Fur baby love from my Maggie girl

I am linking up again for Toddle Along Tuesday after quite a long time of not doing so.  Once I saw this weeks topic though, I absolutely had to take part.  I wrote a post a few months ago on more love of Maggie and her doggies.  

When Maggie was born, we weren't sure how the dogs would react.  We have two dogs, our male, Buddy Boy is part Rott, part Lab.  Our female dog, Lady Jane is part Lab, part American Bulldog.  Both pretty big dogs.  Lady Jane has always been pretty good around kids, but had never been around a baby much.  John brought home the blankets from the hospital and left them for the dogs to sniff out before we all came home from the hospital.  

Now, Buddy Boy isn't a dangerous dog, but he has snapped at kids before, and some adults.  When John got him about 12 years ago, he was neglected, starved and covered in sand burrs, poor guy :(  He adopted him, tried finding his owner, but never did, good!!  They didn't deserve him back anyways.  He is 12 or 13 now and doesn't do well around too much activity.  Maggie is allowed to pet and love him, but only under very strict supervision.  I can't risk anything bad happening, so he doesn't get quite as much love and attention as Maggie would love to give him.

Lady Jane and Maggie are the best of friends!  Maggie feels that way about all dogs everywhere.  They are her favorite thing and probably the only thing she loves more than snacks!  

This picture was taken just the other day, poor dog!  Such a good sport.  Bad quality, but I think you can see Maggie has draped beads around the dogs neck.  She also makes her wear sunglasses, drives her cars on her, puts bunny ears on the dog.....tries to put cloth diapers on the dog.

 

Hanging out with Buddy Boy

Seriously, can you see how much she loves the dog!

She likes to sit as close as possible to Lady Jane, she sits on her then slides down.  If Lady Jane moves after Maggie sits by her, she will get up to go sit down by the dog again.  

Grandma and Grandpas dog, Abby, staring out the window with Maggie

Here she is in the kennel...no place is safe, sorry doggy!  

 

And for my favorite.....

 

 I asked, Maggie, do you want me to read you that book....

Maggie:  No mama.  

Then she read the book, and as you can see, Lady is paying attention and looking at the pictures that Maggie shows her.  These two bring me so many laughs all day long!  

Thank you for such an awesome topic today!  I talk about stories from the two of them all day long.  I can't wait to see what Charlie is like with his doggies as he grows.  The day we brough him home, Maggie told Lady Jane to come over to the baby and kiss him.  So cute!  She isn't partial to any certain animal, she loves them all!

Yes, I am the mom that lets her kid kiss the fish!

What do your kids think of their pets? 

Summer #BlogChallenge July 29 - Life in a nutshell

 Today's challenge topic is How does your life measure up compared to what you imagined.

Growing up, I wanted to be a lawyer.  I wanted to have kids, but I never wanted to get married.  I know that's kind of weird, but it wasn't important to me.  When I got to college, I decided I didn't want to be an attorney.  You can read about that here. 

So far, I have a house, a boyfriend, 2 amazing kids and hopefully 3 more in the future.  I don't think I'm too far off base from where I hoped to be someday.  I did, however, want to be the first U. S. President, but I decided against that a long time ago.  Kids are where my heart is.  I always knew that when I had kids, I didn't want somebody else raising them.  I wanted to be home with my kids.  (Please don't let this offend anybody whose kids go to day care, but when I use to teach kids, I always felt like I was helping to raise some of them since they were with us 40+ hours a week).  I am a Realtor, I work from home, take the kids with me to show houses, and get to spend my days with my little ones.  This means the world to me.  

I did expect to have John home helping me, but the only way it works right now, is if he stays at his job, which means a lot of traveling out of state.  

Odd as it may seem, I feel like life is way better than I ever could have imagined when I was growing up. 

How about you?  How does your life compare to what you expected growing up?

Summer #BlogChallenge July 28 Last time I roughed it

The last time I actually roughed it would have to be a few years ago when we went to Sturgis.  Usually, I go to the cabin and the cabin is nicer than our house!  We all have our own rooms and lots of luxuries.  

