The Gratitude Post

I'm writing a weekly post to express gratitude for everything I have been blessed with in my life. Will you join me in sharing just five things you are grateful for this week?

This week I'm thankful for:

Holding a Newborn: There is nothing like it. When you take that tiny form into your arms, you are instantly reminded of your own children in that infant state and how awesome it was to know that you had a part in creating this little life. Even though this newborn wasn't mine, I still felt that amazing sense of peace that comes from a child so close to perfection.

Abundance: I learned this week that the farmers I have been getting my salad from for the past month only have one acre of land. One acre! And each week they bring in a huge tub full of heads of lettuce, baskets of squashes, cucumbers, green beans, onions, potatoes and garlic. Imagine what we could all do with just one acre! We could literally feed our families. Abundance is everywhere.

Embroidery Thread: Why am I thankful for embroidery thread? Because it's driving me crazy. And what better way to rid myself of the annoyance I feel than to turn those emotions into gratitude. I'm very thankful that I have embroidery thread to use with my felt. Blargh.

Google Adsense: I got my first "pay check" from Google's ads on my blog! I have not planned on using this blog to make a tremendous source of income, but having some money come in from it that can be used for food or gas is such a gift, especially now at the end of the month after I used my last $23 at the farmers market (I had to buy more berries so my children could stuff their faces).

Myself: I know this might sound a little weird, but I'm grateful for myself. Sometimes (and I do mean sometimes) I do some great things. Sometimes I handle situations really well and sometimes I plan things perfectly. Even though I make mistakes, I am always glad that I'm me. I like who I am and I wouldn't change anything (aside from all those things I'm trying to make better, of course).

What I Don't Like About Cloth Diapering

I recently participated in a cloth diapering blog carnival called the Freedom of Cloth Carnival (in the event that you didn't see any of those posts) and while I do so love cloth diapering, there are a few things I find less than satisfying. Thus, I'm keepin' it real for all those who I *may* have inspired to think about pursuing cloth diapers because I don't want anyone to come back to me saying, "You never told me about...." Please keep in mind, though, that despite these 'issues,' I still believe cloth diapering is the better choice. 

The Diaper Chain: If you purchase diapers that use velcro closures, they will eventually wear out. There is no way around this. Do I still advocate for having velcro? Yes, in certain circumstances. It is much easier for someone to switch to cloth from disposables using velcro the same as it is often easier for other caregivers to diaper a baby wearing this type of closure. However, if you are willing to put a little work in and you will be the primary person changing diapers, buy as little velcro as you can. When they start to wear out, they no longer adhere to the tabs they are supposed to fasten to during washing and will thus create: The Diaper Chain. Subtly annoying, yes, but annoying none the less when you are trying to pull your diapers out of the washing machine and they are all captured by this massive linked chain of velcro tabs. Then you have to un-attach all of them to hang them up properly to dry and it just adds to the amount of time you spend doing diaper laundry. It's annoying. Did I mention that?

Pre-Washing: There are a number of diapers and inserts that must be pre-washed in order for them to work effectively. Hemp and bamboo are the main culprits of this as they have natural oils that must be removed through washing before they will become as absorbent as they dream to be. I know how well good hemp inserts work, given that I have a heavy wetter, but I still find it to be a less than pleasurable experience.

Washing When You're Sick: We all know that parenting through illness is an incredibly trying time, especially if you don't have any help near you, but still having do to laundry just makes it even worse. If you don't wash your diapers, you child won't have any. So no matter how crappy you feel, you need to keep getting up and attending to that washing machine (unless you can get someone to do it for you!). Fortunately, this is only a temporary problem.

The Learning Curve: I'm not sure I've ever met anyone who purchased and stayed with one brand or type of cloth diaper through the entirety of diapering. I could be wrong, of course, but I think that most of us who start cloth diapering often find that as our child grows, they might require a different type of diaper or more accessories. We also notice that while some diapers look awesome and cute when we first see them, they might be horrible to work with or just don't work with our children at all. That doesn't even begin to broach the subject of a wash routine, which as you may know, took me nearly a year to perfect (please note that not everyone has this experience!). The learning curve can be enough to discourage anyone from cloth diapering, but I implore you to press on! It really can be a rewarding experience!

As I mentioned, despite all the problems I have had, there is no way I would ever go back to disposables. I still wish I had switched to cloth sooner and even wish that I hadn't listened to the people who told me not to do it in the first place. I could have saved so much money and maybe my troubleshooting would have pointed me in my ultimate direction sooner. Alas, as I do not like to live in the past, I can only continue to move forward and enjoy my diapers while we're still using them.

Wordless Wednesday: The Wall

Things I Love #4: Things He Loves

The only reason I am including this item in my series of 'Things I Love' is because I, too, have grown to love it. It is, however, first and foremost the love child of my husband. He will literally track it down all over the county when he has a craving and the closest Wawa that carries it is out. What is this magnificent item you ask? It is none other than Honest Tea's Half & Half.

It was about a year ago or so that I was first introduced to the wonder that is iced tea mixed with lemonade. Both Steve and I started going crazy for it, buying huge boxes of iced tea and lemonade just to mix the two together. That obsession waned for a while, but Steve continued to pursue every lemonade/iced tea mix he found looking for a dream recipe. He found it in this.

If you can find this beverage anywhere, please try it. Not only is it organic and the bottles are made to be more "sustainable," there is hardly anything to the drink at all. One hundred calories and 12 grams of sugar. No crappy ingredients, just real stuff. It's so pure, I don't even mind if my children have sips here and there. Nor would I mind if they drank it occasionally when they're older. It is one of the few drinks out there that I can really stand behind (besides water).

While I do not love it with nearly as much enthusiasm as Steve does, I find it to be a pleasant, refreshing change from the monotony of water and I look forward to his regular splurges on half a dozen or more bottles. Do find it and try it; you won't be disappointed!

The Gratitude Post

I'm writing a weekly post to express gratitude for everything I have been blessed with in my life. Will you join me in sharing just five things you are grateful for this week?

This week I'm thankful for:

Lauren from Hobo Mama and Rachael from The Variegated Life: These two wonderful individuals shared my post 'No She Can't Count to Ten' and as a result, it has taken over the #3 spot of most popular posts on my blog. I am pleased with this development since the previous #3 was a giveaway post and though it was enjoyable, it does not fully represent who I am and what I care most for (although I do love me some felt food!). At any rate, I am extremely grateful to have appeared on such high class blogs as these. This was one of the biggest compliments I've received in a long time and I really feel honored.

