1 day ago
I tossed around several ideas for Wyatt’s first birthday party theme, but the second that the thought of a cowboy theme came up, I knew that was what I wanted to do. Here are some pictures of the invitations, decorations, and food for Wyatt’s First Birthday Round-Up!
Invitations: I made them myself with a blank card set and my scrapbooking software.
1. I ordered a reprint of a 1950’s children’s book to use as a guestbook – guests wrote Wyatt a birthday message on the inside.
2. I made “Cowboy” Coffee Cupcakes and Root Beer Float Cupcakes, and I baked them in mason jars – I made the tags and tied them to the jars with raffia.
3. I made the “Happy Birthday” banner with burlap and cowboy fabric, then stenciled the letters onto it.
5. Ordered the birthday cake from King Soopers.
6. Root Beer Float station.
7. Monthly picture banner – I used string and mini clothespins to hang up Wyatt’s monthly pictures. It was a great way for everyone to see how much he’s grown during his first year.
8. We served coffee, and I made the sign that says “Coffee – strong enough to float a horseshoe.” Derek had all my signs and tags laminated for me.
9. Wyatt’s highchair, with a sign that says “This seat is reserved for the Birthday Cowboy, Wyatt!”
10. Guest book station, and I also put out a stuffed bear that Derek bought for me while I was in labor. I had a picture of Wyatt as a newborn with the bear that I displayed for comparison. He was barely bigger than that teddy bear!
11. Chili and cornbread for dinner.
12. Birthday Boy shirt from Target (on clearance last summer).
13. Tied the balloons up with thread – so much better than trying to use tape!
The links are either to recipes, or to some of the ideas that we modified or used for our party.
Overall, I’m really happy with the way everything turned out – I gathered everything gradually over the last six months, so it didn’t hurt my wallet much; I had a lot of fun making the banners and signs and putting everything together; the mason jars, rafia, and twine I’ll use for other projects in the future, so the extra won’t go to waste; and the decorations aren’t specific to a first birthday, so I can keep all the decorations and do another cowboy-themed party a few years down the road!
Blog posts are actually what got me started on thinking about cloth diapering. Honestly, I had never even considered it before, but shortly after I had Wyatt it seemed like I was hearing about cloth diapers somewhere every week! There were a lot of posts from fellow bloggers that I found helpful, and I starred them at the time thinking I might use cloth on our next child.
Then I had a little panic attack about how much money we were wasting on disposables, and I decided to give it a go. I was glad I had all those posts starred, because they were great to refer back to.
So this is a list of the posts that I read way back then and some that I’ve found since that I have found helpful. There are probably more that I’m forgetting, but these were the ones that I starred.
Ashley wrote a great series on cloth diapers:
- How And Why We Chose Cloth
- Brands And Styles
- Accessories And Wipes
- Caring For Our Diapers
- Out And About
Leanna wrote a post on cloth diapering which is what got me to thinking about it in the first place.
Jenene wrote a two-part series, and I bought some of our diapers based on recommendations from her.
Bridget wrote a very informative post, and her post made the washing process sound really simple.
Rachel wrote a post on the products and routine she uses as well.
Chloe wrote a post on cloth diapering, and she uses some diapers that I haven’t heard of before. I might give them a try after reading her post.
Lauren wrote a post that included a lot of great resources (if you’re interested in further reading) and she wrote a post with her thoughts on how cloth diapering has worked for her family.
And finally, Brittany wrote a post recently that I thought was helpful as well.
And that’s it, so if you are considering cloth diapering, definitely check these posts out!
I recently read "The Christmas Singing" by Cindy Woodsmall. The book is an Amish romance novel about Mattie, a cake-maker who had her heart broken by Gideon three years earlier. She had built a new life in Ohio when her cake shop burned down and she returns home - but that puts her back in contact with Gideon, and she realizes that the reason she always thought he broke up with her may not be the truth.
