Instead of this being a one-right-after-the-other type of two part series, part two of this will be a long time in coming, but I wanted to take time to post about what we are planning to try with this new baby. (Have I even posted on here that we are expecting again? It's been a while since I've been on here, but Hooray! We are expecting a baby girl Lucy Soul, in February.)
I'll start with a little history. With Efrim we got gDiapers as gifts and used disposables until he fit them. In the end gDiapers were a disaster for us anyway. With Julian we used the small gCloth inserts in my covers to start with since they were comparable to other name brand newborn inserts, but he was peeing through them before he was two weeks old.
Since then I have been on Diaperswappers.com forun for almost a year, and learned a whole lot about what works and doesn't work for other people.
So with Lucy we are still going to use my small/size 1 covers, which she will be able to wear for a while, but inside we are going to go with something more absorbent, and we want to use something we can pin or snappi so it fits more snugly around a tiny baby inside a looser cover.
So here is what we have planned:
18 covers (because they're homemade so I can have that many if I want)
12 cloth eez workhorse fitteds
6 gmd infant fitteds
6 bamboo fleece trifolds
6 newborn prefolds
As I discussed in the prefolds and flats comparison Cloth Eez workhorse fitteds, by greenmountaindiapers.com, have a very good reputation as a newborn diaper. They should be both trim and absorbent.
Green mountain diapers also makes an "infant fitted" for just a little more that is supposed to fit from 5-13lbs. I read a review that says they fit even longer, and were her favorite for the newborn stage. I got 6 used off fsot (for sale or trade), but they look bigger than I expected, so we will try those out, but not register for more.
I have a few homemade trifolds that probably won't pin, but they will be about as trim as the gCloth were with a lot more absorbency, and will fit someone really tiny.
We have a few trimmed econobum prefolds that Julian wore when he flooded everything else. They will be too bulky at first, and probably too stiff and thick to snappi. I am also going to get some newborn imagine prefolds as well. I saw a pic on diaperswappers of one snappi'd on a little newborn, and it looked so trim and great.
This gives us a variety, so if we find we are needing more I know what works best.
In any case the small flats the boys are outgrowing will fit pretty soon, and then she will be golden.
I will post pics when we get them, and let you know what we think once we actually get to try everything.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Why use cloth diapers.
Would you rather consume over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine per year, and throw all of that in a land fill (roughly doubling your families current waste out put), OR about three laundry baskets worth of renewable resources for all of your babies birth to potty, and water (the most renewable resource, water cycle in second grade anyone)?
Would you rather spend about $300 on diapers or $3000? This is a really rough estimate since you can choose a large or small stash, fancy or plain jane, and use it for one baby or five.
Would you rather wrap your baby's tenderest parts in wood pulp and harmful chemicals, or in 100% cotton? All quoted from realdiaperassociation.org, "Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S. Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbency tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome by increasing absorbency and improving the environment for the growth of toxin-producing bacteria."
Would you rather give your baby something unique and precious or something mass produced in a chemical plant for the purpose of being thrown away? I like to put my cheap flats and prefolds into cute work at home mom covers (mostly made my me of course). There will be less than a dozen of any of these covers available in the universe. My baby can wear them again and again, and even pass them on to siblings. Precious. It just makes sense to me when I spend hours agonizing over what to feed them and cloth them, and sleep them in to put something precious on their bottom too.
These are all straight forward, but there are som pretty valid reasons people choose not to cloth diaper. I want to show that those reasons are also easily surmountable.
"I just can't add anything to our busy lifestyle. Caring for small children is so much work already."
Trust me, I totally understand this. There is a lot that goes undone in our house. But cloth diapering really doesn't have to be the load of extra work you imagine. If you have a house of small children you are doing laundry every day or two anyway. Diapers are one extra load 2 or 3 times per week, and a lot of people never bother to fold them. You can set up a cute changing table with pretty little baskets, or you can use them right out of the basket. To me it is a lot easier than running to the store every time we run out of diapers- just throw them in the washer, and then the dryer.
"It just costs so much to start up with cloth, even though it is more expensive in the long run, it is easier for us to spend $25 every week or so than all at once."
We have been here too. Living pay check to pay check it seems impossible to afford the start up costs. But I beg you to do what is best for your family in the long run. Find the money somewhere. I regret every dollar we spent on a package of disposables because I didn't think we could afford a better cloth stash. What a great stash we would have now if I had known how to buy in to cloth wisely. I will elaborate in a later post, but it is this simple you can get by with 4 covers and 12 diapers, for as little as $64 dollars you can have enough cloth diapers for 24 hours. Find that money anywhere you can, and then you have $75/month to add more time between washes, and more convenience a little at a time.
"I want to use cloth with my baby, but I don't know how to register for them. So many people will give us disposables anyway. None of my friends and family know how to shop for cloth diapers."
Again, we've been there and done that. I'm there again, trying to get a newborn stash for this baby, but we can't get it all ourselves. Most people register at more than one place, and you probably have a few close friends who are willing to buy things on line, even though it's not as fun as shopping in a store. So this is what we are doing- I'll let you know how it works. I am making a regular Target baby registry for my grandmothers who are not tech savvy, and really just want to pick up something cute, and then I am making an Amazon Universal Registry. My sister or another hostess will have the permalink for this, plus people can find it by searching my name on Amazon. This has a few special baby products that aren't widely available in stores yet, and also our cloth diaper wishlist. That way if someone is willing to shop online for something we really need, they have a straight forward link to the shop and instructions about sizes and colors.
Would you rather spend about $300 on diapers or $3000? This is a really rough estimate since you can choose a large or small stash, fancy or plain jane, and use it for one baby or five.
Would you rather wrap your baby's tenderest parts in wood pulp and harmful chemicals, or in 100% cotton? All quoted from realdiaperassociation.org, "Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S. Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals. Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbency tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome by increasing absorbency and improving the environment for the growth of toxin-producing bacteria."
Would you rather give your baby something unique and precious or something mass produced in a chemical plant for the purpose of being thrown away? I like to put my cheap flats and prefolds into cute work at home mom covers (mostly made my me of course). There will be less than a dozen of any of these covers available in the universe. My baby can wear them again and again, and even pass them on to siblings. Precious. It just makes sense to me when I spend hours agonizing over what to feed them and cloth them, and sleep them in to put something precious on their bottom too.
These are all straight forward, but there are som pretty valid reasons people choose not to cloth diaper. I want to show that those reasons are also easily surmountable.
"I just can't add anything to our busy lifestyle. Caring for small children is so much work already."
Trust me, I totally understand this. There is a lot that goes undone in our house. But cloth diapering really doesn't have to be the load of extra work you imagine. If you have a house of small children you are doing laundry every day or two anyway. Diapers are one extra load 2 or 3 times per week, and a lot of people never bother to fold them. You can set up a cute changing table with pretty little baskets, or you can use them right out of the basket. To me it is a lot easier than running to the store every time we run out of diapers- just throw them in the washer, and then the dryer.
"It just costs so much to start up with cloth, even though it is more expensive in the long run, it is easier for us to spend $25 every week or so than all at once."
We have been here too. Living pay check to pay check it seems impossible to afford the start up costs. But I beg you to do what is best for your family in the long run. Find the money somewhere. I regret every dollar we spent on a package of disposables because I didn't think we could afford a better cloth stash. What a great stash we would have now if I had known how to buy in to cloth wisely. I will elaborate in a later post, but it is this simple you can get by with 4 covers and 12 diapers, for as little as $64 dollars you can have enough cloth diapers for 24 hours. Find that money anywhere you can, and then you have $75/month to add more time between washes, and more convenience a little at a time.
"I want to use cloth with my baby, but I don't know how to register for them. So many people will give us disposables anyway. None of my friends and family know how to shop for cloth diapers."
Again, we've been there and done that. I'm there again, trying to get a newborn stash for this baby, but we can't get it all ourselves. Most people register at more than one place, and you probably have a few close friends who are willing to buy things on line, even though it's not as fun as shopping in a store. So this is what we are doing- I'll let you know how it works. I am making a regular Target baby registry for my grandmothers who are not tech savvy, and really just want to pick up something cute, and then I am making an Amazon Universal Registry. My sister or another hostess will have the permalink for this, plus people can find it by searching my name on Amazon. This has a few special baby products that aren't widely available in stores yet, and also our cloth diaper wishlist. That way if someone is willing to shop online for something we really need, they have a straight forward link to the shop and instructions about sizes and colors.
Choosing Prefolds and Flats, Part 2:How
I just posted this Prefolds and Flats Comparison on Diaper Swappers. I won't burden you with all of the charts here, but I wanted to give a little commentary on my findings, and some recommendations for those of you who are in the market.
Best Price for Value (best over all): Imagine (nickisdiapers.com) hands down.
Just to prove my point, there was a thread on Diaper Swappers the other day where a mama asked whether she should go for cloth eez from green mountain diapers, or imagine from nickis diapers. She had 12 or more responses saying Imagine are shorter (fit better in trim covers), softer, cheaper, etc. Imagine are $10 less per dozen than the other major brands, (ie: brands of the same quality). It is $7 cheaper per dozen for Imagine organic than for the cloth eez or diaper rite in conventional cotton. A lot of times in diapering you get what you pay for, and these price differences would be nothing if the product was poor quality, but I have had both imagine and clotheez prefolds, and just like the diaperswappers mamas said, Imagine are just as durable and absorbent, but softer and better fitting than other brands for an average of $2 each rather than $3.
tip: I always think you should size down in DSQ prefolds. They are almost all 4x8x4 ply, and I always find the size for my boys weight range too long and bulky.
Diaper Rite Large Flats (diaperjunction.com):
A lot of companies including Nickis/Imagine have only 27x27" flats and consider them one size, but as much as I like to size my boys down in things for trimness, these are getting a little short when we pad fold them, and will not snappi at all. Cloth Eez(greenmountaindiapers.com) and Diaper Rite are the only ones I have found with two sizes. So if you need smalls, I stand by Imagine being the best price, but if you need something bigger, go with Diaper Rite which are $4.50 less per dozen than Cloth Eez.
For special types of diapers: Cloth Eez by Green Mountain Diapers
While their prefolds and flats are more expensive than other brands greenmountaindiapers.com has some other neat types of diapers for way below the competition. I have not tried these three things myself, but they are on my newborn list, because they are highly recommended all over.
