Kindle Adoration

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kindle outside When we were on the road last time, I am pretty sure the right side of the RV was grossly over the weight limit. That's where all of my books were stored. This time around, I came up with a solution! Let me introduce you to my new favorite space saving, lightweight, environmentally friendly device...my KINDLE!

I first heard about the Kindle on Jess's blog...she was raving about it and I thought it was a fun idea, but I didn't think about it any further. Then I saw another person raving about theirs online. Then I did an informal Facebook poll and was overwhelmed at the number of people who had a Kindle and LOVED it. I was hooked.

kindle inside

I researched A LOT and found that although there are several electronic book reading options out there, the Kindle was the most popular. I did think about waiting for the Nook, but I'm impatient (it's not released yet). When Apple releases one in the future...I'll be all over that one. :) Anyhoo...I talked with Matt and we both agreed that the Kindle would be a smart option for someone who is on the road full time.

I ordered it. It arrived. I fell in love.

Here is why:

It looks cool...and I like to look cool. :) How can you not love that green cover? Oh my word. Love it. No seriously, the Kindle just really has a nice feel to it. It holds well in your hand, with or without a case. I prefer the case because with kids, I worry about it getting stomped upon. It's also a little easier to hold while I'm nursing at night, because the flap blocks my book light from Lucy's eyes (yes, book light...there is no back light to prevent eye strain).

Accessibility. I can read anywhere...anytime...and have MANY different books with me at one time. Up to 1500, in fact! :) I can also read major newspapers from around the world, magazines, and blogs. I mostly stick with the books, but I do enjoy reading single issues of the newspaper once in a while. I love that when we are away from the RV, I don't have to load my bag with 2-3 books that I am reading at the time. I just grab my Kindle and go. AND, I know that if I need to, I could download a new book from Amazon in less than 1 minute (literally). Everything is delivered wirelessly on a cell signal (already set up and included when it arrives).

Good for mama. I think Kindles are great for the mama crowd. There are no paper books to get strawberries smashed into, pages ripped out of, or thrown in the pool. Only an expensive electronic device to ruin. ha. That's why I bought the extended warranty, which allows for one (and one only) replacement Kindle if you break it.

I've fallen in love with reading again. I've always been a reader. I love transporting myself to another time and place through a book. But, since having kids, I can't remember the last time I FINISHED a book. Completely. To the last page. Since receiving my Kindle, I've finished three books (Tales of a Female Nomad , The Help and Unschooling: A Lifestyle of Learning...all of which I LOVED! The Help was amazing). While on the road, we can't check books out from the library (usually)...so it's so fun to be able to read all of these new books.

I'm reading books I wouldn't normally read. Now I'm starting to sound like a commercial for Amazon :) They don't pay me I promise! I love the option to "sample" books on the Kindle. You can search through the Amazon website and if something looks interesting, with just one click, it will magically appear on your Kindle via wireless delivery. You can read a chapter or two of the book, and then decide if you want to buy the rest. So great. This feature is also a tool to help keep a list of books you want to read in the future.

Many of you are purists when it comes to your never ending obsession with books and reading. You wouldn't even think about replacing that hardback in your hands with an electronic device. I'm not going to argue with you :) I too love the feel of a real book in my hands. I love the smell and the familiar feel of it after you've been reading it for awhile. And let's not forget the power of books as an "object" in your home. They serve as decoration and conversation starters. I love looking at other people's books on their shelves...you can learn a lot about a person that way! :) Some of my favorite books could never be replaced by a Kindle version (i.e. The Material World, Hungry Planet, etc).

However, the Kindle serves a very specific purpose for me...and that is to allow me to have an abundance of books with me on the road without taking up space. And as an added bonus, it happens to be environmentally friendly because I'm not out buying paper books.

There are only a few downsides to the Kindle in my opinion. They are pretty expensive. And I've found that it's really easy to rack up the dollars when it's so simple to buy books (for ONLY $9.99!) :) But that's it. I haven't found much that I don't like.

And now you're wondering, what is on Sara's Kindle? Well, let me tell you what I'm reading and sampling right now :)

Tell me your favorite books...I love a good page-turner, one that I just can't put down! What should I read next?

Cloth Diaper Giveaway Winner!

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Thank you to all of you who entered the giveaway...and for sharing your cloth diaper faves! :) The winner of the giveaway is COLLEEN SHEADD! Here is Colleen's comment:

I'm finally moving to a house where I can have a washer and dryer and am excited to start cloth diapering!  I guess my favorite 'fall' food would be baked apples, we have this amazing recipe from a friend who runs a B and B.

Congrats Colleen!

We are moving out of our house today and into the RV, so it's a little crazy around here. I will be posting about our new travel blog in the next couple of weeks and will be doing more fun giveaways here and blogging too. I hope to be able to blog a little more once things get settled on the road. Have a great weekend!

Cloth Diaper Fun & Giveaway

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cloth dipes and wipesCloth diapers are making a comeback…but these aren’t your mama’s cloth diapers.  They’re easy to use, adorable, and they save you LOTS of money.  Here’s the scoop.

