I know that during the upcoming warmer months, a lot of people plan family picnics and reunions. As a matter of fact, almost every time I go to an amusement park, I see at least 20 people all wearing the same matching customized T-shirts, saying things such as "Jones Family Reunion 2011" on them. I always thought this was a great idea, especially for young children. If they happen to wander off, it won't be too hard to figure out where they belong and get them back to their families.

A great company that provides such customizable clothing is TShirtPrinting.net. I recently received a sample from them for review. I got an adult large gray t-shirt with their mascot Cheeky Monkey printed on it. (The same tee pictured here.) I was impressed by the overall quality of this shirt. It is a soft, well stitched cotton, and isn't starchy feeling like a lot of other t-shirts tend to be. There were also no loose threads or crooked stitches. Overall, it was a nice, high quality t-shirt, and is very comfortable. And the monkey design is very cute. As a matter of fact, my 10 year old laid claim to the shirt as soon as it arrived! It is a bit big on him, as I did request and adult large, but he is wearing it proudly anyway.
TShirtPrinting.Net offers more than just T-shirts, by the way! They offer custom hoodies, vests, sweatshirts, and much, much more. All can be personalized to meet your needs, whether it be for a family event, a corporate event, or to show school pride.  And the prices are more than reasonable!
Here is some more info on the company:

Here’s some info about the company.  “We have over 20 years experience and take pride in offering an honest, easy to understand way of doing business.  We believe that you are customer, are searching for someone to fulfill your printing needs without stress and with your satisfaction being out main aim.”

Highly competitive pricing

Huge selection of garments and colours

High Quality Silk Screen Printing

Quantities from 12 to 100,000

Fast turnaround times

Their array of suppliers  include Fruit of the Loom, Gildan, Hanes, Screen Stars and even will let you source them out yourself and they do the screen printing for you.

So if you're in need of some very cute, high quality personalized garments, please do visit TShirtPrinting.Net. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the excellent quality and care that goes into their items!

***Disclosure: I received a sample product from this company in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided. My opinions are 100% accurate and honest, and are my own.***

It's no secret that this blog is super-new, so I have been scouring the net looking for ways to network, meet other bloggers, and gain followers. Let's face it...More followers=better content and more giveaways, etc for my readers. I came across the Follow Me Back Tuesday blog hop. There is a HUGE list of blogs participating, and among them I see a lot of my favorites, like Boobies, Babies, and a Blog, Simply Stacie(Probably the biggest blog out there, in my opinion) and many more blogs I visit regularly. So of course, I decided to hop on board!  Here is how it works:

 How it Works

• Follow all 3 Hosts & Guest Host's -Spots 1-5   leave a comment w/ a link to your blog so we can follow you back  ( only leave a comment that you follow if you actually follow )

• Snag our button & make a F.M.B.T. post.
• After you post use that link to add your blog to the hop along with your blog name  

( NO BLOG HOPs & GIVEAWAYS PLEASE  ) These entries will be deleted.

• Follow the blogs you like & Follow Back who follows you ( Remember to leave a comment so you can be followed back )
• And most importantly - Have Fun and Come back and see us every Tuesday !!

Obviously, you'll have to click the above button to be taken to the list....

Can't wait to "meet" you all, and hopefully make some new bloggy friends!

