Today is day five of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry. For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and hand washing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.
Today I am reflecting on the past seven days of the Flats Challenge.
I found this year more difficult than last year in that it was raining 6 out of 7 days this week and I had to dry my flats indoors next to the dehumidifier. I was also washing twice a day to ensure the flats had enough time to dry in the event of an emergency. By Thursday I didn't even want to look at my washing pail and plunger.
On a positive note, I have a renewed love and respect for flat diapers. They are so easy and it has done wonders for my daughter's EC practice. For a while there she was reluctant to practice, but for some reason the flats worked for her and she was able to get back on track.
I hope I am never in a situation where I do not have access to a washer or dryer, but I am relieved to know that in a worst case scenario I would be able to do it.
Thank you Dirty Diaper Laundry for hosting this amazing campaign again. I look forward to next year's challenge!!
Drying Flats
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Flats and Handwashing Challenge Day 6
Today is day five of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry. For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and hand washing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.
We are at the finish line. One more day of handwashing flats and drying them in my house. It has been a horrible week weather wise. Only one load of flats made it out on a quasi sunny day. This challenge has pushed me to keep going even when I wanted to give up and use my dryer.
I had to work today, which meant my hubs was in control of the diaper situation for a couple hours. He is 100% supportive of me using less water, less electricity, and not buying disposable diapers. He just lets me do my thing. He even likes the pocket diapers! Before I left for work I showed him the flats and the pins and how to use them. He ended up using one pocket diaper because he was not comfortable securing the pins on our wiggly toddler. I support that decision 100%.
Handwashing the last load of flats at 11:30 pm
It is very late and I have just finished handwashing my last load of flats diapers for a LONG time, hopefully. I am excited that tomorrow is that last day of the challenge but I am grateful that I have participated this week.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Flats and Handwashing Challenge Day 5
Today is day five of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry. For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and hand washing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.
Today we are discussing the tips and tricks we have learned during the week. This has been a rainy and humid week in New England. Today is Friday and so far we have had only ONE day of sun. This makes the Flats Challenge a real CHALLENGE. Since it takes quite a bit longer for the flats to dry indoors, I have come up with a system that seems to keep my head above water, so to speak. I have had to handwash twice a day. Once at night with all the days dirty diapers, and once in the early to late morning with any soiled flats that have built up.
At night, after i wring out my last flat and lay it on my drying rack, I carry the entire rack over to my dehumidifier and place the rack alongside it. During the night they flats dry perfectly and I am able to fold them first thing in the morning.
For the late morning wash, I have the same set up next to the dehumidifier with my freshly washed flats. These will take all day to dry. Once they are ready I am able to fold them and have them on standby in case of emergency.
This system has worked for me during this dreary week. I will be honest, it is a lot of work and I don't know how long I would be able to keep it up if I didn't have access to my dryer on the rainy days. It isn't usually this dreary in New England, so the line drying option is always my best bet.
I am so in love with flats again, that using them will be a breeze once the challenge is over and I can use them in my dryer when it rains. I cannot believe how much better my daughter does in them. Our EC practice has gone through the roof this week. I am much more vigilant about checking her and getting her on the toilet more often. She is starting to wait until she is on the toilet to go! This milestone alone is worth all the handwashing this week!!
Today we are discussing the tips and tricks we have learned during the week. This has been a rainy and humid week in New England. Today is Friday and so far we have had only ONE day of sun. This makes the Flats Challenge a real CHALLENGE. Since it takes quite a bit longer for the flats to dry indoors, I have come up with a system that seems to keep my head above water, so to speak. I have had to handwash twice a day. Once at night with all the days dirty diapers, and once in the early to late morning with any soiled flats that have built up.
At night, after i wring out my last flat and lay it on my drying rack, I carry the entire rack over to my dehumidifier and place the rack alongside it. During the night they flats dry perfectly and I am able to fold them first thing in the morning.
For the late morning wash, I have the same set up next to the dehumidifier with my freshly washed flats. These will take all day to dry. Once they are ready I am able to fold them and have them on standby in case of emergency.
This system has worked for me during this dreary week. I will be honest, it is a lot of work and I don't know how long I would be able to keep it up if I didn't have access to my dryer on the rainy days. It isn't usually this dreary in New England, so the line drying option is always my best bet.
