Strawberry freezer jam

So I have been wanting to learn how to make freezer jam for years now. I had it a couple of times while we were living in Utah and I LOVED the stuff! Since Costco had organic strawberries for $6.99, I decided to use the whole 4 lbs and make my own jam. It was actually SO easy! The directions are included in the fruit pectin box. I am excited to use my own and save on buying jam. The whole box of strawberries made 5.5 containers...roughly 10 cups. You should all come over to my house for toast and jam!

My thoughts on Cloth Diapering

A friend of mine asked me to do some blog posts on cloth diapering and what my experience has been with it.






So..here is some information I have compiled on cloth diapering as well as my own personal experiences.


Cloth diapers are better for the environment.
Here are a few of the reasons why:

Eighteen billion disposable diapers are placed in landfills each year. They take as long as 500 years to decompose.

Disposable diapers make up the third-largest source of solid waste in landfills, after newspapers and food/beverage containers.

It takes more than 82,000 tons of plastic and 1.3 million tons of wood pulp (a quarter of a million tress) to manufacture the disposables that cover all the babies in the United States right now.

The wastewater produced from washing diapers is benign, while the wastewater from the manufacture of the pulp, paper, and plastics used in disposable diapers is toxic, containing dioxins, solvents, sludge, and heavy metals.

The Landbank Report, an independent review and evaluation done by a London environmental agency, concluded that compared with cloth diapers, throwaway diapers use 20 times more raw materials, three times more energy, two times more water, and generate 60 times more waste (The Landbank Consultancy Limited, “A Review of Proctor & Gamble’s Environmental Balances for Disposable and Re-usable Nappies,” July 1991).
Damage to the environment by using disposable diapers is only one factor in your choices about diapers.

Another factor is the health and comfort of your baby.
Consider these points:

Superabasorbent disposable diapers contain a substance called sodium
polyacrylate that absorbs up to 100 times its weight in water. When you change a
baby that has worn one of these diapers, you may notice clear beads of this gel
on her genitals and bottom. No studies have been conducted on the effects of
sodium polyacrylate on infants, many of whom are exposed to it 24 hours a day
for years. Dioxin, a toxic by-product of the paper bleaching process used in
making disposable diapers, is present in them.

Recent research has indicated that disposables may be a trigger for asthma, due to the release of chemical fumes. No similar response occurred in the cloth diapers tested.

A German study found a possible link between plastic diapers and male
infertility. Further studies are needed to see if these effects are long term.

Disposable diapers seem to cause more skin problems in babies. Cotton
seems to “breathe” better. Disposables are so well sealed that a baby can go for
hours without a leak—but that same seal gives bacteria a fabulous breeding
ground as well, and the ammonia that develops in the bacterial breakdown of
urine has nowhere to go. Babies in cloth diapers tend to be changed more
frequently, whereas the sense of dryness that disposable diaper gives may cause
the parents to leave it on the baby for hours.

There are other advantages to using cloth diapers as well. One of these is cost. Disposable diapers cost between 14 and 32 cents per use. Cloth diapers can cost as little as 5 cents per use, if you wash them yourself, or between 8 and 15 cents per use if you use a service.

As well, experts tend to agree that toddlers who use cloth diapers potty-train earlier. There is a very good reason for this. Children who wear disposable cannot feel the dampness of their diapers. There is simply no incentive to learn to use the toilet.

Here is a great article from Mothering magazine on cloth diapering.
It is called, "Dumping Disposable Diapers"

p.s. - the formatting on that last paragraph is off, I know...couldn't fix it. ;-P

What I have used:

Here are the covers I use if I am using a prefold. They are called Thirsties covers. They work GREAT and we rarely have leaks. I also love all the colors they come in.

These are prefold diapers. You can get the chinese or indian variety. I have some indian ones and find that they are much softer..though I loved my chinese ones just fine. These require the most "learning." Once you figure out the best way to fold them onto your baby, I recommend using a "snappi" fastener. Snappis have replaced pins...no one gets poked anymore! Snappis look like a "T" with plastic teeth that hold the diaper snugly around the baby and then you put the cover over the prefold to keep everything dry. These are the most economical at $1-2 each. I used these the most when Leo was very small.

This "pocket" diaper is the Pocket Change brand. I have one that I bought to try out. The pros are that the medium size will fit most babies for a long time. I think it works
from @ 10lbs - 20-something lbs. as Leo is 20lbs and still fits in it. It is very trim for a cloth diaper and when you buy it, it comes with 2 inserts: a regular micro terry one and a hemp doubler for naps or night time. They use plastic snaps around the waist which many people like because it won't wear out like velcro eventually will. The other great thing about this diaper is that even though you still need to "stuff" it with the insert, there are openings on the front AND back and there is no need to "unstuff" the diaper after it is soiled. The insert agitates out in the wash all by itself! These diapers are about $18 each, including the inserts.

This is probably my favorite cloth diaper. It is the Bum Genius one sized pocket diaper. This diaper will fit an 8lb. baby and up through potty training. This picture shows one on the smallest setting. They use snaps to provide 3 size settings in the rise and the velcro tabs allow you to get the snuggest fit around your child's waist. It comes with 2 inserts ; an infant one and a full size one that also has snaps to shorten the length. Honestly, on the smallest setting, they are a bit bulky on a newborn but I started using these on Leo when he was 1 month old and they fit just great! They have really tight leg and waist gussets so I NEVER get "blowouts" with these diapers. I used disposables on Bella till she was about a year old and when she was little, I can't even count how many times we would have to change her because of a blowout. It also used to ruin a lot of her clothes because of that. These diapers are about $18 each as well but since you can use then through potty training, it is well worth the money. If you take good care of them, you can even use them for more than 1 child, saving even more money. Leo is using Bum Genius' that I bought for Isabella. These are very absorbent...probably the most of any diaper I have tried, and at night I just add an infant prefold to the regular liner and he stays dry for almost 12 hours! I have also found that these are not intimidating to dads, grandparents, babysitters...etc. They go on and off just like a disposable.

My favorite place to buy my diapers online has been from Nickis Diapers. http://www.nickisdiapers.com/ They do not charge any shipping on pocket diaper and since those seem to be my favorite, that is great for me!

http://www.cottonbabies.com/ is also a great site for cloth diapers and accessories.

What are your experiences with cloth diapering and what are some diapers that you love???

What is a Doula?

If you don't already know, I am a birth doula and as soon as Leo is a bit older, I hope to get more regular clients. I saw this video and think it does a good job explaining to people who may not know, what a doula is.