Ever Been on a Jury???- Part 2

Last week, I wrote about the jury selection process that I was involved in (Ever Been on a Jury???). I did a Google search to find out the result of the trial this morning and the young man was convicted of 1st degree murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced June 25 and faces life in prison.

Update People vs. Corey Ray Albat

I hope that the next time that I'm called for jury duty, it's an exciting case. Knowing me, I will get some boring civil case and will have to fight to stay awake.

Have a great weekend!!

Guidecraft Art Table Giveaway

What: Guidecraft Art Table {$220 Value}
How To Enter: The Ethertons
Deadline: 5/31/10 at 11:59 PM EST

Thursday's Houshold Tip- 6 Ways to Banish Odors and Freshen Your Home

•Sour sponges can make your whole sink area smell disgusting! To freshen your sponges, rinse them thoroughly after each use. In addition, put them in your dishwasher with every load you wash and/or put them in the microwave oven for 30 seconds and/or wash them with baking soda.

•To freshen your house while you vacuum, add a cotton ball soaked in your favorite essential oil or perfume to your new vacuum bag or in the dirt receptacle of a bagless vacuum cleaner. Choose the right aroma, and you might even enjoy vacuuming–well, at least a little.

•For shoe odors: spray inside with Febreze or shoe deoderizing spray made by Odor Eaters (available in shoe repair shops and drug stores), or loosely wrap a cotton ball soaked in an essential oil in plastic wrap and place in shoes or boots. Fabric softener sheets will also take care of shoe odors.

•Keep food cupboard shelves clean–especially where there might be drips from food containers.

•Heloise suggests making your own aromatic jars. Take a small, clean glass jar and put a few cotton balls inside. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil such as clove, cinnamon, orange or peppermint and punch holes in the top. Now put your jars under a bed, behind books on the book shelf, near the cat litter box or wherever you need to freshen the air.

•Use high quality aromatherapy candles.

Wordless Wednesday- From Sam's Birthday Party- April 3, 2010

My boy loves to yell.

Thanks for the photos Kelsey. They are gorgeous.

Win a Little Tikes Backyard Barbeque Get Out 'n' Grill

What: Backyard Barbeque Get Out 'n' Grill {$40 Value}
How To Enter: Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House
Deadline: May 17th at 11:59pm EST

Forney Museum of Transportation

We visited the Forney Museum today. It is located on Brighton Blvd. right next to the Denver Coliseum. This is the 3rd of the 10 that I am committed to visiting during my "101 Things in 1,001 Days" project.

The Forney Transportation Museum is a one-of-a-kind collection of over 500 exhibits relating to historical transportation. It began with antique cars, but soon expanded to include vehicles of all kinds. Some of these are familiar, while others spark the imagination.

The largest item in the museum is the Big Boy Locomotive, the most successful articulated steam locomotive ever built.

I wasn’t sure what I expected when we entered the door, but it was not as interesting as I had hoped for being a museum of transportation items. This museum is not as well-funded as it should be to draw in more patrons. I guess that I expected a few interactive displays and information about the items that are more sturdy than a music stand type display. It looks like they display everything that they could possibly display and overload them. What might bring people back is to have a rotating display of the items and/or make deals with other museums to loan vehicles between them.

I’d like to see what this museum could do with a higher fundraising effort.

Because Sam is too young to really appreciate the items now, we will bring him back when he is older, but there is no reason to do it often.

I posted a picture of Sam in one of the vehicles on his blog.
A Day in Sam's Life

Earth Day Cloth in Hospitals telephone game giveaway

Did you cloth diaper your newborn? Would you have it you had the option? Was it allowed in your hospital?

Well there are people out there who are trying to spread the word about cloth diapers in hospitals. And these people want to give away diapers to one lucky person.

Go to Cloth Diapers In Hospitals for more details.

Join me to get cloth diapers in hospitals and to win diapers....because who can have to many?

Osh Kosh & Carter's Coupons- Through 04/28/10

This weekend’s coupons.

Carter's $10 Off $50 Purchase Coupon. Expires April 28th.

OshKosh $10 Off $50 Purchase Coupon. Expires April 28th.

