I’m not sure if you have the old fashioned kind or the new high tech ones. I get my fuzzibunz clean using a special detergent- either Rockin’ Green or Charlies Soap.  If you don’t use the right detergent then it will build up on the diapers and make them smell.  In my front loader, first i run a cold rinse and spin, then i run a hot wash with a tiny bit of detergent with an extra rinse.  I remember mine smelling worse at first b/c i was using too much soap.  If they smell really bad, you can separate the inserts from the diapers and then run the inserts only with bleach, and wash the diapers with oxiclean.  I add a tiny bit of oxiclean to the wash every couple of weeks or so.  If there is too much buildup on your diapers now, you may have to keep washing with hot water and no soap to remove it. On the Rockin’ Green package there are instructions to do a soak to remove the smell but I’ve never had to try that.

I found vinegar to be really helpful. I would run a quick cold rinse to wet the diapers. Wash with a little bit of detergent and vinegar and then do a second wash of just vinegar. And then rinse a bunch of times. I did this every few weeks or so and it did seem to help. Good luck!

If you think it could be soap build-up, try “stripping” the diapers.  Wash them in the machine with a little bit of Dawn original dish soap (nothing fancy or scented, just the plain old blue stuff).  By a little I mean maybe a table spoon.  I have a front loader, though, so I don’t know if the Dawn would be a mess in a top loader.  This is supposed to strip all the soap residue off.  If you already use vinegar and use PUL diaper covers that could be the problem, too.  Vinegar causes a big stink on the PUL.  There are tons of cloth diaper sites on the web that will have suggestions.

Way back in the day (my kids are teenagers and older now) I used to soak cloth diapers in a little Borax. I would add a little (maybe 1/4 C?) to a diaper pail with very hot water.

A few more tips for once the stink is out.  Make sure you was diapers every 2-3 days, even if that means small loads.  If they sit for longer it can be harder to get them clean.  Also, do a rinse cycle or soak cycle BEFORE washing them (if you don’t already).  We have a bare bones washer, so I do a cold rinse.  This gets the majority of the junk out so when they are actually being washed with soap it is in clean(er) water.

I wrote out our (front-loader) washing routine here: http://nettacow.blogspot.com/2010/01/cloth-diapering-routine.html - of note, I use detergent in the initial soak/rinse to start (because that’s when they’re dirtiest!) and I use a small squirt of povodone iodine to help kill germs. I bought our diapers from a friend (mama of 5 at the time, due with #8 any day now!) and that’s what she used.  Probably way more detail in the post than a person would care to read, but what can I say, I love fluffy bottoms! :>)

Well, I can’t say I’ve conquered the paper clutter, but I do have a few ideas.  First, make use of the “circular file” as much as possible.  We usually open the mail right by the trash and 75% goes straight in (I always open envelopes to confirm it’s junk mail, but catalogs, magazines we don’t actually want, etc don’t even get a second glance.)  For important papers, I have a filing cabinet.  The first file in it is a “to be filed” one.  If something is important, it gets stashed in there until I get some time for filing (sometimes it will stay in there for a year, until I get ready to do taxes and need to find all those important papers!)  Hubby is really involved in Knights of Columbus, so I have a place where I set all letters for him - he gets to decide what is important and what is not.  I try to ignore the pile.  I get all sorts of nonsense for Scouts, so I have a closet where I keep all of my scouting stuff (since I also have supplies, etc for meetings to deal with.)  For homeschooling - I have a set of desk bins (the in/out variety) but I just use one for each of my girl’s school work.  When they get full, or when I get the time, I go through, choose some samples for their portfolios, and then throw out the rest!  That being said, I almost always have a pretty good sized stack of papers on my desk (or on my corkboard over my computer) dealing with things that I am supposed to take care of or get to (like the 401K from my last office type job 10 years ago, that I have been meaning to roll into my IRA…hasn’t happened yet…oops!) and I am learning to just accept with my temperment and lifestyle, there will always be some paper clutter in my life.  For refrigerator art - I let it pile up until it starts to fall off, then I let the girls go through and they each can choose 2 items to put back up, but everything else needs to go in the trash can.

I recycle almost everything that comes in the mail immediately. Most of my mail is either ads or charity requests. (If you haven’t already done so, sign for online billing and online statements whenever possible.) Anything that is important and needs to be dealt with in the future gets stashed in a wire file basket that’s attached the end of the kitchen cabinets. Most things fit in these two categories, but I also put coupons in a drawer in the kitchen. Anything personal stays on the kitchen counter only until the recipient has read it. Then it usually gets recycled, too. Be ruthless and be immediate.

just a small step—I have a little cabinet for things to hold onto, to be filed, or to be dealt with, like bills that haven’t been paid yet or letters that need to be answered.  When I’m too busy to deal with them or even file them, I stick them in there, so they are out of sight but won’t get lost.  This is not a total solution but at least we don’t have important papers lying around on the table anymore, getting food spilled on them and babies ripping them!

