Fall Fluff Sponsor Spotlight- Lambie Love

Tonight I am bringing you our last sponsor spotlight for the Fall Fluff giveaway, which is only two days away!  Exciting!

Wool Wrap- One Size

Lambie Love is an awesome WAHM etsy shop run by Heather who is based out of Saint Louis.  Her shop has some of the most gorgeous wool covers and soakers you will ever see.  Each one is unique, and each one is like putting a  wooly work of art on your baby's bum.  Each cover and soaker is hand created out of up-cycled wool sweaters and hand dyed interlock wool.  The wool she uses is some of the softest out there.  When I got my first cover from Lambie Love, I was a little jealous that Eisley was going to get to wear something so soft and luxurious.  Um, can I have some cashmere undies?

Lambie Love wool was the first I tried, and I love it.  It is such a great option for night time since wool is breathe-able, wicks moisture into the wool and away from baby's skin, and does not need to be washed often.  Wool covers can be worn over a traditional diaper at night for an extra layer of protection, or over a fitted diaper as a cover.  Lambie love also makes adorable fitteds that will help keep your baby dry all night long.

Wool is definitely an investment, and I think that it keeps a lot of people from giving it a try, but Lambie Love's wool is affordable, functional, and just so beautiful that if you have been wanting to get started with using wool, this is a wonderful option for you.  At about $20 for a soaker and $30 for a wool wrap, you just can't find high quality wool at this price anywhere else.

Another awesome feature that I just have to tell you all about is that Heather will work with you to create something custom.  If you are just dying for a houndstooth and teal soaker, Heather will try to make that happen for you.  If you look on her facebook wall, you'll see lots of mamas with special requests.  I think this really sets Lambie Love apart from lots of shops out there.

So go, run, check out Lambie Love's shop.  Drool over the gorgeous wool and brightly colored fitteds.  Pick up some yummy scented lanolin to keep your wool going strong, and try to decide on just one soaker that you would pick if you win.  I'm pretty sure you will have a hard time choosing just one.

Heather stocks her shop just about every week with brand new woolies, so check back often.  Like I said, no two are exactly alike, and they are all so pretty that each stocking is going to bring something you're going to want to snatch up.

Lambie Love has generously offered to give our winner a wool soaker and lanolin to get you started on your wool journey, or further feed your wool addiction.  Please make sure you stop by Heather's facebook page and leave her some love, thank her for the giveaway, and check out the photos of her amazing work.

And don't forget to stop back in two days to enter to win a beautiful Lambie Love soaker of your very own!

Good luck!



Disclaimer- I did not receive any compensation for this post.  All opinions are my own, and your experience may vary.

Fall Fluff Sponsor Spotlight- H3idiho Designs

personalized teething necklace

Tonight I bring you another sponsor spotlight for the fall fluff giveaway.  It's not fluff, but it's a baby must have, and a jewelry life-saver for moms with babies.  Yes, all moms with babies.  I don't know about you, but I don't wear my expensive jewelry anymore, because it just ends up in Eisley's mouth.  Enter H3idiho Designs and her cute and practical teething necklaces and toys.

I put off buying a teething necklace as long as I could.  I just couldn't find any that I liked, were cute, safe for Eisley, and wouldn't break the bank.  When I found Heidi's shop, I could have done a little dance.  Her necklaces are cute, and she told me that she has decided to make sure they are affordable so that every mom and teething baby can have one.  I love that.

For the record though, I would pay twice what she charges for her necklaces.

One of my favorites!

H3idiho Designs offers everything from personalized name necklaces, to ones embellished with stones, to teething toys.  The only problem I had was which necklace to choose, because they are just so cute.  Although, at about $10 a necklace, there is definitely no reason to purchase only one.  These are the two necklaces I bought, and I'm sure I will end up with a couple more in the near future.  Eisley's first two teeth have come in, and I know there is a whole lot more teething about to happen.

Her jewelry and teethers would also make great shower gifts.  It's just one of those little things that a new mom doesn't necessarily think about- but it is something she will definitely appreciate when the time comes.

