Cozy Life Bonus: WIWTM

Quick bonus post - I started a YouTube Channel!  My first video is a fun WIWTM (What I Wore This Month), showing you guys what makers, lengths, and absorbancy I needed for my cycle this month with my Cloth Pads.

While a lot of the pads I wore are ones I made myself, I did use a lot of different makers as well! Below is a list of the pads I wore, with links out to the shops I bought from, just in case you want to check out those makers!  I don't sell the pads I make myself, but all of the topper material in my stash (at least to this point) is from Joann Fabrics.

Day One

12 inch Heavy, Flannel top, Fleece back - Lucha Libre: Self-made

10 inch Heavy, Cotton top, Fleece back - Paris: Self-made

13 inch, Overnight, Flannel top, Windpro back - Foxes: Eco Alternatives

Day Two

12 inch Heavy, Flannel top, Fleece back - Cake Plate: Self-made

12 inch Heavy, Cotton top, Fleece back - Star Trek: Self-made

12 inch Heavy, Cotton top, Fleece back - Paris: Self-made

12 inch Heavy, Flannel top, Upcycled Fleece back - Mermaid: Self-made

10 inch Heavy, Cotton top, Fleece back - Sugar Skulls: Self-made

10 inch Heavy, Flannel top, Fleece back - Superhero: Craftynook

13 inch, Overnight, Flannel top, Windpro back - Ninjas: Eco Alternatives

Day Three

9 inch Heavy, Flannel top, Fleece back - Wonder Woman: Craftynook

9.25 inch Heavy, Cotton top, Windpro back - Kokeshi: Yurtcraft
12 inch Heavy, Cotton top, Fleece back - Tula Pink: Mother Moon Pads
10.5 inch Heavy, Flannel top, Windpro back - Owls: Yurtcraft
10 inch Heavy, Flannel top, Upcycled Fleece back - Pink Floral: Self-made
10 inch Heavy, Flannel top, Fleece back - Mermaid: Self-made
13 inch Heavy, Cotton top, Windpro back - Koi Fish: Beach Bottom

Day Four

9 inch Moderate, Cotton top, Windpro back - London: Annybell's Essentials
9 inch Moderate, Cotton top, Windpro back - Retro Mermaid: Beach Bottom
10 inch Moderate, Cotton top, Fleece back - Retro: Mother Moon Pads
10 inch Moderate, Cotton top, Fleece back - Matryoshka Dolls: Self-Made
10 inch Liner, Cotton top, Fleece back - Cute Woodland: Self-Made

Raising an Independent Child

One of the things that I knew, from the minute I found out I was pregnant with my first child, was that I wanted to raise children who would be independent.  I wanted my child to be self sufficient and a problem solver.  I didn't want my child leaning on me for everything - I want to raise my kids knowing that they are powerful enough to solve their own problems, and that I'd be there to back them up if they need extra help.

But that's easier said than done.  As a parent, it's hard to watch your child struggle through an issue - You want to step in and solve it for them.  Our children are the joy of our lives and it KILLS us to think that our children will need to face challenges alone.

When our children are younger, we have an opportunity to build internal strength in them.  In approaching the small challenges in the pre-school and kindergarten years with an empowering outlook, we can help our children learn a nature self sufficiency that they will carry with them as they grow... Here's what I mean:

What do you think?

Don't offer up solutions and advice to your child's problems at the beginning of any struggle.  Ask them what THEY think they should do.  Get their thoughts and ideas - help them brainstorm their own solutions.  Once they've decided on a course of action, help them to either follow through or adjust their plan if you think they need more support.  

Tell them you understand

We've all been there.  We've been in a class without friends and been scared that no one will ever like us.  We've been made fun of or bullied.  Children may encounter their first episodes of social rejection at a very young age.  Let them know that you've been there.  Let them know that it gets better.  Support them and step in if the situation is severe enough - But most of all, empower them.

  

Get outside & make friends

It's really easy nowadays to have kids indoors on the computer or playing video games more often than not - The culture of the "two income household" is upon us and we parents are often so exhausted by the end of the week that we can forget how important it is to get our kids outside.  Meeting other children and playing at the local park helps to build a child's social skills, which can help them become more independent.  Be sure that you encourage building friendships so that your children have consistent interaction with other kids their age.

