Oh Where Is My Hairbrush?

The Wet Brush Detangling Shower Brush is one of my favorite things, but it's also one of my daughters' favorite things. This brush is amazing. My sister-in-law introduced me to one last year and I bought one immediately with some Christmas money. Seriously miraculous. You know, when I can find it. I spend a shockingly large amount of time wandering the house singing this song.

I'm thinking St. Nicholas needs to bring a couple more of these to our house on his feast day. I notice it comes in a two pack that would be just perfect...


Amazon affiliate links above.

Product Review: XBoom Speaker

XBOOM Mini Portable Capsule Speaker

Brandy mentioned this speaker on her post of gifts for the Classical Charlotte Mason Mama and I was immediately intrigued. Kansas Dad had often said we needed a speaker and I had always demurred, imagining big bulky speakers and wires all over the kitchen.

We do most of our homeschooling in the kitchen. That's where the table is and when we're reading aloud or listening, it's usually around the table (with some food involved). In the past few years, we have turned to the laptop to:

• hear folk songs on Spotify when they're mentioned in a book,
• play our Music Masters CDs,
• find the most famous pieces by our composer on Spotify,
• listen to Making Music Praying Twice CDs,
• share Jim Weiss CDs with the kids (many of these are also available on Spotify), and
• provide background music for chores or dinner music for meals.

My laptop speakers are rather disappointing, so a few things were unworkable. We tried listening to audiobooks on Librivox, but my speakers just couldn't compete with the background noise of life in the house. Sometimes I would try to listen to a podcast, but that really only worked if I used headphones. I thought...maybe this speaker would be useful. It's small and easy to put away when we're not listening, but is a better speaker than I have now.

Kansas Dad's parents bought it for me for Christmas and oh-my-goodness, is it ever useful! Nearly every single day, this speaker is plugged into someone's laptop or Kindle. The quality is excellent for such a small thing. Often, I have to turn the sound down.

We listened to the sequel to Five Children and It, The Phoenix and the Carpet, on Librivox without any problems even while doing morning chores (unloading and loading the dishwasher). I had been reading the free version of this off my Kindle because our library didn't have a copy, but Librivox came to the rescue when I had a sore throat. As a bonus, the reader has an actual British accent.

I also discovered just before Christmas that I could download Audible files on the Kindle keyboard. My Kindle is one of these old ones (so old Amazon doesn't even allow an affiliate link) and we were gifted with Grammy's old one as well. If you pay attention, often you can add the Audible version of Kindle books for a discount. Before our drive to visit my parents, I "purchased" Heidi and Treasure Island for free for the Kindle and added the Audible versions for $0.99 each. My six- and four-year-olds have been listening happily for weeks. The little speaker works perfectly with the Kindles, too, so we could listen to an Audible recording on one of the old Kindles in the van or out and about easily. (The battery lasts a long time. As I said, we use it every day sometimes for hours and I've had to charge it about once every ten days.)

I've also successfully used it to listen to podcasts, though I've discovered I can only concentrate enough on a podcast when there are no children in the room. If they come in and talk to me or each other, I have to pause it.

Thanks, Brandy! This speaker is everything I'd hoped and just perfect for me. I still think bookshelves should have made your list, but I guess I'll let it slide this year.

I highly recommend signing up for one of the paid subscriptions to Spotify rather than the free service. The commercials were often highly inappropriate for children (and sometimes even made me blush). I don't receive anything if you sign up.

As an affiliate with Amazon, I receive a small commission if you follow one of my links, add something to your cart, and complete the purchase (in that order). This review is my objective opinion. I received the speaker as a gift.

Product Reviews: Power 90 and P90X

Last year, about this time, Kansas Dad decided we were going to get serious about losing weight and eating healthier. He asked me if I would do P90X with him. Now, P90X was designed for people like Kansas Dad, someone who has been working out consistently, is pretty strong but wants to take workouts to a whole new level. Then there was me, someone who had happily used pregnancy and babies to avoid exercising for years. I had recently started working out a little with Wii Fit Plus and saw some benefits but nothing dramatic. I looked at the P90X fit test (a PDF you can easily find if you search online) and knew I couldn't possibly pass it.

"No problem," says Kansas Dad, "You can do Power 90 first."

Of course. Why didn't I think of that? Sigh.

I hesitate to talk about being healthy or losing weight too much on the blog because I don't think I'm particularly healthy and until I lose all the weight I need to lose and keep it off for a few years, I'm not sure I'm qualified to talk much about it. But writing about things on the blog is what I do and I did have some people ask me about P90X.

You can go to Amazon or Beachbody.com to read a mountain of reviews on these products. I'll just mention a few things I think would be pertinent to someone like me - a mother with young children.

Power 90 - This is a great program if you are just getting started exercising or returning after a long break.

• There are workouts six days a week, but they are a reasonable length and modifications for beginners or hose more advanced are offered throughout.
• It's very basic, but effective. There aren't any fancy moves and would eventually get boring
• Everything you need comes in the box. You don't have to make any additional purchases. We did buy a weight set in preparation for P90X and it was easier to use than the band that came in the box, but it was more like a luxury.
• I did these workouts in the living room with all four kids watching. You do have to be careful not to kick a child or slam into them with a weight, but it's possible.
• We followed the nutrition plan, which is essentially counting calories. It seemed reasonable.
• I saw improvement in my strength, my cardiovascular fitness, and my weight.

P90X - This is an intense program and may not be a great fit for a mother with young children, but it is incredibly effective.

• There are workouts six days a week (seven if you could the stretch video). Again, they alternative strength training with cardio workouts.
• The workouts take at minimum an hour. The three strength training days take 75 minutes. The two cardio days take about an hour (as does the stretch video). The yoga video is 90 minutes (and by far the most difficult of all the videos). So you're looking at a big time commitment.
• You'll need a lot of equipment. We prepared by saving ahead, but it was still a little overwhelming. (Now we're saving money because Kansas Dad cancelled his gym membership.)
• The nutrition plan is very well done. It's basically counting calories but you do so by tracking servings of protein, carbs, fruit, oils, and so on. If you really follow the plan, though, it's incredibly expensive: lots of lean meats, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables (all expensive) and very few carbohydrates (very cheap). Our grocery bill was outrageous until later in the program when we could increase our carbs.
• If you write down your reps each week, you'll see improvement week by week even if you don't see changes in weight or size. 
• We did not buy any of the supplements.

