Thirsties Duo AIO

Normally I wouldn’t come out with a review a day after a new diaper is released. I like to take my time and really test out a diaper with BW to see how it works. It’s easy to quickly get caught up in the excitement of a new diaper in a stash, new color, style, etc., and lose sight of how well it really functions. In this case, I knew Thirsties Duo All-In-One {AIO} was a great diaper before I even put in on BW’s biscuits. It’s exactly like Thirsties Duo Fab Fitteds but with a PUL waterproof cover. {Remember an All In One is a diaper with the soaker sewn in place. No stuffing or folding necessary for use.} I have experience with Thirsties Fitteds, especially nighttime use, and so I knew the fit and absorbency of the Duo AIO would be great. Thirsties Duo AIO is very trim both in the rear and between the legs. And like the Duo Fitted, the Duo AIO has a tunnel opening to allow for extra absorbency to be added if you need it. This makes for a great diaper for naps, nights, and extended trips away from home. All you  need to do is stuff in a Thirsties Fab Doubler or Thirsties Hemp Insert, depending on your baby’s needs, and you have a diaper that can really hold up to a super soaker. The tunnel opening between the soaker and the waterproof layer also helps with washing and drying. More water can get to the microfiber layers as well as more air flow whether you air dry or use a dryer.

AIOs are also well known for being easy for care givers to use. There is no need to fold a prefold or use a snappi, no snapping & unsnapping a soaker pad, or stuffing a pocket. Thirsties Duo AIO is very similar to the use of a disposable diaper, but without the waste and chemicals of a disposable.

Maybe by this point you’re wondering what’s up with the use of the word ‘Duo’ in front of just about every Thirsties product. This is because they make 2 sizes for each diaper and diaper accessory. Size 1 fits from 6 to 18 lbs and Size 2 fits 18-40 lbs. With each size there are 3 rise settings. Thirsties came up with this sizing to help combat the problem of one size diapers never truly fitting the teeny-weeny-newborn stage and the almost-big-kid-potty-learning stage. The Duo line of products are definitely made to fit newborn to potty learning.

I know I always say to keep a stash simple by using as few brands & styles as possible, but with an AIO it’s easy to add it to whatever stash you may have already built up. I highly recommend Thirsties Duo AIO. Give it a shot. At $15.75 a diaper, it’s well worth a place in your stash!  

A Non-Cloth, Cloth Diaper Baby Shower Gift

Want to give a baby shower gift that shows off how great cloth diapers are, but are worried about giving a gift that won’t be used? Or you don’t want to be pushy about how great cloth diapers are to a new mom? I remember registering for my first baby and being completely overwhelmed. It took me months to research and register for everything that I needed and thought I just had to have. Keeping that in mind, it’s no wonder that I never seriously considered cloth. My brain wouldn’t have been able to make any more decisions after choosing a stroller, car seat, blankets, crib, pacifiers {there are about 1,000,000 of those to choose from}, etc. So without causing a new mama’s head explode, I have a great, green gift idea for you. GroVia Shells in hook & loop and a package or two of GroVia BioSoakers. It’s seriously the best of both worlds. Earth friendly, disposable inserts paired with cute, easy to use cloth covers. It’s the perfect match to let a new mama experience the best of cloth without using cloth. Huh? Think about it. She will get to experience diapering a newborn without blowouts. {Isn’t this really the best part of using cloth diapers?!} Chances are she doesn’t have firsthand knowledge about blowouts at her baby shower, but she will by the end of the first couple of weeks of her precious baby’s life. Desperate for an answer to her problems, she’ll vaguely remember the set of “hippie” diapers {her words, not mine} you gave her at her shower and give them a shot. And like the miracle she was searching for, she’ll find the “transitional” cloth diapers you gave her are perfect. Then wanting more of these hippie miracle diapers, she’ll call you. Hearing her tired and desperate voice, you’ll let her know all about cloth diapers. And of course you’ll tell her to shop at Green Baby Elephant, which is where you found out about this fabulous baby shower gift in the first place. And we all lived happily ever after. *sigh*  

See pictures of how BioSoakers work with GroVia shells here.

