Cloth nappies are fun

An invitation

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:28:00 +0000

I haven't posted here for a couple of months and that time helped me realise that one blog is just right for me. Having to maintain two blogs was taking the fun out of blogging, it was just too much work.

I won't be posting on Cloth nappies are fun any more.

I'm inviting all of you to join me at my other blog, Mum in search.

There'll be no nappies there for the moment. In future - who knows, maybe. Instead we can talk about parenting, self-discovery and all those things that make us feel good.

Thank you for supporting me and I hope to see you at Mum in search!

Slowing down

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:48:00 +0000

When you have a blog called Cloth nappies are fun and out of your last 8 posts only one briefly mentions cloth nappies (and that post was not written by you), you know it's time to move on.

I've been trying to write the last post for couple of weeks now and I can't. I still have a folder full of drafts and I still get excited when I read a post about using no paper. But my life has been busy and something has to give.

Instead of giving up on this blog completely, I've decided to take a more gentle approach for now. I'll be updating and posting my drafts and writing new posts when I can. I won't be posting regularly anymore.

If you are here because you love cloth nappies, please check out the blogs on my blog roll, you'll find lots of good stuff to read there. And if you can't get enough of me, please follow me at my other blog, Mum in search. I hope to see you there!

If you are looking for The Girl Effect post

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 05:47:00 +0000

It looks like I've entered the wrong link for the Girl Effect Blogging Campaign.

If you have come through the incorrect link you can find my post here:

Join The Girl Effect Blogging Campaign

Apologies for the mix-up.

My new camera case

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:24:00 +0000

My crocheted camera case from plastic bags has been finished for a while now, but I was having a slight problem. How do I take a photo of it with my camera in it? I don't have a smart phone and with my non-smart (stupid?) phone I could take a photo, but I not transfer it to the computer (I had lost my cable a long time ago and I wasn't going to buy a new one for just one photo),

I ended up sms-ing the photo to my husband and asking him to email it to me. He said I was a show-off for wanting to post it on the internet. A piece of advice for other show-offs: don't make camera cases! Not if you want to take a picture of them with your camera.

Guest post: Feminine products

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:51:00 +0000

The first post I read my Jennifer at T-Rex Mom and Dad Tales was about being Un-intentionally green. As I kept on reading her blog I was surprised how many 'green' practices she implements into her daily life because green choices are often healthier, cheaper and more practical.

This guest post was born from an email discussion about the practicality of cloth pads. I am a big fan of menstrual cups, but I find washing cloth pads somewhat difficult. Here is Jennifer's take on why reusable menstrual products, including mama cloth, are practical (and it has nothing to do with being green).

Just before our daughter was born, my husband and I made the decision to use cloth diapers for her. We had a variety of reasons but one of the biggest was a health one. We simply did not want harsh chemicals being in contact with her sensitive parts all day and every day for years. The more research I did, the more I realized most of the feminine products I would start using once my cycle resumed in the postpartum period also contained those harsh chemicals. Chemicals like dioxins which are carcinogenic or cancer-causing.

For a while I pushed this to the back of my mind as I was focusing on balancing the duties of a mother as well as working in the clinic training as a nurse practitioner. During my time in women’s health I began to see several patients who would present to the clinic with pain and redness in their genital region. When taking the patient history most would state the redness and pain coincided with their menstrual cycle. Upon examination I could often see a definite boarder of where the pad rested against the skin. There were times when the symptoms were so severe we would have to prescribe various topical drug therapies or even oral antibiotics because the irritation had caused a secondary bacterial infection. All this from a sanitary napkin.

Patients with these symptoms are offered many interventions including frequent changing of pads especially during heavy flow days and avoiding tight-fitting pants. However, specifically regarding sanitary napkins, they need to know not all are the same. Patients are counseled to avoid any kind with deodorant or odor masking properties, and especially avoid those that might have even the smallest amount of scent to them. There are also disposable pads made entirely out of cotton instead of plastics - they are softer which decreases friction and irritation. Also mentioned are reusable pads or “mama cloth”.

