is weight loss common during pregnancy

This post is not about how to cloth diaper, but about the cost of cloth diapering. We have not cloth diapered before. I really wanted to cloth diaper with our third pregnancy, but when we found out we were having twins, I feel like I talked myself out of it. In some ways I wish we had (budget); in other ways, I think it all worked out (convenience of disposables). Regardless, this time, I am cloth diapering come hell or high water.

Realizing this morning that I am almost 36 weeks pregnant, I figured it was about time to get baby #4s things together. My sister and I set out this morning to get all the last minute supplies I need before we have a newborn in the house (nursing pads, breast milk storage bags, pacifiers, etc). We also went by my new favorite local baby store and picked up all the things we will need to start off cloth diapering.

Im pretty pleased when I look at the bottom line of cloth diapering compared to the bottom line of disposable diapering. As of right now, I have enough supplies to conservatively cloth diaper through the toddler years. I will most definitely be buying more cloth diapers (and possibly supplies) before our cloth diaper days are through, but this supply is a very good start. I know that some of these things (for instance, the hand-me-down prefolds) are not things that everyone has ready access to-- such as a first time mom-- but other things (like my used BumGenius Elementals) can be found if you keep an eye out.

So here are the numbers:

11 BumGenius Elemental All-in-One Diapers for $87.50

When I set out this time to cloth diaper, someone tipped me off to the BumGenius All-in-Ones. Since my husband is still somewhat skeptical about cloth diapering, I love that they work exactly like disposable diapers. The more I learned about them, the more I knew they would be the diapers for us. I firmly believe that chatting about these types of things with friends opens doors and in this case it definitely did. One of my mommy friends found a great deal on a local cloth diaper swap Facebook page and asked if I wanted to split the stash with her. Even better, they were the BumGenius Elemental All-in-Ones, the organic version of the All-in-One diapers I had decided upon. With that deal, I purchased 11 BumGenius Elemental All-in-One diapers for $87.50.

Estimated retail on (1) BumGenius Elemental All-in-One diaper: $24.99

Approximate price I paid per diaper: $8

 

6 Thirsties Duo Wraps for $81.00

I went to my local baby store to chat with the gal about cloth diapers. She tipped me off that the regular size BumGenius All-in-One diapers (as well as the Elementals) are not ideal for the newborn days. I asked her what she recommended and she said that she really liked using the prefold diapers with the Thirsties Duo Wraps. I was excited about this because we used Gerber prefold diapers with our first 3 boys as burp cloths. I have an entire bin of them. The gal at the baby store said that 6 Thirsties Duo Wraps would be enough to get started cloth diapering in the newborn days, which is what I went with. I did not buy any more prefold diapers because we have so many hand-me-downs.
Price I paid per diaper: $13.50

 

2 Planet Wise Pail Liners for $36.00

One of the most convenient aspects of cloth diapering is the wet bag. I love the idea of throwing it all in my washer instead of sorting through soaking buckets. Since Im setting up a diaper changing station for easier cloth diapering at home, I decided to go with 2 Planet Wise Pail Liners, one to use while the other is being washed.
Price I paid per pail liner: $18.00

 

1 medium Planet Wise Wet Bag for $17.00

The gal at the baby store told me that she uses just one wet bag for on the go. She said that when she gets home, shell often just dump the contents of her wet bag into her diaper pail instead of having to wash it every time. So, to start with, I only bought 1 medium Planet Wise Wet Bag to use on the go.

 

1 Planet Wise Wipe Pouch for $11.00

Well, I bought an adorable wet bag with a monster design on it... Then I saw the adorable matching wipe holder. And I knew I had to get that to. This was my only frivolous cloth diaper purchase. Yes, I could do without it. Yes, it is super cute.

 

1 6-pack of Thirsties Fab Reusable Baby Wipes for $13.00

For wipes, most of my friends make their own cloth wipes by cutting up old receiving blankets and the like. I also plan on doing this, but I did decide to buy a pack of Thirsties Fab Reusable Baby Wipes just to help get me started. That way, at least, I have "nice wipes" to try and I can always buy more if I just absolutely love them over the ones I make myself. I did remember the diaper budget and so I only bought 1 pack of wipes. ;)

 

4 bottles of BabyGanics Loads of Love detergent, unscented, for $33.98

One thing Ive been told about cloth diapers is that you need to be careful what you wash them in. I make my own detergent (read my blog post "Homemade Household Cleaners") and it has Borax in it. When I was talking to the gal at the baby store, she recommended using a detergent without Borax. Her store carries the Rockin Green Classic Rock Motley Clean detergent for around $20.00 a bag. I was planning on buying a bag to try out. However, when I was at BabiesRUs, they had the BabyGanics Loads of Love detergent at buy one get one free, $13.99 for 2. I couldnt pass up the deal and so I bought 4 bottles of it. Well see how I like it. Ive heard really good things about the Rockin Green detergent, so I can always fall back on that if the BabyGanics detergent doesnt work as well as I would like it to.

 

The total cost for all of this is $290.54.

According to the chart on Aware Beginnings Doula Services, you will need 8-10 diapers between the ages of 6-12 months, if you wash daily, with that number going down further after 12 months; I have 11 All-in-One diapers. For the newborn days, the Thirsties Duo Wraps are a diaper cover with the actual diaper being the prefold, which I have a surplus of. The gal at my baby store said the Thirsties do not need to be washed every time, but on an as needed basis. Going off of this chart, the diaper supply I have built up at just under $300 could last me until toddlerhood!

Talking to my friends who have started cloth diapering and who have been cloth diapering for a long time (second and third children in cloth diapers), I know that there will be additional expenses along the way. For instance, when we are moving, we will have to figure out the cloth diaper situation. We still have to install a diaper sprayer in the bathroom we plan on setting up our changing station; running between $40-$60 new, I plan on having my husband build one himself (check out this blog post: "DIY Tutorial: Make Your Own Diaper Sprayer"). We will probably end up buying more BumGenius All-in-Ones. But what Im most pleased about is that this is a great start. There is no rush to go buy anything else.

These are the diapers we bought for our children in the past:

Pampers Swaddlers Newborn Size: 88 count at $19.95 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.22 a diaper

Pampers Swaddlers Size 1: 148 count at $25.99 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.17 a diaper

Pampers Swaddlers Size 2: 132 count at $25.99 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.19 a diaper

Pampers Baby Dry Size 2: 160 count at $31.99 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.19 a diaper

Pampers Baby Dry Size 3: 180 count at $27.68 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.15 a diaper

Pampers Baby Dry Size 4: 180 count at $36.79 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.20 a diaper

Pampers Baby Dry Size 5: 160 count at $37.75 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.23 a diaper

Pampers Cruisers Size 3: 174 count at $36.70 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.21 a diaper

Pampers Cruisers Size 4: 136 count at $36.26 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.26 a diaper

Pampers Cruisers Size 5: 96 count at $28.46 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.29 a diaper

Target Brand Diapers (Up & Up) Size 5: 138 count at $28.99
$0.21 a diaper

With our oldest, we used Pampers Swaddlers from newborn size up to size 2, then we switched Pampers Cruisers (the Baby Dry diapers made him rash).

