I love prints on my pocket diapers and diaper covers, and there seems to be no better place to find said prints, than on Etsy. For some reason, the big cloth diaper companies, don't have as many prints, or focus largely on solids for some reason. I'm guessing it has to do with the quality of the PUL? I'd be glad to hear otherwise.
That said, I shop on Etsy, when I have the time and money to find prints that are cute. You really can't go far on Etsy and not find something cute. For instance, if you go on there right now, and type in cloth diaper.
But, here's the thing with these ultra cute diapers- how do you know how good they are?
I purchased some awhile back, that were soooo darn cute. I mean, the cutest prints I've ever seen. Once I got the diapers, I realized that even though they were OS, they were much smaller than a OS. It was harder to stuff than a fuzzibunz, which sucked, because otherwise I loved it. It has a suede like inner, and ooga boogas on the outside. Note, not all ooga booga diapers are the same, not even close, there are loads of makers who use that fabric.
So, I had also ordered a second diaper from her, that I thought was a pocket, but was an all in one. This too was far too small, I mean it fit for a bit, but I don't like all in ones, and the flap on the inside seemed too small too.
I never got back to the lady. The diapers were cute, and very well made, but I didn't know how to tell her what I really thought, and I know the feedback could have been helpful. So I wonder, how do you decide which WAHM diapers to try? Where do you look, how do you know if it's any good, etc?
So, I'm looking for suggestions, please let me know what your favorite WAHM cloth diapers are.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Bunzuke Convertabunz
I've always been a fan of items that serve dual purposes, so I love prefolds for that reason alone. But, there is a super awesome prefold that kicks butt! Did I mention it was awesome?
The Bunzuke prefold isn't a regular prefold. It folds, and turns into many forms to use in diapering. It's a prefold that snaps up, turns inside out, does is super cute. It comes in a bunch of colors, and sizes too.
Here is a video that I watched, when I first decided I needed to try one of her diapers. As I was watching, I said to my husband: "I'm way too interested in this!" Yes I am addicted to cloth, and these diapers are just the thing to get me to give prefolds another shot.
The Bunzuke prefold isn't a regular prefold. It folds, and turns into many forms to use in diapering. It's a prefold that snaps up, turns inside out, does is super cute. It comes in a bunch of colors, and sizes too.
Here is a video that I watched, when I first decided I needed to try one of her diapers. As I was watching, I said to my husband: "I'm way too interested in this!" Yes I am addicted to cloth, and these diapers are just the thing to get me to give prefolds another shot.
I think the price for this is great, because it works as a fitted and a prefold, doubles as an insert, and the elastic is adjustable. It's fabulous.
She's sending me one to use on my son, and after a week of using it, I'll post about how great it works. I'm sure I won't be disappointed. Check out her site and grab a bunzuke convertabunz for your little one
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Finding Your Local Cloth Diaper Store
It seems for some people, that finding their local cloth diaper store is a bit more difficult than it should be. You'd think that between the internet, the phone book, etc you would easily be able to find what you are looking for, but it isn't that easy. In fact, I didn't even know we had 4 cloth diaper stores in my area, before my third baby was born.
I looked on Google for cloth diaper stores and didn't get any results that were helpful. I know it's changed a bit in the last few months, and if you search now, you might, but the truth is, it's just a MIGHT. So here are a few ways to find you local stores.
1. Go here: https://www.google.com/search?q=cloth+diapers&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=9HQ&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmdo=1&authuser=0&tbm=plcs&prmd=imvnsl&source=lnms&ei=Tlo4T_7nF-Sz0QHM4qHjAg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=3&ved=0CD8Q_AUoAg&biw=1138&bih=631
It's a crazy link, but when you click it, it should work with your area, not mine, and should work to show cloth diaper stores in your area.
2. Go to BumGenius' webiste: http://www.bumgenius.com/retailers.php and select your country, state, etc. They along with Fuzzibunz are two of the most common brands used, so most stores will have them in stock. Here is Fuzzibunz link: http://www.fuzzibunz.com/search_db/cat_show.php
3. Check out the real diaper associations local directory to find the closest retailer. http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/directory/
Buying Cloth for the First Time? Go Local!
While the internet is great for finding deals on diapers you already like, going local is so beneficial for everyone involved.
