tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652778064311284132024-03-05T09:58:29.223-08:00Greenchild CreationsAffordable fitted cloth diapers, cloth diaper inserts, cloth diaper covers, natural skin care, and crafty things ~ all made with quality and love ~ we do custom orders, too!Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-3537455963384213252016-04-30T19:01:00.001-07:002016-06-09T18:18:42.458-07:00Natural Tick Repellent Recipe<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">People tell me I should make and sell this stuff, but nah, this recipe's free. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Rose geranium essential oil is very effective in repelling ticks. One of my mushroom hunting areas is <em>heavily</em> infested with ticks and I am very much NOT a fan of ticks! This mix I put together is aimed at both ticks and mosquitoes. I haven't had a single tick on me since using this recipe; it works fairly well for mosquitoes in open areas, but isn't effective enough for deep woods protection. So, without further adieu:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>Natural Tick Repellent</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">4 oz spray bottle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2 oz vinegar - doesn't matter what type, I've used both white and ACV</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2 oz water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5ml total essential oil blend:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> rose geranium</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> cedarwood</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> lavender</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Essential oils are not water soluble; you can of course use an emulsifier like polysorbate 20 to help keep everything blended together, but that you'll need to order online whereas the rest you can get at almost any natural foods and/or grocery stores since so many stores have now started carrying essential oils.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">The rose geranium works for ticks and the cedarwood & lavender is for the mosquitoes. You can skip those two and use just rose geranium EO if you wish, but personally I like the whole blend. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Directions:</strong> Shake very well before use. Spray yourself head to toe. For extra tick protection in areas that are heavily infested, I keep the rose geranium EO bottle with me, soak a wee bit into a tissue, and then dab the tissue on my shoes, pants, and coat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">I have also used this spray successfully on my last dog (she passed away last fall and I haven't taken my new puppy out into the woods yet since she's still too young to go too far) - I sprayed down her chest, back, and legs. She never tried to lick it off, but if your pet likes to lick, you may want to spray only in areas they can't reach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span><br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-64336806465063805682015-12-03T19:31:00.000-08:002016-06-09T19:05:24.927-07:00Lengthening Children's Gloves (or Mittens) with Fuzzy Socks!<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I don't know about your child, but my son hates wearing mittens or gloves. He'll pull off anything that isn't attached. I tried the clips that hold the mittens to the jacket but eventually he could pull those off too. And since we live in Minnesota, winters with no mittens (or gloves) aren't really an option. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">My first solution after the failed clips was to buy a pair of stretchy fuzzy adult sized socks and use them as mittens. The heel stretches to just the right place and it fits perfectly at his elbow. I slid the "mittens" on over his hands and up over his sleeves to the upper arm, then put his winter jacket on. Bonus - the winter jacket slides over the sleeves without the sleeves riding up! And he was not able to pull these off! Even though he didn't have a "spot" for his thumb, he had enough dexterity he could pick up and hold onto things thanks to the stretchiness of the fabric. He has such tiny little hands that are finally big enough he can wear now wear tiny little gloves. But I knew he'd pull these off too . . . so I took the socks-for-mittens idea a little further.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Please note, this tutorial is for mittens/gloves for smaller children. For bigger kids, I'd recommend the taller adult sized fuzzy socks and cut the socks off at the ankle above the heel rather than at the toe seam.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">How to lengthen children's gloves (or mittens) :</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">You start out with a pair of stretchy children's gloves and a pair of adult sized fuzzy socks. First thing you need to do is turn the socks inside out and cut off the toes at the seam:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Place the sock so the heel is on the underside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Insert the right-side-out glove into the inside-out sock, fingers first. You want to make sure the sides of the sock match up with the sides of the glove so the heel stays in position for the elbow.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0aO76ahuKiM2cPin-bVJ4hPZQ_6MdLLpKKlsjFBkaKGEPp7g-tzZS_px0MFH5xfb8IFKBi_sl-CSNwPJSBISS0kMOqv0p7tW9_dKDXYrIFBa_O9dgAjwkCjxdg-A2QLjICpP66F3q9o/s1600/SG04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr0aO76ahuKiM2cPin-bVJ4hPZQ_6MdLLpKKlsjFBkaKGEPp7g-tzZS_px0MFH5xfb8IFKBi_sl-CSNwPJSBISS0kMOqv0p7tW9_dKDXYrIFBa_O9dgAjwkCjxdg-A2QLjICpP66F3q9o/s400/SG04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once you have the glove in far enough and the edges meet up, stretch out the edges and pin the glove and sock together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">8 pins does the job.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Hold it so it's stretched and sew the edges together using a zigzag stitch so it stays stretchy after it's sewn.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It should look like this when sewn:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now, flip the sock right-side out.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> They are stretchy enough as a finished item that you can easily get them onto a (cooperating) child's hands and get their fingers positioned into the gloves. (Top and bottom view)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It doesn't matter which direction you start the first one, of course, but remember when pinning the second one to put the glove in the opposite position . . . unlike what I did at first because I didn't pay enough attention and ended up with two exactly the same . . . and had to rip the seam out and start over on that one! You can also find adult fuzzy socks without a heel and just eliminate that issue. :)</span></div>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-88476434363557705522015-10-17T11:45:00.000-07:002015-10-17T11:45:29.156-07:00Annual Holiday Special!<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It's that time of year again! For the 5th year running, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greenchild Creations</a> is offering:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">with the purchase of $50 in diapers/diaper accessories (before shipping). </span></div>
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-60558309268770809092015-10-10T12:59:00.000-07:002016-06-09T18:19:32.484-07:00Gluten-free, kid-safe playdough made with lotion and arrowroot! And it's awesome!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Since my son can't use regular Playdoh for the wheat content, and the school asked for a recipe that is safe for him . . . I thought I'd try making my own. I looked online and found so many different play dough recipes! What to try?? Traditional ones made with wheat flour (no!), gluten free ones made with rice flour, and any combination of the two made with either corn starch (another no-no here) or arrowroot. Then there were the recipes using hair conditioner and cornstarch. Then the one I remember from my childhood: salt, arrowroot, and water.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">First up, I wanted to try re-creating the one I remember making somewhere in the neighborhood of *cough* 25 years ago . . . I used the recipe I found online as I don't know what happened to the recipe I used as a kid - at any rate, all I can remember of it is that it was flour-free and used arrowroot. The dough came out sticky and grainy, even though I ground down the salt to a fine powder. I kept kneading in more arrowroot, but just when I thought it was okay, it would get all sticky again. Not what I wanted. Sighed and threw it out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I turned to the recipes online for both play dough and moon sand made with the same two ingredients: hair conditioner and cornstarch. I understand why conditioner + cornstarch would be so silky smooth, and hoped I could recreate the same texture (or close to it) with the lotion I make and arrowroot. Now, not wanting to waste perfectly good lotion, I took about 1/2 oz of the last batch I made and whisked in some arrowroot. Hmm. Used too much arrowroot; now we have moon sand. Nice, but not what I wanted. So, I thought . . . let's let arrowroot do its thing: add cold water, stir over medium heat, and let it thicken. And it worked! (This first attempt is the white blob of play dough in the center of the photo above.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now, if you already have lotion you feel comfortable using, please feel free to use your own. But if you want to control the ingredients used, here is the recipe I used. The oils I chose to use could be substituted by others - I chose them only because I had enough of both on hand I wouldn't feel bad if this play dough recipe didn't turn out!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Lotion base for playdough:</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Making lotion is pretty easy. You have your water phase and your oil phase and need an emulsifier to bind them together. You'll need a double boiler (although a glass measuring jar placed into a skillet of water works just as well!) and having a stick/immersion blender makes the whole process much easier, too. The raw honey is optional - I just like it in there for raw honey's benefits. You'd also probably be fine without the stearic acid, but I find a mixture of emulsifiers is more stable long term for lotions than only one.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Water phase:</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1/2 c. distilled water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1/2 tsp raw honey (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1/2 Tbsp potassium sorbate (inhibits mold)</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Oil phase:</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1 Tbsp emulsifying wax</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1 tsp stearic acid (another emulsifier)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">2 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1 Tbsp sweet almond oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Up to 5 ml essential oils</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a few drops of Vitamin E oil</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Stir together the ingredients in the water phase in a small glass container; the raw honey will take awhile to disperse unless heated, so if you want the process to go faster, you can use the double boiler to gently heat the water phase. Place the oil phase ingredients in a larger (at least 2 c for space) glass container, and place that container in the double boiler. Stir over medium heat until all the wax is fully melted. Remove from double boiler and set on a heat-safe place. Give it a few whirs with the stick blender, then slowly pour in the water phase, using the mixer to fully incorporate. Then add your choice of EO's and the Vitamin E oil, stir again to fully incorporate. I used a combination of lavender and sweet orange EO's.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">This recipe makes just over 6 ounces of lotion, which I separated in to 6 - 1 oz amounts so I could make 6 different colors of play dough.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><strong>To make the playdough:</strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">1 oz lotion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">colorant of choice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">6 Tbsp arrowroot</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">5 - 6 tsp cold water</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">There are a variety of ways to color your play dough: food coloring, mineral oxides, or natural liquids/powders from food sources. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If your colorant is concentrated liquid (food coloring), mix a few drops into the 1 oz of lotion before adding the arrowroot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">If your colorant is dry powder, mix it into 1 Tbsp of the arrowroot before adding it and the rest of the arrowroot to the lotion. I used the mineral oxides I have on hand for making cold process soap, at a ratio of 1/8 tsp dry colorant per 1 oz lotion.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71KW9FoHECWjAB_NR175gQMCRNsxyOUSfkCrtFmKv94JAiYdQ3J_2Y2vogA76q6beL9aoHCSVouvckjn4yOqzrol0eNeUcKg6ShSBcTfKbTiofnxn5ZN1izTtm-QayaRewlDGdMg1IVA/s1600/Playdough1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj71KW9FoHECWjAB_NR175gQMCRNsxyOUSfkCrtFmKv94JAiYdQ3J_2Y2vogA76q6beL9aoHCSVouvckjn4yOqzrol0eNeUcKg6ShSBcTfKbTiofnxn5ZN1izTtm-QayaRewlDGdMg1IVA/s320/Playdough1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Place 1 oz lotion into a cereal-sized bowl. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQk3ApaDKMZLYKQw8IBqJNZgJrM2Vegi0c7XxLeN8O56KGOnEO5O4cEpT9fQynb-81xaQjohjHPhVDTAM9vTQgKR5nMEapxwOH0Mh1MF0LM6Hyz8AmC8OCgSzzyzpfu_ma8FLOhOwTfU/s1600/Playdough2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQk3ApaDKMZLYKQw8IBqJNZgJrM2Vegi0c7XxLeN8O56KGOnEO5O4cEpT9fQynb-81xaQjohjHPhVDTAM9vTQgKR5nMEapxwOH0Mh1MF0LM6Hyz8AmC8OCgSzzyzpfu_ma8FLOhOwTfU/s320/Playdough2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Add either your liquid colorant to the lotion or your dry colorant to the arrowroot and stir whichever one got the colorant. I mixed the dry colorant with 1 Tbsp of the arrowroot before mixing it along with the rest of the arrowroot to the lotion.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn__V4BGDC9C5sjf1KvlYzRAgAX3qDawtX8Q1sD3fYg-LB3CoXtYf7oilkZFVvpME93-OoAECQaMAknOccKbi3Ztaems0PUsddOyVfeKPILc3xSiO3m-oIwH0PWfGL03Vl4a0VU1G0GlU/s1600/Playdough3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn__V4BGDC9C5sjf1KvlYzRAgAX3qDawtX8Q1sD3fYg-LB3CoXtYf7oilkZFVvpME93-OoAECQaMAknOccKbi3Ztaems0PUsddOyVfeKPILc3xSiO3m-oIwH0PWfGL03Vl4a0VU1G0GlU/s320/Playdough3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Combine the lotion and the arrowroot until it looks like moon sand, then pour it into a small saucepan. A double boiler isn't strictly necessary here, but since I already had it set up from making the lotion, I used it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcESkg5Nwe5Ik4kIwRWarmB9eO2_mai-sxq8jX13usG1TutF3SbevtWfXQb40FLkiy0mlO-tZkGhLhmxmT7WKaRxgY6AXraMof48JozNfJTTLe7vz-KDj2QWozejFZfLE0V_D-0Jy5rm4/s1600/Playdough4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcESkg5Nwe5Ik4kIwRWarmB9eO2_mai-sxq8jX13usG1TutF3SbevtWfXQb40FLkiy0mlO-tZkGhLhmxmT7WKaRxgY6AXraMof48JozNfJTTLe7vz-KDj2QWozejFZfLE0V_D-0Jy5rm4/s320/Playdough4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Add 5 - 6 tsp cold water to the saucepan's contents and stir over medium heat. (You could also use cold food-colored water here.)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5tf7iQUdRSEQKoooIiNJBKH5c9kCUtBGw6WOFVfS4yxa8XSEAAcrqwckpLduk68PYj9K-un1w_DlLRUQsylXO3YGjn0CXnIOOMMT4rSl-oWsyGRzwCCZvYh4FbnUkh_aGXaMidslOpc/s1600/Playdough5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5tf7iQUdRSEQKoooIiNJBKH5c9kCUtBGw6WOFVfS4yxa8XSEAAcrqwckpLduk68PYj9K-un1w_DlLRUQsylXO3YGjn0CXnIOOMMT4rSl-oWsyGRzwCCZvYh4FbnUkh_aGXaMidslOpc/s320/Playdough5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The moon sand consistency will give way to a frosting consistency.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9lIIAI9r1lX9ueV2SW0gs2gWhEV4ehBQB5e62qTx4oBdtmckcDDAV-mLR0E0cGY10wfE1yv_JgA5Mf535q8zA6OAkSnNAXybxTeUZof89Q03b0hPWKK6lA3GYPQ1D_4ghBAfX1CxWRE/s1600/Playdough6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI9lIIAI9r1lX9ueV2SW0gs2gWhEV4ehBQB5e62qTx4oBdtmckcDDAV-mLR0E0cGY10wfE1yv_JgA5Mf535q8zA6OAkSnNAXybxTeUZof89Q03b0hPWKK6lA3GYPQ1D_4ghBAfX1CxWRE/s320/Playdough6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Then it will get lumpy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0njs1sUjpbXbL1r4XOwxFw2aNGjfjNnxjB5gqDLdvm5o1HdCdxgeCW6jRICbF54UPGWig_rYnQ8GCp3VagWiiNdACOOZ3XtkxBVqcYml1Vd68NtnnobxnKVZEeMLwCTguQPRfbIjUveQ/s1600/Playdough7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0njs1sUjpbXbL1r4XOwxFw2aNGjfjNnxjB5gqDLdvm5o1HdCdxgeCW6jRICbF54UPGWig_rYnQ8GCp3VagWiiNdACOOZ3XtkxBVqcYml1Vd68NtnnobxnKVZEeMLwCTguQPRfbIjUveQ/s320/Playdough7.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Keep stirring until all of it is stuck onto the whisk. Gently push it out of the whisk onto a plate - be careful, it's hot! You should probably let it cool before doing this step! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdfRzIP993nC_hfR67qhzEEzqeAYgWyoNtl0f0LYaH2QRW0dpCAuoD2R-zEIUEq-WVzfQbNV-ezDFOw6UlBU9ViMe_sto07MQICUOk5ReD8D3mBoOczt23R-UzTcTEeGIftHHax5NctQ/s1600/Playdough8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdfRzIP993nC_hfR67qhzEEzqeAYgWyoNtl0f0LYaH2QRW0dpCAuoD2R-zEIUEq-WVzfQbNV-ezDFOw6UlBU9ViMe_sto07MQICUOk5ReD8D3mBoOczt23R-UzTcTEeGIftHHax5NctQ/s320/Playdough8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Once it's cool enough to handle, knead/roll it until smooth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">If you find the texture to be a little too dry, you can break it up into small pieces back into the saucepan. Add 1 - 2 tsp cold water and stir on medium heat until it all sticks to the whisk again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">And there you have it, kid-safe, silky smooth, DIY play dough with ingredients you can control! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span> <span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchilddreations" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">greenchildcreations.etsy.com</a></span></div>
Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-28325252767709795462015-04-13T18:27:00.001-07:002015-04-14T10:30:20.063-07:00Introducing the new Wool Dryer Discs!<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/229761116/wool-dryer-discs-set-of-6-anti-static?ref=shop_home_active_2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wool Dryer Discs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">: a project that's been a few months in the making. When I first read about using salt in the dryer to reduce static, I wanted to try it and see if it was all the rage the author (and others) spoke of. Most recommended using a muslin bag tied shut. I have tons of cotton fabric scraps, so it was quick and easy to make a little bag for the salt. I used pink Himalayan salt. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I've been using wool dryer balls, which are nice, but don't eliminate as much static as I'd like them to. They do help cut down drying time, though, because of their ball shape. So, out went the dryer balls and in went the bag of salt . . . and it WORKED. Then it began to work a little less, and a little less. In the article I read, the author mentions the same thing happened and recommended wetting the bag of salt before putting it in the dryer with the wet clothes. I did that, and it worked again . . . until I realized the salt was dissolving with each wetting and eventually I had an almost empty cotton bag. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So, I thought, I like the wool dryer balls, and I LOVE the salt, now how to combine the two? Salt is heavy, and I felt balls of salt would beat the clothes too much, especially smaller loads. And if using yarn, the wool would have to be felted in order for the ball to stay together well. But felting requires water, which would dissolve the salt. Then I started to look into wool fabrics, and found some lovely upcycled wool in a beautiful light sage green. Perfect! </span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/229761116/wool-dryer-discs-set-of-6-anti-static?ref=shop_home_active_2"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wool Dryer Discs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">A little experimentation with sewing, and the </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/229761116/wool-dryer-discs-set-of-6-anti-static?ref=shop_home_active_2"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wool Dryer Discs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> were born. Their disc shape helps distribute the salt's weight. Next up was trying out different combinations between using the discs by themselves and also in conjunction with the wool dryer balls. After all was said and done, the best ratio was 6 </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/229761116/wool-dryer-discs-set-of-6-anti-static?ref=shop_home_active_2"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wool Dryer Discs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> with 2 wool dryer balls. The </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/229761116/wool-dryer-discs-set-of-6-anti-static?ref=shop_home_active_2"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wool Dryer Discs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> do a better job reducing static, and the wool dryer balls help reduce drying time. Synthetic fabrics like polyester and acrylic will always have a little static, but it can be greatly reduced by using a combination of </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/229761116/wool-dryer-discs-set-of-6-anti-static?ref=shop_home_active_2"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wool Dryer Discs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> and wool dryer balls. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I have noticed the resulting dryer lint is less fluffy than usual, which is an interesting side effect. I don't know why the salt bag by itself worked and then worked less, unless it had to do with being in a cotton bag rather than using wool. I have not had the same experience using the wool dryer discs, so my assumption is that it has something to do with the fabric used, as wool is already naturally anti-static.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Now as best I can figure out, </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>the science behind it goes something like this:</strong> using the </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/229761116/wool-dryer-discs-set-of-6-anti-static?ref=shop_home_active_2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Wool Dryer Discs</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> in the dryer cycle heats up the salt, like a pink Himalayan salt lamp. When the salt heats, it naturally generates negative ions. Salt is also hygroscopic (it attracts water). As the clothes are tumbling in the heated dryer, the constant tumbling (where the materials repeatedly come into contact) creates static electricity; an imbalance in positively and negatively charged ions. As the salt is heated, the naturally generated negative ions attract the positive ions and neutralize them, thereby reducing static electricity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I do believe the salt will eventually completely dissolve in the wool dryer discs (as is the nature of salt with water), but the wool dryer discs will last much longer if not dipped in water. Using</span> the above 6:2 combination, my laundry has been much easier to work with. :)</span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-70157874506126280182015-01-01T05:30:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:19:58.493-07:00Introducing the new, thicker fitted diapers!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><em>And the winner is . . .</em></span> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxs45GD5mC81RXNopZ0lfYGd_3l-BKb38Yozj0mnJWTzgGFiydeno4w5BD0g7gYAtgFetIJGsB0j8MMXQObIkVrsIWJS-jV49RJ-_ezKuB3mG0_RORVwPrqmI4BO_N4b6sdJ3nn23UNyM/s1600/Winner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxs45GD5mC81RXNopZ0lfYGd_3l-BKb38Yozj0mnJWTzgGFiydeno4w5BD0g7gYAtgFetIJGsB0j8MMXQObIkVrsIWJS-jV49RJ-_ezKuB3mG0_RORVwPrqmI4BO_N4b6sdJ3nn23UNyM/s1600/Winner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My testers, from <a href="http://greenchildcreations.blogspot.com/2014/10/whats-new.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this</a> post.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The thicker fitted diaper!</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>I'm really excited about this!!</strong> I thought I loved my fitted diaper design the way it was - after all, I've been making & selling it the same way for over 4 years. But, there were things I've been wanting to try, and having tried them, it's time for a change - <strong>an upgraded design!</strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Serging the edges cut so much time off making a diaper that I could use more layers of better, thicker fabric and still offer the diapers at a reasonable price. I've been testing <a href="http://greenchildcreations.blogspot.com/2014/10/whats-new.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">these two diapers</a> out with heavy use for over two months and the thicker diaper is my favorite for several reasons - most of which boil down to one main reason: well, it's thicker. </span><br />
