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Why I Call Myself “Progressively Crunchy”

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Welcome to the April 2013 Natural Living Blog Carnival: Natural Kids.This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Natural Living Blog Carnival hosted by Happy Mothering and The Pistachio Project through the Green Moms Network. This month our carnival participants have written posts about how they communicate with their children about natural living and how they implement those changes with their kids.

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One of our ‘wedding trees’ – 2 years old

I’ve always thought about the environment, and my impact upon it, but my concern has definitely grown in recent years, and especially once I became pregnant.  I’ve always loved to spend time outdoors, so it was no coincidence that my husband and myself chose earthy tones for our wedding colors (chartreuse and chocolate brown).  When we chose our favors, we wanted to go with something that would actually be used, and saplings and plantable wildflower cards were what we ended-up choosing.  We recently celebrated our 2nd anniversary, and one of our guests sent us the above picture of one of our wedding trees – absolutely beautiful!

Fast forward six months.  Sure, I recycled.  Heck, I even switched to using vinegar as an all-purpose cleaner.  However, adopting natural living took on an entirely new meaning once I became pregnant.  If I could have, I would have lived in a bubble throughout my pregnancy.  In all honesty, I likely would never have been so conscious of what I come into contact with (toiletries, cleaning supplies, even air quality), and the food that I eat, if I hadn’t become pregnant.  I wanted nothing to potentially harm the little miracle growing inside of me.

Now that my son is here, there are so many ways in which we live a more natural lifestyle.  When D exhibits signs of illness/ailments, I try homeopathic routes before medicating him (to clarify, I do take him to the doctor when he needs to go).  I’ve used my breastmilk to clear up conjunctivitis, used an organic essential oil vapor rub when he’s exhibited signs of congestion, and swear by a stick of cold celery for teething.  I cloth diaper for many reasons, preferring to use unbleached prefolds in natural fibers.  I try to recycle in as many ways as I can, be it the books we read, the baby equipment and clothes that we buy, down to the containers our food and beverages come in.

Best of all, my son is growing up with a love of the outdoors (like his mom).  We spend as much time outdoors as possible hiking, exploring our natural surroundings, visiting local playgrounds, or just taking picnic lunches.

It’s been an evolution, a progression of sorts, and my family’s carbon footprint gets smaller every day.  If my job, as a parent, is to lead through example, I’m setting the blueprint for the eco-conscious, outdoorsy young man my son will someday become…

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Visit Happy Mothering and The Pistachio Project to learn more about participating in next month’s Natural Living Blog Carnival!Please take some time to enjoy the posts our other carnival participants have contributed:

Tear Free Bath Time w/ Nuby’s Rinse Pail

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 Bath time is a fun time at our house, as I’m sure it is in yours.  D loves to play in the water, especially since we transitioned him from his tub to a bath seat – there’s a much larger area to explore!  The transition was needed because D was growing too big for his tub, but something else had been growing too…his hair.

Our small baby tub came with a small plastic crab scoop that functioned as both a toy and as our rinsing cup.  Not only had D outgrown his tub, his head of hair had outgrown the dinky crab cup for rinsing.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to try Nuby’s Tear Free Rinse Pail, as were were in need of a larger water receptacle for rinsing (and we don’t keep plastic cups in our house).  Nuby’s Tear Free Rinse Pail is made of colorful BPA free plastic, with a soft rubber-like inner edge to create a tear-free seal against the forehead.

At 8 1/2 months, D’s head is a little small for the Rinse Pail’s seal to work completely efficiently (that and his head is in constant motion), but it did the job rinsing in with one motion (rather than 4 or 5 refills with a smaller cup).  This pail is the perfect size for a toddler and up, and is a great addition to our bathtime routine.  Not only is it functional, but D loves to play with it as well!

You can find the Nuby Tear Free Rinse Pail here on Amazon: Nuby Shampoo Rinse Cup, as well as:
www.BuyBabyDirect.com
www.BabiesRUs.com
Walmart

* I was not paid for this review, however, I was given the product by Nuby for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.

