Do you sometimes have doubts that your day was well spent? I (occasionally) do. But when you’re 14 months old, your clothes tell the story that your day indeed was full of life. You lovely little people always live to the fullest and this is endlessly inspiring. And exhausting.
Blueberries. Check! Strawberries. Check! Dirt from exploring the yard. Check! Grub from the slides at the playground. Check! I almost don’t want to wash her outfit. I want time to stand still.
Isn’t Maurice Merlin’s piece from the late 1930s timeless? I spent a few moments between work e-mails and phone calls perusing the Library of Congress WPA posters in their digital collection. Now there’s a fun place to get lost for a while! Have you ever found yourself there? When you have a few minutes, click on over.
When I typed in “summer,” it revealed this lovely poster, which tugged at my heart strings. The illustration of the children. The idea of FREE art classes, including lithography!? Sniffle. Excuse me while I grab a Kleenex. Enjoy your afternoon!
A few people have asked me for my opinion on diapers lately so I thought I’d do a post about our experience. Even if you’re post-diapers or pre-baby or post-baby or not interested in babies at all (why are you here?) there just might be something you can glean from this post…
First things first. I am grateful to have a few great, what I like to call, “poop friends.” You know, the lovely people with whom you can easily talk about your child’s elimination. You? Diapers naturally come up in conversation with my poop friends. Most of them use cloth diapers and I’m proud of them. I’m a cloth diaper drop-out and I’m a bit self-conscious about it. There I said it. That’s the first step to recovery from deep green guilt, right?
Before I had Wren and had to change my child’s countless diapers, I was convinced (in a very ‘greener than thou’ way) that I would use cloth diapers on her (or his, we didn’t know) precious bottom. I started off using a combination of cloth and several different kinds of eco-disposable diapers and some Huggies that a friend graciously donated to the Wren elimination cause. The ratio went from about 60/40 to 50/50 to 40/60 to 20/80 to 5/95 in just a few blurry months. I just never figured out a good system for it. Why did it seem so easy for everyone else? Looking back on that time, I’ve concluded that the ratio kept leaning in favor of the eco-disposables because they’re pretty damn convenient. Duh. And I didn’t feel that bad about using them because they’re a bit better for the environment than traditional disposables. Or so “they” say. At least they make me sleep (a bit) better at night. I had a hard time with the Huggies…
Want to read more about the debate between cloth and disposables? According to Wikipedia,
an average child will go through several thousand diapers in his life. Since disposable diapers are discarded after a single use, usage of disposable diapers increases the burden on landfill sites, and increased environmental awareness has led to a growth in campaigns for parents to use reusable alternatives such as cloth or hybrid diapers. An estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers are used each year in the US, resulting in a possible 3.4 million tons of used diapers adding to landfills each year.
The environmental impact of cloth as compared to disposable diapers has been studied several times. In one cradle-to-grave study sponsored by the National Association of Diaper Services (NADS) and conducted by Carl Lehrburger and colleagues, results found that disposable diapers produce seven times more solid waste when discarded and three times more waste in the manufacturing process. In addition, effluents from the plastic, pulp, and paper industries are far more hazardous than those from the cotton-growing and -manufacturing processes. Single-use diapers consume less water than reusables laundered at home, but more than those sent to a commercial diaper service. Washing cloth diapers at home uses 50 to 70 gallons of water every three days, which is roughly equivalent to flushing the toilet five times a day, unless the user has a high-efficiency washing machine.
Fast forward a year. I’ve tried a few different eco-disposables including Seventh Generation, Nature Boy & Girl and Nature Babycare. Our favorite is Nature Babycare. They’re chlorine-free, biodegradable, and sport a super cute simple green leaf pattern. I just can’t have my child wearing diapers with licensed characters, sorry…
They can be ordered (in cases is the easiest, most cost-effecive way) through Amazon.com, Diapers.com, Drugstore.com, and even Target.com. I can’t find them in a store in northern Michigan, but if you live in a more metropolitan area, I’m sure they can be found a few different places.
Dear readers, what kind of diapers do you like to use for you babies? Do you have a system for your cloth-diapering that you’d like to share with other readers? Share on, readers!
OMG. Note: I almost never say (err, write) OMG so this is a good one.
I love love love maps so these land carpets by Florian Pucher are making me pant. What do you think? Aren’t these amazing? I can’t stop looking at them.
A few thoughts… and a few photos for you, dear readers.
90 degrees, buttercream frosting.