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The outer printed flannel remains the cute cotton flannel prints that I've always used, but the inner layers including the pocket are now made with thicker, double-napped diaper flannel. Making the diaper with 3 full layers plus a pocket means the diaper now offers 7 layers of flannel (5 of which are the thicker diaper flannel) when the front flap is folded fully to the inside for smaller<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> babies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Having the diaper made with better thicker fabric means it's more absorbent, more durable, and it holds its shape. The serged edges also offer something else - better poop containment! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Because the new fitteds hold their shape, the fit will be a bit different; although the same pattern is used, the thicker fabric stretches less. Speaking of stretching less, the bamboo diapers got an upgrade, too. The bamboo velour fitted diapers are now made with not one, but TWO layers of double-napped diaper flannel sandwiched between the bamboo velour and the bamboo fleece, giving baby 9 layers of fabric when the front flap is folded fully to the inside for smaller babies.</span><br />
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As usual, absorbency needed depends on baby's age and wetting habits, so there will always be the inner pocket available for stuffing additional absorbency. The diapers are wide between the legs, but the fabric will relax after a few washes.<br />
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My fleece diaper covers will also be changing to serged edges, while the cotton-outer (and fancy floral ones) will remain turn & topstitched for the time being, though that may change in the future.<br />
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</span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-3924241947584843132014-12-24T08:29:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:20:15.811-07:00In the news again! :)<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Last March we started a fundraiser to get a speech device for our son, Kaiden - this is our happy update, aired 12/23/14! :)</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.kaaltv.com/article/stories/S3658998.shtml?cat=10151" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">KAAL TV 6 ABC News Interview</span></a><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-49502303307342759472014-10-24T18:42:00.002-07:002016-06-09T18:30:57.667-07:00What's new!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0rNPMn4n3YzNGJQSU1vWbTVGN5hWNUC0fk8KoJWSTgZaYK6IJxXIt5jRghwO6_nJH3fwpPxxlp434kjhBr8OadmE0ZlCvzy9z8kFgL7SPoVZkV8SAGJgqwlcJT0PJCEVfVHOK9V9Q8c/s1600/10388585_744381845634640_95797570806617058_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0rNPMn4n3YzNGJQSU1vWbTVGN5hWNUC0fk8KoJWSTgZaYK6IJxXIt5jRghwO6_nJH3fwpPxxlp434kjhBr8OadmE0ZlCvzy9z8kFgL7SPoVZkV8SAGJgqwlcJT0PJCEVfVHOK9V9Q8c/s1600/10388585_744381845634640_95797570806617058_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two new testers ready for action!</td></tr>
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<span class="userContent"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Sewing <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?section_id=16755604" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">diapers</a> for 4 years has given me time to test out different fabrics - I mean <em>really</em> test. I've tested the fabric by different wash routines, different detergents, and different drying methods. I admit, as a busy parent most of the time I take the most convenient route and don't treat my son's diapers as nicely as I should, since I can easily make more. I know that both using bleach and putting the diapers in the dryer weakens the fabric, shortening the lifespan of the natural-fabric diaper. I've been using Cozy flannel for the interior layer & pocket of my flannel fitted diapers, and do not always see equal quality through the entire bolt of fabric. It's one thing if you're treating your diapers nicely, but when you're like me and treat them less-than-nice they just don't last as long as they should and that doesn't make this Mama happy! I pride myself on making a quality product!</span></span></div>
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<span class="userContent"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">So, it is time to test out actual "diaper flannel". Diaper flannel is napped on both sides and is a thicker, stronger fabric than Cozy flannel. And I've been itching to try serging the edges rather than how I make them now, which is turned & topstitched. Overall, I think turned & top stitched has a neater, cleaner look, but serging the edges takes so much less sewing time that it allows me to use better quality (re: more expensive) fabrics and still offer the diapers at a reasonable price.</span></span></div>
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<span class="userContent"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The two tester diapers above are each made differently - although both have serged edges and use diaper flannel for the interior layers, the dinosaur diaper on the left is made in my usual 3 layer style - 1 layer printed Snuggle flannel, 1 inner layer diaper flannel, 1 inner diaper flannel pocket, while the bears/deer camo print has an extra full inner layer of diaper flannel making it even thicker.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Today was their first day in action. My thoughts so far: having serged edges rather than turned/top stitched made the diapers just a tiny little bit bigger, but that could be pared down by cutting off more of the edge when serging. The thicker one that has 3 full layers of flannel (1 snuggle flannel, 2 diaper flannel) and the pocket made of diaper flannel - since it's thicker, it looks wider when on the child just because it's thicker overall and is holding it's shape that way. I can't wait to see how they hold shape after repeated washings! The snuggle flannel scrunches up when dried in the dryer, and I'm hoping using the thicker diaper flannel will eliminate that scrunchiness.</span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The hardest part about testing the new fabric is going through months of heavy use before being able to make an accurate judgement. I do think the diaper flannel will be better, but only time will tell!</span><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-63338537600364682442014-07-01T12:16:00.000-07:002014-07-01T14:26:08.781-07:00Time for the Annual July Sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fTY9h0LIZ5r5OG5JlXf4eZQ3VxfTOiEj5lhY2V1XRB5qvTt59iuf6reJQz3vHzWXuRVnLe06JYuBQXYos3G0jNMEAFPrgddsNlc_rnqwgaNBIUB5pMiYXIqI1uEhPsrb-Kh2w0SqQPQ/s1600/10OFFSale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fTY9h0LIZ5r5OG5JlXf4eZQ3VxfTOiEj5lhY2V1XRB5qvTt59iuf6reJQz3vHzWXuRVnLe06JYuBQXYos3G0jNMEAFPrgddsNlc_rnqwgaNBIUB5pMiYXIqI1uEhPsrb-Kh2w0SqQPQ/s1600/10OFFSale.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">For the entire month of July, get 10% off anything at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greenchild Creations</a>! Please use Etsy Coupon Code <strong>10OFF</strong> at checkout. :)</span>Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-81069425924694876472014-04-17T19:47:00.002-07:002016-06-09T18:20:53.329-07:00The costs of doing business . . .I wish I had another fun post for you - well, I can tell you about my new diaper covers!! :) I am incredibly excited about them because they are so soft (and cute)! I may reserve the blizzard & anti-pill fleece for my "fitted" fleece diaper covers and switch all my side-snap diaper covers to this: Cotton print outer, soft & fluffy fleece inner, & a hidden PUL panel to help prevent compression wicking. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbe7RS2YxBS3wf8OcS7ICx6YocKr490kvDRe8Jv5iS2ZYTbprXjId2jCk_keybWBiZV_5Zk8M9dFhaG64b-ew1n4Fd2bu_XJdYmR43E6rdvu9O6WZjmT7eO0qFqo2ICdn441j0wkv2wA/s1600/LoveOurEarth1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxbe7RS2YxBS3wf8OcS7ICx6YocKr490kvDRe8Jv5iS2ZYTbprXjId2jCk_keybWBiZV_5Zk8M9dFhaG64b-ew1n4Fd2bu_XJdYmR43E6rdvu9O6WZjmT7eO0qFqo2ICdn441j0wkv2wA/s1600/LoveOurEarth1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
What made me want to make this change? I kept seeing that soft & fluffy fleece in the fabric store and it was calling my name . . . eventually I caved and purchased some. And boy am I glad I did! LOVE it! And there are SO many more prints to choose from for a cotton outer than a fleece outer. I did slightly revise the design; the front waist tabs have been widened a bit and now feature an extra snap. When people refer to a cloth diapered child as having a "fluffy butt", this one really fits that name! So far the above cotton print is the only print I have in stock, but more will come.<br />
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Oooooh I just thought of something else fun to tell you! I have finally perfected a diaper pail spray that goes beyond reducing the ammonia stink, which my current diaper pail spray does. This new one reduces ammonia, urine, and poop smells! I plan to offer it in 3 scents: floral, tropical, and fruity. Hopefully that will be ready for production this summer! It does use vinegar and essential oils; all of which are safe for Greenchild Creations diapers, covers, & inserts. However, please always check with your diaper manufacturer as some do not recommend those ingredients to be used on their diapers.<br />
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And on to the original intent for this post . . . the rising cost of doing business. Very recently it was signed into law that the minimum wage for the state of Minnesota, where I live, is going up (which I fully support!). It does affect my business because with current prices, pretty soon I will be making less than minimum wage. There have been a few times busy enough I've seriously considered hiring outside help, and I cannot pay them less than minimum wage. What does this mean for the business? It means prices will go up accordingly. I've thought about following how the state of MN plans to roll it out over the next two years; whether or not my customers would want to see 3 price increases or just have one and be done with it. I feel the best course of action is to have just one price increase, which will go into effect in August 2014.<br />
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Things like this, among others, make me truly appreciate my customers! Because of your support, this has gone from a hobby to a real, bona fide business; something I never imagined I would do. If someone told me 10 years ago I'd design, sew, and sell cloth diapers, I'd have said they were crazy! It's funny where life takes you - I am loving this journey!<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-61728874222691704142014-02-13T10:38:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:21:05.272-07:00Fundraising time!My little guy has been using a Vantage Lite (LAMP system) loaner unit in speech therapy and is doing fantastic! He picked it up quicker than anyone thought he would (except me, LOL!! I KNOW he's a smart little stinker!!). But, since it's a loaner unit, it's time for it to be used with another child. These speech devices, while fantastic . . . are not cheap. We're talking a range of $6000 and up, up, up. So . . . here we are . . . fundraising time!<br />
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Here is our GoFundMe page: <a href="http://www.gofundme.com/HelpKaidenTalk">http://www.gofundme.com/HelpKaidenTalk</a> Please go check it out - donations of any size are immensely appreciated, as well as sharing his page via social media. We're off to a great start, and are so blessed to have so many wonderfully caring people in our lives!<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-9304916314503264462014-01-09T19:10:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:21:31.284-07:00Blog Reviews! I love working with bloggers! It is truly one of the best forms of advertising! I have provided A LOT of diapers (and other product) over the last 3 years in exchange for blog reviews (most with giveaways), and have had many wonderful reviews written about them. <br />
