My Husband's 5 Feminine Traits that I LOVE!

The first thing I must tell you before I list my hubby's girlie traits is what kind of man he is. Manly man is the best way to describe him. He does manual labor, he can fix anything and his clothing and shoe collection consists mostly of brands such as Timberland, Carhartt, and Red Wing. When he wears plaid shirts sometimes I think he looks like the guy off Brawny paper towels.

The one thing that truly makes my dear husband (DH) stand out is his confidence. He is very rarely influenced by the shallow opinions of others as many of us are. In short, he doesn't care what most people think. Because of this he can do things that some may consider to be emasculating but to my man are just logical.

1. He waxes/plucks his eyebrows. Thank. You. Jesus. As humans we are meant to have two eyebrows, not one. If you are reading this and you have a uni brow stop reading and immediately go to your closest salon and fix it! Please refer to the Brawny picture above. I do not think they would sell nearly as many paper towels if he only had one eyebrow. As thick and dark those eyebrows are surely he also waxes.

2. He drives our minivan like a Camaro. One of my closest friends' husband will not drive or ever own a minivan because "minivans are for women". He would not get caught dead in a minivan. My DH is passing all the cars on the highway, weaving in and out of traffic, and testing how fast my old van can really go. He drives it like a pro.

3. He wears my extra large, purple, zebra print sunglasses. When he's driving the minivan and it's sunny he wants a pair of sunglasses. Unfortunately, I have a bad habit of breaking sunglasses or leaving them in places that are of no use. So, when his sunglasses are not in the van he will wear mine which are usually huge thick framed and very girlie. But going without sunglasses is bad for the eyes so he sports mine. He looks pretty good in purple.

4. He'll get a pedicure with me. Minus the polish. And why wouldn't he? Someone washes, scrubs, and massages your feet while you sit in a massage chair for an hour. They even clean, clip and shape your toe nails and I know there are quite a few men that desperately need that. It's not feminine. It's a necessity. If you've never had a pedicure you've got to try it.

5. He wishes we owned a Prius. Recently, I heard a comedy bit about how emasculating it was for a man to drive a Prius (even worse than a minivan). Actually, the comedian used much more colorful words but I think I summed up the meaning. But DH has to drive all over the entire metro area. Sometimes, that's hundreds of miles in a day. Usually, it requires his burly work truck but some stops don't. Think of how much energy and money we could save if we owned a Prius. He is so logical.

I have to say I lucked out with my man. Even when I told him that I was writing this post he didn't give me a hard time. He just called me ridiculous. Perhaps I am. :)

What feminine traits does your man have?

Nursing in Public: Second Kid

Recently, I saw a Luvs commercial on YouTube. Yes, I'm talking about the diaper company. I couldn't have described the differences of breastfeeding my first and second kid any better.

Did you see how awkward she was trying to nurse under the blanket? She seemed nervous and uncomfortable as I'm sure the baby was too.

I hate to say it but I feel like my first kid is an experiment. I have read dozens of books about parenting but nothing could have prepared me for having a baby except, well, having a baby. I remember when my daughter (my oldest who is now nearly three) was only a few months old. I had gone to an amusement park with my family. It was the middle of the summer in Missouri which is basically like trying to live your life under boiling water.  There I was trying to nurse my tiny baby with hundreds of people milling around me in what felt like a sauna. Honestly, I had a hard time nursing her in the comfort of my own home so trying to nurse her under a blanket, on a hard bench, in the heat, where all those people could see me was not going to happen. It is not an experience I wish to repeat. But I'll never have to because I will never be that uncomfortable nursing again.

My son is six months old now and I am a completely different mom than I was that day at the amusement park. I can nurse anywhere anytime and not give a second thought to it. I don't use nursing covers. He hates them anyway. I understand. I hate them too. Most of the time the people don't even notice that I'm nursing. I usually nurse with my shirt pulled up and my undershirt pulled down so very little skin is exposed but he doesn't have his face covered. I actually don't mind pulling a boob right out if I have to. I have long ago forgotten what it was like for my breasts to be sexual objects. But I have been told some people are uncomfortable with seeing a bare breast in public.

