How DO you do it?

It's that time again! You might remember the great post in December 2011 that highlighted the Natural Parents Network Volunteer's most popular or favorite posts from the year. Well, we are back and this time we are bringing you a collection of posts that focus on Do It Yourself projects, How To's, Tutorials, Recipes, and anything related to a step by step guide or informational how-to.



There are a lot of really wonderful posts here and I hope that this serves as an excellent resource that you can pass on to your friends! Enjoy!



Jorje of Momma Jorje.com shares her Family Cloth Tutorial in pictures. She includes step by step photos with some tips for making very neat family cloth. You can find Momma Jorje on Facebook, too!


Lani at Boobie Time Blog shares "How to Help a New Breastfeeding Mom." This post provides some tips on helping a new mom while she is learning to Breastfeed. You can also find Boobie Time Blog on Facebook and Twitter.


Amanda at Let's Take the Metro shares "How I Make Cloth Wipes." This post details how Amanda made all of her cloth wipes. You can also find Let's Take the Metro on Facebook.


Jennifer at True Confessions of a Real Mommy shares "Lessons in a Picture Book." A Lesson plan for pancakes and how to make your own butter! You can also find True Confessions of a Real Mommy on Facebook and Twitter.


Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction shares "Tips for Road Tripping with a Toddler." A long car trip with a young child can be a great way to make some wonderful memories if you are prepared to meet the challenges. You can also find Monkey Butt Junction on Facebook and Twitter. 


Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares "Maple Cinnamon Swirl Bread." This recipe tutorial shows you how to make a sweet whole wheat bread with beautiful cinnamon swirls in each slice. You can also find Farmer's Daughter on Facebook and Twitter.


Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama shares "How To Consume Coconut Oil Plus Coconut Oil Candy Recipes." This post provides some tips on how to get your daily dose of coconut oil down the hatch. It also provides some very tasty recipes for coconut oil candy! You can also find Hybrid Rasta Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.


Alicia at Lactation Narration gives some ideas for how to accomplish Partial Weaning for moms who would like to cut down on nursing without completely weaning. You can also find Lactation Narration on Facebook and Twitter.


Cynthia at The Hippie Housewife shares "A Learning-Rich Environment." This post provides a number of suggestions for creating a learning-rich environment and incorporating learning into everyday life, with a particular focus on the preschool age. You can also find The Hippie Housewife on Facebook, Pinterest, and Google +.


Kelly at Becoming Crunchy shares "Kale Chips = Awesome!" This post shares a super easy recipe for making a super easy (and surprisingly tasty) snack from one of the most healthful greens around. You can also find Becoming Crunchy on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.


Shannon at Pineapples & Artichokes shares "How to Move to California." A silly how-to she wrote while she and her then fiance were driving to their new home. You can also find Shannon on Pinterest, Flickr, and Google +.


Gretchen at That Mama Gretchen shares a recipe for "Homemade Fruit Leather." It's easier than you ever thought and the perfect snack for you and your family. You can also find That Mama Gretchen on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.


Julia at A Little Bit of All of It shares "How I Cloth Diaper (Part 1)." This post details the way Julia has cloth diapered her daughter along with the products she uses. You can also find A Little Bit of All of It on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.


Joella at Fine and Fair shares "Our First Sensory Bins." In this post, she shares how she made a "Scoop, Measure, and Pour" themed sensory bin, as well as an "In the Garden" themed bin. She also shares some tips for making your own sensory bins! Fine and Fair can be found on Facebook and Twitter. 


For all of you breastfeeding mamas, Dionna at Code Name: Mama has the ultimate DIY experience with the main ingredient being your breastmilk! 58 Medical, Cosmetic, and Other Alternative Uses for Breastmilk includes a cradle cap remedy, an anti-itch salve, weaning jewelry, lotion, and more. You can also find Dionna on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.


Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings offers several ideas for "Keeping a Toddler Happily Busy on a Long Flight." The list includes handmade felt activities, among many other things. You can also find Melissa on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.


Shannon at The Artful Mama shares "Preparing Toddlers for Birth." This post features MamAmor dolls and shows some alternative ways to talk to toddlers about pregnancy and birth. You can also find The Artful Mama on Facebook and Twitter.


Kym at Our Crazy Corner of the World shares her "Family Binder DIY." This post shows how to put together a family binder, to help organize cleaning, meal planning, shopping and budgeting all in one convenient location!


Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares "5 Green Living, Spring Cleaning Tips." This post provides easy ways to keep the toxins out of your home and to freshen up your home for spring. You can also find I Thought I Knew Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.


Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings shares "Daily Bread: My Favorite Whole Grain Bread Machine Recipe." This recipe is easy, highly adaptable, and a great starting point for creating your own daily (or almost daily!) homemade bread. You can also find Intrepid Murmurings on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.


Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children shares "10 Tips for Toddler Carseat Woes." Check out these ideas of dealing with toddler carseat issues without resorting to punishments. You can also find Living Peacefully with Children on Facebook.


Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment shares "DIY Mom's Night In." A somewhat humorous solution, this post provides exhausted Mamas the recipe for the perfect way to recharge!


Stacy at Sweet Sky shares “Ways to Bring More Mindfulness Into Your Days.” This post provides tips and tricks to bring yourself back to the present moment, so you can be the parent you want to be. You can also find Stacy on Facebook.


Amy at Anktangle shows us how to make your own popsicle stick puzzles, a fun and simple "busy bag" activity for toddlers and preschool aged children. You can also find Amy on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.


Lauren at Hobo Mama shares "How to sew a mei tai baby carrier." The mei tai is Lauren and Sam's favorite carrier for baby Alrik: as comfortable and simple as it is beautiful. You can also find Hobo Mama on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.


Christine at African Babies Don't Cry shares "How to Make Rainbow Coloured Rice (Without Alcohol) for a Toddler Sensory Bin." This post provides a step by step tutorial for making vibrantly coloured rainbow rice for sensory play, includes a printable PDF. You can also find African Babies Don't Cry on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.


Luschka of Diary of a First Child shares "How To Send A Hug In An Envelope." This post is a creative way to send more than just the standard card to love ones. It literally is a hug in an envelope! You can also find Diary of a First Child on Facebook, and Twitter.

I Need a Hobby

Welcome to the January 2012 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Experiments in Natural Family Living

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have reported on weeklong trials to make their lives a little greener. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.

***

I need a hobby and I found one. Green living.

I couldn't decide which natural experiment to write about for this month's carnival, so I did all of them. OK, OK, not exactly *all* of them, but many more than I ever thought I would do. See, I knew several months ago that this carnival would take place and I wanted to be prepared so I brushed up on eco-friendliness. I had already been using burp rags instead of paper towels for over a year, I'd used cloth diapers for over a year, I started using cloth menstrual pads several months before and I was already making my own vegetable stock from scraps so I needed to set up my game.

I became a vegetarian on August 1, 2011, I stopped using mainstream deodorant and began using coconut oil and baking soda and I stopped using shampoo. Then I stopped using a microwave, decided to start/started walking to where I will be working and even started using handkerchiefs and *gasp* family cloth! I take short showers (not necessarily by choice), bathe less often, bathe my children less often (they also take showers)and I use reusable (and homemade) bags at the grocery store. I also shop mostly at second-hand stores for H & P and can't remember the last time I willingly bought something for myself so I'm saving a ton.

By this time, I know you're looking for the point of this post. Obviously I've engaged in multiple experiments and you want to know how I feel about all of this. Well, simply put, it's working for me. All of it. I'm addicted and cannot get enough of this 'green' stuff.