Thursday's Houshold Tip- Declutter Your Home in 11 Easy Steps

Welcome to Spring Cleaning

Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of organizing your home? Start on a smaller scale instead and it will be a whole lot easier. For example, instead of starting with the entire house, commit to starting with one room. Follow these 11 steps, and you're well on your way to an organized home:

1. PICK A ROOM--ANY ROOM. Decide on what room to start on. Write it at the top of an 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper.
This will be your Action Sheet.
Example: BEDROOM A

2. CHOOSE AN ENTICING REWARD. Designate an appropriate reward to give yourself on the Dumping portion of the job. The reward concept serves as your motivation, so be sure to choose something that you’d really enjoy! Write this reward on your Action Sheet.
Example: Treat yourself to a massage or go out for a nice dinner -- whatever it is that you love to do. Write it on your Action Sheet.

3. SET A DEADLINE. Set a specific Dumping Completion Deadline for this one room. Write it on your Action Sheet.
Example: DUMPING DEADLINE: APRIL 30

4. SCHEDULE TIME TO DUMP. Schedule 3 specific dumping dates (one hour for each). Hopefully this will be enough to complete the dumping portion of the job. Write it on your Action Sheet. Then, post the Action Sheet in a prominent place where you are certain to see it every day, like your bathroom mirror. It will serve as a reminder of your goal, deadline and pending reward.
Example: DUMPING DATES: APRIL 18 from 8-9A, APRIL 21 from 8-9A, APRIL 24 from 8-9A

5. KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT. When the 1st dumping day arrives, keep that appointment, just as you would any other important appointment. Bring a bunch of large garbage bags. Play your favorite music in the background.

6. TIME IT. Set a timer for 1 Hour -- one that sounds off when the hour is up.

7. SORT THROUGH IT. Pick up one item at a time, and start dumping. (If you come across items you want to give to charity, designate a special bag for those items) Whatever you are going to keep, just put to one side of the room.

8. DO IT UNTIL THE TIME IS UP. Continue doing this until the timer goes off. If you prefer to continue, keep going. Otherwise, stop and follow the same procedures for your next two scheduled dates. Don’t let the garbage bags sit there. Make sure they are thrown out now (or donated), or on Garbage Day at the latest.

9. CELEBRATE. Once you’ve managed to dump everything you don’t want or need in that one room, it’s time to celebrate. Take advantage of that reward you designated.

10. KEEPING IT ORGANIZED. Now that everything in that room that you wanted dumped is gone, you’re ready to begin putting everything you are keeping back in an organized manner. Be very careful not to put anything else in this room that you don’t want.

11. REPEAT. Repeat this process for each of the other rooms in your house.

Ever Been on a Jury???

Unfortunately, neither have I.

Monday and Tuesday, I completed the process of being chosen for my first jury. The jury selection process was a long, but very interesting experience.

Let's start from the beginning.
Doo, doo, doo, doo. Doo, doo, doo, doo.
(Does this remind you of last scene of Wayne's World?)



When Sam was 5 months old, I received a jury notice and, since I was still nursing/pumping, I got a note from my son's pediatrician for a medical excuse. I was given a temporary postponement until Sam was 12 months old (since I definitely wanted to nurse/pump until then, at least).

The day after Sam turned one, I received the jury notice. They really weren't kidding when they said that my postponement from jury dute was temporary.

On Sunday, I called to find out the time at which I needed to report to the courthouse. The message told me to arrive at 7:45am. I always do my best to arrive on time or early, so I took Sam to daycare and arrived at the courthouse 5 minutes before my scheduled time.

I should have known that, being the government, things wouldn't take place when they were supposed to. Everyone was seated in the jury room (about 100 of us) at the alloted time and nothing was done until 8:50 pm. I'm really glad that I brought a book.

We were given a questionnaire (about prejudice and ability to serve) and watched a video about the jury process and why it is important in our society. It looked like it was made in the 90s (because of the fashion and hair styles).

Then, we were informed that we would be given a number to be placed on the top right corner of our completed questionnaire. I was given #7. We then turned in our questionnaire, given a "juror" badge and were let out until 12:30 for lunch.

That left me 2+ hours before we had to return. I took that opportunity to go to the grocery store and cook food for Sam's lunches and dinners for the week.

What I was able to complete- steam cauliflower, cook and puree asparagus and artichoke hearts (I did this separately), scoop out sweet potatoes from their skin and freeze 2/3rds of it, bake pears and complete a load of dishes in the dishwasher.

