Oh, the burdens we carry. Specifically in a diaper bag! Oh sure, there’s the usual diapers & extra blankets & onesies. Bottles are a must, as are baby wipes. But what about those weird things that nobody thinks about (except a seasoned momma)?

Right before I delivered Harrison, I found small bottles of hand sanitizer. PERFECT for the diaper bag because they were tiny & fit into the zipped portion of my bag that kept the diapers & wipes. After changes, I wouldn’t have to find a sink immediately, which came in handy for the car/park/stroller diaper changes that I never planned for. While I’m sure you can find generic travel hand sanitizer, I loved how mine had a sweet cotton smell to it. (I also had one that smelled like gardenia.) Nothing like feeling pretty after wiping up poop, right?

My other tiny must-have came in the form of a Tide to Go pen. Harrison suffered horrible reflux, & half the formula he drank always ended up on my clothing. When we moved on to solids & oatmeal, I felt like I always had some stain on my sleeve or pants. Since I was usually heading into the office with these stains, I started carrying a detergent pen on me to quickly care for any carrot spills or milk spit-up.

Also, I always carried a little board book on me. I have no idea why since (a) Harrison can’t read & (b) he always prefered little trucks over books. I guess since I always carry a book on me for me, I figured I should do the same for Harry?

Anyway. Enough with the awkward BA facts. Did you carry anything “weird” in your diaper bag? The things I listed above were functional & not necessarily odd, just things I would have never added to the bag until I’d had a few mishaps

Check out the Huggies Mommy Answers Facebook app!

Find more posts from bloggers sharing their experiences of motherhood on the Huggies page on BlogHer.com!

Hey, folks! This time we’re chatting about the physical aspects of a diaper bag — what you’ll need, want, etc. in the construction of the bag. I’m sharing two of my main must-haves when looking for the perfect diaper bag (multiple straps & a bottle holder!). What do you look for in a diaper bag design when you’re selecting it. Zippers? Number of pouches?

Don’t forget to check out the Huggies Mommy Answers Facebook app and then visit the Huggies page on BlogHer.com to read about other bloggers’ who share their own experiences of motherhood.

You know, three years later when you still haven’t made it.

I’ve had this issue for years when it comes to my home.  & then Pinterest was born but honestly?  I still rip recipes from magazines.  I have old recipe cards handed down from The Momma or her friends & little ideas sketched of parenting tips.  Or takeout menus & where on earth do I put the manual for the microwave?

Enter the momAgenda Kitchen Folio.

The Kitchen Folio is an amazing system for organizing the endless stream of paperwork that the kids bring home from school: school/sports schedules, lunch menus, sports team information, after-school activities, and more.  Click here for our unique forms, including Important Information, Important Phone Numbers, Home-Related Phone Numbers, Family Medical Information, Birthdays/Anniversaries, and Babysitter’s Information. Simply type in your family’s information, print, and slide into your Kitchen Folio for instant access to all the information you reference on a daily basis!  Keep it near the phone and you’ll always have the information you need, right at your fingertips. It will instantly become “command central” for every family that uses it!  ~from the momAgenda website

See all those little clear sheets?  You slide your recipe in & BAM! it’s protected from any slinging butter or flour (this is my culinary downfall).  & pop in a little label so it’s easy to find.  Or pop in the preset momAgenda sheets, including BabySitter info & birthdays & the like.

Let’s segway like a punch to the stomach & talk about how hectic the holidays are – gifts! menus! parties galore!  Wouldn’t it be nice to have it all in one place?  The Thanksgiving menu, all planned out.  The info for the babysitter when you go to a holiday party.  The checklist for neighbor gifts & Christmas cards.

That’s where me & the lovely gals at momAgenda come in like an early present under the tree, all wrapped up in awesome.  One of you is going to win a Kitchen Folio by momAgenda!  ::throws snowflakes that don’t exist in the south::

1)  Riddle me this – what is your favorite organization tip for the holidays?
2)  Tweet if you like for an extra entry:  I’m getting organized with @momAgenda for the holidays! I entered the #giveaway @HeirtoBlair http://wp.me/pRSLA-26y #momAgendaCOMM

I’ll pick the winner in a week or so.  GOOD LUCK & happy organizing from your OCD friends at momAgendaCOMM!

____________________________________________

legal schmegal:  momAgenda sent me a lovely kitchen folio at no expense & i was compensated for the time it took to write this incredibly entertaining, witty, well-received post.  they did not pay me to say the product or my review were awesome.  i said that all on my own because i’m stuck-up like that.  i also talk to much.  & my favorite word is “crisp.”

