Crazy For Cloth Diapers!!

Farewell Blogging World

2010-07-26T14:57:00.003-04:00

To all you mom bloggers out there: you are amazing! You're encouragement and creativity brightens many people's days, even when you don't realize it. Thank you!

As for me, I am calling it quits on blogging. I just can't keep up with it and get done what I'd like to get done during the day. I've never been a person that likes the computer, so I'm not sure why I thought I would like this. Well, I do enjoy blogging, so I can't say I don't like it. I love to write and journal and encourage others. I just don't enjoy blogging enough to keep it in my busy daily schedule. To keep up with other blogs, my blog and doing the research on the side is just not worth it for me.

I am more interested in keeping up with my piano playing and starting my business teaching piano. I am also really into my new hobby: soap making. But I find that I am blogging more than I am working with my soaps, and I want it to be the other way around.

So, with that being said, I bid thee farewell. I will, however, keep this blog. I have friends who are always asking me about cloth diapers, so I will still have all the information here for anyone to use. Also, who knows? Maybe blogging will be something I want to pick up in the future.

I hope that all who read this enjoy my ramblings and good luck to you all!

Blessings and Peace,

Christie

Going on a few min-vacations!

2010-07-20T13:20:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! This will probably be my last post of the week, because I will be out of town here and there until next week. Tomorrow, my little Short Stack and I will be going back to Indiana to see a very good friend of mine, whom I haven't had a chance to actually talk to in FOREVER! So, I am very excited. We should get back in town long enough to pack up again to head an hour south of us to see my hubby's brother and his wife for the rest of the weekend.

Yes, I am buying disposable diapers today. Uh oh!! :-) Although, I guess I could technically do it with cloth if I washed them quickly when we got back home on Thursday before leaving again. But then I'd have to wash them again over the weekend at the in-law's because I don't have enough to last. So, I think I am going to be lazy this one time and buy a pack of sposies. It's been so long since I've bought a package of diapers, that I haven't the slightest clue as to what size Short Stack is in. That, at least, makes me feel less guilty about it!

Now, if only my daughter can keep up with all the traveling. She's a very cautious and sensitive child. Only time will tell!

Meal Planning

2010-07-19T14:09:00.002-04:00

I realize that I am very different than many Americans when it comes to my food, so I thought I would write about it!

Once I began my GF diet, I decided that not only was I going to change my food content, I would also change my entire view of eating and working out. Of course, it really helped that I stopped my job at about the same time. I have time to exercise now! Working out is now becoming one of my priorities, although I must admit that I am still not as committed as I want to be. But so far, I have had a full month of exercising 5 days a week (pats herself on back).

Anyway, once I began my gluten free diet, I decided that I was going to make my meals smaller and eat 5-6 meals a day now. My breakfast has always been the biggest, and that is still the same. A bowl of 100 calorie cereal plus milk just doesn't do it for me. Today I had about 1/3 cup of Red Mill's Might Tasty Hot Cereal with 2 eggs and some cheese sprinkled on top with a glass of soy milk. Like I said, I like my breakfast!! But often, I run errands during the morning, so I sometimes don't get a small meal/snack before lunch. If I do have a morning snack, it will almost always be some type of fruit.

For lunch, I only eat a sandwich or maybe some carrots and peanut butter, or something similar. Nothing big, because I get really tired right around 1 o'clock, and if I eat a lot, it just makes it worse. Then, around 2 or 3, I will have another meal/snack that usually consists of rice cake and hummus, yogurt with gluten free granola (I love Enjoy Life's Very Berry Crunch granola!), or string cheese, etc...

Dinner is most of the time something with meat, as my husband prefers. :-) I can get him to eat vegetarian if it involves spaghetti, but that's about it, ha ha! I am not a vegetarian, but personally, I think I would be if I didn't have other digestion problems. Anway, for dinner, we usually will have a meat and a vegetable, and sometimes a carb (usually potato or corn).

Now, I'm not very good about eating healthy for my last meal/snack. I will usually break open a bag of chips or scoop up a bowl of ice cream (with a lactose enzyme pill, as I am lactose intolerent) after little Short Stack goes to bed. But everyone needs a vice, right?

This diet really helps me eat healthy, as long as I plan it and have the foods available. I have to go in with the mindset that these snacks are really small meals, because if I don't, I'm reaching for the cookies or the chips. Plus, these small meals help my daughter stay happy during the day too. She snacks along with me, so if she doesn't eat as much at dinner as I want her to, I won't have a battle on my hands because I know she is getting the right foods during snack times as well.

I highly recommend small and more frequent meals rather than 3 large meals a day. It may take a little more planning, especially if you work, but I think it is worth it!

Ant Quest Day 4

2010-07-16T14:12:00.002-04:00

Well, this is Day 4 of my homemade ant trap experiment. No ants have given my borax/sugar solution a taste lately. The first day was amazing. Ants were dropping like crazy! Now, nothing. No dead ants being kicked out of their homes, no line of ants near the traps. Ants are still in my house.

I'm not sure why the homemade traps didn't work. It's been so hot out that I thought for sure the solution would have dissolved and combined. But the water is at the top and the Borax is at the bottom. And, I am guessing the sugar is at the bottom with the Borax, because wouldn't the ants want it if the sugar was mixed in the water at the top?

Anyway, I am too tired to really examine it further. I'm going on 3 days of insomnia. Which is VERY much not like me. I am a fall-asleep-the second-my-head-hits-the-pillow type of girl, and I sleep 9 hours easily with no interruptions. So today I took my zombie self and my all-too-chipper Short Stack to the hardware store and bought as many ant traps as I could and ant spray.

Ok, ants...let's dance.

Kiss My Face Peace Soap Review

2010-07-15T13:49:00.006-04:00

My good friends over at http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/ asked me to write a review for a new line of soaps by Kiss My Face. I was delighted to get this opportunity to try something new and organic!

Kiss My Face has introduced a new line of soaps called Peace Soap. Peace Soap is an all purpose Castile soap that is also 100% natural. The basic ingredients in this soap are simple: olive oil, coconut oil, hemp oil and jojoba oil. It comes in 4 amazing scents: Grassy Mint, Lavender Mandarin, Pomegranate Acai, and Lemongrass Clary Sage. The Grassy Mint makes me think of Doublemint gum, and when I use it, I always think, juicy!! Ha ha! The Lavender Mandarin has a nice citrus kick to it. The Pomegranate Acai is probably my favorite and smells fruity and sensational. The Lemongrass Clary Sage smells almost like a lemon lime drink.

I think the most important thing to tell you about the new Peace Soap line is why it is called Peace Soap in the first place. 10% of the profits support the Seeds of Peace Organization. The mission of Seeds of Peace is to help young people from regions of conflict throughout the world develop skills necessary to instill peace and coexistence in their region. This organization has been around for 17 years and has earned the recognition of the U.S. State Department as well as international recognition for their conflict resolution model. It has shown success among the youth of Pakistan, Israel, and Egypt, and now includes young people from many other nations as well.

But back to the soap! The label on the bottle says that you can use this Peace Soap "head to toe" and "ceiling to floor." So I thought I would first try it head to toe. I used it as a body wash for a couple days to get the feel of the soap. I found the soap to be very cleansing, but a bit drying for my taste. As a VERY amateur soap maker, I know that coconut oil can tend to dry out the skin, and as it is one of the main ingredients, I was not surprised. However, I did use it as a bubble bath for my 2-year-old daughter, and she had no skin problems with it at all. Kiss My Face is also coming out with a Peace Soap foaming hand cleanser line soon. I think that would be very nice!

I next tried it as an all purpose cleaner. I had no complaints with the way it cleaned. I cleaned out a very grimy baby pool with the Grassy Mint scent, and I loved the fact that the baby pool was clean and smelled amazing!! It made me want to refill it with water and jump back in! I also cleaned the entire bathroom with the Lavender Mandarin and Lemongrass Clary Sage. It cleaned just as well as the conventional products out there, in my opinion. And the best part is, you don't have to wear gloves or worry about what you or your family is inhaling while you clean. Here is a picture of my shower before using Peace Soap,

and after using Peace Soap.

I would also recommend Peace Soap for many other uses that I haven't tried. Their website has tons of ideas for how to use this soap, and most came from users themselves. I really like the idea of taking this soap camping. You can use it for everything while you camp, including washing your dishes, bathing, cleaning food; you name it, it can do it. It is also great to pack for other trips too, as that is the only soap you have to pack!

Whether you use Peace Soap or not, it is worth it to check out the Seeds of Peace organization and all they are doing. If you check out Kiss My Face's website, you will find a Pledge for Peace button. For every 10,000 people that pledge they will send one child to camp for free. I pledged just by liking it on Facebook!

In conclusion, I am very glad I have some Peace Soap on hand for anything that may come along. It is safe for everyone and everything! The cause it supports is amazing, and I urge you to check it out today. Thank you to http://www.stockpilingmoms.com/ for giving me this product to review!

Ant Quest Day 2

2010-07-14T13:58:00.004-04:00

Well, I've had my homemade ant traps outside for 24 hours now, and I can't tell if it is working or not. The ants definitely love the stuff, but I'm a little concerned because they are all dead in the traps! Here is a picture of the fatal sugar/borax party.

So, I either didn't fill the jars enough, and the ants just got stuck in there and drowned, or the borax was too strong and they were poisoned before they could get out. I'm thinking they drowned in their own happiness. Either way, they obviously were unable to get the solution back to the nest, which was my goal for ultimate ant oblivion.

I still have some ants checking out the scene as seen in this picture, so I will wait a few more days to see if they are still sniffing around, and if there are other signs the ant traps are working.

In the meantime, my little Short Stack just got some ant stomping shoes from Grandma, and she sure can entertain herself! Ha ha!

My Quest to Get Rid of the Ants!!

2010-07-13T13:49:00.003-04:00

If you stand in one spot for too long inside or outside my house, you will be taken away by the tiny 6 legged creatures that will eat anything. I'm sitting here at the kitchen table just watching the little creeps crawling into my house from under the baseboards near the back door. They are coming in at every entrance, despite the Terro traps we put out about a month ago. The traps actually are working, or at least they look like it because there are ants all over the traps and dead ones near them. But we just have soooo stinkin' many of 'em and not enough traps. They have officially eaten all but 2 of my potted containers on the deck. My beans are dead, my flowers, my strawberries, and soon, my peppers. My herb pot is really the only place I don't see them. Maybe they don't like basil?

So, I researched online last night, and I found out that Terro traps are nothing more than Borax and sugar water. Well, that should be easy to make, right? So today I'm in the process of trying it. I mixed Borax with sugar and water, and I am going to pour them into baby food jars with holes punched in the lid. I have 11 baby food jars to fill, so I'm hoping that will at least put a dent into the population. I still have to find a hammer and nail and punch holes into the lid, which is why this post is short so I can do it before Short Stack wakes up from her nap. Speaking of Short Stack, it's really cute watching her try to step on all the ants she sees. It's like a Native American dance!

No no no no no no, etc...

2010-07-12T14:12:00.004-04:00

Terrible two's, what? It is a VERY good thing that Short Stack is so darn cute. My little Short Stack is like a tasty BBQ sauce. Sweet and spicy. Actually, I think right now she can be described more as a dry "whine."

How funny is it that toddlers can say no so many times, even when they mean yes? She woke up this morning, singing the two letter word, like it was her own sweet dessert that she was savoring on her tongue. "Nooooo, noooo."

As we start our usual morning routine, I asked her if she wanted her eggs and oatmeal. She smiles and says, "No." Of course, she means yes, as the smile indicates. During breakfast, she starts whining, "No" when her sippy lid is on the milk. She wants it off. When I tell her to keep it on for now, she screams, "No!" and the tears start.

After breakfast, she goes to the fridge Alphabet magnets and starts pointing out the letters she knows. I ask, "Can you find the Y?" She lets out a pondering, "Nnnoooo," slow and low as if she were really thinking about it, as she points to the correct letter.

Now, it is time for the dreaded combing of the hair (which has been much better since putting it in rag curls, fyi). This time, it is a forceful "NO!" Then, when she realizes she has lost, she whines, "No, no, no" as if her crocodile tears might work better on mommy than the screaming. They don't.

I ask her if she wants to go see Grandma, and her eyes light up. She asks, "Cinn?" Yes, Cinnamon the dog will be there. She yells, "Bye Bye!" I say, "are you ready to go bye bye?" She ponders again, "Nnnooo."

I know she has so many other words in her vocabulary right now. She can use them if she wants. But "No" is her teddy bear, her blankie, her fall-back plan on any question she may or may not understand. And I only pray there will be a yes coming soon! Ha ha!!!

Gluten Free Products From General Mills

2010-07-08T14:46:00.003-04:00

I have to give props to General Mills. They have an entire website for gluten free living. On this website they give a list of their products that are gluten free. I am amazed at some of their products! They have gluten free foods from brand names such as Betty Crocker (including cake and icing!!!!!), Hamburger Helper, Chex, Green Giant, Nature Valley, Larabar, Progresso, and Yoplait. That's pretty impressive. Oh, and Bisquick is coming out with GF foods soon!

Disclaimer: Ok, so I have to admit, I don't eat any of these products with the exception of Chex. I just don't eat processed foods or foods with perservatives. Well, most of the time, at least. It's not that I'm against it, I just find that making foods from scratch myself is cheaper.

But back to the good news. I think that this website is advertising genius. Not only that, but the website says that All General Mills products that meet GF requirements are clearly labeled as gluten free on that product.

If other food companies can do the gluten free labeling on their product labels, I think they would see a lot more money. It takes all the guess work out of grocery shopping and it really takes the stress off of the buyer. I personally have bought one specific brand over another only because the label of the brand I bought said it was gluten free.

This website also has resources, information, and recipes included. One of my problems with going gluten free is finding fun appetizers and snacks for parties that I can eat too. I found so many good ideas from their list.

I am in no way affiliated with General Mills, nor do I know anyone who works for them. But here's a shout out to their marketing department!

bumGenius 4.0!

2010-07-08T14:27:00.003-04:00

Well, it looks like Cotton Babies has heard us. Finally, their best selling pocket diaper now comes in snaps! If you like bumGenius 3.0 pocket diapers, but don't like the hook and loop, check out the 4.0's!

There are some other differences in bumGenius 4.0 as well, including:

"Generous sizing to accommodate larger babies." I hope this doesn't mean it won't fit thin babies anymore!
Replaceable elastic. This will be nice, especially if you want to sell it afterwards and the elastic is shot.
New colors!!! They have added 3 colors: Bubble, Sweet, and Noodle. Although it looks like they don't offer it in some of their other colors like Clementine and Ribbit. I'm excited about the purple!

As stated earlier, I am a snap girl only. I actually converted all of my 3.0s into snap closures.

It looks like they are offering preorders, so order yours today! This is a great entry diaper into the cloth diapering world. So, if you have never used cloth diapers, I recommend this as one of a few brands to try first.

Did anyone get to see bumGenius and other cloth diapering mamas on the Today Show this morning? I missed it. :-( This was a fantastic way to get America talking about cloth!!

I DID IT!!

2010-07-07T14:19:00.002-04:00

I FINALLY figured out how to change this account over!! And it only took me 20 minutes! Seriously, this just makes my day. Ahh, the little things in life. :-)

Possible Blog Change

2010-07-07T13:55:00.002-04:00

Here's the deal. I am trying to get this blog moved to a different account, but it doesn't seem to be working. I may have to change blog names all together, which mean I may lose all of my followers! Any help anyone has out there would be appreciated! If not, well, I guess I will have to start from scratch. Wish me luck! I only have about an hour left of Short Stack's naptime, so I may not get it done today. We'll see!

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

2010-07-06T14:50:00.002-04:00

My husband came home one day and asked me if I could make a BLT pizza for dinner sometime. He had one at a local pizza place and wanted to try it. Well, being gluten free, I was trying to decide whether or not to make my own pizza with pre-made GF personal pizza crusts that cost $7.99 at my grocery store, or try to make one pizza for the whole family. While still being expensive, I chose to try the adventure of making my own pizza dough. It is just easier to be able to make the same thing for all of us so I don't have to worry about cross-contamination.