Both of these programs are led by Tony Horton, who seems like a nice guy. He's always encouraging and sometimes silly. Even after months of listening to this guy on (nearly) a daily basis, I can still stand to hear him. We've been using other workouts (You Are Your Own Gym) but using some of the DVDs from P90X for warm ups, cool downs, and some of the cardiovascular workouts. Kansas Dad's been doing the Yoga one, too, but I've been avoiding it.

The program isn't designed for weight loss, but I think if you have weight to lose, you will. Kansas Dad looks fantastic. (I hope he's not too embarrassed to read that, but seriously, people have come up to him and asked what he's been doing! Some people even said he's inspired them to be healthier. How cool is that?)

Kansas Dad wants to start the 13 week program all over again. I'm a little overwhelmed at the thought of all that time, but there are lots of advantages to working out together so I'm hoping I can gather my energy and give it another try.

Product Review: Tovolo Star Popsicle Mold

My girls and Second Son adore popsicles. The ones at the store are expensive or full of high fructose corn syrup or both! A few years ago, I used some gift certificate money to buy these Tovolo Star Ice Pop Molds, which I had read were BPA-free. I loved them so much, I bought a second set. All summer long, I leave enough room for them on the top shelf of my freezer and try to keep them filled. I like to send the girls outside with one each just after I put the baby down for his nap. By the time they come back in (sticky, of course), he's sleeping well and doesn't wake when they make a little noise.

It takes about five minutes to fill them up and another three minutes to clean up the mess. They usually have to stay in the freezer overnight before they're chilled enough to eat, but I bet it'd be faster in the deep freeze.

When I make popsicles, I use one cup of apple juice and one and a half cups of frozen fruit (whatever is in the freezer). I blend it up and pour it in - so very easy! First Daughter loves to put the tops on for me. The "recipe" is very forgiving; I've used other kinds of juice and yogurt for different tastes or textures. I've dropped marshmallows or tiny chocolate candies in before putting on the tops. I've made instant pudding and poured it in. I've even made hot chocolate and poured it in. My girls will eat all of it. (First Son just doesn't like any kind of popsicles. Ice cream is about the only thing he'll eat cold.) I've read some people put in a little honey or corn syrup to soften them up, but I've never had my children complain they're too hard.

These molds are easy to use and easy to clean. I just put them in the soapy water and pretty much rinse them out a few minutes later. (I think they're dishwasher-safe, but I hand-wash mine.) To get the popsicle out, run hot water over them for a few minutes. If the top comes off without the popsicle, just put the top back on and put them back in the freezer.

We dropped one once right out of the freezer and can see the crack in the plastic, but it still holds the liquid and freezes just fine.

Beware, though, some fruits stain badly. I can usually get out blueberry and strawberry but the blackberry (or something) in our frozen berry mix did not come out at all. Sometimes I make the girls change into "popsicle clothes" before they can eat one.

I only wish I could buy more of the pop molds without the star base (for less than the whole set). Then I could pull them off the base when they're frozen, leave them in a pile in the freezer and make more!

A Recipe and a Product Review: Muffin Scoop

For my birthday last year, I received this OXO Good Grips Large Cookie Scoop from my brother and his family (which his wife selected for me, of course).

I love it.

I use it all the time.

I tried it for cookies, but it makes huge cookies, which First Son prefers to make by hand and I prefer not to make (because eating more cookie is not really something I need to do).

It is perfect for muffins. I make a lot of muffins here on the Range, so it gets a lot of use. Every time I pull it out and squeeze batter into the muffin pan, I am happy. 

I usually use slightly rounded scoops, which is less than most muffin recipes expect, so a 12-muffin batter will often make 18 for me. I like that because I'm not throwing away as much gnawed muffin when my toddler is done with it, but I also don't have to listen to him complain as I would if I cut a larger muffin in half for him. It's also nice for portion control for bigger people.

The handle for this scoop needs only a little pressure and the batter comes right out.

The muffin pan, full of perfectly shaped batter scoops.

Beautiful muffins!

I also love using the muffin scoop when I use my mini-loaf pan (like this one) or small loaves (these, and they are truly fabulous). I use two scoops for a mini-loaf and three for a small one. If I don't mix it together with a knife, they break right into halves or thirds at the table, which my girls think is fun.

Now, so you have something to try out when you buy your own muffin scoop, I'm finally posting my Banana Bread on the Range recipe. I've adapted this recipe from one that was in a Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, but one that is long out of print and they no longer include the original recipe. (I no longer have the original book, either, because the first copy was set on fire and the second one fell apart. I salvaged a few of our favorite pages when I realized the new edition didn't include some of our favorite recipes.) I long ago modified the original so I think it's acceptable for me to print it on the blog.


Kansas Mom's Banana Nut Bread
Makes 27 muffins using a slightly rounded scoop with the OXO Good Grips Large Cookie Scoop, leaving a tiny bit in the bowl for little helpers to taste. I also often make 1 loaf and 18 muffins or 2 loaves and 6 muffins...whatever works for you.

4-6 medium bananas (6 is best), as ripe as you can get them (frozen is fine)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp lemon extract (optional; you could also use some finely shredded lemon peel)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 tbsp wheat germ (optional)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin and/or loaf pans with cooking spray.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar, cooking oil, and lemon extract.

3. Add dry ingredients, up through the flours. (I add them in the order listed, right into the mixing bowl.) Mix until almost combined.

4. Add the chopped nuts. Mix just until you don't see any more flour. (Ideally, you'd mix these in by hand, but I'm too dependent on my PowerAid mixer.)

