I Messed With A Good Thing ~ Washing Cloth Diapers

I wanted new detergent to go with my new dipes...

I had a really good thing going.

My diaper routine. I had no stink issues, no ammonia issues. It was perfect.

Prefolds, Flats, and Covers.

Vinegar and Arm & Hammer Detergent.

Wash. Rinse 3 times. Dry.

And then I decided that it wasn't good enough.

I wanted to use real cloth diaper detergent.

I wanted pretty, exclusive scents.

I wanted to say, "Hey, I'm cool, I use ____________."

Yeah. Big mistake.

I researched my options, I bought a bag of what I thought would be the best given my water type.

And my diapers have gotten worse and worse.

Ammonia problems.

Stink issues.

I've tried everything that the detergent told me to do (yes, my detergent speaks to me).

And I'm going back to my old routine. Besides that fact that my old method cost half as much per package and lasts longer that the cloth diaper specific, it's way too much work and stress!

Why, Why, Why did I have to mess with a good thing?

The End Of It ~ 2012 Flats & Handwashing Challenge

Check out my thoughts from earlier this week:

Day 1 ~ Day2 ~ Day 3 ~ Day 4 ~ Day 5 ~ Day 6
Just in case you missed what's going on, nearly 500 people have decided to use only flat cloth diapers and wash those diapers by hand for this entire week! Crazy? Not really. You can read the reasons behind the challenge in this post from Dirty Diaper Laundry.

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It's the final day! Hooray!

I'm glad I participated this year and I learned a couple things that I didn't really think about in 2011.

#1 - I would gladly spend a dollar or 2 to take my diapers to a laundromat if I got behind on washing, or even once a week to reassure myself that they were truly clean. I'd machine wash, but still line dry.

#2 - Since I stay home with my kids it is worth it to wash each diaper as it is used. It was easier on my hands, and seemed to take less time. It also felt like I was able to get everything cleaner and I wouldn't have to worry about the stink building up as much.

**By the way, I wound up soaking my offending cover from yesterday's post in a bucket of water with 1/4 cup of vinegar for a few hours and then washing as normal.**

I'm looking forward to next year, while Jaron will be potty trained by that point, I'm hoping to have a newbie in cloth diapers and see how much that differs from a 6 month old (in 2011) and an 18 month old (in 2012).

So until next year, let us all value our machines while knowing that if they break down, WE CAN HANDLE IT!

And The Battle Begins! 2012 Flats & Handwashing Challenge ~ Day 6

Check out my thoughts from earlier this week:

Day 1 ~ Day2 ~ Day 3 ~ Day 4 ~ Day 5
Just in case you missed what's going on, nearly 500 people have decided to use only flat cloth diapers and wash those diapers by hand for this entire week! Crazy? Not really. You can read the reasons behind the challenge in this post from Dirty Diaper Laundry.
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It took 5 days. Five. And I've got issues.

Yesterday we were in Orlando all day, had a great time. Jaron pooped a couple times while were out and about and I tossed the diapers in a bag to rinse out and wash when we got home. 

In case you missed my post I decided to be a slacker and put off washing until this morning. But I did rinse them out and let them soak in a sinkful of water with a couple Tbsp of detergent.

The diapers are fine.

The cover on the other hand. I CANNOT get the stink out.

I'm sure the answer is going to involve vinegar or bleach, but how do you do that handwashing? How much? How long? How much is it going to destroy my hands or my nose?

Trust me, I thought about just waiting a couple more days and dealing with it in the washer. But this is a real issue that a lot of people are going to deal with. So not I'm bent on finding the answer. 

HELP! What ideas do you have? Are ya'll dealing with this too?

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Day 6 posts from everyone else!

Day 6 last year...Fashionable Flats!

Slacker Day ~ 2012 Flats & Handwashing Challenge ~ Day 5

Check out my thoughts from earlier this week:

Day 1 ~ Day2 ~ Day 3 ~ Day 4
Just in case you missed what's going on, nearly 500 people have decided to use only flat cloth diapers and wash those diapers by hand for this entire week! Crazy? Not really. You can read the reasons behind the challenge in this post from Dirty Diaper Laundry.
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Day 5. I'm slacking. This is what my clothesline looked like yesterday. That's what it looks like today.

