Use menstrual pads? You might consider cloth!

I've written before about eco-friendly feminine products. I am quite fond of my cup, but I have not personally used cloth pads.  I am happy to be able to share the story of a reader who has.  (Thank you!)

If you had told me when I was in high school that I would be using cloth diapers, let alone cloth pads, I would have called you insane. But, alas, here I am, wiser and loving cloth.

I started thinking about using cloth after I gave birth to my son. I started building a stash, in anticipation and with the hope that I would like cloth pads. I also purchased the Diva Cup. I tried the Diva first. I have always been a tampon only kind of girl. Heck, I used tampons with my first period. So naturally, I thought I would love the Diva. I was wrong. It just doesn't work for me. Luckily though I had built my cloth pad stash.

As I had been waiting for my period to return, I was diligently purchasing various brands of cloth pads. I was actually excited about getting to try them. I feel absolutely ridiculous saying that, so feel free to laugh. But it is true, nonetheless. Some of the things I worried about are: leaks, bulkiness, cleaning them, and how often to change them. The main issue was: will people notice? Obviously, this is not something you want people to notice, at any time.

I am happy to say that they worked! I was actually using pads. A crazy and foreign thought to me. I have always love tampons, the discreteness and ease of use, were main factors. However, cloth has proven to be far less of a hassle than I worried about. In fact, I don't even think of it as a hassle or a burden.

If you are thinking about cloth I recommend trying a few brands and styles and seeing what is right for you, prior to purchasing a full stash. I have found that I love Homestead Emporium's Teeny Ultimate for regular flow. It is the perfect size for discreetness, but also I don't have to worry about leaks and other issues. I have found heavy pads to be a bit bulky. I am leaning towards the Homestead Emporium Ultimate as my favorite. However, I did test a heavy pad on Diaper Swappers for a seller that I found amazingly discreet and felt like it was not even there. I believe part of the core was zorb, which probably helped contribute to its thinness.

I know a big question is how do you wash your pads? I throw mine in a wetbag and wash them with the normal laundry. I have not had a any problems to date. They have gotten the normal amount of detergent and even Method or Ecover softener. I have not had any problems with my pads or my other laundry in the nine months I have been using them.

The trick is to discover what type you like and not to give up in the first month or two. Although you probably won't even want to from the beginning. Cloth pads are extremely easy to use, store, and wash. I highly recommend them.

FuzziBunz #ClothDiapers Twitter Party

I happen to be a big fan of twitter parties.  They're a whole lot of fun and you get to have good conversations about topics that are of interest to you!  Join us next Tuesday at 9:30 pm EST for a fun FuzziBunz #ClothDiapers Twitter Party!

Jill from Baby Rabies is hosting the party at which Fuzzibunz will be unveiling three new lines!  There will be lots of great conversation and prizes too!  This party is for you, whether you're only considering cloth or a long time user and pro.

If you have a twitter account, simply register for the party and you are good to go.  If you don't have a twitter account be sure to sign up!  Twitter is very easy to use, and this guide from Mashable will help cover the basics.

I like to use TweetGrid to keep track of chats.  Go to this link and login to your twitter on this page and you will see three streams, the first is to follow the party using the official hashtag, the second will keep track of the hosts and ambassadors and the third is where you will type in your twitter name (simply replace my handle with yours) to keep track of any replies to your tweets!  It's super easy!

Here are the party details:
Date: October 4th
Time: 8:30 pm CST / 9:30 pm EST
Hosts: @babyrabies & @fuzzibunz
Ambassadors: @EFFblog @tottums & @heirtoblair
Official Hashtag: #FuzziBunzElite
Prizes!: There will be 15 prizes given out (from 3 NEW product lines), and all attendees will get a FuzziBunz Potty Training Guide (hint, hint!)

Head over to Baby Rabies to RSVP to be eligible to win prizes during the party.  Winners at the party will only be chosen at random from the official RSVP list, and you must be present (on Twitter) during the party to win.

