Buzz Buzz Moo Moo

Hello my old friend....

2012-01-31T17:29:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in so very long...the last post I wrote about was finding balance and I quite obviously could not for some time as it's been ages since my last post. I found being the mother of a toddler running a full time business was too much and something had to give. The blog was left in the dust.
I really don't know how you all do it....full time careers, bloggers and parents. I can only assume you watch absolutely no T.V. ...or maybe sleep is not necessary. A ha...balance will come in good time, maybe and if not, who cares if the dished get done?

Is there such a thing as balance?

2011-03-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

It's been a rough week! We have all had some type of stomach flu and I've been home for the week. I've slept, I've cleaned closets and organized totes and that sort of thing that has had to wait because of the hectic work schedule I have. I'm feeling like I'm playing hooky yet I've thoroughly enjoyed taking a week off...is that terrible?

I fear the amount of emails and phone calls that await but it's been a great week at home.

Need crafty ideas for a toddler...

2011-02-21T16:28:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe but my last post was month's ago...holy! I've been so busy with work that I haven't had a moments rest and I'm exhausted. So tired in fact, I had to use spell check to figure out how to even spell exhausted....such is life. Aside from an incredibly hectic work life, our dude has just had his birthday and is so much fun at this ago but so incredibly busy! I'm at work for half the day but when I'm home I really want to encourage our dude to play, craft and do things other than watch TV...any thoughts or good blogs about ideas for crafty kids? Well, I'm not sure he is crafty but I want to encourage him. There was a great kids books when I was growing up called "Things to make and Do". Does anyone know if there is a similar series or can recommend a book? Anybody review any crafty books lately?

More stitchin and less bitchin...

2010-08-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted; mainly because I have had nothing to bitch about. Family life is busy as we are making the most of this really nice weather and I've been trying to do my best impersonation of being a crafty momma. I am attempting to re do our spare room in a black and white them by using as much as our own stuff and not buying anything new. I'm all about re-using and re-purposing. Trying to environmentally friendly as well as cheap. Truth be told I fell off the wagon a few weeks ago and spent a bit more than I should have on clothes but I was in desperate need of new things now that I am back to my pre baby weight! Can I get a yeah baby?
So long story short I've been busy trying to clean and organize my home and haven't had a lot of time to blog.
Time flies. :)

I love crafty chicks who share....

2010-07-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

I love all those crafty chicks who make amazing stuff out of some pretty basic material. I especially love that they post step by step instructions with some photos for those of us not so crafty chicks. Then I think to myself...self, you are crafty, you learned to embroider in the 8th grade and made a fantastic Peanuts pillow, you made your own apron in the 9th grade and heck you painted your child's bedroom. Not sure I am ready to make my own curtains yet but I have an overwhelming urge to make an owl themed pillow out of felt for my son's room. Not sure what the kick is with owls and felt lately but it's there and I can't shake it. Felt seems to be calling my name. With that in mind, I stumbled (and not sure how I got to amazing blogspot) but I found hand made little kiwi's from felt. Aren't these adorable? So perfect for little hands and not made from plastic...hooray. I love clean, simple, imaginative toys for my dude. What a great idea for my first crafty project. I found this photo and idea from a blog called "Craftiness in not optional" and what a great blog. There are tutorials for making broccoli, green beans and even pizza. So excited to go and get some felt. I feel my mad money burning a hole in my wallet! I'll attempt this and share how it goes; disaster or not!

Another Saturday Funny...Are you talking to me?

2010-06-12T10:53:00.000-07:00

My beautiful perfection of a child is 16 months old; I think he is the smartest most adorable child as does every mother. That being said, I was chatting with another mom who said, "he SHOULD be talking already" WTF?
He knows where his nose is, which book to pick up when I ask for a particular book, what I mean when I say "get your shoes", and whatnot so there is not question of his intelligence but talking...really? Am I naive? I realize every child reaches their milestones when they want to but SHOULD he be talking? He is very vocal, he says mama and dada but that's about it. He points, he gives kisses and all the other "normal" behavior. Maybe he has nothing to say?

However, when he wakes up he sound like a little jewish boy with sounds like coya, hosta, goush a goya, and does so in a stream of babbling and maybe he is thinking he's saying in a Stewie voice, "come get me you vile woman, I'm up".

Is it criticism?, Am I too sensitive? How do you handle this? Augh...

