Handmade Baby Love

The room is coming along. But there are delays along the way... (like the basement flooding?!?) keeping me from completeing projects within the time frame I plan on. Sigh.
Currently mid-project are the curtains, but becuase of the basement situation, I can get to my sewing machine right now, as there is a matress on top of it. Whoa. Not good.
In other news the Husband and I just celebrated our 28 and 26 birthdays (respectively) and you'll never ever believe what I got for my b-day!!!

Isn't she lovely? And she makes just the prettiest seams and I feel all professional and a little bit invincible! This should speed along some of those baby projects... no?

Anyway... in the mean time I have been putting around ETSY becuase it is addictive and fun... and found lots of fun handmade baby stuff that my child just might need... Wanna see?
Lets start with this little dude... cute no? And Mama P loves that is is wool (remember my natural fibers love and how we especially love the naturally anti-microbial properties of wool?)

WOOL HIPPO

And I love this handmade wooden rattle... you can have it personalised with a name phrase or whatever you want. I love the dark walnut: (they have lots of other way cool wooden teethers and toys in their shop as well... you should definitely check it out.)

WOODEN RATTLE

 I think this dinosaur graphic is precious:


DINO TEE

 Hopefully you won't be too scandalized by this next item, but I'm having a boy. I hear these can be handy... and I especially enjoy the 'green' print:

TINKLE TENTS

And while we are admiring green things... I am pretty taken with this mobile. It looks light and fluttery, but would be a stunning addition to my nursery, no?

RUSTLING LEAVES MOBILE

Have you ever found yourself lost on etsy creating a wishlist of wonderful things for your loved ones (or... ahem, yourself?). I kinda love it. Tell me what you found...
And I will keep working away at my own handmade baby projects and have something to share with you soon!

(Finally) Baby P's Furniture

I mentioned in a previous post that we are on a budget for our nursery... A budget that didn't allow for all new furniture. And I had some furniture in that room already. It was my furniture set that I got for my 12th birthday. It's pretty simple, classic design. Nothing life changing. And little bit country chic (perhaps minus the chic part) with it's light knotty oak finish. But it's sturdy. And it's ours. And it's...

 

Completely not the look I had in mind for my nursery.

A quick jaunt around the interwebs to discount furniture sites and even craigslist quickly made me realize that purchasing a new (or new-to-us used) set of furniture would be out of the question. We just couldn't justify that kind of money. And even though I knew I should be content and just work with what I had...

I didn't want to.
So I pouted.
And I thought.

And I wondered if I could refinish the furniture?
Negative, ghost writer.
It's not real wood. It's particle board. Laminate junk. Still sturdy. But particle board nonetheless. You can't sand and stain that junk. Can I paint it? Well... I didn't really want traditional flat white furniture for Baby P's room, because I was hoping the furniture would be stuff we could keep around for a long time. You know... grow with it. I didn't want it to look too juvenile. Also, you may recall that we really wanted (and therefore purchased... well, grandma and grandpa purchased) a new crib in espresso finish. Nice and modern and classy. And a far cry from the fake light oak particle board furniture in the rest of the room.

So I dared to think something I swore to myself I would never ever think, much less include in my decor. (I think I was tainted by the 90's sponge painting craze? That my mother embraced whole heartedly in every room of our house.) I dared to think... maybe... just maybe... I could do some kind of a faux-finish that wouldn't look terrible.
And then I cringed at that word.
Faux-finish.
Gross.
I took my pregnant but determined self to the Home Depot to figure it out. Got in an argument with my husband about whether or not you can stain particle board (you can't, Z. You just can't.). Got into an argument with the sales associate about whether or not you can use an interior glaze medium on furniture (You definitely can, associate. You suck at your job. Go read a crafty blog and be schooled.) And stomped out of the store annoyed but undeterred.
I shared my plan with my husband who looked at me skeptically and didn't think it would work. I shared my plan with my parents who looked at me skeptically and didn't think it would work. I shared my plan with my friend Joy who said... "Okay. Want me to come help?"
Bingo. She gets one million points for the correct response. Z and my parents are in the hole.

