Quick, before I get Sidetrack'd

It’s the first day of Spring, my thirtieth birthday, and the beginning of UBP ‘09. Definitely time to party!

Hi, I’m Jana. Welcome to my little corner of the world. Come in, help yourself to a piece of strawberry cake, and stick around to chat for a while.

For those of you who are new to these parts, let me tell you a bit about myself…

I am wife to the love of my life, Matt. God has entrusted us with two precious lives in the form of our 2.5 year old, Little, and our 11 month old, Boo; and I have had the privilege of being at home with them since Little’s birth. I lead a life filled with blessings – a great family, great friends, and, most of all, a great God.

I started blogging a little over two years ago and chose to name my place Sidetrack’d because, well, because I’m very easily distracted. You will find me writing on a wide variety of topics – funny anecdotes from everyday life, my faith, books, baseball, cooking, and anything else that strikes my fancy. I write because I enjoy it and because it is a much better way to record my children’s milestones than trying to remember to write in their baby books.

Feel free to hang out for a while, look around, and if you like what you see, subscribe to my RSS feed.

Thanks for stopping by today; I hope to “see” you again soon!

Oh yeah, if you’re interested, here’s the recipe for the yummy strawberry cake we’re enjoying for my birthday I’ll post the recipe the first of next week.

Thanks for 5 Minutes for Mom for hosting another great party! Be sure you check out all of the prizes they are giving away, too. If I were to be so fortunate as to win a prize, my three top picks would be:

Prize 7 – Ergo Baby Carrier offered by A Giveaway Addicted Mommy

Prize 3 – $25 Gift Certificate for Happy Panda

Prize 106 – Melissa & Doug Dress Up Set offered by Good for the Kids

And if those are already taken, I would love any of the following:
1, 4, 8, 16, 18, 19, 21, 26, 28, 37, 38, 43, 44, 45, 50, 52, 62, 70, 77, 78, 79, 83, 88, 91, 93, 95, 99, 105, 118, 122, 123, 125, or any of the other prizes related to babies and toddlers/preschoolers.

I might have a bit of a stroller addiction.  I’m always on the lookout for the latest and greatest in double strollers and have found several that I think I would really like.  However, today I saw a review of the Bumbleride Indie Twin side-by-side at S.I.M.P.L.E. Reviews and I think I’m in love.  This stroller looks great!  And how much better would it be if I won a $600 stroller than if I had to buy it?!

If you’re in the market for a double stroller check out the review and giveaway (or don’t and increase my chances to win ).

November 12-18 is International Babywearing Week and to celebrate Steph of Adventures in Babywearing is hosting a carnival where she’s invited all of us to share our babywearing stories.  She’s also giving away a Nest Sling and a Hatchling Sling courtesy of Nonny & Boo to lucky participants.  (I would love to have one of these beautiful slings).

When Little was born a little over two years ago I’d really never heard of “babywearing” and all of the slings, wraps, and other babywearing accessories.  I did, however, feel drawn to the closeness and convenience of having her in a carrier as opposed to pushing a stroller or, especially, toting around an infant carseat everywhere we went.  I registered for and received an Infantino buckle carrier and so began my babywearing career.

I used the front carrier with Little for about 5 months, but it was never really comfortable for me; I felt like I was constantly tightening and adjusting the buckles and straps.  (Not to mention that she’s tall and I’m short, so it wasn’t too long before her feet were hitting me in the knees.)  When Little was several months old I found Steph’s blog and through her writing and a few other resources became very interested in wearing my future babies.  As soon as I found out I was pregnant with Boo I started contemplating babywearing, what types of carriers I wanted to use, and how helpful it would be to wear baby since I would have a not quite two year old in tow as well.

My first carrier was a Sleepy Wrap; I purchased the wrap before Boo was born on the recommendation of my SIL.  I started wearing Boo in the wrap almost immediately.  He was about two weeks old when we took him out for the first time, so that was his first ride in the wrap.  I loved having my tiny baby so close to me and with the wrap I was able to cover his head if needed when we were in crowded places.  It also discouraged random people from asking to touch him which was a very nice benefit.  Any time I wrapped him he fell right to sleep and would sleep the entire time he was worn.  The Sleepy Wrap saved my sanity several times in those first few weeks and months when he was fussy but I needed to be doing something else with my hands (cleaning, cooking, helping Little, etc.).

When Boo was a few months old I gave myself heat exhaustion wearing him in the wrap (black) at the zoo (in June) and decided it was time to invest in a new carrier.  I tried a pouch sling and couldn’t get one to fit properly, so I bought an adorable blue and green ring sling.

I wear my ring sling all the time and love the convenience of slipping it on to run in to a store real quick and for times that we have several errands to run.  It stays in the car so that I always have a carrier handy when I need it.  I do need to learn some new carries (for older babies) because Boo is getting a little cramped in the kangaroo carry and doesn’t like to bend his legs nicely to go into the tummy-to-tummy carry.  Any suggestions for different carries?

