Learning To Be Frugal & Green

Meet the Brood...

2017-03-26T16:10:00.004-07:00

To keep the momentum of trying to post some blogs I figured it was time to introduce my brood. Lol...Not my kids...my chickens. Or at least the ones I have right now. We recently purchased cute little bands with tags to identify them since several of them look just alike. Let's just jump in...

Meet Papa!

Papa came to us last August from a sweet stranger. We were in need of a protector and a fertile male. While I don't know his past...I'm sure it was hen filled! Upon arriving at our little farm he has stepped up as the protector of the coup. I won't say he rules the roost because honestly...that is my job. But, he does a spectacular job of protecting the girls. Now, there are times he gets to big for his tail feathers and we have a heart to heart to remind him of who's the boss. I simply remind him I'M the boss and I have no qualms about having fried Papa for dinner. He sits straight after that.

Patrick...
No, Patrick is NOT a rooster. lol Our 6-year old son named her that in honor of his favorite hen "Sponge Bob" that was accidently killed recently by a truck. Anyway, Pat can be friendly when she wants. She is the ring leader when "mama" (a.k.a. Me!) comes out with the treat bag. She is the first in line and will tap my toe if I'm not doling them out fast enough. She will come running ahead of the brood when I head out with scraps to toss and is quick to grab the best of the slop before the others get there. She will snatch it up and run down the hill before the other girls know what happens. She has a little "piggy" on her band that identifies her.

Margaret
Named by our 19-year old and tagged with a green band and a green apple. The "apple of my eye" (quoted by our daughter) is a bit more rambunctious. She learned early to hide behind some old sliding glass doors to escape predators (or annoying hunting dogs). She has also been known to lay her eggs back there from time to time. Typically on the heels of Patrick she has figured out that if Pat is running away to follow her because she is missing something good. Margaret also has a habit of jumping up in the truck if we leave the doors open long enough. She knows that with all these kids there is typically a tidbit on the floor somewhere and rushes to beat Pat to it.

Squeakers...
Squeakers came to us with her sisters Margaret and Patrick last Spring. Now Squeekers is very shy and an introvert. She tends to be a loner. Rarely hanging with the other girls and will be the first to bed down with Papa. She has no interest in being a mama and hasn't laid any eggs since last fall. She typically darts down the hill and is off on her own as soon as they are turned loose in the morning. She has a hiding spot in the thorn bushes and will spend the better part of her day there or following me around the yard. While she does not care to be picked up, she does not fight like her sisters do. Squeekers is identified by her clearish band and a small mouse charm. Chosen by, and named by, our 11-year old daughter.

Janet & Chrissy...
Now Janet & Chrissy have had a traumatic upbringing. Given to us by the same stranger that gifted us with papa they were hatched, along with their brother Jack, by our first hen to go broody (Mrs. B) these sisters survived their first night after an opossum attacked the coup. Mrs. B. attacked and defended her chicks while the sisters hid under the straw in the coup and Jack escaped by getting behind the coup. At first the trio had the names Snap, Crackle, & Pop...but as their colors, sex, and personalities appeared their names were changed to the dynamic characters from the late '70s to the early '80s sitcom...Threes Company. These sisters are very adventurous as long as they are together and you rarely every find one without the other. They are also very vocal when angry or upset and make their wishes known very quickly. They are by all means...drama queens. Unfortunately the trauma in their lives has not ended. Just last week they lost their surrogate mother (Mrs. B) to a couple of hunting dogs that made sport of chasing my hens. One of the hounds did manage to catch Janet...but they knew that mama (Me) would come running and smack that dog upside the head. Neither of the sisters were otherwise hurt. But they did cry when the found their mother. Janet & Chrissy have matching monkey charms on their bracelets. We are able to tell them apart because Janet is a brunet and Chrissy is a blond.

The new girls (and possibly guys)....
These are the newest to our brood. One is 1 of 2 hatched by us. Sadly one did not survive. They were almost internet sensations...well, among my friends and family anyway. Lol. Their hatching was streamed live via Facebook. "Elsa" (as our 4-year old daughter called her) still likes the camera. We think she is the offspring of Sponge Bob by the early looks of her coloring. Time will tell as her tail feathers come in. There are also 3 Silver Laced Wyandotte's (there were 4, one did not survive), and 3 Red Cross. It is to early to tell if we have future hens or roosters. Hens will be designated as egg layers...rooster TBD. As of today the 3 Red Cross have been named in honor of Hamilton the Musical...Angelica, Eliza, & Peggy...the Schuyler Sisters.

But there you have it. Most of the brood on the McNeely Farmstead....more to follow!!!!!

To market, to market to buy a small pig...home again, home again jiggety-jig...

2017-02-25T18:13:00.001-08:00

So, we are doing it...after tossing around the idea of getting goats or pigs...We are getting pigs! Ossabaw Island Hogs to be exact! A family friend has a breeding pair and is selling us a couple so we can see if we can get along with raising pigs to butcher. Hopefully...hopefully next year we will start breeding our own. At least that is the plan. From what we hear pigs can be beyond challenging. Most people have recommended purchasing a butchering hog at auction vs. raising them ourselves. But, we are stubborn people who just have to try it ourselves first.

Meanwhile...we are getting ready. Back story...shortly after we moved into the house my sister gave us an old trampoline. She didn't want it around anymore after my nephew broke his arm doing a back flip off one. We found all sorts of ideas on Pinterest to use it for...an in ground trampoline (nixed after the broken arm). A swing...a teepee. All sorts of really cool things. We opt for making a greenhouse. We wanted to go as cheap as possible, using supplies we found around the property. I know your thinking...what does a greenhouse have to do with pigs? Just bear with me...I will get there...a bit of the long way...but I promise...I will!!!!

Putting the frame together

First we assembled the trampoline into halves. Then we added parts of the legs to it. It was really easy, self explanatory, and almost kicked our butts!These became the front and back of the greenhouse. It was weird...there were only screws (and screw holes) for every other leg. We weren't sure how we were going to keep it together. Hubby scratched his head, went into his workshop, dug around for what seemed like forever. Then it hit him...he decided to use some sheet metal screws he had from an old project. They were self tapping and are holding things together rather nicely.

Adding copper poles

Then we had to figure out how to connect the halves. On Pinterest some people used PVC pipes, or flexible vacuum tubes. We found 10' conduit down in the hunting cabin. They turned out to be perfect. It took us a bit to figure out how to connect the conduit to the frame. Turned into a simple, easy fix. The conduit fit perfectly into the legs of the trampoline. We then attached theconduit into the legs with more sheet metal screws. Unfortunately we came up short on how many we needed...so off to the local, small town, hardware store. I think in the end we used an additional $13 worth of screws. Of course we spent more because we bought a big box of them...but we never know when we will need screws! DIYers know what I mean by that!!! lol

Our little helper and
complete frame

Next up we pieced the two halves together and used MORE sheet metal screws to finish holding it together. You can see our "helper" in the corner of the picture. Our 6-year old loves to help build things. In fact, he has his own tool bag and is as bad as I am about confiscating Daddy's tools if he leaves them unsupervised to long (I just wait till he goes out of town to steal, I mean, confiscate them...our son is just faster!)

