What in the Soapnuts?

How to launder cloth diapers. It is the eternal question. You can read hundreds of forums, blogs, etc... about different people's opinions. You can add vinegar, do an extra rinse, add baking soda, use this detergent or that detergent, etc... It's complicated. And then it's a whole new system if you have a HE washer like we do. (Highly recommended, by the way). I've tried various methods and found this detergent on etsy that I liked. It has little suds (good for HE washer) and is organic and vegan so it doesn't leave residue on the cloth diapers. So I was satisfied with the system I had.

[Enter Soapnuts.] They are so fabulous. They're basically a fruit from a tree found in Indonesia, Nepal, and India and the outside of the nut is saponin which is a natural surfactant (the technical term for what soap does by breaking down carbon bonds of organic material). They don't have a scent so they are ideal for anyone with eczema, sensitive skin, etc... and are very ideal for cloth diapers which you don't want to have a weird scent anyway. I love them. If you use them for regular laundry you can put some essential oil on the cloth bag that they go in and it works great. I've used eucalyptus and tea tree oil and it's very mild. So I've converted from the etsy soap to these soap nuts. For our laundry, I'll probably still use the etsy detergent, but for cloth diapers they're the best I've found.

Free Museum Day

Next Saturday is free museum day sponsored by Smithsonian. How fun is that? There are different museums in every state that are participating. Here in Little Rock, for example, you can go to the zoo for free or to the Arkansas Historical Museum. Check out this link to see what museums in your area are free and enjoy!

Green Tip

I'm always looking for ways to conserve energy and water, recycle more, waste less, etc... This year we have made significant steps forward with these goals. We started a compost, we use compostable/flushable gdiapers for CB, etc... Those are the big things but I've found that there are tons of small things everyday that can make a big difference, so I thought I'd share the tips I found.
1. I read that a dishwasher uses much less water than filling a whole sink with water to wash pots, pans, etc... so we started putting anything that will fit into our dishwasher. We run it more often, but we rarely fill the sink. Once in awhile, there is something that just won't fit, or something I don't like to wash in the dishwasher (like my knives). So when we need to hand wash something, we wait until the dishwasher has started to turn on the water for the dishes. That way, we're not letting the water run down the drain while waiting for it to heat up. The dishwasher waits for it to heat before it shoots any out so at that point, if we turn the water on, it'll be hot for sure.
2. Thanks to Gustav & Ike, we haven't had our sprinklers on for over a month. That's one thing that is sometimes hard to remember, but makes a big conservation difference. I get so annoyed when I see people watering their lawns while it's raining or when it's 2pm and it's 90+ degrees outside.
What are your eco-friendly tips?

Lucky Chuck

In Little Rock there are 3 children's consignment sales twice a year. It's such a great idea. Basically, people from all over the area consign their toys, books, shoes, movies, clothes, etc... for babies up through teens and even maternity clothes. It's all put in one place for a few days and then it's open for the public to buy stuff. If you're ever looking for anything that you don't really want to spend much money on, this is the place. It's all pretty high-quality and after much searching and digging, you can find fabulous stuff. This year I went to 2 and found such great stuff: a Bumbo seat for $14, a play table for $7, a darling mini crib, a few toys, 2 pair of shoes, and some great clothes. Most of the stuff is for when he's much older, but it's still fun. Here's a sample of CB's loot:

Legal Mumbo Jumbo

Ever since we got married, we've talked about how we need to make living wills and a trust, etc... Just in case. After following the story of Christian & Stephanie Nielson and after receiving the Quicken WillMaker from T's parents, we decided to really get it going. So last night for our FHE activity, we made our living wills and our AB Trust. It was very helpful to have this little program because otherwise, I'm pretty sure you'd have to hire a lawyer to know what any of the legal wording means. Even with the program, sometimes we had no idea what the questions were asking. Nevertheless, it is a relief to know that if we die, (heaven forbid) our wishes will be granted regarding CB and our large and vast empire (lucky family members). Also, the whole process of making both of our living wills and our trust only took about 1 hour--time very well spent, in my eyes.

So I just want to encourage everyone who reads this to take the time to make their own legal preparations. I know it's very sad to think about, and some people think it's going to jinx them or whatever, but it can be a reality and it would be very sad to have all kind of legal hassle for family members at such a devastating time. Just my two cents.

Help Me, Rhonda!

Somehow I got subscribed to a magazine called American Baby. I think it might have been a free subscription to all new moms. It's fun to read and every once in awhile I find a good tip. Today, on the other hand, I'm getting a good laugh combined with a deep feeling of worry for the babies whose mothers read this. Here's the article, read it and weep (or laugh):

"Don't forget baby!
PROBLEM: Each year about 36 children die because they're left in cars that overheat. [yes, this is a valid problem]
SOLUTION: [here's what is killing me dead] A child is never safe left inside a parked car, even if windows are cracked--the temperature can skyrocket in as little as ten minutes. Follow this advice from Jan Null, meteorology professor at San Francisco State University so you can always remember to take your child with you. [What?!? Also, how did a meteorology professor become a child-safety expert?]
- Place your bag in the backseat with your baby. When you grab it, you'll also unbuckle your child.
-Keep a large stuffed animal in the car seat. When your baby is sitting there, move it to the front seat as a reminder that your child is in the back."

Yes, this is a real article. I am still in shock. Firstly, whose baby is so silent the whole drive somewhere that you forget they're back there? Secondly, what parent in their right mind can forget their baby? It is mind-boggling. I always thought people left their babies in cars fully-knowing that they were in there. Any thoughts?


How could someone forget this little face in the back seat?

CB-friendly pancakes

Today I wanted to make pancakes for me and CB but he can't eat eggs yet and I don't want him to eat processed white flour yet either. So I decided to manipulate a recipe and see how they would turn out. They were delicious. CB ate a whole 1/2 pancake without syrup or anything.
Here's the recipe for about 10 small-medium pancakes:

1 C whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 t Egg Replacer
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 T sugar
1 T water
1 C buttermilk
1 1/2 T butter, melted

Next time I think I'll add some banana or blueberries or something.


Almost all of the pancake is gone and he's happy.