Hypocrite?

As most of you know I am a wanna be hippie ;) I cloth diaper my kids, I wear cloth pads myself (TMI I know...) I use reusable everything I can and only natural products for cleaning as well as on my skin and my children's skin.
I've been thinking a lot lately though about the fact that I don't follow this lifestyle for my diet. If anything I consume more "poison" in my eating habits then anywhere else in my life. With all the chemicals in our foods and additives it is no wonder the human race is full of disease and behaviour problems.
So, I wonder why am I so concerned about our environment and the world we live in but not my own body? The answer I would give is that our world needs to last for generations to come and so my children have a healthy environment to grow and live in. I wonder though wby I don't think my children deserve a healthy mom to grow and play and live with?
I have read quite a bit on "clean eating" and this is something that totally appeals to me. I realize it is quite a task to take on but I would really like to try this one meal at a time.
If anyone has any great tips or books or websites please leave a comment.

Crappy Weekend

I was so disappointed this weekend. Thursday night Jay went out of town to do some fishing overnight and then the plan was to pack up and spend a night out in the Whiteshell camping. I had planned our menu and ordered a sleep sack for Jordyn. The camping stuff was put together and ready to be thrown into the van for our quick trip.
And then it rained. And it rained, and rained, and rained, for 2 solid days. Oh but don't forget the wind. I guess we could have gone but I would much rather sit in my house doing nothing than sit in a tent doing nothing :p
So what did we do this weekend? We had a playdate and dinner with some friends on Friday evening. Saturday went for a pedicure with Carrie and ran some errands with Jay and the babies. Sunday the sun finally shone in between the clouds so we went for a bike ride this morning, did some more errands, washed diapers, went for another bike ride and finished a wedding.
I guess overall it wasn't really a horrible weekend... just not what I planned.

Lessons on Cloth Diapering

I have been cloth diapering (cding) now for just over a year and would never go back. Along the way I have learned the benefits associated with all the different types and brands that are available. It is certainly overwhelming at first and that is why I wanted to write this post. People often ask what kind to get? With so many different options available I am a strong advocate of not having just one kind. I find that we use all our different types for different needs and times.
Having two in cloth at the same time has for sure saved us money. It is at first a daunting thought to have to spend so much money upfront. That would be my first words of advice. Don't think you have to shell out all at once for your whole stash. Start off small with only a couple at a time and work your way up to full time cding. That alone kept me from cloth diapering my first two. We seriously considered it however the salesperson scared me away with the $800 price tag.
Another way to save some money is to not hesitate to buy used. Most parents who choose to CD take great pride in their diapers and look after them very well. You may at first think that this is just totally disgusting but really what are the chances that you have hand me downs that another baby has pooped on? Probably quite high.

Let us move on to the different types of cloth diapers available.


Prefolds - Great for newborn as there are no sizes to have to worry about. This is a diaper that you fold the way you want. There are different options available. In the "old days" prefolds required pins however nowadays there are things called snappies that are wonderful or if you prefer you can just cover with a great wrap cover. Prefolds do require covers.

Fitteds - These are diapers that are more like a disposable in their fit and usually fasten with snaps or velcro. They still require a cover and a good fitted with a great cover could solve all your diapering needs.

Pockets - These are a favorite among many cders. The reasons are simple. They fit like a disposable and are usually not overly bulky. They dry super quick and you decide the absorbency by "stuffing" them with different types of absortbent fabrics. Microfibre is popular and so are prefolds. These diapers do not require covers.

All in Ones (aio) - The easiest choice of cloth diapering is an aio. It is just as it sounds and so it has the absorbency it needs as well as a cover built into it. These tend to take longer to dry however a lot of Dads really like these as they are the one step cloth diaper that is easy to put on and off.

Now of course there is the world of covers. As we have already learned covers are only needed for prefolds and fitteds. The variety of covers available is about as vast as the diapering choices themselves.
I have a little of everything for covers and again find them all useful for different times and needs.
The most popular diaper covers are a fabric called PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric) it provides a waterproof barrier that contains all wetness and messes a dipaer can create. These covers come in snaps and velcro. Some have gussets and others don't. Again the possibilities are endless.
Fleece covers are a great option and come in all sorts of adorable prints and patterns. Fleece is great for nighttime diapering and provides coverage that may seem damp but will wick moisture away from your baby's bottom.

