The sociologist in me laughs because it's one of those things that we all do but never talk about. How many of you can I get to raise a hand in agreement on this? How many of you sport super awesome bruises on your forearms from stacking so many grocery bags on yourself so that you don't make to go back for more? And then throw kids into the mix. You still only want to make that one trip, but now only have one arm... Oh, and then you are pregnant and are supposed to carry less weight. For a second time mom, it gets rough. It's like the fates sitting back there, giggling, plotting different ways to make me go back to the car 4 times for my weekly haul of food (yes, you can sense a little bit of preggy rage building up here).
So when I discovered the Mighty Handle I seriously had one of those immensely gleeful moments where my husband looks at me like.. are you ok? No, I'm not ok - do you know what this means??!! I can carry 50 lbs of groceries in one hand!
What is the Mighty Handle, you ask? It's a anchor shaped handle that you keep in the back of your car to help you ergonomically carry stuff to your house. It can be groceries, dry cleaning, or my favorite - paint cans.
Have you ever experienced the awesomeness of wool dryer balls? Their awesomeness goes beyond gaining you crunchy mama points, you know.
By adding a pack of 6 Woolzies wool dryer balls to your dryer, you can reduce the drying time to about 25%. Me - I've got a dozen. I hate running the dryer and am experimenting with how many balls is too many balls before they don't make an impact on dryer time anymore. Today I washed and dried our sheets which normally takes a couple hours for our king sized stuff (along with stopping, untangling and removing already dried parts)- and it was done in less than an hour!!
When you save money on energy, you also save money on buying fabric softener. That's because the dryer balls are karate chopping and kneading your fabrics into submission.
Wool allergy? Don't worry - it's not an issue with wool dryer balls. The wool isn't touching your skin and the fibers don't shed.
Check them out online, Facebook and Twitter... Keep an eye out for a giveaway for a pack of Woolzies Wool Dryer balls from The Pierogie Mama in October!
I received a pack of Woolzies Wool Dryer Balls for free using Tomoson.com.
Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. beef7702fe7f798fa63105bf8fc8c054fae618e2ce99f71bed
Happy World Breastfeeding Month :) 3 cheers for nursing 17 months strong!
That being said, nursing an active toddler is not always easy. Lately Miss Penny has been experimenting with acrobatics while nursing - if she isn't tired. Or pulling on my hair, bangs, tapping on my nose (which leads to giggles) and other distracted shenanagins. I normally don't wear necklaces anymore because of their distractibility (and destructibility), but decided that for once and for all I'd give a nursing necklace a try. My broken hair strands beg for it.
So I decided to give Jelly Strands a try. For the moment, the wiggles are taking a break during our nursing sessions and this mama can have some peace! She twirls her fingers around the beads or squishes them between her fingers. When we're not nursing, Penny likes to wear the necklace herself and chew on it. The beads size is just right for her to stick in the back of her mouth and gum on as her 4th molar is still attempting to make its presence. The beads are made of food grade silicone and are dishwasher safe.
Want a set of your own? Jelly Strands is offering The Pierogie Mama readers free shipping! Just enter code "FreeShip13" when checking out. Be sure to keep up on facebook to get all the great deals!
I received a Jelly Strands "Kate" for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
Yesterday we visited our favorite local hike, Wallace Falls, to take advantage of the gorgeous pretty-much-summer weather. It was 90 degrees. In Washington. In May.
The last time we did this hike we (in February) did about 1/3 of the total trip. It was a good day for a hike (considering), but still a little cool and muddy. This time around we did the whole thing. With baby in tow.
Two of our main goals as parents is to keep doing what we loved to do before having a baby (within reason - no ATVing is in our immediate future) and to share our love and appreciation for the outdoors with our children. Which means until Penny is old enough to get herself up that mountain, mama and daddy are going to schlep her up ourselves. Luckily she looooves to be worn and is not that heavy (at 14 months she weighs in just under 20 lbs...).
One of the ways we made it easier on ourselves was to give everyone a "job." Penny's job - if you can really call it that - was to be cute and happy in her Ergo. Nailed it.