With our twins, we used Pampers Swaddlers from newborn to size 2, then we switched to Pampers Baby Dry before eventually switching to Target Brand. When we could, we bought biodegradable diapers, but, for the most part, we used Pampers.

For wipes:

Pampers Sensitive Wipes: 448 count at $8.78 with Amazon Subscribe and Save
$0.019 a wipe

The chart from Aware Beginnings Doula Services says you will change 10-12 diapers a day up to 6 months of age. Using their statistics and the prices of the diapers I bought for our kids in the past, here is the estimated cost of diapering one child for the first 4 months, about the time my girlfriends have been switching from Thirsties to All-in-Ones:

 

10 diapers a day x 28 days = 280 diapers / 88 diapers in Newborn Swaddlers = 3.18 boxes of diapers

 

4 boxes of Pampers Newborn Swaddlers = $79.80

 

+ 1 box of Pampers Sensitive Wipes = $88.58 for the first month of diapering

 

10 diapers a day x 28 days = 280 diapers / 148 diapers in Swaddlers Size 1 = 1.89 boxes of diapers

 

2 boxes of Pampers Size 1 Swaddlers = $51.98

 

+ 1 box of Pampers Sensitive Wipes = $60.78 for the second month

 

10 diapers a day x 28 days = 280 diapers / 132 diapers in Swaddlers Size 2 = 2.12 boxes of diapers

 

3 boxes of Pampers Size 2 Swaddlers = $77.97

 

+ 1 box of Pampers Sensitive Wipes = $86.75 for the third month

 

10 diapers a day x 28 days = 280 diapers / 160 Size 2 Baby Dry = 1.75 boxes of diapers

 

2 boxes of Pampers Baby Dry Size 2 diapers = $63.96

 

+ 1 box of Pampers Sensitive Wipes = $72.74 for the fourth month

 

For four months of conservative disposable diapering, the total cost of diapers and wipes is $300.07

Buying all of the supplies to cloth diaper cost me $290.54 and that number includes diapering from newborn to toddlerhood.

 

The $300.07 does not include Diaper Genie Refills, which we also use, and it also gave a conservative estimate on wipes. Some months we used a lot of wipes and some months not as much. We did use roughly a box a month.

 

I do also want to note that when you look at the price of the links I have for cloth diapering, most of the numbers on Amazon are slightly lower than the prices I listed from my local baby store, usually by about a $1 or $2. Shopping online is so convenient as a stay-at-home mom and I do it often. However, I love to support local businesses when I can (usually used book stores). Local baby stores are a great way to save money on items like these because most of them offer a customer loyalty program. When we bought our Baby Jogger City Select, that is how we saved money buying all of the accessories. That is why I made the choice to shop at a local store versus buying everything off of Amazon.
?

Do you find information about is weight loss common during pregnancy are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the is weight loss common during pregnancy. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

continuous weight loss during pregnancy

It seems a lot of people avoid the commissaries for any number of reasons or are in support of them for the "lower enlisted." Personally, I think commissaries are full of savings that benefit all ranks, especially our family of five (soon to be six). I also think that shopping at the commissary and thus supporting it with my dollars is a way to ensure continued commissary benefits both for my family and for other military families, especially the OCONUS locations where the commissary benefits are crucial. Some of the complaints against the commissary, I believe, are made without an understanding as to how the commissary operates and is funded. I hope this blog post sheds some light on why you should shop at the commissary and how to get around the somewhat inconvenient aspects of commissary shopping, such as limited hours and tipping.

Commissaries are a non-profit organization ran by the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA). From the DeCA website:

Although commissaries collectively realize sales of about $5 billion per year, there is no profit generated on these sales. By law, commissaries are required to sell goods at prices that are set at a level to recover the cost of goods, with no profit built into these prices. There are also very stringent legal controls on the ways that DeCA can use taxpayer monies that Congress provides to operate commissaries.

Commissaries run on appropriated funding, meaning tax payers support the commissaries and funding is regularly voted on. Remember during the sequester when all the commissaries shutdown? This was due to the fact that commissaries operate on appropriated funding (read my blog post, "Government shutdown," and Military.coms 2013 article, "Commissary Cuts Remain Likely"), unlike exchanges which operate on non-appropriated funding. The prices at the commissary also reflect a 5% surcharge on each purchase. Question and answer on the DeCA webpage, "why does DeCA make me pay a surcharge on my commissary purchase?"

Surcharge is applied to the total value of each commissary purchase because the Congress has mandated collection of surcharge (currently 5 percent) to pay for commissary construction, equipment and maintenance. All surcharge dollars collected are returned to commissary patrons in the form of continually improved commissary facilities. The amount of surcharge applied to a commissary sale transaction is shown as "SCG" on your sales receipt.

What exactly does this surcharge pay for? From the DeCA Working Capital Fund Fiscal Year 2000/2001 Biennial Budget Estimates Operating Budget, page 2:

Surcharge Collections represents a third major source for funding commissary operations. Surcharge Collections is a trust fund primarily funded by a five percent surcharge applied to patron sales at the check-out counter. This fund was established so authorized patrons share responsibility for overall costs of commissary operations, including commissary supplies, equipment, utilities at CONUS locations, information management equipment and support, and commissary construction program. This fund also receives revenue from prompt payment discounts, the sale of used cardboard and equipment, and services provided to others.

Page 3 of the same report outlines the differences between CONUS and OCONUS commissary locations and the absolute importance of OCONUS locations to military families:

OCONUS and remote locations cost more per dollar of sales than CONUS locations, using about 45 percent of available appropriated fund support to produce 22 percent of sales. These commissaries are more expensive because operating and support costs in foreign and remote locations are higher. Many locations service small-to-medium military populations with smaller sales and higher fixed costs. Additionally, there are significant support costs incurred in providing U.S. food products and household items to overseas locations, e.g., transportation of $156 million in FY 2000.

...In spite of these cost considerations, commissary operations overseas are efficient and effective because DeCA’s infrastructure provides economies that are not achievable by other alternatives. The commissary system is also instrumental in reducing cost of living allowances (COLA) overseas by providing low-cost groceries.

The commissary system is critical in supporting military members and their families overseas. This military population does not have adequate alternative shopping available. OCONUS commissaries are more than a place for acquiring groceries. They are an essential "life-line" of the overseas military community and their quality of life.

