Crunchy Moms ::

Baby Yoga

2013-11-09T15:04:00.001-06:00

This is a post from my old personal blog (this is the only post from that blog sadly) which I have deleted. I thought it might be a good post for this blog as well, so here it is.

I found this great youtube channel that has lots of baby yoga and baby swimming videos. I tried the Baby Yoga & Singing videos with Parker and he loved it! At least until he got crabby and wanted to crawl around. :)

Baby Yoga

Baby Yoga & Singing

Motherhood

2013-11-09T13:15:00.001-06:00

To embrace the incredible journey that is motherhood is to reach deep within oneself, straight into the very essence of ones state of being, to reach into the depth of fear and anxiety, and pull those fears and anxieties to the forefront of ones existence. Then one must break through the armor sheltering ones heart, bring the fragile heart to the surface and wrap it tightly and firmly within the aforementioned fears and anxieties, rip a piece of ones soul free from the rest, combine these all together in one tiny, delicate bundle, and expel the bundle outward from the body, in agony and love. One will protect and revere this tiny piece of oneself for all of life hereafter, as it becomes more important than the bigger self you still possess. You will never be whole again, the most treasured piece of yourself never fully under your control again, yet you will celebrate and honor the separation.

This is motherhood.

Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ” ― Elizabeth Stone

Guess Who's Back, Back Again? Part One

2012-08-02T19:16:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since I've posted here. There has been an incredible whirlwind rush of crazy going on in our lives since I last posted. I think it started out with a definite feeling of being overwhelmed from taking on too much too soon with this blog and the accompanying Facebook page. Then my son began teething at about four months old and continued with horribly fussy teething until about eight months old (he is now 11 months old). Then I started my own photography company. Shortly after that, Nate's parents informed us that they would be buying us a house. Much celebration commenced as, at the time, we were living in a 546 square foot, one bedroom, rental house- two kids, two adults, five cats, and a dog squeezed into such a tiny space. And since the bedroom was filled with the clothing of four people, we couldn't spend much time in there, other than to sleep, and even that was cramped. My daughter slept on a pullout couch in the living room and all of the kids "stuff" (swing, bouncer, jumperoo, toys, toys, more toys, etc...) was located in the living room too. The kitchen was just big enough to barely cook in. So we spent all of our time in one miniscule corner of the living room, falling over each other. So we started looking for houses in good neighborhoods (the in-laws aren't a fan of Saint Paul proper apparently), with good schools nearby (almost impossible in this metro), and within the financial limits set for us. Nate's parents found an amazing three plus bedroom, three bathroom, 2000 square foot home in the quiet, yet conveniently located suburb of North Saint Paul. And then we had to wait for the closing. And then we had to wait for all the necessary work to be done on the house. And then we had to wait for the rooms to be painted and small cosmetic issues to be fixed. And then one day it got really, REALLY hot inside our tiny rental house and I demanded that we move in to the new house immediately or I was going to suffer some sort of nervous breakdown. Then we had to physically move all of our stuff into the new house and organize our most needed possessions. Anyone who has ever moved a multi-person household knows how much of a pain this can be. Also, about a month before we moved, someone poisoned our dog. Twice. The first time we caught it and got him treated. The second time, he died a horrible death. Whoever did this threw bakers chocolate laced with rat poison into our backyard. The police didn't seem too concerned, which was strange to me as any child in our neighborhood could have wandered into our backyard and consumed the chocolate. There are so many children on that block and there have been quite a few times where I had gone into the backyard to find one or more of the neighborhood children digging in the dirt alone and unsupervised. I don't have a problem with that, but when there is poisoned candy being thrown into said backyard I do have a problem. Shortly after we moved in to our new home, my friend Mary came to stay with us for a week, went home for a week and a half and then came back for another week and a half. Add in family get-togethers (the Fourth of July and the annual All Girl Pool Party), my own long stint with bronchitis (I am finally starting to feel better after two weeks of being violently ill and having asthma attacks, which I hadn't had since I was nine years old), and now Parker's ear infection, double eye infection, dog bite, and vaccine reaction. I've been crazy busy. I've been yearning to get back to blogging, even going so far as to consider creating an online journal and going back to my high school era diary style writing. So here I am. I promise, I'll try not to go away for this long again.

And The Winner Is...

2012-02-02T08:50:00.000-06:00

The winner of The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment Laundry Soap Giveaway (brought to you by CrunchyMoms and All Things Diapers) is...........

TRESHENNA! (Ms Polka Dottie) :)

Congradulations!

Treshenna will be receiving a package of Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder, courtesy of All Things Diapers.

CrunchyMom's Guide to Car Seat Safety [Part Two]

2012-01-11T23:49:00.003-06:00

In my last post I listed the most common car seat laws and safety guidelines in the United States. In this post I will list more car seat safety tips and guidelines.

Car seat safety has become even more important to me as yesterday I was in an accident with both my children and my fiance in the car. After picking up my car from the "shop" where they replaced two of my tires and rotated all of them, I heard a bumpy noise upon leaving the parking lot. I went to the gas station and then started back home. The sound got worse and the steering wheel started moving on its own. I slowed down to turn around and go back to the "shop" to have them check it out when my passenger side front tire flew off and across the sidewalk. Luckily, we were going less than 15 mph, but had we been going any faster, it could have been bad. Our seat belts and my children's car seats kept us from being thrown forward and to the right when the tire flew off.

Car Seat Safety Tips & Guidelines

Never ever EVER alter your child safety seat in any way. This includes but is not limited to:

Handmade or store bought custom car seat covers. Sure they're cute, but they aren't safe. Some manufacturers make different covers specifically for their car seats. This is fine because it's made by the manufacturer FOR that particular car seat.
Head positioners. If your car seat comes with a head positioner it's fine to use it. You can also remove these as the car seat will have been tested with and without the positioner. However, if your car seat didn't come with one, DO NOT add one.
Towels under harness straps. I honestly wasn't aware of this one, but apparently it's among the bad advice given to parents. Do not put ANYTHING between your child and the straps.
Some manufacturers consider toy bars to be dangerous and use of them will void your warranty.

Make sure your car seats safety straps are adjusted properly for your child. The rule (at least the one I have heard most often) is, if you're rear facing, the straps should be at the slot at or just underneath your child's shoulders and come up and over your child's shoulders. If you're forward facing the straps should be at or just above your child's shoulders.