Air Conditioning: Have I mentioned this before? :) Today, the Weather Channel on my phone said it was 104 degrees but it 'felt like' 117. I'm not sure when I moved to the Sahara, but I'm sure glad that we have Air Conditioning!

Farmers: When I went to the farmers market on Thursday, one of the farmers said, "You've been back every week!" and I replied, "Well, I know how hard it must be for you in this weather, so I just want to support." As hard as it is for me and my children to handle this weather, it is twice as hard for the farmer who is watching his livelihood die and wither while he can do virtually nothing to stop it. I am so thankful for all the work that these people put in to grow the food that I eat that I will go out in 100 degree weather to buy it from them. As long as it takes.

The Grill: I have never been good on the grill and by that I mean I have never really used a grill. Ever. But, this week, I was inspired by the extreme heat to use my oven as little as possible and I got to know the grill a little better. I cooked on it three times, by myself and I look forward to using it more in the future. (Even though it scares me a little.)

Friends I've Never Met: Yes, it is possible to have friends that you've never met in person because you are so separated by physical boundaries that this meeting is not yet possible. Even though I stay up later than I should to talk to them, it's *usually* worth it for me to be able to interact with like-minded adults, speak about adult things and remember that I am still a person and not a host of other things that I can't even name right now because I'm so tired.

Mindfulness Challenge #1 - Gratitude

After following Hybrid Rasta Mama's Mindful Mothering Challenge, I decided I wanted to do something similar (yet different) for myself. Thus, I created my own Mindfulness Challenge with specific "problems" I wanted to work on.

For my first task, I decided to focus on gratitude. Not so long ago, my pastor mentioned this question in one of his weekly talks: How can we get anything new if we aren't grateful for what we already have? So many people are constantly in a state of "want;" wanting new clothes, wanting a better car, wanting a better job, etc. without stopping all the wanting and genuinely being thankful for everything that has already been given to them. I, like most of you, am guilty of wanting many things: I'd like to have some newer clothes, some day I'd like a newer car and I would like a job teaching as an adjunct because I feel it would afford me the best of both worlds, some extra income and time to spend with my children.

There is a ton of stuff in my house, stuff that no one sees or uses, and yet here it sits. How can we expect to bring anything new and useful in if we aren't properly using what is already here? I have started giving away many, many things on a regular basis that I know we don't use to make way for the new things I know are coming to us.

Another thing I have done is to start writing weekly Gratitude Posts to overtly express all that I am grateful for each week. It is enough for me to know that I am grateful, but I have already been so fortunate to have several other people join me in expressing their own gratitude. It's hard for me to express how grateful and happy this actually makes me because though I had hoped my gratitude would speak to others, I never presumed that so many others would be interested in joining me in reflection. I am so amazed at how much my thankfulness has grown and continues to grow in myself and through others.

The work that goes into being grateful is never truly done, but I feel that I have made the best start in creating a more thankful atmosphere in my life. I want to live my life in thankfulness and absolutely exude gratitude in every moment of every day. I want to be thankful from the moment I awaken to the moment I go to sleep at night and allow gratitude to govern my actions. I've said this before, but I believe that acting out of gratitude is equal to acting out of love. In either case, only good things can come from your actions.

No one has ever been hurt from being too grateful (at least not that I know of!) and as I continue to be mindful about including gratitude in my life I know that with gratitude, all good things will follow. I will be thankful everyday for things that I have had in my life, everything I have now and all the things I will have when I need them.

Thank you for being here. I hope you will thank at least one person today.

Wordless Wednesday: Sprouting - The Fall Crop

Teaching Empathy

Among the many things I am teaching Heidi and Piper on a regular basis, empathy is one that I am currently focusing on more than others. Of all things that they could be learning right now (especially Heidi), I believe this to be one of the most important. Therefore, at every opportunity (that I remember) I use the following verbiage as education:

"Heidi, that was so nice of you to give Piper that toy! Look at her face; do you see how happy she is? She loves playing with that. That was a wonderful thing for you to do."

"Piper is very upset. Do you see how she's crying? You know how you cry when you get upset? That's how it feels for her."

"Thank you for helping me with that. I felt really good when I had your help."

"It hurts the plant when you do that. Please be more careful when you're touching it."

Yes, I have recently started adding foliage and plant life to my "daily" empathy lessons. Why? Every plant, bush, tree and flower is a living entity with energy. If it is a live, I believe it can feel on some level. This is what I was taught throughout my childhood as my mother helped me to feel the energy of every plant we worked with in our garden and to respect its life. I feel this is absolutely as important as teaching both of them to respect each other, other people and animals because we all inhabit the same space and are therefore entwined.

An image comes to mind whenever I think of this and I hope to someday put it to paper, hang it on a prominent wall in my home and point it out to my children at every opportunity possible.
Picture a man standing on the ground. Next to him stands a lion, dog, elephant, giraffe, horse or whatever animal you feel particularly fond of (and even more importantly, those you don't). Also next to him you find trees, flowers and other plants, all in a line. One does not overlap the other and no one stands higher than another. We all stand on the same ground. The trees take root in the ground above it and below it, just as the plants do. The lion, elephant, dog, and horse also stand on the same ground the plants receive life from and the man, woman or gender neutral human-like being also stands on that same ground. So you see, we are no different. Therefore, how can we not relate to all of them?

We feel empathy because we are alive. Human. Yet the same energy that makes us alive also makes the flowers and the snakes and the sharks alive. We are one and it's time we all started acting like it.

Teach empathy.

The Gratitude Post

I'm writing a weekly post to express gratitude for everything I have been blessed with in my life. Will you join me in sharing just five things you are grateful for this week?

This week's gratitude post is entirely inspired by my 4-ish mile walk to and from the dollar store along the canal. There's something about walking that far in 85 degrees pushing a stroller holding two, twenty plus pound children and a little extra baggage that makes a host of things run through your head. Thus, this week I'm grateful for:

Water: Although I didn't bring enough and my throat was ridiculously dry by the time we got home, I was very thankful for the water I did have. Very, very thankful.

Clouds: I love clouds, not because they are white and fluff, but mostly because they cover the sun...sometimes.

Shade: Even more than clouds, I loved the bits of shade that I came across along the walk as they provided me the tiniest bit of reprieve from the blazing sun. Even more refreshing were they after the huge stretches of shadeless path where I thought on more than one occasion that I wasn't going to make it.

Air Conditioning: I know I've used this one before, but it hasn't gotten old. After a long walk like that, opening the front door and feeling a nice cold breeze of air from inside the house is just satiating.

