My routine

Wash routine, that is.

Wash routines seem to be a hot topic. I, personally, do not feel like anyone needs to follow a specific wash routine. I think you should use what you feel is best for your situation and go with it. Here's some things that I've learned and have found useful.

1) Finding your routine takes troubleshooting. Most everything involved with cloth diapering involves troubleshooting.

2) Using less detergent IS helpful. Fewer suds, less residue.

3) Pre-rinsing is helpful

Here goes...

I DON'T USE "CD-friendly" DETERGENT!!! (*gasp!*)

I use Arm and Hammer with Oxy Clean liquid detergent.

I have a front-loading Whirlpool washing machine and matching dryer. Yes, I am bragging by writing that all out, because I feel I waited quite a while to acquire my dream washer/dryer setup.

I wash my inserts and fitteds separately from the outers. I wash them the same, but I dry them differently.

I wash every two to three days, or whenever the diaper pail is full.

For poop diapers I use an old kitchen spatula to scrape off the poop, and then soak it in a bucket of oxy-clean water until wash day. (*poop-scraping is that spatula's only job*)

I fill my washer with inserts and the shells of the fitted diapers. If it is a two-piece, snap-together insert, I separate the two pieces. Yes, this does make me spend a few extra minutes during the folding process to match things up, but I feel like they get cleaner and dry faster. I run a rinse/spin cycle on cold. Then I run a normal wash cycle with hot water, with an extra rinse added on. During this step I use about 1/2 the amount of detergent that is recommended for the load size according to the detergent container. If the diapers seem a little stinky, or "just cause", I throw in a scoop of oxy-clean. After that cycle is done, I do an additional rinse with warm water.

For the drying cycle, I have four wool dryer balls that I throw in with the load. I dry inserts/fitteds on high heat for 60-65 minutes. I usually hang-dry fleece overnight diaper shells, which were washed with the inserts/fitteds.

I wash my "waterproof" items, such as AI2 shells and pockets, exactly the same, but sometimes I skip the extra rinse. There aren't as many layers in these pieces, so I figure the extra rinse of the wash cycle gets them pretty clean.

For drying my "waterproof" stuff, I hang dry all of my BumGenius shells and any covers. The material dries so quickly, they don't really need the dryer, and I feel like the dryer only fades the print or damages the PUL. I dry the rest of the load on medium heat for 60-65 minutes. I use the wool dryer balls for the "waterproof" items, as well.

I have dried diapers with no dryer balls, and with plastic ones. Everything came out too stiff and staticky without any dryer balls, and I like the idea of using natural fiber instead of the plastic.

I hope someone finds this information useful. I don't use exact-measured amounts of cleansers. I don't use vinegar, wash soda, borax, fels-naptha, or any of that "simple" stuff. If it works for you, fantastic. But I don't have time for that, personally. I don't know if I have hard or soft water. Sorry.

Lastly, I do not use "CD-friendly" detergent because...I'm afraid. The Arm & Hammer is what I use for all my other detergent and it seems to work just fine, and I didn't want to fix what isn't broken. I have sample packets of Rockin' Green and BumGenius detergents, and maybe I'll try them someday.

Seeing for myself

I joined Cuties With Cloth Booties, an online diaper forum through the CafeMom website, about 15 months ago. I can't believe how much I've learned since then, and I've really gotten to know a few of the WAHM's and their work. Most of them are truly top-notch, both in product and personality.

There are a couple of elusive mamas, however, that I have found it difficult to get to know. I also have been watching their work, and have been reluctant to purchase. But I have still been aching to see these brands in person.

One of those brands is Cooshie Tooshies, by WAHM Kristy.

Kristy has been making Cooshie Tooshies diapers for several years, and I have spent a lot of time perusing her listings on her hyenacart, and the congo she mainly stocks on, CWCB.

I've always wondered...are my eyes deceiving me, or is that topstitching really off?

Let me interject here by saying that I plan to be brutally honest in these reviews. Would you really want an inaccurate review that leads you to purchase something you regret? I wouldn't.

Many of the Cooshie Tooshies designs that I've seen in her listings are really cute. She is excellent at using character-themed fabrics and placing them perfectly on the cooshie toosh of her diapers.

