Sunday, May 30, 2010

A Comparison: 2 months

It’s time again for another sister comparison! As an aside, I can’t believe Jacinta is already 2 months old. Crazy!

Anyway, onward!


2 months Veronica 3

Veronica at 2 months


2 months Jacinta

Jacinta at 2 months

I think they look more different with each comparison. They both have the crazy hair, but in very different colors. Their facial features are definitely different, too. I’ll be interested to see how their weight and height compare, but we don’t have Jacinta’s next appointment until June 8th.

However alike or different they are, they are both certainly cute! I love my girls!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

LOST-ology

light

So I’ve had a chance to stew a little more on the wrap-up of LOST.

I thought about what Becky said on my last post, that (to paraphrase) the last episode made it seem like the Island didn’t matter if the whole thing was just about the characters  meeting up with people who were significant in their lives.

But…they were only significant to each other because of the Island. At least, that’s how I see it. If the plane had crashed somewhere else and they were rescued, those that survived would have just walked away and probably continued on with their lives. But they crashed on the Island, and their lives were changed forever. That's how those significant relationships were formed in the first place. Because of the role the Island played.

I will agree that there are a lot of things that were left unanswered that I would have liked to know more about. Walt and his "special-ness" is definitely one of them. But even there, I think it is important that the Island retain some of it's sense of mystery. I think being Catholic plays a part in that for me, because our faith is certainly full of mysteries. There is only so much that you can wrap your mind around and understand, and then for the rest you have to rely on faith. Yes, I just compared my faith to a TV show. But it's only a superficial comparison. That's what I’m telling myself as I type this.

Oddly enough, being religious person, I don't know how I feel about the whole mystical/mythological turn that the series took toward the end. Yes, I know that the idea of good and evil was there from the beginning, but I definitely got more of a sci-fi vibe from the show most of the time. Take the "monster" for instance. It makes noises that could be a huge machine, or a dinosaur even! And it turns out to be a guy who fell into a magical light cavern place. Also, the Dharma Initiative did all sorts of experiments relating to the electromagnetism of the Island, among other things. Heck, there was even a mechanism on the Island that harnessed that energy to travel through time!!! But again, the only explanation we get is a magical light cavern place. The sci-fi geek in me felt a teeny bit let down by the whole Jacob/MIB/Mother/magical light stuff.

So how is that for a paradox? I think that the mysteriousness of the Island is important, but I also preferred the more sciency things about the show. I can't explain my own convoluted feelings sometimes. And just because it didn't end up being what I expected doesn't mean I didn't like it. The changes of pace and surprises were what made it so much fun to watch. I probably enjoyed LOST more than any TV series I've ever watched in the past.

There may be more LOST posts in the near future, but for now, thoughts?

Fun ‘n’ Games

It started out as an innocent game of dancing, before the spinning began to take it’s toll.

Then I got cruel. The end.

Small Successes Thursday

FaithButton

It’s that time of the week again! Take a moment to realize the small things you’ve done right this week. Because all the little things add up!

Here’s mine:



1. I cleared off the piles of papers sitting on the kitchen counter. Things that I had set aside for “later”. Later finally came, so now I can actually use the counter for oh, I don’t know, cooking.

2. I remembered to bathe Jacinta last night.

3. I used our new clothesline to dry the diapers! Hooray! This should save us quite a bit of energy, since diapers take a lot of dryer time.


May 26 030

Please ignore the weeds taking over the backyard. Thanks.

What were your small successes this week?

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

At the end of the day…

pigtails

No matter how even her pigtails start out in the morning, this is what they look like at the end of the day.


Tuesday, May 25, 2010

LOST in thought

`Sawyer reading

I only began my LOST journey a year ago. Paul was on a business trip, so Shauna was staying at the house with me and Veronica. Which was very brave, since our “guest room” was pretty pathetic at the time (but that’s another post). She brought her first season of LOST with her. It was fate.

The first episode, of course, had me hooked. The “monster,” as I thought of it at the time, changed it from a show about a plane crash into something unexpected. I still remember the oh-my-gosh-what-the-H-was-that feeling. I kept watching episodes that week, even though I knew I would have to start over to watch them with Paul.

