The new things.

The past few days I have been incredibly busy, as in too busy to think.

I recently launched my photography business which has been in the works for some time. I am very excited about it, and already had a few shoots. You can check me out on facebook.. "sarah michele photography" 

Here are a few from my most recent shoot

and then one of E of course!

Stay tuned for a cloth diapering accessory give away tomorrow. 

Series of unfortunate events

It's been a crazy roller coaster ... last week our washer & dryer went up so we were at Best Buy picking those out, they were delivered a few days later.... and didn't fit.. even though we gave our measurements to the sales guy, so we had to do a bit of re-arranging.. and now they sit nicely in our bedroom...... just kidding.. that would be weird.. they are in the laundry room just had to change some things around from what we wanted. But they are in now, and wonderful.. I have never had a front loading and now I do, which with that and the fact they are HE makes washing my cloth diapers a bit harder but its ok.

Then while at my SIL's wedding our AC froze up, as in we came home to a hot house, looked a the AC and you would think we lived in the frozen tundra, you couldn't even see the pipes under all the frost, an ice. So next morning we called the AC guy.. who long story short has been here 3 times trying to fix it without us having to replace it since there is no way that is in the budget. Little dig we know them working on would push some sediment through the lines... which brings me to...

Water run off was blocked, so all of the condensation (a few gallons) was draining into our house, under a wall and into the carpet, so now.. in three rooms of my house, we have had to move all of the furniture and pull up the carpet and padding, since we didnt know this was going on until a few days after it started much of the carpet if ruined.. so the padding has been trashed, we are trying to see if the carpet can be saved or if we need to replace that too, I know in our bedroom closet it must be replaced.

My house is a mess which is driving me crazy, I have clutter, and messes.. and honestly I feel like a hoarder having all this crap piled up since the rooms had to be emptied.. and with a little explorer on my hands its not good.

Thankfully.. this can all be fixed, and none of our possessions were ruined other then the flooring. I think there is a lesson to be learned in this, I complain about our 960 square foot condo all the time, I really hate living here, and we would have moved long ago if we were not upside down on our loan due to the fall of the housing market.. however there are lots of people who have no place to call home and I'm sure if they lived where I do they would not be complaining. So in all of this I am learning to be thankful.

In other news.. I tried a yum-o pesto dish last night.. You can find the recipe for homemade pesto at 5th Belle Avenue's Blog  I added it to pasta, and made a big salad it was great!

Tonight I am making blueberry muffins, its the first healthy Bberry muffin recipe I have come across and I am excited to try it, you can find that and lots of other good recipes and photography from Sgt. & Mrs. Hub's blog  

After all of the crazy's that went on this week, I was less then thrilled when I came home to shreds of plastic, & silicone that was once E's very favorite Sippy, it was a nuby trainer...

 it had some milk in it mixed with ovaltine.. (don't judge. I'm trying to get her to drink whole milk and not doing so well).. the Dog wanted the milk, and shredded the cup to get it.. weird thing is. we have had him since a puppy.. he is not almost 5 and he never chews, the only other thing he has chewed to date was the wii remote.. and now a sippy.. weird. So I just ordered more sippies from Amazon, and I'm trying a few new ones to see if she likes them.

Gerber Graduates by NUK

Gerber graduates sip & smile with handles

WWW

Weight Watchers Wednesday

I DID NOT weigh in this week... With all the wedding festivities, and then out AC went out so we could not stay in our home as it was a heat box, we we had to eat out more then I would have liked, and with so much going on not much time for working out.. I will be weighing myself this coming week though. 

I did make it out on the trail last night for a two mile run with hubs and E in the jogger, and I did some ab work at home, and was able to complete 40 man style push ups which is my all time record!!!!!!

I also have some new healthy recipes to try this week.

Last night for dinner we had

~ Boneless porkchops cooked in teriyaki sauce

~sauted fresh green beans with lemon & pepper

~baked sweet potato w/small amount of butter

Calories 375

My new go to for a late night snack while watching t.v. (usually Big Brother)

They are a pretty decent size ice cream bar and only 110 calories!

Do you have any new healthy recipes you have tried lately and would like to share? Please do.. I would love to try them!

