30 While 30 Update: June!

Hi everyone! It's almost June and I wanted to share where I'm at on my 30 while 30 goal list! I'm already 5 months in and I think I'm doing pretty well! Although looking at my list now, it's seems like it might be a little challenging to accomplish all of these items!

Below is my goal list (check out my original 30 while 30 post), with accompanying comments on most.

In no particular order:  

30 {goals} while 30 {years old}!  

1. Submit something for publication.

I do have something in mind for this, but have yet to start. 

2. Decorate pictures with digital handwriting!  

3. See a Cardinals game in person!  

4. Take a photography class 

I'm currently signed up for a Mastering your DSLR Camera class, that starts the end of June! So excited!! :oD

5. Travel some where new and explore  

We took a trip to Mexico!  

6. Be more aware of money spent  

Not that we are big spenders, but we could be saving more money if we put together a simple budget or really watched what we spent.  

7. Complete acts of service  

I volunteered at our church's nursery for a little while, but would like to do more, hence it's still on the list.

8. Start a new tradition  

9. Finish my quilt! 

10. Create my own {delicious} recipe    

Did you see my Spicy Honey Salmon Glaze recipe?

11. Do something special for myself.    

I went to MommyCon ツ and had a blast!  

12. Hang/put up pictures throughout the house. Maybe try a gallery wall...  

Everything was taken down a few years ago so we could paint the rest of the house, and things have been going back up slooowly.

13. Complete an out-of-this-world pin  

Even though it's not 100% finished since I still have to make a cover, I have created an awesome quiet book for Christian! He played with it on our trip to Mexico and loved it, especially the buckle page. (I will share more once I've added the cover.)  

14. Strive to incorporate more natural remedies, cleaners, cosmetics etc. for a more natural way of living.

15. Try a new food or drink.

16. Perfect our mead recipe 

17. No bottled water (unless in dire need, as to cut back on waste)    

So far so good! 

18. Find a new church and attend weekly    

We have found a new church home! It's right down the road and it has a nursery for use during services, a baby/toddler weekly group and young family group get togethers! Success!  

19. Play the violin more  

20. Take Christian to visit my home state, MO, and go fishing

21. Night away from Christian- ?  

22. Complete a weekly photo blog challenge  

23. Take a risk 

24. Make myself a priority

I have been making sure to focus on myself (as well as hubby) and remind myself that I AM still here, that I am not just a mom but an individual with interests other than toddler life. I have picked back up with reading, visiting with friends and having girls night regularly, along with date nights with the hubbs. :o) Go me!

25. Blog at least once a week  

I've been keeping up and it feels less stressful than blogging 3x a week for sure. If I have a particularly rough/busy week, I will not allow myself to write a quick posts just to make sure I've gotten something written for the week.  

26. Make a simple cleaning schedule, and stick to it for at least a month

27. Enjoy a new interest   

A new obsession really. I'm sooooo into Doctor Who and Divergent now. It occupies my mind (and pinterest board, make that boardS ツ) constantly.  

28. Read more.  

I have started reading again, and love utilizing my local libraries to the full extent. I'm not a huge fan of ebooks, but I have found that they do come in handy paired with shorter, if any, wait lines. 

-Books/short stories read: Divergent series (loooooved it), Free Four, Four: The Transfer, The Fault in our Stars, Heaven is for Real

29. Continue to purge "stuff" from the house   

Hopefully this will mean more space & organization! I love the act of purging stuff and making large donations to the local Good Will. It's my way of spring cleaning, instead of scrubbing floors and window sills. Ek.

30. ????

12/30 COMPLETED!!

Anyone have any suggestions for my list? I'm hoping that as the year goes on, a few more goals might present themselves. 

This challenge has definitely helped shape my year! I'm more motivated to complete projects, keep myself in mind, remember the important things and live happily. I think that this is a great idea to do EVERY year! Maybe not quite such a long list of goals, but I could absolutely see myself having at least 12 goals a year, one a month, to help keep the focus on family, God and living a happy life.

I find that I'm constantly reminded of what I've accomplished this year so far as well as not getting caught up and drug down by an overwhelming lifestyle without a focus. This list breaks it down easily and quickly.

