Cloth Wipes Begets...

Family cloth.

I made a bunch more 8"x8" flannel squares to use.  Initially I was just planning to use them for myself because I doubted Hubs would ever be sold on the idea.

But much to my surprise he was!  So now we use cloth wipes instead of toilet paper, any extra dirty ones we use the diaper sprayer to clean off and throw them in the diaper pail.  Come wash day they go in with the diapers and get nice and clean.

This was less about the Eco-Friendly aspect and more about the cost savings aspect.  I used more of the flannel I had left over (I told you I had a LOT of it, I probably still have 2 yards left) so it was only a matter of using some time to zig-zag the edges.

So far it's been an adjustment, but our toilet paper with a small amount left on it is still hanging on.

Oh, and don't worry, we don't expect guests to join in with the family cloth. 

I've been neglecting my blog for something so much bigger...

THE SUN!!! It has made it's appearance for the past 3 days....

I took time to mow half the lawn last night, put Bear in the swing yesterday and today, we went for a walk in the park yesterday and my laundry smells like sunshine!

And back to the rain we go with a thunderstorm tonight and rain everyday in the rest of the weeklong forecast.

For your viewing pleasure...
My cute cats, Hubs and Bear (well they're technically in the photo)

Cloth Diapers Begets

Cloth Wipes.

Thankfully, 90% of our diapers and wipes have been gifts.  My mother is extremely generous and has bought us boxes upon boxes of diapers and wipes.  However, we're down to our last few packs and I've decided to start making our wipes.

I have yards of flannel left over from a project.  Embarrassingly enough, that project was 3 years ago.  Since I haven't used it up, or used it again for that matter I figured I couldn't screw it up.

I cut out 8x8 squares of flannel and used my zigzag stitch around the edges.  This is time when a serger could really come in handy.

I then rocked a soak with Rockin Green or Eco Friendly Family cloth diaper detergent.  This is cheap flannel from Joann's and it repels water like crazy.  So in order to get the chemicals and soften it up I soaked them for about 4-6 hours and some overnight (uhmm overnight MAY have been accidental because I forgot about them).  Then I just washed them with my next load of diapers.

I used an empty wipes box and folded them so they would pop up using this tutorial. 

I do not pour my wipes solution into the case.  I just put it in a spray bottle and spritz as needed.  I usually spray half the wipe, wash Bear's rear and then use the dry half the dry him off well.

Wipe solution:
I'm currently using wipes cubes I got for free as part of the promotion at the Great Cloth Diaper Change.  I love the way it smells, you simply add one cube to 2 cups of water.

But I'm way too cheap to keep buying them. So once it runs out I'll have to investigate.  Probably just water, baby soap and some olive oil.

Wow, I'm a slacker.

I have been neither crafty nor cheap this week.  In fact, the amount of pajamas I've been wearing probably isn't classy.

This weather has got me in a major funk.  Yesterday was raining (for about the 100th day in a row, literally, it was 40 degrees) so Bear and I headed out to replace his cloth diapers.  I ended up spending $111.  Hubs was livid!  He said I had just bought diapers and that this certainly wasn't cost effective anymore.

Then I told him that I sold the other diapers, and a few other things to cover the cost of the new diapers.

Then he was okay with it. 

So maybe that was sort of frugal.  Instead of just blowing money and saying "charge it" I actually took the time and made the money first.  I am $15 short, however I have one more thing to sell, for $15. 

Yesterday finally cleared up so I took up our new mower and got to work.  The grass was about 8" tall and (probably to the joyful screams of our neighbor) I finally had a chance to mow.  Unfortunately it looks terrible because the ground is so saturated that the mower left "ruts" in the lawn and I didn't finish it.  I only had an hour and we have about 2.5 acres to mow. I did the side next to our neighbor who takes very good care of his lawn so it would look better. 

Our ground is so wet here that when you step on the driveway (it's gravel) water oozes out.  The ditches on either side of the road are almost full to the top and some roads are flooded over. 