But, as you can see, we now have the frame of what was to become our greenhouse. We also purchased some 4mm plastic and sheathing tape to finish the project. We just wanted to wait for it to warm up some more. This was built the last week of January...so we weren't quite ready for it yet. We just sat it in location, staked it down...and left it there.

Tarp for cover

Now, introduce the idea of getting pigs. We debated for several days, did some more research, made some phone calls, sent lots and lots of PM's over Facebook. Debated some more, researched some more. Looked over our back yard and debated some more. Then decided to go for it. Just jump right into it before we changed our mind. We decided we will pasture them for most of their feed. Figured out what to buy to feed them, how we were feeding them, etc. Now to figure out where to start them and a shelter. Back to the greenhouse...PERFECT! Just repurpose it into a pig shelter. It was a beautiful day to get outside and get creative. Very, very warm for a February...we hit 82* yesterday (when we worked on our project). We broke some serious records here!

Continuing with using supplies around the house...a large tarp became the cover. Zip ties are a poor mans best friend. They serve so many purposes. We used them to help secure the tarp into place. We also used them to help attach cattle panels to the t-posts. We go through zip ties like candy around here. Just ask my 4-year old who loves to play "connect them together" while we work.

We have a second smaller tarp that will help finish enclosing the shelter. Now, in comparison to the size of the piglets right now...there is more than enough room for them. From what we hear...the piglets are the size of 2 footballs. Lol. Using sports equipment to give estimates works for this family! Our 6-year is searching for a second football so we can have an exact visualization. Since we will be transporting them in a dog kennel, knowing they can share one makes me feel better.

Hiding and playing
with zip ties

We decided that the piglets can help start preparing our garden for planting season. We haven't had a chance to plow it under. So they can root around it in. So, as you can see we moved the shelter to the middle, upper field. We didn't have anything to enclose the garden with...so we headed over to Riverside Farm Supply and got 8 cattle panels and some t-posts. They are so sweet over there. They ordered, picked up, and delivered everything to us! We got most of them set into place. Either tomorrow or Monday hubby will build a gate and finish the enclosure. He will also run some electricity. From what we have been told...pigges like to escape!

Our Great Dane relaxing
in the shade of the shelter

While we are proud of how it is all coming together...our 4-year old is unimpressed. According to her we have to build a brick house to keep the big bad wolf from blowing it down. At least for HER pig. Her brother and sister can build straw and stick houses for theirs. But hers has to have a BRICK house. And she has decided that she can tell them the story of the 3 Little Pigs and she gets to play the roll of the Big Bad Wolf and blow down her brother and sisters pigs houses. We have tried to explain to her that we are only getting TWO pigs...but she doesn't care. Her story has 3...therefore we will be getting 3. This child has an imagination that goes with her attitude...WILD!!!!!

Well, it is late...and all of this building and story telling has wore me out. We will be picking up the pigs in the next few days to a week. That will be an adventure in itself. I hope to get some good pictures of our friends place to share. They have goats, pigs, chickens...you name it. I can't wait to get back down there!!!!

Until next time!!!!!

Where has time gone?

2017-02-24T18:12:00.003-08:00

Oh my...I didn't realize how long it has been since I last published in my blog. The last date I see is 2010!!!! It is now 2017!!!! Where has time gone? Where have I gone? What has happened?!?!?!!

So much has changed...a new baby in 2013, an angel in 2016. Hubby started traveling for his job and is gone quite a bit. Our older 2 children have graduated high school (one is 2014 the other in 2016)...the oldest moved out and he is living on his own (insert tears here). Five "rats" (as I love to refer to them from our favorite tv show "Rugrats" which we still watch!) are still living at home. I started selling with 3 direct sales companies...still sell with 2, but don't promote.

Home...now that is the BIGGEST change for us. We have moved!!!! In 2013 my mother unexpectedly passed away, devastating us. We realized that our children didn't know their grandparents at all. So, hubby and I decided that it was time to leave California and move to West Virginia to be closer to family. We left California June 2014.

My sister and her family opened their arms and home to us for a year while we did upgrades and placed our old place on the market. It finally sold in August 2015 and we purchased our new home (along with 105 acres of land) a few days later! It was all in the timing...and boy did it work out!!!!! Our place is amazing!!!! Close enough to get to town (15 min drive)...but far enough out that no one can hear you scream. Well, one neighbor can...they live right across the road, up the hill...and sound echo's. But hey...I can't reach out and touch someone any more.

Front of house from road

Sorry, now I'm just rambling....

Anyway, we are trying to grow our little farmstead. We started with a small garden last year that didn't produce to much. It was our fault really. It had been a while since I attempted a garden with more than just a few plant varieties. But, I had a very high pregnancy at the start of the gardening season, after we lost the baby ...well, it was just to much for me as the summer went on.

Our back yard...perfect for sledding

We also started raising the first of our chickens. We started the year with 5 hens and a rooster (he was a oopsie). Purchased 6 more hens a few months later. We lost the rooster and 5 hens over the summer due to wild critters. Apparently raccoons and opossums love fresh eggs and chickens as much as we do! We finished the year with 2 roosters (one was given to us by a neighbor and one was hatched by a broody hen) and 7 hens (2 were hatched by our broody now known as Mrs. B).

Baby #1 hatching

At the beginning of February this year we purchased an incubator and started incubating 7 eggs. We discovered at 1 week incubation that 1 was infertile. At 2 weeks incubation we had what appeared to be 6 healthy eggs. On day 20 (average of 21 days incubation time) our first 2 babies hatched. It was an internet sensation! I live streamed it via Facebook and several friends (and their kids) enjoyed the show. We have been anxiously waiting for the other 4 to hatch...but we are now at day 28 and it appears that the others will not be hatching. Which is a bummer...but it's how it goes sometimes.

New babies in the brooder

Now, I should share that my husband has been getting excited about having new chickens. He was reluctant last year about purchasing more. However this year when we found a local farm selling straight chicks (unsexed) for just a couple of dollars each he suggested we go out there. So, we went out to meet them and we purchased 7 new chicks for my brooder! While I don't know off hand what breed the 2 babies we hatched are I do know that I purchased 4 Silver Laced Wyandotte's and 3 Red Cross. They are 2 weeks old and doing well. They are enjoying the occasional live streaming I do.

Meanwhile...we rehomed our youngest rooster "Jack". We have a friend who needed to replace their very, very aggressive rooster and since "Papa" (our older rooster) was now attacking "Jack" when he got to close to the ladies...it was time for one to go. So, "Jack" now has a coop full of ladies just for him! On a sad note...a few days after rehoming "Jack" one of our hens jumped off a hill and landed right in front of a truck. She was killed instantly. Of course tears were shed because she was one of our original chicks and a favorite of the rats. But that is the hazards of raising free ranged chickens.