So life has been a bit different now that Xander has been born. When Sophie was born a year ago, it was easier. She was the only "baby" in the house. (I do have a 10 year old, but if he heard me call him my BABY, he would just cringe,lol) Now, we have 2 babies...Twice the diapers, twice the bottles, and having to adapt again to the up every 2-3 hours schedule of a newborn. (Although we're having some success in weaning the Sophie-Monster. It is a challenge when she sees her baby brother with his bottle, though, and she decides SHE wants one, too.) It has been a difficult adjustment. Dan works long hours, and I am home all day with the babies taking care of their needs, trying to take care of my home and make sure things are running smoothly, helping my 10 year old with his various homework and projects, and recovering from a C-section all at the same time. Most days I am lucky if I get a chance to even take a shower before the hubby gets home!So instead of being greeted by an attractive, put together woman, he is greeted by me, usually in my Pajama Jeans (don't hate, you know you want a pair!) with my hair in a messy bun or ponytail, no make-up on, usually covered in some form of baby-goo and to complete the look, I am generally sporting that New Mom Smell rather than my usual Sicily by Dolce & Gabbana,lol... Not that I am complaining....I wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world! But it is DIFFERENT. Especially in the romance department....It seems that whenever me and Dan try and have any couple time,which let's face it, with 2 babies is hard enough to do in itself, one of the babies inevitably needs something. So instead of being able to snuggle up with the hubby, we have a "group snuggle session" and we each end up with a baby on one arm. And sometimes, after a long day, we both just collapse, too darn tired to do anything other than just veg...or pass out. I know that once Xander is sleeping through the night, things will get exponentially easier. This is just a period of adjustment. But at times, I really feel that on becoming a mommy of 2 kids well under the age of 2, I have somehow given up being a wife, at least temporarily. This is distressing to me. I am a firm believer that one of the absolute BEST things parents can do for their kids is to maintain a happy marriage. I want to do things to remain connected to my husband and to find ways to please him, but at the current moment, it seems that all of my time and energy is consumed by being a mother. I know he understands. I know he still loves me. Heck, I am blessed enough to have a man that comes home and willingly scoops up his babies, changes poopy diapers, and snuggles and plays with them. He GETS it. I will go as far as saying he relishes in it. I have never seen a more involved or more loving daddy! But as Valentine's Day rapidly approaches, I am trying to find something...ANYTHING...I can do for him to show him he is still just as appreciated and loved not just as the father of my babies, but as a man and as my husband. And I want to give him a glimpse of his wife back, too, rather than the messy-haired,milk-smelling,exhausted zombie woman I have become in the past month or so.... Any ideas? Has anyone else gone through this before? How did you remain connected to your spouse while taking care of 2 infants? I would love your feedback!

I just wanted to share an awesome giveaway I found over at Mommy'sPlayground.com for a $55.00 gift card to Eden Fantasys!And just in time for Valentine's Day, too! But you'd better act fast....This giveaway ends tomorrow, February 7th and has low entries!
This is a giveaway that I am personally pretty excited about. This is my new blog, so I am sure no one knows much about me yet, but we have had 2 babies in the past 12 months... A little girl on New Year's Eve of 2009, and we were blessed with our new son on January 14th, 2011. Obviously, amidst all the poopy diapers, spit up, and sleepless nights, we are fairly exhausted all the time! My marriage could definitely use a jump-start in the passion department lately!
Eden Fantasys offers plenty of products to help in just that area! From toys and lubes to sexy lingerie, books, and dvd's, there is literally something for everyone! So hop on over to Mommy'sPlayground.com for your chance to WIN! And if you do, tell her NewlyCrunchyMamaOf3 sent you! Here is the direct link to the giveaway:
Eden Fantasys Giveaway

Since I have decided to start a new blog, I figured I would start participating in some of the MANY blog hops available to help bloggers connect and gain more followers. What a great way to meet new people and learn about new products, recipes, or just have a good laugh! (Come on, we bloggers, especially mommy bloggers, have to have a sense of humor to get through the day!) My other blog is on wordpress.com, so I never got to participate fully in these hop events, as for whatever reason, they don't allow GFC. (Boo!) I am excited to finally get to be one of the "cool kids" and be part of these blog hops! Please follow me, leave a comment with your blog URL, and I will be sure to return the favor! This blog is very new, so there isn't much content as of this moment, but I plan on adding to it regularly. Oh, and at 100 GFC followers, I plan on having a great giveaway!

As many of you know, we recently made the decision to switch to cloth diapering. With Sophie in diapers, and Xander due in January, it was really a no-brainer decision! It will save us a TON of money over disposables for 2 babies, and it is much better for the environment. Plus, I am a firm believer that cloth diapers are comfier for baby. I mean, would you rather have your butt covered in something soft and plush, or in scratchy, chemical-laden paper?

So while the decision to make the switch to CD’s was inevitable, I found it very intimidating initially. There are SO many different styles and types to choose from! There are fitteds and pockets, AIO’s and AI2′s, OS dipes, prefolds and covers….It was literally enough to make me go nuts from confusion! Which types were the best, and which would be best for my babies?  So I decided I was on a mission to find out as much as I could about cloth-diapering, and I was determined to find dipes that are not only affordable and cute, but highly functional and would last while my babies are in diapers.

I am all for WAHM businesses. Not that I have a problem with big name brands, of course. I just tend to think that items that are handmade with love by women who actually USE  and have extensive knowledge of the products they make generally tend to not only have more character, but tend to also be of much higher quality than those that are mass-produced in a factory somewhere in China.

