Cloth Diaper Safe and All Natural Rash Creams/Ointments Review

Cloth diaper safe rash creams/ointments review.

1: GroVia Magic Stick
I hate this. It seemed pointless to me. It didn't stick to his skin. The attempted application felt very rough for sensitive places. It just didn't do anything for my baby. No residue on the diapers; probably because there was hardly any on his butt to begin with. IMO: TOTAL WASTE of $

2: Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm
I liked this. It is my second favorite. It worked quite well, but I felt like it would burn if his skin was broken. (probably the tea tree) I like this best for fungal type rashes. It has great anti-fungal ingredients. Never had residue on the diapers, but it would stain the diapers- probably the olive oil.

3: Thirsties Booty Love
I liked this okay. (Would be third choice on my list.) It is best for prevention IMO. I felt that they EMAB was very similar and was more effective. It never created a 'miracle' for him. Never had residue on the diapers, but like the EMAB it would stain- once again I am guessing it was the olive oil.

4: Made On Simply Soothing Rash Cream
This is my absolute favorite, no if's, and's, or but's about it!!! This stuff is totally awesome. It did appear to perform miracles! SO HEALING. So gentle. So moisturizing. So easy to use. No burning. I love that it ABSORBS into the skin rather than just making a layer/barrier on top of the skin. Never any residue on the diapers because it was absorbed into the skin. This actually has zinc in it- something that no other CD safe rash cream-to my knowledge- has in it. This is the rash cream bomb to me! Simple, all natural ingredients- you can actually get the ingredients and make it yourself! If you have never heard of this, check it out at: Simply Soothing Rash Cream Not to mention, Made On has so many other fabulous skin products as well as DIY kits and recipe ebooks! (I have to say that they have the best sunscreen ever- and I made it from their kit and recipe so it was like uber cheap for healthy sunscreen too! No smell and it absorbs, even the hubby said YES to it. We had Dr. Mercola's and it attracted bugs- not this!) Their products are just fabulous and so perfect for sensitive skin.

A cloth diaper confession....

I confess, I got rid of all microfiber. And all stay dry.
Why?
Two simple reasons.
Reason Number 1:
          I was sick and tired of leaks. Which meant I was changing the bed sheets and mattress covers like everyday. Not fun. Extra work and extra laundry. My little guy is just plain skinny. And he is always messing with his diapers. Between the two it makes for diapering problems. (even with disposables- yeah I tried those in desperation. But he hated them. He would say no, and find a cloth diaper to give to me instead! I guess cloth really does 'feel better' even for a 1 year old.)
Reason Number 2:
           I was sick and tired of dealing with stinky microfiber. It is such a pain to care for. Why is it so hard to get clean? So annoying. I thought of just stuffing my pockets with cotton, but the micro-suede or fleece just doesn't absorb as quickly as cotton so I figured why bother? Just sell them.
         SO I did sell all of my BGs. I only took a 10 percent loss on them. I think that is pretty good considering they were used for a few months. So I took that money and got 12 ClothEez Workhorse Diapers Size Large with snap closures and few new covers to go with a dozen pre-folds that I already had on hand from Ethan. I thought about adding 2-4 Simplex AIOs for the diaper bag, but I am trying to just get him potty trained and get my baby stash ready. With the money I also got a cover and 6 Simplex AIOs for the new baby. And I got the boy's new bedset. (so in a sense I still have $40 I haven't spent)

          I have to say that I totally agree with Karen (greenmountaindiapers.com) that cotton is just the best fabric for cloth diapers. Period. It performs the best. It cleans the best. There are options: flats, prefolds, fitteds, inserts, and all in ones. Find the cotton love. I have. And I hope that Thirsties will come out with a cotton diaper one day because I love Thirsties. That is my cover of choice- although I would like to try a Swaddlebees Capri, I just don't know if they are worth the extra $4.25 a cover! Since I have tried cotton and tried the new 'fancy' diapers, I know that for me cotton is best and I hope that I will always remember that and stick with beautiful cotton from here on out! I am already getting baby number 3's all cotton stash in order. More on that to come!

Nathan's soft, fluffy, sparkling cotton stash:

ClothEez Prefolds, Thirsties Covers, Thirsties Cotton/Hemp Inserts

ClothEez Workhorse Diapers

A Little Fall Fun

I made candy apples. They are so pretty- but the candy turned out hard as a rock. I think I overcooked it. Bummer- Ethan was so excited about them. But, they are like giant suckers. Oh, well- I tried to do something fun at least.

Apartment Tour:

Here is a quick tour of our apartment now that it is pretty much set up and cleaned up! Ethan is eager to show off his new room to Amelia.

First up, the living room...

Dining area...

How things connect...

The kitchen...

The laundry room- my first walk in laundry room and not just a closet for the washer and dryer!

The hallway...

The spare room...

The boys bedroom- I thought that it turned out really cute. I got the bedding set off of ebay for a great deal!!

Master bedroom- the blue is so serene.

That is about it. If we do anything new I will update.

I made Pancit!

I made Pancit and it turned out absolutely delicious!! I was surprised how good it turned out for my first try. Quite healthy and inexpensive too. I do think it would have been better if I had had a wok to cook it in instead of just a stainless steel pot and pan.

FINALLY- Living Room Window Treatment!!

Our one lonely window in the living room faces the front patio and is directly beside the front door, so I got some sheers to go under the curtains to keep daytime privacy and still be able to open the blinds and let in some sunshine! The curtains and the double rod are all Mainstays brand from Wal-Mart, so it is probably like the cheapest window treatment in America, but hey, I think it looks really good for the price! 

Turkey Parmesan for Crock Pot Recipe

1 lb. ground turkey- cooked
28 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1/4 C. bell pepper- diced
1/3 C. sweet onion- diced
3-4 zucini- sliced
2 T. Italian Seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into crock pot. Stir.Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on high of 8-10 hours on low. Stirring occasionally if you can. Serve over cooked rotini (1/2 a box is the right amount IMO) and top with Parmesan cheese.

Simple Chili Recipe

Since today was one of the first cool, fall feeling days here in Georgia, I decided it was the perfect day for chili. Especially since it is one of my husband's favorite meals. And of course I'll cook up a pan of cornbread to go with it!
Here is our family's recipe (we don't use any chili powder and it is yummy!!)

What you need:
1 lb. ground beef- cooked
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
29 oz. can tomato sauce
14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with jalapenos (or a can of Rotel)
15.5 oz can dark red kidney beans- drained and rinsed
15.5 oz. can light red kidney beans- drained and rinsed

Dump it all into your crockpot.

Stir it well.

Cover and cook for about 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. (you may want to stir around occasionally)

Simple Chili Recipe for the crock pot.

Where have I been?

For the past 3 months life has been crazy! First it was morning sickness. Then it was moving to a new state for my husband's job. We are still getting things set up here in our apartment. (all we could find quickly- but that is okay, it is working out and so many would be SO thankful to have what we have!) We are still learning a new city and have to find a new church home. I really do not know a soul here. So I am hoping to at least find a good midwife soon so I can have that settled! I mean, I am 19 weeks now and the new baby will be here before I know it!
So yes, we are all fine. We are getting internet for the house tomorrow so I am planning on doing so more posts again!

bareMinerals 8 Piece Get Started Kit Review

Box.

So last week I purchased this kit from the bareMinerals Outlet by my house. I think it is really great. Especially considering it was only $62 for it. If I had purchased everything individually it would have $165! What a savings! As you can see below it contained: full size foundation, full size bronzer (warm), full size mineral veil, prime time face priner, 3 brushes, how to booklet and DVD.

Inside the box.

As to the quality of their products, I have to say that I like their foundation better than I had liked Everyday Minerals that I had been using for a couple of years. The bareMinerals foundation is slightly more expensive, but not by much. I do not like the container that it is in- it is open on the inside which allows for it to come out all over the place under the lid. Everyday Minerals has a much better container- there is a sliding thing that closes over the holes and then it has the lid. (so I refilled my Everyday Minerals container, so I guess they still get the advertising!) I really, really like the Mineral Veil. It truly does give it a more finished look than using the foundation alone. I have not been that impressed by the Prime Time- maybe I should use more. It feels really greasy and then it seems to dry up really fast and not really leave enough grip for the powder. I just use EMAB lotion. I would not spend the $ for it again when I can just buy organic lotion, that works better for me, for like $7 for 4 oz. instead of at least double for the Prime Time. The bronzer does add a nice sunkissed touch that I (being very fair) appreciate- a little goes a long way for my skin color! I would imagine that it would last me like 4 times longer than the foundation and mineral veil will. This kit does not include any colors, so if you did not have any you would probably want to get some. The brushes are very nice- not as soft as my Everyday Mineral brushes- I was bummed by that. I felt like the almost scratched my skin the first time I tried them. But my skin may have been extra sensitive that day, because this morning they seemed a bit softer to me. I still use the Everyday Mineral foundation brush and then use the new bareMineral foundation brushes for the mineral veil and bronzer. One thing about mineral make-up is that the colors last a long time because a little goes a long way! I still have my blush from 2 years ago and I have not even begin to but a dent it it.
Other bareMineral make-up I have tried has been their mascara, an eye shadow (free B-Day gift from the FAB Club!) and a lip gloss. All were very nice and I especially was overjoyed to find a natural mascara. Until then the best I had come across was the Physician's Formula. This is very mild and gentle mascara, it doesn't cause my eyes to sting. I have become very sensitive to chemicals after taking basically all of them out of my body care routine! The eye shadow is in the same annoying case, so that I do not like. But I love the color: Cupcake. The lip gloss is very nice, just as nice as the Clinique I have used in the past. Everything (except the cases!) is definitely high quality boutique type make-up. Overall, I love bareMinerals. I would highly recommend this kit to a first timer. It really is a great start at a great price. I think it is great that it includes the brushes. I would highly recommed bareMinerals to anyone. So much better for your health than the usual chemical laden make-up of today.

Animal Beauty. Isn't our Creator creative?

I have been wanting to share these pictures since we got back from the zoo in March, I just hadn't taken the time upload them. Enjoy the beauty!

The bears made me want to be in Alaska!

Elephants.

Giraffes. Their colors were so vibrant that I couldn't stop taking pictures!

Amazing animals. What a beautiful family.

Zebras.

Ostrich.

Alligator. Does this count as a zoo animal? This is a native everyday creature here!!
(I bet they really freaked out Sherman's men!)

Lazy.....

What a life- seriously, maybe we shouldn't have come on a Saturday.

Hyena- sleeping in the full sun. It was probably at least 90 degrees there!

Monkeys of some kind.

Baboon.

Galapagos turtle.

Tortoise.

There were so many more animals but this was the best I could do. There were a ton of people and they were very pushy and some were kind of rude too. It made it difficult to get photots:) I was bummed that I didn't get the gorilla!!

Howler Monkeys anyone?

(video to come...)