A Paleo Life: Update

This will be a completely honest post.  You may agree or not, whatever I don't care. lol

We have realized that we do love eating this way however for us right now its way too expensive.  Where we live is the reason! We don't have farmer's markets yet and we have limited grocery stores.  Another huge thing is the produce here sucks most of the time.  We have been able to snag some awesome strawberries from the commissary and some really good bananas lately as well too but other than that, CRAP! Half of what we buy is spoiled in like 2 days, and yes we do store everything appropriately.  Being so far North means food has to travel REALLY far so by the time it gets here its on the verge of death.

In my last post, I think we spent about $360 on food.  We still have a ton of meat in my freezer so I can't complain there.  However, we have had to go to the store a million times and have probably spend another $150.  (Let me also mention my kids are eating everything in sight right now so that doesn't help the situation either).

So we need to figure out a compromise until we get out of here.  That may mean being like 75% Paleo and having rice or something here and there.  I would still like to be gluten and dairy free and most certainly processed foods/preservative free. Our meals will still mainly be meat and veggies but I may take up some more Paleo baking and things like that.

We move to Boise, ID in a few months and then we plan on picking back up a little more seriously.  They have tons of farmer's markets and food co-ops that are wonderful and very well priced.  I CANNOT WAIT TO GET THERE! I just love Boise. lol

Anyway to the fun part.  Today is Sunday so it has been 3 weeks since we started this journey.  I am now down to 171 lbs.  So that is down about 9 lbs.  I think I look like I've lost even more than that though.  I can definitely say my muscle mass has gone up and fat has gone down.  I also need to add that I haven't been this skinny since before I had kids so HUGE WIN FOR MAMA!!!!! My goal right now is to get down to about 160 lbs. It would be ideal if I could be close to that by the middle of May when I go to a reunion for my old dance company! :)

A Paleo Life: A Cost Experiment

A friend of mine messaged me the other day and asked me if I would be willing to share with everyone how much we are spending on food.  It's funny because I had just talked to a Paleo friend of mine about it just before that. 

My Paleo friend said she feels like she spends less on food.  I have only been doing this for under two weeks but I felt like I was spending MORE and to be honest, I don't really care if I spend more.  I think it is kinda sad that Americans worry so much about how much they spend on food.  In all honesty, food should be one of the things we spend the most money on.  GOOD food nourishes our bodies and keeps us happy and healthy.  Anyway, I will get off my soap box....

So to try and figure out how expensive/inexpensive it is to eat Paleo, I will tell you all how much I spent on food this month.  Then at the end of the month I will tell you what is left, then we can kind of get an idea of cost.

Here is what I had left in my freezer(meat): 7 pork chops, 1 whole chicken and 3 chicken breasts.

We went to 3 stores today: Sam's Club, Price Chopper and The Mustard Seed(health food store).  Here is a quick breakdown of what we got and spent.

SAM'S CLUB
We spent: $197.47($158.53 on just food)
(this includes toilet paper, a big thing of coffee and some sales books for GH. So subtract about $38.94 since we are only talking about food)

Here is a list of the big things we got:
7lbs of bacon
10lbs of ground beef
7lbs of pork shoulder
6lbs of Cod fillets
Organic apples
Beef jerky
Cashews
Avocados
Veggie Medley
Bananas

The first paycheck of the month has the most leftover so we like to go to Sam's and stock up.  I usually wouldn't buy a pork shoulder but I found an awesome recipe that I want to try called TexMex Crockpot Carnitas

PRICE CHOPPER
* I will tell you that Price Chopper isn't the cheapest grocery store in the world but I really like their produce.  They have a lot of organic veggies and their produce is much better than Walmart.

We spent: $67.85

We mainly got some of the veggies that we didn't want in bulk or that Sam's didn't have like spinach, onions and artichokes. We also got several spices and some Tapioca flour so I can try a new Paleo bread recipe.  We had to get 2 half gallons of Almond Milk(that's what Corbin drinks) and coffee creamer(yes we cheat with coffee creamer! lol). I also got some Olive Oil mayo(since we know I SUCK at making my own) and some Stevia in the Raw(for when I want to sweeten something but not use sugar).

THE MUSTARD SEED
*This place is pretty over priced but they are the only health food store in the area so they get away with it.

We spent: $61.34

The main purpose for going there was to get freshly made almond butter(about $10/lb) and some supplements for me. We also got a super foods mix for Brian to put into his smoothies and a few other little things.