While I was scouring the web looking for cute diapers to try, I came across Dimple Buns diapers! These are so cute, and there is a HUGE variety of products on this site. The diapers are made by a very nice and helpful woman named Krystal. She was amazing to deal with. I explained my situation, and how we’re basically CD virgins, and she was kind and helpful enough to take the time out of her busy day to answer all questions I had regarding cloth-diapering,(and trust me, I had a ton!)  as well as offer many tips and tricks I may not have thought of before. She really took a lot of time to reply to me, and was very thorough in the information she gave me. And she was just a sweetheart!

I was very impressed by the look of the diapers she has made. She has many styles and sizes, mostly fitteds and AIOs. These are all absolutely gorgeous, and she uses the best materials, like suedecloth and hemp on some diapers! The designs and colorful prints are just so unique and full of personality, as well. She has a NB dipe that is blue flames that I have my eye on for Xander, and a very cute purple leopard print diaper I would love to buy for Sophie! Just LOOK at how adorable these are!

Can’t you just picture my little Xander rocking this diaper?! I LOVE it!

And look at this adorable leopard print diaper! I bought one of these for my Sophie-Monster, too!This is just a small sample of Krystal’s work! She has TONS more styles, and has even partnered with another company to offer some pretty awesome diaper covers and other amazing products. I decided to order one of Krystal’s fitted diapers in medium, which is gender neutral and absolutely adorable with cute little turtles and multi-colored polka dots on a light blue background, as well as a Wallypop Fleecy Wrap cover in Raspberry Furry. These covers are VERY generously sized and adjustable, and will fit Sophie for quite some time! And it is SOOOO soft. Although the color is stated as raspberry, it is more of a red than pinky. Therefore making it beautifully unisex. Here is a stock photo of the fitted diaper  I purchased  taken from http://dimplebunsdiapers.com

Let me tell you, I was in love with this diaper as soon as it arrived! It was very well constructed, with no loose threads or anything, and it was soooo unbelievably soft to the skin. It was also extremely plush. I just knew it would be like sitting on a cloud to my princess. SO much more comfy than the disposables she has been used to since her birth. I couldn’t wait to put Sophie in it and see how well it held up to her heavy wetting tendencies. I was also eager to see how well it fit on her very fat little legs. Even disposables have been known to leave uncomfortable looking redness on her chunky little thighs. I was worried that I should have purchased a large, but Krystal assured me that a medium should be just fine at her weight, despite the thunder-thighs. She was absolutely right! The diaper fit beautifully, and didn’t cut into Sophie’s skin at all. It is also somewhat size adjustable due to the snaps at the waistband area. She actually should have a little room to grow and use this dipe before I have to stash it away for Xander when he is big enough. Krystal recommended that with a fitted diaper, I should use a cover. Well, I did buy and use the cover, but before I put the cover over this adorable diaper, I let Sophie crawl around in it for about 3 hours, just to test its absorbency. I was quite impressed! When I went to change her, she had definitely peed quite a bit, but the outside of this diaper was not at all damp. Let’s just say I was sold,haha. Here are some photos of Sophie proudly playing in her Dimple Buns diaper!

I did elect to try the cover out as well, after a quick wash of the fitted. i figured I would try the fitted + cover combo for overnight. I honestly think the fitted diaper would have been fine on its own, as it was highly absorbent, but I decided to go ahead and try both together. Sophie is a good sleeper. She usually sleeps a good 8-10 hours at night. When she woke up the next morning, I was surprised to see that while she definitely peed a lot, both the outside of the fitted and the cover were absolutely, 100% dry! No leaks here! So while I am sure the cover adds extra protection, when I pair it with the Dimple Buns fitted diaper, it has been more for looks,lol…Maybe I will try it with other fitteds once I buy some and see if it holds in leaks, but Krystal’s diapers are so well made that there have been no leaks to contain yet. So I do use the cover, but it’s because I love the look of it. There is nothing cuter than Sophie crawling around with a furry butt!

I am so glad I decided to give Dimple Buns a try! Not only are they excellent, lovingly handmade diapers, they are truly very high quality. And the customer service you will receive from Krystal is top-notch! She was a pleasure to deal with, and I look forward to buying more of her diapers, just as soon as the hubby will let me. (hint, hint to family and friends…These would make wonderful baby gifts for Xander!) 

