++March 06 ++Birthdays Ahoy- thread the third++

[UniSarah]

Ok, I think I have spelled everything in teh title correctly. shout at me if i havn't.

Happy St davids day March 06 mums and tots.

Look at me sitting down to work at 3.30pm and already on MN.

Friz, sorry to hear about DD1 and hope her ear infection is clearing (Kiah just had one go on it's own so it is possible). Hurrah though about your cousin....my sis is trying again too so will keep you posted but SIL just announced number two on the way, due New Year. On that topic, more bad communication from our lovely NHS....they phoned sis to say that the funeral service for her baby would be last Monday and she was under the impression that it was a joint occasion for all miscarriages etc. so she told us all not to bother going. Anyway when they got there it was just for their baby and her partner had to carry a tiny coffin with no prep at all.

Uni, we are doing Breast feeding awareness week too through our peer support prog. I'm angling for manning a stall in Ikea!

Astro, stop fretting about the move, it'll all be fine! Know what you mean about the CTC drop after the first year - erk! Do you reckon you'll be able to make the Mile for Maude??? Would be great to see you and the clan.

Smiley, I'm the same with late nights but have had the luxury of Kiah sleeping through til 6am a few nights recently. Back to her usual guzzling all night and leaping about the bed at 6 routine last night though.

Inventory for them to use around their house for any bits they leave in, if you want it shout!

I will mail you later re swim as well, its on my list of things to do (which mumsnet isn't but hey ho, allowed a break right?!)

LL, that's great news for SIL , not so good for your sister though, I hope they're going to complain lol at Ikea stall, you'll never get any bf awareness done and you'll come home with loads of things you don't want!

So had to drag both dd's out of nursery today, neither wanted to leave, dd2 having far too much fun, with lots of new things!! when I took her into pre school bit to get dd1, she legged it into the garden outside and we had hell of a time trying to catch her and bring her back still its nice to know they both really like it there! (even if dd2 only goes 1 day a week)

Friz, I'm very that your DD2 has a place to go to! I'm stuck with Kiah, found a childminder that didn't feed em 8p Asda hotdogs and whacky juice and then she had to go and get a job. So now I have her down for two days at Tilly's nursery which is a bit of a drive but I love starting Sept. Tilly starts pre-school with three afternoons follow on at community nursery in Sept too......it's all change!!

It's a beautiful day but I have run out of laundry liquid so my line is empty!!!!!

Hi
Just popping on to say hello.
LL- I think that what happened to your sis was apalling (sp?). And her poor DH. Dreadful. You'd think that whoever arranges these things would make themselves clear? Idiots.

Feeling glum today. Need to get on and stop moping about.

Will try to get on again later. Hope you are all having a good day.x

Smiley stop moping and get out into the sunshine! Hey, last night I did all the downstairs floors, swept, mopped, hoovered and today I feel fab . Mind you now I am having to wade my way through loads of indepth government plans to justify how a small voluntary sector group with a turnover of £150,000 can contribute to their 'vision' in order to secure a measly 20k a year from the council Grrrrrr.....

I'm just retiring to the garden to read another 100 pages - I may be tempted to plant a few pot bound plants though....

I think my sis and DP are just going to put it all behind them TBH, just need to do something with the ashes (which they were told wouldn't exist but do) first. Also the hospital were great with them other than this hiccup and they see the consultant again on Thurs for a final talk through.

Thanks LL. I think I will. was going to pop out for a few bits of food shopping but not in mood and can do til tonight/tomorrow. Stuff the shopping. Been fed up all day. Is lovely out there and have only been out to hang washing. Going to take my little boy out in his pushchair when he finished his apple. Thanks for the kick up the arse!

Have a nice walk Smiley. My 100 pages flew by in the garden and even had a chat with my neighbour whilst she got her washing in.

I'm finishing work and off to make tea for the girls. Tilly has requested the meal from 'Baby Knows Best' so am doing tinned spaghetti with Quorn balls and some purple sprouting broccoli which I will have to convince her is a key ingredient!!

mmm interesting meal there LL
I just did Macca's (feb thread) fish pie, very nice, dd2 and I loved it lots, dd1 ate at nursery/pre school, so didn't want any...

