Choosing a mattress for long term health for your children - My Green Mattress Review

Sleep. The final frontier for parents, right? We strive for sleep for our children and ourselves pretty much from day one. I don't remember ever being so obsessed over the thought of sleep before becoming a parent! Coordinating nap times, bed times, coping with your own interrupted sleep that can last for years, dissecting why your child isn't sleeping the same way as they did last week. It. is. exhausting.

As our two girls are growing older we have begun to consider how we are going to adapt their bedroom from being toddler-focused to more a forward, long term set up.  From the time that my second daughter was night weaned and no longer bedsharing with my husband and I, she has been sharing a bedroom with her older sister. Each girl had her own cute toddler sized bed. We knew that we wanted the sisters to continue to share a bedroom but graduating them to twin or full sized bed frames would occupy too much space for their bedroom. Thankfully we scored an amazing deal at our local furniture store for a floor model twin-over-full bunk bed frame and we snatched it up right away!

To give you a short background on where we are coming from; we bedshare with each of our children until they are night-weaned at about 18 - 24 months. Our first two children were girls and we excitedly helped them embrace this special relationship by sharing a bedroom. When we purchased the new bunk bed, we naturally we expected our older daughter (Penny) to want to take the top bunk. But as it turned out our 3 year old (Ruby) was the better candidate because she sleeps through the whole night and never leaves her bed. It's always been that way! Penny is still a night waker; which we've concluded is because of her primary love language: physical touch. The girl still very much loves her snuggles and works diligently throughout the night to sneak into our bed for more! Towards the end of my last pregnancy we set goals for her to find ways to cope with this need; giving her need a name ("the snuggle tank"), with increased snuggles at the end of the day and self-gauging her needs. But we had to draw the boundary for how much time she sleeps in our bed in preparation for our bed-sharing time with Baby Brother whenever he arrives. It's been a slow and gentle process that we are hoping will make more sense to her when her brother arrives and she can tangibly see- there just isn't a whole lot of room for 4 people in our bed as well as it's just not going to be very restful sleep for ANYONE.

In the wake of purchasing the new bed frame that we intend for the girls to use until they move out, we also knew that an equally (if not more) important decision was what type of mattress they would sleep on. Why would it matter? Consider that this piece of furniture will be in contact with your child for usually over 10 hours a day for over 10 years (the average lifespan of a mattress). Not only is comfort a key factor, but the material needs to be as well! There is a broad range of mattress styles, thicknesses, material choices and price points available on the market and it's important to understand how to balance those in the best way for your family.

When I started doing research for new mattresses for our children I started with a wide cast net - what is the least expensive but most readily available option? What kind of mattress does this provide? What kind of product is offered at the opposite end of the spectrum? What do my friends recommend? What are the online reviews? Does it have springs, is it entirely foam, or a combination? Why would material choice matter; comfortable is comfortable, right?

It turns out no; not all mattresses are created equal! No surprise, the quality of materials and the type of comfort you are looking for play a huge role in the price of the product. There are tons of options available at both ends of all the factors one would want to consider.

Long term studies are still being conducted on the effects of the use of memory foam and other petroleum products in the sleeping space. One can't argue that the costs are lower, they are easier to manufacture and memory foam is comfortable. The use of flame retardants in mattresses and childrens clothing has also been shown to be toxic; with several of just as effective non-synthetic options to consider. But because many modern manufacturing practices focus on the bottom dollar rather than the well being of their customer, I am wary of how the use of certain products will affect myself or my family over the course of our lives. This is why I research as much as possible if I am given a choice in a product and opt for responsibly sourced materials and manufacturing practices.

My main goal for choosing a quality, safe sleep mattress for the long term use by my daughters was that it was made from natural materials and did not use memory foam.  Memory foam has become a very popular choice in mattresses; in fact it's quite difficult to find any mattress, especially childrens mattresses to be without it.

This is how we discovered My Green Mattress. Their Pure Echo mattresses are made with GOTS certified organic cotton and wool. No petroleum based memory foam that off gas and emit VOCs that are dangerous for developing systems. The coils keep the mattress soft yet firm without the need of foam to make it more comfortable.

The mattresses arrived tightly rolled up, also in an effort to be more eco friendly and save on shipping space and costs.

Well, this may be the biggest piece of fluffy mail I have received! One of our two @MygreenMattress have arrived! #mygreenmattress #natural #organic #organiccotton #organicmattress

A post shared by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Jun 1, 2017 at 11:14am PDT

We unrolled them and expected to have an air out period to get the manufacturing smells or any other scents to dissipate before having our children sleep on them (this is called "off gassing"). There were no obvious odors, but we gave them a day to relax and the following morning I put them onto our brand new bunk beds.

The girls were both so excited for their new big bed. Both bunks have been the source of hours of imaginary play and a quiet nook to snuggle or read. Since Holden's arrival, there has been a night or two that my husband slept with either girl that needed some extra snuggles. I've even crawled into bed with each of the girls, when the whole house is asleep, to catch up on snuggles that I have been missing from them while I've been focusing on the new baby.  Even in being accustomed to a very soft and forgiving memory foam mattress, the Pure Echo mattress is still very comfortable to an adult. Best of all, I know my kids can safely sleep on them for years to come.

