Raising All Kinds of Hale

We're having a great time being home! Raegan has been to several parties and I think she did really well. She was a little overwhelmed when we first arrived, but she settled down and smiled at friends and family. She met some cousins for the first time and has enjoyed seeing other babies. She tries to grab them and seems frustrated that she can't hold them. She met her friend Annabelle and tried to grab her too. We got some cute pictures of Annabelle crying while Raegan is tugging on her shirt. She is still reaching out to touch everything. I got up with her a few nights ago to help her back to sleep and she petted my face until she fell asleep.



Annie dog is not very impressed with Raegan anymore. She still checks on her if she fusses, but otherwise she does not want to be near her. Raegan laughed a real laugh for the first time a few nights ago. My dad had her and they were chasing Annie around the room. Raegan thought it was hilarious and laughed for a long time. Maybe that's why Annie doesn't like her. Raegan is doing great with her oatmeal. I was making it too thin at home and she couldn't keep it in her mouth. My mom showed me a better thickness and she eats every bite of it now. We plan to start fruits and vegetables when we get back and I will attempt to make them myself.

Now we're waiting for Santa. I know Raegan won't remember this Christmas, so we didn't get her much. However, I spotted some American Girl boxes under the tree that I'm excited to (help Raegan) open. Several years ago I gave up on putting ribbons on packages. I think they're attractive but unnecessary. I would just like to report that my mother tied ribbons on her own presents from us. I noticed them under the tree a few days ago looking a little more fancy than I left them. I guess they were compromising the integrity of the tree scene, like having a big mustard stain on a really nice shirt. Whattayagonnado?!

1. Mrs. Meyer's Baby Blossom Stain Remover - This has been great for getting milk stains and poop stains out of Raegan's clothes and it smells delightful. (So far, no poop on the clothes since using cloth diapers). We use it on our big people clothes too (but not for poop, just to be clear). I haven't tried any other products in this line, but I'd like to. I've seen them at Target and Babies R Us.

9. Shutterfly - I'm sure there are a lot of websites like Shutterfly, but I found it first because of coupons in my pregnancy magazines a while back. You can order prints of your digital pictures, photo cards, and my favorite - photobooks. I can't say too much about them yet because a couple of them may be wrapped under the tree, but they are so neat! It's kind of like digital scrapbooking without all of the "extras." It's perfect for someone like me who wants a scrapbook of some kind but doesn't want to spend the time cutting, gluing, arranging, etc. I started a scrapbook in high school, but I got a little behind... like, 10 years behind. The last section I started was the softball State Championship my junior year. Scrapbooking supplies can also become pretty expensive and there are so many cute things that it's hard to not go overboard. The photobook allows you to upload your pictures, pick out page themes and colors, and add captions. Then it's printed with your choice of hard cover or soft cover and you're done! This seems like a very reasonable way to keep up with Raegan's pictures and not get too behind. I made one of my pregnancy and it was really easy and turned out great.

I see the irony of it now, but let me explain. We've wanted a new TV for over a year and Ryan has been watching prices and waiting for them to drop. We've been so patient and we agreed to buy it when we sold my car. After several tries on Craigs List with lots of interest from scammers, we listed in on Auto Trader two weeks ago and sold it Tuesday night. Since Ryan has a work car, we didn't think it was necessary to have 3 cars anymore, so we sold mine and kept the SUV. We were both sad to see it go, but very happy to pay off the rest of his and buy ourselves a TV. We drove away from the Focus and her new owners and headed straight to Sam's. Last night was also the opening of Krispy Kreme and we felt we had cause for celebration, but the lines were insane and we didn't need a doughnut that bad. We'll try again later.


We're very excited to be home for the holidays! It's not too late for a Christmas card ;)

I recently designed some business cards, labels, and gift certificates for Laura at Pitter Patter Art. I was so pleasantly surprised today to see that she is having a giveaway and showing off her new goodies by yours truly. The giveaway is for a $25 gift certificate towards any of her creations. She makes onesies, kids shirts, custom paintings, fabric blocks, taggie blankets, etc. I have ordered several things from her for Raegan and for gifts. You can enter up to 4 times by leaving a comment on her blog, posting on Facebook, Twitter, or your own blog. The winner will be drawn on December 16th, so be sure to enter by midnight on the 15th. Thanks, Laura!!