Jack in his new home

Tomorrow we will start incubating aprox 30 eggs. We are so excited. Most of these chickens will be slaughtered for meat when they are big enough (what? 3-5 months ish?) We also have a lot more interesting things going on and more animals to add and shelters to build... But, I'm going to end this here for now. It has been an interesting few years...and the last few days have been busy. Hopefully I will be able to keep up with things a bit better and...well, I don't know. Who knows what will show up here!

Until next time folks!!!!!

Growth Spurts

2010-11-23T18:28:00.000-08:00

Having 5 growing children = quickly outgrown clothes. ~Sigh~ You just went out and updated all the clothes they outgrew last season and a month or so later they need bigger clothes! What is a mom to do? And what the heck do you do with the now too small clothes?

Well, was recently introduce to a neat new website called thredUP. (A special thanks to Amber of Learning Motherhood) This site allows you to search for boxes of clothing that suit you needs and allows you to create boxes of your old stuff to get rid of.

How does it work? It's like this...first you gotta sign up. You do that here: ThredUp. When you sign up you are allotted a certain number of picks based on some of your information. For example...military families are given a free extra pick a month. In my case...I am allotted 4 picks a month. I can now go onto thredUP and search boxes and pick 4 boxes. (it does get a little confusing). Now, technically for every box I pick I have to post a box and "give it away" (so to speak).

I guess the best way to put it...you are swapping boxes and for every one box you take you gotta give one box; attempting to keep your "swap balance" at a 0. I think their site can explain it better...Anyway....

Okay start searching boxes. You can input information like boy or girl, sizes (from newborn to 20 & no size), seasons, types (tops, bottoms, mixture of both), and specialty (girl scouts, boy scouts, ballet...etc.) When you find a box you would like you get to "purchase it." You add it to your cart and you check out. The cost? It is standard across the board. You pay $5 + Shipping. EVERYONE ships Priority Flat Rate box. I do believe that it is the $10.70

So, my first box...the description was basic. Size 12 months pants, coveralls, and 2 shirts. I picked this box because my 5 month old was in desperate need for pants. Now at Walmart 1 pair of brand new pants is $8...I know this because I just purchased him 2 pair...so total of $16 + tax.

Okay...back to my box. When I received it inside was something like 3 pairs of pants, 2 sets of coveralls, 1 sweatsuit outfit, and 2 flannel shirts (which also cost $8 at Walmart BTW). And the clothes are in EXCELLENT condition!!!!

My next box should be here late this week/early next week. It will have 5 complete outfits and 2 extra shirts for my son!!!! Some well known name brands, some "lesser" brands...but all good clothes. I can't wait to see them. I also ordered a "custom box" for my oldest daughter. She requested a pair of "footy" pajamas. However, Target was already out of her size. Now, while this is the only item in the box....the pajamas are NWT (new with tags) and originally cost $25! Not a bad deal I think!

So, what have I "offered"? Well, my first box shipped out contained my oldest daughters pants she outgrew. They were like new. The owner received them and loved them! I have listed some of Sean's clothes that he has outgrown...but since they are all summer and mostly onsies, I'm having trouble "giving them away" since it is a popular size.

Okay, I hear you asking...how can you guarantee that you aren't going to get a c**py box...something full of junk you can't use? Well, that is where the reviews come in. The receiver has the option of rating the box 1 to 4 stars. One meaning the box was totally useless and 4 meaning that the box was as promised...no stains, rips, tears, missing buttons, etc. Then comes the "stylies"; this allows you to rate how the box fits your lifestyle. They range from 1 to 10. If the box is perfect, you will wear everything it in...you give a high rate. If it is something that just isn't your style and you aren't sure it will stay in your closet long...you give it a lower rate. But, before you go and give a box a low score...contact the sender. Many (if not all) of the threUpers value their high ratings. Many are willing to work with you to help you get that perfect box.

ThredUp also has a Facebook page. Check them out at http://www.facebook.com/#!/thredup. There you can sometimes find pictures of what is in the box, ask questions, place "special" requests, and a whole lot more!

So, check them up! Trust me! It's worth it!!!!

From Halloween to Thanksgiving...

2010-11-12T16:21:00.000-08:00

Halloween is officially over and Thanksgiving is quickly approaching. And around here that means fresh baked, homemade pumpkin pie!!! And no...none of that canned stuff. My pies are made from fresh pumpkin!

You know...I blame my parents for this. I grew up spoiled to say the least. I remember the story of the pumpkin field. I say field because the pumpkins took over the WHOLE field. I was really young, maybe under the age of 5? Anyway, it was gardening time. And of course being the "big helper" I was I insisted on helping plant the garden. So, my father (being supper smart), created me a special row. Marked it off and everything. Then he gave me a packet of pumpkin seeds and showed me how to plant them neatly down the said row. He showed me how to cover them, keep then neat and straight...then put me to work while he worked in another section. A little while latter I proudly showed him my neat row of pumpkin seeds. He and mom were so proud!

Fast forward a few months. My pumpkins were growing rather well in my neat little row... as well as in the corn, in the green beans, in the potatoes, in the...well, you get the idea. We had a lot of pumpkins that year! To bad the flood washed most of them away.

My next memory is of my mother cutting up the pumpkins and cooking them in the oven until they were tender...oh the house was smelling so good...yet, not the smell we were waiting on! She would grind the pumpkin through the colander, then pour the smashed pumpkin into clean, sterile jars, then process them...all in preparation for the next step...pumpkin pie.

Now fast forward a few more years. I am a mother of a few beautiful children. They are rather young themselves. We wanted to start our own Halloween tradition, but I didn't want to give my children a knife, and they wouldn't stick their hands in the pumpkins. Really, no fun for them. So, we started a tradition of painting our pumpkins.

We painstakingly explore the pumpkin patch for the perfect pumpkins. Next we look for our inspiration and then we paint! (we use a washable paint...which kinda sucks when it rains...) After that they get used for decoration on the front porch.

After Halloween I take over. I wash the paint off, cut the pumpkins in 1/2, and scoop out the insides with an ice cream scoop.

Next I place the pumpkin 1/2s in a baking pan and add about an inch of water. Pop them in the oven and bake at 350* for about an hour. Sometimes it takes longer, sometimes not so long. Cook them until you can poke a fork in through the shell.

After the pumpkin is cooked remove it from the oven and let it cool. After it has cooled enough to handle just peel the shell of the pumpkin off! Smooth!

Next, dig out the food processor and puree the cooked pumpkin. I let it puree for a couple of minuets just to ensure that everything is cut up well.

After it is pureed I put the pumpkin mush through a sieve. This allows me to make sure there are no unprocessed parts and no parts of the shell that may have ended up in by mistake. If the pumpkin is thin and watery I just tap the sieve on the side of the bowl, letting the pumpkin just slide through all on it's own. If it is a ticker puree I use the back of a spoon to push it through. Either way...all the unwanted parts doesn't make it through!