I looked on Google for cloth diaper stores and didn't get any results that were helpful. I know it's changed a bit in the last few months, and if you search now, you might, but the truth is, it's just a MIGHT. So here are a few ways to find you local stores.
1. Go here: https://www.google.com/search?q=cloth+diapers&um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=9HQ&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmdo=1&authuser=0&tbm=plcs&prmd=imvnsl&source=lnms&ei=Tlo4T_7nF-Sz0QHM4qHjAg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=3&ved=0CD8Q_AUoAg&biw=1138&bih=631
It's a crazy link, but when you click it, it should work with your area, not mine, and should work to show cloth diaper stores in your area.
2. Go to BumGenius' webiste: http://www.bumgenius.com/retailers.php and select your country, state, etc. They along with Fuzzibunz are two of the most common brands used, so most stores will have them in stock. Here is Fuzzibunz link: http://www.fuzzibunz.com/search_db/cat_show.php
3. Check out the real diaper associations local directory to find the closest retailer. http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/directory/
Buying Cloth for the First Time? Go Local!
While the internet is great for finding deals on diapers you already like, going local is so beneficial for everyone involved.
- You get to see & feel the diapers before buying
- You are helping other families who live in your area
- Most places have a trial program to get you started
- You'll get expert advice from another cloth diaperer
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Different Qualities of PUL
In a group of cloth diapering moms I was asking about some new PUL fabric available, and I was told not to waste my time, because it wasn't very good quality.
This makes me wonder, how do I know what kind of PUL is quality? I mean, there are so many cloth diaper brands out there that I've always assumed, the PUL is good quality. When I read more on PUL I see that it is made to hold up to high heat, but what about pictures with the PUL coming off. It looks like a peel when it cracks and can pull back.
For cloth diapers, I've read that 1 or 2 mil is the right thickness to use. But I've also read that sometimes 2 is more stiff, sometimes used for wet bags. What I've also found is that how well it works depends on the fabric it is used on. For instance, this article on PUL says that when it is used with cotton, there is some kind of waterproof spray used to make it compensate for the cotton use.
Another thing I've read is that PUL seems to work different with print fabrics as compared to solid, which is why I'm guessing so many companies have LOADS of solids, and few prints. Of course, over the years, more companies are using PUL with prints, so that makes me happy, because I love cute prints on pocket diapers.
I'm just wondering what every one else knows about PUL, and the different qualities of it. I really like prints and while some of the big brands do carry them, I want MORE!! Any tips???
This makes me wonder, how do I know what kind of PUL is quality? I mean, there are so many cloth diaper brands out there that I've always assumed, the PUL is good quality. When I read more on PUL I see that it is made to hold up to high heat, but what about pictures with the PUL coming off. It looks like a peel when it cracks and can pull back.
For cloth diapers, I've read that 1 or 2 mil is the right thickness to use. But I've also read that sometimes 2 is more stiff, sometimes used for wet bags. What I've also found is that how well it works depends on the fabric it is used on. For instance, this article on PUL says that when it is used with cotton, there is some kind of waterproof spray used to make it compensate for the cotton use.
Another thing I've read is that PUL seems to work different with print fabrics as compared to solid, which is why I'm guessing so many companies have LOADS of solids, and few prints. Of course, over the years, more companies are using PUL with prints, so that makes me happy, because I love cute prints on pocket diapers.
I'm just wondering what every one else knows about PUL, and the different qualities of it. I really like prints and while some of the big brands do carry them, I want MORE!! Any tips???
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Rumparooz & Other New Fluffy Stash
Visiting Healthy Heiny's
Today I went to visit a new (to me) cloth diaper store in my area. I was looking for Rumparooz cloth diapers, because, they look really great online. Here's a video I found of them:
Those double gussets look awesome, huh? And there are more prints than a bumGenius or Fuzzibunz, and I love prints.
So, with the double gussets I wanted to try the Rumparooz, and I needed to see them in person, before I just purchased online. Even though videos and pictures are nice, there's just something about feeling the fabric, checking out easily the snaps work, and running your hand over the inner layer to see how soft it will feel on your baby's bum, right?
When I first got to the store, I almost lost it when I found the Rumparooz diaper covers first, I thought, oh great, I've come all this way (20 minutes, haha) and they just have covers :( then I turned around and found the pocket diapers. They didn't have the brand new prints I wanted, but they did have the kangaroos print, so that was good enough for me. I grabbed it, slipped off the cardboard around it, and started inspecting.
