Kawaii Diapers

My friend had her first baby last week and she has decided to cloth diaper. She is the one who inspired me to actually start using cloth (I’ve always wanted to, but she gave me the motivation to do it). She has decided to use Kawaii diapers based on the suggestion from another friend that has been using this brand for 10 months. Kawaii diapers are not a well-known brand but they are very inexpensive compared to other pocket diapers.

I read several negative reviews about Kawaii diapers when I was trying to decide which brands were worth trying out, and the low-cost really made me skeptical about the quality. But at $7 a diaper and knowing that they come highly recommended from people I know, I couldn’t NOT give them a try.

Overall Adjustability: The Kawaii has 3 rows of 2 snaps- within average for a pocket diaper.

Adjustable Waist Snaps: The layout of the snaps looks very similar to Fuzzibunz. The only difference is the four snaps on the bottom row on each side are in a straight row as opposed to being contoured around the leg openings.

Absorbency: I have not had any leaks with this diaper, day or night.

Bulkiness: I think the Kawaii diaper is probably the bulkiest of all the diapers I have tried.  Take a look for yourself.

I tried to tuck the diaper into her jeans, but it wouldnt go.

Longevity: Kawaii diapers are fairly new and there aren’t any reviews at the diaperpin.com from people who have used them for longer than 6 months. As mentioned above, the friend of a friend has been using them for 10 months without any issues.

Warranty: The warranty on these diapers is only for the first 90 days after purchase and you have to pay for the shipping to return them. In my opinion, this is the worst warranty policy of all the diapers I’m sampling.

Patterns available: There are 9 different patterns and 7 colors to choose from. I also believe that they are constantly getting new patterns and colors (but not restocking the old).

Cleaning: Both the packaging and website have a good amount of information on how to clean the diapers. The directions are basically the same as for most cloth diapers.

Cost: If you order these diapers directly from their website (theluvyourbaby.com) they are $6.99 for solid colors and $7.25 for patterns. This is an excellent price! If you order from another retailer you will probably pay $3-5 more, which is still better than most pocket diapers which run $17-20.

Overall: The diapers seem to be just as good as any of the others I have tried. In fact, they remind me a lot of the Fuzzibunz diapers without the adjustable elastic. Like I said earlier, I found only negative reviews about these diapers when I started my research. Since then, however, I have seen several positive reviews and lots of talk about Kawaii diapers on blogs and other places.

There are a few things that make me weary, though. The warranty policy isn’t good and because Kawaii is a newer product, it’s hard to tell if they will last through Kennedy and any more children in the future.

I should also mention that I’m not sure how honest the company is being about the working conditions where the diapers are made. The owner claims to live in Canada and admits that the diapers are made in China (not being made in the US is one of the biggest complaints from other users). I personally don’t mind buying products made outside the US, but I don’t know how I feel about purchasing products made in poor working conditions.

I am suspicious because of the extremely low-cost and because there are several grammar problems on the packaging and on the website– similar to grammar mistakes made when translating from Chinese to English. Surely, a company based in British Columbia where over 70% of the population speaks English would double-check their English before sending out the product or uploading content that is going to represent their company to the internet. This is taken directly from the website:

The workers are very happy and satisfy from their jobs.  The working place where they have to spend all day is neat, clean and well ventilated, that’s why they can produce the best quality diapers.

I can’t prove it, but I’m not sure I believe this. Another problem with Kawaii diapers is that they are difficult to purchase. Because of the low-cost, they are becoming popular very quickly and the company is having trouble keeping their diapers in stock. This is one reason why you might want to pay a little more to order from a different site, but even other retailers run out quickly. I checked the Kawaii Facebook page and it appears that they recently got new stock, but sold out in less than 24 hours. So, while I like these diapers and especially the cost, I’m just not comfortable filling my entire diaper stash with this brand.

Happy Heiny’s diapers was one of the first brands of pocket diapers. It is well-known among cloth users and has been around for a while.

Overall Adjustability: There are 3 rows of 3 snaps on the front of the diaper making a total of 9 snaps and 4 different sizes. I’ve never seen a diaper with more snaps for the overall size, which means you can get a pretty good fit.

Adjustable Waist Snaps: 2 rows of snaps on the front with 4 snaps coming from each side on the back. Again, I have never seen more snaps on a diaper, which is a good thing.