Funny this should come up today. I have dreadful trouble keeping on top of paperwork. Today I bought a clear 5 drawer desktop file, so I can see what is in there, but it is tidy. I have a draw for 1. bills to be paid, 2. for action (eg letters which require reply), 3. Tax filing, 4. bills filing, and 5. other filing - which correspond to box files I have for each financial year. the intention is to swap them out into an envelope at the end of each financial year and store them in the garage for the 5 years we have to keep them.. I also have a box for warantees, and instruction booklets. - the less sorting the better

I hope this will help me keep on top of things.

Such great ideas!  Just a quick addition that I couldn’t do without now…
At the desk where I pay bills, I have a vertical file slot that is just for unpaid bills.
These get opened right away, the date due is noted on the front (actually a few days early so I’m not late!) then that date gets put on the calendar (which is only for bills) hanging right at that desk.  Regular monthly automatic payments go on this calendar too, then on one set day each week I sit down and do all the bills, cross them off the calendar, and update the checkbook.  I can see at a glance if everything is paid up if it is all crossed off.  My dh started this system long ago, and it sure saves me many problems!

Maybe you are using too much oil? That’s one of the biggest problems we’ve had-that or sauteeing the veggies too long (so they are mushy).
Our easy stir fry recipe is:
1.) bake some boneless skinless chicken breasts at 375 for about 45 minutes (juices should run clear and no pink on inside when you cut open largest one). Sprinkle a little garlic, black pepper, and ginger on top (or whatever spices you prefer) before baking
2.) cook a pot of brown rice following the instructions on the bag
3.) put a tablespoon or so of veggie oil in our biggest skillet (could use a large pot instead) and heat on medium-high
4.) Add fresh or frozen veggies to oil in pan and sautee for a few minutes. We prefer to do high heat for just a few minutes rather than long time over lower heat. Add whatever spices you like from: garlic, celery seed (unless you already have celery seed in), black pepper, ginger, cayenne pepper, curry powder. Add small amounts at first if you aren’t sure how much you want on there. Pour a few teaspoons of soy sauce on if desired.
5.) Add teriyaki sauce if desired (we use Kikkoman sauce from the store when we use sauce
6.) Put everything on plates and eat!!

It’s hard to know what to change since I don’t know what exactly you are doing when you cook, but hopefully my “recipe” helps!

There are also some great recipes out there for things like orange chicken in a crockpot that are sorta toss everything in and ignore it recipes that might be yummy and hard to mess up! good luck!

Perhaps you could post what exactly you didn’t like about your mom’s and your own stir fries so we could offer tips for that specific issue?

Lacking specifics, I’ll just share that I had issues with soggy stir fry veggies, overcooked (tough) meat, and bland flavor.  Over the years, I’ve changed what I do to correct those issues and here’s what I now do:

1) In one frying pan, I cook diced chicken on medium/low heat until *almost* white all the way through.  (It will cook more when you mix it with the veggies, so no need to get it all the way cooked upfront…)

2) In another frying pan I cook sliced veggies (snap peas, all colors of bell pepper, mushrooms, onions, carrots, cashews, and dried pineapple bits) on medium/high heat until *barely* soft.  I add the veggies in this order because the ones added first cook slowest: carrots… wait a minute… add peppers… wait a minute… add nuts and pineapple bits… wait a minute… add onions… wait a minute… add snap peas.  (Alternatively, I dump a package of prepared stir fry veggies and cook until its just hot; no longer).
3) Then, I either mix in a prepared stir fry sauce OR I add quite a lot of soy sauce, garlic, and olive oil.  Optional other seasonings (if I’m in the mood) are curry OR ginger.  And I always sprinkle some sesame seeds in & red pepper on too, but I like spicy.
4) Finally, I mix the veggies and meat together and let them cook just a BIT more (to finish cooking the meat and get the veggies a BIT more tender)!  Oh, I probably should have said this upfront, but start the meat first because it takes a lot longer to cook than the veggies.

Hope that helps!  Incidentally, I read your question about stir fry before I made dinner this evening… then I made stir fry for dinner taking careful note of everything I was doing so I could tell you about it in the right order… and hopefully I didn’t leave anything out and this will be useful!  If its a flop, though… there’s always Chinese takeout!

Thanks for thinking of me & posting this!!  I will look around for the portable boppy! It sound perfect!

Great, boppymama!! So glad you saw it:)

hooray for you!  I was just looking at some old Halloween candy on top of the fridge and thinking I need to do a purge.  Thanks for the inspiration!

okay, full disclosure—it’s from TWO Halloweens ago.  now I feel guilty enough that I have to get rid of it. 

lilacs, send it to me… I will EAT it for you, lol!  I would SO love some chocolate tonight…   In all seriousness, way to go for the 40 bags in 40 days challenge.   I don’t know if I would have anything left in my house if I did that, but it is inspiring none the less (and my house is still crammed with stuff I need to purge… it is just a TINY apartment so not 40 bags’ worth of stuff.  Maybe just 35, haha!)  I think I will do this for Lent…

I just replace mine often.  Mine seem to start falling apart fairly quickly anyway.  What’s the microwave trick?

