As it is zero waste week, I am determined to make a change..
We already use reusable nappies and this has had a massive impact on our black bin! It went from full to almost empty (not to mention no nasty whiffs)

Recently I began using reusable wipes as I was finding putting wipes in a nappy bag when out and about, and at home, a total pain,not to mention the use of a nappy bag, made me feel I was defeating the purpose of using cloth nappies. I ordered two sets of beautiful ones from weenotions, but hubby felt they were too small to be effective, he also felt we didn’t have enough to make it worth while using them, as we were always running out. My solution was not to stop using them, but to instead buy more, hahaha. This time I kept a search on the preloved sites and found 25 cheeky wipes for £10 including postage, bargain and they are like new, they are also not far off double the size of the weenotions wipes (although not as pretty). We  use them for bums, hands and face, highchairs, they are washed at 60 degrees and smell super fresh after washing, we then just pop them back in the wipe Tupperware. Sometimes we just use water, chamomile tea or a mix of tea and coconut oil, we just keep trying new solutions. For out and about I had a mini wipe bag which worked brilliantly for the clean wipes, I then threw the dirty ones in the nappy wet bag. ( I say had, as I have misplaced it and am finding out and about a bit more of a pain again). Hubby is still not convinced by them (out of stubbornness I think) and I caught him whispering to KW3 this morning, that he would buy her a packet of wipes today so she wasn’t to worry! I haven’t bought a pack of wipes for over a month and I am not about to start again now!

I could pledge to make sure I didn’t use plastic bags again, but I have been trying this for years, and regularly forget the bags for life and have to resort to supermarket plastic bags, oops! I will try harder though!

Reusable/ cloth sanitary protection (CSP) is something I don’t think I am prepared to tackle just at the moment, maybe sometime in the future. But for me, I find it all a bit icky and the thought of soaking and then washing etc just feels me with dread, the less I experience of the joy that is my period the better! The materials do look very pretty and soft but as I am more of a tampax girl, the whole CSP is not really for me, although pantiliner a I may consider…

So the small changes I am currently debating are reusable kitchen roll and reusable sandwich bags/ covers. Alongside careful meal planning so less food waste.

The reusable kitchen roll will have to wait until I am back at work to invest in but in theory is sounds pretty good.

My pledge is going to be to use less materials in packed lunches for myself, hubby and KW2 ( KW1 has school dinners). So I am going to Order some of the nice reusable sandwich bags to begin with…

It is definitely important that everyone tries to create less waste and even just a small step is closer to zero than before…

Update*****

Hubby has decided to get involved so has finally set up a compost bin, so we will have less food waste too!

These are brilliant and make such a difference to my little boy. We are lucky enough to get them from the hospital but I know not all hospitals offer these. It’s such a shame as they are so much more exciting than your plain patch. If you are not fortunate enough to get them for free, you can order them online and there are reward charts available.

I really think they should be offered to all young children as it makes patching more fun. Obviously we still have days where he doesn’t want his patch, but that element of choice encourages him to do it, even though he doesn’t like it. In the early stages he said they hurt when taking them off, so we now stick them on our trouser leg before applying. KW2 peels them off himself quite happily, well not exactly happily, but you know what I mean. Invariably we have also had spells where he wants only a certain patch and we have none of that kind due to the fact he has worn nothing but those for a week! That involves some serious negotiating and coercing.
Last time we went to the hospital they only had the style we have had the last three visits, or a girlie box. He chose the girlie box, much to his sister’s excitement.

An image of some  of the designs…

Kiddiwink 2 choosing a patch video

Choosing a patch

Bedtimes since the addition of number three, are definitely in my favour. While my hubby runs around getting pyjamas on, arguing over which book they want, cleaning teeth, getting milk, oh and then they ask for water… I am sat in the calm tranquility of the nursery breastfeeding kiddiewink 3. Bliss! Once she has the sleep stare, and is no longer gazing lovingly into my eyes, I get to sit on my phone, texting, facebooking, Internet browsing, and generally chilling out. Don’t get me wrong it was quite frustrating when she was feeding for ninety minutes at bedtime, but it was ninety minutes of well earned peace!

A super blog which raises awareness of Down’s syndrome. A wonderful family who I am privileged to know. Such a positive and inspirational blog.

Well worth a read..

http://thefuturesrosie.com 

Children seem to always have an answer or reason for everything. I always wish I had written down the many funny conversations, statements and observations the children make, as I am sure so many people wish they had.
I am hoping I can use my blog to share some funny anecdotes at times, it them become a recorded memory for the children. If anyone would like to share the funny things their kiddiewinks say, I would love to hear them.

My cheeky kiddiewink number 2 (3 years 8 months) is no exception to this, he has an answer for everything and never stops talking.
Tonight, he was not allowed any of his sister’s birthday cake, as he refused to eat his tea. About half an hour after we put him to bed, he appeared outside and said,
“I’ve got my hand over my mouth”
He then came over and grinned a chocolate cake crumby smile.
“Have you had cake”
“Yep, Tilly told me to.”
” but why weren’t you allowed cake”
“Because I didn’t eat my dinner, but I sneaked some” -then lots of giggles.

We were actually quite amused by his blatantness and the fact he thought he was so funny.
On returning him to his bedroom he told me many times how it was actually my fault he ate some of the cake

“Well mummy, yeah, I found the cake because you left it out, so I ate it , yeah, at bedtime it needs to not be out, yeah, because when I see it, I will eat it, yeah, so if you leave it out, I can eat it. So mummy, yeah, because it’s bedtime, you need to put it where it belongs and hide it, then I can’t find it and eat it.”
(When he uses ‘yeah”
“Oh so it’s my fault”
“Yes because you let me find it”