Adventures in Cloth Diapering, part 2, bumGenius Review

Now that we are home, I am back to my adventures in cloth diapering. Ethan got to review a bumGenius 3.0 one-sized reusable diaper from Cotton Babies.

Bart got the package while we were in Florida, and when he opened it he said he actually might try using this one since it had velcro closures and that was more like what he was used to in a disposable diaper. He is still a bit frightened at all the snaps on the Fuzzibunz (not that that stops me from using them!)

There are snaps on the front to lengthen or shorten the diaper, making it fit many sizes. Even though Ethan is almost 25 lbs, I still needed to use the snaps (that adjust size only, not an enclosure) so it would fit snugly...meaning he will fit in this diaper for a long time to come. I am a tiny bit nervous Ethan will get too fat for them to close all the way, but that is a weight wait and see kind of thing, not something bumGenius can really prevent. (If they were to make the belly area wider, it would be too big for almost all babies out there and like I said, he fits in it well and there is room to grow...he just needs to quit getting so darn FAT!)

The diaper comes with two inserts, a regular insert and a newborn/booster insert. I was glad about this because the diapers I ordered that had a cute cover cost the same amount but did not come with inserts, meaning I will have to spend more money to get a few more for them...this is something to keep in mind when ordering diapers, does the order you are placing include everything you need to use that diaper? If not, it might not be the best value, even if it seems cheaper.

So far, no leaks, and that is one thing that is very important to me. I hate changing sheets and clothes because a diaper didn't do its job. Also, changing the diaper is really easy. When you are taking off the dirty diaper, you just fold the velcro tabs onto the soft closures and the velcro won't get tangled with all the other velcro and cause a big tangle of cloth diapers in the wash. (I learned that trick first hand)

Overall, Ethan and I really liked the BumGenius 3.0...it is on my list of "want to buy more!(in Clementine and Ribbit!)", too...

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity, Jig, Jig

It's naptime right now.

Brennan is playing Legos quietly behind the couch (must keep Legos and Ethan far apart), Jack and Ethan are napping, the laundry is washing, the floors are swept.

Calm is reigning...it's nice to be "home".

While away we had a lot of fun.

Brennan flew to Louisiana alone on July 11.
Jackson, Ethan and I flew to Tampa, FL on July 16 to visit one of my best friends ever, Jamie. Go here to read about our adventures in Tampa. It was great to get to spend time with Jamie and her family. It's hard to be so far away and busy with life. Jamie has started an event planning business and is so consumed with that and her family that sometimes it is hard to chat on the phone for a few minutes. Our stay-va-cation was perfect, if not a day or two short.
Then we flew to New Orleans for our trip "home"...Vidalia was our head quarters until July 31 when Bart joined us (he had to drive the l...o...n...g drive alone, but he did fine, except in Kansas City). This first stay in Vidalia had me going to a 3 day scrapbooking convention with another best friend, Melissa, her mom, and my sister. I've already blogged all about that, though, so I will not go into details.
Once Bart arrived, we drove to Pensacola, FL to spend two nights at the beach.
Baton Rouge/Denham Springs called to us after that, bringing lots of family, fun, and food. We saw Bart's old co-worker Alex, who we ate dinner with at Sammy's (one of our favorite spots in Baton Rouge) We saw all four of Bart's aunts, and a few cousins as well. We spent time with my sister, Jeni, and her family. Jeni, thanks for being our "hotel"...I am looking for my bill in the mail :) I like to stay at Jeni's because it gives us time to relax and just hang out. I don't like to be cramped into one room, but I am grateful we are able to stay with her and not have the expense of a hotel room. I am also grateful Brooklyn, though only two, has a full sized bed for us to sleep on :) While in Baton Rouge I also got to hang out with a few of my favorite friends, Stacy, Cathi, and Nicole. No Burgundy :(
Basically, we had a great time.
Then, we drove the two hours back to Vidalia to spend a few more days with Grandma Cupcake and Papa Jeff. My brother, Jason, had also flown in for a few days, so it was really great to get to spend a lot of time with him. He's been gone basically since high school, coming home for a few days here and there. He was able to stay in Vidalia for about two weeks, and it was great. He lives outside of DC and is really doing great.
Finally the day came to go home.
The car trip to Omaha was not nearly as painful as the drives to and from Pensacola...Ethan cried. A lot. I guess he didn't want to leave Papa Jeff's house and all of Grandma's cupcakes and hang out in the sand (which he loves, btw). I was very nervous about the 15 hour + car trip home to Omaha, but we set out with money for a hotel set aside, just in case things got too bad.
But, a miracle occured. Though Ethan did not sleep much (one or two short naps), he did not cry. He did get a bit car sick, but after that settled down to watch a movie with the boys and then fell asleep until we got almost all the way home.

Now we are home, unpacking (well, piling stuff around to be put up tonight), readjusting, grocery shopping, catching up on all that was put on pause so we could go and visit some of those who mean the most to us.

But for now, I am uploading the 2018 pictures that I took on vacation...not counting the 14 on my small camera and the 20 on my DSLR that need to be added to the mix.

I am not sure how I will share any pictures, or if I will at all. Right now I am thinking of making a slideshow so you can see it all if you want, but if you don't, no big deal. It would just take a little space in one post and be the end of it, you know?