Our Ancestors: I couldn't help thinking about all the people who traveled up and down the canal when it was operational. Obviously, they didn't have air conditioning and I wondered what they did to relieve themselves of the constant heat. I kept thinking about them and trying to imagine how difficult life was for them while I would soon be returning to my townhouse with air conditioning and a refrigerator full of food. I am so thankful for the life I have today and thankful for all the people who came before me.

Cilantro Lime Noodles with Shrimp and Snow Peas

I made this recipe last week and was fairly pleased with how it came out. I'm not a huge snow pea fan, so I did not use them, nor did I use cilantro because again...not a fan, but you might be! In place of those things I used green peppers and parsley, but I did everything else the way the recipe calls for.

8 ounces angel hair or vermicelli rice noodles
4 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1/4 pound carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
1 pound cooked shrimp (21-25 count) peeled and deveined
2 limes, zest and juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 1 cup packed)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste


Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the snow peas, carrots, and garlic and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, lime zest and juice, rice wine vinegar and cayenne pepper and saute another 3 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat; toss with baby spinach, cilantro, 2 tablespoons olive oil and cooked pasta. Season with salt and pepper and serve with extra lime wedges.


I loved how the cayenne gave this recipe a nice kick and the lime made it taste so fresh. Heidi and Piper seemed to enjoy it a great deal as well, so I might be willing to make it again. Plus it was incredibly easy and quick, especially if you do all of your chopping ahead of time. Definitely something for you to try!

Wordless Wednesday: Wrapping Paper Mural

Who They Will Be

Welcome to the July Carnival of Natural Parenting: Parenting Philosophy

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have shared their parenting practices and how they fit in with their parenting purpose. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

***

It wasn’t until I read the topic for this month’s Carnival of Natural Parenting that I began to think about the qualities I hope my children possess as adults. I try to remain focused on the present as much as possible, to be in this moment at all times, but just this once it might be fun to visualize my adult children and how wonderful they will be. This list serves two purposes: it will show myself and all of you what my most cherished values are as well as help me keep my own behavior in check so I know if I am properly teaching these qualities to my children.

1. Empathy: In my earliest memories, I remember feeling empathy for others: friends, my mother, animals and the planet. It has remained one of the qualities I cherish most in myself and others, which is why it’s at the top of my list. I even used empathy as part of a research study I completed as an undergraduate. It is this quality that I try to emphasize over all others in my children because I think it paves the way for everything else. As adults, I would like to see my children practicing empathy with everyone they meet and have relationships with.

2. Gratitude: It’s no secret that I believe gratitude is important and there isn’t a moment that goes by during the day when I do not say ‘thank you’ to one of my children for whatever they are doing. It is literally at the end of nearly every sentence I speak to them and most other people I come in contact with. When you approach a person or situation from a state of gratitude, like love, you acknowledge and validate the individual or experience as having value and purpose.

3. Respect: I never want my children to feel as though they are not respected. On the same token, I also do not ever want to be the brunt of disrespect from them. In my own life, though I may have had many disagreements with my mother, I have never spoken poorly to her nor about her behind her back. Yes, sometimes things she says or does may annoy me, but I refrain from making nasty comments because it is not in me to speak ill of her. She is my mother and that position demands the utmost respect. In the same manner, I hope to inspire these feelings within my children so that I am not only respected by them, but they also respect themselves, others and our planet.

4. Responsibility: Although I mean it in every sense of the word, in this instance I am greatly referring to responsibility for our planet and all things that go along with that. They will grow up using cloth rags for cleaning and when they start menstruating, I will purchase each of them cloth pads in their choice of fabrics. When the time comes, I hope that they will also choose to cloth diaper their children, grow gardens to feed their families and choose the more ecologically responsible option whenever possible. I hope to inspire them to feel responsible for the Earth and to treat every inch of it as if it were the structures they reside in. It is home.

5. Compassion: True, honest compassion is often very hard to come by. People look upon one another with disdain and assume the worst in most cases without ever considering the events or circumstances that led up to the present. I always want them to respond to situations and people from a state of love and compassion, just as I strive to respond to them from the same state every moment of every day. While it may not always be possible, I hope that they will grow up knowing this as the standard for living and make every attempt to retain this practice their entire lives.

While this list is not entirely comprehensive of every quality I hope to instill in my children, it does get across the major points of my parenting philosophy. Without knowing it, I decided I would parent this way a long time before I had children, never knowing it was actually considered ‘attachment parenting.’ I believe in this way of behaving towards my children because it feels right to me and I cannot imagine going about this journey in any other manner. I look forward to the adults my children will become, knowing that the groundwork I lay here and now will not only benefit them and myself but everyone who chooses to walk in and out of their lives.

***

Visit Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama to find out how you can participate in the next Carnival of Natural Parenting!

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Between Love and Fear: On Raising our Children Sensibly — Mamma Earthly at Give an Earthly discusses the fear factor in parenting and how she overcame it, despite societal pressures.
• really, when do i get my cape? — Sarah at small bird on fire is a working city mama trying to learn how to set aside her expectations of perfection and embrace the reality of modern parenting.
• Baby, Infant, and Toddler Wearing — Child wearing is part of Sarah at Nourished and Nurtured's parenting philosophy. In this post, Sarah describes benefits of child-wearing and gives tips for wearing babies, infants, and toddlers (even while pregnant).
• First Year Reflections — As her daughter's first birthday approaches, Holly at First Year Reflections reflects on how she and her husband settled into attachment parenting after initially doing what they thought everyone else did.
• Making an allowance — Lauren at Hobo Mama welcomes a guest post from Sam about the unexpected lessons giving a four-year-old an allowance teaches the child — and the parent.
• How to be a Lazy Parent and Still Raise Great Kids — Lisa at Granola Catholic talks about how being a Lazy Parent has helped her to raise Great Kids.
• Philosophy in Practice — Laura at A Pug in the Kitchen shares how her heart shaped the parenting philosophy in her home.
• What is Attachment Parenting Anyway? — Gaby at Tmuffin describes the challenges of putting a label on her parenting philosophy.
• Of Parenting Styles — Jenny at Chronicles of a Nursing Mom talks about how she and her husband tailored various parenting styles to fit their own preferred parenting philosophy.
• Moment by Moment Parenting — Amy at Peace 4 Parents encourages those who care for children (including herself) to explore and appreciate parenting moment-by-moment with clarity, intention, trust, and action.
• Maintaining Spirituality in the Midst of Everyday Parenting, Marriage, and Life — Sarah at Nourished and Nurtured shares her perspective on finding opportunities for spiritual growth in every day life.
• Parenting Philosophy — Lily, aka Witch Mom's parenting philosophy is to raise child(ren) to be compassionate, loving, inquisitive, and questioning adults who can be trusted to make decisions for themselves in a way that avoids harming others.
• Long Term — Rosemary at Rosmarinus Officinalis thinks about who she would like to see her daughter become — and what she can do now to lay a strong foundation for those hopes.
• Connection, Communication, Compassion — She's come a long way, baby! After dropping her career in favour of motherhood, Patti at Jazzy Mama discovered that building solid relationships was going to be her only parenting priority.
• My Parenting Inspirations - Part 4 — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama looks at her biggest parenting inspiration and how that translates into her long-term parenting philosophy.
• A Parenting Philosophy in One Word: Respect — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction summarizes her parenting and relationship philosophy in one word: respect.
• Knowledge and Instinct — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment believes that knowledge and instinct are super important … as are love, encouragement and respect. It's the ideal combo needed to raise happy and healthy children and in turn create meaningful relationships with them.
• THRIVE! — The Sparkle Mama wants to set a tone of confidence, abundance, and happiness in her home that will be the foundation for the rest of her daughter's life.
• On Children — "Your children are not your children," say Kahlil Gibran and Hannah at Wild Parenting.
• This One Life Together — Ariadne aka Mudpiemama shares her philosophy of parenting: living fully in the here and now and building the foundation for a happy and healthy life.
• Enjoying life and planning for a bright future — Olivia at Write About Birth shares her most important parenting dilemmas and pours out her heart about past trauma and how healing made her a better parent.
• My Parenting Philosophy: Unconditional and Natural Love — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares what she has learned about her parenting philosophy from a year of following her instincts as a mama.
• An open letter to my children — Isil at Smiling Like Sunshine writes an open letter to her children.

