Poop happens!

Anyone who reads this blog knows just how passionate I am about cloth diapers.

Wow, that kind of reads funny doesn't it?

But it's true. I've shared many reasons why it's great to cloth diaper in multiple posts. That's partially how this whole blog got started!

I was talking to a friend recently who is trying to save money to stay home when her baby comes. I reminded her that cloth diapering is a HUGE way to save! Little Man is only two months old and our diapers have already paid for themselves. We've have a decent sized stash that extends from newborn diapers to what we expect will last until potty training and we've probably spent around $700...not all at one time of course. But that's a one time cost. Unlike disposables which will cost much more than that over time-and will not ever be able to be reused. 

But still, people are so turned off-even disgusted by using reusables!

To me it just seems like a no brainer-kids are so expensive. Why wouldn't you cut out one obvious cost?! 

And if you're wondering about the laundry and using more water and detergent and all that nonsense let me refer you back to this post.

We've been cloth diapering for two years and we have only seen a slight increase in our quarterly water bill. Since we bought a high efficiency washing machine it's even easier and better! The machine has a "my cycle" option where I was able to program my diaper laundry cycle. So I push the button once and it takes my diapers through the whole cycle! I love it! But even if you have a regular ol' washer it still isn't bad at all, which I walk you through in this post.

So  I would like to address-and also debunk-some of the most common arguments I hear against cloth diapering-

"I don't want to deal with poop!"

"EWWW, but what do you do with all the poop?"

"You wash them in your regular washing machine-the same one as your clothes? That's just gross!" 

To that I usually say something like this:

"So, when your child has a HUGE blowout (trust me, it WILL happen and it DOES happen-and guess what? Much more frequently in disposables than cloth!) or leaks onto you or their own clothes...or the changing pad, the floor, the carseat, etc.-what do you do? Do you throw out said clothes or other items? Or do you throw them in your regular washer-even with poop on them?!"

Seriously.

As a parent you will find yourself covered in bodily fluid more often than not. Just yesterday in fact, when I got home my shirt had spit up, blood, and ketchup on it. (My toddler got a fat lip while playing, hence the blood!) During the winter my little lady got the flu and threw up all over me-down my shirt and everywhere else several times. Guess where the clothes and sheets and towels went? Right in the wash! And A few days ago I came home with poop on my shirt! I had changed Little Miss before we left a Memorial Day party and the whole way home I smelled something gross and when I finally got home I realized it was on ME! And that shirt went into the wash. Because it's just poop. Get over it! Those are just things that happen when you are a parent.

So the moral of the story, and I guess this post is this-

If the ONLY reason you are not doing cloth is superficial-because you don't want to deal with poop then you should probably be rethinking having kids at all. Because poop just comes with the territory! And then get a better argument against using cloth if you plan on talking to me about it!

And don't complain that kids are so expensive either! Because they don't have to be! It's our society that forces us to think kids need a lot of stuff to be happy!

And if poop does scare you and you are already on your way to becoming a parent don't you worry...once that little angelic face smiles up at you, calls your name and runs into your arms or needs to be soothed when she bumps her lip-you won't care one little bit. Because they're worth it.

Love and Laughs,

Danielle

Friday Favorites: CJs Butter

So as I was sitting here enjoying my PB Brownie Dough ice cream straight from the carton and watching The Goonies on ABC Family (yes, you read that right) I realized it's Friday!

So I owe my loyal readers a post. I promised, and I am sticking with it!

I decided that I wanted to write about one of my favorite body products today: CJs BUTTer

CJs BUTTer is an amazing, amazing lotion/cream. Although I feel like it's not really a lotion, because it goes on thicker like a salve, but it's not really a salve....I am not explaining it well. Here's a picture of the inside of a tub:

It goes on a little thick but not sticky. A little greasy but when you rub it in your skin is SO soft! It comes in SO many yummy scents and REAL essential oils are used in most of them.

I discovered CJs because I was looking for a cloth diaper safe cream for Little Miss months before she was born. A friend of mine swore by it as her cloth diaper cream, and cream for everything else because her little guy has severe allergies to nuts, dairy, eggs, etc. and she needed something that would be safe to use on his eczema. She let me try some of hers in the Sweet Orange scent and I was hooked!

I immediately hopped on the CJs website to order some and I was overwhelmed with choices of scents. I had no idea what I wanted, especially since I didn't know which ones I would like and lo and behold this must be a common predicament because they have a sampler pack! I ordered a whole bunch I wanted to try and let me tell you that this stuff lasts forever! I ordered the sampler pack last summer and I still have some little pots left! I have since purchased big tubs of it but I stash the little pots everywhere just in case I need some!

In our home we have used CJs for a variety of things such as:

• cloth diaper cream
• eczema
• dry skin
• hangnails
• cracked heels
• baby acne
• scars
• itchy pregnant belly
• dry elbows
• cuticles
• tame frizz
• chapped baby cheeks
• hand cream

When I was pregnant my stomach itched a lot and  my hands and feet were really dry and cracked. I used this stuff every day and not only did it help relieve and heal my ailments, but I never got any stretch marks! That for me was an amazing feat and I definitely attribute it to the CJs.

As you know from this post, when you use cloth diapers you can't use regular creams because they can ruin your diapers and that it not something you want to do! So CJs is a great option because it is multipurpose. You have it in the house and can use it for everything! Can you do that with desitin? I didn't think so! Not to mention that you don't want to use chemicals on your baby's sensitive skin!