Absorbency: The only time I have experienced leaks with this diaper is at night (even with 2 inserts), but it hasn’t happened every night. I would say the absorbency is good but not excellent.

Bulkiness: These are a little more on the bulky size. Take a look for yourself and notice how the diaper peeks out the top of her jeans.

Longevity: There are more reviews from people who have used this brand for a year or longer than any of the other diapers I’ve reviewed so far. And many of those people have used them for 2 or more years and on more than one baby. Out of these users, the only negative reviews received are for the aplix (Velcro) version. Since I’m using the snap version this doesn’t apply.

Warranty: From their website:

All diapers must arrive clean, unstained, lint free, and dry. All diapers with excessive wear will not be replaced or repaired under our warranty. Any products sent to us that do not follow the above conditions will be returned without repair.

What will void the Happy Heinys warranty:

• Washing instructions are not followed
• Use of Sanitizing cycle while washing or water temperature above 150F or 60C
• Use of detergents containing natural oils or any natural soaps or any detergents not approved by Happy Heinys.
• Use of any fabric softeners or dryer sheets.
• Use of any non-approved diaper rash creams
• Use of bleach, oxyclean, or any other caustic substances that may harm the fabric of the diapers.

At first the warranty policy sounds pretty good, but then when you start to read all the stipulations, it makes me wonder if anyone is actually able to take advantage of it if they need to. Read more about my issues with this warranty in the cleaning section of this review.

Patterns available: There are 28 solid colors to choose from and 17 fun patterns (including a few glow-in-the-dark diapers). This is an amazing selection! We like to put on some leg warmers, a t-shirt and a Retro Swirl Happy Heiny. It’s so cute, and we’ve had several compliments! (I’ve never been complimented on how cute our diaper is before.)

Customer Service: From the research I have done, it’s about 50/50. Some people have said that they have had 0 response after 4 months of trying to contact the company through various methods and other people have said that they had a response in less than 12 hours. As I read their website, I really get a negative vibe. I can’t really put my finger on it, but I feel it. Especially anytime laundry detergent is mentioned (read below). This negativity may not have any impact on their customer service, but then again maybe it does.

Cleaning: The directions on the packaging are easy to follow and straightforward. When you read the care instructions on the website, you find that the company is very opinionated on this issue.  From their website:

The very first and MOST IMPORTANT factor when it comes to washing your cloth diapers is that you MUST use the proper amount of detergent. Some customers are opting to use as little as 1-2 teaspoons of detergent when the recommended amount is actually 1 cup. When asked if they would use this little detergent on their clothes they would say absolutely NOT.

Well they didn’t ask me, because I would say, “ABSOLUTELY YES!” (If you are new to my blog read why here.) Also, there are only 3 brands of detergent on their “approved list” and as stated above, if you use any other detergents you risk voiding the warranty. The 3 approved detergents are Tide, Country Save, and Rockin Green. The latter 2 are no big surprise, they are highly recommended by most cloth diaper users and manufacturers. However, Tide is one of the least recommended to use, especially regular tide that has enzymes, brighteners, dyes, and fragrances. I won’t go into detail why these additives are bad for cloth diapers but you can go here to read about it and see a rating chart that includes most detergents. This website also has a lot of good information on the topic.

The  Happy Heiny’s website says,

As the inventor/manufacturer of Tide this is the main detergent we used while cloth diapering & we have recommended this since the beginning.We have had no reported issues with repelling from Tide when it has been used correctly, that is using the FULL recommended amount. Tide will NOT harm any of your diapers.

Does it sound to you like this person is claiming to be the inventor of Tide or am I reading that wrong? In the little research I did, I can’t seem to find any connection between Happy Heiny’s and Tide/ Procter & Gamble. However, if this is true, then there is obviously another motive in suggesting the use of Tide and to use the full amount.

Another concern that I have with this diaper in regards to care, is the use of bleach. The packaging and the website emphasize that you should never use bleach. This is okay with me, most cloth diaper manufacturers agree or say to only use bleach once a month or less often. My concern however is that the Happy Heiny’s diaper is supposed to double as a swim diaper by removing the insert. I’m not sure, but I think the chlorine in the pools could be just as damaging as bleach in the wash. But if not, then I really like that I don’t have to buy special diapers for the pool.