Blog Love

2010-06-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

I've not been blogging recently because I work full time and have been too busy but I've missed my little blog. It's like a friend who is always there, never borrows cash, invites you to their wedding, lets you have the last drink of cold Pepsi and loves you always.

I like blogging for several reasons; one because it helps to organize my thoughts, I can get some feed back on issues I need help with and the support is amazing and sometimes I just like it so I can bitch and rant.

So thanks.

Saturday Satire....

2010-05-15T06:34:00.000-07:00

I got a spiffy new hair cut on Friday and one of my male co-workers comments on how nice it is and then continues to chat about work and how I am liking being back full time after having my child and blah, blah, blah. Then he says, "wow, you are back to you regular size" and I say how it took a bit longer than I thought and we get out and try to get lots of exercise and more blah, blah, blah. Then he says, so, he's using a sippy cup now? Is this code for "are you still letting him drink boobie milk? Does this mean he thinks the only reason I nursed is because he wasn't able hold his own sippy cup? Not that he can, am I supposed to stop?
Augh.... my child uses a sippy cup quite effectively and is feeding himself on most occasions as well.

I just thought this was kinda funny....

Coupons..where do you get them?

2010-05-10T17:11:00.000-07:00

I see all these posts on the frugal blogs from couponers who save $20, $30, $40 bucks per week by using coupons at the grocery store and I want to know where everyone get their coupons? We use about $10 bucks worth, maybe $15 on a really good trip and I think we are pretty savvy with about $400 to date, but $50 bucks each week? Seriously, we are on the save.ca websites, smartcanucks.ca getting all of our freebies and we collect lots of coupons in store. We find the occasional one in weekly fliers or mail outs and we've even emailed and called companies for products we love. Any other tips out there for fellow coupon moms and dads?

Are people counting the regular price as well as the discount in the total? I purchased two bottles of dove body wash on sale for $2.99 (reg. $4.99) and had a coupon for $2 when you buy two so I did. So I consider this a $2 saving...not a $6 dollar saving.

We don't have double coupon days at our grocery store or coupons printed on the back of receipts here like many places in the US, I'd love to hear some more tips and tricks.

Mother's Day

2010-05-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to everyone! Hopefully, the Daddy's out shopping for something this evening choose something wonderful. It doesn't have to be big or expensive, just thoughtful. Favorite cookies, a great book and maybe fresh strawberries for my favorite breakfast; waffles and bacon.
Enjoy!

Oh Sleep Where Art Thou?

2010-05-03T16:56:00.000-07:00

I am so tired...my son finally sleeps though the night but I am still pooped...and cranky. Does it ever get better? Please tell me it does. Cranky I may be able to handle but tired and cranky? Did I mention my muffin top? I am back to my pre birth weight but still fight the roundness of a once mostly firm belly. I hate sit ups, crunches and all that other crap but I have to do something.....maybe belly dancing. HA

Tired, cranky and still kinda fat. Thank God my child is amazing....my husband is pretty groovy too.

2010-04-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

I love the Internet, seriously I do. I spend more time on the Internet that I do watching the television, movies or even reading a good book. I can remember when we first had Internet hooked up and I was introduced to Google and oddly enough I could not fathom why anybody would need to or want to look up stuff, I mean really, we have books for that sort of thing. Ha Ha Ha. I think I "google something" everyday. It's great because I am in information junkie and I love to learn about people, our environment and this little planet we call home.

I love that we have so much information at out fingertips and hopefully this information will lead to better choices. As an example I've done a bit of research into why organic cotton is better, why Eco-friendly cleaners are the best choice and now that I have a child I want to make environmentally friendly choices for the products we choose for him to eat, wear, sleep and play with. As with any parent, I don't always make the right choices but we are trying to shop with an informed voice. I love to support companies who choose to make a difference and I love when companies make decisions that are good for the planet and not just the bottom line.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good deal as well but is it possible to be Eco-friendly and reasonably priced?

I wanted to share some really cool educational toys I found on the www.growingtreetoys.com . I like this website for a variety of reasons.

Firstly, its so amazing easy to navigate as everything is laid out so well your you to narrow your search by gender, age group, type of toy and then by price. Secondly, they have a wide variety of Eco-friendly toys at really reasonable prices. The Handeez Motorcycle toy is only $11.95. It's super cute, really reasonably priced, its made from natural resources which are regionally sourced.( I understand that to mean NOT made in China).

