Price Comparison for Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers

If you were curious about the money you can save by using cloth diapers here is a little incentive for you to start using them. This info comes from toastybaby.com. I am registering for my diapers from nickisdiapers.com because I feel they have more a of selection to choose from. I am doing prefolds with diaper covers and a gracious friend of mine is passing on around ten all-in-ones for me too. Cloth diapers are not like they used to be so check em out.


Amercians spend about 7 billion dollars on disposable diapers every year. The cost of cloth diapering can easily be less than 1/2 the cost of buying disposables.Cost Savings: Cloth Diapers vs. Disposable Diapers

Disposable Diapers = $2,214.00
1st 3 months ($270.00)
30 days/month x 10 diapers/day x 3 months = 900 diapers a month
900 diapers x $.30 = $270.00
4 - 30 months ($1,944.00)
30 days/month x 8 diapers/day x 27 months = 6,480 diapers
6,480 diapers x $.30 = $1,944.00

Chinese Prefold & Bummis Super Whisper Wraps = $734.00
Chinese Prefolds ($132.00)
36 infant prefolds @ $2.00 each = $72.00
24 regular prefolds @ $2.50 each = $60.00
Bummis Super Whisper Wraps ($242.00)
8 small covers (white) @$11.00 each = $88.00
8 medium covers (white) @$11.00 each = $88.00
6 large covers (white) @$11.00 each = $66.00
Laundering Cost
24 months x $15.00/month = $360.00

Bumkins All-In-One = $1,807.95
Small (White)
36 @ $15.99 = $575.64
Medium (White)
30 @ $15.99 = $479.90
Large (White)
24 @ $15.99 = $383.76
Doublers for overnight
3 @ $2.95 = $8.85
Laundering Cost
24 months x $15.00/month = $360.00 Assumptions:

Average cost of disposable diaper = $.30. Based on price review at local area Kroger.
Laundering Cost is estimated at $15.00/month. This may vary based on the age and style of your washing machine.
Babies who are cloth diapered are potty trained on average in 24 months versus 30 months for those who wear disposable diapers.
Wipes & other accessories are not factored into this comparison. There would be further costs for both disposable and cloth and could vary greatly depending on the accessories used.

Having to Keep a Schedule Sucks!

Ever since Joe and I returned home from the hike life seems far to hectic with crazy schedules and feeling like the months go by so fast because we are either gone all the time or have some sort of event going on. One of the hardest things to make time for is visiting all of our dear friends who we left when we moved to the camp. I miss everyone so much but you don't know how hard it is trying to keep in touch and making visits until you are the one moving away from everyone! It is not easy, especially when you have to work around other people's crazy schedule's as well as your own. Don't you just wish life could slow down enough to where you felt like you had one week out of every month to throw out your schedule book and enjoy the comfort of home? I know I would, so as a result of that wish I am inventing a month out of every year where Joe and I do not go anywhere unless we really want too. I don't know what we will call that month yet, something like, "Stay at Home Month" or something like that. During this month, whatever month we decide on, the schedule book goes out the window; we don't travel anywhere, only to the necessary places like the grocery store, church, bank, work, going on dates, etc. We also don't make plans with anyone unless they want to come out to hang at our crib. I have really enjoyed being home and not having an out of home job, but still feel like the schedule book fills up and life gets hectic. I guess hiking 6 months in the woods has changed my perspective about the hustle and bustle of life and how I can learn to slow down and smell the roses. Anyone else out there feel the same way I do?

Kids are kind of like dogs.

I once had a friend tell me that babies are much easier than puppies. If that is the case then my up coming responsibilities of training my kids will be a breeze. Ha! I am so sure that I won't fall for that lie but if I can train my kids to listen to me and behave as well as my dog Maximus than I am actually looking forward to being a parent. For the longest time I put having kids at the bottom of my list of adventures to pursue. I have always loved kids, other people's in particular since I have never had my own, but I could always give the kids back to their parents when I had my fill. I will admit there are many kids that I find very unpleasant to be around, and very few that are so well behaved I could take them for my own. Based on that I am making it my goal to have children that my friends will enjoy just as much as I do, just like my awesome dog Maximus. He is only 6 months old and the handsome little guy steals peoples hearts with his precious face and his near perfect behavior. I am so glad that we decided to give up our other demon possessed dog, Sadie. She probably would have ended up having one of our kids for dinner, even though she never showed any kind of aggression towards any child until we got back from our hike as went after my nephew. I think dogs are a lot like kids. Either you like them or you don't, or, they are either annoying and not cute or pleasant and adorable. There are very few times that I don't like my dog and that is usually when he has smelly farts. Now I know some of you may be thinking how silly that comparison sounds but I think it all comes down to how consistent a parent or dog owner is in training their child or pet. So I have a few resources for you all if you like to read or if you have a pet you would like to develop better behavior patterns. First, go to nogreaterjoy.com and buy the book "To Train Up A Child." It is a very short book but very helpful in the biblical truths of training up an angel rather than a demon. Now, if you don't agree with spanking than I still recommend you read it anyway. If you still disagree with spanking after you have read the book than pass the book onto me and I will pass it on to someone that does agree with spanking. Second, for your pet, google The Perfect Dog and order Don Sullivan's training system. Well worth the money! We used his techniques with our three year old dog Sadie and with Maximus who we started training at 9 weeks. I only wish we were able to work with Sadie at a younger age. We made a lot of mistakes with her which is probably why she was so aggressive and protective. Maximus however, is proof that Don's system works. I have never had so many complements on how well-behaved he is and have even had people ask us if we would sell him to them. I would never consider selling him for any price. He is the best dog I've known! Well, there's my two cents worth of advice.

