All Shook Up Over You

Source: awesome.good.is via kohpc on Pinterest

I was a senior in college, sitting in a cushy chair in our large school library (and probably drinking a valencia mocha, a vice that may have caused much of my college weight gain) when the ground shook.

It was a decent rumble. Enough that everyone looked at one another in confusion. "Was that an earthquake?" we asked one another. I chalked it up to construction work on campus as one girl loudly declared "I am from California and that was NOT an earthquake, idiots!" (Or something like that with basically the same emphasis.)

It was an earthquake.

There wasn't much to it. It rattled the bookshelves of our on-campus apartment and woke my roommate from a nap. Nothing damaged, nothing to fret over. But it was the first time I'd felt the earth tremble like that.

Today, it took approximately 30 seconds to verify on Twitter that yes, what we felt was an earthquake. I am at my parents' house in central Pennsylvania, and here is how it played out:

Me: Is David under my chair?
Mom: No.
Me: Hm, OK. (as I still feel my heavy armchair shaking somewhat)
(Two minutes later)
Mom: Dad says we just had an earthquake.
Me: (gets on Twitter)

Amusing at it is to watch Twitter get up in arms about who REALLY felt the quake and who didn't and what caused it (the break-up of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith being the obvious answer), I'm glad the largest tremble I've felt could be mistaken for a shaking washing machine. Now we can move on to worrying about Hurricane Irene.

Do you have an earthquake story?
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Right Now

(source: isacosta)

I'm kind of a mess right now.

You know what's happened in the last two weeks? We found out we were moving. I've been in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Ohio, and Pennsylvania (and Kentucky, if you count driving through). I've attended my precious grandma's memorial service and internment. I've seen my husband only a handful of times. I've packed boxes and boxes.

And on top of all of this, I managed to throw my back out on Sunday morning, rendering me basically useless in the care and feeding of my children. I haven't even been nursing David, because I am on muscle relaxers. (I am, of course, pumping and dumping so my supply will stay up and I should be able to feed him again as of tonight.)

My hair is a mess, I'm worried I won't be able to do any of the fun things we had planned for my trip to my parents', and I hate making people wait on me. I've been on enough long car trips to last me a few years.

On the good side, I've read three great books in the last two weeks.

But really? I'm kind of a mess right now.



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Ode to Dillard's Lingerie Department

Just slightly over seven years ago, I was trying to find lingerie for my honeymoon. I was virginal in the most literal way; frankly, the thought of anyone - even my soon-to-be-husband - seeing me without my clothes on seemed utterly frightening.

After one short trip, I realized lingerie shopping with my mom was about as comfortable as eating a banana peel (sorry, Mom, you know I love you, but it's true). So I ventured out to Ye Olde Victoria's Secret all by my lonesome.

I felt like I tried on everything in the store to no avail. Apparently there just aren't a lot of double D-women shopping there for untrashy lingerie. My chest ranneth over.

I'm thinking all this medieval language is my way of making talking about lingerie shopping not embarassing for myself, by the way.

The tears I fought started to spill until I reached the depths of Dillard's department store. It was like angels started singing as the kindest women I had ever met sought out for me the perfect honeymoon ensembles. I told them the absolute truth and they catered to my every need. I just remember the ache of relief I felt as I left, bags in hand. I could have hugged all of the saleswomen.

Flash forward, oh, seven years and a few weeks. I am once again dealing with My Least Favorite Part of Breastfeeding. For the better part of a year I've been battling bras. I try them on. They don't fit. I order online, which is just about the only place I can find my size. They don't fit.

Yesterday in Kohl's, I started to cry. Is there seriously no one else in America with a large chest who'd like to be able to try on her undergarments before purchasing them? I don't think I'm that much of an anomaly. I mean, really!

Stifling the tears, I saw a mall Dillard's across the road. I decided to make one last stop.

And you know what? Those same tears welled back up as I saw THEY HAD BIG CUP SIZES. Like, more than one style. Many. Not only that, the sweetest saleswoman I've encountered in over seven years came to my side and blessed me with her kind spirit and helpful hands.

I guess this is all to say, thank you Dillard's. Thank you for stocking items you might not sell all the time just for women like me. I hereby pledge allegiance to your lingerie department. You rock.

And you should give Elayne at the Valley Hills Mall a raise.

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Pinterest; or, Like I Need Another Thing to Do Online

Have you heard of Pinterest? It seems that, as usual, I'm slightly behind the social-media times. (See: Twitter.) So many of my blogging friends have already joined Pinterest and written tutorials that there would be no reason for me to do the same.