Upon my return to the courthouse, we were taken into the courtroom and arranged by jury number. My #7 put me in the jury box (that was my guess). We were introduced to the attorney's for the prosecution and the defense. The accused was in the courtroom (which actually surprised me, but thinking about it, it put a face to the crime, plus it let you know that there was a person that this trial was about. We were informed that this was a first degree murder case and the trial would last through the middle of next week.

The first questions were from the judge. He was concerned about scheduling issues for some of the jurors and if anyone knew any of the possible witnesses. There were some FT students that were excused and some people that had friends in the police department that were excused. There were also 2 doctors that were also excused because of patient load.

Then, the attorneys started asking questions of the jurors, starting with the prosecution. The prosecution consisted a woman and a man (unfortunately I cannot remember their names or research their identity online. The district attorney's office doesn't have a listing of their assistants). Questions began with asking about the reasonable doubt, presumption of innocence and juror background concerns.

Then it was the defense's turn. The man's defense consisted of two men (one actually had a faux hawk- he seemed a little old for that). His questions were mostly about presumption of innocence and what is the juror's beliefs on self defense are.

What really seemed to throw some people for a loop was that Colorado law states that an individual, as long as the person claiming self defense is not the initial agressor, that person ‘has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force.’

That surprised me. My assumption was that if there was an option of fleeing, a person was required to do that before applying deadly force. I really thought about that, and I belive that I could have applied the law as written and put aside my own feelings.

After the defense attorney's questions, it was nearing 5 pm. We were told by the judge that, if we continued with the juror dismissal, we would end around 5:30.

Unfortunately, daycare is not that forgiving, so I had to speak up and let them know that I would be charged $1 per minute after 6pm if I wasn't able to pick him my son up on time.

Some people were upset, but my needs are just as important as anyone elses, so we were let go for the day just after 5pm and told to return at 9am. (By the way, I was able to pick Sam up before I was charged any fees.)

Not having to report to the courthouse until 9am let me have an extra hour of time with Sam before dropping him off. We had fun playing on the floor in the family room. He kept trying to get the wrappers from my breakfast bars, but I (of course) wouldn't let him have them. On a different note, I decided to see if he could survive daycare without his binky. He was absolutely awesome. They said that he didn't have any problems. He found other things to chew on during his teething.

But I digress.

I arrived at the courthouse around 8:40 on Tuesday and read. Just after 9am, everyone but one person had arrived, so we were taken upstairs to the courtroom.

There were a few empty seats that were full the afternoon before, so we were informed by the judge that a few people were excused after speaking with the judge after we were excused for the evening on Monday. Alternate jurors filled those seats.

Since the prosecutor and the defense attorneys had not spoken with these individuals, questions were presented to them as they had been to the rest of us.

After those questions were presented we were given a break for lunch. After lunch, the attorneys took turns with their preemptory challenges (they are allowed to reject a certain number of potential jurors who appear to have an unfavorable bias without having to give any reason). As it turns out, I was one of those preemptory challenges for the prosecution. I was the 3rd person the assistant district attorney challenged (the 5th person excused overall).

I think that may have been dismissed because I'm generally a chatty person.

Now that I'm not on the jury, here is the case that is being heard.

People vs. Corey Ray Albat

I'll have to find out the determination of the jury next week.

Thursday's Houshold Tip- Ten Beauty Tips Using Common Household Items

Lots of us today are just plain tired of throwing away big bucks on beauty products that simply don’t work as advertised. Rather than throwing more good money after bad, some women today are pulling out products that they already have on hand to make their own beauty products. Here are some of my favorites:

Tip #1 – Repair dry, damaged hair with an avocado conditioner made right in your own kitchen. Cut the avocado into small pieces and throw into your blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet. Mix in one-half cup of mayonnaise or a few tablespoons of olive oil. Next, wash and towel the hair. Apply the conditioner liberally and work it throughout the hair using a wide toothcomb. Cover it with a shower cap and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. Rinse, dry, and style as usual.

Tip #2 – Lighten skin discoloration while you soften it by adding buttermilk to your bath water. Between a pint and a half-quart is more than enough to do the trick. You can also add in a few drops of your favorite essential oil to make a luxurious spa treatment that your skin will love.

