The Cloth Diaper Whisperer

7 months into my 12 step program

2012-01-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

I started my cloth diapering 12 step program the day my daughter was born, I stopped buying fluff – amazing huh? She was my first child and as a first time mom, I was so overwhelmed with caring for her, I had no time to look at or research cloth diapers. {If you read my first post “They have a 12 step program for that right?” {(Original Article){scroll down} you will understand.} I got through the first 3 weeks ok, AND THEN I was able to start thinking coherently, I had some routines down and started having some free time during the day when she was sleeping. So, off to the computer I went to catch up on my email and the cloth diapering blogs and boards.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED. I FELL OFF THE WAGON. I had purchased a variety of newborn diapers, and did not like two of the styles because they didn’t fit my daughter’s build and we were getting leaks. So rational dictated that it wouldn’t hurt to replace just those diapers with my favorite bumGenius Newborn AIO because I could resell them and recoup some of my money back.

That was the beginning of the end because a month later she was big enough to fit into her one sized diapers. That is when the ONGOING CHECKLIST started. She was sleeping through the night at seven weeks – yes I know I am very lucky - so I needed hemp doublers, check, bought 6. The hemp was so great, and my daughter is a HEAVY wetter, so double check; I replaced my entire microfiber stash with hemp inserts, a luxury but, wow, the BabyKicks Hemparoo Joey Bunz hemp is amazing.

I then thought I might have to change my wash routine because of the hemp, so check, I bought Tiny Bubbles, bumGenius and Rockin Green detergent to try out along side with my Charlie’s Soap. I read about funky smells - check, I bought some Bac-Out in case I needed it. I worried I may have to strip my diapers - check, I bought a box of calgon and some packets of RLR. Then of course I needed to get a bottle of blue dawn. FINALLY, I figured I was done, complete and I had it all – checklist was completed - I was ready to get back on the wagon.

Then, when trying to climb back up on the wagon - THE WAGON WENT AND ROLLED OVER ME. It happened, the BUMGENIUS FREETIME DIAPER. I.WAS.IN.LOVE. Check, I initially bought 2 just for fun to try them out. They were so easy to rinse with the diaper sprayer – those flaps just hang over the toilet easy peasy and the new colors Dazzle and Einstein were calling my name. I now have 7 more on the way. Truth be told, I’m trying to figure out a way to replace my entire stash with these diapers, however, I doubt my husband will go for it. I guess I’ll have to wait for baby #2 and use the “some diapers are worn out and need to be replaced line” before I can get some more.

What is surprising through all of this is that I am STILL saving money over disposables, even after all this spending. Off of my original stash of diapers we broke even with the cost of disposables when my daughter turned 5 months old. With the additional spending and the extra hemp, it went to approximately 9 months. So, depending upon when my daughter begins to potty train, I figure I should have about a year and a half of free diapering – and that doesn’t even include the savings I’ll have with child #2.

BIO: Brenda is a first time mom. She quit the financial word fast lane to become a full time mom at age 41 – and doesn’t regret the decision for one minute. She has a very understanding fluff loving husband named Mike and a beautiful daughter named Camden who has the cutest fluffy butt in the world.

Super Saturday Coupon

2012-01-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

Fluff Friday 166

2012-01-27T13:00:00.000-05:00

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fluff Friday 165 WINNER

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-05:00

This week's Fluff Friday winner is Theresa Beazley!

She will receive:
2 Pack of the all new ones & twos

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Please, contact us ASAP so we can get your winnings out to you!!!

Cloth Diapering "Irish Twins"

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

A little over a year ago I gave birth to our second son. 9 months after our first one. That’s right, 9 months. My boys are 9 months and one week apart from one another.

At the time I was not cloth diapering. I had looked into it with my first son but was overwhelmed by all the options and the start up costs that would incur. But with the rising costs of diapering two children, I needed to look for other options.

In order to make cloth diapering a success for us, I have had to figure out the best way to maximize our budget while still getting diapers that work for both boys.

First, I had to make a decision about whether or not they were going to share diapers. While I know that some moms find this to be a disgusting idea, and I can completely understand where they are coming from, I was not one of those. I knew that I would be sanitizing them in between each child wearing them, so I was not concerned.

Second, I needed to decide which kind of diaper I was going to spend the most money on. I discovered that I prefer the pocket diapers the most. But I knew, with a bit of research, that having some covers with flats, inserts, and prefolds as another option, would stretch my budget even more, and also allow for some versatility.

Third, I had to decide whether I wanted to go with sized diapers, or one-size diapers. For me, this was a pretty simple decision. It didn’t make much sense to me to buy a bunch of multiple sized diapers. While I do have a few sized diapers in my stash, the majority can be adjusted to fit either boy. At first this was important because they were of very different sizes. Now that they are both bigger they can fit on the same rise, simply with an adjustment of the waist.

Fourth, I thought about how often I wanted to be washing diapers. I knew that I didn’t want to be washing them every single day. But I also knew that we couldn’t afford to buy enough diapers to go too long in between washes. So I had to come up with the perfect number for my kids. Each child is different in the amount of diaper changes are necessary in a day. I kept track of how many changes I was doing on a regular basis and then bought that number of diapers I would need in order to wash every other day. That was then my goal number of diapers to purchase.

Fifth, I looked for sales. This was really important in order to get the most out of our money. I tried out a few different diapers and then watched for the ones I liked the most to go on sale. I was fortunate because Kellys Closet had a marvelous sale on said diapers at the time that I wanted to buy a bunch. I also looked online for creative ways to cloth diaper on the cheap using unconventional items (ie. flour sack towels as flats in covers).