Memories are all I have left of this summer's fun...memories I will cherish each and every day.

So, get ready, folks...my regular blogging regime is back! I've got giveaways and reviews coming up, too...more cloth diaper adventures, and Brennan starts first grade on Monday! Life is about to get really busy and I can't wait.

Who You Gonna Call?

Yep, we're still in Louisiana on vacation. Yep, we have a VERY long drive on Monday and yep, we plan on doing it all in one day (if at all possible)..."Get 'er done", you know?

Anyway, the boys love Ghostbusters, especially the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man and Slimer. We saw these shirts at Macy's and got one for each boy (they were on sale!).

Building on these random tidbits...my parents were discussing our return to Omaha and asked if we were stopping at a hotel during our trip. The boys were in the kitchen with us eating dinner.

One of them replied (something along these lines...), "No, because Slimer might be there!"

What are some of your favorite childhood movies/characters/icons?

Bart and Justin went to watch GI Joe last night and said it wasn't all that bad.
I love to give My Little Ponies for birthday presents.
And you?

I'm On Vacation

Hi bloggy friends...I know posting has been spotty since I left Omaha. Well, I am here to tell you that it will be non-existent until probably next week this time.

I know, I know...what will you do without my daily dose of awesomeness? Find new blogs? Abandon mine? Please don't! I will be back soon and BETTER then EVER! You should just hear all the plans I have for a BIG Back To School Week starting August 16th! Giveaways, recipes, ideas and more!

Until then, you can all just think of how lucky #178, Gwen, was to win the HUGE scrapbooking giveaway...

Happy Days folks!

The Collision of Cakes and Scrappers

Every hobby and group has its own "celebrities", those that the others look up to for advice, ideas, and info. The ones who give the demonstrations, the classes, the autograph signing.

In the world of scrapbooking, Lisa Bearnson is one of those people. And I am one of those looking for advice, ideas, and info from her books and magazine, Creating Keepsakes, the one magazine I always make sure to subscribe to.

This past weekend, I got to attend Scrap-N-On-The-River (I know, what a mouth full of mush!) with my sister, Jeni, one of my best friends, Melissa, and her mom, Lynne. We were there for three days of scrapbooking bliss, complete with gossip, good food, and great scrapping!

This year, the organizer of the event asked Lisa to come be the guest teacher at the event, and she agreed! Cool thing that my mom was doing the cake for the convention and is so nice that she traded the cake for our fees to get in (my mom got the short end of that stick, but I love her for it just the same...the cake was worth WAY more then $220)!

I decided to contact Lisa and see if she'd like to come to church with us on Sunday, after the convention, and go to my parent's house for lunch. She's also a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints so I thought I'd give it a shot...well, guess what? SHE DID! How cool is that?

So, the convention was a blast (I finished two BIG projects and would have finished more, had I actually stayed at my table and not wandered the vendor booths, went to a church activity, ate lunch at a bunch of yummy places, toured an antebellum home and went home early one night) and I am so glad I got to go and spend time with Melissa, Lynne and JENI.

The best part of the entire convention? There are two:

1. Getting to cut the cake my mom made...It gets messy so you get to lick your fingers (when I am done or whenever I want? You might never know...), Oh and watching the ladies FLOCK to the cakes cut with the cricut when my mom entered...my MOM is a cake celebrity...just ask Brennan and he will say, "My Grandma Cupcake is a movie star because she has her own DVD."

2. Getting to talk with Lisa and her fantastic daughter, Brecken, during dinner one night...sorry we bothered you but Melissa and I loved it! And, it was suprising to see you all alone, too...I mean where did our southern hospitality go that the "star" of the event is alone for supper? I think people get a bit too caught up in the "star" stuff and forget that they are real people, just like you and me. Melissa and I had fun talking about ourselves and learning a bit about Lisa's family, too. Lisa, feel free to call anytime you are in the Omaha area...we can do it again :)

Sunday we met up at church for some great talks (I use the term great loosely b/c I gave one of them, though everyone else rocked theirs...including my sister, Lynne and Lisa...my dad is so sneaky!) and an even better Relief Society lesson (maybe I only say that b/c I have not been to RS in years!). Afterwards, Lynne and Melissa took Lisa and Brecken on a tour of Longwood (such a cool place, she took us on Friday afternoon) and we rushed home to get the food out for lunch. We had chicken and tuna salad from Uptown Market, Shrimp Pasta from Little Degos, and homemade banana pudding. Yum.

After lunch, my mom pulls out her cricut to give Lisa a demo on my mom's latest cake decorating technique...

This is by far my favorite picture of the day...my mom teaching Lisa using a scrapbooking tool!

After the cricut demo, my mom starts to talk about the sure-cuts-a-lot program and once again has everyone's undivided attention.

Our time together was short, but everyone left with a full belly and lots of pictures.

Lisa, I really enjoyed meeting you and getting the chance to hang out with you!

The moral of my little tale? Don't forget that you are just as important as all those "stars" out there...so don't be afraid to be kind to everyone you meet, even if they are a little more well known then you are. And, never, ever, ever let a visitor to your town sit alone for supper. That is just bad manners.

I am like a star shining brightly.
Shining for the whole world to see.
I can do and say happy things each day
Because I know my Heavenly Father loves me.