Saturday, January 19, 2019

Fluffy Butts are the Cutest Butts!






I am so excited to share with you guys one of my new favorite diaper brands! You all know I’m a huge advocate for cloth diapers; they reduce waste, save a ton of money, and they’re undeniably adorable. I’ve talked about this in the past over on my Instagram, but one thing I didn’t mention was the community built around it. 

With so many parents choosing to use cloth, several hundred Facebook groups have been created for sharing information, testimonies, and B/S/T of the diapers. When I decided I wanted to learn more about cloth diapering, I joined a handful of these groups. One group in particular was for Mama’s who use cloth or are interested in using cloth. This became such a great resource for me to ask questions and gather vital information before deciding this was something I wanted to pursue. 

Through this group, I met a sweet mama who was just launching her own diaper brand, Sweet Peanut Baby. She reached out to the other mom’s and shared her new business. The designs were adorable, perfect for both boys and girls! The prices are amazing as well, I can load up my cart with pocket diapers and inserts without my husband divorcing me J.  But that’s not even the best part about this little shop, it’s the reason this mama started it in the first place. 

Our story really begins with our daughter.  We decided long before she was born that we were going to cloth diaper her. We didn't know much about it, we didn't know what we wanted or needed. But we figured it out. We didn't have much time to gather an appropriate "stash" because she was born 8 weeks early.
We spent a total of 36 days in the NICU before we were able to bring our peanut home.  Of course, even then she was way too tiny to wear the diapers we had set aside for her.  When she was 3 months old, she was *just* able to fit and we began our cloth journey.
Over the next few months, we found things we liked and didn't like with our cloth.  Not entirely happy, we decided to start our next adventure and make our own brand with our own designs!”
 -Owner of Sweet Peanut



For a good few months, I had only used two different diaper brands, one is extremely popular (and sometimes fought over), the other is no longer in business. So, when I wanted to branch out a little bit and try something new, I immediately went to Sweet Peanut and ordered three different diapers. Three pocket-style diapers, all with a bamboo/cotton blend insert. I was surprised by how quickly the owner got them shipped out to me and they were in my hands within just a few days! They came in the cutest reusable packaging, and all I had to do was prep them and throw them on Clara’s little behind. First one I threw on? This beautiful diaper so perfectly named “Purple Rain.” 


You guys, this was one of the BEST fitting diapers I have ever used. Clara is a teeny weeny skinny mini. She lost some weight recently and at almost 11 months old, she weighs barely 17 lbs. It’s hard for me to get a good fit around her skinny little legs. Usually, I have to make the waist a little tighter just so we don’t get leaks from the leg gaps. However, I didn’t have to do that with these, I was able to fit it perfectly to both her waist and her legs! 


The material of these diapers are amazing, I don’t feel like I have to give up quality for affordability. The PUL is strong and durable, wetness doesn't leak through it AT ALL! The elastics are tight and haven’t loosened even after several uses/washes. That’s more than I can say for some of the bigger, more popular brands. And the inserts! Best I have ever used and I don’t say that lightly!! I had not tried a bamboo/cotton blend before receiving them with the diapers, mostly I have been using microfiber, bamboo, or bamboo and hemp (for nighttime). I was a little worried at first when they shriveled up after prepping them a few times in the wash, I thought they weren’t going to be big enough to catch everything. Boy was I wrong! They are so absorbent and durable. I don’t have to worry about compression leaks if we are going to be in the car for a little bit, or filling so slowly that the wetness just stays against Clara’s skin, causing a rash. 


I was so excited about these I immediately started talking to my cloth diapering friends about this brand and letting them know to try it out! Several have gotten back to me, raving about how much they like them. So as a special treat my amazing followers, Sweet Peanut Baby is offering 20% off of the site to anyone who would like to try these awesome diapers! Use code “Upstate20” at checkout to receive the discount.
(Offer ends 12AM 1/27/19)


 

Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Ringing in 2019


Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Things are a bit crazy over here. Mike completely switched his work schedule and now he’s permanently on days! That means he’s home in the evenings to help me with Clara. 

Over the past few nights, we started implementing the Sleep Sense method into our bed time routine. It’s been rough for this Mama, I used to rock her to sleep every night (which of course turned into a bad habit). But she’s doing amazing with it! We are still doing the checks and reassurances every five minutes, but she is crying less and less every night. Last night she went to sleep in twelve minutes!! Naps are a whole other ball game, however. She will fight those till the bitter end. It’s a work-in progress. 


Over the last two weeks, I’ve been “off” from work. Spending some much-needed time with close friends and family. We celebrated Clara’s first Christmas and she got to open alllll the presents. Girlfriend made out like a bandit with the gifts from the grandparents. She had so much fun ripping open the wrapping paper, you never would have guessed she was fighting a nasty sinus infection! 

Still so tiny in Big Bird's nest 
One if the bigger gifts we received was a membership to the Strong National Museum of Play. In my opinion, it’s one of the best places on Earth. A huge building where your wildest imagination can run free. The exhibits are always changing, finding new ways to make education fun for little ones. It’s been around since before I was born, and taking Clara for the first time brought back all the childhood memories. From the Sesame Street stoop to the Butterfly Conservatory, I think Mike and I enjoyed our trip even more than Clara did! 
My two favorites on the Sesame Street Stoop 

As the new year approached, I began thinking more about 2018 and how it impacted my life. Becoming a mom completely changed me (in more good ways than bad.) But as I mentioned in my previous post, my entire existence revolves around my daughter, and it gets difficult to remember to take care of myself. So, I decided my New Year’s resolution was do one small thing for myself every day. Whether it’s drinking my ketones and getting a workout in with my Beachbody app, or getting out of the house for a few hours by myself for some me time. Making myself a priority is my new goal for this year. Of course, I’m still focused on raising Clara, but I can’t be the best mom I can be if I’m not 100%.


What are some of your goals for 2019? Comment below! 

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