 The general rule of thumb is that shopping at the commissary will save you on average 30% than what you would pay at an average grocery store. The commissary also is very coupon friendly. Overseas commissaries even accept manufacturer coupons 6 months past their expiration date. For the complete coupon policy at the commissary, check out this link: "Coupon Use in Commissaries." One difference between couponing at the commissary and couponing at an average grocery store is that commissaries do not have loss leaders (check out the Crazy Coupon Ladys post "Whats a Loss Leader and How Do I Find One at my Supermarket?"). The DeCA website explains why the commissary does not offer loss leaders: "Because commissaries are required by law to sell items at cost-- neither higher nor lower– we cant offer loss leaders." The commissary also changes its flier on a different schedule than average grocery stores, according to their website:

Stateside commissaries change prices twice a month, as opposed to the private sector, where prices are changed weekly or more frequently. Commissary prices are changed on the 1st and 16th of each month and are usually in effect for 30 to 45 days. These price changes are generally about a 50-50 mix, with some prices being lowered as items go on a special promotion or sale and some raised as items come off a special promotion or sale. 

 Even without loss leaders, the commissary website claims:

However, although you may find selected items at lower prices in commercial stores, our price surveys provide convincing evidence that-if you shop regularly in a commissary for all or virtually all of your grocery needs--you will save 30 percent or more on your grocery bill versus what you would pay in a commercial store for the same array of items.

The National Military Associations article, "Protecting Our Commissary Savings," states:

A military family of four saves $4,500 a year when regularly using the commissary. Multiply that average savings by the number of military families who use the commissary and you see how effectively and efficiently the $1.4 billion [appropriated funding] is used.

In the About.com USMilitary "What the Recruiter Never Told You" Part 13 Military Commissaries and Exchanges article by Rod Powers, he compares commissary prices with WalMart Super Store prices:

In preparation for this article, I visited a local Wal Mart "Super Store," and bought $103.57 worth of groceries. I then made a list of the items I bought and traveled to Patrick AFB... At the commissary there, I priced the exact same items. According to DeCA, my commissary bill should have been around $70.00. Had I actually purchased the items, my bill would have been $85.52. Tack on the 5 percent surcharge, and it would have been $89.79. I wont count the baggers tip, as Commissary baggers not only bag your groceries but take them outside and load them into your car. Thats worth every penny of the tip, in my opinion. My total discount would have been 13.3 percent.

Tipping at the commissary is subjective. I typically do not carry cash. However, when checking out at the commissary, I can request specific dollar amounts of cash back when paying with my debit card. The last time I went to the commissary I requested $10 cash back in the form of one $5 and five $1. The baggers at the commissary work entirely off of tips and are not government or commissary employees. I generally put $1-$2 in the jar if I do not have the baggers take my groceries to the car and about $5 for a normal grocery load if they do. $2-$5 is generally considered acceptable when tipping at the commissary. Often times I tip more over holidays or when I have an exceptionally large or cumbersome load. Using the self-checkout at the commissary does not require tipping.
 
According to the DeCA Working Capital Fund Fiscal Year 2000/2001 Biennial Budget Estimates Operating Budget, page 3, "Commissary operating hours and days are determined by sales, patron demographics, and local installation needs. Due to funding limitations, commissaries are open an average of 48 hours a week." The same report estimates on page 22 that an average grocery store is open roughly 117 hours a week, just to compare the differences between commissary hours and average grocery store hours. While the commissary often has limited hours, they generally open their doors a half hour before the cash registers are open. This is very convenient for me when shopping with the kids. I can do my shopping when the commissary is still relatively empty and get to the cash registers right when they open, making for a speedy check out. Even so, the limited shopping hours are often inconvenient for my family. The commissary opens later than most other area grocery stores. On weekends when we are making big pancake breakfasts and run out of an ingredient, it is often before the commissary is open. Or when my hubby calls on his way home from school and I want him to swing by the commissary for something, it is often when the commissary is closing or right before, forcing him to use a different grocery store. And just like the Chick-Fil-A law (anyone else only crave Chick-Fil-A on Sundays?), we inevitably need something from the commissary on the day it is closed.
 
The previous quote from the DeCA Working Capital Fund Fiscal Year 2000/2001 Biennial Budget Estimates Operating Budget
brings up a very valid point: "Commissary operating hours and days are determined by sales, patron demographics, and local installation needs." This is where the responsibility falls on us, the commissary shoppers. If we arent shopping at our local commissaries, the hours will continue to get cut and commissaries will continue to close. While the commissary is not the vital lifeline for us here in South Carolina as it was for us in Hawaii, shopping at CONUS locations helps keeps OCONUS locations afloat, balancing out the commissaries non-profit budget. How important are these commissary locations to military families? This article on Hawaii News Now, "Milk Prices in Hawaii Go Up" by Beth Hillyer, outlines the prices of milk in Hawaii, "The highest price we found on Oahu for a gallon of whole milk was $8.99 on sale for $7.49 if you have a value card. The cheapest was Costco for $4.99 per gallon." This article obviously doesnt include commissary prices on milk, but you can see how shopping at an average grocery store in Hawaii for the basics starts adding up!

So where do I stand on commissary prices? Do I think that they are always much less than shopping out in town? Here in South Carolina, no. For the bulk of our family shopping, we go to Costco (read my post, "Family diet verses family budget"). In general, Costco has lower prices on more of the staples of our family grocery list than my local commissary. Do I think the commissary in general has lower prices than an average grocery store here in South Carolina? Yes, especially when loss leaders are not on our list and we are just getting those in-between Costco trips items or small portions of things we couldnt buy at Costco (fresh herbs, for instance). Do I think that dealing with the "hassle" of the commissary is worth supporting this service to military families? Absolutely.
 
Here are a list of common complaints against the commissary-- many of which are my own complaints when compared to an average grocery store-- and how I deal with them to continue to support this service:

 1. They do not offer online grocery shopping.
I love online grocery shopping, as Ive mentioned in several previous blog posts. Where we live in South Carolina, there are no local grocery stores convenient that offer online grocery shopping, so this really isnt much of an issue for me. If I had to choose between shopping at the commissary or placing an order online with Harris Teeter... I think it would be a much harder choice for me. As is, I have the choice to either go in to a local grocery store or to go into our commissary. I usually choose the commissary, unless it is closed or pay day.
 
2. Their check out system is ridiculous.
Well, I agree. I do not like the big ole one line system. My friends without kids tell me it moves fast. Standing in that one line with all three of my kids is about as much fun as taking the boys with me to the clinic on base (which I also do). Since our boys are so young (5-years old and 3-years old), I solve this by going early in the day, arriving when they open the door, about half hour before the registers open. Ive even taken them all on pay day-- totally unintentionally. I get our shopping done and am either the first or second person in line. When I only have one or two items I need, arriving early works great too because I can be first in line for self-check out and we really are in and out.
 
3. You have to tip the baggers.
Maybe Im frivolous, but this doesnt really bother me. I never have cash, so Im always glad I can request cash back when I check out. I generally dont like the baggers coming out to the car with me. The mini van is impossible to load groceries in with the stroller in the back and our toddlers are always a hot mess to load up. Most of the time, I have them load my groceries back into my shopping cart and put a tip in their jar. The $1-$5 doesnt feel like a big deal and the times I take my hubbys car without the kids, I like having my groceries loaded up for me.

4. The commissary is so... dark.
Yeah, it isnt bright and fancy like Harris Teeter or Whole Foods. But neither is Costco. It may not have the upscale look, but it does the job. This is our fourth duty station; weve shopped at all different types of grocery stores across the country. The commissary just really doesnt bother me.

