Green Baby Diaper Service | The Blog

Poop? What Poop?

2012-02-04T17:15:00.000-05:00

About a month and a half ago, I started using Osocozy Bioliners for the first time. I was a little reluctant at first, to be honest. I was already having quite a time dealing with cloth diapering a squirmy baby. The prefold, cover, snappi, and wipe were almost too much to handle as Little M escaped from under my feet. (Yes, I have to pin him down with my feet as I change his diaper sometimes). The thought of adding something else to the mix kind of freaked me out.

But Little M was also eating solid foods. A lot of them. And you know what that means. Either a sprayer, a spatula, or a lot of stink in you diaper pail. One of the great parts about doing the cloth diaper service is that I could just throw the poopy diaper into the diaper pail without even trying to remove the poop. But that led to some big stink issues. And every once in a while--when I went out, for example--I would use my old pocket diapers. If Little M pooped on those, it was a big mess and a hassle to wash myself.

So I started using the liners. I hated them at first, and now I can't live without them. Why?

Poop sticks to them, so you can just drop them in the toilet, turd and all, and your diaper stays relatively clean. Yes, there is one more step, but I lay my prefolds into my covers and line it with the Bioliner, so everything is ready to go at diaper changing time.
I also change diapers on the bathroom floor (I gave up the diaper changing table months ago), so the toilet and diaper pail are right there.
When I go out, I can flush the poop, and I have much less of a mess to deal with when I get home.
My diaper pail doesn't reek by the end of the week when it's time to bring my diapers in to the diaper service.
Here's the best part: If your baby gets diaper rash, you can slather it with diaper cream.

You might wonder if Osocozy Bioliners counteract the purpose of cloth diapers. After all, you're creating a little more waste to go through the sewage system. But Bioliners biodegrade quickly. According to Osocozy, it takes a Bioliner six days to decompose in a sewage treatment system. It doesn't go into a landfill, and it certainly doesn't create the amount of waste that using disposables does.

If your baby has transitioned to solids or gets diaper rash often, think about trying out Bioliners before you think about switching to disposables. They definitely take away some of the "ick" factor when caregivers are changing cloth diapers, too. At $7 for 100 Bioliners, it's worth a try.

New Year Survey

2012-01-25T15:08:00.001-05:00

It's a new year, and the ladies at Green Baby are so appreciative of and grateful for the community that has arisen surrounding Green Baby. And in order to make sure they are providing what you, the community, needs, we have put together a short survey. We want Green Baby Diaper Service to become the place where you can really find what you're looking for in Wilmington, whether it has to do with diapers, babies, gifts, support, parenting--or whatever else you can think of.

So now we're handing the microphone to you. What do you want to see more of at Green Baby Diaper Service? (Make sure you scroll down to view all the questions.)

Thank you! We love our customers, and we love your input!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Cloth Diapering Support Group

2012-01-16T14:34:00.000-05:00

Like anything in life, if you don't know what you're doing, you're not likely to continue. And if what you see on TV or hear from your loved ones puts you down, makes you feel like you're complicating your life, or makes you feel like the minority, you're also likely to move to something where you have more support.

This happens when it comes to baby sleep habits, breastfeeding, cloth diapering, and disciplining your child. How many times did you have a well-meaning friend or relative tell you that their baby slept through the night after three evenings of bawling his or her eyes out? Then, as you sat and rocked your baby to sleep for the umpteenth time, lay him down in his crib, and walk away only to hear him start crying again, did you picture just how easy your life could be if you only let him cry himself to sleep?

When you were breastfeeding, did your mother-in-law tell you that a little formula wouldn't hurt and would help your baby sleep through the night? Did your friends urge you to give your baby a bottle because you needed a girl's night out? Did your husband encourage you to use the free formula sample from the hospital so you could get a good night's sleep?

Or maybe you were adamant about not saying "no" too much as your baby grew into a toddler, but your mother told you that she said "no" plenty of times, and you turned out fine.You are against spanking, but your friend tells you that a little pop on the hand is what every little kid needs when they misbehave. Your preschool teacher makes you feel as though your son's separation anxiety is a discipline problem.

When it comes to parenting advice, sometimes a little bug in your ear can make you change your whole tune, whether you meant for it to happen or not. The devil on your shoulder is pretty persuasive. If everyone you know thinks you're crazy for nursing your baby to sleep every night, it's not hard to just try letting your baby cry it out one night. If you have a sample of formula lying around, it's easy to fall back on that when breastfeeding gets tough. If you're encouraged to use a less-than-gentle form of discipline on your child, you might end up following that advice, especially when you're frustrated and short on patience.

Cloth diapering is very much the same. Maybe you have your routine down pat, but your husband has no idea how to get a prefold onto your squirmy baby without pinching himself with the snappi. You go to visit a friend who thinks cloth diapering is dirty, and she isn't too keen on you using her washing machine to clean your diapers. You keep a stash of disposables in the house for when your mother-in-law watches your baby, because you feel guilty asking her to learn how to use cloth diapers and watch your child.

And if you keep the disposables in your house, chances are, you'll use them. You'll tell yourself, "just for emergencies." And then that pack runs out, and you cringe at shelling out more money for more disposables, but you buy yourself another "emergency pack." And before you know it, you're using fewer and fewer cloth diapers and wasting money on disposables (not to mention adding significantly to your household waste, filling up landfills, and supporting not-so-environmentally friendly manufacturing processes).

It's just like the mom whose free sample pack of formula sabotaged her breastfeeding relationship. The lack of support combined with the general consensus that everyone is doing it a different way than you are can make you join the pack and drop your way of doing things, no matter how adamant you were about doing things your way at the beginning.

Green Baby Diaper Service doesn't only sell and wash diapers; it's also a place where you can get support for any of your cloth diapering challenges. Just when you feel like you've tried everything and are exhausted from lack of sleep, tired of holding down a squirmy baby with your feet, and confused about how to handle your baby's diaper rash, Liz will come up with a new piece of advice you've never heard before. Or another customer in the store will share her story, giving you new ideas about how to manage your cloth diapering needs.

We have also started a cloth diapering support group on Facebook. If you would like to join, friend Liz (Elizabeth Soffera) or Gaby (Gaby Merediz) on Facebook, then send one of us a message letting us know you would like to join the group. It's a closed group, so no one outside the group can see your posts, and although it doesn't have to stay local to Wilmington cloth diapering mamas, many of the group members are right here in town. It's an easy place to post a question, a tip, or talk about a new style of diaper you've come across that you would like to be able to buy locally. Feel free to chat about anything. Hopefully it will help us all push through hurdles and find out things we never knew about cloth diapering.

Cloth Diapering is the Easy Part About Having a Baby

2012-01-08T22:34:00.003-05:00

Get the chance to win 12 bumGenius All-in-Ones by leaving a comment below the post! Scroll to the end of the post for details.

If you did any kind of research before you had your baby, you probably decided long before your baby was born where the baby was going to sleep, what brand of car seat to buy, what outfit you and your baby would wear home from the hospital, and whether you were going to breastfeed or give your baby formula.

But when it came to diapering, were you overwhelmed? Do you remember all the choices that were available and how impossible it was to remember the difference between a pocket and prefold, all-in-one or all-in-two? If you ended up cloth diapering, now you probably spout out terms like that just as easily as you say slice of pizza or cup of coffee.

You were probably also overwhelmed by the thought of having a newborn in the days and weeks before your due date. What would you do all day with a helpless infant in your arms? Would you bond with the baby? Would the baby cry all the time? And now, looking back at those early days, you remember some challenges, but you wonder why you worried so much.

Change is overwhelming. It's hard to wrap your mind around a completely new experience like having a baby or cloth diapering. When you only have a few options to choose from (bed, crib, or cosleeper; breast milk or formula), it's easier to make a decision than when you have a multitude of options (prefold, pocket, cover, hook and loop, snaps, snappi, microfiber, organic, etc.)

So when it comes to cloth diapering, the thought of the unknown can make you shut down. When faced with a tough decision, it's easy to decide to do what's familiar.

Let me tell you, the process of cloth diapering is much easier than making a decision to cloth diaper. In other words, it's the decision that's hard. But putting on a cloth diaper, taking it off, and tossing it in the diaper pail--that's just as easy as using a disposable. By the time you've reached that point, the hard part is over.

So how do you get over the hurdle and decide whether cloth diapering is for you?

Get information from a good resource -There are thousands of cloth diaper resources out there. Forums where cloth diaper addicts (yes, once you start it's hard to stop) discuss everything from cute colors to stain removal can be helpful, but everyone has an opinion, and they may contradict one another, leaving you just as overwhelmed as you were when you started.

Stop into Green Baby and ask Liz any question in the book--I can assure you she can help you out with any cloth diapering challenge you have!

If you're looking for an online resource, my favorite is Cotton Babies. It's a little more streamlined. It has several different styles of diapers to choose from--just enough to give you a wide range of options when it comes to style and price, but it doesn't leave you feeling like a kid in a candy store. Cotton Babies also has a comprehensive How-To page where you can easily look up the answers to any question you may have.

Borrow a stash - Do you have friends who have used cloth diapers? Ask them if you can borrow some of their stash. Try out different styles and types of diapers. Get firsthand experience with them. Once you've seen how simple the process is, become addicted to the adorable prints and colors, and witnessed how cloth holds in poop explosions like nothing else, you'll be donating your disposables and starting your own stash. Because I started my own stash this way, now I've become a pro at using all kinds of cloth diapers. Give me a prefold and a snappi and I'm good to go, but I prefer to leave all-in-ones when I'm leaving my babies with Big T or a babysitter. I loved Fuzzi Bunz for the adjustable leg elastic when my newborn was having breastfed-blow-outs. I have a stash of one-size pocket diapers that I could quickly adjust to put on Baby T or snap to a smaller size when diapering Little M.

Once you've started cloth diapering, it's hard to go back to disposables. Many people start in an effort to help the environment and reduce their level of household waste. By the time their kids are out of diapers, though, they will likely tell you that they cloth diapered because it was cheaper and easier than disposables.

Look ma--no pants! (See how cute cloth diapers can be?)

Easier?
Yes!
I can't tell you the number of times I've had to change Little M's entire outfit because he leaked while wearing a disposable. In fact, that's one of the main reasons I started cloth diapering him so early. He hated getting his clothes changed, so blowouts were a miserable experience for both of us. When I go out, whether I'm traveling by airplane or just going to the store, I know I'm not going to have a mishap if I throw a cloth diaper on him. If I'm using disposables, I feel like I'm playing Russian roulette.

Cheaper?
Yes!
I still have to send the kids to daycare wearing disposables, so I have to buy a box periodically. I can't tell you how much I cringe when I have to pay money for disposables, knowing that I'm basically investing in crap--something I'm just going to throw away. If you wash your own diapers, you may spend extra money on your water bill, but you're saving money by avoiding weekly diaper runs. If you use a diaper service, you may be spending money weekly, but at least you're saving on the cost of buying disposables, gas, and laundering your baby's clothes every time there is a "pooplosion." And you have all the cute covers to sell when your baby has begun to use the potty. (Not to mention the tons--yes, literally tons--of diapers you are saving from ending up in a landfill over the course of your child's diaper "career.")

Still undecided? That's because change is hard. It's a new year. Take the plunge into cloth diapering. Once you try it, you'll be hooked. The hard part is making the decision. The easy part is doing the cloth diapering. Yes, there are some challenges. But isn't showering, doing laundry and vacuuming challenging once you have a newborn? Isn't washing every outfit that's on the receiving end of a disposable "pooplosion" challenging? Parenting has its fair share of challenges, yet we love it. Cloth diapering is much easier than parenting!

Little M wearing cute wool soakers

I received no compensation for this post, but I have entered it in a contest at http://jenniferlabit.com/2011/12/12/all-i-want-for-christmas-is-to-tell-the-world-about-cloth-diapers/. You can be a part of the contest, too! Leave a comment below this blog post telling me why you think cloth diapering is so much cheaper and easier than using disposables. If this post is chosen as the winner, one commenter will win 12 bumGenius one-size cloth diapers!

Wrapping Paper Christmas Tree Tutorial (12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts)

2011-12-26T12:30:00.002-05:00

Do you ever cringe at all of the wrapping paper you throw out on Christmas? One way to be a little greener next time you wrap a gift is to use your child's artwork, paper grocery bags, or dish towels and yarn to wrap presents.

But since we all pull out the gift wrap sometimes, how can we reuse it to make something cute? Go pull some out of your recycling bin and make this adorable wrapping paper Christmas tree to use as a decoration next year.

Gift bags, tissue paper, and wrapping paper from the presents we opened

Cut a block of styrofoam from one of the gifts you received (You can also stack up cardboard and tie it together).

Stick a bamboo skewer (the kind you use to make shish kabob) into the foam block.

Start cutting squares of gift wrap and thread it onto the skewer. Begin with small squares, and push them all the way to the end. You can put a few of the same size squares together, but slowly graduate them by cutting larger and larger squares and threading them on.

Alternating between using tissue paper and gift wrap makes your tree fluffier. Once you have filled up about 2/3 of the length of the bamboo skewer, stick it into the foam block. Wrap some tissue paper around the block and secure it with ribbon. (I used the handle of one of the gift bags). Crumple some more tissue paper and add it to the top of the tree. Voila! This is a fun one for the kids, too!

Do you recycle your wrapping paper? Do you put them in the recycling bin or use them to create a fun craft? Share what you do in the comments below!

Check out some of the other 12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts:

December 14: Felt Owl Ornaments	December 15: Burlap Ruffled Tree Skirt	December 16: Easy Advent Calendars
December 17: Quick Gift Tags from Kids' Artwork	December 18: Homemade Holiday Banner	December 19: Torn Paper Snowman
December 20: Book Paper Christmas Tree	December 21: Tin Can Luminaries	December 24: A Sleigh and 8 Tiny Reindeer

You can also find more cute crafts at:

Make Paper Reindeer and a Sleigh (12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts)

2011-12-23T10:03:00.009-05:00

Ok, I missed the craft yesterday. I maaay have had a little too much homemade Irish cream and gone to bed early. Like at 7:45. But I needed it. So today is an extra-special day of Christmas crafts.

Today, you get a printable Christmas decoration so you can make your very own set of a sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

I was inspired by my neighbor's plywood reindeer.

They are so simple and elegant. I decided to make my own version on paper. (I'm not much of a carpenter.)

All you have to do is print them out on paper or cardstock, cut and assemble them, and you have a beautiful display for your table centerpiece, your mantle, or your Christmas tree.

How can you get these for yourself?

Just sign up for the Green Baby Diaper Service newsletter (click here and scroll down, enter your email address, and click "Go.")

If you already get the newsletter, Like us on Facebook.

If you already get the newsletter and like us on Facebook, follow the blog via Google Friend Connect or via Email (follow us in the column to the left).

After you've become a fan via any of the 3 options above, leave us a comment below this post. Include your email address (write it as xxxxx {at} xxxxx {dot} com). We will email you a PDF with this printable Christmas decoration, including full instructions and way to make the craft even greener! Hurry--Christmas is in 2 days!

Check out some of the other 12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts:

December 14: Felt Owl Ornaments	December 15: Burlap Ruffled Tree Skirt	December 16: Easy Advent Calendars
December 17: Quick Gift Tags from Kids' Artwork	December 18: Homemade Holiday Banner	December 19: Torn Paper Snowman
December 20: Book Paper Christmas Tree	December 21: Tin Can Luminaries

For more adorable free Christmas printables, check out

You can find gift tags, place cards, jar labels, and an adorable little angel.

This post is also linked up at:

Tin Can Luminaries (12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts)

2011-12-21T22:12:00.000-05:00

I have to tell you a secret: I don't love doing crafts. I love the idea of doing crafts, but I wish I had an assistant to do the dirty work for me sometimes. Don't get me wrong--there are certain things I love to do, like work with fabric and paint. But when it comes to other media, I get less than excited.

But I was inspired by my DelMonte organic tomato cans. They are copper on the inside, and they are really pretty, so I decided to try my hand at some tin can luminaries. They sounded pretty easy: just tap some holes into a tin can with a nail.

Not so much, Martha Stewart.

First of all, this is what you'll need (empty food cans, a hammer, and a nail):

Then, all you need to do is hammer a design into the can with the nail. It's not as easy as you would think. You need about 5 hands. I tried it like this:

That didn't work. So I decided to put the can in my vise. The reason I hadn't done that yet is because this is what my vise looks like. Try to find it.

It was much easier to do in the vice. But since the can is flexible, I rested it on top of the vise or it would have fallen through every time I hammered it. I set the vise just narrower than the can. It didn't take long to quickly hammer out a star design.

Done!


The can on the left has a lot more holes, and it also has a real tea light in it. The ones on the right have a battery-operated one, which is not as bright.

Check out some of the other 12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts:

December 14: Felt Owl Ornaments	December 15: Burlap Ruffled Tree Skirt	December 16: Easy Advent Calendars
December 17: Quick Gift Tags from Kids' Artwork	December 18: Homemade Holiday Banner	December 19: Torn Paper Snowman
December 20: Book Paper Christmas Tree

Make a Paper Christmas Tree (12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts)

2011-12-20T06:00:00.044-05:00

When Liz and I were working on our advent calendars the other day, Green Baby customer (and friend) Michele Reid gave us a great idea to make a paper Christmas tree from a book. Apparently this was all the rage in grade school. Liz and I must have missed the bus that day. But we thought it was such a cool idea, especially because we had made a book page pumpkin for Halloween, that we had to try it.

I had donated all my old books after my last yard sale, but I still was able to scrounge up one last book... the one I got for free at my OB's office when I was pregnant with Baby T.

Helpful Tip: Choose a book with fewer pages than this. I would say anything with more than 25 pages or so should work fine.

All you have to do is fold the pages. Open the book and fold down the first page. Crease it along the fold.

Fold the same page one more time as shown. Crease it.

Do this for every page in the book. (I'll admit, I cheated and doubled up on some pages to make it go quicker.) You'll end up with this.

Then you can paint it and add embellishments. Baby T painted ours green and glued on some pom poms.

Here, he was offering pom poms to Little M.

The end result (after a little extra painting on my part. I couldn't help it.)

Check out some of the other 12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts:

December 14: Felt Owl Ornaments	December 15: Burlap Ruffled Tree Skirt	December 16: Easy Advent Calendars
December 17: Quick Gift Tags from Kids' Artwork	December 18: Homemade Holiday Banner	December 19: Torn Paper Snowman

Torn Paper Snowman (12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts)

2011-12-19T16:53:00.000-05:00

Today's project is festive and cute, but it's easy enough for kids to do. And it's eco-friendly, because you can use whatever paper you have lying around the house.

What you Need:

A sheet of paper for the background
a sheet of paper for the snowman
red and green paint
glue

Optional:

Scissors
Raisins for eyes
Macaroni for mouth
Sticks for arms

Instructions:

Have your child paint the background with red and green paint. Go crazy. Have fun. Finger paint! Paint with your nose! Paint with your toes!
After the paint is dry, draw 3 circles on the paper with a marker.
Give your child the other sheet of paper to cut up or tear up.
After all the pieces are torn up, show your child how to apply the glue (we used a glue stick) inside the circles you drew and stick the torn pieces of paper down.
Decorate with eyes, mouth, and arms.

Tips:

You can tear up last year's Christmas cards for this project, or just use whatever paper you have lying around the house.