I am so in love with flats again, that using them will be a breeze once the challenge is over and I can use them in my dryer when it rains. I cannot believe how much better my daughter does in them. Our EC practice has gone through the roof this week. I am much more vigilant about checking her and getting her on the toilet more often. She is starting to wait until she is on the toilet to go! This milestone alone is worth all the handwashing this week!!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Flats and Handwashing Challenge Day 4
Today is day four of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry. For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and hand washing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.
Today we are discussing handwashing. I honestly don't mind handwashing. I have my 10 gallon rubber bucket, my plunger and my rubber gloves. I like to plunge for a little bit and then get my hands in there and really get things moving. The worst part of the handwashing for me is when the water splashes me in the face when I get carried away. Also, the wringing out of the diapers makes my hands cramp, too.
The weather finally cooperated with me today. Despite being very overcast this morning, it wasn't raining. I decided to do a load of diapers and get them on the line a.s.a.p. They could stay out all day and take as long as they needed to dry.
After a very active playdate, I came home with more dirty flats than I had expected to use. The sun was shining and the morning load of flats were dry. I washed the rest of her diapers and hung them out to dry
That is when I noticed what I thought was smoke from my dryer vent (it didn't occur to me right away that I wasn't even using my dryer). But this mystery smoke was everywhere in the air. A look up into my tall pine trees was where I found the answer. POLLEN. An absurdly disgusting amount of pollen. So much pollen that it actually looked like smoke. Think about when you are putting on make-up and you rub your blush brush into your favorite blush. Then you tap off the excess. That excess dusting that comes off the brush times a million blush brushes and you will have one is on just ONE of the trees. I have 6 of these said trees. One of which is holding up my clothesline.
Below are a few pictures I took of the trees and the mess on my deck after one day.
The pollen smoke actually makes this pic look cloudy.
A close up of the pollen bunches.
My poor patio furniture.
Gross.
So now here is my predicament. Pollen smoke aside, it is a gorgeous day. I'd hate to waste the sunshine on these diapers by having them indoors. Plus it is supposed to rain again tomorrow :-( Should I rewash all her diapers now because they are most likely covered in some pollen? Should I wait to see if she has a reaction? Even though I don't mind washing them by hand, that is a LOT of work and my drying rack can't hold all the diapers.HELP!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Flats and Handwashing Challenge Day 3
Today is day three of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry. For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and hand washing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all.
I handwashed my diapers last night and dried them on my rack for the second night in a row. It had been raining for two straight days. Finally today the sun started to peek its head out so I ran to hang them out on the line. I didn't care that they were almost dry already. I just love the way they smell coming back in from the line.
After three days, I have rekindled my love affair with my flats. I still can't remember why I stopped using them in the first place. Not only are they super simple to use, they DRY so much faster than prefolds or pocket diapers. The most wonderful bonus is that it has done wonders for ECing with my baby. I can't explain why, but she stays dry between naps, and drier for longer periods of time during the day wearing the flats. With prefolds and pockets, by the time I got her on the changing table she was already wet and she would writhe in agony to get off the potty because she didn't have to go anymore. This entire week she has been much more cooperative using the toilet. She actually smiles with success!
How do I use my flats? I use two flats and one Thirsties cover at all times. I diaper bag fold one flat and double up with a pad folded flat as an insert. On day 1 of this challenge, I was using the diaper bag fold for the first time, and didn't know to use the pad folded flat as a doubler. That day my baby soaked through 2 pairs of pants, her only cover and 4 flats. Since then, I have learned my lesson, and I'm never looking back!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Flats Challenge Day 2
It has been raining in New England since Sunday night. I washed Monday's flats in my bucket right after I put my daughter to bed. We went through so many flats because of my leak issues that day. I was concerned they wouldn't dry in time for Tuesday so I set them up on the drying rack next to our dehumidifier in the basement. They were perfect when I woke up this morning.
I am happy to report that we did much better today staying dry. The diaper bag fold with a pad folded flat insert has worked wonders for her. It also gives her a really fluffy bottom! It has been a much quieter day today and I have been able to get her to use the toilet for each pee and poop! I hand washed the flats again tonight because it is still damp outside.
