I have been meaning to write about our cloth diapering experience. Recently, one of my college friends, i.e. "Salem Sister", started a Facebook group. But this here blog is much more global, so I thought it very appropriate to throw out my thoughts thus far on cloth diapering. Enjoy!

Whenever someone asks about cloth diapering, I always start off by telling them it's my "favorite green thing" that we do. We compost and recycle, but it's amazing to know that for every poopy diaper I clean, there is one that is not damaging our earth and water.

I am just going to copy the text of a couple of emails.

//All-in-ones are pretty self explanatory -- you have a cloth diaper that functions like a disposible. Some have inserts that help soak up wet. Use them, toss them (in the hamper or pail), wash them. Ta-da. I don't prefer them for two reasons. One: they are expensive, and two: they're usually big and bulky (don't fit in cute little baby clothes! That's my vanity ;))

Prefolds -- there are a million ways to do prefolds. A prefold is what you think of when you think of a cloth diaper -- a long, rectangular piece of cotton with 3 sections, the middle one being the most absorbent. I've heard of a number of different types of prefolds -- bleached cotton, unbleached cotton, hemp, wool & chinese cotton. Obviously, the bleached v/s the unbleached is white versus organic, not white. Hemp & chinese cotton are supposedly more absorbent. I've never tried them, so I don't know. My experience is that the unbleached cotton is more absorbent than the bleached.

The only hemp & wool I've seen are not technically "prefolds," but that's how they function, same premise. I think the ones I've seen are called panels (?). I guess they can be simpler to use (because you don't have to fold them...). The reason we don't use them is that they are more expensive. I might actually try a wool panel (tucked into the prefold) for night. Wool is supposed to be really absorbent and it 's naturally antimicrobial. (More on night diapering later :))

I got a great deal on 75 bleached prefolds from a cloth diapering service that went out of business. I'd definitley suggest getting in touch with a local service for this very reason. I am SURE Raleigh has one... Just ask if you can buy some used prefolds. Sustainability, baby!

We use a prefold and a wrap. A wrap holds the prefold on and *usually* keeps the wet from the clothes (this is called wicking, when it does leak). There are TONS of wrap brands. My favorite are Motherease, a local (to Fayetteville, AR, where we live) lady's brand, and Swaddlebee's Blueberry. (Swaddlebee's most well-known is what's called an ABC wrap, and I like them, but they wick REALLY easily...their Blueberry is much like the local wraps, but comes in a one size fits all and they fit Abe really well.)

I do not recommend ANY velcro. It gets all linty and it wears out really quickly. I do recommend snaps :)

Basically, you fold the prefold and place it in the wrap and them snap it up. Google "folding cloth diapers" to see some visuals. There is a way to do it if you have a girl or a boy. ...Really, though, there is not wrong way...

A good start would be 40-50 prefolds and 5 wraps. At our local cloth diapering store, it'd be a total of about $150 investment. You'll definitely add to your stock as baby grows. When they start having poo blowouts, it may be time to go up in size. I used a "Snappi" for awhile, but they do have to be replaced. They're great for holding on the prefold...or if you just want to use a prefold with out a wrap. Definitley cheap!!! I don't prefer to feel baby pee.

As for cleaning, I have a pretty basic thought process -- it's baby pee & poo. Seriously, it's digested breast milk. It doesn't even stink until they start eating solids. Get a hamper. That's it. You don't need a pail. And you do laundry every other day or so, depending on your schedule and supply. Some people use a liner, a cloth laundry sack, in the hamper. I don't use one anymore because it got annoying. Condensation gathers at the bottom of the hamper whether you use the liner or not. This "condensation" is pee, so I just rinse the hamper like once a week. If a little poo gets on the inside of the hamper I just spray some bathroom cleaner and scrub it a little. Simple.

**HAHA! We went back to using the liner when Abe starting eating solids regularly. His pee and poo has started to look and smell more like adult pee and poo. The cloth liner will absorb some of the wet and therefore some of the smell.

Abe just started eating solids, so I've changed up how I deal with it. His poo is real sticky now, so instead of tossing it in the hamper right away, I toss it in the toilet. I have a pair of rubber gloves that I put on and I use the toilet water to get the poo off the prefold. Then I wring the prefold, flush the poo, rinse my gloves, get a clorox (or green works) wipe, wipe the toilet & sink out and toss the wipe in the toilet. It keeps the bathroom as disinfected as before... There are sprayers you can buy that hook up to the toilet basin, so you dont' have to touch poo with your hands. But you'd still want to use gloves and wipes. Again, my thought is that it's just baby poo.

