Love Africa T-shirt Giveaway

Remember our T-shirt giveaway!!!!

click on the link to see the post and enter to win an awesome Love Africa shirt!!!!!!


http://knowingnobounds.blogspot.com/2011/01/love-africa-t-shirt-give-away.html

cloth diapers for orphanges in Ethiopia

While in Ethiopia in December of '09 to bring Zek home we visited the government orphanage that he was at before going to our adoption agencies transition home.While there we noticed that the babies there were wearing plastic bags as diapers. Yes plastic bags tied around them. I am not sure what they used as the actual diaper. I am assuming some sort of cloth. I mean really what a great idea that the nannies had and great way to use their resources. The babies were obviously taken care of well, but they obviously didn't have the means to get diapers for these babies.

So fast forward almost a year later November '10 we decided to cloth diaper our boys. This got me to thinking about those babies wearing plastic bags for diapers. Why couldn't we get cloth diapers over to these orphans? They can reuse them over and over again and wouldn't have to rely on continuous donations of disposable diapers. This would be really expensive to get disposables to them over and over again, plus cloth is just better for the environment right? and obviously there are lots of orphanages that dont get any donations of any sort of diaper. (thus using plastic bags or I am sure in some cases no diaper at all!)

Adam is going to Ethiopia in February and visiting orphanages while there. So I thought "why not start this now?" Adam can take over all of the donations that we get to all of the different orphanages that he goes to.

So I started contacting all of the cloth diaper companies I could find. So far 3 have gotten back to me. 2 companies said that they cannot donate at this time (bummer). One company Snappis is donating 100 Snappis!!!!! You ask what are Snappis? These arent your mother or grandmothers diaper pins!! These are awesome little plastic gadgets to get the cloth diaper to stay on. So with them donating 100 of these things I need to get the ball rolling and get some prefolds (traditional cloth diaper) and diaper covers (leak proof covers). I let another adoptive cloth diapering mama know what I was doing and she herself sends diapers over to Ethiopia. She has dozens of prefolds to send to me along with some covers!!! Thank you Sarah!!! I need more prefolds and lots and lots of covers.
Here is a snappi...

So now I am waiting on companies to get back with me. Pray that I hear some good news from some of them and pray that we can get diapers to as many babies as possible.

So we NEED your help!

What can you do?

• Do you cloth diaper yourself? If so do you have any prefolds, diaper covers, doublers, or all in one diapers or pocket diapers? we would prefer prefolds and covers, but we will take what we can get! all in ones and pocket diapers would be nice for the baby to wear when the nannies are washing the covers and prefolds.
  

• Do you know someone that cloth diapers? Let them know about my project! See if they have anything they can donate. (items can be used-even if they are stained its ok)

• You can buy a kit for an orphan. click on the button on the sidebar of our blog to donate $20 to cloth diaper 1 orphan. this kit will include 1 cover, 5 or more prefolds, a snappi, and a doubler. (a doubler is to use at bedtime so they dont soak through)

• You could put together your own kit and send it to us. You would need to include a diaper cover, at least 5 prefolds, and a doubler or fleece liner.
  

• Repost this on your blog and facebook! Get the word out!!!! We want to take as many diapers as we can to Ethiopia! We also want this to be an ongoing thing!
  

contact us if you have any questions. email address is knowingnobounds@gmail.com

Love Africa T-shirt Giveaway

Love Africa T-shirt giveaway

We are doing our first ever giveaway!!!! You will win an awesome Love Africa T-shirt designed by my amazing husband, Adam.

You could be the one lucky winner to get a free T-shirt!!!!

We are selling these T's to raise funds for Adam's upcoming mission trip.

Here is what you need to do:

Leave a comment for each thing that you do. You can have up to 4 entries!!!!

• 1 entry for posting about this giveaway on Facebook -linking people to our blog
  

• 1 entry for posting about this giveaway on your blog -linking people to our blog
  

• 1 entry if you order a shirt/or Acacia bead necklace (email me to see all of our necklaces $20 plus shipping) (the order for shirt or necklace must be placed during this week - Jan 10 -17th sorry not valid on previous shirt or necklace orders) - you can order a shirt and maybe win one for a loved one :)

• 1 entry if you become a follower of our blog

This give away will run from today January 10th through January 17th...contest will end at 11:59 EST. We will let you know who the winner is on January 18th!

A few of my favorite things - cloth diapering version

So I remembered that I wrote a post near the end of November that we had been cloth diapering for for 2 or 3 weeks and I said I would post more info soon. Well we have almost hit the 2 month month and oh do we LOVE cloth diapering!!!!

I wanted to give some of my tips, tricks, and a little product info.

First off you DO NOT have to put a ton of money into cloth diapers. I mean that is why we started cloth diapering. Spending so much on diapers you just throw away and have to keep on buying just wasn't working for our budget. I am a stay at home mom and my husband is employed by our church. His job is amazing, but ya know it is a ministry job. We arent rolling in the dough-(but we are rolling in love) :)

So Adam sold a Star Wars collection that was collecting dust, spiders, and who knows what else in our garage. It bought $150 worth of diapering supplies. It wasnt exactly enough for two babies full time cloth diapering, but we made do. I had to a load of wash every day or two.

Since then we have gotten a few more supplies. A few more prefolds -thanks to Adams mom. and another diaper cover. So still less than $200 for two babies.

