Mommy went camping. . .

 Because The Hubs and Dizzy enjoy camping, I decided to brave it out in the wilderness with all my boys, including the 1yr old Little Gee.

 He was lots of fun on the ride up!  Little Gee really should have been napping, but fought it really hard the entire hour and a half we were in the car!

 Dizzy on the other hand. . . not so much.  He didn't get as many pictures taken because he's pretty darn boring in the car!

Dizzy did liven things up!  He could not wait to pee in the grass. . . you don't even want to know what else he wanted to do in the grass!

 It was a family camp out.  There are many families from our church here.

 Dizzy:)  His true self.  Serious and always picking at something!

 The Hubs (aka the love of my life!)

 My hero putting Little Gee to sleep so I could eat breakfast.  Little did I know he would decide to cut a tooth that night!

 The Chefs.

 More chefs.  Pancakes, eggs and sausage always taste better when you're camping!

 Sleep at last!

 Keep your eyes peeled. . . he's going to disappear.

 Ok, where's the post office when you need it?  Send me your address and I"ll mail him to you:)

 See the blue toenail?  That's the only part of me that got pictured.  That's the best part of being the only one with a camera!

Little Gee spent most the time in a cover-less diaper.  He got eaten alive even though I smothered him with bug spray!

Tuesdays are for Flying, but Today is Wednesday

So, I'll do a little of both!  A flying Tuesday followed by a woolie Wednesday!

Edited to add:  I was so going to show off some pictures, with this post, but it's 5:45 pm already, and unless I want to put this up tomorrow, I should just post it!  Ha.  So here it is, sans pictures. 

Flying Tuesday

Well, the hubs and I had a nice little conversation.  He's very honest, almost brutally so at times.  I ask him how I look, and he knows, I really do want to know if I look fat. So he tells me.  Yup.  The Hubs tells me I look fat in certain outfits.  (I don't want to go out looking fat so everyone but me knows it do I?  NO!!!!!)  Well, after discovering I didn't have a single dress that I looked at least healthy or 'not fat' in, and my bff is working on getting me into her fitness club so we can be partners, I brought it up to The Hubs.  I believe I can talk my way down to a $30 a month membership including child care.  I flippin' hope so!  The Hubs agreed because of a few things.  I guess finances are doing a bit better, my health isn't all that great these days, mostly due to stress and being overweight.  We have a nice history of diabetes and heart disease on both sides of my family, so getting fit is going to be pretty important.  So we made a compromise.  Here's where the Flying comes in.  I have to keep up with the house a little more. I thought his point to argue was going to be about money, but nope.  It's about housework.  It's been bad the last few weeks/months.  Pretty darn flippin' bad if you ask me!  So he agreed to help out a bit more (which he has, a little) in specific areas with out being asked.  He's usually willing when he is asked, but I feel like an ogre when I ask him to clean up.  In general though, this slob of a sheep has compromised by agreeing to pick up after herself more often, keep her side of the bed clean and the floors tidy etc.  If it weren't for the $150 I have to spend on getting my serger back (argh!!!!) in working order (and later I'm going to need to get the sewing machine serviced as well, though I don't think anything will need replaced) I would start that membership this week.  As it is, I imagine I wont be starting until next month.  I am 'testing' them out this week though.  My BFF wanted to try out a Kickboxing class.  Yeah, that will be hilarious!  I think she's asking me because we all know I'm much clumsier and so much more out of shape than she is!!  This way, she knows everyone will be looking at her, rather than me.  I"ve just decided I don't care if people gawk.  It just makes them look bad!  Pictures coming soon!

Woolie Wednesday.

