Scheduling and making lists

Papa and I are both big list makers. We do this not because we're super organized but because we're not. Listing out what needs to be done and following it has helped both become more organized.

Daily

Every night before I go to bed I list out what needs to happen the next day, household tasks as well as fun things. I don't order it because I've found that if I have a task I'd rather not do I put it off and that causes anything under it not to get done. Anything I don't finish gets put on the next days list and gets done the next morning. 

Weekly

In addition to my daily tasks I have a weekly layout to help keep me structured. I keep it on the refrigerator so I can glance at it in the morning. I might shuffle the laundry days depending on the weather since I like to line dry things but other than that it stays fairly consistent. This list is the minimum standard I set each week so on busy weeks I may only get these tasks accomplished and other weeks I accomplish much more. I created the weekly list in order to keep the dust bunny army at bay and keep the house at least mildly presentable should we have unexpected company 

Monthly

We also have monthly tasks set out to keep things running smoothly. They include things like cleaning the gutters, checking car fluids, giving flea/tick/worm medications to the dogs, checking the food storage for spoilage/depletion and other things of that nature. 

Quarterly 

Our quarterly tasks include changing the oil and rotating the tires on our vehicles, treating the house for bugs, evaluating what short term food storage meals we'd like to revamp, and completing seasonal house maintenance.   It's important to me that Papa list these things out as much as possible because when he isn't here I have to do them and I don't really think of things like draining the fluids from the lawn mower to overwinter it and other things that are obvious to him. Having this list means I'm more prepared for his absences and things run a bit smoother 

Why We Do It

Keeping our house in order via lists has helped us be much more responsible with the things we do have and better at achieving goals we set for things we want. When we know what's coming and what has to be done we can better plan our money and be ready when life throws us curveballs.

What kind of organizational systems do you have in place?

A Quick Update

Baby and Papa on Memorial Day. It's hard to get them to hold still for a picture! 

There's an old saying that goes, "If it can break it will break on deployment." Tuesday was Day One of Papa being TDY and the computer refused to boot up, our new dog peed on the floor and I locked myself and Baby out of the house. What a day! I had to let myself in with the help of a very tall ladder and a bedroom window that we'd thankfully left slightly open the night before when letting in some cool air. I had always wondered since we bought this house if the window would work as a point ingress while we slept and the answer is yes, but it's damn hard and noisy to boot, so we'd have plenty of time to introduce anyone coming up a ladder to the .12 gauge. The computer problem still isn't resolved so I'll be updating from my phone until that happens. I'm working on a post right now about keeping a schedule and thinking about another on food security. 

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day with their family and friends and took a moment to think about those that have given their lives in service to their county and the family they left behind. 

Flats and Handwashing Challenge Day Seven

Today was the last day of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge and I've got to say that I'm not really dying to go back to my washing machine like I thought I would be. Washing diapers by hand hasn't been the awful chore I thought it would be, even when Baby decides to poop THREE TIMES in one day. Seriously kid, what the heck?! As I've been handwashing I've noticed that it's given Papa and bit of extra time in the evening to spend with Baby even if it is in 5 minute increments.

The intent behind the Flats and Handwashing Challenge is to show that there are viable low cost cloth diapering solution for people who struggle to buy diapers and I feel like our family can really relate to that.  Thankfully we researched cloth diapering before we had Baby so we were able to buy most of her diapers before she arrived by saving a little bit each month and shopping around for deals. I didn't really have any idea how much disposable diapers cost because I had decided from the start I'd like to cloth diaper but yesterday I went to get a girlfriend a shower present and saw diapers on her registry and was very surprised with how much they cost. We purchased her two packs of Huggies Pure and Natural for $16 and I'm told that will last for about 7-10 days, eek! I offered to buy her cloth but she was resistant to the idea so I let it be. When we told everyone we were going to cloth diaper most people laughed and bought us disposable diapers anyway thinking we would change our minds. Since I am one not easily dissuaded (Papa calls me stubborn) I returned all the disposable diaper packs to Target and used the gift-card to buy cloth diapers from their website. Yes, Target and Walmart both have cloth diapers online.