But I have high expectations of topstitching when it comes to WAHM diapers. I feel as though if you are going to build a business, you should at least try to make it look professional. When I learned how to sew as a pre-teen, I was taught that topstitching is one of the most important finishing touches on a garment or project, because everyone sees it, and it is a reflection of the time and effort put into it.

I have never been able to get over the topstitching visible in the Cooshie Tooshies preview pictures enough to purchase one for full price, which generally ranges from $14-20. So, finally, the opportunity arose for me to purchase one previously-owned from another mom. It had been prepped, but never used. In an effort to keep this an honest review, I contacted Kristy to get information regarding the diaper.

It is a medium or large size pocket diaper, purchased approximately a year ago. It has a fleece inner, and a cotton woven outer. The pocket opening is at the front, a first for any diapers I own. My hand seemed to fit okay, but it might look funny if the insert started to creep out.

The topstitching is visible in the picture, and upon first impression, I don't think its that great. Also notice how the fabric on the wings looks like it wasn't folded properly, and the inner fabric rolled towards the outer before it was sewed down, and is thus sewed that way. There are several other sewing flaws.

 Here's visibly crooked topstitching and inner rolled to the outer.

 This one really bothers me. The fabric is really lumpy at the pocket opening, and the unfinished edge is visible and fraying.

 

I was also surprised that there are no crossover snaps, and I'm not a big fan of the four-square-snap-wing configuration. It seemed as though it would be difficult to get them all snapped, and a bit unnecessary.

I was reluctant to try this diaper on my son and procrastinated for a couple of weeks. It looked scratchy on the inside. I eventually got around to putting it on him, and it actually did fit well. My guy is pretty big, though, and he was almost snapped all the way to the middle. If he was an average-sized eight-month-old, he probably would have not fit in the waist, and without the crossover snaps, he would not have been able to wear it.

One of my least favorite features of the diaper when it is on my son is the way the inner fabric rolls towards the outside around the legs. I tried tucking it in, but it still kept rolling. When the inner got wet, it started to wick onto the outer.

Other than the questions I asked of Kristy to get more specifications on this diaper, I do not have much to go by on her customer service. Her CWCB feedback seems to contain mixed reviews, but she was quick to respond to my questions and seemed very sweet.

I honestly do not plan to purchase another Cooshie Tooshies diaper in the future, new or used. But I am really glad I was able to finally get my hands on one to see for myself how they are constructed. I guess my eyes were not deceiving me.

Can I take a moment?

To talk about a new obsession of mine?

My favorite WAHM (yes, I have a favorite, deal.) has recently started making and selling Zorb II inserts.

When I first started acquiring pockets (AI2's were my first love) I was fine with the MF towel insert. Now I'm NOT! I now believe that the only time MF is okay, when you can afford nicer inserts, is when its made to work with the diaper.

For instance, I have 11 BumGeniuses, of which seven I have BG brand inserts for. They are made of MF but are well made and were created to go with the BGs. I like things that match.

But six of my seven Monkey and Bugs, my four M and Ms, my Licorice Lane, Linah Sorah, Banana Manna, Bibbidi Bobbidi Booties, and three Dypes by Dixon all generally use MF inserts, but NOW is the time for change.

If you were planning on getting one of these inserts from PLUMP, don't count on it, because I'm swooping these up like MAD!

The first interview is.....Meghann H. of Monkey and Bug!!

Meghann is an awesome WAHM and I am SO excited that she took the time to help us get to know her just a little better. So without further delay, here's a lil' bit about Megh:

Your name: Meghann (Heilala)
 
Your WAHM brand name: Monkey and Bug
 
How did you come up with your brand name? My twin boys are nicknamed Monkey and Bug, and since they are my inspiration (and the name wasn't taken yet), I just went with it!
 
When did you make your first diaper? Originally I made my first diaper in the fall of 2009 when I was pregnant with the boys... Those diapers are nothing like the pattern I use now, but they gave me a lot of practice, and helped me do my research into patterns and materials...
 
Did you make your own pattern or buy one? I bought the NykiBaby pattern after I tested for another mama who made them... She was making me a custom order of 26 diapers, and I thought to myself, "Why don't you just buy the pattern and try it yourself?"  Needless to say, I loved it!
 
When did you sell your first diaper? I sold my first diaper (not including testers) in December of 2010...
 