• My Starter Kit for Unconditional Parenting — Sylvia at MaMammalia discusses her wish to raise a good person and summarizes some of the nontraditional practices she's using with her toddler son in order to fulfill that wish.
• Responsiveness — Sheila at A Gift Universe has many philosophies and goals, but what it all boils down to is responsiveness: listening to what her son wants and providing what he needs.
• Tools for Creating Your Parenting Philosophy — Have you ever really thought about your parenting purpose? Knowing your long-term goals can help you parent with more intent in your daily interactions. Dionna at Code Name: Mama offers exercises and ideas to help you create your own parenting philosophy.
• Be a Daisy — Becky at Old New Legacy philosophizes about individuality and how she thinks it's important for her daughter's growth.
• What's a Mama to Do? — Amyables at Toddler in Tow hopes that her dedication to compassionate parenting will keep her children from becoming too self-critical as adults.
• grown-up anxieties. — Laura at Our Messy Messy Life explains her lone worry concerning her babies growing up.
• Why I Used Montessori Principles in My Parenting Philosophy — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now tells why she chose Montessori principles to help her now-adult children develop qualities she wanted to see in them as children and adults.
• Parenting Philosophies & Planning for the Future — Momma Jorje considers that the future is maybe just a fringe benefit of doing what feels right now.
• Not Just Getting Through — Rachael at The Variegated Life asks what truths she hopes to express even in the most commonplace interactions with her son.
• Parenting Philosophy? Eh... — Ana at Pandamoly shares the philosophy (or lack thereof) being employed to (hopefully) raise a respectful, loving, and responsible child.
• Parenting Philosophy: Being Present — Shannon at The Artful Mama discusses the changes her family has made to accommodate their parenting philosophy and to reflect their ideals as working parents.
• Who They Will Be — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro shares a short list of some qualities she hopes she is instilling in her children at this very moment.
• Short Term vs. Long Term — Sheryl at Little Snowflakes recounts how long term parenting goals often get lost in the details of everyday life with two kids.
• Parenting Philosophy: Practicing and Nurturing Peace — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle sets personal goals for developing greater peace.
• Yama Niyama & the Red Pajama Mama — Part 1: The Yamas — In part 1 of a set of posts by Zoie at TouchstoneZ, Zoie guest posts at Natural Parents Network about how the Yoga Sutras provide a framework for her parenting philosophy.
• Yama Niyama & the Red Pajama Mama — Part 2: The Niyamas — In part 2 of a set of posts by Zoie at TouchstoneZ, Zoie explores how the Niyamas (one of the eight limbs in traditional Yoga) help her maintain her parenting and life focus.
• Our Sample Parenting Plan — Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey shares hopes of who her children will become and parenting strategies she employs to get them there.
• Philosophical Parenting: Letting Go — Jona at Life, Intertwined ponders the notion that there's no right answer when it comes to parenting.
• Unphilosophizing? — jessica at instead of institutions wonders about the usefulness of navel gazing.
• Parenting Sensitively — Amy at Anktangle uses her sensitivity to mother her child in ways that both nurture and affirm.
• how to nurture your relationships — Mrs Green at Little Green Blog believes that sometimes all kids need is a jolly good listening to …
• Philosophy Of An Unnatural Parent — Dr. Sarah at Good Enough Mum sees parenting as a process of guiding her children to develop the skills they'll need.
• Life with a Challenging Kid: Hidden Blessings — Wendy at High Needs Attachment shares the challenges and joys of raising a high needs child.
• Flying by the Seat of My Pants — Heather at Very Nearly Hippy has realized that she has no idea what she's doing.

Naan Pizza with Pictures!

I know I already have a recipe post for Naan pizza, but I decided to do another one that includes actual photographs! I know, you must be completely amazed, right? No? Yeah I don't blame you.

Anyhow, if you'd like to try making some Naan pizza, it's quite simple. First, you'll need to get your naan, some sort of sauce and cheese and then whatever toppings you might like to have. To keep it simple, I usually don't top with anything besides garlic and sometimes onion. The last time I made it, I dressed it up a little with more seasonings, but you can really do anything you want.

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Brush some olive oil (or another oil you enjoy) all over the naan bread. This is when I seasoned it with onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and basil. Then I threw on some sliced garlic and put Sun Dried Tomato Pesto over that. I probably won't be buying it again because there are too many ingredients in it, but if you want to give it a try it's pretty tasty and not too terrible (I think). Then I sprinkled on some cheese and threw it in the oven.

For the four of us, I made six pizzas and amazingly, I was able to get all of them covered with just that one jar. Of course, I didn't go very heavy on it, especially not on Heidi's and Piper's since they hardly eat the bread anyway, so you might want some other sauce as backup if you plan to use this pesto. After about 10 minutes in the oven (or 12 for browner cheese) it's ready to eat!

It is pretty tasty if I do say so myself. Not to mention being an easy, quick dinner for those nights you just don't feel like doing much. I actually got my naan on sale so I still have a package in the freezer waiting to become pizza some day. Yum.