Home from #abckids11 plus Giveaway!

I wrote to you a short while ago about my upcoming trip the All Baby and Child Expo.  I first heard of the expo more than a year ago and have been looking forward to attending ever since.  The expo was held this past weekend (Sept 23-26) and it was all I could have hoped for and more.  It's Tuesday and I am just now ready to sit down and tackle the mountain before me.  A good mountain, but a mountain nonetheless.  Let me tell you about my weekend!

OH MAN!  I was up at 5am to get ready for our trip down to Louisville (my sister-in-law came with me).  I got a gorgeous cup of coffee and we hit the road.  We headed straight for the expo because it was far too early to check into the hotel.  We walked through the doors and the first company I came to was Blueberry, who has this fantastic one-size fitted diaper.  I haven't tried it yet, but in hand, it looked perfect for nights!

The rest of the show, I'm not sure I could lay out for you in order if I tried.  It was an amazing blur of fantasticness.  We didn't sleep until 2:30 Saturday morning (good food and dancing!) and then I was up again at 5:30 (the clock in our hotel room was set an hour ahead... oops!)  We had breakfast with The Bump where we got signed copies of The Baby Bump and met an amazing baby planner who really helps parents not just before birth, but after with breastfeeding, cloth diapering and all of those things that us parents wish we would have known sooner.  Once we were pumped full of protein and coffee we headed back for a full day at the expo.  I think this goes without saying, but we stayed in and ordered a movie and room service Saturday night!

One of the most amazing things about coming to this expo was not only being able to see items in real life (so many are so much more than online pictures can show) but being able to sit and talk to people who are passionate about their products.  I was able to talk to creators, owners and people that are inspired by the companies they work for.  I kid you not, I was nearly moved to tears by one company.  Their message and philosophy was so touching and close to home.  It was the Dr. Sears booth with their new Family Essentials products.  They have brought, and are bringing some great products to the market, but keeping them very affordable.  I can still hear the gentleman saying "We'll just make less." in reference to profit after the cost of the materials vs. the price point they wanted to be able to offer to ensure that these safe, healthy products were accessible to everyone.

The passion that filled the nearly 1 million square feet of exhibit space was palpable.  Also, for me, it was exciting to have an opportunity to not only be inspired by the people I had a chance to meet, but also to share what I do and have amazing conversations that showed my passion.  I write because I love it.  I love sharing my path and my passion with you.  I love that I'm doing something meaningful to me and that by sharing it I can hope to help you in some way that is meaningful to you.

I could go on and on about the expo, there really is so much, but for now I must get to my mountain.  I am quite certain that I will have plenty to explore and share about in the months to come, so stick around and have fun!

In the meantime, I have a Rockabye Baby CD Sampler that I would love to share with you.  Enter to win below!

Finally a SAFE, affordable crib mattress! # abckids11

Check out this new mattress!  It is completely safe, no flame retardants, super light weight and recyclable.  All for around $150ish!
So many have asked for this mattress and here it is.  <3

New from Thirsies! # abckids11

Check out the all new cloth diaper safe diaper salve and.......... Alli-in-one cloth diaper!!!
Cannot wait to try these!

DIY Laundry Pretreater

Whether you're using a DIY Detergent or a store bought detergent, you're going to need a pretreater. With three kids, it seems like I'm always getting these little oily spots on my clothes that seem to not come out in a normal wash. This mix works well on stains and oily/greasy spots too!

This pretreater is affordable and easy to make. I hope you love it as much as I do. You'll need some DIY detergent, a bar of Fels Naptha soap (I highty recommend this bar for it's stain fighting abilities), a bottle and/or spray bottle and hot water.

Cloth Diaper Detergent : How-To

If you've been around here long, I'm sure that you've come across my DIY Cloth Diaper Detergent at one point or another.  You might use it, or perhaps you've toyed with the idea of making it, but thought it would be too much work.  Have no fear, it's both affordable and easy to make!




This method of mixing can be applied to the Laundry Detergent Recipe as well.

