See My Footprints...

We've cloth nappied four children now. For the two in modern cloth nappies (MCN) I've been a 'fitted+cover until 6mths' gal all the way simply for the poo containment. I know there's no way a standard AIO (all-in-one) or pocket would hold up for my guys, because the fitted+cover is the last line of defence and often the cover is the saver.

HOWEVER, should there be a #6 LOL I will definately be using our Rumparooz in the NB stash. I really really really like the internal gussets - a winner in my book definately. They held a 4(?)month old runny poo in just awesomely, no complaints whatsoever. Really like the prints (we have print and plain) and I have tried both the snap and the TT/Applix/Velcro and really like them both, although preferring the velcro. With ANY pocket/AIO I always use one microfibre/one bamboo or hemp - it's just how I 'do' microfibre. Given the talk about BG elastic, I'll be interested to see how the Rumparooz elastic holds up in comparison.

The internal gussets in the Rumparooz make them a hands down winner over other OSFM pocket/AIO. If poo is gonna escape the Rumparooz, then it would definately escape a disposable or any other AIO/pocket nappy. They are also quite trim considering their size/age range. Rumparooz have an extra size setting now for smaller newborns and the newer version is trimmer. I'd be happy to use those from day dot. Definately a thumbs up from me
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COMPARISONS:

We have the Bumgenius (BG) onesize and sized (secondhand in great nic). I bought the onesize very thrashed out to try, lol and replaced the elastic and it's STILL going strong so on that I figured if an old timer BG OSFM was still going well then new ones would be even better. Have some 'newer' secondhand ones on the way. Apparently the new version of the BG sized will have a pocket opening as well which will be PERFECT to speed drying time as I find that's the only downside to the sized BG. THe OSFM pocket BG is very quick to dry, as are the other OSFM pockets.

From what I can see the Pop In only has two snaps row on the front, the Haute also has two snaps rows and I find I prefer the three rows of snaps on the BG as sometimes on the Haute the two snaps row isn't quite enough to hold the snap setting in it's place iykwim when you put it on. No big deal or anything, just noted that I prefer the three snaps row on the BG to the two snaps row on the Haute.

The Haute OSFM (US site) however has a full-shaped insert, so it makes the most of the available space and sits 'fuller' ie not a strip down the middle.

The Fuzzi Bunz OSFM has maternity buttonhole elastic in the legs and waist, and is awesome to use however would prob not suit if you have different sized bubs as it's a 'set and forget' kinda setting you don't want to be changing it for each child each wear iykwim. So in that sense the snap OSFM settings work well as they're easy and quick to adjust. THe FB however would be great as a 'bought at birth' to TT in that you can't see the adjustable settings (I initially thought the adjustable snap settings on the other OSFM would put me off but IRL they're fine). BUT in a pinch, it wouldn't be too hard to resize and use them on the other bum.

We have sized Pea Pods as well - red with the black inner - brilliant to not show stains and I find them very reliable and great for travelling as well. We have a large Green Kids pocket nappy. While I am very happy with microfleece as an inner and have never had a prob with it, I do like the suedecloth in the Green Kids. I haven't tried the GK insert in any other pockets, but I do know that all the other pocket nappy inserts (apart from maybe the Haute as it's shaped) will def fit each other so that's good for interchanging if you have a few different nappies/boosting for nights. I have only used the GK as a sized nappy.

We have the sized BG as well (s/hand) and I do like them. So I can't say which I prefer of the two BG as I like each for different reasons/occasions.

The Haute OSFM I can (over) stuff for nights with bamboo and it does really well. Don't quite like doing the same with the BG OSFM for some reason AND the overstuffed Hatue for nights will still allow me to attach the Respisense monitor - haven't tried it on all the other nappies just yet.
(should add I am not a millionaire LOL - most nappies above I got s/hand, and a few were gifts and I made all my fitteds so quite economical)

So for a one-size nappy my preference overall would be the Rumparooz OSFM.

