Shark

If I could, I would give every mom each one of these



And one of these


They have literally changed my life and that is NOT an overexaggeration. They are amazing. I love love love them. The steam mop does a fanastic job on the floors. I've used it on tile, laminate, hardwoods - all great. It's just as fast as a swiffer - without the overpowering scent of chemicals. It's definiltely the most efficient type of mop since the steam takes care of the elbow grease usually used with handwashing that a traditional mop lacks.

The handheld steamer is PERFECT. Ever find a spill that you weren't informed of? Or something sticky? Or... something all of use want to pretend we never find at our own homes? Yes, the steam is amazing for getting all that stuff up quickly. I used it to clean my refrigerator today, my least favorite of all chores. Not only was it so much quicker, but it made the job much more pleasent. I think my least favorite chore will be taking the trash out now because the steamers can't do that for me ;-).

Monday M.o.M. Review : Help

I know I review things on Mondays. But I've received lots of e-mails saying "everything ok??? You're so quiet lately"

I feel like I've been up to my eyeballs in work. Homeschooling 2 is much busier than homeschooling 1. And 5 kids is busier...especially since the baby has decided she's a mover and a shaker... oh and an eater? Everything goes in her mouth. Everything.

In fact, if you wonder if she has something there's one quick way to find out. Say her name. She does this little laugh she only makes when she has something in her mouth, and she then tries to crawl away quickly as she can. I know, I'm in trouble already.

So in an effort to always let you know "The How" of being a Momma of Many..... my review today is on Help. Yes. Help. Every so often, we get to a place where we all need it. And since we started school a month ago I'm really needing it.

Last week my lovely sister-in-law watched my 4 big kids so I could get in some power cleaning it is amazing what you can do when you aren't stopping every 5 minutes, and my mother in law washed a basket of the kids clothes too! Talk about help!

I finally decided I needed to get serious about having a mother's helper around. A girl from our new homeschool co-op is going to start coming on Mondays - starting today! She'll play with the kids for a while so I can do the same power cleaning. I'm hoping that this is going to keep us up to date with all my other time spent on homeschooling.

It used to be really hard for me to ask for help. I guess I felt like I should be able to "do it all." I think that I have to recognize the limitations of being only one person and that no one expects me to do the impossible... except for maybe myself, I expect that of myself quite often.

However, one of the many key points I took away from the retreat I went on during the session on creating a peaceful home is that "Clutter is worse than dust." Amen and amen to that. I've always known it, and I'm always trying to find ways to be more organized. I think the key is to finally just start getting rid of things. If we don't use it, give it away. If it's been broken and not been fixed for more than a month - throw it out.

I'm slowly working on the clothing situation. I really liked Brietta's lists she shared for approximately how many clothes she keeps in the house for each child. A very practical list. I also liked the suggestion of having things in outfits. Too many "mix and match" items suddenly creates a closet full of clothes - lots of possibilities yes, but also lots of laundry.

So... maybe you don't need help getting back on track, maybe you need help with a project, or a question. Today, make an effort to reach out for what you need. I know that friends and loved ones love to help, I should have realized that a long time ago.

Monday M.o.M. Review : I found the Ultimate Prefolds

There are two types of cloth diapering moms.

The first mom has more than she needs, so that she is never without a diaper and is comfortably washing every so often, even without running out of diapers.

The second is the mom who has just enough.. or almost just enough. This mom feels like she just finished washing and is turning around to throw them in the wash again.

I am both of those moms. I am mom #1 for Shiloh, she has plenty as she still easily fits into and uses our flats.

I am mom #2 for Liam. This boy is a super soaker, and it's been hard to find diapers that are large enough and absorbent enough for him. I mentioned how much I love Baby Beehinds Bamboo Fitteds. They fit him great and are very absorbent, but on the higher end for price (although they are a one size fitted, and I do think they're worth it).

I finally decided I was tired of running out of diapers for him and trying to desperately wash and dry before he was running around pantsless. So I thought prefolds will be an inexpensive way to increase our stash, and I can use them during his awake times. My experience with toddler prefolds and my oldest two when they were diapered was unimpressive. They were absorbent, but would be saturated by morning and very bulky after quilting up. But I figured for an hour or two while Liam was awake it should suffice.

My favorite seller of prefolds is an ebay seller. Her username is granitesmith. She has fantastically low prices, great customer services, fast shipping, and good products. I noticed that since I last bought prefolds they had a new kind they had specifically manufactured for softness, durability, absorbency, and resistance to pilling. They're also supposed to be the heaviest toddler prefold on the market.

Let me tell you - the description is beyond accurate. These prefolds don't quilt up much and they are snuggly soft. They are nice and trim (in contrast my previous experience with prefolds on toddlers) and they amazingly absorbent. I was shocked at the first diaper change that Liam's diaper hardly appeared to be wet. I used one for nap time before I was brave enough to try one out for the night. After using it for the night I couldn't even believe it. While other diapers are usually wet to their maximum absorbency these prefolds were still dry in places - and I only used one for night time! They are easily snappiable and I highly recommend them.

Monday M.o.M. Review : Canon MP610 All in One Printer

After our first year of Kindergarten last school year it became evident quickly that we needed a good printer/scanner/copier for numerous reasons. I did quick research on Consumer Reports, then read the reviews on Amazon for their quick pick, and we bought this :



The Canon MP610 Printer/Copier/Scanner. We've had it for several months now and I am so very happy. It prints and copies quickly and high quality.