And here are some links to help with your commissary shopping:

 

The blog "Commissary Deals" teaches you not only how to coupon at the commissary, but tips you off to current deals! Learn the commissarys coupon policy, how to navigate commissary sales, and how to make the most of case lot sales. New to couponing? Check out the Getting Started: Learn to Coupon tab. This website is seriously a treasure trove of useful links (check out the Categories and Topics menu on the right hand side of the page!).

 

SpouseBuzzs blog post, "Price Expert: Commissary vs WalMart"

 

Military.coms article, "Study Confirms 30% Savings at Commissaries"

 

InCharges article by Ellie Kay, "Go Crazy for Coupons! Commissary Shopping Tips"

 

Note: Ive mentioned it before, but I am not a couponer. I know many people coupon which is why I provided the links for couponing at the commissary. I save money when doing our family grocery shopping by sticking to our list and minimizing our trips to the store. :)

Do you find information about continuous weight loss during pregnancy are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the continuous weight loss during pregnancy. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

baby losing weight newborn

For some reason, entering week 30 has really made me think that I havent got long to go at all.  10 weeks really doesnt sound like a very long time to me, and I cant quite believe that 30 weeks of this pregnancy have gone by already!

I have felt quite well this last week, and apart from a slight hiccup on Friday night, there have been no Braxton Hicks or false labour moments! Ok, ok, so you want to hear about the hiccup on Friday night.  

Basically, I have been getting really fed up of my hair.  Its so long now and takes so long to dry that I have debated whether to just cut it all off and be done with it. Usually when I start thinking these thoughts, I change the colour a little and then I like my hair for a few more months. 

So, I saw some hair dye in Boots that gave you a bronde type of colour (not quite blonde but not quite brown).  You apply the dye with a little brush rather than applying it to your whole head and I thought this sounded fantastic as it meant the colour wasnt coming into direct contact with my scalp, and therefore would be a better alternative during pregnancy. All I can say is that home alone with my daughter on Friday night, a few hours later and my hair had turned a really lovely streaky shade of orange!!! 

At 7pm, I rushed to Boots with a tired toddler in tow, and orange hair in a bun (I actually hid from someone I knew because I thought it looked that bad!!!!). I was a bit dubious of the bottles claiming to completely strip my hair of the colour, so I opted for another hair colour to mask my orange barnet. 

Now, I picked up dark blonde, and whilst my hair colour is no longer orange, its also darker than I wanted (I had originally wanted to go lighter).  I spent the next few hours sitting staring at my hair and then, in a bid to almost cause myself more pain, I started Googling if you should dye your hair whilst pregnant (bearing in mind I had already dyed it). 

I have to say, no one has actually noticed my hair colour change.  I had to tell my husband what I had done before he realised and my friends are none the wiser (unless everyone is just being very kind).  I wouldnt mind so much, but Ive dyed my hair a funny shade of orange at least three times now.  I thought you were meant to get wiser as you got older??????

But enough about my hair disaster which I am completely blaming on pregnancy hormones (though I think we all know thats no excuse) back to baby news.  

We have finally bought a new pram, a new bed for our daughter (so her bed can convert back into the cot), and a new cot mattress.  As I type this, I am waiting for the deliveries to arrive, but I have a sneaky suspicion that I am going to have to wait in all day, and then they will come at 5pm or something.  Grrrrrr. 

Baby is also moving lots this afternoon.  And we also dont have a name. I have to have a name picked out ready, because there is no way I can just come up with one on the spot after labour.  Every night me and my husband debate a lengthy list of boys and girls names.  But its ok, we have another ten weeks to decide!!! Eeeek! 

Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend, 

Do you find information about baby losing weight newborn are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the baby losing weight newborn. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

post pregnancy weight loss while breastfeeding

Ive never considered myself an insecure person. I would say that, in general, I feel confident in who I am and who God made me to be. I believe in the full body of Christ, how each of us have individual and unique gifts that we bring to the table. What I am good at may not be what you are good at and vice versa. I also believe that the root of finding your own confidence and inner strength is identifying what you are good at, what your passion is, what your skill set is. For myself, when I am practicing my skill, I get that sense of purpose. Sure, I occasionally see somebody doing something that I think, "Wow, I wish I could do that!" or something coming naturally to someone, where I have to work very hard at the same thing. Those times it is easy to doubt myself-- should I be doing that the same way? But having my inner compass-- my confidence in my own skills, my own sense of purpose-- I am quickly grounded again in who I am and being the best me.

Lately, Ive struggled a lot with that. Ive been pulling more things on to my calendar, some of them deliberately to challenge me and others to give back to my community. Ive been challenged. Ive been shown my limitations. Beyond that, Ive felt life is challenging me lately. Our 4-year old twins are at an age and stage that tests me on the regular. Different aspects of their personality challenge me in ways that I do not find enjoyable, but exhausting. My marriage is being challenged by the shipyard schedule and our return to life with my husband on a submarine. It is all life. It is all normal. It is all stretching me.

Because I like re-reading classics and because I have felt searching, I picked up On the Road by Jack Kerouac the other day. It felt like the book my soul needed at the moment.

They have worries, theyre counting the miles, theyre thinking about where to sleep tonight, how much money for gas, the weather, how theyll get there--and all the time theyll get there anyway, you see. But they need to worry and betray time with urgencies false and otherwise, purely anxious and whiny, their souls really wont be at peace unless they can latch on to an established and proven worry and having once found it they assume facial expressions to fit and go with it, which is, you see, unhappiness, and all the time it all flies by them and they know it and that too worries them to no end.

Unhappiness. Worrying over our worrying. And it is true-- in the end, we get there anyway. Why am I focusing so much on all these things that get me down?

It brought to mind these verses in Matthew. (Is it possible to jump from Kerouac to the Bible?) Matthew 6:31-34:

So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For the pagans run after these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Lately I feel like my days move from one trouble to the next. My face is pulled into a facial expression to go with it and I spend so much time worrying about my life. Ive been consumed. And it has made me insecure. I doubt my abilities. I doubt my decisions. I doubt what Im capable of.

While getting ready this morning, I was listening to the Rolling Stones, "You cant always get what you want, but if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need."

Mulling this over in my head as I went about our morning, dropping our 1st grader off at school, I seized the moment once we got home and called my best friend back; she called me yesterday. She wants to visit. As if my spirit couldnt get any higher from those words, when I told her what Ive been dealing with, she gave me encouragement.

This morning what I needed was the encouraging words of my best friend. What I needed last night was the encouraging text messages from my mom and the understanding ear of my husband. When he got home from work yesterday, he fed the children dinner while I left to go find a quiet corner in a restaurant to write. These people in my life surround me and lift me up. When I feel like I "cant" they show me that I can. (And, as my mom always encourages me, I can and I will.)

