SortaCrunchy

WFMW: Reusable Produce Bags

We are just about halfway through Crunchy Domestic Goddess's Ditch the Disposables Challenge, and I have to tell you - this has been so much fun!  When I shared my list of disposable items I wanted to ditch, I confessed that I have problems remembering to bring the shopping bags into the grocery store with me.  Well, I got that problem corrected by creating a little system for myself: I keep them in the trunk of my car now (rather than in the house . . . I mean, really, what kind of sense did that make?), and right after I buckle AJ into her seat before we roll out for the grocery store, I pop the trunk, get the bags out, and put them in the passenger seat on top of my purse.  No more forgetting my grocery bags!

Once I started using my grocery bags, I really got the urge to try out the reusable produce bags I had been seeing.  I looked and looked and kept coming back to these beautiful bags from Etsy shop (and new SC sponsor!) Love For Earth:

Not only does Kara of Love For Earth stock many color choices and fun options for her produce bags, she describes each product with such charm and humor that I just had to find out more.  She graciously agreed to partner with me in my disposable ditching adventures and sent me a set of bags (I chose green!) to help me on my path to a more waste-free home.

Y'all.  I have used these twice now and I LOVE THEM.  I was telling Kara over the weekend that I don't know how I ever lived without them.  I cannot tell you how much NICER they are to use than the wimpy, crinkly, unreliable plastic bags in the produce section.  And aren't the plastic ones such a pain to open?  Particularly when you have a grabby, wormy squirmy toddler who will find a way to unbuckle her cart seat belt and launch herself out if you dare to be preoccupied with more pressing matters.

And I am the only one who manages to get the sweet potato with the hidden claw that waits until my back is turned and then slices open the plastic produce bag so that when I lift the bag to place it on the checker's counter, the wily sweet potato and all of his buddies go free-falling to freedom?

Yeah.  That's not happening with these pretty bags.  All produce will find itself neatly and stylishly contained - at the store and in the fridge drawer.

Here they are in action in my own kitchen:

Look at those ribbon closures.  SO DAINTY, right?  These are just luxury, hands-down.  A nice little treat to reward yourself for buying fresh fruits and veggies.  BONUS?  One baby step closer to a waste-free home.

Oh, this poor guy.  He only WISHES he had been so lucky as to find escape from his fate by busting loose from a plastic produce bag:

What can I say?  She loves an avocado.

Oh yes, friends.  Reusable produce bags - they work for me.

Abudance of Gratitude and an Invitation to Give

I had sorta planned on an As He Leads Us post for today, but in all honesty, my heart and head are just reeling in the wake of the news of Gabriella Vega's stroke last week.  Every time I type or say that word - stroke - I just cannot believe this is really happening to sweet Princess G.

She is four years old. 

I've watched that sweet girl with the blond curls grow from darling little baby to vivacious preschooler, and to see her confined to a hospital bed without words and with little movement overwhelms me with crushing sadness.

My every other thought is of her and her mama Kristi and daddy Paul and little brother PJ.

I've found solace in the practice of gratitude.  With every laugh and through all the chatter and amidst the wrestling rough-housing from the girls, my heart stretches and snaps to Arizona, to Kristi at Gabriella's bedside, praying that she'll hear Gabriella's voice again soon.

I'm slowing down to listen and hold close and soak up the rhythms and routines and blessed normalcy of each day.

I'm

17. getting lost in the zen-like calm of snapping green beans at the sink.

18. grinning big in response to Aliza Joy's "dank you, Mommy!"  Oh, now that child has a heart of gratitude, to be sure.

19. indulging in a few extra moments with my fingers dug deep in appreciation of that mystical feel of flour and butter which have become one in the moments before the buttermilk splashes and reminds the buttered flour that biscuits need making.

20. happy sighing over biscuits that rise up and come out just right.

21. so, so, so grateful for an old friend's thoughtfulness in passing on something that met a need at the exact moment we needed it.

22. overjoyed to spend a Saturday afternoon on a quilt under the canopy of a pecan tree whose paternal arms have shielded decades of seekers-of-the-slow.  Markers took to journals while the last of the summer cicadas sang.

