Katherine’s First Day at Nursery

Today was Katherine’s first day at nursery

3.5 hours

Doesn’t seem like a long time, does it? But this one tugged at me; Katherine is my youngest and doesn’t technically need to go to nursery yet. She was two in May, and as I am a childminder, she spends her days with me. Thomas started nursery just a few days before he turned three, and I knew he was ready to go. With Katherine, I wasn’t so sure…

Katherine is a sociable little bear, but she does have a temper (I only have myself to blame for that one!) and although she is used to being around other children, both at home and at the various playgroups we go to each week, I wasn’t entirely sure how she’d react with a roomful of strangers. She is also very much NOT placatable; if something isn’t to her liking, the whole world knows about!

I also wondered about sending her to the same nursery as Thomas. Would he be jealous, as this was HIS space? Would she settle properly if he was there? Would the staff expect her to be the same as Thomas, when in reality they are chalk and cheese?

But I needn’t have worried…

Daddy dropped them both off at 8am, and she toddled off into the room as if she owned it, plonked herself down for breakfast and asked for apple juice. She played with the toys inside and found herself a pushchair with a dolly outside. She played with Thomas and the other children. She co-operated (and for those of you who know Katherine, you will know how unusual that can be!) and didn’t have a single tantrum. Thomas was protective over her and kept trying to reserve toys for her to play with (which obviously she had no interest in at all!) preferring to make her own choices – Little Miss Independent!

The staff at nursery were fab and sent loads of pictures. I’ve done this myself as a childminder, reassuring parents that their child is absolutely fine, but it wasn’t until today that the real impact of those hit me. Knowing that she was safe, having fun, making friends (and not stropping!) meant the time passed quickly. Plus, I had other child-minded kids to occupy me, so definitely no time to dwell

Pick up was time for cuddles, and home for lunch then bed. One very tired Katherine, who can’t wait to go back next week. One comment the staff did make was how good her speech was, which made me very proud. Paul says she’s like me and just won’t shut up…!

Making Apple Cider Vinegar: Part 1

I use shampoo bars, which can sometimes leave my hair feeling waxy if not rinsed out thoroughly; this can make my hair feel heavy and look lacklustre. An apple cider vinegar (ACV) rinse works wonders to remove any waxy residue left behind after rinsing, but I wanted to find a more sustainable source than buying glass bottles of the stuff every month from the supermarket

As my husband’s boss has a small orchard, we get given a LOT of windfall apples every autumn, and I make a lot of apple cake (Mary Berry’s Apple & Cinnamon Cake, if anyone wants to make their own) But the cores and peel generally go straight into the composter, which seems rather wasteful… Cue a spot of Googling and I found a very simple and easy-to-follow recipe from Tales of a Kitchen which you can find here

As I use the windfall apples up in small batches, and only had a 2L Kilner jar to make the ACV in, I froze the cores and peel in a 2L tub until full. You might prefer to make smaller batches more often, so you have a more regular but smaller supply of ACV every couple of weeks, but as this is my first time, I’m going to put all of my eggs into one basket! Plus, you need a wide mouth jar, and I don’t have many of those lying around that aren’t already in use

Anyway, onto the actual making… My first tip: cut the apple cores into smaller pieces BEFORE freezing, else they are very difficult to saw up. But once they are in smaller pieces, simply stuff into the jar, trying to fill all of the spaces. It would probably be easier to squish the apples down more if they have defrosted, but I was far too impatient to do that; or not organised enough to remove from the freezer earlier in the day… You decide which!

Once the apples are crammed into the jar, dissolve a couple of teaspoons of sugar in some water – as I was using more apples than the recipe above, I used heaped teaspoons of sugar – and pour over the apples; I recommend doing this SLOWLY otherwise the sugar water splashes out. Then top up with more water until the apples are covered. I boiled the water and then cooled it before adding to the jar as I do not have a water filter

The final stage is to cover the mouth of the jar with a muslin and secure it before storing in a dark cupboard for a couple of weeks. I also dated the jar with today’s date in case I do decide to make another batch before this one has finished fermenting, to differentiate them

I’m looking forward to keeping an eye on my ACV over the coming week, stirring it occasionally, watching for the bubbles that show that fermentation is happening and searching for a white foam at the top – any other colour of ‘scum’ is not good, apparently!

I will keep you updated with the progress of my ACV as the weeks go on; I’ll be honest, I’m expecting a few pitfalls along the way… Wish me luck!

