Cloth Diapers {My Washing Routine}

I get asked quite a bit what my wash routine is for my cloth diapers. So I decided I would share with ya'll also and you can also share with me what your wash routine is like! 

I usually wash every other night. With two kiddos now sometimes I forget but I never let it go past the third morning because then the diapers start to stain and stink.

I have a top loader washing machine. I wash all my diapers together. They are all pockets so I just pull the inserts out and throw it all in. (Don't worry I wash my hands after) I do a cold rinse first to rinse off any extra poop there might be on the diapers. 

Then I do a hot wash with Rockin' Green soap... and I mean hot! There's a switch behind my washing machine so I can turn off the cold water to the machine completely and it washes my diapers in super hot water. This gets them nice and clean. Then there is an automatic cold rinse with the hot cycle so they are rinsed again. Then I do another cold rinse to make sure all the soap is washed out of the diapers. 

I then usually dry my diapers in the dryer. I try to only dry my covers just long enough for them to get dry and then I dry my inserts the rest of the time until they are dry. It's the quickest and easiest way for me. 

With this wash routine I have yet to get the stinkies in the four months that I have been cloth diapering Isaac. So it works well for me and I don't plan to change it anytime soon. 

What is your wash routine? Is it similar to mine or completely different? Share in a comment below! 

Learning Letters & Numbers {Need YOUR Input!}

So Noah will be three next month and he still get's his letters and numbers mixed up. He generally knows most of them but he doesn't really know what order they go in. He counts like this "1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 2" :) So since he's almost three and will be starting preschool in another year I want to start working on his letters and numbers more so he will be more prepared when he does start school.

But here's the thing about Noah....he doesn't just like to sit and color. He'll do it for about 5 minutes or so but then he's on the move again! He's all boy and LOVES to run and throw balls and race cars and is constantly moving, running, and jumping. So I have to find ways to help him learn his letters and numbers by doing things he loves to do. I've had some friends give me some great ideas using sidewalk chalk and paint and even puzzles, but I want to know how you taught YOUR child letters and numbers? If you have a fun idea on how to teach letters and numbers let me hear it! I'm going to give them a try and then blog about it later and let you know how it's going! Hopefully in a month or so he'll know ALL his letters and numbers all in the right order! :)

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Coconut Oil Review & Giveaway!

I have always heard good things about coconut oil but never tried it. I was super excited when I was given the opportunity to review Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil so I could see for myself if it was as great as everyone talked about! 

Tropical Traditions is America's source for coconut oil as well as many other products such as skin care products, household cleaning items, and even pet products! 

Here's a short video about how Virgin Coconut Oil came to be and how it's made! 

I received a 32oz jar of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to review. It is a really big jar and will last me quite a while! The first thing I wanted to do with it was try it on Isaac's bum! I heard it worked great as a diaper rash cream and his bum just happened to be red at that time! So I lathered him up with some coconut oil and after about a day and a half his bum wasn't red anymore! I also used it in my cloth wipes solution! I mixed water, baby wash, and some coconut oil and poured it on my wipes! Now they smell good and it makes my wipes nice and smooth so it's easy to get Isaac good and clean! 


Coconut Oil can be used in so many different ways! Including cooking, cleaning, and many other things! Tropical traditions has lots of way to use coconut oil HERE and I also found a pin on Pinterest that gives even more ways to use it HERE. I have tried it as a lotion and I love it! It's not greasy and it absorbs into the skin quickly. Plus it moisturizes so well! I am going to try the super conditioner soon too! A friend of mine did it and said her hair was amazing afterward! 


Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is handmade and has so many amazing uses! You can purchase it in a number of different sizes, all at an affordable price!  I absolutely love this product and I now see why I have heard so many good things about virgin coconut oil! 

Buy It!

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm

Win It!

One lucky reader will win a 32oz jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil! 

(Open to US & Canada!)

Mommy Talk Tuesday! {Mommy ME Time}

<center><a href="http://www.mommyfergblog.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="The Not So Secret Confessions of a Second Time Mom" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii102/SouthernChelle87/MommyTalkTuesdayButton-3.jpg"/></a></center>

I think I finally have the button working again! If it doesn't work for you please let me know in the comments! 


