Bare Feet on the Dashboard

08
Mar
2013

Frugal Friday: Cheap Toddler Entertainment

categories: cloth diaper, frugal, toddlers

On a recent grocery store trip I accidentally purchased the wrong kind of dried beans. I was going for kidney but came home with pinto. I meant to return them but kept forgetting. Best $2 I ever accidentally spent. I didn’t get the red beans and rice dish I was craving, but I did create a fresh way to entertain Bear.

We took half the bag of beans and poured them into Bear’s sand pail and got out the rest of his sand toys as well as a few plastic cups. Every afternoon we go outside and sift, pour, and dump the beans til his little heart is content.

He LOVES them. I love them because they are super easy to scoop back into the bucket and there is no harm done if a few end up in the grass. All that scooping and sifting is great for his motor skill development, and keeps him completely entertained.

I’ve seen lots of sensory trays on Pinterest and have wanted to make one for a long time. Instead we have a cheap sensory bucket. Yay for cheap entertainment!

How do you keep your kids or yourself entertained on the cheap?

06
Mar
2013

Let’s Make an Easter Basket – A Tutorial

categories: crafts, handmade, holiday, kids, tutorial

I love the joy of Easter and the new life it brings. You can read some of my other Easter posts here. Last year I looked long and hard to find the perfect Easter basket for the Bear, but all the options I loved were too pricey. I had paint and ribbon on hand and decided to make a frugal, durable, cute Easter basket. I purchased a peck size basket at Hobby Lobby for about $4. Here’s a crappy image of a peck basket from Amazon so you can see what it looked like before. I totally forgot to take before pics.

I painted the basket using Rustoleum Painter’s Touch Satin in Heritage White and a sponge brush. It took two coats to really cover the wood.

I used my glue gun to line the inside and outside with satin ribbon leftover from our wedding. Yes, we’ve been married almost 5 years. Yes, I probably over bought on wedding ribbon. Oh well. The ribbon serves two purposes. It looks super cute and covers up the rough edges and staples that hold the peck basket together.

I tied satin ribbon into bows on each handle and glued them in place. I’m sure these will have to be replaced someday but they are holding up well so far.

I painted the Bear’s name onto the basket using a navy blue paint pen. I am not skilled in the handwriting department so it took a few tries and a few wipe off/repaints. I finally went with dot letters because they are very forgiving and look super cute. I highly recommend this method if you struggle with paint pen writing like I do.

We use ribbon as Easter grass after seeing the idea on Young House Love and not wanting to find the plastic stuff everywhere. My dad hates the plastic Easter grass with a passion (4 kids = a ton of Easter grass clean up over the years) and loves this idea. I used two rolls of green ribbon from the dollar store and just unrolled them completely and put them in the basket. The clean up is incredibly easy. You just pick up each long piece of ribbon and throw it back into the basket. We’ve made a game out of tossing the ribbon and eggs back into the basket after Bear inevitably dumps them out.

The Bear loves his basket even more this year. He has carried it all over the house and loves playing with the ribbon and plastic eggs.

What’s your favorite Easter candy?

I’m obsessed with Cadbury eggs.

05
Mar
2013

Rodan + Fields Skin Care Review ~ the REDEFINE Regimen for Anti-Aging

categories: beauty, review

Skin care is a struggle for me. I have never been big on washing my face or really taking care of my skin in general. Yes, I know that’s bad. I hear your judgmental tone and I completely agree. Now that I’m heading into my (gulp) mid 30s, I’ve come to the realization that I should probably start taking better care of myself. Little wrinkles are popping up along with their BFFs the age spots, and I don’t like it one bit. That’s why when my friend Jennifer asked if I’d be interested in reviewing the Rodan + Fields Skin Care line she sells, I jumped on the opportunity. When she asked me what my skin care needs were, I was a little lost (seriously, you can ask her). My skin is dry all of a sudden after being super oily in my teens and combination in my 20s. It could be a combo of winter air, pregnancy, or just that whole fabulous aging phenomenon.