Tip #3 - Keep your heart healthy by eating chocolate. But not just any chocolate will do, and you can’t eat as much of the sweet confection as you might like! According to various studies, a couple of squares of unsweetened or semi-sweet dark chocolate a day will do the trick.

Tip #4 – Use old coffee grounds to chase away unsightly cellulite. Apply the grounds directly to the affected area, then wrap it with kitchen plastic wrap. Let the grounds sit in place for about 30 minutes. Remove the wrap and wash away the grounds. Repeat the treatment regularly to continue fading the marks.

Tip #5 - Make your own facial mask with honey, yogurt, and bananas. Mix one-half cup of plain yogurt with one tablespoon of raw honey and one-quarter mashed banana. Blend well in a blender, food processor, or Magic Bullet. Apply the mixture liberally to the freshly cleansed skin of the face and neck. Let the mask sit for between 15 and 20 minutes. Rinse the mask off with cool water, pat dry, and go.

Tip #6 – Make your own facial scrub by mixing the juice of one orange with a few tablespoons for cornstarch and a few grains of kosher salt. Apply the scrub to the face and neck area, working it in gently with small circular motions. Then rinse the skin, pat it dry, and apply your normal skin care regimen.

Tip #7 - Use a dab of olive oil to freshly shampooed hair to add shine and youthful vitality. About a nickel size portion should be enough for short to chin-length hair. A quarter’s portion may be required for longer tresses. Just pour the oil into the center of your hands and then rub them together. Work the oil throughout the hair. Follow up by using a wide toothcomb to make sure the oil is evenly distributed. Let sit in place for between 10 and 20 minutes. Rinse with cool water, dry, and style as usual.

Tip #8 - Get rid of the old dead, flaky skin on your feet and heels with a homemade foot scrub made from strawberries. Blend about a dozen strawberries together with one teaspoon of kosher salt and your favorite essential oil or some olive oil from the kitchen. Apply the scrub to the feet, rubbing it in thoroughly with strong, circular motions. Next, soak feet in Epsom salt for about 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse, dry, and apply the moisturizing cream of your choice.

Tip #9 – Make that green cast on your hair that is caused by too much pool chlorine go away with a tomato juice rinse. Simply wash the hair normally. Then apply the tomato juice straight from the can. Work throughout the hair using a wide toothcomb. Cover and let sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse, condition, dry, and style as usual.

Tip #10 - Help cleanse and detangle hair easily with vinegar. It has been used for decades as a natural hair rinse. It will remove product build-up from hairspray, mousse, gel, and other hair setting lotions while it also works to keep the hair from tangling. Simply mix equal parts of vinegar together with water. After shampooing the hair, apply your normal conditioner and rinse. Then add the vinegar mixture and work it through the hair to the ends. Rinse again, dry, and style as normal.

Sale: Medela Pump & Save Storage Bags 50-pk

As many of you know, I'm a big proponent of breastfeeding, but sometimes that can't be done while you are away from your baby.

The next best thing to breastfeeding is expressing milk. Amazon has 50-pk Medela Pump & Save Storage Bags on sale for $16.19. I have been using these bags for a year and they are

That's $3 off with free shipping (with order over $25).


Medela Pump & Save Storage Bags 50-pk

* Compatible with all Medela breastpumps for pumping directly into the bag
* Exclusive self-stick strap attaches directly to breastshield for fast & easy setup. Leak-proof, easy-to-close zipper top
* Special plastic retains breastmilk's beneficial properties

Step 2 Naturally Playful® Countryside Cottage™ Giveaway

What: Naturally Playful® Countryside Cottage™ {$329.99 Value}
How To Enter: Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House
Deadline: May 17th at 11:59pm EST

Wordless Wednesday (NOT)- Sam's Birthday Photos

I can't be very "wordless" when I see such wonderful photos taken of my son. Kelsey, you oudid yourself again. Whenever I think that I have seen the best photos of my son that you have taken, you top them off.

Some more are posted on Kelsey's Blog.

WIN a Bounce House at Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House during her Outdoor Oasis Event!

