There’s a vicious cycle going on. We blog about something and then we live with it. And while we do, we tackle other stuff and blog about that. Lather, rinse, repeat. So we’re not always good about keeping you posted on those older things that we’ve already talked about since we’re so busy gabbing about new stuff. Which probably explains why we get asked for updates on a handful of things nearly every day. In other words: it’s about darn time we followed up. So here’s a nice juicy post full of a bunch of those updates for everyone.
Cloth diapers: Believe it or not, we’re still using the very same original 12 cloth diapers that we got back in 2010 before Clara was born. We haven’t bought any more, replaced any, or bought liners. And two years later they’re still working really well for us. We do put Clara in a disposable overnight (she finally started wetting through the cloth – something we heard might happen for a while, and finally did), but one a day is only seven a week, so it’s not bad at all. As for their shape, they’re still holding up really well. We do have a busted snap here or there (we’ve lost one snap on two of the twelve diapers, but it doesn’t keep them from staying on since there are multiple snaps on each side to hold them). Their color and fabric is in great condition and they look pretty close to new, actually.
Here’s the inside of them (these pics were taken yesterday):
We’re thrilled that we haven’t had to buy any more diapers for our stash or add extra liners (they’re all-in-ones, read more on them here) and they really do seem to be one size fits all since they’re still working for us even with Clara being about 300% bigger than she was at birth. So that’s the update on the cloth diaper front. Here’s the original post all about cloth diapering (which has tons of info in the post and the comment section) along with a one-year-in update post on the subject.
Karl The Sectional: Love him. Still looks the same and feels just as comfy after over a year of kid/dog abuse. The dark slipcovers (we went with Dark Sivik Gray, which is almost like denim and super durable) hide almost everything. So much that we haven’t had to wash them much, but when we do we use our own washer and dryer at home (ya don’t need an industrial one or anything) and they go back on and look great. I think different Karl fabrics have different rules – the Dark Sivik Gray fabric says “machine wash” but other fabric choices might be “dry clean only.” Our one minor complaint would be that the hold-it-in-place velcro to keep the chaise cushion from slipping out and hanging over the chaise like an overbite doesn’t catch correctly (it doesn’t seem to line up) so that cushion migrates out slowly over time. So every few weeks I notice and shove it back into the sofa. No biggie. Probably could just add a strip of velcro on the back that lines up to solve it once and for all. Here’s the original post about getting Karl.
Ed The Bed: He’s the other man in our life from Ikea (Swedish product names like Karlstad and Edland made for some pretty easy nicknames) and we’ve been very happy with him. Still sturdy and comfortable, so when we collapse into bed at 1am after some DIY extravaganza (gotta get stuff done while the kiddo sleeps) we’re happy to be there. Here’s the original post about getting Ed.
ORB’ed hardware: This is something a bunch of you guys have wanted an update on, so here it is, complete with pics. Stuff still looks mint. Admittedly we don’t use the front door (or the doorknocker) very frequently, but here are some shots that I took yesterday of them:
On the other hand, we open the sunroom slider and the door that leads outside at least ten times a day to let Burger in and out and they’re also still doing great. So we would definitely recommend this method (sanding them with something very high grit is going to be our approach when we tackle the interior knobs someday) and we’ll keep you posted if they suddenly start giving us trouble.
Kitchen lab stools: We have only had these bad boys a few months, but we sit on them numerous times a day and usually eat dinner on them, and for $33 a chair, they couldn’t be better. Would I want to lounge in them for six hours while watching The Titanic on repeat? No. Are they comfy for proofreading book layouts, eating dinner, writing cards, paying bills, laptop usage or any other thirty-minute-to-an-hour-long activity? Absolutely. I would warn you that to get them without the back might seriously compromise the comfort-factor, since the awesome flexing back seems to be one of the things that makes them so comfy. Here’s a link to the original post about finding our kitchen stools.
Chair in Clara’s room: I probably logged five hours a week of nursing Clara for fourteen whole months in this chair, along with John and I sitting down to read Clara the occasional story (which still occurs) – so for our family, this chair has been great. That’s not to say that some of my very best friends don’t swear by a cushy rocking/swivel chair, but perhaps from getting used to nursing everywhere (in a parked car at Target? Check.) it’s actually one of the more cozy places. The rounded shape supported my arms in a nice way (an armless slipper chair might be a nursing challenge if you’re completely zonked and want somewhere to rest your arms) and we always keep an ottoman or pouf nearby for putting the ol’ feet up. Totally worked for me. Here’s a link to the original chair-finding post and the nursery reveal post about our $20 thrift store chair.