Finally I measure it out into freezer bags. My recipe calls for 2 cups of pumpkin puree. Since I double my recipes I go ahead and measure it out into 4 cup increments. Seal the bags, label them, and pop them in the deep freeze. I now have fresh pumpkin for pies, breads, and even fudge (I haven't tried that one yet!!!!).

When it is time I dig out my trusty The Good Housekeeping Cook book and turn to page 512 and bake up a batch of our favorite Pilgrim Pumpkin Pies.

Pilgrim Pumpkin Pie (remember I double mine, but this is the original)

1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (I purchase 3 deep dish pie crusts from the store...I can't make a pie crust to save my life!!!!)
2 cups of pumpkin
1 13-oz can evaporated milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (I ALWAYS add more!!! lol)
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 425*
In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat pumpkin with next 10 ingredients until well mixed. Place pie plate on oven rack; pour pumpkin mixture into pie crust; bake 15 minutes. Turn oven control to 350 *and bake 35 minutes more or until filling is set. Cool.

Now, as I said, I double my recipe. This will fill 3 - 9 inch deep dish pie crusts. Before I fill the pie crust I cut foil to fit around the edge of the crust to keep it from burning. Then I fill the pie crusts and bake. It takes me longer than 35 min to bake...so bake until a knife stuck in the middle of the pie comes out clean. Just make sure you don't stick your knife all the way through the pan!!!!

So, we have gone from Halloween to Thanksgiving! Enjoy!!!!!

Doing Laundry

2010-11-12T15:39:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I last posted. But, as most of you know...life with 5 growing children makes things rather hectic! But of course I am LOVING every moment of it!

And speaking of life with 5 children (and 2 adults), one of those in cloth diapers, comes a LOT of laundry. And laundry means going through a lot of laundry detergent. And of course, someone is allergic to something and finding 1 detergent to meet all of our needs is tricky at best. But, being the wonderful mother I am (see, I have no shame what-so-ever! lol) I eventually figured out that Tide works great for all my family members. But, not to the best for cloth diapers.

Further experimentation led to the discovery that Costco's Kirkland brand is just about the exact same thing as Tide. And the Free and Clear brand is great for all our sensitive skinned kids. But, as mentioned it gets expensive. Last time I purchased a container it was about $18.

So, after searching and researching I found that Tip Nut had some interesting recipes for making home made detergent (and fabric softener and fabric softer sheets too!).

Now most recipies call for the following items:
Washing Soda (this is NOT the same as baking soda!)
20 Mule Team Borax
Bar soap (similar to Zote)

Now, notice the prices of these items:

$3 for 55oz: Found at the military commissary

$4 for 76 oz; found at Walmart

$0.99 a bar; found at Walmart

Okay...so start up cost for "ingredients" about $8. So far 1 box of Washing Soda will make about 3 batches. A box of 20 Mule Borax will make and estimated 4 batches. And a single bar of Zote will make 2 batches.

In addition to the "ingredients" I purchased the following items: 1 Set of measuring cups and spoons and 1 cheese grater. I did not want to use the ones purposed for food preparation. I guess you could, just wash them well...but I would rather have a separate set. Each were picked up for $1 from the Dollar Tree. I also purchased a 5 gallon bucket with lid from Home Depot for about $5.

So, in the very beginning I have paid about $15 to get started.

Next comes the recipie:

1Quart Boiling Water
2 Cups grated Zout
2 cups Washing Soda
2 cups 20 Mule Borx
2 gallons cool water

Now the first thing you need to do is use the cheese grater to finely grate you Zout bar. This does go quickly. The finer you can grate it the easier it is to disolve it.

Next, bring 1 quart of water to boil. As it starts boiling add the grated Zout to the boiling water and stir. Since it does take a while turn the heat down and stir. Mine likes to clump up some when I first add it to the boiling water. I like to let it sit and heat for a few moments...but the more you stir it the quicker the Zout will dissolve. Don't worry, there will be some soapy bubbles...but it really ins't a big deal. Don't beat it...or you'll get a bubbly mess!

While that is melting add the Washing Soda and 20 Mule Borax to your 5 Gallon Bucket. Break up any lumps. This will make it much easier to stir when it is time!

After the Zout is thoroughly dissolved in the boiling water pour it into the 5 Gallon bucket with the Washing Soda and Borax and stir well. I like to pour it through a sieve first just to make sure there are absolutely NO lumps of soap in it.

After it is mixed well add the 2 Gallons of cool water. Don't make the same mistake I did thinking that if I used hot water it would guarantee that my soaps are dissolved. This creates a solid block of soap sitting on top of water. Cool water is much better!

Now, if you want to add some "pretty smells" like that of Tide or Downy...you can add 10 to 15 drops of essential oil after it has cooled down.

Now, what you will have is a bucket with a pink gel substance. Every time you use it stir it well. Then add 1/4 cup to your laundry. I use a front loader which has the option to either have a powder detergent or liquid detergent. I have found that I have to use the power detergent setting, or it glop's up in the dispenser. You can either use a measuring up, or do I what I did...recycle the cups that come with the Kirkland detergent. If you fill it to the lower line in the cup it is exactly 1/4 cup! I dump the detergent in the dispenser, then throw the cup in with the laundry so there is no mess on my washer, counters, etc. Clean!

So, the big question...does this stuff really clean your laundry? Well, I put it through 2 of the ultimate tests. The first was washing poopy diapers...and they came out clean! Now mind you...baby poop does stain...but no detergent I had used before this got the stains out. The sun works great for this job! But they felt clean, smelled clean, and no ammonia in them from pee.

The second test...week old teenager pe clothes! (Whew! I'm lucky to get them to bring them home every week...I seriously think it was 2 weeks old at this time). It worked great! No odor and they were clean. Good enough for me!

Today I made my second batch. The first batch, I made about 2 1/2 months ago. And like I said...I do a LOT of laundry in this house! A container of Kirkland Detergent lasted about that long too. So, even with my start up costs of purchasing the extra measuring cups, grater, and bucket...it has already paid for itself. In fact...I paid less for the start up than I would have purchasing a container of detergent!

I use my detergent in my HE Front Loader machine. You won't see a lot of bubbles as it is agitating...but that is okay. Your laundry is getting clean!

Now for fabric softener....using White Distilled Vinegar works like a charm! 1/4 cup in the fabric softener dispenser or Downy Ball. Again, if you would like that "pretty smell" add about 24 drops of essential oil to the jug. Mind that you mark your jug for laundry only...otherwise you are going to have very fowl tasting food!

Fabric Softener Sheets:
For this one you can use your favorite fabric softener. What I did was cut up some sponges ( I had gotten a bunch from an old House Party that didn't get handed out. I cut them in half). In an old baby wipe container I mixed 4 tablespoons of my favorite fabric softener and 1/4 cup of water...then soaked my sponges. It only took a couple. I squeeze out the excess and throw them in the dryer. When the dryer is done I just put them back in my container.

