My PB + J

Changing Diapers by Kelly Wels {#fluffyxmas sponsor spotlight}

When I was pregnant with Payton it had crossed my mind to cloth diaper, especially since most of my mommy friends were already knee deep in fluff. However, once we had our three baby showers and hundreds upon hundreds of Pampers stored away I never looked back. When I found out I was pregnant with baby number two I started to think about cloth diapering again but when I proposed the idea to the hubby he wasn’t all that excited about it. I, on the other hand wanted to learn a little bit more to make the right decision for our family but I had no idea where to start. I looked online for some research but with all the acronyms and the different types of systems I was pushed into a fluff overload. I wanted to see everything in one place, I didn’t want to spend hours upon hours clicking on different websites about cloth diapering 101. Right when I was throwing the research towel in a friend told me about a great new cloth diapering book, Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering by Kelly Wels. 
A little bit about Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering by Kelly Wels: 
Many women who plan to be mothers one day as well as expecting mommies may not have even considered this option. As you know, however, the cloth diaper market is alive and booming, and many women feel strongly about the subject, defending it as a greener and more cost-effective choice. Kelly Wels’ new book, “Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering” answers all of your questions about cloth diapering (even the questions you didn’t know you had), from the most basic of questions – why you should choose cloth diapers over disposables, explaining the cost saving and eco-friendly living benefits, as well as clearing up those pesky misconceptions that cloth diapers are
an outdated way to raise your baby.
About the Author, Kelly Wels:

While Kelly is an advocate for diapering change, she has dedicated a lot of her energy supporting causes important to her cloth diaper passion and to her personal life. She champions awareness for organizations like the Cloth Diaper Foundation, Real Diaper Association, Cloth for the Coast, and the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. She has personally been honored with a Congressional Award from Maine Senator, Olympia Snowe for her success as a leading entrepreneur in Maine. Kelly also founded TheClothDiaperWhisperer.com blog, which was recognized as a “finalist” for “Blog of the Year” by the Stevie Awards for Women in Business in 2010. Most importantly, Kelly is a mom to three children, Olivia, Hanz and Riley and a dedicated military wife. She currently lives in Waterford, Maine, and spends her free time working on several cloth diapering advocacy projects.

I cannot even begin to tell you how awesome the book Changing Diapers truly is. Kelly has broken the book down into useful and informative chapters like: why to choose cloth diapers, the skinny on diaper talk and the brands, daddies and diapers, how to handle dirty diapers and the extra stuff you will need to along the cloth diapering road. All of the questions I had were right in front of me and with illustrations to help me get a visual of how a cloth diaper system really works. While in the end my family chose to stick to what we know, I think this book is an amazing tool to help you make the decision and to answer all your questions along the way. I am so happy to have read this book and now I can pass it along to friends who are considering adding some fluff into their lives! 

Purchase the Book and Giveaway Information:


If you are like me or know someone who is considering making the switch to cloth diapering I highly encourage you to pick-up a copy of Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering. You really will become an expert about all things fluff! Visit Changing Diapers on Facebook and Twitter for additional information. You can also find Kelly Wels on Facebook and Twitter. 
Kelly has so generously contributed one FuzziBunz cloth diaper to my Merry Fluffy Christmas giveaway package along with a cute eco-friendly “I’m a hip mom and love cloth diapers” temporary tattoo. Make sure to come back to my blog from December 1st through 5th for your chance to win this amazingly fluffy giveaway! 

* I was provided with a copy of Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering for review purposes only. All opinions are 100% my own and I only recommend products that I truly believe in. I have also included affiliate links leading you to author Kelly Wels’ website. 


holding up okay?

is the question I have been asked a lot of lately. I guess with the run in I had post-partum with Payton would fuel the ever so dreaded question from family and friends that are aware of my dark past. I am, however, happy to report that this time around I am so much happier. I am not dealing with the looming event of my Grandmothers death, I got to experience an organic childbirth fully awake, I am a little more knowledgeable this time around and I have a ton and I mean a ton of support. The hubby has made several comments over the past four weeks that I am noticeably more calm and that he is so happy I got my little boy to protect me forever. And honestly, I think that’s just it. My handsome, wide smiled little man warms my heart and when he flails his arms like he is praising Jesus I am right there with him thanking him for giving me one of the greatest gifts of all, a son. While my little Peanut Butter, Payton, is still my whole world I am just so much happier with two kids. I don’t mind waking up in the middle of the night, I kiss his cheeks so much that the skin is bound to start coming off and my heart is complete. My debbie downer posts about not knowing how I would love another child is and was pure shenanigans of the unknown. So, for those of you who have been around the past two years reading this little blog ‘o mine, yes! I am holding up okay and thank you for sticking around!