White cabinets: Sometimes people ask if white cabinets get dirty or are hard to keep clean, and perhaps we’re just used to them (we had them in our first house’s kitchen for over four years before moving here) but we always think they look clean by nature (after all, they’re bright white). And since cabinet paint is completely scrubbable, they definitely don’t seem high maintenance to us. It’s not like white fabric (which can be stained) since cabinet paint like the alkyd stuff we used is slick, durable, and can be cleaned with a wet rag, sponge, or paper towel (you know, because spaghetti sauce happens).
We probably wipe away some random cabinet splatter once or twice a week for a total of sixty seconds spent cleaning them. As for dusting them, we have yet to do this since painting them in December, and they still don’t have any dust collecting around the inset rectangle part, perhaps because it’s pretty shallow and angled as opposed to shelf-like (it did collect there in our old kitchen with shaker cabinets, so once every month or so I’d run a microfiber cloth over them – no biggie). Here’s a link to the original cabinet-painting post with more info about the process/result in the post and the comment section for ya.
White Corian: We’re much happier with our Corian (in Glacier White) than we feared we might be. We worried it would be a pain to keep clean and although we read that it was nonporous, we worried that something would somehow seep into it and stain. But so far, we have had zero staining issues (even with things like strawberry juice and spaghetti sauce), zero scratches (we hear white Corian is the best about not getting scratched up), and they’re easy to keep clean. We always wiped down our old counters every night before bed anyway, and they were veiny granite so nothing showed – which was a problem! We’d find a glob of peanut butter from three nights ago on the counter that we somehow missed. So gross! It’s nice to see everything and just swipe it all down and wake up to a sparkly white room.
The one thing we’ve heard is that you can crack Corian by setting a searing hot pan down on it, but in our last house even with granite we used trivets, so that’s just part of our routine anyway. But the best thing about them has been the zero seams thing. In our first kitchen crumbs would build up or get caught in the seams, but without them our entire counter with our undermount sink is truly seamless, so it’s so nice to sweep things into the sink without hitting any little divots where those seams are. When we ordered our Corian we didn’t even know it was a seamless material, so that was a total unexpected bonus. Here’s a link to our original post about choosing Corian and a post about getting it installed, both with tons of info in the post and the comment section for ya.
Open shelves: Love is a conservative adjective for how we feel about them. Sometimes I want to kiss them. Open mouthed. They’re definitely not for everyone, but we use the things on them so frequently that they don’t have time to get dusty. And you should see me unload the dishwasher or set the table, it takes two seconds. It’s also a lot easier to do things like pour a bowl of cereal with a toddler on my hip. Seriously, we’re so sold we’re a little sad that we didn’t work open shelves into our first house’s kitchen – we were totally missing out. Here’s a link to a post about choosing open shelves and a post about building them and loading them up.
HP Photosmart C4780: Truth be told, I tossed this guy in here because it felt like we were giving too many glowing reviews. So I racked my brain to think of something we don’t like. Hah. And it’s this poor guy. He just can’t be trusted to wirelessly print something (sometimes it inexplicably shoots out one page of something and then takes ten minutes to print the second page or never even prints it at all). It’s just a bit too quirky for our tastes, but we did have an Epson that we loved a few years ago (it didn’t print wirelessly, so we later upgraded to this one). We’ll probably go back to that brand and see how their wireless capabilities are someday when we get mad enough to want to throw this guy out the window (sometimes we’re thisclose).
Nikon D3000: Other than still learning how to use it, which is to be expected (we’re faaaar from pro photographers) we’ve been really happy with our camera. We saved our pennies for a while before taking the plunge into DSLR territory, but with a baby on the way (Clara) we thought it was time to upgrade from our little point and shoot. We’re so glad we did, because we definitely get better pics of our family and better photos for the blog. Our only gripe used to be that they didn’t make a cheap nifty fifty (an inexpensive 50mm lens) for this type of Nikon (it only worked with D90s and others closer to that model) but they came out with this one about a year ago and we got it (we don’t typically use it for any blog pics since it’s not as wide of an angle lens as the stock one that came with the camera, which is better suited for interiors). But it’s great for a moving kid or dog in low light, so we like it for Clara/Burger pics and general family stuff (like her interesting hair fashions). Here’s a post about getting our new camera with lots of info in the post and the comment section for ya.
So there you have it. Hope that was helpful. What do you have in your house that’s been surprisingly awesome? Or surprisingly disappointing? Are there any brands you always love or products you wish were different? It’s so great to hear about stuff that you guys like, and learn from your don’t-get-this warnings.
Psst- In the mistakes-we’ve-made/what we’ve tweaked vein, check out this post, this post, and this post. We definitely make our fair share of mistakes! We just try to keep learning as we go, and allowing our house to evolve over time.
Melanie @ Mailbox Journey says
Surprisingly Awesome: Probably the milk glass vase I just did (http://mailboxjourney.com/2012/04/26/orange-milk-glass-vase-w-wildflowers/) I’m in love!