Let’s get one thing straight – character clothing is tacky.   Do not even try to spar with me on this topic, because I could eat a bowl of alphabet soup & shit a better arguement.

Starting at the age where I thought that maybe, one day, I possibly might have children, I swore my child would never wear character clothing.  Sure, I had intense feelings as a non-mother on cosleeping, breastfeeding, raising your child among wolves, & all the other mommy war topics that get panties in a bunch.  But they all paled in comparison to my hatred of character clothing.

Tacky!  I judged the little girl in Target, wearing a Dora sweatshirt.
Vomit in my mouth! I sniffed at the momma buying her son Thomas the Train bedding.
The hell is that?!  I sneered at the brown rusting tow truck imprinted on cereal boxes.

Dare I mention that I had these thoughts not two weeks ago?

Then I met that rusted old tow truck.  His name is Mater & he’s a star in the movie Cars.  What’s that?  You’ve never seen Cars?  Then I assume you don’t have a boy between the ages of 18 months & 10 years.   Because if you do have a boy who’s voice has yet to drop, you can probably recite the entire movie & your husband probably finishes sex with “CAA-CHOW!” & a wink.

This weekend, we strolled into Khol’s to find the kid a pair of fall sneakers, as his little toes smoosh against the end of his Converse.  I perused through the boxes, searching for size 8′s, & Harrison growls out a car sound.  I followed his pointed finger…& my stomach dropped.  Oh, God.  Lightening McQueen.  I smiled, put the kid on the bech to try on respectable Nikes & New Balance shoes.  I stepped back, proud for the simple grey shoes & within moments, I lost my battle.  One look into those big blue eyes, staring past me to the Lightening McQueen sneakers on the shelf & I caved.

“Okay, buddy,” I sighed, kissing years of resolve goodbye.

To anyone else, these shoes may be a symbol of weak parenting pushovers or a complete lack of taste.  To me?  They’re just one more moment where I’m putting my kid before what I want & learning to be happier for it.  You see ugly shoes, but I see little eyes light up every morning.

Kind of like the red flashing lights on the soles of said shoes.  sigh.
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’tis with heavy (but blessed!) hearts that the gals of Cloth Diaper U close their doors.  As a farewell, they are offering 20% off their entire stock (with the exception of Artsy Fartsy Foo Foo), plus $5 flat shipping on any order over $100.

My favorites are there, from BumGenius to Planet Wise to Lil’ Joeys by Rumparooz.

Code is “heirtoblair” for 20% off until supplies end.

But I promise you, these ain’t your grandma’s cloth diapers.

I’m not a cloth diapering guru or genius, but I know enough to give hope that even the flakiest of us mommas can do it.   Consider this Cloth Diapering 101 for Dummies by a Dummy.

Disposable Diaper Routine:

1. Take off diaper.
2. Shake poop into toilet & flush.  (unless you’re a lazy, horrible, depraved person like me who throws away poop.)
3. Put diaper in pail.
4. Put fresh diaper on baby.

Cloth Diaper Routine:

1. Take off diaper.
2. Shake poop into toilet & flush.
3. Put diaper in pail. 
4. Put fresh diaper on baby.

See?  Just like a disposable.  The ONLY difference is that instead of taking out the trash every few days, I toss in a load of laundry & then re-stuff them.

Anatomy of a cloth diaper:

In short?  Cloth sewn.   Poop go there.  Cloth hold poop good.

(p.s. look at wee tiny harry in blue fluff!)

What diapers do I use?

I had NO CLUE where to start but thankfully, my good friends, trusty Twitter pals, & a local baby boutique knew where to guide me.

I chose to start with pocket diapers (like Rumparooz & BumGenuis & Applecheeks), since wetness was our main issue.  I could stuff the pockets with 2-3 inserts for extra absorbency & even pull out the big guns, like a hemp insert.  Good-to-know trivia:  hemp absorbs more.

I snagged a few all-in-ones (AIO) by BumGenius & loved them for daytime (but not for a 12-hour run at night) because they’re a slimmer fit under pants.

Then I moved into hybrid diapers (like gDiapers) where I could put in a cloth insert when we were home, but use a disposable insert for the road.  If it’s just pee, you can simply dump the insert, wipe the liner clean, & pop in a new one instead of using an entirely different diaper, which is why I love these for errands because I simply bring inserts rather than several diapers, but they’re definitely not sleeping diapers in our house.

