Post by Contributing Writer Sherrie Cook

For years prior to 1961, parents used cloth diapers on their children because there was no other option. Since the 60’s, paper diapers have grown with such popularity that many moms now choose them because they, too, think there is no other option.

Ten years ago I began my own personal search for a cloth diapering alternative in our modern world. I hit so many brick walls that I began to wonder if the reason was perhaps because there was something wrong with cloth diapering. Were these diapers unsanitary? Maybe all the extra laundry was too much work. Could it be that moms had finally grown weary of diaper dunking?

It didn’t take me long to decide that diapering babies using cloth must now be an archaic, extinct notion. The days of plastic pants and safety pins had been replaced with the quality and functionality of disposables. We, as a nation, had obviously arrived in diaper utopia.

However, I couldn’t help but wonder…what cost would we now pay for such luxury? It quickly became apparent to me after a few trips to the grocery store. Upon bringing my Tigger & Pooh stamped paper diapers home, I realized exactly the price to be paid – too much!

Just as that package of diapers was walking through my front door, I found myself exchanging it for a garbage bag full of its soiled predecessors. Essentially, I was throwing away my money. How much was I actually wasting? You might be surprised to learn – cloth vs. disposable diapers: a good estimate.

Twenty-two years ago it was estimated that over the course of a single year, 18 billion paper diapers were sold and used in the United States alone.1 For a family with a child in diapers, the diapering portion makes up approximately 50% of their entire household trash content.1 What a waste!

And that waste is willing to stick around for a while, too. It has been predicted that it could take 250 to 500 years for a single disposable diaper to decompose.2 That’s not the legacy I want to leave for my great, great, great grandchildren – ick!

Image by zenac

Steps to switching to cloth diapers for less waste:

1. Research your cloth options. The hardest part can be getting started. Visit forums where moms flock to talk about cloth. I love the Diaper Jungle and Stephanie’s cloth diapering section in her forum!

2. Learn how to wash cloth diapers. (It’s not as hard as you think, I promise.)

3. Pick 1 or 2 diapers to try and let the fun begin! If you can sew, consider making your own diapers. (CAUTION: some moms claim they have developed a cloth diaper addiction.)

4. Enjoy the ride to reducing waste by using cloth diapers regularly.

For those who cloth diaper, what was it that brought you to that decision? For those who don't, what holds you back?

1Lehrburger, Carl. 1988. Diapers in the Waste Stream: A review of waste management and public policy issues. 1988. Sheffield, MA: self-published.

2Link, Ann. Disposable nappies: a case study in waste prevention. April 2003. Women's Environmental Network.

Sherrie is a wife, mother, peer counselor, speaker and author. She enjoys helping fellow moms in their quest for a simple, God-centered home for their natural living families. She notes her (hopefully) helpful hints at The Proverbial Woman.

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Cloth Diapering a Newborn | Keeper of the Home
• Cutting Down on Waste in the Kitchen: Tossing the Paper
• Cutting down on waste | Keeper of the Home
• Organization in the Real Food Kitchen: Knowing and Using What’s in Your Freezer

Everytime I read it, I giggle just a little,

"Thanks for using Eco Nuts- you'd be nuts to use anything else!"

Truth be told, I'm nutty in so many other ways that perhaps the fact that I'm now using dried fruit shells (aka soap nuts) to clean my clothes shouldn't surprise me or anyone else!

Why would you want to choose Eco Nuts soap nuts to clean your clothes?

• They are completely sustainable, renewable, biodegradable and an organic alternative to chemical detergents and more expensive natural laundry detergents
• They are gentle and chemical or allergen free. No concerns for sensitive baby skin, or those with eczema or other skin conditions.
• They are mild and don't leave residue, so they are suitable for washing cloth diapers.
• They have antimicrobial properties, which makes them a great choice for those with septic or grey water systems.

Wondering how soap nuts actually work? They contain saponin, which is a natural cleaner that breaks the surface tension of the water to penetrate the fibers of your clothing- a fancy way to say that they are able to life stains and leave the dirt in the water to be washed away. They don't foam up, because they don't contain foaming agents. This was disconcerting to me at first, but I decided to get over it and see whether they worked anyways!

I received my trial of soap nuts from The Baby Bum Store, who recently began carrying Eco Nuts for all their cloth diapering customers in particular. I tried them out this past week and they've actually been worked pretty hard in a short amount of time.

I've used them in both cold and hot, regular loads, heavy blankets, and cloth diapers, all successfully. The real test happened today, with an incredibly yucky load of diapers which contained some toddler explosions. I double rinsed before I washed (even though I usually rinse only once), but was shocked and pleased to see that the diapers came out fresh smelling and clean, even though this was already the 5th wash my soap nuts had been through (and they are generally able to be reused for 5-7 washes).

Final score? Indescribably poopy diapers 0, Eco Nuts 1.

Will soap nuts begin to replace my trusty natural detergents? The jury is still out on that one. I love how small and light they are to carry and store, and the fact that they're entirely sustainable and that I can toss them in my compost. I was impressed with their cleaning ability, despite the lack of bubbles and pretty smells. You just might win me over, little soap nuts.

Would you like to give Eco Nuts Organic Laundry Soap a try?

Courtesy of The Baby Bum Store, I have one package of Eco Nuts, good for 50 hot washes or up to 90 cold washes, to give to one reader with very dirty clothes (because why else would you want to win them?).

To win a package of these little babies, here's what you need to do:

(And remember, please leave a separate comment for each entry)

1. Leave me a comment telling me the toughest laundry challenge that you're facing.
2. Visit The Baby Bum Store and tell me your favorite product that they carry (I bought some pocket diapers from them recently that I'm just thrilled with for the best price around!)
3. Become a fan on my new Facebook fan page!
4. Mention this giveaway on Facebook.
5. Follow me on Twitter.
6. Tweet this giveaway (include @keeperhome in your tweet)
7. Subscribe to Keeper of the Home through email or RSS.
8. Become a member of the Forum, or post a new topic or comment.

