Soapy

I keep putting off ordering my supplies for soapmaking. Just to get started, I know it's going to run me just over $100 (just for my ingredients.) Because I don't intend to make a business out of it, I feel guilty spending that much money. BUT I know that I will be able to control the ingredients, making a much safer and healthier (not to mention more beneficial) product for my family. I also know that the large amount of soap that I will be able to make with that initial investment is worth it. I almost had myself convinced tonight, until I saw the $22 shipping charge. And I just. Couldn't. Do it. I recently got a digital scale, the immersion blender, and a pyrex mixing cup large enough for my lye mixing.... but I still need the lye, oils, and goggles. The initial investment doesn't include any molds because I will use pringles cans to start out with.... but I have an 18 bar mold in mind and am telling myself that I can make it myself. If I can sew, I can certainly woodcraft, right? I keep telling myself that Mary Jane Butters is right on, and that since I bought myself a new drill, there is NO REASON that I can't own my own circular hand saw. I think that the most important thing is confidence, and being comfortable with your tools. I can do this, right?

The other dilema that I have, involves Goat's Milk. I really would love to be making Goat's Milk soap. The obvious problem is that I do not have any GOATS. lol. Goat's Milk has always been ideal for my eczema in the winter especially, and it's what I use right now and have been using for months and months. But when I make my own, I don't have access to the goat's milk. I know just how hard raw goat's milk can be to find.

I wish I could blog longer tonight, because these were just excerpts from my brain, but I have to get the diapers washed and dried and folded and put away before 9:30 am (and it's midnight now) and I also need to sleep sometime ;)

I've been Mis-Diagnosed!

I am so relieved. My mental illness has FINALLY been properly diagnosed. All these years I have lived in fear, thinking that I have OCD. It's actually NOT OCD that I suffer from, on the contrary, it's an often un-recognized disease that seems to mostly affect stay-at-home moms across the country. Really across the world. I don't know how it took so long to diagnose! I have OCU! That's right! COMPLETELY different from OCD! Yet the effects of OCU can often lead you to THINK that you have OCD! The confusion is understandable. OCU is the Overwhelming Choking Urge. Get your minds out of the gutter folks. It's that daily inner struggle that I fight.... the overwhelming urge to choke someone. Really they considered calling it OSU, but they didn't want to get it confused with Ohio State, which we all know is a very peaceful and non-violent school....just ask the wimpy OSU graduates you know (oh! BURN! JP are you hearing this?!)

Really, over the years, I am coming to realize that I am just fighting a losing battle. the OCU is not going to go away. Allow me to give you a few examples.... causes if you will... of this dreaded disease.

1. CAUSE: *someone* drinks the last 7-up in the fridge. They do NOT replace it with the brand new case of 7-up that is on the back porch that was supposed to be carried down to the basement fridge three days ago. They also put the empty cardboard carton on the basement floor next to the fridge... not in the recycle pile. EFFECT: When I decided that I can have my pop of the day, I get to the fridge and there is none. I have to go back up the stairs, get the case off the porch, take it down, put it in the fridge, and then take the empty cardboard back up to the recycle. Resulting in.... OCU.... the overwhelming urge to choke *someone!*

2. CAUSE: *someone* leaves the toilet paper roll on the side of the sink. *someone else* goes in to wash their hands and gets water ALL OVER the vanity surface, resulting in a pool that the toilet paper roll then soaks up like a wick. EFFECT: I have to pee. I finally find a second to run to the bathroom (most likely about 3 hours after I first recognize that I need to go) and when I need to wipe, the entire bottom half of the toilet paper is wrinkly and wet, resulting in .... OCU.... the overwhelming urge to choke *someone!*

Do you see where this is going? To an outside observer, this looks like classic OCD. I am cranky because the toilet paper roll wasn't where I wanted it to be. I am cranky because the pop isn't where I wanted it to be. This just means that I have a problem, Right? I want things my way? I want things put back in the place and manner that I have designated, for what appears to be no apparent reason except for the fact that I want things MY way? Right? WRONG. What we really have here is a mis-diagnosis. Classic, really. It's underlying OCU causing all the problems. It's the people in the house not being considerate of others. It starts small, and manifests into a huge huge huge issue, not to be ignored.

More examples....
If you are responsible for the children, and take them off with you, the honorable thing to do when you get home? remove the dirty diapers from the diaper bag and put them in the diaper pail. Rocket Science? I think not. This is just something that us moms know how to do. It's something that anyone CAN do. But when you don't do it, and we find them two days later, usually just AFTER we washed diapers, and the whole diaper bag stinks.... well, that causes OCU. Same thing with rinsing out bottles of milk or sippy cups. Not rocket science.

If you pee your pants, and you take yourself to the potty and wipe and close the lid and flush... can't you handle putting the wet panties in the hamper? Not rocket science. You've been taught. When someone's watching you do this, you automatically put them in the hamper like it's nothing. I know you're three, but stepping on wet underwear in random locations is not my idea of a good time.

Okay, I am ranting now. I just plain look like a complainer. But I just want you to know that the reason I feel overwhelmed and can't even accomplish my everyday tasks is directly related to OCU.... and the overwhelming urge to choke you when you constantly don't follow through and I am constantly picking up after you and getting sidetracked. THAT is why it's so hard to focus. It has nothing to do with Facebook. Or Foursquare. Or text messaging.

Now What was I doing again!??

What a horrible weekend!

I would give anything to be asleep right now. I know, that sounds nothing like me, right? Well I fully intended to be in bed early tonight, but things (of course) just didn't happen that way. It's been a crazy few days.

For some reason I didn't feel well on Thursday morning, and spent the morning in bed until about noon. It was not pleasant. I had lots of stomach cramps and diarrhea. No fun. I was miserable, but thank goodness Evan stayed and took care of the kids while I rested. The rest of the day I felt better. We just kinda laid low. I thought maybe I ate something at the baby shower the night before that might have disagreed with me. That night we ran out to my mom's so that I could pack up my scrapbook stuff for my Friday night craft night. For supper we took my sister to Mineral and I had some appetizers and then salad bar. I felt fine. The next day (Friday) I had a big salad for lunch with Tuna and that night I decided to have something delicious. We were scrapbooking after all :)

That afternoon, the power went out. Marek and I were in the kitchen making a fresh fruit salad (he had just woke from his nap) and Ardyn was still sleeping. About an hour after making the salad, the storm blew through. Right before it hit, Marek and I ran outside to get a rug and a pee pad off the clothesline, and when we got outside I put him down on the sidewalk because I couldn't take stuff off the line AND hold him with one hand, and I was in a hurry because I could tell the rain would get here very soon. I no sooner got the stuff off the line (there was just two things) and the wind picked up (from NO wind to unbelievable in just a second) and I turned around to see the basketball hoop blowing over... and headed right for Marek, who somehow miraculously stepped out of the way just in time. it was so windy he was squinting at me and then it blew HIM over and I ran towards him and scooped him up and we ran inside as it got even worse and started downpouring!

After the storm blew through, I got ready to head to Princeton. There still wasn't power here when Evan got home, and when I got to Princeton, they had significant storm damage, with trees down everywhere. Half of Princeton was without power. I couldn't get to the church because there was a tree blocking the road, and I called to let the girls know that I had to drive out by Tiskilwa and come up the country roads to get there. They told me they didn't have power there but had food and were scrapping just the same.

After I got there we ordered Pizza Hut. I had the chicken alfredo pasta bake and it was delicious as usual... but it had been a LONG time since I had it. We scrapped till midnight and then I ended up talking to a friend till 1:30 in the parking lot. The kids and Evan had gone to Happy Joe's for supper since we had no power, and ended up staying at his parents because the power was still not on when the kids were ready for bed. I headed out there after a brief stop at home to grab some clothes and toothbrushes.

