Monkey Snuggles at home

Out with the old, in with the new . . .

2010-09-10T16:29:00.004-04:00

Well, you heard it here first. We are going to discontinue our sized pocket diapers after the ones currently in production are finished. We may continue to carry the one-size pockets for now and re-evaluate in a few months.

This decision was a tough one, as I love our pocket diapers and have used them on both my children with great success. However, the reality is that taking into account materials and labor producing a full line of sized pockets will never be very profitable (and I would like to be able to pay myself occasionally!). I hope that this change will also allow us to keep stock levels of our wildly popular fitted diapers much higher.

We will be introducing some basic PUL covers in the next few weeks, I've been perfecting the pattern over the last few months and will hand the patterns over to the Monkey Snuggles team to put into production very soon.

In the meantime, pocket diapers are available on Monkeysnuggles.com and we have an amazing starter pack deal in the etsy shop.

The starter pack includes the following for only $105:

8 diapers (choose newborn, small, medium or large or any combination of sizes)
1 medium or large wetbag
1 dozen cloth wipes
and while supplies last a cute raglan tee!

I'm also planning to offer a wider selection of woolies in the etsy shop. We have some fantastic new yarns and I just got a few new colors of dye today . . . so exciting!

Thank you all for your continued support. It is truly appreciated!

Winner Winner . . .

2010-07-07T21:32:00.002-04:00

Winners for the funniest diaper story contest have been chosen (yes, finally). Now, before we get to that I have a couple of stories I can't even believe I forgot when I was writing the original post. They both take place when Jack was about a year old, during his after dinner "naked time". I am a big believer in airing things out, so to speak, and a little naked time each day really did wonders to keep Jack's little bum rash free. I was willing to clean a little pee up occasionally, but the following events (taking place on two consecutive days) put an end to naked time at our house.

Day 1:
Cute naked baby toddles around. Cute, so cute. Pees in my purse. Not cute.

Day 2:
Cute naked baby toddles around. Cute naked baby takes a dump in my salad spinner, which is on the living room floor because his big sister is obsessed with it and likes to spin her toys. Naked time is DONE.

Now, without further ado . . .

Randomly chosen $25 grand prize winner:

one of His own said... So DS2 was 5 weeks old (he's currently 7wks) and was sitting in my lap while I'm trying to hush him. We're sitting in a chair at church for the adult sunday school class, and it's very quiet except for the teacher. Then DS2 poops so loudly and forcefully that I not only felt it but heard it. It surprised me so much that I jumped out of my chair. I try holding my breath and act like nothing happened. However my usually quiet reserved hubby starts giggling (yes, a nearly 30 yr old man. . . giggling). The teacher looks at us with a question in his eyes. . . I half expect him to ask us to read the note in front of the class. When we explain what happened, the whole room opened up with funny poop stories!

Funniest Story $15 winner:
Now, let me just say that ALL of the stories were hilarious. This particular one actually made me choke on my coffee, I was laughing so hard. . . poop on the cat! Hilarious!

mom2boys said... When my youngest son was 9 months old, and we were still using disposables. I put him down for a nap to go about doing housework. After a half hour I heard my cat meowing and it sounded as if she was in the baby's room. I went to investigate and could not believe what I found. My sweet little boy had pooped his diaper managed to take it off. He had finger painted poo all over himself, his crib, bedding and the most unbelievable our cat! She was just lying there letting him put it all over her. I can't say she liked it,but she wasn't trying to get away from him. I then had a baby, a cat and a whole crib to wash and clean. I was not a happy mama! It's the funniest story ever to me now though. :)

If you are a winner shoot me an email at sales@monkeysnuggles.com for your gift certificate code. Thanks for the laughs!

Another quick update . . .

2010-06-21T20:38:00.002-04:00

Yup, we're still trying to get caught up. Just one big order to go.

There are lots of exciting things in the works though. The new pul prints (ooga on PUL in lots of colors! other prints I ordered so long ago I can't remember what they were!) have been printed and laminated and are scheduled to be delivered to my supplier TOMORROW! I'm guessing it will take a few weeks to get the entire truckload of fabric cut and shipped out. Optimistically we could have some of the new prints stocked in a month or so. There are some cool new solid colors on the way too, including a gorgeous lime green.

We're in the testing phase for mama pads. The initial feedback has been fairly good, so with a few tweaks we'll have some of those up soon.

We're still working on the new improved website too . . . very exciting. It is going to be much nicer I think. I'm going to go put a few things on sale. Feel free to shop, shop, shop so I won't have so much to move to the new site.

What's up around here . . .

2010-06-10T15:28:00.002-04:00

Just a quick update on what's going on around here . . .

You may have noticed that it's been pretty quiet around here lately. We are working hard behind the scenes. Finishing up some BIG orders. Lots of big orders, actually. I expect that we'll be all caught up by the end of next week.

We are working on some great new products, including mama pads and perhaps dryer balls.

We are also testing out a new detergent ( I still love me some Crunchy Clean though, and need to restock soon!). I'll write up a post about it soon, whether we decide to carry it on the website or not.

We are also going to upgrade the website in the next week or two. It should be MUCH nicer and more user friendly when we are finished with that. We are planning on starting an affiliate program as well, how exciting!

We are (not so) patiently waiting for new PUL prints to arrive. I'm hoping they'll be here by mid-July. There are some really fantastic prints I cannot wait!

We are slowly bringing in more help with the sewing, because two people can only do so much. I dream of a day when we are not struggling to keep diapers in stock.

So now . . . off to work on contracts and other fun stuff . . .

It's time for a CONTEST!

2010-05-29T20:03:00.007-04:00

Winner's will be chosen on JULY 5! There's still time to enter!

Hey hey hey!

It's time for a contest! I really want to give some stuff away.

To enter: Post your funniest diaper story in the comments. This can be a cloth diaper story or a disposable diaper story. I could use some laughs, so lets hear 'em. You know, like the time (before we switched to cloth) my sweet baby girl pooped all the way up her back and down her tights. At the bank. While we were in a meeting with the mortgage loan officer. Or like the time when my mom was holding my itty bitty boy, bouncing him up and down and patting him on the bottom . . . and managed to "pat" some poop out the side of the diaper and on to her hand . . . and then onto his shirt, and her own shirt and possibly her hair if I remember correctly.

The prizes: Grand Prize (chosen randomly from all valid entries): $25 gift certificate to MonkeySnuggles.com
Plus a $15 gift certificate for the funniest diaper story
PLUS a random $5 gift certificate if we exceed 200 entries and for every 100 entries thereafter!

For extra entries:
Please leave a comment for each entry!!

Follow us on twitter: @monkeysnuggles (1 entry)

Tweet about this contest (1 entry per day) feel free to cut and paste: Win a @monkeysnuggles gift certificate by telling your funny diaper stories! http://bit.ly/d07vzi #clothdiapers

Follow this blog (1 entry)

"Like" us on Facebook: Monkey Snuggles Cloth Diapers (2 entries)

Make a purchase from MonkeySnuggles.com between 5/29 and 6/29 (10 entries)

Winners will be announced here on 6/30. We will announce the winners on twitter and facebook as well so be sure to keep an eye out! Winners will have 48 hours to contact us or a new winner will be chosen.

Ready . . . set . . . GO!

REAL sustainable diapers

2010-05-17T16:34:00.009-04:00

This post is part of the Real Diaper Facts carnival hosted by Real Diaper Events, the official blog of the Real Diaper Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to cloth diaper education. Participants were asked to write about diaper lies and real diaper facts. See the list at the bottom of this post to read the rest of the carnival entries.

Perhaps you have heard some of the recent uproar about the new Pampers diapers that are apparently causing horrible chemical burns on some babies. It seems that Pampers is trying to do some damage control and has posted this little gem. It's vague, it's misleading . . . it's preposterous.

Here are a few REAL facts about REAL sustainable diapers.

Fact: Every disposable diaper ever used is still sitting in a landfill somewhere. Every. Single. One.
Take a minute to think about that. If you are using disposables right now they will still be sitting in a landfill when your great, great, great grandchildren are diapering their babies.

Fact: Cloth diapers will be used hundreds or thousands of times before they are disposed of.
Disposable diaper companies would have you believe that it takes more energy to wash a cloth diaper than it does to produce a disposable diaper. I don't have any actual data about this, but common sense tells me that it is simply not the case. Now, factor in the engergy consumption involved in shipping the thousands of disposable diapers each baby will need from the factory to the store. Factor in the gas you will use driving to the store to pick them up, the energy involved in getting them to the landfill . . . Cloth diapers are obviously the sustainable choice.

Fact: If you use cloth diapers your baby's waste will be disposed of properly (in the sewer) rather than in the landfill.
Babies are cute. Baby poop contaminated groundwater, not so cute.

Fact: Cloth diapering is convenient and easy!
It's true. No more emergency trips to buy diapers, just toss them in the wash! No more poop-splosions, modern cloth diapers have things like elastic, snaps and plush absorbent fabrics to keep your baby happy and dry. Let me tell you, REAL elastic and REAL fabric do a much better job of keeping messes contained than crinkly paper diapers. You know that poop-up-to-the-shoulders kind of mess? Has not happened once since we switched to cloth diapers.

Fact: Cloth diapering is FUN!
When is the last time you got excited about buying disposable diapers? Cloth diapers come in all kinds of cute colors and patterns.

Fact: Modern sustainable cloth diapers are better for your baby and better for the environment than disposable diapers, and they are far less expensive.
40 disposable diapers will last less than a week. 40 cloth diapers can last from birth through potty training. The same 40 diapers can be passed on to your next baby or to another family (in fact, many parents choose to re-sell their cloth diapers and re-coup some of their original investment!) During this time choosing cloth will save you thousands of dollars and keep thousands of diapers out of landfills.

For more great info visit the Real Diaper Association.

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What's up around here . . .

2010-04-28T18:04:00.004-04:00

It's been a long time since I posted, huh? I'm sure you are all dying to know what's been going on behind the scenes around here, right?

Weeelll . . . We've pretty much been sewing like crazy. Pocket diapers seem to be pretty well stocked at the moment, and we have lots of new wipes and tees in stock. There are some super cute woolies in stock right now. Super cute. Fitteds, as usual are almost completely sold out. I'm working on more (as always) so watch for those at some point between tomorrow and, say, Monday.

I need to reorder Crunchy Clean detergent soon, so if there is a particular scent you've been wishing I carried, let me know. I'm also thinking of stocking some soapnuts . . .

I'll also be dyeing yarn over the next few days so if you are thinking of requesting a custom colorway, now would be a perfect time.

Oh yes, most exciting of all, we now offer a gift registry! Yay! I will eventually be setting up an affiliate program too, but that is another project for another day. A day when I have someone else trained to help sew these darn fitteds.

We have a winner!

2010-04-01T09:39:00.002-04:00

Instead of using random.org to choose a winner for our big giveaway (which would have involved counting, which I am not up to this morning) I printed out the list of orders and asked the little guy to "choose" one.

I totally forgot that he will ONLY write on a blank piece of paper. Time for plan B.
Miss G is 4, and slightly better at following directions. She closed her eyes and I shuffled the papers around and asked her make a mark. And the winner is . . .

Kaylyn Buckner! Congrats Kaylyn, watch your mailbox next week :)

I would like to thank all of our wonderful customers. Thank you so much for your helping us make the new site a success!

Be a winner

2010-03-27T22:23:00.002-04:00

Want to win all of this? Just make a purchase at MonkeySnuggles.com in March and you will be entered to win! Included is one Little Monkey fitted diaper, Little Monkey flannel and terrycloth wipes, a Monkey Snuggles tote bag, a sample size Cruchy Clean detergent (Monkey Farts scent) and a sample size Apple Valley Naturals Wool Wash Ewe Bar.

Fitteds!

2010-03-17T23:06:00.002-04:00

Fitteds are back in stock! If you've been waiting, grab some now. They go FAST!

