Author: Krista

Elimination Communication/ Natural Potty Training Supply List

EC/NATURAL POTTY TRAINING SUPPLY LIST

When practicing Elimination Communication/ Natural Potty Training it doesn’t mean your baby/toddler is naked and peeing wherever they want. Certain supplies can help reduce your stress and assisted in simplifying the process. This is a list of possible supplies and links to buy them from. You don’t need every supply on this list. Do what is comfortable for you and your family, and if something isn’t working change it up.

(I do get a tiny commission from the sale of certain products listed, using the link provided, but the price does not change for you. I only recommend supplies I have personally used, multiple families I have taught have recommended, or another fellow Go Diaper Free coach has recommended.)

Possible Potty Receptacles:

1. Grown-up toilet, held over it (with or without a mirror or sticker stuck  inside of the lid for baby to have something to look at)
2. Grown-up toilet with toilet seat reducer:

• Potette Plus (My favorite!!!) It is a seat reducer plus a mini portable potty that can easily fold away. We keep one in the house and one in the back of the car/diaper bag. When used as a portable potty it uses disposable liners, a reusable silicone liner, or plastic bags with napkins or a cloth wipe to soak up the pee.

Other toilet seat reducers are:

   

  • Foldable travel seat reducer. This is probably the second most popular portable seat reducer style.

 

  • Seat Reducer with Handles.

 

  • Seat Reducer with steps: I own this one. It has a stable ladder, folds away, and has a cushioned seat.

I have also heard good things about this brand.

3. Sink (bathroom or kitchen).
4. Bathtub (good for boys). When the toilet is occupied and my son can’t hold it any longer, he uses the bathtub like a urinal.
5. Stand-up shower (also good for boys).
6. Any bowl-like container that works for you (ie: mixing bowl, tupperware bowl, chamber pot, etc.).
7. Shallow container (such as a wide rectangular/ circular basin with low edges) used next to bed on floor.
8. Water bottle or jar (boys).
9. Mini potty/ potty chair:
High Back Potty chair for support while sitting. We keep a Potette Plus as a seat reducer in our bathroom, but we also kept a floor potty, when my son was young and willing to use it, for when the toilet was occupied. It’s also handy to use in other rooms of the house, like the living room or playroom.

There is also a 4-in-1 soft seat toilet trainer. It is a floor potty, toilet seat reducer, portable potty, and step stool.

 

10. Top Hat Potty: This is great for newborns, especially to catch pee/poop while they are feeding. http://www.naturallydiaperfree.com/Potties.html
11. Disposable, cloth/plastic-lined, or wool puddle pad : I prefer wool puddle pads, since we use wool diaper covers anyway.

12. Frisbee or whatever else is laying around in your car.
13. Towels.
14. Potty cozies can keep a baby comfortable on their portable/mini potty, since it helps them avoid sitting on hard, cold plastic. http://www.naturallydiaperfree.com/Potty-Cozy-Menu.html

Clothing:

  1. Split Pants: These keep your baby’s legs warm, but allow them to sit on the potty without taking their clothing off.

Open Crotch Romper.

2. Tiny Undies: I love these undies. You can’t find underwear to fit a small baby or toddler and these start at 6 months. These are amazing! They are made by the author of Go Diaper Free.
Purchase directly: http://tinyundies.com/our-shop/tiny-undies-new/?invite=31
Purchase from Amazon:

3. Toddler Undies.

3. Leg warmers: We wear leg warmers and undies a lot. They are great for layering or to just keep legs warm during diaper free time.

4. Shirts.

 

5. Wool soakers: We use these with our flat diapers, with undies, under pants, or as pants (commando/undies) when going on a long car trip or at someone’s home. If we have a miss, properly lanolinized wool creates a breathable, yet water proof layer. You will still have to clean up your child, but whatever they are sitting on should be protected. [Wool typically only has to be washed and relanolinized (the process that keeps it from leaking) once a month, when it gets an odor, unlike PUL diaper covers that need cleaned daily. Another benefit of wool compared to PUL is that it is absorbent, like regular clothing, which is what we are going for with EC backups.]

EcoPosh Wool Diaper Cover.

Disana Organic Merino Wool Cover. (These are my favorite soakers and pretty much bullet proof.)

Personalized Wool Cover. 

Eucalan Lanolin Enriched Delicate Wash (Lanolin is used to make wool waterproof).

Rebourne also has some amazing wool, especially the OS wraps, and has a great lanolizing kit with wonderful instructions. Send the owner a message if you have any questions or if she is out of stock of anything you are needing.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/rebourne

Books:

It is always handy to have a reference book on hand. Here are a few I recommend.

Go Diaper Free/EC Simplified (0-18 month) (My class is based largely from this book.):

 

The Tiny Potty Training Book (I reference this for children who are 18+ months.):

The Diaper Free Baby:

Tiny Potty Board Book (A book you can read to your baby.):

Other:

1.Snappi: These are used to hold prefolds/flats/burp clothes on babies.

