So, Hi

It has been awhile, I know. Things have just been in a mushy haze this last year.

I re-opened my diaper store, and have been really focusing on my kids and being a mom.

As always things just kinda have their peaks and valley's.

Right now I am getting over a bad cold, and I feel like total yuck. I hate being sick. That is what I get for missing 3 days of my vitamins!

Anyway. Just wanted to check in. Let ya'll know I am alive!

Free 2 week trial of Hulu Plus

So, since I got my Roku I have been enjoying my free trial of Hulu Plus. If you like Hulu, then you will like the plus version since it has extra content and other shows than Hulu.

From Hulu
Hulu Plus is the only subscription service that allows you to watch every episode of current hit TV shows like Glee, Modern Family, House, and dozens more on devices from computers and TVs to mobile phones and tablets.


Anyway, they are giving a 2 week trial free if sign up via this link CLICK HERE

Hulu Plus Free two 2 week trial

Plus if you sign up with this link and then link your facebook acct you get an ADDITIONAL month free!!!

Quiet

I have been so busy lately. Summer started, and we are working on the garden and a multitude of other things. I have many blog posts in my head I need to post...i'll get there eventually :)

Dear Roku

I love you.

You came into my life only two weeks ago, but you have changed it so much. I can lay in bed and watch Netflix, Hulu Plus, (you get a free 2 wk trial on HP if you click that link and sign up) and all sorts of other channels without having to squint at a computer screen.

Ok all kidding aside. I love this thing. I don't even remember how I stumbled upon it, but I read a couple things about it, and decided it was worth the $100 to try and see. You can add all sorts of channels and watch your Netflix and Hulu Plus subscriptions plus lots of free content like Nowhere Tv, Tv.com, and Justin.tv that has all sorts of shows and movies and streaming channels (like the weather channel)

Roku 2 XS Streaming Player 1080

The XS model Roku 2 now comes with Angry birds (which my son is OBSESSED with) and a special motion remote (like a WII) that more games will be able to utilize soon

**NOTE

I wrote this post in March. Since then I have found tons more PRIVATE channels that totally gave me no need to have cable! Between Justin.tv and NokNok I have all the cable I need. I ordered 2 more Roku's and cancelled my cable! YAY!

Roku Channel List

Well that is odd

Blogger was down for about 24 hours.

I posted a blog post yesterday, and I guess that they lost anything that was posted yesterday :(

Ok, I guess that is a lesson I need to learn to backup! Several other bloggers were hopping over to wordpress, but I am not sure I am ready to take that leap.

So today is Friday! Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy the weekend.

I am patiently waiting on some fluffy mail I ordered, including some GoGreen CHAMP diapers! Woo! Super excited to try them out!

Neat-o

I have spent today filling out wholesale applications for new diapers to stock. I have found a few really great brands that I had never heard of before! That excites me, because as much as I like mainstream brands, i LOVE smaller brands too!

Hoping to hear back soon on a giveaway also!!

Happy Thursday everyone!

Books I love

I am always getting asked on my personal facebook page about books I recommend, so I figured I may as well write a blog post about it. I have a short list of favorites, that I recommend EVERY pregnant woman read. They can be purchased from Amazon and shipped for free if you sign up for Amazon Mom

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

Drawing upon her thirty-plus years of experience, Ina May Gaskin, the nation’s leading midwife, shares the benefits and joys of natural childbirth by showing women how to trust in the ancient wisdom of their bodies for a healthy and fulfilling birthing experience. Based on the female-centered Midwifery Model of Care, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth gives expectant mothers comprehensive information on everything from the all-important mind-body connection to how to give birth without technological intervention.

Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding

Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding is filled with helpful advice, medical facts, and real-life stories that will help you understand how and why breastfeeding works and how you can use it to more deeply connect with your baby and your own body. Whether you’re planning to nurse for the first time or are looking for the latest, most up-to-date expert advice available, you couldn’t hope to find a better guide than Ina May.

Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care

According to writer and editor Jennifer Block (Our Bodies, Ourselves), "the United States has the most intense and widespread medical management of birth" in the world, and yet "ranks near the bottom among industrialized countries in maternal and infant mortality." Block shows how, in transforming childbirth into a business, hospitals have turned "procedures and devices developed for the treatment of abnormality" into routine practice, performed for no reason than "speeding up and ordering an unpredictable...process"; for instance, the U.S. cesarean section rate tripled in the 1970s, and has doubled since then. Block looks into a growing contingent of parents-to-be exploring alternatives to the hospital-and the attendant likelihood of medical intervention-by seeking out birthing centers and options for home-birth. Unfortunately, obstacles to these alternatives remain considerable-laws across the U.S. criminalizing or severely restricting the practice of midwifery have led the trained care providers to practice underground in many states-while tort reform has done next to nothing to lower malpractice insurance rates or improve hospital birthing policies. This provocative, highly readable expose raises questions of great consequence for anyone planning to have a baby in U.S., as well as those interested or involved in women's health care.

Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a Modern Midwife

In a joyous, often hilarious ode to the Birkenstock-scuffling, tackle box-toting mobile midwives who flourished in the 1980s, Peggy Vincent chronicles her abundant life as a professional Baby Catcher. The wild ride begins during her nurse training years in the 1960s, when laboring women were expected to lie down, shut up, and submit to whatever drugs and procedures the doctor ordered. A rebellious patient who chants and dances through her contractions--and the hell that ensues when seasoned hospital staffers intrude--lights a permanent fire under Vincent. Her resolve to serve each laboring woman with compassion and respect carries her from obstetrics nurse to head of an alternative birth center within Alta Bates Hospital in Berkeley, California, and eventually into her own private practice as a licensed midwife. Like the most courageous home births, this collection of delivery experiences refuses anesthesia: plenty of bellowing, sweating, bleeding, and pushing accompany nearly all of the more than 40 tales. Tough confrontations with stubborn physicians, panicky labor partners, and one particularly nasty calico cat are dabbed with as many keen insights as Vincent's quieter, more heart-rending newborn encounters. Baby Catcher is an inspirational literary gift suitable for expectant mothers, fellow baby catchers, and anyone who loves reading about nature's greatest magical feat.

The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

Every intelligent, informed woman is used to gathering the most complete information she can get before making a decision. But when it comes to one of the most important decisions in her life--how she will give birth--it can be tough to get the complete picture, even from an obstetrician. Surprisingly, much of the latest research goes against common medical opinion. Certified Lamaze instructor and activist Henci Goer brings women the carefully researched facts they'll want to have. Based on the latest medical studies and literature, The Thinking Woman's Guide To A Better Birth offers clear, concise information on tests, procedures and treatments--and gives advice about:* cesareans * ultrasound * gestational diabetes * breech babies * inducing labor * IVs * electronic fetal monitoring * ruptured membranes * epidurals * episiotomies * vaginal birth after a cesarean * midwives and obstetricians * alternative birthing methods * choosing a birth location * drugs and delivery * elective induction * professional labor support * and much more

Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First

"Dr. Wagner depicts the state of obstetrical care in the United States with clarity and accuracy. He is clearly an 'insider' who has the courage to tell the truth about how our love affair with birth technology adversely affects both mothers and babies. Importantly, he outlines a path toward much-needed change. Born in the USA should be 'must' reading, not only for all pregnant women, but also for all ob/gyn physicians, hospital personnel, and those who make public policy. Dr. Wagner has done all of us a great service with this book." - Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom"

Spiritual Midwifery

Here is the 4th edition of the classic book on home birth that introduced a whole generation of women to the concept of natural childbirth. Back again are even more amazing birthing tales, including those from women who were babies in earlier editions and stories about Old Order Amish women attended by the Farm midwives.
Also new is information about the safety of techniques routinely used in hospitals during and after birth, information on postpartum depression and maternal death, and recent statistics on births managed by The Farm Midwives.

From the amazing birthing tales to care of the newborn, Spiritual Midwifery is still one of the best books an expectant mother could own. Includes resources for doulas, childbirth educators, birth centers, and other organizations and alliances dedicated to improving maternity care at home and in hospitals.

Added 6/20/11

The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers: The Most Comprehensive Problem-Solving Guide to Breastfeeding from the Foremost Expert in North America, Revised & Updated Edition

An Amazing Resource for Nursing Moms

Although breastfeeding is the natural and healthy way to nourish your baby, it’s not always easy. Many new mothers are scared away from nursing because of difficulty getting started and lack of information about what to do when things don’t go as planned. In this fully revised and updated edition of The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers, two of today’s foremost lactation experts help new mothers overcome their fears, doubts, and practical concerns about one of the most special ways a mother can bond with her baby.

In this comprehensive guide, Dr. Jack Newman, a leading authority on infant care, and Teresa Pitman, a La Leche League leader for more than twenty years, give you the facts about breastfeeding and provide solutions for the common problems that arise. Filled with the same practical advice that made the first edition a must-have for nursing moms, the new edition features updates on:

• Achieving a good latch

• What to do if your baby refuses the breast

• Avoiding sore nipples

• Ensuring your baby gets enough milk

• Feeding a colicky baby

• Breastfeeding premature and special-needs babies

While these are my favorites, I am sure I will add more later :) So check back. If you have any personal favorites to reccommend, drop me a line!