I also have a Nikon D5000 which I love, but I’d love to upgrade someday soon.
I’m looking for a printer, so I’ll have to remember NOT to buy the model you have. :P
YoungHouseLove says
So cute!
xo,
s
Thais Bessa says
You guys should smile from ear to ear when you think about how much money you saved from using cloth nappies! :) Btw, now that you don’t have the Babycentre column anymore (snif), will you narrate baby adventures here, like potty-training? That would be great to us other parents!
About the printer, I remember that when I just ordered ours, same model, I read here you guys didn’t like. I ended up not returning it and no regrets. It has been amazing to us, the wireless connection is so good I can send something to print from the laptop in the kitchen and the printer dutifully obeys, even though it is metres away in the office, second floor. Maybe the units sold in Europe got luckier? Although let’s be honest, they are probably all produced in the same place, so no explanation for that!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we plan to share all those adventures either here or over on Young House Life! And as for your printer, you’re so lucky! I wonder if your wireless connection is just stronger or something? So glad it’s working so well for ya!
xo,
s
Meredith says
Melanie, I also have an HP and it is awful. Chugs through ink really quickly and works only occasionally (I always joke, it works according to its mood). Stay away from HP!
molly says
Meredith,
the day after my graduation i am going office space on my hp printer.
Lindsey @ arkadian belle woods says
Haha! We have the same HP printer and I still can’t get it to connect wirelessly. It says it wants to do it but….ugh! so frustrating!
Allyn says
Love the updates! Weirdly enough, especially the cloth diapers one. We aren’t planning on having kids for a while (fingers crossed), but you guys are some of the first people I’ve known to use them who didn’t seem a little, ahem, crazy. And the whole sprayer on the toilet thing is awesome. Who knows, maybe some day we’ll use them too!
City Chic - Jamie says
Love to hear that the diapers are still great! I’m investigating options for my first little one – she is set to arrive July 31 and the choices are a bit overwhelming. But I’ve gone back to your review many times, thanks for the help!
Katie says
Quick tip Jamie – you might not want to invest in a whole stash like Sherry did because you might find out they don’t work for your little one – BG Elementals don’t work for us at all! A diaper trial from a place like Jillian’s Drawers is a great way to try out a bunch of types and see which ones you like.
Also – as they grow, diapers can fit differently so what you love today you might not love as much tomorrow, so a lot of us cloth diapering mommas love variety : )
Hilary says
Another cloth diaper tip Jamie–depending on where you live, there might be a local brick and mortar cloth diaper store that can be a hugely helpful resource. In Pittsburgh, PA, we are lucky enough to have happybabycompany.com, which offers free cloth diaper orientations, and also a newborn diaper rental program, both of which got me hooked on cloth diapering–despite how intimidating and overwhelming all the choices can be. Happy Baby Company is owned by a married couple who are so helpful to their customers, near and far. Maybe they could help you, too?!
Allie ~Theinspiredmomma says
Yay! I’m glad you still like your diapers because those are the same ones I’m about to use for my son. :-)
Marianne says
I went with Bumgenius Elementals based on the YHL review and am very happy I did. I also bought a few other kinds of BumGenius diapers and am happy with all of them. I posted about the different kinds we went with here: http://preservingpennies.com/baby-on-budget-cloth-diapering-101/
We also put our son in a disposable each night. I like to keep disposables around anyways for if he is going to his grandparents or something (less bulky in the diaper bag and not as intimidating for grandparents). I had a good laugh when my mom tried to change his diaper when I first had him in cloth. I came home and the diaper was on backwards and so loose it was falling off. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s so funny! There’s definitely a learning curve for the grandparents, but the funny thing is they could probably make a piece of cloth and a few safety pins into a diaper and John and I would stand there in awe. Haha.
xo,
s
Jane says
Yay for the positive comments on the cloth diapers. We cloth diapered our 7 and 4 year old and most people looked at us like we had 3 eyes. It saved us so much money and we didn’t have a need for a diaper genie filling up with stinky smells that filled the landfill for 700 years. We have about 20 diapers and they were just so cute. It was easier for us to potty train too because they felt the coolness of natural material on their body. Our boys were both trained at just over 2 years old.
Bethany says
Oooh, Jane, any potty training tips? Our son is just over 2 and we also use cloth diapers. We’ve had some early success, but we don’t want to rush him!
And if anyone is curious: We use BumGenius 3.0s and 4.0s with velcro and they are definitely starting to show wear. We’ve been using them for about 21 months or so. I’ve had to replace some of the velcro tabs and am about to replace elastic. I think with the maintenance, we’ll get more life out of them, but the upkeep is more intense with velcro than snaps. (But the 4.0s are definitely better than the 3.0s!)