Think of it this way: your baby's diapers start to fit him/her like your favorite jeans fit you. Diposibles are more like wearing a paper sack. It makes sense that the disposibles are more of a hassle. Also, what have mothers been doing for centuries? Throwing aaway their baby diapers. Oh no...they've been cloth diapering. The cool thing is that we have the ability to use reusable plastics that keep us a wee bit cleaner.

When you do your laundry, you just do a rinse cycle before the regular wash. Then do a hot wash with 1/2 the amount of detergent. I've heard that you're supposed to use a natural, "green" detergent. Again, we're poor, so I use a powder Arm & Hammer. Abe's never had any rashes or anything, so we're good. If they do get a rash, you just run a couple hot washes to get the detergent residue off the fibers of the prefold. AND experiment with various detergents. The gentler the better. Contrary to popular belief, Dreft has all the same harsh chemicals as Tide. :/

**Charlies soap is supposed to be MAGNIFICENT. It seems expensive, but you only use a tablespoon per load. It's "green"! You can usually refill the bag wherever it's sold locally. Perhaps Whole Foods, if you have one. Or your local co-op. And certainly if you have a cloth diapering store... http://www.charliesoap.com/

Wash the wraps with the prefolds. Try to line dry. The sun is a natural disinfectant and bleach. Some poo will stain, but the sun will bleach it out.

**I've recently learned two other ways to "bleach": peroxide is totally harmless, as it turns straight to pure water when it oxidizes. And the process of oxidization turns things white (same concept as OxyClean). Another is drying them on bushes. A plant's job is to turn carbon dioxide into oxygen, and they do this with the help of the sun. So in the middle of a sunny day, bushes are releasing oxygen back into the atmosphere and turning. If you lay the diapers on the bush to catch some of that oxygen, it will do essentially the same thing as the peroxide; "oxygenation bleaches."

Night diapering: I just use 2 prefolds. Because nighttime sleep is so groggy and you just want to nurse and fall back asleep, I don't change his diaper unless he pooped. He pooped at just about every feeding until he was about 2 months... But then he started sleeping through the night. We use a Motherease wrap (because they're so big) and 2 prefolds and he rarely, if ever, wicks or leaks. There are wool wraps that are supposed to be great for nighttime. But, again, I am cheap and have never invested in one.

That's about all I've got. :)

Obviously, I breastfeed, so if you're planning on formula, I can't swear it won't stink. :) A great resource is La Leche League. Yes, they're all about breastfeeding, but I am going to venture a guess that they'll have TONS of information about cloth diapering and where to go to get the best service in your area. I don't agree with some of their advice on certain topics, but they know their stuff about breastfeeding and cloth diapering to say the least. :)

**http://www.llli.org/ to find a local LLL leader!

Hope this helps!

From another email: First of all: if you have a chance to find and visit a cloth diapering store, you are going to find SO much more there than you will online.

**an addendum to this: Mothering magazine has a bunch of ads of fabulous brands. What you Google and "find" online doesn't give as much variety as you can find perusing mags, like Mothering. Some examples of amazing brands are: Mother Ease, Blueberry, Swaddlebees.

All-in-ones are amazing for big babies. If your newborn is smaller than 10 lbs, you will have a hard time keeping them from leaking.

**I don't do all-in-ones, so this is just heresay. If there are any mommies who do, please add your two cents!

There is a one-size wrap and I use them and LOVE them; they are called Blueberries. It is the same company that makes Swaddlebee's. Swaddlebee's wick a lot (pee pee soaks through the wrap if you don't change the prefold after every pee or two), so they are not my favorite. But the Blueberries have a waterproof (kind of) layer on the inside, so they work really well.

Here's another thought: Abe is STILL in a small. Granted, he was 9.7 at birth, but his skinny butt still doesn't fit into medium wraps. So, while, the all-in-ones seem logical, they may not be as simple as they seem.

Really, it's all about personal choice. Whatever works for you. We chose wraps and prefolds for a couple reasons: less laundry, less expensive, longer life. I wish I could send you some of mine, just so you could try them out.

The main reason I didn't go with all-in-ones was price and the amount of laundry. Also, you can reuse the wrap over and over until it's soiled or stinky. Do you have your daycare picked out? Ask them if they have a preference. As long as they're using gloves when they change diapies, there's really no difference with popping a prefold into a grocery sack and tossing a soiled disposible.

Target sells some all-in-ones. WalMart sells prefolds and plastic undies. ...I use neither...

**I find that store bought things are just cheap. Again, you have to get a little creative; it's very worthwhile to visit a cloth diapering store and develop a relationship (like all things new-to-mommies, this can be VERY maddening when it's not going well or they're changing...). Visit a store *even if you have to drive a couple hours on the weekend.* If you're in NC, I am pretty sure there are good stores in Raleigh and possibly in Asheville. Charlotte has GOT to have something, lol.

