Summers are many things. Beautiful, blissful, busy, sunny, yes. And in Vermont, they come with a side of bug bites. Mosquitoes the size of small birds lurk near my house (1 block from Lake Champlain), ready to strike as I move past. I am one of those bug-attracting people. As a child I went to the doctor once, covered head-to-toe in quarter-sized and larger red … Continue reading Stop the itch! All Natural Bug Repellents and Bite Relief
I was first introduced to the concept of cloth diapers by a coworker in Chicago, years before I was pregnant myself. She was telling me how great it was that there were several babies at her daughter’s daycare that were cloth diapered. I nodded along as if I was following, but the truth is I had no idea what a modern cloth diaper looked like. Then … Continue reading My Cloth Diapering Set-Up
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I’ve been experiencing an out-of-character bout of acne the last few months. THE BACKSTORY: I can’t be 100% certain but a variety of factors (isn’t it always a combination of things?) lead to my skin breaking out. One was that I was going through a hormonal change due to my daughter weaning herself from … Continue reading The all natural ways I am healing my skin
If you’re looking for a reusable, durable alternative to ziploc bags, here you go! I’m always touting the wet bags (aka, bags with a waterproof liner) from Logan + Lenora to family and friends, on this blog, and on Instagram. They are versatile, well-made and honestly, I like the look and feel of them better than any other reusable snack bags I’ve tried. I bought my first … Continue reading Logan and Lenora Reusable Bag Review (Giveaway Now Closed)
This is a great recipe for when you want a bit of protection (a barrier) and some healing properties for your baby. My daughter is pretty sensitive to urine so this provides a nice barrier that prevents rashes or discomfort, especially during naps and overnight. Many parents who cloth diaper find they don’t need to use a diaper cream regularly, but this helps my daughter … Continue reading Zero Waste Cloth Diaper Safe Diaper Cream
My daughter has been cloth diapered since she was a few days old. I was hooked when that first cloth diaper caught an epic and disgusting newborn poo with no leaks – after days of experiencing “diaper blow-out” and leaks galore the few times we used disposables. Anyway, there are lots of great resources online about cloth diapering. So many it can be overwhelming, I know! 14 months in, I’m still really happy with our cloth diapers and they continue to impress me. Long story short, I like that cloth diapers are better for my daughter’s health, better for the environment, less expensive (WAY less if you use them for multiple kids), more effective (see story re: poo explosion above), and so adorable.
There are LOTS of great resources on cloth diapers (my top resources listed below, btw), but I haven’t found a lot of great resources on cloth wipes* and cloth wipes solutions (aka, how to get your wipes wet). So, here you go! My formerly top-secret recommendation for where to buy reusable cloth wipes, and my DIY wipes solution.
Long story short: I am no longer using disposable pads and tampons during my period. During that time of the month that b*tchy Aunt Flo(w) stops by, I was going through boxes of toxic, chemical-laden/dyed disposables I found in the brightly-colored feminine hygiene aisle. In the more than six months since my switch, I’ve been amazed by how reusable menstrual options like a cup and … Continue reading Ditching the disposables for (healthier, cheaper, better) reusable options
Oh, baby! Whether you know someone expecting or you’re looking for a baby/toddler gift, you’ve come to the right place! First, see if the family has a registry or wishlist for their baby. If not, or if you want to go “off book,” try to include a gift receipt. Babies bring a lot of stuff with them … and they grow/change quickly and its nice … Continue reading Gift Guide 2015: Baby and Toddler
Confession time: I do a lot of my shopping online. I am okay that I do some shopping online but there’s nothing like a brick-and-mortar shopping experience. And I love to support good local businesses. In my area of Burlington, Vermont there are some amazing small shops that I regularly explore. The Green Life in downtown Burlington is one store I love to browse. They … Continue reading Meredith Tested in Burlington, VT: The Green Life
*Hi friends, just a heads up that this post contains affiliate links and I might receive a small commission. Affiliate links are indicated with an asterisk. Time flies when you have a newborn to care for (and stare at, and play with, and snuggle!) We tried to stay minimal in terms of baby items but there’s no doubt about it: babies use a lot of … Continue reading Meredith Tested: Favorite USA-Made Baby Items
Meredith Tested 