Sixth, have fun! I was excited to receive my “fluffy” mail. And I was proud that I was making an impact on the world, our budget, and most importantly, my little guys’ bums.

Dana G is the proud stay at home mother of 2 handsome baby boys and the wife of a marvelous man who serves our country in the Air Force. You can check out more of her tips and stories on adaynasmile.wordpress.com.

Snaps or Velcro: Which is better?

2012-01-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

In all my research on cloth diapers, the overwhelming response to the age-old question, “Snaps or Velcro?” was a resounding: snaps. Velcro gets pilly. Velcro wears out. Older babies figure out how to undo Velcro and take their diapers off, etc. All answers pointed to snaps, and I was satisfied. The first diapers in my stash were all snaps and I was pleased. They were easy to put on, they stayed put, and my husband didn’t mind them either.

Then two things happened: 1. I went back to work part-time and would be having a nanny (a wonderful young lady who had never heard of cloth diapers) watch my daughter, and 2. My daughter mastered what we call “the death roll” and diaper changes went from a fun, bonding experience to an Olympic event. My decision to swear off Velcro because of its downsides quickly reversed. All of a sudden Velcro sounded wonderfully easy for an inexperienced nanny and extremely quick and efficient to put on.

We purchased 6 bumGenius pockets with hook and loop closures (i.e. Velcro). They came, I prepped, and we tried them out. I was instantly in love. They are quick, efficient, and they fit like a glove around her thighs and waist every time. Do I still love my snaps? Of course, but my Velcro serve a wonderful purpose in my stash that I never knew I would need.

There are definitely still downfalls to Velcro aside from the common wear and tear. Although I remember to put them back on their laundry tabs each time, it isn’t usually on my husband or nanny’s mind to remember to do so. This typically isn’t a problem unless it’s a poopy diaper. Velcro + poop = a mess! My mother in law also likes to treat them like a disposable, because they are similar to one, and will roll them up and use the Velcro tabs to stick to the outside of the diaper (much like you would roll up a disposable and fasten the tabs around it to create a “ball”). This snags the diapers and makes my skin crawl! With Velcro, there is more reminding of others that you don’t have to do with snaps.

Downfalls aside, I would say I actually prefer Velcro. So if you are researching cloth diapers for a future baby, or if you were swayed in the “only snaps!” direction like I was, take note. Velcro has its place in a cloth diapers stash and serves a wonderful purpose that snaps do not.

Bio: Michelle is a part-time stay at home mom to a beautiful 9 month old baby girl. When she isn’t scouring the Internet for fluff deals, she can be found reading, running, and hanging out with her husband and baby girl.

Ins and Outs of Newborn Diapers

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Diapering a newborn should come easily to me as a mother of four, but when you combine the pure lack of sleep with having three other “littles” in the house (I have four children, my oldest is only five), and having not one but two in diapers-it still is a little hectic. These are my findings and my advice for new moms.

I am currently using cloth diapers on my newborn, but she is the fourth child I’ve used cloth diapers on. I didn’t even realize people still used cloth until my oldest was almost ready to potty train and my second born was three months old. I switched, but naturally I didn’t deal with newborn diapering.

When pregnant with my third I stepped tentatively into using cloth on a newborn. It wasn’t as hard as I thought, but due to budget issues she was using cloth part time. Fast forward to the present and my newest baby…who is at present 90% cloth diapered. I prefer cloth to disposables, but unfortunately I have small babies and newborn diapers are not cheap-or used very long.

Overall cloth diapering will save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars. I know it has our family. However, most newborn cloth diapers cost quite a bit and are not worn very long. We have five different kinds of newborn diapers and I will share the pros and cons we’ve found with each.

We have four Lil’ Joey’s from Rumparooz. They have CUTE written all over them and are an adorable size. However, these diapers are not for everyone. My babies are pretty small by most people’s standards-my smallest was 5 lbs 3 oz and my biggest 7 lbs 1 oz.. My babies are also built thin. Lil’ Joey’s have only fit my (youngest two) children till they hit nine pounds and then they are too small. Considering average babies are born closer to eight pounds and grow often half a pound a week, these aren’t for everyone. We’ve been fortunate to get to use them for about six weeks for each of my daughters.

I have one Happy Heinys Mini one size pocket diaper and it has been my favorite this time around. My daughter couldn’t wear it until she hit about seven pounds without it leaking, but now it is fantastic! The sizing is such that she will be able to wear it quite a bit longer than the Lil Joey’s and it fits her slim figure like a glove. I have another one on order to arrive this week. Can’t say enough good things about it!

I have one Thirsties size one Duo diaper and I also love that it is smaller than our regular one size pockets but started fitting both of my daughters when they hit eight pounds (manufacturer says six pounds, but my girls were both too skinny and it leaked). Thirsties diaper covers with prefolds were how I started cloth diapering, and will always have a special place in my heart.

Rounding out my newborn stash is a Newborn Pro Wrap (the only diaper I didn’t get from Kelly’s Closet) and a Bummis Super Brite Newborn diaper cover. I use a collection of small prefolds with these. I prefer pockets, but when budget matters, this is probably your best bet.