REVIEW: Reusable Nappies – EcoBebe All-in-Two Nappy

The EcoBebe nappy (right hand side in the photo below) is designed to fit from 7lb 7oz on the smallest setting up to 33lb on the largest, although if you do have a larger toddler I would be wary that it might not last up until that maximum weight, especially in comparison to the EcoPipo (left hand side in the photo below) which is definitely more generous in size.

I was a tad sceptical when I saw the EcoBebe nappy; it looked a LOT smaller than the EcoPipo pockets I was already using on my youngest, and I wasn’t convinced it wasn’t going to fit her… But it did! She is on the largest setting at just over two years of age, and 50^th centile for weight (I can’t remember what she actually weighs though, classic second child problem!)

The fit is very trim, and a lot less bulky than EcoPipo pockets, partially aided by the insert. EcoPipo pockets come with one long trifold (bamboo and microfibre) which folds into three, whereas the EcoBebe insert only folds into two; it comprises of one long microfibre insert with a cotton velour outer on one side and a microfleece outer on the other for a choice of material to put next to the skin. As the insert folds over to fit into the wrap, it also unfolds for faster drying, which is a definite bonus in the torrential rain we are currently experiencing

The insert fits comfortably into the cover, and I have also added an extra EcoPipo bamboo insert for extra peace of mind on occasion; I was unsure if this would compromise the fit of the nappy, but the double gusset at the leg means that there is no gapping once the nappy is fitted correctly

One slight issue I do have is the proximity of the snaps to the edge of the tab; this can make it tricky to undo the nappy when changing, as there isn’t any material to grab onto, but I am unsure if this is just my particular nappy, or true for all products

Overall, we are very happy with our EcoBebe nappy; the trim fit is great for an active toddler, and absorbency can easily be customised to suit without gaps and leaks occurring

***ALL VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG POST ARE MY OWN***

Firiel Rana: Backstory

I am Firiel Rana

I am a half elf; my mother was a nomadic elf and my father was a ranger in the High Forest. I never knew my mother; my father says that she died in childbirth, so it fell to him to raise me. He did so reluctantly, as I wasn’t the son he’d dreamt of…

Taught to respect nature from before I could walk and talk, I have always loved animals and have an affinity with them. Unfortunately, my homeland was infested with monstrosities which disrupt the natural order, hence my inbred hatred of them.

At the age of twelve, I found an owlbear cub whose mother had been killed (presumably by my father) and hid it from him; I named the owlbear Brog, and for over a year I protected and nurtured him, unbeknownst to my father. When he discovered Brog, I was given an ultimatum; either I kill Brog or my father would. I chose to make the death merciful by carrying it out myself, though that decision will haunt me to the end of my days

That marked the decline of my relationship with my father; soon afterwards we parted ways and I have moved further afield from my childhood stomping group, but still with the ultimate aim to redress the balance of nature in the world.

I came across Yaule, injured and alone, whilst hunting one evening; she had been attacked and had climbed into a tree to escape her attackers and die. I saw the same pained expression in her eyes as I had in Brog’s before I killed him. I could not do it again. Once I had gained her trust, she allowed me to dress her wounds, and since then we have been inseparable.

I am most content in the forest, just me and Yaule, but the evil of the world is encroaching more and more on the wild spaces, so it is a necessity to join forces with others to prevent the spread of evil.

Reusable Wipes: The Bottom Line

We started using reusable wipes when my eldest was around three months old; they have served us well for over 3.5 years, and two children. As a mum of two, and childminder of more than two, they have become an invaluable part of our household. Here are a few reasons why…

1. Fewer wipes used each nappy change

Because reusable wipes are made from materials such as cotton and bamboo, they are grippier than disposable wipes, which have a tendency to slide and smear.

As a childminder, I use both reusable and disposable wipes regularly, and while the maximum number of reusable wipes I have used in any single nappy change stands at three, I have needed over double that amount of disposable wipes on more than one occasion!

2. Easy to use at home

Everyone has their nappy changing station set up slightly differently, so there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this. Personally, we have them all stored in a tub already wet, so we can just grab and use; other parents store dry and wet under the tap at each change.

Once used, you can throw into the nappy bag or bucket if using reusable nappies too, or the Cheeky Wipes system includes a Mucky Box to store dirty wipes until wash day. Depending on whether your washing machine eats small items, a mesh bag can be useful to stop your wipes going AWOL during washing…

3. Easy to use when out and about

Again, everyone has their own system for this. We have a small wet bag into which we put a few damp reusable wipes; once used they go into the larger wet bag with dirty nappies.