1. Workhorse Fitteds- These are "prefitteds" meaning a prefold made into a fitted. They come with snaps or no closure and are an especially poular newborn diaper. We are registering mostly these for Lucy in no closure. It is like using a prefold or flat, but with long wings to wrap around, trimmer between the legs, no folding. These are 4.95 each in newborn no closure, or 7.40 each in the other sizes. compare to other prefold to prefitted conversions at $10-12 each, or $7-10 if you provide your own prefolds.
2. Sherpa Diaper- For a while I was making "trifold inserts" out of hemp and bamboo fleece, because they are trimmer than a regular prefold, with 2 body layers of fleece and then you trifold like a prefold and lay it in a cover (or snappi). Making these got very tedious with no serger, and the materials are very expensive. Numerous other work at home moms make these, but because of the cost of materials you are giving away your time if you sell them for less than $6 each, and some sell for as much as $14. Cotton Sherpa is a bit cheaper, but it is still not very profitible for wahms to sell them for an economic price range. Clotheez has Sherpa diapers for 2.95 each in newborn or small and 3.25 in medium. Their Small is the same size as my "one size" was, and if you are trifolding should be plenty of diaper for an average wetter until potty learning. This is just not that much more than a prefold for a really trim luxurious diaper. Even other "name brand" fleece or jersey prefolds (flip and thirsties) are $7-8 each.
Best Price for Value (best over all): Imagine (nickisdiapers.com) hands down.
Just to prove my point, there was a thread on Diaper Swappers the other day where a mama asked whether she should go for cloth eez from green mountain diapers, or imagine from nickis diapers. She had 12 or more responses saying Imagine are shorter (fit better in trim covers), softer, cheaper, etc. Imagine are $10 less per dozen than the other major brands, (ie: brands of the same quality). It is $7 cheaper per dozen for Imagine organic than for the cloth eez or diaper rite in conventional cotton. A lot of times in diapering you get what you pay for, and these price differences would be nothing if the product was poor quality, but I have had both imagine and clotheez prefolds, and just like the diaperswappers mamas said, Imagine are just as durable and absorbent, but softer and better fitting than other brands for an average of $2 each rather than $3.
tip: I always think you should size down in DSQ prefolds. They are almost all 4x8x4 ply, and I always find the size for my boys weight range too long and bulky.
Diaper Rite Large Flats (diaperjunction.com):
A lot of companies including Nickis/Imagine have only 27x27" flats and consider them one size, but as much as I like to size my boys down in things for trimness, these are getting a little short when we pad fold them, and will not snappi at all. Cloth Eez(greenmountaindiapers.com) and Diaper Rite are the only ones I have found with two sizes. So if you need smalls, I stand by Imagine being the best price, but if you need something bigger, go with Diaper Rite which are $4.50 less per dozen than Cloth Eez.
For special types of diapers: Cloth Eez by Green Mountain Diapers
While their prefolds and flats are more expensive than other brands greenmountaindiapers.com has some other neat types of diapers for way below the competition. I have not tried these three things myself, but they are on my newborn list, because they are highly recommended all over.
1. Workhorse Fitteds- These are "prefitteds" meaning a prefold made into a fitted. They come with snaps or no closure and are an especially poular newborn diaper. We are registering mostly these for Lucy in no closure. It is like using a prefold or flat, but with long wings to wrap around, trimmer between the legs, no folding. These are 4.95 each in newborn no closure, or 7.40 each in the other sizes. compare to other prefold to prefitted conversions at $10-12 each, or $7-10 if you provide your own prefolds.
2. Sherpa Diaper- For a while I was making "trifold inserts" out of hemp and bamboo fleece, because they are trimmer than a regular prefold, with 2 body layers of fleece and then you trifold like a prefold and lay it in a cover (or snappi). Making these got very tedious with no serger, and the materials are very expensive. Numerous other work at home moms make these, but because of the cost of materials you are giving away your time if you sell them for less than $6 each, and some sell for as much as $14. Cotton Sherpa is a bit cheaper, but it is still not very profitible for wahms to sell them for an economic price range. Clotheez has Sherpa diapers for 2.95 each in newborn or small and 3.25 in medium. Their Small is the same size as my "one size" was, and if you are trifolding should be plenty of diaper for an average wetter until potty learning. This is just not that much more than a prefold for a really trim luxurious diaper. Even other "name brand" fleece or jersey prefolds (flip and thirsties) are $7-8 each.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Choosing Prefolds and Flats, Part I:Why
First of all I wanted to give a little explanation, again, about why we use the types of diaper we do. There are so many pocket and all-in-one or all-in-two diapers out there. It seems to a lot of people that the only reason you would use prefolds or flats and covers is because of finances, but I can honestly say that regardless of cost we are not interested in these types of diapers.
For one, I don't find them to be more convenient. A pocket has to be stuffed, just like a cover, and most all-in-ones do not have enough absorbency for an older baby without adding a booster. As far as buying convenience is concerned it makes a lot more sense to me to add another dozen prefolds than one pocket or all-in-one diaper. Either way you are spending $15-24. Why pay for one more change between laundry when you could get 12 for the same price?
The other reason I don't like these options is that they are much more difficult to care for. A cover with PUL inside almost wipes clean, and the cotton prefold washes just like a tshirt, the easiest thing you have to care for. Pockets or all-in-ones on the other hand have synthetic fibers that develop strange smells over time, or a dozen layers of some absorbent fabric pressed up against a waterproof barrier. How does this every get clean? Also, many diapers claim that their insert agitates out in the wash, but I have tried very few that actually did. This means that, unlike with a cover and diaper, any insert that has to be stuffed when it is clean, has to be unstuffed when it is dirty. Yuck.
Finally, many of these diapers are just too bulky. Most are "one size" diapers, which is really such a joke. Who wants to put a diaper on an 8 lb newborn that would fit a 40 lb toddler? So many also have extra fleece stay dry layers and so forth. a pad folded flat in a well fitting cover is as trim as a disposable (and it doesn't grow to ten times it's size when wet), and unlike a pocket or all-in-one this combination will last three changes for $12-20 instead of one.
Covers with prefolds, flats, or fitteds just seem like the most common sense type of diaper to me. With the variety of covers out there, and your options of folding you can meet the needs of any body type and absorbency level a baby could have. They are much more economical and much easier to care for, and simplicity means trimness. We use these diapers because we love them, and they are best for our kids, not because we are broke.
For one, I don't find them to be more convenient. A pocket has to be stuffed, just like a cover, and most all-in-ones do not have enough absorbency for an older baby without adding a booster. As far as buying convenience is concerned it makes a lot more sense to me to add another dozen prefolds than one pocket or all-in-one diaper. Either way you are spending $15-24. Why pay for one more change between laundry when you could get 12 for the same price?
The other reason I don't like these options is that they are much more difficult to care for. A cover with PUL inside almost wipes clean, and the cotton prefold washes just like a tshirt, the easiest thing you have to care for. Pockets or all-in-ones on the other hand have synthetic fibers that develop strange smells over time, or a dozen layers of some absorbent fabric pressed up against a waterproof barrier. How does this every get clean? Also, many diapers claim that their insert agitates out in the wash, but I have tried very few that actually did. This means that, unlike with a cover and diaper, any insert that has to be stuffed when it is clean, has to be unstuffed when it is dirty. Yuck.
Finally, many of these diapers are just too bulky. Most are "one size" diapers, which is really such a joke. Who wants to put a diaper on an 8 lb newborn that would fit a 40 lb toddler? So many also have extra fleece stay dry layers and so forth. a pad folded flat in a well fitting cover is as trim as a disposable (and it doesn't grow to ten times it's size when wet), and unlike a pocket or all-in-one this combination will last three changes for $12-20 instead of one.
Covers with prefolds, flats, or fitteds just seem like the most common sense type of diaper to me. With the variety of covers out there, and your options of folding you can meet the needs of any body type and absorbency level a baby could have. They are much more economical and much easier to care for, and simplicity means trimness. We use these diapers because we love them, and they are best for our kids, not because we are broke.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Cloth Diapering Accessories 101
You will probably not be surprised to hear, that we are pretty minimalist when it comes to cloth diapering accessories. In addition to our diapers, covers, and wipes, we have only a few other helpers.
The first and most important are wet bags and a pail liner. I have a cute wet bag and travel wipes case to match the diaper bag, but it is good to have a back up wet bag too, in case you bring one home with dirty diapers in it, and need to go out again before you can wash it.
My wet bag is from American Country Designs on Etsy, but I like the ones I make better because the front zip is easier to use, and mine are attached inside so the pul doesn't turn inside out in the wash and have to be re stuffed. My wet bags are $14 for all PUL, or $20 with an outer layer of designer cotton print at tentrevival.etsy.com. You can get a 10% discount by using coupon code BLOGREADER.
For a diaper pail we use a small trash can with a Bummis Large Tote as a liner. It used to have a lid to contain the smell, which I'm sure is still around somewhere, but now it lives in the laundry room behind closed doors, so it wasn't used as much and is currently in hiding. I think I paid $16 for mine, but they are $18 now at Cottonbabies.com, which always has free shipping. We love this pail liner because it is really thick and sturdy, it fits our little pail perfectly, it is the least expensive we've found, and it has a drawstring for traveling.
We don't have a diaper sprayer, but I really want one for getting stickier messes off without having to dunk and swish. Who wants to touch that? Yuck. You can get the bumgenius on for $45 at Cottonbabies, it is the mostly popular. The fuzzibunz one is usually $34-$38 on Amazon. Or you can make your own, like in this tutorial for a lot less.
As far as detergent is concerned, there are about a hundred different types, and you can sample them all, or you can trust me when I say that Allen's Naturally Biodegradable is wonderful. The $52/gallon price tag might scare you off, but it uses only 1/4 oz per diaper load, and 1 oz or so per regular load (we use less), so it lasts 6 months or more. The gallon comes with a pump which makes it so easy to use, and I really trust with it that there is nothing left on our clothes after the wash. Use coupon code GOODWASH at Cottonbabies for free detergent shipping. This save a lot since a gallon is so heavy
I want to say here as well that while most cloth diapering websites will tell you you can't use store bought detergent on cloth diapers (anything with softeners, brighteners, or enzymes) We did so for six months or more before ever having any residue problems, and this could have been just because we were using really thick prefolds that needed extra rinsing.
