Movie Night Mondays

image from www.slashfood.com

I have a fabulous recipe for an easy, no-stress Monday night.  It's one of our key Smith Family Budget Reduction Strategies (that's supposed to sound really impressive and official)

Ingredients:
2-3 apples (I love Granny Smith or Pink Lady but we get whatever apple HEB has for <$1 per lb.)
1- 8 oz block of cheese (I like Sharp Cheddar; Trey prefers Colby Jack)
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 TBSP coconut oil
1 family-friendly DVD from the library
1 bottle of Two-Buck Chuck

Directions:
1. Slice apples
2. Slice cheese
3. Pop kernels in coconut oil on stove top.  Here's How!
4. Bring popcorn, cheese, and apples to family room
5. Pop in free DVD rental (courtesy of your friendly local library)
6. Pour a small glass of wine
7. Sit down and enjoy!

Total cost = around $3 each movie night

Cost Breakdown:
Apples = $1.25 *HEB
Cheese = $1.39 (we use 1/2 block each movie night) *Aldi
Popcorn Kernels (32 oz bag) = $1.29 (ONE bag makes 120 cups of popped popcorn) *Aldi
Coconut oil = $6 (ONE container of oil makes popcorn for the whole family 63 times) *HEB
Two-Buck Chuck = $2.99 (one bottle = 6 movie night glasses) *Trader Joes
DVD (free) *Crowley Public Library

Can I "test out" cloth diapering first?

It's difficult to "try out" cloth diapering because it's a large initial investment that pays for itself within 6 months. With that said, I can think of a few economical ways you might get your feet wet before jumping in:

1) Craigslist. I know. Gross.  But. Here's a secret.  Diapers have excellent resale value.  They often sell for 70% of their initial value.  Check online.  Check on craigslist. This is good news for you when you want to sell off your stash.  It also means that there are great deals to be had.  I scored 11 diapers for $55 off of Craigslist from a sweet little Indian family that was moving back to India.  These diapers had been used for 3 years and were still kickin'. It allowed me to pilot my cloth diapering program with Chandler before Ellie arrived. It also allowed me to see the downside to velcro and the upside of snaps since the velcro was in rough shape and a major pain in the butt, but the lone snaps diaper looked good as new.

OR

2) Buy prefolds and covers -  Get a pack of prefolds (I highly recommend GMD Cloth-eez) and a few Thirsties snap covers (adjustable).  You can sometimes score some "irregular" diapers from the website that are marked down considerably but work just as well.  I got a dozen large size for $24 that way.  Covers are about $13 each but you can usually score cheaper ones by looking at the "open box" option on Amazon or the "seconds" section of cloth diapering websites.  This will allow you to determine if cloth diapering is for you. As a caveat, however, prefolds are a bit more cumbersome than pocket diapers.  The good news? If you don't mind prefolds, pocket diapers will be a breeze.  I personally love prefolds, and still use them often with Ellie even though she easily fits in the pocket diapers.

OR

3) Buy Alvababy diapers from China.  I recommend the $6.99 double gusset color snap because those are the most like BumGenius.  I own their $4 and $5 diaper but those do leak at times.  If you want to stock up on 7-8 of the Alvababy double gusset first (rather than the 3x  more $$ Bumgenius), you can get an idea of whether or not this is for you.  If you don't like them, resell them and recoup some of those costs.

*Don't buy a diaper pail and liner while you are testing it out.  Just dedicate small trashcan with a grocery bag and dump the small load of diapers in and toss the shopping bag in the trash. 

*Pick up a small box of Tide Ultra Powder detergent.  Just use 1 to 1 1/2 TBSP for each load.

If you decide it's for you, then go forth and get the good stuff. You will still save major money in the end.  I started off with the tiny trashcan in the garage and the Craigslist diapers.  But once I knew this was going to work for me, I bought the Charlie's soap, pocket diapers, hemp inserts, and pail liners so that life would be easy.  I love cloth diapering.  Every time I am running low on diapers, I just do a load of laundry.  It's kind of like magic.

Cloth Diapering Products We Love

Newborn: We used a prefold and wrap method for our newborn.  It was leak-proof and easy.  We ordered a dozen of the prefolds and had 3 covers.  You can reuse the covers several times, so you only need a few.

