Plant Death and Rebirth

Ah the cycle of our garden. The tomatoes (round 2, or three?) were looking really nice. Basil 2.0 and parsley. The dirt wasn't great but it was happening. But then we went away for a week and they just didn't survive. We have one tomato left and he's still a small little bugger. :( The herbs we can always try again round the year, with better soil. And thanks to Sarah's mom for giving us a grow lamp and a seed starter box, next year looks more promising. That's something at least.

I've been pretty bummed that I can't grow A THING. :( I also didn't see the cucumber's sprouting, but lo! They were. That was one nice thing we noticed before we went away. But just to balance that out, when I came back the second compost was way moldy and infested. This was my fault, since I forgot to add the dry leaves to it. Gah. Oh well.

So lets pick ourselves up just a little. There is hope. I've actually been finding a lot of sprouts in the compost. How silly is that?! I mean, I know that they grow there, but it's funny that dirt and death can grow better than I can when I try. >:| Anyway, I see it as a special treat. So we planted them! I have absolutely no idea what they are. :D

Chaim is also excited because he spread a bunch of wildflower mix and he thinks it is starting to sprout too!

It's possible that this is apple. But who knows!


No idea.


These I noticed when I was going to plant a carrot top, but I don't know what they are or how they even got there!


Carrot top


This is a nice little row of cucumbers! Yay!! Finally! :D


Annndddd the garlic! It looks great, especially since we planted out of season..we'll see how that goes...


This is what my kids do for fun... Saying "Ee-ah poo poo pee pee".


We didn't plat this, there are a bunch of flowers that just come. The purple and yellow ones and the bell flowers died, then came these (on their way out) and small little white stars.


These are also all over now. I don't know what kind they are but they are big and creepy. Another great thing is that I found a macro mode on my camera and I'm liking how these pics are coming out!

My not so green thumb

So all of that in the last post is basically for naught. I'm so upset. Here's what happened.

The tomatoes were left outside to bask in the sun. One day I knew it was going to rain so I made sure to bring in my bras flapping in the breeze and everything else I could think of. What happens the next day?? Chaim brings in the tomatoes, which we forgot outside. :( The few that survived Zalah pulled up by the roots. She also did this to some plants Chaim was trying to re-root and she broke part of the garlic off, but at least that part wasn't so damaging. We tried to replant tomato seeds, but by this point if they actually grow, it will be pretty late in the season to see fruit, like what happened last year. :(

I'm counting on that little guy in the front, but I don't want to hold out too much hope!

We had nice little basil sprouts. I don't even think I had a picture of them. So of course, when I watered them and went to return them to their windowsill, I undershot, bumped the edge and spilled the whole thing all over the floor. Bye bye basil. I tried to replant the basil as well as some parsley, but the dirt was too wet. So I mixed in more dirt to get the right consistency but now it looks too packed down and I don't know if the sprouts can break through. It's not well draining at all. How bad can you be at making dirt!?!?!

Next, the garlic. Ah the garlic was growing so well. It's so easy, isn't it?? So we decide it's high time to plant them outside, the roots were packed in their little containers, and we had two to a small pot! Well, guess how I felt when I look online just to double check the best time to plant them (mid spring, early spring?) and see FALL. WHAT? So much for that. We attempted a shady spot and hopefully it won't be too hot for them to grow. Over watering can also be a problem, and it is spring. So we'll see how that goes.

The garlic

I did learn that you can eat those green tops, so that's something at least.

Speaking of garlic, I also read that it's good to put a layer of compost on top. Well. The compost is not ready. (Though I have to say, it does look good.) Maybe if we were smart and did it all last summer and through the year it would have been ready by now. Grrr.

Lastly, I planted the cucumbers. Might as well at this point, right? So who knows how they will turn out. The soil is supposed to be warmer, but I didn't want to wait and I didn't start them inside so whatever. Those 3 sticks in the back are where each group of seeds are. The kids helped me put 4 seeds in each hill, and if they grow I can then thin them down. It looks a little dry, but it's supposed to rain tomorrow and the rest of the month, so it will be plenty watered. I hope something sprouts!



Oh, and in case you guys are wondering, the spot by the fence is actually fairly sunny for most of the day. The reason I say the garlic is in a 'shady' spot while the "real" garden pictured above is the sunniest spot is because the garlic is along the fence back by where the shed is, and when the sun gets too far west it becomes shady again. So the garlic spot has some sun, while the main garden should get a lot of sun. The idea was to put the tomatoes in the back there, but I hope it doesn't stay shady there for too long in the day. I took this picture at about 11am. It's almost noon and it's sunny there now.

So that's that. This is year two of a slight interest in gardening while really knowing nothing of what to do! And the more we learn, we still don't know enough. It's actually quite sad. We would have either known what to do back in the old days, or just not have been very successful and healthy individuals! I wish planting wasn't a dying art. I wish it came standard with learning long division, phonics and the history of New Jersey. :(

Also, it is GORGEOUS today. Really.