Cost: The average cost paid from reviewers at the diaperpin is $17.23.

Overall: This isn’t my favorite diaper, but it isn’t my least favorite either. I really like that several people have used it on more than one child (we don’t want more right now, but maybe someday), and I absolutely love the choices in colors and prints. If I was able to use this diaper at night, it would probably rank a little higher on my list. I suppose I can pick a few of my favorite patterns to add to my stash for daytime use. We’ll see.

These diapers aren’t well-known but they got great reviews at diaperpin.com. In fact, they are the diaperpin’s #1 rated one-size pocket diaper. And the average cost that reviewer’s paid was $13.08, which is cheaper than the 18-24 dollars that most pocket diapers cost. With such great reviews, and at such a low-cost, I thought I would give them a try.

Overall Adjustability: This category refers to how you make the diaper longer or shorter (from front to back, not side to side). It’s what makes one-size diapers able to adjust as baby grows. Smartipants diapers have 2 rows of snaps with 2 snaps in each row. This is less than almost all the other diapers I have found, which have a total of 6-9 snaps. It works for us right now because Kennedy is in a medium size setting. But when I tried the diaper on Kaylynn on the biggest settings, it seemed very small. I’m afraid that this diaper won’t fit during Toddlerhood for Kennedy.

Adjustable Waist Snaps: There is one row of snaps with 2 snaps coming from each side on the back. Like I said yesterday. Most diapers have 2 rows and 3 or 4 snaps to snap into place on each side. I hope this makes sense, its hard to explain. If you are confused, look at the pictures from today and yesterday and count the snaps. A picture can explain it better than I can. But to conclude, this diaper doesn’t have as many snaps as the others.

Absorbency: They leak. When I put this diaper on Kaylynn, it leaked around the legs. We haven’t had any leaks during the day with Kennedy. I’ve tried them on her twice at night and both times they leaked at the top in both the front and the back. This diaper only comes with one insert (most come with 2), so at night I put in an extra insert from the other diapers and they still leak.

Bulkiness: These diapers are probably the most trim, but that is probably why they leak.

Longevity: It’s hard to tell, because there are no reviews at the diaperpin from anyone that has used them for a year or more. Maybe for good reason. The longest user gave them a 5/5 rating and she has been using them for 10 months. However, she does say that she doesn’t use them at night or ever put two inserts in and that they have a smaller fit (which is a good thing for her baby).

Warranty: From their website, “Snap defects: 24 months; Elastic/ Materials defects: 60 days; Sewing/ Workmanship defects: 60 days.”

Patterns available: This is comparable to Fuzzibunz. 13 colors; no fun prints.

Cleaning: This is what makes these pants smart. Most pocket diapers have one opening in the back of the diaper to place the insert. This diaper has one in the front and one in the back, which allows you to throw the diaper in the wash as is without having to touch the insert. The insert comes out all by itself in the wash.

The directions for care are easy to follow, but there’s not a lot of tips or details on the packaging. When you go to their website, you get a little more information, namely that you should use 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent. By now, you should know why I like this idea. I’ve had a few problems with stains not coming out the first time through the wash, but nothing yet to make a big deal over.

Overall: I’m not a big fan of this diaper. Its special feature is that you never have to touch the dirty insert because it comes out in the wash. However, this hasn’t been a big issue yet with the other diapers. Maybe when Kennedy starts eating more solids or wetting more, I’ll hope for this feature, but right now, it’s not a selling point for me. It fits small, isn’t as soft as the others, and the insert seems too big for the pocket causing it to bunch up in the middle. Because of the lower cost, I might be able to overlook all these flaws, but the diaper also leaks and that is probably the most important aspect of any diaper cloth or not.

Sorry there aren’t any pictures of Kennedy in this diaper. She wore it last night and I was waiting for the other diapers to get dirty to do a load. By the time she got them all dirty and I was able to wash and dry them, she was already in bed (she’s wearing a disposable tonight). There will be pictures of her in tomorrow’s review of the Happy Heiny’s diaper (I’ve already taken them).

Before I start my series, you should be aware that cloth diapers have come a long way from the pre-folds and diaper-pins that our grandmothers used. There are several different types of cloth diapers and pins are a thing of the past. In my last blog of the series I will go into more detail about the different types.