Mama's job (to start with) was to be the water carrier. I pulled out my CamelBak that I've had since college, which alleviated carrying around a water bottle and opened up both of my hands to either tend to Squirty or Penny.
Daddy's job was to carry Penny. He had her on his back 90% of the way up to the top, but we ended up switching off because Penny got over being covered in Dad's sweat and needed some Mama time :) So Adam took over carrying the water.
Finally, Squirt's job. Our backs were full - which left no where to pack our lunch. And thus, the best invention known to hiking-kind. The dog pack!
Squirt is wearing a Ruffwear Approach pack. We're in the process of running this pack through it's paces (keep an eye out for a full review soon!) but so far we are really pleased with it. It has two large pockets plus two small ones, with several high quality bells and whistles to boot. We packed our snacks, lunch, Squirt's food and a few miscellaneous items for Penny and he carried it all comfortably without needing to readjust the pack during the 4 hour hike.
Yesterday's weather will probably be one of the top 5 most beautiful days in Washington this year. Even though this hike is an extremely popular one (the parking lot was full by 10a), the trail itself was not terribly crowded. The viewpoints and lunching area were clogged up, but we bypassed most of them and opted to view them on the way back.
There were so many great photo opportunities and it's a shame that the noon day sun was right above us (for the non-photographers out there that means pretty much everything gets washed out in all the brightness!). But you didn't just hear this Washington girl complain about there being too much sun. Nope, not me.
I've been doing my very best to patiently wait for my opportunity to try Buttons Diapers. I met the owner, Amy, and her adorable daughter at my nephew's birthday party and a few months later a little birdie told me that Amy would be starting her own cloth diaper line. To which I squealed in delight - I love that cloth is becoming more popular and that I actually kinda-sorta know the family behind the label.
Buttons Diapers is a family company based in the Pacifc Northwest. The company was born because Amy wanted to make cloth diapers that were well-made, affordable for everyone, and simple to use. (Using cloth should be easy, right? Why clutter your busy-mama life with more work?!)
I am a stay-at-home mom of one 18-month-old, and one due in July 2013. :) I love cloth diapering. Also, I am an old-fashioned-girl at heart, and find joy in doing things the old-fashioned way (with new technology, of course!). After using a few different types of cloth diapers on our daughter, my husband and I decided that we preferred the "hybrid" system. This two-part system consists of: a waterproof cover (which can be used multiple times before washing... thus, saving money and energy) and an absorbent insert. We LOVE having inserts that snap in, so they don't move around inside the diaper.
We hope you will love Buttons Diapers as much as we do, and would LOVE to hear from you!
This system is a diaper cover with a snap in insert. The majority of my stash is pocket diapers, but I also rock the diaper cover with Flip inserts every now and then to give my pockets a rest. I was excited to try these out as I've never used a snap in insert.
At first sight, there already were a few features about this diaper cover that made me give them a thumbs up.
I love that the cover is 2 layers of PUL. The other covers that I've used (Flip, Blueberry and Thirsties) are all one layer and I just like the thicker feel.
The covers are one size, so you can adjust the rise as your baby grows. This eliminates buying multiple covers as your baby grows - just buy your stash once and you're done!
These covers feature a double gusset at the legs and also extra elastic at the belly button and backside. What a customized ft! I've had trouble in the past with Penny not fitting diaper covers very well and leading to leaks.
The inserts are by far the thickest, softest pads I have seen for cloth diapers. I also really liked the contour stitch, which reminded me of maxi pads, LOL! They come in small and large, as well as day time and night time thickness. The inserts are unique in the way that you can stack them for more absorption. The night time insert has snaps on both sides so that you can stack a daytime insert for super soaker babies.
The double gussets became worth their weight in gold when I tried Buttons at night time. To be completely honest I was expecting a pee leak because Penny is a side sleeper and it's hard to find any diaper that doesn't leak from time to time. Because we still bed-share, waking up on a wet sheet thanks to my sweet pea (haha I made a funny) is not one of my favorite things to do. When I woke up the following morning and found that the sheets were dry I knew this was a good diaper cover. Then a few minutes later as Penny started doing her morning routine of poop-yoga (yes, I did just say that, don't act like you haven't seen your child do it either!) I stood back, waiting to see if the cover was going to pass the poop test. And without going into too much detail - yes it did!
