The Savvy Parent Seminar September 26th/10 from 12pm – 4pm
Twilight Room at The Willows in Saskatoon
So what is this event all about? You’ve been hearing a lot about it and I wanted to give you a bit more background on it. As a parent and a business owner, I felt there was a need to provide parents with information on a variety of relevant topics of interest in a setting that makes it enjoyable for them to receive that information. Other businesses I work with felt there was a need to do the same and thus The Savvy Parent Seminar was born!
Parents crave knowledge – I know I do. At times it can be difficult to find information and depending on the source, credibility can be an issue. By having a variety of experts available and having us come together in a comfortable setting to present that information offers parents enhanced learning opportunities. This will be a relaxing and entertaining experience that will leave you feeling more confident and informed about making healthy, sustainable choices for yourself and your family.
The Savvy Parent Seminar is an opportunity for existing and expectant parents to gather to hear information from experts on relevant topics, and to enjoy the company of fellow parents while sampling some wonderful food and beverages.
Tickets to attend are $30 each. What do you get for the cost of that ticket? Attendees are going to receive a swag bag full of product samples and information that is worth over $50+ in value, an event booklet with coupons totalling $30+ in value, and a chance to win door prizes that start at $25+ in value. They will get to sample some exquisitely prepared appetizers and dessert while listening to a knowledgeable group of speakers. The collective value of the speakers’ time alone definitely exceeds the cost of a ticket. As a parent or parent to be, how can you go wrong?
To make things even better, a charitable donation from a portion of the proceeds of the event will be made to the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan. We want you to know the event is about more than just a chance to shop for goods and services, snack and win a prize.
This event is about giving parents an opportunity to be pampered and to take some time for themselves to enjoy an afternoon while being able to come away feeling empowered and enriched by the experience. We know how hard it can be to do that sometimes. You can also feel good that you are helping contribute to a very worthwhile local charity.
Nursing babies are more than welcome and we will have some designated seating within the room for that. Many have asked if they need to leave their small children at home. We leave that choice up to each family as to what works best for them. If you are a young family and a toddler needs to join you at the event, there will be a small unsupervised child’s play area set up to help keep little ones busy with some toys and coloring supplies. Scheduled breaks between groups of speakers will allow people time to mingle, get up and stretch their legs, change baby, give their toddler some free time, and speak with presenters in greater detail on topics of choice.
The goal is to offer a unique, worthwhile experience in an intimate setting while having some fun along the way. We've kept the event size small to avoid a lot of hustle and bustle and to provide as close to a one on one experience as possible. We also respect the privacy of our attendees so no contact information will be shared with prize sponsors. It’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with other soon-to-be parents and existing parents.
Tickets are on sale until September 22 and you can purchase yours here: www.savvyparentseminar.ca
Here is the agenda for the day:
12:00: Welcome ~ Laura Monchuk, Saskmom.com
12:10: Cloth Diapers: Dispelling the Myths
Shari Hinz, Baby Luv Boutique
12:30: Starting from Scratch: Healthy Foods for Baby & Beyond
Tiffany Banow, Happy Pantry
12:50: Break & Door Prizes
1:30: Creating an Eco-Happy Home
Marlese Assman, Demetria Organics
1:50: Yoga & Relaxation Techniques
Chantal Banda, Harmony Souls
2:10: Break & Door Prizes
2:50: Postpartum Health for Moms
Paula Anderson & Sharlene Reynolds
LifeMark Health Daniels Kimber Physiotherapy
3:10: Wrap Up ~ Laura Monchuk, Saskmom.com
3:30: Final Door Prizes & On-Site Shopping
As you can see it's going to be an awesome afternoon. We look forward to seeing you there!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Cloth Diaper Care Part 1: Routine
As a parent I used cloth diapers for 9 years - yes you read correctly, nine years of diapering. So when I say that I have washed, dried and hung on the line numerous loads of cloth diapers you can believe it!
Detergent and care questions are the most common topics clients ask about. We will chronicle in detail some relevant information for parents so you can make a wise detergent choice for your family and establish a solid wash routine for your diaper products. When you make an investment to use cloth diapers, having the right tools and understanding how to care for them is important.
Location and subsequent water hardness may cause your routine to differ slightly from others, but the general guidelines can be followed by everyone. If a particular situation warrants some adjustment to your routine, there is always the ability to tailor it to your needs.