We went to sleep at 4am and there was still no power. at 6:30am I woke up and could NOT sleep anymore so I went downstairs. I didn't know why I couldn't sleep. In about two hours my stomach started hurting and the diarrhea started. It was not pleasant, but at about 11am I went up and woke up Evan and told him that I couldn't deal with the kids anymore and that I was sick and needed to lie down. At that point it just got progressively worse, with lots of abdominal pain. Evan brought Marek up to me and we napped together, and when Marek woke up I tried to go downstairs with him but when I would stand the pain was unbearable, so I went back up to sleep. I couldn't sleep and by the time 1:30 rolled around I was in agony. I told Evan that I was going to the hospital and we all got in the van and he took me and dropped me at the ER. By the time we got to the hospital, I was hyperventilating. I could not talk to Evan much on the way there, and while thinking about my pain level (putting natural childbirth at a 10) I was thinking this was a 7 for sure. I could NOT figure out what was going on. I was afraid it could be something like appendix or gall bladder, especially since both my mom and sister have had them both removed. The ER Doc was leaning towards UTI (WTF?!) and so they did bloodwork and urine sample. I spent most of the time (2.5 hours?) I was there asleep on the gurney. I was just so exhausted. They gave me a GI Cocktail (which worked on the nausea and numbed my stomach and esophogus, and actually stopped the pain entirely.) and then when both the UTI and the bloodwork were clear, they discharged me with instructions to rest and take Pepcid and Tylenol every 8 hours and see my Dr at the beginning of the week. My dad came to get me and dropped me at home, where I slept from 4pm until almost 8pm when Evan went to my mom's and got the kids back and brought them home to bed. I still hadn't eaten in 24 hours, and was a tiny bit hungry so I had a handful of wheatables crackers. I felt fine, but about two hours later the intense pain started again and I was so miserable and scared. I called Evan and he came home, but about the time he got here I was almost asleep and the pain was less. I had cold washcloths on my head, my neck, AND my stomach. It was terrible. When I finally fell asleep it was probably somewhere near midnight and I slept straight through till I heard Ardyn pitter patter into the bathroom this morning. Then I sent her out with Evan to the living room to watch cartoons and I went and got Marek, nursed him, and slept on and off till almost noon with him. Then I moved to the couch and lay there until about 2pm when we put the kids down for a nap and Evan and I both lay down and slept till almost 4pm. When I woke up I was feeling a TON better and STARVING because I hadn't eaten in two days, and I ate a PB sandwich (no jelly) and had half a banana.

Ardyn and I cleaned out the fridge and freezer because the power had been out for just over 24 hours and we lost everything upstairs. Then I cleaned the inside of the fridge and the kids and I took a shower together. When we were finishing up, my mom and dad came over to bring back my van and helped me get the kids dressed. Then since I was still feeling well I took them out to supper (where I watched them eat because I wasn't thinking that I was ready for a real meal) and then we went to Wal-Mart where we dropped $418 on two carts FULL of groceries and then brought everything home and unloaded it. I put all the cold stuff away and left the rest on the porch for Evan to deal with when he gets home. Then I put the kids to bed and made a chicken pot pie for myself. I took my medicine first and I am sitting here writing this because I wanted to be upright and digest a while before I went to sleep. Boyd came inside and is sleeping on the couch next to me. Poor Old Dog. :(

Just about 10 minutes ago Ardyn came to the door of her room to inform me that she was sorry, but she had taken her nighttime diaper off (she's not night time trained yet, but can go for a whole nap) and that she then peed all over her bed. AND down the side of the mattress and box spring. I was so angry and frustrated! GRR! Now she's sleeping on the spare crib mattress on the floor of her room. Oy. And now I am going to bed! Wish me luck that the chicken pot pie settles well, that I sleep well, and that this week is much better, more productive (you should see this pig stye we live in!) and that my stomach does not continue to do this!

Couch Bound

I really thought that today would be a good day to play catchup. That was before I woke up with a backache and a headache. That was before I realized how comfy the couch would be. LOL. Because it's overcast today, we all slept in really well. Marek woke up way to early and I ign
ored him and he went back to sleep. So we all got "up" about 11am. It's after noon now and the kids and I are just hanging out in the living room in our pajamas with Tom and Jerry Marathon on the big screen. I got a Tupperware Thatsa Bowl out of the kitchen and three boxes of unopened cereal and made us a cereal snack mix. The kids love dry cereal, and making amix has always been successful. I usually get two really healthy cereals, and then something that's a little sweet to mix in, like mini cinnamon rolls, cinnamon toast crunch, or cinnamon life. Today we have the new Cinnabon Cereal, Multi-Grain Cheerios, and Rice Chex. It is DELICIOUS. I am REALLY not feeling the productivity today. Although my ibuprofen is kicking in, this lazy feeling is GREAT! Especially with the cloudy skies. If it would rain, it would really top this day off. I have three loads of unfolded laundry staring at me from the loveseat. I suppose I will take care of that next... but I feel some sewing coming on this afternoon. I have the fleeces in the dryer right now ;)

Jo-Ann and Rapping Hamsters...

Jo-Ann Fabrics TWO days in a row? I must be crazy, right?! Well, it just so happens that it's coupon commotion week, and I thought it would be SILLY to be right there in the same town again and not STOP and use a coupon. Actually, I ended up being able to use like SIX coupons, which was AWESOME. Ardyn and I had been looking at fleece with the intention of making little fall jackets for her and Marek. I have the pattern but I had it at HOME because when we went to Jo-Ann yesterday it was completely unexpected and on a whim.

So today because we KNEW we had to go pick up the door at Menard's, we went ahead and took it with. I'm going to use "The Little Hooded Jacket" Pattern by Favorite Little Things. We picked a girly jolly roger fleece for the outside of her jacket. It is black and white with gray striping and hot pink hearts. We picked a winter camouflage fleece for Marek's outer. I strategically did that because they both have the gray, which meant that I could get the inner sweatshirt fleece for each jacket all in one cut, which meant that I could use my coupon on it, because it was full priced at $12.99 a yard (YIKES!) Luckily little clothes take little fabric amounts! haha. I got a hot pink and white polka dot for the trim on Ardyn's and some Jolly Roger fabric for trim on Marek's. They each got a sport weight zipper in black, and I am excited to get started. HOWEVER the house is such a disaster right now that really I think tomorrow will be more of the same picking up :) It's making me feel disorganized. We've been running so much that I can't wait to just STAY here. Chances are we will be in our pajamas.

I am very happy that my Nikon lens is back from warranty work. I feel whole again. LOL.

I had to get a new hard drive (external) last week because my current one is full. I still haven't copied things over to the new one yet. My intention is to put the older one in a safe deposit box or something to keep all the photos somewhere else in case of fire. Thinking of Fire reminds me that I need to update my LifeDoc Binders, and in doing so, I should write another review of my newest binder, which I am WAY behind on. I've always wanted to keep them ready, so in the event of some natural disaster, I would have a copy of everything that we could need in the event of an emergency. I did great until just after Ardyn was born, and I don't think it was updated since. Oy.

Somedays I just think I would be better off packing things up or donating them so there was just less STUFF around here. I wish that I didn't depend so much on STUFF.

I am wondering... do you think I can embroider 5 onesies by hand by Thursday? Hmmm. Or better worded, WILL I embroider them? I got some plain colored ones as a baby shower gift and am thinking about embroidering them myself as part of the gift. Would that be silly? Sometimes I don't know if people would be like *What is this crap?* and so I want to make sure that would be at least "semi-appropriate."

OMG I freaking love this commercial! WATCH IT!


It could ONLY be better if it were the Beastie Boys. LOL. I ADORE it!

Okay, seriously now. Haha. I think I am just gonna let my fishville fish all die. I've got better shit to do.

I think I'd better watch the nanny and read over my jacket pattern and directions in case I get a chance to sew tomorrow ;)

Long and exciting week/end

Wow! What a busy week/end this has been! I feel like I am in a fog. Right now I am having a problem even remembering what I did last week. Think I had better go get the calendar and refresh my memory.

Tuesday night I had BUNCO and had a great time at Elizabeth A's house. Tuesday morning was MOPS in the park and we actually made it ;) I was up early that day but we were still 20 minutes late because once the kids got up and became uncooperative, it got all hectic, and I had some errands that I really needed to run, so I went ahead and did a few before the park.

