Saturday Mom Blog Hop! Add your blog!

I decided I'd love to host a weekly Blog Hop!  I'm fairly new to hosting a "hop" so forgive me if there are any glitches. Here's how it works... In order to join the hop and add your link you have to first

• First, follow the first (2) Blogs on the list AND the last (2) Blogs on the list.  Why the first and last?  Well normally I see blog hops where you must just follow people at the top, but that doesn't seem all that fun when those never change and there's no guarantee anyone else will get new followers.  So I decided to play by my own rules and ask that you follow the top two and bottom two.
• Second, grab the code for the linky and create a new Blog post on your blog.  Please also use the Cloth Diaper Geek Blog Hop graphic and copy/paste these instructions if you can so that others will know the rules and how to play along.
• Optional, it is not "required" but if you'd like other bloggers to follow you back through this Hop then it's suggested that you leave them a comment saying so on their blog so that they know you stopped by.

*To grab the code and place this Blog Hop on your blog you must click the link below that says "Get the code here..."

My very first award ever! Thanks Amy!

I have ALWAYS wondered how those fancy schmancy Blog Awards worked.  Who gives them, who makes them, and how do they work?

Well I got one and I now I know!  Thanks so much to my new pal Amy over at The Cheap and Choosy for giving the Versatile Blogger Award to me.  I feel special now.  :)

Now what?

Here are the rules for receiving the award.

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.

2. Share seven things about yourself. 

• I am  a fireman's wife and have three kids, two of which are identical twins.
• I am an only child.
• I never liked babysitting and never imagined that I would ever become a stay-at-home mom.
• I own my own business, Earth Angels Diaper Company.
• I consider myself an introvert and believe I have social anxiety disorder.  But online I come across as very outgoing and extroverted.
• I love tattoos and have many.
• I would love to go back to school and get a degree in graphic art & web design.

3. Pass this award along to fifteen bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason!

My 15 recommended blogs are as follows…

1. Granola Mom 4 God
2. Torrential Raines
3. Just another cloth diapering mama
4. Waterwaif
5. A Smaller Footprint
6. Without a Net
7. One Bored Mommy
8. My Four Monkeys
9. Outside My Kitchen Window
10. Bringing Up Benjamin
11. Happily Domestic
12. Full Nest
13. Our Life Upstate
14. View from the Shoe
15. Valley Girl Has Baby, Goes Crunchy

4. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked and let them know about the award. 

2 a.m. and I heard a weird noise...

The funniest thing happened the other night. I was sound asleep, well as sound as you can sleep when you're a mom... Well I hear this noise in the kitchen, a banging noise, but I'm too tired to get up. So I wait and I don't hear it again. Then I hear another sound, a weird but familiar sound.

I get up and go into the kitchen and Spencer, one of my 3.5 yr old twin sons, is laying on the carpet in the kitchen trying to put his own diaper back on! He's got it all laid out and he's trying to sit on it and fasten the aplix back up but he can't get it right!

It was the cutest thing. Apparently he got up to use the potty in the kitchen and just thought he'd put his diaper back on himself and go back to bed. Too cute!

First Girl Scout camping trip!

Aside from family members our daughter, who will be 7 next month, has never spent the night anywhere but with a couple different family members. This weekend her Daisy Scout troop was invited to their first Camporee. Not far from our home but still away all day and over night. So many questions came to mind like how many people will be there, who will be in the tent, how many chaperones, how old are all the kids, what are the activities planned, what will they feed her..and on and on.

As expected she had no questions! "Camping trip! Yippee!" and then she dances excitedly all around the house. She's into it and raring to go and has no idea if we're sending her for a week across the country or just a night across town. She's a little dare devil and always down for something adventurous. Go now and ask questions later, that's her philosophy.

Anyhow, the house feels quiet without her and I wonder what she's up to. Probably some arts and crafts, hiking around in the bushes and driving the adults crazy! Hey better them than me!

ETA: They called us at 10:15pm and she said she was homesick and wanted to come home so we went and picked her up!

MISSION: Potty training twins! Almost complete.

