The reality of losing a sibling; from the big sister. Pt 1

The reality of losing a sibling; from the big sister.

Part One - His wonderful life and tragic end

Read part two here

This series is deeply personal. I want to express the dirty truths; the guilt, grief, anger, and even jealousy. The things no one tells you, no one talks about, and the feelings you may even be ashamed of. It is part of a series... I'm not sure how many parts. In this part, an introduction and the tragic day of his death.

 This...

is Jeremy

He was born June 1, 1980. He is the youngest of 3. He loved dinosaurs as a kid.  He loved to prank people and joke around (as shown by his silly jacket above). He loved camping, boating, fishing, and hunting. He was handsome, funny, and ornery. We grew up with a close family, we fought ALL THE TIME. He was spoiled and a brat (I say this out of love). Growing up, there was a lot of jealousy. He was the baby, spoiled. He got everything he wanted. He wanted new clothes, he was handed my parents credit card.

Mother's day 2009

Did i say we fought all the time? Not just arguing. Fist fights. It wasn't until he was a teenager that we started getting along, but even through all the fights, we defended each other. When it came down to it, we were typical siblings. Jeremy didn't drink(with the exception of obsessive consumption of Mountain Dew), smoke, or do drugs. He wanted to wait until he was 21 to drink, I couldn't even tell you why. He was the designated driver for all of his friends. He would drop anything he was doing to help them. He loved my son. He gave him Mountain Dew in a sippy cup (highly illegal! My son, now almost 4, still isn't allowed to have pop), babysat, and spun him in a office chair for hours. You know, looking back, maybe he wasn't the best choice for a babysitter.

Gossip like its your job… at your job

      If there is anything people unanimously claim to hate(while also being guilty of the act)… it's gossip. I work with mostly women. At any given moment there are 10 staff members on my floor. The maximum amount that could be male… 2. Are the men excluded from this gossip? No! They are equally as guilty. And quite often, it seems, they are the center. The sad part is, that gossip can ruin even the most perfect job. It can make people miserable, adult bullying at its finest. With websites like TMZ and EOnline, The media makes us believe that its okay. It surly is not. We can go on and on about all of the reasons that gossip is wrong, but we all know that it is so lets skip that part. I've included tips from 2 different websites.

Here are some great tips from tinybuddha.com written by Shanti Sosienski -With comments from myself in green.

Unorthodox Diapering Step 2

The Truth about Cloth Diapers

Step 2: Pick your diaper

Oh, no, it can't be as easy as choosing either cloth or disposables. After you've made the decision to go cloth you still have some more deciding to do!

I'm going to give you the break down on different cloth diaper features and the pros and cons I've experienced.

Wash the Washer

With the amount of baby poo that has gone into my washing machine I know it needs a thorough cleaning from time to time. Check out this grimy baby!

How do I get my washing machine fresh and clean while keeping it chemically safe for cloth diapers?

I can't use bleach as this blogger suggests: onegoodthingbyjillee.com

Bleach can really do some damage to a baby so I avoid it when possible (which has always been possible, so far). Obviously in Jillee's method I wouldn't be putting the diapers in the bleach, it's just my personal preference to not put bleach in the washer for fear it lingers. I'm also aware that bleach and vinegar together can release dangerous fumes. She doesn't use them together but uses them in back to back cycles which I would prefer not to do.

Unorthodox Diapering Step 1

The Truth About Cloth Diapers

Step 1: convincing my husband that cloth diapers aren't lunacy

Maybe I just have to do everything the hard way- I'm pretty sure that's what my husband would say, but I like to think that I chose cloth diapers because of all the hidden perks. Like: saving $1,500 a year per child, the non-impact my diapers are having on the landfills, the fewer harsh chemicals that my son's bottom comes in contact with.

Honestly, the 3k+ in savings was what did it for my family. Everything else was just an extra perk. My husband was NOT sold on this idea at first. He was pretty sure I'd gone loony-tunes with pregnancy, "A new baby is hard enough why are you trying to make it harder on yourself?"

An introduction...

So, I'm Jamie, co-author to this blog, full time nurse and a full time mom. I wear more hats than I care to count (If the saying were something to do with shoes... I may be tempted to count. HA!).

Carly and I have been friends for eh... 10 years? We have always joked about having a website together... and now it's here!

I'm not really sure where to go with this yet, but i wanted to say "HI!" and introduce myself to the blog world! My life is FULL of interesting topics. From nails and makeup, to the loss of a sibling and motherhood. I'm sure I will be prepared to dive into them soon, But for now I must work on my chores. Today is tidy the house and vacuum day! Exciting, I know.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a safe black Friday!

DIY Shaving Solution

I'm not done yet! My goal is to make pretty much every cosmetic product I use as cheaply and easily as I can. And of course, to share it with you :)


What you need:
5 Tbs of your every day lotion
5 Tbs baby oil 
1 Cup shampoo
1 Cup conditioner
* optional* 1 tsp Vitamin E oil (Most pharmacies carry this- find it near the oral vitamin supplements)

Felt Tree for Tots

Logan's Felt Christmas Tree

This is also a Pinterest inspired project that I've made my own. For just a few bucks I've made Logan his own Christmas tree to decorate over and over again this Christmas season.

He's up from his nap and loves it!

Insert Random Happy Moments in Your Life

We like to do a fair number of random-happy-moment inserts here in the LaGory household. Today a good friend (and future co-contributor on this blog) stopped by to pick up her munchkin, Zachary. Suddenly there was an opportunity to insert a random happy moment that was followed by loads of laughter. What was the opportunity you ask? A 'toot'!

Coconut Oil Face Cleanser

Another Visit to Carly's Beauty Shop

Logan spent the morning playing in the moon sand with his friend Zachary (almost 3yrs old). I do say Zachary rather enjoyed the moon sand experience as much as Logan always does. Great sensory play! All the extreme playing has led to a wonderful morning nap. Which means yet another nap time experiment.

Nap time at our house is turning into an everyday adventure. Pinterest is inspiring project after project!

Today I made and used a Coconut Face Cleanser, inspired by a pin that led me to a LiveStrong.com article on How to Use Coconut Oil on the Face. I include my own secret ingredient in my recipe below.

Making Lip Balm

Carly's Beauty Shop Part 2

Today, while Logan slumbered peacefully, I created my own lip balm. To my surprise it turned out!

My recipe is a collaboration of several other recipes I've seen in the past.

DIY Beauty Solutions

I've embarked on an exploratory adventure into the realm of home made beauty products. I've made several of these concoctions a handful of times and have nearly perfected my formulas. GOOD BYE EXPENSIVE SKIN CARE PRODUCTS! And pleasant greetings to very inexpensive, easy to make, and extremely effective home made mixtures.

Making Moon Sand

Today's nap time project: Moon Sand!

I can't wait for Logan to wake up- I have a feeling that this moon sand will instantly kill the post-nap crankiness.

What is moon sand you ask? Moon sand is 8 parts flour 1 part baby oil. So, if you want to make 1 cup of moon sand you use 1 cup of flour and 1/8 cup baby oil. for 8 cups of moon sand use 8 cups flour and 1 cup baby oil.

The results? A fluffy, moldable, and easy to clean up 'sand'!