CJs is all natural. You know what's in it? According to the website:

"The only ingredients in original BUTTer are shea butter, olive oil, coconut oil, lanolin, beeswax, cocoa butter, Vitamin E (derived from soy), and gluten-free colloidal oatmeal. The CJ's BUTTer® Stick has the same ingredients, except there is no lanolin and the proportions are different. We also have a 'BUTTer PLUS formula', which comes only in unscented and contains no lanolin or oatmeal and includes sesame and neem oils which have skin protection, healing and antifungal properties. Our spritz contains coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil and vitamin E. Again, the spritz PLUS includes sesame and neem oils in addition to the previous ingredients. Our vegan formula contains just shea butter, cocoa butter and sesame oil and can only be scented with essential oils...unscented is always available, too. Fragrance or essential oils are only added if you choose to have it scented (those listed under All Natural scents are essential oils, the others are fragrance oils. We don't have ingredients for fragrances, as that is proprietary information and the manufacturer is not required to disclose them. They are all phlalate free, though.)"

Awesome! Completely natural and free from yucky chemicals. And it's a family owned company which I love supporting! Thankfully I can now get it locally at fresh & fluffy as well, so I don't even have to pay shipping. Plus, Steph always keeps lots of scents in stock! 

We also use the CJs BUTTer stick for daycare and the diaper bag. It's like a glue stick and it is SO easy and convenient. The daycare loves it! And it is so nice to have a stick in my diaper bag so I don't have to dig into a tub of it when on the go. Love the convenience!

Another product we use is the CJs carcass cleaner and we use it as wipes solution for our cloth wipes. We use a squirt or two of carcass cleaner and a squirt of baby oil and some water and just pour it into the wipes warmer. It smells great and I love knowing I am using all natural products on my little one! You can also use the carcass cleaner for body wash! It's not just for babies!

They have all sorts of other products too like lip balm, creamy lotion, cleaners, bug banisher, etc. Check out the website for lots of all natural products for the whole family!

Some scents I especially love are oatmeal, milk, & honey, lullaby baby lotion, blueberry crumble, mango, sugar, & mint, lavender and tea tree, and my pixie pie. But there are tons more! There are even scents especially for men! Definitely a whole line of products to love! And remember the big tubs last a LONG time. To put it in perspective: My daughter was born 9 months ago and I have only gone through one 12 oz. tub, and one 8 oz. pot. We change her diaper several times daily and use it every time we change her. We also use the butter for all the ailments I listed above and it STILL lasts forever! So that shows you how far a tub can go! You only need a little to go a long way!

So check out CJs BUTTer products and let me know what you think! And don't forget to "like" my new facebook page, "The Good Life!" Thanks for reading!

Love and Laughs,

Danielle

Washing Cloth Diapers-Is it really better for the environment?

Lots of people ask me how I wash the diapers.

"You must spend hours doing laundry," they say.

"How can you be saving the environment if you do that much more laundry?" they say.

"How do you deal with the POOP?" they say!

"I couldn't do cloth diapers because I couldn't handle the laundry, I am MUCH too busy!" they say.

Guess what?

I'm busy. I have a full time job, a baby, a husband, two dogs, a house to run, and a blog that will NOT write itself! So if I can do it, so can you!

So on this Earth Day weekend, here is a little tutorial on how to wash and deal with the diapers!

Now first of all, as I mentioned above, people always say that all that washing MUST not make disposables better for the environment.

That's simply not true. Because you see, disposables are not disposable. Once you use them and throw them away even if they are out of YOUR sight, that doesn't mean they are gone. Once those sposies are hauled away to a landfill they will sit there for at least 500 years.

As this blog says:

"In other words, if Christopher Columbus had worn Pampers, his poop would still be in some landfill today."

Perspective?

Yes'm.

Now onto producing disposables versus laundering cloth diapers. I am again going to quote this blog. Here's why washing cloth is STILL not even coming CLOSE to making the negative impact on our world that disposables are:
  
"Disposables Help Increase Gas Prices

We, as a nation, pay through the nose for disposable diapers throughout their life-cycle. In the full-cost accounting, from farm to factory to storefront, compared to cloth diapers, disposables:

• create 2.3 times more water waste,
• use 3.5 times more energy,
• use 8.3 times more non-renewable raw materials (like oil and minerals),
• use 90 times more renewable raw materials (like tree pulp and cotton),
• and use 4 to 30 times as much land for growing or mining raw materials.

Yikes!
Let’s break it down further…
A disposable diaper is practically dripping in oil. Oil is the raw material for the polyethylene plastic in disposables and it takes about 1 cup of crude oil just to make the plastic for 1 disposable diaper. Taking that a bit further, assuming you use at least 6,500 diapers, this means that it takes about 1,625 quarts of oil to diaper your baby for 30 months—not including the oil involved in the diapers’ manufacture and delivery.

Yes, that’s right: It takes more oil to keep your baby dry for 2-1/2 years than it does to lubricate all the cars you will ever own in your lifetime.