Wednesday we didn't do anything, but Wednesday night was our MOPS Swim party. We had reserved the public pool after hours, and it was a great time. Evan went with and after the swimming discovered that he had kept my van keys in his pocket the whole time (in the pool) and amazingly they still work. The van has the type where the key head is also the electronic controls for the sliding doors, locks, hatch, etc. We took the kids for ice cream and then headed home to put them to bed.

Thursday started out well, and I got a ton of stuff done in the morning. We were scheduled for cleaning people that afternoon, but everything started falling to pieces when Marek started getting feverish and wanted to be held, and then the furnace continued (and increased) this terrible squealing that had started early that morning. I ended up stopping my "picking up" progress and cuddling Marek, and calling our furnace guy. That afternoon we dropped off Milk and Chex mix to Courtney and I got to hold Sheperd for the first time. He was so sweet ;) Then I took Ardyn out to mom's for an overnight, and Marek and I stayed till about 12:30am while I worked on her computer and we ate supper together.

Friday morning I was awake and Marek and I got ready to go. I had to go out and get Ardyn, and drop some vaseline in a tube to Courtney and then we had to be home before 1pm because Monica was going to babysit for the kids while I went to Princeton and did some painting at Annie's Little Pots. I also ran errands, including dropping off library books that I had forgotten to take back on Wednesday (oops) and dropping cardboard at the recycling center. Then I went through Hattie's Antiques for a while, which was the first time I was able to even be IN the store since having kids. It was nice. I grabbed a $1 coke and headed towards Sterling to meet the girls from the Walnut Scrapbooking group for a Girl's Night Out at the new Buffalo Wildwings they built up by Sauk Valley Cinemas. I decided to drive myself because I was an hour ahead of schedule and also so I could run some errands while I was "kid-free." I got brake pads and rotors to do the back brakes (I just got the front ones done a month or so ago) and then ran through the Dollar Tree and got lots of stuff that you just can't live without. LOL. Actually I got all the solid colored tablecloths, plates, napkins, and fork/spoons for Ardyn's 3rd Birthday party. (and THAT is a whole different post! someone remind me!!!!!) Then we met at BWW and it was so packed it was INSANE. The line was wrapped around the side of the building outside. It was really good, and we got right in because we had called in advance and Amber and Kendra were already there at our table. It was so nice to talk to the girls! Of course it was funny because so much of our conversation turns to our kids ;) It's ironic that when you get away from them all you do is talk about them! Afterwards we snuck through Bergner's briefly because they had yellow dot sales. I was going to look for jeans for Ardyn but then realized that I can do that anytime, but since I was kid free it would be WISER to try on clothes for myself. I got a new pair of jeans that were 25% off and then I had another 15% off coupon that Michelle gave me, and I got two shirts that were half price- one Columbia t-shirt and one Ruff Hewn "dressier" shirt. I headed home through Manlius and got this SUPER cool picture of the moon from the High School Parking Lot:

Saturday morning I was up BRIGHT and early. For some reason. I think it was because I was excited about the day. I got up and got the kids ready and took Marek out to moms for the day. Then by 10am we were on the road! Ardyn and I were headed to Antiquity Oaks. It's a homestead about 1.5 hours from us, which raises goats, chickens, turkeys, geese, llamas, pigs, and cattle. They make their own cheese and Goat's Milk Soap, and Deborah's daughter also spins the wool from their sheep. I believe they also do llama wool? They were having their first field day and I wanted to take Ardyn. Not only because I wanted to visit, but because I knew Ardyn would love to see the animals. And of course she did. Deborah and her husband did a homemade cheese demonstration, and I loved watching them make Mozzarella. I also got to stir the milk while it separated into curds and whey and it was really cool to see. I was really surprised how simple it was to make Mozzarella! I asked lots of questions! Ardyn loved the goats most of all, and Eleanore was a bottle fed goat that was running loose around the yard and Ardyn took to her right away, of course.

It was SO hot (96 degrees without the heat index) and we didn't stay but 2.5 hours... but it was so nice.


Deborah and her husband are such great teachers! On the way to their house we went down through Henry and Sparland, then to Lacon and on through Wenona.

Just south of Henry we stopped to see a HUGE Field of sunflowers. Ardyn said "mommy, why are those flowers sad?" referring to their nodded heads.... it was soooo cute.
We stopped in Lacon for a potty break and a photo op in front of the tank at the courthouse.
Then just outside Wenona there was a crop duster spraying the corn, so we stopped and watched him for a while.

When we left the farm, we didn't even hit the hard road and Ardyn said "Mommy, can we go get Marek now?" LOL. Toooo cute. But we had to head north through Streator, and then through Ottawa to LaSalle, and I wanted to stop at Joann Fabrics because I am out of black thread. AND I have been looking for some organza or eyelet fabric to use for Ardyn's birthday dress. We ended up being in there for like TWO HOURS and I felt terrible because Marek was at moms. But wow. Clearance stuff was great. They had TONS of Fabulous Findings for 50 cents a pack (they are regularly $2.29 or more)
I also got this corduroy (owls and polka dots) and some other little calico prints that I plan to use for Dortje trousers for Ardyn. The calico was tooooo expensive in my opinion, so I only got a yard of one, and a half yard of another. I hate expensive fabric... because I love it so much! LOL.

This fabric is for my next skirt for myself. The two base fabrics were clearance rack fabrics that were only $2.50 a yard. The top 5 are from a Fat Quarter Bundle.
The Halloween Fabric was in the 99 cent fat quarter bin, and I will make something for Ardyn. Likely a tiered skirt I believe.
And here is the assortment of Ardyn's fabric for her Birthday Dress.


I found this GIANT red button on 50% off in the clearance aisle. It is just adorable and it makes me smile. There were giant scissors too but I didn't want to spend that much. They might get cheaper... who knows. I got the button because it makes me smile and matches my front porch... and now it hangs right above my sewing table.

We found this embroidered organza sheer fabric and this silky soft Strawberry shortcake fabric on the clearance racks too. The strawberry shortcake fabric was $2.50 a yard, and that's phenomenal for licensed fabric. I am not sure if it will be Pajamas or a dress with the Organza as an overlay... but I am sure to think of SOMETHING!
On the other hand, my house is a WRECK. I mean, because I have been away from it for days, the kids have absolutely trashed it. There are things EVERYWHERE. We can't find two matching shoes that belong to anyone. Everything is scattered and it's pretty scary. I wanted to just stay HOME today and do nothing followed by some picking up, but Evan thinks it would be fun to go out to eat and run to Menard's as a family to pick up the new back door that we ordered and exchange the ceiling fan that was cracked. That is a good idea, and that's what we should do, and will do, but I just wish there were more days to do nothing ;) Really what I need is to have my kids go visit someone for two days straight (WHOLE days) and have my husband gone and myself home alone in this quiet house to focus. I need to get picked up and reorganize. I have my antique makeup table that has been collecting crap in the corner of our room for MONTHS that was supposed to go to the attic. I desperately need to switch the kids' toys out with those that are in the attic. I need to clean off my bookshelf and my nightstand next to the bed, and the top of my dresser. I have a laundry basket of clothes that has been in our room for MONTHS that needs sorted through. The bottom of it is things to pack up for "winter" and the other is stuff needs to get put away.

Someday.....

Nothing

Today we have done nothing. By nothing I mean we are still in our pajamas and it's almost 4pm. WHERE did this day go?! It's so hot outside that we planned to stay inside. Ardyn has been watching cartoon marathons and I have been studiously working on the blog. Since I accidentally wiped the ENTIRE Custom template (which I paid for years ago and am not about to pay for again) I had moved to a generic template temporarily.

I don't have all the bugs worked out, or everything customized perfectly yet, but it's certainly looking much better. For those of you who read via Facebook, my blog address is www.adventuresineverydaylife.com - and that's where it's all pretty looking :)

I was pleasantly surprised when Nancy Sanden stopped by this afternoon. Poor Nancy was probably scared away by me in my pajamas and Ardyn naked except for Monkey panties.... but she brought me some of those clear zippered bags that I covet so much! I am so excited!