Here's the deal with that: I am going to feed my baby when he's hungry. I am not going to wait until it won't make others uncomfortable. And I'm not going to cause him heat exhaustion trying to nurse under a smothering blanket. Nor do I want to take the time to deal with an awkward nursing cover/blanket. I mean, I have 2 kids under age three. My top priorities involve sleep, make sure my kids make it through the day, make sure I make it through the day, eat, and shower (well maybe showering is right up there on the top). Point being the easier the better. I wouldn't have said that with my first. I was only concerned with what I was supposed to do and what was proper.

I actually really enjoy nursing. Especially with my second kid. I get a few minutes to sit down when I'm usually going 100 mph. I am glad I had the opportunity to nurse both my kids and that I'm comfortable doing so, even in public.

The Wonder Weeks: It's a Miracle Book

Lets face it, the first born is just an experimental kid. It's just the way it works. With Gwyn, my first, I didn't know what I was doing. Does anyone really know what to do with their first child? She was a challenge (still is) and I was determined to do everything right. Someone recommend On Becoming Baby Wise to me while I was still pregnant and I thought that was the way it was supposed to be done. Put your kid on a schedule, let them cry themselves to sleep, and teach them to self soothe. If I followed these rules my child should sleep through the night by eight weeks.

Well, she didn't. In fact, she still doesn't sleep through the night. When she wouldn't sleep through the night I felt like a failure. When she wanted to eat more than every 3 hours I felt like a failure. When she didn't follow the routine I felt like a failure. Not only was she not sleeping through the night but sometimes she was waking up ever 45 minutes. It's almost like she was going through phases and she wouldn't sleep, or eat much and she was so grumpy!

I didn't know what to do. I thought it was my diet and the culprit was colic. I was cutting all kinds of things out that may be causing her crankiness. She wasn't grumpy all the time but there were stretches of weeks that I thought I might go crazy. No mother could possibly be experiencing what I was. I remember calling my mom in the middle of the night crying because my baby wouldn't sleep. She told me that some babies just aren't sleepers.

It turns out it wasn't my diet and I wasn't a failure and many other moms have experienced what I have. No, G is not much of a sleeper but there were times when she slept less and was more cranky. She was indeed going through a phase.

The Wonder Weeks by Hetty van de Rijt, Ph.D. and Frans Plooji, Ph.D. discuss the 10 great developmental leaps in your child's first 20 months of development. Turns out that prior to a developmental leap a baby experiences a fussy phase sometimes lasting 6 weeks. During these  fussy phases your baby may not sleep well, may be clingy and cranky and may want to be entertained all the time. In the book it's referred to as the 3 C's (crying, cranky, clingy).

I bought this book on my Kindle when my son, Archer, was a month old. (I would recommend it in paperback though. It has journal areas that I wish I could have filled out.) Immediately, I wished I'd had this book for G. It helped me prepare for those fussy phases and how to stimulate him during his mental growth. The fussy phases are still difficult but it is so reassuring that my baby is not the only one and it will end. He will be a happy little boy again one day soon. I know there is little I can do to prevent these fussy times and that is a huge weight off my shoulders. It makes those endless screaming nights much more tolerable.

One of the best things about this book is it has an app for iPhone and Android that alerts you to these fussy phases and developmental leaps. You can also sign up for Leap Alarm on the Wonder Weeks website with your e-mail address. You can even buy the book by chapters if your baby already is passed many of the leaps.

It really will save your sanity and help you get the most out of your child's development. I lost my sanity long ago thanks to G but I'm hoping this post helps save some of yours.

How Gluten Free Helps Me Lose Weight

In the past four months I have lost 35 pounds. Sounds amazing, right? I wish I could say it was diet and exercise but the truth is I lost 21 pounds of it in one day. That's what happens when you give birth to a 10lb 4oz baby and a giant placenta.

