Homemade non-toxic

Okay, so I know I haven't posted here in SO long. Frankly, I have been busy (what mom isn't), and I have been working on other writing projects that haven't left enough time to dedicate to this one. I will work on that.

I made a facebook status today asking if anyone has made a good dishwasher detergent. I have officially replaced all my household cleaners with homemade non-toxic cleaners, with the exception of dishwasher detergent.

How did I do it? Well I am actually very creative, smart and awesome. That is how.

NOT.

I google, try a few and keep the ones I like. I can't take the credit for any of these recipes. I will share my not-so-secrets, and credit the person I got the idea from where I can.

All Purpose Cleaner
*1 spray bottle
*Equal parts white vinegar and water
BOOM. That is it. Simple, yet effective.
If you really hate the smell of vinegar you can add essential oils, or vanilla, almond extract to mask the scent. My only suggestion is to shake the bottle before each use because the parts will separate and you'll get a strong dose of vinegar.
This is my primary cleaner. I even use it in my steam carpet cleaner!
This cleaner works for cleaning counter tops, toilets, sinks, floors, windows, everything! I don't even buy floor cleaner anymore, I add this little concoction to my Rubbermaid Swiffer Wet Jet knock-off and it cleans the floors. I know I have blogged about this before, but this cleaner is awesome. The best part about it is that you can spray it all over your kids toys to clean them, and they will not get sick from it. They wont put their grubby little hands and mouths all over nasty chemical covered toys anymore.

Laundry Detergent -NOT safe for Cloth Diapers (or so I am told)
*1 4 lb 12 oz box Borax (2.15 kg or 76 oz) found in the detergent isle

*1 4 lb box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (1.81 kg) found in the cooking isle

*1  box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda 55 oz (3 lb 7 oz) found in the detergent isle

*3 bars of Fels-Naptha soap, found in the detergent isle (if you use Zote bars use 2 bars instead, 

  Zote  can be found at Home Depot)

*2 small containers of Oxy Clean or store brand Oxy Clean (try to get about 3.5 lbs total (1.58 kg)) found in the detergent isle.




The woman who I got this recipe from says that you can find all the products at the grocery store, I found that to NOT be true, but it still wasn't hard to get the ingredients.

I use 1Tbsp per load, unless I am washing soiled sheets from the kids, then it gets a double dose.
This recipe is great because it cleans REALLY well, but doesn't have a strong smell. I used to LOVE the smell of laundry detergent, but now that I know those scents are really just nasty chemicals to breathe in I appreciate the fainter smells of things :).

To make: Simply combine all the ingredients in a big trash bag and mix well. You have to grate or food process the three bars of soap, then mix it in. I don't have a food processor, so I hand grate the soap, which is a huge pain in the butt, I keep toying with the idea of leaving the soap out, but I don't know if that would hinder the cleaning capabilities. Anyone know the answer to that?

This recipe makes two gallons of detergent, and lasts me about 9 months. And I do A LOT of laundry not including my cloth diapers). The work is worth it to me to never have to run out and buy detergent. Making a batch every 9 months is no big deal since it works so well/lasts so long.

THIS is where I got the recipe. Thanks, Creative Mama!

If the laundry detergent recipe was discouraging because there are so many things you have to buy, no fear, it gets MUCH easier.

I was using a lot of Lysol spray with a newly potty-trained 3-year-old, and a diaper sprayer (if you cloth diaper, you know what I am talking about). Essentially, I am constantly wiping off the toilet, and spraying the germs away. But Lysol is nasty and toxic, so I did some more google-ing. I will admit that the options don't sound very exciting, but the one I chose seems to work, and again, it isn't going to poison my family, so I will take it.

Disinfectant Spray
*2 spray bottles
*White vinegar
*Hydrogen peroxide

This is SO EASY. Put the vinegar in the first spray bottle (label it), put the sprayer from the second bottle on the peroxide bottle. You are DONE. Spray the peroxide on the surface you with to de-funk, then follow up with the vinegar. BOOM. You are done.