Really, besides the almond butter, going to Mustard Seed was just cause we wanted to. :)

So that's the breakdown....I will update when we go to the store again since I am sure we will end up needing more veggies or fruit.  I haven't meal planned or anything lately though.  I am enjoying throwing things together and making my own random meals. We have a few recipes we want to try, so we will just make them on whatever day ends up being best.  Our life has been crazy hectic lately!

A Paleo Life: It's been one week!

Well today is Sunday so it has been one week since we began this awesome diet! I have done a lot better than I ever thought I would. I have had opportunities to cheat and eat something bad for me but have turned it down because I didn't WANT to eat it.  I don't think I can say I have felt like this before on a diet.  Usually I feel deprived and have to resist to cheat all the time....with this, I simply don't want to cheat.

I have learned a few things this week.  For one, there are so many different "Paleos" out there with their own idea of how we should eat.  Some are super hardcore! One said something along the lines of "cavemen didn't bake so even paleo-friendly baked goods aren't okay". Well, your right, they obviously didn't have a Kitchenaid and oven handy.....however I am not trying to BE a caveman. I am trying to eat the food our bodies were meant to eat, the food humans have eaten since the beginning of time. If making a baked goodie out of gluten-free ingredients makes me happy, I am going to do it.  It makes it easier and more realistic for me.  Regardless to if I eat baked goods or not, I am eating a million times better than ever before and that counts for something....a big something!

Here are some things we tried that I totally loved!
Paleo Breakfast Bread
Chocolate Frosting Shots

The breakfast bread is sooooo good! Even Corbin liked it! The Chocolate frosting....pretty much AMAZING!! I used it as a dip for strawberries and it was seriously so good! These two things will be served quite often around here I bet! :)

As for results so far...
My weight hasn't changed since my last post but you can certainly see a difference.  I feel like my waist is slimming down quite a bit, as well as my arms.  I should probably do some measurements to keep track better.
I am drinking lots more water and am actually loving veggies.  I have never eaten so many veggies in my life, but now I love them and prefer them. :)


I am very excited to continue with this journey! Hope you enjoy reading about it. :)

A Paleo Life: How its going

Well today is day 5 of this journey.  So here is an update on how its going.

I kinda forgot to mention that I did cheat on my first day! (who does that right? lol) In my defense, my husband and I went on a date(which doesn't happen all that often) and we went to a movie.  We got popcorn and soda :( but no candy!  Since then I have been sticking to it quite well. I am starting to get used to vegetables and eating when I am hungry and not because its "meal time". I am mainly snacking here and there all day, so yay for that metabolism boost!

I've read that eventually you will stop craving carbs and sugars and I can say that is probably true.  I will admit, I am an ice cream person and was a huge carb lover(hence why I am chubby lol). At first it was a little hard to not have crackers with my Paleo Chili or ice cream as a dessert.  But as the days go by I find it to be easier to restrain the urge.  Now, if I want something sweet, I grab some berries or grapes.  If I want a snack, I have some veggies with my Paleo friendly Ranch dip or some beef jerky.

I am now hooked on researching everything Paleo.  It's amazing how many resources there are for this out there.  A whole new world has opened up for me! I really want to stick to this! I kind of have a problem with giving up on things like diet/exercise but this is fun for me right now and I hope that fun stays around. 

Now let's talk about the fun part! I think I am finally brave enough to share my weight with everyone and will let you know as it goes down. :) For a few weeks I would fluctuate between 175-180 depending on how much I ate the day before.  Before I began Paleo, I was pretty much at 180.  Well this morning I was down to 175!! :) My current goal weight is 155 so not too far to go.  Wish me luck! :)

A Paleo Life: Casey saves the day!

So, I told myself I would be completely honest on here....so here it goes!

I have been sticking to the Paleo diet but it has been a little tough! I never realized how many carbs I ate in a day, or how much processed junk.  Kinda grosses me out now.

One thing I was having an issue with is raw veggies.  I like them, but I mainly like them with a dip or something.  Most of my life I didn't really eat my veggies, so this is kind of a new thing.
So, I decided I would allow myself to have some veggie dip until I got used to it.  I bought the Organic kind. Yes, I know, it has milk...but I figured if I am going to stick to this diet, I need to ease into some things or else I will get frustrated and cave in(no pun intended! lol).

Well today my friend Casey told me about her "Ranch" recipe.  Here it is:

"Ranch":
1/2 cup Vegannaise
Soy milk(or your choice of any other non-dairy milk ie: Almond or Coconut)
1/2 tsp Onion Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
-Mix the milk and Vegannaise until you reach desired consistency.  Stir in onion and garlic powder. Season to taste.

