Remember me saying that we bought few convenience foods at market, or that time when I admitted to becoming a bit crunchy? If not, click here or here and you can read exactly what I had to say. Well, since I'm not currently working outside of the home, I have a bit of time on my hands, and I've used that time to sometimes be a Little Susie Homemaker. June Cleaver better watch out!! Not exactly, June looked put together while managing her humble abode. Most times I'm wearing pajama pants, my hair has been washed (but not dried) and is in a pony tail, and I'm generally sporting a few spit up stains. Don't judge!! If you've never looked this way, you don't have children...or maybe you have some sort of alien super child that never spits up and gives you plenty of time for hair and makeup.
Anyhoo...appearances aside, I sometimes like to pretend to slave away in the kitchen over a hot burning stove while somehow managing to take care of a baby and have a tidy house. Notice I did say pretend. Usually, it goes something like this..."Crap! We need (fill in the blank)!! Stevie's going to start screaming in a minute...I better be quick!!" I throw together whatever it is, wash up the few dishes, tell Stevie to hold her horses, fluff a few couch cushions, make the bed, dry a couple of tears, and there we are smiling and looking very accomplished when Ben comes home from work.
Lately, I have to give credit to the bread maker for making me look awesome. It's winter, we've been having soup for dinner quite a bit, and nothing goes better with soup than fresh bread. Here's an easy peasy recipe I'm going to share with you. You too can look like a Stepford Wife by making this delicious Honey Nut Wheat Bread!! :D You'll be able to find the complete recipe at the bottom of this post.
First, grab your breadmaker. If you don't have one of these handy dandy machines, I can't help you...lol
Handy dandy breadmaker
Next, add 1 1/3 cups of luke warm water. I'm not sure how hot luke warm is, but I made it on the warmer end since I was taking pictures throughout the process.
Water
Then comes 1/3 cups of softened honey. I was using Manuka Honey, which is kinda pricey and used around here for medicinal purposes. I didn't feel like running to market for more, so this is what I used.
Manuka Honey
It's also creamed honey, so I needed to heat it to soften it. You can easily use 'runny' honey, but I prefer creamed honey.
Unsoftened creamed honey
Next comes 1 Tablespoon of soft butter or margarine.
Butter...still cold
Add 2 teaspoons of salt
Salt
2 cups of wholemeal flour (wheat)
Wholemeal flour
2 cups of high grade flour (all purpose flour)
Also known as All Purpose Flour
3 Tablespoons of dry milk powder
Milk Powder
4 teaspoons of bread machine yeast. I have active yeast, and so I only add 3 teaspoons. If I add more, it rises too much, and then the middle will collapse.
Active Yeast, not the kind for bread machines
This is what it looks like once it's all added to your bread machine.
A big ol' mess!!
Turn your machine on to the wholewheat setting, and let it go. I know what you're thinking...what about the nuts!! Yes, well, you wait a bit. My machine beeps (about 30 minutes into the cycle), and that's when the nuts get added. I also toasted my nuts before adding them.
2/3 cups of walnuts (crushed)
Uncrushed toasted walnuts
About 3 1/2 hours later. You get this!!
Bread!!!
Yummy goodness!!
There you have it!! My cheaters guide to looking like Little Susie Homemaker! Here's the complete recipe:
Honey Nut Wheat Bread
1 1/3 c luke warm water
1/3 c softened honey
1 Tbsp soft butter/margarine
2 tsp salt
2 c wholemeal flour (wheat)
2 c high grade flour (all purpose)
3 Tbsp dry milk powder
4 tsp bread machine yeast (3 if using active yeast)
2/3 c chopped walnuts (added at beeps)
Add ingredients in the order listed. Turn your machine on to the wheat bread setting. Add walnuts at the beeps.
My machine has a 30 minute time delay before it starts kneading. It then beeps once everything is combined. If your machine does not have this delay, add your nuts when machine has just started kneading and has everything combined.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. I'm always anxious for other recipes to try, so feel free to share any of yours!!