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Normally I do <em>many</em> blog reviews with giveaways each year. I did the same last year; well I should clarify - I <em>did</em> send out a lot of requested product for blog reviews with giveaways. This last year was a big learning experience for me. This last year, I learned that while most of my bloggers have been fantastic, some are, unfortunately, not. :( My first two years, I think I only had one or two transactions that were less than stellar. But this last year . . . sadly, I had very few that went well, and most that went . . . not well. Product that got sent out at my expense with no review written in exchange, nor me receiving the product back; <em>basically a lot of people got some very nice free items</em>. At my expense! I am not a big company; I am one person. Sometimes I need to use Etsy funds to put food on the table when things are tight, and that makes me even more thankful for all my wonderful customers!!<br />
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I've had to revise my blog policy because of this year's experiences. I am still very happy to provide FREE diapers for blog reviews, but now there is a catch: depending on the size and activity level of the blog (some will be exempt), all diapers must be paid for in advance. I will provide FULL reimbursement (including shipping) as long all conditions are met, which include the time frame the review is posted, the blogger providing me with the review link, and giveaway winner information. See, easy, right? Provided the criteria is met, the diapers end up being 100% FREE. While it was easier to just send free product, I lost a lot of money (and product!) this last year, and I really don't want to do that again, I just cannot afford it. I hope all my bloggers understand!!<br />
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Click <a href="https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/greenchildcreations/policies">here</a> to read my Etsy Shop Policies. The <a href="https://www.etsy.com/your/shops/greenchildcreations/policies">Blog Policy</a> is further down near the bottom of the page. :)<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-1204225693598931022013-10-12T17:03:00.000-07:002016-11-20T13:21:53.381-08:00What? An all-natural, easy-to-make shower cleaner that actually works?<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I've waited a really long time for this!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We've lived in our house for over 17 years. We also live in an area with super ridiculously hard water. Our shower (well, the whole bathroom) was newly remodeled, never been used when we moved in . . . and in all those passing years, the lime scale buildup + soap residue got pretty bad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I tried everything. I mean EVERYTHING - from natural cleaners to harsh chemicals to the "leave it on and forget it" types, even tried using cleaners that weren't specific to showers. Or bathrooms. Some of the bathroom cleaners loosened the soap residue into a thick sticky mess that was virtually impossible to clean off not only the walls but whatever I was using to clean the walls - sponge, scrubbie, scrubbing brush, etc. Beyond that, all I've really been able to do is etch and discolor the walls with the harsh cleaners. The shower might have been "surface clean" but it certainly wasn't "down to the original surface" clean. I even scoured the Internet for ideas, and sadly found that everyone pretty much said lime scale with soap residue just could not be cleaned off effectively or safely. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I really hated my shower.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, when I wash my son's diapers, I use vinegar for the hard water and we also boil vinegar in our electric teapot to remove the lime scale. I know that citrus essential oils break down oil; I use citrus essential oils in my </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/102096328/citrus-scrub-soap-vegan-cold-process?ref=shop_home_active"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Citrus Scrub Soap</span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. Not only does the </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/102096328/citrus-scrub-soap-vegan-cold-process?ref=shop_home_active"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Citrus Scrub Soap</span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> easily cut through the oily kitchen grease and grime, it will also take permanent marker off of plastic and remove adhesive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So there I was thinking, there has to be a way to combine the vinegar with the citrus oils in such a way that it can stay on the walls to soak for an extended period of time. It's pretty difficult to soak vertical surfaces with runny liquids! Any thickener I added needed to be washed off easily and not interfere with the cleaning process. Eventually . . . eventually I got the bright idea to thicken the mixture with xanthan gum. Xanthan gum also acts as an emulsifier, keeping the essential oils dispersed within the vinegar. Xanthan gum clumps when added to liquid, but over several hours will thicken the mixture into something gooey and sticky, yet it can be washed off with just hot water. Xanthan gum can be found in grocery stores. It's expensive, but since such a tiny amount is needed, it will last a very long time!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was so excited by the idea I made some right away. As I mentioned above, the xanthan gum clumps and doesn't mix well. No worries, stir it as best you can and let it sit for a few hours to thicken, stirring occasionally. How many hours? Overnight is good. I used my first batch within 3 - 4 hours, and 24 hours later, it was a little thicker. I applied it directly to the worst of the soap residue spots (make sure the shower walls are dry, so water doesn't dilute it), and left it on for at least 12 hours. And that spot came CLEAN. I mean, down to the original surface clean!! I was beyond excited about this . . . this meant that I *might actually* have a really clean shower again! I applied the rest of the mixture to the rest of the shower walls. It got thin in some spots since I had made a small batch. Then let it sit overnight and scrubbed it off in the morning. The applied mixture does dry on the shower walls, and you'll need warm, if not hot, water to loosen up the dried sticky mixture. But when you scrub it off, it takes the soap residue with it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of my heavy lime scale spots were still there, and after repeated applications, were STILL there. Sigh . . . . okay, what now? Then I turned to citric acid - it's supposed to be better at breaking down lime scale. I experimented with the amount to add to my vinegar/essential oils/xanthan gum mix. I found that if I used a lot of it, it did a great job on the lime scale but it didn't rinse clean and left LOTS of white streaks on my shower walls, which is one of the issues I'd had with commercial cleaners that promised to cut through lime scale. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also wanted to be able to cut through the soap residue a little faster, so for the next round I used most of the same essential oils I use in my </span><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/102096328/citrus-scrub-soap-vegan-cold-process?ref=shop_home_active"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Citrus Scrub Soap</span></a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. Ahhh, not only did that smell fantastic, it really worked!! Citric acid and essential oils can be purchased online. I get a lot of my supplies at <a href="http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/">Wholesale Supplies Plus</a> - if you order over $40, your shipping is free! (They have such a great selection of items it's not hard to spend $40!!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now back to the white streak problem . . . baking soda! A nice, natural, gently-abrasive scrubber. I had tried making a simple cleaner of just vinegar and baking soda years ago, but it didn't do anything for the soap residue, and couldn't stay on the walls long enough to break down the heavy lime scale. I tried adding it to the gooey mixture, but of course, baking soda reacts with vinegar - which yes, that is what I want, but not while storing it! What to do? Aha! Just dump a good amount in the coated dried tub, dip a wet scrub brush in it, and get to scrubbing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then for the real test: I waited. I let the shower get really dirty. Soap residue, lime scale buildup . . . it wasn't pretty and I really didn't want to take a shower in it! When I couldn't stand it anymore, I made a fresh batch of shower cleaner, applied it, and let it sit overnight. In the morning, I dumped a good amount of baking soda in the tub, ran a little hot water to wet down the scrub brush, dipped the scrub brush in the baking soda, and scrubbed away. It did take some scrubbing effort since I purposely let it get that bad, but when I was done, I had a sparkling clean, down to the original surface, CLEAN shower. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And it's all natural. And my shower smells fantastic. *Blissful sigh*</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ALL NATURAL SHOWER CLEANER RECIPE</span></strong></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></strong> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Container with a tight-fitting lid</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 c distilled white vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 tsp citric acid</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1/4 tsp xanthan gum</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No more than 10 ml (1/3 oz) combined essential oils:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sweet orange essential oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">tangerine essential oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">lemon essential oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">grapefruit essential oil</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">baking soda</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Directions: Mix the citric acid with the xanthan gum. Add vinegar and essential oils. Cover tightly - make sure the lid seals tight! Shake well to mix. Let sit several hours to thicken. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Once mixture is thickened, apply to DRY shower walls with a sponge, maybe a paintbrush, or I've even used my hands. Wait several hours (overnight is easiest). Then the next time you take a shower, dump some baking soda in the tub and scrub away!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This does rinse away best if you have one of those handheld sprayer shower heads, so you can do a final rinse/scrub to make sure all the baking soda grit is rinsed away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(Please note you should probably wear gloves to apply the mixture to shower walls if you have any broken skin or are sensitive to citrus essential oils or citric acid.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";">UPDATE 11/20/16 - I have been using this recipe to clean my shower since writing the original post, but mostly just use sweet orange essential oil instead of the EO blend because it's simpler when I'm in a hurry. As I recently found out - this recipe is excellent at removing gum from clothing, and works well at cleaning the gum-coated dryer, too. For the clothes, I sprayed it on, let it soak in a few minutes, used a bristle brush to scrub, rinse, and right back in the wash it all went.</span><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The dryer: first I sprayed on the shower cleaner and let it soak awhile. Then a little sweet orange essential oil cleaned the mess right off. Lastly, I finished up with a 50/50 vinegar/water mix to wipe up the essential oil residue and leave the inside of the dryer sparkling clean. </span></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-55763956242895394622013-09-04T15:22:00.000-07:002016-06-09T18:22:03.151-07:00Thoughts on fabric . . .<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I've learned the pros and cons of different fabric types in the 3 years I've been making cloth diapers; I'd like to share them with you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><em>NATURAL FABRICS</em></strong></span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>First, whatever I made, I put it through some harsh treatment because I wanted to see how well everything held</strong> <strong>up.</strong></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I tried leaving the cotton flannel fitted diapers sopping wet in the wetbag after rinsing. Bad idea. It rots the cotton flannel fairly quick.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I put everything in the dryer and rarely, if ever hung the diapers out to dry. This puts much more wear and tear on the fabric - cotton flannel, bamboo fleece, and bamboo velour in particular. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The outer, printed cotton flannel shows wear after about a month of heavy use. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The bamboo velour becomes less soft, and more terry-like. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Both the cotton flannel and the bamboo fleece eventually lose their soft fuzzy nap. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It's harder to sun out stains.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><strong>Pin closure vs. snaps/Velcro:</strong> Out of all the fabrics I use, only two did not hold up well: bamboo fleece and bamboo French terry with pin closure. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Now, there's bamboo French terry, which is 70% bamboo and 30% cotton, and then there's bamboo baby loop terry, which is 70% bamboo, 28% cotton, and 2% poly. The first time I purchased bamboo terry, it was bamboo baby loop terry and it held up really well - in fact, for being 3 years old and always using pins with it, it looks darn near perfect. The second time I purchased bamboo French terry, and it shredded almost immediately using pin closure; all my son's inserts with that batch has holes everywhere. The 3rd time I purchased, it was the bamboo baby loop terry, and I have not used pin closure on that yet - just waiting to see how well it holds up in the wash alone (so far, so good!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Bamboo velour is 70% bamboo, 28% cotton, and 2% poly and that holds up very well with pin closure. Bamboo fleece is 70% bamboo and 30% cotton and it eventually shreds with pin closure, although it takes quite awhile for that to happen; in my experience, about a year with heavy use I finally saw some holes developing in the pinning area. For this reason, I recommend purchasing the snap or Velcro option when purchasing a <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/70906787/bamboo-fitted-cloth-diaper-os-custom">custom bamboo velour/bamboo fleece fitted diaper</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Both cotton and bamboo flannel hold up very well with pin closure, as does cotton twill. The <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/72701142/fitted-cloth-diaper-custom-os?ref=shop_home_active">custom combination cotton twill/bamboo velour fitted diapers</a> hold up very well to pin closure!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Line Drying</strong>: Line drying is the best option for extending the life of natural fabric diapers. To help avoid the crunchiness that can come with line drying cotton flannel, try shaking the diaper (or giving it a few quick snaps) before hanging. You may want to do that after they are dry, too. It's also nice to re-shape the diapers before hanging them, as it will lead to a better fit once the diaper is dry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Cotton twill, bamboo flannel, and bamboo baby loop terry hang dry the best with very little or no crunchiness!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Other fabric notes:</strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">While bamboo flannel stays soft (even when line dried!) and holds up to pin closure well, it does shrink. More than I expected it to! For this reason, I no longer make fitted diapers out of bamboo flannel. It does however make fantastic diaper inserts!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Hemp - I don't use hemp because my son is sensitive to it. We started out using hemp fleece, but quickly found out that it could not touch his skin or he'd get a rash. And it shredded with pin closure.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms"; font-size: large;"><em>SYNTHETIC FABRICS</em></span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>Polyester fleece</strong> - I use both blizzard fleece and anti-pill fleece in my fleece diaper covers. After testing out both ways, I now make sure the inner white layer is blizzard fleece; this ensures the cover is a wee bit more water resistant. I did recently test out putting in a small PUL panel in the wetness zone (not throughout the whole cover) and that worked extremely well, I was super impressed! I'll still offer fleece-only covers, as lots of Mama's with sensitive babies prefer them, but I'll be making some with the PUL panel as well. I may use Etsy's variation option, but that will mean the fleece covers are made to order rather than being in stock.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">The great thing about fleece is that you can't really hurt it no matter how you wash/dry it. It's pretty hard to stain, too. The only thing I have found, is that to keep fleece looking its best, it needs to be placed inside a mesh laundry bag for washing. You can certainly wash fleece with the rest of your diapers, but I do not recommend washing them directly in with the rest of the diapers - they need to be placed inside the mesh bag or the fleece will pill up - especially if washed with prefolds!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><strong>PUL </strong>- I currently don't offer diaper covers made entirely of PUL - the reason being is that I don't care for fold-over-elastic. In my experience, wetness wicks through the FOE too quickly, even with polyester thread. I want to try tricot nylon (think Thirsties or Bummis covers), but have heard it is difficult to work with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">I have purchased different kinds of PUL, and found that Fabrite was definitely the best! Unfortunately, they closed shop a few years ago. I have purchased "end of roll remnants" from other companies and found that to be a bad idea, as the heating process may not have been complete before the roll started, leading to delaminating PUL. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">My new favorite PUL is from Babyville. It's different from the typical PUL - it has a white inner rather than the clear. If it delaminates, it does not cause a problem like typical delaminated PUL does! That white layer, delaminated or not, is pretty bulletproof. I have a cover that fully delaminated almost immediately (it was defective, and a lot of people were having the same issue when Babyville PUL was first being sold in stores) but we're still using it! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">I think that's all - I try to be pretty thorough when testing out fabric! :)</span><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-32573750814524183002013-07-10T12:26:00.000-07:002016-06-09T18:47:57.366-07:00The new "fitted" fleece cover!I gave the one I made a good trial run up at the cabin. We were there 6 days, and I only wanted to wash diapers twice, which means I had to stretch my stash since we line dry up there. And it was super humid the first time I washed; the diapers took sooooo long to dry!<br />
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I have to say I am absolutely in LOVE with this new fitted fleece cover over any other style of cover I've tried - including my side snapping ones!! To stretch my stash, took the inserts out of my flats, used them by themselves, and padfolded the flats to make more inserts. I couldn't snap any of them in, since I only added snaps to the new insert I made to try this idea out - and they stayed in place great! I used our bamboo inserts and padfolded flats in my regular side snapping covers, but they didn't stay in place quite as well, and I think that's because with the fitted cover, I can set the rise wherever I want, so overall it fits better - then with a better fit, the fleece "grabs" the absorbent fabric, helping it stay in place better. With the regular side snapping fleece covers, I ended up pinning the insert in the front to keep it in place better.<br />
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The new <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=8084197" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fitted fleece cover</a> is bulky if used over a fitted, especially a heavily padded fitted (like a nighttime diaper) . . . but it can be done! :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-1Z1eYlR7x4XOWdhlbvbFuO42MJY1-ovEH164yAf-8CbpVJDwWkizgTDVdUQ9FIL9N6cgesgBWSH3untjsahyphenhyphenIXQ13EMosUpQd_aVdt2mdrACa7t5ARltteJm9DyV5wB0U9-oc176rg/s1600/Kaiden4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx-1Z1eYlR7x4XOWdhlbvbFuO42MJY1-ovEH164yAf-8CbpVJDwWkizgTDVdUQ9FIL9N6cgesgBWSH3untjsahyphenhyphenIXQ13EMosUpQd_aVdt2mdrACa7t5ARltteJm9DyV5wB0U9-oc176rg/s320/Kaiden4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front view</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtuvRJuSoPv1q_HvCGQOUXGEMX4hICPWkICrm06sX5MlsOb9YKCufohVGBuTIxTpiBiNkMqirOBUwtuBEHmCM1bMwnPmNyXkuZ49T6UAVHveVi4tqsS6nL1HYxoukcyqF6PzpPdPGGos/s1600/Kaiden1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtuvRJuSoPv1q_HvCGQOUXGEMX4hICPWkICrm06sX5MlsOb9YKCufohVGBuTIxTpiBiNkMqirOBUwtuBEHmCM1bMwnPmNyXkuZ49T6UAVHveVi4tqsS6nL1HYxoukcyqF6PzpPdPGGos/s320/Kaiden1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear view</td></tr>
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I must say I love pins with these. I get such a great fit!! I will offer them with a snap option though - I just need to figure out the snap pattern placement, since fleece is so stretchy, it will be a little different than the snap pattern on my fitted diapers. <br />
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Here's a link to the photo album on my Facebook page, which shows how it works: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.501032019969625.1073741826.107770265962471&type=3">The new fitted fleece cover</a>.<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-25341515896714234382013-05-17T07:55:00.000-07:002016-06-09T18:22:34.626-07:00The Cookbook and My Son's Story<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I wrote a guest post for </span><a href="http://thepaleomama.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">The Paleo Mama</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> blog, with the short version of my son's story and a recipe included! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">To read, click </span><a href="http://thepaleomama.com/2013/05/guest-post-cavemoms-cooking-down-syndrome-how-paleo-eliminated-my-sons-seizures/"><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">.</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgQye4nh-nUN5R58KpvQ1FcEFB2KSm2UU4dq-W3xO5hdKKIZx8_ojGImnXsjP9Vmba3HIzn4HKX-ke4irbiOztGrEEqVDjH3S3oHXqU_1KOc-BrDMMJii8JOR-aKrcXbvnMDjMFzbbk0/s1600/Cover4+copyRSZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXgQye4nh-nUN5R58KpvQ1FcEFB2KSm2UU4dq-W3xO5hdKKIZx8_ojGImnXsjP9Vmba3HIzn4HKX-ke4irbiOztGrEEqVDjH3S3oHXqU_1KOc-BrDMMJii8JOR-aKrcXbvnMDjMFzbbk0/s320/Cover4+copyRSZ.jpg" width="228" /></a><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/130168935/cookbook-paleo-cavemoms-cooking-simple?ref=shop_home_active">Cavemom's Cooking</a> is not only a cookbook, but my son's story: how I stopped my son's benign myoclonic seizures and awoke his sensory processing abilities, our decision to go paleo, and the simple paleo recipes that followed. When we went paleo, I never thought about writing a cookbook. But as time went on and my son made so much progress, I knew his story needed to be told. And what better way than with what helped him the most? Food! Volume 2 is currently in the works!<br />
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Paleo eating is grain and gluten free, dairy free, legume free, and nightshade free. Simply fresh, whole foods - fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts, and seeds. Easy to make, tasty to eat! If you're looking to get away from today's processed foods filled with artificial ingredients, preservatives, colors, and flavors, give this a try.<br />
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<br />Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-65233970279997750922013-03-07T17:13:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:22:53.041-07:00Natural Laundry Soap DIY Kits are here!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoC8eRXVYuuk04sLef3dSywc4WF9vtxf_1BeRsHtQcszpYrA1CUIJdlfDzi9CUo-e0s9gyuPh1e0dlWIt4Q90APUIUq7G71WB1KRThIhtmzZPTG881YaReL0VllAtqz09ICUp75_Ok5zk/s1600/LaundrySoap1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoC8eRXVYuuk04sLef3dSywc4WF9vtxf_1BeRsHtQcszpYrA1CUIJdlfDzi9CUo-e0s9gyuPh1e0dlWIt4Q90APUIUq7G71WB1KRThIhtmzZPTG881YaReL0VllAtqz09ICUp75_Ok5zk/s320/LaundrySoap1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soap nuts, soapwort root, and papaya leaf</td></tr>
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I had been using a liquid soap nuts laundry detergent for our diapers but the company I'd been purchasing from closed shop. From there, it was find a new source, or make my own. Anyone can easily make liquid soap nuts to use as a laundry detergent from instructions online. It's just boiling actual soap nuts in water; pretty simple. But, same with cooking, I have this inability to leave a recipe alone . . . <br />