Learn more about My Green Mattresses and why you should consider them when purchasing mattresses for your family's long term health.

Disclosure: Thank you, My Green Mattress, for facilitating this review! 

I received product in exchange for my honest opinion. No other compensation was provided. 

All photography and opinions are my own. 

Sneak Peek: Just Between Friends of Marysville - Mount Vernon consignment sale!

Remember when I told you that the Just Between Friends of Marysville / Mount Vernon spring sale was coming to Skagit County? Because of how much money I save by shopping at these events, and in turn consigning my kids' outgrown clothing, I don't have to shop at retail stores at all through out the year! Woop woop!  Today I spent **3 hours** pouring through the pre-sale to find the best deals on clothes for my kids, and tonight I'm going to give you a sneak peek at what you can find at the sale this weekend!

 Quite adorable! They staged a few different items to make it look like a nursery right by the cash register.

 Most JBF sales provide the big blue IKEA bags for you to use while shopping, but this time around JBF Marysville - Mount Vernon had shopping carts! Quite handy when you have a pre-schooler tagging along and you can (ahem) let then Netflix binge while you peruse the racks. No shame here.

 Sports apparel is always a favorite! I picked up Seahawks and Oakland Raiders sweatshirts.

 So cute! Tons of well made and like-new handmade items.

 Have your pick and find the best deal!

This may have been one of my best steals. 3 excellent used condition Bum Genius 4.0 cloth diapers with inserts. These retail for $20 each, and after 5 years of cloth diapering 3 kids, with many of my originals still in rotation, it was irresistible to snag a pack to freshen up the stash for Holden.

So what did I come home with? Even after shopping at these events for the last 5 years, I was amazed at how low the prices were.

There ya have it!

This sale is on now through October 1 at the Skagit County Fairgrounds in Mount Vernon Wa. See full details here.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Just Between Friends of Marysville - Mount Vernon. 

No other compensation was provided. All opinions and photography are my own.

Omaiki Mini-Ö Newborn Diaper Review

Are you thinking about taking the plunge for cloth diapers with your newborn? I've used cloth diapers exclusively for all three of my kids and each time around I've learned something new. Holden arrived this summer and while he was over a pound heavier than his sister before him (and over two pounds heavier than his oldest sister), we still had a good run at newborn cloth diapers and I wanted to share our experience with Ömaiki Mini-Ö newborn cloth diaper.

They come with an adjustable waist line that uses aplix ("Velcro" style) closures, which is helpful for the wide range of belly sizes that newborns may have. The diapers two sets of rise heights, also perfect for snapping down to a smaller size if necessary.

The Ömaiki Mini-Ö diaper is an all-in-one style cloth diaper in which the absorbent insert lays flat on the inner part of the diaper, but hangs loose so that washing and drying are less energy intensive. Most AIO cloth diapers get a bad rep because although they are a completely enclosed one piece (making them very easy to use, especially for those not accustomed to cloth diapering), they take more water to completely wash and more dryer time to fully dry. This design that flips the insert out, but keeps it connected to the diaper, aids in faster turn around time on this diaper. And that's a big help because as you know...newborns used A LOT of diapers! The absorbent insert fabric is bamboo viscose with organic cotton, with a polyester topper to wick away moisture quickly. Bamboo is by far my preferred material of choice because it is so absorbent and retains a lot of moisture. 

"Little" Holden was born weighing 9 lbs 9 oz and was my biggest baby. With my daughters (7 and 8 pounds, respectively) it took a little bit of time after birth for them to really seem like they fit into even newborn cloth diapers, but this guy wasted no time. However, because of his larger size at birth and very quick weight gain, we used these diapers for a shorter period of time than I would have expected to use had it been for my girls. Such is life!

At about a week old and roughly 10 lbs, Holden fit into the diapers quite nicely. The rise of the diaper didn't interfere with his umbilical stump healing. Because this diaper was developed for newborns, his skinny newborn legs were wrapped perfectly with no leaking.

The Ömaiki Mini-Ö diaper fits babies from 5 lbs through 3 months, however in our experience Holden fit the diaper most comfortably through about 12 lbs (which was one month of age). 

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was provided. All opinions and photography are my own.

Oko Creations for all that Post Partum Stuff

 Let me preface this post by saying that post partum recovery is a pretty sensitive mess, 

so naturally you can expect that I'll be pretty frank with terminology. Thanks for reading!

Yay! He's here! Even though I'm on a self-induced maternity leave, there's one set of items that I wanted to talk about with you that have made turning that corner of post partum recovery a lot easier. Oko Creations was so awesome to send me a few of their products aimed at giving me some soft, gentle relief during that tender time - nursing pads and heavy flow cloth menstrual pads for lochia (post partum discharge).

