Flip Trainer Review At Eco-Kids Tuesday

I wrote here about night weaning and finding trainers for Bunny to wear at night. Well, the 7th Generations disposable ones that we bought, were about to run out. I didn't really feel comfortable with buying more and thus creating more waste. Plus Bunny had started complaining that they were hurting her bottom. So I began my search yet again.

Finally, I found the Flip Trainer!

Flip is unlike any other trainer I have seen. It is basically just a shell, with liners (it comes with 3) that you replace when wet. $30 for the set was a great deal compared to the $90+ I was looking at spending on other systems. With Bunny only needing a trainer at night, I just toss the liner in the wet bag with Squirrely's diapers, wash out the shell in our bathroom sink, and hang it up to dry and be relined for the next night.

I found that while one liner holds a ton of liquid, it was not quite enough for Bunny's large bladder (Really, I have never seen so much pee come out of a kid). An extra liner worked great, and I had some laying around, so I just used those. I could have bought 3 extra Flip liners for $17 (extra shells are $17 as well) if I had needed.

Another BIG plus to the Flip Trainer is that it has such a large range of size. Going from 20lbs all the way up to 50lbs means that it will fit most potty learning children.

Snap down or up depending on the rise your child needs.

Snap smaller or bigger depending on their waste size as well. Also I love that the sides unsnap because there are times when Bunny is already in her jammies and I don't want to have to take her pants all the way off to put on her trainer.

I asked Bunny if her new trainer hurt her bottom and she said, "No... It feel soft!"

We bought the Lovelace print. It is so pretty.

Perfect for a free spirit like Bunny.

Bedtime has been going great. We started listening to Beatrix Potter books on CD.

I feel like getting used to a book on CD, and having that as part of her bedtime rhythm, will help her to wean off nursing to sleep when the time comes for that.

But for now we are both content in snuggling up and nursing for a few last minutes before the nursies, and Bunny, need their sleep.

And Mama. Mama needs her sleep too. Goodnight!

Welcome to this week's Eco Kids Tuesday!!

Oh goodness!  Each week just gets better!  We had so many GREAT links!!

I visit each and every one of them and glean so many good ideas!

Oh the features!  It is so so hard to pick features!  All the links are so good and so helpful... sigh...

We read If You Give a Moose a Muffin a few weeks ago and ever since, I have been wanting to make Bunny some sock puppets.  We Made That shows us how!

Domestic Super Hero shared a sweet burlap banner for spring.. with bunnies (of course, I would have to add squirrels, too!) 

Bunny's 3rd birthday is in just three weeks and now that we are eating no processed foods, no sugars, no wheat (and loving it) I have been on the lookout for a fun birthday cake idea! 

Your Thriving Family has a wonderful idea--a watermelon ad fruit cake!!

  

My last feature is an amazing resource.  Be sure to pined it, bookmark it, do whatever you need to do to save it for future ideas and help!  Mama Rosemary has a complied a wealth of information on herns and children!  In her own words "Looking for fun ways to introduce children to the magical world of herbs? Want ideas for taking care of your little one with the help of herbs? This is a great place to find all the fun, inspiring activities and posts about herbs and kids."

Yes, please and Thank you!!

Thanks to ALL of you for sharing such wonderful ideas!  If you were featured please feel free to grab a button for your blog.  And please keep linking up great all your Eco-Kid ideas!

Now on to the party!!! 

I hope that you'll share some great family-friendly posts that are also friendly for the environment.

Some ideas include:

• Nature Activities
• Outdoor Activities
• Crafts made with re-purposed or recycled materials
• Sewing and DIY home projects
• Science Experiments
• Posts on environmental issues for kids or families
• Non-toxic living
• Homeopathic Remedies

Eco-Kids Tuesdays is co-hosted by Organic Aspirations and Like Mama~Like Daughter this means that anything you link-up shows up on both blogs!

Feel free to link up several of your posts.

There are only a few rules:

Please follow both co-hostess' blogs, and visit some of the other posts and give them some encouragement!  Please stick to posts and photos not giveaways or items for sale.

By linking up, you are agreeing that Organic Aspirations or Like Mama~Like Daughter can feature your photos next week with a link back to your site.  

Please link back to my site using this button (once I get it fixed !!) OR simply text linking within your post!

Nifty Thrifting at Eco-Kids Tuesday

~ Nifty Thrifting ~

I enjoy thrifting, and buying used, much more than buying new and paying full, retail price.

If I can get something handmade or vintage, that is even better!

I thrifted this sweater from GoodWill for $3.50.

I just love cable knitted, grey wool sweaters.

When I got home, I noticed the label. Nice, I thought.

Mama looked it up...

Turns out, it retails for over $220.00!

I wore it out for our walk Monday morning.

Later in the day it hit 74 degrees out, so I am thinking this sweater is good luck!

I found these two vintage plates for 45 cents each. I love them.

They remind me of my Nanny. I have no idea why though.

As far as I know, she never had plates like these.

I am not a gun nut like my hubby, but I do know how to shoot.

I actually taught him how to hunt and process deer the very first winter we were together.

Waaaay back in 2005.

I am just a sucker for pretty fire power.

And I still have this childhood fantasy of being like Annie Oakly.

They could call me Hannie Oakly!

I found this beautiful vintage dress for Bunny

way cheaper than it would have been new. 

I feel it fits her funky, free spirited style very well.

She was pretty excited to show wear it to Nana's house to show her.

Welcome to this week's Eco Kids Tuesday!!

Last week we had so many GREAT links!!

I visit each and every one of them and glean so many good ideas!

It is so hard to pick features... I want to highlight them all!

