Gag Me With a Spoon

Cloth diapers and morning sickness don’t mix.

That should be the end of today’s blog post. I’m not the first or the last mom to deal with cloth diapers while suffering from morning sickness. I just don’t know how other moms do it. It feels like I’m in smell hell every day. Seriously. If I weren’t so yucky feeling, I would be putting BW going on the potty instead of having him go in his diaper. The poo kills me. I wish I could say, ‘here are some sure-fire tips to help all the suffering preggos but I have no tips.

Here’s what I do:

1. Beg Mr. GBE to spray poopy diapers.
2. Beg Mr. GBE to rinse overnight diapers.
3. Beg Mr. GBE to throw a load of diapers in the wash.
4. Beg Mr. GBE to change poopy diapers.

This is what actually happens.

1. I spray poopy diapers.
2. I rinse overnight diapers.
3. I throw in a load of diapers to wash.
4. I only change poopy diapers while Mr. GBE is at work.

{I would be lying if I didn’t say that Mr. GBE doesn’t do any of 1-3, but it’s not every time I beg like I wish he would. Beggars can't be choosers, right?! I love you bunches, Mr. GBE.}

The odds for not puking while dealing with poop are not in my favor. So I have had to manage some survival tips for spraying, rinsing, and washing diapers. I’ve started using Rockin’ Green’s Pail Fresheners to help mask some of the odor in the diaper pail, and that does take the edge off for me when I pop open the diaper pail. {For those of you without the super crazy preggo sense of smell, it does a great job destroying odors. I know this from past use...think hot, stinky, Tucson summers}. I’ve used GroVia BioSoakers and BioLiners and well, you have to deal with poop either way. It’s illegal to throw human waste in the garbage. So since both options still have me dealing with poo, it has now turned into a waiting game. I am now at 17 weeks, and I’m hoping the queasiness will soon fade away. Until then, I’ll be gagging my way through diaper changes. {Disclaimer: I gagged my way through diaper changes with my oldest, CW, while pregnant with BW. And I used disposables then. So it’s not using cloth that grosses me out. It’s just that poo and my nose do NOT get along at this time. Blech!}

Tell me I'm not the only one living in Smell Hell!! :)

Washing Tips

My last post was about washing routines, care, and instructions. Now I’d like to discuss some tips that I’ve learned when it comes to washing & drying cloth diapers. A common theme that runs through all the tips will be trial and error. It’s normal in the beginning to have washes not turn out clean diapers. Find what works for you! Different machines, water types {hard/soft}, detergents, and diaper brands will all create different wash routines for different people. And from my experience sometimes even a good wash routine may fail. My biggest problem…broccoli. The boys love it, but when served at dinner, I expect horrid diapers in the morning. I now know that a pre-rinse with the sprayer before putting the diapers in the pail does a lot of good. And I also can tell when our water softener needs more salt, because more soap is needed. So be flexible with your wash routine, and hopefully these tips will make wash day so easy it won’t even feel like a chore!

·         Detergent Amount: Use enough detergent. How much is enough? Your diapers should not have any stink smell when coming out of the washing machine. If they smell stinky, re-wash. It’s also a good idea to check if there are any suds in the final rinse cycle. Too many suds means too much soap. Run another rinse cycle, and use less soap next time.

·         Proper load size: Too many dirties and too few diapers will create havoc. Too many and they won’t come clean. Remember, HE machines don’t use a lot of water. Too few diapers, and they can’t “scrub” against each other very well when washing. There isn’t a magic number, but 18 diapers is a good number to work with. Have I washed more than 18 and less than 18 in loads? Yes. It’s all about being flexible. Adjust soap and wash cycles as needed.

·         Rinse: Rinse the poo! A diaper sprayer is a must. Rinse all the poo off that you can. Less poo on the diaper while in the pail, means less poo in the pre-rinse cycle, and hopefully no poo in the wash cycle. {Please note that breastfed poo is exempt. This rinses away without the need to spray in the toilet.} Rinsing also helps to keep staining at bay. {Confession Alert! I rinse during naptime and after bedtime. Too many “helpful” hands and people in the bathroom while I work. I flick what comes off easily into the toilet and close the diaper up until rinse time. Gross, but effective.}

·         Trick your washer: I have read about, but never used the “Towel Trick”. It consists of adding a towel in your load during the sensing part of the cycle {the beginning} and removing it before the water & soap is added. I have often times poured large bowls of water over a load before the pre-rinse to make the diapers heavier. HE machines go by weight to determine how much water to use. My reasoning is that half dry diapers are only half as heavy. So pouring large bowls of water will make them heavier, and then more water will be used by machine. It’s ok if the water drains out, this is just to get your diapers wet and heavy not to add water to the cycle.

