How NOT to redecorate a bathroom

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Brea

Back when B was a baby, I heard tell of an obnoxious and disgusting issue that parents of older babies and toddlers sometimes ran into:  poop painting.  I guess some babies and toddlers revel in being able to take off their clothes and/or diaper after dropping a deuce.  And then they….experiment.

I saw posts in online forums desperately seeking ways to curb the behavior.  I read them all, terrified that my B would be a poop painter.  Little did I know, it would be me that eventually painted with poop.

My accidental paint brush.

I spray-painted the bathroom with poop the very first time I used our diaper sprayer. Now, I love the the thing (ok, “love” is too strong a word for something intended to deal with poop…), but I swear I say a little prayer every time I use it!   This post is intended to help you learn from my mistakes and answer your sprayer prayers in advance!

First things first, why use a diaper sprayer?  Once your babe is eating an appreciable amount of solid foods, you want to remove what poop you can.  Breastmilk poop is water-soluble, so it requires nothing and can go through your washer and dryer and not leave a trace.  From what I can find about formula poop many don’t have any trouble with treating it just like breastmilk poop, while others do find it does not completely drain out of the washer and they choose to remove it before putting it in the diaper pail.

Solids, however, often will leave quite a bit of trace.  Think bean skins and partially-chewed raisins/grapes (they get somewhat reconstituted!).  These things do not drain out of the washer and you can find yourself scooping them out, or removing them from the lint filter of the dryer (for me that is preferable to wet, though…::gag::).

Obviously, I have fished these things out of my washer and dryer (and promptly washed my hands!).  I have also tried and/or contemplated a few other tactics for dealing with solids poop.  Here they are (and what others have you readers tried?):

1.  Many parents use the “plop, dunk, and swish” technique. Essentially, you get as much poop off as you can just by plopping it off, then you dunk it and swish it around to get off whatever is stuck on or ground in.  The drawbacks I found:  dripping poopy water from the toilet to the diaper pail (also sometimes an issue with the sprayer, but I will get to how I minimize that in a moment), getting closer to the toilet water with my hands, and a friend of mine somehow managed to flush the insert of a fitted diaper after a dunk and swish.

2. Liners.  TGN has a few options for diaper liners, including flushable/biodegradable and reusable.  I have only ever used the disposable variety, and they are perfect when we are traveling (i.e. without a sprayer).  I always wash and re-use until they either get pooped on (and flushed) or they fall apart.  Plus I can simply flush them away, and they are biodegradable; I don’t feel like I am creating a lot of extra waste, and I don’t have to justify myself to the small environmentalist voice in my head.  The downside of this option is that it is one more little thing to deal with at diaper changes, keep stocked, and also sort when I do diaper laundry.  I have considered having sitters use them regularly so that they do not poop-spray paint the bathroom in my absence.

3.  The diaper sprayer.  This thing essentially gently power washes the poop off the diaper.  It works well for the transitional not-breastmilk/not-solids poop that I call peanut butter poop – it is the consistency/stickiness and often the color of peanut butter.  I have overcome the poopy-water-drip problem by using as little spray as I can (often the diaper isn’t soaked) and also by using the waterproof cover to keep the water from dripping to the floor, especially if the cover already has poop on it and is headed for the diaper bin anyway!  Downsides:  learning curve, and some really misleading information on the package.

So, here are my recommendations once you’ve got that bad boy home.

1) Once you’ve got it hooked up and are ready to practice, close the door.  At least as you turn on the sprayer (they have an on/off valve). Why?  Because you do not want your baby to become a toddler and then a preschooler who saw you turn on the water.  Your baby will inevitably become a curious toddler who sees the diaper sprayer and pushes the button that could spray them in the face and/or turn your bathroom into a slip and slide.  If the valve is off, the diaper sprayer is a lot less intersting!  You do not want them to know how to turn that valve!  You do not want them to know of the valve’s existence!!  (This is also a good time to tell you to get yourself into the habit of turning the valve to the “off” position after every use!)