My thought bullet style & Recipe

• Wedding was beautiful, weather was perfect, I had the most adorable baby girl flowergirl on my lap most of the night, who partied 2.5 hours past her bedtime and was pretty nice about it!
• AC froze up the night of the wedding.. had the AC guy here 3 days in a row, finally it's fixed.
• Sister came to visit, we went shopping, made some returns, had a good time.
• I DID NOT weigh in this weekend, b/c of the wedding, lots of food & drink
• planning to go running as much as I can this week to hopefully have a good weigh in this coming weekend!
• Made lots of new recipes recently including this one....

No Bake Cookies

1 3/4 C white sugar

1/2 C milk

1/2 C butter

4 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 C crunchy Peanut butter

3 C quick cooking oats

1 tsp Vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan combine Sugar, Milk, butter, and cocoa... bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, oats, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoon onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

recipe can be found at all recipes.com

I only had 3 of them and then the next morning packaged them up and gave them to my boss for her kids, cant have them around here.. and I really enjoy baking and gifting!

Silent Sunday

Here are a few photos I took at SIL's wedding friday night.. it was at a castle!

E & the bride

My 2 loves

my sweet girl

Part of the castle

the groom

SMS

As always the lovely Katie.. is hosting Saturday Morning Scene...

so we are linking up

E has started turning everything into a hiding place, or a fort.. this morning I peaked my head out of the kitchen and saw this..

while she may be a little too big.. this has become her new fort!

What does your Saturday Morning look like? Go link up now!

I went for my run last night.. didn't go exactly as I would have liked. but O-well..... This weekend is gonna be crazy....

Today...... New washer and dryer to be delivered....... Poor delivery guys have no idea whats coming to them.. I live on the third floor of a condo with no elevator

Tonight.... SIL's rehearsal dinner

Tomorrow.... SIL's wedding.... Emmaline... is *Kinda* a flower girl.... she is on the program, and wearing the flower girl dress but she is just sitting with us...

Saturday.... LOTS of running. errands, ect...

I have been super busy with work lately which is a good thing.. but also lots to do!!!!!!!!

O and I should mention another trip to verizon since my I own the worlds dumbest smart phone.

WWW

WEIGHT WATCHERS WEDNESDAY

I'm happy to report that I lost another 1/2 pound, which is better then gaining but not what I want.... so I'm hitting the trail again.. it's time to start loggin some maj-ay miles on my shoes... whats even better.. is well to be honest the more miles I run the higher my calories can be for the day, which means I can enjoy some of the things I have been passing up!!!!!! {I mean if we are being honest}

I have joined a local running group with some of my girlfriends and we are meeting up tonight to get going.. its pretty hot out.. but at least the humidity is down, and most of the trail is shaded... 

I have stopped doing the Shred... to be honest, as much as I loved it.. I was getting bored with the same workout circuit every day... 

Now... just because I am being honest here.. I will tell you that i have not ran AT ALL in over 2 weeks and even then it was about 2 miles.. very slow... however I am joining friends tonight to go for the distance of a 5K... which I have not done since E was born {almost 1 year}.... but thats ok.. it's mind over matter, one foot in front of the other..... I used to run 13 miles at a time.. I can do this.... I hope...  If you don't hear from me for a while you will know I didn't make it, and the trail won :)

Cloth Diapering Part 2

Since yesterdays post I received a handful of emails asking a few cloth questions so I thought I would answer them and add in a few things I left out yesterday. 

I have tried a few different brands of cloth some I really like, and others I hated... not because they were bad, or  not made well they just didn't fit the needs that I had on this cloth adventure.

However the brands/companies that I would order from again are:

Links attached

Fuzzibunz

{I order One Size adjustable diapers, I have found these cheaper on amazon, and ebay}

ProWrap

{Diaper Covers}

BabyBeeHaven

{Diaper covers with fancy prints}

Diaper Brands I wouldn't mind trying out

Zookies

Swaddlebees

Go Green Pocket Diapers

I recently ordered a Thirsties Diaper I am just waiting for it to arrive. 