Phew! It literally feels like I began potty training my twin sons a bajillion years ago! I told myself when we started that I wasn't going to stress out because there's nothing more frustrating than trying to potty train little ones who aren't ready. Little by little they showed signs of readiness like taking their diapers off right after they peed, wanting to be changed immediately after pooping, and they showed a lot of interest in peeing outdoors in the grass and such whenever they were diaper-less! (I guess that's a boy thing!)

So we got a small potty. I tried it in the bathroom but that didn't work because I keep the bathroom door closed so they won't go in there all day and mess around. So we put the potty in the kitchen where it was more visible and accessible to them and they began to use it much more.

We finally got to the point where they were in underwear all the time at home. So I took the plunge and started putting them in underwear for short car rides. Well, they weren't ready for that. Every time they would just pee in the car seat, regardless of whether they had just peed or not. So we went back to diapers when we were out.

Eventually we tried underwear in the car again recently and they have really taken to it. I do remind them constantly "don't pee in your underwear" and they have really seemed to get it this time.

Now our last and hardest phase is getting them to not pee during the night. Mason has been waking up dry every morning and even wakes up at night to use the potty if he needs to. Spencer on the other hand pees throughout the night and if I don't wake him before his morning pee then he leaks all over the sheets and wakes up because of it.

So far we've tried everything. The latest is keeping him in an overstuffed Duo Diaper and making sure to wake him before he wakes up on his own. I also think I need to cut back on how much liquids I give him the evening before. They both literally drink ALL day long.

Anyhow, it's been a long road but I think we're almost there. They will be 4yrs old in October and by then I am sure they'll be fully trained. (knock on wood)

How's it going for you all? Any advice? I've always heard it's harder to potty train boys than girls and I think that's proving to be true for us.

Cake Decorating in Oklahoma City!

Anyone live in OKC? My friend Iisha, who recently relocated there from Florida, has begun teaching cake decorating at the local Michaels Craft Store!

Anyone local please check out her FaceBook Fan Page Iisha's Sweet Expressions for more info and to sign up!

We're headed on our first official family vacation!

I am so excited to be finally taking our first official vacation with the kids. I feel like a grown up! In the past we would have just jumped in the car and set off for the mountains. Often we'd just drive around until dark and then try to find a campground or hotel. Sometimes they were full or too expensive and we'd have to keep looking. We'd always say "next time we're going to plan better."

Well this time, since there is a good likelihood that it will be snowing, camping is out of the question. Luckily since it's sort of the off season, small mountain cabin rentals are pretty much the same as the hotels. So we've lucked out and found a cute little cabin to stay at.

I am thrilled to be able to share the mountains, and hopefully snow, with our kids who have never been out of Florida. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when we stop at some of the most breathtaking scenic overlooks. I know they're just going to love it!

I think I'm obsessed with the Dog Whisperer...

We got a new puppy for Christmas, her name is Lucy and she was 12weeks old when we got her. My husband and I have had dogs before, we treated them like spoiled babies and in exchange they ate our furniture, our shoes, clothes and at the very least nibbled on pretty much anything and everything we owned.


It's sort of like when a family suffers a fire and loses their photos and keepsakes. We suffered through having three dogs and lost a lot of valuable things we would have kept for life.


Since having gone through that we've decided this time we're going to do it right, we're going to crate train her and teach her obedience and routine and hope that this time we end up with the dog of our dreams.


This leads me to the topic of this post, The Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan. He's got his own show and boy is he awesome. I can't get enough of the show and feel like I've learned and continue to learn so much. It's just unreal how he's so intuitive and connected with the dogs he trains and helps. Everything he does is like an "aha moment!" So simple yet you'd have never thought of it on your own.


Anyhow, Lucy's a great pup so far and we look forward to many years together.


Any other Dog Whisperer fans out there?

Crock Pot Ziti! Yumm-o-la

So I am trying to turn over a new leaf this year. One of my resolutions is to cook more than I do. My husband loves to cook, which is convenient for me since I am not a great cook. It's not that I can't cook but I don't have a whole lot of experience and so my cooking comes out plain and boring.

A friend turned me on to a Blog, A Year of Slowcooking, and it has really inspired me to try a lot of the recipes. I love the convenience of the CrockPot and since 4-5pm is such a busy time for me already it's fabulous that I can start dinner earlier and it will be ready at dinner time.

