21 Day Fix Challenge round for the Holidays!

I messed up the last challenge and wanted to participate but I've had some pretty sick kiddos. So I started in a different challenge group this morning. Technically the challenge started yesterday but I had issues getting the app up and running so I start Day 2 officially. I am going to be posting hopefully in the mornings for the previous day so that I can post photos of foods I ate and what all is really going down on this challenge. I have to stay motivated for the holiday season- because the struggle is real yall!

INTERNATIONAL BABYWEARING WEEK!!!!!!!

My favorite time of year is here. I love International Babywearing Week for a variety of reasons. First and foremost is the ability to just share the love of babywearing. Second is having the opportunity to participate in lots of giveaways, some times I get really lucky and win some times not. The third and final reason I love, love, love IBW is because of all the events. There are so many opportunities for new friends and memories to be made that it really gives you the chance to see the babywearing community to pull together and celebrate everyone's journey.

I have written before on my Facebook page why babywearing has been so important in raising my last child and why we will continue to wear well past toddlerhood. As long as Baby O continues to ask to be worn, it will be a practice we will continue.

But I digress, the whole point of this post is to be a center point of publishing all of the regional events going on in Central and Northern Vermont.

So here we go, BWI of Greater Burlington has a lot of stuff going on and it all begins tomorrow. Youll find the title of the event with a link to the event so that you can join in just by clicking through to the event links, just click the second half of each event line!

Wednesday- October 5, 2pm-4pm Apple Picking at Shelburne Orchards Meet fellow babywearers and families as you pick apples and hang out to play. The orchard has cider and cider donuts (both of which are very popular in our house).

Thursday- October 6, 4pm Caregiver Night Out Join in for an evening out at the Skinny Pancake for food and good company. this is a drop in event and family friendly so you can bring kids or use it as an excuse to get some adult bonding time with out the littles.

Friday- October 7, 10am Hike with Hike it Baby Join in for a guided hike suitable for both walking and worn littles through Wheeler Nature Park

Saturday- October 8, 10am Monthly Meeting and Main Event Raffle at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, join in for hands on help with carriers for this extended hour long meeting and make sure to get your $1 tickets for the raffle and place your tickets for the drawing!

Sunday- October 9, 2pm Photo Fundraiser Day 1 Don't miss your chance for some amazing photos by the one and only Dan Bowles for a super reasonable price. 15 minute sessions for $40 with half the fees going to the group- this is an awesome chance to capture some of those new bw memories for a super good deal!

3pm Downtown Babywearing Walk Help raise awareness of bw and help take over downtown Burlington. Meet up is at the City Hall Park, catch Pokémon, grab some coffee, and enjoy some company.

Monday- October 10, 1:30pm Wrapping Workshop Bonus workshop where you get the chance to learn new carries or play with a wrap (yours or one of the library's). Held in the Shaw's Supermarket on Shelburne Rd in the conference room, please make sure to preregister for this event!

5pm Photo Fundraiser Day 2Don't miss day 2 for some amazing photos by the one and only Dan Bowles for a super reasonable price. 15 minute sessions for $40 with half the fees going to the group- this is an awesome chance to capture some of those new bw memories for a super good deal!

Tuesday - October 11, 11am Playground Hangout Ending the week at Oakledge Park, come with a packed lunch and join in for the last event of IBW 2016

So there you have it- all the events to celebrate IBW in the Greater Burlington area. Feel free to shoot me a message and I will happily get answers for you. You can reach me on the Vermont Mom FB page immediately or leave a comment here.

Happy Babywearing and go make lots of memories!

-L

All That And A Bit of Pocket Change....Cool Programs Here in Vermont

So my husband and I live in that middle class bracket that makes us eligible at times for a whole lot of nothing. Living in Vermont, we had expected that the cost of living would be significantly higher than what we paid in the south. We expected higher taxes, higher rent but didn't bank on the cost of fuel oil as both my husband and I had never experienced using fuel oil as a heat source. We didn't realize the school system would be so awesome that our son with ADHD and SPD issues would thrive and we certainly did not expect that the more natural slower pace would be so good for us.

In the end, we have ended up with a more fulfilled life being part of a small farming community. Our community is not wealthy and we have a great life, but we do a few things each month that help alleviate some of the cost of not only parenting but living in New England.

First things first, we started a garden. At last count between our gardens and what people at work share with my husband, we easily save ourselves anywhere from $30-80 a month in produce costs.