The first time I tried this I used way too much and it didn't dry quickly, I learned less is more. Now I am not worried about poo and pee germs all over the bathroom, and I am not coughing up  my lungs from the fumes from Lysol.

I suggest visiting the link below to learn more about this home-remedy 
Thanks, BrightNest. 


Toilet Bowl Cleaner

I am not giving you a recipe for something you can combine in a bottle and spray in the toilet. This isn't as simple, but it is still easy. The best part about it is if you are making the other recipes I have posted, you already have the ingredients.

*1/2 cup baking soda

*8 drops tea-tree or melaleuca essential oil

*1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

Pour Baking Soda directly into the toilet boil add oil, then vinegar - in this order.

Add Essential Oil

Let sit for about 10 minutes then scrub with toilet brush.

DONE. Easy.

I don't always use essential oils because they aren't as easy to pick up at Target (are they?), and because as soon as you flush the toilet the smell of vinegar is gone. But do whatever floats your boat. 

This is where I got the idea!

Laundry Stain Remover

This one is pretty easy, and you already have the ingredients. There are some stains that I have not been able to get out of my kids clothes no matter what I try, even shout, spray 'n wash and oxyclean. So I don't feel bad if this recipe doesn't always work, some kids clothes are just not going to make it to the next one.

This is what you need:

*baking soda

*vinegar

*old toothbrush

*Spray or drip bottle

Mix vinegar with equal parts water in the bottle.

Shake or sprinkle baking soda on the stain, then spray or drip vinegar and water mixture on top. Scrub the stain a bit with the toothbrush and let sit for about 5 minutes, then wash with your regular load of laundry. Wasn't that easy??

Simple Homemade gave me this idea!

So there you go, that is how I keep my house clean. I am sure you are wondering if my house is actually clean, or if it reeks of vinegar. Well the answer is yes, my house is very clean, I am a little too Type A for my own good. My house is company ready 95% of the time, I can't function if it is not. And my house doesn't smell like vinegar. It is an older rental house, so it doesn't smell like a bed of roses like I would like my home to, but it doesn't smell like vinegar, either. 

Make sure you label your products!

The Business of Being Born, Part Two

Okay, so I finished the documentary. I said I was going to wait until my husband could finish it with me, but I couldn't wait.

It was amazing.

I would like to say that it changed my life, but having my son in crappy hospital, and having been under the care of a crappy doctor for the entire pregnancy is what made me evaluate my options, and is what opened my eyes.

But if you have never considered the way the US treats childbirth, this movie will change your life, or at least open your eyes to a lot of things.

The documentary talks about how we as a country got to where we are where childbirth is concerned. It talks about the good, the bad and the ugly regarding how doctors and hospitals treat pregnant women and childbirth.

The documentary isn't pushy, yet it doesn't tip toe around the truth.

I think anyone who has had a baby, or ever plans on having a baby should watch this documentary. And if you are a "crazy hippy" like myself, who wants to have a baby in a bath tub and go home five minutes later, you should make your family watch the documentary, that way they wont treat you like a "crazy hippy."

The Business of Being Born

The documentary brought to the world by Rikki Lake has me fascinated.

I am only 20 minutes in, but I am amazed at what I am seeing. I am waiting until my husband can finish the movie with me because he was getting into it as he got himself ready to leave for work tonight.

I have had a hospital birth and a birth center birth. One with every bit of medical intervention you can imagine, and the later with zero. I want to see more, but my experiences sound a lot like Rikki Lake's, and I can see why she got so involved in the birth practices in the United States.

I will write more after I finish the "show," but I can already confidently say that any women who has had a baby, or ever plans on having a baby needs to see this documentary.

Brother and Sister

I mean, come on. . .

3/27/2013

 

 

 

I don't know about you, but my brothers spent the better part of my childhood being really mean to me. Danny asked to hold Layla. So sweet.

It almost make me forget that he did this to her several weeks ago:

Three Months

I haven't blogged in three months.

I tried once, and I even wrote up a nice post (the topic I can't seem to remember), but blogger ate it or didn't like it. . . whatever happened doesn't matter. I haven't posted in SOOOOO long.