Never use puffy jackets or snowsuits with car seats. The rule is- if you have to adjust the straps to allow for the extra thickness of the jacket or snowsuit, it's dangerous. Try a thinner but warmer jacket or just put your child in warm clothing, strap them in, put a blanket over their body, and bring the jackets and snowsuits with (for going between the car and your destination and/or emergencies in cold weather). I know this one is harder for us mommas in colder climates, but it's safer. Your child can be thrown out of their jacket and their car seat. I've heard stories of children being thrown from the car seat but their jacket still being under the straps.

This is one I don't understand, but I'm putting it here anyway, because it says so in my manual, and lots of mommas online brought this one to my attention as well. When driving, make sure the handle on an infant seat is down (and clicked down too, not just haphazardly pushed down- I get on my fiance's case all the time about this one).

There should only be one inch or less of wiggle room at the bottom of the car seat or car seat base.

Find a car seat that works for your child AND your vehicle. Some car seats don't work too well in some vehicles. For example, my daughters convertible car seat works great in my car, but it tilts and moves too much in my fiance's car. Some stores will let you test out car seats before you buy. Most will let you return a seat if it doesn't work for your child or vehicle.

At least 80% of the car seats base should be on the vehicle's seat.

Rear facing car seats should be at angled at 45 degrees or less. This is so baby's head stays in contact with the seat and their airways are kept open.

Use the pinch test to make sure the harness straps are tight enough. You shouldn't be able to pinch the straps at the shoulder.

In a five point harness seat, the clip should be at chest level, in between your child's armpits.

Use either the cars latch system OR the seat belt to secure the car seat. Do not use both.

Car seats generally expire after six years. Some expire after ten years, however. Please make sure by checking the expiration date of your car seat. A lot of seats will have the expiration date stamped on the bottom.

Never buy or borrow a used car seat unless you are absolutely 100% sure of it's history. People selling things online or in a garage sale want to make money and probably wont be completely honest with you about when they bought it or if it's ever been in an accident.

Once your car seat has been in an accident, it's time to replace it.

Check your car seat frequently for signs of wear or damage.

Only add toys to a toybar that you would be comfortable having hit your child in the head or face. Don't use hard toys. Toys can injure your child in a crash.

Learn to lock your seat belts to keep the car seat installed tightly.

Make sure you check the manufacturers instructions for cleaning your car seat. Bleach and rough washing can damage straps, buckles, and other parts, and you want those parts working properly if you're in a crash.

Frighteningly enough, some car seat experts have seen people using duct tape and bungee cords to repair car seats or replace parts of car seats. I swear to God if any of you ever do this, or if I see anyone do this, I will literally explode and then haunt you for the rest of my life.

Don't ignore the height and weight restrictions on your car seat. If your child is too heavy, the straps can pull through. If they're too tall, their heads wont be protected in a crash.

If your child is tall, their legs bending or touching the back of the vehicles seat is NOT an excuse to switch to forward facing. That being said, I do know a woman whose 10 month old daughter literally has to sit almost completely cross legged when rear facing. I honestly can't find any information on what to do in that situation. However, I'm fairly certain that this situation is extremely rare.

Don't put car seats on grocery carts unless the cart has a system specifically meant to secure a car seat (apparently these exist, I've never seen any though). Children have died when their parents hit a bump with the cart and the car seat falls off.

Remember that anything loose in the car can be a potential hazard. Got a case of soda on the seat? Got an ice scraper in the back? In a crash, anything can fly anywhere, so it's best to put these things in the trunk or rear of an SUV/MiniVan.

An old and outdated rule is that you should be able to fit two fingers between your child and the seat belt or harness straps. This is NOT true. The belt and/or straps need to be tighter than that. Use the pinch test to determine if the straps are tight enough.

If you use your vehicles latch system, read your vehicles manual to make sure you know the weight limits and guidelines for using this system! Different vehicles have different guidelines so make sure you know the guidelines for YOUR vehicle.

The safest place for a car seat is in the middle of the back seat. However, it's more important that the car seat be properly installed. If the seat can be more safely installed on a "window seat" then put it there. And obviously if you have more than one child, you can't do this. I have two children and always put the youngest in the middle.

Always wear your own seat belt to be a good example for your children.

I asked for input on Facebook and one lovely woman said: RYDM! (read your damn manual) I really like this, so I will repeat her advice, RYDM!

The most important thing I can add to this list is: If you're confused or unsure, find a car seat tech and have the seat properly installed and have them show you how to install it correctly!

Remember that contrary to popular belief, most police officers and firefighters are NOT trained in car seat safety. Always have your seat installation checked out by a certified car seat technician.

CrunchyMom's Guide to Car Seat Safety [Part One]

2012-01-11T18:27:00.001-06:00

Car seat safety is a big deal among crunchy parents. Everyone is talking about car seat safety, and jumping down other mother's throats when it comes to this issue. For those of you who feel overwhelmed with all the car seat nazi talk going around, I've constructed this article which includes all the car seat safety tips and laws that I can find.

Car Seat Laws & Guidelines

All children should be in an appropriate car seat or booster seat until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall and 80-100 pounds. Most children will reach these limits between 8-12 years of age.

Children 12 years of age and under must remain in the back seat of the car at all times.

Infant style car seats are best for small infants and are usually usable from 4-5 pounds (birth-weight) until 20-22 pounds. Different manufacturers have different guidelines, so please use this only as a general idea and CHECK YOUR CAR SEAT MANUAL for actual guidelines.

Convertible car seats are generally considered the safest option. They usually can be used rear facing from birth to 20-22 pounds and forward facing from 20 pounds to 40-65 pounds depending on the model. Try to get a seat with the highest rear and forward facing limits that you can both find and afford.

Federal law says that children must remain rear facing until age one AND 20 pounds as a minimum. New rear facing guidelines recommend rear facing your child until two years of age. Because of these new recommendations, some convertible seats are now able to be used in a rear facing position until much higher weights. Check your model for manufacturers guidelines and limits regarding weight/height recommendations.

The guidelines for booster seats are usually age four, and 40 pounds or more. However, if your child can still ride safely in his/her convertible seat, that is the best option. From car-safety.org : "If a child's shoulders are above the level of the top slots in their regular car seat, or the tops of their ears are above the top of the shell, then they may be able to move to a booster or another forward-facing seat which accommodates taller children. Usually a child can be moved to a booster when they are too big for a harnessed car seat, and once they are able to sit properly in a seat belt."

