Michael and Revel’s Cranberry Blog

It really is amazing how fancy and complicated cloth diapers can become, that is if you’re not careful. Once you’ve decided what type of cloth you’d like to use, the next step is to choose accessories.

Here is a list of the main accessories.

• Covers – A diaper cover is anything that covers the diaper to keep moisture in. The main type of covers are plastic, nylon, fleece, wool, and polyester. I found choosing covers to be both fun and overwhelming. There are so many choices and designs. My personal recommendations are  Bummis Super Whisper Wraps, Mommys Touch One Size, and Thirsties. I found that all three of these covers worked very well in that they covered the diaper (prefolds and fitted) very well as well as washed easily in the washing machine. My favorite is Mommys Touch, simply because I find them a bit softer to the touch and they can be worn through many sizes.
• Snappis - If you are going with the prefolds you might want to invest in a  few of these. They are basically the “new” diaper pin. They’re super easy to use and really do hold the prefold very snug.
• Diaper pins – While I can’t vouch for diaper pins, simply because I haven’t used them yet, many prefold users swear by them. I have heard that are fantastic to use when the baby gets a bit older and is crawling around and such. Both the Snappis and diaper pins are cheap enough that it is certainly worth giving them both a try to see what works best for you.
• The Potty Pail – Trying to find a way to wash off those diapers before throwing them into the washing machine? Consider the Potty Pail System or even just the Potty Pail Sprayer. We have just the sprayer, which works amazing at rinsing off dirty diapers into the toilet. However, if I were to do it again, I would have purchased the entire system.
• Wipes - I found using cloth wipes is easier than disposable, plus they’re super cheap. There are many kinds of wipes but I just went with the basic cotton terry on one side and flannel on the other. My big complaint with using cloth wipes is that I have yet to discover an easy method of keeping them moisture and ready to go for changing time. We currently are using a diaper warmer which I like because it keeps the wipes moist, warm, and ready to go. However, it does take some prep work to roll the wipes and pour a wipe solution over them.
• Diaper Pail Liners – A diaper liner makes it easy to move the dirty diapers to the washing machine.

There are many other additional accessories that can be purchased and are extremely useful such as wet bags, wool covers, and diaper lotions. Wool covers, I found, to be amazing especially when it comes to nighttime diapering. I will write more on using cloth at night in another post.

Photo credit.

We are on day number three of non-stop rain and here is a glance at our yard. Thankfully we’re up on a hill and have no problems with a flooded basement. My newly planted peas, on the other hand, have a different story to tell!

I’m starting to understand the hard work being a homesteader takes. Spring has arrived and I’m feeling overwhelmed. I’m usually able to keep my “to-do-list” in my head and get most things accomplished. Blame it on the “mommy brain” or blame it on the fact that I’ve started to dream too big an have begun more projects than I can handle.

We all know that the key to being successful at anything is to start small and slowly build up to where you envisioned yourself to be. Being organized is the beginning accomplishing anything. With this in mind I’m going to take the time these next couple of weeks to organize the Cotsford home beginning with the garden. We have purchased our seeds, planted some, built two raised beds, and began the task of renovating an area of our land for the garden (which involves removing a gazebo first). I need to get ourselves organized cause I’m forgetting things like those seeds we started and are growing under a lamp in the basement!

Garden journals are a great way to write down things like what seeds were planted, when they were planted, and where they were purchased from. It’s a way for you to look back to see why certain crops were a success and what pests were problems and so on.  Garden journals don’t have to be fancy books purchased from the bookstore and you don’t have to spend hours writing down details. For some ideas on what a garden journal entails or if you’d like to design your own in a notebook check out these sites: Arbico-Organics and Homesteadgarden.com.

Photo credit.

Last weekend we took advantage of the warm sunny weather and began to work on our garden. Michael spent a great deal of time digging out an area where we planted our peas. Because our soil is so full of rocks, he built something to shift out the rocks. What a difference that made!

I’ve been wanting my own vegetable garden. Unfortunately the best location for a garden  is right where the gazebo stands (it’s where the morning sun likes to shine). Michael is currently looking for ways to sell the gazebo so we can build a full fledged garden in it’s place.