If you prefer to keep your wipes dry until use, a small bottle of water can be carried with them and used to dampen them before use.

4. Cheaper in the long run

Thirty reusable wipes can cost up to £30 if bought new, depending on where you buy; buying preloved brings the cost down further, and making your own out of items in your home will reduce the cost even more, perhaps even costing you nothing but the time to make them.

Compare this to even the cheapest disposable wipes. On a conservative estimate of a pack per week for 2.5 years, which is the average age of toilet training, Aldi wipes (0.49p per pack) will cost you £63.70 [I use Aldi as a comparison as they were the cheapest I could find online!]

5. Reducing landfill and fatbergs

Disposable wipes are made of a mixture of materials, including plastics; this means they will never break down fully. Disposable wipes should NEVER be flushed (even if labelled as such) though too many sadly are, becoming a massive contributor to fatbergs (read more here on these)

Reusable wipes are made of biodegradable materials which will break down over time. You can re-purpose your reusable wipes once your children no longer need them for general cleaning or even family cloth, or sell on to recoup some of your costs.

6. No chemicals (other than water, water is a chemical after all!)

Since reusable wipes are soaked in whatever you choose, water being the cheapest and easiest option. Some soak in chamomile tea, or melt coconut oil in hot water, but plain old-fashioned H₂O is good enough for us!

Disposable wipes contain a lot more chemicals, including preservatives, alcohols and fragrances, some of which have been linked to eczema and allergies. You can read more in a Which report here.

Do you use reusable wipes already? What extra uses do you have for them?!
Or, perhaps you haven’t taken the plunge yet… Hopefully now you can see how easy it can be!
Share your experiences with me…

Reusable Nappies: Cloth Bumming on a Budget

‘I can’t afford to fork out hundreds of pounds all at once to buy reusable nappies’

I agree, not many people can. But reusable nappies don’t have to be expensive; not when starting out, and definitely not in the long run. There are several things you can do to make reusable nappies affordable and accessible to your family…

1. Use your local nappy library

Nappy libraries are run by volunteers and allow you to trial a selection of reusable nappies before buying anything. You can save money by finding out which nappies work best for your child, so you can then go and buy exactly what you need, rather than wasting money through trial and error. Find your local nappy library here to get started on your cloth bum journey.

2. Buy preloved

Once you know the type of nappies you are looking for, there are dozens of selling pages specifically for buying and selling preloved nappies. You can pick up bargain bundles for a few pounds, as well as selling on your own nappies once you have finished with them to recoup some of your costs.

3. Don’t discount the simple options!

Sometimes the simple options can be the best; prefolds are often overlooked in the era of modern cloth nappies, but they are cheap to buy (usually 50p each preloved), can be folded to fit any body shape, are extremely hardwearing and can be used around the house once their lifespan as nappies has ended. Similarly wraps can be picked up for a couple of quid, so you can cloth from birth to toilet training for £20 through this method (assuming 20 prefolds and 5 wraps)

4. Build up your stash gradually

Cloth bumming doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Building up your stash gradually can be a great way to reduce your landfill without splurging all your hard-earned cash at once. A couple of nappies per month, and in a year you will have enough to cloth full time.

5. Use on multiple children

If you are planning on having more than one child, then using the same nappies on them means no outlay for additional children. Even with two in cloth for a year we didn’t need double the amount of nappies, as we washed more frequently.

Do you have any more tips to help save money when cloth bumming? Share them below!

REVIEW: Beeswax Wraps from Delilah & the Moon

Plastic Free July was a bit of a struggle for me; we already do most of the more mainstream plastic-free alternatives, including shampoo bars, reusable bottles, reusable straws, CSP, reusable nappies and wipes, so finding something different was a challenge. Then I spotted that a local company called Delilah & the Moon made beeswax wraps and I just had to give them a go; we have a dalek called Delilah, so it seemed appropriate.

Picking the fabrics was the hardest part of the process; so many to choose from! Thomas picked superheroes for his sandwiches, Katherine chose rainbows and bees seemed appropriate considering. I ordered a range of sizes so that I could experiment with different uses, and my order was ready to be collected in just over a week, along with full instructions for use and care.