For right now though, I want you to know a little about pocket diapers, since that is the kind I have chosen to use and will be reviewing. Pocket diapers are a two-piece system that consists of the diaper and an insert.  The diaper has a waterproof shell and a fleece inner layer. An absorbent insert slides in between these two layers through a pocket usually in the back of the diaper. For heavy wetters or night-time use 2 inserts may be used for extra absorbency. All of the diapers I am trying out are one-size (they adjust to grow with the baby from birth through potty training) and use snaps as opposed to aplix or Velcro. Now that you know a little about pocket diapers here is review #1.

FuzziBunz Review

FuzziBunz diapers were one of the first brands for pocket diapers and they are very popular in the diaper community.

Overall Adjustability: Fuzzibunz diapers have a unique system for achieving the overall size of the diaper. Most brands have snaps on the outside to attain the small, medium, or large size, but Fuzzibunz uses adjustable elastic in the waist and legs. This makes it a little more difficult to adjust the size but gives the diaper a better outer appearance. At first, I had a feeling this would be a problem for me because I was planning on using the diapers for both girls and needed quick adjustability, but since Kaylynn is almost potty trained that isn’t needed anymore.

I did like that this diaper came with a sizing guide, something that the other diapers did not come with. However, it’s a little confusing. The adjustable elastic has holes and numbers. You find your child’s weight on the chart, then adjust the elastic appropriately. This is from their packaging, “Corresponding hole is ABOVE the number on the legs and BELOW the number on the waist.” I swear I had to read this 10 times the first time I tried to size the diaper. Why they had to make the number above the hole on one and below the hole on the other is beyond me. I also think the order of the wording is a little off. Since all the holes look the same and the chart tells me the numbers, I’m going to find the number first. So tell me the number, then where the hole is, not the other way around (ex. corresponding number is below the hole). Even though it was confusing, I think I got it figured it.

But then again maybe not, because I tried this diaper on both girls using their sizing chart and even on the largest snap settings, it was too small. Each time I have put it on Kennedy I have had to adjust the elastic because it would leave deep red marks on her waist and/or thighs. But I think I have finally found a setting that works and that is the joy of adjustable diapers, you can keep tweaking them until you get the perfect fit.

Adjustable Waist Snaps: Fuzzibunz diapers have a unique system for this too. Most diapers have 2 straight rows of snaps on the front with either 3 or 4 snaps on the part that wraps around and attaches; Fuzzibunz have 1 straight row with 2 snaps from the back and 1 contoured row around each leg with 1 snap from the back (total of 2 rows in front and 3 snaps from back). The contoured row means that you can change the size of the leg holes quickly as well as the waist. I’ve heard that the size of the leg openings makes a huge difference in whether the diaper leaks or not.

Absorbency: I haven’t had a single leak yet from these diapers. At night I put in 2 inserts and it works great!

Bulkiness: Cloth diapers are going to be more bulky than disposables. I’m not sure if there is any way around this. But this brand doesn’t seem to be as bad as others. I did the under-the-jeans test. Take a look for yourself.

Look at that booty!

Longevity: Obviously there is no way for me to personally review this category after only a week. The diaperpin.com however, has been a great resource for me as I have been learning about cloth diapers and choosing which ones to try. Based on the user reviews posted there, I am pretty confident that Fuzzibunz will hold up through Kennedy’s diapering and at least one other baby. The Fuzzibunz website claims that their diapers will last at least 3 years.

Warranty: From the Fuzzibunz website: “Snap Defects – 1 Year. Elastic and/ or PUL (waterproof layer) Defects – 1 Year. Sewing/Workmanship Defects – 1 Year. Diapers will not be replaced with new product due to repelling, shot elastic past 1 year, staining or leaking.” It should also be noted that each diaper comes with easy to replace elastic.

Patterns available: This is one of the perks of cloth diapers. They can be their own fashion statement! I love the bright colors and there are 14 different colors to choose from. However, there aren’t any fun patterns to choose.

Customer Service: Again, I haven’t had a need yet to contact them, but other users have been thoroughly impressed with the support they have received.

Cleaning: The directions for cleaning were right on the packaging, so I didn’t have to go searching for it. Pretty straightforward, easy, and nothing out of the ordinary from other cloth diapers. I especially like that it says to use 1/2 the recommended amount of detergent (remember this post?). As far as staining, I haven’t had any problems with this diaper and staining until the load I just did. But, every diaper in that wash ended up with a stain, so I’m guessing its a problem with the user, not the diaper.