I got a book from the library that had all sorts of recipes from different flour blends. It was a great book that explained the difference in all these flours and how to get nutrition you may lack being GF. The book is called, "Gluten-Free Hassle Free A Simple, Sane Dietitian-Approved Program for Eating Your Way Back to Health," by Marlisa Brown, MS RD CDE CD. I adapted her recipe for Italian Pizza:

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup potato starch
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour
3/4 cup warm skim milk
3/4 cup warm water
1 packet dry yeast
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup rice flour

1. Mix first four flours together. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of flour blend with 3/4 cup warm milk and 1/4 cup warm water. Add yeast, sugar, 1/8 cup olive oil, and 1 tsp salt. Mix together, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for 45 minutes.

2. Mix remaining flour with the remaining salt and xanthan gum. Mix together with yeasted mixture with 1/4-1/2 cup warm water and cider vinegar for about 3-4 minutes, until the dough is a nice soft consistency that holds together but is not too wet.

3. Knead and form the dough into a ball; cover and let rest for about 15 minutes. If too wet, add brown rice flour until a nice consistency.

4. Preheat oven to 450.

5. Drizzle a large flat pizza pan with olive oil and sprinkle with cornmeal.

6. Turn pizza dough out of bowl and shape and flatten, spreading out over pizza pan. Add brown rice flour if dough is too wet, and work it in as you fit the dough onto the pan, until the pan is completely covered with pizza dough (leave a thicker ridge around the edges). If the dough is too dry or crumbly, wet hands or a spatula and rub it across the top to smooth it out.

7. Sprinkle top of dough with some olive oil and oregano and let sit for about 20 minutes.

8. Place dough in the oven and precook for about 15 minutes.

9. I used Alfredo sauce as my sauce, then topped it with cheese, bacon, and tomato.

10. Bake for about 25 minutes, until crust is crispy. I left it in for that long, and mine was overdone, but not burnt, so I say 20 minutes.

11. When I took the pizza out of the oven, I added lettuce. My family doesn't like mayo, but if we did, that would probably be drizzled on top.

It was tasty! I will say I won't do it again until winter probably. It's sooo hot here!

Swim Diaper Update

2010-07-05T13:39:00.003-04:00

I posted earlier in the summer about my Short Stack's swim diaper woes. Long story short, we bought a swimsuit with a built-in swim diaper that she hates with a passion. I'm too cheap to buy another swim diaper and bathing suit for the rest of the season because Short Stack hardly gets in the water in the first place. And I'm not buying disposables. I just can't bring myself to do it. :-)

So, as an alternative, I decided to use an old diaper cover that I don't like and doesn't work very well. I found a cheap swim top at Meijer. So cheap that the first time I took it off of her, the strap broke! I am not the best seamstress, but at least I know how to tack on a strap, so I didn't have to go back and get a refund. Yes, I'm not only cheap, but I'm lazy too. :-)

Well, the top is a go. It's loose enough she doesn't scream when I have to peel it off of her. The diaper cover as a swim dipe, however, not a go. I put it on her, and she immediately said, "No, No!" It was very uncomfortable to her. I was kind of bummed, because it was this bright orange that perfectly matched the top. Boo! But, I do understand why she didn't like it. Without a diaper insert, the cover was big and kind of bulky, and it didn't form to her well.

So, I'm back to using a pocket diaper cover. It has a soft lining inside, so she has no complaints. I am going to use the same one so that I don't ruin any others. It is my only Haute Pocket diaper I have, but it doesn't fit her well anymore now that she is tall and skinny. It has leaked the last 2 times I've used it as a diaper because her legs are too thin. It has probably the softest lining of all my dipes, too.

Next year, I am just going to buy a cheap reusable swim diaper, and build the swim suit around that!

The Successful Woman??

2010-07-02T14:26:00.004-04:00

A friend I know was commenting the other day on how much she wanted to be like a mutual friend who went to school, worked, and raised her children all at the same time. She thought that was so cool to be able to "do it all." Another woman I know is currently working a high stress job, starting her own additional business, teaching college classes, and raising her kids. When she talked to me about it, she said she was doing it all to have a nice retirement in the end.

Now I will probably offend some by saying this, but this is what a blog is for, right? To give my opinions? So here goes. As much as we like to think these two examples are the women we want to be, why are we trying to be like this? Aren't we overworking ourselves, compromising our health, our happiness, and our families?

More importantly, in my opinion, who says that this is the definition of "doing it all?" For me, this meant working and taking care of my daughter. I was not taking care of myself, my marriage, my home, and my beloved pets. Even my car suffered with the lack of oil changes and tire rotations because I just didn't have the time. This is not doing it all. This is doing the bare minimum to keep my head above water so that I can bring home a supplemental income. This is what I went to college for and got my Master's degree for. This is what was expected of me.

I think what got to me most in the two examples I gave was that these two women who were doing it all were lacking one major success: their contentment. I know them personally. The first woman has a roommate for a husband and two grown kids who are unable to support themselves financially. The second woman is unhappy and lonely, but adds on other projects to fill a void that she doesn't know is there. On the flip side, I know many many women who should be in the workforce and they are better moms because of it. I have a friend who would probably be at home depressed eating bon-bons if she wasn't working, and that is not good for her child!

Now a-days for me personally, I feel that "doing it all" means to improve my wellness in all forms, spiritually, physically, and mentally. It means to give my husband the time he deserves with the woman he chose to spend the rest of his life with. It means to make sure my daughter gets all my love that I can possibly give, even at the end of the day when we are both tired. And the same goes to my pets as well. I adopted them for a reason, and that wasn't to just sit around a house bored and lonely all day. This is what doing it all means to me.

Every woman is different, isn't that what we teach? So why are we all trying to be the same? So I say, enjoy your life as you are right now, not when retirement comes. Enjoy your children while you can and spend time with them, because that alone can mean success or failure in their adult lives. Whether you are working outside or inside the home, it doesn't matter. Success and "doing it all" depend only on your perspective!

Whole Foods Rocks!

2010-07-01T14:07:00.002-04:00

It's July 1st, and I have my windows open! Yay! That's about the biggest thing that has happened to me today. It's been gorgeous outside, and we have enjoyed it by staying home and relaxing. I pulled some weeds, did some laundry, and that's 'bout it so far!

For those who are reading for the first time, I am gluten free now. I'm trying to find recipes that are edible and healthy at the same time that contain different flours in them. I decided to trek it up to Whole Foods (about 40 minutes away, so it's not that bad) to see what they had.

Whole Foods officially rocks my world. Not only did they have every flour I had on my list to try, they had so much more. Most of the brand-name items were cheaper there than at my local grocery store. For example, Whole Foods had Envirokids cereals for 2.89 a box, whereas my grocer sells this same item for 3.99 a box. Food for Life brown rice bread was 3.49 at Whole Foods, and my grocer has it for 4.79. This list continues for many of the items I buy. Plus, they sell so many local items, including local honey. I have been on the search for local honey for a while now to help with my allergies, and I can't seem to find it anywhere, not even the farmer's market. So I was pretty pumped when I found this.

I know, I am just now discovering something that everyone already knows about. Kind of like someone watching Toy Story 1 for the first time. What, you mean you've never seen it?! :-) I think I am still getting used to living in a suburb of a big city. Back in my small town life, we didn't have Whole Foods, or any other specialty store for that matter. We were lucky to get an extra blinking-only-red stop light. So, yes, I may be a bit sheltered.

I can't wait to go to Whole Foods again! I'm going to be stocking up on many things. And they have online coupons too. Yay!

What Breaks My Heart?

2010-06-30T13:59:00.002-04:00

Don't you ever feel like you need to do something? I'm not talking about the times when the baby is taking a nap, and you are relaxing, thinking, "I should really wash the dishes and scrub the toilet." No, I'm talking about doing something. Something big. Radical. Don't you wish sometimes that you could make a difference in this word that affects tons of people for good?

I do. I want to serve. No. I need to serve. Every fiber in my being is aching to do something, to be a part of something big. I find it so difficult to accomplish this on my own. I have Short Stack's schedule, my dear hubby's agenda, and just "stuff" that needs to get done. If I focus on the hassle of the day, I will never be able to achieve any more than that hassle.

I want to do something that the rest of the world thinks is crazy. I guess I kind of did that with quitting my good paying job to stay at home with Short Stack. But I don't think that's so crazy.

I have so many ideas and thoughts that pop into my head that I can do to serve others. I am like a horse that has yet to be broken. Wild horses have all this power and talent, yet all they can do is run and kick and buck and destroy the corral. When the horse is broken, the horse can channel that power into something useful and with purpose. I have all this power and talent, but I'm running and kicking everywhere because I have not been broken.

The band, Switchfoot, has a song called "Yet." In it, they say, "if it doesn't break your heart it's not enough. It's when you're breaking down with your insides coming out, that's when you find out what your heart is made of."

What breaks my heart? I have so many things, I feel like I have too much compassion sometimes. But if I can find that one thing that stands out above the rest, maybe, just maybe I can channel my talents into something useful and with purpose that can truly change a part of this world.

Maybe I will think more about this as I am doing the dishes and scrubbing the toilet. :-)

The Joys of Swimming

2010-06-29T14:01:00.003-04:00

Well, I decided to go for it this year and buy a swim diaper that was pretty pricey online because of the brand. I liked the swimsuit my little Short Stack had last year, so I went with the same kind. I bought an Iplay one piece swimsuit that has a built in reusable diaper. Unfortunately, even though my tastes have not changed, Short Stack's has changed. Ugh.

My daughter is TERRIFIED of water. It is a life or death situation with her. Last year, she had fun. I wouldn't say she was confident, but she enjoyed herself. This year we are having to re-teach her, which I expected. I did not expect the shear terror that filled her eyes when she saw other people happily jumping in the water or when she saw mommy dunk her head under and swim the breast stroke. My bad, didn't realize that was going to cause a meltdown.

Thankfully, we are improving by leaps and bounds. This past weekend, we took her to our church's weekly high school gathering at a pool, and she watched everyone else having a blast, and she decided it was time to put away her fear and go for it. I was so proud of her! She let mommy take her away from the steps and side of the pool. She even put her face in the water a couple of times. Not only that, but she wanted to jump off the side of the pool like the big kids! That was a MAJOR accomplishment. She is still leery and doesn't want to get her head wet, but the shear terror is not there anymore, and she asks to go to the pool now.

As a result of her early terror, her swimsuit is no longer an option. Every time she saw the yellow one piece death trap, she cried. Now she only wants to swim with her diaper. All of my diapers are PUL, so I don't want to use them too much because of the damage the chlorine can do to the fabric.

So, instead of buying a new swim diaper or buying disposable swim diapers, I've decided I'm going to use an old diaper cover that I hate. I have a few hook and loop diaper covers that aren't in good enough shape to resell that I don't think I will use again. After all, swim diapers don't hold in the pee, only the poo. And a diaper cover will do the same thing, right? That is my rationale.

Of course, as soon as Short Stack realizes the water is not an evil baby devouring dragon, the weather gets cool. I love the irony!

Can Rag Curls Help Kick Her Habit?

2010-06-28T13:54:00.003-04:00

Happy Monday to you all! My day has been so blessed so far. I am having so much fun staying at home, it's scary! I thought I would share today my little project I have with my daughter and her annoying and painful habit of hair twirling. :-)

So, Short Stack, as we like to call her, doesn't suck her thumb, she doesn't use a pacifier, and she isn't really attached to any one toy. What she is attached to is her hair! Morning, noon, and night, she will twirl her hair around her thumb. She does this much more when she is tired, but she also does it when she's bored, riding in a car, shy, and especially right before she goes to bed and when she wakes up in the morning. She will be awake for a half hour and not tell me, but she will be wrapping that hair around her thumb the entire time.

Now, you can imagine what this does to her hair. I wish I had a picture of the knots that she puts into it. It drives me crazy! Some mornings I will come into her room to find hair all over her crib. I know I'm not supposed to diagnosis myself or family members, but I have to admit, I did get a fear that she was developing trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling that results in hair loss). She doesn't pull out her hair on purpose, though. What happens is she gets her thumb stuck in her hair and rips out her thumb.

I have been trying to find a solution. When she's awake, it isn't too bad, because she responds to my gentle redirection. But when I'm not around, that thumb starts working overtime! I seriously considered dreds for a split second. But, being as I have never done this before, and I love her flowing locks of mousy brown, I thought twice. I tried to braid it before bedtime, but the hair around her forehead came out before she even laid down, and that part of the head is the biggest victim of the perpetrating thumb.

So, I thought I would try rag curls. She can sleep in the rags without it bugging her too much. And with the hair tied up in the rags, it should protect the hair. Yesterday I cut an old T-shirt into strips of about 1 1/2 inches by 5 inches. Then I rolled up small portions of her hair into each strip and tied them in a knot. She looked like she belonged in Little House on the Prairie! It was cute. She was curious about them, but didn't react as much as I thought. During our bedtime story, she tried twirling, but ended up twirling the rag instead. She did pull on a rag in front a few times, and I wonder if it was because it was too close to her face.

This morning when I came into her room, she was able to get that one rag closest to her face pulled out. But I could tell she had just did it because of the amount of the curl in her hair, and it was not in a knot. It worked for the first night! And her hair is CUTE. I tried to get a pic of it right out of the rags on my phone, so these pics might not be the best. This was before I even combed the curls out with my fingers. Hopefully it will work for a while until that thumb is put into his place!! Ha ha!

No Worries, It's Friday!

2010-06-25T13:25:00.004-04:00

Ahh, Friday. A day filled with hope and promise. And cleaning. And laundry. And cooking. I love it. Really, I do...for now. Being a stay at home mom for a week has me going gang-buster on the house and cranking up the stereo with some Flyleaf. My daughter is loving it too, even "helping" me dust and dancing in the living room giggling up a storm. I know this energy for housework will probably dwindle in the next coming weeks, so I figured I'd take advantage of it and give the home some much needed TLC.

I absolutely love staying at home. I have complete control over what my daughter eats for snacks and lunch and when she naps. When she has a poopy diaper, I can clean it off right away instead of it sitting in a wet bag all day waiting for me to empty it after work. My lovely daughter is such a moody and anxious child by nature, and now she is on a more stable routine to give her the security she needs to be a happier child. I have taken some stress off of my husband by doing the laundry (it used to be his job), taking care of the trash and the recycling; but most of all, when he comes home from his "oh-what-fun, 8-5, no raise in 5 years" job, he isn't coming home to a screaming child and a cantankerous wife.

The world says I should probably worry about money. Indeed, we may be heading for some financial difficulties. My job gave us quite a boost in our income. And did I mention dear hubby hasn't had a raise in 5 years? So to say we need to cut some corners is an understatement. I should probably worry about this. But how can one worry when one is so happy? This is not the kind of happy that comes from the world. This is the joy that can only come from knowing that your life is in God's hands. This is His plan for me right now. I'm sure of it. So, why should I worry about money? It is an earthly possession. My mind is not on this earth, but what comes next. To God be the glory for the things that He has done, and will do!

Cloth isn't all fun and games!

2010-06-24T15:15:00.004-04:00

As much as I love to talk about cloth diapers and encourage others to try them for at least 2 weeks, I have a gripe. Well, the gripe might not be about the diapers specifically. Just me complaining.

I bought mostly one-size diapers when I started my stash. In fact, all of the diapers I am using right now are one-size. It seemed like less of a hassle in the long run and cheaper. My daughter was fitting perfectly in the second size of the diapers (there are 3 sizes in all). Now that she is older and close to potty training (I hope), she graduated to the largest size! She's getting big!

As I began the large size on my diapers, I noticed that she is way too skinny for that size, but she is too tall for the medium size. Grr! There is no way I am buying more diapers (although that would be really fun) to fit her for just a few more months. So we will deal with droopy drawers and "wings" at the waist.

My other gripe is that I think I need to change my detergent, and I just recently stockpiled on the detergent I was using. That's right, I have like 8 more bottles in my basement. Ah, the irony. I think I need to change the detergent because my diapers seem to be stinkier in the diaper pail than they used to be. My new ones are great, no problems. But the older ones need a little freshening up. I don't need to strip them, as I am having no repelling issues. All well, at least I can use the detergent for my regular laundry, and at least the smell isn't as bad as a diaper genie. I cannot stand the smell of those things. Just my personal opinion, of course!

In the mean time, I will enjoy my skinny minny, and hope the bottles in my basement do not get together and multiply. :-)

The Flip Diaper

2010-06-23T13:54:00.004-04:00

So, I bought a Flip Diaper to try out a while back, and I'm just now getting around to talking about it. The Flip One-Size Diaper System is a diaper that is composed of an insert and a diaper cover. Basically, you place the insert in the cover and that's it. No pins or other types of fasteners are needed because the cover holds the insert into place with a little pocket, or flap, on the front and back. You can choose between a microfiber insert and an organic cotton insert. The cover and the insert are one size, so it grows with your baby.

