Monday, October 22, 2012

DIY Photo Prayer Book


I originally found this idea on Pinterest. Amelia likes to point at the various pictures around the house as a request for the person's name. We often go around pointing out grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. So, when I came across this idea to repurpose holiday greeting cards I thought Amelia might like it. I don't have many holiday cards left and we don't often get very many. To make up for the lack I just went through pictures I already had printed. I didn't have as many pictures as I would have liked, but it is a nice start. Amelia had a blast looking through all the pictures as we selected which to include in her book. Once finished, she sat down and flipped through it over and over pointing to all the pictures of everyone she loves. I would like to add more pictures of family so I will probably be sending out requests for more up to date photos. I also think it might be worth it to compile all of the photos in a printed photo book from a company like Shutterfly.



Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Just so you know...

I really love that this blog is about Amelia. It is a great way to share and document this journey called motherhood. I like it this way, but something has been missing for me. I want to share more about my other interest but this just doesn't feel like the place. So, I started a more personal blog over here. I still plan to keep updating about our life on this space but starting this second blog will allow me to concentrate on our story, while still getting to share my story. I hope you will check it out!

Monday, October 15, 2012

The Great Cloth Diapering Adventure...a follow up.


A few weeks ago I was asked by a friend (H's mom) for advice about venturing into cloth diapering. I was glad to help and even with reading everything I have posted on the blog already, questions I hadn't thought of came up. I decided that maybe it was time to do a follow-up about our cloth diapering experience and what I would do over if I had the chance. 

First up, we all know which diapers I liked the best after a couple months into this adventure but which brand(s) have held up over time? 
  
  I would first like to say that I am really satisfied with every brand we use. I still use them all and most are in excellent condition. That said I do have favorites. The Bumgenius and Smartipants have held up great. For the most part they look new. The Fuzzibunz are also in good shape but the Charlie's Banana are looking a bit sad. I will be honest that I don't always wash and dry according to directions. So, it maybe that the CB's are just more sensitive. If I had to do it all over I would stock up on Smartipants with a couple Bumgenius prints mixed in. I still believe that for the price you can't beat the Smartipants. 

What do you use to wash your diapers?
 
If I can afford it I use Rock 'n Green.  It is available from a local store so I like to support the local economy when I can. I have also been using this to strip my diapers by just adding a little extra and letting it soak. I think I am going to try using Funk Rock, which is by the same company soon. I will of course post a review after doing so. When I am trying to save money I will use All Free. 

How many diapers would you suggest getting? How many do I really need?

I started out with 16 diapers and had every intention of slowly adding until I had the generally suggested 24. I never made it to 24. We currently have 18 and this number works great for me. When Amelia was younger and we changed 8-10 diapers a day it meant I had to wash every night but now I wash every other day. I don't think I will buy more at this point. I like that having so few motivates me to do laundry and not let them sit and get funky. 

Should I get extra inserts?

I got some extra Bumgenius inserts as part of a shower gift and I have rarely used them. I did a couple of times to try doubling for sleeping at night. I eventually gave up. The diapers were so bulky she had a hard time getting comfortable to sleep. We now use a disposable at night instead. 

One other thing...
 
I never ended up getting a sprayer because the store bought ones are so expensive. I wasn't going to bother now because Amelia is so close to beginning potty training. Although, since H is going to be cloth diapered now I think it would be worth it to put one in. My cousin sent me this tutorial on how to make one on the cheap. I will probably be adding it to the Hubby's to-do list. I'll let you know how that works out. :)

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