Well, that is about all I have time for today! Still have a pile of fresh laundry waiting to be folded. Happy Laundry day!!!!

Trick-or-Treat!

2010-11-01T18:26:00.000-07:00

With 5 kids in costumes...Halloween can be tricky and expensive at best. This year I kinda got lucky. Instead of buying a bunch of costumes each child wanted to create their own look. Some of the outfits are recycled, some are sewn...any way it goes...it was a lot cheaper than buy them all costumes!

First up is my 5 year old daughter. She wanted to be a ballerina. Her costume is 100% recycled. You see, last year for a Preschool performance she had to dress like a ballerina. We purchased her tights and leotard and I made her tutu and hair piece. She kept the outfit for dress up...and she wanted to use it for Halloween! A little face make-up to make her feel special and we are done! Easy!

In line second is my 9 year old son. He first wanted to be a snow boarder...didn't think I could pull that one off very well. His second choice...a robber. Now, I’m the type of person who will look on the web for inspiration on which direction to take with ideas. So, we hunted a picture and came up with:

Simple enough I think. We raided his closet and found a black turtle neck shirt, a pair of dark jeans, and his black tennis shoes. Raided his sisters’ closet and found black gloves. The hat had me puzzled. That is until my husband looked at the picture and suggested a black watch cap that the Navy uses. Great! He picked up one from the Navy Exchange on his way home. A quick trip to the Dollar Tree adds a black flashlight. A quick search through the attic yields a black sack. I dug out my old black eye shadow and now my 9 year old has a “5 o’clock shadow.”

My 9 year old is ready for Trick-or Treating.

Next in line is my 13 year old daughter. Her costume turned out to be the trickiest. She wanted to be a Pokémon Umbreon. Now, they don’t sell these costumes anywhere we have ever looked. IF you are lucky the only Pokémon you will find is a Pikachu. After a search of the web we located the following picture:

The first part is easy. We raid her closet for a black shirt and black leggings. The ears and tail were what kicked me in the bum. It took several tries to get it just right. I first tried tracing what looked like Umbreon ears onto a piece of cardboard. I used the cardboard to trace a pattern onto a recycled black sheet that I raided from the linen closet. My first attempt after that was to glue the fabric to the cardboard…what a mess and a nightmare!!!! After some contemplation I decided to re-cut the ears out of the black sheet, sew two sides together and stuff them; which then required the demolition of an old throw pillow. This step rather upset my husband…I forgot it was his favorite pillow, even though it was nasty, falling apart, and beyond repair. During my trip to the Dollar Tree for the flashlight, I also invested in a black headband. After stuffing the ears and gluing red felt (salvaged from the fabric box of scraps I keep around) around to serve as rings, I then hand sewed the ears to the headband.

Finally was the tail. I wasn’t sure of the shape, so my daughter drew it onto a paper bag. I used this as a pattern to cut the tail out of the recycled sheet. Again, sewed the pieces together, stuffed them, glued a red ring around the end and we had a tail. I then cut red rings out of the red felt and glued them to the black shirt and leggings. Pinning it together we had an Umbreon.

Now, my daughter wanted her “rings” to glow. I went to The Dollar Tree, Big Lots, Walmart, Target, and Toys R Us to search for red glow sticks. Everyone had every color BUT red! Last minuet genius struck and we headed to Party City. Two dollars later and we now had glow sticks. As she got dressed I activated the glow sticks and a quick stitch allowed me to attach them to her costume. Black face makeup, a creative trick with her headband to allow a glow stick circle to hang on her forehead and Walla!

She wasn’t thrilled with how her face makeup turned out…but 2/3 of the people we ran into while Trick-or-Treating knew she was a Pokémon; and ½ of those people knew she was an Umbreon! She should be proud of her inspiration.

Then came the baby. At 4 ½ months he wears size 12 month clothes! Mainly to get over his diaper bum! We had been given a cute little sleeper outfit that said “My First Halloween, Don’t Scare Me!” Of course this is in a size of 6 months. My husband saw another baby in a cute little Devil costume. He then saw the same costume on Party City’s commercial. So, we just “had” to get it! Talk about a cute little devil! (no pun inteneded!)

Last was my oldest son. At the age of 14 he decided to stay home and hand out candy. He didn’t want to dress up. Needless to say Mommy was a bit disappointed. I am not ready for him to grow up. Even at 6’ 2”! But, I just couldn't leave him out of the pictures!!!!!

They all had a blast and it was a WONDERFUL night of Trick-or-Treating!

Homemade Crockpot Yogurt

2010-10-11T19:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that correctly...homemade crock pot yogurt. Cheap, easy, and oh so yummy! Now, while I wish I could claim this recipe as my own...I can't! I found it here: A Year of Slow Cooking...you can read all about it there...or you can keep reading here. Your choice!

Okay....so why homemade yogurt? Well, we go through a lot of yogurt here. Normally it is the Trix Yogurt or the Go-gurts...but that is so expensive (and full of sugar!!!!!)! A 6-pack (4 oz each) costs roughly $2.85 at the commissary or $3.29 at Albertsons.

With homemade yogurt you can decide how much sugar or sweetener you want to put in it (if any at all). There are also no preservatives, you decide your fat content, and it is fun to make!

If you do a You Tube search and find many different ways to make your own yogurt at home. And there are yogurt making machines on the market that can help...but you may already have what you need at home...and all the times are "multi-purpose". Why spend money on something that can only be used for one thing?

So, let's get started! You need the following items:

1 crock pot
1/2 gallon of milk (more on types in a moment)
1/2 cup of plain yogurt with live cultures
1 or 2 thick bath towles
1pkg unflavored Knox gelatin (optional)
1 cup sugar (optional)
1 Measuring cup
1 Whisk or Spoon
1 Mixing bowl
Container(s) to pour yogurt in...I recycled my pint mason jars.

***Warning*** This does take a while! You can either start it early in the morning and finish it up right before bed time, or start it later in the day and letting the final step go over night.

Step 1) Okay...you start by pouring the 1/2 gallon of milk into the crock pot and turn the crock pot onto LOW. Make sure it is low. I accidentally turned it on High once and it scorched my milk...yuck!!!! Put the lid on and let it "cook" for 2 1/2 hours.

Step 2) Unplug or turn off the crock pot and let sit for 3 hours. I think it is best if you don't get tempted to look into the crock pot. Just leave the lid on. All you have right now is warm milk...nothing else!

Step 3) Take lid off crock pot and stir the warm milk. Measure out 2 cups of warm milk and pour into a glass bowl. Add 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and mix well. Pour the milk/yogurt mixture back into the crock pot with the remaining warm milk and stir well. Now, if you decide that you want a thicker yogurt this is when you mix in your Knox gelatin. Caution....mix it slowly and well....otherwise you can end up with a gelatinous mess.