The first time I ever tried cloth menstrual pads was during my post partum recovery with my second child, Ruby. And I'm seriously so glad that I did! I had an interesting tear that led to a prolonged, tender recovery and I couldn't imagine suffering through that with paper pads. So, that honestly really positive first experience, while truly diving into the deep end, encouraged me to continue to use cloth pads / mama cloth for when my cycle returned at about 10 months post partum.

Now that Holden has arrived (!!!), I am excited to share again my experience in using cloth pads during post partum recovery. Another preface that I'd like to mention is that while Oko Creations does not have a designated post partum size and shaped pad (yet), I can personally recommend it based on my experience. My normal menstrual flow is pretty typical, not too heavy and not too light. 

My post partum recovery was much faster this time around, which was shocking to me given how big he was and how much work I had in pushing him out. My daughters were just under 7 pounds and 8 pounds; Holden was 9 1/2 pounds. My second birth took much longer for me to recover due to an interesting tear and I was very surprised that I didn't tear at all with Holden. I experienced a very heavy, typical post-birth flow for about a week (during that time I used dedicated post partum sized pads from a different brand) and used my Oko Creations heavy flow pads for the following two weeks of heavy lochia flow. The heavy flow pads were perfect for this phase of post partum recovery. The length was just right to make sure there wasn't any spills while I was still laying in with baby and the super absorbent hemp topper and core didn't stick to me like disposable pads had done for my first post partum recovery. 

The biggest difference that I could see between the heavy flow and the regular size pads from Oko Creations was that the heavy flow are longer and also featured dual wings to help secure the longer pad around your underwear. Both pads feature 3 layers of absorbent hemp material and a unique integrated waterproof breathable layer (which has been explained to me that it looks and feels a bit like plastic wrap; it's not as thick as traditional PUL). For as absorbent both sizes of the Oko Creations pads are, they are very trim and are my favorite to reach for during regular to heavy flow days in my cycle! 

Now let's talk breast pads. I typically leak during the first 3-4 months of nursing; after that my milk seems to regulate and I don't have super strong let down. I like to use reusable breast pads because just like cloth menstrual pads and cloth diapers - I'm all about reduction of waste and cloth just feels better to me!

Oko Creations has two types of breast pads; hemp and merino wool toppers.  I got to review the hemp pads, but have reviewed their oh-so-adorable handmade merino wool baby hat in the past (which we still affectionately call "the snail hat." The pads are made with two layers of hemp fleece (the same material that the cloth pads are made from) and backed with waterproof PUL. This prevents any leaks through your pad, bra and shirt. These thick pads made to be super absorbent so they do show through a thin nursing tank or bra, so I either wear a secondary layering shirt or save these for night time. From 2 weeks of age Holden has been sleeping straight from 9 pm - 4 am.  I have definitely put my time in for long night nursing sessions with my daughters; I know exactly how big of a blessing this is!! But the cost is super full breasts in the early morning that are ready to feed that baby! While nursing him on the first side, my other breast is well protected with my Oko Creations breast pad without any leaking. I feel confident because the same hemp material that I trust in my menstrual pads is catching my extra milk in these pads and the PUL backing makes extra sure that it doesn't go any further. 

Oko Creations is a family owned based in Quebec, Canada. All of Oko Creations products are handmade and ethically produced locally with sustainability and long term quality in mind. Hand-made products are so special because you can just imagine the dreams and inspiration that went into the product that you hold in your hand. I am proud to support hand made, family owned businesses (even at the higher cost) because you know that supporting their products supports a dream.  Check out their work shop - it's such a friendly and homey atmosphere!

You can find out more of Oko Creations products on their website and follow along on facebook.

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was provided.

All opinions and photography are my own. 

Holden's Birth Story

This birth story is one that's taken me about two months to process. It was a strangely intense but sobering experience; it wasn't what I was expecting for my third natural birth.

Two points to preface; I had my two previous children unmedicated, in the water, at stand alone birth centers. Click over and you can read Penny's and Ruby's. Throughout my pregnancy my midwife, who is a mother of four, mentioned that third babies tend to be a total gambit. Their births are so different from the previous two and from any future babies. I waited, curiously, to see how that would unfold. The second point, which I mention in full anonymity but want to include it in my story because it made a bigger impact on me than I had expected. The evening before I went into labor I learned that a friend had lost her precious baby girl to SIDS.

In the early morning of 40 weeks and 3 days I went into labor after having a bit of prodomal labor for the past week. That previous night my husband's aunt had arrived to stay with us for a week and I took a bath before bed. At 3:40am I was awoken by 90 second contractions that were spaced about 3-4 minutes apart. I probably had been laboring in my sleep and it was the real ones that woke me up. They weren't painful; they caught my attention and given my very fast birth with Ruby - I wanted my midwife to know right away.  My waters had broken but it wasn't a gush as it had been with my first birth. My midwife, Eloisa, agreed that it would be a good idea to carefully pack up and head over. My bag had already been ready for a few weeks, so all we needed to do was pack a few last minute essentials, tell "Nana" that we were headed out.  Let me tell you what a huge relief it is when you are in labor and you know your other children are well taken care of and they don't even need to be moved. When they would awake that morning, they would already be big sisters!