For the nation, this means that over 250,000 trees are destroyed and over 3.4 billion gallons of oil are used every single year to manufacture disposable diapers in the United States. For that amount of oil, we could have powered over 5,222,000 cars in the same time period.
The importance of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels through our diaper choices cannot be overestimated. Using up what little affordable oil we have left on this planet to improperly manage baby poop is possibly the stupidest use of oil we could think of, besides the disposable water bottle.
Such recklessly wasteful use of oil threatens not only our environmental security, but also our economic and homeland security, too. As we waste all the easy, cheap-to-produce oil we have left on unnecessary conveniences like disposable diapers and water bottles, we will increasingly have to rely on risky, costly-to-produce oil from deep in the ocean, the pristine Arctic, the Tarsands, and the Mideast and Venezuela, and suffer the price hikes, environmental disasters, and scary, scarcity politics that go with that. (War again, anyone?)
Would you go to war for the resources to continue to cover our children’s bottoms in sweaty, chemical-laden plastic? Oh yeah, we already did."

Try telling me NOW that washing cloth is worse/just as bad for the environment than disposables.

So with that being said, let me give you an easy peasy wash routine that doesn't take long, doesn't break the bank, and will let you do more important things with your little one than constantly run to the store to buy diapers!

 We keep our diapers in a pail in the nursery. The pail has a pail liner in it. Once we change a diaper we remove the insert and throw the whole thing into the pail along with the wipes. For diaper covers, we close the aplix tabs and put them in a wet bag that hangs from the changing table. You don't want to keep your covers in the pail because it will help wear them out faster, but all in ones and pockets can go right in the pail.

You are ready to wash (usually every 2-3 days) when the pail is full.





  

Step 1: Make sure all of your inserts have been removed and your aplix tabs are closed so as to avoid getting stuck on other diapers in the wash (Remember, it's easier to do this as you go!)


 

Step 2: Turn on your washing machine. Now each load gets a rinse cycle first in COLD water. On our machine I just turn the knob to the rinse cycle and put all the contents of the pail into the wash and let it rinse cold with NO detergent.
 
Think to self, "Yikes, my machine is dusty. I should probably do something about that, but the dust can wait. I have to finish these diapers so I can go snuggle my little one!"

So while the diapers are in the rinse cycle I go upstairs and do other stuff like hang out with my baby or clean, or watch TV (yea right!) But the point is, I can get stuff done, even though I have to wash diapers....SHOCKING I know! but it's true!!! :)


Step 3: About 20 minutes or so later (or the next day, because the wash can always wait! Your baby can't!) I run down and turn the washer to the HOT wash/COLD rinse setting and set the knob back to the full wash cycle. I add two tablespoons of Planet detergent. You can use a variety of different detergents, but we like Planet because it has NO dyes, NO brighteners, NO fragrance, NO bad stuff. So it's good for my little one's sensitive skin AND good for the environment! It's available locally at Feel Rite and the Lexingtion Co-Op. It's $13 or so for a 100 fl oz. To put that in perspective, we have bought a bottle of it TWICE since July. TWICE. So it lasts forever because you only use a small amount, and it is CHEAP! Can't say that about Tide! 

So once I change it to hot and add the detergent I am done for now! The diapers wash and I go about my life.

Step 4: The diapers are done and now they need to dry. I put all the inserts and wipes into the dryer and dry on medium heat with my wool dryer balls for about 20-30 minutes.  Any covers, wet bags, or pockets/all in ones get hung on the line to dry. My hubs hung a LONG laundry line in my basement for drying on the line in the winter, and in the summer I dry all the diapers on the line outside (sunning removes stains too!) which reduces energy use even further!

Step 5: The next morning take the diapers off the line and stuff them (if you use pockets) and put them away. You're done!  No running to the store, no spending money on new diapers once the diapers are dirtied, and only a few minutes every few days to do the laundry.

See? It's not bad at all!!! I probably spend one hour or less doing diaper laundry per week from start to finish. So it's not daunting, and the laundry is not a reason to decide NOT to do cloth diapers. Because it's not that big a deal!

Now I know you are wondering what happens when your baby turns 6 or so months old and starts solids? What happens when there is actual poop to deal with? Well that's just one extra step. 

All you do is get a diaper sprayer and hook it up to your toilet. This took my hubs about 15 minutes. When you change a poopy diaper you bring it to the bathroom and spray it clean. The diaper goes into the pail until wash day. Done.

Now you might be saying, "Gross, I don't want to spray the poop off my child's diapers." Well did you know:
 
  "...that human waste is not actually supposed to end up in landfills?  The directions of the backs of each package of disposable clearly states that users are to take the diaper to the toilet and rinse or shake the poop off before throwing the diaper into the garbage!

Here's exactly what this particular package says...

"Rinse or shake diaper contents into the toilet.  Wrap diaper securely inside it's back sheet before discarding into waste receptacle."

Now imagine, if families really followed the directions.  How many more disposable diaper users would be converted to cloth because they would no longer find disposables so much more convenient?"


Yep. That is what it says on most packages of disposables. Because your child's waste is NOT supposed to be in a landfill.

    
"Imagine a world where all disposable diapering families had to take each soiled diaper home in a baggie, take each disposable diaper to the toilet, and rinse or shake the poop off before disposing of the diaper?

Nevermind whether they all actually would do it, but do you think they'd think twice about the convenience of disposables compared to cloth diapers?  After all, part of what people think is so gross and inconvenient about cloth is having to deal with the poop, take the diaper to the toilet, etc."

Source: http://www.knickernappiesblog.com/2011/04/are-disposables-really-that-convenient.html
 

So on this Earth Day think twice about cloth diapers. It is not as hard as you think. And for every child that is cloth diapered that is thousands of diapers and fecal matter that is not in a landfill for our  children's generations to deal with.

