Let's chat about newborn dipes

I have about 6 weeks until baby #3 arrives, and I’m starting to think about what kind of cloth diapers I am going to use. When BW was born, he was 9 lbs. and 23 in. Big boy! And I didn’t start cloth diapering him until he was a month old. We didn’t have a baby shower for him until then, and that is when I was gifted with my first cloth diapers. With this baby, I’m not planning on using newborn diapers for very long, but I do want to use them to have experience with them. Newborn diapers are the only thing I do not have personal experience using. While I take great pride in insuring that Green Baby Elephant sells high quality diapers that have been tested on my boys, my sister took over and cloth diapered her newborn boy. She did a great job using different diapers on my nephew, and you can read about her experiences in the archives{May 2011}. My sister also had to put up with me asking her a billion questions so that I could make sure that Green Baby Elephant carries great newborn diapers. And now that it’s my turn to try out newborn diapers, I have lots of ideas of what I’m going to try. Thanks to my sister and her baby, the following brands are all carried  and highly recommended in the Green Baby Elephant shop.

• Thirsties size 1: Duo Wraps, Hemp Prefolds, Stay Dry Inserts, Fab Fitteds, Duo All-In-Ones, & Duo Diapers
• GroVia Newborn All-In-Ones: the new style with hemp & stay dry liners
• BabyKicks OneSize Basic
• FuzziBunz X-Small
• bumGenius Newborn All-In-Ones
• Knickernappies Infant Prefolds {with Snappis & Thirsties Duo Wraps}

And I should also mention that I do feel that newborn diapers have their place. Not everyone makes big babies, and most one size diapers really don’t start to fit until 10 lbs. Even once one size diapers begin to fit, they are rather large and bulky on newborns. Size/bulk is the biggest complaint I get from parents that cloth diaper their newborns with one size diapers. The next most common complaint is leaking from the legs. Often newborns have the skinniest little chicken legs, and it’s difficult to get a good fit with a one size diaper on chicken legged babes. To get a nice trim fit, a newborn diaper is great. They also allow for all of those cute onesies to be worn by your baby, which is nice to not have to go out and get new clothes.

My little chicken legged nephew wearing a GroVia Newborn AIO. <3 him to bits.

If you are concerned about spending money on newborn diapers in addition to a one size stash, I should mention from personal experience that you go through many, many, many diapers that are aren’t even used. My boys were notorious for peeing on diapers before they were even worn. And I can’t even count the number of times a fresh diaper was poo’ed in before even leaving the changing table. Now that I look back, we went through many bags of newborn and size 1 disposable diapers that weren’t worn for more than 2 minutes. And 2 minutes may be an exaggeration. It was probably more like 45 seconds. So, so wasteful on my part {and theirs as well! Little stinkers!}. Because newborn diapers are used for a limited time, the wear and tear on them are minimal. This means that they’ll be in great condition for multiple babies, either your own, nephews, nieces, cousins or to sell to other families.

Tell me what other brands do you think I should try? What brands have you used successfully? Since I may only have a short window of time to use a newborn diaper, I’m looking for suggestions now. I do a lot of research before adding products to Green Baby Elephant, and now is the time for and updated look at different newborn diapers that are available. Let me know either here on the blog or on the Facebook page what you think I should try that could be potentially added to the shop or what brands Green Baby Elephant already carries that you are anxious for me to try. I’ll do my best to accommodate requests, and answer any questions you may have. And be sure to let your expecting friends know about Green Baby Elephant. This is going to be a great time to learn about newborn diapers as I’ll be blogging and documenting my experiences.

BW's 1st CD. It was a one-size GroBaby. He was also a little over 1 month. No chicken legs here! When CW looked at this pic, he told me that BW looks so little with a BIG orange diaper. :)

Summer Travel Tips

This summer we’ll be homebound while awaiting Baby Elephant #3’s arrival, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dream of a vacay. Maybe this year it’ll be a stay-cation with a long day at Breakers Waterpark with the fam. But whatever your plans are this summer, I thought I’d give a list of a few helpful items to pack along for your travels, whether you cloth diaper, do a hybrid option, or use sposies while away from home.

Access to a washer & dryer, but not a diaper sprayer? Pack GroVia BioLiners to help make cleaning up messy diapers that much easier. These are flushable, and at most a quick swish in the toilet will be all you’ll need to do to rinse away any excess poo.