Hooray! Along with lots of amazing toys I love this website because of the Deal of the Day...bargain? toys? Sign me up. Check out our deal of the day! One toy, at a super discount price, until it sells out! Check back daily and buy quickly - when it's gone, it's gone! Great idea...great toys at a great price. As a bonus you can sigh up for the RSS feed and the best deals on the best toys fast. Love this...it's buzzworthy!

5 tips to a (mostly) free Christmas....Start planning now

2010-04-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Mostly is a word I use often; mostly free, mostly full, mostly back to baby weight. By mostly, I mean approximately 75%. Sometimes more, sometimes less all depends on the context. Two years ago when we set our game plan for becoming debt free we had trimmed our budget a bit and had a mostly free Christmas holiday. It was going to be our last holiday before our baby was born so we knew it might be the last where we spent any amount of money on ourselves and it was coincided nicely with our debt free goal. It was a challenge and we did extremely well. It takes a bit of work and a bit of planning but here goes.

We made a 5 point plan:

1) Make a list of those you typically purchase for and cut it. Both with the amount of people on your list and the amount you spend. Seriously, is there a need to buy for great Aunt Sue, the kids' bus driver? the mail carrier? hairstylist? Trim your list and you'll see a huge difference.

2) Reduce, Reuse and Recycle...Let me add Re-gift. There I said it. We re-gifted in the nicest possible way. We did combo presents for almost everyone on our list. So, as an example my mom who has just about everything she needs received a book I had already read plus a brand spanking new one that she said she'd like to read as part of her present. Tacky? Some may think so but I like to think of it as frugal and a win-win situation. She wins because she received something she really wanted and I won because it was free.Well, cheaper as I did purchase it once.

3) We looked through our wallets in mid-September and took a look at what we had for our rewards cards. Sriously? How many can one have? LOTS...I've had many of them for years and only just cashed them all out.
Keep in mind we have a list of 12 people so we stretched every dollar and point card as much as we could. We cashed in our HBC rewards cards and they went towards the Kitchen Aid Mixer for my husband, we cashed in our Shoppers Drug Mart points for our stocking stuffers, Air Miles points for movie money for my nephew and nieces and some Gap gift cards as my present to myself, our Mastercard rewards were cashed in and all spent on almost everything for my mother in law.

4) Enter contests; in store and on-line. How many review and giveaway blogs are out there...somebody has to win? how many free passes for movies? free photo frames etc. We've won an exercise stability ball, picture frames, DVD's, t-shirts. etc.

5) Lastly, count your pennies. We keep our change all year round, cash it in and and use it to buy the last of our presents we couldn't get for free. We do this every year and usually have a couple of hundred bucks by December.

Little things make a big difference. I am a great gift giver and usually do themed baskets for the kids. I buy the baskets and usually fill them with free stuff. As mentioned before I gave my nephews and nieces a gift basket with the "free" movie money and a bunch of free "treats" from Shoppers Drug Mart. Grand total was the $10.00 wicker basket, not bad for three kids.

Small changes on the road to debt free....

2010-04-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

Its been a challenge and as I've stated before we've or more accurately I've fallen off the wagon. My husband is generally not a spender and can go days without spending money. Me, I'd spend it everyday if I had it. Doesn't matter on what... chocolate, shoes, a new book, whatever I saw that caught my eye. Am I a shopaholic? Nope, I can go days, and maybe a week without buying ANYTHING but I do enjoy shopping and its more the little things I enjoy purchasing. I've never just went and bought a couch or a new tv but its the little things that add up so its the little habits I need to change. Sometimes it just that; small changes.

After figuring out what we owed and to whom it was time to make some changes, we did big things and small things. I'll start with two of my favorite small things because those are easy.

1) Cash is king...seriously, give yourself mad money in cash and take away the debit and cc cards. Its hard, especially if you are in debt and think where am I going to get some cash to start this habit?

Have a yard sale, go the flea market, sell stuff on ebay, craig's list, whatever you are not using or wearing...sell it.