Happy Earth Day!!!

Love and Laughs,

Danielle

Might as well face it you're addicted to cloth

Yes people, let me tell you, it's an addiction. I drank the kool-aid.

Cloth diapering has changed my life. And no I am not crazy, I promise ;)

Recently, a lot of people have been asking me how and why I got into cloth diapering, and what made us want to do it with our baby. Many people have commended us on our choice saying "good for you" or "you're brave" or "I really admire your dedication, and wish I had the time" etc. etc. etc. Let me tell you that Andy and I are no more dedicated or brave or commendable because we chose cloth. Because it's honestly something anyone can do! I felt the same way when I first heard about cloth. I thought "Omg, how can you choose cloth in this day and age when disposables are so easy?" and "What?! Why would you want to run the risk of pinning your child?!" I, like most, had NO idea how far the cloth revolution has come.

I am here to tell you that any parent can do cloth.
Yes, I said it, any parents! And grandparents, and babysitters, and daycares too!!!

Why am I so passionate about it?

Well, partly because I am a pretty crunchy person as many of you know, and I feel strongly about protecting the environment and reducing my carbon footprint. I will admit, I was not as crunchy a person a year ago, which you will year about in a later post, but I am not ready to quite go there yet :)

I also LOVE how much money we have and will continue to save by using cloth. Don't believe me? Check out this cost comparison for different kinds of cloth vs. disposables. I don't know about you, but kids are expensive, and I would much rather spend between $400-$600 on diapers than around $2,500. And the $400-$600 is a one time purchase. The $2,500 is EACH child. I can think of much better uses for $2,500, can't you?!

Did I mention cloth is CUTE?! Just look at these diapers:

Source: http://minnesotamamasmusthaves.com

Let me tell you my story.

A few years ago when my friend Kim was having her baby boy I got her shower invitation in the mail and saw she had registered at an online store called Jillian's Drawers for cloth diapers. I thought to myself, "Huh, that's weird, who uses cloth diapers?" I tossed the little insert about cloth aside and proceeded to take a trip to Babies R' Us and bought her some other things off her registry. Cloth, in my opinion was a thing of the past and I just didn't get it. (Kim, I humbly bow before you, because you've helped me see the light!)

Months went by and Kim gave birth to an adorable and amazing little guy. She cloth diapered him and our little group of friends continued to get together for our monthly game nights and cloth never really came up. After all, out of the four couples at game night, only Kim and her husband Justin had a kid. The rest of us were enjoying our last few years as DINKs (Double Income No Kids, natch). Andy and I were just newlyweds and I had just started my new teaching job so having kids was far from our minds!

Fast forward two years. Andy and I had, after months of trying, and after my recent stint into holistic and natural living, found out that we were expecting our own baby. Up until this point I was still expecting to throw Hubs a diaper party because I knew those babies were expensive and Lord knows he had been to enough and it was about time we get some for ourselves! I was terrified at the costs of a new baby and while I was planning to breastfeed which would, if all went well, offset the costs of formula, but I was still uneasy about how much money we'd have to spend on diapers.

Then one Saturday in February, I believe, we were sitting home doing nothing and I saw on facebook that there was a Baby Expo at Children's Hospital. I told Hubs I wanted to go so we hopped in the car and drove downtown. Turns out Kim was there for work. So we got talking. We talked about the next game night and how things were going and how excited we were to be parents when Kim introduced me to her friend Mary Jo.

Mary Jo is the owner of Baby Bongos, which is Western New York's cloth diaper and holistic hub. We got to chatting with MJ over free cookies and juice (of which I took seconds because, let's face it, I was eating for two and those of you who know me know I will never pass up anything free, especially cookies!) But I digress. So we're chatting and she tells me all about her free cloth diaper classes and has me sign up for her mailing list and we figure, why couldn't we do this? We weren't 100% sold, but we were intrigued. And being the crunchy-frugal couple that we are we figured we would check it out.

So in March we headed to Rising Sun Yoga in Williamsville for the cloth diaper class. The class is what sold me. I walked out of there feeling overwhelmed because of the enormity of all of the choices, but I also felt EMPOWERED. Empowered because I had a CHOICE that I never knew I had. I never expected to have a choice in diapering my baby and now I did and I felt liberated. There were so many options! And what? I could reuse them for each kid?! And then when I was done with them I could resell them?! This was like a dream come true! I wanted to shout from the rooftops:

"Parents! You have a choice! Cloth is convenient and it's updated and there are no more PINS!!!"

I didn't shout on my roof but I did tell our parents and friends. Some people tried to talk us out of it, saying "You'll change your mind when you see how much a baby poops." Or, "Yea maybe for the first kid, wait until there are two." Or, "Is your husband/wife making you do this?" My mom, whom I love dearly even said I was crazy (she had cloth diapered me for awhile but stopped when she kept sticking me with pins in the middle of the night). She was very worried I would stick her grand baby. Once I showed her the options and how far cloth had come she was ALL about it! Others were supportive, but in a way that made it seem like they still thought we were crazy. "Good for you for having the patience and time for all that laundry." We faced a lot of judgement and questioning about our decision. But we held firm! We were adamant that this was the best choice for us. And our baby wasn't even here yet!

