About Those Nifty Nappy's

When it comes to cloth diapering I love trying new diapers, but only when recommended by someone. I don’t like going out on a limb but if someone I know loves a diaper than I’m more likely to try it. Well about 4 months ago a really good friend of mine couldn’t stop talking about Nifty Nappys. I had to see what the fuss was about. I wasn’t a fitted user; we only used pockets because fitteds were too bulky or complicated for Dh.

I got my first Nifty Nappy in a diaper swap, so it was free! As soon as the package came I ripped it open (carefully). Out comes this cute pink diaper, it was seriously the softest thing I have ever felt. Then I got to the insert and oh my! I wanted to wear it, ok not really but if I had to wear cloth diapers, I would want this one. I washed it and prepped it and got it on Nat’s little bum as fast as I possibly could (did I mention our washer was broke when I got it?)

Here is a little bit more from her blog about the mama behind the diaper…

We are a homegrown company. Vilate is the mother of 6 kiddos and is dedicated to cloth diapering. She spent years coming up with the perfect pattern and fabrics. Now we have the perfect diaper to show for all those years!

You can follow her blog Nifty Nappy.

I didn’t have her wool cover yet so I just used a PUL cover, it lasted 3 hours and the outside wasn’t even damp. I’ve never been able to let her go that long without being completely soaked! I was very happy with the diaper.

Here is a little bit more from Vilate about her Nifty Nappy’s:

    Having a diaper that fits and is trim but also breathes and is cute is asking a lot, right?
I didn’t think so! I knew it could be done if I had the right materials and knowledge. I have spent many hours on line researching cloth diapers, along with years of testing different patterns and fabrics out on my own 6 kids. I finally found the right fabrics and with all the knowledge I had acquired, I started on a diaper. The pattern of the diaper isn’t too difficult right? Well, shape does matter, how soon you curve around the leg can make or break a diaper. Then there is making it fit from newborn to potty training. I succeeded in that too! I made the perfect diaper…at least I think it is.
Qualities of the Nifty Nappy:

    * Front snapping for a longer fit
    * Trim fit – looks natural under clothes
    * Organic Hemp and Bamboo for absorbency
    * Cute fabrics for your baby’s bum

There are a few other items that are good enough to join the Nifty Nappy in this shop:

    * Wool Covers- Upcyled from wool sweaters handpicked from thrift stores, these are practically bullet proof.
    * PeachyKeen Pocket diapers – These are made with the PUL qualities in mind so there is no leaking on the edges.
    * Snappy SwimzEaze – Keeps your babies tush comfy while keeping your mind at ease, knowing that everything will stay in the diaper and not in the pool.

I now have the Wool Covers and I’m not sure how I lived without them. They are so soft and they actually work. I can put a Nifty Nappy fitted on Nat with her wool cover and she stays dry about 4 hours! I really like that they are a snap on cover because Nat isn’t so great about pull up diaper covers. So they are very easy to use. I found too that the “wings” on the cover stretch pretty far to get a really good fit. Even better, they are a one size cover! I love that, there is nothing better than one size. When you order the wool cover you tell her whether you want Girl, Boy or Gender Neutral. She doesn’t have prints listed that you can pick from. At first I was really nervous about that, I like to know what I’m getting. When I got my first wool cover it was spot on. I love the style and somehow I feel like it “fit” with Nat’s personality! Now I love ordering them and waiting not so patiently to get them in the mail to see what Vilate has come up with!

Here is my stash right now

All around Nifty Nappy is a great company with great products. Vilate has awesome customer service! I also feel like I can ask her any questions that I have or just say Hi if I see her around Twitter.

Now I hope you will take the leap too and give her a try!

Wordless Wednesday- Cheetos

First time eating Cheetos!

