NEW ROCKIN GREEN SAMPLE WINNER!

THE WINNER HAS NOT CLAIMED THEIR ORANGEVANA SAMPLE SO I HAVE PICKED A NEW WINNER. YOU HAVE 72 HOURS TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE
BY EMAILING ME AT HUN.FAMILY@YAHOO.COM

THE NEW WINNER IS NUMBER 1 BETHANY!

Recipe Saturday!

Every Saturday I will share a new recipe that we love with you :]

Turkey Taco Pie

1 pound extra lean ground turkey
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix
2 Tbsp. cold water
8 oz light sour cream

2 Tbsp. salsa
2 ounces chopped black olives (1/2 a small can)
3/4 cup coarsely crushed baked tortilla chips
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

recipe directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine turkey, seasonings and water and press in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Combine sour cream, salsa, black olives and tortilla chips in a medium bowl

and spread over the turkey crust. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake for 40 minutes.

Homeade Baby Food!

We have just started introducing baby food. I have decided to be the "naturalest(If that is a word" mom that I can be in whatever I do. So I decided to make my own baby food. Now the baby food maker that I drool over is the William Sonoma one but I do Not want to pay over 200 dollars for a baby food maker for my last child, therefore we invested in a semi expensive blender that had a puree button. The Cuisanart Smart Blend 600.
It has a liquify, chop, puree etc button


Today I used it and made green beans, bananas, and avocado.
For the green beans I steamed them and then added them to blender chopped them and then added water and puree them.
For the banana and avocado I just chopped it and added water and puree them .

Now to freeze them pour them in ice cube trays, each ice cube tray is one serving, and then wrap in plastic wrap. Once they are frozen store them in freezer bags, and serve within one month!

There you go. Homeade baby food :]

They now say that you can introduce strawberries freshly puree at 6 to 12 mths so here is a list of safe homeade baby foods:

green beans
yellow squash
butternut squash
sweet potatoes
sweet peas
carrots
blue berries
mango
nectarine
avocado
bananas
pears
strawberries
apples
peaches
plums
prunes
pumpkins
kiwi


I do not like baby cereals. I think they serve no purpose so instead of starting with a cereal start with bananas or avocado :]

Natural Milk Supplements

A friend of mine today when I told her I actually had nothing to write about told me I should talk about this and I thought it was a great idea!

So as breastfeeding moms know in the beginning you have so much milk its crazy! but normally your supply dies down. and sometimes it dies down to where you have hardly any milk. Instead of taking prescription meds there are a lot of natural PERFECTLY safe supplements you can take!
A great website is www.kellymom.com

You do not have to ask your dr about these because they are safe and natural for you and baby!

I take these as well and have for about 5 months.

Fenugreek
4 to 5 tablets, 3 times a day = 12 to 15 pills per day
These pills do not work if you take less then 6 a day (kellymom says so)
You know you are taking enough when you smell like maple syrup. ( & I mean every part of you smells)

Blessed Thistle
3 to 4 tablets, 3 times a day= 9 to 12 pills per day
( can be taken with fenugreek for better results)

More Milk Plus
follow directions on bottle,
this is a natural tablet that has a few natural supplements in one tablet
( can be taken with fenugreek and blessed thistle for better results)

You can also try a few teas that they make. They do not taste very good but they work
Earth Mama Milkmaid Tea
Mother's Milk Tea
Yogi Women's Nursing Support

Did you know?

DID YOU KNOW...disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic byproduct of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the US.

Cloth diapering is healthy for your baby and the environment :)

Article on Dioxin:

http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics/reports/azd/azd.html

Cloth Diapering Lingo

CD – Cloth Diapers

AIO – All in One. There is no stuffing or snapping. This diaper is like a disposable in ease of use.

One Size – From birth(8ish lbs) to potty training.

Pockets – These diapers can come in a range of sizes, but they can also be stuffed with more or less depending on your baby’s need for absorbency.

