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.
Alison says
I have a Karl with chaise too and have the same issue with the seat cushion… but the other issue I have with the chaise is that the back cushion is not at all reversible (i.e. you can’t flip it around) because of the angle and unique size… some of the other Karl back cushions are angled, but because they’re the same size you can switch them around to reverse them. I’d be happier if I could reverse the chaise back cushion from time to time to keep it from getting lop-sided. Kind of a small issue, otherwise I think it’s a great sectional.
Lindsey @ A Pear to Remember says
More recent purchases about which I have strong feelings:
the good:
NIKON D3100 has been a lifesaver on my blog (no more shiny or brown food!) and takes exquisette portraits of all my loved ones. I am upgrading from the kit lens just this week, as I really need more zoom, but I love, love, love this camera. Do you guys have a zoom lens you recommend?
the bad:
TOSHIBA THRIVE TABLET is the only tablet out there with all the ports of a laptop, and I love that. Plug in my flash drive, my SD card—fabulous. But, Android is so limited in its tablet functions, and I quickly discovered it is impossible to blog on (keys and formatting), so I can’t use it for its intended purpose : (
YoungHouseLove says
Love the reviews, guys! Thanks for sharing!
xo,
s
Karen says
The bar stools remind me of Chemistry Lab ;-)!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, they’re actually from a school supply shop- so my brother (the Dr of Chemistry) actually sits on the same ones at work. Haha.
xo,
s
Mandi says
I just replaced our aging/wheezing/unreliable printer with a HP Photosmart 7515 – Costco has it marked down to about $110. It’s been wifi perfect across several computers, from all over the house. I love that it does not need to hang off a computer or router, too.
My favorite thing is that you can EMAIL the printer. It’s set up with it’s own email address (through HP) – you just send an attachment to the printer. I even did it from my smartphone.
(No HP affiliation, just a happy customer. But I agree that not every HP printer is a winner. I hate how the default printing preference always installs with “Normal” ink quality selected, when “Draft” uses a ton less ink and looks FINE for 99.9% of prints. Yeah, I know, that’s how they make their money, ink refills. Not on my machine.)
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- that’s awesome!
xo,
s
Kimberly G. says
I LOVE that you posted an update on the cloth diapers! After reading your original post we decided to try the bumGenius Elementals with our son when he was born. We’ve been using them for 8 months now and LOVE them. We also use a disposable each night because our son is quite the super soaker at night.
We have 15, since 3 were a gift, and haven’t felt the need to get any more.
You’re little Clara is beautfiul, enjoy every moment!
cara says
We have been using cloth diapers for 4 months now (used disposables the first month because she was so small). Love them. I bought way more than 12 though, probably too many. Got different brands and patterns. One type would have made it much easier. I’m lucky daycare uses them too.
Kim W Rily says
Yay, cloth diapers. We used fuzzi bunz, but found that we had to use the disposables for night time. Our kids were just heavy wetters. I must say, yours look very very clean.
We used ours through two kids and then resold the smalls on eBay. (I still have some I need to sell, but I think they need to be bleached/brightened.) Yes, I know you’re not supposed to bleach them per se, but mine have a few stains.
Anne says
LOVE your blog :-) I feel kinda creepy because sometimes I talk about something you do and say “My friend Sherry…” So sorry, I swear I am not a weirdo- just a dork. Anywho… My parents have white corian and it has lasted 20+ years. A little over year ago they had a crack and my dad just drilled a hole on either end of the crack (to keep it from cracking further) and sealed it. So far so good. Just in case you have an issue with a crack (he he) although he is not a corian expert just a handy guy so take the idea with a grain of salt.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Anne! We hear they have a lifetime warranty, so if you have a crack they might be able to call and get someone to come fill the crack, resurface it, and make it look completely seamless again! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Vivian says
I have a question about how Clara’s crib has been holding up. The crib gets excellent reviews on Walmart.com with the only complaint being that the hardwood seems to be fairly soft so dings and deep scratches are easy to make. I know you put on some teething guards for Clara so hopefully there aren’t teeth marks in the wood. :) Can you speak to the durablitiy of the crib during Clara’s use and if it will survive well with another kiddo? And is that bottom drawer really helpful or do you rarely use it? I also read that this crib is better for shorter parents… good for Sherry and a little hard on the back for John? Any other thoughts? Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that thing is great! It has a few only-noticeable-from-an-inch-away dings/scratches, but for two years of use/abuse plus a move from one house to another, it looks great! The drawer is really helpful for us (any concealed storage space in a nursery is great to us) and John and I don’t have any issues getting Clara in and out (it’s funny you read that it’s good for shorter parents since I read something a few years ago that it’s better for tall people and short folks have issues). I’m really short though (5’2″) and John’s really tall (6′) and we both don’t mind it! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Valerie says
When you wash the covers on Karl, do you wash the cover for the couch body as well? I have the same couch and although I’ve washed the cushion covers a zillion times with no problem, I can’t seem to get the body cover off to wash it. I’m afraid I’ll have to take the whole couch apart to wash that cover…
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I think you’d have to take the whole thing apart to get that body cover off. So far we have only washed the cushion covers!