We watched everything that was on DVD so far, borrowing my sister’s collection and using Netflix. So we were all caught up and ready when Season 6 began this year. (*As a side note, I vastly preferred the DVD method of watching. Although it creates the potential for staying up too late to watch “just one more,” it really helps keep track of the storyline better*)

I haven’t blogged about watching LOST before, but after the final episode this week *sob* I felt that I had to address some things, if only to help me decide what I really thought of how the show wrapped up. So, here goes!

***Naturally, SPOILERS will follow***



I realize that the thoughts that follow are my own opinions, and that some may disagree. But I’m going to share anyway! And I do reserve the right to change my mind if there is a really convincing argument.

First, I’ve seen a lot of buzz about the fact that in the final moments of the show, we find out that everyone is dead. But there seems to be some different takes on what exactly that means. Some people are very upset that everyone was “dead the whole time.” If that’s what I thought, I would be upset, too. What a cop out! But I disagree. My interpretation? The plane crash survivors really were survivors, They DID NOT die in the crash. Everything that happened on the island (and off of it, in the appropriate seasons) was real. The only “place” where everyone was dead was the flash-sideways timeline in Season 6.

Why do I think this? Because of the way Christian put it: “Everyone dies sometime, kiddo. Some before you, some long after you.” That would imply that they did NOT die together in the plane crash. The limbo that they were in was a scenario in which the plane didn’t crash, so that they could “find each other” when they did die. It means that no, Jack never had a son. David was an invented part of this place that Jack and the others created, seemingly unconsciously. How exactly that works, I don’t know. But I’m okay with not knowing. The point is, they were waiting in limbo until everyone was ready to “move on.”

That brings me to my next point. During a brief discussion on Monday morning, my sister-in-law Becky brought up an issue that she had with the final moments of the show. If the people in the church were supposed to be significant to each other, why were some people missing? Not people from the island, although some of them were missing, too. But people like parents, siblings, etc. You would think that for most people, there would be additional significant relationships in their lives.

I thought about it a bit and this is what I decided. The characters were in limbo, not heaven (yet, if you assume that is where they were headed at the end). I would definitely expect a “heaven” sort of place to include all of those significant relationships. But in this case, the characters are waiting to “move on.” And because the plane crash and ensuing events were such a significant part of their lives (indeed for some, the final part of their lives), they needed to “move on” together. Do I agree with this theologically? Absolutely not. But does it work for the show? I think so.

I realize that this post is getting a bit long. And of course, I have two little girls who want my attention. In the interest of getting something posted today, I think I will save the rest for later. Please chime in with your thoughts, and look for more posts in the next few days (hopefully). I definitely have more to write about!

Fashion Statement

Fashion Statement

After agonizing over her footwear, Veronica finally settled on a winning combination.

Nothing like a pair of Mom’s holiday socks when you want to make a fashion statement.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Veronica’s Ventures: Books

From the very beginning, Veronica has really enjoyed reading books.



Reading

And sometimes eating them.



Reading1

But Not the Hippopotamus was one of her very favorites. Still is actually.



Reading2

This is another favorite: My Goldfish Wish. I don’t even remember where we got this one, but Veronica loves it. “Mommy, you interrupted me when I was getting to the good part!”



Reading3

“I wish a fish could be my pet…”



Of course, it doesn’t sound quite like that when she says it.



Reading5

And who could forget Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?



Reading4

“BOOM BOOM BOOM!” She always cracks up at that part.



Reading6

I think most kids probably like to read books and have books read to them. And for a mom, there’s nothing quite like reading a book with a sweet, cuddly, smiley little girl.



Reading7

And the older she gets, the more she likes to point things out and interact with the pictures. Someday she’ll be reading the words herself.



Reading8

Not every adult likes to read though. Some kids just grow out of it I guess.I hope Veronica doesn’t.

‘Cuz there’s nothing quite like a good book.


Thursday, May 20, 2010

Small Successes Thursday, Episode 3

FaithButton

1. I started working out this week. I've gotten up at 5:00 am every day since Monday, which will be a shock to anyone who knows me! Here's to hoping I can keep it up.