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, potty training tips welcome! Clara’s not two yet and definitely doesn’t seem ready yet, but I’m always interested to hear what works for other kiddos- especially cloth diaper kids!
xo,
s
Skooks says
The biggest thing I would say re: potty training is wait til they’re ready. We, as parents, are way more ready earlier on for kids to move on so we don’t have to deal with diapers anymore, but in my experience they learn to use the potty when they decide to. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encourage or whatever, but you should watch for signs of readiness (they are able to tell you/indicate to you that they need to go before they do so, etc.) and if they are resistant, give it a break. Making the whole experience a power struggle is just going to make both parties feel miserable and draw out the process.
YoungHouseLove says
Great advice! Some of Clara’s three year old cousins aren’t potty trained yet and their parents have other older kiddos who are trained and just say “when they’re ready it’s easy” so we love that they’re not freaking out. It helps us relax. Haha.
xo,
s
Jane says
At two, I took out one of the liners and just had the cover on. I knitted wool covers (worked like plastic pants 30 years ago) and would put a pair of undies on with the cover. He would start to feel cold and then tell me. Once summer came, I just took off the diapers and let them run around with a long t-shirt on (girls would be easy..they could just wear a dress). As soon as he would pee on the floor, I’d say “uh oh..there is a pee” and put them on the toilet. To make it fun, it they sat on the toilet and didn’t pee, they would get one m&m, if they actually peed, they’d get 2 m&m’s. We do foster care for animals on death row at our local animal control, so it is similar in training lol. We take the dogs out, every half hour, we put the kids on the potty every 1/2 hour (and they’d get an m&m). Eventually it clicked. We have accidents and keep trying. The kids seem so much happier once they are always going on the potty and not on themselves.. Never do I force them, but kids are not born to pee in their pants and they are almost trained to pee in their pants but us. In China, they once had split pants and would be going on the potty by the age of 1.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips Jane!
xo,
s
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
I’m glad you guys love all of the changes & purchases you’ve made to the house so far (sans printer)! We have the Nikon D3100 and I love it but I still have so far to go before I really get the hang of it.
Joe and I are kind of over our couch (I will never get a couch with two cushions again – has to have three from now on!) but we’ll probably keep it until we move or something. It still works so who knows!
Mandie McK says
Do you ever have a hard time cleaning under your couch or does it get really dirty under there with it being up on legs like that? I only ask because we just bought a new entertainment center that came with the option to be up on legs like that and we just left them off and set it right on the floor because we were worried about always having to clean the dog hair, etc. out from under it. I love your couch but wonder how hard it is to keep that space clean?
YoungHouseLove says
We just run the vacuum arm under it about once a month (we do it under our media cabinet too since that’s up on legs) and it’s not too bad. We usually just find Clara’s toys under there. Haha.
xo,
s
Janice says
Perfect question! I was going to ask that too, since I was planning on getting a Karl for myself (and in the Sivik Dark Gray). It just won’t be quite as big.
Jess @ Little House. Big Heart. says
I’m STILL in love with your bar stools. If the Little House were ever to have a kitchen island or bar (which, unfortunately, isn’t in its future), I’d definitely go with them.
Oh, and we have a wireless Kodak printer that we luuuurve. The ink is waaay cheaper, the quality is great, and I can print (reliably) from bed. Who doesn’t like to print from bed?
Alyssa says
Thanks for posting this update!! It always good to know how something’s working (or not working) after living with it for a while. We have the same brand printer and it’s worked so far, besides always saying “printer is low on ink” after just getting the cartridges refilled at Walgreens, but apparently that’s a common problem with getting them refilled and not buying new ones. Have you had that issue?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, we haven’t had that issue. So weird!
xo,
s
gia says
For for the most part, we’ve been happy with the purchases we made for our house renovations. The only thing we would change, and it’s a biggie, is our dark bamboo flooring in our family room. We spent a lot of money on them after being told how durable they are and you can’t drop a potato chip on them without scratching them. Huge bummer and not good with a toddler running around and dragging her toys. I’ve convinced myself that the scratches just make them look more lived in and rustic. Oh well! Not every choice is the right choice!
Jen says
Funny you should say that you heard they were durable. My Aunt and Uncle have (light) bamboo flooring in their dining room. They loved its sustainability but heard that they scratch easily so chose not to use them in more high traffic areas like the hallway or kitchen. Even without kids, they have some scratches from dining chairs and moving furniture.
Ellen says
I’ve been using the BumGenius 4.0 pocket diapers with my newborn son and LOVE them. Bought BumGenius mainly on your recommendations, though I did go with the pocket rather than the all-in-ones, because the AIOs tended to leak. But I sold them on a diaper resell site for almost as much as a paid for them and got more pockets!
Emily says
Thanks for all the great updates!! I have an Epson wireless printer and it works great- 2 thumbs up. I can’t remember the model number off the top of my head, but it’s an all in one (printer/scanner/copier) and it does the job for me!