Later after my women’s health rotation was complete I discovered the Diva Cup which is a reusable menstrual cup made of medical grade silicone making it latex free. I have also crocheted some organic cotton tampons which work well, although, you would either have to make these or purchase them from an Etsy shop as I have never seen them commercially available. There are some commercially available chlorine-free tampons, too.

As far as washing my pads, I believe I have it easy as I just put them into the wash with my cloth diapers – cold rinse, followed by hot wash, followed by a double cold rinse. I do rinse them off with my diaper sprayer before putting into the wet bag. I have yet to get a single stain.

Women need to know there are many feminine product options that do not involve use of harsh chemicals and other irritants. I think the key is irritation from those feminine products is more common than we realize. It’s just one of those things we do not openly discuss with our friends or family.

P.S. If you are in Australia and puzzled by what this mysterious diaper spray might be, it is similar to the Little Squirt nappy cleaner we all know.

Book review: The Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 11:00:00 +0000

So you want to try elimination communication, but you don't know where to start? Here is a great resource for you: The Diaper Free Baby by Christine Gross-Loh.

The author herself came across EC quite accidentally, when her first son started toilet training himself at just over one year old. It opened her eyes to what was possible and she wanted to practice EC with her second child, but because of his health issues only did it occasionally. She is familiar with disbelief, time constraints, changing priorities and gives real world advice.

What I loved about the book was that it had chapters on different stages: newborn, middle infancy, mobile baby and toddler, and it made recommendations on both how to start at that age and how to continue if you have already started. There is advice for parents who do it part-time, full-time or just occasionally. No matter where you are at, it is easy to just go through the contents and pick the advice you need.

I also loved that the book was encouraging and all-inclusive. You can start at any age and you can practice EC as little or as much as you like and still have a rewarding experience.

I've already written about the first book I bought on elimination communication, Diaper Free by Ingrid Bauer - it was inspiring. The Diaper Free Baby was very practical. I found the two books to be a great combination, but if you want to get just one - get The Diaper Free Baby.

Project preview: crocheted case from recycled plastic bags

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 10:44:00 +0000

A product from a recent Todae Eco Store newsletter caught my eye: the Celeste Recycled Crocheted Bag.

I recently lost my camera case. I'd been considering different materials for a new case, but crocheted plastic bags? That was definitely worth a try. I cut one bag in a spiral to get a long strip and got on with it.

As you can see, I haven't gotten very far but I've already learned a few things about crocheting plastic:

1) Cutting is important. I didn't take much care with the cutting because I thought it wouldn't matter. But any wider bits, any parts that are not so smooth - it all shows.

2) Thinner strips look better and are easier to crochet. My initial plan was to cut wide strips, because I thought they would be stronger. In fact, strips of about 10-15 mm are strong enough and create a more even, prettier pattern.

3) Wool feels much nicer to work with than plastic. Why am I not surprised about this one?

Do you have your own creative ways to reuse/recycle plastic bags?

Planting our trees

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 00:41:00 +0000

It was National Tree Day on Sunday and here is what we got up to.

We are planning to go back in a few months to check how much everything has grown...

Linking to Wordless Wednesday at My Little Drummer Boys.

Have you ever planted a tree?

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 11:19:00 +0000

Image by Kristy from House of Prowse

Not the tree in your garden. I'm talking about a tree for everyone. In the street, in the local park, in the forest or the bush.

I've done it once. At the Daintree. It wasn't the real thing. They had the holes already made, they gave us the trees and all we had to do was put the tree in the hole. I would have felt better about it if I had paid for it (usually, you'd need to pay for the experience). But I didn't. We were on a conference sponsored by local companies and they let us plant trees for free. What a letdown.

My parents have planted lots of trees. The ones in front of their apartment block are now big and shady, with a whole community gathering under them on a hot summer day. I wonder why my parents never shared the tree-planting with us. My brother's and my gardening efforts were usually restricted to the weeding and watering.

(5 minutes end here)

This was a 5-minute writing exercise and somehow I ended up with a pitch for National Tree Day. As soon as I saw the picture (which is also the writing prompt), all I could think about was how we were going to plant trees on Sunday. Yes, I've registered for a local event (with my children) and you can still do it, too.

