Week 2 Cloth Diaper Favorites

Week 2 of cloth diapering went well. We are happy with our fluffy butt and as he has been eating pretty much non-stop the diapers have been similar. I would say 1.5-2 hours is what we change, sometimes sooner depending on what he does and what diaper he is in. We have had some funny moments where Fulton decided he liked to wait to use the restroom until either A- we have the diaper off or B- we just put a fresh diaper on. It's made for a lot of laughs but for that second one - I am SO glad we aren't using disposables. Little man can mess as many diapers as he likes I just wash them.

Week 2 Favorites

Little man has grown quite a bit and is still little but not as little.

All in One - We have the most varied types of All In Ones. I've been trying them out and so far SmartBottoms Born smart are still a winner. We have 3 of them and I wait for them to come back around in the cycle. We are also using Grovia newborn all in ones and blueberry all in ones that are discontinued but we do love them. I won't go on about them since they aren't findable. We also still love the little joeys but now that his umbilical  has fallen off I think that Smart Bottoms and the Thirsties Natural All in One for Newborns is perhaps a close second. Friends. I can't tell you how much it absorbs it's amazing. So far natural fiber totally wins. We do have some Thirsties all in ones newborn that we had some trouble getting a good fit in the legs when he was smaller but now at 7 pounds 10 ounces we are doing much better with these but they don't absorb as much and aren't as trim. If I were to do it again I would skip the regular all in ones and go for the natural but we still use them.

Thirstiest all in one natural on a 2 week old newborn.

SmartBottoms Born Smart in Sprinkles on a newborn

Pocket- We tried apple cheeks size 1 this week and I LOVE THEM. We stuff them with the GMD newborn pre-folds and this is amazing. I will say it makes for a fluffier butt so some of his clothes don't fit as well but it absorbs! A great mid afternoon diaper when he seems to do a good amount of his production.  I do want to try them overnight but I would need to put him in a bigger sleeper for that.

Pre-folds -  We are using GMD, Thirsties hemp duo and osocozy. I still appreciate the Thirsties for the absorbency and dryness but a few things we have done. I started using fleece liners with the prefolds which has helped baby stay dry and made me feel better.  Definitely like Green Mountain over Osocozy. More absorbent.

Flats- We have flour sack towels but no other flats at the moment. I don't think it's fair to pick a favorite when I've only tried one option and it works for sure. I would say you definitely could do newborn cloth diapering with just flats or prefolds and covers and it would be super economical and easy to clean. I would say if you have people who are hesitant to help you with the cloth journey this would be the options that require a little more effort as far as putting it on the baby. Anything absorbent can be a diaper so don't shy away from the flat option. We haven't purchased any addition flats at this time but could be something to try at some point.

Fitteds- Favorite is still the Ecoposh newborn fitted. So absorbent. They wash great, they don't leak, great fit. LOVE these! My little boy pees a lot and it's amazing how these hold up for the long naps.

Covers- I'm still loving the Rumparooz Newborn covers but the Thirsties size 1 covers are now fitting! WOOHOO! And let me tell you I like where they fit on the legs better as I don't think it is as low and lets move a little more. So week 2 favorite cover may be Thirsties size 1 but only a hair over the Rumaprooz and I honestly think either one would be a great addition to your diaper stash. For the little baby I would definitely go with Rumaprooz.

alright I think that wraps up week 2. I though it would be fun to include a few pictures of him in the diapers. If that helps I can do some more of this in the future.

Review: Naturally Pure by Christen

Hi friends!

I am SO excited to share with you a new find of mine in the local farmers market. Don't worry if you don't live near me, it is available online. What could I be so excited about?
Naturally Pure by Christen's products!

Since I was a little girl I have been forced to use scent free soaps. I thought a few years back I might have found an option to get to smell like a peach or something along those lines from Lush- but sadly the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) in their products causes a rash and peeling of my skin. I'm not the only one this happens to...just google the substance and a myriad of websites will come up explaining irritation, and other problems that SLS may or may not cause. If I've learned anything in recent years it's better to be safe than sorry I try and avoid it and parabens. I don't treat these substances like anthrax, but I do try and make the best choices I can for myself and my family. Remember it wasn't too many years ago that people used Asbestos for many things, handled it with their bare hands and now we know it is highly carcinogenic.

Not only do I have an allergy to SLS, but I have eczema and another skin condition known as Keratosis Pilaris. I also am really sensitive to dye including that in clothes and definitely in body products.  Sensitive is an understatement for my skin and so the world of pretty smelling, colorful bath products and lotions has always been off limits though I haven't failed to at least try and have suffered the consequences many times. Thankfully I learned about 6-7 months ago that my skin didn't react to natural products as badly. I'm not saying ones that just say "natural" but ones truly made with organic products, essential oils and without SLS. Finding these products is harder than it sounds but when I met Christen at the farmers market and she shared about her truly natural and pure products I was willing to try and I am so glad I did.

The first time I bought a bath bomb and a chapstick. I figured the chapstick would be safe and the bath bomb was a hope but I wasn't better on it. I dropped it in the bathtub, hopped in and oh my goodness did it smell wonderful. "Sweet and Sassy" aroma filled the air and I enjoyed a bath and a book. I got out and had no rash, no red splotches and as I dried my skin no peeling was present. The next morning my skin was still soft and unaffected. It was amazing! Better yet my bathtub wasn't plagued with residue. As the bath drained so did all the color. Needless to say I've repurchased this one!