Smiley nice walk then?

I've had a cleaning day today too folkes! cleaned the slide and the snail, all the downstairs skirtings and doors and stair gates (mmm jammy) the windows outside and in, frames included and the front door, plus dusted and hoovered everywhere and 3 x loads of washing! LL I've found another eco washing powder thing in co-op! says it's totally bio degradable on it will let you know name of it sometime!!

Lots of spring cleaning going on ! I'm un ashamedly NOT doing any, I did give the bath room a quick once over before my parents arrived on friday AND i cleaned my hair ball out of the bath plug hole, I feel thats all I'm up for this spring, the rest can wait till summer :-)

the BF week stuff I'm doing is a mix- the notice board is at our local surestart childrens centre and the coffee morning is an awareness raiser for NCT , its not in BF week, but... I have lots of NCT BF resourses to give anyone who is interested. The libraray coffee mornings are only on the 1st wednesday of the month , organised by the libraray but themed by other organisitions some months. So NCT is right up there with job centre and the local college.

I guess I suffer slightly from being a serial volunteer, I find it very hard NOT to say - I can do that- when stuff needs doing.

Boy needs to have more bigger baths- I've run teh waterbut dry AGAIN , theres been no rain to speak of for weeks here and boys bath water is all that keeping the fruit going. I am enjoying the sunshine while it lasts tho.
righto- off o do some more browsing then try and do some thing constructive while DH is out playing cricket. fat chance.

LL- Ooh I'd be very interested in Co-Op eco powder, we use Ecover-please tell.....??
Co-Op is v good with environmental stuff and has been for a while, but unlike the other big supermarkets, all trying to jump on their environmental bandwagons, they don't bleat on about it! I found that their own brand baby wipes are biodegradable and alot cheaper than the ones we used to buy. They are also one of the few places to stock biodegradable nappies-hooray for Co-op!

Frizbe- My walk changed into a trot around the garden with DS- I thought he'd prefer some walking practice rather than being pushed about! Then we joined our neighbour with her little baby on the lawn-they played, we chatted. Made up for the day of gloom I'd had leading up to it!

UniSarah-Are you like the "I can do that" character in Catherine Tate show?
Am interested in your bath water watering thing. Do you syphon bath water into a water but? If not, what do you do? We want to do that but not tried it yet.
Right-it's way too late. Night night all.x

Morning!

Friz, do tell me the co-op washing stuff when you can. I've ordered another vat of Clear Springs from our local shop so hopefully it will be in today and I can get a load done. I do like how clean it gets my nappies, she says in the style of a TV ad!!Oh, the wind,the sun, the lack of flapping clothes!!!

Your housework put me to shame with my paltry hours work. I'm thinking of asking our OCD tenant to clean for me a couple of hours a week now that I've got some money coming in. Think it will work well as long as he doesn't remove all the bottle labels. Uni, I'mwith you on the cleaning front I think. Mind you some lads threw a carton of rice at our front window last night so may be spurred into action later.

Smiley, your time in the garden sounds lovely, that's what sunny afternoons should be for. We got some gorgeous pics of the girls amongst the flowers yesterday,just poddling about looking cute.

I saw in the Wiggly Wigglers catalogue a siphon (with a pump end so no sucking) to drain your bath water and thought it was a good idea. We don't have room for a water butt at the mo due to layout of narrow passage to the garage so think I might order one. It seems such a waste for all that water to go. I ordered a bunch off flowers of them for my mum's birthday today,picked from their own garden so will let you know what they're like....no air miles has got to be bonus.

Well, I was reading my book group book last night, Vox, which is VERY erotic and then jumped on DP when he trundled up after footie!!! Think he'll be encouraging me to read more of the same.

Smiley- Catherine tate show? donno, never seen it. Water route from bath to garden - bath-bucket-carry to back door and down steps-pour into waterbut- fill watering can. Bit low tech round here. Balcony pots get what ever is left in water bottle/ glasses at the end of the day.

