Sale at Babies R Us on Baby Oxiclean

Tonight my mom took us to dinner at Five Guys. This was a big deal for me since I have basically been stuck inside since May 7.

After dinner, Jeremy and I "ran" into Babies R Us to get a few last minute things for Vance. I was happy to find the big tubs of Baby Oxiclean on sale for $6.99. That was $3.00 off the regular price. I bought two of them... I also bought 2 Born Free bottles. I like to have a couple of bottles in case I have a problem nursing. When I was pregnant with Samuel, I bought Dr. Brown's bottles, but they have BPA in them. I will not be using them again... Lastly, I got Samuel some training pants. We'll see if they help get him out of diapers sooner.

You should have seen us. I kept telling Jeremy that I would see him later since he was walking too quickly for me. It was a struggle for me to even walk the little we did walk. Maybe the walking will put me into labor. Wouldn't that be nice?

Cheaper, Better Laundry Detergent

Have you ever wondered why you're paying so much for laundry detergent? I have. When I decided to use cloth diapers on Vance, I started reading up on how to wash them. I learned that I was going to have to switch detergents to find one safe for diapers and Vance's sensitive skin. After researching a good bit, I found it's almost necessary to switch all of your laundry to this type of detergent since you wouldn't want to add the unhealthy residue to his diapers by alternating detergents. That left me frustrated because I knew that I couldn't keep paying so much for detergent. Then, I found an awesome solution. It's called Charlie's Soap, and it comes highly recommended on several cloth diapering websites. The things I love about it are that it's inexpensive compared to what I've been spending, it's more natural, and it eliminates the need for fabric softener. You don't have to be a cloth diapering family to enjoy it either. To read more, go to Charlie's Soap. This is the page about the laundry detergent, but it's just called Charlie's Soap. They also sell all-purpose cleaner, which you can read about from a link on that page. Now that I'm living in the big city I am able to find this easliy. I went to a Whole Foods and purchased the detergent and the all-purpose cleaner after I read the website and testimonials. I made the detergent switch over the weekend when I finished my old detergent, and I can honestly recommend it to you. My clothes smell clean, and I'm also saving money.

If you're a liquid detergent kind of person, they also sell liquid. I opted for the powder since it's cheaper, and it's not like using other powder detergents since it's a fine powder and you only use 1 tbsp. That's right- one tablespoon.

One important note: Whole Foods sells the Charlie's Soap powder detergent (80 loads) for $9.00 ($.11 per load), which is $5.00 cheaper than the Charlie's Soap website...

If you like to buy in bulk, you can order from the Charlie's Soap website. I might end up buying the 12 gallon bucket, which does 1280 loads for $121 ($.09 per load). If anyone wants to split the bucket with me, let me know.

This doesn't apply to me, but if you have a front-loader, you can use Charlie's soap. It's front- loader/HE compatible.

Oh, and check out the all-purpose cleaner testimonials. Amazing...

Wi-Fi Family Radio

This Wi-Fi Family Radio is now on my wish list. I love everything I read about it. For a one-time investment of $179, you can take Christian programming to the next level. I love the thought of our children growing up in a home that is always filled with the sounds of encouraging music, stories, and messages. This radio looks like a great way to make that happen! Check it out!

Stem Cells Discovered in Breastmilk

Here is an article that some of you might find interesting:

Stem Cells Discovered in Breastmilk

If you like consignment stores, consignment sales, or yard sales...

I just found this. I know some of you will be interested! I have found 2 consignment stores (with maternity clothes) I want to visit and 2 consignment sales this month. Fun, fun!!!

my "new love"

I never thought a high chair could make me so happy... Before Samuel was born, we bought a high chair by using a gift card I got at a shower. We loved the high chair, but we realized that our dining area was too tiny for it. My parents wanted to buy a high chair to have at their house, so we went ahead and gave them the high chair. We used a booster seat until now. Since Vance is on the way, I have been thinking more about wanting a high chair. I know some people don't want the bulky high chair in their eating area, but I love the flexibility of a high chair- being able to roll it wherever you want to use it, being able to fold it up if you don't need it, being able to use the large tray for puzzles, etc... when you want to clean the kitchen and don't want them wandering the house. I'm also happy that I will no longer use one of our dining chairs for the booster seat. We were always in search of a chair when company came since it occupied 1 of our 4 chairs.