Preaching to the Choir

I feel the need to rant on the "environmentalists".  *gasp*

Environmentalist (n.) - A person who is concerned with or advocates the protection of the environment.

The term has grown to send waves of anger down my spine and make my mouth spew facts like word vomit.  Anti-environmentalists use this tone and say it as though they are calling us those people.  Sadly, in politics, "environmentalist" has turned it into a nasty word.  A word used to describe nuts and radicals, except that those who have an issue with environmentalists don't distinguish between rational thinkers and extremists.

I got a phone call the other day, asking me to participate in a town hall meeting held over the phone.  I was happy to listen. After all, I should be up-to-date on politics and be willing to have my say.  So, I listened.  Coincidentally, the first thing that I heard is this congressman talking about energy independence (Woo!), about coal and natural gas (Umm, well at least it's not foreign?).  Then he abruptly changed the topic.  Umm... am I missing something?  What about wind, water or solar energy?  I swallowed my fear (I'm totally not good at public speaking) and pressed '0' to ask my question.

As I waited for my turn an older woman comes on the line and said that she was happy to hear him talking about coal and natural gas, but what was he (our congressman) going to do about all of the environmentalists and their job-killing EPA regulations and bills?  *visualize me spitting out a drink here and shouting profanity*  I couldn't believe her lack of regard for anything other than a paycheck, and then again with the tone of the word.  The way she used that word made it so derogatory and condescending.

I was wound up.  I waited patiently to ask my question.  He said that he would take one last question, and it was mine!  He asked me how I was.  I told him, "Fine, thank you," and bought up his mention of energy independence and asked, "what about wind, solar and water?"    I barely choked out my question due to my emotions running high and my fear of public speaking.  The answer was, of course, a bit of a non-answer in that was long and off topic, except for a final mention that water, wind and solar would of course be needed too if we hope to have energy independence.  He rattled on something about JFK speeches and I'm not sure what else.  I have to admit that I tapped out a little.  I can hold a conversation, but I have a habit of tuning out when people talk in circles.  I blame... or maybe thank? my mother for this.  Eventually he came to a close and said something about what a sight it would be to have our country using coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, wind, solar and water.  That would make other countries take notice, he said.  To me it sounded as though he had tossed my question onto the end of an existing answer, but I suppose I was happy enough that he at least included them on the record.

The answer could have been better, but I was still left feeling upset and frustrated by the way in which the term "environmentalist" was used.  It was said as though it was dirty or fanatical, like no one with a rational mind could be this way, so 'how can we deal with them'.

I may not speak for everyone, but I love the Earth.  I love taking walks and enjoying the nature around me.  My husband enjoys planting a garden and harvesting wild game and our children enjoy playing in the grass in our yard.  I'm not foolish enough to think that because I can't see a nuclear plant or coal mine in my back yard, that it doesn't have an impact on my life and the lives of my children.  Perhaps I'm selfish, but I want to preserve this Earth so that generations of my family, and yours, can live in a world that is healthy and that has something more to offer than industrialized acres and toxic chemical residues and byproducts.

I live in an area rich with coal and natural gas.  There are lots of jobs tied up in that industry and that's everything to so many struggling families.  I truly understand and appreciate that, but things change.  Everything changes at some time.  Wanting clean energy isn't only about wanting to save the planet.  For me, it's about wanting to save lives.  It's about wanting to preserve our health and to provide a sustainable path for our economy.  I don't consider change to be 'job killing', more like job relocating.  Technologies come and go.  Perhaps people should consider creating and following change instead of fighting it.

Natural Network : Slow Food Challenge

This Saturday, September 17, Slow Food USA is inviting you to be a part of their $5 Challenge, and the Natural Network Blog Hop wants to kick it off and invite you to join us!

The challenge is to take back the 'value meal' by getting together with family, friends or neighbors to enjoy a meal that costs no more than $5 per person (the cost of the average fast food meal).  Slow Food USA says that slow food shouldn't have to cost more than fast food, and they're right!

