ALL IN ONE DIAPER REVIEW

When I mentioned to Robert that I wanted to try cloth diapering to save us some money, he supported me but frankly thought that I was insane.  He has shared with me that he never thought that I would really stick with it; after all we had used disposable diapers on the previous three kiddos.  Switching the youngest two into cloth has been a learning curve and for me and in some ways an addiction to all the cute diaper covers.  Even when I was having to hand wash all our laundry I was still using cloth, I was just hand washing the diapers too.  I ADORE seeing the boys in cute diaper prints! 

In spite of my love of a cute bottom, I haven’t been able to find a solution that worked well for us at night.  As I have mentioned before, my go to for the boys are prefolds and covers.  Prefolds are, in my humble opinion, the most economical way to cloth diaper and having two kiddos in diapers with a big family like ours I was looking for inexpensive too.  As much as I love my prefolds and covers, they weren’t loved as much by the bigger diaper changing kiddos or Daddy so I bought some OS (one size [sized to work from about 10-40 pounds] diapers) AiO (All in One) and Ai2 (All in 2) diapers from Sugar BritchesNappies on Etsy.  These diapers have been wonderful for the big kiddos and Daddy.  I thought that I was set on diapers until I discovered that we didn’t have a night time diaper solution that worked for us. So I have been buying disposables to use at night.  

You see my kiddos are all tummy sleepers.  From the time they can roll over on their own, they always flip to their sides or their tummy to sleep on.  Add to that the fact that they are heavy wetters at night and you can have a lot of wetness in the bed if you’re just using the prefold diapers and their covers.  Even using disposables at night we could end up with a wet bed in the morning.  I KNEW that there had to be a solution for this so I began to look at what the most common night time go to answer is.  For many people it is a wool cover, but we didn’t have the extra money for me to spend on wool diapers.  That’s when Melanie from Sugar Britches Nappies contacted me.  She had developed a new style for her OS AiO diapers and asked if I would be willing to try it out.  She even suggested that the diaper might be the night time solution we were looking for.  I must admit that I was skeptical that it would work for us at night, but hey, I was up for a new diaper to try!

Let me tell you, I am IN LOVE with this diaper!  First of all, I LOVE the diaper print.  I know that the color of the outside of the diaper has nothing to do with how well it holds, but I adore the multi color chevron and the lime green tabs.  To me, it just says I am happy because the colors work so well together.  Literally just looking at the diaper makes me smile.  I also liked how the inserts for this newer style AiO are sewn in only on one side to make drying easier.  Usually I hang diapers on the clothes line but we’ve been hit with an unusually rainy start to fall and without fail when I go to do diaper laundry, it’s raining.  Having these inserts not completely sewn in cuts down the diapers drying time in my dryer.  But the real test would be putting the diaper on the baby.

See, isn't it cute?

The inside with the inserts folded in.

The inserts opened outward.

The first day I tried it out, I put it on Jacob just to see how long it would last.  Usually I’m changing diapers every hour to every hour and a half.  This diaper, without any other inserts lasted FOUR hours. I was thrilled.  To me, this would make it the perfect traveling diaper. One test down, but I had to see how well it worked at night.  So after being thoroughly washed and dried came the night time test on Jacob.

Getting dressed for the day, this diaper is a good fit.

Just because I LOVED how much his shirt matched this diaper, he wore no shorts!  HA!

Jacob is a wonderful sleeper.  He normally goes down at night around 7:30-8:00 and sleeps until 6:30-7:00 in the morning.  Some nights he might wake up to nurse but even then I don’t change his diaper.  So I got out this new style AiO diaper and got my little man ready for bed.  Now let me mention knowing that he is a tummy sleeper and a heavy night time wetter, I did add an additional insert under the bottom fold over flap.  I used a Zorby insert that I got from Sugar Britches Nappies, it is the snap in insert that she uses in her Ai2 diapers and I have had great wetness success with them.  Around 7:15 the new diaper went on and around 7:30 Jacob was in bed.  On this night he did get up to nurse around 2:30 and like always, I didn’t change his diaper.

Shhh, my sweet baby sleeping!!!

