Trip to San Francisco

Two weeks ago we decided we wanted to cross off something off our list of places we want to go while we are living in CA. This was after some friends of ours found out they were moving back home and went to one of the other places we also want to visit before we leave (Yosemite).

So last minute we booked a hotel and some other arrangements and committed to go.

Things we wanted to see an do were Alcatraz, Giants baseball game, ride a trolley, and see the golden gate bridge.

We left for our destination on Saturday morning, originally planned on leaving after Bubbas feeding at 5 or 6am but he decided to be awake from 1-330am so this mama needed more sleep than that before hitting the road. We all woke up at 730am and started getting ready to go. I fed Bubba and got Boo Boo dressed and Hubs packed up our car with all our stuff we had packed the night before.

I packed a tote bin full of snacks (raisins, pretzels, granola bars) books boo boo hasnt read in a while, a couple hot wheels, his chuck truck and some play foam. We put it between the two car seats so Boo Boo could rifle through it on his own with out asking for this and that.

We live about 4.5 hours from there so we expected it to be a long trip. What we didnt expect was that Bubba would want to eat every 2 hours on the dot, it made for an extra long trip there.. but we had to stop for gas and potty and food anyways.

We stopped in Livermore, CA for lunch at Mikes Mountain Pizza, and it was awesome! I nursed Bubba in the parking lot and Hubs and Boo Boo ordered food and found the arcade, that Boo boo did not want to part with to eat or leave.. Big surprise right.. lol

Once we finally got there we went straight to golden gate park, to check it out.. Well that didnt last long because there was no where to park anywhere. It was crazy busy and there wasnt much we wanted to do there anyways with both the boys. So we headed to the hotel to check in.

We checked in and all took a nap, it was a long day already and we were exhausted.. Around 6pm we decided to go look for dinner.. haha we walked down to pier one that was a couple blocks from our hotel and found great burger joint called Gotts Roadside. It was no ordinary burger place however, we ordered a bottle of wine, and I got Ahi Burger and hubs got Wisconsin Sourdough, and boo boo got two mini hot dogs and fries, and we all shared some chili spiced sweet potato fries. It was so incredible! Mmmmm

That night they delivered boo boos roll away bed and I honestly didnt even think about bedtime being a issue, but we followed our regular routine and it took him about 30 mins to whine down and fall asleep. Meaning him asking whats that noise about 500 times.. lol It was hard but we just laid in bed and ignored him and if he got up we just put him back in bed and said nothing. The next night he did awesome and fell asleep in about 5 mins.

The next day hubs and boo boo woke up around 8am and quietly got dressed and let momma and brother continue to sleep. They walked to the park and chased pigeons and then on the way back stopped at the safeway and picked up some breakfast!

Once we were all full we headed down to the pier again to check out the ferry marketplace. It was pretty cool, lots of little shops of homemade breads, cheese, candles, froyo, beer, wine, and others. We walked around there for about and hour and half, someone got too tired and wanted to be carried lol and then headed back to the hotel for nap time.

ERGO is my best friend!!
This kid is 34lbs and I could barely feel him back there!

We had plans to get on a tour boat for the big fireworks show under the golden gate bridge for the 75th anniversary. We had to get on the boat at 8pm, so after naptime we headed down to the pier agan to hop on the cable car to get down to pier 39 where the boat leaves from. Well we stood in line forever and then we decided we would rather get a ride from one of the bike taxis instead of being cramped in the cable car..

We made it to pier 39 by 600pm and went to find the restaraunt hubs wanted to go to, and there was a 40 min wait.. but we had time so I went shopping in the souvenir shop and the boys went exploring. I had to learn how to nurse bubba in my ergo carrier while we were out because there really wasnt anywhere I could go to nurse him. Fortunately we figured it out quite easily and it was no problem. Actually it was much easier then fighting with a silly nursing cover.. only problem with nursing him in the baby carrier is that people dont realize thats whats going on till they have already poked there head in to see the baby lol..
I got alot of funny comments while nursing him while standing in line for the bathroom.. "He is getting the best meal in the house" and "Oh your going to be able to tell him he was at the 75th Anniversary of the GG bridge!" LOL and alot of "just wait till he is up here and running all over the place," trust me lady I know that one I got one outside.. lol!

It was a brisk day and luckily I grabbed our blankets for the boat ride because once we got down there it was really starting to get cold. After dinner we walked to the boat and there was a line that went all the way down the boardwalk which was about 700 people it seemed.. All waiting to get on the same charter! We wrapped up in the blankets and stood in line for about 30mins before we got on.
The fireworks were amazing! Even though it was really cold and windy out on the water it was worth it! We also got to see Alcatraz up close both ways and that was pretty sweet too. Its alot closer to the city than we both expected.