Finally there is wool. Wool is wonderful and natural. It is completely breathable but does require a bit more care. This is another fibre that may not be completely waterproof but it does hold a lot of moisture.

Washing and Care

So now that we have a basic idea of what is available how do you wash and look after all of them?
I have had a no fail system with a cold rinse, hot wash and cold rinse method. I use minimal laundry soap and prefer to hang my diapers in the sun although of course in the winter have no choice but to use the dryer.
Wool covers I handwash and lanolize monthly and lay flat to dry.


Snaps vs Velcro debate

When I first started cding I had no idea why you would choose one over the other and then I firmly chose snaps with a toddler that could undo velcro and run around diaperless all the time. HOWEVER, now that I'm dealing with the squirmy baby stage of how quick can you get the diaper on before I'm off and running I'm really enjoying the velcro.
So with that being said I go back again to the idea that there are all sorts of benefits to all the different varieties available.

I hope that this post has answered some questions that some people have about cding and if you have any other questions that I may have not covered please leave a comment. Tips are also welcome because I'm certainly no pro and always love hearing back from readers.

Ewwww

I'm not sure what is worse. Changing a toddlers poopy diaper or picking it up off the floor from a potty training accident!!!!
It seems the only way Matthew recognizes the need to go is if he is running around nekkid :) I'm sure it is cold on the bum so here he is in a long shirt and socks with the heat cranked up in the house.
Because we only have one bathroom in the house there is only one potty. I'm debating getting a second potty for downstairs so I'm not left picking up poop all the way up the stairs because he didn't make it.
As I said, sometimes I wonder if it is easier to just keep it all contained in a diaper?
Ahh the joys of potty training

Wool

I love cloth diapering even the laundry part is really not too bad. Dunking in the poopy diapers in the toilet is not the best but completely doable. What I really don't like is washing my wool covers.
Now don't get me wrong, I love my wool covers they are the most adorable things ever and the way they work is pretty amazing. I just find it such a pain to wash. Really it's not like it is hard but I guess the problem comes in with the fact that I really don't hand wash anything and yet these have to be.
I must say though that when they are on those little bums it is all worth it

Wish List

You would think with Christmas having just passed I would not have a want for anything. However it seems there is just always something for us consumers to want to spend our hard eaned money on.
As of late these are my faves...

The first thing on my list is new cloth diapes. Most people do not realize my obsession and how sad I will be once my babies are outgrown them but it is pretty severe.




First of all I was out with a group of ladies yesterday night and one of th girls was sporting these wonderful fuzzy crocs!!!

First of all I am a croc lover. I proudly own four pairs in different colours and styles. I don't have winter ones though.

There are a couple of different reasons why one would want such shoes. The first being the comfort of course. Anyone who has tried a pair of crocs on cannot deny the comfort level. Even if you think they are as ugly as sin, they are comfy. Secondly, who wouldn't want a pair of shoes that you can slip on in the winter?




Lastly I would love to have a sewing machine. I certainly do not need anything fancy but just something to start to learn on.

A Picture Post

I suppose I have rambled on enough as of late so it is time to post some pics. The only problem is that I can get very carried away with pics. I will try and restrain myself ;)

Extreme Parenting

I was watching 20/20 tonight and the whole show was about "extreme parenting". Some of the stories I thought were outright craziness however, some of them I totally thought were right on track.
Home birthing for instance. I think with the right planning and back up plans and a midwife this is a total possibility and probably a really empowering experience. Looking back on my birth experiences it makes me wish I had done things differently.
"Extended" breastfeeding. This is another topic that I feel quite strongly about. I believe in child led weaning. Now personally I think my limit would be three-four years of age but that is just me personally. If you really feel the nutritional benefits are important then I would pump but that is just me. I personally question the whole value of the cows milk we drink anyways. I find it odd that we are the only species that drinks another species milk. That is a whole nother post though ;)
I know some people think that I am a little bit hippie in the fact that I cloth diaper and "wear my babies" but I just think I am going back to a simpler life and maybe if I had the chance to do it again I would save my money on buying formula and try and have a more natural birthing experience.