Let me tell you, the diaper worked! Not only was it thoroughly wet in the morning, it was soaked!  BUT there was no issue of wetness on the bed or on Jacob’s jammies.  I was impressed and now sold on this being the perfect nighttime diaper solution for Jacob.  BUT, would it work on Cole?  In short, YES!!  Doing what I had done for Jacob, we put the diaper on Cole two nights later and it worked beautifully!  That night Cole got in bed with John Robert (he usually does sleep with his brothers), and John Robert said that he couldn’t even smell the wetness on Cole who normally stinks in the morning!  I am sold!

Cole is at 34 pounds...this diaper is a good fit for him too.

Getting ready for bed, he had to take pictures in his daddy's hat!  HA!

Even more than the fact that I LOVE these diapers and now need 30 of them (well, maybe NOT that many!), I LOVE that Melanie has them so reasonably priced. I honestly thought she would mark these at around $20.00 a diaper, believe me when I say they are worth that and more.  BUT, her Etsy store has them listed at only $15.00!  I cannot begin to tell you what a deal that is!!  Please, head over to her store and check them out.  They are well worth the price and I know that they will work as well for you as they have for me!  Lastly, be on the lookout for my review (coming soon) for her new prefold style diaper and covers.  Don’t forget her Pay It Forward campaign going on too! 

**IN NO WAY HAVE I BEEN PAID FOR THIS REVIEW.  THIS IS MY OPINION AND MY EXPIERENCE WITH THIS DIAPER STYLE. I DO GET TO KEEP THE ONE DIAPER I HAVE TRIED.  I AM SAVING UP TO GET MORE!**

LAUNDRY LESSONS

Laundry is something that most people generate. Most of us within the course of our days wear at least four to six articles of clothing.  Multiply that by a family our size adding in the towels, bed linens, and cloth diapers and that adds up to a lot of things needing to be washed on a daily basis.  Most of us are blessed with the ability to simply throw our clothes into a washing machine and walk away not giving them any further thought.  I am one of the ones that would throw things into the washer and not think anymore of the mounds of laundry; after all the washing machine would work its magic and all I needed to worry about was throwing the clothes into the dryer and finding the time to fold them when they were all dry.  Then Thursday six weeks ago happened and my thinking was forever changed.  What happened?  My washer died.

Well, my washer didn’t really die.  The washer simply decided that it wouldn’t spin anymore, it wouldn’t switch gears, and it wouldn’t move out of the spin cycle.  More than that, the silly washer would sound like two tom cats fighting, or as E-Man said two coons caught in a steel trap in the washer.  So, I did what any mom would do, I unplugged the machine, stared at mounds of laundry, and sat down wondering what on earth I was going to do.  Our machine was not even three years old, still young, but no longer under warranty.  Being the modern woman that I am, I Goggled how to fix washers and was astounded at the plethora of issues that the new HE washing machines can have.  I watched so many videos that I knew that there was no way I could fix the problem on my own.  Then we called the appliance repair shop, and was blown away at what the simple problem would cost us for repairs, I gasped and sat down in between the clothing piles, thinking it would be cheaper to buy a new washer.

I KNEW that we had to do something.  I knew that we couldn’t afford the repairs or a new machine since we just had to fix our truck. So there I was looking at the mounds of laundry wondering what I could do.  Then the idea hit me and I Goggled videos on how to hand wash clothes.  Little did I know that learning the hand washing art of laundry would be so beneficial or that I would be hand washing laundry for the next six weeks!

Learning how to hand wash taught us a lot.  We learned that we have the tendency to take modern appliances for granted.  We also learned a lot about the way laundry detergents work, how soaps can trap the dirt even before you begin to agitate the clothes, and that liquid detergent can work better when hand washing than powder.  We learned that when we are in a difficult situation and need to work together for the common good of our family, we can all step up to the plate and  do what it takes to make life livable.  More than that we learned what it takes to wait on God to open the windows of Heaven to receive His blessings.  You see we decided to NOT go into debt over a new washer.  We decided to pray and ask God to bless us in His time and in His way.  His way was more than we expected.

