Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Touchstone Crystal Review and Giveaway!
I have had the wonderful privilege of reviewing Touchstone Crystal by Independent seller Desiree Densevich!
I was so excited to open my package sent by Desiree and see a beautiful Joyful Cross necklace waiting for me! It was calling my name, so I put it on right away. The picture in the catalogue or online really don't do it justice one bit! This thing POPS! with bling yet isn't overpowering one bit. Now I do love me some bling, so this was perfect for me! Desiree sent me a surprise gift to review and knew just what to pick! The Joyful Cross necklace is delicate, classy, and perfect for ANY outfit.
Here is a close up! SEE how pretty! It just Sparkles!
I know Desiree from Preschool, she is a mom of one of my lovely little guys (not so little anymore!) from a few years ago. Desiree is one of the sweetest people you would ever meet and a WONDERFUL mother!
Touchstone Crystal has so many beautiful pieces that any girl would love...I have my eye on a few new pieces myself ;) In FACT January has DOUBLE Hostess Dollars. In January, Hosts can earn an "average" of $300 in FREE Swarovski jewels. If anyone hosts & closes between Jan 1st-5th they can get an additional (up to $50) Item for FREE too! Desiree can book an in home party or an online party for those out of our area.
ALL-Swarovski crystals & cubic zirconias have a 90 day No-Questions-Asked return or exchange policy.
More importantly a Lifetime Warranty!
If looking for last minute Christmas gifts the deadline is December 16 if you want your gifts to arrive before Dec 24. If not you can place an order through Desiree any time!
Touchstone Crystal doesn't only have jewelry, but also ornaments, and pins.
Now for the giveaway:
Desiree has offered to giveaway a set of lovely Red Magma Signature swarovski earrings, valued at $32! Perfect for any lady in your life, or yourself!
Get in touch:
Desiree Densevich
(360) 250-6769
ddensevich@gmail.com
Facebook: Everything That Sparkles
Rules:
Please enter using the rafflecopter form only! Comments do not count as entries but are very much appreciated!
US only folks, sorry!
The winner will be emailed and has 48 Hrs to respond or a new winner will be chosen.
Monday, December 5, 2011
We have a winner
Congrats to Trista Zollars! I hope you enjoy your scentsy Buddy as much as we do!
You have 48 hrs to respond or I will have to select a new winner.
Merry Christmas!
You have 48 hrs to respond or I will have to select a new winner.
Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Scentsy Buddy Review and Giveaway!
If you have not heard of Scentsy yet, it is a wonderful Direct Selling company! Here is a little snippit from their site:
Scentsy began with a simple idea—a safe, wickless alternative to scented candles—and quickly grew into one of the most successful direct selling companies. This wickless concept was born when two stay-at-home moms began selling decorative warmers designed to melt scented wax with the heat of a light bulb instead of a traditional wick and flame.
Dress up a room with a Scentsy Warmer, add one of 80-plus fragrances, and enjoy! Shop here for all the latest styles and scents.
Have fun while earning Host Rewards—free or half-price Scentsy Products—when you host your own Scentsy party.
Looking for a rewarding career that works with your schedule? As a Scentsy Consultant, you’ll set your own hours & have fun while you earn.
I have had the wonderful pleasure of reviewing Scentsy's Scentsy Buddy Scratch the cat! Each Scentsy Buddy comes with it's very own Scent Pak for free! Here is the giant baby with the cute little box Scratch comes in, sometimes referred to as "kitty" from here on out.
As you can see, the giant baby LOVES his new kitty! He couldn't wait to snuggle Scratch, we didn't even get a chance to put the Scent Pak in yet!
He LOVES his kitty!The materials on the Buddy are SOOO soft. The limbs on the Buddy's are a different material than the body. This is great for sensory learning!
But sometimes the box is just as fun ;)
The Scent Pak comes in a colorful package with plastic containing the Scent so it can keep it fresh.
We got to try out Sweet Pea and Vanilla it has a light scent that would be pleasing to most anyone!
Each Scent Pak is $7.00 which is a GREAT deal! Big brother has another Scentsy Buddy and it has had the same Scent pak for over a year now and it still smells yummy!
The Scent Pak has its own convenient pouch in the Buddy's back...yes I know, it looks a little funny when you are smelling it's "back." The ladies at church had a good laugh last week when a friend was smelling.
I would even go so far as to say that if you have a hard time with ANY scent, you could use this cute little pouch for something else! Paulette even had a customer that uses her child's Scentsy Buddy as a tooth fairy delivery system! What a great idea! The child puts the tooth in the pouch and in the morning it is replaced with money or a small trinket.
Our Scent Pak was getting to be a little too much all trapped in the Buddy, so I took it out for a few days and put it by our cloth diaper stash. It was nice to have a fresh scent near our changing area! The Scent Paks are the perfect size for the closet, car, gym bag, locker, etc.
The Buddy comes in a cute box with handles that can also be used as a home. I'm sure many girls would love this feature!
Kisses for kitty!
We have had kitty for a week now and the giant baby takes him everywhere with him! If he doesn't have one his special blankies he has his new special kitty!
The Scentsy Buddy is a GREAT addition to any child's stuffed animal collection! I recommend it to anyone I know! The price is right at a comparable $25 for the regular Buddy's. The Buddy comes with 1 Scent Pak, but if you would like an additional Scent Pak it is $7 and lasts WELL over a year! The construction of the Buddy is sturdy and soft! Scentsy also has a "Cause Buddy" called Sasha, she is $30.
You'll make a child's day when you give Sasha, Scentsy's first Charitable Cause Scentsy Buddy, in support of the mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities® to improve the health and well-being of children all over the world. Scentsy will donate 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of this Buddy directly to the organization.The only problem I see with Scratch is that the tag on his bottom is pink. Not really a big deal, but for boys who are sensitive to minor things, it may be an issue.
** Scentsy recommends that the Buddy's be used for ages 3 and over, but I don't see why, other than the obvious, don't leave your child nu-attended with a stuffed animal if they tend to pull things apart or the Scent Pak since they could potentially eat the very small beads inside-not a choking hazard, but I'm sure it would upset their tummy.
Contact Paulette Young for all your Scentsy needs!
Independent Scentsy Consultant
and my website is at
Win a Buddy of your very own here!
Monday, November 21, 2011
Getting ready for our giveaways!!!