On the outside:
Beautiful fabric, nice branding tag on the bum, cute snaps (with kangaroos on them), and loads of snaps, because they have 4 sizes (yay!!) The snaps are nice too, brand new, shiny, and easy to click into place.
On the inside, sooo soft. The inner gussets are beautiful, and it just looks like it will be so nice on the bum. I'm not sure what the fabric is.
The pocket: I do not really like microfiber inserts, they work well, but everything seems to get on them. We have a lot of them from other diapers and while these might not necessarily be microfiber, they must be some kind of micro, because a wood chip from the shelf was already sticking to it.
I'd much prefer the hemp inserts, but she wasn't able to switch them out. I didn't want to pay another $10 per diaper for them. There are some stores online you can switch them out, and pay the difference, so in the future, I may do this.
The insert is very cool though, and beats just about every other inserts butt! It comes in a style to use it in 6 different ways, based on size and sex of your baby. Great protection, at least I am hoping, but it seems like it would make a big difference.
Now we still have to prep them, but I can't wait to use them. We also bought an Osocozy all in one, size Large, and it's just like a regular diaper. There is no flap on the inside, and it's very thin, so I'm excited to see how this works out.
As far as the store goes, if you live in my area and get a chance to check it out, please do. The owner was there, with her mom and babies, and was really nice. They offered help probably 3 times, and were telling me about different products they have. They are doing a used cloth diaper sale on the 18th of this month, and making donations to Great Change.
Whims & Doodles
After Healthy Heiny's we ran over to Whims & Doodles so that I could use my gift certificates from Christmas shopping there. I had $60 to use up. They only have a handful of cloth diapers, Flip, Econobum, bumGenius, Fuzzibunz, Thirsties. I love seeing the newborn diapers though, both stores had some.
I love this store because they have a LOT of the cool products I see online. Yesterday I saw the Lawn drying rack for dishes, and they had that, and they had these cool bead necklaces (forgot the name), made of silicone, for the baby to play with and chew on for teething, or while nursing. I'm not a jewelry mom, but I considered grabbing one for him.
Here I ended up getting 2 bumGenius pocket diapers in dark blue. I love the color, it looks great on the baby. I also got him 6 pairs of socks by Striderite because they don't come off easy, and he would lose socks all the time if we didn't use these.
I had hoped to find other teething toys for him, but didn't see anything else that I loved. I know I'll visit both stores again, because I love getting new things NOW, not waiting for them in the mail. And I highly recommend hooking up with your local store to find new diapers to check out. I love this for a few reasons:
Today I went to visit a new (to me) cloth diaper store in my area. I was looking for Rumparooz cloth diapers, because, they look really great online. Here's a video I found of them:
Those double gussets look awesome, huh? And there are more prints than a bumGenius or Fuzzibunz, and I love prints.
So, with the double gussets I wanted to try the Rumparooz, and I needed to see them in person, before I just purchased online. Even though videos and pictures are nice, there's just something about feeling the fabric, checking out easily the snaps work, and running your hand over the inner layer to see how soft it will feel on your baby's bum, right?
When I first got to the store, I almost lost it when I found the Rumparooz diaper covers first, I thought, oh great, I've come all this way (20 minutes, haha) and they just have covers :( then I turned around and found the pocket diapers. They didn't have the brand new prints I wanted, but they did have the kangaroos print, so that was good enough for me. I grabbed it, slipped off the cardboard around it, and started inspecting.
On the outside:
Beautiful fabric, nice branding tag on the bum, cute snaps (with kangaroos on them), and loads of snaps, because they have 4 sizes (yay!!) The snaps are nice too, brand new, shiny, and easy to click into place.
On the inside, sooo soft. The inner gussets are beautiful, and it just looks like it will be so nice on the bum. I'm not sure what the fabric is.
The pocket: I do not really like microfiber inserts, they work well, but everything seems to get on them. We have a lot of them from other diapers and while these might not necessarily be microfiber, they must be some kind of micro, because a wood chip from the shelf was already sticking to it.
I'd much prefer the hemp inserts, but she wasn't able to switch them out. I didn't want to pay another $10 per diaper for them. There are some stores online you can switch them out, and pay the difference, so in the future, I may do this.
