Skirtie!

I finished this soaker awhile ago but am finally getting it posted. I think it turned out really cute and would be even cuter if it wasn't huge! I shrunk it a little but it's still too big and next summer she won't need it so I will have to pass it on. It turned out huge because I didn't check my gauge good enough I guess. The ruffle is actually a technique that can be applied to any pattern, but there is also a good pattern with it. You can find it at http://badumbums.com/?tag=soaker . I did a different waistband, kind of like the curly purly but not. I also am not a fan of drawstrings for her because she unties them so I threaded 4 rows of 1/8" elastic through the ribbing. You can see the technique here only this was different elastic and because it was wider had to be sewn together at the ends instead of tied.

Easter dress pics...finally!!!!

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The pattern was Simplicity 3512 and I picked up the fabric at Joann's. Good to know: the fabric was not only a one way fabric but it also has a very specific order to the design. I had to cut into the fabric everywhere to line up all of the different pieces. And after all of that, I forgot to line up the back with the front since they attach at the shoulders...oh well. I think I will probably never buy fabric like this again because of that. I hated wasting it, but maybe someday I can use all of the scraps to quilt with or something. Other than wool soakers I think this is the first piece of clothing I have made for her. Of course I made a few modifications, I just can't seem to follow directions! I had to make it longer for her and I was worried it would be too small but it actually was a little big.

Boy or Girl? Shower Gift

My cousin is having a baby! She is due April 16th, which is not too far away, and had a shower March 8th. I couldn't go because of a baptism so I gave her her gift early when she was in the area for a birthday party. My cousin and I grew up together. She is 1 month and 2 days older than I am. I am originally from Hackensack, which is a small town about an hour north of Brainerd. After my family moved to the "cities" she started calling me a citiot (city + idiot). Here's the funny thing about the gift I gave her and me being the city girl. She grew up in the country with cows, chickens, etc. She used to help kill and clean the chickens. But when I told her I was doing cloth diapers before I had Mackenzie she said she could never do it because the poop part was too gross! So you can kill chickens but you can't rinse poo in the toilet! Who's the wuss now?! Anyway, she became pregnant and started to change her mind about the whole cloth diaper thing once she realized how many diapers babies use and how expensive it is and she also told me she didn't want the chemicals on the baby. So of course I was excited! But when she told me she was going to register for diapers at Target I began to worry a little. So I decided to get her started with her shower gift: 12 premium unbleached infant prefolds, 2 snappi fasteners, 1 bummis super whisper wrap, and 1 recycled wool soaker made by none other than her dear cousin. I think it's so cute all together. I can't believe how tiny they are! I wish someone would have bought me diapers...

January: Kitchen - update

January has already ended! How is this possible?! My house organization project for January was the kitchen and although I did a pretty good job, I didn't quite get everything I wanted done. Oh well, better than nothing and I'm sure I will finish up a few things and I can finish the other things in July I guess (if this confuses you see post titled "A new year, one month at a time"). Maybe I would have had more done if I didn't have a sick punkin' that turned into a sick momma!

What I did get done: Emptied, cleaned, and organized most of the cupboards and am getting rid of stuff I'm probably never going to use or haven't used in a long time. Found a place for most of the stuff on the counter in the cupboards. Created a cupboard for the punkin' to keep her coloring stuff.
What I wanted done: There were a few cupboards that I didn't get to, the food, and the garbage mainly. I also wanted to get the fridge, inside and on top, a little more organized and it needed to be cleaned. More stuff off of the counter and table. Need a few organizational things like a spice rack and maybe some bins for small things. Cleaned the oven, dishwasher, fridge, etc.