One Quick Thing. . . then again, it's me we're talking about

I just have one quick tip I'd like to share. Put your scallions and herbs in a wet paper towel, fold it around the base and store in the fridge in a produce bag (I reuse mine, and actually I hardly have them since I buy my produce loose). The water keeps them fresh and I think even growing. These scallions are a few days old and are firm and luscious.

I love scallions!

Come to think of it, remember when I mentioned Chaim's other other night job? And how I started this blog the day he got fired? So it's been about two years since then and we found out his unemployment is ending in two weeks. :( This is after an error in which they held about three weeks, which we had to go in in person and refute and still are waiting for it to come through. But it doesn't really matter so much because it's basically over. So now what? I have no idea. We're trying the gardening thing again, have a nice compost started, but something tells me we'll need more than that to live on. Hmmm.

The heat and hot water isn't on, which is a pain but hopefully the oil truck will come again tomorrow.

And children, why don't they sleep?? Do they want to be zombies? It's after 10, and I still hear Lyla in the room. Meanwhile I'm ready to pass out!

In case I didn't say so on here yet, Z is basically officially potty trained. So that's awesome! Lyla is officially in the middle of TERRIBLE TWOS!! NOT AWESOME!!!

I'll keep you posted on the news.

Natural Remedies

Probably because I always say I never wash my hair, my mother in law had mentioned a shampoo like product that doesn't actually wash out your natural oils and was supposed to be better for you. It turns out it was WEN cleansing conditioner and when I googled it, I wasn't sure how well it would work, or really, if it would work better than home remedies. I found this awesome site as well, and here are some new and old tips I wanted to list.

Hair: Plain and simple, wash it less if you can. I use vinegar with shampoo occasionally to get rid of build up, but I can't do that every time and definitely think I need shampoo, but I try to use less of it each time now. It can over dry super easily and I find it to be one of the top culprits. I'm not going to lie, its still not a super small amount, since I need to get my scalp clean, but I do use less now and just lather the top. Then I just let it run off instead of drying out my ends by shampooing them. Also try to never dye, bleach, or use heat styling. And go easy on products since they also cause drying. I used to do all of those things but now I don't do any. I sometimes blow dry my bangs with an ion dryer (I try to stick to 'warm') and use 'cool' after wards. I use Bio-silk sparingly and only sometimes, I don't dye, straighten or blow dry my hair anymore, or use any hair sprays, gels, or mousses. The worst of all those things is bleach and heat, just fyi. And occasional of anything is ok too, just be careful!

For conditioning, I like to use hair mayo sometimes and I really like suave with Shea butter as well. I have a Shea butter "leave in" made by Cantu, but its more like a light styling product because it does grease up my hair quicker than normal. But maybe that's a good thing since my hair is usually dry-ish and Shea butter is a protectant. Because of the dryness, I am able to go longer between washes, but the top gets greasy first and this causes break outs. :(

Skin: This is so weird but I swear its true - apparently vinegar is the cure for everything. Its a natural antiseptic which I knew because I clean with it. But if you dilute apple cider vinegar with 3 parts water and use it as an astringent, the results are amazing. Smelly yes. But amazing. It tightens up my pores like WOAH. I even use it under my arms and those bumps that have always plagued me are all but gone. Wow.

Another thing you can use is lemon rind, but it can burn if your skin is sensitive. Sometimes I just use the lemon when its all spent to rub the inside of my steel sink. It gets some grime out and smells nice. I think.

I also sometimes use Tea Tree Oil on stubborn pimples.

I like to follow with cucumber peels all over my face to soothe and help get rid of redness and under eye circles. It also helps wipe off some vinegar smell but I wait for it to dry. I actually let most things dry right on. So many products have cucumber in it and are so costly. I just use the real thing! It works.

This is another newer one for me personally, but I have to attribute it to one more cure. Vaseline. (I know you hate it Amanda!) I already use it for my lips and feet/hands in the winter, and even under my nose when I have a cold. But I started using it around my eyes at night to seal in moisture. I have to say, it REALLY works!! My circles have never been so diminished from any other expensive product. And I think its good for the lashes too. So far no break outs from it either. Then in the morning I wash with CeraVe foaming face wash which is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It's sort of like Cetaphil but actually gets makeup off. So far I'm just using samples but I hope to buy it soon. It seems to be very highly rated. I still use apricot scrub as well and sometimes other face washes.

I still get deep pimples that don't show, but hurt like hell. I haven't found a way to stop this. Maybe I do over cleanse, but I just hate hate hate them. I also get black heads and bumps, and I sort of have a nervous tendency to pick and them and I really can't stop. Sadly, this creates far worse skin problems than if I could leave them alone.

I also think cocoa butter lotion is the best ever. Any brand.

Edit: As far as skin and hair go, one really great tip is DON'T shower in super hot water. It totally dries out both. It's also a good idea to rinse with cool water too, to seal up the pores/follicles and prevent breakage.

Then there are a few more things that are actually products (and actually not natural) but I'll just put them here anyway.

I have to say, this stuff freaking works. Its not Latisse and I wouldn't want it to be, but I do feel like I lose less lashes and they seem more filled in. Maybe I'm just not wearing makeup as often, since that causes lash loss too.

L'oreal lash boosting serum

Another thing I really like is Maybelline's The Colossal Volum' Express mascara.