My Preference for Prefolds

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cloth diaper blogs

I am open about my preference for prefolds; I would even consider myself an adamant advocate for them.  I’ve mentioned my preference for them here, and here, and have even shared about prefold mishaps, but decided that I’m long overdue for an explanation of my ‘weird’ cloth diaper choice, amidst today’s fun modern cloth diapering options.
When I began my cloth diapering (CDing) journey, I took the time to research all of the options available to me, as well as weeding through the mountain of CDing information out there.  For some reason, I saw All-in-Ones (AIOs) and pocket diapers as ‘wasteful’ early on, and developed a preference for prefolds and covers.  I’m not sure what I was thinking, maybe it was because AIOs and pockets had to be discarded after each use like a disposable, whereas covers could be used over (if not soiled).  Regardless, I ended up buying 10-11 pockets for my stash, just to try out, but they don’t really get used.
Once D was here, we quickly discovered that prefolds were our best option.  Never did I think that I, a six foot tall woman, would deliver a small baby.  In fact, my midwife was prepping me for an almost nine-pounder by her predictions with his weight gain and measurements in-utero.  Thus, all of our pockets and one size covers were for 8lbs. and up – a bit big for our little peanut, who left the hospital at just over six pounds.  In fact, our little guy didn’t hit the 8lb. mark until he was 2 months old!
Thank goodness for our prefolds and Thirsties covers!  We did try some of our pockets in those early days, but our lean baby’s explosive breast milk poos constantly leaked from the gaps in the legs.  I was so glad that I had, on a whim, purchased a dozen newborn prefolds.  The fit was perfect – no major folding over or adjusting, making first time CDing with prefolds a breeze.  Best of all, no explosive poo leaks!  The prefolds, with the added barrier of the inner leg gussets in the cover, meant that we avoided some potentially messy situations.
While I often feel like a minority in the CDing world with my prefold preference, I’m gradually warming to the idea of breaking out some of those pockets.  Now that my son has filled out a bit, with the introduction of solids, I feel more confident adding pocket diapers to our daily routine.  However, unless someone can convince me otherwise, I’ll be stocking up on more newborn prefolds and using them with subsequent babies (if we’re so blessed).*This post contains affiliate links.

Painless Sleep Training w/ Gift of Sleep Consulting

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Up until 3 weeks ago I was one tired mama.  Cranky.  Absentminded.  Delirious.  Overwhelmed.  Prone to tears.  I had a baby that was up multiple times a night and only catnapped for 15-30 minutes three times a day.  After 8 1/2 months of no sleep, I was waving the white flag…something needed to be done.

I had no idea that it was even possible for D to take long naps and sleep straight through the night, as I had read, and been told, that some babies just weren’t ‘great nappers’ and that catnapping sometimes happened.  I didn’t think that anything could be done about D’s catnaps, and I thought that I just needed to night wean to take care of the broken nights (with no idea how to even go about it, mind you).  After having no downtime in my daily routine, mixed with never hitting a good REM sleep at night, I was ready to try anything.  Enter Jennifer from Gift of Sleep Consulting, whom I’ll now refer to as the Sleep Goddess (SG).

We chatted briefly over the phone and I got an idea how this sleep consulting thing would work.  I spoke with my husband a little later, and he had no trouble coming on board for a possible sleep solution – anything to try to alleviate that stress.  I contacted SG and we made an appointment for an in-home consultation.  In preparation for our appointment, SG asked that I complete a questionnaire about D’s sleep habits and routines.

When we met for our consult, Jennifer spoke at length about the importance of sleep, healthy sleep patterns and the effects of unhealthy sleep patterns.  She presented us with a sleep plan & schedule for D, based upon our questionnaire responses, and presented three possible options for attending to D while going through sleep training.  Not huge fans of CIO, we opted for a modified Ferber method, going into the room every 10 minutes to calmly pat D and reassure him that we were there.

We waited until the weekend to put the plan in action, anxious to know if the training would work.  My husband took over night duty, and we were off.  D was definitely ready for sleep training, as he went down without a problem and was able to self-soothe himself throughout the night.  Being so used to waking throughout the night, my sleep was broken, but much better.  The second night I got my first 8 hour night of sleep (in over a year).
I don’t want to go into the minutiae of sleep training, but I will tell you that I was the main cause of D’s sleep problems.  A huge part of our sleep plan with D was removing the association of breastfeeding with sleep.  Again, I thought that this would pose a ton of problems during the night, but, three weeks later, we’ve still not had any issues of D refusing to fall asleep on his own throughout the night.  I say that I was the biggest problem because I was on autopilot, automatically waking and going in to D’s room throughout the night when he made the slightest peep.  I wasn’t giving him the time to work out the transition between sleep cycles on his own.  Had I given him a few minutes, he would have done this on his own.  He still wakes throughout the night, but he self-soothes himself back to sleep in under 10 minutes.

Naps have been a little more touch-and-go, but for the most part, D has been taking 1-2 hour naps since the first week of sleep training.  We’ve had an illness, a milestone, and 4 teeth coming in, and it seems to have affected D’s nap schedule, rather than his nighttime sleep.  As I write this, D is entering his second hour of a nap; I never thought that it was possible for D to take decent naps.

Hiring a sleep consultant was one of the best investments we’ve made as a family.  Our ‘sleep anxiety’ is almost non-existent (I still get anxious when we travel and take D from his usual routine), and we’re all feeling happier and more rested.  Having someone give us an actual plan meant that my husband and myself were consistent in our methods and on the same page with our approach — very important for D.  We had a bedtime routine, it just needed to be tweaked.  Three weeks in and D knows the drill.

If your little one has sleep issues, no matter how big or small, I would highly recommend not waiting the 8 1/2 months we did — take care of those issues now, you’ll thank yourself later!  To help you get on the right track, Jennifer (Sleep Goddess) at Gift of Sleep Consulting is offering one lucky reader a $100 gift certificate towards her services (awesome, I know)!  So, what are you waiting for?  Get your sleep on!