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This is something I've been formulating for a little while now. I've always wanted to try soapwort root for washing. And while researching that, I learned that papaya leaf not only posesses mild cleansing abilities, it is also antibacterial and has been used internally to rid of intestinal worms. (Saying that, PLEASE do not drink the laundry soap!!!) I decided to combine the three to see how well it would work on my son's stinky diapers. (If you have a toddler, you know just how stinky those diapers can get!)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbAMfGCD7Q7lexNJGhcHxO14x-8vvCZE15k0EQ2LbIDxp9wyC-rIxEGiym6koDeZ3BKT2oyoVI1NFVCRPoo1lEaVQiwHbng-C-ItcsNXyKTYGQOuPcATrwUXP0NGtz3qkpQZ8BIsDJV8/s1600/LaundrySoap5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbAMfGCD7Q7lexNJGhcHxO14x-8vvCZE15k0EQ2LbIDxp9wyC-rIxEGiym6koDeZ3BKT2oyoVI1NFVCRPoo1lEaVQiwHbng-C-ItcsNXyKTYGQOuPcATrwUXP0NGtz3qkpQZ8BIsDJV8/s320/LaundrySoap5.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 DIY kit yields 1 pint jar of Natural Laundry Soap</td></tr>
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My first batch, I left uncovered and let simmer down too much, yielding a very small batch. But the strength was perfect! My second batch, I covered it to help retain the steam but I didn't watch it carefully and lost a little bit. At least it yielded a bigger batch! The strength was still good. Seeing that, I made a big batch and made sure not to lose any of the steam. That yielded a nice big batch, but the strength was diluted and I had to use at least triple the amount I had been using to get near the same strength.<br />
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I expected it to clean the diapers at least as well as the previously purchased liquid soap nuts. Not only did it, but it made them softer - at least in my hard water, I could definitely tell a difference. So then I tried it on my clothes - and they were softer too! However, my mom, who has soft water, didn't feel a difference. Now, I haven't used a fabric softener for years - didn't want to risk buildup on the diapers - so the next test - bath towels. Since we have ridiculously hard water, some of our cheaper bath towels feel rough, even after being dried in the dryer. Not only that, but we live in a 112 yr old home, which has no bathroom ventilation besides a window. Although we use a good fan for air circulation, we still can get that stinky wet towel smell. Suprisingly, the rough bath towels didn't feel softer like the rest of my clothes, but there was a benefit I didn't think of, which I believe to be due to the papaya leaf. Normally we use our bath towels for a few days before grabbing clean ones. As soon as they start to stink, they go in the basket. I took one of these newly-laundered ones and used it as a test. It took much, much longer to get that musty wet towel smell! I also have a waffle weave fabric shower curtain that I wash right with my towels. It gets lime and rust buildup on it, and while the new laundry soap didn't get it pristine white by any means, it did a heck of a better job than bleach ever did.<br />
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The downside: this liquid laundry soap does not take out oil-based stains. If you wish to use it on your regular laundry, you may still want to use a stain-remover.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0mi2tBqUx93jKFhWWX7tTLnao_A_PqsOyuK91ajuGy4Gm7fnQXN911ApvYIvQac0-gC2K8aEwP3mymC5qAL6SyRQi9869ixcluqFa312Y0ApppBFUf0HyInqZpyMDsnes75M1Km6WqQ/s1600/LaundrySoap2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0mi2tBqUx93jKFhWWX7tTLnao_A_PqsOyuK91ajuGy4Gm7fnQXN911ApvYIvQac0-gC2K8aEwP3mymC5qAL6SyRQi9869ixcluqFa312Y0ApppBFUf0HyInqZpyMDsnes75M1Km6WqQ/s320/LaundrySoap2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Initially I thought I'd sell the Natural Laundry Soap already made into liquid, but I wasn't happy with the bottling choices available. Then there was the extra cost involved in bottles, lids, seals; not to mention how much extra shipping would cost for the weight. To save money, I'm offering instead a Do-It-Yourself Natural Laundry Soap Kit (instructions are included): <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/125435553/natural-laundry-soap-cloth-diaper-safe" target="_blank">Natural Laundry Soap DIY Kit.</a> The recipe amounts provided when made fits perfectly in a pint size jar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9J7-jVyKSqfEPfH6nk4HB8Z2p2N_YITmQOUQvVhgjnYagjdzwiDSsWcIp8XNqonmykFsinx-fkvs0_cp2LMyVcXxpT1TVniWBoZgHIpFNpuJCJ9A2L4wilpTz3p50K0Rl9yCa097LjVA/s1600/Zeolite3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9J7-jVyKSqfEPfH6nk4HB8Z2p2N_YITmQOUQvVhgjnYagjdzwiDSsWcIp8XNqonmykFsinx-fkvs0_cp2LMyVcXxpT1TVniWBoZgHIpFNpuJCJ9A2L4wilpTz3p50K0Rl9yCa097LjVA/s320/Zeolite3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natural Ammonia Remover</td></tr>
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I'm also offering 8 oz bags of clinoptilolite zeolite for ammonia stink: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/125548718/natural-ammonia-remover-cloth-diaper" target="_blank">Natural Ammonia Remover</a> Clinoptilolite zeolite is awesome at getting rid of ammonia stink!! It's a natural zeolite; it looks like small pieces of gravel but actually has tiny holes all through it that attract ammonia via ion exchange. It does not dissolve in water; rather it traps and carries away the ammonia, washing away with the rinse water. Just use 1 tsp to 2 Tbsp in your initial wash with no detergent. It works best with warm or hot water. It can be used with each pre-wash to prevent ammonia build up. May also be used in conjunction with white vinegar if desired, depending on water hard/softness. This is one of the same ingredients used for ammonia removal with fish tanks. Clinoptilolite zeolite is some really cool stuff with a variety of uses! I'll be putting some in my garden this year to help hold water in our drought-stricken area. <br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-35383404061352191832013-03-02T14:33:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:23:03.439-07:00Eliminate diaper pail stink!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3n5Xil7uu0GwpWXMeYUhTgzwzEk3CDau39jr8i8ztdpjt52eMSPoL7pYdhnK9p_F8W8erWzpMN2OOOm9N8Rn2tIFbIzB9Kjl-RejPq_pq24-wNTr4aIN6EWF34zDy7IX1bF-4-lYvv6Y/s1600/DSC_0119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3n5Xil7uu0GwpWXMeYUhTgzwzEk3CDau39jr8i8ztdpjt52eMSPoL7pYdhnK9p_F8W8erWzpMN2OOOm9N8Rn2tIFbIzB9Kjl-RejPq_pq24-wNTr4aIN6EWF34zDy7IX1bF-4-lYvv6Y/s320/DSC_0119.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our diaper pail next to a pine log</td></tr>
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Pine. Yes, pine. But not just any pine: freshly split pine. 2x4's won't work. Shaved/sanded down logs (to make them smoother) won't work. It must be split pine - something about the coarse grain, maybe?? Pictured is red pine; we don't currently have another variety of pine to test out, but I think any split pine would work well.<br />
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While the diaper pail spray I make works well on the ammonia that can come with a dirty diaper pail, it wasn't taking care of that toddler-stinky-urine smell. As our son got older (he's 4 now), the stronger the urine smell became in the dirty diaper pail. I tended to wash every other night just because that was about the time I could smell them. One of my many diaper pail spray experimental concoctions included sweet orange, lavender, and fir needle essential oils - that one worked fairly well - it needs to be spritzed often - but I thought it was the lavender, never really giving the fir needle essential oil another thought.<br />
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Right now my husband is busy cleaning up damaged trees from the tornadoes that ripped through our county in June of 2010. We plan to install a wood burner before next winter to help save on heating costs. One day, in the course of our teasing banter, when he was leaving to cut wood, I asked him if he was going to bring me back a bouquet of twigs, and his reply was "no, but I can bring you back a log!" And he DID!! He knows I love the smell of freshly cut wood. Well, the split log ended up in the downstairs bathroom where the diaper pail resides, just a place to temporarily have it out of the way. And then I noticed . . . the diaper pail smell was missing. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlea-Yb-pJdwkEaYh25BX5HyjnqMrcj9QytUOUR2qScY746urKjJmE9smPxLAkTlA-s4bwqST7yUY-ZzSdqpd8_c0M3GXCV3d2nJMnJWspmxsFb2kvsh-ldBbc584_vnDvbPAbvNUuzrY/s1600/IMG_8090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlea-Yb-pJdwkEaYh25BX5HyjnqMrcj9QytUOUR2qScY746urKjJmE9smPxLAkTlA-s4bwqST7yUY-ZzSdqpd8_c0M3GXCV3d2nJMnJWspmxsFb2kvsh-ldBbc584_vnDvbPAbvNUuzrY/s320/IMG_8090.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me, dressed up all scientific-like</td></tr>
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So to experiment a little (because I love to experiment!) I took the log out of the bathroom. The smell returned. I put the log back in the bathroom and within 15 minutes, I noticed a definite lack of stink. (yeah, give the picture a good laugh, LOL! This was for my JM cloth diapering mamas, from my clinoptilolite zeolite experiment back in 2011 - which by the way, works awesome for getting rid of ammonia stink in the wash routine!). After 2 - 3 weeks, my husband decided to "freshen up" the log, and shaved it down to expose fresh wood. Right after that, the stink returned. He shaved it down again, and still the stink was there. Then we tried a pail full of fresh pine shavings. No go. I asked him for a new log, and the stink disappeared again. This time, I asked him to just leave it be, don't shave it down. It's been 2 weeks since the fresh log was put in place, and no stink yet. I don't know how long one log will last, but thankfully we have a good supply.<br />
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Another bonus: this has cut WAY down on the amount of clinoptilolite zeolite I need to use in my wash routine. I'm in process of experimenting how much I can cut back. Because our water is super ridiculously hard (we are over 10.5 grains per gallon), ammonia can easily build up. Previous to the pine log, I was using 3 Tbsp per wash - 2 with the initial warm wash, and 1 more with the hot wash with detergent. But, I also switched to *my* liquid laundry detergent, which is soapnuts, soapwort root, and papaya leaf. So far I've cut back to 1 tsp total, only in the inital warm wash and that's going well. Next diaper load I'll skip it altogether and see what happens. <br />
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I realize this solution isn't available to everyone - I mean, not everyone has access to free pine logs, LOL!! But if you can get your hands on some, it's <em>well</em> worth it. I mean there is literally NO smell. I'd have to remove the lid, stick my nose in and really inhale deeply to smell them. Now, I'm washing when I run low on diapers and that can be 3+ days. I have actually forgotten to wash them, just because I was relying on my sense of smell to tell me when to wash!<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-74027164919093244402013-02-07T15:36:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:23:26.886-07:00Fleece Diaper CoversI started out using PUL covers for my son, and felt for the longest time they were the way to go for leak protection and easy maintenance. When my Thirsties covers began to hit the end of their lifespan, I wanted to make my own covers. I learned there were different types of PUL out there. I tried out a few different sources - I had some hits and some misses. Fabrite was awesome, but no longer in business. Babyville was great even if it delaminated, but a delaminated diaper will eventually die. I do have some good PUL in stock now but have since come up with my absolute favorite kind of cover - fleece! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK536yWDQjAFNS8DWE61qtzdhEWy7fRMEhliorc6oGVpSFdpTmhxurZRHVYAHFNg9uopywL5JKxqHJT-cXWvkoKp2vTIhXt1w-16TaZC5PukU1N8Xyu_Os3tvkaGRjzwCas3OsYTL1eWg/s1600/AquaDinos1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK536yWDQjAFNS8DWE61qtzdhEWy7fRMEhliorc6oGVpSFdpTmhxurZRHVYAHFNg9uopywL5JKxqHJT-cXWvkoKp2vTIhXt1w-16TaZC5PukU1N8Xyu_Os3tvkaGRjzwCas3OsYTL1eWg/s200/AquaDinos1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Two layers of fleece not only makes for excellent leak protection, it's more breatheable. And it doesn't hold onto poop stink like PUL can. Even if there wasn't any poop on the cover, I still changed the cover with the soiled fitted diaper because of the smell. My son has been going through some digestive issues (which are now thankfully much better since we recently found some bromelain-free digestive enzymes) and let me tell you, that kid could stink up a room! We were going through covers pretty quick.<br />