In the meantime, to keep me busy and happy, he’s building some raised beds where I can begin on an herb garden. I have started some of my seedlings (both herbs and vegetables) in containers in the basement. Once the raised beds are finished and weather (and Caroline) permit, I will transport them outside into their permanent home.

For more pictures click here.

When I first started looking into cloth diapers, I was blessed to have a dear friend loan me some of her pre-folds. And that’s exactly what she said, “I’ll loan you some of my pre-folds.” I was like, “sure” though I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. She dropped off a big box filled with what looked like really big face cloths. I was totally dumbfounded and lost. It took a lot of time, research, and determination but I finally overcame my anxiety about using cloth diapers and realized how easy they are.

In my quest to sort out my confusion on the cloth diaper options, I stumbled across Green Mountain Diapers (GMD), an excellent website that provides detailed descriptions about the various kinds of cloth diapers, along with pictures of how they look on actual babies. With so many options available, choosing and buying cloth diapers can become very expensive and confusing. I ended up purchasing most of my them from GMD. I found their prices competitive and I like that I’m supporting a local New England business. In short, here’s my two cents worth of advice:

• If you’re a stay-at-home mom (or dad) and have easy access to a washer and drier and are looking to use cloth diapers to save money, then I recommend either pre-fold or birds-eye flat diapers. I am extremely happy with my choice of using the organic pre-folds. If I were to do it again, however, I may have gone with the birds-eye flats; that’s how easy and comfortable I felt with the pre-folds. You’ll also notice how really inexpensive these types of diapers are compared to other cloth diapers and especially to disposable.
• If you’re able to spend more money, then I highly recommend fitted diapers. Fitted diapers are designed with elastic in the waistband and leg areas to provide a more snug fit. They also have built in closures, such as Velcro, which eliminate the need for Snappis or pins. These type of diapers are much better at reducing leakage. I used several fitted diapers during the first couple of months. I found them to be extremely helpful with those very loose bowel movements that newborns tend to have.
• Finally, if you’re using childcare or if money is simply not an issue then I highly recommend All-in-Ones. These are fantastic diapers in that no additional items are needed for a change. There are some companies that design All-in-Ones in a one-size fits all. one type of cloth diaper is certainly not a hang up! In fact that is how I started, mostly cause I was interested to see what was the best option.

My final piece of advice when choosing cloth diapers is “have fun!” I’ve only listed the general descriptions of the main kind of cloth diapers but there many more to choose from. Choose a few cloths and see how they work of you. I can promise that no matter what kind of cloth you choose you won’t be unhappy.

In addition to choosing what kind of cloth diapers suits you best, there are endless options of accessories available. Unless you are using an All-in-One, you will need a diaper cover and some sort of diaper pin. I will write more on the accessories in another post.

Photo credit.

There are tons of recipes for making your own cleaning solutions available on the internet. My search left me feeling overwhelmed! Here are a few ideas that I ran across which I felt offered the cheapest and easiest solutions:

All-Purpose Cleaner:

• 1/2 cup of vinegar
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 1/2 gallon of lukewarm water
• a few drops of lemon oil

Mix the vinegar, baking soda, and lemon oil into the water. Store and keep until ready to use. Now how easy can you get?! Using lemon oil instead of just plain lemons is recommended as the juice form the lemons may attract ants or other unwanted insects.

Bathroom Disinfectant:

To treat the mold and scum in the bathroom, mix one part hydrogen peroxide with two parts water in spray bottle.  After treating the area with the solution, it’s best to wait at least an hour before rinsing it off with water.

Thyme Cleaner

2 1/2 cups water
1 handful of thyme (fresh or dried)
2 tablespoons of white vinegar
A squirt of liquid castille soap

Add thyme to a pot of boiling water, cover and let it simmer over medium-low heat.  Let the water-thyme solution simmer for as along as possible, up to a couple of hours if possible. Once the water cools down, strain off the thyme and poor it into a spray bottle Add the vinegar and soap and you’re ready to go.

Furniture Polish

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
20 drops lemon essential oil

Combine all the ingredients in a bottle and shake. Moisten a clean, dry cloth into the polish and rub the furniture in the direction of the grain.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda and then drizzle with white vinegar. Let the solutions sit for at least 20 minutes then scrub with toilet brush. A squirt of essential oil (such as lavender) will always help to enhance the smell!