I've tried many others and I like this one so much more. I tend to like volume in my mascara and some people do not, but I like this even more than other volume ones. I also like the Cover Girl Lash Blast Fusion which only comes in non-waterproof (I like waterproof) but its about the same caliber as Colossal. SO what bugs the hell out of me is why Maybelline wastes so much money on their stupid The Falsies campaign when everyone hates that mascara! >:( Just google the images to see the before and after. Even people who say they like it look like hell. For real. That's all.

My Beautiful Garden!

So far I've weeded and put up a net canopy and gate. We planted two bushes: raspberry and blueberry. I hope they grow!! The amazing thing is, most of this stuff was found. Some of it in that very spot, such as a pick tool, zip ties and rocks (to prop all the stakes up and keep the gate and net securely in the ground). Other things that were 'found' were all those wooden slats (from the broken part of the patio) the 2x4, the broom handles and the wooden rod (on left), the gate and the ribbons. We bought the net last year and the seeds and plants were bought as well. We also bought gloves and borrowed a cultivator (human-powered). That's it! I hope to plant in a week or two! I'm excited to see what grows! :)

The New New Addition to the Green List!

Compost!!!

Compost bin.

Compost bin.


Compost bin.

Compost bin!


We are starting a garden. These are my professional rock removers.

Here you can see the garden, complete with gnomes, in the background. All the way to the left in front of the fence is a pile of rocks. We are planning to go to that bush on the right. There are already some flowers there. Can you tell how far I weeded up to this picture? Lol. I did some more work on it after going to Home Depot. We really have to get started on planting NOW. I bought a few seeds such as tomato, cucumber, string beans, watermelon, radish, and lettuce. I also bought a sprigs that are supposed to grow into a raspberry and blueberry bush! We'll see how it goes! I hope I have enough room. If not, we'll skip some seeds this year. I'll try to post updates if anything grows! Wish us luck! :)

A quick tip.

When cutting your veggies, take the bits you would normally throw out, such as carrot tops, scallion bottoms, and these


And put them in a ziplock in the freezer.


You can then use these to make a soup broth for free without having to waste any new veggies! Just strain and chuck* the bits when you're done!


You can keep the broth in the freezer too, in a container you were going to have to throw away! Look at you, being so green! :) (This one actually has the left over "marinade" from my zucchinis. Its garlic, olive oil and spices, but the zucchinis give off some water too so you can totally use it as/with a broth!)


*A quick edit: Just strain and compost the bits when you are done! :)

New addition to our "Green List"!

Home grown scallions! Just keep the white part in fresh water and voila! :) I hope we can add to this soon, since we've had seeds lying around for months. The planter came to hold Chaim's paperwork! Lol! Some day we might even have a yard! Gosh Golly! :D

How I Diaper

First, I fold the diaper in three, into the middle which is the thickest. This is standard.


But what I do differently is flip it over. Then I simply lay a liner directly over the whole length, put one side under her tush, and pull the front up and between her legs.


I folded the front down because this is an extra long diaper. With some brands you won't have to do this. Then I pull the back flaps out from under her and tuck the front flaps under them and secure with a snappi. I use the bottom part of the snappi to hook the middle pieces and keep them folded together.


Cover with a diaper cover. I like Thristies 2.0.


I think the fold I use is just a standard fold, but inside out. I found the other way, which maybe was meant to hold the poop, just got it all over the sides as well as middle. This way it stays on the middle and since I use liners now, there is no need for a fancy fold to hold the doody. I've tried newspaper folds before and liked how it utilized that extra thickness on top. What are your favorite folds?

Old World Food Market

Yesterday as I was going to a doctors appointment, I noticed a big beautiful new store called "Old World Food Market" in Nyack. I wanted to check it out. This was sort of impromptu, but this is what I found:


This is over by the dry foods, I especially liked the decoration on that back wall.

Here is a wider shot, also towards the dry section, but you can see the gorgeous olive bar. More (but terribly lighted) pictures are found here.

So basically, this place is stunning. There is no doubt about that. The owner said in an interview (that I can no longer find) that he wanted to return to an old way of shopping, and have prices that are reasonable, despite being gourmet. I noticed first that there were organic bananas by the produce room, big and beautiful ones at that. My local stores have been seriously slacking in the organic banana department, sometimes having one "ok" looking bunch to none left! That was a big plus. The fish area smelled very much like an old world fish market...possibly unavoidable but not so pleasant. The Cheese area in the center was HUGE. I didn't actually spend much time there, but could tell they had a very wide variety that you might not find in many other stores. As far as dried foods, there were many known organic brands, some that I can find elsewhere and some that are a little trickier. I saw a few foreign items on the shelf as well that I have never seen before, but things like a dairy item from Switzerland. The kosher section, unfortunately, was stocked with the same crap every other supermarket has, that no one born after 1932 actually eats. Thankfully, much of these natural or organic foods end up being kosher as well, so that's a big plus for those concerned. I ended up buying $37 worth of mostly snack foods. I liked that the chocolate covered goodies weren't made with a ton of additives, like the generic brands are. Bear Naked granola, which rules, and Newman's cookies, which also rule, were in my bag but not rare finds. There were, however, more flavors offered here than other stores. I also found a Darrell Lea licorice, but I found more flavors at a smaller, more local natural store. The olive bar had interesting flavors offered, but I thought it was only 'ok' in taste. Lastly, I found spices that I needed, and hope they are a great quality to match the price. Our local stores also carry these spices, but there aren't too many companies offered. The same thing happened with tea. I enjoy interesting tea, especially chai, so it was an opportunity to find more brands of it, but not the most exotic item either.

