Hanging in VC today.
Adventures of an accidental stay at home mom!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Cloth diaper 101
Okay ladies and gents. After about two months of cloth diapering, I think I finally have the hang of this thing. DISCLAIMER, I am by no means an expert, but this post is meant to be a break down of the different types of cloth diapers. Since starting many of my friends have also told me that they would like to learn more about CDing.
So welcome to hello sunshine's CD Tutorial
When starting out the most overwhelming thing can be deciding which route you would like to go, mostly because the terminology can be so intimidating! So we will go slow.
The most basic form of CDing would be pre folds and covers. This is old school with a twist. Prefolds haven't changed, they are still a rectangular piece of fabric that has a thicker middle section that is meant to be the absorbent area. If you opt to wrap the prefold around your baby you can still use Pins, or there is a much less nerve wracking option called a snappi. This is a stretchy plastic contraption with small (and much less sharp) hooks to hold everything down. Or you can opt to go without entirely since the cover will hold everything it. and speaking of covers, it's covers that have gotten a modern makeover. Plastic pants have been done away with. Now covers are made from fabric with an inner waterproof layer of PUL (polyurethane laminate). Instead of pins now covers either come with snaps or Velcro(often referred to as aplix or hook and loop) that mimics disposables (aka, sposies). There a many covers out there, but here's what I use.
One size Flip cover with snaps.
Another option would be pocket diapers. Pocket diapers have the same waterproof layer as a cover and a layer of some type of stay dry fabric on top of that which is what sits against baby's skin. Either at the front or back of the diaper there will be a pocket in which one would stuff an absorbent insert, usually microfiber. With these diapers once baby goes, so does the diaper, it's time to wash. The plus side to pockets is that they tend to wear really well over time, so if you're hoping to CD multiple children, pockets will generally be the best bang for your buck. A downside would be that there is just a few more steps involved. These diapers also can come in specific sizes based on weight ranges, or you can purchase one size diapers that come with rise snaps so you can adjust how tall the diaper is, and either waist snaps or Velcro to get a snug fit. The majority of my stash is one size pockets, but I hope to CD any future kids as well.
One size Alvas, Fuzzibunz, and Bumgenius
Next are all in ones (AIO). All in one diapers are the easiest in that everything is all sewn in, there is nothing you need to stuff, wrap, or pin down. These are the most similar to sposies. Therefore, these are the most expensive. These also have a layer of PUL, but everything absorbent about the diaper is sewn down(either partially just on the ends or all the way), so all the changer has to do is take off the dirty diaper and put on a new one. I use these diapers when I change a diaper the go (my diaper bag stash).
Bumgenius all in one Freetimes
A similar option is an all in 2 (AI2). These diapers are (to my best understanding, I do not have any however) similar to a cover with absorbent inserts that snap in, so they fit similarly to the all in ones, but when the insert is dirtied you can just pop the insert out and snap a new one in.
And now, to close out the diaper portion of my tutorial, we have fitteds and hybrid fitteds. Fitteds have a special place in my heart because they changed night times for us. I can now sleep through the night because my son no longer wants to be changed in the middle of the night. Regular fitted diapers are made of ultra absorbent fabric, but they have no waterproof layer, so they DO need a cover over. But when they have a cover, man, do they contain a have wetter.
NOW, hybrid fitteds are like cloth gold around here. Hybrid fitteds also do not have the waterproof layer, but many inner layers of absorbent fabric that suck up any and all moisture and and outer layer of fleece that repels moisture back into the inner layers of the diaper to ensure the outside stays dry. The best part is the inside of these is made with a soft stay dry fabric (like velour) that wicks moisture away from the skin and keeps baby nice and comfy. Here's ours.
Gray star boutique hybrid fitteds
Now that you know the different types, here's how to care for them!
Diapers should not be washed in standard detergent as it has soaps and brighteners that can build up in the diapers and cause all sorts of problems (ammonia build up, bacteria, stink...oh my!). You can buy a cloth diaper specific detergent like Rock n Green or Bumgenius detergent, but for the most part, those are just an expensive alternative to something you can get much cheaper. Pretty much any free and clear detergent you would use for your baby's clothes will do (although as of late I have also been hearing to be wary of all liquid detergents), but here is a link to a helpful chart of which detergents are safe and which are not. If you want an all natural option, soap nuts are amazing, and can be made into a powder or a liquid (stay tuned for my recipe and a tutorial on how I make it).