She sent me most of the Anti-Age line to try, which has recently been rebranded as the REDEFINE line. I tried the Daily Cleansing Mask, Pore Minimizing Toner, Triple Defense Treatment, Overnight Restorative Cream, the Lip Renewing Serum, and the Night Renewing Serum. My favorite products are the Triple Defense Treatment which serves as a day time moisturizer with SPF 30, and the Overnight Restorative Cream. I have never found a drugstore moisturizer that works for my skin. Every product I’ve ever tried is soaks up in a minute and my skin feels dry all over again. Both of these products feel fabulous and my skin still feels great 12 hours later. I did not love the Daily Cleansing Mask as much. As I mentioned before, I hate washing my face. I don’t know why, I just do. The Daily Cleansing Mask works well and leaves my skin feeling awesome. My issue with it is that you can use it around the eye area, so I first have to wash off my eye makeup, then wash my face. Petty, I know. Other than that I love the entire line.

If anti-aging is not your first concern right now, Rodan +Fields offers 3 other lines you can try: REVERSE (works to undo sun damage, lighten, and brighten), UNBLEMISH (for acne and post-acne damage), and SOOTHE (for sensitive, irritated skin). For more information about Rodan +Fields Skin Care, please check out Jennifer’s R+F site and Facebook page.

Overall Review

Positives: easy to use with clear instructions for each product (so helpful for skin care dummies like me), quality products that truly work better than the competition, variety of products to fit all skin care needs, easily accessible through internet ordering, helps out other ladies through their direct sales program

Negatives: the cost – this is not a frugal skin care line

If you are interested in trying any of the Rodan + Fields Skin Care products, head over to Jennifer’s website and check them out. The REDEFINE anti-aging regimen is $193, or you can buy products individually.

My sister and I were discussing the cost issue because she has heard great things about the line and has been wanting to try it as well. We decided it is worth it to buy the moisturizer I love because every time I spend $15-20 on a drugstore product that doesn’t work, it could have gone towards this product that actually does.

Don’t forget to enter the Rodan + Fields giveaway here at Bare Feet on the Dashboard. Just click the pic below. The giveaway ends 3/17/2013.

**I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own. I did receive the products free of charge for the purpose of review.

27
Feb
2013

Pregnancy 2.0 Update: 32 Weeks

categories: baby, pregnancy

It is has been a shamefully long time since I’ve posted an update on pregnancy #2, and I have a myriad of excuses you don’t want to hear. The most common are: I didn’t fix my hair or put on make up so I can’t take a picture or Jed’s not home so I can’t take a picture. I apologize for the photo quality above, but I cannot procrastinate another day or this child will be here. Poor second child, already lacking the documentation of the oldest child. It stops today. I’m 32 weeks along and feeling great most of the time. Here’s the rundown:

32 Weeks Update

Feeling: great, alternating with tired, large

Wearing: anything that fits, lots of flowy skirts, wide shoes

Weight Gain: not telling, but significantly less than last time

Pregnancy Side Effects: feet swell when I walk too much, tons of Braxton Hicks contractions

Belly Button: Still in. It never popped with Bear so I’m assuming that it won’t this time either.

Craving: Sweets! But I gave them up for Lent… 🙁

Baby: weighs close to 4 pounds and is about 17 inches long,

moving around like a champ

Gender: Girl! (We sure hope that ultrasound was right or we’ll have a lot of pink stuff going to waste.)

Name: undecided – We have a few front runners, but haven’t decided on a final winner.

Nursery: We have the paint, but haven’t painted. Bear will continue to live in there until he is ready to move to a big boy room this summer. Mini Bear will room with us for the first few months for convenient night time breastfeeding and mommy’s paranoia.

Preparations: We toured our new hospital Monday, and will meet with our doula in the next few weeks to prepare the birth plan and work on pain management techniques. We are trying for a VBAC. We’ve stocked up on cloth diapers and have a few more things to buy for our sweet girl.