Where/how did you sell your first diaper(s)? (after your testers)  I had created a fan page for Monkey and Bug on Facebook when I started asking for testers... Once the testing phases were complete, I started listing random holiday themed diapers I had sewn on the page, and they were bought by some of my earlier fans... :)
 
If you used testers, what’s the most interesting comment you received regarding your tester? Hmmm... I didn't really hear too many "interesting" comments, but my favorites were about the diapers being "bulletproof" or the testers favorite "go-to" diaper...
 
Where/how do you currently sell your diapers? Right now I mostly sell my diapers through congo listings on Hyenacart... Here and there I am picking custom slots back up, but I like the fact that there is less stress when you choose what you want to sew, when you want to sew it, and you don't have a specific person waiting for an order...

{Megh stocks on the Peace, Love, Cloth congo, and has her own store that she stocks *occasionally*}

Do you have aspirations to expand your diaper business?  Right now, I'm content with where my business is at... I have my hands full with the boys, and the sewing is just my creative outlet... When the business started getting to stressful a few months ago, I took a step back, reprioritized, and I'm really happy with how things have slowed down...
 
Do you make products other than diapers? I have soooo many patterns that I have purchased and want to try my hand at, but right now diapers are what sell, so that's what I've been focusing on... I make Bite-Me Dinos, blankets, burp cloths, nursing pillow covers and things like that for myself and family/friends, but I really don't offer them through the business... I do make and sell mama cloth though!
 
If so, what is your favorite product to make? I love making Bite-Me Dinos... They are super cute and the combinations of fabrics and ribbons are endless! {I need to learn how to make one of these myself, my boy needs more things to chew on}
 
Describe your favorite diaper you made, and/or include a picture: I made this Rat Race diaper this past week, and it is definitely one of my favorites... I really wanted to keep it, but I decided to sell it... 

{So cute! This really should have gone for more!}

Describe your least favorite diaper you made, and/or include a picture: I think the original diapers I made for the boys before they were born are my least favorites... I really dislike the pattern I used, and I didn't have a snap press at that point, so they were all made with velcro closures- just regular old velcro, not Aplix!  I never even got to use them on the boys because I made the velcro on the wings too long and they would have scratched the boys... As well, they all had flannel outers... Live and learn!

What are your children’s names? My twin boys are Elijah and Isaiah...
 
What is your dh/so’s name? My husband's name is Watson, but he usually goes by Mike...
 
What state are you located in? We live in New Jersey...
 
Favorite type of fabric? I love, love, love minky!  The good stuff- preferably from Fabric.com... I don't want the cheap kind!
 
Favorite print? Right now my favorite prints for boys are Dotty Owls and Spotted Dogs... For girls I love the Fushia and Green Chickadees and Pink Retro Cars...
 
Favorite brand besides your own? Hmmm... I'm really loving Clover Hill Crafts fitteds right now! {I NEED one of those! I hsve a well-loved one that I got used, but I need a new one! Can you hook me up ;-)}
 
How many diapers do you own? If you no longer have a little one in diapers, what was the maximum amount of diapers you ever had in your stash? Oh my... Just for the boys we have to have over 50 diapers, not including prefolds and covers...  Then I have a newborn and small stash that has another 50-60 diapers... Add in all of our prefolds and covers, we have well over 100 diapers! {I have about 100 for my ONE boy!! eeep}
 
If you could peek into another WAHM’s sewing room, who’s would you choose? I would choose Nikki of Nikki's Little House/ Coco Bear Cloth... I would love to see all of her fabric, projects and machines!
 

Today's review hits close to home

Today I am giving as un-biased of a review as possible of rock-star WAHM Kassi and her PLUMP diapers. Why am I trying to be unbiased? Because Kassi is my BFF. But, to be fair, I plan on doing a guest-review of PLUMP, in addition to this one, in the near future.

 PLUMP was the first diaper brand that I tried, and got my first one in Fall of 2009. I got a Fleece All in One, which was Kassi's specialty at the time, but is a far cry from what she is creating today. I had four FAIO's that I used on my two year old daughter at night while we were potty training. I must be honest, I was not a big fan. The fit was great, and they were well-constructed. All of my mine were size Large, and fit her well. I did not like fleece all that much, and I did not feel like the simple microfiber inner made them super absorbent. Some nights they would last through, but most nights they didn't and although my wash routine was not perfect and could be to blame, they were a bit stinky in the morning.