5. Spoon into the prepared pans or use the muffin scoop.

6. Bake loaves for about 45-55 minutes, muffins for 18-24 (depending on your oven, pan sizes and how you've filled them).

This is a very forgiving recipe. The last time I made it, I ran out of nuts, so I substituted shredded coconut for the rest and it turned out great. Early in my marriage, I once made it without salt or baking soda. (I have no idea how that happened.) A sprinkle of salt and 30 seconds in the microwave and it was just fine. More recently, I forgot the sugar until after it was in the loaf pan. I just mixed it in and it was fine.

As written above, this is a good solid recipe you can feel good about feeding to your kids every day at snack-time.

Make Your Own Lego Army (of Crayons)

Behold, the oncoming army of Lego minifigure crayons!

I made these fun crayons using a Lego minifigure ice cube mold I originally found on Amazon, but actually ordered directly from Lego. I found it strangely addictive to mix the wax in different colors.

They were very easy, if a little time consuming.

1. Separate your old broken crayons by color. They shouldn't be identical, but you want general schemes. Otherwise, everything will be brown.

2. Peel the crayons. My kids were only slightly helpful here. Mostly I did it and broke my poor useless nails doing so.

3. Use your  awesome kitchen scale to add 45 grams of crayon to a microwave safe measuring cup. This is about 1 5/8 ounces.

4. Melt the wax in the microwave. I found it took between 5 and 7 minutes, depending on how often I stirred it. My need to estimate here probably also has something to do with the fact that the only button that works reliably on my microwave is the 3.

5. Pour carefully into the mold.

6. Let it sit for a few minutes to harden a bit, then transfer to the freezer for about ten minutes.

7. Pop out to the astonished and excited eyes of your children.


We handed these out in the goody bags for First Son's birthday party. If you're near me in real life and want to host your own Lego party, I'll gladly lend you the mold. Then you, too, can make Lego minifigure crayons for the cost of running your microwave and peeling some crayons.

Cloth Diaper Review: SwaddleBees One Size Pocket Diaper

I run into this problem often: a desire to write a review of a cloth diapering product that is no longer sold. It either speaks to the dynamic world of cloth diapering, forging ahead to find a better fit and better materials or just results from a busy mama's life with four kids under eight. Or both.

Anyway, I bought this Swaddlebees one size pocket diaper used at a local cloth diaper store. I love buying good condition used cloth diapers. Not only do we extend the environmental benefits of cloth diapering and decrease our financial investment, I'm able to try a wider variety of cloth diapers than I probably would buying only new ones. (Swaddlebees has some fantastic prints!)

This diaper has two levels of snaps to decrease the size. The one I bought wouldn't stay snapped at the top level on one side (and Second Son was too big to try the lower ones), but it still worked just fine in catching everything it was supposed to catch.

It is soft on the inside, and it has stayed soft. (I'm not sure how used it was when I bought it; it was in very good or like new condition.) It came with two bamboo inserts, one large and one small. I was excited to try out bamboo and it has not disappointed, though I do have to use both inserts together. I find this is the case for all of Second Son's diapers. He needs the highest levels of absorption.

The only real problem I've had with this diaper is the velcro. The strip across the front at the top ends up rubbing against Second Son's tummy if he's not wearing pants. (You can see in the picture above how it's very close to the top of the diaper.) Now that it's fall (though still in the 80s), it's not as much as a problem as it was in the summer when I'd often leave him in a shirt and diaper. (The summer was so blistering hot the air conditioner often struggled to keep the house in the mid to high 80s.) Also the tabs are already peeling apart. The diaper still holds together but sometimes it's hard to get a good grip on it to put the diaper on or take the diaper off.

I'm not sharing the name of the local store here on the blog, but if you're local and interested send me an email and I'll tell you were I found it. It's a fantastic store that carries a full selection of new diapers and accessories in addition to some wonderful toys. For those of you farther afield, you can often find a range of gently used diapers (one size diapers and pocket diapers, for example) at Cloth Diaper Outlet.

Model in Motion

Product Review: Chicco Keyfit 30 Infant Car Seat

A few months before Second Son was born, I did a lot of research on infant car seats. We had never purchased one before, always borrowed them, but the ones we had were expiring and I wanted a new one for the baby. I have no problems with infant car seats, but I hate convertible car seats. I find convertible car seats are nearly impossible to adequately adjust in the rear-facing position, at least our convertible car seat is nearly impossible to adequately adjust, so I was much intrigued by the Chicco Ketfit 30 Infant Car Seat which proposed to keep our infant safely tucked into an infant car seat up to 30 pounds. Our babies tended to be big at birth and all of them had outgrown the infant car seat long before six months

We found the Chicco car seat on sale and used an exchange program to get another 25% off. I was hoping to use it for Second Daughter until the baby was born, but at 20 months (or so) she was too long for it.

Soon after Second Son was born, Kansas Dad trudged out in the July heat to install our new car seat in the van. About five minutes later he returned to the birth care center room. At first I thought he needed something else, but no, he was done! This car seat base literally installs in minutes with LATCH. I've personally easily moved it from one car to another.

Second Son was quite snuggly in the new seat for his first ride in the van, going home from the hospital. We only used the infant insert (the gray parts you see around him) for a few weeks since he was already over ten pounds when he was born. It washed up very nicely and was packed away.

Second Son is now 13 months old and around 24 pounds. About two months ago, when he was 11 months old, we moved the straps to the highest setting. Though the seat is really too heavy to carry in and out of the house, Second Son still fits very well in it. Good news, now that the recommendations say to keep children rear-facing until they are two years old. (Those of you who have read the Range for a while know I have doubts about the necessity of expensive car seats for older children -- here and here. I have no such doubts about the necessity of rear-facing seats up to one year, and tend to agree with the recommendations up to two years old.)