Many websites have various "stripping" instructions for removing stinky residues from your diapers, but I have recently heard that you can use ammonia neutralizer made for fish tanks. It is a very harmless chemical (gentle enough for goldfish to live in) and gets to the source of what is making your diapers smell funny when wet.
Basically every once in a while you may need to run your diapers through a few extra rinses in case there is any build up. Anything "free and clear" will probably not be terrible for your diapers. Even regular powdered tide has quite a large following on Diaperswappers.com.
The first and most important are wet bags and a pail liner. I have a cute wet bag and travel wipes case to match the diaper bag, but it is good to have a back up wet bag too, in case you bring one home with dirty diapers in it, and need to go out again before you can wash it.
My wet bag is from American Country Designs on Etsy, but I like the ones I make better because the front zip is easier to use, and mine are attached inside so the pul doesn't turn inside out in the wash and have to be re stuffed. My wet bags are $14 for all PUL, or $20 with an outer layer of designer cotton print at tentrevival.etsy.com. You can get a 10% discount by using coupon code BLOGREADER.
For a diaper pail we use a small trash can with a Bummis Large Tote as a liner. It used to have a lid to contain the smell, which I'm sure is still around somewhere, but now it lives in the laundry room behind closed doors, so it wasn't used as much and is currently in hiding. I think I paid $16 for mine, but they are $18 now at Cottonbabies.com, which always has free shipping. We love this pail liner because it is really thick and sturdy, it fits our little pail perfectly, it is the least expensive we've found, and it has a drawstring for traveling.
We don't have a diaper sprayer, but I really want one for getting stickier messes off without having to dunk and swish. Who wants to touch that? Yuck. You can get the bumgenius on for $45 at Cottonbabies, it is the mostly popular. The fuzzibunz one is usually $34-$38 on Amazon. Or you can make your own, like in this tutorial for a lot less.
As far as detergent is concerned, there are about a hundred different types, and you can sample them all, or you can trust me when I say that Allen's Naturally Biodegradable is wonderful. The $52/gallon price tag might scare you off, but it uses only 1/4 oz per diaper load, and 1 oz or so per regular load (we use less), so it lasts 6 months or more. The gallon comes with a pump which makes it so easy to use, and I really trust with it that there is nothing left on our clothes after the wash. Use coupon code GOODWASH at Cottonbabies for free detergent shipping. This save a lot since a gallon is so heavy
I want to say here as well that while most cloth diapering websites will tell you you can't use store bought detergent on cloth diapers (anything with softeners, brighteners, or enzymes) We did so for six months or more before ever having any residue problems, and this could have been just because we were using really thick prefolds that needed extra rinsing.
Many websites have various "stripping" instructions for removing stinky residues from your diapers, but I have recently heard that you can use ammonia neutralizer made for fish tanks. It is a very harmless chemical (gentle enough for goldfish to live in) and gets to the source of what is making your diapers smell funny when wet.
Basically every once in a while you may need to run your diapers through a few extra rinses in case there is any build up. Anything "free and clear" will probably not be terrible for your diapers. Even regular powdered tide has quite a large following on Diaperswappers.com.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Super Basic Cloth Wipes Tutorial
Just like my diaper routine, my wipes routine is very basic, so I thought I would share, just in case any one needs a little demystifying in this area.
I tried making two ply flannel and terry wipes like most cloth diapering websites sell for about $1 a piece, but they were too thick and bulky, and I never really liked them, so we went back to disposables, until we ran out one day and used a few of the boys cheaper wash rags, and they worked amazingly. So I got on Amazon, and searched "baby wash cloths." After comparing reviews and prices on several options, I went with Spa Silk brand, which are usually the first option to pop up. They are usually $6 for 10 wipes.
We like the Parent's Choice (WalMart brand) boxes best because the hole in the lid is big enough to get your whole hand in and pull out a cloth wipe.
Out of the wash I fold all of the wipes in half. We have aquired more and more because we use them for everything. 4 dozen or so is great, but you can get by with a lot less. You can stack the wipes in two boxes.
Then go to the sink and with the wipes set aside on the lid fill the box to just above the little line in the bottom, maybe 3/4" and push the wipes down on it, then pull them out and repeat, this time sitting the dry side downward. You will get the hang of how much water you need for different sized stacks of wipes. If you get the top and the bottom of the stack saturated the middle will be wet by the time you get to them.
I tried a couple of different solutions for the wipes, but in the end I didn't like leaving anything but water on the boys' clean bottoms, and we use them all before they can start to smell musty. If you go through them slower and they smell a little you can use boiled water to wet them instead of straight from the tap.
Just wet one box at a time and then when you run out switch to the other one. Having two boxes helps though if you don't wash your whole stash every time, so you have a place to stack clean dry ones when one box has wet ones still in it.
We just leave the wipes in the dirty diaper like you would with a disposable, and throw them in the wash with everything else. I find myself using clean ones for just about any mess. It is just so convenient to have a box of wet rags every where we go.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
just pluggin' away
I am never very good at getting on here faithfully. Mostly I try to avoid the computer unless I am completely exhausted because it is so hard to get off once I have started. And if I am completely exhausted I don't have anything interesting to say.
Every day is different, will the boys sleep or not? when? I have a few orders here and there. usually a little project to work on every week. I really have a lot to finish today.
I think covers and flats are the key. I am so silly I really don't like making the other kinds of diapers, because I don't think they're as good. Every time I get my pattern where I think it will be just right and there is some problem or other. I just invent more work for myself remaking it over and over, but when I am done it will be a really superior diaper cover.one I thinkwill be worthy of making up someone's whole stash, although I will always love LaDiDa and AMPs also.
I keep trying to find the wool love, but I really like things to be simple. I can't get enthused about adding another type of system to our rotation, even though they are so cute. Maybe it has to do with not having found a fitted I just love, or really that I haven't found many that are affordable, and don't enjoy making them. I should just get better at pinning flats. The day after I sent off our snappi in a free for shipping lot, I visited my friend who was so genius with hers I am dying to buy some more.
So, I don't know if we're doing anything useful or incredible to the world, but we just keep going, doing the things we are doing. Maybe I'll help a few families love what cloth diapering means for them, like I love what it means for me. Maybe I can show a few people that while the things man comes up with to meet our needs will always fail, and our chasing after them is killing us, God's things are beautiful, and they bring life.
Every day is different, will the boys sleep or not? when? I have a few orders here and there. usually a little project to work on every week. I really have a lot to finish today.
I think covers and flats are the key. I am so silly I really don't like making the other kinds of diapers, because I don't think they're as good. Every time I get my pattern where I think it will be just right and there is some problem or other. I just invent more work for myself remaking it over and over, but when I am done it will be a really superior diaper cover.one I thinkwill be worthy of making up someone's whole stash, although I will always love LaDiDa and AMPs also.
I keep trying to find the wool love, but I really like things to be simple. I can't get enthused about adding another type of system to our rotation, even though they are so cute. Maybe it has to do with not having found a fitted I just love, or really that I haven't found many that are affordable, and don't enjoy making them. I should just get better at pinning flats. The day after I sent off our snappi in a free for shipping lot, I visited my friend who was so genius with hers I am dying to buy some more.
So, I don't know if we're doing anything useful or incredible to the world, but we just keep going, doing the things we are doing. Maybe I'll help a few families love what cloth diapering means for them, like I love what it means for me. Maybe I can show a few people that while the things man comes up with to meet our needs will always fail, and our chasing after them is killing us, God's things are beautiful, and they bring life.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Making the Right thing Easy
My Dad often quoted a friend and horse trainer as saying, "Your job is to make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard." Since I am not your parent or trainer I will try not to make anything hard, but I kind of figure that making the right thing easy sometimes does that on its own.
My goal with this blog, my business, my children, and any educational ministry I do is to make the right thing easy. I hope to find out through study and experience the best way to take care of my families basic needs and spiritual growth, and then learn the simplest way to do that and pass it on to others. I don't think that being environmentally responsible, a good steward of your resources, generous to those around you, and contemplative should seem like an insurmountable task, but it often does.
I think I've about conquered the cloth diaper thing, now I just have to figure out the best way to communicate it with others. And move on to learning something new myself. If the Lord is willing, some day, probably when I am old, I will have a concise little set of books on all of these subjects and will save future generations of young Christian homemakers a lot of work. Until then I am just a work in progress, which you would know if you could see my kitchen.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
For Melissa: Types of Cloth Diapers
What a whirlwind we've been living in. I have even failed at my once a week postings. Oh well, try try again.
I have been trying to write some basics about cloth diapering, but having trouble knowing where to start, besides just rambling on my opinions. Enter my precious friend Melissa who is having a baby! I was responding to her email about what to register, and could have gone on for hours about cloth diapers, so instead of waylaying her, I thought I would write here what I would say to her. It is a lot easier to organize my thoughts on this when I am pretending to be speaking to a real live friend, instead of some hypothetical stranger who might read this. Keep in mind that I cannot write honestly without the bias of my own opinion.
I guess you always need to start with types of diapers. The way I see it there are 3 major types of diapers:
All In Ones or Pockets
The lines on this can be a little blurry, since some pockets are lined with natural materials, and some AIOs need extra absorbency added past the newborn stage.
Once either of these are stuffed, out of the wash, they should look and go on in one simple piece like a disposable diaper.
Both are usually pretty expensive considering none of the pieces required per change can be used over again.
AIOs take longer to dry.
You can save money by using a one size option, but they may not ever fit baby very well. Efrim was 20 lbs before a Flip one size cover didn't drag to his knees and he still wears it on the smallest setting at 22 mos.
All In Twos or Covers with Lay In Inserts
The main difference between these is that most AI2s have a stay dry, but not wipe clean interior of microfleece or suede cloth, and come with a sewn insert that doesn't have to be folded, but this isn't absolute by any means.
Can still be stuffed as you fold laundry to make diapers ready for use.
The number of covers and inserts you have is totally up to you. 6 covers and 24 inserts is the average. There is more information on this in my Super Basic Tutorial.
You can also choose which type of inserts are best for you, or go with a variety. Most inserts with work with most covers. This makes your stash really customizable for your baby each day. Prices vary from 14/dz for flats, 24/dz for prefolds, 5-9/each for hemp or bamboo trifolds, to 6-12 each for contours. As I have posted on here we really love flats best, and not because they are cheapest, but I like an elasticized contour also.
