Wordless Wednesday: Random Acts of Birthday/Art Kindness

In trying to keep my Wordless Wednesday Posts all about Random Acts of Kindness for the March of Kindness this week I am sharing Little Mans kindness.

His 5th Birthday is on Monday, March 21 (don't even get me started on how big he is getting!  I may just cry!).  His party is this Saturday.  The theme is Art.

Little Man has been hard at work since last Fall making the most creative and beautiful drawings to display at his party.  It is going to be his debut art show.  We are going to hang them on the wall to display and have a silent auction with our friends/family.

I sat down and told Little Man about 3 charities I thought he would like and let him pick which one he wanted to donate the money to, he chose. Sleepyhead Beds, a charity that gives beds/bedding to kids who do not have any.

He is super excited about his art show, so I hope everyone buys something.  We don't expect large bids.  I am starting everything at 50 cents and figure they can go up by 5 cents, we don't expect much more than 50 cents to $1 per item.

Mommy is so proud of his huge heart!

So once again my "Wordless" Wednesday post has tons of words, lets get to the pictures already.....

on of my all time favs!  I really don't want to put it in
but he insists as its his "best ever".  Guess mommy
has to buy this one!

I love that he adds belly buttons to everything

another of my favs, I foresee mommy buying a lot of his pictures!

giraffes

elephant front

elephant back

a bunch of the pics for the auction together

Confessions of a Fluffy Fashionista

Hey ya'll, its K- here (aka Smunchkin).  I wanted to jump on and share my new passion with everyone.  You see, these days I am all about the fluff!

Sure, it makes my booty a look little extra poofy but I wear that padding well.

Allow me to take you on a tour through some of my favorite fluffy wear...

This little pink owl number was sent courtesy of Tiny Heiney, mom said something about it being meant for my little sister but I didn't care, I think I rock it way better than she ever could.

As soon as mom pulled this next little number out of the bag I called dibs.  Can you blame me, that's some serious fluff right there!

DIBS!

rockin out the Tiny Heiney pocket diaper

Sometimes I like to keep it low key and old school.  There is nothing better than the comfort of a Blissful Booty diaper for lounging around the house on lazy days.  They are also great for doing your "business" in, if you know what I mean.
Even the adults around me rave about how soft and comfy these diapers feel and wish they could wear them too.  I say back up off my fluff ya'll!

I still enjoy being frugal chic with my Econobums on occasion as well.  The pink is my favorite and the only Econobum I will wear anymore.

My favorite Bummis cover is super fashionable and pink but mom says its also still in the testing phase so I can't tell you much more about it than that. (nor am I allowed to post a picture of it, bummer).
So instead I will show ya'll my newest Bummis cover, I enjoy rockin this one out when I'm feeling a little tomboyish-who says girls can't like spaceships too?

These goodmama's fit like a dream, again mom said they were meant for Monkey and not me but can you blame a girl for laying claim to these?

So there you have it, my favorite fluff.  I let mom know everyday which diapers I want to wear.  If she tries to put something on me and I am not feeling it I let her  know.  For this Fluff Fashionista it's my way or the highway. 

Look out mom, I have my own tastes when it comes to the fluff I wear!

Love,
this tiny fluffy fashionista,
K-

The Dirties on Diapering

I recently stumbled upon a page on FB called The Dirties on Diapering.  At first I just thought it was another cloth diaper store or fan page until I took a closer look and fell in love.

The Dirties on Diapering is a grass roots effort started by 1 mom/photographer with the idea to create a beautiful coffee table book full of photographs highlighting the modern cloth diapers.  So many people picture pins and rubber pants when they hear the term "cloth diapers".  So the idea of this book is exciting!
The book will not only feature the beautiful modern cloth diaper options it will also show the ugly side of disposable diapers with photos of things such as landfills full of dirty diapers.

She has an amazing video on her blog, FB page and Kickstarter page but me being the complete blog DUNCE that I am I can't figure out how to post it.  Instead I will highlight some of the must impressive and moving quotes from the video and you can head over to 1 of her pages to see it for yourself.

"98% of parents still use disposables"

WOW!  I sure thought there were more of us cloth mamas than that, 2%?!  Let's start a cloth revolution!  Imagine the world if even 25% of us used cloth!

"Most disposables contain DIOXIN-- which is listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals! And its on baby ALL DAY AND NIGHT!"

YIKES!

Disposables also contain chemicals like:

"TBT- connected to hormonal issues"

"SAP- Banned from tampons because of Toxic Shock Syndrome"

"VOCs: Connected to asthma, liver/kidney and nervous system issues, and cancer"

"Disposable diapers are the third largest consumer item in landfills and take more than 250 yrs to decompose!"

HOLY SMOKES!  Disposable diapers have only been around since approx 1947so that means every single disposable diaper that has ever been used, EVER is still in a landfill somewhere.  EVERY SINGLE ONE! GAG!!  I want to say that the other 2 items are plastic water bottles and plastic grocery bags but I am not 100% sure on this??

"The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than washing cloth"

This was one of my biggest arguments as to why I did not want to switch to cloth (before I switched and was trying to talk myself out of it because the idea intimidated me). I told people that any impact I made on the environment by switching to cloth would be null and void due to the amount of water I would be wasting to clean them.

She has 45 days left and has a little over 1/2 of her goal of $6,000.  Can you help?  Can you donate $1, $5, $10, more?
If you would like to donate check out her Kickstarter page for information on how. 
A pledge of $15 or more earns you a free copy of the book once it is published.

If money is tight and its hard to donate even $1 don't worry, you can still help in 2 huge ways:

First by spreading the word about her project.  Tell all of your cloth loving friends, like The Dirties on FB and suggest it to all of your friends (I know they took away the suggest feature but you can still link the page on your wall), write a blog about it, post about it in cloth diapering forums, etc etc.

