From disposable...

...nappies to cloth was the focus of the last few days. It had been on my mind ever since I had thought about doing this challenge, in fact it's been on my mind ever since I found out I was pregnant, but until recently I was very very much against cloth and all for the disposable nappy.
It was my mum who first broached cloth nappies with me and I was very quick to shut her down. I was adamant I would not be using cloth and it was the end of the discussion, mainly because disposables are easy, and seemed relatively inexpensive when compared to fronting hundreds of dollars for some Modern Cloth Nappies (MCNs).
We have had a year buying disposables. Originally the only thing I considered was our immediate convenience, I didn't want to spend the time washing or even worry about it, but now the times are changing. I can no longer willingly put Lila in disposable nappies when I know the costs on the environment and our pocket. When I stop thinking about my immediate comfort and start to think where the nappies actually go, what happens to them and the benefits of putting Lila in cloth, it's really a no-brainer.
I'm lucky enough to have such a huge support network of mums from all walks of life who have offered me great support in making the decision to go cloth. I have had an avalanche of offers to trial their nappies, to have nappies made for Lila, to have people come over and demonstrate how they work, it has been such a humbling process. This week we received a nappy from a dear friend in Adelaide, and I ripped the packet open and fired up YouTube to try and get my MCN degree. Eventually I had the hang of it and on it went. Love at first sight, it was a winner! Someone also told me during the week that once I try it out and see how easy it really is I'll never go back, and I think they're right.
I went over to my mum's during the week to show her the nappy we were borrowing, it was pretty much a robot compared to the good old terry towel nappies she had me in but she loved it and was very excited. The transistion will be slow. As we aren't spending anything on new items we will have to slowly build up our stash from the buy, sell and swap sites, but eventually we will have enough to complete the switch.

I think she liked it too

Today marks a week since I filled the car with a full tank and it would normally be today that it would be ready for another tank. I am pleased to report it is still half full so we've made a huge improvement in our transport already! I think I'm finally over the withdrawals of junk food, and while I didn't have a lot to start with, I'm no longer craving these foods and reaching for the fruit bowl is really second nature now.

I have continued to use to home made washing powder and the dishwashing liquid. My hands are completely healed, how amazing is that! For those of you who were enquiring about the washing powder for washing cloth nappies, I'm pleased to report it works a treat!

Now it is time to enjoy a lovely warm summers night with Luke, watching movies hired from our local library and a yummy fresh fruit plate!