Have fun and enjoy being green!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
My Green Tip of the Day...or Week...or Something.
This is probably an obvious one, but I recently discovered that I accrue a lot of paper, as many of you probably do. I get handouts from early intervention specialists, therapists, and teachers, and while I could simply put it in the recycling bin, I found another way I can get some more mileage out of it before I do that. A lot of it is blank on one side, and this blank side is perfect for printing out coupons, maps and driving directions, coloring pages for your kids - all sorts of stuff. Then, after that purpose is served, it can be recycled, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that I saved some trees. :)
Have fun and enjoy being green!
Have fun and enjoy being green!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Testing a new thing
I'm mainly checking to see if my blog entries will automatically publish to my facebook page.
Meanwhile, coming soon: Why I'm an Intactivist. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, coming soon: Why I'm an Intactivist. Stay tuned!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Some of My Coth Diapering Advice
I've been cloth diapering for almost 4 years, and I'm currently CDing two kids (although my oldest is in pre-K now, and they don't do cloth, so he wears disposables there). We've saved thousands of dollars over the years by using cloth. I'm a big fan. I've also used disposables, and while there are some pros, I still prefer cloth overall.
For my youngest, I use bumGenius 3.0 one size and occasionally, unbleached prefolds with a Thirsties cover. You can Google any of those to see more information on them. I'm a big fan of the bumGenius 3.0s. The Thirsties have worked really well for us, too.
When he was a newborn, we used bleached prefolds with Dappi covers. I got them in the "Just the Basics" at Cotton Babies. Unfortunately, it's not longer available as a kit, but the individual items are. The kit came with 12 prefolds, 4 Dappies, 2 Snappies to fasten the prefolds, and 1 bumGenius 3.0 to use at nighttime. The covers work surprisingly well for the price, and the kit is enough to cloth diaper a baby for about a day, maybe longer if they're older. For the price, it was a really good kit, in my opinion. It's a really good way to start out if you're on a really tight budget.
Now, they're started the Econobum and Flip kits, which I've never used, so I don't know anything about them. I think that's why they phased out the "Just the Basics" kit.
For my oldest, I use unbleached prefolds with Thirsties covers. I've used other diapers on him in the past, but he grew out of them, and these are the best fit for him now that he's bigger.
This is my laundering routine:
* Spray off solids in toilet.
* Throw diaper in dry pail (I use a step operated lidded trash can).
* When pail is full, toss diapers in the washing machine (I have a high efficiency, front loading machine).
* Run a cold wash/cold rinse with baking soda in the wash and vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil in the rinse.
* Run a hot wash/cold rinse with an extra rinse and a *tiny* bit of detergent (I use less than a teaspoon, probably) and baking soda in the wash cycle, and vinegar and a couple drops of tea tree oil in the rinse cycle.
* Line dry the pocket diapers and covers, and tumble dry the inserts and prefolds. You can line dry those, too, but we have a pretty humid climate, so to prevent mildew, I like to tumble dry them for at least a little bit to dry them faster.
Here's some of my other cloth diapering tips:
1. Get a few different kinds of diapers and try them all out so you can decide what kind works best for you. Check out this site. They have a trial package that you can try for 21 days for a deposit, and if you send them back, they give you your deposit back, minus $10. Trial and error is a big part of cloth diapering. You might find that what you initially wanted doesn't work as well as you thought once you try it, and you might really like a kind of diaper that you didn't think you would. It never hurts to try several kinds, and with this package, you don't have much to lose.
2. Get a diaper sprayer. It will make cleaning up poop so much easier for you, especially if you don't use liners (more on those in #5). All you do is plop the poop in the toilet, and spray off the residue - no dunking in the toilet.
3. Baking soda, vinegar, and tea tree oil are your friends when you're cloth diapering. I use baking soda in the wash, and I use vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil in the rinse. They keep my diapers stain and odor free. I also use tea tree oil in the pail to keep it from smelling.