The insert is very cool though, and beats just about every other inserts butt! It comes in a style to use it in 6 different ways, based on size and sex of your baby. Great protection, at least I am hoping, but it seems like it would make a big difference.
Now we still have to prep them, but I can't wait to use them. We also bought an Osocozy all in one, size Large, and it's just like a regular diaper. There is no flap on the inside, and it's very thin, so I'm excited to see how this works out.
As far as the store goes, if you live in my area and get a chance to check it out, please do. The owner was there, with her mom and babies, and was really nice. They offered help probably 3 times, and were telling me about different products they have. They are doing a used cloth diaper sale on the 18th of this month, and making donations to Great Change.
Whims & Doodles
After Healthy Heiny's we ran over to Whims & Doodles so that I could use my gift certificates from Christmas shopping there. I had $60 to use up. They only have a handful of cloth diapers, Flip, Econobum, bumGenius, Fuzzibunz, Thirsties. I love seeing the newborn diapers though, both stores had some.
I love this store because they have a LOT of the cool products I see online. Yesterday I saw the Lawn drying rack for dishes, and they had that, and they had these cool bead necklaces (forgot the name), made of silicone, for the baby to play with and chew on for teething, or while nursing. I'm not a jewelry mom, but I considered grabbing one for him.
Here I ended up getting 2 bumGenius pocket diapers in dark blue. I love the color, it looks great on the baby. I also got him 6 pairs of socks by Striderite because they don't come off easy, and he would lose socks all the time if we didn't use these.
I had hoped to find other teething toys for him, but didn't see anything else that I loved. I know I'll visit both stores again, because I love getting new things NOW, not waiting for them in the mail. And I highly recommend hooking up with your local store to find new diapers to check out. I love this for a few reasons:
- Get the product right NOW
- Check it out BEFORE you buy it
- Help a local family (great feeling)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
A Little Nervous
I live in central NY (state, not city). I have 3 boys, am married, and love cloth diapering, among many other things. I've only been cloth diapering for about 5 months now.
I tried it with my second born, but we just didn't get far with the 2 diapers we purchased, one was a fitted and we had no covers, ha ha. I didn't understand it all when we ordered.
With our third son, the one I'm cloth diapering, I had really wanted to give it a try, so when he was a couple of weeks old, we purchased a bunch of brands to try them out. Then, we got some Kawaiis to use.
That said, we love pocket diapers, but I'm still learning about prefolds, flats, and the troubleshooting involved with cloth diapers. I own The At Homer and have been writing there about cloth diapers, then I found this site.
I've learned a lot about cloth diapers in the past several months, and I'm very into the going green with baby trend. I breastfeed, babywear, and hope to someday do a natural birth. I wouldn't say I'm crunchy, by far, but I'm on my way. I tell people I'm still soggy :)
By the way, I LOVE facebook, so be sure to join me on there under Everything Cloth
Bittersweet
It is with mixed feelings that I log on now for the last time to bid you adieu as the owner of EverythingCloth.com. The past year has been a whirlwind for me in my personal life--our sweet little baby girl turned 1, I returned to full time teaching at a wild and wacky junior high school, and I have most recently found out I'm pregnant with Baby #2 (and have the horrific "morning sickness"--more like all day sickness--to show it!)
Running multiple websites has been too much for me to handle as of late, hence the lack of updates recently. When approached by fellow cloth diapering mama, Mary, recently, I was happy to find just the right person to turn the site over to. As of immediately, Mary will be joining EverythingCloth.com as admin, moderator, and blogger extraordinaire ;) I hope you'll join me in welcoming her as well as staying tuned for all the exciting updates and tweaks that are to come!
That being said, if you still want to find me on the web, I'm keeping up with my other blog, ClothDiaperContests.com and you can always say hi over on our Facebook page for that site.
Wishing all of you lots of love and fluffy bums! :)
<3 Lisa
Running multiple websites has been too much for me to handle as of late, hence the lack of updates recently. When approached by fellow cloth diapering mama, Mary, recently, I was happy to find just the right person to turn the site over to. As of immediately, Mary will be joining EverythingCloth.com as admin, moderator, and blogger extraordinaire ;) I hope you'll join me in welcoming her as well as staying tuned for all the exciting updates and tweaks that are to come!
That being said, if you still want to find me on the web, I'm keeping up with my other blog, ClothDiaperContests.com and you can always say hi over on our Facebook page for that site.