This "modern" cloth diapering business has exploded into a HUGE industry in the last 5-7 years…and it can be quite overwhelming to dive into.  But, the best way to begin is to JUST BEGIN! You can spend weeks and weeks researching if this pocket diaper is truly better than that fitted diaper…but in the end, it really comes down to your preferences and your baby’s body type. Each diaper will fit differently. If you just jump in and start, it's much easier to determine what will work for you.

Instead of re-writing all of the information that is already out there regarding the logistics of cloth diapering, I'm going to send you to my friend Sarah. She is the cloth diapering guru. :)

Why Use Cloth Diapers? How to Cloth Diaper Is Cloth Really Cheaper?

Now that you've read all of the basics and know the terminology...I'll tell you my personal experience with cloth diapers. Before Bella was born, I bought pretty much one of every type of diaper so that I could see what I liked best. I found that for the newborn stage, I LOVED the Kissaluv Size 0 fitted diapers with a plastic or wool cover (we used Proraps). As she grew out of the Kissaluvs, we transitioned into pocket diapers. I also had a handful of hemp fitted dipes for nighttime diapering and I LOVED the Aristocrat Soaker. Awesome.

When it came to diapering Bella, I was pretty fanatical. It was at least a year and a half before a disposable even touched her skin :) I took them on airplanes across the country and everywhere else. While I certainly think it can be done (never using disposables)...I don't want anyone to think that is the only way to do it. :) This time around we're a little more laid back. We used cloth and elimination communication with Lucy until we went on the road in July, and then used mostly disposables while traveling. Now that we have a larger RV with a washer and dryer, I'm starting up with cloth again. I am hoping to get going with elimination communication again as well...I LOVED being able to "read" her that way, and it will cut back on how many diapers I have to wash!

I'm super excited to receive my order of pocket diapers from Sarah...I need a diaper that dries quickly (our washer/dryer in the RV is a combo unit and dries slowly) and a pocket diaper stuffed with a microfiber towel fits the bill perfectly. I will continue to use disposables when we are flying home and when we are out and about. When we are "en route", we don't always have water and electric hookups...which means to do laundry, I need to run the generator (loud!). When we settle in one place for a little while, it's much easier to do cloth because we have full hookups.

My personal diapering system looks like this:

  • 18 Pocket diapers with microfiber inserts (I get the inserts at Costco)
  • Cloth wipes
  • Wet Bag (one big one for the diaper pail and a small one for the diaper bag)
  • Large stainless steel step can (for dirty dipes)

And that's it! Pretty simple. I don't use any sort of special wipe solution...I just run the cloth wipes under warm water. If I am out and about, I might use a spray bottle with a simple solution of apricot oil, Dr. Bronner's and water...or just put some wet cloth wipes in a baggie. Or you could try Sarah's wipe solution here.

As far as number of diapers, you CAN get by with just 12. In the newborn stage, that would last 1 day. I like to have at least 12-18 on hand so that I can go a little longer between washing.

When it comes to washing the diapers...it's just as easy. I think this is the part that scares people away...but it's really no different than doing another load of regular laundry. I just grab the wet bag out of the step can when it's full and dump it all in the wash on hot water with natural detergent. If you want to avoid staining in the early poop stages, you can do a cold soak first or "sun" the diapers to get rid of staining.

For more information than you could ever possibly take into your brain in one sitting, check out the Mothering.com diaper forums here. Just be warned...you may feel VERY overwhelmed after reading there. I use it as a tool, but I don't spend too much time there because it's information overload! :)

Once you get into cloth diapering, you might also consider starting "family cloth" or cloth toilet paper. I blogged about it several years ago. We don't do family cloth while we're on the road, but I LOVE it when we're in a sticks & bricks house.

Bottom line...cloth diapering is fun and easy. Yes, it might cost more up front..but you can use them with multiple children, it's better for the earth, and for their little bums. If you've ever been curious about cloth diapers, now is a great time to check it out! If you're still intimidated, you can always do cloth just at nighttime to try it.

And now for the fun part! The Giveaway!

Sarah, owner of Wallypop, is a friend of mine "in real life" :) and Lisa, owner of Full Circle Baby is one of my online friends. Both ladies have generously donated some cloth diapering goodies from their stores for me to giveaway. Be sure to visit both of their stores to see a variety of cool natural living stuff!

Here is the giveaway stash:

If you are local in the San Antonio, Austin, or New Braunfels, TX area and you want to check cloth diapers out in person...you can go straight to Lisa. Same with Sarah for those of you Des Moines area locals. Sarah also has adorable custom t-shirt fitted dipes and other fun stuff at her Etsy store, Boulevard Designs.  And she conducts cloth diapering classes...contact her for more info.

To enter yourself in the diaper giveaway...answer one of the following questions:

  • If you are cloth diapering already or have in the past, what is your favorite brand or type of diaper?
  • If you aren't using cloth yet...tell me your favorite fall food (I know, not diaper related...but I like to eat!)

I will choose a winner at random October 30 at 12:00 MST. Have a great weekend!