H3idiho Designs  has generously sponsored a teething necklace of the winner's choice.  I know you will love it, so give her a shout out, and look around her shop.  Heck, buy yourself and your little one something pretty while you are at it.  Your little one will love it- Eisley loves that she can grab and chew on my jewelry without me taking it out of her hands and her mouth, and I love that I can wear something cute, that is also functional.

So a huge thank you to H3idiho Designs for the generous prize, and good luck to all of you in the giveaway!

cute ribbon-adorned teething rings- Eisley loves hers!

Fall Fluff Sponsor Spotlight- Smart Snugs Cloth Diaper Co

ok! It's time to spotlight another of our amazing sponsors for the Fall Fluff giveaway-  Smart Snugs Cloth Diaper Co.  Smart Snugs has generously offered to give one of our lucky readers a diaper of their choice, and you have some great options to choose from!

Smart Snugs offers an affordable line of cute, easy to use, and great fitting diapers.  I was lucky enough to find out about Smart Snugs by winning a stay dry charcoal bamboo diaper.  It is a pocket diaper with a bamboo insert, and charcoal bamboo inner fabric.  I love this diaper.  It fits Eisley perfectly, it's cute, and I really love that the inner material is charcoal bamboo.  "What is so great about charcoal bamboo?" you are probably
saying in your heads right now.  Well I will tell you!  Charcoal bamboo is great for babies with sensitive skin, and is a fantastic option for babies who just don't do well with other synthetic types of fabric.  It is anti-microbial, odor and stain resistant, and it wicks the moisture away from baby's skin.  What is not to love about that?  If your baby has a hard time with materials like suedecloth, this is a great option for you, and at $18 for a pocket diaper and bamboo insert, it's not going to break the bank.

Charcoal bamboo inner

Smart Snugs also offers original stay dry diapers that have a micro-fleece inner and bamboo insert for $13.00.  Oh- and they have really cute multi-color diapers in both the charcoal bamboo and original pocket diapers.  So cute!

So, go get a head start on your entries for the giveaway and head over to Smart Snugs facebook page, like it, and tell them how sweet they are to give away one of their diapers.  I know you all will love them.  And of course- don't forget to check back on September 1st for your chance to win a Smart Snugs diaper of your very own.


Disclaimer- I did not receive any compensation for this post.  All opinions are my own, and your experience may vary.

Baby Cargo 300 Stroller Giveaway Event!

Would you like to win a lightweight, full feature stroller? We are giving you a chance to win one! We've teamed up with several bloggers to bring you this great giveaway from Baby Cargo, an up and coming baby gear brand. 

The Baby Cargo 300 offers many features of a full size stroller in a compact package. A stylish ride that is comfortable for baby is just the icing on the cake. The wipe-clean fabric is easy to care for, it is suitable for babies from birth, and it will fit kids up to 50 pounds. With great maneuverability for all your travels, whether you're shopping, taking a stroll in the park, or jetting through the airport - the Baby Cargo 300 has all bases covered. Thoughtful details like the zippered back pocket and self-locking fold make travel a breeze! You can read the full review of the Baby Cargo 300 Stroller over at Eco-Babyz and see more photos. 

Our Favorite Features: 

• Comes with cup holder and rain cover
• Luxurious, soft, easy-clean fabric 
• Adjustable footrest
• Reclining seat, suitable from birth
• Self-locks when folding
• Weighs only 14.9 pounds
• Holds kids up to 50 pounds

Purchase: You can buy the Baby Cargo 300 Stroller for $179.99. The Baby Cargo 200 is available for $149.99 and the 100 Series for $109.99. 

Win One! Baby Cargo is blessing one of you with the Baby Cargo 300 Series stroller in your choice of Simply Taupe, Eclipse, or Blacktop. 