The cover is very nice. It has contoured legs so it fits snugly to your baby. It has a double row of snaps for closure, so no hook and loop (Velcro) is there to snag your other diapers in the wash. I have not only used this cover with the flip insert, but with other prefolds and WAHM inserts as well. I haven't had a leak yet, and I've used it overnight too. The only problems I have found with the cover is that I only have one! The washing instructions say to line dry the cover, so that might be important to note.

Although I haven't had a problem with the stay dry microfiber inserts from Cottonbabies, I chose the organic cotton insert because I have less stink issues with the cotton than I do the microfiber. It's just my preference. The cotton insert is a prefold diaper that has some serious absorbency power to it. It could beat any diaper I have at the moment in a leak test. My only complaint (and it really isn't a big deal) is that the insert can be a bit bulky. It is not as bulky as a fitted that has the same amount of leak protection, though. I did have a bit of trouble at first getting the diaper to fold under the flap in the cover that holds it in. I mostly had trouble because I wasn't used to the thicker insert. As for washing, no problems. It dries as quick as a pocket diaper insert and quicker than many all-in-ones.

Overall, I would highly recommend this diaper to mommies and daddies. It is easy to use, has superior leak protection, and it is cheaper than my organic all-in-ones. I'm happy with it, and I think others will be too!

~Christie

I'M BACK!!

2010-06-15T13:35:00.003-04:00

Well, well, that was quite a hiatus, wasn't it? Did I spell hiatus correctly? The spell checker says I did. Hmm...

I am officially not working...kind of. I have a conference next week: no big deal. I signed up to sub in the school district I work for; I only need to sub 3 days a week to keep on payroll. Again, not a big deal. I am so ecstatic to be slowing my life down. It is liberating, to say the least. I truly feel for those who are unable to do what they want to do in life. For me, I wasn't doing what I wanted to do because I was scared. Now, I have given everything to God. My finances included. I know He will provide. I still fear the unknown, but I will not let it rule my life, because I am so unhappy when it does.

I am starting a new phase in my life. This is the first time in about 15 years I have not worked. But this isn't the only thing new. As some already know, I have been diagnosed with Celiac disease, which is an allergy to wheat gluten (fyi, Celiac is not in the spell checker). I have been a huge carb girl since forever, so this was a shocker. But the transition hasn't been too terrible so far. I've always liked trying and cooking new things, and I never really bought much processed food anyway (for those who don't know, gluten can hide in a lot of processed foods). The biggest difficulty I have found is getting my husband and daughter on board and not contaminating myself with their evil gluten habits. :-)

So, this is my new project. To cook not only for me, but finding recipes that everyone will eat. I would love, love, love to be able to make some bread that my daughter will eat. But being a toddler and a very picky eater, that may take quite some time! So, sorry if all of you cloth diaper lovers get on my blog and see all these gluten free posts. I've become a little obsessed, as any newly diagnosed Celiac should!

I will try not to take up all my time writing about gluten free topics and get some good cloth info in here too. Which reminds me, I have a review to write about the Flip diaper! I will try to get that out tomorrow.

By the way, I just ate my lunch. Tilapia tacos with cucumbers, and yogurt (Tilapia is also not in spell checker). It was actually not that bad! Supper tonight is steak kabobs on rice. Mmm!

Taking a Break

2010-05-03T13:00:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone! I just wanted y'all to know that I am going to be taking a month off of blogging. Obviously, I'm not keeping up with it because of all that is going on here, so I figured I would just post this to let you know that I am still planning on blogging on a more frequent and consistent basis, but it will have to be either after school is out completely, or after things settle down a bit in school (if it ever does).

With this being said, I can now officially share my good news! My wonderful husband has agreed with me to try a year off of working and see what happens financially. I AM NOT GOING BACK TO WORK! WOO HOO!!!!! I cannot tell you how blessed I feel right now. I am amazed at how wonderful God is, and He truly does answer prayers. I fully believe this is God's will for me right now. I will probably go back to work sooner or later, but in what career, the sky is the limit!

Since we are losing a major chunk of our income, I do need to add more piano students...a lot more. Either that, or start selling soaps. Or donating plasma. But I am confident that God will provide.

I will still be answering any cloth diaper questions you may have, so feel free to contact me anytime. So long for now, and I will be back this summer!

~Christie

What do I write about today?

2010-04-30T14:18:00.004-04:00

It's interesting how my weeks work. When I'm busy, I can't think of a thing to write about. When I have some time on my hands, I'm full of ideas. As you can see, I'm super busy. Here is what is going on in my life right now.

AP. Those two letters make me cringe right about now. Being the AP Coordinator for a large high school should mean an automatic free trip to the Bahamas. I try not to complain about work, so I won't talk too much about it, but I am super excited to be DONE.

My health. A few years ago, I got a biopsy done, and they found Celiac disease, which is the wheat gluten allergy. Yay. But then they did blood tests and found nothing. Cool. Over a year ago, they found that my liver enzymes were elevated, and they still are. Huh? Turns out, Celiac can cause that. Uh oh. Now, my gastroenterologist has decided he wants to put me on the dreaded diet. Sigh. I don't have the normal symptoms, but I am always sooo tired, and I was sicker than sick all winter with what seemed every contagious disease known to man. I currently have a severe form of GERD (Reflux), and I'm lactose intolerant, and now I need to go on this even stricter diet?? You've got to be kidding me. My insurance better pay for a dietician.

So yeah, that's about what is going on with me. Well, except for one great big awesome thing that I can't talk about yet but soon (no, I'm not pregnant). :-)

What a great day...

2010-04-23T14:37:00.002-04:00

No sarcasm in this title. I truly feel blessed to be here today. I read a line in a book this morning that I want to share: "If you are still alive on this planet, it's because He has something for you to do." It seems surreal that I have such an important purpose, but I love to feel needed.

I am loving every minute of the day today. My little short-stack slept in today, which was much needed after spending the week in daycare and not taking her naps. Then after a big breakfast, she let me vacuum, dust, clean the toilets, and get 2 loads of laundry done. All before 10:30! She even played while I was able to get a tiny workout in.

It is cloudy and rainy outside, but I love it. We need the rain, as it has been a pretty dry April. We can't go out and play today, but it's worth it. And it keeps me in the house to get caught up on my cooking. I'm making chicken broth with the leftover bones of the past 2 nights of dinner. I'm making my famous family loved meatloaf tonight, so I know that eating will not be a fight, as it often is with my EXTRA PICKY eater. Then after she goes to bed, it's movie night with the best husband in the world!

So, I hope I have done something today that fits with my purpose in life. Being able to just be at home with my precious family, well, I think it does.

Guest Post...Sort Of

2010-04-20T20:23:00.004-04:00

My uncle sent me something he received from a pastor at his church, and I just have to share it. It pretty much sums up everything that I believe in regarding the environment and my faith, and I'm excited to see my thoughts put into words. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

STEWARDSHIP AND EARTH WEEK 2010: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

There is a "great gulf fixed" between Christians over the extent to which we should be concerned about earth and the environment. As always, what should determine our approach to this controversial matter is not OUR OPINIONS, but rather, GOD'S WORD. If the "earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 24:1; 1 Cor. 10:26), why should Christians have a blatant disregard for its preservation? Colossians 1:16 says:

"For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him" ...KJV

If all things were created BY HIM and FOR HIM, shouldn't Christians be LEADING the way in our concern for HIS CREATION? You don't have to like Al Gore or believe his book An Inconvenient Truth, or believe that human beings are the ultimate cause of global warming. But as a Christian you should recognize God has entrusted the care of the earth to us (Gen 1:26), that we have not been doing a good job at it, and of whom much is given, much will be required. God has given us this task of stewarding His creation, and we need to do a better job of it.

In 1994, Chuck Colson wrote in his book The Body:

We should be contending for truth in every area of life. Not for power or because we are taken with some trendy cause, but humbly to bring glory to God. For this reason, Christians should be the most ardent ecologists. Not because we would rather save spotted owls than cut down trees whose bark provides lifesaving medicine, but because we are mandated to keep the Garden, to ensure that the beauty and grandeur God has reflected in nature is not despoiled. We should care for animals. Not because whales are our brothers, but because animals are part of God's kingdom over which we are to exercise dominion.

While the animal rights movement has gone to extremes, the fact is that God created us to be stewards of animals. He holds us accountable for how we treat them. "The godly care for their animals...." (Proverbs 12:10, NLT). We are caretakers for the animals, but they belong to God, not us: "For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird on the mountains, and all the animals of the field are mine" (Psalm 50:10-11, NLT).

When it comes to concern for the environment, I have no interest in following conservatives or liberals. I am called to be a follower of Christ, no matter who that aligns me with on any given issue. I care about defending the unborn and the sanctity of marriage and the value of business, so some would consider me a conservative. I care about the poor and racial equality and the environment and humane treatment of animals, so some might label me a liberal.

I'm with Rick Warren who said, "I'm not left-wing or right-wing; I'm for the WHOLE BIRD!" Who cares about labels? Let's seek to follow the whole counsel of God and refuse to conform to the agenda of others. Just remember, on this Earth Day (April 22), your "re-cycling" can be an act of worship...not of the CREATION, but of the CREATOR!

Blessings,

Derwin Ward
Associate Pastor
Hamilton Christian Center
Hamilton, OH

Passing on the Sunshine!!

2010-04-20T14:11:00.000-04:00

For those of you that may remember, my blog award happened quite awhile ago! But, being a type B personality and putting things off (but not procrastinating, mind you, I don't put things off because I don't like to do it, but because I'm a little flaky at times), I'm just now getting to spreading the sunshine!

I totally did not expect to hear from Turning the Clock Back that I received an award. That's awesome! It's my first award, and I love it! Now, it is my job to pass along this award to 12 of my favorite bloggers. Keep reading, there are rules to follow if you accept this award...
Put the logo on your blog or within your post,Pass the award onto 12 bloggers,Link the nominees within your post,Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
See, easy, right? So, in no particular order I will include 12 of my favorite blogs below. Check them out and see for yourself why I think they deserve this beautiful award!

1. "Popp"ing out one letter at a time

2. Aging Mommy

3. Baby To Green

4. Cars, Trucks, and Teething Rings

5. Fitteds and Pockets and Snappies, Oh My!

6. Finding My Weigh

7. Faith's Angels Blog

8. Snuggle Buggle Rock Mom

9. The Perils of My Thirty-something Life

10. Spotted Smiles

11. Florida Frugal Family

12. A Lil' of This and A Lil' Of That

~Christie~

Swim Diapers!

2010-04-16T20:07:00.003-04:00

It is almost time to go swimming!!! Woo Hoo! So, I thought I would post on the subject of swim diapers.

What are swim diapers?

Swim diapers are diapers for babies and toddlers that don't swell up like regular diapers. They are meant to trap feces and keep bowel movements from entering the water. They can be either reusable or disposable.

Do swim diapers work?

The jury is still out on this one. According to the CDC, swim diapers may hold in feces, but some contamination may still occur. There just isn't enough research out there to know how effective these diapers are. The CDC focuses primarily on diarrhea and not to go swimming when your child is ill. (insert Duh! statement here).

Why use swim diapers?

It seems that most of the websites out there selling swim diapers report that 27 states now mandate the use of swim diapers in public pools. However, I could not find a list of those 27 states. The only thing I found was a list of states and their pool regulations on the CDC website. With all this being said, a lot of private pools/clubs/spas require the use of swim diapers. Despite what the CDC says, many pools and spas are sold on the swim diaper idea.

Reusable or disposable?

Whether or not you use cloth diapers on a regular basis, using a reusable swim diaper is a great economic choice. Disposables are cray expensive, and if you are a frequent pool user, this can definitely add up. A reusable swim diaper has a waterproof layer on the outside and an absorbent layer on the inside. You can buy one swim diaper and use it for the entire season for anywhere between $4.99-$13.99. It's not hard to take care of, either. You wash and line dry just like you would the swimsuit anyway.

Additional info and websites

Many manufacturers of reusable diapers sell entire swimsuits with the swim diaper sewn right inside. I just bought my daughter an adorable tanksuit from iPlay. I used this brand last year, and the fabric was nice and snug fitting all year long and really held up. That and the designs are fun. They are kind of pricey, but I just couldn't help myself. :-) Here is a picture of her last year in her swim diaper tanksuit.

Here are some websites where you can find reusable swim diapers:

http://www.myswimbaby.com/

http://www.everydaydiapers.com/

http://www.diaperjunction.com/swim-diapers.html

And, please, for the love of all that is sacred, don't let your baby swim with diarrhea! :-)

Links We All Like For Cloth

2010-04-13T20:19:00.003-04:00

I have so many websites that I have used to teach myself about cloth diapers, wipes, and the whole system, but I know that there are so many others out there! So, I thought I would start a list going, but I need your help. If you like a website that you rely on for how to's, purchasing, or anything else cloth diaper related, post a link in the comment section of this post, and I will add it to the list that you can see on the side bar. Here are a few to get us started that I like. If you have your own website or blog for cloth diaper information, feel free to post it as well!

http://www.diaperswappers.com/
http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/
http://www.nickisdiapers.com/
http://www.diaperpin.com/
http://www.zany-zebra.com/
http://www.kellyscloset.com/
http://www.cottonbabies.com/
http://www.diaperjungle.com/

GUEST POST!!!

2010-04-12T12:48:00.012-04:00

A few weeks ago, I got the privilege to post on Florida Frugal's blog to talk about the economical benefits of using cloth diapers. Now, I am delighted to have her on my blog to talk about organ donation. Every time I read this article, I bawl like a baby. If you don't read anything else today, READ THIS!!! Hopefully it will inspire you to truly think about the IMPORTANCE of organ donation. This post is also on her daughter's COTA blog as well at http://cotaforsavannaha.com/node/989. Savannah is absolutely beautiful, and you will fall in love with those dark brown eyes; so check out her page if you can!

"April is Organ Donation Awareness Month....3 years ago I would have read this and thought. I am an organ donor. I have it on my driver's license...and never would I have had a second thought about it. I certainly do not think I would have brought up the conversation with my hubby....not a serious one. The most serious conversation about death that we had up until 3 years ago was my threat to haunt him because he said he would freeze my body and make sure I had no socks on....my feet are always cold....that is just wrong!
I think I was a pretty typical organ donor...I knew it was the right thing but never really spoke about it. Then on December 5, 2006 the most precious little girl was born. Her name was Savannah Isabella. I carried her in my body for so long that I remember telling Robert that I just wanted to keep her in there...I could protect her in there...I did not want her to come out of me and into the world where harm could come to her....little did I know the journey she would be facing. Little did I know how much she would change the way I look at the Gift of Organ Donation.
She was here...she was perfect.

I remember the day we went home from the hospital with our baby girl...she had all 5 fingers and all 5 toes...what more could I ask for?
I always new I was lucky. I found a man to love and who loves me unconditionally. I have woken up on so many days and told him that I was just so surprised that it was possible to love him anymore then I already do and yet my love continues to grow...how can I love someone with all of my heart and yet have it grow? I had no idea that the love one has for a child can be so real...so intense...so deep. It is so different then anything I have ever felt before...I loved my baby more then I can ever explain in words...but if you are a mother, a father, then I do not need to explain it.
At 4 months of age I took my daughter to see a man that will always be a hero to us. This man was a pediatric GI...a fancy title for such a caring man. His name was Dr. Leon Reinstein. He was the man who looked at us in the eyes and told us our baby was sick...very sick. "It can be a long list of things"...as he proceeded with his explanation, Robert chimes in and asks, "What is the worst case scenario?"...Dr. Reinstein says, "she could have Biliary Atresia". The rollercoaster began...this same day we were off to get labs drawn and to try to soak in the information we were given...our 4 month old baby could be dying. We got in the car and drove and at some point between the tears we decided to take her to the beach for the first time...this day would not be all about the tears. Here is my Warrior Princess with her Super Papi on this April day with the first of what is to be many bandaids on her little arm from lab draws.

We soon learned that our baby needed a liver biopsy to confirm that she had Biliary Atresia...the first of many hospital visits. On this day we walked in expecting a needle biopsy (scary words for a new mami) and found out her organs had too much fluid around them and this would not be an option. Dr. Reinstein worked his magic and had a surgeon perform the biopsy within hours.
When the surgeon came out he looked at Robert and myself and said, "my heart skipped a beat when I felt your daughters liver" and placed the photos of her liver on the table. She will need a liver transplant to live. At this moment my heart stopped. I could no longer feel my heart beating.