~~Usually~~ Occasionally I participate in Writing on Wednesdays from my other blog, Mum in search, but this particular piece seems to be a better fit here. Especially since I have the matching ad in the sidebar.

***

"He who plants a tree, plants a hope." Lucy Larcom

Do you use a dryer when it rains?

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:23:00 +0000

It hasn't stopped raining for days. Unfortunately, laundry keeps on piling up and can't ignore any longer, so I had to dig out my laundry drying plan from last winter. It still works and while it includes a dryer, it also helps keep dryer use to a minimum. Here it is:

1) Hang your washed clothes on a line or drying rack indoors or undercover.

2) Leave them hanging for about 24-48 hours.

3) Some of the clothes would be dry. Put the rest in the dryer for 5-30 minutes (as needed). The drying time should be much shorter than if you dry them immediately after washing.

4) Put off whatever washing you can until the sun is out again.

How do you dry your laundry when it rains?

Wondering whether to try a menstrual cup?

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:57:00 +0000

I am guest posting at Home Grown Families today sharing my experience with menstrual cups. Please come and have a look if you are interested or just stop by to say 'hi'.

Tie-dye fun

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:32:00 +0000

I was wondering what to do with my very boring white nappies before I pack them away and Mel from Little Para Pants suggested tie-dye. I thought it was a great idea and something interesting for the kids (and me) to try and dye a few shirts for them while we were at it.

I was going to write a tutorial, but getting on with the dyeing as well as keeping an eye on two kids who kept on trying to take their rubber gloves off, squirt the dye on each other and run around the house with the half-finished T-shirts proved too much for me. I just couldn't do all that as well as take notes and photos at the same time.

As it turned out, I will need a lot more practice before I can write a tutorial. Because this is the pattern we were trying to achieve:

And this is what we ended up with:

Here is one of the nappies, not so boring anymore.

Some blogs you love

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 12:45:00 +0000

Some time ago I asked about your favourite cloth nappy websites. Finally I've managed to go through all your recommendations and I'd like to share a couple of wonderful blogs that I've found.

1) Cloth Diaper Malaysia

There is a lot there about Malaysian nappies and giveaways that won't be relevant to most of you. But there are also some very honest post, which I haven't seen on other cloth blogs.

Is cloth diapering difficult? Most sites trying to promote cloth nappies (including mine) will tell you, 'Absolutely not'. Yet Farhana at Cloth Diaper Malaysia is brave enough to admit that, because most of us started with disposables before switching to cloth, the transition can be challenging.

Do you wash your cloth diapers with your baby's clothes? I can imagine a lot of people raising their eyebrows at this question. But in reality how many cloth nappy users have never sneaked a nappy or two in the regular wash (especially if they are using cloth nappies part-time)? I used to wash cloth nappies separately, but I am now only using them at night and if I wait for a full load of nappies, I'd have to wait for a very long time. So I wash them together with clothes, but I'd probably never have mentioned it if I hadn't read Farhana's post.

2) All About Cloth Diapers

For a big blog with a dozen sponsors Autumn manages to keep it very personal and that's what's won me over. There are plenty of reviews and giveaways there, but it still remains a personal blog. Autumn sneaks in some insights on how she prevents herself from breathing fire on her kids and confesses how obsessed she really is with cloth diapers.

Oh, and did you know that only Hippies with hairy armpits use cloth diapers?

So here are my two new favourites. And (if you haven't had a chance to share your favourites before) what are yours?

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:49:00 +0000

There is a very special blog carnival running this week: The Freedom of Cloth at Natural Parents Network. I was planning to write something for this carnival, but somehow life got in the way and I missed the deadline for post submissions. At least I can still link to the Freedom of Cloth Wordless Wednesday with some my favourite cloth photos (some of them you may have seen before).

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

#20 on my reusable list: batteries

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 08:08:00 +0000

Do you remember my post 19 things we reuse at home? Well, I've found a 20-th item to go on that list: rechargeable batteries.