Dawn says
I highly recommend the Epson Workforce series printers. We had an hp printer for several years, and it was very temperamental. When I upgraded to a Mac, I got the Epson (mine is wireless) from the Apple store, and I love it…though it still freaks out my parents that you can print from halfway across the house. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for the tip Dawn!
xo,
s
Gina says
I second this- I have the Epson workforce 545, and really I’m not sure how I lived without it so many years. Love being able to print right from my ipad too.
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
I’m filing this bit of info away too! We’ve got an HP that’s been bad since the day we bought it. It also goes through tons of ink because since we don’t like to use it, the ink dries out before we use it again.
Theresa says
I’m thirding the Epson Workforce series. We have the WorkForce 645 and it not only prints wirelessly, but it can do automatic duplex! (This was a big deal to us.) I seriously cannot recommend this printer/copier/fax/scanner highly enough. It rocks. Plus, it was the cheapest one we saw that can do all of those things and got good Amazon ratings–bonus! Ok, I will stop gushing about my printer now. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks for the info guys!
xo,
s
Krystle @ Color Transformed Family says
I am so glad you still love your cloth diapers. I am using them with our little girl but have only been doing it for about three months. So far I love it but had wondered how well it holds up over time. I love knowing every time I put one on her I am saving money!
Crissy says
We bought an hp wireless printer about a year or so ago, and it’s moody also. I wonder if it has something to do with the wireless printers in general. I would love to throw mine out the window most of the the time…ha!
YoungHouseLove says
Hah, the photographer who shot our book photos (who basically moved in with us for three weeks) said the same thing! He thinks it’s an HP thing because they also had an Epson they love, but it’ll be interesting to hear if other folks with other brands of wireless printers have the same issue!
xo,
s
Monika says
We had a Kodak wireless and Epson wireless (both were VERY finicky), so we went back to wired printer and it is SO much better. I guess the wireless ones have a ways to go, technology wise.
annabelvita says
My wireless canon printer is a dream and my mum’s wireless (don’t know what it is) works perfectly too.
annabelvita says
ps. and you can get free canon apps for iphone and ipad to print straight to the printer.
YoungHouseLove says
Amazing!
xo,
s
Debbie says
We have a Brother wireless printer and it works great, 2 years and counting
Melanie @ Mailbox Journey says
My Dad works for HP, so I’ll have to give him a heads up about this printer ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Melanie!
xo,
s
Sandi says
What kind of cabinet is your printer in? We have been looking for a new file cabinet and I’m slightly in love with the filing at the bottom with space for a printer at the top!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from Ikea (it’s called the Effektiv)!
xo,
s
Sparkles says
I was recently researching printer/filing cabinets and remembered yours – so I was hoping you’d update us on it, too! Our current filing cabinet is 5 years old from Staples and is falling apart. We’re getting ready to move and don’t think it’ll make it. How are you liking yours? Is it still sturdy? Do you use the drawers/files a lot? Thanks!!
Sparkles says
Whoops I just saw your post below, thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
No worries!
xo,
s
Dave says
How is the IKEA Effektiv cabinets working out for you? I bought a bunch of them an I now have them all over the house serving as side boards and in bedrooms hiding TVs and books and toys in my daughters room. I think i have a set of these cabinets in almost every living space……It’s become a sickness. From having drawers, to filing cabinets, to shelves with doors on the add on units they are a great price for tough long lasting furniture.
The bonus is they are finished on all sides so you can even use them as room/space dividers. and by drilling some extra holes on the top, i can turn some of the add on units’ open side to one side of the room and others to the other side of the room……creating a cool divider with space to put things on both sides that i can constantly change around by a twist of a screw driver and lift out a section.
Sorry I’m rambling…… but I got a passion for these like you would not believe.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love your passion for them! We really like ours too. It’s great for hiding all of our files and our printer and camera stuff. Wish our shredder wasn’t too tall to fit in there too!
xo,
s
Emily says
Great to see mostly everything is holding up. I am especially encouraged by how well the BumGenius diapers have fared. We are expecting our first child in August, and bought 12 of the same diapers based on your glowing recommendation, as well as others’ rave reviews. Thanks for keeping us up to date on their longevity!
YoungHouseLove says
Yay! Good luck with them!
xo,
s
Colleen in MA says
I second the Karl as a good sofa! We have it in the same color and agree it’s durable and we think it’s surprisingly comfy, even for people of all heights. Only difference is that we opted for an ottoman that we could move for the chaise look (since we have a small space we move the ottoman around a lot) and we got a sofa and loveseat, not the corner unit. And can we talk pillows? – driving my husband crazy with our rotating pillow collection. The gray is just so easy to jazz up :)
Also, re: a white kitchen. We replaced old beige linoleum with black and white tiles. I end up washing the kitchen floor every two weeks but I love the look and now my kitchen floor is so much cleaner than it ever has been, because with the beige linoleum I could never really see when it was dirty. Sounds weird but the new tiles keeps me honest and I’m okay with it.