So, now your wondering what's the deal with the title. Well, I did return to my pre-pregnancy weight pretty quickly and have even lost a few more on top of that. I credit this weight lose to my gluten free diet.

Unfortunately, it's more of a correlation than a causation. To explain I need to give you some background info on how I became gluten free.

I first cut out gluten products when I had just finished college. I had some pretty serious digestive health problems* and was taking a variety of medications. I was sick pretty much all the time. At the time my husband and I had only been dating for a few month but he encouraged me to make some diet changes, specifically cutting out dairy and gluten.

In the time following these diet changes there was a significant difference in my health. I stopped taking my medications and was sick less and less frequently. It was very difficult for me to dramatically change my eating habits. Most of my life I had lived off of bread, pasta, and cheese but the results were so obvious even I could not ignore them.

I was doing pretty good my diet until I got pregnant with my daughter. What can I say? The cravings got to me and I wanted gluten. I managed to keep dairy out for the most part but pasta called to me. I managed not to have many problems adding gluten back into my diet. I thought I was cured! This was not the case. Evidently, pregnancy has odd effects on the body including limiting allergic immune responses.

After the birth I knew I should pick back up on gluten free but I decided to put it off for a little longer. In fact, my first meal after she was born was french toast! I continued to put my diet changes off again and again until eventually I stopped trying to convince myself to do it. After a while, as you can imagine, I began having health problem again and I put on a few extra pounds. I would complain endlessly (my husband will vouch for this) but didn't want to make any effort to change.

 It wasn't until my aunt, to whom I am very close, went gluten free that I decided there needed to be a change. I was pregnant with my son and suffering from digestive issues a lot. This pregnancy did not mask my problems as the first one did. I was sick and tired of being well, sick and tired. I was in pain a lot, lethargic, bloated and all around grumpy from my discomfort and this was on top of being pregnant! To make matters worse my daughter, a toddler now, was also experiencing some negative effects from gluten.

I decided enough was enough and ditched the gluten (again). I threw out the bread (it was just the heels anyway), ate all the cookies (didn't want them to go to waste), and donated my pasta (OK, I probably could have done this with the cookies too...). It took some time but I feel better. Expect for the day(s) that I visit my mom and eat flour cheese enchiladas which are the best but leave me a sick mess for a week following. Sooo good, but so bad. :(

OK, so maybe you didn't need that whole story to understand what I meant about correlation/causation stuff. But this really is relative. The thing about eating gluten free is it makes me eat a lot healthier. All the really tasty, fattening delicious foods have gluten in them. Twinkies. Cookies. Fried....anything. Yes, I could buy the products that are made with gluten free flour but I don't like them as well and they tend to be expensive. Also, the really convenient food has gluten in it. Frozen burritos, sandwiches, a bowl of cereal all have gluten! I don't want to take the time to cook myself a meal. Cooking isn't my favorite pastime, so one meal a day is enough to slave over the stove for. For breakfast and lunch I end up eating a lot of eggs, peanut butter on rice cakes, raw fruits and vegetables, nuts, and hummus with corn chips. Basically, the things in my home I do not have to cook.

So, I've lost a few pounds. It's not exactly cutting out gluten products that has caused this but being gluten free has triggered other habits that help maintain a healthy weight:

I don't eat fast food as often because it's mostly gluten products.
I eat healthier foods because the majority of bad foods have gluten in them.
I eat less because I don't like food preparation or cooking and both are required for most gluten free meals.

I know, I've made all of you so excited to be gluten free! It is interesting though, that being gluten free coincides with so many other healthy habits. I don't think this is mere chance. I personally am delighted with the results of being gluten free. I only wish I had chosen to do it sooner.

*FYI: Gluten intolerance is often misdiagnosed as Crohn's, colitis, IBS, and many other digestive diseases and conditions.

