Monday, December 31, 2012
New diaper review!
Urban Bums Boutique Review
Type: Fitted
Price: $18 each (reduced price) $22 each (regular price after March 1st, 2013)
Overall Rating: 9/10 (only reason I can't give it 10/10 is that I've only used it a couple of times... but it's already a favourite!)
The WAHM (work at home Mom) behind Urban Bums cloth diapers is Chrissy, and she happens to be local to me. We are in a small Facebook group together for cloth diapering moms in our area. Recently she posted a giveaway on our group for a"tester" diaper. I was very sad I didn't win it. :P My friend Katherine won it, though, and I was able to check it out in person a few weeks ago. And I was impressed.
Then, when I expressed interest in her diapers she said she was needing a few others to buy her tester diapers as well (and provide feedback) - I jumped at the chance and received this squishy soft fitted (with matching wipe).
Of course, the print is adorable. She didn't know it, but I *love* owls. And, like I said, it's squishy, rub-on-your-face soft. My husband and son and I actually did rub it on our faces (before it went on the bum). The inner of the diaper is bamboo fleece which is very absorbent. And the color is the die for.
The stitching, snaps and elastics in the diaper look amazing and with a couple of washes already (I keep reaching for this diaper) it's holding up great. Another thing that was a big deal to me is that with most fitted diapers, once the child pees you can feel the dampness on the outside almost right away. They are not waterproof, so they usually require a cover over them if they are going to be wearing it for a couple hours (especially if the child is wearing pants). Well, after an hour and a half of Noah wearing this diaper, it did not feel wet on the outside. I thought maybe he hadn't peed at all (he's 17 months and not peeing as much) but when I took the diaper off, I could tell he'd peed at least once. The snap-in insert is just SO absorbent that it didn't go through to the outside.
I absolutely love this diaper, and wish I could sell a handful of my current fitted diapers to buy more. She also makes a hybrid type diaper that I really want to try. And she also makes newborn diapers... I already know I'll be buying a few from her when I'm pregnant again.
Pros - I *love* super soft fitteds, and this definitely is one. It fits great, the leg bands are soft (don't dig into chubby thighs) and has a great fold-down rise for smaller babies. It's well made, adorable print and.. oh... did I mention how soft it is? And it's very absorbent, and I don't even have a heavy-wetter. This diaper would be great for heavy-wetters or for overnight.
Cons - Hmmm, I can't think of any. Honestly. In terms of one size fitted diapers, this one is spot on.
If you're looking for a Canadian-made, awesome fitted diaper, go check out Urban Bums Boutique. She's an awesome Mama who makes amazing cloth diapers!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
All natural lip balm giveaway!
<a id="rc-e8091f1" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e8091f1/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>
----
And check back soon for a new post including a couple of new work-at-home-Mom diaper reviews!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
The cheapest way to cloth diaper - use prefolds!
Yes, it looks like a rag. And plenty of Moms keep them and use them as kitchen/bathroom rags once their babies are out of diapers. A "prefold" is basically a big "flat" diaper (like our parents used on us) that is prefolded and sewn in place. The centre section is the thickest and more absorbent. You can buy these in newborn, infant and toddler sizes.
There are many different "folds" to put a prefold on as a diaper. 2 things you need when using a prefold as a diaper are: a snappi (or diaper pins) and a waterproof cover.
Here is an awesome video tutorial on the different folds.
I must admit here that I've never used a prefold, folded into a diaper. I do not own a snappi, or diaper pins. I never thought I'd use these "old fashion" cloth diapers. I did buy a dozen of them, used, when Noah was first born, with the intention of using them as backup diapers. And then I discovered the amazing concept of trifolding a prefold and laying it in a cover (Flip, Monkey Doodlez Tuck and Go). I love Flip covers, but their inserts just didn't work for us. So, one day I tried laying a prefold in the cover instead and - voila! Worked great!
I also use trifolded prefolds to stuff pocket diapers alot these days, as I recently stopped using microfiber inserts.
Prefolds are cotton (most of mine are unbleached organic) and very absorbant. They might not be as trim as microfibre inserts, but it's more than worth it in my eyes to use a more natural material. I actually use pocket diapers more now that I ever did in Noah's first year because I hated the leaking, often caused by bunched microfibre inserts. Since I started using prefolds to stuff pocket diapers, no leaks!
Another plus to using prefolds is that they are great to use when a rash (yeast, even) is present because they are easy to boil (in a big pot of water) or bleach to disinfect. They are also inexpensive and don't have snaps or velcro, so you don't have to worry about ruining them like you would your pocket or all in one diapers.