Also, for the month of August 2011, every GroVia diaper {Shells, AIOs, Newborn AIOs} in Ice {light blue} and Cosmos {light pink} are buy 2 get 1 free. So now is a perfect time to stock up for future baby shower gifts. No scrambling around last minute at a baby store searching for items off a registry! And want to add more to your gift without actually gifting cloth? You can add any combination of the following to your gift to really show how useful cloth diapering accessories are: cloth wipes {can be used a washcloths}, a wet bag {to hold poo covered clothes while disposables are being used, which will then convert to a true wet bag utility after cloth diapers are used}, diaper rash balm {Magic Stick or Rockin' Delish}, and/or cloth diaper safe detergent {Tiny Bubbles, Thirsties Super Wash, or Rockin’ Green as an alternative to Dreft to be used on baby’s clothes}.  Now pat yourself on the back for putting together a unique and green baby gift!

~~Tonya~~

Diarrhea Tool Kit

A stomach bug has been messing with BW for most of the month, and yesterday it was full on war. BW had terrible diarrhea. {Why is it that the majority of my posts are all about poo?!?} Poor little guy had 7 poo’s in less than 2 hours. And that was all before the doctor’s office even opened. Ugh! It was quite a day. We spent the majority of the day changing diapers, going to the doctor, and the lab. The lab needed poo samples. So a low point of my journey in mommy-hood was reached yesterday as I was collected poo samples out of his diapers. So gross and at the same time so blasé. You can’t scare me, I’m a mom!

While my day revolved around BW’s bm’s, I figured out a few things. First, don’t make things more difficult than they need be. After about 4 diaper changes I remembered I have GroVia BioSoakers. The disposable inserts were a lifesaver. I was running out of diapers fast yesterday morning. A load of diapers were in the wash before BW even woke, so a good portion of my stash was in the process of getting clean. At the rate BW was going, I would have run out of diapers if it weren’t for the BioSoakers. The second thing I learned was that plain water and cloth wipes made BW scream a little less. His poor biscuits were becoming frighteningly red! And the last thing in my diarrhea tool kit was diaper cream with *gasp* zinc oxide. I had to pull out the big guns and get some major cream on his bum. The BioSoakers again came in handy since creams with zinc oxide shouldn’t be used on cloth.

Today’s been a bit better for BW. Hopefully, the doctor will call by Friday with the test results. Until then, we’re sticking close to home. I highly recommend keeping some BioSoakers on hand for emergencies. Yesterday would have been even more of a disaster without them!

On a side note, CW was a dream yesterday. He helped by being my errand boy around the house. I would have been even more of a wreck without him. Smoochies to my little man!! You’re an amazing big brother, CW.

CW is lovin' on his little Bro

Dang It's Hot Out

We don't have a swimming pool, so we beat the heat with the next best thing...sprinklers & a pirate water table. My boys had a great time splashing around in the water while I raked the grass. Darn pine tree messing up my yard! I decked out BW in a super cute Swimmi. What's a Swimmi you ask? It's a swim diaper! And not just any swim diaper, it's a super duper swim diaper. What's so super duper about it? Man, are you asking a lot of questions! It's so super since it opens in the front with hook & loop tabs. I have used other reusable swim diapers in the past, and they were the pull up kinds. Bad news, people. Think about what swim diapers are meant to hold in...poo. Now think about pulling off a wet swim diaper with poo inside. Close your eyes for the full effect. EEEEEEWWWWWWWWW! A Swimmi will not need to be pulled down your babe's legs thanks to the hook & loop tabs. Now picture taking off a wet Swimmi with a poo inside. Close your eyes if need be. Now wasn't that a better image?!

For the price of a pack of disposable swim diapers you can get a Swimmi instead. And with a disposable pack of swim diapers you are limited to the number of times you can swim by the number of diapers in the pack. With a Swimmi your baby can swim all summer long!! If you're on the fence about cloth, think of a Swimmi as your gateway diaper. Cloth is easy, and a Swimmi will prove it to you!