In this first article of a multi-part series on diaper care and detergent, I am going to provide some updated care instructions and some diaper “don’ts”. I want to try to simplify things for you while still giving all the information you need!
The most common questions we get asked by our clients are: "How do I wash cloth diapers? Isn't it hard to do?" The routine itself couldn't be simpler. We'll start at the beginning and share all our dirty diaper laundry secrets!
What do I do with soiled and dirty diapers?
Place wet or soiled diapers into a dry diaper pail with baking soda sprinkled on the bottom to help absorb odor. Baking soda does an amazing job of keeping your pail smelling fresh. Make sure any solid waste in the diaper has been put into the toilet, place the diaper in the pail and lay the lid on top. Wet diapers can be placed in the pail as is taking care to remove any disposable liners if you use these products.
If breastfeeding you don't need to rinse the diaper off but if you wish to, simply put on a pair of rubber gloves and rinse the diaper in the toilet, squeeze out excess water, and place in the diaper pail. A pail liner can be used inside your diaper pail if you prefer. You would dump all the diapers in the pail liner into the wash and place the pail liner in to be washed as well.
Another tip to eliminate odor in your diaper pail is to attach a small square of fabric with tea tree oil or grapefruit seed extract on the lid. Carbon filters also do a great job of eliminating odor.
Make sure you wash often enough - no more than 2 days between wash cycles are recommended. The longer wet/soiled diapers sit, the more opportunity for bacteria, mould, and other organisms to develop.
What's the best wash routine for my cloth diapers?
A cold or warm(preferred) presoak, hot wash and cold rinse is the most common recommendation. The cold or warm temperature presoak can prevent stains from setting into diaper fabric. You may want to do an extra rinse to ensure all detergent is completely out of the diapers. Proper rinsing will reduce detergent residue or build up.
If using a detergent recommended specifically for cloth diapers, use the amount indicated in the detergent instructions taking into account the degree of water hardness/softness in your location and the number of diapers being washed per load.
If you have hard water, you may need to slightly increase the amount of detergent used.
By the same token, if you have a water softener installed in your home you may need to decrease the amount of detergent used compared to the manufacturer recommendations.
If using a mainstream detergent, reduce the recommended amount by 1/2 to start especially if it’s a concentrated variety. If any suds remain in the machine, rinse again until there are no suds in the washing machine drum.
You can either line dry (most eco-friendly) or dry diapers and inserts in the dryer as per manufacturers' recommendations.
Cloth diaper care "don'ts"
When using today's modern cloth diapers, there are things you shouldn’t do when caring for them. You want to protect your investment in the products and maintain your safety.
Do NOT use fabric softeners, dryer sheets or detergents with fabric softeners in them. These items cause build up and leaking. Even if you do not use these products with your diaper laundry but use them with regular laundry, they can leave deposits in both your washing machine and dryer by coating the interior drum. These deposits can transfer onto cloth diaper products and cause repelling and leaking.
No bleach or whitening agents as use of these could damage products and void manufacturer warranty.
No vinegar or baking soda should be used in the wash. Vinegar can change the pH of your water and possibly damage elastic. Baking soda can settle into fabric and cause build up. If using baking soda in your diaper pail, dump it into the toilet, rinse out your pail and do not place it in the machine with your cloth diapers.
Do NOT use the sanitize cycle on your washing machine for cloth diapers. The water temperature on this setting is too high and can damage Aplix or Velcro closure tabs, snaps and elastic. You may be able to use it for cotton prefolds or certain insert material like microterry inserts. Check manufacturer recommendations prior to using the sanitize cycle on your washing machine but it is generally not recommended due to the extreme temperature.
Do NOT boil your diapers. This will damage the elastic and possibly the polyurethane laminate in your diaper products. Boiling diapers will void product warranty.
Do NOT wash diapers in the dishwasher as this is an extreme fire hazard.
Our next article in this series will discuss the science behind detergent, which varieties are cloth diaper friendly and local detergent sources (in Humboldt and Saskatoon).
Stay tuned for more great information!
Baby Luv Boutique
http://www.babyluvboutique.com
(306) 682-5746
1-866-231-5135
Detergent and care questions are the most common topics clients ask about. We will chronicle in detail some relevant information for parents so you can make a wise detergent choice for your family and establish a solid wash routine for your diaper products. When you make an investment to use cloth diapers, having the right tools and understanding how to care for them is important.