Savannah grew an infection after the biopsy. She had to go back into the hospital...my tiny, perfect little girl had to fight for her life. We sat in a room with 4 other babies and a curtain seperating us...the machines beeping all day long. We had all kinds of doctors coming to visit but the memory we have is of a man with a big smile shaking our legs with a soft whisper in the early hours. It was Dr. Reinstein, he always told us the truth no matter how hard it was to hear but it would tell you with such a caring and comforting way that it gave you hope...hope that she had good people surrounding her and good people wanting to save her.
After 2 weeks in the hospital sleeping in a chair we learned that we had to leave this hospital and find another...you see....this hospital did not do liver transplants...this hospital did not do any transplants. There are special hospitals that specialize in transplants and we had to find one..and a pediatric hospital at that. We had not slept. We have barely eaten. We can barely breathe. Now we have to find a hospital to transplant our child. I got an email from my cousin, Janid. She wanted to know if we had considered The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP)...I am forever grateful to her for sending this email. We chose CHOP.
We flew to Philadelphia with Savannah. I remember security putting me in a machine that blows air, they tested all of our formula. They wanted to know why my baby had an IV sticking out of her arm. I remember angry people behind me making statements that you should learn how to speak English if you are going to travel in the U.S. ... they could not see that just a few months prior I was in a doctorate program. I was living my dream of being a Mami. I could not speak English..they were right...I could not speak. I held my baby and just followed the security officers and did what was instructed because I was holding my dying baby. I will never forget those words of hate and anger because I know those words that were spoken were forgotten already by those who spoke them. It reminds me how much we need to care for one another and not be so ready to judge....I know in my heart if they knew...if they only knew...

It was official....our daughter was taken to CHOP and after all types of testing she was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia. She was placed on the waitlist for a liver...she had a PELD score. Then it hit me...all of this medical terminology that is thrown around means...she is losing her fight. PELD stands for Pediatric End Stage Liver Disease...how can you be at your endstage of life when you are 4 months old?
Robert and I argued over who was going to give up their liver to save Savvy. He told me he would not allow me for I was still healing from my C-Section...I told him I couldn't let him because I could not live if anything happened to them on the surgery tables. The choice was taken away from us for neither of us was a match.
The rollercoaster of emotions we went through while waiting to learn if Savannah had a match is too intense to type up right now. I have documented our journey in this blog. I had a very sick little girl at home...there was not a lot that the doctors could do...she needed a transplant. I stayed home with her trying to keep her away from germs. We did our best to keep life happy between vomitting, diuretics that would bathe her in urine, feces stories that I am trying desperately to forget, many hours of tears and medicines...we celebrated...this is a picture of her 6 month birthday. We did not know if this would be the only birthday she was to have.

We had many hospital visits. We had little sleep. We spent countless hours on the internet trying to learn ways to help our child. We spent countless hours trying to fundraise for our COTA fund, trying to fight the insurance companies, trying to survive.
After Savannah's last hospitalization in St. Petersburg we made the choice to seperate our family. I decided to move to the Ronald McDonald House in New Jersey which is 20 minutes from CHOP. We feared receiving "The Call" and the clock ticking...not being able to get our precious child to Philadelphia in time.
So much happend during these 8 months. I prayed...I begged GOD to take my last breath as to give it to Savannah. I held my child and tried to will that liver disease into my body...I wanted to fight this for her...but this was not to be.

On December 29, 2007 we received "The Call". Robert was due to leave back home as he was staying with us at the Ronald McDonald House for the holidays. We had driven to Maryland to visit family and friends. We were invited to stay the night and I wanted to for I was starting to lose hope that we would ever get "The Call". I knew that so many simply die on the waitlist...they do not get the chance to fight. Robert insisted we head back to be closer to the hospital...noting every hospital on the GPS down to Philly in case we got the call...he was ready to race to the nearest ER and have her flewn to CHOP.
We arrived at the Ronald McDonald House and got "The Call". It was time to get Savannah to the hospital. There was an immediate joy and then simultaneous tears. I knew my baby was getting a chance...only because another had lost their fight.
We got in the car and drove...Robert actually drove down the wrong side of the exit ramp we were so overwhelmed...luckily it was 2 am with no one on the road and he corrected it quickly.

I wrapped her prayer blanket around her and held my girl. I did not know if she would live through the surgery. How would I be able to hand her off...but if I didn't then she would not live much longer.
On December 29, 2007 the transplant surgeon came out and told us that the transplant was a success. She then said, "This is not a cure. She will have a rollercoaster ride in her life"...and I remember being so grateful and saying, "Thank you for letting us get on the rollercoaster"...Thank You!

On December 29, 2007...our donor angel's family said, YES. YES to saving the life of a stranger. YES to allowing my daughter to live. YES to the Gift of Organ Donation. On this day, my heart began to beat again."

Thank you, Ana, from the bottom of my heart for posting this. Not only for organ donation in general, but to remind us all that unless we are without sin, we have no place to judge others.

~Christie

I'm Back!

2010-04-10T14:20:00.002-04:00

Not that anyone was missing me, but I am FINALLY back to blogging! I did not realize what a toll my job would have on me in the spring time. Let me explain...

I work part-time as a high school guidance counselor in a brand new school. New schools = chaos. I never dreamed there would be this much chaos when I accepted the position this past August.

I don't want to work. Everyone knows it, so I finally decided to say it out loud. I love counseling, and I don't want to end my career completely forever. And the school I work at is awesome, mostly because of the people there. But right now, I don't want to work. I want to stay home and have more babies. Stupid economy. Stupid job my husband doesn't like and doesn't get paid enough to do. Blah.

So, because I am only a part time employee, I have no rights to keep my job. My job is going full-time, so I don't want it anyway. That's the last thing I want is to work full-time. But, I get to apply for it if no one else who works full-time in the district wants it. I "get" to apply for all the guidance counselor positions open in the district. So, instead of staying at home, I get to update my resume and start all over in the process of finding a new part-time job, keeping my old one and going full-time, or finding a new full-time job (there aren't a lot of part-time options out there).

I should feel privileged. I should feel grateful that I am employable. But, for some reason, I just can't seem to shake my unquenchable thirst to raise my babies full-time and show them everything I possibly can while I am on this Earth. I have so many reasons for staying at home. But only one reason to stay at work. Money. I hate that word. I could go without it. I would live in a van down by the river if I had to (a little exaggeration, I know, but I can't resist a Chris Farley quote). But I love my family more than anything, and I know that it would seriously stress out my husband. I don't want to do that to him.

All this worrying is giving me nothing but a stomachache. What I am really missing is patience. Such an evil little word, isn't it? My head tells me that God has taken care of me in the past, so He will do the same for my future. My heart tells me, "I have to know NOW what is going to happen next year!!!"

Goodbye My Beautiful Piano

2010-03-25T20:18:00.004-04:00

It's a sad sad day in my house. I have sold my old family heirloom piano. I hated doing it. But it was time. It is a 1918 upright player piano. Absolutely beautiful mahogany wood. My great-grandfather rebuilt it in the 1960's. And it still plays the rolls (which I have 2 boxes of that are going with it). If I had $10,000, I would keep it in a heartbeat and redo the entire thing. But, alas, I do not have that kind of money lining my mattress. I teach piano, so I really need one that can be tuned without having to replace the strings. And I can't just keep a piano lying around for looks, as I don't have my very own music room. If I had a mansion that's the first thing I would have, by the way.

So, anyway, because I teach piano lessons, and my piano is no longer tunable without serious work, I am buying a newer piano. Oh, how I am going to miss my massive beast of a piano. Every other piano will cower in fear to this thing. So, here's my goodbye.

MY (CHEESY) PIANO FAREWELL
As a young child I was fascinated by you,
sitting in my grandparent's basement on Sundays.
Each roll, each song, each note
would always carry me away.
You taught me beauty, grace, and commitment
as I learned God's gift of music.
You saw me laugh, you saw me cry,
you saw me healthy and then sick.
There were times in my life
that only you were there for me.
Because of this, I cherish you,
and I will always be
forever grateful, forever humbled
of your ability to bring joy
to even the saddest of hearts,
or the young girl or the young boy.

Ok, that's out of my system. Now, on to buying a new piano to make new memories. I only pray my children can find as much joy out of the ivories as I have!

Naked Time

2010-03-24T20:09:00.000-04:00

No, not me. Your baby. Have you ever given your baby naked time? A time on a regular basis that you leave a diaper (disposable or cloth) off of your baby? Before you think I'm crazy, hear me out.

A couple of diaper rash & cream facts:

The best medicine for diaper rash is air. Letting your baby's bum air out for a few minutes each day is more healing than any diaper rash cream.
Commercial diaper rash cream and cloth diapers are not friends. Diaper rash cream will clog the pores of your cloth before you can say, "It's leaking!!" I recommend stripping your baby so you don't have to strip your diapers.
Naked time is free. Diaper rash cream is not.
Many cloth diaper retailers sell diaper rash cream that is safe for cloth diapers. I originally bought Northern Essence Tea Tree/Lavender Free All Natural Diaper Rash Salve when Alaina was first born, and I am maybe half way through it. She is 17 months old. I love this stuff too, and it smells soo good. By the way, they also make a cream for yeast infections, but I have yet to need it.

So how do I do naked time? Certainly not right after Alaina drinks! I found that right after bath and right before bedtime was good for Alaina because she didn't have to pee around that time. This time was well after her last feeding, so fluids weren't a big problem. And I would put her on a blanket with prefolds just in case she surprised us. When she became mobile, it got to be a bit trickier, and I will admit, I have had to clean up a couple of "piddles." I know that if she had a lot to drink for dinner, I don't do naked time.

Alaina LOVES naked time. It is absolutely hilarious! She babbles and runs around giggling. Love it!

By the way, I do use creams that are not safe for cloth every once in a while. She has had a couple of bad reactions to acidic foods, and I have used cortisone cream or Aquaphor. I put a liner in between her and her diaper to protect the diaper. The liner is usually a cut-up old receiving blanket.

I will admit, I am nervous if I have a boy, but I still plan to have naked time. I just need to prepare myself now for more peemergencies. :-)

Monday's Munchies...Book Review

2010-03-22T13:19:00.004-04:00

I was thinking about all the recipes I normally use for my daughter, and I realized that the majority of my inspiration comes from one book. So, I thought I would give the author props and do a book review! I do not know or have any affiliation with her, and this is only coming from my opinion.

When my daughter was born, I received a tip from some mamas at diaperswappers.com regarding making your own baby food. They said to read the book, Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. So, I checked it out, and WHOA! It blew me away.

This book is basically everything you wanted to know that your grandmother did as a young mom and never got around to telling you. It is broken into 5 sections: Feeding Your Super Baby, Preparation and Storage of Super Baby Food, Toddler Recipes, Fun Stuff, and Reference and Appendices.

The first section goes over facts and info about feeding your baby month by month, what and when and how to introduce solids, and introduces the Super Baby Food diet, a diet based on only whole and natural foods. The second section discusses all the food groups as well as how to prepare all of these foods in bulk and store them to make it very easy to manage. Ruth explains many freezing methods of single servings of food, including the infamous ice cube tray method (freezing pureed foods in ice cube trays, then popping them out and storing them in a freezer container). She also stresses the importance of whole grains and making what she calls "super porridge," which, I will admit, as much as I tried to make it and get my baby to eat it, I just couldn't get it thin and smooth enough for her not to gag (but she did have a lot of gagging problems in the first year of life). The third section consists not only of toddler recipes, but of recipes my husband will eat as well! Only if he doesn't know what is in them, of course. :-) The fourth section describes many different arts and crafts and frugal projects to do with your toddler with materials right at home. There are some pretty creative ideas in there that I would have never thought to make! The last section is a great list of references that I keep coming back to time and time again. Ruth includes a complete list of fruits and veggies, how to tell when they are fresh, the best way to prepare them, etc...This section also includes a baby nutrient table and measurement equivalents, green cleaning products, etc...

If you haven't already bought this book, and you are looking for good reference material to have handy at home, buy this book. Granted, there were some things in the book that failed for me, and there are some ideas that I just can't see myself doing (like making my own sticker glue for stickers). But the benefits of this book FAR exceed expectations.

Not only that, but there is now a Super Baby Food website. Check it out if you are interested!

Buy $10 Get An AIO FREE!!

2010-03-20T13:21:00.003-04:00

My good friend Jess just facebooked me with an awesome deal at Kelly's Closet. Parenting Magazine has 2 bumGenius coupons, and the folks at Kelly's Closet are making them available online.

The first coupon is buy $10 worth of Flip, bumGenius, or Econobum, and get a free All In One BumGenius diaper! Use promo code: BGMAGAIO. I've been curious about the hybrid diapers, so I just bought a Flip diaper to try out.

The second coupon is take 10% off a bumGenius 3.0 one size pocket diaper 24 pk promo pak. Use promo code: BGMAGTEN. This is a great deal for those who are just starting their stash and know that they love bumGenius pocket diapers! If you aren't sure which diaper you want, be careful about buying a 24 pack of anything, though.

Also at Kelly's Closet, for 3 days only, take $20 off Smartipants Seconds 10pk at our Bulk Cloth Diaper Store! Use discount code 20SMART ! (You end up getting 10 diapers,10 inserts for $79 PLUS free shipping!!! No limit on how many you can order) However, the offer expires on 3/21 at midnight or while supplies last..

On top of all this, Kelly's Closet also lets you earn "Diaper Dollars Rewards" points for every purchase that get you free merchandise (including diapers). Sweet!

By the way, for those who are wondering about hybrid diapers, these are diapers that have an insert that just lays in a cover. The insert can be cloth or disposable. I haven't tried one, but like I mentioned, I have one on the way, so I will let you know how I like it!

Happy shopping!

Re-usable Homeade Paper Towels

2010-03-19T14:20:00.003-04:00

Are you tired of grabbing for a paper towel, using it, then throwing it away? Are you still using paper towels because you don't know what else to use? Me too!

I asked for a roll of re-usable paper towels from Etsy for Christmas, and my husband thought I was crazy. He was like, "we are not getting rid of paper towels in this house!" Needless to say I did not get them for Christmas. Now that I think about it, what a horrible gift to ask for! Cleaning supplies?!?! Really? That's like asking for some toilet bowl cleaner for Valentine's Day! What is wrong with me? All well, if you can't laugh at yourself, then you don't know what your missing. :-)

Either way, I decided that I would start searching for the perfect cloth that mimics paper towels. I tried old boxer shorts, ribbed tank tops, T-shirts, dish cloths, cloth wipes, socks, basically anything cotton. They were do-able, especially for things like cleaning the bathtub. But mirrors and other surfaces that I wanted to look really nice, well, paper towels were what I kept coming back to.

Then I tried my prefold cloth diapers. These are the kind of diapers that you can find really cheap at any store that come in packs. Mine are Birdseye cloth. Bingo! Found my re-usable paper towel. These things are WONDERFUL for cleaning up anything. I used one for cleaning my mirror and my sink faucet in the bathroom, and I've never seen the faucet shinier. They are way more absorbent than paper towels, so no more having to use more than one. I actually prefer them in a stack in the kitchen more than in a stack at the diaper changing station.

I HIGHLY recommend buying a pack of Birdseye cloth diapers for this. You should probably prep them, however, by washing them on very hot a few times to make sure they reach maximum absorbency, and to make sure they are lent free. And think of all the money you can save!!

I may try to slowly wean my hubby from using paper towels. I'm thinking a good place to start is when he is cleaning the inside of the car. Who knows? Maybe I will get REALLY crazy for cloth and put snaps on them to snap together in a roll on a paper towel roll. Or maybe not...sounds like a lot of work. :-)

Is It Thursday Night Already?

2010-03-18T20:25:00.002-04:00

I apologize to my small group of readers! Where has this week gone? It's been crazy here. First, my parents, who currently live across the country are in the process of buying a house not too far from here, so we are very excited. That also means my house has been a revolving door ever since with them staying here for a while and visitors and pets, etc...

I love visitors. I have always had this fantasy of inviting everyone over, feeding them a huge meal, having a huge party. It happens sometimes, but honestly, living in a place where you don't know too many people makes it a little more difficult. I also have a policy that if I know you well enough to invite you over more than once or twice, then you are not to ring the doorbell. It is way too formal! I am totally fine with people just walking in (if they are that type of friend, of course).