What: Rock Crawler Bounce House {$450 Value}
How To Enter: Two Of A Kind, Working On A Full House
Deadline: 11:59pm EST on May 3rd

Little Tikes Get Out ‘n’ Grill and the School Bus Activity Gym Giveaway

What: Little Tikes Backyard Barbeque and School Bus Activity Gym {$140 Value}

How To Enter: The Shopping Mama
Deadline: April 26

Little Tikes Anchors Away Pirate Ship Water Play Table Giveaway

What: Little Tikes Anchors Away Pirate Ship Water Play Table {$79.99 Value}
How To Enter: Two of a Kind
Deadline: May 3rd at 11:59pm EST

Goat's Rue- Still Available

I'm selling an 8 oz bottle of Motherlove Goat's Rue on ebay.com for $38.99 obo + free shipping. This could be a big steal for anyone that is interested.

My Ebay Listing



I purchased two of these from LuckyVitamin.com about three weeks ago for $39.71 each (plus shipping) and decided that I was going to stop pumping for my son during work. I am selling the bottle that is sealed (Expiration Date: 09/14).

I have had very good production over the past year with this supplement.

Goat's Rue by Motherlove
Discovered in Europe, goats’ rue is one of the most potent herbs known to increase breast milk, stimulating the development of mammary tissue. Helps adoptive mothers to successfully breastfeed, as well as women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), or women who have had breast reduction surgery. Also may be used to increase breast size in non-lactating women. Contains alcohol. May be used in the last month of pregnancy. Also available in alcohol free liquid vegetarian capsules.

A liquid herbal extract is a solution of alcohol and de-ionized water that contains the herb's active constituents. The American Academy of Pediatrics states that a small amount of alcohol is compatible with breastfeeding, and that alcohol is out of the breast milk two hours after consuming.

Advantages of an herbal extract:
• Quality: no heat is used in the manufacturing process. Herb quality is lost with heat processing and in dried, powdered form.
• Absorbability: herbal constituents are quickly carried into the body so they work faster.
• Shelf Life: extracts maintain their quality for several years if kept out of sunlight and extreme heat. No refrigeration is necessary.

Since 1990, Motherlove Herbal Company has been the trusted leader in herbal pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding products. These herbs have been historically used as food, as well as to safely increase mothers’ milk supply in countries around the world. Motherlove’s extracts are tested for bacteria, lead and heavy metals, and are manufactured in an FDA registered facility.

This product does not contain any milk, dairy, soy, egg, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or gluten.
Kosher
Lot#: P3255
Expiration Date: 09/14

Premades for a Purpose

I was made aware of Premades for a Purpose by another mom's blog that I follow, This Mom Rocks.

I'm looking into getting a new design for my blog and it would be great if I could help someone, not just financially, but someone with a real purpose.

In reading about Lena's story, I am leaning towards purchasing one of her designs. If you use a Blogger platform for your blog and want a new design, please visit Premades for a Purpose and help a struggling "Mommy-To-Be."

About Lena
The main purpose of this blog is to fundraise for our adoption- through the sales of my premade blog templates. I really appreciate your support. However you can give- either prayerfully or financially it is greatly appreciated and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

If you know of anyone in need of a blog makeover, Please spread the word!

Osh Kosh & Carter's Coupons- Through 04/14/10

This weekend’s coupons.

Osh Kosh 20% Off Coupon. Expires April 14th.

Carter’s 20% Off Coupon. Expires April 14th.

Thursday's Houshold Tip- Wonderful Uses For Vinegar

Few products out there have as many household uses as vinegar. From soothing feet to cleaning a computer mouse to removing streaks from your dishes, vinegar is definitely a product to have on hand in large quantities. I’ve compiled a list of just a few of the many household uses for vinegar below.

Vinegar foot soak to remove dry skin. Pour a 50/50 solution of vinegar and warm water and dip two bath towels in the vinegar solution. After wringing out the towels, wrap them around your feet and let them “soak” for about twenty minutes. When you remove the towels and wiped your feet down with a fresh towel the dry skin practically falls off, leaving your skin smooth.

Substitute for expensive rinse aids in dishwashers. Skip the Jet Dry and simply put some vinegar in the rinse aid compartment of your dishwasher. Dishes will come out “squeaky clean” and without streaks. If you are skeptical of this one, note the primary ingredient in commercial rinse aids is, what else, vinegar!

Clean trackball computer mouse. Dust and lint accumulates under the trackball and impedes its movement. Disconnect the mouse, remove the trackball and use a soft cloth dampened in a 50/50 vinegar-water solution to wipe off fingerprints, dust and accumulate grime from the trackball itself. Then use a cotton swab or Q-tip moistened in the same solution to clean out the little chamber the trackball is housed. Let parts dry about two hours before replacing the trackball and plugging the mouse back in.