2) Don’t wait for a poopy diaper.  Aim the into the toilet and experiment with the amount of pressure it requires to start spraying really lightly.  Then see just how powerful it can get.  And then laugh imagining me going full-throttle on a poopy diaper and redecorating the bathroom!

3) Baby pooped! Plop off what you can.  Then, you want minimal pressure as you take aim and get the angle right on that poopy diaper.  The goal is not to give the diaper a good washing, but to remove the poop into the toilet.  Sometimes that takes very little water pressure (when Baby is taking in a lot of solids – and especially if you are able to get that poopy diaper off before baby sits down on it – sometimes the sprayer is completely unnecessary and just the plop will do.)

4) Did you remember to turn the valve to the “off” position?

5) If ever your toilet appears to be leaking all over the floor, double-check the sprayer’s hoses.  Otherwise, it can make for an embarrassing call to the landlord or a plumber.

6) Did you just recall that the package says you can use this handy gadget as a handheld bidet and for feminine hygiene?  Did you just have a baby, and think maybe this is the answer to your current fear of toilet paper? IT’S NOT.  Thankfully, I read a blog entry about this very thing while I was pregnant with A.  The author had used the diaper sprayer as a postpartum bidet.  Two things to consider before trying that:  first, cold water comes out of the sprayer.  Second, I would say the sprayer gently power washes…but in no sense do you want power washing near your postpartum bits! Nonono!

6)  If you decide to use this thing as a bidet, please please please tell us all if you spray yourself in the face.

Posted in Cloth Diaper Care, Cloth Diapers, Parenting | 1 Comment

Photo Shoot Sneak Peek!

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Abby

On the evening of April 19th we headed out to Oliver Winery with Venus Leah Photography and 4 adorable babies.  Venus captured some magical moments and a great time was had by all!  Check out a few sneak peek behind the scenes photos…

No one seemed to find it odd that there were cloth diapered babies taking over the winery…

It was such a great evening hanging out with adorable babies and awesome parents.

We love working with Venus.

Magical, ya’ll.  Stay tuned…

Posted in Cloth Diapers, Venus Leah Photography | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

GCDC 2012

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Abby

They came…

They waited…

They were cute…

They checked in…

They found their places…

They showed us their 100% reusable cloth diapers…

They participated in a Guiness World Record and had FUN…

 Thanks to everyone who helped and particiapted in this Guinnes Book of World Record attempt!  A giant thanks to Venus Leah Photography for documenting the event.  We will update everyone when we hear the final total that will include cloth diapering families from all over the country!  We loved partnering with Bloomington Area Birth Services.  Let’s do it again in 2012!

To see the full album of photos click HERE.

 

 

 

 

Posted in Charitable Organizations, Cloth Diapers, Local TGN Events, Venus Leah Photography | Leave a comment

When good cloth diapers go bad.

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Brea
If only there were a textbook on cloth diapers...

If only there were a textbook on cloth diapers...

With each of my babies, I have enjoyed the morning diaper change.  I’m betting you can all relate.  The baby is wiggling and kicking, maybe smiling and cooing, and you’re freshly-rested (hahahahaha.  No.  No, you’re not rested!).  You talk to your baby, give him/her some morning snuggles, blow raspberries on that sweet belly.  All starting the day with what becomes that most mundane of parenting tasks:  changing a wet diaper.

And then one day as you are making faces and funny noises at your older baby, you open that nighttime diaper almost absent-mindedly and BAM!  The insides of your nostrils are assaulted, you have leaped away from your precious bundle in shocked horror, your eyes are watering, and you wonder if you will ever smell anything ever again and how is it that your baby thinks this is hilarious?  Does he not realize how bad he smells?

Suddenly your diapers smell of ammonia.  Or maybe yours smell of fish? Ugh.