Someone is going to have some wonderful clean laundry soon. Good luck, all! Giveaway ends Friday, March 19 at 3:00pm.

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Upcoming- Organic Gardening Carnival! | Keeper of the Home
• Baby Steps: Shoo fly (and mosquitos and fleas…) | Keeper of the Home
• spud! Review- Week 1 | Keeper of the Home
• Non-Toxic and Eco-Friendly Cookware | Keeper of the Home

Photo credit: Sklathill

This is our second contributing writer's post, from Beth Corcoran. I asked her to write on a topic related to cutting down on waste, which is one of the themes this month at Keeper of the Home. I love Beth's easy-going and relaxed approach to using cloth in her kitchen.

*******

The kitchen is probably my favorite room in my house. I spend a lot of time in there every day. After all, with four kids, I have a lot of meals to cook, meals to eat, dishes to wash, and tables and chairs to wipe down. But one day a few years ago, I realized that food was not the only thing being consumed in my kitchen. With all that cooking and eating and washing and wiping, we were also using up a whole bunch of disposable paper goods!

To me, it just seemed to make sense to get away from using disposable paper goods because it would save a lot of money. (Have you seen how much paper towels cost?!) But eventually it struck me odd that our family used and threw away that much trash when there is a perfectly reasonable and easy way to avoid it—using cloth instead of paper. So, a couple of years ago, our family made the “conversion” to have a paperless kitchen. It was a process. I didn’t switch everything over in one day, but once I saw how easy it was, I was eager to adopt more non-consumable alternatives to paper.

There are many ways to cut down on waste in the kitchen. Here are two of my favorite!

Use Cloth Dishrags Instead of Paper Towels.

My husband I both grew up in families where the weekly grocery shopping trip included buying a huge package of paper towels. And if you have grown up in a Western culture, chances are that you did, too! So, I thought that when we switched to cloth dish rags for washing dishes and wiping everything down, that I would find it very inconvenient. And I was sure that I would hear protests from my husband, as well. But I found out that using cloth rags is actually very easy as long as you have a good system for keeping up with them.

Our dishrags have come from all over. Some are old wash cloths from the bathrooms. Others are our daughter’s old (and well cleaned!) cloth wipes from when we used cloth diapers. I have also knit and crocheted a whole bunch of dish rags in fun colors and designs. It just spruces up the dish washing experience.

I have a whole bunch of them, and I try to have enough so that I can use several per day and not have to constantly wash them or be tempted to reach for a paper towel. I keep them all in a pretty little basket under the kitchen sink. When I need a new rag, I just reach for the basket instead of the paper towel roll. So there is no extra effort needed.

When I am finished with a rag, I put it in a bowl that I keep on top of my dryer. All the dirty kitchen cloth items go in that bowl. Whenever I do a load of laundry, I just toss the contents of that bowl in the washer, too. (Note: This is okay for me to do because I use gentle, natural cleaners that won’t hurt my clothes. But if you use harsher chemicals or anything with bleach in it to clean your kitchen, you’re going to want to wash your rags separately!) It is really easy to keep up with cleaning my rags, and as a mother of four, I always have enough laundry to do, so I’ve never had to worry about the rags sitting for long periods of time and mildewing.

As a side note, I do still keep a roll of paper towels out for guests that come over—especially those who come over to babysit. A lot of people still feel insecure about using rags to clean up instead of paper towels, and I want to make them feel welcome. But, they are the only ones that use that roll of paper towels, so it takes us months to finish the roll. But I have felt that I didn’t want to sacrifice hospitality just to prove that we could go completely paperless in our kitchen.

Photo credit: evilmidori

Use Cloth Napkins.

Again, this was something that I never grew up around as a child. For us, cloth napkins were for fancy restaurants and Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. But someone gave us a set of cloth napkins as a wedding gift, and that’s what got the ball rolling. Whenever we were first married, I would lay out the cloth napkins whenever I would make a nice meal. All other nights, we would just use paper napkins.

But it was a lot of fun using the cloth napkins, so I ventured out and bought some more. I am ashamed to say, but I probably paid way too much for some fancy cloth napkins. But as our family has grown, I’ve started to understand that we don’t all need matching fancy napkins to have a good meal. Now, I am always on the lookout for good napkin deals. I buy them on clearance, after holidays, at the Salvation Army, or wherever I can find a good deal.

I have lots of different patterns for our every day napkins, and I do have some nicer matching sets that I save for guests and holidays. We keep them all in a drawer next to the table, and when my kids set the table, they always compete to get their favorite patterns. I think it makes for a memorable family tradition. And when dinner is over, my five year old son’s job is to clear off all the napkins and put them in the bowl on top of the dryer. It’s as easy as that!

And I love cloth napkins because, not only does it cut down on trash and wasted money, but it adds color and love to our family table.

I am the mother of four children—two girls and two boys, ages 7, 6, 5, and 2 ½. While not homeschooling or chauffeuring the kids to their activities, I enjoy all kinds of craft projects and learning how to be a better steward of all that the Lord has given me. My blog is stewardshipnotconvenience.blogspot.com.

What ways do you try to cut down on waste in your kitchen?

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Cutting down on waste | Keeper of the Home
• Organization in the Real Food Kitchen: Ferments Everywhere | Keeper of the Home
• Training Kids to Help in the Kitchen | Keeper of the Home
• Organization in the Real Food Kitchen: Favorite Recipes Lists | Keeper of the Home

Today is the debut of the first of my new contributing writers here at Keeper of the Home. Over the next 6 weeks or so, you will get a chance to "meet" each contributor, and shortly I will have a contributor's page up with their photos and bios.