Most (heck, maybe all) of the things I mentioned in this post weren't even tiny thoughts in the back of my mind for the greater part of my life. I never thought of using cloth diapers, never thought I wouldn't use a microwave and I certainly never thought I wouldn't use toilet paper! Yet as I evolve as a mother and an individual my tastes, preferences and openness also change; what I once considered outrageous, gross or downright crazy has become second nature to me. All of the steps I have taken to live a more responsible life feel so right to me I wonder how I went so long without trying them.

I will never stop working to be a better human being. The steps I have taken thus far, experiments that turned into a way of life, are just the beginning. I have such great visions of the future, of new green experiments working fantastically to create a better life for myself and my family. I'm so pleased to have participated in this carnival topic and to have had the opportunity to try so many new things. I love change. Bring it on.

***

Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: 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:

• Make your own moisturizer! — Megan at boho mama whips up a winter skin-friendly moisturizer.
• Cold Water Only — Brittany at The Pistachio Project talks about how you do not need hot water to wash laundry.
• Family Cloth... Really?? — After lots of forethought and consideration, Momma Jorje finally decides to take the plunge with family cloth.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle : 5-5-5 Things A Day — Luschka from Diary of a First Child writes about decluttering her home in an attempt to create a gentler living space. She takes on a new project where she sets a goal of reducing, reusing and recycling every day.
• Pros and cons of family cloth — Lauren at Hobo Mama would love to continue replacing paper products with family cloth … if she could only get over how damp she feels.
• Craftily Parenting — Kellie at Our Mindful Life finds that crafting makes her a better parent.
• Changes — Laura at Pug in the Kitchen couldn't choose just one area to experiment with, so she wrote a long post about all the fun changes initiated in her life!
• Life without Internet: Not all it's Cracked up to Be — Adrienne at Mommying My Way tries to go a week without the Internet, only to realize a healthy dose of Internet usage really helps keep this stay-at-home mom connected.
• My Progression to Raw Milk — Kerry at City Kids Homeschooling shares her natural parenting progression all the way to trying raw milk.
• mama's new little friend. — Sarah at Bitty Bird tries a menstrual cup to "green her period," and is pleasantly surprised when she falls in love with the product!
• Before you throw it out, try homemade laundry soap! — Jennifer at Practical OH Mommy shows visual proof that homemade laundry soap is cheaper, easier, and works better than the store-bought chemicals!
• Oil, Oil, No Toil, No Trouble — K from Very Simple Secret talks about her foray into the oil-cleansing method.
• I Need a Hobby — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro couldn't decide which experiment to run, so she did them all.
• 7 days of macrobiotics for a balanced family — The Stones make a [successful] attempt to release the "holiday junking" with 7 days of macrobiotic meals to balance their bodies and souls. Elisabeth at Manic Mrs. Stone includes an explanation of macrobiotics.
• Chemical Free Beauty Challenge — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction turned to natural alternatives for her daily beauty and cleaning routine, with great results.
• Greening my Armpits!? My Green Resolution — Shannon at The Artful Mama talks about how she decided to give up her traditional antiperspirant and make the switch over to crystal deodorants and definitely isn't looking back!
• Going Raw (for a while) — Jenny at Chronicles of a Nursing Mom shares her family's experience with raw food.
• Do we get to eat gluten today? — Sheila at A Gift Universe has been trying to figure out if her son does better with or without gluten in his diet … but it's really hard to tell for sure.
• Hippies Can Smell and Look Fabulous Too! — Arpita of Up, Down And Natural details her experience of going shampoo-free and overhauling her cosmetics to find the balance between feeling beautifully fabulous and honoring her inner hippie.
• Our cupboards are full...but there's nothing to eat — Lucy at Dreaming Aloud takes on the challenge of chomping through the contents of her storecupboard rather than going shopping — but there's something that she just can't bring herself to do …
• Elimination Experiment 3.0 — MudpieMama recounts the messy adventures of her baby daughter trying to be diaper free.
• Family Cloth Trial — Amyables at Toddler in Tow talks about making and using family cloth wipes in the bathroom for the first time.
• Taking a Hiatus — Amy at Peace 4 Parents shares how her experience of much less internet interaction affected her family and how it will change her approach in the future.
• Trying Out the Menstrual Cup — Lindsey at an unschooling adventure ditches the tampons and gives menstrual cups a try.
• Managing Food Waste in Our Home — Tired of the holiday waste, Robbie at Going Green Mama takes a weeklong focus on reducing food waste in her home, and learns some lessons that can take her through the new year.
• Going Offline, Cloth Tissues, and Simplicity — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama muses over her time away from blogging and social networking. In addition, she shares her newfound love of cloth tissues and simplicity.