Hmmm, <pointing to my cheek as Christian would do> 

what should I do on my list next?

What's in my {cloth diaper} bag?

Before I started cloth diapering, I was curious as to what one had to carry around to make cloth diapering really work. I couldn't fathom the gadgets and gizmos that went into helping a mama work with cloth.

So I decided to put together a mini post, if you will, on what's in my cloth diaper bag, plus a few other cloth diapering mama's share what they like to carry with them in their diaper bag.

-3-4 cloth diapers for short trips, and 6-8 for longer trips
-wet bag (for soiled diapers)
-flushable biodegradable liners (to catch solids. not pictured, oops) We like to use Bummis Bio-Soft
-CJ's diaper cream
-wipes (in a reusable pouch)
-change of clothes
-couple toys
-snack in snack cup
-sippy cup
-bib + spoon
-2 extra large ziplocs (for dirty clothes, if I forget the wet bag etc.)
-nursing cover
-burp cloth 
-tissues
-first aid kit
-wristlet purse (thanks Mary!)
-changing pad

This list includes most everything that I'd ever keep in my diaper bag. I don't have ALL of these items in our bag daily since some of these things are seasonal items, like tissues for the winter. Also some of these items change when moving from baby to toddler, such as the nursing cover, burp cloth and snacks.

What do other cloth mom's keep in their diaper bag?

California Baby Calendula Cream is a must for us, waterproof bags, extra changes of clothes, wipes, a blanket to use as a curtain for feeding or changing, a changing pad, travel toys and snacks. I like to carry a light diaper bag. - Sarah

Cloth Diapers, wipes, wet bag, snacks, changing mat, water/milk, bib/spoon. For long days away from home: a change of clothes, socks (since they get pulled off everywhere we go and we loose them), Desitin [not cd safe, so use a fleece liner], small toys, camera, and personal items. -Lauren

Way too many cloth diapers, changing pad, wipes and a case, wet bag, change of clothes, snacks, occasionally Zinc Oxide (for rashes), cloth wipes (to protect diapers from Zinc Oxide), and toys. -Jacki 

Cloth diapers, wipes, wet bag, changing pad, change of clothes, toys, snacks for baby and me, a bib, a plastic bag (in case I forget to pack a wet bag), and a small purse with my stuff in it, (so I can easily grab it and leave the diaper bag if I need to). -Mary

Now all of that wasn't so scary was it? We don't carry all that much more than disposable diaper mom's!

What do you keep in your diaper bag?

(Did you see my review of the Okkatots Travel Diaper Backpack?)

¡Viva México!

I'm excited to share some photos from our recent vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! We had an adventure and traveled to Mexico for my cousin's wedding. We stayed in a nice little boutique style hotel, that is basically rented out for the entire wedding group of family and friends. I've never heard of that or experienced it, but it was so awesome. Since we had Christian with us, it allowed for us to relax and not worry about having him out and about in the hotel since everyone knew each other! Plus if you put your stuff down and needed to go back to your room, you knew your camera and pool gear would be there when you got back.

We had an amazing view too which was breath taking! It was a corner room with a wrap around patio balcony. Being on the third floor had it's perks, and the view was the best one! :o) Our room was a suite style room, which had a common/lounge room with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms attached. My family and immediate family all stayed in one suite. 

Every day there was an open bar all day long. We are not heavy drinkers (not since college at least), but we loved having the option to get a drink whenever the moment struck us! I had a piña colada every day! Yum! Plus some others...

This was Christian's first trip on an airplane as well. He did great traveling on the way there, since thankfully there was an open seat right in front of us (and the other two passengers were willing to switch)!! On the way back was a little trickier since we had to try and entertain him on one of our laps. Boo. He got a C+ for that flight since he wasn't horrible but not great. We loved that we brought our Boba G3 with us, it helped a lot!

Sooner than later I will also be posting about our traveling arrangements and ideas for toddlers! I'm excited to share what worked for us and items that come in handy.

My little man ready for the wedding! Bow ties are cool.

We had an amazing trip! I wish we would have had more time to experience more of the culture and explore, but traveling with a toddler is difficult and time consuming enough. The massage (my first ever!), drinks, food, family, sand, waves and pool time were a lot of fun.  

Sigh. 

I already miss it!