Let them do it alone

If you aide/assist/help your child do every little thing, they'll never feel empowered to accomplish anything alone.  Teach your child to tie their shoes and then leave them to it.  You don't need to help your child dress once they've figured out the mechanics themselves.  Establish boundaries on both sides - let your child know that they have things that they can accomplish alone, and that some things aren't safe yet (for example, reaching a top shelf in the kitchen for a glass), so they should ask you for help in those areas.

Expand their minds

Reading.  I can't say it enough.  Make sure that you are empowering your child's fascination with the world around them.  Books are a window into the larger world and can help your child develop critical thinking skills which will help them in their problem solving.  I've done an entire post on the importance of reading, which you can read here.

Talk to them

One of the things that I wish my parents had done more with me as a child was just talking to me.  It's hard to feel supported and empowered when you feel like your parents don't know or understand you.  Ask your child how their day went.  Ask your child what they want to do this weekend.  Ask you child what makes them feel happy.  Get to know your child.

EcoMom: Recycle Your Breast Pump!

Breast is best, right?  But what happens once you've transitioned your baby over to solid foods and you no longer need your breast pump?  Do you shove your pump away in a dark closet never to see it again?  Maybe you have no idea what to do with it?  Here's a breakdown for us mom's with Medela Breast Pumps and the process of recycling our pumps once we're done with them.

Medela Recycles

If you're like me and you opted to buy a Medela breast pump, there's a really cool program that you NEED to know about.  It's called Medela Recycles.  This is a program where you can send off your old electric breast pump to be recycled at zero cost to you.  Added bonus?  Each month Medela sends a donation of two Symphony Preemie+ Breastpumps the Ronald McDonald House Charity thanks to the mom's that are recycling their old pumps through Medela Recycles - FANTASTIC! 

Many of these mom's have babies in the NICU and the only option to get breast milk to their little ones is through pumping on a daily basis.  Getting a free pump can take away just one of the added stresses that these mother's face during such a difficult time.  

Fun Fact: Medela began this recycling campaign through learning of a Change.Org petition started by a regular EcoMom looking for a way to recycle her old pump in a way that was ecofriendly.  It just goes to show that us mom's CAN make a difference!

Get more details on the program by clicking the image below!  So far, they've received almost 3,000 donations.

What if I have a Manual Pump?

Not everyone is going to have an electric pump, though, so what can you do if you'd still like to recycle your pump, but don't qualify for Medela Recycles?  If you have a manual Medela pump, you need to know that they aren't "closed system" pumps - so, essentially, they aren't really made to be used my multiple moms.

However, the good news is that Medela does make their pumps out of recyclable materials for the most part, so all you need to do is take your pump to your local recycling center and Ta-Da!  You've sent you pump to breast-pump-heaven without hurting the environment.

That's great, but my pump isn't Medela...

There are so many brands of breast pumps out there and I'm sure a few readers might not have gone with Medela as their pump choice - But it's important to empower yourself with knowledge!  Check the materials your non-Medela pump is made from and see if they're recyclable.  Go to the manufacturer's website and see if their pumps are suitable for multiple mom's - you may be able to give your pump to a friend or family member for sterilization and re-use.

Baby Bib Tutorial (0-3 Months)

I feel like there's a "newborn" version readily available in just about EVERYTHING... but I've noticed that it's really hard to find bibs that are made for smaller babies.  With both of my children, I would put a "one size" bib to contain their "spit up" and they'd end up with a ring of dampness around the neck line of their clothing before anything even touched the bib... Annoying.

My solution?  Make my own bibs!  While I will definitely NOT claim to be an expert seamstress (very far from it, actually),  bibs are super easy to put together, even for a novice.  You can "upcycle" bibs using materials already in your home (ecofriendly!), and nothing but a simple straight stitch on the most basic of sewing machines will do!