• The Oil Cleansing Method — Erica at ChildOrganics explores an easy, organic and natural way to tackle skin care.
• Experiments in Natural Family Living - Natural Toys! — Lani at Boobie Time enjoys the silence of natural toys and being more present with her son.
• Discovering a New City and Organic Foods — Amy at A Secure Base describes her family's switch to and search for organic foods for one week.
• My Experiment in Homemade Bread — Crunchy Con Mommy tried — and loved — baking her own homemade bread.
• Menu Planning: Stop the Excuses — Gaby at Tmuffin stopped the excuses and started planning her weekly meals, drastically cutting her grocery budget and stress level and improving the quality of foods she fed her family.
• My First Menstrual Cup — Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children was pleasantly surprised with her first experience using a menstrual cup.
• My Natural Beauty Regime — Christine at African Babies Don’t Cry shares the results of banishing cleanser and soaps from her bathroom, as well as a couple of natural homemade recipes that have worked well on her skin.
• Unplugging and Creating a Rhythm: Our Experiment in Natural Family Living — Dionna at Code Name: Mama focused less on gadgets and spent more time with her family to create a healthy rhythm for the new year.
• Experiments in Natural Family Living: 5 First Steps Toward Preparing for a Natural Birth — Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama discusses how she tackled the pressing matter of how to begin preparing for a natural birth.
• All you need is...vinegar! — Kristen at My Semi-Crunchy Life learns that one household product can replace all the cleaners in her cabinet.
• Nope Nada Ixnay Negative Pass Decline — Zoie at TouchstoneZ finds out what shakes loose if she says, "YES!!" to anything anyone asks of her over the space of 10 days.
• Reducing our exposure to toxins found in plastics — Syenna at Gently Parenting Twins throws out the melamine and BPA plastics which have been hanging around the kitchen for too long.
• Duh! — Kat at Loving {Almost} Every Moment shares how she began the process of helping her 2-year-old son stop physically acting out.
• Experiments in Natural Parenting: Starting, Stopping, and Gaining Perspective — Melissa at Vibrant Wanderings explains how pregnancy brain interfered with her attempts to complete an experiment, but how she gained some interesting perspective as she started and stopped several.
• From Experiment to Lifestyle — Abbie at Farmer's Daughter shares her experience avoiding processed foods for a month, and deciding to make it a permanent lifestyle change.
• From Disposable Paper to Reusable Cloth – AGAIN! — Terri at Child of the Nature Isle stops flushing trees down the toilet and switches to the softest ever butt-wiping material: cloth.
• Extra! Extra! Water Heater Turned Down, Mom Doesn't Notice! — Thomasin at Propson Palingenesis finds an energy-saving experiment that's so easy she didn't even realize it was happening.
• Worm Tea — CatholicMommy isn't sure how successful her worm bin will be, but she's having fun anyway.
• Miles to Go ... — Rachael at The Variegated Life learns that when it comes to sleep debt, she's in real deep.
• My Month With Water Kefir — Paige at Baby Dust Diaries experiments with a new fermented probiotic drink homemade in her own kitchen.
• OMG Mom is Home... All Day Everyday: A Week-Long Experiment in Connecting — What a difference a week makes! Ana at Pandamoly is afforded a week off from work and takes the chance to reconnect and reattach with her 16-month-old son through an experiment in simply being there.
• Creating Healthy Family Recipes — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now shares her experiment with healthy, gluten-free recipes and a chocolate muffin recipe that was created during the experiment.
• Adventures in Alternative Haircare: No 'Poo — This guest post at Natural Parents Network from Amy at Anktangle chronicles a months-long journey into the world of no 'poo.
• My Experiment in Natural Family Living: Natural Family Planning — Birth control options are seriously limited for those of us trying to live a little closer to the earth, so Mama Psalmist experiments with natural family planning.