Alcatraz Prison

Once we got off the boat there were so many people trying to get on the cable car and buses again so we just decided to walk back.. It was a very long walk! We were so tired once we got back to the hotel I think we all fell asleep within 5 mins.

San Francisco from Treasure Island Naval Base

The next day we got up and got the room all packed up and checked out of the hotel. We drove around the city a while then headed to ghirardelli square to get some bfast. We hit up the chocolate shop for some ghirardelli hot fudge sundae to share and then walked down to the shore and got some hot dogs lol We saw the line for the trolley and decided not to wait, we had a Giants game to get to. So we hopped in the truck and drove through union sqaure and then parked at the stadium. We had awesome seats at the game, but unfortunately both the boys had enough after 2 innings. Basically was too cold for how we were dressed (bad planning on my part) and boo boo was tired. So we walked around the stadium and checked it all out, stopped at the bathrooms and then headed back to the truck to hit the road.

Bubba ready for his first MLB Game!

At Ghirardelli Square

Trolley at the Giants game

On the way home we stopped in Turlock for dinner, Red Robin which we havent had in forever. Then I got super pumped when I remembered that there was a Dutch Bros in Fresno on the way home. So we stopped there for some Fantastic coffee and switched drivers. When we lived in Oregon & Washington Dutch Bros was all over the place, so I really miss it alot living down here where there isnt any. We didnt make it home until midnight! But both the boys were awsome in the car both ways and it was such a fun first trip with our new family of four!

I will add more pictures later when I upload them from my phone.

One Month Old!

Bubba is one month old!!

I cant believe how fast the last month has went by. Things are so incredibly different from before Bubba was born, but better because we are so blessed to have two healthy happy boys!

Bubba is already 11.5 lbs and 22inches long, he no longer fits in his newborn diapers :( or his newborn clothes! He is nursing like a champ, and is growing like a weed. He is most awake from 5am to 6am and 4pm to 8pm. He hasnt really taken a liking to a pacifier yet, but when dads holding him he will suck on one. Bubba really enjoys listening to his big bro and daddy talk, he will just lay there and stare in their direction and listen. So cute. He is such a good baby, so far he doesnt fuss too much unless he is hungry or wants to be held. I think we got thrush so he has been a bit more fussy at feedings lately so we are using the gentian violet method so bubba has some purple lips and mouth. It is only painful on one side for me so I am hoping we caught it early and wont have it very much longer. Otherwise I have my six week postpartum appt next week I will bring it up then. Bubba's next well baby appt isnt until June 20th.

Boo Boo has had his days, but so far he has adjusted to being a big brother pretty smoothly, he is eager to help us out with the baby, and we have tried hard to give him the positive attention he needs. When Bubba is crying Boo Boo runs for the closest nuk, in which I think he keeps tabs on. lol. He also really likes to "help" change diapers and burp bubba. Boo Boo also has taken up the task of cleaning the house for us, haha. He really enjoys washing the dishes (aka rinsing them and putting them in the drying rack, and lots of splashing in the water) he also likes to help sweep the floor and vacuum the crumbs, carry in groceries, and move the dirty clothes to the laundry room. Boo Boo was very lucky while grandma was out here to help us after bubba was born because she bought him a new bike with training wheels! We were so impressed when he got on and was able to pedel a few strokes by himself. We were even more proud a week later he was already making circles around the island in our kitchen! He learned to ride it so fast, half the time it is inside the house because its easier for us to watch him, but he also does very well riding around the block also. Such a little smarty pants!

Boo Boo just turned 2 and a half and he can count from 1 to 28 and knows his abc's, all his colors, and shapes. He has been singing while he plays alot, it is super cute but we dont really know what he is singing.. He does pretty well at playing by himself for about 30mins especially his trio blocks! He loves building things like robots, boats, towers, wind turbines lol, and monster trucks.. It is one of his favorite things to do with dad right now. His other favorite toys are his coloring books & crayons, legos, his lightning mcqueen suitcase he puts stuff in and totes around, and his new trampoline and sand and water table from us. He also really enjoys watering the grass and making bubbles in the puddle with dawn soap and his bubble wand.