xo,
s
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
We were really excited to put humidity-sensing bath vent fans in two of our bathrooms, but they totally didn’t work. Sometimes they failed to come on at all during a shower, and other times they would spontaneously turn on — noisily — at 3 a.m. (grrr). We ended up disconnecting the humidistats and adding timer switches, and they now work flawlessly, except that I always forget to turn the fan on (hence my interest in humidity-sensing fans…grrr).
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that sounds awesome in theory but so annoying that they didn’t work!
xo,
s
Amiz says
Huzzah! I am so stinkin happy you guys made this post! We’re literally starting our move into hopefully our forever home next week. Luckily it’s across the street from my parents, so we have the luxury of being able to fix it up before moving our stuff in. I was hoping for updates on the ORB and the cabinets. Thank you so much for including the links to the original posts too!!
YoungHouseLove says
Sure thing! Glad to help!
xo,
s
Gina says
I bought my Fiskars Momentum lawn mower based on your advice, so this is super-helpful. (It’s great for my tiny urban lawn) I’d love to get a Karl of my own someday, so I’m glad that it’s held up for you!
Nancy says
Your diapers look so new!! Do you do anything else special to them to keep them white besides lay them in the sun?
YoungHouseLove says
I really think a good spray with the diaper sprayer is the number one reason they look so good. We have “stripped” them according to the Bum Genius site once or twice too (that involves washing them with bleach and then rinsing the heck out of them so they don’t irritate Clara’s sensitive skin). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
maribel says
It’s good you do these kind of post. There are days I sit and think “I wonder how that is working for Sherry” or “I wonder how this or that is looking like now”. How know I’m a nerd. Can you give us an update on your composting? Why the switch on your body soap? Love you guys!!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Composting is going well! Same process as the last house (dump it every few days and stir it when we dump it). We have some great soil that we’d love to use whenever we plant more stuff around the front/back. As for our body soap, we still use Dr. Bronners and Say Yes To Carrots/Cucumbers. Hope it helps! We have to write an update on all of our cleaning/grooming products since there have been lots of comments lately!
xo,
s
lisamarie says
I still love love love the white kitchen cabinets!
Karina says
Ha…I hated my HP wireless printer. That thing drove me crazy! I had an Epson in the past and loved it so I went back. Its wireless, works AND doesn’t eat ink…thank goodness.
Caity says
Good post! Going to try to do our door handles with ORB this weekend.
Completely unrelated…I hadn’t heard “The Real Slim Shady” in years, but last night it was playing at the gym. Of course I bust out laughing and thought of you :)
Caity says
Correction: It was “My Name Is.” I laughed because it was playing all through that interview video and will now always make me think of that. haha :)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, so funny.
xo,
s
Amanda says
I just spray painted with your recommended ORB, a door handle on the kitchen pantry. Handle worked great. Only problem is that the “metal plate” (really un-technical term) that screws into the actual door frame, where it latches closed (following here?), is immediately scuffed up with the ORB coming off. Every time the door closes it has to slide across that plate and therefore the paint is coming off and it’s visible from the outside. Thought perhaps they sold those plates in actual ORB at Lowe’s, but no luck. Just nickel and gold. How is your plate not scratching up on the door?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that stinks! We didn’t spray any metal plates (we just sprayed the knob part on the front door and left the plate on the door frame brass since it’s hidden when the front door is shut – which is a lot more than an interior door). Hmm, maybe try finding those online? I bet someone has to sell those in ORB and it’s a great way to keep the whole thing looking seamless!
xo,
s
Mikki says
Okay…random comment…
Did you realize that Tori Spelling posted about you and YHL on her blog in the crafts section?
I am a hugh Tori & YHL fan and was browsing through, and recognized the kitchen and Burger.
I am sure you are all up oon that…but just thought it was great that you were on her site!