2) A penny saved is a penny earned. Another quote but its true, we started planning our menus for the week, we were amazed at how much less fod we purchased because we had a list and tried not to deviate from it. We did of course from time to time, especially if there was a good sale but a lits is important because otherwise you get home and realize you bought chicken and realize you have no shake n bake, so you make another trip back, spend more gas, pick up cookies and another loaf of bread and before you know it, you've spent another 30 bucks.
Another way to save some cash with your grocery money is by using coupons, we first started using coupons as a way to save a bit of cash, I was a bit embarssed because I thought people would think we were poor and needed to, but I am quite proud of how savvy we have become with our coupons and am amazed how much money we saved. Last year was about $6-700.00, my goal is $1000 this year, we are at $300.00 to date Not bad for about 30 minutes a week or less. Since we've started using them I look for them in store and look for sales so we can "double dip".We find them at various web sites (http://www.save.ca/, smartcanucks.ca, pandg brandsaver), in the flyers, in the grocery store and sometimes we email the companies and ask for them, some (Uncle Bens, Bicks, Pampers) will send you coupons when sign up for their newsletter. Who knew they were so popular and so easy to get. I am sure some off you are really great couponers and save lots more, share your tips...please. :)

Our next biggest little thing was to have a free christmas...free Christmas? Really? Well, almost free. I'll post more on that later.

Books We Love

2010-04-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

As a new parent there are so many resources; sometimes you know where to look, sometimes you go searching and sometimes it falls in your lap. We were given The Baby Book by William Sears and Martha Sears the day after our darling dude arrived in the hospital and it's been a life saver for us. I've learned so many things from this book and I would highly, highly recommend it. The things we like are the easy to follow chapters and everything is subdivided so that you can read from cover to cover or you can just pick it up and read the section you need when you need it. As anyone who reads this blog knows, we are big fans of attachment parenting....in a nut shell, "The essence of Attachment Parenting is about forming and nurturing strong connections between parents and their children" as taken from the attachment parenting website. (www.attachmentparenting.org)

As a family we believe in extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering (most of the time), we co-slept for many months and we use a variety of slings and support baby wearing. I like this book because it supports many of our principles as mentioned above but gives a mostly balanced picture of raising a baby and some of the issues one may face. I say mostly balanced because the authors do support extended breastfeeding, baby wearing etc so if that's part of your parenting plan, this book would be great be for you. Even if you don't do all those things, this is still a great book for you. We've referred to this book at least once a week; there are baby care basics, common concerns the early weeks, an extensive section on breastfeeding and bottle feeding, feeding the toddler, parenting the colicky baby and a really great section of how to play with baby, stages of development from infants to toddlers and lastly keeping baby safe and healthy. We've only read The Baby Book, however, Dr. Sears has several books to choose from and I am hoping Daddy picks up a copy of the The Family Nutrition Book as a surprise for mommy. To get your copy, you can click on the links and go to Amazon or pick one up at your local bookstore. Well worth every cent. It's on the BuzzWorthy List.

One Down...

2010-04-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

These days the mail comes in with little excitement, it's rare I receive anything other than bills or crap from local politicians who want my vote. Yesterday was an exception, we received something worth framing! A letter from students loans saying "congratulations your student loan is paid in full" Hooray....as this was addressed to my husband we have one down and one to go!

Baby Blue...Love this

2010-04-15T16:28:00.001-07:00

I am honestly overwhelmed by the amount of nursery room decor there is available...I've tried to get dude's room organized but it just seemed so...well, overwhelming. We moved when he was a few weeks old, he slept with us for months so we are finally getting around to having his room painted and I am looking for decor. For some reason owls are my thing these days and I love them, not sure exactly why, I think they remind me of my own childhood but owls are my thing of late.
So it was love at first sight when I saw the owl wall decals at yourlittlesweetpea.com. How cute are these? I am borrowing the image as it was just too cute not to post the photo and I don't have any of my own to post so if you are the photographer/website owner, send me a message and I'll remove the image if you wish. I just had to post these, isn't this just the cutest decal?

I've painted his room a soft baby blue and will be adding some art work, bins, growth chart and a lamp or some sort of lighting in the coming weeks. I'll be bookmarking yourlittlesweetpea as one of my favorite websites as they have an amazing assortment of nursery and other room decor.I am not sure why I feel he needs "the perfect room"but I am always in search of some original things for the room. It's a work in progress and I'll post some of my own pics as I complete the room.

Where the girls are...

