The Abundant Wife

Living Abundantly on Less

Cloth Diapering 101: Part 2

June 6th, 2013

Jessica

Yesterday I shared our cloth diapering story. Click here to read Cloth Diapering 101: Part 1.

Here are 17 tips for cloth diapering success!

Getting Started:

Cloth diapering is a team effort. I do not recommend using cloth diapers if your spouse is not on board. I can’t say that I would still be cloth diapering if it weren’t for Brad’s support.
Do your research. Ask your friends or cloth-diapering acquaintances what brands they recommend.
Try a sampler pack, or buy a few to begin. Most of the cost of cloth diapering is in getting started. We bought our diapers new on Ebay.
Decide how many you need. Infants use 8-12 diapers per day, so plan accordingly.
Decide how long you will need them. We originally thought our first 24 diapers would be enough forever. We didn’t count on having 2 kids in diapers at the same time. We also thought that all kids potty-trained at 2 years old. Hahahaha….
Consider all costs involved. We haven’t noticed high water bills, but we do laundry daily anyway so maybe that’s why. We also hang our laundry to dry, so we’re not running up our electric bill either.
Snaps last longer than Velcro, because the Velcro will eventually wear out.
Websites like convertmydiapers.com will convert your Velcro diapers to snaps for you, although it is cheaper to do it yourself if you have the time.
Keep disposable diapers and wipes on hand for “special occasions.” We use disposables for road trips and flights, and keep disposable wipes in the diaper bag. We also prefer to use disposables for the first few weeks after birth since we usually receive them as gifts, and the baby needs the most diaper changes at that time.

Changing Cloth Diapers:

Changing cloth diapers does not require much more work than disposable diapers. Remove the diaper, shake or pull out the inserts, and drop all of it into a plastic tub with a lid (or a plastic grocery bag in the diaper bag).
Use cloth wipes. Why not? You’re already using cloth diapers. Brad cut up a bunch of his old t-shirts for wipes, and when they get ratty, we throw them away. We keep them in a wipes container on the changing table in soapy water.
Cloth diapers might not suit you if you have a weak stomach. However…whether or not you choose to cloth diaper, there’s no avoiding the baby poop, pee, vomit, dirt, spit-up, and numerous other icky messes that come with parenting.
Your church nursery or child care provider may be a little intimidated by cloth diapers at first. They’re envisioning diaper pins, lots of folding, and a squirming baby. They’ll be amazed once you show them how easy it is to remove the diaper, place it in a plastic grocery bag, and put it back in the diaper bag.

Laundering Cloth Diapers:

As long as a baby is breast-fed exclusively (generally the first 6 months or so), their poop will be liquidy and mustard-colored so you can wash everything in the washing machine. Once you introduce solid foods or formula, the consistency of their poop will become darker and more solid and will begin to stink. (Yet another good reason for breastfeeding exclusively and holding off on solid foods!)
Solid waste can generally be dumped into the toilet, and some people invest in a special sprayer to help rinse it off the diaper into the toilet before washing. Brad does get grossed-out when he finds raisins, peanuts, or corn on the bottom of the washing machine and has to pick them out.
Use whatever detergent you prefer. Although many websites recommend special detergents, our kids have never had a reaction to regular detergents.
Folding the laundry will be a bigger chore if you cloth diaper. After washing the diapers, the inserts must be “stuffed” back into the diapers. This being said though, if you have little ones, you’ll be doing a lot of laundry anyway so there’s no escaping it one way or the other.

Have you cloth diapered your children? What tips would you add?

When Brad and I found out we were pregnant with our first child in 2008, one of our first concerns was how we would afford to diaper her. Somewhere along the line, I heard about cloth diapering. So I sent out a Facebook status update, asking for information about cloth diapering. When a few friends replied, I wrote a Facebook message to all of them, asking for more details.