$herdog…you’ve arrived in TORI-land! http://www.torispelling.com/post/diy-pull-string-pinata
:)Mikki
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, isn’t that funny?! We couldn’t believe it!
xo,
s (& the fam)
Sarah says
I was hoping you’d follow up on the Frankenstein-ed cabinet doors. John seemed dubious about how they’d hold up over the long haul. I thought they looked great and I love the fact that you tried it before spending the money because it’s totally something I would do, much to the horror of my husband, I’m sure. Anyway I just wondered if you were still happy with them or if they are somehow not “aging” well.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, we have always planned to someday try to tackle them with buildable primer or something, but as the room came together around them, they really aren’t noticeable at all. Even when we point them out to people they act like we’re crazy because they can’t see it. Haha. So we might revisit them if they start bothering us, but so far they’ve been great!
xo,
s
Kat says
Our printer is the canon pixma 5220 (I think that’s the number, anyway) and absolutely love it. The software is a little complicated, and the ink isn’t the cheapest, but that thing is a workhorse and wireless printing works flawlessly. The scanning function is also great, and it handles just about any type of paper. We printed our wedding invitations with it and loved the result.
As for tough, the thing is indestructible. We actually have two since my husband has been stationed away from home for a while. His printer was purchased in CA, flown to GA, moved twice, driven back to CA and then flown to Japan. The top is a little scratched, but other than that it is in perfect condition.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for all the printer tips everyone!
xo,
s
Marisue says
Oh my word! So glad to know I’m not the only frustrated HP printer user! I just call it my ‘wired’ printer because it refuses to follow its design and print wirelessly. It worked when we first got it, but after a couple months…it got a little too comfy in its new home and decided it needn’t to work properly.
Nicole says
ARGH! I’ve got to say something because this is a huge pet-peeve of mine…
Are your countertops Quartz or Solid Surface? Corian is a BRAND not a material. They make both Quartz and Solid Surface, along with a bunch of other materials…
YoungHouseLove says
They’re Solid Surface – Glacier White by Corian. Sorry to be vague! I believe quartz has to have seams, so hopefully our chatter about loving that they’re seamless tipped you off?
xo,
s
Jenny F. says
Hi Sherry! I’m a loyal reader and actually work with HP quite a bit on the printer side of things – have you tried placing it on top of the cabinet instead of inside it? Anything with walls can disrupt the wireless connection between your PC and printer. Just a heads up. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Jenny! The doors open so it has a clear shot at our modem, so we were hoping it would work within the cabinet (we don’t really like having it out on top of the cabinet or the idea of moving it out to print and then back in again when it’s not in use). Someone mentioned it might be an issue with our cable and internet being within the same wire (so it an interrupt itself or something) so we might try to mess with that to see what we can come up with!
xo,
s
Jenny F. says
Definitely understand that – printers aren’t exactly pretty. :) I know you and John balk at the idea of taking anything for free (and all of your readers appreciate your recommendations even more for that), but if you’re interested, I know HP would be happy to at least send you a few printers of your choosing to “test drive.” That way you know you’re getting something that works for you and your space before you buy.
On a side note, thanks to your recs my husband and I bought Karl, too. He’s perfect in every way. :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh, you’re so sweet Jenny but you know about us and swag! Haha. We sweetly decline. You’re very kind to offer though, and our plan is to try a few things people have suggested to change our wireless connection to hopefully help fix the problem! Here’s hoping!
xo,
s
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
We got our sofa from a discount furniture and it definitely is discount quality plus I think my taste has improved and developed a lot since two years ago.
P.S. I got the courage to switch to BG AIOs after reading your posts a few months ago and so glad I did (just wish I would have read it when you first posted it since our first is just a few months older than Clara).
YoungHouseLove says
Aw, congrats on the switch!
xo,
s
kates0216 says
Hi guys,
Question I’ve been meaning to ask – could you share where you purchased the new cabinet hardware for the kitchen? I thought I remembered reading a post about it, but I can’t seem to find it. You could just reply with the post link if that’s the case. :)
Gracias!
YoungHouseLove says
It was from myknobs.com and was by Amerock. I don’t think the exact same stuff is still available, but I’m not sure! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Emily says
About your printer: we have an Epson WorkForce 840 that I can shamelessly endorse. It prints wirelessly, scans beautifully, and never has trouble printing. I have owned several HP POS’s and will NEVER go back to hp. We bought this epson after using a similar model that also printed wirelessly paid for by his employers when he worked from home… we reluctantly gave it back to his employers when he quit that job. This one is even better, but that one was great.
We got some kind of awesome deal when we turned in our old printer to Staples to recycle. Now that I’ve done some free advertising for epson and staples, i’ll get off my soapbox. But people, a printer that actually makes life BETTER and not worse is something to shout about!
YoungHouseLove says
Love all the printer info folks! Thanks so much!
xo,
s
Alex m says
Just curious about your drawer liners that you made for Clara’s dresser.