• Pinterest {Top Ten Tuesday} at OhAmanda - I love how she calls the Internet an adorable black hole. So true!
• A Beginner's Guide at Sorta Crunchy
• I'm Lovin' Pinterest at TidyMom

So, if you're on Pinterest, look me up. I am - what else - Vanderbilt Wife.  Something I'm trying to do that might interest you is a visual menu plan. For example, here are all the recipes I had planned for 6/27 to 7/10 (I plan and shop two weeks at a time).

As I cook the recipes, I'm trying to remember to go and leave a little review. If you love cooking, like me, you might find these useful! Just having pictures of all those recipes I had bookmarked in various places on my Yummy in the Tummy and Dips Apps Dessert boards has been wonderful. So much easier for menu-planning purposes. I've already tried several recipes I'd been thinking about for months. Having them stare me in the face with their goodness was enough for me to take the plunge and cook!

Here are some of my favorite things I've discovered through Pinterest:

Source: beeinourbonnet.blogspot.com via Vanderbilt Wife on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Vanderbilt Wife on Pinterest

Source: kalynskitchen.com via Vanderbilt Wife on Pinterest

So tell me ... do you Pin? 


And P.S. I WILL be back with "Why I Friday" this week! Get your posts ready to link up!

Added to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.
 
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My Brain Has Reached Zombie Status

I am too tired to think. I kind of feel like I might have my glasses on the wrong way.

I'll be back. I promise.


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Two Reasons

Some days I just want to get on here and grouch. Today is one of those days. We had an especially rough day yesterday.

But I decided that it's just not profitable to grouch.

I have two good reasons to try to stay in a good mood.

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$20 Amazon Gift Card for $10!

I don't usually post many deals, but this one was too good NOT to give you a heads up about!

Today Living Social is offering a $20 Amazon gift card for $10! That's basically free money since you can buy almost anything on Amazon!

Living Social is a Groupon-esque deal site that has great offers. If you don't already subscribe to their emails, it's definitely worth it!

So go snag some Amazon cash!

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I Think the Universe is Trying to Tell Me Something

A few weeks ago, I went to the Once a Month Mom Tweet-Up in Atlanta. It was great fun, and there were some wonderful door prizes. I won a little bag from Skin Solutions. Which, honestly, I was not that excited about. I am notoriously bad at taking care of my skin.

Then, last weekend I had the privilege to attend the Face2Face event hosted by Robin of Pensieve. The event was to publicize Therapon Skin products. Therapon is social-media-savvy, and they are utilizing some great bloggers on their own blog, as well as hosting three of these events across the country.

I was excited about getting a free massage, but found the true gem of the day was getting a blissful facial. The one facial I had ever had before this was in Mexico on our honeymoon and was not a pleasant experience. Comparatively, this facial was heaven. I loved the mild scents of the products, the feeling of having my rough skin polished off, and especially the results.

My skin looked awesome! Seriously! I don't have a ton of blemishes or real issues, but after the facial I was glowing. And it lasted. And I Tweeted.

I am doing something now that I have almost never done: using skincare products every day. (OK, so the instructions say wash your face twice a day, but THAT sounds like hard work.) I think my skin looks amazing, better than it ever has. I am sold on this Therapon stuff. It is all-natural, and I love that! It smells great but is not overpowering at all.

I thought maybe I should go ahead and open my Skin Solutions bag, too, after I made this exciting new discovery that washing your face does make it look nicer. I appreciate the Solar Recovery spray and lip exfoliater from them, too! I am sure the recovery spray will come in handy this summer. And after labor and during nursing, I am positive I will need some major lip upheaval.

So, this is my revelation: it's good to wash your face. Who knew? Thanks Therapon and Skin Solutions for nudging me in the right direction.

This post is unsponsored and unbiased and no one asked me to write it. I get no money if you buy anything from either of these sites. Just my opinions!


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Saturday Linky Love

Here's your thought for Friday night: Don't go to a high-school football game when you're 34 weeks pregnant. I was pretty much unable to breathe sitting on the bleachers. The bathroom line was really long. And being around teenagers kind of scares me.