When your child is using a booster seat, the seat belt must be used properly. Do not put the shoulder belt under their arm or behind their back. Also, make sure the lap belt rests across their hips, not the soft part of their stomach. You must use both the lap belt and the shoulder belt with a booster seat.

Owners of pickup trucks that don't have an extended cab or in which the extended cab is too small or incompatible with a child safety seat can legally have their child's car seat in the front seat of the truck. However, the passenger air bag must be turned OFF when there are children riding in the front of the truck.

Your child is ready to use a seat belt without a booster seat when they can pass the Safety Belt Fit Test.

The Safety Belt Fit Test [from safekids.org]

Have your child sit in a back seat with their bottom and back against the vehicle’s seat back. Do the child’s knees bend at the seat’s edge? If yes, go on. If not, the child must stay in a booster seat.
Buckle the seat belt. Does the lap belt stay low on the hips? If yes, go on. If it rests on the soft part of the stomach, the child must stay in a booster seat.
Look at the shoulder belt. Does it lay on the collarbone and shoulder? If yes, go on. If it is on the face or neck, the child must remain in a booster seat.
- Never put the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind the child’s back. Do not allow children to play with the shoulder portion of a seat belt. Treat it like any cord.
Can the child maintain the correct seating position with the shoulder belt on the shoulder and the lap belt low across the hips? If yes, the child has passed the Safety Belt Fit Test. If no, the child should return to a booster seat and re-test in a month.

Don't forget to read Part Two of my car seat safety series!

The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment :: Experiment Wrap-Up

2012-01-06T17:59:00.001-06:00

After a long hiatus due to the Holiday Season, a broken computer keyboard, followed by a broken computer, followed by a major flood of our bathroom, kitchen, and basement (installation of our new BumGenius diaper sprayer didn't go so smoothly), Crunchy Moms is finally back in the blogosphere! To celebrate our return, we're wrapping up the Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment!

It was a hard decision, and one I poured (gallons and gallons of water) over (stinky diapers) for over a month! I couldn't decided how to finalize the experiment so I just decided to give you my results and opinions straight and bluntly.

After using the Thirsties for only a week, I realized that my diapers were still stinky. When they were wet out of the wash, they smelled horrible. Out of the dryer they weren't so bad but once they got wet, stink city!

The Rockin' Green cleaned my diapers fairly well, but I realized I needed to do a couple extra rinse cycles to get the extra suds and the oily residue from the fragrance oils out of my diapers.

Charlie's smells like windex, but it cleaned my diapers fantastically. I looked up the material safety data sheet for the laundry powder, as I had heard concerns about toxic substances in the all purpose cleaner. The MSDS didn't list any toxic chemicals in the laundry powder, so I feel comfortable recommending it. And of course, the real point of this experiment, with Charlie's: The stink was gone!

So Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder is the W I N N E R !!!

I will note, however, in our household, we have decided to use a mixture of Charlie's and Rockin' Green on our diapers. I love the scents of the Rockin' Green detergent and I love the cleaning power of Charlie's. I've always been a bit of a tester and a mixer of cleaning agents, and I've found that this combo cleans our diapers wonderfully and makes doing diaper laundry fun!

Tonight I will chose the winner of the contest at random. The winner will receive a package of Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder, courtesy of All Things Diapers!

If you haven't already entered the contest, you still have time! The contest will close at Midnight (CST) tonight, Friday, January 6th, 2012! Go to our first post in this series to find out how to enter!

It's the little things!

2011-12-18T03:19:00.000-06:00

When I'm sick, like a lot of people, I don't have the energy to change out of my PJs, shower or bathe properly (I do it, just not very well), or do much of anything. Add a four year old and an infant to that and there is no time in between stealing naps when I can and laying on the couch feeling like death. I've been wearing the same clothes for days. It's pretty gross, honestly. Tonight I finally had the time and the energy to take a proper tea tub. I feel amazing! My hair is washed and detangled, my skin is clean, I'm wearing clean clothes. I cannot tell you how much better I feel!

I must apologize...

2011-12-14T15:18:00.000-06:00

...For my absence lately. I've been very ill with a combination of Strep Throat and Tonsillitis that has gone completely crazy. After 24 hours of antibiotics I am actually feeling worse instead of better. The infection seems to have spread to my nose and lungs. The last three days have mostly been spent sleeping. I will update when I come out of the haze of bacterial infection.

Seven Ways Wednesdays - Seven Ways to "Crunchify" Your Life

2011-12-07T06:35:00.001-06:00

In honor of my son, I am presenting Seven Ways Wednesdays. Today is Wednesday the Seventh and my son, Parker was born on Wednesday the Seventh in September of this year. So, to celebrate Parker, and to help myself, and you, my readers, get down and crunchy, I will be posting Seven Ways to Crunchify Your Life every Wednesday until Parker turns the big Oh One!

Try cloth wipes - They save you money, save space in landfills, and are a good way to test the waters before jumping into cloth diapering.
Make your own baby food - You don't need expensive equipment, just a blender, food mill, or food processor; ice cube trays or similar freezer safe containers; and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Wear your baby - Try out a carrier, wrap, or sling and enjoy the benefits of having baby close to you: more hands free time to get stuff done, cuddle time, and a (usually) happier baby!
Diva Cup / Mamma Cloth - Look into alternate, more eco-friendly menstrual management solutions. Not only are they better for the environment, they're also better for your health and cheaper in the long run.
Try (safe) co sleeping - Check out the co sleeping safety resources on my adventures in co-sleeping page above and spend a night in the family bed.
Trade in your Clorox, Lysol, and Mr Clean for safer, more natural household cleaners - You can make your own, for very little money, with peroxide, baking soda, and vinegar, or you can purchase reasonably priced store versions from brands like Seventh Generation, Method, and
Check all baby products for BPA - Most bottles and pacifiers are made BPA Free these days but check out your baby's belongings to make sure none snuck there way into your home.

I will be posting seven more easy and inexpensive ways to "Crunchify" your life each week. Don't forget to subscribe to my blog (via Google Friend Connect, RSS, or Email) so you don't miss any of my tips and ideas. We will go from the very basic to the very dedicated as the series continues.