Now every washing routine can vary, ask 5 CDers, you will get 5 different answers. It really depends on your water, how often your washing, detergent, etc. Generally, you will have a pre-rinse, a hot wash with detergent (possibly a second hot wash without) and an extra cold rinse. I do a cold rinse, hot wash with soap, hot wash no soap, extra cold rinse and it works for me; no build up, no stink.
Finally, anything with a pul layer should be line dried, all others can go through the drier.
**BONUS** It occured to me after the fact that I didn't talk about diaper creams, and I really should. Diaper rashes can be awful and have the power to make even the most capable and confident parent feel like a big ole pile of poo if they can't fix it. The go to with Sposies is some type of (usually) zinc and/or petroleum based cream. BIG CD NO NO. When used regularly in CDs, creams can actually ruin cloth diapers (don't worry if it happens on accident, there might be a stain but the diaper should be fine). There are some cloth diaper safe creams on the market and here is where you can see a break down on what's good and bad. Also, for a natural alternative, we use coconut oil on any sign of irritation and so far that has kept rashes away.
Let's be real though, some diaper rashes are just down right awful and putting oil on it just isn't going to cut it. If you find your baby with an awful rash and your gut tells you to reach for the desitin or butt paste, there is a way!!! You can buy fleece or disposable liners that you would put between baby and diaper to keep the cream from getting on the fabric. You would also need to do this for circumcision care if you plan to cd a newly circ'd baby.
What anyone starting out should know is that cloth diapering is NOT scary, and it is much easier than you think. The actual diapering portion is no different that putting a sposie on a baby's butt. The only extra thing is one extra load of laundry every other day (you can stretch this to wear two days and wash on the third, but it should not be stretched longer than that). The plus side is, for the first six months of a baby's life, while they are on a purely liquid diet their poo is 100% water soluble, therefore all you have to do is take the dirty dipe and drop it in the laundry. Once they start solids you will want to get a diaper sprayer to spray off the poo or just do a quick dunk in the toilet. If you're thinking about CDing, DO IT! You will love it! It may not be for everyone, but man is it for us!
So welcome to hello sunshine's CD Tutorial
When starting out the most overwhelming thing can be deciding which route you would like to go, mostly because the terminology can be so intimidating! So we will go slow.
The most basic form of CDing would be pre folds and covers. This is old school with a twist. Prefolds haven't changed, they are still a rectangular piece of fabric that has a thicker middle section that is meant to be the absorbent area. If you opt to wrap the prefold around your baby you can still use Pins, or there is a much less nerve wracking option called a snappi. This is a stretchy plastic contraption with small (and much less sharp) hooks to hold everything down. Or you can opt to go without entirely since the cover will hold everything it. and speaking of covers, it's covers that have gotten a modern makeover. Plastic pants have been done away with. Now covers are made from fabric with an inner waterproof layer of PUL (polyurethane laminate). Instead of pins now covers either come with snaps or Velcro(often referred to as aplix or hook and loop) that mimics disposables (aka, sposies). There a many covers out there, but here's what I use.
One size Flip cover with snaps.
Another option would be pocket diapers. Pocket diapers have the same waterproof layer as a cover and a layer of some type of stay dry fabric on top of that which is what sits against baby's skin. Either at the front or back of the diaper there will be a pocket in which one would stuff an absorbent insert, usually microfiber. With these diapers once baby goes, so does the diaper, it's time to wash. The plus side to pockets is that they tend to wear really well over time, so if you're hoping to CD multiple children, pockets will generally be the best bang for your buck. A downside would be that there is just a few more steps involved. These diapers also can come in specific sizes based on weight ranges, or you can purchase one size diapers that come with rise snaps so you can adjust how tall the diaper is, and either waist snaps or Velcro to get a snug fit. The majority of my stash is one size pockets, but I hope to CD any future kids as well.
One size Alvas, Fuzzibunz, and Bumgenius
Next are all in ones (AIO). All in one diapers are the easiest in that everything is all sewn in, there is nothing you need to stuff, wrap, or pin down. These are the most similar to sposies. Therefore, these are the most expensive. These also have a layer of PUL, but everything absorbent about the diaper is sewn down(either partially just on the ends or all the way), so all the changer has to do is take off the dirty diaper and put on a new one. I use these diapers when I change a diaper the go (my diaper bag stash).