So, anyway, that's been my week. And I've been up to my eyeballs in AP exam ordering and handling crises at work (is that how you spell the plural of crisis?). I just hope I am helping someone. I worry sometimes that I am so swamped at work that I can't put my all in just one thing, and I am spread out too thin. If there is any school staff person that doesn't feel like this, I would be amazed. I just try to re-focus myself every hour or so on crazy days, and I make myself take a lunch break (sometimes that is only 10-15 minutes) and bathroom breaks.

My post is starting to ramble, so I think I'll call it a day. I apologize for waiting so long to post! I'm not going to gain anymore followers this way! Come on summer time!!!!

A No-So-Typical Saturday.

2010-03-13T20:14:00.002-05:00

Saturdays are my favorite day, so why did this one have to be oh-so crummy? It started at the beginning of this week. My daughter started getting a fever, then a nasty cough. She wasn't too bad though until Friday. She stopped eating, playing, and then sleeping. She is a great sleeper, too, so I admit, I'm a bit spoiled. But she woke up about a half hour after I went to bed, then every half hour after that until she got to the point that she wouldn't even let me put her down. Every rattling, wheezing cough made her cry, and she was burning up. Finally, after the 2nd dose of Tylenol kicked in, she slept for about 4 hours. Thankfully, her pediatrician's office is open in the mornings on Saturdays, so needless to say, we made a visit.

The good news from the doctor is that our daughter doesn't seem to be struggling to breathe, although he was listening very carefully to the rattle in her chest. A chest x-ray may be in order on Monday. She does have an ear infection, which is actually the first one she's ever had, so I count my blessings. I really don't know how you poor mamas do it who have babies with chronic ear infections. Do you get ANY sleep??

So after I got home from the pharmacy, I tried to take a quick cat nap before heading out again in the cold rain for a hair appointment that I had to reschedule because of our impromptu doctor's appointment. I realized as I tried to nap that I am a hormonal mess. For some reason not known to any woman on this earth, my body decided to combine the PMS with the MS. I couldn't stop eating cream cheese, and I had a strong urge to scratch the eyes out of anyone who crossed my path.

Already tired and grouchy, I headed out to my hair appointment. I refuse to pay salon prices, so I go to the local cosmetology school. I spent 3 hours in a chair with sweat rolling down my back because it was insufferably hot, and, after every little slice of the scissors, the hair stylist had to get a teacher to check (which is really a good thing so that they don't do something horrible, but today it was annoying, thank you hormones). And I hate my hair cut. Hate might not be the right word. Disdain sounds better. The hair stylist actually showed me a picture of her idea of what she wanted my hair to look like, and I was all for it and excited. The problem was the picture and the do did not match whatsoever. I've always looked younger than my age, and now, I look like my age...not good. Utter disdain.

What's worse is the reaction I received from my husband when I got home. I could immediately tell he didn't like my hair. He hasn't said anything about it since I got home. I'm not even going to ask what he thinks, because I know no matter what flattering comment he would make, I would take it the wrong way.

I now realize that I should never get my hair done when I am hormonal. I am in a much worse mood, and my last hope of feeling more than just a 30-something-year-old mom is gone. Why, oh why do hormones have to exist at such extreme levels? By the way, I'm writing this as I'm eating a bowl of cookies and cream frozen yogurt with a massive amount of Oreos blanketing the top. And I will probably have dessert afterwards. Honestly, food is the only relationship I want to be involved in at this moment. Give me a hotel room by myself with a bag of chips, as many Girl Scout cookies as I can muster, and a bucket of fried chicken PLEASE! And this coming from one who prides herself on making homemade organic goods. I am definitely not myself.

I was hoping that writing this and venting would help me feel better. But honestly, I'm just more annoyed. I try to be optimistic in any given situation, so the good news is that I don't think I've given into my emotions and done or said anything today that would hurt another. So I think I'm going to call it a day and find my pillow before I do anything regrettable. Tomorrow is another day, and I thank God that He has given me one more day to try again.

Do I Ever Not Use Cloth?

2010-03-10T19:46:00.003-05:00

I get this question quite a bit. Are there times when I use disposable diapers? And if I do, do I still save money?

Yes, I use disposables sometimes. There are usually 3 reasons I do:

Vacation. If we are going out of town for longer than 2 days, I will buy a pack of "sposies."
Diarrhea. If she has one bad one, I usually wait to see if there's a second, then I switch to disposables. It's not the mess that makes it so bad, because she doesn't usually leak out of the cloth, it is the smell and the "gross" factor. It makes me gag just thinking about it.
Really bad diaper rash and nighttime. My daughter can have bad reactions to foods (strawberries made her bleed. We have avoided them since, as it was very traumatic to mommy!), and I like to use medicated diaper rash cream on these rare occasions. I will slather her with it and put on a disposable for that night because I do think disposables wick moisture away a little better.
Ok, I just thought of a fourth. Sometimes my daughter will get the cutest pair of jeans as a gift, and if I want have her wear them, I have to use a disposable in order for her to fit into them. It bugs me that I can't find jeans at a local store for her to wear with cloth, but I understand that there isn't a market for it, and using cloth is more important to me anyway.

So, no, I am not completely granola. But even with these reasons, I do still save a lot of money. None of these reasons happen on a regular basis, and I only buy a bag of sposies if we are going on vacation. We just use the leftovers for the other reasons. Right now, I don't have any on hand. Let's hope she doesn't get the runs! :-)

You Can Leave Me Comments Now!

2010-03-09T14:48:00.002-05:00

My daughter was sick today, so my husband stayed home this morning, and I took the afternoon shift...which means I get the nap time to work on my blog!

Anyway, I have been told by enough people that they can't comment on my blog, so I figure it is me that is the problem. I still haven't figured out the reason for this problem, but I did find a quick fix. So, that means you should be able to comment on my posts now. Now, if only I can figure out how to switch my blog to a different email address...that one still stumps me.

So sorry if you've been trying to leave me comments but couldn't. I love to hear your comments! Talk away!!!

Btw, my daughter is feeling better. She sounds like a bullfrog, but I don't think we need to visit the doctor yet!

Also, if anyone out there could leave a comment to see if it works, that would be awesome!

Have a great day!
~Christie

Monday's Munchies...Waffles!

2010-03-08T13:10:00.003-05:00

Are you feeling the effects of the Eggo shortage? Due to flooding and other plant problems, Eggo is rationing their waffles, and many store shelves are empty. This gives new meaning to Leggo My Eggo!

I am a huge fan of Eggo brand waffles. However, after getting on my all natural and organic kick, I realized that even though I may not be able to recreate the taste of the Eggo brand specifically, I can make a healthier waffle at home that I feel comfortable letting my toddler eat that can also be quite tasty. So for Christmas, I asked for a waffle iron, and my family has been very satisfied with the results. For me, the time I take to make homemade outweighs the convenience of packaged, expensive, white flour frozen waffles

Every few weeks, I plan on making up a big batch of blueberry waffles to freeze. Homemade waffles will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Here is the recipe that seems to work for me at the moment.

Homemade Waffles
2 Cups 50/50 flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1-3/4 Cups milk (I use whole milk for my toddler, but you can use reduced fat if you want)
6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 Cup blueberries (can be fresh or frozen)

Place first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl and combine until well blended and smooth. Fold in blueberries. Let batter sit for 5 minutes before using. Bake in a preheated waffle iron following manufacturer's directions or until waffles are golden brown.

To freeze: Before freezing waffles, cool completely on wire racks. Heat directly from freezer in toaster or toaster oven just as you would with store bought waffles.

The next time I make waffles, I plan on using Super Flour, which is flour mixed with nutritional add-ins by Ruth Yaron in her book, "Super Baby Food." My favorite version of Super Flour is to put 1 Tbsp. soy flour, 1 Tbsp. instant dry milk, and 1 tsp. wheat flour in a measuring cup, then adding 50/50 flour to top off cup to equal 1 cup of Super Flour. Thanks Ruth Yaron!

Fundraising for Active:Water Campaign!

2010-03-05T14:49:00.002-05:00

My husband is going to guest-post for those of you who know our family personally! He is currently trying to raise awareness and fundraising for Active:Water by running the Flying Pig Mini-Marathon in May. Here is his letter he is sending out.

Hello, I was wondering if you would be willing to help sponsor me for a race that is coming up in May. I have already paid and registered for the race, so this will definitely happen. A group of about 20 people from First Church of Christ (Burlington, KY) will be running the Cincinnati “Flying Pig” Mini-Marathon on May 2nd, 2010 (that's 13.1 miles!!!). We are running as a team sponsored by Active:Water, so we will be wearing shirts displaying their logo. Their mission is to raise funding and awareness for access to clean drinking water in under-developed countries. First Church chose to work with Active:Water because they have a good-standing campaign for this goal/issue. Our particular funding will go towards funding clean drinking water in Mapalo, Zambia. 3

I am invested in this cause too! In case you are wondering about my commitment to this effort: I have already registered for the Cincinnati Half Marathon ($60.00) and registered as part of the ActiveWater team through First Church of Christ ($10.00). So I am not asking you to do anything I haven't already done! If you would be willing to make a donation (any amount would be appreciated – even $1) please check out my webpage by going to the following link: (you can pay online, or send me a check and I will mail it with others on your behalf, ALL DONATIONS WILL BE DISPLAYED ONLINE, SO YOU CAN VERIFY THAT THIS MONEY GOES TO THE RIGHT PLACE!).

Online: http://www.active.com/donate/activewaterupick/lrhill

By Check:Please make checks payable to Active:Water ...and mail to me! Please make sure to include MY NAME on the MEMO LINE of the check when making this donation!
If you have any questions please let me know!

Thanks, Louis

P.S. Active:Water has already applied for 501-C-3 NON-PROFIT status this year. The review period is approximately 6 months, so they are a "Pending" Non-Profit. At this point donations are not tax-deductible. However, once they are approved all donations (including retroactive) will be tax-deductible. The Active:Water agency only partners with other Non-Profits, they have a very small staff, and a good track record. They are anticipating approval in 2010.

Nighttime Stinkies

2010-03-04T20:15:00.002-05:00

I thought I would share a trick I just discovered with nighttime cloth diapering. Now, forgive me if everyone who uses cloth already knows this, but I was very proud of myself when it worked for me. :-)

When Alaina was still breastfeeding, I had no problems with nighttime diapers and stink problems. She has always been great at sleeping through the night, and her diapers never really had a stink problem. Then came weening...

When she weened completely, the ammonia smell became very strong. When I dump the dirties into the wash, I have to hold my breath, or my nose burns. Nice, huh? Nighttime is the worst. When morning comes, and I open the door to her room, the smell hits me like a ton of bricks. I have tried all different types of diapers, and nothing helped.

I don't have leak problems at all during the night. But I tried adding an insert to her diaper, and it really changed the strength of the smell! I added a simple microfiber insert to the diaper, and the smell no longer is unbearable. I think it helps her sleep longer too.

Yay for sleep!

Monday's Munchies-Cake Edition!

2010-03-01T13:50:00.003-05:00

In the spirit of birthdays, I thought I would post the recipe that I used to make my birthday cake this year. It is called Tropical Sunset Cake. It is really easy to make, yet it tastes like a little slice of Heaven. I got this recipe from an old coworker who beat me in a dessert contest at one of our work retreats, and rightly so, as this cake can beat my pumpkin cheesecake any day of the week!

Tropical Sunset Cake

Pillsbury Yellow Cake Mix
Small can Mandarin Oranges (include juice)
3 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup oil

Mix all of this and bake in a tube pan or 2-3 layers in a 350 Deg. oven for 30-35 minutes.

Cool. Do not make icing until cake is cool.

Icing:
12 ounces of Cool Whip
Lg. pkg of Vanilla instant pudding
20 oz. can of crushed pineapple in Heavy Syrup (a must)

Mix all of this including juice.

Ice cake and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday To Me!

2010-02-26T13:40:00.002-05:00

It's my day off, it's my birthday, and I just now got around to putting some pants on. It's gonna be a good day.

With that being said, I'm not blogging at all this weekend because of too many fun things to do! I'm excited to have a little birthday party tomorrow. And then on Sunday, I get to see my parents (who live far away)!

And the sun is shining, for the moment at least. Whoop whoop!

Monday's Munchies: Meatloaf!

2010-02-22T13:31:00.004-05:00

Meatloaf is the ultimate food for all-inclusive, easy, and inexpensive. And best of all, my whole family likes Mom's meatloaf! The funny thing is, my meatloaf is different every time, because I throw whatever healthy thing I have at the moment in the meatloaf. Here is my base recipe before I start adding things:

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 c. bread crumbs
4 Tbsp. Ketchup
1/2 c. milk
1 pkg. soup mix (if I have it)

Mix all ingredients together. Form into loaf and place in pan. Bake at 350 F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

I always add stuff. I usually start with adding wheat germ (about a Tbsp. or two). I will almost always hide a vegetable or two that my daughter wouldn't eat otherwise. Take out a bag of veggies or mixed veggies from your freezer, microwave them until tender, then blend them until they are a consistency that will hide easily (not quite pureed, but close). Often I will replace ground turkey for the beef, but only if I have a pkg. of soup mix to season it a bit (I like to use either onion soup mix or vegetable soup mix).

The trick is to be as sneaky as possible with your added nutrients, and not only will your family eat healthier than they think, but you will have a good time pulling the wool over their shoulders. Hee hee.

Happy Eating!

Sunday's Inspiration

2010-02-21T13:55:00.002-05:00

Inspiration comes to me today from the Big Man Himself. Every time I go to God in prayer or in scripture, He is telling me the same thing. "Give." I feel such a strong desire to give that it is hard to breathe!

I am troubled. Everywhere I go, I see people around me that are not giving, or they feel they have nothing left to give. I even see this in myself. All I want to see is how I can give and what needs are around me. Yet, I don't know where God wants me to give or how. I am amateur at just about everything I do; what do I have that can bring greatness to God's Kingdom?

So, I went to the library the other day, and I started checking out crochet books because I am looking for a border design for an afghan I am making. I saw two books of interest that had nothing to do with designs. Instead, they both were about knitting for peace. I cracked open the books and found tons of charities that collect items that have been knitted or crocheted. I then remembered my mom telling me about a project she is in the middle of that involves making hats out of her leftover yarn for an organization near her.

It has hit me. I may not be great at anything, but I can give everything. I am certainly not an expert at needle work, and by this I mean, I am a NOVICE in all ways. That doesn't mean I can't give what I make. Afghans still keep others warm, and hats that may be way too large for the head I was meaning to fit may fit another's. I just began making soap, and all the leftover practice soaps I make can cleanse another person for free.

I am encouraged, yet still troubled that all of this takes time to make. I want to give now! I am afraid that if I wait, I will grow lazy or give up on a project for another one (my track record hasn't been so great with this). So, back to scripture and prayer I go to continue my quest to praise my Creator...

Counselor's Corner: Beating the Winter Blues

2010-02-19T13:46:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about winter lately. Haven't we all? This winter for many, many states has been one for the record books! I wonder when all the snow will finally melt? Today, we have sunshine for the first time in, well, I'm not sure!

This got me thinking about those of us who experience a serious lack of sunshine in the winter and those of us that experience the winter blues. According to the National Mental Health Association, Alaska has the highest rate of suicide than all other states, including DC. Along with this, the highest suicide rate is in the winter time. Along with many other factors, including lack of mental health resources, I, and many other professionals, wonder if the lack of sunlight plays a role in this state's astounding rate of self-harm.

Sunshine has so many benefits. In a world that is so focused on the ozone layer and the harmful effects of too much sun, these benefits are often forgotten. For example, just spending 15 minutes a day outside can give you all the Vitamin D you need. My pediatrician even recommended 15 minutes of play time outside everyday without sunscreen. The sun also raises cortisol levels in the body, a chemical your body produces that improves mood.

So it is winter time, and how do we get more sun? Some people who experience severe depression have purchased light boxes that stem anywhere from $200-$500! That's crazy expensive! Some say go to the tanning bed. I do not recommend this because in order to receive the benefits of light therapy, you need to have your eyes open, and tanning beds can damage your eyes.

