Curious Bird

bicycle chic

There is an article in the NY Times today about how bicycling is becoming quite fashionable in NYC. As much as I love biking and appreciate how it has become a more common mode of transport (even for fashionistas),  I do wish the article would have spent some time on how to be a fashionable biker while wearing a helmet. None of these women wear one. Yikes.

Do you wear a helmet when you bike?

(photo credit: Elizabeth Lippman for the NY Times)

:hello:

We've been catching up on our blog rest around here.  I'll be back soon.

xo,

Leya

all things bum

Since Felix's arrival I have received several emails asking which cloth diapers we use and how we approach the whole diaper department at our house. I haven't minded getting these emails at all. I have answered all of them, actually. However, due to lack of time lately (I'm swamped!), I thought I would just post about it here for all to read.

So here are all the diapering details:

Felix wears Bumgenius 3.0 cloth diapers. We were fortunate enough to be gifted 24 of them before his arrival -- Thanks, Mom! -- and they are holding up and performing really well. We certainly do our fair share of laundry, but overall, we are very happy with our decision to use cloth.

Things we like about our Bumgenius diapers:

• They are designed to unsnap and lengthen so they grow as your baby grows. I think they say they fit babies 7lbs to 35lbs. We are only on the medium sized snaps right now and Felix is a super chunk so I feel pretty confident they will fit him for a long time.  

• Each diaper comes with two absorbent liners, one for daytime and a thicker one for nighttime. And the absorbency of the liners is top-notch for keeping the wetness away from sensitive skin and minimizing leaks. We have had a few leaks, but I'm pretty certain all diapers would have leaked in those instances.

• They launder really well -- so far no stains or smells after being used for 3 months now.

One thing I will say is that I have had to "strip" the liners once due to loss of absorbency because of detergent build-up, but upon researching the process, I followed advice to use Dawn dishwashing liquid and it did the trick and made the liners as good as new.

In addition to using cloth diapers, we also use cloth wipes and homemade bum wash we love. I make up the wash (recipe below) and store it in a squirt bottle on the changing table near a basket of soft flannel wipes (there are lots of options for buying these on Etsy or you can certainly make your own for cheap).

We throw the wipes and the diapers into a "wet bag" that lines a small garbage pail, and when we have a load, we empty the whole sha-bang into the washing machine. We definitely do some laundry around here, but we're used to it now and we really dig our system. It works well for us, but to each their own. I am sure what works for us will not work for everyone.

Okay, so here's the bum wash we use. We like it because it glides (know what I'm sayin') and it smells nice and the Bug has been rash-free since day one. Whoop. Whoop.

Easy Peasy Bum Wash

2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of Dr. Bronner's unscented liquid soap
2 drops of tea tree oil
2 cups of water

Have a good day and happy diapering,
L.

our weekend in pictures

                                          Hope your weekend was lovely.
Ours was great. And I think Fall is starting to make an appearance. Yippee!

Happy Happy

We can't believe it -- our boy is 3 months old today. That's one quarter of a year! Sllllooooow down, little bug, you're growing too darn fast.

It has been a ton of fun around here lately. Just like everyone keeps telling us, it continues to be more and more fun. Honestly, this boy of ours is so much fun we can hardly stand it sometimes.

Some highlights from his 3rd month include:

Lots of cooing and "talking", especially when he's on the changing table. Go figure. Does this mean when he's an adult he's going to be chatty in public bathrooms?!

Our boy has some strong legs. He can support all of his weight (and he has a lot to support) while standing.

He now faces forward while out and about in the Baby Bjorn carrier. He gets lots of attention from the people he sees, mostly about the chunkiness of his thighs! However, it should be noted that he still loves the Moby Wrap for snoozing and taking it easy. He's in it as I type this, actually.

And recently he has started grabbing and holding onto his toys. Sure, he misses sometimes, but when he connects, he really connects... and he always has to take a taste. The drool is out of control around here.

Daddy daycare started this past week and my two guys are doing great together. The bottle is being taken without protest (big surprise due to past bottle fiascoes) and a good routine is being established. I love getting the play-by-play when I get home the few days I'm away.

Happy 3 month Birthday my sweet Felix Augustus!

May the longtime sun shine upon you.

Love,
Mama and Daddy

p.s. for fun, here are some outtakes from the 3 month photo shoot... in case you thought these shoots were really easy.

bath time is the best time...or one of them anyway.

in the loop

Need a new journal? Groovy limited edition letterpress journals for a great cause.  Check out the Feedback Loop Notebook Project over at Felt & Wire Shop

three.

(photo credit: mary beth anderson)

three years ago today I married the most amazing man.
it has been a wonderful adventure and now we're a family of threeeeee!

happy anniversary, my sweet.