Here’s what I do to combat the various smells:
1) I do an extra rinse almost every time I wash (it should be every time…but sometimes I’m in urgent need of a clean diaper!).  Ammonia and detergent can build up, so I try to keep on top of it.  I usually do this extra rinse on hot, to strip away anything I can – mineral deposits, detergent, etc. I mainly do this every time because my toddler is a rash waiting to happen.
2) If I’ve clearly got stink brewing, I add some vinegar to that extra rinse and possibly do another rinse after that!  After agitation starts, I am also sure to check for soap bubbles – if there are bubbles, keep rinsing!
3) If the stink has clearly arrived and unpacked its bags in the diaper pail (incidentally, this often happens as I am unpacking my own bags from a trip that had my diapers sharing a dryer with dryer sheets), I add a good squirt of blue Dawn dish soap to the extra rinse and then rinse rinse rinse.  And rinse some more.  During one of these rinses, I will also add a few pots of boiling water and let it soak for an hour or two (or whenever we come home from the park and I remember to get it moving again…).
4) Occasionally I will add a few drops of tea tree oil to a rinse.  Tea tree oil is a great all-around cleaner and a few drops go a long way.
5) After a months-long struggle against yeast when A was small, I now sometimes find myself paranoid and randomly adding grapefruit seed extract to the rinse.  No harm done if there’s no yeast.

If you are finding that your diapers start to smell frequently, and shortly after you have stripped with Dawn and rinsed them into oblivion, you might consider these aspects of your diapers and wash routine:

  • microfiber/non-natural fibers tend to be more difficult to strip completely
  • Do you have hard water?  You might consider a soap or an additive for hard water.
  • It took me some trial and error to find what works best for our water, and also for my son’s sensitive skin.  Not only do I use 1/3 of the amount of detergent recommended, but I also do that extra rinse at the end.  Incidentally, this came about in emailing with the folks at Rockin Green – they were very helpful in helping me work out a wash routine!
  • Check out a post I wrote last year on diaper laundry and trouble-shooting.

Nerd Alert!
I did a little looking for answers as to why this starts up so suddenly with an older baby.  I didn’t find anything terribly helpful.  I know that the ammonia is the result of urea breaking down, and that this process happens faster under warm conditions that lack air circulation (hello, warm and water-proof nighttime diaper!).  But why is this more common in the older baby’s diapers, and not happening every night?  It must have something to do with build-up.

I could not resist sharing this bit of information  found: Did you know that urine was once purposefully fermented to make lant, which was then used as a cleaner?  I suppose we could take those ammonia-smelling diapers and mop our floors with them.  It would be another natural cleaner…

Posted in Cloth Diaper Care, Cloth Diapers | Leave a comment

Green Nursery Profile: Siri

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Abby

We know that our customers like a little behind the scenes action.  And at TGN, we like to give the people what they want.   Inspiring voices are heard and fascinating lives are lived on both sides of The Green Nursery’s counter. Today we’re telling the story of Siri, one of the awesome employees at The Green Nursery:

Packing, shipping, slinging diapers, and helping new mamas learn their new Moby Wrap - Siri does it all.

 

Tell me something about your life so far. How did you end up here?

I was born in Bloomington. I grew up outside of town out toward Brown County. My mom had a llama farm and really cool day care in our home on Lake Lemon. She used to say she “raised llamas and other people’s children all in the same field.” So I ran around the fields and woods all day at home with 10 – 30 other kids.  I had a pretty crazy and awesome childhood, and adventure-filled young-adulthood here. I moved to North Carolina for a year when I was 20, and it only made me realize how great it is to be in Bloomington, so I moved back. My community and my family is here, and so many other amazing things happening in this town.

How did you get started with The Green Nursery?

