Earning Sites Update 11/13/2012

So, it's been awhile since I update this old dinosaur. And there are people asking about the earning sites I use to completely fund our Christmas budget. As a disclaimer, I earn referral points for people signing up under for me some of these sites. However, I do not recommend sites I do not use regularly (or sites at which I have not cashed out). These sites are reliable and I would recommend them even if I wasn't being compensated. Even if you've already signed up, feel free to ask questions. I really do love helping people maximize their earnings. It's a tough economy and every little bit helps.

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1. Best payout: Swagbucks. In the last year, I've earned over $775 at Swagbucks. Yes, you read that correctly. $775 from just one site. I've ordered gift cards from Target, Walmart, CVS, and Domino's. I've also donated to various charities. There are literally thousands of options, though, including Paypal. The computer on which I'm composing this blog was purchased solely with Amazon gift cards earned on Swagbucks. Here's a breakdown of how I earned the majority of that money:

Special Offers: $310
Videos: $157
Surveys: $92
Searching: $71
Bonuses: $55
Referrals: $26
Codes: $21
Games: $18
Task: $16
Shopping: $7

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2. Easiest: Bing. Seriously, my 10-year-old does this one. However, it also has the lowest earning rate. I earn about $5/month. But it only takes me about a minute a day to search and earn points. I only cash out for Amazon gift cards, but there are other options such as Xbox points or Live membership, Starbucks gift cards, Hulu Plus subscription, Redbox codes, and Groupon codes.

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3. Easiest payout: Jingit. Basically you cashout whenever you want. They issue you a debit card. You earn cash for watching brand video ads (Jello, Elmer's Glue, Box Tops for Education, etc) and doing check-ins at Walmart and at home. You transfer cash to the debit card when you want. I transfer mine once a week so I know how much I earn each week, but you can transfer funds up to 31 times per month. And it's real cash. You use the debit card anywhere that accepts debit cards (although I don't suggest using it to pay-at-the-pump for gas due to the holds placed). I've earned over $215 with Jingit in the last year.

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4. Quickest payout: InstaGC. I've made $85 since I started at the beginning of the year. And I don't even spend that much time on the site. There are people that make $100/month on this site. The benefit of this site is that the gift cards are instant. That's their name: Instant Gift Cards. You click 'redeem' and the gift card code pops up on the screen with the confirmation (no worries if you miss it, they email it to you). I've cashed out Amazon and Walmart gift cards. There are too many other options to even list. A new offer has appeared recently that you won't find on other sites. If you're doing the majority of your Christmas shopping on Amazon.com, like I am, you can earn 2% back though InstaGC. That's right. If you spend $100, you'll get $2 back.

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5. Crowdtap is the most fun. With Crowdtap, you earn gift cards in addition to possibly earning free products by interacting with brands in different ways. Today, I was selected for an Old Navy Style Council, which means they're going to send me two coupons for a free item-one for myself and one for a friend. They just ask that you submit a report regarding the garment. I've also earned $20 in Amazon gift cards (there are other options as well) in the last two months.

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6. Social Moms is a little different. You earn points for writing, commenting, and sharing articles. There are also frequent giveaways. I've earned about $120 in Amazon gift cards (Paypal is also available) since April, in addition to winning a $20 Amazon gift card and a Beverly Hills Chihuahua 3 dvd/Bluray combo pack.

7. Jebbit: best up-and-coming site. I've earned over $20 cash with this site since I started last month. You earn money by interacting with brands. The money you earn is transferred to your bank account via WePay (similar to Paypal). It is only open to college students right now so you need to have a .edu email address or college information listed on the Facebook account through which you register. The earning is slow for now, but cashout is at $2.

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If you've been adding it all up, I've earned over $1200 in the last year, with just these earning sites. There are more. In fact, I have an account with no less than ten different earnings sites. You can find my referral link to other sites elsewhere on this blog. But these six are the ones I use the most frequently and the ones I think are the easiest. They are also the most reliable. All sites have their ups and downs. Some days/weeks/months are better than others. Right now, there is only one $0.10 ad on Jingit. But next week, I may be back to hitting my $13 weekly limit again.

You'll see in previous blog posts that I have recommended Superpoints and Calyp. Superpoints has gone bust. You will not be able to sign up for that site. Calyp, well, I cannot recommend Calyp. The ads have been few and far between lately. I have only cashed out once in the past three months and they were almost a month late paying out. Have I completely given up on them? No. But if you sign up, it might not be worth it.

Back Again

Wow. Crazy. It's been over two months since my last post. It's been a crazy couple of months. Patrick went on his first trip to the beach in June for Austin's birthday. He really enjoyed the pool. He's quite the little waterbaby. He was kicking and moving around the pool in his float within minutes. Just look at that face!

But the ocean, not so much. I don't blame him. The sand was scorching, the water was freezing, and it was just plain hot. He did like digging his feet in the sand once we set him up a place under the tent. The beach excursion lasted all of thirty minutes-most of that involved setting up. He fell asleep almost immediately after getting in the van.

Mom, Jonny, and I (with a little help from Austin) finally finished the nursery. I might be a little biased, but I think it looks amazing. I'm still working on decorations and such, but the colors look amazing (thanks to Tabitha) and I love the Dr. Seuss theme.