You can air dry covers after only wet diapers, and wash them only after a dirty diaper. This is the same for fleece lined or "wipe clean" covers. Covers need to be washed every 3 or 4 uses anyway.
The fewer layers sewn together on an insert the faster it will dry. Most covers will hang dry in the amount of time it takes your inserts to tumble dry.
Covers with Fitteds or Pinned Flats/Prefolds, Wool
Some people like the extra blow-out protection offered by an inside diaper that fastens. In my experience this may keep more poop off of the cover, but you end up washing covers almost as often anyway.
The main benefit is for use with pull on covers, particularly wool. Wool covers do not have to be washed as often as others because the Lanolin neutralizes urine. It also breathes and keeps baby cool in the summer and hot in the winter. Many people doubt this, but I read a story of a mom who was skeptical herself and went to check on her daughters in the middle of the night and she said their bellies were warmer under their cotton tshirts than under their wool sleep pants. Also wool is just really cute.
Fitteds are more expensive, costing anywhere from $10 to $40 for "collector" styles. I don't really understand this. Expect to spend an average of $12-14 each. Prefolds and flats are still a cheaper option if you are good at pinning, which I am not. Home made fitteds are another great way to save money.
Wool can be really expensive, with covers running anything from $20-70, but the up side is that you need so few, and if you are using fitteds it is basically like they are your shorts or pants.
Wool and fitteds are especially good for overnights. You can lay another insert inside you fitted diaper to double up without adding a lot of bulk, and a wool cover will absorb three times it's weight in liquid before feeling wet. This is the only thing that works for Julian who still nurses during the night.
Any questions?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Check out my May Special!
Diaper Circus is having a special to help any one who wants prepare for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge! Buy 5 Covers get a dozen flats free!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Why I am taking the Flats and Hand Washing Challenge
I just posted on here last week about my new flat love, now here is another reason. Flats make it possible for ANYONE to afford cloth diapering, but not if they don't know about it.
Kim Rosas at Dirty Diaper Laundry, invented this challenge to prove that it can be done, even for those who don't have a washer and dryer!
From May 23- May 30 RJ and I will be using exclusively flats, with 5 of our cheapest covers ( from 2 Bummis Super Lite, 3 Econobums, 2 Flip), and hand washing even the diapers used by babysitters during our anniversary dates. Overnight we plan to use 2 flats with fleece liners on top inside homemade recycled wool pants. If I cannot figure out pinning these will be laid in homemade RRPs. With 12 flats and five covers that is a stash of only $64 for two in diapers. That is less than we spent on disposables in Efrim's first month.
I will continue to update you on this as we go along.
I am doing this because I want to be able to share,from experience, how simple and inexpensive it can be to cloth diaper. I hate to see any one enslaved to the financial burden of a disposable lifestyle.
So often the come back to people's astonishment over someone using cloth diapers is, "There are so many new, wonderful, modern cloth diapers available.", but that is so out of reach for most people. We have used a really simple, tight budget stash from the beginning, and after our days with only 6 gCloth, they have all been a blessing. I do not think that "modern" cloth diapers are what makes this possible, it's really so much easier than people think.
We are blessed with so much, and some people have so little. As God has helped us to have a little more breathing room in our budget, I have been convicted that those extra pennies do not belong to us. There are enough resources for everyone on this planet, so if some are doing with out it is because others have too much. When I spend money frivolously, I am stealing from someone who is in need. We feel called "to live simply so that others may simply live."
That is why I am taking this challenge, and telling every one I know about it.
(It is also a good excuse to light a fire under RJ about the laundry line I've been begging RJ to make so I can line dry.) ha!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Hybrids
Just for a little more information on hybrids:
I calculated 6 covers, 24 cloth inserts, and half the disposable inserts for the three popular systems. If anyone knows any other systems with a disposable option let me know.
gDiapers (sized)
gPants $18 x 6 x 3 sizes = $324
4 x 6packs small gCloth x $24 each + 4 x 6packs medium/large gCloth x $30 each = $312
4 gRefills per day x 365 days x 2.5 years x .36c each = $1314
TOTAL = $1950
GroVia (one size)
Shells $17 x 6 = $96
12 2packs soakers x $17 each = $312
4 BioSoakers per day x 365 days x 2.5 years x .40c each = $1460
TOTAL = $1760
Flip System (one size)
Covers $14 x 6 = $84
4 x 3packs stay dry inserts @ $12 each + 4 x 3packs organic inserts @ $20 each = $128
4 disposable per day x 365 days x 2.5 years x .28c each = $1022
TOTAL = $1234
Now a few words:
I have yet to understand the benefit of having a disposable insert for your cloth diaper cover. Whoever is changing the diaper still has a wet cover to deal with, and the diaper instead of rolling up in velcro and throwing away dry on the outside is wet all over, and let me just say "biodegradable" or not, nothing is degrading in a closed landfill, especially in a plastic trash bag.
gDiaper inserts are also flushable or compostable. The other brands do not make this claim. While flushable seemed great to me at first, one of the complaints environmental experts have been making lately is increasing levels of toxicity in our sewer systems and water treatment facilities. Now waste and toilet paper have been made out of the same things for a really long time, so I don't think they are to blame. The origin has to be from chemical elements entering this environment, such as the newly popular flushable wet wipes for adults and the absorbent chemicals in flushable diapers. Composting might make this a little better than the other two inserts, but if it is toxic in the sewer, is it good for your veggies? I should also note that gPants do not work well for skinny babies, neither gCloth or gRefills are terribly absorbent, and the two piece shell concept drove me nuts.
I have not tried Grovia Shells or cotton soakers, after Flip I new I didn't care for a snap down rise. Their inserts do have gussets like a disposable diaper, which is nice for catching messes, but again these don't hold as much as a true disposable, or even a prefold.
Flip covers are good, though they run a bit big, and I am annoyed by snap down rises. They have been our work horse covers for about a year now. I am so glad thatI have found something better fitting in recent months, but they really aren't bad. That said, Flip disposable inserts are a joke. They are barely 4 inches wide, so poop will be every where and they are basically stiff paper, like a newspaper with pulpy bits inside. we got a pack for free when we spent fifty on covers and prefolds to start out, and we only used 2 or 3 before chucking them.
All of this said, if you are interested in some sort of compromise between the cloth and disposable worlds, I would recommend using the cover of your choice with gRefills and composting the wet ones, if you trust their testing that it is safe for vegetable gardens. Throw the dirty ones away or if your baby is really regular use cloth when you know they will poop, but since poop is the part most people hate, that's a little counter-intuitive.
I calculated 6 covers, 24 cloth inserts, and half the disposable inserts for the three popular systems. If anyone knows any other systems with a disposable option let me know.
gDiapers (sized)
gPants $18 x 6 x 3 sizes = $324
4 x 6packs small gCloth x $24 each + 4 x 6packs medium/large gCloth x $30 each = $312
4 gRefills per day x 365 days x 2.5 years x .36c each = $1314
TOTAL = $1950
GroVia (one size)
Shells $17 x 6 = $96
12 2packs soakers x $17 each = $312
4 BioSoakers per day x 365 days x 2.5 years x .40c each = $1460
TOTAL = $1760
Flip System (one size)
Covers $14 x 6 = $84
4 x 3packs stay dry inserts @ $12 each + 4 x 3packs organic inserts @ $20 each = $128
4 disposable per day x 365 days x 2.5 years x .28c each = $1022
TOTAL = $1234
Now a few words:
I have yet to understand the benefit of having a disposable insert for your cloth diaper cover. Whoever is changing the diaper still has a wet cover to deal with, and the diaper instead of rolling up in velcro and throwing away dry on the outside is wet all over, and let me just say "biodegradable" or not, nothing is degrading in a closed landfill, especially in a plastic trash bag.
gDiaper inserts are also flushable or compostable. The other brands do not make this claim. While flushable seemed great to me at first, one of the complaints environmental experts have been making lately is increasing levels of toxicity in our sewer systems and water treatment facilities. Now waste and toilet paper have been made out of the same things for a really long time, so I don't think they are to blame. The origin has to be from chemical elements entering this environment, such as the newly popular flushable wet wipes for adults and the absorbent chemicals in flushable diapers. Composting might make this a little better than the other two inserts, but if it is toxic in the sewer, is it good for your veggies? I should also note that gPants do not work well for skinny babies, neither gCloth or gRefills are terribly absorbent, and the two piece shell concept drove me nuts.
I have not tried Grovia Shells or cotton soakers, after Flip I new I didn't care for a snap down rise. Their inserts do have gussets like a disposable diaper, which is nice for catching messes, but again these don't hold as much as a true disposable, or even a prefold.
Flip covers are good, though they run a bit big, and I am annoyed by snap down rises. They have been our work horse covers for about a year now. I am so glad thatI have found something better fitting in recent months, but they really aren't bad. That said, Flip disposable inserts are a joke. They are barely 4 inches wide, so poop will be every where and they are basically stiff paper, like a newspaper with pulpy bits inside. we got a pack for free when we spent fifty on covers and prefolds to start out, and we only used 2 or 3 before chucking them.
All of this said, if you are interested in some sort of compromise between the cloth and disposable worlds, I would recommend using the cover of your choice with gRefills and composting the wet ones, if you trust their testing that it is safe for vegetable gardens. Throw the dirty ones away or if your baby is really regular use cloth when you know they will poop, but since poop is the part most people hate, that's a little counter-intuitive.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Cost of Diapers
I guess at some point every Diaper Company has to develop their own cost comparison on types of diapers. For all cloth methods I have included 24 diapers and 6 covers, except for wool covers I only included 4 per size since fitteds will keep most poop off and they don't have to be washed as often.
Disposables average of .40c/diaper x 8 changes per day x 365 days x 2 1/2 years = $2920
All In Ones average $22 x 24 OS (0ne size) = $528, sized = $1584
Pockets average $17 x 24 OS = $408, sized = $1224
OS Fitteds average $14 x 24 = $336,
w/ 6 OS covers = $414, w/ sized covers = $570, w/ wool = $768
Sized Fitteds average $12 x 24 x 3 sizes = $864,
w/ OS covers = $942, w/ sized covers = $1098, w/ wool = $1296
Prefolds average $2 x 24 x 2 sizes = $96
w/ OS covers = 174, w/ sized covers = 330, w/ wool = 528
Flats average $1.5 x 24 = $36
w/ OS covers = $114, w/ sized covers = $270, w/ wool = $468
Mini Diapers average $10 x 24 = $240,
w/ OS covers = $318, w/ sized covers = $474
Trifolds average $7 x 24 = 168,
w/ OS covers = $246, w/sized covers = $402
Hybrid will basically be like on of the above cloth methods plus the cost of disposable inserts.
