The DANGERS of Cloth Diapering

I’ve cloth diapered both of my girls – in fact, I still have one in cloth as we speak (she is 16 months) and as much I am a mega proponent for the use of cloth diapers versus disposables, I find myself secretly dropping hints to my husband that it is time to use disposables.

Unfortunately, I did too good of a job convincing him of the benefits that he is adamant of sticking to our AIO Grovias.  

To be honest, I’m not sure if I would be thinking so much about it, however our care provider stops allowing us to use cloth at the age of 18 months…and that means, very soon, my youngest will only be in cloth diapers when she is at home (not at all throughout the week during the day).

You know, I think I’ve done pretty good with both of my daughters by employing cloth diapers over the years…and I love the many benefits of using cloth (blah blah blah)…but the hazards are becoming ever more pronounced in the last few weeks leading up to my youngest turning 18 months…

this pic luckily doesn't contain poop, but it gives you an
idea of where to look for it in your HE washer

Poop in washer

We have a HE washer and let me tell you – if you aren’t a stickler at removing all poop from your diapers prior to washing then you’ll be swiping poop out of the little rubber crevice between the door and the washer.

There’s nothing like solid poop bits hanging out in the washer when you *think* your laundry is clean.

Demon Diaper sprayer

Piss on diaper sprayers.

Who the hell ever thought it would be a good or even plausible idea to use a hypersensitive, pressurized water gun to clean-up poop over a small 20 inch opening that has a pool of water in it?!

It might not be so bad if I had the time to be meticulous and cautious about using it but I don’t. If you find yourself using a diaper sprayer, I’d like to wager a bet that you most likely have a toddler running around getting into stuff they aren’t suppose to…

evil....

..because toddlers have the keen ability to understand you are COMPLETELY incapacitated at that moment.  

Oh, let me explain something in very clear terms: there is no sanitary, hygienic method to employ a diaper sprayer.

None.

Urine smell

I don’t really recall ever smelling such strong ammonia bouquets coming from disposable diapers.

Yes, yes – you can strip your diapers to remove build up. You can try using another detergent (or you can make your own like we do) but if you use cloth then sooner or later you’re going to deal with reeking urine odor…and its sure to get to the point when this will happen as soon as one infinitesimal droplet of pee touches the cloth diaper.

This particular hazard is compounded when you cosleep.

Expen$ive

Very true – cloth diapers hold the possibility of saving families hundreds of dollars over a course of a year or so but I am curious to see if this actually truly ever happens (in the majority of cases).


You see, once you start buying those cute prints you start to get curious to about other brands...then you’ll find yourself trying out other styles to see if they work any better too (AIO, inserts, AI2, covers, prefolds, organic etc).

You might as well buy another wet bag too and how about another planetwise diaper pail liner or, or maybe try out some fleece liners or see if there is a package deal special going on to get free shipping online over $100 bucks…

If you not careful, you could very well spend just as much if not more on cloth then on disposable diapers, just say’n.

Smelly diaper bin

We wash our diapers every other day and I still have to store my daughter’s diaper bin OUTSIDE of her room in the “office” (a room we coined the office - aka the room where baby items/toys go to die) because the smell becomes a biohazard after 24 hours.

Even after you take the dirty diapers down to the laundry room, the empty plastic bin STILL reeks.

To remedy this problem, we have two diaper pails so we can soak one in bleach water while the other one is in use.

*****

I know that this post might (just a tad) come off like I am strongly against using cloth but after nearly 3 years of cloth diapering, I think I might just be grumpy.

I love that we choose to use cloth to avoid the needless chemicals found in disposables and I love that it helps keep thousands of diapers out of the earth that one day our children will be left with after we are all gone.

But… I’ll be happy when I can find a creative way (oh, hell – who am I kidding, any way) to get rid of those wicked diapers.

Sh*t Crunchy Dads Say



 Yes!! Finally!!!!

I had emailed Genevieve from the Mama Natural Show in late March regarding doing something similar to her Sh*t Crunchy Mamas Say but instead referencing Crunchy Dads out there.

