Emery's new "Pinterest" in painting!

Ever since I have found pinterest.com, I have fallen IN LOVE with it! I have gotten so many recipe, craft, DIY, & gift ideas from it! I feel like it was made for people like me :)

So, one of the really cool ideas I found was for Emery. I was looking for kid toys, crafts, games, etc. ideas and wanted to see what I could find.

I found this...which I think is a super genius idea!
I was having fun with it myself!

Play with paint in large and small baggies!!!! No mess, but tons of fun! I used all different kinds of paint brushes and items that made neat shapes.

Put any colors together and there ya go!

Click HERE for the original blog site. Its towards the bottom! There are a few other ideas  too :)

I thought this was so great :) Thank you, creative moms who give us moms your ideas!

Fun with Flashcards

When Emery was about 6 months old, I got an inspiration from the "As Seen on TV" products, My Baby Can Read! So, I decided to try my own version of it with Emery one day. I used some gift card money that I still had not used from Emery's baby shower to buy some flash cards.

When it was breakfast or snack time, I started showing her flash cards that had simple images on them that I knew she could recognize, but wasn't able to say quite yet. I showed her pictures of animals, food, and other simple things like books, etc. I started making piles according to what she learned and what she didn't quite know yet.

The first pile was the pile I started with that only had about 5 picture cards that she would recognize right away( puppies, book, spoon, ball, etc.). When she learned those, I added 5 new ones, my second pile.  The ones that she got right every few times became my third pile. When I got to about 15 cards, I got rid of the first set of cards because those she knew too well. Soon one of the piles became words only without the picture. We started with "pig".

I found that she listened best if she was kept busy eating or was having fun at the table. It helped her focus a lot more :)  When it came to potty training in our new place, we would read books, sing hand motion songs (itsy bitsy spider, etc. ) AND do flash cards all on the potty! It was like a potty party:)

Now,  (not six months old anymore, tear) we got a good routine going and I think it has really helped since we have started :) Find some cheap flash cards and give it a whirl!

Making Healthy Cooking Easier!

I have always been a fan of healthy eating! I grew up always eating veggies freshly picked from our garden. However, it can take a lot of prep time in making a fresh and healthy meal. You have to peel the onions, dice 'em, scoop the seeds out of a squash, rinse the veggies, bake the potato, etc. It seems like it can take a lifetime to make a simple meal when it seems a whole lot easier to whip up a frozen meal or eat out for a very hungry family on a busy day.


If you are trying to create healthy meals for yourself or your family, I have found a few ideas that have seemed to help me. I realized these ideas when I was struggling to make healthy meal choices for my family when I had a newborn. I was tired, hungry and crabby with a crying baby, and worn out husband who had a long day at work. After Emery's first year past, I had some shortcuts up my sleeve that I learned along the way.

1. Chop your veggies ahead of time!

Spend a morning or afternoon dedicated to cutting up your onions, pepper, broccoli, beans, etc. I separate the onions to keep the taste from transferring.

Keep simple veggies like bagged carrots, spinich, and grapes at hand to quickly pull from the fridge or foods that are already pre- chopped. It will make you want to eat them more if they are easier and quicker to prepare :) Cut Celery with peanut butter or hummus with carrot sticks which are great snacks if chopped and made a head of time.



2. Use a mandelin, food processor, or other appliance to help with the choppin' and slicin'! Thinner veggies take less time to cook :)

3. Cook extra meat like cubed chicken, ground turkey, or steak and refrigerate it to use for different meals throughout the week. Tacos, pizza toppers, & quesadillas, are a few options.

Emery's lunch consisting of cooked cinnamon apples, chicken & broccoli

4. Make a batch of white or brown rice in the rice cooker, refrigerate it, and use it throughout the week! I have even taken leftover brown rice and added it to turkey burger patties topped with avocado or stuffed green peppers, yum! Canned black beans, chickpeas, or black eyed peas can also be a quick side dish.

left over brown rice with veggies

5. Use the Crock Pot and let it do the cooking! If its hot out and you don't want to use the oven OR if you're like me and might forget that you have the oven on all day, take advantage of the crock pot! It doesn't make your home hot AND it is out of reach from little ones :) click here for crock pot baby food recipes.