We have two exciting giveaways so far! I have some great reviews of these products and some cute pics of the giant baby :)
You can connect with her via:
(360) 250-6769
ddensevich@gmail.com
Facebook
http://www.mytouchstonecrystal.com/pws/desireed/tabs/home.aspx
You can connect with her via:
- Desiree Densevich from Touchstone Crystal
You can connect with her via:
(360) 250-6769
ddensevich@gmail.com
http://www.mytouchstonecrystal.com/pws/desireed/tabs/home.aspx
- Paulette Young from Scentsy
You can connect with her via:
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Sponsor Highlights
I am SOOO excited to announce that we are indeed having our Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza! The giveaway fun will begin on November 22nd and end on November 28th. I hope you will stay tuned for the awesome prizes, but for now I will tease you with our sponsors highlights. These are just the gals I have so far! If there is someone you would like to see up here tell them to contact me!
Paulette Young - Scentsy
Desiree Densevich - Touchstone Crystal
Crystal Robinson - arbonne
Kristi Peterson - Thirty-one
Paulette Young - Scentsy
Desiree Densevich - Touchstone Crystal
Crystal Robinson - arbonne
Kristi Peterson - Thirty-one
Monday, October 31, 2011
Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza!
I am going to be hosting a Holiday Giveaway Extravaganza November 22-28th!
I have two sponsors so far and I am looking for more! The more sponsors the bigger the event! THIS is going to be awesome! I cant wait and I KNOW you will love it!
Spread the word so we can make this a BIG event!
I have two sponsors so far and I am looking for more! The more sponsors the bigger the event! THIS is going to be awesome! I cant wait and I KNOW you will love it!
Spread the word so we can make this a BIG event!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Happy Birthday Big Brother
Big Brother is 6 today!
6 years ago big brother was born, via c-section after 11 hours of labor. My doctor decided since I had only progressed to 4 cm, it wasnt fast enough. Big brother's heart rate was dipping with my contractions, so they decided it was time to deliver. I was not happy. In fact I freaked out and asked to be sedated. The doc did a light sedation and I was able to be awake, though I dont remember anything. Sadly. Big brother was a little blue when he was born and a little sleepy but was breathing on his own.
After I came to, we met for the first time. I was not sure if I would breastfeed, but I had been comited to trying it out. As soon as I held my baby I just knew it was meant to be.
He was a mama's boy from the start, fussing when other people tried to sooth him.
He has always been social, happy around people, hamming it up for strangers and church friends.
He is charming and persistant, this is great and not so good ;)
He knows what he wants and wont stop till he gets it! He has always been this way, from birth!
He is funny, sometimes when he's trying to be serious, most of the time when he's silly.
He has a lot of drama he just has to let out whether you like it or not.
He is sweet and caring.
He loves animals. All of them, except spiders.
I love my baby, no matter how big he is.
Happy Birthday Big Boy!
6 years ago big brother was born, via c-section after 11 hours of labor. My doctor decided since I had only progressed to 4 cm, it wasnt fast enough. Big brother's heart rate was dipping with my contractions, so they decided it was time to deliver. I was not happy. In fact I freaked out and asked to be sedated. The doc did a light sedation and I was able to be awake, though I dont remember anything. Sadly. Big brother was a little blue when he was born and a little sleepy but was breathing on his own.
After I came to, we met for the first time. I was not sure if I would breastfeed, but I had been comited to trying it out. As soon as I held my baby I just knew it was meant to be.
He was a mama's boy from the start, fussing when other people tried to sooth him.
He has always been social, happy around people, hamming it up for strangers and church friends.
He is charming and persistant, this is great and not so good ;)
He knows what he wants and wont stop till he gets it! He has always been this way, from birth!
He is funny, sometimes when he's trying to be serious, most of the time when he's silly.
He has a lot of drama he just has to let out whether you like it or not.
He is sweet and caring.
He loves animals. All of them, except spiders.
I love my baby, no matter how big he is.
Happy Birthday Big Boy!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Milky pictures
With my first, I really regretted not having any pictures of him nursing. It sounds weird to some, but with that time of your relationship together being so short, the memories can fade with time. I was so thankful when we were taking a beach trip with our good friend Mandi McDougall ,she captured some of our nursing moments.
I wanted to share our intimate pictures not only because they are beautiful, but also to encourage all the mama's out there to take a few nursing pictures. It might seem weird at first, but just do it! You'll thank yourself later! Just promise yourself not to drag the pictures out when your "baby" brings home a date ;)
I wanted to share our intimate pictures not only because they are beautiful, but also to encourage all the mama's out there to take a few nursing pictures. It might seem weird at first, but just do it! You'll thank yourself later! Just promise yourself not to drag the pictures out when your "baby" brings home a date ;)
Monday, October 17, 2011
nipping nurser
Since the giant baby has been sick and teething he has been nipping or BITING while nursing! YEOWCH! Besides the obvious "no bite" statement and prying him off. The nipping doesnt seem to phase him. If I put him down and tell him he's all done, no more nurse. You know the drill, he screams, crys, stomps his feet, and has a royal meltdown. Im pretty sure its because of the teething because he doesnt always know that he's doing it.
The simple answer here that EVERYONE seems to express to me solicited or not, "just quit nursing." I wanted to blog about this problem because I KNOW that Im not the only mama to go through this painful stage.
The not so simple answer to "just quit nursing" with nipping nursers:
1) First, you cant just stop! Not only would that be painful for mama with an established milk supply. That could lead to mastitis, a painful breast infection. Clogged milk ducts, painful lumps caused by backed up milk. Lets not forget engorged breasts, painful big boobies full of milk! IF you have been lucky enough not to have any of the first two problems, just recall how painful it was when you first got your milk in. If you stop nursing cold turkey, that lovely feeling will likely return.
2) More importantly, quitting nursing cold turkey would be extremely confusing and traumatic to an established nurser. The giant baby has a few favorite things, his blankie, binky, and nursing. Just as if you were to cold turkey take away any of those he would be confused and least but most annoying, TICKED!
3) Established nursers tend not to partake of other milk at just over a year. The giant baby is 13 months old. Another point, the giant baby doesnt tolerate or like milk much. He will drink milk from left over cereal bowls of his brother and daddy, but he later spits up. Ne NEVER spits up otherwise.
4) Established nursers may not take a bottle! The giant baby barely ever took a bottle. He figured it out very early on that if he held out long enough, I came to rescue him. Eventually he just refused it all together. He hated breast milk in a bottle. My hubs claimed he would even look around for me. It was extremely frustrating to waste a whole bottle full of breast milk, so we switched to formula thinking that at least it wasnt my hard work being poured down the drain. He treated the formula like "poison" and refused it. I dont blame him, but still! He drinks fabulously from a soft spout sippy, but its not as comforting to him. Lucky for us, we never have to deal with weaning from the bottle like we did with big brother.