We were also out of town all day today. So my plan for tonight? Rinse out the poopy diapers from the day, pop them in the sink and let them soak overnight. I'll wash tomorrow. And now I'm going to bed. I've learned that sometimes it's ok to slack. That is all.

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Day 5 posts from the rest of this year's participants!
Last year I had to make more diapers on Day 5, this year I have more than enough!

Handwashing Diapers! ~ 2012 Flats & Handwashing Challenge ~ Day 4

Check out my thoughts from earlier this week:

Day 1 ~ Day2 ~ Day 3
Just in case you missed what's going on, nearly 500 people have decided to use only flat cloth diapers and wash those diapers by hand for this entire week! Crazy? Not really. You can read the reasons behind the challenge in this post from Dirty Diaper Laundry.

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2011 Ikea Flat  - Origami Fold w/ leg contour

Ahh, Day 4. We are officially halfway through the challenge!

The biggest thing that I have noticed this year is how much easier it is to handwash diapers from a potty training 18 month old than it is a 6 month old!

I didn't keep up with doing individual diapers, so I figured I would be spending quite awhile washing. Lo and behold, I only had 4 diapers & 2 covers to wash. Nice.

That's not to say that I'm enjoying the handwashing...speaking of which, hold on while I go disinfect my sink...thanks. It's a pain, it's killing my hands and it's one more thing to do. But if it were this or washing out and reusing disposable diapers? I'd definitely rather spend a dollar or two on hand lotion.

I also changed my washing routine up today, I still wash in the bathroom sink. I scrub each diaper individually. But once I'm done with the actually washing I squeeze them out and them set them aside. The first 3 days I rinsed each individually under the tub faucet. Today I rinsed them in the sink. It's just easier to stay in one spot, plus simpler than bending over the tub.

I'm interested to see how things go tomorrow. I'm going to be putting a flat into our Flip training pants since we'll be out and about all day. I've tried putting a flat on a standing toddler in a public restroom before - definitely not worth the effort and frustration!

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Check out how Day 4 is going for everyone else participating!

Day 4 last year I was finding my groove instead of changing it up!

Give Me A Hand! Or Two...2012 Flats & Hand Washing Challenge ~ Day 3

                                          Check out my thoughts from earlier this week:

Day 1 ~ Day2
Just in case you missed what's going on, nearly 500 people have decided to use only flat cloth diapers and wash those diapers by hand for this entire week! Crazy? Not really. You can read the reasons behind the challenge in this post from Dirty Diaper Laundry.


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Ahh, Day 3. Flats. Handwashing. Challenge.

Hands.
Chapped already. And no. I didn't learn from last year and use gloves this year. Fail.

Current bathroom sink fixtures

I had originally hoped that Jaron would be completely potty trained by this point, but thanks to me pushing him just a little too hard in a public restroom  he regressed from 90% trained to 40%trained. 

It has been nice though, because I've played around with my flat folds, so I'll have a few more folds that I don't have to actually think about when Baby #3 comes along.

Up until this week I've been a dyed in the wool Origami folder (Origami with leg contour/poop pocket tutorial). Love that fold! It's effortless and easy to fold right out of the dryer and store for later use.

This week I'm mixing it up a little with the Diaper Bag Fold (Video Tutorial). I'm not as thrilled with the extra bulk in the front, especially the way it looks under his clothes; but it's wonderful to have so many layers right where Jaron needs them when he's running around the house coverless.

Now for a secret. Flat diapers make amazing handkerchiefs.  Seriously. Toss one in your bag in the am and you're good to go for awhile, even with a kid who's brains are falling out with all the power of Niagara Falls!  They're also great to clean up spills and messes at home and while you're out and about.  If you dye them or purchase patterned or dyed flats then so much the better, cuteness factor! Even when we're done diapering I can't imagine living without my flats...yeah, I'm addicted.