Cost: About $18/ diaper (comparable to other One-Size Pockets)

Overall: I really like these diapers. Originally I had some concerns about the sizing, especially since this diaper kept leaving red marks on the baby, but I think I have that part figured out now.

It’s a hard balance though. At this point in my journey, I know that I am sacrificing some of the time I wish I could be spending with them so I can break my 27 years of bad habits. But I have to keep things in perspective when I do choose a task on my list over them. Part of My Housekeeping Mission Statement says” I will make strides everyday… to set an example for my children.”

I don’t want my girls to fall into the same sinful life that I have up to this point. And yes, I say sinful because my disorganization stems from being lazy and being a poor steward of my time. It’s a harsh truth but it comes with the reality that only by God’s grace, mercy, and strength will I be able to overcome this sin and live a better life. If I don’t recognize the sin in it, I will try to fix it myself and fail. By recognizing the sin, I can repent and ask my powerful Saviour for his help.

So, as you might have gathered already, the girls required a little extra of my time this last week which is perfectly fine with me. In terms of “things I got checked off my list,” my week wasn’t very good. However, if you look into the hearts and minds of my 2 precious girls, it was a great week! Please keep that in mind as you read what I did/ didn’t get done.

Still Working On…

Daily chores- Dishes and quiet time are about the only things I got done almost everyday. The other items were pretty sporadic and there were a few that I didn’t get done at all.

Weekly chores- I’m not sure that I personally got anything done on this list. But Matt was a huge help this week. I was able to mark several things off my list everyday because of him. He did all that, worked 2 jobs, and found time to be a wonderful daddy. I am so blessed!

Potty training- I’m really not sure what section to put this in, because it’s not actually listed on my week-by-week plan. But its going great! At the beginning of the week I decided to do cloth only. No diapers or pull-ups at home unless she was sleeping. She would tell me every time as she was going and we would make it to the potty in time to get a little in it.

The first day of this I was home alone and needed to feed Kennedy. I was afraid we would make a bigger mess if I wasn’t able to help get her undies off, so I let her go naked from the waist down. Looking back, I’m not sure how that logic works, but the strategy did! She got all her pee in the potty while I was feeding Kennedy.

Since then we have gone naked from the waist down everyday and only had 1 mess (and boy was it a mess!). After a few days we tried undies again, but she peed in them so we went back to being naked from the waist down. When we leave the house she wears pulls-up and will use the potty if I ask her and time it right. But if not, she goes in her pull-ups. I think we will try loose-fitting clothes like shorts tomorrow to get the feel of having something on, then transition to undies.

New Goals…

Tag for JBF- I didn’t get anything new tagged. That means this week I am going to have to really push it. If I want to be able to buy new-to-us stuff at the sale, I need to be able to sell the stuff I have now. It’s a good thing this week is a catch up week.

Plan weekly menus- I created a simple table to fill out every week that has a place for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and dessert for each day of the week. I also created a theme for dinner each day of the week. The days are

• Surplus Sunday: aka leftovers
• All-American Monday: this could include meals that scream American like hamburgers and hotdogs, but it will also include regional meals like New Orleans rice and beans, Chicago-style pizza, Philly cheese steak sandwiches, or New England clam chowder.
• Have it your way Tuesday: each week a different family member will choose what to have for dinner on this day. For a while this will only be Matt and I and then we can guess what the girls would say. After each family member has “had it their way,” we will have a meal that each person puts together themselves. We’ll put out a bunch of ingredients and let each individual put in what they like. Examples include make your own pizza bagel, potato bar, salad bar, maybe even a Sunday bar.
• Worldwide Wednesday: foods from across the globe, some will be familiar like spaghetti, but others will be new tastes.
• Crockpot Thursday: easy on the mommy.
• Breakfast for Dinner Friday: breakfast is such a favorite in our house that we are going to have it for dinner every week! But we’ll change up the menu since there are so many breakfast choices.
• Soup, Salad, and/ or Sandwich Saturday: I’m not sure this one needs much explanation.

I’m excited to start using this menu! I really hope that we get creative with it and build some fun family traditions.

