Cloth Diapering #2 (baby)

I wrote about diapering baby and my supplies not being known if they were OK or not, basically.

Yesterday DH cleaned out the garage. It was really clogged up due to many different reasons, and it was a known thing that IF any diapers were in there, they were in the corner, which was not accessible until many things were removed from the space, starting at the opening of the garage and working backwards into it.

There were old clothes in boxes, bags, and various containers, and so many had been gotten into (those dratted country mice) –but not everything was attacked. Under one horrid bag of clothing was a basket and when we got closer to it I just “knew” it was some of my diapering things. Finally it was get-at-able and sure enough it was alright, just had to peel that horrid bag off of the top of the basket and there were my diapers, pretty much pristine, in that there was no pee-pee smells, no mousie poop at all. :)

The diapers were some newborn Chinese DSQ green prefolded, a few larger ones, and then my dearly loved Mother-Ease One-Size (Popolinos) and some Sandy’s. Also several ME diaper covers.

(I put all that in the washer and ran a huge cycle first, and then took out the covers, and have run the diapers alone on the Sanitary Cycle two times now, and will be checking them over before I put them into the dryer in a few minutes.)

Later we found more diapers, in a bit more rough shape, but I was able to save out several things that are cleanable, not chewed on at all, the higher quality things. Aussie Terry Cloth Nappies, Nappy liners (triangles of a stay-dry fabric to go between baby and any diapers), and some other things.

(I’ll be washing these things today at some point, first a heavy cold washing, then hot and sanitary at least 4 times.)

So what’s in evidence is that I do need some more diapers still, and definitely some new covers. I’m interested in the Stacinator wool covers, they come in different sizes and are a snug style, and can go over even prefolds without pins of any sort. :) I like using prefolds on newborns, and also use them some all the rest of the time of diapering, but prefer snap terry diapers over all, and also those Australian Nappy’s which are really just large square-ish terry towels that you can fold into various configurations and work on most babies as they grow and grow and grow.

I have had Aristocrat Wool Soakers in the past, but know that DH ran them in the washer wrongly and shrunk them, and if I can find them, I’d be at least one is good for a newborn now … just not the larger sizes that I had purchased so long ago.

I love those soakers, and will either get some more of them over time, and/or make my own with old wool sweaters (there are directions for that online.)

I’ll make a resource post for whatever I do use soon.

Garden 2007 #1

We are planning our garden for this 2007 Growing Season. I have 4 Red Pepper (Sweet Bell) plants to install, but still need to get the actual garden space ready.

I have some peat starter kits to start the rest of my garden from seed. I hope to get those going today. I’ll make a list of what I’m doing and then also post updates as things progress.

We were planning on having 4 to 6 4×4 raised garden beds, and DH bought a bunch of landscape timbers from HomeDepot this morning to get started on the project this week … but when he got here, delighted with them I was, at first, but then saw they are pressure treated and that’s not the “old” way, but it’s still not “organic” so … back to HomeDepot they went.

We are now considering using Red Cedar posts that they have, pricer –but a better solution. :)

Our process for the garden will be to take off the grassy layer, use the Mantis tiller we have to loosen our clay “soil” ;) and then put some organic garden soil on top with the posts two-high surrounding the raised-ish bed. The posts are 5 ft. high, so that will make the squares we have bigger than we originally had planned, but that’s all part of it, being flexible!

We’ll have about 2 ft. between each of the squares, making first one or two, then more as needed, preferably at least four, but maybe six eventually. We might put down a pea stone surface in the 2 ft. space, with landscape fabric beneath. We have the fabric, but not the pea stone, yet.

I will have green beans on corners climbing bamboo “teepees” … and then the other veggies will go in when they are ready to be transplanted. Some of the seeds I got are “organic” but not all of them are, the others being just plain conventional. I’ll try to recall what I picked out: snow peas, peas, carrots, lettuce, … I’m blanking out now. I had many things in mind and couldn’t find representitives for everything. I’ll see what Whole Foods Market has next time we go, they had a nice selection of Organic seeds last time we were there, but I didn’t get any, unfortunately.