Diapering

When I was pregnant...ok, let's be honest, way before I was pregnant, I decided that I wanted to cloth diaper my future child. I did a ton of research on the subject and even asked a fellow blogger who cloth diapers plenty of questions.

Then, when I got pregnant, I started building my stash. I chose mostly one-size diapers and even made a couple, but decided to purchase the majority of them. I liked that they were convenient and would be able to fit him until he's potty trained! Of course, most of them fit best when your child is about 10 lbs from what I've heard, so I knew I would need at least a few diapers for before that. I decided that for the newborn stage, I would go with one of the cheapest option...prefolds and covers. So, I purchased 30 prefolds,  prefold fitteds, one used all-in-one, one cover, and I sewed 5 more covers. This way, I could do laundry every other day and be good to go!

What I didn't expect was a tiny baby. Sure, most babies are small when they are first born, but my child fit into preemie diapers for the first couple of weeks. In fact, I tried on a prefold and cover and they were too big! They gapped at the waist and were not snug at all. So, I did what was best and sent my husband to buy more newborn diapers.

Now that Matthew is 5 weeks old, we are finally running out of newborn diapers. We have only a couple left in dad's diaper bag and that's it! My father-in-law actually purchased a huge box of size 1 diapers recently and we have some as well. The box says it should fit babies from 8-14 lbs and Matthew should be about in the 8 lb range about now so, they should fit him. I tried one on him and quickly realized that they are not going to work out!

My next thought was that I had two options. Option 1: Send Phil to the store to buy more newborn diapers. Option 2: Try the prefolds and covers again and see if they would fit now. Of course, I chose option number 2 and guess what...they fit! So, I folded up the diaper, put the snappi in place, covered it with the cover I made and handed him to dad to be fed. He promptly messed his diaper so Phil got to try out the diaper sprayer his dad installed and I got to show him how to fold a prefold!

I'm happy that my newborn stash is going to good use and that all of the time and effort I put into making the covers won't be in vain. I still plan on using the disposables we have over time, but I'm so happy that he's able to fit in the prefolds and that we are able to save money! Diapering a baby can definitely get expensive.

Diapering Decisions

Ever since we started TTC, I've done a lot of research when it comes to what we want to do with our children. While there are still many things that we are considering, one thing has been pretty consistent.

We want to cloth diaper.

Cloth diapering has come a long way since we were kids and the styles and options out there are incredible. As a nanny, one of the children I watched was cloth diapered through a service and it really wasn't that bad. Of course, we'll be doing our own laundry, but I'm certain that it's something we definitely want to try out.

I have already started our stash and plan on expanding it more over time. I want to have a decent selection of diapers so we're looking to purchase some and make some.

So far, I've ordered three and made two. The two I've made are OS (one size) AI2 (all-in-two) so they can have the soaker pad snapped or laid directly against the babies skin. I also will be making some pockets and maybe a couple of AIO (all-in-ones) so that I have more variety and see what we like.

The first one I made is a gender-neutral green one. It has green PUL with adjustable snaps and white minky on the inside. This is set to the smallest setting and I accidentally added two extra snaps in the middle...oops!

And this is on the biggest setting!

The second one I made is a girl one (because my mother-in-law really thinks it's a girl and I have some super cute fabric). It has a hidden layer of PUL and a cotton exterior. This one is made with velcro and an adjustable rise.

Set on the smallest setting...isn't it so cute?!

So, that's what I've been up to lately. I have a craft show coming up in the spring and hope to make some to sell there as well!

TV Diet {Update}

Last week I posted that we are cancelling our Netflix streaming at the end of June. The reason? I was completely obsessed. It was a problem and it needed to be fixed ASAP. In the meantime, I wanted to actively watch it less to see if I could get it under control or would cancelling it be the only option for my Netflix obsession.

It's been a week since I've been watching less tv. I no longer watch it while eating my breakfast or dinner and I try to keep it off at night when my husband comes home. I have definitely been more productive and I don't feel as lethargic. I do watch a few shorter shows here and there when I have some downtime, but it's not the main focus of my day anymore.

I really like how I've been feeling with it turned off. I like my husband coming home and telling me that he can tell how much I've accomplished that day. It makes me feel good that I'm not sitting on the couch all day and I'm able to get so much more done.

At this point, I'm not entirely sure if I'm going to cancel it entirely. I do like the option of having it when I've been productive and have some down time. I figure that I'll give it another two weeks to see how much I would like to keep or get rid of it, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying more time with my husband with the tv turned off.

Reality Check

via

My husband and I just cancelled our Netflix streaming. We don't have satellite or cable and we were using Netflix as a way to still have tv and save money. The reality is that I am addicted to watching tv. I watch it in the morning while eating breakfast, while sewing, when I'm tired, hungry, and bored. We even watch it while eating dinner and I continue watching pretty much until bed time. It's a serious problem and we've decided that it is time to cut back.

We'll still have Netflix until June 22nd, but we are going to start making a conscious effort to watch less. Both my husband and I use it as a way to escape and that's not what we are looking to accomplish.

We are hoping that by giving up Netflix, we will be able to spend more time doing more productive things and have more time to spend together doing things that will build our relationship stronger.

It's going to be a huge adjustment, but I think the investment will be well worth it. Plus, we'll be saving $8 a month!

