Cloth Diapering Reasons...

In my efforts to convince others to join in on my cloth diapering obsession I wanted to post some of my routines and just a bit about why we love cloth diapering in our house.We also use cloth wipes in order to reinforce all our reasons for cloth diapering in the first place.

As a reminder, everyone is different. These are the reasons why we chose to cloth diaper.

1) It's better for our baby. Vivi has very sensitive skin and we want to avoid any harsh chemicals. Ryan has eczema and so we are aware of the dilemmas she could potentially face. We wanted to avoid that at all costs. People argue about this one, but here is some research on the matter:http://toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Diapers

2) It's better for the environment. (This one people like to argue because they say that you have to use power and water to wash said cloth diapers, BUT we use eco-friendly detergent, wash with small amounts of water, and line dry.)

3) To save money. We have not purchased any disposable diapers. We were gifted some Seventh Generation which are the disposables that also would match up with our #1 and #2 reasons for cloth diapering. These disposable diapers are a really great option;however, they are SO ridiculously overpriced. Even generic brand disposables and wipes get expensive. Here's some info on cost effectiveness:
http://www.babyworks.com/cost-comparisons

4) I hate taking out the trash. Seriously, it's scary back there. I'd rather wash a load of dipes any day instead of venturing where the spiders and snakes could potentially be lurking.

5) They are so CUTE!!! Who needs pants when your diaper is adorable.

Hanging is the wet bag where we put soiled diapers. The bookshelf has all the clean diapers.

Here is our changing table set up. We have all our cloth diapers at hand and the cloth wipes are in the warmer with a wipe solution I mix up.

Spring Break, emphasis on the SPRING

Spring is here, so what now? Spring feels more like a new year to me than any day in January. It is now, more than ever, that I want to change things, start fresh, begin again. I have intense desires to use my steam mop, drink nettle tea, and play in the dirt. And here I am sitting on the porch on yet another dreary day during my Spring Break filling my time being OCD and making lists of all the things I'll do when the sun comes out. There is one thing I do every spring, it's become a tradition of sorts. Heres to the tradition being started in Beaufort. Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Plant An Herb Garden Too!

1. In the long run it's way cheaper. Herbs are expensive, and it seems that whenever you need one for a recipe the store is always sold out and its not Farmer's Market hours.


2. You want your porch to look nice anway. Herbs are visually appealing. They come in all shapes and sizes, and if you forget to trim them all they will do is flower, how awful is that.


3. They smell good. I planted lavender because I've recently become addicted to the smell, and I can't sit around smelling my laundry detergent all day.


4. Herbs make beautiful garnishes. Even if you aren't drinking mojitos or bloody mary's adding a sprig to your iced tea makes reading a magazine on a Sunday a more enjoyable experience.


5. (And for all my lady friends who wouldn't accept the number 5 reason being that my favorite color is green.) The cute guy working in the garden department at Lowes. Make sure you buy organic choice, he'll have to do a price check.

What's the point, again?

After moving to Beaufort I struggled to live my veganish lifestyle. It didn't work. In fact, I found that it was causing me more problems than it was helping me with. I kept asking myself, why am I doing this? I was going broke. I was gaining weight (from eating unhealthy vegan things instead of healthy non-vegan things) and my social life and relationship started to become ridiculously boring. All the things I used to love I had begun to hate. So here's what I decided---I'm just going to do what I want and be conscious. Check things twice. Three times even, but if the time is right and I want to try some goat cheese I'm going to go for it. Ahhh, I feel better now. I can now post again on Saymmmm without guilt. :) Life is good.

South Carolina

Help me choose some furniture..

This is my couch, but which TV stand? OR a white TV Stand?

Or this one:

Leftovers never tasted so good!

You're probably saying to yourself, these don't look like leftovers....BUT they are! Last week I made Ryan's favorite (enchiledas) and we ate them so quick I didn't get a picture. Luckily, when I made them I made a double batch and froze the other dish of them. We were watching TV and considering take-out when I remembered what was stashed away in the freezer. Ryan baked them for 45 minutes (since the interior was pre-cooked) and then topped them with a nice green salad, shaved onion, salsa, and Valentina. He served them with saffron rice and some refried beans. Here's how the enchiledas were assembled.

Whole Wheat Tortillas stuffed with a sauteed mixture of onions, green peppers, jalepenos, broccoli, spinach, ground mushroom burger, and black beans seasoned with taco seasoning.

We put Salsa Verde on the bottom of the dish and lined it with enchiledas, then baked them.

Good, cheap eats and we didn't even have to use the telephone or the debit card! Woo Hoo!

I need to remember to do double duty more often.

Raining on Sunday

This morning, like most Sunday mornings, consisted of coffee, Internet browsing for dream houses, the news (by news I mean SportsCenter) and lots of yawns. Sunday is really the only day of the week that we are guaranteed to see each other for more than an hour. It is a day that we love to relax and often only have a date with the piles of laundry that we need to catch up on. It's nice when one of us takes the initiative and makes some good food. This morning it was my turn; tonight it's Ryan's.

I wanted to make something that was different than our weekday morning breakfasts, so I looked up a recipe for pancakes. I've done some killer vegan banana walnut cakes before, but brunch is all about cooking and NOT having to take your PJ's off, so I used what we had in the house and made whole wheat apple cinnamon pancakes. I baked some tofu sausage that we had in an attempt to hush Ryan's desperate pleas for bacon. Miraculously, it worked.

They were really good, but very dense. I only made 4 pancakes and 4 sausage links, but we couldn't even finish those.

Everyday is Sunday for Raleigh Cat.

Pizza, Football, and SNACKS

Early Dinner - Pizza Night!

Spinach, Broccoli, Artichoke, Tomato, and Garlic Pizza and with 1/2 Tofuroni (something new)

Paired with a leafy green salad and some Ginger dressing it was VERY filling.











Late night snack:
A new product Vegan Chicken Tenders.
If you bake these and dip in ketchup or BBQ sauce they are actually REALLY good and quick. Nothing to clean up either!

I really like trying new meat alternatives because beans get kind of old, I'm trying to not eat so much wheat, and my best tofu recipe takes forever, so if I see something new at the store I'll usually take a risk and buy it. Sometimes the results are NOT so good, but other times I am pleasantly suprised. These will become a freezer staple just like veggie potstickers, and mushroom burgers.