Today I was at Babiesrus to buy Oh Mama bars for myself, and I noticed the high chair I just registered for was at the front of the store (a floor model) for 15% off. My parents had always said they would buy a high chair for us if we wanted one since they took the one we had, so I called my mom and shared the good news with her. I love this high chair. It's by Chicco, but it's not the most expensive one they make. It's got a huge tray with 2 extra trays that snap on and can't be unsnapped by your toddler. :) Its vinyl cushions can be wiped down easily. It's got 7 heights and 3 reclining positions. Tonight I had Jeremy lower it to the height of the table since Samuel was extremely interested in sitting in the "new high chair, " as he called it. I never thought he would want to sit in a high chair, but I guess he can for the next 8 months or so until Vance is on solids. Since we quit using a tray on the booster seat last week, I will just remove the high chair tray and push it up to the table. It doesn't take much to make me happy! Here's a photo of my "new love":

Not done and more on Vance and baby stuff

We are still busy around here. I have not finished unpacking, and Jeremy is still painting. It's a work in progress. I am not putting pressure on myself to finish because it is enough work taking care of Samuel and cooking meals. I have been running some errands to finish up the boys' rooms. I just got 2 more curtain panels and a curtain rod for Samuel's room. (He only had one window in his old room, and this room has two.) Thank the Lord they still carry both the panels and the rod. That was a blessing not to have to start over. Oh, and today I got the cutest curtain panels to match Vance's bedding. They are striped- blue, green, and white. I just love them! Now I have to get the curtain rod. I might end up buying one like the ones in Samuel's room- just plain white.

My parents gave us Vance's crib and changing table/dresser combo. as a baby gift, and we picked those two pieces up on Saturday. Jeremy will put those together soon. For now, we will just leave the crib in the living room, which is empty since we left that furniture in Beaufort, because we're using Vance's room as a guest room. My mom and dad are going to come before Vance's due date and stay for 2 weeks after he's born, so they will stay in Vance's room. Vance is going to be in a cradle in our room for the first 2-3 months. Thanks for loaning us the cradle, Michael and Amy. After a month or so, I do plan to use the crib for naps to get him used to the crib. Amy did that with Bryce, and I thought was a good idea.

One last thing- There are 3 baby items that I can't live without- the Angelcare monitor (that monitors baby's sound and movement), a video monitor, and sleep sacks.

1. We will move our Angelcare monitor from Samuel's crib to Vance's crib. If you want more info. on the Angelcare monitor, you can go to http://www.angelcare-monitor.com/ or www.target.com. It is the best investment ($100) because it's all about your piece of mind. I've always had the assurance that Samuel is ok when he's in his crib because the alarm would sound if he quit breathing. I can't recommend it enough! We have had some false alarms when he gets in one corner of the crib, but give me a false alarm any day over the fear of him not waking up... I have recommended this to friends and they are pleased with it too!

2. The video monitor has been a huge blessing. We got that at Big Lots in Nov. for $40. I was amazed to see Samuel "in action" when I thought he was asleep.... I also have paid attention to what he's doing when he wakes up, which has meant that sometimes I don't go to get him right away and he ends up falling back to sleep. I wouldn't be without a video monitor now. I need to find one for Vance's room.

3. Samuel has been in a sleep sack since he was about 6 months old. He wore them a few times before then, but I mainly used blankets until he started getting more active. (He was crawling backwards at 5 months old.) I love those sacks! The fleece ones keep him warm in the winter, and the cotton ones give him a little cover in the spring, summer, and fall. He has outgrown the fleece ones that you see in the stores, so I ordered special handmade ones on eBay a few months ago. He wears those at night. I've got him in the XL cotton one right now while he naps because they have a little give to them, but he has basically outgrown it. Once it warms up a little, he will officially be out of sleep sacks. I don't look forward to that because I know he will never keep blankets on himself. I don't know about you, but I never sleep without covers. We will see how he does.

I will post a few pictures soon. I just haven't had the time to take or post pictures...

Websites that help during illness

Ever since Samuel got sick this time, I have either been on the phone with his pediatricians or been in their office because of the high fevers and vomiting. They have been super helpful. I am going to miss living in a small town... They were so concerned about Samuel that they even had me check in with them one morning. I was also impressed to be able to speak to the doctor on the phone when I called with questions. What a blessing!

When Samuel has a minor illness, I do use the internet. I wanted to share some websites that help me:

American Academy of Pediatrics

WebMD Children's Health

Family Doctor.Org (from the American Academy of Family Physicians)

Cloth Diaper Confusion

Ok. If you're like me, you probably think of pins and a mess when you think of cloth diapers. My mom used cloth diapers on me, but she had a diaper service. Well, a lot has changed in 33 years. Now diaper services are almost non-existent, and cloth diapers have become so easy to use and care for. With the help of a cloth diapering friend, I found a Cloth Diapers- Just the Basics with lots of questions and answers. She says that it's so easy! She also gave me lots of useful tips on what things I need to buy, how to wash the diapers and wipes, etc...