Covers average $13
OS: Econobum = $9, Flip $14, Best Bottom $17
Sized: Bummis Super Lite $10, Thirsties $12, Diaper Circus $16, AMP $16
Wool average $36 (this is very conservative)
Most parents will go with a mixed stash which will end up costing a little more, and cloth diapers require unique accessories that will normally cost around $50-75. Most calculators figure the cost of detergent, water, and electricity at about 13c/per load, and it has been proven that the manufacture of disposable requires the use of more water than that of manufacturing and washing cloth. Each method can be purchased more or less expensively, including disposable.
The most important factor to remember is that the cost of disposables is per child, while most cloth can be used for many.
Other ways to save money on cloth:
-Buy used
- Sew your own
- Sell when you are finished
Disposables average of .40c/diaper x 8 changes per day x 365 days x 2 1/2 years = $2920
All In Ones average $22 x 24 OS (0ne size) = $528, sized = $1584
Pockets average $17 x 24 OS = $408, sized = $1224
OS Fitteds average $14 x 24 = $336,
w/ 6 OS covers = $414, w/ sized covers = $570, w/ wool = $768
Sized Fitteds average $12 x 24 x 3 sizes = $864,
w/ OS covers = $942, w/ sized covers = $1098, w/ wool = $1296
Prefolds average $2 x 24 x 2 sizes = $96
w/ OS covers = 174, w/ sized covers = 330, w/ wool = 528
Flats average $1.5 x 24 = $36
w/ OS covers = $114, w/ sized covers = $270, w/ wool = $468
Mini Diapers average $10 x 24 = $240,
w/ OS covers = $318, w/ sized covers = $474
Trifolds average $7 x 24 = 168,
w/ OS covers = $246, w/sized covers = $402
Hybrid will basically be like on of the above cloth methods plus the cost of disposable inserts.
Covers average $13
OS: Econobum = $9, Flip $14, Best Bottom $17
Sized: Bummis Super Lite $10, Thirsties $12, Diaper Circus $16, AMP $16
Wool average $36 (this is very conservative)
Most parents will go with a mixed stash which will end up costing a little more, and cloth diapers require unique accessories that will normally cost around $50-75. Most calculators figure the cost of detergent, water, and electricity at about 13c/per load, and it has been proven that the manufacture of disposable requires the use of more water than that of manufacturing and washing cloth. Each method can be purchased more or less expensively, including disposable.
The most important factor to remember is that the cost of disposables is per child, while most cloth can be used for many.
Other ways to save money on cloth:
-Buy used
- Sew your own
- Sell when you are finished
Flat Love, who knew?
Where do I start?
Through all of the All-In-One/Pocket love out there I have been a stubborn prefold girl. I fail to see how they are more convenient. I stuff my pockets right out of the wash and I stuff my covers right out of the wash. Pockets are harder to stuff, and they can't be reused.
What finally inspired me to pack all of the prefolds into the closet? Some fancy, new-fangled, "convenient" diaper?
NO! It's flats!
I had wanted to try pinning, so I ordered some in a co op for a really good price, but when I got them I was still really terrible at pinning, so I just pad folded them the same way I just trifold prefolds instead of pinning them. And I fell in love!
They are so squishably soft on our babies' bottoms, not stiff and bulky like prefolds. They are so much trimmer too. They dry in no time, and are really cheap! They are cheaper than prefolds to begin with, but even more than that they are one size! I have never bought a prefold that I liked the size to begin with. I finally decided that I like them 14x14" from early infancy to potty learning,and so I made my trifolds that size. Do you know the size of a standard flat? 27x28"! Perfect.
So fold that baby in quarters and then trifold it like you would a prefold. (and by baby I mean the flat of course, you put the baby in the diaper the usual way.)
Get some organic Imagine's from Nicki's- For this price you can afford to go organic- and never look back!
Through all of the All-In-One/Pocket love out there I have been a stubborn prefold girl. I fail to see how they are more convenient. I stuff my pockets right out of the wash and I stuff my covers right out of the wash. Pockets are harder to stuff, and they can't be reused.
What finally inspired me to pack all of the prefolds into the closet? Some fancy, new-fangled, "convenient" diaper?
NO! It's flats!
I had wanted to try pinning, so I ordered some in a co op for a really good price, but when I got them I was still really terrible at pinning, so I just pad folded them the same way I just trifold prefolds instead of pinning them. And I fell in love!
They are so squishably soft on our babies' bottoms, not stiff and bulky like prefolds. They are so much trimmer too. They dry in no time, and are really cheap! They are cheaper than prefolds to begin with, but even more than that they are one size! I have never bought a prefold that I liked the size to begin with. I finally decided that I like them 14x14" from early infancy to potty learning,and so I made my trifolds that size. Do you know the size of a standard flat? 27x28"! Perfect.
So fold that baby in quarters and then trifold it like you would a prefold. (and by baby I mean the flat of course, you put the baby in the diaper the usual way.)
Get some organic Imagine's from Nicki's- For this price you can afford to go organic- and never look back!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
My husband's birthday
Yesterday was RJ's 24th birthday! We went to Abilene for the day and had so much fun.
I am so proud of my husband. He is such a good man, and wonderful father. He is just so much fun! I love spending time talking to him, and watching him play with the boys. They love him so much. We have been best friends for 6 1/2 years!
We had to take Julian to the doctor for his 4 month checkup, but we also did a lot of shopping and playing around. We always spend more than we plan to in Abilene, but we never seem to regret it. We went to the Contemporary Art Center and Monks Coffee Shop. This is the Kiwanis Club fountain next door to Monks.
So now for a little more about my husband: He is the perfect combination of sexy and nerdy. He loves anything crafty and creative, and can pretty much figure out how to make anything. He makes newsboy hats and beanies, messenger bags, journals, and sketch books. He loves gardening, especially water gardens and vegetables. We got him a wheel barrow and some blown glass solar powered lights for his birthday. He is right now in the process of getting some salvaged wood, from a friend who tears down old barns and houses, for our raised beds, and getting some billboard tarps to recycle for pond liners. Such an eco-friendly guy. He does any poopy diaper dunking that needs to be done, and frequently washes the dishes to save my poor dry hands. His favorite food is homemade bean burritoes with cheetos and ranch dressing. He would sleep in his Klash if I let him(Buy Shoes. Save Lives.). He has this crazy wild mohawk-y hair that I love. His skin is this beautiful tan/brown color, and he has green eyes with this crown of amber in them. He is just the right size for me in every way, and though this is a strange thing to say about a guy, his skin is so soft. I love it because I have eczema and my skin has never been soft at all. He is perfect (well almost) and I love him so much!
Monday, April 11, 2011
What I Love About Cloth Diapering
Stewardship
many people list good for the environment and good for your budget separately, but to me they are one and the same issue. I am responsible for being wise about the resources I use. I can not justify spending so much of my husband's hard earned money on something that I throw away, nor can I have peace about throwing away something that requires so many non-renewable resources to produce and will spend eternity occupying a space of land that cannot be used for anything else now.
Convenience
This may be the opposite of what you think. Isn't it easier to throw away a messy diaper than to wash it? Yes, but only a little bit, in my opinion. Meanwhile, it is very inconvenient to me to load the boys into the car and go in and out of the store every time I run out of diapers. I am doing laundry most of the time anyway, so one more load makes very little difference.
Special-ness
Most people will list as their final reason "The Cuteness Factor" but with an, "I have to admit..." or something attached, like it's a guilty pleasure, or unnecessary luxury. I've always kind of blown it off as a non-reason, but I've come to realize that it is actually a major reason for me too. But I wouldn't exactly name it cuteness. It is important to me that my babies have the best that I can give them. Why would I put them in something made in a mass assembly factory out of paper and plastic, when I can give them something beautiful, soft and healthy made by a mom to support her family, or at least in a small factory in the U.S. or Canada that pays people a fair wage?
Buying from local sustainable businesses or especially from work at home moms, is so homogeneous with our way of life. It just feels so right to me in so many ways to support small business.
Even more so, however, it is best for my babies. How many hours during pregnancy do we spend choosing the best blankets and pacifiers and bottles (neither of the last two do I even use any more). We want to choose everything. We are so particular about each and every item we buy or register for our babies. Their clothes and toys and books and toiletries ad infinitum. Why, after all that, would I put trash on their bottom?
I guess that has gripped me more than ever lately- the word disposable- what does that mean, but that from the minute it leaves the factory presses it is destined to be trash. Disposable diapers are precious resources created to be thrown away. Yuck. Why would I wrap my baby in that?
many people list good for the environment and good for your budget separately, but to me they are one and the same issue. I am responsible for being wise about the resources I use. I can not justify spending so much of my husband's hard earned money on something that I throw away, nor can I have peace about throwing away something that requires so many non-renewable resources to produce and will spend eternity occupying a space of land that cannot be used for anything else now.
Convenience
This may be the opposite of what you think. Isn't it easier to throw away a messy diaper than to wash it? Yes, but only a little bit, in my opinion. Meanwhile, it is very inconvenient to me to load the boys into the car and go in and out of the store every time I run out of diapers. I am doing laundry most of the time anyway, so one more load makes very little difference.
Special-ness
Most people will list as their final reason "The Cuteness Factor" but with an, "I have to admit..." or something attached, like it's a guilty pleasure, or unnecessary luxury. I've always kind of blown it off as a non-reason, but I've come to realize that it is actually a major reason for me too. But I wouldn't exactly name it cuteness. It is important to me that my babies have the best that I can give them. Why would I put them in something made in a mass assembly factory out of paper and plastic, when I can give them something beautiful, soft and healthy made by a mom to support her family, or at least in a small factory in the U.S. or Canada that pays people a fair wage?
Buying from local sustainable businesses or especially from work at home moms, is so homogeneous with our way of life. It just feels so right to me in so many ways to support small business.
Even more so, however, it is best for my babies. How many hours during pregnancy do we spend choosing the best blankets and pacifiers and bottles (neither of the last two do I even use any more). We want to choose everything. We are so particular about each and every item we buy or register for our babies. Their clothes and toys and books and toiletries ad infinitum. Why, after all that, would I put trash on their bottom?