WASHING

When it comes to washing diapers there are many different methods, some people wash diapers every day, some soak overnight, some line dry, others dry in the machine, some use diaper detergent other dont.. I have not tried alot of different methods but so far.. here is what works for us

I wash diapers every 3 days, until they get washed they sit in a pail, with baking soda and lavender essential oil, I also use Rockin Green diaper pail freshener in "Smashing Watermelon" scent.

 Once I change a diaper, I rinse it out qickly under hot water, then wring it out, take out the insert and place it in the pail. I do not fill the pail with water as that holds more odors. There are all different kind of pails, you can use a trashcan lined with a waterproof diaper pail liner, or you can use a hanging wetbag/pail like this one from Planetwise

I have both, and alternate!

Then when its time to wash I dump the whole pail into the washing machine, the baking soda in the pail will help lift some of the stains during the wash cycle. I alternate how I wash them, sometimes I will wash them on a cold rinse cycle, then  HOT cycle, other just a hot cycle, depends on how many diapers and how soiled they all are. Then I hang them all out on the line. Cloth diapers really benefit from line drying it removes odor, and the sun bleaches out the stains really well. Like I mentioned in the last post prefold tend to get crunchy on the line, so sometimes if they do not have any stains I will just dry them with out clothes in the dryer, if they need to be in the sun then I throw them in the dryer for about 8-10 minutes once they are dry to fluff them up. 

There are a few different kind of detergents made just for cloth diapers, My favorite has been Rockin Green..

 They have a few different formulas depending on what kind of water you have, along with refreshing scents like lavender-mint, watermelon, and they also have an unscented for sensitive babies  

Diapering on the go..

Like I mentioned in yesterdays post, you will need a travel wetbag to hold your diapers when you are out and about.. make sure your wetbag is lined with PUL so that you do not have to deal with any fluid leaks. Once you get home the diapers and the wetbag can all go right into the washer together, and then the bags can be dried on the line as well.

Prepping a diaper

When you first receive a new diaper in the mail, you cannot just use it right away, you have to prep it.. just like stone cookware that has to be baked a few times or "seasoned"... 

The best information I have found on this comes straight from Diaper Junction.. you can read the article here..

Prepping a cloth diaper for initial use 

always make sure you plan for about 24 hours to run a few cycles on a new diaper before using it.

I was also asked "why" I chose to start cloth diapering...

My main reason for started the cloth adventure was the cost.. we were constantly buying boxes of diapers, and then just throwing them away.. hundreds of dollars just getting tossed.. so I thought about it and realized that while it would include extra work on my part it would save us alot of money in the long run.. especially since all of the diapers can be used on the next baby, and if there would not be any more babies they can be sold. I have found lots of great diaper deals on craigslist, and ebay.. there are also diaper swapping websites that you can get great deals on ! 

While it's great that its another way of going green, and saving the environment I can tell you that was not my main concern.. it was the money saving that really changed my mind. I did some research and learned that the average baby in a 3 year period goes through about $2,500 worth of disposable diapers, on a cloth diapered baby the average price spent is $500-700 dollars depending on what brands, how many, and experimenting.. I have so far spent $200 dollars on all the diapers that I have {both buying new and used} I really do not need many more then what I have.. most of My cloth diapers are OS(one size) so like I said before they fit newborn through potty training.. cutting out cost's of buying larger sizes as baby grows. 

I honestly have not ventured too far into cloth wipes.. I am still buying disposables.. I buy them in bulk (900ct) to save money.. I do have a few sets of disposable wipes and I rotate them through which does save on using the disposable wipes us as fast. If you are looking into doing cloth wipes, you can find a DIY wipe solution recipe on THIS blog, she is also a cloth diaper mama with some really great tips

I received an email regarding "diaper Sprayer"

I have found that you really need a diaper sprayer to make this whole process MUCH, MUCH easier.. thay are not incredibly expensive and you can find them used from time to time.. we have this one

From Fuzzibunz

I recently read a DIY post that can be found here

It makes cleaning the diapers a breeze.. there is no old fashioned "dunking" them in the toilet.. if that was the case I would NOT be doing this at all. The sprayer connects to your toilet, and then you just spray off the diaper and throw it in the pail!

