Problem Solved- How to Fit 3 Car Seats in One Row!

2 weeks ago I could not get 3 car seats to fit in the back row of my 7 passenger mini-van, at least not if I actually wanted to buckle them up. It was simply too tight of a fit. I knew I would need to find a skinnier car seat for the middle spot in the backseat. To get 3 children to safely fit in the backseat, I would need a car seat that uses a harness and had a skinny base.

3 car seats in-a-row attempt 2 weeks ago
Not enough room to buckle even 1 backless booster

After a lot of research, I found that the Sunshine Radian Car Seat would be the best choice for fitting 3 car seats in a row. My concern, though, was whether 1 Radian would be enough to solve the problem, or whether I'd have to purchase 2. I decided to purchase one, try it out with the other seats we currently own, and then go from there on whether another Radian in the back would be necessary.

Today the car seat came and guess what? I was able to fit a backless booster (for 6 year old) with Radian in the middle (for 5 year old) and harness booster on the other side (for 3 year old). With my 2 year old in a side seat in the middle row, there is an empty seat waiting and ready for the new baby! It was still a little bit of a squeeze for my 6 year old to buckle his backless booster (which uses a shoulder strap), but MUCH better than before. There was enough room on the side that with some work he was able to buckle it himself! He was a bit jealous of his brother's new seat, which surprised me. He actually wants a Radian now too and says he doesn't care that it uses a harness! Quite a change from his former opinion that it was a "baby seat".

Besides the skinniness of the new car seat, I also liked that it has side impact protection, memory foam in the seat, a recline for forward facing, and a head rest that can be lowered or raised (which will be nice for falling asleep in the car).

So there you have it! We fit 3 car seats in a row in the backseat of our minivan using a Backless Turbo Booster, Radian XT, and a Graco Cargo Booster. Yey!

4 buckled kids in one van with an empty seat waiting for a new baby!
*By the way, my 6 year old has his shoulder strap down on the side ONLY because we were parked and about to get out. He wears his seat belt correctly when we're driving!

If you're in a similar situation to the one I was in and are interested in purchasing a Sunshine Radian, you can find the model I bought on clearance right now. There is also a pink one of the same model that is on clearance and marked down considerably. I was able to find a good deal through Kidsurplus online, but they were out sold out of the color I wanted. I called up Sunshine Kids and they matched the price of the other site and I was still able to get free shipping! Searching for "Radian Car Seat Coupon" with Google can also help you find a good deal.

Developing a Plan to Save Money on Groceries

A few weeks ago, I looked over the checkbook register and totaled up the amount my family had spent on food in the past month. After seeing the total, I was appalled. I had no idea we were spending such a large amount of money on food! It was at that point that I knew something had to change. Our family doesn’t eat that many convenience foods, so where was all this money going to anyway? It was time to get serious about saving money on groceries!

Here are some of the steps I’ve started to help cut back on our food budget:

*Figuring out where the money is going by saving receipts and taking note of unnecessary expenses.

*Stocking up on gallons of milk at a warehouse club to avoid weekly trips to the grocery store.

*Spacing out major shopping days by using up what we already have on hand. Jotting down the dates of our last big shopping trip and milk trip on the calendar has been a big help too. When tempted to pick up "a few things" from the store, I look at the calendar and am reminded that it has only been a short time since the last trip. This helps me stay motivated to wait longer before stocking up again.

*Reading books on being frugal such as Miserly Moms: Living Well on Less in a Tough Economy, by Jonni McCoy

*Brainstorming less expensive options to boxed cereal for breakfast (cereal is expensive and doesn’t last long in our house!)

*Starting a price notebook. Writing down prices for items we frequently buy, as well as what the cost per lb. or ounce is at other stores. This should help my family with figuring out where to buy what.

*Creating lists of ideas for meals. Lists for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinners, and even theme nights.

*Next step: creating monthly menus! Not something rigid or strict that my family HAS to stick to, but rather a general list of meal options that I can draw upon on a day to day basis. It will also help with figuring out what we truly ought to buy when grocery shopping for the month.

*Then it's on to watching grocery sales and coupons before heading out to shop again. Hopefully my husband and I will find a dramatic decrease on our food expenses next month!


What does your family do to save money on groceries? What do you find to be your biggest food expense? Any tips on creating menus or shopping wisely?

New Glasses!

