweet potato "fries" and loved them!  I also got to start using some of my new cloth diapering tools, my sprayer, Spray-Pal and Diaper Dawgs!

 I will tell you more about both of our experiences in a later blog but wanted to share this milestone briefly for now.

My new best friends...(Diaper Dawgs review & Giveaway)

If dogs are a man's best friend then Diaper Dawgs are a cloth diapering mamma's best friend!

I have been wanting a pair of Diaper Dawgs since I first saw them.  You can imagine my excitement when my very own dawgy duo arrived in the mail!  Diaper Dawgs come in two color pack options, Milo (blue) & Buddy (green) and Molly (purple) & Bella (pink).  I chose for Milo & Buddy to come live with us and our cloth diapers.

By now I am sure you are wondering what I am talking about...what do dogs, I mean Dawgs, have to do with cloth diapering?  For me, the worst part of the cloth diaper experience is separating the inserts from my pocket diapers and removing the yucky liners from my covers.  I can have Milo & Buddy do the dirty work for me!  Diaper Dawgs are silicone mitts to protect your fingers from soiled diaper liners/inserts.  Just slip a Dawg on and let him (or her) "fetch" that messy part.  I know some moms have had success using these to help wring out wet inserts and that wasn't the case for me because the dirty water ended up getting inside but that could just be my bad form and not a fault of the design.  I am looking forward to their help as I start Juniper on solids.  My need to get at those nasty inserts will be increasing here very soon and I can already see the Diaper Dawgs, my Spray Pal, and diaper sprayer becoming my cloth diaper heroes!

Buddy in action...well pretend action anyway...

Diaper Dawgs are easy to clean, unlike my actual dogs.  You can either hand wash them with warm water and antibacterial soap or use a microwaveable sterilizer bag.  I keep one with my wipe container at my changing table, since there is not a sink handy I just spritz him with some hand sanitizer and let him air dry in between his bi-weekly baths.  You don't even have to feed them...best pet ever!

Speaking of eating, the Diaper Dawgs mouth makes storage easy.  The open mouth rests perfectly on the rim of a wipe container or diaper pail, etc.  You can also store the duo together after a really big mess by just letting them love on each other a little bit.

Want your own pair of Diaper Dawgs?  They retail for $7.95, or you can win your own duo below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I received a product in exchange for this review, but all content, photos and opinions are my own.  Your experiences may differ.

*No purchase necessary to win.  Wishes4 fishes is not responsible for any technical failures or for shipping of the prize.  Open to U.S & Canada, ages 18+.  Facebook and Twitter are in no way associated with this giveaway.  Tweets must be PUBLIC to be eligible.  Wishes4fishes reserves the right to publish winner’s first name and last initial.  Void where prohibited by law.