The best way to deal with nursing mishaps are explained here by the la leche league
If you really want to wean, do it gradually , it will be best for you and your baby. But please dont just weant because you are being preasured to! Many babies benefit from nursing well beyond one year old!
A helpful book may be The Nursing Mothers Guide to Weaning
The simple answer here that EVERYONE seems to express to me solicited or not, "just quit nursing." I wanted to blog about this problem because I KNOW that Im not the only mama to go through this painful stage.
The not so simple answer to "just quit nursing" with nipping nursers:
1) First, you cant just stop! Not only would that be painful for mama with an established milk supply. That could lead to mastitis, a painful breast infection. Clogged milk ducts, painful lumps caused by backed up milk. Lets not forget engorged breasts, painful big boobies full of milk! IF you have been lucky enough not to have any of the first two problems, just recall how painful it was when you first got your milk in. If you stop nursing cold turkey, that lovely feeling will likely return.
2) More importantly, quitting nursing cold turkey would be extremely confusing and traumatic to an established nurser. The giant baby has a few favorite things, his blankie, binky, and nursing. Just as if you were to cold turkey take away any of those he would be confused and least but most annoying, TICKED!
3) Established nursers tend not to partake of other milk at just over a year. The giant baby is 13 months old. Another point, the giant baby doesnt tolerate or like milk much. He will drink milk from left over cereal bowls of his brother and daddy, but he later spits up. Ne NEVER spits up otherwise.
4) Established nursers may not take a bottle! The giant baby barely ever took a bottle. He figured it out very early on that if he held out long enough, I came to rescue him. Eventually he just refused it all together. He hated breast milk in a bottle. My hubs claimed he would even look around for me. It was extremely frustrating to waste a whole bottle full of breast milk, so we switched to formula thinking that at least it wasnt my hard work being poured down the drain. He treated the formula like "poison" and refused it. I dont blame him, but still! He drinks fabulously from a soft spout sippy, but its not as comforting to him. Lucky for us, we never have to deal with weaning from the bottle like we did with big brother.
The best way to deal with nursing mishaps are explained here by the la leche league
If you really want to wean, do it gradually , it will be best for you and your baby. But please dont just weant because you are being preasured to! Many babies benefit from nursing well beyond one year old!
A helpful book may be The Nursing Mothers Guide to Weaning
Monday, October 10, 2011
giant baby sickies
The giant baby has caught whatever big brother and I brought home. Big brother still has the hacky cough that he seems to think he doesn't need medicine for. The giant baby has been FORCED to take meds today after the hour long crying, screaming, oh and the bitting while nursing! That was fun. Unfortunately my kids got MY grumpy sicky attitude when they don't feel good. The hubs has super powers and doesn't get sick, I hate it! So here we are today, forcing children to take meds to save our sanity. Fortunately the giant baby is well, giant, so we can give him some things that "normal" sized babies cant have. He has a hefty weight, which sucks when you are toting him around, but GREAT for these sorts of situations.
Do you give your kids medication, or are you a saint who is able to endure sick whiney children? ;)
Do you give your kids medication, or are you a saint who is able to endure sick whiney children? ;)
Monday, October 3, 2011
Making baby legs
Do you LOVE those cute baby legs but dont like the idea of shelling out $12 big ones for each pair?
I decided to try my hand at making my own pair and discovered a dual frugality!
I chose a knee high pair of socks for a longer fit on the giant baby.
First cut the sock portion off the socks. Leaving some room for stitching.
Then, roll 1/4 inch of the right side of the sock UNDER twice, creating an area to stitch on. I practiced with the sock portion first.
I used a zigzag stitch for a little more give, although I was finding that because of the knit fabric it was stretching too much and ruffling. Not as cute on a boy ;) So I switched to a strait stitch half way through.
A pair of socks for myself! And a pair of baby legs for the baby!
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
giant baby clothes
We struggle with clothes in this house. The giant baby is not only giant, but with cloth diapers comes the fluffy butt. It is getting cold around here which is really nice for people like me who sweat constantly! The cooler weather is nice, I can wear spring clothes and get away with it. The giant baby, however giant, is still a baby. He needs to wear clothes. He prefers not to wear clothes. I don't blame him, but people judge. Shirts are fine, we can get away with big shirts and roll up the sleves a bit. Pants are the challenge, either the waist is WAY too small, or the legs are WAY too long. Not only does the giant baby have a pretty cute big belly, but his legs are kinda short ;)
So what do we do? Baby legs, baby crawlers, baby knees, whatever you want to call them, are good for giant babies, but aren't always appropriate for the weather. Right now they are okay, but when its snowing...
Pants, we like "man-pri's" the pants that roll up and button. They allow for a bigger size, and fit just right, but are hard to find. Sweat pants are okay. Lets face it, okay, not cute.
The hubs and I were on a date and went to Target. Don't judge, its nice to go to the store without whining children :D We found some cute shorts in a bigger size, 2T to be exact. They are long enough to be pants-ish. I haven't tried them on yet, but this may be our solution.
I think I also need to hem some of big brothers hand me down pants.
If you have a giant baby how do you cloth your baby during the colder weather?
So what do we do? Baby legs, baby crawlers, baby knees, whatever you want to call them, are good for giant babies, but aren't always appropriate for the weather. Right now they are okay, but when its snowing...
Pants, we like "man-pri's" the pants that roll up and button. They allow for a bigger size, and fit just right, but are hard to find. Sweat pants are okay. Lets face it, okay, not cute.
The hubs and I were on a date and went to Target. Don't judge, its nice to go to the store without whining children :D We found some cute shorts in a bigger size, 2T to be exact. They are long enough to be pants-ish. I haven't tried them on yet, but this may be our solution.
I think I also need to hem some of big brothers hand me down pants.
If you have a giant baby how do you cloth your baby during the colder weather?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
buh-bye line drying
Unfortunately, I live in Washington. As beautiful as this state is, we get rain. Im sure you've heard. We get A LOT of rain! I have a feeling today is the last day I will be able to dry our diapers outside. The weather *apparently* is supposed to be good today...ummm, well that's up for debate. It IS warm. But there is NO sun. Not here at least.