Everything sanded... and the bureau in the bottom right corner is primed

So here's the plan:
Step 1: SAND    Step 2: PRIME    Step 3: PAINT    Step 4: GLAZE   Step 5: TOPCOAT    Step 6: Sip lemonade on the patio and revel in my brilliance and how easy that whole thing was.
Should take me 3 days--tops-- including a whole afternoon for sipping and reveling.
I was wrong.
This project took me the better part of three weeks to complete. About halfway through our dear sweet child found that nice sciatic nerve in my spine and dedicated his evenings to pressing his skull into it with all the force his 10 oz. would let him. And it was enough to take me down and bring me to tears regularly. Z says I am not allowed to swear around the baby now that he can 'hear' us. I am pretty sure I was swearing AT the baby during this process. Not gonna win me mother of the year, I know. But DANG that was some evil nasty thing to do to one's mom. That's all I'm saying about that.

It just took forever. After sanding and priming (which took up the first week...) it took 4 coats of the chocolate brown to cover the furniture. Four coats! Four hours drying time between coats. 9 drawers, 2 cabinets, bureau and dresser... four coats. Heaven help me. I thought I would never get through. Then I glazed the thing in black to create a faux-finish (cringe) wood grain. Then 2-3 coats of the safecoat acrylacq.  Stick a fork in me. I am SO DONE with this project.
Last night I finally... FINALLY reassembled everything and installed all the new hardware and...
I love it! It looks good, faux finish and all. And I am sad my photography isn't better and you can't see it well, but check out the fake-out wood grain from the glaze on my glossy drawer fronts:

Pretty, no?

Lots of shelf space inside those doors and two big drawers.


I love it.

This will be the changing table, and count those 7 drawers for storage and little clothes!

I am so proud.
And... the non-believers?
Well, my husband is super impressed with the finished product. "It looks like real wood grain... like it was made that way, not refinished in a stuffy room in our house," he said. Yup.
My parents are baffled by the transformation. My dad keeps saying... " When you told me your plan I thought it was going to look terrible and cheap. But this looks really nice-- classy and professional." Yup.
So two thumbs up from them.
And even though it wasn't CHEAP (you know, not as cheap as just using what we had) it was a lot cheaper than buying new stuff, and it looks stellar, and as I have more time than money right now... the time investment to save money but still have fab furniture was worth it to me. And the whole thing still cost under $100 for classy brand-new looking furniture. I am very happy.

Price breakdown:
Primer and Chocolate brown interior paint: $16
Glazing medium and tint: $14
Safecoat Acrylacq: $27
New hardware (17 knobs!): $38
TOTAL: $95.00

One more look...

All About Diapers

*I realize this post is one of those mommy posts that have limited appeal. If you are of the non-mommy variety, or you are and don't want to hear about more diapers than you are already having to deal with... my apologies for the following offending post. Check back in a few days and I *hopefully* will have some diaper-free furniture refinishing to share.*
*For those of you not alarmed by posts with 'diapers' or 'poo' in the title... or those who really like to share your opinions and experiences... read on, and be ready to share your 2 cents by the end...

Ah, diapers.
You knew it was coming. I knew it was coming. We have both been avoiding it, haven't we? But we can't skirt the subject. I am a pregnant mama, I am going to have a bundle of joy soon enough, and though I don't know a lot about child-rearing and babies at this point, I have gathered that they poop. A lot. And apparently... it's my responsibility to figure out what to do with it.
Being a mom is SO GLAMOROUS. (am I the only who can't type that word without singing the Fergie song in my head to remember the spelling? Yes? I am a little ashamed to admit that. sigh.)
So here I am bright eyed and bushy tailed, excited about being a mom, and trying to figure out how I will handle the poo, and really, how complicated can it be? And then I find out...
Turns out, it can get pretty darn complicated.

Or not.
Or sometimes you have to make decisions about how complicated you are willing to let it be... but those decisions are not just about ease of your own life, but also reflect your thoughts and feelings toward the environment, your financial situation, whether or not you plan to be a SAHM or if you child will be in daycare... oh my.