You'll need a few things to put this together, so we'll start there:

• Sewing Machine, threaded and ready to go
• Scissors (preferably fabric scissors)
• Paper & Washable marker or fabric pen
• Cotton fabric & Water resistant or absorbent fabric
• Pins or clamps to hold your fabric together
• 0-3 Month Bib Pattern

Pattern 

I've uploaded my 0-3 Month Bib Pattern in PDF format.  You can access it at the link below.  I recommend testing the pattern by holding it up to your child before cutting your fabric.  Remember that this is a scaled down bib - if you have older children, they'll need something a little larger.

• 0-3 Month Bib Pattern, PDF

Fabric Choices

Bibs serve a simple purpose for infants of this age - Keeping your baby's clothing clear of spit up and drool.  But they can also be a fashion statement!  For the top layer, or "topper," see if you have anything laying around that's bright and fun for your baby - I used an adorable 100% cotton woodland animal fabric. You can also use old flannel receiving blankets.

The bottom layer, or "backer," needs to be more functional though - This means you'll need fabric that will either resist/absorb the wet stuff, or block it all together.  I picked fleece, which is water resistant, and added an inner "hidden" layer of PUL, a synthetic material that is waterproof - but that's optional and not everyone will have PUL laying around.  You can use old towels and washcloths as backers and it will work just fine.

Stacking & Pinning

Once you've got your fabric together, use the pattern to create your template for the bib and cut out your topper and backer.  Stack them up with the "right sides" facing.  We'll be sewing this together inside-out, so whatever your want showing once you're done should be on the inside of this fabric sandwich.

Once you've lined up your fabric, pin it into place.  I used fabric pins, but you can even use paperclips if you need too - just something to hold the pieces in line while you sew.  Use as many pins/clips as you need to hold everything together.  You want to make sure that the fabric is even and that nothing is bunched up.  It should look something like this:

Sew it Together

Now it's time to get sewing!  Use a quarter inch seam allowance and sew around the shape of the bib as evenly as you can - go slow if you're new at this!  Because we are turning and top stitching the bib, remember to leave a space or "hole" of at least one inch so that you can turn the bib.  Note for you newbies: As you reach any of your pins/clips, remove them so that the needle doesn't go over them (that could break the needle and is dangerous!)

Turning

This is where it can be a struggle if you aren't careful.  Because you are making the fabric "right side out" again, you need to pull the entire bib through that tiny little gap you left open.  The first hint I have for you is to "miter" your corners - Use your fabric scissors to trim down the quarter inch seam along your curves, without cutting your stitches - trust me, this is a life saver!  

The second hint for turning your bib is be sure to pull fabric from the opposite side of the bib FIRST.  It makes things a lot easier.  Try to be as gentle as you can with the fabric.  Once you've got things right side out, use a pencil or stick to gently poke at the inside of the fabric to make sure that everything has been fully turned.  It should look something like this when you're done:

Top Stitching & Closure

Now that you've got your bib fully turned, we want to top stitch the entire thing.  This will seal the one inch hole you used for your turn space, and it will make your bib retain it's shape through use and washing.  I pin the turn space during this process - make sure that you fully close that up with your top stitch!  The goal of your seam allowance on this one should be 1/8 of an inch.  Even mine was a little off in places, so take your time and go as slow as you need too!

Once your top stitch is done, the last step is your closure.  This really depends on you - I used snaps which are so easy to do that I didn't even bother taking a photo - But you can sew on a button, or sew on velcro.  Test the bib around your baby's neck first to make sure that you don't make it too snug - remember, this pattern is already scaled down for smaller babies!

You're Done!

Once the top stitching and closure are done, you're ready to use your bib!  If you're interested in my patterns for bibs made for larger babies and toddlers, let me know.  My little girl is about to grow out of this size, so I'll be retiring my collection - But they were fun and inexpensive to make!

My kid hates reading... Now what?

I have always, always LOVED to read.  I was that kid who memorized Berenstain Bear books when I was four and had a Lord of the Rings book under my belt at age ten (Fellowship of the Ring, if you care to know).  But not all kids are like that... in fact, a lot of children out there would go as far as to say they "hate" to read.  Why?  Reading, at the beginning, is hard.  Sometimes, if the topic of the book isn't interesting to you, reading is also boring.

How can we as parents encourage a love of reading?  

Why is it important to try?