Go on a nature walk to find sticks for the arms. Maybe you'll find other natural items to decorate your picture.

Check out some of the other 12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts:

December 14: Felt Owl Ornaments	December 15: Burlap Ruffled Tree Skirt	December 16: Easy Advent Calendars
December 17: Quick Gift Tags from Kids' Artwork	December 18: Homemade Holiday Banner

Homemade Holiday Banner (12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts)

2011-12-18T08:18:00.000-05:00

Next up on the crafty list is a holiday banner. Do you have one yet? This one was quick (and free) to make, and you can even get the kids involved. You can use any materials, but I chose to use burlap and a red wool blazer that I threw in the washing machine to felt up. Use whatever fabric you have lying around the house. Use funky patterns or mis-matched colors. This would be a great, green way to repurpose some ugly holiday sweaters.

You'll basically need fabric for the circles, fabric for the banner strip, yarn, paint, and potatoes. Yup, I said potatoes.

I cut the blazer into smallish circles (I traced around some ramekins from my kitchen to make a perfect circle, but I did it in 2 different days and used 2 different sizes by mistake. I preferred the way it turned out though, with the different-sized circles).

I also used 2 different blazers, and one was thicker than the other. For the circles made from the thinner fabric, I sewed them together with yarn and a big needle. Then I laid out the circles in the order I wanted them.

Now it was time to carve my potatoes into letters. (I did potato stamping to make the letters on my banner). To carve a potato, just cut it in half. You can draw on it with a pencil (it won't make marks, but it will leave indentations). Or you can just freehand it. I just freehanded it. If you have to cut out rectangular shapes, it helps to do it in pieces. Cut a triangle into the corners to get a clean cut.

You don't have to use a ton of potatoes to do this. I used two potatoes (four halves) to spell out "Happy Holidays." If you're cutting an "H," first cut it into an "A" shape and stamp it where you need to. Then, cut out the top of the A to make an "H". This can then become a "P" (if you add the little top part back in). Then, you can cut out all but the side of the "H" to make an "I."

An Important Potato Stamping Tip: If your letters are not symmetrical, you need to carve them backwards so they stamp in the right direction. (See my letter "P" below).

To do the stamping, apply paint to your potato stamper with a paintbrush, then stamp it onto your circles. A nice, heavy layer of paint works great on felt. I used washable tempera paint, but it came out faint. Acrylic would work better.

Now it's time to make the banner. Cut a length of fabric long enough for your letters to fit. (I had to sew two strips of burlap together.)

If you're using a fabric like burlap, you can intentionally fray the edges to give it a rustic look.

Now you're going to attach the circles to the background. Sew a length of yarn through the top of the circle, attach it to the background strip (it helps to have a big needle to do this), and tie the yarn off.

I had my circles dangle at different levels. That's it! I hammered it right into the wall with some nails. The banner says it all!

Check out some of the other 12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts:

December 14: Felt Owl Ornaments	December 15: Burlap Ruffled Tree Skirt	December 16: Easy Advent Calendars
December 17: Quick Gift Tags from Kids' Artwork

Quick Gift Tags from Kids' Artwork (12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts)

2011-12-17T08:49:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, as I was getting ready for the Christmas party at Baby T's daycare, I realized I needed a gift card idea. Fast. (I'm a procrastinator). Baby T had just woken up from his nap and he was in the car waiting for me. That's how fast I was able to do this. I decided to make some personalized gift tags from some of Baby T's artwork.

All you need is your child's artwork, masking tape, and a hole punch.

Here's the piece of artwork I used:

I drew a gift tag shape on the artwork and cut it out. (I just freehanded it. Nothing fancy here).

Then I used that tag as a template to draw and cut out the rest of the gift tags.

I cut masking tape into small rectangles and wrapped it around just the top of the gift tag (where the hole will be punched.) If it extends over the edges of the gift tag shape, just trim it. Then, punch holes where the masking tape is. I have a cute heart hole puncher that I use for everything. I think it gives my crafts added flair. I'm a goof like that.

Then you can tie string, yarn, twine, hemp, or whatever else you have onto the tags and tie it around or tape it onto your gifts. It's a quick, eco-friendly way to reuse your kids' artwork and personalize your Christmas gifts.

Check out some of the other 12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts:

December 14:

Felt Owl Ornaments

December 15:

Burlap Ruffled Tree Skirt

December 16:

Easy Advent Calendars

Easy Advent Calendars (12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts)

2011-12-16T06:00:00.003-05:00

Liz and I were inspired by this advent calendar from Crafty Nest, so we decided to do some crafting ourselves. We wanted to make a 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar. I had to stop by Green Baby on Thursday to drop off my diapers, so I brought some crafting supplies with me: Fleece, cardboard, yarn, old Christmas cards and gift bags, and contact paper. Somehow, we were able to do some crafting while our kids played happily. It was a Christmas miracle.

We got started by cutting some cardboard (from the recycling bin.)

Why does Gaby always use beer boxes for her projects?

We cut out some fleece big enough to wrap around the cardboard and traced the cardboard shape on the fleece so we would know where to place our images.

The baby on the back is optional.

We quickly realized we were running out of time and we would have to finish at home. We thought it would be interesting if we both took the same idea and made it our own. So we went home and finished our advent calendars. Here's what we did:

Advent Calendar 1: Cut out squares from old Christmas cards, magazines, and gift bags. Enclose them in contact paper and trim. Punch holes in each for lacing yarn through.	Advent Calendar 2: Lay out squares on felt to make sure they will fit.
Advent Calendar 1: Lace yarn through the holes you punched in the images.	Advent Calendar 2: Lay out images and adhere to cardboard with a sheet of contact paper.
Advent Calendar 1: Color in lines on index cards (I laid one of Baby T's markers on the fat side and just drew a rough line) and cut out in candy-cane shapes (I freehanded one, cut it out, and traced around it for the rest.)	Advent Calendar 2: Cut out windows where images are laid out.
Advent Calendar 1: Cut out squares from a brown paper bag to cover your images.	Advent Calendar 2: Use hot glue to adhere the fleece to the backer. Make sure to add glue around the edges of the windows. Wrap fleece around the cardboard and use hot glue to adhere to the back.
Advent Calendar 1: Glue the candy canes onto the brown paper with a glue stick, leaving the tops free to hook onto the images. Write numbers on brown paper with marker. As your child lifts off each candy cane, you can tuck it behind the image.	Advent Calendar 2: Add embellishments and numbers with felt to your windows.Give to your child and watch his amazement. Thomas said, "Wow!" When he saw this.

The hard part now is getting the kids not to peek under each candy cane or flap. This is the great part about these two advent calendars, though: They are great for different ages. The beauty of Liz's advent calendar is that Thomas can enjoy it now; I keep hovering over Baby T and reminding him not to take off #4 until tomorrow. But as Baby T gets older, I can use real candy canes with numbers glued to them, or I can tuck a little prize behind each window.

You can still make this! There are nine days left until Christmas. (Eek!)

Check out some of the other 12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts:

December 14:

Felt Owl Ornaments

December 15:

Burlap Tree Skirt

12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts: Burlap Ruffled Tree Skirt

2011-12-15T06:00:00.009-05:00

Is the space below your Christmas tree a little bare? You don't have presents out yet, but you always thought tree skirts were a little outdated? This ruffled Christmas tree skirt is inexpensive (or even free). It's contemporary, yet it has vintage appeal.

This tutorial will show you how to make it (it's super easy and doesn't even require you to sew, although I think the sewing method is easier).

First of all, get your hands on some burlap or other natural-looking material, like linen or canvas.. You could use an old canvas dropcloth that might be lying around, or you can buy burlap by the yard at the fabric store.

How much fabric do you need? It depends on the width of the fabric. My skirt ended up being about 40 inches in diameter, with five rows of ruffles. You'll need enough fabric for the base and enough for the ruffles. For the ruffled strips, I used about 2.5 burlap sacks, and each one was approximately 24" by 36". I'm bad at math. I always buy more fabric than I think I need and just guess.

But to get your burlap for free, check your local coffee roaster. Coffee comes in burlap bags, and the coffee companies usually just throw them out. If you live in Wilmington, check with Port City Java's corporate offices on River Road. They are really nice and are happy to give you as many bags as you want. That way, the tree skirt is not only free, it's green--you saved another few things from going into a landfill.

Start by cutting out the circular base of the tree skirt. It needs to be in the shape of a donut. If you have an old tree skirt, you could trace it. I just eyeballed it. I had to use two burlap bags, cut along the edges and unfolded. I sewed them together after cutting them to shape. Here is a tip: you want your skirt to be open at one end so you can wrap it around your tree. If you're sewing together two halves of the circle, only sew it together on one side, leaving the other open. If you cut out the skirt from one piece of fabric, cut a slit in one side of it.

Cut some of the other bags into strips. I cut them to be 5" wide.

Starting at the slit and on the inner part of the tree skirt, begin sewing on your 5-inch strip. Ruffle it as you go by folding it back onto itself. This is where you'll sew your stitches. Put a small stitch into each ruffle. I used natural-colored cheap yarn (similar to twine) and a tapestry needle.

Continue around the skirt, adding more burlap strips as you go. When you start the next row, put the top of the strip (and your stitching) underneath the ruffle above, so that it overlaps. Keep adding ruffled strips until your skirt is as wide as you want it to be. That's it! Wrap it around the base of your tree when you're done, and you have a free, eco-friendly, repurposed, beautiful Christmas tree skirt.

**No-Sew Instructions: Use a hot glue gun to glue down each strip, ruffling the strip as you go.**

Check out some of the other 12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts:

December 14:

Felt Owl Ornaments

Check out more cute crafts at:

12 Days of Green Christmas Crafts: A Partridge in a Pear Tree

2011-12-14T06:00:00.002-05:00

Christmas is 12 days away. To keep you from stressing out, becoming overly anxious, or baking way too many cookies, we are going to distract you with fun DIY crafts and holiday decorations to keep you busy for the next two weeks.

Today, we're starting off easy. In fact, you don't have to lift a finger. We're not exactly showcasing a partridge in a pear tree, but it's close. Green Baby is now carrying felt owl ornaments--handmade by Liz! They are super cute, very colorful, and each one has a personality of its own. These handmade felt owls make great stocking stuffers and look even better on the Christmas tree.

Stop in to buy one of these adorable ornaments for $4.95.

Now, get your craft on, because the next few days, we are going to show you some green crafts and handmade Christmas decorations you can make yourself!

The Best Holiday Deals Are Not Only Online

2011-12-09T20:35:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday, I posted about the importance of shopping locally. But the economy isn't great, and many people are stretching their pennies thin this holiday season. You may be asking yourself, "Isn't shopping locally more expensive?" Or you may be certain that you can find a better deal online. Sometimes you can, and then you have to decide whether paying for shipping and supporting a big box store or an out-of-town retailer is more valuable than shopping locally and supporting the community.

But when it comes to cloth diapers, more often than not, the deals you can find locally are the same as the ones you can find online. Below are some prices of some of the most popular items at Green Baby Diaper Service and online.

BumGenius Pocket Diaper (Artist Series):

Green Baby's Price: $19.95

Online:
Just Kid's Store: $16.99 + $3.38 shipping = $20.37
Diapers.com $19 + $4.99 shipping = $23.99
eBay $28.84 (seriously?) + free shipping = $28.84

Thirsties Duo Diaper Cover in Hoot (Size 2)

Green Baby's Price: $13.25

Online:
eBay: $19.95 + free shipping = $19.95
TGN: $13.75 + free shipping = $13.75
Jillian's Drawers: $12.75 + $5.95 shipping = $18.70

Belle Baby Carrier

Green Baby's Price: $84.95

Online:
Belle Baby Carrier Store: $99.95 + $9.25 shipping = $109.20
Babies R Us: $99.99 + $6.38 shipping = $106.37

GroVia Shell

Green Baby's Price: $16.95

Online:
Betty's Baby Stuff: $16.22 + $6.97 shipping = $23.19
Cloth Diaper Outlet: $16.95 + $2.98 shipping = $19.93

Flip Diaper Cover

Green Baby's Price: $13.95

Online:
The Green Nursery: $13.95 + free shipping = $13.95
Cotton Babies: $13.95 + free shipping = $13.95
Cloth Diaper Outlet: $13.95 + $2.14 = $16.09

Really. I actually tried to search for the lowest prices online. When it comes to cloth diapers, the retail prices are pretty regulated, so you're generally going to find approximately the same price everywhere. So why buy from someone you don't know when you can buy from someone you do know? Someone who can also answer your questions and help you when you need advice. You can even bring your child into the store and try the diapers on.

Also, if you see a lower price online and Liz hasn't matched it yet, it's most likely because she wasn't aware. Let her know. She's always open to helping her customers out.

5 Reasons to Shop Local This Holiday Season

2011-12-06T15:35:00.000-05:00

You always hear how it’s better to shop local. There are movements where people only shop for items that were produced within a certain number of miles from where they live. Why is it better to buy local? You always hear, “Well, it’s good for the community.” That’s a kind of vague phrase that leads you to believe you’re doing something good, but it leaves you unsure of what good you’re exactly doing.

So why should you buy local? When it comes to food, you’re getting fresher, more nutrient-rich grub that hasn’t wasted a bunch of gas travelling from another continent to get to your table. When it comes to other retail items, here are some great reasons to buy from local Wilmington retailers:

When you shop locally, 1% of the state sales tax you pay funds local facilities, services, and education. This means that you’re helping to fund the resources you and your family use.
When you shop locally, nonprofits get more support. Local businesses donate more to local charities than non-local businesses do.
Local businesses have more of what you want. Yes, you can go to Wal-Mart and choose from a million things you don’t really need, but how many times have you come across a cool wooden toy or a unique, handmade gift there? Local stores stock what locals are looking for. Also, local small business owners are not usually bound by corporate beaurocratic nonsense, so if you don’t see what you’re looking for, just ask; most likely the local business owner can get it for you. Also, if your community is made up of a marketplace filled with small businesses, there will be more healthy competition, resulting in innovative products and lower prices.
Local businesses also support other local businesses, which--among other things--means they are more environmentally friendly. Less transportation is required to procure goods, and the local economy is preserved.
You get better customer service. Nothing makes me more irate than pouring my heart out to a large retailer and getting a canned template back as a response. Dealing with local retailers means you get personalized service. At Green Baby Diaper Service, customers are also friends. Making their customers happy means the world to Liz and Polly. If you have any questions, problems, or complaints, you’ll be more than taken care of.

So when you’re doing your holiday shopping this year, consider looking local before shopping online. Don’t get me wrong—Amazon and I are practically BFFs—but there is a lot to be found in Wilmington that I can’t get online. And I would rather give my money to a friend than to a stranger.

Check out some of the local businesses that we like on Green Baby’s facebook page and support them this holiday season and every day.

Thankful on Thanksgiving - 100 Things We're Thankful For

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! To celebrate, Liz and I wanted to each share 50 things we are thankful for. Ready? Here goes.

Liz:

family (esp my son and awesome hubby)
health
my love of music
all the mistakes that I've made that have brought me to where I am today...thank you Avett's
cheese of any sort
ice cream AND frozen yogurt bars
morning walks
change of seasons
the roof over my head
my dog, Penny Lane
friends
our business and the wonderful people that we've met from doing it
cold draft Miller Lite
early morning trips to the beach
this is really weird, but I'm now able to appreciate the low times in life because I know the high times will follow shortly
my ability to appreciate art
Gaby's friendship : )
coffee with hazelnut creamer
cold, cozy nights when I get to curl up with my family on the couch
crisp mountain apples
silence
my education (not just from schooling)
times of renewal
my ability to forgive others
changes that keep life interesting
our gorgeous planet
baby laughs
the miracle of pregnancy
my appreciation for diversity
chocolate
the memories I have of star gazing with my dad in the backyard
my guitar
a child's innocence
our service men and women
those that dedicate their lives to making the world a better place
smiles
The cute language that Thomas as created
Thomas hugs and kisses
life
Gaby asking me to do this because it's making me realize how much I have to be thankful for.
teachers
sleeping next to Thomas when he's not kicking and hitting me
yo gabba gabba
goes hand in hand with portable dvd players...enabling us to travel with Thomas
Christmas decorations and music
my ability to simplify (following my tendency to complicate)
the sign on the door that says "We love our mommy/wife"
Living by the water
Lazy Sundays
All reality TV

Gaby:

two healthy, adorable, sweet sons
one healthy, pretty adorable, supportive man
creativity
french fries
I second Liz's thankfulness of cheese of any sort
the ability to work from home and be with my kids
living close to family
every new day
I have a home
the most supportive and inspiring friends in the world
the opportunity to share and help people by starting my own business
making connections
sound machines
the internet--how did I know anything before?
making virtual connections with so many amazing people through blogs
two healthy, natural, empowered and inspiring births
Liz's friendship : )
nature: trees, the ocean, fall leaves--all of it
the ability to grow my own food in my garden
music
my ability (and desire) to do 1,000 things at one time (almost)
the fact that I know how to read and write and can teach my children everything I know and then some
meditation
massage
camping
rich, delicious microbrews
Sunday dinners
life
sweets
having had the opportunity to go down so many paths
being able to speak more than one language fluently
having lived and traveled to several different countries
IKEA--I went there for the first time today. Holy moly.
really good teachers
really good musicians
really good writers
Baby T's fishy kisses - he puckers up and smacks you right on the lips
Little boys who want to be held all the time
a chill baby who puts up with hours of shopping, as long as he gets some nursing in and gets to ride in the Ergo
the green of spring after a dull winter
the chill of fall after a hot summer
the privilege of living in a house with running water, the ability to adjust the temperature to always be comfortable, and so many amenities that so many people don't have.
an inquisitive 2-year-old
the knowledge to answer most of my inquisitive 2-year-old's questions
the privilege to have gone to college
the confidence to make my own way in life
pinterest
Etsy
mothers
love

Want a Cloth Diaper Cake? Try a Floral Arrangement Instead

2011-11-19T00:12:00.000-05:00

Just in time for the holidays and all the babies due this winter, Green Baby rolled out a brand new idea: the cloth diaper floral arrangement. You know how diaper cakes are so popular with disposable diapers but are a little more difficult (and expensive) to put together using cloth diapers?

Green Baby has teamed up with Lou's Flower World to create a cloth diaper floral arrangement that uses the same idea as a diaper cake, but it's a little greener. A cloth diaper arrangement makes a perfect:

Baby shower decoration
Shower gift
Holiday present

What you do is buy a bunch of baby accessories and cloth diaper covers or prefolds. Bring them over to Lou's Flower World at 5128 Oleander drive, where you can pick out a potted plant or have them create a floral arrangement for you. The florists will put together an arrangement using the items you bought at Green Baby, making a perfect bouquet that's perfect for a mom-to-be or a new mom.

Some items that you could put in your cloth diaper bouquet are:

Nursing pads
Diaper covers in a variety of colors
A bib
A burpcloth
Teething necklace
A few colorful onesies

Green Baby has a diaper bouquet on display just inside the door. Check it out next time you visit the shop! Our bouquet also features Fertile Myrtle, a cast resin statue created by local artist Justine Ferreri. We haven't had a chance to get in touch with the artist to find out the exact symbolism behind these statues, but we're pretty sure they won't make the mom-to-be any more fertile--but they may bring new life to her garden.