The 6 AM Run

A few years back I had a friend with two toddlers. She got up at an ungodly hour everyday to work out and have some time to herself. I remember my reaction as she told me this. It was something like "WHAT!! Why in the world would anyone sacrifice sleep to work out? Why wouldn't you just take your kids to the gym (they have a childcare area)? Or why couldn't your husband watch your kids so you could go?"

Because it doesn't work like that. At the time my first child was only a few months old. I had no idea what I was doing. I mean, I thought I knew. I have much younger siblings so I had previous baby experience and I have a degree in family psychology. Not to mention the dozens of parenting books I've read. Yes, I thought I knew everything. But parenting is one of those things you never will truly understand until your a parent yourself.

Before my baby was born I was accustomed to 9 hours of sleep a night so I was still adjusting to the lack of sleep. There was no way I was going to wake up any earlier than I absolutely had to. My daughter also wasn't at that separation anxiety stage yet. She couldn't have cared less who took care of her as long as she was being held and fed. I had not yet had the opportunity to hear her screaming and crying "Mommy!" I hadn't experienced the heartache and guilt of leaving behind a child that truly needed me. I could just hand her off and go do whatever my heart desired (for the most part) without feeling much guilt.

So, here I am over 2 years and another kid later. I have adjusted to sleep loss. It's one of those things I've come to accept as being a norm for another 10 years or so. Yes, I could take my kids with me to the gym but even the thought getting both of them dressed, in the car, into the gym, and deal with the heartbreaking cry is enough to keep me home. And yes, I could wait until my husband got home from work so he could watch them, but my husband works long hours. We only have a thimble full of time together before we have to get the kids in bed. I just don't want to frequently decrease that already short time. Plus, there is the heartbreaking cry and guilt thing again.

I have realized that my kids will only be kids for a blink in time. With work, preschool, chores and life my time with my family is already limited. I just don't feel like such silly things as time to myself and exercise should further limit that time. But I HAVE to have time to myself. A CRAZY mom isn't going to help out my family much. So what am I willing to sacrifice? Sleep. I drag my tired butt out of bed at an ungodly hour and pull on my running shoes, put ear buds in, and turn my iPod to my favorite playlist. I think my kids will thank me for it later.

ShamWOW Nursing Pads

We all remember this guy and the annoying ShamWOW commercials but little did I know they could make some amazing nursing pads. You can buy a ShamWOW at most dollar stores. I got mine at the Dollar Tree. I had bought a few for another project that I never finished so I had a few lying around. Before my son was born in June I had made 7 sets of nursing pads from PUL, 3 layers of flannel for absorbancy, and a polyester suede for wicking away from the nipple. These worked really well but they were a bit thick (although still thinner than many of the reusable nursing pads you can buy out there). Well, 7 sets was not enough. I was running out of them all the time and there was no way I could go without a nursing pad unless I wanted to sport the wet t-shirt look. My cousin, who also just had a baby, came up with the idea to use the ShamWOW as the absorbent layer in the nursing pads. I thought it couldn't hurt to try. So I used my extra ones that I had lying around as the middle layer. I still used PUL as the outer, waterproof layer and the poly-suede as the inner, wicking layer. They are AMAZING. They are thin enough that they contour around the breast but still super absorbent. More so than even the flannel. And over all it's pretty cheap. One ShamWOW is $1 and can make 2-3 sets of nursing pads depending on the size of the pad. They are machine washable and can be used again and again.

If your currently using nursing pads, reusable or disposable, or you are pregnant and planning to nurse consider making a few of these and let me know what you think. I'm sure you'll be as impressed as I am!

GreenCheeks Changes

After a lot of thought and consideration I have decided not to focus this blog on selling my diaper products anymore. I'm sure that you can tell the differences immediately by my blog template and text changes. With the birth of my second child I barely have a second to go to the bathroom, never mind sewing 24 diapers for a customer. Making most of my diaper products, especially the diapers, is not efficient in the least. Although I enjoy sewing I cannot donate that much of my time.