Lastly, Noah's prefolds were a lifesaver this summer when I decided to keep using cloth diapers for our week-long trip to the cottage. I didn't have access to a washing machine, so I brought 15 prefolds and my Grovia and Flip covers. I handwashed them in the bath tub every other day, with my liquid Nature Clean detergent, rinsed really well and hung them outside to dry. It worked amazing, even for overnight (I brought a few hemp boosters for that).
I definitely never thought I'd use prefolds on a daily basis, but I do. Along with the fitteds and pockets and all-in-ones, I use prefolds just the same. They are absorbant, cheap and relatively easy to use (though I wouldn't leave them with Daddy for diaper changes, unless it was pre-stuffed into a pocket). They also dry quickly (I line dry) but can be tossed in the dryer if necessary as well.
And yes, I'll be using these on future babies and then as rags/cleaning cloths for around the house!
Monday, July 23, 2012
Cloth vs. Disposable Diapers - A Cost Comparison from (half) Personal Experience
While I was pregnant, I bought all of Noah’s newborn diapers. I bought them slowly over the course of a few months and I bought all but FIVE used. And those five that were new from The Extraordinary Baby Shoppe, my Mom bought for me. I had about 20 newborn fitteds, 2 all in ones and 4 covers. Total I spent MAX was about $150. Those lasted Noah (who was a big baby who grew fast) until about five weeks old. If I had a smaller baby they could have lasted a month longer.
I had about 10 size small diapers, which Noah wore after he outgrew the newborn diapers but before the “one size” diapers fit him well. They were Monkey Doodlez TAG system, Bum Genious AIOs and Thirsties Fab Fitteds and AIOs. I also had 2 size small covers. Total I spent on these diapers was about $100 (the Monkey Doodlez were new, the rest used).
Then I started to buy “one size” diapers, which started fitting Noah around 2 months old. I had about 10 pocket diapers ($10 each or less, used), 15 fitteds of many different brands ($10-$12 each), 3 or 4 hybrid diapers ($12-15 each) and around 5 AIOs ($15 each). So that makes this section around $350. Only one or two of the fitteds and one of the Grovia Hyrids were bought new – the rest were all bought used.
I don’t (and haven’t since he was about a month old) used disposable wipes either. I use cloth wipes and wash them with the diapers. Actually, I use inexpensive baby wash cloths (the thin ones) as wipes. I’ve spent MAYBE $10 in total on them, and I have about 40. So, if I total up those amounts, we are at $600. I’ll also add the cost of wetbags ($30 total) and my big diaper pail ($25). So, let’s say $660. Of course I sold some that didn’t work as well and bought others, but that’s definitely a good estimate of the cost of the first year of cloth diapering Noah.
You’re probably thinking well what about all that extra hydro and water you’re using to wash those bad boys? Guess what? My water bill hasn’t changed a bit over the past year, and our hydro bills are actually less than they were when I was pregnant. So I’m not adding anything extra for that. I do use a speical detergent for washing the diapers (Nature Clean liquid) but it costs $5 every two months or so. It’s such a tiny expense, but I’ll even add that $30 to the total. So $690 TOTAL . And please don’t forget I can (and will be) use these same diapers for NO EXTRA COST on future baby(s).
Now, I’m looking at the Walmart website in Canadian dollars for these prices of disposable diapers. Huggies Little Snugglers (newborn) are $20 for 60 diapers. I’d say 10 per day so that would last 7 days at the most. So if I used those for the 1st month (they say they go up to 10 lbs so that would have been accurate for Noah), I would have spent $80 + taxes. ($20 x 4 weeks)
Huggies Little Snugglers size 2 say they fit 12-18 lbs, so they would have fit Noah from 6 weeks til about 4 months. They are $65 for a huge box of 248. Let’s still say 10 diapers per day, so 248 divided by 10 = about 25 days that would last. SO, even if it lasted a month, times two months would be $130 + taxes, at least.
So, now say I decided to switch to Pampers Baby Dry size 3, which say they fit 16-28 lbs. If Noah was in disposables, he’d still be wearing this size (he’s currently 25 lbs). These are on the website for a huge box of 222 for $50. Even if I cut back to 8 diapers per day, this would last a month, approximately. So, from 4 months until 1 year old (8 months) these would cost $400 + taxes.
So, I would have spent approximately $700 on disposables over the last year (I added in some taxes), AND made about a million extra bags of garbage (okay, I’m exaggerating a bit). Oh, and that doesn’t include the cost of disposable wipes. They are around $4 for a 64 count tub… that would last a month maybe? So I’ll add an extra $50 there. And how about we include a diaper pail as well? They are around $40 plus the refills for the bags. Let’s make this an even $800.