My best advice for beating the winter blues is:

Get out in the snow and play! In those days that do have sunshine, get out there and play! Remember how much fun you had as a kid in the snow? Now, me personally, I hate the cold weather. But if it is sunny, and I am bundled up, it really isn't all that bad if I am having fun.
Sleep in the dark. I highly recommend sleeping, without an alarm clock (i.e. kids) if you can a couple of times a week. When you sleep, try to make it as dark as possible as this helps your body balance cortisol levels.
Exercise. Find something that is going to give your heart rate a boost and get your blood flowing. Incorporating fun and family time in your exercise routine helps too. For example, my daughter loves music. We turn on the radio really loud and just dance around the house. I flail my arms and legs and act really goofy, which gives her the giggles. I would never do this in public, but it gets me moving!
Find your faith. Lastly, the sun is no substitute for the Son. Having faith and acting on that faith will do more for your mood than any amount of sunshine. Why? Because we were born to serve others, to love others and to worship the one true Creator of our existence. Try volunteering, making something for charity, taking your child to a nursing home, etc., and I guarantee you will be in a better mood.

Happy Sledding!

How Often Do You Spend Online?

2010-02-18T20:36:00.002-05:00

Ok, as much as I would like to be online blogging, I can't. With my job and my family and my church, blogging often takes a back burner. I would love to be able to post more, get more followers, read everyone's blog that I follow, along with facebooking, checking my email, checking my ebay account, etc...Whew! How do you all keep up?! I would love to hear comments from some of you busy mommies and how you are able to keep up with blogging. How often are you online and what time of day do you blog most?

Happy soon-to-be Friday!

Ramblings on a Snow Day.

2010-02-16T14:44:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm soon off to the work-out-of-home world again. Sigh. The snow has enabled my daughter and me to spend a few more days together, and I treasure them all! I just hope that we don't have too many school days to make up in the summer time. But since I can't do anything about the snow now or how many days I will have to work this summer, I am going to take major advantage of this weather and spend as much time as possible playing with my daughter.

She is at that stage where she is walking everywhere but not running just yet. We call her Frankenstein because she walks around with her arms out for balance. Her favorite thing to do is get into the spice cabinet and walk all over the house holding chili powder and basil. Sometimes she gets to giggling so hard that she just falls over!

Snow has made us lazy, though. She loves her footy PJs, so that's what she stays in on days we don't go anywhere! And she hates her hair pulled out of her eyes, so I don't even bother pulling it back unless she's eating something messy.

Here is a picture of her this past week in her PJs with no hair tie, and in a way-too-big hat that Grandma Marsha made her. It was a great lazy snow day!

Monday's Munchies!

2010-02-15T13:57:00.002-05:00

Welcome to another addition of Monday's Munchies! I figured since most of the country seems to be covered in snow at the moment, what better way to celebrate than to make some good comfort food. Here is a recipe handed down in my family for chicken and dumplings the shortcut way. This is for those of you who may not have time to boil a whole chicken!

Chicken and Dumplings
2-3 chicken tenders
1 can chicken broth
2 cubes of chicken bullion
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tsp dried chopped basil
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp milk
Flour

Cut the chicken tenders into cubes and put them with the chicken broth, bullion cubes, water, and herbs into a large pot. Cook until chicken is done and take out bay leaf. I sometimes like to add a couple of potatoes and celery, and if I do, I add about a cup of water. Bring broth to boiling.

Mix together egg and milk. Add flour until stiff and spread out onto a floured surface. Continue to knead in the flour until you can roll it out without too much trouble. I use waxed paper to put in between the dough and the rolling pin to help keep the rolling pin from sticking. Roll out to about 1/8th inch and cut with a pizza cutter into 1/2 inch squares or bigger if you prefer. They will puff up as they cook. Drop into boiling broth. Cook for 10 more minutes. If you want to thicken it, add mashed potato flakes-a little goes a long way.

Hope everyone stays warm this week!

Another Sunday Inspiration

2010-02-14T13:11:00.002-05:00

Welcome back to my Sunday inspirations! In the spirit of Valentine's Day, my inspiration comes from my husband today. I could never have come up with a more suitable companion as he. He and our marriage are living proof that God's plans are best, even if we don't think so at the moment.

When I first met my man, I did not think of him as husband material. I was a freshman in college, and I just wanted to hang out and have fun. We met at a party that a mutual friend invited us both to (I did not want to go). We had so much fun together that first year that we dated. By the time I was a junior, I knew that this man was the one for me. We waited until we finished our Master's degrees to get married. It took us long enough! Now, 6 and 1/2 years after getting married, we are just getting started!

Here is a cute story...when I was in junior high, I prayed for a husband that was tall and dark hair and blue eyes. I specifically remember that strange, selfish little prayer. Low and behold, my love of my life is tall, has dark hair and the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen!

He's my inspiration today because of despite all our differences, he has committed himself in our relationship and our family. That may not seem like much, but in this day and age, that means something. I see so much family trauma in our youth at school, and if you don't think this family trauma is affecting our youth, you are walking around with blindfolds.

Last year was the hardest year for our tiny little family. We had our first child, and a month later a tragic death of a very close relative. We struggled to communicate in our transition to being parents as well as our grief. I started a new job, and for some reason, I am struggling to stay healthy (still trying to figure that one out).

But through all of these changes in our lives, my hunky husband always reminds me that we are okay. He tells me through his actions as well as his words. He is my rock when I think I cannot get up in the morning. Even when I am mad at him, or he is mad at me, we know that this is only temporary. Our marriage is stronger than the circumstances around us at the moment. Thank God for that and for the fact that my hubby feels the same way.

This Virgin Blogger is Frustrated

2010-02-13T15:02:00.003-05:00

Ok, I am not a technical person. I'm a counselor, for crying out loud! This might be why I cannot figure out the simplest things when trying to make my blog manageable and pretty!

It took me 2 days to figure out how to get tabs on my blog. Then, it took me longer to figure out the RSS feed, and I am still slightly confused as to what that whole thing is anyway.

Now, I would like to transfer my blog from one email address to another. I read the tutorial, gave my new account administration rights, and I still have no blog on the new account.

If someone out there is reading this, and you know what I need to do, I would LOVE some answers!

I thought I was a teachable person, meaning that I am willing to learn new things and that I can understand them. But I think I need a non-techie explaining some of this to me. I am so confused!!! Can anyone help me?!

10 Reasons Why Cloth is Freakin' Awesome!

2010-02-12T14:06:00.005-05:00

You may or may not have known these reasons!!

Fluffy Butt! It's just sooo darn cute to see this tiny human with such a big butt, and fluffy at that! Who can deny the fluffy butt?

Fashion statement. Any color or design you want, you can have! We like the elephants from Rainshine Designs. (That dipe is in the wash right now, so I will have to show pics later.)

Fun, Fun, Fun! And addicting once you start. Who knew that something that was made to contain excrement could be such a party? Gives new meaning to party in the pants. Wait, was that inappropriate?

Frugal. Still saving the moola...

Fork resistant. Yes, she fell on a fork. Didn't feel a thing. There's more paddin' for the landin'!

Feelin' oh so soft. I have placed a diaper against my cheek like in the Snuggle commercials. Is that so wrong? Once again, who can deny the fluff?

Friend convo starter. My "stash" has a completely new meaning now-a-days, but it still makes for a good time with friends. Wait, was that inappropriate?

Friendly for sniffer. I can hear the gas, but I can't smell it! Side note, Alaina giggles everytime I ask her if she toots.

Fill' er up! These things can hold an amount that should never come out of a baby, and yet it does. An old Saturday Night Live skit comes to mind right now that included a jug of iced tea and folks playing tennis. That's all I'm sayin'.

Photo friendly. Ok, it's a ph, but what can you do? Take pictures of the fluff! I CANNOT RESIST THE FLUFF!!

Happy Friday. :-)

Hey Everyone! My Blog Won an Award!

2010-02-10T15:11:00.003-05:00

Sweet! I never thought I would get an award for blogging! Thank you Turning The Clock Back! Now, who will I give the award to? Hmm...I never do things quickly, so I will have to think about this one...

Happy Blogging!

Monday's Munchies!

2010-02-08T14:34:00.002-05:00

My daughter has a love affair with crackers. If she is eating and asks for more, she doesn't want more of what she is eating, she just wants crackers!!! After reading the ingredients on the popular commercial crackers out there, I decided to make my own. I feel much more comfortable giving her my homemade crackers than the commercial ones, especially with as much as she eats them!

I have 2 recipes that I've tried so far, but this one is her favorite. And it is easy! We just got a pizza stone for Christmas too, so I cooked them on the stone, and I found it to be easier than my cookie sheets because I could just roll out the dough onto the stone and cut it into shapes there vs. cutting first and placing on the sheet. I use a recipe from Ruth Yaron's book, "Super Baby Food."

1 cup of Super Flour: Super flour is flour that has added nutrients. I place 1 Tbsp. of soy flour, 1 Tbsp. of instant dry milk, and 1 tsp. of wheat germ in a 1 cup measuring cup. I then top it off with 50/50 flour.
1/4 tsp. of salt
4 Tbsp. of Canola oil

Mix all ingredients together. Add 3-4 Tbsp. of COLD water until the mixture is the consistency of pie crust. Refrigerate for an hour. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Roll dough to about an 1/8 thick. Make sure the dough is evenly rolled out. Cut into shapes. Prick with a fork throughout. Bake on an oiled cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and crisp. If using a pizza stone, preheat the stone with the oven and bake until lightly browned and crisp.

Enjoy!

Sunday Inspirations

2010-02-07T14:42:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the first edition of Sunday Inspirations! My goal is to inspire you, give you hope, make you think, and bring encouragement.

My inspiration today comes from so many people who, despite facing adversity, are taking huge risks to better their situations and others around them. The following people are true accounts of how God is truly working in their lives:

Frances: A recently divorced mother who has struggled to keep her home, pay off debtors and lawyer fees has decided to put all hope in God and go back to school. She got a full scholarship, quit her job, and should have her degree as a Physician's Assistant within the year.
Francis Chan: The author of Crazy Love, and Forgotten God, after coming back from a trip to Africa, sold his house to live in one half the size of the first one just to be able to have more money to give away, not to keep.
Abby and Nate: A married couple who tried for years to have a child finally decided to adopt. Years after that, they finally were able to adopt Noah internationally. Before picking Noah up, Abby became pregnant and lost the baby and almost lost her life. A couple of weeks after finally meeting Noah and taking him home, Abby found out that she was 14 weeks pregnant. Surprise! Abby gave birth to Eli in December. When Noah's social worker came to meet Eli, she told the couple that Noah has a brother, born 3 days away from Eli and asked them to adopt his brother as well. Talk about a roller coaster!

Praise God today!!! He is GOOD!

Go Colts!

Cloth Diaper Questions?

2010-02-06T13:55:00.003-05:00

Before you decide that cloth is too difficult or overwhelming, contact me! I also do home visits for anyone that lives in the Tri-State area. For Free! No, I am not going to run off with your jewerly, but I will help you get organized and do demonstrations if you have any questions. I am hoping to start going to organizations in the Cincinnati area to help at-risk or underprivileged parents, so I really need the practice and experience. Email me if you are interested! Don't live in the Cincy area? Email me anyway, and I would love to chat! Or better yet, leave a question or comment on this blog so others that may have the same question may be helped!

crazyforcloth AT gmail DOT com

IT CAN BE DONE! Happy Wiping!

Love,
Christie

Breastfeeding

2010-02-06T13:34:00.006-05:00

This message is for all of my friends who have had or are having babies in the next month or so.

Tired much? Ha! You just pushed a watermelon out of an orange. Epidural or not, you pushed, and your body is exhausted. On top of that, you are determined to breastfeed (YAY!), which means you do not recover from labor until your baby sleeps through the night. I'm not sure if anyone told you, but breastfeeding is EXHAUSTING! Although, there is nothing like losing weight and eating all the time without working out.

If you are struggling with the breastfeeding thing, take heart! You are doing the best you can, and you will be rewarded in full! All throughout my pregnancy, people kept telling me that breastfeeding was painful, awful, and that I wouldn't last because it was just too difficult (I'm not one that deals with pain well). I think all that horrible advice made me even more stubborn to continue, and I'm so glad I did.

Alaina and I had almost every problem known to breastfeeding. We got to visit lactation consultant after lactation consultant. After about 2 weeks, I decided that I was just going to pump for the next year because I was determined to feed Alaina breast milk for health and financial reasons. Thankfully, we did not have to do that because I HATED pumping, with a passion! Even after she figured out how to latch on, we continued to have problems up until she was about 6 or 7 months. In fact, I think the only thing we didn't deal with was thrush (thank you Lord!).

So, if you feel like quitting, contact me for encouragement! We managed to make it to about 14-15 months before completely weaning, so I consider it a success! She has never had an ear infection, and the only times she got sick was when she was exposed to something that I was not.

Ok, new mama, if you are still reading this, here's my advice...know that you are a doing a wonderful job and, GO TAKE A NAP!

Love,
Christie

2010-02-05T15:51:00.004-05:00

Thank you Alaina for taking a super long nap today! I not only got some precious sleep in myself, but I also managed to read my newest letter from Voice of the Martyrs, make some soap, and write a post! It feels forever since I have posted, and I apologize. I am not going to get any followers at this rate! Ha ha!

I think I will write about my soap project! I am excited to begin learning how to make cold-process soap. My first batch was finally ready to try at the beginning of February, and I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised!

It cleanses well, has a better lather than I thought, and wasn't as drying as I thought. It wasn't as creamy and conditioning as I would have liked, though. And I think I want some that have a scent. But, I have decided to try the same batch again, just to see if it turns out the same. I think I am going to donate this batch to a shelter in the area. My next soap challenge will be made from goat's milk. I am hoping to help my husband's eczema with it (we'll see if he is willing to try it...). I would also love something that I can use on Alaina. I just hate the thought spending so much on all natural soaps from the store. So, I'm going to make my own. I am thinking the goat's milk will be a good one to use.

2010-01-29T13:35:00.002-05:00

The weather is cold. Colder than cold. I am very comfy in my warm house with my blanket wrapped around me and my kitty cat on my lap. It just occurred to me that I have no drafty windows, insulation runs throughout my house, hot water flows through my pipes with the turn of a knob, and I don't even need to leave the kitchen sink dripping to keep frozen pipes away. My toilet works. Scratch that. My THREE toilets work. I have more blankets than people living here. More pillows than heads to lay on. My oven works fine, and it is not heating my house.

I am rich. I am filthy rich. Yet, other people see my house as average, my car as a little less than average, and my cell phone as just another phone in the bunch. It is very difficult at times to not think the same thing. If I measure myself to the standards of those living around me, I become disgustingly arrogant. I think to myself, I deserve better than this! I have a master's degree, and I can't even afford to upgrade my cable! I do not see the people who do not have hot water, or even water at all. In my selfishness, I forget about the children that are praying for an extra blanket. I have plenty, and yet I want more.

I am guessing that if I give as much as I can, my priorities will be a little different. I will remember others who are not rich. I will stop comparing myself to people in my life that have as much or more, and I will start actively searching for those who are in need.

This weekend, you will find me in my closet getting rid of article after article of clothing. Not the worst ones, either. Everything I don't need. Hopefully, this is only the beginning...

Stripping Diapers

2010-01-29T13:33:00.002-05:00

What is stripping?

Stripping cloth diapers is the term used when your diapers have become less absorbent or very stinky. Basically, your diapers have build-up. Build-up of what can be hard to determine. It usually is build-up of detergent. Sometimes a fabric softener gets thrown into the dryer by mistake, and this can cause build-up. Diaper rash cream also causes it, as well as mineral deposits.

Reasons to strip

Diapers smell good when coming out of the dryer, but as soon as the baby pees, there is a seriously, offensive odor that didn't used to be there.
Your diapers have started repelling liquid. To know if this is true, pour some drops of water on the diaper. If they roll right off, you have a problem.
You have used a diaper rash cream that wasn't made for cloth diapers and forgot to line your diapers with a liner to keep diaper pores from clogging up.
You used fabric softener.
You have extremely hard water or well water.

How to strip

I recommend turning your hot water heater up for about 30 minutes before washing.
Fill your washer all the way with super hot water.
Wash on hot, and warm rinse.
Continue rinsing until no bubbles or suds are found in the water.
I recommend putting about a Tbsp of Dawn Dish soap in the water. Just make sure you completely rinse it out. Not sure why Dawn, but if you look around, Dawn is the only dish soap recommended. Dawn also gets rid of the dingy-ness of your diapers, which is nice in the winter time when you don't see the sun for months. I have gotten into the habit of squirting a little Dawn in my diaper load about once a week, once every 2 weeks.
There are other recommended additives to put in the washer to strip, including baking soda, vinegar, and even bleach. Be very careful when adding baking soda, as it can cause diaper rash. I have never used anything else in my wash besides detergent and Dawn, and I have had no major problems.

