Monday, February 02, 2009
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Rant on the Economy and Government Intervention
Adrian sent me this link a few days ago. His alma mater, Grove City College, publishes semi-regular articles of interest - on current issues, politics, economics, etc. - via The Center for Vision and Values. Grove City is really big into the Austrian school of economics, as is not surprising from this article. Anyway, I'd highly suggest the article; it's a very interesting read. "On Economic Depressions, Then and Now?" is a discussion of depression-era government intervention, and how FDR did more to hinder the U.S. economy than to help it, and how World War II did not bring us out of the great depression.
This article is great stuff, but here's the problem: Americans are too stupid and driven by feeling instead of facts for such truths to take effect. We feel like Bush is to blame for the economy, so he must be. We feel like government intervention will help, so no matter how much good, solid reasoning is thrown our way, it won't change our minds. For that matter, it can't possibly change our minds because we won't even bother to read it.
This is why an unliterary society with popular election is so dangerous! If the discontented and uninformed populace is personally electing officials, they will disgruntingly vote out incumbents who make informed-but-unpopular decisions, because the public wants the congress to cater to their whims. That puts us much closer to a democracy than the original intended republic. Which is why it was a major mistake to change our constitution to allow the popular election of senators. But I digress. . .
By "stupid Americans", I mean we are unliterary. We don't read, or we don't read deeply. We choose ignorance; it isn't thrust upon us. Americans form opinions from the news media, largely, and the media is driven by sensationalism and what the public wants to hear, not by common sense and trying to intelligently change the public's minds. Can you imagine a media effort to convince the public of the facts in the GCC article? Yeah, right! That would be really popular. Why? Because it's not what the public wants to hear.
The public wants to hear that our recession is the result of political mistakes or a few unwise large businesses. They don't want to hear that the solution is for the people to work out the problems themselves via good entrepreneurship, wise spending habits, personal efforts to teach the poor to fish (instead of just feeding them fish), etc. They don't want to hear that their own godlessness in the form of chasing the idol of consumerism is the real problem. It's so much better to think that someone else (read: "Uncle Sam") is the only solution. Whining is much more fun than action. Only thing is, where do we think Uncle Sam gets his funds?
This article is great stuff, but here's the problem: Americans are too stupid and driven by feeling instead of facts for such truths to take effect. We feel like Bush is to blame for the economy, so he must be. We feel like government intervention will help, so no matter how much good, solid reasoning is thrown our way, it won't change our minds. For that matter, it can't possibly change our minds because we won't even bother to read it.
This is why an unliterary society with popular election is so dangerous! If the discontented and uninformed populace is personally electing officials, they will disgruntingly vote out incumbents who make informed-but-unpopular decisions, because the public wants the congress to cater to their whims. That puts us much closer to a democracy than the original intended republic. Which is why it was a major mistake to change our constitution to allow the popular election of senators. But I digress. . .
By "stupid Americans", I mean we are unliterary. We don't read, or we don't read deeply. We choose ignorance; it isn't thrust upon us. Americans form opinions from the news media, largely, and the media is driven by sensationalism and what the public wants to hear, not by common sense and trying to intelligently change the public's minds. Can you imagine a media effort to convince the public of the facts in the GCC article? Yeah, right! That would be really popular. Why? Because it's not what the public wants to hear.
The public wants to hear that our recession is the result of political mistakes or a few unwise large businesses. They don't want to hear that the solution is for the people to work out the problems themselves via good entrepreneurship, wise spending habits, personal efforts to teach the poor to fish (instead of just feeding them fish), etc. They don't want to hear that their own godlessness in the form of chasing the idol of consumerism is the real problem. It's so much better to think that someone else (read: "Uncle Sam") is the only solution. Whining is much more fun than action. Only thing is, where do we think Uncle Sam gets his funds?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Organizing :-)
I've been creating a spreadsheet of all the baby/toddler items and clothes that I have - by size, color, gender, style, etc. I do this because I have OCD. Or because I'm type A. Or because it makes thrift shopping a TON easier, and I hopefully now won't end up with 30 warm-weather boy print onesies in the same size (not that I'm speaking from experience. . . *cough*).
Before, all the clothes were stored in cardboard boxes, by size. Then I hit a great after-Christmas sale, where I got to capitalize on the fact that there is actually a market for Christmas-colored storage boxes, and Wal-mart bought too many :-). So I got a bunch of green 18 gallon Sterilite containers for $4 each, and I've been transferring stored clothing to those. This is especially nice since our basement isn't quite waterproof in a heavy rain. But I digress.