One of the things I like best about this car seat is the height limits are based on how the child actually fits into the car seat -- nothing like an absolute number. First Daughter was very tall, but all her length was in her legs. She "outgrew" the infant car seat by height when her ears and head were far below where it would seem to make a difference in her infant car seat. (We moved her anyway as I always hesitate to go against product recommendations and we already had a seat she could use instead.)

We never used this seat in a frame or stroller**, so I can't say how well that feature might work, but in almost all other ways we have been extremely pleased with this car seat. The only disadvantage is how difficult it is to get the cover off the seat to wash it. You'd think no one who designed such things had ever taken a child for a ride. Babies are always making messes! We've been lucky with our cloth diapers and have only had to wash the cover once or twice. (Of all our car seats, only the Britax has a truly easily-removable cover for washing.)

I heartily recommend this car seat to anyone expecting a little one!

For those that worry about such things, this review is my honest opinion. I did not receive a free car seat or any other compensation.

** Sometimes I think this feature would be nice, now that Second Son is so heavy and does still often fall asleep in the van. I doubt he'd stay asleep at home, but it's possible he'd continue to sleep if we arrived somewhere like the zoo and pushed him around in a stroller. Right after he was born, though, I felt like putting Second Son in the carrier was the only reliable way to handle all four children. Second Daughter rode in the stroller with First Son and First Daughter on either side of me. It seemed a shame to buy a new stroller when we had one I loved that functioned perfectly (and still does -- I love my ebay stroller!).

How Long Does a Pocket Diaper Last?

Back 2008, we rounded out First Daughter's cloth diaper stash with seven 1G size large Knickernappies diapers. I'd already tried one and knew we'd like them, but I didn't know how long they would last.

It seems...three years and a bit. I am now finding the lining of these failing. Two fails and it gets tossed from the rotation. (These are not little fails; these are completely wet right in the middle fails when the insert itself is not very wet.) I decided to take a look back and see what kind of value we received with these diapers.

We had ten Knickernappies 1G diapers, purchased between May 2008 and January 2009, for a total cost of $126.50 (not including shipping because I always ordered enough to get free shipping), all from ClothDiaperOutlet.com. (You can't buy these diapers anymore because they've upgraded to the Custom Fit (sized) pocket diapers.)

I did a little calculation to estimate the number of times I washed cloth diapers each month (which varied from every second or third day, depending on how many babies I had in diapers at the time). The pocket diapers were our favorites. They've been in almost continuous use on First Daughter, then Second Daughter and now Second Son. They were always the first ones we used, so I know they were washed nearly every single time I washed cloth diapers.

On average, the large Knickernappies 1G pocket diapers cost less than $0.03 per use. Kansas Dad pointed out that cost does not include the cost of washing, which is true.  It also doesn't take into account the fact that about half of these diapers are still in our rotation and all of the inserts are still going strong. They look a little rough, but I've just put them into different pocket diapers. (I did have to add a hemp doubler to the LoopyDos or use a SuperDo because my children all needed the extra absorbancy.)

We have used these diapers well. They've been torn on storm shelters, contaminated with diaper cream and stripped by hand, and suffered my abuses as I learned how to wash and maintain cloth diapers. This post isn't an complete comparison of the economic benefits of cloth diapering over disposables. It's just a small comment on the longevity of cloth diapers. The upfront cost can be large, but over time they really are affordable.

We have four or five of the custom fit Knickernappies in the large size which I love just as much as the 1G ones. Second Son is wearing them quite comfortably now. I've also added two one-size Knickernappies diapers, one I bought used from Cloth Diaper Outlet and one I bought with some gift certificates just because I could not resist the adorable Ooga Booga print. I've been really pleased with the Knickernappies One Size Diaper so far, though I've only tried it on babies and toddlers in the 20 to 32 pound range. I wouldn't be surprised if they last longer than the first batch of diapers now that I've gotten better at taking care of them. Of course, to really test them out I'd have to have another baby, which is not a good reason to have a baby.

It's not, right?

This is a great diaper, Mom!

I would much rather grab the camera than pose for a picture.

Quick, take the picture! I'm about to head off for some adventures.

Those are some well-spent gift certificates, though I think I'm biased by the sweetness of the model.

If you're interested in trying some one size Knickernappies pocket diapers, you can find bright yellow ones at a special price right now at Cloth Diaper Outlet. We obviously think bright yellow is a great color for boys and girls.

I also have six medium 1G Knickernappies diapers (three pink and three blue) that just never worked as well for us as the large ones. If you'd like to try them, let me know. I think I could bear to part with them now that I have only one in cloth diapers and quite the stash.

I did not receive anything in exchange for this post. I purchased all these diapers myself (with Kansas Dad's blessing). I do receive a small referral if you follow a link to Cloth Diaper Outlet in this post and make a purchase.

Cloth Diaper Review: Palm Tree One-Size Diaper Cover

A few months ago, Second Daughter was still wearing diapers. Because she and First Son were both wearing the large and toddler sizes, I was doing a lot of diaper juggling to make sure they both had clean diapers to wear without me doing laundry more often. Eventually, I decided I needed to augment my stash a little, so I picked up a Palm Tree One Size Diaper Cover with snaps in Bluejay. Look at that beautiful color!

The price is very affordable for a one size cover: about $10 for a diaper that is sized to fit from 7 to 35 pounds. I read this diaper is great with prefolds tucked inside. I haven't tried it over prefolds myself because Second Son needs two prefolds for enough absorbancy. He's wearing various large and toddler sized fitted diapers, some with doublers, under this cover.

These pictures are a bit old. I think Second Son is about 20 pounds here. He was just an ounce shy of 24 pounds at his 12 month visit a few weeks ago. This diaper cover just fits him over all that diaper. I tried to get a picture so you could see it's already unsnapped all the way.

I tried using this diaper on Second Daughter when it first came. She was (and still is) just a tad over 30 pounds. She would wear the same large and toddler diapers Second Son is wearing, but this cover just could not fit over the diapers on her. I kept her in the Thirsties Duo Wrap cover (size 2) when she's not in a pocket diaper.