This week's topic is Mommy Me Time! We all know how demanding being a mother can be and sometimes we just need some time to ourselves to unwind, refresh, and rest. How important is some Me Time to you? How often do you get Me Time? What are some of your favorite things to do when you get Me Time? 


Comment below with your thoughts or write a blog post and link up!! 
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I love some Me Time! Don't get me wrong, I love my babies, but I do believe Me Time is very important! Without Me Time I'd be worn out constantly and grouchy and I just wouldn't be a pleasant mama. 


Lately my Me Time has been going to a Zumba class twice a week. It's an hour long and I get to dance all my stress away and it's good for me! I also love to take a hot bath and read a good book for some Me Time. Now that Isaac is going to bed earlier I am looking forward to doing that more often. 


I definitely think Me Time is important and good for mom and kids. If mom is happy she does a better job being mom. Everyone needs a break every now and then, and that includes mom. 
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Please grab our button and link up your blog posts on this topic! If you link up please leave us a topic suggestion either at the bottom of your blog post or leave a comment below! 


**This is NOT just a blog hop. Please do not link up unless you have posted on this topic.**

Mom Blog Monday Blog Hop!

Are you a Mommy blogger?

Do you blog about your kids?

Do you blog about great things for Mommies?

Do you wanna meet other Mom Bloggers?

To participate in the Mom Blog Monday Blog Hop, the rules are super simple! All we ask is that you follow the 3 Co-Hosts: The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom, Luxury Living Frugal Style, and So Easy Being Green… the first three blogs on the linky! Then follow Spot #4 which is the featured blog of the week! After that, follow as many Mommy Blogs on the linky as you want... remember, the more you visit, the more visits you'll receive in return!

Remember: If you have a Self-Hosted Wordpress blog and are unable to connect with GFC, please detail, in your Title on the Linky, how you prefer other bloggers to connect with you!

We would LOVE it if you’d grab our button and put it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post! This would help us spread the word. However, you aren’t required to.

Pipila Portable UV Pacifier Sterilizer Review!

As a mother of an infant I will be the first to tell you pacifiers can be a lifesaver, but they can also be a huge hassle! They are so easy to fall out of baby's mouth or get thrown on the floor and they are just a huge nesting ground for germs and dirt! And then if you're out and about trying to get somewhere that you can wash it isn't always easy. Then you have to go home and sanitize it and that's even more of a pain! But now you can not only clean your baby's pacifier while you are out but you can sanitize it as well! The Pipila is the world's first UV Portable Pacifier Sterilizer!

The Pipila is a device, no bigger than a baseball that sterilizes a pacifier and eliminates up to 99.9% of harmful germs, bacteria, and viruses. It is run by 2 AAA batteries so it is portable and can be take anywhere with you. The Pipila works by using a UV sterilizing lamp. It is super easy to use too! All you do is stick the pacifier in the device and press down until you see the light turn on. Then you close the lid and wait about 3 minutes until the light turns off. Once the light turns off your pacifier is clean!

I love the Pipila! Isaac is always dropping his paci and I honestly always forget to hook it to the little hooks that clip to his clothes. So when he does drop it I HAVE to wash it. With the Pipila I can just wipe it down and stick it in the Pipila and I know it's clean again! It's so much easier than hunting for a decent bathroom to clean it in! It's nice and small too so I can easily fit it in the diaper bag without taking up too much space. It's perfect for a busy mom like me!

BUY IT!

http://pipilausa.com/Buy_Pipila.html 

I'm Not Perfect {Pour Your Heart Out}

I get a lot of comments from friends and family about how I'm such a great mom and how I do so well with my kids and how I am so dedicated to them. While I am very dedicated to my children, they are my whole world, I have my bad days and I mess up. I have terrible mommy guilt all the time. But what mother doesn't right?

I have days when I am so exhausted  I am grouchy and cranky and have yelled at Noah and been angry with my husband because he got to sleep and just an all around you-know-what. I go to bed many nights wishing I had spent more time with Noah or wishing I had played with the boys more or took the time to kiss my husband longer or ask him about his day. Instead I complained about spit up and no sleep and whiny toddlers to him. The mommy guilt is always there.