This is all of the info I have so far... I am still learning.. but enjoying the learning process as we go, and honestly there is nothing cuter then a baby booty in a cloth diaper!

Head on over to THIS blog who is hosting an online raffle including over $1400 in prizes lots of cloth diapering essentials.. all proceeds go to help a family in need 

A fluffy Post

When I first started cloth diapering I really didn't know what on earth I was doing. In fact.. I got a diaper cover, took the prefolds we were using as burp towels and thought that was all I needed.. I didn't realize how many different kind of diapers, and diapering systems there were. I had no idea what a diaper sprayer, or disposable liners, or a wet bag even was, or that I may need any of these things. 

As time went on, and I realized there is no way cloth diapering should be this difficult, I knew there was just something I was missing. so I started researching, and found out lots. I started trying all different kind of diapers, from AIO(All in ones), covers, AI2(inserts), and many other things. 

There are a few things I have found and decided upon so I am sharing them with you. The brands I have chosen to speak about are not sponsoring this post.. these are just my favorites or not so favorites thus far, and Im passing along the info.

DIAPERS

 Pink top left- BABYLAND OS w/insert and snaps.

Green top right- Fuzzybuns OS w/insert and snaps.

Strawberry Shortcake bottom- AIO handmade SS w/ velcro.

Right now my altime favorite diaper is FUZZIBUNZ these are the ones that I think works the best for E, have yet to leak, and dry quickly. I prefer snaps.. Fuzzibunz (along with other brands) offer OS(one size) cloth diapers. A one size diaper can fit a newborn up to potty training but snapping it different ways. To me this is wonderful since you do not have to buy different sizes as baby grows. 

I have a few BABYLAND diapers which is from the original company Papoose.. I do like these however no matter how many doublers (extra absorbency) I put in them overnight she still leaks, so these diapers are only for daytime. The Babyland diapers can be found on ebay for pretty cheap, and come with 1 insert. 

I purchased the AIO velcro SS(Super soaker) from a handmade shop on ebay, and while I do like the diaper I AM NOT fond of velcro.. just a personal preference. 

PRE-FOLDS & COVERS

This may just be the cheapest route to go, however its more work involved. There are a few different kind of prefolds, but they resemble the "old style" cloth diapers.. you know the ones with pins... {True story: to appear on the blog soon, about a pin mishap involving cloth diapers and me as a baby}

I use the PROWRAP covers, I usually change the prefold out 2-3 times if its only urine before putting a new cover on.. I do like these covers because they have leg gussets which keep baby bottom leak free!

 Just like AIO's and inserts, covers contain a layer of PUL inside of them which is polyurethane laminate that keeps the fluids from leaking, it can also be sterilized under VERY high heat to clean and will hold up. There are a few different ways to fold a prefold however I usually fold one side over the other, then lay baby on top and bring it up just like "old style" cloth diapering fan out the top and cover with diaper cover. 

I also have a diaper cover from BABY BEE HEAVEN that I really love.

Fuzzibunz come with 2 inserts, one is a bit shorter and the other longer, during the day I use just one insert and can usually go about 3 hours in them or longer including being worn through naptime, over night I just add the second insert to double the absorbency.. the diaper will look huge but does not leak.   

 One of my favorite things about the fuzzibunz OS diapers is the ability to change the side not only using the snaps but the is a numbering system on the leg elastic which can also be changed to give you the best fit for your size baby.

 Before starting Fuzzibunz with inserts I was usuing all in ones(AIO)... at the time I thought they were great, and I realize alot of people really like them, I had the hardest time getting them really dry since the center could not come out. No matter how I washed them or how long they hung on the line they always had the smell of a dirty dishwrag from not drying enough. 

this diaper can be found at Little Bare Bum Wear 

Shortly after a few trips changing cloth while we were out I realized my need for a Wet Bag, this is a bag that can be taken on the go that is lined with the PUL I spoke of earlier, it keeps anything from leaking out into your diaper bag, or purse... once home the wet bag can go right into the wash with the diapers. 