The copier has numerous neat features, like copying and repeating down the page just one section of the original document you scanned. Really neat if you have a handwriting page that you want your child to practice just one part of.

Also, you can copy out of a book and take away the black outline where the book doesn't fill in on the copier - do you know what I mean??

All in all, we are very happy. I would recommend this printer to everyone!

Monday M.o.M. Review : Zingo!

A told you about a game the other week the my kids like to play. Here's another one that they all enjoy to play together. It's one that my 2 year old needs a little assistance with, but the other kids are able to give him the help he needs with it. So it's another one the four of them can play together and have a good time without needing a "grown up" to explain it to them the whole game.

Everyone gets a board with 9 squares. Each square has a picture with the word to help with word recognition. We play the first one to fill up their card yells "ZINGO!" and wins :-) Each child likes to take a turn doling out the Zingo pieces as they play several rounds. Lots of fun! 2 thumbs way up from this family!

Review anyone?

So after my very specific

it's going to be a good one!

I neglected it! Agh! What is happening? Well, I have to say - I just got so giddy yesterday with the new blog look and editing details, etc. If you've noticed that ALL the links to blogs I read are down - it's not forever!! I will be putting links back up.

In any case, hang on to your hats. I'm excited about this :-)

I like to use reusable grocery bags. I would love to take the time to make some for myself but at this point in my life, it's not happening. Not soon anyway. I bought a few from our local large grocery chain, the Big W for those of you locals, that I'm not totally thrilled with but they aren't terrible either. In any case, I have trouble remembering them. I try to fold them in a way to fit them somewhere in my car that is convenient. And yet, somehow I'm still acquiring hundreds of those little plastic bags a month.

I have made a discovery that I'm so excited about, I gave a demonstration on the spot in the Big W in our town to interested folks around me when they saw the bag in action.

These bags may change my life. I have found..... Flip and Tumble.

Flip and Tumble bags are cute, functional, WASHABLE, and the same size as one of those plastic grocery bags all wadded up!

When I received it and opened it I thought "Oh, I will never get this folded again" until I learned there's no folding! Just scrunch it up!

This bag can easily be stored in my car without taking up a lot of room. It's also small enough to fit in my purse or diaper bag. I especially love the washable factor and that there's a little pad sewn onto the strap to make it more comfortable on your shoulder.

If you aren't excited yet, then here's more fun: Flip and Tumble is sending me product to give away!! So make sure you come back, as soon as they arrive the fun will begin!

Tell me, should I just pick a winner(s) at random? Or should there be some sort of winner of best contest entry? Like, most embarrassing grocery store story?

Monday M.o.M. Review : Hullabaloo

About two months ago we had a play date at a friend's house. Her kids introduced mine to Hullabaloo.



This game is great! Not only can the kids set it up and play it without any adult help, even our 23 month old plays along! The box says for 4 and up. Our 3 year old can play this just fine.

It helps reinforce shapes and colors. And it's fun for my older kids because of instructions like "Fly like a plane to a triangle." and "Keep your foot on a circle and put your elbow on a square."

The real giggles come out when a winner is instructed to "Do a funky dance!" All the kids join in the funky dance and lots of cheering.

The little guy doesn't really know how to follow the instructions but just jumps from pad to pad as he sees his older siblings do. He also understands the funky dance part.

Anything that can entertain four kids ages 23 months - 6 gets two thumbs way up from me!

Monday M.o.M. Review : Fisher-Price Rainforest High Chair

Without much of Monday left, I'm still getting my review up here in time :-) Unless of coures you live on the west coast in which there's still a few hours of Monday left.

Today I wanted to share with you one of the best baby purchases we've made.

I

We had a high chair given to us that lasted through our first 3 kids. At that point I believe it was about 18 years old and it had bit the dust.

Somehow we managed to use just booster seats with Liam as he was older, but it was inconvenient.

When Shiloh was born people asked what we could use, and instead of saying "oh.. nothing really" and then receiving a plethora of newborn size clothing, I told our family that I was going to combine gift cards to get a new high chair. A good lesson to learn is that if people want to bless you, let them. It is not their fault if you say "Oh nothing" and then they give you something that you don't need.

So once we had enough gift cards I went and picked this high chair up.

Now, Shiloh is still being exclusively breastfed. But we have used this high chair since she was just a little peanut because it can recline! It cleans up great, both the chair itself and the padding. It's easy to adjust, and 5 stars from me for being able to adjust the tray with only one hand! Because you know you don't always have 2 hands free to be able to fiddle with a tray.



It was great to have her around the family during the day when she was little, and I was able to get some things done while knowing she was safe from the siblings who wanted to be with her constantly.. like this guy:


The toys that attach to the tray are great! She LOVES them! The little tiger is great because she can throw it and it won't go anywhere. And she likes the little tree toy that attaches with the lights and music.



It's one of the few places she tolerates being "confined" to these days :-) And the best part is, we all love that we can pull the chair up to the table so she can be a part of the family dinner, and she has been able to since she was born!!



If you're going to buy a high chair, I love this one. I love it so much I've been thinking of getting one for my mother's house and my mother-in-law's house! It's a great investment!

