1 package ground chicken (1 1/3 lbs.)
buffalo wing sauce (you can make your own with hot sauce & butter)
grill seasoning (such as Montreal)
sliced swiss cheese, quartered
crumbled blue cheese (optional)
blue cheese dressing (ranch is fine too)
King's Hawaiian Buttered Rolls
lettuce of choice
tomato, sliced thin
In a mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken with 1-2 TBsp grill seasoning, 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles if desired, and 1/4-1/2 cup of the buffalo sauce. Form small patties (about 3 inches). Cook in a grill pan (or skillet if you don't have one) on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. Place 2 quarters of the cheese on top of each slider just as it's finished cooking to melt a bit. Split the rolls to make buns. Spread a little dressing on the bun, top with the slider and lettuce & tomato. Delicious!
These would also be good on top of a salad. Omit the buns, make your favorite salad, and before you drizzle on the dressing put 2 sliders on top.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Oh, me... oh, my...
SELFISHNESS has been the topic on my mind as of late. We are all selfish by nature. I would estimate that 98% of what I do stems from selfish motives.
Ben came home one evening and posed the question, "Have you ever found yourself enjoying the thought that someone else might want what you have?" My initial response was no, but as I tried to explain my answer, I became convicted that it is certainly something I have been guilty of. We kept talking, and then I remembered something that I had recently read in "Utmost" (as we call it). I definitely struggle to get specific with God about my sins. Do you?
The next day I read a chapter in The Pursuit of God about removing self-sin in order to see God ("Removing the Veil," Chapter III).
Needless to say, God is speaking to me about selfishness. I am praying for a changed heart. Our memory verse this week is a continuation of a passage that we already memorized. Jeremiah 17:9-10 says,
Freezer week!!! My group is down to only 5 members this month, so I only have to prepare 8 meals to send; makes it a little easier, but that means less food for the month. I will post the recipes soon.
Ben came home one evening and posed the question, "Have you ever found yourself enjoying the thought that someone else might want what you have?" My initial response was no, but as I tried to explain my answer, I became convicted that it is certainly something I have been guilty of. We kept talking, and then I remembered something that I had recently read in "Utmost" (as we call it). I definitely struggle to get specific with God about my sins. Do you?
The next day I read a chapter in The Pursuit of God about removing self-sin in order to see God ("Removing the Veil," Chapter III).
"It is the veil of our fleshly fallen nature, living on, unjudged within us, uncrucified and unrepudiated... It is not too mysterious... nor is it hard to identify. We have but to look in our own hearts and we shall see it there... an enemy to our lives and an effective block to our spiritual progress... It is woven of the fine threads of the self-life, the hyphenated sins of the human spirit. They are not something we do, they are something we are, and therein lies both their subtlety and their power... the self-sins are these: self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love... They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them."Then Sunday morning, we discussed self-ambition during Bible study, based on the story of Abimelech in Judges chapter 9. A verse that Ben & I memorized echoes the message: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4.
Needless to say, God is speaking to me about selfishness. I am praying for a changed heart. Our memory verse this week is a continuation of a passage that we already memorized. Jeremiah 17:9-10 says,
The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."Search my heart, show me specifics; mold my heart to be sensitive to the needs of others; may the light of God illuminate my short-comings!
Freezer week!!! My group is down to only 5 members this month, so I only have to prepare 8 meals to send; makes it a little easier, but that means less food for the month. I will post the recipes soon.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
My Guy
Ben was out of town most of last week. I don't like when he is gone, but it gave me the chance to make his homemade Father's Day gift without the risk of him seeing it. He loved it!
I am so thankful that Ben is the father of my children. Knowing that I never have to worry about what examples he is setting for them is such a comfort & blessing. May I take a moment to brag? I could list a million things that Ben does for our children that I know will have a positive eternal impact, but here are a few of my favorites:
He prays with them and for them, and now Rush is starting to pray too.