Thanks for the updates!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I love that you say they “keep you honest” – too funny! And yay for Karl love!
xo,
s
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
We are going through a sink crisis right now. The faucet from our 2005 remodel has decided to spring a leak in the handles. Of course we got some faucet that doesn’t even have a real name to it so replacement parts are nil. The closest one we found was located at a small plumbing supply store run by a 90 year old man that takes 14 minutes to walk 20 feet. We installed it and of course the stem is too long so there’s a slight gap on the handle cover at the bottom. The Mr thinks he found the exact same faucet and when I saw the website I was pretty sure it was so we ordered it. Now we just have to pray it gets here before vacation! Jealous?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man I feel for you! I hope it’s the right one!
xo,
s
Dave says
Oh and get a brother all in one printer. they are great and also have a app for your smart phone or tablet so you can print from there to.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the suggestion Dave!
xo,
s
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
Good to hear about the cloth diapers 2 years later! When you wrote your original post I would have never thought that I’d have a drawer of Bum Geniuses waiting for baby :)
YoungHouseLove says
Yay! So excited for you Rebecca!
xo,
s
Rebecca in NC says
Thanks for this post! I’ve mentioned the Corian counter tops to my husband, because they look awesome in your kitchen. It’s nice to know that they’re still going strong!
Julia says
Every time I see your rug, I salivate a little… Right now my sectional is sitting on hardwood floors and it’s just a little barren in there. I ordered a bathroom rug from J&M just to try that out once, but was burned a little because the color match was not what I thought it was, and of course there are no returns. So every time I talk myself into one… 5 minutes later I talk myself out of it. It’s a vicious cycle. :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, i know what you mean! It’s really scary! I try to click over to overstock.com and wayfair.com (who usually sells the same item for slightly more than the Joss&Main price) and read the reviews there. If someone says “this picture is really true to color and I love my rug” or “it’s much brighter and more lime than the pic!” it can help to have that info! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
julia says
That’s great advice, I didn’t know that. Thanks! :-)
jb says
We just got a stash of the same BumGenius diapers you use for Clara for our little one, set to arrive in June. SO happy to hear you are still liking them. I’m finding out many people are very skeptical of the cloth diaper, but I am looking forward to proving them wrong. One question, do you still use Charlie’s Soap? I’m stressing over what detergent to use. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually just use Seventh Generation now since it has worked so well for us whenever we run out of Charlie’s (and Charlie’s is harder to find around here). We hear some kiddos have reactions to Charlie’s so Seventh Gen might be the best choice anyway, if that’s easier to get your hands on.
xo,
s
Rebecca @ the lil house that could says
Hm in the same situation… do you use the Seventh Gen free and clear one or a scented one?
YoungHouseLove says
Free and Clear all the way!
xo,
s
Juliana says
Thanks for the update on the cloth diapers! I was just wondering how you dry them in the winter…you had mentioned before that you hang them to sun bleach them…but what about in the winter? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We just lay them in a sunny windowsill sometimes. Other times we just use the dryer, but they’re still looking nice and white inside!
xo,
s
Emily says
We use the BGEs during the day, too, and have been very happy with them. If you want a nighttime solution, buy one or two Bububebe fitted diapers (they are one-size, and either the serged or topstitched & turned would work fine). They aren’t cheap, but they are EXCELLENT. You will also need one pair of wool longies, which will double as PJ pants. You can find lots of upcycled options on Etsy or Hyenacart, made from old wool sweaters. The wool gets lanolized (very easy) and becomes both waterproof and breathable and the combo is bulletproof. I’m not sure that you’d save a ton of money at this point, but if you plan to have more kids it would be a great investment and you’d be able to skip tossing those 30 diapers a month! We have a couple of different nighttime fitteds, but I’m getting rid of everything except the Bububebes. They have definitely earned their reputation! (Not affiliated, just use and love them!) They are made by a mom in Canada (just google for tons more info).
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, thanks so much for the tip Emily! We’ll have to look into that!
xo,
s
Melanie says
Our little guy is only eight months old, so we may be looking at a whole different situation when he is Clara’s age, but I second the wool diaper covers. We use Rumparooz pockets with hemp inserts and an Ecoposh wool cover every night and no leaks for over a month (knock on wood). It has been awesome.
