New Mom Worries: Diapers, Weight Gain, Cell Phones?

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TracFone for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a new mom, I've worried about everything including whether or not W was gaining enough weight, if he was sleeping too much, if he wasn't sleeping enough, and how he would survive teething! I also worry about the future. How will we afford a car when he's 16? what about college? What will we do when he needs a cell phone?

The cell phone issue will definitely come sooner than I want it to and I worry about the cost with rising cell phone costs. Will we have to take out a 2nd mortgage to get him a phone? We're one of those families without a landline. We haven't had one in years so a cell phone will become a necessity when W is going from school to sports to who knows what else!

I recently learned about TracFone and it sounds like I don't have to worry about getting W a phone when the time comes. If he needed one right now, TracFone offers a number of affordable solutions! TracFone also offers a number of other great features:

• As real TracFone customers will tell you -- there are no hidden fees, no contracts, no surprises!
• real TracFone customers get reliability with nationwide cell coverage and good connectivity
• TracFone offers phones with all of the basic functionality you need for under $10
• For $29.99 you can get a phone that with web access, an mp3 player, or a QWERTY keyboard

Interested in a phone with more than the basic features? Check out the LG420 from TracFone.

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TracFone also offers an amazingly affordable Pay-As-You-Go program which I think would be perfect for W when he's older. It's also convenient because I can pick up cards at one of the thousands of retails stores that carry them!

At least one of my worries can be put to rest because it looks like with companies like Tracfone there will be options when my son finally needs his own phone! I try not to think too much about that day even though I know it will be here before I know it!

 

Finding Time to Get Fit Post-Baby

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CryoCell International for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Before I was pregnant, I worked out about 5 times a week and worked with a personal trainer once a week. After completing a weight loss journey years ago, I have made fitness a part of my life. Even through my pregnancy, I continued to work out and just smiled at the people who stared at me when I was at the gym. My midwife knew what I was doing and was supportive. I was even at the gym walking on the treadmill the night before I went into labor.

Now I'm on another weight loss journey -- my post-baby weight loss journey. It's a lot more difficult than I thought it would be! I have had to build my cardio base back up and finding the time to do it hasn't been easy! As a working mom, I find it difficult to find time to workout when all I want to do is be with my little guy after work. It's been a mental challenge as well as a physical challenge.

Cryo-Cell knows how challenging it is for new moms to find time to exercise. Good health is important to Cryo-Cell as they have been helping families preserve their newborn's umbilical blood since 1992. They have helped over 230,000 clients worldwide bank the blood to use in the future against disease. Cryo-Cell is also a pioneer in research, working to find even more solutions for noncontroversial stem cell preservation.

Cryo-Cell believes in the importance of future health and they belief that moms understand the importance of safeguarding the health of both themselves and their newborn. That is the reason why they are offering new moms who enroll today in the Cryo-Cell U-Cord service the award-winning Baby Jogger City Mini stroller! This offer is only available for a limited time so if you are interested, don't put it off or you might miss this great opportunity! The City Mini was one of the strollers I was very interested in when I was pregnant! What a great piece of baby gear to help new moms get out and get active again!

Beyond the Breastfeeding versus Formula Debate

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of storebrandformula.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

As you know, we are a combo feeding family. I originally planned to exclusively breastfeed and then pump when I went back to work. Due to a number of issues, this did not work for us and I started exclusively pumping and supplementing with formula. Now W is completely formula fed (although there were a few weeks when we had some breast milk to supplement with again but that is a story for another time). I have read numerous articles debating breast milk versus formula and I know all about the benefits of breastfeeding. Trust me, if I could exclusively breastfeed, I would be doing it right now!

I've also read a number of articles and threads on message boards regarding the differences between name brand baby formulas and store brand formulas. Of course, I've read opinions from people on both sides of the issue. Some argue that all formulas are held to the same standards so store brand is just as safe as name brand. Others are prepared to fight to the death and stand by the belief that name brands are better and safer for baby.

Either way, I found it interesting that store brand formulas won a major victory when a U.S. Circuit Court upheld a $13.5 million false advertising claim against Enfamil maker Mead Johnson. The case centered on the successful argument that Enfamil's advertisements of superiority to store brand formulas were false and misleading because store brand formulas offer the same nutrients at the same levels as Enfamil. more information can be found in Business Week and you can also read more about the debate at storebrandformula.com.

