Sew Fun!

I have been having a ball lately sewing gifts for a friends baby shower. The shower was last weekend (I know I'm late putting up pics, busy week). I have had an enormous number of custom orders from the store, so I've had to steal minutes here and there for fun baby sewing.

I have embroidered, appliqued, made up new patterns, and played with adorable boy prints. I love customized gifts. They mean so much more when someone puts their love and effort into them. Some of my favorite gifts over the years have been handmade. A painting, a quilt, an afghan, all so lovely. I remember those gifts very clearly. Hopefully she loves handmade items as much as I do.

Did I mention she is having a boy? This is particularly fun for me, because I have a new girl. I love being able to do projects for both! As luck would have it, another friend of mine is having a boy soon too. So I get to make even more fun boy stuff. Both moms are going to be cloth diapering--Woo hoo! Grizzly doesn't understand why I get so excited about this, but it means more people who will kinda sorta understand my passion.

So, here are my fun baby gifts!

Ok. First up is a Grab Rag! Britches loves hers. It's the "can't get it away from her" kind of love. I designed and embroidered the little man's name on bamboo velour and sewed it up with a cute cotton print and ribbons. I make cloth wipes with the same materials, so it is perfect to use as burp cloth, chew toy, or any other whoops rag. Plus, it's pretty the boy equivalent of pretty.

Next is from a scrap from the Grab Rag, an appliqued t-shirt. I love the little ties on shirts.

Another scrap from the Grab Rag is this Grab Ball. I looked at a beach ball and thought, "Yep, I can make that." It is actually 6 leaf shapes sewn together with ribbon. Not nearly as difficult as it first appears.

Here is a wipes pouch. I love to keep things organized. That way when I am searching for wipes in a panic, Tater can say "It's in the bag labeled WIPES mom, geez." This is a simple pouch made like an envelope. (It's lined with firefighter fabric, you will eventually see a pattern)

Wipes. Boring, but oh so useful. I swear you can never have enough.

More wipes. Seriously, never enough...

A matching changing mat is so necessary. I made this with PUL, cotton, and hidden fleece (to make it squishier). Because I had to play with my embroidery software and machine, I made a cute baby too, with a little A on his helmet.

Here is my favorite! I love this wetbag, it does everything. Well, not everything, but more than you can ask of a wetbag. It has the nice large wet pocket, plus a dry pocket, plus a shoulder strap, plus it's shrinkable. I will do an entire post on the evolution of this bag later. But for now, isn't it pretty.

Here is a newborn fitted. It is so tiny and squishy! It's all bamboo with a knit outer. It almost makes me want another... Almost...

Here is a one size all-in-2. Bamboo velour inside so it's soft.

And my favorite diaper. This is an impossible to find print. I even talked to the designer trying to find more, even she doesn't have a scrap left. Needless to say, I'm glad it turned out!

Here is the whole shebang! I threw in some wipe cubes and organic coconut oil too. Did you know that coconut oil works wonders on diaper rash? It does! Hopefully she likes them as much as I do. Even if she doesn't, I have really loved making everything.

I need to get to work for the other new little boy now. I can't wait to cut into the motorcycle fabric I have saved for him!

Babywearing Love

First of all, the people I see on my way to and from the post office are so nice. Just had to say that and send them another thank you...

I wear Britches daily, but especially whenever we are running errands. I am recovering from a long illness, so I do not have the strength to schlep that giant and ridiculously heavy car seat everywhere. Britches is not a fan of sitting down anyway, so wearing her keeps the screaming at bay makes much more sense. I love the hands free option too. I don't know how I would manage carrying a package and dealing with a car seat or stroller.

Back to the post office. Every time I go to the post office, I have multiple people ask if I need help. Whether it is carrying her or my package, opening doors, juggling, etc. I always say "No thank you!" But it is very nice to have them offer. It renews my faith in people to have someone be courteous enough to actually offer help. It just doesn't happen as much as it should.

I don't think new moms quite understand the benefits of a good carrier, whether it be a stretchy wrap, woven wrap, soft-structured carrier, mei tai, ring sling, etc. They are so convenient, especially if you have older children running around. I love being able to hold Britches and give her cuddle time, and still be able to have my hands free to write blog posts! get things done.

