Grab 'n Go

My 'diaper bag'

At BW’s age {now 26 months}, I don’t always feel the need to take a diaper with us while running errands. Sometimes I remember and other times I don’t. And really, all I need to take is one diaper for emergencies. Even when BW was younger, 1 diaper was all I needed for short outings. Again, it was more for an emergency diaper change than a need for another diaper while we were out and about. Leslie’s Grab ‘N Go bags are perfect for holding 1 diaper plus a few wipes. They are small and fit in a large purse easily. I should also mention that their size is a plus since I’m not one for diaper bags. As soon as my babies outgrow the need for me to pack along everything plus the kitchen sink, I’m back to my regular bags. 


 As you can see in the picture below, I’ve placed a diaper in the outer pocket to show how a single diaper looks in the G‘nG bags. I think it’s safe to say that most diapers would fit well in the outer pocket. The yellow OS FuzziBunz is even double stuffed. There’s plenty of room for your bulky diapers and of course trim AIOs {All-in-Ones} will fit perfectly as well. 

 If you’re a cloth wipe user while away from the house, just put a few pre-moistened wipes inside the zippered wet pocket. You’ll be set to go for your short trip away from home. 


This morning I spent some time reorganizing my laundry room. I have a cart that stores shoes in cubbies, shelves for miscellaneous items, a hamper, and a little side pouch for other necessities. I love keeping my wet bags stored right where I round up the kiddos to leave the house. All I need to do is grab a diaper. {Ok, that’s a fib. I make CW get a diaper for me. I can even be brand specific. He knows his cloth!} So while the boys are putting on their shoes, I put a clean diaper in the bag, throw it in my purse, and then I’m good to go. And often I keep a wet bag with a diaper stashed in the van. This is especially handy since I’ve been so forgetful lately now that I’m in the last few weeks of my pregnancy. And I highly recommend having several wet bags. This keeps down on the wear and tear of the PUL & fabric. And it ensures that you’ll always have a clean one ready to go when you are. Leslie’s Grab ‘N Go Bags are $12.99 and come in cute prints. Green Baby Elephant also carries a wide selection of larger wet bags, wet/dry bags, hanging pails, and pail liners for all of your cloth diaper storage needs.

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~~

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.