It’s Just… My Nose

Welcome to the First Annual Freedom of Cloth Carnival




This post was written for inclusion in the Freedom of Cloth Carnival hosted at Natural Parents Network by Melissa of The New Mommy Files and Shannon of The Artful Mama. This year’s carnival will run from Sunday, July 3rd through Saturday, July 9th. Participants are sharing everything they know and love about cloth diapering, including how cloth has inspired them.


***

Cloth diapers have been an amazing catalyst for me to live a greener life. Although it took me a while, it is because of using cloth diapers that I gave up paper towels and started utilizing rags for cleaning, cloth for napkins and even began making my own ‘family cloth.’ All of this is fabulous, of course, but for some reason there is still one thing I cannot wrap my head around: not using tissues.

My collection of burp rags that replace paper towels.

One would think that if I could get past the ‘ick’ factor of using family cloth, I would surely be able to get over blowing my nose into a handkerchief instead of a tissue. In fact, most people would suggest that the nose blowing would come far sooner than the family cloth. I still haven’t converted completely to family cloth, mind you, but I really would like to if it wasn’t for this odd issue I’m having.

What is it about blowing my nose into a piece of cloth that disturbs me so? It might be the thought of reusing the same cloth tissue over and over, knowing that all the sticky mucous I blew out of my nose is still there. It might also be that I have nowhere to keep said “tissue” between uses that isn’t horribly disgusting at the same time it’s out of reach of my children. Either way, it is certainly an issue I need to overcome.

My desire to utilize cloth in every aspect of my life is going to win out. Every chance I get, I try to blow my nose with a piece of cloth and immediately toss it into the laundry room so I don’t have to look at it. I’m slowly trying to get myself accustomed to using a cloth “tissue” in a manner that I am most comfortable with. Someday soon I hope to report to all of you that I have overcome my nose issues and am, in fact, using a hanky.

***

Visit
Natural Parents Network for the most up-to-date news on the Freedom of Cloth Carnival!



Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants on the following themes. Articles will go live on the scheduled theme day:

• Sunday, July 3rd, 2011: Cloth Related Recipes — Writers share their best cloth-related recipes and tutorials.
• Monday, July 4th, 2011: Choosing Your Cloth Style — Today’s posts discuss parents' individual journeys to finding the cloth diapering "style" that best suits their families.
• Tuesday, July 5th, 2011: Cloth Diapering Must Haves — Parents talk about the most important items in their diapering “stash” and why they love them.
• Wednesday, July 6th, 2011: Wordless Wednesday, Inspired by Cloth — We asked parents to share their favorite cloth-related photo with us and turned them into a fluffy Wordless Wednesday photo montage on Natural Parents Network. Link up your own Wordless Wednesday post there!
• Thursday, July 7th, 2011: Cloth Through the Stages: From Infancy to Potty Independence — Today’s participants explain how cloth diapering has served their families throughout one or more stages of their children’s lives.
• Friday, July 8th, 2011: Cloth Troubleshooting and Laundry Day — Seasoned cloth diapering parents share their best tips and tricks for handling common cloth problems and tackling the diaper laundry.
• Saturday, July 9th, 2011: Inspired by Cloth — For today’s theme, we’ve asked writers to explore the ways cloth diapering has inspired them to become "greener" overall.

The Gratitude Post

I'm writing a weekly post to express gratitude for everything I have been blessed with in my life. Will you join me in sharing just five things you are grateful for this week?

This week I am grateful for:

Air Conditioning: It has been in the upper 80's and low 90's all week and I am so very thankful that I can walk into a cool apartment after being outside. I truly feel for those who cannot.


Thunderstorms: Nature's way of cooling things off is quite ingenious. I love thunderstorms because they make me happy and I was very grateful to have a few this week to break the heat.

Shannon at The Artful Mama: She is my new partner in crime as I enter into my new role as Review/Giveaway Editor and I am very grateful that I'm not doing it alone, especially in these early stages when we don't know what we're doing!
  
Over 100 Facebook Fans: I really don't know how this happened. One minute, I had about 20 or so and the next minute I was in the 80's and now I just passed 100! And by that I mean, of course, 101. Every time I see that someone else 'liked' my page, I think to myself, "Why are you still liking me? The giveaway is over!" But they keep coming! Thank you so much!

Skype: I just got on skype a week or so ago so I could talk to Shannon and Dionna (NPN co-founder) about our new roles and have really been enjoying it! It is so nice to talk to be able to talk to people you normally only communicate with through text and be reminded that they are real people behind their computers. Add to that the bonus of a working webcam and video chat and I'm a happy camper!

Cloth Diapering 101

Welcome to the First Annual Freedom of Cloth Carnival

This post was written for inclusion in the Freedom of Cloth Carnival hosted at Natural Parents Network by Melissa of The New Mommy Files and Shannon of The Artful Mama. This year’s carnival will run from Sunday, July 3rd through Saturday, July 9th. Participants are sharing everything they know and love about cloth diapering, including how cloth has inspired them.

***

Recently, a friend of mine asked me to write this post. Though I had thought of doing something like this on and off, I generally dismissed the idea because I do not consider myself to be anything close to an expert on cloth diapers. I ask other people for advice all the time and I have had so many problems myself it seems I don't know enough to help others. Yet at the same time, I do know quite a bit, mostly from my extensive research prior to actually starting to cloth diaper Heidi and Piper. While I must repeat again that I am NOT an expert or anything close, I will consent to sharing with you everything I know and have come to love about cloth diapering. (I will also try to be as brief as possible - the real challenge!)

Types of Diapers

I have used almost every type of diaper there is so if you want to know more about a particular type, let me know. I have linked to images of each type of diaper so that you see what they actually look like.

