Cloth Diaper Strip Washing

We started cloth diapering Ashley on her second month.  Now that she’s 7 months old, it’s been 5 months since we’ve been diapering in an eco-friendly way.  Our expenses on disposable diapers have been slashed by more than 50% too.  As it has been 5 months already, signs of the need to strip wash have become evident, too.  So yesterday, that’s what I did in the morning while the sun was out.  The rainy days are here so the next few months would not be a great time to strip wash.

A strip wash is meant to thoroughly cleanse and remove left over residues in nappies.  Continuous use and wash will affect its absorbency and can even cause it to smell over time.  Residues are the lingering detergent particles that lingers and brought about by wrong way of washing.  Wee and poop adhere to these residues thus a strong odor emanates.

There are two ways of strip washing according to a guide I got from Modern Cloth Nappying Pinays Group on Facebook:

• Option 1: Start on CLEAN NAPPIES. Put in the washing machine and start the water. Put a FEW DROPS of non-moisturizing dishwashing liquid. The same amount you would use in a sink of water is fine. Do a long wash (without detergent!). Rinse, rinse, rinse until there are no more suds. This is best done using warm water.  Detergent suds is different from bubbles from the water being agitated by the machine — you can test this by collecting some of the water that comes out of the machine, wait and see. Bubbles will dissipate quickly, detergent suds will remain on top of the water. Line-dry under the sun. If the nappies still smell or leak, repeat as needed.

• Option 2: This is done only for heavily-stained nappies. Start on CLEAN NAPPIES. Put in the washing machine and start the water. Put 1/2 cup of vinegar. Let the machine run for a while so the vinegar can mix in. Add 1/4 cup of bicarbonate soda. Run for a while. Let it soak for a few hours, overnight if possible. This is best done using cold water — bicarbonate soda loosens stain particles and heat will set the stain back in! Do a long wash. Rinse then line-dry under the sun.

Since Ashley’s diapers are not heavily-stained.  I followed the first option.  It wasn’t that difficult and exhausting since it’s the washing machine that did the heavy load.  In fact, I was even able to download from the web an ITIL 2011 pdf while washing.  The rinsing on warm water part was the most challenging for me since you have to rinse it one at a time.  The good news about strip washing is that you don’t do this often.  It is advised to do this just once every 6 months.

Things to Prepare for my Pre-schooler before Going to School

I can’t believe that summer will be over soon. I’m still on vacation mode but I know that I need to prepare my kids for school soon. I have two kids who will be going to school now. It is a big change for all of us so I want to make sure that everyone is prepared for this. I made a list on what to prepare for my pre-schooler and grade-schooler. You might want to check it out too and see if it this applies to you and your family:

- Uniforms, new underwear and undershirts

This is my pre-schooler’s first time to go to school so I will be purchasing new uniforms, underwear and undershirts.

- School Shoes

As for her school shoes, I hope I would be able to get something that she will be able to use for the entire year. Yes, I need sturdy school shoes.

- Bag and Lunchbox

I used to not fret over bags and lunchboxes but with my experience with my eldest, some bags get broken after a few months use. So I’m thinking of buying the sturdiest bag so she can at least use this in 1 to 2 years.

- Books and School Supplies

Books and school supplies can be bought in my kids’ school. I just have to make sure that I get books as soon as it arrive, I heard that books and school supplies would go out of stock if I buy it last minute.

- Fix Schedule for the Entire School Year

Another thing that I need to prepare is our schedule for the entire school year. Two kids in school is a bit busy so I have to make sure that our schedule is fixed even before the school year starts.

Michelle is a freelance writer who enjoys blogging and travelling. In one of her recent travels, she tried akupunktur (acupuncture) and she shared the story through her blog.

Wednesday Happy Thoughts

1.  Jollibee Tuna Pie and Yum with TLC for merienda

2.  Ashley’s first taste of banana, squash and sweet potato

3.  Free 4 pieces of Summer Korker Bows from Celestina and Co for Ashley

4.  Dainty logo design, product cards and business cards designed by Nyree

5.  Asher’s Summer School

6.  American Idol Top 4

7.  Ashley’s babbles, giggles and smiles

8.  Continuous downpour of online work

9.  Online resources and inspirations for headband making

10.  Logo quiz app on iPhone

Super Moms Get Exhausted Too

I’ve mentioned a countless times how happy and blessed I am being a Work-at-Home Mom.  But today, I reached a low point when I’m so wanting to take a break and have a “me” time even for just an hour…cry it out in the bathroom while staring at  rustic bathroom vanities like how Charlotte closed herself in the pantry closet in the Sex and the City 2 movie.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids infinitely but sometimes being with a defiant preschooler and a demanding 6 month old baby 24/7 and having a work deadline to beat can drain my energy and sanity down to the lowest level.  The mood worsens even more if you have a grumpy helper. 

Talk about stress.  Pressure.

Yes..work-at-home moms have this badge:

But super moms aren’t robots and do feel tired, stressed and exhausted, too.

Remember, even Superman becomes very weak when he comes into contact with Green Kryptonite.

Week-Long Food Overload

We’re so looking forward to a lot of things happening on the next few days.  There’s the swimming outing with my friends and their families (the beer kits, swimwear and food are ready!), Mother’s Day on Sunday, the husband’s birthday on Monday, a joint celebration of birthday and baptism of a niece and a nephew next week.  Looks like it’ll be a more than a week-long food overload once again.  I’m just glad that I’m not on a diet nor restricting myself from eating too much.   I can eat as much as I can without worrying that I’d balloon in exaggeration.  In fact, I need all those calories to sustain my super power of producing breast milk.