What does it take to participate in this challenge? I have several Thirsties covers in a variety of colors. My flats are a mix of brands, all of which I like very much. I have 6 pink safety pins. I have a large rubber bucket and plunger and rubber gloves. I like to get my hands in there during the rinse cycle and mix it up by hands. I have my homemade laundry soap set up and ready to go. Finally I have my dry rack, which I would be lost without.
Aside from my actual stash, most of the supplies are commonplace in many homes. Handwashing the flats brings back memories from when I participated last year with water splashing everywhere, including my face, as I vigorously plunged my diapers. But mostly, I am reminded how much a person can do with so little. It is so refreshing to detach myself from my dependency and love affair with my washer and dryer. It gives me confidence that in an emergency, I could manage my families laundry needs without electricity.
I am happy to report that we did much better today staying dry. The diaper bag fold with a pad folded flat insert has worked wonders for her. It also gives her a really fluffy bottom! It has been a much quieter day today and I have been able to get her to use the toilet for each pee and poop! I hand washed the flats again tonight because it is still damp outside.
What does it take to participate in this challenge? I have several Thirsties covers in a variety of colors. My flats are a mix of brands, all of which I like very much. I have 6 pink safety pins. I have a large rubber bucket and plunger and rubber gloves. I like to get my hands in there during the rinse cycle and mix it up by hands. I have my homemade laundry soap set up and ready to go. Finally I have my dry rack, which I would be lost without.
Aside from my actual stash, most of the supplies are commonplace in many homes. Handwashing the flats brings back memories from when I participated last year with water splashing everywhere, including my face, as I vigorously plunged my diapers. But mostly, I am reminded how much a person can do with so little. It is so refreshing to detach myself from my dependency and love affair with my washer and dryer. It gives me confidence that in an emergency, I could manage my families laundry needs without electricity.
Monday, May 21, 2012
2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge Day 1
Today is the first day of the 2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge. By Sunday afternoon, I had all my flats washed folded and prepared for the first day's use.
Rain is predicted until at least Wednesday this week, which means I will be washing the flats every night to make sure they are dry when I need them again.
My first change went easier than expected. I am using the diaper bag fold which I have never used before. Last year I was using the origami fold exclusively. My daughter was only 5 months old and it worked for us. Now that she is 17 months old and very active, I am hoping the diaper bag fold is resilient.
We spent the afternoon having lunch with friends. Hindsight, it probably wasn't the best way to start the first day of the flats challenge using a new fold. I was not able to devote 100% of my attention to my daughter's bathroom cues because I was busy socializing, trying to eat lunch and playing referee with my daughter and all the unlocked cabinets, exposed outlets and sharp corners in the baby-less house. As a result, my poor girl wet through two pairs of pants, 3 flats, and her only cover. In less then two hours, I should add. I didn't have another change of clothes with me and I only brought one cover (STUPID). I had the choice of either packing up and leaving in the middle of lunch with a bottomless child, or staying (and not being rude in my opinion- my friend put a lot of thought and time into preparing food for us to just up and leave on her) and putting my daughter in a disposable, my "emergency only" diaper kept at the very bottom of my diaper bag.
I could sense my friend, with well intensions in mind, sigh in relief when she saw the disposable on my pant-less child. I, on the other hand, was sighing in resignation and defeat that I was unable to hold it together for the first 24 hours of the challenge.
Tomorrow is another day and I will learn from today's mistakes. I will double up the flats and lay a pad folded flat inside the diaper bag flat. I will also make a soaker out of an old wool sweater I've been staring at for weeks. I will also try and listen to my daughter's bathroom cues. Finally, I will be bringing a back up cover in the likely event that this happens again.
Rain is predicted until at least Wednesday this week, which means I will be washing the flats every night to make sure they are dry when I need them again.
My first change went easier than expected. I am using the diaper bag fold which I have never used before. Last year I was using the origami fold exclusively. My daughter was only 5 months old and it worked for us. Now that she is 17 months old and very active, I am hoping the diaper bag fold is resilient.