And for the mama's that are more experienced with using cloth diapers, I do NOT recommend using one of your regular cloth diaper covers as a swim diaper. Once you use a diaper in the pool, it should only be used in the pool. The harsh chemicals aren't good for the PUL/TPU waterproofing part of the diaper. Your covers/shells/pockets are more expensive than the Swimmi.

I hope you all had a pleasantly hot first day of summer! Here in Tucson, I'll probably pack up BW's Swimmi in October!! Summer's only just begun here...

Thirsties Newborn Review

My favorite diaper to use at nighttime so far is the thirsties duo diaper. Since EB is less than two weeks we are still on a very loose schedule and I usually put him in one of these around 11pm. He will typically wear these for anywhere from about 3-4 hours during the night. I started using the Duo Diaper size 1 when EB was around 1 week old and I noticed he was eating more and therefore "going" more. He weighed about 8lbs 8oz when we began using them.  I make sure that I have them stuffed and ready to go before bedtime each evening.  So far, I only have two of them, and am in the process of acquiring more of them ASAP! I have to say, I love them and I haven't had to worry about leakage, yet (hopefully not ever). The Duo Diaper insert consists of a thin microfiber insert and a hemp insert. It is a breeze to stuff! By far the easiest pocket diaper to stuff! Especially if you do not have tiny hands that some of them seem to require I like that the inserts snap together because it makes my life a little easier when stuffing the diaper. I don't have to make sure that one of the liners isn't bunched up on the other. I have the diaper snapped on the smallest setting, and it seems perfect size for right now. Once his umbilical cord finally falls out I will probably move it to the first snap. I find it to be bulky on him which is why for now it is a nighttime diaper only. I think that if you have a small newborn you may want to wait until they are at least 8lbs. to use it. Also, it does rub on his little umbilical cord a little.  He doesn't seem bothered. However, if you are squeamish you may want to wait until it falls out to begin using these diapers. I think that so far the only con would be how much more bulky it is than a newborn diaper, and that is because it is more of a OS diaper instead of a true newborn diaper. It is nice that this diaper will grow with EB, as it has 3 rise settings.

Now on to the pros of the thirsties duo.: )  The fact that it has openings on both sides makes it easy to push the insert in one side and pull it through the other side and really easy to make sure that it is even and not twisted anywhere. I also really like the hook and loop. It is easy for my husband to use and best resembles a disposable for the caretakers that are new to cloth. The biggest bonus of the hook and loop is its ease of use in the middle of the night when sleep deprived and without ample lighting. I have not paid attention to the noise it makes, and it hasn't seemed to affect EB so it must be quiet enough.
I really like the leg gussets and it makes me feel good knowing that there is that extra layer of protection. I don't have to worry about him getting wet in the middle of the night. Newborns legs are so skinny that the gussets really help to prevent leakage! I don't know about you, but I want to avoid having to change a baby's clothes in the middle of the night and risk waking them up too much!

Last night I used the hemp prefold for the first time, and it held a lot and his skin was still pretty dry. I haven’t had any poo go to the wrap, and was then able to use the wrap a few more times. The wrap also fits nicely over the fitteds. And I love the fitteds. They are so soft, and never a leak!!