My advice to a first time mom-to-be would be to invest in the Happy Heinys. They are easy to use, will fit (most) newborn babies, and can be used longer than other brands poundage wise. If you are planning on having multiple children, go ahead and invest in a newborn stash as well as one for when your baby gets bigger. If you are only planning on having one or maybe two children it gets tougher…you really don’t know how big your babies will be and often babies don’t wear newborn size anything more than a week or so making a complete newborn stash pretty pricey for the time you’ll use it. However, cloth is always better for the environment and you can always sell or donate any diapers you no longer have any use for.

I probably would not recommend a first time mom to start off with prefolds/snappis/ and covers. Having a newborn has a huge learning curve of its own, let alone a diapering system that isn’t completely easy. Your first few weeks with your baby will be hard enough-getting the hang of nursing, all-nighters, and what her cries mean are challenging enough. Take it easy on yourself. Plus, you want daddy on board with cloth diapers, and trust me, pockets and all-in-ones are the fastest way to a man’s diaper heart.

My final newborn cloth diapering advice would be to get that diaper sprayer and install it while your baby is still small. If you are nursing exclusively there is absolutely no need to use it on your baby’s diapers until they start solids. However, the diaper sprayer also has a learning curve and it is always nicer to learn on a clean diaper than a dirty one that sometimes, when sprayed, the contents of the diaper may hit the wall…or your face…just sayin’.

Jenney is a mother of four and home daycare provider. She blogs about cloth diapering and raising her kids at www.thedraystoday.blogspot.com

Preparing For My Adventure Into Newborn Cloth Diapering

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-05:00

When my now 18 month old son was born, I didn’t even consider cloth diapering. The whole idea of it was completely foreign to me and therefore, I never bothered looking into it. What got me into it was hearing friends that did cloth diaper rave about it and about how much money they saved. So, I looked into it, started a diaper trial and was hooked. Now I am pregnant again and due in March with our new little boy and I plan on cloth diapering him from day one.

When I started to look into newborn cloth diapering options I felt like a cloth diapering newbie all over again. I had no idea which brands would fit my new baby better or how many diapers I would need. My older son was a big newborn (9lbs 2 oz and 23 inches long) and I am anticipating our new baby to be about the same size. To get a feel for how big the newborn diapers would be, I went to my local cloth diaper store and took a look at all of them. There are a few things that I realized.

1) There are a few brands that would not fit a baby that big for very long, namely the Lil’ Joeys, BumGenius AIO XS and the GroVia Newborn AIO. So I decided not to get any of them.
2) The brands that do look like they will fit really well are the FuzziBunz XS, BumGenius AIO S, Thirsties Duo Size 1, and the Happy Heinys Mini One Size.
3) There are a few one size diapers that look like they will fit a 9 lb baby just fine and they are the FuzziBunz Elite One Size, Rumparooz One Size Pocket, Itti Bitti Tutto and the Babykicks Bumboo (I’m sure there are others, but these are the ones I looked at. The Happy Heinys One Size MAY fit, but it has a higher rise, so I’ll probably need to wait for the cord stump to fall off.)
4) Buying purely pocket or AIO diapers for a newborn would be pricey, especially with the tight budget that I have, so I needed to start looking into a cheaper option.

I did purchase a few newborn and size small AIOs and pockets (5 BumGenius Small AIOs, 1 FuzziBunz XS and 1 Happy Heiny Mini One Size). I also plan on using the one size FuzziBunz and Itti Bitti Tuttos that I already use with my older son (along with Happy Heiny One Size when they start to fit). However, this only left me with 13 diapers (not including the Happy Heinys)… nowhere near enough to cloth diaper a newborn full time while washing every other day.

I then read an article by Kim at Dirty Diaper Laundry called “Cloth Diapering a Newborn Without Breaking the Bank + Pro Tips”. In this article Kim suggests using prefolds and flats with covers. I decided to start looking into flats as I had been hearing that they are the best low cost cloth diapering option out there. So, I bought a dozen flats and started playing around with all the neat folds out there. My favorite fold is the diaper bag fold (seen here). I love it because it is super customizeable. You can really make the diaper as small or as large as you need it to be with this fold.

So, after doing all of my research and making my purchases, now I have a healthy stash of about 40 (13 pockets and AIOs, the rest are flats and prefolds with covers and a Snappi) newborn diapers and with the use of flats and prefolds, the stash didn’t cost me very much at all! I even bought all of the newborn pockets and AIOs at a gently used sale so I saved money on those as well. I still need a couple more covers, but once I get those, my newborn stash will be complete! Now I just need to wait for the little guy to make his appearance in March!!

About the author: Christina D is a 26 year old wife and stay at home mom. She has an 18 month old son named Alexander and is due with their new little boy, Cooper, on March 20, 2012. She also writes her own cloth diapering/green parenting blog, Geeky Green Mom.

Weaning To Cloth Diapers Completely

2012-01-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

Maybe you are considering using cloth diapers with your baby.
--Build your stash and go for it!!
Maybe you already use cloth at home, but use disposables while on errands around town.
--Get a medium zippered wet bag for your diaper bag and dive into cloth on the go!

But perhaps you find yourself in the situation I recently got out of...

My daughter has been wearing cloth diapers since she was 3 days old, with the occasional *gasp* disposable diapers mixed in. A few months ago, though, I vowed to wean our family onto 100% cloth diapers. Using cloth at home has always been a breeze. When my daughter was about a month old, going on errands with cloth became second nature, too. The trouble spots were long overnight trips.