Here are some posts I really liked this week:

• Home for Christmas at VitaFamiliae - a list of people selling products to support their adoptions or orphans around the globe. What a great way to help out people while buying Christmas gifts!
• Marilyn Monroe's Stuffing Recipe Stars in a Remake at the NY Times - I'm not a huge Marilyn fan or anything, but this article caught my eye and I found it very interesting! Funny to imagine that girl from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes as a gourmet cook.
• Candy Christmas Wreaths at Parents.com
• On Phases. And Stages. And Loving Every Moment. at Land of Lovings - something I think we all struggle with--wishing the present away.
• 10 Surprises about Being a SAHM at Giving Up on Perfect
• How to Make a Dollhouse out of Drawers at Nice Girl Notes - how cute! And how crafty! Which means, I will never do it. But you totally should.

And posts I have spared you this week:

• "How I Am Going to Have to Sue My Homeowners Because They Do Not Understand Renter's Rights" (No, we won't really sue them. But it's getting old.)
• "Why Can't I Get Through a Hypnobabies CD Without Falling Asleep?"
• "I Know Being Rich Wouldn't Make Me Happy, But Right Now It Would Be Nice to Have Some Cash."
• "Libbie's Christmas and 2 Year Pictures"--oh wait! I did post about that. It's just on my personal blog. (I say that as if this ISN'T a personal blog. It is! Just not where I share pictures of Libbie gratuitously.)

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win $30 credit to Mint Julep Monograms by Friday! And the ongoing list of "giftable giveaways" has been updated. Sorry I have not posted it again this week if you were looking for it.


Added to Saturday Stumbles at It's Come 2 This.

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This and That and Some Other Stuff

We've been without pacifier since Friday. I didn't expect to just pull it away from Libbie completely; however, like her mother, I think she doesn't understand things in small quantities. I know as soon as she sees a paci again it will be all she talks about. So we just cut it off cold turkey.

It has not been a walk in the park.

She (technically) only had it for naptime and bedtime since 12 months (when I wrote this post). But lately it seemed like she was asking for it ALL THE TIME. I was exasperated. So we told her, "Pacifiers are for babies" and took it away.

It's night 6 ... and she's wailing in the crib. I want to cry too.

_____

And now, for a few things that will make me some pennies but hopefully be helpful to you, more importantly!

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Savvy Source is sort of like Groupon, only aimed entirely to family-friendly activities. They've just launched their program in 20 cities. Not Chattanooga, of course (sigh), but the cities do include Nashville and Atlanta. These offers last a few days and give you a good discount on some great family-friendly activities in your city (or a city near you)! You can sign up to get emails when new offers are available.

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I LOVE Heavenly Homemakers. Laura is an incredible, godly woman who also happens to be raising (and homeschooling) four sons AND feeding all of them whole foods. Right now, she's offering her e-book on Gardening and Preserving the Harvest for just $5! So if you're into canning ... as I one day hope to be ... I know it's a great resource from a great person. Use the code PRESERVE at check-out.

_____

I thank you for your continued support here at Vanderbilt Wife. I appreciate every time you click on one of those affiliate links! Because it helps pay the bills in a little bitty way. But more, I appreciate your emotional support when I write stuff like this and don't even know what I'm trying to say. Y'all are awesome.

___

In case you missed me chatting about these on Facebook or Twitter, I had two guest posts up yesterday at two sites that mean a lot to me! The first was a sort-of testimony at (in)courage, a blog I just adore. Secondly, I talked about being a new mom and needing a mentor at the ParentLife blog. You need to click over to that post just to see the picture of days-old Libbie with a scrunchy sleepy face. But it's also important because I am now MANAGING their blog! It's been very exciting and fun, and I hope you'll subscribe to see all the great parenting advice flowing from there.

I think that's PROBABLY enough jibber-jabber for tonight. Thanks for putting up with me. :)

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I Miss Back Then (?)

Do you remember back when you could sleep as long as you wanted on Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon?

When you could eat breakfast without little hands grabbing for it, even though they've just eaten everything else in the refrigerator? Back when I was pregnant with Libbie, I never would have imagined not fueling up for the rest of the day. I was hungry, therefore I ate. Now, sometimes it's too much trouble to take three bites of a granola bar.

When you could fit two or even three people in the backseat of your car, you didn't have to pack diapers to leave the house, and cutting through the living room did not involve wading through a sea of Little People, blankets, puzzle pieces, and baby dolls?

Laundry day was once a week, you wore clean clothes and high heels to the office, and the words pacifier weaning (or blankie weaning) had never crossed your mind.

You were never embarrassed because your child was trying to climb on the table at a Mexican restaurant while wailing at the top of her lungs (not that it's ever happened to us ... yesterday).