I was inspired after posting An Interview With a Crunchy Dad.

Here is her video – it is as great as I anticipated!!

Check out Mama Natural here. Curious about Sh*t Crunchy Mamas Say? – check out Part 1 and Part 2.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

After becoming a bit more comfortable with making homemade products, I thought I would I try my hand at detergent.

I spend a good deal of money on both cloth diaper friendly detergent and the most ‘natural’ regular detergent for my family’s clothes.

Both of these recipes are super easy and the ingredients you can get at your local grocery store. Both are great for HE machines as well since they are low suds-ing. (We currently use this detergent on our front-loading HE machine)



Let’s start with the easy one: cloth diaper detergent

Ingredients:

(Equal Parts)

Arm N Hammer Super Washing Soda
Baking Soda
Sun Oxygen Cleaner

I always enjoy understanding why I am using a certain product – so here is a quick explanation to why these ingredients are a good choice to use when washing clothes/diapers.

Washing Soda – (Sodium Carbonate – Na2CO3) Washing Soda is very caustic with a PH of 11 which is great in degreasing, removing stains and cleaning. It is also great at softening water due to the two sodium molecules in the formula.  

Baking Soda – (Sodium Bicarbonate NaHCO3)  Baking soda has a PH that is slightly base compared to washing soda and dissolves faster as well. It is a great product to get rid of funky odors and neutralize acids, like urine (hello, cloth diapers!).

Sun Oxygen Cleaner – NOT OXYCLEAN! The versions of OxiClean contain too many additives. Instead, use simple oxi-products like Sun Oxygen Cleaner. When the hydrogen peroxide (the main ingredient in oxygen cleaners) meets water, it breaks down into oxygen and water which forms little bubbles like soda - which gently bleaches and cleans.  


So here it goes – just add all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a wooden a spoon. Viola! How frigg’n easy is that!? I use about 2-3 tablespoons per load for my HE washer.

Place in an air tight container and rock-n-roll. For a scoop, I bought a small metal cup (I believe it is used for measuring alcohol in mixed drinks). I use a whole little cup full - I believe its about 3 tablespoons.

 

Now that you’ve mastered that. Here is a bit more challenging recipe for an all-purpose detergent.

Ingredients:

1 cup  Arm N Hammer Super Washing Soda
½ cup Sun Oxygen Cleaner
1 bar   Fels-Naptha Soap

I got my Fels Naptha Soap at Walmart. I was surprised at how fragrant it was – it smelled very clean and refreshing.

I made a double batch here, so I cut up two bars.

After getting permission to use my husband’s food processor, I placed the soap chucks in the processor to shred up. You could grate by hand if you don’t have one handy and have a ton of time on your hands. (It was actually pretty easy to clean afterwards)

I placed the rest of my ingredients in the processor.

And then run the thing for a good while until everything is mixed well and the soap is pulverized. Place in a container that has an air tight lid – and that’s it! I use the same amount - about 2-3 tablespoons for each load.

Well, then you have to do dishes – bah.

So, 4 ingredients and you have two detergents that are guaranteed to save you money and clean just as well, if not better, then the detergent you buy at the store (most of which contain surfactants, dyes, optical brighteners, and enzymes).  

You may notice that I omitted a very commonly used item in homemade detergent: Borax – this is done purposefully. Due to studies linking this chemical to reproductive problems, many European nations require the box be labeled with warning such as “may damage fertility” and “may damage unborn child”.

I decided to use an oxygen cleaner in place of Borax. This is because when using Borax and Washing Soda, the two combine and form molecules of hydrogen peroxide which is the main ingredient in oxygen cleaners. So, in essence, I am just skipping a step and adding the H2O2 molecules instead of the nasty chemical compound, sodium borate (Borax).

 

Looking for other homemade recipes? Check out some others that I have tried:

Cloth Diaper Cream

Super Easy Lotion  

Lip Gloss

Shampoo/Body Wash

"Are You Mom Enough?" Hell Yeah I am!