I made it a little differently.  I used Olive Oil mayo (store bought since we all know I can't handle mayo making!) and Coconut milk in mine.  It was seriously so good...and something I don't have to beat myself up over.  I used just a little bit on my salad tonight at dinner...and I went back for seconds!!

I am so happy! Finally something I like, that I can have and not feel bad about it.  I am pretty proud of myself so far I must say.  Yes it has only been like 3 days, but in this short time I have drastically changed my eating habits.  I never realized how poorly I was eating before! I can now feel good about everything I put into my body....and I like that! :)

A Paleo Life: Homemade Mayo Attempt

Last night I decided to try to make my own Paleo friendly mayo so that I could turn it into a veggie dip. We learned making mayo is certainly not my strong point.....at all.  It is honestly quite time consuming and kind of difficult.  Okay, maybe difficult isn't the word exactly, perhaps the problem was that I don't do well with being patient when I cook. :)

So I would like to take the opportunity to share something with you all.  I stumbled upon a blog that has a demo video! Awesome! See the blog here: Homemade Paleo Mayo Cooking Demo

I did not try again after I found this video however.  I had already wasted half a dozen eggs on my little experiement turned bad.  I might give it another try down the road though.  I think I will try the baconnaise recipe next time.  I'm not sure that I will like the olive oil kind, even if I make it right. :)

A Paleo Life: The Beginning

My husband and I have recently decided to change our eating habits and live a much healthier lifestyle.  We have always thought that what the first humans ate, was probably what we should be eating.  It just makes sense to us.  After further research and talking with a few friends, we found what some refer to as the Paleo/Primal diet.  I researched it a bunch more and decided it was perfect for us! I personally could eat meat every single day, I grew up that way.  Brian and I are most certainly carnivores! :)

Disclaimer: Before anyone gets all crazy on me....This is just OUR journey...keyword: OUR! We will probably not follow it 100% to start out(baby steps!!!) and there will be times I will cheat or mess up.  We are only human.  We are trying our best and that's okay with us, so let it be okay with you. :)

For more information on the Paleo lifestyle, see these links.

Ultimate Guide to Eating Paleo

Paleolithic Diet Explained

Both links are great visual explanations! 

Today, St. Patty's Day, we started our journey!!

First, I decided all no-no foods had to go! If its not in my house, I won't eat it. As I cleaned my pantry out, I realized how horribly we were eating.  The pantry was pretty much bare when we were done.  We did keep a few things for the kids though, since they aren't going to be as easy to switch.

Here is what I got rid of:

Yeahh...we like Ramen!

 This is what our pantry looks like post-clean.

The top shelf is for the boys.  We plan on avoiding canned vegetables and eating as much fresh veggies as possible, but again, baby steps.

Then it was on to the fridge!! I just threw out what was in there that was a no-no, so here is what we kept.

Yes I am keeping my coffee creamer.  I can't cut the coffee just yet! :) We also kept a few condiments but honestly they will probably go soon.

The fridge is kind of a disaster right now from having family in town and a birthday party. We have an over abundance of salsa. Lots of random veggies left too.

Now for the freezer.  Pretty much only had to pitch a few Lean Cuisines.

Yes I am aware that the Bacardi is a no-no.  However, Brian recently bought it so I wasn't gonna make him throw it out! :)

After our massive food purge....we went grocery shopping.  First we hit up the local health food store, then onto the grocery store and finally to Sam's Club.  We would prefer to buy local veggies/fruits and grass-fed beef and such but the farmer's market hasn't started up just yet so the regular store will have to do for now.

Here is what we got:

YUMMM!!!

I am actually extremely excited to do this.  Meat and veggies sounds just fine to me! I love that we can have eggs, that will make breakfast super easy.  Oh! We will continue to eat butter.  We bought a big thing of it from the health food store, so it's the good kind.  I have just heard so many great things about butter and just can't ditch it. I might change my mind later, but for now we use it!

Neither of us are Irish, at all, but we happen to enjoy St. Patrick's Day(especially since it's so close to Corbin's birthday).  So tonight we will eat Corned Beef and red potatoes.  Potatoes are one of those if-y foods for this diet, but I say its a veggie so we will eat it. 