We still get questioned about it. My favorite are the people who say "If you're washing diapers so much, how could it REALLY be good for the environment?" I will share this excerpt for you from Mama Natural:

"An average child will go through anywhere from four to eight thousand diapers in his or her life.
Nationwide, parents in the USA use an estimated 27.4 billion disposable diapers each year. That’s around 3.4 million tons of diapers that end up in landfills each year. Now think about all the trees that are used to make the diapers. And all the plastic, which is made from petroleum. All the chemicals used in the process. And the water. Then all that water and chemicals returning to the environment as waste. Then the plastic packaging, the transportation – airplanes and trucks carting those diapers around the world – not to mention the energy you use driving to the store and back. And then the energy used to produce your garbage bags, the trucks to haul that trash to the landfills, the equipment used to manage the landfill. The environmental footprint of disposable diapers is staggering. Compare that to using the same twenty cloth diapers over and over, cleaning them with safe detergent in a high efficiency washer. There’s just no contest."

For Mama Natural's 6 Reasons Why Cloth Diapers are Better than Disposables check out this really great video: 

We have been using cloth with Little Miss since she was about two weeks old. And I have never once questioned our decision. We love our choice to cloth and we do it for all the reasons above. And so can you! Don't be afraid. I promise if you take a little bit of time to look into it you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy and fulfilling it really is.

Come on, try the kool-aid...you know you want to...

Love and Laughs,

Danielle

How We Cloth - A Tutorial

First and foremost, I am not an expert by any means, nor do I pretend to be! I am just a real first time mom who is really into cloth diapering and all things holistic. This journey has just started for me, so I am learning a lot as I go, which I why I wanted to start blogging in the first place! I am someone who, when I find something I really enjoy or that works really well I just want to share it with the world! I guess that is why I became a teacher...because I love sharing new knowledge and things that make life a little easier!

Since my last post I have gotten some requests for an explanation of exactly what cloth diapering looks like and what goes into it. So my little model and I had a photo shoot just for this tutorial! This post is epically long, so I thank you in advance for reading it all!


There are TONS of kinds of cloth from types of cloth diapers to brands, you name it, it's out there. Like I said, I am still learning and am in NO way an expert. But I DO know what works for us. So I thought if I showed the world what WE do, and how EASY it is, people would understand...and maybe be inclined to try it!

First things first, the diapers...

Like I said there are tons of types of diapers. Prefolds, fitteds, AIOs, AIO2s, Duos, Pockets, Flats...the list goes on and on and on.

We have used prefolds, pockets, fitteds, and AIOs (all in ones). Each type of diaper does different things for us but you honestly could get by with one type. I just like to consider my options so I tried a lot of different things. I have to give my friend Kim another shout out, because since I wasn't sure what kind of diapers we wanted to start with, she actually lent us ALL of her son's newborn diapers to try and figure out what we like. Between Kim and Justin's generosity and our showers, we were lucky to have almost all the pieces to start. As I am finding out what I like the most, I purchase those things for myself. But I would not be where I am without the help of my fluff friends :)

Prefolds

Prefolds are a piece of quilted cotton that you put into a diaper cover. They are nice and thick and can be washed over and over again. You secure the prefolds with a snappi. It takes some finesse and practice but I can now do this in a dark room at 3 am, so it's easy to master! There are lots of different folds and twists you can do and what I did was google how to do it and tried a few of them. We do what this website calls the Angel Wing fold, but there are lots of different names. This page gives other info. about prefolds as well as some other folds and how to do them. I use Green Mountain Prefolds. These are the thickest I have found and they do a nice job of keeping everything in as long as they are folded correctly. Here is little miss modeling a prefold without a cover. She is wearing an orange which is the basic newborn size, although when she was born I had to get preemie ones because she was such a peanut! She is now in the next size up, which is yellow edge. She will wear those until she is about 15 or 16 pounds.

The yellow thing securing it is a snappi. No more pins, see? Prefolds are awesome because newborns poop A LOT. With a prefold you just change the actual prefold and reuse the same cover all day, unless it gets poopy. I always wipe my cover with a cloth wipe before I put it back on if it is damp, but usually it keeps everything contained in the prefold itself. Once the prefold is secured and ready to go, you put your cover on.

My friend Julie let me borrow this cover. Isn't it cute? Love it! The covers are made of a fabric called PUL. I don't know what it is, but it's waterproof and keeps poop and pee off of your baby's clothes and everywhere else. This cover is a Thirsties brand cover, which are my favorite as they have a double gusset for keeping leaks contained. There are a lot of different brands of covers, but my favorites happen to be Thirsties and Bummis.


The bottom line: If you are looking for the cheapest way to cloth diaper, this is it. You need about 2-3 dozen prefolds and about 6-8 covers. This would have you doing wash every other day or so. We use prefolds during the day and at home and love them. We have never had a "blow out" and rarely have leak issues with prefolds.

Fitteds

Fitteds act the same as prefolds except there is no folding or twisting. You put the fitted on, snap it up, and put a cover over it. Some people call these "daddy" diapers but Hubs resents that because he is really good at putting on prefolds. I like to call them good grandparent or babysitter diapers. I didn't put little miss in a fitted but here's what they look like. They are really easy because they just snap together with no snappi or folding or twisting. It's as easy as a disposable! I really love fitteds. These are what I throw in the diaper bag for when we are going to be out because they are just a titch quicker and easier to change. The brand we use is Kissaluvs. They are really absorbent and little miss has been in size 0 (newborn) since she was born and they still fit her with a little room to grow. These are a little bit more pricey but they will last you from newborn to about 15 pounds. We are going to try out the medium/large ones once she is out of the newborn to see if we like those to replace prefolds as she gets bigger. I will keep you posted when that happens!