I've been a contact lenses wearer for almost 20 years. As much as I like wearing contacts, having eyeglasses is still a must, especially as a mom. Glasses are perfect for: wearing at the hospital after having a baby, taking a 2 year old to the potty in the middle of the night, watching movies in the evening, and giving your eyes a break for the day.

A couple months ago I received the opportunity to try out new prescription glasses and lenses from Eyeglass USA. At first glance at their site, I thought no way could these glasses be decent quality- they're too inexpensive! Really, check out the prices- for $21.95 you can get new frames AND lenses. For only $9.95 more, you can add on anti-reflective coating. That's a lot less than at the eye doctor!

Being up for a challenge, (as well as in need of new glasses), I took Glasses USA up on their offer and picked out new eyeglass frames and lenses to try (and keep). When my glasses arrived, I tried the frames on. Not only could I see clearly with my new lenses, but I was also impressed that my $40 worth glasses and lenses were actually nice and much better quality than I had envisioned!
Still skeptical, I took my new glasses along with me to the eye doctor to get their opinion before I would write my review. They didn't have anything negative to say about them and said they'd make a good pair of second frames, (though I'm using them as my primary lenses).

If you're needing a back-up pair of frames for your diaper bag, or if you need everyday frames but can't afford $300 for new glasses at the optometrist, I recommend you give Glasses USA a try.

A couple tips before ordering glasses online:

*Try frames on at an eye glass store to see what type of frames flatter your face most. Take note on the size of the frames as well as the shape. Use this as a guide for what type of frames to order online.

*Make sure you order an anti-glare coating!!! My eye doctor's office said this is a must and I have to agree.

*Google the company you plan to order from and check for coupon codes.

*To receive 5% off your ENTIRE order at Glasses USA, use the coupon code: Mommy5. The code never expires!

*If you have any problems with your glasses, contact the company and let them know! Same goes for problems with contact lenses ordered online. Most companies offer a store credit. If you have need to send your Glasses USA frames back, they will actually donate them to organizations that put new lenses in them for people who can't afford them.

*The glasses I am wearing are the Charli Black Full Frames. They're very petite frames.

FYI:
In return for agreeing to write a review for Glasses USA, I received a free pair of Eyeglass Frames and Lenses with Anti-Glare Coating.
I write honestly and give my own opinion on whatever I write about, including any product I have reviewed in the past, present, or future. : )

How to Make a Candy Land Cake

This week I made my first Candyland Cake! It was a HUGE hit with my kids. So much in fact that my other 3 children are all requesting Candyland Cakes for their birthdays too.

The cake was fairly easy to make, but very time consuming. If you decide to make a cake like this, you will probably find it easiest to assemble the candy by looking at a Candy Land game board. Then just use whatever candies you want.

If you have any questions that aren't answered here, leave me a comment or e-mail and I'd be happy to answer them.

Candy Land Cake

Supplies:

*Wax Paper

*13x9 in. sheet cake (the one I used was 2 cakes put together- half yellow, half chocolate)

*Buttercream Frosting:
*Purple
*Pink
*Red
*Orange
*Yellow
*Green
*Blue
*Black
*Chocolate

Various Candies, such as:
*Gum Drops
*Mini-Candy Canes
*Itty Bitty Marshmellows
*Peanut Butter Brittle
*Gummy Bears
*Licorice strings
*Suckers
*Heath Candy Bits
*Small Ice Cream Cones
*Cotton Candy

Directions:

The day before my son's birthday, I made the cake and put a base coat of frosting over the entire outside of it. I then put the cake in the freezer for an hour or so to harden up a bit before decorating.

After pulling the cake back out, I started to make the background colors (grass, sky, mountains, ect.) using frosting.

I traced the outline of the cake pan onto wax paper. Inside of the cake shape I had just drawn, I sketched out the Candyland path making just a simple curvy line that copied the game board.

Using scissors, I cut the wax paper along the line I had drawn. I placed the wax paper cutout on top of the cake and made tiny frosting dots to make the path outline onto the cake. After the frosting outline was on, I removed the wax paper.

I touched up the background scene and started making the path and bridges using the buttercream frosting. I also placed some of the candies on that wouldn't go bad before the next day.

After everything seen in the picture below was completed, I stuck the cake in the fridge until the next day.

FYI- The candy assembly the next day went MUCH quicker than the pre-assembly work day.

The Day of the Party

The next day I pulled the cake out of the fridge and started assembling all the candy details. Candy Canes in the bottom right corner, along with some tiny marshmallows for snow.

