Paperless reading. Yes please

In my home we're green. Well we're at least as green as we can be for that day, but one thing I do prefer is less waste of paper. I don't get the newspaper, I read my news online, I get a few magazines, which I hold onto and donate to schools for art projects. I recycle as much as I can possibly stuff into my little recycling box etc etc.

What I do not have is an e-reader. Although I would love one, it has just not been in my budget, what with 3 children and a husband who all need much more than I would need that beautiful toy.
I would however be willing (ready ABLE and willing even) to product test one for my fave marketing group Bzzagent. Over the years I have gotten to try out various cool products but this by far has to be the most awesomest!
I can definitely see myself reading a lot more often, and I can see it being a wonderful learning tool for my youngest (8.5 months).
Fingers crossed!!

My laptop issues.

This is a branch of the norm for me but I have to post this for those Mamas out there who are in love with their portable facebook devices....yes, your laptops.
The last 12 months, during most of my pregnancy even up til now, I have gone through 3 yes THREE laptops. All met the same untimely death as the other. Coffee. I have a nasty nasty habit of sitting my coffee on the couch next to me, heaven forbid I should have to reach or anything while chatting right.
Well, I am thankful that not only is my husband a tech and can fix almost any issue (minus the damage all the sugar in my coffee has) but he is a patient patient man as well.
I am a lucky lucky woman.
Oh and this picture I am posting below here, is a good laugh, its for a FutureShop facebook app, painting myself red. Its for a chuckle or 3 and a couple of giftcards too (makes for good stocking stuffers for your tweens!!)

Painted myself red with BE0027!! haha

Baby led...first day on the job

Well not really the first day, Arik has had organic teething biscuits for about a week, plus snippets of this and that off my plate. Crumbs of bun and cheese mostly, but he seemed interested. Last week he stole a fry off my plate, I was going to let him see what he thought of it but he dropped it before he had a chance. Oh well, plenty of time for that.

Last night was his first real meal, in his highchair. We prepared (I prepared) broccoli, some halved blueberries and some brown rice. He was interested in mushing it with his hands but that was about it. Oh and he sampled the broccoli a few times, the reaction was priceless to say the least.

Arik's first real BLW meal

This is my first attempt with BLW, as the tweens were fed mush and baby cereal from about 4 months. I am not responding to all the voices who whisper to give him food to help him sleep through the night, for they are not in my shoes. I want Arik to get all he can out of being a baby..and if that means me nursing every 2 hours (as it has for the past few days) then so be it. 

Has anyone else done BLW...if so, what were your experiences?

Simply on Board.....Simply BRILLIANT

As any parent will know and come to loathe, its the pick me up game. You know what I mean right. The baby drops it...and you pick it up again, and again, and again. At home I have no problem with that game, its fun, we make it silly, and for the most part my floors are clean enough to eat off (I reiterate..MOST) When we are out, on the other hand, its a pain in the butt. I have to find a place to wash off said toy, or whatever it was he couldn't hold on to for too long. I had a chance to review a toy strap recently, and although I have owned straps in the past, they don't always measure up to MY standards.
My standards, probably are the same as your standards. 

• The strap needs to HOLD the toy, more than one type of toy, bottle, whatever the case may be.
• The strap MUST be long enough for him to get the toy if fallen, but not long enough that he can somehow wrap it around his neck (always the paranoid)
• The fastening mechanism MUST hold. Some snaps/or loop and hook enclosures just don't measure up after use. 
• It HAS to look nice, please...

Simply on Board, a Canadian company I might add, developed a brilliant product. I love it. Its such a simple strap but sooo versatile. I can attach the straps to anything and believe me I have tried lots. His jumparoo, his highchair, the moby wrap, my ergo, you name it, I have attached something to it. The one toy Arik is fond of at the moment, is his Sophie and this strap wraps around the thin neck PERFECTLY and still has lots of space for him to latch onto, to gnaw on.
I am in love with the designs, nothing too flashy, I like a black/white pattern for a lot of his attire, garb whatnot. (Note all his cloth nappes are black with white snaps...very sharp)

I am ordering a few more straps, so I can leave them in those spots that I would normally forget to have something to latch a toy to, its not feasible for my poor tweens to keep bending over in a moving vehicle to retrieve a crumb/hair covered toy. ew.

Simply on Board is available in packs of two with four colour options: black, green, blue and pink. One solid and one polka dotted strap because there is no need to compromise style for sensibility. Price $9.99.

Visit www.oyaco.com to find a local retailer.

Simply on Board 

Simply on Board Facebook 

I know this is NOT the clearest, but Arik and his Sophie...via the Simply on Board toy strap <3

From one Mama to another

Let me tell you I thought I remembered everything when it came to having my other two babes....either they are evolving faster than the speed of whatever goes really fast or I am just out of it . The loop, my mind....all the above lol.
Just when I think I have a handle on what to do next, boom slam, time to switch it up Mama. I guess that's the whole idea of it, keep you on your toes, alert, fresh....although I don't feel so fresh lol.
Being tired is a norm, my pajamas are becoming my garb until its time to go get the mail, if then.
I love it, every moment, even the ones where I find myself sitting on my bed crying, trying to remember to "breathe"
I am blessed 3 times over.
Happy Mothers Day <3

Sunshine as a stain remover....who knew??

Arik is solely breastfed....and if you breastfeed...you know what I am talking about with the cloth diapers...Seriously stained soakers, to say the least. I tried soaking in Amaze, I tried baby detergents, I have even been using soap nuts (which I love btw) and I have been after DH to put in a clothesline for , well, since we moved in almost 2 years ago. I finally got a clothesline and I was super super excited to get the diapers out on it. (I love my husband...hes a definite handyman, but our clothesline...will ONLY support the diapers at the moment lol)
The first day I line dried them, it was cloudy but there was still a clear difference between before and after.
I have been busy with the tweens and Arik, of course, so its taken me a while to get a good sunny day coordinating with a diaper wash day. April showers bring yadda yadda yadda

I cannot be any happier with the results, I took a before and after shot with my phone camera and pulled a Mimi (my daughter) and joined them with Piknic

 

Can you agree? Sunshine is the BEST stain remover EVER!!

Ahhh...catnapping in the Ergo

Finally some sun, some real good old fashioned squint your eyes and feel the warmth sun. Oh how long this Winter has been, too long in fact. I certainly hope it doesn't rear its ugly head once I push the submit key however.
Arik enjoyed his sunshine walk today, it made him drowsy but he loved it anyhow. I have a few wraps and carriers, a homemade Mei Tai, my Moby (LOVE IT) and of course my staple....the Ergo. I am still getting used to the Ergo as Arik is just 4.5 months now, and according to my husband I have odd shaped shoulders (really??) but the more I practice the better it is, I even tried him on my back (I know I know) in the kitchen the other day and he was happy as a lark for almost 45 minutes...which is good, considering he doesn't like to be worn in the house.
I am looking into getting myself an organic Ergo, as the one I bought off a friend, although is perfect enough, I would like a newer model, something to take me into toddlerhood.