Babies are expensive!  It’s one of those things that people always tell you but you just don’t understand until you have your own children- all of the things that a baby needs to have really add up and cost you a lot of money.

I had always wanted to breastfeed when I had a baby.  And when we decided that I would be leaving my job to stay home with Hailey I knew that I had to breastfeed to save on the cost of formula.  And honestly- those first few weeks it was sooooo hard and Hailey was having a hard time latching on.  If not for the cost of formula I probably would have given up.  But it was just so expensive that I stuck with the breastfeeding and am so glad that I did.

But I know that breastfeeding does not work out for everyone.  There are many reasons that breastfeeding may not be successful for everyone and those people should not have to pay a fortune to buy formula for their baby.  That’s where the baby formula savings calculator comes in handy.  You can compare the cost of Parent’s Choice, store brand formula to the more expensive name brands. I used the Savings Calculator provided to see how much I would have saved by using Parents Choice baby formula instead of Similac Advance infant formulas.  The savings was over $500 for the first year.  Imagine what I could do with that $500!  Use it towards a vacation, for sure!!

Since all baby formula has to comply with the same regulations it only makes sense to buy the cheaper formula.  If you’re not sure what kind of formula to use there is a Formula Finder that will help you decide what is best for your baby.  For me that would be the older infant formula.

So it’s summer.  It’s hot and humid and sticky and uncomfortable outside.  I’m assuming that since that is how the weather is pretty much everywhere that it’s the same way where you live.  So if you were going to go shopping for some cool and comfy summer clothes- what kind of material would you look for in your clothes?

Would you look for wool?  I probably wouldn’t- it seems like it would be heavy and itchy and hot- like a sweater that you were forced to wear and hated it.

But- you would be wrong, just like I was.  Ramblers Way Farm uses a special technology to make their wool clothing feel soft and be light weight.  So, now you can have high quality and comfortable clothes.  Since the clothes at Ramblers Way are made with the finest wool and don’t have any dyes, chemicals or stabilizers I’m pretty sure you’re going to want to shop at Ramblers Way.  At first glance the prices might seem a little bit expensive but once you read about the quality of their products you’ll know it’s money well spent.  Check out their story and even meet their sheep on their website.

1. Inside every older person is a younger person — wondering what in the world happened.
   - Cora Harvey Armstrong-
2. Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out. But I can usually shut her up with cookies.
   (Unknown)
3. The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.
   -Helen Hayes (at 73)-
4. I refuse to think of them as chin hairs. I think of them as stray eyebrows.
   - Janette Barber-
5. Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.
   - Caryn Leschen -
6. If you can’t be a good example — then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.
   -Catherine-
7. Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.
   -Eleanor Roosevelt-
8. Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
   -Unknown-
9. Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing – but none of them serious.
   - Alan Minter, Boxer
10. My second favorite household chore is ironing. My first one being — hitting my head on the top bunk bed until I faint.
    - Erma Bombeck -

Number 10 is definitely my favorite!!  What are some of your favorite quotes?

Rich and my dad made some plans last weekend… they spent Friday evening and all day Saturday making plans.  They didn’t actually do any work and the weather was beautiful.  So now this weekend the weather is going to be rainy.  I think Rich should still get out there and get to work!  Once the deck is done the plan is to add a patio down below off of the 1st level of our house.  Hoping it gets done this summer!!

It’s definitely time for me to start planning our vacation for this summer.  Last summer we took a trip to Florida and went to Disney World.  In the past we have gone to Disney every other year, but we just can’t wait a whole extra year to go again.  So we’re hoping to go this year in late summer or early fall.

So, I think the perfect time to take a trip to Florida will be at the end of September or the beginning of October.  And since Kissimmee is sooooo close to Disney World that would be a great place to stay for our trip.  We could spend a few days at Disney, go to Universal and Sea World too.  And of course do a little bit of relaxing.  I also love the dinner shows like Medieval Times and there is great shopping too.  And everything is so close to Kissimmee that it makes perfect sense to stay there.

What would we want to see while in Kissimmee?

and

So if you’re looking for a fun vacation idea- make sure to visit the Kissimmee website for help planning your trip!

We had so much fun and Hailey absolutely loved it!  We usually to go every other year, but now we’d like to try to go every year.  I can’t wait to go back!

What is most important to you?  Most people would probably say that their family is most important to them.  And that is definitely the case for me.  And I feel like my most important job is raising Hailey.  I know I fall short of being a perfect mom all of the time, but I’m doing my best.

Today I was reading about a book called Raising a Father. It’s a book written by Arjun Sen as he tells how he came to really know his daughter.  When he realized he didn’t really know his daughter in 2001 Arjun Sen quit his successful career to start a home based business.  What a huge decision to make- but really, is there anything more important than our children?

I haven’t read Raising a Father but it sounds like an excellent book.  I read the reviews that people have left on the website and they really have me sold on adding this book to reading list.  Just reading some of the reviews made me tear up, so I can only imagine how heartwarming the actual book must be!