Removing mildew. Simply apply a solution of equal parts vinegar and water to the mildew (for heavy build up you may need to try full strength vinegar). The nice thing about using vinegar is you don’t have the ventilation or skin irritant concerns you have when using commercial cleaners.

Remove stickers and window decals. Vinegar is great for removing stickers and decals. Apply full strength vinegar to the sticker and let it sit for a few minutes. Then scrape the sticker off using a credit card (preferably one you paid off!).

Make your car windows frost-free. Spray windshields with a solution of three parts white vinegar to one part water. Each application can last up to several weeks.

Remove bad odors. Have you ever had this experience? We recently found a three-month old container of food in the very back of the refrigerator. The smell was almost bad enough to peel paint from our kitchen walls. Even after running it through the dishwasher it still smelled NASTY!! We soaked a slice of white bread in vinegar and left it in the container overnight. Voila, no more bad smell!

Disinfect cutting boards and counter tops. After chopping up chicken for tonight’s dinner, it is a good idea to disinfect your cutting board and surrounding counter tops to remove bacteria and bugs such as Salmonella. Wipe them clean with full-strength white vinegar. The acetic acid in vinegar is an excellent disinfectant.

Freshen up your garbage disposal. After a few weeks, garbage disposals start to smell a little like that old container of tuna fish as foods rot and bacteria grows. Instead of buying those expensive disposal deodorizing tablets, make your own at home. Mix equal parts vinegar and water and freeze in an old ice tray. Drop a few cubes in the disposal once a week and flush with cold water.

Remove cigarette odors from suits and coats. Ever been trapped in the same room with a smoker for a couple hours? Chances are your coat or suit jacket now smells like cigarettes. To eliminate the odor, fill a bathtub with the hottest water your water heater will produce and pour in one cup of vinegar. Hang your suit or coat on the shower curtain bar and close the bathroom door overnight. The smell should be gone by morning. Warning: lock the bathroom door, or avoid this tip altogether if you have small children as a filled tub presents a potential drowning hazard.

Use it to clean out your coffee maker. A simple mix of some vinegar and water, run it through just like you were brewing coffee, and it takes all of the scale buildup out of the internal parts. Way better than spending a buck or two on one of those little powder cleaning packets that do the same thing.
Just spray on straight vinegar, let it sit for a few minutes while I do something else. When I come back almost all of it can be wiped right off without any scrubbing. Way better than any commercial stove cleaner I’ve used.

Clean windows and mirrors. However, there is one trick to doing it without leaving streaks: use newsprint (i.e. a sheet from a newspaper). Surprisingly you can clean it without streaks (just rub with dry newsprint if any are left behind). Not only do you save on the cleaner, you also save by not having to buy paper towels as most people already have some newspapers lying around waiting to be recycled

As I stated in the opening, this is only a partial list of the many household uses for vinegar. Please share with us your frugal vinegar tips in the comments below.

Wordless Wednesday- Atlanta Snowstorm- February 2010

They Say I Have a Toddler. I Don't Think So (Yet)

According to Wikipedia:
A toddler is a young child who is of the age of learning to walk, [1] between infancy and childhood. Toddling usually begins between the ages of 12 and 18 months. [2] During the toddler stage, the child also learns a great deal about social roles, develops motor skills, and first starts to use language.

The term infant (baby) derives from the Latin word infans, meaning "unable to speak." It is typically applied to children between the ages of 1 month and 12 months. However, definitions vary between birth and 3 years of age.

Some people’s terms are overlapping
• The word baby means any child from birth to age 3.
• Toddlers are from one year to four years of age.

Some people have specific ages for each
• Infant is under a year.
• Toddler is between 1-3 years.

Some people’s terms are based on development
• A toddler knows how to walk.
• An infant is still learning.

Some people go by what clothes that the child is wearing
• Infant is baby to say about 2ish 3ish.
• Toddler age when their clothes sizes have a T at the end. Like 4T or 5T.