He sings Bible songs with them. Rush knows the books of the Bible because they enjoy singing together so much!
He gives them hugs and kisses freely.
He loves me in front of them so that Rush will know his role and Lottie will know what to look for.
In case you can't tell, I am so proud of my husband. We celebrated our 7th anniversary on Sunday. Without going into too much detail, I will simply say this has been the hardest year, but the BEST year! God has changed our view of what life is really about and it has altered our relationship with Him and with each other. Every day we are learning how to better love each other; how to encourage each other, how to lovingly suggest changes, how to talk about our thoughts, feelings & weaknesses. Our marriage had always been "good," and we thought we were living the "right" way, but here's what Oswald Chambers says about settling for "good and right" in life:
"Whenever our right becomes the guiding factor of our lives, it dulls our spiritual insight. The greatest enemy of the life of faith in God is not sin, but good choices which are not quite good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best."Here's a picture from our wedding:
I want to live my BEST for the Lord and for my husband! I can't do it in my own strength. But if I am sensitive to the Holy Spirit (achieved through study, prayer, repentance, etc.) and my husband is too, then together, we will strengthen each other as individuals and become stronger as a couple, as we strive to do our BEST for His glory.
This leads me to share the verse that I am memorizing this week:
"The end of all things is near. Therefore, be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 1 Peter 4:7-8
On a much less serious note:
We had our first PEP Moms steering committee meeting last week. Well, it was our first with our new committee and me as the director (yikes!). I prayed a lot before the meeting that things would go well; that our committee would be completed (we had a couple of vacancies), that the conversation would go smoothly, and that we could leave feeling like we got something accomplished. The meeting went very well; it was basically a brainstorming session on speakers and topics for our upcoming year (September-April) and ideas for summer activities and outings.
Some of the summer activities include playdates at our church playground, free movie day at the theater, Safety City in Knoxville, and a few other possibilities. We try to do things that are free/low-cost and group-friendly. Do you have any ideas for us?
Monday, June 11, 2012
June Freezer Recipes
Cheesy Chicken Bites with mushrooms
adapted from Bless Your Heart's "Water Tower Chicken"
approx. 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or breasts and thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (Can use only one pound- makes one layer instead of two.)
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups dry seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 8 oz. package sliced white mushrooms
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar (we like sharp)
1-2 cups chicken broth
Combine eggs and milk in a large bowl. Soak chicken pieces in the egg mixture in the refrigerator, covered, for 15-30 minutes. Drain egg mixture off chicken. Toss chicken in the bread crumbs. In a casserole dish, layer chicken mozzarella, cheddar & mushrooms; make another layer in the same order.
Freeze.
Thaw for 24 hours in refrigerator.
Slowly pour chicken broth into the casserole until the chicken is about 3/4 covered.
Bake at 375* for 45 minutes- 1 hour.
Burritos Verde
adapted from Rachael Ray's Turkey Tomatillo & Bean Burritos
Add in the ground turkey and break it up with the back of a spoon as it cooks and browns, about 4 minutes.
Add in the onions, garlic, bell pepper, salt, and pepper; cook for 3 minutes.
Add in the chicken stock, pinto beans, and 1 ½ cup tomatillo salsa; increase the heat to high; continue cooking 5-6 minutes or until the mixture is thickened.
Remove pan from heat and add in the spinach & cilantro; stir to mix.
Freeze burrito filling if desired.
Thaw for 24 hours in refrigerator.
Set broiler to LOW.
Heat the filling in microwave.
Warm the tortillas in the microwave.
Fill each tortilla with about 1/4 cup shredded cheese and desired amount of hot filling.
Place the filled burritos in a broiler-safe dish, seamside down.
Top all the burritos with remaining salsa verde & shredded cheese.
Place under broiler (about 6 inches away) for approxiamtely 5 minutes, watching closely.
Yummy!
adapted from Bless Your Heart's "Water Tower Chicken"
approx. 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or breasts and thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (Can use only one pound- makes one layer instead of two.)