My big diaper questions are 1) How do you get by with only twelve? That is amazing! 2) Are you still using disposables while traveling? We have a big trip coming up this summer, and I would love to use our cloth, but it seems like that could be a lot of trouble…
YoungHouseLove says
We do use disposables when we travel and don’t have access to a washer/dryer. But if we have a washer/dryer we usually just do the cloth diaper thing out of habit. As for how we get by with 12, we just both work from home, so maybe that makes it easy? In the beginning we were washing them every other day or do (sometimes every day and a half) but now we get by with about 5-6 diapers a day so we get two days and then wash them that night. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jane says
Sherry,
Question on cloth diapering..dont know if it was answered before..please pardon
1) Once you wash stuff off a the cloth diaper , do you store the wet diaper even though its wet until your next wash ?
2) Do you also wash “number-one” only diapers with water or do you just toss them on to your diaper pail waiting to be laundered ?
YoungHouseLove says
If you click over to the first post we linked to at the bottom of the cloth update there’s all that info for you. We use a zippered Wet Bag to store diapers that need to be washed and we just toss wet diapers right into the wet bag (we only use the diaper sprayed on dirty ones). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jane says
Thank you sherry. I did read that post completely and loved the details you guys get into..amazing! I have one more question that I think wasn’t covered in your previous posts and hope you don’t mind me asking.
How many pees can a cloth diaper take before you have to change them..cos if it is just one , then we would have to buy a bigger stash right ? And I assume for number two once the deed is done , the diaper has to be changed right? I am sorry but am a gonna-be-mom in november and just have so many questions that are not typically covered anywhere..
YoungHouseLove says
We just tried to change Clara every few hours and of course as soon as we knew it was dirty (numero dos) it got changed. In the beginning it meant we went through our stash of 12 once every day and a half or so, and over time it was more spread out (now instead of 8-10 diapers a day we probably go through 5).
xo,
s
Jane says
Thank you so much..you are the best ! :)
Ginny says
A tip-
As far as nighttime diapering- you could also purchase some prefold diapers and use them as additional absorbency overnight so that you aren’t using disposables! Even seven a week adds up, and diapers in landfills are gross. Prefolds are fairly cheap- just wash them 10x before using so they quilt up nice and soft and thirsty.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Ginny!
xo,
s
Donna Jean says
franklin goose in carytown sells some really good quality prefolds, but they also may have some hemp doublers that could also solve your nighttime problem – and since you only have 12 diapers, i would assume that you wash every day or every other day, so if you go with the prefolds you could probably spend less than $15 and have a non-disposable solution. plus the ladies that work there are super helpful when it comes to cloth diaper stuff. also, you could check and see if bumgenius has a snap replacement policy – i know that some brands of diapers have snap warranties.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we love that shop!
xo,
s
NancyY says
Thanks for all the updates! We have trouble with the wireless link to our HP also – we ended up using a cord when we need to print-bummer. I was wondering about your mattress (oh, nothing is too personal is it?). We purchased a similar one and while it is just as comfy as the day we purchased – it has developed dips where we sleep the most. Wondering if you guys were seeing the same thing?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! No dips in ours. We like a firm mattress though, so maybe it’s because we went with more dense foam? When we sleep it doesn’t feel like we sink in at all, if that makes sense- we sort of lie on top, ahaha. Firm = weird to most people though.
xo,
s
Kathy says
Yeah, wireless printers def need more work. If you are keeping a list, Do Not Buy an HP C309 series…they have the same problem. Work fine cabled to computer, but duh that why we buy wireless in the first place!
Michele says
If you do want to try cloth at night again, I highly recommend a hemp doubler. We use these (http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?products_id=724) folded in half.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Michele!
xo,
s
Paula says
We are thinking about sofa options so I was just rereading your Karl posts this morning and wondered if you actually washed the covers very often, and how they held up to that. So glad to hear they hold up well and you are still happy with it!
Ghenet says
We have an Epson wireless printer at home and love it! It works very well. I don’t have the exact model information off hand but I recommend the brand.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Ghanet!
xo,
s
sarah @ sarah learns says
thanks for this update post! my husband gave me a d3100 for christmas/my birthday last year and i am in love with it. the only lens i’ve purchased other than the kit lense was the 50mm! i love it and rarely take it off my camera. :)
Maureen @ This (Kinda) Old House says
I was just wondering the other day about the ORB’d hardware. I am seriously thinking about doing this.
Also, Swedish is spelled wrong, (you have two E’s). :) And the only reason I am saying something is because I have an affinity for Swedish things (a.k.a. Alexander Skarsgård and Ikea). Ha!
YoungHouseLove says
Ack, off to fix that!
xo
s
Melissa says
Thanks for the update. I don’t know how you keep track of everything you do!
I use the same cloth diapers brand (the 4.0 not the AIO). I’m only 8 months in and since I went back to work, we only use them at night and on the weekends. Glad to hear they hold up so well with everyday use. Maybe the next one will get to use them more.