·         Hang dry: Hang drying means less wear and tear on your diapers. Lint is the breaking down of fabrics. Anything that is microfiber hang dries in my house. No need for it to be soft and fluffy since it never touches skin. Pockets and covers are also air dried. Anything that is cotton and touches skin gets dried on low heat for 15-20 minutes before hanging out. Or a good shaking out helps soften up the fabric after air drying.

·         Sun: The sun is the best sanitizer and stain remover. Be sure to Practice Safe Sun.

·         Large Stash Size: This is probably the least mentioned and most important tip when it comes to washing diapers. It is essential to have a good size stash {over 24, closer to 36 + diapers} to keep your diapers functional. Repeated washing of a small stash will wear out your diapers faster. I guarantee it! You will not save money by having a small stash, because they will wear out quickly and you will have to buy more. A large amount of diapers will keep them rotating through less frequently, and will make them last longer. The diapers will then wear and tear at a slower rate, and since they will last longer you will get your money’s worth. They’ll be sure to last for more babies or will be acceptable condition to sell to others. As with any fabric, repeated washing & drying will wear out the item. Think of your fav shirt. You’ve probably had it for years and wear it in high rotation in your wardrobe. Does it have holes? Is it frayed? Is it super thin and faded? Yes, yes, and yes. You love it, but it’s not a “functional” shirt to wear outside of the house. At least mine isn’t. The same will happen if you have too few diapers. Be sure to invest in your diapers and make them last through potty learning and then some!

~~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

Poo Nightmares!

Have you ever changed a cloth diaper and had the urge to throw it away because it was so nasty? Come on. Be honest. This morning BW woke up and made one of those “Good Lordy! Throw it out ASAP!” diapers. Blech! You can all breathe a sigh of relief as I will not be posting any pics to go along with this post. HAHA But seriously, I do have thoughts like, “If I can only throw this nasty thing out, my morning will have one less thing to do.” Immediately the voice of reason shouts, “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Just rinse the darn thing and get over it.” Yes, my voice of reason has to shout at me. It’s the only way I’ll listen. So as soon as this is up and posted, the diaper from poo-hell will be rinsed and put in the diaper pail. Right now it’s sitting in a trash can in the bathroom. And the door is shut. I can’t bring myself to clean it quite yet.

Let me procrastinate a little longer by sharing another “Good Lordy! Throw it out ASAP” diaper story. This one involves blueberries. I don’t think I need to explain too much more. For those of you that haven’t experienced a blueberry-diaper, you will. I like to think that there are two kinds of parents. Those that have experienced blueberry diapers first hand and those that will experience a blueberry diaper. This one happened to be a nightmare! The Hubs was in such shock that he stood in the doorway of the bathroom and watched as I rinsed it in the toilet. He told me to throw it out. His comment only strengthened my resolve to not only rinse and wash it, but to keep it stain free. I was successful thanks to Rockin’ Green. He couldn’t believe it. I knew it would work, and was glad it proved my point. No diaper is unsalvageable. Poo can’t stand a chance against Rockin’ Green!

Many thanks if you made it through reading about two poo stories. Yuck! If you are new to all of this poo talk or on the verge of deciding to use cloth diapers, I hope this didn't discourage you. Cloth diapers are really easy, and the poo nightmares are rare and manageable. Honestly, I experienced way more blow outs and poo nightmares with disposables than the handful of nasty diapers that I have to rinse. These helpful tips will help you keep your diapers looking good! Remember to rinse off poo as soon as possible to prevent staining. Also, the sun helps remove stains and sanitize.  I always wear rubber gloves when using my diaper sprayer. And use a diaper safe detergent, Rockin’ Green or Tiny Bubbles. {I use both, and they both work wonderfully!!} What other tips do you have for battling poopy diapers? Please share them with the rest of us! I know there are a lot of new moms that will appreciate the tips! And feel free to share your poo nightmare stories. :) I’m off to go rinse the diaper that’s waiting for me. Where’s a clothespin for my nose?! HAHA

Using Cloth on a Newborn

I decided while still pregnant that I was going to try cloth diapers with my second baby. It was something that I had always contemplated after my first child was born. However, I did not feel as I had enough information about how they work and many other details that many of us Mommies require before making a big purchase.
Then my sister had her second child and began to cloth diaper. I was able to see first-hand all of the ins and outs of the cloth diapering world.  Learning how to wash, stuff, and put them on an actual baby helped immensely!
With this pregnancy I was all about being prepared early, as my first child was a month early and I was not ready.  As I packed my hospital bag I also packed a bag for my new baby that included about 8 of my 12 newborn AIO Grovia's.  I had prepped them the week before and loved how tiny and cute they were!  I also packed some liners in anticipation of my baby's first poopie (meconium).