___________________________________

Our first writer, Angela Beery, has created her own pattern for making a homemade, one-size cloth diaper and it looks excellent! Making your own diapers is a wonderful way to use up extra material, and to make diapers that are extremely frugal as well.

Here's a look at the diaper:

Diaper front (size small)

Diaper front (size large)

Diaper side (size small)

Diaper back

Want to try making this diaper yourself? Here's what you'll need:

Diaper Pattern - This is the printable pattern, with tracers for your fabric pieces.

Tiny Tooshie - These are the written instructions for putting together your own "Tiny Tooshie" diaper. One thing to note is that there is an option of either keeping these as simple cloth diapers, which you would put a cover over OR the other option is to use a waterproof fabric on the outside to make them all-in-one diapers.

Note- to download these files, click on the link once. On the page that it brings you to, click on the 2nd link.

Angela's Cloth Wipes "Recipe"

• 3 cups warm water
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 drops of lavender essential oil (or scent of your choice)
• 2 drops Tea Tree Oil
• 2 T baby wash

1.) Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

2.) Soak baby washcloths or other soft cloth in mixture and place in wipes holder. Do not wring out completely. The wipes holder will keep wipes moist until ready for use.

Angela Beery, former So-Cal city girl and world traveler fully embraces her simple, yet abundant, life in a small town at the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. She and her husband love serving the Lord with The Salvation Army - Angela, as a volunteer and her husband as a youth and music pastor. When not chasing around her 18 month old daughter, Angela enjoys spending time outdoors, cooking low-fat meals and crafting of every kind. You can read more about her journey as a homemaker at her blog, Domestic Godliness.

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Cloth Diapering a Newborn | Keeper of the Home
• Homemade Cough and Cold Syrup | Keeper of the Home
• Cloth Diaper Liners: No More Rash Overnight! | Keeper of the Home
• Making homemade yogurt | Keeper of the Home

Image Credit

Guest Post by Louisa

I toilet-trained my first child when she was four-months-old. I thought I would start this guest post with a statement that knocks most people's socks off when they hear it. "Four months old, you are kidding, aren't you?" No, I kid you not.

I had worked extensively in China and seen what mothers did there; always aware of their children's needs, able to listen to the signs that told them when their child wanted to pee and available to help them achieve their own personal hygiene at a very early age, many from birth. In our age of disassociation from our babies, when we wrap them up, place them in prams and car seats and leave then in front of TVs for hours, it seems impossible to be in such harmony with our little ones, but it is absolutely possible and many, many, many people have done it before now.

After reading Jean Liedloff's Continuum Concept before giving birth and then the book Diaper Free: The Gentle Wisdom of Natural Infant Hygieneby Ingrid Bauer, I knew that I wanted to train my baby too, it just seemed the natural thing to do. So this is what I did and you can too, if that is what you decide.

I believe that diaper-free babies are eco-friendly, aware of their bodies at a young age, sociable and under no pressure to perform in any way. They must be 'responded to' from a very early age however, before the feeling of peeing in a diaper gets too natural for them. It all takes time, patience and devotion, something that has to be thought about very carefully indeed before embarking upon as you have to be 100% available. This doesn't mean sitting and watching your baby's every move, it means being there for her when she needs to tell you she wants to pee/poo.

It is very well worth it for the sake of the planet alone, but also for the deep and long-lasting connection you will be forging with your child.

Starting off simply is a good plan. Use one less diaper at night by leaving your baby free from the waist down after her bath in the evening and getting her to sleep on a thick towel. Babies will very rarely wet themselves whilst asleep and will benefit from air circulation around the parts that have been enclosed and wet all day. This I did with my baby and never had an accident in bed, nor diaper rash. It helps if you co-sleep with your baby, (but I figure if you have thought of infant training, then you have probably thought of co-sleeping too) so when she fidgets in her sleep, you can get her up and let her pee into her potty. Making quiet hissing sounds will encourage her to relieve herself straight away, then you may settle her down again.

This routine I was doing pretty soon after birth with my baby, I then graduated onto awareness of her needs during the day. Making the hissing sound whilst holding her in a comfortable position over her potty I found to be a key factor to my success - staying tuned to her cues also was crucial; a young baby will cry to be helped to pee/poo before she gives up and does it in her diaper. Be gentle, understanding and don't get stressed, if you miss it this time, you may very well get it next time, no problem! Having your baby wear diapers during the day is up to you, having the potty in view as the child learns to walk is also up to you. As a rule of thumb, your young baby will pee 20 minutes after drinking fluids, then approximately every half-hour thereafter and once or twice during the night.

This is the start of diaper-free babyhood and it happens like this all over the world. That is why Chinese children have splits in their pants with their bottoms showing and use the gutters regularly, I kid you not.

My first born was a happy, capable and contented baby, we taught her to make a sign for 'pee' long before she could talk and she seemed very capable at managing her own 'toilet matters' as she grew.

She laughs now at seven-years-old when I tell her what she could do at four months old and she thinks it is the most natural thing in the world too.

What do you think... is this an idea that appeals to you? I'd love to hear who else (this is Stephanie speaking now) is intrigued by this idea, and especially if anyone else has tried it!

Louisa has brought her children (7 and 4) up in a natural way, she lives in the mountains of France, home schools and follows the principles of Weston A.Price and Rudolph Steiner. Her first child was potty trained at four months old, both her girls co-slept with her and her husband and were carried until the age of one. She lives in a TV-free house. She believes that when a woman takes on the role of nourisher, (both physically and emotionally) she becomes both hearth and heart of her family. Read her slow-living blog at: constantstateofflux.com or find her on Twitter as @lululovesmilk.

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Training Kids to Help in the Kitchen | Keeper of the Home
• Two questions for you, ladies! | Keeper of the Home
• Living Simple Saturdays- First time, all the time | Keeper of the Home
• A Trip to the ER | Keeper of the Home

Today's grocery shopping outing was a bit of a disaster. Hungry, upset children, a crying baby and a frazzled mom. By the last store, I was barely looking at prices anymore as I tossed things into the cart that appeared to have at least some semblance to what was written on my trusty list.

