The blog fad may be over, but I kind of miss this. I think the constant facebook updates have stolen all my blogging time! I want to catch up to the ABC-Along, so pictures forthcoming.
I've also given up on the 30th birthday bucket list. It's amazing how I'm not worried about what I'm accomplishing and when now that I'm back to work. When I was unemployed, I really felt this need to prove that I was not wasting my life, that I was having important experiences and achieving. Now, the fact that I'm writing a blog post at 11:09 on a Tuesday tells another story, but work has me accomplishing plenty. The summer has been busy, I'm happy. No real need for the list. There are some things on there that I still want to do, but it's just not as pressing now that I have my identity back.
Speaking of a busy summer, I'm looking so forward to fall. Autumn is by far my favorite season, and I have lots of plans for quiet times and being at home to share.
Well with the best of intentions - back to my work day!
Showing posts with label WOHM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label WOHM. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Good Fortune
I got an interesting fortune in my fortune cookie today:
I love when a fortune is appropo.
I wish I could say that I was making this look easy - working full time, young son, remodeling house and moving - but I'm not. At least, my body decided to quit faking it so well. I caught Deuce's cold (flu?) and it's one of the worst I've ever had. I'll spare you the details, but I'm functioning at about 30% so you can imagine how that's working out.
After my year at home, I can finally say what I want from my life - land. A family, a place to call home, a stable job and money to keep the lights on. It's all so close. Within the next year it's possible for me to have everything I want. I just need to flap my wings when I can, ride the current when I can, and come down when I can.
Land is always in the mind of the flying birds.
I love when a fortune is appropo.
I wish I could say that I was making this look easy - working full time, young son, remodeling house and moving - but I'm not. At least, my body decided to quit faking it so well. I caught Deuce's cold (flu?) and it's one of the worst I've ever had. I'll spare you the details, but I'm functioning at about 30% so you can imagine how that's working out.
After my year at home, I can finally say what I want from my life - land. A family, a place to call home, a stable job and money to keep the lights on. It's all so close. Within the next year it's possible for me to have everything I want. I just need to flap my wings when I can, ride the current when I can, and come down when I can.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Updates and thanks Jen!
I have Jen from Our Journey to thank for the cute blog facelift - she showed me The Cutest Blog on the Block, and their designs are super cute!
Also, I wanted to quickly follow up on the car seat search:
We bought the Graco Nautilus, in Wilkes - tres chic for the truck!
I have to say that I like this seat a lot more than the Britax Marathon. It's more 30-month friendly - it sits up straighter (although it can recline), has arm rests and a cup holder, and the straps extremely easy to adjust. Specifically, the buckle that the two arm straps goes into is better. Each side clicks in separately - on the Marathon you have to get both buckle pieces in before it will click, which has caused problems for us.
Picture of the dudes in the truck forthcoming...
So much other news, but break time's over! Mommy's on the clock!
Also, I wanted to quickly follow up on the car seat search:
We bought the Graco Nautilus, in Wilkes - tres chic for the truck!
I have to say that I like this seat a lot more than the Britax Marathon. It's more 30-month friendly - it sits up straighter (although it can recline), has arm rests and a cup holder, and the straps extremely easy to adjust. Specifically, the buckle that the two arm straps goes into is better. Each side clicks in separately - on the Marathon you have to get both buckle pieces in before it will click, which has caused problems for us.
Picture of the dudes in the truck forthcoming...
So much other news, but break time's over! Mommy's on the clock!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Car Seat Shopping, and oh by the way I got my job
Let me start off by saying I GOT THE JOB!!!! I'm really ecstatic - and totally in planning mode.
Among the things on my list to prepare for my return to work is get a second car seat. We've always just had one, but DeuceDad and I are going to stagger our schedules so Deuce's day at daycare is shorter than a full work day, so that means two seats.
I did a lot of research when buying Deuce's infant seat, and settled on a Graco Snugride, even after reading the flawed side-impact crash testing results. His model isn't produced anymore, and we don't have his anymore because it was in an car accident.
As an aside, it is very important to destroy an car seat after a "moderate or severe crash", because its strength may have been compromised. The seat should be destroyed by cutting all the straps, making it unusable. In our case, our insurance company reimbursed the cost of the seat, and needed a photograph of the cut straps as proof that the seat would not be reused.
After the accident, we bought a Britax Marathon based on word of mouth recommendations. We have been very happy with the seat as far as comfort and ease of use. It actually is rated at 3 of 5 stars on the NHTSA ratings (see links below), which I was shocked to read because we really like it.
