Babies

Ruffling feathers. Hold on a second, I do understand that sometimes both parents MUST work just to pay the mortgage/rent and get food on the table. We all know that. Sometimes one parent doesn't make enough to cover necessary expenses, bills, student loans, sometimes you are the only provider and a brave single mom or dad. Things happen. Life happens.If you are that parent and daycare is the only way out for you, please close this. Stop reading. I don't want to make you feel any more guilty. Do what you need to do. Carry on. I want to talk to the rest of us. The parents that rely on a second income for stuff. To pay for a second car, a nice house, for cable, the latest electronic gadgets, a decent wardrobe, dining out, for shopping organic, nice vacations, for having your kids well-dressed. For your kids' piano class, ballet, gymnastics, martial arts, art class, private school, and Lego club. The parents that need a second income for things that aren't necessarily necessary. Something made me think today about how we spend the time with our children, how I spend time with my children. Mothers all over the world loose children every day. Due to accidents, illness, or unfortunate events. If you were to ask such a mother what she would have done differently, what would she say or think?"I wish I spent more time with my children.""I wish I was more patient with my child.""I wish I didn't devote as much time to work.""I wish I told them 'I love you' more often.""I wish that time by the lake on a weekday I smelled the flowers with them, soaked in the smell of their sun kissed skin, and hugged them tighter instead of thinking of my 'to do' list."Ask any empty-nester if they regret not working long enough hours when their kids were younger.Do you see where I'm going?Of course, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. I know many moms, myself included, that find a way to be present in their kids' lives and make an income - whether it is part time or from-home. Moms are the most entrepreneurial bunch I know! There are mom-owned businesses spring up like mushrooms everywhere. In the throes of raising children - we're forced to be inventive and it pays.We gave up a lot for me to stay home. We've also gained so much more - so much that cannot be measured in dollars. I'm mindful of what my children will remember me to be when they are grown. I don't want them to remember me as always busy, rushing, impatient, distant, consumed with work. I want to be present, patient, facing them when they speak, and not constantly saying "not now kids".I'm not here to make you feel guilty. I'm here to inspire a life worth living. I'm here to tell you there is more to life than the rat race and you know that. I'm here to remind myself that sometimes work can wait and there are things that matter much much more. I'm here to tell you that you can do just fine without all the 'extras' that the society around us tells us we must have. Stuff will not make us happy. Stuff does not make for a life worth living. Let's leave our stuff for building blossoming relationships with our children to impact the world through them or to just impact their world. We are the world to them.Are you willing to give up something today to spend more time with your children? What can you do to stop running through frantic schedules and pause to enjoy life more than just on the weekends or vacation?Does your family thrive more when you are a working mom? Do you find you need to work to stay sane?What's your ideal work/life balance situation?Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!

If  you are looking for a warm, cozy and bright bedroom look no further. Sadie’s mom did a splendid job at adding feminine touches to a little girl’s room. With the dark blue walls, the warm and cozy tones are complimented perfectly with the bright bedding  and other room decals on the walls. Wall paint is Benjamin Moore Calypso Blue #727 More images for this adorable colorful girls room The post Colorful Girls Rroom appeared first on Design Dazzle.