BEFORE

AFTER

Patrick is getting to be quite the pro when it comes to crawling. I can't turn my back for a minute. Inevitably, he'll have crawled from one side of the living room to the other in order to reach the cute little baby in the reflection on the entertainment center (yes, I'm referring to Patrick) or harass his brother. Now that he's getting the hang of crawling he's starting to pull himself up. He pulled himself up onto one knee and one foot yesterday using the exersaucer. He has pretty much mastered sitting. He can go from sitting to crawling back to sitting in fluid movements now. He still gets a little overconfident every once in awhile and topples over.

He's also becoming a pro at eating solid foods. Well, unless you count the fact that he blows major razzies the entire time. I'm not sure how much food is making it in his stomach. I've been making his food from fresh fruits and vegetables (a lot of which has come from Heather's garden). He hasn't found a food he dislikes yet. Bananas seem to be a favorite.

I left Patrick for more than a few minutes for the first time yesterday. I had a lovely, kid-free lunch with Sammy. I missed the kids, but I had forgotten what it was like to not inhale my food so I can finish before the baby is tired of sitting. Patrick is absolutely bonkers over his brother. His face lights up when he walks in a room or if he hears his voice. Even if Patrick is crying, Austin can usually cheer him up. Every day I'm more impressed with what a great older brother Austin is.

Crazy About Cloth? Maybe.

Patrick is consistently sleeping eleven hours straight at night now. His parents really appreciate it, especially his mommy. If you were this cute while you slept, you'd probably sleep all the time too.

I finally received the gDiapers and got them prewashed and tried them out. They don't work for overnights, but then most diapers would be stretched at eleven hours (we still haven't found anything that works better than Swaddlebees and Blueberry pockets for overnights). The gDiapers are cute, absorbent, well-fitting, and convenient. They're easy to use than the prefolds and covers but you can get more use out of them than the pocket. My biggest complaint is that they are secured in the back. It's a little difficult to turn a wiggly baby over to fasten the diaper. I will attempt to turn the diaper around and see if it works that way. Overall, I like the gDiapers. I cashed in at Swagbucks for four $5 Walmart gift cards this week for the express purpose of purchasing more gDiapers.

I also had a chance to prewash and test out the new Fuzzibunz pocket this week and I have to say, I love it. First off, Fuzzibunz donates $1 from the sale of this color-Light It Up Blue-to Autism Speaks. No, they didn't add $1 to the cost of the diaper. It comes out of their profit. Second, it's less bulky than other pockets, including the Swaddlebees and Blueberrys I like so much. They're just as absorbent, however. And I really like the color.  

Here's the new play toy Jonny has spent so much time on lately. It's a Lenovo IdeaPad A1. It's an Android-based tablet that I bought on Amazon with money earned from GPT sites. The cover was also purchased with earned Amazon gift cards.

This Saturday will be Jonny's first go at being the sole caregiver for Patrick. A friend is getting married and I'm in the wedding. I trust him to take care of Patrick, that isn't the problem. I'm just not ready to leave him for very long yet. 

April Redemptions

Here are my redemptions for the month of April.  That's a total of $164.80 in one month. Or somewhere close depending on how poorly I've added. I also cashed in for 25FB credits at 4Loot. I haven't cashed out at Bing yet, but with continued luck I will redeem a $5 AGC this month. 

Swagbucks: $25 Amazon, $10 Domino's, $10 donation to Autism Speaks

Irazoo: $20 Amazon

Instant Gift Cards: $10 Amazon

Jingit: $32.35

Calyp: $37.45

Superpoints: $10 Amazon

Social Moms: $10 Amazon

Lifetime Totals:

Swagbucks (since 11/03/11):
$225 Amazon
$10 Domino's
$1 donation to Children's Miracle Network,
$10 donation to Autism Speaks
Irazoo (since 12/01/11): 
$35 Amazon
Instant Gift Cards (since 1/16/12): 
$30 Amazon
Jingit (since 11/17/11): 
$62.07
Calyp (since 1/1/12): 
$136.88
Superpoints (since 11/8/11): 
$10 Amazon
Social Moms (since 3/17/12): 
$10 Amazon

That's over $500 since November!

One For the Money, Two For the Show

First off, let me say that I am wholeheartedly against Amendment One. And this does not have as much to do with my support of gay rights as it does with my support of human rights. Gay marriage is already banned in North Carolina. This bill, if passed into law, would make marriage the only domestic legal union recognized in North Carolina. That is not restricted to gay couples, but also straight couples. That means if a woman has a restraining order against an ex-boyfriend, the restraining order could be removed due to it not being a recognized domestic union. Please go read the amendment before you vote. You can vote early from now until May 5th. Polls will be open on May 8. Please do not vote ignorantly on this issue. It does not affect only gay people. 

My new tablet was delivered earlier this week, along with Patrick's new Light It Up Blue Fuzzibunz diaper. Fuzzibuzz donated $1 from the cost of the diaper to Autism Speaks. The picture below was taken with my tablet's back camera. Patrick's rocking his new Meadow Green Blueberry diaper. Jonny has enjoyed playing with my new tablet, especially Draw Something. If you're playing a Draw Something game with me, you're probably not playing with me. It's probably Jonny.