Okay, so, last time, I talked about what diapers we picked and why, along with a few negative things I've been told about using cloth. What I really didn't do was go into much detail about what to do once your nappies have arrived. So, here we go...
We decided to use disposables during the newborn
stage, and we also needed Little Stevie to be big enough to fit in her cloth. Babies need to be around 4 to 4.5Kg (9-10lb) to really fit
BG. Let me just say, I couldn't WAIT to get her in cloth. We had more blowouts in those blasted disposables than I care to count! It's 2 am, I'm trying to feed her in the dark, and I'm like "what's that wet spot?!?" Yep, leaky diaper, and more often than not, it was poo. It would come out the back, out the sides, and it didn't matter what size she had on...they leaked!! We tried a couple of different brands, and still, they leaked. See why I'm not afraid of rinsing used nappies? Rinsing cloth isn't nearly as bad as snuggling your baby against you only to realize you're drenching yourself in baby poop.
Thankfully, the day arrived that we felt comfortable with the fit of her cloth. We knew how to put them on, but what happens once they come off? Well, that's easy, and it depends on who you ask.
Again, everyone (you know who everyone is...the internet Cloth Diaper Guru Moms) has something different to
say, but I go by the general consensus. I do the following: take them
off, take out the insert, unsnap them, give them a good rinse, squeeze out
the excess water, and pop the nappy into a dry pail. A dry pail, well,
my dry pail, is a plastic storage container that sits in my bathroom.
It has a lid that I put on, but I don't seal it. I have nothing in the
container....no water, no detergent, nothing. On wash day, I tip the
pail over my washer, pour everything in, turn on my washer, and clean my bucket. Often, I'll set the container outside to air out and get some sunshine. No
smells!
You can also get a wet bag, which is what I use
when we're out and about. Some people find them to be a great option because you can hang the bag wherever you need it
to be. I find my dry pail more convenient because I have the perfect
space for it to sit, and I don't have to unzip and bag. I kinda just kick my lid off with my foot. Here's the lowdown on wet bags. Wet bags work like dry pails. They're lined
zipper/snap bags. You store diapers the same way as a dry pail. On
wash day, pour the nappies in the wash, pop the bag inside out, toss
the bag in washer, and turn on your machine!
Speaking
of washing, there's a big hooplah over "the right way to wash".
Basically, here's what I think, if it works for you and doesn't ruin
your nappies, go for it. Again, be careful and go by your diaper
manufacturers' guidelines. You don't want to ruin them or void your
warranty. Other than that, it's variable based on your diaper, washer,
detergent, and water. I do the following: cold wash on the longest cycle with the most amount of water possible, extra
rinse, hang outside to dry. I use an eco friendly wash that's not
harmful to nappies. I use 3/4 of the recommended amount because nappies
will get a detergent build up if you use too much, and they won't get clean if you use too little. Build up prevention is why I do an extra rinse after the wash cycle.
Sometimes I pre-rinse in the washer, if for some reason she's been really rough on the
diaper, but we do a good job of rinsing them when we take them off, and
we've had no issues with my routine.
Some hot wash
because it gets them cleaner, or they think it's more sanitary to wash in hot. I'm fine
with cold washing. We have no smell or diaper rash issues, so I know
my method is fine. I can bleach them per BG with 1/4 cup once per
month, but I haven't needed to. I line dry in the sun, and if it's raining, I use the clothes horse. Sometimes, the inserts get dried in the drier, but only if there's no chance of sun, or if they're just not drying inside and we're soon going to run out of nappies. I never ever ever dry my shells in the drier. It's not good for them, and again, if it is harmful to your nappies, just don't do it. I really don't like drying my inserts in the drier either because I'm convinced it will wear them out if done long enough. I don't think it really will, but I don't want to risk it. Just to be safe, and because the sun is awesome, if possible we do all drying outside.
Clothes Horse Drying
Sun is nature's bleach, and each time they come in after being outside, they look brand spanking new! Also, the sun works to kill the fungus that causes nappy rash. Here's another little handy dandy sun fact. If you have a little one that has a bit of a rash, or a stubborn rash you can't seem to get rid of, stick that little bum outside in the sun. Use common sense here, don't let the little tush burn!! If you lack common sense, just don't do this, continue to use your over-the-counter products and consult your doctor.