I wondered what the nurses and doctors would think about the cloth diapers and if anyone would flat out refuse to use them. I wondered if there would be that nurse that would put a disposable on my baby in an effort to discourage me, and make her life easier.
Boy was I wrong! The nurses were intrigued by the tiny cloth diapers and soon my son and I were the talk of the 4th floor labor and delivery ward! My nurse came in and asked to borrow one of the diapers to show off at the nurses’ station.  Everyone commented on how adorable and easy they were to use! Every time there was a shift change I would get the same questions.  How do you wash them? How much are they? What made you decide to do cloth? The list went on.
I love having the newborn size Grovia and Fuzzibunz.  Totally worth purchasing!!! They fit so well and do not rub on his little belly button as it heals. There is very little bulk and fit under a onesie perfectly. Newborn's little legs are so skinny and newborn size diapers are trim and don't keep them from scrunching their tiny legs up into the fetal position. I used liners while in the hospital waiting for the meconium. It came out with the liner so easily.  The only downfall  I found was that no one but me snapped them tight enough. I think they are afraid to put them on too tightly since they don't stretch like disposables do. But trust me, you will know when you have put them on too tight, because they won't snap : -)

Once we arrived home from the hospital it was time to wash them...I was dreading this, and I don't know why.  I was worried about stains.  The first time I washed them I forgot to rinse them first.  Not a big a deal. However, I have, through trial and error found a certain method to washing newborn AIO's.  I snap them on the loosest snap after a diaper change and throw them in the wet bag. Once I am in the laundry room I go through and turn them inside out while still snapped. The ensures that the outer covers will not take precedence over the inner liners.  This has helped tremendously to get all the poop out and most of the stains out with one wash.  This also greatly reduces the time in the dryer!
I had heard about the sun being a natural stain remover, and I can honestly say that they were true! Now, that said the sun has not come out where I live since my son was 3 days old.  So, on the first sunny day that we have you can bet money that I am going to "sun" all my diapers!  The stains are minimal, but I still would like them gone : )
After a week of using cloth diapers I feel like I have a pretty good handle on them and a newfound love! I am no longer anxious about changing them while away from home, washing them, getting stains out, or dealing with leaks. We use the GroVia's and Fuzzibunz during the day and the Thirsties at night. I have both the Thirsties Duo Diaper & Duo Fitted.  I like them both the Thirsties diaper and fitted equally and never worry about leakage with them! They hold a lot!  They are much bulkier than the newborn size GroVia & FuzziBunz diapers. My husband and I have had quite a few laughs from them, and love them all the more! If you are worried about the bulk then stick to the newborn size until your child grows bigger.
Also, our son was circumcised and I continued to use cloth. We just use a liner and a gauze pad with Vaseline and haven’t had a problem. I did decide to use a disposable to see the difference during the healing time....WOW night and day difference! He leaked terribly out of all four disposables that I placed on him.  The poor little guy woke up during the night completely wet through a sleep sack and a swaddle!!! Unheard of with cloth! Never again disposable for me!

If you are nervous about taking the plunge into the world of cloth diapering a newborn, I urge you to give it a try. I promise it is easier than you think.  Your baby will thank you!  And I think you will thank yourself!

~~Nina~~

P.S. Many more posts on newborn dipes are to come! Nina will be reviewing each diaper much more thoroughly as soon as she gets the chance.

Dirty Little Secret

I have found that the accessory aspect of cloth diapering, while not mandatory, can be extremely helpful and oftentimes serves other purposes. That’s just me being wordy instead of just saying, I use my wet bags and pail liners for more than dirty diapers. Swim lessons, vacation, and clothes hamper are all alternate uses for my wet bags. I love knowing that I will be able to put these items to good use when my cloth diapering days are over. In fact when adding up cloth diaper costs, I really don’t consider the extras into it since there are plenty of other uses for items like my wet bags.