Overall, the store itself felt a lot like a Whole Foods kind of deal. I think I had the impression that it would carry more 'worldly' foods, so I want to try an experiment, just in case I missed it.


HOLY HELL! They actually passed!! I just called to ask if they had an exotic spice mixture and they did! Points for that one homie. I wonder if its the Crate and Barrel version or the real deal. It seems whole foods carries it or at least uses it in their prepared foods as well. There are no Whole Foods or Trader Joe's nearby, so I think if I am in the area and need some bananas or a really nice tea, I would stop in again. But I know I won't (or can't, since they don't accept food stamps!) do my regular shopping there. In the town of Nyack, where there are a lot of wealthy trendsetters, I'm sure the store will do well.

UPDATE: I bought spices that were hard to find there, and found them much cheaper in an Indian market. They are still sealed, but because I don't have the receipt I can't return them! LAME!!!

The Liners (and Covers) that Saved me!

I've posted about cloth diapers a few times before. The first impression and a followup. Well its time for another. My awesome friend Amanda bought me the first things I needed to start as well as told me about the site she gets her stuff from, Mom's Milk Boutique. I have ordered from them before to add some more diapers to my collection. I went with those unbleached Indian prefolds that were seen in the previous diaper post. (These are great because they are actually very soft, super absorbent and extra long.) I decided it was time for a second trip to Mom's Milk, for the much awaited covers I needed and while there, I also decided to pick up some liners. After reading reviews, I went with the ImseVimse in toddler size.

(Not my pic)

I have to say, these are a LIFE SAVER!!! The few times I've used them, she's only peed in them ONCE! So I guess that's a lot of poop! But I have skipped a few times in the hopes that she just pooped and wouldn't again. It worked a few times, but I've had to clean the diaper "regularly" one time. I have also previously switched (sucked it up) to cleaning the diaper off in the actual toilet. It's not as gross as you might think (and probably better than using the sink) but its coooolllldd! These liners make that whole ordeal basically unnecessary! Also, having more covers is great and I have to do the laundry so much less! This matters since our washer situation is still a mess. I also let them air out over our shower rack if they are pee-smelling and use another one. By the next day the smell is gone and I can alternate more often. This also works if there is a little poop on the plastic part, but not on the fabric part. That can rinse right off and air dry as well, and if I do a load, I throw all the used ones in anyway!

I have only used the liners a few times because I tend to not use cloth diapers on weekends, mainly because I am away and its daunting for me. But that brings up another issue; I personally use a washcloth or rag on Shabbas for the kids faces, but you are not supposed to 'squeeze'. If someone was religious enough to not squeeze out on Shabbas (or back in the old days) what would they do!? Shake it off (doesn't really work, fyi) and put it in a bucket with poop on it? Wet or Dry? Wet doesn't really get the stain out, unless you rub the material together, and that is not allowed, and dry, well that's just gross and smelly. Feel free to let me know what you think!

My only caution is that us cloth diaperers might be used to using the diaper to wipe some of the poop off. So naturally, my instinct was to use the liner for this. DON'T! They are thinner than paper, and you WILL get pooty hands. :( They still leave a stain on the diaper when you remove them, a little thicker than my picture of them rinsed out. But some moms and dads might be ok with putting it in a wet bag or bucket from there. I still rinse mine out a bit, spray them and hang them on the bucket to dry a little like before. Its just a whole lot easier! I highly recommend it for "big kid poops", and even want to do it for Zalah to get her to POTTY TRAIN ALREADY! But, alas, she lost my small snappi so now I only have the one. :P Guess I have to go back to Mom's Milk Boutique!

Toys of Today (and Parenting Methods)

For the most part, I think a healthy mix can be a great idea. My philosophy is similar to that of my friend, Sarah Fader, that old school advice and new school attitudes can mesh pretty nicely. The problem is, the old school is hard to find.

Lyla just had a birthday party. Now I've been a mom for about two years, but Chaim and I noticed how there really are hardly any toys that don't beep blink and sing. I appreciate that my family wants to buy fun toys for the kids, but where have all the natural toys gone? We have a few books and stuffed animals that the kids love. They also have some blocks that range from excellent (stacking board blocks with numbers and animals that fit into each other) to sort of crappy (foam Lincoln blocks!? Maybe for the bath, but they don't stand up!). I worry because the more the kids see these toys, the more they want only that kind. That was demonstrated last night when we tried to put Zalah to bed and she flipped out because she wanted to play with Lyla's new toys. She is usually pretty well behaved, brilliant and sweet, and she turned into the terrible-two's modern day brat. I don't like to see that AT ALL! She even asks for TV now that she's seen a very little bit of it. Sometimes these toys or shows can be educational, which is great. Zalah has learned all of her letters from a few toys that repeat them, and I don't mind an occasional PBS kids program. But something is missing.