I also decided to transfer a few other items to Sterilite storage, like all my maternity clothes. That's what I've been doing just now. Hans is currently totally zonked on my back. Apparently the activity wasn't quite as interesting to him as it was to me. He hasn't gotten my psycho organizing genes, that I know of. But anyway, awwww, so many fun memories with my maternity clothes. I was remembering how much I liked this top or that one, or that skirt. Pregnancy wasn't actually that bad for me for the most part, minus aching hips, not being able to turn over in bed, etc. ;-) I had forgotten how many nice maternity clothes I'd had.
Now if only I can get Hans to figure out that solid food is a good thing, then maybe I'd get to use those clothes again sometime soon ;-). Right now ecological breastfeeding is very effectively preventing that. . . But on the bright side, I'm enjoying this not-throwing-up thing, especially at a time when I have several friends pregnant and queasy. But yay for babies! Always good news :-).
Before, all the clothes were stored in cardboard boxes, by size. Then I hit a great after-Christmas sale, where I got to capitalize on the fact that there is actually a market for Christmas-colored storage boxes, and Wal-mart bought too many :-). So I got a bunch of green 18 gallon Sterilite containers for $4 each, and I've been transferring stored clothing to those. This is especially nice since our basement isn't quite waterproof in a heavy rain. But I digress.
I also decided to transfer a few other items to Sterilite storage, like all my maternity clothes. That's what I've been doing just now. Hans is currently totally zonked on my back. Apparently the activity wasn't quite as interesting to him as it was to me. He hasn't gotten my psycho organizing genes, that I know of. But anyway, awwww, so many fun memories with my maternity clothes. I was remembering how much I liked this top or that one, or that skirt. Pregnancy wasn't actually that bad for me for the most part, minus aching hips, not being able to turn over in bed, etc. ;-) I had forgotten how many nice maternity clothes I'd had.
Now if only I can get Hans to figure out that solid food is a good thing, then maybe I'd get to use those clothes again sometime soon ;-). Right now ecological breastfeeding is very effectively preventing that. . . But on the bright side, I'm enjoying this not-throwing-up thing, especially at a time when I have several friends pregnant and queasy. But yay for babies! Always good news :-).
Monday, January 26, 2009
Am I the only one? . . .
So, when I got married I had the best of intentions to have a weekly menu. All the cool kids were doing it. EVERY frugal blog you read lists menu planning as a reliable way to save money. And then you don't have to put daily energy into food ponderings - What am I going to fix today? I kept a menu for the first month or so, and it worked okay. It sure made grocery shopping pretty easy. Then I got pregnant.
All menu plans went out the window. I was just trying to keep anything down, and I fixed whatever I thought would take the least amount of stand-up time, smell the least, and be most likely to stay down. Any dish that I knew about hours in advance would not work! I had to cook on a whim.
After my nausea left I tried to resume meal planning, but I found out some things. First, I like to not be too tied down to a meal plan. I like food surprises! When I make a casserole, for example (see link a few posts back), I pull out some chicken to thaw maybe at lunch, but I like to not decide what type of casserole I'm making (rice, pasta, add mushrooms or not, etc.) until suppertime. It's more exciting!
Second, I can just stock up on staple items and still not have to constantly run to the store for "one more item" . . . most of the time.
Third, despite all the frugal claims, for me, I cook more frugally when I don't have a meal plan. I'm serious! When I'm at the grocery store, I tend to buy the more economical ingredients, with a few splurges, so when I'm cooking, I end up using ingredients I have on hand, which are the more economical ones. But if I meal plan, I'm not as aware which ingredients are cheaper, so I end up buying a lot of more pricey items that I need for specific recipes. I may or may not know the ingredients are pricier, as the prices fluctuate from week to week, even for staples. So I end up spending more. Whereas if I buy more staple items (and note on my grocery list when I want more specific items, which I don't mind buying. . . but not ALL specialty items), I still cook quite tasty, healthy meals, but for much less.
Has anyone else had the same experience?
All menu plans went out the window. I was just trying to keep anything down, and I fixed whatever I thought would take the least amount of stand-up time, smell the least, and be most likely to stay down. Any dish that I knew about hours in advance would not work! I had to cook on a whim.
