Cloth Diapers... My Continuing Love Story

If you've seen some of my previous posts, you may have seen a reference to cloth diapering.  Now that Ruthie is one and I'm still cloth diapering her, I realize just how much I love it!  I also feel more able to come to some conclusions about the kind of cloth diapers that I like and other related diapering dilemmas:

• fitted diapers - these are easy to use, don't require stuffing or pulling out the insert when the diaper is wet or soiled.  The downside is that they do require a cover so there's one extra step involved.  It's a shorter step than fitting an insert in a cloth diaper.  My favorite thus far: sustainablebabyish (sloomb).
• pocket diapers - these are also relatively easy to use but require stuffing a diaper with an insert that will act as the absorbent layer in the diaper.  My favorite is smartipants because, while you still have to stuff the diaper, you do NOT have to touch the insert when you change the diaper.  The insert comes out in the wash!  Super smart!  Also, the snaps are VERY secure.
• natural fibers/fleece/etc. - We battled the stinks around here for a while and I tried lots of different things to eliminate them (changed the laundry routine, used additives, didn't use additives, pulled my hair out... well, I didn't go that far).  I went on an investigation online to try to find a possible culprit and found that many man-made fibers have the tendency to hold odors differently than natural fibers.  This lead me to try some natural fibers or organic options rather than the microfleece that's used in many inserts.  I have to say that I think that using the natural fibers has seemed to help a great deal!  I'm happy about that.  I changed to using some Indian prefolds as inserts rather than the microfleece and, voila!  I think it's significantly changed the stink issue... thankfully!

Our Visit With Santa

Ruthie had her first visit with Santa today.  We thought we'd try for a Ruthie-only picture but, by the photo, you can see how that went.  She started crying and getting upset when it was just her, so we decided I'd sit with Santa, too.  That calmed her down and then Tate joined us. She kept looking past me and to Santa and giving him very skeptical and questioning looks.  Once the picture was taken (a bit of a feat unto itself because of the aforementioned fixation with watching Santa), we packed her back into her stroller... where she started crying again.  Usually that's a happy place for her, but it was as if she remembered what happened moment earlier and needed to let us know that she continued not being happy about it.  Needless to say, we hastened to the car and to home where her crib awaited her.  Our normally happy and easygoing girl was definitely not a big fan of the experience, but you wouldn't necessarily know it by the photo.  It's a memory, though, and I'm glad to have done it (though Ruthie might beg to differ with me).

Fitness Takes No Holidays - Week of December 14

What great news!  Thus far, StrollerFit moms have raised enough money - simply by their presence at class! - to buy more than two goats through World Vision!  I am SO very glad and thankful that you all have joined me and participated thus far.  I was thinking tonight how very thankful and humbled I am to have such a loyal and faithful group of moms who spend their mornings at StrollerFit and restore the core with me.  How wonderful that is for me!  Thank you all!

Now, onto the standings (which I know Jaimie and Katie - competitive like I am - want to know).  The top five moms who have the most points are the following:

• Donna - 12
• Jaimie - 17
• Katie - 19
• Emily - 14

If your name isn't listed, don't fret!  There are almost two whole weeks left and lots of spontaneous points to be awarded.  Sometimes, I award points during class for various activities so, simply by being in class you can earn a point... and then some!

Fitness Takes No Holidays - Week 3

We only have three more weeks in our competition.  It's a pretty stiff competition amongst the StrollerFit moms so far!  Our leaders are Donna (10 points) and Katie H. (13 points) but a few others are very close behind!  Remember that there are some easy ways to earn extra points if you follow this blog and check my facebook updates.  


Quick fact for your week and to give you a boost at StrollerFit: Did you know that increasing your cardiovascular workout time can help REDUCE your appetite? Studies have shown this, but if it doesn’t happen to have that effect on you, at least you are burning more calories during those longer workouts. Also, working at a moderate level (aerobic) burns more fat, by percentage. Adding just 10 extra minutes can mean another 100 calories or more are gone.

Week 3

Want extra points this week, moms, in our Fitness Takes No Holidays promo?  We're having a colorful week this week at class!