This post is a bit rambly and I apologize, it's been one of those weekends. We're preparing for Papa leaving in the next 48 hours so there is Army gear all over my living room and today has been all topsy turvy. I hope you all enjoyed our documentation of the Flats Challenge, feel free to ask questions or leave comments!

Why We Prepare

When most people think of preparedness or 'prepping' they think of shows like Doomsday Bunkers and people of that ilk. Well, that's not us. We don't have a secret underground bunker or pallets of ammo (even though Papa would love to have a ton of ammo, we do enjoy shooting for sport), or 5 years worth of freeze dried food. We do however, have provisions, a plan, and three reasons why we prepare.

Flats and Handwashing Challenge Day Six

Yesterday was day six of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge and I didn't get a chance to post because we were incredibly busy. We woke up early in the morning and headed to the Flea Market where I tried to convince Papa to buy me a baby pig, it was adorable! There is an outdoor flea market not too far from us and you can find some really neat stuff there, I'll post about that a bit later. After the flea market we went home and topped and cut a tree on our land. It's been hanging over kinda crooked like ever since it got hit by lightening and since a large branch was dying off we thought it best to cut it down before it fell. Papa worked with the chainsaw and I handled the smaller limbs and Baby played happily in her pack and play.

Once again I handwashed as they came off of Baby and I think I have a pretty good system down now. I have a baby food jar of detergent in the bathroom and when she soiled a diaper I rinse it in the tub with hot water, transfer it to the sink that's filled with hot water and a smidge of detergent, agitate and rinse. So far it's working famously and with the great weather we're having I can hang them outside and have it dry in half an hour or hang it inside and it's dry in about 2 hours.

As Baby has gone through various stages I've used different folds, main the pad fold and the origami fold, both of which I learned here. When Baby was tiny and not mobile I could origami fold a diaper on her and tie the wings together, no pin necessary! As she got larger and wigglier I found myself pad folding and just sticking it on her, she had no patience for laying still while Mommy folded and pinned. Now that she's nearly a year she will lay still and play with a toy long enough for me to origami fold a diaper on her again. Most babies will have already outgrown the origami fold by a year, but she's a skinny baby so it still works for us.

I hope you all are enjoying the challenge, it's been nice sharing a bit of our cloth diapering experience.

Flats and Handwashing Challenge Day Five

Today as part of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge we're talking about what works for us and by extension, what doesn't work. We haven't had any problems with fit or leakage, but that may be because we use flats fairly regularly so we've worked past the initial kinks. I used to have a problem with the legs leaking until I figured out to roll them under to form a little seal.

Confession: Yesterday was Papa and I's anniversary and we left Baby with a babysitter. We left her a pocket stuffed with a flat but when we came home Baby was in a pocket stuffed with a microfiber insert because she thought it was cuter. I didn't say anything to her because I'm just happy Baby was still in cloth, we showed her where the disposable diaper pack was in case she didn't feel up to cloth (she's young).  I still handwashed the diaper, but yeah, not a perfect streak I guess. Oh well!

What Works

• Using the origami fold
• Securing the diaper with a pin
• Covers with snaps
• One flat overnight with an econobum cover
•  Washing in the sink as soon as they come off of the baby
• Line drying inside or outside

What Doesn't Work

• The snappi half the time! The bottom hook doesn't want to attach and Baby ends up with nothing between her legs if she's coverless. This is definitely a problem!
• Covers with velcro if Baby isn't wearing pants or a onesie. Apparently she can undo velcro now, tricksy baby!

Today is a very busy day for me so this post is going to be a short one. If anyone has any questions feel free to leave a comment and I will definitely get back to you!

Flats and Handwashing Challenge Day Four

 When I decided to take this challenge I wasn't sure whether I was going to save all the diapers until the end of the day and wash them all together, or do like my neighbors told me and wash them as they come off the baby. I tried washing them all together Monday and Tuesday and as then tried washing throughout the day on Wednesday.

Just reading this paper in my flat, nothing to see here!