Monday M.o.M. Review : In the Kitchen

Some of you may know that last fall I signed up as a consultant for The Pampered Chef. I worked pretty hard at it in the first few months, mainly because there was a promotion to earn free cookware! In total, I earned I think almost $900 worth of free kitchen products. Not a bad deal.

I thought today, I would share with you some all time kitchen "must haves" in my opinion! Because everyone needs life a little easier, why not easier in the kitchen?

The can strainer. This is $4.00 and totally worth it. I used to push the lid into the can while draining to prevent the contents from spilling out, until someone suggested to me the who-knows-what-grime that's on the outside of the can coming in contact with the food. You can also invert the strainer the opposite way shown in the picture to use to drain cans of tuna.

The smooth edge can opener. This one has relieved me. I don't like to admit it, but toddlers are experimental with the garbage can. Sometimes... there are curious things in the trash, like opened cans. I like not having to worry about kids (or myself!) cutting themselves on the edge of an open can.

The Garlic Press. This garlic press is truly the best. I had gone through 3 others before I got this one, and I'll never get another kind again! It's awesome. Did you know that pressing the garlic releases the oils as opposed to mincing the garlic? You'll get better flavor when you press it. Plus, this comes with a handy dandy cleaning tool for quick washing up. (we use LOTS of garlic in this house)

The Food Chopper. I know someone who uses her food chopper several times a day. I'm not quite that faithful to my food chopper and occasionally chop the old fashioned way. But this one is GREAT when you have lots of prep to do. Talk about shortening your time down. Not to mention my favorite use for the food chopper is when doing any cooking with the kids. It's a totally safe way for them to participate in cooking and I don't worry about them getting hurt.

Last, but certainly not least - the biggest time saving investment for my kitchen of all time - the Executive Cookware. I know, it's pricey but I literally spend 2 minutes or LESS washing these things. I absolutely detest scrubbing pots and pans for an hour after dinner. The real test was one night when I thought I washed all the dishes, but forgot the pot on the stove which had leftover sauce, pasta and meatballs. The next morning it was crusted on. I took a paper towel, wiped almost all of it off, a quick rinse took care of the leftovers - then just swished a soapy sponge around and it was done. In 2 minutes! You can always earn it for free, if you need good pots and pans - these are the ones!

So there you have it. My absolute favorite kitchen items that make cooking fun and easy!

What is your favorite kitchen tool?

Monday M.o.M. Review : Galloping The Globe

By a real life person I was told "Not everyone is interested in cloth diapering." For real? There are people out there not interested? I'm shocked.

So today, I'll hit another demographic... homeschoolers ;-) (and if someone says "Not everyone is interested in homeschooling" I'll just die of surprise!)




Galloping the Globe is a book my Mom recommended to me a few months back. This is one that is going to be on our shelves 'till it falls apart! It's an excellent source for Geography Unit Studies. With activities and book recommendations as simple enough for our preschooler to join in with through 4th grade. I'm betting that you crafty, homeschooling moms could use it for even more years than that.

You can use Galloping the Globe by itself as curriculum, unit study style, for :

Geography
Science
Bible
History
Literature

Or you could use it to supplement curriculum you're already using. There's a wealth of information, and the layout is very straightforward (5 stars from me for that!)

The majority of literature lists have been available through our local Public Library. There are reproducible sheets in there if you want to be able to use the book for multiple years, which I highly recommend as there is no way you can get all the literature and studies done in just one year.

This book is filled with lots of fun activity and game ideas as you study country by country around the world.

I think it's a must have for every homeschooling family, and for $16.47 how can you beat that?! It's worth far more.

We've been very happy with Galloping the Globe. The kids love the books we've read and activities we've done, and even I've been learning lots of things along the way (I know.. you're thinking, "Already? Shouldn't you have Kindergarten level material down?").

The best part? Everyone has had fun learning.

Monday M.o.M. Review : Regular vs. Organic

I have to say I feel like this review is almost cheating a little, because I already told you about my favorite cloth wipes, Kissauvs. But I want to be sure to let you know about a little difference I discovered, so you don't make the mistake I did.

I went to order more of my favorite wipes, and the store I ordered them only had the Organic Kissaluv wipes in stock. So I thought, why not? It's a pinch more expensive, but hey.. organic just makes it even better right?

It turns out, that the organic wipes are not the same wipes at all. They are not only different in name (one being organic, one not), but they are completely different types of terry.

The original Kissaluv wipe is thick, plush, with long loops of burley knit terry. The Organic Kissaluv wipe is thiner, with very, very small loop terry - like a french terry, maybe finer. The whole wipe in comparison is not one I'd pick for scrubbing icky toddler bottoms :-)

I took a picture to try to show you the differences.

Essentially, they have three things in common : 1) they're both by Kissaluv 2) they're both about the same size 3) they're both unbleached.



Other than that, you don't get more bang for your buck this time.

Monday M.o.M. Review : KozyDesigns

For the next few weeks I think my reviews will be cloth diaper focused. I've been getting lots of questions cloth diaper related, and I'm happy to address them here. Tomorrow I'm going to be putting up some pictures for using flats on an older/bigger child.

Today I wanted to share with you some GREAT wool covers I just discovered by KozyDesigns

Their e-bay store has lots and lots of choices for both shorties and longies and covers. On top of their designs being absolutely adorable, they are well made, great fit, very soft snuggly wool, and nice and light weight.

