Baking Soda & Vinegar, My Good Friends.

So, I have just recently become acquainted with 2 awesome products: baking soda and vinegar. I am just amazed by how many uses these two products have and how well they work! And the best part...they are completely natural! I could eat them and be just fine!! I can breath them in and they wont hurt my little growing baby. Awesome, right?! So, among the many uses for these two products -kitchen cleaner, getting rust off things, stain remover, degreaser, laundry detergent, etc - I have just discovered that vinegar + baking soda = an awesome drain declogger!!

Our drain in the shower has been super clogged for quite some time. Every time we shower the the tub fills about half way with water and leaves a gross film around the tub. Bummer. So, I decided to try and use my two new favorite products to clear out our drain. And IT WORKED!!

So, here is the procedure:

-What you will need: a 1/2 a cup of baking soda and 1/2 a cup of vinegar

-What to do: First pour (or shove) the 1/2 a cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour the 1/2 a cup of vinegar down the drain. Next enjoy the bubbling effect that occurs when you mix the two. Now, shove a drain stopper over the drain and leave the mixture in the drain for about a half hour. After the half hour, run your faucet as hot as it goes for about 2 minutes. Repeat this process if needed.

We had to repeat this process 3 times before ours was completely declogged, but it is working perfect now!! How exciting.

Hope someone out there finds this as exciting as I do! :)

Take care all.

Birthing Pool Test Run

Yesterday we received our birthing pool in the mail!!! How exciting!!! According to the directions we were required to fill the pool and test it out with in 48 hours of receiving it. So, last night was our birthing pool test run night!! So much fun. It was so easy and fast. The pool is sturdy and oh so comfortable. It was so easy for me to move around and shift my weight (which isn't such an easy thing to do these days). I am sooo excited to labor in it. Here are some picture of our test run.

9:42pm Here's Nathan clearing off the coffee table that must be moved to make space for the tub

Here are some of the extras the kit came with: a thermometer, a debris net, sanitation scrub, instructions, a floor tarp, and a pool liner (for easy clean-up)

9:50pm Nathan hooking up the 25 foot hose that came with the pool using the yellow y-valve that also came with it

Lucy inspecting the hose...it was good :)

Lucy helping Nathan put the tarp out...she is so helpful.

Nathan "modeling" the awesome bag that the pool came with

9:57pm Tarp ready, pool ready...time to inflate!

10:03pm Getting there...that black pump came with the pool. It is an amazing dual action pump. It fills up the pool with both the down and up pump...it went so fast!

We discovered this on the bottom of the pool. :) No diving? Bummer.

10:12pm All done inflating. Now, for the water.

10:41pm Pool is all filled up to a sweet 90 or so degrees and Mama is in it and lovin it!! :)

Nathan and I enjoying our sweet birthing pool. We watched a comedy show (Thou shalt Laugh) from the pool. So awesome. Yesterday was a very hot day and our apartment was super warm so the watching comedy from a pool was a perfect way to end the day!!

We ordered our tub from www.yourwaterbirth.com. It is the La Bassine model. It is going to be such a great pool to birth in!! SSSOOOOO excited!!

We can't wait to post pictures using this pool to bring Guylan into the world gently!! Only 4-10 more weeks.

Much Love,

N&B (and G)