His favorite phrases are: "Guess What Mom: my school friends and miss jen, spike, abby, avery.."  " Whos that"  "Where'd Daddy go?" "Great!" What Happened to Daddy?' and "Look-it"

Probably the biggest challange going from one child to having two is you only have two hands and one is most likely always holding the baby. So this first month has really been just getting used to juggling things one handed and getting things prepared before the day or before they need to happen. For instance getting Boo Boo's lunch made before I pick him up from preschool, and getting him started on an activity that requires no help from me before I have to nurse Bub. It is difficult to always be thinking ahead, and if I ever get time at night I will be preparing meals then because no matter what I do, dinner never gets started before 530pm lately and we already starving.. lol

Another struggle we are having is groceries. It is nearly impossible to go to the store with both kids and a full grocery list, the problem is I refuse to grocery shop in town because the prices are so high. In order to save money I drive 45 mins to the next town to get our groceries. Well this makes it an entire day trip, not to mention super exhausting! So I try to go on days Boo Boo is in preschool but the last couple times I planned on that Bubba needed to nurse after dropping Boo Boo off and that takes about 45 mins to an hour, and we only have 3 hours before we have to pick him back up from school. That doesnt leave anytime really to drive down, shop, then drive back.. So I have been buying few groceries here and there at the store in town and its getting expensive. I know every mom knows you just have to stick your guns out and do it with the kids but its so embarassing when you get to the check out and everyone in the store knows your kids name because you been calling him in every aisle to stay by you because the store doesnt have double carts for both kids to sit in and your older kid wants to push his own little shopper cart. LOL

This past weekend was Mothers Day, we were so lucky to have such an awesome friend come over early in the morning to watch both the boys so me and hubs could go out to brunch to celebrate. It was super yummy at our favorite restaraunt in town Don Juans which serves South America fusion food. With our meal we had a choice of champagne, white wine or pink moscato. The white wine was AMAZING! It was made by New Age Winery in Argentina. Its a blend of 90% Torrontes and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. What is even more amazing is that both of us liked it. My hubby usually likes the drier, full bodied, dark reds and this white wine is nothing like that but is more like a sparkling hard pear cider that is extremely refreshing. We were both so excited about it we instantly looked it up when we got home and bought a case. haha. This is the perfect wine to serve to anyone, those that like sweet wines and those that like drier wines because the process they use to ferment the wine creates a slightly sweet, semi-sparkling wine! The also make a light bodied rose' that we also got that I am eager to try. Both are very reasonably priced.

Hubby went back to work full time last week, after being home the previous week helping me out and working when we all took naps. It went pretty smoothly, we were late to school a couple days from sleeping in, and we had to eat fast food one night but we survived. lol We were so fortunate to have such awsome friends bring us dinner one night and it was amazing! We really appreciated it!

By now were on a pretty good schedule, heres what it looks like:

8am wake up, get boo boo juice and bfast in his chair, start feeding bubba.

9am clean up, playtime/tummy time for bub

10am nurse bubba again to sleep while playing simon says with boo boo.

10:30 -11 tv time for boo boo/ computer time for momma

12-1 outside play for boo boo

1pm naptime for boo boo and nursing bubba

1-3:30 Naptime for all!

4pm potty/ wake up/ nurse bub/ snack time for boo boo

5pm figure out dinner/ grocery shop/ walk to mail box

6pm make dinner

7pm nurse bub/ dinnertime for all

7-8pm playtime with daddy

8pm bathtime/ book

9pm bed/ cluster feed bub till 10:30pm/ watch How I met your Mother.. lol

10:45pm bedtime

1am nurse bub

5am nurse bub

Here are some photos from this month:

Thanks for reading!

Baby Shower Gifts

This being my second child I didnt feel the need to have another baby shower. We had two when we had Boo Boo and we received pretty much everything we would need. There were only a couple things I wanted to splurge on for our second child, a nice changing table/ dresser, wipes warmer, and lots of cloth diapers & wipes.

When I was pregnant with Boo Boo our first child I found an excellent book "Baby Bargains" by Denise Fields and Ari Brown. This was an awesome guide to all that is baby stuff. In the book they review all products in every category you can think of from baby bedding to pacifiers. This is how I narrowed down the list of stuff I wanted to register for. I highly recommend the current version of that book, to anyone who is a first time mom/ dad and is looking for a place to start.

You learn alot about what works and what doesn't with your first kid and you can only hope you can remember those things when your second comes around. But one thing I didnt expect was all the new products that have came out since Boo Boo was born 3 years ago.

I have compiled a list of products that I have found essential with a new baby. So if you looking for a gift for a mommy to be I recommend the following:

Bubba Swaddled in his Aden & Anais blanket

1. My Brest Friend: I didnt have this nursing pillow when I had Boo Boo, I just used either a ton of pillows or my knockoff boppy that really didnt help much for support while breastfeeding. My SIL showed me this when she had her second child, at first I thought it looked uncomfortable, but I liked how it had a pocket to store little nursing things in. She raved about it especially for newborns because it had great back support and made getting a proper latch easier. So after Bub was born I ordered one and I have had it for a week and it is amazing!!!
2. Lansinoh Latch Assist: This is a little device you use before nursing to help get a better latch. Im not going to go into many details about this, but from the beginning Bub has been a rockstar at nursing on my left side, the right side however we struggled with for 2 weeks. I used the nipple shield with Boo Boo which I had a love/ hate relationship with, it was nice but easily lost and I became dependent on it and I didnt want to do that again. So after struggling with the right side I looked online for some other options and I found this. It is also a lifesaver I dont have to worry about trying to get him to latch on for 10-15 mins anymore! Lansinoh also sells my favorite breastmilk storage bags and lanolin cream, which are also essential to any nursing momma.
3. Aden & Anais Swaddling Blankets: These are the softest, nicest, swaddling blankets ever! They are big 47" x 47" and come in alot of cute prints. Either they werent available or I must have thought they were too expensive or something when I had Boo Boo because I didnt register for them and I didnt get any. They can be expensive if you dont buy them on sale, but they are worth the price!! I have 6 now.
4. Prince Lionheart Warmies Wipe Warmer: It is a luxury to have a wipe warmer, seriously! If I was a baby I would be so happy to have my butt wiped with nice warm wipes.. LOL I didnt get one of these before because I thought it would be a PITA if we were out of the house and the baby was used to having warm wipes and etc. This time around I realized who cares, its a 3 second job and I wanted to use cloth wipes and this warmer was for both disposable and cloth. So far it is awesome and works great! Keeps the wipes warm and moist and you just need to refresh the soaker pad in the bottom every week or when you run out of wipes..
5. CJs Butter: This is a cloth diaper safe, butt cream to prevent/ heal diaper rash. It comes in a ton of amazing scents or unscented. I actually won this on facebook from Kissed by the Moon, and I choose Blueberry Crumble scent, it seriously is so yummy smelling. haha I love putting it on my babies butt just so when I open his dirty diaper it doesnt smell like anything but blueberries.. LOL Bub has yet to get a rash but alot of moms rave about this product working great.
6. Medela Double Electric Pump: I love my pump, it also is a lifesaver when it comes to breastfeeding. It helps boost your supply and decrease engorgment. I can pump for 10 minutes and have a bottle ready to go if we are planning on being in the car for a long stretch of time. It will also come in handy when he gets older and isnt nursing at night I can pump before bed and/ or during the night to keep my supply up. I like having the option to pump one or two at a time. Medela makes excellent quality pumps and are backed by a warranty. This is actually my second pump they sent me an new one when my old one wasnt sounding right.
7. Booby Tubes: are filled with all-natural flax seed. Use warm or cold, to soothe after nursing or ease engorgement/ unclog millk ducts. I got them because in the beginning Bub had jaundice and was only nursing every 4 hours and I was getting plugged ducts and it was painful. These are great, you just pop them in the microwave for 40 seconds and then put on inside your bra for 5 mins before nursing or pumping.
8. Baby Comfy Nose Sucker: this is another item that just hit the market this year. I thought it was gross at first, but after hearing from others it works great and the kids arent as fussy about getting their noses sucked as with an aspirator. I had to get one and see. I have used it twice and it works better in my opinion because they arent fussing, and you can control the suction speed.
9. Cotton Nursing Pads: I decided to buy some washable nursing pads this time around, I didnt like how itchy the disposables were. I found these on amazon and they are so nice!! I recommend buying 2 of the 6 packs because one is only a 3 day supply.. I also recommend Bamboobies nursing pads, they are kinda pricy but work great, I havent had a leak yet!
10. Nursing Tank Tops: I have several different kinds of nursing bras and tank tops, but I find that the tanks are the easiest to wear and provide enough support. Target sells a good one: Gilligan & OMalley® Womens Side Sling..., I also have one from Old Navy, and Walmart. If you are going to exclusively pump this one is perfect.

This is obviously a very biased post about nursing products but its what I have found that works and is the best.

I was in no way asked to promote any of these products by any of the companies listed, I developed this list on my own and it is solely my top favorite items for a new mom.

I will do another Baby Shower post in a couple months on products for an older baby, like the bumbo chair and sophie teether.

Thanks for reading!

Ways to be Green

The last couple years I have been becoming more and more "green". Why you might ask? Well my reasons are simple.

1. To save money.
2. To save time.
3. To help the enviroment.

You can save yourself alot of money by investing in reusable products. Things such as cloth diapers, unpaper towels, reusable water bottles, reusable snack bags and shopping bags. These products are made to be reused so they are crafted out of quality materials therefore are more money initially but in the long run will save you money.
You will also save money by using them. For instance at some grocery stores you will get a discount if you tell them at the checkout you are using your own shopping bags. By using reusable unpaper towels you will never run out (save time) or need to buy more towels for cleaning. Instead of wasting a ton of ziplock bags for snacks, buying a few reusable snack bags you can wash and reuse you wont run out, or have to buy anymore.
By reusing all of the following you will save the enviroment from wasted resources.