4. You only need a very tiny bit of detergent. I use Charlie's Soap. I use maybe a teaspoon, if that much. Using too much detergent will cause build up in your diapers, and they'll start to repel urine and leak. You can ruin your diapers this way. Trust me, you don't need very much detergent *at all*. This chart is very helpful in finding a good detergent for your cloth diapers.
5. You can buy biodegradable, flushable diaper liners to make poop clean ups even easier. I, personally, don't use liners, but if you want to cut costs while saving yourself a little mess, you can try these.
Also, check out these sites for more information and answer to your questions. Good luck!
Cotton Babies - I bought all my diapers here.
The truth about cloth diapers - fact Vs fiction
If you're on a budget, you can look into second hand or handmade cloth diapers at Diaperswappers, Ebay, Etsy, Craigslist, Freecycle, or Hyenacart.
More to come later!
Good luck!
For my youngest, I use bumGenius 3.0 one size and occasionally, unbleached prefolds with a Thirsties cover. You can Google any of those to see more information on them. I'm a big fan of the bumGenius 3.0s. The Thirsties have worked really well for us, too.
When he was a newborn, we used bleached prefolds with Dappi covers. I got them in the "Just the Basics" at Cotton Babies. Unfortunately, it's not longer available as a kit, but the individual items are. The kit came with 12 prefolds, 4 Dappies, 2 Snappies to fasten the prefolds, and 1 bumGenius 3.0 to use at nighttime. The covers work surprisingly well for the price, and the kit is enough to cloth diaper a baby for about a day, maybe longer if they're older. For the price, it was a really good kit, in my opinion. It's a really good way to start out if you're on a really tight budget.
Now, they're started the Econobum and Flip kits, which I've never used, so I don't know anything about them. I think that's why they phased out the "Just the Basics" kit.
For my oldest, I use unbleached prefolds with Thirsties covers. I've used other diapers on him in the past, but he grew out of them, and these are the best fit for him now that he's bigger.
This is my laundering routine:
* Spray off solids in toilet.
* Throw diaper in dry pail (I use a step operated lidded trash can).
* When pail is full, toss diapers in the washing machine (I have a high efficiency, front loading machine).
* Run a cold wash/cold rinse with baking soda in the wash and vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil in the rinse.
* Run a hot wash/cold rinse with an extra rinse and a *tiny* bit of detergent (I use less than a teaspoon, probably) and baking soda in the wash cycle, and vinegar and a couple drops of tea tree oil in the rinse cycle.
* Line dry the pocket diapers and covers, and tumble dry the inserts and prefolds. You can line dry those, too, but we have a pretty humid climate, so to prevent mildew, I like to tumble dry them for at least a little bit to dry them faster.
Here's some of my other cloth diapering tips:
1. Get a few different kinds of diapers and try them all out so you can decide what kind works best for you. Check out this site. They have a trial package that you can try for 21 days for a deposit, and if you send them back, they give you your deposit back, minus $10. Trial and error is a big part of cloth diapering. You might find that what you initially wanted doesn't work as well as you thought once you try it, and you might really like a kind of diaper that you didn't think you would. It never hurts to try several kinds, and with this package, you don't have much to lose.
2. Get a diaper sprayer. It will make cleaning up poop so much easier for you, especially if you don't use liners (more on those in #5). All you do is plop the poop in the toilet, and spray off the residue - no dunking in the toilet.
3. Baking soda, vinegar, and tea tree oil are your friends when you're cloth diapering. I use baking soda in the wash, and I use vinegar with a few drops of tea tree oil in the rinse. They keep my diapers stain and odor free. I also use tea tree oil in the pail to keep it from smelling.
4. You only need a very tiny bit of detergent. I use Charlie's Soap. I use maybe a teaspoon, if that much. Using too much detergent will cause build up in your diapers, and they'll start to repel urine and leak. You can ruin your diapers this way. Trust me, you don't need very much detergent *at all*. This chart is very helpful in finding a good detergent for your cloth diapers.
5. You can buy biodegradable, flushable diaper liners to make poop clean ups even easier. I, personally, don't use liners, but if you want to cut costs while saving yourself a little mess, you can try these.