My friends were full of great information, and soon we decided to buy 24 Bum Genius One-Size All-In-One Velcro diapers for Naomi. 17 months later we bought 24 more Bum Genius diapers for Oliver, some of which were snap diapers. 2 years after that, we sent all of our Velcro diapers to convertmydiapers.com and had them converted to snaps. At this point we’ve been a cloth-diapering family for almost 4 years, and we still have all 48 of our original diapers. I think they all still look great considering how long we’ve used them!

There are lots of advantages to cloth diapering. We chose cloth diapers because of the cost. We paid about $400 to diaper Naomi, about $400 to diaper Oliver, and about $150 to convert our diapers for Evelyn. So we diapered 3 kids for $950. A quick look on-line estimates that disposable diapers will cost you $1600-$2600 to diaper one child until they are 2 1/2 years old. Cloth diapers are also cheaper than the “swimmie” diapers you’ll need if you plan to take your little one swimming. They are also considered more “green” than disposable diapers. Although you will be using more electricity and water, you won’t be filling landfills with diapers. In addition, we’ve noticed far fewer “blow-outs” with cloth diapers, and some people swear that their kids potty-train earlier with cloth diapers.

Tomorrow I’ll be back to share my tips for cloth diapering success!

Click here to read Cloth Diapering 101: Part 2.

Do Not Forget The Things You Have Seen

June 4th, 2013

Jessica

“Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” Deuteronomy 4:9

I have been really discouraged today. I’m worried a lot about our finances, and our job. In our line of work, when there isn’t enough money, our paycheck gets reduced. We’ve been on 75% salary for 2 months. Next we’ll be on 50% salary, and so on until there’s no money, or until our deficit is replenished. The search for more money, more donors, and more fundraisers is endless. I beg for answers when there are none to be found.

Today I found a list of all the ways God had provided for us in December, the last time our salary was reduced. Here were some of the things on my list of December blessings:

A babysitter who was willing to babysit our kids for 10 hours for free. A friend sent a surprise $50 gift in the mail, which allowed us to pay the babysitter anyway.
My OB/GYN took a leave of absence, so I chose to see at Midwife at the same office. The Midwife immediately diagnosed an infection I’d been struggling with for 4 months.
Brad and I go out alone once a year for our anniversary (2 days before Christmas). A friend offered to trade babysitting favors with us so that we could enjoy our anniversary, even though her family was going out of town that same night.
I got enough substitute teaching jobs in December and January to purchase the items we needed before Evelyn was born.
My father-in-law came to visit for 3 weeks and helped with the dish-washing, laundry, and house-cleaning chores.
My computer broke down on October 25. My Dad (who runs his own business) was able to locate a computer that his business no longer needed to replace my computer just before December 25.
Because we were on reduced salary in December, many of our Christmas gifts met our needs. We were given curtains, a sander, a drill, money for travel expenses, running shoes, kitchen tools, and more.
The money we made substitute-teaching in Maryland in November helped to cover our medical expenses for Evelyn’s birth in January.

As you can see, despite our reduced salary in December, God went above and beyond to meet our needs.

God warns us to be careful and watch ourselves carefully lest we forget. Why? Because when we forget the things our eyes have seen, when we let them slip from our heart, then we stop trusting God to help us. Fear, discouragement, worry, and hopelessness set in. But when we remember what God has shown us, and when we teach these things to our children, we can have courage, joy, peace, and hope. God has chosen us (Deuteronomy 4:37), and he will not forget the covenant he made with us. He will not abandon or destroy us (4:31). If we obey Him, it will go well with us and our children, and we will live long in the land God has given us (4:40).

Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, “Thus far the LORD has helped us.” 1 Samuel 7:12-14 NRSV

Freezing Lemon Juice & Lemon Slices

June 3rd, 2013

Jessica

If I haven’t mentioned it recently, our family moved to Northern California in September 2011. After living in Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, China, and Minnesota, I was unprepared for the availability of fresh fruit on the West Coast! It is not unusual to see fresh citrus fruit falling off the trees in our neighbor’s yards, nibbled on by squirrels, or brought to our home by a generous friend.

