Today was one of those days. It began with two grumpy kids, a very tired mommy, and a full-schedule. We usually only have 1/2 day schedules, most of which I can skip if necessary. Today? Not so.
However, rather than tell you all the ickies of my day, I'm going to tell you some things I am thankful for, or things that I love, and even a few things I never thought I would like (but I do)! And while they aren't on this list, I do so love my husband and my kids. :)
1) Watermelon. I always enjoy this summer snack, but it is extra delicious to me this year (I give Collin credit for that).
2) Starbucks. Specifically the one at Jefferson Pointe). I know, I know, if I made my own I'd save money, blah blah blah. Truth is, I am one of those people who like to have a "Cheers" around me. Where everybody knows my name (and I know theirs). And in this case, where they know what I order. I have been frequenting *this* starbucks for at least 5.5 years. They made my drink on my wedding day and wrote "bride" on the cup. :)
3) gDiapers. Never thought I'd stomach the whole cloth diapering concept, but it's not nearly as bad as I had made it out to be in my mind. In fact, WE really like it!
4) Almond Milk. My girls inherited my sensitivity or whatever to cow's milk and we aren't huge soy fans. This Almond Milk stuff tastes delicious AND has as much calcium as the lactose-free milk we were drinking sparingly WITHOUT the stomach & skin problems.
5) Bear Naked Granola -- the one with Chocolate Chunks. A bowl of this with previously mentioned almond milk... Yum. Seriously.
6) Natural options, like baking soda, vinegar, etc for various household tasks (i.e. laundry). I owe these tidbits of knowledge to my friend Lisa (see Ogles blog on the left).
7) Coupons. I know. I hardly sound like myself. But getting things for free or ridiculously cheap is kind of addicting. I haven't entered the "buy it because I have a coupon for it" stage, but I do make it a point to look for coupons before I buy my items and compare prices for the best deal.
8) Roses. Not red ones. My husband just gave me 18 white roses with red tips the other day "just because". That's my favorite. I don't love them on token days like Valentine's day, but I do love a good out-of-the-blue bouquet.
9) My kids' giggles. :)
10) My kids singing worship songs... and praying. Doesn't matter if the words are right, as long as it comes from the heart. Even at ages 2 & 3.
And there you have it. A much better way to end the day than recalling all the icky things, don't you think?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
our gDiaper adventure
I know some of you won't have any interest in this post, but I'm OK with that. :)
I had no interest in anything even remotely resembling cloth diapering when the girls were born. I have never been supremely eco-minded (though I do recycle) and I had no interest in washing poop. However, something sparked my interest this time around. Maybe it's because this baby was a surprise and I'm looking for ways to help the budget. Maybe it's because 4 years have gone by (almost) since I've had my first child and I've been shocked at how much has changed (and I don't like to feel old). Maybe it's because I know people who cloth diaper and they aren't wacko. I don't know, but I'm SO GLAD I pursued the hunch to do some research.
I spent hours (literally) online looking up the pros and cons and messaging all my coastal friends, as I have found they are more informed on economically friendly baby things, and consequently, more of them cloth diaper than out here in my midwest circle.
One day I asked one of my oldest and dearest friends if she had ever pondered the idea and to my surprise, she said YES! So we began our quest together. And what fun it has been!
We settled on gDiapers and decided to give them a test run on #2 and if we love them, we'll use them again later for #3. What are gDiapers? Well, for a more specific explanation, visit their website here. But in short, it is a cute cloth outer with velcro tabs with a snap in plastic liner, which you can then insert your choice of gCloth or biodegradable refills. We have both. The gCloth is super soft. SUPER SOFT. The whole hemp thing was weird to me, but they are quite absorbent!
The pictures below show you both sides of a gCloth insert next to the gPants with liner, and then the insert already placed into the cute little gPants, and finally a snap shot of a stack of my laundry. :)
Why do I love them?
1) I love that my house no longer smells of dirty diapers, as all poop is flushed. If we're using the refills, the whole refill is flushable. It does not get much easier. If you can't flush it, you can toss it or compost it, but we flush ours. If we're using the gCloth, I just dump the poop off into the toilet and throw the dirty cloths into my little diaper pail, which is washed within 48 hours tops. I do my diaper laundry every other night.