It was about 5:00 am on that Saturday morning when we drove the 20 minutes to my stand alone birth center; The Bellingham Birth Center in Bellingham, WA. My contractions weren't making me anxious. In fact, I was pretty damn chill. Chill enough to ask my husband to stop at the closest coffee stand to get us lattes and muffins. We laughed, said "#3rd baby!" What a difference this was from our first birth; when we got pulled over by a police officer and I yelled at him to either give us a ticket or to let us go...

We pulled in to the birth center at 5:30 and checked in. It's a small historic home that was tastefully converted into a birth center and a very comforting place to me. It has two birth suites and I could hear that there was another mama-to-be laboring in the other room - which was a first for me, in all of my appointments and hours of labor and post-partum through 3 children to be in the birth center while another mama was actively laboring. It is interesting to hear another woman in labor! Unfortunately for this mama, she was sent home a little later. She came in a bit too early.

Eloisa let us settle in and my husband hooked up my cell phone to their stereo and turned on the Pandora station we had been jamming out to lately (Mumford and Sons). I paced and sat on the bed while Eloisa prepped her paperwork too. I was feeling great, calm and relaxed. I was already pleased that this wasn't a "drop everything and run" kind of birth that I was preparing myself for. I was at the birth center, in the place that I wanted to have my son, and I was content. Whatever else was thrown at me - I'm fine. In retrospect, I was too comfortable and fine!

I pace some more, leaking my waters and working through contractions that were becoming more intense. But I quickly was able to overcome that discomfort and whatever position or action that I was doing would quickly become tolerable. Eloisa thought it would be worthwhile to check where I was at, and we discovered that my cervix was pulled back a bit, which was not helping baby boy get into the best position. She had me straddle the birth stool and during a contraction she pulled my cervix forward to help. No surprise, this was not my favorite thing to do, and I believe she had to do it two or three more times during the course of my labor.

Pretty soon I was over pacing, leaning over a couch arm and using the birth stool. I had my daughters in the water and I was wanted to get in. So I labored there for several hours...and AGAIN it was just too comfortable! My dear friend That Mama Gretchen had given me some protein cookies that I stashed into my labor bag so those got brought out and they were amaze-balls (G - I will be needing that recipe!). I asked my husband to send her a text just to emphasize how delicious they were. So there I was, relaxing in the birth tub, laughing, eating cookies and contracting a bit. The perfect image of a mother in labor, right? No. I wasn't getting anywhere!

As I process this experience I know that this stall in my labor was because of the position of my cervix and because of my emotional state. I wasn't excited, I was calm. Peaceful. Patient. Too patient. I don't feel like my head was in the game. I didn't push myself to make the contractions more intense because I didn't want him to come too soon. I knew my body would do what it needed to do. But a question that I ask myself often is "where was my heart in all of this?"

Around noon Eloisa gave me a couple homeopathics to encourage more labor and I used a sling in which I hung my upper body on and lunged through contractions using a stool. For my second birth I had done something similar just doing lunges on the edge of the outside of the tub. Angry contractions for a few minutes, and again - I adapted and it wasn't working anymore.

The final try was to lay on my side in the bed with three pillows stacked between my knees; around noon. WOW that was working! And with vengeance! I lost track of time, but got into the mode of labor where I contracted hard and slept for the couple minutes between contractions. Eloisa gave me some saline to help boost me along. Finally I began roaring through my contractions and I knew it was time to start pushing. And push I tried.

Nothing was happening.

I know the feeling of bearing down and pushing a baby out. I knew what was coming. And nothing was happening; I was pushing with all of my might and I felt no progression. I must have gotten those words out, and all at once I realize that there is a mask being put onto my face. I thought it was nitrous, which is used for pain management and I tried pushing it away (it was my husband who was placing it there). He resisted and kept the mask there. I was hyperventilating and it was oxygen, but I was in "the labor zone" of my consciousness and wasn't really listening to what was being said to me. He was pressing the mask to my face and providing counter pressure to my back that I was asking him for. He was right in the middle of the hardest moments of my life.

Quickly Eloisa tells me that baby's heart rate is down, even with the oxygen, and I need to get on all fours. His head was out (I didn't know this) and I quickly flipped onto my knees. More roaring pushes, not having the sensation I was expecting. I could hear Eloisa say calmly and quietly to the birth assistant to call the paramedics; just in case. She then reached in and pulled my son out.

It was but the smallest moment in time; but to me it was an eternity. The sounds were muffled to me, but I could hear Eloisa saying "call them, he's not responsive." She gives him a puff of oxygen and tells me - "talk to your son. He needs to hear you." I scream in pure terror and agony; all I could think of was the precious baby that my friend had lost just a day earlier. My husband whispers in my ear, "His name is Holden. Talk to Holden," and I scream to him, reaching out to touch him and Eloisa exclaims happily "HE'S FINE!" The paramedics never had to come because everything was fine. I was fine, he was fine.