I currently have 2 wet bags and 2 pail liners. All are GroVia brand. The wet bags were a gift, and they became my only method of storing dirty dipes. This became an improbable solution as my baby grew {think  Mr. Stinky Pants} and my stash of diapers increased. Two wet bags were not enough to hold all the dirties in between wash days. My solution {this is gross} was to stack the wet diapers on the floor of my laundry room. Honestly, there was hardly a stink. Pee doesn’t bother me, and since they stayed in one small spot on the floor, no one walked there and no one noticed except me. I had to save the two wet bags for poo pants and outings. Soon this became a problem because of too much poo and too few bags. I had to talk to the Hubs about getting something bigger. He never knew of the dirty little secret on the floor in the laundry room, and once I outted myself he was grossed out. I purchased two large pail liners and a 13 gallon trash can with a lid from Target, of course. Ahhh, life became easier. I now I have 2 wet bags to use when I leave the house, and no more hiding wet diapers in my laundry room. Laundry days are even better because all the dirties are in one place. And to be even more specific that one place happens to be in the bathtub in the downstairs bathroom. The pail is located where I do all the rinsing off of diapers, so for me it is easier to have all the dirties in one spot. About 98% of diaper changes happen downstairs at my house. The 2% of the changes that occur upstairs are then brought downstairs into the pail in the bathroom. Another plus to having the pail in the bathtub is that I can shut the shower curtain and no one knows it is there.

Storing dirty diapers work differently in different households. Maybe a pail is needed upstairs and downstairs. Maybe a hanging pail that can be on a doorknob or hook would work better than a trash can with a pail. The key is to find what works for you. Luckily, Green Baby Elephant stocks wet bags, pail liners, and hanging pails. So find what works you’re your fam and get those dirty dipes corralled while waiting for wash day.

Tell me what works in your house. I’d love to hear how you manage stinky dipes between washings.

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.

Sun Tan

The hot, Arizona sun is great for drying cloth diapers.  Even when it’s not so hot, the sun here is still great for sunning your dipes.  Drying your diapers outside will save you money by not running your dryer, and the UV rays are a great way to kill any germs and remove any odors  that may be lingering on your diapers.  But wait there’s more! {I watch too many infomercials.} The sun will naturally bleach out stains!! To good to be true?! In this case, it isn’t. It doesn’t even have to be hot outside for the sun to work its magic.

For the record, I do use the dryer to dry my diapers.  Anything that is cotton {mostly my GroBaby/GroVia’s}  goes in the dryer for about 20 minutes on medium heat.  I found that this helps keep the diaper from getting stiff and rough when drying in the sun.  I have tried air drying and then putting in the dryer for a bit to soften, but that didn’t work for me.  My BabyKicks 3g pockets also go in the dryer to help soften them before air drying.  I also add my cloth wipes {WHAT?! Cloth Wipes? That’s crazy talk you say? We’ll discuss this later} to the load.  By the time 20 minutes are up, the wipes are pretty much dry.  Why don’t I dry them outside? Not enough room on the drying rack.  Plus, they dry quickly with what needs to go in the dryer.  What doesn’t go in the dryer? Shells/covers, empty pockets, microfiber inserts, and hemp inserts. Yes, I threw in a huge amount of cloth diaper verbage.   We’ll cover it all in a future post.

Blueberries are often on the menu for breakfast in this house, and the end result is well…uh…nasty.  Even after a good soak and wash, there is some staining on this GroVia booster.  The picture below is proof of that.  No worries though.  I’m putting the good ol’ Arizona sun to work.  Unfortunately, I ran out of daylight and it’s going to have to go back outside in the morning. Oh well.  No rest for the wicked or is it weary? Who knows.

Perhaps  you aren’t lucky enough to have Arizona sunshine.  Some of you are still in the throes of winter, like those in North Dakota.  Don’t fret.  Laying your diapers in the sun even inside can have some benefits.  It will take longer for stains to be removed, but it is better than nothing.   If this isn’t working for you, a little elbow grease and lemon juice may help.  After applying the lemon juice allow it to dry in the sun.  Wash the diaper again to remove the juice.  This should help to remove the stain.  If you do live in a place where there is little sun, and you are a victim of chronic staining, I have three options for you.  One is to get over it!  Harsh, I know. But seriously, stains happen.  Know that your diaper is clean, and don’t worry about what they look like.  The second option is to use fleece.  I have yet to have a diaper with fleece hold a stain.  FuzziBunz, Thirsties, and BabyKicks are all pocket style diapers that use fleece.  Third is to use a diaper sprayer.  A diaper sprayer attaches to your toilet to spray off the poo into the pot.  Prompt rinsing of the diaper will help keep the stain from being held in by the material. 

So, if you’re ever driving by and you see a drying rack full of cloth diapers, stop by and say “Hi!” Just kidding.  I don’t open the door to strangers.  I have to set a good example for my boys.  J

P.S. After I sun the booster a little bit longer tomorrow, I'll post a pic of it.

