Family cloth

When I can spare the time, I've been serging up some new flannel wipes. After almost two years, I'm upgrading, wahoo! I got a lovely flannel sheet with a plaid that perfectly divides into 6 inch strips. The t-shirt wipes didn't feel absorbant enough. I found myself preferring my flannel/velour wipes, but not the velour side. Although the velour is very pretty and soft against your hand, one's um other bits don't like it as much. Live and learn.
So... 6 inch double thickness flannel it is.

Cloth pads

After cloth diapering a baby some eventually run into the question... Why am I using disposable products, when reusable clearly works for baby?
I've already shared that I made the leap to cloth toilet paper a few months ago. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'll have to date the next roll of TP, 'cause I think it took me two months to go through one roll.
As for feminine hygiene products, I haven't had a chance to use them yet, but I'm creating a stash of 'mama pads'. I got six from Dagny's Promise and six from Keep Your Baby Close. I also have a LunaPad I bought from Whole Foods a long time ago (I liked the idea, but just couldn't put it into practise). How many pads does one gal need? I have no idea, but I have a feeling mama pads are a lot like cloth diapers, underwear or shoes for some ladies... they are just fun to accumulate.
Since my pocketbook is pretty thin right now, I'm finally getting around to making some pads. I found Adahy's circle pad pattern that appeals to me. It is easy to make, the pattern is free and if I hang it on the drying line it won't be hugely obvious just what it is. No, the picture to the left is not my work. Mine are still in progress.

Going Green, Frugally

We used cloth diapers and homemade cloth baby wipes from the beginning. But there are more changes we've recently made that are happily both frugal and green.
Paper napkins are easy to replace with cloth.
We're working on switching off paper towels for cleaning. So far, my favorite for paper towel replacements are squares of doubled flannel.
Then there's toilet paper. The term used most often for cloth TP is "family cloth". If this is the first time you've encountered that concept, then take a moment, breath deeply. It takes a little time to get used to the idea. I waited at least a year before making the switch. Some people use cut up t-shirts, which is what I'm using now. But I think I'll be much happier with a combination of flannel and velour, like the wipes I made for baby. Cloth diapering mamas know that fabric softeners ruin cloth absorbancy. So, if you, or your t-shirt source, used fabric softener, your squares may not initially be as absorbant as desired. Some stripping may be necessary.
This article summarizes the changes you can make in the kitchen: How to Eliminate Paper Products in the Kitchen