I do have to admit, I cringe every time I see someone using a Bjorn or wearing a baby in an unsafe way. If you google Bjorn (or visit any babywearing board--they will happily educate you), you will see that they are horrible, no good, evil not the best choice for a baby's spine, stimulation level, or mom's back/shoulders. If you would like a good carrier, definitely check out The Babywearer, they have a swap board with amazing deals! Babycenter has a babywearing swap board too, that I have purchased many, many, many wraps from.

My current favorite carriers are my Dolcino Jamaica, Storchenwiege Anna, Didymos Lila shorty, and a Sweetpea Ring Sling. I have a few other wraps (I will not divulge how many wraps I have to Grizzly under any circumstances, including torture) and a Babyhawk mei tai too. I will go into more detail later, but here is the abridged version.

My first wrap was a stretchy wrap (Sleepywrap) and it was great! I had a ring sling with Tater, but wraps are a different beast. Britches was a preemie, so the stretchy was perfect to keep her close.

My first woven was a Dolcino, and it was an excellent choice. They are soft and squishy right out of the package. Used wraps are fantastic though. I would always prefer a broken in wrap to a new one. My favorite Dolcino is a 5.2 and long enough for every carry. She has major sleepydust too.

I tried several other wraps and then found Anna. I was in love with the first wrapping session. She molded perfectly.

I've had my ring sling for some time now. I did a lot of research before purchasing one. I needed something for quick trips, that I could nurse in, and with a comfy shoulder. I am happy with this one. It came up on a swap board and was so pretty, so I had to get it. I do like the Sweet pea shoulder, but might have to try a few others to be sure--wink.

Because I liked the ring sling and wraps so much, I became shorty curious. A shorty is simply a short wrap. The benefit is being able to do some basic wraps, but also being able to rebozo (basically what a ring sling does but with a slipknot). For me it is great! I still like my longer wraps if I am going to be carrying Britches for long periods of time, but Lila is so comfortable.

Beware, it is addicting. I am pretty content with my stash. I will be adding a couple more for summer months, and trading the ones I don't reach for anymore. That is the great thing about them, if it doesn't work for you, you can always trade.

Update: $100 Challenge

I have an update to my $100 Challenge! I have recently tried a couple more options that I think everyone should know about.

First up are Alvababy diapers. These are similar to Sunbaby diapers. I find the fit a little larger, so they might be better if you are starting with an older baby. They are very affordable. I found a 20 diaper package for $84.00 and free shipping. 20 diapers should be enough for every other day washings for many babies (not my lovely frequent wetter though).

Here is the link: alvababy.com

Next up is an ultra affordable option, 60 flannel prefolds for $29.95. 50 cents a diaper! Unbelievable. Free shipping again too. I thought these were too good to be true when I ordered them, but they work! I live by the idea that you can never have enough prefolds, but this will get you close. I have used them with a snappi, folded in a cover, stuffed in pockets, as a soaker in all-in-2s. They are so useful. They are a made from a few layers of flannel and are fairly thin, so heavy wetters might need 2 diapers to be effective. A couple of mine frayed a bit on the edge, but it didn't change the effectiveness of the diaper. You can't beat this deal! Pair them with 4 diaper covers of your choice (econobums, thirsties, etc. can be found on Amazon too), and you are good to go. Here is the link: amazon super cheap prefolds

I will keep trying more options and passing on anything I find worthwhile. Remember, I have personally used each of these options, so they do work for me. Hope this helps!

No Poo

Sample conversation:

"Hello"

"Hello"

"Do you like my hat?"

"I do not like your hat."

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

--Sorry, got sidetracked by Go, Dog, Go...

To the real sample conversation:

Random person: "Your hair looks great. What shampoo do you use?"

Me: "I don't use shampoo or conditioner."

Random person: "You don't use shampoo? Seriously? Eww."

That is the reaction I normally get from people when they find out I use the no poo method. No poo means "no shampoo." It's not that I don't shower or clean myself up, I am a very clean person. No poo is a natural hair cleansing method. And I must say, it works wonders too!

The science behind it: Modern shampoo strips hair of its natural oils. The more you strip your hair, the more oil it will produce to compensate. Hence, oily hair. You'd think that not shampooing your hair would leave you with an oil slick, but that is not the case. No poo uses natural products to cleanse, but maintain your hairs natural pH balance. The end result is naturally beautiful hair.