In an effort to give poor Corbin his own closet space, I'm cleaning out the kids' "fancy" clothes that we really don't ever wear. Sure, we live in the South, but it's way too hot for the girls to wear smocked clothing most of the time, and they've gotten to the point where they don't like to wear it, anyway. So...my loss & your gain! If you're interested in purchasing anything, simply click the Paypal button to the side. All prices include shipping - just please make sure you have your correct address during checkout! You can always shoot me an email at nbjenni@gmail.com to double check that everything went through. I've set it up so once an item is purchased, it will simply redirect you to my blog. Anything that is new, never worn is $20, and everything that's in EUC (worn once, most likely for a photo shoot, lol) is $15. We have a smoke free & pet free home. EUC Capri Alligator set by Z*U in size 4T. I have one for sale. EUC Capri Alligator set by Z*U in size 3T. I have two for sale. NEW Mudpie Pumpkin longall in black corduroy - size 2T/3T. One for sale. EUC Smocked day gown by Smocked Giraffe (Vive la Fete) in size 4. I have two for sale. EUC Dolce Mia smocked "N" dress in size 2T. One for sale. EUC Dolce Mia smocked "A" dress in size 2T. One for sale. EUC Minnie Mouse dress by Smockaroos in size 4. I have two for sale. NEW Nativity Longall by Smockaroos in size 2. One for sale. NEW long sleeve Nativity Bishop by Smockaroos in size 5. I have two of these for sale. NEW Clemson Tigers smocked dress by Smockaroos in size 6. I have two of these for sale. The fabric features orange & white stripes, with smocked tiger paws in white & purple Tiger writing. Wizard of Oz dress by Smockaroos. NEW, never worn. I have two dresses in size 5 for sale. The dress features a light pink/white candy stripe fabric with the Lion, Tin Man, Dorothy, Toto & Scarecrow.

Aden + Anais has a new line of muslin blankets, this time made for on the go. The Aden + Anais stroller blanket has now hit stores in 6 different colors. The blanket is large enough to fit over any stroller, yet makes a great swaddle or nursing cover as well. Measures 44" x 44".

Happy birthday to my dream boy. My great adventure. My gentle spirit. You are everything and more that my heart could ever desire in a son. I thank God for every single day of these precious two years I have spent as your mother. May you continue to grow and thrive in the days and years ahead. I love you so much Arlo!!!

I’m still amazed that I have blue eyed children. Yesterday, after t-ball practice, Oliver’s eyes were looking particularly blue, due to his pupils being tiny. Note to self: time for haircuts. The post Ol’ blue eyes appeared first on pyjammy's triplets.

I didn’t realize I have as many pet peeves as I do. I probably could come up with more but gladly stopped at 10 so I don’t seem like a jerk. I think the ones that bug me most are towards the end. Kit via How about that scrapbook page eh? It took me HOURS and I basically looked at one of Erica’s and a digital scrapbook freebie and tried to make it work. There’s a lot going on but I think it’s kinda cute… Perhaps too cute for a page about pet peeves. Oh well. 1. People honking behind me the millisecond the light turns green. Seriously? They must do this intentionally. 2. When the pizza box is left open. Don’t let the heat out people! 3. People who get way more sleep than I do, but complain about not sleeping. *cough* My husband. *cough* 4. When one guy prolongs the boring staff meeting with stupid questions. 5. When the drive through gets my order wrong and I don’t realize until I get home. 6. Aggressive drivers. I secretly hope I see them on the side of the road later (getting a ticket of course). 7. When people take forever to answer a simple question. … I was just looking for a yes or no. 8. When people don’t leave a voicemail when they call… Especially when they keep calling. 9. When people use religion as an excuse to be racist or discriminatory. God don’t like ugly. So don’t bring him into it. 10. Unsolicited parenting advice. I didn’t ask. This was Day 11 of the installment of 30 Things my kids should know about me. The post Things that work my nerves appeared first on Baby Making Machine.