23. aching heart over the joyful innocence of Dacey's art where the sun shines always and every face beams with smile.

*****

I can never, ever put words to my gratitude for each and every one of you.  When I think back on the humble start of SC, I just shake my head.  At the start, I was just gonna talk about some cloth diapers a little bit, and now look at this place.  Just amazing.

Over the weekend, I hatched a plan.  I have been praying unceasingly for the Vega family, but I feel so helpless to help all these miles away.  But then I thought maybe . . . maybe I can help.  Here's the plan:

I'm going to put together an online raffle to be hosted here at SC.  All of the proceeds from the raffle will go to the Vega family to bless them and help ease some of the burden of the many expenses they are accruing in the midst of this circumstance.

To host a really great raffle that honors a really amazing little girl, I need some really big help.  That's where you come in.  I know there are some wonderfully, tremendously gifted people that hang out here. 

Would you like to join me in this by donating a prize to the raffle?

Here are some ideas:

* Anything handmade or created by you - knitted, crocheted, letterpressed, photographed - any kind of handwork or art
* Services you might offer - digital card creation, mama card design, blog design
* Products that you want to purchase for donation

The details are very loose right now.  I've never taken on a project of this size, but I've got a team of friends from the mothering community through which we all know the Vegas who have stepped up to help pull this thing off.

So this is our invitation to those who want to be directly involved in the creation of the raffle prize packages.  If you want in, leave a comment here or email me at sortacrunchy at gmail dot com.

*****

If your Monday promises nothing but the usual, hold your dear ones close and offer a breath of thanks to God for normal.

You can join others on the path of gratitude each Monday at Holy Experience.

SortaCrunchy Sponsor Spotlight: Moo Cow Momma

When I decided to take up Crunchy Domestic Goddess's Ditch the Disposables challenge, I knew I would need a little help in working towards a more waste-free home.  I browsed around Etsy and found a few businesses that were offering just the kind of reusable products I need.  Today, I am excited to introduce you to one of my Ditch the Disposable sponsors: Moo Cow Momma.

Barbara of Moo Cow Momma has been a delight to work with as a partner in this challenge.  She has sponsored me with some reusable products that I never dreamed I would use (more details and review to come later!).  For those of you who are looking for ways to ditch the disposables around your home, allow me to point you in direction of some of Barbara's offerings!

One of the very easiest changes to make in your home is to cut back on paper towel usage and rely more on kitchen cloth.  Barbara offers all kinds of reusable paper towels, including the very basic natural variety.  Currently in her store, you will also find pinks and purples, blues, greens, reds, and even a Halloween-inspired combo.  We've been using kitchen cloth for years now, and it is so much more amazingly effective than paper. 

Another benefit of replacing disposables with reusable is one your checkbook will appreciate - reusing a product saves so much money!  If you use Swiffer Wet Jet, you know that you must keep buying the mop pads.  Barbara offers reusable mop pads designed to fit the Wet Jet perfectly - and you get to create a custom set for your home with fabrics from Barbara's extensive fabric collection!  Barbara also includes "a recipe for non-toxic floor cleaner which you can make from ingredients you probably already have inside your cabinet."

I use reusable plastic containers for most of Dacey's lunch box contents, but I know she would be delighted with any of the reusable sandwich bags from Moo Cow Momma.  And if a standard sandwich bag is a little ho-hum for you, check out Barbara's sandwich wraps.  Very cool and VERY CUTE!

One last area I need to convert from disposable to reusable is food storage bags.  We don't use very many of these so I haven't really challenged myself in making the reusable switch, but when we do go reusable for food storage, I will be all over these super-cute, super-safe quart sized bags.  I'm thinking road trips, picnics, sporting events . . . so many ways these could be used.  And once again, these bags are totally custom!

I cannot tell you enough how highly I recommend Barbara and Moo Cow Momma.  From our first conversation, she has been extremely helpful, friendly, and prompt.  I received my package from her so quickly and her follow-up information and all-around customer service have been just outstanding.  If participating in or reading about the Ditch the Disposables challenge has piqued your interest in going more waste-free, I know you'll find something in Barbara's shop to help you on your journey.