Happy Training!

22 weeks and the baby bump keeps growing

Well, there is me at 22 weeks looking bigger and man am I pasty white, and I look tired, but I'm not! I should have put on a little makeup for this shot too but oh well. That is as natural as I get. So being pregnant isn't so bad. I am actually excited that I am starting to show enough that I can't hide it. We had our first ultra sound a few weeks ago and that was also a very exciting experience. We were able to get a few face shots and the baby looks as though it will have the famous Wisley nose. After about 10 minutes of the technician pushing around on my belly I was ready to relieve myself. My bladder was screaming by the end of that session. I have gained about 10-12 pounds since days one. I haven't been over 130 pounds since my freshman year of college! Fun to have an excuse to put on some weight.
Oh let's see what else has been going on the past couple of weeks. I am thinking of have a home birth and hiring a midwife. The thought of having our baby at home seems so much more peaceful and comforting. Being in our own home with only a few people to have to deal with sounds much more enticing than being stuck in a strange room with strange people for two to three days. Now I know all you ladies out there that opted for an eppidural (sp) would tell me otherwise but the fact that they cost like $2500 and we don't have health insurance to cover it makes me just want to live through the pain. I am going to talk with a friend from my old church who had three kids with no pain meds and see how she got through it. So if anyone of my blogging buddies out there has ever had a midwife or went without the pain meds give me a shout.
The babies room isn't anywhere near being started. I should take a picture of it now so you can see that I have a lot of work to do on it. I actually spent the last week painting my weight room at the camp and putting a rubber floor in so that we can have a nice place to work out. I wish I took a picture to show you but it looks pretty slick if you ask me. The walls are a sapphire blue with one wall being a slate gray. I love it! Can't wait to use it full force after this baby comes out! I so miss my hardcore workouts.
Well, that is all for now. Joe and I are heading to Bedford for the next 7-10 days for a little vacation. We haven't seen his family since Christmas and are looking forward to hanging out with all of them. It is nice that we can go to one city and be able to see all of his side of the family in one visit. Peace out everyone! Oh and I am not going to proof read this blog because I have to bath the dog and finish packing so all you grammer freaks out there need to hold back on any snide comments. God Bless and enjoy the wamr weather this weekend! Finally!

The Beauty of Motherhood

I was driving home today from Lowes and came across a Revive Our Hearts Broadcast on 97.9 FM. The title of the broadcast was the title of my blog and I was hooked from the beginning since I am entering the journey of motherhood within the next 4 months. Nancy Leigh DeMoss had a guest speaker today. Her name is Holly Elliff and she shared her views and a feminist view of what motherhood means in our world today. I must say that it was an encouraging broadcast and would write a summary about it but since I don't want to misinterpret anything she said it would be better if you listened online for yourself. If interested go to:
oneplace.com/ministries/reviveourhearts and listen to April 15th, "The Beauty of Motherhood."
The reason I was encouraged by this 20 minute broadcast is ever since I got back from our 6th month hike and soon found out we were having a baby I made the decision to not rush into getting back into a full time career as a personal trainer. I do miss the relationships I built with my co-workers and my clients, as well as my paycheck, but thinking about being a mom and having to be away from my kids five days a week didn't sound like the best option for me. I understand why a lot of mom's choose to work and know that finances are a constant struggle for many of my friends that choose to work. I have more respect for them as mom's because of the sacrifice they make to be away from their babies to support their family. It is a very hard decision that one day I may end up going back too.
Lately I have felt slightly guilty about the fact that I am choosing not to work. Mainly because Joe is now considered a missionary who has to raise his salary to be able to work at the camp. We knew what we were getting ourselves into before we left our other jobs, but also knew that God would bless us if we listened to his calling, which he is. No, we don't have his full Salary raised yet, but that doesn't bother us because we are surviving, and making it through. His support slowly comes in one month at a time and even though we have less than we have ever had, we are more happy then we have ever been. So, in my own mind I feel at peace with the decision I have made to be a full-time mom. A lot of people have asked me, or assumed that I am back to work, or have a position at the camp, probably because they know our financial situation and may think that I should work to help out with our income. Well, regardless of what people think or feel about working/non-working moms I feel both parties should be respected for their decision. As long as you make choices that will glorify God and look at your kids as a gift from God and not an inconvenience or parasite, then God will bless you in whatever you decide.