For the past several years I’ve juggled between 3 and 6 part-time, mostly short term, or seasonal, jobs at one time. It was nice in some ways for a while, but overall way too hectic. I started dreaming of more simplicity for myself as far as jobs go. I said to myself (and even wrote down!), “I just want to work somewhere like a nice little shop, maybe downtown, something I really support, with good people, etc…” I spelled it out for myself, and the opportunity to work at TGN just fell right into my lap, with no searching or effort on my part other than to envision what it was I wanted.  It fits exactly what I was looking for.  Things are constantly coming to me that I have visualized in the past.  I think that TGN and I had a need for each other at exactly the right time, and the universe likes to conspire on our behalf to match up those needs if we do the work of dreaming it up. 

What’s your favorite part of what you do?

I love the aspects of connection and community that come out of what we provide at TGN. Some people are really breaking out of their shell and starting a whole new way of living when they get into cloth diapering or baby-wearing. It forces them to reach out and acquire new skills and ideas, and that creates this space for learning from others. I love it when someone asks me to show them something – like putting on an Ergo, for example – and some other mom in the shop is enthusiastically like, “Oh!  Can I show you???  Can I help you??”  And then immediately there’s this sharing and teaching that happens from one parent to another. People are eager to help one another. There’s some kind of very important fulfillment that comes with being able to pass on knowledge that’s been useful to you, so that you can return the favor and feel useful to someone else. So I love to see people stretch their experience level and try something new and unfamiliar for the betterment of their life and the earth, and I love seeing how many others there are out there waiting and willing to help and be there for each other. But this is getting real cheesy, I better stop there.

 One more thing, though. I secretly love the organizational aspect of working at TGN. We all nerd out over our own things. I’m very organizational in some ways, and I really enjoy keeping things orderly and organized within the flux and flow of things in and out of the store every day.  Constant change and newness is good, but you gotta maintain that foundation, and I enjoy doing that.

Tell us something about yourself that you’re really proud of, so that we can be proud of you, too!

Hmmm. I have a lot of cool hobbies or passions. I do aerial circus arts, mainly aerial silks.  I help lead nature-connection programs for kids with a really great organization that some friends of mine started. I do a lot of gardening, both for myself and with two local farms, and the community orchard here in town. I grow a lot of my own food and make a lot of my own medicines. I knit and sew and create other artful things…

I’m proud of the fact that I’ve allowed myself to honor and pursue my passions and found ways to live my dreams and do what I love. I didn’t go to school due to a conscious decision to educate myself, and I’m proud that I’ve become successful in all the ways I’ve always wanted by carving out my own path toward living the life I want, studying what I want to learn, and spending my time how I choose.

What are your dreams for the future?

They are too big to write down here, and yet so simple are they even worth mentioning?  Basically I just want to help turn this planet back into a paradise, through restoring our environment to a healthy, thriving and wild state, connecting people back to nature in a real and complete way, building community where people feel they belong to a strong and resilient large family, and raising the children of today and the future to know the importance of all this and have the capabilities to maintain it. Don’t we all?  I’m just figuring out how to do what I can to move toward it in my own small ways.

Thanks, Siri!

Are you a cloth diaper expert? Do you own a billion baby carriers? Do you have a secret recipe for the best homemade baby food EVER? Whatever you take pride in, I bet it would make for a great TGN blog profile! Email abby@thegreennursery.com, and let’s get to know you.

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I never thought I’d use BabyLegs

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Brea

BabyLegs seemed so trendy when I was pregnant with B.  I thought they were something people bought as “cutesie” items.  I could agree the prints were cute, and they were a novel idea, but I am three years in and still rarely go gaga for baby clothes (some might say that’s because I don’t have a daughter.  I’d say it’s my frugality and practicality.).  I figured I’d pass on the BabyLegs.

I’m now the proud owner of six pairs of BabyLegs, and they have seen a lot of use.  Here are just a few of the ways they have been useful!

First off (and not pictured), is the use of BabyLegs in a carrier.  You know that gap between the baby’s pants and their socks when they’re all cozied up against you?  BabyLegs are perfect for covering that gap!