When we have a pile of fresh lemons on our counter top, we usually slice them and freeze them in bags. Then we drop them in glasses or pitchers of water, or in a cup of tea throughout the year. The kids like to eat them with a little sugar sprinkled on top, and some of our friends think frozen lemons make a delicious treat!

Brad also likes to juice our lemons, and freeze the juice in the freezer. At this rate, I’ll never need to buy lemon juice again!

Last year Brad froze some of the lemon juice in cubes, so that he could add to his beverages with ease.

Brad also slices and/or juices the other fruit that we receive, including oranges, limes, and grapefruit!

What would you do with an overabundance of fresh citrus fruit?

Pinterest Inspired: Frugal Bathtime Fun

June 1st, 2013

Jessica

Recently I spotted this Pin on Pinterest, and decided to try it with the kids. We filled our ice cub trays with water and then added a drop of food coloring. That night, we added the multi-colored cubes to their warm bath. The cubes didn’t last for long, but the kids had fun chasing and chewing on them. As you can see, it also changed the color of the bathtub water!

Have you tried any fun Pinterest-inspired ideas recently?

(If you’d like to follow me on Pinterest, click here!)

DIY Facial Cleanser

May 31st, 2013

Jessica

You may remember my November book review of Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider. I really enjoyed the book, and have also enjoyed her blog and subsequent articles. Recently a friend of mine mentioned that she was trying a DIY facial cleanser, inspired by Tsh’s Simple Mom blog. I was almost out of face wash anyway, so I thought I’d give it a try.

You can read more about Tsh’s Oil-Cleansing Method at her blog. I mistakenly used 100% Olive Oil instead of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil as Tsh suggests. It was too late by the time I realized my mistake, so I’m using it anyway. I got the Olive Oil at the grocery store, and the Castor Oil at Walgreens. I used one part Castor Oil to three parts Olive Oil. So far I’ve been pleasantly surprised. My skin felt a little more oily for the first few days, but I haven’t had any break-outs. I may try a little more Castor Oil next time. I scrubbed the label off of the Olive Oil bottle to have a prettier way to store my new cleanser.

Now obviously I messed up the Olive Oil, but there is a pretty big price difference between the two methods. The Clean & Clear above costs about $5.63 for 6.5 oz ($0.87/oz) while the 100% Olive Oil and Castor Oil costs about $9.42 for 16 oz ($0.59/oz). However, Extra-Virgin Olive Oil will most likely cost you more than the 100% Olive Oil. All of these numbers could vary greatly depending on whether you used coupons or other savings methods.

Have you ever tried making a DIY facial cleanser?

DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent

May 30th, 2013

Jessica

My husband, Brad, has been urging me to try a recipe he found for DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent for some time. We are not only a family of five, but we also cloth diaper our children, so we go through a lot of laundry. I was able to pick up all three ingredients (yes, only three!) at our local Win-Co grocery store in the laundry aisle. Brad shaves the bar soap, combines the ingredients in a plastic storage container, and then adds 1-2 Tbsp per load.

DIY Homemade Laundry Detergent

1 Bar (4.5 ounces) of shaved bar soap (Ivory, Zote, Fels-Naptha)
1 Cup of Borax
1 Cup of Washing Soda

Directions: Stir together for 5 minutes. Add 1-2 Tbsp per load.

Have you ever tried making homemade laundry detergent?

Pruned To Be More Fruitful

May 29th, 2013

Jessica

Our Grape Arbor

“He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:2

On Sunday Brad was asked to preach at the first and second service of a local church. Between the services we were invited to sit in on a Sunday School class. Our teacher led a class discussion of John 15. I was especially struck by John 15:2. “Every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

The last 8 months have not been easy. We’ve been on reduced salary 3 times. I had an undiagnosed infection for 4 months. We had a baby. We went to Maryland for 2 weeks. Brad had training in Florida for one week, and a mission trip to Mexico for one week. We hosted family from Maryland for 5 1/2 weeks. We live 2700 miles from our families for most of the year. I underwent surgery 3 weeks ago.