I Love Resale Shopping

Since Joe and I have been raising our support for Joe to work as Program Director at Rainbow Christian Camp I have been trying to find ways of shopping more cheaply. One of those ways is resale shopping or what my friend Bekah and I like to call "Thrifting." Once I found out that I was pregnant last December I was a little worried about having to purchase a bunch of maternity clothes and I knew they would be more expensive than what we can afford right now. Last month my friend Bekah and I headed up to Aurora IL to check out a couple of thrift stores for a day and I didn't think I would actually come home with much. I think I was expecting a Goodwill type of store and was glad to find I was way off. I have never seen so many racks of clothes in my life. I was excited to see what used treasures I would find but very overwhelmed at the same time since these are the types of places that hurt my brain. I ended up finding several gently used maternity clothes as well as a nice cradle and baby carrier all for a very low price. Even after my successful finds I had the worst splitting headache that lasted for about 24 hours after returning home. For some reason the stores were very crowded and we weren't even there on a weekend!
I spent the past week at home with my mom and dad and the three of us decided to go check out a few resale shops this past Monday. Luckily the shops were not crowded and I found a lot more maternity clothes, including 3 dresses which I have had a hard time finding. It seems like most pregnant women don't really wear dresses that often. I figured I will be more comfortable in a dress being pregnant during the hottest months of the year. So with the 3 that I found and 2 that my mom is going to make me I think I am set on maternity clothes. Every item of clothing with the exception of 3, are all either from a resale shop or a friend who is finished having kids. I am very happy with my new-to-me clothes! I was also able to find a practically new toddler hiker backpack for 14 bucks and a baby bath for less than 2 dollars! I love a good bargain and even better, my parentsspoiled me and bought my items for me! Thanks mom and dad!
I know that since I will be having several baby showers I should probably relax a little on the resale shopping and wait to be pampered before I go back to look for more stuff but why pass more than a good deal and have someone else waste their money on something I can find for much cheaper. Well, my resale shopping days are on hold until after the baby comes and I see what I get for my showers. But I will definitely shop for bargains before going to any retail storesfrom now on. If anyone of you are bargain shoppers give me a call and I would love to thrift with you sometime!

Max Patch, Baby Shower Surprise and Shower Registry

Yesterday was a day full of fun and surprsies. I am still in North Carolina with my sister and have been dying to at least walk a few feet of the Appalachian Trail since I am so close to it so Heather and I made the hour drive to Max Patch Mountain NC. It was one of my favorite places on the AT (above Picture). We were able to take my dog Maximus who loved every minute of our short walk. We met a thru-hiker who had just started the trail a day ago. He decided to start after the Smokys because he had his lab Mr. Biggs with him and dogs are not allowed in the park. We took his picture on top of the mountain and his dog played with mine for a few mintues.

Later that night we were headed to my Aunt and Uncle's place for dinner. My Aunt and Uncle from Waukegan were there visiting as well as my Grandpa and his wife Ruth Ellen. When I walked into the living room I saw my Uncle Joe holding a camera and aiming it at me so I decided to pose for him and while I was doing so everyone said, "Surprise!" I looked over at a table with a cake and presents on it and was in shock! I had no idea that they were throwing me a shower! It was great! My first shower and I didn't even know about it. They got me great stuff. My mom ask me to start a registry a few weeks ago and now I know why! She is a sly one!

Today my sister and I decided to run to Babies R US to glance at a few items. Looking for stuff online just isn't the same. It sure is very overwhelming to look at all the different bottles, pacifiers, car seats, monitors etc. I am going to have a friend go to a few places with me to help me figure out what I will need. I hate to register for sutff I won't find useful. If anyone is looking to get rid of or sell some of their baby items let me know because I don't really want to register for all new stuff. So far someone is giving me a crib and stroller with attached car seat. I also had a friend offer me some of her girl clothes if we have a girl. I am also going to be doing cloth diapers so any advice you have on those would be helpful. I am not sure if I can register for cloth diapers so I somehow need to spread the word that I won't be registering for disposibles. Well, enough for today. Hope everyone is having a good April Fools Day. Don't fall for any pranks!