Too Many Diapers

I have come to the conclusion that 60 diapers are waaaaay too much...so I'm paring it down and selling the the ones I don't like as much on eBay, I'm kind of sad about this, but at the same time, I'm happy that I found diapers I absolutely love. I'm keeping all of my BumGenius 3.0s (I need those for daycare, plus they really ARE awesome!), my BG 4.0's (I need to prewash those), my BG Organics (SOOO Amazing!!), My Rumparooz (Seriously my favorite), some of my FuzziBunz (love them, but kind of dislike the adjustable elastic) and my 2 Flips.

I'm in the process of selling my Happy Heinys, GroVias, 13 of my 20 FuzziBunz, and a few random diapers that I got (Kissaluvs, Tweedle Bugs, BabkKicks, Thirsties, and some inserts)

I'll be keeping about 40 diapers all together.

I came to this decision today when I noticed how I haven't even been 1/2 way through my whole stash yet, and how it was so confusing with so much fluff (I wish I could say too much fluff is never a bad thing, but it kind of was), plus I know that they'll all go to good homes where they will be used more than maybe once every week or so.

So on with why I kept the diapers I kept...

BumGenius 3.0's, I bought 12 of these when I saw the whole buy 5 get 1 free deal and felt that it was too good of a deal to pass up. I knew that the aplix closures would be a good daycare option if my daycare would be for cloth diapering, and the reviews seemed to support that it was a great diaper. Cut to my daycare being completely on board with cloth diapers (little man is their first!) and we have been using them for a couple of days now, and I love them!!

BumGenius Organics, I bought 9 of these and they were one of the first few diapers we put on little man when we started our cloth diaper adventure. I love how soft they are and how much they absorb! I also like that with these I can "feel" if he's wet because the cotton gets heavy. These are also by far one of his trimmest diapers (Rumparooz come first in that department).

BumGenius 4.0s, I got 3, but I don;t know how they fit just yet because they haven't been pre-washed yet (I'm waiting on a few more diapers to do my last pre-wash load) I'm sure they'll be just as awesome as the 3.0's just with snaps.

FuzziBunz One Size, I had originally bought 15 of them and I also got 5 free from Kelly's Closet with some of their free diaper codes. I love these too, but the adjustable elastic is a bit obnoxious to adjust, and I kind of dislike having to adjust the elastic all the time. They absorb great and the colors are awesome, so I decided to keep 7 of them and sell the other 13. I of course kept the colors that I didn't have so many of, so I kep 2 Watermelon, 1 Blueberry, 2 Green Apple, and 2 Choco Truffle.

FuzziBunz Perfect Size- Size Small- I bought 2 of these and I really like these better than the one size ones, so I kept these also. I have Kumquat and Mac n' Cheese. I really like that I don't have to adjust anything and they fit my son really well.

and last but not least...

Rumparooz! I LOVE these diapers! They are definitely my #1 diaper and if I had the chance to do the cloth diapers all over, I would order more Rumparooz (I'm sure I will over the next few months). When we have baby #2 I am definately going to buy some of the Lil' Joeys! I love how soft they are, and especially how trim and absorbent they are! I have about 9 of them, and I wish I had more!

In other news, the little mans daycare AGREED to cloth diaper him!!! I am super excited, and was so very nervous when I went in yesterday to give them my deposit and talk to them about the diapers. I brought a BumGenius 3.0 with me and spoke with the director, who was all for it, and she said it would be fine especially since they work just like a disposable. SO I went to the infant room and showed the women who will be watching him, the diaper and they were super happy to do it also! It was nice to see two more people happy do cloth diaper and also surprised at how far cloth diapers have come. The one woman even said that they were so much better than the prefolds and rubber pants she used on her kids! So Yay!

I think it's time to wrap this up, little man is waking up and I know he's going to be demanding a bottle!

