cloth diapers

so most of you know how much i love cloth diapers.

i love them a lot.

more than a lot.

i love them so much i have to ground myself from buying more.

and my husband has asked more than once if "we have enough diapers yet"

we don't. well we do but….

they are so cute and fun and easy and even though we have tons (40ish to be exact… oops)

we are still saving money. and no matter how many diapers i buy that makes evan happy!

when we decided to use cloth diapers, before eleanor was even born i chose a brand i researched, and i thought they were the best option. they were $20 a pop. they're great, and we still use them but since then we (and by we i mean i) have discovered there are way cheaper options. now some people don't like these cheaper diapers…. because, well they're cheap. and made in china and yada yada yada  but i LOVE them.

they work just as great as our $20 diapers. and some i even like better.

and they cost $5 or less!

i mean seriously. they poop in these things so i figure why spend $20 when i can spend $5 and get four times as many :) and they work just as well.

my favorite inexpensive brand is alva.

i've also discovered if you use pocket diapers(which we do) the inserts are the most important part.

A pocket diaper has a waterproof outer layer and a microfleece or suedecloth inner layer. you place an absorbent insert in between the 2 layers(like a pocket) to draw moisture away from baby's skin.

my favorite inserts are blend. microfiber and bamboo.

one of the things about cloth is you can't use regular laundry detergent. you have to use cloth diaper safe detergent. there are things in regular detergent that make the fabrics in cloth diapers waterproof and that leads to leaking which is not good!

so i've done some research and started making my own cloth diaper detergent. i've been using it for a few months now and love it. it works great. is easy to make and way more cost effective. so heres that.

• 1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
• 1 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
• 1/2 cup of OxiClean Free or “Baby”

you can make a larger batch if you want… i got the recipe here 

i know cloth is a little more work but i truly love it and will do it with all of my children. 

its the best!

if you're on the fence about cloth 

please DO IT!

its so great and good for the environment and your pocket book, not to mention the baby. no chemicals from what ever gels up the disposables and babies in cloth potty train quicker than disposables!! (i've been told, will let you know when we get there)

oh and they're freaking cute.

hope this helps sway you!

mobile baby. messy house.

well
eleanor is completely mobile now.
she is not graceful. at all
but she can get where she wants to go.

that being said i don't know how do to anything anymore.
i don't know how to do a load of laundry or clean the kitchen.
when she couldn't crawl i could leave her playing and get those things done.
now i can't turn my back on her.
i feel super busy, but i'm not any more busy that i was. i just can't take my eyes off of my daughter.
or she will chew the dogs toy and not hers!

while she naps i shower and make myself look somewhat presentable for my husband but other that i just hang out with a baby, following her around, putting her back on the blanket or moving her away from the laptop cords, or dog toys or furniture.

its driving me crazy.

my dogs need baths but where will i put her while i do that.
i can't bathe 2 dogs while holding e.
my left arm has to be getting some serious muscle because it carries her around everywhere.
so one day, hopefully soon i will re-learn how to pick up my house and do a load of laundry and clean my kitchen while my husband is at work.
but for now i just get it all done once he's home.
oops.
sorry babe.

.ethan&courtney.

i had the privilege of spending an evening with this wonderful couple.

they so in love..

and you can see it in every single image.

had the best time with them!

well….i'm crazy.

we got a new puppy.
2 weeks ago.
she's from the pound and she is just the sweetest.

she belongs to evan.
he is smitten.
we went to the humane society, just to look and he fell for her right away.
we met her, gertrude met her and evan wanted her.
we went home to think about it…. and i did. a lot.
and the next day when evan came home from work i told him what i decided….
nope.
didn't want her. i didn't want another dog. i liked our routine. i liked that i could leave eleanor on the floor and know gertrude wouldn't bother her. i liked that a walk with a baby stroller and ONE dog was manageable. and i like that the dog we already have i can trust.
and evan was heartbroken when i explained this to him. but being the amazing husband he is he said ok.
later i asked him to tell me why he wanted her. out of all the dogs why this one.
he said
"she is THE dog for me"

frick.
as soon as he said that i knew it didn't matter what i wanted anymore.
so we got her. and he was right. she's great. she fits right in and most of the time she behaves better than gertrude. she loves eleanor.
she's the most loving dog ever. she just wants to be next to you, or gertrude. they play and are so sweet.
evan was right and she is THE dog for our family.
so now we have 2 dogs 6 chickens and a baby.
i am crazy.
but evan is happy.
and gertrude is happy
and so am i.

here she is.
sweet 9 month old gretchen

and we love her.

and her awesome collar :)

six months.

my sweet sweet girl was 6 months on june 6th.
i can't believe it. she's so big and strong and beautiful.
i still don't know how ev and i got such a stunning daughter. but we did!

also, let me just say sorry for sooo many pictures. but i couldn't help it. there were way too many good photos not to share.

so here are some of the images from her 6 month shoot!!
i am so in love…

i just want to eat those cheeks.

 i mean, seriously.

evan hates that poof. but i got it just for this picture and i love it! 

 look at her eyes. we're in trouble.

 so much trouble.

 she still loves her thumb :)

we just thank God for her, everyday. 6 months have flown by. 

but at the same time i can barely remember life before her.

for me

i made this for myself today!!

and i love it!
i wanted it to look like chevron, it doesn't really
but i love it just the same!! it was super easy and after doing 3 mother's day pots for the grandmas i feel like i'm a pro at baby footprints!!
next i'm making one with her handprints.
i can't believe in a few weeks she'll be 6 months.
where has the time gone.

other than capturing her sweet little feet forever the best thing about this project is it is SUPER inexpensive!!!
the pot was under $2 and i had the paints already.
now i just need to get a plant in this beautiful baby footprint pot.

i'm getting back in the game!

years and years ago (10 to be exact) i took senior pictures.
i had mine taken that long ago (eeeek), but what i mean is i took senior pictures for people!
i've always loved and had a passion for photography, taking, editing, and developing(back in the day when digital was barely around!). my favorite classes in all my high school history were photography, advanced photography, and photojournalism!!
mainly because i love photos and also because i loved the teacher, students and goofing off all the time some of the time.
i've always been the family photographer, and in recent years have taken friends maternity and newborn pictures.
last summer my dear friend and photographer Hannah Badeer asked me to be her second shooter for a wedding and it was wonderful.
to be taking pictures again.
so now, we are a team. and by team i mean she runs the show :)
she is amazing and i can only hope to learn some of what she knows!!
since i have been helping her i have been getting more and more confident and it feels pretty good!! i've wanted to pursue photography (again) for some time but i am not good at "selling myself" so i have just left it alone.
but...
recently a friend of mine asked if i would take her sister's senior pictures.
of course i said yes duh!!
and just the other night i had the honor of spending some time with Michaela (shes super sweet and as you can see super cute as well). here are some of the images from our short and simple shoot.
so thankful to be doing this again. with hannah and on my own.
God is good!!
and this is so much fun.