Also, check out these sites for more information and answer to your questions. Good luck!
Cotton Babies - I bought all my diapers here.
The truth about cloth diapers - fact Vs fiction
If you're on a budget, you can look into second hand or handmade cloth diapers at Diaperswappers, Ebay, Etsy, Craigslist, Freecycle, or Hyenacart.
More to come later!
Good luck!
Monday, March 29, 2010
About to do some renovations!
I'm getting ready to revamp and pretty up this here blog of mine, so get ready! I've really missed blogging, and this is my free-for-all blog, so I plan to use it a little more pretty soon. It will sort of be a mish-mash of topics, but I have several in mind.
So, stay tuned!
So, stay tuned!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
How To Make Your Own Toothpaste
I recently started making my own toothpaste. It saves money, and it seems to work really well for my sensitive teeth.
I found several recipes while searching the web, but I basically ended up making my own recipe, based on my personal preferences and tastes. If you decide to give it a go, feel free to scale the recipe down so you can experiment with mixtures and tastes before making a full batch.
Here's how you do it!
You will need:
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup glycerin (available at most pharmacies - vegetable glycerin will also work)
1/4 cup xylitol (a sweetener found in most health food stores)
1/4 teaspoon of spearmint essential oil (you can also use peppermint)
A bowl and spoon
A zipper-sealed plastic sandwich bag
A small cup or glass
A spatula
A pair of scissors
A small travel bottle (found near the travel size toiletries, usually used for shampoo or lotion)
1. Mix the baking soda and xylitol in a bowl.
2. Add the glycerin and essential oil. Stir until the mixture becomes a paste.
4. Take the plastic bag and place it in the cup, turning the outside edges of the bag out and around the edge of the cup, as in the picture.
5. Using the spatula, scoop the toothpaste into the plastic bag.
6. Release the air from the bag and seal.
7. Snip off a small corner piece of the bag, making sure the opening is small enough to fit into the travel bottle.
8. Place the travel bottle into the cup to keep it steady. Place the opening of the bag in the bottle and squeeze the toothpaste into the bottle.
9. Enjoy your toothpaste!
I found several recipes while searching the web, but I basically ended up making my own recipe, based on my personal preferences and tastes. If you decide to give it a go, feel free to scale the recipe down so you can experiment with mixtures and tastes before making a full batch.
Here's how you do it!
You will need:
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup glycerin (available at most pharmacies - vegetable glycerin will also work)
1/4 cup xylitol (a sweetener found in most health food stores)
1/4 teaspoon of spearmint essential oil (you can also use peppermint)
A bowl and spoon
A zipper-sealed plastic sandwich bag
A small cup or glass
A spatula
A pair of scissors
A small travel bottle (found near the travel size toiletries, usually used for shampoo or lotion)
1. Mix the baking soda and xylitol in a bowl.
2. Add the glycerin and essential oil. Stir until the mixture becomes a paste.
4. Take the plastic bag and place it in the cup, turning the outside edges of the bag out and around the edge of the cup, as in the picture.
5. Using the spatula, scoop the toothpaste into the plastic bag.
6. Release the air from the bag and seal.
7. Snip off a small corner piece of the bag, making sure the opening is small enough to fit into the travel bottle.
8. Place the travel bottle into the cup to keep it steady. Place the opening of the bag in the bottle and squeeze the toothpaste into the bottle.
9. Enjoy your toothpaste!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
World Autism Awareness Day
This is a difficult subject for me to approach right now. Our son, Jett, is in the process of several evaluations and therapies, with a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder on the table. Having grown up with a special needs sibling, I am especially aware of those struggles that a parent faces when they have a special needs child. Honestly, it terrifies me.
We know that Jett has speech delays. We started speech therapy last week, and we're hoping to see some improvement pretty soon. However, during his speech evaluation, the speech pathologist pointed out something that we hadn't quite picked up on. She noticed that he went up on his toes a lot, and tensed up his arms when he got excited - signs of overstimulation. She recommended an occupation therapy (OT) evaluation, believing that he may also have a sensory processing disorder (SPD).