One Week

One week (well technically one week and two days!) of cloth diapering has led me to the following observations:

1. I have way too many diapers, like 60.
2. My son seems to love his new diapers
3. I cannot live without my diaper sprayer (Just installed it yesterday)
4. I love Rockin Green!
5. I have been able to educate many people on the "new" cloth diapers available! It's amazing how many people only think of the "old school" cloth diapers when they hear I am cloth diapering
6. Cloth wipes are FABULOUS!
7. Laundry is so easy, I know the forums tell you this, but O EM GEE!! So much easier than I thought!
8. I found 4 brands that I love, love, LOVE!! GroVia, BumGenius, RumpaRooz, and FuzziBunz! (best diapers out there! and I tried a lot of brands!)
9. I am addicted!
10. Putting cloth diapers on my son means I may have to buy bigger sized clothes due to bulk (really not a big deal though!)
11. I want to sell cloth diapers or promote them in some way! I have had about 4 people tell me that I would be really good at selling diapers because of the way I explain them (I'm flattered that they think so!)
12. My husband is slowly accepting them and liking them.
13. My house doesn't smell like poopy diapers (like so many naysayers said it would)
14. They are so cute!
15. I like knowing that I'm reducing waste by using them!
16. No nasty gel residue on my little guys bottom!
17. and I just plain love them!!

Carlo looking cute in a BG OS Organic in Twilight

 And in other news... I have been opened up to a whole new world by cloth diapering, and I'm not talking specifically about cloth diapers- they were just the vehicle to my discovery! By participating in forums, I have found more -and SIMPLE- ways to make my house and family more Eco-friendly! I have learned about dryer balls, reusable swiffer pads for the dry mop, wet mop and duster, reusable sink scrubber's that you can wash and use again instead of using sponges, reusable sandwich/snack bags, and mama cloth!! I can't believe that there are easy ways like this to reduce waste in our household and save money while doing it! Who knew that by doing a few little things with a sewing machine and cloth or wool, you can make something to re-use over and over again! Heck even if I fail at it, I can go to etsy and buy them for the same cost as a package for whatever I'm buying and STILL save a ton of money!

and changing subject again, my little guy will be going into daycare when I go back to work at the end of August, and on Monday I'll be stopping by to give them their deposit and hopefully persuade them into using cloth diapers. PA State Regulations for Daycare do allow cloth diapers as long as the soiled diapers are sealed in  a plastic bag (maybe I can persuade them to use a wet bag). I bought BumGenius 3.0's with aplix just for daycare, so I'm hoping when I go in on Monday and show them how they work just like disposables (I'll make sure they're all stuffed beforehand) they'll go for it. If they seem hesitant, I'll be begging them to just do a trial run for a couple of weeks before they say no, I'll even offer to go in one day to teach all the people who will be with my son how to use them. I'm hoping they say yes and that they're open to it, I really would like him to be in cloth diapers full time. Please say a little prayer for me! I also have to talk to them about not microwaving his bottles (something they do there), Carlo hates warm bottles, he will only eat a bottle at room temperature, so I'm hoping that they'll at least allow that request, even if they deny the cloth diapers, especially since you're really not supposed to microwave bottles.

Well I should go, I've rambled on long enough!

Real Diaper Association $3500 in 35 Days – Fundraising Event

This Thursday 7/15 at 9 PM ET, there is going to be a twitter party to help the RDA (Real Diaper Association) reach their goal of $3500 in 35 days.

Here's a little bit of  information about the RDA (from Eco Chic Parties website)

"Who is the Real Diaper Association? The RDA is a non-profit organization that plays a leading role in the cloth diaper movement, training and supporting grassroots advocates to lead local Real Diaper Circles, compiling and distributing research on the subject, working with the media and other businesses and organizations to increase awareness about cloth diapers, and providing direct reliable, unbiased support for consumers. They do all of this with the support of their member donors.
The RDA is celebrating their 6th anniversary on August 11th and is hoping to continue to employee their Executive Director; which has accomplished a lot over the past year in this position.  Explore the archives of their blog at www.realdiaperevents.org for stories about some of their most recent accomplishments, such as:

• the launch of a cloth-diaper-friendly daycare directory and publication of a tip sheet on using cloth diapers in daycare ,
• a blog carnival focused on Real Diaper Facts that highlighted some of the most useful research out there on the benefits of cloth diapers, and
• the ongoing 100% reusable cloth diapers campaign to support people and choosing and using real diapers in any situation.