To-Do List: work on decorations for the nursery, make headbands and bows, practice relaxation techniques for labor

What is one thing you did to prepare for the birth of your child?

25
Feb
2013

5 Things We’ve Learned From Cloth Diapering (Almost) 2 Years In

categories: baby, cloth diaper, toddlers

We are now almost 2 years into this little cloth diaper experiment. I’ve learned so much and am still picking up new info every week. I’ll probably get the whole thing totally mastered by the time Mini Bear potty trains. Today I’m sharing with you the top five things I’ve learned from our first 20+ months of using cloth.

1. Diapers We Love:
If you read our about Great Cloth Diaper Trials you know that we’ve tried and tested 11 different kinds of cloth diapers. We are now up to 14. Out of control. Not all of the brands we tried worked for us, but we do have a few that we absolutely love and we are always looking to try more. Our all time favorite brand is Softbums. We’re obsessed and they make up the bulk of our diaper stash. We also love the Bumgenius 4.0 and Freetime. We use our Bumgenius Elemental, but the drying time takes it from a love to a like. I love Apple Cheeks diapers, but Jed is not as big of a fan. I loved the 1 size two AC we had so hard the elastic is now busted. Anyone want to fix it for me? We love our Bummis swim diaper, and our Bunzuke bandana diaper is still in the rotation as well. That Bunzuke is so cute and hard to find I will never give it up. The rest we’ve sold. Which brings me to #2.

2. The Cloth Diaper World:
Did you know there is a whole underground world of cloth diaper people out there? We DO exist. There are Buy/Sell/Trade groups and fan pages on Facebook for every major brand. There are local cloth diaper swaps. There are forums where you can learn everything you every wanted to know about every diaper on the market. I’ve sold all of our used cloth diapers we didn’t love because they work really well for other people. I’ve bought used diapers from people who didn’t like our favorite brands. There are cloth diaper meet ups and mom groups in most major cities. The cloth diaper world is amazing, and I love being part of it. Before we started this experiment, I looked to blogs to learn everything I could. That’s why I now post about what I’ve learned to share with you.

3. The Laundry:
The cloth diaper laundry is no longer intimidating. You can read about our original simple cloth diaper laundry routine here. We just switched to Rockin Green detergent because of a hard water issue at the new house. Our new routine is one cold wash, one hot wash, extra rinse. We use 1 TBSP of Rockin Green in both cycles. That’s it. Then we hang the dipes up to dry and dry the pods and inserts on low. We now have the routine down pretty well and do a load every other day and never run out, even giving the diapers overnight to dry.

4. Over Night Cloth Solutions:
We struggled with this for a LONG time. Bear is a super heavy wetter and I thought we would never find the right fix. Bear would literally explode an over night disposable diaper, but we couldn’t find a cloth solution that worked either. Finally after begging for help from Twitter and Facebook friends as well as in cloth diaper forums, and visiting my two local shops, we have found a solution that works for our super heavy wetter. We use a waterproof cover (Rumparooz and Tiny Tush), two Grovia bamboo prefolds with one of them folded in half towards the front, two microfiber inserts (one in half towards the front and one flat on top of everything else), and two fleece liners covering the microfiber. It makes the fluffiest booty you’ve ever seen, but it works.

5. Cloth Diapering Really is Easy, Cheap, and Doable
It’s true. Maybe not for everyone, but it is true for me. I had many doubters when I first started talking about cloth, but thankfully I’m stubborn enough to prove them wrong. If you are interested in using cloth diapers, do your research and go for it. Don’t buy all one brand though, because that brand might not work for your babe. There are a few specific things that have made it easier on me as we have gone on. Our diaper sprayer is magnificent. We bought the Bumgenius diaper sprayer and have it attached to the toilet in one of our bathrooms. We keep our diaper pail beside it and after the dipes get sprayed they go straight into the potty. Totally easy. We use a simple Ikea pail with a lid. The other thing that makes it easier is having a bigger stash. We wash every other day and let them dry overnight, and still have enough to make it through. It just makes my life better if I’m not doing laundry every day, and is totally worth the investment. You can do this. If you want to. You will save around $2000 per kid and thousands of disposable diapers from the landfill (which don’t biodegrade for over 500 years!). I believe it’s worth it.