I really liked this book. It was just a light, fun book, and the length was perfect for a quick read. Nothing too horrible happened, and it was a sweet story. The characters were likable. This book didn't go as much into Amish customs as many Amish books I've read, and the story could have been written about non-Amish people too, but I thought the Amish setting added alot of charm, as it always seems to. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something light and happy, and I enjoyed it very much.
Note: I was given access to this book by Waterbrook Multnomah publishing group in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
Speaking of Christmas-type books, what are some of your favorites? I'd love to hear!
I really liked this book. It was just a light, fun book, and the length was perfect for a quick read. Nothing too horrible happened, and it was a sweet story. The characters were likable. This book didn't go as much into Amish customs as many Amish books I've read, and the story could have been written about non-Amish people too, but I thought the Amish setting added alot of charm, as it always seems to. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for something light and happy, and I enjoyed it very much.
Note: I was given access to this book by Waterbrook Multnomah publishing group in exchange for this review. This is my honest opinion.
Speaking of Christmas-type books, what are some of your favorites? I'd love to hear!
I’ve got more cloth diapering tips from fellow bloggers this week, and they have some really helpful advice if you are thinking about cloth diapering! Read on.
“I used Josiah's Nest blog to help me get started. Moriah was so helpful in giving me pointers and answering all my questions. And I just kept asking others who were doing cloth what they thought. I believe all of us ended up using a different brand *lol* Like I said, it's like disposable. Some styles work and some don't =)
As for supplies and such, you want at least 12-15 diapers to start with. The baby will go through about 8 a day depending on amount of poops, etc so you want to have enough for an entire day plus a good start the next so you have time to wash and let them air dry.
As for washing: I use charlie's soap and do a hot wash with a cold rinse with an extra rinse. Then I do 2 extra rinses with warm/cold water. My washer is HE so I can set it up so it doesn't seem so bad - haha. Takes about an hour and 30 minutes with our washer. I then let them hang dry. You CANNOT use regular soap or detergent, diaper rash cream, etc with these diapers. I also hang them outside when it's warm to let the sun bleach them if there are any stains. Charlie's soap does great with getting them super clean =)
Good luck and feel free to contact me with any questions =)
Or if you want to buy the fitted size small Fuzzibunz off me to try. Its a good way to get them used initially so you aren't paying full price to see what brands you end up liking!”
“So far we've only used one brand of cloth diapers, BumGenius Organic Elemental All-in-On One-Size. I don't have many complaints about them but I would say if you have the opportunity to try a few different kinds, go for it and don't jump in with 2 feet and commit to one brand right away. I wish I'd gone the way of sample packs to start with (just so I had something to compare to)! To get started I would suggest a 6-10 diapers that way you get a feel for them before you have to go wash again. Add in a wet bag and some detergent and you're all set! We use the BumGenius detergent since we could buy it in bulk. We
I wrote 2 posts about cloth diapers.
The before: http://meetthechapmans.blogspot.com/2011/05/diaper-debate.html
The after (part 1-before solids): http://meetthechapmans.blogspot.com/2011/11/cloth-diaper-update-part-1-before.html”
“First of all, I've only been cloth diapering two kids for about 3 years, so I'm far from an expert. However, I have been able to try many different cloth diapering systems and have finally decided what works well for us. Which brings me to the first point of cloth diapering; different things work for different families. Keep this in mind when you're purchasing cloth diapers. It's far better to buy one or two of a style, see if it works for your baby, and then later decide if you want to purchase more. The wonderful thing about cloth diapering is that if you purchase a diaper, use it a few times and find that it's not quite working for your baby, you can easily resell it on Ebay, or Craigslist. I purchased a lot of our cloth diapers through the popular Mom and baby deal-a-day sites (such as Baby Steals, Hippo Baby Bargains, Baby Half Off, etc) and in that case, it was very helpful for me to visit diaperpin.com and read their product review pages. On their website, Mom's have given unbiased reviews on nearly every cloth diaper out there. So helpful, considering many of them go into detail about the build and weights of their babies.