2010-04-15T16:02:00.001-07:00

Life can be full of mockery...more often than not it's my debit card that laughs at me, on occasion it's the scale but yesterday it was something completely unexpected. A bra... huh? I am still nursing my 13 month old and I am back to my pre-baby weight and am wearing most of my clothes so I thought...hmm, I'm at work for most of the day so I figured I might as well start wearing my regular bras again. All I have to say is Ha, Ha, Ha and then some. I'll say it again...ha! I am not going to be fitting "the girls" in there for some time. I was shocked and quite frankly disappointed. As much as I love my amazing nursing bras...one from Thyme and one from Bella Materna, I really had quite the collection of under garments pre-baby. It doesn't look as though they'll be an option for a while. I guess I need to go and get some nice new ones. Hi ho, hi ho...it's off to shop I go.

Things I didn't know...

2010-04-12T11:28:00.000-07:00

As I read more and more mommy blogs I find I learn so many new things. One thing I discovered that I hadn't heard before was "Tandem Nursing"...so I was curious and googled it.

Tandem nursing is the art of breastfeeding two children of different ages during the same time period. Who knew? Most of the women I know who became pregnant while still breastfeeding are often encouraged to stop breastfeeding while pregnant...hmmm. Not sure if it would be for us but options are good.

Big Girls Don't Cry

2010-04-10T16:34:00.001-07:00

It's Saturday night and my amazing child is in his own bed in his own room and I am equally thrilled and saddened. He slept in our bed for months and we would sleep almost nose to nose, we could smell each other, we would breathe in and out at the same time and have an amazing sense of each other. I would move over a bit to give myself a bit more room and his chubby little hand would reach out and pat the bed looking for me. I miss that. I love getting more sleep and stretching out but I miss him in our bed. I am at work all day and often can come see him at lunch but its not the same.
Yesterday I was thrilled to have my own bed back, today I just want to squirrel up and cuddle with him. He needs to get a good solid sleep and so does mommy but it's a hard transition. If I feel this way, does he?

Whose business is it anyways?

2010-04-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

I love blogging, seriously I do. I can express my thoughts on a variety of topics and if someone reads the post...bonus. If somebody comments I do a small dance of joy. Who knew it could be so fun? It's like I've made new friends and I'm still in my pajamas.

I also discovered I like reading blogs. I've found a few new ones which I follow quite regularly and my new favorite is http://womanuncensored.blogspot.com/

I laugh, I've cried...there are funny posts, touching posts and a mix of interesting topics.

It's such a great way to be able to read so many perspectives on a variety of topics. So often we are influenced by the people in our immediate proximity; for better for worse. I was so happy this past evening because our 13 month old has finally slept through the evening! Hooray! I was quite happy about it and wanted to share my success but I was a bit disappointed as my success story was met with "that's great, now you can stop nursing too", "he's too big to be nursing, he's spoiled", WHAT? really...spoiled? We love those quiet times of the day when we connect and looks up at me with those big eyes and smiles, I know he's happy, he's well fed and chubby to prove it. I am going to wean gradually and when we are both ready. I am guessing he'll want to stop before I do but I think that will be the case for just about everything. Mommy doesn't want to cut any apron strings...

Our Top 5 Favorite Needs VS. Wants-Big Stuff

2010-04-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

The thoughts of having a baby are overwhelming in many ways. We waited several years and knew we wanted to start a family but we were a bit overwhelmed financially with all the stuff we thought we needed. We made a list of what we thought the perfect nursery should have, scoured the internet and made several registries with hundreds of things we thought we needed. Fast forward one year later and we have a much better idea of what we actually use every day and what we didn't really use so I am sharing my experiences with you. Someone else may make a list and it may be totally different, this is merely our experience.

NEEDED: Crib....

We have the Sydney Crib from Bily and its amazing.
We had a lot of problems with our original stockcraft crib but that's a whole other post...needless to say, we then finally have another crib which was probably the most expensive item we purchased at $390.00 but again, well worth the money. I love it....its so beautiful, so study and well made. Definitely Buzzworthy

NEEDED: Mattress, the firmer the better. Don't go cheap on this one.

NEEDED: Stroller/Car Seat:

Our best investment was our car seat/stroller. We purchased the Euro Graco Deluxe. Retail price was around $389.00 but with a sale, a price match and a few gift cards redeemed we paid closer to $275.00. It should be one of your most thoroughly researched purchases, we use ours almost every single day and it absolutely worth the money. We used the car seat until our child was about 10 months and we still use the stroller almost daily.

NEEDED:

Sleepers...lots of them, at least a dozen and if you have a baby who spits up, maybe 2 dozen. As cute as the little outfits are, buy them in 6-12 months because most newborns are in sleepers or jogging outfits all day long.