I ordered a cover in Medium for Shiloh and Large for Liam. These were good size choices for them. Liam's are a little snug around his chunky thighs but that's because there is some decorative edging around the legs. He can still wear it comfortably and if I was to order another I'd just be sure to get one that has ribbing around the legs only, nothing decorative.

The covers come lanolized for you already so you can just take them out of the package and start using them right away! KozyDesigns shipped my covers immediately and I got them very quickly. The prices are very reasonable for new wool covers (especially for being embellished covers!) and the shipping costs were very low. It's $2.50 for shipping one item and $1.00 for each additional item.

Here's Liam sporting his new little Bumble Bee KozyDesign!

Swim Pretty!

Can I tell you how excited I am that these t-shirt swim suits are "in" for summer this year? On top of being adorable, UPF 40, and inexpensive...

They're not raunchy!

Hooray for a swimwear fad that isn't skimpy. Old Navy had these ones on sale for $10! So here the girls are sporting their new matching swimwear.

Shiloh too!!

As my sister Sarah and I like to say.... Modest is Hottest!

So far I've seen Old Navy, LL Bean, and Lands End has these. Feel free to list any other stores you know that carry them!

M.o.M. Review/Cloth Diapering Guide Pt. 4

These are your grandmother's diapers.


The opposite seems to be the ultimate cliche of modern cloth diapers (ie"not your grandma's diapers"). Recently a friend and I were discussing how many mothers who cloth diaper for several years end up drifting back to good ol' grandma's recommendations - something you'd use with pins and with wool covers.

Recently, I was lurking on an online forum discussing a 1 week challenge different mom's were participating in and posting pictures of - 1 week in prefolds only. Prefolds or flat diapers were the only ones allowed, pins or snappis optional.

I was curious. So I watched. All of a sudden, mothers writing about using flats on their toddlers caught my attention. I always thought flats were a waste of cotton. They weren't absorbent enough, why would anyone use them?

So my curiosity got the better of me. If they worked on numerous toddlers certainly they'd work for my newborn. I found a dozen of them for $10 ppd and thought I could use them to extend my diapering stash. I mean, that's a great way for so little money!

I have to say. I am shocked. Flat prefolds are all the rage in my house. Flat is the new fitted.

If you know HOW to fold them, you will be amazed at their effectiveness! I will occasionally use 2 together when I need extra absorbency (overnight). But 2 flats together in comparison to 2 prefolds together? No contest. Bulky clothing not required.

A friend of mine has told me how she's considered cloth diapering for years, but disliked bulky diapered bottoms. 2 flats are so trim I'd challenge them to be beaten by even the most modern pocket diapering system.

If you have a super soaker, like my 20 m.o., instead of doubling up on the flats you can use a Kissaluvs Super Booster doubler with it. Talk about a cheap, effective diapering solution!

Flats dry so quickly in the dryer - ridiculously energy effecient. And of course, you can actually line dry these in record time. Most other diapers just can't be line dried - not quickly anyway.

One of the most fun parts of flat diapers? You can dye them yourself!! I plan on spending a day dying flats sometime this summer. FUN FUN FUN - and did I mention cheap?

So you want to switch to cloth, and just can't find the money? These cost the same as a package of disposables. How can you not?

What do you all think, would you like a picture tutorial of my favorite flat diaper fold?

Cloth Diapering Guide Part 3 : The nighttime diaper

I was recently written a note asking the question of the night time cloth diaper.

"I hope you don't mind I may need to tap into your cloth diapering expertise. I typically change my baby* at least once at night (usually at the 2 am feeding) If I use cloth diapers, even with two inserts his little onesie still seems to get a little wet. What do you do for night time? Currently I am using the bumGenius diapers from Cottonbabies; maybe a different brand would work better for night time?"

*name changed for privacy

There are two ways to approach this. The first is to use what you have, only modifying your system a little. The second is to use my favorite diaper for night time :-) (ok, it's just my all around favorite cloth diaper.)

-------------------
Working with what you have

The microfiber cloth inserts from Cotton Babies, Mother of Eden, and other retailers has never been absorbent enough for my children. I did have much better success if I would use 1 hemp and 1 microfiber together instead of 2 hemp or 2 microfiber.

Why 1 of each? While hemp absorbs more, microfiber absorbs more quickly. The combination together is the beautiful blend of science and nature. (plus it helps cut down on the bulk of 2 microfiber inserts!)

So if you want to keep using your bumGenius, I'd suggest using 1 insert microfiber + 1 hemp insert. Fortunately buying 2 or 3 hemp inserts for nighttime is rather inexpensive compared to buying a whole new diapering system.

While we're at it - if you're going to buy hemp, buy an insert (or doubler, or prefold) that is made from hemp fleece. It's slightly more absorbent than it's other hemp family members.

-------------------------
Now my all around favorite cloth diaper. I have to say that although I loved pocket diapers as a brand new cloth diapering mom years and years ago with my first I've started steering clear of them.

I have long thought the idea of a one-size fitted diaper was a great one, but never found one absorbent enough for a little baby through night time - let alone a toddler!

Well, I hope you're sitting down because you're going to be amazed!

Baby Beehinds Bamboo. That's right. It's a one-size fitted, that fits my little 3 month old Shiloh wonderfully without looking bulky at all, and it fits my husky sized 20 month old perfectly also. Liam (20 m.o.) is wearing a 3 T in pants to give you an idea for size.