I guess that has gripped me more than ever lately- the word disposable- what does that mean, but that from the minute it leaves the factory presses it is destined to be trash. Disposable diapers are precious resources created to be thrown away. Yuck. Why would I wrap my baby in that?
Saturday, March 26, 2011
My Favorite Styles
This is like tutorial part 2, where I give you more specifics (and more opinions) on what covers, inserts, and accessories are best. Every one's opinions will differ, but mine are the right ones (LOL) so I thought I'd share.
Covers:
I love designer cotton printed covers with wipe clean PUL inners, but even my best ones wick a little of the moisture to the outside when the diaper gets really wet (like every time with Julian). Check out The Eli Monster, Brookiellen, or Diaper Circus of course, all on Etsy.
For a really basic cover to solve the wicking problem go with all PUL. Our Flip covers are great for this, but I the snap down rise is just a mess. I am dying to try Bummis Super Lite, because they are sized.
Inserts:
I like Mini Diapers, which go by many names. Chelory has one she calls an elasticized contour, but they are pretty small. I think they'd be a rockin' newborn insert. Bumkins have some, but they are enormous. The one I have that hasn't shrunken to half its original size has to be folded over on all sides. Loveybums has a "snap-in diaper" for their Loveybums-in-One, but I haven't tried it. Personally I think my own pattern is the best.
I also really like Trifolds. This is like a Prefold only it's made out of a stretchy, fluffy material like sherpa, french terry or fleece, in hemp, organic cotton, or bamboo. This sounds like a lot of options, but they really aren't that different. AMP has several varieties. Green Mountain Diapers has a Cotton Sherpa one, which is by far the cheapest available. There are several hemp brands at mainstream diaper shops, but they can be a little pricey, and the measurements seem iffy to me. Again I think mine are best; Hemp Fleece, or Bamboo Double Loop Terry 14x14" for $5. They are as simple as a prefold, but a lot softer, and more trim.
Wipes:
I bought some plain 9x9" 1 ply cotton terry baby wash cloths, and I like them loads more than any other type of cloth wipe I tried. Simple, cheap, you can get them anywhere. Forget the fancy wipes potions and spray bottles, just wet them with water.
Pail Liner:
The first pail liner I tried was a Bummis Large Tote for $16 from Cotton Babies. It has been perfect from the beginning and I've never felt the need to try anything else. End of story.
Wet Bags:
Bummis Fabulous Wet Bags have all of the qualities I like for a good price, but I've never actually tried them. I have one from a precut kit on Wazoodle, and a WAHM made one from American Country Designs on Etsy in a cute print. This is pretty flexible. You just need something made of PUL with a zipper that will fit in your diaper bag. It can be as simple or as fancy as you want.
If you must have an All-In-One:
Envibums are the best! I don't really think it's more convenient, because I have to stuff it out of the wash anyway, and most babies will need more absorbency than is attached, but the small fact that the stuffing goes in between layers makes it a lot less intimidating for parents and nursery workers. The bright minky is adorable, they are one size (and actually fit well) and $2 from each purchase goes to a charity.
Covers:
I love designer cotton printed covers with wipe clean PUL inners, but even my best ones wick a little of the moisture to the outside when the diaper gets really wet (like every time with Julian). Check out The Eli Monster, Brookiellen, or Diaper Circus of course, all on Etsy.
For a really basic cover to solve the wicking problem go with all PUL. Our Flip covers are great for this, but I the snap down rise is just a mess. I am dying to try Bummis Super Lite, because they are sized.
Inserts:
I like Mini Diapers, which go by many names. Chelory has one she calls an elasticized contour, but they are pretty small. I think they'd be a rockin' newborn insert. Bumkins have some, but they are enormous. The one I have that hasn't shrunken to half its original size has to be folded over on all sides. Loveybums has a "snap-in diaper" for their Loveybums-in-One, but I haven't tried it. Personally I think my own pattern is the best.
I also really like Trifolds. This is like a Prefold only it's made out of a stretchy, fluffy material like sherpa, french terry or fleece, in hemp, organic cotton, or bamboo. This sounds like a lot of options, but they really aren't that different. AMP has several varieties. Green Mountain Diapers has a Cotton Sherpa one, which is by far the cheapest available. There are several hemp brands at mainstream diaper shops, but they can be a little pricey, and the measurements seem iffy to me. Again I think mine are best; Hemp Fleece, or Bamboo Double Loop Terry 14x14" for $5. They are as simple as a prefold, but a lot softer, and more trim.
Wipes:
I bought some plain 9x9" 1 ply cotton terry baby wash cloths, and I like them loads more than any other type of cloth wipe I tried. Simple, cheap, you can get them anywhere. Forget the fancy wipes potions and spray bottles, just wet them with water.
Pail Liner:
The first pail liner I tried was a Bummis Large Tote for $16 from Cotton Babies. It has been perfect from the beginning and I've never felt the need to try anything else. End of story.
Wet Bags:
Bummis Fabulous Wet Bags have all of the qualities I like for a good price, but I've never actually tried them. I have one from a precut kit on Wazoodle, and a WAHM made one from American Country Designs on Etsy in a cute print. This is pretty flexible. You just need something made of PUL with a zipper that will fit in your diaper bag. It can be as simple or as fancy as you want.
If you must have an All-In-One:
Envibums are the best! I don't really think it's more convenient, because I have to stuff it out of the wash anyway, and most babies will need more absorbency than is attached, but the small fact that the stuffing goes in between layers makes it a lot less intimidating for parents and nursery workers. The bright minky is adorable, they are one size (and actually fit well) and $2 from each purchase goes to a charity.
my super basic cloth diaper tutorial
There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of cloth diaper how-to's, and while all of them claim their purpose is to show you how simple it is to cloth diaper, I am scared when I finish reading them, and I already know it's not that hard. So this is the true simple cloth diaper story:
You basically need 6-8 covers and 24 diapers. If you want it a little easier, and have room in your budget up that to 12 and 36. If you have a tight budget and don't mind a little more work you can get by with as little as 4 and 18. You also need about 24 wipes, 2 or 3 travel wet bags, and 1 or 2 pail liners. Again you can go up or down depending on your budget to convenience ratio. I also like to have about 6 fleece liners for when we use diaper rash cream.
When you get your diapers wash and dry them 3-5 times on hot to "prep" them. Most natural fabrics have oils on them that repel water and this removes them.
Now, stuff all of your insides into covers and arrange them in a basket or something. Fold the remaining inserts and set them aside. Wet wipes and stack them in a used disposable wipes container. Put your pail liner inside a small trash can (with a lid) in a convenient place, and put your wet bag and a smaller wipes container in your diaper bag.
When baby needs a change, you change them the same way you would with a disposable. If it is dirty you dump solids into the toilet, then put it in the pail. Exclusive breastfed poo (EBP) is water soluble and goes straight into the wash. If it is only wet put the absorbent part into the pail and hang the cover to air dry.
When you run out of stuffed diapers, or just as you go about your day, stuff the air dried clean covers with new inserts and put them back in your basket.
Every other day dump all of the dirty diapers from your pail into the wash, add 1/4 Allen's Naturally Biodegradable detergent, super easy with the gallon pump, and wash on hot with a high water level. Tumble dry inserts, hang dry covers. Stuff. Repeat.
Disclaimers:
This is per size. If you really want to save money you can go with a one size system, but be warned you may have babies like mine that they never really fit very well. Most babies will wear small and medium their whole diapering time (depending on the fit of the particular brand).
There are also diapers that come with the absorbent and waterproof components attached. These are called All-In-Ones. Or there are pocket diapers where you stuff the absorbent piece between the waterproof cover and a stay-dry layer. These brag of being more convenient, but are a lot more expensive, and don't save much work in my opinion. I still stuff them all when they come out of the wash, but I can get by with a lot fewer covers.
These wash instructions are for a top load washer. Apparently front loading high efficiency machines can be a little trickier. There are several places with more instructions, like The Cloth Diaper Whisperer. I am not qualified to advise, since I have a simple old fashioned machine.
If you pin your inserts you can use wool covers which are natural and breath. They are rather expensive, but you need only a few. They only need to be washed every 3 or 4 weeks. Melt 1/4" Lansinoh into 2 cups hot water and them pour into a sink full of water. Briefly soak wool things, pat them dry (don't wring), and lay to finish drying.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Haha Try Again
I just realized my last post has a 1. with no more numbers in the catch up section.
Let's try some quick takes
1. I just went to my first MOPS meeting this morning (Mothers of Preschoolers) it was really great. We talked about making "me time" count so you don't lose yourself in being a mom. It's not that most of us don't have some moments free from babies, but we do stressful things and so still feel deprived when it's over. You have to "work" to make sure you are getting what you need out of the free time you have. I can elaborate on this maybe if I have time this week.
2.Last Saturday we went to my grandparents for the family birthday, and Papa had us go through his books, since they are moving into a smaller house. It was hard for him to say goodbye to so many, but he knows they need to downsize. He said he was happy for us to have them instead of people at a garage sale who would pay very little and not appreciate them. It was better than Christmas. I have not only many wonderful contemporary books for reading, but several theology books and 2 sets of commentaries which are like family heirlooms from my forefathers in ministry, including my Gramma's father Russell Dennis whom Julian is named for (Julian Russell). We also got the boys some Summer clothes on the way home, which is good since Julian is too big for Efrim's clothes from last year.
3. Before that I thought that I was so spoiled when my Thirty-One bags came in the mail the day before. I have two diaper bag sets, with little matching zipper pouches, an overnight bag, and a terrific wallet that fits everything, but is super trim. I love these products, and hope to become a consultant when the recruiting freeze ends this Summer. It will be another way to supplement our income with less investment and growing time than my own business.
4. We have a turtle again! Her name is Lola and she lives with six silver minnows in our living room. We have missed having one so much. She is such fun to watch, and Efrim will just stand by the tank and stare for the longest time.
5.Efrim is starting to say words, finally. Uh-oh, Dog, Ball, Pa, Dad, Hi.
6. Lent. The short story is I'm giving up my lack of self discipline, but my specific rules are; no junk food (especially no sugar)- this mostly has to do with bored mindless snacking all day at home alone, getting into a homemaking routine again, disciplining Efrim more consistently, and bible study.
7. Which brings me to number seven. I found this terrific Bible reading plan on Passionate Homemaking. This gives me the structure I've been needing, and has been such a blessing the last few days.