When I was a kid, my mom used to get us educational toys from a number of catalogs. I think one was MindWare and HearthSong. I miss these kinds of toys and I want my kids to be excited about learning and problem solving as well. I believe there needs to be some straight up fun in life too, even in addition to fun that is functional. But when it causes so many tantrums and a snowball effect of needing mind-numbing electronics, some balance needs to be restored.

As a sort of off shoot that is inspired by a few sources today; I know many people think that if you are in the least bit natural you are a snot and rigid. Well I happen to be neither. I know things won't always go my way, they'll have tantrums and other people will give them junk food. I don't flip out over these things and try to be pretty easy going. But I know my kids will be better behaved if they don't get spoiled with junk (physical and mental) 24-7. And I know that every one else around them wants that too! No one wants to hear kids screaming out in public because they don't get what they want. While this is bound to happen, some kids and parents are more prone to it than others. And besides from all of that, people should also relax a little and let others do what they want to do. I try to keep my criticism of other moms to a minimum. (For a well written discussion about this and a great blog in general, feel free to visit my wonderful friend Amanda's blog.) What works for one doesn't always work for another and its hard enough just to make kids into decent people to begin with, and it isn't always the parents fault. Sometimes kids are bad, sometime good plans backfire. With all that said, I want to have some control as a parent over what my children have in their lives, but to be strict on it means other people think you are too inflexible and kids feel stifled. Yet a parent is in control (or should be) and children don't always know what is best for themselves. They don't have an excess switch, and sadly, many adults don't either. Everything is a balance anyway, but it sure is hard to find one that works for everyone in the best way. (See this Sirens article for some more of my inspiration today.) This is why I urge people to do what they think is best, and please don't criticize other methods. We need a little more understanding and harmony in the world today.

Cloth Diapering Revisited

I am a multi-tasker. Sometimes this works out, sometimes I end up in the middle of twenty things that are unfinished. (Usually this is because some "child-crisis" happens. On my own, I can finish things up pretty nicely.) The reason this relates is because I recently tried cloth diapering, and being me, I felt guilty not going in 110% and diapering BOTH kids at the same time. This is for green reasons as well as practicality; the "It's here, why not" idea. As you can see, that didn't work out so well because its going from 0-2(massive-poops-in-cloth-simultaneously) not to mention my inexperience with it since I started late in the game, while they were older. Since then, I've only been cloth diapering Lyla, the one year old. While she isn't a newborn anymore and has solid bowel movements, it was definitely a lot easier. Firstly, one year old poops compared to two year old poops are very VERY, did I say VERY different!? Starting out at least from here is a lot easier than just going straight to the danger zone. And at least hers come off better than Zalah's. I worry a little that she isn't drinking enough, but maybe Zalah is just eating too many prunes!

Now, I'll be hoping to keep cloth diapering her until she is also older, age two if that is necessary. But that brings the second point; its just one of them. I guess I didn't want to think "one more" would complicate things further, but if you think about it, its double duty. Double doody. It's not the most fun job around, but it is a whole lot easier.

I do wish that Zalah had the benefit of potty training earlier, but since I started (and finished) cloth diapering her so late, she would have none of it. She HATED being in them, and I don't blame her. Even Lyla hates it, but I can force her a little easier for now. I sort of wish I had started earlier for this reason, but my original hesitancy was access to the washer and dryer, and lo and behold, they are broken. Having half as many diapers, however, has made that situation bearable since I just take them to a friends house and have to do that less often then before. Maybe Lyla will potty train earlier (I was aiming for 2 years old in general) because of the cloth diapers and big sister influence.

There are some things that I now appreciate since the whole thing has become a bit easier for me. The cloth diapers REALLY DON'T LEAK. That is incredible. I feel like younger babies leak more in general, but one would think cloth would leak as well. Nope, that part has been problem free. Rather they absorb all over, so its wet right under her belly button and all through the front, but not outside. (I can see why they hate that feeling though!) And these babies REALLY do absorb!! Some days I change her 3-4 times like I did in disposables. Nice.

There also really is NO rash. It seems impossible, but her tush is nice and clean and peachy. :) I sometimes even forget to wipe her after a pee pee! When I cloth diapered both, I had to wash the diapers so frequently, that they ended up in disposables half of the time anyway. Since I've switched to Lyla exclusively, she's only been in disposables while I wash them, and that's now less often. I still only have two covers, so I just wash them both when I do a load, hence the need for disposables at all. I never have gone through all of my diapers in one load. I have 18 in all, and my usual load is about 12 or so. Maybe I should invest in a few more covers!