And once you make a few of the major decisions... cloth or disposables? Diaper service or self laundering? Chlorine free? Organic? Biodegradable? Wait-- Hybrids? How does that even work???
Then you have about a billion different brands or styles to choose from... Huggies? Pampers? G diapers? Prefolds? Pockets? AIO?
Never realized so much thought would go into dealing with poo.
Really. I didn't.
So I have been doing research. Yes. I researched diapers. I decided for my family, for our financial situation and available resources, and our personal views and preferences... we are going to cloth diaper route.
(And before the 'sposie believers get their panties in a wad, please know that I don't really know what your views and preferences are and I don't judge you or say that your choice is wrong because it's different than mine... this seems like the best choice for us based on our situation, opinions, and research. Amen.)
So here I am, first major decision under my belt. Cloth. Yay.

Now. What next?
After extensive research I decided the most economical route would be the prefold/cover route. Especially because I have this new hippie addiction to all things organic cotton, this was the cheapest way to keep lovely natural fibers next to my child's bum. Important to me. I acknowledged that it would take an extra step in diapering the child, (prefold, then cover) but countered that argument with: neither of us (myself and Z) know how to diaper a child anyhow, so we won't know the difference if this is what we learn.
Next step: Present researched decision to husband in concise 3 point lecture complete with powerpoint.
Okay. I didn't really do that.
The powerpoint part, that is. As for the well researched concise lecture... even though my delivery was flawless... it met great resistance. I have to do what? You mean we can't just put the thing in the trash? We reuse them, is that sanitary? It's gonna smell. Wait-- a diaper AND a cover? This seems way too difficult.
VETO.
But think of the money it will save us!
Apparently an unsure babydaddy dealing with an extra 30 seconds of baby poo is not worth the money it will save us. Back to the drawing board.

I still don't want to go the regular old disposable route. Listen there are chemicals and junk in there that I am not comfortable with. So I research some of the unbleached and chlorine free disposable options out there, and I do feel a little better about that... until I see the cost, and go, HUH. $2000/yr for diapers? I am SO not into that.
Back to the drawing board, again. I gotta go the cloth route. I can't see incurring ongoing expense for something we could purchase once.
Pocket diapers seem like an unnecessary mess... and not that different from the prefold system, soooo... All in ones it is. I have been mostly resistant to AIO's because of the expense (about twice the cost of prefold and cover) and it seems to me that they would be harder to get really clean. The benefit is they would function (as far as the putting it on the kid) exactly like a disposable... so should be less confusing for the befuddled babydaddy and skeptical grandparents (who, yes, have put their 2 cents in too.)
After reading, blogs, websites, reviews, anything i could get my hands on with info about cloth diapering and laundering and care... I decided... that we would go the AIO route. I could even get an organic AIO. So Hippie Mama's heart is happy.