We went to the lake this afternoon for a cousin's birthday. Patrick hung out on the deck with the adults while Austin played with his cousins in the yard. Unfortunately, after his cousins left Austin decided to play by himself. He threw a rotten egg to see what would happen. What happens, you might ask? The egg explodes all over the person throwing the egg and it smells awful. On the way to the van to leave, Austin also found a baby bird that had left the nest. He decided he needed to spray it with water. Apparently, the bird wanted him to. 

Patrick is growing so fast! He's starting to really enjoy his Exersaucer, especially when Austin is playing with him. It's rather convenient since he can sit in the Exersaucer while I'm cooking. It's hard to believe that less than four months ago this little guy was happy just laying on his daddy's shoulder, sleeping. 

If you're apprehensive about joining Jingit, what are you waiting for? The weekly limit reset today and I hit my $12 weekly limit this afternoon in about half an hour. That's $24/hour. Can you not spare a half an hour, while you're doing other things, to watch a few videos for a few bucks? Depending on your vehicle, you could make enough to pay for a full tank of gas every month. 

That's Just the Life

I put Patrick down in his bassinet for a nap today and after fussing for a few minutes, he went to sleep. It was only a 45-minute nap, but that's a first. Normally, he has to be nursed or rocked to sleep. Letting a baby get accustomed to nursing to sleep is a bad habit. It just happened that he fell asleep every time he nursed and it where he would only go to sleep while nursing. But what that means is that I'm pretty much tied to wherever I was sitting when he fell asleep. Anywhere that is comfy enough to nurse is difficult to get up from when he falls asleep without waking him up. It's not often I have time in the middle of the day to relax and do adult things (like eat, shower, laundry) without a baby on my hip. Patrick demands constant attention. If he allows me to take a shower, he expects to play peek-a-boo the entire time. It's no wonder I've forgotten to wash the shampoo out of my hair before.

It never ceases to amaze me what a wonderful brother Patrick has. Austin asked for a brother or sister (but mostly brother) for years, but I was concerned with how he would treat a younger sibling. I was terrified that he would be jealous of Patrick the way he was with other babies when he was younger. Or that he would be too rough with him. Or that he would just ignore Patrick because he's so little and fragile. We spent most of my pregnancy trying to explain to Austin that his brother wouldn't be his age, ever, and that it would be awhile before he would really be able to play with him. My concerns were well-founded, but unwarranted. Austin is amazing. He entertains his brother while I'm cooking dinner. He sings to Patrick (most often Take Me Out To The Ballgame without the middle lyrics). He wants to hug and kiss him all the time. The first thing he asks when I pick him up from school is 'how was Patrick's day?' During the week Patrick doesn't wake up until Austin has left for school, but on the weekends, he comes to see his brother as soon as he wakes up. He does have some trouble being quiet when Patrick is napping, but what child doesn't. And he has to be reminded occasionally to be gentle with Patrick. But Austin has far exceeded my expectations. I'm so proud of him.

Entertaining each other while Mommy tries on clothes

Heather has been tutoring Austin 1-2 days a week for a few weeks now and I'm impressed with the results. For the first time in months, Austin brought home test papers with only As, Bs, and Cs. He even made a 104 on his spelling test. Math is his trouble subject right now, and that's the subject in which Heather is tutoring him, but I was exceptionally proud of him for that spelling test.

I'm glad the weather is clearing up. Patrick is so much happier when we can go outside. I think the boys and I will go to the park this afternoon. It's a beautiful day-sunny, warm without being hot, and not too breezy. Perfect day for the park.

Jonny is overly anxious for the new toys to get here. He asks me every day what the tracking information says. And he's disappointed when he checks the mail and they're not there. It arrived this afternoon (with a new cloth diaper from Fuzzibunz). I bought a Lenovo IdeaPad from Amazon with my earnings. It's pretty awesome. I love my new toy. Well, when Jonny lets me play with it.

A Mid-meal snack

It finally happened. Patrick's hands found their way into his mouth. Unfortunately, his favorite time to put his fingers in his mouth is when he's supposed to be eating. He just sticks his fingers in his mouth and then grins at me. I'm a sucker for those grins. 

He slept a lot today. This is how he fell asleep for his second nap. Who am I to tell him what's comfortable? I slowly re-situated him once he was asleep. I'm fairly confident Patrick is in a growth spurt. He slept 10 hours straight last night and then went back to sleep for an hour this morning. And he pretty much ate and slept the rest of the day. He woke up, I changed his diaper, he ate, and went back to sleep. I've missed playing with my little guy the past few days. 

I didn't get a chance to get pictures of the new Blueberry diapers today, but the gDiapers arrived today so maybe I'll get a chance to post all three tomorrow. One can hope, at least. I can report that the Blueberry diapers performed as well as the others and I am still extremely happy with Swaddlebees/Blueberry. I think after 6 diapers, I can say Swaddlebees/Blueberry pocket diapers are my favorite. 

I'm always behind the camera, taking pictures. There really aren't many pictures of me and the Little One. Here's a picture of me and the ever-photogenic Patrick hanging out after a nap. And what a wonderful nap it was. It's amazing what sixty minutes can do to perk you up.