When we went to Sturgis, this is what we packed:

And this is where we slept.  

Smallest tent ever!  Not joking.  You can't stand up in the tent, but it fits nicely on the front of the motorcycle.  And a funny little story about this spot where we were camping.  This was out in Colorado.  There weren't a lot of spaces left when we got here, but this was the best one.  A deer walked right next to our tent.  Very cool.  The funny part though....it stormed big time and during the night, the rain flew right threw our tent getting all of our stuff wet.  Not only that, it isn't a level camp spot, so while we slept, we slid down and would keep waking up to move back up to the top. 

Summer #BlogChallenge July 27 Write something about an alternative energy source

We live about 15 minutes from a rather large garbage dump.  I had heard some things about using the garbage in the landfill as an energy source, but didn't know the details.  This topic gave me reason to look it up a little bit.  It turns out that something I drive by on a somewhat regular basis is an Energy Recovery Station - a waste to energy power plant.

This plant converts refuse derived fuel from mixed municipal waste into energy, providing an efficient disposal method for garbage and preventing that garbage from going into landfills.   up to 1,500 tons of municipal waste arrive at the plant daily.  Recyclable steel, aluminum and items that cannot be burned are removed.  The remaining is a renewable resource helping to generate electricity conserving resources like oil, coal and natural gas.  The plant has 3 generators producing up to 29 megawatts of electricity.  

The power plant began it's commercial operation in 1950 using coal and oil.  In 1963, it was converted to a nuclear power plant, then changed back to operating on coal and oil in 1968.  In 1989, it was converted again, this time to the present day operation.  

The plant meets the standards of biomass energy in Minnesota.  The renewable energy classification recognizes that the plant is environmentally safe and beneficial to the residents by converting waste into electrical energy.

This plant has reduced landfill waste by up to 300,000 tons a year!  

Do you know about any alternative energy sources where you live?

 

Travelin' With Baby Giveaway Hop Blogger Sign ups

Giveaway Hop Details (FREE):

• This Event will run from October 10th {12:01 am EST} until October 24th {11:59 pm EST}.  If you are using Rafflecopter, please set the End Time to October 25th at 12:01 am EST!!

• Each participating blog will have a $25 prize, of baby related travel items, per winner. Be creative……travel items could be so many things. Anything you would use while you are out and about with baby!

Please leave my name (Shannon @ Mommy of One and Counting) in the referral box when signing up.  

To sign up, follow this link

 

Summer #BlogChallenge July 26 - My superpower would be.....

If I could have any superpower what would it be?  Hmmmm...right now, I would say the power to move things with my mind so I can continue to sit on my butt with my baby nursing right now.  Haha!  

Actually, the ability to know the future would be kind of nice.  Is that a superpower?  I would love the knowledge that allowed me to protect my kids from something that is coming and will bring them harm.  

If you had a superpower, what would it be?  Why?

Breastfeeding Blog Hop - Free for all

I am finally linking up with the other great mommies for this weeks hop.  I have been missing for a few months.  The end of my pregnancy was exhausting and now the little man is here, I haven't had two hands free very often.  Our topic this week is free for all.  Any breastfeeding topic we want. 

First off, I will say how very lucky I am that both of my children have latched on like champs and nursed so well right from the start!  I know many people have struggled with that and I am glad that's one thing we could do effortlessly.  Well, mostly effortlessly anyways.  Charlie man latches good, but when he lets go, he needs a little assistance to find it again.  In his defense, he isn't even a month old yet, so I am sure he will figure it out.  Maggie had a homing device on my boobs!  She could find those babies from across the ocean, I swear!  Charlie is so funny to watch.  He is so gentle, sometimes I actually have to check to make sure he is really latched on.  I can barely feel him.  

I can say, this time around, my milk supply needs less help than with Maggie.  I prayed so hard for this!  With her, I had to feed him, pump, then the doctor wanted me to offer her formula.  I felt like that was all I ever did was feed her, pump, feed her, pump.  It was exhausting!  