I stuck suckers into some of the gum drops, made a castle using 2 ice cream cones, frosting (including red to make a cherry at the top), cotton candy, and 2 toothpicks stuck into the back for support.

In the right corner I made Queen Frosting's place using pink cotton candy.

A licorice bridge was made using pull and peel licorice twisted and stuck in place with frosting.

I sprinkled Heath candy along the side of the peanut butter brittle house.

To finish the cake off, I tore little pieces of cotton candy off stuck them all along the base of the cake.

Voila'! The cake was finished and the kids were thrilled!

The Five Carseats in One Vehicle Dilemma

I have this little problem. With getting ready to have 5 children 6 and under, all of the kids will need to be in car seats when riding in the car. It seems like a simple thing- a 7 passenger van should fit 5 car seats, right?

Well, it is possible to get them to fit side-by-side in one row.


However, there isn't enough space in-between seats for a child to buckle up with a booster seat.

With the booster seat in (which requires a shoulder strap) , you can hardly reach the seat belt plug in at all. An adult can do it, but it takes A LOT of work. It's doable for a one time outing, but there is no way I could go through the stress of trying to get the seat belt through the tight space between seats every day.

Perhaps you're wondering:

Can't you just rearrange the seats in a different way to get them to fit?
I haven't found any other arrangement of our current car seats to work for fitting 5. The boosters HAVE to go on the sides because they require a shoulder strap. The other convertible seat we use for our 4th. child is even wider than the convertible seat in the photo, so it would not help at all for getting 3 seats in the back.

Why don't you buy a larger van and sell your old one?
That would be a great option, that is if we had enough cash to do it! However, we don't have enough money saved up for a new vehicle right now, nor will we take out a loan (think: Dave Ramsey).


Okay, what about putting the baby and younger two children in the back row using 3 convertible seats?
Do you know how difficult it is to get children buckled up in the backseat, especially when it's below freezing outside? It's enough just buckling up two babies in the middle seats (which is what we usually do). Trying to get all 3 little ones buckled in and out of the back seats, including an infant, while leaning over the boys in their booster seats in the middle does not sound like something I want to do every day.

What about those car seat things that you actually harness to your child and just use a regular seat belt with?
Those may work great, however I don't know enough about them to feel comfortable having my kids use them. I may change my mind, but for the moment I feel like an actual car seat would be an easier and safer option with our kids.

So now what are you going to do?
I'm considering purchasing a Sunshine Kids Radian Car Seat. It's supposed to work with fitting 3 of them in one row. However, I'd like to try just one. The harness fits children up to 80lbs, plus it's supposed to keep children safer than many of the other seats on the market. With the Radian, I could try to get it plus the two boosters to fit in the backseat. If that didn't work, I could then try the two convertible seats on the sides in the back for my girls, plus the Radian in the middle for my 5 year old son. I will also have to purchase a new car seat for the baby as my 2 and 3 year olds are using the only convertible seats that we currently own.

Think it will all work? I'm still not looking forward to shelling out the money the Radian car seat would cost, but it sounds like a better alternative to having to taking a loan out for a new vehicle.

By the way, if you've tried one of those car seat harness things with your kids, I'd love to hear what you thought of it.

10 Reasons You Should Visit Your Local Library

Raising children who love to learn is very important to my husband and I. One of the ways we've helped encourage our children to love reading is to take them to the library. Up until 7 years ago, I had never known that the library was such a cool place. Now we visit as much as we can! In case you've never been much of a library fan, here are some reasons to give it another try:

My Top 10 Favorite Things about Visiting the Library:

10. More than Just Books The library has board books for babies, books on CD's for kids and adults, movies, computer games, Video Games (ask your library- they may not display them on the shelves, but still have them available to check out), CD's, ect. Anything you could possibly be interested in, there's sure to be a book on it at the library!

9. You can check out DVD's for FREE! Watch your library's catalog online for when new releases are cataloged. If you get on the waiting lists early, it shouldn't be too long before they come in!

8. There's more than what's on the shelves! Many books are checked out, (especially if they're popular), or are located at a different branch of the library. To get a full view of what the library has, use your library's online requesting system. You can see what books they have that you otherwise wouldn't have seen, as well as being able to put holds on things before they even are released! If your library doesn't carry what you're looking for, you can then either make an inter-library loan request, or you can ask that your local library purchase a copy.