Flats: One of the most basic types of diapers, as their name implies, is basically a large, flat piece of cloth that must be folded to fit around the baby and inside a cover. Ex: OsoCozy, Swaddlebees

Prefolds: These diapers are similar to flats with the exception of a higher absorbancy area concentrated in the center (in a strip) that contains many layers of fabric. Prefolds are my new love. I use them almost all the time and wish I had only purchased them and covers to begin with. Ex: Unbleached Indian Prefolds, Bleached Chinese Prefolds 

Pocket Diapers: Well, um, they have this "pocket" in which you stuff an insert or two. Without the insert, you can use it as a swim diaper but it has about as much absorbancy as a place mat. Ex. bumGenius, FuzziBunz, Kawaii Diapers (<--my personal preference)

AIO (All in One): This particular type of diaper has a "pocket," but the insert is already attached inside of it. You can add other inserts for extra absorbancy, but for the most part this diaper is ready to go. Ex. bumGenius, Kushies

AI2 (All in Two): The concept of these diapers is that instead of the insert already being included in the diaper, you snap it into a shell or cover and you can then remove the insert and snap in another one while not having to change covers (unless it gets soiled). As you may imagine, these are generally the most expensive diapers out there. I tried a GroVia when I did Jillian's Drawers 'Changing Diapers, Changing Minds' program and was unimpressed. But, I also have a heavy wetter which I will talk more about later. Ex. GroVia, Rainforest Babies

Fitteds: A fitted diaper is not waterproof so you need to put a cover over it; The same type of cover you would put over a prefold or flat would most likely go over a fitted. It is essentially a shaped piece of cloth that occasionally has extra absorbancy sewn in the middle.  I have many Mother-ease fitteds as well as Pooters and one Thirsties. I like the Mother-ease better than any of the others because they don't leave any marks on Piper's thighs and are just so easy to use. 


Washing

Ahh, clean diapers (and mama cloth).

When I started, I washed them all wrong. I didn't use any hot cycles because, again, I was cheap. I believe this is why I started having problems in the first place with rashes and things. Once I switched detergents for the first time, I began a new washing regimen. This is the one recommended by most people I have found and it worked well for me for a long time.

• First, run a rinse cycle with no detergent.

• Next, run a HOT washing cycle with detergent.

• Then, run an extra rinse with no detergent. (This is where I would add my white vinegar.)

Occasionally, I'd run more extra rinses after the initial run, especially if I was using my mother's HE machine. The best way I found to do this or any other diaper washing in an HE machine is to run an initial rinse cycle with NO SPIN so that your diapers retain all the water, thereby making them heavy enough to warrant more water in any subsequent cycle.

Recently, however, the fabulous Melissa at The New Mommy Files: Memories, Milestones and Mishaps turned me on to a different washing method when she commented on one of my problem posts. Since switching to that routine, I have had far fewer problems! For most people, I still think the first routine I listed would work just fine, but if you find you are having smelly issues or something else, try it this way:

• First, run a COLD wash WITH detergent.

• Next, run a HOT wash with NO detergent but about a cup of vinegar.

• Then, run a rinse cycle with nothing but water. (Optional) 

I've even gone one step further with this method and started washing my diapers with detergent twice, once with cold and a second time with hot and then rinsing with vinegar and rinsing once more without anything. This has virtually eliminated any of the problems I had with them! *Knocking on wood furiously*

I realize this sounds like a lot of washing and believe me, I know. But being someone who has had so many diaper issues, I am willing to take the precautions necessary to prevent more of them in the future. Like I said, most people would probably be OK with the first routine, so I would definitely tell anyone to start with that. And no, I have never noticed a difference in our water bill, probably because I do at least 14 loads of laundry a week (including diapers) so it really just doesn't matter.

Note: Exclusively breastfed infant "waste" needs no treatment before being thrown in the washer. It is completely soluble and will absolutely come out. As your child gets older, you might have to dunk the diaper in the toilet to remove the majority of the soil, use a diaper sprayer or diaper liners. However, I recently met someone who doesn't do any of those things and simply throws everything into the washing machine. I do not have a diaper sprayer but have used liners (when I remember). I chose the type of liner that can be used multiple times (with pee) before it biodegrades. Otherwise, I dunk in the toilet.

Detergent

I have probably gone through more detergent than anyone I know, thus I can give you a bit of an opinion about them. Here are the ones I have used so far (on diapers):

Homemade
Rockin' Green
Country Save
Soap Nuts (FYI: If you have a latex allergy, you may also be allergic to Soap Nuts. Somehow, they have forgotten to tell people this as The Artful Mama unfortunately discovered.)
Charlie's
All Free and Clear
Allen's Naturally

While most people are in agreement that you *should* use a different detergent on your diapers than what is readily available in the stores, Jillian's Drawers themselves actually recommends regular Tide for cloth. I have not yet wrapped my head around this, but that's probably because I have such sensitive children.

For anyone starting out, I first suggest trying the homemade. It's cheap, easy and will probably be good for just about all of you. If you find your diapers are having issues and stripping (which I will speak of below) doesn't work, I would suggest going to either Rockin' Green or Allen's. If any of your family members have sensitive skin or you know for sure your child does, go with Allen's. It is the one and only detergent that works for us because of how sensitive Heidi and Piper are.

In terms of line drying vs. dryer, I dry all the pocket diapers, PUL covers and microfiber inserts on a drying rack that I have placed in a sunny spot in my dining room. Whenever possible, you should give your diapers the time to sit in the sun as it is one of your best defenses against stink, ammonia or any other problem you could encounter. Since I am not allowed to hang them outside (apartment rules), this is the next best option. I dry all my prefolds, wipes, diaper bag, hemp and fitted diapers in the dryer.

Quick Notes:
DO use as much water as possible when washing diapers, every time.
DO dry them in the sun whenever you can. If they become hard (hemp, prefolds), throw them in the dryer for a few minutes to soften them up.
DON'T use dryer sheets; they might cause build up on your diapers.

Stripping

Every so often, you might find you need to strip your diapers. In fact, you should probably strip them about once a month anyway as a precaution (or even more often). Essentially, the process of stripping diapers is simple: they need to spend some time in really, really, really hot water. Some people literally boil their diapers in a pot of water on the stove. This works, obviously, since women have done this for a long time. I am so very fortunate right now to be living in an apartment where our hot water is literally boiling hot so my diapers get that awesome heat power every time I wash them. Some people actually turn up the temperature on the water heater just for this process (but must remember to turn it down). Others will boil water and dump it into the washing machine along with the diapers. In any case, all you really need to do is let them sit in it for a while.

There are other ways, though, utilizing detergent such as Rockin' Green or RLR, which is a laundry treatment of sorts. You can also strip with a washer full of hot water and a squirt of blue (original) Dawn. However, even if you are using a detergent for stripping, you still want to have them sit in extremely hot water. I primarily use RLR to strip my diapers as it has been the best for getting rid of anything I've come across such as stink, ammonia and the rashes Heidi and Piper got. (FYI, if you decide to purchase RLR, don't buy it from the amazon link I posted. That was just to show you what it looks like. You can get it for a lot cheaper in a number of different places, including PathMark!)

Note: Your diapers need to be clean before you start stripping them.

Cost

Yes, it's true: you will have to spend money on cloth diapering. The initial cost is one of the main reasons it took me so long to make the switch from disposables to cloth because it is so daunting. However, the savings will add up in a matter of months and if you have more than one child, this could be the best investment you ever make (at least in the first few years of their lives).