Start feeding Kennedy solids- check out these pictures

Plan for April- almost done. I’m going to finish this one up tonight I hope.

Looking Ahead…

Week 12 is a catch up week. If all goes as planned I will probably be spending most of the week tagging for JBF. But I also plan on starting a blogging series either tonight or tomorrow on my cloth diaper reviews. So you can look forward to that!

I’m going to start using a new format for my weekly updates. From now on I’ll have a section for previous goals that I’m “Still Working On,” “New Goals for this week” and “Looking Ahead.” The old goals will keep me accountable; most weeks I don’t make my old goals a priority because I know I won’t have to share with you how I’m doing on them. Not anymore. And I’m hoping that the looking ahead section will keep me motivated and keep you interested in seeing what’s coming up next. So here is a look at weeks 9 & 10 (mainly just 9, since I was gone for 10)

Still working on…

I got laundry,dishes, and a quiet time done almost everyday in week 9. Monday of that week was a great day for me as far as other daily and weekly tasks. However, I didn’t get much accomplished in those areas for the rest of the week.

I’m still really struggling with waking up early. Everyday I seem to have a new excuse. Up late with the baby, went to bed too late, battery died on my phone (aka no alarm), didn’t hear my alarm, or just plain not motivated to get up early. I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve to help with this one, but if none of them work then my next move is to plan on sleeping late but getting more work done at night. I’ll keep you guys posted.

On a positive note though, I finished organizing our papers into a folder system and did some more research on potty training, both goals from week 8.

New Goals

Begin tagging for JBF and my own garage sales and sell on Craigslist I got most of my tags typed for my maternity clothes. I was hoping to get farther along on this one by the end of the week, but I did get a great start.

In case you are wondering, JBF stands for Just Between Friends and it is a seasonal children’s consignment sale. I am a consignor, volunteer, and shopper. As a consignor, I set my own prices and make a percentage of what I sell. Because I also volunteer I get 70% (it’s still a whopping 65% if you don’t volunteer). As a volunteer I also get to shop before the public. As a shopper, I get to purchase quality children’s items at amazing prices!

If you are interested in consigning or looking for more information click here for the Springfield area Spring Event. Not in the Springfield area? Click here to find one near you. If you decide to consign at the Springfield JBF, let them know Kandice Mann referred you (I’ll make 75% on my sales if 3 first-time consignors sell 25 items or more).

Research and buy cloth diapers - I got my research done and picked out 5 diapers that I wanted to do a test run with. I’ve received 4 of the 5 diapers in the mail and have started trying them out. A series of posts are coming soon with my reviews and if I can figure it out, a calculator you can use to see how much cloth diapering can save you

Finish studying calculus- I’ve been working on this one for a long time and it’s still not done. Originally we were suppose to be going to Arlington, TX during spring break for a mission trip and I was planning on using the travel time to finish my studying.  Instead we went to St. Louis as a family vacation. Because there wasn’t as much time on the road, I didn’t get this one done. But I’m going to continue working on it.

Create a routine for the girls- I didn’t have this done for week 9, but as of today, it’s completed!

Start blogging more- I wrote an extra post in week 9 and didn’t intend to write any posts while on vacation. So far, so good on this one, but I’ll need to continue writing more posts to consider this accomplished.

Add drinking 8 glasses of water to daily routine- I scheduled this for week 10 because I thought that I would be working outside in Texas for a week. I planned on being thirsty and carrying a water bottle with me all day. But instead we were on vacation and at my in-law’s house. Instead of 8 glasses of water, I probably had 8 glasses of Pepsi a day. Yikes! I’ll try harder this week.

Looking Ahead

I’m creating a way to plan weekly menus and starting Kennedy on solids during week 11. I also plan on doing a blogging series on cloth diapering starting at the beginning of next week. I’ll explain the different types of diapering systems, how much each costs, then review the 5 diapers I’m trying out, and give you any other tips that I’ve learned so far in the cloth diapering process. It should be pretty interesting so be sure to come back and check it out.

I put two clean towels in the wash without any soap, set it to the hottest setting and then checked it five minutes after the wash cycle had started. This is what I found…

Look at all those soap suds

Those bubbles mean that I was using too much detergent.  I took a permanent marker and made a line about halfway down from the suggested amount line on the cap. A month later I’m using half the detergent I was before (and saving $$$) and I don’t notice my clothes being any dirtier.