Bumgenius all in one Freetimes
A similar option is an all in 2 (AI2). These diapers are (to my best understanding, I do not have any however) similar to a cover with absorbent inserts that snap in, so they fit similarly to the all in ones, but when the insert is dirtied you can just pop the insert out and snap a new one in.
And now, to close out the diaper portion of my tutorial, we have fitteds and hybrid fitteds. Fitteds have a special place in my heart because they changed night times for us. I can now sleep through the night because my son no longer wants to be changed in the middle of the night. Regular fitted diapers are made of ultra absorbent fabric, but they have no waterproof layer, so they DO need a cover over. But when they have a cover, man, do they contain a have wetter.
NOW, hybrid fitteds are like cloth gold around here. Hybrid fitteds also do not have the waterproof layer, but many inner layers of absorbent fabric that suck up any and all moisture and and outer layer of fleece that repels moisture back into the inner layers of the diaper to ensure the outside stays dry. The best part is the inside of these is made with a soft stay dry fabric (like velour) that wicks moisture away from the skin and keeps baby nice and comfy. Here's ours.
Gray star boutique hybrid fitteds
Now that you know the different types, here's how to care for them!
Diapers should not be washed in standard detergent as it has soaps and brighteners that can build up in the diapers and cause all sorts of problems (ammonia build up, bacteria, stink...oh my!). You can buy a cloth diaper specific detergent like Rock n Green or Bumgenius detergent, but for the most part, those are just an expensive alternative to something you can get much cheaper. Pretty much any free and clear detergent you would use for your baby's clothes will do (although as of late I have also been hearing to be wary of all liquid detergents), but here is a link to a helpful chart of which detergents are safe and which are not. If you want an all natural option, soap nuts are amazing, and can be made into a powder or a liquid (stay tuned for my recipe and a tutorial on how I make it).
Now every washing routine can vary, ask 5 CDers, you will get 5 different answers. It really depends on your water, how often your washing, detergent, etc. Generally, you will have a pre-rinse, a hot wash with detergent (possibly a second hot wash without) and an extra cold rinse. I do a cold rinse, hot wash with soap, hot wash no soap, extra cold rinse and it works for me; no build up, no stink.
Finally, anything with a pul layer should be line dried, all others can go through the drier.
**BONUS** It occured to me after the fact that I didn't talk about diaper creams, and I really should. Diaper rashes can be awful and have the power to make even the most capable and confident parent feel like a big ole pile of poo if they can't fix it. The go to with Sposies is some type of (usually) zinc and/or petroleum based cream. BIG CD NO NO. When used regularly in CDs, creams can actually ruin cloth diapers (don't worry if it happens on accident, there might be a stain but the diaper should be fine). There are some cloth diaper safe creams on the market and here is where you can see a break down on what's good and bad. Also, for a natural alternative, we use coconut oil on any sign of irritation and so far that has kept rashes away.
Let's be real though, some diaper rashes are just down right awful and putting oil on it just isn't going to cut it. If you find your baby with an awful rash and your gut tells you to reach for the desitin or butt paste, there is a way!!! You can buy fleece or disposable liners that you would put between baby and diaper to keep the cream from getting on the fabric. You would also need to do this for circumcision care if you plan to cd a newly circ'd baby.
What anyone starting out should know is that cloth diapering is NOT scary, and it is much easier than you think. The actual diapering portion is no different that putting a sposie on a baby's butt. The only extra thing is one extra load of laundry every other day (you can stretch this to wear two days and wash on the third, but it should not be stretched longer than that). The plus side is, for the first six months of a baby's life, while they are on a purely liquid diet their poo is 100% water soluble, therefore all you have to do is take the dirty dipe and drop it in the laundry. Once they start solids you will want to get a diaper sprayer to spray off the poo or just do a quick dunk in the toilet. If you're thinking about CDing, DO IT! You will love it! It may not be for everyone, but man is it for us!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Holy March
March was insanity over here. I am not entirely sure why, but man am I glad to see March go.
In the ohhhhh, three weeks since I have blogged (has it really been THREE WEEKS) we've had visits from old friends and family and Ei met his future wife, because yes, I do have an arranged marriage for my son ;). We have battled allergies and colds. We transitioned little man out of our bedroom and into his crib (tear). I got my crafty on and made curtains for my son's room (future post to come). And finally we planted our summer garden (another future post to come)! It doesn't sounds like a lot, but I feel likes have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
So bring it on April. We are ready for you ( though admittedly, April is already proving to be insanity as well....le sighhhh). I have a lot in the works this month. STAY TUNED!