Boy decided that today was INDEPENDANCE day , whilst at teh libraray he stood up and walked 6 steps, by teh time we left teh libraray he was walking 5 or 6 meters, by bedtime he was puttering quite fast round and round the living room with a toy in each hand looking VERY pleased with himeslf. I KNEW he was just waiting till he was good at it before he let go of my hand.
roll on hueristic play session tomorrow!

hurrah for uniboy!
Evening all! Am online looking for somewhere cheap to stay in Dublin when we go in June, so am just dropping in! Hope you are all enjoying the sunshine.
We spent a good deal of today in a queue in the car as sombody jumped or attempted to jump off the roof of a carpark in town and there were roads blocked off. Hopefully disaster was averted. Meanwhile my boy was as good as gold in the car (I was SO thankful I had thrown in a banana, water and milkybar!) and DD was at nursery, thankfully, as she would have been mad as a cut snake to be stuck in the car!

Friz, I'd love the inventory. Thanks

Hey!
LL- OMG you sound just liek me. I always joke to DH that there's nothing more lovely than washing blowing about on our line. I think I'm a bit obsessed with it-it's the only job I am obsessed with. If we are out and the day suddenly gets really sunny I say " I NO, pefect washing weather if we were at home!" Sad?

Wondering about clear springs and which washables you use? We are on Tots bots bamboozels but but I'd be interested in any decend boosters you could recommend. We use Nature Babies biodegradable at night and if out for day cos we only get 2hours out of a washable with booster-any help on this cos I'd love to extend the wear time? Also-is there a good overnight washable option?
Also-please tell me about Clear Springs???

Siphon Pump sounds good. And well done for jumping DH after reading saucy book!

Unisarah-Love your water route! No stairs involved in house then? Our are steep so really need siphon out of window!
Bless your DS! Do they really progress that fast

Astrophe-Hope you get Dublin sorted. Sorry to hear about your queue/jumper probs but glad that snacks saved the day!

Changed the structure of my day today but DS decided to sleep for 1/2 hour total! Despite this, had a great day together. Narrowly avoided DS being woken by idiot with loudspeker attempting to win votes tomorrow-would have suffered the wrath of my tongue if he'd woken DS. Don't these people think about babies/nightshift workers ???

TTFN

Ok the wash powder is called Aquados, simply sensitive, it was lurking next to the persil which is why I had to look twice at it, before I picked it up and invistigated further, but it reads as tho its nice and fully biodegradable
(now someone else can investigate it and tell me its not!) Smiley, the clear springs liquid that ll uses is good, but I have to buy it in bulk from our local farm shop (they get it from suma) it comes to me in a 5l bottle! and as dh appears to be allergic to ecover liquid (but oddly enough not the conditioner?) I was using that, but I'm now experimenting with the above.

(phew long post!)

Astro, will mail it to you either tomorrow or next week, as away again this weekend, and its on the pc upstairs (I'm lurking on the laptop)

Just been out for a lovely Thai meal at Belper, with my 'old' baby group

Uni, congrats on the walking, its amazing how fast they decide to shift, once they get the hang of it

So I get dd2 up from her afternoon nap today (had taken dd1 for swimming lesson leaving dd2 with my mother)and think ooh where did she get that bump on the head from and the grazes on her face? ring my mum up early evening, mum says, when prompted, 'ooh, I forgot to mention that dd2 fell out of the patio door trying to climb out at the same time as holding a plastic chair like dd1' and you just stood there and watched her try to do this did you mother poor mite looks like she's been dragged through a hedge

ah poor DD Friz!

My DS is also a wreck atm, bruises as he is very clumsily 'running' the past few days, and clinbing steps etc. Also the poor lad has the most horrible nappy rash all of a sudden - if its no better tomorrow I will take him to gp in case there is an infection Using disposibles to see if they help...makes me so sad for him every time I change his nappy.

Smiley - go to www.babeco.co.uk and buy a metre of their hemp fleece fabric for £7. Wash it to shrink it, then cut into squares/strips and fold up for boosters. This is the cheapest and best way to boost nappies I have found!

Will check out that washing powder at our co-op, although its very small so might not have it.

Any sugestions for a better dish liquid than ecover? My DH does the dishes and says its not good enough! (no bubbles)

Good grief you lot have been busy posting!

Uni - hurrah for the walking!! I love the way he waited until he was really good at it, do you reckon he'd been practising in secret so that every time you left the room he ran about and then sat down when he heard you coming back?