Here is a bunch of ways you can be green too:

Reusable Products:
Foldable water bottle:
http://vapur.us/
Reusable filtering bottle:
http://www.waterbobble.com/
Reusable grocery bags:
http://www.envirosax.com/
Unpaper towels:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/95598071/reusable-eco-friendly-snapping-paper?ref=v1_other_1
Reusable snack bags
http://www.etsy.com/listing/75937170/lemon-drop-mamamade-eco-friendly
Reusable Cloth Diapers:
www.softbums.com

Pinterest ways to be green:
Toilet Paper Roll Art
Reuse creamer containers for snack containers
Use old hanger clips for snack bag clips
Reuse salt pour top on a canning jar.
Rain water pour off into a garbage can, reuse water for watering plants/ yard.
Reuse plastic bags for trash bags
Reuse toliet paper rolls for seed germination
Reuse old laundry jugs to store nails & screws in the garage
Make a reusable swiffer duster with fleece fabric
Reuse wine corks to make art in your house
Reuse milk jugs to use as watering can.

I hope I have inspired you to make one step in becoming a "green" person. I think it cant hurt if everyone is more green in some way.

I'd like to hear how others try to be green. Post below if you want to share.

Thanks!

Welcome Bubba!

On Sunday April 15th 2012, we welcomed to the world our second little guy, we nicknamed Bubba.

At my last appointment that was at 38 weeks I was measuring between 3.5 - 4cm dialated so we knew he was on his way soon and I wasnt going to make it to my due date. I had another ultrasound to check the babies fluid levels and approximate size. He was measuring 40 week 4 days big and had enough fluids but they said if I dont go into labor naturally before my next appt. they were going to schedule a induction. So knowing that I was prepared to go at anytime. Of course the next couple days I didnt feel any contractions. Saturday we spent the day chilling at home cleaning the house and rearranging furniture.
That evening we put together a puzzle on the floor, and I was having a hard time finding a comfortable position and thinking back on it now was having alot more pressure down there, but wasnt having any braxton hicks or any real contractions at all. Around 10:30pm after everyone went to bed I started having strong braxton hicks. Around 12am I was still up on the computer lol when I had a real strong contraction that actually hurt more than just tightning and cramping in my back that I was having before.. So I decided I was going to go lay down and see if that would help.
About 10 mins later my water broke and the contractions started. We called our people we asked to help watch Boo Boo while we went to the hospital and found someone to come over and stay the night so boo boo could continue to sleep.  This worked out perfect for us because I was nervous to wake him up and leave him somewhere.. Special thanks to boo boos favorite babysitter for saving the night.. lol

We left for the hospital around 1:15am my contractions were about 6 mins apart. We made it to the hospital at 2:00am and got checked in with triage. We got the last bed in triage and they said the girl next to us just got the last labor and delivery room. EEk! At this point we werent to worried because I was still at 4cm when we got there and 80% effaced. So I potentially could be in labor for several more hours before needing a room.. Well they got me all hooked up to the machine to track my contractions and the babies heartbeat. As soon as they got it regulated every time I would have a contraction, his heartrate would dip from 130s to 90s, so the nurse had me roll to my left side to see if that would help. The next set of contractions his heartrate was still dipping, so they rolled me to my other side and put oxygen mask on me and started my IV. This seemed to work for 2 contractions but then it was still dipping low 90s, and each contraction was getting longer and stronger. Finally they checked me again and I had progressed from a 5cm to a 7cm in an hour and so the nurse went to call my dr to see what she wanted to do about the whole situation. My dr was at home and said she would be on her way, and they needed to find me a room. The nurse came in and said "I cant tell you this but if you are feeling pressure we need to get you to a room, are you feeling pressure down there?" I of course said no lol I didnt catch her drift the first time.. lol. Then the next contraction came and she asked me again and I said yes lots! They magically found me a room and started prepping it for delivery.

Once in the labor and delivery room I asked for my epidural. The nurses said it was too late for that and that the anesthesiologist wouldnt make it in time because there were others in line in front of me. I tried bargaining with them for a while before I accepted that this was going to have to happen without one. EEK! I was already having extremely painful contractions I couldnt imagine it getting worse. LOL.

They checked me again and I was at a 9cm and feeling the urge to push (which by the way is the most uncomfortable feeling in the world especially when everyone is telling you to fight it and breathe through it and try to relax) haha.. The stand-in doctor was in the room now and had an extremely worried look on his face (thanks thats reassuring) and I heard my dr was about 10 mins away. Luckily she made in in 3 contractions and as soon as she entered the room I started pushing and 4 pushes later Bubba made his grand entrance at 4:49am! Apparently he had the cord wrapped around his shoulder and head so everytime I had a contraction it was pinching off the cord.