We have been gifted with a washing machine to use until further notice.  The new to us machine sings when the washing cycle is done, has a clear lid so we can continue to watch our clothes become clean, and more than anything arrived right on time for our family. More than that, it is the washing machine that I told Robert I would LOVE to have if we decided to buy one.  What is it?  It’s an LG top loader HE washer.  And in that lies the joy of this laundry lesson. More than teaching us about laundry, God was teaching us about Him.  The lessons that we have learned the past six weeks are some that we will all never forget.  I have been blessed because we decided to tackle to broken washing machine God’s way.  Who knew laundry could give such amazing lessons!   More than that, I am honestly surprised when I say that I can’t WAIT to do laundry!  

HOMESCHOOLING FUN ~SONLIGHT STYLE!

I have mentioned several times that I LOVE using Sonlight as our main History and Reading curriculum for school.  Having an English major with a minor in Elementary Education, I know how important books are in the overall health and development of kiddos.  Being a believer in the Charlotte Mason homeschooling ideas, I know how important it is to read “living” books and not books filled with “twaddle” or useless information that doesn’t captivate one’s heart and mind.  Being a “dork” with a LOVE of reading, I know how much I LOVE the way a new book feels, smells, and transports you to places far away.  That is one of the reasons that I fell in love with the Sonlight curriculum.  However, like many aspects of homeschooling, there was an aspect that I hadn’t considered being so beneficial, the Sonlight Forums.

The Sonlight Forums are a place for people who use and enjoy the Sonlight curriculum to meet, swap ideas, advice, and form cyber friendships.  It is a way to connect fellow homeschoolers in a new way to offer support and encouragement to one another that isn’t limited to just homeschooling but in all aspects of life.  It is on these forums that we connected with people who are also using the American History Cores (Cores D, D-E combined, or E), and exchange ideas, helpful hints, tools, and encouraging stories.  It is also where we met with the families that are willing to join us in a United States postcard exchange. 

This postcard exchange is just one of the ways that we are having some homeschooling fun!  We decided to participate and represent Florida, our great state.  Within the forum community there were 47 other families willing to participate, so we had almost all 50 states covered.  The charge was simple; make or buy some postcards representing your state, sign your family’s name, and mail them out.   We decided to Google some fun facts about Florida, a lot of what we found was what we didn’t already know about the state we live in, and make our own postcards.  What a fun time we have had learning about our home state!

Printing out our postcards.  Getting ready to trim them up!

Who knew Florida was the 4th most populated state?  We learned that and more with this fun homeshooling venture!

We are putting the finishing touches on our postcards and getting ready to send them out.  We are also slowly starting to get postcards in from other states.  Our first postcard just arrived from Maine, the photo of the lighthouse was breathtaking, and we certainly don’t have any of those rocky crags here in the Sunshine State!  More than anything we are having lots of fun connecting with other families that we never would have had the opportunity to “meet” without Sonlight!  YAY for homeschooling fun ~ Sonlight style!

IT’S THE FLUFF OF LIFE!

Life isn’t always easy, sometimes we need the fluff, little things to make us happy.  For me, that is cloth diapers and the kindness of the owner of SugarBritches Nappies, Melanie.  I ordered some AiO (All in One) diapers from her and didn’t love them as much as I did her Ai2’s (All in 2’s).  So I contacted her and she willingly converted them at no additional charge.  Then she made my life 100 times better.  How?

Recently Melanie contacted me to try out two new diapers that she has come up with.  Of course I said YES!!!  I LOVE new diapers and I am honored that she thought of me and was willing to let me put them to the test.   More than that, I was excited to get some fluff mail.  We agreed she’d send them in the box with my recently converted diapers.  It was a box I was eagerly anticipating! 

I got my box today. Yep, in the midst of dealing with a wonderful stomach bug that has hit the oldest boys the hardest, my FLUFF arrived.  I was so excited to get that package, I needed a pick me up after the rotten day that I’ve had.  BOY did that package deliver.  AND I can’t wait to test the diapers out and share the results with everyone.  Be on the lookout for the reviews.  More than that head over to the store and check out her diapers!  The prices are awesome, her customer service is beyond amazingly phenomenal, and her kind heart makes life a lot easier!  Sometimes it’s all about the FLUFF of life, and I can’t wait to share more!

