Thought for Thursday

I had one of ‘those days’ today. Nothing tragic happened, and I got enough sleep, but it just seemed to be one of ‘those days.’ You know what I am talking about, you wake up, and from the moment you wake up you just don’t feel like yourself. I had my cup of coffee (and it was really good), sat down with Aaron to eat breakfast that my hubby had made. Things were moving along just as they do any other ‘normal’ day. Today I just seemed on edge and a bit irritated, but for no good reason. I tried to make the best of the day. I took the boys to the library and enjoyed several cups of tea. By afternoon, the rain started. This got me thinking of home, Oregon. I was reminiscing of my childhood days playing outside in the rain… making mud pies and perfume out of all my mom’s roses. I started thinking of my dad (who died of pancreatic cancer almost 2 years ago). I started feeling sad.

I decided I would nap when the boys did, so I went up to my bedroom and lay down. It felt good to lie down and rest my body! I woke up to Joshua talking (quite loudly in his room). Brought him downstairs and played with him for awhile. Then I decided to check the mail. There were a few boxes (no fluff), but vitamins for the littles and a box from Oregon, sent by my sister Marla. I knew exactly what it was. I couldn’t wait to open it. My sister had informed me that our mom had given her a sweatshirt that belonged to my dad, and my sister claimed that it smelled like him. I asked her to send it to me, and she did. It was carefully placed in a Ziploc bag in order to preserve the scent. I opened the bag and inhaled through my nostrils as deeply as I could. Searching for the scent that came rushing over me… the scent of my dad! Tears filled my eyes as I buried my face in the sweatshirt.

After a few minutes of sobbing, I gathered myself and became very thankful; thankful that I had received such a priceless gift. Thankful that I was able to capture a moment in which I felt I was in my daddy’s arms once again! Memories flooded my mind and I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed in knowing what an awesome father I had. Thankful that he had spent so much time with me, had taught me right from wrong, and in my opinion did the very best he ever could have when it came to raising us kids.
Thank you Dadzola!
I am glad I had ‘one of those days’ today. It paved the road, prepared my heart to receive that very special blessing!
I hope you all will take a moment today to realize your special blessings. What special blessings you are to your children. Realize how powerful your presence is in their lives. How impressionable they are, and how awesome the footprint is that you are leaving on their hearts.
Take a moment to slow down, and embrace every moment. Sure, we spend a lot of time going through the motions… feeding, cleaning up messes, changing diapers and all those mundane things that parenthood brings. But we also have those everyday moments that bring great impact in the lives of our littles. Embrace those moments, cherish those times and find joy in everything you do!

Winner of the Mary Kay set!!

Using Random.org, lucky number 13 was chosen...
Congratulations to kidbooks4u!
I have e-mailed the winner, and they have 48 hours to respond, or I will choose another!
Thanks for entering!
Don't forget to enter my Econobum cloth diaper giveaway while you're here!

*CLOSED*Econobum Cloth Diaper Giveaway!!

I am so excited to finally be posting my first cloth diaper giveaway! Since this blog is about being frugal and I am a cloth diaper addict, I thought that an Econobum cloth diaper giveaway was perfect.
Econobum diapers are a great cloth diaper for someone who is thinking about making the switch to cloth diapers, but is a bit hesitant. It is also a very good choice for parents that already cloth diaper and are living on a budget. Why do I suggest Econobum cloth diapers?
They are VERY affordable, they are a one size diaper (which means they will fit most babies from birth to potty training). I love one sized cloth diapers (I must admit I only own 1 Econobum diaper and the rest of my stash is made up of Fuzzi Bunz... Shhhh don't tell) ;)
You can read more about the Econobum HERE!

Buy it!!

You can purchase this diaper directly from the Cotton Babies website found HERE! Cotton Babies offers free economy shipping and they also have colored Econobums (moonbeam, ribbit or zinnia).
I purchased a white Econobum cloth diaper from Amazon, and paid $9.95 and also received free shipping. (Amazon has currently given me a free trial of Amazon Prime, and I am taking full advantage of that)!
Amazon also has a great FREE membership for us parents, called Amazon MOM. Being a member of Amazon Mom will give you 30% off select diapers and wipes and more. You can read about all the benefits of this program HERE! Details on how to sign up can be found HERE!

Win it!

One lucky person will win a brand new white Econobum diaper cover and prefold!

Be sure to include your e-mail address in each comment, so I can contact you if you win!

