One of my favorite parts of the day:

Citrus Lane

Ok, so this whole monthly subscription thing could get me into a lot of trouble. First the Bluum box, now this. But they are so much fun! Bluum is great because it allows you to try samples of fantastic products for mom and baby before you commit to paying full price, but Citrus Lane is totally different! They send you a box of full size products based on your baby's age and stage. I signed up for a three month subscription starting with a 5 month old box:

This box was PERFECT! It's full of stuff you need for a baby starting solids.

It included Ella Organics Apples + Bananas and Plum Organics Whole Grain Cereal. Both of which I had  just started using, so the timing couldn't be better. Then there was a 2 pack of Packin' Smart Stackable Food Containers. They are freezer, microwave and dishwasher safe. I've already made a batch of baby food for the freezer! The Baby Bjorn Soft Bib is so nice for those messy meal times. Just rinse off and hang to dry! The Rich Frog Beastie Ball is too cute. His name is "Greens" and he loves veggies. A nice addition to the mix and gives baby something to play with while you're busy preparing food for them to throw eat.

The 5 month box was one of the boxes they used for an example on their website so I knew what was coming this month, but I cannot wait to get next months in the mail! This is such a fantastic idea. Well done, Citrus Lane!

One of Those Days

It has been one of those days. The ones where you have to reheat your coffee at least 5 times. The ones when a million things need to be done, but someone is requiring your undivided attention. The ones where you you'd like to eat breakfast... or lunch... but don't have a free hand to grab something. The ones when you may or may not still be in your pajamas at 1pm.

Yes. It's been one of those days. But then I see this adorable face and I may as well have just gotten out of bed; started the whole day over. Everything is just as it should be.




                                                                I love my Little Man.

Skip Hop Versa Review

I am SO excited! I have been drooling over this diaper bag for months, but could never bring myself to spend the *cough*$80(!)*cough* on a diaper bag. I mean, come on, how much are you really going to use it?! Well, after 4+ months of never getting to carry my favorite purse (sigh), plus the fact that this is my first baby (we hope to have a few more!), I realized that I may not be able to carry a purse for quite some time. I searched and researched for so long trying to find a diaper bag that didn't look so much like one. I wanted to find one that looked more purse-like. So armed with my 20% off Babies R' Us coupon, I took the plunge.

I must admit, when it comes to bigger purchases, I'm a sucker for pictures. I want to see every inch, every detail of the product that I could be buying. And while I researched this bag a lot, I didn't find any picture reviews that showed exactly what this baby could handle. And as a cloth diapering mama, I need to know that my diaper bag has some space! So here's the best picture review I could muster up for you:


This is the Skip Hop Versa in Cream Links. Let me just say how pretty the outside is! I love the pattern and the fact that it's modern and grown up. A lot of times I love the fun patterns on diaper bags, but let's face it, they still look like diaper bags.

The Versa has this fantastic feature where the middle of the bag unzips to reveal this bold orange fabric that expands and gives you 20% more storage! Gotta love more storage.

This is the inside of the bag once it's all packed up. It may not look like much is in there right now, but just wait.

I LOVE that this bag comes with a changing pad that has it's own zippered pocket. I hated trying to shove my old changing pad into a pocket that it never seemed to fit into.

It also has this great little zipper pocket in the front for pacifiers/cell phones.

And those cute little straps on the side? Not just for looks! They hook onto themselves so they're able to slide onto stroller handles. 

 Ok. So here's what all is in the bag:

   ~ 2 Cloth diapers/Wet bag 

   ~ Baby toy

   ~ Muslin Blanket

   ~ Burp Cloth

   ~ Change of clothes & socks

   ~ A stack of cloth wipes

   ~ Bottle

   ~ Formula Dispenser

   ~ First Aid Kit 

   ~ Wallet

   ~ Reusable shopping bag

   ~ Mom stuff (makeup/mints/etc.)


I might add that all of that fit while it was still zipped! So after unzipping the center for more storage, I could easily fit another 2-3 cloth diapers. (I take 2 for errands, 4-5 for a whole day out)

All in all, I think this is a great bag! I love that it has so much room for storage even though it doesn't look that big from the outside. I love the pattern of the fabric, the fact that it's waterproof AND it's made of eco friendly materials! I would definitely recommend this bag to anyone who is looking for a cute, stylish diaper bag.

Fluff Mail!