Special thanks to Eco-Babyz, Dear Crissy, and Our Kids Mom for hosting this giveaway. Giveaway ends September 15th at 12:01 am, open to US residents, ages 18+. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Thank you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received no compensation for this publication. Eco-Babyz, Dear Crissy, Our Kids Mom, and Baby Cargo 300 Stroller Giveaway Event bloggers are not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. 

Fall Fluff Giveaway Sponsor Spotlight- Buttercup Baby

The Fall Fluff Giveaway is coming up, and I'm really excited to tell you about the great sponsors and the sweet stuff they are so generously offering to one lucky reader!  Our first sponsor is Buttercup Baby, who will be giving away a mint colored Fuzzibunz One Size Elite.

Buttercup Baby is a great shop with tons of cloth diapers, baby gear, and products just for moms.  They also have one of the most generous rewards programs I've come across.  With Buttercup Bucks you get $5 back for every $55 you spend.  Have you ever seen a deal like that?  The other sweet deal that Buttercup Baby offers all the time is a free sample with any sized order, and free shipping when you spend $49.

If that isn't enough to show you how great they are, they have several pages of sale and clearance items right now.  Like the adorable Itti Bitti Tuttos that are $6.73 off or the Green Sprouts baby food storage cubes that are on sale for $2.00 off.  Make sure that you "like" their facebook page to keep up to date on sales and special offers (and it will give you a head-start on your entries for the giveaway in a week!)

So a big thank you to Buttercup Baby for sponsoring a Fuzzibunz One Size Elite, and I really do hope you guys go check out their shop.  If you are just starting out with cloth and need to build your stash, you can't beat the cash back that you will earn just by buying the items you already need.  Plus, you will receive some of the sweetest customer service around, and that is invaluable.

Check back on September 1st to enter to win a Fuzzbunz One Size Elite, and in the mean time go check out Buttercup Baby's shop!




Disclaimer- I did not receive any compensation for this post.  All opinions are my own, and your experience may vary.  This post contains affiliate links.  

THE TOOTH!

The Things I've Learned- SIX MONTH Edition (Yikes!)

Well, Eisley is 6 months now!  Holy moly!  I just don't even know what to say about that.  I am sort of in denial about the fact that she is halfway to one.  She is changing so so much so quickly.  She's rolling like a pro, she's never in the same spot in her crib as she was when I put her down.  Half of the time she's not even facing the same direction.  She has a tooth poking out of her little gums.  The whole top part is out now, and I think I see another one starting to come up!  She is able to sit up on her own leaning forward on her hands (although today she sat up without propping herself up!  It was amazing!).  She has been trying to make kissing noises.  She does it every time I give her a smooch, and it's ridiculously adorable.

Her eyes are still blue, and she smiles all the time.  She has gone from being a fussy baby to a silly happy baby, and I love it.  She has such a big personality for such a little baby.  And I am still learning so much!  So here we go!

1.  Every new milestone is amazing, but bittersweet.  It's so incredible to watch your baby grow and change and learn new things, but it's a little sad knowing that every day brings them a little closer to the point where they don't need you.  To their baby fat going away.  To talking back instead of snuggling.

2.  It's really important to focus on the moment, but it's also very difficult.  Remind yourself over and over again if you have to that you'll only get this day one time, and you have to catalogue it in your heart and head.

3.  Baby sleep goes in stages, but it doesn't always move forward.  Don't get too used to 6 or 7 hour stretches.  Your baby will start teething, and you'll be back to waking up every few hours.  Somehow it will be harder than it was the last time your baby woke up that much.

4.  You probably haven't bought yourself cute clothes since you got pregnant because you probably just aren't really satisfied with your post-baby-body.  So you'll buy tons of clothes for your child.  And there are soooooooo many cute little girl outfits out there.  I want to buy them all, and you probably will too.

5.  Taking walks on a cooler day is so much fun.  How am I only learning this now, you may wonder? Well I don't know how it has been where you are, but it has been the hottest summer ever around here! I can't wait for fall, we will take so many walks.

6.  Eisley loves solid foods.  So much.  If we don't get the food spooned into her mouth fast enough, she grunts and yells, and lets us know that she wants more, and she wants it now!