So that's all for our first day.  I will continue to update you all on how it is going.  Hopefully I will get a chance to blog more often.  :)

Stripping Diapers with RLR

I am going to share with you all the way I strip my diapers.  You will probably find other ways to do this as well but this is the way I do it.  I first tried RLR about a year ago and now it is the only thing I fully trust to deep clean my diapers.

So get yourself a packet of RLR HERE.

Before we start, you need clean diapers.  So do your regular wash routine to get them clean.  

If you have a lot of diapers, consider splitting them up into 2-3 batches.  I split mine up into 2.

 1. Fill your washer with HOT water, a packet of RLR and your diapers.

2. Close the lid and let it agitate for a minute or so.

You should see lots of suds!

 3. Let it soak!!! I suggest letting it soak for several hours, if not overnight.  I personally let it soak all night long.

4. After letting it soak, let it agitate for a minute again. (the bubbles suds will settle from sitting). Then get a measuring cup and start scooping all the suds off the top.  This is a kind of lengthy process but trust me, its better than doing a million rinses.  I have a utility sink next to my washer so I scoop and dump the suds in the sink. 

You want to remove as much of the suds as you can. 

5.  Now to rinse! Turn your washer back on and let it run through a cycle.  I can add a double rinse on mine automatically so I do that.  Continue to rinse, rinse, rinse and lift the lid to check on it every once in awhile.  If you can still see suds or some soap residue floating on the top of the water, you need to keep rinsing.  I will use my scoop to get rid of some of the suds during the rinse phase.  

See the soap lingering around?

6. Once you can lift the lid and see clear water, YOUR DONE! You can go ahead and dry your diapers as usual!

I hope these directions were clear.  If you have a question, please comment on this post. :)

Cheers to clean diapers!!!

Coin Covered Letters

Coin covered letters are a totally unique way to decorate a wall in your home! I found the idea here on Pinterest.  **I did not come up with this idea, I just saw it and did my own thing**

Materials:

Wooden letter(s)
Coins(your choice of coin)
Craft Paint
Paintbrush
Hot Glue Gun

An H for Hummer, obviously! :)

Step 1:

Clean your coins! I found this website here and used what I had on hand.  First we did a soak in Coca Cola (cause we all know how nasty that stuff is!) We let it soak for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, paint your letter(s) if you so choose.  We painted it brown somewhat blend with the pennies.

Before

After(it doesn't have to be pretty, you will cover it up!)

After the Coca-Cola soak, I did the vinegar and salt mixture soak that was on the website.  I only let them sit for about 10 minutes.

You don't need much, just enough to cover it.

Tip: To rinse between soaks, throw the coins into a colander and use the sprayer on your kitchen sink.

Lastly, we did a polish with baking soda and water.  I mixed the two to make a paste and then poured it into my canister.  Then I rubbed the coins one by one with my fingers or with a toothbrush if they were really nasty. Side Note: This makes your fingers tired! So recruit an assistant to help you!

Do another rinse and then lay them flat on a towel to dry.

Step 2: 

Now this is the fun part! Get your hot glue gun plugged in and warming up and decide how you want your coins laid out.

Someone dropped water on my letter and left that nice white spot! Wonder who!?

Step 3:

Glue your coins on! Do this quickly as the glue will cool down pretty quick.  I suggest putting the glue on the coin and then pressing the coin down on the letter. If you decide to layer some coins(I did a little bit of this), put the glue onto the area you are going to layer and then QUICKLY press down on the coin.  You gotta move quick when putting a coin on top of another coin. Continue doing this until you cover your letter.  Like this:

Pretty huh?

Now hang that pretty thing on the wall!!!

This wall is still a work in progress! :)

Your done!!! Not too bad right? If I were to do this again, I would hunt for a larger letter.  This was the largest I could find at Michaels.  Maybe you could get a thin piece of wood and make your own? Oh the possibilites!

I'm Back!!

I know I know, I have said a million times that I am going to pick back up on this blog. Well this time I am REALLY REALLY gonna try!!! Now that crafting is huge part of my life, I decided I need to share my adventures with everyone! :) I will also be sharing some home organization and other mommy stuff like that.  Of course there will also be living green topics as well!

It's Official! I am opening a store!

Hey everyone! Long time no talk I know! Life has been very busy!
I constantly have people sending me messages about cloth diapering and all my other "green" tendencies! A lot of the time they are looking to purchase some stuff....so I decided....why not open my own store? So, my newest adventure in life is.....