As for washing the Duo Diaper and the rest of the Thirsties products, it is easy. I do pull the liner out of the Duo Diaper even though the directions specifically state that it is unnecessary.  I am just in the habit of it and don't mind doing it. But know that it is not required before you throw it in the washing machine. I am currently using the Rockin Green detergent and have a top loading HE machine with no agitator. This is a great combination for my diapers.  The diaper and wrap both dry in no time at all and the microfiber insert dries in a flash as well.  The hemp insert, stay-dry insert, fitteds, and prefolds take a little bit longer. The prefolds and hemp inserts do not get very stiff with only air drying. A few good shakes takes out the little bit of stiffness. It is like having a t-shirt air dry. While soft, it will be a little crunchy, but not rough.  I have been drying everything on my drying rack outside, thanks to the awesome weather! I have also used the dryer and that works great too.  However, I love to save money and it makes me happy to dry them outside naturally and FREE of cost!!
Also, I feel that this is worth repeating over and over again...The sun is a miracle stain remover!!!!! I can honestly say that my serious fear of yucky stained diapers is so over and done with! It is amazing! After less than an hour in full sun, my diapers look brand spankin' new! Since I don't get out much lately this has become the highlight of my day. Putting stained dipes in the sun and watching the stains literally disappear before my eyes with no extra effort or expense on my part is so exciting to a sleep deprived new momma, like myself!
I truly hope that my cloth diapering adventures help convert some of you curious mommas or mommas- to-be out there. Let me assure you that I can be a nervous nelly about lots of things and using cloth diapers from day 1 with my 2nd baby was a major decision while I was pregnant.  I am SO happy that I put my nerves on the back burner and allowed myself to have a different experience. I have been all about trying new things with this baby. I have more confidence in myself and my ability to be a great Momma this time around and am so much more relaxed.
So far I really love using cloth diapers and I have to say my husband is way more supportive than I thought he would be. He does complain that I have to wash them every day....so I recommend having a bigger stash than I currently do. I have 12 newborn Grovia AIO, 2 x-small Fuzzibunz, 2 Thirsties fitted size 1, 1 Thirsties Duo Wrap size 1, 2 Thirsties prefolds and 2 Thirsties Duo Diapers size 1. If your baby is like mine, then nearly every diaper you change will have a "skid mark", and you will be changing frequently. I don’t feel as if I am changing more often than if I were using disposables. It is just the poo that keeps me changing diapers very often!
I know that I have not answered all of your questions, I still have some myself.  So, I will continue to be the guinea pig Momma and EB the guinea pig baby.  We are still experimenting and learning about all that cloth has to offer.  At least I can honestly say that I am not nervous and anxious about laundering cloth diapers anymore.
So, more to come on different diapers and tricks and tips learned by trial and error.

~Nina~

I heart Snaps

So I don’t think I have given snap diapers a fair shake, especially since I have professed an undying love for hook & loop closures. Shame on me. I have recently changed up my stash as I have sent my GroBaby shells in to be converted from hook & loop to snaps. {This will be blogged about when they return.} While they’re gone, it has come to my attention that I have a lot of diapers that have snaps. And I like them. *gasp*

My FuzziBunz diapers still look like new after a little over a year of use. I’m sure you’re thinking, yeah right. But it is true. The snaps don’t show any wear like diapers with hook & loop do. Also, the PUL looks like new as well. I’ve used the several FuzziBunz that I own just about every day. Most often they are used for naps and outings and on occasion nights with hemp inserts. They do rotate so as to keep them from wearing, but I honestly don’t see any wear and tear on them like other diapers {that are fully functional, just a little tired looking}. FuzziBunz diapers come with a 1 year warranty on the snaps, PUL, elastic, and sewing/workmanship defects. But wait there’s more! FuzziBunz {one size} includes extra elastic so that even after the warranty is up you can add more life to your diaper.  They claim that their snaps will last 3+ years, and based on my first year of use I believe it!

And now that it is getting hot here in Tucson, BW sports a t-shirt and diaper around the house. Snaps don’t snag on the carpet and busy, little hands can’t undo them. When putting BW in his crib for naps sans shorts, I’m not worried that he can take of his diaper and make a poo masterpiece. I have heard horror stories about poo masterpieces from my mom about my brother. {Sorry, bro.} He was wearing a disposable, and had obviously mastered the art {haha} of taking off his diaper. I’m not worried about this when I put BW in a diaper with snaps.

Isn’t BW a pain in the rear to change? Yes. How do I manage to put on a diaper with snaps? I don’t know. I like to think of it as mommy strength. I could lift a car if I had to. But since I have never had to lift a car, I think I’ll stick with what I know I can do. I do wrestle him a bit when putting on snaps, but it’s worth it knowing that he can’t take the diaper off.