Labor Day was the first trip that we took cloth on. I was mostly intimidated by using cloth on the 6 hour car ride, so we ended up using a mix of 'pure & natural' disposables, prefolds & pocket diapers on our trip. Using any disposables, no matter the reason, started to really annoy me. I hated spending money to buy diapers and then throwing them away. What's the point of using cloth "almost" all of the time, but not actually all of the time? You spent money to build up your cloth diaper stash, and here you are spending more money to buy disposables! Reusable cloth diapers are just more economical and better for the environment.

After that trip, I decided I would get over any intimidation, and we would only take cloth on our holiday travels (and other future trips).

I never thought we'd really be able to do it, but we did!! We spent a 3 day weekend at my in-laws for Thanksgiving (celebrated actually 2 weeks before the holiday), and took a week long Christmas trip to visit various family members. My daughter was in cloth the whole time, and we even survived a HUGE blow-out on the drive that required 6 wipes and changing all of her clothes. At one point, my husband said, "maybe we should go get some disposables," and I firmly said, "no!"

You may have read my earlier guest post on The Cloth Diaper Whisperer about swirling versus spraying diapers to remove waste...I'm not a fan of having to clean cloth diapers without a diaper sprayer. I prepared us for the challenge by buying some biodegradable liners. While they don't keep all runny messes completely off the diaper, they do a great job at containing the bulk of them. I planned to be on diaper clean-up duty the whole time, but my husband surprised me by pitching-in with a few of the diapers that needed dunking!

Here's what we do, and I hope this inspires you to ditch traveling with disposables:

Ask your host if you can do cloth diaper laundry at their home, or check with your hotel/campsite for facilities
Do laundry right before you leave, so that you have the most amount of clean diapers possible
Take the few dirty diapers you accumulate, between laundry and leaving, with you so that you don't come back to rancid smelling diapers (especially if you'll be gone for more than 5 days)
Pack diapers in a clean duffel bag or zippered suitcase, which will also serve as your diaper storage bin while traveling
Take your normal cloth diaper detergent, if you are flying but use liquid detergent, consider buying some powder cloth diaper safe detergent
Pre-stuff pockets (including doubling up a few for extra absorbency for naps in the car/plane)
Match up prefolds/flats with all covers you take, have extra prefolds/flats waiting
Prepare a few diapers with biodegradable liners laid on top, and keep the rest of the liners in a clean, easily accessible place
Have two zippered medium wet bags to keep dirty diapers in while driving/flying
Take your pail liner to your destination, even if it doesn't have a close-able top, just twist it around itself, and keep dirty diapers where ever your host will let you
If possible, do laundry before heading home...although I have read about some parents who love the reaction TSA agents have when "inspecting" a dirty diaper suitcase

Kaylene Brown blogs at Letters from Momma about her experiences mothering a beautiful little girl who turns 1 in February. She also recently made the switch to cloth wipes, and loves it!

Super Saturday Coupon

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

Fluff Friday 165

2012-01-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

Fluff Friday:
2 Pack of the all new ones & twos
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fluff Friday 164 WINNER

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-05:00

This week's Fluff Friday winner is Tiffany Ellingston Ellis!

She will receive:
1 EcoPosh Trainer & 1 BecoThings Potty

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Please, contact us ASAP so we can get your winnings out to you!!!

Finding a laundry system that works!

2012-01-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

The most challenging thing that came with cloth diapering our little ones was the laundry. Oh the dreaded laundry!

Unfortunately, you can't just throw a dirty diaper in your normal hamper and wash them like your other laundry. It's a whole different monster to figure out, and after month of trial and error, we finally found the system that works for our growing family of 5!

I have to admit, when I began cloth diapering, the only thing I wanted to spend money on was my stash! Which meant cutting every corner possible when storing dirty diapers. We began by stashing them in tied grocery bags, yikes. It worked OK for a little bit. Until a few months later I gave in and bought a hanging zippered wet bag that everyone seemed to be raving about. I loved it at first, being able to toss it in the washer with the diapers and not having an actual trash can taking up space in our tiny little laundry room. Months later, the zipper on it went haywire! It wouldn't zip, it was ripping off the seam leaving a "hole" in the top of the wet bag when closed. We all know that even just a small hole or open spot can let out a ton of yucky odor. My husband tried to fix it with a zip tie (we spent $30 on the thing, had to try!) but we eventually ended up throwing it out.

We had one more thing to try- the pail and liner, for some reason I had really been dreading this system. I bought a medium size trash can with a lid that shut tightly, and a pack of cheap trash bags until the liner came in the mail. First diaper in, and I was in-love! Why didn't we just do this in the first place? So, so easy, and the absolute best part for me is we do not smell a thing! No odor seeping out even when it's full to the brim! We still get the convenience of the wet bag by being able to toss in the liner, too. No bags, no faulty zippers, no odors! To think it took cloth diapering our second child, and months into it to figure this out just proves that cloth diapering can be quite the learning experience and series of trial and error! But I am so thankful we found the system that works for us as we are expecting our fourth child, our third cloth diaper baby!

Shay is a stay at home mom of three little girls, a foster mom, and a regular TCDW blog contributor. When she's not homeschooling, changing diapers, or snapping pictures, she spends time blogging about their journey in the foster care system, family, cloth diapering, and raising kids. You can follow along at http://www.busybudgetmom.blogspot.com

Inspired Cloth Diaper Washing Confession

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today I read Gina’s confession about her cloth diaper wash routine. I, too, have a confession to make regarding my wash routine.

I use powdered Tide on my cloth diapers.