That brings the next issue: the covers. Previously I mentioned how they smell a lot. They still do, sort of, but I've let it go and reuse them, sometimes all day. I think actually washing them in a machine that WORKED helped get rid of the smell. Sometimes I also air them out overnight while she's in another one and that also takes off some of the pungency. *Speaking of pungent and diapers....they both need some right now!*

That brings me to how I clean them. This is sort of gross, but if they are just pee or a poop that comes off easily, I rinse them in the sink. Then I do the rest of the steps. Today, however, Lyla had a sticky poo. First, I scraped it off with my knife. *still gross, and no picture for that one...*

Then I emptied my bucket of dirty diapers, and rub off the excess with water in there.

This is the second or third wave, so the water isn't so murky anymore. I dumpy my 'brown water' in the toilet and usually that flushes the whole thing.

Next I wring it out and spray it with Bac-Out.

This is how much of a stain is left when I'm done with my pre-treat phase.

Then I hang it over the bucket edge to dry for a while, or until I need the space for a new one.

This way, the diapers aren't to stinky or covered in poo so I can afford to wait a teeny bit to wash them, and worry less about staining. I also bought a new cat litter that came in a tub, so I'm planning on using that as a second bucket so I stop getting my nice one all poo-filled.

I do feel pretty gross after this still, but Zalah's were FAR worse. Lyla is also in her wiggly stage (which is a pretty long lasting stage) so dressing her or changing her is always a challenge, but I guess that would be for disposables as well.

So thankfully, Cloth Diapering is looking up! Though I still think FuzziBunz are the best!

Period Post (Guys may want to pass...)

I recently tried two new "green" changes in my house that had to do with bodily functions. One was cloth diapers, which I posted an update about recently. The other was the Mooncup. Let's talk about it now.

I had been looking into using a menstrual cup for a little while now, but I wasn't really sure what brand to get or what size. First I looked at the Diva (and also the disposable "Insteads" for a bit) because they are the most popular. I found this chart and community online which is very helpful for any questions. I have had children, but I'm under 30, so for Diva's sizings I was sort of lost. I asked them which would be best, and mentioned my IUD. They sent back that it was not recommended to use a cup! I was bummed but continued on. Eventually I heard that people do it all the time, so I went back to it. I have no idea what 'size' I am, but I guessed a medium. Diva seemed a bit long for me since it was on the bottom of the length list, and I didn't think the 'virgin' sizes would cut it. Also I took into consideration capacity and width. I looked at a few brands, mainly Mooncup US and UK. They don't sell the UK one here so I tried to see if the US one was similar. It got mixed reviews, but again, not one size is fits all, so maybe that was it. I checked prices on Nextag and went with it. I ended up buying from South Coast Shopping for a total of $25.53. Considering that it can last up to ten years that's an awesome price!

It came in the mail a few days later, and I realized I bought a size B. Since I was looking at Diva's a lot, I must have been thinking that a B Mooncup is the larger one, since the A Diva is smaller and the B is bigger, but its reverse with Mooncups! Even though I felt the Diva would be too large lengthwise, the bigger Mooncup sounded about right. I TOLD myself not to do this, since the Mooncup B means "Before Childbirth"! I messed up anyway! I meant to get the A! ("After Childbirth") I considered returning it, since the site allows this, and I know for sure that the Mooncup site does up to 30 days, no questions asked. I figured it's here, lets try it. If I had to, I'd get another one or return it. First things first, that stem had to GO! It bothered me a lot. It is there to help removal, but I felt comfortable enough with myself that I didn't feel I needed it. But once I chopped it off it was great. I now forget its there most of the time!!! They say that about tampons, but most women I know do NOT think this is the case. I don't know about you, but tampons are drying, gross and don't stay securely put for me.

Now anything new takes some time to get used to. I finally had my chance to 'try it out for real' and I had a pretty heavy period! It did leak a few times because it was just so much, but I was able to wear it at home with a liner. I stuck to tampons for my full day of classes. I even leaked with the tampons, so it was bound to happen either way. But because of the cleaning process and how new I was at it, I stuck with what I knew for now when out. But at home, it was a cinch. I have that bottle from the hospital that you use after childbirth, and its my best friend! I clean off the cup (and myself) right on the toilet and its all taken care of. I read you can use a sport water bottle to do the same in a public rest room when you are ready for it, or just use toilet paper or paper towels. I like water better. Besides that, I think it was fairly easy to get used to. I check that its in right with my fingers. This is something I'm ok with, but I find that not everyone is. I've been using applicator-less tampons for ages anyway. Removal also is pretty easy to get the hang of, especially if you watch some you tube videos on the topic.

Another added benefit is that it actually does NOT smell!! I didn't believe people when they told me this, but it is absolutely true. I also noticed that its kind of neat to see it in there, something I heard of on the menstrual cup community board, but thought it was a little strange. I wondered why I had this sudden loopy feminist fascination of period blood. I thought about it. We as women, never really *know* how much we bleed, and certainly men don't. It is definitely a taboo subject, and even though we talk about it enough among women, I don't think we let every detail fly. I realized that I actually get to SEE how much I bleed, something I think I should know!! It's also NOT as dark and gross (or smelly!) as it is on a tampon or pad and has a rich red color. So the whole idea of "period" goes from gross to interesting and "not ugly" any longer. As a matter of fact, I found this. I LOVE it. I think her medium and the way she represents it goes in perfect harmony. Its new, its interesting, its still slightly taboo, but represented in a feminine artistic way that doesn't come across as demeaning or subjective.

