Sunday, January 9, 2011

Frugal Cloth Wipes

I know you've heard me wax poetic about cloth diapers in the past. I love my cloth diapers: frugal, earth-friendly, and so much prettier than nasty plastic diapers. To keep with the theme, I also use cloth wipes. It makes no sense to pay out money for the equivalent of chemical-laden paper towels, and it's just not practical to throw a diaper in the pail and a wipe in the trash. (Not to mention, they can get pricey.)

I knew that I needed to replenish my stock of cloth wipes - the ones I have are threadbare after being washed, over and over, for years. This time, instead of shelling out $5/dozen for some WAHM-made wipes, I decided to make my own. I kept my eyes peeled in the paper for a good sale/coupon at JoAnn Fabrics, so I could make my wipes as cheaply as possible.

And then, guess what I found on Craigslist? A dozen flannel receiving blankets for $5! Just what I needed: cheap flannel! I pounced on those blankets, you can bet! Two of them turned out to be made of something other than flannel, but no worries.

Originally, I tried to cut my wipes 8x8 inches, and only zig-zag the raw edges of two squares together. That didn't work - too much fraying. So then I cobbled this method together:

1. Cut wipes to desired size. (In my case, that's 8 inches x 8 inches.)

2. Enlist the help of a five-year-old to do my seam ripping. (Not that I make any mistakes, mind you!)

3. Sew squares right-sides together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Leave an opening to turn wipes right-side-out.



4. Snip the corners to reduce bulk.



5. Turn wipes right-side out, and sew as close to the edge as possible, all the way around.


6. Enjoy the finished product: 38 wipes for $5. (Quite a savings!)



Monday, January 3, 2011

Gracie's birthday


Gracie's birthday is a few days after Christmas, and a few days before New Year's. Making the day stand out on its own is challenging, but I give it my best shot.

Behold, the princess cake. Eat your heart out, Martha Stewart!


Here's the Birthday Girl, being sung to. Notice the big smile on her face? LOVED the attention. That's the difference between being the first child and the fourth, I guess.



No activity at our house would be complete without LEGOs in there, somewhere. We have an embarrassingly large collection of LEGOs. Now, we've even got a LEGO game.


It's called Creationary, and the boys got it for Christmas. They love it. Me? I'm just not very good at building. So I keep score. Uncle Jeff and Shannon graciously offered to play with the kids so I wouldn't have to embarrass myself.



Christmas Catch-Up

Here is a little snapshot of our Christmas baking frenzy. We like to do it all in one day. So much fun for the kids to measure, mix, and bake. (Okay, and I like it, too!)



These are the legendary homemade marshmallows. LOVE THEM.