This is the all new ones&twos all in one cloth diaper in action.

Adorable, fun colors, great fit, great customizable absorbency, GREAT price.

There’s really not anything not to love about this diaper.

Here’s why it’s a game changer:

All-in-one diapers are the closest cloth diapers come to going on and coming off like disposable diapers. When people email me to say they have a caretaker or parent who is hesitant to use cloth diapers because of the “extra hassle” or “all the time” it takes to put them on and take them off, I recommend all-in-ones. (Though, really, the “extra” work is pretty minimal with all cloth diapering options. It just takes time to get familiar with them.)

However, there have been a couple down sides to the all-in-one route. First, most of them are pretty expensive, more expensive than pocket diapers. Also, they tend to not be as absorbent as pocket diapers.

The ones&twos (okay, let’s break for a moment to acknowledge how cleverly cute that name is)… anyway, you can adjust the absorbency of the ones&twos diaper without losing the convenience of an all-in-one.

So you just lay the soakers on top of the diaper, if needed. No need to stuff or unstuff them.

Now, I will say that I tried Leyna in the diaper without any soaker a couple times, and we had leaks after just a couple hours. I always lay the one included soaker on top of the diaper before putting it on her now, and we haven’t had any issues. For us, though, this would not be a nighttime option, just because I have other diapers that I stuff with hemp doublers that are so trusty I don’t feel the need to experiment or replace them.

Newborns may get by with no soakers

For daytime, though, for daycares and babysitters, or even for new parents who want to dip a toe into the sea of cloth diapers without feeling overwhelmed, I feel like these are a FABULOUS option.

The cost? Around $17. The Green Nursery has them for $16.95. Most other popular all-in-one diapers start around $20-$25. When you’re building a stash, that’s a substantial savings.

So, while I don’t think ones&twos would replace any of my beloved diapers in my stash, they are certainly an awesome addition, and I will confidently recommend them to anyone interested in an “easy” cloth diaper option from now on.

Bet you want to win one now, dontcha?

Not only will one of you win ONE ones&twos from the manufacturer, one of you will win a THREE PACK of ones&twos from TheGreenNursery.com. 

Just follow the directions in the fancy Rafflecopter box below. Don’t be scared! I know it’s a change, but hopefully this thing helps me run giveaways a little more efficiently. It should be easier on us all.

This contest is open to U.S. and Canada residents, though the winner of The Green Nursery 3 pack must be from the U.S. I was not paid for this review, but I did receive the diaper at no cost.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

So, if you’re in the DFW area, and you are thinking you’d like to check out the latest and greatest when it comes to baby gear, pregnancy support, children’s entertainment and family resources, you should head over and make a day of it.

The Details:

Saturday, February 25th
10 am- 5 pm
Centennial Hall, Fair Park

Adults $4
Children 2-12 $3
Children under 2- Free
100% of the ticket proceeds will be donated to the Children’s Medical Center

Entertainment includes bounce houses, face painting, balloon animals, rock wall, petting zoo, Star Wars Characters Photo Opportunity, Meet Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, activities, crawler zone, Bubble Runners (walk on water), Fire Engine that kids can explore, and more.

Exhibitors include Britax, phil&teds, Prince Lionheart, Buy Buy Baby, Lansinoh, Dallas Zoo, Frank Buck Zoo, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Medieval Times, and more.

Giveaways include a nursery from Delta (crib, mattress, changing table and glider), strollers, and gift bags for the first 500 there.

For more information, including directions, check out DFWFamilyExpo.com.

Wow. That’s very strange to type.

I’m THIRTY plus ONE. Really? Because I swear I just turned 22, and I feel like I’m 26… except when I look in the mirror and see the gray hairs and bags under my eyes and the lines on my face from exhaustion. But other than that, yeah, totally don’t feel like I should be 31.

I’ll deal, though. 31 and I can actually become great friends, I think, so long as we get a few things straight.

For one, I would like for 31 to be a year I don’t assume I’m dying of cancer every time I get a cough, sniffle, bruise or cellulite. Because 30 was a little bitch like that. F-ing 30 and all it’s anxiety and irrational thoughts that came with it. F you, 30. Good riddance.