Additional items:

• Microfiber cloths – these are the latest rave in cleaning with claims they can clean up most “dirt” without anything needed but water. I will write more about these later.
• Rags – try using old tee shirts torn into small pieces
• Spray bottles – if possible use old spray bottles from previous cleaning solutions
• Essential oils – can be applied to almost any solution for a more gentle smell.

I LOVE my cloth diapers. Oh let me count the ways:

1. They’re soft
2. They’re 100% natural; no chemicals are used to make them
3. They’re super easy to use
4. They’re inexpensive compared to disposables
5. They won’t be sitting in the dump in 500 years; although energy is used to wash them it’s a fraction of the energy needed to make disposables
6. They can be used for subsquent children
7. Cloth diapered children tend to potty-train earlier; the cloth tends to hold moisture closer to baby’s skin

But cloth diapers is certainly not for everyone. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Does your baby have super sensitive skin? Statistically, babies that wear disposables are more prone to diaper rashes, compared to babies in cloth diapers.
2. Do you have the time, space, and patience to run frequent washes? If you choose cloth, you’ll probably want to forgo a diaper service, they literally use tons and tons of toxic bleach, which is terrible for the environment and baby.
3. Are finances a concern? As a general rule, you’ll save about 30 percent if you choose cloth over even bargain disposables. However, there are now so many kinds of cloth diapers available, that you can end up spending much more than you bargained for. 
4. Is water a tight commodity where you live? If so, cloth may not actually be the greenest option.

I will write more on the types of cloth diapers I have tried and what I find to be the most successful for us as a family.

For photo credit click here.

One of my biggest hangups in being a new mom is that my house is never up to the “clean” standard I’d like it to be. I’m not talking about the pile of clean clothes sitting on the sofa waiting to be folded, the toys scattered around the various rooms, or even the unorganized pantry. I’m talking about the actual business of cleanliness. It seems like a constant battle to keep the floors free from dirt and dust, the bathrooms in respectable order, and the kitchen just never seems to be happy! I have friends whose houses always seem to be completely dust and dirt free and I’m utterly amazed. How do they do it?!

Lately I’ve been using Green Works Cleaning Wipes, which I love because they are easily available, biodegradable (I can throw them into my compost!), and they do an excellent job cleaning. However, they aren’t cheap, they aren’t 100% natural, and I go through them quickly! In my quest to become a more environmentally conscious and a frugal homesteader, I’m on the search for some more homemade cleaning solutions.

Here’s are a list of products I’ve discovered that are generally inexpensive and nontoxic:

• Baking Soda – helps clean, deodorizes, and soften water
• Lemon – as a strong food acid it is effective against most household bacteria
• Borax (sodium borate) – helps clean, deodorize, disinfect, soften water, clean wallpaper, painted walls and floors
• White Vinegar – is excellent for cutting grease, removing mildew, eliminating odors, removing some stains and wax build-up
• Liquid castille soap – can be used for nearly everything that needs a good wash, including your skin!
• Cornstarch – can be used to clean windows, polish furniture, shampoo carpets and rugs

My next goal is learn how I can transform these products into simple cleaning solutions.

For photo credit click here.

photo credit.

I’m a goal oriented driven person. I have long lists of things I’d like to do written on scrap paper all over the house. Most of the time it takes me years before I actually accomplish something. Now that I am an official Stay At Home Mom, I hope to have some time to be able to cross some of these goals off of my “Someday List.”

My main goal for being a “homesteader” is to be able to be as self sufficient as possible, to learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of eating homegrown vegetables,  wearing hand-sewn clothing, and even the wonders of unplugged entertainment. To date I am or I should say “we” as I am not alone in this journey, are as far as away from being a real homesteader, at least according to Wikipedia. There is a new movement called “urban homesteading“, and even there we fall far short from the real definition. But really, who cares? We are on are own journey.

Here are some of our (mostly mine!) 2010 goals, some of which we have already started on:

1. Plant a vegetable garden

2. Plant an herb garden

3. Learn food preservation

4. Learn to sew

5. Learn to knit

6. Learn how to make homemade soaps

7. Learn how to make homemade cleaning solutions

8. Learn to compost

9. Learn to collect our rainwater for the garden

10. Learn to “live” locally

For photo credit click here.

As I mentioned earlier, my main goal for 2010 is to prepare more nourishing, locally produced meals. This is not an easy goal in the middle of a New England winter!

First and foremost my goal is to keep as frugal as possible. Not easy with Wholefoods down the street and the endless options available right through the internet. Here are some of my thoughts in mastering my goal of frugality:

1. Cherish your food. By learning how your food is grown and where it came from is just the beginning of the journey. With food available so cheaply and with such ease, it’s so easy to take for granted the real value of food: it keeps us alive. When you cherish your food you are more likely to be careful on how your money is spent on it.

2. Make your own. When you have a box of cookies sitting around the house it so easy to just grab a few here and there.  Instead don’t buy anything that is premade or packaged, buy instead the ingredients and make the snacks yourself. Homemade snacks are more nourishing and satisfying anyways.

3. Grow your own. Nothing beats having your own vegetable garden! I have also started to grow sprouts on the kitchen table. Growing your own veggies is not only cheaper, but is much more healthier for you and the environment.

4. Join a CSA. Community Supported Agriculture is a fantastic way to receive fresh vegetables or meat from a local farm. There’s nothing better than supporting your local farmer! There are even CSA’s that provide other items such as seafood, eggs, and milk. This year my husband and I have joined a CSA with another family. We are splitting the cost and the amount of produce. This is another way to help us save on fresh veggies until our own garden is up and running.

5. Visit your local farm stands and farmers markets: What another great way to buy locally grown or raised food. Many farm stands and farmers markets will also sell eggs, homemade treats, flowers, and vegetables that you can plant in your own garden.

6. Keep things simple. This can be hard when your a foodie like me. I actually enjoy going to the grocery store and will spend hours reading up on recipes. But in the end the best meals are usually the simplest.  Keeping your meals simple helps to keep the ingredients to a minimum and in turn the grocery bill. To satisfy my need to cook fancy, I’ll pick one meal a week that will indulge slightly on. And for the rest of week I’ll try to use the same ingredients over and over in different ways.

7. Stay Traditional. I believe strongly in keeping food the way God intended it to be eaten. Eating naturally prepared whole grains, fresh vegetables, naturally ripened fruit, meat from cows that grazed on grass, eggs from chickens that enjoyed sunshine and picked at worms off the earth, fish caught from clean seas, and milk from pastured cows or goats is how generations before us have eaten. Or as my mother always reminds me “don’t buy anything that your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize.” I find when I stick to this excellent advice I tend to keep away from from the more costly food items or foods that have lots of packaging around them.

8. Stay home. Eating out is always more expensive and usually not as nourishing as a meal cooked at home. Although I do love it when my husband treats me to a meal out, as it gives me a break from the kitchen. When we do go out we’ll go for lunch or breakfast which is typically less expensive, and easier with a baby!

9. Don’t be afraid of the kitchen. I know this makes me laugh too! But this is something that I tell myself daily. As the old saying goes, “time is money” and so is the main reason why so many foods are prepared for us. As whole we are too busy to cook and make homemade breads and such. I’m fortunate that I grew up in a house where the kitchen was the main place of the house, not the television. Everyone was involved with mealtime. Of course I didn’t appreciate it then, but I can see how important it is to involve the whole family in preparing meals. Not everyone has to be a cook! For example, my husband doesn’t cook at all, but he’s fantastic at kneading bread, chopping onions, and he’s busy getting our garden ready. Spending more time in the kitchen simply means more nourishing, satisfying meals and it’s another way to bring the family together.

10. Make your own rules and stick to them: For example, one of my rules is to buy only grass-fed beef and free-range poultry. This can be expensive but it is extremely important to me that my family is eating quality meats. To help even out the rest of food bill, I’ll pass on buying organic produce (gasp!) if the price are significantly  higher than the conventionally grown produce. I also will only buy Whole Milk and Butter as I believe strongly in their health benefits and the quality of taste they bring to food.