Don’t want to mess with cloth while away from home? GroVia BioSoakers make for a nice hybrid option. Use their OS Shells and a disposable {compostable, if you’re into it} BioSoaker for a green diapering system. GroVia shells wash up nicely in bathroom sinks, and they dry quickly. I even learned a great drying tip from a grandma at a diaper party. To help speed up the drying process if you are in a rush or a humid climate, use a dry towel to squeeze out excess water from the shell by rolling shell up tightly in the towel. This will help wick away even more water after an initial hand wringing. Another perk of traveling with BioSoakers is their compact size. A pack of 20 is smaller than a pack of 20 disposable diapers. And I normally travel with 4 shells, whether we’re gone for a weekend or a couple of weeks. You can read more about BioSoakers, and even see detailed pics of them on an older blog post. Warning! It was about a major tummy bug that was going through BW's system at the time. But the detailed pics showing how easy they are to use are good for those of you on the fence about whether to use these or not.

Let’s talk dirty clothes & diapers. Wet bags & pail liners are for more than just storing dirty diapers while away from home. I’ve used pail liners for keeping dirty clothes separate from clean clothes in suitcases. It makes unpacking and packing while on vacation a little more organized. And Lord knows I need help with keeping things organized, especially on vacation. Leslie’s Boutique Wet/Dry bags are great for keeping clean & dirty diapers or clothes together yet separate at the same time. So use them for days at the beach or resort pools. Stash sunscreen & hotel keys in the dry section too! Pack a few bags to ensure that you’ll always have a clean one when you need it. These can also be hand washed and line dried while on vacation.

Swim party! Don’t bring along disposable swim diapers. Pack a reusable swim diaper or two for your water activities while on vacation. These will take up less room than a pack of diapers, and are super easy to wash in the sink. Why should you pack 2 reusable swim diapers? This way if one is becomes messy, the party doesn’t have to end. The second diaper can be waiting in the dry pouch of a wet/dry bag.

And don’t feel bad if you don’t think you can travel and use cloth at the same time. Do what if comfortable for you and your little one. But you may be pleasantly surprised by how easy it can be. Even on short weekend trips away from home I often alternate between using BioSoakers and taking cloth diapers with me. It all depends on my mood. So relax on your vacation, and wherever you go this summer, I wish you all safe travels and wonderful memories!

P.S. Since we don’t have travel plans, I’d love to hear where you’re planning on traveling. Visiting family? Theme parks? Camping? Maybe a weekend get away without the kiddos? {That sounds heavenly!}

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.

Potty Training in Paradise

After what seemed like the longest 6 months of my life, my 3 year old is finally mostly potty trained. I say mostly because he definitely wets at nighttime, and still has an occasional accident here and there. Our potty training journey began when my sister came to visit last September. EB {my youngest} was only four months old and I was resistant to any talk regarding potty training. I was still trying to adjust to splitting my time between two children and recuperating from our very recent move from the mainland to the islands. The only steps I had taken at the time were setting the little potty out for LA {my oldest son} to familiarize himself with and of course purchasing a Costco sized jar of chocolate covered raisins to reward him {me} with. I was waiting for that perfect weekend to set everything aside and devote the time solely to potty training with total success in 48 hours, as promised to me in a book I read. And that book is now in the trash. Nevertheless, staying true to the bossy, older sister stereotype, my sis decided that it was indeed time to lay down the law! How could I refuse when she had so graciously lugged an enormous box full of Fuzzibunz for both boys?! {Large FB's for LA and OS FB's for lil’ EB} Guilt got the better of me, and I watched as she set about prepping the diapers all the while attempting to hype LA on this potty training thing.

She gathered a library of books and small toys in a basket to set by the potty. I was parked on the couch feeding EB silently wishing her the best. I knew that LA had a history of being impossible. I have to admit, I was glad that she was taking this task on, and even more glad that I was soon going to be able to taunt her with "I told you so's".

I anxiously listened for celebratory sounds to drift down the hall, but all I heard was a Veggie Tales songbook that I knew was soon going to become a problem. "God made you special and he loves you veryyyyyyyyy much!" I could tell from the look on sis's face that she was beginning to regret that this book had somehow managed to make its way into the potty library. Oh well, there was no going back now. LA had developed a fondness/obsession with this book that required it to be made available immediately upon his entry into the bathroom. He was like a king on his newly acquired throne. We learned many things from LA during those early days of potty training. He educated us on where babies came from, where food went after he ate it and he even counted what was left of the magic beans (choco raisins) after his Momma {myself} and Tia {my sis} had self-medicated throughout this whole potty training process. The number he came up with has no relevance....times were stressful for this Momma and her sis!

So, LA took immediately to his new size large Fuzzibunz diapers. They were slightly big for him, thanks to his chicken legs. However, this made it quite easy for him to pull up and down all by himself. That was key in those early days, and in fact still is! They are really soft and he still wears them at nighttime. Honestly, these diapers are really reliable and absorbent; I don't know that he has ever leaked out of them.