Rachel C says
Ahhhh the #&$^% HP “wireless” printer. Yeah, we had the same issue with ours. I would reinstall the printer drivers about once a month and it would work wirelessly for 2-3 jobs before forgetting how it was supposed to work. ARRRGH! We finally got fed up and bought a Canon printer, and I have no complaints! After talking to a lot of other people with wireless printers, it does seem to be an HP thing.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks for the Canon tip Rachel!
xo,
s
Jenny says
We paid the pros to paint our cabinets white when we moved into our house, and they didn’t do nearly as good a job as you guys! I suspect they skipped some important roughing up/priming, because we have a million scrapes and dings where the wood shows through. And it’s only been a year and a half. Boo.
Things we love? Having replaced groady old carpet with hardwoods in one little room. The dandelion weeder (like this: Flexrake CLA329 Classic Dandelion Weeder) we got, that is slowly slowly getting rid of a zillion dandelions in our backyard. Though I’m not convinced they’re so terrible, actually.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, so sorry about those cabinets! And as for the dandelion weeder, so interesting! Never even heard of one!
xo,
s
Loren says
Love that you did this update.
Just FIY I have an Epson wireless printer. It’s only been in our house a couple months but so far I’m pretty happy with it.
YoungHouseLove says
Yay! I have a soft spot in my hear for Epson I think. Haha.
xo
s
Katie says
I cannot believe that you were lucky enough to get away with only 12 diapers for Clara – we easily go through 8 diapers a day and there is no way I’m doing diaper laundry everyday! Unfortunately, BGEs just never have fit our little guy just right, but I am loving the new BG Freetimes.
A nighttime solution could be an inexpensive Kawaii pocket diaper stuffed with both inserts, or some hemp inserts too. Or a fitted diaper (like Monkey Snuggles or BuBuBeBe) with a Thirsties cover or even a wool cover if you are feeling adventurous!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Katie!
xo,
s
Jill says
I bought an Epson Artisan 837 to replace my HP and I love it. While it is not compact….has a fax as well which seems to make it bigger, I can print from my iPhone. How cool is that? Good, fast wireless printer.
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s amazing!
xo,
s
Kristin says
Perfect timing! I was actually thinking about emailing you guys today to see how your Greenware cookware is holding up. I’m thinking about taking the plunge and investing in it but would love a follow up! Are you guys having any issues with it?
YoungHouseLove says
Still love it and use it every time we cook!
xo,
s
Kristin says
thanks!!
Casey says
I love this update! I was wondering how those diapers were holding up (you have me hooked on cloth ones for whenever i have kids)
I have been too gunshy to do any big renos like you guys, but I recently did a post about all the amazing things the previous owner installed! haha
MegP says
I have a wireless Brother printer that I love dearly. I’ve had it for years (using it almost every day) and it works as well now as it did on day 1. I’ve since bought more current models for my parents and sister-in-law. The best part is you can buy generic ink from Amazon for insanely cheap prices – sometimes in the $1-2 range, and it is no different than expensive “name brand” ink.
YoungHouseLove says
You’re the second person to say that you love Brother! Good to know!
xo,
s
Mary says
I have a (wired) Brother laser printer and it’s doing great at age 8 or so.
Sarah says
I’d also like to weigh in on the open shelving. We have some in our kitchen, which I love and I find the things used on it don’t get dusty, because like you, we use them frequently. However, the shelf itself does get dusty and they need to be wiped down almost monthly. My shelves are a darker stained wood so maybe it shows more? Not sure if you’ve reached the point of total wipe down yet…
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I bet it shows a lot less on white than dark, but I think I’ve done a full shelf wipedown once. I just bundle that into “normal dusting maintenance” since I dust the surfaces of dressers and bookcases and tables and windowsills and counters and stuff all at once on “dusting day” (aka: whenever I remember to do that- haha).
xo,
s
Alicia M says
Thanks for the update on Karl! My husband and I plan on making a journey to our nearest Ikea (a 4-hour interstate drive) 2 weeks from now to pick up Karl for our basement (along with other Ikea goodies!) :( The positive review helps us confirm our decision to adopt Karl!
We also have problems with that same printer. I don’t lke that you have to go into the other room to wake it up first (sometimes re-starting it) to get it to print. If I’m going to have to go wake it up first, I might as well take the laptop over and plug it in! What a pain.
Thanks for the honest reviews!!
Leslie says
My hubby is such a tech genius that I never bother to learn anything technical, but I am 99.9% sure that he attached an AirPort Express to our wired printer and now we can both print wirelessly from our laptops. The printer sits hidden in a closet and I don’t have to hook up every time I want to print to it. Hubby is wonderful!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart! We used AirPort Express at our last house, but I’m not sure we use it here. Will have to ask John if he thinks that can save our printer…
xo,
s
Kristy says
We are just now passing on our BG that have nappied two children. As per PPs there are definately night options that work (your BG look different to ours, so not sure how easy it is to add extras) but Bamboo is brilliant for extra boosting.