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A quick note on OSFM PUL outer nappies, generally. NBs generally are not that tiny for so long so unless you have tiny babies, it won't take long before they fit.
We had onesize fitteds on Zeke (fitteds, so yes they're different to OSFM pockets) he was 7lb 14oz born and they fit fine. Remember you're asking a nappy to fit a huge size and age range so a small amount of 'bulk' at the NB stage is to be expected. However, NB grow quick!

Also, apart from birth weight, fit of nappies, especially OSFM, depends on bub, depends on their build and how fast they grow. My two older boys at 7lb 1oz and 7lb 14oz not much difference at birth but Z at 3mths old fit his brother (who was 3 YEARS old) 's jocks LOL - he had rolls on his rolls whereas his brother was slim with no bum for ages... my 9lber fit the same nappies and clothes as my 7lbers... *shrug* it was all his big noggin LOL

Bumgenius sizing The recommended size range is 3.6-15.5 kgs.
Rumparooz sizing The G2 design 2.7 kgs (6 pounds) to 16 kgs. (35 pounds +).

Posted in: Nappying journey on Sunday, November 15, 2009 at at 7:33 AM 2 comments  

I forgot that I hadn't even posted this. Brooke at age nine (now ten) decided that for a variety of reasons, she wanted to be a boy. Her haircut got shorter until it was in a bob. She wanted it short like her brothers. We discussed it and decided to try it ear length bob short for a while and see after that. We discussed the pros and cons and whys of her wish. Anyway, off to the hairdressers we went. The hairdresser was most reluctant and kept asking me 'are you sure, Mum?'
My reply was that it was Brooke's hair and she was the one who had to be happy and comfortable with it. Off it all came. Only not quite. The hairdresser wanted it to still have a clip somewhere... still be able to 'style it'. Brooke was okay with it but certainly not grinning.
When we got home she said 'can't you just cut it short like the boy's hair Mum?'... so out came the clippers and the number three comb and there she was, freshly shorn.... and she LOVED it... I haven't seen the grin on her face so big! LOL

Not long after that... Mum... can you not buy pink, or purple or anything fluffy and girly and stuff please? Okay... suits me. She's happy and heck the clothes get to be passed down to her brothers... three times over LOL So with instructions to only shop in the 'boy' section off I went. Between retail (which I try not to do often) and Op Shops we came home with her new gear and she was set. And it hasn't changed since. She LOVES being mistaken for a boy, gets really chuffed and it makes her day. She was invited to the 'all girl' party from her friends at school and the only 'girl' invited to the boy party LOL
I should add within a day or two her new name was 'George' (aka George/Georgina from the Famous Five books by Enid Blyton) and even the teachers have accepted this as her preferred name. Her mother still calls her Brooke though - I explained it's like a certain other habit of hers that she's been only doing for a few years, I've been calling her Brooke for 10 years and it's a hard habit to change. ;)

I do understand all her reasons behind her choices. I was a tomboy at school, only with a long plait down my back past my bum. I understand the several reasons behind her choice and support her in them. It's all part of learning and growing up and learning to be happy in your own skin.

Of course, sometimes it's not an option like gymnastics, to be in the 'boy' section. So there she is in the girls class at gymnastics, with the leotard she chose, and her short hair. She's happy. That's what matters. I wouldn't force her to have long hair and wear dresses any more than I'd force her to wear long pants and polo shirts if she didn't want to. There are times when you choose, as a parent, but this isn't one of them.

Gender isn't an issue in our house, best as it can be. Brooke, freshly shorn again, is now reading on her bed. Jake has just completed his first solo batch of shortbread. They all learn to knit and sew, and school is the same - girls and boys learn sewing, knitting, woodwork, baking. They all learn to help with younger people and learn compassion, empathy and the like. There is no 'girl' job or 'boy' jobs. Cleaning your room and making your bed, changing a tyre, checking the oil in the car. I want the kids to be well rounded, able to think for themselves and happy in their skin. And someone said to me once, what if she never has long hair again... well so be it, I say.