Baby Gifts

Last Christmas, I made nearly every gift I gave as part of my new sustainable outlook on life. I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to carry the gift of homemade through every occasion to come including birthdays, other holidays and of course, new babies. Here I will show you some of the recent baby gifts I made for two of my expecting friends.

My friend who gave birth in July followed my path (cause of course I pave the way everywhere) and decided not to find out the sex of her child. The other friend I made things for found out she was having a boy, so my challenge was purchasing cloth that could serve both of those specifications. I generally start my shopping in the remnant bin and was fortunate enough to find a gender neutral baby pattern with which I made the gift bags for both women. 

Though I only knew for sure that one of my friends is going to cloth diaper, I decided to make both of them cloth wipes anyway because they can be so versatile and you never really know what they might be good for. Additionally, I wanted to make sure they both had a wet bag because besides cloth diapers, they're really good for wet or soiled clothes when you're out and a toy or two because...who doesn't love a homemade baby toy?

At this point, I'm sure you just want to see what this crap looks like, so here you go. The first pictures were include the gender neutral gifts and the second, obviously, are for the boy.

In this first photo, you will see the gift bag in the back, the wet bag to the left, the cloth wipes in front and the awesome crinkle toy behind them (It's a really cool thing to make. Do check it out.) and on the far right is a set of multipurpose burp cloths.

The morning of the shower, I pounded out this duck. Literally. I made it in a about an hour and a half and then shoved it in the bag and walked out the door. It is important to note that the friend who received this set of gifts has been showered with ducks her entire life and though I knew her child would be as well, I went ahead and made it anyway.

And then we have the bag all stuffed and ready to go. I really loved making this entire gift.

I had some help taking the pictures of this second set, so please don't mind the little fingers in the corner of each picture.

I made my other friend three different sets of cloth wipes: two sets were plain flannel on both sides and one set is the homemade concoction I created. Then I also made her a crinkle toy, wet bag and a really large burp cloth that could double as a blanket or changing pad or peek-a-boo rag at any place or time.

While I did use a sewing machine for most of these items, I sewed the wet bags and my version of cloth wipes by hand, as well as the crinkle toys. And like I said, I loved it. I just wish I had more time to devote to really concentrating on sewing like this.

Long live sustainability!

Everything's Better When It's Homemade

Welcome to the August Carnival of Natural Parenting: Creating With Kids
This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Hobo Mama and Code Name: Mama. This month our participants have shared how they make messes and masterpieces with children. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the other carnival participants.
***

I’m pretty big on homemade things. You may or may not have noticed, but I like to make things for my children as often as I can and I accept homemade gifts for them as I would a gift of solid gold. They’re not quite at an age where I can create thing with them (although we have made a few attempts) so in the mean time, I will make as much for them as I can and hope it will last through to the next generation.

Heidi's doll on the left, Piper's on the right.

I have always appreciated items made by hand, but having children has caused my appreciation to quadruple. My mother made a lot of things for me as a child, many of which I still have, and she has already continued that tradition by making things for Heidi and Piper. For their last birthdays (Heidi’s 2nd and Piper’s 1st), my mother took two doll bodies and painted their respective faces on them, sewed matching hair on each one and dressed them in semi-homemade clothes. Although the dolls spend more time naked than clothed, they get a lot of love. The hair on Piper’s doll has already seen better days and needs some refurbishing, but I love knowing that these gifts are already so appreciated.

