{10 favorite things} a mother's love

My mom got me this sweet little gift and gave it to me while we were in Vancouver (did you see my little blurp on our family vacation?)  My mom wrote this simple message in the front of the book, "from one mother's heart to another."  Have I ever mentioned how wonderful my mom is?

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This book is basically 92 pages of adorably cute animals and uplifting motherhood quotes and stories.  Its a quick read but an excellent gift.  (Mother's Day is coming up!)  I wanted to share a few of my favorites from here.  Happy Friday Moms!

one . Sometimes the strength of motherhood is greater than natural laws. - Barbara Kingsolver

two . Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. - Elizabeth Stone

three . A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world.  It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. - Agatha Christie

four . I cannot forget my mother. She is my bridge.  When I needed to get across, she steadied herself long enough for me to run across safely. - Renita Weems

five . The phrase "working mother" is redundant. - Jane Sellman

six . There are a million moving parts to raising kids, and you can't always anticipate them all... It's as simple, and scary, as that. - Anna Quindler

seven . My mother's menu consisted of two choices: take it or leave it. - Buddy Hackett

eight . Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life. - Sophocles

nine . My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it. - Mark Twain

ten . A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. - Sophia Loren

am i mom enough {a motherhood wish list i just had to share}

I saw this a few months ago and while I'm all for creating my own content, I just had to share this.  Please visit the original article on Boston.com.  Thank you Karen for letting me share this.

an excerpt from "Am I Mom Enough? A Motherhood Wish List"

I hope I raise a child who says “thank you” to the bus driver when he gets off the bus, “please” to the waiter taking his order at the restaurant, and holds the elevator doors when someone’s rushing to get in.

I hope I raise a child who loses graciously and wins without bragging. I hope he learns that disappointments are fleeting and so are triumphs, and if he comes home at night to people who love him, neither one matter. Nobody is keeping score, except sometimes on Facebook.

I hope I raise a child who is kind to old people.

I hope I raise a child who realizes that life is unfair: Some people are born rich or gorgeous. Some people really are handed things that they don’t deserve. Some people luck into jobs or wealth that they don’t earn. Tough.

I hope I raise a child who gets what he wants just often enough to keep him optimistic but not enough to make him spoiled.

I hope I raise a child who knows that he’s loved and special but that he’s not the center of the universe and never, ever will be.

I hope I raise a child who will stick up for a kid who’s being bullied on the playground. I also hope I raise a child who, if he’s the one being bullied, fights back. Hard. Oh, and if he’s the bully? I hope he realizes that his mother, who once wore brown plastic glasses and read the phonebook on the school bus, will cause him more pain than a bully ever could.

I hope I raise a child who relishes life’s tiny pleasures—whether it’s a piece of music, or the color of a gorgeous flower, or Chinese takeout on a rainy Sunday night.

I hope I raise a child who is open-minded and curious about the world without being reckless.

I hope I raise a child who doesn’t need to affirm his self-worth through bigotry, snobbery, materialism, or violence.

I hope I raise a child who likes to read.

I hope I raise a child who is courageous when sick and grateful when healthy.

I hope I raise a child who begins and ends all relationships straightforwardly and honorably.
 
I hope I raise a child who can spot superficiality and artifice from a mile away and spends his time with people and things that feel authentic to him.

I hope I raise a child who makes quality friends and keeps them.

I hope I raise a child who realizes that his parents are flawed but loves them anyway.

I started Anna a journal with all my thoughts, wishes, dreams, and comments from daily life events.  I added this in to the pages.  **

10 favorite things {cloth diaper essentials}

I have had so many friends and family members ask "how do I do it?" with cloth diapers.  Well ladies and gents, this world has come a long way since your mom diapered your bum.  So long are the pins and hanging it out on the line to dry.  Its actually a breeze to cloth diaper once you get the hang of it.

The benefits of cloth diapering.
Anna's bum has less diaper rashes
They are environmentally better for the earth
They cost less ... way less.

If you are going to start cloth diapering however its a bit of a headache.  There are literally thousands of options and how do you even start?  Well, here's what I've been doing and it works.

My top 10 favorite cloth diapering essentials.

one. The Bambino Mio cloth diapering bucket.  Keep this handy in a bathroom or in the nursery closet.  After rinsing (get to that in a second) dump the diapers in here until wash.  I usually wash every other day.

two. Bummis fleece liners. For the days Anna does have a diaper rash and CJ's butter just won't cut it.  I'll use zincofax (the best diaper rash cream there is out there).  However, zincofax does a number on cloth diapers.  It actually makes them start repelling urine (a huge headache!).  So, place a fleece liner between diaper and bum.  The fleece feels nice next to the bum and it creates a barrier between the cream and the diaper.

three. Prince Lionheart cloth diaper warmier.  I debated getting this since it is seen as a luxury item.  However, my cloth wipes come out warm and Anna honestly likes them better than a cold one.  Who could blame her?  To keep my wipes wet I make up my own potion of witch hazel, water, and Kissluvs diaper lotion potion concentrate.

four. Bum Genius 4.0 diaper cover with velcro enclosures.  The velcro is better than the snap (in my opinion) because you get a more custom fit.  The BG diapers are a cover + insert system.  Which means you'll need an insert (see ten) inside each of the covers.  These BGs can fit 7-35lb babies with its adjustable snaps and stretchy tabs.

five. Bum Genius diaper sprayer is a must for cloth diapering.  This is why cloth diapering is so easy.  You install this to your toilet.  Now you can spray your diapers off.  When you are done spraying just hook the sprayer back onto the side of the toilet.  Throw the diaper in the bucket and you are done.  You can even do this at 3am with your eyes closed.

six. rockin' green detergent has some fun and deliciously smelling scents.  Between this detergent and the occasional sun bleaching (yes, i do hang my diapers out on the line when its nice outside) I haven't had any trouble with smells or staining.

seven. CJ's butter is one of the best creams for cloth diapers.  Its not super greasy or thick.  It also has a lot of different purposes.  It treats eczema, rashes, dry/chapped skin, rub burns, mechanics hands/cuticles, hang nails, leave in conditioner, a good barrier/relief for circumcision, therapeutic in the bath water, etc.

eight. Bio-Kleen bac-out for those super stinky, big blow out kind of days.  After a good rinse with the sprayer this will aid as a "pretreatment" before washinging.  Just spray and leave in the bucket until wash day.

nine. Green Mountain cloth-eeze are terry on one side and flannel on the other. I can fold and make two sections in my warmie of these.  The terry is nice for more of a "scrub" on the bum and the flannel is nice for a gentle wipe.

ten. Thirsties hemp inserts are the most absorbent inserts I have found.  They work much better than a microfleece insert.  You may start with microfleece and work up to a hemp insert.  My baby is a heavy wetter especially at night and I can place three of these inside her diaper cover.  She'll sleep 13 hours and still be dry in the morning.  I have heard charcoal bamboo inserts are also excellent but I have yet to try.

Please email me if you have any questions!  Once you get the hang of it I promise it is so easy! Happy diapering!