I told a friend of mine that I loved this latent feminist empowerment aspect of the cup! In addition to that, it made me think of how if women try to use it, for money or environmental reasons, they might be almost forced to know their vaginas a little bit better. There can't be anything wrong with that! I thought about how guys certainly don't understand or know vagina so well in the first place (even if they claim they do) but as women, how come we don't "get" ours? I really think its because of the societal aspect of how much a part of us is taboo. Some people seem to feel the same way about their vaginas or periods as they do about their posteriors or feces! Yet at the same time, we have sexual intercourse with our vaginas, and society is so sexualized, that there is this love-hate relationship with them. Vaginas are mysterious...a penis is just there. Its mystery ends at the wonderment of it going up and down. We have a whole lot more going on, much of which deals with the fact that we can create an entire life and then give birth to it!! That's a lot of power. It makes you wonder why we were so meek throughout the centuries...think about it. Not to mention that even though today we are not so much like our ancestors, I could argue that we still have a ways to go. Some idiot told me that feminism was basically debunked since all the aspects of it have been met already! HA! As if equal pay was the most important thing, and even that hasn't happened. No no, I could go on, but the more I learn, the more I realize that society does not understand, and neither do we. So I'll save you from more of a tirade, but I do encourage women to get a little more in tune with themselves, in whatever way they know how or feel most comfortable with. Revolution or not, its just something we have the right to know about, and aside from social ideas of taboo, no one is stopping us! I'm far from a nudist, but in the privacy of our on home, we should never feel ashamed, especially of our own bodies. I'm thinking of writing to Mooncup, because I think this little thing is BIG! :)

I encourage women to try it out. It's great for many reasons, other than feminism! It's cheap, comfortable, and eco-friendly. Some people say it even makes their cycles shorter. Give it a try! :)

Cloth Diapering Hell

So I started cloth diapering part time in the beginning of the month. I really want to like it, I do. But I HATE it!! :( This morning is a great example of WHY. Last night, I thought I should put them both in cloth diapers. I want to use them as much as possible, and I find that I'm actually either away from the house a lot or the covers are not clean, so they end up in disposables. So I went with it. I had done it before, but this weekend we were WAY too exhausted. I woke up to screams at about 7:30, which to us is far too early than what we'd like. Zalah has been in our room so that Lyla can learn to sleep through the night. But Zalah has been waking up around 3am and not going back to bed with us, even when we try. Last night she did just that, after we went to bed at 2am! I wouldn't even mind getting up at 7, which I have to do for days I have class anyway, but I try to get to bed at 12 or so. Also, its harder when I'm awake at night, and I think so far they've both slept through the night together only once or twice. :P So at 7:30, it was Lyla's screams that woke me. She had a 'light' poop stuck onto the diaper so while half asleep I changed her. I went to try to clean it off with a plastic knife that I keep for the purpose and then rub it off under running water in either the sink or bucket. I also used to clean the toilet and sink with cleaner after each time because of the fact that it gets where people, especially the kids, can touch. I can't do that anymore. I then added it to my pail with ample baking soda (I think I went through a box in a week or so...it doesn't really help). Zalah was up soon after, full of pee. Chaim has been complaining it reeks like a urinal, and he's not really wrong. So now I rinse those, over and over, as the water turns a little less yellow. My hands reek from doing this. My hands are in water so much of the time anyway, which of course hurts in the New York winter air. I constantly get sprayed with water that is full of excrement. The poop smell never seems to leave me. This morning could have been even worse with double poop duty. Before I used to fold the diapers in a way that the poop got on all the edges and scraping it was a battle. Now its a little better, but I'm always dumping the water with poop bits in it, to get them clean enough to sit in a bucket for a few days before I can get to the laundry. And since I don't use that many, I don't want to do a load that's barely full. This morning was so bad for us, we forced them to go to bed early and we slept on and off until one. :\ After having little sleep all weekend, and basically we don't get much to begin with, we really couldn't take it.

Here comes the second problem: The covers. If they go to the bathroom in them, pee or poop, even without leaks, they REEK! I tried to hand wash them and air dry them, with detergent and baking soda, and they STILL smell. I don't even think they are so fresh after the washer has a go at them. Because I only have two covers, they don't last so long without smelling so once that happens and I wash them, I have to use the disposables again. And there are times I've tried to hand wash all of it, only to put it in the washer anyway because it just doesn't come clean. Today I finally did my load of maybe 12 of them, the covers, the one FuzziBunz I have and some socks for filler. I did it TWICE and still found poop bits afterwards. The second time I used bleach, because I really needed it. The stains have never come out before. After the bleach load, they looked cleaner, except for the one Lyla made this AM. Better than nothing. The covers still smell a little, but its not so bad. (I didn't bleach those.) The kids also HATE being put into the cloth diapers. I asked Zalah if it hurts her and she says no, so maybe it is just the folding and pulling or maybe its how they feel different to them. I don't know. Lyla is in the age where she can NOT sit still for any diaper, which is super annoying.