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups dry seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 8 oz. package sliced white mushrooms
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded cheddar (we like sharp)
1-2 cups chicken broth
Combine eggs and milk in a large bowl. Soak chicken pieces in the egg mixture in the refrigerator, covered, for 15-30 minutes. Drain egg mixture off chicken. Toss chicken in the bread crumbs. In a casserole dish, layer chicken mozzarella, cheddar & mushrooms; make another layer in the same order.
Freeze.
Thaw for 24 hours in refrigerator.
Slowly pour chicken broth into the casserole until the chicken is about 3/4 covered.
Bake at 375* for 45 minutes- 1 hour.
Burritos Verde
adapted from Rachael Ray's Turkey Tomatillo & Bean Burritos
6 flour
tortillas (We like Chi-Chi's whole wheat)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1- 1 1/3 lb.
ground turkey breast
1 large onion,
chopped
3 garlic cloves,
chopped or garlic powder to taste
1 red bell
pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 (15
ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and
drained
1 (16
ounce) jar tomatillo (green) salsa
1 tsp. dried cilantro or 2 TBsp. fresh, chopped
1-2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
2 cups
shredded monterey jack cheese
Preheat a large nonstick skillet with the vegetable oil.
Add in the ground turkey and break it up with the back of a spoon as it cooks and browns, about 4 minutes.
Add in the onions, garlic, bell pepper, salt, and pepper; cook for 3 minutes.
Add in the chicken stock, pinto beans, and 1 ½ cup tomatillo salsa; increase the heat to high; continue cooking 5-6 minutes or until the mixture is thickened.
Remove pan from heat and add in the spinach & cilantro; stir to mix.
Freeze burrito filling if desired.
Thaw for 24 hours in refrigerator.
Set broiler to LOW.
Heat the filling in microwave.
Warm the tortillas in the microwave.
Fill each tortilla with about 1/4 cup shredded cheese and desired amount of hot filling.
Place the filled burritos in a broiler-safe dish, seamside down.
Top all the burritos with remaining salsa verde & shredded cheese.
Place under broiler (about 6 inches away) for approxiamtely 5 minutes, watching closely.
Yummy!
A Tangled Mess
It was a busy weekend here in the Mills house. Freezer group swap was Friday (here 's what I made). Also, on Friday morning, we had our first PEP Moms play date at our church playground. We had a wedding rehearsal on Friday evening (Ben was a groomsman and I sang) & the wedding Saturday, in addition to a birthday party. Sunday I sang at both morning services at church. We attended the evening service too (which we don't normally get to since the kids are super-tired and cranky by 7:30), so that we could participate in The Lord's Supper. It was a special and spirit-filled service, and I got to be a part of it by reading some passages of scripture and singing with the praise team. WHEW!
Last week's memory verse is one of my favorites: Philippians 4:6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." We have already memorized verses 4-5 and 8. Here 's the whole passage:
On a typical Sunday morning while we were doing our usual "scramble," Rush, our 2 1/2 year old, decided to help me pick out a necklace (I wasn't even planning on wearing one; it was just one of those toddler moments where he was being ignored while we were getting ready for church, so he made his own fun!). I keep most of my necklaces on a hook in my bathroom, so it easily becomes a tangled mess when one necklace gets carelessly pulled off. I caught him in the act, but it was too late! All (about 15) long necklaces were tangled up like spaghetti! I started to try pulling them apart and got most of the necklaces undone. But there were four that did not come apart so easily. We were running out of time if we were going to make it to church, so I left them.
Over the next couple of days I tinkered with the tangled necklaces here and there, but only for a few seconds at a time. I would get flustered just looking at them. Their final resting place was on my bathroom vanity. But they weren't the only eye-sore on the bathroom counter. A new, un-opened box of toothpaste, a nail file, some polish, and bathroom cleaner had been on display for a few days as well. Random hairs that came off of my head lay like confetti streamers all around. I knew the necklaces were still there and that I was letting a mess start to pile up, but the frustration that I felt for "failing" to get the necklaces untangled made it easy to clutter up the rest of the bathroom too.