Green Humbug...Reusable Products for Mama and Baby!
I will be making cloth diapers and covers, mama cloth(cloth menstrual pads), nursing pads, and whatever else I feel like honestly!
I am drafting my own diaper patterns now so hold tight! I will have testers available in the next couple weeks. I will be selling sized diapers because honestly I like them better. I may end up offering a One-Size pattern in the future but probably not overly soon.

Now to get everyone excited...check out my AWESOME new logo. Made by the amazing Chris Teeter at Chris Teeter Design! (If you ever need a graphic go to him! This was the first thing he sent me and it was just too perfect!)

It's perfect, right? I KNOW! I love it!

Ok I have a lot of work to do! Go "like" my page on FB! Green Humbug

Amber Teething Necklaces

Amber teething necklaces are the greatest! Basically you put the necklace on your baby and leave it! The warmth of their skin allows the amber to secrete an acid that is a natural pain reliever. THE BABY DOES NOT CHEW ON THE NECKLACE! These necklaces are basically like a choker..so that baby cannot put it in their mouth. 
Bryson has had one on for probably 6 months or more. I never take it off. It is not long enough to choke on or anything. When he first started cutting teeth it was miserable! He did not handle it very well. Since he has had the necklace he has cut most of the teeth he has now and I don't even notice most of the time. I seriously I go to brush his teeth and find new teeth in his mouth! It's amazing! It really works great for him!
You can use Amber for other things as well....they come in bracelets for arthritis and longer necklaces for adults for migraines and other pains.
So here is why we are discussing this today: I have had a few friends interested in trying these out.  The thing is, they retail for about $18 & up. I am extremely cheap and will not pay that.  I got mine from a co op on a cloth diapering group for a great price! I decided to go ahead and host a co op so my friends can try these amazing things too. If you are interested please comment on this post or send me an email: devynhummer@yahoo.com. As soon as I have an idea of how many people want them I will be able to give prices. I am estimating we can do it for about $10-12 each including postage to me and you. The more we buy the better the deal we get! So tell your friends!

DIY - How To Make Your Own Diaper Sprayer

I came across this video in one of my cloth diapering groups. This shows you how to make your own diaper sprayer so you don't have to buy one at the ridiculous price of $40 or more. The Mama that posted it said her hubby made their sprayer for about $12!!!
If your lost, a diaper sprayer attaches to your toilet making it super easy to clean poopy diapers off. You do not need to spray them off if you EXCLUSIVELY breastfeed...this means baby does not receive ANY baby food, table food, or formula. Breastfed poop is completely water soluble and will rinse away in the wash. Formula and baby food poop will not rinse well in the washer and you will have small clumps of poop lingering around (trust me I know this, I didn't spray a diaper off very well once LOL)
A diaper sprayer makes dealing with poop sooo much easier! I wouldn't live without one. Bryson eats all table food now so his poo is mostly solid and I can just plop it in the toilet but sometimes it won't be so solid and we need to rinse it off...this takes about 10 seconds and is really not that big of a deal!

Vinegar!!

I have been neglecting this blog...yet again! I apologize! I am going to really try hard and work on it more often.... Today I would like to talk about vinegar! I know I discuss it on my Chemical free cleaning page...but since I started this blog I have learned new ways of using it....and want to remind you of another great use!

Toilets: Put about a TBSP of baking soda in your toilet...then pour in about a cup of vinegar. You can use less vinegar if you would like just make sure you pour enough in to get some good foam going! Let it sit for a few and scrub with your toilet brush.....and VOILA! Perfection!!!
Our toilets can get a nasty ring around them pretty quickly and this method takes about 2 seconds to get them pearly white again! I will never use toilet bowl cleaner ever again!

Whiten Whites/Brighten Colors: I already discuss this on the cleaning page but it works so well lets talk about it again! Put some vinegar in your downy ball and throw it in the wash....it works amazingly well!! Since Bryson has started walking...his socks are no longer white! They get pretty dirty and it was bugging me! So I started using vinegar again and they look a lot better!

