Independence: Take yourself out of their equation.

Just this morning I was letting my mind muddle over the crazy stats and scary truths of modern medicine and it finally hit me, We don't have to be a part of their equation.  It struck me as ironic as I thought about our goals to not be a statistic of modern medicine, we are coming up on our great country's celebration of its own Independence this week.

Our journey towards health began about eight years ago.  I had just had a very early miscarriage and was on a quest to be healthier.  My almost 90 year old grandmother was thrilled to have a compatriot along for the health ride and someone to help her find information and resources on the "inTOREnet", as she referred to the internet.  Grandmother was the healthiest person I knew and she was determined to find her way through all the swirling health and nature claims screaming from every corner and aisle at the grocery.  So off we went, buying only steel cut oatmeal, using the wholest of the whole grain breads.  Grandmother loved to forage for her greens and was the best gardener I have ever known, growing every vegetable she ever wanted.  Me?  At that point I hardly had a drop of gardening blood flowing through me, so I did my best to feed my husband and I mostly organic foods from the grocery and to refrain from processed foods as much as possible.

Then my husband began to get sick, often.  Bronchitis, Pneumonia, horrid, horrid coughing spells.  At a friend's suggestion we went to a "natural leaning doctor" and was asked to give a gluten free diet a try and see if he was gluten intolerant.  Bingo, a gluten free diet and things improved.  Looking back we laugh now that in my quest for health I was filling him with all kinds of whole grains that would aggravate his gut.  Unfortunately simply cutting gluten out of his diet did not "fix" everything.  He still struggled with endless coughing at night, ended up in the hospital a few times with desperately low oxygen levels, pneumonia, and multiple asthma scares and was put on a preventative asthma regime.

We kept researching true health, we added two sweet boys to our family, and went up and down in regards to our extent of healthy living.  Then almost two years ago my husband informed me that I was pregnant.  Well, THAT wasn't supposed to happen. ;)  Regardless, we accepted our extra little blessing and along with it, the mothering instinct in me to be healthier again.  Throughout my pregnancy, our awesome midwife encouraged me to research the Paleo lifestyle, which I did and was very intrigued and interested in the science and information Wolfe presented. Then at 37 weeks exactly, at a routine prenatal visit my blood pressure sky rocketed, and my midwife asked to observe me overnight.  Pre-eclampsia? Me?  I had never had high blood pressure in my life.  This resulted in an induction and our wee little 4 lb 14 oz baby girl came quickly 3 weeks early.

As we adjusted to being a family of five, my brain was in rebellion, horrified that my health was amiss and I started researching and looking to find answers.  Along with a goal to get my health back in line and to keep my husband out of the hospital with asthma and lung related issues, we wanted our little girl to have the best, healthiest, cleanest start to life.  Enter a pediatrics office that simply did not agree with our wishes and desires for our baby girl or our growing boys, and our desire for true health began to burn even more and we began our walk away from modern medicine, well baby visits, and non-critical care.

We have been blessed to have found amazing support in facebook groups, local health coaches, friends, and a tremendous chiropractic office that concentrates on healing our family's entire bodies as opposed to the modern, pharmaceutical mayhem that is today's medical profession.  As I look back over the last eight years and the ups and downs and round and rounds of what we have perceived as "healthy" or wise choices and I sway from outright laughing at myself to crying as I remember some crazy ideas I followed as well as medical or health choices that I wish we could undo.

But in the here and now, the reality is, that our health is ours.  Ours to take care of.  Ours to decide to care for wisely.  From the foods we put IN our bodies, to the products we use ON our bodies, and what we allow to be done TO our bodies-the decisions are ours, as are the rewards or consequences--INDEPENDENCE.

Cloth Diaper Update...

We have to fold and stuff all of these mama?!

Do we still love cloth diapering?  We give it a resounding YES!  We made it through the newborn black yucky diapers.  We cruised through the easy diapers of an exclusively breastfed little girl.  And now we’re sticking it out through the introduction of solids to our little girl’s diet.  It’s not always easy, sometimes I near the end of our diaper stash and think, “Ugh, time to wash the diapers again.”  But honestly, not once have I thought of going back, of buying a cheater box of disposables, or wishing I hadn’t been so crazy to have started this journey.

 

Some updates on the diapers we chose.  Because our wee girl started her CD journey at a mere four and a half pounds the Kissaluvs fit her quite perfectly, as did the Thirsties for quite a few months.   Hannah was about 6 months old (approx 12 lbs) when the Kissaluvs became unusable for overnights as she would wet right through them and would be soggy through the entire diaper.  The Thirsties did well for overnights until just recently (around 9 or 10 months (15 lbs)).  At about 8 months or so we had to kiss the Kissaluvs goodbye altogether as they just weren’t very productive in the absorption department anymore, even with frequent daytime changes. 