This time around, I would like to pay a little less if possible, and I need to know if there is another level of seat that we will be able to use longer than the Marathon as he grows.
My search for child seat safety laws didn't yield anything particularly helpful - I tend to err on the side of caution and the laws are a bare minimum. I decided I would use the 2009 Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings, published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to get a list of possibilities for comparison.
I scanned down the list for seats with 5-point harnesses, a weight range that included Deuce's current weight, and went up to 65lbs or above (so at least as much as the Marathon), and earned at least 4 stars in the NHTSA rating in both forward-facing, and booster set-ups if applicable.
Here's my list and how I narrowed it down further:
Cosco Traveler
I could only find this for sale online, and I want to be able to try installing it in the truck before we buy, so this is off my list.
Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1
Toys R Us $190 This looks really comfy and has a cupholder which is cute to me. This is staying on the list, but we'd need to put it in the truck to see if it fits.
Graco Nautilus
Toys R Us $180 Goes from carseat to high back booster to seatbelt positioning booster and weight up to 100 lbs. This is the highest weight rating in this price range, so to me that's a good value
Jane Indy Plus
Found online only. Again, want to be able to test it out.
The First Years True Fit
Target $180/Toys R Us $190 The manufacturer's website description doesn't have an option to compare to the next model up. I guess this doesn't have the uber-safety bar that the premiere has. It's also $100 less.
The First Years True Fit Premiere (The only seat rated 5)
Amazon $265 Pricey, but top rated. I struggle to justify spending less on safety, but... I just don't think this is reasonable for us right now. (Yes, these words coming from the mouth of a Britax owner. How times have changed.)
Based on this, we have 3 models to test out - The EB, the Graco and the less expensive First Years. The deciding factors will be (in order)
Among the things on my list to prepare for my return to work is get a second car seat. We've always just had one, but DeuceDad and I are going to stagger our schedules so Deuce's day at daycare is shorter than a full work day, so that means two seats.
I did a lot of research when buying Deuce's infant seat, and settled on a Graco Snugride, even after reading the flawed side-impact crash testing results. His model isn't produced anymore, and we don't have his anymore because it was in an car accident.
As an aside, it is very important to destroy an car seat after a "moderate or severe crash", because its strength may have been compromised. The seat should be destroyed by cutting all the straps, making it unusable. In our case, our insurance company reimbursed the cost of the seat, and needed a photograph of the cut straps as proof that the seat would not be reused.
After the accident, we bought a Britax Marathon based on word of mouth recommendations. We have been very happy with the seat as far as comfort and ease of use. It actually is rated at 3 of 5 stars on the NHTSA ratings (see links below), which I was shocked to read because we really like it.
This time around, I would like to pay a little less if possible, and I need to know if there is another level of seat that we will be able to use longer than the Marathon as he grows.
My search for child seat safety laws didn't yield anything particularly helpful - I tend to err on the side of caution and the laws are a bare minimum. I decided I would use the 2009 Child Safety Seat Ease of Use Ratings, published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, to get a list of possibilities for comparison.
I scanned down the list for seats with 5-point harnesses, a weight range that included Deuce's current weight, and went up to 65lbs or above (so at least as much as the Marathon), and earned at least 4 stars in the NHTSA rating in both forward-facing, and booster set-ups if applicable.
Here's my list and how I narrowed it down further:
Cosco Traveler
I could only find this for sale online, and I want to be able to try installing it in the truck before we buy, so this is off my list.
Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1
Toys R Us $190 This looks really comfy and has a cupholder which is cute to me. This is staying on the list, but we'd need to put it in the truck to see if it fits.
Graco Nautilus
Toys R Us $180 Goes from carseat to high back booster to seatbelt positioning booster and weight up to 100 lbs. This is the highest weight rating in this price range, so to me that's a good value
Jane Indy Plus
Found online only. Again, want to be able to test it out.
The First Years True Fit
Target $180/Toys R Us $190 The manufacturer's website description doesn't have an option to compare to the next model up. I guess this doesn't have the uber-safety bar that the premiere has. It's also $100 less.
The First Years True Fit Premiere (The only seat rated 5)
Amazon $265 Pricey, but top rated. I struggle to justify spending less on safety, but... I just don't think this is reasonable for us right now. (Yes, these words coming from the mouth of a Britax owner. How times have changed.)
Based on this, we have 3 models to test out - The EB, the Graco and the less expensive First Years. The deciding factors will be (in order)
- does it fit in the truck
- how comfortable is Deuce in it
- how easily do the straps adjust (primarily tightening the harness, but also adjusting the height)
- how easy is it to install/remove
- how to remove the cover for laundering
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