Daily Archives: July 13, 2009

Book Review: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

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Grade: B+

Last week I finished reading Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, an addictively delicious read that I won in a giveaway at Serendipty’s blog. This book tells the story of the Waverly family, particularly sisters Claire and Sydney, whose infamous garden in Bascom, North Carolina grows edible flowers that seem to have a magical effect on the people who eat them, never mind their precocious apple tree with powers of its own. The Waverly family has always been tied to this magical garden and each member seems to be equally blessed with a touch of magic. But like anyone, they are also afflicted with the same kinds of misfortunes, hang ups and romantic entanglements that effect us all. The characters are very relatable and the way in which each of their stories weaves together is fascinating.

So, on the one hand, I adored this light romantic read with a fantasy twist – I rooted for the main characters and looked forward to seeing how everything would play out – but a large part of me can’t quite seem to shake the similarities to the movie Practical Magic. I’m not sure if this is a coincidence but it made it hard for me not to compare the two stories which have many similarities – although it certainly didn’t keep me from devouring the book within a week, which for me lately is very fast. Also, given that the book and the movie are so similar, I’d wager that if you liked one, you will like the other.

Cloth Diapering: The Journey Begins…

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Good news: I finally got my husband on board to try cloth diapering! It wasn’t easy ladies, this man had his reservations and then some! But somehow, for some reason, he came around – the weird thing is I’m not sure it was because of anything I said or did. Anyway, I showed him the four major options and surprisingly we both ended up at the same place – we are planning to try basic prefolds with waterproof covers – our thinking is that it’s the least expensive and if this doesn’t go over well, we know we’ll use those prefolds elsewhere.

Here’s what we’ve ordered so far:

  • Gerber Diaper Service Quality Prefolds – I went back and forth and hummed and hawed, but these got decent reviews and the price was, well, okay. I ordered two packs so we should have enough to get through one day – initially we’ll just fall back on disposables if we need more, but at some point if we like this, we’ll be buying more, not necessarily the same brand – I suppose that depends on their absorbency, etc.
  • Thirsties Diaper Wraps in Mango and Rose – I know these covers have no reviews but Thirsties in general had wonderful reviews and I liked the look, price and idea of these.
  • Mommy’s Touch Diaper Pail Liner – There are so many different options for wet bags but the reviews on this one seemed good, the price seemed fair and at some point you just have to make a decision. We almost waited on this until I pointed out to the reluctant dh, “Where do you propose we put the dirty diapers before washing them?” I want to pick up a trash can or bin to put the liner in as I’d hate to learn the hard way just how waterproof the bag is.
  • Snappis – these seem to be a cloth diapering standard – I ordered two as I really can’t imagine needing more than two – one might have been sufficient, but what if it breaks?
  • Flannel Baby Wipes – this was actually Dan’s suggestion as he pointed out that it would be easier to dispose of than a a nasty poop covered disposable with no diaper to hide in, cheaper in the long run and eco-friendly since we’re going that route. I’m planning to pick up a spray bottle and try the recipe for Homemade Diaper Wipe Solution that Simple Mom mentions at the bottom of this post.

If we like this, I will want to pick up more prefolds so I don’t have to do laundry every day and probably some extra diaper covers, etc. I’d also love to try these diaper liners but I agreed to wait on them for now. Any cloth diapering tips or suggestions for things to pick up or methods to try?

Daybook: July 13, 2009

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Today…

Outside my window: Yet another gorgeous day – weather man says it’s 68 degrees out which sounds lovely. High of 80. Hopefully it’s not too muggy when we go out later today (we’re finally getting our Wisconsin drivers licenses today).

I am hearing: Martha Speaks on tv (a favorite in our household – MM is currently captivated), the hum of the A/C and the dishwasher running.

I am thinking: that the key lime pie in my refrigerator is way too delicious for my own good – and mentally going over the running “baby to do list” in my mind, i.e. “Try and check out this store sometime during the week, start gathering all the baby supplies and putting them where I want them to be, pick up a spray bottle for the cloth wipes we bought online (Dan finally agreed to try cloth diapering with me!) and also a plastic trash can / bin thing to put the wet bag in so I don’t have to find out the hard way whether or not it will leak.

I am hoping: That MM is nice to us when we go to the registry today. All I can think is bored preschooler plus long lines and paperwork does not sound fun – that is why Dan and I are going together on his lunch break – hopefully we can tag team the situation and not go berserk.

I am reading: The Funny Thing Is by Ellen Degeneres – I am loving it, of course, as I adore Ellen and her sense of humor but I swear I’ve read or heard some of the jokes before – perhaps some were written versions of her stand up? Still funny either way – last night I was laughing so hard I cried, unfortunately for Dan who was busy trying to read a book of his own…

I am creating: clean dishes and clothes? Maybe not the most artistic of endeavors but it’s about all the energy I’ve got for today – but you know, cut me some slack – we did make Oobleck the other day!

I am wearing: my most comfortable teal pajama capris and a random summer tank top that is totally not my planned outfit for the day in any way – I’m hoping that some laundry dries before we leave so that I can find something better to wear for my license picture – either way I will at least put on real pants before I leave.

In the kitchen:

  • Monday: Chicken Nuggets with sweet corn and mashed potatoes
  • Tuesday: Pasta w/ grilled chicken and creamy pesto sauce (jarred) & garlic bread, maybe
  • Wednesday: Hamburgers, Hot Dogs & Mac’n’Cheese
  • Thursday: Grilled Cheese & Chili
  • Friday: Salmon Burgers

Around the house: We finally got our old dinosaur of an iMac hooked up in the kitchen which means that we can look up recipes on the net and not have to print them out – which will save us paper and ink and coincidentally money. Unfortunately it might be too slow to try doing anything except looking up recipes but I probably shouldn’t be playing Facebook games and twittering while I cook anyway – not that I won’t try.

Plans for the week: We’re getting our licenses today, I need to pick up a book for Dan at the library, I have my LAST doctor’s appointment tomorrow morning, and if we have time we are going to check out this store sometime to hopefully pick up a diaper cover or two as the ones we ordered on Amazon seem like they might take a long time to ship. This Friday my grandma will be flying in to visit for two weeks (yay!!) so I’ll need to pick her up from the airport before dinner (which is blessedly simple thank goodness). This WEEKEND is the company picnic which should be a lot of fun and there will be lobster and steak – two things that both my grandmother and Dan adore.

One of my favorite things: Apparently there is no state inspection required for cars in Wisconsin. We went yesterday to get Dan’s car inspected as his sticker had expired this month and the guy at the auto shop literally did not know what we were talking about. It doesn’t exist here – which is weird, I’d always assumed it was just one of those facts of life things but not so. We can’t say we aren’t thrilled. Sometimes I feel like we moved to a foreign country – stores and restaurants we’ve never seen before, different government regulations (and lack of others), health insurance companies that actually seem to give a crap and help you out – doctors offices with blessedly short waiting times… Cheese curds. It’s just bizarre and I think I maybe love it…

A picture thought:

This is what Dan made for dinner last night – sure it’s just french toast and sausage (breakfast for dinner followed by pie – heaven?) but check out his little plating flair? Please ladies, get your husbands addicted to Iron Chef America – and if you are lucky like me and they apparently are way better cooks than you, don’t complain – just show up in time for dinner (with a camera).