After my nausea left I tried to resume meal planning, but I found out some things. First, I like to not be too tied down to a meal plan. I like food surprises! When I make a casserole, for example (see link a few posts back), I pull out some chicken to thaw maybe at lunch, but I like to not decide what type of casserole I'm making (rice, pasta, add mushrooms or not, etc.) until suppertime. It's more exciting!
Second, I can just stock up on staple items and still not have to constantly run to the store for "one more item" . . . most of the time.
Third, despite all the frugal claims, for me, I cook more frugally when I don't have a meal plan. I'm serious! When I'm at the grocery store, I tend to buy the more economical ingredients, with a few splurges, so when I'm cooking, I end up using ingredients I have on hand, which are the more economical ones. But if I meal plan, I'm not as aware which ingredients are cheaper, so I end up buying a lot of more pricey items that I need for specific recipes. I may or may not know the ingredients are pricier, as the prices fluctuate from week to week, even for staples. So I end up spending more. Whereas if I buy more staple items (and note on my grocery list when I want more specific items, which I don't mind buying. . . but not ALL specialty items), I still cook quite tasty, healthy meals, but for much less.
Has anyone else had the same experience?
Trying to "Winter" this Winter
I miss my daily walks :-/. I think Hans misses them too - he loved them! But it's just too cold for his mama to get out every day. Granted it's nothing like it could be, as my I-spent-4-years-in-Minnesota husband reminds me ;-), but for this I-spent-23-years-in-Georgia girl, yet, it's too cold! At least for daily walks.
Mainly I'm getting my exercise these days by doing household chores with Hans strapped to my back. I <3 my Ergo :-). I usually do dishes and most cooking with Hans in the Ergo, because our kitchen is small (sort of galley-style), and there isn't a good floor place for him to play while I do stuff in there. And also I hang laundry in the basement with him on my back. At my neighbor's suggestion, I strung several clotheslines in the basement and have been hanging our laundry for almost 2 months now. It's nice mild exercise with little guy (make that 18ish lb guy) strapped on, and the theory is that it's lowering our electric bill. And it delays us having to get another dryer. . . yet. I'm sure we'll get one soon (Adrian has told me whenever I want), but for now it's kind of fun.
Hans cut his first two teeth last week. We've been having some less-than-sound-sleeping at nights as a result. They're not all the way up, but very distinctly teeth now, when he chooses to show them to us. The best way to do this is to lay him in my lap and tickle him. Hehe. Adrian thinks (and I agree) that Hans has the cutest laugh. Ever. Right now he's on the floor talking to a water bottle and growling at it. He's doing this half drag, half crawl thing nowadays, which is pretty cute. No real crawling yet.
Last week I decided to introduce him to the world of food-that-is-not-breastmilk. He didn't take kindly to the idea. He alternated gagging, shuddering, and fussing. I tried banana, and a few nights later carrot and then potato. No success. He'll have to get used to the idea soon ;-). Mommy's Diner won't be available all his life. He was 7 months on January 18th, by the way.
I still have an obsession with sewing cloth diapers. I got a snap press a few months ago, and I love it! Easily a very good purchase. In the long run it'll be quite useful for all sorts of things, not just diapers. I've already been using it for other things, in fact. I haven't taken many pictures of my latest cloth diapers, but they are a major improvement on my first ones.
I'm going to *try* to post a bit more. No promises. I don't have a ton of free time for blogging, so probably they'll mainly be shorter posts, no long detailed treatises. Maybe a recipe here, a daily anecdote there. Or an isn't-my-son-adorable-go-to-this-picture link. Hmm. I seem to be in a dash mood today :-).
Mainly I'm getting my exercise these days by doing household chores with Hans strapped to my back. I <3 my Ergo :-). I usually do dishes and most cooking with Hans in the Ergo, because our kitchen is small (sort of galley-style), and there isn't a good floor place for him to play while I do stuff in there. And also I hang laundry in the basement with him on my back. At my neighbor's suggestion, I strung several clotheslines in the basement and have been hanging our laundry for almost 2 months now. It's nice mild exercise with little guy (make that 18ish lb guy) strapped on, and the theory is that it's lowering our electric bill. And it delays us having to get another dryer. . . yet. I'm sure we'll get one soon (Adrian has told me whenever I want), but for now it's kind of fun.