In reorganized and simplifying my home, I want to also think about routines and the things we do in the house, not just things. So for every area I wanted to come up with ways to be more green (here comes the slippery slope).
*We already use earth friendly or homemade natural cleaning products (7th generation dish and dishwasher soap, and homemade vinegar/water all purpose cleaning spray). My husband and I also made a few modifications to a swiffer wet awhile back. I bought a reusable microfiber pad for it and then we made is so you can take the cap on and off and filled it with vinegar and water instead of using that crap that's in there.
*Use less water: I used to do my handwash dishes with a soapy sponge and running water. Now I wait until the sink is full of dishes and fill up that sink with hot water and soap, and then fill up the other sink with clear water to rinse. The time it takes to fill the sinks is much less than the time of running water and you end up using less soap too. Also, we are trying to scrape most dishes before we put them into the dishwasher instead of rinsing them, but there are some I know won't come clean if I don't rinse a little. Already waited until the dishwasher was full, sometimes too full, before running.
*Use less electricity: Turned off the heated dry off on the dishwasher and they are just as dry...it's a conspiracy! I also am starting it at the start option instead of hot prewash. Getting closer to the water saver setting, but I have had bad luck with the dishwasher so I have to do it gradually! We already have a toaster/convection oven that I use most of the time instead of the big electric oven. Why heat up that whole oven for a few egg rolls? Light bulbs are already energy efficient.
*Food: already buy local/organic/sustainable foods. I'm going to start making more homemade foods, thus reducing packaging (and $ too!). I started making bread again, and am trying to figure the yogurt thing out, and also going to try stock. I used to make pasta, maybe I will try that again too. This month I also made my own minestrone soup and froze it instead of buying canned, and have been making my own cream of chicken soup for meals (if I make stock I can use it in this instead of buying!). I use cloth grocery bags too and bring back my plastic produce bags. I would like to make some mesh produce bags though. I also try to buy bulk foods.
*Paper products: We use real cloth towels and washcloths instead of paper towels and napkins. I always get mad when I see the commercials for paper towels and they say it has a cloth like feel. If you use cloth, it will really feel like cloth!
*Garbage/recycling: I recycle everything I can in our cub side bin. I need to get an actual bin for under the sink. I have been using paper grocery bags because I had a bunch and I was used to having to separate our paper, etc. but now we can mix. Everything that can't be recycled in our bin I put in a big box and am going to take to the recycling center. I might figure out a way I can compost and then I would have hardly have any garbage, but I don't know if this will happen (ya know, townhouse and all makes composting a lot of work and planning, but not impossible!)
*Keeping it clean: Clean up for 10-15 minutes after each meal instead of waiting until it's a disaster!

Next: Living room!

Diaper washing update

I have been washing diapers with the new method for awhile now and it is working really well so far. If there is a smell in the morning it's not as bad as it was. I kind of figure that after 10+ hours pee is going to start to smell. She is pretty wet in the morning so I'm going to start working on some better night diapers...someday! Anyway, I did modify the plan a little bit. I have a little pail in the bathroom for the poopy diapers and then one by the changing table for the wet ones. My modification is that I do a cold rinse with just the poopy diapers first since I use a dry pail. By doing only those diapers I only need to usually do an extra small or medium water setting instead of extra large (my machine has these three settings...why not just call it small, medium, large?!)

Since that was working so well I thought I would try to take it a little further and do the poopy diaper cold rinse, all the diapers hot wash/cold rinse with vinegar in downy ball. I have washed them once this way but haven't had a chance to see if it's worked yet.

I have mostly been drying them on a drying rack in the bedroom over the heat vent. I wash and hang them right before bed so we use less diapers during the drying time since they take so long. They are usually dry around lunchtime this way. They are really, really stiff when dried indoors! Last summer when I did them outside they were crunchy, but not like this. I pop them in the dryer on fluff for 15 minutes and it helps a little. Since they are so stiff I have been still drying them in the dryer every other time.

All of this diaper washing stuff has made me think about simpler diapers, ones with less layers for stink and bacteria to get into. I have been trying to find information on how people used to wash diapers, like my grandma would have for example, but I can't really find anything. If anyone knows I would be interested. I did read somewhere that they were basically just rinsed and dried but I don't know how accurate that is. Those would have been flat diapers, one layer folded into more. Easy to wash quick to dry. I kind of have an idea for a minimal layer diaper that I will try someday. Anyway, that's probably enough for now. I have finished a few projects that I will post once I get the pics uploaded! Also need to post a kitchen update!