And yet

And yet ....

There were no sloppy wet kisses on the lips, or after-bath bear hugs, or tiny toes to tickle.

You didn't spend half the day laughing at a toddler learning to talk and her hilarious combination of words into sentences.

You and your spouse didn't look at each other with amazed smiles, thinking, "THIS is a combination of our DNAs. We sort-of MADE this little, laughing, wriggly thing."

What did we laugh about as we fell asleep? Whose shoes were we constantly searching for? And why, on God's green earth, wasn't my house clean?

Some days, the Old Life seems peachy-keen. But I'll take this side any day. There's a lot more laughing, a lot more love, and a lot more pink.

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Notes to My 23-Week-Pregnant Self

1. Eat. Please eat! Yes, I know you have a toddler running around like a crazy person. But forgetting to eat breakfast is not doing anything good for you or your baby. Eating something other than EasyMac is also preferable.

2. Taking naps is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of a growing baby. You may not get as much housework/blog work/freelance work done, but if you are SO tired you are not being a good mom.

3. It won't kill Libbie to watch TV while you lay on the couch. But saying "no" to Ernie and Elmo every once in awhile does her some good. Let her play with her babies and read books instead.

4. It takes energy to gain energy. Yes, I know you feel like crud. But getting up and picking up a few things WILL give you motivation to do more. I promise!

5. Keep up with the dishes. Cause when they pile up, they smell. Baby Boy does not like bad smells. Also, the ants like dirty dishes.

6. Find some way to get rid of the ants.

7. Remember that holding a sweet little baby in your arms is worth the fatigue, aversions, sweating, and stretching of your body. Remember this?

Sincerely,

Yourself

Added to 7 Quick Takes Friday at Conversion Diary.


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Pregnancy Update: 21.5 Weeks

This has been a really rough week, so perhaps the worst time to write an update. But just in case you're wondering, here's where we are with this pregnancy!

I will be 22 weeks on Wednesday. So far, everything has been healthy with baby. Momma has been sick, tired, tired, sick, and more tired. For a few weeks in the second trimester I felt the amazing, Superwoman vibe. It is GONE.

The past week I've been so painfully tired I have slept at every available opportunity. Except at night, when I toss and turn like a crazy woman. It doesn't matter how tired I am, I can't seem to get to sleep at night.

This does not bode well for my house, which is a disaster; my cooking, which has been minimal this week; or the rest of the pregnancy, as Mr. V goes back to work full-time this week. (He's worked sporadically throughout the summer, but his in-service days start Monday, I believe.)

I am definitely wearing maternity clothes--about two weeks ago I caved to all maternity--and I am showing a little. Because of my weight I definitely don't show as readily as thinner women, but I can tell and I think most other people can, too.

My back problems are not nearly as bad this pregnancy, probably due to the fact that I'm not at a desk all day. If I sit at my computer too long (or in the church pew), the tailbone pain definitely flairs up. I also have the awful acid reflux I experienced with Libbie. Another full head of hair?

I haven't experienced many food cravings. I like sugar, a lot. I would probably feel better if I did not indulge this craving so much. Other than that, I am just hungry. Almost constantly.

I am seeing a midwife with this baby, and I am hoping once again to have an unmedicated birth. If this is going to happen, though, I need to exercise. I know my body is not ready for birth at this time because I have been dreadfully lazy (see: sick, tired).

Baby Boy sort of has a first name but not a middle name. We're open to (rather traditional) suggestions, if you have any! First name has two syllables, our last name has two syllables. (No, it's not Vanderbilt!)

I haven't taken any belly pictures this time around ... am too preoccupied with running after my current rascal.

So, how many of you are pregnant too? Want to commiserate?

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Nesting and Heat Make a Girl Very Tired

My house is no longer simply a nest; it's a bona fide three-story bird condo.

So, it's 900 degrees outside. I'm pretty sure it's only 850 degrees inside our lovely 1950 home. (If someone would like to come install ceiling fans, I'd be much obliged.)

And yet my nesting is on, full-force.

Last week my husband and a combination of houseguests moved every stick of furniture in our house into another room (with the exception of Libbie's room--wouldn't want her to have to endure TOO much change). Today I decided I desperately needed to do some once-a-month cooking. I'm not quite insane enough to attempt a whole menu by myself, but I am going to try to do quite a few dishes. So I printed recipes. Made a list. Shopped. And were I not pouring buckets of sweat, I would be totally ready to attack in the kitchen.