In A’s early days, they were a way to give a rashy bottom some air while keeping his legs warm – I could throw on a fitted diaper sans cover or just leave his bottom bare, and still he was toasty.  I used a pair of my own socks in a pinch…but then I bought more BabyLegs!

BabyLegs are perfect for potty training.  Your toddler can go diaper-free, and simply squat or sit down to pee.  Throw on a long shirt or sweater (a couple sizes too large) and they will still stay warm.

BabyLegs (vs pants) make diaper changes easier and faster.  Rather than unsnapping or removing pants and then putting them back on after the diaper change, just change the diaper.  Done.

BabyLegs are great for layering!  Rather than having to get a baby/toddler/preschooler to stay still have change from pants to shorts and back again, BabyLegs are really easy to get on and off as an additional layer.  And they were one of the first things B learned to put on and take off by himself – so they encouraged a bit of independence.

BabyLegs and socks were the first things B learned to put on, and he still loves them today.  He can often be seen wearing a pair or three – possibly mismatched – in some awesome color combos.  They go on his arms and legs, sometimes two to a limb.

This past Halloween was the first time that B really got into dressing up.  He was a Viking!  Specifically, he was Astrid from How to Train Your Dragon.  Unsurprisingly, he insisted that he wear his orange BabyLegs (orange is his favorite color).  Fierce!

How about you?  Have you had a surprising love affair with BabyLegs or any other products?  (My true love affair is with the Ergo.  My baby gear heart will always be snuggled up with a possibly-nursing baby in that carrier!)

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Classic and Healthy Easter Ideas

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Venus

 

I don’t know how you deal with the holidays, but around here it can get pretty dicey. Ivan loves anything sweet. After chowing down he gets that glassy eyed, clammy look about him. It also becomes an ongoing conversation throughout the day.  My husband ends up throwing away all the sweet treats.

Last year I bought the candy I like, and the grandparents bought their favorites.  We all wanted to see him hunt for eggs. Well, we ended up with a ton of junk.  Shortly after, I noticed that he may have a sensitivity to food coloring.  Now I try to keep him away from artificial color as much as possible.

This year I am going to save some drama and buy items that he can eat all in one day. He will be just as thrilled with dried fruit, a little chocolate, bunny crackers, fruit leather, and a couple jelly beans.

I will also be investing in some toys and books.  I have a weakness for the classics.  When I say classics, I mean the kind of toy or book that will last for many lifetimes. Little treasures that hold interest! As you may know, The Green Nursery has a great selection of classic toys!  (which just happen to be on sale…)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snack Cups- I painted white cups from Hobby Lobby with acrylic paint

Featured Treats: Jelly Beans, Candy Coated Chocolate, Fruit Leather, Dried Papaya, Craisins, Organic Chocolate Bars, Annie’s White Cheddar Bunnies and Gummys- Bloomingfoods or any health food store

Featured Books:

Brown, Margaret Wise. (1942). The Runaway Bunny. New York, NY; Harper & Row.

Potter, Beatrix. (2007). The Tale of Peter Rabbit. New York, NY; Penguin Group.

Tafuri, Nancy.  (1998). I Love You, Little One. New York, NY; Scholastic Press.

McBrantney, Sam. (1994) Guess How Much I Love You. London; Walter Books Ltd.

 

Posted in Life, Local TGN Events, Sales, Toys, Uncategorized, Venus Leah Photography | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

GroVia Newborn AIO in Peacock? Yep, we’re giving it away!

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Abby

Win a BRAND NEW (not even available) GroVia Newborn AIO in Peacock!  TGN is sponsoring a giveaway with one of our favorite bloggers, Kim Rosas from Dirty Diaper Laundry.  GroVia Newborn All-In-Ones are designed specifically for newborns with a super absorbent, organic cotton inner with a soft layer of water resistant TPU outer.  Simply snap on baby and go.  These diapers fit most babies from 5-12 pounds.

Yep, you want this.