If you, like me, have a boy with noisy moving toys you will know the frustration of spending your days changing batteries. I've been meaning to switch to rechargeable batteries for a while now but because of my last-minute attitude we usually need batteries immediately, with no time to wait until we make it to an electronics shop or for an online purchase to turn up.

Finally, I announced that no one in my household is to buy another single-use battery again. For a while nothing happened, but last week the threat that I might have to do without my wireless mouse (for which I had no replacement batteries) motivated me to make an effort and get that charger.

I'll have to say rechargeable batteries are not just cheaper in the long run but, like other reusable products, they come with added benefits:

more time (no unnecessary trips to the shop and to the Council to dispose of my single-use batteries correctly);
piece of mind that I won't be left with no batteries when I most need them;
no guilt (I am making a better choice for the environment).

Do you use single-use or rechargeable batteries?

What if your other half is not supportive...

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:28:00 +0000

I found this video on the Darlings Downunder blog together with the question 'And isn't it great to hear a man so enthusiastic about cloth?' It certainly is (sigh)...

My husband refuses to use cloth. Why? Because no one around us is using it and it is perceived as 'hard'. And because he doesn't really believe that individual effort can make a difference when millions of other people and corporations are not doing their share.

If you are in the same boat, please don't let that discourage you from using cloth.

Use cloth nappies part-time. If you use cloth just when you are around (even if you are not the main caregiver), you will still save a few dollars and a considerable amount of disposables going into landfills.

Tolerance is important. When you don't try to force your other half into something that he is not ready to accept, he is also more likely to tolerate your ways. A few times my husband's reaction (or lack of reaction) really shocked me. He didn't say a word when 'one' nappy I bought arrived in a big box and when I asked him to return a spray he had bought because it didn't say on it that it didn't damage the ozone layer to my utmost surprise he said 'yes'.

Pick your battles. When you are tolerant most of the time, it gives you the power to put your foot down when it really matters. For me it wasn't so important that he uses cloth given that I was the one looking after the kids most of the time anyway. I gave in on the nappies front, but now my husband recycles at his takeaway shop, we have a separate switch for each section of lights (instead of the dimmer and one switch he wanted) and he carries reusable shopping bags everywhere.

I am not a relationships expert, but my own experience shows that you can both use your own set of nappies and still have a relationship.

What about you? Is your other half supportive of cloth nappies and if not how are you dealing with your differences?

Crocheted longies - now finished

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 02:30:00 +0000

Linking to Wordless Wednesday here and here.

Guest post: It's a community and you're invited

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 12:51:00 +0000

Due to popular demand Christine from Eat, Sleep, Play (previously known as Wee Willow's World) is back with another guest post. This time she talks about the cloth community, which is undoubtedly one of the reasons why cloth can be so much fun.

***

I was (still am!) pretty excited that Tat asked me to write a guest post for Cloth nappies are fun. Like Tat, I'm madly in love with cloth nappies and I've never said no to a chance to share my love with everyone. I honestly feel that if more mothers knew that modern cloth nappies existed, and just gave them a go, they'd be converted. Cloth nappies are NOT hard. Unlike my friends in disposables, I do NOT have a garbage bin I have to wash every week or else maggots will grow; I do NOT have poo explosions; I am NOT spending loads of money I do not have to every week; I do NOT worry about running out of nappies nor do I feel like my child is underdressed and boring when she struts around in just a nappy, because modern cloth are so darn cute.

I'd first found out about modern cloth nappies by chance when I was 12 or so. I was reading an article in a magazine, about a woman who had the idea to put some elastic into her cloth nappies so they were like a disposable, and the idea went from there. They were easy to use like disposables, but all the benifits of cloth. The brand was Pea Pods. I was sold, and filed that away in my head for the day when I would be really, really old and grown up and have children. Had it not been for my good memory and that article, I am pretty sure I would never have discovered modern cloth nappies.