Ahhh. That's better.
Let's try some quick takes
1. I just went to my first MOPS meeting this morning (Mothers of Preschoolers) it was really great. We talked about making "me time" count so you don't lose yourself in being a mom. It's not that most of us don't have some moments free from babies, but we do stressful things and so still feel deprived when it's over. You have to "work" to make sure you are getting what you need out of the free time you have. I can elaborate on this maybe if I have time this week.
2.Last Saturday we went to my grandparents for the family birthday, and Papa had us go through his books, since they are moving into a smaller house. It was hard for him to say goodbye to so many, but he knows they need to downsize. He said he was happy for us to have them instead of people at a garage sale who would pay very little and not appreciate them. It was better than Christmas. I have not only many wonderful contemporary books for reading, but several theology books and 2 sets of commentaries which are like family heirlooms from my forefathers in ministry, including my Gramma's father Russell Dennis whom Julian is named for (Julian Russell). We also got the boys some Summer clothes on the way home, which is good since Julian is too big for Efrim's clothes from last year.
3. Before that I thought that I was so spoiled when my Thirty-One bags came in the mail the day before. I have two diaper bag sets, with little matching zipper pouches, an overnight bag, and a terrific wallet that fits everything, but is super trim. I love these products, and hope to become a consultant when the recruiting freeze ends this Summer. It will be another way to supplement our income with less investment and growing time than my own business.
4. We have a turtle again! Her name is Lola and she lives with six silver minnows in our living room. We have missed having one so much. She is such fun to watch, and Efrim will just stand by the tank and stare for the longest time.
5.Efrim is starting to say words, finally. Uh-oh, Dog, Ball, Pa, Dad, Hi.
6. Lent. The short story is I'm giving up my lack of self discipline, but my specific rules are; no junk food (especially no sugar)- this mostly has to do with bored mindless snacking all day at home alone, getting into a homemaking routine again, disciplining Efrim more consistently, and bible study.
7. Which brings me to number seven. I found this terrific Bible reading plan on Passionate Homemaking. This gives me the structure I've been needing, and has been such a blessing the last few days.
Ahhh. That's better.
A not so "7 quick takes Friday"
I didn't want to do this, quick blog on a set day of the week thing. During my good times I can post nearly every day. However, I'm afraid I have to do this, or I will continue to be a feast or famine type of blogger.
So, a lot of people are doing this 7 quick takes Friday thing. And I don't want to do that per say. For one thing I don't really want every post from now on to have the same title. So I guess what I'm doing is setting a minimum. Part of my routine should be to post every Friday with some important things for the week.
So, here's today's quick catch up.
1. Just because I haven't blogged since I posted goals doesn't mean I didn't do them.
I did pretty good with the organizational tasks, but this is definitely an area with on-going room for improvement. I like to think of it as an "extra" task every day. I keep up with laundry, dishes, feeding and clothing boys, and general tidying up. The goal would be to accomplish an additional task each day that looks more like making progress than maintenance; sewing projects, organizing some area, cleaning the bathroom, sweeping, etc.
I ended up breezing through Your Money or Your Life, to get the general principles, but haven't done all the tedious steps. We are going our own way in this area. Saving what we can, investing in home businesses, and praying for the day when we can afford for RJ to work from home, or when we all spend our days at a Non-Profit Coffes House, which is our dream.
Chris Smith no longer works at the Credit Union and they didn't get grant funding this year, so it looked like the business would be on hold, but thanks to our tax refund we are making some nice progress.
Breakfast Church is growing nicely and organically, although I still miss the other young couples with kids we saw when we were going to Midtown Sunday mornings. Incidentally the girls and I are working on a modesty study, but this happens at different times.
Lent has helped with the no sugar thing, but that deserves a post of its own.
I have continued a heavy reading streak, which has fueled a really refreshing time of growth. My grandfather just gave me a huge load of books so this will continue, Yay!
So these are the things I want to keep you up to date on week by week:
1. Homemaking. This is so important. I really want to chart my growth as I go through the "mommy at home coping/thriving" journey. I'm not sure exactly how this looks, but the main thing is to keep making progress in how our home develops, and be really transparent about my journey. This will include; cute baby anecdotes, diet reform, organizational strategies, and so on.
2. Spiritual life. That is part and parcel with #1 for me, since I feel very certain right now that this is t ministry God has been preparing me for all my life, I only say it separately, to insure that it isn't overlooked.
3. Business. This is such a big part of who I am, and I really want to use this blog as a home base for that. The big picture goal is for this business to be a real community for ministry and helping people shape their lives around obedience to Christ and making families that honor him. This blog is the human face of that.
Anything else I need to talk about? Let me know!
So, a lot of people are doing this 7 quick takes Friday thing. And I don't want to do that per say. For one thing I don't really want every post from now on to have the same title. So I guess what I'm doing is setting a minimum. Part of my routine should be to post every Friday with some important things for the week.
So, here's today's quick catch up.
1. Just because I haven't blogged since I posted goals doesn't mean I didn't do them.
I did pretty good with the organizational tasks, but this is definitely an area with on-going room for improvement. I like to think of it as an "extra" task every day. I keep up with laundry, dishes, feeding and clothing boys, and general tidying up. The goal would be to accomplish an additional task each day that looks more like making progress than maintenance; sewing projects, organizing some area, cleaning the bathroom, sweeping, etc.
I ended up breezing through Your Money or Your Life, to get the general principles, but haven't done all the tedious steps. We are going our own way in this area. Saving what we can, investing in home businesses, and praying for the day when we can afford for RJ to work from home, or when we all spend our days at a Non-Profit Coffes House, which is our dream.
Chris Smith no longer works at the Credit Union and they didn't get grant funding this year, so it looked like the business would be on hold, but thanks to our tax refund we are making some nice progress.
Breakfast Church is growing nicely and organically, although I still miss the other young couples with kids we saw when we were going to Midtown Sunday mornings. Incidentally the girls and I are working on a modesty study, but this happens at different times.
Lent has helped with the no sugar thing, but that deserves a post of its own.
I have continued a heavy reading streak, which has fueled a really refreshing time of growth. My grandfather just gave me a huge load of books so this will continue, Yay!
So these are the things I want to keep you up to date on week by week:
1. Homemaking. This is so important. I really want to chart my growth as I go through the "mommy at home coping/thriving" journey. I'm not sure exactly how this looks, but the main thing is to keep making progress in how our home develops, and be really transparent about my journey. This will include; cute baby anecdotes, diet reform, organizational strategies, and so on.
2. Spiritual life. That is part and parcel with #1 for me, since I feel very certain right now that this is t ministry God has been preparing me for all my life, I only say it separately, to insure that it isn't overlooked.
3. Business. This is such a big part of who I am, and I really want to use this blog as a home base for that. The big picture goal is for this business to be a real community for ministry and helping people shape their lives around obedience to Christ and making families that honor him. This blog is the human face of that.
Anything else I need to talk about? Let me know!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Wannabe
Does anyone else have a huge list of labels for themselves that they don't actually live up to?
On diaperswappers, and other forums I read, everyone has a signature that is tagged on to the end of their replies. It usually has names of husbands, and names and birthdays of kids along with a list of things this woman advocates: cloth diapering, breastfeeding, cosleeping, etc.
It's a new way to define oneself. It's also a bit like girl scout badges. There are little emoticons for several popular categories. "Have you earned your co-sleeping badge?"
Some of these titles I feel I have earned, in other areas I have a long way to go. With a baby who cries when put down, and a house that's a wreck, I really want that babywearing badge, but I have a long list of failed attempts.
The same is true for other areas of my life. I feel more and more called to modest dress, but my sewing time is beyond limited (by aforementioned clingy baby). I have the fabric and pattern making know how for a whole new wardrobe, if only I had a time turner.
I put my Etsy shop on vacation last night. I just can't imagine selling covers to others, when my homemade ones are still the last I reach for with my own boys, and Bekah's are being finished in 5 minute increments. it looks like they will miss my shipping goal of tomorrow.
There's theologian, real food chef, tidy housekeeper, playful mom, fertility awareness expert... I could go on and on.
What do you "wannabe"?
On diaperswappers, and other forums I read, everyone has a signature that is tagged on to the end of their replies. It usually has names of husbands, and names and birthdays of kids along with a list of things this woman advocates: cloth diapering, breastfeeding, cosleeping, etc.
It's a new way to define oneself. It's also a bit like girl scout badges. There are little emoticons for several popular categories. "Have you earned your co-sleeping badge?"
Some of these titles I feel I have earned, in other areas I have a long way to go. With a baby who cries when put down, and a house that's a wreck, I really want that babywearing badge, but I have a long list of failed attempts.
The same is true for other areas of my life. I feel more and more called to modest dress, but my sewing time is beyond limited (by aforementioned clingy baby). I have the fabric and pattern making know how for a whole new wardrobe, if only I had a time turner.
I put my Etsy shop on vacation last night. I just can't imagine selling covers to others, when my homemade ones are still the last I reach for with my own boys, and Bekah's are being finished in 5 minute increments. it looks like they will miss my shipping goal of tomorrow.
There's theologian, real food chef, tidy housekeeper, playful mom, fertility awareness expert... I could go on and on.
What do you "wannabe"?
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Belief: What am I doing wrong?
I feel like this is my whole life story.
In high school our pastor preached that in order for God to answer our prayers we must believe that he will answer them when we pray.
I started going to youth camp that summer and saw all around me people so passionate about God that it oozed out in everything they did. You could see, like I'm sure it is said somewhere in scripture, the Spirit of God on their countenances. I came home praying for this desperately, believing that of course, since it was God's will that I be closer to him that he would answer this, but pray as I might, nothing came. After a year of praying this way, I began having a serious crisis of faith that lasted for years.
Repeatedly during my life, people have told me that they were praying for my healing, and that God would heal me. Yet for some reason God has chosen to let me live with my illness.
Eventually I reached my breaking point, and God revealed to me that it wasn't my ability to believe intellectually in who he is, but my willingness to continue following him anyway. (John 6:69, played a huge part in this.)
I continue to pray for healing and closeness, but have learned that in some mysterious way, God is glorified more when I am weak, and so it does not mean he doesn't care for me when he does not say yes to these prayers.
But still something is missing. I believe that God is powerful, and I see him acting powerfully in other people's lives. I believe intellectually that God loves me and can do incredibly powerful things. I would say I even believe this in a deeper way, in my heart, but I have never experienced it.