A fellow adoptive mommy saw that we were cloth diapering and sent us some more diaper covers and prefolds. Thank God!!! I need some more covers!!! They are in the mail right now and I cant wait to get them!!! Thank you Sarah!!!

So What did we start out with... (remember this is for two babies...you will need less for 1 baby)

6 Green Mountain diapers prefolds (prefolds are your typical cloth diaper) (we have the red trim and they could be used for smaller babies and larger than our boys- so they will last)

1 Econobum cover with 3 Econobum prefolds (covers go over your prefold) (with covers as long as poopy didnt leak out you can wipe it out and reuse it. We usually use one a day unless poopy gets into it)
1 Thirsties cover (cover over prefold)
1 flip diaper cover with 4 inserts (the flip diaper has pad-like inserts. this diaper works pretty well but with runny breastfed baby poop it leaks into the cover, but not out onto his clothes)
3 bumgenius doublers (great for night time, so we dont have leaks)
pack of 6 fleece liners (fleece help keep moisture off the bottom...like if they get a rash or if you want to use it when they may be exposed to moisture for a longer period of time)
pack of flushable liners (cutey baby-DO NOT recommend these. it is easier just to rinse the poopy out) - these liners are just too narrow...i am sure there has to be a liner that is bigger out there
1 Diaper sprayer - We didnt have this the first two weeks...this is a life saver...if you are cloth diapering you NEED to get one. This one from Sigma Product is awesome. you can look on ebay and purchase it for around $20. Don't buy the brand name ones because they cost too much and this one works great! -hooks right onto your toilet
2 Snappis (this is to hold your prefold diaper in place in the place of pins) LOVE

10 Kawaii pocket diapers. (these diapers are a one time use then wash diaper. So easy to put on and off. as fast as putting on a disposable diaper. We really like these and they are super duper inexpensive!!!

then we got...
12 more green mountain prefolds
6 other prefolds. (i think bummis)
1 more thirsties cover

I have been looking into getting a wetbag (liner) for the trash can I use for dirty diapers and I couldnt see spending $20 on a liner. I also wanted a few for the diaper bag. These are waterproof bags that you wash with the load of laundry and they are made with PUL fabric. I decided to go to the fabric store with my 40% off coupon and buy some. I made 2 big bags to line the diaper pail and 2 small bags for the diaper bag for $13!!!!!! Yippeeeee.

Really all we need is more diaper covers and we are set...and those will be coming in the mail soon

I have now been doing cloth diaper laundry every 3 days. We have been washing the covers by hand because we dont have enough to wait to wash them with the other diapers. I want to start doing diaper laundry 2 days a week and no washing by hand between. Thats the goal.


All of these things will take us until the boys are potty trained. So I am thinking 2 more years or more!!! Can you just think of all the money that we are saving?!

but wait there...since cloth diapering we had still been using disposable diaper wipes until a week ago...we took the plunge and started using washable wipes. We bought some cheapy baby washcloths from walmart and I also cut up some old recieving blankets and made wipes from those. I fold each square in half and put them in an empty wipe container. I make wipe solution myself. About a cup of water, 2 squirts of baby wash, and a squirt of baby oil. You just take it and pour it onto the wipes. It is so super easy!!!

this is a Kawaii pocket diaper

this is the Kawaii in the inside. It is lined with fleece and has a pocket for the absorbent insert. we put two inserts in for bedtime and never have leaks





This is the Thirsties cover.

A lot of our diapering stash we bought from Kelly's Closet. They always have coupon codes out there for free diapers or free shipping. Just search for Kelly's Closet coupon codes.

We LOVE cloth diapering so much I just wanted to share a little of what I know. I LOVE saving the money that we were literally throwing away.

If you have cloth diapering questions feel free to leave a comment or email me. Our email is at the right hand side of this blog.

Love my boys

It gets crazy with the boys being so close in age and with two other little kiddos, but I do love how close Zek and Emery's ages are. I am so excited for them to grow up together.

Best friends...

look they are holding hands :)



Emery is just starting to sit up...he's doing what I call a baby gorilla pose :)

Promote your blog

A blog I follow Storing Up Treasures wants to promote your blog...

click on the link to learn more about promoting your blog or read below :)


Read more: Storing Up Treasures

(from her blog post)
"I get a lot of e-mails asking me how to grow blog readership. To be honest, I don't really know the answer to that. I never expected to have the following that I do. But there are blogs that have a lot more people reading than I do.

Since I know there are so many GREAT blogs out there just waiting to be discovered, I thought I would start a little promotion. And it is very simple.

I am going to start a page on my linkbar above called "Blogs of note". There I will list YOUR blogs. Then once a month I will choose a blog from the list to promote that I think is really deserving of some recognition. I will place your button on my sidebar for that month and write a post about why I think your blog is so great.

All you have to do to get on the list is become a follower of this blog if you are not already, then place one of my buttons below on your sidebar OR the Blogs of Note button. Then write a blog post on your own blog about "Blogs of note" directing other bloggers to come on over and get on the list. Last, leave me a comment with your blog address and you will be added.

It is simple and easy and as a result, YOUR blog will gain many new followers!!

And I am really looking forward to getting to know you all better through your writing!"

I feel so blessed...

So my last post I was talking about the girl holding one of the pad kits that my mother in law, grandmother in law and myself had made. This is the picture. It's so amazing and humbling knowing how much this little kit has blessed a young women. I feel so blessed to have taken part in it...