FuzziBunz one size {OS} diapers have 3 snaps, and the perfect size have 2 snaps. I use both kinds, OS for BW and perfect size for CW at night. CW has outgrown the OS diapers, but that’s no surprise. He’s outgrown just about every OS diaper. Large and extra-large perfect size diapers fit him well for nights. I lined up all the perfect size diapers so you can see the size differences. Unfortunately, I didn’t do all the possible sizes for the OS diaper. You would have been bored by the pictures. The OS has 8+ button settings and the waist adjusts to 4+ button settings. If you’d like to do the math to find out how many sizes you can come up with, knock yourself out. I’m content to say that is A LOT of adjustments. While it isn’t as easy to adjust the sizing as a diaper that has a snap down rise, once it is sized it’s not like you are adjusting it constantly. You can get a very nice custom fit with the OS diaper. And there is no need for guessing sizes as FuzziBunz has a size chart. Using the size chart makes it easy to customize it to fit your baby.

So I confess. I love my FuzziBunz. The colors are great. The fit is great. And for the month of May, the value of the OS FuzziBunz is unbeatable. Buy 5 and get the 6th one FREE. Since I was a math teacher in a former life, I’ll break it down for you. Instead of 19.95 a dipe, it comes to 16.63 a dipe. Make the deal even sweeter by buying a 2 pack that comes with free matching Leggies. You can find all FuzziBunz products at one place at Green Baby Elephant's store.



Two major events have occurred in my family. The first being I have a new, precious nephew *swoon*, and the second is that BW has decided to walk more than 2 steps. I like to think that his walking is based on the fact that he knows he is no longer the baby of the family now that he has a baby cousin. I’m not used to BW walking around, and it makes me a little sad that he’s literally stepping into toddlerhood. *sniff*


If you're happy and you know it...


~~Tonya~~

Earth Day Faux Pas

Since using cloth diapers, I have made more of a conscience effort to be greener in my everyday life. Nothing major like going off the grid or anything, but just small changes that I feel will slowly make a difference. I talked more about this is my post about the 3 R’s. So when Earth Day rolled around, I really want to make a point to be green. I went to Target, and forgot my bags. No biggie though. I just threw my purchases in my purse/diaper bag. It’s a big bag, but I also have to brag that I walked out of Target and spent under $100. Sweet! Next on my list for the day was laundry. I switched to washing the boys’ clothes on cold. I don’t know why I have been washing their clothes warm/cold, but I have since CW was born. With the amount of laundry we do this should help offset a tiny bit of the impending electricity costs once the A/C is running this summer. But I’m really switching to cold water to keep from being wasteful and using warm water for no reason. So far the score is Earth 2 Me 0. WooHoo!



my hip purse/diaper bag



Now on to the tragedy of the day. {The title did give it away.} Since Earth Day was also Good Friday, we had plans to visit with family and go to church in the evening. Once again, no biggie. I leave the house all the time using cloth diapers. But that day happened to be the holy day for the green movement. I had to get this right. No pressure. I packed my bag: wipes, wet bag {the most forgotten item in my bag}, toys, snacks, cup, bib, books, wallet, keys, diaper. Let me be more specific. That was one diaper & no phone. *gah* How did I make it without my phone?! Easy. I spent a good amount of energy kicking myself for packing one diaper. BW  needed changings in record time, so the diaper he was wearing when we left the house and the diaper I packed were used. Here I was at Good Friday service on the verge of gagging while holding BW outside in the breezeway without a clean diaper to change him into. I didn’t know what to do. I’ve never under packed like this before. The horror of being stuck at a place with a poopy kid was awful. I felt like a leper, he smelled so bad. I had 3 options: strap his poopy biscuits in the car, drive the 3 minutes home to change him and hope my fam didn’t notice, try to not gag all over him and hold BW outside for the 40 minutes remaining in the service, or scrounge around in the nursery for a *gasp* disposable diaper. I took option three and am glad I did. So yes, on Earth Day I used a disposable diaper. *whew* I’m glad I got that off my chest. Faux Pas Schmo Paw. BW was once again my happy boy, and I didn’t want to gag all over him. A disposable diaper happened to save the day. I’m not ashamed! Final Score Earth 2 Me 1. There's always next Earth Day.