* I was not paid for this review, however, I was offered a discounted rate of services in exchange for my opinions.

Stirrings of Spring

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When the temperature hit 70 yesterday, I was anxious for D to wake from his nap so that we could go for a hike and picnic on the trail.  The mild seasons, fall and spring, are my favorites, because you get to see the life cycle happen the most during those times.  Leaves begin to die and change color, sun and temperatures warm the earth and green shoots start to sprout; being able to witness these events is one of the main reasons I love hiking.  There is such a peacefulness and calm, amidst such drastic change.

D loves hiking too.  I finally did get my carrier (an Ergo instead of a Boba) and D’s eyes lit up when I put it on.  We set off, walking the block from our house to the trail entrance, and were greeted by the sight of a fawn dashing across once we hit the trail.  Almost everything was dead, except some amazing patches of green with yellow flowers — such a contrast to all of the grey!  D was taking it all in, kicking his little legs and babbling up a storm.  We stopped for some photo-ops, and then settled into a spot for a picnic.

D distractedly ate his lunch, watching the creek bubble and churn over the rocks in front of us.  I gave D a quick lesson in hiking safety:

And we headed home for D’s nap.  While having a baby means I can’t spend hours hiking miles on the trail, I’m grateful for the short time that we are able to enjoy out on the trail and surrounded by nature.

Easy Fruit Shortcuts

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My husband and me are not big fruit eaters.  Sure, we’ll go through brief phases of eating apples or grapes or pears, but it doesn’t last long.  I’ve just never been a huge fan of fruit, but give me any veggie, and I’ll be happy.  I feed D a well-rounded diet that includes fruits, but I needed a solution for ‘keeping’ fruit – a fruit shortcut, if you will; with the baby portions being served, the fruit would spoil before it was finished.  So, these are some of the fruit shortcuts we use to serve to D:

Freeze-dried blueberries.  I just discovered these at Trader Joe’s and D loves them!  These are much better than those horrible ‘puffs’ they have on the market for babies, and these have a similar texture.  These look just like a fresh blueberry, except they crumble when you put them in your mouth.  They pack a ton of flavor!  Be warned, these will have a purple juice just like a fresh berry:

TJ’s also has versions in pineapple, strawberry and raspberry – I’m thinking of trying pineapple and mixing with puffed rice for a great diaper bag on-the-go snack for D (the blueberries would be a stain waiting to happen).

Raisins are super easy and they keep well.  My only concern is that many dried fruits (I was checking out cranberries and blueberries this past weekend) have sugar added to them.  Raisins are sweet enough as it is, so these are a special treat.

Frozen fruits are the closest thing to fresh fruits.  I love Dole’s selection, and these frozen fruit chunks work really well in a mesh feeder – great for a teething kiddo!  D loves the mango, and it’s super easy for me to grab a few pieces and defrost them for D’s meals.  Again, no spoiled fruit here.

These are some great fruit shortcuts, especially for the winter months.  I’m sure our fruit selection will become more varied once summer is here, plus melons will be in season — that’s a fruit that the whole family enjoys.

What are some of your fruit shortcuts?

My ‘Eclectic’ Cloth Diaper Stash

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cloth diaper blogs

**this post contains affiliate links
My cloth diaper stash is eclectic; a hodgepodge, mish-mash collection that makes absolutely no sense.  My stash resembles the insane hormone fluctuations one endures throughout pregnancy, and for good reason — I pieced together the majority of our stash throughout those ten months.
I began with some newborn prefolds, then added Econobums through a sale, some bumGenius 3.0s through eBay, then more prefolds, a Wahmies pocket and a Kissaluvs fitted  from a local woman liquidating her cloth diaper business, and a couple of Thirsties covers from my shower.  The coup de grace?  Purchasing a HUGE lot on ebay when D was weeks old, and I was overwhelmed with doing daily laundry.  The eBay lot was a woman’s entire stash, being liquidated due to potty training.

5 Days of diaper laundry – this is all our 10 gallon pail will hold

Because I purchased so much before I was actually diapering, I ended-up with A LOT of pockets that go unused.  I had no way of knowing that I would prefer prefolds (and now recently, fitteds).  I have sold some of the pockets, but am still left with a lot left over.  I keep telling myself that we may use pockets when D is older, but I’m not so sure that it will ever happen.
The great thing about cloth diapers is that they hold their value.  If I do end up using prefolds through to potty training, I know that I’ll be able to recoup some of the money spent on pockets (and maybe apply it to some more fitteds or trainers).  All in all, I love the fact that we are able to diaper our son, and any future children, for under $400.  If I can only continue to practice the self control I’ve had until now (it’s going to be tough with my newfound penchant for fitteds)…

My Cloth Diaper Stats:
12 Newborn Prefolds
37 Medium Prefolds
24 Large Prefolds
2 Size 1 Covers
2 Size 2 Covers
10 OS Covers
15 Pockets
Countless Inserts
2 Fitteds (w/ 1 on the way)
2 Wool Soakers (w/ plans to knit a few more for summer)