Mandatory entry (*this must be done before any other entries will count)*

Follow my blog publicly via Google Friend Connect and tell me why you would like to win (1 entry)

Extra (optional) Entries:

Refer your friends to my blog, have them follow me via Google Friend Connect. You must leave the name of the person you referred (as it appears on Google Friend Connect ie: their username) (2 entries per person you refer, once they are following me).

Follow me on twitter @oregongal1 (1 entry)

Tweet about this giveaway. Tweet the following: "I entered to #win an Econobum #clothdiaper from @oregongal1 and YOU can too! http://lifewithmylittles.blogspot.com/ #giveaway" (can be tweeted once per day for 1 extra entry per day)!

Giveaway will end Friday, October 8th at 12 midnight Eastern Time. Winner will be chosen via random.org. Winner will be posted on the blog, and notified by e-mail. If winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck and have fun!!

Thought for Thursday

It was a beautiful morning. I was taking a brisk morning walk with my two boys. I was trying to get in a bit of a workout, so I was walking pretty quickly. The boys were happily sitting in their seats looking all around enjoying the outdoors. It was a crisp fall morning.. all was right with the world. My mind started to wander. I was thinking that it was Wednesday, and that Friday was just around the corner. My husband had been gone all week out of state for work and I was thinking of him coming home. Just then I had a thought... I was pondering why we always rush through the week to get to Friday, then the weekend?

I was convicted. I looked in on my to boys, just soaking up the morning and I did not want to rush to the weekend. I wanted to stay there, in that moment, looking at my two wonderful, completly content littles!!

Then I started thinking about my lifestyle. If anyone knows me well, they know that once I have had a cup of coffee, I am off... I start a load of laundry (there is always dirty laundry in our home), unload/load the dishwasher, vacuum, run out the door to run a few errands! All the while I am working away, the boys are quietly playing (or rolling around the floor in one case)! Then I look at them and think, slow down, enjoy the moment. Life life right here, right now!

One day the other week I found myself in a similar situation. I was cleaning up the kitchen after breakfast. My eldest son Aaron was quietly playing in the living room, and my youngest was content as well. Then, out of no where, Aaron came into the kitchen and said "Mommy, come in and see, will you play with me? There are lots of things to do." My heart melted. Sure, I had not finished the dishes and there were crumbs on the counter, but my little boy wanted his mommy! How could I resist?

We spent that whole morning just playing together. We read books, built towers with blocks, colored, built more towers until snack time!

Though for us stay at home moms (SAHM) sometimes the days seem to just repeat themselves, I would encourage you to enjoy your littles while they are littles! Live in the season you find yourself, because not too long from now, they will be grown and the time that has passed can never be re-lived.

So what are you waiting for??? Get living!!

Cloth Diaper Addiction~Fuzzi Bunz Giveaway

Cloth Diaper Addiction is having a Fuzzi Bunz One size diaper giveaway.
Simply go visit them, HERE and enter to win.
Open until September 24th!!
Good Luck!

Much Ado about Monday

It's Monday.. the start of another week.

I thought I would talk a bit about a few of my favorite websites today. Along my journey to becoming green and frugal I have stumbled upon many useful, and educational websites.

When my first son Aaron was born I was really concerned about what I was putting on his skin. I mean with all the safety issues surrounding such products as Johnson's baby wash, I was determined to find something that was suitable and safe for him. This is where safemama.com comes in!

I absolutely love this site! It provides 'cheat sheets' for specific products and lists the chemical ratings according to the Environmental Working Groups skin deep cosmetic safety database found here! This site gives ratings on which chemicals (and levels of those chemicals) are found in everyday products we use. I highly recommend you look at their site and find out what exactly is in your everyday products... you might be surprised!

I currently use California Baby wash on both my boys. I also use many Earth's Best products by Jason. They make a lot of great organic baby food too!!

I still have a long way to go on this journey of becoming green and frugal, but by protecting my family from harsh chemicals, and ensuring they are getting the purest nutritional food is a great way to meet my goals!

Thanks for reading!!

~Angela

Ergo Baby Giveaway at Heavenly Hold

Heavenly Hold is hosting a giveaway for an Ergo Performance Baby Carrier.
"ERGO's newest baby carrier is the Performance. It's 1/3 lighter than the standard ERGO and has Cool Max mesh lining on the inside of the body for a more breathable, cooler babywearing experience."
Giveaway ends on September 30th!!
Good Luck!

*CLOSED*Mary Kay Giveaway!!

