Pardon My Poppet

Archive for February, 2012

It’s February 29th, and all those who are supposed to be turning 40, but only have a birthday ever 4 years, have finally reached the ripe old age of 10!  Just the perfect age to go to camp, and of course they’ll have to label every item they take with them!  What better way than to use Mabel’s Labels!

Today only, Mabel’s Labels is having a humongous 29% percent off everything sale!  That’s gargantuan!  So hurry, the clock is winding down!

Warmest regards,

As a Mabel’s Labels Buzzmama I receive free product from time to time as a thank you for sharing my honest opinion on their FABULOUS products!

If you enjoy our posts, please consider taking a moment to follow us!  Pardon My Poppet is on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  Or you can grab our RSS Feed or Subscribe via E-mail!

I am thankful for conversations with my daughter

Poppet has just turned 16-months-old, and she is already talking up a storm (look out phone bill!)  She is so much fun.  And she is not just saying random words anymore.  She actually carries on full conversations, complete with hellos, pleases, thank yous, I love you’s, Pretty, Bye Bye!

I realized, when she was too tired to walk when she woke up yesterday and decided to crawl for a couple of minutes, that it was probably one of the very last times I’d see her scoot with one leg under her.  And I also realize, that now these conversations are happening, that the days of baby gibberish are quickly coming to an end!

Warmest regards,

If you enjoy our posts, please consider taking a moment to follow us!  Pardon My Poppet is on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  Or you can grab our RSS Feed or Subscribe via E-mail!

I’ve been following the 80Bites Diet for 3 weeks now, and I’m loving it!  If you want to join their program with me they’ve offered a 20% discount code and Pardon My Poppet is hosting a giveaway for a FREE full online membership.    Don’t forget to enter for your opportunity – it’s an AMAZING program!

This week was the last week in the Quantity segment of the 80Bites Diet program.   I spent the time savouring each bite and observing how others eat.  Did you know that the faster you eat, the hungrier you actually are?

I realized I had the perfect example of living in each bite in my own home.  All I had to do was watch Poppet.  I used to see how slow my Mum ate, but trust me, she’s got nothing on Poppet!  She can take 30 minutes to eat an egg.  She takes a bite, plays around with the food on her plate, carries on a bit of conversation, has a drink of water, then takes another bite and repeats the same process all over again!  And she is one slender girl with awesome muscle tone!

I, on the other hand, especially since having Poppet, am the queen of mindless eating.  I used to rush through a meal whenever I managed to find time for it just trying to get it in before she needed something from me.  If we were out at a restaurant I’d rush through mine so I could take her and keep her quiet while others enjoyed their own meals.  It became so much of a habit that I still rush through meals unless I purposely take the time to slow down and enjoy the moment.

There’s an awesome article on Everyday Health that suggests setting the goal of not being the first person finished at the table.  I think that’s a GREAT way to gauge how fast you are eating.  It also mentions everything we already know about how long it takes us to feel full (15-20 minutes) and that the fast eaters typically finish in 5-6 minutes.   They talk about setting your utensils down between bites, and that for really difficult cases they assign chopsticks.  I personally think that is perfect!  I LOVE using chopsticks, and it’s so true that I those meals tremendously.  Never thought of transitioning it to my day-to-day eating!  But if entire countries eat that way (and we know that they are typically slender) I just might implement this myself!

Tell me, I really WANT to know, what are YOUR tips and tricks for being present in the eating moment?  Comments are open!

Warmest regards,

From time to time I am compensated to provide my honest opinion about FABULOUS products I think our readers would love! I received one full 12 week membership to80bitesdiet.com to review.

If you enjoy our posts, please consider taking a moment to follow us!  Pardon My Poppet is on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  Or you can grab our RSS Feed or Subscribe via E-mail!

I am thankful for real candles

I have 2 lit beside me as I write this post.  I’ve stayed away from them since Poppet was born.  There are some great imitation ones, but none is truly as warming as a real candle flickering away!

Warmest regards,

If you enjoy our posts, please consider taking a moment to follow us!  Pardon My Poppet is on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  Or you can grab our RSS Feed or Subscribe via E-mail!

When we are home, we love to use our gDiapers!  I mean we really love to use them!  I am not a big fan of the ingredients and lack of regulations that are implemented with standard disposable diapers.  Even when I want the convenience of disposables, gDiapers have a flushable (you read that right, FLUSHABLE) disposable insert I can use.  That’s just part of the reason they are a Poppet’s Pick!

One thing I had no idea how to do in taking care of cloth diapers, was how to launder them.  There are many methods out there, but I wanted the most natural, and yet still effective way possible.  Because of staining when I tried to use a dry pail method (as well as stench!), I ultimately decided to go with a wet pail.  Here’s the steps I personally use for laundering our cloth diapers at home.