I have never regretted the decision to have Willow in cloth nappies. It was one of the best decisions I have made for us, because cloth users are a suprisingly social bunch. I have received nothing but love and support, and I have made an alarming number of friends (on the internet and real life) based on our shared love for cloth. It's a really good ice breaker in mother's group or anywhere, more so then any other baby item. Bottles? You can only dicuss styles and silicons vs. latex for a very short time, especially if you breastfeed full-time. Prams? You can get pretty good mileage out of that, if your talking to people with a similar budget to you. Trust me, it's hard to find common ground when talking about strollers if you spent $80 and they spent $1000. But modern cloth nappies - you can discuss styles, designs, the people who run various businesses, snaps vs velcro, sales, washing, different ways of using, cotton outer vs. minky, fleece vs. bamboo velour... the list goes on. To a non cloth user it might seem strange we can spend so long discussing a poop catcher, but trust me, we can, we do, and we enjoy it.

So many modern cloth nappy business are run by local work at home mums, and the prices really aren't all that different from those made by a big company. They've all been very considerate, very helpful, very understanding and very human. Can you name anyone who works for any of the disposable companies? Would you recognise them in the street? Even with the larger modern cloth brands the owners still put their name to the business, write blogs or guest posts. You feel like you know who is getting your money at the end of the day - a fellow mother, not a nameless CEO. It's a good feeling, that sense of community.

Give cloth a go. You might be suprised at how easy it is; you might be hooked on the savings. You might be pleasently suprised that bubs persistant nappy rash has suddenly cleared up, or delighted that your bin doesn't need to be emptied constantly. You might become addicted to collecting all the colours itti bittis come in, or addicted to the high of scoring a beautiful one-off nappy with a designer print at an auction. Perhaps you might get a kick of how a nice nappy can make your bub look a little more dressed up. There's loads of positives written about using cloth, but I don't think anyone has written about the people you will meet and be friends with. If not for cloth nappies, Tat wouldn't have found my blog, and I wouldn't get a kick out of reading hers. The cloth community I find are non-judgemental, community minded, friendly, intelligent, supportive and only too happy to share their information.

(ps- to this day, I've never actually tried a pea pod. I've tried just about every other brand though...)

***

Please remember to stop by Christine's blog and say 'hi'. If you haven't visited her for a while you may notice some changes and namely Christine is now the voice of the blog. Has she reclaimed some of her mummy power or is it just that her daughter Willow is getting too busy with her life to worry about blogging?

Sunday Selections: unfinished project

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 09:13:00 +0000

I wasn't going to post about this project until it is finished, but I just can't help myself. Last year making longies for my daughter was quick. Now that she's taller it is taking forever!

I've finished one leg, but I've left the end loose. Just in case she's grown out of it by the time I finish the second leg, then I can go back and add some length.

Hand-dyed wool is so much prettier than commercial yarns. As I crochet, it is fascinating to watch the patterns emerge.

Unfinished crocheted longies from ArtEZan hand-dyed wool

What does your winter project look like?

I am linking to Sunday Selections at Frogpondsrock today.

Todae Eco Store $10 voucher

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:29:00 +0000

Just a quick post to let you know that Todae Eco Store will give you a $10 voucher if you subscribe to their newsletter.

Doesn't sound like much? There are quite a few items you can buy for $10 or under: recycled stationary, laundry products, reusable bags, kids books (I have my eyes on 'Let's save water', very much needed for the kids in my household)...

If you are only spending your $10, you will need to pay for postage, but postage is free for orders over $50. Delivery is only available to Australian addresses.

I am a Todae customer and newsletter subscriber and I am very happy with their service and selection of products. I think some items are slightly overpriced, but the discount voucher should override that for smaller purchases. If you are buying something bigger, I'd recommend that you do a research on the price first.

*** Disclosure: The links in this post are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. ***

Bare Rumps giveaway winner

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:24:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who entered the Bare Rumps giveaway.

I read all your comments, I gave a number to each entry, I discovered some functions in Excel that I'd never known about before and... I wish everyone could win, but there can be only one winner.

And the winner is....

Rinny @ Little one, I know you grow

Rinny's daughter is 2 months old and probably has a while to go before she can fit into her new Bare Rumps nappy. I hope when the time comes Rinny will come back and share some photos with us. Congratulations!

If you haven't seen Jerry's nappy for the Weld Echo art exhibition, please head over to the Bare Rumps blog. The nappy has been sold, but you can still get an eyeful. It is something to be seen!