The Drive-thru Difference. (how my family was blessed in a time of need by a couple that didn't know us at all)

2011-12-06T18:30:00.000-06:00

KTIS FM (98.5) is radio station here in the Twin Cities that is doing a program called The Drive-thru Difference. Basically, people can print cards off their website, and when they go through a drive-through, they pay for the meal of the person behind them and tell the cashier to give the person one of the cards. The card talks about the radio station and the drive-thru difference, asking the recipient to pay it forward if they are able. I was recently the recipient of one of these cards (and a free meal) and it came at a very trying time for our family. They ask you, on the card, to call in or go to their website and share your story. I'm a horrible procrastinator, but it was important to me to share my story, so today I went to their website and sent them the story below.

On November 18th, 2011, my family and I were going through the McDonalds drive through on Suburban Avenue on the east side of St Paul. We were very worried about how much money we were spending on the food, when a lovely couple in a teal/blue colored vehicle in front of us paid for our meal. The cashier handed us the Drive-thru Difference card and I almost started crying.

You see, my family has been going through some hard times lately. In December of last year, I became pregnant with my second child. In February, my fiance lost his job. In August, I lost mine. My child was born with some health problems that left him in the Special Care Nursery after I was sent home. He's doing well now, but, even with a new job for my fiance, we aren't doing the best financially. Our daughter has started preschool this year, which costs money, and I'm sure everyone knows how much money a new baby can take up.

The day that these wonderful people paid for our meal, we were super stressed out about money, hadn't received our food stamps for the month yet, and were worried about where our next meal was coming from. The drive through lunch was a big deal for us as we were only spending the money because it was my birthday. I wanted to enjoy the day with my daughter, son, fiance, and best friend. The amazing people who paid for our meal REALLY did make a difference in our lives. It probably was a small sacrifice for them, but it was a huge blessing for us!

PS: For those of you wondering, McDonalds is an occasional treat for us. If you're wondering what a vegetarian gets at McDonalds... ranch snack wraps with no meat add diced onions, a Reese's McFlurry, and a small fry.

Do Realistic Attachment Parents Exist? (or are they all birth, car seat, and breastfeeding nazis?)

2011-12-06T02:51:00.001-06:00

After a lot of thought and a lot of debating, I've decided that I need to change the focus of this blog. I've spent so much of my life not being myself, not being true to myself, at all, and it needs to stop. I need at least one aspect of my life (other than with my kids, they always love me for me) where I can be ME and this is it.

For the past week or so, my heart hasn't been into writing. I feel as if I am merely going through the motions, recycling the same old thing that's on every attachment parenting, natural parenting, or green mom blog. I sat down and thought about what makes me unique. And, as I was writing a blog post (coming soon, I promise) about car seat safety, I realized...

I may be an attachment focused parent. I may breastfeed, cloth diaper, use cloth wipes (and occasionally "the family cloth"), eat vegetarian, babywear, cosleep, and never ever ever spank my kids. I may even have a son who is lucky because I left him intact.

But I am not fanatical.

I'm not ridiculously overprotective (even when I want to be).
I take long baths, even though I know it's not great, I reduce my carbon footprint in other ways, like not eating meat (which is something that even some of the most hardcore green, natural living people can't seem to give up).
I did not have a medication free homebirth. I not only had a C Section, but it was PLANNED and I demanded it. That was my way of owning my own birth. I will do it again (and probably again after that). The only thing that I dislike about this method of birthing is that I can only have four children. Otherwise, it's my ideal method of delivering babies.
I don't always eat organic. Mostly because I can't afford to.
I didn't keep my daughter in a rear facing car seat until the age of 13 (in fact I was counting down the days until I could turn her around).
Even though I believe that "breast is best", I have no urge to gang up on women who chose to formula feed. It's their choice. I may not think it's the right choice, but it's not my choice to make. I fed my daughter formula because she had major reflux which was affected by breastmilk, as well as some other formulas. We give Parker one or two bottles of formula a day, not only so that his dad can enjoy feeding him, but so I can have a break once in a while. We love our breastfeeding relationship, and I refuse to give it up (especially the night feedings), but once in a while it's nice to be able to hand him to Nate and go read a book in the teatub (bath in our family).
I don't wear my baby in the house constantly. I wear him a lot. I was babywearing when babywearing was only cool on the east coast. Back when your only choice was Baby Bjorn and they were ridiculously expensive. But I don't wear him all over the house. I really do want to wear him more at home, but sometimes it's just not practical. Like this one time... when I was doing laundry... let's just say he wasn't a fan of being squished between his short mommy and the washer.
While I generally follow safe cosleeping practices, I don't have just a mattress, with no boxspring, on the floor. I did that when I was poor and pregnant with my daughter and couldn't afford a mattress, I'm not about to go back to it. I've gone through the trouble of making sure there are no spaces between the mattress and the wall that baby can fall into so I think that's adequate.
I don't think television is evil. I think it can be bad when children watch TV and play video games and never go outside or move around and exercise. But it scares me that some moms talk about secondhand TV watching. Really? TV is not like cigarette smoke. It can't "come and get" your child. Having a TV on in the background in the room where your child is wont turn your child into a big, dumb, fat, blob of stupid. I promise. My daughter has had plenty of exposure to TV and she's ridiculously gifted, always outside playing and running around, and she's actually underweight (her dad has can't-gain-weight genes. Yes, I do hate him because of it.) It's how you utilize the television and how often that matters.
Similarly, I let my four year old watch the X Files. She likes it, it doesn't desensitize her, and even though she gets scared, it's scary in a fun way for her. Just because you like scary stuff doesn't mean you're desensitized and are going to become a serial killer. There are some things I wont allow her to watch, but I'm not crazy protective about it. Eventually she'll get to the age where she'll find a way to watch it anyway and that age really isn't that far off.
I don't believe mothers need to be slaves to their children in order to practice attachment parenting. Some moms let themselves be guilted into servitude in an effort to attach. My children and I are ridiculously attached. I've lost a lot of friends because of my desire to spend most of my time with my children. However, I also carve out some time for myself every day. I was a person before I had children and I will be a person after they move out. Some of you may be confused and I hate to break the bad news- your children will someday move out of your home- and if they don't you probably did something wrong. (Of course there are always special circumstances...)
On a similar note, I absolutely HATE mothers who ONLY talk about their children. I call them Zombie Moms. Don't get me wrong, I talk about my children probably 90% of the time, but that other 10% I'm talking about my hobbies and interests and dreams and goals. Some of which do NOT involve my children. I believe that if the only aspect of your personality is the fact that you're a mom, you need to get a hobby. I'm not saying you shouldn't talk about your kids, because I do that way more than I should myself, I'm simply saying that it's a problem if you can't find anything else to talk about. If all you are is a mom, then your husband might start looking elsewhere for stimulating conversation. You need to be that sexy, unforgettable, incredible, brilliant woman he fell in love with once in a while. (I've chosen Wednesdays for these occasions. After Criminal Minds is over of course.)
Lastly, I hate it when parents are ridiculously out of touch. Do they really not remember being that age? I remember being every age (except, obviously, younger than 2) and I think it helps to look back to how you felt about certain things when you were that age. Granted, some times you were wrong, but sometimes your parents were too. This tends to repeat itself.