So now, my husband is at the bar watching the NFL draft with his friends and the kids are tucked in their bed. What do people do when they don't have families that require direct attention? Well since the internet is being finicky, I think I'll enjoy this free time with a bowl of Rocky Road ice cream and a refreshing bottle of water.

Enjoying My Breakfast For Dinner

My diapers from Ecomom arrived today! Cute blue and green pastel prints. There should be picture tomorrow after I've prewashed them. I am so grateful to be able to have a little bit of income from GPT sites with which we can buy extra things like cloth diapers, e-books, and a new computer when mine died.

Patrick started playing with toys today. I put him in his carrier with a toy clipped to it. He played with it the entire time I was in the shower. Then, I put him in the Exersaucer while I was cooking dinner (turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, grits, and biscuits-yum) and he played with the toys there. My little man is getting so big!

I'm learning as I go, but I love all the new experience I've had this time around. I feel like I've done everything opposite with Patrick as I did with Austin ten years ago. With Austin, I didn't exclusively breastfeed, I used disposable diapers, he was in child care at six weeks old, he never wanted to snuggle (even though that's all he wants to do now). And soon I'll be making my own laundry detergent and baby food. It seems strange to say, but I can't wait. It sounds like more work, but it's fun and saves money.

And I'm so grateful to all my friends who have helped me save/earn money along the way; you know who you all are. From new ways of earning, to code alerts, to sharing coupons.  I wouldn't earn over $100/month (at 10 earning sites) or get all the amazing deals I get. I hope I've helped out a few of you as well. Austin is always asking what I'm doing on Swagbucks and Patrick is usually sitting in my lap. Starting them early!

I'm hoping to start painting the nursery soon. We're only four months behind. Better late than never, I guess. Of course, I have to actually start. I can't wait to decorate with Dr. Seuss. I wonder if I'll have any help?

A Little of This, A Little of That

If you're not doing Jingit, I just don't know why not. I've made $10.00 since Sunday just watching a couple of ads on Walmart.com. What else do I have to do to convince you? Jingit is the easiest money I make.

I've finally reached platinum status at Calyp by pimping out my Twitter (@stokesreagan). I'm totally fine with it; I really only use Twitter for my GPT sites anyway. I've earned over $150.00 at Calyp this year.

I'm very excited about the newest toy I purchased using money I earned online. Anyone want to guess what it is? Here's a hint: it's not cloth diapers. I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of four diapers in transit right now from various retailers. I'm so impatient when it comes to waiting on cloth diapers! 

I can't wait for the weather to decide what it wants to do. Sweaters one day, tank tops the next. Come on, summer! Only a little more than a month left before school's out so it's almost here. 

Patrick  and I took Austin to school this morning since Jonny had to go in to work early (after my mom came over and helped me jump the battery). I went to the Drug Store to eat breakfast with my mom and grandmother as I always do when I take Austin to school. It just so happens there was a Grammy Award-winning group there. I'd never heard of The New Christy Minstrels, but it's cool to be able to say I've eaten breakfast with someone who's won a Grammy. They even sang a little tune for us. It's not quite my type of music, but if you like folk chorus you should enjoy them. Here's the daily pic of the little guy. He's asleep, as I'm sure you can tell. It won't be long before he'll be awake and wanting a diaper change and some nourishment.

A Whole Lotta Nothing

Honestly, there isn't much to blog about today. All I did all day was feed Patrick and change diapers. I had to wash diapers twice today. Yes, twice. He went through two days' worth of diapers in one day. It was exhausting. 

The weather was unseasonably cool today. When I went to get Austin from school, the thermometer said 46 degrees. That's about twenty degrees below normal. I had to actually turn the heat on today.

Here's the cloth diaper of the day: a really cute cow print by Blueberry. I really love this print. I even have an outfit to match. I try to get as many different prints as possible because it's fun! Keep in mind, if you plan on having more children cloth diapers can be used with multiple children. 

Just in case you think my crunchiness ends at cloth diapering, I am planning on making my own baby food. I can't wait to use my blender to turn fresh fruits and vegetables into healthy baby foods. 

Weekend Update

Austin, Jonny, and I (and Patrick) did our first 5k Saturday. It was an amazing turnout. The Dan River Autism Awareness 5k raised over $12,000 its first year. We all had a great time, especially Austin. You know it's a fun time when there are balloon animals. Next year, we'll start earlier and get in on all the festivities. Here's Team Austin, minus Jonny who was in the bathroom at the time.

I've never seen a baby eat so much or go through as many diapers as Patrick. It's a good thing we use cloth diapers. Otherwise, we'd still be buying diapers every other day. Yes, every other day. That's like $7 a day in diapers. I guess a lot of babies probably need diaper changes that often, but Patrick refuses to sit in a wet or dirty diaper, whether it's disposable or cloth. If he starts crying, the first thing we do now is check to see if he needs a diaper change as it's the most likely. He eats every two hours-some times less-and we change his diaper about every thirty minutes unless he's asleep. It's a good thing he sleeps through the night because his daytime schedule wears me out. 