I should be cleaning the kitchen, baking, washing and folding laundry, or picking up this MESS! Yikes. I am SO far behind. Supposed to go swimming today. Supposed to have cleaning here tomorrow, and TOTALLY unprepared.

Remind me why I am blogging and not being productive right now? Oy.

I have such a long to-do list it makes me want to scream. But we did nothing anyway. But I think that's about over! I can already see the look on Evan's face when he comes home and we did NOTHING today. Oops.

Review: Babyology Wool Soakers and Longies

I've had my fair share of wool covers. many of them hand knit by WAHM's and some made by shop owners of reputable hyenacarts. I've also had recycled wool, including Woolybottoms, and several other similar brands or custom made footies and longies.

My all-time wool favorite has been Babyology. I love the way they fit, the way they WORK, the way they wash and lanolize... It's just been a win-win situation for me. I started using them when Marek was a newborn.

I stocked up on them for nighttime, because I planned on using fitteds overnight. Since I knew that initially I would be changing him each time I nursesd him throughout the night, I knew that I would get to experience and practice with which fitteds and wool would work overnight and how much absorbency I would need. I was very very pleased with the softness of their wool and the protection it offered. It was beyond cute and snuggly, and comfortable.

When Marek hit about 1 year old, I decided that I really missed that wool, and that I needed something overnight worthy for him, and that I could use over our Goodmamas in summer when it was too hot for PUL.

Right away I knew that I needed some Babyology Soakers and I bought two pair for him. I love them so much that I am thinking I might buy a pair for my toddler, who still diapers overnight. The waistband can be folded for maximum comfort, and the leg openings offer full protection without being constricting in any way. Each morning I simply turn them inside out and air dry them on a peg in his room, ready to be used the next night. They are rarely even very damp with a goodmama and a goodfront booster overnight. I can use spray lanolin in the wetzone if I need to between lanolizings and washings, but really they are just very carefree, which is saying something for wool.

Review: Monkey Doodlez Tuck and Go Diapering System

PLEASE NOTE: The Tuck and Go Pads that I received (3 of them) are NOT gathered at the legs like those that I now see on the Monkey Doodlez Website. I have contacted them to ask why, as perhaps they have changed their design a bit and that might change my review entirely, especially since the main issue that I saw was involving the leg area of the diaper. Stay Tuned and I will update accordingly!

Today I am going to write a review of the Monkey Doodlez Tuck and Go Diapering system. I was very excited to try this diapering system, because I love love love love their pail liner... It's the one thing that I recommend every cloth diapering mamma have. It's double sided PUL, so the plastic-y side of the PUL is contained inside and this prevents icky sweating inside your pail and means that the pail is always dry and clean. It's also wonderfully sturdy. I own two, and one of them I have had for 3 years and it's still going strong. I adore them! Especially the elastic top that just slips over the rim of any inexpensive garbage pail and makes a quick and secure liner.

First, let me apoligize for the length of this review... but I feel like I have so much to say about this product!

Okay, I digress. Anyway you get that I was excited to try these diapers! In the last 1-2 years, cloth diapering has accelerated even more than it had when I started about 3 years ago. We are now seeing many "Hybrid" diapering systems like the Bum Genius Flip, the Booroi system, Gdiapers, Best Bottoms, GroBaby, and GroVia. This is similar to these systems, allowing you to lay an insert inside a PUL Cover, and simply tuck it inside and go. But what is surprising (to me at least) about the Tuck and Go System, is the amazing LUXURY inside. This is not just some PUL Cover. The insides are lined with SUPER soft Microfleece (I actually thought it was OBV at first) that prevents any PUL from touching baby's skin. The pads are amazing, very thin and trim but incredibly absorbent, and made from Bamboo and Organic Cotton. They are super soft inside, like my adored Goodmama fitteds.

First I'd like to say that I am a fitted girl. I prefer Goodmama fitteds and a variety of covers (wool, fleece, PUL, etc) and I do use prefolds and covers also, with snappis. In coming to the conclusion that Goodmamas are my favorite, I have used LOTS of different diapers. I started with pockets. Particularly things like Fuzzi Bunz, Snap-ez, Bum Genius, etc. They were great... except for extracting poopy inserts from the pockets... and when poop would get INSIDE the pockets (don't ask, it can happen!) and the stuffing! OY all the stuffing. it got so tedious that I dropped pockets altogether.

Then we started exploring fitteds and prefolds. I tried many types, but the bottom line with all these systems was that they had to be replaced as the baby moved up a size, and it became expensive. And just because I got an awesome fit in a small Snap-ez and a small Fuzzi Bunz, did NOT mean that the same brand fit right when she moved up to medium and got chunkier thighs. I felt like I was on an endless search for something that was for us.

Then I tried AIO's, specifically to use something simple and easy for on-the-go, and for ease at Daycare. We used Thirsties AIO Pockets for a while, and loved them until they started to leak profusely and the company wouldn't honor the warranty or even replace them at a discount. They later released V2 to fix the leaking problem.

The day I tried a goodmama, I was purely doing it for entertainment. The stalking level was at it's peak, and the day that I first went to their store, just to check it out, I stumbled upon an unannounced stocking and bought just one (one was the limit in those days!) and told myself I might as well see what all the fuss was about. From the day that diaper arrived, I gradually moved my entire stash to goodmamas and prefolds, with the exception of some BGOS 3.0's that we use overnight. I loved the true one size, just like the BGOS system, and it saved me so much time and money, and was excellent when I had two in diapers, because one diaper fit both kids!

Everyone is looking for something different in a diapering system. That is why no system is perfect for everyone. If you are looking for ease of use, especially if you are new to cloth, are on the go or traveling more than you are home, or have a diapered child in daycare.... a hybrid system might be for you. I have yet to see a hybrid insert as awesome as the Tuck-and-go. The inside of the PUL cover has positives and negatives. Of course it's excellent that the PUL doesn't touch the baby's skin. BUT as soon as I saw the microfleece lined legs, I thought "luxury.... but is that PRACTICAL?" In my mind, I could see the leg lining getting soiled or wet and causing the cover to need to be switched out more frequently than any wool, fleece, or PUL cover. But remember this is coming from my fitted point of view. :)

The first time I used the system, I was going to my parents for the afternoon/evening. I waited until my guy (20 pounds and 15 months old) had done his "morning poop." This boosted my confidence that the cover would make it a longer time frame. With his usual regime of fitteds and covers, we never ever EVER have a diaper leak out the legs or up the back. Fitteds are so absorbent and the legs and back are elasticized, so everything is always contained. I am so confident in that statement that unless I am using prefolds, I NEVER take a spare cover with me when I leave the house. The micro fleece leg-lining of the Tuck and Go system had me worried.

I had him in the Tuck and Go and had two inserts packed, and then I took fitteds and a cover for backup, just in case. Sure enough, when we got to my parents, he pooped AGAIN (unusual for my once a day pooper!) and it was ALL over the leg lining and even up the back of the cover. It did NOT leak. Not even close, but the cover was most definitely not reusable. I moved to fitteds. I was disappointed. I was really excited to try out the Tuck and Go. I thought that it was really probably just that Murphy's Law thing, and that I would just try try again.

The next attempt was an overnight attempt. And it went amazingly well. The system is SO trim, that I was even able to double stuff without barely noticing a difference. It was still trimmer than a BGOS... but, could it hold? My guy sleeps 12-13 hours each night, and peeeeees. He does not poop overnight, and everything went as planned. I assumed that when I took the Tuck and Go off the next morning, all the microfleece lining in the cover would be soaked, along with the inserts. I was WRONG. I was absolutely shocked to find that although the inserts were wet, the leg lining and other inner linings of the cover were not even damp. I was amazed. The cover could easily have been reused after a brief airing out. These would make for excellent overnight diapers. If I didn't have a lifetime supply of BGOS I would certainly consider these as my nighttime solution.