Her prices are also very affordable. Most fitteds range from 10-12 dollars a piece, depending on size, and the AIO’s range from 12.00-15.50, again depending on size and options. The covers are equally affordable, as well.  For something so well-made, I think the pricing is a steal!

Doesn’t that make you want to run over to http://dimplebunsdiapers.com to  try these awesome diapers out? I know you won’t be disappointed. Take a look around, and let me know YOUR favorite designs and features. And be sure to sign Krystal’s guestbook and let her know you stopped by! 

A special thanks to Krystal at Dimple Buns for all of her help and being so willing to answer my questions. I definitely love her products, and plan to place another order soon!

Also, Dimple Buns is on Facebook! Be sure to visit and leave some comment love on their page!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dimple-Buns-Diapers/209659780916

Okay, so I probably should have posted this (or something….anything…) by now, but I have been focusing on getting to know my little Magoo and recovering from my c-section. Right now my whole house is asleep and I have a few minutes to share the details of the birth of my son. For those who know me, you know that this pregnancy was not planned. It actually came at a very stressful time. It took awhile to get used to the idea of another baby in the house, but now as I watch my Xander sleeping, I realize that things happen exactly the way they’re meant to. He is only just over a week old, and already I cannot picture my world without him in it.

Xander was a scheduled C-section. (BOO!) I was VERY unhappy that I had to have yet another c-section, (this makes #3) but I knew that since Sophie is only a year old, there was no way they would even contemplate letting me attempt a VBAC. I just had to accept that I would have to have surgery yet again, even though it scares the crap out of me.

Xander’s birth was scheduled for January 14th. The night before, we did not sleep. We made last minute preparations, checked all of the bags, and we baked a TON of toffee-chocolate chip cookies for both my doctor and the nursing staff at the hospital. They were delicious, and everyone raved over them, by the way! The only nice thing about a scheduled delivery, in my opinion, is that you can shave your legs and put on make-up at your leisure. So of course, I did that. Not that it would end up mattering much, since the meds in the spinal caused me to itch so badly that I scratched the heck out of my face the whole time they were operating on me!

Anyway, we left to go to the hospital at around 5:00 AM. I was terrified and didn’t want to get out of the car. Dan literally had to drag me into the hospital entrance, and I just wanted to go home. They got me up to our room very quickly, had me change, and hooked me up to the IV, did my bloodwork, etc…. Then the anesthesiologist came in and talked to me, my doctor came in and said good morning and chatted for a few, and then it was time to go to the OR. They didn’t let Dan come, because they don’t allow support persons in the room while they administer the spinal block. I felt the panic welling up and I almost started crying…I HATE spinals. They make you feel like you can’t breathe! So while they were swabbing my back and prepping me for anesthesia, I had an A-HA moment…This would be my last baby. We opted to get a bilateral tubal ligation while I was opened up. I could either freak out like I did with Sophie’s delivery and be a wreck, or I could leave it to God, trust my doctor, and actually enjoy my delivery….Well, as much as one can enjoy surgery. I chose to enjoy  it. As they gave me the spinal, I said a little prayer and felt a calm come over me. I laid down on the operating table, and I started talking to my doctor, the nurses, and the anesthesiologist. We were laughing and joking, and when they brought Dan in, he was literally shocked to see me there on the table smiling. So for the next 20 or 30 minutes, we were all laughing and talking, and then I heard the suction of the fluids and I knew it wouldn’t be long before our son was born. Well, he ended up not wanting to come out, and they had to use forceps and do a lot of tugging and pulling (which I felt the effects of over the next few days)  and finally, I felt him being lifted out of me. The first thing my doctor said was “Well, he has hair!” I asked if he was still a boy, just so there were no surprises, and they lifted him up so I could see him. He was beautiful, and a carbon copy of his daddy. He had a full head of black hair, and was so tiny! (Keep in mind, I am used to looking at a 1 year old!) So Xander was born at 8:01 AM on January 14th, 2011. He weighed 6 lbs, 14 oz, and was 20.5 inches long. And although I was afraid the whole pregnancy, and even as I walked into the operating room, I will always be able to tell my son that when he was born, everyone was laughing and smiling. This day was one of the best days of my life.

So Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and that means all the heart shaped boxes of candy are on the shelves everywhere you look, jewelry ads are all over the TV and in magazines, and love is in the air…. But while all of these Valentine’s Day rituals are a lot of fun, it seems more people do these things out of obligation rather than out of a genuine love for their partners. Don’t get me wrong, I am definitely not Anti-Valentine’s Day by any means…I think it’s wonderful to celebrate being in love, and I am definitely all for acts of kindness and romantic gestures of any sort. But it seems that these things tend to occur one silly day per year, and love is something that in my humble opinion, should be shown often, without reason or expectation, 365 days a year. So that leaves me with the question of the ages….What exactly IS this thing we call love? Some people claim is is nothing more than a chemical reaction in our brains. A release of endorphins or oxytocin…That love is merely something scientific. Others claim that love is a fairy tale like existence, where they are swept off of their feet and live happily ever after with a man who cooks, dotes on them and basically treats them like a goddess until death do they part…Some others claim that love is nothing more than lust in disguise, and when that fades we are all basically the victims of serial monogamy and on the hunt for our next one and only.

I, however, disagree with the above theories.  My definition of love is something far more complex and far more simple all at the same time. Maybe it’s because it took me so long to find it. Maybe it’s because I did my fair share of kissing frogs before I found my prince. I didn’t know love, okay, let me rephrase…I didn’t know REAL, unconditional love until I reconnected with the man who is now my husband almost 6 years ago. And when I found him, I wasn’t even looking for anything, and my whole opinion of love in general was a little jaded and bitter, after having gone through an abusive marriage. When I found my Noodle, it hit me like a ton of bricks that THIS was different, and was what so many people spend their whole lives looking for and that few are fortunate enough to ever find.

My life isn’t full of flowers and candle-lit dinners…I don’t get serenaded or read poetry….I don’t get fancy jewelry or gifts….But what I DO have, in my mind, is far more special and more rare than that. It may not be glamorous or the stuff of romance novels, but here is what I have…This is what love is to me:

I have a man who knows me inside out and can finish my sentences and read my thoughts. We can communicate without saying a word. Yep, that’s how we roll. I think it’s pretty darn special, myself!

I have a man who can laugh at me when I am worrying too much and can snap me back to reality.

I have a man who does things like break into spontaneous dance, and while it is sometimes done at the most inappropriate time, it always makes me laugh.

I have a man who makes me feel safe and protected.

I have a man who, even while angry, has never once called me any names.

I have a man who loves to snuggle and doesn’t care who knows it.

I have a man who knows the worst things about me and loves me anyways.

I have a man who has no problem doing dishes, doing laundry, or helping out with household chores. And he does so without a single complaint. He may not always do the BEST job, but at least he tries!

I have a man who changes diapers, makes bottles, and meticulously packs his own diaper bag.

I have a man who always puts his family’s needs first, and does his best to make sure we’re taken care of.

I have a man who, no matter how tired, always finds the energy to play with the babies or wrestle with my 10 year old.

I have a man who goes out of his way for those he cares about. He has a big heart, even though he might not want people to know it.

I have a man who spent 2 back to back pregnancies cleaning up vomit from my hellacious morning sickness, put up with my raging hormones, and did it all with a smile.

I have a man who literally walked away from many toxic people and things for the sake of wanting to be a family. His lifestyle did a complete 180, and he made this choice on his own, and without regret.

I have a man who always makes sure my oil changes, etc, are up to date.

I have a man who can assemble things. This comes in handy.

I have a man who has a wonderful sense of humor.

I have a man who is slow to anger, and even slower to act out in an angry manner. He is incredibly laid back.

I have a man who puts things in perspective for me when I cannot seem to do so myself.

I have a man who, when looking at his children, absolutely melts. When I watch him with his babies, I fall in love with him all over again.

I have a man who while I was pregnant was willing to indulge any wacky preggo craving I may have had…even at 2:00AM, even in the snow.

I have a man who completes me. He is the make version of ME. We complement each other perfectly.

I have a man who lets me be ME, and to him, that’s always good enough.

This is what love means to me. Yes, my life is full of screaming babies, poopy diapers, bills we can barely pay and the stresses of everyday life. Will there be roses or jewels for me this Valentine’s Day? I highly doubt it. I doubt we will even be able to go out to dinner. With 2 small babies, a 10 year old, and only 1 income, we can’t afford it. But I am not disappointed. This Valentine’s Day (and every day) I am content with the knowledge that I am married to my best friend. I have someone I can lean on, who loves me unconditionally and will for the rest of my life. To me, love isn’t about what material things you can give someone. Love is about the gift of one’s self, and this is a gift he gives me and his children on a daily basis.

What are your plans this Valentine’s Day? What is YOUR definition of love?