Additionally, there are 15 active Real Diaper Circles and nearly 100 volunteers in training to become Leaders across the U.S. and Canada.
In order to accomplish even more this coming year the RDA needs to continue to fund the Executive Director position and ensure that we have someone in place to push all their efforts forward.
This is the time for cloth diapers for a number of great reasons. We have all been supportive in individual advocacy, spreading the message time and again to our friends and acquaintances.  By joining together we can become a bigger voice and make a larger impact."

To find out more on how to join the party and enter for some great prizes, go to Eco Chic Parties Website!

Join the party and help make a difference!

Today Show: Pampers Offers Rowley-Designed Diaper

Ummmm....I'm all for nice looking or pretty diapers, but really? Instead of the Today show reporting on "designer" diapers, like the Huggies jeans diapers and the new diapers coming out from Pampers that were designed by Cynthia Rowley, why don't they report on something  little more eco-friendly?

How about we talk about cloth diapers and how they reduce waste?

I think that it is extremely important for news media outlets to start reporting on other ways to live "green" besides the ones that have become more of a fad than a way of living. Not that the "popular" green decisions are bad, they're not, it's just that we should start exposing other ways to make our lives more eco-friendly.

I have just started to cloth diaper, I did it not only for the "green" aspect of it, but also because I wanted to do something in my household that reduced my carbon footprint. I didn't do it because it's popular (which it is, you should see all the amazing cloth diapering online communities out there!). This was my decision, not one made because people said I should do it.

On that note, I'm not saying that everyone should cloth diaper, it have to be a personal choice. What I am saying is that everyone needs to be educated in the different ways you can diaper your child, so that they can make an informed choice. All most people know are either disposable diapers and the old school diapers- prefolds and plastic pants.

Cloth diapers have come a long, long way since 20 or so years ago. They have become so much more user friendly, they wash much more easily, and they are so much cuter than disposables- designer or not.

I understand Pampers need to compete with Huggies in the designer diaper area, and I in no way, expect either of these brands to go and say they want everyone to switch to cloth diapers, I expect the media outlets to present all options open to parents, from disposable diapers to hybrids to prefolds and covers to pocket diapers...It's only fair

Cloth Diapering Day 1 COMPLETE!

I am so happy to say that we finished our first 24 hours of cloth diapering and we are HOOKED! I am not going back to disposables ever again!

We definitely have some adjustments to do, especially bulky diaper issues, sizing, and training my husband in how to fit diapers on the little man and how to put inserts into the pockets.

We started out our day with a Happy Heinys diaper with the insert that was included with it, I was surprised by how bulky this diaper was, but we didn't have to be anywhere yesterday, and it was so hot that little man just hung out in his diaper and a onesie (which was a bit tight due to the bulky diaper). I noticed about an hour and a half in that the diaper had leaked and he had peed through his onesie. I was kind of upset, but it could have just been my error and not the diapers, I am a newbie after all!

The next diaper I chose was a FuzziBunz diaper with a newborn insert in it. This was a little less bulky, but I still felt that it was bulkier than a disposable. He did great in that but of course that diaper lasted about 2 hours because and then he pooped, the diaper had NO leaks, and it fit him so well. This was my first poopy diaper so I was kind of excited to see how cleaning would go, especially since I don't have my diaper sprayer just yet. I followed the instructions of someone on diaperswappers.com and gave my diaper a "swirly" in the toilet. I dunked it, swished it about a bit, and then flushed the toilet while I held onto one end, it did a fairly good job. I can't wait to get my diaper sprayer though!