Spend a few minutes browsing her store and I know you'll be inspired.  (And become a fan on Facebook, too, for the inside scoop on updates and coupons!) Happy shopping!

urgent request for prayer

Last May, I shared my heartache when my mothering community learned that four year old Gabriella would need a heart transplant.

This afternoon, I am nearly paralyzed with worry for this beautiful girl.  From what I can gather from Facebook updates from Kristi and our friend April, it seems Gabriella collapsed earlier today and was air-evacuated to the hospital.  We are being told it was a stroke, and the latest update from Kristi (via April) is

They are rapidly working on her. Large clot in her brain. Probably from her heart. Blood doesn't pump right so gets stagnant and forms a clot which traveled to her brain. She can't talk or move her right side.... They put an Atrial line in to monitor her blood pressure and are putting in a groin catheter. They are transporting her to St. Joes down the street where the Specialize in Neuro.

Please, please join me in praying over Gabriella, her parents Kristi and Paul, and little brother PJ.  It feels so helpless to sit and wait for updates, but I believe with all that I am that there is power in prayer.  If you could take just a moment to send prayers and healing thoughts their way, it would mean so much.

You Tell Me: Best Nursing In Public Comebacks

I have been immensely enjoying the chronicles of life with a new babe from Sarah at Becoming Sarah.  Now that my baby baby has turned two, I find I have to relish the life-with-newborn moments vicariously through others.

Earlier this week, Sarah wrote about embracing nursing in public sans cover which was not how she had planned for things to go.  The topic of whether or not to cover in public is hotly debated amongst lactivists.  There are those who insist a mother should do whatever she feels comfortable with when nursing a child in public.  Others insist that covering up further perpetrates the notion that breastfeeding is - at best - a "sacred" or "intimate" or "private" moment between mother and child and therefore should be covered up, or it is - at worst - indecent.

Most breastfeeding advocates simply want to work towards the common purpose of normalizing breastfeeding in our culture.  Breastfeeding is, after all, normal.

Anyway, in this post, Sarah talks about her experiences in nursing without a cover-up, and she shares some gorgeous photos, and then the brave soul opens up comments for thoughts on nursing in public.

Amongst the comments, I read a statement that absolutely drives me batty.  Someone stated "yeah its natural, but so is pooping, and I would rather just not see it."  Rather than engage in comment box debate, I figured I'd just bring it over here to discuss.

That statement drives me insane because it is biologically ignorant.  Breastfeeding and pooping are completely opposite.  While the common element of food is shared, the actual processes are, you know, completely different.  Breastfeeding = food in.  Pooping = food out.  It's a pretty basic concept.

I have not personally been confronted with this commentary on nursing in public, but I've been practicing my comeback for years:

People who do not understand the difference between eating and pooping are not allowed in my kitchen.  And they probably shouldn't be allowed to do the grocery shopping, either.

Ohhhhhhh, I'm just waiting for the day when I can pop off with that comeback.  (yet knowing my propensity for tongue-tied-ness, I'm sure I'll mess it all up and leave everyone involved in hysterics.  The possibilities for how that can be messed up are quite endless.)

I would love to hear from you - what is the best comeback you've used or heard to counter the critiques of nursing in public (with or without a cover)?

photo (isn't it lovely?) courtesy of Daquella

Cloth Wipes Q&A, Part Two

This post is Part Two of my series on cloth wipes in the bathroom.  Read more on why I use them, the questions asked by readers, and Part One of my answers to the questions.

Let me just start by telling you my cloth wipe laundry routine.  It is essentially the same routine I used for cloth diapers.  When I had babies in cloth diapers, I would wash our cloth wipes and diapers together.  No one here is in diapers anymore (hurray!) (well, except for those nighttime disposables, and no, I haven't found a solution for that issue . . yet . . .).

As I noted in Part One, all of our used cloth wipes go into a little zippered wet bag.  Every other night, I take the wet bag and dump out the contents into the washer.  Then I throw the wet bag in as well.  Please note - I never touch any of the dirty wipes. 