Location and subsequent water hardness may cause your routine to differ slightly from others, but the general guidelines can be followed by everyone. If a particular situation warrants some adjustment to your routine, there is always the ability to tailor it to your needs.
In this first article of a multi-part series on diaper care and detergent, I am going to provide some updated care instructions and some diaper “don’ts”. I want to try to simplify things for you while still giving all the information you need!
The most common questions we get asked by our clients are: "How do I wash cloth diapers? Isn't it hard to do?" The routine itself couldn't be simpler. We'll start at the beginning and share all our dirty diaper laundry secrets!
What do I do with soiled and dirty diapers?
Place wet or soiled diapers into a dry diaper pail with baking soda sprinkled on the bottom to help absorb odor. Baking soda does an amazing job of keeping your pail smelling fresh. Make sure any solid waste in the diaper has been put into the toilet, place the diaper in the pail and lay the lid on top. Wet diapers can be placed in the pail as is taking care to remove any disposable liners if you use these products.
If breastfeeding you don't need to rinse the diaper off but if you wish to, simply put on a pair of rubber gloves and rinse the diaper in the toilet, squeeze out excess water, and place in the diaper pail. A pail liner can be used inside your diaper pail if you prefer. You would dump all the diapers in the pail liner into the wash and place the pail liner in to be washed as well.
Another tip to eliminate odor in your diaper pail is to attach a small square of fabric with tea tree oil or grapefruit seed extract on the lid. Carbon filters also do a great job of eliminating odor.
Make sure you wash often enough - no more than 2 days between wash cycles are recommended. The longer wet/soiled diapers sit, the more opportunity for bacteria, mould, and other organisms to develop.
What's the best wash routine for my cloth diapers?
A cold or warm(preferred) presoak, hot wash and cold rinse is the most common recommendation. The cold or warm temperature presoak can prevent stains from setting into diaper fabric. You may want to do an extra rinse to ensure all detergent is completely out of the diapers. Proper rinsing will reduce detergent residue or build up.
If using a detergent recommended specifically for cloth diapers, use the amount indicated in the detergent instructions taking into account the degree of water hardness/softness in your location and the number of diapers being washed per load.
If you have hard water, you may need to slightly increase the amount of detergent used.
By the same token, if you have a water softener installed in your home you may need to decrease the amount of detergent used compared to the manufacturer recommendations.
If using a mainstream detergent, reduce the recommended amount by 1/2 to start especially if it’s a concentrated variety. If any suds remain in the machine, rinse again until there are no suds in the washing machine drum.
You can either line dry (most eco-friendly) or dry diapers and inserts in the dryer as per manufacturers' recommendations.
Cloth diaper care "don'ts"
When using today's modern cloth diapers, there are things you shouldn’t do when caring for them. You want to protect your investment in the products and maintain your safety.
Do NOT use fabric softeners, dryer sheets or detergents with fabric softeners in them. These items cause build up and leaking. Even if you do not use these products with your diaper laundry but use them with regular laundry, they can leave deposits in both your washing machine and dryer by coating the interior drum. These deposits can transfer onto cloth diaper products and cause repelling and leaking.
No bleach or whitening agents as use of these could damage products and void manufacturer warranty.
No vinegar or baking soda should be used in the wash. Vinegar can change the pH of your water and possibly damage elastic. Baking soda can settle into fabric and cause build up. If using baking soda in your diaper pail, dump it into the toilet, rinse out your pail and do not place it in the machine with your cloth diapers.
Do NOT use the sanitize cycle on your washing machine for cloth diapers. The water temperature on this setting is too high and can damage Aplix or Velcro closure tabs, snaps and elastic. You may be able to use it for cotton prefolds or certain insert material like microterry inserts. Check manufacturer recommendations prior to using the sanitize cycle on your washing machine but it is generally not recommended due to the extreme temperature.
Do NOT boil your diapers. This will damage the elastic and possibly the polyurethane laminate in your diaper products. Boiling diapers will void product warranty.
Do NOT wash diapers in the dishwasher as this is an extreme fire hazard.
Our next article in this series will discuss the science behind detergent, which varieties are cloth diaper friendly and local detergent sources (in Humboldt and Saskatoon).
Stay tuned for more great information!
Baby Luv Boutique
http://www.babyluvboutique.com
(306) 682-5746
1-866-231-5135
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