SOLD!

Now that the crazy whirl wind that was the last 6 weeks is over I finally have time to slow down and reflect on the decision we made and start looking forward to the future!
It all started with Grammy passing away.  My mother-in-law had always planned on moving into her mothers condo when this time came.  What hadn't been planned was my husband and I moving into his childhood home!  After the celebration of Grammy's life was over (which was pretty much a 3-day bender enjoyed by the very large Swanson family clan) my mother-in-law began to plan the sale of her home in order to move into her condo.  As we were sitting in her home it hit me and I said it out loud "what if we bought your house?"

Since then it's all a blur.

We were suddenly painting the outside of our house (something we had wanted to do since we moved in over 5 years ago) and then presto the "For Sale" sign was up on our lawn and we moved into my moms house.  The part where we moved into my moms house was not an option - keeping a house "fluffed" for showings and open houses with 2 kids under 2 is impossible.  "The Team"  (Elspeth, Pat and Carolyn with Bosley Real Estate) were awesome and helped us navigate and remain calm through some changes in the market and then suddenly we were sold and moved back in.  It was only then that we had a chance to sit back and look around my house and then onto the lawn at the sold sign and really think about what we had done.  Don't get me wrong - it's all great and no regrets!  It's just kind of crazy to suddenly be leaving a neighbourhood that we love and not to mention a pre-school my daughter was about to start after being on waiting lists since i was 6 months pregnant!!

Since being back in our house for a week now i've already managed to find an awesome nursery school for Kate which is walking distance form our new house.  We're starting to line-up some renovations and can't wait to move in.

What's freaking me out more than anything is how a decision like this that my husband and I make will now completely change our kids future.  It's so different when you make big decisions once you have kids.  This is definitely the single most important decision we feel we've made in their lifetime that will effect their future.  It's a powerful thing to ponder.  Yikes!

Finally A Green Diaper with No Compromises - And Oh So Soft!

Early on in my first pregnancy I became very passionate about learning ways I could improve my environmental footprint and changes I could make to ensure a healthier environment for my baby-to-be.  Some of the changes I made included:

• Getting rid of all chemical cleaning supplies at home
• Purchasing organic produce, dairy and meat and many other food produce
• Cooking fresh food more often and reducing processed and fried food
• Making a “no shoes in the house” rule – did you know this is a major contributor to toxic chemicals in the house?
• I also purchased all natural and organic diaper creams, wipes and baby body creams

Surprisingly enough I didn’t get on the green diaper train right away.  It wasn’t for lack of thought - or even trial.  However, at the time, there wasn’t a whole lot of brands in this space and the couple that I tried I didn’t like.  One brand had an overlay large back panel which made the diaper really bulky and just didn’t fit my XS little girl.  The other felt particularly rough on the outside, which I also didn’t like.   So, up until the more recent introduction of Huggies Pure and Natural Diapers (and one baby later), I stuck with tried and trusted Huggies Little Movers.  I was making my usual diaper purchase and noticed the new line of diapers and decided to give them a try.

Almost as soon as I opened the eco-friendly packaging and felt how soft the diaper was I knew I’d found my new brand!  The diapers were unlike either of the other two “green brands” I’d previously tired.  The first thing I noticed was the soft texture.  Softer than any diaper I’d come into contact with previously – green or not! The diapers are also fragrance free and therefore lacked the perfume smell that so many diapers have.  I’m guessing it’s the aloe and Vitamin E that contribute to the soft inside texture.  The outside is made with organic cotton and the inner liner includes renewable materials.  To be honest, I could do without Tiger and Poo imagery if that would reduce ink completely – maybe something Huggies would consider in the future?    

My 2 ½ year old daughter (now toilet trained, but still needs a diaper at night) and my 8 month old boy are in the same size diaper, so I only need to buy one brand and one size and I’m done!  The only snag is you can’t find Pure and Natural diapers in all grocery stores, as I guess they want to push their own brand of green diapers.  I’ve had no problem finding them at Shoppers Drug Mart and then I get the bonus of optimum points - so I pick them up when I’m stocking up on other staples there.

Not a regular product reviewer, I met some folks at Kimberly-Clark recently and raved about my love for Huggies Pure and Natural Diapers.  They asked if I would share my insights with other moms and as a thank you, they gave me some Pure and Natural diapers as well as some Little Swimmers for the hot summer months!

Boo!

I can't believe how long it's been since i've blogged.  Feel extreme guilt despite so many good reasons that have filled my time.  But I do miss my new little hobby.  Kind of feels like in high school when you skip too many classes and don't know how you can go back without being way behind and getting in trouble.

i've come to visit and looked at the empty space.

This time i decided to break the silence.

we'll see how it goes...