FLUFF MAIL!  YAY!!!!

Isn't it pretty? I can't wait to try this new style AiO out!

EEEK!  I also get to try her prefold style out!  I LOVE my prefolds!!!

BACK TO SCHOOL!!

I can’t believe it is time to start another school year.  This year, as always, I am humbled and in awe of my children and the charge that I have been given to teach them.  Each year I love to see the growth and changes that my children will go through.  I also know that this year marks the beginning of the end for our time with Maggie since she is officially a high school student, something that I am not really ready for.  It also marks the end of John Robert’s elementary school years, again something that I am not ready for.  This year marks the middle of Ethan’s elementary school years and the beginning of Cole’s “real” schooling adventures. 

In a way this is the year of beginning and the mark of the endings of our lives as well.   For me, the start of every school year is bittersweet.  Each new school year means that I am that much closer to having my children spread their wings and fly away.  SIGH.

So, without further ado, here are our 2014-2015 Back-to-School photos along with glimpses of what we are studying!

Maggie is now in 9^th Grade.  Her desire is still to go to UF and become a veterinarian and a missionary.  She is using Sonlight for History and Reading studying World History from 1800’s on, Apologia Science General Science, Math-U-See Pre-Algebra, Queen’s Homeschooling Language Arts and Copywork, Writing Strands, Creative Writing, and Home Economics. 

John Robert is now in 5^th Grade.  He has decided that he wants to be a full time cowboy.  He is using Sonlight for History and Reading studying Native American and early American History, Apologia Science Zoology 1, Math U-See Delta, Queen’s Language Arts and Copywork, Writing Strands, and Artistic Pursuits.

Ethan is now in 2^nd Grade.  He still desires to be a police officer, more specifically a K-9 officer.  He is using Sonlight for History and Reading studying Native American and early American History, Apologia Science Zoology 1, Math U-See Alpha-Beta, Queen’s Language Arts, and Artistic Pursuits.

Cole is in Preschool, specifically geared for 2 year olds.  He is an active and precocious boy who wants to be like his hero, his Daddy.  This year he will continue to be little and explore the world around him through play and not necessarily a specific program.  He will work on colors, shapes, recognizing letters and numbers, and developing motor skills through coloring, scissor usage, and of course lots and lots of playing.

All five kiddos will continue to be learning and growing together and we continue on the journey set before us.  We have been called by Christ to be a homeschooling family, and we will go on this journey with faith, love, laughter, tears, and a lot of joy!

This year will be our best year ever!  Together we will continue to learn and grow in Christ.  YAY for new school years and new adventures!

BIRTHDAY PLANNING

It’s that time of year!  It’s time to start planning for our rush of birthdays!  We have two big kiddos with birthday’s in November, one in December, and now one in January.  So that means that this not so always crafty Mama needs to start to plan her annual birthday rush.

Our oldest two kiddos both have birthdays in November and this year it will be fairly “easy”.  All that they have requested is some time in the woods.  So, I think that we will head out to a friend’s ranch and spend the day riding in the buggy or on horseback enjoying the cattle and wildlife there.  This year they are easy, nothing overtly stressful or fancy in the birthday planning here. The only thing is that they both want different cakes, which of course we will be more than happy to oblige them with!

The next birthday is in December with a wonderful two year old who will be turning three.  This year we are having a Mickey Mouse theme party.  Then we have a baby turning one in January.  I had thought of doing a little man party, but we opted on a Little Monster theme since we had a lot of those party supplies.  These two parties are the ones that I get to be crafty with, and I am having tons of fun pursing Google and Pintrest for ideas.  Oh Mama’s, what did we do BEFORE Pintrest?  HA!

So, there you have it.  We are heading into the fun time of four birthdays in three months!  This busy and crazy Mama is in birthday party fun and planning mode, and I’m loving it!  YAY for birthdays and being able to celebrate the blessing of my amazing kids!