Shells – Diaper usually snaps or lays on top of a diaper cover that is coordinated with it. Once wet (not soiled), the insert is put in the dirty diaper bin, while the cover can be reused several times.

Flats - Large, square pieces of cloth that are folded into a diaper and worn with a waterproof cover. These are the least expensive cloth diapering option.

Prefolds – Rectangular layers of absorbent fabric sewn together to make a diaper that needs to be pinned once put on. These diapers also need a waterproof cover.

Fitteds – A diaper that is premade to fit your baby. Usually one size, and needs a cover.

Covers – A waterproof “shell” contoured to babies that goes around a prefold or fitted diaper. These can be a one size or multiple size.

Aplix – Velcro

Snaps – Um. Snaps.

Inserts – Fabric made of cotton/hemp/terry/flannel/etc that is stuffed inside a pocket diaper for better absorbency.

Doublers – Like an insert, used for “doubling” up on the absorbency, usually at nighttime.

Wet Bag – Keeps the dirty diapers in, usually with a zipper and waterproof liner inside, patterned cover on the outside. Great for travel, comes in many different sizes.

Pail Liner – Used to line the inside of a trashcan to keep diapers until washing day.

One Size Diaper Comparing.

Here are 5 one size diapers.
top row is rumparooz, bumgenius, blueberry/swaddlebees
bottom row is minky blueberry and FLIP


First review is the Blue Rumparooz:
It is from 6.5 to 35 plus lbs.
I love this diaper. I do find the front to be a tad bulky but it is the only one size diaper my son could wear at a few weeks old because he was tiny. The soakers(inserts) that are included are great! This diaper gets used during the daytime for me. I have found to snap it in the middle setting to reduce the bulkyness. The colors are very vibrant too! Also can be used as a swim diaper if you use no inserts with it.


Next is the Green BumGenius 3.0
This is one of my favorites. I use this for our nighttime diaper. The absorbency is amazing. They now have a new 4.0 diaper out which I bought today and will be reviewing next week. Before the new 4.0 all Bumgenius diapers were velcro, as you can see mine are snaps. I found a lady who will convert them and they look brand new! I favor snaps over velcro for many reasons. BumGenius makes only pastel colors right now, This bright green and the Bright blue they had are not being made at the moment. But they do have 3 new very light pastel colors out. This diaper is from 8 to 35 lbs. I really cant say enough about this diaper!


Next is the Blueberry One Size Deluxe in Snaps. I absolutely love this diaper. It is SUPER trim which is hard to find in one size. The downside is this diaper doesnt start until 10-35 lbs. It comes in lots of cute colors and even comes in minky prints which I have included a picture of as well. The minky is adorable to but super bulky. Which is another downside. These diapers are super expensive but they have a clearance section that they randomly stock and you can get the diapers for about 15 dollars!



Minky:


Last is the Hybrid FLIP(made by Bum Genius)
These are great for on the go, they have a insert and then a diaper cover. they are from 7 to 35 lbs. You can even use the covers with fitted diapers or prefolds. The only part about these I do not like is if your baby poops it gets all over the cover and you have to end up washing the cover. Other then that its a great diaper.They are also super trim.


Here are all 5 diapers stacked on top of each other so you can see the thickness of them!

Homeade Laundry Line

Here is my homeade laundry line.
Very easy to make :

Winner of Rockin Green Giveaway!

congrats to 4torock!
She wins the sample of hard rock orangevana.

Please email me at hun.family@yahoo.com your address so that I can send it out to you this week!!!

Next month I will be giving away a diaper so be on the lookout!

Friday Funnies!

So my 2 year old is stuck on the word poopoo. I am sure all toddlers go through it. But any kind of sounds he wants to know why you have poopooed. We were in the exchange this week and the toilet flushed and out loud (very loud) he said "mama why you poo poo" He must have said it at least 3 times. Horribly embarassed me and I sat in the stall until every woman left the bathroom lol.

Oh toddler days.

My Wash Routine.

I have a hanging wet bag that I use at home and a small wet bag I use in public. I probably wash 3 times a week.