I'm sure there are many more examples I could give you, but I'll stop rambling and summarize the whole point of this post.

I'm sick of trying to fit into a circle when I am entirely square. I definitely am a crazy, crunchy, attachment parenting, trying-to-be-more-green mom. But I refuse to give up, not only who I am, but also, good old fashioned common sense, in order to fit in to a niche.

So I will share thoughts on attachment parenting and crunchiness from my own perspective, even though it might be a little less breastfeeding-cloth diapering-car seat-birth nazi than some other blogs.

If we want other women to listen to us, and to adopt some of these ideas, and to spread the word about our causes, we need to be less in-your-face and more realistic. Not every woman can afford an extended height and/or weight five point harness car seat. Some women are simply not able to breastfeed. Not everyone cherishes the idea of sleeping on the floor. There are women who really DO NOT want to forgo medication during childbirth and who feel safer giving birth with a doctor present.

There are varying degrees of crunchiness, and I absolutely abhor the idea of shoving my ideas and beliefs down other peoples throats. With things I'm really passionate about, like not circumcising or vegetarianism, I try to bring the good points out first, and then hit the negatives. No one likes to be yelled at and told they're a bad mother. When we attack women for doing things differently (using a car seat slightly wrong, formula feeding, circumcising, or getting an epidural) we only make ourselves look fanatical and crazy (like Tom Cruise talking about psychiatry). It's not going to make others listen to us, it's going to make others shut us out. If we really want to get our message out, we need to stop demanding that our way is best, like a bitchy little clique, and instead show them that our way is open to all and adaptable.

"This above all, To Thine Own Self Be True."

- Polonius (Hamlet - Act 1 - Scene 3 - Line 78)

I am very much open to comments and criticisms in my comments. I am all about the debate, so if you so desire, feel free to bring it on. Those who agree with me, I would love to hear from you as well.

Which diaper would you pick?

2011-12-04T22:14:00.001-06:00

I found this on Facebook, and it is the property of Blissful Booty Cloth Diapers.

This definitely makes you think twice about using disposables.

Sibling Rivalry

2011-12-04T00:13:00.001-06:00

Fighting for bed space.

Healthy & Homemade Pet Food

2011-12-02T17:42:00.001-06:00

Dylan (left) and Squishy (right)

wait impatiently for their lunch.

Today we ran out of pet food. We're short on money until Monday, so I went to my wise uncle who always has all the answers to every question I could possibly need to ask. Uncle Google told me that I could make my own pet food out of meat, eggs, grains, and vegetables.

So I grabbed the steak Nate bought months ago out of the freezer, cooked it up to a nice medium rare and added brown rice, hard boiled eggs, and carrots.

Voila!

Tasty, healthy, high protein pet food! The best part is that you actually know what's in it, unlike with some of the discount pet foods at the grocery store. Considering my cats jumped up on the counter and started eating the food as I was stirring it all together, I would say it was a hit! My dog finished his bowl in record time and we had to put him outside so he wouldn't eat the cats food too.

Here is the recipe I used:

2 pounds beef steak cut into small pieces and cooked medium rare.
8 eggs, hardboiled.
1 can sliced carrots.
A medium sauce pan full of brown rice (cooked).

I put everything (except the rice) through a blender until it was the consistency of a grainy mix. I blended half of the rice into a rough puree and then mixed the non blended rice with the blended rice. I then mixed half the rice with the rest of the ingredients. You need to make sure you mix it well as some animals will pick the pieces they want and leave the rest.

I gave some of that mixture as is to the cats and added some of the extra rice to the dogs bowl as dogs need more grains than cats. I refrigerated the unused portion. Make sure you cover it well as partly rare steak and eggs do not smell good together.

NoCans.com has some great cat and dog food recipes, as well as recipes for treats. I checked out their recipes to get the basic idea (as well as their list of foods that pets can't have) and then created my own recipe using what I had on hand.

I think we will be making more home cooked meals for our pets as its healthier for them and I will actually know what's going into my furbabies mouths!

Plankton sleeping off his

large bowl of yum-yums.

PS: He's totally a Momma's Boy

Santa Claus is coming to town... via email.

2011-12-02T00:34:00.001-06:00

Santa has an email address.

I know this because I made it for him.

Last year, due to overenthusiastic eggnog consumption by the elves in the Wii making department, Santa had to write Aria an I.O.U. (until tax return time... not sure why) for the gaming console she so desperately wanted. He emailed it to us.

Why did he email us? Because yours truly overslept Christmas morning. That is also why Santa left all the presents in momma's room.

My major parenting fail last Christmas had two good outcomes.

1. I have definitely stepped up my holiday mythical archetype game. The Easter Bunny managed to deliver the goods while we were in the basement (for a period of about five minutes) looking at something or another. Now Aria refers to the Bunny as "totally, really a ninja!"

2. Santa has come into the technology age with email capabilities.

With a quick flick of my carpal tunnely wrists, kriskringlex@gmail.com was born. (Santa likes his online presence on the emo side.) My daughter is very excited to email Santa her wishlist this year. I am excited to not only have her wishlist in actual list form, but also to be able to look back on her wishlists a few years from now when the big jolly guy has lost his magic.

Thankfully I have another child to lie to for several years. :)

PETA Reveals New Holiday Themed Breastfeeding Billboard.

2011-11-26T16:43:00.001-06:00

PETA has unveiled this new ad just in time for the holidays.

Below is an excerpt from a piece mlive.com posted about the new billboards--->

(click the link to read their full article)

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"""PETA officials said they are in negotiations with outdoor advertisers in Paw Paw to bring the “holiday-themed, head-turning billboard” within close proximity to the Van Buren County Courthouse.