Just last week a friend called me on Monday and asked if I could get a wet-bag and 10 wipes done by a baby shower on Saturday. Sure, I said.  Friday came around and she came by to pick them up. I had accomplished 5 wipes and that was difficult.

I've decided to focus the blog, instead, on all the parts of being a holistic family. This, of course, will still include cloth diapering. I plan to do a lot of posts on how to make your own cloth diapers and accessories. If I ever get around to it I want to put my pattern on here too so you can simply print it off and use it for yourself.

I also want to blog about the trials of being gluten and dairy free. My whole family is and, at times, it can be very challenging. I'm going to include some of my favorite recipes for other families out there who are facing the same challenges.

I still plan to have my GreenCheeks products and pricing available. It is a page on the right column of the blog. I am still happy to make the products but I need quite a bit of time to complete an order and I can only do small orders. Diaper cakes are out of the question. I've done that twice and I should have learned the first time never to do it again. As I said before, I enjoy doing it but it is too time consuming to attempt to make a profit from it.

For all those out there that have ordered from me in the past and read my blog: Thank You! I hope that you continue to read and learn about cloth diapering as well as many other aspects of my life.

Go With Your Gusset!

With two kids in cloth and a bit of a spending problem, I have tried out TONS of different brands of diapers. Some are not even worth talking about. They are my ran-out-of-clean-diapers-haven't-done-laundry-have no-other-choice diapers. But some are amazing. I love my FuzziBunz diapers because they have great durability but tend to leak pee at the legs a bit. I love my Bum Genius diapers for their snug fit and large pocket for larger inserts but they too have their issues.

But what diapers do I grab for bedtime or for an outing? The ones with double gussets! Double gussets give a second line of elastic around the legs to contain messes. And they do a great job! I feel much more secure when my son is wearing a diaper with double gussets. It is much less likely that poop will start exploding out of the legs of the diaper. There are two types of double gussets: internal, which is made from the inside fabric, and external, which is made from the PUL or outside fabric.

This is Rumperooz diaper,my personal favorite, with an internal double gusset.

This is a thirties pocket diaper with outer, external double gussets.

 Here is a list of other diapers that I know of that have double gussets. Please comment and let me know if there are any that I am missing.

• Thirsties covers and pockets diapers
• Rumparooz covers and diapers
• Organic Caboose One-Size Diaper and Cover In-One
• BestBottoms covers
• Blissful Booty diapers
• Tiny Tush diapers
• Alva diapers (some styles)
• GoGreen Champ 2.0
• Bummis covers - Super Brite only
• Prowraps covers
• Mini Kiwi diapers
• Blueberry covers (not diapers)
• Weehuggers covers
• Capri covers

Udder Covers Nursings Pads: review & fix

Because July was National Breastfeeding Month, Udder Covers had a lot of promotions on their nursing covers and nursing pads. I was given both as a gift when my baby boy was born.


It's been over two months of using these nursing pads and I am not impressed.

What the website says:

Udder Covers™ Reusable Nursing Pads will protect your skin from irritation by absorbing all moisture.
You will LOVE them!

Product Benefits:
Leaking milk and moisture is drawn away from skin by 5 layers of absorbent cotton fabric
Machine-washable and reusable
Soft layers conform to breast shape for a natural look under clothing

Product Features:
100% Cotton
5 Ply

What I say:

I was leaking through these left and right. I went through all ten sets of pads sometimes in one day. I didn't feel protected from leaking through to my shirt. All they did was delay the milk spot on the front of my shirt by a few seconds. It is all cotton but has no wicking material against the nipple so during the first few weeks when the nips are sore and very tender they stick to the pad. I didn't want to rip them off so I actually showered with the nursing pads attached to remove them. I do like that they are 100% cotton but without a waterproofing on the exterior the milk leaks right through. In my opinion 5 layers is a little thick and the outline can easily be seen through a bra and t-shirt.

What I did to fix them:

Every time I would complain about these pads or leak through when we were in public my husband would say it was time to through them all out. I do, after all, make my own nursing pads that are amazing. But I didn't want to trash something someone paid good money for so I fixed them.