We participate in public assistance program, yes you read that right- we do. If we are eligible for it we take it. One of the best programs we have offered here is the Veggie Van Go program. This program allows for people to get free produce- there is no income requirement, just that you have children in the school system. Some of the hauls from this program include "ugly" foods that aren't able to be sold to the grocery store but I have figured that the 2xs monthly contribution to our household runs somewhere in the vicinity of $40-120 per each pick up. On a good month, this means my family could easily get about $240 in free produce. It may not be the food items my family is excited to eat, but similar to a CSA box the family is forced into experiencing new foods. This program is offered the 1st and 3rd Friday every month to Rutland City school age children and their families. Dates through the end of the year are as follows:

October 7,   0900-1000

October 21, 0900-1000

November 4, 0900-1000

November 18, 0900-1000

December 2, 0900-1000

December 16, 0900-1000

Finally the last program I would like to share with you is one that is offered for elementary aged children and brought to you by the Vermont State Treasure's Office. This program is a totally free program that not only works on literacy but also provides the incentive of a monetary drawing. For children that complete the program, they will be entered into a drawing for the opportunity to receive a $250 college savings account. The nice thing about this program is that the children are expected to read 3 "money" books plus 17 open books in blocks of 20 minutes. This allows children to learn about finances through reading. We are using this as an opportunity for our son to learn and begin the conversations about finances that should always happen. All kids need to learn about earning and saving money, You can learn more about the program here Reading is an investment!

Image 2 pages on a dark table. the bottom is a reading list with lots of titles with a picture of a book on it. at an angle on top is a pamphlet style booklet with a school bus on it.

The last program I want to talk about is the local Rutland City Parks and Recreation Department. Did you know that if you cannot afford to put your child into athletics that you can apply for scholarships? I didn't and as a result our Baby Bear hasn't been able to do athletics because we just haven't had the money for it. After speaking with someone they had told me to contact the Parks and Rec Department and see what they could do for me. We fortunately got approved so our dear Baby Bear gets to play basketball this season and is super excited. If you need to apply for financial aid, you can do so here----->Rutland Parks and Recreation  PS basketball registration is October 6th for those interested, maybe Ill see you there!

Hopefully you get the chance to check out these programs and enjoy them just as much as I do.

L

Glamour Swirl Blog Tour

 Thanks so much for joining me on the first day of OFFICIAL day of my blog and the last day of the Glamour Swirl Blog Tour!

I had the very distinct pleasure of being on the testing team for this specific pattern and what fun it was. This test was a quick test and the pattern maker Lauren Ann Wernli is amazing. If you have never had the chance to meet or work with Lauren Ann then you truly are missing out. The reason that she got into creating pdf patterns is:

"The decision to create patterns in PDF Printable format came about because I wanted to learn new skills. Also, as I work from home I never see the finished product of my work, as the garments are made and shipped off directly from the factory. Sew by Pattern Pieces has been born and with the help of modern technology and Facebook, I am hoping to see a lot more of the finished garments from the patterns that I create, made by happy home sewers around the world."

Some of the reasons to really like the Glamour Swirl Skirt pattern come from Lauren Ann's clear and concise instructions both in the group for testing and the pattern. Often in testing, there can be a rush with several iterations of a pattern circulating at the same time as changes are made. Lauren Ann had a very clear method to ensuring that people were not creating old versions with new ones outstanding.

For the pattern itself, the instructions are clear and thorough making it very easy to follow along for a novice sewist. One of the main things I adore about this pattern is how few pages you actually need to print. Its so refreshing to not need to print 65 pages to have an adult pattern. This pattern specifically is drafted for easy changes to length and grading if necessary. This pattern is a super quick sew taking roughly 30 minutes when using a sewing machine and less if you are using a serger.


Now for my favorite part about this pattern- the actual features.  This pattern features both a mum and me option for those that like to have matching skirts. But it also just has a ton of options. It includes 3 lengths, plus pockets (if you want them) and an option to add a lovely tie to the waist if you want it. For the mum and me with my daughter and I, I chose to use pockets for her (none for me) with the tie waist for both of us. I also chose the cocktail length for me. My daughter loves the beautiful Kimmy Snabric rainbow I used and since sewing this up, shes chooses it regularly to wear for outings.