As 30′s parting gift to me, it gave me a week of worry over a giant bruise that appeared on my knee after I discovered a small, sorta itchy, kinda sting-y bump on it the night before. It’s very unsettling to find bruises in places you don’t recall getting beat with a baseball bat. Especially bruises like this:

Note: If you are prone to freaking out about things like this, don’t post a picture on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook. 1% of people will tell you it’s okay, you’ll be fine, you’re leg won’t fall off. 99% of people will tell you you’re going to have to get your leg amputated, you’ll have nerve damage, you should get your white cell levels tested, and that a spider might have laid eggs under your skin and in a few short hours your knee will erupt and give birth to thousands of tiny spiders.

Google will, of course, do nothing but confirm the suspicions of the 99%.

So, on my birthday, I woke bright and early to head to the doctor to ease my fears that this was a cancerous bruise, or possibly brought on by a brown recluse bite that was going to turn into an open, seeping wound of flesh rot.

The verdict was it’s likely a spider bite of some sort, though the doctor couldn’t say what kind, and that… I’M FINE. Totally fine. Just really not fit to be wearing any skirts at Blissdom this week.

So, 31, let’s not be so alarmist, okay?

Also, I would like 31 to be the year I don’t sit in front of my computer, refreshing Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and WordPress all at the same time, while accomplishing nothing and simultaneously freaking about all I should be accomplishing at that very moment. I want 31 to be the year I attack every day and have a PLAN.

I want 31 to not feel like I’m drinking water from a fire hose and putting our fires with spoons.

I’m not asking for the perfect body or for wealth from 31 (though I wouldn’t mind a book deal), I simply want 31 to be a year I feel in control. Just a little bit. That’s a reasonable request, don’t you think?

]]> http://www.babyrabies.com/2012/02/what-i-want-from-31/feed/ 18 http://www.babyrabies.com/2012/02/in-their-natural-habitat/ http://www.babyrabies.com/2012/02/in-their-natural-habitat/#comments Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:14:06 +0000 Jill http://www.babyrabies.com/?p=5924 Watch as the young male builds shelter to protect him from wild dogs, crazy cats and unleashed little sisters…

Now observe the tiny female as she steadies herself on her feet and explores her surroundings by shoving every bright piece of plastic into her mouth. She then scatters her stockpile of toys to take daily inventory, pretending not to hear the calls of the older male sibling baiting her to his shelter, where he would likely trap her and leave her for the dogs…

My house, my kids, National Geographic style.

Kendall is 3 years 9 months and Leyna is nearly 14 months old

I know. My blog is so original and profound.

My life is a little like Groundhog Day, so that’s probably why my blog feels like it. I just keep going on and on and on about how I’m not sleeping because, well, I’m not. Ever, except in 3 hour intervals at night and random cat naps during the day.

I know so many are wanting to be all, “SEE! Sleep training/abuse doesn’t work!” but to be honest, just a couple days after I posted about sleep training (and blew up the internet), we all came down with a cold that lasted… a month? Since I’m not a total monster of a mother, I didn’t leave my baby to cry while I knew she wasn’t feeling well. Then we just never got back on track.

Because the thing about sleep training (the way I do it, the way that’s NOT just leaving them to “cry it out” all night in their room alone) is that it is a hell of a lot more work than just waking every few hours to pop a boob in your baby’s mouth. We just haven’t had the energy to jump back on, but I know we need to.

Hell, even my moderately crunchy midwife agrees that my health and sanity at this point needs to take priority, and we need to figure some things out (but I already knew that, it’s just hard to make myself a priority when I’m so tired… if that makes sense).

On top of all of that, Leyna dropped her morning nap. That may seem all, “Awesome! Now you can do things in the morning and she will sleep extra long in the afternoon,” but really it’s like, “Boo! I can’t take a nap in the morning and I’ll be a zombie until she passes out after lunch, at which point I’ll have to decide to either shower or take a 15 minute nap before picking my 3 year old up at school.” Morning playdates just aren’t going to happen if I have to hold my eyelids open with toothpicks.

Oh, I want to blog about more than this. I want to craft and organize and take pictures and live a funny life again, but this little life sucker is not allowing it. It’s ridiculously hard to tell this face no.

And she knows it. 