After I discovered Mama’s Felt Café, I decided to try my hand at making homemade toys and haven’t looked back. I already made some “numbered felt squares” for them and have gone on to make a plethora of felt photo frames as gifts. I plan to make my own felt food to give to them for Christmas when they may or may not get a kitchen from Santa. Naturally, plastic food is often easier to wash, but, well, it's also plastic. Since I've been trying to rid my house of as much plastic as I can (a long and tedious process), I prefer to give them some homemade food because to me it holds much more value.

But I didn't stop at felt fabulousness.

I love skirts and have always loved them in one sense or another. Watching my children play, I've noticed that their movements are often restricted by their pants, mostly because they do not have any pants that were specifically made to fit cloth diaper butts. I thought to myself, "Self, how hard can it be to make a skirt? It's just two pieces of fabric sewn together, right?" Well, almost. While I was relatively successful at making Heidi a skirt for Christmas, it was only because I used elastic for the waist. I'm pretty bad at hems and wouldn't have a clue how to do a proper waist without the elastic (I'm working on it). Nevertheless, I have sewed two play skirts for her that allow for plenty of movement and are sufficient enough to withstand multiple washings and rough toddler play. I long to make more, but every day I resolve to sit down at the sewing machine, I am repeatedly distracted for some odd reason.

Nothing is going to stop me from making more and more homemade items for my children. As they grow, I will include them in whatever practices they find interesting and I will always reinforce the notion that homemade is better than anything found in a store. I look forward to making many Halloween costumes, toys, dresses and whatever else they fancy. After all, what could be better than having an infinite catalog of goodies (mom) at your disposal?

***

Visit Hobo Mama and Code Name: 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:

• Family Draw Time Art Show — Kate Wicker shares art (and inspiration!) from her family's cherished tradition of family draw time.
• The Rules of Creativity: Learning to Create with the "Non-Creative" — Zoe at Give an Earthly shares how she learned to accept her "non-creative" child and claims that anyone, child or adult, can be creative given the right handling and environment.
• Creating With Kids: 4 Ways That Work For Us — See how Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings nurtures creativity with her kids through craft projects, outdoor creative play, celebrating the creative process, and setting up "little spaces of beauty."
• Creating memories, not things — Mrs. Green from Little Green Blog reflects on life with a ten year old and how 'creating together' has evolved from 'things' to memories.
• The Gift of Creation — It may be hot, but Kellie at Our Mindful Life is already thinking about winter.
• Hidden Talents — Sylvia at MaMammalia describes how providing the opportunity for creativity sometimes means learning to look for hidden talents in unusual places.
• Creating Joy — CatholicMommy at Working to be Worthy shares how she and her one year-old son create joy for their community.
• How to do Crafts with Kids — Gaby from Tmuffin guest posts at Natural Parents Network and describes how to keep things simple when doing crafts with kids for magical (easy-to-clean, and tantrum-free) results.
• Sugar & Spice & Baking on the Kitchen Floor — Carrie at Love Notes Mama enjoys making a mess in the kitchen with her daughter.
• Young Scientist Makes Purple Potion — Hannah at Wild Parenting loves being a lab assistant for the young scientist in her life.
• Making a butterfly house — Lauren at Hobo Mama demonstrates the proper way to build a wooden butterfly house with a preschooler.
• Nurturing Creativity — Amyables at Toddler In Tow shares the enjoyment she feels in nurturing the creativity of her children.
• Home School Music - Sparking A New Generation Of Musicians — Based on her musical background, Chante at My Natural Motherhood Journey talks about how she creates with and teaches music to her children.
• Creating (im)perfectly Together — Mudpiemama shares some of the highlights of a summer spent building everything from ships to hoops but most of a lesson on letting go of perfection.
• Family Soccer Kick Around — When her children wanted to play soccer, Mandy at Living Peacefully with Children helped organize something that would work for her family.
• Creating Memories Together on Skype — Deb Chitwood at Living Montessori Now tells how you can create memories online with adult children or anyone who lives in another city or country.