It was Tuesday of the following week (9 days!) when I acknowledged that I had let the bathroom go too far. I walked in and saw the necklaces laying there on the counter, and suddenly felt motivated to I started putting away all of the "stuff" that was cluttering my vanity. The toothpaste in the box went to the basket of extras; the file & polish went to the mani/pedi basket; the hairs were wiped away and went to the trash; and then the cleaner got put to use.
I started studying the tangles. I decided which necklace to work on first and then found each end; that helped me navigate through the other necklaces. I continued that method until I finally got all of them untangled! It only took me about 15 minutes!
Have you ever done that in your spiritual life? I know I have and did last week. I was not spending the time that I needed to in studying God's word and in praying. I knew all week that I was "failing"- misprioritizing. I was digging a hole too; because it seemed as though the more disconnected with God that I felt, I fell into even more distractions. My spirit was a tangled mess! Of course it's obvious to me now that I was relying on my own strength at this point. I was not allowing Christ's power to rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
I go through this kind of "cycle" every so often. Until I can openly acknowledge the sin (seeing the necklaces on the counter and determining to do something about it instead of ignoring them), I can't confess it to God. But once I acknowledge and confess it, I can more clearly focus on the priority task: my relationship with God. (I realize that this isn't a perfect illustration, but thinking & reflecting in this way helps me personally.)
This- staying on the "priority task"- is certainly a daily struggle for me on some level or another. This passage is worth reading again because, I will admit, my mind is SO WEAK. As soon as I "fail," those negative thoughts come rushing in. But keeping out the clutter- whether it's negative thinking, or obsessive thoughts or actions, or just too much stuff on your to-do list- will guard your heart from becoming a "tangled mess."
Last week's memory verse is one of my favorites: Philippians 4:6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." We have already memorized verses 4-5 and 8. Here 's the whole passage:
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things."It was one of those weeks in which I found it hard to rejoice, or be gentle, or pray, or meditate on only good things. All I could think about was what I needed to get done and when was I going to do it. In reflecting back over my week, I thought about an experience that I had a couple of weeks ago that make a good illustration of how too much "clutter," whether tangible or intangible, can distract us from our priority task:
On a typical Sunday morning while we were doing our usual "scramble," Rush, our 2 1/2 year old, decided to help me pick out a necklace (I wasn't even planning on wearing one; it was just one of those toddler moments where he was being ignored while we were getting ready for church, so he made his own fun!). I keep most of my necklaces on a hook in my bathroom, so it easily becomes a tangled mess when one necklace gets carelessly pulled off. I caught him in the act, but it was too late! All (about 15) long necklaces were tangled up like spaghetti! I started to try pulling them apart and got most of the necklaces undone. But there were four that did not come apart so easily. We were running out of time if we were going to make it to church, so I left them.
Over the next couple of days I tinkered with the tangled necklaces here and there, but only for a few seconds at a time. I would get flustered just looking at them. Their final resting place was on my bathroom vanity. But they weren't the only eye-sore on the bathroom counter. A new, un-opened box of toothpaste, a nail file, some polish, and bathroom cleaner had been on display for a few days as well. Random hairs that came off of my head lay like confetti streamers all around. I knew the necklaces were still there and that I was letting a mess start to pile up, but the frustration that I felt for "failing" to get the necklaces untangled made it easy to clutter up the rest of the bathroom too.
It was Tuesday of the following week (9 days!) when I acknowledged that I had let the bathroom go too far. I walked in and saw the necklaces laying there on the counter, and suddenly felt motivated to I started putting away all of the "stuff" that was cluttering my vanity. The toothpaste in the box went to the basket of extras; the file & polish went to the mani/pedi basket; the hairs were wiped away and went to the trash; and then the cleaner got put to use.