We did it!

2010-03-12T07:38:00.004-05:00

MonkeySnuggles.com is finally up and running! We are having a Grand Opening celebration!! We are so excited we are ending every sentence with exclamation points!!!!!!

To celebrate, everything is 10% off and we'll be giving away surprise freebies with every order! We will also be giving away an extra $5 in monkey bucks to every 5th customer, and every customer will be entered in to our Grand Prize drawing (more details to come later today). Shipping is always free on orders of $100 or more.

We have lots of pocket diapers in stock and we'll be stocking more throughout the week. Fitteds are selling faster than I can make them, but I hope to have them restocked by early next week. We are also offering Crunchy Clean detergent, Apple Valley Naturals Wool Wash Ewe Bars, Lanolin, and of course some fabulous woolies.

The sale will run throughout March, with the grand prize drawing on April 1st.

So please, get shopping!

Big Changes

2010-02-11T08:08:00.003-05:00

Big changes are coming around here . . . we are working on revamping our website and moving the bulk of our business out of the etsy shop and to our site. Etsy has been great, and we've gotten a really good start there, but there are limitations. We plan to expand the store to carry our favorite detergents and wool care products, lanolin and other accessories that we can't sell on etsy. How exciting, right? Hopefully the new site will allow us to streamline both the production and shipping process which will mean we will have more in stock and we'll be able to ship faster!

We'll keep the etsy shop open though, because we loooove etsy :)

In the meantime I'll probably continue to be a bit of a hermit. We are working hard behind the scenes and can't wait to launch the new site.

I'm currently looking for a great wool wash preferably from a small business. If you have a favorite let me know, I haven't found a wholesale source for those yet.

how does my yarn get so tangled??

2010-01-27T07:32:00.001-05:00

The Detergent Wars - Crunchy Clean

2010-01-20T13:40:00.003-05:00

As you may know I have been on the hunt for the perfect cloth diaper detergent. I think I might just have found it this time. I am hoping to find one detergent that I love for both diaper laundry and regular laundry.

The next contender: Crunchy Clean Diaper Detergent
Price: $9.50 (plus shipping) for an 80/160 load bag

I have to say I am truly impressed with this detergent. The stink that had been persisting in our diapers for so long is GONE. Truly. The last few detergents I tried seemed to help for a load or two and then the stink would be back. I am happy to announce though that we have been using Crunchy Clean for over 6 weeks now with great results. The diapers still smell great and I have not had to strip them once. I am beyond happy.

I have been using the diaper detergent on our regular laundry as well and it seems to be working fine. When I order again I might get some of the regular detergent to try on our clothes, as some of the kid's clothes get so ridiculously dirty. Yes, my kids get dirty. Hard to imagine right?

Thanks to some suggestions from readers on previous posts I have changed the wash routine a bit. I am now doing a full cold wash, with a small amount of detergent instead of a cold pre-rinse. This is followed by a regular hot wash cycle (whites, heavy soil, hot, extra rinse) with a full scoop of detergent and vinegar in the softener dispenser.

The Verdict: Love it! A (would be an A+ if I could get it locally, detergent is expensive to have shipped because it is so heavy)

New and exciting

2010-01-17T19:54:00.003-05:00

We've been busy busy busy catching up after the holidays and getting the shop restocked. I 'm listing a bunch of wipes right now, they go FAST so if you want some go get them!

There are a few new additions in the shop, some cute cotton knit skirts and some acrylic knit items. Apparently there are some people who don't wear wool, how sad. We don't want them to be left out of the hand kit goodness.

We are starting work on some new things. You can look for one thing tomorrow in the shop and the other in a few weeks. Nope, no hints.

Balance

2010-01-11T06:06:00.003-05:00

As mentioned in my last post, one of my resolutions for the new year was to find a batter balance between work and family. I can't even count the number of times I said "not right now honey, mommy has work to do". Too many times. So I am trying to spend more time playing and being silly with the kids and more time with my husband. And maybe a little "me" time too.

Umm, yeah. It's tough. I'm trying to figure out how to fit it all in and still get some work done.

Blogging is definitely one of the first things that I let slide when things start to get crazy busy.

Anyway, this week I am working on some custom orders. Hopefully by the end of the week the new shipment of yarn will be here and I can dye up lots of yummy yarns. I'm thinking diaper/longies sets . . . uh oh, toddler's awake, time to go.

2009 was exhausting

2010-01-01T19:17:00.002-05:00

It really, really was.

I started 2009 with a 2 year (was she still a toddler at almost 3??) old and a 6 month old baby. Now I have a preschooler and a toddler . . . are things getting easier or harder? Hard to tell. Louder, though. No question about that.

I've spent the past few weeks neglecting the diaper business and spending lots of time with the family, which has been great. Well, neglecting the business is not so great, but more time with the husband and kids definitely was. I am not a big fan of New Year's resolutions for many reasons. One reason being that no one can think clearly after a solid 2-3 weeks of eating cookies and candies, cakes and pies, and more cookies and candy and eggnog. I am definitely under the influence right now, the influence of junk food.

But I digress.

I suppose that if I were going to be a bit introspective at this point, and make a resolution it would be to find a better balance between work and family time. I really am not sure how to do that though . . . food for thought, I suppose. I have the whole year to work on it.

Happy New Year!

christmas baking

2009-12-23T17:30:00.003-05:00

well, if you count melting chocolate and peanut butter in the microwave as baking. I do. I'm pretty sure the kids do too. We made Bakerella's reindeer chow first thing this morning, still in our jammies as you can tell. Yum.

need diapers?

2009-12-23T10:28:00.002-05:00

So, I have some old diapers. Old. As in, the ones I made when I we first started using cloth diapers. They are not so pretty and most of them need elastic or velcro replaced. I just keep finding more and more of them. I have been holding onto them thinking that I would eventually fix them and send them to Miracle diapers, but it's not happening. They are pocket diapers mostly and won't include inserts.

If you want them to keep or to fix and donate, just leave a comment with your email address. I'll ship them for free and even include the velcro (touchtape brand) that you'd need to fix them. Please, someone, get these out of my house.

Maybe, eventually, I will gather them up and take a picture.

2 more sleeps

2009-12-23T07:27:00.002-05:00

Two more sleeps 'til Christmas.

Miss G is beyond excited. Every morning for the last few weeks she has been a little bit annoyed that Santa did not come while she was sleeping. Time, it's a difficult concept when you are three I suppose. Today is her Christmas party at preschool. And yes, the school is calling it a Christmas party, I believe. How un-PC. In any case it's a pajama party and she is very excited to go. Now we just need to sort through the pile of cards and ornaments Miss G so carefully hand-crafted and pick some out for her teacher and classmates. And find some clean jammies. And socks that match (where, oh where do the tiny socks go??).

She has had a fever for the past few days so I was a bit worried that we'd be quarantined at home for another holiday, after the swine flu debacle at Thanksgiving. But she's feeling better now and the rest of us are still healthy, so it looks like we should be okay.

I thought I was done shopping, but I just had the traditional last-minute-freak-out and ordered a few more gifts for my little brother (with one day shipping, can you imagine?). I am still waiting for a few other gifts to be delivered as well, and let me tell you, it's getting a little nerve-wracking at this point.

The good news is that most of the crafty type stuff is DONE. You heard. Done. Days before Christmas. That never happens. Of course, I didn't get too ambitious this year, so that helped. I might still have the cashmere yarn I intended to knit everybody socks with last year sitting in my knitting bag. I'll never tell.

So, some last minute wrapping and some cookies to bake for Santa and we should be good to go. And maybe, just maybe a batch or two of bagels . . . you know, if I'm feeling all Martha Stewart-y tomorrow.

Umm, can you tell I'm procrastinating?

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas (if you're into that sort of thing - if you object to Christmas, or to being very merry I am sorry to offend).

~Renee

twitter . . . some thoughts.

2009-12-20T18:53:00.007-05:00

Dear Twitter,

I really love you, but I feel like I need some space right now . . .

love,
@monkeysnuggles

I decided a few days ago to take some time off from twitter. This last week before Christmas, to be exact. The first day was kinda tough. I was having all kinds of fun with the kids and I wanted to tweet all about it (although, if I had in fact logged into twitter I would have gotten sucked in and wasted time that I instead spent playing with the kiddos).

Anyway, I do miss twitter. I like the little glimpses into people's lives. If you don't have a house full of small children you may not realize that it is nearly impossible to have a reasonable phone conversation. On the rare occasion when it is quiet enough to hear the person on the other end of the line, the kids inevitably decide to do something ridiculous, something that forces you, the mom, to break up the fight, put them in timeout, kiss a boo-boo . . . something. In person visits are even harder logistically, naptimes and school schedules have to be taken into account, the house is normally a mess and at least one kid always has some sort of contagious something . . .

Twitter is like a daily dose of adult(ish) conversation. It's nice to realize that there are a million other moms doing the same things I am during the day. It's nice to remember that there are people who occasionally think about things that are not kid-related at all. It's like stopping into your favorite coffee shop (or bar? whatever, I don't judge) - a little conversation, catch up with some friends, discuss the day's news and then go on with your business. It's nice.

The downside, of course, is that it's really easy to get sucked in. I can waste hours throughout the day chatting on twitter. Hours that could be better spent playing with the kids or even ahem cleaning the house.

We'll see how it works out. It has taken me a few days to finish this post, so I think I am on day 4 now of my break from twitter. I am not missing it as much as I was a few days ago. Maybe checking in once or twice a day will be enough in the future, rather than leaving tweetdeck open all day . . . we shall see.

Detergent Wars - Crunchy Clean - preliminary report

2009-12-16T17:49:00.010-05:00

Can you hear the hallelujah chorus? I can, because the stink is gone!!

Gone, as in totally gone. After a few washes with Crunchy Clean our diapers are actually smelling good. Better than they have smelled in months. They do have a strong scent from the detergent, which makes me wonder if there will be some build up over time. However, it doesn't seem as if the scent is covering up the stink, as if anything could overpower the stink.

I'll be back with a full report in 3 or 4 more weeks when I've had a chance to evaluate the detergent long term.

This is not a paid review by the way, I bought the Crunchy Clean with my own money (and got a super deal on Black Friday).

The Detergent Wars - quick update

2009-12-12T20:38:00.003-05:00

I haven't posted any Detergent War updates in a while, so here's a quick update:

I have been using lil'outlaws, and I have been quite happy with it, generally. The diapers are starting to get pretty stinky again though. I don't necessarily think the detergent is to blame. There has been a really persistent stink that almost went away for a while, but it's back now. Big time . So frustrating. It's the "poopy" kind of stink, not an ammonia smell. Stripping doesn't seem to help. I'm going to try washing the diapers every day to see if that helps. Maybe they are just sitting too long? I try to keep the routine simple but I just haven't quite figured it out.

Crunchy Clean was having a buy one get one free sale on Black Friday so I ordered two packages of it. The baby bee clean scent smells divine. It arrived, of course, just after I started washing diapers so I'll be trying it out on the diapers for the first time tonight. Right now actually. Better get on that.

I'll let you know how it goes. Any ideas on the stink issues??

Sale!

2009-12-12T20:05:00.005-05:00

It's a sale!

Take 20% off any purchase (in-stock items only) in the etsy shop this week. Just mention the code BLOG121920 in the message to seller box at checkout for a 20% refund of the purchase price (before shipping).

Orders over $40 will automatically be upgraded to priority shipping this week as well, at no extra cost.

There are still lots of items in the SALE section as well, 20% off makes those a fantastic bargain.

Go, shop. You know you want to.

Sale does not include custom orders and ends on 12/19/09.

Holiday Shipping and whatnot . . .

2009-12-06T09:11:00.004-05:00

As previously mentioned, Christmas is approaching. Fast.