Hans cut his first two teeth last week. We've been having some less-than-sound-sleeping at nights as a result. They're not all the way up, but very distinctly teeth now, when he chooses to show them to us. The best way to do this is to lay him in my lap and tickle him. Hehe. Adrian thinks (and I agree) that Hans has the cutest laugh. Ever. Right now he's on the floor talking to a water bottle and growling at it. He's doing this half drag, half crawl thing nowadays, which is pretty cute. No real crawling yet.
Last week I decided to introduce him to the world of food-that-is-not-breastmilk. He didn't take kindly to the idea. He alternated gagging, shuddering, and fussing. I tried banana, and a few nights later carrot and then potato. No success. He'll have to get used to the idea soon ;-). Mommy's Diner won't be available all his life. He was 7 months on January 18th, by the way.
I still have an obsession with sewing cloth diapers. I got a snap press a few months ago, and I love it! Easily a very good purchase. In the long run it'll be quite useful for all sorts of things, not just diapers. I've already been using it for other things, in fact. I haven't taken many pictures of my latest cloth diapers, but they are a major improvement on my first ones.
I'm going to *try* to post a bit more. No promises. I don't have a ton of free time for blogging, so probably they'll mainly be shorter posts, no long detailed treatises. Maybe a recipe here, a daily anecdote there. Or an isn't-my-son-adorable-go-to-this-picture link. Hmm. I seem to be in a dash mood today :-).
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Casserole Tutorial and a New Blog
I've been meaning to post a general tutorial on casserole-making, but never got around to it. I finally did. . . just not on this blog. Check out my friend's new blog, Share It, and read my post on making casseroles.
New Look
There. I changed the layout, the title, the byline, the sidebar. New skin!
Here are more Facebook pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2486555&l=e4ff8&id=4923951
Here are more Facebook pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2486555&l=e4ff8&id=4923951
Friday, December 19, 2008
Facebook picture links
Thanks to a helpful reader who explained how to do this, here are links to my Facebook albums (in order from oldest to newest):
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2450129&l=f15bf&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2451866&l=6b08b&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2457590&l=6c5ac&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2465755&l=56c96&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2469263&l=f5b19&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2469263&l=f5b19&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2450129&l=f15bf&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2451866&l=6b08b&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2457590&l=6c5ac&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2465755&l=56c96&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2469263&l=f5b19&id=4923951
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2469263&l=f5b19&id=4923951
Also. . .
I've been toying with the idea of moving to a new blog, not changing providers (I, contrary to almost everyone else on the planet, do still like Blogger, even if Google and Blogger together are working towards taking over the world), just a new web address and new name. I'm no longer susaneg (I'm susangk) and I'm no longer an old-fashioned girl (something about being 24, married, with a child disqualifies me). And I feel like my blogging style has changed, my interests have expanded, and my everyday life is vastly different than the original susanegk who posted as "an old-fashioned girl". I feel like I'd feel less like I've outgrown my skin if I just moved, but kept this blog for archives.
No, this doesn't mean I'd post more often, per se, but it does mean the "outgrown skin" writer's block wouldn't be there. So, I'm toying with the idea. But right now the brainblock I have is a blog title. Suggestions appreciated.
No, this doesn't mean I'd post more often, per se, but it does mean the "outgrown skin" writer's block wouldn't be there. So, I'm toying with the idea. But right now the brainblock I have is a blog title. Suggestions appreciated.
Suggestions?
Sooooo. . . it's come to my attention that I haven't posted pictures of Hans since approximately forever. Or at least about half of his out-of-the-womb lifetime. He's cute. REALLY cute. And you can't see! Haha!
Okay, not really. But Blogger is such a pain with pictures. It is so much easier to load pictures to Facebook. But I'm not comfortable with adding random people I don't know to my Facebook account (if you do have a reasonable online acquaintance with me, please feel free to send me a friend request, though; if you lurk and I don't know you from Noah, please understand my desire for some privacy :-D). I've set any Facebook pictures I've loaded to be viewable to anyone, not just friends, but I don't know how to link to those or if they're searchable. Any help/advice/enlightenment? Thanks!
Okay, not really. But Blogger is such a pain with pictures. It is so much easier to load pictures to Facebook. But I'm not comfortable with adding random people I don't know to my Facebook account (if you do have a reasonable online acquaintance with me, please feel free to send me a friend request, though; if you lurk and I don't know you from Noah, please understand my desire for some privacy :-D). I've set any Facebook pictures I've loaded to be viewable to anyone, not just friends, but I don't know how to link to those or if they're searchable. Any help/advice/enlightenment? Thanks!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Birth, death, everything in between. . .