Our favorite cloth diapers have been GroVia, Thirsties, and BumGenius (in that order). After a few years of cloth diapering, I now prefer 100% cotton against babies bum. The sun bleaches cotton so much nicer and they do not hold odor like the synthetics do. We do a combination of all in ones, pocket diapers, and fitted diapers with covers. I really don't have a preference over one or the other, after a while it's all easy. Even my husband doesn't complain, he just grabs the nearest diaper and puts in on the nearest kid. :)
If you're finding yourself intimidated by cloth diapering, you're not alone. At first it is overwhelming. So many choices, and you want to make the right ones the first time. But, you have to remember this is not the biggest parenting choice you'll make. Try it, if it works great, if not you can sell your "stash" and no harm is done. But, I will say that if you are wanting to try it at all, go for it! Some people insist that it will take time away from their family to cloth diaper their child(ren), but it absolutely does not. It's just as quick to change a cloth diaper as it is a disposable, and when it comes to the laundry - it's really nothing. 
It's absolutely impossible for me to write about cloth diapering in short form, but I'll pass on a few links that I've found helpful through this cloth diapering adventure. Much is by trial and error, but I can assure you that when you find the right cloth diapers, you will enjoy the ease and huge, huge money savings.
http://ameliathompson.blogspot.com/search/label/Cloth%20Diapers (My friend Amelia has an excellent 5 part series on cloth diapering, including how to sew your own!)
http://thoughtsnwhatnots.blogspot.com/2011/04/cloth-diapering-101.html (A blog post I wrote back in April, with a little more detail about what works for our family.)”
-Leanna at Thoughts And Whatnots
“If you are thinking of giving cloth diapering a go, just do it! It is not as complicated as some might think. In fact, for me, it is truly easier than dealing with disposables. Perhaps it's just because that's what I'm used to now. You can find many gently 
-Natalie at Extraordinary Love
Thank you ladies for all your fabulous advice!
I'm going to take a break on the cloth diapering posts until after the New Year, but when January comes keep an eye out for a cloth diapering resource post, and my story/final thoughts on cloth diapering!
I think cloth diapering can be awfully intimidating to start out. I am committed to this now, and I still have days where it intimidates me! But I have found a lot of encouragement from ladies in the blog world who also use cloth diapers. I asked some of my cloth-diapering blog friends (who have been doing this longer than me) for some advice for newbies, and I got a lot of great tips! Here is what some of them had to say.
“Hi, I am Danielle and I am very excited that Callie asked me to give my opinions and tips on cloth diapering! I have been cloth for about 6 months, so I am no expert but I will share the main things that I have learned! First of all, don't be scared to give it a
try! I was terrified at first and everyone was against it and now, I love it! I wish I would have started sooner! One thing I learned was that you don't have to have the $30 diapers for them to work. I used Comfyrumps (comfyrumps.com) and Go Green pocket diapers (gogreenpocketdiapers.com) which are reasonably priced but work wonderfully! Two websites that I use for cloth diapering accessories because they have free shipping are sweetbottomsbaby.com and jackbenatural.com- and these both have Facebook pages where you can call out to other mamas when you need help! Such a wonderful resource! I love my diaper sprayer, and we went to Lowe's and got all the stuff we needed to make it ( the guys usually know what exactly you need, or there are videos on Youtube) and it was cheaper! My biggest piece of advice is just try it, If you don;t like it you can at least say you tried :) And don't be afraid to ask for help!”
-Danielle at This Is The Stuff
"Favorite brand of diaper? Bum Genius 4.0
What you need to get started? To start full time: at least 12 diapers, a pail and wetbag, detergent. If you want to do cloth wipes too (and you might as well!) you'll need about 20 wipes and a spray.