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Day 3 link up with Kim at Dirty Diaper Laundry!

Day 3 from last year!

2012 Flats & Handwashing Challenge ~ Day 2

Check out my thoughts from earlier this week:

Day 1

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Well, it's Day 2 of the Second Annual Flats & Handwashing Challenge. 

You know you want this guy in your 2013 Calendar!
(Red Target Flour Sack Dishtowel w/ Snappi ~ Diaper Bag Fold)

Day 1 went pretty well. I tried to wash each diaper as I changed Jaron today, I remember last year that while it didn't take a ton of time, it took long enough to get everything washed each night. Doing things that way made my day a little choppier, but overall worked out quite well. I did end up washing 3 dipes and 2 covers at the end of the night.

I also think I might have found some new favorite flats. Up until now I have adored my Ikea burp cloths. They're absorbent and the prints are cute. But they're a bit thick and hard to wring out after washing.

Target flour sack dish towels. Are. The. Best. Thing. Ever. At least for now anyway. They're super thin and so easy to handwash and wring out. And they dry in about 30 minutes. And they are surprisingly absorbent, I think they're even better than my prefolds ~ and you can't beat the bright colors!

Since I haven't already mentioned it, I'll give you a run down of my stash/washing style for the week:

Diapers:
6 - Ikea Flats
6 - Target Flour Sack Dishtowels
1 - XL Tshirt

Covers:
1 - Diaper Rite Cover (while not my fav cover since it doesn't work well with a snappied diaper, in my opinion, but I've found that the KidCare workers at my gym like it with a pad folded flat, so that's there for them)
3 - Econobum Covers

Accessories:

2 - Snappis
1 - pair of old style Boingos
Handheld Showerhead

Washing:
EcoSprout Soap (Samples from The Great Cloth Diaper Change)
Rockin' Green Hard Rock
Sink for washing/soaking (It's easier on my back)
Bathtub for rinsing

Drying:
Clothesline on my screened in porch

Check out how Day 2 is going for everyone else in the challenge and take a look at how things went on Day 2 last year!

Manic Mommy Flats Challenge!

Well, my Manic Mommy Monday Post is going to be replaced by something not to different this week.

I decided at 12:32am to participate in this year's Flats & Handwashing Challenge. It starts today and lasts through the end of the week.

I was on the fence not wanting to deal with the handwashing this week, but most parents are never going to "want to deal with" handwashing diapers either. But they may not have a choice.

Last year I took the challenge and then upped the ante and created a complete stash of diapers from things I found around my house...and I gave up my snappi for the week. I dealt with bedsheets that we so saturated in fabric softener that they leaked as much as the absorbed and with t-shirts that could not have been more adorable if I'd paid for them...

This year, the tshirts might make an appearance, but I'll be happily sticking to my store bought flats (Target flour sack towels & Ikea burp cloths) and my SNAPPI. I may also use a pair of the old style of Boingos. But diaper pins are the bane of my existence and I will. not. use. them. again.

In full disclosure, I'm doing this year's challenge because I can't stand to sit on the sidelines and watch everyone else have fun. It's shallow, I know. But if my desire for a social event shows even one more person that it is possible to use cloth diapers and handwash them instead of reusing disposables (or leaving them on longer than recommended) then so be it. Hmm...maybe it's not as shallow as I thought.

So welcome to the Flats & Handwashing Challenge 2012! Here we go!

Check out everyone else's reason for participating!

Read my Day 1 post from last year here!

Diapering Time of Year

April is a pretty significant month, since the Great Cloth Diaper Change is this weekend I'm reminded that it's been almost a year since I started blogging on a regular basis, seems like forever ago! And at the end of this month I will have been married for 4 years...wow, funny how that went by so fast.

Kim at Dirty Diaper Laundry also announced yesterday that the 2nd Annual Flats & Handwashing Challenge will be May 21-27. Woohoo!

Last year I used flat diapers exclusively, nothing can beat the price or trimmness! So I Upped the Ante and found things I had around the house to create a completely free stash of dipes. I know some critics felt that I wasn't using true "flats" when I didn't cut up a t-shirt before turning it into a diaper, but I felt that it was in the spirit of proving that cloth diapering is feasible in low income households.