Have I mentioned I have 300 loads of laundry to do? We still need to rearrange closets? Oh, and I have a toddler I'm supposed to, you know, check on occasionally?

I'm ready to check into a mental institution. As long as they need their floors mopped and dust bunnies cleaned up.

Here are the recipes I'm attempting over the next two days. I am preparing to revel in the bliss of a stocked freezer!

Tomato Basil Hamburgers x 2 *
Grilled Chicken Pesto Wraps x 2 *
Black Bean and Mango Chicken Salad x 4 *
Stuffed Buffalo Chicken x 2 *
Italian Flank Steak Pinwheels x 2 *
Ravioli Lasagna x 2 **
Toddler French Toast Sticks
sausage breakfast burritos
Grilled Chicken Pasta Alfredo - to take to a new mom

*from the Summer 2010 Once a Month Mom menu
**from the March 2010 Once a Month Mom menu

Have you done any freezer cooking lately?

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A Letter to My Most Hated Organ

Dear Gall Bladder,

If all of this pain is truly your fault, I just want you to know that I hate your guts. Well, I guess that would mean I hate my own guts?

You already know I have a low pain tolerance. And, dear Gall Bladder, that I am 14 weeks pregnant. Which means I may not be able to DO anything about your insistence to torment me.

GB, I cannot keep this baby healthy and eat no fat for 26 weeks! This is insane. Please quit your lolly-gagging and start working properly.

Thanks.

Your Owner

I'm having an ultrasound tomorrow morning to determine what's going on with my gall bladder or if that's even the problem. Please keep me and Baby the other "Vanderbilts" in your prayers--I've been a big waste of space since Friday. I hate it!

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Yawn...

I'm in Pennsylvania with Libbie this week, visiting my parents and sister; and my birthday is tomorrow; and our flight here stunk; and I am really tired--which all seem like good reasons to take a "vacation" this week from blogging. See you next week!

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7 Unconnected Thoughts

My big plans for tonight are: watch Jeopardy (it's the Tournament of Champions and I don't know the answers to ANY of them!), wash my husband's pants so he has some to wear to school tomorrow, and perhaps take a bath. Wednesday nights are my night to myself, as Mr. V goes to play trivia with friends. I am such a party animal.

___

I haven't talked a lot lately about being the housewife I'm not. That's probably because I have been having such trouble keeping house lately it's not funny. Having a toddler who pulls out everything I put away immediately? It's extremely tiresome. I'm trying to get used to it.

___

I found a whole stack of envelopes of pictures yesterday from when I was a summer missionary with IMPACT Virginia, along with some other memorabilia I had forgotten about. I don't know why these things were in my gift-wrap box under our bed. I enjoyed looking through the pictures but all I could think was DANG I was cute at 19! Why did I think I was so fat? Sigh. Isn't it always like that? [This picture is missing Abby.]

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Foods I wish I did not know existed: peanut butter M&Ms, lemon sugar cookie ice cream from Publix, Sonic limeades. Foods I wish Libbie did not know existed: Goldfish, pretzels, anything that ends up dumped on my living-room floor and is impossible to get up.

___

Last night, I had a Dr. Pepper way too late and couldn't get to sleep. Then, every time I would almost drift off, Libbie started crying. I got up, checked on her, put her in long sleeves, patted, checked diaper, put on CD, etc, etc! At that point, I came back into our bedroom, tripped over everything, threw myself in bed, and got very angry. Mr. V asked me what was wrong, I told him. I then proceeded to put in earplugs and decide he could deal with it since it was 1 AM and I had yet to get any sleep. Today, I asked him if she cried much afterward. He has NO RECOLLECTION of any of this. MEN!

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We discovered last week that the tree in our backyard is a Red Mulberry tree. It is bursting with fruit and the birds are going crazy over it. I actually did some research and shared it on Suite 101.

___

My friend Angie Smith is going to have her baby Charlotte tonight due to some complications. Please pray for her peace. I don't know what it's like to lose a child, but I do know that the Holy Spirit intercedes when we don't know what to pray.

Speaking of Angie, I recently picked up the issue of HomeLife in which she had an article. I cried when I saw the ad for I Will Carry You. I sobbed through her article, even though I know her whole story from real life and from Angie's blog. I am honestly afraid to read I Will Carry You. Have any of you read it yet? (I wrote a little bit about going to Angie's daughter, Audrey's, funeral here if you weren't reading way back then.)