Why you decided to use cloth? Cost of disposables, environmental impact, chemicals in disposables. I am so glad I started cloth diapering. I love it. I love that we don't have a ton of garbage. I love that Henry has been rash free since we started (except for the teething rash we have right now). I love that we've spent about $300 on our cloth diapering supplies and not a penny more. That will be all we spend on diapers.
Helpful resources? Blogs! My Life in Transition and Mama at Home were the ones I first read before I was even pregnant. I also have a cousin and a close friend who cloth diaper so they were good resources too.
Is the laundry difficult to keep up with, and any routines/products that make it easier? No. For some reasons Cloth Diaper Laundry is fun! I look forward to doing it. I just wash every other day using Rockin' Green detergent. Sometimes I use a color safe bleach as well.
Is there anything you wish you knew before you started? No. I think I was pretty well prepared. It really is as simple as it sounds.
I read on a few blogs that it is safe to use vinegar in your rinse to help fight odors. BUT on the bum genius website it says not to, because it can wreck the PUL cover. It IS ok to use bleach once a month and that works great for me. I also came across this chart of detergents and I wanted to pass it on!”
“Favorite brand of diaper? bumGenius. There's a reason they're the #1 cloth diaper brand. They really know how to make great diapers.
Why you decided to use cloth? We decided on cloth diapers to save money, and I'm so glad we went that route! Our budget truly cannot support buying disposables.
Helpful resources? AllAboutClothDiapers.com, especially the "My Recommendations" page.
Is the laundry difficult to keep up with, and any routines/products that make it easier? I do diaper laundry every other day, so that dirty diapers aren't sitting around too long. It's not difficult because the machine does all the work. I just switch it from rinse to wash to rinse, and add some detergent.
Is there anything you wish you knew before you started? I wish I knew about those snap-on onesie extenders! I think Sophia could have worn a lot of clothes a lot longer if I could have closed them around her bulky butt! :) “
-Jenene at Prairie Girl Gone Coastal
“When you get past all the pee and the poop and the initial sticker-shock of cloth-diapering, it all comes down to one thing: The laundry.
If I had a dollar for every person that's told me, "But I just don't have time to do that much more laundry. It would never get done," I'd be rich.
Ask any cloth-diapering mama, though, and they'll tell you that's simply an excuse.
The laundry, in reality, is not that bad. In fact, my workload has not increased by more than 20 minutes a week, I'd say, when it comes to laundering diapers.
The trick, honestly, is having a routine: Wash on the same days, at the same time, every week.
For me, I do diapers every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 11 a.m. I run my four cycles (a cold rinse, a hot wash with soap, another hot rinse, followed by a cold rinse) then I throw all hemp and microfiber inserts, plus my pre-folds and fitted diapers and cloth wipes, in the dryer while laying my diaper covers, wet bags, pail liners, and pockets on a drying rack - outside if it's sunny – to dry. In the evening, right after my daughter goes to bed, I stack everything up and put it in it's respective places in her room.
In addition, every 6 weeks, over the weekend, I strip my diapers - using several hot soaks and rinses and white vinegar - to make sure the diapers don't get any ammonia build-up.
To keep myself accountable, I pencil it all into my planner, and I set timers so I remember to go back and turn on the next rinse cycle on my washing machine.
Honest to goodness, it takes me no time at all. And, truth be told, I do not have a huge stash of diapers. I'd say I have a moderate amount, but most mamas I know run with way more. And, yet, I've never gotten to the point where my child was wearing her absolute last clean diaper on her butt while all the other cloth diapers were racing against the clock in the washer and dryer. With a schedule, you just don't get to that point, no matter how few diapers you have.
The key is to have a routine and stick to it. My child hasn't worn disposable diapers since her first week of life, and if I have my way, she never will. There's really no need. It's cheaper and, thanks to my laundry schedule, easier for me to cloth-diaper.”
-Brittany at Living In The Moment
Stay tuned for more tips next week!