Which brings me to why I cloth diaper in the first place.

It's cheap.

That's it.

Sure, it's better on the environment. Sure, it's better on my baby's sensitive skin. Sure, the diapers are so much cuter than disposables.

But I'm saving thousands of dollars over purchasing disposables.

My stash is a little haphazard. Mostly flats and prefolds and covers; these are my regular use diapers and I have a sufficient amount of these alone. But 10 various pockets that I was either given or won are nice to have when someone else is watching the boys. We spent about $75 on our stash. They paid for themselves in the length of time it would take us to go through 4 boxes of disposables (1-2 months).

We used 2 boxes of sposies with Jaron; one we bought, and one we were given, before starting cloth because I didn't think he would be big enough to use the diaper covers I already had.

When baby #3 comes along I'm going to try my best not to let a single disposable diaper touch his or her little bum. I'm planning on making some super soft flannel flats to take to the hospital and if the nurses don't like it, oh well. Jaron's bottom was red from day one until we switched out of Pampers into another brand, so that's my first reason. My second is just because I have a pretty strong dislike for the one hospital that I can deliver at and anything to keep us separated from the "system" sounds good to me.

Just to be responsible I'll probably research cloth diapering in a hospital a bit more, but I'm pretty convinced that it's the way to go next time around. We'll see, the big thing is the cost, not personal vendetta, so I know we have a total win from the start no matter what I decide about the hospital.

If you want to hear more about my 2 (not always) sleeping babies and the rest of the family you can follow us on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter!

It's Time To Potty! Again...

Well, Jaron has decided he's done with diapers.

It's been a battle at every changing for a few weeks, but that's pretty typical of this age. But yesterday during the middle of it, I told him that he had to wear a diaper until he could use the potty.

His response? "Potty!" and he took off running for the bathroom. Have I mentioned lately that he's only 15 months old?

But he's also woken up dry every morning (usually about 11 hour nights) for the past week. Sooo, after talking, Jake and I have decided to go with it and see what happens. He wore regular underwear today and didn't have a wet accident at all while we were home. I took him potty every half hour to an hour.

I tried to be excited and make a big deal about how cool it was. He looked at me and smiled condescendingly. Yup.

So the big question in our house today: what do I cover his bottom with? I'm definitely not comfortable letting him leave the house in underwear, but I don't want to force him back into diapers either.

I have a set of Flip Trainers, but they are waaay too big on his little 19lb self and just fall off as he's walking around. The FuzziBunz Trickle Free Trainers fit him well, but at $16-$20 each that's just not in my budget right now (but I'm very grateful for the one I won a few months back!).

I'm considering making some from scratch and also converting some pairs of underwear into trainers with a layer of PUL and several layers of flannel in the wet zone. Interestingly, most training pants are too big for him, but his brother's size 2T underwear actually fit...

I hope this sticks, having him potty trained before even starting another baby would make my life a lot easier! I want to help him as much as I can, but I'm promising myself not to get frustrated if the whole process takes awhile. Of course if he does learn this early then I'm going to have to figure out what to do with my cloth diaper addiction until the next one comes along!

What's the earliest you would consider potty training? Share your thoughts and come join me on Google+, Facebook, and/or Twitter!

Fall In Love With Fluff Cloth Diaper GIVEAWAY

Are you ready to fall in love with fluff and win $500 of cloth diapers and accessories?!

Welcome to the Fall In Love With Fluff Giveaway Event presented by Daily Mothering and Eco-Crazy Mom! Over 100 blogs are coming together to celebrate our love for fluff with this awesome Valentine’s Day giveaway! We are giving away a Cloth Diaper Prize Pack valued at $500 to one lucky winner!!

Fall In Love With Fluff is sponsored by Sandbox Lane and Kissed By The Moon!