Tasty Tuesday

This week I was trying to use up leftover produce and meat in the house. I sometimes buy meat with the best of intentions and then forget to use it. The other day I stumbled apon beef stew meat that I purchased a few months ago and forgot about. This was great because I carrots and potatoes that needed to be used too. After a few recipe searches I finally found one that Hubby would try. It turned out awesome! It was so good that it might become a regular around here in the winter months.

So here it is!
Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew

* I also added parsnips chopped instead of part of the potatoes.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 hours 15 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds beef for stew, cut into 1-inch pieces
Ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pounds medium potatoes, cut into cubes (about 3 cups)
4 medium carrots, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/4 cups Swanson® Beef Stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 cup thawed frozen peas

Directions:

Season the beef with black pepper. Coat the beef with 2 tablespoons of the flour. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef in 2 batches and cook until it's well browned, stirring often.

Place the potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic into a 5-quart slow cooker. Top with the beef. Add 3 cups of the stock, Worcestershire, thyme and bay leaf.

Cover and cook on LOW for 10 to 11 hours* or until the beef is fork-tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf.

Stir the remaining flour and stock in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir the flour mixture and peas in the cooker. Increase the heat to HIGH. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the mixture boils and thickens.

*Or on HIGH 5 to 6 hours

Do you have a recipe to share this week? Something new you have tried or an old favorite.

Green Mama?

I lay in bed tonight asking myself, what exactly is being Green? Well a quick google search brought me to a few answers like this one; Green-A supporter of a social and political movement that espouses global environmental protection, bioregionalism, social responsibility, and nonviolence. Really?

Being Green to me means being more aware of my actions and how they affect our planet. Whenever I do something I try to think of how my actions will affect our planet and future generations. I have a 16-month-old daughter and I want her to have all the resources that we have. That being said, being Green isn’t always the easiest or cheapest choice but I still try.

When I was about 7 months pregnant with Natalie I came across cloth diapers. At first, I wrinkled my nose at the idea and thought anyone who could do that was er crazy. I couldn’t imagine why you would want to cloth diaper. I did a ton of research; I was addicted to cloth diaper research. I finally got up enough courage to talk to Hubby about it, thinking he would see how much money it would save us, how great it would be for Natalie and the environment at the same time. You see I found this mind-blowing fact: it takes 500 YEARS for disposable diapers to decompose in landfills! 500 YEARS! I couldn’t get that number out of my head; we were sure leaving something behind for Natalie and her great great grandchildren probably.

I approached Hubby with the cloth diaper idea. As expected he wrinkled his nose too. I didn’t want to press the issue because it was a pretty substantial starting cost and we didn’t even have a baby yet. We had no idea how much diapers or anything else would cost once she was actually here. He vetoed my idea, as much as I wanted to CD I let the issue go. I didn’t actually know anybody in real life or online who CD’d so I didn’t have proof that it was easy and cost effective.

Fast forward about 7 months, Nat is now 5 months old. Many of my online friends have had their babies and a few of them even started CDing. I had many questions for them and they were so helpful. I approached Dh once again and he said since I was a SAHM it was up to me. I was nervous but I took the plunge. I went head first into CDs and never looked back. That was one of the greenest decisions I have made and I don’t regret it!

We also recycle and have for a while; we pay $15 a year to recycle. It amazes me how much we save on what we put in the garbage just by simply recycling. I try to use natural household cleaners but when you are raised thinking clean is that “bleachy” smell it’s hard to get away from that. If it doesn’t smell clean then it must not be clean. When I use natural cleaners it doesn’t stink but it doesn’t have that chemical cleaner smell. We also switched out all the light bulbs in our house. It's a work in progress.


Things I would like to try in the future to become Greener:
Reusable Paper Towels
We are remolding our bathroom this summer and I want to use a low flow showerhead and a water saving toilet
Composting for my garden this summer
Add one meatless meal a week
Buy naturally raised meat
Natural makeup (I’m nervous to make this switch!)

While I was writing this I found this link of 10 Ways to Go Green . I hope you find it helpful!