The Thirsties are still more than adequate for daytime use as well as our One Size Bum Genius that we use for morning, noon, and night.  At first I loved the Velcro straps on the Bum Genius as it gave the opportunity for infinite adjustments to fit our wee bitty girl, but now that she is bigger and the snaps fit her just fine, I’ve found that I like the durability and non-“everything sticks to Velcro” benefits of the snaps.  I am also noticing that I will likely need to give some reinforcement stitching to our Velcro tabs.

Our CD journey so far as taken us through four Kissaluvs, half a dozen Thirsties, half a dozen Thirsties covers, nine Bum Genius one size, four G Diapers (we use these as backups and/or when traveling as we can swap out the liners without swapping out the entire diaper), and a pile of pre-folds  (that I use infrequently).  We do plan on acquiring another half dozen or so of Bum Genius diapers to carry us through the rest of our journey as we’ve had to stop using the Kissaluvs.  

As for laundering, I do diaper laundry about every other day.  Occasionally, if we’ve been super busy (err, lazy) and I haven’t done laundry on time, I end up using pre-folds with a Snappi and a Thirsties cover.  As for the “old fashioned” pre-fold diapers, they are quite easy to use, especially with the Snappi strap as opposed to pins, but my hubby would not be on board with cloth diapering if we were using pre-folds exclusively.   He has actually been great about cloth diapering and I’m so thankful that he agreed to give it a go and is now fully on board.  He especially likes the fact that we haven’t had to buy diapers in 9 months! 

To date, our CD costs, including the flannel I bought to make re-usable wipes, and a few creams and washes, has come to approximately $300.00.  We are projecting another $50-$100 to procure a few more Bum Genius diapers in the next month or two in order to alleviate the frequency of diaper laundering.   Eventually our growing little princess with outgrow the Thirsties diapers, but with the Bum Genius diapers we will be set to take her straight through potty training. 

Cost wise, cloth diapering is definitely a win as we will be spending much less than $500.00 to diaper one child regardless of what age she potty trains.  Even with the time spent and cost of laundering, cloth diapering does not come close to the thousands of dollars (depending on brand of diapers and length of time until baby is potty trained) that disposable diapers and wipes cost.   In regards to the cost on the environment and the products we want/don’t want on our baby’s bottom it’s a no-brainer as to the benefits of cloth. (What's in your diapers?) 

Scrap Mama's Necessities for Cloth Diapering....

I am quite certain every mum on earth has a different list of "necessities" for each task she must accomplish.  But on the other hand we all know that each and every one of us use the recommendations of other mums to find the best thing to work for us.  Here's a list of my favorite goodies in making our "Cloth Diapering Experience" a Cloth Diapering Success!

As I was researching cloth diapering I learned that the run of the mill "conventional" diaper creams were no good as they leave residue which effects the absorbency of all cloth diapers and leaves icky stains.  In response to that information I found what I think is the BEST product EVER, CJ's BUTTer.  CJ's BUTTer has worked fabulously not only as a diaper cream, but also as a moisturizer for Miss H and myself.  I love the different sizes that CJ's is available in as well as the awesome assortment of scents.  Who would have thought "Monkey Farts" smelled so tropical!?

Thank goodness someone had the ingenuity to create my next "go to" necessity, Snappi's   In an attempt to save a few dollars I'm using some prefold diapers that were gifted to me and I am so thankful that diaper pins are no longer required!  The amazing Snappi simply holds the diaper on using three plastic "hooks".  Simply genius!

On the wet wipe front I decided to go with cloth and forgo the cost, chemicals, and waste of traditional wipes.  In researching "homemade wet wipes" I came upon SO many different ideas:  using baby washcloths (too small in my experience), buying ready made cloth wipes, cut up receiving blankets (didn't have any), making your own, and cutting up papertowels-for a disposable option.  I chose to make our own and have been absolutley thrilled with the outcome.    I found this video from Adventures in Fluff and followed her method of making wipes.  I used discounted flannel from the fabric stores for both sides and ended up paying $10.00 for 48 wipes that will last a good long time.

So now I have a pile of dry wipes on hand to clean up after all of Miss H's messes.  What do I do to wet them?  I tried keeping them in a box, dampened with water, but I wasn't happy with that method.  I found Baby's Butt Foaming Wash Solution and have been THRILLED with it.  I simply squirt a pump or less onto her bottom and using a damp wipe, clean her right up nice and easy.  I have even cleaned her without wetting the wipe, but it doesn't seem to do as good of a job.