My third and fourth attempts during the day ended in the exact same way. The first time I put the Tuck and Go on him, he pooped. And even when the poop was solid, it still soiled the leg linings of the cover and I was never able to reuse it. If you have a once a day pooper, this system would be doable, because you would likely only go through two covers a day. If you have a EBF baby, or a newborn, or even someone who poops twice or more a day, I would not recommend this system simply (and ONLY) because of the legs lined in microfleece- the cover would be soiled and not reusable.

The advantage to having unlined leg openings is that if there was a poo, you would be able to wipe the cover out with a baby wipe and reuse it. With these microfleece lined legs, that just isn't possible. You and only you can make the determination of you think this is efficient for your needs- and does the comfort of the leg linings really have enough advantages over a non-lined leg... to justify the cost and hassle of needing that many more covers.

The quality of this system is, without question, outstanding. They are well-made and the velcro is amazing. It's very tough and feels almost more like a soft plastic than the despicable velcro on Bum Genius. It's even superior to Thirsties Velcro. I love that instead of having foldback laundry tabs inside the back of the diaper, the velcro folds right onto itself on the wings, for laundry day. I love that the cover has multiple rises, because a baby can be in a medium diaper for a LOOOOONG time. I have to say, however, that at 20 pounds by guy did not give me the option to try the smaller rise. The covers are a tad bit more pricey than regular PUL covers, but not astronomical by any means. The covers are $15 each, comparing to about $11-12 for your average PUL cover. The inserts are $30 for three.

If you are a person who is using pockets, this system would be a nice change. It would drastically cut down your load in the diaper bag, because instead of taking stuffed pockets with, you would just have to take flat inserts and one spare cover. With this system you just don't dare NOT take a spare cover. This was the thing that was the breaking point for me. The leg linings are fabulous, but they are also the one drawback in my mind. This would work very simlar in my mind to having prefolds and cover in your diaper bag, but you wouldn't have to know how to fold the prefold and snappi or pin it :) The ease of washing is much like that of prefolds and covers, and I love the fact that there is no "stuffing" or snapping of inserts on laundry day.

Another thing that I noticed. When I did attempt to salvage the cover this morning when he pooped.... I would normally (with a fitted) just unsnap the diaper, and then lift his legs while I wiped. Then I would remove the fitted and fold it up, setting it on top of the diaper pail (to dump in the potty later) while I rested his bum on the PUL of the cover (on the changing table.) Then I would reach for a new fitted with one hand, keeping my other hand on him, and put the new diaper under his bum, inside the cover, and then put both the fitted and the cover back on him. Basically the entire diaper change, I never have to take a hand off the baby. Not once. Everything I do in the change is with one hand.

When it came time to try to get the poopy insert out of the Tuck and Go, I was unable to get the insert out of the diaper with one hand. I may have gotten the insert out (one-handed) had I shaken it over the diaper pail, but because it had a solid stool in it, I wanted to get the insert out and set it aside so that I could dump the poo in the potty, and then put the soiled insert into the pail. But I could not get the insert out one handed to do that. Shaking it over the pail does my no good if I want the poop in the potty. I found this frustrating because I have a mover and shaker and he would be flipped over and off that changing table in an instant if I took my hand off him.

And then there was the issue of needing two hands to stuff the next insert into the cover. This was a huge learning curve for me, and I am used to either grabbing a new fitted or a fully prepped pocket diaper, and just putting it on. I am not used to having to tuck and prepare the diaper during the change, and this was not possible to do while keeping one hand on the baby. This made me think that it would be better to have a pre-tucked insert and cover ready before each diaper change, so instead of using one cover and trying to get the most use out of it each day, you just prepare to have at least two covers per day, and always keep the "spare" cover tucked and ready for the next diaper change. This system would work really well, unless one of those covers got soiled, then it would be back to tucking each time that you did a diaper change - Unless you had a THIRD cover on hand, but now you are using three covers a day... which to me is excessive.

I am really on the fence as to whether I will purchase more inserts to use with the Tuck and Go system that I have tried. I have one cover and three inserts. To make this be an efficient system for me, I would need at least one more cover (I would likely only use the system when we are on the go) and at least 4 more inserts. But because they come in packs of three inserts, I would likely have to buy 2 packs. I think it would be nice if they had the option of purchasing the inserts separately, or in the multi-packs, perhaps at a discount.

I feel badly because I feel like I have listed a lot of negatives in this review. I don't want to give the impression that this is a "bad" system. Quite the contrary. However, it is not for everyone. I would urge you to strongly consider how often you would use this system, and buy only what you think you may need to start with. Then you can easily add to your stash if you think it's the one for you.

I am considering keeping some of these on hand, just for the fact that they are nice and trim. But at the same time, Because I have been doing this for a while now, I am confident and comfortable with the fitteds and covers that I have, and also with using prefolds and covers as a backup. If I were a pocket user and didn't use fitteds and covers, I think this would be an EXCELLENT change. If I were new to cloth, I would like to try this system, but would be concerned that they would feel overwhelmed when it came time to change baby and tuck the insert at the same time.

I urge you to try them out yourself and see what you think! Please share your experiences with me! I want to know how they worked for you!

I've added some horrible quality pics of Marek in the Tuck and Go. Sorry they are from my iPhone and not the Nikon D3000, but the short lens from the Nikon is in the shop for warranty work right now. But hopefully you'll get an idea of the fit :)

Happy Diapering!
Meagan

Stuck on a Plane for 4 hours, with no Air Conditioning? I don't think so.

I have decided that no laundry is worth wading through the basement to do tonight. Did I mention we had a storm? Oh yeah. I know it wasn't like a Katrina type storm with Katrina type flooding, but all the same, it was not pretty. 3 inches in 35 minutes. The lights were surging and flickering and we ended up turning things off to protect them. I was baking Chocolate Chip cookies for tomorrow's playdate and I was in the kitchen. I said to Evan "It's raining SO HARD that it actually sounds like it's raining ON the back porch" (Which is right off the kitchen.) I opened the door to the porch to peek out and OMG it WAS Raining on the back porch. Through the ceiling. Yep. We've been here 10 years and the ceiling on the back porch had never so much as dripped, and it was POURING through the beadboard like you wouldn't believe. (That roof is flat and it is an addition, and it will be peaked this summer/fall I believe. What a mess!)

The basement was taking on water, quickly than I think we have ever had, and it was seeping through the floor and the foundation, so quickly that it was actually AUDIBLE and the water was running down the floor drains within minutes.

The front yard was completely standing water, and it was just unbelievable. This weather, I tell you what... is something else. It scares me because I just keep thinking that "the end is near" and by the end I mean like we screwed up and ruined the earth with all our disposable products and smog and now global warming is increasing so quickly that the effects are irreversible and the weather is measurably worse and more unpredictable and violent each season. Soon I see no fall and spring. Soon I see Drought or Flooding or Ice Age. It makes me panic, so as soon as I explain how much I hate talking or thinking about doomsday, I will change the subject. And don't tell me that God will save me. I believe that, but the actual "dying" part will still suck, and it would still break my heart into a thousand pieces if I had to see the world end. Especially now that I have children to protect. (drama!)

So. Not doing laundry. Another reason to not do laundry? Mine is all clean :) Diapers are all clean. Towels are clean. And then there's that little fact that I have THREE LOADS of laundry to fold and put away right now, and they slept with me on my bed last night, and stared at me all day today, and I am going to HAVE to take care of them tonight. Plus there is another one in the dryer that I need to get to, so as soon as I find my waders and my headlamp, I will head down there with my laundry basket in a life raft and swim it up the stairs. (drama!) Since my bed is full of laundry, I am blogging on the floor of my bedroom. The weather channel is on and cycling through it's "local on the 8's" and I am really going to have to get motivated soon.