Thank you to everyone who entered and I hope you'll stick around!

Guest post: The perfect nappy for a garden gnome

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 23:39:00 +0000

Today's guest, Miss Pink, comes from an honest, heartfelt blog called The Mummy Autobiography. I was just going to spend 10-15 minutes there getting this intro ready and I totally lost track of time. Do children light up your day? Absolutely. How public is your public blog? One of my sore spots, too. Hermit crab qualities? I have them! Miss Pink's posts make you think, make you feel and every word comes from the heart. Have a look for yourself.

Miss Pink's very colourful family includes her other half, Mr Black and her two children Greenie and Bluey.

***

My cloth journey started shortly after Bluey's first birthday. My kids suffer from eczema thanks to Mr Black, which means their skin can get quite sensitive and be set off for no reason sometimes. Disposable nappies did nothing but irritate both of them, especially Greenie (who I had in disposables for the first week of his life). Our GP recommended that we try cloth rather than packing on the nappy rash lotions. That just simply putting him into cloth, no lotions, the rash would start to get better soon. It worked!

You can even get some made from designer fabrics, like this Amy Butler print.

After trying it all from terry prefolds through to pocket nappies, after months of having a bits and pieces stash, I finally found a nappy that worked so well for us I committed myself to turning my whole stash over to the one brand.

Fitteds.

Fitteds are awesome because they don't use any plastic (or PUL) linings which keep the moisture in, and causing a warm humid atmosphere. When we were at home we go cover less and that way I can feel the dampness quicker and thus, change more frequently. When we went out I chose to use wool covers which still allowed their skin to breathe.

Ahhh small babies.

But wool can be expensive. Well, not so much the wool, but the cost of getting someone to knit it up for you. After having a few things knitted up by some very wonderful friends I set out to teach myself how to knit. There's something about giving your child something handmade by you. I was pointed in the direction of knittinghelp.com and have been a knitter since. I have knitted for friends little one's, as well as my own. I love to knit beanies because they're a quick knit, but I have loved knitting "longies" (or pants), as well.

Come on, how cute is this Very Hungry Caterpillar interlock wool pants and the hat? (The pants were not made by me).

Not long after we found "the nappy" for us, a one sized organic fitted. One sized meant that we wouldn't have to constantly be sizing up as our children grew, as we had just found out i was expecting baby number two. You simply folded down the front of your nappy and used different snaps to shorten the rise, thus creating a smaller nappy, and no need to buy a whole new stash several times in your baby's nappy wearing days.

Sadly not even cloth nappies keep little one's still.

Bluey toilet trained himself at 27months. I knew the average age for boys was between two and a half, and three and a half, so I had to give cloth it's credit there. Children definitely become more aware of their movements down there as the moisture isn't sucked away by chemicals. He was completely out of nappies both day and night 2 months after toilet training started.

My pregnancy I spent building my stash of nappies. There are so many gorgeous fabrics out there that have been used to make cloth nappies, we quickly had a very large stash. We also decided to use cloth wipes this time around, as once you cut the cost of disposable nappies, well then you start noticing the "smaller costs" which no longer seem so small.

Because you can totally look cute when you're a garden gnome.

Greenie started to toilet train himself not long after his first birthday. I kid you not. And I was NOT ready so I never really picked it up and went with it when I probably should have. However he is now 27months and basically out of nappies minus sleep time and if we go out for long periods as a "just in case" measure. Great thing about our fitteds is they work as a training nappy (sort of like a pull up), too. Just unsnap the soaker inside, and voila, a little protection for leaks.

If you're thinking about using cloth nappies definitely look into fitteds, especially if your little one has sensitive skin. They provide the easy cut ready to do up of a pocket nappy or all in one, but you just need to add the cover.

Do you want to live in a zero waste economy?

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 04:38:00 +0000

Have you heard of Gunter Pauli? He is an entrepreneur, innovator and the creator of The Blue Economy, 'an international community of innovators inventing and sharing sustainable technologies and business models.