My current favorite carrier is my BabyHawk.  We got it before we went to the beach a few weeks ago and I love, love, love this mei tai.  Boo loves to ride in it and look around or sleep sweetly against my chest.  He’s big enough now that we can use the back carry some, and I’m looking forward to trying out the back carry with Little sometime.  It is pretty much guaranteed that he’ll fall asleep in the mei tai if he’s the slightest bit sleepy, so I’ve used it more than once to get him to nap when he didn’t want to lay down.

Babywearing is not a big thing in our area.  I’ve seen a few other moms out and about wearing, and I’ve gotten a ton of questions and more than a few strange looks as we’ve been seen wearing Boo around town.  I’m happy to say that several of my friends are planning to babywear (at least sometimes) as a result of hearing me rave about how much Boo and I enjoy the experience.  Hopefully they will love it as much as we have.

I love having Boo close.  I  love the extra snuggles and kisses I get to sneak in as we go about our day.  I love having my hands free to chase Little or do the things that I need to do.  I love this babywearing thing, and I’m so glad that we’ve chosen to make this a part of our parenting plan.

In fact, I’m trying to convince Matt to add “Babywearing” as a line item in our budget.  Think it will work?

The random integer generator spit out number 58 which matches to the comment where Stacy says her favorite Starbucks drink is “Just a plain ‘ol vanilla latte.”  Congratulations, Stacy, you’ve won the $5 Starbucks gift card!

Thanks to all 265 people who left comments entering the giveaway.  It was fun reading everyone’s favorite drink, and I got some ideas for something new to try if I can give up the Pumpkin Spice Latte for a visit or two.  A lot of you love the Caramel Macchiato or the White Chocolate Mocha which are usually my standards when Pumpkin Spice is out of season.  I was also interested in all the comments about the Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate; I’ve been intrigued by this drink since it was introduced but was scared to try it (ya know, “don’t mess with a good thing” and all).  Several of you commented that it is very good, so I’ll have to give it a try.

If you came by just for the giveaway I hope you’ll stop back by sometime.  I’ve enjoyed having all the company.

If you’ve read Sidetrack’d for any length of time you probably know I have a love affair with coffee.  Not just any coffee, though; I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  I’m a coffee snob.  

I’m all about rich, dark, full flavor coffee, and I love me some Starbucks.  And I love this time of year because Starbucks is serving up their scrumptious Pumpkin Spice Latte (or Frappuccino depending on my mood and the weather).

In honor of the return of my favorite beverage, I will give one of you lovely people a $5 Starbucks gift card; a chance to try my fave or to get a cup of your fave.  Just leave a comment telling me your beverage of choice when you visit the beloved coffee shop.

Here’s the fine print:

This giveaway runs through noon on Friday, October 31st.  At that time I will close comments on this post and chose a winner using the random number generator at random.org.  To be eligible to win your comment must include your favorite coffee shop beverage (be it coffee, tea, chai, whatever).  Your comment must lead me back to you via a valid e-mail address or link to your blog; if I don’t have a way to find you, I will chose another winner.  The winner will be notified by e-mail or comment on your personal blog Friday afternoon.  All names and e-mail addresses collected for this giveaway will be used only for the purpose of notifying the winner of the giveaway.  This giveaway is limited to US addresses only (I apologize to any international readers).

There are tons more giveaways at the Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival, be sure to check them out!  But if you’re visiting Sidetrack’d for the first time, I’d love for you to stick around for a few minutes and get to know us a little better.  Thanks!

The team at 5 Minutes for Books has created a great new monthly carnival, “What’s on Your Nightstand?”  I thought it would be fun to play along since I usually have several books beside the bed waiting to be read.  In fact, as of this morning, there are 13 books on my nightstand (although 6 of those have already been read or are Matt’s)!  So, here is what I’m reading (sorry, I was too lazy to take a picture)…

The Birth House by Ami McKay – currently reading this one; it was lent to me by my aunt who thought I would enjoy it as it deals with a fictional case of tradition vs. science in the realm of childbirth during the World War I era.

Chocolate Beach by Julie Carobini – I saw this one on several blogs a few months ago and thought it sounded good; I requested it from PaperBackSwap, and, voila, it’s on my nightstand.

The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty – I came across this book on Amazon when I was looking at Listmania lists that included Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.

The River Why by David James Duncan – I found this at the same time as The Center of Everything.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman – it isn’t often that I take a foray into the fantasy genre, but I do enjoy books of this nature on occasion; Matt read this one and thought I might like it.

Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell – basically we wanted to see what all the fuss is about; Matt read it, and now it’s my turn.

My Beautiful Idol by Pete Gall – I’m not generally a non-fiction girl, but Matt said this was a really good book; I’m reading it on his recommendation.

I’ll also mention here that I just finished my first book by Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper.  I know several of you read and love her books, but for some reason I always thought they were your general chick-lit and, therefore, wasn’t very interested in checking one out.  Let me take a moment to say I’m sorry; I was wrong.  