Tomorrow is a VERY Busy day. I have cleaning people coming (yes, I have them. yes I know I don't have a full time job outside of the home. yes, I know you hate me for that. Get over it, that's a whole different blog post.) and so I have to have everything picked up, which everyone knows is the greatest challenge with two lil kids running around. The weather may be unpredictable, but you can be sure that there are two tornadoes in this house every day! (double drama!) I did get Marek's bedroom cleaned and reorganized, which was a MAJOR ordeal because it involved re-arranging. That was so major because that room has a bit of an odd layout (it's completely square) but there is no closet so there is a big armoire in there, and then there's the whole "Two windows and one door" issue, so it has limited places where the crib can go. I re-arranged it like FIVE TIMES (no exxageration) before I decided, fuck it, I am going to put Marek in a toddler bed. Yep. Just like that. I was home during the weekday with the kids, and I took the whole crib apart BY MYSELF and then carried it to the 120 degree attic BY MYSELF and then carried the toddler bed down from the 120 degree attic BY MYSELF and got everything arranged. I went through the entire cube unit and all of Marek's dressers, changing table, and armoire drawers. I sorted through diapers and covers and wool. I packed away crib bedding, bumpers, receiving and baby blankets, burp rags and bibs, bottles... you name it. I organized all the clothes into categories in the armoire. I organized shoes, packing away too small ones and sorting bigger sizes into clear drawers with labels. the entire cube unit was converted from diapers to TOYS so that there was a place for his books and his bigger trucks. He really really really loves trucks. He really loves Usborne's books about Trucks. He is also really into the Shake n Go Racers. My sister got him two for Christmas, and my mom got Marek and Ardyn one Diego Shake n Go for Christmas too. Then last night Liz dropped off a #88 car that isn't a shake and go but is very similar. he loves them. He is really getting into "shaking" them himself now, and I have been stalking eBay auctions for a used Shake n Go track for him in the future. After all this sorting and reorganizing, I had to get three more totes to pack stuff in before we take it to the attic- too bad two of those totes were used in an emergency to catch water in the back porch. Ugh.

So anyway, it took me all day on Tuesday and a good portion of today to get his room all straightened around. It has been gone through with a fine tooth comb, so that makes me happy. Ardyn's closet needs some attention next. Lots of outgrown shoes and jeans to pack up for her. If anyone has some 3T girls jeans they want to part with, let me know. I have one pair for her, and would like another two pair before fall. I like those with the waists that adjust inside with the elastic and buttons (Old Navy, Osh Kosk, Etc.)

I also have this dilema of dust jackets. LOTS of my kids' books are hardbacks with dust jackets. Um. Why do kids' books need dust jackets. I dunno. I take them all of before I give them the books. SO I have this stack of them that I keep moving and shuffling around.... should I just throw them out? I guess I was just going to keep them, but today that suddenly seemed stupid. Thoughts? WWYD?

Today we brought the pink pony down for Marek to try out before bed. It had been in the attic since Ardyn outgrew it, and he LOVES it. Especially all the noises it makes. It plays Camptown Races too, which I just love.

I just heard on the news that an airline had issues with a plane that had no Air Conditioning and passengers sat on the plane for FOUR HOURS while temperatures inside the plane climbed to over 100 degrees. The six hour flight became a 12 hour flight. Oh HELL no. I am all about security and safety, but this crap with keeping people on planes for hours is getting RIDICULOUS. There has GOT to be something to do! If you want to prevent violence, then don't leave people on planes while you try to pull your head out of your ass and figure out what is wrong?! Jeez! Am I completely crazy? Can you imagine if you had your children on that plane for 4 extra hours? What if you were pregnant? Or elderly? Or just plain NORMAL?! That's ridiculous. Uncalled for, and in lots of cases, I would classify that as being held against my will.

Well, I seriously should get going. Although I did want to say that Marek's jump to a toddler bed went well, and he has been sleeping great. Longest naptimes he has had in about two weeks, and slept for 13 hours last night no problem.

Happy Moments of the day:
Ardyn washing Marek's face for him in rhe barhtub. Marek pushing Ardyn in doll stroller. Marek climbing up to kiss Ardyn goodnight. My storm photos being featured on WQAD News channel 8.

Happy moments over the weekend:
Ardyn and Marek going down slide at park together (at once). Family Teeter-totter time on Father's Day. Watching Grandpa Dave give the kids a "shave" with his cell phone. watching Grandma Deb give Marek a walk on Roxy's leash. Eating Lunch with grandpa Bob and Grandma Susan.

You know it's been a good day when you never once wore a bra, and you only wore pants from 7pm to 3am.

Review: Sprightly Soaker Pattern by Little Comet Tails

Today I finally got out my Sprightly Soaker Pattern. I absolutely LOVE Little Comet Tails Patterns, for their fit, their ease of sewing, the fact that the pattern is actually PAPER instead of the tissue/pattern paper crap that I always tear (especially when I use it alot with pins!) and because every one I have used has fit my kids (both of them- and they are built SO differently!) exceptionally well. The mamma that runs the show over there is also very nice, and I have purchased home sew labels from her, which I can attach to the items that I sew for my kids, and add size tags also. This eliminates a lot of guesswork as to which ones are which, and whose are whose, and it's important when you have more than one in diapers.

I have made both the Little Comet Tails Stellar Transitions Trainers, and the Little Comet Tails Crescent Moon Yoga Pants (although I don't do the crescent bum, but the standard pants variation) The ONLY downside I have found to any of the patterns, is that I personally MUST have an internal soaker in the wetzone for any covers I have out of fleece, and the pattern does not include a cutout or suggestion for a soaker. However, with a little creativity and common sense, it's quite simple to fashion something. (for me that is) and I think that if you have sewing ability or experience, you could get along easy enough.

For the pants, I have also converted them to board shorties and also added leg bands for contrast (my own design) and I add an internal pant soaker that is sewn in just at the waistband and allows for extra protection to prevent compression wicking (sitting on grandma's lap, buckled in the carseat or stroller) and also makes them suitable for naptime and nighttime over a good fitted.

For the Sprightly soaker, I cut out a soaker that is in the traditional curved hourglass shape, and used a stretch zig-zag stitch to attach it permanently to the wet-zone of the soaker body BEFORE sewing anything else. These steps are so easy that I have to say it would be a simple and amazing addition to her regular Little Comet Tails Patterns.

When I bought the sprightly soaker, I have to admit I was wary. I have made soakers in the past, and to be quite honest, I really suck at them. For some reason, the leg bands give me LOTS of problems. In fact, I won't even sew a newborn or small soaker for that exact reason. The legband opening is sooooo tiny that it frustrates me and is difficult to stretch and serge while catching all three layers. I long ago gave up on serging them, and started to just sew them. I was still having issues here and there, and so I pretty much purchased all my soakers after that. I had preferred the fit of a Inspiration Cover, especially those made by Michelle at the Pea Chic Nest. But after Ardyn, I had some Gender Neutral covers left, but usually the kids fit different sizes in opposite seasons, so all those cute boyish longies won't do me a bit of good in the summer. And then, because I loved those covers so much, I kinda left her in a medium for too long and stretched them out, so they don't have their original shape anymore.

Of course, Marek's bum seems just as, if not more sensitive than Ardyn's, so I have him in wool and fleece as often as possible and now most definitely at night time in the summer. Even with the air on... because the kid sleeps for 10-12 hours consistently overnight, and I hate the red raw bum that comes from tooooo long in PUL covers or PUL Pockets.

So when I saw this pattern, and had been delighted in just how well her other patterns have worked for me, I thought "why not?"

And then I didn't get to it. FOREVER. I have have the fleece sitting there and today I was inspired when I saw Natures Fabrics post some new instock interlocks on their facebook page. Why oh Why had I never considered sewing my own interlock covers? Seriously? They cost a fortune! I love babyology covers (but I buy them from Canada to get them cheaper), and I have two for Marek right now for nighttime, but I had never once considered sewing my own interlock. Perhaps that's because I had so many problems getting a good fit with previous soaker patterns (Katrina's Soaker Pattern must be made for someone else's kids, or someone else's DIAPER?!) and I had been so frustrated with leg bands in soakers that I just gave up. Why would I ever consider screwing up a cover made of EXPENSIVE interlock wool fabric if I couldn't even get a cheap fleece one right?

Well, I thought I had better give this another try.