Fertile Myrtle statues at Lou's

Lou's Flower World carries the Fertile Myrtle statues, and they also have a large gift shop with other green goodies to add to your cloth diaper bouquet. We are always interested in supporting local green businesses, and Lou's caught our attention with their organically-grown flowers, shrubs, and vegetables. You can go to Lou's to stock your garden, enjoy a floral arrangement created by their full-service florist, or to buy goodies made by several local artists.

What's even cooler is that the business is run by a woman. That's right -- this is Lou:

She is almost always at the store, and is so friendly and accommodating. So whether you're doing some Christmas shopping or looking for a gift for a baby shower, shop local. Stop by Green Baby's and Lou's and put together a truly unique gift.

Always taking the time to smell the flowers.

The BeNETTAfit - a Recap

2011-11-15T12:16:00.001-05:00

The BeNETTAfit last weekend could not have been more perfect. It was a beautiful day and the perfect excuse to hang out outside with family and friends. Netta, Matt, and Annetta were hanging out, and there was awesome music, food, crafts, and games. I had never met the Saggese's before, so it was great to see them and to meet the "belle of the ball," Netta.

And what's really awesome--besides all the fun that was had and seeing a community come together like this--is that more than $2000 was raised for the Saggese's. If you missed the event, you can still donate at www.greenbabybiz.com/benettafit, or buy a T-shirt at Green Baby Diaper Service.

Check out some pics from the BeNETTAfit below.

Friends

Making musical instruments

Having fun painting

DIY Banjo

Netta and friends

A BeNETTAfit Update

2011-11-08T21:35:00.002-05:00

As you already know, the BeNETTAfit is taking place at the Mayfaire Event Field this Saturday (November 12). It's not only a cornhole tournament, it's a family fun day. Here's a quick rundown of what you'll get if you stop by. 

If you participate in the tournament as par of a two-person team, it's only $10 per person, and you'll get:

A boxed lunch from A Thyme Savor
A raffle ticket
1 reusable cup
The chance to win the grand prize--a custom cornhole set--if you win.
All of the fun stuff below

If you don't play cornhole, stop by for:

Music by Bootleg Dynasty and The Ashby Brothers
Face painting by Fantasy Fun Faces
A raffle that includes prizes like a doula package, food from Tastefully Simple, yoga classes, and more.
Hair glitter from Sweet and Sassy
A craft tent for the kiddos where they can make homemade musical instruments
On-site Mini photo sessions from Infinity Photo & Design (Get your Christmas pictures or family photos for a great price)
A bouncy house

With sponsors like Pura Vida Water Co. and Sola, this event is going to be awesome!

To register to play in the cornhole tournament or to make a donation, please click here.

Green Your Laundry with Wool Dryer Balls

2011-11-08T14:21:00.002-05:00

If you do a Google search for "toxic fabric softener," you'll find a lot of articles that detail the toxicity of fabric softener. As with a lot of blog posts and information found on Associated Content, however, how factual is this information? Very, it turns out.

I did a quick search to see if I could find actual studies that described the adverse effects of fabric softeners and dryer sheets. A study conducted on mice in 2000 found that the type of fabric softener sheets studied were made of chemicals that are known irritants, and those chemicals affected the mice's ability to breathe.

I also found a press release from 1976 that discussed how the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) denied a petition to ban the fabric softener "Bounce." Granted, they couldn't find enough evidence to support the fact that Bounce was likely to cause injury, but the fact that we've been questioning its effects on our health for more than 30 years is fishy.

Fabric softeners contain chemicals like ethanol, ethyl acetate, and chloroform--all of which are on the EPA's Hazardous Waste List. Even if these chemicals only occur in small amounts, I would rather avoid them if I can.

But what if you like the way fabric softener makes your clothes smell or the way it reduces static and softens stiff jeans and towels? There is a natural alternative: wool dryer balls.

Why use wool dryer balls?

Wool dryer balls:

are natural and eco-friendly
soften clothes without harsh chemicals
reduce wrinkles and static
save you time and money by reducing drying time
are perfect to use with cloth diapers
can be scented with essential oils to make your laundry smell fresh
make great soft balls for kids to play with in the house

How do wool dryer balls work?

Just toss them into the dryer with your laundry, and they will bounce around, separating clothes so the warm air can work its way between them and absorbing extra moisture.

How many wool dryer balls do I need?

It depends on the size of your load, but you can use 2-10 wool dryer balls per load. Just keep them in the dryer and toss the clothes in.

Green Baby Diaper Service now carries wool dryer balls. The 100% wool balls are made of felted wool yarn wound around wool felt. The wool felt in the cores is repurposed from scraps left over from Tmuffin wool soakers. So if you use Tmuffin wool dryer balls, you're helping to save the environment in more ways than one!

Oh yeah, and one ball in each pair looks like the Earth. Adorable.

Make Musical Instruments at the BeNETTAfit

2011-11-06T23:17:00.002-05:00

Among the many fun activities at the BeNETTAfit this Saturday, November 12, there will be a craft table (run by yours truly of Tmuffin) where we will be making musical instruments so our kids can jam with the bands. (Who are we kidding? We're going to be jamming, too!)

Here's a little sneak preview of the homemade musical instruments we'll be making from repurposed materials:

Tin Can & Balloon Bongo Drums/Rattles

(idea from Quirky Momma)

Ankle/Wrist Bells

(idea from Minieco)

Rhythm Sticks

(idea from MommyTeacher123)

Rice Shakers

(idea from El hada de papel)

Paper Plate Banjo

(idea from Parents.com)

Part of the beauty of these crafts is that they will be made from repurposed, recycled materials.
We need the following materials for our homemade musical instruments:

Tin cans (coffee cans, vegetable cans, juice cans, etc)
Rubber bands
Old sweaters/old T-shirts
Paper towel, toilet paper, or wrapping paper tubes
Paper plates
Wax paper
Balloons
Boxes of rice or bags of dried beans (for the shakers/rattles)

In order to have enough for everybody, we need your help! If you have any of the above materials lying around, bring them by Green Baby Diaper Service by Friday, November 11, or bring them with you to the BeNETTAfit!

Pink Nursing Pads for a Cure

2011-10-29T23:45:00.001-04:00

This Sunday, more than 50 blogs across the blogosphere are blogging in pink in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We’re honored to join The ArtsyGirl Connection to paint the world *pink* for a cure.

We’re excited to offer pink nursing pads in our online store. For each pair that we sell on Sunday, October 30, from 12:00 A.M. to 11:59 P.M., we will donate $1 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.You can purchase the nursing pads in our online store for $7.95 plus shipping. (Shipping is FREE for orders of $25 or more).

Made by Megan, a local mom, these organic cloth nursing pads are reusable, comfortable, and cute. Made from organic hemp, they are soft and luxurious next to your skin. Because they are lined with PUL, they prevent leaks from showing through your clothing. Buy them for yourself or as a baby shower gift. You can never have too many nursing pads.

Research shows that breastfeeding can reduce a mother's risk of breast cancer. In fact, nursing for more than 2 years can reduce the risk by about 50 percent! Also, women who were breastfed as infants, even if it was only for a short period of time, are 25% less likely to develop breast cancer as adults.

So support breast cancer research. Breastfeed your babies. Buy these nursing pads. Make a difference.

Megan lives in Leland, NC with her husband Blake and 9-month-old son Finley. She is passionate about breastfeeding, cloth diapering and sewing. She is a preschool teacher for Pender County Schools by day and enjoys sewing for her Etsy shop and Green Baby Diaper Service in her spare time.

Green Halloween Crafts Revisited

2011-10-26T22:18:00.001-04:00

Remember when I told you about some cute Halloween crafts you could make using items you could find around the house?

I have perfected the madness.

For the Book Page Pumpkin, I ended up using this tutorial from Creations By Kara.

If you attempt this project, please note that you don't have to take apart the book at all. Leave the binding on. That was my first mistake the first time I tried it. The second time I tried it, it worked like a charm. This is how I created my Book Page Pumpkin.

First, I bought a book from the dollar store.
Then, I tore off just the cover. I cut the cover to use as a template.

Using a sharp exacto knife, I cut around the template. It would cut through maybe 5 pages at a time.

I tore off the pieces on the edges as I went, and I ended up with a tiny little round-paged book.

I did an impromptu painting session using Baby T's watercolors. I just held the book closed and painted the edges, using a lot of water so it would bleed into the page a little bit.

Then, I opened the book, face-down on the table, put some hot glue in the binding, and glued in a piece of a stick that Baby T had picked up outside at some point. (He later pointed at the pumpkin and demanded his stick back.)

I took the first and the last pages--the ones you see here--and glued them together. I used hot glue because it gives instant results.

When I stood the pumpkin up, there were some pages that fluffed out beautifully, but there were large gaps between other pages.

I just stuck some hot glue very close to the binding and arranged the pages a little closer together in those spots.

Then, I got all crazy and wrapped some yarn around the stick, hot glued pieces of yarn and wool cut in leaf shapes to the bottom, and voila.

Check it out next time you're in the shop!

Swaddle Your Baby Better with TrueWomb®

2011-10-23T22:31:00.002-04:00

If you have a newborn, you probably know the benefits of swaddling. If your baby was born in the hospital, you've seen the nurses wrap a swaddle tightly around your baby in mere seconds. If you've had your share of sleepless nights, you probably see your baby waking up after startling him or herself with flailing arms and legs. And if you're a seasoned parent, you probably have your own swaddling tips and techniques up your sleeve.

But I know I apologized to Baby T when I swaddled him sometimes. It was along the lines of, "I know this seems a little cruel, but it's for your own good."

Green Baby Diaper Service now carries TrueWomb®, a swaddling system that is simple to use and comfortable for baby. You won't wrestle with four-foot-square giant pieces of muslin that threaten to wrap themselves around your baby's neck. You won't walk in to see your previously swaddled baby waving to you.

TrueWomb® closely mimics the position of your baby in the womb. It keeps baby's arms and legs close without tightly binding them. It allows baby to move and stretch as needed, but when baby is resting comfortably, it keeps the arms and legs secure in the fetal position. This helps prevent baby from waking due to the startle reflex.

The TrueWomb® system addresses problems faced with other swaddling systems and blankets:

gradual loosening as baby moves during the night
failure to help keep legs in fetal position
over-wrapping
possibility of loose blankets in crib, which is a safety hazard

This video demonstrates how the TrueWomb® helps keep baby in a womblike position:

And if you're like me, you're probably thinking, I bought all those giant muslin blankets, and it took me months to experiment with them and find the perfect way to swaddle. I wouldn't pay extra money for a fancy-schmancy swaddling blanket. I can make do with what I have, thank you very much.

That's how I felt after having my first child, when I felt like I needed to prove to myself that I could be the perfect mother without all those gadgets and gizmos. But then I had my second child, and I accepted help in whatever way it was offered. I wish I had known about the TrueWomb® then!

The BeNETTAfit - Save the Date for a Celebration

2011-10-19T13:13:00.001-04:00

On Saturday, November 12, 2011, Green Baby Diaper Service and Infinity Photography and Design are holding a benefit for Netta Saggese, an inspiring 2-year-old. She has a seizure disorder called Lennox Gaustaut Syndrome, which is a severe form of epilepsy. Scientists have not yet found a cure for the disorder, so the Saggese family must manage Netta's condition with a variety of medical treatments, some more effective than others.

Here is Netta's story:

"With a wink of her eye at only 2 months old, our Netta Smith clued us in that our world was about to change. The wink was actually the first of countless seizures she would have for what may be the rest of her life. These seizures have taken a variety of forms and all have hindered her development. When New Hanover Regional couldn't provide the adequate equipment and specialists, we made our first of multiple visits to Chapel Hill.

The right combination of medicine settled the seizures for almost two months until they came back unexpectedly on a Friday night. Ugh. Another trip to Chapel Hill had us try a dietary treatment (Ketogenic Diet) that ultimately sent Netta into renal failure. Yikes. When medicine alone couldnt get full control of the seizures, we truly began our advocacy mission as we traveled the east coast interviewing specialists who performed neuro-surgery.

Our decision was to go with Dr. Weiner at NYU, who remains our closest confidant. Unfortunately, after placing monitors directly on her brain for 2 weeks, it was clear she was NOT a candidate for surgery since the seizures were too wide spread. D'oh.

Regardless of how many strikes we have encountered, we are determined to keep swinging and playing ball. Playing ball is now the medicine game as we are slowly working to remove a medicine that keeps her from sweating, which in turn can make her overheat, which brings on...seizures! Its a tricky game but there are a lot of options that we can still try and even more that just need to be approved in the United States.

Netta is officially diagnosed with a seizure disorder called Lennox Gaustaut Syndrome. Netta is now 2 years old, and despite her cortical visual impairment, lack of speech, and global delays, she has managed to make great strides thanks to her incredible teachers, therapists, doctors, and surgeon. Her laughter has become what sunshine is to plants and her strength is as mighty as the ocean. She is a joyful child who brings light to everyone who meets her. She is an absolute gift to this world as she teaches us all how precious life is and how important a support system can be.

From the beginning, the ladies at Green Baby Diapers (and many others) have proven that the power of the human spirit knows no end. We are ever grateful for their support efforts in helping us along on our adventure. We are even more excited for the upcoming BeNETTAfit as it sounds to be all the things we love to do as a family-outdoor games, music, food, and friends! Looking forward to seeing you all there."

The tournament will take place at Mayfaire Town Center in Wilmington from 11 A.M. to 4 P.M. on Saturday, November 12.

Register to play or donate money at http://www.greenbabybiz.com/benettafit/ or just come to share some fun and games with the family.

Contact Liz at info {at} greenbabybiz {dot} com if you would like to sign up to be a vendor at this fun family event!

Tips for a Healthy Home

2011-10-14T17:00:00.075-04:00

I attended the Healthy Home Party at Green Baby last Wednesday, and I learned a lot. The most memorable thing?

You don't have to make every change at once.

Even if you just change one small thing--like filling a spray bottle with vinegar and water and putting away your 409--it will make a huge difference in the air quality in your home.

If you're ready to add other steps to your goal of a healthy home, here are some tips for keeping pollutants out and clean air in:

Take off your shoes

You think the toilet in the public bathroom is dirty? Think about the bottom of your shoes. They stepped all over the floor in that bathroom. Then they stepped in gum in the parking lot. They walked over the neighbor's lawn, which was recently treated with toxic chemicals. They stepped in gasoline, lead, and allergens.

Then they stepped on your carpet, just before your baby crawled across it to welcome you home.

According to the Healthy Child, Healthy World website, "pesticides have been linked to a range of health problems, including asthma, hyperactivity and behavior problems, cancer, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders, and compromised brain development." And they can be tracked in on your shoes. Keep the poison outside of your home.

Open a Window

The inside of people's homes is generally more polluted than outside. Why? Because people tend to use toxic chemicals, track in pollutants on their shoes, and keep their windows sealed shut and their central air running. Opening a window for just 15 minutes a day can release some of the polluted air in your home and help eliminate contaminants.

Limit your Use of Plastics

Plastic is toxic to produce, fills up our landfills, and leaches harmful chemicals into the air and our food. Different types of plastics are more harmful than others. One of the worst types of plastics is PVC, or vinyl. (Good thing I threw out that pleather jacket I wore in college!) A list of the plastics that are better to avoid can be found on the Healthy Child, Healthy World website.

BPA, a chemical found in plastic, has been linked to infertility and hormone disruption. Eating foods that are not packaged in plastic can reduce the amount of BPA in your body by 60 percent.

Does this mean you have to throw out the set of plastic storage containers you just bought? No (you should recycle them). But seriously, no. Work on slowly moving the toxic stuff out and the good stuff in. As your storage containers get beat up and need replacing, purchase glass storage instead. Don't heat plastic in the microwave and don't scrub it with steel wool.

Use Nontoxic Products

We've talked about keeping chemicals out of your home by switching your beauty products to natural ones. You can do the same with your cleaning products.

Mix up equal parts distilled white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. You'll be surprised at how well it cuts through grease on your kitchen table and grimy fingerprints on your windows.
Use baking soda and a sponge or cloth to clean baked-on dirt from your stove or bakeware.
Use boiling water to clean stains from carpets.
If you're worried about disinfecting, follow your vinegar wash and wipe with a spritz of 3% hydrogen peroxide and wipe it dry.
For the best all-around nontoxic cleaner, mix castile soap with vinegar, tea tree oil, lemon juice, and water. The exact recipe for this natural miracle cleaner can be found on Tmuffin's website. You'll be amazed at how easily it cuts through soap scum, dried-on food on your kids' high chairs, and grease on your stove. It's a miracle cleaner.

Join Healthy Child Healthy World to get trusted information about creating a cleaner environment for our kids. You can sign up for the newsletter here: Healthy Child Healthy World newsletter

Green Halloween Crafts - Pumpkins from Twine, Books, and Wool

2011-10-13T21:43:00.002-04:00

The other day, Liz and I were sharing ideas about how to have a green Halloween party. To take it one step further, what about making some green crafts to use as decorations? Buying a real pumpkin is a waste if you don't compost it when you're done. And even then, it seems pointless to buy food just to let it rot on your doorstep. (Don't get me wrong--I have 2 pumpkins on my very cute doorstep, but I would like to make some more eco-friendly decorations).

I was inspired by some great crafts I found online, and I was going to make them so I could share with you, but they are not as easy to make as they look. So I'm passing along the ideas, but I admit--they are not my own. Here are some pictures and links to tutorials, as well as instructions for how not to do these crafts, and pictures of my failures. Gather your materials over the weekend, though: Next week I'm posting video tutorials to my successful versions!

Twine Pumpkins

Twine balls made on the Nate Berkus show

I love this idea, and I thought it would look great if you made these balls out of orange yarn or spray painted the twine orange after it hardened. After searching multiple websites to find instructions, I settled on this eHow article that advises to use a flour paste, because I felt like that was the greenest option, especially if you are doing this craft with kids.

This is what I ended up with:

The flour paste left residue all over, even in between the strings. It took me 3 tries to boil the flour paste and not let it turn into a hard, gummy ball. It also attracted flies.

I'm going to try again, though. I think this would make a cute pumpkin, and you could even embellish with felt cutouts in the shape of a jack-o-lantern face and insert a battery-operated tea light.

If you want to try this craft, you can use white glue and water, liquid starch, or fabric stiffener (buy this at a craft or fabric store). I'll post pics when I successfully make mine!

Book Page Pumpkin

Beautiful pumpkin made from a book on The Artsy Girl Connection

I thought this book page pumpkin from the Artsy Girl Connection was a beautiful, unexpected fall decoration. I tried to make it, but I tore out the pages from the book instead of keeping them all together. They were still bound in small batches though, so I glued them together with a thin strip of glue on the binding edge. Now I have some great half-moon shaped mini books:

But when I tried to assemble them, I didn't have that fluffed, rounded look. So I did some more research, and found this Book Page Pumpkin Tutorial from CreationsbyKara.com. Now it makes sense. I'm redoing this one, and I'll post a video tutorial when I'm done. It will make a lot more sense.

Felted Wool Pumpkins

Amy at Anktangle's wool dryer balls

I know, I know. These don't look like pumpkins at all. But you can make these with orange wool and add jack-o-lantern faces. My balls are in the dryer right now. Again--I know, I know. You know what I mean.

This is what I have so far:

Stay tuned for more fall crafts in the next week!