You can tell, washing and sunning are kind of a big deal. I'm a bit anal over these two things because I want to continue to not have issues. Yes, I will admit, I've been known to get so hung up on my washing routine that I have gotten a bit grumpy at Ben over not washing the way I want them washed. He chunks them in, sets it on a quicker cycle, uses the amount of water that you would usually use wash a similar sized load of clothes, and then sets the washer for another rinse cycle. I walk in, see this, and go Mommy Dearest on him. You know Mommy Dearest? The movie where Joan Crawford spazzes out over wire hangers? Well, that's me except I'm all "No short cycle with low water!!!!"
In case you don't know about Mommy Dearest...here's the clip
Mommy Dearest No Wire Hangers Ever!!!!
Me Being Spaztastic Over The Washing Routine
He now uses the longer wash cycle, since I asked, but I'm still not sure rather or not he uses the water setting I prefer. I make a point to not walk by the washer if he's thrown them in because I don't want to go psycho over it, and mainly, I'm just thankful he'll take the time to wash nappies for me. I could be one of those women grumbling about how her husband never helps around the house. Nope, I'm going to keep my mouth shut and be grateful for the chance to snuggle under the cover and sleep in a bit longer while he goes on nappy washing duty.
So, what are these horrible things I'm trying to prevent? Detergent build up, ammonia build up, stink, and repelling. You read a variety of causes and a variety of solutions. Some people get worked up over the right way and wrong way to remedy each problem. Again, I think the remedy is whatever works for you based on your nappies, washer, and water type. I have no personal experience for dealing with any of these things, so I'm going to refrain from saying what does and doesn't work for each issue. If we do have any of these issues, I'm sure you'll get to read aaaaaallll about it in a blog post.
There you have it. My thoughts on washing and cloth problems. We've been in cloth full time for two months now, and I really am pleased with our decision to use them. I can't complain about BumGenius, and I would recommend them to anyone. They're user friendly, and it's nice to not feel like you're asking for your family to put forth a lot of effort when they babysit. We've had no blowouts due to diaper error, and only 2 or maybe 3 due to Mommy error. I didn't stuff the inserts correctly a time or two, and another time I didn't put the diaper on her straight. You know what happened! The cloth still did a better job containing the blow outs than the disposables EVER did!!
I like cloth so much that I'm anxious to try the different types. I really want to get my hands on a few prefolds and covers with varying blends of material. Any other children we have will be in cloth from the moment a nappy is first put on their behind, so I think it would be wise to get accustomed to prefolds now, since they seem to be the best fit for newbie babies. No, there's no newbie on the way, but it never hurts to be prepared! I am also a bit curious about the absorbency of different nappy fabrics. We don't have any complaints now, but again, for future reference it would be nice.
Any materials or brands you would recommend I try?
What's all that cd/mcd/mcn mumbo jumbo? That's cloth diaper world abbreviations for cloth diapers, modern cloth diapers, and modern cloth nappies (nappies = diapers in NZ, OZ, UK, etc). The world of cloth diapers has its own language. You get into things like ai1, ai2 (all-in-1's and 2's), os (one size), pockets, fitted, flats, prefolds, workhorses, pretties... You also have brands: BG (Bumgenius), FB (Fuzzibums), RR (Rumparoo), GV (Grovia), and then you have MWAH nappies (mom working from home). The list goes on and on, and THEN you get into the fabrics they're made
with: cotten, bamboo, microfleece, microfiber, minky, hemp, organic Himalayan silk (not really that last one, but it did sound good). Once all of this is mixing around in your head, you're probably thinking exactly what I was...WTH!!!! That's what the heck in case you didn't know, well, I said what the heck, but I'm sure there are other meanings.