My husband and I just re-finished an old dresser that was my grandmas, but the inside of the drawers are still a bit rough. How did the paper with lodge hold up?
YoungHouseLove says
The papered insides look great! The Mod Podge sealed them so they still look so cute! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Julia at Home on 129 Acres says
Thanks for the update on Karl. We’re mid-basement reno, but when we’re finally done I plan to put a large dark grey sectional in there. I like the look and the price tag for Karl. My only concern is durability and quality, so it’s good to hear that he’s holding up well for you.
Cate says
We have an Epson wireless printer and it gives me fits too!! Sometimes it will print and sometimes it won’t. I don’t know the model, but it was fairly inexpensive so maybe that’s the problem. I’m sure when you do get a new one you’ll do research and find one with great reviews. On the other hand my mom has an HP I think that works great.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! They’re quirky little things!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
So Random! I was looking at cloth diapers on pinterest today and a pic took me to your original post on it. I read it through, seeing as i’m researching diapers, and thought, i wonder how they’ve held up. You totally read my mind with your update today! So so Random.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, happy to help!
xo,
s
Amy says
Thats incredible that every thing you have done with the house has been perfect- sounds like zero regrets. Alot of yalls choices are very style specific, so I’m glad you are still full force with every decision. This post looked like you’d change nothing- but just curious, are there any choices you have made or purchases for the house that you do actually regret or plan to change? I realize once you’re committed, or have spent alot, you sometimes learn to like it or live with it- but i’d love to hear what you would do differently next time- y’all have super positive attitudes about every decision, but we all have experienced the ups and downs of DIY/decorating decision-making- just curious to hear the other side- the “oops- we wouldn’t do that again” side or “what were we thinking?” side? Please share :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, well as we mentioned we’re not into our printer. Haha. But as for things we bought that we didn’t like, check out these two posts about stuff like that (this one and this one) Oh and there’s this one too. We make mistakes all the time! It’s totally normal! We’re just all about continuing to let things evolve and learning as we go!
xo,
s
Kristen says
So glad you are having a great experience with the Corian, I was kind of waiting to hear about that since I’m planning to re-do our kitchen countertops with Martha Stewart Corian (in Sea Salt). The backsplash will just be plain standard Subway tile in white. Any suggestions on grout color? I would like to go white/neutral (I know using darker colors can be a “look” too but it won’t go with the rest of the kitchen), but how does it stay clean? I mean, if you use grout sealer does that make it stain-proof? Any ideas? You guys are the best, btw! :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Grout sealer is pretty awesome (we didn’t scrub our last house’s shower once in over a year after sealing it, and have no stain issues with our grout in our current kitchen as of today), but if you really worry you can go with something neutral like a soft gray or tan grout can also be cool- even dark gray grout is really in right now. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
Ikea has since got rid of Ed the Bed!! I’m so bummed!! I was going to get it for my daughter.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, so sad!
xo,
s
Jessie says
love the update! totally appreciated! ;)
saving the pennies to upgrade to a DSLR from my point and shoot!
Jan C. says
We love our Epson Workforce 645 for everyday printing. It’s wireless and miraculous. We haven’t tried printing photos on it, though, so I can’t speak to that.
Tiffany says
My son has the same diapers and we use: AMP 3-Layer Hemp Booster. 3 for $5. All I do is tuck one underneath the fabric. It’s a little long, so I just fold it at the front. Works great, no more leaks and or disposables at night (we’d have to use 2 he’d pee so much- hah). Been using for a year and all 3 are in great condition.
Also, we plan to use Flip’s potty training diapers. Same organic cotton as the bumgenius diapers.
Good luck come potty training time!
margaret says
Have you gotten any holes in your diapers? I have the same ones, and after 8 months they’re starting to develop some holes. I’m worried they’re not going to last!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no! We don’t have any holes. Maybe it’s a difference of washer? Do you have a front loader? Sometimes we hear they’re more gentle?
xo,
s
margaret says
No, I have a top loader. I don’t know if it’s the washer or the detergent I’m using (Tide Free). I can’t remember what detergent you guys use.
YoungHouseLove says
We use Seventh Generation Free and Clear, which is really nice and gentle. That’s a good thought! Maybe try switching detergent?
xo,
s
Alicia Saint Ives says
My favorite product (by far) in my house is my Nespresso machine. Before anyone says, “I have a Keurig and I don’t see how it could be different”, I’ll just tell you it is! There seems to be few things more decadent for this coffee lover than sitting on my porch drinking a fresh vanilla latte or a cappuccino. It’s actually less work than going to Starbucks because I don’t have to drive anywhere and it’s saving me a bunch of money! On a bonus note, it just looks so pretty in my kitchen (I got the aluminum model). Be sure to check it out! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh sounds so nice! I wish we were coffee people!
xo,
s
erin says
My Karlstad chaise does the exact same thing… it must just be what they do: scoot
Kasey M. says
I’m not a big fan of HB printers either…We have two that came free with two mac laptops and both randomly stop recognizing a laptop or spit out a random page (both are different models from yours). If they weren’t free they would already be in the trash.