Pockets

I LOVE pockets. Pockets are great because you can tailor the absorbency to your baby's needs. They are also the easiest way (in my opinion) to cloth diaper. My favorite brand of pocket diaper is Fuzzibunz. We use the perfect size diapers and they are fabulous! They come in XS, S, M, and L. We used the XS size from newborn until now. Little miss can still fit in them but they can't be double stuffed anymore. So she wears them for nap time. She is now in the small size and we have them on the tightest possible snaps because they are still a little but big but they work just fine. This is my cutie pie modeling a size small. See how it's so big on her still?

Pockets have a layer of fleece on the inside. Then you stuff them with an insert. Fuzzibuns come with one microfiber insert. When your baby wets the diaper the insert absorbs the wetness and the fleece keeps your baby drier longer. It works the same way that a disposable does in that the stuff that absorbs is on the inside. The picture on the right shows the inside of the diaper and where the insert gets stuffed. Once your baby wets the diaper you pull the pockets out (as I am demonstrating) and put everything into the diaper pail. These are one time use diapers before they have to be washed but they keep your baby dry for longer so they are really good for being out and about and for overnight. At night I stuff her diaper with a hemp insert. Hemp is awesome for absorbing! I love love love my hemp inserts. I also just recently acquired a bamboo insert that I love just as much so I will be making a trip to fresh & fluffy soon to buy some more bamboo.

Here's what the insets look like. From left to right is a hemp, a microfiber, and a bamboo. There are tons and tons of kinds these are just the ones I have tried and liked. I have found Fuzzibuns to be the best brand of pockets for us but there are tons out there.

This is a stock photo of a diaper we just got. It is a Just Simply Baby one size pocket diaper with snaps and it will fit sizes from a 7 lb. newborn to a 38 lb. toddler! So far I really like this diaper. It's similar to the Fuzzibuns but the inside is made of microsuede instead of fleece. I will probably get a few more of these as little miss gets bigger. How could I resist getting the bees for my bee? This is a really great overnight diaper as well and is not bulky despite it being a one size diaper. Oh and for those of you who are wondering how clothes will fit with cloth, yes cloth does make your baby have a little more junk in the trunk, but it is so cute to squeeze a fluffy hiney! Fuzzibunz are actually very trim for day to day so when I am going out I will put her in a FB. The bottom line (hehe no pun intended!) is that pockets are a really great all around diaper. A little pricey to start, but they will last and last and have a GREAT resale value! And remember you buy them ONCE for all of your babies. SO the upfront cost repays you over and over in the savings over disposables! Additionally, if you want to buy local, Kim P. of Dotty Dipes makes her own pockets! She has tons of cute patterns and her pockets have an opening in the front to pull the pocket out which helps if it's a really messy one! She has a great website full of fun stuff and also sells her diapers at Bumblebeez consignment in North Tonawanda. Just another option for pocket diapers!

Other diapers in my stash

Like I said earlier, I am in no way an expert, and there are countless types of cloth diapers, but I wanted to share what we like and what works well for us. Here are a few other kinds of diapers I have tried.

Duo Diapers

This is a duo diaper, made by Thirsties. It has snaps on the front to adjust the size from 6-18 pounds I believe. This picture shows it on the smallest setting. Duos are basically hybrid pocket diapers with two inserts included. There is a microfiber and a hemp and they snap together so you can stuff them both at once. These are nice because you basically get your inserts included and don't have to buy them separately. These are good overnight or out and about diapers because they function like a regular pocket diaper. They are a little more pricey than the Fuzzibuns but that's because of the extra insert. The one thing I like about these over Fuzzibuns is that they have super duper cute patterns like this flowery one! There are tons of these available at fresh & fluffy!

 Duo All in One (AIO)

This is another diaper made by Thirsties called the Duo All in One. It is basically the same as the pockets mentioned previously except the insert is sewn into the diaper for extra absorbency, and there is also a pocket for adding an additional insert. The difference between a pocket and an AIO is whether or not the insert is sewn in. On the right, little miss is wearing it on the smallest setting. On the left I undid the snaps to show you how it grows with your baby. Another really great diaper that I like for overnight and out and about but again, these are a little more expensive than Fuzibunz. But aren't the patterns cute?!

Accessories

Cloth Wipes

Well if you are cloth diapering you should also be cloth wiping! SO much money to be saved here people!!! My favorite wipes are these ones from Imse Vimse. They are very big so you can generally get away with using one per change. I have about 30 wipes in my stash and that is more than enough to get me through to the next wash day. Other good wipes are osocozy which we also have. They are a little smaller than the Imse Vimse but are made of really soft flannel. My friend Kim swears by the double sided wipes at Green Mountain Diapers, but I haven't tried those yet! I trust her judgement though!

We have a Prince Lionheart wipes warmer which is a really nice thing to have! You don't need it, but it's definitely worth the money if you are cloth diapering. The baby loves when the wipes are warm and can you blame her?! I was also lucky to find a second one at Once Upon a Child for only $10 so we have one upstairs too! But you can also just use a regular old wipes container or wet your wipes as you go with a squirt bottle. That's what I have for my diaper bag. I use CJ's Carcass Cleaner for wipe solution which is completely all natural and AMAZING. It comes in SO SO many different scents and is really reasonably priced too. We mix a squirt or two of this stuff into a cup of water and add a few drops of baby oil and pour over wipes in the warmer. This stuff is really nice and keeps the baby moisturized. My favorite scent is Oatmeal, Milk, and Honey. You can get it online or at fresh & fluffy if you're in the Buffalo area.