I'm getting excited about cloth diapering. Did I mention that I love the fun cloth diaper colors??? So before you jump to conclusions about cloth diapers, check it out. You too might find that it's way easier than you would imagine. Of course, there are a variety of cloth diaper brands. BumGenius makes an All-In-One cloth diaper. You got it- Only 1 piece. They also make a One Size diaper, which means that you don't have to buy more diapers as they grow. This diaper uses an insert, but it looks easy. I have read that the One Size diapers are better for nighttime also because you can double up on inserts. Here's some information on BumGenius.

They recommend cloth wipes with cloth diapers, which are a cheap and chemical-free way to keep your baby's bum clean. Also, you no longer need diaper rash cream to prevent diaper rash. With cloth diapers, diaper rash isn't an issue.

If I get Jeremy to agree to a third child, I will be able to use them on that child also.
One bonus is that you can sell them when you no longer need them. Sounds good to me!

Oh, I plan to keep Samuel in disposables since he will hopefully potty train around the time that Vance is born. Of course, I shouldn't be so sure of that because he might take longer than I would like. He uses the potty now several times a day, but he doesn't act upset with a dirty diaper or even let me know when he needs to go.

I'm sure I will post about my cloth diaper experiences once Vance arrives.

Halo Sleep Sack Sale

Here's a sale notice from Halo:

February Promotion: Feb. 19 - March 1, 2008

This Promotion is - 25% OFF Selected Items: all Swaddles, Velboa, Ribbon Trim, Applique, On-the-Go and Early Walker. Clearance items are not included this month.

This promotion is not live on the site. Please enter the following code at check out to receive this offer: EC511

On the go is cool because it has a slot for the car seat, so that you can take the baby straight to bed from the car. Sign me up!

Go to this website to shop: Halo

Happy shopping!

Sweet potato casserole for toddlers (or any hungry adult)

So, Samuel is no longer a baby, but he still loves sweet potatoes. I have bought the microwavable ones (wrapped in plastic and sold individually). They work great, and I added butter and brown sugar to them! Samuel has also had an Outback sweet potato with butter and brown sugar and was delighted. Last week I decided to make a sweet potato dish that my mom has been making forever. Samuel had eaten it at her house, so I knew he already liked it before I went to the trouble to make this. It's a recipe from the Williamsburg Cookbook. My mom was over last week, and we made them together. Enjoy! The recipe below is my toddler friendly version of the Williamsburg recipe.

King's Arms Tavern Sweet Potatoes
(8-10 adult servings)

5 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.
3. Cook sweet potatoes in boiling salted water until done. (We put the potatoes in cold water. Once the water was boiling, we turned the heat down to 3 and kept the lid on. Once the water was boiling, it took about 30 minutes. Just check your potatoes with a fork and make sure that you can poke it all the way in easily before you take them out.)
4. Peel and mash potatoes well.
5. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients and use electric mixer to get ride of lumps. (I did this on a high speed, but watch for flying sweet potatoes.)
5. Put mixture into prepared casserole dish.
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. (I didn't cook it right away, so I refrigerated it and when I was ready to cook it, I cooked it longer- like 35-40 minutes.)

Since I don't love sweet potatoes, I decided to freeze this in ice cube trays (just like baby food). Once they froze, I put the cubes in ziplocs like Amy suggested. When I want to give them to Samuel, I take 3 cubes out of the freezer, defrost them in the microwave until warm, and voila! It's a great way to give your little one a vegetable! Since Samuel is a picky vegetable eater (like his mommy), I will be making this recipe often!

Alphabet Fun

At Thanksgiving, Jeremy and I bought Samuel Leap Frog Fridge Phonics. We mainly bought it for Jeremy's parents' house and my parents' house since we had been warned that it would scratch our stainless steel appliances. He has enjoyed using it at my parents' since we got home from Jeremy's parents' house after Thanksgiving. He can even repeat the letters after it plays. For a week or two he has been trying to repeat the alphabet song. Now we're using it at home just on the furniture or on the floor. - Whatever works, right? Today I got him on video saying a couple of letters. Of course, he didn't say all of the ones that he has said in the past, but that's ok. You will hear me on beginning of the video. I was trying to get him to sing along. Then, I let him take over. I think it's cute even if it's only 4 or 5 letters. He's not even 2 yet, so I can't expect him to get it all... It has been encouraging though since I am going to be his teacher from now until the end of high school. He seems to enjoy learning. He's like a sponge. He also loves music. One of us sings to him before bed, and he is learning to sing "Jesus Loves Me", "Jesus Loves the Little Children", and "Amazing Grace". We let him fill in the blanks for a couple of the words. It is so sweet when he tries to sing the songs with me. If I could just teach him everything through music...