• Reusable Gift Bags - It's hard to see trash bags full of wrapping paper and gift bags being thrown away each holiday season. Consider reusable gift bags or wrapped boxes with separately wrapped lids. I'm starting to see more of these in stores. Hobby Lobby has some really cute felt bags, and their Christmas goodies are 50% off right now. Maybe you can't put every gift in one, but try using them with small gifts and with people you know will reuse the bag. They can either use the bag for another purpose at home, or put a gift in it and pass it along to someone else. When I was younger, we had a special "Birthday Box" at our house with the lid wrapped separately. My birthday gifts were always in that box. Start a tradition in your family this season, but be sure to find a good hiding place for it if you have snooping kids. I'm speaking from years of experience as the snooping kid.

These are by Red Kettle on etsy, but if you know how to sew, you could easily make them.

• Look for items with less packaging - Individual packaging might save a few seconds when packing a lunch or running out the door in a hurry, but it creates more waste. This is very prevalent with food items. Instead of buying a box of 10 small bags of chips, buy the regular size bag and put a serving in a reusable container. Use a BPA-free water bottle instead of throwing out a plastic bottle after each use. If you have coffee or lunch at work, use a mug and flatware instead of plastic and styrofoam.

• Reusable shopping bags - Tons of stores offer these now, but there's no need to buy a matching one for every store you shop in. You may already have some that would be good for groceries and other stores like Target. When I taught, it seems like I always got a canvas bag at every workshop I went to, so look for things like that around the house. I find it's a lot easier to carry these bags than the standard plastic bags from the store. I know some people reuse plastic store bags for pet "droppings" or carrying your lunch, but they will still eventually get thrown away. If you have a big stash at home, look for recycling bins for them at your grocery store.
• Cut down on items that are single-use. A lot of items are single-use for the convenience of not having to wash or clean it. Cleaning may add a few minutes to your day, but it eliminates waste and saves you money. Some examples of single-use products: drop-in bottle liners, plastic utensils, Swiffer pads, disposable diapers and wipes, paper napkins, plastic water bottles. Try using a wash cloth dipped in warm soapy water instead of Swiffer pads. We wash bottles each night, but it takes less than 5 minutes and beats repeatedly buying boxes of liners or discovering that you've run out of them with a hungry baby.
• Look for ways to reuse before recycling or throwing away - Get creative and think of ways to use empty containers before throwing them away. Gerbers baby food containers are a great size for water to use with water color paints. You don't have to worry about your little one spilling a big cup of water. They can also hold hair clips, paper clips, etc. Use them to organize the junk drawer (or three) that we all have in our homes. Empty cereal boxes can become building blocks for a fort or doll house. Other containers that might make good blocks or drums: oatmeal canister, sour cream, yogurt, cardboard boxes, tissue boxes. With a little imagination you can think of ways to reuse things you would normally throw away.
• Turn off the "heat dry" setting on your dish washer. Wait until it is full to run it. Run a cycle as you go to bed and let them dry overnight.
• Wash more clothes on "cold" and wash full loads instead of a few items at a time. If you realize at 10 pm that you need a certain item or uniform for the next morning, put a full load in and get your money's worth out of the washing and drying cycle.
• Find out about recycling pick up in your city. We are very fortunate to have recycling picked up at our home each week, and the best part is that we don't have to sort it. They accept aluminum, paper, and plastic. On average, the recycling bin is full, and we have one bag of trash.

I thought Oprah was especially powerful today. It was based on the book Half the Sky which exposes some of the terribly oppressive conditions women are facing around the world, particularly in developing countries. I get overwhelmed when I hear about things like this because I want to help, but I feel like my efforts are so small. However, I have always been a believer in synergy, so I want to help and believe that my efforts are being strengthened by other people who are choosing to do the same.