Now, let's fast forward a few months here. Grovia delighted the world of potty training mothers when they decide to add trainers to their repertoire. The Grovia My Choice Trainers are really versatile and have these fantastic elastic side panels that unsnap when nature unexpectedly calls and a change is necessary. The panels also help make those potty training slip ups much more bearable to clean up because they can be unsnapped at the sides just like a diaper. They also have snaps on the front so that you can adjust the rise to coincide with ‘overnight’ growth spurts. I really love the gender neutral gray color. Grovia trainers are extra special, because they contain a hidden layer of hemp built in underneath a soft lining that reminds me of basketball shorts, this keeps them trim, yet absorbent. The bonus here is that they have a pocket, which you can stuff with whatever liner you choose to gain the absorbency needed to keep up with your little one. This is what makes them great for nighttime, nap time and those first outings before you trust your little one to "hold it". We use them for long car rides and play dates {when for some reason he has lost all ability to stop playing with enough time to make it to the restroom}. He never fights with me to put them on, I tell him they are his big boy underwear, he thinks they are cozy; it's a win-win. They go on and off the same as his underroos. In all honesty, we have had a few overnight leaks these. However, they are almost always because someone {me} decides in poor taste to give in to LA's thirst plea right before bedtime. I am convinced that nothing can soak up the repercussions of that witless decision.

We also use Super Undies. These are super cute and super absorbent. The actually look like underroos and have the familiar "s" tag on the front that boys instantly recognize from birth. They are bright red and have white stretchy panels on the sides. They are a bit bulkier than the Grovia Trainers, but foot the bill if you want something that really looks like underwear for your little one. These are most like traditional training pants, however, much more reliable! These will save you from puddles on the floor during playtime and nap time battles when your child refuses to put a diaper on. Also, you can sneak in a liner by way of the hidden pocket in the crotch. Sneaky, sneaky.

In case you don't know, we live in Hawaii, and we sweat, a lot! Both of these trainers {GroVia & Super Undies} take it like a champ, and wick the moisture away from him and keep him dry and rash free. All of this without smelling like a locker room, which is a total bonus for me as I endure more than my share of smells already, living with 3 boys. My DH has taken no issue with cloth training pants and rather likes that he can just toss the soiled pant right in EB's diaper pail and his job is done.
So, if you are past cloth diapering and are fed up with plastic, disposable training pants and expensive pull-ups, that leak, stink, and itch your little one, then make the switch to cloth! It will make the transition from diapers to undies so easy and will save you from many a night time battle from the older preschooler that is too old to wear diapers! They can be passed down to younger siblings, friends, or resold. One last thing, I read somewhere that the majority of kids are still not potty trained through the night until the age of 5. Even if you are not a math whiz, I am fairly certain that you get the point, when you consider the ridiculous cost of one small bag of pull ups every other week, for the next 2-3 years.

Aloha and happy potty training to you and yours!
~Nina~

Easter Basket GBE Style

Call me crazy, but I keep the chocolate out of the Easter basket when my little ones are too small to eat it. I save it all for myself! No joke. But I do struggle with ideas of what to put in the basket. Often it is trinket-y toys or bibs or cute cups or crayons or PJ’s and the like. This year I thought how it would be super cute to make a Green Baby Elephant Easter basket. I made up a basket using Mr. GBE’s childhood Easter basket using different cloth diapers, accessories, and toys. And I just love the colors! It’s so spring-y. Since Baby Elephant #3 is still in the womb, this will be next year’s basket for sure!

In the Easter basket above are the following:

FuzziBunz One-Size Elite in Tootie Frootie

Thirsties Duo Diaper in Honeydew

Leslie’s Boutique Wet.Dry Bag in Day & Night

Eazz Wrap Burp Cloth

GroVia One Size Shell in Mandarin

Bummis Swimmi in Pizzazz

Thirsties Fab Wipes – Girl Colors

Hevea Pond Bath Toys

A few additional gift ideas for your baby bunny are:

Hevea pacis

Hevea Panda Teether

Rock-a-Thigh Baby Socks

Leslie’s Boutique Changing Pad

And of course an assortment of cloth diapers

All of the above and more can be found at Green Baby Elephant’s Shop. HappyEaster!!

~Tonya

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!! :)

Winter Sunbathing

Tucson winters are amazing. Lately, we’ve been blessed with sunshine & 70s. This means our days have been spent at the park or in our front yard soaking up the winter rays. The diapers have also been spending many an hour outside sunning themselves on the drying rack. Unfortunately, due to some wicked morning sickness, the diapers haven’t been making their trek outside before 3 pm or even later. So, the heat of the day is beginning to fade and the sun’s rays disappear just as quickly. I’ve learned a couple of tricks to make use of the winter sun. Hopefully some of these tips can translate to those of you that live where you really have winter!

• I set up the drying rack close to a wall that has been drenched with sunlight for a majority of the day. In this case, I’m looking to use the heat radiating from the wall to help dry the diapers, since oftentimes the warmth of the day is quickly slipping into a cool evening.
• My GroVia soakers and Thirsties AIOs take more time to dry than pocket inserts and prefolds. Anything that is backed with a waterproof layer means that it dries from the top down. To help speed up drying, I prop both diapers on their sides. This way, the heat of the wall and the remnants of sunshine can dry on both the inner layers and outer layers of the diapers. It really helps!!