Why?

I have an almost three year old who keeps me moving all day, a six-month-old who only sleeps for 3-4 hour stretches at night, and a husband who is a cop and works crazy hours, with zero consistency, schedule wise.

I might complain and feel sorry for myself sometimes, but I am not stupid, I know so many other moms and dads have tougher situations than our family. But, it can still be rough.

A quick recap, Danny is talking about anything and everything, whether you want to listen or not. He says whatever is on his mind. He loves CARS and monster trucks, and also Veggie Tales. We listen to Veggie Tales on Pandora all the time and he sings along to almost every song. Layla rolls over and sits up and gets on all fours to try to get places. She isn't crawling yet, but she lunges towards things she can't reach. She laughs and smiles all the time and squeals way too loudly when she is bored. She just turned six months, so I started her on baby food, she hates sweet potatoes (breaks my heart), but loves apple sauce.

The hubby and I are exhausted. Work and kids, and almost no time for play, but we have an awesome aunt and uncle who had kids young and are living it up in their 50's now that the kids are grown. We aren't in a hurry to have the kids grown, but know it will be fun to have time to be together like we used to.

Now back to my mind-numbing netflix binge of The Secret Life of the American Teenager. The show is terrible, but I am hooked. It is on ABC family, but not the quality of my favorite show, Switched at Birth, but it slows down my mind at the end of the day.

Maybe I should read a book. . .

Cloth Diapers

Lately I have been bragging a lot about my love for cloth diapers, and my happiness in the decision I made to CD with Layla. Now that we have been CDing for two months, and are finally out of the disposable diapers we bought during Hurricane Sandy, we are exclusively CDing. The time has come for me to write a little bit about it.

I will start by saying that cloth diapering does not look like it used to:

In fact, my Grandma often says that I am not allowed to call it cloth diapering, because it is so much better and easier than it was back in her day. I love you Grandma, but whatever, it is CDing for this generation.

I am not going to review the products I use in this post, that will happen the next time I get both kids to sleep at the same time. I am simply going to talk about it for all of my friends who have been asking.

There are many different kinds of CDs. I have chosen to use All in One (AIO) and Hybrid (AI2) diapers. Between the two types of diapers I have 50 diapers. I also have two diaper bags, which are a cool and convenient version of the diaper pail, two wet bags (think of them as travel diaper pails), a diaper sprayer, a diaper ointment stick and All Free and Clear detergent.

Those things are all I have and need to cloth diaper for two plus years. Most of the diapers are one size, so they adjust and grow with Layla until she is potty trained.

Thirsties AIO diaper. This is what CDs look like these days.

So how do you CD? Well, first you research (and ask your awesome mom friends, ahem, Erin and Katie), then you buy the diaper stash and necessary accessories. Some diapers require "prepping" which means you wash them a bunch of times before they become absorbent enough for use. Many diaper companies sell special diaper detergent, I haven't tried them yet because the free and clear that I used before I started making my own detergent works just fine. I am also cloth wiping, but being the frugal gal that I am I bought cheap target baby wash cloths instead of the cloth wipes sold by diaper companies.

Once the diapers are ready you put them on the baby and let the baby "go" in them. I am kind of laughing at myself for writing that, but most people literally ask how I use the diapers, not how I take care of them, which is what I think most people really mean.

The diaper pail. There are a ton of diaper pails out there, but I chose to go the route of the hanging diaper bag. It is a washable bag that holds about 20 dirty diapers. It hangs on the back of the bathroom door in our home. If the diaper is only wet I just toss the diaper in the hanging pail. If the diaper is dirty then I spray the poop off into the toilet with the diaper sprayer, then toss the diaper in the pail. Simple.

So I mentioned that I have to use certain detergent to wash the diapers so they don't get a buildup of chemicals which would make the diapers less absorbent. I also have to use special diaper ointment when Layla needs it. There are many different kinds, but I chose to use the Magic Stick from GroVia. At first the thought of using an ointment stick grossed me out, but now that I have it and don't actually have to get diaper ointment on my hands I love it. Picture a fat chapstick for the baby's butt and you will know what I am talking about. It keeps Layla's hiney nice and shiny, and is safe for the diapers.