Despite all this, I keep trying, though every time I hit a "poop" bump in the road it becomes so overwhelming. (They both just pooped, and I'm so GLAD they're in disposables!!) I know it might help if I had more access to a washer, or a sprayer or liners or more covers or all of those things. But that all costs money and I'm not sure if its worth the investment so far into it. Also, I wanted to do this when Zalah was first born, and maybe it would have been easier to start when she had those little mustard squirts for poops. Now I have two "big girls" who have BIG poops, and lately none are the kind that come off easily. This is gross, but they are sticky, tarry and wet. It is a constant battle.

I have to say, the FuzziBunz is THE BEST. I wish I could have a whole supply of them, even from day one. They are SO easy, I haven't had a leak (with the prefolds either really, which is great!). Fuzzibunz are smaller and I think that keeps them easier to clean. It seems like the material is also easier to rub the poop out of. Also they seem to be easier to put on, the bulkiness factor is less and they feel nicer.

I still think cloth diapering is great for the money factor, but all the time I spend cleaning them and how gross I feel afterward really subtracts from that. The kids have less of a rash in them, which is important, but they hate how they feel. They are better for the environment and don't really leak, so in a way they are functional, but depending on the type they can be quite difficult. I wish it was easier!!!! Someone send me a doody nanny!!!

The Green List

Many people differ on their opinions of "climate change", what creates it, or if its even happening. Despite this, we can all agree that cutting back or changing some of the things we do can actually save money, and have other benefits as well. And some are even easier than what we are used to. So in a nonpartisan way, I bring you The Green List: things my family does to save a little green that also, at the very least, doesn't hurt the Big Green and at best, is good for her. Hopefully, this list will grow, but for now I just like to see visually where we stand.

-We don't have a dishwasher. We wash most of our dishes in a small bucket that we fill only a little with soapy water, wash the dishes, and fill with rinse water and then dunk them.

-We use reusable bags at the store. I still have so many plastic ones that even with bathroom and diaper garbage pails along with cat litter, I still have too many!

-We recycle.

-We guerrilla recycle!!

-We shut off lights.

-Compact fluorescents baby.

-We don't use a ton of heat or AC, or at least we try. If you need a sweater in your house in the summer or wear tanks in the winter, maybe you should consider using less heat or AC!

-We turn down the heat or AC when we leave.

-We don't have a microwave, and I hate them.

-We have a TV, unfortunately, but we hardly watch it and I try to leave it unplugged. We use it the most to watch movies from our computer that we connect with a cable.

-I try to cloth diaper while at home, a sort of part time affair. To me, this is difficult, but I try.

-We line dry most of our dark clothes to prevent fading.

-We wash dark clothes in cool water, and if we do warm for light clothes, the rinse is cool.

-We don't use dryer sheets, fabric softener, and I try to use even less detergent than it suggests.

-We wear most of our clothes more than once before washing, if we can. And we use towels etc more than once too!

-We fix our clothes when they rip and give them away when we don't need or want them anymore, so they can be reused. Many of our baby clothes are hand me downs too!

-We don't use disposable dishes, EVER!

-We have one car, a "Low emitions vehicle". It gets an average of 30mpg.

-Chaim car pools or takes the bus to class.

-I don't eat meat, only fish.

-Chaim doesn't eat too much meat either, though not a vegetarian.

-We refill water bottles and we don't really buy them unless we're thirsty and have to buy a drink.


-We use old glass containers for grains and beans and things (Rubbermaids work too, but we need those for the fridge sometimes!) The reason this is good, other than re-using and buying less containers, is because our grains and beans were getting a lot of bugs in them, so this stops that! :)

-We rinse and reuse Ziploc bags.

-We have a gas stove. (I'm not sure how 'good' this is, but I prefer it. I can still cook in a black out, if I have a match.)

-We don't drink milk treated with hormones, though we don't get "organic" for the price factor.

-We don't let the car idle.

-We don't leave the water running when we brush our teeth.

-We let that yellow mellow. A few ounces of urine is not worth 1.6 gallons of water to me.

-I cut down on toilet paper (for #1 only!) by using my Peri bottle to rinse and then towel dry. I actually feel cleaner as well!

-Bye bye tampons! I now have a Mooncup!

-I hardly use paper towels.

-I switched to rags instead of sponges for the counter.

-We hardly use harsh cleaning products. Maybe once a month on average. Usually we wipe messes with water only or with soap. I use vinegar and baking soda when necessary and just got a few bottles of Seventh Generation cleaner and dish soap. The house still stays clean enough though, with just the right amount of germs for us to hardly get sick.

-I take longer showers than I could, but I also don't wash my hair more than once or twice a week.

-I don't blow-dry my hair, and I hardly use any products in it.

-We're broke, so we can't buy as much useless junk! LOL!

-Chaim plants trees. :)

-We try to stick to organic bananas.

-Sometimes Chaim uses me as a tissue. :)

Insanity!?

So because I recently decided to become more insane, I've decided to cloth diaper, at least part-time. I'll keep you posted on how it goes, or maybe I won't, since the kids don't even let me go to the bathroom without screaming bloody murder and bothering me. :D