Some of my friends are waiting on my verdict on cloth diapers, and the verdict is that I LOVE them! I'm starting to get a little addicted to them. They are so easy to use that it makes me wonder why more people don't use them. I use bumGenius 4.0 one-size with snaps (the snaps work best for Allison's body type). They truely get more absorbent the more you wash and use them. We only use 4-7 diapers a day, depending on poopies.
I will admit one of the nice things about them is that I have an extremely nice front-loading washer. It does all the steps--prewashing, the extra hot water wash, and the extra rinse all for me, so I just put everything in there, push some buttons, and 2 hr 15 mins later, I have clean diapers. There is no smell or stains. I do have to wash every other day, so if I wasn't a stay-at-home mom, it would be kinda a pain to wash diapers after a long day of work.
Allison also seems to like them better than disposables. She has had sensitive skin since day 1, the main reason I started looking into cloth diapers. They don't give her a rash and are softer than disposables. When I put a disposable on her for church or MOPS, she starts pulling and scratching at it and always seems a little relieved to her cloth diaper put back on afterwards.
Cleaning the poop is not gross at all. Yes, it's never the most pleasant thing in the world, but again, the cloth diapering people have gotten it all figured out. I just plop the waste into the toilet. Now, you can use a diaper sprayer to spray it off, but I just dunk the diaper in the toilet to clean it off a little better. The outer part of the diaper is waterproof, so the toilet water just runs off. I've never gotten poop on my hands or anywhere else.
A great plus of having the one-size diapers is that Allison and the baby can wear the same diapers. I always have the right size diaper on hand! I can also double the inserts for overnights, naps, and long car trips. To diaper both girls, I do have to have quite a few on hand. To make it where I only have to wash every other day, I need to have between 25-30 diapers. That does initially end up being quite pricey, a little over $500, but if you do the math, I'll make my money back by the time the baby is 5 months old and save over $1,000 by the time she is one. We also plan on having a 3rd baby at some point, so that is just money in our pockets.
I even save more money by using baking soda in the prewash and using my homemade laundry detergent. It ends up being 1 cent per load! Once the weather is warmer and there isn't yellow pollen blowing everywhere, I can hang my diapers outside and not use the dryer. That makes it even cheaper. Plus, the sun is a natural bleacher and deodorizer.
I know cloth diapers aren't for everyone, but I think it's something people should consider. I think cloth diapers have gotten a bad rap over the years, but now there are so many options. Two minor things that I like is that there are no poopy diapers sitting in a trash can stinking the place up and I don't have to rush out and buy diapers or keep track of how many I have on hand. More is only a wash away!
Just view my other posts to see Allison's cute hiney covered in them. ;)
Friday, March 25, 2011
Hello, Spring!
Spring is here, and we are loving it! It's a good thing that Allison doesn't seem to be allergic to anything around here b/c Sumter is yellow due to pine pollen. Wisteria is blooming everywhere but considered a weed around here. All the tree and flowers are blooming. It's really pretty. I would take pictures of everything, but I'm too busy chasing Allison around.
We spend our days at the park most days. Currently, we have hornets in our backyard, so we can't go out there. I'm allergic to them, and Allison thinks it's fun to chase and try to catch them. Brandon and the Terminix guy both sprayed out there, but they are still buzzing around.
We did one day play in the front yard with the sprinkler. I got the idea when I took Allison to the park one morning, and the sprinklers were spraying. Well, she saw them going off and started running through them. They weren't the nice calm ones either. They were the kind that are like a high pressured hose. She threw the biggest tantrum when I carried her off. We were both soaked after that.
Here are some pictures from our afternoon with the sprinkler in the front yard. She also found an empty milk jug, decided to fill it up with water, and water a pot of dirt and our plants. I'm clueless where she learned to water plants, but she's a smart girl.
We spend our days at the park most days. Currently, we have hornets in our backyard, so we can't go out there. I'm allergic to them, and Allison thinks it's fun to chase and try to catch them. Brandon and the Terminix guy both sprayed out there, but they are still buzzing around.