FAQs

Isn't is gross? Not at all. Changing diapers isn't the most fun task, whether cloth or disposable, but it is part of having babies. I would rather spray off the poopy diapers and toss them into the pail then scrub and stain remove poop from all of Layla's clothes. Disposable diapers leak all the time. If your baby has an explosion then the disposable diaper will leak 9 times out of 10. Cloth diapers do not leak. Layla is an exclusively breastfed pooping machine and her CDs have only leaked twice, both times were due to my husband and I putting the diaper on wrong. My favorite thing about the CDs is that they do not leak. Her clothes are stain free, which is nice because girl clothes are so cute!

Doesn't she get rashes easily? NO! Layla hasn't had a rash since we started CDing. It is true that you will change your baby more often in CDs, that is because they don't have the gross chemicals that make the disposable diapers feel dry when they are wet. Honestly, you should change your baby as soon as he or she wets anyway. If you know me, then you know I am very diligent about changing my babies diapers. I would be changing Layla just as much if she were in a disposable diaper.

How often do you wash them? It is recommended to wash the diapers after two days in the pail. Sometimes I do a load a day, sometimes I go two days, it depends on my mood and how many diapers we have been using. I then put them in the dryer for about 10-20 minutes on low heat, then line dry. It doesn't take a lot of time, and like I said before, I am not cleaning poop stains off of Layla's clothes, so I think I am probably saving time.

Why did you decide to CD? Well, after my son was born in 2010 I started turning into a bit of a tree hugging hippy. I started using fewer chemicals in my home and continue to try to use natural products. I decided that I think disposable diapers are kind of gross, and I didn't like having chemicals so close to my sons tush. I decided when we had another baby that we would make the investment in CDs. I was thrilled when I researched and found out that I would actually SAVE money by CDing. All of the products that I said we use cost less than $500. The only thing that will need to be replenished is the laundry detergent and the diaper ointment. It doesn't hurt that CDs are good for the environment. CDs are just good all around for our family. It also helps that they are so stinking cute!!

Layla in a GroVia AIO

The picture above isn't the best, the diaper looks huge on Layla, but this type is actually pretty trim under her clothes. It is adjustable, so it should fit her until she potty trains. I actually used a GroVia diaper as Danny's swim diaper in the Summer, so I am pretty confident that Lay will fit the diapers when she is two as well.

Layla in a GroVia AI2

I love that I am saving money, I never run out of diapers, I am keeping her precious skin away from chemicals, helping to conserve materials and not adding to landfills, while keeping Layla's tush in adorable colors and prints :).

1st baby | 2nd baby

There are countless differences between the 1st baby and the 2nd baby. Here are some of the ones that stand out to me.

Sleep issues
When the 1st baby wont sleep in his or her own bed you stay up all night "working on it." When the 2nd baby wont sleep in his or her own bed you bring the baby to bed with you. Probably because by the time the 1st baby was six-months old you gave in and brought the baby to your bed. The second one doesn't need six-months to wear you down, you are already worn.

The play-mat
The 1st baby doesn't use the play-mat till he/she is about three-months old. You just don't put him/her down long enough to try it. The 2nd baby is playing on the play-mat at two-weeks-old. He/she has probably been sat or stepped on by one-month.

Not-so-breakable
 This one might be the most important. I believe my husband and I treated our son, our sweet first born like glass. Our daughter, not so much. I mean, we are very careful with her, she hasn't be dropped yet, but our son has pretty much almost killed her several times. When she was a week old Danny drove his fire truck off the coffee table onto her face, while she slept in the Moses basket. He has jumped on her, hit her, rolled on her etc. She has cried, but she hasn't broken. Had we known how tough babies are we might have tossed Danny around a little more ;)

I am sure as time goes on I will notice more BIG differences between the first kid and second kid, but two things will NOT change no matter how many kids I have. They will be nursed until they quit on their own free will, and they will be in a rear facing carseat until they can no longer physically fit in the carseat while turned around :)