Secondly you can help for free by heading over to the  Red Tricycle and signing up for their parenting newsletter.  All you have to do is list "The Dirties on Diapering" in the referral box and for every person that signs up now through March 30 they will donate $1.  So if 100 sign up that's $100.

She also has a few giveaways for free diapers on her blog: http://thedirtiesondiapering.blogspot.com/  You have to be a backer in order to enter the contests, but you are considered a backer by donating $1 or more.

And she has a cloth diaper photo contest that I myself entered: http://thedirtiesondiapering.blogspot.com/2011_01_01_archive.html

The photos are on her FB page and you vote by liking or commenting on which picture you like.

I did enter the contest but I am not going to tell you which picture is mine or ask for votes because that is not the purpose of this blog.  The purpose is to get the word out about The Dirties on Diapering so that she can meet her goal of $6,000 in time and get the book published.

I truly think that together, moms can do anything and if we unite we can really impact and change the world for good.  I think this is a good place to start.

Any mama who has tried cloth diapering can tell you just how addicting the fluff can be.  Just try it, you will be hooked.<- I sound like a drug pusher, instead I am a fluff pusher!

You can also consider it your RAOK for the March of Kindness event.

Love,

this fluff addicted mama,

Christy.

Wordless Wednesday: Random Acts of Sibling Kindness

In trying to keep the theme of my WW posts this month to go along with the March of Kindness this week I decided to post pictures of my kids committing RAOK to each other.  These are things they did just because, with out me asking.

Little Man giving Monkey a push on the swing

Little Man, very sick himself, sharing his blanker after I told him
that poor Tubs was sick too.

Little Man giving Smunchkin a piggy back ride

Making room-Smunchkin was already sitting in this
chair when Monkey decided she wanted to sit to
so Smunchkin just moved over and made room-look at
how little they were!!

Little Man bringing Smunchkin back her ball after it rolled away-
Again look how little they are!!!

bringing the ball back again-this went on for awhile awwwwwwwww

Zoom Zoom WHOOSH!

It hit me like a ton of bricks, so hard it knocked the wind out of me.

Maybe its due to the nostalgia I have been experiencing as the big 5 approaches.  Perhaps it was the sappy tearjerker ending to the movie we watched this evening (Toy Story 3).  Whatever it was as he ran to me arms out stretched saying "mommy I want to fly" and I bent to pick up my not so baby boy it hit me...... I won't be able to do this much longer.

He's getting heavy now, and tall too, its hard to get him off the ground and I can't do much "flying" with him anymore.  More spinning and dipping with a few squats thrown in as we both make "zoom zoom WHOOOSHHHH" noises playing our favorite game together.  We've played this since he was a baby.

I scooped him into my arms and we flew through the living room spinning and jumping, bouncing away.  Up and down the hall, zoom zoom WHOOSSSHHHH we went.  I dumped him on the couch in fits of giggles.  "Again mommy, again please oh please again" he begged.  So off we went again, two, three, four more times.  Each time his weight became more and more apparent and it just hit me..... this could be our last time to fly!!!!!

Where have the last 4 years, 11 months and 11 days gone??  Where is my teeny tiny Little Man at and who is this big smart handsome boy in my arms?

He's getting so big way too fast!  I don't know how many more flying trips we have left to take together so I am going to make a point to savor each and every one as if it's our last.  One day, far too soon for mommy, he's going to be too big to go zoom zoom WOOSH with anymore.

Who knew mommyhood could be so bittersweet?  You love to see them grow but its so hard to let go!

What's next, too big to snuggle with, to hug or kiss me in public, to say "I love you mom"?  Where is the pause button/?  Where are the brakes on this ride?  What, there are no brakes, no pause, no stopping?!

He's still my Little Man now though and its time to send him off to bed.  I think we will head that way zoom zoom WHOOSH style!

Love,
this nostalgic mama,
Christy

Bows For Maddie

If you follow the parenting blog world I am sure you have heard the heart breaking story of baby Maddie. If not you can click the link to read it the full story, have some tissues handy.

Today is Maddie's funeral, words that should never have to be said together when referring to a baby.  In her heart wrenching post yesterday Maddie's Mommy mentioned Maddie's love for wearing big bows and asked all other mama's of baby girls to put a bow in their hair today as way to remember precious little Maddie. 

Only a mom who has lost a child can truly understand the pain that Maddie's Mama is feeling right now.  As moms though, we can all look at our children and know how lost we would be without them.  So hug your babies a little tighter tonight, kiss them just a bit longer, let them linger in your lap if they want because you never know when it might be the last time.

We didn't know Maddie personally but motherhood is a journey shared by all so we are with her and her parents in spirit this day.

Our Tribute to Baby Maddie.....

the best I could get of all 3 together



Love,

a very teary eyed mama right now,

Christy

Wordless Wednesday: Sickie Ickies and a Puppy

Over the weekend the ugly flu bug and strep swept through our house.  It took Daddy down first on Friday, then Little Man and Tubs on Monday and Smunchkin and Monkey yesterday.  So far only Mommy has been untouched.  Come on immune system, hold out for me!

In the midst of all the sickie ickies we got a new puppy.  We promised Teddy he could get his own puppy when we moved into this house last summer but with the 3 girls mommy didn't have the time.  Then a friend posted about 2 little Lab pups she found and we love Labs in this house (Shady is half Lab half German Shepard).  Right now her name is Sammy or Sammy Dog, named by Little Man.  I am trying (with no luck thus far) to get him to change it to Marley as in "Marley & Me".




Little Man was so sick he didn't even notice we had the
puppy for awhile



P.S. I am really horrible at the "wordless" part of Wordless Wednesday haha.

Love,
this healthy (for now) mama,
Christy