I only fill the cap about 1/2 an inch now.

Did you do the laundry detergent test? If so, what did you find out?

During week 7 I was supposed to start adding in a new routine for the girls with unique daily learning  activities. I tried to plan this while I was out of town but I started feeling overwhelmed by how much this would add to my day. I decided that when I got back I was going to evaluate my goals, make some changes, and plan a catch up week. I didn’t realize that week 8 was a scheduled evaluation week anyway. Here are some of the changes I made to my week-by-week plan:

• I did some reorganizing so that some of the more intense tasks are paired up with easier ones.
• Instead of having an evaluation week every 4 weeks and a catch up week every 12, both are now every 4 weeks.
• On tasks that will take longer than a week to complete (but aren’t added permanently to the weekly schedule), I have them listed for each week that I’ll be working on them. Example: to make a good price book, I am going to need to spend more than 1 week on it. So it’s listed for 4 weeks. This helps me to visualize and think about how much I have planned to do for each week.
• I’ve added 4 more weeks to the schedule. At first I was bummed about this because I really like the even 6 months. But when I remind myself that originally I thought it would take me a year to accomplish all these goals, I’m okay with 7 months.
• I’ve added 2 new tasks to accomplish: 1.) I want to start blogging more. As I get more done on my lists, I want to be able to give you more details on my goals than just how my week went. So be prepared to see more blog posts throughout the week. 2.) Start using cloth diapers. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while and planned on adding it to my goals for the second half of the year, but I’ve decided to start it earlier. Here is the story on why. This past weekend I went to a friend’s baby shower and she is planning on using cloth diapers. I got jealous. After the shower I was thinking about why I don’t use cloth diapers yet and my reason is that I still haven’t been able to catch up on the laundry. There’s no way I would be able to add cloth diapers to the laundering schedule right now. But… if I could get caught up on the laundry, then it would become a possibility. That evening I was talking to Matt on the phone (he didn’t go with me on this trip) and he told me that he had all the laundry done. Isn’t he wonderful? So now all I have to do is keep up with the laundry for 2 weeks to prove to myself that I can do it, and then we will start using cloth diapers. I’m very excited because there are many benefits. The biggest benefit is that it will save us lots of money. It’s also good for the environment of course and it will help with potty training too (something that we have started earlier than I scheduled).

I think that is all the changes I made but you can check it out yourself to make sure.

I used to hate the idea that women were suppose to be submissive to their husbands. I found ways to interpret the scripture so I could leave that part out. But my viewpoint has changed throughout the years as I have heard sermons, read books (including certain scriptures), talked with different Christians, and prayed. I hope that no one feels attacked as they read this. I just want to share my viewpoints and spur on some friendly discussion. Also note that I’m not good at making things short and to the point. This will be long…

Alright, so one of the most well-known and quoted scriptures about wives submitting to their husbands is in Ephesians 5. And it starts in verse 21 with “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” God wants everyone to be submissive to someone. He puts authority in our lives so that we can learn to obey. If we can’t obey the authority that He has given us on earth, how are we going to be able to obey him and respect his authority? This part of the scripture is given to all Christians, not just wives.

The next part of the scripture says (and this is from The Message) “Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.”

First of all, because this is found in the New Testament and it was written after Christ died and rose again, I believe that it isn’t like Old Testament law that we are now free from. I also don’t believe that it is a cultural statement (like telling women to keep their hair long so they wouldn’t be confused with the prostitutes). I believe that it is still applicable to us today.

I believe that the word ‘submissive’ has a different connotation today than it used to. When most people hear it they think of being dominated and ruled over, but that isn’t what this scripture is saying. This version gives a better explanation of what submissive means. It says to “understand and support your husbands.” It also says that husbands should not be domineering but cherishing and it uses the word leadership. I don’t know of many good leaders throughout time that were successful by mistreating and not taking into consideration the needs of the ones they were trying to lead.

Alright, on to the third part of the scripture “Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage.”

Wow! To me that sounds so romantic. Going all out, evoking beauty, marked by giving. So often people focus on the directives to the wife in this scripture, but you can’t leave out the directions that God gave to the husbands. I think it’s the most critical part. Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church—and He died for His bride! That scripture says that the husband should bring out the best in his wife. If my husband loves me so much that he is willing to die to bring out the best in me, then why would I NOT want to submit to him? If he is willing to go to such lengths for me, then would it not be like a slap in the face to him by not doing as he asks? Just like it’s a slap in the face to Christ who died for me when I disobey his commands?