Note the sunny wall. And I can't help but brag about my white diapers. Ahhhh....I love sunny Tucson winters!

• So this tip rarely works for me, but getting diapers out during the warmest part of the day mainly noon-ish or so is best. I wish I could get moving on laundry sooner, but it takes my nose and stomach quite some time to calm down before I can get myself near the pile of dirties. Ugh.

So I’m not against using the dryer for my diapers. I just never really think to use it since I’m in the habit of line drying them. Following the above winter drying methods, I’ve been able to avoid using the dryer. It’s a way for me to cut back on energy and keep my diapers from excessive wear. So for those of you with a 'real' winter…here’s hoping that Puxatony Phil doesn’t see his shadow tomorrow!

{CW wishes you all a very happy Groundhog's day. He's psyched to watch the news tomorrow to see if Phil sees his shadow or not.}

Holiday Gift Guide

So for this post, I cheated a bit. It's the December GBE Newsletter. For some reason I'm feeling a bit panicky about finding the perfect gift for everyone on my list. So if you're feeling what I'm feeling, here's a few gift ideas for you. I hope you find what you're looking for at Green Baby Elephant!!

Green Baby Elephant Gift Guide

Green Baby Elephant is the place to shop for all of the little ones on your shopping list. There are much more than cloth diapers to treat your babes & tots to this holiday season. There are even great gifts to pamper the expecting or new mom on your list. Take the time to shop Green Baby Elephant without having to even leave your house. It doesn't get much easier than that. Here are some great gift ideas for the kiddies you love...

New Baby:

• Rock-A-Thigh Baby Socks are super stylish and functional. They help keep baby's legs & feet toasty warm. No more pant legs riding up in the stroller, car seat, or carrier exposing their chunky legs above their socks. These thigh-high socks will protect baby's legs from winter's chill. Even diaper changes will be cozy with their legs covered in the fashionable Rock-A-Thigh Baby Socks.
• Hevea makes natural rubber pacis and an adorable panda teething toy. Hevea pacis are soft and comfortable on baby's face. No hard plastic creating an uncomfortable suction around baby's mouth. And since they are all one piece there's no need to worry about a choking hazard. Hevea's cute panda teether is perfect for little hands and mouths. Different textures on each side will give babies something to gum, gnaw, and bite.
• Eazz Wrap Burp Cloths are much more than just your average burp 'rag'. These high quality, made in the USA, organic cotton/hemp fleece burp cloths are dreamy soft. Use them as changing pads at home or on the go. They also make great lightweight car seat blankets for infants. The looped tag allows for them to be attached to the car seat or stroller with toy rings, so they can be close at hand for whatever use you need.

Toddler:

• Potty training & dress wearing are difficult for toddlers during the cold winter months. Rock-A-Thigh Baby Socks will keep legs cozy this winter. Green Baby Elephant has 'big kid' styles of these fab thigh-high socks for the older kiddo on your list.
• Looking for bath toys to last the test of time? Hevea Pond Bath Toys are just the thing. These all natural rubber bath toys don't have holes in them, so no more moldy bath toys. Each set comes with a fish, frog, and duck. Perfect for kids of all ages!

Expecting/New Mom:

• Pamper the new moms on your list with a set of nursing pads. Choose from Bamboobies, BabyKicks, and FuzziBunz. Whatever you pick will help keep mama dry plus save her money. Complete your gift by picking up a new nursing shirt or cover. She'll be glad you're supporting her decision to breastfeed her baby.
• Cloth diapers. How could they not make the gift list? Let mama see for herself how wonderful modern cloth diapers are. She'll love how easy they are to use and how cute they look on baby. Plus, she'll start to see how much money she can save by using cloth. You can't go wrong by giving her a gift that she'll be able to use over and over again.

The Perfect Cloth Diaper

Is there a perfect diaper? Yes. There is a perfect diaper for your baby and you. There is not a perfect diaper for every baby and for every family. It has taken me a long time to figure that out. I was on a quest for the perfect diaper, and during my search I came to this conclusion. Every review you read and every mom will tell you that ‘X’ is THE BEST diaper ever. And they are right. It is the best diaper ever. Will it be the perfect diaper for you is what you should be asking yourself. Chances are that what I like and consider the best diaper for me and BW may not be the best for your little one. But to be sure I have the best diaper for you and your little one in my shop, I’ve tried out a lot of diapers. And I currently use a lot of diapers. Together, we can find what will work for you and your baby.