I’ve been cloth diapering for two years. When my oldest son started solids, we began to have issues with the wash routine we had finally perfected. Then Rockin’ Green came out with their Hard Rock formula and it worked great! A few short months later, we moved across town and, again, our perfected routine left our diapers smelling like ammonia. It got to the point where our son’s bottom was red and irritated after every single change, our dryer was retaining odor and so were our clothes.

I played with every aspect of the wash routine. I tweaked the number of diapers per load; I added towels to the load to increase agitation; I tried different temperatures of water combined with every different type of detergent I had (which by this time was 5); I stripped the diapers with hot water and RLR. Nothing was working. Finally, I emailed the gurus at Kelly’s Closet who suggested I run an empty load in my washer with some bleach, as well as wipe down our dryer with water and bleach. It still didn’t solve the problem. So, I did the last thing I thought any true fluffer would ever do.

I bought a box of Tide original powder.

I tentatively washed a load of clothing and instantly the smell in our washer was gone and the clothing no longer retained odor after being dried. After testing the washed clothing on my son’s sensitive skin to make sure he wouldn’t react, I threw in the dirty diapers. I can’t believe the difference it has made in our diapers. We no longer have the horrible smell, ammonia rashes or leaks.

Currently, I rinse the diapers with cold water. Then I run a full cycle with 3 tablespoons of Original Tide powder. Then I run another cold rinse to get the diapers squeaky clean. I know Tide doesn’t work for everyone and it isn’t the most widely accepted detergent for cloth diaper users, but it has made things so much easier for me!

Like Gina, I feel much better getting that out in the open.

Mindy Hill is mom to two beautiful children and a cloth diaper addict! She loves to read about cloth diapers and is often inspired by what she reads on the cloth diaper whisperer!

Sharing the Love of Cloth

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

Even before I became pregnant, I was giddy about cloth diapers. I researched. I scoured the Internet. I dreamed of finally getting pregnant, having a baby, and getting to use cloth diapers. Surprisingly, my love of cloth didn’t come from a friend or family member. No one close to me used cloth on their babies, so my “role models” were mommy bloggers online.

While pregnant, I shared our decision to use cloth on our daughter when she was born with friends and family. Our decision was met with mostly skepticism. I can’t tell you the number of times I was told, “You will never make it.” Or, “Good luck the first time she has a blow out and you have to clean it up!” I would smile and nod, knowing in my head I couldn’t wait to prove the nay-sayers wrong.

Our daughter arrived, and we waited a few weeks until she fit into our OS diapers (next time I will definitely cloth diaper from the minute the baby is born and I can’t wait!). From the day we started, around 8 weeks, my husband and I have been in love with cloth diapering and have never questioned our decision. When I change my daughter in front of other moms who have never seen a modern cloth diaper, I usually get a few questions about the laundry, the clean up, and if I like them. Without going into a giddy rant, I try to sum up my love for our cloth diapers in a quick, “They are so easy and we couldn’t be happier with them!” I always hope said moms will ask more questions because cloth diapers are my favorite things to talk about, but I still haven’t encountered a mama who wanted to know more…

Until one day I got a voicemail from a long time friend. “Hi! I decided on a whim to start cloth diapering and I need a role model. Call me back.” If a smile could be bigger than ear to ear, that was the smile on my face. I immediately called my friend back and tried not to talk her ear off and overwhelm her. She had stopped into a local cloth diaper store, bought a few Flip covers, inserts, and some laundry detergent, and headed on her way. I had just discovered my love for the Flip system so we chatted a bit about that. She was going to wash her diapers and start the next morning with her little guy and she would let me know how it went. The rest of the day we texted back and forth about laundry tips, storing tips, wet bags, and more. I was in cloth diaper sharing heaven!

Like most mamas, she was addicted after one day. I think it was less than a week later that she sent me a picture of her first homemade wet bag (did I mention she is crafty?). Within 2 weeks, she had gone back and bought a few other types and brands of diapers to try out. It feels so great to know that my “crazy decision” has led even just one more baby to a fluffy bum.

Fresh off my cloth diapering sharing success, I had the guts to take a chance on a newly pregnant friend. Kelly’s Closet was having an awesome deal on the book, “Changing Diapers”. I decided to send it to her with a card explaining my love for cloth diapers and how our journey has gone in case she may be interested in looking into cloth diapering her baby in a few months. I was nervous to step out on the ledge (why is it that we feel we are bothering other mamas when it is something that is better for baby, Earth, and pocket book?) and send it, but I did it anyway. She emailed me a few days later saying she was excited to read the book and that she had actually discussed cloth diapers with her husband after they found out they were expecting.

Again, I smiled ear to ear. I am so glad I got the guts to reach out and share a little of my love for cloth diapers with another mama. I can’t wait to do it again!

Bio: Michelle is a part time stay at home mom to her 9-month-old daughter. When she isn’t reading cloth diapering blogs or scouring the Internet for fluff deals, she can be found reading, running, or out and about with her husband and baby girl.

Class Is In Session

2012-01-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

How does that saying go… “you can take the teacher out of teaching, but you can’t take teaching out of the teacher?” Ok, so maybe not exactly, but that’s the way I feel most days. I moved from being a teacher to working for a non-profit 6 years ago, but I still love getting in front of a classroom! These days, my pupils are new moms and my subject is cloth diapering!

I’m not sure how I first came across the idea of cloth diapering, but after a lot of research, I knew that I wanted to do it. I was not cloth diapered as a baby, so when I told my mom about it, she told me I was crazy. So I started telling her about all the benefits and showed her the diapers I planned to use. It didn’t take long to win her over. Several of my friends who are also moms thought I was crazy as well, and I guess that is when my educating began!