Friz, poor DD2. They are all covered in bruises and scratches now aren't they?

Kiah had her MMR yesterday and slept all afternoon at my mum's so got up at 3.30am this morning! WTF???

Astro - are you coming to the Mile for Maude then?

Nappies....oh Smiley, don't get me started! I use prefolds during the day and wambamboos at night with a microfibre booster (cheap coloured ones from Wilkis). I never use dizzies and am sad that Kiah will soon be out of nappies - I might have to have another baby just to justify trying some more bamboo creations. Kiah is using the potty already but only on an informal basis - she is so excited when she makes a deposit and poos are sooo much nicer in a potty then squished in a nappy!

In fact you just reminded me that my nappy wash needs hanging out so cue cup of tea and two crumpets (allowed in my syns!).....I am so behind on this bid but look at me MNing.

Got my two stone certificate at Slimming World last night and amheading for 2.5 by my sister's wedding in three weeks.

Other sister just phoned and consultant said all clear, get shagging!!! Also her partner has come back round to the idea of a baby after his man like wibble so it's all systems go!!!

Astro, tell him it doesn't need bubbles, silly bloke

LL, hurrah for other sister, hope she enjoys herself

Off to work for weekend, Astro will mail you that stuff next week, remind me on Tue, when I'm getting my head around things again!

Oh Astro went to markeaton today, was lovely day out, even paddling pool in full swing, although reported to be a tad cold by the shivering 3 year olds so you must come to mile!

Hi there.

Friz- Will look for washing powder. Going to Co-op later.Poor DD2. Hope she ok. I have all this to come...

Astrophe-Thanks for the booster tip-will take a look in a min. I get bubbles with Ecover-maybe I am using too much/you Dh using too little????Then again, I don't get alot....but surely he doesn't want washed up dishes covered in suds?

Unisarah- I laughed about the comment re your DS running in secret-made me think of "Andy" in Little Britain!

LL-Do you use white wine vinegar to soften anppies? We do but it doesn't do alot. Either we use too little or it just doesn't work? I know not to use fabric softener but don't know any other options??? Not heard of Wambamboos.... Is it mainly the booster that makes them efficient for overnight? Not sure what our boosters are made of but get 2/2.5 hours max-WITH booster. Must get something better so can try overnight. You mentioned Wilkis, do you mean Wilkinson or am I being thick?

Sounds like you are all using washables and are all quite caring for environment (Ecover etc). This is refreshing. Most people I know all use disposables and Pampers. (Someone at NCT asked if we used "Pampers or Huggies"- we just thought "Durrrr, there are other options you know!"
I was having a really low day on Tues and a friend on another site advised I ditch the washables cos it's not worth it-better to maintain sanity than save planet type comment. I didn't bother to react to it but so few people give it a 2nd thought that we are all being buried under a mound of nappies that take aeons to degrade and chuck out lots of gasses (that are ruing the planet) in the process. It seems weird to have a child that you supposedly care for but not look at the broader picture-considering the future (viablity) of the world in which they are expected to live in..... Ooops, sorry getting all soap-boxy!->>>>You'll probably all now tell me that you secretly love pampers and oh, isn't global warming finally making it nice and hot in the UK and why don't I just bugger off and join Greenpeace.......

I think the end of my last post came off as a bit bitchy. I didn't mean to sound horrid. I do love my friends of course and it's great to swap advice/support etc. But I think for alot of disposable users (which I am part-time; but biodegradable ones only) they cannot see that it is actually worth bothering with washables. They are alot easier to use that people seem to think, as you all obviously know. My friend saw that I was very low and suggested things to improve that, but she did not mince her words re washables and I do not see things the way she does regarding this issue. I know they are worth bothering with and I just see it as short sighted putting my own needs ahead of a safe world for my son to live in. Oooh dear. Came on to smooth over after last post but now getting all soap-boxy again! ......I'll get my coat!