Between the three of us (the girls and I), we use enough cloth wipes in two days to make a nice, small washing machine load.

1. I run a cold rinse, then a hot wash with detergent and some Borax or Oxy-Clean (whatever is on hand). 

2. When it's done, I throw it all in the dryer with a dry towel to make the drying more efficient.  (Yes, I could hang these to dry outside.  I should. I know this, okay.  I just don't.)

3. Buzzer rings, and I fold wipes and put it all back in the bathroom.

Easy-peasy.

Seriously.

I have to say that if we were using wipes for #1 only, I would have zero qualms about running the wipes through in a regular load of laundry.  It's just pee.

Other questions:

Do you use a wipe solution?

I don't.  I know many people who use cloth wipes like to mix up a little wipe solution to spray on to the wipes for #2 clean-up.  Peri bottles (the kind the hospital sends home with you after you deliver a baby) work particularly well for this.  There are many wipes solutions recipes out there - just Google and you'll see.  I don't find the need for this.  Our sink is within arm's reach of the toilet, so I just wet the wipe at the sink.

What about having to deal with the results of your husband's clean-up?

Okay, well, again - Kyle thinks this whole thing is laughably ridiculous.  He and I do not share the same passion for frugality/conservationism/comfy-potty-clean-up.  So I don't have to deal with my husband's clean-up wipes, but so what if I did? 

It all goes in the same wet bag, I don't ever look into or rifle through the wet bag to inspect the used wipes, and it all goes into the same washer anyway.  And again, I'm never handling the used wipes at any point, except for obviously when I am using them.  You have to handle paper TP when you are using it, too, correct?  And I assure you, you do not have the  "breakthrough" moments with cloth wipes that sometimes do happen with paper TP.

What about the energy usage?

This uses no more energy for me than cloth diapering did.  In fact, it uses a little less because my cloth diaper loads were generally a large load run that involved a cold rinse, hot wash, and cold rinse.  So I am, in effect, reducing my footprint.  

I am not a scientist or an engineer or an any way educated about these things, but it just seems to me that the energy usage required to process paper to turn it into TP on top of the transportation required to distribute it through stores . . . well, I  just don't see how that could be equal to me doing three extra loads of laundry a week.  Feel free to correct me with facts and numbers here if you would like to.

Is it really safe to wash poopy wipes in your home washing machine?

The question of poop in the washer is one I had to settle for myself when I started cloth diapering.  I believe that yes, it is safe.  If you can't take my word for it, check out this article on laundry from the CDC:

Although soiled linen may harbor large numbers of pathogenic microorganisms, the risk of actual disease transmission from soiled linen is negligible.

and

Studies have shown that a satisfactory reduction of microbial contamination can be achieved at water temperatures lower than 160°F if laundry chemicals suitable for low-temperature washing are used at proper concentrations. In the home, normal washing and drying cycles including "hot" or "cold" cycles are adequate to ensure . . . safety.

Who would have thought that the CDC and I could stand in agreement on an issue?  Wonders never cease.  (If you are a new reader, I'm not an anti-CDC whacko.  We just part ways when it comes to the way they handle vaccination recommendations.  You can read more of my thoughts on vaccinations here.)

I feel that I am forgetting to address something.

Have you learned all that you ever wanted to know about cloth wipes, but didn't dream that someone would talk about it publicly?

Tell me what I left out and I shall address it as best as I can.

photo courtesy of le vent le cri

As He Leads Us: Programming Note

Regular readers have no doubt noticed that Laura and I have taken a three month hiatus from our As He Leads Us series on parenting in the first year of baby's life.  

Now that summer has come to a close and both of our families are (somewhat) settling into a routine, we plan to continue with our As He Leads Us series very soon - possibly even next Monday!  If you are a new reader and are unfamiliar with our As He Leads Us: Parenting on the Path of Servanthood in Baby's First Year project, I would invite you to read our AHLU page for an introduction to our approach to parenting that is inspired by God's Word, empowered by Christ's strength, and led by the work of His Spirit within.