Okay, so I realize it's been months since I really posted anything. Such is life. . .
Things are going well here. Hans is growing so fast and is going to be mobile way sooner than I am ready! He can roll over both ways now. One of his favorite things is for Daddy to play airplane with him, or carry him around upside-down. Such a BOY! Hans is getting extremely grabby, as evidenced by his brilliant(?) decision Sunday to grab a steaming bowl of chili. Can you say "blisters"? Poor wittle guy, but he's doing fine. He was 5 months yesterday.
Hans has a new cousin as of a month ago! My brother Ben and his wife Stephanie had their first baby, Madeleine. She is so adorable, and she was teeny - 5 lb. 2 oz. - but is gaining well, it seems. I probably won't get to meet her until spring. *sigh*
My maternal grandmother passed away this past Saturday. She was ready to put aside her earthly struggles, and her death was not unexpected, but she will be missed! She missed meeting Hans (first great-grandchild) by only 11 days, as we are flying to Indiana for Thanksgiving. We will still be able to see lots of other relatives, including my parents and Hannah.
Meanwhile, it's getting far too cold here for my liking. Okay. Fine. It's really not that bad yet. *sigh* Compared to what it will be, at least. But it's interrupting my daily walks with Hans, which is a shame. We'll try to get out on warmer days, mid-day.
Well, that's all for now. Hans has fallen asleep nursing, and I should go put him down and get some sewing done or something :-).
Things are going well here. Hans is growing so fast and is going to be mobile way sooner than I am ready! He can roll over both ways now. One of his favorite things is for Daddy to play airplane with him, or carry him around upside-down. Such a BOY! Hans is getting extremely grabby, as evidenced by his brilliant(?) decision Sunday to grab a steaming bowl of chili. Can you say "blisters"? Poor wittle guy, but he's doing fine. He was 5 months yesterday.
Hans has a new cousin as of a month ago! My brother Ben and his wife Stephanie had their first baby, Madeleine. She is so adorable, and she was teeny - 5 lb. 2 oz. - but is gaining well, it seems. I probably won't get to meet her until spring. *sigh*
My maternal grandmother passed away this past Saturday. She was ready to put aside her earthly struggles, and her death was not unexpected, but she will be missed! She missed meeting Hans (first great-grandchild) by only 11 days, as we are flying to Indiana for Thanksgiving. We will still be able to see lots of other relatives, including my parents and Hannah.
Meanwhile, it's getting far too cold here for my liking. Okay. Fine. It's really not that bad yet. *sigh* Compared to what it will be, at least. But it's interrupting my daily walks with Hans, which is a shame. We'll try to get out on warmer days, mid-day.
Well, that's all for now. Hans has fallen asleep nursing, and I should go put him down and get some sewing done or something :-).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Once upon a time. . .
Once upon a time I started a blog. I had lots to talk about, and a fair amount of time to do the talking. I wrote a LOT. I commented on other blogs a LOT. I made some real, genuine friends through blogging. I even married one of them :-).
Along the way my blogging slowed down because I had the brilliant epiphany that maybe my ramblings weren't quite as important as I used to think they were. The other reason was that my priorities started changing, and my time became more important. I didn't want to miss out on the here and now while blogging about the abstract. And things like courtship, wedding planning, marriage, pregnancy, child-rearing take up a lot of time :-). And that's not a bad thing.
But I really do miss the community of blogging, I miss the camaraderie; I miss expressing my deepest thoughts through the written word. I still lurk on my favorite blogs, but I don't comment a lot, like I used to, nor do I write as much as I used to (and when I do, my posts aren't nearly as involved as they used to be!).
I'm still here. Even if I only show my face once a month or so :-). I'm busy making my 4-month old giggle from my silly faces, reading Sherlock Holmes with my Honey, discussing theology with my fellow local believers, and I'm sewing, cooking, and cleaning. I'm living the life that God has set before me, and I'm loving it :-).
Along the way my blogging slowed down because I had the brilliant epiphany that maybe my ramblings weren't quite as important as I used to think they were. The other reason was that my priorities started changing, and my time became more important. I didn't want to miss out on the here and now while blogging about the abstract. And things like courtship, wedding planning, marriage, pregnancy, child-rearing take up a lot of time :-). And that's not a bad thing.