• We'll always have Halloween: Creating costumes for kids — Jessica Claire at Crunchy-Chewy Mama is not the craftiest mom on the block, but she does make a mean homemade Halloween costume.
• Let's Make Juice! — Wendylori at High Needs Attachment shares about the benefits of juicing with kids, as well as a quick recipe.
• Everything's Better When It's Homemade — Amanda at Let's Take the Metro praises the art of homemade goods.
• Creating the Opportunity for Art — Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction shares how her family has created an environment conducive to art.
• 10 Easy and Functional Crafts Preschoolers Can Do with Minimal Assistance — Dionna at Code Name: Mama offers ten easy crafts preschoolers can do while sitting near parents — but they don't need a lot of parental help. Added bonus: all of these ten ideas double as something functional (gifts, decor, educational).
• Creating with Kids: Singing Together — Ana at Pandamoly details the important role music takes in her household and provides a quick (and easy!) tutorial for creating fun songs to sing together!
• Create This — jessica at instead of institutions considers different aspects of creativity including those without an end product.
• Make Your Own Pocket Bib — A tutorial from Amy at Anktangle on how to make two simple and quick bibs to keep your little one clean at the table.
• Creating Together in the Kitchen — Despite not feeling "crafty," Momma Jorje finds a way to create and connect with her toddler.
• An Artist-Mama's Perspective — In this post, Shannon at The Artful Mama discusses the differences between her choice of artistic outlet and her son's, and how they embrace those differences together.
• Heart of the Home — Jona at Life, Intertwined shares some highlights of cooking with kids.
• Getting creative with kids — Isil at Smiling like Sunshine shares how much she enjoys watching her daughter getting creative.
• Creating with Children - The Nature/Seasonal Table — Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama celebrates the rhythm of the natural world with her toddler through the creation of a seasonal nature table.
• How Involving My Kid Saves My Sanity — The Happy Hippie Homemaker explains how involving her toddler in projects allows her to get more done, while providing valuable opportunities to teach and to bond (added bonus: amazing oatmeal raisin cookie recipe!).
• In the Kitchen with Kids — Cooking with Real and Pretend Food — Terri from Child of the Nature Isle engages her kids in the kitchen with culinary creations of both real and pretend food.

The New Nursing Mom's Checklist

For those of you who are planning to breastfeed and are pregnant, this list is for you. and for those of you who have already had your first child and are working on a breastfeeding relationship, I apologize for not writing this sooner. You can egg my house later. Though this may not be an exhaustive list, I hope it will provide those of you wondering what you need for nursing with a decent place to start.

A Good Pump: While for some of you it might not be "necessary" to have a pump, I would say that the vast majority of women should have a decent one. Why? For me, it really made the difference when I was engorged after my milk came in and Heidi could not possibly eat enough to make me feel better. Pumping was such a huge relief for me in those early days I cannot even begin to describe it. If you plan to return to work, you would certainly need a pump so your baby can still have milk when you're gone. Even if you don't plan to return to work, I think it's always a good idea to pump and freeze your milk for whenever you might need it or to give away to others who can't make milk.
If you don't have an electric pump, you may be able to rent one from the hospital or in some cases, they might give you a manual one. You can also manually express milk, though that takes a bit of practice at first. Whatever you do, please consider staying away from Medela. As a company, they have refused to comply with the WHO code in a number of ways and do not have the best interests of mothers and babies at heart. (Instead, look at Hygeia or Ameda).

This is how I felt about my hospital stay with Heidi.