Like I said, I just used prices I found on Walmart.ca . You may find lower prices online, at warehouse stores, or by using coupons on whatever brand is on sale. I understand that you can find disposable diapers for much less than this (using coupons and store brands) but this is an estimate.
Even if I round up and say I’ve spent $800 on cloth diapers and accessories over the past year, and I would have spent $800 on disposables (and wipes and pail), it seems to be the same, cost wise. But you have to remember that Noah will probably be in diapers for another year and I don’t have to spend another cent (other than detergent and hydro/water). Also, I plan to have at least 1 more baby, maybe 2, so the same diapers will get used again, with no addition money spent.
Aside from cost, there are of course other reasons to chose cloth or disposable diapers. And of course it’s a personal preference.
Pros of cloth diapering:
- Significantly cheaper (if you only buy as much as you need to wash every 2-3 days. Some people have WAY more than that)
- Creates (much) less trash
- “One Size” diapers often work well from 10-12 lbs all the way until potty training. No need to keep buying different size diapers
- You can use the same stash of diapers on 2 or 3 (or more) babies
- Children who are cloth diapered generally learn to use the potty earlier
- You can sell your cloth diapers when you are finished with them and make some of the money you spent back!
Cons of cloth diapering:
- You have to touch pee and poop on a daily basis (doesn’t bother me) Extra laundry (2 extra loads per week)
- There could be added costs for laundry detergent, water, and hydro
Pros of disposable diapering:
- Easier to travel with because finding a washer dryer is not a concern (I still travel with cloth diapers – I even hand wash if need be)
- You can buy them at any superstore, warehouse, drugstore or grocery store
Cons of disposable diapering:
- More expensive and you have nothing but trash to show for it
- Each child creates around 4,000 dirty diapers from birth to potty training. That’s a lot of garbage
- Chemicals in the diapers touching your baby’s sensitive skin
Monday, July 16, 2012
Bubba Baby Bum Balm Giveaway!
If you are already a fan of the Facebook page then all you have to do is comment on this post and "like" it!
Thanks for helping me spread the Bubba Baby Bum Balm love!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Bubba Baby Bum Balm
The Facebook page is here and I'm planning on making a Etsy page as well in the near future. Once we get to 50 likes on the Facebook page, there will be a giveaway!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Cloth Diapering a Newborn
3 Kissaluvs size 0 (my favourite newborn fitteds)
5 Smarty Pants diaper service newborn fitteds (I bought new off Kijiji)
2 GroVia newborn all-in-ones
2 Tot Bots Tiny Fits
3 Bummis Super Brite newborn covers
1 Rearz newborn cover
I also had three size small Monkey Doodlez Tuck and Go covers and inserts. I started using them when he was a few weeks old, though they say they fit 6-18lbs.
On top of that, I bought a big "cloth diaper pail" at a local baby boutique. I do love it and some of it's features (it's huge, it has a built-in charcoal filter for smell, etc) but I also now suggest just buying a $10 plastic garbage pail with a lid, from Walmart. I got a big Rearz pail liner in the newborn pack that I talk about here. It's my main pail liner. I also got a Bummis pail liner as a gift, which I love as my hanging wet bag downstairs. It doesn't fit in my huge diaper pail though. I have two small wet bags, Fuzzi Buns and Bummis brands, that I alternate, for my diaper bag. They each hold about 4 diapers.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Diaper Rash Creams and Cloth Diapers
The main ingredient in diaper rash creams is zinc oxcide, and that is one of the things that helps form a barrier between the wetness of the diaper and the baby's bum. The problem is, anything that creates a barrier like this is going to prohibit the cloth diapers from absorbing properly. This can cause repelling issues and the need to "strip" your diapers.
Creams to avoid:
Penaten
Destin
A & D
And other zinc based creams/ointments
So, what can you use? Honestly, a lot of babies that are cloth diapered don't often get rashes and don't require rash creams.
It has alot do with how often the diapers are being changed. I change Noah around the 1.5 hour mark, always, and earlier if I know he's pooped. The only time he's in the same diaper longer than that is overnight (because let's face it, he never naps longer than 1.5 hours during the day). In over 6 months, I've only dealt with diaper rash once. He was around a month old and it was just red and sore looking. I Googled to try to find a cream that was cloth diaper safe and discovered that coconut oil can be used as a natural remedy, as well as a preventative at every diaper change. Noah has sensitive skin so I started using it at every diaper change (just a little bit). The redness went away and has not returned.
Some cloth diaper safe bum creams that can be bought online/in stores:
Delish Yum Bum Butter
CJs BUTTer
Grovia Magic Stick
Thirsties Booty Spray
And there are many more.