First of all, fit plays an important role. Every diaper fits every baby differently. BW is a string bean. He’s been wearing the same size diapers for over almost 18 months now. He has crazy, skinny legs. The rise on his diapers is bikini style, but the fit on his legs is what’s most important. If your baby is a chunky monkey, the size of the diaper may be larger than what you think it should be. Meaning, at 9 months, all the rise snaps may be undone on certain one size diapers, but don’t worry. As your little one grows, he’ll stretch out and you’ll find that you’ll size your diaper down at times. If you’re looking for a good fit and buying before baby is born, look for a diaper that will adjust easily in the waist. Hook & loop diapers are perfect for giving a good adjustable fit every time. If you’re not into hook & loop, FuzziBunz, even with the snaps, gives a great fit, since the waist is adjustable with elastic inside the diaper. GroVia’s OS AIO’s snaps are on a stretchy panel to ensure a more custom fit. Think of what you’re looking for in a diaper for adjustability. There is a diaper that will fit your baby perfectly.

You will also need a diaper that will fit in your lifestyle. Do you mind taking time and folding diapers? If you don’t, then prefolds paired with covers will be perfect. {Bummis, Thirsties} Do you mind taking a sec and stuffing inserts in a diaper? If not, then you’ll find pockets to be a perfect diaper for you. {Thirsties Duo Diaper, FuzziBunz, BabyKicks} Would you like to snap in an insert and reuse a cover? Then, your perfect diaper is an All-in-Two {AI2}. {GroVia OS Shell & Soaker Pads} Or maybe you want the diaper all ready to go. No stuffing, no folding, no snapping. If that’s the case, an All-in-One {AIO} is your perfect diaper. {GroVia AIO} Take the time to assess what you’re looking for in a diaper, and start making your diapering decisions from that point. Don’t overwhelm yourself in the quest for the perfect diaper.

What if you like more than one diapering system? I’m going to take a stand here and tell you to pick no more than 2 diapering systems. This is from experience. I have a crazy mish-mosh stash. It’s complicated. At this point, I’ve committed myself to using a variety of diapers for 2 reasons. First, it is because I’ve invested money in them. And secondly, so I know the in’s & outs of each diaper I sell in order to help you, my client. If you’re having an issue with them, which unfortunately may happen, I can help you work it out. Also, if you’re in the decision making process of what diapering system to use, I can help since I know all the pro’s & con’s to that particular system. I’m committed to helping my clients, so I have a lot of different diapers. But for simplicity’s sake, I recommend 1 or 2 systems to be used. Cloth diapers are easy. Don’t make them complicated by having too many different kinds. Instead of pursing ‘THE MOST PERFECT-EST DIAPER EVER IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE UNIVERSE,” find the perfect diaper for you and your baby. You’ll be glad you did.

Hook & Loop Care

It’s no secret that I’m partial to hook & loop/aplix. It’s actually a necessity with my alligator boy. But hook & loop doesn’t hold up to wear and tear like snaps. There are a few things you can do to help keep your hook & loop diapers stay strong. The most important thing you can do is to make sure the hook & loop is firmly put together on the laundry tabs before putting it in your diaper pail. Don’t put it together all wonky-like. Any hook left unattached has the potential to snag on other diapers in the wash, which will then pull apart from the loop. So not only will your hook & loop show wear faster, but they will also “eat” at your other diapers. Making sure the hook is secure on the laundry tab also prevents lint build up. This can be a pain to clean out, and keeps your hook & loop from being very “sticky”.  Another thing you can do to keep your hook & loop from wearing too quickly is to line dry. This keeps it from tumbling and potentially snagging other diapers while in the dryer. Line drying in general will also help in keeping your diapers from wearing too quickly. The lint you clean out from the lint trap is fiber from your clothes. Having a good size stash also keeps your diapers from wearing too quickly. You may only change 8 diapers a day, but constant washing, drying, and wearing is hard on the hook & loop closures and your diapers as well. {Minimum stash size is 24, if you're wondering.} Basic diaper maintenance and care in addition to using the laundry tabs properly will give your hook & loop a longer life. Yay!

Thirsties Duo Wraps, Fitteds, & Diapers have excellent laundry tabs that work well to keep the hook & loop “sticky”. I have Thirsties in rotation that have been used for over a year and still work great. GroVia has laundry tabs plus a loop to tuck the hook part and keep it hooked. This is a major improvement over the older GroBaby shells. I used to use a lingerie bag with my GroBaby shells inside to keep them from attaching to everything else. It made diaper chains obsolete. I highly recommend a lingerie bag if you’re having issues with your hook & loop diapers making diaper chains in the wash. It will help minimize wear and tear on your entire stash. And a lingerie bag is a must when washing your Bummis Swimmi. It’ll keep your suits from catching on the hook & loop. {Learned that lesson the hard way. Bummer.} At this time I don’t have any use for the lingerie bag for my diapers, but I do use it for BW’s bibs. No more snagged shirts & shorts when I do the boys’ laundry. My sister gave me that idea, and I remember she used a bag to wash tiny baby socks to keep the washer from eating them. So many uses for more than your lingerie.