But I have come to a realization. The mommy guilt will always be there.But as long as I am doing my very best at loving my family and keeping them healthy and happy and safe then I am doing ok. I'm not perfect, nobody is. But my kids are well loved and they are well taken care of. As long as I am giving them my all and giving them my whole heart then I have nothing to feel guilty about. So each and every night I have to cut myself a break and remember that tomorrow is a new day. A new opportunity to love my kids and my husband even more.

Mommy Talk Tuesday! {Potty Training!}

We now have a button! If you're linking up with us it would be much appreciated if you would grab the button and post it at the beginning of your blog post for us to help us spread the word about Mommy Talk Tuesday! 
This week's topic was selected randomly from your topic suggestions via random.org! The topic is Potty Training!!  

As mother's, potty training is something we all have to face! It can really be a tough milestone to achieve! Give us your thoughts on potty training! Have you potty trained your little one? When did you start? How did it go? What was the hardest part of potty training?  Also, give any tips you have for those who haven't potty trained yet! 

If you haven't potty trained yet,tell us what you questions and concerns you have about future potty training! Those of us who have potty trained might be able to help ease some of those fears and answer some of those questions you have.

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We started potty training Noah back in June of 2011. He was a little bit over 2 years old and was beginning to show signs of being ready such as telling us he peed in his diaper and needed to be changed and even refusing to poop in a diaper or go and hide when he did have to poop. The first week we pretty much stayed home the entire week. We set out the potty and lots of towels and we let him go bottom half naked for the first few days. Every time he would start to go I'd run him to the potty and he'd pee in the potty--most of the time. There were a lot of accidents too.  The hardest part for me was just being patient and sticking with it. There were so many times I just wanted to go back to diapers and give up but I knew he could do it and would eventually get the hang of it. And he did! It only took about 4 months for him to be completely potty trained and accident free during the day and now he is even potty trained at night! We are done with diapers!! Well for Noah at least. Isaac still has  while ;) . 

The best tips I have for those who haven't started yet or are in the middle of potty training is just to be patient and try not to get frustrated. There will be accidents and messes. But it will happen eventually. Bring extra clothes for yourself and your kiddo when you go places and just stick with it! 

** We would love for you to write a blog post on this topic and link up in the linky below! We just ask that you please suggest a topic for a future Mommy Talk Tuesday at the bottom of your post or in a comment! **

Isaac is 4 Months Old!!

My little ham turned 4 months old yesterday! Geez time just goes by entirely too fast! It seriously does not feel like it has been 4 whole months since I gave birth!  Isn't he such a cutie?! He's such a sweetheart and so cuddly and happy! (most of the time lol) 

At 4 months old Isaac is: 

-NOT sleeping through the night anymore :/ He was doing 8-10 hours up until about 3 weeks ago. Now he is up at least once a night to eat...usually more. No fun for mommy, but we're working on it. Hopefully he'll start sleeping better soon. 

-Almost rolling from belly to back. He can get about halfway and then always rolls back to his belly hehe. 

-Just starting to giggle! It is the most adorable sound I have ever heard in my life!

- Breastfeeding every 2-4 hours during the day (as you can tell lol). 

-Starting to reach and grab for things! 

Mom Blog Monday Blog Hop! {RSS/Email}

Are you a Mommy blogger?

Do you blog about your kids?

Do you blog about great things for Mommies?

Do you wanna meet other Mom Bloggers?

With GFC  gone,  we are now rotating Social Media Outlets each week, featuring different ways to follow some of your favorite {and new} Mommy Blogs!
The rotation will follow this sequence: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, RSS/Email

All we ask is that you follow the 3 Co-Hosts: The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom, Luxury Living Frugal Style, and So Easy Being Green… the first three blogs on the linky! 

We would LOVE it if you’d grab our button and put it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post! This would help us spread the word. However, you aren’t required to. Please be sure to link up to the correct Social Media of the Week and leave us a comment so we can follow you back!

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED MEDIA IS RSS/Email!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Food and Love {Book Review!}

Oh how I love food. And I love sweet memories I have of making food with my mom and grandmother. I love the recipes that have been passed down to me from my mother and from her mother and grandmother. I love trying new recipes and making concoctions of my own.  Chicken Soup for the Soul: Food and Love is a book full of stories about just that..food and love!