2. The dishes are done! The rest of the house is a mess, but hey, we're talking about small successes.

3. I managed to post all three days for the blog tour that I joined. But if you read my blog you knew that already.

What were your successes this week?

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

CSFF Tour: By Darkness Hid, Day 3

Today is the final day of the tour for By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson. Even though I couldn't do a review this time around, it was fun to see what everyone else had to say about the book, and to learn a bit about Jill. With every tour post that I read, I got more excited to read it! For the posts from this tour, check out Becky Miller's blog here.

I did want to point out one thing that I like already - the cover art.

Authors don't always get a say in what they have on the cover of their books, so to have an image that really fits the story is great. It's also very striking - the colors grabbed my attention right away. I love it!

I'm really excited to be part of this blog tour, so I'm looking forward to next month when I'll hopefully be able to read the book ahead of time and write a bit more. For now, consider picking up this book and giving it a read. That's what I'll be doing!


Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
R. L. Copple
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Sarah Flanagan
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Monday, May 17, 2010

CSFF Tour: By Darkness Hid

Since I let it slip in my Small Successes post a couple weeks ago, it may not be a surprise that I am working on a novel. For those who were wondering, this will give you an idea of what kind of novel it will be.

I've joined the Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy Blog Tour, which seeks to promote, you guessed it, Christian Science Fiction & Fantasy. Once a month I'll be reading and then blogging about a selected book along with the fine people listed at the end of the post. I didn't join in time to acquire and read this month's book, so my posts won't be detailed this time around.

May's book is By Darkness Hid, by Jill Williamson. It is the first book in the Blood of Kings trilogy. Follow the links to read more about it! I am looking forward to reading this when I can get my hands on it.

My goal is to post all three days of the tour, so look for more tomorrow and Wednesday!

Check out what the others had to say about the book:

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
R. L. Copple
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Sarah Flanagan
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Some things I've learned about CVS

I'm still on my CVS high after making my purchases today, so I thought I'd share some tips that I have learned over the last couple of months.

First, always make a detailed list! I like to price everything out before hand, so I know exactly how much I'll be spending and if I have enough ECBs. It also helps me keep track of which coupons I need to clip.


Here's an example of what I do with my list. It tells me where to find the coupon, a description of what I'm getting (Colgate Proclinical vs. just any old Colgate toothpaste), how much I'm paying out of pocket, how much it's on sale for (so I can compare to the sale tags at the store), where to find it, how many I'm buying, and all the totals for price and ECBs. The list especially helped today since they hadn't finished putting all the sale stickers up in the store.

So today, I had a store coupon for $4 off a $20 purchase. You use that coupon first, so I needed to make sure my subtotal before the other coupons came to at least $20. The mistake I made was that my excel sheet was calculating the subtotal AFTER the coupons...so I didn't actually need as much as I bought. I should have left off the Dial soap (which I didn't have a coupon for since I had used it previously). So the lesson is, make sure your excel sheet is doing the right calculation! Or else!

Also, the coupons for the Lady Speedstick were internet coupons, and sometimes you can only print one per computer. So I got Paul's computer to print the second one. But, oops!, I forgot to make sure the printer was set up right and it didn't print. But the website thought it did. So I couldn't end up printing it at all. I should have only gotten one Lady Speedstick, since I only had one coupon and I didn't really need two to reach the $20 minimum purchase. And next time I will make sure the printer is all set to go before I hit print!

Anyway, here's my loot for today.


Blade 5 Razor System: $6.99 total, $6.99 ECBs
Herbal Essence Shampoo and Conditioner: $2.99 each - $1 coupon each = $3.98 OOP and $4 ECBs
Lady Speedstick: $2.99 each - $0.75 coupon (but I only had one!) = $5.23 OOP and $4 ECBs
Colgate Proclinical: $3.99 each - $1 coupon each = $5.98 OOP and $4 ECBs
Dial Bar Soap: $1.88 total, $1 ECBs

Subtotal $24.06 - $18 ECBs that I had from last week = $6.06 - $4 store coupon = $2.06 (+tax).
Total ECB: $19.99!