7. Story Time. Many libraries have story time for parents with little children. They often involve short stories as well as finger plays and songs. It makes for a nice opportunity to get out around other parents during the day.

6. Free internet usage! This is nice if you don't have regular access to internet at home, when your internet is down, or if you need to work on a project in a quiet environment for a while. Many libraries also offer Wi-Fi access now too.

5. Book Reading Programs. Our library offers a summer reading program for kids. At the beginning of summer they take home a form to keep track of books they read. A couple months later they turn it in for a free book! They also can enter into drawings for prizes. My husband and I have even won prizes (such as gift cards) by entering into reading programs at the library.

4. Fun Areas for Children Many libraries have toys and fun things for kids to do in a special Children's Section. There may be blocks, puzzles, puppets, and special child-sized furniture for kids to lounge on while looking through new books.

3. Book Sales- Our library puts on seasonal book sales to sell off books and movies that have been donated as well as books and movies in which they have too many copies. We've built up our family library by purchasing great books for very little money! Most of the items at our library sales run for 25 cents- $2 at most. My husband and I also enjoy the thrill of hunting through so many books (often an entire room overflowing with tables and boxes of books), to find "hidden treasures". We think it's fun and maybe your family will too!

2. Fun FREE Programs! Over the past few years, we've visited programs put on by magicians, a science puppet show, baby massage instruction, Read to a Dog, and more- all for free! The library pays for these programs so that local residents can take part without any cost.

1. Visits to the Library Encourages Children (and Adults Alike) to Read. Children are learning that not only is the library cool, but so is reading. They enjoy picking out their own books to read. The variety of books the library has keeps our children interested and keeps my husband and I searching out new things to read. There is also something refreshing about being in a building filled with good books and people who love to read. It's a good feeling.

If you haven't visited your local library lately, I highly encourage you to make an effort to get out there this week. We'll be there too. Checking out bags full of books for sure.
: )

Have a Blessed Day!

Things I Wish I had Known Before My First C-Section

Today I'm sharing a list of things that can happen with a c-section. You should also know that not everything on this list happens to every woman. Experiences also vary from c-section to c-section.

Even if you're not expecting a c-section, it can be helpful to know what could possibly happen should one arise. Knowing what is normal can help alleviate fear as well as helping you make informed decisions.

Here are some things I wish someone had told me before my first c-section:

*Shaking during the c-section and first hour of recovery is common. Warm blankets may help you to relax. I found the shaking to wear off as the spinal wore off and I was able to move my legs.

*Not being able to feel yourself breathe can happen during a c-section. You're still breathing, you just can't feel it. If it happens to you, remain calm and just let the anesthesiologist know how you're feeling. He/she can reassure you that you're doing fine. With future c-sections, inform your anesthesiologist before the c-section that you had a problem with the spinal rising too high so they can try to avoid it happening again.

*You may feel incredibly cold during your first couple hours of recovery. As the spinal wears off, the coldness fades as well.

*Intense itching after a c-section is very common. I've heard it to be related to the duramorph pain reliever in the epidural/spinal. If you experience this, talk with your nurse about options for relief.

*The nurses may try to take your baby to the nursery while you're recovering for an hour or so. If you want to have your baby with you at all times, then you are going to have to speak up! If the baby and mother are healthy, then there is no reason for them to be separated.

*The sooner you walk, the better. Getting up and moving actually helps you to heal, as well as helping to get your bowels moving again.

*Really bad pain in your shoulder or arm in the 24-36 hours after a c-section is also common. Trapped gas is the cause for that one and boy does it hurt! Make sure you're up and getting around when you can and it will help a bit with that.

*Your milk can take a week to come in. Again, it's normal, but also frustrating. It's still possible to have breastfeeding go well even if your milk delayed. You can try tube feeding while the baby is latched on that way baby is learning to latch and your milk is being stimulated to come in.

*While you are recovering, the nurse will check your uterus by pushing on it to see whether it is clamping down as it should. If it's not clamping down, they will massage your uterus and it might hurt a lot! You can help things along by massaging your uterus yourself too. Ask your nurse how to do this.

*Nurses may not always remind you about pain meds. With the some of my pain meds., i.e. Percocet, the nurses weren't allowed to remind me that I was able to take them again. So have your husband or whoever will be there with you help you stay on top of when you're due for meds. again.