There are different levels of absorbency depending on what material you use. A lot of the all-in-ones are fleece, which is really absorbent. Hemp is more absorbent than unbleached cotton is more absorbent than bleached cotton.

Maybe you can do all-in-ones during the week and prefolds and wraps at night and on weekends??

You can always order through our clothe diapering store if you can't find a decent one. Bernice is AWESOME! terra-tots.com

**punkinbutt.com is a great resource, too.

10/30 -- Fun Friday

Today Mark has got a non-stop day at school. Drills, school-wide testing, Clubs, and a Reward Dance. Woo. Go honey!

For me, today has been a day of inspiration. I have been trying to develop my passion for paper, using my soon-to-be-wed friends as the guinea pigs. (By the way, can we talk about the ridiculous number of weddings and BABIES!?) I found some fuel today: Sincerely Yours Paper. Hopefully, as the weddings keep rolling along, I'll grow my passion. It's intimidating to know there is someone who is already doing what I want to do in my area. But to serve the lovely brides who live hither and yon is really the audience I want to cater to.

I've decided not to be intimidated, rather to glean what I can from others' talents. When I took 2D to fulfill a Comm. requirement in undergrad, I learned from my professor and classmates -- all proclaimed *artisits.* I wasn't intimidated because it was, afterall, just the fulfillment of a requirement. What I didn't know going into the class was that I would learn so much. And I walked away wondering my I didn't persue Art as a minor. It is truly exhilirating to know I can persue and learn from true professionals.

As little man demands my attention, today I will meditate on what in the world Cherie's vision is and try to accomodate! ...Fun Friday it truly is!

Well, it's been awhile since my last post, huh?

The vermicomposting was a FAIL. I simply did not have enough worms. I will try it again, but we needed something terribly economical, so we just started a compost heap. The end result is healthy, organic fertilizer and that is the goal. I am not planning a Fall garden, but I do truly hope to start something in the Spring. We shall see. Meanwhile, I am going to pot a few mums and see how black my thumb is. :)

Among other home improvement projects are the blinds. The previous owner of our abode had all the windows covered with mini blinds, instead of having the blind inlaid in the window panes. So, we switched all of them out this week. Hubby started by showing me how to use a drill. I was really afraid he was going to have to do them all. Abe was a champ this Thursday all day (though his naps have been extremely sporadic), so the biggest chunk is done.

A continuation of that project, and therefore my next big project will be the front room's windows. They are beasts. 64 inches tall. 2 flanks that are 27 inches wide and the two picture windows that are 48 inches wide. Currently, they are covered with a cornice and vertical blinds. I really want to bring out the architectural detail of the windows; their style is a theme in the house. And I am all about theme. :) I really want to hang curtains (found some I love, and, yes, they are turquoise, at Lowe's. But it'd be at least $120...not sure I'm up for that kind of a chunk) in the big guys and mini blinds on the flanks. I know that mini blinds are not the most posh in style, but they are so functional. For example, if we want, in the winter, if our heating bills get to be massive (as I hear homes our age can truly jack up the gas bill), we can still have the light filtering blinds and put up plastic to help save some heat from escaping.

In other news: Abe is cutting teeth. Still. It's been 2 months of unpredictable moods. I wish it were easier, as so many moms say it is. His bottom 2 both came up, but one receded again. I am pretty sure his top 4 will come through soon. By soon, I do mean in the next 6 months. Ha.

I have a friend who is very excited about tapping a currently untapped need in our community: cloth diapering. She wants to start a service. While many moms will admit that they'd rather cloth diaper, many don't because they are working professionals and don't have the time to do it and do it well. (Who can blame them? Poopy stinks!) So Jai and I are hoping to put our heads together and get a cloth diapering service started. We'd like to have other local businesses, i.e. Terra Tots, the local natural parenting store, work in cahoots with us so families can get the best of the best in quality. I think we are going to be OVERWHELMED with the response. So many people want to be green conscious, but have no guidance or don't know where to begin. Hopefully, we can be a bit of a beacon. We'll see how it goes.

This Sabbath kicks off the Fall Holy Day season, Leviticus 23. Tonight is the Feast of Trumpets. Mark and I realized (again) that we have one more "normal" week. Then next Friday is another Sabbath, then we have Sunday day free (really for more prep, especially since Sundays are one of our busiest days -- cleaning, groceries, big tasks, i.e. recycling, etc.), Sunday night is the start of Atonement, Atonement services Monday. Tuesday Mark has Parent-Teacher conferences, so he'll be gone Tuesday until 7:30 and then we leave for Texas and the Feast of Tabernacles on Wednesday morning. So deep breaths.

Tonight and tomorrow are super special because it pictures Jesus Christ's return and the beginning of the end of human suffering, our final conversion to spirit bodies, and the establishment of proper government. That's a lot to swallow, chew with caution.

