Oh my this is one of my most favorite topics to talk about. From correct installation to extended rear facing! In the US 6 out of every 10 deaths vehicle related deaths are due to improper carseat use.
Lets talk about rearfacing for a moment. According the the AAP it is recommended to rear face until 2 years of age. The law states 1 year and 20lbs which is hopefully going to be changing in 2012.
1.) A rear facing carseat is designed so that the carseat absorbs the shock of impact. When A child is forward facing
2.) A young infant/toddler's head is disproportionately large and heavy for their bodies, and their neck muscles are not completely developed. Due to those two facts, it is more likely that a child will 1. sustain a disabling or 2. life-threatening spinal cord injury when riding forward-facing instead of rear-facing in the event of a collision, or worse both!
3.) But their legs touch the seat!! Even though it looks uncomfortable it is actually more comfortable for children to ride rear facing. Why? It's rather simple because of the angle they are bent at when they just aren't quite tall enough to fold them at that 90 degree angle over the seat. Legs also have a higher tendency to get hurt in a forward facing accident versus a rearfacing child.
4.) Remember just because their legs are longer than the carseat (mainly pretaining to infant bucket seats) doesn't mean they have out grown their seat. Providing they still hit the weight requirements and their head is more than 1" away from the top of the shell then they are great! :)
I am to a extended harnessing advocate but that is a different discussion for a different day. I am going to go over some tips that are quite often forgot about before I leave you though.
winter coats winter coats are the worst thing possible when it comes to a carseat. Don't believe me then go strap your child in his seat with a winter coat on, pull the straps as tight as you can, then take the coat off and buckle him up.. What do you get? straps that are huge on him. When in a car accident the coat is often compressed and the slack well could be lethal if traveling fast enough. There are numerous ways to get around this. Carseat ponchos are great they are a lot like an "old lady" shawl but are now made out of uber cute fleece, some fleece can even keep kids warm 25 below 0. When it is super cold out how often does the car stay that cold? Mine I mostly heat up for them so the only time they are really getting cold is from the house to the car.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNGT9eBL_gg
You can also remove the coat put them in their seat and put it on backwards. The second option is removing their arms, buckling them, then zipping them up.
third party products Head rests, seat protectors, toys, all these amazing things that attaching to you car seat... or so you think. Did you know if installed on most carseats these items will void warrenty and also propose a danger to your child. Some infant bucket seats come with supports and if they do are perfectly safe to use however if not manufacture made then these pose a danger. Thing such as hard plastic sunshades that go on the window can detach from the window and pose a risk. Infact a local police officer was telling me that he arrived at an accident where one of these devices actually impaled the child in the head and killed him. So be aware of what you are adding to seats.
expiration dates But car seats don't curdle right? Your right on that one but did you know that overtime plastic breaks down and micro-fractures occur, the fibers in the straps break down and can tear.
most of you know that carseat when involved in any accident need to be replaced. This is because of micro fractures in the seats, too much pressure on the straps, or even the harnessing system can cause failure if involved in a second accident.
washing your seat Refer to your users manual for this one but remember never ever use harsh chemicals on the straps of a seat, also never submerse them in water because this can cause the straps to break down or dry rot.
Remember to that not all firefighters or cops can answer your questions. They are not all certified to do so. Only 3 officers in my local state police are able to install seats. So you can call your local State police office and they will answer any questions as will your manufacturer of your seat.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
1year of the good the bad and ugly: personal cloth reviews
Today I am sharing with you my experience of the good and the bad on my cloth journey. I will tell you the good about each diaper and the bad that I have found... I will also be sharing some pictures with you :)
First up is a sustaibale babish/sloomb. This has been my all time favorite diaper. With 2 layers of organic cotton through the day and and extra doubler for the night it keeps baby's bum happy and leak free. The only down side I have noticed is the run smaller but not bad. I love the fact that they now come in different colors. You can also purchase these is snap or snapless. It is so soft you can rub in on your cheeks :P.
Next up is the G-diaper. This is probably my least favorite. It is ultra trim but the cloth inserts are expensive and the disposable one are just as much and disposable diapers. I never had an issue with leaks, this is one I would recommend to the semi-eco conscience parent. To the parents that are cloth diapering for money saving reasons I wouldn't recommend the G-diaper system.