Sandbox Lane is your one stop shop for affordable & stylish eco-friendly baby products! This family-owned business is known and loved for their great selection of affordable cloth diapers and cloth diaper accessories in a wide variety of styles and brands. They also carry a variety of stylish baby clothing and accessories, breastfeeding supplies, mama cloth, eco-friendly laundry products, swaddle blankets, toys and other earth friendly products to help get your little one off to a great start. Be sure to check out the Sandbox Lane Blog, and follow them via Facebook, Twitter, and Newsletter for information on sales, events, new products & more! Free shipping is offered on all purchases over $30, and all orders under $30 ship for just $3. *Shipping is only offered within the US and Canada at this time. Sandbox Lane is offering a special 10% off coupon code for giveaway participants during this event! Use code Fluffylove10off at checkout to receive your discount! Excludes Bumgenius, Grovia, Flip, and Econobum.

Prizes Sponsored by Sandbox Lane:

BumGenius Freetime One-Size AIO Diaper (Snap closure, winner's choice of Print/Color)

BumGenius 4.0 One-Size Pocket Diaper (Snap closure, Winner's choice of Print/Color)

Flip One-Size Cover & Stay-Dry Insert (Snap closure, Winner's choice of Color)

Econobum Trial Pack: 1 One-Size Cover and 3 Prefolds (Winner's choice of Color)

Fuzzibunz Elite One-Size Pocket Diaper (Winner's choice of Color)

Charlie Banana One-Size Pocket Print Diaper (Winner's choice of Print)

GroVia One-Size AIO Diaper (Vanilla)

Sweet Pea One-Size Pocket Diaper (Winner's choice of Color)

ones & twos One-Size AIO Diaper (Winner's choice of Color)

Incredibum Bamboo One-Size Pocket Diaper (Winner's choice of Color)

Incredibum Small Wetbag (Winner's choice of Color)

Rockin' Green Hard Rock 2.0 Detergent (45/90 Loads)

Rockin' Green Funk Rock (9 oz.)

Incredibum Bamboo Wipes (2 packs - 8 wipes total)

Sweet Pea Cotton Velour Wipes (2 packs - 10 wipes total)

BabyLegs Leg Warmers (Rainbow)

Kissed By The Moon was created out of a passion for cloth diapering and eco-friendly living. This mama-owned shop is a favorite of many, well known for their cloth diaper rental packages, kissed cash rewards program, user-friendly gift registry and awesome weekly specials. They offer a wide variety of new and pre-loved cloth diapers, cloth diaper accessories, laundry solutions and everything needed to make your cloth diapering experience a success! Be sure to sign up for the Kissed By The Moon Newsletter and follow on Facebook and Twitter to be the first to know about sales, promotions, giveaways, and upcoming events. Shipping is always free for orders over $25 (US Only), and international shipping is available! Kissed By The Moon is offering a special 10% off coupon code for giveaway participants during this event! Use code LOVEFLUFF at checkout to receive your discount on orders over $25! Excludes sale items, GroVia, Flip, and Bumgenius.

Prizes Sponsored by Kissed By The Moon:

Oh Katy One-Size Pocket Diaper (Winner's choice of Color)

Rumparooz One-Size Pocket Print Diaper (Winner's choice of Print and Closure)

Bummis Tot Bot Easy Fit One-Size AIO Diaper (Winner's choice of Color/Print)

Green Line One-Size Cover (Winner's choice of Print)

Green Line Soaker (Bamboo/Cotton)

SoftBums Omni One-Size AI2/Pocket Diaper (Aplix, Winner's choice of Color/Print)

SoftBums Snap-In Pod (DryTouch)

itti bitti tutto One-Size AI2 Diaper (Winner's choice of Color/Print)

Swaddlebees Simplex One-Size AIO Diaper (Winner's choice of Color/Print)

Planet Wise Flannel Wipes (Set of 10, winner's choice of Color)

Leslie's Boutique Pail Liner (Winner's choice of Color/Print)

Rumparooz Print Wet Bag (Winner's choice of Print)

Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering (by Kelly Wels)

THiRSTiES Booty Luster (4 oz.)

2 CJ’s BUTTer Samples (1/2 oz. each)

And now for the giveaway!

