Better than Fluff!?

About 1 month ago, I decided help out some of our friends by watching their two boys while one of them transitions into a new job. It just so happened that they have two boys the same age as our girls so they can all be playmates. It has been so much fun, but has paid off in more ways than one.

It has actually paid off so much, that I decided to make a large purchases After my laptop battery died (for good) I decided to consider a tablet. Boy, am I glad I did!

I love my iPhone so much, that I decided to try a larger version. I considered an iPad 2 since a lot of reviewers swear you should just buy one of those. Apparently, some people don't think the retina screen makes "The New iPad" a worthwhile purchase.

After purchasing one last week, I would beg to differ. The screen is amazing. Not only do I like that feature, but I am am also liking its speed, convenience and most of all, battery life. In the next few weeks, I plan to buy the keyboard with dock for it, so that I can use it for documents and such also.

I have only had the new iPad for one for one week, but in the week that I have had it, I just can race enough about it. I hope there is much more enjoyment to come! Can't wait to share more about it as I learn more and use it on a day to day basis! I can say that I am more obsessed over it right now than cloth diapers! It has to be serious! Lol

Fluff & the Fourth

I was a little nervous about taking a week to go to my hubby's family's camp, but decided to give it a shot. Of course, this meant I would have to use the dreaded laundromat for my fluff... Ugh... BUT I now realize I was just being negative. It's a lot easier than I first expected!

Here's how I did it...
I use a combination of the Flip system & Bumgenius 4.0 so between both I have enough to last me more than a few days, but didn't want them to be stinky. So, I used them normally, except that when they were soiled, I took them to the bathroom and rinsed them very well in the sink and then basically put them out to dry so they didn't soil in the bag. When dried, into the bag they went to await washing.

Two days later, I had to go in to town to wash. I had two different choices for washers: front & top loaders. After examining them and smelling them (touching and feeling for oils, residue, etc...lol) I decided to go with the front loader. There were no options on either for temperatures or water levels so I ran a "normal" cycle. I also added the normal recommended amount of detergent. When they were finished, they seemed to be clean, but to be sure, I ran one more normal wash with no detergent. Even my inserts were perfectly white.

I decided rather than line drying the inserts that I would put them onto dry. This is what I do at home, so the results were the same. After some gawking from other women folding their clothing, I got out of there in a little under an hour. I was very pleased.

When I arrived back at the cabin, I hung the covers/pockets, out in the bathroom and after discovering that the inserts were very slightly damp, I decided to hang them out on the lawn chairs on the screened in porch. The results were perfectly normal and didn't disrupt any of my restful vacation. Ah... The beauty of fluff ;) I can safely say now, that I will never fear the laundromat again!

Busy Bee

I really didn't kick off my blog very well, I admit it. I do, however, have a pretty great excuse. In the last month, I have spent 2 weeks in Mississippi seeing my sister graduate from H.S. and visiting family. Then, my husband and I took a trip to Portland, Maine. And as if we weren't tired enough, we decided this past weekend to do a car rally in Montreal, Canada this past weekend and spend time at his parent's Adirondack lake house for a day. Whew! I'm just so glad to be back home 'til it isn't even funny! Now I will have to begin devoting more time to this, especially if I ever want anyone to read it ;) I promise, more posts to come very soon!

The Life of The Brit

So lately, I have been SUPER bored.  I am very much enjoying the weather in CT and being able to be outside more often & I know the kids are too.  So in order to kick off this who blog thing the right way, let me tell you a little bit about me and my not so little, big family ;)
My husband & I were married in 2010.  He had two girls at the time, but as soon as we got married we decided to not prevent or try to have another.  But in late '10 we decided to go for it.  Finally, in May 2011 we were finally pregnant!  Boy, were we excited!  On January 28, 2012 "Little Tiny" was born.  This was the best day of my life.  After months of hypermesis gravidarum & pain, I was finally free & had a beautiful 7lb baby boy! So, for the last 3 months, I have been mostly focused on becoming the best Mommy and making the best & greenest decisions for my baby as possible.  One of the most challenging has been breastfeeding, but I'll get into that later in another post.  The other big decision I have made is cloth diapering.  Again, I will go more in depth in another post.  But I am also baby wearing and co-sleeping (although A LOT of people don't agree with this). 

I cant really say I have had large amounts of support on any of these issues.  My grandparents suggested when I was in MS last that I should supplement with formula and that he couldn't possibly be getting enough from the breast milk. (No one in my immediate family has breastfed)  Little Tiny had a short hospital stay while in MS, due to a UTI, and when we got there they asked if we co-sleep.  Of course, I said yes.  The nurse sternly replied with " Well here, we only support crib sleeping" ...  Whatever lady...  Both sides of the family (his & mine) think I shouldn't hold him all day.  They assure me I will spoil him, and laugh a little when I assure them you can't.  I STILL don't believe I can spoil him, by holding him when he clearly wants to be held.  I admit I do not baby- wear as much as I should, I guess.  We mostly just enjoy cuddling in bed, skin-to-skin most days.  And cloth diapering, my family thinks I am nuts all because of the days of plastic/rubber pants and not- so- absorbent prefolds.  I have assured them that they are different now, but do you think they believe me?...  Nope.  The one support system I have had through all of this is my husband.  He fully supports breastfeeding, baby wearing, cloth diapering & sometimes co-sleeping.  (He likes sleeping with me and baby, but had rather have the extra room)   I say that he supports it, but he is open to me stopping the breastfeeding (especially at 6 months) or buying disposables, (and especially disposable wipes)  and carrying Little Tiny and even allowing him to have a cushion from his beloved sectional in order to simulate a bed with memory foam in order to sleep alone with the wife.  At first I viewed it as non-support, but then I realized that mostly he is just backing up and allowing me to become a real parent and figure out what works for me!  (One of the MANY reasons why I love & adore him so)  Boy, is he great!  He's always such an excellent sport, especially if I can convince/show him something is more cost effective.  :) Oh how I love that man. 

Anyway, that is pretty much my life as of now.  I will be going BACK to school in the fall and Mr. Werner's oldest will starting kindergarten.  In a lot of ways I cant wait for that, but in a lot of ways I can...  I love lazy days here with the kids, but I do wonder what it would be like to have a real excuse to ignore some of the daily chores. :)