Let me say that again.

Hell yeah I’m Mom Enough!

I’m not going to feed into the attempt by Time magazine to make a mother question her confidence as a fabulous, wonderful, providing mother - whether or not they practice extended breastfeeding, cosleeping, babywearing or any other tenants of attachment parenting.

I do practice these – but it doesn’t make me any better then anyone else. I think I’m fabulous and “mom enough” because of much more then these aspects of my parenting “style”.

What a terribly blatant attempt to sell magazines.

Plus it makes people that do practice extended breastfeeding look like judgemental asshats. Ugh! 

I’m not even going to address the cover. Ok, maybe real quick -  I know a few moms that breastfeed into toddlerhood and I doubt any of them have done so standing up, with their child on a stepstool, posing for a photo. What a friggin joke!

It’s sad enough that there are fewer then 15 percent of babies breastfed through the age of six months (even though the World Health Organization recommends continuing to breastfeeding to 2years old and older).

I doubt this cover is making any soon-to-be moms point and say, “Oh, looky-there, I want to do that.” Not publicly - not in our culture anyways.

This cover is not about sparking a rationale discussion about the benefits of attachment parenting or extended breastfeeding, both of which are subjects commendable of an academic examination. No, I’d say it’s about selling magazines and making moms out there question whether they are good enough or not.

Comparing, judging and sizing up how other mothers raise their children isn’t going to make for a happy mom or child(ren).

I think this cover has the potential to hurt mothers out there if they let it – but it also carries with it the potential of empowering mothers!

Say, “Hell yeah, I’m mom enough!”. No matter what a magazine tries classify you as!  

I’m a better mother then I was last week and I’ll be a better mother then I am today, tomorrow. No one, especially a silly magazine cover, can make you feel inferior without your permission!

Rock on Mommies

Support each other and be the example you wish your children to become!

Self doubt, uncertainty, and insecurity and definitely not qualities I want my little girls to have.

Screw you Time magazine.

9 Practical Reasons for Babywearing

I’m a virgo and I’m all about practicality. I consider my slings, wraps and carriers one of my most useful and economical possessions. Here is a no-nonsense list of why I like to “wear” my babe.

No cost weight training

Wearing my baby in a sling burns more calories which results in a guilt-free slice of chocolate cake after dinner.

Contributes to my helicopter patenting style

Instead of running loose in crowded or dangerous places, a child in a sling is held safe and secure right next to your body which results in less panic attacks worrying your child might somehow run free in the parking lot.

I’m cheap

I made a sling once out of an old tan bed sheet. Have you looked at the prices of strollers or “carrying” systems lately?!

You can mostly often find used slings, wraps or carriers at consignment stores too…which also means you can sell your slings/wraps when you are all done with them, woo who!

Blame it on the baby

If you fart, burb or make some other odd bodily noise, its much easier to blame it on the baby when you are carrying them in a sling. More bean dip anyone?

Hello Convenience

Not having to worry about negotiating steps, crowds or narrow aisles with a stroller is nice. I can take the most direct route to wherever I want to go without mapping out a route first. Also, people tend to move out of your way more quickly when you are heading at them in a hurry with a baby.

Quick way to “wear” them out

Babies who are carried in a sling are sure to have a busier view than babies who just lie around. A Saturday morning at the market carrying Charlotte around always leads to long and restful nap for both parties involved.

I can wear a sports bra all day

This is reason enough to go out and buy a sling. Since my top is mostly covered up when I am babywearing, I could care less if my boobs look like two flat pancakes.

I can make friends too (while wearing a sports bra)

When you use a sling or a carrier it gives you a free pass to talk to other babywearers. You are also permitted to employ the secret hand wave(s), notoriously implemented by motorcycle drivers.



The Two-finger Flip- Here, the initiator is sending a clear signal that he acknowledges you.