If you want to join in, you can sign up for the challenge over at Slow Food USA.  If you're a blogger, join us by sharing your favorite slow food meal ideas and linking up with to our Natural Network Blog Hop at the bottom of this post!

My meal is for salmon, asparagus and baked potatoes.  We are feeding a family of 5 - two adults and 3 children, two who eat like adults!

Cost breakdown:
$8.99     Salmon $5.99/lb (1.5 lbs)
$2.75     Asparagus (1 lb)
$2.50     Potatoes (2 med, 3 small)
$2.00     Misc. Cooking Seasonings
Total: $3.25/person

Salmon
1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1-2 Tablespoons Minced Garlic (adjust to taste!)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Warm the soy sauce in a measuring cup (I used the microwave) and then add in the brown sugar, garlic and lemon juice.  Stir.

Place your salmon on a sheet of foil, you'll want it to be large enough to fold over the fish to create a package with room for air flow.  I had a full 1.5 lb piece of salmon, so I used a piece of foil on bottom, and then a piece on top, crimping around all of the edges to seal up the 'package'.

One you place your salmon on the foil, lift up the edges to prevent liquid from coming out and then pour the soy sauce mixture over your salmon.  You can use a brush to be sure to coat everything.  Lightly salt the salmon and then use a blackened seasoning to lightly 'pepper' the salmon.  You could use black pepper for this.

Seal up the salmon in the foil leaving space in the package and bake for 15 minutes.

Asparagus
1 Pound of Asparagus
2-3 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
Dash of Lemon Juice
Sprinkle (1 Teaspoon?) Parmesan Cheese (I used the shake type)

Trim and rinse the asparagus.  In a measuring cup, warm olive oil and butter (I used the microwave).  Add the other ingredients and mix.  Spread the asparagus out on a baking sheet or dish and pour the mixture over it, use your hands to coat the asparagus well.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, shuffle around the asparagus to be sure everything is still well coated and then bake for 10-15 minutes more - depending on your desired firmness.

Start the asparagus first if you make this with the salmon!

Want more?
We used baked potatoes, but add whatever you like!  Sweet potato fries, brussels sprouts, green beans?

Join the Natural Network Blog Hop:

1.  Follow the first five blogs in the Linky, these are your hosts. Be sure to leave us a comment so we can follow you back!
2.  Leave a link to your Blog Post so we can follow you!
3.  Feel free to grab the linky code and post it on your blog blog post!

Way to go ChicoBag! Plus Giveaway!

Some time ago ChicoBag announced that they were the sole defendant in a lawsuit files by three of the largest plastic shopping bag companies.  They claimed that ChicoBag had "irreparably harmed" their business.  Just a thought, but isn't that the nature of change?  Things come, and things go... right?!

It appears that the companies had issues with some statements found on the ChicoBag site:

• “A reusable bag needs only to be used eleven times to have a lower environmental impact than using eleven disposable bags.” Source: EPA
• “Only one percent of plastic bags are recycled.” Source: EPA
• “Somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.” Source: National Geographic
• “The world’s largest landfill can be found floating between Hawaii and San Francisco. Wind and sea currents carry marine debris from all over the world to what is now known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This ‘landfill’ is estimated to be twice the size of Texas and thousands of pounds of our discarded trash, mostly plastics.” Source: National Geographic
• “Each year hundreds of thousands of sea birds and marine life die from indigestible plastics mistaken for food.” Source: L.A. Times

You might notice that ChicoBag was not the creator of these statements!  According to the announcement, this information has been used in hundreds of publications, and among those, ChicoBag is one of the few who provides sources for the facts they use.

In a press release on September 13, 2011, ChicoBag announced that the lawsuit (which lost 2 of the 3 complainants when ChicoBag challenged the companies to back up their claims) has been settled, with the support of thousands of citizens.

As a result of this settlement, the public will be better informed of the statistics on single use plastic bags and Hilex Poly plastic bags will now feature the statement “Tie Bag in Knot Before Disposal” in an effort to prevent windblown litter.