I got pregnant with my second child in February of 2010, and by then Kassi was making a variety of gorgeous diapers, including fitteds and All in Two's. I will admit that her diapers are what convinced me to use cloth with my son, who was born in November of 2010. I began building my stash of primarily prefolds and PLUMPS in the eight months I had before he was born. By the time we was born I had a few each of PLUMP covers, fitteds and AI2's. Today's post will be dedicated to my favorite diaper for everyday use, the PLUMP AI2.

This diaper was purchased new in April of 2011 from the PLUMP hyenacart store at hyenacart.com/PLUMPdiapers, for $22.00. Shipping would have been $3.50, but PLUMP headquarters is a mere 10 minute drive from my house, so I did not pay shipping. As previously stated, it is an AI2 diaper with a printed poly outer and minky inner. There is a hidden layer of PUL that keeps it waterproof. It includes a dual petal-style soaker that snaps together in a manner that allows you to adjust the absorbency with one insert or two. It is a one-size diaper that features a fold-down, snap-down rise and this style fits approximately 10-40 lbs. My fat boy is six months old and tips the scales at 22 lbs.

One of my favorite things about PLUMP diapers are the inserts. They are super soft and squishy, and are generally made of OBF, zorb, OBF, and minky or the print material, in that order. So when you snap mine together as it came, from outside to inside it goes like this: print poly, obf, zorb, obf, obf, zorb, obf, minky. Like I said, super-absorbent and soft and squishy. I LOVE how this diaper has the print on the bottom of the bottom layer. No real reason, its just something I like. I also really enjoy the zig-zag topstich that the inserts on this diaper have, which is a feature that is new in 2011. It looks very professional, and means that all the layers get caught and stitched down.

Now, to put it in action!

At 22 lbs and approximately 28.5" long, Big D wears his PLUMPs with the rise unfolded, but is still crossed over. On first wearing, he wore this diaper for approximately two hours. I estimate that he peed in it one time, but it was a fairly good amount that he let loose, and we experienced no wicking or leaking.

D has worn this diaper several times since (at least five) and, still, no wicking or leaking. In addition, I have come home from a long day of work (the kind where the kids are in bed already when I get home) and have found that my husband has put D in a PLUMP AI2 instead of his usual fitted-and-fleece-soaker combo, and it has lasted the night with just a slight amount of wicking. Overall, fit and function considered, this is my favorite brand of WAHM diaper!

Now, to the part where it is hard to be unbiased...customer service!

Even before we became good friends, Kassi has always provided outstanding customer service. She is quick to respond to emails and phone calls, and wholeheartedly stands by her product. If ever you have a question on fit, construction, or find a flaw no matter how small, Kassi will happily work with you until you are satisfied. In my personal experience, I have had two instances where I needed her post-production help. After I purchased several one-size diapers while I was pregnant, and then finally got to use them six months later, I noticed that she had changed her design to include the snap-down feature of the rise. I asked her about it, and if she would mind adding the snaps to make mine a snap-down. She had no problem doing so, and was able to do so quickly. Now, if that had been an issue for someone who wasn't local, I'm not sure if it would be worth it to you to wait for it to be shipped, snaps added, and returned, but if it was, I know Kassi would be happy to do it. My other issue was with an insert that was just serged, with no topstitching, and a layer or two got missed. I noticed when it started rolling in when I washed it. I brought it up to Kassi and she was happy to make me a brand-new one. Overall, great customer service.

If you would like to try a PLUMP, please inquire on her own hyenacart store, and the congo's she stocks on which include Baby Bums and Cuties With Cloth Booties.

This concludes my super-positive review of PLUMP diapers! Thanks for reading, and please look for a guest review of PLUMP in the not-too-distant future.

I can't please everyone for free!

My son, D, has a few different care providers. I try to keep it to as few different providers as possible, but with my work schedule not everyone is available when they need them.

Here is HIS schedule and providers:

Monday: Daddy

Tuesday and Wednesday: Auntie E (a family friend)

Thursday and Friday: Grandma J (my maternal grandma)

Saturday: Auntie L (my sister in law)

Date nights: Candace (she's new)

Now, if you think that's hard to keep up with in itself, my daughter has a different schedule of providers. Finding ONE person for two kids for the hours I need is actually as hard as finding TWO people for two kids. It's really frustrating. No one wants to watch a three year old and a baby allllll day while we're working. Except daycare, but thats another story.