We spent the afternoon having lunch with friends. Hindsight, it probably wasn't the best way to start the first day of the flats challenge using a new fold. I was not able to devote 100% of my attention to my daughter's bathroom cues because I was busy socializing, trying to eat lunch and playing referee with my daughter and all the unlocked cabinets, exposed outlets and sharp corners in the baby-less house. As a result, my poor girl wet through two pairs of pants, 3 flats, and her only cover. In less then two hours, I should add. I didn't have another change of clothes with me and I only brought one cover (STUPID). I had the choice of either packing up and leaving in the middle of lunch with a bottomless child, or staying (and not being rude in my opinion- my friend put a lot of thought and time into preparing food for us to just up and leave on her) and putting my daughter in a disposable, my "emergency only" diaper kept at the very bottom of my diaper bag.
I could sense my friend, with well intensions in mind, sigh in relief when she saw the disposable on my pant-less child. I, on the other hand, was sighing in resignation and defeat that I was unable to hold it together for the first 24 hours of the challenge.
Tomorrow is another day and I will learn from today's mistakes. I will double up the flats and lay a pad folded flat inside the diaper bag flat. I will also make a soaker out of an old wool sweater I've been staring at for weeks. I will also try and listen to my daughter's bathroom cues. Finally, I will be bringing a back up cover in the likely event that this happens again.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Here we go again!
Following last year's rewarding and amazing success with the Flats Challenge I am excited to announce that I am gearing up again for this year's challenge. This time with a much older child, which brings its own set of unique issues.
As you may recall, the challenge is aimed at bringing awareness to the benefits of cloth diapering. Families who are tight on funds do not have to spend hundreds of dollars on disposable diapers for their babies. In all actuality, a baby can be diapered from birth to potty training for less than $50 with the use of flat diapers.
With this challenge, I will only be able to use my flat diapers and covers. No pocket diapers and no prefolds. I will also not have the use of my washer or dryer. The point of that goes hand in hand with the objective of this challenge. Not all families, low income or not, have access to a washer or dryer. Others cannot afford to use a laundromat. The diapers will be hand washed in a camper style bucket and line dried outside on nice days and inside on rainy days.
This may seem silly and pointless to some, but it is a good lesson in how little you need to survive. After the first day or two during last years challenge, I realized that hand washing diapers is 100% doable and I even got into a nice rhythm of washing and drying during naps.
I will be blogging my progress, my good days and my bad days for the entire week.
Stay tuned!!
As you may recall, the challenge is aimed at bringing awareness to the benefits of cloth diapering. Families who are tight on funds do not have to spend hundreds of dollars on disposable diapers for their babies. In all actuality, a baby can be diapered from birth to potty training for less than $50 with the use of flat diapers.
With this challenge, I will only be able to use my flat diapers and covers. No pocket diapers and no prefolds. I will also not have the use of my washer or dryer. The point of that goes hand in hand with the objective of this challenge. Not all families, low income or not, have access to a washer or dryer. Others cannot afford to use a laundromat. The diapers will be hand washed in a camper style bucket and line dried outside on nice days and inside on rainy days.
This may seem silly and pointless to some, but it is a good lesson in how little you need to survive. After the first day or two during last years challenge, I realized that hand washing diapers is 100% doable and I even got into a nice rhythm of washing and drying during naps.
I will be blogging my progress, my good days and my bad days for the entire week.
Stay tuned!!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Homemade Peanut Butter
A few weeks ago I turned 2 1/2 pounds of raw peanuts into a TON of peanut butter. I assumed it would have been months before I had to make it again. I really underestimated the peanut butter demand in this house, because in just about a month here I am making it again. Good thing it is so easy and cheap to make.
What you will need:
2 - 2 1/2 pounds of raw peanuts
Baking sheet
Food processor
Pinch of salt, optional
I had a surprisingly difficult time finding raw peanuts by the pound. Neither the Whole Foods or Trader Joe's near my house sold them, which surprised me. I found them at an organic health food store quite a distance from my house. My husband also found them online here. Check your local health food store for availability. Two and a half pounds of peanuts from the organic store ran about $8.00.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Spread the nuts onto the baking tray evenly. This is what 2 pounds of raw peanuts looks like.
Roast the nuts in your heated oven for about 30-40 minutes. Keep checking them so that they don't burn. They should have a light golden brown color to them.
Once they are done let them cool for about 10 minutes then transfer them into your food processor.
...and here they are after about 3 minutes of spinning..... starting to resemble peanut butter!! If you are going to add a teaspoon of salt, now would be when you would do that.