In the ohhhhh, three weeks since I have blogged (has it really been THREE WEEKS) we've had visits from old friends and family and Ei met his future wife, because yes, I do have an arranged marriage for my son ;). We have battled allergies and colds. We transitioned little man out of our bedroom and into his crib (tear). I got my crafty on and made curtains for my son's room (future post to come). And finally we planted our summer garden (another future post to come)! It doesn't sounds like a lot, but I feel likes have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
So bring it on April. We are ready for you ( though admittedly, April is already proving to be insanity as well....le sighhhh). I have a lot in the works this month. STAY TUNED!
Meeting Miss Maggie
Holding hands ;)
First beach trip!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Hello, sunshine
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when sky's are gray. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."
This is, and always has been, my favorite of all the children's songs there are. Growing up my mom used to sing this to me daily. Usually first thing in the morning, she would come in and start singing to me until I woke up for the day. Now that I am a mom I make a point every morning when my son wakes up, no matter how tired I am or how badly I just want to get back in bed, when I first look at him and pick him up I say to him, "Good morning sunshine!" And I give him the best smile I can muster. When Eli is older I want him to always remember how happy I am that he is in my life. And that starts now (actually it already started, really before he was even born).
So in just a matter hours, when he is waking me up and my mind is begging for just a little more sleep, instead I will get up and say, "Good morning, sunshine."
This is, and always has been, my favorite of all the children's songs there are. Growing up my mom used to sing this to me daily. Usually first thing in the morning, she would come in and start singing to me until I woke up for the day. Now that I am a mom I make a point every morning when my son wakes up, no matter how tired I am or how badly I just want to get back in bed, when I first look at him and pick him up I say to him, "Good morning sunshine!" And I give him the best smile I can muster. When Eli is older I want him to always remember how happy I am that he is in my life. And that starts now (actually it already started, really before he was even born).
So in just a matter hours, when he is waking me up and my mind is begging for just a little more sleep, instead I will get up and say, "Good morning, sunshine."
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Going green to save some green; Step two
Lately I have been searching for any means possible to save some money around the house. My first step was switching the baby to cloth diapers. After a month of using cloth, I am so happy we did it! The money savings on diapers is insane, but that's for another post :)
So the latest installment in my going green to save some green adventure is my soaps and cleaning products. We use them daily; we clean our clothes, bodies, counters, dishes, and more with them. In the short run, all these costs separately can be small potatoes, but over the course of a year that can add up to an huge amount of money! So, for now, I am starting small. The first thing I am replacing is our laundry detergent. Now for any loyal readers of Megan's blog, this will look familiar, but for me it's the logical place to start.
So, the initial plan is when our giant jug of Costco Ecos detergent runs out I will be switching to soap nuts. That's right, nuts. They are actually more of a dehydrated berry, but I digress. They are mother nature's cleaner. Throw a few in the wash in lieu of detergent, a few drops of essential oil for scent, and boom, all natural detergent. Now, there are a bunch of ways to make your own detergent that I found while doing my research that are cheap and easy and save you loads of money (click here to see some). I ultimately I settled on soap nuts BECAUSE they are natural, and therefore, cloth diaper safe. All the other detergents I was finding recipes for we're not CD safe because the ingredients would build up in the diapers and then we would have a very leaky problem.
It wasn't until I started looking for the best ways to store my soap nuts that I found recipes for making all kinds of home cleaners out of, you guessed it, the very same soap nuts I was already planning on buying. I can make kitchen cleaner, dish washer detergent, BATHROOM cleaner! All I have to do is buy a bulk bag of these babies off amazon (look at that price tag) (that's 720 loads of laundry at about 4.5 cents a load) and keep them around my house.
So after I make switch in the laundry I plan to go big (because I am already at home ;)). I will be switching our dish washing detergent, hand soap, and multi surface cleaner for the kitchen and bathroom counters. Stay turned for updates and photos!
Want to learn more about soap nuts? Here you go!
So the latest installment in my going green to save some green adventure is my soaps and cleaning products. We use them daily; we clean our clothes, bodies, counters, dishes, and more with them. In the short run, all these costs separately can be small potatoes, but over the course of a year that can add up to an huge amount of money! So, for now, I am starting small. The first thing I am replacing is our laundry detergent. Now for any loyal readers of Megan's blog, this will look familiar, but for me it's the logical place to start.