Wait-- did I just select the most expensive cloth diaper on the market? Oh, I absolutely did. (that's actually a  lie, I could have been the organic wool lady, but i am not crazy, okay?) Butseriouslyfolks, these puppies are not cheap.
So much for being economical, you say? Well... LOOK HERE judgy-judgemental pants... If I buy a set of 12 of these diapers (which is the amount I have determined should be appropriate for our needs. Some places recommend 18, but many say you can get by with just 12, so that's where we are starting. Might we find we want/need more? Uh huh. Those can be purchased at a later date if the need arises, but I don't want to end up with more than we can use and wasted $$$, right?) My cost is around $265. GULP. That seems like a lot. But... that lump sum is the only $265 i will spend on diapers as long as my kid is in them. Oh, well that's not as bad. And if we have more kids... we can use them for baby #2, or #3... (I'm not going to go on, you get the idea. No, we are not the Duggers, we aren't having 40 kids, but we may have a few). And if you start to break it down that way... you start to go, well, okay, that makes a little more sense. I guess the price isn't really bad after all...
Nah, it's not really bad after all.
The BabyDaddy Discussion round 2:
So it's just like putting on and taking off a disposable then? Yup.
And we only need 12? Yup.
What happens when we use 12? We wash them.
And what if we don't want to wash them that soon? I'm... fairly certain if you have a bag of 12 soiled diapers 'wanting to wash' will have a different meaning to you.
Is it gonna smell? Sorry, Kid, Poo smells no matter what kind of diaper you put it in.
Can we have disposables around just in case? Absolutely.
Oh, yeah that's another thing... I'm not really an all or nothing person. So yeah, we'll have disposables around for when we travel, when take the kid to the babysitter, or when we have one too many blowouts-- beyond what our diaper supply can handle. I mean, ideally, we would use all cloth all the time, and everyone would be cool with it and accommodating, but this is REAL-land and that may not always 100% be a possibility.
Allllllllsoooo... I plan to have wet bags that will hang to the side of our dresser to store the dirty stuff... and imagine that we will be doing (diaper) laundry every other day. I also included flannel wipes and liners and other cloth diaper accessories on my registry... And I feel confident about the plan we have in place. But... not SO confident that I am unwilling to change it up should it not all go the way I plan. I like to work that kind of wiggle room into my life... and cut myself some slack... I've heard new-mommy-hood can be a bear at times.

So I guess my plan in a nutshell is to go the cloth AIO route (as often as possible, but not beating myself up over the times when it is not). And I know many of you with much more experience than I have are reading this shaking your head at my optimism and idealism... or something like that...
But anyway, I wanna know... What does your diapering system look like? What products have you/do you/will you use? Any diapering secrets or advice you *wish* someone would have told you way back when... ???

Please share!

Baby Space Design: Part III

(And decidedly the least exciting post of the three... but i thought it was at least worth sharing.)
If you have been about the blogging scene at all, you probably have heard about Pinterest. I was a little late to the pinterest craze, but once i was on board, I was hooked. For those of your who don't know much about pinterest... it's like crack for list makers. (ha!) It's an simple, visual way to catalogue ideas and images you find on the internet. It's also... a HUGE time suck. (just being honest here, don't say you weren't warned.)
However... it has been an invaluable tool for me as I have been collecting ideas for Baby P's room... and so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share what I've found with you. (*Note: I am not advertising for Pinterest, I am not being paid to share this. Pinterest doesn't even know I exist, I could drop dead tomorrow and pinterest would never know the difference. I just enjoy their site, and wanted to share with you!)
On my Baby Space Inspiration Board, I have everything from cool rooms I would like to emulate

Source: blogs.babycenter.com via Valerie on Pinterest

To toys and mobiles I think are creative and inspiring:

Source: etsy.com via Valerie on Pinterest

To tutorials and patterns for projects I want to complete:

Source: younghouselove.com via Valerie on Pinterest

Fun, right? And helpful?
You can check out my whole BABY SPACE INSPIRATION board with TONS more ideas and inspiration if you wanna see what kind of things have been flying through my brain. (If you wanna become a follower of my junk, that would make me feel extra special too!) 

Baby Space Design: Part II

I don't really like the word 'nursery'. I am not really sure why. It conjures images of many screaming snotty nosed children in an understaffed room at a church that smells like dirty diapers and stale graham crackers. Or something like that. I can't bring myself to call Baby P's room a 'nursery', it just grosses me out. So we have been calling it Baby P's room, or 'the baby space'. Hence the title of these posts.
That was only a little off topic.
OKAY. The other day I shared some things I liked about other baby spaces... today I would like to share some things I would like for mine/an inspiration board I am working from as I design the room. I was trying to get a good feel for all my colors and design ideas in one spot... inspiration board! (this is the first i have ever put together, so I know it's a tad shoddy and slapped together, but it's serving it's purpose even if it's not beautiful.) My over-all vision for the room is a soothing, creative place with lots of interesting, layered textures and bold prints. Did you follow that?