I joined Bing Rewards today. I can't believe how easy it is. It's not going to make me rich, probably $5 per month, at most, but it couldn't be much easier. You get a reward limit each day and you earn 1 point for every two searches up to that limit. My limit was ten today so I searched twenty times. It took me about two minutes. They have a variety of rewards to choose from: Amazon gift cards, Xbox Live subscription, Redbox codes, Hulu Plus subscription, along with others. The $5 Amazon gift card (my go-to reward) is 525 points. If my limit is ten every day, it'll take me less than two months to earn that. I've heard that eight is the lowest limit. If you'd like to give Bing Rewards a try, click HERE. You don't lose anything by giving it a test drive.

Jingit has started a new campaign. In addition to watching video ads on their website and doing check-ins at places like Walmart, they now have ads placed around Walmart.com (with other websites to follow, I hope). You go to Walmart.com, look around their site some, find an ad with the Jingit curl, and click. You'll get a pop-up window with the Jingit homepage and a video ad will appear momentarily. Once the video is finished, money will be added to your balance. Also, if you'll notice, the weekly limits have increased. If you originally had a limit of $5, it has been increased to $10. Through the month of April, there will be three ads available each day. If you're getting $0.50 per ad, you'll meet that limit easily. That's an easy $40 per month. I'm already at $3.00 for the week and my Jingit week starts today. That's $3.00 just today. Not too shabby.

Diapers, Races, and Money! Oh, My!

Overview of Diapering Systems

POCKETS-First, I'll start with my family's personal favorite, the pocket. This is a shell with an attached lining. There is an opening (usually in the back) for a liner. You stuff the pocket and you're ready to go. They're a little more time-consuming than an AIO, but dries faster and is more absorbent. Right now, we use Swaddlebees and Blueberry pockets. We prefer the Swaddlebees. While the Blueberry diapers are softer, it's often more difficult to tell if it's wet. Pockets are our preference for nighttime because of their absorbency and there is room to add more liners if needed.

PREFOLDS W/COVER-Our second favorite is a prefold (PF) with a cover. We use Gerber PFs with Baby Beehinds covers. The best thing about this system is that it is the most economical system. You can fold the PF into the cover or secure the PF to the baby with a Snappi then put the cover on (we typically use the latter method). With wet diapers, you can wipe down the cover and replace the PF. With dirty diapers, you should replace the cover as well. We have about ten PFs and three covers. This system is a little time-consuming and I prefer not to use PFs at night. PF are my preference for taking out in public. It seems odd since they're more work, but they also take up less room. I can take one cover and a few PFs for a few hours.

AIOs/AI2s-The AIO/AI2 is our least favorite. They're easy to use-just pull them out of the dryer and they're ready to go-but they are less absorbent and take longer to dry. We use the AIOs during the day when we change Patrick as soon as he soils his diaper. At night, he may go twelve hours between diapers changes and the AIOs simply will not last that long without leaking. We use Grovia AIOs and while I'm happy with the engineering, they're just not as versatile as pockets or prefolds.

FITTEDS W/COVER-As a disclaimer, I have not actually used fitted diapers. I think it's silly since I'm capable of pinning a Snappi on a PF myself. A fitted diaper is basically a PF that has been assembled and has snaps or applix. They are not one size and one fitted diaper is about the same cost as a pack of PFs. With this system, you secure the fitted diaper onto the baby and secure the cover over the fitted diaper.

HYBRID-Hybrid diapers are diapers that are both reusable and disposable. Confused? Basically, imagine a reusable AIO with a disposable liner. These can also be used with reusable liners. I haven't used these because I'm not entirely sure it's not a waste. If you only use the disposable liners it will take you longer to recoup the initial costs. These are ideal for vacations as it reduces the amount of diapers you would need to carry. I haven't used this system due to the fact that my son uses all of his diaper. I've tried adding a liner to his diapers turning them into AI2s, but he just ends up soiling the diaper and the liner. I've ordered a diaper in this system to try out.

If you have the time and ability, I suggest trying your hand at assembling your own cloth diapers. I have absolutely no abilities in the sewing department, but my aunt was able to help me out. Our prototype left much to be desired, but it was a learning experience. I've used the prototype for about a month now. I know what needs to be changed and how to make the diaper better. I was able to get all the material for six diapers for $40. I can use the materials to make pockets, covers, fitteds, PF, or AIOs. The first diaper was a pocket. I'm thinking the other five will be pockets and covers. I may attempt to make one AIO and a fitted. I found everything I needed to make the diaper below at our local Hobby Lobby and inside my house (the lining is one of Jonny's old 100% cotton t-shirts).

I ordered Econobum PFs and a cover and gDiapers from Walmart online earlier this week. The Econobums arrived yesterday. I've already washed them and they're ready to go. He's been wearing them since he got up at 9:15am. We've done one change already. I'm a little skeptical since the leg openings don't seem to be tight enough (and Patrick has chunky thighs). No leaks this time, but I'm not sure how it will hold up with poop. I love the unbleached cotton PFs that came in the pack, though. So much better than than bleached Gerber diapers I'm using. I'm reserving judgment of Econobums until we use them overnight and they undergo the ultimate test-a potential blowout. Hopefully, the gDiapers will arrive today and I'll get to try them out this weekend.

Don't forget, the Dan River Autism Awareness 5k is Saturday at Dan Daniel Park. The race begins at 10am. Jonny, Austin, Patrick, and I will be there. Heather and Tammy will be there as well! Go Team Austin! Proceeds will be donated to Autism Speaks. For more information about Autism Speaks, click HERE. Also, in honor of Autism Awareness Month, I will be donating to Autism Speaks 100% of the Swagbucks earned from the SBTV mobile app in April.