When I put it on Second Son, I feel like there's more of a gap just at the top of his thigh than with other covers I've used, but we haven't had any leaks at all -- there or elsewhere -- with this cover. The fit at his waist seems nice and comfortable and there are no red marks on his thighs.

 All in all, I think these are a great affordable option for one size covers. I would not expect them to last until your child is 35 pounds, though. I would say we will make it at least through a few more pounds, so perhaps 28 pounds? Of course, my babies tend to be a little chunky for their height, so that might make a difference. I like the fit of the Thirsties Duo Wrap sized covers a bit better, but I might also just be noticing a preference for velcro rather than snaps. (My Duo Wrap covers are all velcro.) It's a good solid cover.

This review is my own opinion. I purchased the diaper cover myself. I do receive some small compensation if you follow the link above and make a purchase at Cloth Diaper Outlet.

Product Review: Wabash Valley Farms 25008 Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper

Do you love popcorn? I adore popcorn. I could eat popcorn at every meal every day and not tire of it for months!

Years ago we gave up microwave popcorn when I decided some weird chemicals in it would give us cancer. I have no idea if that's really true, but it was a risk I wasn't willing to take. We started popping our own corn on the stove. It was not very difficult and made much more delicious popcorn.

Then, our "popcorn pan" died. We replaced it with a couple of slightly different pans that we felt met our family needs a bit better - slightly larger, not non-stick, cast-iron, etc, but none of them made good popcorn. Horror!

For a few months, we suffered, until we had enough in Amazon gift certificates to buy the Wabash Valley Farms 25008 Whirley-Pop Stovetop Popcorn Popper. This pan is awesome! At first, I wondered if it was worthwhile to buy a pan that essentially only did one thing - make popcorn. We make a lot of popcorn, though, and Kansas Dad convinced me it would be ok. I am so very glad!

I must admit, I haven't yet made popcorn in this pan. Kansas Dad has made all our popcorn. He's a gourmet popcorn chef, but I've watched him use the Whirley-Pop and I think anyone could do it (including me). Instructions are included and you definitely should follow them, including seasoning the pan before your first batch. If you follow the instructions, you will be astounded at the perfect batch of popcorn every time. (Be sure to shake the pan a little as you spin the kernels to move them to the center of the pan.)

Hardly any kernels are left unpopped (and we have a bunch of the cheap stuff; hopefully next year we'll be able to grow our own again). They never burn. What more could you ask?

The pan is very easy to clean. It is thin, but I think with a little care it should last a long time.

Abandon microwave popcorn and make your own with the Whirley-Pop!

I promise - no one gave me anything for this review. I love my popcorn and I really love it when it's well-popped and at its most delicious.

Cookbook Review: My Bread

My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method by Jim Lahey

My very sweet brother and sister-in-law sent me this cookbook back when I was horribly ill, so I'd have something to peruse and plan while I was feeling too sick to do anything. Her brother is a real chef, with a restaurant and everything. He gave this book his seal of approval so she knew I'd like it. And I do!

Years ago, when Kansas Dad and I lived in New York City, we'd select all sorts of scrumptious food at local stores. (Let's not talk about how much money we used to spend on food!) One of our favorite meals was crusty bread with salami and cheese. I have tried a few times over the years to recreate that bread at home with no luck at all. I can make a good solid loaf of sandwich bread in the bread machine and some decent cinnamon rolls and dinner rolls from scratch, but the crusty loaf with soft crumbs on the inside eluded me and I finally gave up.

Until now.

Not only do the instructions and recipes in this book give the perfect loaf of crusty bread, but they are so easy and inexpensive anyone can make it! First Daughter nearly always helps me get it started.

Basically, you need some bread flour (and other flours like wheat or rye, if you want to try the variations), a smidge of salt, a tiny amount of yeast, and water. Mix it up and let it sit on your counter overnight. Back when it was winter, I let mine sit for 24 hours or so.

You can see the ingredients are simple and frugal. In fact, this wonderful bread uses a fraction of the yeast of a standard loaf of bread. Since it's often one of the most expensive ingredients, you can make a lot more bread for your money with this book.

Jim Lahey writes, "A benefit to using a smaller amount of yeast is that it makes room for naturally occurring flavorful bacteria that are attracted to flour to enter into the equation during the 12- to 18-hour fermentation." Do you know what that means? In a very real way, this bread can taste like home.

The dough is very wet at this point. It's hard to tell in the picture, but it's very sticky.

Then, you tuck the ends under and let it rise for about two hours before baking it in a cast-iron pot in the oven. Notice, I did not say knead. There really is no kneading involved. Just mixing and shaping. Here's a picture of my very first loaf (from a few months ago):

The picture looks pretty good, but the bread is unbelievably good. We rarely have a single bite left after cracking a loaf open.

Essential to the process is the cast-iron pot. We bought a Lodge Logic L8DOL3 Pre-Seasoned 5-Quart Dutch Oven with Loop Handles. It's just about the most reasonably-priced option. I think nearly any dutch oven would work, but believe it or not, we didn't own one! It works perfectly for the bread. We've also used it for lots of other meals and are very pleased with it.

Another tool that makes this bread simpler and more likely to succeed is a kitchen scale. A few years ago, I received the Oxo 1130800 Good Grips Food Scale with Pull-Out Display (11 lb, 5 kg) for Christmas. I use it almost every day and love it. You'll see a great improvement especially in breads with a kitchen scale because the balance of dry to wet ingredients is so important, but I use it for all sorts of baking and cooking. I've found it has decreased my dishes because I don't use nearly as many measuring cups.

The only hard part about the whole process is washing up. Trust me on this: wash your spoon immediately after mixing the bread. It will not come clean in the dishwasher and it will be annoying to wash by hand later. Along the same lines, soak or wash the bowl immediately after setting the dough to rise.

I cannot recommend this cookbook highly enough. I hope you all have a chance to try it yourself.

I did not receive anything for this post. I either purchased or received as a gift from family everything in this review. If you follow any likes to Amazon and make a purchase, I do receive a small referral fee.

