I hate the idea of a diaper bag. The very thought of it makes me cringe as I visualize an unfashionable bag with Winnie the Pooh and Christopher Robin printed on it. Or worse yet- Farm Animals. I never understood why for so long Diaper Bag manufacturers designed the bags as if the baby would personally carry it with their favorite character print.

Barf city, I tell you.

That is... unless you are a hardcore Winnie the Pooh fan, or super in to livestock, in which case I take back my barf comment.

I've been the kind of Mom for the last few years that has avoided the diaper bag. Instead, I've shoved extra diapers and snacks in to my regular purse. But with the arrival of my third child, there was no way I could continue with what I had been doing. And as I browsed Diaper Bags for their functionality, durability, size and price I was very disappointed in what I was finding.

Until I found Kalencom. Not only do they carry a vast array of diaper bags, but they also have price ranges to fit just about anyone's budget. What I was looking for in a diaper bag was size. Since I have three children and we don't live under a rock, this means that we go places. When going on an outing with three children for the day you must be prepared. I found my perfect mate in the Weekender Bag for my days when I need to be super prepared for whatever comes at me.

What I can fit in this bag is astonishing. To go to Lego Land for half a day, I packed prepared (and I'm SO very glad that I did because I needed most of the stuff I packed!). In the diaper bag I fit diapers and wipes for my 2 year old and Newborn, a change of clothing for all three of my children, sweatshirts, sunblock, snacks and drinks galore for my 2 year old and 4 year old, blankets for my Newborn, Burping Cloths, my Digital Camera, Wallet, Car Keys, and some small toys.

The feature that I love the most about this bag is the stroller straps. I can hang this stroller with no problems on my double stroller or my single stroller. What I love most about this feature is that I can save the basket storage for items while out shopping, and my diaper bag essentials are always within reach. Nothing is worse than having to dig through a diaper bag smushed in the bottom of a stroller and you can't find what you need!

I love my Kalencom Weekender bag so very much that I'm planning on purchasing it in other colors (I just love the Fleur de Lis in Black and the Heavenly Dots Cafe Au Lait). This bag is worth it's weight in gold for parents of three small children, and I have to say that having it has made venturing out in to the world heavily outnumbered much easier.


With this bag, I can be prepared for anything.

I was supplied with product for the purpose of review from the manufacturer as my compensation. The opinions expressed are that of my own.

To say that the last few weeks have gone smoothly in my quest for postpartum weight loss would be a far cry from the truth. I've had days of complete failure, but have been trying my best to not focus on the failure of one day and think about an entire week as a whole.

Some events have turned up in favor of my weight loss. Most notably, the fact that I need to cut out dairy products from my diet due to Scarlett not tolerating the protein found in cow's milk. This is something I also had to do with my second child, so it wasn't a big surprise to me. Sure, it stinks that I can't have a McFlurry when I get stressed out... or enjoy a frozen yogurt from Swirlz. But it also means that I'm not subjecting myself to excess calories that I don't need to eat in the first place!

The dairy issue does really present a problem overall regarding the things that I normally feed my family. You'd be surprised just how many recipes I make on a regular basis, or products that I use that contain dairy products! And even when I do decide to treat myself to something sweet, it can't contain chocolate because there is milk in chocolate, of course!

Since I need to think so much about what I eat now so that I can be sure that my little baby is healthy and happy, I've really been scrutinizing my every bite. I'm definitely not dieting, because lets get real... dieting never works! I've just been focusing on eating healthfully, and attempting to work in some exercise when I find some time (which hasn't been all that often).

With thirteen days left before I turn 30, I'm proud to say that I'm down a solid 5 pounds. While I'm proud of myself for losing 5 pounds, I have to say I'm a little disappointed that I wasn't able to remain diligent enough to lose even more. But I'll take it in the meantime, and overall I'm very happy!

I'm also very happy that I will finally get back out on the Tennis Court later this week to play singles with my favorite tennis partner. It is my hope that working in some solid court play with additional exercise and weight training will help me get closer to my overall weight loss goals beyond this initial 10 pounds that I've set my sights on. I just have to keep reminding myself that I can do this!

My children love it when they see firetrucks. When we see the firemen at the grocery store, they get starstruck as they can't believe that firemen shop for groceries like normal people do!

Every year, Orange County Fire Authority local Fire Stations hold an Open House where the kids can climb on the trucks, talk to the firemen (and women), and check out their dormitory. Best part? They get to put on the fire gear if they want to! These open houses are such a great opportunity to meet local heroes. You never know when you'll need to call upon your local fire station for help.

Saturday, October 2nd (tomorrow!) is the Open House day for all of the local stations. On Saturday, October 9th an Open House at the BIG OCFA Headquarters in Irvine is happening, which is probably great for any older children you may have.

Click here to find a listing of all of the local stations participating in the Open House and to find one near you! Of course, this Open House is free and fun for the whole family. I suggest bringing cookies to your firemen, for they definitely work hard to keep our communities safe.

Ahhhh, motherhood.

So, this morning I was a little stinky. Of course, who isn't right now with all of this humid heat. And with my postpartum hormones, it's been sweat city ever since Baby S was born.

I was slumming around in my bathroom and bed hair until about 10:00 this morning, when I realized that I needed to take a shower right that minute. It was a now or never scenario, as the rest of the day's schedule does not allow for showers.

And lets be honest- I didn't want to smell like mommy B.O. anymore. Pretty gross if you ask me.

I put the baby in the swing, and set the boys up with some Little Bear on the tele so that I could take a shower.

Five minutes in to my toning shampoo, I got the surprise of my life when my 4 year old son came upstairs to announce that his brother was in the street. On trash day.

Holy. Cow.

I've never rinsed purple shampoo out of my hair and hopped out of the shower so fast in my life. I almost forgot my bathrobe in my haste to run outside to get my 2 year old son out of the street.

When I found him, he was mesmerized by his hetero life mate (the trash man). Waving to him, and blowing kisses... proclaiming his undying love for the one that picks up our recyclables on Fridays.

I'm so lucky he didn't get hurt. I'm also lucky that none of my neighbors saw any of this, for I'm sure they would have called CPS on my ass.

The moral of the story is that a deadbolt and child safety lock on the doorknob are not enough, and always make sure that your chain lock is secured.

Oh... and invest in some really great smelling perfume to mask B.O. in the event of not being able to shower in the future!