I know that I made at least one really good decision this afternoon, though. Nope, it wasn't a frugal decision-- stocking up on some exciting sale or figuring out which 3 lb bag of apples actually contained 1 more apple than the rest.

No, today I chose to spend more money and vote with my dollars.

The item? A simple box of mandarin oranges, a yummy treat for my husband's bag lunches. The decision? Whether to spend $3.99 on a 5 lb box of conventional mandarins, or to spend $4.99 on a 4 lb box of certified organic mandarins. I hemmed and hawed for just a moment before my hand rested on the organic oranges and I knew that I had chosen well.

There are a number of reasons why I could have chosen to buy organic over conventional. Exposure to less pesticides, herbicides and other nasty chemicals, for one. Higher nutrient content in food that has been grown in healthier and more nourished soil. Quite likely, better taste. All good reasons, but none of them the ultimate reason for my decision.

I purchased organic today because (although I value all of those other reasons) I had never seen organic oranges before at the particular produce market where I'm a regular customer. I wanted to cast my vote for more organic produce, showing them that their customers think it's worth it to pay a little bit extra, in hopes that they will continue to pursue carrying more and more organic products. In turn, my vote helps to ensure that more organic farmers are supported for the excellent work that they are doing, bringing high-quality vegetables and fruits to our tables, while better stewarding the earth as well.

Does my vote seem just a tiny bit insignificant to you?

Let's put it in perspective. In Canada (where I live), us Westerners have a bit of a disadvantage when it comes to our nation's Federal elections. You see, the bulk of our country's population does not live in the West, but is much more concentrated in the more Eastern provinces of Ontario and Quebec. When we watch the election results roll in every 4 years or so, the election has already been called by the time that they begin to declare any of the winners in our neck of the woods. Ontario and Quebec voters have such a majority that they largely determine who will be the winning party, and our votes simply help to seal the deal, and very rarely turn the tide. I think that this is true for many states in the USA as well. Your state receives so few electoral college seats that your votes seem to be barely a drop in the bucket, when compared to the higher-population states like Texas, California, Florida or New York (see? see? I know a little bit about American politics!

The next time elections roll around, should I decide that voting simply isn't worth it because my vote seems to make such little impact on the outcome? Do I relinquish not only my right, but my responsibility to be an educated, informed and faithful voter in this democratic nation of which I am blessed to be a citizen? No! Absolutely not!

In much the same way, I will not undermine or belittle the importance of the way in which I use my dollars to support good farming pratices, healthy soils, and less toxic-burden in my family's bodies. Every single dollar counts. Every one. Do not allow yourself to feel that the way that you spend your hard earned money is insignificant, because it is not!

In the fantastic documentary "Food, Inc." (which has recently been released as a rental video- a must see!), there is an excellent segment that bears mentioning. Gary Hirshberg, the CEO (or CE-Yo as he likes to be called) of Stonyfield Organic yogurt company discusses his involvement with Walmart and the placement of Stonyfield's products on the shelves of a multi-national store which many die-hard organic and sustainable living proponents have actually boycotted. And yet, Walmart is wisely listening to the demand from consumers and choosing to purchase from organic companies like Stonyfield in the millions each year! I love how Gary describes how many of his activist friends get up in arms at the discussion of whether he has sold-out by keeping company with the likes of Walmart, until the conversation turns to the facts of the billions of tons of pesticides that are prevented each year, through the small organic farms that contribute to a large company like Stonyfield.

Towards the end of the movie, there's a clip of a disillusioned farmer bogged down by the politics and the general mess of conventional farming these days. He passionately tells the camera that people need to demand what they want, because if they truly demand it, farmers will respond and will gladly provide it for them. That's us! If we support organics today, we are assuring the farmers of tomorrow that we will stand behind them, purchase their products and keep them in business.

So you see, my $4.99 box of organic mandarins is not just another way to keep my family a little healthier. It's so much more than that.

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays!

Do you agree with the concept of "voting with our dollars"? How does that impact the decisions that you make as you purchase food (and other products) for your family?

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

More from Keeper of the Home

• Living with PCOS: Guarding our Hearts | Keeper of the Home
• Conserving Water: Why It Matters and Ways to Do It | Keeper of the Home
• Living with PCOS: Things to Avoid | Keeper of the Home
• Adjusting to Life with 3 Little Ones | Keeper of the Home

I've been using cloth shopping bags for the last couple of years whenever I go out grocery shopping, and I just love using these sturdy, reusable bags to avoid the usual plastic offerings. Still, I wasn't happy. I may have been avoiding some waste, but my beautiful fresh produce was still sitting in (what else?)... a whole lot of plastic!

Enter the Moukisac!

This little discovery made my trip to a local cranberry festival last month so very worth it! I found the Moukisac, an all-in-one pouch that covers all my grocery shopping needs.

It starts out as an inconspicuous little bag that gets tossed into my diaper bag when I set out for the market.

Then it transforms into a full-sized, cloth shopping bag. Nice and roomy, well-constructed and sturdy.

Best of all, it comes with these wonderful produce bags inside!

These gems are made of a mesh netting, with a drawstring sewn into the top of the bag. They come in 6 different sizes, from mini (could hold something like nuts) all the way up to jumbo (think pineapple-sized!). Their purpose? To replace all the clear, plastic bags that we use to hold our veggies, fruits and some bulk food items. I love it! Eco-friendly produce bags!