I use Rockin Green Hard Rock Detergent and I start by "ROcking a Soak"(let the diapers soak in hot water for about 30 minutes with 2 tbs of detergent.) Then I let the wash cycle begin. After this I do 2 cold rinse cycles.

I hang my diapers to dry. They are kept in better shape if you line dry them rather then drying them in the dryer. Plus the sun is a natural bleacher. My diapers look brand new because of the sun bleaching them. The ones that I want bleached(poop diapers) I lay flat on my table outside and it allows the sun to shine directly on them.

What is your wash routine?

Sweet Pea

Cooper wore his Happy Heinys diaper today while he tried his first food besides my milk :]
We tried Sweet Peas and after a little while he actually liked them.

Teacher Thursdays & Updates!

Today Cooper's teacher came, Miss S, she is a super sweet!
They played together and did evals. to see where he is developmentally and she will be here every week to play with him and teach him new things!

Here is a recent picture of him playing! (Big brother hates pictures!)


Today the Swaddlebees/Blueberry Clearance stocked and I got 2 diapers for the price of one normally so that was a great deal! They are probably in my top 2 faves of diapers!

Get your entries in for the Rockin Green giveaway. In August I will be giving away a Monkey Doodlez Diaper so look for that blog post!

Rockin Green Review & GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

http://rockingreensoap.com/

Rockin Green was created by Kim. A mother trying to find a safe and natural alternative to standard cloth diaper and laundry detergent. She created a product that is not only perfectly safe for cloth diapers but one that is safe for those with sensitive skin and a great alternative to standard laundry detergents. It's safe to use for all your laundering needs.

Rockin Green comes in 3 formulas:

• Soft Rock - a soft formula designed for those with sensitive skin or soft water
• Classic Rock - the original formula designed for those with moderate hard water.
• Hard Rock - a hard water formula designed for the toughest water issues as well as to cure some major stink issues.

It also comes in great scents and unscented!

LIKES: I love that it is I love that this detergent is free of dyes, enzymes, fillers, optical brighteners and whiteners and phosphates, It is also Vegan & great for kids and adults who have sensitive skin! I have never used anything but RnG on my cloth diapers, but so far I have not had any problems. I had an ammonia issue that Kim jumped the gun and mailed me a free sample of hard rock 2.0 to clear up my smellies! I even wash all of our clothes in RnG. I have heard of ladies using it on toilets, tubs, and even carpets! This is a great product that I highly suggest you to use if you cloth diaper. You only have to use a tiny amount for it to go a long way! Kim is also super helpful and will answer any questions promptly.
DISLIKES:I honestly have no dislikes, if you want to see proof of how well this product works then go to her Facebook page and people have posted pictures of them Rocking a Soak.
Rating is a 10/10



Giveaway is a sample pack of Hard Rock Orangevana.
This is great for if you are just wanting to try Rockin Green and not sure if you want to use it yet.
All you have to do is comment my blog.
For an additional entry you can do any of these and receive an extra entry for each that you do:
1. Follow my blog
2. Visit Rockin Green's website and tell me which product you would like to try in a comment
3. Blog about this giveaway (post link)


Giveaway will close Saturday July 24, 2010

Be on the lookout!

http://www.swaddlebees.com/Clearance


They posted that soon their clearance section will be restocked.
These diapers are irregualr meaning the buttons may be different or the stich may be different but they are 100 percent usable. I have 2 from their clearance section and they have given me no problems!

Why do I cloth diaper?

I have been asked this a lot. Why do I cloth diaper? I get responses that its gross nasty why would I wash my clothes in poop water, etc.

Our youngest is 5.5 months old and he is our last child. I wanted to try everything with him since I knew he would be our last child. When I told everyone that I was going to cloth diaper when I was pregnant I got a lot of rude responses, but I was determined to prove them wrong. The first few days were stressful as I was getting the hang of it, but now it is like I have been doing it for years. I have even converted 4 of my friends to cloth diapering.