Product Review: Rockin' Green Hard Rock 2.0 Detergent and Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer

About six months ago, I started using Rockin' Green detergent. I waited a long time to write a review of it because I wanted to be sure it's performance held up over time. It has!

Rockin' Green is environmentally-friendly and safe for the most sensitive skin. It's free of dyes, enzymes, optical brighteners and phosphates. I think I even read in one of the recent newsletters that it's gluten free.

What I love best about this detergent is that I can purchase some specifically formulated for hard water. We discovered after some time here in our house, as opposed to back in town, that our old detergent just wasn't good enough for the diapers. Enter Hard Rock 2.0. Our well water is exceptionally hard. Before Kansas Dad rebuilt the water softener (Have I mentioned lately how he's my hero?), our water measured a staggering 28.6 GPG. (1 - 3.5 is slightly hard; over 10.5 is very hard.) Though our water softener makes a big difference, it's still difficult to find soaps and detergents that give consistent results. You can also purchase Soft Rock for soft water and Classic Rock for everything in between. They are all safe for diapers and for use in HE washing machines.

After a few weeks, I was so impressed I started to use this "good stuff" for the towels, too. I wash towels, washcloths, hand towels, bibs and cleaning rags together on hot water. I like to know they're getting really clean. (One of these days I'll probably switch all our laundry, but for now I tell myself it's cheaper to use the coupon-sale combo detergent for everything else.)

Rockin' Green detergents come in a variety of scents. In the past, I ordered only unscented because Kansas Dad doesn't care for scents, but my most recent order included three different scents. I decided to give them a try. There's no extra charge for the scented varieties and the scent washes out in the laundry. They are purely for enjoyment as you're pouring the soap into the washing machine. (The washing instructions even say you're to "savor the smell.")

Though there's one store within driving distance that carries Rockin' Green, I tend to buy mine online. If I watch the cloth diapering stores and follow Rockin' Green on Facebook, I can usually buy ahead with a sale.

If you're intrigued, you can order samples of the detergent of your choice directly from Rockin' Green.

While I was pleased with our new diaper-laundry detergent, we noticed a distinct ammonia smell from Second Daughter's diapers a few months ago. I clicked over to Cloth Diaper Outlet and ordered some Funk Rock Ammonia Bouncer, a new product from Rockin' Green. I soaked the inserts overnight. I'll be honest;  the water the next morning was totally gross! I could not believe how much gunk was built up in those inserts! I followed the simple instructions for the soak and washing them afterward. We've had no smelly problems since. Hooray! They recommend using about a tablespoon of the Funk Rock in the wash every time, but I use it about every third wash (once a week or so) to help keep the funk away.

This review is my honest opinion about Rockin' Green detergent. I purchased the products myself, did not receive anything for the review and will not receive anything if you order from Rockin' Green. If you follow the link to Cloth Diaper Outlet and make a purchase, I do receive a small commission.

Happy laundry!

Product Review: Baby Bear Wool Dryer Balls

I have never used fabric softener with our cloth diapers or towels. I think any diaper site will tell you to avoid all fabric softeners. Because they decrease absorbancy, it's a bit counter-productive to use them with towels. All these years we've cloth-diapered, though, I've continued to use fabric softener with our other loads. Just a tiny bit, but still some.

A couple of months ago, we started to reach the end of the last bottle we bought on sale and I decided to research dyer balls.

Dryer balls are just what they sound like: balls that go in the dyer with your clothes while the dryer is running. They supposedly separate the clothes to decrease static cling and naturally soften them, without the chemicals of a standard fabric softener. Wool dryer balls seem to compare favorably to the PVC ones. From what I read online (taken with a grain of salt), the PVC balls can damage clothes, do not decrease drying time substantially and are not particularly environmentally friendly.

That was all fine with me because I really just wanted to buy the Baby Bear Wool Dryer Balls at Cloth Diaper Outlet. I ordered six of them. Between the discount for ordering six and the free shipping with orders over $50, the cost was about the same for six as for four (which is probably the minimum necessary to make any difference when drying clothes).

Here they are, a couple of months later, all settled into their new home:

If I didn't have four kids to tend and homeschooling to manage, I would have done a nice scientific experiment for you comparing the time my clothes and diapers took to dry before the dryer balls with how quickly they dry after them, but I don't have that kind of time. (I do have that kind of personality, though.) I think some loads are drying faster, particularly the heavy ones: diapers, towels, jeans, and big blankets (which I don't hang outside anymore after those ubiquitous Kansas winds tore some of mine). I do think my SuperDo inserts dry much better than before. (I try to turn them inside out as I move them from the washer to the dryer, but sometimes they reverse themselves in the dryer and don't dry all the way.) I rarely have to hang them to finish drying now that I have the dryer balls.

I can say for certain is that I haven't used any fabric softener for about two months and our clothes are just as soft as ever. We have had a tiny increase in static, but hardly worth mentioning. Sometimes the dryer balls try to make an escape. They end up tucked into the arms of shirts or pant legs. I found one early on in the dog crate, but I think Moses learned that wasn't going to be tolerated.

They make some noise while bouncing around in the dryer. I have been avoiding using them when we're about to go to bed so they don't disturb us, but I dry all the time just a few feet away from Second Son's crib while he's sleeping in there and he doesn't seem to mind at all. (I've been hearing recently from people who say you should not use a dryer when you're away from home or sleeping anyway, for risk of fire, so perhaps it's for the best.)

Intuitively, using wool dryer balls seems much more environmentally friendly than using fabric softener and probably better than using the PVC balls. They are made of all-natural materials with a minimum of packaging. (Mine came without any outer packaging at all -- just the mailing envelope.) There seems to be some debate as to how long they'll last. Some people claim they've been using the same ones for years.

At the very least, I think using the dryer balls is a good investment decision for our diapers. Though I never used fabric softener in the washer with the diapers, it seems likely some residual softener was getting mixed in. It's not like I have a dedicated cloth diaper washer and dryer.