This was such a fun book to read! I love reading all the sweet stories of cooking and all the love that goes in to cooking and making food! It's seriously inspirational! And my favorite part about this book....it has RECIPES!!! So not only do I get to read fun, special, inspiring stories that have to do with food, but I get to try some new recipes too! There are all kinds of recipes in this book! From muffins to stew to cake there is something you will want to try in this book!

This book is a great book for a gift or for yourself! It will make you laugh, and cry, and remind you of memories you have with family and friends over food! You will get great ideas and some super great recipes too!

Mommy Talk Tuesday!{ Birth Stories! Was it everything you expected?!}

Welcome to the very first week of Mommy Talk Tuesday! If you missed my introduction to the idea, every Tuesday myself and Abbey from Life as a Lake are going to be posting a topic that has something to do with being a mother and discuss it! If you are a blogger you can write a blog post about the topic and link up with us, and even if you're not a blogger you can join in the fun and share your opinion by leaving a comment!

This week's topic is Birth Stories: Was it Everything you Expected?  Feel free to share your birth story and let us know if it was everything you expected it to be? Did it all go as planned? If not, what went wrong, or just different? Was it better or easier than you expected? What would you do different next time? And if you are an expecting first time mom, tell us how you HOPE your labor and delivery process will go?!

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My birth stories are long so I won't share both of them now but I will tell you Noah's birth was NOTHING like I expected and Isaac's was everything I wanted and more! With Noah I was induced due to preeclampsia and went through 22 hours of labor. It was scary and long and miserable. I knew it wouldn't be a fun ordeal but I didn't think it was going to be that bad!

Isaac's birth was amazing! I was so worried about getting Preeclampsia again and I was worried things would be as long and miserable as the first time. But as I got closer to my due date and everything was going well, I was hopeful that things would be ok. I really did not want to be induced again either so I was hoping I would go into labor all on my own. Well much to my pleasant surprise my water broke all on it's own and I had a very easy and quick labor and delivery!

Both of my deliveries were beautiful but there was definitely a difference in what I expected each time! What's most important is that my babies were born healthy!

Write a blog post about this topic and link up below! OR comment below about this topic! 

**If you link up PLEASE list a Mommy Talk topic idea that you would like to discuss and we will randomly pick one each week! **

Mom Blog Monday Blog Hop! {Google+}

Are you a Mommy blogger?

Do you blog about your kids?

Do you blog about great things for Mommies?

Do you wanna meet other Mom Bloggers?

With the announcement that Google will soon be pulling the plug on GFC, Mom Blog Monday is beginning to evolve! We will be rotating Social Media Outlets each week, featuring different ways to follow some of your favorite {and new} Mommy Blogs!
The rotation will follow this sequence: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, RSS/Email

All we ask is that you follow the 3 Co-Hosts: The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom, Luxury Living Frugal Style, and So Easy Being Green… the first three blogs on the linky! Then follow Spot #4 which is the featured blog of the week!

We would LOVE it if you’d grab our button and put it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post! This would help us spread the word. However, you aren’t required to. Please be sure to link up to the correct Social Media of the Week and leave us a comment so we can follow you back!

This week’s Featured Media is Google+!

What To Expect Book Series Review & Giveaway! {2 Winners!}

When you become a parent there are always questions right from the moment you find out you're pregnant until your child is an adult and moving out on their own! One question I ask ALL the time is "Is this normal?". Even being a new mom of two I STILL ask that question. When I was pregnant and would have a certain symptom I'd ask that question and now with a two year old and a 3 month old I still ask that all the time! But I have found an awesome resource to answering most of my questions-the What To Expect Series!

I received the books What To Expect When Your Expecting, What To Expect The First Year, and What To Expect the Second Year to review from the What To Expect Series! I read the first one when I was pregnant with Noah and it was SO helpful so I was very excited to read through it again and to read the other books as well!

What To Expect When Your Expecting is a book every expecting parent needs! It guides you through each month of your pregnancy with symptoms you might have, what to expect at that month's prenatal visit, and answers tons of questions you might have! It even gives you information on pregnancy complications you may have, information for the expecting father, and labor and delivery!

