the diaper dilemma

boy have i been stressing over this for way too long!

i have (since stella was born) wished i could use cloth diapers...and had i taken the plunge then, i'd probably be ok with it. the only trouble is, we live in an apartment with little space for a stinky diaper pail and have to pay to do laundry...so cloth is not cheapest in our scenario.

but it obviously is not just about being cheap.

i cannot handle how many diapers i am sending to the landfill to sit in heaps for the next 500 years. i have used huggies on both kids...until now.

i've been trying out and wanting to use gDiapers. they are flushable, compostable and biodegradable...and about double the cost of disposables of any brand. (seriously...i did the math: huggies $0.22/dipe, seventh generation $0.26/dipe, gdiapers $0.38/liner...plus you have to buy the outer pants one time for about $50 for 4 of them (includes some liners))

so i think i might have to settle on seventh generation they are not biodegradable, but they are a bit more environmentally sound and the price is good....

dangit gDiapers...why are you SOOOOO expensive...????

i just have to be ok with it...but i'm having a hard time...my conscience is torn...frugality vs. "green"...
i gotta reach a compromise here...right???

gee whiz

i think august should have been officially take-a-blog-break month (hmm hmm rachel) i just haven't found the time lately!! and i want to be writing and photo-ing (but the camera situation...)

anyway...here is a quick update...

today my friend loren is getting married to her sweet man, rich. we are so excited for them, as their baby girl, milja, is eli's best friend...they are just so great!!!! i'm baking a wedding pie and stella made wedding brownies!

then its a week of getting ready for our trip to seattle!! look out, friends, here we come! so...i may try to squeeze in a note before then, but it may not be until after josh and erica's wedding that i blog again...

so hope you have a great end to your summer...i'm ready for september...aaaaahhhhh....cool weather....

down time...

chris just took stella to see ratatouille (for her, again)...just to get some daddy-daughter time in. it's too hot to do anything else. so what am i doing, you ask? well, dressing eli up in knee socks (his request) and trying to finish a lap quilt for stella from amy karol's bend-the-rules sewing book (that i've gone nuts over). it's done except for the binding...hopefully tonight! i have no idea when i will have a photo as our camera is on the fritz!! i'll have to borrow a friends again!(thanks loren or lura!)

anywhooooo.....later we'll head to the farm to grab more veggies. my box from the market on thursday is already dwindling!!! the kids (and chris & me) go nuts over the organic heirloom tomatoes, corn, eggplant, yellow watermelon, peppers, squash, etc....its unbelievably delicious! it makes me happy to feed my family, i tell ya! can you see that i'm excited here??!!!!!!!!! (too much punctuation!!!)

alrighty....just wanted to check in...more depth next time! back to the quilt!

doh! very fun...

silly, i know, but stella just created this avatar of me...do it yourself here...i'm liking the bluish hair...waddyathink???

the tales of emma sofina

this is stella's imaginary sister...emma sofina. love the name, don't you? well lately emma has been into some trouble.
a little over a week ago stella sat down next to me and said, "mama, emma has been very bad."
i asked why? what has she done?
stella says, " last night, when her mama was asleep, she opened the door, went down the elevator and drove herself to the Bratz doll store." (stella's face is one of shock and horror, with a motherly disappointment)
i say, "oh wow, that's pretty dangerous (thinking motherly thoughts of...hmm is stella thinking of sneaking out? uh, no) what else?"
stella says, "then she bought herself a bratz doll, came home and put it right on the toy box! do you believe it!"
i sat there smiling, thinking...uh oh...she wants one of those horrifically (is that a word?) ugly and demoralizing dolls.
so i say, "stell, do you want a bratz doll"
she says in a whisper, while throwing her head back onto the pillow with eyes closed, "oh mama, i LOVE them"
holding in my giggles, i ask what it is about bratz dolls that she loves.
her answer: a dead on look into the eyes and a slight shake of the hair, " they are SO fashionable!"
my face sinking into shock and horror.

the next half hour or so was spent figuring out an alternatively fashionable yet mother-approved substitute. we settled on a groovy girl. but she had to earn it.

so time has passed and every day stella has made sure her room is spotless and beautiful. she has practiced her violin without argument. she has been helpful. not much of this is different from her normal life...except maybe the room part. so we head to the local target.

rushing down to the toy department, we spy the groovy girl section. we both stand in front of them with shoulders a little droopy and a smirk of, well, ok? they weren't so great...they weren't doing the trick. so stella says, "mama, maybe we can look around a little." i agree.

around the aisle is this little section of dolls called "only hearts club girls". a little homely looking. long barbie-style hair, but soft bodies and flat chests. i say, what the hey. she picks a bride with an accompanying everyday outfit named "olivia hope". stella is thrilled and loves her...so far i have not heard the word Bratz come from her lips.

and emma sofina?...well she is back to stunning behavior. in fact, she recently was playing with olivia along with stella.

don't you love a happy ending??