I want you to know there is hope. No not for our weather. It only gets worse from here. Soon we will be loosing power, A LOT. We kinda live in redneckwille and it happens a lot here. There is hope for drying your diapers, inside! Because I am the queen of making due with what you have and trying not to add a bunch of steps to my already busy life, I use what I can. Last night I hung covers on the laundry room cabinet doors to dry. This is pretty common for me. This drying method takes up the least amount of space in our obnoxiously disorganized and poorly constructed home. When the house isn't as warm I set up the small drying rack in the kitchen.
I don't recommend drying liners and inserts in the house, you might as well just use the dryer. Unless you are trying to save money on electricity and have enough to last you through the wait time.
I've seen great laundry rooms and basements with mini clothes lines. If you have the room and the resources this would be ideal.
I want you to know there is hope. No not for our weather. It only gets worse from here. Soon we will be loosing power, A LOT. We kinda live in redneckwille and it happens a lot here. There is hope for drying your diapers, inside! Because I am the queen of making due with what you have and trying not to add a bunch of steps to my already busy life, I use what I can. Last night I hung covers on the laundry room cabinet doors to dry. This is pretty common for me. This drying method takes up the least amount of space in our obnoxiously disorganized and poorly constructed home. When the house isn't as warm I set up the small drying rack in the kitchen.
I don't recommend drying liners and inserts in the house, you might as well just use the dryer. Unless you are trying to save money on electricity and have enough to last you through the wait time.
I've seen great laundry rooms and basements with mini clothes lines. If you have the room and the resources this would be ideal.
welcome new followers!
Thank you so much to all my NEW followers! I am so excited to see people over there! Thank you a million times!
Stay tuned because there is a BIG giveaway coming soon! You wont want to miss this!
Stay tuned because there is a BIG giveaway coming soon! You wont want to miss this!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
I get to use rafflecopter!
Im so very excited to be invited to use rafflecopter! It is such an awesome and EASY way to enter giveaways!
One of my big goals on this blog, besides education about cloth diapers, is to be able to host giveaways for the readers! Rafflecopter is a great way simplify the whole process for everyone! LOVE!
One of my big goals on this blog, besides education about cloth diapers, is to be able to host giveaways for the readers! Rafflecopter is a great way simplify the whole process for everyone! LOVE!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
blog kick off giveaway
There are a few things you may not know about me.
1) I am a preschool teacher on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
2) I LOVE Giveaways! I enter many a week. Sometimes I win, sometimes I dont.
3) I am frugal, sometimes to a fault. Making my own fun is something I do...this includes play dough!
A good friend of mine, Heather, at Queen Bee Coupons asked me to do a guest post about making play dough at home. As preschool teachers we make a fair amount of play dough each year, but most people buy it. I think homemade play dough is SO much better. Read the post here:
I would like to offer a double batch of play dough to a new reader!
Giveaway ends on October 31st OR when I get 50 followers!
Giveaway rules:
You must follow giant baby adventures via GFC (google friend connect)
Offer only good in the US
Winner will be emailed and will be asked to verify within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.
1) I am a preschool teacher on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
2) I LOVE Giveaways! I enter many a week. Sometimes I win, sometimes I dont.
3) I am frugal, sometimes to a fault. Making my own fun is something I do...this includes play dough!
A good friend of mine, Heather, at Queen Bee Coupons asked me to do a guest post about making play dough at home. As preschool teachers we make a fair amount of play dough each year, but most people buy it. I think homemade play dough is SO much better. Read the post here:
I would like to offer a double batch of play dough to a new reader!
Giveaway ends on October 31st OR when I get 50 followers!
Giveaway rules:
You must follow giant baby adventures via GFC (google friend connect)
Offer only good in the US
Winner will be emailed and will be asked to verify within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
cloth diapers and detergent
I really should specify, cloth diapers and NO detergent!
Detergent is bad for cloth diapers. Most detergents and we all use for our regular clothes is just plain bad! As over user americans, we use too much of everything, laundry detergent included.
Cloth diapers and detergent don't get along. Inserts, prefolds, and doublers all fall victim to the grossness. Build up of detergent on your diapers will lead to what we cloth users like to call STINK! Boy is it stinky! Even these "clean" diapers smell. If you take a whiff of your "clean" diapers and they smell. Thats bad! You likely have a build up of detergent and you will need to strip them. Detergent build up WILL cause a rash on your baby's bum. In order to resolve the rash you will need to get rid of the build up. DO NOT USE RASH CREAM WITH CLOTH DIAPERS, unless you use a throw away liner or seperate liner you use just for cream use. Rash cream will ruin your diapers and lead to leakage. Just ask my hubs ;)
There are a couple of ways diapers get build up.
1) Too much detergent. You should only be using cloth safe detergent. Period. Many people make this mistake and it will ruin your diapers. Modern detergent has agents that are built to break down, soil, protiens, etc. Cloth safe detergents can be found even at your local grocery store. Make sure you choose something that is dye and fragrance free with no "get clean" additives like oxi clean or ingredients that will break down "dirt." Simple is better here. Only use 1-2 table spoons per load.
2) Not enough water. I made this mistake in the beginning. I figured since I was only running a small load I would use a small amount of water. That only lasted a couple weeks until I noticed the tell tale ammonia lingering. Also, don't fill it more than half way. Run a FULL water cycle with an EXTRA rinse. There is some debate about water temperature, but I like Hot. That extra rinse is crucial.
3) Night time diapers and diapers that are sitting too long. Whew! Pee-ew! those suckers are just plain hard to get fresh the longer they sit. That is why I like to wash every other day, NO MATTER WHAT! Even if I have to throw in the baby blankies (which get stinky fast too with all their love) or a few dirty baby clothes to feel justified with the water use.
How to resolve the stink.
1) Try running your diapers and inserts in a load set the water on HIGH, set it on HOT, run an EXTRA rinse with NO detergent. Watch them agitate. If there are any soap bubbles you have detergent build up. If you notice grimy dingy water, you probably have soil build up. I know this goes against every bone of frugal money saving, green water saving in your body, but run the washer until you see CLEAN water.