Yesterday morning at school drop off, I went home in tears, exasperated by the shenanigans of our 4-year olds, overwhelmed and in my head. I canceled my plans and cleaned the house from top to bottom-- cabinets, baseboards, laundry, and dusting included. Ive felt lost staring at the screen to blog. What should I write about that isnt yet another complaint? Sitting down this morning to write, I briefly doubted if I should publish this post.

But here is what I think is important: admitting your shortcomings. If I dont have the strength to admit when Im struggling, how will my friends find the strength to admit they are struggling to me? Wouldnt I happily bake a meal, baby-sit, or lend an ear to any of my friends when they need to feel the love? Ive got that love for them; I know theyve got that love for me. It is hard when we feel insecure. It is hard when we feel like the things we are good at fail, when we feel like nothing is succeeding, when we feel it is all for naught and we are running in circles. It is hard when we get in our own heads and feel alone. Yesterday taught me that while a lot of the day to day activities fall on my shoulders, I am not alone. My mommy texted and called me all day. My best friend is going to fly across country just to see me. My husband supports me. When I walked in the door from my solitary dinner last night, the children bustled down the stairs, "Mommy! Mommy! Where did you go? I love you."

Because I checked off my to-do list in a tear soaked binge yesterday, I can focus today on building my inner strength. I carved out that time to pray and listen to God. I am publishing this blog post when internally I wonder if I have anything to say. I am going to do some preschool with our 4-year olds and let them dabble in their passions; I swear one of them is ready to start reading. (How can I decline a desire to read?) The baby has a cold and needs me-- my care, my love, my patience. Today I have a chance to get what I need: the support of those that love me, opportunities to love those around me, and time to practice my skills. Ive let myself fall down a rabbit hole of insecurities, second guessing my every move. While I find it scary right now, I know that the only way to get past this is to put one foot in front of the other, to get on the road and stop counting the miles.

Do you find information about post pregnancy weight loss while breastfeeding are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the post pregnancy weight loss while breastfeeding. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

pregnancy hormone weight loss diet

The BBT method of monitoring fertility has been used for many years by women who either are trying to conceive or by women an couples who are trying to avoid pregnancy.  It reminds me of a joke I heard,
Question: What do you call people who use the rhythm method?
Answer: Parents!
Well the reason that joke came to be is that there is some truth about the unreliability of the BBT charting method.  Of course, I look at this from the standpoint of trying to conceive rather than trying to avoid pregnancy, but either way, this method has a number of pitfalls.  First and foremost, when you take your temperature, what you are looking for is an increase which shows when you have ovulated.  Thats the biggest problem with this method.  Many studies have confirmed that you need to have intercourse BEFORE ovulation.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON BBT FERTILITY CHARTING (getpregnantover40.com)

Do you find information about pregnancy hormone weight loss diet are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the pregnancy hormone weight loss diet. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

weight loss during pregnancy in first trimester

Today as I was scraping ANOTHER plate of food into the trash can, I thought, "Why do I even make the toddlers plates of food?" So here we go!

10 reasons why I make our toddlers plates of food:

1. I worry that they have run out of things to throw and like to supply them with materials.

2. We like to "pretend" lunch. Oh, look, here is a plate of food for you to pretend to eat! Wasnt that fun?

3. It is a habit and old habits die hard. For some reason, I just cant stop setting out a plate for each of them that I then put food on.

4. I enjoy doing dishes.

5. I enjoy scrubbing mashed sweet potatoes out of the cracks of the high chairs.

6. I enjoy the after breakfast bath to get syrup from the "pancake hats" out of their hair.

7. The dog is hungry and the only way for him to eat is bite by bite from our toddlers spoons.

8. Ive run out of things to argue with them over and I like hearing myself tell them to "just try a bite!" Try it, try it, Sam I Am...

9. You guessed it, I love doing laundry. I love pulling off smeared oatmeal shirts and getting smashed strawberry stains out of shirts.

10. We like throwing money in the trash can. Dont worry about it, kids; its just an organic cheese stick. We dont have a grocery budget or anything to worry about.

Do you find information about weight loss during pregnancy in first trimester are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the weight loss during pregnancy in first trimester. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

pregnancy weight loss why

Bear with me...

I love Project Runway. I love watching people pursue their dreams and have an opportunity to let their creativity run wild, to focus solely on their passion. (When, as adults, do we have a chance to be thrown in neck deep to forget about the rest and just do what we love?) As I was watching Project Runway this season, I started thinking about a common theme through all the seasons of Project Runway, creating that moment. Runway fashion is about that moment when the model turns the corner on the runway and the audience gasps at the design and innovation of the created piece. It isnt about practicality or what went in to the outfit or the budget or any of that; it is that elusive moment of excitement and intrigue over what you are witnessing for that brief period of time. The model walks down the runway, pauses, lets you take it in, and then turns-- vanishes-- poof! She has gone back stage and the moment is gone. You are left thinking about what you saw. You only have your impression, what you remember, nothing in your hands, nothing tangible. How did you feel about it?

Recently Project Runway shows when the judges have the models come down to their judging area after the show, while the contestants wait to hear what was decided and who will go home. One by one the models come before the judges to have the pieces they are wearing inspected. Sometimes a piece that was mediocre on the runway suddenly blossoms in front of the judges eyes-- "Can you believe the amount of work and technique that went into this? It looks so simple and, yet, look! The fine detail..." Sometimes wow pieces are exposed for what they are-- prototypes. It walked down the runway amazing and was beautiful, but under their prying eyes they can see the stitches coming unraveled, seams that werent finished, details glued on haphazardly right before the show. It was never real-- never a finished piece, just an illusion.

I have been mulling this idea over in my mind. Parenting has been a challenge for me lately. I feel stretched and empty. I feel like I simplify and still I have twelve hundred things to do at one time. I try to go back to the basics, the things I must complete each day and allow the space and time to get those things done yet the children, through no fault of their own, keep finding ways to stretch me. And this is where I tie in Project Runway. I have times where I feel like those designers. They are working with this limited budget to create something in a short time, to get it done, to make it work, to put on a show. The workroom is a mess. Everyone is at their table doing the best that they can, cutting, sewing, dreaming, believing, doubting. "Is this good enough? Is this right? This is what Im trying to showcase." Last week a designer hovered over his material, doubting if he was ready to commit to the cuts he was about to make. Once he cut the fabric, there was no going back, no changing his mind for a different design; he would be committed to that path. Was he ready to make that choice? As a parent, I relate to those feelings of doubt. That desire to do the best that I can, to make it work. While I do not have a panel of judges watching my parenting and critiquing me, but I do have times where I feel judged, whether I actually am or whether I perceive to be. I relate to taking all of these busy aspects of life and tying them together to make a cohesive look, a finished product, a child that has all of these different elements of myself, my husband, and our life together working inside of him.