GMD Cloth-eez Prefolds- Newborn Size - $24 a dozen ($2 each)
These babies are the standby that women have used for generations to diaper their babies.  They are super cheap ($2 each) and a great fit for newborns before they transition into pocket diapers.
Thirsties Duo-Wrap Snap Cover 6-18lbs - $12.75
This is a great cover that allows you to adjust the size.  Simply snap this baby over the prefold and you have a waterproof protector.
Snappi Diaper Fasteners - 3 pack $9.75
Such an upgrade from diaper pins.  This grabs with plastic clips that keep you from worrying about poking yourself or your little one.

Excellent Video about this Newborn system
This is a great little video (2 minutes long) that shows exactly what we used for newborn cloth diapering.  The only difference is that we bought the Thirsties cover with snaps (not velcro) because velcro wears down in the laundry and snaps can be used forever and ever without "wearing out"

12+ lbs: We use a pocket one size diaper.  We have about 12 diapers designated for our 2 year old and 15 for our 5 month old.  We could probably get by with far less but received many as baby shower gifts.

BumGenius 4.0 Snap Diapers - $17.95 each
These are my very favorite diaper.  They can be used all the way up to potty training time.  Seriously,  I tried these on my son when he was 3 1/2 just to see, and they totally fit him.  They are wonderfully made, and I can interchange them easily between kids.  If I am using one of my 2-year-olds diapers for my 5 month old, I just have to adjust 3 snaps in a row in order to get a perfect fit.  I own a Fuzzibunz, and both my kids leak immediately.  I have heard wonderful things about Fuzzibunz from parents who have thinner kids, and I think that must be the ticket because our Fuzzibunz diaper is just a leak factory on our wide babies.  Helpful BumGenius Video

AlvaBaby Double Gusset Color Snap Diaper - $6.99 each
These diapers are the cheaper version of the BumGenius and manufactured and sold from China.  They ship free but it does take a long time for them to arrive (3-4 weeks for us).  They actually snap smaller than the Bum Genius because they have 4 different size settings (rather than 3). They are truly good diapers.

Overnight:

Joey Bunz Premium Hemp Insert - Large - 3pk - $18.75
My middle child would always wake up soaked before we switched to cloth diapers because there was no way to adjust the absorbency.  With cloth diapering, I am able to add or remove layers as needed.  Overnight and for afternoon naps, I love the Joey Bunz Premium Inserts.  They are so much better than the other hemp inserts out there.  They dry quickly and pretty much bullet proof.  I got the large pack because they fit the Bum Genius perfectly at its largest setting but can be folded easily to accommodate the smaller diapers.

Wipes:

Baby Wash Cloths (Edged) - Buy at Wal-mart/Target/etc.- $4-$6 in store
I have 3 different kinds of wipes: the OsoCozy, Hemp, and Gerber Wash Cloths.  The best (and cheapest) option is to go to Walmart and pick up a pack of baby washclothes that are edged (see picture in link for example of what I mean by "edged")

Laundry System: You are going to want to do a load of diapers every 2-3 days.  You simply take the liner out of the pail and empty the contents into the washing machine.  The agitation of your washer will naturally remove the inserts from your pocket diapers, so you don't have to.  If you dry your diapers, do so on a low heat setting.

Simplehuman Diaper Pail - $36.64
So this is really a step trash can but it is the best diaper pail that I can truly imagine. The planet wise liners fit it perfectly, it has wheels so it can be easily moved.  It has a lock so that no pesky pets or curious toddlers can get inside, and it has a step lever so that you never have to touch the lid to open it if you don't want to.

Planet Wise Diaper Pail Liner ($16.50)
You will want to buy 2 liners  - When you are doing a load of cloth diapers, you will wash the liner with the load.  You'll want the extra one handy so that you always have a liner in your diaper pail.

Charlie's Soap Laundry Detergent - $13.99
I really like this laundry soap and it lasts for months and months because you only use a tablespoon of it at a time.  You have to be really mindful that you don't use detergent that will leave any sort of chemicals in the actual diaper, and Charlie's fits the bill.

Tide Ultra Powder
Tide Ultra is a save the day product.  Cloth diapering moms swear by it, and I've used it interchangeably with Charlie's and had great success.

Simple, Helpful Cloth Diaper Laundry Video

Cloth Diapering (6 months in)

We have been cloth diapering for just shy of 6 months now, and it is one decision I am glad I made.  There were serious pros and cons to consider when making the transition, but the bottom line for us was our budget.  As part of our monthly budget planning, we had a money envelope solely dedicated to the purchase of diapers and wipes.  Now that we have dropped down to one income, it is so nice to have one less envelope to fill with cash.