Wishing all of you lots of love and fluffy bums! :)
<3 Lisa
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
This Messy Job We've Gotten Ourselves Into...
I stumbled upon this popular blog post the other day and both cringed and faintly smiled as I read it. Entitled "The 2 Reasons I Would Never Switch to Cloth Diapers", the author promotes her faithful love of disposable diapers, with their convenience and overall inoffensiveness in the pee & poop department. Although I can agree with some of her statements (yes, there really *does* need to be a 28th hour in the day for mommies!), several of them made me cringe a little, like this one:
I'm not saying that as moms we should be martyrs and subject ourselves to every disgusting and horrific thing just for the sake of it; by all means, there are some modern conveniences that do help to make our lives easier and more pleasant. However, let's just think beyond ourselves for a little while here (because heaven knows as moms we're going to have to be doing it for the rest of our lives, anyways!)--the poop that "offends" us so much for twenty seconds during a disposable diaper change then sits around for days festering in our garbage pails or garages before it is left to fester further in our landfills--becoming someone else's problem--for literally hundreds of years. This notion of "permanently disposing of the actual urine and bowel movements" that the author above mentions is actually a total facade. Disposable diapers are not a permanent disposal of waste--they are, in fact, much closer to a permanent storage of it. On the flip side, taking the extra twenty seconds to be "offended" by the poop in a cloth diaper does in fact lead to its permanent disposal. Once flushed down the toilet, that waste is properly treated by our water treatment plants, leaving no lingering by-products or wastes.
All I'm saying is this: if we stop to realize that, as moms, we're really in this whole parenthood thing for the long, messy haul anyways, then a quick little change of one dampened pocket diaper really shouldn't be such a big deal now, should it?!
I'd love to hear your thoughts... :)
I get that cloth diapers can be cheaper. But the cost of disposable diapers is more than worth it to me. There is no price tag on the satisfaction of permanently disposing of the memory of one’s urine and bowel movements. Not to mention permanently disposing of the actual urine and bowel movements.Let's face it, folks--the pee and the poop factor are there regardless of what type of diapers we use or, heck, even if we use elimination communication from birth! Babies poop, pee, spit up, and partake in tons of other less-than-favorable actions! Our society is trying to make raising our babies an overly sanitized thing, where their milk comes pre-packaged in pretty little cans and bottles, and their every little milky burp cloth and dampened diaper can be crumpled up and whisked away before it offends us. Are we mommies seriously that offended by our little ones?! If so, then maybe we need to get over ourselves a bit! Of course, I'll agree that there is a yuck factor to lots of parenting jobs, but let's not forget--it doesn't end with poopy diapers! After newborn poop comes the dreaded toddler poop, wretched and foul in their little nappies, and we think nothing may be worse--until they have a diaper-less accident on our rug while trying to be potty trained! Even once potty trained, diaper days are traded for alternate messes--spills, ketchup smears on the walls, nighttime puking sessions. I'm sure parents of teenagers would agree that the parenting messes do not go away once your kids hit thirteen--just take a whiff of any sixteen year old boy's room to know as much! ;)
I'm not saying that as moms we should be martyrs and subject ourselves to every disgusting and horrific thing just for the sake of it; by all means, there are some modern conveniences that do help to make our lives easier and more pleasant. However, let's just think beyond ourselves for a little while here (because heaven knows as moms we're going to have to be doing it for the rest of our lives, anyways!)--the poop that "offends" us so much for twenty seconds during a disposable diaper change then sits around for days festering in our garbage pails or garages before it is left to fester further in our landfills--becoming someone else's problem--for literally hundreds of years. This notion of "permanently disposing of the actual urine and bowel movements" that the author above mentions is actually a total facade. Disposable diapers are not a permanent disposal of waste--they are, in fact, much closer to a permanent storage of it. On the flip side, taking the extra twenty seconds to be "offended" by the poop in a cloth diaper does in fact lead to its permanent disposal. Once flushed down the toilet, that waste is properly treated by our water treatment plants, leaving no lingering by-products or wastes.
All I'm saying is this: if we stop to realize that, as moms, we're really in this whole parenthood thing for the long, messy haul anyways, then a quick little change of one dampened pocket diaper really shouldn't be such a big deal now, should it?!
I'd love to hear your thoughts... :)
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