Monday: Wear red and dress your child in something red, and you'll get an extra point.
Tuesday: Wear something orange or yellow and dress your child in orange or yellow and get an extra point.
Wednesday (possible make-up class): wear something plaid (do you have plaid workout gear?)
Thursday: Wear something green or red for Christmas and dress your child in green or red and get an extra point
Friday: Wear something blue or purple and dress your child in blue or purple and get an extra point.

PLEASE REMEMBER: Call me in the morning before class to verify the class location.  This is VERY important now that Renegade is closed.

Location, Location, Location

We have been so fortunate in the last four years of having mommymuscle classes that we've had a great indoor facility, Renegade Sports Center.  It's a wonderful place: indoor basketball courts, soccer fields, aerobics room, skate park, fitness center, childcare, and a great staff.  We've taken full advantage of Renegade's facility and have really enjoyed the luxury of having a primo indoor spot for classes.  I learned yesterday evening that Renegade will be closing, at least temporarily, due to financial difficulties.  I am so saddened for many reasons: for Laird and Nanette, the owners; for those who work there; for the kids and leagues that use the facility; and for StrollerFit/restore the core classes losing our location.  However, I am also heartened to see how God has already begun to remind me of His sovereignty, His being in control.  How thankful I am to know that He will provide for us... and already has begun to do just that.

I'll be posting updates on Facebook about class locations because the weather is beginning to be chilly in the mornings.  For those of you planning to come to StrollerFit during the week, please be sure that you call me to verify class location.

I'm looking forward to continuing my adventure with mommymuscle classes with each of you.  Remember: we're still in the middle of a heated competition for our Fitness Takes No Holidays promotion.  Extra points and giveaways happen when you're at class!

Fitness Takes No Holidays - Week 2

H1N1, regular flu, cold season, tamiflu, kleenex... ugh.  Just thinking about these illnesses and products makes me feel achy all over.  But, what's an easy thing to combat those illnesses?  EXERCISE!

Did you know that cardiovascular conditioning makes your immune cells function better every day due to increased oxygen uptake? StrollerFit and restore the core moms do this every class as they work HARD in class. Way to go, mamas!

Through week two, Katie H is leading the pack in our competition and we're now over halfway to buying a goat for children in need through World Vision.  Yea!

Fitness Takes No Holidays

Places to go and people to see!

   We ALL have excuses for not fitting exercise into our holiday routine. NO MORE!

This year make time for yourself and enter the New Year feeling and looking great!

Need more motivation?  Help someone in need!  Come to class and help give goats to needy people around the world.  Just your attendance will raise funds! 

Week of November 23 - Each mom who attends will, simply by their presence, contribute $3 per class to World Vision!  StrollerFit of Panama City is donating the money, so come and help raise funds.. and get a great workout!

Christmas Photos and Free Prints

Our good friend, Michael Newman, recently took Christmas pictures for us and, if I do say so myself, they're GREAT!  He captured some great images of Ruthie.  His site is here; just scroll down a bit to see a few of our pictures.  We were also able to time it well in that he has some great Christmas specials and, in terms of timing on the day of the photos, we all held it together well... including the two adults in the family.  Michael still has a little time left in his Christmas photo special, so if you're in need of a wonderfully kind and professional photographer, he's your man.


I also had some great news from a friend who has the same penchant for freebies and deals that I do.  Check out the link for Freebies 4 Mom about getting 50 free 4 X 8 photo cards with free shipping.  The offer expires on 11/21 (this week... hurry!).  Also from the Freebies 4 Mom site: "If you are new to SeeHere you can also get 100 FREE PRINTS fromSeeHere.com by FujiFilm when you sign-up for a new account using the coupon code prints (but you need to order those 100 free prints separately from the 50 free photo cards)."