Do you use cloth diapers? If so, what’s one thing you’ve learned from cloth diapering?

22
Feb
2013

Frugal Friday: Shopping Big Consignment Sales

categories: baby, DFW, family, frugal, kids, pregnancy, shopping

Have you ever shopped a BIG consignment sale? We are thrift store regulars, but have fallen in love with the world of big consignment sales. This time around I’m consigning at the upcoming Rhea Lana sale in Frisco and hoping to make money. I’m also planning to shop. When you consign you get to shop early, and let me tell you that these sales get competitive. I’m hoping to find a birthday present for Bear, as well as summer clothes for both kiddos. To see details about the Rhea Lana Frisco sale or find a RL sale near you check out the website here.

So, you might be thinking that the big sale atmosphere is a little intimidating. The first time around is, but you get the hang of it. Everything is marked down to at least 70% off retail, so the prices are fantastic. I also feel good about helping other families to clear out their stash and make money, all while saving money myself. We all win. These sales are especially great for pregnant mamas because you can find maternity clothes AND tons of newborn to 6 months clothes because they wear them for such a brief period of time. I’ll give you a few tips to succeed at a big sale like Rhea Lana.
1) Arrive early. Do your research and find out if you can get an early shopping pass. Most sales have these available online for pregnant or expectant adopting mamas. You can also volunteer or consign at the sale and get to shop REALLY early. Whatever your time slot is, get there before it starts because there will be a line.
2) Bring a collapsible laundry hamper. Trust me on this. You want a lightweight carrier for all your finds. That way you can toss everything you like into the basket and sort through it while you are in line.
3) Bring a list of everything you are looking for so you don’t get confused or forget something important. I would break it down like this: big items to look for first (strollers, ride on toys, playhouses,etc); small toys; clothes by age/gender/season. For instance, I’ll be looking for a tricycle, board books, summer shoes in size 6 & 7, 0-6 and 6-12 month soft leather girl shoes, and 3T summer clothes for Bear. I will have a list of everything detailed and in my purse, so my pregnant brain doesn’t have to concentrate too hard.
4) Come back for the Half Price Sale. Most big sales have several half price time slots at the end of the sale, so again check online and find the time slot for you. Everything will drop from 30% of the retail price (70% off) down to 15% of the retail price. Heck yes.

Have you ever shopped a BIG consignment sale like Rhea Lana?

What is your favorite big consignment sale?

18
Feb
2013

Let’s Make Healthy Breakfasts for a Week in 10 Minutes or Less

categories: meal planning, recipes

I learned a version of this homemade instant oatmeal recipe at MOPS last year, and then shared it again with our group of mamas and it was a big hit. I make it almost every week and it provides about 9 breakfasts. It takes about ten minutes to prepare the whole batch to store. I reuse the same gallon ziplock bag over and over to store the mix in my pantry. Each morning you just scoop out a half cup of mix, add 1 cup of water or milk, and microwave for 90 seconds. I let mine set for a few minutes and then stir and eat. Easy and yummy and quick.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal:
4 cups oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup dried fruit bits
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 large ziplock bag or other storage container

Measure your ingredients and toss them into a storage container like a gallon ziplock bag or pyrex dish. Stir or toss to combine well. To serve – add 1/2 cup mix to 1 cup milk or water and microwave for 90 seconds (ish). Let set for 2 minutes, stir, and enjoy.
Feel free to add fresh fruit after cooking for more deliciousness. Other fun add ons: pecans, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, cocoa powder, etc.