So I managed to get more ECBs back again this week. Yay!

CVS definitely has a little bit of a learning curve, but I feel like I am doing better every week. And having fun at the same time! Having fun + saving money = a winning combo for me!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Small Successes Thursday...on Thursday!

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FaithButton

It's Thursday again, so time for my Small Successes of the week. I wish I could put that I took Veronica to the park again (the weather was so nice Monday)...but it would be cheating to use the same things two weeks in a row, right?

1. For a brief moment I was caught up on laundry! It's only a matter of time before it piles up again, but it's nice to at least feel "finished" every so often.

2. I remembered to get stamps at the grocery store! This is important since I need them to pay the bills. So yay for stamps!

3. I went back to work today, and discovered that I didn't forget everything while I was on leave! That's good to know. I'm sure the rest of the office thinks so, too.

What were your successes this week?

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A good CVS week

Since I started shopping the CVS deals a couple months ago, I've managed to keep up with it every week. Even the week that I had Jacinta! It was actually a good excuse to get me out of the house for a few minutes.

Some weeks have been better than others. Sometimes I get things that we use (like Pantene), sometimes I get things we'll give away. I have acquired A LOT of toothpaste. I may not ever pay for toothpaste for us again, and I still have a ton left over to donate. That's how often it's on sale.

But this is a week where I managed to multiply my ECBs pretty well, so I wanted to share.



Transaction 1
(2) Right Guard Total Defence 5 Deodorant: $2.69 each for a total of $5.38 - $3.00 off 2 coupon = $2.38 OOP, $2 ECB each for a total of $4 ECB

(2) Crest ProHealth Toothpaste: $3.50 each - $0.75 coupon each = $2.75 OOP each for a total of $5.50 OOP, $3.50 ECB each for a total of $7 ECB

U by Kotex: $4.99 - $1 coupon = $3.99 OOP, $4.99 ECB

Schick Hydro Razor: $8.99 - $5 coupon = $3.99 OOP, $4 ECB

Subtotal $15.86 - $15 in ECB I already had = $0.86 (+tax)!!!! And I earned $19.99 in ECBs! So I actually earned money on this transaction.

Transaction 2
Pantene Shampoo: 2 for $6.97 - $1 off 2 coupon = $5.97 OOP, $3 ECB

Subtotal $5.97 - $4.99 ECB from transaction 1 = $0.98 (+tax)!!!! This was not a money-maker like the first transaction, but I use Pantene and it was a great deal.

So, between the two, I started with $15 of ECBs, and walked away with $18. I spent $1.84 OOP, so if it wasn't for the pesky sales tax I would have made money overall. But even with tax, I only spent pennies...and it sure feels good to come away with more ECBs than I started with.

Once I discovered the trick of paying for everything in two (or even three) transactions, it made a big difference in my totals. If you don't have enough ECBs at the beginning to cover everything you want to get, you can just buy what you can cover and then use the ECBs from the first transaction to cover the second. Pretty slick!

Needless to say, I have been enjoying my CVS trips. Figuring out how to make the most of my money definitely appeals to my geeky side...and my frugal side (which is an important side these days).

If you have a few minutes every week to plan ahead, you should give it a try!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Blueberry Lemonade Biscotti

This is the biscotti I made for Mother's Day. I brought everything over to my parents' house since we were hanging by their pool while they were away, and made it up using all my mom's awesome kitchen stuff. Like her 6-quart KitchenAid Stand Mixer. I love my own stand mixer, but it's not as big.



Anyway, I left half the biscotti there for her as a surprise when they arrived home, and took the rest. Then today I made up a glaze to put on top. Wish I had thought of it earlier, but they really are good either way. Try it!



Blueberry Lemonade Biscotti

BISCOTTI:
3/4 cup Blueberries
2 tbsp sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp lemon zest
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

GLAZE:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk
juice of one small lemon

1. Heat the blueberries and 2 tbsp sugar over medium heat and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by one third. Remove from heat and strain to remove seeds. Set aside to cool.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/3 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add blueberry sauce and lemon zest and mix until well blended.