The hospital where my daughter was delivered offers weekly classes and check-ins for new moms. While attending those classes with my newborn daughter, I learned about breastfeeding, how to wash her clothes, and how to use the library. That was when a light bulb went on that this was the perfect audience to share my new-found passion of cloth diapering with. After talking with some of the nurses, I was put on the schedule for the next month. I wrote up a hand-out, with pictures, descriptions, instructions, and lots of links to places where moms could get good info. I also bought a sample of each different kind of diaper so that moms could see and feel them.

My first “class” went great and I was thrilled with the reception and questions I got. I was then contacted by an Early Childhood and Family Education (ECFE) coordinator who invited me to speak monthly at her newborn class. From there, I was contacted by Community Education coordinators in several school districts, and another ECFE coordinator. I now do several classes each month with different audiences. It’s a lot of fun, and I’m so proud to share this diapering option with new moms.

I am fortunate to have a very flexible full-time job that allows me to volunteer my time in this way and get my “teaching fix”. If you are interested in sharing cloth diapers with new moms in your area, I would encourage you to reach out to mom’s group organizers, ECFE coordinators, and Community Education directors. They are usually always looking for new ideas and presenters. You don’t have to be an expert, just knowledgeable. Moms love getting advice from other moms!

Ok moms, take your seats! Class is in session!

Bio: Mamie is a full-time working mom of busy, 18-month old Clara. She is a proud cloth diaper advocate who has educated over 200 moms about the benefits of using cloth!

A Very Happy Cloth-Diapering Dad

2012-01-15T00:01:00.000-05:00

Unlike many other cloth-diapering parents that I’ve talked too, my husband was an early convert to cloth diapering. Once I shared my exhaustive research on the how-to’s, cost savings and functionality of using cloth over disposables he jumped right on board. He quickly saw that using cloth meant fewer diaper blowouts and less diaper rash. He was also particularly happy about the cost-savings over disposables. Even though I am the cloth diaper researcher in this household he definitely gets credit for changing and washing just as many diapers as I do. He’s even given impromptu sales pitches on why you should choose cloth diapers when changing our daughter around friends and family.

Since our daughter was born he has happily become a cloth diapering dad! However, lest you think we are the perfect couple you should know that there is one area of cloth diapering that we tend disagree about, having a variety of diapers! I love to see new prints and try new types of diapers. In my mind each diaper made has something interesting about it so why wouldn’t we give it a shot and see how it works for us? Also, I’ll admit one of the reasons I love cloth is the adorable factor. My daughter looks so great in the Swaddlebees Simplex 2.0 prints and the new bumgenius colors! How could I pass up trying the itti bitti’s, they are so soft! So while I am drawn in by the new styles available, my husband has a bit of a different philosophy.

My husband has a mantra about diapers that he tends to stick with, “if it’s not broken why are we trying to fix it?” In his mind we have already found the perfect diaper so he asks the question, “why are we still searching for something else?” He compares all other brands to what he considers the most perfect of all diapers created. Which brand does he stake all of his diaper allegiance to you ask? He is unabashedly loyal to the bumgenius 4.0s in snaps. In his mind no other diaper will ever measure up to the performance and quality of this diaper.

This results in some interesting conversations between the two of us. For example the first time he pulled out a Swaddlebees Simplex 2.0 he managed to put it on backwards and came to me complaining about the “broken” diaper I purchased. I quickly pointed out the adorable Owls print and noted the trim fit of the diaper (after putting it on my daughter correctly). He responded by stating its inherent flaws compared to his most favored brand. We have had this discussion repeatedly as various diapers have made their way into our stash. What I’ve found is that given some time and few practice rounds he’s come to like some of my deviations from his beloved bumgenius. For example, he can now appreciate the softness of the itti bitti’s and the fun AppleCheek’s prints. But I still make sure that the bumgenius 4.0s are well stocked for him so he can keep up his role as a great cloth diapering dad.

Bio: Kara W. is the momma of an adventurous 14 month-old girl and partner to a great cloth-loving husband. She also blogs at www.minimalspinmommy.blogspot.com.

Super Saturday Coupon

2012-01-14T00:01:00.000-05:00

Fluff Friday 164

2012-01-13T13:00:00.000-05:00

Fluff Friday: 1 EcoPosh Trainer & 1 BecoThings Potty a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fluff Friday 163 WINNER!

2012-01-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

This week's Fluff Friday winner is Lisa de Melogue!

She will receive:

1 Bag of Rockin' Green Laundry Detergent, 1 Magnetic Scoop, 1 Bottle of Shake it Up

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Please, contact us ASAP so we can get your winnings out to you!!!

Cloth Diaper Washing Confession

2012-01-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make. I do a big NO-NO each time I wash cloth diapers, and I don’t even feel bad about it. I started doing this “bad” thing when I started using a new HE washer and had to completely change my diaper wash routine. Are you ready? Here it is…  

I USE TIDE! 

Yes, it’s true. I use Original Liquid HE Tide that can be purchased at any given super store, grocery store, or in-the-middle-of-nowhere store every single time I wash cloth diapers. I fill the cap to the #1 line during the cold wash and the hot wash, plus add baking soda. And, I haven’t had one issue since I switched. I tried all the natural/Free & Clear/Free & Gentle versions and they worked in my old top loading washer, but the only one that works in my HE Top Loader is the blue straight up original Tide. No need to pull your hair out trying to find the “right” detergent, you’re a parent and you have enough to worry about. Many moms swear by this detergent and now I’m one of them. There, I said it. And, I feel much better.

