One day, the girls grow up and put away their dolls. Soon they begin to dream of having a living, breathing baby doll of their very own one day. After lots of pickles, donuts and ice cream, a cute, dimpled baby enters the world. After the baby's measured, weighed and cleaned, the new mother begins to wonder, "Now, what are you going to wear?" Before you put that elastic waist pants, sailor outfit and matching drawstring hat on your new doll, consider these helpful tips:
Look for soft, breathable fabrics for clothes. 
These work great for all seasons. Cotton is one of the best.
- Layer, layer, layer.
During chilly fall months and frigid winters, babies need extra warmth. Provide the protection they need through onesies, sweaters, hats, socks, leggings and other layering items. Buntings, or thick baby sacks, provide warmth in ice, snow and rain. These thick coverings are also quick and convenient to grab as you head out the door. Search for buntings that have an opening in the bottom so your little one can be easily strapped into the car seat. Remove any extra clothing as weather heats up.
- Reach for the outfits that facilitate diaper changes.
Look for snaps instead of buttons or zippers. Buttons can become loose and present a choking hazard. Zippers can get caught in baby's skin. If you decide to use clothing with zippers, at least ensure there is a plastic zipper guard.
- Keep those tootsies covered.
The easiest way to keep those chubby toes warm is footed pajamas. If a two-piece outfit is planned for the day, grab some coordinating socks before you head out the door.
- Protect baby's noggin.
Soft hats can provide protection for tiny heads in the sun and in the cold. Make sure the hat fits snugly, but is not too constrictive. If any red marks or band imprints appear, the fit is too tight. A constrictive hat can lead to headaches.
- Express your family's style through your little one.
Does femininity reign in your home? Don't be afraid to adorn your baby girl with a bright fuschia headband and a zebra print dress. Are sports a favorite past time of your hubby? Grab a Denver Broncos baby onesie to encourage the family team spirit.
- Consider that baby's clothes are washed frequently.
The layette you choose should have well-stitched seams. Skip the hand wash only garments, and look for machine washable duds.
- Prepare for spit-ups, accidents, and messes in your baby's future.
Scout for clothing with bright colors and patterns that conceal an unforgiving stain. Accessorize with a matching bib to catch those extra dribbles. Bibs with velcro or button snaps make clean-ups less of a hassle for mom and baby.
As this new doll has entered your life, try to remember that comfort is style for babies. Besides, what other season in life will she get the privilege to stay in jammies most of the day? Show love and affection to your little one by choosing safe, comfortable and adorable clothing for her wardrobe.

hen compost breaks down, it provides a lot of heat as a byproduct—so much heat that you can actually cook with it. Many people have long wondered why that heat should go to waste, such as students at the University of Vermont—so they came up with a solution. Loop coil heating systems, where tubes are run through the compost pile to allow water to pass through it, heating the water so it can be turned to various purposes around the home, garden, barn, and stable. Pretty cool, or should we say warm, right? Using compost for heat represents an excellent method of trapping what would otherwise be waste heat, and it’s totally free.

Here’s how it works: you start by building a large, sloping compost pile, and running appropriately durable tubing through it, arranged in loops to increase the surface area of tubing exposed to the heat at the interior of the pile. As you build up the compost, the inside can reach anywhere from 130 to 160 degrees, well above the recommended heat for cooking and bathing. The nice, toasty water can be routed straight into your house, where it can do a number of fantastic things.

For starters, your HVAC technician can set up a compost heating system that will run the heated water through coils in the floor, heating your floors and your home. When the water starts to cool off, it can be shunted back to the compost pile to heat up again and keep that warm circulating. This is a great way to handle cold days and keep the internal temperature of a house nice and stable. In addition, a Phoenix plumber can run that hot water to your taps for washing and bathing so you won’t have to spend energy on heating water to handle tasks of daily living.

For extra credit, install a manure tank in the middle of your compost pile to generate methane, which you can use for heating, cooking, and even running cars. That’s what Jean Pain did when he pioneered a compost heating system in the 1970s in France, demonstrating that it was practical, possible, and ecologically friendly to heat a home with kitchen scraps and other organic waste. His model is still used around the world, and it’s being subjected to continuous improvements to make it even better.

There are tons of ways to heat a home with compost, and it can also be employed on an industrial and commercial scale. Commercial greenhouses, for example, can use compost to help maintain stable temperatures in the winter when they’d otherwise need to use artificial heating to keep temperatures up for hothouse food production.

Sound weird? Or potentially stinky? Compost has been used as a heat source for a long time, thanks to the fact that a healthy, well-balanced compost pile should have a mix of hot little organisms living inside (by the way, healthy compost also isn’t smelly!). Why pay to heat water when you can do it for free?

Greenliving : Heat Up Your House