2) If you still have stinky diapers after the above step. You will need to strip your diapers. There are a couple of ways to do this.
a) put your diapers and/or inserts in the hottest water you can get from your tap with a COUPLE (2-4) drops of original BLUE dawn dish soap, in a bucket, bathtub, or pot. Do NOT put them in your washer. I know you're thinking, but you just said soap is bad. When you have detergent build up, you need to get it out. Think of those cute but sad Dawn commercials with the oil covered critters. Dawn gets rid of the grime. Let them sit for a while, a couple hours is a good place to start. Next, rinse and rinse, and rinse some more! I think doing this by hand is best that way you can make sure you wont flood your house with bubbles from your washer. Once you get all the dish soap out, you can then rinse in the washer. Make sure there are no more bubbles before you bring them out and declare them "clean." If the stink still persists...
b) Boil the inserts. This can ONLY be done with the inserts, prefolds, or doublers. You cannot boil diapers with laminate, it will ruin them. I have not done this myself yet. I have stinky inserts that I just done use, and have other new ones I do use currently. I have heard that this is pretty gross and super stinky. You may want to turn on a fan and open the doors. Reports are, that you need to boil them for at least 15 minutes, stirring constantly. I suggest rinsing them REALLY well in the bath tub and smelling them. IF they still stink. Do it again. Then run them in the washer.
Not only is stink, well, stinky, but it can lead to rash on your baby's bum. Remember, NEVER use rash cream with your cloth diapers unless you are using a liner.
Detergent is bad for cloth diapers. Most detergents and we all use for our regular clothes is just plain bad! As over user americans, we use too much of everything, laundry detergent included.
Cloth diapers and detergent don't get along. Inserts, prefolds, and doublers all fall victim to the grossness. Build up of detergent on your diapers will lead to what we cloth users like to call STINK! Boy is it stinky! Even these "clean" diapers smell. If you take a whiff of your "clean" diapers and they smell. Thats bad! You likely have a build up of detergent and you will need to strip them. Detergent build up WILL cause a rash on your baby's bum. In order to resolve the rash you will need to get rid of the build up. DO NOT USE RASH CREAM WITH CLOTH DIAPERS, unless you use a throw away liner or seperate liner you use just for cream use. Rash cream will ruin your diapers and lead to leakage. Just ask my hubs ;)
There are a couple of ways diapers get build up.
1) Too much detergent. You should only be using cloth safe detergent. Period. Many people make this mistake and it will ruin your diapers. Modern detergent has agents that are built to break down, soil, protiens, etc. Cloth safe detergents can be found even at your local grocery store. Make sure you choose something that is dye and fragrance free with no "get clean" additives like oxi clean or ingredients that will break down "dirt." Simple is better here. Only use 1-2 table spoons per load.
2) Not enough water. I made this mistake in the beginning. I figured since I was only running a small load I would use a small amount of water. That only lasted a couple weeks until I noticed the tell tale ammonia lingering. Also, don't fill it more than half way. Run a FULL water cycle with an EXTRA rinse. There is some debate about water temperature, but I like Hot. That extra rinse is crucial.
3) Night time diapers and diapers that are sitting too long. Whew! Pee-ew! those suckers are just plain hard to get fresh the longer they sit. That is why I like to wash every other day, NO MATTER WHAT! Even if I have to throw in the baby blankies (which get stinky fast too with all their love) or a few dirty baby clothes to feel justified with the water use.
How to resolve the stink.
1) Try running your diapers and inserts in a load set the water on HIGH, set it on HOT, run an EXTRA rinse with NO detergent. Watch them agitate. If there are any soap bubbles you have detergent build up. If you notice grimy dingy water, you probably have soil build up. I know this goes against every bone of frugal money saving, green water saving in your body, but run the washer until you see CLEAN water.
2) If you still have stinky diapers after the above step. You will need to strip your diapers. There are a couple of ways to do this.
a) put your diapers and/or inserts in the hottest water you can get from your tap with a COUPLE (2-4) drops of original BLUE dawn dish soap, in a bucket, bathtub, or pot. Do NOT put them in your washer. I know you're thinking, but you just said soap is bad. When you have detergent build up, you need to get it out. Think of those cute but sad Dawn commercials with the oil covered critters. Dawn gets rid of the grime. Let them sit for a while, a couple hours is a good place to start. Next, rinse and rinse, and rinse some more! I think doing this by hand is best that way you can make sure you wont flood your house with bubbles from your washer. Once you get all the dish soap out, you can then rinse in the washer. Make sure there are no more bubbles before you bring them out and declare them "clean." If the stink still persists...
b) Boil the inserts. This can ONLY be done with the inserts, prefolds, or doublers. You cannot boil diapers with laminate, it will ruin them. I have not done this myself yet. I have stinky inserts that I just done use, and have other new ones I do use currently. I have heard that this is pretty gross and super stinky. You may want to turn on a fan and open the doors. Reports are, that you need to boil them for at least 15 minutes, stirring constantly. I suggest rinsing them REALLY well in the bath tub and smelling them. IF they still stink. Do it again. Then run them in the washer.
Not only is stink, well, stinky, but it can lead to rash on your baby's bum. Remember, NEVER use rash cream with your cloth diapers unless you are using a liner.
Monday, September 5, 2011
stuck on velcro
Velcro is great for sticking to stuff, and great for stuff sticking to IT.
No matter what you do, if you have Velcro or Aplix (heavy duty closure brand) stuff is going to stick to it. When stuff gets stuck in Velcro, it becomes less effective. The giant baby and Velcro don't really get along. There are several diapers with Velcro that all he has to do is sit down hard and they pop open. The more fuzzies that are stuck the more easily they pop.
Here are a few helpful hints about de-fuzzifying your Velcro that has become less than effective.
No matter what you do, if you have Velcro or Aplix (heavy duty closure brand) stuff is going to stick to it. When stuff gets stuck in Velcro, it becomes less effective. The giant baby and Velcro don't really get along. There are several diapers with Velcro that all he has to do is sit down hard and they pop open. The more fuzzies that are stuck the more easily they pop.
Here are a few helpful hints about de-fuzzifying your Velcro that has become less than effective.
The closure before. Not too bad, but like I said, the giant baby and Velcro don't get along ;)
I use a kitty comb here, but any old comb is just as good. I like the finest tooth I can find so it really grabs all the little fuzzies.
The after. All clean!
All the fuzzies!
letting it all hang out
Hanging your diapers out to dry is the best! Not only does the sun help to get rid of any staining that may occur with frequent use, but the sun helps disinfect! You will be mistaken if you think that the average washer will disinfect your diapers. Don't you worry! We as family members are used to each others little germies. This doesn't mean that you can skimp on good hygiene while laundering. It only means that you will not get sick from a few lingering germs in the wash.
I am all about saving money and using what you have available. This may mean using the corner of your shed and a tree for a clothes line. It works! We also use drying racks, but the line cuts down on drying time. I DID have two lines for a while...until the hubs fell off the roof ruining the line in the process. He was fine by the way, physically that is ;) its debatable about his mental state. Those of you who know him will not doubt it.