I started studying the tangles. I decided which necklace to work on first and then found each end; that helped me navigate through the other necklaces. I continued that method until I finally got all of them untangled! It only took me about 15 minutes!
Have you ever done that in your spiritual life? I know I have and did last week. I was not spending the time that I needed to in studying God's word and in praying. I knew all week that I was "failing"- misprioritizing. I was digging a hole too; because it seemed as though the more disconnected with God that I felt, I fell into even more distractions. My spirit was a tangled mess! Of course it's obvious to me now that I was relying on my own strength at this point. I was not allowing Christ's power to rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
I go through this kind of "cycle" every so often. Until I can openly acknowledge the sin (seeing the necklaces on the counter and determining to do something about it instead of ignoring them), I can't confess it to God. But once I acknowledge and confess it, I can more clearly focus on the priority task: my relationship with God. (I realize that this isn't a perfect illustration, but thinking & reflecting in this way helps me personally.)
This- staying on the "priority task"- is certainly a daily struggle for me on some level or another. This passage is worth reading again because, I will admit, my mind is SO WEAK. As soon as I "fail," those negative thoughts come rushing in. But keeping out the clutter- whether it's negative thinking, or obsessive thoughts or actions, or just too much stuff on your to-do list- will guard your heart from becoming a "tangled mess."
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Philippians 4:4-8
Monday, June 4, 2012
Exercise with Baby!
It's hard to find time to get out your hand weights when you are a stay-at-home-mommy. Here a few SIMPLE ideas for getting in some toning without the gym. All you need is your baby (with semi-head-control)!
While holding your baby, lie on your back with your knees pulled in to your chest. Place baby on the front of your legs so that you are facing each other. This alone makes my little ones squeal with delight! Start simple: try just lifting your upper body off the floor (like a crunch). Each time you come up close to baby's face, say something: boo!, hi!, their name, you can count. While you're raising up and down, keep one hand on your baby's back and the other hand behind your head.
Make it a little bit harder by lifting your rear a little each time you "crunch" up. This works your lower abs more.
In the same position, keep one or both hands on baby's back and raising & lowering baby on your legs (like you're straightening & bending at your knee). You may not feel it working right away, but your hamstrings will definitely get tired after a few sets. Of course, you can keep your upper body raised up for extra abdominal work too!
Holding your baby, lie on your back and raise baby straight overhead. Try raising baby past your face toward the top of your head with your arms straight. Slowly bring baby back to the starting position. This is a good shoulder & triceps toner.
To work your biceps, while standing, simply hold your baby high on the waist or under her arms; bending at your elbow, raise and lower baby with a slow & controlled pace. Do a few sets of a least 12.
Hold half sit-up position while holding baby. Try twisting side to side.
Will ad more later!
Do you have any ideas/suggestions?
While holding your baby, lie on your back with your knees pulled in to your chest. Place baby on the front of your legs so that you are facing each other. This alone makes my little ones squeal with delight! Start simple: try just lifting your upper body off the floor (like a crunch). Each time you come up close to baby's face, say something: boo!, hi!, their name, you can count. While you're raising up and down, keep one hand on your baby's back and the other hand behind your head.
Make it a little bit harder by lifting your rear a little each time you "crunch" up. This works your lower abs more.
In the same position, keep one or both hands on baby's back and raising & lowering baby on your legs (like you're straightening & bending at your knee). You may not feel it working right away, but your hamstrings will definitely get tired after a few sets. Of course, you can keep your upper body raised up for extra abdominal work too!
Holding your baby, lie on your back and raise baby straight overhead. Try raising baby past your face toward the top of your head with your arms straight. Slowly bring baby back to the starting position. This is a good shoulder & triceps toner.
To work your biceps, while standing, simply hold your baby high on the waist or under her arms; bending at your elbow, raise and lower baby with a slow & controlled pace. Do a few sets of a least 12.