7.  Baby poop takes on a life of it's own when you start them on solid foods.

9.  Bath time is just as much fun as a parent as it is for your baby.  There's nothing sweeter than watching them splash around and have a great time.

10.  It hasn't even been a year that this sweet baby has been here, but you will start to forget what life was like before your baby came into this world.  It will seem like they were always there, and they were always meant to be.

So, not too many hilarious revelations this month, but I am feeling sentimental.  It has been an amazing six months, and I am just so blessed.  I love my daughter and I love being a mom.  I am learning so much about who I am, and who I am supposed to be, as well as who my daughter is.  I can't wait to see what this next month will bring.

The Birthday Tooth

Tomorrow is Eisley's half birthday, and as an adorable yet painful present, it appears that she will be getting a tooth.  Her very first one!  I knew that sucker was going to make an appearance soon!

I have mixed emotions about this six-month-milestone.  I'm excited because, well, it's cute.  I mean, who doesn't love a sweet baby with one lone tooth sticking out?  At the same time, I am feeling a more than a little sad.  I love E's gummy smile, and I am really going to miss it.

It's the beginning of the end.  Babyhood can't last forever, this we all know, but I just wasn't prepared for how fast time goes.  I swear I was just in labor (for five days.  You know I can't let you forget that part.  wink) and meeting my pretty princess.  Six months, and a tooth.

Oh my.

Tomorrow when I take her 6 month photos, I have to make sure I get a great one of her naked gums, because it will be the last time they will ever be that way.  Unless she has awful oral hygiene and loses all her teeth as an old lady.  But I digress.  My baby is growing up.  Yes, she is still a baby, she still needs me for everything, she still poops in her pants and can't quite sit up on her own yet, but all of that will be gone before I know it.

I'm trying to really savor each day with my growing girl.  I'm trying to make a mental catalog of all the sweet moments, silly faces, and baby snuggles because I know that I am going to look back and MISS this.  

So for the next three minutes I will enjoy my 5 month old.  Then the clock will strike midnight, and she will be half-way to her first birthday.  Time goes so fast.  

©Copper Siegel.  All rights reserved.

Dear Pinterest, you are a time-sucking vortex of craftiness

It's been a while since I've posted all the pinteresting things I've been adding to my crafty to-do list these days.  The list keeps getting longer and longer, and my free time keeps getting shorter and shorter.  Ah, the mommy life.

http://katiedid.squarespace.com/katie-did-journal/2009/1/7/old-tricks.html

First.  I've been making a cute little patchwork quilt for Eisley.  It's been easy and fun, and I already have fabric ready to go for quilt number two.  It's feeding my fabric addiction.  Don't judge.  Anywho, in the spirit of quilt making, I've been drooling over This modern, easy, adorable quilt.  Another example here.  I'm telling you.  Check these quilts out.  They are on my list.

I've also been pinning bunches of re-usable snack bag tutorials.  Like this one and this one.  They are cute, I can use some of the small scrappy pieces of fabric I have left, and it's way cheaper to make something like this yourself than it is to buy it.

http://honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-elbow-patch/

ok.  So, maybe it's completely nerdy, but I want to put cute little felted heart patches on the elbows of all my cardigans.  All of them.  like this.  Um, can you say adorable?  I need to do this.  I think you do too.  We can all wear our hearts on our sleeves together!  (booo.  I know.  lame, but it had to be said.  Come on now.)

While we're on the topic of sprucing our old cardigans, why don't we also spruce up our old hoodies?  How about a cute pocket in a funky print?  Easy peasy, and another scrap-buster.

Now I just need to find some fun little projects to make with my brand new serger.  I've been wanting a serger forever.  My hubby pitched in to get me one for our five year wedding anniversary, and I'm loving it!  It's going to take me a while to figure it all out, but its pretty sweet, so I need some fun practice projects.

