Mount Schank

We recently took the goslings for a walk around the rim of Mt Schank.  It's one of the youngest volcanos in Australia, last erupting only 4500 years ago.

It's a short but steep walk up (mostly stairs) and then about 2kms around the top.  Whatever the weather is at home, it always blustery and threatening to rain whenever we're there, but worth the risk.  The views stretch to the sea in one direction and over farmland in every other.  Beautiful.

Cloth nappies

I'm a big fan of cloth nappies. Over the last two years we've experimented with all sorts of designs and combinations and without a doubt Baby Beehinds are the best. They're super absorbent, they don't leak and they have fitted both goslings from about 2 months to 2.5 years (I got the multifits which mean you don't have to buy different sized nappies).

 I forked out a LOT (nearly $700) for a complete set of nappies and covers and boosters but I've done the sums and we broke even when Miss Gosling was about 12 months old.  It would have been sooner but she was in disposables overnight and for 7 weeks while we were away from home. According to some cloth nappy advocates, it costs about 4c per cloth nappy for the water, electricity and detergent it takes to wash them. Compared to about 40c per Huggie. And we use rain water, and a cold wash, so I'm guessing it's even less. It's a no brainer.

We do put the babies in Huggies overnight though. I found the cloth nappies always leak overnight, even with a booster. And it's not a good idea to use nappy rash creams with them, because they clog up the cloth. So one Huggie and some bottom cream overnight keeps the babies dry and prevents nappy rash.

Cloth nappies drying on the verandah clothes line.

Now I've got two babies in cloth nappies and winter is fast approaching. The flip side of super absorbent nappies is the time it takes for them to dry. Since the cold wet weather set in, we've lit the fire and got out the drying racks. The nappies dry in about 24 hrs in front of the fire. That little hassle, combined with my growing aversion to toddler poo, is motivating me to toilet train Miss Gosling. That adventure will start soon. I'll keep you posted!

For all your cloth nappy questions:

http://nappynetwork.org.au/content/about-us

Mount Gambier has a natural parenting group as well - lots of mums with experience of cloth nappies, as well as homeschooling, immunisation issues, organic food for kids etc etc.  Message me for more details.