Finally after about 5-7 minutes of processing, you have yourself some beautiful, creamy, all natural, no additives, and preservative free peanut butter!
Transfer to any type of jar... try and make sure most of it ends up in the jar and not your mouth. This is my yield of peanut butter from exactly 2 pounds. Adjust the amount to your needs. Store the peanut butter in your fridge for as long as you like! I can guarantee it will be consumed long before it spoils!
Enjoy!!
What you will need:
2 - 2 1/2 pounds of raw peanuts
Baking sheet
Food processor
Pinch of salt, optional
I had a surprisingly difficult time finding raw peanuts by the pound. Neither the Whole Foods or Trader Joe's near my house sold them, which surprised me. I found them at an organic health food store quite a distance from my house. My husband also found them online here. Check your local health food store for availability. Two and a half pounds of peanuts from the organic store ran about $8.00.
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Spread the nuts onto the baking tray evenly. This is what 2 pounds of raw peanuts looks like.
Roast the nuts in your heated oven for about 30-40 minutes. Keep checking them so that they don't burn. They should have a light golden brown color to them.
Once they are done let them cool for about 10 minutes then transfer them into your food processor.
Then turn on your food processor and let it do its thing. They will have to spin for quite awhile.
Here are the peanuts after about one minute of spinning....
Finally after about 5-7 minutes of processing, you have yourself some beautiful, creamy, all natural, no additives, and preservative free peanut butter!
Transfer to any type of jar... try and make sure most of it ends up in the jar and not your mouth. This is my yield of peanut butter from exactly 2 pounds. Adjust the amount to your needs. Store the peanut butter in your fridge for as long as you like! I can guarantee it will be consumed long before it spoils!
Enjoy!!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Super Quick And Adorable Easter Craft for Toddlers
In honor of Easter this Sunday, I found a super quick and adorable paint project to do with my toddler. It involves paint and body parts, which is a favorite craft of mine. (On Valentines Day I painted her tiny hands red and pink and smashed them onto white card stock. It was supposed to resemble a heart shape with the two hands. We did the best that we could with a one year old.)
For this holiday, I decided to paint her foot yellow and turn it into a baby chick. I used a non toxic water based craft paint that I picked up at a local hobby store.
Put your toddler in her high chair and occupy her hands with something to distract her. I gave my daughter a few cheerios and she was content to let me paint her left foot completely yellow. I had assistance from a mom friend on stand by with baby wipes and the card stock.
Once her foot was painted we mashed it carefully into the card stock and slowly peeled it away to prevent smears and smudges. Her foot was quickly wrapped in baby wipes and all the paint was easily removed.
Here is the final result, with embellishments added later in the day once she was napping. I added the flower by painting my own thumb different colors and making a pretty thumbprint Easter flower.
We will be giving this one to my husband to replace the Valentine's craft at his desk at work!
In total this craft took about 30 minutes. If your child has very ticklish feet, this craft may be a little more difficult to make.
Happy Easter!!
For this holiday, I decided to paint her foot yellow and turn it into a baby chick. I used a non toxic water based craft paint that I picked up at a local hobby store.
Put your toddler in her high chair and occupy her hands with something to distract her. I gave my daughter a few cheerios and she was content to let me paint her left foot completely yellow. I had assistance from a mom friend on stand by with baby wipes and the card stock.
Once her foot was painted we mashed it carefully into the card stock and slowly peeled it away to prevent smears and smudges. Her foot was quickly wrapped in baby wipes and all the paint was easily removed.
Here is the final result, with embellishments added later in the day once she was napping. I added the flower by painting my own thumb different colors and making a pretty thumbprint Easter flower.
We will be giving this one to my husband to replace the Valentine's craft at his desk at work!
In total this craft took about 30 minutes. If your child has very ticklish feet, this craft may be a little more difficult to make.
Happy Easter!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Homemade Fabric Softener
After the huge success of my recent attempt at homemade laundry detergent, I decided to go for broke and try to make fabric softener. I normally don't use fabric softener. Occasionally I will buy dryer sheets if they are on sale, but I line dry my my laundry in the summer and when I do use the dryer, I can't stand finding rogue dryer sheets stuck to my shirts and socks.