I love *love* my ChicoBags.  I have plans to take several to the upcoming ABC Kids Expo with me.  I will be gathering all sorts of materials during the expo and I don't like lugging around unnecessary baggage.  I know that my ChicoBags will work great.  To share the love, ChicoBag has provided me with a bag to share with you!

Be sure to do both of the mandatory entries (the first two)!

FCC Disclaimer: I was provided the product mentioned for review. All reviews are my own and honest opinions.  Review & Ad Information, Giveaway Guidelines

I have a diaper problem.

If you have a child that keeps a diaper on, I am so jealous!  Our first daughter was always taking her clothes off, but the diapers stayed on for the most part.  G is just insane.  She is constantly taking her diapers off.  When she was about 7 months old I switched from hook and loop closures to snaps.  I thought that would be the end of it.  More than a year later, I've decided that helping her learn to use the potty full time is my only refuge.

The funniest part about all of this is where I find diapers.  I find them on our porch, in the play room, in our bedrooms and pretty much any other place that she can squeeze into.  The sound of the snaps coming undone just cracks me up - "pop-pop....pop-pop".  Thankfully she's pretty good about going to the potty, so accidents are minimal.

In the past month her diaperless obsession has become worse.  We bed share... yes, you can see where this is going.  To get started, our bed set up is somewhat unusual.  We have a queen sized bed, with an open faced crib set up on my side.  Something like a co-sleeper set-up but with an awesome Naturepedic mattress.  My husband sleeps on his side of the bed, I have mine and then G sleeps on her bed, as it attaches to my side of the bed.... well she starts there anyhow.  The point is, G has a lot of room to roll around - which is where her nighttime escapades begin.

She has this move, if you can picture this - she's laying on her back, zonked.. sleeping like an angel.  Suddenly I am woken up to "pop-pop....pop-pop".  She's opened up her diaper, flipped it down between her legs and in one swift move she rolls away from me onto her belly... fast asleep, her soaked diaper left between us.  If it weren't so darn funny I'd be more upset.  I can't tell you the unpleasant surprises I've had before I realized what she was up to.  Lately she's also taken to flinging it and then rolling over to go back to sleep.  For the first time since she was a newborn, I am a pro at diapering her while practically asleep.

I've tried putting pajamas on her, but she doesn't sleep well when clothed for some reason.  She's nuts.  I'd love to hear how you keep diapers on your little Houdini.

Save at Whole Foods

I love a good deal, so I subscribe to various daily deal sites.  Today there is a nice deal for a $20 gift card to Whole Foods for just $10.  I am unfortunate in that I do not to live anywhere near a Whole Foods (super sad face), but if happen to, this deal is for you.  Once you buy, share the deal with your friends and if 3 people buy the deal yours is free!

Diapers!!!

I haven't been this excited about cloth diapers in a long time.  Don't get me wrong, I love my cloth diapers, but getting super excited over 'a' diaper is not all that common of an occurrence for me.  Well this morning, I, like many, woke up to big news from Cotton Babies, the makers of bumGenius, Flip and Econobum products.  BumGenius and Flip have both launched brand new products.... Colors! and Prints!!!  Too exciting.  Let's check them out!

First up we have have prints and colors!  Meet Lovelace, Albert, Sassy, Dazzle and Mirror.  Personally I can't wait to get Dazzle on my daughter's bum.  Okay, I think most of them will end up there.

These colors will be available on Flip & bumGenius products.

Next up are two exciting NEW products!
If you recall, when they decided to discontinue the beloved bumGenius pocket all-in-ones diapers a while back there were some very unhappy campers.  Well, they've got something better!  Welcome bumGenius Freetime!