I received nothing in exchange for this review. I purchased and paid for the Baby Bear Wool Dryer Balls myself. I am an affiliate of Cloth Diaper Outlet and receive a small commission if you follow these links and make a purchase. If you are interested and crafty enough, you can make your own wool dryer balls. I've read the instructions here and they look pretty easy. I may even try them myself one day. You can also find lots of beautiful homemade wool dryer balls on Etsy.

Cloth Diaper Review: Thirsties Duo Diaper

Oh, how I love this diaper! I will sing its praises! The Thirsties Duo Diaper is everything I loved about the Thirsties Duo wrap (see review here) in a pocket diaper. It's practically perfect!

Second Son thinks so, too.

I was lucky enough to win a $25 gift certificate to Ecological Babies thanks to the Knickernappies blog.

I used my certificate to buy a Thirsties Duo Wrap cover in size 2 for Second Son in the snazzy cool stripes. I had a little of the gift certificate left over, though, so splurged a few of my own dollars to try out the Duo Diaper.

Like the Duo Wrap, the Duo Diaper comes in two sizes to cover baby from newborn to potty training. Second Son was about 18 pounds when we started using it on him.

I'm not sure what he weighs now, but you can see we're using it snapped down on the top snaps. There's still room to unsnap it all the way. Since he's already wearing our biggest fitted diapers, I think this should fit him for quite a while. (You wouldn't use a fitted diaper with the Duo Diaper. I'm just making a comparison for size purposes.)

The diaper has a sleeve -- it's like a pocket open at both ends. The inner liner is microfleece so it's nice and soft against Second Son's skin. The cute colored outer layer is waterproof (of course). After washing, just tuck the inserts into the sleeve. Then it's ready to put onto the baby, as easy as a disposable (and so much cuter!).

Two inserts are included with the diaper. I have been using them together successfully. If Second Son were smaller, I'd be tempted to try it with just one of them for a trimmer diaper, but in my experience the extra absorbancy is a good thing for him.

Like the Duo Wrap, this wonderful diaper has those lovely gussets around the legs to keep inside everything that should be inside while keeping baby's legs nice and comfy.

Check out those chubby thighs!

This diaper has never leaked. I like to use it first thing in the morning when Second Son often makes a messy diaper.

I always remove the inserts before putting the diaper in the pail. My low water washing machine probably wouldn't agitate it out. Since it's a sleeve instead of a complete pocket, I can pull on the end that's least messy.

This review is my objective opinion. I did not receive anything in exchange for the review. I did receive a $25 gift certificate thanks to Knickernappies and Ecological Babies but selected my own products and decided on my own to review the diaper for the blog.

Because I received this Thirsties Duo Diaper from Ecological Babies, the links above are all to that store. If you prefer, you can find them at Cloth Diaper Outlet as well with my associate link. If you are in need of any cloth diapers, I highly recommend these. In fact, I'd be tempted to buy a whole stash of them myself, if I didn't already have a whole stash of diapers.

Product Review: Planet Wise Diaper Pail Liner

When Second Son was born, we set up a second diaper changing area in our bedroom for him. We didn't really have room for his clothes and diapers in the kids' bedroom and this way we could change him during the night or during Second Daughter's naps without disturbing anyone else.

Nothing makes a cloth diaper changing station complete like a pail liner. It holds all the yucky diapers until wash day and no one has to carry used diapers to another room. I decided to try a new one and picked the Planet Wise pail liner.

In short, it's fabulous!

It comes in a wide array of colors to match any decor. I picked sage, in case you were wondering.

This pail liner is so waterproof I can pour water out of it after washing it, and sometimes even after it's been "drying" on our rack overnight. After seven months, it's still in perfect condition - no strains or tears. (I always line dry the liner to decrease wear and tear on it in our ancient dryer.)

It's nice and roomy at the top so it's very easy to put into just about any pail.

Really, this is the ideal pail liner (and the third kind I've tried). I would absolutely buy another one if I needed another one and recommend it to anyone else who's looking for one.

I did not receive anything in exchange for this review. I purchased the pail liner myself. I do receive a small commission if you follow the links to Cloth Diaper Outlet and make a purchase.

The Very Best Baby Spoons

Munchkin Soft-Tip Infant Spoons are the best. Nice and long. Soft for baby's gummy mouth. Perfectly sized scoops. All of our other baby spoons are relegated to toys. Second Son plays with them while I feed him with these.

Product Review: CrinkledNose.com Photo Magnetic Holiday Cards

Every once in a while I receive an email from a company or organization asking me to post about one of their products or services. Most of the time I ignore them, but this week I received an email from CrinkledNose.com with an offer of some free photo cards for an honest review. I was intrigued because I love Christmas cards. We haven't sent them in years because it's one less thing on the list (and saves a tremendous amount in postage), but I love them so I decided to give them a try.

Here's the picture Kansas Dad and I took early one morning when Second Son is usually at his happiest.

Actually, I think this is one of the sixteen pictures we took that morning, and certainly the best. Second Son doesn't look very happy, but the other three are all smiling. You take what you can get with four kids!

CrinkledNose.com has absolutely beautiful holiday cards. I perused a few other digital-picture-turned-holiday-card sites for comparison (as I haven't purchased any in a few years) and think you may find fewer options here, but of much higher design quality. This one, called Christmas Squares, was my favorite:

I tried it with our picture, but it didn't work at all. With the Christmas quilt behind the kids, I had to choose one of the simplest designs, Red Linen. I like how all the different options for the cards (folded or flat, horizontal or vertical, and the sizes) appear on the roll-over.

Some cards allow you to add a longer personalized message (like the Silly Holiday card), in addition to the signature. (The signature, by the way, is generous. I was able to include all of our names and the ages of all four kids.) Some of the cards without room for a personalized message still have the option to choose from a list of available greetings. As you can see, many of these cards would be entirely appropriate for a business.