Last week I was the lucky winner of, not one, but TWO blog giveaways!! I can't even tell you how excited I am!
Well, today I got both of the packages in the mail. Just look at all this great stuff!



This is from blog giveaway #1. I won a Fuzzibunz cloth diaper, two packages of inserts for said diaper, two wet bags, cloth diaper detergent and a whole line if organic baby bath products from Charming Cherubs. Can you believe it?! Such a fantastic giveaway! Thanks, A Mommy's Blessing!




This is from blog giveaway #2. I won five cloth diapers, a wet bag, cloth wipes and wipe spray! Thank you, Change-Diapers.com!

With a new baby on the way (in less than 10 weeks!!), I feel so blessed to have received so many cloth diaper and bath products to get me started. We knew from the beginning that we wanted to cloth diaper, but they can get a bit expensive to start your stash. I can't wait to have the little man here! One thing is for sure, he will have the cutest little cloth bum around :)

A Great Day For Free!

Ok, first of all, it has been WAY too long since I've posted. Ugh... But on a lighter note, I just had to share the last couple of days with you!

Wednesday was "girl day" with my mom and my sister. We went to Dallas and used our Groupon to get some yummy gelato at Paciugo's. Then we went to the Angelika Theater for a FREE screening/premiere of Jane Eyre! I have been so excited to see this, but then to get an email saying there was a free screening two days before it was actually released...woohoo!!

Yesterday (and today) from 2-5pm, Starbucks was giving away FREE petites with purchase of a drink! May I suggest the Tiramisu Cake Pop? Delish!! Then it was on to the mall (where I picked up some super cute jammies for my ever growing belly) to stop by Godiva for my FREE monthly chocolate! Seriously, if you aren't signed up for Godiva Rewards, you don't know what you're missing.

And if all that wasn't fantastic enough, last night I get an email saying that I won a cloth diaper package giveaway that I had signed up for over at Change-Diapers.com! Ahhhhhh!! I cannot even tell you how excited I am!
So, seriously, people.... sign up for stuff! You can find some of the best deals out there! Sites like Groupon, Living Social, Saving Cents with Sense and The Freebie Junkie have fantastic deals and freebies all the time! It pays to sign up for a few email lists.

Boppy Pillow Recover

I have been SO busy this week! I've been trying to get everything ready for a baby. Eric and I are about to become foster parents! We are so unbelievably excited about this! We are only taking infants under 1yr, so our house is slowly being taken over by baby paraphernalia. No complaints here though! We don't mind at all :)
Anyway, this week has been filled with trips to all sorts of baby stores. I have found some that I really like! There is one store call Kid to Kid that buys and sells gently used baby and kid stuff. From clothes to strollers, they have it all! And the prices are pretty good too. I've been on the hunt for all things essential to baby.... one of those being a Boppy Pillow. I found one at a resale shop today that is in really good condition and only $5! Can't beat that. The only thing was that the cover was pink. And since we don't know whether we will have boys or girls, we need the nursery (and all that it contains) to be neutral. And I have to say that it seems to be easier than it used to be to have a neutral space. (thank goodness!)
So I just searched around online a little and found these two great tutorials:

This one looks great and pretty simple too. I definitely want to try this one, but I didn't have a zipper that size that would match the fabric I was using and couldn't be bothered to go out and get one tonight. So I tried this one instead:



The no zipper version. This is just a video on how to do it, but you have to buy the pattern from their website (they have some great patterns!), so I just drew out my own pattern by outlining the pillow. Everything else is pretty much the same. And here's how it turned out:

And here's the back:

I am quite pleased with how it turned out! It took a little bit to get the pillow into the cover (which is why I would still like to try the zippered one), but it does fit nicely once it's on.
Well, I'm off to sew a changing pad cover next! I'll let ya know how that one turns out later. Wish me luck!

Blog Make Over!

I have spent the entire day revamping my little blog. I've visited some of the cutest blogs lately and I realized that mine just wasn't where I wanted it to be. So I did some hunting and found some super cute blog templates and also found some amazing photo editing sites to make my snazzy new header! It's the little things in life...

Here's where I found the great templates:
    

And also here: Leelou Blogs (for some reason I couldn't get their button to work...)