Big Decisions

After much thought, prayer, and consideration my husband and I decided that it would be  best for me to stay at home and not to return to work in the fall as we had originally planned. I'm sure there are many questions regarding our decision, but please know that it is a good thing for us.

One thing I've learned is that I absolutely LOVE being at home. I love serving my husband by taking care of the house and freeing up more of his time. I also love that I can put on my favorite show(s) and multi-task with organizing, cleaning, or sewing. I love that I can focus on getting our apartment to where I want it to be and have much more time to expand my business. I also really love to save money!

I know it might sound crazy to some, but saving money has been a lot of fun for me. I love to try new things and have found a lot of DIY projects to do.

The most recent money saving projects I have done are:

1. Making homemade laundry soap. It was super easy, smells great, and works like a charm.
2. Making homemade baby wipes. No, I'm not pregnant, but we use baby wipes for a variety of things. I like knowing what goes in the products I use and it works well.
3. Making homemade dishwashing detergent. Yep, I've got my first load going as we speak! It's super easy and so cheap!

In addition to all of these things, I don't eat McDonalds everyday, have stopped drinking soda, and try to only go out to eat when invited (sometimes I invite people over so that I can make something here at the house instead). I've learned that I can make a steak that my husband and I like even more than the restaurant and two steaks for dinner is still cheaper than one out!

Overall, I am really looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. We are trusting God to continue to provide so that I am able to stay home and enjoying life at the moment.

It's Official!

I am a stay-at-home wife! At least I will be for the next six months!

I know many of you have questions on why I left teaching, but please know that it was the best decision for myself and for my marriage.

Yes, I am ok with our decision. In fact, I am thrilled to be able to take this time and focus on myself, my husband, my business, and our apartment. I love being at home and taking care of everything and having the energy to do so. I am considering this to be a blessing from God!

I do have a job lined up for late summer/early fall that I am really looking forward to. In the meantime, we will be making a lot of changes financially to be able to afford me being home so if we can't go out as much right now, that's ok. I hope you all understand.

Phil and I are really excited about this new opportunity and are looking forward to this change.

Decisions, Decisions

I have around 6 personal training sessions left and three months until the wedding. My first thought was to buy more to get me through the wedding, but then what happens after the wedding? Personal training is expensive and I know that we won't be able to afford me to have a trainer for the rest of my life. I mean, I love the idea of having a trainer to motivate me and tell me what to do and talk to me the whole time to keep my mind off of working out, but seriously?

It's been no secret that I haven't been thrilled with my current gym. I've looked into other gyms in the past and decided that with the move, I should continue to look closer to my new place. So, I looked and you know what I realized? Unless I have someone holding my hand (aka a trainer), I probably won't go on a regular basis, so why pay for it? We don't really need to spend all of that money on a trainer or a gym membership, so why not just cancel it and figure something else out?

I've been thinking about this for weeks now and I finally have my conclusion. If I'm not going to go, then we shouldn't waste our money. Phil's parents have a perfectly good treadmill at home, they also have an exercise ball and Phil has some adjustable weights that I can use while being there and the new apartment has a fitness center I can use.

I've come to the realization that I can't have someone "holding my hand" through the weight-loss process. I need to take responsibility for myself and make it happen. I've had trainers before and I know what to do...now, it is up to me to make it happen. We have the equipment, so, let's use it!

I'm working with Phil on a goal for me to attain. We've been talking about our budget and establishing weekly allowances for all of the little "extras" we spend on. I was thinking that maybe, in the beginning, I could earn my allowance by working out. Each day would be a set dollar amount and we would set limitations. I'm also looking into a "workout planner/scheduler" where I can write down what I did each day or check off all of the days I've worked out.

Basically, I'm trying to figure a way to motivate myself to do what I need to. No one can make me do this, it has to be my decision. I'm tired of paying for people to tell me to do what I already know how to just because I don't want to do it by myself. It's time for me to get motivated and stop wasting money!

Living together before marriage...or not?

I was checking my email today and found a link to take a poll. The question was: Did you live with your Significant Other (SO) before marriage. Let's just say that I jumped on the opportunity to take this poll and see the results.

76.9% said Yes
23.1% said No

I must admit that I was shocked to see those numbers. I know that most people now live with their significant other before marriage, but to see how high that number really was took me by surprise.

The fact that Phil and I do not live together is no secret. We do get some comments when people find that out, but mostly it's encouraging. Every now and then we get someone who does not agree with our situation, but we have decided to wait until we are married to live together and we are both happy with our decision.

What I like most about our decision is that there is no "trail run" to see if we will "work out" before we get married. That is what the dating/courtship period is for. Living together before you are married to see if it will work out is something most people see as a precautionary measure, but we see it a bit differently. Marriage to us equals commitment. You commit yourselves to one another (and to God) and decide that you will make it work...even if he leaves his dirty socks lying all over the floor!

I know many people who like the idea of living together before marriage, including my own mom, and we really feel that is a personal decision that each couple has to make for themselves. There are always going to be pros and cons to each situation, but the bottom line is that I would rather wait to live with my husband until after we are married and know that he loves me and is committed to staying no matter what then to go through a "trial period" to see if the man I love will work out.

What are your thoughts on this subject?