Learn Baby Sign Language

2011-10-12T08:00:00.004-04:00

Baby T signing "more"

Kacy Jones of My Smart Hands is teaching a baby sign language class on Saturday, October 15, at 2 PM. It's free for drop off and delivery customers of Green Baby Diaper Service. Please email kacy@mysmarthands.com with any questions or to register for the class.

Why would you want to teach your baby sign language? Babies can actually begin to communicate nonverbally before they use speech. This means that if they want something, instead of hanging on your pant leg and screaming for it, they can ask for it--with their hands. Instead of guessing what your baby needs, you can read your baby's signs to find out.

Just like babies begin to point to communicate what interests them around 9-12 months of age, they can use American Sign Language to communicate their needs.

I'm intrigued. I did some sign language with my first son. I did the sign for "milk" every time I nursed him since the day he was born. I also did the sign for "more" when I was giving him more food at the table. By the time he was 12 months old, he was talking. A lot. He had maybe 50 words. At least. But he wasn't signing.

One day, I sat down to nurse him and I showed him the sign for milk. He got all excited and did his whole panting/sticking the tongue out thing. So he knew what it meant. But he never did it back to me. So I said, "Show me milk, Baby T." The little guy stuck his hand out and opened and closed his fist. He knew how to do it; he just didn't realize I wanted him to sign to me.

I use the same signs with Little M, and when I sign "more" when I'm feeding him, I speak Spanish and say "mas." He hasn't responded with the sign yet, but he says "mama" when I do that.

Maybe my kids are backwards.

I would be curious to learn how to go about using signs with your children so that they come naturally and your babies naturally respond.

Intrigued? Go to Kacy's class on Saturday to learn more. Saturday's class will be the first in an 8-week series. But you don't have to sign up for the entire series. Go to the first class and see what it's all about, then decide if you want to learn more. In this 45-minute class, you'll learn the benefits of using ASL and how to get started signing. You and your kids will also learn the ASL alphabet, 8 everyday signs and learn the hello and good bye songs.

Here's a video of Baby T signing "more" when he was somewhere between 12 and 15 months old.

Change the World Wednesday - A Green Halloween

2011-10-11T21:34:00.003-04:00

It's Change the World Wednesday time again! This week, the challenge was to celebrate a greener Halloween:

Halloween is coming up so ... this week consider the environmental impact of the treats we give out and offer suggestions for better alternatives. Let's expand on the idea and include parties, costumes, etc.

OR ...

If you don't celebrate Halloween, please offer us some ideas for eco-friendly snacks and entertaining.

Well, we do celebrate Halloween and enjoy getting creative with Halloween costumes, decorations, and party ideas. But reading Mrs. Green's post about Hallowgreen and how the true meaning of Halloween has become so warped over the centuries got me thinking.

Why do I celebrate Halloween? Because I'm a big old follower. Yup, because it's a Hallmark (or Mars Bar) holiday and I succumb to it just like so many other people in the country. And now that I have kids, it's fun to come up with creative ideas for what they can be for Halloween.

I called Liz.

Gaby: So this week's Change the World Wednesday is about how to make Halloween a little greener. I really want to come up with some good ideas that haven't been brought up before. I mean, I know you can use old clothing for costumes and stuff like that, but what about the meaning of Halloween?
Liz: Do you know the history behind the holiday?
Gaby: Not really. But I think it has to do with celebrating the dead and nature. (**I have since Googled it, and found a good explanation about the history of Halloween on http://www.halloweenhistory.org/. Imagine that.**)
Liz: You could write a blog post about how to have a green Halloween party.
Gaby: I know, but I want it to be more than that. I want to figure out how to instill a sense of meaning about the holiday in my kids. I feel like it's a holiday about nature and imagination, not about begging for candy at your neighbor's house.
Liz: What about holding a neighborhood Halloween party? Kind of like a block party, so the neighbors are still involved, but instead of trick or treating, you're just treating each other. Everyone can wear costumes, bring some kind of food, and contribute to the decorations, so everyone doesn't have to go out and buy tons of candy or spend a lot of money on their own separate decorations.
Gaby: That's a good idea.
Liz: You could have a table with a nature craft for the kids, and that could use repurposed items, items from nature, and could be used for decorations.
Gaby: Yeah, and if everyone brought baked goods instead of candy, it would save a lot of people a lot of money and keep people from buying loads of candy they don't need. The problem is, you aren't supposed to give baked goods out to trick or treaters, but if you're having a neighborhood party, it would be welcomed.
Liz: I know. What is this world coming to that you can't accept baked goods from your neighbors anymore? But that's a great way to get around it. And you can do things like bob for apples and eat donuts off of strings.
Gaby: I remember eating donuts off of strings at Halloween parties too. How is that related to the holiday, I wonder?
Liz: I don't know, but you could also have a "Create your Own Costume" bin at the party. Everyone brings old costumes or funky clothes and puts it in a trunk or a tub, and whoever is not wearing a costume can pick through it and make their own costume.
Gaby: Smart! Repurposing is where you can really go green on Halloween.

So there you have it. A green Halloween involves repurposing instead of just buying a bunch of new decorations, costumes, and candy that will only be used once. And if you get the neighbors involved, you'll all benefit from having a green Halloween. Stay tuned later this week for a fun Halloween craft that you can do with the kids!

Healthy Home Party - October 12

2011-10-07T17:36:00.001-04:00

Remember how I told you there are some great classes coming up at Green Baby Diaper Service in Wilmington? Up first is the Healthy Home Party.

There has been a lot of talk lately - on blogs, in the news, pretty much everywhere - about how toxic cleaning chemicals and other products you use in your home can be. But determining where to start to eliminate these toxins from your home can be overwhelming. At the Healthy Home Party, you'll learn 5 easy steps to make your home safer, healthier, and more environmentally friendly for your children and your family.

Here's the info about the class:
Price: FREE
Day: Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Time: 11:30 A.M.
Where: Green Baby Diaper Service, 6006 Oleander Drive

There will be door prizes and refreshments, and it's an informal atmosphere. Bring your kids and learn how to make your home a healthy one!

For more information about the Healthy Home Party or Stroller Strides in Wilmington, visit the Stroller Strides website.

Change the World Wednesday: Reduce your Emissions

2011-10-05T15:19:00.003-04:00

Time for another Change the World Wednesday (#CTWW) challenge at Reduce Footprints. In case you're reading about this for the first time, the goal of CTWW is to get a bunch of people to make a small change that has a big impact on the environment (in a good way), especially if they all do it at the same time.

Last week's challenge was to go car free for a day. Or longer.

If you live in Wilmington, you know that's difficult. I used to ride my bike to work when I lived in town, and I had to outfit my bike with a rearview mirror so I could see if a car was about to hit me. Wilmington drivers are terrible to begin with. Throw in roads with no shoulders and speed limits that are too high for the roads, and you couldn't get me back on the road on a bike if you paid me.

Not to mention the fact that I would have to bike over the bridge (with two kids in tow). No thank you.

So how can we be more responsible with our gas if we have to drive?

Here are some tips we came up with on how to save gas in a bike-UNfriendly town:

Gaby: Run errands in the same location on the same day. For example, I go to Green Baby Diaper Service once a week. On those days, I also stop at Progressive Gardens, Tidal Creek, and Lou's Flower Shop.
Liz: Go car-free one day a week. If that means that you have to stay home all day, so be it. You'll get a lot accomplished.
Gaby: Does shopping online help you save gas? I feel like when it comes to big errand-running days--
Liz: Or Christmas shopping...
Gaby: Or Christmas shopping, you end up driving to so many places that you're better off buying from somewhere like Amazon or Overstock.com and having everything shipped together.
Liz: When diaper service customers sign up for delivery, they save gas because we deliver to certain areas on certain days.
Gaby: So you're saving all those people separate car trips to bring their diapers to the store.
Liz: Yes, and we have an online store, so people can sit at home and do all of their shopping if they want to.
Gaby: What about carpooling?
Liz: We carpooled today!
Gaby: You're right. People don't do it often enough.
Liz: It's because we all don't go out often enough.
Gaby: So in order to save gas, we all need to get some babysitters and go out on the town every weekend.
Liz: But carpool while we're doing it. And it makes for an automatic designated driver.
Gaby: Right. Sounds good. I'm in.

Reduce Footprints has some more great advice on the subject, especially for a town like ours:

"My final thoughts on this challenge: Many areas don't have sidewalks or bike lanes so leaving the car at home means sharing the road with traffic and that isn't safe ... especially if you're traveling with children. If that is the case in your area, I suggest contacting city/county officials to let them know that you want these safety features in your community. And get your friends and neighbors involved ... the community leaders need to know how you feel. There are also many areas that don't offer convenient, inexpensive bus service. Again, tell your public officials that it's something you want and need."

Next week's challenge is to consider the environmental impact of the treats we give out for Halloween and offer suggestions for better alternatives for treats, parties, costumes, etc. Join us and you can change the world too.

Take Classes at Green Baby Diaper Service

2011-10-04T16:14:00.001-04:00

There is a lot going on at Green Baby Diaper Service, so we're calling this week "What's New Week." We're going to tell you about all the plans we have for the fall to bring you more. Here's a preview:

Green Baby is going to start consigning used cloth diapers, hosting all types of classes, holding a fundraiser, and putting out a monthly calendar of events.

Lots of exciting stuff.

There are several classes scheduled to take place at Green Baby Diaper Service. Below is a list:

October 12 (Wednesday) - Healthy Home Party
October 15 (Saturday) - Sign Language Class
October 23 (Sunday) - Newborn Care Workshop
November 4 (Friday) - Babywearing Class
November 19 (Saturday) - Photography Class

We'll be blogging more about these classes in the next few weeks. For now, mark your calendars and get excited!

If you're dying to find out about any of the classes before we post the times and contact info, please contact us.

The No Poo Challenge - A Wrap Up

2011-10-02T09:01:00.001-04:00

So who tried the No Poo Challenge? Was it hard? Did you find your hair looked better than ever? Was it too greasy? Did you push past it?

I was washing my hair yesterday (with baking soda) and thinking about how it didn't feel heavy anymore. When I used to shower, after shampooing, it would feel heavy and coated. And when I started the No Poo challenge, it felt worse. As though it was covered in rubber.

And now that's gone away. I don't remember how long it has been. Since July, I guess. My hair feels soft, not dry, not heavy, just real. Sometimes it gets greasy. I've tried to use less baking soda because I've been getting dandruff, and if I don't use enough, my hair gets a little greasy. But you know what? It gets greasy with regular shampoo, too.

If you really want to try detoxing your shower but aren't ready for the No Poo boot camp, try going Sorta Poo with coconut milk and castile soap.

If you already tried our challenge, leave a comment below. Everyone who leaves a comment on this post between now and next Friday at 11:59 PM EST will be entered to win your very own No Poo bottles and an essential oil to make your hair smell like you don't wash it with vinegar. Leave your email address with your comment so we can contact the winner. To avoid spam, write your email address like this: Thenopoochallenge {at} nopoo {dot} com. If you don't leave your email address, you won't be entered because we won't be able to contact you.

Good luck!

Composting 101: How to Make Compost (The Easy Way)

2011-09-29T17:22:00.002-04:00

We have been talking a lot about gardening and natural products. Well, composting is one of the best, most natural things you can do for your garden and your environment. You probably know what composting means—it’s becoming pretty popular—but how on earth do you do it? Composting is essentially combining scraps of organic material so that it breaks down into a nutrient- and microbe-rich “soil." This happens in nature all the time. It’s how plants existed before people arrived to fertilize and mess with them. As organic matter breaks down, it feeds other plants, giving them what they need to fight disease and grow.

If you have ever researched information about composting, you may have become overwhelmed. A lot of resources make it sound like if you don’t do everything perfectly right, you’ll have a rotting, stinking mess. I used to worry about this and even went so far as to buy a thermometer to make sure my compost pile was getting hot enough for proper decomposition. I turned it religiously and tried to monitor my ratios of brown to green stuff.

And then I had two kids, got lazy, and didn’t touch my compost bin for a year. When I started gardening again, I stuck a shovel into the bottom of the compost bin and pulled out … COMPOST!

So this is the lazy, beginner’s version of composting. The point is that it works. It gives you a foundation to start from, and you can perfect it as you go. This is the lazy person’s guide to making compost.

Different Types of Compost Bins

You can use a store-bought bin that looks kind of like an upside-down garbage can, a tumbler, or just throw your scraps in a heap if your yard is big enough. You do want your bin to have openings on the bottom to allow microorganisms to come in and help in the decomposition process. When I started composting, I fashioned a bin out of wood pallets lined with chicken wire. You can get fruit flies and moths frequenting your compost though, and my neighbors probably would have complained, so I got a compost bin with a lid pretty inexpensively at Costco. I’ve probably had it for 5 years now. That's it in the picture above.

I'm bad about taking my kitchen scraps out. You could leave out a big bowl into which you peel your vegetables and empty it outside every evening or use a small, covered container to collect your scraps inside. They say you should use a container with holes in it because this allows air to enter and starts the whole composting process, but in my experience, it attracts fruit flies. I keep my compost in one of those plastic aroma-sealed coffee containers and it does just fine.

My compost collector

What Can You Compost?

You can find websites that break it down by specific ratios of green materials, which are high in nitrogen, and brown materials, which are high in carbon. I say just throw it in. There are certainly limits to what you can put in, but I don’t even pay attention to the ratios; I just feed the bin my garbage.

Examples of green compost materials:

Fresh grass clippings
Kitchen scraps
Weeds
Green leaves

Examples of brown compost materials:

Dry leaves
Dry grass
Shredded paper

Most websites assume you have plenty of dry leaves to add to the compost bin in the fall, but if you live in an area where they cut down all the trees and pop one twig into everybody’s front yard when they build the development, you don’t have leaves. I don’t have leaves. So I just add kitchen scraps, paper from my shredder, and soil from old flower pots and my garden.

If you only add green material, it can turn into a black, slimy, soggy, stinky mess. It won’t decompose properly and it will just turn to sludge. But add your newspaper or some garden soil or your torn up or shredded junk mail and you’ll be fine.

Inside my compost bin...gross!

Composting Don’ts

There are a few hard-and-fast rules when it comes to composting.

Don’t put human or pet waste in your compost bin. It can breed harmful bacteria. You can use manure from animals like rabbits, chickens, and cows.
Don’t put meat or dairy in your compost bin. It will start to stink and can attract pests.

Then there are some more controversial rules:

Should you add coffee grounds to compost?
Should you add eggshells?

I’ve even read about someone who added his own urine. If you’re in doubt, research it first, or just leave it out. I leave out eggshells because I’m afraid my pile doesn’t get hot enough to kill possible salmonella. But I kind of just made that up—it’s my own paranoia.

How Does the Decomposition Process Work?

To make compost, you need air, moisture, heat, and compostable materials. Well, you could even leave out the heat and you could still get compost, it would just take longer. The reason even organic matter doesn’t decompose in a landfill is because it’s completely covered and there isn’t enough air to make it break down.

So how do you get this lovely combination of elements into your compost? Well, you’ve already put your kitchen scraps, garden cast-offs, and paper garbage into your compost pile. Now you just leave it.

Here’s the deal, though: The stuff on the bottom is going to decompose first. So you need a way to access that to use it once it turns into compost. And it will take a long time if you let the pile sit stagnant, because you’re not introducing air and moisture into the mix. (Although, as I saw in my year-long sabbatical from gardening, you can still make compost if you don’t touch the bin at all.)

How to Turn your Compost

To make the materials in your compost pile decompose more quickly, turn it every once in a while. “But my compost pile doesn’t turn—I didn’t get the tumbler kind.” Right. If you did get the tumbler kind, just give it a crank. If you didn’t, just take the stuff from the bottom and put it in the top. My bin has holes in the bottom so I can access the compost in there with a shovel, easily dragging it out and dumping it back in the top.

But if you just have a heap of compost or a makeshift bin, you’ll probably want to just move it over into a pile right next to where it started. Just shovel what’s on top onto the ground, and keep doing that. The compost that was at the top of your bin will be at the bottom of your new pile, and the more decomposed stuff from the bottom of your original bin will be at the top of your new one. Doing that aerates your pile and gets the pressure working on the newer scraps, which helps them decompose.

If you don’t even have enough room to do that, you could even stick a pitchfork in your pile and just toss it around a bit. It would decompose more slowly, but it would work.

How Can You Speed the Composting Process Along?

I have to tell you that when you start composting, it helps to begin with a big load of stuff. You won't get decomposition without maybe a 3-cubic-foot mound. If you're dying to start but only have a small bowl of kitchen scraps, ask a friend or neighbor for a tub of some compost or soil and just add to that. Or buy a bag of soil at thr garden store.

One of the best ways to stimulate the decomposition of your compost is to add compost tea. You can search online how to brew some, or you can just get some from a local brewer. Progressive Gardens in Wilmington, NC, gives out free gallons of freshly-brewed compost tea to anyone who walks in with an empty milk jug. I pick one up every week. And then I have to let my family know not to drink it. (It looks like some delicious iced tea.)

Compost tea from Progressive Gardens

Putting compost tea in your compost bin will add microorganisms that help in the decomposition process. If you dilute it with water and add it directly to your garden, it will add microorganisms that help with healthy plant growth directly into your garden. It basically balances out your ecosystem, kind of like probiotics balance out your digestive system.


I pour a little compost tea into my watering can, fill the rest with water, and pour it over my plants. That fabric in the background is a onesie that I'm sunning to get a stain out.

There are fertilizers that say they help the composting process along too. For example, Dr. Earth’s Organic 2 Starter Fertilizer can be added to your compost bin to speed up the process. See? I told you that you didn’t have to be perfect.

We’ve established that my methods aren’t perfect. For example, I have a lot of weeds that grow from the compost I put in my garden. That’s probably because I don’t turn it enough. You need air and pressure to make enough heat to kill those weed seeds. And sometimes I use compost that isn’t quite all the way done. That’s not the end of the world; I’m still introducing beneficial nutrients to the garden, but it can take away from the plants growing in my garden because the microorganisms are still expending their energy breaking down the compost instead of feeding my plants. Or something like that.

But I haven’t bought garden soil in years (except when I made up a bunch of new beds a few years ago and broke down and brought in a truckload of topsoil). And I only have a bag of garbage every week for the whole family. Almost everything except for plastic, metal, and glass goes in the compost bin, and the other stuff gets recycled. It feels good not to be contributing too heavily to the massive amounts of garbage we humans put out, even if my son is obsessed with garbage trucks.

Some fruits--vegetables, really--of my labor

If you feel the urge to do some more research about making compost, don't overwhelm yourself. The Basics of Composting at The Garden of Oz is a great article that sums it all up without overloading you. Howtocompost.org is also a great resource, but I wouldn't even go there until you're ready to go to the next level. You have all the basics...are you ready to start making compost?

Please feel free to add your own tips in the comments! We know you won't overwhelm us.

Change the World Wednesday: Reduce Water Waste

2011-09-27T21:29:00.001-04:00

It's been a while since we joined in on the Change the World Wednesday (#CTWW) challenge at Reduce Footprints. In case you're reading about this for the first time, the goal of CTWW is to get a bunch of people to make a small change that has a big impact on the environment (in a good way), especially if they all do it at the same time.