From that point on everything was normal. He pinked up, he came to me and I hugged him so tight. We nursed. My husband, so physically and emotionally exhausted, quickly settled down next to us on the bed and napped.

A couple hours later Eloisa asked if she may weigh him and he came in a whopping 9 lbs 9 oz. No one was expecting a baby of this size because my larger daughter had been 8 lbs at birth. I didn't have an unusual weight gain. I ate healthily with the guilty pleasure of chocolate, but who could deny me? Besides the difference of having a boy, I don't really have an explanation of why he weighed so much more than his sisters had. But I am thankful for the 11 hour labor, my frustrating patience, even my difficult cervix because it helped extend the length of my labor and give my body time to accommodate a larger baby and of course - the skilled hands of my birthing team.

I have hesitated telling that final part of the story. I know that for many people that may give a sense of fear; maybe that I was extremely lucky and should have been in the hospital. Risk occurs everywhere. My pregnancy was extremely low risk and a stand alone birth center and midwife wouldn't accept an at risk mother. Births are unpredictable and that's kind of what is so magical about them. In processing this experience and speaking with my sister in law, who is a labor & delivery nurse, she had helped me reframe the part that scared me - that he was "unresponsive." "Babies born naturally and of that size are just born stunned. Imagine what they went through to be born. They just need a minute to catch up," she told me. It changed my perspective from one of fear to acceptance of the norm. Sure, it was hands down the scariest moment of my entire life, but does it mean that I've failed or made a foolish decision to have my child away from a hospital? No. He was born into the hands that he needed to be; hers were the ones that God knew would be the best to guide him here. I don't think there is enough thanks that I could give this woman for what she did for us.

Two months later and Holden is such an amazing addition to our family. The love that his sisters lavish upon him is without a doubt the sweetest thing I have ever seen.

---

As a final note, one part of a lot of births that is overlooked is how the dad is doing. In our case, Adam had taken the front row seat for all of my births but this one was particularly intense.  Pushing the mask onto my face, seeing his wife do the birth exactly as she was supposed to and not being able to get the baby out, and the final adrenaline spike of his first moments in life. Personally I felt completely fine and was recovering normally after getting Holden in my arms, but dads are a different creature. I experienced it, but he SAW it all. Be sure to give the daddy the opportunity to process as well. 

This mom's pre-baby product list

It's week 37 of this edition of Pierogie Pregnancy! While my two previous children were not early by any means (39 weeks and 41 weeks), a little spot in my mind remains open to the idea that I just might have a baby boy in my arms in a week or two. Cue mind-splosion.

Nesting has been in full bore for about 2-3 weeks and I've been diligently knocking off items on my "end of pregnancy to do list," which I purposefully kept simple. Enjoy my baby showers, have my much anticipated special run Natibaby carrier arrive, refinish a dresser for baby boy, prepare our guest room for about 6 weeks worth of guests, get the big sisters into their swanky new bunk bed and truly the most important and probably time consuming task - organize all the baby things.

Having 3 kids in the span of 5 years does help you stream line a lot of things. Through baby #2 I quickly realized what worked for us and what I don't really need to hold on to. Hallelujah for consignment sales! I have been able to periodically destash baby items through out the years and recoup some cash and valuable space thanks to those. But, even though it's only been 3 years since my last pregnancy, some fun new items come onto the market that weren't on my radar before. So let me share with you a few of the new products that have caught my eye and landed on my "pre-baby product list."

The Dockatot was something that kept popping up on my facebook feed and I was really intrigued by the idea. We are a bed-sharing family and I typically sleep with my kids full-time until they are night weaned; around 18 months. We practice safe sleep methods that are essential for bed-sharing and thus there aren't a whole lot of products that fit in for making any of it easier. The Dockatot is an all cotton sleeping pad with bolstered sides, which creates a safe microclimate for the baby.  A concern I had with bed sharing with the baby this time around is that in the last year we have switched to an all-foam, no spring mattress and that doesn't provide air circulation as well as it should for bed sharing. I'm excited to share our full review once baby is here! Already shopping? Save $10 on DockaTot here.

And while we're on the topic of safe sleep, I wanted to mention that I've been doing a ton of research on mattresses and safe materials for children ever since we upgraded our 5 and 3 year old daughters from two toddler beds to their "you'll have this until you move out" bed set - a twin over full bunk. Buying the bed frame was the easy part; the hardest part was finding that balance between comfort, quality of materials, affordability and safety in the mattresses! We found My Green Mattress to fit all of those qualifiers! Even though it's not exactly a traditional "pre-baby" item, everyone goes mattress shopping and at some point you'll definitely be asking yourself the same questions when shopping for your children's mattresses that I did- so stay tuned for that update as well! Already shopping? Save 5% on any My Green Mattress using code WELCOME5.