Gina is a green living advocate, and mom of two boys (ages 2 & 3), who has cloth diapered exclusively for 3 years. A self-proclaimed tree hugger, she loves to share the benefits of all things natural and organic.

Hard Water Heartache

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-05:00

I’ve had to put most of my original cloth diaper stash to rest. Or at least it’s temporarily retired until we figure out how to resolve our hard water issues. Stinky like sulphur and loaded with minerals and sediment that eat away at our sink and tub fixtures, I should have anticipated that our water would present some challenges with cloth diapers. We also have an HE frontloader which is wonderful at conserving water but never truly rinses our diapers clean.

Though we’ve experimented with every wash cycle and detergent imaginable and have tried various water softeners in the wash water, the ammonia stinkies keep coming back. Every time I think I’ve finally come up with THE cycle, the odor returns and my son’s diaper zone becomes red and irritated again.

So, sadly, the following diapers--that have been the biggest offenders--will be resting in peace:

14 Kawaii Pockets
3 Happy Heinys Pockets
3 bumGenius 4.0s (2 Snaps; 1 Hook & Loop)
1 Rumparooz

The common denominator is that they all have microfiber inserts and fleece or microsuede lining. We have loved using all of these diapers--especially the Kawaiis and Happy Heinys which fit our generously sized baby so well—but even the pocket linings themselves have absorbed and retained the stink.

What we’re using now:

5 Kawaii Bamboo Pockets w/10 Bamboo Inserts (these diapers are the only survivors from the original stash)
6 Swaddlebees Flats
6 Osocozy Unbleached Prefolds; Size 2
3 Econobum Prefolds
2 Thirsties Duo Covers; Size 2
3 Econobum Covers
10 Bummis Fleece Liners & an Assortment of Liners Cut from Old PJs

Additionally, for our older daughter we’re using a new Grovia trainer with an added Thirsties hemp insert for overnights (the final frontier!) and we’re doing pretty well with it as long as we cut down on the fluids prior to bedtime. I’ve got a second Grovia trainer on my wish list.

With the exception of the fleece liners, the common theme here is bamboo, cotton and hemp. The flats wash nice and clean. The prefolds can be boiled when all else fails. The bamboo is holding its own. The natural fibers have fared better for us though my son is very sensitive to moisture so we have to change him even more frequently. We also still make use of fleece liners to have at least a partial barrier between him and the moisture. The only natural fiber that we have found we need to steer clear of is wool since my son, sadly, has an allergic reaction to it. I’m still clinging on to the hope that it may be the type of wool used in our specific cover and may try another brand just to be sure but the cost is a little daunting.

I definitely miss the ease and stay-dry nature of my pockets. We also have yet to find the best solution/folds for my son’s build (long torso, extra chunky thighs and generous waist) with the more traditional flats and prefolds but we’re committed to working on it. The flats are most conveniently used as an insert in the bamboo pockets paired with 1 bamboo insert for overnights right now.

In the meantime, we’re having our water tested and hope to find an affordable way to address our hard water issues. Keeping our fingers crossed and our full stash waiting in the wings!

Giving Exclusivity a Shot: An Update

2012-01-10T00:01:00.000-05:00

A few short months ago, I wrote about my goal to exclusively cloth diaper my newborn from day one (you can find the original post here). I am sad to report that I failed but I learned several lessons about newborn cloth diapering that I wanted to share.

Our newborn stash included 2 Bummis Newborn packs, one Fuzzibunz newborn diaper and one Thirsties diaper cover in the smaller size. Unfortunately, it simply wasn’t enough. Our daughter is a SUPER soaker, something I didn’t expect. Our son never seemed to wet his diapers like his sister does. Every half hour our daughter would completely soak her Bummis prefold and would often leak out onto her outfit. In addition, every time she pooped, it would get on the shell. My original plan was to hand wash the shells, allow them to air dry and simply cycle through them until I needed to wash the prefolds. However, the poop didn’t wash out easily by hand and our daughter would soil a shell at almost every diaper change. If you do the math, you will realize that if our daughter soiled a shell at almost every diaper change and we were changing her every half hour, 5 shells simply didn’t last. There was never enough time for the shells to dry and never enough prefolds to last a whole day (To anyone hoping to cloth diaper exclusively, I’d suggest purchasing more than 24 inserts and 5 shells, even if that sounds crazy!). We used them as often as possible but we did have to use disposables more than I would have ever liked to.

Fortunately, our little girl was a rather large newborn- weighing in at 9 pounds, 1 ounce. It didn’t take long for her to fit into the GroVia diapers. Now that she is in the AI2s, we are able to cloth diaper more. We still are using disposables at night because our Knickernappies Super Do Pre-washed Inserts are just too bulky for the rise setting she uses. She sleeps up to 5 hours at a time and we need something more absorbent than a cotton soaker pad for my super soaker. I will say we’ve had several blowouts with the disposables and I can’t wait to find a cloth night time solution.

My goal is to save up enough to purchase the smaller size of the Super Do Inserts.to use until she is big enough for the large inserts. For our next little, I plan to at least double our stash so that I can use two prefolds per diaper change if s/he is a super soaker like our daughter. I like how the Bummis newborn shells fit and they worked well, so I will stick with them the next go around.