Thirsties Duo Wrap with Aplix



Thirsties Duo Diaper with Aplix



GroVia OS Shell with Hook & Loop



I have little desire to convert to Team Snaps. Hook & loop is the best choice for me. Even though BW tries to take off his diaper when he’s pantless, he’s mischievous busy like that, it makes diaper changes so much easier for me. A little extra effort to make my diapers stand up to constant wear and tear if definitely worth it. And if I’ve totally turned you off to hook & loop, no worries. I agree with you that snaps are awesome. We don’t do naps & nights without them. I may love the ease that hook & loop gives me when changing a diaper, but I’m not a fool to think that BW would never make a poo masterpiece if given the chance. If you’re a snap lover, Thirsties makes their entire line in snaps {the Duo Diaper in snaps is their newest addition}, GroVia Shells, Newborn, and All-In-Ones come in snaps, BabyKicks 3g & Fitteds are only in snaps, and of course the entire FuzziBunz line is snaps. And if you’re a fan of hook & loop, Thirsties entire line and GroVia Shells come in hook & loop. The choice is yours. Feel free to mix and match to suit your diapering needs.

On the road again

Last month’s traveling really took me out of the habit of blogging. Now that I’ve been back these past couple of weeks, I’ve found plenty of excuses to keep me away from writing. So I’m back. I have a lot of new things that I found at the ABC Kids Expo, and I’ll be sharing them with you in the coming weeks. But first I’d like to share my experience of traveling with my 3 year old and 17 month old boys.

washing in the sink

GroVia’s hybrid option made packing BW’s diapers easy. The BioSoakers took up less room than cloth diapers and disposable diapers. The GroVia shells that I took also hardly took up any space. I knew I wasn’t going to have the time to hand wash cloth diapers in the sink or tub, and I don’t believe in beating myself up about using BioSoakers. Yes, they are disposable, but they are made up of compostable materials. I also love that they are fragrance and dye free. BW never had a leak daytime or nighttime with the BioSoakers. The covers were washed in the hotel sink one night. And they did not dry overnight. Ack! So I used the blow dryer in the morning to dry one for him. The others air dried in the car the rest of the day. The reason it took so long to dry was because it rained constantly. Every day we were there, it rained. Blah. {I love sunny Tucson!} The rest of the time that the shells were washed was with our regular laundry, and then they were hung to dry. It was so nice to have a healthy alternative to cloth diapers for BW while traveling.

I also will fully disclose that I used Huggies Overnights on my oldest, CW. It sucked! He leaked every night. Poor him. Poor me. {I shared a bed with him.} But I knew we were going to be so busy that we just had to suck it up and deal with it for a few nights. And I did call Huggies once we got home and complained. I am getting my money back. I don’t know what I could have done differently for him, and if you have a suggestion, please share.

Two other “cloth diaper” items came in handy while on vacay. The first was detergent. I packed 2 samples of Rockin’ Green to wash the GroVia shells and our clothes. And the second thing was a pail liner. I am soooooooooooooooooooo glad I packed a pail liner. It made the best hamper. Dirty clothes weren’t strewn about in the hotel rooms, and laundry time was made easy by having it all in one place. It was also nice to have our dirties separate from our clean clothes in the suitcases.  I didn’t have to be anal and rewash our clean clothes because there wasn’t any mingling with the dirties. {I’m weird like that.} Rockin’ Green washed our clothes up amazingly. Stains were non-existent in the boys’ clothes without my usual pre-treatment. I’m seriously considering using it as our everyday detergent. And to be totally honest, I did use a sample packet of Tiny Bubbles {GroVia’s detergent} one day for laundry. I couldn’t find the Rockin’ Green I packed, and I had a sample from the ABC Kids Expo. It washed our clothes just as well. It’s nice to know that once my cloth diapering days are over, I’ll still have use for my pail liners and eco-friendly detergents.

How do you travel with cloth diapers? Please share your experiences or lack thereof. I’d love to hear how other families travel with cloth or maybe don’t travel with cloth.

Mr. GBE takes on Mr. Mom

Aloha! I’m packing my bags and heading out to visit my sister and her brood in Hawaii this week. The joke around here is that all I need in my bag is my kindle, mp3 player, & grass skirt & coconut bra. I can’t wait to fly off alone, {I know you’re jealous.} and spend a glorious week with my sis and her two boys. Adventures await!