But if I look at this passage, Jesus pretty much guarantees that if I’m producing fruit, then I will be pruned so that I can produce more fruit. Instead of feeling sorry for myself when hard times come, I can recognize that I am being pruned for future fruitfulness. I can be grateful and hopeful knowing that God can use my struggles for His glory.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22

It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over

May 28th, 2013

Jessica

10 days ago I wrote about how I was quitting my blog. As you can tell from the past week of blog posts, I’m having a difficult time letting go. For one thing, my husband and parents are encouraging me to keep blogging, even if I can’t do it as often or as well as I would like. For another thing, I can’t seem to stop taking photos and mentally composing blog posts in my head. As I began to purge my computer of anything related to my blog I found more pictures and notes that I didn’t want to waste. I mean, who else will celebrate with me if I read another book, find another freebie, or do another diy project that I found on Pinterest? So here I sit again, writing on my laptop on the couch while my 3 babies are napping.

So for now, instead of quitting, I will be changing things up a bit. I will be doing my best to ignore the voices in my head that compare me to other “better” blogs with better Google Analytics, Pinterested images, Photoshopped photographs, Facebook “likes”, income generated from advertisements, and more. Instead, I will continue to photograph our daily life, and share what is on my heart. Due to my other responsibilities, my articles may be shorter or less frequent than in the past. You may have already noticed that my pictures have been smaller, which also saves me time. I hope to be on the computer less when my children are awake, and more when they are asleep. This will take better time management on my part, but I think I’m up for the challenge.

Thank you for sticking with this wife, as I attempt to live abundantly. Thank you for encouraging me when I feel discouraged.

Love,
Jessie

How To Be Generous When You’re Just Scraping By

May 27th, 2013

Jessica

Last November I read 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excessby Jen Hatmaker, and I loved it. I highly recommend that you all read it. However, it is not the kind of book one can read without acting on it. Shortly thereafter I was watching The Muppet Christmas Carolwith my kids (a family favorite from my childhood), and I felt convicted yet again. I have been a frugal person since childhood, but as I watched Scrooge I could see the other side of my penny-pinching ways. I longed to be generous like Jen and give out of my excess, and I longed to leave a legacy of generosity instead of legacy of stinginess.

Then, in December, Brad’s salary was reduced by 25% and I became fearful that we were returning to April 2010, when our salary was reduced and we were eventually laid off. I was angry at God for convicting me on generosity just moments before taking away a portion of our income. But as I read my Bible each day, I saw Paul celebrating those who gave despite their poor circumstances. So I began to look for ways to be generous, in spite of our deficit. For all I know, we will always be scraping by, and I don’t want to wait around the rest of my life in hopes that someday I’ll have enough of a surplus to be generous. Here are a few ways that I have found to be generous, even when you’re just scraping by:

Give a meal: Our church uses the website Take Them A Meal to organize meal deliveries for families in our church.
Give your freebies: We had a surplus of freebies in our medicine cabinet, so I found a friend who needed them.
Give your time: My husband took our Young Life kids Christmas Caroling around our neighborhood, and made a lot of new friends.
Give your talents: I’ve been helping my husband with the administrative chores of his job so that he can focus on the other things that need his attention.
Give your knowledge: My sister was fundraising for an 11-month mission trip, and was selling items on eBay and Amazon as a fundraiser. I was able to help her with my knowledge of these two websites.
Give your home: Our family often hosts Young Life events, but we also host friends and family when they visit.
Give your transportation: When a friend’s car broke down recently, we offered a ride.

Last week I was again lamenting that we didn’t have enough money to give as much as I would like to give. Minutes later, a friend showed up unannounced and asked to borrow an item from our garage. I enjoyed God’s sense of humor. We’re on 75% salary again this month and next, and yet God keeps giving me opportunities to give. I was thrilled to be able to give my friend exactly what she needed, and God stopped my complaints. If you long to be generous on a limited budget, I challenge you to start looking around for creative ways to be generous. You may find there are more ways to be generous than you ever imagined!

What ways have you discovered to be generous when you are just scraping by?

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