 It was such a relief when I heard him start screaming and I could tell he was going to be ok. Right away I noticed he looked so much like Boo Boo did when he was born. They took him to the table next to me and started cleaning him up and checking his vitals. He scored a 8/9, which is great.

He checked out fine and is a healthy baby boy. We waited to call and text our friends and family till it was morning because we didnt want anyone to wait up all night waiting to hear if we had the baby and he not come till night.. lol but that wasnt our story this time. Everyone was super surprised he came so fast and early in the morning but they were happy to hear he made it out ok.

My mom was already flying in that day and so we had to arrange for someone to pick her up from the airport and bring her to our house. That was alot to ask considering it was about 250 miles total she had to put on her truck round trip that day. Special thanks to her for doing that for us!!

My mom brought Boo Boo down to meet his new brother and he was very excited! Earlier that day I had recieved flowers and a balloon from my inlaws and Boo Boo was excited to meet his brother but the balloon was far more interesting.. LOL

We got out of the hospital the next day and it was 81 degrees out and sunny. I over dressed Bub in blue and grey sports ball fleece jammies and a cotton hat and mittens.. LOL but to be fair when I packed my hospital bag it was snowing and 34 degrees.. I had no clue in a week the weather would be so dramatically different!

            This was April 14th 2012 the day before bubba was born

We had just got hit by a huge snow storm 2 days before Bub decided to come, and I was very worried I would go into labor and not be able to get to the hospital that is 45 mins away because the highway was closed. Fortunately Saturday afternoon the temps were high enough that the snow was melting and the roads were clearing up. 

Our New Family!

Boo Boo & Bubba

Bubba 8lbs 7oz, 21inches

April 15th 2012 @ 4:49am

What is Renewable WIND Energy??

I know alot of people who dont have a clue what a wind turbine is, they just say "Oh those big, white, windmill looking things" This is always after they ask why we live where we do..

Here is a picture of some.

So to clear up some common misconceptions about wind energy and wind turbines, I took the time to interview the site manager at the local "wind farm" project (aka my hubby) to answer some of your possible questions.

Things that aren't true about wind turbines:
they are loud, they kill birds, they make more wind/ effect the weather, they use electricity, govt pays for them.

We all take energy for granted in the US. When you turn on a light or plug in your cell phone charger it works instantly doesnt it? In other countries thats not always the case, there is an energy shortage. Blackouts are common and energy isnt as reliable. We are fortunate here in the states to have to land available to develop renewable energy sources.

I just never thought about it, but we all pay for electricity so where does it come from?

Most Common Sources of Energy:

Fossil Fuels:

1. Coal Power Plants
2. Natural Gas
3. Oil

Fossil fuels supply about 70 percent of all energy used in the United States. Some examples of fossil fuels are coal, lignite, peat, oil and natural gas.

Nuclear power: is the second most commonly used source of energy in the United States. Increasingly used since the 1950s, nuclear power accounts for 14 percent of the total power used in the United States.

Renewable Resources:

1. Hydroelectric Power (dam/ water)
2. Wind Energy
3. Solar Energy

Hydroelectic Power, the water is sent through the hydroelectric power plant and the kinetic energy of the water is converted into other usable forms of energy. About 10 percent of the electricity used in the United States comes from hydroelectric power.

In order to use wind turbines, the wind speed must be more than 12 to 14 miles per hour. From 2008 to 2009, the generation of energy from wind power increased by 33.5 percent, making wind energy 1.9 percent of all energy produced in the United States.
Sunlight can also be converted into electricity using solar cells, also called photovoltaic cells.
Now that we all know where energy comes from (a gist), So lets move on to why renewable energy?

The obvious answer to that question is to renew, in this economy everyone is taking steps to save money and resources somewhere in their life. Whether its using reusable grocery bags at the store, or bringing your own coffee mug to starbucks and having them fill it up, to using reusuable cloth diapers!

So how is wind energy renewable? how can you reuse it?

I could google all day an find all these answers from people who could be accurate or they could be guessing on the topic. So instead I interviewed my hubby who has worked in the wind energy field for the last 6 years and who is now the site manager of a wind project. So I am guessing he knows the facts.. Before we get into the interview I put together a slideshow of pictures I have taken or got from others to show you them in action!

Wind Energy - making a free slideshow
If your on mobile the photo slideshow doesnt work.