What happened to the Gerber Birdseye diapers? I just wanted to stick a piece of cloth on my baby's butt and be done with it. In case you're wondering, the Gerbers are on the store shelf next to burp cloths, which is where they should stay unless you intend to use them for spit up rags. Back on point, selecting cloth diapers... Okay, so how did I decide which diapers to use? The same way I make every other decision...I read and researched, albeit with a few tears and eye bleeds since I was trying to figure out what all that crazy lingo is about. After countless hours, I finally decided upon a brand, much to Ben's pleasure. I'm pretty sure he was sick and tired of hearing about all of it, and he probably would have used a plastic bag with leg holes cut out if it meant I would shut-up about all of it.
So, what did I choose? Ta-da!!!!
BumGenius 4.0
I chose Bumgenius 4.0 with snaps, which are one sized pockets that have a suedecloth top layer and micorfiber inserts. Why did I choose these? Simple...they're user friendly. If I'm starting something new, I need it to be as painless as possible. If it's too complicated, I'm not as likely to stick with it. To use these, I make sure the cover and insert are snapped to the appropriate size, stuff the insert into the pocket, make sure the insert is correctly, and put it on Little Stevie. It goes on like a disposable, but it snaps instead of velcro-ing (is that even a word?).
Largest Size Setting
Smallest Size Setting
Diaper Unstuffed With Insert On Top
Both Inserts
If you find snaps too difficult, there is a velcro option, but I didn't want to risk it wearing out before I was finished using them.
Velcro Option
See? Cloth diapering made easy! Everyone, and by everyone I mean all the cloth diaper guru momma's on the internet, said to start out with a couple of different brands to try. You're able to more accurately determine what will or will not work for your baby and life style. There are trial packs you can buy, or you can demo used diapers. There are a couple of different options to help you decide what you like. I decided to take a risk and go with BG. I had read both good and bad reviews, so I knew what I was getting into. For me, the pros outweighed the cons, especially when I checked out the New Zealand price.
Here, you're looking at over $30 per diaper. Back in the U.S. I could get them buy 5 get 1 free, which came out to $14.35 per nappy. As an added bonus, I got FREE shipping!!! Remember I'm a tightwad! Yes, money factors into my decisions. So, armed with my knowledge, I bit the bullet and ordered the diapers in the U.S. before I moved. I figured if I didn't like them, I could sell them and try different brands once Stevie was born. I packed them into a suitcase, and they came over on the flight with me.
Here's what a suitcase of nappies looks like.
Suitcase Full of Nappies
You may be wondering why I didn't just wait until I was in New Zealand, order from the U.S., and have them shipped here. Well, for one, shipping costs ALOT, and for second, BG won't allow international shipping in order to be fair to your local stockists. I'm okay with that. I could have had them shipped over by some of my family, but I don't exactly trust the postal system. A box of my belongings took a tour of New Zealand before it arrived at my door. It somehow made its way from Auckland (northern part of the the North Island) to Dunedin (southern part of the South Island) and finally, back to Hamilton (northern-ish North Island). It arrived a little over a month after I shipped it, but I'm not complaining. It arrived...could have been worse!!! That's why I brought a suitcase of nappies with me.
So why did I decide to go through this "hassle"? New Zealand is really pretty, so I want to do my part to keep it that way. The bigger reason, I'm a tightwad!! For less than $350 Little Stevie will be diapered from birth to potty training. That's including her wipes and liners (diaper topper to make clean up easier). Yes, there are a couple of added expenses such as laundry detergent and a slight bump in power consumption, but that cost is minimal in the grand scheme of things. Here is a pretty good cost breakdown.
We decided that since we were going to be doing laundry, we might as well use reusable wipes and liners. They're much easier than worrying about throwing away wipes or flushing liners before doing a diaper rinse. We rinse it all at once and we're done. In case you're wondering, we bought the baby wash cloths to use as wipes. Fold them in half, and they fit perfectly into a regular disposable wipes container. We simply put water in there with a couple of drops of tea tree oil, and Voila! Baby wipes!!! As a bonus, the tea tree oil is a natural anti-fungal that helps keep rash away. The liners are made from microfleece that I bought and it's cut down to size.