On the home front, I’ve been preparing for Mr. GBE for his new role as Mr. Mom. And the highlight of his stay-cation, as I like to call it, is laundry. And to be even more specific, diaper laundry. As per our unspoken cloth diaper arrangement, Mr. GBE only changes diapers. And on a rare occasion snaps in a GroVia soaker onto a shell. That’s it. Now he’s going to have a week full of diaper laundry…washing, drying, and sorting. Ack! And like I’ve mentioned before, my stash is quite eclectic. Yesterday, we sat down and sorted the clean diapers together. He wasn’t thrilled with the variety, but he’s up for the task. There were also a few comments that he’s going to pick up a pack of Luvs. Ha ha *dry, sarcastic laugh* This just reemphasizes my belief that the more uncomplicated your stash is the better it is for when you leave your babe. Now that we sorted laundry, my next task is to show him the wash routine. And to keep phone calls to a minimum {a 3 hour time difference will not allow him early morning, laundry phone convos!}, I’ve made a list with laundry instructions. And to make everything even easier, I made a list with all laundry instructions, boys’ clothes, dog things {she’s had surgery recently, and needs fresh bedding daily}, sheets, and Mr.GBE’s clothes. My hope is to plow through a majority of laundry today, so dirty dipes will be his only laundry chore. I think I deserve a pat on the back, but since I’m going to Hawaii for a week, I won’t ask for one.

On another note, I’ve never left BW for longer than a day. He’s going to freak. I’m going to freak. But at least I’ll be freaking out in paradise. He’s such a mama’s boy, and I do relish his baby love. His open mouth, drool kisses are to die for. He’s going to have to call me every day and tell me how much he misses me.

CW, on the other hand, is going to survive without me. I’ve left him for a week when he was BW’s age. We both survived the time apart. And now that I leave him 3 days a week for a few hours at school, it’s like he’s turned into Mr. Independent. I am going to miss out on a whole week of chasing him around the house pinching his “biscuits”. It’s our fav thing to do! He’s going to have to call me every day and tell me how much he misses me.

Paradise calls…

{And by the way, Mr. GBE will be filling orders from the store. He thinks he deserves a raise!}

GroVia AIO Review

I can’t say enough nice things about GroVia’s OS AIOs. They really put a lot of thought into the design of this diaper. As with any AIOs, they are the easiest diaper to use. No stuffing. No Folding. Always ready to use. The most common problem with AIOs is washing and drying. It’s often difficult to get a good cleaning with a cover attach, and drying takes a long time because of the layers of absorbency. This is not the case with the GroVia AIO, because only one end of the soaker is attached to the cover. But wait, there’s more! There is a second soaker pad that snaps to the sewn on soaker pad. This second pad allows for more absorbency while still allowing the AIO to wash thoroughly and dry quickly. A second soaker means that it can also be removed to customize the absorbency. {Think potty learning}.

This diaper is amazingly trim on BW {now 16 ½ mo. 23 lbs}, and surprisingly CW {3 ½ yrs, 38 lbs} can still squeeze in it. It does look small on CW {he refused a picture unfortunately}, but he claimed it felt fine while he ran like a maniac around the house. At naps, BW often wears his AIO with both soaker pads plus a stay dry booster {if he binged on milk at lunch} or with the extra booster unsnapped with a stay dry booster on top. This AIO is awesome since it can be customized to fit the absorbency needs of your little one.

 I mentioned earlier that it is trim; well it’s even more so with the second soaker pad unsnapped. The side snaps of the AIO with the stretchy tabs are going to make it easy for BW to pull it down when he’s ready. This is how we’re going to roll come potty training time. The stretch in the tabs also helps to make a nice fit with this diaper. Often with diapers that snap you have to give up a snug fit at times since you’re limited by the location of the snaps. The give in the tabs compensate for that to give a great fit even when your little one is in between snap sizes on other diapers!

Simplicity is key with any stash. I’ve discussed this in previous posts. It’s best to stick with a system or two. It really makes laundry day easy, and hassle-free diaper changes for any and all caregivers. AIOs can really simplify your laundry since there is no folding or stuffing. {Full disclaimer: The second soaker pad often comes unsnapped in the wash, but it’s crazy easy to snap it back on without any effort.} Say you already have a stash with a system or two of diapers, adding GroVia AIOs won’t add any extra work. The beauty of an AIO is that they’re always ready to go. {Well, as long as they’re washed that is.} So give GroVia’s OS AIO a try…a full stash or add a few in the mix. Either way, you can’t go wrong!  



My Cowboy Small. xoxoxxx



Cloth Diaper Invasion

Saturday’s Baby Fair was amazing. I had such a great time meeting families & introducing them to cloth diapers. It was such a successful day that I really didn’t have a chance to leave my table to see the big diapering events up on the stage. GBE proudly sponsored the Diaper Derby, and gave away 2 prizes: FuzziBunz 6 pack of OS diapers & Thirsties package consisting of detergent and diapers. I caught the tail end of the first derby, and saw an adorable little boy crawl across the finish line. And I sent some “eyes” out for me to watch the Daddy Diaper Olympics. She took some pics for me & watched the festivities. Thirsties Duo Diapers were used instead of disposable diapers during the contest. It made quite the impression on the Dads involved and the spectators as well. And I’m happy to announce that the diapers used in the Olympics will be donated to the Gospel Rescue Mission. I’ll be dropping them off this week. I hope the diapers are a blessing to a mom & baby.