I found a quick recipe on Pinterest (duh, where else?) and decided to give it a try. Here is what you will need:
a large pot (I used a chili pot)
6 cups water
3 cups of white vinegar
2 cups Suave Almond & Shea Butter conditioner. (I encourage you to use any scented conditioner you like. I decided to try this one.)
In your large pot, mix the water, vinegar and conditioner. Stir well. I used a wire whisk because the spatula just wasn't doing it.
It may appear chunky or lumpy at first...
...but keep stirring until the conditioner is dispersed evenly.
Pour into a clean and empty container. I used a gallon milk jug. It makes approximately a half gallon of fabric softener.
I must be honest. At this point, the fabric softener smelled nothing like almond and shea butter and more like sour apples. I think the scent of the conditioner was too soft to blend and mute out the vinegar scent. Before I scrapped this batch and try a different smelling conditioner, I decided to do a load of towels to see what the end result would be.
The recipe I followed suggested using the same amount of fabric softener normally used. For this load, I used 1/4 cup. If the scent is too strong or too weak I can always adjust the amount later.
Another option is to spritz a good amount on a wash cloth and toss it in the dryer. A reusable dryer sheet, in a way. Neat!
Once the wash was done I buried my face into one of the towels as I removed it from the washing machine and took a big sniff. The result was NOT sour apples. It was a nice fresh scent. I kept sniffing, thinking that I would find a pocket of sour apples, but luckily I did not. Fresh out of the dryer I had the same result, a nice fresh scent.
I've used this fabric softener in every load of laundry since. I like it, and so does my husband. I think for the next batch I'll try a stronger scented conditioner like Rosemary and Mint. I may like that even more!
I found a quick recipe on Pinterest (duh, where else?) and decided to give it a try. Here is what you will need:
a large pot (I used a chili pot)
6 cups water
3 cups of white vinegar
2 cups Suave Almond & Shea Butter conditioner. (I encourage you to use any scented conditioner you like. I decided to try this one.)
In your large pot, mix the water, vinegar and conditioner. Stir well. I used a wire whisk because the spatula just wasn't doing it.
It may appear chunky or lumpy at first...
...but keep stirring until the conditioner is dispersed evenly.
Pour into a clean and empty container. I used a gallon milk jug. It makes approximately a half gallon of fabric softener.
I must be honest. At this point, the fabric softener smelled nothing like almond and shea butter and more like sour apples. I think the scent of the conditioner was too soft to blend and mute out the vinegar scent. Before I scrapped this batch and try a different smelling conditioner, I decided to do a load of towels to see what the end result would be.
The recipe I followed suggested using the same amount of fabric softener normally used. For this load, I used 1/4 cup. If the scent is too strong or too weak I can always adjust the amount later.
Another option is to spritz a good amount on a wash cloth and toss it in the dryer. A reusable dryer sheet, in a way. Neat!
Once the wash was done I buried my face into one of the towels as I removed it from the washing machine and took a big sniff. The result was NOT sour apples. It was a nice fresh scent. I kept sniffing, thinking that I would find a pocket of sour apples, but luckily I did not. Fresh out of the dryer I had the same result, a nice fresh scent.
I've used this fabric softener in every load of laundry since. I like it, and so does my husband. I think for the next batch I'll try a stronger scented conditioner like Rosemary and Mint. I may like that even more!
Friday, March 9, 2012
DIY Baby Gripper Socks
My daughter is almost a walking toddler. Almost. What isn't helping her quest to walking are our slippery hardwood floors. I found this neat craft idea and decided to try it for her to see if it would help.
So one Wednesday Grandma came down with these paints and some new socks.
I hope she is wearing a pair of these socks the day she takes her first steps!
So one Wednesday Grandma came down with these paints and some new socks.
In just a few minutes I transformed a few plain socks into adorable and personalized gripper socks for her.
I hope she is wearing a pair of these socks the day she takes her first steps!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
There's Nothing Wrong with Homemade Laundry Detergent
I don't know about you, but I am forever doing laundry. It is amazing to me how many outfit changes one little girl can need in a day. That, along with her cloth diapers, my washing machine is running every other day. That equals a lot of detergent. Does anyone else cringe at the prices of name brand detergents? And it always seems like they are coming out with a new "must have" additive in smaller containers for sometimes more money. What ever did people do before the Oxy Burst/Laundry Booster phenomenon?
