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!

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?

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.

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.

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.

Payouts for December

I've cashed in, and received $75 in Amazon gift cards for the month of December from Swagbucks. I have enough swagbucks remaining in my account to cash out for five $5 Amazon gift cards at the beginning of January and I have about 20% toward a $50 Amazon gift card. Here's a screenshot of my balance from my cash outs from the past month:

I have $29.00 on my Jingit card, which means I transferred $18.80 in December. Not bad for a few minutes a day of watching commercials while I watch television. Here's a screenshot of my balance (I cash out at the end of the week): 

These are still the only two sites from which I've received payouts so far. And as such, these are still the only two sites I will actively recommend. They are highly recommended from me. I've been very happy with both of these. Neither will be enough to allow you to quit your full-time job, however, it's a great way to earn a few extra bucks on your own time. My husband really only uses Swagbucks to search and he cashed out for a $5 Amazon gift card this month-just for doing something he was going to do anyway. 


Swagbucks: $75 cashed out to Amazon.com
Jingit: $18.80 balance (will cash out at the end of the week)


Superpoints: 816 points (2500 needed to cash out)
SendEarnings: $10.01 ($30 needed to cash out)
iRazoo: 1997 points (3000 points needed to cash out)
Points2Shop: 418 points (cashing out at 2000 points) <--obviously I didn't do much here this month
Opinion Outpost: 20 points (100 points needed to cash out) <--obviously I didn't do much here this month

Payouts for November

I've cashed in, and received, $125 in Amazon gift cards for the month of November from Swagbucks. I have enough swagbucks remaining in my account to cash out for five $5 Amazon gift cards at the beginning of December. Here's a screenshot of my balance from my cash outs from the past month:

My final November balance for Jingit is $10.20. That's really only for about a hour's worth of watching commercials while I watch television. Here's a screenshot of my balance (I cash out once a week after I max out):

These are the only two I have gotten payouts from so far. I have 685 superpoints; 3200 points are needed to cash out at 'basic' level. SendEarnings requires $30 to cash out; my balance is $8.25. iRazoo requires 3000 points to cash out; I have 288 points. I have 418 points at Points2Shop; I am cashing out at 1000 points (they do have prizes at lower levels). I have 20 points on Opinion Outpost; 100 points are needed to cash out. 

Swagbucks: $125 cashed out to Amazon.com

Jingit: $10.20 balance (will cash out after maxing out for the week)

Superpoints: 685 points from clicking a button 30 times/day (3200 needed to cash out)

SendEarnings: $8.25 ($30 needed to cash out)

iRazoo: 288 points from treasure codes and occasionally searching (3000 points needed to cash out)

Points2Shop: 418 points (cashing out at 1000 points)

Opinion Outpost: 20 points (100 points needed to cash out)

I will update at the end of the day or tomorrow if the points level changes.

There's a lot happening at Swagbucks!

Right now, there are a lot of exciting things happening at Swagbucks! There's a promo code out that adds an extra 80 swagbucks to the 30 swagbucks you normally get when signing up. There's a drawing for a $2,500 Amazon gift card. Swagbucks is giving away different items from the Swag Store (the store where you trade in your points for items like gift cards, electronics, movies, etc.) each day. There is also a charity drive to benefit Feeding America.There are also exciting promotions that run each week: Music Monday, Twitter Tuesday Phrase That Pays and Twitter Trivia, and Friday is Mega Swagbucks Day.

If you've considered joining Swagbucks, now is definitely the time to do it! There are still 39 days until Christmas. That's plenty of time to earn extra money for the holidays from Swagbucks.

Earning a few extra bucks

I've been on strict bed rest since August 12th. Three months down, six weeks to go. I have a lot of extra time and I've had trouble finding activities that interest me. I've recently found an amazing site for those of us on bed rest or with a lot of extra time on our hands. Swagbucks is a site that pays you for doing things you're probably already doing-searching the internet, playing games, shopping, and playing around on Facebook. I'm not the type of person to suggest something unless I've tried it out or I use it myself. I've been active on Swagbucks since November 3rd and I've already cashed in enough swagbucks (their point system) for $25 in Amazon gift cards. I should have enough swagbucks for a $50 Amazon gift card in the next week or two. And, if I continue at the same rate of activity, I should have earned at least $100 in Amazon gift cards in time to shop for Christmas. I know that doesn't seem like a lot to those of you with jobs, but keep in mind I'm unable to work and this isn't a full-time job. I use swagbucks while I'm watching television or using the internet.

Here is my referral link. It will open in a new window. If you sign up by November 17th, use the promo code "SBPAYSFORME" and Swagbucks will credit your account 80 swagbucks on top of the standard 30 swagbucks. That's 110 swagbucks just for trying it out! A $5 Amazon gift card is only 450 swagbucks. I'm always around and I'm happy to help new members, even if I didn't refer you. Send me a message if you have any questions. And check out these pages on Facebook for extra tips and help: Swagbucks and Swagbucks Offers That Pay.

Happy Swagging!