This is a made by me flannel pocket with a microfiber insert. For beginner sewers this is a super easy pattern and the absorb quite well. However once your dear one starts peeing in volumes past the baby stage they can become quite saturated and smell. The smell does wash out but like I said not for big babies.
This is also a made my me diaper with flannel, crushed panne, and PUL. I use a variety of inserts. I have never had leaking issues with it but I have never used it as a over night diaper either.
With Uber cute prints gen-y makes some pretty awesome side snapping covers. they will cover a fitter or pre-fold. When using prefolds with this cover you will actually have to fold them because they don't work to easy with the tri-fold method.
Ahh, the rump a rooz my first experience with pocket diapers. Can I just say I love them. They do run small because my 13 month old is on the last rise setting and weight a mere 18 pounds. They come in newborn sizes known as lil joesys.
Thirsties duo diaper. I was not too sure on these at first. they have 2 inserts a cotton one and a microfiber one. I'm neutral one these I dont like them but I also do not dislike them. They do their job and do it well. but not my fave.
Thirsties duo size cover. I like these I really do. They come in quite a variety of prints but also solids. My favorite are the snapping ones because once your little one learns to explore, the velcro/aplix sound causes curiosity and you may find your little tyke sporting a nakey bum.
the flip system. Ok so this is cool because it goes from tiny to potty learning stages. You have your choice to purchase the system with organic cotton inserts or stay dry microfiber inserts. I chose the microfiber inserts and like them however my favorite part of this system is the covers. I have heard a lot of mama's say they just buy the covers because they are awesome.
Bum genius 3.0, I got this diaper used at a kid to kid and found they are pretty neat. They start little probably around 8/9 lbs depending on how your little one is built. They absorb great. They have great customer service for problems you may incur
when the aplix wears and the elastic wears you can purchase a repair kit for a whopping one dollar. :D
Bummis beautiful basic.
You can purchase bigger kits but I happened to recieve this one as a gift. They run big but are uber easy to use. They beautiful basic pack comes with 1 wrap/cover and 3 organic cotton prefolds. These are very much capable of using the tri-fold method. Infact thats what they are met to do.
osocozy prefolds. Love love love prefolds. I thought I would hate them but they are my favorite diapers. Easy to use, easy to care for.
First up is a sustaibale babish/sloomb. This has been my all time favorite diaper. With 2 layers of organic cotton through the day and and extra doubler for the night it keeps baby's bum happy and leak free. The only down side I have noticed is the run smaller but not bad. I love the fact that they now come in different colors. You can also purchase these is snap or snapless. It is so soft you can rub in on your cheeks :P.
Next up is the G-diaper. This is probably my least favorite. It is ultra trim but the cloth inserts are expensive and the disposable one are just as much and disposable diapers. I never had an issue with leaks, this is one I would recommend to the semi-eco conscience parent. To the parents that are cloth diapering for money saving reasons I wouldn't recommend the G-diaper system.
This is a made by me flannel pocket with a microfiber insert. For beginner sewers this is a super easy pattern and the absorb quite well. However once your dear one starts peeing in volumes past the baby stage they can become quite saturated and smell. The smell does wash out but like I said not for big babies.
This is also a made my me diaper with flannel, crushed panne, and PUL. I use a variety of inserts. I have never had leaking issues with it but I have never used it as a over night diaper either.
With Uber cute prints gen-y makes some pretty awesome side snapping covers. they will cover a fitter or pre-fold. When using prefolds with this cover you will actually have to fold them because they don't work to easy with the tri-fold method.
Ahh, the rump a rooz my first experience with pocket diapers. Can I just say I love them. They do run small because my 13 month old is on the last rise setting and weight a mere 18 pounds. They come in newborn sizes known as lil joesys.
Thirsties duo diaper. I was not too sure on these at first. they have 2 inserts a cotton one and a microfiber one. I'm neutral one these I dont like them but I also do not dislike them. They do their job and do it well. but not my fave.