I polled some of my cloth diapering friends on their favorite wipe solutions and here is a list of what some other moms use. Honestly there are tons of options, so choose your fav and you are good to go.

• Plain ol' H2O
• Castile soap mixed with water
• Water and baby oil
• Water and coconut oil
• Baby wash and water
• Baby wash, coconut oil, lavender and/or tea tree oil
• Soap bits  from "Wee Essentials" (etsy store)
• Grated honey goats milk soap, coconut oil, water

See how many options there are? It's really up to you how extreme you go or how simple. Just choose whatever works best for you and for your baby! 

Creams

This is important! So listen up! Regular diaper creams will ruin your cloth diapers!!! One of the great things about cloth is that you don't need a ton of creams and chemicals on your baby's bottom! But you DO need to make sure that whatever you are using is safe for your diapers. Creams can build up (like detergent, but we will get to that in a minute!) over time and make your diapers repel and that leads to leaks.
This post has a really handy guide for what creams are safe to use. You will notice that my brand of choice is one of the safe ones! Scroll down for the list. Again, CJs is my brand of choice (Thank you Kim!) The BUTTer is awesome. It smells great, comes in about a million scents, and there's even a vegan one. AND it can be used on tons of other ailments. I have been using it on my c-section scar and it is really helping it fade a lot! I have used it on dry skin, hangnails, chapped lips, and on my stomach when I was pregnant, and I got NO stretch marks! This tub is 12 ounces and costs around $19 I think. Which seems like a lot, but we got this one in July when little miss was born and we are not even halfway through it! CJs also make a stick of this stuff for your diaper bag. It's like a big glue stick and I love love love having it in my bag for on the go! We also got one for daycare. Good stuff! A little goes a LONG way! Some other people use coconut oil, or a mix of coconut oil with essential oils. Earth Mama Angel Baby is popular from what I have heard too. Recently I got a sample of Punkin Butt Bottom Balm and I really like it. It smells nice and is not too thick or messy. A mom on WNY cloth diapering mommas (facebook group) gave me this recipe which I may try some time when I have the urge! 1T beeswax, 6T coconut oil, 2-5 drops tea tree oil. Melt wax in jar in a pot of hot water (think double boiler) then add coconut oil and tea tree oil. Let cool. Use sparingly only when bum is red. (Use an old baby food jar). Again, tons of option for creams but remember to find out if it is SAFE for your diapers!

Wet Bags, Pails, & Pail Liners

Again, tons of options for storing your dirty diapers, but the best thing to do is KISS (Keep it Super Simple!) You may have heard horror stories of old fashioned cloth diapers where parents had to dunk, rinse, and swish in the toilet (some people still do that, but it is NOT for me!) I learned from the best, at a FREE cloth diaper class offered by my pal Mary Jo at Baby Bongos. At the class MJ showed us the pail she uses and we chose a similar one. We use this one from Safety First. I like it because it is small and has a foot pedal. Also, on the top is a compartment for deodorizers. We have never had a stink problem with this FYI! But if you want a fresh smell each time you open it you have the option! Recently, Stephanie over at fresh & fluffy gave me some scent circles to try and I love them but I don't know what the brand is so once I find out I will share! 

 


Now in your diaper pail you need a liner or wet bag. We use Planetwise pail liners. Love these! There are lots of different ones, but these are my favorite. They come in tons of cool colors and prints so you can match your nursery. When the pail is full just take the whole bag down to the washer. Easy peasy! It can go right into the wash with your diapers! 

 For on the go you want a good wetbag. These are awesome because you can use them for wet clothes or swim stuff too! Again, there are tons of brands! We use Bummis Fabulous Wet Bags in size small. I keep one in my diaper bag at all times for changes when we are out. We also hook one to the changing table to put diaper covers in because your covers shouldn't go in your diaper pail. Lots to remember but I promise, if I can do it, so can you! We have four of these and it's more than enough. At daycare they will use these for the soiled diapers that are being sent home to be washed. Easy peasy, see? These are awesome because they are totally waterproof!!! And a few times I have even left the wetbag with dirty diapers in it for a few days or a week (I know gross! But moms are busy!) and it didn't smell at all! Until I opened it of course! But the moral of the story is that wet bags contain the smell!!!


In summary...

Ok, I think that's enough for one post. I don't want to overwhelm anyone too much because I know how overwhelming it can seem at first! I was terrified I was going to do something wrong and there is a huge learning curve, but once you find out what you like and get a system down it just WORKS!

If you are a fellow cloth diapering parent, please feel FREE to leave feedback in the comments about what works for you and any other suggestions for parents new to cloth diapering! And for new parents considering cloth, there is no "wrong" way to do it. I promise! 

I will follow up this post soon with washing and storing instructions but I will let all of this information sink in first. Please stay tuned to my blog for more posts about local resources on all things cloth, holistic, and of course, updates on our parenting journey with our lovely little peanut baby! 

Love and laughs,

Danielle

Unless...

 
Surprisingly, people often ask me...
Why I use cloth diapers on my child instead of disposables.
Why I am still nursing my daughter even though I am back at work.
Why I use reusable bags at the store, and glass containers instead of plastic Tupperware.