The Dis- Dating back to the days when rival motorcycle gangs roamed the streets

The Geek- reserved for the new riders

I always win the “My ‘purse’ is more expensive then yours” game

It’s fun to see a single person carrying around a $400 coach purse when I am carrying something that cost approximately a quarter of a million dollars to raise – nevermind if my shoes are 15 years old and I have an old ketchup stain on my jeans. (click here to find out how much it will cost you to raise your baby)

It Creates a Toddler-Babywearer

Seeing my toddler baby-wear her Barbie on a walk around the block is one of the sweetest things to witness – next to seeing her breastfeed a mermaid and put a cloth diaper on a tiger.

Homemade Diaper Cream (Great for Eczema Too)

My favorite all purpose natural body cream is CJ’s Butter Cream. You can use it as diaper cream (cloth diaper friendly) or for dry, patchy skin (even eczema).

Here’s the thing though – it’s expensive. Although well worth the $18 price tag, I thought I would give it a whirl and see if I could do better!

I use shea butter as a base since this is the base used for the CJ Butter Cream (and I love it so much).



But I also use shea butter because of its great benefits. (Did you know that shea butter is edible?) Shea butter is an anti-inflammatory, emollient and humectant. It even has the ability to absorb ultra-violet radiation – pretty awesome, huh? 

Shea butter has even been studied to be effective for relief of nasal congestion, lowering cholesterol levels and for blood thinning! Check it out here


I could write an entire post about shea butter – but let’s move on instead…

Here are the ingredients used

1/2 cup          Shea butter-unrefined (anti-inflammatory, moisturizer)

1/4 cup          Coconut oil (antiviral, antifungal, anti yeast)

                       

1 tbsp             Beeswax pellets (anti-inflammatory)

2 tbsp             Vegetable glycerin (humectant, moisturizer)

3 drops           Calendula oil

Fragrance (if preferred)

The Mechanics of It

I used a double boiler method.

I melted a few heaping tablespoons of shea butter (1/2 cup).



I added my coconut oil.

Once you have the shea butter and oil melted, you can add the beeswax. I used a white organic beeswax. I used about 2 tablespoons or so.



Once the beeswax is melted, remove from heat and add your vegetable glycerin.

Vegetable Glycerin can be purchased online
and is rather cheap. I get mine here.

Once that is completely mixed, I poured the liquid in a small glass mason jar. I added the calendula oil (mine contains vitamin E as well) and fragrance (I used “fruit slices”, you can opt for no fragrance if you choose).

The liquid is still pretty hot in this picture, but you
see the cooling already beginning at the edges-
add your fragrance now.

Let this cool, uncovered overnight - it will continue to firm up as it cools.

Remeber - a little goes a long way!

DIY-Make Your Own Flu Vaccine

Firstly, I would like to cap up this week with thanking my husband again for letting me interview him for my Interview With a Crunchy Dad post. Thank you hun, I love you!

Also, check out my cloth diaper review that I posted on Tuesday.

Ok, to the fun part!

Here is the funniest thing I’ve seen all week. It’s from our friends up north (Canada)  - Enjoy!!

Interview with a Crunchy Dad



Crunchy dads play
with tigers for fun

There are so many natural mamas out there spouting their views, experiences and information – but what about their other half? When searching for a “crunchy” dad’s perspective, I came across one current blog – yeah, only one! How sad is that?

Those natural mamas must be keeping those papas extra busy.

Last night, I gave my husband a break from my grand ideals to see what his thoughts were on some matters. Here is what transpired….



Do you consider yourself crunchy?

Dad: No.

Me: Is that all?!

Dad: It’s a true or false question, right?

Me: (giving a disapproving look)

Dad: Ok, just say yes since I go along with your schemes.

(I nod approvingly)




Crunchy dads sometimes put green
painters tape on kids mouths.



 Do you ever read this blog?

Dad: No.

Me: Be truthful now!

Dad: Ok, once or twice.

(I shake my head)

Crunchy dads are so slick that kids
don't even mind it

When reading an ingredient list, what non-acceptable ingredient do you look for first?

Dad: Partially hydrogenated oil, mono-di glycerides, MSG, artificial food coloring, high fructose corn syrup …

Me: Wait – I said the first thing.