If you have major problems, and this did not work, ask me, and I will try to determine the problem for you. Also, this website has some good tips: http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentbasics.htm#Stripping%20Diapers

Questions?

2010-01-25T16:54:00.003-05:00

Do you have any questions or comments for me? I would love to hear them! You can email me at:

crazyforcloth @ gmail . com

(Make sure to remove the spaces)

Wipes and Solutions

2010-01-23T22:49:00.007-05:00

Cloth wipes are so easy to make or buy. And, contrary to belief, wipe solution is not that difficult either!

You can get cloth wipes a couple of different ways:

Buy the cheap, thin 8 pack of Gerber washcloths at the store. I personally like the thin cloths because I can get into all the crevices when wiping (amazing what a person will blog about, huh?).
Cut up old receiving blankets and sew a hem around the edges to keep from fraying. I did not have good luck with this because the receiving blanket that I used did not absorb my wipe solution, and it would roll off onto the carpet. By the way, olive oil droplets on the carpet stain...
Buy cloth wipes online. I have had great luck with www.nickisdiapers.com, and I bought their flannel wipe pack. A little pricey, but guaranteed to work.
Buy wipes in the store. Babys R Us now sells bamboo wipes along with a cloth wipe warmer. I haven't tried them, but I just gave them as a gift, so I am looking forward to seeing how they work. Again, a little pricey, but they make a great gift.
Basically anything you can think of that you have lying around the house that would make a good wipe. A cut up T-shirt from the rag bin, an old sheet, the wash cloths you got as a wedding gift that you will never show on display because they are a hideous shade of hot pink...you get the idea!!!

Wipe solutions can be simple, complicated, and anything in-between!

My recipe has 4-5 ingredients. Simply mix all ingredients together.

One cup of filtered water
1.5 Tbsps of olive oil (conditioner for skin)
2 drops of chamomile (cleanser for skin)
2 drops of tea tree oil (cleanser plus anti fungal for skin)
Occasionally I will add 2 drops of lavender. Sometimes the smell of lavender can be overwhelming to me, so I often will leave this for the diaper pail air freshener. But most people are not like me, so go ahead and add it in as it is a great cleanser.

Basically, a wipe solution should have the ingredients listed below. You can use your imagination as to what you would like to use. Some use baby wash as the cleanser and baby oil as the oil.

Water
Cleanser
Oil (this is important because it helps you make a smooth wipe without the friction that can be irritating to baby)

This link is the best source I have found on all kinds of wipe solution recipes: http://www.zany-zebra.com/cloth-wipe-solution.shtml

There are many different ways to apply the solution to the wipe:

Spray it on the wipe with a spray bottle.
Use a disposable wipes container and pour solution onto wipes.
Use a squeeze bottle to pour solution on wipes.
Dip wipes into solution that is in a container.

My system includes pouring the solution in a squeeze bottle. I then shake it to mix the oils and water and pour it onto wipes that I have placed in a disposable wipes container. I don't do all the wipes at one time because I don't want to leave wet wipes in the plastic container for too long. I usually just wet a little more than I think I will need.

HAPPY WIPING!

How Do You Wash Cloth Diapers?

2010-01-23T22:49:00.005-05:00

Washing cloth diapers is very simple. The easiest thing to do is follow the directions from the manufacturer. Or if you have a mix of different ones, there are just a couple of simple rules to follow:

Use the right detergent: Nothing fancy, just do not use detergent that contains any dyes, perfumes, whitening enzymes...http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm has a great chart that tells you which detergents are bad, good, and great. I use Purex Free and Clear, not the best but not the worst.
Cold rinse: Hopefully you have a wet bag that you can just throw into the washer with everything else, including your diapers, cloth wipes, and any covers you may be using. Start by rinsing the dipes on cold.
Wash on hot: Use about 1/2 of the manufacturer's recommended amount of detergent. I know it sounds gross, but believe me, you do not want detergent residue on your diapers. It makes them smelly and less absorbent. The diapers do come out very clean with just 1/2. If you have an HE machine, please use HE compatible detergent. Pinstripesandpolkadots also has choices for HE machines as well.
Rinse on warm or cold: I usually add an extra rinse cycle at the end of the wash, just to make sure that the detergent has rinsed out of the diapers.
Dry: You can line dry or dry in the dryer on medium heat. Sometimes high heat can hurt elastic if your diapers contain elastic. DO NOT add a dryer sheet or any kind of fabric softener. This will cause your diapers to fail. Drying on the line is nice in the summer time, but it can make your diapers stiff. You can throw them in the dryer to fluff to and soften them.

You may have some diapers that stain. Check this out: if you lay them in the sunshine for a bit, the stains will come completely out!!! I thought that was the coolest thing ever when I first tried it!

Creating a Diaper System

2010-01-23T22:30:00.006-05:00

In order to make cloth diapers manageable and easy to use, here is a list of items to have on hand:

Your stash: I recommend at least 2 dozen diapers to use cloth full time; maybe more for newborns. I personally have about 30, and I comfortably wash diapers every other day.

Wipes: Cloth wipes are a lot easier to use because you throw them in the diaper pail right along with the diapers, just like you were using a disposable system. I recommend at least a dozen wipes.

Wipes Solution: Cloth wipes need to be moistened. You can store pre-moistened wipes in a waterproof storage container (I use an empty disposable wipes container), or you can store the wipes dry and have your solution on hand to moisten as needed. You can store your solution in a spray bottle, squirt bottle, etc...

Diaper Pail: Back in the old days, parents used what is called a wet pail, which was a container that had water in it where the dirty dipes could soak. You don't need a wet pail, and in fact, if you use waterproof cloth, a wet pail can ruin your dipes. You can purchase a wet bag, which is actually a dry, waterproof bag that can be thrown into the wash with your dipes. Wet bags can be purchased with zipper closures, drawstrings, elastic to go on a kitchen trash can (what I have), and other ingenious ways to store dirty dipes. Or, if you really want to go cheap, you could try a pillow case in a laundry basket (I'm not sure about the smell though)! I recommend 2 wet bags, one for holding dirty dipes while the other is in the wash.

Detergent: Diapers don't need special detergent, and yet they do. The reason I say this is that cloth dipes should to be washed in "free" detergents, that is free of perfumes, dyes, softeners, and whitening enzymes. You can find these detergents in the store, although there a lot of really good detergents you can order online. I use Purex Free and Clear because it is cheap, and I can use it with the rest of my laundry. All Free Clear is a good one too.

Wet bag for diaper bag: I talked about a wet bag for the diaper pail, but it is a good idea to have a small one for your diaper bag. That way you can use cloth if you run to the store and need to change the cloth dipe. Here is a picture of mine. It has a zipper closure and is completely waterproof. Isn't it pretty?

Fragrance (optional): I only add this because I think that whether or not I would have used disposable or cloth, I would need this. I have the nose of a bloodhound. I use lavender essential oil. I find that this seems to cut the urine smell better than others. I put a couple of drops in diaper pail after every washing. I personally put it on the tag inside the bag, but you can also put a drop or two on a wipe cloth or on a cotton ball (just don't wash the cotton ball, or you will have lent all over your dipes).

Diaper Sprayer (optional): A diaper sprayer is probably the most complicated part of the next generation of cloth diapers, but I think it is worth it. A diaper sprayer is basically a kitchen sprayer that you hook up to your toilet so that you can spray off poop into the toilet. If you are exclusively breastfeeding, you don't need one because breastfed poop washes right out in the wash (it's magic!). If you have introduced solids, and the poop has become like a crunchy peanut butter consistency, you need to do something! If you don't have a sprayer, you can swish it in the toilet. Older babies have "ploppable" poo, the kind that just rolls off into the toilet with no rinsing needed. A sprayer makes getting rid of poop that sticks to the diaper very quick and clean. This part of cloth diapering turns people off, but seriously, it's not that bad.

Of course, you don't need all of this. Some flats, some wash cloths and water is all a person really needs if going really really cheap. These items I noted are for those who want cloth diapering to be as simple as disposable. Once you get a routine going, you will never want to go back!

Comparing Types of Cloth Diapers

2010-01-23T21:42:00.004-05:00

So which cloth diaper is best for you? That is for you and your family to decide! Here is a comparison of all the types I've written about.

Flats and Prefolds:
Pros:
Very inexpensive
Chances are you can find the cheap ones in a store near you
Can easily be turned into burp cloths, everyday towels, dusting rags, etc...
Cons:
Need a diaper cover
Compared to disposables, they can be difficult to use
Need a fastener and not very Daddy friendly

Fitteds:
Pros:
Still cheaper than AIOs and Pockets
Excellent absorbency
They come with fasteners (snap or hook and loop)
Cons:
Need a diaper cover
Can be very bulky

All In Ones:
Pros:
Still cheaper than disposables
No need for a diaper cover
Very easy to use-Daddy and daycare friendly!
Cons:
Take forever to dry
More expensive than prefolds and fitteds

Pockets:
Pros:
Still cheaper than disposables
No need for a diaper cover
Less drying time than AIOs
Very easy to use-Daddy and daycare friendly!
Cons:
More expensive
Extra step of stuffing an insert
You have to pull out insert when wet or dirty

If you are trying to figure out what is best for you, I suggest trying at least one of each. I suggest prefolds and/or fitted for newborns, but some AIOs and pockets may fit. If you aren't sure about spending the money on them until you like them, a lot of brands have a try it first policy, where you can try them and return them if you don't like them (cleaned, of course!). Or, you can buy used or even ask around to borrow someone else's. www.diaperswappers.com is a huge for-sale-or-trade site that you can find good deals, as well as support forums for just about everything.

Pocket Diapers

2010-01-23T20:49:00.004-05:00

Pocket Diapers are yet another type of diaper that does not need a diaper cover. Pocket diapers make up most of my stash, although there are pros and cons to these as well. Pocket diapers look like an All in One in that they are contoured like them and have a waterproof outer layer.

The inner layer is not sewn into the diaper, however. Instead, it is an insert that you stuff into a pocket in the diaper.

Pocket diapers come in all sizes as well, including one-size-fits-all. These pictures here are of a Green Acre Designs brand of pocket diaper. They have TONS of sizes to choose from. It can get confusing! Most of my daughter's diapers are one-size (also known as OS), and they can adjust with your baby as he/she grows. Some adjust more than others, dependent on the brand. BumGenius does an excellent job of this. Pocket dipes, like AIOs, also have either a snap closure or hook and loop.

The great thing about pocket diapers are that they allow you to choose your absorbency level, and they can sometimes be more leak proof than some of the AIOs. They dry much quicker than AIOs because you pull the insert out of the pocket when you throw it in the pail. Some pocket diapers, like the brand, Pocket Change, have openings on the front and back so that the insert comes out on its own during agitation in the wash. Nice. Pockets are also easy to use. My husband and the daycare use them with no complaints. However, the daycare does not remove the inserts. I do that when I get home.

The problem some find with pocket diapers are that you do have to pull out the insert. Yes, you have to touch it when it's dirty!! Most of the time, I don't touch wetness or poop because I don't let it get so soaked that it gets wet in the back (where you pull it out from), and with poop, there will almost always be a clean spot you can touch (although not all the time!). Also, you do have to stuff the clean diapers, which is an extra step. My daughter loves to help me with this. However, there are so many different inserts that go with specific diapers, I don't trust anyone else to stuff them. So that's probably a down side if you have multiple brands, although I don't mind stuffing.

Pros and cons of pocket diapers:
Pros: No diaper cover needed, great absorbency, versatile, easy to use, less drying time than AIO.
Cons: Extra step of stuffing diapers,and pulling insert out of the diaper before washing.

About Crazy For Cloth

2010-01-21T15:03:00.004-05:00

Originally from a small farm town in Indiana, I am currently working part-time as a certified guidance counselor in the greater Cincinnati area. I am a Christian, the wife of my best friend and the mother of an amazing daughter that keeps us all on our toes!

Crazy for Cloth is basically me and my opinions on cloth diapers, "green" products, and living for Christ. I grew up in a loving household where, if you could use something over again, you did. We lived in a rural area about an hour away from any major city, so our way of living was not much of a choice. After getting my Master's degree in Counseling Psychology and marrying my college sweetheart, I have been a counselor for 7 years. However, my passion came to me just a little over a year ago in the form of a tiny, beautiful baby daughter.

Now that I am a mom, I have gotten a bit crazy (according to some) about doing my part to save the environment. Cloth diapering is probably the most radical change I have made in our household, although my husband "pulled the plug" on my idea to unplug the T.V. when not in use. :-)

Those who have seen my system have been impressed most of the time. I will always have the naysayers, but those who have been awed or inspired by my cloth diapering have suggested that I teach others about it and start up an informative website. This is what gave me the idea for crazyforcloth. I hope that through this blog, I might be able to answer any questions about cloth diapers or other products as well as be an inspiration to others by sharing the joy I have in simple living.

~Christie

All In One Diapers

2010-01-17T21:40:00.005-05:00

Yet another kind of diaper is the All In One diaper, otherwise known as the AIO. Here is a Dry Bees brand.

AIOs are similar to fitteds with two major differences. AIOs have layers sewn into the diaper. Here is what it looks like turned inside out.

The biggest difference is that AIOs do not need a diaper cover, as they have a waterproof outer layer sewn onto the diaper.

So basically, some genius figured out how to combine a prefold and a diaper cover. Sweet!

AIOs are probably the easiest cloth diaper to use. You use them the same way you use disposables. Slap it on the baby, take it off the baby, throw it in the pail. The difference: wash and dry instead of throw away! Dads and daycares are big fans of AIOs. AIOs are similar to fitteds in that they come in different sizes: small, medium, large, etc...However, some brands also make AIOs in one-size fits all. AIOs also have either snaps or hook and loop as fasteners. By the way, I had no idea what hook and loop meant when I first started this. it's Velcro, only Velcro is a brand of hook and loop. Kind of like when we ask for a Kleenex, but what we really want is a tissue! Is that a Midwest thing? Not sure.

So, why doesn't everyone use AIOs as cloth diapers since they are so much like disposables? There are a few drawbacks. First, AIOs are sometimes not as absorbent as fitteds. Although some parents may disagree with me. I think my child is a heavy wetter. I have never used an AIO for overnight, but I'm sure some parents do. Second, some experts say that the waterproof layer can wear out quickly after multiple washes. I have never had this happen to an AIO, although I did just experience this with a diaper cover. It happened overnight too. Fun times...

The biggest complaint about AIOs is that they take forever to dry. And when I say forever, I mean a crazy long time. On humid days, I have had an AIO take 2-3 days to dry! That's air dry. It takes me 2 drying cycles to dry it in the dryer. Turning them inside out helps. They are also more expensive than fitteds and prefolds.

So that's the down low on All In Ones...
Pros: Super easy to use: Daddy friendly, daycare friendly.
Cons: Slightly more expensive than fitteds, and a very long drying time.

Fitted Diapers

2010-01-16T12:57:00.005-05:00

What are fitted diapers, and how do they differ from prefolds? Fitted diapers are diapers that are contoured and have elastic around the legs and/or waist to better fit your baby. Fitted diapers are similar to prefolds in that they need a diaper cover. They can be many different fabrics, but they don't need safety pins or Snappies. Or Snuggies, for that matter. Speaking of, do you want a homemade Snuggie? It's easy! Step 1: take out robe. Step 2: put it on backwards. My friend told me that, and I had to share because it makes me giggle.

Fitted diapers are more convenient for those 'rents who are looking for a diaper that has its own fastener, but still is very simple to use and effective. Fitted diapers usually come in different sizes. Small, medium, large, x-small, etc..., and every brand has different size specifications. Kind of like American woman's clothing. Because we are too cool to have our sizes equal our measurements like guys' clothing. Some fitted diapers even have cute belly button cutouts for their newborn sizes. Here are a couple of pictures of my beautiful model showing off her fitted dipe. This particular brand is Baby Beehind. Wonderful absorbency, but I have to say, the hemp can get a bit stinky. This one is actually supposedly a one-size fits all diaper. I cannot imagine it fitting on a newborn, but it does have a row of snaps that you can fold down in the front to make it smaller.

Here is a picture of another brand: Kissaluvs. They make great newborn dipes, and they are so soft and fluffy. Alaina can't fit into this one anymore, so I'll just show it to you to get an idea of what the shape looks like.