We look forward to engaging in more discussion and dialogue on this topic with you in the coming weeks!

(Comments closed.)

two years of our Joyful Joy

Exactly two years ago today, I took this shot of our snuggly two week old Little Sister:

Oh, what a difference two years can make.

It's almost impossible to find words to describe our Texas Tornado.  Aliza Joy - the baby who revealed her name to us only moments before she was born -  spent the entirety of her first three months of life asleep.  I was deeply concerned - I had never seen a baby sleep so much.  In retrospect, I can see that she was simply preparing for a life of perpetual motion.  

If we could pin AJ down long enough to stick a this-statement-sums-up-my-life-bumper-sticker on her, it would speak of Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's statement that "Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History." 

When she is in rare form, she bursts with energy and effervescence and joie de vivre.  In fact, joie de vivre is the essence of our Joyful Joy.  Never was a child so aptly named.

Two weeks ago today, we had a simple little family party for AJ. 

We had a little Peppa Pig cake

and it was thoroughly enjoyed.

My heart aches with that bittersweet thrill of watching my baby grow ever more into her Big Girl Shoes.  Of course I am only speaking metaphorically of those Big Girl Shoes, because if there is one thing AJ deplores, it is wearing shoes.  She comes by that honestly, that's for sure.  Keeping her clothed around the house is a battle I've long since resigned to losing.  She just will not be contained.

At two, AJ is fully day-trained in potty learnedness, wearing diapers only at night (and thinks it is hilarious to say "goo goo ga ga" and act like a baby when I put her nighttime diaper on her).  She loves to paint and color and create.  We keep the marker bin on the table all the time now so that she can indulge her every creative whim.  Last week, she drew her first smiley face:

(you do see a smiley face there, too, right?)

Dancing, gymnastics, running full-speed, jumping up, jumping over, climbing on, crawling under, grinning, laughing, shrieking, singing, telling stories, reading books, resisting sleep, rising with the sun, picking flowers, collecting rocks, tormenting Dacey, and running into Daddy's arms the moment he hits the door at the end of the day.  It's all in a day's work for our Curly Girl.

 Happy birthday, Little Sister. 

Can't wait to see what the next will bring.

Sometimes I catch her dreamin' and wonder where that little mind meanders
Is she strollin' along the shore or cruisin' o'er the broad savannah
I know someday she'll learn to make up her own rhymes
Someday she's gonna learn how to fly
Oh that I won't deny
-- "Little Miss Magic," Jimmy Buffett

Cloth Wipes Q&A, Part One

Imagine me putting on my Master Of The Obvious Hat here, okay? 

This post will contain copious amounts of TMI coupled with Overshare.  All ye who are squeamish - ye best click away now, me hearties.  (Evidently my Master Of The Obvious Hat triggers Pirate Speak.  Interesting.)

Seriously.  This is the time to click away if you are going to do it.

So, here we go.

1. MemeGRL asks: "What kind of cloth do you use? And what do you do with it when it's used, especially post-#2? And how do you wash them? We had a service for the cloth diapers we used."

I will tackle all laundry questions in Part Two of the Q&A.

What cloth to use?  Well, I use a combination of things.  We have a handful of cloth wipes left from cloth diapering days, and those are my favorites because they are the softest.  Most are flannel on one side and either organic cotton velour or sherpa on the other side.  The rest of our current wipe stash is just cut up flannel that I repurposed from old 100% cotton flannel receiving blankets.

If you are only using wipes for #1, you could easily cut-up old t-shirts or an old flannel sheet for wipes.  If you are handy with the sewing machine, pick up some flannel and cut it into 8 x8 squares then sew together for a nice sturdy wipe.  If you want something a little more fancy, do a search at Etsy or Hyena Cart for "cloth wipes" and you'll find an assortment. 

(May I introduce you to MooCowMomma at Etsy?  She is one of my Ditch the Dispsoables Challenge sponsors, and I'll be sharing more with you about her shop later.  She does carry a nice little assortment of wipes if you would rather buy pre-made.)

So as you can imagine, there is lots and lots of PINK involved in the cloth wipe usage in our bathroom.