NEEDED:

A swing, we started using ours at 6 weeks and we would have been completely lost with out it. Ours swings in two different positions and plays music and we love it.

WANTED:Rocking Chair with Ottoman:

We had to have one...we used it for a few week and now it usually holds laundry before it gets put away. Its nice, no issues with it, we just didn't really use it much.

WANTED: Designer Diaper Bag

We have a beautiful diaper bag and its so incredibly well made and very beautiful, I loved it the moment I purchased it. I do find we often use the free one from pampers because we can throw it in the bottom or the stroller and I don't worry about it getting dirty or stuff falling out of it.
The diaper bag is so nice I've taken to using it as a purse and no one can tell the difference. So, a bit of a splurge but I've used it often.

WANTED: Change Table

Never used it as a change table, its great to keep all of our child's linens and shoes and what not's but we never used as a change table. Personal preference but that's us.

WANTED: Exersaucer

We used ours for about 3 months, great to put the kids into when you need to go the washroom or are cooking supper but our child didn't really "play" in it...great if you can borrow one or pick one up second hand.

WANTED: Crib bedding

As amazing as those bedding sets can be, we decided to only buy fitted sheets for the crib. Most sets come with "bumper pads" and you are not supped to use them. So we didn't buy a set. I drooled over many and if you have the extra cash, go for it. As a mom on a bit of a budget we determined it was a want and not a need for our family.

2010-03-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

I want a Britax Car Seat...seriously, have you seen these? They are the Cadillac of car seats and there are a few of my fellow mommy bloggers who are giving one away...hooray!

Visit My Organized Chaos for your chance to win one as well:

They are really beautiful! Visit and read the review, it's great.

Shopping and Saving

2010-03-29T13:06:00.001-07:00

Since the arrival of our darling baby we have paid a bit more attention to our budget. I've always been a girl who likes to shop and always been keen on a good sale. However, since having a baby I've become a bit of an addict for coupons. Smart use of coupons is in my opinion is more of using the right coupon at the right time than just using the coupon. What's the difference?

Getting the best from your coupons is a bit of an art form and quite a bit of fun for me. I like to only use coupons for products I already purchase and use them when the products are on sale...double bonus. It doesn't always work that way but we always keep a keen eye on the fliers and then make a list and keep an eye out for in store coupons as well.

As an example, I went to Zellers today and picked up about a dozen items and saved almost $15.00! I realize I am not the best "couponer" out there but every little bit helps. Not bad as our total bill was $34.00. I think all but two items were either price matched and or had a coupon and some were both!

As an example, we picked up two Ocean Spray Cranberry juice (reg price was approx. $4.30). It was on sale at Walmart for $2.97 so we priced matched for a savings of $2.66 and we had a dollar off coupon when you purchased two. So grand savings of $3.66 AND we put it on our HBC credit card for double the points AND we brought our own bags so we had an extra 150 points.

We also price matched Old Spice deodorant and had a $1 off coupon so those were $1.00 each.

We used an in store coupon for 1.50 off Dove Body wash which was regular price, so not bad at all.

We then paid our CC right then so we won't have any interest!

I love coupons!

Our favorite websites to look for coupons and how to get the best from your coupons are:

www.smartcanucks.ca
www.save.ca

There are lots of coupons in store, in mini papers, mail outs and the old fashioned way; call or email the company and submit a question or a comment, most companies love feedback about their products. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you don't. Give it a try, you'll love it too.

I'll post more deals, tips and tricks!

Cloth Diapering Lesson 101

2010-03-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

Every parent makes the decision to cloth diaper or not to cloth diaper. Is is possible to do a bit of both? Does it make us "environmentally un-friendly"?
When we found out we were going to have a baby we decided we would use cloth. Where to start? We are so very fortunate as we knew of an online store (now a retail store as well) called Nurtured. There are so many details and so much to learn about cloth diapering, this is definitely a great place to start. We opted for the Bum Genius pocket diaper and overall are quite happy with them. We have a dozen of them (cost was under $300) and we are quite happy with them. I tried to use them 100% percent of the time but that was unrealistic for us. Other than doing all the laundry, sometimes, you just want to grab a diaper and go. For example, its much easier for trips to my parents to use disposables.

Additionally, I prefer disposable diapers for overnight. Everyone's experience is different but we found that we use cloth about 65% of the time. We were given a few other pocket diapers and a few of the Kushies to use with mixed reviews. We much prefer the pocket diapers.