Some think it's gross rinsing diapers. Who wants poo all over them? Well, nobody enjoys poo being all over them, but don't think you're immune if you choose disposables. I've had more disposable blow outs than I care to think about. Besides, you don't have to play in the diaper to rinse it. Oh, and did you know, you're actually suppose to dump the nasties out of disposables?!
Proof!!
"If nappy is soiled, empty contents into toilet"
I've been bombarded by people claiming I'm making the wrong choice by cloth diapering. "It's expensive!" No, it is an investment up front, but it's much cheaper long term. It's gross rinsing diapers. Again, I don't play in it. I've also heard all kinds of other reasons for not using cloth. My favorite..."Who has time to sit around and wash diapers all the time?!" Ummm...yeah, cuz that's what you do when you cloth diaper. You sit around and wash diapers day in and day out. Actually, we have a whopping 2 to 3 extra loads of laundry a week. We wash them every 3 days, and it literally consists of dumping and starting the machine. We're not using a washboard or anything. Yeah, we take a bit of time stuffing them, but no more than it takes to go purchase diapers. "It's too much work!" I'll admit, to begin with, it takes a bit of work to figure out what works for you, but by the first or two, you'll get a routine, and it's gravy from there!!
Yes, I like my cloth diapers, if you can't tell. I'll get into some of the ins and outs such as washing, some problems that may arise, and a few other tid bits in part two. For now, I'll leave you with this, and another reason you should consider cloth if you haven't. There are no disposables that can compare to PRETTIES!!!!!!
Those are reason enough to choose cloth over disposables!! That's a few pics from some of our local MWAH nappies. There are tons more out there. Do you have any favorite nappy brands?
I feel like I should be at some sort of 'Anonymous Addiction Meeting' as I admit this. "Hello, I'm Callie, and I'm turning crunchy..." For those of you that know me, I'm sure there are a few gasps and slack jawed expressions going on as you read this. I know, I found it hard to believe myself...well, initially. After the shock wore off, I embraced my new found love of all things some things crunchy. Hey, I'm a newbie to the granola world, I can't love all things. There are places I draw the line...ie "no poo". For those of you not into the lingo, no poo means no shampoo. Yes, there are some people that don't use shampoo (no judement intended). I've not researched it, so I don't know how it works. Regardless, rest assured, I do still wash my hair...although at the end of the day, it really doesn't look like it (or smell like it) after Little Stevie's spit up in it a few times.
What has gotten into me, you are probably wondering. Well, I like to blame it on New Zealand. "WHAT?!" Yes, I'm blaming it on my new home. Some of these changes were brought on by it being the norm (recycling/reusing) and some by force. I'll admit, I was a bit skeptical to begin with. I grew up with air conditioning. When I realized that most people over here didn't have (or use) the a/c, I was a bit wary. When I saw how many clothes lines were strung up, again, I was slightly O.o (that is googley eyed, in case you are wondering). I pouted a bit when I realized there are things from the States I can't get here, or what I can get is expensive/tastes different. Since I was in a new country, there were two things I could have done. I could have whined and resisted, and ultimately made adapting harder, or I could enthusiastically jump in with both feet and have a go of it. Yes, I dove in, and giggled like a school girl as I hung out my first load of laundry.
Were there a few groans along the way, you betcha! The weather here is very unpredictable, and I nor the weather man can determine if it's going to be a good drying day or not. There have been many rain soaked clothes, and I have wanted to be like the lady that lives behind me and leave them out rain or shine because they will eventually dry....even if it is a week later. ;) There were a couple of times that I wished for air con. I went through summer pregnant, and not just pregnant, but my final trimester of pregnancy...you know, the most uncomfortable part. Also, it wasn't just any summer, it was the hottest summer in history (click that link for proof). By the end of my pregnancy, I was waddling around scoffing at those complaining about the heat and humidity. Pfft...amateurs!! This Bama girl knows all about heat and humidity. That being said, it's probably the only thing that saved me from whining, crying, and begging for a/c to be installed.