Well, I recently stumbled across this video. It's only 4 minutes and worth a watch. But this explains WHY I have made those choices for my family.

The world is not a safe place for our children...or us for that matter. EVERYTHING has toxins in it. Things that our babies put in their mouths, eat, inhale. Unfortunately the government can't keep up or turns a blind eye. That's why we need to advocate for our children. No one can do it but YOU. Your child depends on you to make those choices for her.

We are destroying our planet.We put so much garbage into landfills and so many chemicals into the air that our ozone layer and natural resources are becoming depleted. Global warming is real and it's not going away. People are increasing their carbon footprint and many don't care. Convenience has trumped health and social responsibility.

But  we can all do something about it.

The reason I like this video so much is because of the message. Yes, the world is a scary place full of toxins, and it may seem daunting and nearly impossible to keep all of them away. But that isn't an excuse to do nothing. I am not perfect by any means and I am the first one to admit that my home and lifestyle are not completely toxin free. Because to completely uproot your life to avoid toxins is hard. But slowly and surely I am working on it! And all it takes is one person to change one thing to start the process of living clean. Or a life event that makes you realize that if the world wasn't such a toxic place maybe things would be different (how exactly DID I "get" PCOS?)

That's why I write this blog and that's why I share my beliefs with others. I don't ever try to push my views on others (and I hope people don't ever feel like I am!) but rather I try to educate. Because if I help just ONE person change ONE thing then maybe they will convince someone else to change one thing. And so on. And hopefully someday the world will be a safer place for all of us. But without being educated about the scary truths in today's world nothing will ever change.

After all, as one of my favorite children's book says:

                             

It's not all that hard to make simple changes in your life. Some might work for you and some might not. And that's ok. The important thing is to remain educated. Pay attention to what you are bringing into your home. Even if you change one thing a month or year it's better than nothing!

Here are some small changes we have made that are do-able:

•  Replace household cleaning products with "green" options. 

Don't be fooled by brands like Seventh Generation and Method that claim to be green. While they are safer, they still contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. The best bet is simple cheap options like vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide! 

Some good recipes:
Vinegar and peroxide disinfectant
Homemade dishwasher detergent
Homemade bleach alternative

• Using cloth diapers 

Don't believe this is worth your time? Check out this post.

• Use certified organic cosmetics 

Again, don't be fooled by products that claim to be organic. Many companies still sneak in chemicals that are not organic! I am saddened to hear that Burt's Bees (one of our favorites) was recently purchased by Clorox :( I really hope this does not change the integrity of the products, but it doesn't look good. We have recently started using California Baby products in addition to my favorite CJs. I also just started using Dr. Bronner's which i really like for us! It is reasonably priced too!

•  Use reusable bags while shopping

This is a no brainer. Keep a few in your car and you will always have them. Who doesn't have at least 2 or 3 of these lying around? And those plastic bags you get if you forget your reusables? You CAN recycle them! Wegman's, Walgreen's and other stores have places where you can recycle them. Just don't throw them out!

• Switch to glass

We are currently in the process of replacing our plastic tupperware with glass. While not the cheapest switch, if you look for deals or do it  little at a time it isn't bad. And tupperware isn't cheap either so why not just go glass? Even if it is BPA free, every time you heat up plastic  it leaches out harmful chemicals into your food. No thank you! We like Wean Green lunch cubes. These are awesome! On Black Friday I got a whole set for very cheap! I use them for our lunches (no plastic bags!), in the fridge, freezer, and will eventually use them for baby food when I start making it for Charlotte.

• Try soap nuts (or another option for detergent)

Laundry detergents are notorious for harmful chemicals, dyes, brighteners, etc. All of these things get on your skin AND in our water supply. No thank you. There are plenty of options for detergents that work great and last forever that wont break the bank. Planet, Tiny Bubbles, & Soap nuts are my favorites. Planet is available at the Lexington co-op and Feel Rite. We bought a gallon in August and we are STILL using the same container. And we do a lot of laundry between 3 people and diapers. I use Planet on the diapers and Soap nuts on the other clothes.

According to http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/learn/soapnuts.html:

Soap nuts are found in both the eastern and western hemispheres, but are native to India and Nepal. They have recently become a popular environmentally friendly alternative to chemical detergent, and are a gentle option for those with allergies to chemicals in regular detergents. They have traditionally been used as an expectorant, and in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema and psoriasis. Soap nuts contain saponin, a natural detergent. The soap nut shell absorbs water and releases the saponins which circulate as a natural surfactant in the wash water, freeing dirt, grime, and oils from clothing. 

Soap nuts last forever! They are cheap, natural, and make your clothes smell fresh and clean without buildup or residue! I highly recommend trying them out!


Again, remember, even products claiming to be natural have cancer causing chemicals. Check out this article about Tide Free and Gentle. There is also a good recipe for homemade laundry soap. I used to make my own but I liked Soap nuts better. Just personal preference!

**************************************************************************
What do you to say to the New Year's Resolution of "Going Green?!" I challenge everyone to try to make just one change to your life and see where it takes you! I hope no one thinks I am being preachy with this post. (Then again it is my blog and I am allowed to write what I want, right?!) :) You can choose to read and see what I have to say or not. I will never try to push my beliefs on anyone, just try to educate because I am passionate about what I believe in. I hope that by sharing my passions that I might help change a mind or two. If I help someone make a small change in their life then I feel successful! Thanks for reading, as always!

Love and Laughs,

Danielle