Thirsties duo size cover. I like these I really do. They come in quite a variety of prints but also solids. My favorite are the snapping ones because once your little one learns to explore, the velcro/aplix sound causes curiosity and you may find your little tyke sporting a nakey bum.
the flip system. Ok so this is cool because it goes from tiny to potty learning stages. You have your choice to purchase the system with organic cotton inserts or stay dry microfiber inserts. I chose the microfiber inserts and like them however my favorite part of this system is the covers. I have heard a lot of mama's say they just buy the covers because they are awesome.
Bum genius 3.0, I got this diaper used at a kid to kid and found they are pretty neat. They start little probably around 8/9 lbs depending on how your little one is built. They absorb great. They have great customer service for problems you may incur
when the aplix wears and the elastic wears you can purchase a repair kit for a whopping one dollar. :D
Bummis beautiful basic.
You can purchase bigger kits but I happened to recieve this one as a gift. They run big but are uber easy to use. They beautiful basic pack comes with 1 wrap/cover and 3 organic cotton prefolds. These are very much capable of using the tri-fold method. Infact thats what they are met to do.
osocozy prefolds. Love love love prefolds. I thought I would hate them but they are my favorite diapers. Easy to use, easy to care for.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Cloth diapers: buy used
Cloth diapers are such a great way to save money. Starting your "stash" can be expensive, but being able to start your "stash" cheap is even better. I'm going to list a few terms below to help you sort through buying a used stash. Tomorrow I will be doing a review of all the diaper brands i have tried to give you a bit of a heads up.
NWT- new with tags
NWOT- new with out tags
EUC- Excellent used condition
GUC- gentle used condition
pc- price check or play condition
NIP- new in package (on a lot of cloth diaper trading sites this could also be referred to as nursing in public so make sure you read)
FSOT- for sale or trade
PP- pay pal only
PPD- often times you will see $x.xxppd this is the price including the shipping
For now these are the terms I can think of.
www.diaperswappers.com is a great place to buy used diapers. If you have any questions feel free to message me.
NWT- new with tags
NWOT- new with out tags
EUC- Excellent used condition
GUC- gentle used condition
pc- price check or play condition
NIP- new in package (on a lot of cloth diaper trading sites this could also be referred to as nursing in public so make sure you read)
FSOT- for sale or trade
PP- pay pal only
PPD- often times you will see $x.xxppd this is the price including the shipping
For now these are the terms I can think of.
www.diaperswappers.com is a great place to buy used diapers. If you have any questions feel free to message me.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
cloth diaper terms
Today I am going to share with you some terms you may not other wise know:
swish to put the diaper in the potty and swish it around to get the poopy off.. If your child is exclusively breastfed you will not have to do this because breastfeed poopy is 100% water soluble.
prep This involves a big kettle, your stove and boiling water. Boil the diapers for 15 minutes then do your wash cycle. *do not boil the poly-urethane laminate)
wash cycle how you wash your diapers. My cycle is 1. cold rinse, 2. hot wash. 3. repeat hot rinse 4. dry
sunning the best way to dry your diapers is out side in the sun not only does this bleach the yucko stains but help keep the stink at bay and your babies bum happy.
tomorrow I will discuss buy used diaper terminology.
swish to put the diaper in the potty and swish it around to get the poopy off.. If your child is exclusively breastfed you will not have to do this because breastfeed poopy is 100% water soluble.
prep This involves a big kettle, your stove and boiling water. Boil the diapers for 15 minutes then do your wash cycle. *do not boil the poly-urethane laminate)
wash cycle how you wash your diapers. My cycle is 1. cold rinse, 2. hot wash. 3. repeat hot rinse 4. dry
sunning the best way to dry your diapers is out side in the sun not only does this bleach the yucko stains but help keep the stink at bay and your babies bum happy.
tomorrow I will discuss buy used diaper terminology.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Clothdiaper types
So over the past few weeks I have had a lot of questions about cloth diapering. The amount of information can be quite overwhelming when you first start looking into things. There are brands, types of fabric, things that need covers, things that don't. so I am going to try to explain it as best as I can over the next week or so to make your life easier. Today I am going to start off with types of diapers and what they require for use.
prefolds/flats These are the diapers that probably come to mind when you think of cloth diapering. They can be one of the hardest diapers to use or one of the most simple depending on how you want to fold them. I personal just tri-fold and tuck into the cover and done.