The Difference Between Toddlers and Babies (According to This Mom)
I’m inclined to go with the definition that states that a toddler knows how to walk and is starting to talk and a baby is still learning. In that respect, Sam would still be considered a baby.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Samuel's Birthday Party

Our photographer, Kelsey Bigelow, is amazing. We have been hiring her since I was pregnant with our little boy and she photographed our maternity session. Since Sam’s birth, she has visually documented his 3 month, 6 month, and his 9 month pictures. On Saturday, she came to our house to photograph his 1 year and his birthday party. Here is a preview of her amazing work at my son's party.

First eBay Listing

I'm so proud of myself. I posted my first listing on eBay.com last night.

I have purchased on eBay over 25 times, but I have never sold anything. I thought that it would be harder than it was. The hardest thing was determining the best price and shipping cost for my item. I did some research on the prices that others were selling the same item and decided that I would price it a little less that what I had purchased it for (minus the shipping cost).

Are you wondering what I have posted? As you may have read on my previous posting, I have decided to stop pumping at work. Because of that, there is an item that I no longer need to purchase to help with my production, Goat's Rue. I have an 8 oz. sealed bottle that I bought from Lucky Vitamin for 39.71 + shipping that I have decided to post on eBay for $38.99 obo with free shipping. Here is the posting.

eBay Listing

Please reply to the eBay posting if you are interested.

For Moms Only- How to Stop Pumping at Work

If you get squeamish about woman issues, please stop reading NOW.





Sam had his 12 month doctor’s appointment yesterday and our pediatrician thinks that Sam is now able to transition to cow’s milk, so I’m interested in stopping pumping at work. Of course, I will still nurse him when we are together in the mornings and evenings until he weans, but not having to pump at work would be wonderful. I am currently pumping 4 times a day for 20 minutes at a time.

Doing a search on Google, I cam across a lot of message board about how others have quite pumping.

Here are some of the suggestions that I have come across on the La Leche League International website:
• I would reduce the number of pumps by one every couple of days to allow your body to adjust.
• Cold turkey's not usually the best way to go, it can cause engorgement or even plugged ducts or mastitis. When I quit pumping I spaced the sessions out until I was down to one mid-day session instead of one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Then I pushed my mid-day session back a little each day until I wasn't pumping at all, just very full when I picked my lo up for day care. After about 3 days that regulated so that I wasn't so full by the end of the day.
• Just pump to relieve your chest. Don't pump to empty. Your body may be equating ANY amount of pumping w/ required milk for your baby.

After reviewing their suggestions, I went to a site that I have referenced many times during my pumping adventures, Kellymom.com. Here are their recommendations:

Drop one pumping session at a time.
Try dropping one pumping session every 3-7 days. For example, drop the first session on day 1 (while pumping regularly at other sessions), the second session on day 4, the third session on day 7, etc.
Let your comfort be your guide. Many women need to transition more slowly than simply dropping a pumping session all at once. You can do this by decreasing the amount of time (or volume) you pump each day until you are no longer pumping at that session; at that point you can start decreasing pumping duration for the second session.

Gradually decrease pumping time for every pumping session at once.
Try decreasing all the pumping sessions you are dropping by two minutes every other day. For example, if you normally pump for 20 minutes at each nursing session, then on days 1&2 pump for 18 minutes, on days 3&4 pump for 16 minutes, etc. You may find that you can pick up the speed slightly, or you may need to go slower than this. Let your comfort be your guide.

Gradually increase the length of time between pumping sessions.
Instead of keeping pumping sessions at their regular times, gradually lengthen the amount of time between sessions. As usual, let your comfort be your guide. This will gradually decrease the number of pumping sessions. For example, if you normally pump every 3 hours, try pumping every 3.5 hours on days 1-3, every 4 hours on days 4-6, etc. Gradually decrease the duration of pumping sessions as you feel comfortable doing so.

Brian mentioned that we should sell the pump once I am completely off it, but I reminded him that we are still not sure if we are going to have any more children and I would hate to have to buy one. Ours was over $300 (thanks Andrea).

I contacted my lactation consultant, Peggy, and spoke with her about her suggestions for weaning off the pump. She said everything that was listed on the Kellymom.com website: drop one session at a time, decrease pumping time, and increase the length of time between pumping sessions.

I have always been very sensitive about my production and I know that I’m going to be very emotional during this transition, but I know that Samuel is doing well and thriving. He is a wonderful, healthy little boy that is just moving onto the next stage in his development.

At least I still have our mornings and evenings for nursing (until that ends). I really hope that I don't have to give that up anytime soon.