2. And that leads me to the second part of that question - what to do when they are used?

Here is our set-up:

 

 

I keep clean wipes in a little basket on the back of the toilet.  The pink bag next to the basket is what is known as a wet bag.  It has a cute little print outer and the inner is a fabric called PUL (polyurethane laminated fabric - read more here).  It is a zippered bag, and when we have either #1 or #2 dirtied wipes, I just toss them in there and zip it up.  Normally, I actually keep the bag on the floor beside or behind the toilet, but for picture purposes, I pulled it up next to the basket.

This is where recent cloth diapering makes cloth wipes usage extremely easy because of course I have a wet bag laying around the house.  You mean you don't?  Unless you cloth diaper, probably not.  

So what else can be used to store dirty wipes?  Well, Crunchy Chicken suggests (amongst other things) a mesh laundry bag, and really any sort of container could work.  Be creative!  Look around your house to see what could be reworked into a wipes container.  Take a peek into this bathroom.  See the white container on top of the shelf?  Guess what's inside.  Yep!  Dirty cloth wipes!

If you are only using wipes for #1, you really can make just about anything work.  You could line a small trashcan with an old pillowcase.  You could line a wide-mouthed kitchen utensil jar with a small canvas bag.  You will find that #1 wipes are not stinky.  When you start working with #2, clearly, you need some kind of lid or zipper.

3. I'm sure someone asked about this, but I can't remember who.  Next obvious question - what about the stink?

Again, I'll reference Crunchy Chicken's stinky post, and she points out that some people prefer to soak their dirty wipes in some kind of solution (tea tree oil is a popular choice for being an antiseptic stink controller).  When I was cloth diapering, I dabbed tea tree oil on a wipe and threw that in the wet bag and then also sprinkled generously with baking soda.

My current stink control method is something that won't work for everyone.  AJ prefers to use the Little Potty and that has to be wiped out every time she goes.  I was using disposable disinfectant wipes, but those are expensive (and incongruent with the Ditch the Disposables Challenge!), so I put some vinegar soaked rags in a little lidded container.  I wipe out the potty each time she goes and then throw the vinegar rag in the wet bag, too.  I assure you, when I unzip that wet bag, vinegar is the only thing I smell.

4. Charity asked about what to do with wipes during that time of the month.  

(aren't you glad I didn't say menses?  I wanted to say menses, but saying menses really bothers and freaks people out.  So I won't say menses.  You're welcome.)

And really I cannot answer this any better than the answer Crunchy Chicken gave her in the comments section of this post, so I'm just going to quote her directly:

If you use tampons or the Divacup or something similar, the amount of blood you get on the cloth is really minimal. If you use cloth pads, then the laundering would be the same for them.

If you use disposable pads, then you could treat the wipes as you would cloth pads or just rinse them. Or, just use TP during heavy days if you don't want to deal with it.

So, how's that for a start to some specifics?

Up next is laundering cloth wipes.  In the meantime, you can read this superhugelong thread at MotheringDotCommunity about all kinds of approaches to cloth wipes usage.

Don't forget Crunchy Chicken is hosting the Cloth Wipe Challenge, and she called for a check-in today.  If you have been brave enough to give this a try this week, go on over and tell her how it is going!

On discovering defiance in old age

I was such a compliant child.

Honestly, I really was.  I spend the vast majority of my childhood and a good portion of my adolescence being ever-so-careful not to rock the boat.  Throughout my twenties, I was most comfortable in not standing out.  Maybe that's why all that pent-up defiance is spilling over into my thirties. 

I am all about challenging these days.

My monthly column is up over at Simple Mom, and my hope is it will challenge all of us (myself primarily) to think about how we do birthday celebrations.  It's a gentle sort of defiance, I suppose.

Never content to stick to the safe topics of life, I will be back shortly with some follow-up discussion on the matter of cloth wipes.  Y'all have been quite challenging in the questions you've asked, and I'll do what I can with some answers.  And pictures.  But it won't be gross.  I may be defiant, but I'm not totally tasteless.

Am I?