Parenting has those moments. The moments where you dont see whats going on backstage or the craziness in the audience-- the cameras, the crew, the people, the noise-- and all you see is the model coming down the runway. Yesterday my husband and I felt like having a movie night. We blew up the air mattress in the family room and snuggled on the couch all day watching Tim Burton movies with the children. We made "mummies" out of hot dogs and crescent rolls. We had popcorn and candy. It was great doing nothing. I wasnt thinking about the laundry that had to be finished before the week started or the sink full of dishes that would need to be done before breakfast the next day. I wasnt thinking about the sour sugar all over our floor or the ketchup stains the baby made on the blankets. We had our moment. It was sublime. Of course it didnt last. The baby got bored and dedicated his time to climbing on the table and knocking over our drinks and popcorn. The older boys started wrestling on the air mattress. My husband fell asleep. I was pinned in a corner of the couch with a baby hitting me with a remote control. We finally pried ourselves off the couch to put an end to the wrestling and finish the dishes, start the laundry, get the boys to clean their toys in the loft. We did pajamas, medicine, dinner, and got the house ready for school and work the next day. The boys ended up having an early bedtime due to meltdowns. Our oldest desperately finished up his Boy Scout project. It was chaos. But when we got in bed that night, my husband and I remembered that moment when we were all on the air mattress watching movies, when our four boys were snuggled up under one blanket, eyes glued to the silly songs, and we had this whole lazy afternoon stretched before us, nowhere to be but here, now.

Lately I feel like Ive been focusing on the chaos. Not the good chaos of parenting, but the bad chaos. The meltdowns, the repeated battles, the same old story day in and day out. I have been letting little things get to me in a big way and I have forgotten about the beauty and magic of parenting. How children can get so much joy from a rainy day (even if they throw a massive fit when it is time to go inside). How fun an air mattress is (even if it ends with a bloody lip and a crying baby). How long weekends are (even if it flies by in a whirlwind and you never make it to the trains, the pumpkin patch, the movies, wherever you wanted to take them that weekend). How sweet sick days can be (even if you still have three other children to take care of plus all the house responsibilities you always have to accomplish). Ive turned away from the moments and been caught up in whats going on backstage. I feel like that lately Ive been trying to make this wow piece-- getting our house on schedule, figuring out how to transition activities without meltdowns, organizing our spaces, working on manners-- but that it is all an illusion because upon closer inspection it is all falling apart. Im stressed doing it. Im not taking the time to enjoy the finished product. Im still thinking about what the garment should look like, what I didnt accomplish, what I intended to do. And parenting is much more about the simple look, the one that upon closer inspection you see those fine details. It may not be a wow piece to anyone else, but you see the effort and you know what went into that moment. When I dropped our 4-year olds off at daycare and they didnt throw a fit-- that was huge for them. When my husband went to work and they trusted that he was coming home that night instead of going underway-- they have been so worried about Daddy leaving again. When the children play quietly in their rooms in the morning instead of running wild-- I have been working so hard with them on that and they are finally getting it. When our oldest packs his lunch each morning for school all by himself, without my help. When one of our boys takes it upon himself to clean his space and tidy up their shared bathroom-- on his own-- because he wants to help. When our boys find a game that includes all of them, even the toddler, and play together upstairs. When our oldest picks a book at school specifically to read to his brothers when he gets home that afternoon, "I really thought they would love this one." These are small but beautiful things. These are the moments of parenting to look at and focus on. Not the times where I dragged them out for an entire day at the doctors office and ended with us all crying in the car on the way home because it was so exhausting. Or the times when strangers felt the need to tell me what a bad job Im doing. The moments I need to focus on are the ones where I see these small and beautiful blessings in our day to day life, when hard moments become slightly easier moments, or when new skills are developed and eventually perfected. When new interests take root and when family moments happen in the middle of normally busy times of day.

I need to focus on the moments of parenting where it all comes together harmoniously, to reflect on them and the feelings I had during them. I need to stop judging myself so harshly on what went into creating those moments and let them stand on their own, because when it all comes together, even briefly, it is beautiful.

Do you find information about pregnancy weight loss why are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the pregnancy weight loss why. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

baby losing weight nursing

As you may or not know, Im currently in the last trimester of my second pregnancy. A few weeks ago, I was stood in the front of the mirror. Normally, I am relatively happy with my body shape and the curves that pregnancy brings. But on this particular day, all I could see were my imperfections, and lots of them.  None of my clothes looked right, I thought my bum and hips looked enormous, and at least 100 times bigger than the previous day. Quite frankly I didnt like what I saw.  And it was then I said it.  

I turned to my husband and said, Do you think I look really fat today?. My husband immediately shot a glance towards the corner of the room where our three year daughter was happily spinning around in her princess costume. I shut up straight away. I dont want my daughter hearing that word from me ever again. 

For me, saying that word in front of my daughter meant that I was introducing her to this inherent and dangerous concept in our society. Lets face it, there isnt a day that goes by without the fat/thin/weight debate rearing its head.  The words fat and thin are banded about like they are commonplace.  

I wonder how damaged the next generation will be.  Bombarded with cleverly airbrushed images, selfies galore and the impossible pressure to look like an image that is clearly unattainable. 

Where has normal gone in all of this? Our view of bodies is so skewed, that we look in disgust if we have cellulite, if our bums are a bit bigger or wobble, or at our changing and ageing body shapes.  Where is the wonder at how amazing our bodies are? That are legs walk us around every day? That we have a body that functions? That we are able to run after our children? 

To me, its not about size or shape. Its recognising what is normal and thats we have lost. And its up to me to teach my daughter about a normal, healthy body.  Of loving your body, accepting every part of it, being grateful for every part of it.  Before she sees the sadness in the world of how we really have lost the plot with body image.  

Thats why I will never stand in front of the mirror again and utter those stupid, stupid words.  By teaching my daughter, I guess I have to teach myself too. Life is too short and our bodies are way too precious.  

Do you find information about baby losing weight nursing are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the baby losing weight nursing. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

baby losing weight while breastfeeding

Im super tired and working on my second latte of the day. Fairly certain the plans I had today (i.e. get dressed) are going to go out the window, so why not just throw in the towel now, curl up on the couch, and write a blog post?

I wrote a post awhile ago called, "Why do I feed our toddlers?" Since we recently moved and Im introducing myself to new people in a desperate attempt to make friends, I have been hearing a lot of comments like, "4 boys! Wow!" and "I dont know how you do it with 4." If you read my last blog post, I dont know how we are doing life right now either, so heres my response:

Why I have 4 children

10. I enjoy mess.

Unless Im picking Play-Doh, Legos, sand, or small rocks off my feet when I walk on our hard floors, Im not happy. Thankfully our children provide me with that lovely experience daily.

9. I enjoy mess.

Lets not leave off the carpeted upstairs. Who likes walking in the dark unless it is a challenge? When I head to bed at night I prefer to trip over action figures, toy bins, and unexpected booby traps.

8. I enjoy mess.

Guests coming over? I only enjoy company when I have that sinking embarrassed feeling when they sheepishly come back out of our hall bathroom moments after entering to tell me, "Um, I think someone may have had an accident on the floor...?"

7. I enjoy mess.

And lets not forget the diaper blow outs. If our potty training preschoolers arent having accidents, I can always count on the baby to blow out his diaper during a dinner party with my spouses co-workers.