The set that I reviewed, the Moukisac Reusable Shopping Bag system, comes with one sturdy cloth bag (which folds up as you see above), and 4 Moukinets (mesh bags), 1 small and 3 large. The idea is that as you calmly walk frantically run out the door (along with your kiddos, sippy cups, snacks, diaper bag, cell phone and the proverbial kitchen sink), all of your shopping bag needs are contained in this one neat little pouch. Throw it over your shoulder or in your bag, and you're set. As you shop, you can pull out the mesh bags as needed (remember that not all produce needs it's own bag- a squash, a big yam, a bunch of bananas, etc.) and as you go through the checkout stand, open up your cloth bag and fill er' up with all the good stuff you've just bought.

I thought it was genius. I am really, truly crazy about mine. My only complaint? I wish I had two!

(Seriously, if you do larger shopping trips at one time, which many busy mamas do, you'd probably want to own more than one system. The other great option is that you can purchase the Moukinets in sets of their own, according to your size preference, and then use them with any cloth bags that you already own!)

And just for fun (because yes, I've been having fun with mine!), here are a few other amazingly useful ways to use your Moukinet mesh bags in the kitchen:

I was tickled to discover that this bag (I used the Small size) makes a perfect sprouting bag! I used my regular method for making sprouts, but did it in the bag instead of in a jar. I hung it up by the drawstrings on a small nail, over my dish drying rack. Worked like a charm!

Yet another use for those who are raw milk connoisseurs... after souring my raw milk in a jar on the counter, I poured it through the size Large bag over top of a glass bowl, to catch all of the milk solids from the separated milk/whey. By hanging it up in the same manner, it provided the ideal method to drain the whey out of my raw cream cheese!

A few other uses for Moukinets-- sprout grains or beans, strain homemade nut milks, dry herbs or spices, etc. not to mention using it around the house in some of these other ways.

To top it all off, not only do these bags offer a really practical solution for those wishing to avoid plastic at the grocery store, but they are also 100% locally made here in Vancouver, BC by entrepreneur Marie Naubert (aka Mouki)!

Would you like to win your own Moukisac Reusable Bag System???  (I thought you might!)

Here's how to enter (and remember to leave each additional entry in a separate comment, to ensure that they are all included when I draw a winner):

1) Leave me a comment tell me what you like best about the bags, and which color you would likes your in if you were to win (visit the Moukisac online store).

2) Tweet about this giveaway.

3) Link to the giveaway on Facebook.

4) Blog about this giveaway on your own blog (leave post url, please)

5) Follow me on Twitter.

6) Subscribe to my blog (or let me know that you already subscribe)

7) Become a member of the Keeper of the Home community forum, or if you're already a member, start a new topic.

Giveaway ends Friday, November 27 at 4pm.

This giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who entered- winner to be announced soon!

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

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Image by Joe Schlabotnik

While I wouldn't say that I'm completely unconcerned about conserving water, it hasn't been a large focus for me in my desire to simplify our home and practice better stewardship of the earth that God has given us dominion over. I had heard and read bits of information here and there about how to conserve water, but sometimes when you jump into making a lot of changes in life, some of them stick with you more, and others you just pass on by until you're ready to really go there.

I think that as North Americans we tend to expect clean water to always just be there when we want it. I say that because I often live that way myself. We forget that we are incredibly fortunate to live in a part of the world that does have fresh, clean water for us to use daily and we act as though that water will be there forever. Although we are usually advised to limit our water use each summer, I've never been in a situation where water shortage became a reality.

The issue became much more real to me a couple years ago when we considered a job opportunity for my husband in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. When we began to hear the news stories of the very real water shortage happening in Georgia later that same year, I was suddenly struck by the fact that water shortage is not only a possibility, but perhaps it is more imminent than I thought.

"Although water covers about 70% of our planet's surface, less than one percent of that is safe and available for human use. That one percent must be shared among countries and continents and between the many residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial and envrionmental needs we all have. In the United States alone we demand 26 billion gallons of water every single day. Thirteen percent of that is for residential use, with each person in the country averaging as much as a hundred gallons of water per day.

Because water consumption has increased threefold across the planet in the last fifty years, people everywhere are suddenly feeling the pinch. In the United States over the last five years, nearly every region of the country has experienced water shortages. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, at least thirty-six states are expected to experience local, regional, or statewide water shortages by the year 2013."

This quote is from the book Sara Snow's Fresh Living which I've been reading lately (and recommend). She touches on the topic of water conservation multiple times, as the book takes you on a tour of your home, discussing ways to weed out those things that are toxic to you and your family, or damaging to the environment. There are so many places in our homes where we use water in truly astounding amounts. Here are some of the examples that she mentions:

• In the shower- 4 to 7 gallons per minute, which means that your 5 min. shower uses 25 gallons of water on average. A 10 minute shower uses an incredible 50 gallons!
• In the toilet- Anywhere from 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush for a pre-1992 toilet. Newer, low-flow, energy efficient toilets are generally only 1.6 gallons-per-flush (gpf). We have an older home, so let's suppose our toilet uses 5 gpf and we use it maybe 20 times per day, that's 100 gallons a day just for the toilet!
• In the sink- The typical bathroom faucet uses anywhere from 2-6 gallons per minute.
• In the laundry- A washing machine can use as much as 30-35 gallons per load of wash! I do about 8-10 loads a week (a couple small, but most large loads). That's 300-400 gallons a week!

(I also found this nifty water-use calculator to try to figure out how much water your family uses. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I think it's eye opening to try to estimate the amounts anyways!)

A friend of mine was babysitting her friend's son and was reprimanded by him when she flushed his pee-only potty use down. In his home, they practice the phrase "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."  He was quick to inform her (as his mom so often reminds him) that "God gave us that water!" Ouch! But that's a wise 3 year old (who happens to have a very wise and conscientious mommy)! Edit: Realized I need to explain that we don't necessarily use this practice in our home, but I think it's wonderful that a mom is purposefully teaching her children to carefully consider how they use the resources that have been entrusted to them. It looks different for all of us, of course.