I have this wet bag and love it, it holds alot of diapers and can be found at Lil Stuff by Kelly lulu

I also recently ordered a hanging wet bag from planet wise, to keep diapers in until washing them.

I wash me diapers about every 3 days, and by then I am about out of clean diapers, I let them soak in a pail then wash, and they go right outside to be hung.. the diapers with inserts do dry pretty well, of course the insert is what takes most of the time, the prefolds come off the line really crunchy so I just through them in the drying for about 8 minutes to fluff them back up. 

I use Rocking Green detergent to wash diapers in. 

Do you use cloth diapers? I would love to hear any tips you may have.

Bacon Corn Chowder w/Shrimp

I tried another great recipe this week, it turned out so good.. The color of the soup is a little strange, but it tastes amazing!

I think next time I make it, I'm going to double the batch then have enough to freeze so I have a dinner already made when I'm gone working late on Mondays. If you decide to make it let me know, I would love to hear how it turns out for you! 

Ingredients

• 6 slices center-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 cup prechopped onion
• 1/2 cup prechopped celery
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 1/3 cup half-and-half
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon to pan; saute 4 minutes or until the bacon begins to brown. Remove 2 slices bacon. Drain on paper towels. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through minced garlic) to pan, and saute for 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook for 4 minutes.

• 2. Place 2 cups of corn mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape), and secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in the blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return pureed corn mixture to pan. Stir in shrimp; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Stir in half-and-half, pepper, and salt. Crumble reserved bacon over soup.

Recipe can be found at Cookinglight.com 

SMS

The baby gates have all went up, because this girl is on the move. She actually doesn't hate them that bad. However I'm sure like the baby jail, after a few days she will realize they are not all fun and games, when they keep her from getting where she is trying to go!

What does your Saturday morning look like?

Link up with Katie

The blahs

If you follow me on twitter, you may have already heard the following..

E is sick, nasty cold, green crusty nose, can't breath, up all night, lots of mucus.

Momma has caught the sickies from E and now has a nasty cough.. don't worry I'm keeping the green crusty's under control in my department. 

Got a phone call yesterday morning, that Mr. Policeman got injured while running through the woods at 2 am after a man who had assulted another officer. He is ok, however off work for right now. He was taken to the emergency room where they did X-rays. They believe he may have chipped off part of his knee cap, but still needs more testing. He was his primary care Dr. and is being sent tomorrow morning for an MRI, and then follow up with orthopedic on Tuesday. We are praying it was just a bad fall and there is nothing wrong and he can return to work Tuesday night after seeing the dr for the follow up.. If you don't mind could you say a little prayer too..

That same night two of my neighbors crotchrockets were stolen right from in front of the houses.. 

It's been a yucky few days around here..

Here is to the weekend.. and it being better then the week...

Also.. if you live where they actually sell Skinny Girl Sangria, and would send me a bottle.. I would pay big dollars.. I want it sooo bad, but nowhere in MD has it. Bethany if your reading this (seriously.. the nyquil is getting to me.. I'm sure she doesnt read this... but it would be cool if she did) and want to send me a bottle... or 12!!!!!!!!!!!!

No Oven Dinner Recipe!

Wild West Sandwich Wrap

We made these last night and they were super-de-duper delish... thinking they may be one of our new quick dinner favs

My changes in italics (what I used instead and for 2 ppl instead of 4)

3/4 C Frozen Corn (thawed) 1/4 C Canned Mexi-corn

1/4 C chopped Red onion 3T

3T Kraft sandwich shop chipotle reduced fat mayo 2T

4 Whole Wheat Tortillas 2 "Flat out" wraps (Less calories)

4 Lettuce Leaves handful spring mix

4 Kraft Singles cut in half 2 kraft fat free singles

16 Slices deli fresh honey ham 4 slices oscar meyer lite smoked turkey

1/2 C chopped tomatoes  1/4 C chopped

Combine the first three ingredients

Top tortillas with lettuce, cheese, meat, corn mix, & tomatoes

Roll em up

The way we made them it came out to be 275 calories per each wrap.

