We Found Our Doula at a Pig Roast....

Yes, that's right, a pig roast, in a ski resort.

Casey (Daddy) and I had just moved to the area and we were lucky enough to end up living in a Ski Resort called Massanutten (I'm going to be really sad when we move again). A few weeks after we moved to Massanutten there was a Pig Roast/Pot Luck for residents of the resort and we decided to go. 

As we were walking into the lodge we were slightly worried we had moved to a retirement home. Everyone that we saw was about 50+ years older than us. We walked through the door and got in line to sign in. Standing behind us was the first young couple we had seen! I immediately struck up conversation with the woman, Maria. After signing in, everyone was filing to the back to grab a table. I scanned the room and saw that young couple again and immediately Casey and I looked at each other and walked over, without saying a word to each other.

We sat down and introduced ourselves. Of course the first question when you are nice and round is "How far along are you?" Maria and I started chatting about babies, as Casey and Maria's husband Ron, started chatting about......well, man stuff, I suppose. 

Maria and I got on the topic of occupations and she told me she was a Doula. Without taking a breath I said, "No Way! I've been looking into hiring a Doula!" We were instantly connected. After filling up on delicious food, we exchanged phone numbers and said our goodbye's. 

It was a complete act of fate meeting her that night. Now I don't suggest this as a method of trying to find a Doula. You'll have much better luck checking out the DONA International website or asking your Doctor or Midwife for recommendations.

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International & "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey and "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen Le Billon

Staying on a Budget, No Matter Your Income

You may have noticed that I have been reading "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey. 

For those who don't know who Dave Ramsey is, he is a Financial Guru! Ok, that's my opinion, but he really does have a vast knowledge of managing money and becoming debt free, among other things. I strongly recommend his books as well as his Financial Peace University course to anyone, but especially those other young couples who are just like Casey and I. If you've got some student loans to pay off, maybe some credit card debt, and maybe a car loan, this is something to look into. Whatever type of debt you have, learning how to stick to a budget and pay that debt off will be one of the most exciting things you do. Whether your income is $30,000, $60,000, or $100,000+, you should be directing your money where to go and not wondering what happened to all of it.

Casey was the one to initiate our start into financial freedom. The idea of writing a budget was a scary thought to me at the time. I was in between jobs, working as a Barista and part-time Nannying. My income was anything, but stable. In January of 2013 Casey stayed the weekend and when he left, he left one of Dave's books. After about 2 weeks of the book sitting on my nightstand I finally opened it up, only to find a bookmark Casey had made me. At that very moment I knew he meant business, but first and foremost, I knew he not only wanted the best life possible for himself, but for me as well.

We are currently "enrolled" in the at-home version of Financial Peace University. Financial Peace University is available at churches across the nation as well as the at-home version. It is a 9 week program with one lesson each week.

We have already seen success from this journey and I hope some of you will too.

*Keep an eye out for my post "Baby Doesn't Have to Mean Broke". It will have tips on how to save money on typical baby items as well as some DIY project ideas.

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International & "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey and "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen Le Billon

The Great Diaper Debate

Disposables vs. Cloth.

That is the question.

Congratulations! You have been given the great decision of how to handle your munchkin's poo!

This past weekend I attended a seminar on Cloth Diapering at a local natural baby store, Over the Moon, here in the mountains of Virginia. Prior to the seminar I had done my own research via the Internet and awesome cloth diapering friends, but I still managed to learn quite a bit at the seminar.

There are Pros and Cons to both sides, but I can't help but be a little biased toward cloth because that is what we've decided to do. So here it is!

Cloth Diaper Pros:

• Money saver
• Less waste/Environmentally friendly
• Better for baby's bottom
• Less stink!

Cloth Diaper Cons:

• More laundry
• Some daycares won't accept cloth diapers
• You have to rinse the poo out before you wash
• More labor-intensive than disposables

Disposable Diaper Pros:

• All daycares accept disposable diapers
• Super easy
• Don't have to rinse out poo
• No extra laundry

Disposable Diaper Cons:

• Stinkier than cloth
• Large amount of garbage
• More expensive than cloth
• Chemicals in diapers than can irritate baby's skin

When we decided to do cloth diapers a large determining factor was how much money we would be able to save. And you can save even more than just 2-3 years worth. You can hang on to those cloth diapers if you plan on having more children and double the savings, or maybe even triple them!

The typical Cloth Diaper stash will run you about $500, give or take, depending on the style of diaper you choose to buy (which I will dive into in a separate post). And there are plenty of websites to buy used Cloth Diapers to cut that $500 initial cost even lower.

Some websites where you can find used cloth diapers:

Here.... Craigslist
Here....... Diaper Swappers
And Here.... Cloth Diaper Trader

(I have not used Diaper Swappers or Cloth Diaper Trader, but I'd love to hear your experiences if you have!)

Happy Diapering!

Currently Reading: "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding" by La Leche League International
& "Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money" by Dave Ramsey