I used some scrap PUL to line the exterior and secured it with a simple zigzag stitch around the edge with my sewing machine. You can use any waterproof fabric to line it so nothing leaks through but PUL (1 mil) is the most flexible and forms better to the breast.

I used a poly-suede fabric for the interior (the side against the breast) as a wicking fabric. This is fairly cheap fabric and can be found at any fabric store. This is the same material that is used for BumGenius diapers to wick away from the baby's bottom. Anyway, the fabric is sewn on in the same fashion as the PUL.

I didn't want to take the time to seam rip the nursing pads to remove a layer of cotton in order to compensate for the added fabric. So, the problem of thickness still occurs. I just make sure to wear an undershirt. This helps make the outline less visible.

How are GreenCheeks Nursing Pads made:

My nursing pads are 5 layers as well. The first layer is the poly-suede for wicking, the next 3 layers are flannel for absorbency. I use flannel because it is very flexible and soft. Udder Covers pads are made with a more coarse and stiff cotton. The last layer is PUL for waterproofing. They are all sewn with a zigzag stitch and your done. I usually use a circle with a 3.5 to 4in diameter. I love these nursing pads.

Look for a post soon on how to make GreenCheeks Nursing Pads with pictures and step by step instructions.

MiniKiwi Diapers: They Leak!

In my area there is a restocking/overage store. "Off the truck" items, damaged products, overage items are sold here. You can get some name brand stuff for half the price. Needless to say it's a pretty profitable store.

Occasionally, I will find cloth diaper products. Once, there were BumGenius inserts (a package of 8 double inserts) for $4. I bought a lot! Last year there was some MiniKiwi cloth diapers also for $4 each. I looked up the price online and they run between $25 and $30 so I thought it was such a steal! I bought twenty of them. They are Velcro (extremely strong Velcro) and the size is snap adjustable to four different sizes. Plus, the owl print was too cute!

When I had them washed and tried them on my (then) 18 month old they fit great! The inside was a soft wicking fabric with interior gussets so there is less leakage at the legs. The pocket easily fits GreenCheeks inserts or BumGenius inserts (as well as many others I'm sure, but those are the ones I used). So, you've heard the pros but what was the con? For some reason the PUL leaked! It didn't come out the sides or the top but actually the exterior felt damp. I compare it to wool covers that feel damp to the touch after a heavy wetting.

I thought it was due to the large amount my child pees. She was getting to the potty training age and held her urine for hours at a time which made nearly all diapers leak. But I talked to a few others that bought the same brand from the same store and they also had the same problem. I'm not sure if they were defective and that's why they were at that store or all MiniKiwi diapers have this problem.

I ended up putting the diapers aside and rarely using them with my daughter. She was potty trained a few months later and I forgot about them (and all diapers for that matter). When I was getting close to the birth of my son I decided I could not waste 20 diapers that were great in every way except one. (Well, actually I'm not a big fan of pocket openings inside the diaper instead of at the top. I have to reach in and get the insert instead of just shaking the diaper and it falls out. But that's just my opinion and nothing I can't live with.)

I decided to make the diaper water proof. How? Scrap PUL seems to be in excess around my house. I cut rectangle pieces 12x4inches (approximate) and sewed them in from the outside.I didn't want to take the diaper apart to sew in the scrap PUL. That just isn't worth the $4 I paid for them. Downfall to this: inserts don't fit as well. The upside: they don't leak.

Babyville Boutique: Making it easy to make cloth diapers

I know, it has been too long since my last post. Posts seem to take me a long time to perfect and being pregnant, running a business (not this one), and running after a toddler I always seemed to convince myself that I would make a post another day. Well, another day turned into over 7 months! The cloth diapering world has changed significantly in these past months. Let me tell you a little about it.