To sum up everything I spent money on in the beginning (my blunder, wet bag, diaper pails, trial package and Kawaii diapers), I spent around $300. I believe the general rule of thumb to follow is to expect to spend anywhere between $200 and $500, depending on the style you choose and the number of children you are diapering. As you may know, I ended up switching styles at one point during my cloth experience (see the blunder) so I sort of lost track of how much I ultimately spent on diapers. However, the new diapers I "purchased" did not require me to spend very much money at all due to my ability to trade in/sell some of my other diapers and some clothes to the store I purchased them at.

When you look at that number, please remember that it was for two children, not just one, and I do not believe I have gone too far over the initial $300 when purchasing more cloth (which I didn't do much of). Yes, there have been times in the past year since I started cloth diapering that I had to purchase disposables, but that was only in the rarest of cases. Otherwise, the savings from using cloth for over a year has come back to me over and over again, especially since I am using these diapers on two children.

You can do this! Cloth diapering is like eating potato chips: you can't ever just have one chip and once you start, you will never want to go back! I know this post ended up being a lot longer than I wanted it to be and still there feels like so many things I forgot to mention. Therefore, if you have any questions at all, I will do my absolute best to answer them or I will find someone who can. Happy Diapering!

***

Visit
Natural Parents Network for the most up-to-date news on the Freedom of Cloth Carnival!



Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants on the following themes. Articles will go live on the scheduled theme day:

• Sunday, July 3rd, 2011: Cloth Related Recipes — Writers share their best cloth-related recipes and tutorials.
• Monday, July 4th, 2011: Choosing Your Cloth Style — Today’s posts discuss parents' individual journeys to finding the cloth diapering "style" that best suits their families.
• Tuesday, July 5th, 2011: Cloth Diapering Must Haves — Parents talk about the most important items in their diapering “stash” and why they love them.
• Wednesday, July 6th, 2011: Wordless Wednesday, Inspired by Cloth — We asked parents to share their favorite cloth-related photo with us and turned them into a fluffy Wordless Wednesday photo montage on Natural Parents Network. Link up your own Wordless Wednesday post there!
• Thursday, July 7th, 2011: Cloth Through the Stages: From Infancy to Potty Independence — Today’s participants explain how cloth diapering has served their families throughout one or more stages of their children’s lives.
• Friday, July 8th, 2011: Cloth Troubleshooting and Laundry Day — Seasoned cloth diapering parents share their best tips and tricks for handling common cloth problems and tackling the diaper laundry.
• Saturday, July 9th, 2011: Inspired by Cloth — For today’s theme, we’ve asked writers to explore the ways cloth diapering has inspired them to become "greener" overall.

Wordless Wednesday: The Heavy Wetter

This post will show you most of the overnight combinations I have tried with Heidi, my extreme heavy wetter.

My Embarrassing Cloth Diaper Start

Welcome to the First Annual Freedom of Cloth Carnival




This post was written for inclusion in the Freedom of Cloth Carnival hosted at Natural Parents Network by Melissa of The New Mommy Files and Shannon of The Artful Mama. This year’s carnival will run from Sunday, July 3rd through Saturday, July 9th. Participants are sharing everything they know and love about cloth diapering, including how cloth has inspired them.


***
First, I'd like to take a look at my stash. This will help you visualize what I am talking about and also show you how many options you have when it comes to cloth diapers. Oh wait, that's probably not a good thing...

My Stash


This is what I have:

1 - Econobum set that included 3 prefolds and a PUL cover (Not a fan. I don't think the cover covers enough).
1 - Sugarpeas snap in diaper (I rarely use it, but it's not bad).
1 - Kissaluvs fitted diaper (I used to use this a lot, but as time went on I found it didn't stay put very well and would often come off when I was taking off the cover. The absorbancy is decent, but I don't use it anymore because of that issue.)

1 - Thirsties Fab Fitted diaper (I like it).
1 - Thirsties Sized Diaper Cover (I also like this).
1 - Thirsties Duo Wrap (Overall, I've been very pleased with the Thirsties products I have).
1 - Thirsties Duo Diaper (This was my favorite diaper for a while, but now it seems to sag, causing leaks, no matter who wears it. Not sure if that's from wear and tear or what, but now I just use it as a cover or swim diaper)
1 - Happy Heiney's Fitted Diaper (I think it's a Heiny Huggers. I loved it, but it is sized so Piper outgrew it.)
1 - Flip Diaper (Love it, though I usually just use the cover).
1 - Pair of Wool "longies" made by a WAHM (work at home mom). 
1 - Kissaluvs Wool Lovers cover (I like this one a lot).
1 - Swaddlebees Hemp Doubler (Love it, never had a problem).
1 - Punkin Butt Hemp Doubler (Also love this. I rely on it a lot for Heidi).
2 - Covers I made myself from fleece (one is really crappy and I don't use it, the other is "good enough").
3 - Pooters hemp fitted diapers, each with two hemp doublers (Also not a fan. Poor fit on Heidi and gave Piper lines in her thighs).
3 - Mother-ease Doublers (one bamboo and two cotton)
4 - Hemp Babies Doublers (They do absolutely nothing for either of my children).
5 - Mother-ease fitted diapers (assorted types such as bamboo, cotton and organic cotton).
10 - Unbleached Indian prefolds
10 - Kawaii pocket diapers (I have the 'Goodnight Heavy Wetters' as well as 'Heavy Duty' ones)
20 - Microfiber inserts that came with my Kawaii diapers

Let's pretend that's it.

And now for my embarrassing reveal:

When I started cloth diapering, I wanted to do it as cheaply as possible (who wouldn't?). The first thing I did was purchase a package of gDiaper covers and a package of Gerber flat diapers. I figured that I would use the flats as inserts in the gDiapers, rather than buying their seemingly expensive inserts. Why did I do it this way? Essentially, I wanted to see what I was buying before I bought it and this was the only way to do that since there are no stores that sell cloth diapers where I used to live. Little did I know how much of a heavy wetter Heidi would be...

This system failed miserably. Fortunately, my friend Terri at Random Mama Brain happened to tell me that prefolds were more absorbent than flats, so I went out and purchased a pack of Gerber prefolds. Still didn't work for Heidi, but good news! These held Piper's pee fairly decently. However, this didn't last very long and soon I had leaks almost all the time with both of them. This is when Terri introduced me to Kawaii diapers.