Step 4) Replace crock pot lid. Cover/wrap the crock pot with a bath towels. Let sit for 8 hours or over night.

Step 5) Stir up your yogurt and remove 1/2 a cup of fresh yogurt and set aside. This will be your starer for the next time you start a batch

Step 6) Pour your yogurt into your containers and refrigerate! If you find that you would like your yogurt sweeter...add the sugar while stirring it up.

This is so Yummy! My kids eat it like crazy. While it is good for 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator...ours does not last this long. I make 2 batches a week! This week we picked up frozen fruit to blend in and make smoothies. They are in heaven. They don't ask for the frozen Go-gurt we have...they ask if I have any home-made stuff.

Now, for the milk...I use lactose free milk. This is typically all we get because 1/2 the household is lactose intolerant. I have read of people using soy milk, rice milk, etc and having wonderful results. Also, the fat content is going to determine how thick your yogurt will be. The higher the fat content the thicker it is. I use 2% or Fat Free...this is why I had the Knox gelatin. One package of Knox gelatin makes mine the consistince of Dannon Danimals Smoothies.

Now for some math....remember how much the Trix yogurt cost? $3.29 for 24 ounces or $0.13/ounce. If you go plain it is approximately $5.79 for 64 ounces of plain yogurt or .$0.09/ounce.

Okay...now, 1/2 gallon of regular 2% milk costs approximately $2.30 (which is equal to 64 oz), Knox gelatin (if used) is about $2.39 for a box of 4. If you use one then it will be $0.59. For your first batch of yogurt it will be about $0.50...after that you don't have to buy any more starter. So, add together what you use...and it is about $3.39 per batch of homemade yogurt (that is if you use the Knox gelatin)...or $0.05/per ounce! Now, if you choose organic, rice, soy, lactose free, etc. it is going to cost more.

This is great for families that receive WIC...it is a fun, nutritious way to get calcium into you child. I know at times your child may not want as much milk some days and you end up throwing some out. This can help prevent waste too! Your child can help make it, help flavor it when you make it into a smoothie...or even just hand it to them in a cup and let them drink up!

Enjoy!!!!

Cleaning the floors!

2010-10-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

I was so addicted to my Swiffer Wet Jet I never conceived the idea of giving it up. But at almost $7 for 12 refill mop cloths and I can't even remember how much the cleaning solution was...I had to find something else. So, I conceded to the mop and bucket. But, I HATED it...my floors never seemed to be clean, were always sticky no mater what I used, and the mop always looked nasty...and of course it had to be replaced periodically. Mop heads if it was a rag mop, sponges, or the entire thing when it broke...no thank you! After watching a few infomercials Jim and I decided we should invest in a steam mop.

Why a steam mop? Well, no chemicals, reusable, uses water, cleans well...So, we headed to Target. It was a toss up between 2...this is the one we chose:

Shark Steam Pocket Mop

The retail value of this is $119. However, we were able to get it on sale for $99 with a $10 Target Gift Card...nice, huh?

This has been great! It comes with 2 mop heads that are very easy to change. As you can see it comes with a triangle which has been very usefull for getting into tight corners and around the toilet. The XL Open Area covers everything else. This mop also comes with 2 of the triangle microfiber mop covers, 2 XL microfiber mop covers, 1 XL Steam Duster mop head, and a carpet glider.

The carpet glider allows the mop head to glide across your carpet...which can freshen and deodorize your carpet. I LOVE this! I have used it on several occasions. Does not leave the carpet wet, sticky, matted, etc. It is NOT a carpet cleaner however!

Carpet Glider Attachment

Another nice feature is the mop can "flip" so that both sides of the mop cover can be used. No stopping to change when it is dirty! Just flip and go! Each mop covers is washable, reusable, and cleans up very nicely! ***Note ~ DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENER!!! Fabric softener causes microfiber to loose its absorbency and will ruin the cloth!***

Now, I will admit... I do miss the smell of my Wet Jet solution. Funny I know...but it is what it is!

There are other options. If you absolutely LOVE your Wet Jet (or other style such as Mr. Clean, Orange Glo, etc.) there is a reusable option! Kristy Tillman of The Daisy Company is a WAHM that makes reusable mop heads.

Go Green Starter Kit 2 (picture NOT mine, taken from website)

She even makes them for the Swiffer Sweeper and Swiffer Duster (something else that I am tired of paying to replace, so gonna check it out myself!). All of her items are washable, reusable, guaranteed, and even better...MADE IN THE USA! Go check her out! Her site is supported by The Wading Pool; this site support several WAHM's and their families.

As of right now I haven't found a suitable replacement for the Swiffer Solution. I searched Tip Nut.com for ideas. The only thing I found were patterns for making your own Swiffer Cloths and a tip on how to remove the cap off the Swiffer Solution bottle. But, no advice on what to put it in. Vinegar maybe? Just one idea that I could think of.

So, just another idea of being green and saving money while I am at it. I've had my Shark for 6 months now. And in the past I would purchase 2 boxs of Swiffer Wet Jet Mop Cloths and 2 bottles of Wet Jet Cleaning Solution every month (Okay...so I like a clean floor!!!!). That averages out to having been about maybe $100 or more by now? So, in 6 months my Shark Steam Mop has paid for itself!

Composting

2010-10-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

Okay...so we are giving composting a try. We kept saving to purchase a compost bin from Home Depot or Costco. But every time we had the money…something would go wrong and the money would have to be reallocated for other areas. =(

One day I'm browsing Craigslist "free" section. Low and behold I see someone offering a few items for free...including a composter. So, I email them. Only 2 of the items that I am interested in are still available...the composter is one of them. So, we load our items and head home.

We were told that the composter had all of its parts with it. However, upon attempting to assemble it we quickly discovered several parts were missing. A quick trip to Home Depot and $12 later we quickly assemble our composter (retailed at $199!!!).

Typically I clean out the refrigerator every other week, right before going to the commissary. But, it had been a bit longer because everyone had been sick, busy, etc. So, my daughter and I started scavenging for "scraps" to toss in our bin. I then realized that I needed to research to see exactly what I should/could put in our "new" compost bin.

I found What I can compost and what I can't compost on several sites. A quick run down:

What to put in:

Fruit and vegetable peelings and leaves
tea leaves/ tea bags and coffee grounds
fallen leaves
grass clippings
soft prunings
weeds (use only young weeds; those with seed, or about to set seed, are better disposed of in the garbage bin)
cow and horse manures
ash (from open fireplaces)
vacuum cleaner contents (synthetic carpet will not break down)

What NOT to put in:

Meat, fish, chicken, dairy products & cooking oils - these may attract vermin such as mice and other pests.
Non-living things such as plastics, bottle tops, food wrappers, metals etc
Diseased plants
Fruit fly infested fruit
Pet droppings: these may contain diseases that can affect humans and other pets. Although these can be treated with the Pet Poo Converter to make them safe for use in compost.

Other websites said not to put in cooked food.