It's an interesting debate and I will admit that I currently use a name brand formula, but not because I believe it is superior to store brand formulas. We use it because we got the most coupons for it and when we tried it with W, it worked well for him! Without the coupons, I would definitely have been willing to try a store brand to save a few dollars as long as it worked for W. W is the most important person in the feeding equation, of course!

On the Move...

If you're having trouble getting here through the domain it's because I'm in the process of transferring the blog to WordPress. Formula Mom is still available through the Blogger address at http://formulamom.blogspot.com so don't worry, I'm still here! Please hang in there and hopefully the move will be done quickly and smoothly! I appreciate all of your support!

Post-Baby Slim Down #weightloss

I may be trying to figure out my formula for motherhood, but I'm also trying to figure out my formula for losing the baby weight. Back in 2002 I began my original weight loss journey and after two years of hard work, I lost 80 pounds and changed my life.

In the beginning of my pregnancy, I was extremely stressed out about gaining weight but then my concern for W and his well-being took over and I knew I had to gain the recommended 25-35 pounds. For someone who worked so hard to go from obese to healthy, this was a major thing for me. But in the end, I gained and I gained in a healthy way. I gained 32 pounds total over my pregnancy. I lost about 12 right after W was born and have fluctuated since then. On average I'm about 9 pounds down. This has put me into the overweight category of BMI so my first goal is to lose enough to have a healthy BMI. I need to lose 10 pounds to be there for my height.

I have struggled to find a balance. It became clear very quickly that I didn't want to spend the time stopping at the gym after work like I had before W was born. I just wanted to go straight home to him! So, I've decided that I will train to run. I'm not a runner, I'm a very good walker and can even race walk, but running has never been my thing. My mom runs and does a couple of half marathons a year. She is wonderful inspiration.

I started a little over 2 weeks ago and have been running/jogging 6 days week for the past two weeks. I have already gained strength and although some days are challenging, I have not give up. During the week I do a loop around my subdivision that is a bit over a mile. On one of my weekend days, I got a bit further. I need to measure the extra little loop I do once on the weekend to see what the total is but I think it's around a mile and a half. My ultimate goal is to be able to run a full 5k.

Last week I also got very focused on my eating and after weighing in at 179.9 pounds last Monday morning, I weighed in at 175.7 pounds! That is a loss of 4.2 pounds! While I know I will not see a loss like this every week, it's nice to see after being so focused!

I just keep telling myself that I've lost the weight in the past and I can do it again! Anyone can do it if they set their mind to it!

Review: martinashley designs (Etsy)

I haven’t shared my Etsy love in awhile, so Monday seems like the perfect day to revisit that particular obsession of mine. I want to be such a crafty person and usually I can get one project done but never do it again. If it involves scrapbooking, I always have these great plans and they never get done! I am much better with the DIY around the house type. I love to paint and decorate and I eventually get those projects completed. Still, I dream of being able to sew cute onesies, diapers, burp cloths, and bibs for W. It will never happen but I can dream! As a result, I often spending time in the evenings after W has gone to bed, browsing all of the creations available on Etsy. It’s easy to lose hours doing it, so you have to be careful!

Recently, I discovered a cute little Etsy shop called martinashley designs. Ashley offers a wide variety of items from quilts, embroidered flour sack towels, to baby items! You can expect to find the usual baby items such as burp cloths and bibs, but Ashley also makes quilts out of your favorite baby clothes! This is something that I may have to take advantage of in the future as I have developed some sentimental attachments to some of W’s newborn clothing. I used to think that was ridiculous, then he was born. It’s funny how things change. I might also use her to make a quilt out of J's old Metallica t-shirts since he has about 100 at least!


I had the opportunity to work with Ashley and try one of her embroidered burp cloths and a dribble bib with W. I was delighted by the opportunity because Ashley has been wonderful to work with and I adore personalized items. When we decided on W’s name, we accepted the fact that it was a name that we wouldn’t be seeing on mugs at Sea World or on little license plates at Disney World. That is why I chose it. I grew up with a unique name and wanted my children to have that as well. As a result, I love every personalized item we have for W. His Grammy has given us a few items, including a blanket, a Sesame Street t-shirt, and a bunny stuffed animal. We also got an amazing blanket with his name o it from one of my mother’s friends and a personalized burp cloth from a teacher who works at my school. I love them all! So when Ashley offered to personalize a burp cloth for W, I was thrilled! I was also very interested in the dribble bib as we use at least 4 bibs a day with the way W is drooling!