How do you take care of your body immediately following birth? With my last child I experienced an interesting tear that made me so so thankful that I decided to give cloth menstrual pads a try. Cloth pads, or mama cloth, are really easy to use especially when you are already cloth diapering your baby. You just wash your pads along with the diapers (pre-rinse if that's important to you). Oko Creations has your back (well, bottom). I've reviewed their pads in the past and they still are my favorite pads to buy. The material is the most absorbent I've ever used and the quality is amazing.

One of my favorite gifts from my baby shower was not for baby at all...it's all for me! Well, and the family. Have you jumped on the instant-pot train? I have never cooked with a pressure cooker but a few of my friends of 2+ kids have raved that this is the must have item for streamlining family meals. Several of my gal pals pooled together and gifted one for our family. I'm so excited to try out new recipes! So far I've tried Beef Stroganoff, shredded chicken, white sticky rice (ahhhhhhmaaaaaaaaayzzzzing) and Mexican Rice (honestly, I prefer my old school dutch oven way though). Apparently one can make creme brulee using an IP so that is certainly going to happen in my near future! I'm thinking it'll either be a "my baby is late, leave me alone" or "he's here!!" dessert.

It's really interesting how one's parenting transforms over several children. For my first daughter - a stroller was a believed must have. Everyone needs a stroller for their baby, right? We used our stroller a lot as we lived in neighborhoods that had sidewalks and we took family strolls quite often. With baby #2, I was getting more into babywearing and she rode in the stroller very rarely - she always preferred uppies and the stroller became our diaper bag carrier whenever we were out on trips. With baby #3, living in the country without sidewalks in sight, and having more or less streamlined my diaper bag to the bare essentials, we are actually selling our stroller and just babywearing exclusively. Over the last couple years I've gotten into woven wraps and have always loved soft structured carriers so this time I jumped in on a very special co-op through Natibaby and got a SSC in standard and toddler size of the Seattle skyline! Squeee!!

Are you expecting? What are a few of your must haves that you're excited about?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Some of the products are upcoming collaborations that will be featured on The Pierogie Mama in the future. I receive items in exchange for my honest review, but no other compensation was provided. All opinions are my own.

My hometown favorite - Just Between Friends Marysville - Mount Vernon Spring Sale

Hey Skagit Mamas!

My little family and I have officially lived in Skagit County for A YEAR and I am reminded of this because my first blog post last year about our move was also about the Just Between Friends Marysville - Mount Vernon Spring Sale! Since then we have gotten to know the community a lot better, have completed a year of pre-school, Awana, met local readers and found all the awesome places for kids to explore (especially to break up those winter blues and cabin fever).

Now that Spring is here, and I literally looked out my window for a break of rain and a hope of sunshine, I am ready to start prepping for warmer weather. I've been going through the girls' clothes - and in more exciting news; thinking ahead of our upcoming Summer Baby BOY - I am looking forward to this edition of my local JBF sale.

So you already know from following my blog that I love JBF for many reasons; it saves us money, it saves the environment and supports local families too. I've been a shopper and consignor for the better part of 5 years and my consignor check sort of rolls into the next sale for what I'm going to need to buy for the next size up for my kids. It's such a blessing to not have to worry about that sort of thing.

Over the years I've seen a ton of stuff for sale at these events and I am always surprised with something new. One year I got a play circus tent, which has been perfect for summer outdoor imaginary play. I've gotten tons of Disney Store brand clothing at a fraction of the cost. Keens & Crocs shoes are a staple in my house and I always am shopping for bigger sizes and consigning the smaller ones, because those shoes are seriously indestructible and work well in our climate for most of the year. "Standard" items in my two girls wardrobe is always leggings, long sleeve and short sleeves, Columbia style zippies and sweat shirts - also really easy to find and shop around for an awesome deal; usually $3-4 a piece. Pretty soon I know we'll be entering the arena for sporting equipment and from what I've seen the selection and condition are great at these sales.

Do I need to go on to show you just how pumped I am??!! 

The Just Between Friends Marysville - Mount Vernon team is partnering with me to get two winners an awesome prize package - each winner will get a PRIME TIME PASS + $10 JBF bucks to spend at the sale!! Woop woop! The prime time pass gets you in the door as early as Thursday April 27 from 3pm - 9pm, but if you can't make it that day you can shop anytime during the sale and still be able to use your JBF bucks. So check out the giveaway widget below; remember there are tons of ways to increase your odds of winning by coming back daily too!

Entry-Form

April 28 - 30, 2017

Skagit County Fairgrounds, Mount Vernon Wa

Find out more details on the full sale schedule here

Pierogie #3 is a boy! --26 week ramblings--

Like most moms who are chasing around kids during pregnancy, I just haven't had the time to sit down and reflect on this little one a whole lot! So here's a brief run down of the first 2/3 of my third pregnancy.

