bumGenius Freetime Review

Recently, I told you about my fun trip to the Cotton Babies $1 Sale. My original plan had been to stock up completely on Elementals. The deals were so good, though, I decided to take a leap of faith and try out the bumGenius Freetime. (I was able to get three for the price of one brand new.) I've written before that I highly dislike microfiber or any other synthetic material for absorption because it tends to hold on to the smell - not getting as clean as cotton.

I wasn't sure how I would like the split soakers, but it  has never been an issue, either with fit or with spraying. In fact the design truly does help get the soakers thoroughly clean because I have never had an issue with them smelling. Also, because I don't have the space to line dry anymore, everything goes into the dryer (on low) and these dry significantly faster than my beloved Elementals.

yes, this is N exploring the diaper pail.

The absorbency is great. In fact, because of the stay-dry liner, I even try to reserve these for naps. One tip for fit that I learned from a friend on twitter is to be sure you keep baby's bottom on the back flap - with the front flap underneath. It seems minor and not like it should make a difference, but it really, REALLY does.

it's just something she does

Overall, I really like the Freetime. I would definitely recommend it as a great all in one (also one-sized). It's absorbent and super trim. I just wish I had bought more!

Have you tried any new diapers lately? Any new favorites? Have you tried anything lately you were sure you wouldn't like? How did it turn out for you?

A Mom Runs This Town: Staying Fit While Pregnant (guest post)

Today's post is by awesome mom and runner Emma from A Mom Runs This Town. Be sure to check out her blog when you're done here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow.

Not only does someone Down Under like me, but an awesome mom is actually letting me take over her blog for a day!

Mary Ann is all about natural parenting, which I love and, DUH, cloth diapers.  She even has her own Etsy store!  I'm a natural eating fanatic, but have to admit, Gentry wears Pampers (sorry Mary Ann!).  I already wear a gas mask for those.

Mary Ann asked me to write a post about staying fit through pregnancy and beyond.

Before I begin- DISCLAIMER- I have always been a workout fanatic.  Starting in middle school, I don't think I've ever taken more than a week off from doing something active.  That's just the way I was raised.  And, if you remember my funny induction post, I had a VERY easy pregnancy.

This was about 5 months and 7 months.

Because of these two factors, working out didn't change too much for those 10 months, besides the usual pregnancy modifications.  Of course I was tired, had a sore back, just wanted to sit around and eat peanut butter sandwiches all day, but I knew this was the ONE time I could control and influence everything happening to my child...

MUHAHAHA....

to lay the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle for her.

Still Hear(ing): an update on N's hearing loss

In the midst of my PRO Compression giveaway, I met a blogger named April who also has children with various degrees of hearing loss. In talking to her, I realized it's been a very long time since I've done any type of update on N's hearing and our experience with audiologists and Early Intervention.

No surprise, I have become a huge advocate for Early Intervention (EI). If your child qualifies - engage them! If you suspect any type of developmental delays - seek them out! Unlike the testing you might have to endure to diagnose a health issue, my kids actually had fun at N's evaluation. At the very least, your kids get a playdate with a group of education professionals who LOVE kids, and you get the opportunity to speak with real adults!

We were very fortunate that the ladies in the EI offices up here, and the ladies we worked with before the move were fantastic in making the transition smooth and relatively seamless for us.

One big difference has been the integration of an audiology department within the EI up here. As of this week, that's no longer true, but it's been a great experience knowing the audiologist is truly included in your team. Due to new statewide EI budget regulations, the audiologists dept will be dissolved and we'll be on the hunt for a new pediatric audiologist.

Every audiologist we've seen has been great, and every one of them is qualified to work with young kids. However, the pediatric audiologists have been something else - something better.

It's definitely not less important to find the right fit with your audiologist than it is with any of your other care providers. In fact, at this point, we see N's audiologist more regularly than we see her pediatrician. Because of the length of her appointments and the level of interaction the hearing tests require, you really want a good repore and for your child to feel comfortable.

As far as N's IFSP and her vocabulary goals, we've been making some great progress. I love discovering all the new words she's picking up - both signed and spoken. I'm still painfully aware of her deficits, but she is doing amazing. Her vocabulary is definitely taking off the closer we get to her second birthday. I'm actually pretty proud of her. The girl is determined to communicate well.

N can be extremely shy, like her brother, and like I was (still can be). It's been nice to see her warm up to her team here. She might be resistant to interacting at the beginning of each appointment or session, but once we get started in the routine - where it's checking her ears, or sitting down with her hearing specialist at home - I see her relax and participate. I really hope our next audiologist will become as welcome of a team member as N has allowed her current team members to be.

Do you have any experience with early intervention? What about disabilities in your own children? I know we're very fortunate that N's is relatively mild, I sometimes worry how kids might react once she's in school. My hope is to create a feeling of normalcy and no shame for her. 

My Take on the CottonBabies $1 Sale

From the time I first heard of the Cotton Babies $1 Sale, I've been wanting to go. With only 3 retail locations in the world (2 of which are in St. Louis, Missouri), only the few and fortunate get the opportunity to actually attend. Of all the misfortunes of our most recent move, there is the HUGE upside that we are now near the Vancouver store. The last sale was MONTHS ago, but I'm just finally getting around to sharing my experience.

This is not a sponsored post - just a review of my hugely exciting to me as a cloth diapering parent shopping trip where I spent my own money. However, affiliate links may be included which would benefit myself and this blog if you choose to purchase anything through them. 

peaking in through the window, waiting for the sale to start

I bought a ticket the day they went on sale and happily arrived at their door an hour early. (I feel I should note that while I was near the front of the line, I was not the first in line.) If you follow me on Twitter, you already know my husband came along. I should say right here that although my husband would have you believe he was the only man in attendance he was, in fact, not.

Contrary to what some or a lot of people might believe the $1 sale does not mean that all the diapers only cost $1. All sale items (and I'm talking about the super-only-for-the-$1-sale items) are used or seconds. "Seconds" are second quality, brand new items from the manufacturer. These are all Cotton Babies lines: bumGenius, Flip, and Econobum. Our goal for this venture was to stock up on All-In-Ones, so that's all I really talk about here. For the record, though, they had everything from Flip original organic inserts to 4.0 newborn inserts, Flip and Econobum covers, Freetimes, and Elementals.

Before the sale, all the diapers are individually sorted based on style (all-in-one, pocket, cover, insert) and condition. 

Father's Day eMeals Dessert Recipe

Remember back in April when I shared with you that I am now an eMeals blogger? Our family has really been enjoying all the great recipes we've been able to take advantage of, and I am enjoying the added ease in my weekly meal planning. Well they have a pretty awesome offer going on right now in honor of Father's Day.

If you sign up now for an eMeals account, you not only get an extra special Father's Day meal plan, you can also get 15% off the cost when you use the discount code DADS.

And now I get to share with you the delicious Father's Day dessert recipe!

Ingredients: 
½ cup milk
4 cups vanilla ice cream
3 store bought or homemade brownies, chopped
Caramel or hot fudge topping (optional)

Instructions: 
1. Place milk in a blender.
2. Add ice cream; blend until smooth.
3. Add half of brownies to blender; pulse until brownies are blended.
4. Spoon into glasses; drizzle with desired topping.
5. Top milkshakes with remaining brownies.

Yum, right? Please let me know if you try it out or sign up for your own subscription, and let me know how you like it! Father's Day is only about a week away, do you have anything fun planned?

Disclosure: As an eMeals blogger, I have been given a complimentary year long subscription to their meal planning program to use and review. As always, all opinions are my own, and I wouldn't write about it if I didn't think it was something worth your time as well as my own.