The finished product is exactly what is promised with a beautiful circle skirt with a nice arc to create a beautiful, glamourous swirl dress. This is a fantastic pattern and Lauren Ann has a group, Sew by Pattern Pieces Sewing Circle, to help you if you need support or just advice for whatever combo of Glamour Swirl skirt. Come on over to the glamourous side and create something beautiful for you or your favorite girl. I wish I could get better photos for you but as you can see from the photos below, trying on a new skirt is hard work;)

Links for the pattern and fabrics below- I cant wait to see your creations- happy crafting.

********Also make sure to check out the group for a chance to win an awesome prize!

-L

Sew By Pattern Pieces Etsy...
Sew By Pattern Pieces Craftsy

Kimmy Snabric Facebook Group

SEW BY PATTERNS BLOG TOUR!!!!!

As I make the transition from having just a Facebook and IG account, I wanted to share with you this awesome blog tour that is the official launch of this blog. A Vermont Mom was super fortunate to have the honor to be include in the testing of the Glamour Swirl Skirt, in conjunction with that Lauren Ann Wernli is offering an amazing giveaway. Take a look at all these awesome sponsors!

 Who doesn't love free stuff, I  love wining things and once the rafflecopter link is launched, I will update it here on this page and over at A Vermont Mom.

Take a look at the tour dates- we are on the very last day BBBUUUUUUTTTTT prizes are being offered every few days- run over to Sew By Pattern Pieces Sewing Circle and get in on the fun while you can.

Oh also, there is a contest running there for $45 prize to KnitPop that you have time to get an entry in for!

Happy Crafting

-L

Daiesu Jigsaw Mustard Wrap Review

Daiesu Jigsaw Mustard size 6

Grams per Meter Squared (your measurement): 260

Wrapper: 6ft tall, size 18/xl top
Wrappee: 23 mos old, 20 lbs 30 inches tall (wears sixe 12mos clothing.

I was really excited to get the Daiesu wrap in and have the opportunity to use this for the week that is alloted for testing for a couple of reasons.

1st I love the pattern the jacquard weave with interlocking puzzle pieces is visually stunning.

2nd because I had heard really great things about the wrapping qualities from the brand.

And 3rd because the company's personal ethics speak to me.

Daiesu is a Malaysian company that sources 100% organic cotton and has their wraps woven in India.

When the wrap arrived, I was super excited to pull it out of the canvas tote it arrived in. I was far down on the tester list, so by the time the wrap got to me it was obviously well loved but still no less stunning than the pictures I had seen of it. It was cushy and blankety and my daughter immediately ran off with it to hee bed.

With 260gsm, the wrap itself felt like it was going to be too thick for me, as I tend to prefer thinner wraps with good bounce. The feeling in hand was almost that of a cuddly flannel that I expected would stick and perhaps not glide the best. Boy was I wrong, for all its cushy, marshmallowy goodness these was a nice amount of bounce and glide that made strand by strand tightening so wonderful.

I also worried about the blankety feeling making the wrap too warm. Since I live in Vermont, I found it to be the perfect wrap for the season. I suspect with my heavy "sweat"er, I would still prefer my linen blend but it's hard for me to believe the brief encounter with Jigsaw that it wouldn't be breathable. There is honestly nothing bad that I can say about this wrap at all, aside from I wish it was a 7 so I could do fancier finishes.

I loved this wrap and was very sad to see it leave because in the end, I fell hard for Daiesu and look forward to the company growing and adding to their line because I am a true convert.

Image of VM with Baby O on her back so you can see the gold and white puzzle pieces on the wrap.

Image of a sick Baby O with red cheeks and runny nose on her mommas back in the same wrap. You can barely see Laurie, this carry is a ruck tas.

Image of a sick and crying Baby O in a Poppins hip carry. Laurie wears an expression of exhaustion

This was originally posted on Facebook since then I have purchased a Daiesu Jigsaw in Teal because I just had to have one of my own! Original post on fb is linked here---->Original FB post on Daiesu Jigsaw Mustard Wrap

21 Day Fix

I love a challenge, who doesn't- right?

So I decided its time to do something about the post baby weight. I'm not happy with what my body looks like and as a mom, I know I don't always set the healthiest example for my kids. I want to change that so I spent some money and ordered the 21 Day Fix. It should be here soon and then I will get started. I'm not sure if I am bold enough to post my before and after pics but I am certainly willing to try a few rounds to see if it being more active and emphasizing smaller portions is the key. It touts up to a possible 15lb weight loss during the first round (of course subject to following the program and eating the way Beachbody tells you to) so we shall see....