I started to learn to make things in order to replicate the taste of products I missed from the U.S. It began with taco seasoning and Sloppy Joe's. Yes, they have taco seasoning here, but I didn't have any on hand and refused to go to the market. Hmmm...maybe laziness should be added to my list of reasons for becoming more crunchy. A Facebook status made me have a craving for Sloppy Joe's, and I knew to not even bother with trying to find Manwich mix at the grocery store. A base recipe, followed with a dash of this and sprinkle of that, and Voila!!! I made my own!!! They tasted just as good, if not better than the can mix. The same goes for the taco seasoning, it tasted just like the packets of Old El Paso, but without all of the preservatives!!!!
That did me in, I was on a mission to make as many convenience products as I could. I saw they tasted the same or better and they didn't have additives. That's right; I said additives...I've also started calling them "nasty fillers" and ugh..."chemicals". No, I nor anyone I know has died from the before mentioned, but if I have the option to buy versus make, I now choose to make it. Since my initial kitchen diy experiments, I've also taken on the task of making cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, steak sauce, and chili mix, just to name a few. All of my attempts have been successful. It's started to become sort of like a game of Make It If You Can. I don't bother looking for the pre-made ingredients for recipes any longer. I make what-ever it is I need, toss the extras in the freezer or pantry, and it's very cost effective. Win!!!
Cost is another factor that lead to me "going to the green side". Have you seen the cost of diapers?!?!?! They're not cheap, but I am. After seeing what they cost when Root Toot was a baby, I decided I wanted to forgo that added expense. Hello cloth diapers!! After researching and reading and more researching and reading, I decided to go with BumGenius 4.0 diaper...or nappies as they're called here. They seemed the most user friendly, had great reviews, and the best part...I got them when they were buy 5 get 1 free with free shipping!!!! Woohoo!! We did use disposable for about 3 weeks, so including that cost of around $100 and the cost of her BG nappies, she has been diapered from birth to potty for less than $450.
BumGenius 4.0 on smallest setting
I also decided to save money by forgoing disposable wipes. I make a wipe solution of water and a few drops of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is great, and when she did get nappy rash while wearing disposables, it helped clear her bum right up!! Also effective at clearing up a red bum and diaper rash...COCONUT OIL!!!
Coconut Oil...versatile natural product
Coconut oil is anti-fungal and safe for cloth nappies. It's also inexpensive and easily found. Go check out the cooking oil or international food aisle at your local market, cheaper than all the other creams and just as good. It's also great for use as a moisturizer and hair treatment...that's why I have a big jar of it. ;)
To be on the safe side, and to make nappy clean up easier, I did buy fleece to use as a liner. It's really easy to make your own, which is what I did. Since I was at the craft store, I also bought felt to make Stevie a mobile and hangy things for her car seat. Cheap, and I can make more so she doesn't have to see the same one over and over.
Sewing, laundry detergent making, and soap making are next on my diy/crunchy living list. Ben's going to get me a sewing machine, so we'll see how that goes. I'm picking up the dedicated soap making pots and pans this weekend when we head to market. I would say my poor family, but Ben is a good sport, and actually encourages me...lol We'll see how encouraging he is if I mess up the pH in the soap and he gets a chemical peel. Muahahahahaha!! Yes, that was my evil villian laugh.
Perhaps the biggest change for me came with my maternity care and Stevie's birth. I'm not going to get into the maternity services of New Zealand right now, but I will say that as long as you're having a normal pregnancy, it is less medicalized than the States. I had an amazing midwife for my maternity care. I also chose to not give birth in the hospital. I had Little Stevie at Waterford Birth Centre. I had an unmedicated waterbirth. Yep, I opted to go all natural...no epidural, no iv pain meds (or iv for that matter), and no air & gas. I had her in the birthing tub, delayed cord cutting, delayed her bath, and brought home her placenta (not to eat or encapsulate..I'm not that crunchy, but kudos to those who are).
On that note, I'm going to leave you to mull over that last paragraph. The little monster is awake, and I have laundry to do, which I accomplish by wearing my baby in a wrap. Hope everyone has a great weekend!! I'm going to think about rather or not to post up my birth story and get busy with a few diy things...Cheers!
