Save Money with Cloth Diapers

I discovered cloth diapering when my oldest was a baby. She had very sensitive skin, and every disposable diaper we tried caused horrible blisters on her bottom. I don't want to shell out $30-$40 a diaper because I had 2 in diapers until very recently. I used and still use regular prefold diapers on my girls. A few months ago, I received a sewing machine as a gift. I have managed to draft my own pattern for one-size diapers for my youngest and a newborn pattern as well.

I have 3 relatives that are currently pregnant, with one being due any day now. Instead of trying to buy 3 different shower gifts, I'm sewing newborn cloth diapers. You can find great deals on flannel prints in the fabric clearance sections at Wal-Mart and Joann Fabrics.

Here's a newborn fitted cloth diaper I made for my nephew:


I can make several of these gifts for a fraction of the cost of a decent shower gift. Not only that, but it's something I made, which I always think adds a little extra value!

This site is very helpful is showing how to draft your very own cloth diaper pattern.

Tips From My Readers

I want to start by saying, if you're looking for great ways to help foster learning in your kids visit THIS BLOG.

Two tips were given to me to help clean around the house.

Tip #1= If you have hard to remove stains from your toilet, use a squirt of toothpaste and scrub. I know that this tip is extremely useful to those of us with hard water stains.

Tip #2= My kids love foaming hand soap. Unfortunately, it's not the cheapest hand soap at the store. If you have a foaming hand soap pump, use 1 Tablespoon of liquid hand soap and then add water to the fill line. Now your kids can continue enjoying foaming hand soap at a fraction of the cost!

Cheap and Easy Fruit and Veggie Wash

I love organic produce, but it's not the most affordable option at the grocery store. For all of my produce (including the organic produce from my own garden), I use a homemade fruit and vegetable wash. Bottles of fruit and veggie wash can cost a pretty penny, but this wash is simple, cheap, and easy!

Fill your sink with cold water. Add 1/4 cup of vinegar and 2 Tablespoons of salt. Allow your fruits and veggies to soak for 15 minutes then rinse!

It does not change the flavor and draws out the nasty stuff you don't want to eat.

Stretching Dishwasher Detergent

Here's a great idea that was shared with me recently. Get more for your money with your dishwasher detergent. Combine equal parts baking soda, your favorite powder detergent, and washing soda. Here, I used Seventh Generation Free and Clear Detergent, but I find other detergents work much better. To really stretch your dollar, try using $ store variety!
Find a container (preferably with a lid), and combine ingredients. Shake/mix well.

For a full load of dishes I use 1.5-2 Tablespoons of my mixture. Instead of paying for a small bottle of liquid rinse aid, put vinegar in the designated rinse aid compartment. It will help you dishes sparkle!


*Note: If you have liquid detergent on hand, you can combine the washing soda and baking powder and mix it with detergent in the dishwasher. Just use 1 Tablespoon of the washing soda and baking soda mix with 1 Tablespoon of liquid detergent.