My challenge this week is to bring laundry detergent back to basics. Clean clothes at a fraction of the cost. If I told you that you could have nearly 10 GALLONS of laundry detergent for less than $15.00, would you be interested in knowing how? Well, then read on.
Here are the supplies you will need. I was able to find them all at both my local grocery store and at Walmart in the laundry aisles. Walmart had the better prices.
Borax ($3.24)
Arm & Hammer Super WASHING (not baking) Soda ($3.38)
Fels-Naptha Soap Bar ($0.97)
5 Gallon bucket with lid ($4.00 at Home Depot)
10 empty and clean milk jugs or other containers
For the first step, grab your kitchen grater and the Fels-Naptha bar. Grate the entire bar until you have a shaved pile of soap.
Next, fill a sauce pot with 4 cups of hot water. Dump the grated soap into the pot and stir continuously over medium low heat until all of the soap flakes have disappeared and melted into the hot water. Your mixture should be foamy and have no flakes still floating in it.
After your soap flakes are melted, fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with hot water. Add your soap mixture along with one cup of the Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and a half cup of the Borax. Stir well. At this point my house smelled amazing!
Fill the rest of your bucket with water until it is full. Stir it again until it is mixed completely. Cover your bucket and let it sit overnight.
I let my soap sit for a full 24 hours in my laundry room. The mixture should have gelled and thickened slightly. For some reason my mixture was more than slightly thickened. Stir thoroughly again.
Perhaps if I let it sit for only 12 hours as opposed to 24, or maybe if it were in a warmer part of the house it wouldn't have gelled so much. The only result of really gelled detergent is that I had to stick my hands in the bucket and break up the big lumps by hand. It really wasn't a big deal at all. Just a little more hands on work.
Time to get all your milk jugs ready! Use a funnel and fill each container half way with the soap mixture.
Fill the other half of the jugs with water and shake well. And, this is the result of a couple hours work:
My challenge this week is to bring laundry detergent back to basics. Clean clothes at a fraction of the cost. If I told you that you could have nearly 10 GALLONS of laundry detergent for less than $15.00, would you be interested in knowing how? Well, then read on.
Here are the supplies you will need. I was able to find them all at both my local grocery store and at Walmart in the laundry aisles. Walmart had the better prices.
Borax ($3.24)
Arm & Hammer Super WASHING (not baking) Soda ($3.38)
Fels-Naptha Soap Bar ($0.97)
5 Gallon bucket with lid ($4.00 at Home Depot)
10 empty and clean milk jugs or other containers
For the first step, grab your kitchen grater and the Fels-Naptha bar. Grate the entire bar until you have a shaved pile of soap.
Next, fill a sauce pot with 4 cups of hot water. Dump the grated soap into the pot and stir continuously over medium low heat until all of the soap flakes have disappeared and melted into the hot water. Your mixture should be foamy and have no flakes still floating in it.
After your soap flakes are melted, fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with hot water. Add your soap mixture along with one cup of the Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and a half cup of the Borax. Stir well. At this point my house smelled amazing!
Fill the rest of your bucket with water until it is full. Stir it again until it is mixed completely. Cover your bucket and let it sit overnight.
I let my soap sit for a full 24 hours in my laundry room. The mixture should have gelled and thickened slightly. For some reason my mixture was more than slightly thickened. Stir thoroughly again.
Perhaps if I let it sit for only 12 hours as opposed to 24, or maybe if it were in a warmer part of the house it wouldn't have gelled so much. The only result of really gelled detergent is that I had to stick my hands in the bucket and break up the big lumps by hand. It really wasn't a big deal at all. Just a little more hands on work.
Time to get all your milk jugs ready! Use a funnel and fill each container half way with the soap mixture.
Fill the other half of the jugs with water and shake well. And, this is the result of a couple hours work:
For HE machines, use 1/4 cup of detergent. For regular machines use 1/2 cup. Make sure to shake the bottle well before each use.
I now have enough laundry detergent to last a lifetime for less than $15.00! And the greatest part is that the next time I need to make detergent again, I only need the Fels-Naptha Soap Bar, as I already have plenty of the Borax and the Arm & Hammer Washing Soda. So the next 10 gallons of detergent will cost only 97 cents!! You can't beat that!