The third diaper we used as a BumGenius AIO Organic diaper, I really liked this one because it was so trim on him! It also held up the longest, he was in this diaper for at least 4ish hours! It absorbed really well and it also fit well. I really like that the organic cotton liner should get more absorbents once it's washed a few more times.

The last diaper before bedtime was another Happy Heiny's and we had a bit more success with this one leak wise, I also used a FuzziBunz newborn insert in it which seemed to take away some of the bulk. He lasted in this diaper for almost 5 hours with no leaks at all!

For bedtime we used a double stuffed FuzziBunz so we wouldn't have to change him during night feedings (He is usually wide awake during night feedings, I think it's because we were doing diaper changes!). This diaper held up amazingly well! It was soaked to the bone, but had no leaks and my little guy wasn't wet, he didn't have any pruning from sitting in his wet diaper!

I ordered 6 newborn sized diapers so that I can get a bit of a better fit, but overall I like the fit of these diapers, I got in a few of the other diapers I ordered (all different brands) so I'm looking forward to trying them out!

Our first 24 hours went so amazingly well, and I am so glad we made the switch!

Why I Chose Cloth Diapers

I have been interested in cloth diapering once my husband and I decided to start a family. I will admit that I didn't know of all the new types of cloth diapers out there when I started contemplate using them, I still assumed I would be using the "old school" Gerber Prefolds and pins with some sort of cover. I was clueless to everything that had to do with cloth diapers, "old school" or not, but I knew I wanted to look into the possibility of doing it once we had a baby.

When I found out I was pregnant last September, I had decided that I really wanted to go for cloth diapers, especially after what I saw while working at a day care that past July. Kids would have nasty diaper rashes, and the chemicals! I thought about how my child would be sitting in chemicals all day, EVERY day for almost 3 years! That couldn't be good for the baby, right? I started to really look into some studies about disposable diapers and started to read about how disposable diapers were linked to causing asthma in children and how there were no government regulations on the chemicals in the diapers. When I started to talk to family members and others who had children about my desire to cloth diaper my soon-to-arrive little one, I was met with all sorts of protests.

"Eww, you'll have to touch POOP!"

"Your house is going to smell like dirty diapers!"

"Why would you ever do that?!? It's so much harder and messier!"

"You're going to have 3x more laundry!"

The list of reactions goes on and on...

I was basically convinced out of cloth diapering by the opinions of others and resigned myself to the "convenience" of disposable diapers. I mean everyone else put their child in cloth diapers and they turned out OK. I was a bit sad about that decision, but I decided to just follow what "everyone else" I knew had done. I kind of regret not just doing what I wanted.

After out little one arrived on April 30th (4 weeks early) , we quickly fell into the routine of changing our little boys diapers every 2 hours after he ate. I couldn't believe how many diapers this little boy went through each day. I couldn't believe the expense either, but we kept with it because it was convenient.

Cut to about 3 weeks ago when I had gone to the local baby shop to pick up more burp cloths, and I picked up the Gerber cloth diapers with the big padded middle to use as burp cloths. I brought them home and started thinking about cloth diapers, and how easy they looked to use (I'm still in the dark about other diapers besides prefolds at this point) and decided to see what it took to cloth diaper on the baby shops website. When I typed in "cloth diapers" I was amazed at what I was seeing, there were all these other options, pocket diapers, one size diapers, all-in-ones. I was confused and fascinated at the same time! I decided to search the Internet looking for cloth diapering 101-type websites that would explain these new diapers I was seeing for the first time.

As I went through the search results and started reading up on the other types of cloth diapers out there beside prefolds, I was beginning to think that cloth diapering was in my future! As I started to really read up, I was learning that cloth diapering is not as messy, stinky or hard as everyone was making it out to be! Diapers had fleece linings with absorbent inserts, you didn't need to rinse breastfed or formula fed poops in the toilet, they washed easily with just a soak, wash and extra rinse and I could line dry them OR dry them in my dryer! I wouldn't have to touch poop! I could buy cloth diapers that resembled disposables and would last my little boy from now until he potty trained! I went for it!