Niftie Giftie

I have a few blogs and sites that I follow.  A few weeks ago, the gal at Thrifty Mama posted a deal about getting samples of homeopathic children's medicines free for those who have blogs.  "Well, I have a blog!  I'm all about freebies!" I wanted a chance to try something homeopathic for cold and flu season.  Somehow I didn't put together that the medicines are really meant for kids over three or, if you want to give them to younger kids, you need to check with your doctor.  Well, the box arrived today and, wow!  I'm impressed!  They're full -sized products, not just sample sizes.  I received one package of their Chestal Children’s Oscillococcinum, Children’s Coldcalm Pellets, and Children’s Chestal.  Thankfully we haven't run into a need for cold/flu meds yet for the baby, but I'm thrilled to have something to try with her if our pediatrician ok's them.


If you're interested in a coupon for these products, go here to get a $1 off coupon.

diaper obsessions

A small diaper on a larger tush

Before Ruthie was born, I'd done a little reading into cloth diapering.  I thought that it sounded like something I might want to attempt.  I liked the idea of being a little more environmentally friendly.  I liked not having quite as much trash leave our house.  I liked the idea of not spending so much money on disposable diapers.  I had no idea how... shall I say "obsessed" for the condition I have now?  I'll just say that I really like cloth diapering our little one's tush.  I do indeed like it for all the reasons stated above, but can I just brag on how cute her little cloth diapered bottom is?  The diapers themselves are so very easy to use.  I think that most people think of pins, folding, and agony when thinking about cloth diapers.  That's simply not the case for us.  They are quick to put on, quick to get off and easy to launder.  And, though I'm not a fashionista by any means - low maintenance is the name of my game - it's quite fun to match her diapers to her outfits!  I'm sure I'll have more to post on this later but I actually have a load of fluffy (cloth diapers) laundry to do now.

Messy, good-for-her, fun!

Nowdays at our house, the most commonly used kitchen apparatus is the mini food processor. This little contraption has lain dormant for most of our married life because I found that it tended to puree things rather than simply chop them. Why does that fact matter now? Enter baby. Partly because of my love for cooking, partly because of my desire to be thrifty, and partly because of my desire to know exactly what our family is injesting, I make the little one's food. The mini chopper is used a LOT in our household now and the little guy is a trooper. It now handles everything that the baby eats: dried apricots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, green beans, roasted bell peppers, lentil stew, everything.

We've experimented with quite a few veggies and fruits and, with her seven month birthday coming up, will be experimenting with meats now more often. She's eaten everything she's had and not refused anything yet, but she's certainly more amenable to some foods than others. (Like her dad, she's not wild about broccoli but, unlike her dad, she will at least eat it. Thankfully, it's about the only thing he won't eat.) What fun!

I have several resources I've been consulting for ideas on what to make her. The first is a book called First Meals by Annabel Karmel. It is a very helpful book with recipes divided into age groups. I'm currently working my way through the puree section for the baby's age group. The second helpful resource has been a website called weelicious.com. I'm just discovering this one, but it has pictures, step by step instructions and a peppy and "you can do it!" style. I'm sure I'll discover more helpful ideas along the way, but these are on my go-to list.

I have a crisper full of broccoli and cauliflower, sweet potatoes in the cabinet, and a bag of apples on the counter that all need to be tended to today if possible. Here I come, mini chopper!

coupons and freebies... i'm hooked!

I've started collecting coupons lately and following a few blogs online. I don't know what spurred this new burst of furvor, but I'm hooked. In a recent trip to Publix, I saved about $25 just from couponing and checking the Publix circular! Yippee! There are so many sites online with deals posted and lots with printable coupons. My favorite right now is The Thrifty Mama. She has deals, coupons, and a great forum with lots of people following and providing savings tips and deals. Just like facebook, I could spend (or waste) a LOT of time on this site and with this venture!


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I've also discovered a new way to earn points to redeem online and it's SUPER easy: SwagBucks. LOVE IT! It's a search engine that seems to be just as reliable and easy to use as Google... but you get rewarded for searching. There's all kinds of extras that you can do (download and use the toolbar, shop online in tons of stores going through their site, referring friends, etc.) but even if you don't do any of that, you can get points simply by searching using the swagbucks site. Interested? Follow this referral link to join or just see more about it

One (plus baby) is the loneliest number

The strange thing about motherhood, and something I wan't prepared for, is how lonely the job can feel at times. There's so much time when it's just the two of us at the house, doing errands, keeping each other company. I'm often - but thankfully not always - the one who ends up holding her, comforting her, shhhh-ing her in church, feeding her. My ears seem to always be especially tuned to her noises and the need to tend to her needs.