I actually have no idea what I plan on blogging about this woolie woolie Wednesday.  So here it is, off the top of my head.  Yes, It's hot outside.  Yeah, it's humid too.  Who cares?  If your kiddo is wearing a wool soaker. . . there little butt can breathe better than anyone in a PUL cover, and I'd even go so far as to argue that it's more breathable than a disposable. . . which as we all know is made of paper, plastic and chemicals that soak in moisture.   Go ahead and put that woolie on your babe!!  In fact, pair it with an ultra light, thin, but absorbent flat for the most breathable combo on the market.  Might I add that my woolies start at just $10, and flats are pretty darn cheap as well?  Who knew that the most breathable solution would also be the cheapest!!!  On the hottest of days, I put my crawling Little Gee in training undies, w/out a PUL lining or cover of any kind.  This keeps him extra dry and cool.  But, when out and about, it's flats and woolies all the way!!

Flats and Handwashing: The End

Well, it's time to wrap up this challenge.  First I"d like to start by listing off all the difficulties I faced with this challenge, that I don't normally face.

1. I didn't have enough diapers when I started (of course were I expecting a new born I"d have had all my dipes made up before birth and thus always have enough on hand)
2. Little Gee chose this week to start pooping like a pro.  His normal once or twice a day poop became daily, and wasn't always 'ploppable' if you know what I mean.  He also had diarrhea for a day and a half.  That made for yucky handwashing!
3. There wasn't a single day that we got to stay home all day.  That meant every day there was a new place to be trying to change a flat while holding Little Gee down.  Normally we only leave the house once, maybe twice a week.
4. The Hubs wasn't entirely aware of this challenge, and the babysitter I desperately needed on Friday would have been freaked if she had to figure out flats!  So there were a few fitteds in the mix, which then lead to a machine washing cheat.
5. The weather was only line-dry nice two or three days!  Normally it would be humid, but at least hot and sunny, drying the flats in a timely manner.  THere were two days I had to wait all day for them to dry!

Like I said, most of these things would not have normally occured.  However I"ve been able to stand strong and use only flats and handwash for 99% of the time. Towards the end of the week, I'll admit I lost steam and got quite frustrated with the whole handwashing thing.  I think if I had no choice, it wouldn't be any more frustrating than having to do the diaper laundry in the first place:  WHICH I HATE DOING.  If handwashing diarrhea diapers every day was the only thing between me staying home with my babies, (which I personally believe is what's best and Biblical for my family) then I would be scrubbing them out on a daily basis, believe you me!

Here are a few tips if you're going to do this:

1. Register for quality flats at your shower, look for hemp or a hemp/cotton blend.
2. Ask for donations of XXL or larger shirts.  Cut them into the largest squares you can manage.  Hem/serge the edges if you can, but don't stress if you can't.  Make a trade with a friend if you can.  Offer to help her out by ______ if she hems/serges your flats for you.
3. Don't have a washer/$$ for laundro-mat?  Do another trade!  Maybe one of your friends would love to have you come in and clean house for the hour that you're there washing your diapers!  Then toss them in the dryer or in the basket to take home and put on the line!  Maybe they'd rather have a weekly free babysitter, or you could bake them a cake.  The service/item you trade for could even change on a weekly basis depending on whats needed!  I barter free haircuts for my Dizzy (who's hair grows faster than anything I've ever seen!) for a small bag of the neighbors favorite brand of coffee!!
4. Handwash as much as you need, but do consider boiling or putting them through a hot wash once in a while just to be sure all germs are gone!! I would suggest on a bi-monthly basis myself, but once a month or even every other month should be fine as long as you're prompt in washing smelly diapers.  I would always suggest doing it if there was any tummy bugs that week at all.
5. Make a Camp Style Washer.  Much easier than hand washing, and a little less 'hands on'! 

I would like to say that all in all, this challenge taught me a lot.  Here's what I learned:

1. It's possible to handwash your clothing and diapers!
2. It's easy and even less work for your diapers, really!  At least if your washer is old fashioned and requires many trips down the stairs to put it on the proper cycle!
3. On a beautiful sunny day flat diapers will dry out on the line just as fast as prefolds and fitteds will in the dryer!
4. Diapers come out smelling just as clean!
5. All you need to diaper a baby for free is to obtain cotton materials (t-shirts, towels, blankets etc), pins, soap and water!
6. If the world as we know it ends and we loose all power and electricity, I can still clean my baby's diapers!  (not too worried about that though!)

