I'm back!

I have not posted / updated here in TOO long. My son has been fully using the toilet (I don't like the term potty trained, anyone else?) since last July/August. He was still in diapers overnight but cloth diapers just haven't been a big part of my daily routine in the last while. Now he's even in underwear overnight! I can't believe he'll be 3 years old in July.

But I'm going to be thrown back into the world of cloth diapers SOON! I'm due with baby #2 in less than 10 weeks. It's a girl, and I have gone a bit overboard (to be expected, right?!) buying girly newborn and one size diapers. I have sold a handful of the "boyish" diapers I had for Noah, but mostly I will use the same diapers again.

I will be getting back into giveaways and reviews, too! I have an awesome post written out about wool and overnight diapers, as well - but I haven't gotten around to typing it out yet. Coming soon - keep an eye out.

Changes and good things to come.

I know it's been awhile since I posted here. My son has been potty trained since he turned 2 years old, 6 months ago. He still wears cloth diapers at bed time but only his "boring" over night diapers (mostly Bamboozles fitteds and a couple other very absorbent fitteds). He wears fleece or wool pants over his diapers and he generally sleeps all night. He's two and a half and very much a "big boy", as he says. Diapers haven't been on my mind lately, at all.

BUT... I'm pregnant! Almost 20 weeks, due in early June. I'm very excited to haul out the vacuum-sealed bag of newborn cloth diapers to wash and prep them, and of course get them on another tiny baby bottom. This blog will be up and full of action again soon, I promise. My world will soon revolve around cloth diapers again!

I have a giveaway in the works as well as a few different reviews I've been meaning to do. I also have been working on a few new pages for the blog, general information and updates to some of the pages. Let me know if there's anything you want to see here.

Bubba Baby Products Giveaway - 200 Fans!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mama Cloth

A little off topic of cloth diapers, but I really feel the need to do a post about Mama cloth (ie: cloth menstrual pads). I did not get my first postpartum period until my son was 16 months old, just two months ago. But I'd been researching Mama cloth for many months before that, knowing I wanted to use them when my body finally decided to get back to normal.

I first discovered Luna Pads because a local baby boutique sells them. This was when Noah was pretty little and I was first thinking about switching to cloth pads when my period returned. I used disposable pads for my postpartum bleeding and I used tampons for years and years prior to becoming pregnant, without really thinking about it much. But suddenly I was cloth diapering my baby and *so* against disposable items that, really, how could I go back to using tampons? Luna Pads were soft and seems like a pretty good choice, but the price of them threw me off a bit. Around $20 per pad was a bit much in my opinion because I wasn't sure how many I'd need. Their 3-pack is $75 on their website.

So instead, I decided to ask around and see if anyone on my local and Canadian cloth diaper groups made mama cloth or had any ones they suggested. And I was overwhelmed with the response I got. Many people suggested Treehuggers Cloth Pads. They have many packages available and the prices are great (they work out to about $11 per pad). They make liners, day pads, overnight pads and postpartum pads. They even make wetbags specifically for the cloth pads (purse-sized). I *love* the design and absorbency (and the soft minky) of the Treehuggers pads.

I also bought some off a Mama from my Canadian cloth diaper group (on Facebook). She just makes them per order. They are a different design and cut (than the Treehuggers) but I do really like them as well. I got two panty liners and two pads from her for $20!

My "routine" for the mama cloth is similar to the cloth diapers. I put the pad on (all of mine have snaps to hold them in place), they are really absorbent so I wear them a couple of hours or until I'm not comfortable with it, then unsnap and put on a new one. I run the cold water in the bathroom sink and "rinse" the soiled pad. I even wring it out a few times. It doesn't gross me out, but I can see how not everyone would do this. Then I toss it in a separate wet bag that hangs on the bathroom doorknob. I wash them with diapers every other day, so they get a good cold rinse and a good hot wash.

I have 6 pads at the moment and 2 liners, and having gone through my second period since giving birth (and using these) I know how that I'd like to have about 2-4 more pads and two more liners - then I could just wash them at the end of my period each month. Because they don't get washed all that often in perspective they are going to last a long time. All of the pads I have wash up very well and have not stained. Possibly if I didn't rinse as well they might get slight staining but even then they would whiten up with some sun.

I don't really talk about the mama cloth to people in person that often. For whatever reason (I guess the same as cloth diapers) it grosses people out. But I do love using reusable pads as much as I love using cloth diapers on my baby.

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!