Wool Blog Share

Came across a blog called "The Mindful Home",  this blog needs sharing, the posy I'm sharing covers all things wool and I totally recommend giving this a read. 
Click here :)
There is a part one and part two, check out both. 

My Buttetfly Fitted Pattern

This is my butterfly fitted, it is a large os.  It fits larger then Arfy's, for those with bigger babies. 

The punched out holes are elastic placement for a chunky thigh baby.

For an elastic that goes all around the leg (for a skinny minnie) use the red dots,  and take a 1/2 inch off the "cut on fold" edge. 

The back elastic placement is hard to see in this pic but it lines up with the leg elastic for a chunky thigh. 

I usually place this on my fabric, trace, flip and trace.  As opposed to cutting on the fold. 

Butterfly fitted tutorial link

Folding Diapers With Monkey

Today Monkey "helped" me fold diapers, and other chores.  Monkey is my youngest and is now 11 months.  My oldest is 19.  I've always cleaned with the kids.  It is extra work, like two steps forward, one step back.  But if you ignore that it's kind of fun.  A mobile baby will find great joy in "helping".  And even though it is extra work it is worth it.  Very soon I will begin teaching Monkey to put a clean and folded diaper into the diaper bin, socks in the drawer etc.  When he has had enough, I'll let him play.  The diapers won't likely be folded by the time Monkey gets them in the bin.   But that's OK.  He will slowly be learning to do chores.  In our house the rule is: if one is cleaning, everyone is cleaning.  The only way out of that is if your outside playing. 

My oldest kids never complained and I think its cuz we all worked together.  Also they all know how to look after a house, cook a meal etc.  My 19 & 14 yrs old also know how to do grocery 

shopping, make a shopping list and pay bills.  They are competent young Women. 

I had a proud moment last month.  My 14 yrs olds math teacher was impressed that she could add up a grocery list and add the tax in her head.  He asked how she learned to do that.  She said "well I do go shopping".  The teacher told her lots of people go shopping without that skill, so she told him I taught her.  He was impressed. 

I love having fluff folded and organized a certain way.  And I've enjoyed doing that these past 11 months.  But now the time has come to let go of the particularities we moms each have over certain things and let Monkey slowly lean in a relaxed environment.

Bibs For Heavy Droolers

We've all heard of heavy wetters, but what about heavy droolers?

When Monkey is cutting teeth he drools like Niagara Falls.   This caused a rash (much like a diaper rash), on his neck, edge of face and chest. 

I tried a bib topped in wicking Jersey and backed in blizzard fleece.  It didn't help.  He seemed more wet against his face and neck....and against by skin when nursing.  Did not feel nice lol.

I tried flannel backed in blizzard fleece.  This did help.  I think topping in micro fleece would help more, and will get on that soon. 

Also I made a wool sweater vest.  That worked great. 

Monkey is back to drooling this week so my fleece bibs are out and on.

Send Your Kids Outside

I have 6 kids aged 19 years to 11 months.  I've been at this parenting thing a while and have some opinions beyond babyhood and diapers.  And today's post is about some of that.  I have been a free range mom from the beginning.  Yes I breastfeed, co-sleep and baby wear.  Its all part if letting my kids know that I will always be there, give them the confidence to grow up and do things on their own.  The result has been very confident teens.  They can do all kinds if adult things.  I don't have them do adult things always, but enough so they know they can.  And i am not afraid of them leaving the nest.  I'm excited to see this next step in their lives, just as I was when the walked, used the potty, walked to the park, ride their bike etc.  

So without further ado; Send Your Kids Outside
This past week my fb, blog roll and even my newstream has been bombarded by the rise of free range parenting and the nanny state and over protective parents.  Which results in adults wanting to be over protected (trigger warnings, safe rooms and "shame free"). 
I'm glad free range is finally rising in popularity.  Also it leads to many solutions. 
Send your kids outside - less fat kids
Send your kids outside -  less screen time
Send your kids outside - learn the skills to look after themselves so they can leave home before 30!
Send your kids outside - less sibling arguments
Send your kids outside - develop imagination
Send your kids outside - hungry kids who will eat whatever is placed on the table
Send your kids outside - something to talk to mom about at dinner, with enthusiasm even. 
What if they get hurt?  Yeah but that happens inside too, at least they'll have a good story to go with it. 

Easy Diaper Washing Routine

So if your using cloth diapers or thinking about it, you've likely learned that diaper laundry is this totally complicated thing of trial and error.  And so you saw this post.  And here we are. 

Diaper laundry can be easy or it can be all the crazy things you've heard.  If you want an easy routine you need 2 things.
1. Possibly a top load washing machine.  They clean better.  Sell the expensive HE with its gadgets, go to a second hand appliance store and buy an older washer.  But maybe with step 2, step one isn't necessary. 
2. Use natural fabric diapers, or minimal synthetics.  Don't use any MF (that includes zorb).  Skip the aio's and probably the pockets and ai2's.  Use Fitted's, prefolds, flats, wio's, and even HF's.  Buy or make diapers where layers are separated.  Cotton and hemp are your new best friends.  And use a regular laundry detergent so long as it doesn't have softeners (tide, gain, xtra). 

So how does my easy wash routine go?  Well I take the diapers out of my open diaper pail with no liner.  I throw it in the top loader with one thing of laundry detergent, some vinegar and some regular laundry to make a full load. It goes in hot on a regular cycle.  No extra rinses or anything.  Then into the dryer. 

My diapers are mostly cotton and hemp.  There is a few with poly fleece, CV, or Minky.  Such layers are minimal.  This makes them wash easy.  And so my diaper laundry routine is the exact same as my regular laundry.  This is how it should be, but it starts with your diaper choices. 

Wool Washing Day

Last night I washed almost all the wool.  At this point I'm using the bathtub instead of the sink cuz there is just that much.  I wash with baby bath wash.  I scrub dirty parts and knead the rest like bread. Then soak it a bit.

Next I lanolized.  I emulsify the lanolin in a pop bottle with hot water and a drop if baby wash.  Add that to the tub, add lukewarm water and let them all soak.  Then hubby and I squeezed out the water, shook out the water.  The shaking step had us laughing as plenty of water came out soaking us, making us smell like wet sheep.  Then we rolled them in towels and hung to dry. 

They start out hanging in the bathroom.  But one by one they go in the back of a fan.  I turned the fan of this morning with two dry.  I need to dry the rest bit its so cold.  I need to decide which room will be made colder by the fan.  
In the pic below the fan is in the hallway only for the sake of the pic.  It's grey and cold outside and pics are looking dark.