I would say this challenge has left me feeling positive about the possibility of diapering a baby for free!  There are tons of resources that can be used and tapped into.  I plan on repurposing all my old prefolds, which is quite the stash, and using mostly flats at home from now on.  I think I may even handwash them on occassion!  They will be put on the line as much as possible!  Fitteds will only be used in the nursery at church, by dad and when we're running around.  As well as overnight.  By bed time I'm just too pooped to care enough to fold and place just so!

Look forward to new products coming soon based on this challenge!  Flats for sure, and possibly prefolds, all made from old shirts/blankets!

Happy Monday!

Flats and Handwashing: Days 6 & 7

Well, I finished day 6 in flats!  I wound up going to bed with a headache so I did not wash them as would have been appropriate since I had to get ready for church in the morning!  And of course we're currently short on flats because of that!!  I may have to use the hair dryer to do the last bit of drying since it's wet and humid outside and they will likely take all day to dry again!

If I were to be doing this full time, handwashing and all, I would always go to bed with clean flats drying on Saturday night so that I could confidently pack my bag with enough to last us through church!  Thankfully Little Gee is napping now and while wearing two flats and only having one more, I know that by the time that one is ready to be worn I can start using a hair dryer to dry the next few. . . but that will take a long time!  I'll need to have 4 or 5 dry ones to pack for church tonight, plus 3 for his night time diaper. 

When I post a summary of the entire week tomorrow I"ll update you on how the drying went!! 

I would like to mention that I am now adding Tshirt Flats to my product line!  So now in addition to upcycled woolies you can purchase upcycled flats to go with them!!!  Yay for upcycling!  I do believe, if there is enough interest that I may start the next month with a giveaway!  Five Tshirt Flats to a random winner!  That is if comments on blogger start working!!!  I don't want to have this connected to Facebook in any way, because their rules are annoying and I don't want to play with that!

Happy Folding!

Flats and Handwashing: Days 4 & 5

Well considering it's the morning of day 6. . . I"m a little behind!

Day 4:

Nothing extraordinary happened.  Flats worked great all day, including at the theater while taking the boys to see their first movie.  The only problem came from me forgetting to make sure Little Gee was pointing in the proper direction if you know what I mean!  So he wound up peeing up and over the diaper, which then ran down his pant leg (of longies of course!) and all over his foot and the theater floor.  Oops.  And of course, since people don't expect babies in the theater there was no place to change his diaper, but I still managed to change him on a bench in the restroom that was only an inch wider than his waist.  Of course it was a flat diaper!  So glad I had it pre-folded using the kite fold!

Day 5:

I cheated.  I had to.  There was no choice.  I had an appointment that I couldn't take the boys with me for so I left them with the sitter.  She's 18 and indirectly has made it clear she really isn't comfortable using cloth diapers at this time.  She does and will, if they snap or velcro, but flats and prefolds are just a bit too complicated at the moment.  So I packed a bag full of fitteds.  And since I'm uncomfortable washing fitteds by hand they are in the wash this morning, with all the flats from the last 24 hours.  I have to make it worth while to run the washer!  I did of course only use flats after my appointment was over.

As I head into day 6 I find that I'm feeling as though I am being punished by not being allowed to use my washer and dryer.  I'm fairly certain this only stems from the fact that I have them, they work and the guilt of breaking the rules on the challenge.  If I had no washer and dryer, and no money for disposables I would very likely be just fine with doing this.  After all, as it is I've cut down on quite a few expenses to stay home with my babies.  I don't have a cell phone, a gym membership, buy new clothes for myself, and bake/cook nearly everything we eat from scratch.  I make all of our cleaning products from scratch as well.  So what would it really be to hand wash and dry a couple of flats every day?  If I didn't have a washer and dryer, I'd probably be doing it with most of our clothing to cut costs down.  Since I have the utilities and it's yet again rainy out. . . I feel entitled to use them.  I wont use them again until Monday, when the challenge is over.  I'm still planning on using flats, and drying them on the line as needed.  I may even hand wash them on occasion. 