Okay...going through the refrigerator...we had apples, oranges, carrots, celery...next we went through the potatoes, onions, and garlic...got rid of anything that was soft, very bruised, etc. We also threw out expired eggs, hard boiled eggs, coffee grounds and tea bags from the day.

My 5 year old and 9 year old had fun running in and out with the bowl to toss into the composter; while my husband mixed in some soil, leaves, and timothy hay left over from the rabbit cages. They each took turns flipping the composter around.

We were also given a kitchen composter...just a small plastic bin with a filter to toss in daily bits until you were ready to toss in the main composter.

This has been nice. We make coffee and tea every day...so I just toss in the coffee, coffee filter, and tea bags. After a day or two we just take the bin out and toss in the big composter and give it a turn!

Now, it's going to take a bit for it to all break down. But, it's going to be so worth it I'm sure. Our next attempt will make my 9 year old happy...a worm compost bin. Yup! We are going to catch and grow our own earthworms!!!! =) More when we get that project going!

3 - 2 - 1...LET IT RIP!!!!!!!

2010-10-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

Today Jim and I held a Beyblade party courtesy of House Party. For those of you who do not know what House Party is...this is the low down....

House Party teams up with sponsors to create special events to share and promote a variety of interests. From an early viewing of the hottest new television show to special interests to toys to movies...House Party does it all! After you sign up for House Party you can then opt to apply for parties of your choice. After filling out a brief application you just wait to see if you are chosen to be a host/hostess! If you are chosen you receive a box of "goodies" before your party date. The items in your "party box" are related to your party and help make it a blast! The online website allows you to share your ideas of how to make it a great party, send invites, and get ideas on what else you can do. And best of all...It's FREE!!!!! No catch, no deposits, no "if you want to host this party you have to send in a deposit." FREE, FREE, FREE!!!!!

Okay...so I was chosen to be a hostess for a Beyblade party! When we recieved our party box we were excited! We opened our box and this is what we found:

5 Metal Fusion Beyblades
1 Beyblade Battle Arena
15 Music CD's with Beyblade rap song (kinda cool sounding!)
12 Posters of the newest Beyblades
15 $1 off Coupons to pass out to party guests to purchase their own Beyblade
1 Rule book
1 Preview disk that gave the low down on Beyblade and the cartoon it is linked to!

I estimate the retail value of this box around $150 to $200! After all the Beyblades cost $9.97/each at Walmart.com. The Battle Arena is $9.97 at Walmart.com...although when I was at Target these items were $7.99 and $19.99 respectively. Add the cost of a music cd, posters, etc...yeah...a NICE box!!!!

So, we invited several of the kids school friends to come and battle it out. We had 4 of my kids, the triplets, and my youngest daughters friend. For over an hour they took turns launching the Beyblades and hoping that the one they chose was the last to "fall." We played 2 rounds and the winners of the rounds would battle it out in the very end....here were our 2 finalists:

And the winner was!!!!!

Little Miss Thing here got to take home her very own Beyblade! She was so excited!

Then it was cake time. We custom ordered the cake through Albertsons, picked up some veggies, crackers, and soda. Made some Koolaid, sliced up the veggies, some cheese, some ham...and had a blast!

After we were officially done with the party the kids all sat around, taking turns, and continuing to battle it out in the arena just for fun...while waiting for Mom to pick everyone up.

It was a fun day for all of us. And thanks to House Party I was able to give moms and dads a short break, 8 kids a fun filled afternoon that they are sure to talk about at school on Monday...all without breaking my own bank!!!!

If you want more information on how to host your own House Party check them out here at House Party.com. I am waiting to see if I hear from them on several other parties that I have applied for! I hope I am selected again! It has been a BLAST!!!!!!

A solar & wind powered dryer...

2010-09-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

Great invention right? It came along long before being “green” was the thing to do. Or being frugal for that matter… I think my mom invented it…or was it my grandma? Or was it her grandma? Who really knows…and what is it you may ask (only if you are totally oblivious at this point…hehe)…it is a CLOTHES LINE!!!!

My first attempt at going green (so to speak) was not with cloth diapers. And since recycling is mandatory here in our area of San Diego county…that doesn’t count. So, in fact my first attempt of going green was with a clothes line.

Nothing fancy…just a cheap line picked up from the commissary and tied between a post and the fence. It has to be temporary because our yard is on the small side and we have a play structure in between. Kids gotta have room to play somewhere!

The short of it is…last summer it was HOT! SUNNY! And we needed to lower our utility bills…seriously. So, rather than running the dryer for umpteen times in a day, I strung out my line, grabbed the clothes-pins, and hung out my first load. It reminded me of being a kid...

(Reminiscing here now) I'm a little girl...not sure how old...but my mom is hanging clothes on the line. The line is above my head...but the sheets hang low enough that I can kinda run in and out of them. In the evening she would take them down and make my bed...oh the smell! There is NOTHING that can replace the smell of fresh washed sheets, dried by the sun and wind. Sorry Downy! And the feeling...kinda rough, but not in a bad way. Having her pull those sheets up over top of me...bending over and kissing me good night...oh to be that little girl again.

Okay...so now it is my turn...The clothes came off the line…crisp, warm, and fresh. Folded them as I went (I have a nasty habit of NOT getting done when coming out of the dryer).

Another good use for a clothes line…the sun works like a natural bleach. I dry the baby’s cloth diapers on the line and the sun bleaches out the poop stains. I am going to hate it when the rainy season starts…I HATE poop stains on the diapers. Now as I mentioned the clothes are crisp…this includes diapers. So, I throw them in the dryer for about 20 min with 2 clean tennis balls…softens them right up!

Anyone can dry their clothes outside…well, if you have sunshine…doesn’t work so well in the rain! If you have a small space…string up a line. They are cheap and reusable. I know a lot of people have HOA rules saying you can’t have one…just check. If it is up just long enough to use, not permanent…you may be able to get away with one.

Now, I am a bit pampered and won’t give up a few things. For example…I don’t want crisp socks or undergarments…so those go into the dryer. I’m all for being green…but even I have my limits! Sorry great-grams!

The Diaper Train!

2010-09-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

When my husband and I decided to use cloth diapers on our son there was a mixed reaction…from “Are you freaking kidding me?” to “Cool!”. And the reactions were followed by questions…”Are you freaking kidding me?” to “is it hard?” to “does it really save money?”

Well, here is the nitty-gritty of it. Once upon a time I was a proud, disposable diapering momma of 4. I never once thought of putting them in cloth diapers. Why you ask? Well, after helping my mother change my baby brother's diaper some 26 odd years ago I had absolutely NO interest in cleaning any more poop out of diapers so they could be washed. I call it the "poop factor." And cleaning poop out of diapers ranks right up there with cleaning up vomit. Okay, not a pretty picture...but hopefully you get my point.

