Family Cloth

When looking at your average family's monthly budget, the idea of toilet paper is pretty much a given. You have got to have TP, right? Maybe not. There are other options out there. Some, like a bidet, may not be in your budget. However, "family cloth" is one of those out there ideas that might not be so crazy after all.

Almost two years ago now I was given some reusable baby wipes as a shower gift. I had never considered using reusable wipes, even though we planned to use cloth nappies. After a brief check of the interwebs to find how people use them (we go with a simple solution in a spray bottle), I was on board. The longer I used them, the more I liked them. I got some cheap baby wash cloths to add to the stash. I made some wipes out of scrap flannel. I cut old stained t-shirts into nice little wipes. Basically, the more I used them, the more that I loved them. The Little Girl's tushy was so clean and pampered, and it really did not take any extra effort since I was already washing the cloth nappies. It was just one more thing to toss into the bin next to the changing table.

Then, we went from breastmilk poops to solid food poops in those nappies. It was definitely a difference. I quickly came to the conclusion that we needed a different system. The poops needed to be flushed, and taking the nappy from the changing table in the bedroom to the bathroom and back again was a pretty risky endeavor. A second bin for the bathroom was going to be needed.

I had heard of the idea of family cloth, but I was not sold on it. However, when that second bin made its appearance next to the toilet, I figured that I could give it a test and see. By day number two, I was all in and not going back. You have no idea how nice your tush can feel when you clean it with actual cloth and a bit of water. I now am sad any time that I have to use ordinary TP. It is just not the same. I cut up a few more stained t-shirts to make up for how many more wipes were going to be used before washing, and we are blasting forward.

I am not, however, unreasonable. We will probably always have ordinary TP on hand for guests who are less adventuresome. As of now, we will have it on hand for an unconvinced husband too. If you are ever a guest at our house, I invite you to give it a try for yourself. It is ok. No one else has to know.

Jams and Jellies

It has been a busy summer for us here on our urban homestead. It is really astounding how much time and energy is required for gardening and food preservation. Things have slowed down considerably as of late giving me time to catch up on all the things around the house that were ignored all summer. While many would probably question my spending hundreds of hours doing this, they do not know what they are missing.

There was a time in my life when I thought nothing of purchasing jam from the grocery store. That was before I started to eating homemade. This year our dining will feature strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, and mixed berry jams as well as dandelion jelly. All were picked at the peak of freshness and quickly processed to preserve maximum flavor. Cost of supplies figures to about $1 per half pint jar (if you are reusing jars - add another $1 or so for a new jar). That obviously does not include the hours required to make the jam or can it. However, we will be enjoying jam all year that tastes considerably better than even the fancy stuff from the store.

You can go buy your "locally sourced" stuff at the farmers' market. We will stick with our even more locally sourced and produced version.