2) They are versatile. Most of the time I use the cloth. Even for overnight, though for that I layer a gCloth on top of a regular old prefold, just to avoid an accident. We've finally developed a system of where the dirty ones go and how often they will be washed, how many inserts/pants we need, etc. For Mattie's age, we have 6 gPants, 9 liners and 12 inserts and its working splendidly. When I know I'm going to be gone most of the day, I use the flushable inserts, which is great because I'm always changing her in a bathroom.
3) They are super cute. Here is a reminder. :)
4) I'm not wasting money. Yes, they cost more upfront than a pack of disposables, but these pay for themselves in no time, even if I wasn't having another baby. Love that.
5) Husband is on-board. I thought he'd be disturbed when I brought it up for discussion, as he hates changing diapers anyway, but he's surprisingly supportive of the whole idea and he's all for saving money.
So there you have it, a brief overview of our latest adventure. Hope some of you decide to try them, too!
****UPDATE****
Just thought I'd mention (for those of you using them) that I use washcloths & a spray solution of baby wash & water for my gcloth, so I can put the "wipe" in the laundry and not have to fish it out later. But I also just discovered that I can use the flushable wipes (we use store brand) like they make for children who are potty trained in my diaper bag for when I use the flushable inserts. Bonus!
I had no interest in anything even remotely resembling cloth diapering when the girls were born. I have never been supremely eco-minded (though I do recycle) and I had no interest in washing poop. However, something sparked my interest this time around. Maybe it's because this baby was a surprise and I'm looking for ways to help the budget. Maybe it's because 4 years have gone by (almost) since I've had my first child and I've been shocked at how much has changed (and I don't like to feel old). Maybe it's because I know people who cloth diaper and they aren't wacko. I don't know, but I'm SO GLAD I pursued the hunch to do some research.
I spent hours (literally) online looking up the pros and cons and messaging all my coastal friends, as I have found they are more informed on economically friendly baby things, and consequently, more of them cloth diaper than out here in my midwest circle.
One day I asked one of my oldest and dearest friends if she had ever pondered the idea and to my surprise, she said YES! So we began our quest together. And what fun it has been!
We settled on gDiapers and decided to give them a test run on #2 and if we love them, we'll use them again later for #3. What are gDiapers? Well, for a more specific explanation, visit their website here. But in short, it is a cute cloth outer with velcro tabs with a snap in plastic liner, which you can then insert your choice of gCloth or biodegradable refills. We have both. The gCloth is super soft. SUPER SOFT. The whole hemp thing was weird to me, but they are quite absorbent!
The pictures below show you both sides of a gCloth insert next to the gPants with liner, and then the insert already placed into the cute little gPants, and finally a snap shot of a stack of my laundry. :)
Why do I love them?
1) I love that my house no longer smells of dirty diapers, as all poop is flushed. If we're using the refills, the whole refill is flushable. It does not get much easier. If you can't flush it, you can toss it or compost it, but we flush ours. If we're using the gCloth, I just dump the poop off into the toilet and throw the dirty cloths into my little diaper pail, which is washed within 48 hours tops. I do my diaper laundry every other night.
2) They are versatile. Most of the time I use the cloth. Even for overnight, though for that I layer a gCloth on top of a regular old prefold, just to avoid an accident. We've finally developed a system of where the dirty ones go and how often they will be washed, how many inserts/pants we need, etc. For Mattie's age, we have 6 gPants, 9 liners and 12 inserts and its working splendidly. When I know I'm going to be gone most of the day, I use the flushable inserts, which is great because I'm always changing her in a bathroom.
3) They are super cute. Here is a reminder. :)
4) I'm not wasting money. Yes, they cost more upfront than a pack of disposables, but these pay for themselves in no time, even if I wasn't having another baby. Love that.
5) Husband is on-board. I thought he'd be disturbed when I brought it up for discussion, as he hates changing diapers anyway, but he's surprisingly supportive of the whole idea and he's all for saving money.
So there you have it, a brief overview of our latest adventure. Hope some of you decide to try them, too!
****UPDATE****
Just thought I'd mention (for those of you using them) that I use washcloths & a spray solution of baby wash & water for my gcloth, so I can put the "wipe" in the laundry and not have to fish it out later. But I also just discovered that I can use the flushable wipes (we use store brand) like they make for children who are potty trained in my diaper bag for when I use the flushable inserts. Bonus!
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