I hope I haven't discouraged anyone from using flats or hand washing diapers.  I definitely hope I haven't discouraged anyone from choosing cloth of any kind.  I look forward to sharing the expense of hand washing and drying flats including the initial cost of stocking up on flats and covers.

Flats and Handwashing: Day 3

Well, today was interesting.  I went in to the Dr's office with both boys, Gee in flats and Dizzy in undies, of course.  That went well, and easy enough.

Before we left the house, I did diaper laundry.  Just over 24 hours worth of diapers was three sink fulls of laundry!  Tomorrow I"ll get a basin out to wash them in.  Likely the same one I wash my woolies in.  Because it was raining outside, I hung the diapers all over the bathroom, not wanting sopping flats on my wood chairs.  There were way too many to do that with!  I need an indoor drying rack for rainy days like this morning!

After we finished up with the annoying Dr visit we stopped by work to meet The Hubs with candy and a soda.  Just to let him know we love him:)  Then, we came home to still wet diapers (this was 3hours after hanging them up)!  We still had 3 flats left at that point, and Little Gee went straight to bed with a dry one on after lunch.  Thank goodness they are absorbent enough for him to pee in twice in a pinch. 

So, then a full 6 hours after hanging them up, my flats were still wet.  Not dripping or soaked, but wet.  Part of it is the humidity and lack of air flow in the house.  Part of it is my arms were hurting and I didn't get things wrung out like I should have.  A lot of it was that they were bunched up against each other.  Outside the weather was still cool, but the rain was done and a breeze had started, so I decided to hang them out on the line.  It was humid, but what the hay. . . it's just as humid inside too.  There was 15% or less chance of rain until 8pm, so I thought I could manage.  Should they not get dry in time, I do have a hair dryer.  (I REFUSE TO CHEAT!)

Well, I thought it was breezy. . . . . .






Maybe. . . . .






Wait for it. . . .

 Well, get out of town!  It's down right windy!  I've been told that cool windy days are perfect line drying weather.  The coolness allows clothes to dry nice and slowly while the breeze keeps it from stiffening up!  We'll see how it turns out.  They were hung by 3pm.  By 4pm one diaper was dry.  By 4:30 it started to sprinkle and I lost my nerve and brought them in.  The last ones were dry enough to fold and put away just a few minutes ago (it's 8:03pm now). 

All in all the diaper challenge was easy enough today too.  I don't like how long it took to dry my diapers, but there are solutions to that.  Wringing out more water, maybe even spinning them in a salad spinner first, using a drying wrack and fan could make humid/wet days like today a little faster drying:)  However, I think after this challenge I would likely use a dryer on a day like this. 

Flats and Handwashing: Day 2

Well, today would have been a perfect example of how easy using flats is.  In fact it could have been the perfect example of how easy it is to diaper your baby for free.  It could have been.  It SHOULD have been.  But it wasn't.

First, I had errands to run.  That wasn't so bad.  Since I had an appointment that I could not bring my kids in with me, I chose to have  a friend sit with them in the waiting room for the 20 minute appointment.  What a blessing my friend is to me:)  I love her so much, like sisters should.  She uses pocket diapers on the various children she has had living in her home off and on.  She is a firm believer in pockets and will  use nothing less than Fuzzi Bunz or Rumparoos.  Don't get me wrong, those are awesome diapers. . . if you like pockets (which I don't) and you don't mind shelling out some dough (and I wont!).  So I was a tad nervous about her needing to change Little Gee.  Well, thankfully he didn't need changed.  Like I said the appointment was a lot shorter than normal.  Here is how I did the 'cover fold'.  I thought this would be the easiest way for a pocket user to user to use flats.