We have been too busy to post, comment, and write about Change the World Wednesday, but living harmoniously with the Earth is in our blood. So it's not like we've been galavanting around, turning on lights and wasting gas. But now we're ready to get back in the game and work on this.

Please join us. The more people who work on the same environment-saving activities each week, the more of an impact we'll have.

This week's challenge is to reduce your water waste. This is straight from the ~~horse's mouth~~ this week's Reduce Footprints blog post:

This week pay close attention to the water which gets tossed down the drain and reduce it. For example, if you put ice in your drink, toss the ice in a planter rather than toss it in the drain. Is there a small amount of coffee left in the pot? Try freezing it for use in iced coffees or to flavor cake. How about the water left in a pot after steaming vegetables? Mrs. Green taught me to save that water & use it for making rice, pasta, etc. The idea, here, is to pay attention to those small amounts of water which usually get tossed down the drain and find more Eco-efficient uses for them ... and thereby reduce waste.

This is how it went down:
Gaby: It feels strange saving water when it's been pouring for a week.
Liz: I know. I could gather it from my street and hand it out.
Gaby: You would have to boil it first. But seriously, I always go on saving water binges. Is that bad? I get obsessed with saving water while I wait for it to warm up for a few weeks, but then I forget and the water sits around in my bathroom.
Liz: What do you mean?
Gaby: I used to save the water from the shower in those big buckets that hold cat litter. They have a lid, so I would fill them up while the water was getting warm and then set them aside in the bathroom with the lid on. They are heavy. So I would get lazy about taking them outside. And it would annoy Big T because they would sit there forever.
Liz: I've been getting in the shower when it's still cold and just washing my hair while I wait for it to warm up!
Gaby: That's courageous. I can't do that, even when it's this hot out. I can't imagine how much harder it would be to save water if I had a 2-story house. I would never take those 5-gallon buckets outside.
Liz: What about washing dishes? Do you use your sink or your dishwasher?
Gaby: It takes us a long time to fill up our dishwasher, but I use both. If I was dishes in the sink, I soap everything up and then rinse it all at once. And I don't really worry about using hot water. Is that bad?
Liz: No. I try to just use my dishwasher, but I fill it up before I run it.
Gaby: During the growing season, I get a box of vegetables every week from the CSA. There are a lot of greens, and they can be very buggy, so I use a lot of water washing them. I wash them in the salad spinner and put the water in my rain barrels or my garden.
Liz: I'm going to go one step further and start saving the water from boiling vegetables.
Gaby: Me too. And make leftover coffee ice cubes.

What are you going to do to save water?

Bringing it all Together

2011-09-26T16:58:00.001-04:00

Photo modified from Flickr

When we started this blog, of course we had a game plan in mind, but we are busy mommies--things tend to take a path of their own sometimes. Our simple game plan was this: to discuss the "green" aspect of life--of parenting, of living, and shopping. We're passionate about making the environment a safe and happy place for our kids, grandkids, and the rest of 'em.

As we began talking about what we could post about on the blog, we realized that we really wanted to connect the community--both local and greater--with the greener side of life.

So to emphasize our mission with this blog, we've added that tag line to our header. Because that's what we're all about.

And if you're wondering what we'll be posting about, just look in the sidebar to the right. Those buttons will tell you. Click on them to find what you're looking for. We want to make it easier for you to find answers to your questions and connect with us. This is what we'll be talking about:

What's New - new and exciting happenings in the store, the community, and the world
Cloth Diapering Tips - because you can never have enough information to make your life easier
Green Living: Indoor - ways to make your life and home more eco-friendly
Green Living: Outdoor - ways to make your life, garden, and environment more eco-friendly
Products and Accessories - fun stuff you can find at Green Baby Diaper Service
Green Businesses - local and worldwide businesses that also look out for our Earth
Parenting - because we're all a little green when it comes to this

Thanks for following us. We appreciate our readers, our customers, and everyone who just pops in to say hello. Stay connected with us for more green fun to come!

Green Living: The No Poo Challenge - Tips and Tricks

2011-09-23T10:13:00.005-04:00

So we're not the only crazy ones. Other people have done the No Poo thing too. And they are addicted. It certainly has made my hair more manageable and has brought out my natural wave. It definitely took some time to get used to. In fact, I went off the wagon a couple of times in the past few months because I felt like my hair was greasy, and you know what? When I washed it with regular shampoo, it was greasier.

This is what my hair looks like since I've done the No Poo challenge (and this was on a day when it felt kind of greasy):

I'll take it.

So here are some tips for using the No Poo method:

Try to wean off of washing every day.
When using the baking soda wash, concentrate on the hairline, especially at the temples. Take your time and rub your scalp in circular motions.
You don't have to use the vinegar every time you wash your hair if you don't want to.
If you feel like your hair is getting too greasy, only use the vinegar on the ends of your hair.

And as I mentioned before, other people use the No Poo method. It's safe to use for children too. In fact, it's safer than most baby shampoos that are available.

Genevieve from Why Cloth Diaper? gives some tips about using baking soda and vinegar to wash her hair for the past two years.
Christi has some information about the dangers of chemicals in our shampoos, as well as instructions and tips for the No Poo method on the Nature Moms blog.
The ladies at Gimme the Good Stuff, who don't always love the most natural products, love the No Poo method.
Crunchy Betty has a before picture and an after pic, and she even shares a Sorta 'Poo recipe for all of you who think it's just too crunchy to never see lather again in your shower.
Lisa at Granola Catholic has also blogged about her family's No Poo routines.

So there you have it. All the No Poo resources you could have ever wanted. So what are you waiting for? Go try it! You only have 8 days of the No Poo challenge left!

What's New: Cape Fear Maternity and Baby Expo

2011-09-22T15:35:00.001-04:00

Green Baby Diaper Service is going to be at the Cape Fear Maternity and Baby Expo again this fall. The expo is on October 1 from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Coastline Conference & Event Center. It costs $5 to get in, but if you stop by Green Baby Diaper Service, you can pick up a coupon for $1 off.

This baby expo in Wilmington is not only for expecting moms. It is advertised as having "everything from pregnancy to preschool." It's a great place for parents to find out about all the child- and baby-centered businesses in Wilmington, from pediatric dentists in the Cape Fear area to local child and family photographers to the cutest kids' boutiques.

Including, of course, Green Baby.

Stop by to find out how easy it is to use cloth diapers. See them in action. There's a lot of information about cloth diapering online, and it can easily get overwhelming. If you see your options in person, you will be able to make a better decision about your diapering needs.

You can also find out about the valuable offers Green Baby Diaper Service provides. It's not just a diaper service; it is a place to meet new moms and learn new things. Green Baby is working on putting together a series of classes that will be free or deeply discounted for diaper service customers. Stop by the Cape Fear Maternity and Baby Expo next Saturday, October 1, to find out more!

Green Business Spotlight: Progressive Gardens

2011-09-20T07:25:00.001-04:00

My fall garden

When you walk into Green Baby Diaper Service, you’ll often find a new or seasoned mom or dad chatting with one of the ladies there. They might be asking about diaper creams, wondering about the newest cloth diaper covers, or sharing parenting advice.

The same thing happens when you walk into Progressive Gardens, the organic gardening store in Wilmington across the street from Green Baby Diaper Service. Except people aren’t asking about how to raise their kids, they are asking about how to raise their plants. Progressive Gardens is one of those places where you can shop for gardening supplies, seeds, rain barrels, or nursery containers, or you can go to find out about local organic farms, natural approaches to lawn care, and more.

You know how there is so much information out there about cloth diapers that if you try to research it on your own, you end up completely overwhelmed? Gardening is similar. It’s best to do a little planning, but then jump in and ask questions as you go along. And even with all the information out there on the internet, I find it’s so much more straightforward to just go into Progressive Gardens, ask about your specific issue, and buy what you need right there.

Right now, the sign in front of Progressive Gardens says, “Fall is coming. Time to plan your next garden.” With the long, hot, dry summer that Wilmington experienced, many people who tried to keep up their gardening failed. It was miserable. The weather was stifling and the land was parched. But Wilmington, North Carolina is the perfect place to start a fall garden. The first frost comes late, and—as I found out at the fall gardening class I took at Progressive Gardens on Saturday—you can cover many of the plants in your fall garden to protect them from the cold all winter.

We decided to find out a little more about fall gardening directly from the source, so we asked Ryan at Progressive Gardens to answer some of the most popular questions about fall gardening. This guy knows what he’s doing, so pay attention.

1. If you have let the garden go over the summer, and you find that weeds are growing like crazy and there are lots of grubs, grasshoppers, ants and other bugs taking over in the garden, other than weeding, is there anything you can do organically to control the bugs and prep for fall gardening?

That’s a good question. Most people here in southeastern NC do exactly this during the summer because it gets so hot. My first recommendation for next year is to cut down your dead plants sometime in July when the spring crop is on its way out. During the heat of summer you can cover your plot with mulch, a weed cloth or a light fabric to keep the area from being taken over. Mulching during the growing season is also an effective way at keeping weeds from getting established.

If you still have plants growing and are dealing with a jungle, there are a few ways to get ready for fall. To control bugs, using a solution like Neem oil, or an application of a good repellant that contains garlic, clove, or cinnamon extracts are an effective way to push bugs out so you can prep for your next planting. Ants can be driven out of the area with beneficial nematodes; these microscopic worms eat their larvae and disrupt the activity of the nest, forcing the ants to move.

The other thing to think about is why the bugs are there in the first place. Insects have evolved to use their antennae to “tune into” unhealthy plants and environments that don’t have healthy populations of natural predators like praying mantis or ladybugs. Problematic pests will always attack the weakest plants first, so a bug infestation is a good indication your plants lacking nutrition, or there is an imbalance in the ecosystem (yes, your yard is an ecosystem!). Just like our own bodies, if we are not well nourished, we will get sick also.

Unfortunately, weeding is my best recommendation for getting the soil ready. However, instead of pulling them out, cutting weeds just below the soil level and allowing to roots to remain there is a good way to maintain soil structure. Next season those roots will break down into food for your next crop! After the plot is cleared, adding compost or a good organic fertilizer will help replace nutrients that have been used in the previous season. I also recommend taking a soil test once a year so that you can know what needs to be put back in (we offer this service along with mineral prescriptions for peoples lawn and gardens).

The best thing one can do to have a healthy garden is to mimic nature as much as possible. The Redwood forest can grow 400ft trees that live for thousands of years with no need for fertilizers or anyone tending to it. If we do our best to setup a similar system in our gardens, nature will do the hard work for us!

2. It's already mid-September. What are the best plants to plant now from seed? What about from a purchased start?

We are getting close to the end of our planting season, but you can still get your fall garden started! Because we are so close to the ocean, we are lucky enough to get an extra 2 weeks to plant!

From seed you can still plant Cilantro, Collards, Kale, Lettuce and just about any type of greens, mustard, turnips, rutabagas, beets, salad radishes, Daikon radishes, onions, carrots. You may also be able to squeeze in some snow peas.

If you are transplanting from starts you can also still plant: Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, Bok Choy, squash, hardy herbs like mint, thyme, and rosemary.

You can also plant garlic and asparagus crowns from now until November for spring harvest!

3. I know there are better plants than others for cool-season gardening. Is there any hope of growing something like peppers or tomatoes in a fall garden?

There is! If you can find transplants of peppers or tomatoes that are at least 5-8 weeks old you should be able get production right up till the first frost. If you have any plants that survived the heat of summer, pruning back dead growth and giving a good organic fertilizer, or some of our free compost tea, can bring them back to health for a second harvest!

4. Are there any plants that will thrive throughout the whole winter in North Carolina?

Yes, depending on how harsh our winter is, you can have plants make it right through spring! Last year I had cilantro, lettuce, broccoli, onions, and parsley survive all winter. You should also be able to maintain other greens like Kale, Collards, Mustard greens and arugula.

I find it works best if you cover the plants on the first few hard frosts with something simple like an old bed sheet. Even a thin layer of insulation can keep the plants above freezing. Also, amending your soil with lots of compost and watering well on days you know there will be heavy frosts can do wonders at keeping things happy even in cold weather.

We are also working on developing methods for people to intercrop plants in between seasons; I actually harvested my cilantro seeds (coriander) that were planted last September in mid-summer of this year, during spring they acted as a bug repellant for my young tomatoes that I had planted nearby.

5. We want to connect with other green businesses in the community to help educate the public and to help bring business to companies that we like. Is there anything you guys are doing right now that you would like us to talk about?

CSAs:

We currently offer a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) through Cottle Organics, customers pay $300 and for 12 weeks they will receive a box of organic produce that is delivered right here to Progressive Gardens. The produce is picked on Mondays and delivered here on Tuesdays, Starting October 4th. We also work with another farm Copper Guinea Farm & Kitchen who provides fresh milled breads, baked goods, salad dressing and other goodies! People receive a weekly menu they can order from and have delivered to Progressive Gardens.

Free Compost Tea:

In addition to that we offer classes every month through the store and always give away a free gallon of compost tea, so anyone who brings in an empty milk jug can get a free gallon every day.

The Coolest Thing Ever - Urban Farming:

We are also trying to form a collective of people interested in being urban farmers and using their lawns to grown food in. We are trying to organize a group, similar to an “orchid society” that will be a platform for people to offer ideas and teach others how to sustain themselves with only a small plot of land. We don’t have anything in place yet, but we’d love to gauge the interest around town. This will also be an opportunity to approach the town in regards to local restrictions and ordinances for things such as chickens, or having a garden as your front yard.

So if you have any questions about fall gardening, compost tea, CSAs, or Progressive Gardens, leave a comment below, and we'll make sure it gets answered.

Also, check out the garden party for more gardening ideas and tips:

Cloth Diapering Tips – Use the Sun to Remove Stains

2011-09-19T07:56:00.001-04:00

You would think that you wouldn’t care if your diapers were stained. After all, they just get pooped and peed in. And they are just going to get pooped and peed in again after you remove the stain. So why bother? I don’t know—I guess it’s kind of like making your bed. You’re going to go back to bed in about 14 hours, but it’s nice to have it look neat and clean until you mess it up again.

But baby (or toddler, or preschooler) poop can stain a diaper pretty badly. If you don’t take care of it, you’ll end up with diapers that have overlapping, mossy green stains all over them. And then you’ll be out and about, changing your baby’s diaper at your next play date, and it’s a little embarrassing to pull out those stained diapers. Your friends might wonder why you’re putting a dirty diaper on your baby. Well, it’s not dirty, it’s just stained. It’s like how your mother always told you to wear clean underwear to the doctor.

You know that feeling you got when you looked at the photo at the top of this blog? That’s the feeling you’ll get every time you use your stained diapers.

So how do you get rid of those stains? You don’t want to use your regular shout stain remover. Regular stain removers and detergents can cause buildup on diapers and irritate sensitive bums. There are several options for getting rid of stains, but let’s start with the greenest, cheapest, and best one, hands down: the sun.

That’s right. That good old ball of fire in the sky can get rid of really bad stains in about an hour or so. Just wash your diapers as usual, but don’t dry them. Lay them out in your backyard, on your clothesline, or even on the hood of your car and let the sun beat down on them. The stains will disappear and you’ll have a pristine, white diaper again.

Here are some tips for using the sun to bleach your diapers:

Start with a diaper that has been washed, but not dried. For some reason, it works better when the sun is working on wet fabric.
This works better on natural fibers than on synthetics, so your prefolds, hemp doublers, and diapers with bamboo velour may see better results than your pockets with a microfiber lining or your microfiber inserts.

The sun bleaching method to remove stains works well on baby clothes, too. If my baby has a blowout and it gets on his pants, I just wash with a little dish soap until most of the poop is off. I don’t even wash the soap out all the way. Then I put the clothes out in the sun. Once they are bleached, I throw them in the wash.

Using the sun to get rid of stains works well for a lot of food stains:

Tomato sauce
Peanut butter
Banana, pear and watermelon (if you get to it right away)
Some popsicle colors (it works better on red than on yellow)
Sweet potato

So next time you pull your child’s shirt out of the laundry and it has unidentified stains all over the chest, wet it, try washing it with some dish soap, then putting out in the sun. You’ll save money, you’ll avoid using harsh chemicals, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly the stains disappear.

Cloth Diapering Products/Accessories - Cloth Wipes, Wipe Solution, and Wipe Pouches

2011-09-16T08:56:00.002-04:00

When you’re dealing with diapers, you also have to deal with wipes. If disposable diapers = disposable wipes, then it makes sense that cloth diapers = cloth wipes, right? When you think about it, it makes sense. When you use disposable diapers, you end up balling the dirty wipe inside the diaper and throwing it all away. When you use cloth diapers, you do the same thing. Just wipe, throw the wipe inside the diaper, roll it up, and put it in your diaper pail or wet bag.

Big T used to use disposable wipes with cloth diapers, and that made everything more complicated. Then you have to throw dirty wipes in your open garbage can, and the whole mess is smelly and dirty. If you’re traveling, you end up having to pick out the disposable wipes from the dirty diaper. That’s a gross, stinky process as well. You’re washing the dirty diapers anyway (or sending them to the service) so it’s not any messier to add in the cloth wipes too.

But using cloth wipes can be confusing. What do you use for the solution? What do you use for the wipe? There are hundreds of ideas out there, and searching online can leave you feeling overwhelmed.
Green Baby diaper Service makes using cloth wipes easier with some new products. They have new wipes, wipe pouches, and Baby Bits (AKA simple wipe solution).

Wipes - $6.50 for 15 wipes
Osocozy Flannel Baby Wipes are soft on baby’s skin. You can use them with water or wipes solution and toss them in the diaper pail with your dirty diapers. They are 15” x 15”—big enough for dirty bottoms but small enough to fit well in your diaper bag. They are also great to have around the house, in the car, and in the diaper bag to use for wiping up snotty noses, dirty faces, and sticky hands.

Wipes Pouches
The new Planetwise wipes pouches are the perfect way to stash your wipes. They are compact: 5.5” x 9.5”. You can store dry wipes in them, or dampen them before you leave the house and store them in the bag. The leak-proof design will keep your wipes damp and ready to use. Just make sure to take them out when you get home! Have you ever kept dampened wipes in the bag too long? It makes for some really mildewy, stinky laundry to deal with.

Baby Bits Wipes Solution - $11.50 for about 50 cubes
Baby Bits are an easy way to make a wipes solution without having to spend money on random essential oils that you’ll barely use or scouring town for special ingredients. They are little squares of mild glycerin soap with other ingredients like plantain and chickweed-infused olive oil to help prevent rashes. Tea tree oil helps keep the water clean and has antifungal and antibacterial properties, and lavender essential all makes it smell good and helps keep everyone calm.

To use Baby Bits, you just drop a square of Baby Bits into a spray or squirt bottle and fill with warm water. The Bits will slowly dissolve into the perfect, mess-free wipes solution. I always used water for my wipes solution until Liz turned me onto Baby Bits. They make a big difference and help me feel like I’m getting baby cleaner every time I use them. And a little goes a long way. I end up using about ¾ of the bottle and then refilling to get even more out of each Baby Bit square. One cube lasts me 2 weeks to one month.

Stop into the store to get some of these convenient new products for yourself, or buy the wipes and Baby Bits at Green Baby’s online shop!

The Big Boy Bed

2011-09-08T07:43:00.001-04:00

Sleep is one of the most challenging aspects of motherhood. Yes, there are also the challenges of managing tantrums, finding time for yourself, and making sure you're raising your child in a way that will enrich both of you. But when it comes down to it, it's hard to feel like a great parent when you're sleep deprived.