PETA officials said they hope the billboard will “serve as a reminder that breast milk is healthier for infants than dairy formula and that dairy products in any form are cruel to mother cows and their calves.”

The incident that has caught PETA's attention occurred Nov. 8 in District Judge Robert Hentchel's courtroom. Natalie Hegedus, 32, of Mattawan, said she was discreetly feeding her 5-month-old son in the back of the courtroom when Hentchel called her out and asked her if she thought what she was doing was appropriate.

Hegedus, who said she was in court that day for a hearing on a contempt of court charge, contends that was embarrassed by Hentchel's comments and that she did nothing wrong by feeding her son, who was hungry and sick."""

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I'm a vegetarian and PETA supporter myself (though I still eat dairy products- and my daughter was formula fed), and I really love this new billboard ad. While I definitely believe formula has its place, it is widely accepted that Breast Is Best. Breastfeeding in public is an issue that I'm very passionate about, and I'm glad that this incident has caught national attention. Women should feel comfortable breastfeeding wherever they need to. Just because it's legal almost everywhere, doesn't mean it isn't still looked down on.

We need to stand up and fight for the normalization of breastfeeding!

What do you think? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments below.

Lush Aromarant Deodorant Review

2011-11-26T02:41:00.001-06:00

My first video for the Crunchy Moms YouTube channel is a review of Aromarant Deodorant by Lush.

They just said my son's name on television. (aka I love BONES)

2011-11-25T22:49:00.001-06:00

I love the TV show Bones. I love it so much that I named my son after one of the shows characters. Granted, Parker is a minor character (He's the son of David Boreanaz's character, Booth, for those of you who don't follow it. He's only been in a handful of episodes.), but I love the name and I love the show.

I'm currently watching an episode of Bones on Hulu right now. They were talking about a particular toy and Booth said, "Parker loves those," and I was confused for a moment.

It's so weird hearing my sons name said on television. Even though I named him after a character on this exact show.

It happens a lot with my daughter too, "Aria" tends to get said a lot, especially in movies or shows referring to opera. But this is the first time it happened with my son's name.

Have you ever been weirded out for a minute when hearing your child's name on television or in a movie? Feel free to share in the comments below.

This One...

Inspired This One.

An (Unwanted) Break From Cloth Diapers (why I'll never go back to disposables)

2011-11-25T22:41:00.001-06:00

Disposable diapers smell like pee.

All. The. Time.

I never really noticed until today. All of our cloth was in the wash (due to the Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment) so we pulled out the 'sposies. So gross. We've been using cloth for a while now and we've gotten used to super absorbent, pee-smell-free diapers.

I also didn't realize how much we have cut down on actual diaper changes since switching to cloth. Parker goes for 2-3 hours or so in a cloth diaper. In a disposable he lasts about an hour before the pee smell sets in and he needs to be changed.

Needless to say, I will not be trading in my Subaby and Bum Genius diapers for Pampers or Huggies any time soon.

I prefer my son to smell like baby, not like pee.

The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment & Laundry Detergent Giveaway {Part Three}

2011-11-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

Welcome to part {{THREE}} of The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment!

This installment includes diaper drama, bubbly badness, and a daring feat called "The Sniff Test".

After my initial assessments of the three laundry detergents, I dove right in and got started. I divided my diapers and liners into three groups and paired each group with one of the three detergents.

Pink and Purple Diapers and Plain Liners

Thirsties Super Wash

Blue and Green Diapers and Wonderfulls Liners

Rockin' Green Classic Rock

Red, Yellow, and Orange Diapers and Liners with Buttons

Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder

After the first rinse, there were tons of bubbles from my previous detergent (all small and mighty free and clear). I always rinse at least three times after the wash cycle so I was kind of surprised to find this much residue coming out. Look at all those bubbles!

Gross right?

I decided to judge the detergents based on the results of a these different tests:

The Sniff Test

(after washing is complete)

The Second Sniff Test

(after drying is complete)

The Pee Test

(Does the diaper stink as soon as anything wet hits it?)

The Softness Test

(how the diaper feels after being washed)

The Absorbency Test

(Does the diaper/liner soak up wetness or repel it?)

Check Back Soon to find out how each detergent did when put up against my strict standards and super hero sense of smell!

And don't forget to check out Part One to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a package of the winning detergent!

The trio of cloth cleansers donated to the cause by All Things Diapers

The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment

Part One

Part Two

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I adore my readers and hope you feel the same way about me.

Please sign up for your very own free email subscription or follow me by joining Crunchy Moms using the handy dandy links at the top right hand corner of this page.

You can also follow me on Twitter, or check out my YouTube channel.

Download Drama (aka my daughter charged $40 worth of fishbucks to our phone bill on the Android Market to play TapFish)

2011-11-24T00:29:00.001-06:00

Do you have a fish tank on your Android phone? A farm on Facebook? Have you become a little addicted to Angry Birds?

I'm sure there are a lot of you raising your hands or hiding behind your computer screens right now. Apps are fun and best of all, most of them are free. Of course they have the option to buy extra credits or coins or fishbucks, but they really aren't necessary to play.
Would someone please tell that to my four year old?

Miss Aria was playing TapFish on my beautiful Android phone (I love this phone almost as much as I love my cats), when she decided she wanted to buy a mermaid. We didn't have enough FishBucks to buy the mermaid so she so thoughtfully got us some more.

Forty dollars worth to be exact. Charged to our phone bill.

Yipee!

At least I got the mermaid though.

How do I get any work done with a baby and a (jealous) four year old?

2011-11-23T19:29:00.001-06:00

Today has been an interesting day. Parker, my 11 week old, is teething (at least I'm fairly certain he's teething), drooling everywhere, running a bit of a fever, and is about as cranky as a baby can be. Aria, my four year old daughter, is in full blown jealousy mode. She whines and complains about the amount of time I spend feeding and holding her brother.

My question of the day...

How do I get any work done in this situation? How do you guys do it? How do you handle jealousy between siblings? And how do you handle teething?

Please feel free to share suggestions and ideas in the comments below.

----------------------------------------
I adore my readers and hope you feel the same way about me.

Please sign up for your very own free email subscription or follow me by joining Crunchy Moms using the handy dandy links at the top right hand corner of this page.

You can also follow me on Twitter, or check out my YouTube channel.

I Show My Boobs In Public! (Why I refuse to cover up while breastfeeding in public no matter how much other women want me to!)