Anyway, It looks like this:

1. Mirror: I actually found a turquoise blue, round tiled mirror at HomeGoods. It was the first thing I purchased for the room. It was the perfect color, just a little shine and whimsy, and completely lovely and inspiring. I spent more than I should have on one piece... but it was my inspiration piece! (cue baffled husband shaking his head at me.) The one I purchased is not the same as pictured here, but similar, but way cooler. :)
2. Tile: we were at this icecream shop a couple days after we found out we were pregnant, and they had pretty little green glass tiles all over the walls, and I loved it. I told Z I was going to tile the baby's room. He said NO. Spoil sport. I was walking through Home Depot the other day, and I saw similar green glass tiles (meant for a back splash, or bathroom, or something) and I was like... hmmmm... I already have a blue tiles mirror, I wonder if I could tile something else in the green. I love the texture and the look and think it would be a lovely addition. I may attempt some picture frames or something, verdict is still out.
3. Throw pillows: I want throw pillows and some chunky blankets about the room. I want it to feel super cozy. I loved these particular throw pillows because the colors were perfect and i thought the numbers were adorable.
4. Rug: Hmmm... yes, this is the same rug in the picture from the previous post. I... love the BOLD pattern and the fact that it's black and white... I hear kids are supposed to like looking at that junk. Considering bold black and white curtains as well.
5/7. Furniture: This is not our EXACT crib and dresser, but very similar. In espresso finish like this. Brushed nickel hardware. There is some debate over whether or not it's okay to put black and white with espresso brown furniture. I say, it's good, the wood is a 'nuetral' in the room, not a 'color' in the theme... if that makes sense. Z says, you can't put brown and black next to each other. Period. What do you think? We also purchased an upholstered rocker in a beige-y color. I wanted white, Z said absolutely not, we would never keep it clean. Then I lobbied for aqua or green, and Z made the point that I would change my mind about color at least 6 times within the first year we bought it, and I would be unhappy that I hadn't chosen a neutral color that would transition easily into a different room. So boring beige. But I did sway him toward a lovely, fat, texture-y corduroy. So I feel like we both came out happy (plus, we found out AT THE REGISTER as I was biting my nails over the extravagant cost... that the rocker and ottoman we had selected were 20% off!!! At first I asked the lady if she had rung it up wrong... nope, it was a sale. I did a happy dance. The chair came in right at $100 under the budget I had set for us. We are furniture shopping rock stars, just in case you didn't know.)
6. Fan: This would be a random accent, but how cute and perfectly colored would an aqua vintage fan be? I have got my eye on a few online... if you see one at a thrift store, snatch it up for me, please and thank you!
8. Ottoman Pouf: Our chair has an ottoman... but I love the chunky knit and pop of color this knit pouf would add to the room. I am thinking something like this, or a bean bag or something squishy to put in the corner with all of Baby P's books would make a lovely book nook for reading time... especially as the squirt gets older (tear, I am pretty sure that thought already breaks my heart) and needs a place to flop down and play.
9. Fun Accents: Yes this is also the same Dog Lamp from the previous post. I am in love with it. I probably won't have this lamp, but I love the idea of fun, quirky accents throughout the room. I am not a 'theme' kind of person. There will not be a 'dog' theme because I like this dog lamp, or a 'penguin' theme because I think I giant stuffed penguin in the corner would be hilarious... but no themes, okay? Fun kitschy accents... yes. Themed baby rooms... no. Glad we are all clear on that now.
10. Wall Color: After much deliberation we selected this cool, kinda aqua-y blue color. I painted a sample on the wall, and it's perfect. I can't wait to get the whole wall covered. It's gonna be awesome.
11. Closet color: Yup, we are painting the inside of our closet. We are also ditching the closet door that has been broken and annoying forever. And my handy daddy is coming over to help us put in another bar and some shelving, so it will look kinda like a built in rather than a closet and I am hoping that will help reduce the temptation to shove and hide stuff in there... because there will be no door. The color is bright and happy, and is a lovely POP next to the more subdued blue hue. It's going to be great! :)