2.Cloth Diapers:
Thirsties Hemp Prefold:

Bummis Organic Overnight Cloth Diaper:

OsoCozy Indian Cotton Unbleached Prefold:
Disana Organic Cotton Muslin Flat:
OsoCozy Organic Birdseye Cotton Flats (Love these!!! They make one size cloth diapering for all sizes a breeze, plus you can fold them to fit your child’s needs (wet zone, jelly roll legs and back to keep poop in, etc.):

3.Cloth Wipes (We use these for baby, family cloth, blowing noses, cleaning messes, etc.) (Read this article for more information http://cleaningouttheclutter.com/2013/05/all-about-homemade-cloth-baby-wipes-and-wipe-solutions/):

3.Wipe Box: We love this thing. It has a weight for easy access and you don’t have to worry about how you fold the wipes.

4.Diaper Belt: Diaper belts are elastic belts that are worn around the waist to hold a prefold/ flat diaper/burp cloth in place for an easy back up option. http://www.naturallydiaperfree.com/Diaper-Belts.html
There is also an adjustable option:

5.Wool puddle pad: we use these to protect our sheets in case I don’t wake up fast enough.

6.Urinal:

7.Wet Bags: I love wet bags! I use them for a variety of things. For EC I use the large to hold wet clothing/diapers.

I use the small to store clean cloth wipes.

I also like Planet Wise’s hanging wet bag and diaper pail liner.

My favorite hanging wet bag is by Kanga Care. It held 3 days worth of flats.

 

8.Potty Training Dolls (I like to use these as a teaching tool.):

  • Once Upon a Time Plush Doll Set w/ Potty :
  • Potty Time Elmo
  • Potty Time Elmo DVD (This is great to have with the doll. My son loves this movie and it helped him with the steps of potty independence.):

  • Potty Training Caucasian Baby:
  • Potty Training Black Baby:
  • Boy Potty Doll with Book and DVD:

Not every Elimination Communication/ Natural Potty Training Supply listed is needed. Figure out what works for your family. Use what will help you have the least amount of stress during this process.

For more ideas look through my free support group (www.facebook.com/groups/NaturalPottyTrainingETx/), or ask a question.

Are You A Cyberbully?

Cyberbully

Why do people feel it is alright to bully online?

I constantly hear how teens are bullying online and their actions need to be stopped. I completely agree, but I think adults need to also look at their own actions.

I don’t see adults going on another individual’s account and degrading them as often as I do teenagers. However, almost on a daily basis I see adults bullying through private groups or with the reply feature of comments that differ from their own. Name calling, cussing, sarcastic memes, and hurtful accusations are all brought out as arsenal.

When another person has a differing opinion than your own, do you really believe that person will be willing to have an open heart and mind if you create a full on assault against them?

What’s the old proverb? “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.”

I get it, I’m part of a lot of crunchy groups were things like circumcision, car seat safety, vaccines, and breastfeeding are very heated topics of discussion. My own social media circle is extremely diverse, with people who could be classified as liberal, conservative, homosexual, transgender, Christian, Buddhist, Pagan, agnostic, etc., causing LGTB, abortion, and marijuana use to be extremely controversial subjects.

I get the need to stand up for your own world view or pointing out possible harm that can come to another individual. What I’m not agreeing on is how people go about trying to accomplish this. Personally, if I’m going to comment against a completely different opinion, I’m going to do it in hopes of making some difference, even if they only take away one little piece of information that can get them thinking and doing their own research.

If I were to start telling them how horribly wrong they are, that they are a bad person, belittling them, and making them go on the defensive, I’m not going to accomplish my goal. They aren’t going to take in a single word I say. They are only going to feel attacked and not like they can have an open, calm, and respectful dialogue.  If the person has an aggressive personality they will attack back, if they have a passive personality, like me, they will most likely back off and probably unfollow the post after the first few hurtful comments are made towards them.

Let’s all try to show some compassion and patience. If you absolutely can’t say anything nice or in a caring way, then don’t say anything at all. It isn’t worth it starting an online fight, which is only going to end with hurt feelings. Before you send anything, read what you have wrote and pretend you were the one receiving that information. Would you be willing to consider the information and further discuss the differing opinion, or would you go on the defensive? Don’t be the cyber bully. Be mature and respectful, even if a differing opinion or action has you upset.

My family has big news!

My family has big news!

As many of you know, especially if you read any of my articles on CleaningOutTheClutter.com or follow my personal page on Facebook, hubby and I have lived and traveled in a RV for his job since 2011. We have lived in 4 different states and been able to experience some wonderful things. Our 2 ½ year old has been to more places than many adults have.
Well, the traveling is ending. Hubby now has a permanent job located only 10 miles from our home property. Stationary living will be an adjustment for us and I will desperately miss traveling. However, we will be starting a mini-farm!!!

This is such a major change that we actually acquired a mailbox, instead of having to rely on the generosity of family for accepting all of our mail.

Mailbox

Our overall dream has been to own at least 45 acres to have an organic, Non GMO, pasture-raised farm, to supply food for both our family and our community. This will be a very small taste of what our future will be, since we have less than 2 acres, but it’s a start.

