cross posted to Shoelaces

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For those who are interested, these are the last 10 posts to my Shoelaces blog:

1. George Sarris: The World’s Greatest Stories CDs
2. Ergo sale
3. BookCloseouts.com coupon
4. Free shipping from Biblical Womanhood
5. CBD coupon
6. Science: The Great Egg Whap!
7. Spectrum Math
8. Mystery of History
9. Jonathan Park
10. The Merchant Maiden

Thanks for all your input on my baby carrier question. I ordered and received my Ergo a while back, and I’m ready to tell you what I think of it.
In a nutshell, I really like my Ergo. Not quite love, but really, really like it. It is easy to use, easy to adjust, very comfortable and durable. The only things that I wish were different is less padding (I live in a very warm climate) and I wish the baby could face outward in front, though I suspect that wouldn’t be as healthy for the baby’s spine.
The built-in storage pouch has plenty of room for the basic essentials: checkbook, a diaper or two, small package of wipes, cell phone.
The sleep hood easily adjusts from our 3 month old baby to our 2yo, with plenty of room for a still bigger child.
The carrier itself was very intuitive: it came with no video, no written instructions, and yet I had it on for the first time in less than a minute. I was easily able to figure out the front carry for our baby and the back carry for our toddler. I’m less than thrilled with the hip carry, but maybe that’s just not my thing.
Incidentally, I had no trouble using it without the newborn insert when our son was 2 months old. He rode comfortably and securely, with plenty of support. Your own experience may be different, but I’m glad I tried it without the additional $26 expense.
It’s a snap to “load” and “unload” by yourself, front and back. Adjustments are just as easy.
It really does put the weight of the child on your hips rather than back or shoulders. I had some bad habits from other carriers, but once I learned to relax my shoulders and let the carrier do its job I found that I could carry our toddler with no strain at all.
I do wish I could crumple it up really small and cram it in my diaper bag for easy portability, but that’s not happening. As it is, it folds up rather compactly and would probably fit in the top of my diaper bag if I remember to leave room for it.
Other than my three small complaints (no forward-facing front carry option; a bit too much padding; and not terribly compact), I pretty much love it. I think it was well worth the expense and although I haven’t tried every carrier out there, I’m inclined to believe those who say it’s the best.
Hubby found me a Baby Bjorn at the Goodwill, so I have been able to compare the two. The Baby Bjorn does allow the forward-facing front carry and it was also pretty easy to figure out. It shares many of the advantages of the Ergo with a lower price tag, but I think it would become a strain with a heavier baby. It also shares 2 of the disadvantages: it’s rather warm and not very compact. It has no built-in storage pouch.
I can see why many people love it, but I’m sticking with my Ergo.
I am still curious about the Mei Tai and something else very similar to the Ergo – I can’t find the name of it now, but it sounds something like Paduman Baby, and I thinks it is from the UK. Does that ring a bell for anyone? It sounds very much like the Ergo but with less padding and cheaper. Why didn’t I bookmark the site? (smacking myself in the forehead)

I’ve set up a blog specifically for affiliate links, product reviews and great deals that I find.
The name is Shoelaces: products we love. You can find the link just below my profile on this blog as well.
If you have the time and interest, please take a look and let me know what you think!

Crystal, who writes one of my very favorite blogs, has a new e-book available for download, Centsible Breakfasts. It is a sequel to her Centsible Suppers e-book, and as one who has tried a few of her recipes I can vouch for this young lady’s cooking skills!.
Better yet, she has a special on all of her homemaking e-books: 9 titles for $30.
Titles include

• Simply Centsible Breakfasts (Only 4.97!)
• Simply Centsible Suppers (Only $4.97!)
• Menu Planning Made Easy! (Only $5.97!)
• Thriving on One Income (Only $7.97!)
• The Bread by Hand eBook (Only $4.97!)
• Momma’s Guide to Growing Your Groceries (Only $7.97!)
• The Merchant Maiden: Earning an Income Without Compromising Convictions (Only $5.97!)
• HomeGrown Business (Only $15.97!)
• How to Start Your Own Business eCourse (Only $15.97!)

You can read about each book here

Thank you, everyone, for all the input on choosing a baby carrier! I appreciate each and every comment, and checked out every link. The comparison sites were especially helpful.
My sister just had her first baby and ended up with 5 carriers (4 were used) and she just let me try out each one. One was my old Infantino, which has circled through the family. Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks it’s too complicated to bother with.
Unfortunately she didn’t receive any of the favorites being recommended here, but most of the ones she got were so complicated that I’m even more convinced to buy something *easy.*
It sounds like the Ergo is a clear favorite, at least for older babies. If cost is an issue, most Bjorn owners are very happy as well.
Thank you, She-ra for the comparison of the Baby Bjorn and the Ergo. Knowing that the Ergo is easier to use and more versatile is a clincher for me.
Since the infant insert for the Ergo is a separate purchase and nearly the price of some carriers, I’m still considering other options for newborns.
I have a friend who will be letting me test drive her sling next week, to see if I’m a sling person yet. I think I would like them if I could get the hang of it before I decide to hate them.
I’m still very interested in the Mei Tai as well, especially for a young baby. I can’t seem to find an inexpensive source, even used. This surprises me since they look very simple. Can you just make one, like a sling? Or does anyone have a mei tai they’d like to sell? Or even one that they would let me borrow if I pay shipping both ways? I would love to try one of those as well, but can’t buy two pricey new carriers.
Oh, and if there are any vendors out there reading, I would love to try out your carrier and give you a review. Really, feel free to send me something for free.