Both items arrived in good shape and were both very cute. Please note that I have obviously blurred W’s name out of the photo of the burp cloth and it does not appear that way in person! In fact, the embroidery is wonderful! The colors coordinate well and that is a quality I can appreciate. I love the brown tones of the thread as most of the personalized items we have for W are different shades of blue. Does a boy always have to equal blue?

While I’m not sure which kind of burp cloths Ashley uses, I do know that this one fluffs up extremely well in the wash and feels like some of the Gerber Organic burp cloths I got at one of my baby showers. They are some of our favorite burp cloths so that is definitely an added feature for Ashley’s burp cloths! It is extremely absorbent and very soft. W likes to hold it as a lovey a lot of the time. It’s also a great diaper bag burp cloth because people are impressed when we pull it out. Yes, I’ve become that mom!

The dribble bib is very cute as well. I liked the fabric print and it is extremely soft. It is one of the softest bibs we have. Unfortunately for my little chunky monkey, it’s tight on his neck. He is definitely chubby and while the bib fit, it was snug and I wouldn’t have left it on him long. For a more middle-of-the-road baby, I think they fit would be great. But I’m getting used to things not quite fitting W due to being a big boy! Still, I was very impressed with the quality of the bib, especially the softness! If you’re looking for a bib along these lines, I definitely recommend martinashley designs for affordability and quality!

#SuperSTALKERSunday 5/15 #bloghop

Welcome to the weekly Super Stalker Sunday hop!

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What is Super Stalker Sunday?

Glad you asked! Super Stalker Sunday is a weekly blog hop hosted by

Marni of Marni's Organized Mess

April of Mama on a Green Mission 

Mariah of Formula Mom

Kortney of Kortney's Krazy Life 

and Emily of Naptime is My Time

Blogs hops are a great way to meet other bloggers, socialize and gain more followers. Do you like to socialize? Well, we all like followers, right?!

If you've been around the blogosphere you know there are Blog Hop's for everything you can think of and every day of the week: RSS Feed, Google Friend Connect, Email Readers, Facebook Fans, and Twitter Followers.

Well, why not get all of your followers in one place once a week? This is the place!

How to Super Stalk

-Follow each host at least one way.  Don't forget to let them know you did so by commenting on their blog.  We will return all follows, but please be patient as we are busy mama's it may take us a few days to return the visit and follow.

You will only have to link up on one of the host sites and your link will appear on all as we use the same linky.

-After you follow the hosts, follow as many bloggers in as many ways as you are willing!
Already follow somebody? Consider visiting and following them in another way as well!

Remember: You will only get as much as you give. The more blogs you can visit, the more visits you will gain in return.  We are all here to socialize and greet, not visit only your blog.

While we encourage sharing our button and hop with as many as possible, it is not required. The more you spread the word though, the more we socialize and all gain followers!

This week's featured blogger is 

"Create With Joy"

We took this opportunity to ask The Paper Princess a few questions and here are her answers:
What's your favorite way to stalk a blog?
My favorite way to stalk a blog is by visiting it directly! I do this, even though I subscribe to my favorite blogs through GFC, RSS, and newsletter, because I love looking at everyone’s designs and seeing how everyone creatively expresses themselves through the art of blogging!

You have an extra hour added to your day, what would you do with it?
I’d spend it with my family. I am always looking for more time and more ways to spend quality time with them!

Is there a TV show that you have watched every episode?
Several – I’m not much of a movie watcher, but I love a good TV series! I like seeing plot and characters develop over time. A few of my favorites include Grey’s Anatomy, Boston Legal, and Lost.

What book is currently on your nightstand?
The Bible. I love to read – I have books strewn all over the house – but I like to start and end my day with God, so I keep a Bible by my bedside.

Pick a post, any post.
I recently started a series called What’s On Your Mind, where bloggers get to share their thoughts on a variety of blogging topics! This week’s topic is Designing A Fabulous Blog. Please stop by and share your thoughts!

If you would like to be a featured blogger, being shared with more than 2,500 combined followers between the hosts of this hop, please link up!  At the end of each week we will select a blog via Random.Org to be the featured blog for the following week.

This linky will go live Saturday at 7:00 PM PST and end Tuesday at 12:00 AM PST.

If you would like to also place this linky on your blog, please feel free to write up your own post and grab the code here.

Thank you for participating, now let's go "stalk" up a storm!