But I really do miss the community of blogging, I miss the camaraderie; I miss expressing my deepest thoughts through the written word. I still lurk on my favorite blogs, but I don't comment a lot, like I used to, nor do I write as much as I used to (and when I do, my posts aren't nearly as involved as they used to be!).
I'm still here. Even if I only show my face once a month or so :-). I'm busy making my 4-month old giggle from my silly faces, reading Sherlock Holmes with my Honey, discussing theology with my fellow local believers, and I'm sewing, cooking, and cleaning. I'm living the life that God has set before me, and I'm loving it :-).
Friday, September 12, 2008
Cloth Diapers
***Warning*** This is a long post on a topic that probably does not have wide interest. Feel free to skip, but I've had a number of requests for a post along these lines.
I used disposable diapers with Hans for the first four weeks, while I adjusted to motherhood and recouped from giving birth. Since then I've mainly been using cloth, with an occasional disposable here and there. Now that I'm getting more of an idea of what absorbency I need for cloth, though, I haven't used disposables for almost a month, and I actually get fewer leaks with cloth!
I'm sewing my cloth diaper stash for the most part, with an occasional prefold or bought cover here and there, for variety and ease. My newborn stash consists of a dozen infant Chinese prefolds, 6 fitted diapers, 10 pocket fitted diapers, 2 pocket diapers, and 7 covers. I'm working on my small stash now.
Here is a pocket fitted. "Pocket" meaning it's a stuffable 2-layer diaper, "fitted" meaning it requires a cover and has elastic at the legs to help contain messes. This particular diaper is a sized down Rita's Rump Pocket - printed at 85% to fit a newborn. I recycled a queen size flannel sheet set that I found at a thrift store. The purpose of a pocket-style is to allow customization of absorbency and even more importantly, to allow the main absorbency to be removed for washing and drying, making for cleaner diapers that dry way faster than otherwise.
Here is the Rita's Rump Pocket opened with a suedecloth liner in it, to prevent rashes due to wetness. Suedecloth lining is also good once babies hit the solid food stage and need to have poo removed before laundering. Supposedly poo will fall off suede or microfleece relatively easily - no dunking required.
A note: not all suede is created equal. Alova suede (sold at JoAnn and sometimes Wal-mart) or butter suede (Hancock's) is the stuff that will wick away moisture by letting pee pass through. Fashion suede and microsuede are evil and will repel. Crushed panne velour will also work. Or microfleece. The next size up in diapers that I'm making will be automatically lined with a wicking or "stay-dry" inner, so I don't have to add a liner each time.
And here is the diaper on a really cute baby. I love this flannel print on Hans :-). It's such a "little man" diaper, and the pin is adorable :-).Rita's Rump Pockets close with a single pin, as shown, but most pocket fitteds close with hook and loop or snaps.
Below is a regular fitted, made from recycled t-shirts. It also has a touchtape closure. Velcro is not good enough to withstand substantial use and many washings, so the preferred hook and loop options are either touchtape or aplix, both available online. Alas, I don't have a snap press, but hook and loop is doing fine.
I used the Darling Diapers Unlimited pattern for this fitted. I love that pattern! Great fit, a ton of options, and good directions.
Another thing: serging makes sewing cloth diapers go SO much faster, if you have access to a serger. And I love the way the finished product looks.
The inside of the fitted has an external sewn-on soaker. which basically means it's attached (as opposed to lay-in absorption) but it's not all sewn into the inside, which can take a LONG time to dry!
Here is a diaper cover, also made from the Darling Diaper pattern. Any diaper that is not waterproof will require a cover. This cover is made with polyurethane laminate (PUL for short), the waterproof material of choice for diaper making, and bound with fold-over elastic, aka FOE. FOE is wonderful for containing messes and getting a great fit.
This cover is my favorite so far. I tried gussets and I love the way they fit! This is a nighttime cover for Hans, and it contains blowouts really well, even when he's lying on his side. This is also a Darling Diapers cover.
Here is a cover I didn't make. It's a pull-on nylon cover. This is more like the "plastic pants" of yesteryear, but gentler on baby's legs (softer elastic) and more durable. Baby Best Buy sells 2-packs for only $3.99. These are Dappi brand.
Here are some pictures of pocket diapers, which are by far the easiest to use. These are genuine pockets, meaning they have a waterproof outer, unlike pocket fitteds. These diapers do not require a cover, so they make for really easy changes, especially while out and about. I made these with the Rita's Rump Cover pattern (see sidebar of above Rita's Rump Pocket link).