ONE WINNER will receive this ENTIRE prize pack: (most colors/prints will be winner's choice as listed above)

This giveaway ends at 11:59 EST on February 7th, 2011.

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.

If you have not yet signed in to the new Rafflecopter forms, use either your Facebook account OR your name and email address to sign in. Click "Do It" for instructions on how to complete each entry. There is no mandatory entry.

The more entries you submit, the better odds you have of winning!

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada* contestants only.

*If a Canada winner is drawn, some prizes will be substituted with other products or store credit of retailer's choice due to shipping restrictions on certain brands.

SNEAK PEEK: Fall In Love With Fluff $500 Cloth DiaperGiveaway

Do you want to win $500 of Cloth Diapers and Accessories?!

The Fall In Love With Fluff Giveaway Event hosted by Daily Mothering and Eco-Crazy Mom is right around the corner! Over 100 blogs are coming together to present this awesome Valentine's Day giveaway from February 1-7, 2012. We will be giving away a Cloth Diaper Prize Pack valued at $500 to one lucky winner!!

This giveaway event is generously sponsored by Kissed By The Moon and Sandbox Lane, two super awesome cloth diaper retailers!

Come back February 1-7 to enter this amazing giveaway!

This giveaway will be open to both US and Canada. Some items will be substituted if a Canada winner is drawn due to shipping restrictions on certain brands.

For now, here is a sneak peek at what you could WIN! (Winner will get to choose colors/prints for most items!)

Review & Giveaway ~ Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering

A couple weeks ago I was given the opportunity to check out Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering. I was pretty excited, I’ve been wanting to read it for months!

I was impressed. It was a great summary of how far Cloth Diapers have come.

While not as in depth in some parts as I’d have liked, it is an awesome overview for a newbie or for anyone who’d still trying to figure it all out. Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Friends. If you need help explaining cloth diapers, this is definitely a go-to resource.

The diagrams of different types of diapers are very detailed and very helpful. The blog and website resources that are listed are great recommendations and it's so nice to have everything all in one place!

I would have liked to see some more info on some of the mainstream brands, but then it would be a review book instead of a how-to and summary, and with all the new manufacturers popping up and the mainstreams always popping something new out, a review book, well, would be outdated the month it came out!

Overall, I thought that it was very well done and it’s definitely on my Cloth Diapering Mom’s Must Have list. I’m sure that I’ll be buying several as shower gifts here in the next few months! 

Oh, but be warned: A couple time through seeing all those adorable pictures of fluffy bottoms and you’ll have baby fever, just for the diapers!!

Now some other great news! Kelly Wels and Changing Diapers have given me a Fuzzibunz OS and a "I’m a Hip Mom and Love Cloth Diapers"Eco-Friendly Tattoo to give away to a lucky reader! If you aren’t cloth diapering yet, this would be a great place to start your stash! And if you already love cloth diapers, then you know you can't resist! Enter via the form below!

*These opinions are 100% my own, I was not compensated in any way for this review other than given access to an online copy of the book. However, the links to ChangingDiapers.com on this page are affiliate links and I will earn a commission on books purchased through those links. The FuzziBunz OS and tattoo ship directly from Changing Diapers, I am not responsible for anything other than passing on the winner's name and address.*

Diaper Cake

I'd like to say I talked one of my friends into cloth diapers, maybe I did, maybe I just put a bug in her ear. But in any event, she made the switch to cloth when her first child was about 6 months old (give or take). She's now expecting baby #2, the kids will only be 13 months apart, so expanding her stash is a must!

Some other friends and I got together and contributed to get her a nice little stash. Currently she has a variety of diapers, but decided that this go round she'd like to focus on Pre-folds, Flats, and Covers.

So I ordered. Then I had to decide how to wrap these dipes...after a bit of thought I decided to try my hand a baking a cloth diaper cake. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out for my first time! Here's the recipe and photos of how it went....