I assume you are asking about a kitchen sponge.  If so, you can put the sponge in the dishwasher when you run it.  Just make sure that it is secured so it won’t come loose.  I wash my sponges regularly in the washing machine when I wash the kitchen towels and washcloths.  I do this load in hot water and use bleach to help kill germs.  My sponges come out smelling nice and clean.

Sarah, I believe the microwave trick is to put the wet sponge in the microwave on high for one minute to kill germs.  I have never done this, so someone correct me if this is the wrong power level or time.

I do two things: soak it in a little puddle of vinegar for a half hour or so, and then boil it in a pot of water for about 10 minutes.  I do this about once a week, and it seems to keep the stink at bay.  My grandma taught me the vinegar trick: she used to keep her sponges in a bowl with vinegar and water, ready to use, but I don’t particularly care for the vinegar smell, so I also do the boiling.

thanks for the tips!  Love the washing machine idea.  (Don’t have a dishwasher either but I want one!)  Vinegar sounds good too but I think realistically I am a lot more likely to just throw it in the washing machine….

You are not a failure!  It is not humanly possible to do everything all the time.  I believe some one said that if it appears that there are others who do do it all than something else has got to give—it is something that can be hidden and you just don’t see it.  They choose what they do and it may just look like they can do it all.  Just do the best you can—you are not a failure!

Here’s a great quote (though who said it I can’t remember):
Don’t ask: Am I doing as much as I should be doing?
Just ask: Am I doing what God wants me to do right now?

I think everyone feels that way once in a while. I wouldn’t dwell on it though. You are probably only looking at the things you haven’t gotten done. But, there is probably a lot of other stuff you have gotten done. I think its a perspective thing.

Sometimes we think we must do everything for everyone or we have failed -society’s messages set us up to fail.  It’s not humanly possible to do it all.  As moms, we must do what is necessary for our children to know they are safe and loved and sometimes that means the ‘stuff’ must wait. A child needing to talk, cry, share a story or sometimes to just spend time very close to you is more important then that load of laundry that needs to be done. I have children ranging from 25-10 and I can’t count the number of times cleaning the house had to wait while I listened with undivided attention to a heart who just needed someone to let them know how much they are loved. One of my sons, after going off to college, called to tell me thank you for placing God first because now he knew he could make good decisions. The dust, dirt, laundry and dishes are still around but some of my children are grown and gone. I am so glad for all the times I let the dust grow and the yard go unattended because I can’t replace the time we had together. 
Keep in mind as a mom and wife our responsibility is to get our children, husband and ourselves to heaven.  This can’t be done alone, so we ask Our Lord to fill in our gaps, our failings and shortcomings.  Wake up and offer Him your day, your husband and children and do all you can to praise Him throughout in the smallest tasks you do. Continuously ask our example of love, Mary our Mother to guide your words, actions, thoughts and heart so you may be the wife and mother you are meant to be.  A loving smile can be the greatest gift we can give when we do it for the love of Him.  =)

When I think I am under a spiritual attack (“You stink as a mom, you’re lazy, your kids are dumb and it’s all your fault, you’re not doing enough for them to succeed”, etc) I first try to step back and see if perhaps there is an area where I can improve.  Is my conscience trying to tell me something? Am I putting my faith first?  Do I have disordered attachments?  I will go to confession if I have to.  Then I will try to make a change - to start every morning with prayer and to be grateful for the gifts I have been given.  Forget about what “society” expects of you, and try to figure out what you need to get done for your life, your family, your home, your marriage.  It may be as simple as getting a handle on clutter or losing some weight or making the time for exercise or prayer.

Gwen, you do your best to & for the people God has placed in your life & under your care.
We can’t “do it all” all at once, all the time.  We start small, and with God we do great things.

Monica, thank you for what you wrote!  I needed to read that tonite…I got too carried away with getting the laundry put away & blew my top at my melting down 4 year old.  As if bedtime is ever easy for a 4 year old!  The laundry could’ve waited. Thank you for your long-range perspective.

Gwen, I’m praying for you and thanking you at the same time because you wrote my own feelings that have me hanging on to the end of my rope this week….and thanks to everyone who answered esp.  devra, Jennifer, Monica, and StephC…...actually every response was a positive/helpful reminder.  It also helps to realize that others sometimes feel the same way we do.  Good luck to you—-besides doing some extra praying this week, I am also going to renew my “Thankful Blessings Journal” where I write about at least 3 special blessings each night that I am grateful for that day.  I know from the past that focusing on my blessings when everything seems bleak/troubled helps to change my focus.  I am also going to make sure I have some more “me” time and try to “relax” my own standards a bit….a compliment my family more (even though I’ve been exasperated lately and feel like I’m taking on the burdens of all….perhaps if I show more gratitude than there will be more reasons to feel gratitude…..it’ll be a hopeful experiment!)  Good luck and many blessings for us all!

My recipe doesn’t have tomatoes, but it’s really good and really easy.  Just take a piece of chuck roast and sprinkle with onion soup mix.  It can cook in the crock pot or the oven at 300 degrees;  takes a few hours.  You can add baby carrots after an hour or two.  It comes out very tender.