6. I enjoy mess.

Detailed vehicles are boring. Who wants to look at beige car carpet? No, life is more adventurous if you are curious if that is barbecue sauce or diaper blow out on the WeatherTech floor mats. When your girlfriend casually says, "How about I ride with you?" I love muttering, "Derp, I promise my Honda Odyssey is usually cleaner than this..." because you know she believes me...

5. I enjoy mess.

Anyone can put an outfit together, but it takes a certain finesse to head out the house wearing a shirt that has a diaper blow out imprint on the hip, oatmeal caked on the front, and someone elses snot dried around the neck.

4. I enjoy mess.

Speaking of heading out of the house, dining out is a much more enjoyable and relaxing experience when at the end of the meal I get to scoop up infinite amounts of mushy food with tiny, thin napkins, flung by children who spent the meal pelting me with silverware while whining that they werent hungry.

(I also like herding said children out of the restaurant as I apologize to fellow patrons to load them up in the mini van as they whine they are now hungry...)

3. I enjoy mess.

But lets not forget the joys of eating in. Who doesnt like cooking a meal with 4 children underfoot, whining they are hungry, hitting each other over whos turn it is to help, and struggling through putting a meal on the table as you finish cooking with one hand/a baby in the carrier on your back? And then no one eats because they dont like whatever it is you cooked... despite the fact that they devoured that exact meal at your friends house the other day.

2. I enjoy mess.

Which brings me to friends... those people that you try to have conversations with as your children pull out every toy bin in their playroom, hit each other on their couch, or divulge how you inadvertently ate baby vomit the other day while you were only wearing underwear. Yes, we would love to do this again sometime.

(Please invite us back, please invite us back, please invite us back...)

1. I enjoy mess.

Nothing says joy of parenthood quite like naked children 10 minutes past when you were supposed to leave the house ("But you were all dressed 2 minutes ago!") or a complete lack of privacy ("Im showering!") or crawling in bed only to find Matchbox cars and plastic spiders (and those same things in your washer and dryer). And the pleasure of these encounters is only multiplied by the uplifting comments you receive when you finally do leave the house for caffeine/adult company ("Back in my day, we disciplined our children/didnt have electronics/respected our elders").

Do you find information about baby losing weight while breastfeeding are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the baby losing weight while breastfeeding. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

healthy pregnancy weight loss

You have to read this story.  She sounds much like me.  A former IVF patient who never succeeded in becoming pregnant during treatment gets pregnant multiple times over the age of 40 with only one fallopian tube (she previously had an ectopic).  The difference is, she wound up with four children...all in her 40s! Many women do get very fertile in as they get older.  Read more:

SEE ALSO: WOMEN WHO GOT PREGNANT NATURALLY OVER 50 (getpregnantover40.com)

From the article:

“I almost laughed when he insisted I take a pregnancy test before prescribing hormone tablets to help. I knew I was far too old to be a mum again,” she says.

picture:  mirror.co.uk

But, for the third time in her 40s, Louise’s test was positive.
More shocking news was just around the corner when the 12-week scan showed she was expecting twins.“At first, the sonographer could see two sacs but only one embryo. I thought I’d been ­carrying twins but lost one along the way.
"But they told me to come back 10 days later for another scan, and that’s when we saw the twins were both OK,” Louise recalls.
“Most women find their fertility decreases as they get older, but mine boomed.
“One doctor suggested that maybe my body started releasing more eggs as I neared the menopause but there’s no solid ­explanation.

Do you find information about healthy pregnancy weight loss are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the healthy pregnancy weight loss. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

pregnancy hormone weight loss pill

Get Pregnant Naturally, It Will Happen On Its Own Schedule

Doesnt it feel like a race sometimes? I recall when I ran a womens infertility support group, most people sheepishly admitted they felt like they were competing with others when it came to who could get pregnant first.
Your self esteem takes a beating when you cant get your body to "perform" and it seems like slap in the face when others get pregnant before you. One member said, "I definitely want to get pregnant before my sister who is getting married next month" as if she was going to be humiliated if she couldnt "outperform" her.

SEE ALSO: SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR INFERTILITY (getpregnantover40.com)

Well...I have one thing to say...take yourself out of the race...it only adds stress to an already overly-stressed situation - and stress will only get in your way of getting pregnant.

So how do you get yourself out of the "race" mindset?

1. Remember, babies come on their own schedule...not out of your need to feel like youre getting ahead of others.

2. Just because someone had a baby before you - it doesnt mean theyre better or more worthy...theyre just on a different schedule.

3. Now that I have my daughter, Im glad I had her when I did...if I had her when we first started trying to get pregnant, shed be older by now. Im enjoying every minute. Most people my age are going through the trauma of watching their kids move away from home or going to college...I have many years of fun ahead of me.

5. The way I see it, for every week, month, and year I waited for my daughter to come into my life, thats how much more I enjoy being with her. I dont think I could have ever appreciated what a miracle the whole process of pregnancy and childbirth is if I had gotten pregnant on my first try (or if I had a baby in my 20s).

6. It seems like whenever Ive been envious or jealous of someone else, I later find out that theyve struggled as much or more than me it some part of their life. What appeared to be a charmed life wasnt so perfect afterall. Maybe they had an easier time getting pregnant, but there are many phases of life and many twists and turns along the way.

Do you find information about pregnancy hormone weight loss pill are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the pregnancy hormone weight loss pill. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

pregnancy weight loss tricks

Happy New Year 2015!!! I feel I might be going a little against the grain with todays blog post.  I have a feeling this blog is going to be against a tirade of others with tips for a healthy and happier new year and new you. Maybe I am still in a state of mild fever, or maybe not.  But whichever way, I am writing today about how the new year doesnt and shouldnt mean a completely new you.

And its everywhere at the moment: New Year, New You. Theres the latest juicers, blenders, yoga equipment and DVDs which promise us we will lose 50lbs in 50 minutes.  You need to be fitter, slimmer, happier and younger looking in 2015.  Out with the old and in with the new. Now Im all up for self improvement, dont get me wrong. But, if I see another celebrity parading their newly acquired abs in my face, I may just have to go and stick my head in the Roses barrel and not emerge for a good week.  I mean, abs, really? The week after Christmas? At least give it a few weeks to give us mere mortals the chance to shift the extra layer of fat, that is of course essential for survival of the UK winter. 

I think its great to be healthy, be fit, do more and set goals...but there is that small matter of also being happy too.  And alot of that starts with loving yourself.  What if you dont need a brand new you at all for the new year? What if you are pretty gorgeous and amazing just as you are? What if all you actually need is a bit of a tweak here and there? (I mean, no offence, I think we could all benefit with little tweaks here and there...whilst you are amazing, no-ones perfect :-) ). 

This vision of a slimmer, fitter, better dressed version of ourselves is great and all that.  But its also kind of misleading. It makes us aspire to this goal, that, well, it doesnt really exist. Life isnt perfect, and neither are we.  And somewhere along the line, you have to accept and love that person staring back at you in the mirror. 