Saturday was such a busy day, and I had the chance to meet a lot of new people. A lot of Rockin’ Green samples were passed out to those that stopped by to see what cloth diapers were all about. And there were a lot of entries for the GroVia raffle prize as well. The prize that GroVia generously donated was made up of 2 Shells, 2 2-packs of Soaker Pads, 1 50-count pack of Biosoakers, a Magic Stick, and samples of Tiny Bubbles detergent. It was definitely worth entering, and a lot of people did! I met with the winner this afternoon to drop of her new diapers. It’s going to be a great way for her to see how versatile the GroVia hybrid diapering system really is!

I couldn’t have been a part of the Baby Fair without Thirsties, FuzziBunz, GroVia, and Rockin’ Green supporting me. Thank you everyone for being so generous with your donations. The day was truly successful because I had these great companies standing behind me.

And I couldn’t have done the Baby Fair without my Mom. She jumped right in to teach everyone that stopped by about cloth diapers. I mean, she did get me into this to begin with when she gave me cloth diapers as a gift. The least she could do was jump right in without any training & help me out, right?! Just kidding, of course. And a big thank you to Mr. GBE, my Dad, and my In-Laws. They were all my behind the scenes support, which without I wouldn’t have been able to make it through the day.

I’m looking forward to next year’s Baby Fair! And if you’re in Tucson, don’t wait until next year to see what all the fuss is about cloth diapers. Schedule your in home cloth diaper consult today.

Tucson Baby Fair 2011

I am excited to announce that GBE will be attending the 94.9 MIX FM Tucson Baby Fair on August 20^th from 9 am to 3 pm at the TCC. Diapers and accessories will be available to purchase. That’s right. I’m bringing the whole kit and caboodle with me. And with every purchase of $30 or more, I’ll include a free wet bag {valued at $6.75 and while supplies last}. You’ll also really want to stop by and see me because GroVia has generously given a diaper package worth over $100 to be raffled off. It’s a great prize for any and all stages of cloth diapering and whether you’re new or an old hat to the world of cloth diapers.

And I’m shaking things up at this year’s Baby Fair. The Daddy Diaper Olympics is going green this year. For those of you that don’t know what the Daddy Diaper Olympics are I’ll fill you in. It’s a relay race where Dads change diapers. It’s super fun to watch. And as far as I know disposables have always been used. When I first pitched the idea of using cloth, I was told “No” due to liability issues. I was honestly stumped for a while, and I could not figure out where the liability was in changing cloth diapers until it dawned on me…PINS. Once that was straightened out, everything changed. Thirsties graciously supplied 12 refurbished diapers to be used for the Daddy Diaper Olympics. When the Daddy Diaper Olympics are over, the 12 Thirsties diapers that were used for the competition will be donated to the Gospel Rescue Mission. {How cool is that?} Cloth diapers are going to *WOW* everyone there. Since the race takes place two separate times, cloth diapers are going to be showcased on center stage twice during the Baby Fair. {No one is going to think about pins when looking at the Thirsties Duo Diapers!} And I love the fact that Dads are going to be up there changing CLOTH diapers. I hear from many clients that Daddy is the hesitant member of the family, and I know that was my experience as well. At the Baby Fair, Dads are going to be showing off how easy it is to change a cloth diaper. And to make the race even more interesting, a prize valued over $100 will be given to the winning Dad. Thirsties once again stepped up to graciously donate a prize, and FuzziBunz has also generously provided a prize. Want to know what the prizes are? Well, you’ll have to get yourself to the Baby Fair! Or an even better idea would be to have Daddy compete for the prize. I encourage you to come and watch or participate in this historic Daddy Diaper Olympics. 

Are you excited yet? I’m at the point of “Field Trip” excited. Think back to elementary school and how the night before a super fun field trip you couldn’t sleep at night? Well, that’s me. I’m constantly thinking about how much fun the Baby Fair is going to be. I’m looking forward to seeing you there. And pass the word along to your friends, family, and mommy groups, especially those that don’t cloth diaper. What a great way to show them on a grand scale how easy & cute cloth diapers are without talking their ears off about cloth. This is going to be an event you and your friends won’t want to miss.



A Refubished Thirsties Duo Diaper Size 1 in Alice Brights. It's going to amaze the masses at the Daddy Diaper Olympics!


P.S. Thank you Thirsties, GroVia, FuzziBunz, and Rockin' Green for all the support and generous donations. I couldn't make my spectacular debut at the Baby Fair without you all!!

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~~