So to all, cheers to a joyous and meaningful Fall Holy Day season, happy Sabbath, and good night!

it is done

I just put the worms in their new home and put their new home in the garage. Vermicomposting, thank you Annette Triplett for introducing me to it. Thanks to incredible amounts of information online, it was just about the easiest, proactive, sustainable project I've taken on. Even recycling is more complicated than vermicomposting.

Let's just talk sustainability again! The more I *think* through where my waste is going -- trash, used (grey) water, leftovers, etc., the more obligated I feel to take care of it. Our society, and the US in particular, has a "throw away" mentality. There is absolutely no reason I should not compost. Landfills are half biodegradable, if not more. But if all that biodegradable, good trash is in a landfill, it's not doing any good. However, if it's in my garage becoming compost, it will do good for my future garden. I don't have a garden and I don't even know when I'll have a the garden I dream of. I can have healthy soil though. Or my neighbors can. The thought to sell my vermicompost has even crossed my mind. If all the wormies do is eat, poop and procreate, I could quite possibly have a little worm farm. Who wouldn't prefer organic fertilizer? Oh the possibilities!

There are million great things about composting, but the reason I decided to try the vermicomposting is because I can literally do it in my garage. There is little to no work involved. All I do is collect all the veggies, fruit and wood fiber and feed it to my worms. And they make fertilizer. Awesome.

I do have a couple concerns, so we'll have to see how the next few months go. The most obvious is the smell. If the worms don't eat it quick enough, the rotting ex-food will start to stink. While the concept of keeping it close to the door is brilliant, the possible smell is not so brilliant. I want to see just how little work I have to do, so we may have to deal with the stink until the balance between exertion and little to no stink is found. The solution for the stink is simple: help the worms break down the compost -- tear your wood fiber up more or shred it in a shredder, puree the ex-food, etc.

Another really cool thing about composting is that I don't necessarily have to use trash bags any more. If I am not putting wet into the trash, there's no reason to use a liner. When, however, I do need to toss the chicken guts and bones, where do they go? In a grocery bag and then out to the big trash can. I have often thought of putting those scraps out for the neighborhood cats. Mark doesn't think that's wise.

So we are recycling and composting. Our next big project will be either fixing the screens in the sun room or rain barrels. The rain barrels are a HUGE project, way bigger than creating my worms' home. After that, raised square foot gardens in the sunroom.

worms

We are making our bin tonight!!! :) http://www.howtohomestead.org/?page_id=182

Thanks to the hubby for helping me take care of the babe and supporting this INSANITY! Woo.

harmony

Harmo-nah. Harmony. Harmo-na-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha. Haaaaaapy Birthday, big sis. You are the most amazing big sister any little sister could ever ask for!

work

Things have been quite exciting around the Sandor house. First of all, Abe is sleeping through the night again. I thought I was going to self-destruct. He was waking up every 2.5 hours between 10:00 and 6. A couple nights ago, I gave him rice when we had dinner and viola!, he didn't wake the following morning until 5:50. Nice.

I have been working on some wedding invitations for a couple ladies. I don't actually know them; we've never met. But church family is church family. All "my girls" (ladies that were high school staff at LYC in 2006 & 2007) know these two girls quite well. And they're not bridezillas. What a blessing! The coolest part of doing invitations is that I have a vision, ideas for what I want, but trying to put thought to paper is generally not so simple. This week I worked on finding a reliable printer who is willing to help me learn and be very patient. I learned the difference between RGB colors and Pantone colors. IN-credible. I *think* I am going to go with Just-Us printers in Springdale. YES! Brett Justus is client of Andrea's, the loan officer whose portfolio I was responsible for. Good times.

I got a call from Mark Martinez tonight. He used to be the man we worked for at Outback. What a terror. There were definitely moments, hours, days when he made us hate our jobs, sometimes ourselves. But for some reason he has this undying loyalty to his employees (well, those he likes). If you are so lucky to win his favor, you love him reciprocally. Dysfunctional? Yes. But, hey, it's times like these crazy relationships like ours come in handy. He needs someone to do "admin" for the restaurant he recently opened called Louie's. Admin = figuring out tipshares, payroll, scheduling (possibly). It just-so happens that finance is one of those things I am good at. This will give me expertise in the realm of payroll I've never had. It's part-time, and right now is a great time to get started. Mark is on summer break, so he'll watch Abe for the time being. We'll see if it's going to be a blessing or too much of a hassle.

Here's to full nights of sleep, fun projects and possibly a little cash money!

cámara

Thanks to Great Grandma Stamerjohn (Abe's paternally maternal great grandmother), we have a new camera! And it got the thumbs up from Randy. Sweet. Canon Powershot! Peace.