What's amazing about this diaper is that Liam, who has been by far my heaviest wetter (having leaking problems with disposables also for soaking through them!), wore it for 16 hours last night and it wasn't totally soaked when he got up! (sorry Tara, I almost left out how many hours for you... but it helps prove the point of how well it works)

Bamboo is very absorbent but ultra trim. The neat design of this diaper is that it has 2 snap in soakers so you can position them where your child needs the extra absorption the most. And because of the snap in soakers, you get 14 layers of bamboo - that's right, 14!

Now, Bamboo does take a while to dry in the dryer. But the unique design of Baby Beehinds with the snap in soakers helps it to dry more quickly since all the layers are not sewn together trapping all the moisture in.

The price of this diaper is enough to shock you. It's $22.50 individually (small price breaks for greater quantities). But remember that you aren't buying multiple sizes and it is fantastic. After so many years of cloth diapering I can tell you - this one is really worth the money.

But, if you need a diaper that will hold through a 16 hour night with a super soaker baby.. well.. Baby Beehinds Bamboo is for you(r child).

Note to buyers : If you do end up purchasing this diaper, and it's your first diaper made from bamboo, be sure to know it needs to be washed and dried a few times before reaching it's full potential for absorbency. (Just in case you think after 1 wash- hey, this doesn't work as well as she said!)

Cloth Diapering Guide Part 2 : More Starting Tips and Cloth Wipes

I remember when I made the switch over to cloth diapering with my first son. It felt like it should be all or nothing. I did reading and reading, although 6 years ago there weren't quite as many choices as there are now. Now there are not only dozens of brands of pocket diapers, but then you have small WAHM shops that sell their own version of the name brands, and so on. No matter what I read, there were about a zillion differing ideas on every aspect of cloth diapering.

Here are the important things to remember :

1. it's about creating a system that works for your family. This does not mean buying 2 dozen of one brand just to discover you don't like it. I highly, highly recommend buying 1 diaper to see if you like it rather than seeing this happen : you buy a bunch, wash them all.. discover they do NOT work for your family and you sell them all almost practically new at a huge loss. Yes, you save a few dollars per diaper if you buy a big package. Just be sure you like them first! You can try out diapers used by buying off of e-bay or swaps, or even looking at online retailers for Second Quality diapers at a reduced rate. I just bought a bunch of diapers that I found worked GREAT for Liam - ones that both fit him well and are absorbent enough, and you can't even tell they're second quality. I can't even tell what's wrong with them. But that's a tangent...

2. One step at a time is OK. When I first tried cloth diapering, I bought enough diapers to last us for 3 days, cloth wipes, and a diaper pail I was told was great for cloth diapering. It turned out I disliked every single thing I got except for 1 brand of diaper. So I sold it all that I could get a decent amount back for, and continued to use the diaper pail and wipes even though I didn't really like them. Just because you're cloth diapering doesn't mean it has to be full time right away (be sure to read part 1 of my guide to know what I mean) and using all accessories
right away.

With those two things out of the way here are some answers to questions I was e-mailed after writing part 1.

-What about cloth wipes?
-Can you make your own cloth wipes using a standard home sewing machine?
-What about wipes solutions?
-How do you store dirty diapers at home?
-What about dirty cloth diapers when you're out?
-Do snuggly soft diapers stay soft?
-What detergent should I use?

I'm going to answer the first 2 questions today and the rest later in the guide. Send more questions if you have them!!!

I love what Tara wrote about cloth wipes, because it summed up how I felt about them and how much better they work : "For some reason, after I overcame the thought of using cloth diapers being gross, I still thought cloth wipes were gross. Not sure why this was. However, it only makes sense. Why separate disposable wipes from your cloth diapers before you put them in the pail? With cloth ones, you can throw everything in the wash. Plus, they work way better. In my experience, I use far less cloth wipes per change than disposables."

I would suggest that if you are currently a disposable diaper user tackle the issue of using diapers first. Which ones you like, finding the system that works well. Especially if making the initial investment is more difficult financially, you'll save money more quickly by switching to cloth diapers than with wipes. However, it is estimated that $800 is spent on disposable wipes alone per child. That is significant once it's all added up.

So when you're ready to tackle switching to cloth wipes here is what I recommend. If you are used to using disposable wipes, don't buy cloth wipes that are smaller than what you're used to using. Little 4x4 squares are going to annoy you! 8x8 is a great size.

Lots of materials work well and I have found that a lot is based on preference. But if you don't know what material to use what are important factors? Pretty much just size and price. As far as softness goes... save softness for your diapers. You need something that is going to clean up the worst of messes!!! I recently ordered some bumGenius wipes at a GREAT sale price and was so impressed with their snuggly softness, thinking I'd love them on my newborn. But after 1 washing they felt like just ordinary terry. So they do work well but for the regular price for bamboo wipes I'd say... don't bother. Good size and good price are what you're going for here. Personally, I like 1 layer wipes as I think they're easier to use and I can fit more in a travel container - but that's just me.

One thing I also have found in a preference for wipes is wipes with serged edges, not with ribbing or binding. The ribbing makes it difficult for needing to get in between chubby little baby leg rolls.