Posted in: All about Brooke, Kids on Saturday, November 14, 2009 at at 3:17 PM 0 comments  

Far out brussel sprout... or should I say, mulberry sprout!
That's how much mulberries were at the shop this morning.
Yay for our very enthusiastic well stocked tree in the backyard then, I say! It goes nuts each year, gets pruned back by about 2/3 after each fruiting, looks a bit odd for a while then goes nuts again. We try and keep it not too tall but this year I let it get away so we're needing the ladder for the top ones. The kids don't mind! We're picking enough that we can make jam and still have more on the tree to pick and eat as we please. What a treat!

Posted in: Garden on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at at 9:35 AM 1 comments  

Here's one of what was left after we jarred the jam... mmmm

No... not mulberry jam with brocolli but rather we made some mulberry jam...or mulberry sauce LOL depending on how it turns out AND here's a pic of our first ever brocolli! Boy it took patience as they grew through winter so very slow and they nearly got pulled once or twice but here 'tis... the others have still yet to LOOK like making heads...


Our mulberry tree went nuts as usual and we picked a lot of fruit in the last couple of days, with plenty more on the tree. Brooke has been wanting to make jam for years... so I said righto... let's do it.

Jamsetta was out of stock everywhere we went... some say it's cheating, others say it isn't - I haven't formed an opinion yet! So we did one that uses lemon juice instead. Not sure that we got to setting point hence the possible 'mulberry sauce' instead... which if that's the case will be great with ice-cream or marbled through muffins. Not sure what I expected it to taste like... I can taste the lemon though, just a hint of it, so maybe we'll try for jamsetta next time. Lovely colour though, beautiful rich deep colour and texture is mmm

Just used reclaimed jars and lids (hot washed, dried in the oven, jarred the jam while both were hot, inverted for 2mins as per the recipe before righting and standing to cool). If this turns out/if we're still keen we may invest in some new lids etc etc just trying this first and will keep in the fridge, use within x amount of days.
so... waiting for some good light to take some photos and will deliver the verdict!


Off to read up some more on this preserving thing. I am checking out this post and this post on Down to Earth and off to read up in the archives there for more info.

Posted in: Cooking, Eco-thinking, jam making, Kitchen on Monday, October 26, 2009 at at 9:38 AM 0 comments  

These guys often play UNO together and Zeke at 4yrs old knows all the strategies, tips, poker faces and holding on to 'good' cards ie not throwing them down with glee first chance you get... he does very well... anyway... sometimes one or the other won't want to play... and there's been talk of how old Quinn will need to be before he can actually play instead of eating the cards... so on this day, this is how the conversation went...

Zeke: Brooke you wanna play UNO with me?
Brooke: mmm no thanks
Zeke:... Jake... you wanna play UNO with me?
Jake: nah, I'm doing something else
(pause)
Zeke: does anyone wanna play UNO with me?!
(pause)
Zeke: I know... [excited] Brenna will play UNO with me! Brenna you can go first...
[off he goes to deal the cards, quite chuffed he found someone to play with! LOL]

So what does happen when your big brother and sister won't play UNO with you?
Easy! LOL

Posted in: on Friday, October 23, 2009 at at 5:01 PM 0 comments  

Came across this post on a blog I visit often, and it's definately worth sharing. xo
Who Gets in your Bucket?

Posted in: buckets on Thursday, October 8, 2009 at at 3:47 PM 0 comments  

The wisteria, cherry blossom, stone fruit trees, other trees, flowers and weeds, bees, bugs and birds are all doing their thing... just a few snaps

one of our plum trees


shortbread by Brooke


click on this photo above to check out the spider on the hunt!

the other plum tree

the mandarine - you can't see it in this photo but it is loaded
there are so many flowers on there I can't wait to see them all as fruit!

feeding time for someone other than Quinn
this is the first time we have seen birds nesting in this tree. It either means we might be doing something right in the garden... or they are being forced to nest in places they don't normally, due to habitat reduction and (even more) people moving into the area

Posted in: Garden, spring on Saturday, October 3, 2009 at at 1:14 PM 4 comments  

The pics are a little dark. Will retake when the sun comes out to play.