To anyone who thinks about chiming in to remind me that “this is just a phase… a small window of time… it will pass before I know it… they are only this little once,” I say this with as much love and respect as possible, but please kindly F off.

Leyna is 13 months old and I am one cranky, tired bitch

You’re welcome.

So I would just whine to my friends who lived on my computer (since I found myself half way across the country from “in real life” friends and family) about how I didn’t think I’d ever find my path in life. Oh, so dark and twisty. I was all emo dressed in Ann Taylor LOFT with a few too many first world problems.

6ish years later, and I’ve just secured 2 jobs in the last month that spurred from all those online relationships I started years ago, and from this blog, and mainly from my love for all things that have grown from my accidental induction into the world of social media.

I’m officially doing what I love AND getting paid for it. Take THAT, quarter-life crisis.

Granted, I’m sure that money will go toward paying for my social media/photography/blogging addiction that got me in this mess in the first place, but at least this “hobby” is finally paying for itself.

I’m so excited to announce that I’m now in charge of Blog Relations for Clickin’ Moms! I’ve seen so many of the friends I’ve grown up with online blossom as phenomenal photographers over the last few years (like Ariana, Megan and Mollie), and many have gone on to work with CM. It’s serendipitous that I am joining them in this way, and it feels like a perfect fit.

I’m coordinating an awesome new Blogger Ambassador Panel for them, consisting of some AMAZING bloggers who are well on their way with their photography journey, and I know they will thrive with the help of all the Clickin’ Moms resources.

Casey from Moosh In Indy
Jacinda from Prudent Baby
Mandy from The Haps
Beth from I Should Be Folding Laundry
Jessica from Momma’s Gone City

You should definitely check them all out and follow them to see the progress they’ll make in their photography over the next few months. Our goal is to make the blogosphere a little bit prettier by mastering our fancy cameras and using them to help us tell heartfelt stories, and we want to teach you great things with visually inspiring tutorials.

And, we want you to learn with us! We’ll be sharing our aha! moments and any tricks we learn along the way, but we’d also LOVE to get to know you more over on the Clickin’ Moms forums. They’re not just for aspiring professional photographers. They’re for moms and non-moms, hobbyists and bloggers, and anyone who wants to enhance the way they document their lives.

Want to see what it’s all about before you commit to a membership? Try it out for FREE for 7 days with the code BABYRABIES. Ready to jump in? Save 20% off your membership with code BABYRABIES20 (starting at $30 for 6 months or $50 for a year). In my opinion, the cost of membership is worth it based on the free tutorials, alone.

And, and, AND… I get to go to Blissdom in Nashville next week on behalf of Clickin’ Moms! So if you’re going to be there, find me, let’s talk pictures! And probably kids and sleep and wine while we’re at it, not gonna lie. I’m happy to take you on a little laptop tour of the forums and answer any questions you have.

Hooray for getting paid to play on the internet and take pictures! What more could a girl hope for? Well, I mean, I would also love this job…

… just, you know, in case anyone you know is looking to hire a professional, wine-drinking pinner. I’m happy to add that to my growing list of responsibilities. I’ll even work for minimum wage with no benefits.

It’s funny how we spend all this money on toys and entertainment for our kids, and it’s the $3 roll of painters tape in the garage that keeps them occupied the longest.

It’s a rainy, cold day here and I neglected to plan a play date, so that means all the conditions are perfectly brewing for maximum whining and big headaches. I remembered Sarah’s super idea, so I busted out a half roll of painters tape and randomly taped some shapes on our floor. It started out as an obstacle course, and then it turned into a town.

Paint Tape Town

We built buildings, drove cars and trucks down the blue streets, and even put some fields of grass and parking lots in (thanks to some FLOR carpet tile samples I’ve been hanging on to).

For all the attitude and the tantrums, I love this age. His imagination inspires me and his persistence amazes me. That log cabin fell down at least 4 times before he got it built exactly how he envisioned, windows and all. It’s “the office where daddy works, very far away.”

I think we’ll be buying more painters tape soon. Heck, I think I’ll be giving a roll of it at every birthday this year. Thanks for the inspiration, Sarah!

Kendall is 3 years 9 months old

I mean, I would be a MUCH better mother and housekeeper and a freaking rock star blogger if I didn’t need sleep.