Okay, Okay…you ask…what made you decide to go with cloth diapers? Well,, my husband, my family, and I have been trying to do things that are better for the environment. We recycle, reuse, re-purpose...etc. But, we knew we could do better. So, when we found out we were expecting #5 we briefly touched on the topic of cloth diapers...but then came the "poop factor" and I proclaimed a "Hell NO!"

“You said ‘no’…but are doing it? How confusing!”

It really all started to turn around when I joined PregnancyWeekly.com with other mommies-to-be. (this is a great recourse if you are expecting! You are grouped with other mommies-to-be that are due the same month as you are!). Anyway, one of the mommies on the board shared some interesting information she found on a product called gDiaper.

Now a gDiaper…what an interesting concept. Basically what it is, is…a hybrid diaper. There are 3 parts to it. A cute outer shell known as a gPant…these come in a variety of colors that they change on regular occasions and can be quite addicting in collecting! Next is the snap-in gLiner…a waterproof barrier that holds the next part. It works almost like the old fashioned vinyl pants. These first two parts are reusable. Then there is the gRefill and the gCloth. The gRefill is a disposable liner that takes the place of a disposable diaper. It is a one-time use and flush. Yes, you read that right…it is flushable. –Or- you can compost it! The gRefill is 100% bidegradable and unlike a traditional disposable diaper it breaks down in a matter of weeks rather than a few generations from now! If you would like to skip the whole disposable scene you can use the gCloth which is a reusable cloth insert that you pop in the gLiner and wash when dirty! Kinda cool!!!

Needless to say…it grabbed our attention. We began to research how it really worked and found lots of videos on youtube.com that showed some really cool stuff.

We decided to go with the gRefill (they hadn’t came out with the gCloth just yet) and started purchasing the gDiapers off Craigs List. One mom told me that she used the everyday Gerber pre-fold diapers in her gDiapers instead of the gRefill and it worked great. So, we discussed the whole cloth vs. gRefill disposable. The topic of the “poop factor” came up again.

Then we found flushable liners made by Kushies. All this was, was a roll (toilet paper looking) of super thin liners that go onto a cloth diaper. When baby poops, he poops onto the liner. You just pull the liner off and flush! No rinsing poop off the diapers…so once again our curiosity was peaked and we discussed it further.

We decided to use Gerber pre-folds in the gDiaper. After all…this will allow us to go green AND save money too! Then they came out with the gCloth…even better!

So, we did the math. For aproximatly $110 we could get 6 gDiapers, gLiners and 12 gPants. That was the gBundle. We figured we would need a minimum of 24 gCloths to do laundry quite a bit. Add another $60. Well, I don’t’ want to do laundry EVERY day…so let’s make it a total of 36 gCloths…that should let me do laundry every other day…so, we were looking at a grand total of about $200.

WOW! That’s a lot for some diapers. But, we did the math. A package of diapers about $20 (we use Huggies only…sorry, some brand loyalty there). On average we would go through 1 package of diapers every 4 days or so. So, we are looking at about 6 packages of diapers a month…or $120/month for the first 2 months…then possibly dropping after that. So, the first two months alone would cost about $220. Then every month there is an additional $75 to $120. So after 2 months the gDiapers would have already paid for themselves. And the small go from like 8lbs to 14lbs.

But, if Gerber pre-folds work we can save even more money. For 12 pre-folds it is about $12. So, we purchased 4 packages…$48. We saved even more by getting our gDiapers off Craigs List. So for about $200 we purchased some small, mediums, and larges AND some gRefills.

Now, what we didn’t know was that gDiapers don’t work for EVERY baby. We used the Gerber pre-folds and had serious leaking issues. (I know a few women who have had NO issues with their pre-folds in the gDiapers). So, we ordered 2 packages of the gCloths…those didn’t work so well for us too. We were at a loss of what to do.

Well, I didn’t want my pre-folds to go to waste so we purchased some Happy Hineys One Size Diaper covers and a couple of Snapies (kinda cool and they replace old fashioned diaper pins!). The gCloths didn’t go to waste…we line the pre-folds to keep the diapers from rubbing my sons “bits” and provide extra absorbency. Works out GREAT!!!!!

So, through trial and error we have totally switched to a cloth diaper.

Night time created its own issues. The pre-folds just didn’t hold up for my wee man. So, we purchased some Happy Hineys One Size Pocket Diapers; these allow me to put extra absorbent padding and have worked like a dream! We can go 12 hours without having to change him…not that we have had to do that often.

So, our success thus far has given us the courage to purchase our daughter (who occasionally has night time accidents) into a re-usable pull-up. She is actually too big for a standard pull-up. So, she tears the side out when she pulls the down. Under-jams…or whatever they are called…are just too expensive. So, once again we did the math….for the price of one package of pull-ups we could get one re-usable pull-up. We got her the Happy Hiney Training Pants. These have worked really well! We use the gCloth in these too. And my daughter loves them!

In the end it has really worked out. While gDiapers didn’t meet our expectations….they gave us the courage to jump head first into cloth diapers. And we are loving the cloth diapering world! My son is 3 months now and has not had a diaper rash (even in this heat we have been having). While the start-up costs are higher…in the end…we are saving a small fortune in diapers….and being green while we are at it!

The beginning

2010-09-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

This is my first post here...so I figured why not start at the beginning?

Let's see...I am a stay-at-home mom of 5 beautiful children. At this time they are 14, 12, 9, 5, and 3 months. My husband is retired Navy. No, I did not have the blessing of going through his career with him...but I have been a Navy wife. My first husband was in the Navy. My family saw West Virginia, Virginia, Washington, California, and Hawaii. So, we have been around a little...very little compared to some military families!

We live in Sunny Southern San Diego County...more precisely...Escondido. My husband has been here for a little while now. My older 4 kids and I came here to be with him about 2 1/2 years ago. We have collected quite the zoo since getting here. When we moved in my husband had a single dog...Jack the Great Dane. We brought with us 2 cats. Shortly after that we adopted a couple of cockatiles. Then after that we rescued another kitten and he kinda stuck around. THEN someone had a soft spot (and obviously not myself!) and allowed the children to adopt 3 rabbits and a guinea pig. Quite the zoo huh? Then tragedy struck...one of the cockaitels escaped while the cage was being moved. Two weeks after that Jack became so sick from end-stage cancer that we felt we needed to put him down. A week after that we adopted Cocoa...another great dane.

Well, how did we get to where we are now wanting to live cheaper...and greener? Baby #5 came along. With 9 pets, 5 children, 2 adults, mortgage, bills, etc...we needed to start saving money somewhere. So my husband and I deciding that we actually wanted to cloth diaper the baby... saving us $$. We explored the options and thanks to gDiapers we decided to give it a go. And from there we have gone onto pre-folds and pocket diapers.

So, if we are going to cloth diaper to save money (and be green) why stop there? From there we decided to make our own baby wipes, then our own detergent, start a compost bin...and we are going on and on!

It is a learning process for us and we still have a LONG way to go. So, here starts our journey...the beginning....