I recently wrote a series of articles about sleep on my blog, because sleep is such a challenge, and also because people are so often pressured to help their kids sleep through the night at early ages. (Here's a tip: NEVER ask a parent of a newborn whether their child is sleeping through the night.) I did some research that ultimately explained that babies and toddlers don't necessarily sleep through the night, and that's ok.

But when you're used to your child sleeping through the night (lucky you, Liz) and everything changes, it can be hard to figure out what to do. Here is Liz's story about the steps that Thomas took backwards with sleep recently, and how she moved forward.

Thomas has been a pretty good sleeper since about 8 weeks old, when he started transitioning into 5-6 hour stretches of sleep. After waking himself up several times a night by flailing in his wobbly cradle, we decided to try laying him down in his crib at 5 weeks and immediately we all started sleeping better. I'm not going to lie...I felt like a new woman when this time came! Of course, it took some trial and error. We eventually learned how important a good swaddle and some white noise was for him and despite growth spurts, teething and illnesses, he's been a great sleeper. (When I say great, I mean going down from 6-7:30 and sleeping until 5:30-6:30 am.)

Napping is another story!

Well, last week TJ and I were thrown for a loop when he got sick. He woke up several times during the night and we just did what we always have done and hopped in the twin bed in his room and laid him beside us. That way at least one of us could rest and the other could comfort him and attempt to rest beside the stuffy little guy who really enjoys poking our eyes and kicking us as he gets settled. We would try to put him back in the crib and get back in bed like we are used to doing, but he would wake up screaming and we thought "poor guy's sick, that's why he doesn't want to sleep in his crib."

As the week went on and he didn't get much better, we started getting tired. We both compared our exhaustion to having a newborn again. I was starting to get sick too and my back and hips were getting sore in his bed. So I decided that it was time that I try to transition him back into his crib. I knew that he was sick and didn't want him to cry at all. I feared it would irritate his lungs even more.

Well, much to our dismay, Thomas started acting like his crib was the devil. It was so weird. He would be dead asleep and then upon placing him in his crib, like we'd done so many times before, BAM—he would wake up and scream. It was like he was terrified of it...lip out, tears, purple face, screaming, jumping like he was trying to catapult himself out.

"Ok, he's sick. He'll eventually like it again," we discussed. We thought maybe the guest room bed would be better and then we weren't getting him in the habit of sleeping in our bed, we could all three sleep together AND it was more comfortable.

On a side note: I love sleeping beside him. I still get that giddy feeling when I wake up and see him curled up beside me, but I know it's not a good night's rest for any of us when we do this. In the past when I did this, I simply considered it a treat. A time that I could really step up and show him how very much I love him. And I actually got to cuddle with my busy baby boy.

This was different though. Something had changed this week. He wouldn't even go down for his naps in the crib. Much like his daddy and uncle, he was making himself right at home on the couch and conking out for 2 some odd hours in the middle of the living room. Not cool!

The problem with exhaustion is that you fail to think straight. Suddenly all my parenting skills—and often times the advice I give others—goes right out the window. That's when I lean on my friends (and awesome customers) to prop me back up. A woman who works with developmental services for children 3 and under reminded me that children have changes in sleeping patterns when they're learning something new.

Well, maybe so. I am secretly hoping that new skill could be potty training? Yeah right!

But my guy was telling me that he just got used to sleeping with me. Gaby's post on gently guiding children in stages to where you want them to be also reminded me. The solution needed to be a process and not a black and white solution. And best of all, TJ reminded me that when I go to pick him up to put him in his crib from the bed that he grabs onto the big fluffy pillow and acts like he'd rather be in the “big boy” bed.

Voila! Problem solved (for now at least).

I hadn't heard of transitioning a child this young into a bed before except for maybe once or twice. TJ's vision of dirty diapers thrown around the room and my vision of him in a huge bed all by himself had us doubting this as the solution. Some friends had said they waited until their baby fell out of the crib or monkeyed their way out.

Did I really want to wait for this to happen? So the risers came off, the monitor came back out, and the bed rail when up. I created a wall of pillows around him and last night marked night one in his "big boy" bed. He did wake up at 4 am and signed for food and milk, but when I said "It's time to go night-night," he waddled to his "big boy" bed and said "help me."

We are lying down with him until he dozes off to la la land, but it sure does beat feeling like we're committing a crime when we put him in his crib. And when it was all said and done last night we both sat back in disbelief that our baby was already out of his crib.

The No (Sham) Poo Challenge

2011-09-03T12:21:00.001-04:00

Don't worry--we will not be washing our hair with ketchup and mustard;
this is what I use to make my "shampoo" and "conditioner."

We've been talking about being "greener" lately, and in this post about natural personal care items, we talked about using a combination of baking soda and vinegar to wash your hair instead of shampoo. Liz and I have both tried it, and we've hit some bumps in the road, but we're cheerleaders for the whole thing. We've even convinced some of our friends to jump on the bandwagon.

So we're challenging you for the rest of September:
Put away your shampoo and go green. You'll do your hair, your scalp, your wallet, and the environment a favor.

Here's the deal:

Wash your hair with baking soda and vinegar (the exact recipe is on this page).
On October 1, we'll put up a post asking for your comments. Tell us what you thought, and you'll be entered to win a prize in a random drawing.

What's the prize?
You'll win two bottles to fill with your baking soda/water and vinegar/water solutions, plus a small bottle of essential oil to dress up your vinegar rinse and make it smell delicious.

How do I enter?
Just leave a comment after the post we'll put on on October 1. You'll have one week to leave your comment, and we'll randomly select a winner on October 8. One entry per person (regardless of the number of comments you leave).

What else can I do?
If you write a blog entry about your experience with the No Poo challenge, let us know by leaving a comment on our No Poo Challenge page. We'll link up to your blog on that page. It will be a great way to share tips, comments, and advice about putting away the shampoo.

Hurricane Preparedness with Kids

2011-08-25T14:11:00.002-04:00

It can be a little nerve-wracking when a hurricane is threatening to blow into town (especially when it follows a tornado and an earthquake, and even more especially when you have a family and children to protect). We read all about disaster-preparedness kits, but who really follows all of the recommendations? For example, using my bathtubs to store extra drinking water is probably more dangerous than any storm. (I’m not a fan of cleaning the bathtub, not to mention the fact that Baby T likes to pee in it).

But when you’re faced with the likelihood of a power outage, a tornado, or flooding, what can you do?

Here are some practical tips:

1. Stock up on flashlights and batteries
This one actually makes sense. If your power goes out, you don’t want to have to use candles, especially with kids around, so make sure everyone has a flashlight so you can get around the house without tripping over every matchbox car along the way.

2. Get a few gallons of water
You’re not going to have to have a ton of water for everyone, and if anything were to happen to the water supply, you could drive a few hours out of town and stay in a hotel for a while. But it would be nice not to be completely dehydrated on your drive.

3. Keep non-perishable food on hand
It always makes me crazy when I go to the grocery store before a storm and see empty shelves where the eggs and milk used to be. Are you really going to freak out if you run out of eggs and milk during a storm? What about peanut butter and jelly? That’s what the kids really want. And s’mores. Oreo cookies. This is not the time to force the kids to eat their vegetables. Stock up on snacks like granola bars,cereal, and cheddar bunnies—stuff that you know your kids will eat. You want to make sure your kids don’t get hungry. That will just make everyone cranky.

4. Prepare one room to sleep in
Slumber party!! If there is a threat of a tornado of if there are high winds, your kids might be scared, and you might feel safer having them close to you, especially if you have to evacuate quickly for any reason. Set up camp in one room, preferably an interior room with few (or no) windows.

5. Think about a tornado shelter
Tornadoes can strike quickly, so you might need to set this up beforehand. At least have an idea of where you will go. A tornado struck the town my parents lived in several years ago while my entire family was visiting for Thanksgiving. The only room in the house with no windows was a coat closet under the stairs. Needless to say, 10 people could not have fit in that closet. We didn’t really have a plan. We all sat in the living room, watching the tornado coverage on TV and looking out the giant glass windows that took up the entire back wall of the living room.

Probably not our safest option.

I think if we had heard the characteristic sound of a freight train that usually accompanies tornadoes, the fastest person to the coat closet would have won. That’s where all the marathons my sister runs would have benefitted her.

But seriously, consider where you could go. The last time there was a tornado warning in Wilmington, we created a tornado shelter in our bathroom (the only place in our house with no windows). I’m not sure how we would all have fit in there, but we would have made it work.

6. Keep your shoes (and shirt) on
One of my biggest fears during a storm is having to run from the house without proper attire. I like to keep my shoes, shirt, and bra on during storms in case I’m suddenly stranded. Having the kids running around in diapers is probably not the best idea, in case you have to run out in the rain for some reason. Keep an bag of extra clothes handy so you can grab it on your way out if you have to evacuate quickly.

7. Keep a baby carrier handy
I have about 10 different baby carriers. You can borrow one for the hurricane if you want. I like to keep them handy, though, because if we did have to evacuate quickly, I could easily keep track of my kids if I was wearing them. If you have to leave your house for several hours or days, a stroller or baby carrier will help you stay sane wherever you end up.

8. Keep the diapers and wipes close by
You don't want to run out of these!

Those are all the tips I can think of (at least, the realistic ones that I would be most likely to follow). What are your hurricane preparedness tips?

Mini Photo Sessions with Wilmington Photographer Nichole Lupton

2011-08-19T19:38:00.001-04:00

On Sunday, August 21, Nichole Lupton of Nichole Louise Photography will be shooting back-to-school mini sessions at Green Baby Diaper Service. It's an affordable way to get professional shots of the kids, new baby, or family.

To get Nichole ready for the shoot, I asked her a couple of questions:

1. How did you get into photography?

I always loved photography, but it was always just something I admired and
something other people did. When I was pregnant I was jealous of all of
the amazing maternity images I would see, but they were out of our budget,
and at that point, custom photography wasn't really on my radar, I thought
that was reserved for 'big cities' like New York and LA. After I had my
son Finnegan, I started taking pictures of him all.the.time. Nothing more
than mom snap shots, but I loved them all the same. It was once I started
paying chain studios for photos that I really got the itch. I was draining
my wallet and underwhelmed with the final product. So tax time that year,
after much begging, convinced my husband to buy me a DSLR. It all took off
from there! I spent more hours than I care to admit learning what I was
doing. Reading. Studying. Once I decided (about a year in) to make this a
business, I told myself I was going to do it right. I learned the
technical aspects of it all, from working my camera, all the way to paying
taxes. It took quite a few more months on the business side to get set up,
and I will always be learning the technical side, but it has truly become
my passion, and something I absolutely love to do.

2. Did you always photograph people? What about kids... or was that something that came with motherhood?

Definitely something that came with kids. The older my kids get, the more
creative I've gotten, and the more inspiration they've been able to
provide me. I've also spent the better part of the last 3 years learning
and honing in on what I like, don't like, and enjoy. It's a rare day in my
house when I don't take a picture, and I love that my kids lives will be
thoroughly (if not excessively) documented!

3. How do you keep your business running and keep yourself sane with 2 kids? (In other words, how do you do it all?)

Magic? LOL! Honestly, its something I'm still mastering. I do the majority
of my work between 9pm and 1am - and thankfully, I'm a night owl. Once
this became a business for me, it definitely eased the financial strain on
our growing family. To a point where if the business were to ever close, I
would need to find a job away from home. Being able to stay home with my
kids and not have to manage daycare is one of the biggest perks of the
job. Especially with my boys still being so young and not in school, I
will do whatever it takes to be able to stay home. I shoot when my husband
has time off of work (he is a restaurant manager, so odd hours that work
in my favor), and on occasion, my wonderful In-Laws who live here in town
will help out. I try and make phone calls during 'nap time', or in the
case of my 3 year old, quiet time. If I need to go somewhere I try and do
it on one of my husbands days off as well since he usually gets two week
days off, but no weekends. Other than that, all e-mails, editing, and
business management happens late night after my kids and husband are in
bed. As I type this, it is 10:54 on Sunday night. I do my best to get some
mommy time in there as well, to help keep myself sane. I try and give
myself at least one night off a week. Sometimes a night off is just some
me-time around the house, other times, its a night out for a movie with
girlfriends. I also am very cautious in the amount of work I take on. I do
my best not to over book myself. It is a balancing act, and some weeks are
definitely better than others, but the alternative of a away from home job
and daycare is enough motivation to keep me going!

4. What is your favorite part about photographing families?

My favorite part about photographing families is how different they all
are. I love watching them interact, and seeing those little bits of
parenthood that differ from parent to parent. I love seeing close knit
groups that so obviously love each other. I also love interacting with
children. I used to want to be a teacher, and although a formal school
setting is not for me, I still adore kids. I love their innocence, and
playfulness. And don't even get me started about birth and newborn
photography! Being privileged enough to capture the moment a baby is
welcomed into the world, and then a few days later get to snuggle them
into the sweetest little positions?! It's almost enough to keep baby fever
at bay. Almost :)

Stop in for a 15-minute mini session or email or call Nichole {at} nicholelouisephotography {dot} com or 910-367-5151.

Diaper Cream and Cloth Diapers - How to Treat Diaper Rash

2011-08-16T21:52:00.001-04:00

Diaper rash can be frustrating for parents and painful for baby. Many babies get diaper rash from harsh chemicals found in disposable diapers, and the diaper rash often goes away when they switch to cloth. But that’s not always the case. Babies can get diaper rash in cloth.

Believe me, I’ve dealt with horrible diaper rash on Baby T ever since he started eating solids. He has sensitive skin, so I had to play around with detergents when I was washing my own diapers. And I had to make sure I did several rinses or he would get diaper rash. I even went without any detergent for a while.

But the diaper rash wasn’t really caused by the cloth diapers or the detergents. They were caused by Baby T’s acidic poop. That’s right. For a while, he was pretty much only eating fruit. If he pooped and it wasn’t changed immediately, he would get diaper rash. The detergents and the wetness of the cloth would then exacerbate the diaper rash, and I had to load him up with diaper cream.

What kind of diaper cream can you use with cloth diapers?

CJ’s makes BUTTer that can be used to treat diaper rash on cloth-diapered babies. It comes in a stick or cream form and is all-natural. It can also be used to protect skin against windburn, to moisturize your cuticles, and to treat eczema, so it’s a real multi-tasker.

How can I protect my cloth diapers from diaper cream buildup?

If you use a product like CJ’s, you shouldn’t have any trouble with buildup. But if you’re using another product or want extra protection, use a liner in between your baby’s bottom and the cloth diaper. You can cut up an old fleece sweatshirt or buy Bummis Bio-Soft Liners. Then you can slather on the diaper cream!

What if the diaper rash is not going away?

Diaper rash can be caused by a number of things. It’s hard to figure out what causes it, but the treatment is usually dependent on the cause.

Diaper rash that is not caused by yeast can be effectively treated with breastmilk, but breastmilk can make a yeast rash worse.

Can diaper rash be caused by heat?

Yes. The diaper rash could be an aggravated heat rash. If that’s the case, adding diaper cream and a waterproof diaper cover could hold in the heat and make it worse. It’s best to air out a heat rash. When around the house, let baby loose without a diaper or with just a fitted or prefold. When you feel that it’s wet, change it immediately. Using breathable diaper covers, like wool soakers, can help the air circulate and prevent moisture from being trapped near baby’s sweaty skin. (Yes, you can even use wool soakers in the summer. In fact, this was the only way I recently was able to get rid of my son’s heat/diaper rash).

If diaper rash is caused by acidic foods, use Mylanta as a diaper cream.

You heard right. Mixing Mylanta or another acid-reducer with some olive oil and using it as a diaper cream can combat a diaper rash caused by acidic foods.

Some Tips:

If you're using any kind of scented wipe solution or disposable pre-moistened wipes, try switching to a washcloth with water. If you're only been using a washcloth with water during diaper changes, try switching to a gentle wipe solution, like Baby Bits.

When Little M recently had a diaper rash that was caused by heat, I tried to keep the wet diaper from pressing against his skin. Instead of folding the diaper in the front, I folded it in the back so there was less bulk in front (where the rash was). I also avoided using a snappi. I just folded the diaper and laid it in the cover so nothing was pressing against his skin.

Finally, Little M started crawling. And his diaper rash went away. It was Liz’s creative thinking that led me to believe maybe Little M’s diaper/heat rash was exacerbated by his army crawl, when he was dragging his body around on the floor. If that’s what is causing your baby’s diaper rash, maybe you can try to entice baby to crawl by dangling a rattle in front of his face. That may be the only thing that makes the rash disappear.

Change the World Wednesday -- Clean out the Pantry

2011-08-09T20:51:00.001-04:00

In an effort to further “greenify” our lives, we’re still following the Change the World Wednesday challenge at Reduce Footprints. The challenge for this week was to cook with what you have: in the pantry, the freezer, and the refrigerator.

But it was a busy week. I left for a long, relaxing weekend in Asheville on Thursday morning, so I didn’t have much time to think about (or follow) this challenge. I ended up spending more on food for a four-day weekend than I normally spend in a week. Granted, I brought a lot of it home, but who really needs 4 bags of chips and Chex mix?

Still, I’m challenging myself to not go to the grocery store this week (except to buy lunch meat for Big T, because he sometimes refuses to be as creative as I am when it comes to eating. Or changing the world. Baby steps).

So on Monday, I checked my freezer. Flank steak. Cool. I had a huge box of feta cheese from Costco and some jarred roasted red peppers. I looked online for a recipe and found this recipe for Rolled Flank Steak with Roasted Red Peppers, Spinach, and Feta. Awesome. Except I didn’t have spinach.

This is where you have to get creative. When you’re trying to ~~save the world~~ use up the food in your pantry and freezer without wasting it, you can’t always follow a recipe to a T.

I decided to use basil instead of spinach. But when I went to get my roasted red peppers, they were moldy. Hmmm. I thought I had just bought them. Guess not. I would use sun dried tomatoes instead. And I still had feta. But it seemed weird to spread it all onto the flank steak separately. So I put the feta in the blender with the tomatoes. It was too thick to blend. I had a can of diced tomatoes in the pantry, so I poured some in. Perfect.

The recipe said to slice up the flank steak roll and cook each “pinwheel” separately. Too much work. I stuck the entire log in a bread pan and dumped the rest of the can of tomatoes on top. Done. I’ve included the recipe below. Substitute at will.

While I’m on the subject of saving food, I feel like it’s important to mention that there is a fine line between saving food and saving money. Or maybe it’s a wide gap between the two; I’m not sure. I find that I either use coupons and buy on sale and fill the pantry, but then have nothing fresh to make with all of my staples, or I buy separately just for a few days of meals, but I often buy fresh food at Costco because it is so much cheaper. It costs $5 for a huge box of organic lettuce, and I don’t feel so bad if some of it gets soggy after a week, because it was still so much cheaper than buying it at the grocery store.

I try not to waste food, but it’s hard to cook for only 2 (and a half) people. Big T will only eat leftovers for so long. I’m hoping that after my freezer and pantry have had their makeover, it will be easier to menu plan and buy only what I need. I’ll keep you posted.

Anyway, like I promised, here's the rolled flank steak recipe (with substitutions):

Rolled Meat with Cheese and Red Veggies

(How's that for vague?)