Posted in: All about Brenna, Birthday Party stuff, Cakes on Monday, September 21, 2009 at at 10:31 AM 5 comments  

Here's some of the cakes I've made before. They're all here if you want to see bigger pics. There are others there but these were some of the ones I was happiest with. I also need to do some editing as some of the pics are a little dark... but anyhoo :) I really have fun making them so it's as much a hobby as anything else I suppose, and I LOVE seeing the kid's faces... I remember when my Mum made our Birthday cakes and it was SUCH an awesome feeling to know it was made just for you on your birthday - and just as much fun guessing which one from the book (I think Mum had the Women's Weekly Birthday Cakes book) it might be!



Full details on how/what I use are here. It's like play-dough for adults *wink* I've also updated posts so that you can click on the 'cakes' link thingy in the index on the right hand side (scroll down) as there's a few other cakes there that I haven't added to the main cake page.

Posted in: Cakes, Cooking on Sunday, September 20, 2009 at at 10:28 AM 0 comments  

... looking pretty chuffed with himself as Nanna walks him round the house in his new longies, just finished. Yes... not even 6/7months and he likes to be 'walked' everywhere and sitting unaided and crawling is still a while away but he LOVES his walking and has liked it (and standing on your lap) since he was little. Thanks Mum... the longies ROCK! *grin* and thanks for stopping with us while you were here :)


Mum finished Quinn's second pair of Longies a while ago, I have just been slow to upload the pics. She's a bit clever eh...

Posted in: All about ..., OMGness... knitting... on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at at 6:59 PM 0 comments  

Aren't they beautiful?
One of the other photos I took of the bud, you can see how it's folded up all tiny, the folds, and the edges of the petals.

Posted in: All about Brenna, Garden on Sunday, September 13, 2009 at at 4:27 PM 0 comments  

Just a quick update from me that these longies are finished, and I have plenty of pics - will share soon. How lucky are we to have such a wonderful knitter who is happy to find/make time to knit for us! :) Thanks Ma, you rock! Also on the list that we hope we can update soon are the laundry benchtops finally going in (found in the salvage section) and pics of all the fruit trees in their various stages of growing fruit. It's a nice thought that the first peach/apricot etc that Quinn might ever have, will be from our own tree... let's get there first I know, we have to let them grow! News on the Birthday fish front is that there is only one fish left out of the seven that began... the mystery is not yet solved... and we're working on it. That and things are just generally busy at the moment, Quinn has been unwell and I haven't been home much, so proper updates in the aforementioned and more, will come. :) Hope this finds you well, and with good bugs outnumbering the icky ones at your place. Whispers to the new bellies, new Babes in arms and to the little Angel Babes who have joined us... xo

Posted in: on Thursday, September 10, 2009 at at 10:59 AM 0 comments  

Congratulations to S & Family expecting Baby #8... to make eight sons, and very handsome little (and not so little!) men at that. Huge Congratulations & best wishes from all of us as you await his arrival...

and in the light of the safe arrival of #14 for a Family well known in the EB circles, (and my Dad's own sibling count) our Family's really not that big at all huh!

Posted in: Family, Family and Friends, Kids on Saturday, August 22, 2009 at at 2:46 PM 0 comments  

Progress pics. Of Mum's knitting of course - not mine! Such lovely soft colours, I think these will be a night time favourite for sure!

Posted in: OMGness... knitting... on Friday, August 21, 2009 at at 8:17 AM 0 comments  

Today I was checking out a few things at the shop and walked in and of course there at the front, tiny little pink and white dresses... tiny ones. Most of the time, the thoughts flit through all-too-familiar and by then I'm looking at other items, or trying to remember sizes of children etc. I have learnt now, don't dwell. It doesn't do you any favours. Don't think about that your eyes are about to prickle, tell them not to. Change the subject in your mind and keep walking.

Posted in: All about ... on Thursday, August 20, 2009 at at 5:37 PM 1 comments