Reading = Success

Perhaps it's a slight over-simplification to say that being a strong reader will make you more successful, but it isn't completely misleading.  Study after study shows that adults who were strong readers as children have better communication skills, are creative thinkers, and are more successful in college.   Why wouldn't us parents want those things for our kids?

Reading opens the mind up to new ideas, alternative perspectives, and gets our children asking questions about the world around them.  This process helps our children to have active minds - to gain awareness of the larger world.

But my kid doesn't like to read!

It's all well and good to talk about why a child should be encouraged to read, but it's another thing altogether to talk about how to foster a love of reading.  Because of the "hard" and "boring" elements that often make reading a struggle for younger children, us parents need to get creative.  I'll bet that your child who "hates" reading is being exposed to books that are either too challenging for them or are about something they aren't interested in.

So here are three tips for you, the parent with the anti-reader child, to convince your little one to give reading another chance...

1. Pick books that your child WANTS to read.

What movies or games does your child enjoy?  My son is obsessed with Minecraft - so I bought him Minecraft books.  My son loves Disney and Pixar movies - so I bought him books about his favorite characters.  If you know your child, which I'm assuming you do, you'll know what books will be a good fit for them... and try to avoid forcing your childhood favorites on them.

Kids nowadays are very different from the way we were back in the 70's and 80's (or, dare I say it, the 90's... I feel so old sometimes).  While the occasional Dr. Seuss book might be fun, the kids of today have shorter attention spans than we did - they are a product of the technology age and some older books are really outdated, despite our love of them.  Be selective and if your child doesn't like a book, don't make them read it over and over again.  Donate it.  Give it to your neighbor.  Let that book find it's way to the hands of a child that will love it.

2. Find books that are "reading level" appropriate.

Once you've determined the kind of books your child will love, be sure that they are appropriate for your child's reading level.  Every child learns at a different pace, so you'll want to find books that will challenge them to a certain point, but will still be fun for them.  Putting a chapter book in front of most kindergarteners would be a disaster.  But, if your little reader is advanced, maybe they're ready for something a bit longer and more complex.

Sit with your child and read a few books with them to figure out exactly where your child is at if you aren't sure.  My son, for example, is a little bit behind the average kindergartener when it comes to reading - so we're still focused on getting him up to kindergarten level this summer, rather than frustrating him with books that he simply cannot read yet. Accept your child where they're at and introduce the occasional challenge to get them progressing.

3. Read with them.

Above all else, you need to read with your child - even if they're strong readers and naturally love to sit down with a book, we parents MUST make time to read with our kids.  Just sitting them down with a book doesn't help them.  Read with them.  Have them read to you.  Do it every day.

I'm a working mom and we have a three month-old, so I'm often exhausted by the time my son is ready for bed and wants "story time" - so my husband is usually the one who reads with him.  But, whoever is doing it, it's done every single day.  Despite his reading challenges, my son has progressed immensely over the last year... and I feel it's because we made reading a priority for ourselves as much as we made it a priority for him.

Reading is important, and it isn't a chore.  Let your child see the joy in it, and if you haven't found that joy for yourself, perhaps you will through the exercise of helping your child.

Why Cloth? An Opinion Piece.

Outside of my blog, cloth diapers and cloth pads really don't come up in conversation all that much.  It's just my "normal" - I don't expect those using disposables to scream it from the rooftops, so why should I?  I'm an advocate for this "lifestyle choice," but I advocate for cloth through this medium - a blog - not sandwich boards and flyers to my friends, family, and co-workers.

But when it does come up, my friends and family recoil.  Laugh.  Grimace.  I get responses like "Eww," "How gross," and "Why????"  Oddly enough, my husband and father - two manly men - have been the only ones to not be "grossed out" by my decision to pursue reusable products.  Even my sisters and mother have been weirded out by the concept of RUMP's (reusable menstrual products) and cloth diapers.

So, out of frustration, I'm writing this.  I feel, somewhere deep down, like this choice needs to be JUSTIFIED.  Why?  I don't know - perhaps society's view that anything outside of the "norm" is in some way threatening to peace and prosperity?  The world around me seems to think I'm some sort of crack-pot who sunbathes naked in my backyard and eats insects for breakfast, all because I don't buy into highly processed, chemically laden,  plastic diapers and pads.