We love discovering new cloth diaper brands here at Eco-Babyz and when I've stumbled on a diaper made of a material that combats stink issues, I had to try it. This Charcoal Bamboo Cloth Diaper from Lil Helper - a small Canadian company, has quickly become a favorite of ours. It's luxurious. It has an amazing fit. It comes in just one size. It doesn't show stains. The adjustable absorbency can even handle my heavy wetter. There is just so much I want to tell you about this diaper and this company that I'll have to break it down to make it easier!The first thing that struck me is the outer fabric, it's not polyester PUL, it's bamboo PUL! It's waterproof just the same way as other diapers on the market, but the outer fabric is super soft, luxurious bamboo fabric. Love it!The two removable liners are made from charcoal bamboo and micro terry = a ton of absorbency and the versatility to have a trim fit if you use just one insert. They liners both attach to the inside with a snap, no loosing them in the wash and fast drying time! (Want to know how charcoal bamboo is made?)The charcoal in the diapers neutralizes most of the ammonia in the baby's urine. Yes! That's been our biggest cloth diapering problem. The fabric also adheres to Oeko-Tex standards, is hypoallergenic and naturally antibacterial. The diapers are one-size, so no need to buy several different sizes (7 to 35 lbs)For every 3 diapers sold Lil Helper donates one to families in need in Canada, usually those that have a hard time paying for disposables and want to try cloth - single mothers or low income families.Lil Helper diapers are designed by aerospace engineers! No, really! Take a look at their crazy design drawings!Our photos don't do justice to this amazing diaper! My camera isn't back from the repair shop yet... But here is Baby T, he loved this diaper and didn't want to take it off after the photo shoot. No wonder, it's one of the softest things I've ever felt! Baby T now only wears cloth diapers at bed time, nap time, and outdoors, the rest of the day he wears cloth trainers. It takes several washes for a diaper to reach full absorbency. We only prepped it with two washes so far and it worked great for daytime for 4 hours on our heavy wetter! I can only imagine what it will be like with 6+ washes, it's definitely a perfect night time solution and that primarily how we will be using it. We also love the little Drawstring Wetbag we received and the Bamboo Stay Dry Liners. The wet bag is perfect for the diaper bag and holds 3 to 4 diapers. I'm sure it will also see a lot of swimsuits this summer! The stay dry liners are amazing, and as you can read on the website "Thank goodness you have the services of two unemployed aerospace engineers who readily spend time trying to solve your poop related quandaries."[smile] These 50/50 bamboo and polyester liners are soft against baby's skin, the bamboo is naturally deodorizing, and the polyester wicks moisture away from the skin. They are made in Canada and are $5.99 each.The Charcoal Bamboo Cloth Diaper retails for $24.95. If money was no object, I would replace my whole stash with these honestly because I'm fed up with battling ammonia with our hard water and Baby T's intense pee. Lil Helper also makes the Organic Bamboo Cloth Diaper ($22.95) and the Original Cloth Diaper with cotton liners ($19.95). If you want to know, they are made in China - and here is the back story for your peace of mind. All of them have great reviews from cloth diapering families. They also have a variety of Canadian made accessories - bamboo change mats, bamboo mattress protector, and cotton flannel receiving blanket to name a few. Shipping is fast and free in Canada and U.S. with purchases over $79 and returns are hassle free.We are spoiled now. I don't know if I'll ever find another diaper that I like more than this one. Sigh. On a positive note, now I know what to say when someone asks "If you could have just one kind of cloth diaper for your

One of my all-time favorite color combinations together is pink and grey. That’s why when I saw this Pink and Grey Girls Nursery from The Bormann Twins I knew I had to share it. The paint pattern on the wall is unique and  the colors blend together really well all throughout the room. Adding shelves to any room adds a great area to add books, pictures or many other objects that all create a great visual effect. A giant monogram initial is a darling addition to the wall in any room!  Want to see more grey and pink baby nurseries? See Mod Gray and Pink Nursery The post Pink and Grey Girls Nursery appeared first on Design Dazzle.

My dentist always asks me if I floss. Why? Because flossing is pretty darned important if you want to prevent things like tartar, plaque, and gum disease (and in my family, tartar seems to be predominant, so for a pretty smile, we have to floss). Flossing also helps fight against cavities and bad breath, so [...]You just finished reading Show Us Your #FlossFace For A Chance To Win! Consider leaving a comment!This post is written by Penelope Guzman from Penelope's Oasis. If you are not currently reading this via e-mail or an RSS feed directly from Penelope's Oasis, then this post has been stolen or scraped. Stolen content can be reported here .