Thank the Lord with joyful praise that there isn't a cloud in the sky today.  However, the next nice day we're supposed to have is next Sunday.  Not this Sunday, May 8, NEXT Sunday. 

It's got me in such a funk.  It's such a pain to get out of the house, yet sitting in the house when it's dark and damp gets me depressed.  I just want some sunshine and some warmth.  Despite the cloudless sky, it's 40 degrees out, and we still have frost. 

Where did spring go?  Can someone please go find it and bring it back?!

Going Green!

Hubs and I have slowly been going greener.  We are not extremely green, but I'm of the mindset that every little bit helps.

1) We downsized from an SUV that got about 18 mpg at best to a small car rated for 35 mpg on the highway.

2) We try to combine trips for errands into one day.  Unfortunately with therapy once a week and doctors appointments this is the most difficult to do.

3) We switched to cloth diapers.

4) We have a HE Front Loading Washing Machine, and a HE dishwasher.  All of our appliances are energy star.

5) We dry our clothes outside from spring to fall.  This year is an exception.  THE RAIN!!! It started raining last night and is expected to rain through Thursday.  I tried drying my diapers on a rack in the kitchen and it's just too humid.

6) We are starting to compost and we recycle everything.  Actually we live in a county where you send all your trash to one place and the pull the recycling out.  It's nice.

7) We try to buy very little to reduce waste.  We avoid things that are overpackaged and we try to use reusable containers for our leftovers.

8) I am trying to make my own detergent, but with a front loading washing machine and extremely hard water, this is proving difficult.

If anyone has another going green tips, I'd love to hear them!

TOMORROW!

Bear and I will be participating in the Great Cloth Diaper Change in 2011.  It will be held across the United States, and it will attempt to be the greatest number of babies changed into a cloth diaper simulatenously.

Cloth diapering is going great.  I'll update more after Easter with pictures of my new stash.

I hope everyone else's weekend is going great!

April Accountability #5

Cloth Diapering.

While I was pregnant I had all these grand ideas to cloth diaper my baby.  I stocked up on newborn prefolds and covers, a few one size pockets, and 4 Thirsties All In One's (AIO).  Then Bear was born.

There was the stress of the NICU, the first few weeks home, the doctor's appointments, and the constant screaming.  I couldn't add one more thing to my plate, I just couldn't.

Then Bear has chronic constipation because of his muscle issues, so between MiraLax, Lactulose, Suppositories, Diaper Cream and play doh poop I just didn't feel ready and put it out of my mind.

Fast forward to last week.  Obviously the Newborn prefolds and covers and 2 of the Thirsties AIO (size small) weren't going to fit.  But I have about 6 one size pocket diapers and 1 medium and 1 large Thirsties.  So I figured, these diapers are wasting space in my closet and I'm almost out of Target daytime diapers.  So let's try them out. 

I figured I'd just use them for pee for now and when Bear got the "poop face" that I could change him.  All went well for the first day, however Bear decided to break me in fast.  The next morning he pooped before I even knew it.  I almost panicked.  I wasn't prepared for poopy diapers.  So I just went in the laundry room, pulled the insert out of the pocket and threw it in the laundry bag.  I went to the bathroom, swished the dirty diaper in the toilet.  It was shockingly easy.  The poop came right off, and I just flushed the toilet.

I did my first load of cloth diapers last night and it was so easy!  I'm hooked.  Bear, I and my Mom are even going to a cloth diaper event this coming weekend.

We are going to need more, I believe I have 8 diapers and that is just not enough to even make washing them worth it.  Thankfully the ones I love are on sale because they're being discontinued, so I believe we will be adding to our stock soon.

Currently, I still use disposables at night (Bear is a heavy wetter) and if we go out.  I don't have a wet bag or any extra inserts to up the absorbency.  So if we're out and I have to change him, I'm stuck.  I hope to remedy that soon.