Cheri over at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar has a great video tutorial on how to make a header using Picnik.com. This video is so helpful. I have now found one of my new favorite photo editing site! Another editing site I found is FotoFlexer.com. ShabbyBlogs has another great video tutorial on how to use that site. It is truly amazing! I've had so much trouble using the editing software that came with my camera, but these sites make things a piece of cake!
Well, all said and done, I'd say it was quite a productive day and I'm rather pleased with the results :)
Hope this can offer some help to someone else in my shoes!

Bathroom Mini Make-over

This past weekend, my huband and I decided to tackle a mini version of a bathroom make over. Ultimately, we would like to gut the bathroom and start fresh. Our inspiration for the big renovation came from this fantastic blog. BUT, until we have the time and resources to take on that beast of a job, we wanted to spruce things up a bit. I'm sorry to report that we haven't done a thing to the bathroom since we moved in... 9 months ago. I know, I know, how could we possibly use this room everyday and NOT do anything to make it more liveable?! But we bought a fixer upper house, so other rooms have been the priority. Well now that the other rooms are mostly done (those pics will have to wait for a later post) we can focus a little more attention on the ever-so-desperately-in-need-of-attention bathroom. Now I must start by saying that we still have quite a bit of work to do to make this place shine, but this is only the beginning of making this a more beautiful (and functional!) place to be. The first place we wanted to start was the sink. It was a horrible 70's dark wooden cabinet (not original to the house). When we first moved in, we were at Lowes one day and found this great pedestal sink on clearance for $41! It was originally over $100. So we snagged it for a song knowing that we wouldn't be able to mess with it til much later. Amazingly, the cabinet came out quite easily, leaving the tile on the wall and the floor intact and not too much worse for the wear. It looked pretty nasty, but most o the dirt came up with a wet sponge. Then came the hard part. The caulking that was around the edge of the vanity. After a little research online (thank you Google!), my sister found that if you use a hair dryer to heat the caulk, it will become pliable and peel off rather easily! It worked like a charm!

After all the caulking was gone and we cleaned the tile, my husband, Eric, installed the new sink! It wasn't too difficult really, but I made a huge difference. Before, the bathroom felt odd and claustrophobic. Now it feels like a normal bathroom. Yes, it's a little small, but normal. Love it!

Ok now this is a pic of BEFORE WE MOVED IN, this is not my decor, but I completely forgot to take a picture of before our make over, so here ya go:

And this if after our little weekend DIY:

Not too shabby, eh? Like I said, we still have a lot more that we want to do, but I'd say this was a pretty good start. Any bathroom make overs out there? I'd love to see them! 

Green With Envy

Well, house projects are coming along slowly, but surely. My goodness, it does take quite a while to fix up a fixer-upper! So in the meantime, I am trying to bring some freshness and light into our cozy little home. And what better way to do that than with plants? I have been obsessed with "rescuing" these little leafy friends from their sad, small homes on the Lowes clearance rack (not that I'm complaining that they were on clearance!!). And, might I add, Lowes' clearance plant section is an excellent way to grab some greenery on the cheap. I try to pop by every week or so lately, to see what's new. I recently adopted a couple of sad looking orchids that I am currently trying to nurse back to health. Wish me luck! The rest of the plants I've purchased have been in very good shape, maybe just needing a little water and pruning. But for $1-4 a piece, I will water and prune away! So here's a little glimpse of my new little friends:

These beauties are in our bedroom and add so much color to brighten up the space. I love the texture that they bring and how they reflect off the mirror to look even more luscious.

This one is a Ficus. I just got him over the weekend and decided he would go quite nicely in the kitchen. I love glass on the counters, so having some pops of color really helps even things out. And you gotta love how much color those little nesting tea cups from Starbucks add! Sadly, they have been discontinued, but you can still find them at some stores on the clearance rack. (Have you noticed by now how much I LOVE  clearance racks?!)

Ok, now this one is just too cute. I never really thought about putting a plant in the bathroom (and yes, it is on the back of the toilet), but something about it makes the bathroom (which is in dire need of a makeover) feel a little more homey.

I think this one just might be my favorite... cute, no?

This little guy has defied all odds. He is actually from Ikea a couple years back, and even through moving several times and being sorely deprived of water, he just keeps on goin'! He's a fighter.

I think by now, I have a little bit of lovely, air-purifying greenery in almost every room of the house! (well, the ones that are finished at least) And I've been quite happy with how much they brighten the room! On top of looking oh so pretty, they help purify the air in your home! And who could pass up a pretty air purifier for under $10?

What about you? Where do you find your little bit of green? What are your favorites? I'd love to hear!