I want to practice good stewardship in every area of my life, and now that I've been further educated, this area should be no exception. I intend to put some of these ideas into practice in the next few weeks and will include my children as I do it, teaching them about why the water that we use matters.

Ways to Lower Your Water Use:

1. Only use the washing machine when you have a full load.
2. If you're going to wash a smaller load, make sure to adjust the water settings to a lower level.
3. Time your showers and once you've established your average shower time, begin to cut it back, one minute at a time until you can do it in 5 minutes or less.
4. Bathe your kids in less water. They're small and the tub doesn't need to be more than half full to get those little bodies clean.
5. Take showers and baths less often. My skin and hair have appreciated the fact that I've cut my showering down to every second day instead of every day. My kids take a bath twice a week at most. They don't stink too bad. (Just kidding!)
6. Install a low flow shower head that will use less gallons per minute. (Look for the term "Water Sense" on bathroom appliances)
7. Fix any leaky faucets.
8. Install a "faucet aerator" on any faucet that is using a lot of water per minute. (You can also find "Water Sense" faucets)
9. Purchase Energy Star appliances the next time you're replacing an appliance, especially for items like the washer or dishwasher, etc. If you're replacing a toilet, look for one that is low-flow or energy efficient. There are also new dual-flush toilets (yes, a little flush for #1 and a big flush for #2).
10. If you're stuck with an older toilet, take a water bottle or small milk jug and fill it halfway with pebbles and the rest of the way with water then put the cap on. Open up the back tank on your toilet and put the container into the tank. This displaces the water so that less fills up the tank and less is used with each flush.
11. Always turn the water off when brushing teeth, then just turn it back on for a quick rinse of your brush. Same goes for when you're washing your face, shaving, etc.
12. Don't leave the water running while rinsing your dishes. Either use the stopper and put a bit of water in the second half of your sink and do your rinsing in that, or let a few clean dishes build up in the clean sink before you turn on the tap to give them all a quick rinse at one time.
13. Never run your dishwasher when it's not full. Learn to organize it well so that you can use it as efficiently as possible. More on using your dishwasher well here.
14. Carefully observe the lawn-watering restrictions in summertime and keep your watering minimal. Yes, green grass is nice but letting it dry out a bit isn't the end of the world. If you must water the lawn, be sure to do it in the morning before the day heats up, or later in the evening once it's cooled off again.
15. If you garden, try putting buckets out to catch the rainfall and use these for watering your garden instead of the hose. Don't water except when it's absolutely necessary (for new seeds, or when the weather has been extremely hot and dry), and mulch to conserve water.
16. Your suggestion here...

These are just some of my suggestions and some from Sara Snow's Fresh Living. How do you conserve water in your home? And are any of these suggestions something that you think would be feasible for you to do?

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

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Though many mamas desire to use cloth diapers for their little ones, the thought of using them soon after the birth or with a newborn is often a bit overwhelming. I think the general impression is that it is much more difficult than it truly is.

After mentioning the other week that I was finding it a relatively simple thing to diaper my own newborn, I received several requests for more info on just how to go about using cloth diapering with wee ones. In this post, I will address the key questions and concerns to hopefully reassure those wanting to use cloth and give some helpful advice as well! Not wanting to just give me own opinions and experience, I've also asked a couple of other bloggers who are new mamas for their input (Lindsay of Passionate Homemaking and Michele of Frugal Granola), as well as the friendly staff over at Kelly's Closet and Nicki's Diapers. As a result, this post ended up quite lengthy, but I hope that you will find it truly helpful and informative!

So here we go...

What types of cloth diaper systems work best for newborns?

Michele: We've been using Kissaluvs (size 0) diapers with Enoch from the
beginning (which I bought from Lindsay, off of craigslist, ironically) . They've worked great! He's a heavy-wetter, but I haven't had to use
the diaper doublers that I made, yet. I love that they have a fold-down
snap in front to allow for the umbilical cord. We use them along with
newborn size Proraps or Bummis snap covers.

Lindsay: If you really want to cloth diaper right off the bat,
or you have a smaller newborn, my recommendation is to go with the
infant size prefolds and newborn covers. These are a good investment as
they last forever and can also be used for burp clothes or rags in the
future. The newborn size prefolds really are not absorbent at all, so I
recommend the infant size and folding it the opposite direction,
horizontally into thirds. This makes for a smaller more absorbent
diaper.

So overall, after beginning cloth diapering my second little one, I
found that using infant prefolds is the most economical option and
transitioning quickly to one size diapers. Then he is set for the rest
of his diapering life.

Kelly's Closet: One Size? While most one size diapers
are designed to fit from birth to potty training - this doesn't
necessarily mean they will fit your little one at birth. Newborns tend
to have itty bitty legs and therefore the diaper is more likely to leak
than after a few weeks when your little one has had some time to
"thicken up."

Therefore we highly recommend prefolds and diaper
covers during the early weeks for daytime use. Prefolds and diaper
covers, while intimidating for most folks, is really quite simple and
straightforward. Simply fasten the prefold on to baby and then fasten a
cover over the prefold and you're ready to go! Prefolds also a bit
easier to wash and care for compared to pocket diapers.
Prefold Cloth Diapers
Diaper Covers
Now,
with all that said - for those late nights when you're sleep deprived
and just the thought of driving one more diaper is ready to make you
cry - we also recommend some X-Small sized pocket diapers or All-in-One
diapers such as the bumGenius Deluxe All-in-One 3.0 diapers. These will
make the middle of the night diaper changes very quick and easy!

Nicki's Diapers: I highly recommend using newborn size prefolds and Prorap Classic
diaper covers size newborn. The newborn
prefolds fit tiny babies nicely without a lot of bulk and the Prorap
Classic diaper covers size newborn have a great umbilical cord cutout
allowing you to use this diaper cover as baby's first diaper.  This
combination also contains the newborn explosions very well with no up
the back leakage as experience with disposable diapers.  This system
fits up to about 10 lbs whereas at that point a one size diaper system
will start to fit.