Once you have done your research and started cloth diapering it is no different then disposable diapers except that you have to wash them. It only adds about 2 extra loads a week of laundry to my list. Thats not bad at all. It has saved us tons of money already( which everyone loves to save!) And it is great for the environment.

Especially after this Pampers diaper scare with the burns I am so glad that I cloth diaper. There are so many options out there now for cloth diapering. It is not like when our parents were young and they pinned diapers together. A lot are just as easy to put on as a disposable.

Another plus side is we have no leaks with cloth diapers. you can adjust the absorbency to little or a lot depending on if its a day time diaper, night time diaper, or if you have a heavy wetter.

If you knew all the information on disposable diapers I am positive you would cloth diaper too. Plus who can resist a baby in a cloth diaper :]

More Diaper Reviews

Happy Heinys Pocket Diaper
Again this is not a favorite of mine.
The first few times we used it I had some leaking problems, now there is no leaking but he cant wear it for very long or we have leaks, I use this diaper but it is not a favorite of mine



Thirsties Duo Diapers
These diapers come in 2 sizes. The first size fits 6 to 18 lbs.
Its not a favorite of mine but I use it occasionally. I only have one
The run a little small. It absorbs well its just not a favorite


Thirsties Fab Fitteds
These are being updated so they are hard to find right now but if you find them I highly suggest getting a few.
This is my favorite fitted diaper! We only have 3 but they are always at the top of my list to use.
*Must use a diaper cover with these!


GDiapers
I hated these, remember this is my own personal experience.
Yours may be totally different.
the way these are made are just not for me. The poop got everywhere and the inserts never kept in the pee either.


FLIP covers & Stay Dry Insert
These are a hybrid cloth diaper made by Bumgenius
I use these a lot while I am out and about because I can just keep the same waterproof cover and cahnge the Cloth Insert.
My only problem is when they poop the insert doesnt catch all of it so you have to wash the cover and change it, so always bring a extra cover!



Blueberry Diapers & Swaddlebees
I love these. They are one size and super trim.
No complaints as they are one of my favorite
I have the minky and regular.

BumGenius 3.0 One Size Pocket
(They now have a 4.0)
LOVE this diaper. I had mine converted to snaps but now they have a 4.0 that comes in snaps.
This is our nighttime diaper
great rise and excellent absorbency.

2 diaper reviews

Thirsties AIO (not being made anymore)
2 months old around 8 lbs.
This diaper is a good diaper if you can still find them.
The velcro doesnt move as well with them and they run a little small

Rumparooz one size
Around 2.5 months old & 8 lbs
I love this diaper and still do.
The rise is a little short though
You can double stuff and use as nighttime diaper and can also take the inserts out and use as a swim diaper

Cloth Diapering Basics.

I have had a lot of questions about cloth diapering so I thought I would just write a note about it.

While I was pregnant I researched everything about cloth diapers before deciding too. And on black friday I broke down and bought some. Cloth Diapering is not for everyone, but it has worked great for us.

There are a few types of diapers:

1. Prefolds: These are what your grandparents think of when they think of cloth diapering. They are NOT waterproof so they do require what is called a Diaper Cover. You can trifold them and lay them in a cover or you can fold them on your baby and use a snappi or pin to fasten it and then put a cover over them.
They run around 1.10 a piece. We own 12 of them, but they are not my most used diaper.

2. Fitted: These are NOT waterproof & do require a diaper cover. We also have about 3 of these. Thirsties makes a good fitted diaper that is around 12 dollars and they come in 4 sizes. These velcro on just like a disposable and then you put a diaper cover over them

Thirsties Fab Fitted Diaper.

3. Diaper Cover: A diaper cover is used for prefolds,fitteds, & anything that is NOT waterproof. Thirsties also makes a cover called the duo wrap cover that comes in 2 sizes and the first size is from 6 to 18 lbs. Other brands are blueberry/swaddlebees, FLIP, Bummis, Econobum. Here is a picture of the Thirsties cover

Thirsties Duo Diaper Cover

4. All in Ones: These diapers are the easiest and most leak proof diapers to use and have a built in diaper cover sewn into the cotton or fleece layer. They fasten with snaps or velcro and work like the ease of a disposable. They do NOT require a diaper cover. Some brands are Thirsties, Bumgenius, Swaddlebees/Blueberry, Goodmamas, Rumparooz. Also some All in One diapers have a extra pocket that you can add more protection to for heavy wetters or overnight diapers.