I had a hard time deciding on size. Marek can still wear the board shorties and pants in a size Medium, but with a bulky fitted, I am thinking it would be wiser to get him in a large.... except that he is SO skinny and long, that he might not be able to keep them up. So I traced and cut out a medium, and fashioned a medium hourglass soaker, and got to sewing.

Now, I am not going to lie. The legbands were making me cranky. For a moment, I thought WHY am I DOING this to myself again. But the pattern was pretty cool. The legbands are more narrow than any I have made before (which means you have less room to screw up by serging and re-serging while trying to catch all three layers) But I have to say that it actually worked out well enough that I made an entire soaker on the serger (a new serger makes a whole lot of difference - especially since I went from a $200 Singer "nicknamed Satan" to a $1200 Janome model) with the exception of zig zag stitching the soaker in.

When I finished, I finally saw a soaker that looked like UNDERWEAR! In fact, I could get it (the same Medium fleece soaker) on the 30 pound 2 year old (not in a diaper) and think I will try making her something that might work for her as panties or even as an overnight cover, although I will try a large for her.

I was in awe that a fleece soaker could be so TRIM. It's beautiful and it looks GREAT on the skinny lil man. Now, I did decide that while it fits well over a prefold, it would be a stretch over a goodmama fitted. SO I have decided to upsize to a large for him.... for room to grow and room for bulkier fitteds. He kept smiling when I put it on him.... and walking around all goofy and proud. Too cute. Now I have two more to make for him and try to perfect the soaker legs and be confident that I can sew some out of interlock.... because you just don't want to mess up $25 a yard fabric!

UPDATED: Made a Size Large. The second time around was much better and legs and waistband were even easier. The Large is a little baggier on him, but would fit well over a bulky or heavy wetter fitted, and gives him room to grow without being so large that it falls off. I adore it!

Dinner in 29 minutes or less? Reviewing the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker

I do want you to know, that despite the fact that I was a Pampered Chef consultant for 3 years, this is a completely un-biased review ;)

At a recent Pampered Chef show I hosted, I got a ton of cool kitchen gear. I can't remember if I shared pics here or just on Facebook, and of course now I can't FIND the pics. But anyway, I digress. I got the Deep Covered Baker, which is a $69 glazed stoneware piece, and I adore it. I also got one of the "29 minutes to dinner" cookbooks (I already had the other one but hadn't made anything out of it yet) and the quick little recipe cards, I think they are Dinner Done with One meaning a one pot recipe. Anyway. The baker was on backorder because it was so popular, and so I received it in mid-May and then while camping over Memorial Day weekend I planned some meals using the recipes that would work in the baker. I got groceries for all the ingredients... and this week I started. We have had three meals in the baker, and so far I have had a great experience. Let's break this down by recipe!

Easy Tortellini Toss- Weekday Dinners, Done! Recipe Card Collection
This recipe calls for simple things like a slice of precooked ham (think the big oval ham slice that has a bone in it, and is wrapped in plastic) frozen cheese tortellini, and fresh spinach. Then you add garlic, flour, butter, milk, parmesan, pepper, and chicken broth to make your "sauce." It's really really quick and awesome tasting. What's great about many of these recipes, is that while the one ingredient (often the meat) is cooking in the baker, you are prepping and combining the other ingredients. Then you often add everything to the baker and cook together for another short amount of time and you have your meal. The tortellini toss was a HUGE hit. I will definitely make it again, although next time, I will probably double it, because it would be nice to have leftovers of, especially for the kids' lunch the next day.

Orange Glazed Sticky Ribs- 29 Minutes to Dinner Volume 2 (cookbook)
This recipe was a completely new experience for me. In the 12 years that we have been together, I have never made Ribs. Ever. I have never made ribs in my life. I had only EATEN ribs for the first time about a year ago. I, as a rule, do not like BBQ sauce, and because all the ribs I have ever seen are BBQ, I have avoided slathered up ribs like the plague. I had an interesting time picking out Baby Back Ribs at the store. I was excited to try. I love how these cookbooks have a neat little blurb on the righthand side of each recipe that tells you a little bit about the ingredients (especially if they might be something you have not used before) and gives you little tips about the recipe in general. I always learn something from them. The tips are titled "Chef's Corner" and this recipe described how to remove the membrane that is under the rack of ribs, which I didn't even know EXISTED. This was the most difficult part of the entire recipe. That and the fact that ribs smell TERRIBLE when raw and when cooking. And remember, you are talking to the girl who spent her college years touring slaughterhouses and packaging facilities, and being surrounded by butchers and fresh hanging meat. I don't understand why the ribs smelled so terrible, but my husband agreed. It was almost bad enough that I couldn't eat them.... almost ;) I rinsed the ribs THREE TIMES with cold water to try to get some of the smell to go away. Ick.

Basically you remove the membrane, separate the ribs, and cook them in the baker. This is the recipe that I ran into trouble with cooking times and meat temperatures. Because my mom is in food service and has a sanitation license, I have learned to be a stickler for how well my meat is cooked, and to check temperatures. Using TWO different quick read thermometers *one by Pampered Chef and one NOT by Pampered Chef* I repeatedly tested the meat's internal temperature while continuing to microwave the ribs. I had to nearly TRIPLE the cooking time that Pampered Chef recommended before I got the internal temperature to 160 degrees. This made me nervous, especially with the smell of the ribs. The last thing I wanted to do was poison us.

The glaze consisted of Orange Zest, honey, apple cider vinegar, spicy brown mustard, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper. The ribs were also coated in cayenne pepper, and I *may* have overdone that part as the ribs were awfully spicy (but certainly DELICIOUS!) My husband ate a ton of them and even the kids ate them. Marek's entire forehead and around his eyes turned red with the heat of the first few bites. When I look back at the recipe, it says to use 1/2 tsp to coat the ribs and I think I missed that part because I just picked up each rib individually and coated it with cayenne. LOL. No wonder they were hot!

The recipe calls for Cole Slaw, but I despise slaw, and the kids don't really eat it either, so I made Fresh Buttered Asparagus (which I also steamed in the baker- YUMMM!) and Angel Hair Pasta. This recipe was a huge hit. The prep was actually lots of fun, because I love recipes with zest and I especially appreciate any excuse to use my Micro Grater. I adore that thing. The coolest was explaining to Ardyn what Zest was. She climbed up on her stool and I described how an orange has a peel and when you rub the orange across the grater, it shaves off the peel and the fine pieces that result are called Zest. She was thrilled.

Overall, a great dish, we WILL make this again, but I was only upset by the tripled cooking time of the ribs. It still only amounted to about 28 minutes of cooking time, but the recipe is supposed to be start to finish in 28 minutes, and I don't know if the problem is that my microwave isn't brand new or what. I also wasn't a huge fan of having to grill the ribs in the grill pan after already cooking and glazing them in the baker... but the result was awesome. To me it was just another dish to dirty, and I was trying to also get side dishes made (since I didn't like the slaw) and so I had Evan come in and do the grill part for me while I proceeded to the sides.

And aren't they pretty?

Glazed Teryaki Meatballs and Noodles- Weekday Dinners- Done! Recipe Card Collection
This was a great recipe. Ardyn's favorite part was rolling meatballs. It was great for her hand eye coordination, and she was so pleased with herself. She counted them as she made them, and was so excited to actually eat them. There were a few things about this recipe that I did not like, and that I will change next time I make it.