Stephanie: Personally, I find that we have the greatest leak protection when using a fitted diaper with a cover like Bummis or Proraps. Though I really enjoy using pocket and one-size diapers, I have had a few more leaks with those as they don't seem to fit quite snug enough on a newborn unless you purchase the extra small sizes, which hardly feel worth it to me considering how long baby wears them for. The one-size do work okay once they're past the first week or two (depending on how big your babies are- I have babies that are under 8 lbs), but I find that they're fairly bulky once folded small enough to fit a newborn. That said, it is so nice to have a quick, one-piece diaper (like a pocket diaper) to use for middle of the night changes, rather than messing around with a fitted or prefold and a cover in the dark. I have also noticed that in order to get through the night or long naps, regardless of which system we use, extra liners or doublers are a MUST! I really love microterry inserts/doublers, and have just ordered some hemp doublers because I have heard that they are even thinner but just as absorbent as the microterry, and I am all about less bulk and dry bums!

How many diapers do you need to have and how often will they need to be washed? 

Michele: I have about 30 newborn cloth diapers; if I
get behind on the laundry and run out, I just use a prefold diaper with
a Snappi (to close), along with a cover. Since I'm using "mama cloth" pads, and we still have some
nighttime cloth diapers to wash for our toddler, we just toss everything
into a washer load each day.

Kelly's Closet: As
far as how many diapers a newborn will need - our general rule of thumb
recommendation is 8-12 diapers per day - and it would be best to have a
minimum of a 2-day supply. This will allow you to wash the diapers
every other day (if you want to go slightly longer between washes then
you will be a few more diapers accordingly).

Stephanie: I would say around 20-24, which will allow you to wash every 2-3 days. My newborn babies seem to go through a good 8-10
diapers a day, so that will be a pretty comfortable amount. Though I can get by with about 4 covers for my older babies/toddlers, I think that you need to have more like a minimum of 6 for newborns, just because with more frequent changes (and poops!) you are more likely to have soiled covers more quickly. On this note, I have learned that it's a necessity to keep lots of diapers around- in the diaper bag, near baby's bed at nighttime, etc. Always have more on hand than you think you need!

What do you do about meconium poops? 

Michele: We only had a few disposable diapers on hand (free samples
that came in the mail), which we used for the worst of the meconium
poops. After that, we just used a flushable liner in his diapers until the
meconium was gone. We
also oiled his bum with every diaper change to make it easier to clean
those sticky meconium poops off. (I used hemp oil, but pretty much any
oil would be fine.) 

Lindsay: I love cloth diapering to the extent that I wanted to place my new
infant Titus into cloth diapers immediately upon his arrival. The
husband was not so key on that idea due to my need to rest and the
lovely meconium that arrives through the baby's bowels shortly after
birth. This substance is not fun to wash out. (That is a warning!
Anyway, so we did use disposables for the first week of his life.

Stephanie: I confess, we also did a few days (I think 5 or 6?) of disposables and I was glad that we did. I think that it would be feasible to use cloth from day 1, with disposable or old cloth liners for the meconium, if you have extra help around the house to deal with the extra laundry that will be produced (in addition to the other things you will need help with). One good option for those who really want to avoid conventional diapers is to pick up a package of newborn Seventh Generation diapers (or a similar brand that is unbleached and chlorine free), just to get you through those first days. It is also a blessing to not be worrying about extra loads of laundry in those early days, when there is already so much extra laundry just from regular newborn life (spit up, wet blankets, changing outfits often, etc.). **As an aside, you can often get a $2 off coupon for Seventh Gen diapers by signing up here**

What about the umbilical cord? 

Michele: We've been using Kissaluvs (size 0) diapers with Enoch from the
beginning...I love that they have a fold-down
snap in front to allow for the umbilical cord.

Stephanie: Prorap covers dip slightly to accommodate the cord (and I found that the Bummis covers came fairly low as well). We did find that in general any cloth diaper tended to rub a little bit and after it fell off (while it was still tender) we put a bandaid over her belly button to keep it from getting rubbed and from bleeding. After about a week, this wasn't necessary anymore. Regardless of what you use, you can try to fold it down or position it a bit lower to keep it away from the cord.

How often do they need to be changed? 

Kelly's Closet: Newborns are such precious little beings, so fresh
and innocent to their new world outside of the womb! Diapering a
newborn, however, can be a tedious task because they typically "go"
frequently (typically between 8-12 times a day - and almost every
diaper change is poo). Just as soon as you change that precious pint
sized bum - the inevitable gurgle and explosion tells you you're going
to be doing it again! 

Stephanie: I have found that newborns really need to be changed often, as little diapers just don't hold as
much as big diapers. It seems to me that I change Johanna's diaper about once per feed cycle (so usually every 2-3 hours), as well as anytime I specifically know that she has wet or dirtied her diaper, and there are sometimes longer gaps between changes if she sleeps well at night (maybe up to 4-5 hours). Usually doing a change 15-20 minutes after each feed works well,
or else just before they go down for each nap. Trying to change the diaper
of a hungry newborn right when they wake up just isn't practical,
unless you enjoy listening to crying and trying to change a really
unhappy, squirmy baby!

Other tips or general advice?

Michele: Here is a recent post on some things I've sewed for
diapering: Cloth Wipes and Diaper Doublers

Lindsay: My honest opinion is
that you really do not need to have a separate newborn diapering
system. Most people will feel more comfortable using disposables for
the first several weeks, and that is completely understandable. You are
adjusting to life with a new little one and many really don't want more
laundry during this stage. If you have an average size baby, you should
be able to transition to a one size cloth diaper after this point. Most
one size diapers fit babies at 8 pounds and I have found this to be so
with several brands (Fuzzi Bunz, Bum Genius & Happy Heiny's are in
our collection). My little guy was born at 7 lb 4 oz and transitioned
into one size pocket diapers at 2 weeks. Not bad.