So right now at our church we are talking about inviting he Spirit to work among us. We are talking about becoming a believing people.
and I want this so badly.
I have been praying again for months, seriously, and hungrily, for that power of the Holy Spirit in the things that I do. For him to be visible on my countenance. I pray often that, like 1 Corinthians 10:31, I will do all I do for God's glory, but not only that that will be my intent, but that my life will actually bring glory to God, like it was created to do. We are created for his glory, and I believe that he has orchestrated the circumstances of my life to give me the exact ministry he has intended for me to do, but it will only actually bring glory to God if people see in my life that he is the reason for it all.
So I pray for this, but I never feel or see anything happening.
So tonight at Planning Meeting we talked about how this study of the Holy Spirit was introduced, but there has been a lack of response and feedback, just a feeling that the congregation was hesitant about this. And while this is exactly what I have been dying to do together as a body, I can't help wondering, is this hesitancy me? I don't really know how to respond, what feedback to give.
I want the Spirit more than anything, and I believe that if the Bible says he will give it to us freely, which it does, that it is true, beyond any doubt, but I don't see it. I want to be a believing person. I am starving for this; to feel his power and glory showing through my life, but where is it?
My deepest belief is that God has the power to do all things, and because he loves us infinitely he chooses to do those good things in our lives, but my experience is that he repeatedly chooses not to do them for me. Whether this is in some ironic way also to his glory or not, where does that leave me as a person of faith? What am I missing. What am I doing wrong?
In high school our pastor preached that in order for God to answer our prayers we must believe that he will answer them when we pray.
I started going to youth camp that summer and saw all around me people so passionate about God that it oozed out in everything they did. You could see, like I'm sure it is said somewhere in scripture, the Spirit of God on their countenances. I came home praying for this desperately, believing that of course, since it was God's will that I be closer to him that he would answer this, but pray as I might, nothing came. After a year of praying this way, I began having a serious crisis of faith that lasted for years.
Repeatedly during my life, people have told me that they were praying for my healing, and that God would heal me. Yet for some reason God has chosen to let me live with my illness.
Eventually I reached my breaking point, and God revealed to me that it wasn't my ability to believe intellectually in who he is, but my willingness to continue following him anyway. (John 6:69, played a huge part in this.)
I continue to pray for healing and closeness, but have learned that in some mysterious way, God is glorified more when I am weak, and so it does not mean he doesn't care for me when he does not say yes to these prayers.
But still something is missing. I believe that God is powerful, and I see him acting powerfully in other people's lives. I believe intellectually that God loves me and can do incredibly powerful things. I would say I even believe this in a deeper way, in my heart, but I have never experienced it.
So right now at our church we are talking about inviting he Spirit to work among us. We are talking about becoming a believing people.
and I want this so badly.
I have been praying again for months, seriously, and hungrily, for that power of the Holy Spirit in the things that I do. For him to be visible on my countenance. I pray often that, like 1 Corinthians 10:31, I will do all I do for God's glory, but not only that that will be my intent, but that my life will actually bring glory to God, like it was created to do. We are created for his glory, and I believe that he has orchestrated the circumstances of my life to give me the exact ministry he has intended for me to do, but it will only actually bring glory to God if people see in my life that he is the reason for it all.
So I pray for this, but I never feel or see anything happening.
So tonight at Planning Meeting we talked about how this study of the Holy Spirit was introduced, but there has been a lack of response and feedback, just a feeling that the congregation was hesitant about this. And while this is exactly what I have been dying to do together as a body, I can't help wondering, is this hesitancy me? I don't really know how to respond, what feedback to give.
I want the Spirit more than anything, and I believe that if the Bible says he will give it to us freely, which it does, that it is true, beyond any doubt, but I don't see it. I want to be a believing person. I am starving for this; to feel his power and glory showing through my life, but where is it?
My deepest belief is that God has the power to do all things, and because he loves us infinitely he chooses to do those good things in our lives, but my experience is that he repeatedly chooses not to do them for me. Whether this is in some ironic way also to his glory or not, where does that leave me as a person of faith? What am I missing. What am I doing wrong?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
January Goals
I am copying this idea from Jessica on Making Home. Instead of making large sweeping resolutions for the year, I am going to make about 5 measurable goals/month, since short term goals are usually easier to keep than long term ones. I may elaborate on some of them, and at the end of the month I will report on how I did. Even though January is half over already I will start there.
1. Tackle at least one organizational project each day.
Our house has become more and more messy since the addition of a cute boy November 4th, not helped by several illnesses and the Holidays. Today I finally organized and put away all of the gift wrapping things, which were scattered across the end of our room, before I sat down to write this.
2. Calculate our gross lifetime earnings, and current net worth as per chapter one in Your Money or Your Life, a book given to us by our special friends the Kimery family, who have become so dear to us as mentors. This is supposed to start us on a path of changing our perspective on and relationship with money.
3. Meet with Chris Smith, the Small Business Grant manager at a local credit union who helped my sister, Rebekah, get a $2000 grant to kick start her Mary Kay business, and who thinks I will be eligible for the next round of grants available in July.
4. Start developing the worship aspects of Breakfast Church, the small group hosted at our church's community house, where RJ and I live.
5. Get back on the (mostly) no sugar wagon. The holidays through me for a loop, and I am so addicted to sweets, but I know it is poison for me, and I want to teach our boys better habits.
6. Finish reading A Generous Orthodoxy.
Okay, I realized as I typed the above that these all pretty much have to do with larger resolutions, only this breaks it down into manageable chunks. So I will also share what my long term goals are for this year.
1. I realized when reading the Duggar's Book, which my mom got me for Christmas, that I have to quit riding the fence about organization and simplicity if we are open to the possibility that God might give us many children. He may choose to give us only the two we have already, but since I believe that simplicity is best, now is the time to get it together. This isn't so much a new year's resolution, but wake up call to quit procrastinating.
2. Your Money or Your Life has nine steps to becoming more financially solvent (or having a better relationship with money as they say). My plan is to take it slow and tackle one per month so I don't get overwhelmed. I wonder if later down the line it is going to say "Step _- Get a job that does not involve selling fast food for near minimum wage, you dummy."
3. I have little assignments like this every month to help be get my business up and running by July. The strategy keeps changing, but most of the important tasks stay the same.
4. We really want to be the best stewards we can of this resource for our whole church, and use our time here to really develop our own philosophy of ministry and getting our hands dirty (which will be literal once RJ starts digging the garden).
5. The first goal I thought of for this new year was that I wanted to take baby steps in reforming our families diet, meal plans, and shopping. I have done lots of real food research, but am alwys lazy when it comes to applying it. There are things we don;t have access to, like raw dairy products, and it can be overwhelming on the whole, but I hope I can take little baby steps to improving our nutrition. I so wish I could afford this E-Course by Kristen at Food Renegade. No doubt my boys will have her book for home school curriculum one day.
This idea first struck me when I read Jessica's article about how her homemaking skills have improved gradually through the years. It was really awesome to realize that it takes time to master the whole house, but I can make constant progress.
6. We have a lot of theology books I haven't read yet. Usually I have read to unwind, so these are the ones I skip over when looking for a new book to start, but I am ready to start stretching my brain in these ways again, and think about something besides cloth diapers and breastfeeding. Maybe I'll be able to read one a month?
Anyway, Efrim is waking up so I'd better go.
1. Tackle at least one organizational project each day.
Our house has become more and more messy since the addition of a cute boy November 4th, not helped by several illnesses and the Holidays. Today I finally organized and put away all of the gift wrapping things, which were scattered across the end of our room, before I sat down to write this.
2. Calculate our gross lifetime earnings, and current net worth as per chapter one in Your Money or Your Life, a book given to us by our special friends the Kimery family, who have become so dear to us as mentors. This is supposed to start us on a path of changing our perspective on and relationship with money.
3. Meet with Chris Smith, the Small Business Grant manager at a local credit union who helped my sister, Rebekah, get a $2000 grant to kick start her Mary Kay business, and who thinks I will be eligible for the next round of grants available in July.
4. Start developing the worship aspects of Breakfast Church, the small group hosted at our church's community house, where RJ and I live.
5. Get back on the (mostly) no sugar wagon. The holidays through me for a loop, and I am so addicted to sweets, but I know it is poison for me, and I want to teach our boys better habits.
6. Finish reading A Generous Orthodoxy.
Okay, I realized as I typed the above that these all pretty much have to do with larger resolutions, only this breaks it down into manageable chunks. So I will also share what my long term goals are for this year.
1. I realized when reading the Duggar's Book, which my mom got me for Christmas, that I have to quit riding the fence about organization and simplicity if we are open to the possibility that God might give us many children. He may choose to give us only the two we have already, but since I believe that simplicity is best, now is the time to get it together. This isn't so much a new year's resolution, but wake up call to quit procrastinating.
2. Your Money or Your Life has nine steps to becoming more financially solvent (or having a better relationship with money as they say). My plan is to take it slow and tackle one per month so I don't get overwhelmed. I wonder if later down the line it is going to say "Step _- Get a job that does not involve selling fast food for near minimum wage, you dummy."
3. I have little assignments like this every month to help be get my business up and running by July. The strategy keeps changing, but most of the important tasks stay the same.
4. We really want to be the best stewards we can of this resource for our whole church, and use our time here to really develop our own philosophy of ministry and getting our hands dirty (which will be literal once RJ starts digging the garden).
5. The first goal I thought of for this new year was that I wanted to take baby steps in reforming our families diet, meal plans, and shopping. I have done lots of real food research, but am alwys lazy when it comes to applying it. There are things we don;t have access to, like raw dairy products, and it can be overwhelming on the whole, but I hope I can take little baby steps to improving our nutrition. I so wish I could afford this E-Course by Kristen at Food Renegade. No doubt my boys will have her book for home school curriculum one day.
This idea first struck me when I read Jessica's article about how her homemaking skills have improved gradually through the years. It was really awesome to realize that it takes time to master the whole house, but I can make constant progress.
6. We have a lot of theology books I haven't read yet. Usually I have read to unwind, so these are the ones I skip over when looking for a new book to start, but I am ready to start stretching my brain in these ways again, and think about something besides cloth diapers and breastfeeding. Maybe I'll be able to read one a month?
Anyway, Efrim is waking up so I'd better go.
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