We have had the wraps nearly a fortnight now, and they are easy to use in everyday life. The bee wrap has been commandeered for cheese, and we find that we don’t get the white patches on it now. You can also take it to your local supermarket deli and get the cheese wrapped in it straight away; I’ll admit I got funny looks when I asked for it, but it’s all about making these options mainstream!

We took sandwiches for the kids to a picnic yesterday wrapped in their chosen designs; no dried-out bread, and nothing to put in the bin at the end. The smaller sizes are fab for covering jars and bowls with leftovers, rather than throw-away clingfilm or foil. Simply heat the wax slightly using the warmth of your hands and it will adhere to the bowl or jar.

The part that worried me most was washing them, as I was afraid of melting the wax out again, but the instructions that came with the wraps were clear and easy to follow (even for me!) and while I have yet to reset them, again the instructions are clear and simple, and the baking paper required is even provided.

Overall, I am very pleased with these, and have even been inspired me to try and make my own in the near future, but that will be a whole other post by itself!

Reusable Nappies: Going Back to Basics

I often hear the refrain that reusable nappies are difficult to use because there’s so much STUFF that you need to go with them. So this blog post is designed to take it down to the bare bones – what are the three things that are essential in order to use reusable nappies.

1. Nappies!

Let’s start with the obvious – you need reusable nappies. This post is not the place to go through the different ones (but you can find out more about them here) but all reusable nappy systems have two parts, absorbency to suck up the liquid, and a waterproof layer to stop the liquid escaping. The amount of nappies you need depends on various factors, such as your baby’s age, how often you change your child and the type of nappies you are using, but a good average is 25. Your local nappy library volunteer can help you to find the right reusable nappies for your baby, and support you on your cloth bum journey.

2. Storage for used nappies

Once dirty nappies come off the bum, you will need somewhere to store them until you wash them. You have two options here, wet bag or nappy bucket. We personally prefer wet bags as we can hang them up away from inquisitive toddlers, but it’s down to personal preference really.

3. Washing machine

So, you have your reusable nappies, you’ve used your reusable nappies (well, maybe not personally!) so now you need to wash them. If you have access to a washing machine, then you’re good to go. In fact, even if you don’t, then it is possible (though time consuming) to hand wash, which is what we have done while camping in cloth. Washing reusable nappies is simple, and full instructions can be found here.

And that is it! The absolute minimum needed to cloth bum full time. There are a few other things that you might want to consider as optional extras.

1. Liners

Liners are designed to catch solids; they are not absorbent, but can help you to dispose of any solids more easily. Disposable liners should be bagged and binned (DEFINITELY not flushed), whereas fleece liners can be washed with your nappies and reused.

2. Reusable Wipes

If you’re already using cloth nappies, the jump to reusable wipes really isn’t a biggie. They can be washed alongside your reusable nappies and as they are grippier than disposable wipes, you will find that you actually use fewer per nappy change.

3. Out & About

A wet/dry bag is fab if you are planning to use reusable nappies when out and about. Clean dry nappies can be stored in the front compartment and dirty wet nappies in the waterproof rear compartment. We have a variety of different sizes at home, so we can choose the most appropriate for the length of time we are planning to stay out.

And that REALLY is it. Hopefully you can now see that reusable nappies do not involve many resources at all; in fact, compare this to the thousands of disposable nappies that will end up in landfill, and it really doesn’t seem bad at all…

Travelling with Toddlers… Without Tablets (the Electronic Kind!)

When I was pregnant with my eldest, there weren’t many things I said I wouldn’t do; I tried to remain as open as possible to all parenting choices. I always said I’d try to breastfeed, but we had formula in the kitchen, just in case (we donated it to Foodbank after a few weeks as I was fortunate to breastfeed both my kids past a year each) I never said we wouldn’t use a dummy, although again, we never found we needed to. I even tried reusable nappies when a friend suggested them, but that’s a different blog post! Co-sleeping, babywearing, baby-led weaning, we tried them all. But one thing I wasn’t keen on was introducing electronic devices like tablets to my young children.

Now before you all shoot me down, let me say this; this is mine and my husband’s choice, and is in no way a judgement on any other parents who have decided to let their children use them. They can be a great educational tool if used wisely, although personally I do not think they offer more than physical educational toys such as Orchard Toys.