I chose cloth diapering for a number of personal reasons and I believe that "to each their own" completely applies to this decision, what works for me and what I want for my child, means it works for everyone.

I chose cloth diapering because:

1. It is affordable, I I didn't spend much on cloth diapers, what I did spend included: 59 diapers (All-in-Ones, Pockets, and some Hybrids), 31 Reusable Cloth Wipes, Detergent, Pail Freshener, A Tub of Cloth Diaper Friendly Diaper Rash Cream, 2- 4 oz bottles of Happy Heiny Wash, a Diaper Sprayer, 6 Wet Bags/Pail Liners, 23 Extra liners (from various brands so I can experiment with doubling up/liner preference), and 6 prefolds (for liners). With all I ordered,  6 of those diapers were free, 2 of the wet bags were free and I received a free pair of babylegs free with some of my orders. I know it's a lot BUT, I will never have to buy him diapers again, and I most likely won't have to buy a lot for the next baby. Plus, I got a bit obsessed...whoops! BUT I probably saved close to $2,000.00 in disposable diapers, and it will be EVEN more with our subsequent children!

2. My son will not be sitting in chemicals, which studies have shown can cause asthma in children and low sperm count in boys, along with many other things. Diapers are also treated in chlorine (except for organic ones) and ALL diapers (even the organic ones) contain a gel that absorbs moisture which is created from petroleum.

3. They are cute!

4. I am a bit of a crunchy, granola hippie at heart and I love the idea of creating less waste! Did you know that disposable diapers are estimated to take 250-500 YEARS to break down? AND that you are supposed to wipe/knock off all fecal matter into a toilet before disposing of your diaper? (it is actually illegal and harmful to the environment to dump human waste into a landfill because of the potential of the human waste to wash into runoff water which can contaminate our water sources?)

5.Most babies who are cloth diapered potty train earlier!

When I finally made this announcement online that I was switching to cloth diapers, I still got a lot of bad feedback, people saying it's a pain to wash them, etc. But I did get a few encouraging comments, especially the one person who called me brave for just going for it! I also find that once I can explain the new cloth diapers, people seem to change their opinion of my choice.

I think it's important that we all make our own decisions AFTER getting the facts, and I think that most people are very uninformed about disposable diapers  and cloth diapers. It took me about a week to make a final decision and that was AFTER a ton of research lurking on message boards, reading reviews and comparing a ton of prices. I made the mistake of buying my first set of diapers through one website before discovering another website (kellyscloset.com) that had better prices, some great coupons (this is where I got all my free diapers and a free pair of babylegs), and also had a reward program where you can get 1 point for every dollar you spend and I have had amazing customer service! My other favorite website is cottonbabies.com, great product and great customer service!

Some great resources  I have used while researching are diaperpin.com, diaperswappers.com, theclothdiaperwhisperer.com, jilliansdrawers.com/newtocloth, and www.cottonbabies.com/clothdiapers.php

There are a TON of other websites out there that can give you a lot of great information, you just have to search for it online.

I personally love FuzziBunz One Size, BumGenius  3.0 One Size, BumGenius Elemental Diapers, Happy Heinys One Size,  Smarti Pants One Size, Knickernappies One Size, Rumparooz, GroVia, Flip One Size, BabyKicks, and Tweedle Bugs.

There are a few other great ones, and you can see them all if you go to Kelly's Closet

I am glad I made the switch!

Hope you enjoy it too if you decide to cloth diaper!

Disclaimer: Any links posted in this blog are for my Amazon and kellyscloset.com affiliate programs which means if you click on them and buy something I get a kickback. Websites NOT included in the affiliate program are : diaperpin.com, diaperswappers.com, theclothdiaperwhisperer.com, jilliansdrawers.com/newtocloth, and www.cottonbabies.com/clothdiapers.php, and cottonbabies.com