I just recently tried some wipes that not only are a good size, good price, but are a GREAT material. Good old Kissaluv's. They are 8x8. One size of the wipe is a smooth knit side of the fabric, but if you need a little extra scrubbing power the other side of the wipe is a long loop terry. It's only 1 layer of fabric, which is my favorite, but it's nice and plush. And due to the plush terry material you can fold it in half as an emergency extra doubler if needed. And at $0.99 per wipe, that's a great deal!! (if Adam is reading this - I know, I know!! Is it really $0.99???! You and your documentary have scarred my thoughts on good deals forever) I also discovered here a bundle of 5 Kissaluv wipes at $0.90 per wipe, plus I LOVE their Cleansing Greens Wipes Solution - so a good one stop shop. Although I'm going to stop there since I'm saving a review of wipes solutions for another day - as I'm testing out a new kind right now as well.

Can you make your own wipes? Well, zig-zagging the edges doesn't really cut it. You will have lots of fraying from my experience in trying to make flannel wipes. A serger is what you really need if you want to make your own wipes. I think that it may take more time than you're looking to spend in sewing ribbing/binding around the edges of your washies, which is how you could make washies using your home sewing machine. Although maybe you could find some way to bind washies that don't make the edges too thick.... if so, I will be happy to spread the word!!! :-)

You can cut microfleece into wipes without having to do any sewing. The fleece doesn't fray. While I'm personally not a fan of fleece wipes (I don't think it works well at cleaning really messy diapers), this may be a good option for you if you really have a desire to make your own wipes :-) You can often find scraps of fleece remnants for a pretty good price.

That being said.. I'd really like to own a serger someday to make my own wipes!!! :-)

So to reinforce the main points : size (around 8"x8") and price. Descriptions that say things like "snuggly soft" will appeal to that baby weak spot in your hormonal, mommy mind ;-) Just remember "size and price" Let me know what wipies you end up finding for good deals, I'll add them to the list!

Starting with my favorite :

Kissaluv wipes $0.99 each at Kelly's Closet or a bundle of 5 for $4.50 at Little Sprouts Diapers

M.O.M. Review: Nursing Pillows

I know, I'm not doing good for posting on Mondays.. :-)

I did not have a nursing pillow for my first baby. I didn't understand it's importance.

This is sort of a hard review to go by. The only nursing pillow I have had the experience of using is the Boppy pillow. So I'd like to use this opportunity to hear from other mothers who have used different brands of nursing pillows and why they like them. Because I think that first time Mom's might think that a nursing pillow isn't really important and I could not live without my Boppy now!

Speaking of my Boppy: I LOVE it and will list reasons why. When I was nursing my third baby I had terrible, almost crippling, tendinitis in both arms. Holding her weight up was almost unbearable, and having my arms bent in that 90 degree cradle hold was painful. With the nursing pillow not only could I rest my arms while nursing, but I could nurse her without using my arms to hold her.

So while I spend cumulative hours of each day nursing, I can nurse "arm free" and get some books read on my reading list as well!

I find it especially helpful for late feedings when you're very tired and nervous about nodding off, you don't have to worry about your arms falling down and dropping the baby!

It's also great to rest baby in, especially for a little while after feedings to help prevent spitting up their whole meal by having them propped up. Of course never leave your baby alone while resting on the pillow.

The Boppy is great for supporting babies while having tummy time playing.

I also love the Boppy for when babies aren't quite old enough to sit up on their own yet, to place them in the pillow to help them keep from wobbling right over while they practice excercising those baby abs!

So let me know what nursing pillows you use and like, and why you like them, so we can help pass on that helpful information to those who haven't used one!

The Average Joe's Quick Start to Cloth Diapering

This is part 1 of my cloth diapering guide for parents. I envision this being a multi-part series to share the knowledge I've learned over the years. And I'll put quickly in the top here that if there are any WAHMS that want me to try and review their products here for mothers, I'm more than happy to do so if you contact me. While I am a fan of some of the more popular cloth diapering products I've tried, I will say that I know there are lots of WAHM's with small businesses trying to get their products out there - and I am a BIG fan of promoting WAHMs and happy to give any good press that I can to help them gain recognition.

Part 1 - How can I get started, I already spend money on disposables?

The biggest hurdle for most parents with cloth diapering is the initial upfront cost. For many parents who are expecting a baby they are purchasing plenty of new baby gear but factor cloth diapering into the cost if they have made that decision.

If you were like me, you did not consider for a second the thought of laundering poopy diapers yourself - ew. Well, I'll save the explanation of why I ultimately became a cloth diapering mamma for another day.. but needless to say, here I am.

Most people who try cloth never go back. It's so convenient to always have what you need on hand, never to worry about "ack.. if I don't get to the store tonight we won't have any diapers tomorrow!" Not to mention the thousands of dollars you'll save.

But how do parents, who are already currently spending money constantly on disposable diapers, come up with money for cloth at the same time?

Second to that dilema is "Help? What do I start with??"

My solution helps solve both problems very, very simply. There are about as many choices for cloth diapers today as there are for flavors of yogurt, maybe even more. And the reason is not only to fit a variety of budgets, but a variety of family lifestyles, and all babies are different!

I have tried almost all the "major" cloth diaper brands that are out there. My friend Tara has done an excellent review on the different types of diapers out there, her review is more of the different types of systems there and not really of brands she likes. It's a very good read to give you an idea of the options out there!