2011-11-22T21:14:00.001-06:00

Fun-bags. Boobies. Jugs.   Tig Ole Bitties.   Knockers. Dirty pillows.

Whatever you call them, they're definitely a big (and sometimes just-a-handful sized) deal.

Whether you're being poked in the face with naughty magazine spreads, watching a Lady Gaga video, walking for breast cancer, chillin' at the club, or sitting in a high school classroom... BOOBS ARE EVERYWHERE!

Americans love boobs more than we love Apple Pie, Baseball, and Jesus all combined! And why wouldn't we? They're fun to touch, fun to look at, and fun to jiggle.

But much to the dismay of the average American, they're also for feeding babies.

In America, the sight of a woman (or teenage girl) walking down the street with her lady lumps hanging out for everyone to see is a fairly normal, and fairly celebrated, occurance. But when those breasts are feeding a baby in public it's a whole new ballgame.

When my son was born, I said I would nurse in public, under the protection of a nursing cover or blanket. I, for one, was going to have no problem with nursing in public.  If people didn't like it, I would simply point towards the blanket as a silent explanation of decency.

After the first two times I breastfed my son in public, under that soft yet awkward baby blanket, I just gave up. I quit. I was not dealing with that blanket anymore.  So I did what made the most sense to me.

I switched to formula? No.
I switched to expressed milk in bottles? NO.
I hid away in bathrooms and changing stations? NO!!!

I simply sat down in a comfortable location, pulled out one of the twins (who I have affectionately named Daisy and Duke), and stuck it in my sons mouth.

That's it. Cumbersome blanket problem solved.

I breastfed in my local WIC office, not too big of a deal since there were posters of mothers breastfeeding on the wall. I breastfed at the bank, also not a huge thing. I breastfed at the playground, no one really noticed. I breastfed at the Children's Museum, other mothers smiled, as did some of the younger kids.

And then I breastfed in Target. We were shopping for teething rings and nose suckers when my son, uncomfortable from his runny nose and sore gums, wanted to be fed. And he wanted to be fed NOW! So I pulled down the strap of my tank top and my bra and quickly pulled him in to latch on. My arm was around his neck and shoulders and my sweater covered a lot. But, as I was walking around and not sitting somewhere quietly, I was noticed. And...

I was laughed at.

Yes, laughed at. Three women coming in to the store took one look at me and all began laughing and not-quite-whispering to each other. My first instinct was to make a comment about how they wouldn't be laughing when their children were sick, clutching their formula bottles with germ filled hands. But I took the high road. Which, by the way, is very hard for me. I choked down the snarky comments that were rising into the back of my throat and I simply shot them my biggest, brightest, megawatt smile. And I felt great. No shame, no embarrassment, no blushing. I was feeding my baby and I didn't care what they thought.

I felt very empowered after this incident and knew I would have no problem breastfeeding in public from then on.

And then I went to the Mall of America. My family, my best friend, and I went to Sealife USA at the Mall of America for my 29th birthday. Because I am a child at heart. Also, we're pretty broke at the moment and we have a membership (bought for my future marine veterinarian daughter for her birthday last year), so it was free. We went to Lush (pretty much my favorite store at MOA) and then went to Build-A-Bear (pretty much my daughters favorite store EVER).

While my daughter was combing through the racks of lilliputian stuffed animal clothing, my son began to cue that it was time to eat. So, my best friend, Taylor, and I made our way out to the comfy couch-like sitting area just outside of the store. I sat down on the farthest edge of one of the cushions. Even though I have no problem breastfeeding in public, I still don't want to shove the girls in peoples faces- other than my sons- (and, in other ways, my fiances) so I usually try to find a spot that isn't right smack next to other people. Apparently my courtesy went unnoticed, but my breasts didn't.

Even though I was turned away from her, the woman sitting next to me made a big showy deal of turning around so she couldn't see me. Which really didn't make sense as she turned around every few seconds to look at me. She began "whispering" to her friend about how disgusting it was that I was nursing my son in *Gasp* public! According to Taylor, they continued to "whisper" and to look over at me with disgusted, smirky faces the entire time I was feeding my son.

REALLY?

In my admittedly short experience breastfeeding in public (my son is at the ripe old age of eleven weeks), I've noticed that it is usually women of childbearing age that are the most offended, shocked, and disgusted by a woman breastfeeding her baby.

:: Older women and men smile or nod at me.

:: Men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s usually smile or don't respond at all.

:: Teenage girls just want to look at my baby because he's "sooooo (insert squeal) cute!"

:: Teenage boys don't really pay any attention, although I have caught a couple stealing a second glimpse, probably not of the baby, but not in a gross or obvious way.

:: Children don't seem to notice and the very rare ones that do smile at me. Perhaps because they miss their nursing days themselves?

::  One security guard looked confused, like he wasn't sure what to do, or if what I was doing was allowed, but he didn't say anything.

:: My fiance (who fathered both of my children in case anyone is wondering), who is normally very shy and easily embarrassed, isn't bothered by it.

::  My son, who loves his Momma Milk, smiles and his whole face lights up whenever I pull one of the girls out.

But women, WOMEN have the problem. Childbearing aged women. These are the people who are the most likely to be right next to me, nursing their own children. But instead they make comments, whisper, and act shocked and disgusted. What's wrong with this picture?

I can't help but wonder, if I were to take a survey of the women who have reacted negatively, how many of them bottle fed and feel guilty about it? (I personally fed my daughter formula and have no regrets or issues with bottle feeding, so please don't think that I'm trying to start a breastfeeding mafia war. I am definitely not.)

I wonder how many of them are fighting the little green monster, not having their own children yet? I wonder if they don't have children yet because they scare away every man they meet with their negative, snarky attitudes and obviously low self esteem.

And, I'm sure, due to America's view that the breasts are purely sexual toys and objects of gratification, some of the women feel dirty even thinking about using their own breasts for such purposes.

I wonder how many would react that way if I were a small chested woman? Perhaps the fact that I have E cups and not A cups makes my nursing my son in public pornographic?   Or maybe they just want my bra size. Either way, this is a factor I'm definitely interested in investigating.

Most of the people who have witnessed me nursing my son have not commented or reacted in any way. Even though they might be thinking certain negative thoughts, they don't speak them or show them on their faces. But these women made comments and attempted, unsuccessfully, to make me feel embarrassed and shamed. Why must women constantly tear each other down?