What’s your go-to meal for a quick and healthy breakfast?

14
Feb
2013

I Belong With You, You Belong With Me, You’re My Sweetheart

categories: family, valentine's day

These are the two men who stole my heart.

They are both so incredible and I love them more every day.

My sweet husband loves me like Jesus, giving me grace when I don’t deserve it and truly being my partner in this life. Our little boy brings so much joy with his big smile and happy giggles. When he grabs my face for a big kiss or runs up to mama and daddy for a family hug, my heart melts all over again. I am so thankful for the love of my two men today and every day. I can’t wait to bring our daughter into the family this spring.

We are blessed beyond all reason and my cup overflows.

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Eby family

and Bare Feet on the Dashboard!

13
Feb
2013

On Lent, Spiritual Discipline, and Rebellion

categories: jesus

Although I’ve been a follower of Christ for 14 years, my rebellious spirit hasn’t changed. The season of Lent is so good for me because it causes me to embrace spiritual discipline and die to myself over little, insignificant sacrifices. As any good rebel knows, our instinct is to fight anything that goes against us having our own way, sometimes to our own detriment. Lent is just that. We are supposed to give up things that get in the way of our relationship with Jesus and be reminded of His sacrifice. My very nature fights this so hard. I’ve come to the conclusion that for me at least, Lent is less about what you give up and more about the spirit of sacrificing a bit of what you want on a daily basis to have a bit more of Jesus. For me, Lent is not about dogma or rules or punishment. Lent is about reminding myself of the suffering my Savior endured so that I could have the life of freedom I embrace the other 325 days of the year.

It is for this freedom that Christ has set us free. Do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery (Galations 5:1). I refuse to let myself become a slave to anything, not my own wants, not religion, not anything of this world. Lent reminds me of how selfish and sinful I really am, and makes me ever so much more grateful that Jesus died for me WHILE I am still a sinner. Not after I cleaned myself up. Not after I got my act together. Right in the middle of my mess He gave His life to pay the ransom for mine. And yours. While I’m still sinning. Amazing grace indeed.

Will you sacrifice anything this Lenten season? I plan to, but I know I’ll mess up, cheat, give in, and start again, probably by the end of this week. You probably will too, but remember this spiritual discipline is teaching us through our mistakes and helping us to grow in our faith as we struggle against our own sinful self.

12
Feb
2013

Trying for a VBAC: Risks vs Benefits

categories: baby, birth, medical, pregnancy, vbac

Today I’m addressing the most common question about our quest for a VBAC: What are the risks and benefits of a VBAC vs a repeat cesarean? A little about this series: Our second baby is due at the end of April, and we are hoping and trying for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean section). There are many reasons why we are heading this direction and I hope to share them with y’all over the next few months. You can read the other posts in my Trying for a VBAC series here. You can read the Bear’s full birth story here to see what our first child’s birth entailed. If you read that story you will get a little glimpse into why we are now on this journey to VBAC and a normal birth. This process has been all consuming for me and this blog is my space to express the way I feel about the whole situation. Many folks have strong opinions about VBAC vs. repeat cesarean, and I hope that whatever your opinion might be you will respect mine. VBAC is not the right decision for every c-mama, and it doesn’t always work out no matter how you prepare. Our hope and prayer is that we can have the best birth possible for our little girl. I am not in any way a medical professional, just a mama who loves nerding out over research.

Risks VS Benefits of a VBAC or Elective Repeat Cesarean Section

First lets look at the risks of both, lined up together. I’ll start with what I like to call the “Big Scaries”.

Big Scary #1: Risk of Baby Dying

VBAC – 0.2% vs C-Section (ERCS) – 0.1%

Both rates are very low, but slightly higher for VBAC.