First trimester:

• tired and nauseated. Surprised, anyone?
• cravings for steak and soft cheeses like NONE OTHER.
• Interviewed two birth centers and picked our favorite. What a totally different experience it is to be in the position to interview your midwife and make sure that her scope of care fits into what I want. Being a 3rd time stand alone birth center, water birthing mom, I had a lot of specific questions and preferences! I was so happy to find the perfect fit between the two birth centers and have been loving the care that I've been receiving, feeling supported and also the recognition that I'm a "no muss, no fuss" kind of pregnant gal. 

Second trimester:

• The love for food came back with full force! Woo hoo!!
• Energy to play with my kids came back too! Yippeee!!
• 20 week ultrasound - the only one we plan to schedule - revealed that we will be adding a BABY BOY to our family! Big Sister Penny (age 5) had guessed that baby is a boy and is really excited about it. Big Sister Ruby (age 3) was hoping for a baby sister and has recently warmed up to the idea of a brother. What a fun and exciting new journey this will be for all of us.
• Alas, starting around 24 weeks my hips started to ache. Thankfully I already knew about the benefits of chiropractic care during pregnancy and was able to meet with a well recommended chiropractor in our area. She's been working on getting me aligned and subluxation free to help carry this baby effectively and comfortably.
• Pierogie #3 loves to move around the most in the evenings when we are relaxed in bed and quiet. It's become very obvious when he is doing somersaults and rolling from side to side. 
• We celebrated the big sisters' birthdays - they are two years and a week apart so the first part of March is a birthday extravaganza for us! It was so sweet to reflect on my births for each child and how the experience of being pregnant changes as your children get older.
  // Read Penny's birth story // Read Ruby's birth story// 
• At 26 weeks weeks and over this past week I've had to be very proactive about taking care of my hips and pubis. Thanks to a few specific stretches, hot tub date nights, more chiropractic adjustments and a ring sling I've been able to keep the pain and discomfort at a manageable level but the pregnancy waddle has started early!

Pierogie #3 is on the way! -- 15 week ramblings--

I announced on my facebook and instagram a few weeks ago, but being that my blog has been quiet for about a month now - I figured a REAL post was in order.

We are expecting our third baby in June!

Breaking news! The blog has been quiet while I've been resting and working through my first trimester. I'm excited to share about this journey with #3!

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Dec 12, 2016 at 1:02pm PST

The name of my blog, The Pierogie Mama, comes from what we have called our first born before we knew her sex, so naturally as subsequent babies became #2 and #3.

Our first two children are spaced 2 years (to the week) apart and this baby will be about 3 1/3 years younger than our second born. We chose to wait a year longer for this baby so that we had more time to let each of our older children develop their personalities and *hopefully* be getting a little more help (or at the very least, having both of them be a bit of independent) so that I may feel a little less of a hot mess whenever I walk into a room. Or just in general life!

Both of my daughters were born in the water, you can read birth story #1 and birth story #2 here. We have the same plan for #3.

How did my first trimester go? Well, last time I was super tired all the time - no surprise because I was chasing around a 15 month old and nursing through my pregnancy. Ruby, my second born, naturally weaned at 25 months so I've had a bit of a break to restore myself and my body in preparation for this pregnancy. My energy level didn't drop a whole lot in this pregnancy, but I did feel food aversions and a lack of appetite pretty much from 6 weeks through 13 weeks, resulting in a loss of probably 5-7 lbs. Shortly after Thanksgiving I started to feel more like myself and I've been back on board with eating and keeping the house and homestead in order. It feels so much better!

We had our first appointment with our midwife last week and we got to hear the baby's heart beat for the first time! Unfortunately we listened right after my blood draw and both of my girls were still really upset from seeing it, so they were too distracted to really get to hear the magic. The next appointment that they will get to be a part of will be my 20 week ultrasound in late January.

A photo posted by Bianca @ The Pierogie Mama (@thepierogiemama) on Dec 14, 2016 at 8:55am PST

Penny still remembers our appointments to "the baby house" while I was pregnant with Ruby and it was really fun getting to talk with them about how the baby is developing and what the purposes of the placenta and umbilical cord are.  Penny wasn't present for Ruby's birth, and my heart tells me that I prefer to labor in private, but it may very well happen that things will change and they will get to witness the birth of their sibling. Who knows? Ultimately I'm really ok with whatever happens; it's God's will. I like to put in my requests but am pretty go with the flow.

And that is pretty much what it is!

Dahlia Cloth Review - New mama cloth line from Buttons Diapers! {Giveaway}

After reading about Dahlia Cloth, don't miss out on the Tula giveaway!

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It's no secret that I'm a big fan of cloth diapers - they've saved our family countless dollars (especially because they were able to be reused for subsequent children, including a niece and nephew!), they feel better for baby and they are just plain CUTE. There are tons of reusable cloth products that are gaining popularity in the recent years, but it wasn't until the birth of my second child where I dove head first into the world of reusable cloth menstural pads.