The Blog is run by the author of the book Make it Fast, Cook it Slow which you can buy on Amazon or at your local bookseller.

Last night I attempted the CrockPot Ziti Recipe found here. After having read her recipe and all the readers comments I decided to tweak her original recipe.

I used

• 1 box Penne/Ziti pasta
• 3 sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, pre-cooked about half way before use
• 1 cup shredded fresh mozzarella
• 1 large jar garlic tomato sauce
• 1/2 jar alfredo sauce
• 1 cup of water
• diced onions & sliced tomato
• parmesan cheese

Instead of allowing it to cook in layers like she recommended I stirred it every 30-40 minutes to ensure that all the noodles were cooked and none got dried out.
It ended up taking 3 hours on low as opposed to 4 hours. If I had left them to cook any longer the noodles would have been way overdone.

Overall it was very tasty. My husband commented that the slow cooking seemed to give it a unique flavor.

This is a must try recipe if you love pasta and have a crockpot!

Trying to get this show back on the road!

Wow! It has been so long since I spent any time on this, my personal Blog. Since trying to focus more on my business and it's new Blog Diaper Discussions I have spent all my time there. The problem is that after getting into blogging and starting to keep up with all the cool blogs that I follow I have really began to long for a place to blog about personal things, not just cloth diapers.

So I came here, dusted off this old dusty blog, and here I sit. Hopefully with a new name and layout it will feel and look much better. I look forward to getting back on track with both my blogs and connecting with new blogs and followers.

:) Julie

Donate $5.00 or more to Miracle Diapers & receive a $5.00 off coupon to Earth Angels Diaper Co.!

Earth Angels Diaper Co. proudly supports Miracle Diapers and their continuing efforts to provide needy families with cloth diapering and natural parenting items.

Currently, the gals at Miracle Diapers are trying to make the move into a more comfortable office/warehouse environment. They need our help in raising the money they need to fund their move.

Earth Angels Diaper Co. will be providing a $5.00 Coupon Code to anyone who donates $5.00 or more to Miracle Diapers as a THANK YOU for your generosity and support. The coupon code will be automatically sent upon completing the donation through PayPal.

Please donate through one of the links at Earth Angels Diaper Co. to take advantage of this offer.

And, as always, Miracle Diapers is also accepting donations of cloth diapers, accessories, and other natural parenting items.

Thanks for reading!

The Fresh Air Fund's Dollar for Dollar Gift Match Program! Only 10 days left!

There is only a week and a half left in The Fresh Air Fund's dollar-for-dollar gift matching program. Help a child in need by making your donation today!

THE FRESH AIR FUND, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children from low-income communities since 1877. Nearly 10,000 New York City children enjoy free Fresh Air Fund programs annually. In 2008, close to 5,000 children visited volunteer host families in suburbs and small town communities across 13 states from Virginia to Maine and Canada. 3,000 children also attended five Fresh Air camps on a 2,300-acre site in Fishkill, New York. The Fund’s year-round camping program serves an additional 2,000 young people each year.

Creating a memorable baby shower gift!

I recently hosted a Baby Shower/Blessingway for my friend who is expecting. Our moms group wanted to collaborate on a gift for her. One friend had the idea to each create a quilt square and then she'd collect them and sew them into a cloth baby book for the new baby to play with. It turned out just fabulous and I wanted to share the pics!

It turned out really durable and I am sure it will provide great fun for the new baby since it includes a variety of textures. On the last page, just inside the back cover, we all signed our names and wrote messages to the mom-to-be!

I would highly suggest this idea if you're trying to plan a creative Baby Shower for a friend or family member.

Girls Day Out @ Disney!

Well my daughter completed her "Sleeping Poster" after sleeping in her own bed, alone, for 50+ nights in a row. Her reward was to be the super-mega-ultra-special reward of her choice. So we decided I would take her to Disney for her birthday and hubby would stay home with the boys.

We had a great time and although she's only just turned 6 she was more than willing to ride anything they had, no matter how scary. She also got a kick out of the Haunted House and pointed out how fake everything was throughout the ride! lol It was too cute.

It was nice to get to spend some one on one time with her since I always have my sons with me and it prevents her from getting the quality attention she used to before they were born.