What ways would you like to become Greener?

Wordless Wednesday: These boots are made for walking

Hey you, what's that smell???

I am a cloth diaper lover. I didn’t start out with cloth but switched when DD was almost 6 months. We had a great start in them. Nat could wear just about any kind or brand without an issue. I had a great laundry routine and never had an issue with build up. Then we bought a house. We moved into the country and all of a sudden there was this foul (foul doesn’t really begin to cover it) smell coming from our diapers. When they came out of the dryer they were fine, as soon as she peed it was terrible. I ended up changing her diaper way too often because I couldn’t stand the smell. Now, if you don’t currently use cloth I don’t want to scare you away from it. I still love cloth this is just a hurdle we had to cross.

I tried stripping and stripping, I tried Dawn Dish soap, I tried adding Calgon, I did the Oxy/vinegar soak. Nothing was working and I assumed we were stuck with stinky diapers. I even told Dh that if I couldn’t figure it out I was going to (gasp) quit cloth diapering. I really didn’t want to do this as I have a stash I love. Sometimes I think I buy the diapers more for myself than for Natalie. Shh don’t tell Dh!!!

A few months ago we did a Cloth Diaper Swap on a board I belong to. I was sent a sample of Yoreganics Soap Nuts. I was skeptical at first because the whole idea seemed kind of weird to me, but they were free so of course I was going to try them. I used my regular wash routine only adding the reusable bag of Soap Nuts to the was instead of the detergent I wash using. I didn’t add Calgon either. I wanted to see what would happen with no Calgon because that stuff was getting expensive. My diapers came out so soft and not stinky!! I wanted to order more right away but I had ¾ of a bag of the “old” stuff so I started using that on my regular laundry to use it up. I ended up buying this bag of Yoreganics Soap Nuts at a cloth diaper party I went to. I started using them full time this week. I am happy to report that we will still be cloth diapering. I am so happy that the stink is finally gone!!! Yay!!!

The things I love about Soap Nuts:
      1. They are economical
      2. I don't have to guess at how much to add, just add the little bag
      3. They are eco friendly and biodegradeable
      4. They are USDA certified Organic
      5. They are a natural fabric softener
      6. Unscented so they are great for sensitive skin too!

So if you are having stink issues you should try Yoreganics Soap Nuts!!!

Projects

I hate to say this but I have always been one of “those” people who start countless projects and never finish them. I get bored long before I can finish and put it down with the intention on finishing it in a week or two. I started crocheting a blanket for myself two and a half years ago, and it's still sitting unfinished point proven! I found out about 3 months after starting that I was pregnant. Then I went full bore on crocheting a blanket for baby. I can proudly say that I finished that one. That doesn’t really prove much because it was small. I think she has already outgrown it if that gives you any idea. Anyhow, Hubby got me a sewing machine for Christmas. I have been wanting and talking about getting one for about 6 months. It was supposed to be my Christmas present but then we decided to wait to buy it until after the holidays. Well Hubby surprised me and bought it for me. I was ecstatic but all the memories of unfinished projects popped up and I was nervous he would be disappointed in me.

I decided to start with something simple. A pair of pants for Natalie. Easy right? Actually it was so easy!! I finished the project in only 2 nights after she went to bed. Cut and pinned the first night and did all the sewing the second night.




Next project was a chair cover for the chair that Natalie’s “big” girl high chair was going to go on. Our chairs have white pads and that does not mix well with a messy toddler. I was so excited and got it all finished and it didn’t fit the chair!! The next night I started all over and it turned out pretty well. I have a pic but I don’t feel it’s really worth showing.

For my third project I have chosen to make a quilt for Natalie. I have been wanting to redecorate her bedroom and this is the perfect excuse. After the quilt I plan to make a bumper, curtains and maybe a sheet. This is the fabric I picked for her quilt and I can’t wait to see how it turns out!