Well, this is a short post, but I am off to cut some flannel to make some wipes.  It's a perfect starter/practice project to make with my serger.  Heck, in the next week or two I will probably make so many that I may end up doing a little giveaway of a set.  =)  Every cloth diapering mama could use some nice flannel wipes.

What are your favorite pinterest projects these days?

I Think My Boobs Are Staging a Rebellion

Yep.  You read the title of this post correctly.  I'm pretty sure my boobs are, in fact, staging a rebellion.  A coup.  A protest.  Whatever you want to call it, the girls have stepped out of line, and decided to go wild.

Eisley has always been an exclusively breast-fed baby.  That's the way we both like it.  It's good for her little baby immune system, it's good for our bonding and relationship, and it's good for my bank account because it is free.  I went back to work part time at 3 months and the girls were still happily plugging away, making milk like it was going out of style (consequently, that expression has never made much sense to me, but I'm going to use it anyway, darn it!).  After about a month or so of working and pumping most of the day two days a week, my supply slowly started to deplete.

Uh-Oh.

Now here we are, one week away from Eisley's 6 month birthday (whhaaaat!?  Already?  Holy Crap) and I just pumped like 2 ounces.  Total.  As in out of both breasts.  Now granted, I did just feed E, so I wasn't expecting to fill a milk jug or anything, but 2 oz?  Oh no they didn't!  We started Eisley on solid foods about two weeks ago, largely because she was ready, but also because I was worried that she needed a few extra calories.  The thing is, that food is just supposed to be supplemental at this age.  Eisley still needs a whole lot of milk to keep her chunky little body growing strong and healthy, and I'm just not ready to start running dry.  My plan has always been to breast feed Eisley until at least one year.  Now obviously that doesn't mean just breast milk for a year, but I think that if you're able to do it, breast feeding for at least a year gives your kid a huge boost to their immune system.

So get with the program, boobs!  You are here for a reason, and it's not just to be so big that I can't find cute dresses that don't let you roam free.

I've been filling up on tons and tons of water, taking some supplemental herbs, trying to pump after E eats... it's a battle right now.  I'm not sure I'm winning.  The next thing I'm going to try is to just offer Eisley snack time a whole bunch for a few days to see if that helps my body kick it into gear, but I'm feeling a little frustrated.  I never thought that I'd look in my freezer and panic about the dwindling milk supply in there, but that's where I'm at.

Any of you mamas out there deal with this?  Any tips or tricks to boost supply?  I figure, it was just world breast-feeding week, so it's an appropriate time to talk about boobs.  I'm also going to add this post to the list of things I didn't think I would discuss in public before having a baby.  And I'm going to laugh at my naive pre-baby self.

Wordless Wednesday

©Copper Siegel    all rights reserved

A Heavy Heart

I'm not sure where this post is going to go.  I just feel like I have to write.  I have to put into words how I am feeling.  The trick is going to be how to be just vague enough.

This has been a really devastating week for some of our really good friends who just found out that they lost their baby.  It was news that I was incredibly grieved to hear.  I don't know how to comfort them because they are far away and I can't just drive over to their house and sit silently next to this beautiful woman of God and hug her or hold her hand or just be there with her.  All I can do is call and text and leave messages telling her and her husband how much Nick and I love them, how we are praying for them, how sorry... so sorry we are for their loss.

If I did not have a little girl to take care of, I would hop on a plane in a second if I thought I could be of any use at all to them.

I just keep asking God "Why?"  I think about my friends and try to imagine the loss they are grieving, but I can't.  It is outside of my realm of experience.  It is something that I (thankfully) have not had to suffer under.  The only thing that brings me comfort is knowing how much they love the Lord, and that they are finding comfort and strength in Him.  That they are finding a little peace in naming their sweet baby who was taken from them way too soon.  That they have some family close by that they can cry to and scream to.