BumGenius deluxe All in One

5. Pockets: There are three parts to a pocket diaper. First, a waterproof outer barrier fabric is sewn to the second component, an inner moisture-wicking fabric that keeps the skin feeling dry. These two fabrics form a pocket for the third component, an absorbent insert, to be placed.You will have a insert that goes in the diaper. You HAVE to use the insert, but you can make it as thick or thin as you would like depending how long you will be using the diaper[ex. overnight, just a few hours etc.] A few brands are BumGenius, Happy Heinys, Fuzzibunz, Blueberry/Swaddlebees, Thirsties.

Fuzzibunz Pocket Diaper

6. Hybrid: these diapers are a diaper cover which you can use with a biodegradable insert or a cloth insert. FLIP is a great brand of these which I use frequently with their Stay Dry Cloth insert. These covers can also be paired with a fitted diaper or prefold.

FLIP Cover

FLIP Stay Dry Cloth Insert

There is also a One Size diaper.
They have one size pockets, all in ones, and covers. they normally range from 8 to 30 lb or so. They are great for not having to buy more. They also make sized diapers which are like 6 to 12 lb for a small etc.

WASHING INSTRUCTIONS:

1. NEVER use softener, fabric sheets, etc. in the dryer with you diapers. It will cause wicking which will make your diapers leak.

2. http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/detergentchoices.htm There is a site you can look at for detergent choices. Personally we use Rockin Green Soap which you buy online. It comes scented and once you diapers are washed the scent is GONE which means your diapers have been washed correctly. I also use this on our regular clothes. Crunchy Clean is also a good online brand you can buy.

3. NEVER use bleach on your diapers. The sun outside is a natural bleacher and I 97 percent of the time dry my diapers outside and not in the dryer.

4. Rockin Green has a great review on disinfecting and getting buildup out of diapers.

5. For breastfed babies their poop does not have to be rinsed before washing because it dissolves in the wash. Formula fed or real food fed babies you have to dunk the diapers to get the poop off or you can use a diaper sprayer or they actually make a flushable liner that sits on top of the diaper and you just throw that part away.

6. http://www.pinstripesandpolkadots.com/basics.htm great website for the basics of cloth diapering.

WETBAGS & PAIL LINERS

Wet Bags are a convenient on-the-go solution for storing your soiled diapers while Pail Liners are normally used at home. We currently use a large Wet Bag at home made by Planet Wise it holds around 15 diapers. I use a medium one for out and about.

Pail Liners are generally intended for at-home use or work extremely well for transporting diapers to a Laundromat. Pail liners have been designed to fit most 13 gallon sized plastic trash containers. However, liners and large wet bags are available which can be hung on a doorknob instead (especially great for small spaces)

Planet Wise Wet Bag

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Cloth Diapering can be overwhelming at first. There are so many types and honestly I almost gave up before I even started. Also a lot of work at home moms make diapers etc. that are cheaper. And if you know how to sew you can even find directions on making your own.

I would just do research, some diapers are better for each kids. Every baby is different so its a trial and error. I would not suggest buying like 10 of one kind. Buy one of a few kinds and decide whats best for you


Here are a few sites you can buy them on:

Kelly's Closet ( they have a points system once you spend so much you get a gift cert)

Cotton Babies

Cloth DIaper Clearance ( They have some that are cheaper because of a over supply etc. NONE are defective, we have a few from here and they work great)

Nicki's Diapers

Abbys Lane

Thirstiesoutlet.com (Thirsties has a outlet for their oversupply, they are cheaper it is restocked but you have to take what they have.)



any other questions feel free to ask me :}