Cake Batter:

8 Indian Prefolds 4x8x4
6 Unbleached Flats
6 Ikea Burp Cloth Flats (Discontinued)
3 OS Blueberry Coveralls
3 Bummis Super Brite Diaper Covers Sz M
1 Thirsties Duo Wrap Sz 2
3 Thirsties Duo Wrap Sz 1
Thread or rubber bands

Icing:
Snappis
2 Cotton Babies Stay Dry Socks
3 Imagine Flannel Wipes

Making the batter, didn't think that I could've been using rubber bands!

Imagine Flannel Wipe Flower

Batter prepared for baking!

First Layer

Wipe Flower and Stay-dry Sock Bunny

TA-DA!

*None of the links in the post are affiliate links of any type, these are simply retailers that I have had good experiences with. I am not being compensated in any way for including their links.*

Traveling with Cloth Diapers: Run Through The Washer

Traveling. Cloth. Diapers. Not usually something you hear, or if you do, you think that mom is just a little more sleep deprived than "normal." That was my first thought when I actually started considering it. Mainly I didn't want to spend $20 - $40 on disposables...yup, I'm cheap commited.

We're in the middle of a trip to visit family in Tennessee. Total trip length is 10 days. Two of those are 14 hour driving days. Traveling. With. Cloth. Diapers.

Nuts & Bolts
I brought flats and pre-folds. Enough for a week, but I planned to wash every three days. Seven basic covers, 3 pocket diapers for anyone else who might need to change him (stuffed with pre-folds).

The trip up was fine, I changed Jaron every stop to be sure we didn't have any leaks. It wound up being about every 2-3 hours, which is normal, so no problems there.

I've washed twice already, hung my wet bags and covers, and machine dried the dipes. I guess the benefit of staying at my Grandmother's house is not only the unobstructed use of her machines, but her support and knowledge of cloth diapers. Have to say she was a little surprised and amused by how fancy our modern dipes are. Her first glimpse was the GroVia Planes print shell, fun!

It's been so nice not to have to run disposables out to the dumpster at every change (which we did our last trip). I've just used a pail size wet bag - no odor issues until right before I'm ready to wash, so 3 days was a good plan.

I am swishing and wringing by hand...not the most fun. I'll be glad to get home to my sprayer, but it's not nearly as intense as handwashing and definitely worth it!

Washing, I'm bypassing my normal 3 hour pre-soak and just washing with 3/4 cup of white vinegar and detergent. I didn't want to hog the washer and I'll just strip them when I get home if I need too. Worse case scenario, I'll just end up with a few stains.

What Makes It Pretty

• No worries about what sposies might do to Jaron's rear. 
• It's been fun to show them off. 
• I saved $. 
• I've not only now proven that I can handwash if I need to, but I've proven that I can make them work for traveling too!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Jaron's Modeling Debut

                                       
 Jaron's Modeling Debut ~
                          Thirsties Duo Diaper Review (in Meadow)
                          Review to appear on 29 Diapers in the next
                                                                          week or two.

Share your thoughts and come join me on Google+, Facebook, and/or Twitter!

Puddles, always the puddles

Some days it seems like all I do is navigate puddles.

A puddle of juice here, from where Mr. Independent opened his own juice box, or from where that same child left his opend juice box somewhere where little Mr. Opportunist could get to it.

A puddle of drool there. If I could figure out any way in the world to market baby drool as a skin softener, I'd be rich! Or maybe as a Cloth Diaper safe detergent, doesn't saliva have natural enzymes in it?

A puddle of pumped breastmilk, from a certain someone attempting circus tricks while I was taking care of the screaming baby. Note to self, never leave the milk in the living room by the pump...

A puddle of something on the bathroom floor, discovered by my bare foot. Really, not sure if it was water from the faucet or...water from...somewhere else...

My clean floors or newly shampooed rug serve as the perfect canvases for puddles of any bright color, and if it can possibly ferment, sour, or in any way shape or form leave an odor, all the better! We won't even talk about how both children must have wonderful careers ahead of them in furniture fabric design!

But at the end of the day, when I kiss them good night and hear "I wuvs you, Mama." I melt into another puddle right outside their room. And that's the puddle that makes cleaning up all the rest of them more than worth the effort.