After
that week, we transitioned Titus into Kissaluavs Fitted diapers size 0
with newborn Prorap covers. I thought this was the best most
recommended newborn system. I didn't think he would fit so soon into
the one size diapers as I mentioned above. I really wanted to love
these diapers because they were so soft and comfy on his little bum.
Unfortunately, I was disappointed by how quickly their wonderful
softness disappeared. A few washings later and they were rather rough
on his skin and caused irritations. He also soaked through them in less
than an hour sometimes, which resulted in more frequent changes. I had
to use a extra doubler inside the fitted diapers, causing excess
bulkiness. I found they just were not worth the money to purchase
unless you have a really tiny baby (5 lb or so). They grow out of them
so fast! Considering how many diapers a newborn goes through, and at
$11-12 per fitted diaper, it is an expensive route. Thankfully we
purchased most of ours used. It would have been far cheaper to use
disposables for those first two weeks than buying a whole newborn
system.

So overall, after beginning cloth diapering my second little one, I
found that using infant prefolds is the most economical option and
transitioning quickly to one size diapers. Then he is set for the rest
of his diapering life.

Kelly's Closet: Changing the diapers is the easy part -
it's picking a cloth diaper that is the challenge. Every baby is unique
and while there are cloth diapers that generally work for the majority
- getting a good fit in a cloth diaper can take some trial and error.
Therefore, before investing in a big stash of diapers we highly
recommend sampling a few diapers to get a feel for what works best for
your baby (and what fits your personal preference). If nothing else, is
frustrating to invest a few hundred dollars on a stash of diapers only
to discover they don't work well for your little one! Therefore, after
researching the brands you would like to consider- order 1-2 of each
diaper and try it out!

Stephanie: Though I have traditionally gone the route of fitted diapers with covers (and don't get me wrong- I still think it's a great system and one that I'm not about to stop using), I have recently begun to use some pocket diapers, including some that are one-size. I am falling in love with these one-size pockets, mostly because they work for both my son (almost 2 1/2) and
my daughter (1 month)! This is a real bonus for any mom who finds herself with two littles in diapers at the same time. It means that I can bring a few one-size diapers out with me, and know that I have something to fit either kiddo, depending on who needs the diaper changes. I don't have to make sure that I have several newborn options as well as several for the toddler, which only results in a very stuffed diaper bag (and an aching shoulder). It also helps to ease the amount of diapers that I need to store in their bedroom and on the change table, and just helps to keep things simpler overall. Though they certainly cost more up front, I am beginning to see how the cost just might be well worth it in the long run, as well as allowing me to have one more compact and easily storable system instead of 3 different size sets of diapers hanging around my house!

Brand Recommendations:

Stephanie: A really absorbent newborn fitted diaper or prefolds with Bummis Super Whisper Wrap
(Proraps
are also pretty decent).

Michele: Kissaluvs Size: 0
with Proraps or Bummis Snap covers

Lindsay: Infant Prefolds
with Prorap or Bummis Super Whisper covers, and then a one-size pocket diaper like BumGenius, Happy Heiny or Fuzzi Bunz
.

Kelly's Closet: Prefolds and diaper covers, as well as a few x-small or one-size all-in-ones, like BumGenius.

Nicki's Diapers: Newborn size prefolds and Prorap Classic diaper covers size newborn, until baby begins to fit a one-size diaper system.

**As a bonus, Nicki's Diapers has kindly offered a 5% discount to all readers who would like to make an order, using the code FIVE. They carry all of the diapers brands that have been mentioned in this post, and I also noticed that they have a great newborn package with everything you need to get going and to help you get a feel for what type of diapering system you prefer.

Any more questions on cloth diapering a newborn? What about other tips, suggestions or brand recommendations from all the other cloth-diapering mamas out there?

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
• ListPlanIt: Lists to put your world in order
• Vintage Remedies: Get healthy, naturally
• Just Bumming Around: When only the best cloth diapers (at great prices) will do. FuzziBunz packages on SALE!

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Today I did my weekly maintenance of my worm composting bin, and was so impressed with how it's doing that I just felt like I had to show you all the contents of my box (alright, I know it's a bit yucky, but sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, whether it's a lovely image or not):

After only one month, you can see that my food and paper scraps are quickly being turned into genuine compost (at least, I hope you can tell that in the picture- if you can't, it's true and you'll just have to take my word for it)! Go, wormies, go!

I was briefly having some issues with fruit flies and smell, but quickly dealt with those by re-reading Rachel's helpful post on worm box maintenance.

My weekly routine has now developed as such: open up the box and give it a good stir, add the contents of my compost bucket from under the sink, spread a layer of recycled paper strips over the top, and replace the sheet of cardboard that rests on top of my pile. Takes about 3 minutes, and now there is no smell, many more worms than before, lovely compost developing and no annoying fruit flies.

Kind of makes a girl wish she had more worms (of the composting variety, that is). All this successful composting business has got me dreaming of having a system of multiple, large worm bins down in my garage... one day, my wormy friends. You'll fill a veritable mansion, and oh, the composting fun we will have.

(Did I mention that it's very late at night? And that I'm functioning on extreme lack of sleep due to having a newborn? I'm not quite sure where the sudden affection for any sort of creepy crawly creature has come from, but perhaps all this gardening and composting I've been doing these past few years is starting to go to my head. Tell me that there are others out there that speak to their worms! Or, at least tell me how your composting is working for you.)

Our Sponsors:

• It Starts at Home: Are we Discipling or Outsourcing the faith of our children? Read It Starts at Home! Then, just nurture them together.
• Moukisac: Your 6 in 1 shopping bag system; compact, stylish, versatile and practical, of course! Made by Canadian mom.
• hope ink: Custom inspirational art for your home
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