So now that I have my pretty jugs of detergent, it was time to put it to the test. The detergent may be dirt cheap, but can it actually clean dirt?
The first test was going to be my dog's dirty blankets. If it can clean a dog bed, then I'm confident it can clean normal dirt and grime. Clean or dirty, I don't normally put my face into my dog's blanket and sniff, but for this experiment, I made the sacrifice. The result? CLEAN! It didn't smell like dog, and it also didn't smell like commercial laundry fragrances. It just smelled clean.
The next tests were a load of lights and a load of darks. I had an arts and crafts day with my daughter and managed to get pink craft paint on my favorite jeans along with spaghetti sauce from her dinner. I crossed my fingers and threw them into the wash with the homemade detergent. The result? CLEAN! No paint stains and no tomato sauce. How excited am I!!
The third and final test will be the deal breaker. Can this homemade detergent clean and deodorize my daughter's cloth diapers? I filled the diaper soaking bucket with water and 1/4 cup of the detergent. As she soiled the diapers I threw them into the bucket to soak. When I had enough dirty diapers, I threw them into the wash using the homemade detergent. And the result? Amazingly clean smelling cloth diapers!
If you really like to have scented detergent, you can always add a few drops of essential oils to the laundry detergent.
If you happen to have a really tough stain or above average dirt and grime, I would suggest pretreating the stain before washing.
So, there you have it. There really is nothing wrong with homemade laundry detergent!
Next up: Homemade Fabric Softener!
Happy washing!
Monday, March 5, 2012
My Resourceful Revolution
I am not quite sure when it happened, but it did. Maybe it was a result of my new life as a stay at home, cloth diapering, baby food making, 14 month nursing, mother. Maybe it was a result of our weekly grocery bills constantly increasing. A lot of it is due to Pinterest. This I am sure of. But maybe it was always inside of me waiting for its chance to bloom. I woke up one day and it was there.
I am referring to what I have coined as my Resourceful Revolution. My new outlook is that if I can do it/make it/ design it myself then there is absolutely no reason to buy it. Just because it isn't sold on a shelf does not mean it doesn't exist! And I have to say, doing it myself and seeing the results of my perseverance and dedication pay off is so rewarding. It should be illegal.
For example, just last week I found a recipe for peanut butter and for literally $8.00 and 45 minutes of my day I now have enough natural peanut butter to last MONTHS. I regret that I didn't document the making of it for this blog because it will be a while before I need to make it again.
I will not be making that mistake again. My goal for this blog is to find new and exciting ways to eliminate the need for store bought household items, food, gifts by making them myself. My goal is to show you all that you CAN do it, it IS possible and this blog will be the honest truth you can trust. If something stinks, if a recipe doesn't work, or if it turns out to be something amazing and easy you will find an open honest and hopefully informative review.
So that is it for now. As I write this post, I am working on my next project: Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent!!
Please check back often and follow my progress! If you have an idea for something you'd like to see done, but don't want to do yourself please send me the idea. I will research and hopefully get a chance to try it out on here.
Angela
I am referring to what I have coined as my Resourceful Revolution. My new outlook is that if I can do it/make it/ design it myself then there is absolutely no reason to buy it. Just because it isn't sold on a shelf does not mean it doesn't exist! And I have to say, doing it myself and seeing the results of my perseverance and dedication pay off is so rewarding. It should be illegal.
For example, just last week I found a recipe for peanut butter and for literally $8.00 and 45 minutes of my day I now have enough natural peanut butter to last MONTHS. I regret that I didn't document the making of it for this blog because it will be a while before I need to make it again.
I will not be making that mistake again. My goal for this blog is to find new and exciting ways to eliminate the need for store bought household items, food, gifts by making them myself. My goal is to show you all that you CAN do it, it IS possible and this blog will be the honest truth you can trust. If something stinks, if a recipe doesn't work, or if it turns out to be something amazing and easy you will find an open honest and hopefully informative review.
So that is it for now. As I write this post, I am working on my next project: Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent!!
Please check back often and follow my progress! If you have an idea for something you'd like to see done, but don't want to do yourself please send me the idea. I will research and hopefully get a chance to try it out on here.
Angela
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