I purchased a "fuzzibunz" wetbag to keep all our wet, soiled, diapers, covers, and wipes in until it was time to wash.  I also have a zippered vinyl pillow case that I keep on our second floor to keep any wets and soils in up there as well at night. There are multiple ways to store soiled diapers, either "dry" or soaking in a bucket with a solution.  I haven't tried the solution method yet, but am tempted to.  But the dry method has been working quite well for us.

I've tried a couple different soaps for washing our diapers.  The ones I like the most are  "Charlies Soap"  and my own homemade soap.  Neither have had any ill effect on our diapers or effected their absorbency.  I wash our diapers anywhere from every day to every couple days-simply depends on how many changes Miss H. needs and whether I feel like using the pre-folds or not. :)

Miss H's stash of diapers and covers.

Enjoy your search for just the right products that work perfectly for you and your little one.  Hope this post will help you find some great products or shorten your search for the perfect setup for you!

My Cloth Diaper Experience!

L to R:  Thirsties covers, Thirstie, Bum Genius, and Kissaluv Diapers

I've been wanting to write a post about our experience using cloth diapers as I myself had looked through many, many reviews for information as I was making the "Diaper Decision". I perused many blogs, facebook pages, youtube videos, business web pages, and personal web pages. I asked friends and threw out questions on facebook pages, looking for recommendations, suggestions, thoughts, and ideas. It was quite the trip, but very well worth it since we (or maybe I should say, "I") are very happy with our Cloth Diaper Experience. 

First, don't be afraid to post your cloth diapering questions out in your social networks. You never know who or where you might get information. After posting a question on facebook I received some very helpful information from a casual business acquaintance which actually led me to find the diapers we chose at Jillian's Drawers. Jillian's is an absolutely amazing business that was started by moms, run by moms, extremely supportive of moms and dads, and available online as well as a physical store located in the absolutely beautiful city of Ithaca, NY! After all the reviews, and getting my hands on a great assortment of diapers at Jillian's Drawers (they even have a "gently used" section!) we chose a half dozen Kissaluvs size 0 fitted diapers, a Thirsties fitted diaper, a Bum Genius pocket diaper, and a few Thirsties covers to get us started.

As I was researching, I was sure I wanted nothing but Bum Genius pocket diapers for our little girl.  But as I continued to research and think about it, I realized that the One Size Bum Genius diapers would likely be too big when our little bundle arrived (our babies tend to be around 7 pounds).  The Kissaluvs size 0 was our solution to that dilemma.  Thankfully we had come home with our selection of diapers and other assorted goodies long before Miss H was due.  Life threw us a curve ball and this Mama developed a quick, surprising case of pre-eclampsia three weeks before Miss H was due to arrive and our midwife recommended we induce-a very foreign and new notion for this "natural leaning mama"!

Miss H wearing her first Kissaluvs w/ a Thirsties cover

After spending four days in the hospital using disposable diapers, we excitedly went home to try our cloth diapers.  I was quite sure they would never fit our "early late term" little girl of 4 1/2 pounds, but I just had to try.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Kissaluvs Size 0 fit her perfectly with an x-small Thirsties cover overtop.  I was thrilled!  Within one week Miss H's thighs chunked up enough for her to fit into the Thirsties at the smallest size setting and we decided that more diapers were going to be required to keep up with the pace of Miss H!

Not wanting to buy too many of the smaller Kissaluvs we chose to get more of the Thirsties which would last longer in the size department.  Miss H has just put on enough weight, she's rounded out to a nice even six pounds, to be able to wear the Bum Genius pocket diaper-sorta.  I'm leery of it as her thighs aren't quite big enough for it to fit properly, but almost.  To fill in when we "run out", aka, mama hasn't done wash yet, I use some "old fashioned" prefolds with a snappi and a Thrsties to cover. I am quite often surprised at how easy cloth diapering really is!

I am so thrilled that since we've arrived home, Miss H has worn only three disposable diapers.  Ironically, I had the brainiac idea of putting her in a disposable just last night to "use up the package we have on hand".  We were greeted in the morning with a leaky diaper and a quite uncomfortable little girl!  The only time any one of the cloth diapers we are using has leaked has been due to the diaper being too large.

Every diaper/brand out there is going to have it's pros, cons, and quirks.  Here are a list of my "loves" for the diapers we are using.  Any "cons" I have for any of them are more quirks than problems.