Staying Connected {A Tokii Review}

tokii makes the world go ’round.
play. learn. love. 
 Tokii is the worlds first website to help improve relationships through the everyday struggles we all face: work, other commitments and the lack of communication. With the help of tokii you can play and learn to love your significant other all over again with their secure and private site. . .plus it’s free!

I was first introduced to tokii on one of my mommy boards and since we just had a baby I played a few games on the newborn board. For those of you who have a baby you fully understand how your relationship can slip away. You start to go into survival mode: switching off on feeding shifts, changing a bazillion dirty diapers each day, staring at your new bundle of joy all day and if you’re lucky enough to slip away on a date night all you talk about is the baby. While there is nothing wrong with oohing and ahhing over your new bundle of joy a couple needs to bring it back to where it all began; with one another! Our lives get so busy where we forget about one another and that’s why tokii is so amazing.

My hubby and I played almost all of the newborn games but the most fun for us were, “a healthy mommy” and the “newborn and finances”. Since we have two children my hubby had gone to lay down with Payton, I was left on the couch so I visited the first game and right away you are asked if you want to play solo or invite your partner. I played the first game by myself and as I was selecting my answers I kept thinking how the hubby would answer.

 One of my favorite questions was, “what post pregnancy surgery would be great for a new mom if covered by health insurance?” When I first saw this I just laughed because I talk about this all the time. The answers to choose from are: 
a) tummy tuck   b)   breast lift   c) a little…ahem! remodeling   d) none of the above 
I, of course was hoping for an option e) all of the above, but since that was not an option I chose a) tummy tuck because of having a c-section with my daughter and then with my second pregnancy the saggy skin is just “there”. The cool thing about tokii it tells you how other’s voted on this question, which 50% of men and women both voted equally on ‘a’ the 50% of women chose ‘d’ and the remaining men chose ‘b’. 


This little glimpse of how tokii works wants me to keep exploring the other boards they offer like: lifestyle, friends & family, holidays & travel, entertainment, travel, military, parenting, environment and the ever so dreaded topic of politics! We love it and we just got started! Head on over to tokii.com now to get started on this free, fun site that will help bring the communication back into your relationship! 


Get started today, remember it’s free!
www.tokii.com


*this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of tokii. all opinions are based on my own experience with the product. 

my little bruiser

I have to say that I (we) have one bad ass kid. She is not really scared of much and she will pretty much do anything. With this being said she is typically saying, “boo-boo mama, kiss, please?”This past week we had a little playdate with our friends Danielle and Amanda and their wee ones. I had just changed Payton’s diaper and as we were coming out of her brother’s room she looked back at me and hit the door jam straight on her left eye. At first, I only thought she hit her head but as the afternoon progressed her light skinned eye became noticeably black. Mother of the year here folks! All I gotta say is thank God we took our pictures before this because it’s going to take a while to completely heal. Since getting her first black eye we have been out in public numerous times and I keep getting that, “are you beating your child?”look. Some people have asked how she got it and others just say she will make one hell of an athlete. Man! The joys of having a toddler. 

A Delivery from the North Pole {Merry Mailbox Review}

Do you love receiving mail? Do your kids love receiving mail? If you answered yes to either then you need to keep reading! If you are looking for something extra special to light up your child’s eyes this holiday season then you need to visit the Merry Mailbox. The Merry Mailbox specializes in letters from the holly jolly man himself sent all the way from the North Pole! Each letter is beautifully written and includes special details about your child, because as we all know Santa watches us all year long to make sure we have been good little boys and girls. Each letter comes addressed to your child, post marked from the North Pole and includes a holiday bookmark or stickers. Your childs eyes are sure to light up when they start to read their personalized letter! 
Once you have ordered your letter and given all the details you will have an envelope sitting in your mailbox addressed to you. Within the envelope is another envelope addressed to your child. 
Inside the envelope is the letter on beautiful holiday paper. I loved reading Payton her letter from Santa, with special details about her development in her second year like: learning the alphabet, her numbers, shapes and introducing Team Umizoomi to her new baby brother. Payton was so happy to see her letter and made ooh’s and ahh’s as we explained it was from Santa. 
As I read Brayden’s letter tears fell from my eyes as soon as, “Every time a new baby comes into the world, a new snowflake appears”. The special details in this letter make me so excited for this season and while he will not remember his first Christmas this letter will serve as a keepsake memory. 
See how happy she is? If a letter from Santa made her this happy I cannot wait for all of the other holiday cheer that will fill her heart with joy this holiday season! 
To purchase a letter for your little one visit: Merry Mailbox on Etsy
Find Merry Mailbox on: 
 Facebook  |    Twitter
* I was provided with two letters to review. All thoughts are based on my own opinions about this product.