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When I first had the idea to make the covers out of 2 layers of fleece, I always intended to make some for my son . . . but they always sold and I never got around to making one just for him. Most of my PUL covers are dead and/or dying now, and I really wanted him to have a giraffe print diaper cover for the cookbook photoshoot, so I finally made him one . . . and I am so in love with this cover!!!! I want <em>all</em> of his covers to be made this way!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAi36zxVV6epd8p_EpCf_Tf4IQj_4stIX0EPP02LGZvQIggkusV0l3Y_w2GY4soohnL-jn-hE6b570XlE55Qw58n_pAXkRint1tF0QxKJsL8mhfGTYDy7HWFbmOlGmbuwUVmme1NZGUDE/s1600/MonstersBack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAi36zxVV6epd8p_EpCf_Tf4IQj_4stIX0EPP02LGZvQIggkusV0l3Y_w2GY4soohnL-jn-hE6b570XlE55Qw58n_pAXkRint1tF0QxKJsL8mhfGTYDy7HWFbmOlGmbuwUVmme1NZGUDE/s200/MonstersBack.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Now, mine are more like typical diaper covers than a typical fleece soaker. Fleece soakers look more like really super cute underwear, have 2 layers in the wetness zone only, and many styles are meant to be pulled on and off like underwear. My fleece covers, just like a PUL cover, feature elastic at the back and legs, with side-snapping closure. I have also done velcro closure but my personal preference is side snapping - no chance of wing droop! They are OS with front rise snaps and 3 snap settings at the waist, and made with a full two layers of fleece, not just in the wetness zone.<br />
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I'm contemplating being done with PUL for good and selling off my small stock of it along with some FOE so if you're interested let me know! :)<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-64058119034708877462013-01-10T09:41:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:24:46.966-07:00My favorite creation - Healing Salve (name updated to "the greenchild salve")<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OKY9k8DWowOp5rRDnZfN72Fs0_5n_U58CenX2g1Gf56q7aB7i_ptDxNtuqd7rlT2VYoM7jEeun7WxrUFxI18b4V0E9a9kxWRT7o_5sO0F668mn9ZD0aP1lULzPdzLhBcULE5brphThY/s1600/IMG_8748_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OKY9k8DWowOp5rRDnZfN72Fs0_5n_U58CenX2g1Gf56q7aB7i_ptDxNtuqd7rlT2VYoM7jEeun7WxrUFxI18b4V0E9a9kxWRT7o_5sO0F668mn9ZD0aP1lULzPdzLhBcULE5brphThY/s320/IMG_8748_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
(Please note, the name of this salve was updated to "<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/81843038/the-greenchild-salve-100-natural-4-oz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the greenchild salve</a>" in 2015.)<br />
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Let me preface this post with "please always consult your medical practitioner" and "this product is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease". I cannot make any sort of promise that my Healing Salve will heal anybody; yes the essential oils used have known properties, but people still may react differently to them. There are essential oils out there with proven properties that don't do the job for me. All I can tell you is what I personally use my salve for. There, I think I covered it. :)<br />
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Today, as I got out of my Jeep to pick up my son from preschool, I managed to whack my leg pretty hard with the door of the Jeep. After cussing silently to myself, hopping around a bit, rubbing my leg, and thinking "that's gonna leave a mark!" I realized that just inside the school was my son's backpack . . . and in it was a tub of my Healing Salve. I limped my way inside and made my way straight to the salve, applied it, and breathed a sigh of relief. The pain was gone and all I'll have to remind me of the incident is a little bit of scraped up skin.<br />
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Things I've used my Healing Salve for: sprained ankles, bruises, minor burns, scrapes, cuts, and inflammation - from joints to laryngitis, and my son's diaper rash. I use my favorite herb and essential oils - plantain (plantago major), tea tree oil, lavender essential oil, rose geranium essential oil, oregano essential oil, sweet orange essential oil, and raw honey in a natural base of butters and oils. Plantain has wonderful healing and anti-inflammatory properties; it is also anti-bacterial and helps control bleeding. Tea tree is known to be anti-septic, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial. Lavender has been proven to have calming, soothing, sedating properties. It is also commonly used as an anti-septic and to treat minor burns. Rose geranium has astringent, anti-inflammatory, and mildly anti-bacterial properties. Oregano essential oil is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, and anti-viral. Sweet orange essential oil is widely used as an anti-depressant for its uplifting scent as well as being anti-inflammatory and anti-septic. Raw honey is not only delicious (LOL, do NOT eat the Healing Salve, trust me on that, it doesn't taste anywhere near as good as it smells!!) but is also anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant; it is also used on burns.<br />
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My Healing Salve recipe originally called for only the first three: plantain, tea tree, and lavender, as I had plenty of experience using those three. Then I learned about (and tried) rose geranium. While reducing bruising is not listed as one of its main uses, I found when applied within the first few minutes after a deep tissue injury that it gave an almost indescribably wonderfully warm caressing feeling to the injury that not only relieved my pain but significantly reduced the likelihood of resulting swelling and bruising. Successfully using it after several injuries, this became a permanent ingredient. Oregano essential oil has such good properties that I decided to add it as an extra component; however, I very much dislike its scent and added sweet orange to temper it. I love the scent of sweet orange essential oil and use it often in many of my skin care creations. Later on I discovered how much I like raw honey when added to my lotions, so I added it to the salve too. Honey does not like to emulsify well into butters and oils, so when making it, I continually stir the salve until cooled which helps to prevent separation. If you ever see a watery separation in the salve, it's just the raw honey - no cause for worry, just stir it back in.<br />
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I do need to tell you that the Healing Salve is NOT intended for immediate use after chemical and severe burns. Please wait at least a minimum of 1 - 2 hours after a chemical or severe burn to apply (please seek medical assistance!), or a stinging sensation may occur due to the essential oils used, as well as the already-irritated skin turning red for several minutes. Since I cook . . . a lot . . . I occasionally have had more-than-minor burns, and have learned this lesson well. Also, as with any skin care product, please take care to keep out of baby's mouth.<br />
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How do I know all this about injuries? I . . . ummm . . . LOL . . . happen to have a lot of experience in the bumps, bruises, sprains, strains, cuts, scrapes, abrasions, burns, etc. department . . . I was a pretty accident-prone person until I learned to slow down! I was always in too much of a hurry and well, accidents happened. A lot. Often. I've fallen down the stairs more times than I can remember, and sprained my ankles more times than I can count. During all that, I also followed the typical Standard American Diet and had chronic pain while in my twenties. While I have since moved to what's called the paleo way of eating (thanks to my son's needs) and no longer have chronic pain, that chronic pain is what led me to create my Healing Salve in the first place for the anti-inflammatory properties and it has since blossomed into so much more. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-18487713026801719972013-01-04T15:12:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:25:56.854-07:00Some personal thoughts today . . .It's the new year already and I've been spending a lot of time reflecting on days past. I am thankful for the things I've learned and for all those loved ones in my life and especially thankful for the wonderful opportunities headed my way! It is because of all of that, that I am who I am today.<br />
<br />
I saw an article today on ABC News that made me smile, and I wanted to share.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">While December 31st 2012 marked the passing of my beloved grandmother, who nutured my love of sewing, it
also marked the 5 year anniversary of a terrible time in my life; our first
attempt with IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) unfortunately resulting in a ruptured uterus and subsequent
removal and of course death of our 7 week baby, the first one that had a heartbeat, seen
for the first time mere hours before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
So, as you can imagine, I've been thinking about babies and pregnancy a lot lately.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>With the rupture, my son's pregnancy 6 months later was considered high risk – first because
of the recent rupture, then because of the suspicion of Down Syndrome, then
later for the placenta’s placement (the placenta's placement eventually caused severe hemorrhaging,
resulting in his earlier-than-planned premature birth).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with a high risk pregnancy came
ultrasounds – lots of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I mean
LOTS! Because of the high risk pregnancy I was advised not to travel on my own
so family and friends came with me to all of my OB appointments and got to see
my son in all his pre-birth glory, 3- and 4-D ultrasounds included. It was amazing to be able to share that with my mother and my mother-in-law; they loved seeing him wiggle around on the screen, having never experienced an ultrasound with their own pregnancies many years ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The ultrasounds were necessary for us, but I have no opinion
on their safety for typical pregnancies because I have no experience with that; I've had 4 pregnancies, none of them typical (actually, since the previous 3 were all heterotopic pregnancies, my son's pregnancy is the closest to normal I ever had!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having had so many ultrasounds, and being
able to share them with those close to me, I love this idea! <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Health/sonogram-parties-popular-doctors-warn-ultrasound-entertainment/story?id=18126873">Sonogram Parties!</a> If we ever have another pregnancy (which would hopefully NOT be high risk, which would then not involve so many ultrasounds), this is something I'd love to do and share with my family and friends.</span></div>
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Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences! :)<br />
<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-88387714914234868722012-11-24T11:27:00.000-08:002016-06-09T18:27:41.826-07:00Toddlers in diapers!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIEtU3qHMZImvsLBCcbDJf7Ep5D3KUMu4E2DB2PJZASA3GLKur5EfAXTUBbFKs3l3B2eToWQ70Z7GCr-8SjbiDqAf3qDJmp05SL_X4VjiVKtVXMkXjQLG-ROW5rQZpD-DUk7z2lufqFk/s1600/IMG_2694RSZCR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuIEtU3qHMZImvsLBCcbDJf7Ep5D3KUMu4E2DB2PJZASA3GLKur5EfAXTUBbFKs3l3B2eToWQ70Z7GCr-8SjbiDqAf3qDJmp05SL_X4VjiVKtVXMkXjQLG-ROW5rQZpD-DUk7z2lufqFk/s200/IMG_2694RSZCR.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30lb stocky toddler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Converting friends to cloth is fun!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A very good friend we often stay with recently decided to convert, so when we visited last weekend, I brought her
order of diapers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was hilarious to
watch her 30lb toddler run around in his new fluff, jumping to land on his
newly padded rear to see how soft it was!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When I created this <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?section_id=16755604" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">design</a>, I had only my own child to try
it out on. Thankfully many wonderful online cloth diapering friends across the US and
Canada volunteered to try it out and give feedback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And th</span>anks to those generous Mama’s, within 5 or
6 modifications from my original try I got my fitted pattern set to what it is
now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I still have only my own child
on whom to see the diaper in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
