I was on modified bedrest with #2, and even more loose “just take it easy just in case” with #3! I’m praying for you and the baby! It is hard, but “laying around all day” can be done.. and I’m sure your older kids will help!

We recently got rid of paper napkins completely and paper towels mostly.. I do more laundry of my kitchen towels and dish rags, but it is worth it! For napkins we use FINGERTIP TOWELS.. the kind my Grandma used to have to dry our hands in the bathroom.. with the little fringe on the end, BUT I bought mine on ebay from a towel seller who seemed to also market them to golfers.. Our kitchen table is wood top with black painted legs, so I got black… no showing spaghetti sauce! 12 for $12 including shipping! They are GREAT!!! nice and absorbent. show no dirt, and I usually wait until they’re all dirty (2 maybe 3 dinners) and then wash them all. I copied the fingertip towel idea from a BBQ restaurant in Texas we went to on a cross-country PCS. It has been a couple months with them, and we love it! instead of folding, we fold in half lengthwise and roll them up.

THANKS for all your great blog ideas!

1. You have to pick a sunny spot for your bin. In order for the compost to work, it has to have LOTS of sun.
2. Your bin needs to have a lid, drain holes, and air holes. And it will leak out all the ‘yuk’ so make sure it is not sitting on a nice wooden deck.
3. The compost has to be turned or mixed often.

Once I moved to a city, I decided to actually purchase a compost bin that was going to work well without attracting critters and not be too smelly for the neighbors. Also I wanted to make sure if we had to move, it could come with us. I bought the Tumbleweed Compost at this site: http://www.cleanairgardening.com/ and I love it.

Remember: what came from the ground – can go back into the ground. I do compost almost anything (even meat scraps) but keep the bones out. Instead of a compost starter, I use old dirt from house plants. Your compost needs both greens (most food scraps and grass clippings) and browns (leaves and paper).

The kind of bin you will use and where you have it, will make the difference in how well your compost will work.

Hope it works for you. I love composting!

I love #7 Traci Best’s comment above–I keep one roll of paper towels on hand, also. My husband is a paper-towel fiend, so I have to keep an eye on ‘em. It might help if I had more cloth napkins, though. I have many rags and even more tea/dish towels, but only a few cloth napkins.

I have a separate hamper (actually a plastic dishpan) for kitchen towels and rags. I throw them in there until there’s enough for a load. It does get a bit smelly…but it’s not noticeable until I empty out the dishpan.
And then I have another separate hamper (small laundry basket) for floor rags, which I let sit until there’s enough for a load, too. Then there’s the diaper wet-bag, and the actual clothes hamper! I have a very small space for laundry, but it works, and I’ve found that having cloth everything is not much more work at all. Even though it adds a bit to the laundry, it’s EASY laundry. I have a nice basket that I throw my rags into, so it’s not like I have to fold them!

I do use paper towels in the bathroom, though. I refuse to use cloth on the toilet.

We are starting out our new home (we’re in the middle of a PCS) without any paper products. I am so excited about it! i am also refusing to buy cleaning products other than vinegar and baking soda.

Instead of making napkins (I don’t have a sewing machine) I am purchasing the big bundles of washcloths at Target when they go on sale.

I am devoting a drawer to just napkins/towels and keeping a small wastebasket under the sink for dirty ones. I will just wash them with our towels so I am not adding any extra laundry to our routine (the cloth diapers are enough, lol).

Can’t wait to hear how your switch goes!

I was on bedrest with my first and my second. My 2nd one kept trying to come early and join the party. I laughed at my my doctor when he suggested I lie in bed and get comfortable for awhile. Yeah, right….you try getting comfortable with that big ole’ tummy!

I’ll be praying for you and hope that you are able to adjust quickly to your downtime!