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What I Learned & What I Recommend ~ Flats & Handwashing Challenge 2011

Don't rob the piggy banks!

The Flats Challenge is OVER! We did it! But why did we do it again?

Because in this day and economy more and more mother's are having to choose between buying diapers and paying bills or buying food. Disposable diapers cost an average of $80 - $100 per month if you change then as often as recommended. This doesn't change much, no matter the age of the baby. Communities are holding diaper drives and starting diaper banks. But these don't solve the problem!

Many moms don't have a washer/dryer at home. That's ok! Many laundromats will not allow you to wash diapers in their facility because of health/sanitary reasons. That's ok too! Handwashing is not as bad as it sounds, nor is it as time consuming as you think!

I PROVED this past week that you CAN diaper a baby for FREE. A few things from around the house and 15 - 30 minutes each night is all you need. Is it ideal? No. Is it fun? No. But it WORKS and it's FREE!

What to Use:

Baby Receiving Blanket

Washing ~ 

Plain Dawn dish detergent, about a teaspoon is enough for 8-12 diapers.

Bathroom tub, sink, or a bucket

Diapering ~ 

Thin blankets, t-shirts, sheets 

Socks (for overnights or during the day for extra absorbency

Diaper pins, Snappi, or the ability to tie a knot

                                                     Rain poncho or any type of fleece hoodie or fleece fabric (for covers)

The Eco Chic has some great videos on how to wash your diapers, but there's no right or wrong way to do it!

So what did I really learn?

 - That it can be done!

Cut up t-shirt

 - That years of washing your sheets in more than the recommended amounts of Downey to get them incredibly soft just might come back to bite me in the rear.

 - That washing them in blue Dawn soap can help with that.

 - That diaper pins leave holes and tear rain ponchos. So this is a great and workable short term solution, but won't last more than a week or two per square of poncho.

 - That terry cloth towels take an eon to dry, so let them be a last resort!

Now what do I recommend?

It is my recommendation that diaper drives and diaper banks request and distribute cloth diaper kits. These kits would completely diaper one child from birth to potty training. Taking into consideration cost and convenience I recommend that these kits contain:

~ 1- two pack of Snappis $5.75

Fleece scarf a a cover

~ 12 flat cloth diapers $6 - $20 (Dollar Tree flour sack towels to Unbleached Osocozys)

~ 4 Kawaii One Size Diaper Covers $25.80 ($6.45 each)

At most this kit would cost $51.55 (All the sites I used offered free shipping, so no cost there!)

This is roughly HALF the cost of ONE MONTH worth of Huggies or Pampers! And I won't even go into chemicals or environmental considerations.

Un-cut Size XL t-shirt

Towel

Osocozy Flat

IT CAN BE DONE!

Nightly Fluff ~ Flats & Handwashing Challenge Day 7

We've made it! Day 7 of the week long Flats & Handwashing Challenge!

After my final handwashing session tomorrow morning I'll give a recap of what I've learned over and the few things that I wish I'd known.

Over the past week I've shown how I made a completely new stash of diapers and covers for $0. I've reviewed how each different type of diaper has done during the day. Today I'm going to give you a recap of our overnight experiences.


I used the flannel, sateen sheet, and cut down t-shirt diapers overnight. The towel and intact t-shirt were just too bulky to be covered.

The flannel worked great, until all the hand-washing brought years of soaked in fabric softeners to surface and it started repelling like no other. Come to think of it, it probably would have made a great cover!

The sateen was wonderful, very absorbent, and made it through the night with no problems. The same for the t-shirt.

9" wide scarf

Although I preferred the rain poncho covers during the day, the fleece scarf was superb for nighttime. I put up a tutorial on how to wrap the full scarf (9" wide) last week, but then decided to cut it in half to make two covers (2 x 4.5" wide). It worked ok, but I think 2/3 width would have been better (6" wide). How to wrap hasn't changed, just trimmed down alot of the bulk giving Jaron the rear-end of a bunny instead of a peacock.

4.5" wide scarf