Dad: Ok, partially hydrogenated oil then.

(I nod, and write down response cheerfully.)


Would you consider using my non-fluoride toothpaste?


Dad: No (very firmly)

 (I’ve been trying to get him to use my toothpaste for over 5 months now)

Sometimes crunchy dads even read
directions when putting things together

Do you think you’ll ever eat fast food again? (If so, when?)

Dad: After you Die

(laughs)

(I laugh)

Do you think it will make you poop?

Dad: I know it will; it did last time. I pooped six times after eating a Big Mac. You can put this on your blog.

(We enjoy talking about poop in our household. It always makes any problem or dilemma seem less serious)



Would you ever admit to watching the Business of Being Born?

Dad: Sure, I have.

Me: Wow

Dad: I only watched half of it though.

Me: Two-Thirds.

 

Crunchy dads use strollers to carry
pumpkins, not babies

What was you biggest concern over home birth?


Dad: Your jackass midwife

Me: That was your biggest concern?!

Dad: Yes.

(Curious about the response – read my Would I Choose Homebirth Again post)



Which cloth diaper do you prefer to use out of our stash?

Dad: The ones that leak all the time

Me: What?!

Dad: Ok, then say Grovia.

Me: Those don’t leak!? You mean the Bumgenius??

Dad: Yeah.

(we’ve had issues with the Bumgenius repelling, hence the leaking reference)

Crunchy dads enjoy giving hammock
swing rides

Why do you decline vaccines for your daughters?

Dad: The ingredients.


(hmm… interesting)



Did you ever think you would be fired from a doctor’s office before you met me?

Dad: No.

(he didn’t think this was funny, but I did)

crunchy dads let babies swing from
ceiling lamps

>>Break to tend to a two year old that wanted me to write her name over and over again with a purple pen.<<



Have you ever “worn” a baby?

Dad: No.

(I tease him a lot to wear the baby when mowing the grass. He never has to wear a baby since I’m the one that loves to anyways.)



What do you think about cosleeping?


Crunchy dads secretly like to cosleep



Dad: I disagree with it, for personal reasons.

Me: Personal reasons?!?

Dad: It has its benefits though.

(I bet the ‘personal reasons’ my husband lists for not promoting cosleeping is the same reasons why I enjoy it so much)

Do you know what BLW stands for?

Dad: No?

What’s the craziest thing your wife has ordered in the mail?

Dad: That booger sucker thing

Me: Ahhh, a Nose Frida. (laughs)





Dad: You should put a picture on of it on your blog by this answer.

Me: I already do – though its on my ‘Things I Love’ page

What’s the best parenting advice you have?

Dad: I don’t have a good answer for this.

Me: That’s honest. I like that answer.

If you could tell my readers one thing about me, what would you tell them?

Dad: That you are very passionate about your beliefs which makes you a pain in my ass.

Me: Hmm (smiling)



my other half



>>Break to bounce Charlotte up and down, do some tickling, and draw a few more letters with Elizabeth<<



Let me give you a word or phrase and you tell me what comes to mind first –


Circumcision

Dad: Common place

(Me: making weird looks)


Diaper Sprayer

Dad: Weird

Me: These are the first things to come to mind? You aren’t doing this right.



Crunchy dads don't mind being forced
into photo-ops



Placenta

Dad: Yucky

Me: I don’t think you understand


Oil Cleansing Method

Dad: Wacky

Me: Ugh.


Homemade Deodorant

Dad: Crazy


Pox Party

(me laughing)

Dad: Stupid


Crunchy dads love nature walks



(I do not promote ‘pox parties’ – for me, personally, I would not purposefully seek out ill children to subject my kids to, but I do understand why some parents do it.)

Cow’s Milk

Dad: Yum!

Me: What?! !!



My husband has always been there to support me, even when I come up with some pretty wacky holistic ideas and plans – he has the courage to man up and take one for the team (though, there may be some whining involved at the beginning).

I want to take this time to say thank you and that I love you.