diapers of cloth

"You are using CLOTH diapers?" This was the phrase I heard quite a bit once I decided to use cloth diapers instead of smelly, expensive, garbage filling, thin and non absorbant disposables. I think when most people think of cloth diapers they get a mental picture of a baby with a soggy cloth diaper, falling down to his knees and smelling terrible. Also, the picture of struggling with safety pins and having to use plastic pants-where can you even find those nowdays? After a lot of research and having to learn the cloth diapering "language" (AIO, pocket diaper, diaper cover, prefold etc.) I decided that I was going to use the Bum Genius 3.0 which is basically like a disposable diaper but you can wash it. It has two pieces but the insert fits into the outside, waterproof liner so it is one piece when it goes on. After using them for 6 months, I am definately sold on them and bought some more just last month.
     Of course, there are pros and cons...Cons being that they do have some smell, after being used for six months and being hung in on my drying rack to dry but it is mostly if the diaper is really wet. (it bugs Jeremy a lot more than it bugs me) The other con is that they are expensive if you buy them new...around $20 a diaper, so if you go out and buy a whole bunch to get started it is kind of a big commitment. But then you are all set for at least one kid...hopefully a couple...but since this is my first, I don't know for sure how long they will last. And if you buy them on ebay, you can really save a lot of $. I started off with 12 diapers, which isn't really enough, but I made it work. (with a few of a cheaper brand that didn't work as well) I now have another 12, but I am not even using them all...I put some of the pink ones away for later. :)Another con is that you have to wash them every other day...but that really isn't all that hard.
     Now for some pros...you don't have near the trash to haul away, you don't have to worry about blowouts, you save money (yes, you do...you really do! Not as much as if you used the old kind of cloth diapers, but you still save a lot!), they have some really great colors and look quite cute on a little bottom :) and they are so easy to put on-my husband will change diapers if asked and doesn't complain about the cloth part at all.
     For some reason my pro list seems shorter than my cons list...needless to say, I would definately recommend Bum Genius to anybody as a great way to save some money when having kids.

These diapers actually got some sunlight today...the first time in a very long time. Spring is coming folks!

Spring Fever

I think I am getting spring fever or something. All winter, I have been content with being mommy to Jensen in my little house with several feet of snow all around it outside. I'm not sure what did it, but I think it might have something to do with the picure of blooming crocuses my MIL sent me last week. I looked outside and thought, "are you kidding me"? Maybe that will be us in about two months but for now, it looks like the snow will be sticking around for a while yet! It's been a great winter and it went by surprisingly fast, considering that I wasn't really "busy" as many of you out there would define the word. But now, all of a sudden, I don't know what to do. Of course, there are all the normal, mundane things that I do every week but other than that, I'm not sure what to start next. I want to paint and redo the living room, bathroom and our bedroom but with the big shop project coming up, the house is just going to have to wait. I would like to work in my garden and flowerbeds but right now they are buried under at least a foot of snow! I could sew, but I'm not really sure what to sew. Mel, where is that fabric swatch so I can get working on a dress???? :) I could scrapbook, but I don't have any scrapbooks started right now and I'm not sure I really want to get started on that.
     In other news, I've been wanting to learn how to cook dried beans, since they are cheap and healthy. So the other day I found a recipe on the back of the bag of navy beans called "creole beans and shrimp". Needless to say, I've been the one eating those beans every day...my wonderful husband is not too sure about the whole bean thing! They aren't  that bad...but I'm not sure that I'm ready to give up my meat(protein) for beans (protein). Does anybody out there have a good bean recipe to share?

Here is another window that I finished a couple months ago...this isn't a very good picture but it was a 3 paned window that I painted with chalkboard paint and added some corkboard. I also painted the frame with the special "crackled" look, which you can't really see on the picture, but the frame wasn't painted and I wanted to give it an old look. Any ideas about anything else that I could do to this one? Oh, I am planning on adding about 3 hooks on the bottom edge of the frame.

a plant and a sewing machine

I know, the title is a little weird, but it is basically the essence of what this post is about....two of my accomplishments for this week. It all started with a huge purple african violet, received from my cousin about 8 years ago. It has been transplanted before but it was way past time to do it again. So instead of one huge plant that wasn't blooming, I now have 8 small plants that hopefully (fingers crossed!) will bloom someday. And if anybody wants an african violet, let me know. Just don't expect me to mail it!

The other thing I did this week was to make pajamas for J. Because of his chubby legs, it is really hard to find pjs that fit. Did you know that there was actually a law passed in 1971 reguarding flame retardant sleepwear? And then was revised in 1997 to allow "snug-fitting" sleepwear instead? Read here for the whole story...http://www.achildgrows.com/2009/02/09/fire-resistant-pajamas-and-sleepwea/ After reading up on it, my dilemma with what kind of fabric to use was solved and I got to work. Here is my favorite model with his new pjs that he wore last night. He seems to like them-he broke them in by pulling on the feet (which are a little long) and chewing on them. I also made a pair of pj pants from some leftover material that mom used about 15 years ago to make pjs for my brothers. As soon as I get a little shirt made to match I will post that one too. Oh, and the cost was about $2 for the half a yard of material that I bought from the clearance corner at Joanns. The pattern was given to me by my MIL and the bright purple zipper was contributed by my mom.