This is a very good book about a family dealing with a terminally ill child; it portrays the struggles of the family, the bond of sisters, and the potential outcome of a family where the parents focus so much energy on one child that there is little left for anything (or anyone) else.  Ms. Picoult’s writing was engaging, and I found myself being swept into the story to the point that at times I thought I might cry right along with the characters (this is not something that happens to me often when I’m reading).  It also made me think about my own children and how our family might look in the face of a similar situation.  I will definitely have more of her work on my reading list in the future.

So, there you have it; that is what’s on my nightstand.  You can always visit the Bookshelf in my sidebar to see a list of books that I’m currently reading, have recently finished, or have on hand to read in the near future; I try to keep it updated as much as possible.  If you would like to participate in this book carnival or see what other bloggers are reading check out this month’s “What’s on Your Nightstand?”.

The ladies at 5 Minutes for Mom are hosting a big Mother’s Day Giveaway the next couple of weeks.  They always offer great prizes, so click on the banner above or the one in the sidebar to check out what goodies they are offering.  

Today is a good day because it is:

a) the first official day of Spring
b) my birthday
c) the beginning of the Spring Reading Thing
d) time for a Sidetrack’d giveaway (check it out here)
e) all of the above

If you picked “e”, congratulations and happy March 20th!

I’m having a bit of a tough time with my reading list this Spring.  In fact, I wasn’t sure I was going to participate in SRT at all, but since I know I’ll be reading anyway, I might as well set a few goals.  My reading will be complicated by a few things: first, Boo’s arrival in a few weeks will definitely impact the time and energy I have to devote to reading; second, my local library is changing locations and is closed for the next couple of weeks (this could make it a bit more difficult to get some of my books); and third, I’m having trouble deciding what I want to read.  As always, I reserve the right to add to, subtract from, or alter this list as I see fit.

And with all my excuses out of the way, here is my list…

Non-fiction:
John Adams by David McCullough
Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss
A Midwife’s Story by Penny Armstrong
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer
The Complete Book of Sewing by DK Publishing (won’t finish this one by June)

Fiction:
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Austenland by Shannon Hale
The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
Mater Biscuit by Julie Cannon

Bible Study:
Until the baby arrives, I’ll be continuing my study of the gospel of Matthew through Bible Study Fellowship International; after that, I haven’t yet decided what I will do.

The books listed here will be added to my bookshelf in the sidebar and will remain there until the challenge is completed (or I get them read if I don’t finish by June).

For more information on the Spring Reading Thing or to view the other participants lists, click on the button at the top of this post.

Happy Reading!

An Ordinary Life has teamed up with Sleepy Wrap to offer a great babywearing giveaway – one lucky winner will receive a new wrap (in either black or red) plus $100 cash from Sleepy Wrap!

I’ve had my eye on these wraps since my SIL got hers; she has raved so much about it that I decided I definitely need one when Baby Boo arrives. The Sleepy Wrap website has a bunch of great testimonials as well, such as, “Your Sleepy Wrap is awesome. My son JuÅ¡ likes it very much. I can’t imagine my life without it.” by Nika K.

And now I should say that if you’re interested check out the contest here, but I really don’t want to because I want to win this one myself!

Welcome to Sidetrack’d and my little corner of this big bloggy party! Grab a cup of coffee or tea and a snack (sorry I don’t have anything prepared, we’ve been under the weather this week) and come hang out for a while.

A bit about me…

I am Jana, wife to a wonderful man, Matt, and mom to an adorable 19 month old girl (Little) and to Baby Boo who will grace us with his presence in a few weeks. I spend most of my time chasing Little, reading Dr. Seuss books, and taking care of my family and home. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, blogging, cooking, hanging out with friends, and being outdoors. If you spend any time here, I hope you will realize that I am a Christian and strive to raise my children to know and love Jesus. If you are interested in learning a bit more about me, click here to view my latest meme.

A bit about Sidetrack’d…

I started blogging just over a year ago as a way to stay connected to friends and family and to connect with other blogging moms. Like my life (and the way my mind works), the writing here is somewhat scattered. I write about my family, my life, my faith, my goals with a bit of baseball, books, comedy, and video games thrown in for good measure. I’ve found this is a good way to journal some thoughts, record stories about Little, and “hang out” with some online and distant friends.

Thanks for stopping by to visit; I hope to see you again soon. I look forward to meeting many new bloggers during the party and have a feeling that the Ultimate Blog Party ‘08 is going to be even bigger than last year!

One of the fun things about this party are all the great prizes; if you haven’t checked out the prize list, you really should hop over there. Of all the cool things they are giving away, my top 3 picks would be:

~#26 – Nursing cover by The Pitter Patter Boutique
~#22 – Nursing cover by Peekaboobaby
~#37 – Moby Wrap offered by From Dates to Diapers

If these three are taken, I’d love to have any of the following (in no particular order): 4, 34, 77, 84, 103, 137, 141, any of the Amazon, Target or Starbucks GCs, or anything related to toddlers (girl) or babies (boy).

Thanks to 5 Minutes for Mom for throwing a great party! Enjoy!