My only worry with trying these diapers was that I was worried about being "tied down" with the snaps feature on the covers. It's important to me that my stash is versatile and I can mix and match covers and inserts depending on what we might have planned that day or what is in the laundry at the time. It would be such a shame if I could only use this awesome cover and pads only with each other. So I gave it a shot by using a Flip insert with the Buttons cover (and visa versa) and found that they work well together! Looks like my system has full compatibility!
Are you ready for the best part? Amy has offered a cover and two inserts for one lucky winner! If you've been waiting to try cloth diapers, now is the time!
Disclaimer: Buttons Diapers provided sample products for me to review,
however, all opinions expressed are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. If you have any questions or would like to have your product featured, please email me at thepierogiemama@gmail.com
I've been doing my very best to patiently wait for my opportunity to try Buttons Diapers. I met the owner, Amy, and her adorable daughter at my nephew's birthday party and a few months later a little birdie told me that Amy would be starting her own cloth diaper line. To which I squealed in delight - I love that cloth is becoming more popular and that I actually kinda-sorta know the family behind the label.
Buttons Diapers is a family company based in Mount Vernon, Washington. The company was born because Amy wanted to make cloth diapers that were well-made, affordable for everyone, and simple to use. (Using cloth should be easy, right? Why clutter your busy-mama life with more work?!)
I am a stay-at-home mom of one 18-month-old, and one due in July 2013. :) I love cloth diapering. Also, I am an old-fashioned-girl at heart, and find joy in doing things the old-fashioned way (with new technology, of course!). After using a few different types of cloth diapers on our daughter, my husband and I decided that we preferred the "hybrid" system. This two-part system consists of: a waterproof cover (which can be used multiple times before washing... thus, saving money and energy) and an absorbent insert. We LOVE having inserts that snap in, so they don't move around inside the diaper.
We hope you will love Buttons Diapers as much as we do, and would LOVE to hear from you!
This system is a diaper cover with a snap in insert. The majority of my stash is pocket diapers, but I also rock the diaper cover with Flip inserts every now and then to give my pockets a rest. I was excited to try these out as I've never used a snap in insert.
At first sight, there already were a few features about this diaper cover that made me give them a thumbs up.
I love that the cover is 2 layers of PUL. The other covers that I've used (Flip, Blueberry and Thirsties) are all one layer and I just like the thicker feel.
The covers are one size, so you can adjust the rise as your baby grows. This eliminates buying multiple covers as your baby grows - just buy your stash once and you're done!
These covers feature a double gusset at the legs and also extra elastic at the belly button and backside. What a customized ft! I've had trouble in the past with Penny not fitting diaper covers very well and leading to leaks.
The inserts are by far the thickest, softest pads I have seen for cloth diapers. I also really liked the contour stitch, which reminded me of maxi pads, LOL! They come in small and large, as well as day time and night time thickness. The inserts are unique in the way that you can stack them for more absorption. The night time insert has snaps on both sides so that you can stack a daytime insert for super soaker babies.
The double gussets became worth their weight in gold when I tried Buttons at night time. To be completely honest I was expecting a pee leak because Penny is a side sleeper and it's hard to find any diaper that doesn't leak from time to time. Because we still bed-share, waking up on a wet sheet thanks to my sweet pea (haha I made a funny) is not one of my favorite things to do. When I woke up the following morning and found that the sheets were dry I knew this was a good diaper cover. Then a few minutes later as Penny started doing her morning routine of poop-yoga (yes, I did just say that, don't act like you haven't seen your child do it either!) I stood back, waiting to see if the cover was going to pass the poop test. And without going into too much detail - yes it did!
My only worry with trying these diapers was that I was worried about being "tied down" with the snaps feature on the covers. It's important to me that my stash is versatile and I can mix and match covers and inserts depending on what we might have planned that day or what is in the laundry at the time. It would be such a shame if I could only use this awesome cover and pads only with each other. So I gave it a shot by using a Flip insert with the Buttons cover (and visa versa) and found that they work well together! Looks like my system has full compatibility!