Here is the easiest way to start up and discover what you like along the way.

The best diaper cover I have found has been Thirsties diaper covers. They are around $11.00 a cover, more or less depending on the store. And most stores have a price break when you purchase 3 or more.

If you can find a way to save up enough money for 2 covers and 12 infant prefolds (this will be approximately $42 if you buy all brand new items) you will be set to cloth diaper your baby for 2 days and can do part time cloth diapering. I recommend using a disposable at night since 1 infant prefold is usually not enough to get one of my babies, much less a toddler, through the night. However, even though prefolds are bulkier, and yes with cloth you will find your children's pants fit a little differently, they work very well for a few hours during the day (more or less time depending on how heavy your child wets when they go to the bathroom).

This is an infant prefold & a small thirsties cover

This is Shiloh modeling the infant prefold closed with a snappi. Many people say you need a snappi to use this system. I disagree. It's just one one more product to buy, and one more step to getting a cloth diaper on a wiggling baby when you already feel like you're all thumbs.

This is how I use the prefolds with a cover. I fold it into thirds and lie it down the center of the cover.

And this is what the above picture looks like once placed on Shiloh.

Now, that you're doing part time cloth diapering... you'll be coming up on your shopping day that normally includes diapers - only you won't need them. Hmm.. set that money ASIDE! Don't use it for something else, save it! If you find that you really are happy with the prefold system, and many people are - or are happy enough since prefolds are the cheapest cloth diapering system, once you've saved enough simply buy however many covers and diapers you want. The more you have - the less frequently you need to wash. Personally.. I like 4-5 covers. That usually has me washing ever 3 - 4 days with a little baby.

Here is Shiloh's fluffy little diaper bottom! She's getting tired of the photo shoot.

But wait, you say.. what about night time? I'm still using a disposable at night time. Here is a great, great, great thing that Tara introduced me to. I knew you could buy used cloth diapers on e-bay but this is far better.

Once a week on Thursdays, this forum has a Diaper Swap for CDing mom's. You can sell your new and or used diapers or swap them with mom's who are offering something that you want! I have both sold and swapped on here. It's GREAT! Because you're getting diapers much cheaper than you pay for at a store, and trying them out. If you don't like them you can list them back on the board for as much as you paid for them - which is rare with buying new from a store (sort of like cars... hmmm..interesting). Just click that link on Thursday and you'll see something titled "Thursday Swap" If you go on any other day of the week, the thread won't be there. But you can find it on a Thursday :-)

Once you find a particular brand you like, you can watch to try to see if you can find more of the same type used or as the weeks roll by and you're saving money with the cover/prefold system I suggested and setting it aside like I told you to - you better not be spending it, you'll never get totally out of disposables! - you can save up to buy a bulk package of your favorite diapers from a cloth diaper retailer online.

If you have a really heavy wetter, which happens with older babies/toddlers as they can hold their bladder longer and then really saturate a diaper when they pee, this time in prefold diapers may feel very long to you. Hang in there - since you're only using disposables at night... imagine how much longer that pack of diapers lasts you, think of how much money you will have saved by the end of one month?? And, doublers is a word that you'll experienced CDing mammas use. A doubler is essentially a rectangle (or hour glass, or oval shaped) of several layers of material sewn together. It "doubles" (or at least increases) the asorbency of the diaper you're using. Most diapers need a little help for night time use, and for some kids a doubler is essential for every diaper change - day or night! No 2 babies are the same - which is why there are so many types of cloth diapers out there. If you're struggling to make it through this time of using prefolds only - try buying a few doublers. You can find some really cheap used or even brand new isn't too pricey. I like these doublers a lot (but not their fitted diapers so much, although they have changed them since I last tried.... but I digress)

Speaking of doublers.... I've heard Kissaluv doublers work really well. They're about $2.99 each... and I thought.. hmmm... I wonder if you use 2 doublers in a cover without a diaper if that is equally as good as 1 kissaluv diaper. Only 2 doublers = $5.98 and 1 Kissaluv diaper = $11.00. I'm considering buying some Kissaluv doublers for the purpose of researching that thought to help my fellow cloth diapering Mamma in saving $$$. And also, this is an opportunity again for any WAHM if they've developed a good cloth diaper doubler to speak up and I'll test your doubler out and let the masses know (I'd rather help a WAHM get started than promote an already huge cloth diapering company.. not because I don't like the big company, but they'll continue to get lots of business... I'd like to help the little guy (or girl in this case!))

This is how Shiloh felt at the end of the picture taking process. :-)

M.o.M. Review: The Ultimate Wipes Warmer

So you thought I forgot. I took last week off and, well, this week I couldn'y get get my review in on Monday.

So this review is for cloth diapering mamma's.

I always said that a wipes warmer was an absolutely unneeded baby "accessory." Few times have I had to eat my words regarding my opinions on a product.... but this time is one of them.

If you use disposable wipes - just skip this. I think that disposable wipes being room temperature are just fine, and that you can completely get by without a warmer.

The other week I realized as I was waiting for the water to warm up coming out of my bathroom sink at 3 am (so that I could get our little baby washcloth wet to wipe Shiloh) that if I had a warmer... all my wipes could be pre-wet and nice and warm (So not to incur the wrath of my fiesty little baby in the middle of the night by using a cold wipe). Waiting for warm water to come out of the faucet in the middle of the night can take 3-5 minutes...AND... that meant that if we had 4 diaper changes through the night.. I could be saving myself 12-20 minutes each night! Wow that adds up to over 1 hour - 2 hours of sleep I could be getting more every week!