Maybe you live in a HOA and are not allowed to have a clothesline to hang out clothes.  Use a drying rack instead.  I live in a HOA and move my drying rack all over my backyard to follow the sun.  I even put the diapers out in the front yard by the door to get the last remnant of sun in the late afternoon.  I do have a courtyard, which makes it a little more difficult to see my stand of diapers out by my front door.  

~~Tonya~~

Reasons to Cloth Diaper

Top 5 Reasons to Cloth Diaper Your Little One

5. CUTE. Stinkin’ cute! It’s amazingly fun to change such cute diapers. This is the one “accessory” that is constantly changed and never boring. For girls, it can add pizazz to an outfit. And finally boys have something adorably cute that creates an instant outfit with a matching t-shirt. Many of us moms spent our childhood dressing and undressing dolls. Here’s a chance to do it again with our babes. We are already spending a large majority of our days (and nights) changing diapers. How about making it fun again?! Trade a boring paper diaper for a colorful cloth one. You can’t go wrong with all the great colors and prints that cloth diapers come in now!

4. EASY. No more pins or plastic pants. Cloth diapers are hip, modern, and did I mention cute?! Today’s cloth diapers use durable snaps and super easy Velcro-like closures.

3. GREEN. As in earth friendly. Disposable diapers aren’t really disposable if you think about it. You may throw them away, but they really don’t go anywhere. Disposable diapers don’t biodegrade! Cloth diapers are reusable, and certain ones can even be composted when worn out. Awesome!

2. HEALTHY. The amount of chemicals and petroleum used to make a disposable diaper is insane. Using disposable diapers has the potential of exposing your baby to the chemicals that are inside the diaper. Have you ever used a disposable and seen the gel all over your baby’s skin while changing a diaper? Yuck! How about all the diaper rash your baby gets in disposables? And then you have to use a ton of rash creams to clear up the rash. Double yuck! Cloth diapers are much more breathable on your baby’s skin, which means little to no diaper rash. Yay!

1. CHEAP. Frugal, thrifty, fiscally responsible. Babies are expensive. Cloth diapers will save you money! You will be buying diapers for an average of 3 years per child. That’s a lot of money that is literally going in the trash. Cloth diapers can be used for more than one child, which can save you even more money.  When your baby no longer wears diapers, they (the diapers, not your child) can be sold, and you’ll get some money back. Sweet!

Top 5 Reasons I Cloth Diaper

5. COMFORT. Cloth diapers are so soft. I prefer to wear cloth underwear instead of plastic. As I think most of us do.  Since my almost one-year old can’t talk, I’ve been assuming the same for him during his first year.

4. POOP. This one requires a little more explanation. Poop blow-outs are a thing of the past. With my first baby, I didn’t use cloth. **GASP** He was often up to his neck in poop. I am not lying! With my second, poop blow-outs have been almost a non-issue. Some diarrhea due to slight milk sensitivity caused a few poop related catastrophes.  EEWW.  However, if I was using a disposable, he would have been up to his eyebrows in poop.  I can honestly say that he never had any explosive newborn poop blow outs. It is great to know that I can leave the house and not worry about poop going everywhere now that I use cloth diapers.

3. CHEAP. Yes, I already mentioned this one, but it’s worth mentioning again. Cloth diapers will save you money when it comes to buying disposable diapers, but it will also save you even more money by keeping you out of the store. WHAT?! Let me explain. I have no willpower when it comes to sales and clearance. A good deal is hard to pass up. While checking out the diaper aisle at the store, I would often hit the baby clothes clearance, baby toy clearance, shoe clearance, movie clearance, and the list goes on. I am embarrassed to admit that I almost always bought more than what I needed while at the store.  (Mind you, everything I bought was a killer deal!!) But seriously, less time at the store equals less buying of good deals (aka crap), which will save you money and time.

2. EASY. Again? Yes, cloth diapers are easy.  I have found that it is easier to throw a load of diapers in the wash than it is to load up the kids into the car and go to the store.  I press a few buttons and my machine does all the work. Easy peasy!

1. MOTHER. My mom bought my son cloth diapers when he was born. I would have never given cloth diapers a thought in my head if she hadn’t bought them for me. My husband and I were asked if we would use cloth by family and friends, and we both EEWW’ed and laughed simultaneously.  But given as a gift, I gave them a try and fell in love. Mother knows best. I almost gagged typing that. HA! Let me rephrase it. In this case, mother knows best. XOXO