During his first speech therapy session, she noticed a few other things as well: he takes object and spins them instead of playing with them normally, he lines up like objects in rows, his eye contact is extremely limited, and when he gets frustrated, he bites his fingers - behaviors that could be signs of an autism spectrum disorder. I had picked up on a few of these, and I planned to bring them up at our OT evaluation, hoping that maybe it wasn't indicitive of any further issues and we wouldn't need OT. I also kept hoping that the speech therapy will help his speech, and he'll grow up to be a normal, neuro-typical boy with age-appropriate speech and developmental skills.
She (our speech therapist) brought up developmental pediatricians after noticing these behaviors. That's when I really started to worry. I thought this is real. He could have something more serious. How am I going to give him the special care he needs? I'm not strong enough to parent a special needs child.
It keeps hitting me in bursts. I'll start thinking about it, and the word "autism" pops in my head, and I just start crying. My greatest fears are that A) I somehow failed as a parent already, and I caused this, and B) I'm not a good enough parent to handle this - if I haven't failed already, I'm going to.
We don't have a definitive diagnoses yet (other than speech delays), but I'm calling tomorrow to schedule an evaluation with the developmental ped. Our OT evaluation isn't until May 26, and we probably won't see the developmental ped until after that, even. We're hoping for some answers then. The wait will probably drag, but at least I know we're getting the ball rolling.
Right now, I'm reading The Out-Of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder. We don't have a formal diagnosis of SPD, but several people have recommended the book, and we're fairly certain he has some sensory issues. I'm hoping to find some helpful information there.
I've also started a new blog specifically dedicated to Jett - Ready, Jett, Go!
Thanks for reading. I know this wasn't exactly a coherent collection of thoughts as much as a splatter of emotions and run-on sentences. I'm hoping it gets better from here. :)
We know that Jett has speech delays. We started speech therapy last week, and we're hoping to see some improvement pretty soon. However, during his speech evaluation, the speech pathologist pointed out something that we hadn't quite picked up on. She noticed that he went up on his toes a lot, and tensed up his arms when he got excited - signs of overstimulation. She recommended an occupation therapy (OT) evaluation, believing that he may also have a sensory processing disorder (SPD).
During his first speech therapy session, she noticed a few other things as well: he takes object and spins them instead of playing with them normally, he lines up like objects in rows, his eye contact is extremely limited, and when he gets frustrated, he bites his fingers - behaviors that could be signs of an autism spectrum disorder. I had picked up on a few of these, and I planned to bring them up at our OT evaluation, hoping that maybe it wasn't indicitive of any further issues and we wouldn't need OT. I also kept hoping that the speech therapy will help his speech, and he'll grow up to be a normal, neuro-typical boy with age-appropriate speech and developmental skills.
She (our speech therapist) brought up developmental pediatricians after noticing these behaviors. That's when I really started to worry. I thought this is real. He could have something more serious. How am I going to give him the special care he needs? I'm not strong enough to parent a special needs child.
It keeps hitting me in bursts. I'll start thinking about it, and the word "autism" pops in my head, and I just start crying. My greatest fears are that A) I somehow failed as a parent already, and I caused this, and B) I'm not a good enough parent to handle this - if I haven't failed already, I'm going to.
We don't have a definitive diagnoses yet (other than speech delays), but I'm calling tomorrow to schedule an evaluation with the developmental ped. Our OT evaluation isn't until May 26, and we probably won't see the developmental ped until after that, even. We're hoping for some answers then. The wait will probably drag, but at least I know we're getting the ball rolling.
Right now, I'm reading The Out-Of-Sync Child: Recognizing and Coping with Sensory Processing Disorder. We don't have a formal diagnosis of SPD, but several people have recommended the book, and we're fairly certain he has some sensory issues. I'm hoping to find some helpful information there.
I've also started a new blog specifically dedicated to Jett - Ready, Jett, Go!
Thanks for reading. I know this wasn't exactly a coherent collection of thoughts as much as a splatter of emotions and run-on sentences. I'm hoping it gets better from here. :)
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