My nightmare was over and I finally felt like I was really cloth diapering! Initially, I purchased 10 Kawaii Goodnight Heavy Wetter diapers, which are one size, and they were fabulous. I was able to use them on both Heidi and Piper because with a one size diaper, you can adjust the size to meet the need of the baby. Fabulous. Around this time I also took the plunge and tried Jillian's Drawers' 'Changing Diapers, Changing Minds' program. To date, I have not found a more reasonable trial package for cloth, though there are other websites out there that offer trial programs.

Though I liked most of the diapers I tried, they were all a lot more expensive than the Kawaii brand, so I sprang for another 15 diapers from them of the 'Heavy Duty' variety. This allowed me to cloth diaper both Heidi and Piper full-time (with the addition of the few other diapers I had). Unfortunately, after a while Piper started to develop horrible indents where the elastic of the diaper surrounded her leg, mostly on the inner thigh. At this point, I decided to try using fitted diapers with covers on her thinking they just might not leave any marks. With luck, I was able to sell a bunch of my Kawaii diapers to Mama Goose in Ithaca and used that money to buy the Mother-ease fitted diapers I have and a couple of covers. They worked wonderfully for her and since then, I haven't looked back.

The lesson? Every baby is different and sometimes, it takes a few tries to get the right diaper for that baby. Also, never limit yourself to just one type of diaper. Your own unique style can encompass any number and combination of diapers!

***

Visit
Natural Parents Network for the most up-to-date news on the Freedom of Cloth Carnival!

 

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants on the following themes. Articles will go live on the scheduled theme day:

• Sunday, July 3rd, 2011: Cloth Related Recipes — Writers share their best cloth-related recipes and tutorials.
• Monday, July 4th, 2011: Choosing Your Cloth Style — Today’s posts discuss parents' individual journeys to finding the cloth diapering "style" that best suits their families.
• Tuesday, July 5th, 2011: Cloth Diapering Must Haves — Parents talk about the most important items in their diapering “stash” and why they love them.
• Wednesday, July 6th, 2011: Wordless Wednesday, Inspired by Cloth — We asked parents to share their favorite cloth-related photo with us and turned them into a fluffy Wordless Wednesday photo montage on Natural Parents Network. Link up your own Wordless Wednesday post there!
• Thursday, July 7th, 2011: Cloth Through the Stages: From Infancy to Potty Independence — Today’s participants explain how cloth diapering has served their families throughout one or more stages of their children’s lives.
• Friday, July 8th, 2011: Cloth Troubleshooting and Laundry Day — Seasoned cloth diapering parents share their best tips and tricks for handling common cloth problems and tackling the diaper laundry.
• Saturday, July 9th, 2011: Inspired by Cloth — For today’s theme, we’ve asked writers to explore the ways cloth diapering has inspired them to become "greener" overall.

How I Make Cloth Wipes

Welcome to the First Annual Freedom of Cloth Carnival




This post was written for inclusion in the Freedom of Cloth Carnival hosted at Natural Parents Network by Melissa of The New Mommy Files and Shannon of The Artful Mama. This year’s carnival will run from Sunday, July 3rd through Saturday, July 9th. Participants are sharing everything they know and love about cloth diapering, including how cloth has inspired them.


***

When you read about my embarrassing start to cloth diapering, you will wonder what I did with all the Gerber flats and prefolds I had laying around. Being the "handy" person I am, I wanted to use them in some way rather than have them sit around doing nothing, so I decided to cut them up and use them to make cloth wipes. Given the size of the Gerber flats, I was able to cut them in such a way as to get four wipes out of each flat diaper: two bigger wipes and two smaller ones. (I did not cut up the Gerber prefolds. I used them here and there when I could and now I use them in place of paper towels.)

If you go to any fabric store and search through the remnant bin, you will probably find some fleece or some flannel. When I first started making wipes, I was also in the midst of making Christmas stockings so I had purchased some red, green and yellow fleece remnants and happened to have them on hand. Thus, my wipes were born.

 
To make the wipes, I cut 8 X 12 and 8 X 8 pieces out of the flat diapers. Then, of course, I cut corresponding pieces from whatever fleece I happen to have. (In the above image, it's white because I made a lot of wipes for friends who are giving birth but not all of them know the baby's gender.) I sew them together and turn them inside out and close the seam. It doesn't really matter which sides get sewn together, unless you have a pattern you want to showcase. I think patterns are nice and all, but when it comes to wipes, it's cleaning your baby's butt: how nice does it have to be?

These are a couple of my finished products. As you can see, one of the wipes has seen better days. I have been using these for about a year now and have already had to resew many of them. That, however, is the beauty in cloth wipes; if they fall apart, I can simply put them back together!

Now, I just want to say a word about using the flat diapers as part of the wipe, which in my mind, turned out to be an ingenious idea. Rather than having consistently smooth surfaces all around the wipe, the flat diaper adds that extra degree of texture for scrubbing heavy duty messes. Then, you can turn it around and use the other side to pick up the remnants or sort of dry the area.

These wipes are incredibly inexpensive to make since you can get so many wipes from just one package of Gerber flats and a fleece remnant. Plus, all it takes is a basic, generic type of stitching to put them together, so anyone who knows how to thread a needle can sew these! Better  yet, now that both my children are older and I use less wipes throughout the day, I can use some of the wipes for other things. They're great for cleaning dirty hands and faces, wiping down counters or even scrubbing the kitchen floor. The versatility never ends; Go ahead and try them!

***

Visit
Natural Parents Network for the most up-to-date news on the Freedom of Cloth Carnival!

 

Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants on the following themes. Articles will go live on the scheduled theme day:

• Sunday, July 3rd, 2011: Cloth Related Recipes — Writers share their best cloth-related recipes and tutorials.
• Monday, July 4th, 2011: Choosing Your Cloth Style — Today’s posts discuss parents' individual journeys to finding the cloth diapering "style" that best suits their families.
• Tuesday, July 5th, 2011: Cloth Diapering Must Haves — Parents talk about the most important items in their diapering “stash” and why they love them.
• Wednesday, July 6th, 2011: Wordless Wednesday, Inspired by Cloth — We asked parents to share their favorite cloth-related photo with us and turned them into a fluffy Wordless Wednesday photo montage on Natural Parents Network. Link up your own Wordless Wednesday post there!
• Thursday, July 7th, 2011: Cloth Through the Stages: From Infancy to Potty Independence — Today’s participants explain how cloth diapering has served their families throughout one or more stages of their children’s lives.
• Friday, July 8th, 2011: Cloth Troubleshooting and Laundry Day — Seasoned cloth diapering parents share their best tips and tricks for handling common cloth problems and tackling the diaper laundry.
• Saturday, July 9th, 2011: Inspired by Cloth — For today’s theme, we’ve asked writers to explore the ways cloth diapering has inspired them to become "greener" overall.