 It really does save money!

• My cloth-diapering routine results in one additional load of laundry every 2-3 days.
• Every time I put on a cloth-diaper, it's like putting a quarter in a piggy bank since I am not spending the 21 cents on the disposable diaper or the 4 cents on the wipes I would use during that diaper change.
• 25 cents a diaper change adds up, especially when you have more than one in diapers at a time.
• Cloth diapers are made to last.  You can use them from one child to the next without really needing to replace or add to your stock of diapers.  Plus, as weird as this sounds, cloth diapers have excellent resale value.

I know that it takes some extra planning and some added inconvenience, but the monetary benefits make it well worth it to me.  Now that I'm not drawing in an income, I can help my family by cutting costs anywhere possible.  Diapering, as it turns out, is a major money-saving area for us.

Soon and very soon

Dear Elinor, Your daddy, your brothers, and your mommy are so ready to meet you. Your oldest brother has even invited you to come out and join us! We cannot wait to see your sweet face, give you hugs and kisses, and shower you with love. We have been praying for you and asking God tO keep you safe and healthy. Still, we are eagerly anticipating meeting you in His timing. I love you, Ellie. Love, Your mommy

Gluten-Free Fail

Trey and I both have immediate family members who are on strict gluten-free diets for specific health reasons.  Trey has been on a gluten-free diet for a couple months and has experienced amazing health benefits (like his cholesterol ratios going from "dangerous" to "optimal").  Now that summer is upon us, we've decided to extend the gluten-free diet to everyone in our household, really in the hopes that it will help our oldest son in particular who has major tummy troubles. 

Here's the thing, my sons like to eat things filled with wheat.  In fact, Owen Ray has been begging for bread, "the square kind... from the store."  He's all but offered to go out and buy it himself.  It's hard to say "no" when the kid has had his fair share of mac'n'cheese and crackers these last three years.  In an attempt to make this transition easier, I promised him that I would make him macaroni and cheese for dinner.  We headed to the store and picked up some quinoa elbows and gluten-free velveeta.  He was so excited because he knew: noodles + cheese = deliciousness.

Unfortunately for us, quinoa mac'n'cheese was not a big hit.  In fact, Owen Ray nearly spit it out seconds after excitedly popping a big bite into his mouth. It was rejected, flat out.  I tried a bite, and I had to concur. This was not edible.  Plan B was sure to be a hit, though.  Owen Ray wanted a quesadilla.  No problem.  We've got extra-large, extra-soft corn tortillas and lots of colby jack cheese blend.  Thirty seconds in the microwave and voila!  Unfortunately, those corn tortillas were not fooling anybody either. Ray took a bite, smiled at me, and choked it down.  Then he said very politely "Oh, I think my tummy is telling me I'm full" (i.e. this food is gross, Mom). 

What I found out today is that I have a lot of room to grow in the gluten-free arena.  The boys have had more fresh produce, dairy, and protein than ever before... but when it comes to making substitutes for things that are clearly meant to contain wheat... yikes.  Mommy has got some learning to do.

Officially a Stay-at-Home-Mom

I cannot believe it's finally here!  I put in my resignation letter months ago, but I still had to finish out the school year and what remained of my teaching contract. It's been exactly one week since I turned in my keys (and my district-issued iPad -- bummer).

On Friday, the boys and I went to the zoo to celebrate the beginning of summer, but for me it was so much more.  It was celebrating the fact that I don't have a mental countdown ticking off the days until I have to report back to work.  It was celebrating four years of waiting and hoping that God would allow me to be with the little ones full-time.  It was a big deal!

The last seven days have been a typical whirlwind for us at the start of summer. We headed out to Lake Fork to spend a few days out of our normal routine. It was good to rest and recharge.  It was also Trey's first time taking Owen Ray fishing.  Our little man was pretty ecstatic that he managed to hook a turtle with his spiderman fishing rod his first time out.

Now that we are back at home, I have been so thankful, but it's hard to believe that it's finally here. I am used to summer with my boys.  The full reality won't likely sink in until the school year starts, and I find myself blissfully at home while my former colleagues are setting up their classrooms to welcome in a new group of students.