If you don't have a clothes line or a rack, a couple of chairs will do.
If you don't have a clothes line or a rack, a couple of chairs will do.
modern cloth diapering and the cost.
I get a LOT, and I mean A LOT of looks when I explain to people that we cloth diaper. Most people are truly perplexed. Not to throw them under the bus, but our own family was the worst. They did not understand why I would spend $100 on diapers. Even after I explained MULTIPLE times about how expensive disposables are.
1 pack of name brand diapers are $10 or more. This particular pack of 32 lasts a couple weeks. The math is astounding! The only plus of disposables is that the smaller your baby, the more diapers you get in a pack. Those of us with giant babies don't get the luxury of coasting by in small diapers. Believe me, we tried it. I don't recommend it.
Lets break it down:
9 diapers a day x 1 month = 252 diapers a month = 3,024 diapers a year
6 diapers a day x 1 month = 168 diapers a month = 2,016 diapers a year
Most brand name diapers are about $0.12 a piece on a GOOD day!
3,024 x $0.12 = $362.88 a year
2,016 x $0.12 = $241.92 a year
Now I know most of your are thinking thats not too bad, I'd rather just spend the money and get on with my life.
Remember this is the price of diapers on SALE! I just checked major chain store prices and the price per diaper is $0.17 per diaper with a price cut. This is a 56 pack of size 1's
A 34 pack of size 4's are $0.28 per diaper
Now lets do the REAL break down:
Newborn: 40 diapers @ $0.24 x 12 per day x 7 days x 4 weeks = $80.64
Size 1: 56 diapers @ $0.17 x 10 per day x 7 days x 4 weeks = $47.60
Size 2: 48 diapers @ $0.19 x 9 per day x 7 days x 8 weeks = $95.76
Size 3: 40 diapers @ $0.23 x 8 per day x 7 days x 24 weeks = $309.12
Size 4: 34 diapers @ $0.28 x 8 per day x 7 days x 12 weeks = $188.16
Size 5: 30 diapers @ $0.32 x 7 per day x 7 days x 52 weeks = $815.36
Size 6: 26 diapers @ $0.37 x 6 per day x 7 days x 52 weeks = $808.08 OR
trainers: 40 @ $0.40 x 6 per day x 7 days x 52 weeks = $873.60
Over three years:
You will spend an "average" of $2410.44
That alone should make you cry a little, I did. No not really, but I was disgusted!
(you can say you will potty train your kids in 2 years but that is not the average length of diapering years) mine chose not to potty train till he was 4 :) there is nothing you can do about it! There are only three things a kid can truly control in his life: eating, sleeping, bathroom control.
If there was a number 1 reason that I switched to cloth, it was because of the cost.
The cost of a single cloth diaper seems like a lot with the first glance. One diaper can cost anywhere between $5 and $40 some dollars. That is a huge gap. It boils down to personal preference and what is easiest for your family. We prefer pocket diapers for day use and covers for night use. Those run $5-$20 some dollars each.
If you do laundry every other day, which I prefer no matter how many diapers I've used, you will need 14-25 diapers. Or 25 prefolds and 3-6 covers. Conservatively.
25 diapers x $15 each = $375
25 prefolds x $4 each = $100 Plus 6 covers x $15 each = $90 =$190 for all
This is do-able. If you are on a restricted budget like we are, paying that much all at once can be too much. I highly recommend buying second hand. Cloth diapers retain their value long after their use and years of life. I bought a wonderful pack that we used for a solid 3 months exclusively, for $100 on craigslist. This is with the one diaper I won, as well as 6 my cousin gave to us preloved. This is a stash of 19 diapers and three covers.
I do laundry every other day, like I said, regardless. Diapers get stinky when they sit. Having a bigger stash would make no difference. The only time when having a bigger stash is nice is when you may need extra for travel, emergencies, etc.
If you do laundry less often you will need more diapers, Simple as that. This summer I got kidney stones, luckily I was still able to do laundry, but there were several occasions when my hubs had to ask me to put the diapers together. The nice thing about cloth is that you never truly run out!
1 pack of name brand diapers are $10 or more. This particular pack of 32 lasts a couple weeks. The math is astounding! The only plus of disposables is that the smaller your baby, the more diapers you get in a pack. Those of us with giant babies don't get the luxury of coasting by in small diapers. Believe me, we tried it. I don't recommend it.
Lets break it down:
9 diapers a day x 1 month = 252 diapers a month = 3,024 diapers a year
6 diapers a day x 1 month = 168 diapers a month = 2,016 diapers a year
Most brand name diapers are about $0.12 a piece on a GOOD day!
3,024 x $0.12 = $362.88 a year
2,016 x $0.12 = $241.92 a year
Now I know most of your are thinking thats not too bad, I'd rather just spend the money and get on with my life.
Remember this is the price of diapers on SALE! I just checked major chain store prices and the price per diaper is $0.17 per diaper with a price cut. This is a 56 pack of size 1's
A 34 pack of size 4's are $0.28 per diaper
Now lets do the REAL break down:
Newborn: 40 diapers @ $0.24 x 12 per day x 7 days x 4 weeks = $80.64
Size 1: 56 diapers @ $0.17 x 10 per day x 7 days x 4 weeks = $47.60
Size 2: 48 diapers @ $0.19 x 9 per day x 7 days x 8 weeks = $95.76
Size 3: 40 diapers @ $0.23 x 8 per day x 7 days x 24 weeks = $309.12
Size 4: 34 diapers @ $0.28 x 8 per day x 7 days x 12 weeks = $188.16
Size 5: 30 diapers @ $0.32 x 7 per day x 7 days x 52 weeks = $815.36
Size 6: 26 diapers @ $0.37 x 6 per day x 7 days x 52 weeks = $808.08 OR
trainers: 40 @ $0.40 x 6 per day x 7 days x 52 weeks = $873.60
Over three years:
You will spend an "average" of $2410.44
That alone should make you cry a little, I did. No not really, but I was disgusted!
(you can say you will potty train your kids in 2 years but that is not the average length of diapering years) mine chose not to potty train till he was 4 :) there is nothing you can do about it! There are only three things a kid can truly control in his life: eating, sleeping, bathroom control.
If there was a number 1 reason that I switched to cloth, it was because of the cost.
The cost of a single cloth diaper seems like a lot with the first glance. One diaper can cost anywhere between $5 and $40 some dollars. That is a huge gap. It boils down to personal preference and what is easiest for your family. We prefer pocket diapers for day use and covers for night use. Those run $5-$20 some dollars each.