Things I love about the Kissaluvs size 0:  Adorably soft, perfectly sized for small thin babies, umbilical cord cutaway/fold down, easy to wash (no taking apart pockets), and they come in cute pastel colors (though this shouldn't be an issue since they have to be worn with a waterproof cover).

Things I love about the Thirsties:  Soft and gentle, nicely sized for small babies-yet grow as baby does, easy to wash (no taking apart pockets), and they come in an assortment of colors (again, shouldn't be an issue since they have to be worn with a waterproof cover-unless you buy the all-in-one that has it's own waterproof cover).

Things I love about Bum Genius:  Outer layer is waterproof, so no cover is required, inner soakers can be swapped out or layered up depending on how much absorbency is needed, because the inner soaker is removed this diaper dries quite quickly both by line drying or drier,

Snaps vs. Aplix (velcro):  Each style of diaper we have used so far has had snaps for the rise/thigh size adjustments which of course works fabulous.  Our Kissaluvs have snaps across the front as well, which works very well being it has the fold down flap for the umbilical cord.  The Thirsties we chose have aplix for the waist adjustment/closure and I think I like that better as it gives more variability in sizing that way.


My hope is that this blog entry can be of help to at least one Mum or Dad out there attempting to swim through the plethora of amazing cloth diaper options,  Stay tuned for my next entry (promised in a day or two) with all the extra "necessities" I have found to be essential in keeping this little girl this happy most of the time. :)

Homemade Laundry Soap

I love to dabble in all kinds of earth friendly, money saving, homey bits.  One that I use quite frequently is homemade laundry soap.  There are seemingly hundreds of recipes out there on the world wide web and I have tried a couple different variations.  I have made both liquid and dry powder versions.  Due to the space we have don't have, I have found that the powdered version works best for us.    This is one of my favorite powdered recipes and I have found that it works quite well for us:

2 cups Soap-finely grated (Depending on bar size, one or two bars of soap)    Fels Naptha is generally the recommended bar in recipes, but you could also try other bar soaps(steer clear of bars like Dove and other lotion/oil laden soaps).  I love to use Bella Bars, they have a nice light scent and do a great job of cleaning whatever grease and ick my hubby gathers on his clothes by the day's end. 

1 cup Washing Soda     I have read multiple reviews suggesting that Washing Soda and Baking Soda are both interchangable and are not interchangable.  I have used Baking Soda in place of the Washing Soda with good results.

1 cup Borax  Please remember that Borax is caustic and should be handled with care.  Despite warnings I don't use gloves and have had no ill effects, but those with sensitive skin should be aware.

Mix well and store in an airtight plastic or glass container - I of course use either an empty candle jar or an old mason glass topped jar with a Tablespoon tied to the side.  Function and cute.   Use approximately TWO Tablespoons per full load of laundry.   You may find that due to your water hardness, soiled clothing, size of laundry loads, you may need to adjust the amount needed per load to get the results you desire.  

It's a good feeling knowing exactly what is going into my family's clothing especially with two young boys and a baby on the way. :)  Enjoy!

Chicken nuggets.....

So, with this baby has come an entire boatload of nesting and homemaking craziness from this mama!  We've torn apart rooms, rearranged entire rooms, and even cleaned out and re-purposed rooms.  Along with all that I've been trying my hardest to keep my three guys eating well and on a schedule, of some sort.  A friend posted this nice little recipe that we tried out, and I have to say, it is a HIT!   So long, children yearning for mushed chicken innards and such pressed into chicken nugget shapes from the drive through.  They are thrilled with chicken nuggets from our oven!  I followed the recipe exactly, except for the small change in making it Gluten Free for our family.  On the next go I intend to change up the flavors and spices a little bit for hubby's taste buds.  This recipe fed our family of four supper, two of us for lunch, as well as stashing a third of the batch in the freezer for an easy supper in the future.

Popcorn Chicken

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (used gluten free baking mix in place of whole wheat flour)
1/2 t. sea salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
butter

In a medium sized bowl, stir together flour, salt and garlic powder.  Using kitchen shears, cut chicken breasts into tiny bite sized pieces.   Toss chicken in flour mixture to coat well. 

Smear a thick layer of butter on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.  Pour coated chicken into dish, spreading so that they are in a single layer.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Stir chicken and bake another 10 minutes.

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/high-five-recipe-popcorn-chicken

Getting in the scrap pile....

Finally found the time to get in my scrap room and do some creating.  These are the results.  I challenged myself to only use scraps and items I had on hand.  Even tried some stitching with odd lengths of embroidery floss.  It was quite fun and encouraging to know that I CAN do something with all those little scraps that I keep piling in the "scrap bin".