It works great if you are also impatient like me, to throw your veggies in that take time to cook (like potatoes, carrots, lentils,  etc ) Use a small crock pot (they are not so hard to get in and out of the cabinets) or large ones for family meals. Don't waste your time slavin' in the kitchen when you can just throw your meal in the crock!

I make a week's worth of veggies so that I can alternate between green veggies one day and orange the next. That way you and the family get a balance of nutrition and different flavors each meal.

BEFORE: Acorn squash with butter, cinnamon, & brown sugar

AFTER: Sweet goodness! Amazing with bacon!

Sweet potatoes can be a side dish or added to pancakes or pies

 6. Cook with seafood! It is super healthy, light and QUICK!

7. Buy local at a farmer's market or grow your own garden. Its cheaper and you will be able to can or freeze it all.

8. The obvious- buy frozen veggies- They can be cooked in a jiffy.


9. Refrigerate all of your food in containers- Just pull out the rice you made & sweet potato you baked and Voa La!


It just takes one afternoon of preparation and a you will yield a week's worth of food to mix and match with different meals your family can enjoy! Not to mention that you can spend more time doing other things rather than cookin' for hours!

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons! YUMMY!

If you are looking to make a simple, but DELICIOUS dessert to bring to a party, these are the ones to try!!!

If you aren't a coconut fan, but you want to try these anyways (which you should!) You will become one after you eat them! I decided to bring them to my friend's baby blessing shower and they were a hit!

I got the recipe from the Food Network, Ina Garten's recipe! She had the easiest recipe out of all the macaroon ones and the simplest, using the minimal amount of ingredients.

To make these cookies visit here to get the recipe! Seriously it is the easiest recipe ever! You cannot mess them up :)  I added a few more egg whites to mine so that they got  extra fluffy! I also dipped mine in semi sweet chocolate to balance the sweetness out. Instead of almond extract, I just used vanilla.

Super easy to make! Just mix with coconut and bake!

Coconut added to liquid ingredients & whipped egg whites

Cooked, cooled, and ready to be dipped in chocolate!!

Sweet, gooey, goodness ready to eat!

Recycling your Electronics as Toys for Tots

I have noticed that even though Emery will play with her own toys, she really wants to play with the things that I am using! Like most young kids, she likes playing with pots & pans, laundry, & especially ELECTRONICS!

There have been several times that I give Emery her toy phone and laptop, but then she quickly puts it down in exchange for my phone or she tries to push a key on the laptop.  We knew that we didn't want to allow Emery to use our real keys, laptop, or phone for obvious reasons so I came up with the idea of finding outdated electronics just for her!

If you have had a similar issue, try finding old electronics around the house or try buying some cheap ones at Good Will or at a garage sale. Here is a list of items that I have found that Emery really likes playing with:

Emery's office essentials

talking on her remote control with her eyes shut!

1. Old cell phone

2. Calculator. You can even get an old calculator with the receipt tape which actually punches the numbers out on paper! It helps with counting :)

3. Old laptops/computers. If you child is older, you can turn the power on (w/o internet) and let your child play on computer games, Paint, or Word. Emery just pretends :)

4. TV remotes from old televisions. They are so easy to find at Thrift stores and garage sales if you don't have extras lying around the house.

5.  Keys with key chains- Go to a hardware store and get some fun colored keys or ask for the old ones that they don't use. A set of blank keys works too. ( that way they don't open anything in your house ) 
If you have young kids, make sure your outlets are plugged with the protectors just in case.


6. Cameras


What I have found to be quite helpful to get Emery more interested in her toys when I am playing with mine, is to NOT keep all of her toys out at once. If I rotate them out every few days, she treats them like new treasure!

I also try to organize the toys according to a theme. One day I will take out her grocery cart and let her play with the food, pots, & pans. She also gets to play with her purse to bring to the "store". I will fill it with her phone, keys, & wallet (a Cubs wallet btw!) which holds old cards and coupons. Sometimes when I get junk mail from the mailman, I let Emery rip it open. I figure I am going to just throw it away anyhow! Old cereal boxes are fun to fill her cart with  too:)

When she wants to play with her laptop, I get out the the  "office" play box and she can have fun with the calculator, remotes, phone, and paper.

Whenever I need to jump on my laptop to check my emails or pay bills, I just make sure to either do it when Emery is not around  or get out her own electronic toys for her to participate too :)

Any other ideas relating to electronics!!???

Take Action against TV indecency

Hey all!
I was listening to the American Family Radio today and I learned about their website and One Million Moms. The American Family Association partners with OMM to stand against all sorts of current issues that we can have a voice in. Click here to to see the current issues with recent indecent television advertising.

The Bert & Ernie Petition along with the Zappos Shoes Nude commercials are the the most recent. You have a chance to petition against such advertising.

It actually works. The CEO from Finish Line Shoes recently removed an indecent commercial involving a nude boy posing in an art class scene. Yes, it was really showing on TV. search it :)

As moms, I think we ought to start acting against such behavior instead of just sighing when we hear about them :) How can we complain if we don't take a stand against it? And if you don't care, then we shouldn't hear your complaints or opinions- when its your time to stand up for something you believe in. (I am saying this in the kindest way I can, I promise :)

I am not saying sign every petition out there, they can be risky. But what I am saying is that those who do care can have a voice and should have a voice in these issues and others. Instead of relying on other people to hopefully resolve these issues, we need to take the time, responsibility, and ownership in the change that we want to see happen.  Anyone with me on this one?!

And, if TV is a big issue for your family, why not just get rid of it- and the movies too! Take that extra 50-100 bucks a month and put it towards something beneficial like savings or paying off debt! (Ok, now I am starting to sound a bit bitter, but in all honesty I think it needs to be said!)

All in all, I am thankful to even have an opinion and able to voice it freely :) Because of that, why aren't  I doing more with the freedoms that I have been given??

Thanks for letting me rant on a bit... sometimes I need to.. especially on these topics.

*down below is the petition letter you will find on the website. I like the wording of it.

Dear Tony Hsieh,

As a mother, etc., I am highly offended by your company's decision to feature nude models in your "More than Shoes" ad campaigns.  Your decision is disrespectful to me personally, and to my family.  If Zappos continues to use such poor taste and inappropriate marketing choices, I will make a conscious effort to shop elsewhere.

Your current ads are soft porn, and I find them extremely offensive. It is degrading to women and harmful to men not to mention damaging to impressionable young men and women.

I implore you to publicly apologize and remove the offensive images from your website. This disgusting advertising campaign needs to be discontinued immediately.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding my concern.
  

a future blog etc.

Since we have moved from Missouri, I haven't had much time to  blog with the new church plant taking place and finally settling in our new place. I do want  to share though  that I have been in the process of making a family blog separate from this one that will have some family updates hopefully!! Whoot whoot! I feel horrible for not posting more family pics :/  I want to add lots of pictures and videos of Emery, church stuff, etc. on it so we can share  them with all of our friends and family from afar :)

On a random side note...I did find some really cool recipes on how to make some homemade and all natural cleaning products ( Some are on the back of Borax & washing soda boxes if you have any of those!) I also am excited to blog about some new favorite healthy snacks, meals, and homeopathic remedies! (Sorry! I get really pumped about some really weird stuff :) Yep, this is what I do in my free time! Hopefully you like it so you will keep coming back :)

Anyways, That's the plan.  I hope to blog about that stuff soon when I get some pictures uploaded.

See ya friends!

Tasties on Toast

I don't know about you, but I am not a huge jelly or jam fan. I do enjoy a fresh homemade batch, but not enough to buy the really good and expensive stuff.
When Emery was still on baby food, sometimes she needed assistance going to the potty if ya know what I mean. So I bought a box of prunes. Not only were they a great teether, but they were healthy and naturally sweet. It gave me the idea to add a new tasty treat to her morning breakfast.

Instead of giving your child the overly processed jelly with a lot of added sugar, try spreading some prunes on some toast. Not only is it healthy, but it is sweet enough to replace the regular stuff. It also helps digest the rest of their foods. I also spread applesauce with cinnamon or spread fresh  fruit (the mushy ones like berries or bananas) over the top  of a warm piece of toast which makes a jelly like sauce.

All you have to do is cut up the prunes or berries ( I usually toss em quickly through our blender) and spread it on some toast. Yum! A great breakfast or snack!

Cucumber Cure All

Who says that diamonds are really a girl's best friend? Come on, most of us don't have tons of money and tons of diamonds. The only things they do are make you want more diamonds and make you lose your money!


Now, cucumbers, they are a girl's real best friend!  The best thing about em is that they only cause you to lose  WRINKLES and DARK EYE CIRCLES! Hello! It's one of the best one dollar bills a girl could ever spend!


It's not a new discovery, but sometimes I think we can over complicate how easy it can be to find time to relax and still manage some beauty rest.

If you're having a long day at work or a restless day with the kids, hop in the tub or just lay back and place some sliced cucumbers over your eyes!

After a week or so, those overly tired, puffy eyes will be back to full bloom! Its almost an instant stress reliever too. The fresh smell just has a way of rejuvenating your body, but keeps you calm and relaxed too.



It only takes a minute to slice a cucumber, plop em on your eyes, and lay back for some R&R.  It's amazing how God created such a simple yet complex food that is cheap (straight from the garden!), healthy-packed with nutrients, and has no harsh chemicals added! Thanks God :)

I was happily reminded of this old trick when my daughter climbed up onto a chair towards the counter and snagged my sliced cucumber snacks! If I had only remembered this trick when I spend long nights awake nursing or calming a crying baby!

changin my blog layout :)

So my original background isn't showing up so now its got me wanting to redo my blog! new colors, background, etc. !  Super excited, but it will probably keep changing until I can decide which one I like :)

My Picture Window Nook

the reading nook

I have had a gift card from Tyler to use at my favorite store in Missouri and I finally used it and bought a picture window and an old farm crate. It wasn't until we moved to Iowa that I decided to hang some of my findings!

I knew that I needed some storage space for some books and DVDs, but I also wanted a space to read. I decided to create my little reading nook.

I found this chair at a thrift store for only 10 bucks! Tyler talked em down from 20! I got a painted bookcase to use for storage and placing my tea cup on. I also got a picture window and decided to put pictures in it! So now, it actually IS a picture window. I added some greenery and threaded together some vintage looking  seed packets.

I added a reading light and my farm crate.  Inside I added 3 tea canisters for storage that I found from Good Will. One is for pens, one is for kleenex, and one is for the remote or misc. items :)  A few family photos, coasters, and a plant finish my space. TaDa! My little nook! Now, I just need a cup o' tea :)

picture window close up

Lettuce Cups

Recently, Tyler and I went with the other leadership couples to IKEA near the Mall of America to purchase some more children's ministry items such as furniture for the new church plant that we are a part of here in Iowa. We decided that we wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory, yum!! I looked at their huge menu and got the sudden craving to have their amazing lettuce wraps! After much deliberation I didn't end up getting them because then I wouldn't have had room for a piece of cheese cake :)

That is how I got the idea of making a new recipe for a light meal at home. If you are into vegetarian meals or light, healthy meals, these are pretty much like a vegetarian taco that are fun to try. You can make them with or without meat and with a variety of toppings. You can put a Mexican flair to it by using salsa, black beans, tortilla strips, & corn, or an oriental flair with Asian slaw, wonton strips, and  some dipping sauces.

All I did was buy ground chicken, a mini head of lettuce and made fried rice with some left over white rice I had in the fridge. I combined the fried rice and chicken with some garlic and teriyaki sauces. Ground turkey or grilled chicken strips work well too.  I also had left over brown rice so I added that to the mix. I threw some potstickers in some boiling water and that was it!  I felt like I was eating out at a fun, healthy restaurant, but not spending the money!! That is my kinda meal :)   Emery liked it too!

"Homemade" Juice Idea

I am not sure if you drink a lot of bottled juice or give it to your kids to drink, but we have never given Emery juice except orange juice. The organic juice seems to expensive for us and does not seem to last long in our house.

We also do not like all of the sugar added to the regular shelved juices. We have seen too many kids given sugary juices, pop, cookies, & candy that they never seem to want to go back to healthy eating unless forced to do so.



Although we give emery juice as a treat or snack once in a long while, we have been wanting it back in our diet (the fruit side of things). After all, Tyler and I love drinking it because it is so delicious and sweet! We just don't want Emery getting hooked on all of the added sugar and empty calories from it. Obviously this post is not  "freshly squeezed or juiced" juice! (I will save that for another time when I hopefully get to buy a juicer)   I am talking about canned juices, either organic or regular that have natural sugars (no added sugars) and combining them together.

Although juice boxes work great for traveling and school lunches, they can get expensive for the amount you buy if you find a good brand. So, I decided to look at an organic juice label, one flavor that I liked, and mix all of the ingredients together myself rather than paying for it already made.

All I did was buy pineapple juice (not from concentrate), nectarine juice, apple juice, carrot juice (carrot is so amazing!), a berry juice, and then mixed it all together. It tasted amazing and was just like the little store bought bottle, but I had TONS of it! It finally lasted in my fridge! It also had amazing vitamins in it! The pineapple and nectarine juice alone had TONS of vitamines A, E, & C.

If you don't have a ton of money to spend at the store on little bottles of healthy juices, try to buy one that is worth the money and then add it to a pineapple or another fruit juice.It is much healthier, lasts longer, and it can be "custom" made to you and your wee one's taste buds :) Yum

Hummus Spread & Snack Dip

Hummus Spread & Snack Dip

Our new favorite snack and spread is Hummus!!
We love it because you can make it with almost any ingredients and eat it anyway you like. We like it as a dip with veggies, breads, spreads on sandwiches, or even dipped in dinosaur chicken nuggets!

I know there are lots of different ways to make hummus, but I try to make it as fresh, quick and simple as possible.


Ingredients:

• 1 can of organic chic peas/ garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)
• fresh garlic cloves- depending on how much garlic you like to taste
• garlic powder, salt, crushed black  pepper to taste
• small can of black sliced olives (1/2 can can be used instead)
• 1-3 tablespoons of lemon juice to taste
• 1 roasted red pepper ( use the kind out of the jar with olive oil juice)
• olive oil 
• Parmesan cheese or feta (you don't need to add these, but we like it in ours)

Directions:
 Drain and rinse your can of garbanzo beans. Crush/dice the garlic cloves. Chop the roasted red pepper. Add peppers, olives, and garlic to blender. Blend ingredients together. A few quick pulses will work. Add your garbanzo beans and the rest of the ingredients. Slowly keep adding the olive oil until the hummus is no longer dry, but has a wet pasty look. Taste to see if you need to add more of something. Refrigerate and eat! Yummy.  Hope you like it just as much as we do!

We just moved to Iowa! Finished unpacking and ready to start blogging again!

Thanks for everyone's prayers during the NCIDQ test and moving! It was a lot to endure all at the same time :)
We finally made it to Iowa around the first week of April. Tyler started his position with the new church plant in town  as the family pastor. He is also working a part time job elsewhere as we continue to raise support. I started cleaning homes part time while I start the beginning efforts towards creating my interior design business.

We have finally unfinished packing and I am ready to start blogging again :)


Here are some topics I am ready to blog about that I have found interesting to me:

• Homemade Soaps and shampoos
• Homemade fresh Lavender water
• Potty training
• Herbs & natural remedies OK for babies & kids
• Homemade Cough Syrup
• homemade gift basket ideas
• Homeopathic Children's First Aid Kit from items around your home
• children's online resources for parents, fun activities, etc.
• more recipes I have tried

Naan Veggie Pizza

I made this for a friend of mine when she came to visit Emery and I over lunch one day. She tries to maintain a healthy diet so I thought we would have some fun in making our own custom pizzas.

All you need is Naan, a yummy type of flat bread, sauce, and veggies of your choice. Here is a list of what I keep in my fridge for quick meals like this:

• Red Onion
• Green pepper
• Cilantro
• tomatoes
• spinach
•  mushrooms
• shredded cheese
• canned artichokes

 Other ingredients you may want to use are olive oil, pizza sauce, feta cheese, olives, other veggies, basil, or dried herbs like oregano. Sometimes I do not want red sauce so I use olive olive, pesto, Alfredo sauce, or just cheese. These are also fun for kids to make and eat! Can't get any better than a quick and healthy snack for when you are hungry!

New and Exiciting things taking place!!!

Everyone! Please pray for us this weekend as we travel to Iowa again to take my last section of my NCIDQ exam! I am almost done and then I get to write some more posts on some new things I have found like making homemade lavender or rose water to use as linen spray, cleaners, etc. Super excited about it!

Also, we are MOVING! I will have to write all about it later, but we are actually moving this wednesday to Mason City, Iowa. Tyler received a job offer from UPS so we are able to work for the new church plant that just launched 7 months ago. We are really excited, but have a lot going on until next week.

We are planning on also creating a family blog so that we can update everyone on what we are doing up there.

I will share all the details after we get settled in next week, but for now I need to finish packing and studying!

Thanks everyone!!!

Cloth Diapers

 I finally decided to take the time to write about this!!

I had never heard of the idea of cloth diapers until a woman brought them to our natural birthing class one night. I have only heard of the prehistoric ones that our parents and grand parents used- which they say were not fun! Although they do still sell those ( and I do have some:) there have been many more modernized versions of the old cloth diaper used with pins.

My lovely sample stash

Before you get scared away and do not even consider cloth diapers, take some time and think about the idea. If you are not interested in them, they are fun to learn about and you can even pass the info on to someone who many be interested in learning. Some of you may already be using them ;)

Click on the homemade laundry soap recipe and baby wipe solution for the instructions on how to use with cloth diapering or sensitive skin.

My newest additions

(If you just want to skip all the paragraphs, I posted pictures below of my stash if you want a visual. There is so much info that I did not even cover, so go online and check it all out.
I am so glad that I was introduced to cloth diapers. There are endless reasons why you would want to use them verses the regular disposable ones. You can search online all about cloth diapers and almost every website will give you reasons why to use cloth, their benefits, how to select the right one, and how to care/wash them. I am just going to share my reasoning for why I decided to use them.

1. They are CHEAPER in the long run! If you are looking to save money ( who doesn't want to save money, right?) Cloth are the way to go. I could not handle paying for something that you buy JUST to throw away. (Your money literally is going in the toilet)

          Example: Store brand  pack of diapers-  $10.00 to $30.00 depending on quantity and brand
That can amount to  thousands of dollars per year with multiple children! All you have to do is buy 15-20 (maybe 25 for less laundry) reusable diapers once ranging from $8.00 to $20.00 per diaper putting you at about 400.00 total. Pay that once and  you do not have to pay for them ever again!!

2. They are better for the environment. All of that money you are spending does not have to go in the landfill

3. It is better for the baby's skin. The material on cloth can reduce/eliminate  diaper rash,  & irritation. Research has found that chemicals and products used in disposables can be the cause for most baby skin breakouts and sicknesses. The leak guard protection ( the stuff you smell when you open a fresh bag) is the same product that was banned in tampons which caused certain internal problems to develop.

4. It helps potty train!!! Babies in disposables cannot tell as much as babies who wear cloth. Who would not want to use the potty if you pants are soaked in pee!! It also helps potty train because the diaper can be used as underwear. They can either pull them off if there are snaps or velcro OR pull them down like regular undies. It saves on buying undies if you already have a cloth diaper which is similar to your everyday undie.

Potty training can obviously work just as well in disposables, I have used both.  More info on this online.

I am not going to explain all of the info on how to use them b/c online has tons of info that will tell you all the info you need to know. I will share what kind I use and some tips for you to consider when trying this out


1. Choose your style of diaper, yes there are different styles, based on your budget and your lifestyle.
    If you do not have a lot of money and want to try it out, check out craigslist to find used ones for cheaper. Some stores allow you to buy trial kits too
    Also, prefolds are usually the cheapest. It all depends on the brand.

2. If you commit, Do not give up or be discouraged. Buy enough to make it worth your while. 20-25 gives you enough where you are not constantly doing a load in order to have a clean diaper when you really need it. Also, get all the accessories you need to completely do the job whichever method you use.

3. You can use gift cards from walmart, target, babies r us, and other stores online to buy cloth diapers and accessories to save money.

4. GUSSET, GUSSET, GUSSET!!! Get a cloth diaper that has a good gusset ( I mean good leak protection/ tight elastic near the leg) No matter how expensive or cheap the diaper, a good diaper/cover can keep in the goods for a long time- especially long car rides or if you forgot to change your baby. Sometimes you do not always change your baby every hour. Sometimes paying for a more expensive diaper will save you time verses always buying cheap ones that do not work. ( or vice versa)

Poor leg gusset

                                                                     

Good leg gusset

5. Get liners, disposable or reusable, to help reduce staining and flushing away poopies :) It helps with the cleaning process :)

6. Buy clothes for your babies that allow more bulk in their booties. Some cloth diapes can be HUGE. I stretched some clothes of Emery's so either buy elastic/stretchy band waists, overalls,  or just use a size or 2 larger if you have the problem of bulk. Also, try using leggings. You do not have to pull down or un button clothing for a changing. Try making them too :)

My favorite diapers to use b/c of their quality, elastic, material, and gussett!! Most of these websites have great resources  on instructions and print outs for cloth diapering classes. In no order of preference:

http://www.imsevimse.us/
http://www.thirstiesbaby.com

http://www.fuzzibunz.com
http://www.bestbottomdiapers.com/
http://us.bambinomio.com/
http://osocozy.com/
http://hyenacart.com/BubuBebe/


Other good brands are, G diaper, BumGenius,Bummis,happyheiny,kissaluvs,
bumkins,swaddlebees,cuddlebunz,bumwear,drybees, heinyhuggers, and much much more!!!

Some stores that also sell them are cottonbabies and Nicki's diapers. Organic and whole food stores sell these items too. Recently I found out that Babies and Toys R US have a huge selection of organic foods, diapering, and toiletries in the store for great prices.

Check out YOUTUBE for videos on how to use cloth diapers.

Here are the common  types of diapers you can buy and choose from:

1. AIO- all in ones- these have everything in one diaper. You just put in on and go. They have the waterproof outter shell. Best bet for easy clean and changing.

Emery's yellow diaper AIO

inside

2. Prefolds- usually organic material. Chinese and indian are the common types. these need a waterproof cover and you also need snappies/pins. They are the cheapest, but you need to know how to fold them.

Emery's chinese prefold-needs a cover-different ways to fold

waterproof cover

          

close up

Cloth snaps which need a cover, fitted and grow with baby

 3. Fitted/cloth-can just be like AIOs without the cover. All differerent types and sizes.

for newborns

for toddlers

time to fold my stash

Samples from my stash: liners, AIOs, prefolds, covers, etc.

Snappies & cloth wipes

laundry bag and on-the-go wet bags