Cloth Diapers

Don’t Throw Out That Swim Diaper!

June 27, 2011 1 Comment

I have been using cloth diapers on my 2 year old since she was about six weeks old. Although I love using them and encourage others to do the same, I realize that not everyone can or wants to make the same choice. I have a suggestion for you if you do not cloth diaper BUT you do take your little one to the pool or splash pad…

WASHABLE SWIM DIAPERS!

These diapers are not only so much cuter than the throw away swim diapers they will also save you SO MUCH money! I remember when Miss M was in diapers (disposables) and we would buy the Huggies Swim Diapers. When she was in swim lessons and also when it was summertime, I swear we had to buy a package every couple of weeks or so. That was money I was literally throwing away especially since she would wear the diaper for such a short amount of time. I hated it but I didn’t know of any other alternative. Then I had C.

With C, we have never used a disposable swim diaper. Rather I use a FuzziBunz cloth diaper that is normally too small on her but if you remove the insert it fits her perfectly. If you don’t have old cloth diapers, etc. then I highly recommend you check out the washable swim diapers that are on the market today.

Here are some pictures of the cuteness:

AppleCheeks in Samoan Sunset (Retail $18)

Swimmis by Bummis in Bubbles Print (Retail $12.75)

Swimmis in Turtle Print

As you can see, there are choices for both boys and girls. I just like the girls prints a bit more because I am a bit biased!

For $12.75 you can get a diaper that will literally last you the entire summer. Compare that with a 12 pack of Huggies Disposable Swim Diapers that will cost you $9.00 and not to mention that that will not be the only time you pay that price. You will be probably be spending $20 and more over the course of a summer depending on how much you go to the pool/beach.

As far as caring for these diapers, it is really simple. If they happen to poop (yes, I said it) while wearing it, the diaper will catch it. After you take it off your child simply dump the waste into the toilet and rinse off. After it is dry you can put it back on your child for some more pool time fun.

If you are interested in either of the diapers I showed above, please Click here to visit Kelly’s Closet.

Once there, click on “Swim Diapers” found on the left side of the main page.

What is your thoughts, experiences with Washable Swim Diapers? Have you heard about them before? Why haven’t you tried them yet? Please share. Thanks!

Kelly’s Closet link is an affiliate link. I do get a penny or two from any sale made from it. Thanks in advance for your purchase! Also, the awesome Discovery Girls Giveaway ends tomorrow! Enter here.

Filed Under: Cloth Diapers, Kelly's_Closet, Washable_Swim_Diapers

Scenes from a weekend

April 13, 2011 3 Comments

Filed Under: Baby J, C, Cloth Diapers, Laundry, Miss M, pictures

Review of That’s A Wrap! Cloth Diaper

February 22, 2011 3 Comments

I have been cloth diapering Little C for about 20 months now and love it! It is such a normal part of our everyday routine that I don’t even think of it as being “different.” In fact, when I see a toddler at the library or gym class and their disposable is sticking out, I think to myself, “that’s odd, they don’t use cloth.”

I have always thought that if more people got to see an actual modern cloth diaper (and no, it doesn’t require pins and rubber pants) their minds would be opened. I was excited to then learn that a cloth diaper company was going to begin selling one type of their diapers in select grocery stores. What a great way to showcase the product and perhaps make people think twice about that disposable diaper they were about to purchase.

That company is Cutey Baby and that particular diaper is That’s a Wrap! I was given the great opportunity to review this diaper and see how it fits and wears on Little C. When I first received the product, which included the diaper cover, two inserts and a roll of disposable liners, I was impressed with the color and cuteness of the cover. It is a vibrant pink and white checkerboard pattern with the label “Cutey Baby” sewn on the back of the baby’s diaper as seen here:

The front has a velcro enclosure and the inserts sit inside the cover. The inserts lay securely within the lining of the cover. This is nice for those times that the insert is the only thing that is soiled and the cover is still dry. Then you can simply take out the insert to be washed and put in a new one and reuse the cover. Here is a view of the front:

Another plus with this type of diaper is the leg gussets. This helps to keep all that yucky stuff off of your baby’s clothes. It really helps to ensure a tight fit (but not so tight that it leaves marks) in those important areas, as shown here:

Besides the diaper cover and insert, I also received a roll of their disposable liners. Before trying these I was never a big fan of liners because they would always bunch up and not really do the job for me. These liners have changed my opinion. They work well at containing the messes so that all you have to do is dump it in the toilet with the mess and flush. I have also used them when I need to put diaper rash cream on my child and I don’t want the residue to get on my diaper. Overall, these work great!

The only negative thing I have to say about this diaper concerns the velcro enclosure. Don’t get me wrong, it does it’s job in holding the diaper secure around the child. My problem is when it is time to wash the diaper. There is nowhere for the velcro to adhere to without it becoming a huge diaper chain with the other diapers in my wash! I guess you could wash the diaper with it remaining fully fastened as shown above, but I like to have mine open to make sure the water gets to where it needs to in order to fully clean the diaper.