This time, I hardly ever pump and Charlie gets a full belly.  My milk came in before I left the hospital.  A day or so later, I was very engorged on the right side...sadly, I was somewhat excited!  I knew I was making a lot more milk already!  What a relief.  After days of fighting with that, I don't quite make as much milk on that side as it seemed like I was before that happened, but I still make plenty for the little man.  He gets enough milk, that most nights, he will try to go without waking up most of the night.  Right after we got home from the hospital, he pretty much only wakes up once a night.  That's not a bad thing, considering Maggie is 21 months and still wakes up at least once a night, but then I end up pumping in the middle of the night if I can't get him to eat.  

I am also tandem nursing which is going much better than the rest of the world seemed to think it would.  Everybody was so concerned that Maggie wouldn't share or would get mad.  Mostly, she tells Charlie, boob Charlie, eat eat eat!  Don't get me wrong, there are times she doesn't want to share or tries to demand it for herself, but generally only when she is tired.  

I would love your advice though.....for those of you with a toddler and an infant, how did you ever find time to pump?  I only need to pump enough to get me through an hour a week while I play softball, but finding time is so hard.  I can't really set him anywhere where his sister can't get at him.  She isn't mean or anything, but she loves him so much and constantly wants to hug and kiss him or read him books or make him play with her toys.  She's so sweet, but not nearly gentle enough to be left alone with him.  That leads to me having no chance to pump most days.  

Want to link up with your breastfeeding posts?

#FromBellyToBaby Milkmakers Lactation Cookies Review

If you have been following my blog, you already know that I just had a baby.  If you are new, you know now!  My little Charlie man is almost a month old already!  {Insert congratulations here :)}  

When my daughter was born, my supply was less than I had hoped and I was being told by her doctor that I needed to offer her formula.  I spent all day feeding her, pumping and offering her that, and offering her formula after that.  I was flat out exhausted!  I was put on a prescription to help increase my supply and maybe it did, I didn't notice.  Maggie was a snacker and ate constantly.  It was a stressful situation for me.  I cried so hard about this.  

When we found out we were pregnant again, I prayed SO hard for a very abundant milk supply.  I would do anything to not have to worry if my baby was getting enough milk from me.  I heard about Milkmakers and they agreed to work with me on a review (and a giveaway for one of you wonderful readers).  

Emily created Milkmakers quite simply because she needed them!  She went back to work after having her first child.  Between work life, home life and fitting in time to pump, her milk supply was dwindling and she worried about providing enough milk for her daughter.  A lactation consultant told her about lactation cookies and they seemed too good to be true.  Seriously, eat cookies and increase milk supply?  Well, Emily immediately saw a boost in her milk supply.  Lactation cookies promote an abundant supply of breast milk resulting in a well fed baby and a happy family.  

What is in Milkmakers cookies that makes them so effective?  Oats, brewers yeast and flax seed.   

-Oats are a nutritional powerhouse providing tons of whole grains, fiber, iron and many healthy vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

-Brewer's yeast is a traditional herbal remedy that stimulates and increases the production of breastmilk.  It is a rich source of the B vitamins and amino acids essential for nursing moms and babies.

-Flax seed provides omega 3 fatty acids necessary for brain development which can be passed from mom to baby through breastmilk.  

By eating milkmakers cookies, you get the nutrition you need to support your breast milk supply and can feel good about eating something so delicious, natural, and fresh that it could have come from your own kitchen!

Milkmakers come in two delicious flavors:  Chocolate Chip and Dairy Free Oatmeal Raising.  

See?  Don't they look delicious?  Just eat one or two cookies a day and watch your baby plump up from all that wonderful milk you are giving her!  

What did I think?  Well, the first thing I noticed was that these weren't tiny little cookies..they were pretty big.  I fully intended to take a picture of a cookie with my hand under it so you could see the awesome size, but I kept forgetting and then when I remembered, it was my last cookie and I dropped it and it was no longer whole, so my apologies, but I promise, you will be surprised by how big they are (and excited).  