P.S. I tried to get in contact with every blog friend or follower of mine who I knew used cloth diapers, but if you are a blog friend/follower of mine and I missed you, and you have some tips you are just itching to share, you can e-mail me at throughcloudedglass@gmail.com.
I got this idea from Krystle and Claire, and I had to do it myself!
I think this is appropriate thing to post the day before Thanksgiving, because I am very thankful to live where I do, and very thankful for the upbringing I had.
I am so thankful the Lord has allowed me to be a wife and mother.
I’m thankful to share this life with a man as amazing as Derek.
I’m thankful for my sweet and happy son, and the chance to give my children a blessed childhood like I had.
I truly am eternally grateful that “Jesus loves me” and “family will forever be there”.
I'm thankful that this is where I come from, and that He's not done with my story yet.
I can never thank Him enough for all He has done for me.
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The Place I Come From . . .
I am from feather pillows and teddy bears, from Sleepytime tea and reading with Mom in the middle of the night.
I am from the mountain ranch, wild and free and grand, the smell of fresh-cut hay on the wind.
I am from the quaking aspen trees, fields of dandelions, and rushing rivers, the tall grass, the bright irises, new air and deep sky.
I am from Christmas shopping trips with Dad, riding horses under the summer sun, and hazel eyes, from Daybreak and Rock and Messenger.
I am from the patriotic and the loyal.
From “Jesus loves you” and “family will forever be there”.
I am from streams of mercy and amazing grace. I am from filthy rags, washed snow white in nothing but the blood of Him who turned the water to wine.
I'm from high altitude and thin air, and the old German country, from salted nut rolls and sweet potatoes and choke cherries.
From the boy who split logs for a penny each, the girl from the city who came to this place and could never leave, and the twins who made the growing years better.
I am from the baby box in the closet, the albums resting on the bookshelf in the corner of a crowded basement, the frames on the walls – all the visible remnants of memories and of a heritage that will forever dwell in hearts. The places my new memories and the heritage I leave will go as life marches on.
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Thank you Lord that this is my history! Thank you for the ultimate gift of taking me from filthy rags to white as snow by Your grace. Thank you for where You have me now, and thank you, Lord, for all the places You have yet to take me.
Happy Thanksgiving to each one of you as you give Him thanks for what He has done and for what He will do!
P.S. If you want to write your own "Where I'm From" poem, check out the template here.
Welcome to the Salvation Stories link-up! Our salvation is the greatest gift we have ever been given, and it's important to tell others about what the Lord has done for us!
If you want to read about why I decided to do this link-up you can see the post "Have You Shared Your Story?". If you decide to join us, just write a post about how you came to know the Lord and link it up below! See the post "Details (On The Link-Up)" for more information.
I'm so excited to hear everyone's testimonies! I'm going to start the ball rolling by sharing my own.
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I was blessed to grow up in a Christian household. I don't remember a time when I didn't know about Jesus - my mom told me and my brother and sister, about Him as soon as we had the ability to understand her (actually even before we had the ability to understand her).
To be completely honest, I don't remember everything that went through my mind when I made the decision to follow Jesus, but I know I had alot of questions for my mom about Heaven, and Jesus, and when He was coming back. My mom wrote them down because she was amazed at how hard some of my questions were.
When I was almost four years old, I remember riding in the car with my mom on the way home from grocery shopping. My brother and sister were sleeping in the back seat. It must have been on my mind that day, because as we pulled in the driveway I remember asking her if we could pray so that I could ask Jesus into my heart.
She took me right in the house, and we knelt next to my parents bed. I wasn't sure what to say, and wanted my mom to pray for me at first, but she explained that I needed to talk to Jesus myself. She helped me, and I said the first real prayer I can remember - in that moment I became a follower of Jesus.