Why am I against disposables?

It take 800 years for a disposable sanitary pad or diaper to decompose in a landfill.  800 YEARS.  The diapers that I used as a baby are sitting somewhere, right now... Still.  That's disgusting.  In fact, some studies suggest that a pad (much smaller than a diaper) contains the same amount of plastic that is in FOUR plastic grocery bags.

What are disposables made of, you ask?  Here's the interesting thing: Major producers like Always and Kotex don't disclose the contents of their sanitary products because in the United States they are classified as "medical devices" and can get away with a lack in transparency.  They will admit that their products have patented synthetic absorbent materials (Always, for example, will admit to having Infinicel in their pads... what that is, I have no clue), but that's it.

Through the investigation of those like me who are frightened by the lack of information on disposable products, it's been determined that disposable sanitary napkins and tampons contain things like dioxins, synthetic fibers and petrochemical additives.  Do you know what those things are?  Probably not.

Here's the simple explanation: The contents of feminine hygiene products include small amounts of chemicals that can cause skin irritation, embryonic development issues, reproductive problems, heart disease, and organ damage.  Disposable diapers treated with chlorine can also have trace amounts of dioxins as well, which are classified as a "likely human carcinogen" ... and to those of you that don't know, carcinogen = cancer causing.  Now, to be fair, many of these chemicals are present in TINY amounts so the chances of getting an illness is exceptionally minimal.

However... TSS, Toxic Shock Syndrome, is a concern that I just can't ignore relating to the use of disposables.  This sometimes deadly disease is frightening and 100% preventable - While rare, this illness has frightening consequences.  Get more details on TSS by clicking here.

Have I "converted" anyone to cloth?

Yes, I have.  A coworker of mine just ordered her first cloth pad last week.  My father has bought me so many cloth diapers that I barely had to invest in my daughter's stash.  My husband is a SAHD and he deals with more cloth diapers than I do.

Here's the thing though - "converting" people to cloth isn't a sign that cloth use is accepted by the general public and I'm not collecting a headcount of "conversions" to prove my point.  The majority of people that I talk to aren't open to cloth - plain and simple.  They would rather not deal with IT.  "It" being blood, feces, and urine... The idea of reusable products is distasteful to people because it means greater contact with bloody fluids that our society has deemed shameful or gross.

Those of us that use cloth are a minority.  While I will mention these types of products to the people I love and trust, it's not something that most of them are willing, even in the hypothetical, to consider.  This concept of reusable cloth products will be new to the vast majority of the people I talk too - so I explain it if they're open to it, and hopefully it will get them thinking.

But cloth products are SO expensive!

For the cost of 2 cloth diapers, I could buy 60-100 disposables.  For the cost of 1 cloth pad, I could buy a pack of 45-60 disposables... But here's what you need to keep in mind when first buying reusable products.  THEY ARE REUSABLE.  In less than a month, all of those disposable diapers and pads I mentioned above?  Gone.  The 2 cloth diapers and 1 cloth pad?  Years from now, they'll still be here and still be working just as well as they did the day that I bought them.

Reusables are an investment.  Don't let the sticker shock stop you - Buy slowly if you need to.  I spent most of my pregnancy stocking up on cloth diapers & accessories.  Can you sew?  Make your own cloth products!  There are so many tutorials on blogs and YouTube to walk you through the basics, and DIY'ing can save you tons of money.

Do your research & Don't knock it 'till you try it

If you're reading this and you've never tried a cloth product, get over the "gross" factor and do your research.  Get on YouTube and watch a tutorial on how to clean a cloth pad.  Read one of my posts on cloth diapering and what you need to give it a shot.  

Bottom line: reusable cloth products are safer for your family - that's the honest truth.  Don't knock it 'till you try it.  I have loved the experience with both my daughter and myself.  Cloth diapering is FUN.  The prints are beautiful and she's had so few diaper rashes that I'm angry I didn't do this with my son.  Cloth pads have made a formerly miserable experience (having a period) exciting - I can't wait to try my new Yurtcraft pads this month!  I'm also a lot more "in tune" with my body now, which is a priceless and empowering thing, don't you think?