To celebrate the start of this blog, I am hosting a giveaway.
One lucky winner will receive a Mary Kay Sun Travel Set, which includes a travel case, 2 travel sized bottles (for shampoo/conditioner), 1 fl. oz. bottle of After-Sun replenishing gel, 1 fl. oz. bottle of SPF 30 Sunscreen, and .09 oz. "Beach Bronze" lip gloss!!

The winner will also receive a 1 fl. oz. bottle of Mary Kay Timewise day solution with SPF 25!
Ways to enter:
*Mandatory entry*Follow me via Google Friend Connect, if you already do, let me know-3 entries
Post (or blog about) this giveaway on Facebook (leave the link)-3 entries



Giveaway is open to all U.S. residents and will end on Monday, September 27th, and winner will be drawn using random.org.

Winner will be e-mailed, and will have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.

Thanks and good luck!

Welcome to my journey!!

Welcome to my blog. This blog is being created for several reasons. First of all, it is my desire to record my journey as a Follower of Christ, military wife, and mother! In doing so I hope to reach out to other women like me and share with them everyday joys and situations that arise in this journey we call life. I am no expert in the matter, but rest assured that by sharing experience and knowledge we can all aide one another along the journey!
Secondly, I am looking forward to sharing my views and experiences with living a frugal and green life, and how you can have loads of fun while doing so! I am especially excited about sharing with you my addiction to cloth diapering!

About a year ago, my best friend Barb started a blog titled The Forever Neighbor. She has been a great friend to me and is part of the reason I have decided to create this blog. (Thanks Barbarina)!!

Without further ado, please let me introduce myself.
I was born in Portland Oregon, and grew up in a small Oregon town called Cornelius. I have two brothers, a sister and am the baby! A few years after graduating from high school (1996, I know, that was a long time ago), and attending Portland Community College for awhile, I joined the Army! I served a total of 5 years in the Army as a Military Police officer and spent the first 2 years of my 5 year tour in Germany, where I met my husband Troy. He was also in the Army and he proudly serves today. After being stationed in Germany for 2 years, I was sent to Fort Lewis, Washington. It was during my time at Fort Lewis that I reconnected with Troy and we were married. He was stationed at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, when we were married and a few months after our wedding, I joined him there. It was in Oklahoma that I made the transition from soldier to Army wife. I have been a proud Army wife since December, 2002.
In 2007 the Army sent us to Fort Meade, MD, which is where we are today. Since we have been married, we have been through 6 deployments to Iraq, which causes somewhat of a strain on a marriage (which is a whole other post in itself). By the Grace of God, we have endured and are still learning about one another and loving each other unconditionally.

In February of 2008 we were blessed with the arrival of our first son, Aaron. Until this point, our family consisted of a dog named Kassey, a cat named Rocky, and a beta fish. Adding a baby to the mix certainly changed things!

November of 2008 was the most difficult time in my life ever. In January of that same year, my father Max found out he had pancreatic cancer. As I type this, I am almost overcome by emotion. The love and joy that fills my heart as I think back on my life, and remember how I sat rocking my newborn baby in my arms while learning that my dad had cancer. God, in His perfect grace, had given me such a sweet little life in a time filled with such pain and death. On November 5, 2008, my father lost his battle to cancer. I miss him very much, and think of him daily. I have peace knowing that He is in the eternal presence of God! 23 months after the birth of Aaron, we welcomed our son Joshua into our family. Both boys are such blessings to me and fill me with such continual joy!

This journey I am on has been challenging at times and extremely difficult. From where I stand today I can honestly say that God has been faithful and has NEVER forsaken me, or turned his back on me, and for that I am thankful.

Now a bit about my cloth diapering addiction! I had used disposable diapers on my first son Aaron for the first year of his life. Then I won some Fuzzi Bunz diapers from a blog giveaway. After trying out these diapers I was hooked!! My Aaron looked so stinkin’ cute in his bright blue dipes. I had to have more! I researched all the different kinds of cloth diapers and I made the decision to stick with Fuzzi Bunz, simply because I was familiar with them and knew how well they worked. So I made the switch. I free cycled all of my disposables and started using cloth (which I found out is referred to as “fluff” by cloth diaper lovers across the nation).

This pretty much sums it up (for now)!
I hope you will find the time to read some of my posts (if not all of them), and will feel free to join in on the discussions!
I will be hosting a giveaway to celebrate the birth of this blog and I hope you will join in the fun…
Thanks for reading!!