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~~

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.

The 3 R's

Jack Johnson, my new fav singer, has a song titled “The 3 R’s.”  It’s crazy addicting, and I find myself singing it to myself quite often.  Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.   He sings about ways kids can live the 3 R’s. 

"If you're going to the market to buy some juice
You've got to bring your own bags and you learn to reduce your waste
And if your brother or your sister's got some cool clothes
You could try them on before you buy some more of those
Reuse, we've got to learn to reuse
And if the first two R's don't work out
And if you've got to make some trash
Don't throw it out
Recycle, we've got to learn to recycle…"

Such a simple message.  Not so simple to apply to our lives in today’s throw away culture. 

Growing up, my mom & dad were “green” because they wanted to save money.  I thought they were trying to ruin my life.  My mom made us bring lunch from home and use reusable lunch sacks.  Even in middle school! *Gah*  Talk about social suicide.  When we were young, she would find different toys and furniture in the alley or garage sales and fix them up for us.  This was cool since we did get “new” things.  But in all honesty, it wasn’t the same as getting something new in a box.  We saved cans and took them to get cash.  My dad used the backs of envelopes as note paper at his business.  He still does this today.  He also used paper towels to dry his hands and would let them air dry so they could be used again multiple times.  We {meaning me and my siblings} thought our parents were so lame.  Hello, let’s throw stuff away and buy new!!  And I can’t even count the number of times we were told to turn off lights when we left the room and to keep the front/back door closed.  “We’re not paying to heat/cool the outside.” Lame-o parents always ruining our fun.   

And the cycle of “lameness” continues with me and the hubs.  We yard sale, garden, recycle everything that we can.  Lights are turned off when not in use.  Thermostats are set to save a little money.  We use reusable grocery bags {when I remember}.  Electronics are unplugged when not in use.  And now we cloth diaper.   To say that using cloth diapers was life changing would be an understatement.  The amount of trash we throw away is so much less than it was with our first child.  And this may be a little TMI, but it’s not half as stinky as it used to be.  Think used diapers, garbage can outside, and hot Arizona summers. *Gag*  When I made the change to cloth wipes {this was a gradual transition} our trash output decreased even more.  I love that I’m not hauling garbage outside as often as I used to.  And not to brag, but *ahem* our recycle bin often has more in it than our garbage can.

So now, that we’re using cloth diapers and wipes, I’m looking for more ways to reuse things.  Much to the hubs frustration, I’m refusing to use paper towels to clean with.  I use our kitchen towels to wipe down the counters, table, and floors. {Yes, mealtimes are insanely messy here.}  I can use one kitchen towel instead of multiple paper towels.  And when it’s been used, I just throw it in the wash with whatever load is going in, except for diapers.  Easy.  Cloth wipes are also doubling as Kleenex for the boys.  Unfortunately, noses are always running.  Those I’ll throw in with diapers to wash.  Once again, less trash to throw out.  Awesome! 

I’m not trying to say, that we are such a super duper “green” family.  We’re not.  There’s more we could be doing, but we don’t for whatever reason.  I use paper bibs at restaurants.  We’ve been known to use paper plates on occasion.  Paper napkins are always used.  Disposable cups serve their purpose every now and then.  Ceiling fans are sometimes left on in rooms during the summer.  My list of transgressions can go on.

I’m learning that living the 3 R’s isn’t so difficult.  Small changes can have a huge impact.  However, at times it can be challenging.  Cloth diapers on vacation isn’t always the easiest, and grabbing a paper towel and tossing it in the trash means there is one less kitchen towel to fold.  But what kind of lesson am I teaching my boys?  Being mindful of our waste and using what we have is something that they can learn and pass on to their children.  Hopefully, I won’t have them commit social suicide in the process!

What do you do that is green? What are some things you’d like to try to change to become less wasteful?

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