I once heard a sermon on just this part of the scripture. Like I said earlier, I used to hate hearing that I was supposed to be submissive. It seemed like a horrible concept to me and I still struggle with the thought of it sometimes. But when I remember that God told me to be submissive and told my husband to die for me, it puts things in a whole new perspective.

The next point that I want to make is that men and women are different. Uh, duh, right? Ok, so hear me out on this one. I believe that God created the sexes differently, with different needs, desires, strengths, weaknesses, gifts, talents, abilities, tendencies, etc. When Adam and Eve sinned the curse wasn’t that man would rule over the wife but that they would now fight to control the relationship. But because of God’s great love, He gave them a solution to this (just like he clothed them when they realized they were naked). He chose one of them to be the leader based on how he had designed them, and that was Adam aka the husband.

In the book For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn, over 400 men were surveyed so us women could learn about them and better meet their needs. The first thing Feldhahn learned from this survey is that while women need love, men need respect. Over and over again in scripture men are told to love while women are told to respect. Go back to Ephesians 5, the last verse sums up all the submission talk with “each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” God knows how he designed us and he knows what we need. While it’s hard for me to be submissive sometimes, I trust that God knew what He was doing when he commanded me to submit to my husband. It’s just one huge way to show Matt the respect that he needs.

So, this is what submission looks like in the Mann household (well ideally this is what it looks like). We have a big decision coming up. We pray about it, come together and discuss it, weigh the pros and cons, pray about it some more, and try to come to an agreement. If an agreement can’t be made, I humbly tell Matt that I will trust and support his decision, then pray that he sees it my way. Haha. Seriously I do that, but I also pray that God will make it clear to him what the best choice is even if it’s not the way I see it.

God teaches us so much through this. When we can’t come to an agreement together I really have to humble myself and trust not only Matt to make the right decision, but I also have to trust God to guide Matt in the right direction. This can really be hard sometimes, okay everytime. Then, once Matt makes the decision, I learn to follow and obey, again, not only Matt but also to follow and obey God.

Hopefully this is where the process would end. But I won’t lie. There have been times, not many, but times that the wrong decision was made. When this happens, every part of my flesh wants to get angry and cry out “I TOLD YOU SO!” But again God uses those moments to teach me. He teaches me humility and how to be supportive and understanding despite the fact that we made a mistake. I can’t tell you what Matt is learning during all of this, but I hope and pray that throughout this process he is feeling my love and respect in a big way and thus we are creating a stronger marriage.

The differences between man and woman, the art of submission, and all that we learn and gain through the process “is a huge mystery, and I don’t pretend to understand it all” (Ephesians 5:32, The MSG) but I have to trust that God knows what he is doing.

Add 2 more tasks from Weekly Chores list each day (4/day total)- I’m starting to get into some stuff that hasn’t been done in a very long time. One of those: clean the shower. I’m a little embarrassed to show you these before pictures, but this is what my journey is all about. From now on my shower should always look like the after pictures here.

Before

After

Before

After

My shower curtain liner was even worse. Here are the before pictures:

I was very tempted to throw this out and buy a new one, but I decided to try and clean it first. I threw it in the wash with 2 towels, some detergent, and 1/2 cup of baking soda. I set the washing machine to the largest load and hottest temperature. After it ran through the cycle, I did an extra rinse and added a cup of vinegar. When it was finished, I was prepared to take out the towels and wash it once more with bleach, but to my surprise it was pretty clean. In fact it looked so good that I realized that it was actually quite a bit dirtier to start with than I originally thought. Here are the after pictures:

Sign up at tutor.com- this one has been put on hold. I’m still studying my calculus and as soon as I complete the book, I will sign up.

Begin selling clutter- uh-oh. This task fell on those couple of days that I didn’t get much done on my lists. But I’ll add it to next week’s tasks.

Your challenge for this week

Find one thing in your house that desperately needs cleaning and clean it. This shouldn’t be a room or an area that needs organization, but something that needs a scrub brush and a little elbow grease. Then come back here and tell me what is you cleaned and any other details about the project.