Diapers: I was having some serious stink issues recently and talked about it with many different cloth diapering mamas! One of them gave me a suggestion and it has worked like a charm...so I thought I would share it with ya'll! Now...I use mostly fitted diapers with a few pockets...they say vinegar can eat at the PUL...I have never had a problem with the pockets I throw in but if you don't want to chance it, I understand. If you are a pocket diaper mama....throw your inserts only in for this soak.
 Fill your washer with hot water on a medium sized load setting. Pour an entire gallon of vinegar into the washer(go to Sam's Club! I have bought so much vinegar from there). Then add about a TBSP of baking soda. Throw all your stinky diapers in...if you would like you can let the washer agitate for a few seconds to mix well. Then pause the machine and let them soak...either overnight or for several hours. I typically throw mine in first thing in the morning and let them soak till the afternoon. Once you are done with your soak...un-pause your machine so it can finish it's cycle. I then wash them normally and add an extra rinse or 2 with hot water.
This method has worked SOOO well! My diapers got some serious buildup when I was visiting my mom and this fixed them right up!! Bryson's skin looks so much better since we have been doing this. I do it about once a month or so. If anyone has any questions about anything natural/green please ask away! Chances are I know the answer or can figure it out for you!

I am gonna do it!

Everyone knows I am a HUGE natural birth believer! Some of you know I started my journey to become a midwife in 2007 but have taken a break.....well break no longer! I have found a route that works perfect for me and plan on finally fulfilling my goal of becoming a midwife! I have pushed this aside for too long and I know I need to get back to it! There are not enough midwives in this country so I am going to do my part and add one more!! I am so excited that I can hardly stand it! Wish me luck!

I'm Back!!

It has been FOREVER since I have done anything with this blog! I am so sorry about that! We had Bryson's first birthday and then we moved up to New York! Hopefully things are settled enough for me to get going with this again!!! UPDATES: There have been some changes to our cloth diapering lives lately. I have recently decided that I like fitteds and covers much better than pockets....so all pockets are gone and we only have fitteds now! Yes they have 1 more step but they hold more pee since the whole diaper can absorb instead of just the insert! As most of you know, we are pregnant again with baby #2! I am 18 weeks and due in March. And of course I already have tons of diapers for the new baby! :) Lots of new stuff going on! I have a few pages to work on so I will get going with that as soon as possible!

I am SOOO proud!

Hey Everyone!!!

I am so happy with how this blog has turned out so far and I hope you are too!!! I have received messages from lots of people telling me they are switching their cleaning supplies and....dun di du dun....SWITCHING TO CLOTH!

I am soo proud!!! So far 3 people have contacted me about switching to cloth! Good job Mamas! Let's give them some good credit: (I will use initials only)

J.M.- Has purchased and received some Fuzzi Bunz pocket diapers for her child (who is potty trained during the day) to use at night! Way to go J!!!

M.D.- Is purchasing some Happy Heiny's I believe for her little baby! So excited for you M!

A.G.- We are searching for some diapers for her twins for nighttime! Great job A!!!

I am so excited for those 3! I hope you LOVE cloth as much as I do!!! I am always here to help you find diapers....I am somewhat addicted to buying them so I love searching around for good deals!!!

To anyone else: Don't be shy! If you are interested, let me know! I can help you find some diapers to try out! Don't feel obligated to jump right in....there is no hurt in buying 1 or 2 to try out and see what you think!!!

Have a Great Day!!!

Here is Bryson in his new fleece soaker! It matches his shirt perfect! Live Green People!!! :)

Found the Article Re: Disposables-Ick

I found the article that the woman got her information from. This honestly brings tears to my eyes....why are these chemicals being used on something that touches our babies?! Why is this okay?

People that won't do cloth because of the poop situation........read the "Environment" section CLOSELY! Technically, you are supposed to dispose of the poop before you throw the diaper away...so HA! LOL :)

http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

Disposables-Ick!

Hello Everyone!

I was reading through some different posts in my cloth diapering group on cafemom and found something very interesting. I do not know where she got her information but i am going to copy and paste it below...(it speaks for itself)

Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, an extremely toxic by-product of the paper-bleaching process. It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals. It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S..¹

Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.2

Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. A similar substance had been used in super-absorbency tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome by increasing absorbency and improving the environment for the growth of toxin-producing bacteria.3

In May 2000, the Archives of Disease in Childhood published research showing that scrotal temperature is increased in boys wearing disposable diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable diapers will blunt or completely abolish the physiological testicular cooling mechanism important for normal spermatogenesis.18

Just Found the Perfect Thing!

So I was reading through some posts on Growing Green Bum's Facebook page when I saw a link she posted!

Click here. Scroll down to the bottom and find the "Are you a hands on parent?". It has an accurate calculation of how many diapers are in the landfill a year....let's just say I was WAYY off in my little example! Wow!

If you answered yes to any of those questions.....Cloth Diapering is for you! I really hope some of you give it a thought and maybe try it out! I really LOVE to help so please ask me if you have questions that are holding you back!!! Like I had said before, cloth diapering is one of the best things I have done!