3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to batter and mix until combined, then refrigerate dough for 10 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

5. Remove dough from refrigerator and separate into four equal parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each part into a log about 12 inches long. Place two logs on each baking sheet, and lightly press they are about 3 inches wide. There should be at least 2 inches between the logs.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until firm. Don't let them get brown! Remove from the oven (but don't turn it off), and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

7. Place on a cutting board, and make diagonal cuts about 3/4 inch wide. Place the pieces back on the baking sheets with the cut sides down.

8. Bake for about 8 minutes, then flip the pieces over and bake for 8 more minutes. They should be lightly toasted. Allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container, or make glaze as follows.

9.To make the glaze, whisk together powdered sugar, milk and lemon juice. Dip the top of each biscotti in the glaze, then set on a rack to dry. Drizzle biscotti with any leftover glaze if desired. Allow glaze to set, then store in an airtight container.

Mother's Day

Just a glimpse of what we did for Mother's Day:



Paul put this tasty lunch together for us: Tuscan wheat bread, grilled eggplant, garlic-mayo sauce that he whipped up, olive oil, basil, proscuitto, fresh Roma tomatoes and cheese. Yum!

Veronica had cheese and crackers. She hasn't quite developed a taste for the finer things yet.



Hanging out with my girls. It's an honor to be their mother. My parents were out of town, but we crashed their place to make use of the pool. It was a great day for swimming.



I used my mom's kitchen to make some Blueberry Lemonade Biscotti. I left some there to surprise her when they got home today. I also took some home for me.

Then I made a lemon glaze to put on top, because obviously they didn't have enough sugar already.



Hope all the mommies out there had a great Mother's Day! I sure did!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Made from the Real Stuff

Right after we brought Jacinta home, I was occupied with her a good portion of the time. Still the case, actually. But in order to keep Veronica from feeling left out during the transition, Paul tried to come up with some fun things to keep her entertained. One of them was juicing the oranges from our orange trees.


He would juice the orange, the hand it to her to throw away...but it usually made a little pit stop along the way.


In her mouth.


So she would suck on the rind a little bit and slurp down whatever juice was left. Until Paul handed her the next one.


Then it was "Adios, amigo!" as she ditched that orange rind for a newer, better one.


Slurp!


Tasty! And sticky.


Needless to say, good times were had by all.

Friday, May 7, 2010

$100 Cotton Babies Gift Card


If anyone is looking to jump into cloth diapering, check out this contest at Cotton Babies. You can win up to $100 to spend at Cotton Babies, the makers of bumGenius. It only took me about 10 minutes to type out an entry, so give it a shot! Especially for those writers out there...

*cough* Becky *cough*

Small Successes Thursday...er, Friday

FaithButton

This is something I came across on Faith & Family Live last week, and it really hit home for me. With being busier trying to mommy two kids, and with my return to part-time work looming next week, I decided it would be good for me to make sure I acknowledge the small things I'm accomplishing, instead of focusing on how messy my house is, the fact that it's been longer than I thought since Veronica's diaper was last changed, and that I keep forgetting to start the crockpot meal I've been trying to cook since the beginning of the week. Of course, this week I am a day late already...but that's okay. This post is about the things that I have managed to do.

1. I worked on my novel this week. I actually got about two pages written. Two pages of rough, rough, ROUGH draft. But still, it's more than nothing. (Don't ask me about it though...I'm WAY too embarrassed to talk about it yet...maybe when it's finished and actually polished a bit)

2. I took Veronica to the park on Monday. I brought Jacinta, too, but she really didn't notice. Veronica, however, was very excited to have some outdoor playtime. This is something that I struggle with, since I am such a homebody, but I had a lot of fun watching her run around and have a good time. Too bad it's starting to get hot now.

3. I have managed to get a shower every morning this week. This is something that is important to me, because I feel like am more productive when I start my day with a shower. Not showering makes me feel lazy, like it's the weekend, and my attitude during the day reflects that. So I've tried to make it a priority in the morning.