Thankfully, there are times during the week where I know that I'm part of a larger group, a sorority of sorts. We go to StrollerFit and restore the core, and those are the times of the week where I do feel more "normal." It makes me feel like I'm not alone in my frustrations or tiredness or joy. I get to smile, laugh, and be active with an amazing group of women and kids who inspire me.

Miracle Swaddling Blanket - Love it!

Our little one is a HUGE fan of swaddling and, consequently, so are we. The baby sleeps so much more soundly and for much longer when her limbs are still and cozy. I've heard lots of moms say, "We really wanted to swaddle our baby but they always escaped so we just gave up on swaddling." I happened to comment one day that the baby had escaped from her swaddle again and my sister in law steered me toward a product she loves and I've found that I now love it, too. It's the Miracle Blanket and it's a different kind of swaddling blanket that we're now big fans of at our house. The Miracle Blanket is a wonderful little thing AND they also have great customer service... spectacular, in fact.

Baby News

Our winter has been busy since the new addition to our family has arrived. Our little girl was born on February 13 and it's been a whirlwind since! I've been learning to juggle the responsibilities and fun of motherhood as well as the responsibilities and fun of StrollerFit and restore the core. StrollerFit has been even more fun now that there's a little baby in my own stroller. She spends most of the class sleeping but I occasionally get glimpses of just how much fun it will be to sing and interact with her in class.

I'm so fortunate to have the kind of job I do where I can take the baby with me, get a fabulous workout, be around wonderful friends and their kids, and feel happy about being able to help other moms. What a fortunate gal I am!

Mommy Myths

Any mother knows that moms need muscle! As a StrollerFit owner and instructor, it’s my job to help moms regain their pre-pregnancy bodies while building the energy and strength they need to care for their families. I know it’s hard to fit exercise in between everything else you have to do, and it’s easy to convince yourself that it just isn’t worth the effort, especially in those first months with a newborn, but it truly is one of the very best things you can do for yourself and your family. Here are some of my favorite postnatal fitness mommy myths, and why you should ignore them:

The pregnancy belly will disappear after the baby is born.
I wish this were true! For some women it does disappear quickly, but those are the lucky ones whose genetics played a big role in not only their pregnancy but also in their postpartum months. Over time the swelling of the abdomen decreases and your body returns to a non-pregnancy state. Once the uterus is back to its normal size, the rest of the pooch is essentially added weight gain, droopy skin and sagging muscles. A postnatal fitness workout like StrollerFit or restore the core will zap that tummy back into shape.

My abs will never be flat again.
Everyone can tighten the muscles back up. It takes work and know-how, but once you follow through the muscles will respond and get very close to their pre-pregnancy size. They might be even better!

Nursing moms should not work out.
Totally false! All moms should work out unless the doctor gives a good reason not to. Moderate physical activity is recommended for everyone. Nursing moms do need to make sure they are eating enough calories and drinking enough fluid to support milk production. Add 10 oz of additional non-caffeine fluids for every ½ hour you are exercising. Breastfeeding moms also need to pay close attention to alignment and form and should seek a professional’s help to make sure they are on the right track. Make sure you’re stretching out the chest muscles and strengthening the muscles of the upper back. This will help regain posture, keeping those shoulders back and chin lifted. Proper support is critical, so all nursing moms need to be fitted for a sports bra.

Your feet change only during pregnancy but not after.
A woman’s foot changes during pregnancy and can change even more afterward. Have your feet re-measured every six months after pregnancy for 18 months. Proper footing will help you avoid heel pain and calf discomfort. Whenever you get your child’s foot measured, get yours measured too!

It is not possible to like your body better after pregnancy.
Everything you do prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy and post-pregnancy has an effect on how you feel about your body now. You can learn to love it! When you treat it right through diet and exercise it will love you back and the results will be amazing.