Are you ready for the best part? Amy has offered a cover and two inserts for one lucky winner! If you've been waiting to try cloth diapers, now is the time!
This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering!
I *loved* pregnancy. I loved everything about it, after the first 12 weeks, of course. I loved the beauty of growing another person, I loved the confidence, and most of all.. Lord help me, I loved the food.
I didn't gain a ton of weight. I still felt like a whale at the end, thinking "When am I going to start attracting planetary bodies and keeping my own set of moons??"
Then at about 4 months post partum the weight to literally come sloughing off. It all started when I found that I could comfortably fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes, and a short while later it looked like they were just barely hanging on for dear life. I was excited I was getting awfully close to my high school swimming figure.
However, toned was far from where I was at. Sure, lifting and carrying an increasingly growing baby conditioned my arms. But going to a gym to get to where I wanted to be physically wasn't an option either. This SAHM needed to find a way to get fit(ish).
That's when I came across The Baby Wearing Workout. It made so much sense! Workout with Penny! It couldn't be more perfect! So I quickly worked a session into my daily routine. It's so simple how you can incorporate those mama-moves into those normally very boring moments - like when you're holding your baby and waiting for the water to boil, watching TV, on walks, or afternoons where they are having a difficult time falling asleep.
I use an Ergo when working out with Penny. She quickly relaxes as we begin the work out and most of the time is knocked out from the constant motion and close time with me. The only things you need is your baby and a soft carrier (such as an Ergo, Mei Tie or wrap). I can definitely recommend this work out to other new mamas!
This month, Kelli is also hosting a weight loss challenge with her workout.
There's a ton of prizes that will be awarded weekly (winners are based on random, not by weight loss), which include prizes from Smiling Tree Toys, Barlean's, Onya Baby Carriers and so much more. So if you already have a baby carrier (make sure it isn't a "crotch dangler"), check out her workout video - which is affordably priced, especially for the download option, and sign up for the weight loss challenge!
Disclaimer: I was provided the download to workout in order to accurately review.
Some major growing up has been going on at The Pierogie Mama! Today I am hosting my very first review and giveaway. I get to talk to you about Barlean's Omega Swirl and Flax Oil - one of the ways that I make sure that I'm getting the proper amount of Omega 3's into my diet. Want to learn more about the importance of Omega 3's? Check out this truly adorable video!
Barlean's was first recommended to me by my midwife, and I found their gel caps at my local Fred Meyer in the organic vitamin section. I tried these with hesitation - I had taken fish oil in the past and was seriously grossed out by the fishy smell coming from the bottle and from my pores later. With the Barlean's gel caps, I was so pleasantly surprised! When you twist open the bottle, you're greeted with a citrus scent, which reminds me of squeezing lemon onto my fish chips! And I'm also sure you're dying to know - I never felt like I was sweating fish. Even for someone who does have difficulty swallowing larger pills, these gel capsules are very easy to take. More recently I've gotten the chance to try the Omega Swirl (which comes in many flavors). This is in liquid form so it's even easier for those of us who have difficulty with pills. Here's another cute video...
When I squeezed the Omega Swirl onto a spoon for the first time, I found myself humming "just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down..." And again, Barlean's has proved me wrong. The Key Lime flavor was actually yummy! Would you believe me if I told you that I look forward to taking this each and every morning? It's the truth! When Penelope was born and in my bleary alertness in the first couple weeks, there were a few days that went by that I'd forget to take my supplements. One of her eyelids had a tendency for being dry and flakey, which I was treating with Aquafor several times per day. I soon found a correlation between whenever I was good about taking my fish oil supplement, the irritation went away. I talked to our pediatrician about it, and she agreed that taking fish oil daily would help with Penelope's skin as well. The other supplement that I've become more knowledged about since having Penelope is flax seed oil. Barlean's prides itself on having the freshest flax seed oil around, with a proprietary press that extracts the oil from the flax seeds without damaging the product. Their Flax Oil is also organic and non-GMO certified (this is important, folks!! Read more about why you need to know about GMO's here) Now, to be completely fair, I also tried the flax seed oil straight via tablespoon and I wouldn't liken the taste towards "yummy." It truly had a very fresh grain taste to it. The consistency is a little less viscous than olive oil but it looks very similar, and can be incorporated into many different recipes without anyone being the wiser, like salads, cookies or soups . I've mixed it in with my cereal, oatmeal and cream of wheat. For a list of recipes that you can use any of Barlean's organic oils with, check them out here. You might find yourself wondering, what is the difference between Fish oil and Flax Oil?