I just started making and selling my own natural bum balm as well, Bubba Baby Bum Balm! I'll be selling on Etsy soon. I use it at every other diaper change as a prevenitive. It also works great as a moisturizer for dry skin and helps heal scrapes and acne.
If your baby develops a rash that you feel needs a stronger cream/ointment, be sure to use a liner like Rearz or Bummis flushable liners, so the cream doesn't get into the cloth.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Pay it forward?
Monday, January 16, 2012
Monkey Doodlez discount code!
And if you are looking to try a new system yourself, Monkey Doodlez have been nice enough to give me a discount code for 15% off Tuck and Go covers and inserts from www.monkeydoodlez.com , for Cloth Diaper World readers! Order your covers and inserts in the next 10 days and use the code clothdiaperworld15 !
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Night time Solutions
Oh, the dreaded night time solution. The worst part about cloth diapering at night is that every baby is different, therefore there is no “perfect” combination that will work for everyone. This is not an easy post to write. I have talked to many people who cloth diaper during the day but use disposables at night because they are afraid of leaks. I get it - we've all been there. I was used to changing my son's diaper every three hours, all day and all night. So when he started sleeping for longer periods, everything changed.
I will have a list at the bottom that will be suggestions - things that have worked for people I have talked to. This might help some people make the switch from disposables to cloth for night time, if that what your intention is.
I’m sure there are parents out there that are able to use the same cloth diapers they use during the day for overnight. Maybe for babies that aren’t “heavy wetters” or for parents that change diapers a couple of time a night. But my son is a heavy wetter and sleeps through the night, so I needed something different, something better for over night.
When I say “night time solutions” I mean a solution to keep baby’s jammies and bed sheets dry, without changing the diaper during the night.
When Noah was a newborn, he woke up at 2am and 5am, every night. So, at 2am and 5am, I took him out of his bed (which was in our bedroom) and took him across the hall to his room. There, I changed his diaper and then sat in the glider to nurse him back to sleep. I didn’t have specific night time newborn diapers, but I did use all fitted diapers and PUL covers at the time. It worked well, I never had an issue.
I didn’t experience him waking up with wet jammies until he was around one and a half months old. He started sleeping longer stretches at night, sometimes seven or eight hours. While it was wonderful getting so much more sleep, I worried about him being in a wet diaper so long. He was mostly out of newborn size diapers and into size small. I was just putting whatever diaper I grabbed on him – Thirsties Fab Fitteds with small Bummis or Rearz cover, Thirsties Duo diapers, Tiny Bots all-in-one, etc. Sometimes he woke up dry, sometimes his jammies were soaked. It was frustrating because I didn’t have the “solution”.
One night I remembered I had bought five used Bamboozle fitted diapers, when I was pregnant. I had two “size 1” and three “size 2”. I knew that bamboo was more absorbent than the synthetic materials I’d been using, so I figured I’d give them a try for over night. The size 1 seemed really big at first, because they fit 5-18 lbs. Noah was about 12 lbs when I started using them. I put a cover over it and while his bum looked huge, I felt confident. And I’ve never looked back. He’s now into the size 2, which fits 10-35 lbs. I started using this size when was about three months old, because the rise on the size 1 was getting short – though he wasn’t at the weight maximum yet. I use these diapers probably five nights out of the week, always with a Thirsties Duo Wrap with leg gussets.
My secondary night time solution is a Motherease one-size fitted diaper, with a hemp booster. I either use a Thirsties cover or a wool soaker. I (and moreso Noah) never have to deal with wet jammies or sheets anymore.
But, of course, just because these diapers work well for us doesn’t mean there aren’t other great night time solutions out there. Others that may work for you:
Canadian made options:
Motherease One size fitted
Motherease Sandy's fitted
Rearz Smitten fitted
Bububebe fitted
A Lovely Start fitted
Other fitteds:
Goodmama
PiddlePoodles
Kissaluvs
*All of these would work well with a PUL cover or wool soaker. Just make sure none of the diaper itself is sticking out of the cover.
Pocket lovers might want to try:
Kawaii Good Night Heavy Wetters
Blueberry pocket “fully stuffed” (hemp and microfibre inserts
Bum Genius pocket “double stuffed” (two microfibre inserts)
Adding hemp doublers and a wool soaker to a fitted diaper is often a "bullet proof" combination. It may make for a super fluffy bum but at least baby's jammies will stay dry all night.
"Double stuffing" or "fully stuffing" a pocket diaper means to use all the inserts the diaper came with, or even adding extra inserts or doublers.
It depends on the age of the baby and whether or not they are a "heavy wetter", but any of these options may be the perfect "night time solution" for you and your baby.