As for leak protection, I have never had a leak in a fitted diaper that was not due to operator error. Funny story, one night I had to work late, and my husband put Alaina to bed. We usually use fitted diapers for nighttime because the ones we have are too bulky for my taste for daytime use. Anyway, Daddy was so proud that he used a fitted diaper on Alaina that night all by himself (he's a pocket diaper or AIO man only. Articles to come...). Good Daddy. Oops. He forgot the diaper cover. Bad Daddy. Needless to say, by about 3 hours after she was in bed, the mattress pad was already wet. You need to also be careful to check to see you have covered the entire diaper with the diaper cover as well. One peak of the fitted or prefold will leak onto clothes. However, when used properly, fitteds are super absorbent.

Pros of Fitteds: They are much easier to use than prefolds. They don't require fasteners. They are fairly inexpensive. They are very absorbent.

Cons of Fitteds: They can be a bit bulky. Jeans are nearly impossible to wear (on the baby, not you). They are more expensive than prefolds, running about $4-$11 each. You still need that extra step of putting on a diaper cover (which may bother some men).

My Busy Schedule!

2010-01-11T12:33:00.004-05:00

If you read my prefolds and flats article, and you would like to learn more about other types of cloth diapers out there, keep following me, and I will tell you! However, I must warn you, I am full swing into the school year, and being a guidance counselor by day makes it difficult to blog all the time. So, I will try to make it a point to blog on the days I have a little free time. With that being said, I will not be able to blog on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They are just too crazy and busy.

Do any of you who work or regularly take your child to a child care facility of some sort notice a big difference on the days that your child is there vs. not there? Being a new mom, I had no idea how Alaina would be affected by different things. I love my daycare facility. I trust her teachers, and they have no problem with the cloth dipe thing. I will admit, Alaina may be a bit high maitenance (no idea where she got that from, LOL!), but she is the fussiest, crankiest child ever on the days that she is at daycare. It is exhausting just to heat up leftovers, let alone cook! I think I have figured out mostly why she has such a problem with daycare. She doesn't sleep nearly as much as she does when she is at home. She has to have more sleep than the average 14 month old, and I mean a lot more sleep. I actually had her tested for a thyroid problem a while back! But I need tons of sleep too, so like mother, like daughter I guess!

Ok, I've vented. But overall, my little "short stack" is smiley, giggly, and VERY silly! I cherish each and every day we get to spend together. She is truly a gift from God.

Understanding Flats and Prefolds

2010-01-08T14:59:00.010-05:00

The cheapest cloth diapers around are probably flats and prefolds. Prefolds are diapers that have 3 rectangle panels, with the panel in the middle having more layers of cloth than the two on the outside. Flats have the same number of layers throughout. I honestly do not know anyone who uses flats by themselves. I do know a couple of people who swear by prefolds. Prefolds can run anywhere from less than $10 for a 12 pack to over $40 for a 12 pack. Cathy Cagle has an excellent article on prefolds at the Diaperpin website. I am trying to get the link on here for you, but I am having some trouble! If you don't find the link to click on, you can copy and paste this: www.diaperpin.com/clothdiapers/article_prefolds101.asp.

Basically, prefolds are what most people think of when they think of cloth diapers. These are the diapers that you fold and pin onto the baby. Here is a picture of Alaina (my daughter) in a prefold. I don't have any good ones, so this is your basic Gerber Birdseye that I received from family and used as burp cloths.
There is a new product out on the market that takes the place of pins. They are called Snappi Cloth Diaper Fasteners.
They look crazy, but I have heard only good things about them!
With prefolds, you have to have a diaper cover. Diaper covers can cost anywhere from about $2-$15 a piece, so they are a bit pricier than the diaper itself. Here are 2 pictures of Alaina in her prefold, this time with the diaper cover.

I personally love the Thirsties brand of diaper covers, but I haven't tried too many out, so I am not a good judge of what is best for your money: http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/covers.htm. As for prefolds, I don't use them unless I need them as an extra insert to help with absorbency. The main reason I don't use them is because, if I did, my husband probably wouldn't change a single diaper. Love ya babe!

Prefolds and flats can also be used as inserts or doublers. Inserts are cloth that provide extra absorbency in the middle of another diaper. For example, as I got bigger as a baby, my mother used to lay a folded prefold into another prefold for extra leak protection. A doubler is basically just a double insert, used especially for night time protection.

Best of all, prefolds are the best rags ever after baby is potty trained! I actually use some that I received and never really used as cloth paper towels for spills and the like. It saves me from throwing away a paper towel, and they are way more absorbent.

That is the quick low down on a very affordable, versatile, no-thrills diaper. Post me any questions you may have! Up next...the low down on fitted diapers!

Financial Clarification

2010-01-08T11:03:00.004-05:00

I received a comment that I want to post here just to clarify some things. Here is the abridged version on the comment:

"I use a mix of Luvs diapers and Pampers diapers for night time use. The cost of diapers for Luvs is around $17, not including coupon savings or specials at Kroger/Target (I got them for $14.50 this week at Kroger!). The count of diapers varies from over 200 diapers for newborn sizes down to 80 diapers for size 5. Pampers is typically $19, again not including coupons (which are in the Sunday paper once/month for $2 off) and specials ($16.50 at Kroger this week!). So let’s average at $17/ 100 diapers over the lifetime of the child, which is conservatively expensive. At 2920 diapers per year, it is $496.40. Assuming you use a Diaper Genie, the cost for refills and the Diaper Genie for those diapers is about $84 (the first year, subtract $40 cost for the Genie itself on subsequent years). Over 3 years you spend total $1737.

Let’s look at the cloth diapers. RealdiaperAssociation.org recommends 6 dozen diapers over the child’s lifetime. At a cost of ~$20 each, you will spend $1440. Of course you need to launder these diapers, which I calculated for my Kenmore High Efficiency models assuming doing a load every 3 days, you would spend ~ $168/yr. It would be more if you used a standard washer/dryer of course. The grand total: $1945. Uhhh, where’s my savings? You mean it costs me MORE to get cloth? AND I have to clean them?"

Thank you for these comments! I want to clarify a couple of things. First off, the recommendation to buy 6 dozen diapers over the child's lifetime most likely refers to flats and prefolds, which I will be discussing the cost of these in that post. They are nowhere near $20 each. I personally have about 30 diapers total, none flats or prefolds, and I never run out of diapers when I launder them every other day. I also did not spend $20 each on my diapers. Many of my diapers I bought used from www.diaperswappers.com, and many I bought new for way less than that. My brand new expensive ones (that I must admit I love!!) are $24.95. In total, I have spent about $500-$600 total on my diapers, and I will not be buying more unless I buy some potty training ones or occasionally try a new one here and there. And granted, since some of my diapers are used, the elastic may go out on them, so I might need to replace those. So, add on an extra 100 bucks just for the fun of it, and I have still saved around a $1000. But even if I had 30 of my expensive ones, the cost would still be $750. Still saving...

My Passion and My Intentions For This Blog

2010-01-07T14:48:00.005-05:00

We all have reasons for what we do. Being in the counseling field, I have found that most of our actions stem from our passions. Furthermore, most of our passions are a result of our relationships with others. If you look at the things you are passionate about, what are they? Think for right now about material possessions, things of monetary value, and hobbies and interests. Let’s use an example. I know many people are passionate about cooking, I included. What is the reason a lot of us are passionate about cooking? It could be the taste; it could be to save money. I know for me, it is the satisfaction of knowing that I made something of value and of worth. More importantly, I made something for my family. Cooking is one of the ways I show I love my husband and others close to me.

What is my point? My point is, that chances are if you look deep down at the reasons for your passions, they will eventually point to a relationship in your life, past or present or future. Are you passionate about art? Why? Art is an expression of emotions, ideas, influences. Art is shaped by your personality, and your personality is shaped by relationships.

Another passion of mine is cloth diapers. Two reasons I am passionate about cloth are it saves me money, and I am not throwing something away after using it. Saving money helps me to care for my family. As for the throwing something away, yes, I feel I have a relationship with the environment. That may sound like a fad or a little too “crunchy,” but God gave us a responsibility to take care of the His creation. I cannot take care of something I don’t love, so yes, I love this beautiful earth we live in. I have another reason for this passion. I am good at it. I am not good at much, so when I find something that I can do well and help others do, I run with it. Yes, I may be selfish, but I try to be honest.

I realize now that my passion has offended others. Please know that I in no way think I am better than any other parent that uses disposables. I am only writing what I am passionate about. Therefore, I want to remind all of my readers that this is what I believe. I am in no way judging you or your own beliefs. I thank God that we have parents who do feel offended because that means they are passionate about being a parent. We need more of these kinds of people around, don’t you think?

My post, “Why Use Cloth Diapers?” may be skewed. It may be biased, and it may be internet propaganda. Personally, I believe that most research is flawed in some way because of variables that cannot be controlled, but this, again, is my opinion only. If you believe in something, you will usually find evidence to support your beliefs. However, I will change this article to include research on the other side of the coin. I am in no way a scientist. I am not good with numbers, statistics or anything that requires a scientific theory. In fact, there isn’t much, if anything, out there that someone can’t do better than me. So, from now on, I will stick with explaining to you what I do and what I know, and I will leave the research to those that are passionate about research. My intentions for this blog are to be a tool for those who are interested in learning more about types of diapers.

We all have reasons for what we do. What are yours?

Yes, But Is It REALLY Worth It?

2010-01-04T14:00:00.013-05:00

So, if you've read my previous article, you know there are some good reasons to use cloth. If you aren't convinced, you may be asking, "Is all of this really worth it?" From conversations I have had with many parents, new and old, along with comments I have heard from nay-sayers, I will attempt to address a few issues.

1. It is a system that can be overwhelming.
My short answer is yes, it is a system and it can be overwhelming!!! There is sooo much information out there that it can be too much to grasp. This is the whole reason for my blog. I hope to better inform you and keep things simple. Please ask me any question at any time, and I will try to answer you within 24 hours. Bottom line, cloth diapering is difficult to get started when the alternative disposables are so much more advertised. I have created a simple, my opinion only, graph of the effort it takes to start up a cloth system vs. a disposable system. I think it takes more effort and cash up front, and less effort as time goes on because of the lack of purchases you have to make!
Professional chart, right? :-) As my mom says, humor me, dear.

2. Only stay at home moms have the time to do this.
I am a working mother. Personally, I like using cloth diapers better while working because it contributes to the amount of time I get to stay at home vs. out and about running errands because I ran out of diapers or wipes, or what have you...I have gotten into a routine, which in my opinion is a must for anybody that has to work and have kids! I wash my diapers every other day. Right after I put my daughter to bed, I put the diapers on a cold rinse cycle. Right before I go to bed, I wash the diapers. Then, when I wake up in the morning, I throw the diapers in the dryer. This also helps the drying time because the diapers have been sitting overnight drying a little. Ok, I will admit, I am not a morning person, so half of the time I remember to throw the diapers in the dryer when I get home from work.

3. My daycare won't do that!
I had a lot of difficulties finding a daycare facility due to my price range, what I needed, and my daughter's extreme separation anxiety at the time (glad that stage is over!). I did NOT have a problem with cloth! Every daycare facility/babysitter I tried out agreed to use cloth. I brought a sample in, and they were all amazed at how easy it was. The facility my daughter is currently at has a policy where they wrap the diaper in their gloves (standard for all dipes), then into the wetbag it goes. They store the wetbag in a plastic storage container. They told me that they are seeing a nationwide trend with cloth diapers becoming more popular. Yay!!

4. The Poopy Problem-Gross!
Poop. We all do it. No matter if you are using disposable, cloth, or nothing at all (elimination communication, baby!), you will get baby poop on you at some point, and more than once. The only problem I see with using cloth is that you have to smell it an extra minute or so to drop the poop into the toilet. There is nothing else that is different. You still wipe the booty, throw the diaper in the pail, etc...And my diaper pail is no more stinky than others using disposables.

5. I'm already doing disposables, so it is too late.
Is it too late to start recycling those plastic bottles? Neither is it to go cloth! I say start the transition slowly. Don't start buying all at once and end up with something you don't like. Along with this, don't buy all of the same diaper, either. You may not like the fit or leak coverage. Try during the times you are at home. There are also cloth training pants out there for those nearing the potty training stage. I will say, you have to be committed, but it feels so good to know you are doing something to save your pocketbook and the environment.

Again, I would love to hear your comments and questions!

Why Use Cloth Diapers?

2010-01-03T08:23:00.003-05:00

If you are a friend of mine, whether on facebook or in real life or both, you may know that I am sort of a fanatic about cloth diapers. You may also have known me before I had my beautiful daughter and my thoughts on this subject. Before getting pregnant, I was all about going green, saving the world one plastic bottle at a time. I love to recycle, reuse, and shop in the organic aisle. With all of this in mind, I was known to say on more than one occasion, "If there is something I won't do, its use cloth diapers. That is disgusting!" So how did I go from never to always in a short nine months? Here are a few reasons I would like to share with you:

1. Financial
If you have kids, you know disposable diapers are expensive. I am not a math whiz, but I calculate that if my child uses diapers from birth to age 2, I will spend roughly $1700 overall for diapers. Remember, this is one child, and this does not include wipes, a diaper pail and diaper pail refills. Now, I like some of the pricier cloth diapers, so I have spent a little more than I could have on cloth, so I would estimate that I have so far spent roughly $500-$600 on diapers alone. I also use cloth wipes and make my own wipe solution (an article will come on this subject!), and this was only about $20 total. I use a trash can and 2 wet bags (to be explained later if you don't know what a wet bag is), and this cost me about $45 total. As you can see, the cost is not even comparable. On top of this, I don't have to spend this much on future children because I already have the supplies I need, and the diapers I already have can be reused.

2. Environmental
Most of my research on environmental concerns and disposable diapers comes from http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php. Disposable diapers are the 3rd largest single product waste behind newspapers and beverage containers. Urine and feces enter landfills untreated, which can seep into the ground causing polluted water. Did you know that if you looked at the instructions by the manufacturers of disposable diapers, they say to empty a soiled diaper in the toilet before disposing in the trash? I was skeptical, so I checked on the Pampers website, and sure enough, it was there! Seriously, do you know anyone that does this?! There is a reason the companies say to do this! Also, the manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 more water wasted than cloth. Another environmental concern is that a diaper is estimated to take 250-500 years to decompose. That's long after your great, great grandchildren are gone!

REBUTTAL STATEMENTA study conducted by the U.K. Environment Agency acknowledges the contribution of disposable nappies to total solid waste in the order of 0.1-0.2%. The LCA study, however, confirms that the impact on waste management is not significant. Disposable diapers are compatible with prevailing forms of waste management, some of which may be waste to energy solutions, and the industry is encouraged by Central and Local Government's efforts to broaden their views on waste treatment options beyond landfills.

3. Better for Your Baby
I found a lot of the same information about toxins in diapers from many websites, but http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php actually gave sources for this information, so check this website out if you are interested in the research and studies gone into this subject. Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, a toxic by-product of the paper bleaching process. This is the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. Disposables also contain Tributyl-tin, a toxic substance that used to be in tampons that caused Toxic Shock Syndrome. This pollutant has been known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. The age of children, specifically girls, that going through puberty now-a-days has significantly decreased, so hormonal problems is of major concern to me.

REBUTTAL STATEMENT: Greenpeace issued a retraction in July 7, 2000 stating they were in error in finding TBT in any Procter & Gamble diapers. P&G denies ever having used this compound in their diapers, nor is there any reason to do so. In addition, the 1994 study regarding dioxin states it causes cancer if dioxin is INGESTED.

4. Possibly Better for Potty Training!
No research has been found on this subject, but some experts and many parents I have spoken with believe that cloth diapers helps with the potty training process. Some think it may be because children can feel the wetness more with cloth. Others think that parents are more motivated to train because they don't want to wash diapers anymore, but I would think most parents are motivated, no matter what kind they use. :-)

If I think of any other reasons off the top of my head, I will post them. Also, if you have any other reasons, feel free to post too! I would love to hear comments of any kind! My next article will be titled, "Yes, but is it REALLY Worth It?"

Currently Under Construction!

2009-12-30T14:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks for visiting my brand new blog!!! I will be posting soon. Topics will include: reasons to use cloth diapers, understanding different types of cloth diapers, cloth wipes and cloth wipe solutions, navigating through the overwhelming internet world of cloth diapers, and much much more!!! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and that your New Year will be amazing!!!