Sunday, March 24, 2013

Journey to Walk MS 2013

3 years ago my family participated in their 1st Walk MS.  My oldest, and only at the time, was 1 1/2 and rode in her stroller for the whole walk :)  I was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I knew that I was helping in some small way.  Sadly for the past 2 years I have not been able to participate :(  2 years ago it was 2 days before Baby K was born and last year it was the same day as her birthday party.  I know neither was a really good reason to not participate but at that time I was overwhelmed with everything and didn't think I could take anything else on.

Once again Walk MS 2013 by me lands on Baby K's birthday weekend (plus having company in town).  But that is NOT going to stop us this year!!!  Both of my beautiful daughters will be traveling with me back to my home town area in PA to attend Walk MS 2013!!!  Most of my family as well as my Hubby's family lives in the area and some of them have even offered to walk with us :)  Plus my Aunt has decided to fly in from Texas for the walk!!!

Now you are probably wondering why this Walk MS means so much to me.  Why I feel bad that I haven't participated in 2 years.  Why I would be traveling back home just to participate.  Why it is so awesome to me that people have stepped up to walk with me.  And why would I write a blog post about it.  If you have stayed with this post so far THANK YOU!!!  And now for some back story and answers to all the questions you may have :)

Friday, March 22, 2013

Cloth For Every Bum - Twitter Party

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It's about time for another AWESOME twitter party! Cloth for Everybum, a Cloth Diaper Charity servicing a 2 hour radius from Savannah, Georgia is sponsoring a Twitter Party and Auction! Cloth for Everybum is different from other Cloth Diaper Charities because they require that every mom or dad receiving a cloth diaper kit (24 diapers + accessories) attends a Cloth Diapering 101 class. This is a brilliant idea. Cloth diapers may be a foreign concept to many parents, and a simple class could "make or break" their ability to succeed with cloth diapering. In addition this class will provide an open-ended resource if there are any further problems or questions in the future. Below are some pictures of the kits that are handed out to these cloth diapering parents. Every month the first 5 people in need who QUALIFY and attend a class will receive their own kit. To date, Cloth for Everybum has handed out over 42 Cloth Diaper Kits. This means that 42 families attended a Cloth Diaper 101 class. That is great! I can tell you that I have personally had the opportunity to meet the ladies who head up Cloth for Everybum and got a glimpse into all the time and efforts that they put into what they do. I was so impressed with their enthusiasm to spread awareness about cloth diapers.

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I love their mission statement:
"If you teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime. Our mission is not simply to give free diapers to low income families, but to teach the families how to use them. Scheduled Cloth Diapering 101 classes are mandatory for all kit recipients. For recipients in the Mentoring sub-program, a mentor will be matched to the family and follow them for a period of time."


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Friday, March 1, 2013

Aplix VS. Snaps

When it comes down to picking diapers probably the most important decision you will have to make is Aplix VS. Snaps!!!  But what should you chose?  What is best for you?  What is best for baby?  Such a had decision :)

For me it was an easy decision!!  I went with SNAPS!  Why?  Honestly because I like the look of snaps better than the look of Aplix.  But I also started cloth diapering when Baby K was 8 months old.  If I would have started at newborn and used newborn diapers I would have chose Aplix and then switched to snaps with OS diapers.

Aplix is a great choice for a newborn or before baby messes with their diapers.  When baby is a newborn you are changing them so much that aplix would make it faster and easier.  But once baby starts to mess with their diaper aplix will also be easier for them to take off :)

Snaps on the other hand are harder for baby to play with but also take a couple extra seconds to for parents to use :)  I also feel that it gives the from of a diaper a cleaner look!  So it comes down to how old is baby? What type of look do you like?  And how easy do you want it to be for you AND for baby :)

So what are your diapers?  Aplix or Snap?  Why?



Rachel and the TreeSchoolers - Review


When you are homeschooling or even just staying at home with kids, every once in a while you want to be able to turn the TV on so you can walk away to finish dishes, the laundry, make dinner, or you name it!!!  But at the same time you do not want to fill your kids head with garbage and have them watch TV just to watch it.  Well at least I don't but I know sometimes that is the way it happens :)

What if you could put something on the TV that actually teaches your child?  What if there was a supplemental tool that you could use with your homeschooling lessons to reinforce what you are teaching?  Do you think you would use it in your home for your little one?  I know I would :)  A likes to watch TV shows, probably more than she should, but I like her to get something from them.  And Baby K always watches with her so she is absorbing something :)

Rachel and the TreeSchoolers is an awesome supplement to any homeschooling program.  Or just something fun and educational for your little ones to watch.  Currently there is only 1 DVD in the series but I am personally hoping for more!!!  The 1st episode : A Rainy Day was super cute and an awesome science lesson!!!

My Thoughts 

This episode teaches a lot more than you would think!!!  It doesn't just tell you "hey it rains".   It really explains to the kids what is happening in a cute, fun way!  There are cute cartoon characters as well as real children and of course Rachel (from Signing Time)!!!  Both of my daughters LOVED this DVD!!  We have not used the CD yet because I like my music in the car :) 

What is taught

What is Whether
Temperature
What is in the sky
What falls

Stuff we use in what kind of whether
Rain boots in rainy whether
Swim suit in sunny whether

What is Lightning and Thunder
Lightning is electricity
Thunder is the sound that lightning makes

Whether signs (sign language)
Rain 
Clouds
Whether
Lightning
Thunder
Sun

Overall, this is a great addition to any household!!!  I'm not sure if I really like the price of $24.95 for a DVD and CD that is only 1 episode and about 30 minutes.  I wish it was cheaper or that you could purchase only the DVD.  But I do love that you can request a FREE digital copy of the Activity Guide for either PARENTS or TEACHERS!!!  Make sure to check them out on Facebook so you know when the new episodes will be available!  They are currently working on 2 new episodes :) and I know that 1 of them is about BUGS!!!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.