I've just watched this video and it made me cry. Because everything we need is there, the technology is available, we just need to wake up to it and take action. How long is it going to take us?

This inspirational man will be speaking at The Power of Zero at Vivid Sydney. I tried to register for the event, but it's all booked out. The good news is that you can watch it live at the Creative Sydney website and there is also a promise of vodcasts and podcasts of most events within 24 hours.

I can't wait!

Are children in cloth nappies toilet trained earlier?

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Mon, 30 May 2011 12:30:00 +0000

The intuitive answer would be 'yes'. After all, a vital stage of potty training is recognising wetness and it would be much easier to know if your nappy is wet if it is, well, wet. But is that really so?

My experience

Easier toilet training was one of my main motivations to change to cloth with my second child (my daughter). For some reason my son developed an extreme attachment to his disposable nappies at around 2. He wouldn't let me change him and he would try to grab his old (wet) and put it back on. I couldn't keep on waging wars and I couldn't let him wear the same nappy all day, so I stopped putting nappies on him before he was ready for the transition, which was extremely stressful and frustrating. I didn't experience any of that with my daughter (in cloth nappies from 5 months).

But I’ll have to admit my observations don't prove objectively that cloth nappies are better than disposables for toilet training. I practiced elimination communication with both my children. It went equally well with both (one in cloth, one in disposables) until about 12 months. At that age my son was no longer interested in EC, which at first I took for the usual potty strike stage. Later I realised that it was due to constipation, which only lasted for a day but left him scared for months after that (I know now, because it happened again when he was 2 and he could explain what was going on). EC-ing continued after that age with my daughter until she transitioned smoothly into a toilet-trained toddler (except for sleeps) at 20 months. The circumstances were too different to compare.

What does research say?

Real Nappies for London have just released their first Potty Training Survey and this is what the survey found:

The average age of by which children were not having accidents during the day is 2.5 years for children in cloth and 2.7 years for those in disposable nappies.
Wearing disposable nappies lengthens the time children take to toilet train. '48.3% of children who did not wear single use nappy pants made the transition from nappies to dry pants in less than a month compared to the 33.3% of those who did wear single use nappy pants.'

While the difference is not as drastic as I would have expected, this report confirms that cloth nappies make toilet training easier.

You can download the full report here.

Giveaway: Bare Rumps nappy

noreply@blogger.com (Tat) — Mon, 23 May 2011 13:07:00 +0000

Win this beautiful nappy made with love by Jerry from Bare Rumps.

As you can tell from the pictures, making nappies is an art form for Jerry. Quite literally. Her creations will be exhibited at the Weld Echo 2011 next month. Cloth nappies making it into art galleries! Isn't that amazing?

Now to the specifics.

The prize

This nappy is medium size (more info on sizing here) and is a minky nappy with cotton panel and hand guided satin stitch finishing. You can find out more about the fabrics that Jerry uses for her nappies here.

How to win it

Mandatory entry (let's make it simple): leave a comment below.

Additional entries:

Follow my blog via Google Friends Connect (if you are an existing follower, it still counts, just let me know in the comments).
Follow Bare Rumps blog.
Share this giveaway on twitter, Facebook or your blog (one entry each).
Tell me your favourite site for cloth nappy info to help me build my Resources page.

Enter by 7th Jun 2011.

The winner will be selected by random.org. I will do my best to contact the winner, but if I am unable to do so it will be your responsibility to check back and see if you have won. If you have no email linked to your profile, please leave an email address or twitter handle in the comments.

Open worldwide.

*** A correction from Jerry: this nappy is not one of a kind (OOAK) as initially stated. Sorry for the confusion.***

Please feel free to comment even if you don't want to be included in the draw, but please make it clear that you are not participating (I know I'd find it very hard to resist commenting if I see something as beautiful as this nappy).

This is a giveaway to say 'thank you' to my 105 followers and to everyone who has visited, commented and supported my blog in the last year and a bit.

I'm grateful for everything I've learned about blogging, myself and cloth nappies, and for the beautiful relationships I've built with people whom I've 'met' through my blog. Blogging has been an amazing journey for me. Thank you for being a part of it.

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you.