Hold half sit-up position while holding baby. Try twisting side to side.
Will ad more later!
Do you have any ideas/suggestions?
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Why I Cloth Diaper
A lot of my friends have asked me how I do cloth diapers. So I thought I would share what products I use, how I care for them and what I do & don't like about it all.
The idea of using cloth diapers first hit me when my mother-in-law told me that she had used them (pre-folds with pins & rubber pants) on Ben. It was a great experience for her since she had a diaper service. I started researching cloth diapers from there. I came to find that diaper services are not offered in many cities, but that there are LOTS of different kinds of cloth diapers that can be safely washed at home. I then started reading about all the different types of diapers out there:
pocket cloth diapers
all-in-one cloth diapers
pre-fold cloth diapers
fitted cloth diapers
one-size cloth diapers (can be pocket or all-in-one)
Then I started reading about how to properly wash cloth diapers. Lucky for me, it seemed that using an "old-fashioned" (ha!) top-loading washer was the best option because it uses the most water. That's what I have! [By the way, I LOVE my washing machine- it is one of my favorite things in my house! I actually thank God pretty often for an automatic washing machine; one trip the backcountry of Nicaragua will make you thankful for a lot of things.] HE front-loaders do work, but I found that many people could not get their diapers as clean as they wanted to in the HE front-loaders; especially not the all-in-one diapers, which is what I decided I wanted to use.
It turns out that there is a store in my area called Cutie Tooties that sells cloth diapers and related products, and they have a wonderfully helpful website. The original owner put lots of great information on there and I still reference it if I have a question.
I decided to go with an AIO diaper because it seemed like it would be a good place to start since the diaper is all one piece: no insert for absorbency, no pins or snaps (I got Velcro) and no cover. We also chose to go with the sized diapers* over the one-size diapers because we knew that we wanted them to last as long as possible (through more than 1 baby). I researched the brands and BumGenius seemed to have the best reviews. The smalls, mediums and larges also have a "pocket option" so you can insert an extra liner for added absorbency. I went to Cutie Tooties to look at them in person and they had a couple of extra-smalls on consignment so I bought 3. They were so cute & tiny!
About a month before Rush was born, we bought an 18-pack of size small BumGenius AIOs from an online store where I had found the best price. We also bought a diaper sprayer that Ben easily hooked up to the toilet in the bathroom beside the nursery. It has been great! I use a regular trash can with a Kissaluvs brand pail liner for dirty diapers. I use BumGenius detergent as I wash every other day. In my dryer, I have to run 2 full cycles on medium heat in order to get the diapers completely dry. On hot summer days, I run 1 "automatic dry" cycle and then put them out in the sun- the perfect way to remove any stains too! I also sun them in the spring and fall if I can wait a little longer for them to dry. If I am washing every other day, 18 is the perfect number of diapers. If I go a third day before I get to the laundry, I am usually using my last 2 diapers while they are in the wash. So, 18 diapers, washing every 2-3 days is perfect for us. As for accessories, I do use inserts in them night to add absorbency.
I have been pleased with how well the diapers have held up. We are now using the size smalls for the second time. The only issue that I've had is that the laundry tabs on the inside of the diaper that hold the velcro in place while in the wash have started to loosen. This makes the velcro come free in the washer and the diapers get attached to each other and it makes the "loops" fray. But the diapers are still very usable. (I am thinking about trying to sew on some new laundry tabs myself.)
I have loved my AIOs so much that I never have gotten around to trying any pre-folds or fitteds. I have tried one pocket diaper: Rumparooz (liked them, but I just LOVE my AIOs). And I recently bought 3 of BumGenius's newest diaper, "Freetime". I am using them for nighttime.
I never liked the idea of all of those dirty disposable diapers going into the trash. Some argue that it is debatable whether or not cloth diapering is actually "green" since extra water and electricity are used to care for them. I am not sure if we will ever know which has the greater impact. But I feel like I am doing a small part to try to preserve our God-given natural resources.