This recipe can be found at Kraftrecipes.com 

WWW & SWW

Weight Watchers Wednesday

This week I only lost half a pound..

and honestly it's my own fault. I am "usually" really good at measuring, and NOT snacking but this week for some reason I found my self having a little of this, and a handful of that, and never adding it to the food tracker on Myfitnesspal.. so it doesn't surprise me when thats all I saw.. 

HOWEVER..

I have noticed that I am toning up more.. I am able to do more push ups, and pull ups this week, then I ever have before!

So I am getting really close to the 10 pounds lost (since I started this hardcore dieting, at which time I was 3 pounds from pre-baby weight)... What should I get myself when I hit the 10 pound mark? I'm thinking a pedicure, or a facial?

I am linking up with the all fabulous Shannon, for another week of SWW.

Here is what I'm saying "So What" to this week..

1. If I am wearing the same yoga pants and Jack Daniels t-shirt from yesterday, baby is really sick, we are going nowhere today

2. This is the first week I have pinned anything to Pinterest and I have had the account for a month now.

3. There is a whole lot of cleaning that needs to get done in this house, see above referenced: Baby sick.. also translated as will not leave me hip.

4. Everytime I pull out a grape scented "boogey Wipe" I want grape kool-aid.. which I dont think I have drank kool-aid since maybe the 5th grade.

5. That I spent more money then I made this week, happens alot..

6. Went to tons of dress stores looking for a dress to wear to SIL's  outdoor mid august wedding, and have yet to find anything.. might just pull something out of the closet.

What are you saying so what too? Link up!

The List's...

Here is a little peek into the happenings of my life right now as we speak.. or type.. or however you convey that message.. of whats going on while you read my blog.

Yay for J.P.

Well of course I made sure not to plan anything during the final rose ceremony last night, I had already been keeping up on the spoilers so of course I knew my lova J.P. was gonna win, but still had to watch it all. Can you believe that dress she wore was almost 17K $$, then she got in the ocean with it on... and her sister.. thank goodess she apologized to him at the show afterwords cuz that sista was actin a fool.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

That's right.. I mentioned the holiday that nobody likes to talk about this early except for me, if my husband would let me I would already be pre purchasing decor for the winter, however he will not.. I did watch Home Alone a few days ago.. and then ELF, I love Christmas and everything about it,... I am completely done E's Christmas shopping.. I hit up a department store when they were having a 75% off sale and grabbed up a ton of toys for $48... SCORE!

CANCEL

I am about to cancel my Gold's Gym membership.. why ??? because I have not been in fo-eva.. I actually have a second gym membership to Big Vanilla that I use much more often.. so I can't see wasting the money on something I do not use. Honestly most of my working out, is done by running outside, the shred, or workout apps.. I rarely go to the gym anymore.. just don't have time to be there every single night like I did pre baby

FLUFF

Cloth diapering is going great for us, and I just purchased more fluff, which I cannot wait to get in the mail. 

AMAZON

I have went crazy on this site getting ready for E's first birthday which is less then 5 weeks away.. (I hate this.. as much as im excited... where is my baybee?) I have purchased plates, cups, plasticware, and a bunch more.. along with non bday related things like baby gates, laundry detergent.. and a few others.. there is something nice about having the fed-ex man bring everything then I don't have much to worry about

August Sponsors

In the words of GOBBLEDYGOOK BOWTIQUE:

Followers of 5k's & Chardonnay Blog will get 15% off of any custom order through the month of August. 
Here's how it will work: Once they Request Custom Item (and say "Mrs Stethoscope sent me"- so I know where you came from!) and we work out the details of their order- I will post the item and give them their 15% off code to use during checkout.
 I cant wait to work with you on your special order!
 Here are some recent custom orders I've done:

In the Words of HAPPY PRETTY:

Shipping is FREE for all 5K & Chardonnay readers!  Check out this best seller from my shop!

These cute and super functional clothespins can be created in any color scheme to match your décor perfectly! They are perfect with kiddoes going back to school! I use mine to hang up school schedules and homework for the week!   

Choose one of my current designs, or contact me and we’ll create one totally unique to you!

Thank you to my fabulous sponsors, if you would like information on advertising with 5k's and chardonnay send me an email at Mrsstethoscope (at) live (dot) com