I really wish we could all see ourselves through the eyes of others. I bet you a million pounds someone thinks your are the funniest, the brainiest, have the best hair or the best legs.  I have a lovely group of friends, and one of the girls has the most amazing body. She is like a little mean machine with sculpted arms and a stomach to skip the biscuit barrel for. But can she see it? No, no she cant. She instead, envies my other friends lovely long legs.  And can that friend see she has lovely long legs? No, no she cant.  She is too busy moaning about her hair and wanting to swap it for mine. And can I see how she sees my hair? Nope. I see a birds nest or focus on my very dark roots when I look in the mirror.  Other people seem to see past our flaws and just see all the other lovely bits.  Why cant we see that ourselves?

So, if you are planning a run tonight. Go for it.  If you are planning on getting into that Yogi trance and standing like a tree later, then good on you (and good luck).  But as well as prancing round your front room to whichever celebrity DVD you have bought (you didnt really fall for the 50lbs in 50 minutes did you?), try and love yourself that little bit more in 2015 too.  You really dont need a completely new you this year.  Make whatever little changes you want to.  Have your resolutions, but then dont beat yourself up about things.  Life really is too short.  And you are pretty damn great and amazing. Just as you are. 

"Maybe the reason nothing seems to be "fixing you" is because youre not broken. Let today be the day you stop living within the confines of how others define or judge you. You have a unique beauty and purpose; live accordingly", Dr Steve Maraboli. 

Do you find information about pregnancy weight loss tricks are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the pregnancy weight loss tricks. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

pregnancy weight loss time

I love a little mooch around the sales.  Whilst normally I never seem to find that much and end up buying stuff that full price, this year I found a few little beauties that I thought I would share with you. And who hasnt missed my dodgy posing whilst trying to show you some clothes? Oh, thatll be no-one then.  Well, in actual fact I have had an epiphany. I have given up trying to look at all cool in my outfit photos.  I cannot compete with the other gorgeous bloggers who bounce their way along the street with the sunlight shining in their hair and their new skirt flowing.  So Im not even going to try. 

I tend to take my photos with my camera precariously balanced on some books and whilst simultaneously trying to nudge my daughter and dog out of the way.  And another valuable lesson I have learnt. Take a picture on the day when you are ACTUALLY wearing the outfit, instead of rushing around like an idiot getting changed from your very comfy pjs one afternoon because you just realised you needed to take an outfit picture!! Who said blogging was easy eh?! But, on to my sales picks which is what you here for, and pictures of the items...with a few funny ones thrown in. :-)

Starting with Topshop. I picked up this black blouse with a gorgeous jewelled collar. I am a bit like a magpie with anything shiny at the moment. Its short sleeved and is a little cropped so I do tend to wear a black cami underneath. The shirt is still available on Topshops website here.

Didnt quite manage to get Baba out of shot. 

"I am just so happy".

Who knows what I am doing here. Appears to be head, shoulders, knees and toes, but your guess is as good as mine.  

I also picked up this jacket that Ive had my eye on for ages.  My husband thinks these jackets make me look like an extra from Flash Gordon, but I just love them.  I also adore stripes, so this one was definitely coming home with me.  I think I will wear this ALOT when the weather gets that bit warmer. 

I couldnt find the exact one on Topshops website, but they have this and this and if you went in-store I bet you would find it. 

We also picked up some lovely plates from Marks and Spencers in the sales. We chose this 12 piece dinner set which are white and then black to the underneath.  We bought a few extra bowls in the same design too. I think there was a chip in nearly all of the plates we owned which was a bit embarrassing when we had friends over for dinner the other week. Hopefully these can last a week without me chipping any. Its doubtful. 

You can find the set here and they have some individual plates here. And on the topic of my finely tuned skill of chipping most plates, this extends to glasses too, so we picked up some very thick ones from T K Maxx. 

They were £4.99 for three and then we bought an extra one individually for £2.99.  I found it a bit bizarre that they would sell them in packs of three, but anyway. They look like you need to take a sledge hammer to break them, so again, lets hope they make it past January in my very safe, or not so safe hands. 

Did you make it to the sales? Any amazing finds you would like to share? 

Thanks for reading and wishing you all a lovely weekend, 

Do you find information about pregnancy weight loss time are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the pregnancy weight loss time. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..

pregnancy weight loss transformations

There arent many books that I can say have changed my life.  I dont mean anything drastic, like a book I had in my pocket stopped a bullet or prevented my imminent death from a lion. But I mean a book that has resonated so much with me, that I reflect on its words years and years later.  A book that I pull off the shelf and delve into when I am need of some inspiration or a pick-me-up. This is how I feel about The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.  As January is the time where there seems to be an overwhelming urge to reflect on our lives, on our years and happiness, I thought this would be a good time to share with you the book that I would recommend to get on your book shelf, or your kindle, well, right now. 

First off, its not your typical read.  This is an account by  a lady called Gretchen Rubin on her happiness project to, well, be more happier. Now secondly, this isnt a self help book where by you have to do weird activities like chant at the moon or go and sing to your neighbours dog. This is Gretchens story about the things she tried to do to make her appreciate the things she felt she wasnt appreciating enough.  To try and fight-right in her marriage and boost her own well being.  The brilliant thing about this book is that Gretchen is just like you or me. She doesnt write her account balancing in a tree on a remote island. She hasnt overcome adversity or is struggling with a life limiting illness. And this is what makes the book completely relatable.  

Gretchen embarks on a 12 month happiness project and each month she dedicates her month to trying to change and improve little things in her life, like boosting her energy, her marriage and being a parent. But dont think this book is just for parents.  I first bought this book many years ago before I had even had my daughter, and its words resonated with me back then just as much as they do now.  

Her journey is documented in a way that really reflects everyday life. Rubin makes such accurate comments on life and how we think. She observes that, "the days are long, but the years are short". And how often do you want to hurry your day along and then all of a sudden a week has passed and you are yearning for the years to go slower? She also shows that it isnt all walks in the park, and I find her chapter on love and learning to fight right with her husband so accurate and true.  

I find this book just so inspiring, and I find myself going back to it at certain times in my life, whether that be if Im feeling down, if Im spending way too much time nagging at my husband or if I just feel like Im taking things for granted.  A quick dip into this book and I feel that it sort of gives me a little wake up call and off I go again.  

I recently wrote about how everyone talks about a New Year and a New You (you can read that here), and this book really isnt about finding a new you. Its about being appreciative, making small changes and really living the life that you have, right here and right now. The majority of us have in our lives all the love and material things we could possibly wish for, its just a case of seeing it all, like Gretchen reflects in the book, 

"I found the ruby slippers had been on my feet all along".

Have you read this book? What did you think? Would you read it now? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 
Thank you so much for reading, 

Do you find information about pregnancy weight loss transformations are you looking for? If not, below may help you find more information about the pregnancy weight loss transformations. Thank you for visiting, have a great day.

Read More..