I won a $20 Amazon gift card today from Social Moms, one of the GPT sites I use. It's always excited to win stuff. That's my second win on a GPT site this week!

Here's my cashout from my main sites so far this month:
Swagbucks: $25.00
Irazoo: $20.00
InstaGC: $7.00
Social Moms: $10.00
Calyp: $37.45
Jingit: $6.00
Superpoints: $10.00

That's $115.45 cashed out so far this month.

Should You Or Shouldn't You

 I haven't yet addressed the pros and cons on cloth diapering. That might have been a good topic with which to start this series. But since it's too late for that, I'll do it now. Each system has its own pros and cons, but I'm just going into the advantages and disadvantages of cloth diapering as a whole.

PROS

-:Less expensive long-term than disposables, especially as they should last through more than one child

-No middle of the night runs to the store for diapers

-Reduced occurrence of diaper rash than with disposables

-Better for the environment than disposables, especially if line- or air-drying

-Cloth-diapered children tend to be potty-trained earlier than disposable-diapered children

-Less leaks and blow-outs with some choices of cloth diapers

-Made of natural fibers so no toxic chemicals sitting against baby's skin

-Prefolds and flats can be used as rags after diapering is through; pockets, covers, fitteds, and AIOas can be sold or donated

-Less garbage than with disposables

-Much cuter than disposables

Patrick rocking a Grovia All-In-One (AIO)

CONS

-High initial cost with cloth diapers

-More laundry (although diaper services can take care of this for you, for a price)

-More energy usage with cloth-diapering

-Child care provider (or family members) may not be willing to use cloth diapers

-Cloth diapers can be more difficult in public, especially long trips and vacations where they would need to be washed

-More leaks and blow-outs with some choices of cloth diapers

-Baby will need to go up a size due to larger tushy

-There is a learning curve with using cloth diapers

-Cloth diapers have to be changed more often than disposables (But do you really want your baby sitting in waste any longer than necessary?)

-It can be addictive!

And there's no need to worry about stabbing baby with a diaper pin. Below is a picture of Patrick wearing a prefold fastened with a [white] Snappi. Just stretch it across, throw on a cover, and go.

On an unrelated note, you shouldn't wash disposable wipes. They make a giant mess. I've learned this the hard way. My husband keeps accidentally throwing the disposable wipes into the cloth diaper pail. At least every other wash cycle, I'm picking bits and pieces of a disposable wipe out of my washing machine, or worse, my dryer. If you're going to use cloth diapers, I suggest also using cloth wipes. I was hesitant at first. It seemed expensive and unnecessary. But I've changed my mind. You don't need many. I wash my diapers about every other day and I wash my cloth wipes with them. They go in the same laundry pail. 

Cloth Diapering is Girly

Continuing on with the Real Diaper Week theme, it might be surprising but men are capable of changing a cloth diaper. My husband does it every day. No, he doesn't used duct tape and super glue. I don't think. He hasn't yet gotten the hang of stuffing the pockets and hes's still getting the hang of folding a prefold but it works. So far, he's not interested in changing a cloth diaper on-the-go. But that was our compromise: he'd use cloth diapers at home as long as we could do disposable in public. I'm hopeful he'll adapt and get on-board with changing him into cloth in public. I do admit, it's more difficult considering how often I change Patrick in the car or on my lap. Much more difficult with a cloth diaper, but not impossible. 

We use Swaddlebees and Blueberry pocket diapers, Grovia AIOs, and Baby BeeHinds covers with our prefolds. We love the pockets. We use them primarily at night because they are so absorbent. The prefolds are a little more work, but cheaper. We rarely use the prefolds/cover at night as it requires more concentration than we're capable of at 3am. Jonny dislikes the AIOs. They're the easiest-you just take it out the dryer and snap it on, no assembly required-but least absorbent. Patrick doesn't wear these at night because they almost always leaks after a few hours and he sleeps more than six hours straight at night. We use these during the day when I'm changing him as soon as he's wet or dirty. 

Now, where I buy my cloth diapers. The majority of my diapers to this point have been purchased from ecomom. I've found good deals through Plum District and gotten diaper for a fraction of the cost. Ecomom often has sales also. The Black Friday sale was hugely popular-$40 off $100. I highly suggest you check them both out. The remainder of my cloth diapers have been purchased through Amazon using money I've made on various GPT sites.

A Little Bit About Irazoo

Another $5 AGC from Irazoo posted today. Irazoo is just so easy. If you're not doing it, you're missing out. If all you want to do is the bare minimum, you can get 10 points per day in games (all you have to do is open the window and wait for it to credit-1pt/game), 5 points for going checking out the offer walls and a minimum of 10 points for each search. I can generally get a search win every 1 1/2-2 hours. If you search just 6 times, that's 60 points. And there are Treasure Codes worth at least 10 points about every week. All of that will take you less than ten minutes a day. I do all the dailies (games, offer wall, at least three searches/day, and the treasure codes), I get a few points a day from referrals, I try a few surveys, and I do a few offers from the offer wall and I manage about $5/week. 