One side note:  WASH YOUR DIAPERS BEFORE YOU FIRST USE THEM.  The more diapers are washed, the more absorbent they become.  A new diaper is next to useless in the amount it can soak up.

Use a Wet Pail

This means I fill my pail about half-way full with water.  I then add a natural oxygen based laundry booster to my pail.  Every time there is a wet diaper I just throw it in.  When there is a soiled diaper, what I do with it depends on what Poppet has eaten.  When she was nursing I could just throw these diapers into the wet pail as well.  The moment she started solid food I moved to using a disposable liner for my cloth diapers.  I would just flush the liner with the soiled content, and throw my cloth diaper in the pail.  If you are not using a liner then you will need to dump the contents into the toilet.  Sometimes this will mean having to dip the cloth diaper in the toilet to get the excess off.  TRUST ME when I say, using the liner is the FAR easier way to go!  Once the soil is gone you can place the cloth diaper in the pail.

I know some who use their washing machine as their wet pail.  The washer is filled part way with water and each diaper is placed in it as needed.  Then on wash day there is nothing left to do but add soap and turn it on.  The idea of this grossed out my hubby though, so we stuck with the wet pail system.

Laundry Day

Oh joy, the day you have to ultimately deal with the diaper pail and it’s contents!    First things first, the pail will be heavy.  In our home my husband actually washes the diapers for me while I put Poppet to sleep for the night.  You will want to wash your diapers on HOT with a COLD rinse.

1)  Empty the entire contents of the pail into the washing machine.

2)  Run a spin cycle just to empty the dirty water from the washing machine.

3)  Run a rinse cycle to get any extra contents out from amongst the diapers.

4)  Now place your soap, and laundry booster (if using) into the machine with the diapers.  Run a complete cycle with HOT washing water and COLD rinse.

5)  Run a second rinse cycle.  This is to remove any extra soap build up that will hinder diaper absorption.

6)  Remove any plastic liners or covers and hang them to dry.

7)  You can either hang your diapers to dry, or use your dryer.  If using the dryer DO NOT use any fabric softener as it will reduce the absorption of the diapers.

If your diapers should have any stains on them, you can always bleach them in the SUN.  Lay them out on the grass or on a drying rack for 20 minutes to an hour.  The sun is an excellent bleaching agent.  I would not recommend using anything other than natural detergent or stain remover agents on diapers that will be in such close contact with baby’s skin for prolonged periods of time.

Would love to hear your own personal tips and tricks for cloth diaper use in your household.  Comments are open!

Warmest regards,

If you enjoy our posts, please consider taking a moment to follow us!  Pardon My Poppet is on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  Or you can grab our RSS Feed or Subscribe via E-mail!

I am thankful for Pencil Crayons

I am in the process of making personalized social media sharing icons for Pardon My Poppet.  I wanted something that was hand-drawn and whimsical.  I headed to the grocery store and picked up a pack of Joe+ Pencil Crayons.  Just holding these freshly sharpened beauties puts a smile on my face!

Warmest regards,

If you enjoy our posts, please consider taking a moment to follow us!  Pardon My Poppet is on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  Or you can grab our RSS Feed or Subscribe via E-mail!

As you all know, last week we gave our 12-year-old husky to a new home.  Our reasons were varied.  We travel A LOT, so she would spend days on end at the kennel, which is both pricey and not fair to her.  Another reason was Poppet.  We discovered when my niece started to crawl that our husky, who loved children, and had NEVER had any issues, did not like a little being crawling around her.   It meant competition for her food, her affection, etc.  I remember we heard her growl and realized it was at my niece.  Ever since, the RULE was that NO MATTER WHAT YOU THOUGHT the dog was NEVER allowed to be near the baby, whether adults were around or not.  The ONLY time was if an adult was holding the baby and Nikita could come up and smell, lick, explore, etc.  Other than that, if there was a child around, the dog was not.  She would be on a different floor behind a child gate until the house was clear.

When Poppet came home, Nikita had to be fenced in to the front entryway.  Although she loved Poppet, we were not at all willing to risk her being around the baby.  All it takes is a second.  Ask anyone who has lost a child to a family pet that never showed any signs of aggression in the past.  And it is one moment you can never take back!  They would BEG you to not leave your child alone with even the most docile dog!

Although I miss Nikita terribly, I know that it is not fair to her, or to Poppet to have them behind barriers in their own home.  I can only hope that she has settled in to her new surroundings, and will be given all the love and affection she readily deserves.  She is a gentle hearted animal, a true pet in every sense of the word.  I implore you, think long and hard, and please don’t make a decision that could have effects that last a life-time!

Warmest regards,

If you enjoy our posts, please consider taking a moment to follow us!  Pardon My Poppet is on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest.  Or you can grab our RSS Feed or Subscribe via E-mail!