In the years that followed we continued going to Sunday school, church, and Bible studies. When I was nine years old my parent's started homeschooling us, and I think that decision on my mom and dad's part had important ramifications for my spiritual growth. During the years that I went to public school I was so concerned with what the other kids thought, but as we started homeschooling I remember becoming more conscious of what God thought, and I started wanting to please Him. I was baptized when I was about eight years old in a horse tank at our church, as a public declaration that I wanted to serve the Lord.
When I was ten years old I used my own money to buy my first devotional book, and I started doing daily devotions, which was a huge step in making my walk with the Lord a part of my daily life. My parents also sent us to a Christian camp every summer, and not only did it give me some great memories, but it was always a great spiritual "growth spurt" for me - I think it served to strengthen my resolve to make sure that my personal walk with the Lord remained strong the rest of the year. When I was twelve years old I renewed my commitment to follow the Lord for the rest of my life.
The high school years are often a time when you might expect that a person would rebel or turn their back on their faith for a while, or make some decisions that would affect their relationship with God. But nothing like that ever happened to me. Not that I didn't have my doubts at times, especially as I dug deeper into the Bible and different doctrines, but every time I had doubts or struggled with something I read, I went to the Lord with my doubts - and He always helped me find the answers, or at least gave me peace about the things I didn't understand.
Nothing dramatic happened after high school either. I spent a summer as a counselor at the same Christian camp I went to as a girl - that was definitely a summer of refining and spiritual growth for me as well, the same as when I went there as a camper only amplified.
I started college, met Derek. We got married. My next major trial was when we started trying for a baby, and had trouble. I asked the Lord so many "Why?" questions during that time, and I had some pretty dark days. But I never felt abandoned or forsaken. If anything the Lord used that trial to help me cling to Him more, which I think He does often with trials. And I just knew even on the worst days that He was there, helping me through. He gave me a peace about it when I didn't know what was going to happen, and eventually we were blessed with our sweet baby boy. That brings us to now. The Lord continues to guide me and show me little things about Himself. He continues to reveal my sin to me, and helps me to improve in those areas. I'm looking forward to a lifetime of learning and growing with Him, and doing my best to serve Him where He leads me. And then there's an eternity with my Savior after that, which will be so much better than I can imagine. That's really what it's all about.
I used to struggle with thinking my testimony was so boring. It's much more interesting and very powerful to hear stories of God calling people out of deep sin or desperate situations.
But I realize now that those thoughts of thinking my testimony was boring were nothing less than a spiritual attack. My sin is no less serious, and my spiritual condition no less desperate than anyone else's.
I need a Savior just as much as every other person on the planet.
The story of how I came to know the Lord is not boring to Him. The angels still rejoiced over that lost little girl asking Jesus to come into her heart. This story is no less worthy of being told than the most dramatic salvation story you can think of, because it is still a story of how the Lord saved someone who was terribly lost.
For some reason, the Lord chose to place me in a Christian family and to draw me to Himself at a young age. I never had to walk through life without Him - I don't even remember the time before I knew Him. Accepting Him as my Savior is (as far as I can tell) my earliest memory. And through my whole life I've felt His presence and His hand guiding me.
The older I get, the more I realize what a blessing it is that I have the story that I do. The Lord spared me from the pain of experiencing the things the world has to offer before coming to know Him, He protected my heart and kept me close to His side, and we've had all these years of sweet fellowship together.
Sure, I have my times "in the valley", and I struggle with sin. But He has always been there to correct me when I'm wrong and keep me on the "narrow path".
As I look back on my life up to now, I wouldn't trade my personal story of redemption for a more dramatic or exciting testimony. It's been a gift, a most precious gift, to have Him leading me through everything I've had to walk through this far, and I know He'll continue with me through whatever trials or blessings life has in store for me.
I couldn't change that for the world.
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If you are interested in learning more about Jesus or having a personal relationship with Him too, or if you have any questions for me, please e-mail me! I will do my best to answer any questions you have, or I'll do my best to find the answers if I don't know. You can also check out the "What I Believe" tab above for more information.
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