Once a design is selected, it's very easy to upload a picture, personalize the greeting and the signature and preview the card before ordering it. My only problem was that I had too much trouble choosing my card. I think I uploaded my picture three times to see how it would look on three different cards. It would be nice to be able to upload the picture just once and still change the design.

I ordered the cards on Tuesday and they arrived today (Friday) so the service was very quick. CrinkledNose.com kindly offered the magnetic version and they're very slick. They are thin and lightweight enough to mail with standard postage and stay in place very well. I've had ours on the fridge since they arrived. (I hate it when magnets fall off the fridge.) If you don't order the magnetic backing, cards are printed on high quality paper rather than photo paper.

I can't show you the actual cards, of course, because they have our names on them, but they're perfect: no marks, uneven printing or odd colors.


I feel I can honestly recommend CrinkledNose.com and they have been generous enough to offer a discount code for orders by any Range readers. Enter the code Kansasblog for 25% off your order. If it's too late for the Christmas cards, they have a variety of other products like birth announcements, invitations, save-the-date cards, note cards and moving cards. I'll have to check with them on when the code expires. (I forgot to ask; no one's ever offered a discount on my blog before!)

Now I have to figure out how to whittle our old list of 180 recipients down to 24 (because of course I'm keeping one!).

Please note: I do not receive anything from CrinkledNose.com for any purchase made using the discount code. This is my honest opinion provided without compensation other than the free order of 25 cards I received to review. They provided the discount code before reading any portion of this review.

Product Review: Kinderglo Night Lights

A few months ago, we were having a lot of trouble with the kids at night-time. Suddenly, First Son and First Daughter claimed to be frightened of the dark. I'm not really sure what started it all, but it seemed like such a struggle every night. And what do you do if your kids really are frightened? You don't want to dismiss it too lightly, but you also don't want to make a big deal of it or let them run the show.

We talked a lot about how Kansas Dad and I were here, Moses (our dog) was here and God and their guardian angels would always be with them. Still...it was annoying us all.

Then Kansas Dad found the Kinderglo night lights. We knew if we were going to buy one, we'd have to buy three. That was a big investment, so we talked about it for quite a while. Finally, the bedtime routine was getting beyond ridiculous and we decided it would be worth the money if we could all get some sleep.

It certainly was!

For First Son, we chose the Tyrannosaurus, for First Daughter, the Brontosaurus. At the time, you could also buy one shaped like an owl, which is what we got for Second Daughter.

The animals light up in shades of red, blue and green (fading from one to the next). You can set them to stay one single color. By default, they turn off after ten minutes though the kids usually turn them back on with a click of a button. You can set them, however, to stay on all night long. They are never hot and are perfectly safe in the crib or bed all night long.

Our kids adore their "glowing animals." The first few nights they were so excited and enamored, it definitely impaired the "going to sleep" process, but they acclimated. Now, they never go to sleep without their animals. The thread of losing an animal is also the best way to get an immediate response to bedtime noise, too. (For example, after they've been chatting for 30 minutes or so, one of us will go in and say "If you're not quiet, I'm going to come back and take your animal for ten minutes." Instant silence followed quickly by sleep.)

We will probably be in the market for another glowing animal soon and I'm pleased to see Kinderglo has added all sorts of new ones to the line. Don't you think Second Son would like the moose?

I recently had reason to contact Kinderglo and was thrilled with their customer service, too. I whole-heartedly recommend these night lights!

Please note: I did not receive anything in exchange for this review. We purchased all of the night lights ourselves. When I contacted Kinderglo with my question I did not entice or threaten them with a positive or negative review.

Review: Thirsties Duo-Wrap Covers

I started this review when First Son was five weeks old. He is now over 11 weeks old. Such is life with a newborn.

When Second Daughter was a newborn, we borrowed covers, so I purchased some new covers before Second Son was born. I was excited to try the Thirsties Duo Wrap covers, designed to cover baby from newborn to toddler with just two sizes. (We used the sized trusty Thirsties covers for Second Daughter in the medium size when she was younger.) I ordered a few in size two to try with Second Daughter and six in size one for the baby. I picked ocean blue and meadow before he was born thinking they'd be acceptable for a boy or a girl. (I still think they are.)

They worked wonderfully from the very first day! The size one covers are estimated to fit babies 0-9 months, 6-18 pounds. Our little man was 10 pounds 1 ounce when he was born and they fit perfectly snapped down to the smallest size over his Kissaluvs (size 0).

Here he is!

Very quickly we were snapping them a bit bigger and here, by 5 weeks 2 days, we've unsnapped them all the way. We continued to use the covers over larger fitted diapers and premium prefolds (in the premium size) until he was nearly sixteen pounds (that would be this week), when we moved on to larger covers.

I don't think these covers ever leaked onto his clothes. That's right. Not one single blow-out! They never left red marks on his beautiful chubby thighs and they have held up well in use and washing. (I had a small problem with one of the size two covers. I think my dryer attacked it. Now we line dry all our pail liners and covers to avoid further injury.)

I do wish I'd gotten more of my money's worth in terms of length of use. I had read online that many other babies outgrew the covers around 16 pounds; I just hadn't anticipated our baby reaching that weight before three months! (I don't think I can blame Thirsties for that.)

The size two covers, though, are now working wonderfully on him. With Second Daughter mostly using her Knickernappies, and finally grown into the few 2G ones we have, I think we can spare them for him. He's still a little shy of 16 pounds, I think, but I've snapped them down to the smallest size and velcro the tabs right on top of one another. (I would take a picture to show you, but then it would be another six or seven weeks before I could post this review.) I ordered mine just before Cloth Diaper Outlet had the snap version available, but I think I'm glad because I might be able to fit these on him a little earlier than the snap ones would fit. (Anyone try those out yet?)

I did not receive any remuneration for this review and I paid for the diaper covers. I am an affiliate with Cloth Diaper Outlet and would receive a small payment if you follow the links above and make a purchase. I've always been pleased with the support and products at Cloth Diaper Outlet so I have no qualms recommending them!