I received both flavors to review and I loved them both!  These cookies really are delicious!  I had to sneak them so my daughter didn't try to make me share with her.  Don't worry though, you can share.  Even if you aren't breastfeeding, you can eat these cookies.  They won't make you suddenly start leaking milk.

Did they boost my milk supply?  I can't answer 100 % but I think they did.  I started eating them as soon as I got home from the hospital, and yes, I ate the two a day instead of just one.  I wasn't taking any chances on struggling with my supply.  I actually got engorged the day after I got home and sadly, I was excited about this.  It never happened with my daughter, so I knew I was making more milk right away.  Charlie man definitely gets enough milk from me, you can see from his milk drunk expression.  I have made it 21 months so far with my daughter breastfeeding and hope to have an equally wonderful and successful breastfeeding relationship with my sweet boy.

See?  Milk drunk happy little guy!

Are there any downsides to Milkmakers cookies?  No!  Not really, although I find the price somewhat high for cookies....$49.00 for a one month supply (3 Bags - 90 cookies).  However, after my experience with my daughter, I will gladly pay this price to have peace of mind that my baby has a full belly.  

Want to know how you can get some?  

Visit their website 

Feel free to vote for them for Mission Small Business at the top of their page

Want to sign up for their newsletter?  Bottom of their webpage.

Like them on Facebook 

Follow them on Twitter

Want a chance to win some?  Check back next week for your chance to win 3 bags of cookies.

 *I received these cookies free of charge for the purpose of this review but the opinions are 100 % my own*

QT Maternity LLLI Wrap N Snap Bra*Maternity and Newborn Spotlight and Giveaway*

Do you hate spending tons of money on bras?  I do!  But I love having bras that fit, especially through pregnancy and while I am breastfeeding.  Well, I was given the opportunity to review a bra from

La Leche League International is an organization to offer advice and support to breastfeeding moms to help encourage a successful breastfeeding relationship.  


The Wrap 'N Snap

The Wrap 'N Snap has a unique feature:  an adjustable snap band that can change as your body changes.  You can adjust the snaps in the front to fit different sizes. The small / medium bra fits 32-34-36 A / B cups.  The large / X large fits 36-38-40 C / D cups.

It is made from 95 % cotton and 5% spandex. Featuring a soft cup and wireless front closing with satin trim, this bra is soft enough to wear all day and sleep in as well.  With an easy one hand nursing clip, feeding baby couldn't be easier.  Designed to be functional AND fashionable, you will want to wear this bra even after you are done nursing. 

The Wrap 'N Snap was awarded the National Parenting Publications Award and has been featured in Consumer Reports in May 2009 Best Baby Products.  La Leche League International Intimates by QT Intimates is a leading brand of nursing and maternity intimate apparel.  As a licensee of the LLLI organization, a portion of all proceeds go to support breastfeeding mothers and babies around the world.  I think that is fantastic!  Since my daughter was born, I have been attending La Leche League meetings because I wouldn't have made it without the support of the leaders and moms there.  Now, even though I am not having struggles that need help, I still go to help support those moms that do need that!    

When I received the Wrap 'N Snap to review, I was seriously thrilled!  I was at a point in my pregnancy where I no longer had a bra that fit.  My daughter was still nursing, but I wasn't making much milk.  I was at a size where my pre-pregnancy bras didn't fit, but none of my nursing bras fit either.  


Pros
I really like the fit of the Wrap  'N Snap.  It is lightweight also, which is a major plus for me because here in Minnesota (as well as the rest of the US) it has been very hot for weeks now.  I also liked how easy it was to adjust when putting it on.  Having a front closing bra was especially nice during pregnancy...seriously, anything that is in front of me was a major plus!  Knowing I had a bra that would fit right away after having baby was great!  With my first, I tried to guess...I was wrong and had no bra that fit to wear home from the hospital.  This time, that wasn't a problem.  I was able to wear this bra right away.  
The bra also has a sleek, smooth look underneath my shirt which was a bonus.  