Pre-fold diapers are often made out of cotton,hemp or flannel. They sometimes require pinning or a snappi. They also require a cover. Cover are made out of poly urethane laminate which is a cotton knit with a laminate on it to make it water proof.
AIO (all in one) /AI2's (hybrid diaper) - IS all the diaper you need in one diaper.
AIO- Have the cover, the soaker, and the layer that goes against the baby's bum all in one diaper. Often times these take longer drying periods because it has more diaper to dry rather than just a few pieces. AIO diaper often have either Velcro or poly-resin snaps to close them on. They are also quite frequently one size, which means the go from itty bitty to potty training stages. Something called a doubler which is essentially an extra soaker (the thing where the pee gets soaked up with) to increase absorbancy for night time or extended periods of time.
HYBRIDS- are basically cloth disposables you tuck a soaker in and close up the diaper your done. And these do no require a cover, they have elastic through the leg area and the back.
pocket the best way to describe a pocket diaper would be, a cover with a soft fabric sewn to it and it has one end open to make a pocket. These need stuffed with your inserts. an insert is the same thing as a soaker but since in goes into a pocket they are referred to as inserts. These too are often one size and do not require a cover. These diapers also have the elastic in the back and around the legs.
the last diaper I am going to talk about is fitteds.
fitteds fitteds are like an AIO with out the water proof part making these require a cover. They often times close with Velcro or poly-resin snaps. They sometimes have the soaker sewed in or there can also be snap in soakers. these diapers are my favorite next to prefolds.
As you embark on your journey through cloth diapering you will find that certain diapers fit babies different, that you may like one brand/type better than the other but all in all you will find the perfect diaper for you and your little one.
prefolds/flats These are the diapers that probably come to mind when you think of cloth diapering. They can be one of the hardest diapers to use or one of the most simple depending on how you want to fold them. I personal just tri-fold and tuck into the cover and done.
Pre-fold diapers are often made out of cotton,hemp or flannel. They sometimes require pinning or a snappi. They also require a cover. Cover are made out of poly urethane laminate which is a cotton knit with a laminate on it to make it water proof.
AIO (all in one) /AI2's (hybrid diaper) - IS all the diaper you need in one diaper.
AIO- Have the cover, the soaker, and the layer that goes against the baby's bum all in one diaper. Often times these take longer drying periods because it has more diaper to dry rather than just a few pieces. AIO diaper often have either Velcro or poly-resin snaps to close them on. They are also quite frequently one size, which means the go from itty bitty to potty training stages. Something called a doubler which is essentially an extra soaker (the thing where the pee gets soaked up with) to increase absorbancy for night time or extended periods of time.
HYBRIDS- are basically cloth disposables you tuck a soaker in and close up the diaper your done. And these do no require a cover, they have elastic through the leg area and the back.
pocket the best way to describe a pocket diaper would be, a cover with a soft fabric sewn to it and it has one end open to make a pocket. These need stuffed with your inserts. an insert is the same thing as a soaker but since in goes into a pocket they are referred to as inserts. These too are often one size and do not require a cover. These diapers also have the elastic in the back and around the legs.
the last diaper I am going to talk about is fitteds.
fitteds fitteds are like an AIO with out the water proof part making these require a cover. They often times close with Velcro or poly-resin snaps. They sometimes have the soaker sewed in or there can also be snap in soakers. these diapers are my favorite next to prefolds.
As you embark on your journey through cloth diapering you will find that certain diapers fit babies different, that you may like one brand/type better than the other but all in all you will find the perfect diaper for you and your little one.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
missing link....