Hooray for me! I finished a book!
Actually, I’ve been finding more time lately to read the 15 or 20 books that live next to my bed. But narrowing it down enough to finish one is an event worthy of trumpets and a parade. And I’ve finished several in recent months!
Thanks to Sherry’s great and timely idea, I’ll be posting a book review once each week from now until…well, until my time or attention span run out. That might not take long, so let’s enjoy it while it lasts, OK?

In spite of the fact that I was an extremely avid reader in my younger (read: childless) years, this was my first G. K. Chesterton book. I have run into many of his quotes and all were worth quoting, so I finally decided to make the plunge. I visited the local Half Price Bookstore hoping to find something worthwhile by the man – hopefully a Father Brown collection – and found just one book by Chesterton. Ah, but it was the very book I had hoped for: The Best of Father Brown!
Father Brown is a mousy little Roman Catholic priest, an accidental detective who solves baffling mysteries like a small and humble Sherlock Holmes: by observing and stating details that seem obvious to him and shockingly insightful to onlookers. A large part of the charm of this collection is in the main character’s observations upon human nature. Chesterton is, indeed, eminently quotable.
In reading this book, I remembered why I enjoy short stories so much: they are perfect for a busy mother, with just small reading allowances in a day’s time. I can take in all the characters and plot in one or two sittings. There is little danger of setting the book down and having to start over again the next time.
Furthermore, short stories are an art far less forgiving of the author. In a well written short story, there is no “filler,” no superfluous details, no meaningless banter and stilted dialogue. A well crafted short story must be well crafted indeed.
I think Chesterton accomplished those ends in the selections presented in this book. It was a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to his work.
Hubby later found the following titles for me to add to our little collection:

• (The Annotated) Innocence of Father Brown – the first Father Brown collection. I have made good progress into this volume and am enjoying it quite as thoroughly as the other.
• The Club of Queer Trades – more humorous mysteries in the style of Father Brown. My edition has original illustrations by the author.

My girl Megan has also posted about a book she read recently – the post was typed by me but entirely dictated by her. Not bad for an 8yo’s first book report (says Proud Mama).

And for more on books, Kaitlyn posted some excerpts from one of her favorite silly books.

I have purposely not read others’ reviews of the Narnia movie, so I suppose I should ask myself if I deserve to have you read mine. But I really was determined to love the movie and didn’t want anyone to spoil it for me by telling me how bad it was.
Don’t worry – I won’t spoil it for you. I loved it.
I have always loved the Chronicles of Narnia. They were the first books I ever bought with my severely limited little-kid pocket money. I spent months saving over $14 to buy an entire set for my own consumption, and I gorged myself on Narnia for many years thereafter.
I expected myself to be a purist. I was quietly fearful that every departure from the *real* storyline and the *true* dialogue would rankle me. I was concerned that it would take some true determination to love the movie.
I was wrong. It was love at first sight, with ne’er a moment’s doubt.
It was not a flawless production:
The dialogue was not quite pure: many correct and important phrases found their way into the script through the wrong lips, while others less essential were skipped over entirely, no doubt in an effort to end the movie at less than 2 1/2 hours. But the abridgement was not cruel; the flavor was right.
The queen-witch was not quite right; she reminded me more of the Borg Queen from Star Trek than of Jadis. But she was sufficiently cold and evil.
Overall, the movie was very faithful to the book. Yes, there were some departures, but only one that rankled – the scene which leads up to the 4 children finding Narnia in the back of the wardrobe. This scene struck me as wrong, disappointing, and entirely out of character for at least 3 of the 4 children.

I haven’t written a book report in many years – I feel like I’m back in school when I say the words, book report.
But I mentioned a little while back that Hubby bought me Candy’s Home Management Binder for Christmas. I’ve had time to read and ruminate, and here’s a brief synopsis of what Candy has done for us as she walks each of us, section by section, through the designing of our own Home Management Binder.
First, she gives a simple plan for designing our own Master Schedule. This is your own daily plan, hour by hour. It can be just for you, or it can include each member of the house. Candy’s ideas for laying it out are neat and orderly, with suggestions for prioritizing and fitting in those lower-on-the-list items that we really want to do but often don’t make time for.
She also recommends a back-up plan for the days that your schedule just won’t work. She has suggestions for working with your schedule, around your schedule, and outside your schedule. To put it simply, she helps you understand how your schedule works for you so you and your family don’t become slaves to the schedule.
Next, Candy helps with menu planning and grocery shopping. Again, she provides examples that might inspire but also gives plenty of useful tips in building your own menus and lists so that you’re not reduced to copying hers.
Although I won’t be using her personal methods and schedule for cleaning the house (we have far more traffic and could never get away with vacuuming less than daily!) I thought her section on cleaning was the meatiest and most helpful. Maybe that means this is where I need the most help…hmmm. She presents several different approaches to complete housekeeping and gives her own cleaning schedule as an example. It is inspiring, and I can’t wait to begin implementing many of her ideas in this area!
Now she continues through several other sections which may or may not apply to your individual household: homeschooling, vaccination, hobbies, recipes, etc.
Sprinkled throughout are encouraging words, examples, letters from other users, recipes, suggestions, helpful links, and more. There are many blank forms to help you get started as well.
Candy has provided some great organizational help here. It looks deceptively simple, so that reading it, I found myself thinking “I can do this. I already knew most of this.” But she has laid it out in such a neat and orderly fashion that it’s not an overwhelming task to start doing things in a new way.
For a newer or less experienced housewife (I’m not exactly a beginner at this wife-and-mom stuff, although we’re always learning) I think this would be a fantastic learning aid.
If my description just isn’t doing it for you, take a look at the many examples online that other users have posted. You can find them in the left sidebar on Candy’s blog.
She has built a very neat and functional wheel. If you’re thinking you might need one, don’t reinvent it yourself. Consider buying one from Candy.