Anyway, at first I tried to be lenient about cloth with the care providers because I had a ton of extra diapers from when our daughter was a baby; size 1 and size 1-2. But now he has outgrown them, and I am NOT going to buy more just to make people happy. So for Auntie E, I taught her to use my AI2's, fitteds, and pockets, just so she was well versed in CD application. But I know she prefers the ease of use of pockets, so I try to make sure those are clean for her.

Auntie L was shown how to put on all diapers, but I try to keep her to AI2's so I have the pockets available for Auntie E. I'm not really letting Auntie L have a CD preference because thats just more work for me to make sure that type is clean and available for her.

I just started insisting Grandma J use cloth and not disposables, and told her he outgrew our disposables and I'm not buying more. I try to make sure she only has pockets available to use, because I know they are easy. But the poor woman is over 90, and she told me she'll use the CD's, but that she really hates them.

Mmmmkay, I feel great now!! I thought she'd be the most understanding since she ONLY CD'd her kids. AND I know all of my diapers are easier to put on and are less bulky than the kind she used...

So yesterday she informs me that I have a diaper she prefers to use most. She just loves it. Okay, good, we're using the word "love" in reference to CD's now. Grandma J loves her some Bumgenius with Aplix.

¡¡¡Problemo!!!

I only have ONE BG that was sent to me for free when someone took more time than was expected to send me a used diaper I'd purchased from her.

I tell Grandma J, "Uh...ok. Well, let me try to see if I can buy more but it probably won't be for a few weeks when I can afford it."

So she tells me she'd be happy to give me $100 to buy as many BG's as possible. Wow!!! Someone is ENCOURAGING me to buy diapers. Way to go, Grandma J!

I am super excited. So this week I am searching everywhere to find a good deal on BG's. After thinking about it a bit, I've decided I prefer to buy new. I found them on kellyscloset.com for about $87 for six, and an additional one by itself brings me to a total of about $104 with free shipping. The free shipping is what's selling me. I'm cheap when it comes to shipping.

I also know someone who has a couple of new ones she can part with and I am willing to pay my own money for them so I won't have to wash them every day.

I'd like to invest in some nice inserts for them. I have a WAHM-made hemp/obf insert from hyenacart.com/daisies. But I'm not sure I really want to pay $30-40 (they're $5 each) for those when they come with their own inserts. We shall see, we shall see.

So this is a fun week, resarching BG's. Look forward to a review in the near future. Besides Thirsties covers, BG's are/will be the only commercial brand I have.

And the first diaper review is....M and M Diapers!!!

M and M Diapers is run by WAHM Cassie. Her hyenacart store is currently inactive, but she also stocks on the Baby Bums congo, the Bliss congo, and is a guest vendor on the Cuties With Cloth Booties congo. She can also be contacted through her Facebook business page. Her diapers go for $14-$18.

According to M and M's "About Me" section on the Cuties congo page, Cassie is a mother of two who strives to give good customer service. I can attest to that, and confirm that, indeed, she does give great customer service. I left a message on her Facebook business page asking if she could do a custom, and she almost immediately responded that she could! She had some fabric images available in the form of pictures of past sold diapers on her Facebook page, and she sent me a link to her Flickr page with additional fabric images. I also appreciate the fact that she let me wait a few days before paying without kicking me off her customs list. I will admit that I was broke at the time, but was very appreciative that she had a spot for me.

Cassie kept me updated on the status of my diaper, and informed me when it was shipped out, which was mere days, as in less than a week, from the day that I paid. Actually, I received it about a week after I paid, which is the fastest turnaround time I have experienced with a custom order from a WAHM*.

I received my diaper in a timely fashion with no hangups from the USPS. Here it is:

The first thing that I pay attention to on all diapers is the materials they are made of. This diaper simply feels like it is made of high-quality material. I'd like to sit here and tell you that I KNOW it's made of the best of the best, but I wasn't there when she bought the fabric so I'm not going to make things up. I wouldn't BS like that about anyone's diapers. But, I will tell you that it feels ultra durable. The print is a nice tight weave, and the suedecloth inside is super thick. The PUL is also my favorite kind, the thick, white kind. Not sticky at all when I go to stuff it!