What To Expect the First Year is great for a new parent or even a second or third time parent with a new baby! This book tells you what to expect from the moment you hold your baby in your arms until their first birthday! From the first bath to feeding your baby to teething everything is included in this book! There's even a section in the book for dealing with postpartum depression and how to get back into a workout routine with a new baby! This book also goes by month to month just like What to Expect When Your Expecting!

What To Expect the Second Year is all about the baby who has now transitioned to a toddler! This book covers everything from keeping your toddler healthy, to naps, to tantrums, and even potty training! This book will give you advice on how to handle your newly independent child who wants to be a big kid, but still needs his/her mommy or daddy very much! This book is not month to month, but rather by category such as feeding, sleeping, and behavior.




I really love having these books handy for when I have questions or concerns with my boys!  They literally have just about every topic you could think of when it comes to being pregnant or having an infant or toddler! Even the What To Expect website has information and advice!  These books are great to have in your own home or to give to someone else who's expecting or has a small child!

Buy It!

Check your local bookstore for a copy of these books!

Win It!

Two lucky readers will receive a copy of each What To Expect book above! 

Mommy Talk Tuesday! Send Me Your Topics!

So I want to kick off Mommy Talk Tuesday next week if possible! If you missed my post last week, Mommy Talk Tuesday is going to be a blog post each Tuesday with a specific topic to discuss that has something to do with being a mommy. I am teaming up with Abbey from Life as a Lake for this and we are going to likely have a linky so you can post about the topic on your blog (if you have one) and link up! If you don't want to blog about it you can just leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions on that week's topic.

So with that being said, I need topic ideas! It can be anything related to being a mom! I'm talking just about anything! Pregnancy, Childbirth, Breastfeeding, and even how to keep the fire burning in your relationship! It doesn't have to be a debate topic, but it can be. It can just be something you would like advice on or would like to know what other moms think. It just has to be anything MOM related!

So...either leave me a comment or shoot me an email telling me of a MOM topic you would like to discuss as part of Mommy Talk Tuesday! And be sure to come back next Tuesday for our first topic! Thanks!

Three years! Say What?!

Three years ago today I married my sweet husband! I can't believe it's been three years, and two kiddos later! We've been through so much but we've come out stronger than ever! Our love for each other runs deep and he is my soul mate and best friend! Happy Anniversary babe!

Mom Blog Monday Blog Hop! {TWITTER}

Are you a Mommy blogger?

Do you blog about your kids?

Do you blog about great things for Mommies?

Do you wanna meet other Mom Bloggers?

With GFC  gone,  we are now rotating Social Media Outlets each week, featuring different ways to follow some of your favorite {and new} Mommy Blogs!
The rotation will follow this sequence: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, RSS/Email

All we ask is that you follow the 3 Co-Hosts: The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom, Luxury Living Frugal Style, and So Easy Being Green… the first three blogs on the linky! 

We would LOVE it if you’d grab our button and put it somewhere on your blog or in a blog post! This would help us spread the word. However, you aren’t required to. Please be sure to link up to the correct Social Media of the Week and leave us a comment so we can follow you back!

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED MEDIA IS TWITTER!

Some Fun Events Coming Soon!

So I've signed up for a few giveaway hops that I wanted to tell you about!! I just can't seem to stay away from a good event!

A Tisket A Tasket Giveaway Hop!

This giveaway hop is brought to you by Shepromotes.com and is April 8-22! I've decided that since it's a spring event I'm going to do a fitness themed giveaway! I already have a really awesome sponsor that I will be telling you about soon! I am also open to additional sponsors for this event so please email me if interested!

Mother's Day Cloth Diaper Giveaway Hop!


This next event is a fluffy one!! It's hosted by Daily Mothering and is all about cloth diapers! I am still looking for a host for this one so if you are a cloth diaper retailer I would LOVE to have you as a sponsor! Please feel free to email me!

Shake, Rattle, and Roll Giveaway Hop! 

This event is all about babies, toddlers, and kids! Each blog will have a giveaway for the special kiddos in your life! This is also hosted by Shepromotes.com! It will take place May 22- June 1! I am also looking for sponsors for this event so please contact me if interested!


If you are a retailer and would be interested in sponsoring for any of these great events please contact me at mommyferg02(at)gmail(dot)com