Big Scary #2: Risk of Uterine Rupture

VBAC – 0.4% vs C-Section (ERCS) – 0.2%

Did you know you could have a rupture with an ERCS? I didn’t either. The next facts really shocked me. Let’s look at the risk of uterine rupture for 1st time moms in natural births vs those induced and augmented with pitocin and/or prostoglandins.

Natural, spontaneous labor – 0.012%

Spontaneous labor augmented (prostoglandins, pitocin, etc) – 0.9%

Induced Labor – 1% (WHAT???)

When I read those numbers from multiple scientific studies, I was seriously angry at my previous OB who mentioned none of the risks of induction. If you were induced or had augmentation during labor, did your OB mention the more than doubled risk of uterine rupture? I’d really like to know. I’ve asked a lot of mamas and across the board I’ve not heard of anyone being told this by their OB. Not cool.

Big Scary #3: Risk of Mom Dying

VBAC – 0.02% vs C-Section (ERCS) – 0.04%

Both rates are very low, but slightly higher for c-section. The problem is that this rate increases greatly with each repeat c-section, limiting the potential of family by putting mom at risk.

The other risks of VBAC are the same as normal first time birth, but many other risks increase greatly with a repeat c-section and continue to increase even more with a 3rd, 4th, etc c-section. I’ve found that most women are told the risks of VBAC I mentioned above but not the risks of repeat c-section. Why is this? Many birth professionals believe it because of 2 things: 1)the bad rap VBACs got during the 1990s when it was common to use drugs like Cytotec to induce labor, greatly increasing the risk of uterine rupture and 2)because a c-section is easier to control for the physician, takes less time, and makes more money. A VBAC or other vaginal birth costs around $3-5000 while a c-section costs upwards of $25,000 for the patient. I support every woman’s right to choose the birth that she feels is best for her baby and herself, but I believe we also have the right to know the risks and benefits of each choice.

Risks to Baby that Increase with Repeat C-Section:

being cut during the surgery

premature birth (and all the risks that come with that)

respiratory problems at birth and lifelong

readmission to hospital or NICU time

risk of death in first month of life

allergies

asthma

Type 1 Diabetes

problems breastfeeding

Risks to Mom that Increase with Repeat C-Section:

unintended cuts or damage during the surgery

major infection

emergency hysterectomy

blood clots

stroke

ICU time

complications from anesthesia

endometriosis

appendicitis

gallstones

depression and other negative psychological issues

infertility

problems breastfeeding

future pregnancy issues including placenta previa, stillbirth, low birth weight, and ectopic pregnancy

There are plenty of benefits to both choices. Let’s take a look at them.

Benefits of Repeat C-Section:

scheduled birth – easier to have support network and preparations in place

controlled situation

time to prepare a support network for post op

much faster method for emergencies that threaten the life of baby or mom

less liability for the doctor and hospital

Benefits of VBAC:

faster recovery

better immediate bonding with baby (lack of drugs, etc)

better breastfeeding results

avoid major abdominal surgery and all the risks that entails

birth the way God created our bodies to function

much less expensive

less hospital time

fewer complications for mom and baby

Every mama has to weigh these risks and benefits and come to a decision with their partner and an OB they trust. My former OB told me I was a great candidate for VBAC but that she didn’t do them, so I looked to my local ICAN chapter to find recommendations for VBAC friendly OBs in my area. I found an awesome doctor and am so happy with the prenatal care I’ve received. The information that helped me make my decision to try for a VBAC is the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s (governing body of OB/GYN) recent statement on VBAC. The most important quote is below and you can find a link to the full statement under the resource links at the bottom of the post.

“The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) agree that that most women with a history of one or two uncomplicated low transverse caesarean sections, in an otherwise uncomplicated pregnancy at term and with no contraindications to vaginal birth, are candidates for and should be counseled about VBAC.”

If your OB tells you differently, they are going against the policy of their own governing body and you should probably question their motives.

Looking for resources and information about birth, VBAC, and cesarean recovery? Try these:

ACOG Statement about VBAC vs ERCS

International Cesarean Awareness Network