A little bit about the offers. Irazoo generally pays better than Swagbucks on offers. The conversion rate is  6pts=$0.01. It seems low, but if you look at how much AGCs cost at SB and compare them to Irazoo and you look at how much they each pay for things, you'll see that Irazoo is the better deal. The first wall (or tab) I check is Matomy. The only thing I do there is videos. There aren't always videos, but if they're there you can get some easy points that way. Just play them and go do something else for a couple of minutes. After that, I check Trial Pay. I generally only use Trial Pay for special offers I'm willing to pay for (great for gifts) as they generally pay the most and are the most reliable. But they also have Lab42, a survey group that has quick surveys for a fair amount. At Irazoo, they're worth 300 points. That's a dollar. They don't always have surveys and if they do, I don't always qualify, but I check throughout the day. Then, I head over to Radium One. They're reliable (I rarely have to submit a ticket) and they have a good amount of easy offers from which to choose. Some videos, some sample/coupon offers (submit your information and a new email every time), maybe a Facebook application. Just read the description under the title and see if it's something you want to do. The more instructions, the less likely is to credit. [As a sidenote, Hushmail is the application I use for a new email address. It's easy to sign up and easy to log in. If you don't sign in for two weeks, it self-destructs. Perfect for offers that require email confirmation.] Gambit is a good place to look for more videos. Then, I head over to Peanut Labs and see if they have any surveys. They're generally pretty easy, pay well, and will DQ you pretty quickly if you don't fit the qualifications. Lastly, I check Sponsor Pay and Super Rewards-only for high-paying offers because they often don't credit for me.

Best part about Irazoo is the fact that all the cards are exactly the same amount. $5 AGC=3000pts, $10 AGC=6000pts, etc. If you want to give Irazoo a try, click HERE. And feel free to ask me any questions you may have.

The Fish King

This is my attempt at blogging while Patrick is asleep. Let's see how it goes, shall we? It's been a pretty eventful day. First off, my mom called at 7:30 this morning and woke Jonny up. Normally, calling and waking someone up isn't appreciated. However, Jonny has to be at work at 8am and Austin has to be at school by 8:05am, and it's a 15-minute drive. They managed to get ready and out the door by 7:45am, which would have given them time to get to their respective destinations in time. If the battery in Jonny's car hadn't been dead. And that would have been manageable if the trunk (where the jumper cables are stored) hadn't refused to open. My jumper cables were still at the old house. It just so happens that I accepted that Patrick wasn't going to go back to sleep this morning and went ahead and got us ready for the day. I took Jonny to work and dropped off Austin. All of this happened before 8:07am. Wow. Patrick and I hung around town for awhile-he pooped, ate, and pooped. Then, I read Good Housekeeping while he took a nap. He woke up and pooped again. I had a meeting with the peer lactation couselor where he was showered with isn't he cute' and 'look how much he's grown' and 'what beautiful eyes'. All very true, of course. The women comment on the cute diaper/onesie combo (Elmo and a red Baby Beehinds cover). I gushed over my pediatrician, Dr. Cates.

It's blurry (Patrick likes to move it, move it), but you get the idea. And, if you'll notice, he's also rocking a Team Austin button in preparation for the Dan River Autism Awareness 5K on Saturday. If you want to come show your support, the race is at Dan Daniel Park in Danville, VA and starts at 10am. Continuing on, after we left the counselor, we grabbed some lunch and picked up Jonny to take him home to get his car. After another nap, it was off to pick up his big brother from school. It's been a long day, especially since Patrick was up most of the night wanting to play.

And if you're interested, no I didn't manage this entire post while Patrick was asleep. Did you really think I would? Now, off I go to check Austin's homework and entertain the Fish King-one of Austin's many nicknames for his little brother.

Real Diaper Week

Today kicks off Real Diaper Week. This is the week when cloth diaper fanatics come out of the woodwork to promote cloth diaper awareness. As an aforementioned cloth diaper fanatic, I want to take this time to say how much I love cloth diapering. I've saved money, it's better for the environment, they're so cute, and Patrick hasn't had a diaper rash since we switched. And it allows me to indulge in shameless shopping. And really, how cute is this bum?

On to some information concerning the exact opposite of parenting. I had the Essure procedure done after Patrick was born. We're done having kids (especially after all the complications while I was pregnant with Patrick) and we wanted permanent birth control. I can't stress enough how much better Essure is than other long-term birth control options. Permanent, no hormones, no surgery, local anesthesia, 24-hour recovery, in-office, minimal pain. If you're considering permanent birth control, I highly suggest you look into this procedure.

I was the hourly winner at 4Loot yesterday and won 150 coins. I wish I had thought to take a screenshot, but I didn't think about it. I was pretty psyched about it. And then today, I managed to get 40 coins from videos. If you do 4Loot, don't forget about the videos. Those things can be pretty lucrative at times.

The buttons for the Dan River Autism Awareness 5k arrived today. Austin was very excited about the 'Team Austin' buttons. I think Patrick and I are going to do the 1-mile instead of the 5k. 3.1 miles is a bit much for a 3-month old that eats, on average, every two hours. If I'm lucky he'll sleep through the 1-mile.