You can see that the flat is basically folded into a rectangle, then the rectangle is folded up to fit.  I placed it inside this flap on the Thirsties Duo pictured.  I don't know if I like that idea or not.  Could be easy for a little boy to pee right out the front of his diaper.  This fold doesn't work for me.  It gets bundled, bunched, twisted and doesn't stay in place.  Poop is not kept off of the cover, requiring a new cover.  Also you can only do this with a cover that will snap or velcro. Supposedly so it stays in place.  In my experience, it does not.


After that we went for coffee and back to the donation center to make some more junk leave my house.  Then off to the mall.  After going home, I discovered that Little Gee had. . . . diarrhea.  Thank you very much Gee.  Just the week to decide to do this.  I guess the good news is that since technically I'm on vacation, I don't have to call in sick.

Well, other than having to do the dreaded washing of stuffed animals the tummy bug did not stop us any.  He's as happy as normal, and the only reason I had to wash stuffies was bcs I did my normal routine of letting him be naked since we were home.  When I don't have the other kids here to care for, I let Gee have full reign of the house naked.  I think it helps bring awareness to his bodily functions and keeps him dry and rash free.  Of course, had I realized he was going to have tummy problems. . . .  ugh! He's normally very regular so this kind of mess isn't usually a problem.

As far as washing diapers goes. . . I've decided to wash diapers in the mornings.  This way the night time diaper does not sit for long.  The diapers will also have all day on the line if it's nice.  I followed my same routine as yesterday, but I"d like to share a link to making and using a camp style washer.  If I choose to always or mostly hand wash my diapers than I think we'll be making one of these!  For this week though, I'm sticking to the sink. 

Fold of the day:  Kite Fold! (be sure to check the video!  such a better example than mine!)

 Left:  Lay out and fold to make square if necessary.  Right:  Place thumb at bottom right corner.  Fold top right corner to diagonal center, fold bottom left to diagonal center.

Left:  Fold bottom up and top down.  Depending on the size of baby and square, top and bottom may meet.  Right:  I then folded the bottom in again and rolled in sides to fit legs nicely.  Then place on baby like a prefold.  Use snappy or pin to fasten.

This fold has by far been the best fitting and most well placed on Little Gee.  All the absorbency seems to be in the right spot for him, and is great for his freakishly long rise, where the Origami fold was too short.

Diaper Pic of the day:

Summary:
At this point, I plan on continuing to use flats at home.  It is a bit hard to make Little Gee be still to fold a complicated fold, like kite or origami, when we're out in public.  Having them prefolded and put away is much easier.  So when we're out and about I do plan on using fitteds still.  They will also be available for my husband and sitters.  As far as night time diapers go. . . it's a toss up.  I may continue using the flats.  For some reason there is much less of an ammonia smell to the t-shirt flats.  I am thinking of re-purposing my prefolds by making them into mama cloth or fitteds or whatever the heck I need them for!

How to get the most of your t-shirt when making flats:

• Only use Men's XXL or larger shirt.  I"m not sure of the difference between Mens' and Womens sizes.  
• Lay the 100% cotton shirt out flat.  Iron if you feel like wasting some time!
• Cut through both layers of shirt at the same time.
• Start at the neck and cut a straight line that barely grazes bottom neck of shirt.
• Cut down the sleeves removing ONLY the side seam of body if there is one.   Please only waste a small fraction of an inch on the edges.  that may mean you get part of the sleeve on your flat.  It wont bother baby at all.
• Don't waste the bottom of the hem.  You need all the surface area you can get!  
• Serge or hem if you feel it's necessary.  I chose not to this time bcs my serger is in the shop and I"m too stuck up to play with my regular sewing machine today!  Plus, I wanted to test out a 'no sew' option for people who can't/wont etc.

I rate my experience so far:  4 stars out of 5 (but only bcs I had to deal with so much poop today!)  Happy Flat Diapering!