Dandelion Path

It’s me!

Sep 10, 2009

Hello all! I’m back again. I’ve been taking a break from Dandelion Path in order to pursue a simpler lifestyle. I had devoted too much headspace to too many things and needed to prioritize. While I enjoy Dandelion Path I cannot let it get in the way of giving my best to my family.

It’s recommended that bloggers write often to keep their readers interested. While I can understand the logic of this, it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle. Because I want to live healthily I value simplicity. Living simply requires me to decide what is most important in my life and to live like I believe it.

Though we may often be unaware of it our culture tends to idolize busyness. There is this idea that to get the most out of life we have to cram our schedules with activity. We might admire the Mom who does it all or think that someone who has more children is better than us because it keeps them “busy.” The “Supermom” and work-a-holic dad are viewed as ‘driven’ rather than out of balance. I would like to suggest that these ideas simply are not true.

And so, from now on I will be writing less because I’m choosing to devote myself fully to a FEW things rather than to everything. In so doing I can truly live life to the fullest!

Posted In: My Life • Comments (1)

Carrot-Cake Cookies

May 28, 2009

Mmmm, desserts! What would life be like without them? Eating healthily is a huge passion of mine but to be honest, I enjoy the act of making sweets more. This may come as a shock, but I don’t actually “healthilize” my desserts. I figure I’d rather indulge in the real thing and do it only occasionally than compromise on taste by adding whole-wheat flour or breaking the bank by using a cup of honey. There is one thing that I always use though, and that’s butter (rather than margarine or processed oils). We actually go through a LOT of butter in our house. :)

My favorite desserts are ones that incorporate veggies or fruits into them such as banana bread or zucchini bread. I recently came across another recipe that I really like by Martha Stewart. They’re called “Carrot-cake cookies” and while they don’t totally taste like carrot cake, they ARE delicious! With a cream cheese “filling” they’re a bit fancier than the average cookie and totally scrumptious! I did substitute raisins for the currants.

Martha Stewart: Carrot-Cake Cookies

Here’s another version that I’d like to try that includes crushed pineapple:
Allrecipes: Carrot-Cake Cookies

Posted In: In the Kitchen • Comments (4)

Cloth Diapers

Apr 22, 2009

Diapers. It’s a reality every parent faces (unless you’re doing infant potty training). For an eco-friendly and cost-efficient option, cloth diapers can’t be beat! There are SO many different options available now.

With my first daughter I used the the cheap chinese pre-fold diapers and pins that you can buy in most stores. They didn’t absorb well though and the pins were hard for me to manage so I couldn’t stick with it. I admire our mothers who raised all their kids on rubber pants that are a pain to get off and pins that poked them! Some women still use these! If you’re one of these women, way to go! :) With my newest daughter I decided to try what they call, “modern cloth diapers” and they have turned out to be so easy! I actually prefer them to disposables! They breath a lot better so they don’t smell quite as bad.

If you are considering cloth diapers, here are a few recommendations that I’ve been using:
Diapers:
Crickett’s Diapers This is a fitted diaper made of hemp.
Pros: They are VERY absorbent and hardly EVER leak. They’re really easy to put on with snaps that create a custom fit for your child as they grow. There are two sizes with this diaper, one for infants, and one for toddlers. I like that these diapers are made with hemp (although they now offer them in cotton as well). Hemp is naturally anti-bacterial and more eco-friendly than other fabrics. The Bummis covers that they recommend didn’t work well for me though. They leaked a lot and didn’t fit my daughter well. I recommend Thirsties diaper covers instead.
Cons: These diapers are less expensive than other fitted diapers but more expensive than pre-folds. Also, after several months of use they started to have a slight smell to them and I had to change my laundry routine to help keep it away. Hemp is workable but IS a bit more work in the laundering department. They also take a bit longer to dry because they are so thick.

Cloth-eez Prefold Diapers
Pros: These pre-folds are very good quality and absorb well. I chose these over the other pre-folds due to them being the highest rated pre-fold diaper on the Diaper Pin forums. They are a fraction of the cost of fitted diapers! It’s also nice that they dry much quicker. A must with these diapers is the “Snappi” fastener. It is SO much nicer than the old pins! The cheapest source I found for them was at Sweet Baby Bottoms.
Cons: The only downside of these that I’ve found so far is they leak occasionally when they get really full and when my daughter poops in them the poop sometimes gets on the cover. Otherwise, I love them! You can’t beat the price for the quality you get!

Waterproof diaper covers:
Thirsties Thirsties diaper covers have been the best investment I’ve made with cloth diapering! Thanks to their design incorporating leg gussets they work extremely well. They come very highly recommended on the Diaper Pin forums. Combined with Crickett’s diapers my daughter can go all night without leaks no matter how full the diaper is! I wouldn’t use anything else! There are a lot of online stores that sell these but I got mine on sale at Teeni Banini.

Wet Bags: These are a must with cloth diapering on the go. I bought a couple of large ones from Sarah’s Stitches that have worked very well and were inexpensive. You can also find a variety of wet bags on Etsy.

Detergent: After doing a lot of researching I decided on getting a cheap store brand. It works great at getting out the smell without harming the diapers. Here’s a chart to help you find the right detergent:
Detergent Choices

Diaper Rash Salve: Northern Essence This diaper “ointment” is great because it doesn’t cause buildup on the cloth diapers, it smells great, works well and is in a convenient push tube so you don’t even have to get your hands dirty!

As to how I care and launder my diapers, I follow the procedure suggested at this Cloth Diapering University. Doing the “dry pail” method has worked out really well for me. It’s SO much nicer than the “wet pail” method where you have to rinse the diapers and soak them in poopy water.

If you’re interested in trying cloth diapers and have any questions, just let me know.

Posted In: Green Living | Parenting | Pregnancy • Comments (1)

Companion Planting in the Vegetable Garden

Apr 03, 2009

Spring is here and it’s time to plan out our gardens! If your hope is to grow an organic vegetable garden I highly recommend looking into using ‘companion planting’ to help. Basically when certain veggies, herbs or flowers are planted near each other, they can compliment each other by producing larger yields or controlling bad insects. There are a lot of companion planting charts online but I found the following guide to be particularly helpful:
Companion Planting Guide

Posted In: Gardening • Comments (1)

Health and Wellness Fair - Grand Rapids

Mar 25, 2009

If you live in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area you should know about the Genesis Health and Wellness Fair this Saturday, March 28th from 10am to 3pm. This free event will feature over 50 exhibitors as well as several workshops by holistic & natural health experts. There will even be some events for kids! I have connections with several of the exhibitors so I’m super excited about going! My midwife will even be one of the exhibitors! I think it will be great not only to get more information concerning health but also just to be around like-minded people. Living a natural lifestyle can be lonely sometimes in our current culture. It will be good to be with others who value whole foods, holistic health & sustainable living.