We are trying to find wooden pallets to make fencing, repurpose wood to build portable coops and sheds, and old wooden windows to make a greenhouse, not to mention we are still trying to purchase or trade for an appropriate trailer. We want to have chickens, quails, goats, sheep, and bees and utilize them for eggs, meat, raw milk, wool, and honey. This is going to be a major learning process for us, from planning everything that needs to be built, learning how to care for each animal and the laws on what can be sold with/without a license, growing fodder and raising mealworms for Winter supplementation, etc.

So, please pray and wish us luck as we go about the planning process and search for all of the supplies needed to get Honey Hill Farm up and running. I will try to take pictures and keep everyone updated throughout the process.

Reusable Bags

Reusable Cloth Bags

I love Reusable bags and baskets! I have a large variety in my collection.

Here are 4 of the reusable bags I am currently using:

1. The Door Hanging Laundry Hamper is the perfect size for holding 1 large load or 2 average size loads of laundry. Since we have no floor space in our RV, having a hamper that hangs on our door, without having to use screws, is an added bonus. I also hate the bulky plastic laundry baskets, so having anything else is  amazing for me.

It has an easy access opening at the top and on the bottom of the backside there is a zipper to empty the bag quickly. It also comes in multiple colors.

(Available here: http://astore.amazon.com/educate0d4-20/detail/B01FYGKHBQ)

2. Grab Bag Reusable Grocery Bag is awesome. It quickly fits over a shopping cart, allowing you to fill it up with ease and folds up for easy storage. I love it for this purpose.
Where I do have issues, is the plastic arms that attach to the shopping cart break very easily. On separate occasions, both of our bags were left on the floor and broken. So, if you do use these make sure to fold them up, place them in a cabinet or hang them up.
Another complaint, which could be my fault, is the fabric started wearing out very quickly. We used these bags once a week to every two weeks for grocery shopping, and a couple of times a week to carry laundry to and from our clothes line or laundromat located at the RV park we were staying at. After about 6 months the fabric below the elastic tore.
(Available here: http://astore.amazon.com/educate0d4-20/detail/B00RTSV3BG)

3. Reisenthel Carrybag Fabric Picnic Tote can be used for a variety of things. It has a metal handle that folds flat when not in use, the fabric comes off and can be washed, it has an inner zippered pocket, and the basket can be folded flat when the support pieces are removed.
We use this for shopping, laundry, carrying lots of items from one room to another, and it is light enough my 2-year-old son uses it to carry his dolls and toys around.
(Available here: http://astore.amazon.com/educate0d4-20/detail/B01L25XKJO)

4. BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System comes with either 5 or 10 bags of a color of your choice. The bags are made from RipStop nylon, are water-repellent to help avoid spills dripping through the material, and are Bluesign certified, meaning harmful substances are removed throughout the manufacturing process.
The bags can be washed in cold water and air-dried.
When shopping, they can be hung for use just the like disposable plastic bags the store provides.
The storage system allows you to clip your bags onto your shopping cart, or even your own belt loop. When putting the bags away, you simple ball them up and shove them back into the storage system. No need for folding. Due to this aspect you have 10 reusable bags in one small space.
(Available here: http://astore.amazon.com/educate0d4-20/detail/B01LYF2RJQ)

What is one of your favorite reusable bags?

DIY Color Matching Square

I have been increasing the number of homeschooling supplies I have and the color matching square I found on Etsy.com was $35 and not exactly what I wanted. So, I decided to get crafty and make my own color matching square with the fabric and pattern of my choosing.

I used small patterned felt, found here, to make each section. I chose dots for primary colors (blue, yellow, and red), snowflakes with swirls for secondary colors (green, orange, and purple), and stars for my black and white sections.

To make it easy on me, I made my square out of 8 sections by cutting each square fabric diagonally in half, creating a 45 degree angle.

I used Mod Podge glue, found here, to keep each section in place over a large piece of felt, found here, then sewed the edges of each section to keep it secured in place. (Please, don’t judge the quality of my sewing. This was my first time using a sewing machine and it took me a very long time to not just have one big knot of thread.) I then trimmed off the remaining felt from the back piece.

DIY Color Matching Square 3

On the back of the felt I wrote the name of each color next to the corresponding edge (As you can see, I tried paint and it didn’t turn out well. I ended up using a permanent marker instead).

Back of Color Matching Square

For my 2 year old to be able to play with the color matching square (more than just dancing on top of it like he loves to do) I painted 8 clothespins in  corresponding colors.

His new toy is already working. After only a day of playing with it he now recognized the color “orange!”

DIY Felt Color Matching Square

Using the front of the color matching square, we can practice matching colors (we use other manipulative besides the clothespins), naming colors, learning the difference between primary and secondary colors, match fabric patterns, and practice fine motor skills by manipulating the clothes pin. On the back he can learn to match the color of the clothespin to the written name of the color. As he gets older, we can discuss angles and how the square is made of 45 degree angles and right angles.

As you can see, a simple felt square can provide a lot of learning opportunities.

How will you design your DIY color matching square?