I will be shipping every day from now through Christmas, but I recommend getting your orders in by December 15 for delivery by Christmas. We will be happy to upgrade to priority or express shipping for procrastinators, just send leave me a message at checkout.

We also have gift certificates available for delivery via email for those of you who prefer to wait until the very last minute (like, ahem, myself).

snow!

2009-12-05T23:15:00.003-05:00

It snowed! Usually by December 5 in Vermont we have had a few snowstorms already, but it has been really warm this year. Personally, I am fine with that. The kids however were very excited to get out and play in the snow.

You can tell that Daddy got them all bundled up by the fact that Mr. J's Jacket is halfway unzipped, brrr.

I'm not sure how much he remembers from last winter, but he is a big fan of snow this year!

'tis the season

2009-12-05T10:15:00.008-05:00

So, umm. . . Christmas is approaching. Really Quickly. 20 more days, yikes.

This year we are trying not to go overboard with the presents. The budget is tight (but really, when is it not?) and our house is absolutely overflowing with stuff. STUFF! Toys, clothes, books . . . we really don't need more stuff. So this year we (and by "we" I mean just me, my husband would happily buy the kids every toy he could get his hands on) are trying to be really conscious about the gifts we give. Miss G is getting a Twilight Turtle because she is afraid of the dark, a Green Toys tea set and some handmade felt food (which I will be no doubt finishing on Christmas Eve). Both kids will be getting their very own toy laptops, because they are obsessed with mine. Mr J is getting a Sit n' Spin and a new winter Jacket because I found a cute one that I couldn't resist. Aside from a few stocking stuffers and small things, that's it.

It doesn't sound like much, and I feel a little bit Scrooge-y about it but here's the thing: more presents doesn't mean more fun. In years past we have gotten the kids many more presents and they end up overwhelmed. They can't play with a million presents at once, they don't need all that stuff and inevitably they end up having more fun with the boxes anyway. And besides, their aunts, uncles and grandparents go waaaaayy overboard. There will certainly be no shortage of gifts.

Now we just need to get some more of the toys they don't play with anymore ready to donate . . .

A week of Fridays!

2009-11-24T15:21:00.005-05:00

Who doesn't love a bargain? I know I do! We are having a "black Friday" sale in the etsy shop this year! And - bonus - it's not going to be a measly one day sale, you get an entire week of savings! The sale will run from now until Wednesday December 2.

Here are the details:

Lots of awesome stuff in the sale sectio n!

Free shipping (US and Canada) on any order over $50 (after discounts, monkey bucks, etc. and before shipping costs)

Free shipping plus earn double Monkey Bucks on any orders over $75 (after discounts, monkey bucks, etc. and before shipping costs)

Plus a free surprise cloth wipe for every $10 spent!

So . . . for example, if your merchandise total is $80, you will receive free shipping, 8 cloth wipes and $16 in Monkey Bucks to use on a future order!

Shipping costs on qualifying orders will be refunded after checkout.

Ugly? Cute?

2009-10-27T19:48:00.004-04:00

The yarn scraps I picked out to make these longies looked really cute together. I love making scrappy longies, and my very favorite part of the process is picking out the yarn. Sorting through all the little balls of yarn left over from other projects is oddly satisfying. Lining them up, putting one skein back in the basket and choosing another. It's fun.

So, I had these yarns all picked out, and I thought "wow, this is a really great color combination". Cool, I was so excited to start knitting them up. And then I actually started knitting and oh my goodness, they did NOT look cute. All I could think of was some sort of Barbie Dream House that had been hit by a tornado. Or something.

Because I am basically lazy and didn't want to have wasted several hours of my life, I just kept knitting. And I kept saying "wow, look at these honey (to my hubby) they are sooo ugly."

I finished them and threw them in the knitting bag. When I took them out today to weave in all the ends and get them ready to list, I was surprised to see that they are actually pretty cute. Bright, yes. But cute. And just think of all the different colored tops your little girl could wear with these. I hope they find a good home, because they really have grown on me.

Mr J on 'sposies

2009-10-25T21:24:00.003-04:00

During Mr J's recent hospital stay, he had to use disposable diapers (see them there in the picture, behind his head on the table). We left the house in the morning with 4 diapers, not expecting to be gone for 2 days. I also left with no make up or deodorant on. Yeah, it was awesome. Anyway, by the end of day one we were out of diapers and had to use the hospital provided 'sposies.

Now, Mr J has never really been in 'sposies. He apparently thought they were napkins because he pulled one off the table to wipe some food off his face and then used it to clean the floor. Too funny.

We sure were glad to get home and back into some real diapers. I like my baby to smell like baby and not eau de pampers.

I'm losing my mind.

2009-10-23T21:50:00.003-04:00

So, this being a work at home mom thing? It can be a challenge. And by "challenge" I mean that some days it totally sucks. Now, I really do love staying home with my little ones and I am really happy to be my own boss. Really. I am.

BUT - sometimes it just sucks.

I feel like I am always stressing and rushing and behind on something. The house is always a mess. I can never find matching socks for the kids (where on earth do all those tiny socks go??). I am always rushing to finish an order, or get shipping labels printed before the mail carrier comes. I feel like I am being pulled in a thousand directions and not doing anything as well as I could.

Is that just a mom thing?

I feel like I can't even think some days. Literally, I cannot complete a thought without somebody asking me a question, or crying, or falling off the kitchen table. Or the phone rings, or the dog needs to go outside, or come back in or I realize that I forgot to return an email or send an invoice or, ahem, write that blog post . . .

And then, when I finally have a couple hours of quiet I can't even decide what to do. There are always three times more things to do than I could possibly accomplish in the time I have. I don't even know where to start sometimes. It feels like treading water, working my ass off just to keep from drowning. Never getting ahead. Aaarrgh. Seriously.

So . . . I'm guessing that I'm really not the only one that feels this way. Just thought I'd vent a little. It's much easier to post cute pictures and pretend I have it all together, but now you know - I'm not perfect (gasp! I know, you're shocked, right?). Secret's out.

Shh . . . it's a secret sale . . .

2009-10-22T19:56:00.003-04:00

Get 10% off any in stock items the shop, plus double monkey bucks with every order!
Just mention the discount code SECRETSALE in the message to seller box at checkout for a 10% refund.

Valid until Monday 10/26 at noon eastern time.

Now, get shopping. Off you go.

The Detergent Wars - Lil' Outlaws Review and Giveaway

2009-10-18T20:26:00.011-04:00

And the winner is: Bloggin' Mama!

Thanks for entering everybody, I'm off to contact the winner now, if you didn't win GO ORDER SOME Lil' Outlaws right now!

I am on the hunt for the perfect cloth diaper detergent and I'll be reviewing the contenders as I go. I am hoping to find one detergent that I love for both diaper laundry and regular laundry. If you have missed the previous Detergent Wars posts, you can check them out here.

The next contender: Lil' Outlaws Diaper Safe Laundry Detergent
Price: $15 for 70/140 loads. Free shipping.

Be warned, there are a lot of scents to choose from. Around a gazillion, I think. You can even customize your fragrance strength (regular, heavy or extra heavy) or choose unscented detergent. Jacklen at Lil' Outlaws was nice enough to send me a few scents to review and some to give away as well! I tried the Frankincense and Myrrh and Fruit Loops. They both smelled wonderful. The Fruit Loops scent makes me feel like a kid every time I go into the laundry room. A kid with a whole lot of laundry to do, but still . . .

From the website, because I am feeling real lazy:

A wonderful detergent that is safe for cloth diapers of all kinds, but also great on your regular household laundry! Contains up to 70 loads in a toploader, or up to 140 in HE/frontloading machines.

Specially formulated to be safe for cloth diapers (all types), this detergent contains no soap, no borax, no bleach, and no enzymes. It’s effective, yet gentle enough for even the most sensitive little booties!

It also works great for your normal laundry as well - no need to buy separate detergents for clothing and diapers!

Toploaders: Use 1-2TBS per load, depending on soil level
Frontloaders: Use half as much (1/2 - 1TBS per load).

Amount used can be adjusted to your preference. No soap = no buildup, so no worries if you use a little too much!

The Verdict:
Love it. Ordered more. I think I'm going to stick with this one for a while. So far, it is working really well. Our diapers are smelling pretty good, no rashes, no repelling, no issues of any kind so far. Our regular laundry also seems to be getting nice and clean. I washed some ridiculously filthy articles of clothing and most came out clean and stain free, and smelling great (like Fruit Loops!)

Want to try some? You're in luck! I have some samples to give away to one lucky reader.

To enter:
1.MANDATORY ENTRY - leave a comment with your favorite scent from L il' Outlaws, and a way to contact you (email or twitter username)

2. additional entries - Leave a separate comment for each one of these entries!!
- follow me on twitter @monkeysnuggles
- follow @LilOutlaws on twitter
- follow this blog
- sign up for the Lil' Outlaws newsletter
- tweet a link to this post (and leave a link to the update in your comment) Limited to one tweet per hour.

One winner will be randomly chosen on Monday October 26th. If you are chosen as a winner and have not left a way to contact you in your comments, a new winner will be chosen.

Poor Baby

2009-10-16T20:12:00.010-04:00

So . . . I've totally abandoned my blog. Again. Sorry ' bout that.

I do have a good excuse this time though. My poor baby J had what seems to be an asthma attack , or perhaps bronchiolitis. He had a little episode a few weeks ago, which he recovered from pretty well, then another episode this week. He was wheezing a bit on Monday night when I put him to bed, a bit worse when he woke up in the middle of the night (at which point we used the albuterol nebulizer) and worse still in the morning (when we used the nebulizer again and rushed to the doctor's office).

At the doctor's office he didn't respond well to yet another nebulizer treatment, so he was admitted to the hospital. At our local hospital they didn't feel as if he was responding to treatment as well as they would have liked, (as in, getting worse and worse no matter what they did).

He was looking pretty pale, and was totally exhausted from working so hard to breathe.

We were transferred to a bigger hospital, which, I will not lie, scared the crap out of me. It was my very first (and hopefully last) ambulance ride.

By the next morning he was full of energy again, eating, playing and ready to go home. Unfortunately, getting his breathing back to normal has been quite a challenge. He's still wheezing, we're still using the nebulizer around the clock and he has some serious 'roid rage from all the medications.

I know things could be much worse, but I am just so exhausted . . . being a mom apprently means that you are in charge of . . . everything. Every single thing that happens to your baby is your problem. You get to worry. You get to decide. You get to second guess, and obsess, and worry, and cry and worry some more. You get to wonder if you should have called the doctor sooner. You get to wonder if the doctor is even competent, or if they are paying attention to your baby.

E X H A U S T I N G I tell you.

So . . . that's what we've got going on here. I am a bit behind on custom orders again, but shipping on instock items is all caught up.

Thank you all for the get well wishes, prayers and thoughts. I haven't had the time or engery to respond to everyone individually, but we do appreciate it so much.

The Detergent Wars - quick update

2009-10-07T21:24:00.002-04:00

So, about the detergent. . .

I am supposed to be testing out soapnuts right now. I have some soapnuts and I used them for a few days. A few days around here means about 6 loads of laundry or so. They seemed to be working okay but I was really not feeling the love. First of all, every single time I transferred the laundry from the washer to the dryer or to the laundry basket to take outside I had to spend 5 minutes trying to find the little muslin bag with the soapnuts in it (the "nut-sack" as hubby called it). Secondly, when I washed my first load of diapers the "nut sack" came untied and I opened the washer to what appeared to be several little turds perched on the door. It didn't take too long to figure out what had happened, but I am scarred . . .

What I am using at the moment is Lil' Outlaws and I have to say, I am loving it. Watch for a giveaway soon. I am using the Frankincense and Myrrh scent right now, which smells amazing. The samples that showed up in the mailbox today for the giveaway also smell absolutely fantastic. We are only on the second load of diapers with the Lil' Outlaws so we shall see how that works out. Well, I hope. Have I mentioned that it smells great?