The second thing I notice on all diapers is the topstitching. I am SUPER picky about topstitching. When I was learning how to sew way back in my 4-H days, I was taught to take my time during the topstitching and do it right. It is so visible, I really appreciate when diaper makers take the time to do a good job. This diaper has near-perfect topstitching. No flaws to be found, and I love how close to the edge she gets while still maintaining a straight line, even around the elastic.

Speaking of elastic, this diaper has cased elastic, always a plus in my opinion. The pocket opening on the back is just big enough to fit my super wide hand, and is nicely elasticized to contain messes.

There are three rise adjustments on the front of the diaper. I love how the tightly woven nature of the printed fabric allowed me to create a nice fold when I snapped down the rise to fit my 22 lb five month old son. He is on the middle rise setting and the legs and waist fit well with no gaps. It was easy to find a snap placement, and I realy appreciate that the rise snaps did not pop open while fastening the waist on him.

I chose not to have an insert included in my diaper purchase. A microfiber towel insert was available for $1, but since we just bought a big package of them for our home, I did not feel the need to tack that on. With this insert, Darwin wore the diaper for approximately an hour and a half before I changed him. He had wet probably just once, and the suedecloth kept his skin nice and dry and there was no leaking or wicking.

All in all, I give this diaper a great review. I love the construction and quality of materials. It fits well now, and I am sure it will fit well for us for a long time to come. My baby seemed to be comfortable in it, and customer service was awesome. I hope to order more M and M diapers in the future.

If I had to mention anything that would be considered negative, I'd like to say that I wish an insert was included, or that something other than a microfiber towel was offered. It's not a problem that I used a microfiber towel, but in a perfect world I'd prefer all my pocket diapers to come with an insert. Make that a hemp insert. But one can dream....

*This was the fastest turnaround I have experience with a WAHM purchase with the exception of a PLUMP auction that I won for a no-wait custom. I received it the morning after I paid for it, but that is only because she is local to me.

My little guy is having a sleepy day, so why not review The Sleepy Wrap!

Shortly after becoming pregnant with D, I joined Cafe Mom, focusing my online-community-building energy towards a due-date group (women all due in October 2010, like me), and a cloth diapering group called Cuties with Cloth Booties. Mostly, I joined the group because my cloth-diapering friend was a member. But it truly provided a wealth of information and an inner-glimpse to the life of the "crunchy mama".

One of the hot topics in Cuties: babywearing.

Baby Bjorn does not count as babywearing, apparently. (Although, if you prefer a Baby Bjorn, fine by me.) Babywearers have Mei-Tais, Mobys, Ergos, ring slings, etc.

My thoughts??

Eff that. I love pushing my stroller. Why do I need to "wear" my child everywhere?

The truth is, you don't need to wear your baby. But after you try one of the options mentioned above, you just might want to! All the time.

After about five months of reading about different babywearing options and doing some research, I decided to buy one. I narrowed my preferences down to an Ergo baby carrier or a Moby wrap.

¡¡Problem!! Ergos are like, crazy expensive. And Moby's are not only a tad bit expensive for my tastes, but I also started reading that the fabric on them isn't as nice as

The Sleepy Wrap.

So, Sleepy Wrap I did buy at a maternity store an hour away from home. (come to find out later, Mobys are available at your local Target store in the baby section. but, still, I like the fabric better on a Sleepy)

The Sleepy Wrap, or any wrap-style carrier, is five yards of fabric that you wrap and tie around yourself to fashion a baby carrier. No complicated straps involved. The fabric may or may not be stretchy, but the Sleepy is. It's made of a comfortable, breathable cotton jersey and comes in a variety of colors.

The Sleepy Wrap comes in a nice box with a big, color instruction book. Instructions are also available on their website, and you can also use your favorite search engine to find videos of happy customers wrapping up their little ones. I used both the instruction book and videos. The first time I wrapped up D was about a week after he made his debut to the world. He was at most 9 and a half pounds and fit well in the newborn hold.

I fell in love with my Sleepy Wrap immediately. I had purchased the gray color, which matches almost anything, and it was so comforting to me, and I'm sure to D, to have him so close and cozy. I wore my Sleepy around the house a lot, but really put it to the test when we took our first trip to Disneyland when D was six weeks old.