From my own observations, I have also seen them used as a babysitting tool far too often, and I find the lack of interaction between parent and child quite depressing. I’ve seen children younger than my daughter in prams with a tablet attached to the handlebar; I’ve witnessed children screaming when the tablet is taken away; I’ve seen parent and child walk down the street without interacting with each other, each on their own device. Our world is full of wonders, especially for a child, and my opinion is that frequent use of electronic devices can diminish that, and reliance on them makes our children less able to cope with their everyday world.

So when we planned on a three day trip to London on the train, I wanted to see whether we could manage without resorting to a tablet to keep the kids quiet. Instead, I packed the basics to occupy them – food, books, stickers, colouring. All were light enough to not add to the bulk of travelling with children, but there were several options so once one avenue had been exhausted, we had another to fall back onto.

We didn’t actually use any of them on the first stage of our journey; simply talking about what we could see out of the window occupied the kids for the first hour until the dreaded Replacement Bus Service. Words to strike fear into the heart of any traveller, especially in 30+ degree heat. Actually, this helped to break up the journey, gave us all a chance to stretch our legs, and also gave us a new resource to use; a plastic water bottle from the staff at the station. The imagination of a three-year-old transformed it in a rocket and led to conversations about planets and the moon. We counted forwards and backwards. We discussed astronauts and aliens, and what we wanted to be when we were grown up. All this from a free plastic water bottle.

For the final leg we were back on the train again and we used the water pens and sticker books, and both children were absorbed in their chosen activities, despite being tired. Once we’d taken the tube across town and settled into the hotel, the kids sat on their bed and made up stories with the reusable stickers. I loved hearing my eldest encouraging my youngest in conversation, being so patient with her when she took a sticker he wanted. This is the kind of interaction I want my children to have, with other people.

We didn’t need to use any of our resources again until our journey home, as we were so busy visiting museums and meeting family and friends. I will be honest, the journey home wasn’t as smooth as the journey out! Two tired children (a busy morning at the Science Museum and a train that didn’t leave until mid-afternoon meant nap-time didn’t happen) but the water colouring was a firm favourite again as that required least concentration. A lovely staff member at Paddington Station also gave us a bag containing colouring pencils and a colouring book, which helped to fill the waiting time before our train left – many thanks, GWR! We also had lots to talk about from our trip, and the final hour of the train journey both children were fast asleep. Bliss!

As I said before, this is our parenting choice, but hopefully it demonstrates that a little planning and you can travel without electronics if you want to.

Bittersweet Memories

This photo was taken on 14^th July 2017. It’s the evening we saw Bryan Adams at our local rugby club (which was AMAZING, but the way!) It is also the night that my then 14 month old breastfed for the very last time.

We got home, and she fed literally ALL NIGHT, then never asked again…

Don’t get me wrong, I was actually quite relieved at the time to get my bed and body back, but it meant I definitely had toddlers rather than babies, and knowing she was going to be my last baby made it actually quite poignant. It was a happy accident that both of my children breastfed for over a year; I let each of them stop when they were ready. Thomas had cut down gradually, so I cannot date his last feed, but he had weaned off me by the time he was 12 months old, but Katherine was a real milk monster. Breastfeeding was the only way to get her to sleep most nights, and she wouldn’t take a bottle until she was nearly a year old.

When she turned one, I started a ‘don’t offer if she doesn’t ask’ approach, but that didn’t cut down the number of feeds, as she still asked all the time! If I’m honest, I was starting to get annoyed sometimes when she wanted a feed half an hour after breakfast, wouldn’t go down for a nap without a feed, relied on me all the time. So it came as a real shock when she didn’t ask again after the mammoth night feed that night.

And the truth is, I do miss it.

Initially, I relished that we had our bed back to ourselves, and I didn’t have to wear clothes that had easy boob access all of the time and I could finally have some SPACE; but the reality was, she still woke at night but wanted comforting in her own bed, which was much harder as it involved actually getting up, I still wear the clothes that I wore when breastfeeding as they are comfy, and I miss the cuddles.

I even miss the night feeds; just me and her awake in the middle of the night (and 2am. And 5am…) Then I was all she needed; I could solve all her problems, I was the only one who could comfort her. Now she will lie in bed with a book and go to sleep by herself. Now, if she does wake in the night, she wants daddy to go to her for cuddles.

Onwards and upwards though, since then I have got back down to fitting into my pre-Thomas-pregnancy clothes, and the boobs have shrunk back to normal proportions!

But a part of me will always miss that bond that we shared for 14 months. Just me and Katherine against the world.

Bittersweet.