Posted in Cloth Diapers, Giveaways, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 239 Comments

What is in the bag?

Posted on March 8, 2012 by Venus

With my first child I tried cloth diapers, and it didn’t work out so well. I kept getting disposables as gifts, and I never could get into a rhythm of caring for my small stash.  I also made big mistakes, like applying conventional diaper cream to my baby’s bum.  When planning for my second child, I was determined to conquer cloth.  Disposable diapers are just gross, and the guilt of adding to the landfill still haunts me.

One of my biggest concerns was how I would gracefully cloth diaper when not in the comfort of my own home. I discovered fun and handy products that have never given me buyer’s remorse, and I am succeeding!  My system works so well and looks surprisingly lovely, all at the same time. Who knew diapering could be an art?!  Thanks TGN.

I never thought that I would call a diaper luxurious, but GroVia feels that way to the touch. You can buy extra inserts, and they don’t take up that much space in my bag!  Two diaper covers and a days worth of soaker pads, and you are good to go! Oh, and those little cloths tucked in the diapers pictures above?  Those are cloth wipes!  That way, I never forget.

Cloth wipes confused me, until I realized that you don’t wet them at home.   One is plenty per change, and they do a better job than disposable wipes.  You can soak them completely in water, or spray on Lusa Wipe Juice.  The Wipe Juice concentrate seems to be great for Oliver’s bum, and a little bit goes a long way.  You just premix with water and use a dispenser of your choice!

On to dirty diaper storage!  This Planet Wise bag is cool because there is a dry pocket and a wet pocket.  No more plastic bags!  The patterns are also pretty darn cute. I just dump the dirty diapers in the diaper pail when I get home, and wash my wet bag every now and then.

Don’t forget the snacks! I bought this LunchBots container for my toddler, but I love it just as much (or more) for myself.  Having water and a snack is essential!  I found the granola bar recipe here on Smitten Kitchen.  The other snack is almond butter rolled up in tortilla.

I told you, I killed my cloth diapers last time around.  GroVia’s Magic Stick is great because it’s effective at preventing rashes, cloth diaper safe, all natural and organic, and you don’t get the stuff all over your hands.

Have you smelled this stuff?  It just makes you feel good.  Earth Mama Angel Baby products are a worthwhile splurge.  What mama doesn’t need a little pick me up from time to time?!

Something else I’m feeling good about this time around?  Hevea pacifiers.  I hate plastic. Natural rubber makes a lot of sense, and Hevea pacifiers are perfectly shaped and sized.  I am also just thankful to have a baby that likes a pacifier.  Car rides are not sooo stressful.

BabyLegs are always in the bag!  These are infant sized, which have come in handy under his pants for extra warmth.  Of course, when the warmer weather hits he can just wear these with a diaper.  Oliver is getting so big, I actually need to size up – and SOON!  (Must be the round the clock nursing!)

Cloth breast pads. Seriously, why buy a box of disposables?

I’m not always near a sink when I change diapers, so I always carry my natural hand sanitizer.  It has thieves oil mixed with water. Thieves is an essential oil that is supposed to keep the good bacteria around.

Last but not least, Sophie! This thing squeaks the perfect tone to quiet a crying baby. It is also made of natural rubber and vegetable dyes. So, Sophie tags along!

So there you have it!  Everything that’s packed in my waste free diaper bag.  What’s essential when you are leaving home?  What’s in your diaper bag?

www.venusleahphotography.com

 

 

Posted in Cloth Diaper Care, Cloth Diapers, Giveaways, Life, Nursing, Parenting, Sophie the Giraffe, Travel, Venus Leah Photography, Waste Free Lunches | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

New to TGN?

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Abby

Come on in, have a look around.  We think you will enjoy your stay.  While you’re here, learn about our dynamic customer rewards program, build your green baby registry, and expect excellence in customer service.  That’s what we’re all about.  That…and this:

Thanks, Kim Rosas for sending us new friends!  You’re the coolest!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments