I'm quite crunchy really

Havent really thought of myself as being a "crunchy" mommy- but I have become one.
Cloth diapers- is my prefered diaper and use them as often as I can. (not at night and going someplace over the weekend)
Glass Baby Bottles- Brady didnt use glass, but Parker is/will.
Breastmilk and only breastmilk.
Freezing Milk and Storing Milk in Glass. Did that with both boys.
Co-slept with Brady. Only way that kid would sleep and I would sleep. Parker is naturally a crib lover- it is so weird after a kid like B!

However, Chris isnt really on board. I can get him to use cloth by constantly doing the math of the money we are saving. But if I am not throwing a cloth diaper to him at a diaper change he almost always grabs a disposible. Glass bottles, he doesnt really care except they wash way easier then plastic. He is pretty much with me on the breast milk, but if formula was handy he would probably grab it and use it. He is with me on the freezing/storing in glass- he has never bucked that one.

So, other crunchy families out there- how do things work in your house? Both of you in agreement?

More Diapers!

These are my latest colors that I am making. As you can see I modified my snaps- so now my diapers should fit a baby about 10lb- 40lbs. Maybe an 8 lb baby, I'll let you know once I test them on a little baby.

I cant believe how much fun I am having making them! I still need a few more for Brady's stash, we are still doing laundry every night. Want me to make some for you? Contact me! and we can go over the details. I also have some royal blue fabric, and sage green (this would be the outside colors). I can also make wetbags in any size for either your diaper bag or lining your garbage can.

The way these diapers work- the outside fabric is waterproof. The inside is a suade, so baby doesnt feel the wetness on his skin. The print fabric is the inserts- you stuff the inserts between the waterproof layer and the suade, and that is what absorbs the pee. (that is made of flannel, and terry cloth). The snaps are to adjust the size, so one diaper fits your baby from 10lbs- 40lbs. You can save mega $$$$$ by using cloth diapers over disposables! I prefer solid colored for the water proof material, prints are not very waterproof at all.

Honestly, cloth diapering is not that bad! They are easy to wash and care for. I love cloth diapering and regret not starting them eariler.

Here is a previous post with Brady modeling one that I made for him. http://sarah-rambles-on.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-diapers.html

My diapers!!!!

Getting this images were nearly impossible with an active 11.5 month old! As you can see in the top picture someone is rolling to get up, and in the bottom he is kicking towards me. I gave him this bottle of milk thinking "this will keep him still", it didnt work. (with that said, he has gotten the OK to drink whole cows milk)

I am so proud of this diaper I made yesterday. Look at that fit around the theighs. There is room to grow too, he is wearing it on the medium setting. I love the trim fit. And it has been tested too! First time wearing it (just after this photo shoot), he had the runs and it was contained! (an antibiotic is giving him the runs) I like the metal snaps, we found with our active boy the plastic snaps were not holding.

This diaper is a ONE SIZE POCKET DIAPER. No cover is needed, the outer is waterproof. The inside is a microsuade material that keeps Brady feeling dry.

(in non-technical terms, this one size diaper should fit a baby from birth to about 35/40 pounds I would guess, see the snaps, that is how they get adjusted, it is so simple. You need to insert the absorbant material. I like to use a hemp douler with a terryclothe insert. The insert allows you to customize were absorption is needed, for Brady- he likes to hold his pee then let it all go at once, so we need something to catch it fast and absorb it all and lots of it.)

I am learning that with prints in the waterproof fabric you do not get such a trim fit (I have noticed the big diaper makers usually use solid colors and few prints). I am trying a few different materials to see what we like best and what sews the best. still a couple flaws to work out, but I have a whole diaper stash to make so we should get this perfected. Brady's friend Erin who is 3 months old will be testing some of my diapers for me.

More photo's to come later! as I keep making more! this is so much fun. :-)

Success in over night diapering!

We are having success! Basiclly, we are using Brady's cloth diapers.... either a happy hempy with a hemp insert. This requires a cover, and the waterpruf cover was leaking at the top. No matter how much I stuffed it! So I took the leap and tried a wool cover. Yes, I was a total skeptic. It made no sence how wool would absorb, but not wick. And.... that I leave it out to dry during the day and it would be ~clean~ after it dried. (something w/ the lanolin and wool naturally does this) I dont completely understand why, but I am impressed happy. Brady is too. Click here to see our babyology wool diaper soaker. If our single happy hempy is dirty, we have had success using a Bum Genius loaded with hemp inserts.

We also got another Bum Genius cloth diaper. I had wanted one in Clemintine orange, but that orange is rather dull and girlie. So we got the new blue, Moonbeam. Check out the Bum Genius here.