diapers

I am teaching a class on cloth diapering next week, so I am getting some random things together to share with the class (hopefully there will be at least one person interested!) One thing I am doing is taking pictures of the process I use with caring for my cloth diapers. Here are a couple photos...

My stacks of "good" and "temporary" diapers.... the temps are just for short periods of time because they don't soak up a lot (or I just don't like them!)

The stacks of diapers after they are stuffed! I found out that I have over 30 diapers... but having the two in diapers it doesn't seem like enough some days!

And of course, a pic of the kids: Colton trying to go in for a kiss, and Ayla playing defense!

PS.... Colton went on the potty chair for the first time! It is a step in the right direction!

Quick reminder...

Just to let you all know that I switched it so ANYONE can leave comments... please... leave some comments! I like to know what you think...

Our Valentine's Day

This is the view from our neighborhood. We are surrounded by beautiful mountains that remind us each morning that we are alive and living in one of the prettiest places in the world! We really love where we live and are sad that we only have a little over two more years here... but maybe we'll come back... maybe, quite possible!

Valentine's day was a couple weekends ago, but I forgot to post pics or our wonderful day. We drove to the local burger shop (Frugals) and got our lunch and then headed up to our backyard state park, Lonepine. The kids just love to go up there and explore and it was a great day weather wise, so we decided what the heck! Ayla is getting so independent and likes to go everywhere by herself. Not to mention Colton... that boy likes to wander ahead and then wait for us. Both such cuties!

and then we ate our heart shaped pizza's and had a little piece of cheesecake... great day. Oh, and Tyler did get me chocolates and tulips, and we all made each other cards.

and, stay tuned for more info on the 1/2 marathon Tyler and I will be running in September!!

Our wonderful weekend

We had such a great weekend, and it is sad to see Sunday evening happen so soon! We had beautiful weather for the whole thing, and although 40 degrees doesn't sound like much, it is a lot here! I hiked up our backyard mountain (actually pretty steep!) State park both Saturday and Sunday, and was SO glad I did! The views were spectacular and the air so refreshing... Saturday was a spur of the moment trip to a local place called Norm's News... where we had some great hamburgers and shakes. It is a candy store also, and we told the kids they could have a piece, and out of all the varieties, they chose Tootsie Pops! Funny... then we also went to the Home Depot and got some planting materials and did some early planting of our garden this year and the Black Eyed Susans that we are putting in our backyard.



Sunday morning we packed up the kids and headed out to Whitefish Lake which is completely frozen over. We brought the sled and and hauled the kids around and went and said hi to some ice fishing folks who had just caught a nice lake trout that was still flopping around! The kids loved it!

Some things I've done and want to do...

I got this from Simple Sparrow blog and thought it was interesting...
Here are my answers:

Things you've already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to disneyland/world
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the mona lisa in france
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch-hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michelangelo's david in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistene chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theatre
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies.
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood
65. gone sky diving
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a cheque
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in london
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the alamo in person.
96. swum in the great salt lake.
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

So now you know a little bit more about me....

Finished sweater.... well, almost!

I started a sweater for Ayla while Roxanne, Danielle and Aiden were here in the beginning of February, and I did just finish it... well, the knitting at least. I still have to put a button on it, but it is ready enough for Ayla to wear until it is completely finished! She looks so cute in it, and soon, I hope to start a pair of leg warmers to match!


Tonight we made a really yummy chili, inspired by the bread and honey blog. I plan(?) on trying to make a soup every week... it seems to be a filling and cheap meal, that has the ability to last for a couple of meals (even better!)! I think corn chowder will be my next endeavor.... we will see.

Pictures of the beautiful tulips (my favorite) that Tyler got me for Valentine's day... I am a lucky woman!

Coupons, coupons, coupons...

I have been trying my hand at actually using coupons around here... they actually do save money! Imagine that! Especially when you are trying to feed your family the "good" stuff, meaning the organic and such... Why is it that THAT stuff is the most expensive, but obviously the best for us? It doesn't seem quite fair. So I have found a couple ways to get the coupons for the products that you actually use.
The store ads are great, and should be looked at weekly, so you can see if there is a staple that you use on sale. Most stores offer their weekly ads right on line. Just google your store and look for the info. For example, I usually go to Smith's , so I go to their website and look under the "In Store" pull down menu and there are the store ads and coupons. Just last week, we saved over $20.00 by buying stuff that was on sale and planning our menu around that! If you can save $20 a week, that is $1040 A YEAR!!! Amazing! There are some sites for your store that will actually load up coupons on your store loyalty card... that is pretty handy.
Another way to get coupons is to actually go to the products website. For instance, Seventh Generation is the manufacturer of most of our cleaning products and the diapers we are trying to use when we are not doing cloth, so I googled them, went to the website, and signed up for their newsletter. When you sign up for the newsletter, you get updates from the products you use, and you get to use coupons for the products! Win, win! I did this for many of the products that we use consistantly, like Newman's Own, and Stonyfield Farm, Horizon Milk, Silk, and oh so many more... it is limitless!
I keep a folder with pockets in the kitchen cabinet, and I put all the coupons I print out in there, and before I go grocery shopping, I grab my coupons that I want to use, and go. It is something you have to think about, and it isn't completely easy, but hey, things are never easy when you want to save money, right? It is like using your reuseable shopping bags... just something you have to remember.
I hope these tips will help someone.... I am leaving some links below for anyone that might be interested.

http://shortcuts.com/home
http://www.horizonorganic.com/coupons/coupons.php
http://coupons.stonyfield.com/signin_coupons.cfm
http://www.annies.com/home
http://www.silksoymilk.com/
http://www.seventhgeneration.com/coupons