And... that was a lot of text. Did you stick with me? If you did, you get a gold star. YAY.
Other things about the room: we have a dresser and a bureau (with 11 drawers of luxurious space to fill with baby things!) that I am re-finishing. Yup, using what we got, rather than breaking the bank for new 'baby specific' stuff (i.e. changing table... yeah, we'll just put a pad on our dresser, and I think everyone will survive.)
Also I have decided to make my own bedding, rather than buying an expensive set. I get to customize my patterns and won't have items I don't want like... crib bumpers (which are, at best unnecessary, at worst a suffocation hazard.) I will be making a few other items, like a hamper liner, coordinating changing pad cover, etc. with the help of my mum. Because we are crafty and sew-y like that.
I have my eyes out for cool mobile ideas or just interesting stuff to hang from the ceiling about the room so Baby P's little eyes don't get bored.
We have an ugly ceiling fan in there. Yucky looking brass and white. Z won't let me get rid of it... we don't have the $ in our budget to replace it... I am thinking of spraying the brassy part black. Or maybe everyone's fav ORB, if Z wins the black/white/brown argument.
Z is rather concerned I am going to make the room 'too pretty'. And while I too desire that it be masculine and appropriate for our Baby boy, I also kinda feel like, other than our child, I will be spending more time in there than anyone else. I want it to be a room that I find comfortable and appealing as well. I am fairly certain our infant will not suffer too much gender confusion from an occasional paisley print thrown in with all the manly stripes and whathaveyou.

Now it's opinion and input time:
How do you feel about the black/white against brown wood furniture scenario?
What items were essential in your baby room, what do you wish you had skipped?
Was your baby room one you spent time in and enjoyed, or just for sleeping and baby business?
What kinds of items did you thrift or create yourself for your kiddo's room?
Did you catch the understated announcement earlier in the post? Don't know what I'm talking about? I'll give you a minute to re-read-- try that last paragraph-- I'll wait.

Waiting...

Did you catch it?
Ah! Clever you!
That's right, Baby P is a BOY. We found out at our first sonogram a couple weeks ago. (I was nervous about finding out, and made the tech double check about 4 times. She was confident in her prediction and sent us home with reassuring anatomy pictures of our little munchkin.) We couldn't be more excited to have a little boy. We think little boys are extra amazing! (I kinda thought it was a boy all along, so I felt pretty good about being right. HA!)
So now... we are just crossing our fingers for red hair...

Baby Space Design: Part 1

I am not much of a decorator.
But I want a FABULOUS room for my kiddo.
But I have to work within a budget.
SIGH.
I hate budgets. SO restricting.
And I love them. It's kinda like a challenge... how will I make my dream room happen for that much?
Even before we thought about Baby P ever being a part of our lives... we were saving $$ for the day he might. That being said, it's not like the project is bankrolled... but I have a respectable $400 to work with for my Nursery. Some of you might be in shock to be limited to such an amount, some of you might wonder what you would do with all the surpluss... I am somewhere inbetween. It is a budget that is enabling and challenging for me at the same time. Soooo... Thats where I am at.
I know I can stay within that budget with some thrifty and crafty projects... and a little bit of luck. (cross your fingers for me!)

Every project has to start with some inspiration. In this case I found pictures of two different nurseries I really liked. And I would love to have exact copies of either of these rooms in my house... but thats obviously not going to happen. So I went through and identified the elements in each of these rooms that really spoke to me.


Photos found HERE and HERE

1. I really like this wall color... for boy or girl. The pale, soothing, blue/green color is lovely, and still 'baby' without being immature or obnoxious

2. I like the bold pops of color and design added by accent pillows throughout the room

3. (hard to see on the left) fabric line basket... probably for laundry? I would probably all a liner in a bright coordinating fabric, anything to make laundry more appealing, right?

4. BOLD patterned rug... I love it. Particularly the black and white, I am sure Baby P will find that fascinating too. :)

5. Cute, quirky, unique and 'boyish' touches, like this dachsund lamp. Cute and fun.

6. (Hard to see in this pic, but...) Coordinating, textured bed skirt brings in more color and layers texture and patterns.