My no poo method:

(Remember this is what I do; if it doesn't work for you, please do not yell at me)

It is a basic 1 Tbs. to 1 Cup recipe

What you'll need: (The picture to the right is my actual bathroom counter and what I use.)

1 Tbs. Baking Soda

1 Tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar

Water

2 Cups, bottles, or other liquid containing devices

Put 1 Tbs. baking soda in your liquid containing device and fill the rest of the cup (1 cup) with water.

Put 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar in your liquid containing device and fill the rest of the cup (1 cup) with water.

Pour the baking soda mix over your hair (this is done in the shower) and work it into your scalp and the rest of your hair. I concentrate on the center of my part and the front part because that is where I get the oiliest.

Let it sit for a minute and then rinse thoroughly.

Pour the ACV mix over your hair and let it sit for a minute.

Rinse thoroughly.

That is it. Simple huh?

I brush my hair when I get out of the shower and let it air-dry. If you play with your hair, it will get dirty quicker from the oils and gunk on your hands.

I usually do this routine once or twice a week. You can just rinse with water during your in-between showers, but I keep mine dry pretty often too.

Here is why more people don't do it: There is a detox period. Your hair has to rebalance to get back to its natural state. Mine was only about 2 weeks, but some people have a 6 week period. Honestly, I barely even noticed during my detox period. Grizzly didn't even notice I was doing something different at that point. The easiest way to deal with the detox is just replace your shampoo routine with the BS and ACV routine. Then go an extra day between, then 2 extra days, etc.

There are a lot of ways to personalize your no poo routine too. You can add extra BS for oily hair, extra ACV for dry hair, honey for dry hair, all sorts of essential oils, etc. I have several recipes I'll be trying in the coming weeks, so check back to see how they turn out. Overall the basic version works really well for me!

*Note: Grizzly LOVES it because it is CHEAP my hair appears to grow stronger, thus longer quicker.

**Extra note: I do have a liter of Biolage shampoo and a liter of Biolage conditioner in my bathtub right now that I used prior to switching and kept "in case of hair emergency," but have not needed it at all.

Supervillians Are Among Us!

Our economy is terrible, that is no secret. The environment is in major trouble. The world is pretty much falling apart, and we can't stop it. I do believe we can slow it down though. My mom and I have talked about this many times. We both agree that many people have developed a sense of entitlement. "I deserve that new car," "I earned that giant house," "I need that vacation in the Bahamas," etc.

Honestly in the world today, I am happy that I have a roof over my head and food on the table. I am fine with the fact that I had to shop the sales for that food and cook it from scratch. It is better for us anyway!

I am not trying to convert the masses, I just want to make sure everyone who wants to be is educated about the options. I don't hide that I prefer to do things in a more natural way. Yes I am the weird hippie mom! I am THAT mom who packs organic granola and flaxseed cookies for snacks, and tries to make everything before considering buying it (tries is the operative word here). Luckily many of those natural ways are also much cheaper. Cheaper + better for me + better for the environment = All winners!

A couple of examples here: OCM, no poo, natural homemade cleansers, cloth diapers, mama cloth, glass, family cloth, gardening, and so many more! I realize that not all of these are for everyone, and I was skeptical about a lot of the natural alternatives, but they are definitely worth looking into.

I am convinced that I could take a normal person, teach them a few natural alternatives, and cut a huge chunk out of their budget! Grizzly and I are probably saving $200-$300 a month by using our "hippie" methods.

Do people just not realize there are other options?

Do they not want to stray from the norm?

Are they secretly living as supervillians who want to throw away money and destroy the planet?

(That last one is a joke, well, mostly)

(Hehehe, supervillian --->)

The point is, there are natural alternatives to almost everything we do or use. I think it's worthwhile to consider them.

I will get down off my soapbox now. Carry on...

Operation: Princess

Operation: Princess made some progress this week. Not as much as I'd like, for health reasons, but progress none the less.