For starters, you make your meatballs- egg, bread crumbs, raw ground beef, onion, and Pampered Chef's Asian Seasoning Mix (which I happen to have.) This is all fine, but it takes TWO TABLESPOONS of Asian Seasoning Mix. This is a large amount in my mind, especially considering the price of the seasoning. Evan thought the meatballs were too spicy, and while the kids and I seemed fine with them, I think that next time I could cut that amount almost in half and still be satisfied. The second thing that I wasn't thrilled about was the "prepared teriyaki glaze" in the recipe. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to MAKE that, or BUY that... but I decided that I would just get the bag of stir fry veggies that comes with the frozen pouch of teriyaki. that worked fine. Except I think there wasn't quite enough. I think there was enough in the pouch, but I don't know that it was really enough to coat the noodles and veggies to our taste. The other thing was that I couldn't find veggies with teriyaki glaze unless there were lo mein noodles frozen in with them. I didn't really realize that at first, but when I was making my spaghetti noodles (which were to be substituted for the lo mein noodles that you would traditionally find in a chinese recipe as such) I was disappointed in how sticky they were. They weren't coated with enough teriyaki, and I had to dirty TWO More pans in addition to the Deep Covered Baker in order to boil the noodles and then "fry" the noodles with the garlic and the sauce. So you are looking at FOUR large dishes/stoneware/cookware items that are dirtied, plus your measuring cups, and the food chopper.... I was not thrilled with the "ease" of this part of the recipe. If I were to do it again, I WOULD buy the Lo Mein noodles with the frozen stir fry veggies and the Teriyaki packet. I would then cook the whole thing in the baker (meatballs first, then add the veggies/noodle mix and the glaze) and avoid the spaghetti altogether (both for the mess, the ease of prep, and for the fact that the Lo Mein noodles taste better anyway!) I would ALSO be sure to cook the meatballs thoroughly before adding the veggies to the baker. The recipe calls for cooking the meatballs alone for 5-7 minutes until the outsides are browned, and then to add the veggies and cook the whole thing 4-6 minutes until the meatballs are done to 160. Well, I did 7 minutes, and then another 6 minutes, and although they browned on the outside, after that time the veggies were done, but when I checked the meatballs (especially those on the inside of the baker) they were not even to 100 degrees yet and the insides were still pink. I cooked them for another 12 minutes on high before they were DONE inside and by then the veggies were a little overdone. I don't think that was the best way to do the recipe. Why not make sure the meat is completely finished before adding the veggies? 4 more minutes on cooked meat isn't going to ruin the dish, but having to put the veggies through 12 more minutes of microwaving certainly could ruin them.

So, overall the recipe was delicious but could use some tweaking and again- some longer cooking time for the meat. My microwave is a Kemore, it is about 9 years old, and it does have a turntable. I have never in any other recipes had an issue with cooking times, but have been consistently having issues with the meats in the Pampered Chef recipes that I have been testing out.

The baker was overall a very awesome purchase. I have stressed to my husband that I want to take exceptional care of the baker, being sure that it is hand washed immediately and that it is not dropped or chipped, because not only does it cost $69, but it is now a hostess ONLY item and so therefore I could only replace it if I hosted a new show (or checked eBay!)

I have also had the Rush Hour Chicken Fajitas in the baker, but because I didn't personally make them either time, I can't exactly review the recipe except to say it was easy looking and delicious. :) More to come perhaps, as I have several more to try!

Pictures speak louder than words... but let's do both!

Oh shit. I do have a blog.

Wow. How long's it been? Let's go check.... well, not as long as I thought. I think. he.

What have I been doing? You know, for the life of me I don't even remember. I think it's that lethal combo of child-rearing and laundry and dishes and well, summer in general.

Evan did get the Square Foot Garden (which I will from this point forward refer to as the SFG as it should be) finished and I then got the garden planted THE very next day. If you are not familiar with the SFG method, you should check out "The All New Square Foot Garden" by Mel Batholomew - just get it from your library or the inter-library loan system. That's what I did, and I loved it so instantly and so thoroughly that I used my swagbucks to get a copy sent to myself immediately from Amazon. Wow. It's so SIMPLE yet so complete and revolutionary. It's easy to start, easy to follow, and I am already so excited!

The signs of spring and soon to be summer are all around! I am really enjoying the new D3000 and the lenses, and am getting some cool pictures of the kids and also some nature here and there. We enjoy time at each set of grandparents, and some of these photos were taken on the farms.
Some days we get pretty ambitions and do things like making double batches of delicious crunchy coleslaw (Ardyn loves to crunch up the ramen noodles in the ziploc) and Ardyn also recently painted a birdhouse and helped me to make Recycled Bugs (from Milk Jugs) similar to (better than?!) those featured on the recent cover of Family Fun Magazine. We put them in the SFG, and they are adorable, except after the first rain the googley eyes slid right off, because I guess Tacky glue is not water resistant :( Oh well. Next we will have to repair them with super glue or hot glue. They are too stinkin cute!
We've really had a great time getting together with friends at the park and for playdates at different houses. There have been lots of great moments and funny "caught on camera" moments... lots of swimming and cozy coupes and sidewalk chalk (more eaten than written with!) and it's only mid-June!
I was pretty impressed this past week, we had a rainy day and it cooled off considerably, so we opened up the house and Ardyn and I baked Tollhouse Cookies. I used a modified recipe, decreasing the sugar and increasing the bown sugar... which makes for a moister and chewier cookies. They are DELICIOUS! So awesome in fact that I have practically eaten a dozen a day. Uh-oh! What was great? Watching Ardyn chop walnuts with an antique chopper like the one we used to "help" my mom with. She was SO excited to chop, but even more excited to stir in the chips and walnuts, and scoop the cookies onto the baking sheet. We used the opportunity to discuss how many cookies we would put on the sheet, and she learned what "a dozen" is. What really floored me? When I asked her to count the cookies, she counted to 13 without even flinching. When did she learn 11, 12, and 13? Something on TV I bet... Dora usually doesn't count that high... but Ardyn learned it somewhere! A Baker's Dozen!
Poor Marek. Right before we went camping (another post altogether!) he had this screaming fit that we unexpectedly tracked to a poopy diaper. And this poopy diaper was like no other poopy diaper.... well, except that it was EXACTLY identical to Ardyn's "allergic reaction to dairy" diapers. I was floored. Complete with burning red bottom that was instantly cracked and bleeding, and a rash that still hasn't completely cleared up- and that happened 15 days ago. He had several diapers that would incite immediate murderous screams... and then he officially went from a "once a day" very solid pooper, to a SEVERAL times a day, very loose diaper, red sore bottom pooper. And it hasn't let up yet. It's gone through several phases, but it still isn't right.

This spring and summer he has had a real issue with drinking standing water. Seriously, I knew that it wasn't GOOD but that kid can find water in the most unexpected places, like the plug in the base of the little tykes basketball hoop... the lid to the sandbox, that compartment in the back of the cozy coupe.... It got so bad that as I was running around the yard emptying all the water, he was running around drinking what he could get to behind my back. It was futile, so I started taking pictures. Over a couple of months, I got quite a few. Between shoving every stick, rock, leaf, and clump of dirt in his mouth, and drinking every bit of water he could find... I just figured it was a boy thing and that I was wasting my time trying to prevent it. My mom, however, made it clear that it was dangerous, that he could get salmonella or eColi, and that I should be parenting instead of taking pictures. Ah. Moms. So... when the whole diarrhea started, I worried that he had something... and the nurses at the pediatrician's office confirmed my worries by giving me an order for stool samples (x3) and specimen jars, and I quote "I am positive that he has some type of parasite. You can not drink standing water without getting something." So. Mom starts to feel like a terrible parent (but still a good photographer, thank GOODNESS!) and starts happily collecting stool samples and running them to the hospital lab. And then, the results came back CLEAR. Yep. No parasite. Not such a bad mamma after all, eh? (seriously, just lucky or mom's intuition?) It's not like he was drinking out of dirty PUDDLES. Just plastic toys that hadn't had the water standing there for more than like 5 hours after the previous night's rain. What I discovered is that not only will he drink from toys, but he prefers to drink out of the pool instead of getting into it, and if I fill the pool or water the plants and get water on the sidewalk... he will crouch down, bend over and drink the water OFF the sidewalk. There really isn't much that will stop him. Now, check out my fab photography skills, which also showcase my terrible parenting skills ;)
Get that Kid a DRINK!!!! So next we will take him back to the allergist to see if we can have him tested for more things (food) that he could possibly be allergic to. I don't want him to have an allergy, but 15 days of unexplained diaper rash and diarrhea that is EXACTLY like Ardyn's has me worried!