Interview with Site Manager Dan F. Wind Project, Mojave, CA, April 2012

• So how exactly does power get made from a wind turbine? "Basically, as the wind blows past the turbine blades, it causes the blades to turn. The blades are attached to a shaft which goes into the nacelle of the turbine. That shaft is attached to a large gear. That large gear turns slowly, but it is attached to a smaller gear that turns much faster. A shaft is attached to the smaller gear, which goes inside an electrical generator. The electrical generator is basically an electromagnet, and as the shaft turns, electricity is generated and transported down and out of the turbine on cables."
• How is this process renewable? "Wind is the fuel that powers this type of energy, wind is free, it doesnt cost anyone anything to make it. It is always there and being renewed naturally. "
• How is it stored or moved to be used? "For the most part, the electricity cannot be stored. Some companies are working on developing that technology, but it is not widespread at this time. Instead, the turbines are connected with underground cables to a substation. The substation increases the voltage and is connected to other substations through overhead power lines. The connected substations are a part of the electric grid. Also attached to the grid are substations which take the electricity, lower the voltage, and transfer it to homes and business on other overhead or underground cables."
• Is there a possibility the power can be stolen? "Electric meters are used to measure electricity going back and forth all along the grid. The system would know if electricity was missing. Electricity and power is constantly “lost” to the air because transmission systems are not perfect."
• So how much does it cost to make or put up these turbines, and who is paying to put them up? "Cost varies greatly based on a number of factors including the size of the turbines, location of the project, terrain, schedule, time of the year, existing infrastructure, new infrastructure, environmental requirements, distance from transmission lines for the power, etc, etc. In general though, on a per kilowatt basis, Wind Energy plant construction costs are right in line with the costs associated with building a clean coal, nuclear, or natural gas power plant. Hydroelectric, Solar, and Geothermal tend to be more expensive than Wind Energy. There are multiple levels of financing and investment companies that develop the park, but in short, the company that sells the power to the local utility company, who in turn sells it to consumers, is the one paying to build the park."
• How much energy is produced from one turbine? "At peak production, each turbine can produce just over 3 MW (mega-watts) of energy. Obviously, the turbines do not produce at maximum output all the time. The average household uses around 9000 KW-h (kilowatt hours) per year, so in short, each turbine provides enough power for around 800 homes. What about 100 turbines? 80,000 homes."
• How many does it take to energize an entire city? "Depends on the size of the city. New York City is estimated to use around 40 Billion KW-h per year. The entire wind energy network is the United States has a capacity of just under 46 GW (giga-watts), meaning enough to power 3 New York Cities every year. 100 3MW turbines would produce enough energy for a city of 50,000-60,000 people.
• What is the main benefit of using wind energy vs nuclear energy? "Wind Energy does not require any fuel to operate, does not produce any harmful by-products, and is generally considered far safer than nuclear energy. Wind Energy also does not have the social and political stigma associated with nuclear energy."
• Who specifically benefits from your project? & How? "I would say everyone. Renewable Energy is far better for the environment than other sources of energy such as fossil fuels and nuclear. Impact to the environment through construction is also minimized because of the relatively small amount of land required for the turbines to be built upon. In most areas, farming and other uses of the land can be performed right up next to the turbines and roads."
• Does wind energy help the community in any way? "The local economy is helped with the creation of jobs and all of the money that is spent locally on both construction materials and stimulus to the economy from the employment. Housing, restaurants, local business’ all benefit."
• Does wind energy destroy the environment in any way? There are some effects of course, but they are far less than the impacts from traditional power plants such as coal or natural gas. Impact to the land and wild life is minimized and mitigated as much as possible. Impacts to birds are widely misrepresented by anti-wind groups and the majority is propaganda. Again, traditional power plants kill and harm far more wildlife than wind turbines."
• Are there requirements for where these "wind farms" have to be located? or can they be put up anywhere? "Wind Farms could be built just about anywhere the wind blows, but they are located in areas that have the strongest and most reliable winds. The energy generated is cheaper if it is more consistant, which makes those locations better. There are also other considerations such as ease of construction, environmental impacts, distance to population centers that require the electricity, etc."
• Could someone put up a smaller scale turbine on their land to power their property? "Yes. There are small scale turbines available that people can install on their land to power their property. Some utility companies even allow the turbines to be connected to the grid and extra electricity can be sold back to the utility for use by others. "
• What do you see for the future of wind energy? What about solar energy? A number of states have renewable energy initiatives requiring a certain percentage of their energy to come from renewable sources. This will continue to drive the industry. The size of turbines will continue to grow in order to take advantage of areas with less reliable wind resources. Wind turbines will also be installed off-shore in the ocean or in lakes to take advantage of consistant wind resources in those areas. Smart grid systems and electricity storage systems will also continue to be developed. All renewable energy, including solar, will continue to grow and become a stronger part of our economy going forward."
• Is there a place people can go to support wind energy? "There are a number of resources available on the internet. http://www.awea.org/ is the American Wind Energy Association and they have a number of valuable resources for people looking to learn more about or support the industry. They have a free monthly trade publication that usually has some good articles and information as well. The US Department of Energy is also a good source of information."