Overall, I definitely recommend this diaper! It does the job and offers a lot of neat features for an item that you wouldn’t normally find at your local grocery store. I highly encourage you to check them out and perhaps pick some up whenever you at your local Jewel/Albertson stores. If there is not a store in your area, they are also available on Amazon.

Disclaimer: I received this diaper plus disposable liners at no cost, but it in no way shaped or influenced my review. All opinions are strictly my own and your results may be different upon using this product.

Filed Under: Cloth Diapers, Cutey Baby, Disposable Liners, Little C, Product Review

Earth Day Giveaway at Happily Domestic

April 22, 2010 Leave a Comment

Check out Happily Domestic‘s blog with her latest installment of Fluff Talk Thursday. Today she has a special Earth Day post with an extra special Smartipants cloth diapers giveaway! Her post is great because it clearly illustrates how making the choice to cloth diaper your child is really a great gift you can give to both our children’s and our planet’s future. Happy Earth Day!

Filed Under: Cloth Diapers

Gotta Do the Laundry…

February 19, 2010 Leave a Comment

One of the most common questions when considering cloth diapering your child is the laundry. Don’t you have to do it all the time? Doesn’t it take up a lot of your time? Doesn’t it use up a lot of water and thus cost money? These are some common questions that I myself had and that I have encountered since writing my last post about cloth diapers.

When I first started to cloth diaper, I just had the ten or so diapers that I bought through Jillian’s Drawers. So with those few diapers, I ended up washing them every day. I also didn’t use cloth diapers at night, which kept down the amount of washing. Since the average diaper can cost around $17 each, we didn’t want to buy a lot in case it didn’t work for us. After a month of just having these few diapers, I started finding some on sale online and slowly built up our stash. We now have about 15 diapers, which is a reasonable and manageable amount but I am always looking for deals to add to it. With this amount I am able to do laundry every third day and also to use the diapers at night. So this week I washed our cloth diapers (by themselves) on Monday and Thursday.

My Washing Routine:

1.Brief soak diapers in cold water for about 15 minutes.

2.Pre-Wash in cold with a teaspoon of detergent (currently I use Charlie’s Soap)

3.Wash in hot with cold rinse with about a tablespoon of detergent

4.Use Second Rinse option on washer (if available)

5.If warm weather, take diapers outside and air dry them. (The sun is a natural brightener and bleaches out stains). If not warm outside, place in dryer under medium heat.

Mostly, the washer and dryer do all the work and I just have to remember that the diapers are in there!

With regards to our water bill, I have not seen a dramatic increase in our bills. I’m sure it has gone up a bit but not enough to give me pause. In Downers Grove, we pay for our garbage pickup so it has been nice that we haven’t had to purchase more stickers for the garbage since we have begun cloth diapering Baby C. I remember with Miss M we were having to put the garbage can out every week filled with diapers. This time around, the garbage goes out usually every other week like it had been before Baby C was born.

Overall, with the right amount of diapers and a little extra time in your day, washing your cloth diapers is pretty straightforward and easy.
Please ask more questions! I love to help pass on my little knowledge to interested parties.

Filed Under: Cloth Diapers, Laundry

Why We Use Cloth Diapers-Our Story

February 12, 2010 6 Comments

I didn’t use cloth diapers on Miss M. When she was born in 2004, I didn’t even consider it. My only consideration was which brand of disposable I was going to use…Pampers or Huggies. She was in disposables until she was potty trained by the age of 3.
In 2007, we went to visit our friend Heather in Asheville, NC. While we were there she changed her baby girl’s diaper. Well, while she was changing it both my husband and I noticed that the diaper was not a Huggies or Pampers. It was cloth. My husband asked, what is that? Heather replied that it was a cloth diaper, specifically a Fuzzi Bunz. This was not the kind of cloth diaper I had heard my mother and her generation complain about. It was cute. There were no pins. Afterwards she showed a diaper to us and explained how easy it was to use. We were intrigued. Both my husband and I thought that if we would have another child, we would try cloth diapers.
Fast forward to 2009. I was pregnant with Baby C. I started to search online about cloth diapers. I discovered another world that I didn’t know existed. My head started to spin with all the choices out there. I emailed Heather for some advice, which she gladly supplied. I then stumbled upon Jillian’s Drawers and their 10 diapers for $10 trial program. We decided this program would be good way to start the process and to sample a variety of diapers. We also decided we wouldn’t start cloth diapering C until she was about two months old. Newborns go to the bathroom a little too much for a newbie like me. I wanted to give myself a good enough success curve. The trial program worked like a charm and really helped give us a running start.
So here we are seven months into cloth diapering and it is going great! I love the fact that we don’t have to run out to get diapers. If we are out of diapers, I just have to do some laundry. I love the fact that we are helping the environment in however a small way. I love the fact that through this endeavor I have met some really nice and helpful mothers who have also decided to cloth diaper. Of course, I can not forget the biggest fact I love about cloth diapering…the savings. It is huge!
Cloth Diapers…they are not your mama’s kind. They are better…and more.

Filed Under: Baby C, Cloth Diapers