Freetime is an all-in-one diaper made with two soaker layers that are each attached at an end to make washing a breeze and customization an option!  The soaker layers are a microfiber with stay-dry top like what you see with the Flip stay-dry insert.  This diaper is one-size, adjustable using a snap rise.  These will retail for $19.95 each

Last, but certainly not least!, we have the brand new product for the Flip line - the Flip Potty Trainer.  This trainer looks like underpants and has stretchy sides to make pulling on, and off, easy for little ones. The side panels are fully adjustable and are designed to keep the snaps off of your toddler's skin.  The soaker layer for these is ALL NATURAL!!!  Your toddler will be able to feel when they are wet, aiding in the learning process.  This pad attaches to the inside of the cover with hook and loop to keep it from shifting around.  These trainers fit from 20 lbs to 50 lbs using an adjustable snap rise.

In addition to the stretchy tabs being adjustable, they are also replaceable, making the color combo choices truly unique to you and your toddler!  These retail in a combo pack consisting of 1 trainer and 5 organic cotton pads for $24.95

Keep an eye out at your favorite retailers to get these on preorder!  I'm pretty darn excited about these myself.  What do you think?!  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Haven't seen the video yet?  Check it out!

You can now read us on your Kindle!

If you're like me and love your Kindle, you can now subscribe to us through your Kindle and take The Eco-Friendly Family with you wherever you go!  You can check it out here on Amazon.

If you're interested in checking out other blogs you can find them here.

I have fallen in love.

When I was in junior high I played basketball and ran track.  I haven't really done much since.  My version of staying in shape is chasing kids and grocery shopping.  I'll be twenty-nine this year an I want to be healthier all around.  I make an effort in many other areas, why not this one too?  So I decided to start walking.

I went to the store and bought an amazingly comfortable pair of yoga pants, a sports bra and a tank.  I can't believe I never bought activewear before.  Do you have any idea how comfortable it is?!!  I also picked up an arm band to house my iPod and a pair of earbuds with the ear wraps.

I started walking two weeks ago now and man I love it.  I enjoy going about a half an hour after dinner.  The air feels good and there aren't as many people out.  I walk, run, jog - whatever I feel like.  I listen to my iPod and it's like the world melts away.  Last night I stopped after two laps to have a drink of water and check the time.  I opened up my passenger side car door and sat to grab my water bottle and my body broke into a sweat.  I was released from stresses and thoughts, good or bad - everything. It sounds so weird and it's hard to describe, but I was so purely happy.  I had time for a couple of more laps and so I did, a big old goofy grin on my face.

It might not be for everyone, but I highly recommend trying it out!  It's good for your body and it's 20-40 minutes (or more!) of time all about you!  Not home where you try to sneak a moment, but truly all about you, about being with yourself, uninterrupted.  It's about doing something good for you and having fun while you do it (jam those iPods ladies!)  I was practically dance walking, you should have seen me.  On second thought, I'm glad you didn't!

We are all busy in our own ways, moms, dads, men, women.  We all have a schedule full of things we must do.  Making time for yourself is so worth it.  I'm two weeks in and a whole lot happier.  This is my sanctuary :)

Do you walk/jog/run?  Do you do yoga?  What do you love to do for you?  I would love to hear your experiences.

Happy Birthday G!

I want to take a moment to say Happy Birthday to my sweetheart.  She is two years old at this very moment.  I cannot believe how time has flown.  It's all gone too fast.

She is amazing, funny and sweet, loving and smart.  She has a mind of her own and isn't afraid to show it, or share it!  I can hardly wait to see the woman that she becomes.

Here are a few of my favorite photos to mark her day :)

I love my Buckeyes!

I love Ohio State, and now I love them even more.  I didn't know that was possible!  They are taking their stadium to the next level by going green.  They have set up seventy-five waste stations in the stadium consisting of two barrels, one for compost and the other for recyclables.  The stadium is using all biodegradable paper products to make composting easy.  Simply toss it in - food, plate and all.

Last year, Ohio State was able to collect 6.5 tons of recyclables per game.  I can't wait to see what this new program can do!  I'll certainly be watching tomorrow's game with a bit more admiration.  Go Bucks!