So, the initial plan is when our giant jug of Costco Ecos detergent runs out I will be switching to soap nuts. That's right, nuts. They are actually more of a dehydrated berry, but I digress. They are mother nature's cleaner. Throw a few in the wash in lieu of detergent, a few drops of essential oil for scent, and boom, all natural detergent. Now, there are a bunch of ways to make your own detergent that I found while doing my research that are cheap and easy and save you loads of money (click here to see some). I ultimately I settled on soap nuts BECAUSE they are natural, and therefore, cloth diaper safe. All the other detergents I was finding recipes for we're not CD safe because the ingredients would build up in the diapers and then we would have a very leaky problem.
It wasn't until I started looking for the best ways to store my soap nuts that I found recipes for making all kinds of home cleaners out of, you guessed it, the very same soap nuts I was already planning on buying. I can make kitchen cleaner, dish washer detergent, BATHROOM cleaner! All I have to do is buy a bulk bag of these babies off amazon (look at that price tag) (that's 720 loads of laundry at about 4.5 cents a load) and keep them around my house.
So after I make switch in the laundry I plan to go big (because I am already at home ;)). I will be switching our dish washing detergent, hand soap, and multi surface cleaner for the kitchen and bathroom counters. Stay turned for updates and photos!
Want to learn more about soap nuts? Here you go!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Baby Wearing
So without even realizing it, I grew up in a pro (in both senses of the word) Attachment Parenting household. My mom was the queen of extended breast feeding, baby wearing, and co-sleeping. When I got married I swore up and down my child would not sleep in my bed and I thought I would be dying to be done breast feeding by sixth months. And thank God I was so wrong! I am perfectly happy with my son sleeping in his bed next to mine so I can bring him in for snuggles whenever he (I) need(s) them. And breast feeding is probably the coolest thing EVER! You can bet I will be one of those moms that breastfeeds past year ;)
The one area of AP which I was totally for was Babywearing. In fact, I was damn excited to be able to pick out my carriers and always have my baby close. And people LOVE babywearing moms. Every time I go out with Eli in the carrier everyone stops and smiles and look and at him him like he is the bees knees (which lets be real, he is ;D). In the beginning we used the Moby wrap which we borrowed from Miss Megan and is was perfect for the tiny little peanut.
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The one area of AP which I was totally for was Babywearing. In fact, I was damn excited to be able to pick out my carriers and always have my baby close. And people LOVE babywearing moms. Every time I go out with Eli in the carrier everyone stops and smiles and look and at him him like he is the bees knees (which lets be real, he is ;D). In the beginning we used the Moby wrap which we borrowed from Miss Megan and is was perfect for the tiny little peanut.
My all time favorite carrier is the Ergo. It is the most comfortable contraption ever, and even better, it works from older kids as well as small babies.
But do you know what people love more than babywearing moms? That's right, babywearing dads.
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That's our Sprout Pouch, it's Eli's current fav because he can face forward and look around, the others just put him to sleep ;-)
Make Over.
As you can see, my blog is getting a face lift. Originally, I first thought about starting a blog right after Kyle and I got married and I set everything up. Blog title, background, colors, all of it, the only thing that was originally different was the tagline.
So I sat down to right my first blog post and realized that I had nothing of substance to say that wasn't already covered in other blogs so I took down the post and forgot about it. A year later, I now have something to write about and the blog to do it in. However, after talking to my girlfriend and blogspiration, Megan, I decided I needed to make some changes in my blogosphere, which has in turn got me pretty excited about making said changes. I also have something big in the works that I will make another post about later when everything is complete.
So now I have a new look and a new name. Bare with me for now though, because I am not 100% satisfied with my new look, things will probably keep changing :)
So I sat down to right my first blog post and realized that I had nothing of substance to say that wasn't already covered in other blogs so I took down the post and forgot about it. A year later, I now have something to write about and the blog to do it in. However, after talking to my girlfriend and blogspiration, Megan, I decided I needed to make some changes in my blogosphere, which has in turn got me pretty excited about making said changes. I also have something big in the works that I will make another post about later when everything is complete.
So now I have a new look and a new name. Bare with me for now though, because I am not 100% satisfied with my new look, things will probably keep changing :)
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