Trying to breastfeed a hungry newborn isn't always easy.  They flail around while you try to unclasp your bra and adjust your shirt.  With this bra, the snap was very easy to unhook and quickly satisfy my hungry little guy.  Hooking the bra after feeding was also easy to do with one hand.  

I love the print.  It's nice to have bras that are pretty.  After my daughter, I only had white bras and never felt pretty.  The pattern I received was the Floral Animal Print.  The Wrap 'N Snap also comes in white, chocolate, black / gray jacquard,  and cameo nude.  

The price:  Only $21.00 right now!  Very affordable!


Cons
I do wish there was a little padding for the cups in this bra but there are bras they offer that have this feature.  


The only real con I found with this bra was that it was difficult to wear with most of my tank tops because the back on the bra was a little high.  It would show above the tops of my tank top on my back.  Sometimes during my pregnancy, I layered a few tank tops and then it looked like another tank top underneath.  It does work great under every other type of shirt that I wore.



LLLI offers more great products

I want this!

 Connect with LLLI Intimates
 Like their brand new Facebook page


 Be sure to check out their fantastic lines of products and enter code FS2012 for free shipping over $25.  From their website:  Being a mom changes your life, but not your sense of style!  Find that fabulous bra you have been looking for.  

Not nursing?  Check out their selection of non - nursing apparel at QT Intimates


Do you want a chance to win one of these bras?  Head on over to their new facebook page and leave them a message that you are there from Mommy of One and Counting.  They will choose a winner from those comments and winner can choose of in stock color / pattern of the Wrap 'N Snap.

Britax Baby Carrier Giveaway

Do you have a baby or toddler between 8 and 32 lbs.? Then you should check out the BRITAX BABY CARRIER ORGANIC giveaway hosted by Minnesota Blogger Life With Levi and Tailor Made Momma. I’ve teamed up with them to help promote this giveaway (prize provided by BRITAX) because let’s face it, babywearing is awesome.

The BRITAX BABY CARRIER ORGANIC is shown above with the optional seat extender, recommended for safe babywearing for children over 14 lbs. It’s a very versatile carrier, offering the following options for parents to keep their children close and connected to them:

• Inward-facing with Removable Infant Insert for small babies from eight to 14 pounds
• Inward-facing without an insert for babies over 14 pounds
• Inward-facing with splayed legs using the Seat Extender Insert for babies over 14 pounds
• Outward-facing without an insert for babies over 14 pounds who have head and neck control

In addition to the different carry options, this baby carrier is also versatile for the adults that use it, with a waist belt that adjusts from 22-56 inches for the perfect fit. The harness straps adjust from the front of the carrier, making it easy to get a great fit while you’re out and about, and it’s machine washable (because we all know if you have a baby, it’s bound to be spit up on at some point.)

The Organic Tan carrier retails for $139.99. The optional Seat Extender is available for $26.99. You can purchase the carrier online or at one of their many retail locations.

Want To Win Your Own BRITAX BABY CARRIER ORGANIC?

Just enter using the easy Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional and worth 1 entry each, except where noted.

Contest ends 08/03, open to US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: BRITAX is providing the prize for this giveaway and is solely responsible for prize fulfillment. The product information listed above was sourced from the BRITAX website. I did not receive any product or compensation related to this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

I have a confession....

Little Charlie man is a great sleeper at night.  Some nights he pretty much sleeps through the night, most nights he will maybe wake up once.  I generally wake up and have to pump.  Now for my confession......I could put him in the bassinet right next to my bed, but instead, as I go to bed, I put him in bed with me.  I'm glad he's a good sleeper, but I still want all of that cuddle time.  

Maggie never slept!  She nursed a ton throughout the night and that's why she slept with us.  I love the snuggles and want to make sure I get that with Charlie man too.  Now I have two kids in my bed most of the night.  I am pretty sure this is a parenting fail on my part, but I wouldn't have it any other way!  