first using this <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?section_id=16755604" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fitted design</a> on him over two years ago, I’ve adjusted his
rise setting up about 3”, so it really does continue to fit nicely with a
growing child.</span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yXUOXUxsIWtlz7HdJ7AC9xvZFmA2mYRItm77saQqdGPEUACid0izPG2c3ZMNFgqrvlt18QPZj14TAaWnD-CeXkN1wJ3l9BtdVBYfEIH1iw8cHKll1zXyLJVTSf7JMFxbyemVCI4dNsI/s1600/IMG_1430CRRSZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yXUOXUxsIWtlz7HdJ7AC9xvZFmA2mYRItm77saQqdGPEUACid0izPG2c3ZMNFgqrvlt18QPZj14TAaWnD-CeXkN1wJ3l9BtdVBYfEIH1iw8cHKll1zXyLJVTSf7JMFxbyemVCI4dNsI/s200/IMG_1430CRRSZ.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two boys together, M on the left, <br />
my son K on the right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This was my first experience seeing my diapers on another
child in person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And not only did I get
to see it on my friend’s son, I got to change his diapers too, LOL!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was really gratifying to be able to really see
how well the diaper fits on a child so much bigger than my own, with room to
spare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the same height as my son,
this little boy is about 7lbs heavier, and much stockier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It only took a minute to figure out where to
set his rise - due to his larger thighs, we determined his rise to be about a
couple inches longer than where I set my son’s rise.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Due to my son’s physical delays, it may be a few years yet
before he is out of diapers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s good to
know that he won’t outgrow these <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?section_id=16755604" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fitted diapers</a> anytime soon!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-2190379249543818142012-10-28T11:34:00.000-07:002016-06-09T18:29:39.385-07:00Natural skin careGrowing up, we used whatever commercial lotion smelled nice. I remember having terribly raw, red, chapped hands as a child. In my later teens, I switched to more natural lotions. They smelled great, but I needed to apply them all the time to keep my skin moisturized, which, since they smelled so good I really didn't mind. But I still had really dry, itchy skin in the cold winter months.<br />
<br />
In my twenties I worked in the natural skin care industry for a few years and learned quite a bit. Those "more natural" lotions I thought were better still had petrochemicals and other artificial ingredients. At the time, my father had recently passed away from cancer so I really wanted to make healthy changes in my life. I had always been interested in nature and natural remedies, and it was time to get it in high gear.<br />
<br />
I bought books on soap and lotion making, took classes, and began creating <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?section_id=10841690" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cold process soap</a> and made-from-scratch <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?section_id=10841690" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">lotions</a> & <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?section_id=10841690" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">salves</a> in my own kitchen. My first attempts were . . . less than pretty, LOL!! My first attempt at soap I discovered I don't like olive oil as a main ingredient - one of the ingredients, yes, but not the main ingredient. That yields a greenish-yellow, slimy, low-lather bar. It cleaned, but it wasn't anything like the luxurious cold process soaps I'd previously used. My first attempt at lotion I used beeswax and borax together as the emulsifier - tricky getting the amounts right, but it did the job! However, it made for a gritty-feeling lotion. <br />
<br />
With my mini-successes, I began to purchase better ingredients for the job and have been experimenting ever since. I love to try out different ingredients! There are so many oils, butters, essential oils, and extracts to choose from! And the never-ending list of botanicals . . . I've been successfully making lotions, soaps, and salves for about a decade now. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTr7hY0KuQG-seIyppeLZgSqizHoq00RN4brp8muyUB5RritP-UpoZxD-13C56EeHidL8EnrXL-t2u4vCFlPYKFcBDJWTJpZkCBxr8oQJJjK89IHn1jxkcyglknzaa8ZzDywvqBNX-M8/s1600/Gingerbread3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTr7hY0KuQG-seIyppeLZgSqizHoq00RN4brp8muyUB5RritP-UpoZxD-13C56EeHidL8EnrXL-t2u4vCFlPYKFcBDJWTJpZkCBxr8oQJJjK89IHn1jxkcyglknzaa8ZzDywvqBNX-M8/s200/Gingerbread3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The best part though, is knowing I'm giving my skin what it needs most - healing, moisturizing goodness right from nature. I only apply twice per day now, and that's more out of habit than need (and because it smells fantastic!). Even with washing my hands what seems like a zillion times per day with diaper duty, I don't need to apply lotion very often - and, a tiny little bit goes a very long way! The worst part is having to wash my hands in public restrooms when on the go. Oh, I forget how harsh and drying those handsoaps are! Ouch!! I need to remember to keep a small bar of my soap in the diaper bag!! <br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"></span><br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-48390651859395385222012-10-08T15:37:00.000-07:002016-06-09T18:32:01.643-07:00Flats? Why yes, thank you!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyER67NSVom1H0f_fUKtwZAUgo719ilCbTzEU6qxDf5L_qv55PAYQucDYko6P3bx2Zp0AEcbckyRYfSLKGzvkQYzapaWtiixgU9we0Od1zV9TnRQ1I47c_eTADHkk6LxoG-T8wlMELqKI/s1600/flatsontheline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyER67NSVom1H0f_fUKtwZAUgo719ilCbTzEU6qxDf5L_qv55PAYQucDYko6P3bx2Zp0AEcbckyRYfSLKGzvkQYzapaWtiixgU9we0Od1zV9TnRQ1I47c_eTADHkk6LxoG-T8wlMELqKI/s200/flatsontheline.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
This summer, I decided to make 20 new flats for my son for our trips to the cabin - made from printed cotton twill, the same fabric I use for some of my <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?section_id=16755604" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fitteds</a>. I wanted to do this because we only have a clothesline at the cabin, not a dryer. Cotton twill doesn't get crunchy like other fabrics can when line dried, and when made into a flat, it line dries fairly quick in comparison to a fitted diaper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwjBgkUtl5v9tATc3cgr_zX2z_x_ZaPFKgAt7n9vAyR9KJeFemBMZT4y8PxFOeAXMzPv77JTUWPGIZgKpQlsQVNeJrFpa7xvt0IJ3hjEm2Y93Rl6bLiOnhq5GASBLaNc4z2HhIU2zeJs/s1600/IMG_2029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwjBgkUtl5v9tATc3cgr_zX2z_x_ZaPFKgAt7n9vAyR9KJeFemBMZT4y8PxFOeAXMzPv77JTUWPGIZgKpQlsQVNeJrFpa7xvt0IJ3hjEm2Y93Rl6bLiOnhq5GASBLaNc4z2HhIU2zeJs/s200/IMG_2029.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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I didn't think I would like flats . . . but as it turns out I love them! Granted they aren't my favorite for containing messy poops, and that may be my fault for how I fold them - but they are a very nice one-size option. The ones I made are smaller than a traditional flat: I took one yard of cotton twill, kept it folded in half the way it comes off the bolt, and cut it in half at 18". This makes two double-sided flats out of each yard. I lay in an insert and fold the flat to the rise I need, and voila, a diaper! <br />
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Flats are also a nice option when your baby needs a more breatheable diaper. While I love <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?section_id=16755604" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fitted diapers</a> and find them to be quite breatheable when used coverless around the house, the gussets at the legs do hold in more heat than a non-elastic flat diaper.<br />
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I'm so glad I tried flats! As the saying goes ~ you never know what you'll like unless you try it!<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765277806431128413.post-86584809517188897822012-09-10T14:30:00.000-07:002016-06-09T18:35:21.404-07:00Why Pins?I'll be honest. I don't like fancy gadgets that can break before you're ready to stop using them. I have a cell phone, but I don't have a smart phone or an ipad, or even an ipod. Or a laptop. Heck, even my stove is as simple as I could possibly find - gas burners with knobs! Except for my sewing machine and my love of running hot water, I think I could happily live like a cavewoman. Except Photoshop. I really like Photoshop! Okay, and maybe my luxury mattress and super soft sheets . . .<br />
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People ask me why I love <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/104990436/cloth-diaper-pins-set-of-4-locking-head" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">pins</a>. It's simple really - snaps can break. Aplix eventually wears out. Once either of those two things happen, you're left with a diaper that won't stay fastened. Now, if a pin breaks, the diaper is fine, you just need a new pin. And pins are much cheaper to replace than sending a diaper off for repairs, and easier than repairing it yourself. <br />
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Why pins over a Snappi or Boingo? Universal use and accessability. Pins can be used on all <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=16755604" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fitted diaper</a> fabrics, but Snappis and Boingos work best with a fabric they can really grab. Pins are easy to source locally, even easier if you don't get the special "diaper" pins, and just use regular safety pins. <br />
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And my favorite reason to use pins: they give the best, most adjustable fit! There definitely is a learning curve to using them. <br />
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* To get the best fit, gather as much fabric in the pin as you possibly can. This helps the fabric to slide around less when baby moves.<br />
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* When putting the pin on, get that <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=16755604" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">diaper</a> tighter than you think it needs to be because stretchier fabrics really sag when wet, leaving gaps at the legs. (This is the reason I don't use interlock cotton, it sags too much when wet.)<br />
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* For older, more mobile babies, use two pins and place them at an angle starting from the legs and angle up to the waist. This helps prevent wing droop, just as if the <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/greenchildcreations?ref=l2-shopheader-name&section_id=16755604" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">diaper</a> had hip snaps.<br />
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* To help slide the pin thru the fabric, it must be either super super sharp, or the fabric must be a really loose weave (like birdseye cotton), or most commonly, lubricated with oil. Sticking the pin in a bar of cold process soap, running the pin thru your hair, or even dunking it in an oil-based diaper salve will all help slide the pins thru the fabric.<br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/104990436/cloth-diaper-pins-set-of-4-locking-head" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pins</a> I recommend: either Prym or Dritz locking head pins (both brands are the same pins). I do NOT recommend the newer Gerber diaper pins. They are dull and a thick gauge wire - no matter how much you lubricate them, they still don't want to slide thru the fabric easily. The vintage ones were great, though! The cheapie pins you can find on Ebay are okay, but what you get is not always consistent: some have a thinner gauge wire than others, and may easily bend when attempting to slide thru fabric. The upside of those is the thinner gauge wire slides thru the fabric easier than a thicker gauge wire and needs less lubrication. I definitely do not recommend the thin cheap pins for a very mobile child as the wire is so bendable that too much movement can bend the wire and pop the pin open. However, they are great for quick pinning on a young, not-very-mobile baby.<br />
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Questions? Comments? Feel free! :)<br />
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Annehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02077346418909598968noreply@blogger.com0