We did one day play in the front yard with the sprinkler. I got the idea when I took Allison to the park one morning, and the sprinklers were spraying. Well, she saw them going off and started running through them. They weren't the nice calm ones either. They were the kind that are like a high pressured hose. She threw the biggest tantrum when I carried her off. We were both soaked after that.
Here are some pictures from our afternoon with the sprinkler in the front yard. She also found an empty milk jug, decided to fill it up with water, and water a pot of dirt and our plants. I'm clueless where she learned to water plants, but she's a smart girl.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
One Last Hoorah!
Well, I'm now 37 weeks pregnant, and this little girl can make her appearance anytime she wants. I've done just about everything but get ready for her. What I have been doing is baking and decorating like crazy. I think subconsciously I know I won't have the time to do something I enjoy for awhile, so that's all I want to do. In 6 weeks, I have made a farewell cake, Valentine Day's cupcakes, cupcakes for a 4 yr old's birthday, and St. Patrick's Day cupcakes. In between all that, I've been baking orange sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls, and whatever else I can think of. Oddly enough, I haven't made my whole wheat bread in weeks.
Here are some pictures of my recent creations:
Here are some pictures of my recent creations:
Thursday, February 24, 2011
New Post!
Sorry that it has taken me so long to post anything on here. It's been a little crazy around here. After I posted my last post about us being sick, things got really busy for me. For starters, Brandon broke his back in a parachuting accident! He's ok and has no spinal cord damage. He just has to wear a brace for 6 weeks. We down to 2 weeks left of that. It was pretty hectic the 1st couple of weeks for me b/c he couldn't do anything and was in a lot of pain. It was like have two babies to take care of. Now, he rarely has to take pain meds, goes to physical therapy 3 times a week, and can do almost everything by himself.
I'm now 34 weeks pregnant and feeling like it. Allison is pretty busy these days and keeps me busy as well. I'm back to when she naps, I nap or prop my feet up, and it takes me a long time to get anything done. It took me over 30 minutes the other day to fold one load of laundry! Of course, I had a little helper too. ;)
The weather is getting really nice here, so we've been able to spend the afternoons outside. We have an awesome playset in our backyard, but it's not friendly for 8-month pregnant women who have heavy toddlers. Therefore, I've been taking Allison to the park a lot. Sumter has really nice parks here. They are safe and very clean. We go often enough to where Allison knows where we are going before we get there, and she gets super excited and starts clapping and shrieking with joy.
Allison is getting funnier, smarter, more entertaining, etc. everyday. She is still not saying much, but she knows all her shapes, understands almost every command I give her, and knows the colors red and yellow. She is also getting more clingy towards me. I think she knows something is going on and her alone time with Mommy is limited. She's been crying and throwing tantrums when I drop her off at the nursery at MOPS, something she's never done and really throws all the workers for a loop. I even had the head of the nursery ask me today why she was doing that b/c she's the baby who never cries.
We are also making the switch to cloth diapers, but I'll write more about that later. I now hear Allison waking up from her nap. Here is the only pic I have of Allison wear the cute cloth diapers. It also shows her silly side.
P.S. I'm sorry for the terrible grammar in this post.
I'm now 34 weeks pregnant and feeling like it. Allison is pretty busy these days and keeps me busy as well. I'm back to when she naps, I nap or prop my feet up, and it takes me a long time to get anything done. It took me over 30 minutes the other day to fold one load of laundry! Of course, I had a little helper too. ;)
The weather is getting really nice here, so we've been able to spend the afternoons outside. We have an awesome playset in our backyard, but it's not friendly for 8-month pregnant women who have heavy toddlers. Therefore, I've been taking Allison to the park a lot. Sumter has really nice parks here. They are safe and very clean. We go often enough to where Allison knows where we are going before we get there, and she gets super excited and starts clapping and shrieking with joy.