Chasing after kids and housework are workout enough.
If only it were true. Housework and keeping up with the little ones will not protect your bone mass or make your heart and lungs stronger. It may help burn some extra calories, but the truth is we must exercise regularly to earn a healthy strong body. Consistent workouts – including both strength training and cardiovascular efforts – will help you feel better every day while performing all those motherly duties!

I will have more time tomorrow, the next day, or maybe next week.
There’s no time like the present! Whether you squeeze in 15 minutes now, 15 minutes later, an hour here or there, it all adds up. More calories going out than coming in will get that weight off and keep it off. And when you put off the workout, you put off taking off the weight.

Energy Boost

Yesterday before StrollerFit class, one of our regular moms came ready for class but was definitely looking a little worn out. It was a few minutes before class starts at 9:00 but it was obvious that she was feeling a little out of sorts. My normally chipper and bright-eyed friend was moving through our warm-up with very little vim and vigor though she usually chats and laughs with the other moms and kids in our StrollerFit group. As we progressed through our workout, I noticed that she began to look more and more like herself: smiling, working hard, laughing, having fun. Before we got settled in for our core work at the end of class, I checked with her and asked if she was doing ok and her response was, "Oh yea. I'm feeling much better now. I definitely have more energy." Isn't that funny that putting out some energy exercising can pay big dividends by supplying you with more energy than you started with? I love that! As if we needed another reason to get moving, an energy boost is another positive outcome from exercise. And what a great thing for busy and sometimes-tired moms!

Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder

As any of you know who are moms, the world of motherhood seems to require learning a whole new language and becoming accustomed to a new culture. Thankfully, all my StrollerFit and Restore the Core moms have been wonderful examples and tutors for what's in store for my husband and me. I am so thankful to have a wonderful group of friends at StrollerFit and Restore the Core to whom I can run and ask these questions. Being pregnant myself has illumined just another wonderful part of StrollerFit and Restore the Core: a support system and group of friends to share in joy and confusion and to help smooth out rough patches.

I can honestly say that that I will be availing myself of their help in the coming months. Embarking on this new journey is, right now at least, more confusing than anything else! :) Here are some things that are, at least currently, conundrums for me:

• diapering - I really think that I would like to use cloth diapers. I know, I know, but before you turn up your nose, cloth diapers are MUCH different than they used to be.
• labor and delivery - I had a friend ask me the other day if I had a birth plan yet. This truly made me stop and pause for a minute. Hyperventilating didn't ensue but I didn't think I needed to have that yet. We don't expect this baby to arrive until February, and I'm certainly not ready to develop a birth plan yet. Apparently, though, some moms to be have that set in their minds at a much earlier stage of pregnancy than I do.
• baby items - Where in the world do you start in order to make the decision about the kinds of things that you think you'll need?! Just walking down baby/kid aisles at Target makes me get dizzy! To an untrained eye, there seems to be about 10,000 brands of bottles, 750 kinds of soaps, one gazillion different kinds of outfits and combination of clothes that are available for purchase. I am a minimalist in most respects (and I'm also pretty frugal), so I certainly don't want to buy something that will really serve no purpose or will only be in use for a few weeks or a month.

I promise that there are plenty more questions where these came from, but I think this list will suffice for now. After all, I may need a nap after just ruminating on these three topics!

Mommymuscles at work

Our six-week fitness challenge is complete and I am thrilled and inspired by the results! I will post more specifics later, but the moms of StrollerFit made some amazing improvements. Each mom who participated saw improvements in various areas: timed mile walk/run, timed wall sit, timed full plank, number of push-ups as well as measurements for thigh, hips, and waist. Can I tell you that I just wanted to jump up and down and act like a StrollerFit cheerleader on Monday?! It was wonderful!

The biggest lesson that I took away from the experience was that those who committed to StrollerFit classes saw the greatest improvements and gains in strength and time. Their bodies responded to the demands that they put on it... in very positive ways!

Way to go StrollerFit moms! You've got real mommymuscles!