So far I have not had an answer to my "Why?" and I suspect it is a question that I am not alone in asking.  I'm not sure that any of us will ever really get an answer to that particular question.  At least not one that would satisfy or soften the heartbreak that precedes the need to ask.  I just have to know that God is faithful, merciful, loving, and that He always comforts the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

So I will just keep praying for peace and healing and strength for my friends.  I will pray that God comforts them in this time, and draws them closer to one another, and closer to Him.  It is very likely that several times a day I will find myself wishing they were closer, wishing that I could be there in person as well as spirit for these two amazing friends of ours.  I'll probably keep asking "Why?" and try to think of something, anything that I could do to help them through this time.

If you read this my beautiful friend, I hope you feel how much I am with you in spirit, and imagine that I am giving you a giant hug right now.  I hope you know that I will always be here for you, even at 3 am if you just need to talk to someone and feel like you are going to explode.  I will listen, never judge, offer no advice, and not pretend to understand your loss, but I will be there for you in any way I can.

Life is just such a mystery sometimes.  A tragic, beautiful, heartbreaking mystery.

The Things I've Learned- Five Month Edition

My baby girl is growing up so fast! Holy cow, has it really been 5 months already? Eisley has just gotten more and more hilarious and full of personality this month.

 Her new favorite pastime is to constantly do what seems to be a mix between blowing a raspberry and making a fart noise with her mouth. Sometimes she will do this for 15 minutes at a time, or I will wake up to hear her entertaining herself with this lovely little trick over the baby monitor while she is still in her crib. The kid cracks me up. She is just such a beautiful little girl, who I very affectionately and without even a hint of irony love to call my "Pretty Princess."  She still has gorgeous blue eyes, and I'm just waiting to see if they are going to stay that color. It looks like she will have some teeth soon, and sometimes the teething monster likes to come out and play, but she's been doing a lot better with it, poor little bean! She also loves to grab anything and everything in her path. She pulled my plate full of food off of the table the other week. Luckily it was a paper plate. yeesh!

 She just grows and changes so much. It's amazing to me, it really is. I just love learning all about life with her, and my husband and I just can't get enough of her silliness. Of course, now that I've been a mom for five months, I've got it all figured out, so this will be a short list of things I've learned this month.

 Kidding.

 Obviously.

 I have so much to learn still, but here are a few of the things I've learned this month.

 1. Remember when you thought you were going to be able to effortlessly lose all of your pregnancy weight and flab and extra skin back when you first got pregnant?
 Yeah, I'll pretend like I don't remember my delusions too. We can pretend we never said that to ourselves together.

 2. Enjoy being period-less while you can. One day it will sneak back into your life like a red thief in the night, and you will be sad. *sigh*

 3. Remember before you had kids, and before 10,000 people and their moms saw you naked and giving birth, and you were embarrassed to talk about things like your period?

 4. Babies are strong. It's going to hurt a lot worse than you think it will when they grab hold of your hair and give it a good tug.

 5. Eventually your baby won't poop five million times a day like they did when they were a newborn. You will be both overjoyed and worried. You will probably think to yourself at least a few times, "does my baby poop enough!?" Yes. This is what your life has come to.

 6. Even if you were, in your previously child-less life, a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type person, you will now be a big fan of The Schedule.  You will realize that a happy baby is a baby who has napped at least twice.  And a baby who naps at least twice without fighting you tooth and nail, is a baby who is on some sort of a schedule.

7.  Time goes too fast.  Blink and another month has somehow come and gone.

8.  100 degree temperatures suck.  Especially when it stays that hot for weeks on end.  If you're like me, you probably won't even leave your house some days, for fear of baby heat stroke.  OR just general fussiness.

9.  Teething is your enemy.  It needs to be fought with all you have, and banished with things like baby tylenol, teething tablets, and amber teething necklaces.  It has the evil super-power of being able to turn your sweet angelic baby into a raging monster.  It must be stopped.

10.  There is nothing more gratifying than when a baby thinks you're funny.  When they giggle at your stupid faces it is just the best thing.

I just can't believe how much more I love her every day.  I also can't believe how steep the learning curve can be at every step of the way.  I feel like I have learned more about love, myself, and life in 5 months than I learned in the past few years!