Both provide Omega-3 fatty acids that many of us do not have enough of in our diets. To get it the old fashioned way, one should eat oily fish (salmon and mackerel are good examples) several times per week, which is not feasible for many families. Getting your daily requirement of Omega-3's is so easy with Barlean's Omega Swirl or Flax Oil.
According to the Barlean's website, Flax Oil and Fish Oil have the following mutual benefits: Heart Health, Cholesterol Levels Already Within a Healthy Range, Joint Mobility & Bone Density, Energy & Endurance, Blood Glucose Levels Already Within a Healthy Range and Skin, Hair & Nail Health.
Flax Oil is a great way for vegetarians to get their Omega-3's.
Flax Oil is a natural lactogenic - meaning it can help increase your milk supply while breastfeeding.
Ultimately, you'll find that both oils have many similarities but a few key points will help you choose which is best for you.
Big, Scary Disclaimer: I am not a health professional! Please run any of your questions by your doctor!
Happy Disclaimer: Barlean's provided products for me to sample so that I could post my review to you, however all opinions expressed are my own. I promise you that I only give stellar reviews to products or services that I really love and think my readers will love too.
Bottom line:
I love the Barlean's brand because while Penelope is still relying on me for her nutrition, it's of the utmost importance that I can incorporate organic, GMO-free, and simply healthy ingredients into my diet. Barlean's goes through a lot of trouble to get ingredients of the highest quality and my family deserves no less. Another (albeit small) point is that Barlean's is based out of little old Ferndale, WA - a stone's throw from my college town. I love supporting local whenever I can. Now for the fun part! Barlean's sent me a bottle of the Omega Swirl and Flax Oil to try out - now you get a chance to try it out too! One lucky winner will have a choice of either the Omega Swirl or Flax Oil. Check out the giveaway details and enter via the Rafflecopter window below! You can also sign up for a free sample and check out their store for more of their great products. Fine Print: This giveaway is open to US residents only. One winner will be notified within 48 hours of the end of the contest and will have one week to respond with their mailing address. Good luck!
This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering!
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I am a stay-at-home mom of one 18-month-old, and one due in July 2013. :) I love cloth diapering. Also, I am an old-fashioned-girl at heart, and find joy in doing things the old-fashioned way (with new technology, of course!). After using a few different types of cloth diapers on our daughter, my husband and I decided that we preferred the "hybrid" system. This two-part system consists of: a waterproof cover (which can be used multiple times before washing... thus, saving money and energy) and an absorbent insert. We LOVE having inserts that snap in, so they don't move around inside the diaper. 
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The other supplement that I've become more knowledged about since having Penelope is flax seed oil. Barlean's prides itself on having the freshest flax seed oil around, with a proprietary press that extracts the oil from the flax seeds without damaging the product. Their Flax Oil is also organic and non-GMO certified (this is important, folks!! Read more about why you need to know about GMO's here) Now, to be completely fair, I also tried the flax seed oil straight via tablespoon and I wouldn't liken the taste towards "yummy." It truly had a very fresh grain taste to it. The consistency is a little less viscous than olive oil but it looks very similar, and can be incorporated into many different recipes without anyone being the wiser, like salads, cookies or soups . I've mixed it in with my cereal, oatmeal and cream of wheat. For a list of recipes that you can use any of Barlean's organic oils with, check them out here. You might find yourself wondering, what is the difference between Fish oil and Flax Oil? 