Allison is getting funnier, smarter, more entertaining, etc. everyday. She is still not saying much, but she knows all her shapes, understands almost every command I give her, and knows the colors red and yellow. She is also getting more clingy towards me. I think she knows something is going on and her alone time with Mommy is limited. She's been crying and throwing tantrums when I drop her off at the nursery at MOPS, something she's never done and really throws all the workers for a loop. I even had the head of the nursery ask me today why she was doing that b/c she's the baby who never cries.
We are also making the switch to cloth diapers, but I'll write more about that later. I now hear Allison waking up from her nap. Here is the only pic I have of Allison wear the cute cloth diapers. It also shows her silly side.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Tired of Being Sick
All 3 of us have been sick all week. I don't know if it's because I'm pregnant or what, but this is one of the worst colds I've ever had. I've never had a cough where I've wheezed before, and Brandon and I have been sleeping in separate rooms so that each other's coughing wouldn't disturb the other person. Allison has been quite the cuddler all week. Here is a picture of Brandon and her watching the Sound of Music.
Allison and I today were feeling slightly better today, so we ventured out to Walmart. I got her a potty chair. She just had to have the Elmo one. She couldn't wait to sit on it. She's not ready to use it yet but is very interested in the potty. Anytime I tell her that "Mommy is going potty," she runs to the bathroom and waits for me to open the door and helps me tear off the toilet paper. Her favorite books these days are also potty books, so I thought she might like her own potty chair like Mommy and her favorite books. Only time will tell how soon she'll acutally use it for its purpose.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Indoor Snow Day
We got 5 inches of snow today! It rarely snows here, and so far we have had 2 days of snow, today and on Dec. 26th. When it snowed on the 26th, that was the 1st time it had snowed in Dec. here since 1877! Last year when we got this much snow in Texas, I gave all my friends with toddlers a hard time for not going out in the snow with them. Well, I was that mom who didn't want to go outside today. Allison has only been walking well for a couple of weeks now. She's now attempting to run and falling down a lot. I just knew if we went outside, she would fall within the 1st minute of being out, and since she doesn't have waterproof clothes, we would have to come in. That would lead to a big tantrum because she loves being outside no matter what the weather is like.
With all that said, I was a little creative. I filled a bowl with snow and let her play with it in the kitchen. We built a snowman and made apple juice snowcones. Allison enjoyed touching the snow and messing up whatever I made out of it. We did all this fun in the morning. I was planning on doing it all again after her afternoon nap, but by then, the snow falling had turned into freezing rain. There was a thick layer of ice on top of the fun snow, so we just watched Veggietales and read a lot of books.
With all that said, I was a little creative. I filled a bowl with snow and let her play with it in the kitchen. We built a snowman and made apple juice snowcones. Allison enjoyed touching the snow and messing up whatever I made out of it. We did all this fun in the morning. I was planning on doing it all again after her afternoon nap, but by then, the snow falling had turned into freezing rain. There was a thick layer of ice on top of the fun snow, so we just watched Veggietales and read a lot of books.
Hmm, to go outside or not?
Playing with the snow
The snowman I made
Allison enjoying ripping the snowman's head off
Waiting for her clothes to dry. Love that belly!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
More Basics
After I wrote the last post, I thought of a few more basic ways to save.
For cleaning, use vinegar, water, and baking soda. If you really need to degrease, add some lemon juice.
Make your own baby food! You will save 70-90% on it. I loved doing it and experimenting with mixtures of different fruits and veggies.
Instead of buying books and DVDs, use your local library. Most libraries get all the new releases the same day the book or DVD is released.
Get an air popper or pop popcorn the old fashioned way. Microwavable popcorn is marked up more than 100%.
Get rid of the cable tv. It's not necessary to survive in life.
Just always remember less is more.
For cleaning, use vinegar, water, and baking soda. If you really need to degrease, add some lemon juice.
Make your own baby food! You will save 70-90% on it. I loved doing it and experimenting with mixtures of different fruits and veggies.
Instead of buying books and DVDs, use your local library. Most libraries get all the new releases the same day the book or DVD is released.
Get an air popper or pop popcorn the old fashioned way. Microwavable popcorn is marked up more than 100%.
Get rid of the cable tv. It's not necessary to survive in life.
Just always remember less is more.
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