As for our current stash of newborn diapers, my husband convinced a coworker to use them until her little one fits in the stash of Fuzzibunz she ordered. My hope is that in doing so, we can further reduce waste. And though she may not be able to use them exclusively, it surely is better than nothing.

Mindy is mom to a beautiful newborn girl and a spirited toddler boy. She enjoys cloth diapering and writing about her cloth diaper adventures.

Hiney Lineys: Versatility Made Simple!

2012-01-09T00:01:00.000-05:00

I am so excited that Kelly’s Closet is now carrying one of my favorite cloth diapering systems, Hiney Lineys! While it is a fairly “new kid on the block”, it quickly became my go-to diaper, and when I share it with my cloth diapering pals, they fall in love with it too!

At first glance, this unique system might seem a little bit confusing, but I want to share with you how simple, versatile, and FUN it is! Think of the Hiney Liney system as a sandwich.

1. The Versa cover is the bottom layer of the sandwich. Hiney Liney Versa covers come in hook and look, or side snaps. It is made out of a PUL outer, and a really soft nylon on the inside providing water proofing and comfort.

2. The “Liney” is the top layer of the sandwich. It is made out of stay-dry suedecloth and snaps into the cover at two locations…at the tabs and in the front, under a pocket that holds in your diaper “filling”. If you have a baby sensitive to wetness, the snap-in Liney is the answer to your problem. In the past, some people have placed a stay-dry layer on top of their insert, but they often move around and get bunched up. The ingenious snap-in Liney takes care of that problem and also provides an additional barrier to prevent leaks and solids escaping.

3. The middle of your sandwich is where the fun comes in! The “filling” you put in your diaper is totally customizable!

Hiney Lineys allow you to put any kind of insert, or combination of inserts, between the Liney and Versa cover! Hiney Lineys does have a great insert that you can snap in to the Liney, but if you are cloth diapering on a budget, Hiney Lineys is your system! By purchasing a few covers and Lineys, and a handful of inexpensive inserts, you can really diaper on a dime. I received some second hand Bummis newborn prefolds, and they fit perfectly in the cover. I also have a bunch of birdseye flats that also work well under the Liney. Sometimes I add an additional booster to my flats if we are out and about, but the beauty of this system is that the front pocket keeps the inserts from shifting around. Many of us have microfiber inserts sitting around…grab one of those and slide it under the Liney!

There are many other benefits to the Hiney Liney system. Since I’m generally washing only inserts and Lineys, cloth diaper laundry time is a breeze! I usually get diaper funk because I have hard water, but if I use cotton or hemp with my Lineys, I never have stinky diapers. Packing a diaper bag has never been easier for me…I just grab some flats, and few Lineys, and an extra cover, and we are good to go! No more bulky diaper bags. Got a serious poo mess? Just knock off your solids and place the whole thing in the diaper pail. No need to unsnap the Liney, and the insert will agitate right out. Do you like to use prefolds and Snappis? The Hiney Liney cover is a must-have for your diaper stash. The cover will keep your baby dry, but the nylon inside is soft and won’t make your baby uncomfortable. I know many babies who are sensitive to PUL covers, but give the Hiney Liney cover a try. The best of all, Hiney Lineys are made in the USA by work at home moms and grandmoms.

Give Hiney Lineys a try! I think you’ll have lots of fun trying out different insert combinations with this well thought out product, and be glad that you are supporting a made in the USA, WAHM business!

Bio: Caryn Lantz is a proud new mom though domestic adoption. When not doting over her almost one year-old, she works full time as a communications specialist and editor, and is also a freelance knit wear designer and technical editor. You can follow here on Twitter at twitter.com/fuzzynoodle or on her blog at www.fuzzynoodlelife.com.

January Spotlight Mom

2012-01-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

Toni K. is a Cloth Diapering, Charity Running, Green Saving Mama!

Toni K. lives in Broken Arrow, OK and is mom to Michael (2.5 years old) and Samuel (15 months). She launched her own charitable organization to help families in Oklahoma affected by the devastating tornadoes last May. Find out what Toni has to say about diapering, motherhood and everything in between:

What is the #1 reason you cloth diaper your baby? I decided to cloth diaper my little one to save some “green.” The Cotton Babies' "Change 3 Things" Challenge initially inspired me. By only changing three cloth diapers a day, I save an average of $260 a year.

Who has been your biggest cloth diapering supporter/cheerleader? It has to be my husband! He loves that we're saving money, plus it's been so easy!

What is your favorite diaper and why? My favorite diaper has to be the bumGenius 4.0! It's made the transition to cloth diapering effortless. I'm super excited about the bumGenius Freetime.

If you had one superhero power, what would it be and why? I would love to be able to perform several tasks at once. Cook dinner, load the dishwasher, get the washing machine loaded, pocket diapers stuffed, toilet scrubbed, floors mopped, etc. I guess I'm envisioning lots of arms. Now, that would be a funny looking superhero!

Describe your parenting style using three words. Patient. Gentle. Loving.

What is one product you absolutely can't live without! Since my little ones have been dealing with seasonal cold symptoms, my must-have baby product at the moment is a nasal aspirator! I also love my Boppy pillow!

How do you think being a mother has changed you? Becoming a mother has definitely made me a more proactive, ambitious person. These traits drove me to reach out to the Hamil Family after they tragically lost their two sons after the May 24th Oklahoma storms and tornadoes. The initial outreach for the Hamil Family then turned into a charitable endeavor, Shower of Hope Oklahoma, whose desire is to help families and children affected by Oklahoma storms, tornadoes and other natural disasters.