Brittany says
A friend of mine uses a shamwow at night in the cloth diapers! They are truely magic!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, that’s funny!
xo,
s
Martina says
My two cents on printer brands and wireless printing. I had a Canon that I loved but then replaced it with an Epson that had fancy photo printing features. Sadly, the Epson company was totally dishonest and made the printer not function with it said the ink was out, requiring users to buy more ink cartridges, when in fact the ink was not out—it could still be felt and heard sloshing around in the cartridge. After a class action suit (yes, someone sued them over this!) I was awarded something dumb, like 10% off ink from their online store for a year. Back to Canon for me. I love my Canon iP4200 that I’ve had for years. We have our printer connected to our Apple Airport Extreme wireless base station (as well as a 2 TB back up drive) so that we can print wirelessly from both our laptops from anywhere in the house. I highly recommend it.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for all the printer tips guys!!
xo
s
Kim says
I also got the wireless HP when I bought my Macbook (it was a sale) and the wireless connection worked ok at first – I could print from upstairs (and printer was in basement) but then we moved our Verizon DSL modem and it never worked right after. It was quirky just like you mentioned – sometimes taking 10 full minutes to print a page! Also, the ink is cheaper than most printers, but you go thru it sooo fast that you spend the same amount of $. So, I stopped using it and went back to my trusty old Canon (that my dad bought me) and even though I have to plug it in now (no more wireless – boo), I’m a much happier girl! The ink lasts much longer and I think the pictures come out so much better! My dad always preferred the canon and I do too :)
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like there are lots of Canon fans out there!
xo,
s
Daphne says
Hi–like others, we also went the BG route, mostly on your recommendation (thanks!) For night-time, we’re doing well with adding a fleece soaker over the BG diaper–keeps the moisture in. I’d love to try wool, too, but we suspect our little guy has a wool allergy. Etsy has super reasonable prices on fleece soakers: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LivingGreenBaby?ref=seller_info
YoungHouseLove says
Those are so cute!
xo,
s
Heather says
Was just going to say that I’ve been happy with our Canon Pixma, too – bought it several years ago now, and when we switched to wireless through the house it switched right with us.
I’m now looking at all the door hardware in the house, thinking about spraying it… My husband will be so thrilled. :)
Kristen says
Since you guys are soo in love with your cloth diapers for the reusable and green aspects, I thought I would tell you about E-cloths. I first heard of them in Real Simple magazine (they won three categories for best cleaning products). They are these amazing microfiber cloths that clean 99. something percent of all bacteria (even gross bathroom bacteria) with just water. The millions of microscopic fibers don’t kill the bacteria, but they capture it and remove it from all of your surfaces. And the other awesome part is that you just wash them and reuse! the site says they can last 6 years if taken care of…aka no more paper towels, cleaning products, or waste!
I just ordered a pack of general purposes cloths and the kitchen sponge. Can’t wait til they get here!
Here is the site: http://ecloth.com/
oh and the site offers free shipping and I even found a coupon code online by just googling “ecloth coupon codes” which means my sponge was basically free, which just adds to my excitement! Haha
Here is the code: 20%OFF
-Kristen
YoungHouseLove says
Obsessed! Thanks so much for sharing. They sound amazing!
xo,
s
Pamela says
I have the exact same printer and it doesn’t do ANYTHING weird. Perhaps you should check your drivers or reload it (you know the whole attached with a cord first step). I’ve used it on multiple computers in multiple houses and with different wireless set-ups and it’s worked seamlessly every time.
Just thought you might like to try before you lay out more money for something else.
Good luck!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Pamela! We’ve tried reinstalling the drivers a bunch and it just seems to be quirky! We wonder if it’s our connection since our internet and cable are on one line (and we hear that can make them quirky).
xo,
s
Lindsay says
So, this may be a weird question, but I am pregnant with my first baby due in October and would LOVE to be able to use cloth diapers, but the daycare my child will attend requires disposables. Do you think it would be just ridiculous to try to use both, cloth at home and on weekends, and disposables for daycare? Or would it just make more sense to go completely disposable given our daycare situation? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We have actually heard from folks who use them just at home (nights and weekends can still add up to saving money for sure!).
xo,
s