So those are my three small successes this week! Hopefully, next week one of them will be posting this on time!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Diaper Diaries: Fitted Diapers

I never thought I'd be one of "those people." You know, people who slave in the laundry room, rinsing poop off of pieces of fabric, in order to cloth diaper my kids. Cloth diapers were for hippies anyway, right?

The reasons why I decided to use cloth is a story for another post, but I would like to say that it isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. In fact, it isn't bad at all, it's just another part of my routine. I'll elaborate more about it at a later time.

In this post I wanted to highlight the diapers that we are currently using for Jacinta, and that we used for Veronica when she was itty-bitty, too (itty-bitty being a relative term of course).
When we made the decision to cloth diaper, we started out with Kissaluvs. They are fitted diapers, which essentially means an absorbent piece of fabric shaped like a diaper that needs a waterproof cover over the top.


See? Looks just like a diaper! Because it IS a diaper!


These particular diapers have a set of snaps to hold them on the baby. The different snap placements allow for the best fit as baby grows. We bought size 0, which fits 5-15 lbs (not like we needed them for the small end of the range, ha). I think with Veronica we managed to use them slightly beyond that, mostly through wishful thinking.


Snaps! I love snaps!


This brand even has a feature that allows the front of the diaper to be snapped down until the baby's cord falls off. Handy if you have a small or average size newborn I'm sure. But with the size of our girls we probably didn't need this nifty feature, as the diaper never reached that high.



Awww, what a cute little diaper!


Because these diapers are made of cotton terry, they need a cover to keep the moisture inside, and off of baby's clothing (and mommy's clothing, for that matter). We chose to go with Thirsties, which are made of Polyurethane Laminate (PUL). It's a breathable, waterproof fabric that is used in many cloth diapers and covers.



The fabric is laminated on the inside, like so.


Thirsties covers have a velcro closure, which makes them super easy to take on and off. Although in general I prefer snaps to velcro. But that's a story for another post.


Note how you can adjust the placement of the velcro - it functions similar to disposable diaper tabs.


Things I like about our fitted diaper system:

1. SUPER easy to wash. Everything goes in the wash together, the diapers get dried in the dryer and the liners I hang dry (to preserve the velcro). Quickest load of laundry in the history of everything. Especially with a breastfed baby. (TMI warning: Did you know that breastfed baby poo is water-soluble?)

2. They don't leak. I've had some leakage problems occasionally (not me, the babies...from their diapers...that's another story for another post), but these are really great at keeping the moisture inside if you do it right. Doing it right means actually changing the diaper sometimes (duh), and making sure that no cotton is peeking out from under the cover. Easy peasy.

3. Everything fits really well. No funky gaps around the legs or waist. They are a little thicker than disposables, but not by much. So baby has some junk-in-the-trunk, but not a grotesque amount.

4. The covers can be re-used until they are ready to be washed. They just need to dry a bit in between uses, so I set the one I just took off aside until next diaper change, then switch back. I have 6 covers, and use 2 per day so they will last me up to 3 days. And probably longer if needed, I've never had a stink issue with them.

Things I don't like:

1. This system does not have a way to keep moisture away from baby's skin. The absorbent cotton is right up against their bum, so when it gets wet so does their skin. This doesn't matter so much with frequent diaper changes (which newborns require anyway), but I could see it being a problem with older babies who don't get changed every 5 minutes (<--- hyperbole).

2. I sometimes forget to bring a second cover in the diaper bag. Which is more a problem with me than with the diapers. It probably doesn't matter much, I just use the same cover with a new diaper...but if the cover gets poo on it or something, then I'm stuck using a dirty cover. If only my Mommy-brain had a perfect memory...

We have 36 diapers and 6 covers, which is more than enough. It allows me to do laundry every other day, and still have plenty leftover. Because sometimes I get delayed/distracted (what a shock) and the laundry has to wait until the third day. And then I am very happy to have so many diapers.

So, overall, I highly recommend both Kissaluvs and Thirsties, at least for the first few months of life. They have treated us well, and are in just as good shape with child #2 as they were with child #1. We moved on to other things for Veronica when she outgrew these...but that is another story for another post.