Added to 7 Quick Takes Friday at Conversion Diary.

This post includes Amazon affiliate links. Read more in my disclosure policy.

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A Free Weekend

Want to know how much time you waste on the Internet?

Vow to have a computer-free weekend. I did, from Friday late afternoon to 48 hours later, on Sunday afternoon. (Except for one teensy e-mail check on Sunday.)

gratuitous Libbie picture

I was flabbergasted at how the time went more slowly and how much I was able to accomplish. Here's what I did this weekend:

• Coupon shopped at Target and Bi-Lo.
• Scrubbed the kitchen floor on my hands and knees (after sweeping AND Swiffer vacuuming it.)
• Changed sheets and washed them on our bed and our guest bed.
• Did a whole lot of laundry.
• Took Libbie to a new-to-us park.
• Watched my March Madness bracket go down the drain.
• Kept up with the dishes.
• Made peanut butter cookies. (Oops.) (I slightly modified the recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours and THEY ARE DIVINE.)
• Read an entire Jodi Picoult novel.
• Played on the floor.
• Made an Easter card for my MIL from Libbie.
• Tried to scrapbook until my glue exploded all over the living room.
• Went to a church we loved!

I don't usually get anywhere near that much accomplished in the span of two days. It really opened my eyes to what life could be like. I'm going to try to do a better job monitoring my time online.

When I did come back, however, I was SO blessed by the comments I got on my last Losing It 10 post. I hope this site is a ministry to you ... because you all are water to my soul.

The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Proverbs 20:5, ESV

This post includes Amazon affiliate links. Read more in my disclosure policy. 

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A Laundry Experiment

Perhaps I've never made it totally and thoroughly clear that I really hate to spend money. My parents think I am slightly hilarious. Honestly, I was never this way until about two years ago, when I started thinking seriously about being a stay-at-home-mom and needing to cut back our budget.

One thing I've always hated buying, though, is laundry detergent. It's so expensive! So, for pretty much our entire marriage, I've used Arm & Hammer. I think it works well, they have an unscented/undyed formula that I've been able to use for Libbie's clothes, and it's the least expensive decent brand out there.

We've reached the point in toddlerhood, however, that I am surrounded by stains. Spaghetti sauce on the shirt. Blueberries on the pants. Applesauce in her hair (too bad laundry can't take care of that).  I've taken to soaking things in OxiClean overnight, but sometimes those stubborn stains linger on. It kills me to see stains on clothes that are brand-new--or even just new to us!

So when Mr. V came home with a sample of Tide Stain Release, which has been heavily promoted online and on TV, I decided to do a little test drive. I'd not bought any yet because of the high price, even with coupons. But I decided if it could truly get out tough laundry stains that OxiClean couldn't, I would cave and buy some.

Here are my BEFORE specimens:

 Grease stains on my favorite maternity long-sleeved t-shirt (had been soaked in OxiClean and battled before to no avail)

 Food stain (peanut butter?) on brand-new Gymboree shirt (not yet washed, sat in dirty clothes for a week)

Bib with spaghetti-sauce stain (fresh)

Shirt with snot on it (just keepin' it real!)

Not sure if you can tell, but this brand-new Gymboree shirt has some sort of bluish spot from its first run in the washer. I was distressed!

So I threw them all in the washer, normal cycle on warm with regular detergent and the Tide stain release packet. Here's how they turned out:

My shirt wasn't perfect, but the bigger spots seemed to be gone. I could at least wear it in public again!

The collar of the shirt was clean as can be!

The bib wasn't perfect--but it WAS spaghetti sauce. It did get a great deal of the stain out.

As expected, this shirt was fine. It's so cute I just need to show it off. :)

I forgot to take a before picture of this one, but it had some spots on the bottom (mac and cheese) that hadn't come out after one round in the washer. Beautifully clean!

Aloha! No blue to be seen!

The one thing I did NOT like was that the tabs are heavily scented--and now so are Libbie's clothes. She's not shown any skin ailment or anything, but she's also never worn clothes that have been washed in scented anything. I am hoping it doesn't bother her.

So, Tide won me over. Not saying I'm going to fork over the money for regular Tide detergent, but I'll be purchasing some Stain Release tabs when they go on a good sale and I have a coupon. Gotta keep up the battle against toddler stains!

This is linked to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

This experiment was entirely of my own initiative and is not associated with Proctor and Gamble in any way. If you want to try some, you can find a coupon for Stain Release from P&G here.

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