*Being in pain can make healing more difficult. It's possible for pain to further delay your milk from coming in. So take it easy and try to keep your pain under control with meds. and rest.

*It's okay, and it's normal to have feelings of remorse over not giving birth vaginally. Even with a planned or elective c-section, you may still find yourself feeling like you "missed out" on something. What's not okay is when other people make you feel this way. Surround yourself with people that will love and support you as you heal.

Winter's Chill

A snow tunnel the boys made after a Christmas blizzard

To say that it's been cold in the Midwest lately would be a vast understatement. Since Christmas Eve, we have had snow storm after snow storm. The temperature has been so cold for the past 2 weeks that the snow doesn't melt. Yesterday the windchill was somewhere around -25 degrees. Brrr! The snow has taken it's toll on our snow shovel this year. This morning when my husband shoveled the driveway for the 4th. time this week, the shovel broke! It has been quite a Winter so far, and we are only in the beginning of January!

Our 6 month old puppy in the snow this morning

While thinking about how difficult it is to venture beyond our home right now, (especially with multiple children who need help with car seats) I am reminded that the bitterness of Winter is only temporary. Yes, it's hard right now, but it won't last forever. Spring will come, just as it always does. To help think warmer and sweeter thoughts, here are a couple photos from weather that is only a few months away:

Jerusalem, worship God!
Zion, praise your God!
He made your city secure,
He blessed your children among you.
He keeps the peace at your borders,
He puts the best bread on your tables.
He launches his promises earthward—
how swift and sure they come!
He spreads snow like a white fleece,
He scatters frost like ashes,
He broadcasts hail like birdseed—
who can survive his winter?
Then He gives the command and it all melts;
He breathes on winter—suddenly it's spring!

-Psalm 147:12-18 The Message-

Getting Ready to Make a Candy Land Cake

My youngest son is turning 5 next week, which means it's time to start thinking about his birthday cake.  For his last two birthdays, my son wanted an ambulance cake and a  fire truck cake.  This year he has requested a Candy Land cake.  It should be a lot of fun as there is a lot of room for creativity with the candy and design!

There are some great photos on the web of Candy Land cakes.  Using some of those ideas as a spring board, I've started sketching out my plans.  We've also started compiling some goodies to decorate the cake with.  Here's what we have so far: suckers, gum drops, sugar daddies, ice cream cones, licorice, gummy bears, whip cream, little candy canes, and green frosting.

The cake plans are still in process.  If you have an idea or suggestion on how to decorate any part of this cake, I'd love to hear it!  After the cake has been decorated (and eaten), I will share pictures as well as instructions on how it was made.

Gift Ideas for a New Mom

When a new baby is born, most people take a gift.  It's fairly easy to think of ideas to take a new baby.  But what about the new mom?
Here are some of my favorite gift ideas to give to someone that's just had a baby:

*Cute and Comfy PJ's-  I received new drawstring PJs after 3 of my births.  It was really nice having something comfy and new to wear while recovering at the hospital and at home.  It was defiantly one of my favorite gifts!
*Magazines- Whatever her interests are in, you can probably find a magazine to match.
*Fuzzi Socks-  Bath and body works has some really neat fuzzy socks, but you can find them just about everywhere else too.
*Slippers- Something Cute and Comfy to keep toes warm while caring for baby.
*Journal-  I used a journal I received at the hospital to start writing out my baby's birth story and first days of life.  I wrote in it before we even went home, which was really nice as the details and emotions were fresh in my mind at the time.
*Peppermint Foot Scrub
*Snack Items- Snack items (especially the new parents' favorites) are always a hit.  Hershey's Chocolate, Cookies, favorite drink, bottled water, ect. 
*Gift Certificates- Wal-mart, Target, Bath & Body Works, a Restaurant, ect.
*Meals!  Bringing a hot-cooked meal is a wonderful gift for a new mom.  It means one less meal she or the new dad will have to worry about, which means more time to focus on their new baby!  Frozen meals are also nice as the new parents can use the meal on whatever day is best for them.
*Offer to Help- Cleaning her house, or even just holding the baby while she is able to get a shower.
*Personalized Item- Anything with the baby's name, birthstone, or picture on it.
*Gift Baskets- Filled with helpful goodies for the new parents

Whatever the gift is, the kindness and love behind it matters most.

Related Articles on Adventures in Diapering:
*10 Tips for Visiting a New Mom
*Ideas for Keeping a Mother's Journal