Target Web Coupon for Luvs Diapers

This coupon expires on Feb. 8.

Best Savings from my house to yours. (Paula Deen says Best Dishes, so why not?)

Money-saving tips on baby products

When Samuel was born, I was unrealistic about how much money I would have to spend on baby products. I started out using all Aveeno baby wash, diaper rash cream, and lotion. Pampers were the only diapers to touch his bottom. Dreft was the only detergent I used to wash his clothes. I soon found out how expensive these products were and how I could easily save money by shopping around.

So, I just love Aveeno baby products, but they are so stinkin' expensive. After Samuel was born, I found Aveeno coupons on eBay and used those for awhile. When I ran out of coupons, I found that Target sold a generic Aveeno. I was so excited!!! That enthusiam died by the time Samuel was a year old because Target stopped making them. Never fear though... Publix saved the day. I found out that they have a generic version at a good price. Just check the baby aisle. They are right beside the Aveeno products. Oh, and Publix sometimes puts their Pampers diapers on sale for $5 or $6 less than you would pay elsewhere. Check the online ads or your local Publix if you shop there. I rarely shop at Publix, so I tend to search the ads. Also, since I'm a member of the Publix Baby Club, they send me notice of sales and coupons too.

By the time Samuel was 8 months old, I started using the Target brand of Desitin diaper rash cream (blue and white box), which I love even more than the Aveeno brand. I use it every time I change Samuel's diaper, which has prevented him from getting a diaper rash. I highly recommend doing that! Recently, with Samuel teething so much, I noticed some redness (not rash but redness), so I use Boudreaux's Butt Paste most of the time. It works like a charm. It is messy though, and I will warn you that it can stain clothing. It stained my changing pad cover. :( I will quit using it when I feel like he's over the teething. By then, I hope he'll be potty trained.

When Samuel was born, I used Pampers Swaddlers. So many people gave me diapers, that I didn't buy Pampers Swaddlers for 4 months. Even though I had a ton of Pampers Swaddlers, I felt like I was throwing away money if he only wore them a few minutes, so when Samuel was about 2 or 3 months old, I started using Luvs diapers when I knew he wouldn't have the diaper on for very long (i.e. right before I nursed him). I used my stockpile of Pampers the rest of the time. Because I wasn't too thrilled with the fit of Luvs (no stretch at all), I stopped using Luvs once Samuel went to a Size 3 diaper. Pampers Cruisers are so expensive though, so a month ago I went back to Luvs during the day and a Cruisers diaper at night. I was pleased to see that Luvs got their act together and added stretchy tabs. I haven't been disappointed. And Luvs are much cheaper!!!

Now, in order to save money on baby detergent, I shopped around and found that for $19.99 I could buy a HUGE container of liquid Dreft at Target. It's 200 or 300 oz. I would check, but I quit using it when Samuel was 18 months old. That container lasted months, so it was in no way a waste of money. For dryer sheets, I shopped at Babies-r-us and found a baby friendly one that I still use some. Ok, so at the 18 month mark, I decided to quit using baby detergent. I found Tide Free, and now I use Tide Free for all of our family's laundry. I think I will stick with that with the new baby. It's basically Dreft without the baby scent, right?

I almost forgot to mention that my FAVORITE stain remover for babies is Baby Oxyclean. The cheapest place to buy it is Babies-r-us because they sell a container 3 times the size of the container at Target. I wouldn't waste your time with any other stain removers. You can use this to make a paste on a stain or soak clothes in it when you have a little one around. (Once they're bigger, I just use Shout for stains.) Some people don't realize that you can use Oxyclean in every load of laundry to get your clothes cleaner. I've been using the regular Oxyclean in every load for years. Once Samuel was born, I was concerned about the chemicals until I saw the baby version. At 18 months, I also quit using the Baby Oxyclean and use the regular one.

If you have any questions, let me know. I would love to help any new moms out there!

Got too much milk?

I felt like I should share this with you after a friend's one-year-old son was diagnosed with an iron deficiency. His deficiency isn't because of this, but recently I read somewhere (I can't remember where) that too much milk can prevent iron absorption. It said not to give a toddler more than 16 oz. of whole milk a day. This made me think twice about the amount of whole milk I'm giving my son. Samuel LOVES whole milk now, which is great since I weaned him, but it can cause problems. Today I looked into it more and found that more than 16-24 oz. isn't good for them. I'm not sure what number of oz. to follow. I will stick with 16 oz. for Samuel since he tends to get constipated (and has since he was little).