7. Chunky, textury, rug or throw.

8. Comfy, but modern looking chair/rocker (with more bright throw pillows)

9. Bold/bright patterned drapes to the floor add height to the look... as well as color and texture layers.

10. Lime/aqua color combo is lovely, I love that they chose to paint the ceiling (and also the inside of the closet, not pictured) with the aqua color.

I am not much into 'themes' and 'baby' looking nurseries. Jungle animals and winnie the pooh and especially owls splashed accross the walls and the bedding make me wildly uncomfortable. I would like something that is colorful, but soothing at the same time. Something with layered patterns and textures that is interesting to look at. But also (and maybe most importantly, as after Baby P, I will probably be seeing the room more than anyone else...) A room that I think is pretty and appealing and comfortable to be in.
What kinds of things do you find comforting, relaxing, interesting, or appealing in a room?



BEING A HIPPIE* IS EXPENSIVE!

(If you suffer through this text heavy rant post I promise to share some pictures and inspiration tomorrow... deal???)

*And I use the term 'hippie' loosely...

Photo

I am by no means a hippie, but I have recently become somewhat interested in more healthy, sustainable, or natural methods of feeding, caring for, and clothing my family. Not that I am anti technology and modern advances that make our life all the more conveinient-- but sometimes I feel as though that conveinience comes at too high a price. There are certain things I can and try to do to make our lives a little more 'green' and there are some decisions I would like to make for my family that would reduce our unnecessary exposure to unnecessary chemicals and additives in the products we consume.
Unfortunately, because being 'green' is trendy, or becuase the over processed way of doing things is cheaper, or some kind of combination of those two... The things I think are going to be best, safest, healthiest for my family are EXPENSIVE. Which just doesn't seem right.

Take the nursery for instance. **
1 quart of normal lacquer for finishing furniture = $8 (+ dangerous fume-y odors, chemicals, fermaldehyde, and danger of off-gassing. awesome.)
1 quart of safecoat Acrylacq for finishing furniture = $19 (but, you can't get it at local store, so have to special order it bringing your total after shipping to $27) (low odor and VOC, seals in off-gassing, esssentially making furniture 'non-toxic')
      One is obviously a healthier choice for my nursery and my baby and my pregnant state, but yikes! $19 difference in price?

5'x7' Chevron rug, made of acrylic or polypropalene = $100 (yay, stiff synthetic fibers that are not easily cleaned and easy to get nasty)
5'x7' Chevron rug, Wool = $270 (naturally water resistant and anti-microbial, plus super soft natural fibers. ahhh...)
     Once again, I think you can guess what my preference would be... but the price difference is steep.

And lets not even get me started on Organic cotton bedding vs. poly blends and chemically treated fabrics. Minky and fleece in all their synthetic goodness kinda give me the willies, I don't want to touch them! Look, like I said-- I have not gone off the deep end here, and I am not a hippie, as my friends and family have accused me. I am just trying to make the best and most healthy choices for my family and my baby. I am not insiting everything in our life be 100% certified recycled organic fairtrade eco-friendly green and natural... I mean, that would be awesome... but even the most dedicated of you 'green people' out there must admit that would be an outrageously difficult and expensive lifestyle.
I would simply like the option of putting my baby in a nursery with cozy natural fiber bedding and clothing,  and safe, chemical free furniture, walls, and toys. I want my baby to grow up healthy, and with a healthy understanding of being a good steward of resources and caretaker of God's amazing creation.
On my more dramatic days (oh come on, we all have those, right?) when I am lamenting the lack of organic resources, cloth diapering supplies, and eco-friendly paint at my immediate disposal my friends laugh at me and wonder when it was I became an off the wall green-obsessed hippie. But if fulfilling all the previously mentioned desires makes me a hippie, then I am most definitely NOT a hippie, becuase I can't afford it! Yeesh.


**I am a bad blogger who is not good at citing resources for my research, so when i put htose cost figures and junk up above, you are all, um, is she just pulling those numbers out of her bum? Nope. I can give you specific sites and whatnot where I found those prices and info... but i was just too lazy to actually look up the links in the middle of my pregnant lady rant. If it's important to you, contact me... I'll send you the info. :)