Friday Follow and Low Entry Linky

Happy Friday! Browse and add to our low entry linky below -- you might win big!

Previously Stephanie from The Ten Talents' shared her Low Entry Lowdown, but she's no longer doing that. So I'd like to list a few low entry giveaways (less than 100 entries) which end in the next 2 weeks. And link up contests in the blogphere that have less than 100 entries, ending in the next 2 weeks! Happy Winning!

A Winner!

Kathryn's won the Build a Dream Playhouse Giveaway!

Cloth Diapering -- Making Cheap "Daddy Flats!" -- Guest Post

When I began cloth diapering, I relied mostly on pockets because they were easy; stuff and wear! As my cloth diaper journey progressed, I slow began to understand covers, fitted, and prefolds/flats, and if we do have another baby, I'll consider using prefolds and covers because those are more affordable than purchasing pockets. And Sarah Goodrich has provided an even more innovately cost-saving method for flats -- "Daddy" Flats!

Disclaimer: I can barely sew, so please excuse all the mistakes.

I wanted to try some "daddy flats" but couldn't find much info on them, or a pattern, so this is how I made them. I used DH's (dear husband's) old t-shirts, and love how they work as diapers. Soft, a little stretchy, absorbent, and free! Can't beat that! The wash-and-driability of flats with the convenience of a prefold. And did I mention free?


Trace a diaper on posterboard. This is a MEOS (Mother-Ease One Size). I traced it generously and stretched out the tabs. Cut down diagonally to make wings. The tabs are cut a little lower so they fit into the diaper when it's all folded up.

Now you have a template.

Turn t-shirt upside down (for easier cutting) and spread flat. This is a men's x-large, which is a great fit on my 24 lber. I've also used men's large and youth large; these are very forgiving so you can use just about anything and tweak it.

Borrow your kid's washable marker and trace template onto shirt.

Take off the template and this is how your shirt looks.

Cut along the lines. Now you'll only be working with the bottom half of the t-shirt.

Pin now while it's all flat. If you want to turn and topstitch and make it all pretty, you'll want to turn it inside out before pinning. Put the pinheads on the cut side of fabric so you don't stick yourself while sewing.

I can barely sew, and didn't care how these looked, so I just zigzagged around the edge, and used up random colors of poorly-wound bobbin thread. This material won't fray anyway. Use a ballpoint needle and poly thread if you can! That made such a difference for me.

All sewn together.

Trim to neaten up.

Ready for a baby! Fold in sides (this makes the soaker-6 layers when folded).

Fold up the front. If the rise is too long, just fold it down. This is pretty much a one-size diaper.

The wings are nice and long...I really like it pinned with one pin in the middle. It also Snappis well. Now you have a basic white diaper.

Or you can dye them and make beautiful diapers

So if you have a sewing machine, internet access, and old t-shirts, you can have fairly convenient diapers for the cost of your time. The hardest part is threading the machine and winding the bobbin. Like I said, I really can't sew, but these only took a half hour each to cut out and sew. If you have any skill, you could knock out a whole stash in half a day! And you can theoretically use any material, and sew in soakers, add snaps, whatever (I haven't actually tried that yet)

Have fun!

Wordless Wednesday

Photo Credits: Briana Snyder Photography

Friday Follow and Low Entry Linky

Happy Friday! Browse and add to our low entry linky below!

Previously Stephanie from The Ten Talents' shared her Low Entry Lowdown, but she's no longer doing that. So I'd like to list a few low entry giveaways (less than 100 entries) which end in the next 2 weeks. And link up contests in the blogphere that have less than 100 entries, ending in the next 2 weeks! Happy Winning!

Kolcraft’s 65th Anniversary Sweepstakes

I'm so excited to be a Kolcraft Mom and tell you about their 65th Anniversary celebration. In the past 65 years, Kolcraft has been family owned, providing families with crib mattresses and baby gear. To celebrate, they're hosting sweepstakes, every 6 weeks, with prizes worth thousands of dollars, and they obviously want us to celebrate with them! Visit Kolcraft's 65th Anniversary website to currently enter the Jeep Family on the Go package -- totally amazing! (You'll also have to check their Facebook page in the next few days for something fun too!)

Toddler vs. Blood Test

I usually give complete support of our pediatrician and his staff, but my toddler's past well-check is causing me to doubt.

Supposedly our zip code is included in the high-risk area for lead poisoning, so the doctor had his office do a lead test on my toddler. That required a blood test, which as the nurse described, wouldn't hurt but just be a long process with the initial finger prick and then the drop by drop collection of my little one's blood. She pulled out a collection vial about half the size of my pinky, pricked my little one's finger as my strong-willed toddler protested with all her might, and tried to squeeze the blood out of her finger and collect it in the vial. However, what ensued was more of a screaming, fighting, and restrained toddler against two nurses and the vial . . . for fifteen minutes, with blood all over my toddler's and my hands. To top it off, several hours later, I learned that the blood sample was not free-flowing enough to be properly tested and was asked to go to Children's for another blood sample.

I'm not so much upset and frustrated with the doctor's office, although I do question the professionalism and the competency of the nurse who attempted to collect the blood sample. But I'm thinking there's got to be a better way to test for lead poisoning in children, like blood samples for diabetics. Although I don't think the doctor will let us hold off until then.

NEVER...

List 25 things you will NEVER do! -- from the Blog Dare's June 1 prompt

As I try to think about 25 things, I can only think of things I thought I'd never do but ended up doing, like:

1. hitch-hiking in a foreign country, alone
2. going to the Cayman Islands twice
3. visit Sedona and the Grand Canyon
4. tour the old Yankee Stadium
   
5. attend the university I graduated from
6. survive four years of university in the middle of corn fields
   
7. pay off my student and car loans in less than 5 years
   
8. have a house in a rural county
9. drive 50 miles one-way to work
10. have my baby on the last day of exams
    
11. work in the church nursery
12. clean poop out of a cloth diaper
13. advocate cloth diapering
    
14. be a blogger
    

Guess it all boils down to:
Never say NEVER!

Image: jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A Winner...finally!

shala_darkstone (the first and second chosen never replied) has won the Tropical Traditions Organic Coconut Peanut Butter Giveaway!