Do your kids sleep in bed with you?  In their crib?  Some other sleeping arrangement?

Summer #BlogChallenge July 19 - If I were president for a day, what law would I change?

Fly That Flag!  I live in Minnesota, and recently, the state has decided that the VFW cannot fly their American flags on the overpass anymore.  They have flown them there for the last 8 years, but suddenly they want to enforce it.  According to the Minnesota statute, it’s against the law to “paint, print, place or affix any advertisement or object within the limits of a highway. They have taken the flags down, but if somebody were to put them back up, it would be a misdemeanor and a fine.  

 

 I say let them keep flying that flag.  It isn't hurting anything or anybody.   Read entire article.

 

 

 

 What one law would you change if you were president or prime minister for a day?  Something local?  Something bigger than that?

 

Summer #BlogChallenge July 18 - 5 Things To Do If The Power Goes Out

This is a great topic!  I hope you will comment with your ideas.  In Minnesota, we have had some bad storms over the last few years and losing power isn't unheard of.  With just an infant, I wasn't too concerned, but now I have a toddler who definitely needs to be entertained.  

 

1.  Flashlight tag with others or with the dog.  Maggie loves to use the flashlight and shine it on the floor to get our female dog to chase it.

2.  Books.  When we end up down in the crawl space, we have ours stash of things to do in a cramped space.  Maggie loves to read, so we always have tons of books to read down there.

3.  Pen and paper / crayons.  Maggie also loves to draw with a pen, so we have to keep those two things in our storm basket as well.

4.  Games on the phone.  Although, this depends on whether we have a severe weather alert and are down in the crawl space.  If we are, I save the battery to check the weather alerts.

5.  In our crawl space, I actually have my stash of old teaching materials from when I taught two year olds.  There is always something fun in there, an activity, song, fingerplay, something fun.

 

I know there are a ton more ideas, but I am completely drawing a blank on that thing that would make everybody say...aha!  What a great idea.  We definitely need to do that.  

 

I would love to hear your ideas for what to do when the power goes out.  Most of the things I can think of involve the crawl space since I am terrified of storms and we seem to have a lot of sever weather out here this year.  

Summer #BlogChallenge July 17 - Random Act of Kindness

Today's challenge is to write about a random act of kindness.  This makes me laugh because we were just talking about this sort of thing on Sunday with some of John's cousins.  They drove down to visit us and we went out to the mall so that Melissa and I could get pedicures.  When we were leaving, we had to wait just a bit because there was a younger lady whose car had stalled right behind our parking spaces.  She had somebody trying to help her get it running, but it wasn't working.  Paul helped her to push it into a spot and then instead of just getting in the car and leaving, he stayed and helped her get it running and figure out the problem.  I was at the back of the Envoy changing little Charlie Man who decided to poop as we got in the truck.  Melissa said to me - I love that man!  He is so helpful to everybody who needs it.  That made me smile.  When John and I had first started dating, we were going somewhere, and we saw a car stall out just as we drove past it.  John turned around, then around again at the next light and we stopped and helped the guy out.  

I could share a million more stories about random acts of kindness, but I will stop with that because that just happened this past weekend.  

Have you performed a random act of kindness for somebody?  Has somebody done the same for you?

Summer #BlogChallenge July 16 - Favorite Room in My House

This is an easy challenge post for me.  I have been waiting this entire pregnancy to use my hot tub room again.  I am very excited, only about a month longer and I can fill it up again.  After I had Maggie, I realized that I needed to make time for myself.  I started sitting in the hot tub before bed, reading a chapter from my book and having a glass of wine.  This was the only time of day when I didn't go immediately to Maggie if she cried.   These were my 15 minutes!  

Now that I had little Charlie man, I fully intend to do the same thing once things settle down a bit more around here.  

This was a big selling point for me when we bought the house.  The room was beautifully done.  

Now I even have a fake palm tree, a rock and candle garden in there.  It is a very peaceful room. 

Bella Materna *Giveaway*

Read my review here

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bella Materna Review / Sponsor Spotlight

If you are a nursing mom, I am sure you can relate to the struggle to find a comfortable, affordable nursing bra.  With my daughter, I was given about 6 different bras and had bought 2 before she was born.  Bad idea!  The bras I bought were too small and I never wore them because they hurt when I tried.  The others worked out alright, they weren't terribly uncomfortable for awhile, but then I ran into a problem.  When I got pregnant again but my daughter was still nursing, my breasts started to shrink down a bit as my milk supply dried up.  Only one of the bras I owned fit, but it didn't offer any support and I ran into something I absolutely hated.....TMI here maybe, but my nipples would stick out and I personally think that looks tacky.  Some people like it, but I am not one of them.   I heard a mom say that she had spent over $600 on nursing bras!  Yikes!  Enter Bella Materna.

I started talking with Anne from Bella Materna and she is absolutely wonderful!  She offered to send me the Anytime Padded Bralet to review.  This bra could solve my problems.  It is designed to fit as your breasts grow during pregnancy and as they change when you are breastfeeding.  The Anytime Padded Bralet has removable pads!  Sounded perfect to me. 

 This bra features not only the removable pads for a smooth shape and some added lift, but is also

• is designed to fit from maternity through nursing
•  has extra settings on the back closure for extended fit
• Adjustable straps
• Pull aside nursing access
• Is made  from Oeko-Tex fabric which is certified Toxin Free

I love knowing that this bra that is covering my little guys food source is toxin free.  The Oeko - Tex fabric makes this bra incredibly comfortable.  I have no doubt you could comfortably sleep in this bra every night if you choose to.  The material is so soft!

I love the pull aside nursing access instead of the clips.  Not to say I don't like bras that clip as well, but sometimes when you are juggling the baby and trying to unhook and especially rehook the clasps, it doesn't always go smoothly.  Especially when I'm out in public and trying to be quick and discreet, this is a big plus for me.  I wondered at first if the fact that the material was somewhat stretchy and just pulled aside for nursing would make the bra not supportive after awhile, but that hasn't been the case and I have had this bra for a few months already.  

The Bralet comes in S, M, L, XL, and XXL.  Their website offers a complete size chart.  I was concerned with choosing a size because my breasts had changed so much from about mid-pregnancy because my milk supply diminished.  I knew what size I wore before my first pregnancy and what size I was wearing after my pregnancy, but then didn't own a bra that fit at the time, so wasn't sure what size to get for after this pregnancy.  They recommend getting a bra two cup sizes bigger than your current size, but I wasn't sure if this would be right for me.  I mentioned all of my questions and concerns to Anne and she was very helpful in finding me a size that would fit comfortably both then and now.  Success!  This is my favorite bra to wear right now.  

 The ONLY thing I had trouble with when wearing this bra was that sometimes when I would nurse my daughter or my son, the pads would fold up a bit and I had to straighten them out afterwards.  Not much you can do about that because the pads are designed to be removable so this is bound to happen.  I had emailed Anne at one point letting her know I loved the bra but wish the straps were a bit thinner so they fit better with a tank top, and found out they make a tank top version of this bra! 

I am tandem nursing my 21 month old and my 2 weeks old during naps and bedtime and something with this bra that I absolutely LOVE is that I can have both cups pulled aside so both of them can nurse at the same time and it doesn't stretch out the bra.  

I highly recommend one of these bras to anybody.  If this doesn't sound like the bra for you - check out their website and find the right one for you.  99% of their bras are manufactured in the USA.  This particular bra isn't, but is still manufactured in safe working conditions in order to keep the cost of it affordable.  

Meet the women behind Bella Materna

Bella Materna was founded by Anne and Candice who were seeking to use their talents as designers to serve other women.  They met at Nordstrom's and starting dreaming about this company in 1999 because they were tired of hearing there is no such thing as a pretty nursing bra.  in 2000, their dream became a reality and included maternity bras, camisoles, sleepwear, transition, workout and loungewear.  Their designs reflect the fact that women grow more beautiful during pregnancy and nursing, and what they wear should enhance, not hide, this loveliness.  They create sophisticated styles and beautifully crafted designs to help you celebrate and support your body through such an amazing phase.  They have proven that fashion and functionality can coexist.  