If you do laundry every other day, which I prefer no matter how many diapers I've used, you will need 14-25 diapers. Or 25 prefolds and 3-6 covers. Conservatively.
25 diapers x $15 each = $375
25 prefolds x $4 each = $100 Plus 6 covers x $15 each = $90 =$190 for all
This is do-able. If you are on a restricted budget like we are, paying that much all at once can be too much. I highly recommend buying second hand. Cloth diapers retain their value long after their use and years of life. I bought a wonderful pack that we used for a solid 3 months exclusively, for $100 on craigslist. This is with the one diaper I won, as well as 6 my cousin gave to us preloved. This is a stash of 19 diapers and three covers.
I do laundry every other day, like I said, regardless. Diapers get stinky when they sit. Having a bigger stash would make no difference. The only time when having a bigger stash is nice is when you may need extra for travel, emergencies, etc.
If you do laundry less often you will need more diapers, Simple as that. This summer I got kidney stones, luckily I was still able to do laundry, but there were several occasions when my hubs had to ask me to put the diapers together. The nice thing about cloth is that you never truly run out!
Sunday, September 4, 2011
how we came to cloth diapering
You are all wondering, why on earth would you go BACK in time, spend the time, money, water, and energy cloth diapering! I will answer these questions and hopefully MORE!
This year I started entering some blog giveaways, one featured a cloth diaper. Im not sure what I thought exactly at the time, but one of the thoughts was, that is the cutest diaper I have ever seen! I didn't care that I had no idea how to take care of it or what I was going to do if I won. Well what do you know, I won! I was so excited because it was the first giveaway I had ever entered AND won!
Construction:
When the diaper came in the mail I carefully inspected my prize, noticing the soft materials and simple construction. This diaper was made of soft fleece on the inside where it touched the giant baby's bottom. The outside was a star printed PUL (Polyurethene Laminate) so there is no leaking.
Care:
I threw it in the wash (not properly mind you!) and as soon as it came out I slapped it on the giant baby! Talk about cute! Next I noticed how simple the diaper was to put on. This particular diaper was made with snaps and was no harder to use than a disposable. In fact it was BETTER! If you have a houdini baby its going to be pretty hard to get out of a snap closure.
Cleaning: Dang, its not hard! I was almost hoping that it WOULD be! A pee diaper is as simple as unstuffing (in this case) and throwing it in the wash with a diaper safe detergent. A poo diaper is just as simple. The hubs prefers to shake and wipe over the diaper trash, but he also uses disposable wipes. I shake over the potty and do an old fashioned dunk if I ever need to but its rare! Next, throw it in the wash. Thats it!
Drying: Throw it in the dryer or hang to dry. We have the luxury of having the sun on our side with cloth diapering. The sun is a free dryer! Imagine that! The bonus of the sun is that it naturally bleaches out any stains and gets rid of germies! When we have no sun, it happens a LOT here in Washington! I hang my covers in the house and throw the inserts in the dryer.
Ta-DA! Thats it! I promise!
After I tried this one diaper I mentioned it to my cousin who offered her old diapers to me. I took her up on it and decided to give it a whirl. I had a discussion with my hubs about how my stash of disposable diapers I got from other kids at church that grew out of a pack before they finished, and my coupon stash was almost gone. My case was good. When I bought disposables I got them for less than $3 a pack! I stashed enough (as all good couponers do ;) ) to last a good while. Since I would be home for the summer on break, I could take on the "task" of diapering with cloth.
I researched craigslist, and found an AWESOME deal! This was just days after I pleaded my case. My hubs was super nervous about the price and what this new deal would bring. Im telling you, this was an awesome deal! Once in a life time type.
8 Sunbaby's with inserts
5 Bum Genuis 3.0 with inserts
3 Thirsties covers (large)
8 extra inserts for sunbaby's
12 prefolds
4 baby kick's hemp prefolds
A great starter pack for $100
We went full in right away. My hubs was a convert in a day! We haven't looked back since!
This year I started entering some blog giveaways, one featured a cloth diaper. Im not sure what I thought exactly at the time, but one of the thoughts was, that is the cutest diaper I have ever seen! I didn't care that I had no idea how to take care of it or what I was going to do if I won. Well what do you know, I won! I was so excited because it was the first giveaway I had ever entered AND won!
Construction:
When the diaper came in the mail I carefully inspected my prize, noticing the soft materials and simple construction. This diaper was made of soft fleece on the inside where it touched the giant baby's bottom. The outside was a star printed PUL (Polyurethene Laminate) so there is no leaking.
Care:
I threw it in the wash (not properly mind you!) and as soon as it came out I slapped it on the giant baby! Talk about cute! Next I noticed how simple the diaper was to put on. This particular diaper was made with snaps and was no harder to use than a disposable. In fact it was BETTER! If you have a houdini baby its going to be pretty hard to get out of a snap closure.
Cleaning: Dang, its not hard! I was almost hoping that it WOULD be! A pee diaper is as simple as unstuffing (in this case) and throwing it in the wash with a diaper safe detergent. A poo diaper is just as simple. The hubs prefers to shake and wipe over the diaper trash, but he also uses disposable wipes. I shake over the potty and do an old fashioned dunk if I ever need to but its rare! Next, throw it in the wash. Thats it!
Drying: Throw it in the dryer or hang to dry. We have the luxury of having the sun on our side with cloth diapering. The sun is a free dryer! Imagine that! The bonus of the sun is that it naturally bleaches out any stains and gets rid of germies! When we have no sun, it happens a LOT here in Washington! I hang my covers in the house and throw the inserts in the dryer.
Ta-DA! Thats it! I promise!
After I tried this one diaper I mentioned it to my cousin who offered her old diapers to me. I took her up on it and decided to give it a whirl. I had a discussion with my hubs about how my stash of disposable diapers I got from other kids at church that grew out of a pack before they finished, and my coupon stash was almost gone. My case was good. When I bought disposables I got them for less than $3 a pack! I stashed enough (as all good couponers do ;) ) to last a good while. Since I would be home for the summer on break, I could take on the "task" of diapering with cloth.
I researched craigslist, and found an AWESOME deal! This was just days after I pleaded my case. My hubs was super nervous about the price and what this new deal would bring. Im telling you, this was an awesome deal! Once in a life time type.
8 Sunbaby's with inserts
5 Bum Genuis 3.0 with inserts
3 Thirsties covers (large)
8 extra inserts for sunbaby's
12 prefolds
4 baby kick's hemp prefolds
A great starter pack for $100
We went full in right away. My hubs was a convert in a day! We haven't looked back since!