Here are some interesting links for you:

Signs of an Iron Deficiency in Children
Risks of Drinking Too Much Milk
Iron Rich Foods
Iron during PostPartum (I didn't realize that oysters were one of the best sources of iron...)

I always wondered if Samuel had an iron deficiency since he was breastfed. His blood test was negative though. After reading the above articles, I realized that I could pay more attention to giving Samuel iron rich foods. I would do better getting more iron myself!

Graco ComfortSport Safety Notice

Another car seat problem... If you own a Graco ComfortSport, read this.

Britax Marathon Car Seat Recall

If you own a Britax Marathon, you need to read this article. Samuel's car seat is not part of this recall, but your seat might be. Check it out!

coupons on Tylenol website

I don't know about you, but I will still use Tylenol products that haven't been recalled. I went to the Tylenol website to read more about the recall, and they offer a coupon. After installing a coupon printer, which allows you to print coupons with bar codes, it printed a $5.00 off coupon. Not just for children's products either and not just Tylenol products. The catch is that you have to use it in the next month. In addition, you can also print other coupons.

Sale on Halo sleep sacks

Life is so funny. I was just upstairs putting Samuel to bed in his pjs and Halo sleep sack. I was thinking about how I should do a post on sleep sacks. When I got downstairs, my phone rang. It was Tressa calling me from Babies "R" Us, which is my favorite store for baby things. She said that it was getting cold in Atlanta, so she was calling to get my advice on sleep sacks. She knows that I'm a huge fan. I couldn't help but laugh when I hung up. I guess it's time I put in a plug for sleep sacks. Samuel has been wearing a sleep sack since he was old enough to get out from under a blanket. I think that happened around 4 months old, but I'm not positive. I had sleep sacks before then, but I didn't use them much because even the size small swallowed him! The first time I put him in one he was 7 lbs., and he was just too tiny for one. Next time I have a baby I'm going to get the Halo Newborn Cotton Swaddle sacks or a Preemie sleep sack. I don't know if they had those when Samuel was tiny. When he was about 4 months old, I became a sleep sack addict. Yes, my name is Marianna Holloman, and I am addicted to putting my baby in Halo sleep sacks. It's not a joke in my family. He doesn't sleep without one. I always buy 2 to have an extra one if I'm doing laundry or somehow one is dirtied. I simply love the fact that I don't have to worry about him throwing a blanket off and getting cold. I use them all year long since I don't use a blanket in his crib, and I know that I like some sort of sheet or blanket on me when I'm sleeping regardless of the temperature. I use Halo cotton sleep sacks in the spring/summer/fall and then Halo fleece sleep sacks in the winter. The fleece sacks are lined in cotton knit for more comfort. As I was telling Tressa, you could actually use cotton all year long if you wanted to. You just put them in thicker pjs (fleece) in the winter under the cotton sleep sack. Maybe some of you think that's going overboard in "covers", but when it's 67 degrees in my house, I am in long pjs and under my down comforter. Think about your baby. He has no covers.

Here's a product description:

Eliminate loose blankets from baby's crib by zipping them into the Halo SleepSack, the original wearable blanket. Endorsed by First Candle/SIDS Alliance, the sleeveless design prevents overheating. Reversible zipper for easy diaper changes. Baby stays covered all night long, safely and comfortably in 100% cotton interlock.

Check out the Halo website. It's interesting to learn why this sack was designed and see more information.

Here is a link to the Babies "R" Us page of all Halo products. You will see the sale price. Check them out. If you miss the sale or want to comparison shop, check out Baby Center and Amazon. Oh, I almost forgot that I bought 2 on eBay last Spring. Yes, they were new. It turns out that Baby Center is also having a sale and free shipping if you spend $29 (Code FREESHIP29). Their sale ends on Monday. Even if you don't want a sleep sack, you might find a sale for you.

For all you crafty moms, here is a sleep sack pattern. I ran across this recently. Maybe one day I will try to learn how to sew and make some myself.

Oh, and guess what? Halo makes sleep sacks for toddlers. In a 2-3T size and 4-5T, they make a big kid sack. Check it out. Since I don't think Samuel will understand a blanket at 2 years old, I will be using one. Some moms say it's a way to keep them from crawling out of their cribs, and I say the same is true about the cotton and fleece regular sleep sacks.














Let me know if you have any questions about sleep sacks!

Scary news article for parents with children under the age of 2

I just read a scary article. Scary for me because I just gave Samuel one of these products last week. Read if you have a child under the age of 2! I will be going upstairs to clear out my medicine drawer as soon as I finish this post.

-Infant cold medicines pulled for overdose risk