Hhhhmm, not exactly what I had planned, but most of the yummy cupcakes I made were thankfully consumed before they completely succumbed to the late May heat wave (and *they* say that climate change is a hoax, hhmph).
Taking care of a tired, hot, over-stimulated 1-year-old while frosting her cupcakes and placing cookies on a tray.
Again, never once when I thought about Wren’s party did I even–for one second–think that I would also be taking care of her at the same time. Duh. Hello?! Let this be a lesson, lovelies. Bring in the troops! Although I am 125% sure that I became a major pain in the a** to the people I love most, my family pitched in and made the party happen. “Mom, feel like doing a little ironing?” To which she responded, “No… But I will.” Remember, it was 90 degrees.. Only a Mom will iron your party clothes when the needle hits 90. Thanks, Mom.
Go ahead and invite a bunch of your friends with small children, but don’t expect to be able to talk with them.
After a couple hours, the yard cleared out and just my family was left. But I hadn’t really talked with anyone other than to ask if they wanted something else to drink or to order them to “please come sing ‘Happy Birthday! Now. Before the frosting puddles on the table. Please?” Turns out when all the adults are busy running around after the little people, we all just orbit around each other and rarely connect except with a few knowing glances, shrugs and a quick hug. The upside of this is that you don’t need many chairs for a kids birthday party because only a few people have the luxury of sitting down for a few minutes.
Now for some eye candy. So glad I asked my (favorite) brother to be my official party photographer. Don’t you think he did a great job?
Only once in your life do you get a plate of “1” cookies. This photo makes me smile.
“Wren’s nests,” courtesy of Grandma Judy.
Wren knew the party was all for her, especially the round of “Happy Birthday!” Here she is, so excited about being the center of attention. Trying her best to be as cute as possible. Funny how the wee ones pick up the signals, eh?
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I’ve been asked a few times recently for gift ideas for new parents. There are so many great things out there and while handmade items are always trump in my book, the Tummy Tub is a unique, thoughtful, useful gift that we love to rave about. Shortly after we first brought Wren home from the hospital and looked at each other, like “now what?” we bathed her in a traditional tub and she screamed. Oops. Fresh from the womb, exposure like that is not fun. For anyone. But she took right away to her Tummy Tub. And so did we. How cute is a baby in a bucket?
We started using it shortly after she was born. According to the manufacturer (and we agree!), it’s “an easy, stress-free and safe way to bathe and settle your baby. Developed in cooperation with physicians, midwives and nursery nurses, the TummyTub eases the transition from the secure environment of the womb to the new world. The unique womb shape helps your baby to relax and become calm in the familiar fetal position. Surrounded by water, which stays warmer for longer due to the small surface area, your baby feels confident and secure.”
Here are some shots of Wren in her Tummy Tub. So cute and fun!
Wren first started pulling herself in her Tummy Tub and then we really couldn’t be doing dishes at the same time anymore… Damn!
Bonus, dear readers! It’s green. The ultimate green baby bath tub: saves water, energy, space, and is fully recyclable. Designed and produced in Europe with very high quality standards, the TummyTub is completely BPA, PVC, lead, Phthalate, and toxin free. Not to mention it has passed all worldwide safety regulations and testing.
Don’t you love those Europeans and all their great ideas? Cheers!
Dear readers, I just had to share another cute-as-a-(green heart)button outfit that Wren received for her birthday. This time, a handmade dress from SweetPea and Co. So a-door-bell, right? The colors, the fabric, the thoughtful details. Love!
I especially love the detail on the chest. Isn’t that beautifully done and yet whimsical and fun?
In other (somewhat related) news, I am in desperate need of a new digital camera as you may have noticed… I’m looking for a new or used DSLR, which would be compatible with my Minolta lenses from my old manual camera. Sounds like a Sony Alpha series from my research. Any advice you’d like to share, lovelies? Do you have a DSLR that you love?
One of Wren’s lovely aunts gave Wren this skirt for her birthday. Isn’t it wonderful, funky and fun? We love it! Here are some more designs by Pretty Me:
Don’t you know a little girl who would just delight in wearing one of these? They make me smile. You?
So I’m a bit behind in Wren’s birthday party planning. I JUST got the invites out and the party’s on the 30th… Did I mention that I was a bit behind? But I’m really happy with the design. Just wish I had gotten it done last week. Alas…
Now I’m pondering a fun activity for the older kids – other than eating sugar. Any ideas, dear readers?