So I did it. I bought a warmer to use with our cloth wipes. I've been using it for a few weeks now and let me tell you - worth. every. penny.

It does a fantastic job keeping wipes moist and warm. I use my cloth wipes either with just water or Baby Bits solution (I got them free!).

I also have to say, I got it off e-bay for $20 and free shipping! So I felt even better about my splurge. Of course.. it's an investment in my rest, which means the rest of the family reaps the benefits of Mommy being well rested.

Since Shiloh is not our last baby (at least that we have planned, God is the one who ultimately decides) I don't feel guilty about purchasing a new piece of baby equipment for baby #5. Especially since said piece of equipment isn't hundreds of $$$.

So.. if you CD and use cloth wipes... it's not a neccessity... but this really is fantastic for in the middle of the night changes. Not to mention, I end up enjoying it all day long. Warm wipes really do such a great job at cleaning up more quickly. You also want to be sure to use the Prince Lionheart Ultimate Wipes Warmer as it will not dry out or brown your cloth wipes.

And on the note of CDing... Liam has been battling diaper rash terrible again and I decided.. I can do it. I can handle laundering cloth diapers for 2 babies and laundry for a family of 7. So I bought 2 covers for him to use with some prefolds & contours I already have.

And I think one of my upcoming posts will be how the average mom can easily, and affordably switch to cloth diapering.

Monday M.o.M. Review : Little Beatle Wool

This week, I was not going to be reviewing nursing pads. However, in the past week I have discovered a product that has changed my life. Sounds dramatic? It is. Nursing mothers who have experienced discomforts and difficulties can appreciate the drama. Nursing mothers who have had the need for any nursing pad will just appreciate this product as well.

Throw away your disposable pads and never look back.

I have been using cloth nursing pads for the last few years. I couldn't stand the disposable ones when I nursed my first baby. I found them unbearably uncomfortable. I tried a number of different types. When I went to our local Babies R Us I was so excited to see that there were nursing pads made of cloth. While you might be surprised at my ignorance, I did not have any friends who had nursed babies and my mom & mother-in-law were equally surprised to find out you could still get those (why would you want to use cloth after all? Isn't it inconvenient?).

It turned out the pads at the baby store were not very absorbent (much like the cloth "diapers" they sell there, they're better as burp cloths) and didn't have a waterproof barrier.

So my quest to find cloth nursing pads that wouldn't leak began. I tried the only waterproof ones available online I could find, before helping to design a pair for a company I helped to start up some years ago. I did try a few more that were not waterproof and wasn't too satisfied.

So.. with my eclectic stash of nursing pads on baby #5 here I was not planning on buying anything new.

Then came thrush. This is my first experience with thrush. I suppose I am lucky considering this is my fifth child. But.... I don't find having it at all "lucky" in any sense, baby #5 or not. While using different natural methods to treat thrush I quickly went online and bought a pair of wool nursing pads.

Why would I do this? Well, from my years of cloth diapering I have learned much more about fabrics for baby and mom, and have picked up many facts about wool.

Wool is naturally antibacterial and anti fungal. It promotes circulation. Since you don't need a waterproof barrier with wool it allows good air circulation and breathes. All of those things are very important in dealing with thrush (and also wool pads are recommended in the prevention of mastitis as well)!

I had been given a Little Beetle Wool cover for Shiloh as a gift. I've been just aching to try one for a while now - what a great friend to send such a gift! When it came, it was so snuggly soft that I didn't have to think twice about where I would order a pair of Wool pads for myself, I went right to Better for Babies.

They are absolutely comfortable, not itchy in the slightest, made from natural, organic merino wool. They're also available in some fun colors if you'd want! Most importantly - they work fantastically! I lanolized them as soon as I took them out of the package. I have not leaked through the pads to my shirt yet - although I don't leak as heavily this time (I'm not sure if that's because she nurses so frequently), so I wish I could say that from the viewpoint of someone who leaks heavily just to give them a very thorough recommendation. However, I had to check to see if I had leaked because they did not even feel wet against my skin!

They are so light I don't even know I'm wearing nursing pads - which says a lot, since cloth pads tend to be on the bulkier side. Also, with cloth and disposable nursing pads that are flat (not contoured with a dart) you usually have bunching around the edges.. which can look funny under your shirt. I believe because of the knit jersey fabric of the wool that is why you do not have any bunching problems whatsoever! They conform naturally quite nicely. And then you don't have to deal with the cone shape of a nursing pad with a dart!

And the real test was when I washed & dried them I wore one of my other cloth nursing pads and a few hours later was feeling more irritated from the thrush! I really believe they are helping me a lot.

On a scale of 1-10 they'd get a 10 from me. I'm overwhelming impressed. Better for Babies has a rewards points program when you make purchases of their products directly from their store, and not one of their retailers. They also have a discount if you buy more than 1 pair of pads at a time. I only purchased one pair, just to be certain I like them. Well... I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all those other cloth nursing pads now.. because I'm going to get a few more pairs of wool and stick with those. At least I'll purchase enough to get the discount this time!

Now if only I could get some sort of kickback for writing this blog.... hmmm...