Then I got brave last summer & went into swim diapers (we use the Swimmis brand) & pretty much fell in love with not buying those disintegrating Huggies diapers.  Beach goers, the reusable swim diapers also don’t seem to trap sand like the disposables, which is so nice.  If you’ve ever changed a sand + poop diaper, you know what I’m talking about.  NASTY TOWN.

I got a little braver & moved into fitted diapers, which are so fantastically soft that I kind of want to put them on my bum.  Super-absorbent but require a cover (like Thirsties).  So far, I have only used these for the super-absorbency we need at night since they can be bulky under clothing.

While I have yet to do pre-folds + covers on my kiddo, I have changed a few on a special set of triplets!

How I wash cloth diapers:

1. One cold rinse without detergent.
2. Add detergent, wash on hot with a pre-soak.
3. Extra rinse.
4. Line dry in the sun when I have time (it helps remove stains & funk!) or just toss in the dryer.

The basics of what you need:

• A willing spouse.
• Diapers. (duh)
• Cloth-diaper friendly detergent, like Charlie’s Soap or Rockin’ Green.
• A place for dirty diapers.  (we use a Planet Wise wet bag that hangs on his closet door & a smaller Planet Wise wet bag for the diaper bag.)

• Sprayer attached to your toilet to remove poop.  (I don’t have one, I just dunk it in the toilet or use toilet paper to scrape it off)
• cloth wipes.  (we don’t use ‘em)
• liners.  (good for easy dumping of poop & protecting diapers from diaper rash cream)
• smell-good stuff for your diaper pail or wet bag.  (I swear by the Rockin’ Green Shake it Up! freshener.)
• ummm….& pretty much anything else you could possibly imagine.

The brands we own:
FuzziBunz
BumGenius
Rumparooz
Applecheeks
gDiaper
Happy Heiny’s
Swimmis
Monkey Snuggles
Thirsties
Charlie Banana
BumEssentials
Babykicks
Go Green Diapers
Bitti Tutto

(I highlighted our favorites as green!)

So…how much are these shit-catchers gonna run me?

We’ve been lucky & done it on the cheap by slooooowly building stash.  As in, I enter every. single. diaper giveaway known to man & have thankfully won a few.  I refuse to buy a diaper unless I have a code to get a free one on Diaper Shops (go ahead & subscribe to their newsletter so you’ll get these codes!).  I bought my gDiapers with a 20% off coupon from Babies R Us.

What I paid:  $237.66 for 23 diapers
What they retail:  $472.43

The moral of my story?  If you’re patient & keep your eye on deals, you can do well.  Consider it prep for your audition on Extreme Couponing, minus the coupons & need to store 40 bottles of Heinz ketchup.

Here’s the wonderful thing about mothering & cloth diapering – you can do it your own way.  Full-on, part-time, or HELL NO I’M NOT DOING THAT.  I have girlfriends that even travel with cloth, God bless them.   I have gals that cloth full-time except on the road.  I have parents that are still confused by my desire to cloth diaper but will happily swaddle his bum when they babysit.  & then part-timers that cloth diaper at night & on weekends, but buy boxes of Pampers for daycare’s request.  My friends that gag every time I mention cloth diapering?  Still love ‘em.

*coming soon because this post is getting too long:  where we stand right now with diapering Harry’s bum, plus an AppleCheeks giveaway so one of you can try fluff!

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A few years ago when procreating felt like a distant dream, my girlfriends & I wandered through TJ Maxx, scouring for deals.  Since the thought of babies was pretty much eating my brains whole, I stole through the baby section & stumbled across this bad boy on the left:

A Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack for $50.  These bad boys traditionally sell for over $150, so at a third of the price, I could not leave it there all lonesome in a dingy store.  My husband may or may not have looked at me like I had gone off my rocker when I came home with it that night.

I lovingly carried it for the first 18 months of Harrison’s life.  I may be petty & shallow, but those first few months where I was kind of unshowered & homeless looking?  At least I had one hell of a diaper bag.  Running errands?  Sling it across your front.  In church?  A shoulder bag.  At the park?  Backpack time.

(please notice Harry bringing me Playdough & saying, “momma?,” his favorite thing to do on the back porch)

Dirty diaper?  Unzip the changing pad & you’ll find everything at arms reach.  Need your keys?  Hooked right in.  Extra bottles?  Upright inside & easily accessible on the outside.

Plus, my Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack holds EVERYTHING.  Wallet, cell phone, blanket, extra outfit, toys.  I am still amazed at how much I can fit in so that I only have to carry one bag.

A few months ago,  I sent an email to Petunia Pickle Bottom that went something like this:

“ZOMG!  LOVE YOUR BAGS!  ME + PPB = TRUE LUV!”

