Natural Modern Family.

I was thinking yesterday about how funny it is how things always revert back to the past ways. We try something new for so long and then realize it's not really the best way after all. This has hit me a lot since I've been a mom...

I've always joked that "the feminists ruined my life." Actually, I used to say this a lot when I was still working outside of the house. I said this because 50-60 years ago when a woman married she devoted her life to her husband and future children, not to a desk and a paycheck. Then the feminists came along after World War II and decided that women needed more than just to be mothers and wives (as if this wasn't enough work!). The problem was that women didn't go to work and come home and shut off- oh no, they worked 40 hours then came home and worked another 40 hours a week around the house- doing laundry, dishes, etc etc.

With working outside of the home, women needed more "convenience" in their lives. This added to our everyday consumption: disposable diapers, pre-packaged foods, as well as baby food, and also fast food also gained in popularity. Women (and men) no longer had time to wash dirty diapers or mush up some food for little Tommy.

Within my peer group, I am noticing a change back to the old ways. Sure, I'm part of the change. I stay at home. I launder cloth diapers. I cook homemade meals and try to shop for the best foods for my family. I look to my grandmothers, and well as Brian's for knowledge and information on how they cut corners in a tight economy during and after WWII.

One of the things I have noticed is that convenience comes at a cost.

Case #1- Diapers
When Brian and I made the decision to cloth diaper, we got many mixed reviews. Some would say, "Ugghhh, I remember cloth diapering and it was so disgusting" (Read my blog on cloth diapers to find out about new diaper sprayers) or others would say, "well if that works for you- Good luck (snicker snicker)." When folks asked what we needed for the baby we would always mention cloth diapers and the brands we liked most. After all showers were over, we had to invest about $150-$200 of our own money to complete our stash, buy the diaper sprayer, detergent, and pail liner. However, I can count on 2 hands the times I have had to buy disposables, and mostly only because we have gone out of town. I have spent maybe $50-$75 on disposable diapers in about 6 months. My cloth diapers are in great condition and I can use them for my next child. That $200 should last me about 4 years. I about choked when I saw that a pack of 15 swim diapers is $10. I just purchased a cloth swim diaper (cuter, and less bulky) for $12.75 and I can use it for as long as it lasts, as well as for our next baby.

Case #2- Baby food
The average cost of a small jar of baby's first food is 50 cents. Want organic? That will cost you about 75 cents. One serving is about 2.5 ounces. The other day I bought a bag of frozen peas frm WalMart for $1.98 (I hate WalMart but I was there and didn't want to waste gas to go somewhere else). I used about half of the bag ($1) and made about eight 2.5 ounce servings of peas. I froze most in an ice cube tray and kept the rest in the fridge for this weekend. Let's say I saved $3 off of this one transaction (and it took me about 2 minutes to add peas to water and put on the stove, then throw them in the blender and puree). The next time I make the other half of the bag, I will save another $3. I also did this with a sweet potato. 1 sweet potato= 50 cents. Made about 4-5 servings of baby food. Savings $2. Not only is this a cost savings, but I believe the food is better for baby when it's made in my own kitchen and no added ingredients are put into his food.

Ok to all the naysayers...let me just clear up a few items that I have constantly listened to from other moms.
"I have to work." -- Brian and I were very blessed to technically "set ourselves up" to have children. We knew we didn't want to have our child in daycare and we were happy to live on less to make that happen. After we took Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University in early 2006 we began living on less than we made and having a plan for all of our income. We were completely debt free in the summer of 2006. We saved up money for a down payment on our home and made sure our mortgage wasn't much more than what we were paying in rent. Having no car payment, credit card statements, or college loans allows us to live from the freedom of living paycheck to paycheck. I'm not saying this to brag or appear as holier than thou. I say it because I want everyone to have the peace that Brian and I have about our finances. We drive old cars. We go out to eat very rarely. We make a budget every month. We believe God has blessed us because we have taken the advice of His word "The borrower is slave to the lender" and put tithing as a priority.
"I would get bored at home"- You would be surprised how many things there are to do around the home. Not only is the constant presence of a little one taking all of your attention, but there is laundry to do, bills to pay, groceries to buy and on and on. I also work as an Independent Travel Agent which gives me paid work to do some days. Yes, it is hard to come from a busy out-of-the-home lifestyle, but taking time with friends, planning time out of the house when Brian can watch Jackson, and going to church events makes my life about as busy as I like it to be. It's funny how less is more. When we do less things and buy less things, we have more time for family, more time for God, and more time for our well being. I can also actually eat healthy and find time for exercise (even if it means just dancing around the room with Jackson).

Would love to hear your feedback on what works for your family!! I'm not ditching convenience overall. I did title this, "Natural MODERN family." Yesterday I was feeding Jackson his cereal and texting Brian at the same time. I've been known to Skype while nursing (haha) and catch up on my favorite tv while pumping. I love how modern life allows me to multi-task in an easier fashion...

Thanks for reading!
Leah