1 Flank Steak (chicken breast, or pork tenderloin) pounded until thin and as rectangular-shaped as possible
1/2 cup feta cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, or monterey jack)
1/2 cup red juicy veggie like tomatoes or roasted red peppers (you could even use fresh red pepper)
Handful of leafy greens (swiss chard, basil, spinach)

Mix feta cheese with maybe 1/4 cup of the red veggie. You could puree this in the blender, or just with a fork. Spread it on the meat. Layer the leafy greens over it. Roll up the meat and tie with kitchen twine in a couple of spots. Drop it in a bread pan, pour some more of the red veggies over it, and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes (you can easily cut into it to see if the meat is done after 20 minutes).

Voila. Let the experimentation begin.

Share your own experiences: How do you save money and try to waste less food at the same time?

Change the World Wednesday -- Use Cloth Towels

2011-08-02T23:01:00.001-04:00

This week’s Change the World Wednesday challenge at Reduce Footprints was to use fewer paper towels. As it turns out, Liz and I both try not to use paper towels at all. After all, we use cloth diapers and wipes, it's not too far a stretch. And—as you’ll see—we both went about trying to get our men on board in much the same way. Here’s how it went down:

Gaby: So I did the challenge this week. I thought it was going to be a big deal when I hid the paper towels on a high shelf in the laundry room, but I don’t think my husband noticed.
Liz: That’s so funny—I did the same thing! I considered playing a joke on my husband and removing them from the house altogether, but then I thought he might not think that was funny. So I hid them high up in the laundry room too!
Gaby: Did he go looking for them?
Liz: No, I told him about the challenge, and he took it pretty well… I was anticipating a protest, for some reason. But we normally use cloth wipes, napkins and rags to clean the house anyway so paper towels normally go a long way in our house.
Gaby: Me too. But he didn’t say a word. The week was noneventful, except for a few incidents.
Liz: Like what?
Gaby: Well, you don’t realize that you rely on paper towels for a few things. I used to rely on them for things like cat puke, but I’m ok with using cloth on that and just laundering it. But when an earwig was crawling across my rug, I ran for the cabinet, and then I remembered. No paper towels. And I was like, Crap. I didn’t have time to get them at the top of the laundry room. And I hate bugs. HATE.
Liz: What did you do?
Gaby: I acted courageously. I killed it with my bare hands and threw it in the trash.
Liz: Go you! I’m impressed. Yeah, I ran across an issue when it came time for draining bacon. But I used a rack and just let the grease drip off.
Gaby: You could always set aside a couple of cloths specifically for draining bacon. And just don’t put those in the dryer—fire hazard.
Liz: It’s going to be interesting to see how other people got creative with this challenge and what they used. I also hit a bit of a snag once we started our first ever tiling project. The glue that you use to set the tiles was everywhere. But I dragged out some old washcloths and used those instead, and they worked much better than paper towels. And I can actually reuse them!
Gaby: It’s funny how you don’t realize you can just wash something and use it again. I used to go through roll after roll of paper towels in college. It makes me sad just thinking about it. Okay, but I did totally cheat.
Liz: What happened?
Gaby: Well, we were sitting at dinner, and you know how they say not to sit your baby in any kind of seat on top of the kitchen table? Well, I now know it’s not because it’s a high surface. It’s because they can spill your beer.
Liz: Your beer?
Gaby: Yup. We have these tall, fluted beer glasses, and we were sitting at dinner, and in one fell swoop, Little M reached out and knocked one over. It broke, and glass went everywhere. I really didn’t want to deal with glass in the washer, so I had my husband go get—sigh—the paper towels. I used about half the roll, and then—boom: Little M knocked over the other beer glass! My other son was crying because I yelled so loudly. I used a lot of paper towels. But what are you supposed to do with glass?
Liz: Yeah, I don’t know. That’s a special circumstance.
Gaby: I still feel guilty, so I’ll have to hide what’s left of the roll for the next month to make up for it.

If you want to join in on the Change the World Wednesday challenge, click on the link below or on the banner in our sidebar. Also, feel free to leave comments on our shorter showers post if you tried that this week!

We Are a Breastfeeding Friendly Business!

2011-08-01T14:55:00.001-04:00

Green Baby Diaper Service was recently nominated as a Breastfeeding Friendly Business by Port City Breastfeeding Project. Since they really take time to make their business a family-friendly place, they were honored by this recognition--just in time for World Breastfeeding Week, which takes place August 1-7.

What does it mean to be a breastfeeding-friendly business in Wilmington? Basically, you are a business where moms can feel comfortable feeding their babies so they don’t have to sit in the back of the Harris Teeter parking lot, looking creepy while they hang out in the driver’s seat with their baby at their breast. (I have always wondered if people think I’m driving with my baby on my lap when I have done this). You can go inside and breastfeed your baby without having to buy something or feel pressure to cover up.

A breastfeeding-friendly business displays the international breastfeeding symbol on their window or door to show that they welcome mothers who need to feed their babies. The businesses that are being recognized by the Port City Breastfeeding Project were all nominated by people in the community—by moms who have felt comfortable breastfeeding at those locations.

Other businesses who have received the Breastfeeding-Friendly Business award are Seaside Pediatrics, Folks Café, Artichoke, Shaver Chiropractic, Bill Heinberg Insurance, and Network Community Wellness, among others.

As a mom with a toddler and a six-month old, a mom who has been breastfeeding for more than 26 months straight, it’s a relief to know that there are businesses in this community that welcome moms and their babies (especially when there’s been so much talk in the news recently about businesses who are trying to ban children from their doors in general). Like I said, you always feel strange when you breastfeed in your car. Being able to step into an air-conditioned location and sit on a real chair is really wonderful when you have a cranky six-month old and you’re stuck in town waiting to pick up your toddler from daycare.

I’ve always “saved up” Green Baby Diaper Service as a place to stop when I have a long day of running errands. I plan to stop there when I think baby will be hungry, because I know it is somewhere I can relax, and so can Little M. They have comfy, cushioned chairs where you can relax and nurse, or you can even go to the little sofa in the back room if you need some privacy.

We are real moms in a real world. Even if we wanted to sit home all day in our pajamas, the reality is that we have groceries to do and errands to run. Also, we’d go crazy if we had to sit home all day. So would our babies. Babies get bored with the same stimuli all day long—that’s why your baby always fusses less when you go out and about. Now you can feel comfortable venturing out around town, knowing that there are places you can stop when you need a breather and when your baby is hungry.

Change the World Wednesday: Take Shorter Showers

2011-07-25T21:52:00.001-04:00

The ladies at Green Baby Diaper Service, as well as many of their customers, are into being “green”—taking actions to use sustainable resources, reduce their carbon footprint, and help the environment a little at a time. We’re optimistic—we think little changes made by individuals can change the world. Like using cloth diapers. Or washing your hair with baking soda.

So we’re joining in Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) at Reduce Footprints, a blog that gives advice for interacting peacefully with the Earth. For more information, you can visit the website and learn about the idea behind #CTWW, but here’s the gist of it:

This week’s challenge was to take shorter showers. We’re trying to save water, so we’re limiting our showers to 5 minutes or less. There are other ways to “up the ante,” like turning off the water while you’re soaping up or sharing a shower with a buddy. (Don’t get any crazy ideas--these days, those buddies tend to be our kids. And yes, they usually pee in the shower, saving even more water. See? Saving the environment is innately programmed in us, it seems.)

Liz and I are getting in on the challenge. We have each tried it since last Wednesday. This is how it went down:

Liz: So how did you do with the shower challenge?
Me: You know what? I don’t take enough showers to notice the difference.
Liz: You know what’s sad, I don’t either. This weekend, I took 2 outdoor showers real quick. I didn’t even use soap. So those didn’t count. But then this morning, I didn’t do anything different than I normally would do and I timed my shower. My normal routine took 8 minutes.
Me: That’s not bad.
Liz: Yeah, my husband is usually in there for 20 minutes.
Me: Really? Mine takes the quickest showers. He always tells me that I take all the hot water so he can’t take a long shower even if he wants to.
Liz: I don’t know what he does. He must jump around in there or something. So I feel like I need to compensate for his 20 minute showers.
Me: What about using the coolest water you can stand?
Liz: My husband uses really hot water, and I had to have hot water today because I had to shave. But I normally turn the water on, let it warm up and I floss my teeth during that time. Except this time I just got in when it was cold and let it warm up.
Me: That’s a good idea. I used to brush my teeth in the shower, but Ty thought it was gross. Too much shower grime could spray on the toothbrush or something. I secretly think he must have peed on my toothbrush and didn’t want to tell me.
Liz: Ha. Gross.
Me: Have you ever tried to turn the water off mid shower? You get in, get wet, then turn the water off. You soap up and shampoo, and turn the water on to rinse off at the end.
Liz: I’ve never done that.
Me: So back to your 8-minute shower. That’s not bad if it’s only 3 minutes more than the 5 minute goal.
Liz: Yeah, but I realized that 3 minutes a day is 21 minutes a week. That’s a lot of time. And if you figured out how much water comes out of your shower head, I bet you could figure out how much water you could save in a year.** By the way, I’m so loving the oil face wash. I also use it on my back. And it feels like a baby’s butt.

**I did some calculations:
An old showerhead drops about 5 gallons per minute onto your soapy head.
Newer and low flow showerheads restrict water usage to anywhere between 1 to 2.5 gallons per minute, in general. So by taking a 5 minute shower compared with an 8 minute shower, you're cutting your usage almost in half (duh). But here's the real moral of the story:

Use a low-flow showerhead.

You'll save even more water.

Here are some other easy ways to save water:

If it's brown flush it down; if it's yellow, let it mellow.
When washing dishes, soap everything up first. Then rinse at once. Don't keep the water running.
Install rain barrels under your downspouts. Use that water for your gardens.

Now we challenge you:

How do you save water?

How to Soothe a Crying Baby with a Moby Wrap and a Butt Pat

2011-07-23T19:39:00.002-04:00

I posted something about the butt pat on my blog recently. Basically, it goes like this:

Baby cries
Mama puts baby in a carrier
Mama bounces around and pats baby's butt
Baby calms down and goes quietly to sleep

It works. Every. Time.

The only time it hasn't worked is if I'm trying to avoid nursing (as sometimes occurs after I've nursed every hour on the hour in the middle of the night and I think baby is just nursing out of habit) but baby really wants to nurse. Then I have to give in and nurse.

During last Friday's babywearing class, I had a sweet mama with an even sweeter 2-month-old baby who wanted to learn how to use the Moby. Of course, attending a scheduled class with an infant isn't always what the infant wants to be doing at that given time. And when infants don't want to be doing something, they cry.

The little sweet pea was a little sleepy, and he wanted a nap. So I held him while mama got the moby situated. He knew I wasn't his mama, though. I didn't smell like his mama. (I smell like natural deodorant, after all). But I did the only thing I knew how. The butt pat. It worked. Little sweet pea was instantly relaxed.

So if you're wearing your baby and baby isn't all that happy about it, or it's time for a nap and baby is being fussy, try the bounce and the butt pat. I love being able to show mamas how to adapt to baby's crying, especially when they're getting used to something new like a wrap.

You can even do it while you already have one child in the wrap. This is what I looked like. (fake baby alert... we didn't think to get a pic while I was holding sweet pea and Little M was asleep in my own moby. But you get the gist). It just took a butt pat and a bounce and both babies were happy:

Green Living: Natural Personal Care Products and Toiletries

2011-07-20T23:22:00.001-04:00

Green Baby Diaper Service supports green, natural living. In an effort to eliminate unnecessary chemicals from our everyday lives, we’ll be posting some blog entries with recipes for natural personal care products, cleaners, and lawn care. This is the first in the series, and we’re talking about natural toiletries: deodorant, face wash, shampoo, and baby wipes.

I recently read an article somewhere online—I can’t remember where—that said cancer used to be a disease of the elderly and the feeble. Now it often occurs at any age and in otherwise healthy people. So many things are different nowadays, but one is the pervasive use of chemicals in toiletries. For all the studies that show that these chemicals are safe, there are just as many studies suggesting they are harmful.

Call me paranoid, but if scientists have a reason to study the link between a certain chemical and cancer, wouldn’t you want to limit your use of that product and perhaps not spread it all over your body? Researchers began to study the antioxidant properties in berries because they had reason to believe berries were good for your health. Perhaps they have begun to study the damaging effects of chemicals in personal care products because they have reason to believe they are bad for you.

Also, only a few of the thousands of chemicals registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have undergone comprehensive testing to determine their effects on human health. It usually takes dramatic injury or poisoning combined with extensive public outcry before the government will regulate a certain chemical. The government assumes chemicals are innocent until proven guilty. But just because a chemical has not been proven to be harmful doesn’t mean it’s not.

I would rather stick to the opposite idea and restrict my use of unnecessary chemicals until they have been proven safe. Just like I’d rather eat products with fewer ingredients, I’d rather use products with fewer ingredients on my body, hair, and skin. It just feels right.

Here are some questionable chemicals (in a nutshell):

parabens have been linked to endocrine disruption due to their estrogen-like qualities and have been found in drinking water
petroleum products such as dioxin and phthalates have endocrine-disrupting properties and are non-renewable
sulfates in shampoos have been connected with hair loss
aluminum, found in antiperspirants, is a neurotoxin

Below are some recipes for natural personal care products that are chemical free and feel safer to use for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, children, and anyone who wants to try to live more naturally and avoid possible toxins.

Natural Deodorant

I am a stinky person. I have used prescription antiperspirants that sting and dry my underarms so they don’t sweat even when I exercise, and I have used nothing but baking soda. I recently was using Secret Clinical Strength waterproof antiperspirant, which worked for a while, but was slowly losing effectiveness. Plus, it’s almost $10 a pop. I switched to Tom’s of Maine, which did absolutely nothing. I stunk. I recently bought Dry Idea because it was on sale, and while it keeps me somewhat dry, I still smell.

I don’t mind sweating. It makes me nervous to prevent my body from sweating, and there isn’t an antiperspirant in the world that will help during these 100-degree North Carolina days. What I need is something to eliminate odor.

I found a couple of natural deodorant recipes online. I tried one. It’s amazing. I’ll share.

Simple Powder Deodorant
I found this recipe on how to make your own deodorant, and while it’s simple, it’s almost too simple. This is what you do:

Combine about 1 part baking soda with 6 parts cornstarch in a sealed container.
Shake, shake, shake.
Apply the powder to your underarms with a cotton ball or makeup applicator.

That’s easy, but I wanted something that felt a little more like deodorant—something that felt like it would “stick” better.

Natural Deodorant Recipe
So I found a more complex recipe. Leave it to me to look for something more difficult. Still, this natural deodorant recipe is pretty quick and easy.

Combine equal parts coconut oil, cornstarch, and baking soda. (If your coconut oil is solid at room temperature, heat it slightly to liquefy it. I just set it in the sun for about 20 minutes).
Add 2 drops of essential oil (I used patchouli because it was all I had.)
You can use the deodorant as a paste and apply to your underarms with your hand, or—to make it feel more like a real deodorant—you can “mold” it. The website I got the recipe from suggested using a Dixie cup, but I didn’t have one, so I used a toilet paper roll with waxed paper secured to the bottom with a rubber band. I poured the liquid deodorant into the tube and put it in the fridge. Once it was hard, I peeled away some of the cardboard tube to expose the deodorant stick and applied it as usual.

**I ended up adding some vanilla extract because I’m obsessed with the mixture of patchouli and vanilla. I added it at the end, as a second thought, and swirled it into the mixture that was already in the cardboard tube using a bamboo skewer. The vanilla extract made the mixture thicker and almost gritty. It ended up working well, and I scraped what was left in my glass measuring cup into a small bowl. The deodorant works equally well when applied just as a paste or in stick form.

**This deodorant is awesome. I smell so much better than usual.

Face Wash

Since I graduated from my teenage years, I haven’t had a huge problem with acne, but I get a pimple or two here and there. I have blackheads all over my nose and chin, and my skin would get really dry after washing it. I always had to use moisturizer. Until I started washing my face with oil. Yup, oil.

This website explains pretty much all you need to know about the oil cleansing method, but I’ll break it down for you below:

Massage oil into your skin (you can use a mixture of castor oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, and more. Check out the Crunchy Betty website for more information about the types of oil to use.
Drench a washcloth with hot water. Lay it over your face for a few seconds, and then gently wipe the oil away.
That’s it! If you feel like you need to use moisturizer, use a tiny amount of the oil (not the castor oil, since it’s so drying).

How does washing your face with oil work?
Oil fights oil. It gets into the pores and dissolves the oil that may be clogging your skin. Even on hot, humid, oppressive days, washing my face with oil is the only thing that makes my face feel clean. It’s a little time-consuming, so I’ve cheated a few times and washed my face with regular cleanser. Every time I did that, I broke out within 2 days. Now, when I don’t feel like going through the whole process, I just wipe my face with a damp cloth. My skin has never looked better. Seriously.

Shampoo

Shampoo strips hair of essential oils, making your scalp work harder to restore the balance. This is what causes limp, greasy hair the day after you wash it. Some shampoos even deposit waxy substances on your strands, weighing it down and robbing it of shine. If you stop using shampoo and conditioner, you can restore your hair’s health.

The No ‘Poo Method
Stop snickering—it means “no shampoo.” You can wash your hair with baking soda and vinegar. And it leaves your hair feeling better and cleaner than ever. I used to do this, and my hair has never been shinier. But it was cumbersome, and I didn’t have a good method, so I went back to using traditional shampoo and conditioner. Natural or sulfate-free shampoos never worked for me. They always gave me oily buildup. So I went back to the no poo method, but with some changes to the process.

This is my no fail, no poo hair washing method, which I found on this green living website:

Shampoo: Mix 1 part baking soda with 3 parts water in a plastic salad dressing or ketchup bottle.
Conditioning Rinse: Mix 1 part apple cider vinegar with 4 parts water in a plastic salad dressing or ketchup bottle. (I add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for a yummy scent).
I step into the shower, shake up the baking soda bottle, and squirt it all over my DRY scalp. I massage it in all over, then I leave it in for a minute or two. I only massage it into my scalp, not to the ends of my hair.
After rinsing really well, I apply the vinegar mixture to all of my hair, including the scalp and the ends. I run my fingers through my hair to get out any tangles, and I rinse well.

I have really long hair that can get really frizzy and snarly. As long as I make sure to brush it well before getting into the shower, I don’t need thick, heavy conditioners anymore to make my hair manageable. This helps with dandruff, as well. If you have hard water, you might benefit from a showerhead water softener. Some people find they have dandruff, but it’s just a buildup of minerals from their water.

Baby Wipes

There are so many baby wipes solutions online, and I never had the focus to choose one and use it. I’ve always just used water. Whenever I run out of my kids’ California Baby shampoo and body wash, I refill the bottle with water and let it mix with the residue left by the cleanser. But other than that, I’m a minimalist when it comes to wipes solution. I use my peri bottle from the hospital in my diaper bag, to wet my wipes when I’m out and about.

Now I’ve changed my tune, and it’s still just as simple as my old method. I’m just dropping some Baby Bits into the water in my peri bottle. It’s natural, it smells great, and it has actually worked better than water alone when my baby has had diaper rash. Green Baby sells Baby Bits, so pick up a packet next time you’re in the shop. It’s so much easier than surfing the web for crazy recipes and starting a collection of essential oils.