It was definitely a trip we will not soon forget and the videos I got of her riding the roller coasters are priceless!

Totally Awesome New Blog Template!

I was in total need of a new template. A makeover gets me inspired to write more, so I visited http://www.giselejaquenod.com.ar/blog/ who offers some adorable free blogger templates! Hope you like it!

The Fresh Air Fund is in need of host families!

In 2008, The Fresh Air Fund's Volunteer Host Family Program, called Friendly Town, gave close to 5,000 New York City boys and girls, ages six to 18, free summer experiences in the country and the suburbs. Volunteer host families shared their friendship and homes for two weeks or more in 13 Northeastern states from Virginia to Maine and Canada.

The Fresh Air Fund is in need of hosts for the Summer of 2009. Click Here for more info!

Making every penny count with SwagBucks!

As if I don't already have enough to do, I have been frequenting the SwagBucks site. If you aren't familiar with it, it is like a search engine that randomly awards you with SwagBucks for searches. There are other ways to earn SwagBucks as well, by referring friends, finding secret SwagCodes, and shopping through their affiliate links.

SwagBucks do build up fast for little to no effort on your part, and can be redeemed for various prizes and gift cards. I redeemed my first 45 bucks for an Amazon giftcard and within 3 days the giftcard code was in my inbox.

Gift it a try! You'll be hooked. Click here to join SwagBucks!

Attempting to earn money by completing surveys...

Usually something like earning money by completing surveys seems like a concept too good to be true. So when someone referred me to CashCrate I was pretty reluctant to give out my info and sign up to another site. So far in less than 2 weeks I've earned almost $20.00 for about 30 minutes of my time spent combined, filling out surveys and clicking my mouse. Their payout is monthly and you only have to earn a minimum of $20.00 to receive a check each month. Many of their offers are actually rebates for trying free products and promotions.

So I think that if $20.00 will fill my gas tank up half way or buy me that blouse I've been wanting then it is worth my time after all.

I suggest you give it a try too! click her to join CashCrate

A Better Birth Way

If you are an expecting mother or know someone who might benefit from the help of a Doula, then you should check out A Better Birth Way in Central Florida. What is a Doula? By definition a Doula is a professional labor and delivery assistant, who provides support, care, and friendship to both the mother and her family. They are also very knowledgeable in areas surrounding childbirth like childbirth education, lactation, nutrition, parenting, physical/emotional/psychological issues, and more.

For more information, Contact Jamie at Jesa2448@aol.com or call her directly at 407-436-2287.

Dr. Seuss Breastfeeding Rhyme!

Author Unknown



Dr. Seuss for Nursing Moms



Would you nurse her in the park?

Would you nurse him in the dark?

Would you nurse him with a Boppy?

And when your boobs are feeling floppy?



I would nurse him in the park,

I would nurse her in the dark.

I'd nurse with or without a Boppy.

Floppy boobs will never stop me.



Can you nurse with your seat belt on?

Can you nurse from dusk till dawn?

Though she may pinch me, bite me, pull,

I will nurse her `till she's full!



Can you nurse and make some soup?

Can you nurse and feed the group?

It makes her healthy strong and smart,

Mommy's milk is the best start!



Would you nurse him at the game?

Would you nurse her in the rain?

In front of those who dare complain?

I would nurse him at the game.

I would nurse her in the rain.



As for those who protest lactation,

I have the perfect explanation.

Mommy's milk is tailor made

It's the perfect food, you need no aid.



Some may scoff and some may wriggle,

Avert their eyes or even giggle.

To those who can be cruel and rude,

Remind them breast's the perfect food!



I would never scoff or giggle,

Roll my eyes or even wiggle!

I would not be so crass or crude,

I KNOW that this milk's the perfect food!



We make the amount we need

The perfect temp for every feed.

There's no compare to milk from breast-

The perfect food, above the rest.



Those sweet nursing smiles are oh so sweet,

Mommy's milk is such a treat.

Human milk just can't be beat.



I will nurse, in any case,

On the street or in your face.

I will not let my baby cry,

I'll meet her needs, I'll always try.

It's not about what's good for you,

It's best for babies, through and through.



I will nurse her in my home,

I will nurse her when I roam.

Leave me be lads and ma'am.

I will nurse her, Mom I am.