Cute packaging and such a treat!

Turns the water a beautiful pink color!

The chapstick I got was "Coconut Cream." She makes several different flavors but I'm a sucker for a pina colada so my choice was made easily. The lip balm is extremely smooth and not sticky. Your lips truly feel hydrated and the sensation lasts for quite a while. It's not thick and slowly soaks in to leave your lips nice and soft. I'm excited to try the other flavors soon.

A few more visits to her booth and I've ended up with soap which was a big test. I have NEVER been able to use scented or colored bar soaps and while the popularity of these pretty soaps are everywhere I haven't been able to use them. Multiple attempts from multiple places and I always find I'm throwing them away.  I took a leap of faith after the bath bomb and purchased a few different soaps. She has a large variety that changes depending on what fresh batches she has made but it not hard to find one you'll like-- it's hard to not buy them all!

Loved the Sweet and Sassy bath bomb so much I had to have the soap!

Yes those are real rose petals in this soap!

In the shower the soaps are very smooth and not greasy. They apply easily and are great to shave with. they also don't leave a residue on your skin but do leave a faint scent behind. Again no rash or irritation for me and I am so happy to have found a great product.

I will definitely continue to purchase from Christen. I promise these are my own opinions and Christen isn't paying me nor did she give me anything for free or discount. I have purchased from her and continued to because of the quality.

Naturally Pure products are :

* Paraben Free
* SLS-free
* Petrochemical Free
* Phthalate Free

They are handmade and the attention to detail is incredible. She uses high quality products and is very knowledgable about what should and shouldn't be in your soap.

You can find her at her website : Naturally Pure By Christen
on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/naturallypurebc?fref=ts

Please give her products a try, I promise it's not just another "natural" soap company but truly a wonderful set of products from a sweet lady. Let me know your favorites!

Now I will just be crossing my fingers for a day in Florida with less than 50% humidity as higher than that and there are no bath bombs as they can't be made. Once you try one you will hope for low humidity days for this reason also.

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

Friends, 

I am reading an amazing book at this time by Frances De Sales called Introduction to the Devout Life. He writes some inspiring words on how to grow in true devotion to Christ. A particular passage that stuck out to me this morning is below:

"But, my daughter, you must not stop short in general affections, without turning them into special resolutions for your own correction and amendment. For instance, meditating on Our Dear Lord's First Word from the Cross, you will no doubt be roused to the desire of imitating Him in forgiving and loving your enemies. But that is not enough, unless you bring it to some practical resolution, such as, I will not be angered any more by the annoying things said of me by such or such a neighbour, nor by the slights offered me by such an one; but rather I will do such and such things in order to soften and conciliate them. In this way, my daughter, you will soon correct your faults, whereas mere general resolutions would take but a slow and uncertain effect. " -Frances De Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life.

Friends. What were Jesus's first words on the cross?

Luke 23:33-34 And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him and the criminals one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." 

The first thing Jesus did? Pray. Who did He pray for? Those who were crucifying Him, and inevitably for us in our complacency against true devotion. They were killing Him and He was praying for them. Friends this should radically move your heart. I'll say it again:

THEY WERE KILLING HIM AND HE WAS PRAYING FOR THEM!

Friends. would that be you? Honestly? Would that be you? Would you be praying for your murderer as they slaughter you? Would you be asking God for their forgiveness as they torture you? Would you be praying God forgive them if they nailed through your hands and feet into the wooden cross and pushed a crown of thorns into your skull? With your arms stretched out on that cross, in your difficult effort to breath would you hoist yourself up to say "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do?" 

How much does our sweet savior love us that in His death He provided this perfect picture. One sentence but an amazing message. Friends if we are to be imitators of Christ could we do this? Friends in this time of Lent we are called to be led to a place of repentance and forgiveness. Friends contemplate these words and apply them to your life. Hear the sweet words of Jesus speak to your heart as He prays for God to forgive you even in the places you know not what you do. Pray that the grace of the Holy Spirit would enlighten your heart to your sin and that such knowledge would lead you to repentance. 

Friends to true meditate on this can do nothing but bring you to tears. Tears of thankfulness to Christ of His compassion. Tears of repentance at your failure. Tears of heartbreak for others who know not what they do. 

What does Frances De Sales write: that mere resolution to be more forgiving would have little effect but meditation on Christ will help to correct your faults. Friends we can not on our own grow in forgiveness and repentance without Christ. So we must start with the cross. Start with His words. Start with His love. We are called to forgive as Christ has forgiven us. We are to pray for those who persecute us. We are to be known by our love. In context with Jesus on the cross his commands because sweet pleas. Friends: He loves you. He loved you so much He died for you and as He died He prayed for you and for your forgiveness even when you are ignorant of your sin. Let this move your heart to forgiveness friends. Let this rock your world.  Let this bring you to true devotion of Christ. 

"...devotion is the delight of delights and queen of virtues since it is the perfection of charity. if charity is milk, devotion is cram; if it is a plant, devotion is its blossom; if it is a precious stone, devotion is its luster; if it is a rich ointment, devotions is its odor, yes, odor of sweetness which comforts men and rejoices angels." - Frances de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life. 

Friends let true devotion to Christ grow in your heart this Lenten season. 

<3

Anita