Washing Method One

Monday I washed the diapers in the Wonder Wash at the end of the day and it worked out well, but I felt the rinsing got a little tedious. Monday morning I filled the Wonder Wash about a third of the way full of hot water and added Baby's overnight diaper. Throughout the day as she wet her diapers I'd stick them in the WW with some more water. We have a 24 oz cup Baby loves to play with in the tub, so I just filled that each time and added that much water since I was leaving the WW in the tub anyway. I knew I didn't want to just toss a bunch of poop in my WW so when Baby eventually soiled a diaper I plopped off the majority into the commode and then used my shower head to spray off the rest. The whole procedure only took about a minute and then it was feces free and ready to be put in the Wonder Wash. At the end of the day once Baby went to sleep I put the lid on the washer and gave it about 30 seconds of rotation. After that I took the lid off and let it drain and fed our rotten dog and got some laundry detergent. We're a Tide family. (I know some people panic when you say you wash with Tide because it's not the most eco friendly, but I figure that with everything else we do it makes up for the Tide.) After the first prerinse drained I refilled the washer 2/3rds of the way up and added a tablespoon of Tide. In hindsight, I should have used less, probably 2 teaspoons since it was only 6 diapers. I agitated that for two minutes and then while I was checking on Baby Papa agitated it for 2 more. After draining it I did two rinses with hot water, filling it and agitating for about a minute each time. After that Papa helped me wring them out and we hung them on our indoor drying rack and made sure the ceiling fan was on. This all took place at about 8pm and they were dry the next morning at 7am when we got up. They were a tad stiff so I shook them out a bit and they softened right up. Now I should have refolded them and put them in their cute little basket to prepare for the day, but I didn't, I just used them off the rack all day, that's life sometimes!

Aforementioned rotten dog, we love her.

 

Here's the short version of the wash routine using a Wonder Wash:

1.) Fill Wonder Wash 1/3 full with hot water at the start of the day.
2.) Insert wet diapers as they come off the baby adding a bit more water each time.
3.) Prerinse poop out of soiled diapers and add the diaper to the Wonder Wash along with some more water.
4.) At the end of the day top off with water, put on the lid and agitate 30 seconds.
5.) Drain and refill with hot water and 2-3tsp detergent powder.
6.) Agitate two to four minutes.
7.) Drain, refill with hot water and agitate one minute.
8.) Repeat step seven.
9.) Ring out diapers, hang to dry.
10.) Eat victory brownie. 

Washing Method Two

 On Wednesday I decided to try washing the diapers as they came off the baby and I've got to say, vastly preferred it! When Baby wet I'd just rinse the diaper in the bathtub with hot water, transfer it to the sink, add 1/4 tsp Tide and agitate with my hands for about 2 minutes. After that I'd drain the sink and rinse the diaper under the running bathtub tap, this took about 20-35 seconds and then I'd wring it out and toss it on a towel hook. When Baby and I went outside in the afternoon I took them with me and hung them on the laundry line for some sunning. None of them were stained but UV rays make a great disinfectant so I figured I might as well. They were all dry in about 30 minutes by the time I was finished putzing around in the garden but I left them hanging up still and went and visited with our neighbors.

Four diapers and a onesie hanging out to dry.

Short Version of handwashing as they come off of the child:

1.) Rinse in bathtub.
2.) Put in sink of hot water and add 1/4 heaping tsp laundry power.
3.) Agitate two minutes by hand, about how long it takes to sing Baa Baa Black Sheep and have your baby wander off.
4.) Drain and rinse under bathtub tap with hot water until the water runs clear and you don't see any soap.
5.) Chase baby.
6.) Hang to dry.

For the rest of the week I'm definitely going to be washing them as they come off, it's so much easier I think. It takes about 3 minutes per diaper which isn't so bad and it doesn't take away from Papa and I's time together after Baby is asleep.

Does anyone else have any tips for hand washing diapers? I feel like this is a really easy way to launder flats and I might keep it up even after the challenge on days when we use flats*.


*Completely unrelated to the challenge but does anyone else who cloth diapers find themselves cycling through diaper types? Some weeks I find myself using lots of flats and totally digging it and then some weeks I'm like "pffft, gimme a pocket diaper, who wants to fold!". Then the next week I'll find myself using the prefolds a lot and then swapping off to another diaper. Papa is a very consistent pocket/AIO user, he wants the easiet diaper possible, but some days I like folding and pinning diapers. We originally planned to only use prefolds so we have 24 prefolds and some covers, but then we were gifted AIO's and pockets and Papa got totally spoiled, so we have 12 of those for him.