Diapers on a line

The first diapers on the line of the year. I love Spring!

I love clean, natural diapers drying on the line. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm el nutso, but hey I don't care.  The other week when the boys and I were taking a bike ride around the neighborhood, I actually saw another family with their BG's hanging out on the line. Guess I'm not the only nutso in the neighborhood. :)

Fluffy mail day!

I love it when I get fluffy mail, it just makes my day. (I know, sad right?) But it's true, cloth makes me happy. Bennett has recently outgrown a lot of his diapers, so I have been selling the old ones off and purchasing new ones in bigger sizes. Cottonbabies had their seconds up on their site in BumGenius the other night and I was able to score 4 Large AIO's (all in ones) and 2 BG OS (one size) diapers for about $64. That's a steal and I can't find anything wrong with them. I also ordered 6 Imagine prefolds in size Large, a Thirsties Duo Size 2 snap cover, and 2 Motherease Bamboo Toddler Sandies for Peytonn.  I am attempting to night train Peytonn and the Sandies are side snapping and  you can pull them on and off like underwear, but they are still absorbent. Tonight will be our first night of this adventure. :)

I've had a lot of people ask me about cloth diapers lately, so I thought I would add a little info this time about prefolds. I love prefolds because they are so natural and you can always get a good, custom fit with them.  What people don't know is that prefolds come to you in the mail and are very flat and rough, not fluffy and soft at all.

You have to prep a prefold several times before it becomes absorbent and fluffy soft.  A good way to start this process off is to boil your prefolds on the stove for about 30 minutes.  Then I wash them again on hot in the washing machine and dry them on high heat.

After you dry them, they are slightly more fluffy, but still a little rough. They also have not shrunken to their final size. You will have to wash them on hot and dry them on high heat about 6 more times. Then each time after that they will become more absorbent. I usually wash mine about 4-6 times and then let Bennett start wearing them. Then I wash them with each load of diaper that I do.

I also love Thirsties covers over prefolds. They are generously cut and have leg gussets which keep it all in. I hardly ever have leaks with a Thirsties cover unless I have left a diaper on too long.  Thirsties has now come out with its new Duo line. It's kind of like a onesize diaper cover. They have two sizes, Duo 1 and Duo 2. Each one you can adjust the rise simply by snapping it down. Bennett wear the size 2 and is on the medium snap setting, so he has plenty of room to grow in it.  Peytonn can also wear the same cover on the largest rise setting. I just got this new print Thirsties cover and I love it!!!

I am hoping that the Bamboo Sandies work for Peytonn. Usually at night I put him in a cloth diaper, but he has outgrown all of the ones I had for Bennett. I tried sposies on him at night but he leaks out of them. So we are trying a new approach.  A cloth fitted for night time for some absorbency and mom waking him up every couple of hours to use the potty. We'll see how it goes.

As you can see, he has plenty of growing room in these. I will keep these for when Bennett potty learns at night time. These are so squishy soft, I just love them!

Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

I found this recipe on Diaperswappers and I have made it twice so far. It is really yummy, especially if you are looking for a quick chocolate fix. It is enough for two to share or one hungry person.  I add chocolate chips to mine and I think maybe next time I will add some peanut butter to it. You could add all sorts of variations.

MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

1 Coffee Mug
4 tablespoons flour(that's plain flour, not self-rising)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
Small splash of vanilla 

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well .
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Swimming

Peytonn has really been enjoying his swimming class, so here is a post of pics of P at swimming.

*Goggles!

 *is it my turn yet??

 *kick my legs and move my arms

 *hi mom!

 *Jumping off the side of the pool

 *Did you see me jump mom?!

Update on detergent

I have been using the detergent for a few days now, which translates into about 10 loads of laundry at least, and I have to say that I am absolutely in love!!! It gets the clothes nice and clean and the softner smells really great and doesn't irritate sensitive skin.

A few of the boys' shirts had some stains on the them, so I put some detergent directly on the stains and I let it sit overnight and washed them today. All of the stains came out!! Every single one of them!

Peytonn is having some severe allergies right now so I have had to wash everything of his over and over again. I have already washed his bed sheets 5 times this week and I washed his comforter as well for his bed. This detergent works so well and his whole room smelled lightly of strawberries tonight. And it doesn't break him out, which is amazing! I have to really watch what kind of detergent I use for his clothes and stuff because he breaks out so easily. I remember about 6 months ago I tried a new detergent and I accidentally washed his sheets in it without thinking.  He woke up the next morning and his whole face was broken out in a rash just from sleeping on his pillow case. (I'll never make that mistake again!)

I'm just really impressed with the power of this detergent and yet how gentle it is and how cheap it is to make. I think I am definitely hooked!!!!

Homemade laundry soap and softner

I decided to try my hand again at homemade laundry detergent. Last time, I just made the powder version and used the Fels soap.  I just wasnt a fan of it, the smell of the Fels alone was enough to do me in.  But a fellow blogger, Carrie over at Farming on Faith, posted her new updated recipe for homemade liquid soap. She had a tip in there for those that enjoy using Tide, you just add 6 cups of powder Tide to Step 2 of her instructions.  I love Tide, its what we use for our clothes and what I use on the diapers. We use the HE powder original scent Tide. (usually Tide makes Peytonn break out, but for some reason the original powder doesn't)  This recipe also allows me to still use my Tide, but to stretch it out so we are really getting our money's worth out of it. 

*I will not use the homemade laundry soap on my diapers b/c it has a bar of Dove soap in it.  The Dove soap will cause build up on my diapers and make them repel. I will just use the regular Tide like I always do for my diapers.

*I should also note that I used a bar of the Dove sensitive skin/fragrance free for the sake of Peytonn's skin. And it was all that I had at the house. 

I also tried the homemade fabric softner again. This time, I made it up like liquid softner instead of diluting it and using the sponges for dryer sheets.  I used the Suave Natural Strawberry condition for it. I'm pretty sure there is nothing "Natural" about the Suave Naturals (considering I couldn't comprehend any ingredient in the list except water) but I really liked the strawberry scent and it was on sale at Target. I got the 30oz bottle and I only needed 16oz, so I have enough left for another batch of softner.

(Hey, those extra empty milk jars are coming in handy!) 

So, I did the ultimate test.....children's clothes!!! GASP! I just did the first load of the boys' clothes with the homemade detergent and the softner. The results....clean, lightly scented clothes!! And just how did I test that, you ask? Well, I did the unthinkable. I actually got the guts up to stick my nose in and inhale deeply in toddler socks and underwear! Trust me, that is love! The clothes smelled lightly like strawberries. Wonderful I tell you!! I think this stuff may actually work and I may actually like it.

A Quick Dinner

I got this recipe for homemade sloppy joes from an old co-worker/friend and I absolutely love it.  Its so, so simple and yet really tasty. The kids like it too, which is an added bonus. 

Sloppy Joes
1lb ground beef
1 bottle Heinz Chili sauce (by the ketchup)
a squirt of yellow mustard
hamburger buns


Yup, thats it. I was never a huge fan of Mamwich anyways, but this stuff blows Mamwich out of the water. Its very easy to make for a weeknight meal or if you need a quick meal to feed the family throughout the night as they trickle home.  Its easy to reheat the next day for lunch or take to work.  We love it!