Oh dear one, how I wish I could find a way to help you. Being the mother of three under five has its ups and downs. The part that I struggle with the most though is the looks and apologies I get when they find out Gabe has autism. I would much rather he didn't but it's him I don't wish he had never been born, the struggles well we are learning how to handle them. We have our good days and are bad days. Gabe currently is getting 15 hours of in home therapy but this is where the problem starts. My husband, I love and really want to respect him but he tells me to cancel all his therapies, that he doesn't need them. That they just want to invade our life. I have seen a difference in Gabe though, I know that they are really helping. Now that my youngest Rebekkah is also having some testing done it gets harder and harder to do what God wants. To stand up for them, yet obey and respect my husband. I honestly just want whats best but it doesnt always seem that way. 
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Me
For a few days, pushing on a week now I have been debating on what to write. I love to write but often times I can't figure out how to get what's in my head on paper or in this case on a screen. It makes sense to me but when others read it well thats a different story. So today I decided to write about me. I am a mother and a wife I desire and want so badly to be able to accomplish the divine calling that God has blessed me with. My husband is studying to become a pastor. I have 3 children, 1 of the three was diagnosed with PDD-NOS (autism). We have our ups and are downs with it. For a while I spent hours thinking about how I could have changed things, what could I have done to make him not autistic until I realized I wouldn't have him any other way, he is so perfect just the way God made him. Lately I have takin' a liking to more natural ways of parenting. I cloth diaper, I homeschool, we have a garden albeit a small one but it's still a garden, we have begun the process of totally eliminating red dye 40 for our diets for my son's sake. I have begun to learn that each day is a new adventure, a new chance for learning, a new chance for expanding your child's horizons, one day closer to them becoming the person God has destined them to be. 
Monday, April 11, 2011
And so my journey begins
It looked good on paper, sounded even better in my mind. Applying my self to something new to help combat depression. One day into it and I'm already about to give up. I cant find a way to get things organized enough I can function. So in return the feelings of stress and headaches begin to erupt. Each second ticking by I feel as if I am trapped inside my own body. I want to come out of my shell so to speak, but yet I just cant seem to dig my way out. I look back at my kids's lives and realize just how much I have missed with them. Not that I wasn't there for the special milestone moments but I just didn't see them the way I should have. I have also noticed things changed when my son received the diagnosis of autism. Though he is high functioning, there are still the daily problems that occur with it. I wish just for one minute that I could see the world through his mind, then maybe i could now how to help him more. I know though in order to help him, I need to first help me... that may mean conquering my fears and talking to a doctor, that may mean finding away to focus on being happy again however the method I will find a way to do it. For my family so I can be the girl HE created me to be.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
pure bliss
How often do we have faith like a child? I often sit and think to myself just how amazing God designed us. Look at a baby so helpless yet so needy but a look of worry, a thought of stress never crosses their face. They know that someone will come to them when they need help. That the problems they are facing are only temporary, there is no need to worry. Worry now thats a word that is in my everyday life. From when then next load of laundry needs to go in to what's going to happen when X occurs... Yeah I'm a little lacking faith. Can God handle my problems most definitely but I more often then not are selfish with them.. they are mine! I want to give them up but yet a part of me is still attached to them. I have decided that I am not will not let worry over run my life, I needed a hobby one other than sewing diapers and toys for the kids... other than reading. Sure reading is wonderful but I need something to focus my worry into. I decided that I am going to try my hand at coupons. With every coupon i print/clip and redeem I am going to give 1 item i worry about to God. Now I don't mean I am going to hand over laundry but rather hand over dirty bath towels. So from that day on if I happen to have a load of dirty towels that need washed but my daughter wants to spend the day making cookies I am going to take that oh so precious time and make the cookies... the towels aren't going anywhere but that mother daughter I want you I NEED you time is and quickly for that matter. So not only will I be saving money but I will be working on making me a happy person again.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
A new begining
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
Such simple words yet such high calling. To be busy at home is something I often struggle with. Over the past 10 months I have been struggling with postpartum depression but since breastfeeding there is nothing I can do to help. I have tried and will continue to try to hand it over to God. To have faith like a child that He can take care of it.
=
How often I dont even think that my daughters are watching me... watching every move on how to be a women. At such a young age these girls are learning what it means to be a women. To be a future wife and mother. if god allows He has the perfect husband picked out for them. I as their mother have to lead, teach, and show how to be a wife.
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