New prints!

2009-10-04T17:48:00.005-04:00

(Some of) The new prints are here! I have been waiting for some of them to be laminated and sent back to me since I was pregnant with my now 16 month old... long story, but they are finally here. Yay! They are all printed, laminated polyester fabric.

Keep an eye on the shop for diapers in these prints!

pillow fight

butterflies

sweet valentine

mod bubbles

frogs at the beach

later gator

We are happy to do custom orders, just let us know what you'd like. I am still a bit behind after a week of sick kids, doctor's appointments and such but I've been working to catch up all weekend, and should be in good shape by mid-week. Shipping is caught up for in-stock orders and only a few days behind on customs.

The kids are feeling better too, thank goodness. Mr. J has been taking prednisone for 3 days now and today we only needed to use the nebulizer twice. Partly because he took a 4 hour nap, which is a miracle in itself. So, although, I may be jinxing myself by saying it, I should be back on schedule this week.

Wee One(s) of the Week!

2009-10-01T09:52:00.004-04:00

Is this week's winning photo the cutest thing ever, or what? It's so cute, I chose it as a winner even though none of these babies are wearing Monkey Snuggles . . .

Could your little monkey be next? Only if you enter! Submit your favorite cloth diaper photo and win a $5 credit toward your next order!

Submit as many photos as you like by emailing them to me at monkeysnugglesdiaperco@gmail.com

One winner will be chosen every Wednesday. Preference will be given to pictures featuring Monkey Snuggles diapers, of course, but any cloth diaper photos are welcome. Entries may be held over from week to week, so if you submitted one this week and didn't win, it might just win next week. Be sure to check in every Wednesday to see if you won!

Good luck, let's see those cute fluffy behinds!

Now, I know it's Thursday and all, please forgive me for being a day late. My own wee ones have been sick and I am days behind schedule on everything . . . I think I've just about caught up on shipping though, so if you have ordered recently your fluffy mail is on the way!

My little wheezer getting a nebulizer treatment at 6 am. Yup, that's me showered and dressed and everything. No coffee yet though, as you can tell. Poor little guy is feeling much better today than he was yesterday (funny how being able to breathe improves your day) but the albuterol is definitely making him a little hyper. I can't tell if he's trying to figure out how to jump or fly at the moment. There is a lot of screeching and arm flapping going on.

The Detergent Wars - part 2 - Rockin' Green Soap

2009-09-29T13:07:00.003-04:00

I am on the hunt for the perfect cloth diaper detergent. I have not found it yet, but I'll be reviewing the contenders as I go. I am hoping to find one detergent that I love for both diaper laundry and regular laundry.

The next contender: Rockin' Green Soap
Price: $7 for 3 sample bags

I like that Rockin' Green comes in tons of scents. I ordered samples of the Soft Rock formula in Grape Soda, Cherry Lemonade and Ocean Rain. My personal favorite was the ocean rain. I have to say that the combination of all three scents was a little much in the laundry room but they all smelled good on their own. My finished laundry didn't smell like the detergent, it just smelled nice and clean. That's probably a good thing, as I'm not sure I'd want to smell like Grape Soda all day . . .

The verdict:
We have had no issues with diapers repelling, and no rash issues. The unpleasant smell we experienced while using Planet detergent is almost gone. I am quite happy with Rockin' Green and would buy more. The stain removal abilities of Rockin' Green on our regular laundry were quite respectable, much better than Planet. Definitely a contender, but I'm still searching for the perfect detergent.

The Grade: A-

next up - Soap nuts - after I've had a chance to try them out. I am a little intimidated by them, I have to admit.

an exciting weekend

2009-09-28T19:10:00.002-04:00

We had a more eventful weekend than usual around here. First, we surprised my mom with a birthday party. It was quite a successful surprise because a) we didn't tell the men in the family until the week beforehand, they are not great at keeping secrets and b) her birthday is not for a month still. In any case, it was a fun surprise.

I totally ripped off this idea for the cake. Changed it a little bit of course, because that's how I roll. The M&Ms were a BIG hit with kids and adults alike. Who doesn't like M&Ms?

My mother, who was not expecting a party with lots of food and a ginormous cake, had an even more ginormous lasagna planned for dinner that evening. I am still stuffed 2 days later.

So that was Saturday. I actually got to sleep in on Sunday morning until almost 8 am. While I was half awake, pouring myself a huge cup of coffee in the kitchen Hubby and the kids started freaking out and yelling for me to come look in the front yard.

This is what I saw:

Yup, a moose. Not big as moose go, but check out how much taller than my minivan he was:

Now, I live in a pretty rural area but we are in the middle of town (a small town, but still . . .) we normally don't get any wildlife larger than a chipmunk. In the picture below Mr. Moose is at the top of my hill, less than 100 yds from Main Street. I'm not sure where he was trying to go, but he didn't seem too impressed with our dead end street. Another thing he didn't like? Flash photography. As I fumbled to get the camera on and take a picture I neglected to turn the flash off. As soon as I snapped the first picture with the flash on Mr. Moose turned oh so slowly toward me with his big (surprisingly red) eyes as though he were going to charge through my picture window . . . yikes. Everybody knows flash photos are not flattering, so sorry.And yes, I know they are terrible pictures. I was shooting through the window, in the rain, in a hurry, with no coffee. Cut me some slack.

My little man

2009-09-25T18:30:00.003-04:00

A few days ago, my sweet baby boy . . .

. . . and this afternoon - a grumpy little man.

Well, Mr. J got a haircut today. Not his first haircut, but the first one in a while. And now he looks like a little man . . . I suppose that's better than having a baby mullet . . . sigh.

Sneak Peek

2009-09-25T06:52:00.002-04:00

Well, I've been neglecting my blog. Again. Sorry about that.

Here's a sneak peek of what I have been doing with my time. You know, the approximately 3 minutes per day of "free" time that moms get.

Wee One of the Week!

2009-09-23T12:34:00.003-04:00

This weeks winner is Reid in his Monkey Snuggles shorties! It was a tough choice and I would be lying if I said that the fact that I could really use a nap didn't influence my decision. Congratulations, what a cutie!

Could your little monkey be next? Only if you enter! Submit your favorite cloth diaper photo and win a $5 credit toward your next order!

Submit as many photos as you like by emailing them to me at monkeysnugglesdiaperco@gmail.com

One winner will be chosen every Wednesday. Preference will be given to pictures featuring Monkey Snuggles diapers, of course, but any cloth diaper photos are welcome. Entries may be held over from week to week, so if you submitted one this week and didn't win, it might just win next week.

Good luck, let's see those cute fluffy behinds!

Wool care

2009-09-22T17:53:00.004-04:00

I totally meant to do this post last Tuesday, but then I had a little incident here where I nearly set the house on fire, and we had to spend a while outside then start all over cooking dinner. Needless to say that threw the whole schedule off and now, a week later, I seem to be just about caught up. Just in time for the next catastrophe most likely.

So - without further ado -

WOOL CARE 101

I did a post way back when about lanolizing your wool, feel free to peruse that at your leisure.

Wool items should be washed gently in warm (not hot) water with wool wash or a gentle detergent. Baby shampoo works well, but wool wash usually has a small amount of lanolin in it, which will mean that you can go a little longer without having to lanolize.

My normal washing routine is as follows:

Fill washtub with warm water
Add wool items to be washed
Let soak for 10 minutes
Drain and refill washtub with warm water
Add wool wash
Gently swish items around for a few minutes
Drain and refill washtub one more time
Drain water and use washing machine spin cycle to remove excess water
Reshape and dry flat

Items that have gone through the spin cycle in the washer usually take only about a day to dry if the weather is nice, but for even faster drying I often place them on my fan like so:

You will probably need to lanolize every 2-3 washes, but that will depend on your washing routine, how heavily you lanolize, how long you wait between washes, etc.

There are certainly more thorough instructions for washing if you're looking for them, but it's really pretty basic. Did I forget anything? Feel free to ask.

My family

2009-09-20T21:02:00.003-04:00

In case anyone is not sick of seeing pictures of my family, here are some more. We went to the inlaws tonight for dinner, to celebrate hubby's birthday. He requested meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans and chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. Fascinating, huh?

While there, we (well, not me, I was taking pictures) stacked wood . . .

enjoyed the outdoors . . .

and blew some bubbles . . .

Then we ate a huge dinner and cake. Hubby opened presents, everyone came home and went to bed. Except me, I am blogging. Soon I'll be watching some TV and trying to finish a pair of longies I've been working on forever.

Speaking of longies - good TV will be starting again soon (House season premiere is tomorrow!) so there should be a lot more knitting going on around here soon.

Free shipping weekend!

2009-09-19T07:48:00.003-04:00

Free shipping this weekend in the shop! No minimum order, no coupon code to remember just FREE shipping! Go, shop, enjoy.

I am the world's best mom

2009-09-17T14:35:00.003-04:00

No seriously, I am the world's best mom, for real. Just take a look at my clean, well dressed kids.

Running a tight ship like this is not easy, but only the best for my babies.

Winners Chosen!!

2009-09-16T20:26:00.005-04:00

And the winner of the 100oth sale EXTRAVAGANZA is:

blairie said...: I follow you on twitter! @blairit

I will be contacting all of the $5 Monkey Bucks winners as well as our grand prize winner in the next day or so. Congratulations and a big thank you to everyone who entered!

Long Day

2009-09-16T16:11:00.002-04:00

Preschool is tough, apparently.

Wee One of the Week!

2009-09-16T12:36:00.005-04:00

First of all, you all have some very cute babies! It was tough to pick just one winner!

This weeks winner is Kylee in her Monkey Snuggles Hoot Owl print diaper! Congratulations, what a cutie!

Could your little monkey be next? Only if you enter! Submit your favorite cloth diaper photo and win a $5 credit toward your next order!

Submit as many photos as you like by emailing them to me at monkeysnugglesdiaperco@gmail.com

One winner will be chosen every Wednesday. Preference will be given to pictures featuring Monkey Snuggles diapers, of course, but any cloth diaper photos are welcome. Entries may be held over from week to week, so if you submitted one this week and didn't win, it might just win next week.

Good luck, let's see those cute fluffy behinds!

Product Spotlight - Monkey Snuggles WOOL

2009-09-14T16:15:00.006-04:00

Have you checked out our wool section lately? We have longies and soakers in stock now!

New to wool? Haven't tried it yet? Now is a perfect time to try longies. The weather (around here anyway) is getting cooler and cooler, which means it is officially longies weather.

When I first started cloth diapering my kids I was a little scared of wool. I really didn't understand how a wool diaper cover could be waterproof. It was hard to imagine that we could use the same cover for a week or more without washing it. I really loved our pocket diaper and had no desire to branch out. Then along came Baby J. For some reason we had leak issues at night no matter what we tried. Pockets, prefolds, fitteds, fleece . . . leaks. Every single night.

And then I gave in and tried wool . . . (insert the sound of angels singing) it was a miracle! Night after night with no leaks!

Doesn't he look happy in his Super Stretch Soaker? When this picture was taken he was about 4 months old, and around 18ish pounds(that's right, I am a terrible mother and am totally guessing on the age/weight thing.)

And the soaker laying flat.

Now this (terrible photo) is my 30 pound 3 year old in the same size soaker. They will stretch and stretch and fit forever! A soaker under a pair of fleece footy pajamas is perfect for winter nights around here.

During the day, I like longies or shorties over our fitteds. They are a diaper cover and clothing all in one. Less laundry, one less step to get the squirmy kid dressed, what could be better. Here is Mr. J sporting some hand spun shorties (and riding on a baby ATV, bad bad mama, don't worry I held on to him the whole time he was moving).

Tomorrow, more on wool care, lanolizing, etc. So come on back.

Good News, Bad News

2009-09-13T20:24:00.003-04:00

It's Good News/Bad News Sunday, inspired by Domestic Dork, check out her good news/bad news here.

The good news:

1. We've had two weeks of perfect weather (aside from the the last 2 days). Sunny, warm but not hot . . . absolutely perfect.

2. Pentax has allegedly fixed my camera and shipped it back to me (it has not arrived yet, so this might be in the bad news column next week.

3. I actually got a few hours of ALONE TIME!! on two separate occasions this week and I almost feel sane again!

4. It was a fairly uneventful week. All things considered, uneventful is GOOD.

The bad news:

1. Summer is going to be over very soon. So sad.

. . . hmmm . . . did I mention this week was uneventful?

I waaaant it!

2009-09-12T19:50:00.002-04:00

Doing a little etsy window shopping . . .

I love these gorgeous hand spun yarns.

Summer Stripe from The Fox Hop

Grape Bubblegum from Treasure Goddess

Medium from Springtree Road

Covet from Whorled Peace

Lovely aren't they? If only the budget were a little bigger around here.

Remember

2009-09-11T11:27:00.002-04:00

Remember - It's September 11, and for the past 7 September 11th's the word of the day has been "Remember". So remember we do.

I am having a hard time deciding just what to post today. I had a fun Friday post planned, and I may still get to that later, but it just didn't feel quite right today.

So instead, a challenge:

Do one thing today to make someone's day better. Just one small selfless act to make someone else happy. Significant or insignificant, big or small, for a friend or a stranger.

Pack your bags, we're going on a guilt trip

2009-09-10T08:08:00.001-04:00

Okay, as part of my new weekly blogging schedule it is offficially Guilt Trip Thursday. Sounds rather terrifying (annoying, whiny, what have you) I know. Luckily for you I am not trying to guilt trip you, just shining some light on my own Mommy Guilt issues. Because you know moms always feel bad about something. For me it started before my first baby was born. I was 9 months pregnant, sobbing in the back of my new minivan because I couldn't get the car seat installed correctly. I was convinced that she would never make it home from the hospital in one piece. Clearly that was not the case.

Sometimes I just need to let all that out of my head, either by finding a solution or letting it go. Let's just set that guilt free, shall we?

Over the summer I felt guilty that I didn't plan more activities for the kids. We spend a lot of time at home during the week. The diaper business takes all of my spare time and then some. Mr. J in particular is very schedule oriented and does best when he gets his meals and naps at the correct time. By correct I mean lunch at 11, followed by a nap, snack and playtime, dinner at 5 (and not a minute later thank you very much), bath/naked time, bottle then bed at 7. That doesn't leave a lot of time for activities even if I did have the time, energy, desire to pack up two little ones and take them someplace by myself.

So, we spent a lot of time at home, I dressed the kids (or let Miss G dress herself) like tiny little hobos in stained shirts or pants that were too short or on backwards. They played in the sandbox, or the pool, or on the swingset. Or, their very favorite activity of all, I laid on the floor and let them climb on me. Hmm . . . guess that doesn't sound so bad after all. So there, I'm letting it go. Buh-bye.

Wee One of the Week!

2009-09-09T19:45:00.005-04:00

Look at me mom! I'm Monkey Snuggles' Wee One of the Week!

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, this is my very own Mr J. But next Wednesday it could be your very own wee one! Submit your favorite cloth diaper photo and win a $5 credit toward your next order! Submit as many photos as you like by emailing them to me at monkeysnugglesdiaperco@gmail.com

One winner will be chosen every Wednesday. Preference will be given to pictures featuring Monkey Snuggles diapers, of course, but any cloth diaper photos are welcome.

Good luck, let's see those cute fluffy behinds!

The detergent wars part 1 - Planet Detergent

2009-09-08T23:02:00.003-04:00

I am on the hunt for the perfect cloth diaper detergent. I have not found it yet, but I'll be reviewing the contenders as I go. I am hoping to find one detergent that I love for both diaper laundry and regular laundry.

The first contender : Planet Ultra Liquid Laundry Detergent
Price: ?? don't remember I think $10-$12 at local food co-op

Planet is free of all the fragrances, brighteners, etc. that are bad for diapers and is certified biodegradable. It is supposed to rinse completely out of clothing. Sounds perfect. I was happy to find it locally (well, sort of, I'm in the middle of nowhere so nothing is actually local . . . but I digress) because I am usually to "frugal" (cheap) to pay for detergent and shipping.

The verdict:
We have had no issues with diapers repelling, and no rash issues. However, the diapers are smelling kinda funky. Not like ammonia and not like poop. Just - bad. Hard to explain, but it's not pleasant. I'm thinking perhaps I need to use a little more detergent? I'm going to give that a try the next time I wash. I am not impressed with the stain removal on our regular laundry. I probably won't buy Planet again.

The Grade: B-

next up - Rockin' Green - after I've had a chance to try it out.

Good News, Bad News

2009-09-06T19:08:00.002-04:00

It's good news, bad news Sunday, inspired by Domestic Dork, check out her good news/bad news here.

The good news:

1. We hit 1000 sales in the etsy shop! One THOUSAND items purchased! Woo hoo! Enter our giveaway!

2. My minivan once again has brakes and is back home.

3. Miss G had a fantastic first week at preschool

4. Mr J has started saying "mama" on a regular basis.

5. We scored a free portable dishwasher (I was very excited, I despise hand washing dishes)

The bad news:

1. The "new" dishwasher did exactly one load of dishes before breaking and flooding my kitchen.

2. I got almost no sewing done this weekend, as I had planned because my husband has been working all weekend (thank goodness he has a job, but mama needs a break!) and I am going to have to work all day tomorrow, provided that hubby doesn't have to work all day tomorrow too.

3. I cannot for the life of me remember the last time I was alone anywhere. Maybe for 20 minutes in the van a month or two ago. Not enough. Losing my mind.

4. Due to the "late blight" that killed my tomato plants, there will be NO tomato sandwiches with tomatoes from the garden this year. Tragic.

2 things

2009-09-06T17:55:00.002-04:00

Thing 1: check out this awesome yarn I made yesterday (and by made yesterday I mean worked on all week and plied together yesterday, it takes a while on a drop spindle). I am really excited to knit something with it, I am thinking a little pair of longies would be pretty cute.

Thing 2: umm . . . did you notice the totally crappy picture of the yarn? Yeah, my PENTAX camera (hear that pentax? I am not above complaining about your crapass camera on my blog or anywhere else for that matter) anyway, my camera broke after less than a month of using it. For no apparent reason. I've sent it back because it is still under warranty (by a longshot), but haven't heard anything from them yet.

In the meantime I am using the oldest digital camera on earth, borrowed from my sister. As you can see, the results are not impressive.

I am currently on annoyance level 3 of 10 with the camera situation. I'll keep you posted.

My darling baby

2009-09-04T22:42:00.003-04:00

Dear sweet son of mine,

You know I love you, right? I kiss you and hug you and snuggle you and let you climb all over my like a wild animal. I feed you your favorite foods, even though they are messy and I end up cleaning the table, chair, walls, floor and often dog when you are finished. I eat dinner at 5pm like a 90 year old, because you get so sleepy and hungry and grumpy if I make you wait any longer. I don't eat icecream in front of you (much) because you are allergic to dairy. I love you very, very much.

But, listen kid, you need to do your part. It's really cute that you've started saying "mama" and all, but peeing in my purse? Really? I let you run around naked, because it makes you so happy and this is how you thank me? Pissing in my purse? It could not possibly have been an accident. So thanks for that. You know, I was prepared to forgive and forget until today . . .

Today you pooped in the salad spinner. Why your sister feels the need to spin her toys in the salad spinner is beyond me. I suppose it's probably fun. I don't really mind all that much. But pooping in it? That's just gross. We will certainly not be drying any lettuce in that bad boy any time soon. We are going to have to rethink this naked time thing . . .

I love you anyway.

Love,
Mama

Miss G's first week of preschool

2009-09-03T18:15:00.002-04:00

My little Miss G started preschool this week. She was pretty excited to finally get to go to school like a big girl, and have some kids to play with besides her little brother. We got her all dressed up in some new school clothes, tucked a change of clothes and Big Baby (just in case she was needed) into her backpack and sent her off. Well, first I tried to take a picture before we left the house. My camera batteries were (of course) dead, so I ran inside to grab some more and Miss G tried to follow. Her monkey backpack and elbow got stuck in the screen door though, so the fabulous first day of school photo ended up being a picture of Miss G sobbing. Classic.

We managed to get a better shot when we got to the school.

She held my hand for a few minutes and pretended to be shy, but within about 5 minutes she was ready for me to leave. She had a great time and was exhausted when she got home, falling asleep in the chair about 20 minutes after we arrived at home.

It's a little bit scary for me that she's starting to have a life of her own apart from me. And I know it is going to get so much scarier as she gets older . . .

1000th etsy sale extravaganza

2009-09-01T20:23:00.005-04:00

UPDATED: we are now only 3 items away from 1000 sales! Woot!
And check it out - I decided what the grand prize will be - see below.

We are a mere 17 items away from 1000 sales in the etsy shop!

To celebrate, I want to give away some stuff. I know how you all love giveaways. Personally, I am almost always too lazy to enter giveaways, so more power to you if you have the patience to comment and follow and tweet . . . And because "extravaganza" is a fantastic word, I am calling this giveaway an EXTRAVAGANZA!!!! Feel the excitement?

So, how is it going to work? I am going to give away a total of 20 $5 gift certificates away. 10 to customers (drawn randomly from the last 50 items sold on etsy) and 10 drawn randomly from the entries on this post.

I will also draw one grand prize winner from the entries here. The FABULOUS GRAND PRIZE will be all sorts of fantastic diaper-y stuff - winner will choose either a custom made pair of longies or a pocket diaper and I will throw in some other fun surprises, perhaps some wipes and a packet of RLR or a wetbag . . . lots of good stuff.

To enter:
1.MANDATORY ENTRY - leave a comment with your favorite item from our etsy shop, your little one's size and gender, and a way to contact you (email or twitter username)

2. additional entries
- follow me on twitter @monkeysnuggles (and comment)
- follow this blog (and leave a comment)
- make a purchase from the etsy shop while this contest is running (and leave a comment with your etsy username)

Winners will be chosen on September 15th, good luck!

Things I think about while sewing diapers . . .

2009-08-30T19:56:00.002-04:00

I've been sewing all freaking day. Don't get me wrong, it feels good to finally be back on a regular-ish sort of schedule. It feels good to be productive. That said, having sewn a few thousand diapers, it's not all that mentally stimulating. I have a lot of time to think while I am applying all those snaps, sewing all those seams and trimming all those threads. In no particular order, here are a few of the things that were on my mind today:

1. I am struggling to find my voice as far as this blog is concerned. It's hard to reconcile my sarcastic, cynical, funny (well, I think I'm funny, you can judge for yourself) "real" self with the friendly, upbeat "business" self that deals with customers and business related stuff.

I want my blog posts to be real. You know what I mean, the ones you read and although the grammar is imperfect and you may have nothing in common with the blogger the realness of the writing gets to you. It's like talking to a friend. That's what I want. And lately, I've been a big fat failure in that department.

. . . which brings us to . . .

2. Who is reading this blog anyway? Customers? Potential customers?
3. What type of moms decide to cloth diaper? (yeah, dads too. I know, I know. I'll believe it when I see it)
These are the categories I came up with:
a) "crunchy" mamas - environmentalists, probably big fans of babywearing and breastfeeding, anti-vaccinations, anti-circumcision, etc.
b) cheapskate mamas - all about saving $$
c) conservative mamas- probably christian, republican, lots of (possibly home-schooled) kids
d) other - everybody who defies one of the aforementioned categories

Now, I know all of those categories are wild, stereotypical generalizations. The point of all of that was this: How on earth do I write ANYTHING that doesn't offend one of those categories? If I try to keep all those points of view in mind, I come up with some very boring posts. So, what to do? Have a blog nobody wants to read? Give the whole thing up? Just write what I feel like writing without worrying about alienating potential customers? Start a separate blog for personal stuff? Hmm . . don't know.

. . . and on a totally different subject . . .

4. When was the last time I was alone? I cannot seem to remember, which means that it was a long time ago. Too long. No wonder I am losing my mind.

Hope you enjoyed that little peek inside my head. I spared you a lot of odd little details (like the one about how the whole house smelled like farts, er hard boiled eggs I mean, or the one about my uncomfortable underpants) and for that you are most truly welcome.

2009-08-26T16:13:00.006-04:00

Where on earth have I been, I haven't posted in over a week. I should be ashamed of myself, I am a total slacker. So what have I been up to while I was completely ignoring my blog? Well . . .

We signed Miss G up for preschool. I can't believe she is old enough for that already! I think the interaction with other kids will be good for her, and she is very excited to go. When we visited the classroom her little eyes lit up and she gasped as she looked around. Like I said VERY excited.

We drove to my Gram's house for the weekend for a memorial service for Great Gram who died a while back at the age of 102. Let me tell you, a 5 hour car ride with a 1 year old who refuses to nap is freaking awesome. Best time ever. Also, it takes the better part of two days to pack up all the crap two kids and I need for a weekend. I remember when I could pack a few clothes and my toothbrush and be set for a week. That's a thing of the past.

Upon returning from said trip, I took all of our junk, two kids and two carseats out of my mom's van and loaded them into ours. Then I jumped in, ready to finally be almost home. I stepped on the brake and pfffftt, the brake goes all the way to the floor and I hear a rush of air. Not good. So everything goes back into my mom's van, which I drive home leaving my crap-ass van in her driveway. What a great weekend.

We had various other appointments and emergencies . . . you know the usual.

Today I am finally getting back to work . . . I spent 3 hours cutting fabric this afternoon and am headed back to the sewing room now. It feels good to finally be getting back into the swing of things. Finally.

I'm Baaaaack!

2009-08-19T12:48:00.003-04:00

Well, we're back . . . sort of. I'm quite sure my brain is still on vacation. Let me tell you, a vacation with kids is NOT relaxing. Not even a little. It's like all the work you get to do at home every day, only without all the baby gates that keep the little ones out of trouble. Perfect. Not that my precious babies get into any trouble . . .

Let's see, Jack fell on his head twice while we were packing up to leave. The first time was a bloody mess, the second just a big scrape on his forehead. Then he ate a mushroom growing near the campsite that according to the nature center staff was either edible, or highly poisonous. Of course this happened while hubby was in charge and he nearly had a heart attack. Turned out to be non-poisonous and everybody is fine. Then when we were packing up to come home Jack smashed his face on the picnic table, resulting in another bloody mess. Other than that we just had the normal scrapes, scratches and near drownings.

Having fun at the beach . . .

The first thing I saw every morning.

I am still trying to get back into the swing of things back at home and get back into our regular schedule, but it's not going well at all . . .

anyway, more vacation stories later, just thought I'd share a few pictures for now.

Vacation, take 1

2009-08-05T14:15:00.004-04:00

Yes, me again. Still on vacation. The rest of the week is going to be devoted to packing up all the stuff we are going to need for our camping trip next week - you know, our actual vacation. Today though, we all just had a fun family day. We went to the lake this morning, and had a great time on the playground a little swim and some lunch.

We had a great time at the lake, then came home and took naps and had some deeeelicious beer can chicken which we ate way to fast to get any pictures of. Then we started a campfire and made some s'mores. Mister J thoroughly enjoyed his.
Miss G and hubby camped out in the yard for practice, and although she is VERY tired and cranky today, it apprently went well. Mister J and I slept in our own beds, because sleeping in a tent in the yard is silly when there is a nice comfy bed right inside the house.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

2009-08-02T21:59:00.005-04:00

Look at this big pile of packages to go out in tomorrow's mail! Last one before VACATION!! Are you sick of hearing about vacation yet? sorry.

As I was packing up all this, I was thinking about how grateful I am to each and every customer our shop has had since we opened 16 months ago. 16 months ago, I just so happened to be 8 months pregnant. What in the world posessed me to start a business just weeks before my due date? I have no idea. I suppose I just didn't think we'd be that busy, and I did have help from my mom, who did almost all the sewing while I was busy, you know, having a baby. In the last week of April, 2008, the month we opened we had 6 orders ship out. The next month 38, and this past month 68! Amazing. I realized the other day that we have sent diapers to 6 continents!

I am so thankful for all of our customers, who have allowed me to stay home with my little ones and run my own business. And I will admit that closing the shop for these next few weeks is really, unexpectedly, tough for me to do. Apparently I am a crazy person, because any of you who follow me on twitter can attest to the fact that I have been a little cranky lately, and could really use a break!

Well, thank you all and you can expect a few more vacation posts from me in the next few weeks!

and yes we will be using cloth

2009-08-01T22:32:00.003-04:00

And yes, in case you were wondering, I am most certainly going to be cloth diapering while camping. We are going to be at a campground with running water, but the only bathroom close to our campsite will be an outhouse so I am going to use flushable liners, since rinsing won't be very practical.

Now, in recent weeks we have taken Mr. J off dairy (to see if his wheezing is caused by a dairy allergy which it apparently is - I never would have guessed) the effect of this on diaper changes has been very . . . messy. So it's going to be a little yuckier than I had hoped, but I'm hoping that with the flushable liners, which we have never used so far, it won't be too bad. I'll update you all on that when I get back. I'm sure you are just dying to know.

Vacation here I come!

2009-08-01T17:04:00.002-04:00

Okay everybody, fair warning - vacation officially starts on Sunday, August 2. The etsy shop will be closed from 8/2 through 8/15. I will shut it down at some point tomorrow so get your orders in today! I will be finishing up a few orders and shipping until mid-week. I am going to leave the clearance diapers up on the website until later in the week. Anything ordered by 8/5 will ship right away and anything after that will be shipped when I return on 8/16.

I'm going to be camping for a week, in a tent, with a 1 and 3 year old. Wish me luck.

Don't you just love a clearance sale?

2009-07-29T20:08:00.002-04:00

I know I do! We have moved most of our pocket diapers from the etsy shop to the website for a huge clearance sale! Shipping is free too!

All sales are final, and no previous coupon codes are valid on those items, but you CAN use your monkey bucks.

So what are you waiting for, shop!

Top Tip Tuesday

2009-07-28T12:59:00.003-04:00

Yup, it's Tuesday . . . again. How does a week go by so freakin' fast?

This week's tips are all about pocket diapers! Pocket diapers are fantastic because of their versatility.

1. Pocket diapers make great swim diapers. It's best to use a pocket that's quite snug fitting and to remove the insert. However, sometimes there's no time for that! As you can see Little J was perfectly happy to jump into the pool insert and all.

2. The shell of a pocket diaper can be used as a cover in a pinch! Yup, just use it over a fitted or prefold. Perfect for those times when you, ahem, forgot to wash diapers and only have one left (not counting the prefolds you bought, but never use and don't even have a cover that fits anymore) or is that just me?

Big changes and a SALE!

2009-07-24T21:41:00.004-04:00

We've been improving our pocket diaper pattern a bit and our new Monkey Snuggles Pocket diapers will be trimmer fitting, and have topstitching around the legs (which my business partner - aka my mom, the kid's mimi - wanted to do all long but I fought her on it). With the new super trim bamboo fleece inserts the extra space for huge inserts is just not necessary. So, we've slimmed the pattern down a little.

We are also going to be switching to mostly snap diapers, with touchtape available only by special order. The reason for this change is that snap diapers always sell before touchtape ones. Also, I HATE sewing the touchtape on and it takes twice as long as applying snaps. If you haven't tried snaps, go for it, they are great!

We have lots of "old style" diapers in stock right now, and would like to clear them out before we start stocking lots of new ones. So - Just mention the code POCKET15 in the message to seller box at checkout for a 15% refund of the purchase price. This is valid on pocket diapers only, excluding the semi-custom listings. I will even refund 15% on pocket diapers already in the sale section (which I will be adding to when I get a chance) check it out for a super deal! And if you you'd really like to stock up I will ship any orders over $75 for free! Just remind me in the message to seller box, in case I forget.

new rapid cart ---->

2009-07-21T22:46:00.004-04:00

Update: So, as it turns out rapid cart is not quite as cool as I thought, since it won't actually let you buy the item :( Very disappointed and so far artfire has been no help. Telling me it's working fine . . . uhh, no it's not. BUT if you click on the listing and then the picture in the big pop up listing you can go directly to the artfire shop and buy the diapers. Or just visit my etsy shop, where they are also listed.

___________
Cool, now you can buy diapers right from my blog! I just set up an artfire account and added this cool rapid cart to my blog so that you can purchase items right from here. You know, in case clicking a link and going to the etsy shop is just too much effort for you.

I'm actually pretty psyched about this, so if anyone purchases the chicks n' hearts 3 pack that is listed there right now I will send you a 4th coordinating diaper for free! What's better than a free diaper?

Top Tip Tuesday

2009-07-21T10:58:00.006-04:00

It's Tuesday, you know what that means: a cloth diapering post!

Today's tips:

1.Don't be afraid to try new things! As your little one goes through different stages your diaper needs might change. Miss G was a pocket girl. Pockets with touch tape exclusively. I didn't see any reason why we'd ever use anything else. Wool covers baffled me, and seemed like way too much work. Then along came Little J who was in fitteds and wool at night when he was small because pockets leaked no matter what we tried. As he got a bit bigger, pockets worked great double stuffed at night. Now we are having leak issues again and we're back to fitteds and wool. He's also got rather sensitive skin, it seems and we are using fitteds more and more in the day time so he can get a little more air "down there". And of course, no touch tape for him! Snaps only for my little streaker.

2. Microfiber sucks. Seriously. It's bulky, gets stinky, starts to repel if your laundry routine is a little off, and doesn't work particularly well for toddlers who are big enough to be sitting for longer periods. You see, while microfiber when brand new and absorbing perfectly will absorb quite a bit very quickly, the moment pressure is applied to that nice full diaper insert all that pee squishes out. Picture a sponge.

Try bamboo or hemp for a much trimmer insert. We switched from microfiber to bamboo fleece inserts about 6 months ago and they are FABULOUS! So trim that chubby Little J stands half a chance of being able to fit his chunky butt into a pair of pants. I turned all of our old microfiber inserts into reusable swiffer pads.

So - experiment! You never know what will work until you try it. And besides, new diapers are soooo much fun!

So what's your diaper tip for today?

Not Me! Monday!

2009-07-20T19:51:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

This week I was a perfect mother and wife, of course. I did not just today take my 14 month old to his one year well baby visit. I did not forget to reschedule it for months after it was cancelled when the doctor decided to go on vacation. I most certainly did not have to make up the answers to half the questions the nurse practitioner asked. I pay attention to my baby, I know whether he can bang two things together or not(?? does it count if one of those things is his sister's head?). And of course I brush his teeth every day. Of course I do, he loves it. TV? No I never let my kids watch TV. Not me! I know how bad TV is for them. I would never ever let them watch a few minutes of Curious George so I could, you know, get dressed or put on deodorant on a fairly regular basis. Not me!

I did not have a crazy case of road rage this week when a whole pack of runners was taking up the entire road and refused to get out of the way. I did NOT lay on the horn and yell "SINGLE FILE!!" out the window at top volume. Nope, not me. I have far more self control than that.

Classic Model Behavior

2009-07-19T23:01:00.006-04:00

In an effort to get some better photos for the website (which will hopefully be MUCH better soon) I scheduled a photo shoot with my favorite diaper model - Little J.
In typical model fashion, his behavior was rather erratic. He didn't take direction well, pouted, threw a tantrum . . .

. . . and in the end let me get a few cute pictures.

memory

2009-07-18T11:58:00.001-04:00

I found an old memory card yesterday, full of pictures that are almost 3 years old. 706 pictures to be exact. My sweet little Miss G was just learning to crawl. She was a chubby little baby with crazy fly away hair. It really made me realize just how big she is getting. She looks like such a little lady some days - albeit one who is usually covered in mud.

wordless wednesday - not even my kids this time

2009-07-15T15:52:00.003-04:00

Some recent favorites . . .

Top Tip Tuesday

2009-07-14T15:53:00.002-04:00

I haven't been posting much about cloth diapers lately, so I thought I'd start "Top Tip Tuesday" and share some of the most useful tips I've learned over the course of the last several years. So here are a couple tips for this week:

1. I think I discussed this briefly in the Lazy Mom's Guide to Cloth Diapering but one thing I learned the hard way was that a tightly closed diaper pail will stink MUCH worse than one that is open. I leave the lid off ours entirely, and there is rarely a noticeable smell from it, even in our tiny bathroom.

2. Hot, humid weather makes the diaper pail much stinkier. I wash every 1-2 days in the summer, and every 2-3 days the rest of the year. Once the weather starts to warm up it takes me a few weeks to figure out what is going on with the stinky diaper pail.

More to come next Tuesday, in the meantime what are your best tips?

So sad

2009-07-14T09:08:00.003-04:00

So, I totally broke my Canon Powershot camera. I had finally figured out how to take a fairly decent picture with it (after 3 years). It did have some issues, like the lens cap thingy didn't open by itself, and I always had to open it with my finger, and sometimes it would tell me I needed to change the batteries when they were fully charged, but still I loved it. Last night I knocked it off the table when I was arranging a diaper I was getting ready to photograph and it hit the floor with the lens extended. Apparently this is very bad, and I got the dreaded E18 error. Lens won't go in or out, camera won't do anything except make a weird noise. A common problem with this particular camera model it turns out.

What a sad day.

So, now I need you all to go buy some diapers so I can pay for the new camera I ordered last night. Okay? Thanks :)

A few of my favorite pictures taken with my trusty Powershot:

I heart fabric

2009-07-13T07:54:00.002-04:00

The new prints are here! Well, some of them are here. Lots more are in various stages of production and some I have been waiting well over a year for . . . sigh. But I digress, let's start again . . .

The new prints are here!! Yay!

They sure are cute, check out the etsy shop to snag yourself one, or 5. When I run out of these prints they are gone forever.

caught in the act

2009-07-08T15:52:00.002-04:00

I understand wanting to taste the dirt . . . once. But why, WHY do you continue to eat it baby of mine? Does it really taste that good?

P.S. I LOVE all the dirt in the washing machine when I do a load of diapers. Thanks for that.

Consciencious objector

2009-07-07T10:36:00.005-04:00

Since this post last week I have been thinking about the way we, as women and mothers, interact. I have witnessed, in real life and in various online settings, some amazing outpourings of support from women around the world (and, yes, a few men too, but that's not what we are discussing right now) to a mama in a time of need. I've seen this many times, in response to a crisis big or small. It's fantastic, and one of my favorite things about the "internets" is the ability to connect with people outside my community. People who are like me and those who are different.

On the flip side, I have seen many a discussion take a turn for the worse. You know what I'm talking about. A discussion about, say, vaccinations or daycare will take a really ugly turn. First facts and statistics, then opinions and anecdotes and finally accusations, drama and ugliness. Oh yes, it's the Mommy Wars. How does it come to this? Why do we do this to eachother? Surely we don't really think that everyone in the world is going to raise their children the exact same way we raise ours. Do we? Even if we think they should be, are the scare tactics and drama really going to convince them that we really know what we are doing? Probably not.

All of the comments posted on the above mentioned blog post last week were really sweet and supportive (and thank you all, by the way!), but I have to admit that there were some comments on twitter that were not quite as nice. Nothing that got out of hand, or was too overtly argumentative, but a few comments implying that I only felt judged because I was insecure. Umm, yeah . . . I'm insecure. I do not have this whole parenting thing totally figured out. But - I'm also feeling judged because WE JUDGE EACH OTHER! We do, and don't try to pretend it's not true.

So why do we do this to ourselves? Why must we be right all the time? Why put so much effort into convincing other mamas to see things our way? Well, I blame . . . MOM GUILT. That's right, I blame the ever present mom guilt for this phenomenon. Being a mom is tough, we bring these precious babies into the world, and from approximately 30 seconds after we find out we are pregnant we are wracked with guilt. There are so many ways we could damage these tiny beings. What are the chances really that we will be able to raise them to adulthood without causing some sort of irreversible mental or physical damage?? Some days it seems like this will be an impossible feat. Maybe being left to cry for 10 seconds at bedtime is going to give him abandonment issues? Maybe keeping them home with me instead of sending them to daycare will make them to sheltered? Will I have socially awkward kids? The list goes on . . . And when someone disagrees with the way we are raising our children ? MOMMY WARS! Yes, we freak out a little. We jump right into trying to defend ourselves.

So, my challenge to myself is to try to relax a little, to not defend myself when I feel like I am being judged. To share information without making judgements. To try to cut other moms a little slack. To keep in mind that all kids are different, all families are different and what works for my family won't work for everyone. I'm going to do my part to be a consciencious objector from the mommy wars. It won't be easy (do you hear me lady at the next table giving your toddler Coca-Cola? I am trying not to judge, but you are making it VERY hard!) but I am going to try.

I am also going to try to re-learn some of the grammar rules I was once so good at. Mommy brain is a bitch.

Not Me! Monday!

2009-07-06T16:39:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

Well on this Not Me! Monday, let's start with this: I have not neglected my blog for a whole week. Who would do that?

I also have not been ignoring the orange cracker on the floor for the last several hours. I would NEVER leave half chewed crackers on the floor hoping that the dog would clean them up. While we're on the subject, I would never feed my kids those horrible day-glo orange crackers and peanut butter anyway. It's not like their little mouths water every time they see a package of them, and they certainly don't whine to get some, and even if they did I would never give in and feed them junk food just to quiet them down for a few minutes. Not me. I would also never let them watch Little Bear while eating said crackers.

I am not currently considering putting the half thawed pork chops back in the fridge and making grilled cheese for dinner. . . Not me!

#clothdiapers giveaway

2009-06-29T20:48:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: Tonight's winner is Jessie Kaitlin!

This was fun, I think I'll do it again in a week or two.

Now, goodnight everyone. Tweet ya tomorrow.

Okay so, tonight is the weekly #clothdiapers chat on twitter (just search for #clothdiapers to see all the posts that are part of the chat). I would love to do a little giveaway tonight, so here goes.

The prize will be one item of my choice. Don't you just love surprises? Be sure to let me know which items in the shop you like in your comment! I will choose a winner before I go to bed tonight.

I am also offering free shipping on all orders tonight!

To enter:

You MUST visit my etsy shop and leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite item is and what size diaper your little one would need. You MUST also leave your twitter username or email. If I can't get in touch with you, I can't get you your prize!

For additional entries:

Tweet: @monkeysnuggles #clothdiapers giveaway! http://monkeysnuggles.blogspot.com

then comment here that you did, with a link to your tweet (click on the timestamp thingy under your tweet and copy and paste the link from that window in your comment) be sure to include your twitter username in your comment.

Follow this blog and leave a comment that you did (with your twitter ID, please!)

See, easy peasy.

Some thoughts from the world's worst mother and her formula fed baby boy . . .

2009-06-28T19:05:00.006-04:00

I have to admit that I am hesitant to post the above pictures of my precious baby boy. Sure, he's cute (super cute, if you ask me, but I might be biased) but he's holding a (gasp) bottle! Yes, I will admit it: my super cute baby J was not a breast fed baby.

I know that some of you, perhaps many of you, reading this are judging me right now. Anyone can breastfeed, right? Maybe I just didn't try hard enough. Maybe I wasn't properly educated about the benefits of breastfeeding. When I was pregnant with my first baby, the lovely Miss G, I assumed that I would have a natural, intervention free birth after which I would take my sweet baby into my arms and nurse her. I'm not sure any other possibilities even entered my mind. The reality, however, was a bit different. At 39 weeks my blood pressure was sky high and my doctors decided that it was time to induce labor. After several days of labor, a few doses of narcotics and an epidural I ended up almost 9 centimeters dilated and pushing while my OB watched My Name is Earl on the TV in my room. A few hours later I was in the operating room for my C-Section. I am getting a little bit off the breast feeding track here but my point is things don't always go as planned.

Miss G was not a great nurser. Her latch was weird, she would fall asleep every time she got near my boobs. On top of that my milk didn't come in for well over a week. Despite being poked, prodded and yelled at by nurses and encouraged by the lactation consultant it wasn't going well. I never did produce enough milk to breast feed Miss G exclusively. She continued to nurse and we supplemented with formula. We were pretty happy with that situation. When Miss G was 5 months old I had to stop nursing her for 5 days after I took some radioactive iodine for a thyroid scan. When the 5 days were over she had no interest in nursing.

A year or so after that I was pregnant with Baby J. My thyroid condition was under control and I was determined to breastfeed the new baby. I did all sorts of research, made sure that the medications I was taking were compatible with breastfeeding and that my thyroid levels were normal. I WOULD breastfeed this baby. Anyone can do it if they try hard enough, right?

Baby J was born (VBAC, thank goodness) and I was ready. I knew how to position him, how to stroke his cheek to get him to open his mouth. My milk came in within a couple of days (ouch!) we were off to a great start. Only, Baby J wasn't gaining any weight. In fact he was losing weight. We weren't too concerned at first, but at one month old he was barely back up to his birth weight. I went to see the lactation consultant and we determined that though his latch wasn't too bad he wasn't getting much to eat. Did I mention that he was pretty grumpy? Yeah, apparently starvation will do that to you. He was nursing around the clock, only stopping to cry.

The LC sent me off to rent a double pump and told me that if I ate some oatmeal and pumped for 100 minutes a day we'd be all set within a week or so. I rented the pump, picked up some mother's milk tea and went home. When we got back to the house I thawed out the 4 oz or so of milk I had managed to pump with my little manual pump over the previous few weeks. He finally stopped crying and took a nice long nap. I ate a ton of oatmeal and drank mother's milk tea. And pumped, and pumped and pumped. I pumped 100 minutes or more per day for a month. I spent every spare minute pumping. If I wasn't pumping I was nursing. Poor Miss G would sit on my lap and hold the bottles to my boobs just to spend a little time with me.

I added some fenugreek and blessed thistle to the oatmeal and mother's milk tea. And a bottle of Guiness every day. And I pumped and pumped, to no avail. I was lucky to get 4 or 6 oz per day. Often it was less. And as for baby J, he was a lazy baby and soon decided that breastfeeding was a lot of work, for very little reward. I couldn't blame him, I felt the same way. I wanted very badly to be one of those mamas whose cups overflowed, happily nursing away, bonding with their precious little ones. I wanted it more than anything, but it was not to be. No matter what I did there was not nearly enough milk. We began supplementing with formula. Baby J started gaining weight and he was hungry all the time. Soon he refused to nurse at all. I continued pumping for another month or so, but in the end I decided that I needed to spend the few minutes a day that Baby J was not in my arms with Miss G. Having a new baby in the family is not easy on a two year old and she needed her mama.

I am confident that I made the right choice for my family, and I have two happy healthy kids. But it is still hard to talk about. I spend a lot of time talking to cloth diapering mamas who are all about the breast feeding. I try to avoid the whole subject. The "did you try . . .". Yes, I tried. I tried it all. I avoid posting pictures Baby J holding a bottle. It's silly, but it's true.

So, that's it. My biggest failure as a mother so far. Go ahead and judge. I can take it.

Oh, and one more thing cloth diapering mamas - there is nothing magical about ebf (exclusively breast fed) poop. You can throw formula poop diapers in the wash without rinsing too if they are liquidy enough. It's the consistency that's the issue not that ebf poop is "all natural" or some such nonsense.

My cute family

2009-06-27T15:32:00.002-04:00

The Independence Day parade in our small town was today. As usual we were not really sure what time it was supposed to start, so when we saw the marching band and floats start lining up at the end of our street we rushed to get dressed and out of the house. When we got up to main street we noticed that there were only a few people lined up along the parade route. Turns out we were an hour early. And there is really nothing to do around town for an hour, unless you are the type of parent that enjoys taking your kids to the bar at 10 AM. At least we got a front row seat for the parade.

As usual, I got some super cute pictures of the kids and even a halfway decent one of hubs. And as usual, there isn't a single picture of me. It's easier to pretend I'm skinny if I don't have to look at pictures of myself.

See the cute shirts the kids are wearing? I just made them this morning. Totally loving the pattern, think I'll make a million more.

handspun yarn!

2009-06-26T08:01:00.002-04:00

Oh yeah, almost forgot - my very first skein of handspun yarn. I sure am excited about it. I think I am finally going to make baby J some shorties with it. I'm not sure how it will knit up, but we shall see. It sure was fun to make. I am now impatiently waiting for more wool.

Sunshine!

2009-06-26T07:53:00.002-04:00

Yes, it's true. The sun finally came out for a few minutes. Just in time too, I was beginning to feel like the world's worst mother. The kids were going crazy inside and watching far too much television. We set up the pool yesterday, which was a bigger project than anticipated. Finally I dragged the shop-vac out to blow up the (world's largest inflatable)pool and then filled it with water. Then drained it again and moved it when I realized that our yard is on even more of a slope than I realized.

The kids had a great time, although the water was only about 45 degrees. Baby J enjoyed his first near drowning and I had a tiny heart attack. Good times. I wonder how many times I'm going to have to hear "mom can we go in the pool?" before fall?

It's officially summer!

2009-06-24T16:23:00.002-04:00

So it's been summer for a few days now . . . and it has not stopped raining! The upside of that is that I have had some time in the sewing room. I've been working on making the one size diapers a bit trimmer. I've also improved the one size inserts a bit. I am still waiting for some of the new prints . . . there are TONS on the way, but getting them laminated is a long and annoying process. Hang in there, they should start finding their way here soon. I have piles and piles of fabric for fitteds, the dotty owls is my current favorite but I have lots of others that are super cute too. Too bad these kids of mine need so much supervision all the time. I could get so much done if I didn't have to be a mom all day!

Thank Goodness for Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T21:16:00.002-04:00

I'm too exhausted to write anything intelligible anyway . . .

10 things I never thought I'd have to say

2009-06-11T21:46:00.002-04:00

I was reflecting earlier this evening about all the odd things that I have had to say this week. Thought I'd share:

1. We do not write on people's faces.

2. Buckets do not go on heads.

3. If you thought it looked like a poop, why would you pick it up and smell it?

4. Get back in the house, you don't even have pants on.

5. We do not stick our thumbs in people's eyes.

6.Please just wash your own butt, not your brother's.

7. No, we don't need to chase the UPS man up the hill, if he had something for us he would stop at our house.

8.No, you can't marry me I'm your mother.

9.You probably shouldn't marry your brother either.

10.We do not step on frogs, they will die. No, we don't flush dead frogs, only fish. Yes, like Too-Hot-Fishy (who did not die because he got too hot, that was just his name).

So, what's the oddest thing you had to say this week?

Why can't I get any work done?

2009-06-10T23:18:00.000-04:00

Some days it seems like there is a lot less WORK and a lot more MOM to this work-at-home-mom thing. One trip to the playground, blowing bubbles with Miss G while Baby J is napping, a picnic with the family . . . and suddenly the day is gone and I haven't gotten any work done. And I certainly have not had time to blog!

Here are a few pictures of what I HAVE been doing with my summer . . .

Where are my snuggles?

2009-06-02T18:36:00.000-04:00

I opened the etsy shop and chose the Monkey Snuggles name when I was 8 months pregnant and dreaming about snuggling a new baby. My then two year old was too active to be much of a snuggler anymore, but I was sure my baby boy would snuggle up and fall asleep in my arms just as she had when she was tiny. I could almost smell the new baby smell . . .

Boy was I wrong. Baby Jack, when he arrived into the world was not a snuggler. For the first few days he was sleepy and hungry and spent all of his time nursing, which is sort of like snuggling. It was nice. Within a few days it became clear that he was not going to be a snuggler. He cried, slapped, bit, scratched and demanded to be bounced around, walked back and forth. He picked his big head up on his tiny neck and headbuttted me. Once he fell asleep he had to be laid down immediately, or he would wake back up and cry. My dreams of baby snuggles were crushed.

Baby Jack is a year old now. I have come to realize that he doesn't hate me, he just hates cuddling. The closest thing I get to a snuggle is when he runs across the room and throws himself at me. I hug and kiss him, he snuggles in and bites me, or jumps up and down and headbutts me. Every couple of minutes from morning to night he climbs up on my lap for a hug and kiss then runs away again. Last week he even puckered up and gave me a kiss, aaawww.

Lazy Mom's Guide part 3

2009-05-28T16:39:00.001-04:00

Would it be better if I called this "busy mom's guide?" Too late now.

PART 4 - sometimes diapers have issues; how to be an expert stripper.

Diaper stripper that is, geez.

From time to time you might find that your diapers are leaking more than usual or that they smell a little funky. An ammonia smell as soon as your little one wets, or diapers that aren't letting the pee soak in are a good indication that you have the dreaded DETERGENT BUILDUP . . . Fear not, there are several easy ways to get rid of all that extra detergent residue clinging to your diapers. If you have lots of time and no other laundry to do you can simply keep washing the diapers without any detergent until there are no more bubbles in the washer. You could also add some dish detergent, and then rinse, rinse, rinse until you don't see any more bubbles.

Personally, I don't have that much patience. About once a month or so I wash the diapers as usual and then re-wash with RLR laundry treatment. They come out smelling great and it gets rid of any detergent residue on the diapers. It's also a perfect excuse to wait until all the diapers are dirty to wash them! I don't know what's in it exactly, but the results are fantastic. No more staring at the washing machine looking for bubbles for me!

What next? Wool care perhaps? Let me know if there are any topics you are waiting on the edge of your seat for me to cover.

Lazy Mom's Guide to Cloth Diapering part 2

2009-05-17T22:21:00.000-04:00

part 2 - WASHING THE DIAPERS

Now that you have your pail full of diapers, it's time to settle on a laundry routine. There is some trial and error here (your washing machine and the water will have an effect on your results), so what works for me may not necessarily work for you. That's not going to stop me fron handing our advice of course.

First you will need to choose a detergent. There are a few charts that rate detergents suitability for diapers for top loading and HE washers. Basically, you want the simplest detergent possible, free of fragrance, dyes and most importantly fabric softeners. Often the cheapest detergent at the supermarket will work fine. If after several weeks of washing with a detergent the diapers are smelling okay (the dryer should NOT smell like poop when you open it and you little one's diaper should not smell like ammonia when you change it) and little one is relatively rash-free you are probably in pretty good shape.

Now on to the actual washing routine:

1. Throw the diapers into the washer. If you are using pocket dipes, leave the inserts in and see what happens. Mine come out on their own 99% of the time.

2. Cold rinse (this loosens up any poop left on the diapers and rinses it away)

3. HOT wash with detergent (1/4 to 1/2 the reccomended amount) If they smell like poop after washing try a bit more detergent.

4. Extra rinse, warm or hot if possible.

Hot water is important, really. Even if you wash everything else in cold. H_O_T wash. Don't make me tell you again.

Now toss them in the dryer or hang them on the line.

Up next: stripping diapers, troubleshooting

Lazy Mom's Guide to Cloth Diapering part 1

2009-05-16T22:20:00.000-04:00

So, you want to start using cloth, but it just seems so overwhelming. Or you are using cloth now, but it all seems so complicated . . . Well, it doesn't need to be.

When I first started using cloth I went out and bought expensive free and clear detergent because I was terrified of detergent build up and I was worried that if I used the wrong thing my precious little one would suffer some horrible rash. I used vinegar in a downy ball, I sprinkled diapers with baking soda to keep them from smelling when I opened the lid of the diaper pail. I washed, I sniffed, I stripped, I carefully removed inserts and folded over laundry tabs . . .I obsessed about diapers day and night.

Cut to baby number two: Open washer, dump diapers in to washer. Inserts are still in, laundy tabs are ignored, I use my super cheap home made detergent, no vinegar, no baking soda, no million rinses. So I present to you the lazy mom's guide to cloth diapering! Let's start with the diaper pail . . .

(drumroll please)

THE DIAPER PAIL!

Wet Pail vs. Dry Pail

Umm, dry pail. The only thing worse than a pail full of dirty diapers is heavy pail of dirty diapers and poopy water. Dry pail, no contest. This next part is counter intuitive, but true. Your pail will smell better if you leave the cover off. A tight fitting cover will leave you with stinky diapers and an ammonia smell that will knock you over every time you open the lid. We use either a loose fitting cover or a completely open pail and only the diapers at the very bottom smell when it is time to wash them.

I also skip the pail liner most times and just give the pail a good rinse at laundry time.

. . . stay tuned for more, we'll do laundry next.

Spring Cleaning

2009-04-21T19:38:00.000-04:00

So, we're trying to clean up our act around here. . .

Tomorrrow is Earth Day and it has occurred to me that we could be more "green". The cloth diapers are a good start of course, even better now that we are washing them in our new high efficiency washing machine. I finally got a decent clothesline up in the yard, and adopted a barely used compost bin from my in-laws. I am planning a big garden this summer, and learning to can what we grow. We use cloth napkins almost exclusively, and only use paper towels for things like cat puke (which is indescribably gross).

Still, there are things that I am not willing to give up yet. I love my clorox toilet cleaning wand. Throwing the nasty little sponge that I cleaned the toilet with away is very satisfying (sorry earth). I use cloth wipes for the baby, but the rest of the family still uses toilet paper. I haven't switched to a low flow toilet or showerhead yet (but should soon).

It's a work in progress I guess . . .

Historical Origins of the Easter Bunny

2009-04-11T15:44:00.000-04:00

Okay, a quick search has revealed that the Easter bunny's origins are in an ancient pagan fertility goddess . The first Easter celebrations apparently coincided with pagan spring/fertility festivals. The eggs and bunnys make much more sense now. Interesting, very interesting indeed. This REALLY doesn't help explain it to the kids though.

How to explain the easter bunny to a 3 year old

2009-04-11T14:54:00.000-04:00

So why exactly does a giant bunny sneak into our house at night and hide hard boiled eggs that we have spent the morning carefully dyeing and covering with Tinkerbell stickers?

Hmm . . . any ideas? I am at a loss.

Monkey #1 and I dyed eggs for the first time this year, and as I attempted to explain why we were doing so I realized that I had absolutely no clue where the easter bunny fit into the equation. So . . . off to do some research I guess. After I do the laundry and vacuum of course!
I'll update ya' later :)

My new sewing machine is here!!

2009-01-15T18:56:00.001-05:00

Oh happy day, my new sewing machine is here! I didn't technically need a new sewing machine, but it was a good deal and I really wanted it. It's still a fairly simple machine, but a step up from the old one and quieter too. I made my little chubaroo 2 new diapers with it this afternoon after he popped the velcro on one of his mediums and made a nice mess in the leg of his pajamas, eeeww. It wasn't one of the regular mediums we sell in the shop, it was an experimental dipe made with fold over elastic, which I hate. His regular mediums are getting too small too, though . . . . sigh . . . he's getting so big!

Okay off to sew on the new machine, and perhaps even open the instruction manual - or not.