The first two pics were accidentally taken on the B&W setting. Oops! And look how tiny Hans was! This was almost two months ago.
I stuffed this diaper with two washrags, folded together into thirds. Most of my pockets or pocket fitteds, though, I stuff with a 16"x16" microfiber towel that is folded to fit inside. Microfiber towels can be found in the automotive section of most stores. Microfiber should never touch a baby's skin directly, though, as it will dry it out! It makes great stuffers, though, and holds a lot.
Other equipment I'm using: cloth wipes. This is seriously the easiest thing! If you're already using cloth diapers, washing wipes with the diapers is actually easier than having to separately throw away disposable wipes. It's the easiest $8-10 I save each month. For breastfed poo, all I have to do is moisten them with a spray bottle. I took a bunch of flannel and t-shirt knit scraps and serged 2-layer wipes together, out of odd shapes and sizes. 8"x8" is probably ideal, but I've got all sorts of geometric shapes ;-). I also made 2 diaper pail liners out of PUL, and those just get dumped in the wash with everything else. That way I don't have to scrub out my bucket; I just rinse it really quickly with hot water. And I made 2 small wet bags out of PUL, to keep in the diaper bag, so I have something to keep dirty diapers in while I'm out and about.
Washing with exclusively breastfed poo is easy. No dunking or swishing. Just dump in the washer, along with the PUL bag. Do a cold pre-rinse. Then a hot wash with very little detergent (about 1/4 cap). Then dry on high heat in the dryer.
Okay, that's all for now. I hope someone found that helpful. Sorry it was so long! Pictures made it more exciting, though, right? :-)
I used disposable diapers with Hans for the first four weeks, while I adjusted to motherhood and recouped from giving birth. Since then I've mainly been using cloth, with an occasional disposable here and there. Now that I'm getting more of an idea of what absorbency I need for cloth, though, I haven't used disposables for almost a month, and I actually get fewer leaks with cloth!
I'm sewing my cloth diaper stash for the most part, with an occasional prefold or bought cover here and there, for variety and ease. My newborn stash consists of a dozen infant Chinese prefolds, 6 fitted diapers, 10 pocket fitted diapers, 2 pocket diapers, and 7 covers. I'm working on my small stash now.
Here is a pocket fitted. "Pocket" meaning it's a stuffable 2-layer diaper, "fitted" meaning it requires a cover and has elastic at the legs to help contain messes. This particular diaper is a sized down Rita's Rump Pocket - printed at 85% to fit a newborn. I recycled a queen size flannel sheet set that I found at a thrift store. The purpose of a pocket-style is to allow customization of absorbency and even more importantly, to allow the main absorbency to be removed for washing and drying, making for cleaner diapers that dry way faster than otherwise.
Here is the Rita's Rump Pocket opened with a suedecloth liner in it, to prevent rashes due to wetness. Suedecloth lining is also good once babies hit the solid food stage and need to have poo removed before laundering. Supposedly poo will fall off suede or microfleece relatively easily - no dunking required.
A note: not all suede is created equal. Alova suede (sold at JoAnn and sometimes Wal-mart) or butter suede (Hancock's) is the stuff that will wick away moisture by letting pee pass through. Fashion suede and microsuede are evil and will repel. Crushed panne velour will also work. Or microfleece. The next size up in diapers that I'm making will be automatically lined with a wicking or "stay-dry" inner, so I don't have to add a liner each time.
And here is the diaper on a really cute baby. I love this flannel print on Hans :-). It's such a "little man" diaper, and the pin is adorable :-).Rita's Rump Pockets close with a single pin, as shown, but most pocket fitteds close with hook and loop or snaps.
Below is a regular fitted, made from recycled t-shirts. It also has a touchtape closure. Velcro is not good enough to withstand substantial use and many washings, so the preferred hook and loop options are either touchtape or aplix, both available online. Alas, I don't have a snap press, but hook and loop is doing fine.
I used the Darling Diapers Unlimited pattern for this fitted. I love that pattern! Great fit, a ton of options, and good directions.
Another thing: serging makes sewing cloth diapers go SO much faster, if you have access to a serger. And I love the way the finished product looks.
The inside of the fitted has an external sewn-on soaker. which basically means it's attached (as opposed to lay-in absorption) but it's not all sewn into the inside, which can take a LONG time to dry!