Why, sleep, why must I be so dependent on you?

Scott’s been on a business trip all week, but I was determined not to let everything fall to pieces while he was gone. Monday started out great. I actually slept pretty well the night before, having gone to bed at 10 (possibly a touch worn out or…. buzzed from the Super Bowl festivities). I got to sleep in since Scott was driving out that day, but he didn’t have to leave super early.

I kicked Monday in the ass. I cleaned all the things and blogged all the things, and I did that while the children slept. I kicked Monday in the ass so hard that I was SuperMom, Blog Superstar and a fucking Merry Maid all in the same day.

Monday night I had to get up with my STILL WAKING UP ALL THE FREAKING TIME ONE YEAR OLD, but I was able to make up for it by taking a quick power nap on Tuesday while Leyna napped and Kendall was at school. I powered through, cleaned even more things, got some work done, and totally didn’t neglect a single child.

Wednesday was a struggle. I napped again while Kendall was at school and Leyna napped (for 3 hours because why sleep at night when we can sleep all day when mother should be working?), but it was less a power nap and more a coma. I got drive through Taco Bueno for dinner and killed 2 baby seals by throwing everything away since I didn’t have the energy to take out the recycling. I then stayed up until 12:30 getting work done that I should have done while I was in my afternoon coma.

Leyna woke last night 6… 9… a billion times? Kendall crawled into bed at 7 this morning and I handed him my phone without even opening my eyes, “Here mmmmpphhhh….. play. Game. Quiet.”

Being the brilliant boy he is, seeing how beyond tired and completely vulnerable I was, he began whining that he didn’t want to play any of those games. “I want a neeeewwwww game, momma,” he quietly whispered in my ear while I tried to bat him away like a fly. Before he could eek out, “pleeeEEEEAAAssee” the 5th time, I’d typed my password into the app store and hit purchase. I do this often. There are days I don’t even remember buying the new game. I’m certain I do it in my sleep.

Now, I’m in walking zombie mode. I care not about the house. The blog schedule can go to hell. I didn’t make Kendall brush his teeth this morning. I’m not even sure if I brushed my teeth this morning.

Scott’s going to be home in a couple hours, and I’ve been bragging all week about how on top of things I’ve been. I’ll just have to throw my hands in the air and say, “Sorry you missed it,” when he walks in.

I’ve had my suspicions over the last year, but I finally feel confident claiming any and all of my incompetencies and my raising iTunes budget on my total lack of sleep and my sickening dependence on it.

Kendall is 3.5ish and Leyna is 13 months old 

Your blog has helped me see another side to being a mom, that it’s not all baking cupcakes, and sometimes it’s a very dark journey… Thank you for being a real mom, for being perfectly imperfect.

I read those words at the end of a very heartfelt, very raw email a reader sent to me over the weekend, and I cried a little.

This reader, this mother described how alone she felt in her struggles, how disconnected she felt to the moms around her daily. It makes my heart ache.

I think it’s a combination of sadness for her and the loneliness she describes, knowing what that can feel like, and knowing so many other moms feel that way day in and day out… and they’re convinced they’re alone. That those other moms they see don’t feel that way, that those other moms have it all together.

Everyone needs moms, but you know who needs moms the most? Moms.

Moms need moms to put down their armor of perfection and show us their weak spots. We need to know we’re not the only one shaking in our boots under that iron suit, that we’re not the only one nervously walking in a direction that feels as sure as a tightrope over the Grand Canyon.

Instead of pretending we have it all together in front of other moms, we should be open about our struggles. We should TALK ABOUT our weaknesses. We should share our fears. Human bonds are built on human connections and relatability, not fantasy and idolization.

Moms, take off your armor. Smile kindly at one another. Offer grace and support. Know that every mom you meet, no matter how “perfect” she appears, is walking that same shaky tight rope right along with you. Take her hand, tell her it scares you, too. Tell her sometimes you fall. 

Tell her how you get back up.

Perfection is a heavy standard to hold yourself to. Take if off, and I promise the weightlessness of imperfection will be freeing. It’s much easier to walk tight ropes without so much weight on your shoulders, and it’s easier to get back up from a fall when someone is there to take your hand.