Why buy reusable menstrual pads? It's pretty much the same reason why you would choose cloth diapers over disposable, and honestly most disposable products period. They save me money, they are soft and comfortable, they can be pretty, they are much nicer to the environment and you will hear this from a lot of cloth pad users - your period is actually lighter. There are many speculations as to why, and one might call me a conspiracy theorist, but part of me wonders if all those extra chemicals in disposable products affect the menstrual cycle to last longer because that means you need more of their products and they get more money. Even disregarding that, cloth is a beneficial alternative because you are now removing that chemical contact with your body. Montsano stays out of my vagina. 

Cloth menstrual pads go by many names; mama cloth, R.U.M.P.S. (re useable menstrual products), moon pads or moon rags. They are useful for women through many phases of life - menstruation, post partum healing, urinary incontience or simply as panty liners. They come in different lengths, shapes and materials. 

Many women get a little bit of an "ew" factor when they think about how they will have to care for these pads. Honestly, it takes almost no special care at all. Depending on how many cloth pads you have, you can wash them all at the same time at the end of your cycle or you may have to wash more often to have what you need. I recommend keeping a small wetbag around to place soiled pads into until you are ready to wash.

If you are currently cloth diapering - just throw them in the same load as your diapers. If you aren't, you can wash them by hand with warm water and air dry or wash them in the washer with warm water and dry them on low. I've washed mine with dark towels or sheets without issue. It's also recommended that you rinse them out prior to storing them in the wetbag to prevent staining and making it easier to wash.  It's really not rocket science! And if you fall in love, which I am sure you will, you'll grow a stash that will hopefully be enough for one cycle so all you have to do is wash them all at the end and put them away for next month.

So when Amy, the owner of Buttons Diapers, whom I know personally and love her line of cloth diapers, approached me with the opportunity to review her brand new line of cloth menstrual pads called Dahlia Cloth, I jumped for joy! I've been a fan of Buttons Diapers for as long as they have been on the market and knew that the attention to quality, price point and useability from Amy and the Buttons Diapers team would be evident in this expansion of their lines. 

The Dahlia Cloth pads come in three lengths - small (8.5"), medium (11") and long (13.5"). The size you will need may depend on what part of your cycle you are using them for and your own body shape. I like to use longer pads for my heaviest days, overnight or post partum. Shorter pads are nice for the start and end of your period. It's nice to have a variety of lengths to choose from, because for me I have some cycles that are heavier than others, and I can adjust which pads I'd like to use that day.

Dahlia Cloth pads are simple to use. Lay your pad down onto your underwear, just like you would for a disposable pad with wings, with the absorbant side facing you. Tuck the wings under your underwear and snap together. You can expect to wear a cloth pad anywhere from a couple hours to up to five during the day, or longer and more absorbant ones for overnight. 

Want to know a cute little secret that I love about Dahlia Cloth? If your baby is also wearing Buttons Diapers, only you would know that you and your baby may be matching that day! When I look at my cloth pad stash a smile crosses my face because I get to choose between many different colored patterns or prints. Dahlia Cloth currently comes in Afternoon Tea (a floral print), Meadow (leaves) and Midnight (black). 

The pad is made up of several different layers that play an important role to being an effective pad that is comfortable and leak free. The top layer (which comes into contact with you) is a soft fleece. The core of the pad is absorbant microfiber. It is backed by leak-proof PUL (poly urithane liner), which are those prints that I mentioned above. PUL Is the same material that makes cloth diapers and wet bags leak proof.  Being a Buttons Diaper user I immediately saw that the same materials are used for Dahlia Cloth. I can rest assured that if these materials can handle the dirty work that my children do to them, they can certainly handle mine! 

I tried the medium and long length pads and saved them for my heaviest flow days. They felt comfortable, didn't slide around in my underwear and never leaked. I can understand the trepidation that a woman feels when trying out a new menstrual product - wondering if they can leave the home in fear of having an embarrassing leak. I can say with confidence that I didn't have any worries about that happening. 

For this review I had a couple of my mama cloth friends chime in on their thoughts of Dahlia Cloth too. Both of these friends are experienced mama users; all three of us actually worked on The Pad Project that I shared about with you in the beginning of the year. Luda is primarily a Cup user but wanted to have some pads for "just in case," and she loved how thin and comfortable Dahlia Cloth felt. Kelsey was so excited to see the beautiful prints on the pads, "It truly makes a difference for me having something beautiful that time of the month. I am a mom of three boys and trust me my pads are the only place I get to see flowers and the colors pink and purple in my house!" Kelsey tends to have a really heavy flow and she found that the large size pads worked great for her during the day and night.

You can purchase them through Buttons Diapers and on Amazon.

Buttons Diapers is excited to offer Pierogie Mama readers with the chance to win a 3-pack of Dahlia Cloth pads, in their choice of length (small, medium, long) and print (Afternoon Tea, Meadow or Midnight). Enter via the giveaway widget below, see rules for details.

Entry-Form

Disclosure: This giveaway is hosted by The Pierogie Mama, the prize is sponsored by Buttons Diapers. This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions and images are my own. I received product in exchange for my honest review, no other compensation was provided. Please see the giveaway widget for full details and rules. 

Please email me at thepierogiemama@gmail.com if you have any questions or would like to see your product featured.