Don't forget, tomorrow is Tax Day! If you haven't filed your taxes yet, make sure you get them in by midnight.

Tax Day is Coming!

Well, if today wasn't Sunday it would be tax day. And as such, I've always celebrate 4/15 as tax day or as I like to call it, Fair Tax Day. It's a day when I try to share with people the wonderful idea that is the Fair Tax. If you're not an American, feel free to skip to the next paragraph as this will not interest you. The Fair Tax is an amazing idea, especially for those of us who enjoy reusing as much as possible-such as hand-me-downs, shopping at Goodwill and yard sales, and borrowing. My family barely ever buys anything new (except food, but a lot of that comes from a garden). With the Fair Tax, you don't pay taxes on your income. Instead you pay taxes on 'new goods'. You wouldn't pay federal taxes on items purchased used. How great is that!?! Hate it that thugs don't pay taxes on stolen money or drug money and are driving around in Hummers? Upset that welfare recipients are purchasing expensive televisions? With the Fair Tax, they would be taxed on those new goods. Click HERE for more information.

And now for an update on my little ones. Patrick is rolling over from his belly to his back like a champ now. And today he sat upright by himself for a prolonged amount of time. We even manage to get a video. Here's a picture of him sitting up all by himself.

I can't believe he's gotten so big. He's three months old already. Austin has been working with Heather on his math lately and is improving. This Saturday is the Dan River Autism Awareness 5k. Austin is really pumped about it. What kid wouldn't be excited to have a 5k team named after him? Go Team Austin! He doesn't know it yet, but I even ordered Team Austin buttons for myself, Jonny, Austin, Tammy, Heather, and whoever else ends up on Team Austin. 

And moving on to GPT sites. I'm testing out quite a few new sites right now. Some I like, some are mediocre. There aren't any I hate right now, so that's a plus. Social Moms is quite lucrative. I managed to earn $20 last month and all you have to do is comment on a few articles, tweet a few articles, and complete the activities in a couple of emails. It couldn't be much easier. And my account doesn't even work correctly! More than half of my points are going to another account and I haven't managed to get them merged yet. Customer service leaves much to be desired, however. I've been in contact with them about the issue for about a month now and, well, basically nothing happens. But I'm still making an easy $20 so it's obviously not too big an issue. I've been playing Booty Slots in my spare time. It's a Facebook application where you can earn real money, playing with fake money. I have $8.96 right now and I've been playing for a few weeks now. You have to have $25 to cash out. Obviously I'm not going to get rich without putting real money into it, but I'm patient and it only takes a few minutes a day. Also, I've been playing aroound on 4Loot. You get paid in Facebook credits on this site. I've already earned enough basically doing the easy contests (although there are videos, surveys, and search wins) on their Facebook page for 2 FB credits. I'll be using those to earn more Doubloons on Booty Slots so I can earn real money. I'm also testing out Zoombucks. I don't like it as much as Swagbucks, Irazoo, Jingit, InstaGC, Calyp, and Social Moms so I don't use it as much. $10 Amazon gift cards start at 1000zb so at 206zb I still have quite a way to go, but I also don't play on it much. And finally ChaCha. ChaCha is similar Calyp in that you get paid to post ads. However, while you only get paid to post at Calyp, with ChaCha you only get paid for clicks. So that means I only earn pennies per day. And you cash out at $25. We'll see how well this works, I guess.

It's Been Awhile

I should post a new blog. It's been awhile. I don't have the time for the long blog posts I did before the baby arrived, but I'll do what I can. It's been awhile since I updated.

First, JINGIT IS BACK! Wait, maybe I didn't yell loudly enough. I got 3 ads yesterday for a total of $1.50. That is so fantastic since Calyp has been having problems lately.

Second, Calyp has been having problems lately. I need more followers here in order to increase my "reach" (read: popularity) so I can earn more for each ad I post. If you'd be so inclined, I would appreciate more followers.

Third, Swagbucks has been doing earning challenges lately, with bonuses offered if you meet the daily goal and the bonuses being doubled if you meet all the daily goals at the end of the challenge. I'm excited by this. It gives me an incentive to work harder at Swagbucks. I've been slacking there lately. I like free pennies.

Fourth, I've been doing really well at Irazoo the past month or so. I've averaged about $5/week there. Not too shabby. It takes awhile to get the codes for gift cards, but the payout is higher than Swagbucks.

Fifth, InstaGC has become one of my new favorite earning sites. I've earned over $20 since I started in February. The gift cards are, well, instant. As soon as I cash out, the code is sent to my email.

And lastly, I finally cashed out at Superpoints! Cashed out on Sunday, $10 AGC in my email on Monday. I still don't know if I would say I love them. It took me four months to get that $10, but I did get paid.

After buying a computer (yes, a computer), a few cloth diapers, and a wireless keyboard/mouse combo in the past couple of months solely with Amazon gift cards earned from various sites, I now have over $200 in my account again. Back to deciding if I want that Kindle Fire or not.

New Addition to the Family

Patrick Quinn was born on January 8, 2012 at 8:20 a.m., weighing 8 pounds and 10 ounces, and measuring 20 3/4". Mom and Dad and big brother Austin are extremely proud and can't wait to take him home.

Of all the jobs I've ever had, being a mom is certainly the best. I love my boys!