We should all be supporting a woman's right to use her body to feed her child anywhere that she pleases. Women were given breasts (by God, by evolution, by whomever or whatever you personally choose to believe in) for two little reasons, and one big one.

:: For sexual pleasure.
:: To look great in clothes.

And the biggie, the most important, functional reason of all...

:: To feed their young.

Humans are mammals and mammals produce milk to feed their young. While we may be the only mammals to derive sexual pleasure from our breasts, we are still mammals and our breasts were given to us to feed our offspring.

When my cat, Penny, had kittens, she not only breastfed her babies, she breastfeed them in public (well, our living room), she breastfed in front of the other cats and people without feeling embarrassed, and she breastfed for an extended period of time. (Have you ever seen a cat nursing a kitten that is almost the same size as her? I have. I will admit, it was a little weird... imagine breastfeeding your 16 year old.) She didn't whip out little kitten sized bottles and mix up a can of Enfakitty or Simmeowlac. She didn't hide under the bed (though she did give birth there) while she nursed. She didn't crawl under a blanket to nurse in private. She did what nature intended and NURSED her babies, out in the open, no matter who was watching.

I will be like my cat, Penny. I will nurse when I want, where I want, when my child says it's time. I won't put off feeding him, hide away in a dirty bathroom stall, hide under a blanket (which seems to draw more attention anyway), or lug around bottles of formula or expressed milk.

I will pull out my Dirty Pillows (I love you, Stephen King), offer them to my child, and let him eat the food nature intended. And I will be proud of my breasts.  They nourish my son, they are a comfortable place for my daughter to rest her head when she's upset, and they keep me warm on a Minnesota winter night.

I'm not saying all women should breastfeed in public. Some just won't feel comfortable, and that's ok. I'm saying we should be able to do what we want with our own breasts (within the confines of the law of course- most states have laws in place protecting breastfeeding in public) and feed our children anytime and anywhere we want.

So if you and your child feel so inclined, show your boobs in public, and be proud!

----------------------------------------

I adore my readers and hope you feel the same way about me.

Please sign up for your very own free email subscription or follow me by joining Crunchy Moms using the handy dandy links at the top right hand corner of this page.

The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment & Giveaway! {Part Two}

2011-11-19T23:56:00.001-06:00

In my last post I told you about how the beautiful and generous people at All Things Diapers gave me three different types of cloth diaper safe laundry detergent to conduct an intense experiment.

The goal: rid my diapers of stink.

The contenders:

Rockin' Green Classic Rock, Thirsties Super Wash, Charlie's Soap

I rated the three detergents on several preliminary tests before I began the actual experiment. The initial tests were: Packaging (aesthetics), Packaging (ease of use), Looks (the detergent itself), Smells, Ingredients (how many of the ingredients are listed), and Ingredients (what the ingredients actually are).

And without further delay...

Rockin' Green Classic Rock

Packaging (aesthetics) :: 5 points.

Let's face it, it's a super shiny package and it's got great marketing.

Packaging (ease of use) :: 3 points.

The zipper bag is cute but hard to close when the detergent gets in the zipper and it didn't come with a scoop. Luckily, I purchased a pretty little hot pink scoop that has magnets inside to stick to your washing machine (everything gets lost with a four year old in the house) from All Things Diapers.

Looks :: 4 points

The detergent looks like fluffy white snow so it's definitely pretty but it also doesn't scream "cleans your clothes" to me when I look at it.

Smells :: 4 points

I chose the Smashing Watermelons scent for my own use, which smells amazing, but, since the other two detergents are unscented, I felt it wouldn't be fair to rate them against a scented detergent. So I used a sample packet of Rockin' Green Bare Naked Babies (unscented) for this test. It smells a little like soap, but not really chemically.

Ingredients (listed) :: 5 points.

This detergent lists ALL of its ingredients, which isn't very common.

Ingredients (actual) :: 5 points.

:: sodium carbonate , sodium percarbonate, natural chelating agents, sodium sulfate, bio-degradable surfactants, fragrance oils (if scented is chosen)::

The Annoying Zipper Bag.

Looks like pure clean snow.

The cutest hot pink magnetic laundry scoop ever!

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Charlie's Soap

Packaging (aesthetics) :: 4 points.

It's plainer than the other two and looks like it would be marketed more towards men than women. It doesn't look like something I would look at and think, "Hey, this would be great for my baby's diapers." But it still has a pleasing look in it's own way.

Packaging (ease of use) :: 4 points.

It has an easy screw off lid and a little green scoop that is just the right size. It could be spilled easily though so I took off one little point.

Looks :: 5 points

It definitely looks like it would clean anything pretty well. It has that polished look. It's hard to explain what I mean, but you'd get it once you look at it. By looks alone, I feel the most confident in this one to actually clean my diapers.

Smells :: 2 points

It smells like Windex, which honestly freaks me out a bit.

Ingredients (listed) :: 3 points.

It has some of the ingredients listed, but not all.

Ingredients (actual) :: 2 points.

Some of them seem natural, but I've heard too many things about the non listed ingredients to feel comfortable giving this a higher score.

Perfect Sized Green Scoop.

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Thirsties Super Wash

Packaging (aesthetics) :: 5 points.

It's liquid in a clear bottle with a pretty little spring time themed label. The colors and flowers and grass on the label definitely say, "Diapers & Baby Butts".

Packaging (ease of use) :: 5 points.

It has a measuring cup built in. You take the cap off the measuring cup side and squeeze it to fill it to the right level. I tried every possible thing I could think of to get this to spill more than the right amount and I couldn't. It's actually a really good system. And no scoops or cups to lose.

Looks :: 3 points

It looks like water. That doesn't instill confidence in me.

Smells :: 4 points

It smells like water with a tiny bit of soap in it.

Ingredients (listed) :: .5 points.

Yes, that's point five points. There are no ingredients listed on the label AT ALL. I only gave the half a point because some of them are listed on the website.

Ingredients (actual) :: 3 points.

Most of the ingredients are natural and sound wonderful, but they aren't all listed so I can't be 100% sure.

The best measuring system EVER!

Tomorrow, I will post the results of the first and second washes.

Don't forget to read the first in this series The Great Diaper Stink Experiment {Part One} to enter the giveaway! One lucky reader will win a package of the winning detergent, courtesy of All Things Diapers.

The Great Cloth Diaper Stink Experiment

Part One

Part Three