I used to spend lots of time scrubbing and rinsing and then I thought I'll try just throwing them in the wash and I was so happy as they come out as good as new. We have never had a problem with staining or whatnot. One time I just threw out an entire liner as it was more trouble to wash it...it was really full of sticky poo and I wasn't interested in even trying. Call me lazy but I wasn't going to go there, sometimes you just know when to throw in the towel.

As we used all the diapers over the course of the past several months the pros and cons become clear:

Bum Genius:

PROS
The Bum Genius are quite absorbent, poo is easy to rinse from the liner and there is no staining. They fit from 10 lbs to his current 28 lbs, one size really does fit all. They come in a wide range of colors. Boy, Girl and Unisex. All in one diaper, no cover required. The Bum Genius wash and wear like rags; we throw them in the wash and then in the dryer...no fuss, no mess, just flush the poop and off you go.
CONS:
I find the velcro are easy for my son to take off his own diaper and on occasion the velcro has stuck to the carpet when my son rolled over on his belly. The velcro has also bent back a bit and can trap bits of poo.
Often have to purchase on-line.

Kushies:

PROS:
About half the price of the Bum Genius, easy to find as they are often sold at many large retailers. They come in a variety of patterns and colors. Waterproof exterior so no diaper cover is needed.
CONS:
We didn't find them as absorbent as the others, they did not fit as well and they stained quite easily. Ours were already used by one family so that may have had an effect on their life cycle.

Overall, based on our experience I would have to say the Bum Genius are the Buzz Worthy choice.

Yet again...Baby Gates Recalled

2010-03-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Click here for the story. It's appalling the amount of product recalls we are having lately. Our stork craft crib has had two separate recalls...two! Are you kidding me? This is where my child is supposed to be safe, where he sleeps. I guess this is what happens when products are made cheaply for maximum profit.

What to take to the hospital?

2010-03-28T06:08:00.001-07:00

As our due date approached we were happily out shopping for our gear for the baby's room as well as gear to take to the hospital. We were given lists by friends as well as the hospital and in the end we had a suitcase and a duffel bag to bring with us! It was way too much stuff! Every hospital and every parent is different but we found there were only a few things we absolutely needed.

For Mommy: we packed a headband and small bag of toiletries (brush, tooth brush/paste/floss, shampoo, conditioner and soap) jogging pants and sweater and socks to wear home. I had packed a housecoat and slippers...not necessary. Our room had its own heater so the room was more than warm and I didn't leave the room for days so no need for slippers or the housecoat. Our hospital provides the johnny shirts and those were roomy and comfy. Ugly but comfy. You may want to bring your own but these are so much more comfy and have snaps at the top so designed well for those who are planning on nursing.

For Daddy: Cell phone/blackberry to write down all the details of what happened when...mommy was too wiped out and drugged up to remember anything. A camera...don't depend on someone else bringing one in, those first few moments happen so fast, take some pictures. Clean undies and another t-shirt. Daddy was also clever enough to bring a small dvd player and a few movies...its often a long evening and a movie is a nice way to pass a few of the wee morning hours. I didn't sleep much but what new mom does?

For Baby: Two outfits; just in case one doesn't fit so well for going home, a hat, a blanket and car seat. We brought bottles and soothers and diapers and half a dozen changes of clothes. He was swaddled the whole time in the hospital and wore only an undershirt. You can dress them everyday in a new outfit if you want but we wanted to do as much "skin to skin" as possible so he wore an undershirt onesie and that was it. Too much dressing and undressing makes most babies fussy. We had some of our own diapers as well but many hospitals do have the essentials.

So pack lightly, people will often bring presents to the hospital and that's more stuff to carry home.

2010-03-27T17:22:00.000-07:00

Having a baby has changed my life in ways I cannot imagine; life is different while pregnant and continues to change 1000 percent since our son came into our world.

Hello out there

2010-03-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

First post-I've been blogging off and on for a while and I've discovered a love of writing! Writing about my past, my present and my future. In the past few years, I've started a business or two, I've moved, and the most spectacular; I've had a child. I feel as though I've learned 1001 things and if I don't share them I may explode. Every experience is different, here are some of mine. Welcome to Buzz Buzz Moo Moo...why that title? I am very busy woman who is always on the go yet I am still breastfeeding so there are more days than not that's how I feel. Buzz Buzz Moo Moo