Friday, August 26, 2011
the giant baby turns 1!
Wow, what a year!
The giant baby was born via c-section on August 26th at 7:35 pm. 8 pounds 3 ounces, 21 inches long.
He was born via c-section after a rough labor of 12 hours. Two epidurals didn't work and I was not progressing fast enough for the hospitals standards (I won't rant and rage here ;) ). There was some question as to whether or not the epidural was effective enough on my belly, and I was having a mini (read VERY LARGE) meltdown in the operating room because they wouldn't give me anti-nausea meds (some allergy and anxiety about nausea). They sedated me HEAVILY. WAY way, way too much! The giant baby was not breathing and blue when he was born. They could not resuscitate him and had to intubate. We are CONFIDENT that this is because of the sedation. Our hospital has a rule about intubation, no matter what, even if it was only for a few minutes, they have to send the baby to the NICU 40 minutes away. They "could not find a valid reason" that the giant baby was not breathing when born. So he stayed in the NICU for three days. The NICU staff loved and loved on the giant baby because they could touch and hold him. There was nothing wrong with him, he just needed some extra help in the start. Many of the NICU babies are so fragile they have to be covered in a special incubator for 23 hours a day with minimal stimulation. The NICU staff reserves this stimulation for the parents and family. The giant baby could be held, dressed, bathed, and fed. They were swooning over him the whole time. When we came to get our baby they were truely sad that we were claiming him. They even joked that we could leave him another day "just in case" and winked several times! We are so thankful our baby was not harmed by his traumatic birth and is alive and VERY well today!
Today we are still sucessfully breasfeeding, cloth diapering, co-sleeping, and hippie living.
The giant baby is:
A-addorable!
B-best friends with the kitties and brother
C-courageous when he wants to be
D-dancing maniac
E-excited about animals
F-funny
G-grumpy with routine
H-happy with new things, people, and places
I-innovative
J-jokester
K-kissable
L-loving
M-mama's boy
N-never alone. he hates it
O-observant, never misses a beat
P-pretty, boys can be pretty too!
Q-quite the charmer
R-rolly polly
S-so so silly
T-terrible sleeper
U-unstoppable
V-volumptuous
W-weird (he has a popcicle stick cross hanging out of his mouth as we speak)
X-Xceptional (there are NO good x words!)
Y-yeller, all the time yelling!
Z-zany
The giant baby was born via c-section on August 26th at 7:35 pm. 8 pounds 3 ounces, 21 inches long.
He was born via c-section after a rough labor of 12 hours. Two epidurals didn't work and I was not progressing fast enough for the hospitals standards (I won't rant and rage here ;) ). There was some question as to whether or not the epidural was effective enough on my belly, and I was having a mini (read VERY LARGE) meltdown in the operating room because they wouldn't give me anti-nausea meds (some allergy and anxiety about nausea). They sedated me HEAVILY. WAY way, way too much! The giant baby was not breathing and blue when he was born. They could not resuscitate him and had to intubate. We are CONFIDENT that this is because of the sedation. Our hospital has a rule about intubation, no matter what, even if it was only for a few minutes, they have to send the baby to the NICU 40 minutes away. They "could not find a valid reason" that the giant baby was not breathing when born. So he stayed in the NICU for three days. The NICU staff loved and loved on the giant baby because they could touch and hold him. There was nothing wrong with him, he just needed some extra help in the start. Many of the NICU babies are so fragile they have to be covered in a special incubator for 23 hours a day with minimal stimulation. The NICU staff reserves this stimulation for the parents and family. The giant baby could be held, dressed, bathed, and fed. They were swooning over him the whole time. When we came to get our baby they were truely sad that we were claiming him. They even joked that we could leave him another day "just in case" and winked several times! We are so thankful our baby was not harmed by his traumatic birth and is alive and VERY well today!
Today we are still sucessfully breasfeeding, cloth diapering, co-sleeping, and hippie living.
The giant baby is:
A-addorable!
B-best friends with the kitties and brother
C-courageous when he wants to be
D-dancing maniac
E-excited about animals
F-funny
G-grumpy with routine
H-happy with new things, people, and places
I-innovative
J-jokester
K-kissable
L-loving
M-mama's boy
N-never alone. he hates it
O-observant, never misses a beat
P-pretty, boys can be pretty too!
Q-quite the charmer
R-rolly polly
S-so so silly
T-terrible sleeper
U-unstoppable
V-volumptuous
W-weird (he has a popcicle stick cross hanging out of his mouth as we speak)
X-Xceptional (there are NO good x words!)
Y-yeller, all the time yelling!
Z-zany
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
adventures with the giant baby
This is my take on the adventures with the giant baby. Please enjoy!
Somewhere along our adventures with the giant baby we (read mostly I) have decided to go progressively more and more hippie. Hippie is a strong word, but here in Olympia, WA, it fits! Call it what you will, green living, frugal, cheap, hippie kinda sums it up.
I have always been frugal, couponing to save money, shopping at second hand stores or discount stores to save money, etc. This summer I have taken my money saving to a new level.
WE (read mostly I) decided to cloth diaper at the beginning of the summer full time! My hubs was extremely hesitant, not really wanting to jump with two feet in if you know what I mean.
Along the way we (read WE) have grown to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, cloth diapering! WE have embraced the lifestyle whole heartedly.
Whereever I go I have found myself talking about cloth diapering, sharing information, sites, giving demonstrations, etc. With some thought, it made the most sense to start a blog devoted just to our new "hippie" lifestyle. This may include some other money saving techniques that pertain to cloth diapering, raising children and babies.
Somewhere along our adventures with the giant baby we (read mostly I) have decided to go progressively more and more hippie. Hippie is a strong word, but here in Olympia, WA, it fits! Call it what you will, green living, frugal, cheap, hippie kinda sums it up.
I have always been frugal, couponing to save money, shopping at second hand stores or discount stores to save money, etc. This summer I have taken my money saving to a new level.
WE (read mostly I) decided to cloth diaper at the beginning of the summer full time! My hubs was extremely hesitant, not really wanting to jump with two feet in if you know what I mean.
Along the way we (read WE) have grown to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, cloth diapering! WE have embraced the lifestyle whole heartedly.
Whereever I go I have found myself talking about cloth diapering, sharing information, sites, giving demonstrations, etc. With some thought, it made the most sense to start a blog devoted just to our new "hippie" lifestyle. This may include some other money saving techniques that pertain to cloth diapering, raising children and babies.
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