Resources:

1. http://visual.merriam-webster.com/energy/wind-energy/wind-turbines-electricity-production/nacelle-cross-section.php
2. http://energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-sources
3. http://www.ehow.com/info_8061031_common-sources-energy.html#ixzz1rxnlGe75
4. http://ge.geglobalresearch.com/blog/a-week-in-the-nacelle-of-a-wind-turbine/

Preparing for a Newborn- adventures in cloth diaper making

Please let me note, this blog isn't going to be all about cloth diapers and babies.. That said it is a huge part of my life right now, and honestly probably due to the fact that I am all pumped up with hormones ready to have a baby, its all I really think about lately.. Trust me, I will write about other things soon enough! In fact I am drafting a blog post this week on Renewable Energy with an interview with the site manager of a local wind project.. LOL aka my hubs!

Anyways now onto what I have been up to.. It's been a short 9 months, they aren't kidding when they say the second one around goes two times as fast!
As you might have guessed we have been making alot of preparations for the new little guy. Cleaning all the baby clothes, rebuilding all the baby furniture, buying new stuff we didn't have the dough for from the first babe, and of course cleaning the house like a crazy person.. (ok that's just me and by now you would think I would see it is pointless) Silly hormones.

Another adventure I embarked on recently was, I decided the 12 onesize cloth diapers I already have wasnt enough, and that I needed to make this baby some newborn cloth diapers for him to wear in the month or so before he fits in the onesize diapers. You see onesize diapers are great and all but if you have a baby under 8lbs the onesize diapers can be too bulky. Not to mention I seriously love my cloth diaper stash and until the umbilical cord and circumscion is healed I dont really want to risk getting them ruined with vasoline. If you have no clue what I am talk about here, might just want to give up with this post now, I am up late writing this and I am too tired to go into further details.. Might want to refer to my blog post about why I use cloth diapers.

So on to the making of these newborn cloth diapers!!

I had been searching for a pattern forever that included aplix closure, **double leg gussets**, onesize or sized option and a pul outer, microfleece inner pocket design. Well I finally found it! Huge thanks to Krista at Rocket Bottoms!! She made the perfect pattern I had been searching for.. After reading over the pattern I wrote down the list of supplies I would need, and started researching.
Not going to lie, it took me a week and a half or so to track down all the materials I really needed to start this project. Sure I could have drivin to JoAnns and bought the materials all there but for one that is 45 min drive and with boo boo a huge headache! (men and craft stores just dont get along no matter what age they are) So I went with the online option hoping to get some better quality diaper supplies.

Heres what I found:
Loop fabric- ComfyCreations:.$0.55/yd 2"
Natures Fabrics $9/yd 6"
CDMF- (Cuddle Dry Microfleece) ComfyCreations, Sewit, KITG YG- yahoo groups
Diaper Sewing supplies- 6.29/yd

PUL Prints- RocketDiaper Ebay, Diaper Sewing supplies, Kids in the Garden, Wazoodle
Mint Zoo- 12.50/yd
Retro Owls
Grey Ice Giraffe

Notions: Diaper Sewing Supplies, Wazoodle
Elastic- .38/yd
hook tab-.78/yd

6 diapers from 1.5 yards
=$8/ diaper

After a week I got all my materials from 3 different people. I cut out my pattern and started on my sample diaper, that I was making with spare materials I already had on hand.

The pattern and instructions were very easy to follow for a novice sewer like myself. I did have to log on to her blog to see the video of her doing the welt pocket opening to figure that out but it was pretty simple once I saw her do it. The inner leg gussets could use a video instructional if you ask me but I figured it out and mine turned out fine.. It's just a little not clear about where to pin down in the right places..
The first one I thought didn't turn out half bad, and I didn't pull my hair out trying to figure it out so I considered that a good sign to proceed with making the rest. LOL

Once I got all my materials I was super pumped to start!! I cut out the PUL and CDMF for three newborn sized cloth diapers all at once.

At 34 weeks it was a hustle to maneuver the floor to cut those bad boys out (what was I thinking starting this now?) LOL

Next day I started on the first one, sewing the inner top & bottom, & welt pocket, then pinning to outer and sewing all around, adding back and leg elastic and then turn & topstitching. I found it is really hard to stop sewing one diaper once I got going and I planned to make one each day while Boo Boo was at preschool. That gives me 3 hours. I was so happy when I finished this one because it turned out a heck of alot better looking than the sample diaper I had made..
The next 2 diapers went smoothly and I am very satisfied with them, just hope they fit good, and we can get some used out of them. I will do a followup post on my review of the fit and sizing on the new baby, with pictures of course!