Nursing Tank Tops: Even before you purchase nursing bras, I would tell you to purchase as many nursing tank tops as you can. Why? I lived in them at the beginning of my first nursing relationship. Literally. I'd put one on to go to bed and then wouldn't take it off until I was going to bed the following night (gross? maybe, but there's not a lot of brain power during the first few weeks of your baby's life...and not a lot of motivation to wear clean clothes). After I was more comfortable with nursing, I just wore them at night as pajamas or under button-down pajama shirts. I cannot recommend them enough, for real.

Nursing Bras: If you are a seasoned nurser, you might not really need any nursing bras because any bra is technically sufficient. However, in the first days of being a new mother, when you are likely to experience some engorgement, you might want to have a really (large) supportive bra on hand to help get you through. If you are already large chested, be sure to purchase a bra that is about two sizes larger than you normally wear and another one a size or so up for those first few weeks. Your chest will thank you.

A Rocking Chair: I consider this essential nursing equipment because it is a comfortable space for you to sit and relax while feeding your child. Additionally, the movement coupled with nursing is a surefire combination for sleep. I found, even after Heidi's birth, that I needed to rock her. It was soothing for both of us and helped with bonding.

A Nursing Cover: If you're like me, you might not be comfortable with other people watching you nurse your child, especially in the beginning. Find a really good, large nursing cover that you feel comfortable wearing and won't be too hot for your baby. I found my favorite cover to be one that went around my neck so that child could not forcefully pull it off (just attempt to choke me) in certain instances. Also, if you will be eventually returning to work and pumping, you might want a cover so that you can discretely pump wherever you are allowed (even at your desk!).

Nursing Piper was infinitely easier.

Lanolin: I was not given any lanolin until I was leaving the hospital with Heidi and when I finally got to use it, I realized what a difference it might have made to me during the first few days of painfulness. It is a substance that does not have to be removed from the nipple before baby feeds so that was a huge plus for me. If you still have some after you're done nursing (or no longer need it) it is also a good substitute for lotion and can even be used on cuts or sores, especially in the diaper area. Additionally, if you cloth diaper and decide to use wool, lanolin is how you keep your wool covers waterproof.

Support:  Having breastfeeding support is so critical in the early days and weeks when frustrations and pain can be enough to make anyone want to quit. Even if you have just one person who supports your decision to breastfeed, it can make the difference between sticking with it and giving up. And while the internet can be very informative, you might also want to have a good nursing book handy for when you cannot get to the computer or just don't want to. The only book I read is one I borrowed from a friend (and still haven't returned! Sorry!), which is So That's What They're For. I found it to be very helpful and would definitely recommend it, but again, I haven't read any others.

Some final tips:

• Wear a bikini top in the shower. For a while, taking a shower hurt almost as much as nursing and the best way to cover my nipples while still being able to wash myself was with a bathing suit.

• A lot of women find it easier to learn to breastfeed by being topless. If you are uncomfortable with that, wear a bra and a button down shirt so you don't have to jump through hoops to "whip it out."

• Co-sleep/bed-share. The easiest nursing for me was nursing in the middle of the night without having to do anything other than open my shirt. If your baby is right there with you, you won't have to do much to feed her. 

• Freeze as much milk as you can because you never know when you might need it.

• Get comfortable. It can be very difficult to sit for the duration of a feeding if you are in an awkward position. In the beginning, it's nice to have someone hand you your baby after you sit down, but that is not always possible. While getting yourself comfortable, you can place baby on the floor or somewhere next to you where she can't get hurt. Then once you are situated, let the fun begin.

• Though they are not necessary, you might want some nursing shirts or dresses in the early days. It always feels nice to wear real clothes and still be able to nurse easily and discreetly. These garments are often expensive, but since they still look like regular clothes you can probably get away with wearing them for a long time. 

What were/are your must-haves for breastfeeding? 

***

I’m celebrating World Breastfeeding Week with Natural Parents Network!

You can, too — link up your breastfeeding posts from August 1-7 in the linky below, and enjoy reading, commenting on, and sharing the posts collected here and on Natural Parents Network.

(Visit NPN for the code to place on your blog.)

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.

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.

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.