I am glad that we decided to go cloth. It has been a great experience thus far, not to mention I think that it attributed to Rush being potty trained at 22 months. Another plus is that Rush never had a diaper rash one time, and so far, neither has Lottie. Cloth diapering is a commitment, but I have found that it is very doable & enjoyable!
I think that I have covered the basics. If you have any questions, please ask and I will try to answer them.
Thanks for checking in with our "Fruitful Family."
*In recent diaper "window shopping" I think that I discovered that BumGenius no longer makes the sized diapers. I can only find XS and one-size diapers.
The idea of using cloth diapers first hit me when my mother-in-law told me that she had used them (pre-folds with pins & rubber pants) on Ben. It was a great experience for her since she had a diaper service. I started researching cloth diapers from there. I came to find that diaper services are not offered in many cities, but that there are LOTS of different kinds of cloth diapers that can be safely washed at home. I then started reading about all the different types of diapers out there:
pocket cloth diapers
all-in-one cloth diapers
pre-fold cloth diapers
fitted cloth diapers
one-size cloth diapers (can be pocket or all-in-one)
Then I started reading about how to properly wash cloth diapers. Lucky for me, it seemed that using an "old-fashioned" (ha!) top-loading washer was the best option because it uses the most water. That's what I have! [By the way, I LOVE my washing machine- it is one of my favorite things in my house! I actually thank God pretty often for an automatic washing machine; one trip the backcountry of Nicaragua will make you thankful for a lot of things.] HE front-loaders do work, but I found that many people could not get their diapers as clean as they wanted to in the HE front-loaders; especially not the all-in-one diapers, which is what I decided I wanted to use.
It turns out that there is a store in my area called Cutie Tooties that sells cloth diapers and related products, and they have a wonderfully helpful website. The original owner put lots of great information on there and I still reference it if I have a question.
I decided to go with an AIO diaper because it seemed like it would be a good place to start since the diaper is all one piece: no insert for absorbency, no pins or snaps (I got Velcro) and no cover. We also chose to go with the sized diapers* over the one-size diapers because we knew that we wanted them to last as long as possible (through more than 1 baby). I researched the brands and BumGenius seemed to have the best reviews. The smalls, mediums and larges also have a "pocket option" so you can insert an extra liner for added absorbency. I went to Cutie Tooties to look at them in person and they had a couple of extra-smalls on consignment so I bought 3. They were so cute & tiny!
I have been pleased with how well the diapers have held up. We are now using the size smalls for the second time. The only issue that I've had is that the laundry tabs on the inside of the diaper that hold the velcro in place while in the wash have started to loosen. This makes the velcro come free in the washer and the diapers get attached to each other and it makes the "loops" fray. But the diapers are still very usable. (I am thinking about trying to sew on some new laundry tabs myself.)
I have loved my AIOs so much that I never have gotten around to trying any pre-folds or fitteds. I have tried one pocket diaper: Rumparooz (liked them, but I just LOVE my AIOs). And I recently bought 3 of BumGenius's newest diaper, "Freetime". I am using them for nighttime.
I never liked the idea of all of those dirty disposable diapers going into the trash. Some argue that it is debatable whether or not cloth diapering is actually "green" since extra water and electricity are used to care for them. I am not sure if we will ever know which has the greater impact. But I feel like I am doing a small part to try to preserve our God-given natural resources.
I am glad that we decided to go cloth. It has been a great experience thus far, not to mention I think that it attributed to Rush being potty trained at 22 months. Another plus is that Rush never had a diaper rash one time, and so far, neither has Lottie. Cloth diapering is a commitment, but I have found that it is very doable & enjoyable!
I think that I have covered the basics. If you have any questions, please ask and I will try to answer them.
Thanks for checking in with our "Fruitful Family."
*In recent diaper "window shopping" I think that I discovered that BumGenius no longer makes the sized diapers. I can only find XS and one-size diapers.
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