So that’s all, folks. I’m not a dirty hippie, and I think I smell good, I promise. I use Bare Minerals cosmetics and coconut oil to moisturize my skin. I even use a hair straightener on the odd night that I want to look extra good (few and far between nowadays).

Do you have any recipes for personal care products? What do you use on yourself and your children? How has it affected your hair, skin, or your health?

Benefits of Babywearing: Digging Deeper

2011-07-14T09:55:00.002-04:00

When you hear about the benefits of babywearing, you often hear how babies who are worn cry less and learn more. If you have any experience with babywearing, this makes sense. I have worn both of my babies since they were born, and it’s an uncanny way to soothe them when they are fussing—even more than nursing or rocking them. And I always heard that babies who are worn cry less. But I couldn’t help but wonder why.

And I know you can’t spoil a baby by holding them too much, but I always wonder what kind of habits my parenting will build. When my first son was a baby, I couldn’t help but wonder: would wearing him lead him to want to be held more as he grew older? My son is a creature of habit (if you have a toddler, you know what I’m talking about) and he certainly likes to be held, but I’m glad I’ve given him all the benefits that babywearing provides. Did my wearing him make him be the kind of kid who always wants to be held? I don’t know. I kind of think that’s the kind of kid he always was, which is why he liked to be worn so much.

It all finally came together for me while I was reading the book “What’s Going on in There?: How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life” by Lise Eliot. She explains how the first senses to develop are touch and the vestibular system—the system that detects motion and position—and how stimulating these senses decreases stress levels in babies and can actually make them smarter.

Babywearing and the Sense of Touch

At birth, the sense of touch is far better than the sense of sight, hearing, or taste. Physical contact is essential to the growth and development of infants. Many animals lick their babies as soon as they are born. In fact, newborn animals often experience urinary or digestive failure and die if they don’t experience this touch.

You always see mothers of kittens licking their young, nudging them with their noses, and you think how sweet it is. But it’s also a matter of survival. Nature doesn’t usually do things by mistake. Everything happens for a reason. It’s amazing to think that that sweet mama cat is giving her kittens a better chance at living.

One study that really struck me involved baby monkeys that were kept with two surrogate “mothers.” One “mother” was made of wire mesh and held a bottle, and the other was covered in soft blankets. The monkeys preferred the soft, cuddly “mother,” even though she could not feed them. This shows the importance of snuggling your baby and holding baby close to you. Babies love to be snuggled.

Babies Who are Worn Cry Less

Another study found that newborn rats that are touched often by humans in their first 10 days of life experience less stress. Their stress hormones don’t rise as quickly and they recover faster than those in rats who are not handled during this time.

Reading this really drove home the benefit I’m always reading about: how babies who are worn cry less. Touch is so important to a baby. In fact, preemies in intensive care units used to be placed in incubators and had little human touch for fear of contaminating them with viruses and bacteria. But more and more hospitals are now using “kangaroo care,” which involves holding the babies skin to skin. Babies who are touched thrive more. It’s not just about crying—it’s about thriving. It’s about development and brain activity.

Babywearing Aids in Baby’s Development

Babies’ “sixth” sense, the vestibular system, is the next most developed system at birth after touch. The vestibular system is what helps babies establish a sense of balance. It’s what makes them recognize when you’re lifting them from a prone to a sitting position so they can hold their head up (once they strengthen the muscles to do so). Children with emotional problems, autism, and learning disabilities often have problems with their vestibular systems.

Once researchers realized this, they wanted to know the opposite: could you improve a baby’s development by stimulating the vestibular system? The answer was yes. In one amazing study, babies were spun on a chair while being held by their caregiver. Apparently they loved it. That study showed that the babies who were spun developed reflexes and motor skills earlier than those who weren’t.

In another study that compared soothing methods, babies who were rocked and jiggled when upset were soothed faster than those who were touched, but not rocked or jiggled. Again, this is the backup I was looking for in regards to the “babies who are worn cry less” statement.

Babies Who are Worn are Smarter

The sense of touch is intricately linked with babies’ cognition. In one study, babies who received an 8-minute massage were better able to recognize new objects compared with babies who received no touch. The ability to recognize new objects is the best predictor of IQ later in life.

The vestibular system is also tied to babies’ ability to learn. Newborn babies’ minds are highly disorganized. When their vestibular systems are activated, they become organized and more alert. Babies whose vestibular systems are stimulated are more alert than babies comforted in other ways. And it’s during these alert moments that babies learn and absorb what’s going on around them. If the vestibular system continues to be stimulated, babies become sleepy, and babies’ brains do a lot of growing when they sleep.

Babies Who are Worn are More Independent

So what about my fear that wearing my baby all the time will result in—well—a baby who wants to be worn (or held) all the time? In the experiment with the rats, those who were handled more in the early days or groomed more by their mothers were less fearful in new situations.

This matches what a lot of proponents of attachment parenting suggest: that by offering your child a loving, trusting space and responding immediately to their needs, you are making them more confident, and a confident child is more likely to explore new surroundings without fear. Wearing your baby could make him or her less clingy and more likely to be independent as he or she grows.

Wearing Baby Is Soothing

Similar to the idea that babies who are worn cry less, babies who are worn are soothed more quickly. I have a friend who worked at a school for blind children. Many of the kids there had other disabilities and were high needs. When she saw how quickly Baby T relaxed when we put him in the Ergo, she mentioned how many of the kids with sensory issues at her school wore weighted vests to calm them down. I’m not sure about the exact science behind it, but something about providing the children’s systems with deep, strong, consistent sensory messages organizes their minds and calms them.

It’s similar to the way swaddling soothes a baby. But when I swaddle my kids and try to hold them, sometimes they get squirmy and I feel like they want to be closer to our bodies. Using a baby carrier holds them close to our hearts and our bodies while still applying that consistent pressure that swaddling provides.

If you're looking for a babywearing class in Wilmington or are interested in learning more about babywearing and experimenting with different baby carriers, wraps, and holds, stop by Green Baby Diaper Service tomorrow (Friday, July 15) at 3PM for a babywearing class. You can register here and bring payment on the day of the class.

And the Winner Is......

2011-07-09T13:58:00.001-04:00

We have drawn the winner for the amber teething necklace from Inspired by Finn, and the winner is...

Melissa!

There were two Melissa's. The winner is the one who wrote:

"Melissa said... I have always been a facebook fan (and general fan of the Green Baby family) and I am now a blog follower"

Congratulations, Melissa! You didn't leave your email address, so please email gaby@tmuffin.com by 5PM on Wednesday, 7/13/11 to claim the teething necklace, or the prize will go to the second place winner.

5 Reasons Why Using Cloth Diapers and a Diaper Service is Freeing

2011-07-08T17:04:00.001-04:00

There is a cloth diaper carnival going on this week, hosted at Natural Parents Network. It’s basically a conglomeration of bloggers who just can’t get enough of cloth diapering. I’ll admit, it is pretty addictive. I didn’t start cloth diapering my first son until he was about 3 months old, and I hadn’t planned to cloth diaper my second son until he was out of the super-fresh newborn stage. I didn’t have small enough diapers, or so I thought.

#1: Disposables don’t contain the mess

It turns out that I got so fed up with him peeing out the top of the diaper (moms of boys, you know what I mean: they magically pee everywhere but in their diaper if you don’t point things the right way). So I pulled out my stash, and at about one week old, the cloth diapering began.

#2: Cloth diapers fit better

Maybe because my son wasn’t super small—he was born weighing 8 lbs, 10 oz—what I already had fit him. I bought a new stack of prefolds and used the Thirsties diaper covers I already had. Prefolds are so absorbent and covers have such snug elastic that I never dealt with a leak again.

But now, coordinating cloth diapering between two kids was getting complicated. My oldest does not use cloth at daycare, so I only cloth diaper him part time. So planning to have all of his diapers clean and available on the days he’s home is important. And I liked planning to wash his with the baby’s diapers to make a full load.

But my older son gets horrible diaper rash, so half the time I wasn’t using cloth anyway, because it seemed to exacerbate the rash. I tried a variety of detergents and even tried no detergent at all. A few months ago, I was ready to give up cloth for my older son altogether.

#3 It gives you time to do things other than wash diapers

And then I started using the diaper service. It has taken away an element of stress from my life. Is washing diapers all that stressful? No. But I would undoubtedly forget and have to scrounge while they were going through their 3 or 4 wash/rinse cycles. I couldn’t wash and dry diapers overnight because the cat sleeps in the laundry room, and having the machines on freaks her out. Not that I really care—she’s a very mean cat, so I have no sympathy—but she howls.

Then there were the two dryer cycles, or the one dryer cycle and then lay the diapers out in the sun. Which inevitably meant I would be collecting diapers from all over my yard by the end of the day. Then putting them all away: stuffing pockets, folding prefolds, and stacking the lumpy diapers up where they went. Which I usually didn’t do until a day later.

I was constantly washing diapers.

Using the diaper service has made me feel so free. Really. It’s a little thing off my plate, but it’s one less thing to hover in my brain. I pick up a neatly stacked pile of diapers, come home, and put them away. That’s it. No more laundry baskets sitting around or washer/dryer being occupied for days. At least not with diaper laundry.

#4 It saves money

Even though my water bill was up at least $20 from all my washing and I was spending $30 a pop on special detergent, my son was still getting major diaper rash. The diaper service was my last chance at cloth with him, and he hasn’t gotten diaper rash since I started. After spending last month boiling extra water to throw in the wash cycle, stripping my diapers, sunning my diapers, and running rinse cycle after rinse cycle because I was convinced I could still feel detergent residue, it is so nice to be able to put a diaper on my son and not have to worry that his skin will get red, raw, and blistering.

I don’t know if it’s because the laundry service uses industrial machines to get every last bit of detergent out of the diapers or if it’s because prefolds are so absorbent that the moisture isn’t sitting next to his skin as long, but the diaper rash is gone. Another worry that can stop squatting in my brain.

Also, because I was so worried about the diaper rash, I kept trying to buy new types of diapers to combat the problem. I was using prefolds and covers with my infant and pocket diapers and all-in-ones with my toddler. You can’t reuse a pocket or all-in-one when you change it, so that was making a lot of diaper laundry, and I would stress if I didn’t get the wash timed right and ran out of diapers for the next day.

Using the diaper service, I literally only use 2 covers for my toddler (who I only cloth diaper 3 days a week because of daycare) and about 4 for my infant. You don’t have to change a cover unless it got pooped on. I tend to just use one cover all day (or alternate with 2 if one gets too wet) and then throw it in the wash. Then I wash the covers with my regular laundry and hang them up to dry.

I’m still addicted and want to try different kinds of covers now, but I can restrain myself. I can also use wool soakers that I make myself, which saves a ton of money.

Yes, there’s the cost of the diaper service. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s super cheap. You don’t have to pay for water, special detergents, or extra diapers. And you have plenty of diapers, so you don’t have to scrounge and use disposables on the days you forget to do laundry. Not having to buy disposables saves a lot of money too.

#5 You don’t have to deal with the mess

Cloth diapering isn’t bad for a breastfed baby, but once they start eating solids and their poop resembles yours, it’s an entirely different matter. I didn’t want to invest in a diaper sprayer, so I had sacrificed a pancake-flipping spatula to the cause. That’s right, I would scrape my kid’s poop off the diapers with a spatula. Inevitably, it would get all over me.

When you use a diaper service, you don’t have to deal with the poop. Take the diaper off, throw it in the bag/bin, and wipe your kid’s butt. That’s it. Liz, I’m so sorry you and your mom have to deal with my kids’ poop, but it’s really nice to take a break from pancake-flipping poop. So thanks.

The Fourth of July Giveaway Prize Is...

2011-07-04T20:08:00.001-04:00

This Amber Teething Necklace!

Amber has long been used as a remedy to treat ailments. Amber is fossilized resin from trees. It came from life and helps heal. The main ingredient in amber, succinic acid, is a natural substance that works gently with the body’s immune system to help protect it from infection and pain. Succinic acid is naturally produced by the body. It is crucial for cellular function and the metabolism of energy.

When a baby wears an amber teething necklace, the resin becomes warm to the touch. Besides feeling soothing, the warmth allows the release of the oil containing succinic acid, which helps improve the body’s ability to heal. Amber teething necklaces are not made for baby to chew on; they help soothe and heal when worn against the skin. And it’s not just for babies--some people even report that wearing amber jewelry against the skin can help relieve PMS pain, arthritis, and other ailments.

Many moms report that amber teething necklaces take the edge off of their babies’ teething pain. You know that restless fussiness that characterizes teething babies? They fuss and squirm, whether they are nursing, sleeping, or just being held? Amber teething necklaces can help a fussy baby relax. This means more happy play time, and possibly more sleep for everyone.

What will I win?

Green Baby Diaper Service is giving away a 10.5-inch unpolished cider-colored teething necklace from Inspired by Finn.

It’s not at all shiny and has a higher retention of succinic acid. The gender-neutral jewelry is perfect for boys or girls

How do I win?

Just do two of the following things:
1. Follow the Green Baby Blog
2. Like Green Baby Diaper Service on Facebook
3. Follow @GreenBabyDiaper on Twitter

If you're already our biggest fan and have done all of those things, you still have one more chance: You can like our blog author, Tmuffin, on Facebook or Twitter.

Then, let us know what you did by leaving a comment under this post or this post.

I forgot to tell you before: If you leave a comment, please leave some identifying info so we can get back to you: either your email address or your facebook or twitter name. If you already left a comment and didn't leave the info, we'll figure it out. We'll post the winner on Saturday anyway.

The giveaway closes on 11:59 PM next Friday, July 8. So go follow us all over the place and keep checking back to see what you're going to win! Each "like" you give us gets you an entry, so the more you do, the more entries you'll get. We'll randomize the drawing on Random.org and let you know who won on Saturday.

Fourth of July Mystery Giveaway!

2011-07-01T15:21:00.001-04:00

In honor of Independence Day, Green Baby Diaper Service's two-year anniversary, the new blog, and a beautiful, sunny summer, we're offering a giveaway.

We're about to give you one of our best-selling items. For free. And you can stay in your air-conditioned home to win it.

How Do I Enter?
Just do two of the following things:
1. Follow the Green Baby Blog
2. Like Green Baby Diaper Service on Facebook
3. Follow @GreenBabyDiaper on Twitter

If you're already our biggest fan and have done all of those things, you still have one more chance: You can like our blog author, Tmuffin, on Facebook or Twitter.

Then, let us know what you did by leaving a comment under this post.

We'll let you know what the prize is on the Fourth of July!!

After that, you still have time to enter. The giveaway doesn't close until 11:59 PM next Friday, July 8! So go follow us all over the place and keep checking back to see what you're going to win! Each "like" you give us gets you an entry, so the more you do, the more entries you'll get.

Good Luck, and Happy Fourth of July!

Two Years of Bringing the Community Together

2011-06-29T16:19:00.001-04:00

Polly, Liz, and Thomas

After celebrating its two-year anniversary last week, Green Baby Diaper service is expanding into the online world. That’s right, folks—Green Baby Diaper Service in Wilmington now has a blog. It’s a family business with a strong sense of community, so it only makes sense to use a virtual avenue like the Internet to share even more than ever.

Since opening on June 22, 2009, Green Baby Diaper Service has become more than just a place to get your diapers washed. It’s a boutique that sells diaper covers, cloth diapers, and handmade clothes, accessories, and baby shower gifts made by local moms. It’s also a place parents can go to commiserate about lack of sleep, get ideas for how to keep their energetic toddler entertained, or just get a hug after a long day with the kids. Liz and her mom, Polly, who man the shop—or “woman” it, as the case may be—always greet their customers with a smile and a welcoming attitude. They love to share, so don’t always plan on getting in and out in five minutes; plan on learning a little bit about their lives and sharing a little bit of yours. Green Baby is like a physical Facebook in the middle of Wilmington. It has brought people together and established its own little community of moms and parents in the area.

Thomas helping with the diapers

Liz and Polly never imagined the business would end up being just as much about the baby as about the diaper service when it began. It began as a way for Liz to share her enthusiasm for green living with the community of Wilmington. Liz used to nanny for three young children. Every time she put a disposable diaper in the garbage, she felt sick. When she was trying to get pregnant, she was researching as much as she could about everything having to do with kids. She heard some friends talking about cloth diapers, and a light went off in her head. She realized she wanted to cloth diaper her own baby when the time came, but realized Wilmington didn’t have a lot to offer when it came to cloth diapering.

She did her research, took some business classes, met with a small business counselor, and her first “baby”—Green Baby Diaper Service—was born. Two months prior to the grand opening. Liz also found out she was pregnant. As she puts it, “It was so much fun to walk alongside my friends/customers in the journey of motherhood. I have so much to learn, and I’m so thankful for everyone who has helped me along the way.”

That sense of gratitude permeates everything Green Baby Diaper Service does. Not only are Liz and Polly grateful for their customers’ business, they like to learn more—about their customers’ families, kids, parenting styles, and about how to grow and market their business. Most of the people they work with began as customers.

And Liz and Polly also can’t help but be generous. They truly want to help out whoever they can. Mothers of newborns come in and ask for advice on how to change a diaper; Liz is currently working on a fundraiser for a customer—now also a friend—whose baby is sick.

The fact that the diaper service revolves around everything baby has caused the business to take on a life of its own. Being a mom and running a business at the same time is a constant challenge. But there’s something that happens when moms get together, especially if their babies are with them: they have an instant connection. When you’re dropping off your diapers at Green Baby Diaper Service, if another mom comes in with a question, it becomes a conversation. Polly says she feels like all of her customers are her own children. What other business in Wilmington do you walk into and feel like you’re home?

Liz, Thomas and Lily

This family business has become its own little family. Of course, there’s the “green” aspect—cloth diapers are environmentally friendly, and Liz eventually hopes that it will become the mainstream way to diaper your baby. But it also frees up moms to have more time to be with their babies and stress less about doing laundry. Liz’s son, Thomas, is now a toddler, and he comes to work with her every day. Polly is there six days a week, does the laundry, and packs all the bags with clean diapers that go out to customers. Polly and Liz also watch Lily, Liz's niece. The shop is set up with comfy chairs to hang out in or nurse in and an entertaining corner where children can play while their moms shop or get advice.

Liz's brother, Josh, does the delivering. Liz says, “I really look forward to seeing my mom and son every day, taking Thomas to play with his friends, helping new moms, and the fact that we're doing something better for our planet...which ultimately benefits our children and their children. It warms my heart to when people walk in and compliment us on what we're doing and how much they love the store and the fact that I'm able to work with my mom and baby and my beautiful niece. We have random people who don't have kids or theirs are all grown, that call just to say ‘thank you.’”

Thomas and Lily hanging out

I guess you could say that the business is now a toddler, too. During this new stage, Green Baby Diaper Service will be able to do more to bring the community together. On this blog, we’ll showcase other local green businesses, spotlight our consigners, and share ideas that can help bring parents together. We are grateful for everyone who has helped us along the way, and now it’s our turn to give more back to you.

Good things to say about us!

2011-06-27T21:50:00.000-04:00

Check out The Cloth Diaper Blog and what they had to say about Green Baby Diaper Service!

We were even on Fox News 26 WSFX and on TV with WWAY Channel 3.

And in the following publications:
The Greater Wilmington Business Journal
The Wilmington Star News