There, for your viewing pleasure, is Me and D all our babywearing glory at Disneyland. Love his hat? My mom got it for him at Build a Bear, despite my adamant reminder that it would probably only fit him for the three days we were there, and that he'd never wear it again. Yeah, it's adorable. I took a double-stroller with me to Disneyland, but used the second seat as storage as it was just so comfortable carrying my sweet boy in the carrier, I didn't need to put him down. Eff strollers! (unless you have a three year old with you who gets tired of walking) Two hidden bonuses to babywearing at Disneyland: 1) baby stays away from other peoples' germs  2) you can lose a lot of weight from carrying around the extra load!

We still use the Sleepy all the time. D is now 5 months old and weighs 22 lbs and I put him in more of a side hold. I also do not tuck his legs all the way into the outer part anymore. He loves it. In fact, we just went to Target last night and I put him on me in the Sleepy instead of in his carseat in the cart. He loves to look at stuff, I love to look at him, and he stays away from the germies on the cart. Also, I love how the wrap hides all my baby weight when its wrapped on me nice.

If you've given thought to babywearing, check out the Sleepy Wrap. If you haven't given thought to babywearing, maybe you should. I still don't fully believe all the "benefits" and "studies" that they've done that say that babies who ride in the Sleepy Wrap are smarter and more adjusted blah blah blah. But I DO know that D loves it, and so do I. 

I've ruined something

Yesterday I received my very first wool item:

a gray and black upcycled sweater soaker.

It was stinkin cute. I love argyle. I love gray. Perfect mix.

Well Big D has recently decided that instead of making a small poo in pretty much every single diaper, he is going to make a massive, earth shattering poo about once every three days.

He wore his new soaker all day today, and at 5:40pm we found ourselves at our cloth-diapering friends house. And he decided that would be a perfect time to load his pants. And the soaker. And maybe try to get some elsewhere, too. I got him changed up and put the diaper and soaker in a baggie.

When I got home, I spent an hour and a half wreaking havoc on my adorable soaker. A cold rinse, then a hot wash with cold rinse, then a warm rinse.

When I removed the load from the washing machine, I had a felted, newborn sized soaker. I cried. I looked up un-shrinking instructions. Apparently nothing really works. I cried some more. And then I found a replacement on etsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68254433/upcycled-wool-soaker-cover-diaper-cover

Perhaps I was a bit hasty in replacing it, but thats how I do.

I also found a new home for the shrunken soaker. Someone who will have a newbie in just a few weeks.

So....lesson learned. I am NOT invincible to the rules of wool washing. Do not "temperature shock" your wool. Probably shouldn't put it in the washing machine.

Although I have been reluctant to use wool because of the special care required, I am thinking that the benefits outweigh the necessary effort.

This is my first post

Just over three years ago I gave birth to my first child, Sophia. I stocked up on disposable diapers. Huggies, preferably. I mean, diapers with cute little Mickeys and Minnies on them that you put in the fancy Diaper Genie when you're done. Close the lid, turn the knob, and voila, back to what I was doing before! More time for putting my makeup on so I could pack up my stroller and head over to the mall to peruse the latest shipment my favorite store just got in...

Then I made a new friend with a child just a few months younger than Sophia. When we laid our kids down for a diaper change she pulled out a plain red cloth diaper, and I was totally intrigued.

What was that? How did it work? How much did it cost?

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THE POOP?!

I continued to use disposables with Sophia but we downgraded to the pastel blue and green polka dots offered by Target brand, because after month upon month of paying for a poo-catcher, you don't really care what it looks like as long as it does its job. Meanwhile, my friend was now making her own diapers. And they were so cute. And she was saving tons of money. I was totally missing out.

I got pregnant again, with my son, Darwin, and saw an opportunity to start over. With cloth. At approximately 15 weeks along, I placed my first diaper order through my friend.

These days I spend hours browsing diapers, even if I'm not going to buy. New diapers, used diapers, different brands. My favorites aren't the plain, solid-colored, commercial made items. I love the creativity and personal investment put into diapers made by moms. And what a way to support a different kind of mom than I am myself, the Work at Home Mom. I totally respect what they do.

I am in my mid-twenties, I am a working mom to two kids, and I use cloth diapers, cloth wipes, and un-paper towels. In addition, on most occasions I forgo the stroller for my wrap-style carrier. I know I'm not super crunchy, but I used to be a lot softer.

This blog is aimed to share my real-life perspective of cloth diapers. I hope to offer reviews of different cloth diaper brands and styles, as well as sharing my experience with day-to-day application of my favorite cloth items.