Here is a diaper cover, also made from the Darling Diaper pattern. Any diaper that is not waterproof will require a cover. This cover is made with polyurethane laminate (PUL for short), the waterproof material of choice for diaper making, and bound with fold-over elastic, aka FOE. FOE is wonderful for containing messes and getting a great fit.
This cover is my favorite so far. I tried gussets and I love the way they fit! This is a nighttime cover for Hans, and it contains blowouts really well, even when he's lying on his side. This is also a Darling Diapers cover.
Here is a cover I didn't make. It's a pull-on nylon cover. This is more like the "plastic pants" of yesteryear, but gentler on baby's legs (softer elastic) and more durable. Baby Best Buy sells 2-packs for only $3.99. These are Dappi brand.
Here are some pictures of pocket diapers, which are by far the easiest to use. These are genuine pockets, meaning they have a waterproof outer, unlike pocket fitteds. These diapers do not require a cover, so they make for really easy changes, especially while out and about. I made these with the Rita's Rump Cover pattern (see sidebar of above Rita's Rump Pocket link).
The first two pics were accidentally taken on the B&W setting. Oops! And look how tiny Hans was! This was almost two months ago.
I stuffed this diaper with two washrags, folded together into thirds. Most of my pockets or pocket fitteds, though, I stuff with a 16"x16" microfiber towel that is folded to fit inside. Microfiber towels can be found in the automotive section of most stores. Microfiber should never touch a baby's skin directly, though, as it will dry it out! It makes great stuffers, though, and holds a lot.
Other equipment I'm using: cloth wipes. This is seriously the easiest thing! If you're already using cloth diapers, washing wipes with the diapers is actually easier than having to separately throw away disposable wipes. It's the easiest $8-10 I save each month. For breastfed poo, all I have to do is moisten them with a spray bottle. I took a bunch of flannel and t-shirt knit scraps and serged 2-layer wipes together, out of odd shapes and sizes. 8"x8" is probably ideal, but I've got all sorts of geometric shapes ;-). I also made 2 diaper pail liners out of PUL, and those just get dumped in the wash with everything else. That way I don't have to scrub out my bucket; I just rinse it really quickly with hot water. And I made 2 small wet bags out of PUL, to keep in the diaper bag, so I have something to keep dirty diapers in while I'm out and about.
Washing with exclusively breastfed poo is easy. No dunking or swishing. Just dump in the washer, along with the PUL bag. Do a cold pre-rinse. Then a hot wash with very little detergent (about 1/4 cap). Then dry on high heat in the dryer.
Okay, that's all for now. I hope someone found that helpful. Sorry it was so long! Pictures made it more exciting, though, right? :-)
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Resource Recommendations Requested
I feel so alliterate :-). Anyway. . .
I'm working with the children's ministry in our church to develop a 3-year rotation of lessons for preschool and kindergarten children, that teaches them about the different elements in the worship service. There is an emphasis on Christ-centeredness (so an advent/epiphany lesson that merely states that the wisemen came and brought gifts and had to go back a different way is lacking; much better would be a lesson on Jesus being the true One King whom all other kings bow before), scripture memorization, and other memorization (catechism, creeds, hymns). I need 3 sets of lessons (4 weeks each for advent, 2-4 weeks each for Easter, etc.) for each holiday, to rotate every 3 years, plus lessons on the Apostle's creed, Lord's Prayer, sacraments (from a Reformed perspective), worship in general, confession, pardon, etc. I'm looking for free online resources, and ones from a Reformed perspective would be a definite plus. Suggestions? Anyone?
I'm working with the children's ministry in our church to develop a 3-year rotation of lessons for preschool and kindergarten children, that teaches them about the different elements in the worship service. There is an emphasis on Christ-centeredness (so an advent/epiphany lesson that merely states that the wisemen came and brought gifts and had to go back a different way is lacking; much better would be a lesson on Jesus being the true One King whom all other kings bow before), scripture memorization, and other memorization (catechism, creeds, hymns). I need 3 sets of lessons (4 weeks each for advent, 2-4 weeks each for Easter, etc.) for each holiday, to rotate every 3 years, plus lessons on the Apostle's creed, Lord's Prayer, sacraments (from a Reformed perspective), worship in general, confession, pardon, etc. I'm looking for free online resources, and ones from a Reformed perspective would be a definite plus. Suggestions? Anyone?
Monday, September 01, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Yay for slings
2 sling rings (ordered online, specially made for baby slings) + 2 yards knit fabric = happy mama and contented baby.
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