Kauai

We just recently went to Kauai. My biggest tip for going to Kauai with children is: Leave the children at home if possible :) We had a great time and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. Quinn was far too young to be away from mommy (still nursing), so there was no other way to vacation. But next year, we are going on a tropical vacation without the kids :) I predict a superb vacation with no crying. No fussing. No crying!!!!!

Brownies without wheat

I have been staying away from wheat for a number of reasons. I found that baking without wheat is tough. Well, it is possible, but it doesn't always taste very good. I found a few recipes for wheatless brownies and tried them this week. The first was a brownie made from black beans.

It is one can of black beans, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, eggs, coconut oil, and I believe there is baking soda in there. Here are some pictures of the process.

 These black bean brownies were....meh....ok. They weren't super duper good. I found a recipe with even less ingredients that is so outrageously good, I wanted to dance. MMM!
The ingredients : 4 eggs, 1 cups cocoa powder, 1/4 cup coconut oil, 1 cup coconut sugar, dash of salt. I threw in a bit of coconut flour because I didn't have quite enough cocoa powder. Mix these together. Pour into a greased 4x8 pan. Cook at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Delicious.

The type of cloth diapers I use

A few people have asked me what kind of cloth diapers I use and how they work. Here is a little about the cloth diapers I find to be the best. I think this may also be one of the cheapest way to diaper.





 Below is a diaper called a pocket diaper. It is a water proof shell with suede cloth inside. There is a pocket on the top for inserting some sort of absorbent material. The pee goes through the suede cloth and is absorbed by the cloth on the inside. With the absorbent part not touching the skin, baby's skin stays nice and dry. I like these diapers because they keep Quinn nice and dry. They are a bit more expensive though. They typically run around $15 or more, depending on brand name and where you purchase them. I bought this one for about 4 dollars per diaper because I joined a co-op on facebook. Here is the diaper fully assembled.

 This is the pocket diaper next to its insert.

 Below is how the insert is put into the diaper.

 Below is my favorite way to cloth diaper. It is just a water proof cover and a large piece of cloth. I will show you how to put it together. Here is the assembled diaper.

 This is the cloth I use to absorb the pee and hold the poop. It is just a huge flower sack towel. You can get these from target or walmart for 1 dollar per piece of cloth. They typically come in packs of 3 or 4. I use about 5 packs in my cycle. I wash every 2-3 days. You can see how big it is compared to my cell phone in the corner.

 You fold the cloth in half once. Then fold it in half again.

 Then you tri-fold it. Fold one half to the middle as shown below.

 Then fold it again until you have a long thin piece of cloth. Lots of good layers for absorbing peepee.

 Here is the shell. I love this color!

 Here is the shell next to the cloth.

 And here is the cloth placed inside the shell. Put on baby. You are done! Diaper covers are usually around 10-15 dollars a piece. I recommend having 10 or more in your rotation. As long as you care for them correctly, they will last through the whole time you diaper your baby and they will also last through one or two MORE of your babies!

 I also use cloth wipes. They are super easy to make. I made most of mine. I also use old baby wash clothes as wipes. I just use water to clean up the bum. I either soak the wipes I will use in water really quick or I have a spray bottle handy next to the place where I change baby.