I even dotted my i’s with hearts.

Petunia Pickle Bottom graciously thanked me by sending a fresh Boxy Backpack, which was perfect timing because I left a banana in the side pocket of my first brocade-style Boxy Backpack & while it washed well, it did leave a stain.  This time they sent me a glazed bag, which wipes clean with a baby wipe or rag. (the brocade is pretty & soft, but definitely go for the glazed!)

Meaning no nasty banana stains.

I’m a pretty momma again!

Petunia Pickle Bottom is generously offering a Boxy Backpack in Lively La Paz, retailing at $176.00! You have three ways to enter – do one, do them all, it’s totally up to you.

1)  Head on over to Petunia Pickle Bottom & let me know in a comment on here what you adore – style, fabric, bedding, freakin’ Ergo carriers…

2)  Follow me on Twitter & tweet “Win a Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack from @HeirtoBlair & @FollowPetunia! http://wp.me/pRSLA-1E3”

3)  Follow Petunia Pickle Bottom on Facebook.

Winner will be announced on August 2, 2011.   Best of luck!

ftc stuff:  I purchased my first Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack with my own money & then was graciously sent a bag at no cost to me by Petunia Pickle Bottom.  No cash money or illicit favors were exchanged for my glowing opinion, though.

As in, they’re nasty as hell & I hate them.

For months I thought that my kid would never drink out of a cup.  I offered about 10 different kinds of “training cups” only to sigh in exasperation at his shaking head & stubborn refusal.  Friends offered suggestions.  My husband told me to be patient.  The pediatrician recommended tossing all bottles out cold-turkey to create thirst.  Finally, PRAISE THE LORD, the child put down the bottle & picked up the Nuby.

Glory be!

Goodbye, bottle parts!  Goodbye, bottle sterilizer & bottle brush & formula dispensers!  Freedom from your year-long tyranny!

oh.

wait.

I have to wash sippy cups & the dishwasher won’t do an adequate job?

They have even MORE parts than Avent bottles?!

damn.

They never seem to get clean enough.   I’ve come to the conclusion that straw cups are really a toddler’s petri dish.  So can I rationalize it that I’m being a responsible parent by injecting him daily with penicillin from an unwashed cup?   Because yeah, he might be formula-fed & as a result be in line as the Russell Brand of 2059, but he’s going to be a bacteria-fighting machine by the time I’m done with him.

Yet every morning, we pour coffee into travel mugs & milk into a cup & set off on the road.  As I throw life into my veins with hot French Roast, Harrison quietly drinks milk in the backseat while watching Curious George.  About 20 minutes into the commute, a familiar ::thump:: occurs as he tosses the emptied drink aside.  Milk into child = complete.  All is right with the world.

The problem comes about 24 hours later when we load up in the car the following morning & realize that yesterday’s sippy has now glued itself to the car floor with milk residue.  The even bigger problem comes three days later when we realize that we’re all out of Harrison’s cups because a) they’re in my car or b) rolled under the sofa.  & by that point, a HazMat team needs to be called.

So we disdainfully carry the cups in, hold our noses, & unscrew the lids.  Scrub, scrub, hot soak, scrub, soak again, scrub some more, dishwasher run, another soak.   With the occasional “OH MY GOD, JUST THROW IT OUT!” when we deem a cup totaled & the effort to clean it is not worth the $3.47 to purchase a new one.

& then we promise to never let it get this bad again.

Until three days later, of course.

I don’t normally get all giddy over casual wear because workout gear equals sweet & I hate sweating.  I also hate Lycra, camel toes, wedgies, & pit stains.  (I think we can all agree that those are incredibly off-putting, along with sketchy Guido men that troll the gym watching girls on treadmills.) My traditional sweat suit of choice includes one of Nate’s oversized tshirts from college that has a beer stain in the left corner & a pair of ratty old cheerleading shorts from 1996 that barely cover my left ass cheek.

It’s pretty much the opposite of sexy, attractive, & feminine.

I like to think that one of the reasons Jockey puts up with my madness is because they feel pity for the rest of humanity when I go running, so they’ve taken me on as a charity case to outfit for getting in shape.

A few months ago, lovely Jockey boxes adorned my front stoop & the Jockey Sport collection came waltzing into my life.   I ADORE IT.  I adore it on the kind of level where I’m not sure my husband remembers what I look like in a pair of jeans because the Modern Fit are my go-to pants on the weekends.  I’m not even sure where my North Face fleece is these days because I wear my Zip Front Jacket any time there’s a chill in the air (it’s light, warm, & toddler-stain resistant which makes it the greatest piece of clothing in my wardrobe).

As you can see, it’s perfect for vegging out at the end of the day.  I run upstairs, rip off my hosiery & shapewear  & slip into a tank top & long Modern Fit pants.

When I first started taking Zumba classes a few weeks ago, I attempted to dance off my wobbly bits wearing a ratty tshirt & bagging sweatpants.  I wanted to hide my figure but I realized after one class that I felt better about myself in front of the mirror wearing tighter crop pants.  I didn’t look quite so…large.  I could move more comfortably & I could actually see my hips shaking, which lent a sexy vibe that I haven’t felt since giving birth spread-eagle in a hospital bed.

Which led to the greatest self-realization since I took bows out of my hair in the fourth grade - comfortable doesn’t mean frump. I don’t have to look like a homeless soccer mom just because I’m exhausted at the end of the day.  I don’t have to look like a bag lady at Zumba just because I have sweat pouring out of every crevice in my body.  I can still shake my hips.  I can still look cute after work while rolling around on the floor with my boys.  There is such as flattering workout gear & by God, it’s time I embraced it.

p.s.  they also come in longs.  & the angels sang HALLELUJAH!!!

Merry five days until Christmas!!

I’m just so excited, y’all.  Because it’s a four-day work week.  Because of peppermint bark & cake chews & toffee shortbread.  Because in just a few short days, I will be with my brothers.  Because there was this tiny baby born 2,000 Decembers ago.  It’s just all so EXCITING.

& I thought I should spread the joy & love by giving away one of my FAVORITE pieces of baby gear.

As you should know if you’ve been reading my blog for the last year, I’ve been big on babywearing ever since Harrison popped out of the womb.  It was the only way I could really calm him in those first hellish months of reflux/colic/whatever & it became such a comfort for both of us.  Some babes truly hate being worn, but Harrison has always loved it – he’s warm, close to me, & has a bird’s eye view of everything.  If we’re shopping, he can reach out & touch fabrics, point to the same thing I am looking at, & it also keeps grubby stranger hands off his sweet face.  Because he’s so close to my boobs that I think I’d cut a bitch & scream indecency if anyone dared tried to grab for him.

Last spring, ErgoBaby & I made contact & they graciously offered two Ergo carriers – one for me to review & one for me to give away.  As I like to really, really get a feel for a product before I give it my two thumbs up, I spent the last six months getting to know the Ergo.

From the back…

Harrison at 8 months old.

…to the front.

Harrison at 11 months old.

That is my FAVORITE part of the Ergo.  I can strap Harry to my chest if we’re going to be in big crowds (like the state fair) or he’s feeling extra-clingy that day.  Or if I need him to cover my pudge because I ate too many Moe’s burritos that week.  & I can slide him on my back like a big kid & give him more breathing room.  The hood is also super-convenient if he crashes in it (shield out light & noise).

Of course, every baby-wearing momma knows that it is impossible to not grab those sweet baby feet while you walk & wear.

I mean, I hate to even reference Gisele because I think she acts like a raging snatch-rash with 90% of her views on parenting, but even she does the foot-grab.

Why Ergo?

The ERGO Baby Carrier’s ergonomic design supports a correct sitting position for the baby’s hip, pelvis and spine growth. It disperses most of the baby’s weight between the hips and thighs, which helps to eliminate compression of the spine when hanging by the crotch which most other designs require. The ERGO also balances the baby’s weight to parents’ hips and shoulders, and alleviates physical stress for the parent. ~from Ergo’s website

The carrier is made from cotton with reinforced stitching & durability that will last up to 90 lbs.  High density foam in the waist band & shoulder straps keep it comfortable for the parent.  & it’s machine-washable, which is necessary for an infant.

Poop & vomit, people.  I need not say more.

If you’ve got a wee one, you will need the infant insert.  & the backpack or front pouch are awesome for bringing bottles & diapers, as I’ve always found it awkward to wear a kid & shoulder a diaper bag.  I’m partial to the backpack, which simply clips on the front of the carrier.

So, folks.  Let’s get down to business, shall we?

One of you is going to win an original ErgoBaby carrier, valued at $105.00.

All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment about why you love babywearing or why you plan on babywearing.

I’ll draw the winner on Christmas Eve, aka December 24, 2010.  Best of luck!

required:  ergobaby kindly sent me an original carrier, backpack, & front pouch to review.  while they are also providing the carrier to give away, they did not pay me for my opinion.  i’m far too expensive.