But since I just rcovered for a horrible stomach virus (sickest I have ever been) I am going to highlight a few health related posts!

wildflowerramblings shows us how to make a healthy chicken stock. 

I credit my own previously made and frozen broth with helping me recover! That and an oj/coconut water mix helped me overcome some pretty serious dehydration issues.

Creative Christian Mama shared her recipes for essential oil room sprays. 

How wonderful these will be for future sick days!

 

Jo's Health Corner shared a reciped for Healing and Relaxing Infused Oil. 

I needed some St John's Wort Oil rubbed into my cramping muscles, but would have loved to have had some delicious smelling oils as well!

And last, Mama Rosemary shared a lovely ginger footbath. 

Thanks to ALL of you for sharing such wonderful ideas!  If you were featured please feel free to grab a button for your blog.  And please keep linking up great all your Eco-Kid ideas!

Now on to the party!!! 

I hope that you'll share some great family-friendly posts that are also friendly for the environment.

Some ideas include:

• Nature Activities
• Outdoor Activities
• Crafts made with re-purposed or recycled materials
• Sewing and DIY home projects
• Science Experiments
• Posts on environmental issues for kids or families
• Non-toxic living
• Homeopathic Remedies

Eco-Kids Tuesdays is co-hosted by Organic Aspirations and Like Mama~Like Daughter this means that anything you link-up shows up on both blogs!

Feel free to link up several of your posts.

There are only a few rules:

Please follow both co-hostess' blogs, and visit some of the other posts and give them some encouragement!  Please stick to posts and photos not giveaways or items for sale.

By linking up, you are agreeing that Organic Aspirations or Like Mama~Like Daughter can feature your photos next week with a link back to your site.  

Please link back to my site using this button (once I get it fixed !!) OR simply text linking within your post!

Oh, The Adventures to Come!

After many months of researching and comparing options.  Then several more months of scouring the classifieds. We finally found the perfect (well, perfect for us anyway) pop up camper on Craig's List. 

A 1974 Apache Ramada

Vintage, Baby!

I saw the ad and called the guy right away. He was really nice

and told me all about buying the camper and fixing it up. 

Dad and The Hubs drove up the next day to get it.

(Thanks again, Dad!)

As soon as The Hubs called and said they were on their way home with it,

I started prepping Bunny.  We looked at pics online (she picked out what bed she wanted to sleep in) and talked about going camping.  

There is still a lot of little things to be fixed.

We are hoping to work on it slowly and have it in tip top condition the spring.

I do love a good project.

We are all pretty excited about the prospective adventures that lay ahead.

Stay tuned for camper updates...

Linking Up With:

Unschool Monday

Happy Family Times

Mommy Moments

Mama Moments Monday

Crafting Along With needle and thREAD

It's been one of those weeks.  A great, but VERY busy weekend meant this VERY pregnant mama started her busier-than-usual-playschool-due-to-summer-break-and-my-sister--our-paid-helper--away-at-church-camp work week already tired. OK. I can handle this. Then Bunny got sick with a fever Monday at noon.  Monday night little sleep. Tuesday night less sleep. Wednesday had me stressed that I would go into labor already very exhausted and fearful *I* would get sick, too.  Thankfully we got some decent sleep Wednesday night and I am starting to feel more like a nine month WAH pregnant mama of a toddler.. rather than a heap of emotional, exhausted, pregnant mess. 

All that to say blogging has suffered and I am a day late getting this post out.

After finding out Squirrely was a girly, we came across these adorable onesies on clearance!!

How about a closer look :)

Coincidence? I think not!

But I had a little problem, or two.  Bunny is potty trained, so a onesie is NOT something she is going to wear AND the bunny onesie is a size too small for her. Oh and they are long sleeve and it is summer (which meant it could be two sizes too small by winter.) Sooooo I decided I could shorten the sleeves and the bottom of each onesie, hem them, and have sweet little summer tees for my Bunny and my Squirrel!

What are we reading?  Prepping Bunny for homebirth books!  Our favorite is this sweet book My Brother Jimi Jazz by Chrissy Butler.  We love everything about this book.. the text is great. The illustrations are real.  Pure art.

This post is linked up to: Too Cute Tuesday,   Sundae Scoop,  WIP Wednesday, Keep Calm and Craft On, Creative Friday, and needle and thREAD

Upcycled

I have become quite fond of the Goodwill in the next county over (The one we had here closed several years ago... Poo!). When I find myself with nothing to do on a Saturday morning, a sewing machine calling my name, and absolutely no material to use, Bunny, her papa, and I mosey on over. We scour the racks and racks of clothes, hoping to find that perfect piece. I can usually spot the good ones without even pulling them out, but The Hubs is still learning what the different fabrics and fibers look like. He walks around and randomly grabs a hanger to check the tag on whatever he thinks looks good. Bunny usually likes to ride in the buggy, and sort through the pile. On this day however, she had a bit of extra energy to run off. And with a nearly empty store, I was inclined to oblige her.

We have decided that, since we have a large selection to choose from, we will be very picky and only select 100% wool (or cashmere if we are lucky). We actually end up with quite a large pile in our buggy. At the end of our search, we sort back through all of our finds and only keep the best.

Once home, I decide what piece I want to work with.

I lop off the sleeves.

Using a pair of well fitting pants as a template, I mark were the inseam should be.

I splice down the seam (leaving a couple of extra inches at the top for the waistband).

I pin and sew the two leg pieces together.

Then I fold down and sew the waistband, and insert the elastic.

I also like to use the chest piece of the sweater.

Trim it up and sew, making it into a dress for Bunny.

I have to say that this is my favorite outfits of Bunny's. She gets lots of compliments on it.