In 2008, they created Infiinity Rings because so many moms came back to us when finished nursing because so many moms were coming back to them when they were finished nursing because their bras were so comfortable.  They turn many of them into regular bras for moms if you ask.  

At the time they started, they didn't have children.  Now they do and they run around the shop telling them what colors the next seasons bras should be.  

Connect with Bella Materna 

Website

Facebook 

 Do you want a chance to win one of these fantastic and very comfortable bras?  Enter here

Baby Babu OS Diaper Giveaway

If you have been following my blog, you know that Baby Babu Diapers have been giving away one diaper on my blog each month.  This will be placed on hold for awhile, but will hopefully resume soon.  In the meantime, here is one last chance to win a Baby Babu Diaper until they give me the go ahead to offer up one to another lucky reader.

 Read my review here

Connect with Baby Babu
Website
Facebook
Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway Enter below for more chances to win a Baby Babu diaper

Hot Fluff Cool Baby Giveaway

Welcome to the Hot Fluff Cool Baby Cloth Diaper Giveaway! This awesome cloth diaper stash starter event is sponsored by Greenie Beanie Bottoms and hosted by Just Add Cloth, along with over 75 wonderful and influential bloggers who all love cloth! Cloth diapering is a great way to reduce our waste, help our planet, and save money. Cloth diapers are Hot items and Cool for your baby! Not only are cloth diapers more breathable in warm weather, but they make adorable accessories in Summer!

Starting your stash can be daunting, so this prize from Greenie Beanie Bottoms is a great way to get a variety of diapers to try out. Greenie Beanie Bottoms is an online retailer of cloth diapers, accessories, amber teething jewelry, and reusable menstrual and nursing pads.They offer totally free shipping for all orders in the U.S. and low flat rate shipping to Canada.

 

Now on to the prize!

Our Hot Fluff Cool Baby cloth diaper prize comprises everything you need to get started with cloth!

 

 

One lucky winner will receive:

 

2 Happy Heinys One Size pocket diapers

2 Wahmies Deluxe One Size pocket diapers

2 Drybees All-In-One cloth diapers

2 Oh Katy One Size Pocket diapers

2 Tweedle Bugs One Size pocket diapers

A dozen Tiny Tush Perfect Wipes

A Knickerknappies Hanging Diaper Pail /wet bag

2 Pairs Agoo baby leg Warmers

A Wolbybug wet bag

A jar of LuSa Organics booty balm

5 Fold-to-Fit Bamboo inserts by the Cloth Diaper Company

2 Happy Heinys One Size diaper covers

That's 10 pocket diapers in winner's choice of colors and closures, two wet bags, 12 cloth wipes, two pair baby leg warmers, diaper cream, two diaper covers, and five bamboo terry cloth inserts!

Bringing the grand prize total to over $300!!

With 15 diaper changes and accessories to match, this is a great beginner stash for anyone just starting out in cloth diapering. This giveaway runs from 12:01AM July 16 through 11:59PM July 31, EST. It is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Must be 18 or older. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Entering means you agree to the terms and conditions stated in the form. Entering is easy! Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below. a Rafflecopter giveaway *The participating blogs are not responsible if sponsor fails to provide prize. Bloggers did not receive review items or compensation for this event. ********************************************************************

Bare Necessities *Sponsor Spotlight and Giveaway*

I am happy to announce the first sponsor spotlight for the From Belly To Baby Giveaway Event.  

Bare Necessities offers a wide selection of bras, including maternity and nursing bras; as well as panties, sleepwear, and many other options.  They also offer bras for larger busted women:

To view their selection, visit their website 

Friend them on Facebook

BarePlus on Facebook

For your chance to win a $25 e-gift card, enter below

Open to US and Canada

a Rafflecopter giveaway