My mom and I wandered up to one of our favorite craft stores and found plenty of treasures! I was looking at fabric, as usual, while she made some fabulous paper finds. Remember the princess fabric? She found the matching paper! It is perfect! I had no idea that there was matching paper. I have so many ideas for this pack. Most of them involve my moms cricut machine. If you don't know what that is, it is awesome! It cuts out shapes for you. I realize that doesn't sound overly exciting, but there are some really cute shapes. They look clean and detailed too. She happens to have a princess cartridge for it. I am envisioning a sign that reads "Faerie Tale Theatre." Maybe some decoupage in there too!

She also found some adorable stamps: a castle and a crown. I don't know what to do with these yet, but the ideas will come. I am sure these will get plenty of use over the years.

I mistakenly did not get enough fabric to do a large wetbag out of my first batch, so I corrected that mistake.

Hopefully I am feeling up to working on it tomorrow. I would love to do more painting, but we'll have to wait and see.

Cloth Diapers: $100 Challenge

I am so excited! My husband doesn't understand how I can be jumping-out-of-my-skin-excited about diapers. Let alone diapers that I am not even going to use! Let me explain...

Some time ago, I was looking at cloth diapers. I was checking prices on prefolds, because you can never have enough. Seriously, they have so many uses. More about that later. I was looking at different options, when the thought that started all of this occurred to me, "I wonder how cheap I could cloth diaper a child?" It is nice to have a variety, but what if someone needed the most inexpensive option?

Then I thought, "I bet I could diaper a child for $100, birth to potty training." I took this as a challenge. The search was on. I started finding more and more options, and I started realizing that I could realistically do it. There are tons of options for making diapers out of old clothes, towels, sheets, etc. But so many people in my generation do not know how to sew or don't have access to a sewing machine, so I stuck with commercially available items that anyone could buy.

I am so excited about this because I truly believe it can help people. Whether you use cloth for financial, health, or environmental reasons, it is a great thing! We have so many low income families in my community, all over the country really. If people knew they could save thousands of dollars, I have to think they would do it. Added bonus: it is so much better for the baby and the environment!

Onto the challenge. I searched every store, every resource I knew. And. I. Did. It...

Here is how...

Note: I used mostly prefolds because they are cheap, easy to use, and last through many sizes. I have also used each of the other diapers listed (with the exception of Econobums covers, which will be here this week).

In the cart cart above, there are:

24 one size prefolds

7 one size covers

1 wetbag

Total: $96.75

This is enough to wash every other day, and should last from birth to potty training. This option even includes a wetbag. You could easily get by with this option and nothing else. Some will argue that "one size" won't fit newborns, but you can make them work if needed. Many One Size diapers fit my daughter at about 8 lbs.

Next option...

In this cart are:

2 one size pocket diapers

9 infant prefolds

12 premium prefolds

4 small covers

4 size 2 covers

Total: $128.50

Some of these are gently used, but I have had great luck with this company. This option would actually be done better if you purchased the small diapers, then sold those to buy the larger diapers. You do not need them all at once.

Next...

12 One Size Pocket Diapers

Total: $24.00

As you can see, this is a receipt not a cart. This one is elusive, so I used an example that I personally purchased. It is only available a couple times a year, but is well worth it. 12 One Size diapers for $24.00. You are reading that correctly. Pocket diapers are very easy too, similar to disposables. You can see I purchased 6 refresher kits with them, but I didn't even need them. These do not come with inserts, but you can stuff them with old towels if you need to (it works!).

Next...

24 Pocket Diapers

Total: $108.00

This is, again, enough diapers to wash every other day. These are also very easy to use. They use snaps, but go on like a disposables.

You can of course mix and match these options. Sunbaby has a $60.00 option for 12 diapers, and you could get 4 of the Econobum sets (12 prefolds and 4 covers) all for $107.80

If you use cloth wipes, that will save even more. Baby washcloths are an easy option. You can also cut up flannel ($2.49 per yard at Joann's right now), even old shirts. If you use these wipe options, you can easily cloth diaper a child for $100... Total, not a month!

I am taking brochures about this experiment to my local help center, baby closet, etc. Like I said, I genuinely believe this can help people. If this helps even one person, the time and energy I spend on this is well worth it...

*All items were found at Cottonbabies, Jillian's Drawers, and Sunbaby. There are many SWAP boards out there with inexpensive choices too; Diaperswappers and BBC CD SWAP are two that I have had great experiences with.

**New update here.