Ok. Me again. So many options for boosters. More help/advice needed please
Have loked at babeco briefly. Just hoping that someone can safe me trawling through the internet for hours.....I know that hemp was suggested and also microfibre.
Was wondering what are your average wear times ladies? How soft/absorbant are these diff boosters? Have you tried some that didn't work? What's best to avoid?
I'd like to stop the disposables but need a little help in improving the washables' efficiency please. Wouls also really love to be able to soften up my nappies/boosters-nappies were sooo sopft when we bought them. It would be fab to get just a little of that back. They are always line dried now the weather is fine, though sometimes have to get finished off indoors cos mine are not v quick to dry. They have a sewn in booster but that does little. Like I said, booster isn't great!
HELP
Also, what other Env freindly products do you use? We don't flush loo on every use and always get bad limescale build up which then causes odour. Tried Bio-D (whic smells like vinegar) toilet cleaner but it takes alot to make much diff. Find Ecover just gives (pine?)frangance but does not shift grime. Need real help with this one. Are there any Env Friendly toilet blocks that clean on every flush? cos I ideally need to prevrnt build up in first place. Afraid I sometimes end up using something that is not env friendly, just to give it a good thorough clean then whole cycle starts again.....

Oops. Getting embarrassing posting to self!
Just came back to clarify..... Nappies have sewn in booster, to which I add a second, shaped, booster which came with the nappy bundle that I bought. Not sure what booster insert is made of, but suspect it's cotton.

Also, is there a way to edit posts after posting? keep spotting typos and can't correct after I post!

Happy Bank Holiday to you all by the way!

Smiley, don't go worrying about your post we don't mond a bit of soapbox. I know what you mean about people's attitudes to washables. I got the same when I was depressed about that and bfing too - FGS they're the only things I'm consistently good at!! Friz is a closet dizzy lover but she's very green in other ways.

Yes I did mean Wilkinsons. Their microfibres will be your cheapest option for night time with a 3 pack for about a quid. Think one may be pink but who will know?? They are soft but I fold them into eighths and put them in between the nappy and booster pad in the wambamboo so they don't make contact with skin anyway. I use fleece liners which are soft and dry. Wambamboos are made by Geobel (google for website) but I met a lady who makes nappies for Bumbletots and she had some really good fold out bamboo ones. Bamboo nappies should stay soft anyway even if you dry them on a radiator. I do use white vinegar (not wine, just Wikis again!).

I wonder if it is not your wraps that are letting you down if your nappies last for such a short time unless your DS is a mammoth wee-er? What wraps have you got and are they big enough for night time do you think?

Phew, this is nearly as long as my bid! Toilets....we use Ecover on an infrequent basis and don't flush much either. We used to get limescale but you can't see it so much on an orange loo. Try putting vinegar down, leaving it overnight and then scrubbing like mad. If that fails you can use cola apparently.

No but you can use preview message first and then correct typos in the box underneath....we don't mind typos though.

smiley at posting to self!

I also know what you mean about washables and BFing - and agree LL - they are the only two thinkgs I am consistently good at , and make me feel am being a good Mum when a depressed about all else!

I can sort of see where your friend was coming from too though Smiley - I did say to DH that if washables started to make me feel like I wasn't coping I would stop them and ake a donation to greenpeace instead (and then DH started mouthing off about bloody greenies etc! - he approves of cloth nappies...but not greenies!) I guess your mate just doesn't realise that they are not that hard, and that you get pleasure from doing your bit for the planet.

Ok, boosters. We have some microfibre too. They stay nice and soft, but I find the hemps are a bit more absorbent. Hemp does go a bit hard though as we don't have a tumble drier. I agree that vinegar doesn't seem to do much. I give them an extra rinse to get excess detergent out, then line or radiator dry and give them a really good shake out and/or scrunch up into a ball which softens them. I also use fleece liners which are nice and soft against DS's bum, so not too worried about nappies being a bit stiff.

Sorry to say that I use bleach in the toilet as nothing else works for me. Am open to ideas though! Will try those LL mentioned. No limescale in the water in Sydney, so not used to this problem!

DH says bubbles=surfactants and surfactants = cleaning power...(or something!)...Have to agree with him that the ecover isn't brilliant, so will have to keep looking. We go through it very quickly too.

Mile for Maude...YES! I will be there with DCs, al things going well. Still not sure on moving date - agents says we have to pay until June 16th unless they can lease it again, in which case they will release us early, so its a bit up in the air. I haven't signed up to MfM, but is it ok to just come along and make a donation Friz?