Joann's Craft and Fabric Store got rid of all their old PUL. And thank goodness for that! If you've read some of my old posts Joann's had some patterned PUL for sale in which the plastic was on the wrong side! It was very difficult to use to make cloth diapers. I still have quite a bit of the patterned old PUL that I just don't know what to do with.

In addition to the old PUL design flaw, the fabric was also faulty. I bought a huge amount of solid PUL for diapers. I made about 30 diapers and many of them the plastic is separating from the fabric! This was following the washing directions to the T and never drying them with heat. A few of my own I dried on low heat and the plastic not only separated from the fabric but also melted together so the interior of the diaper was just a clump of plastic. I couldn't even fit an insert into it and I don't think they were all that waterproof. I had to through several diapers away. I wish I would have taken a photo of it before I trashed them to share the disaster with you but, alas, I forgot.

When I went to Joann's to get more fabric they told me they not longer sold PUL. I was very disappointed until about a month later.

Joann's, Hancock's, and Hobby Lobby are now carrying the Babyville Boutique cloth diapering line. 

 And it's pretty awesome. They have a book available to buy that has patterns for different sizes and types of diapers. They even show how to make your diapers with gussets!

 When I first began making my own cloth diapers it was difficult to find patterns or the materials to make diapers. I had to design my own pattern and search all other the internet for good materials. But these stores have a whole section now with all you need.

 PUL in a variety of colors and patterns. They come in pre-cut pieces for one diaper or on bolts (Bolts are not available at Hancock's). The PUL is very good quality with a much thicker plastic side that can be dried in the dryer. I recommend buying the PUL by the yard on the bolt and not in these packages because its cheaper. The point in making your own cloth diapers is to save money. The bolts are longer than the old PUL so more diapers can fit per yard. (With the pattern in the book a medium diaper fits 6 per yard.)

I made several of the diapers in the book. The easiest pattern is made with fold over elastic, which I think is genius! It cuts down the actually sewing time to make the diaper by nearly half. No longer do you have to sew and then turn it right side out, make a casing, do a top stitch, sew in the elastic and so on. It's just one step and the elastic folds over very easily. They have the elastic in the Babyville section as well in fun colors (above). These are great if you're making just a couple diapers but if your making several I would recommend going with Dritz white FOE (left). It's quite a bit cheaper if you but it by the yard and you can use a coupon that Joann's is known for.

 They have the pliers you need to press your snaps, the snaps and Velcro in a variety of colors, and cute little labels to sew on the back of the diapers. KAMsnaps.com offer snaps at a much cheaper price but if you are only making a few these snaps are great. I would also buy the Velcro by the yard instead of in the small, individual diaper packages Babyville Boutique sells.

Overall, I am very happy they have made this easily available to the public. If you buy all your products from the Babyville section you're looking at spending about $10 per diaper. If you buy the snaps, Velcro, FOE by the yard or online your looking a spending closer to $5 per diaper.

 Either way you are saving money. The average price to purchase a diaper is about $17.

My cousin and I are both pregnant right now. We are trying to get all of our diaper stuff ready. With the help of my aunt we spent nine 12 hour days making:

• 49 Babyville diapers with gussets and adjustable snaps
• 9 small GreenCheeks PP diapers
• 28 nursing pads
• 30 wipes
• 1 nursing cover
• 2 wet bags
• 3 pail liners

 Here is a photo of one of the Babyville diapers we made. It's a medium pattern with two rows of snaps to make the size adjustable.

Cloth Diaper Liners: Are they worth it?

I just wanted to do a quick post about diaper liners. When I was pregnant with my daughter the concept of a diaper liner was genius. There are many different brands all claiming to be flushable. I got the GroVia BioLiners. They say:

"GroVia™ BioLiners™ allow moisture to pass through while keeping your baby's skin dry. Easy to use, they keep solids contained for easy clean-up. Simply remove the liner and flush."

All the brands look and work pretty much the same way.  So I thought these would save me a lot of time and mess but in truth it did not. Most of time when I had the liner in the diaper it would bunch up and then diaper would still get dirty and I was still cleaning the diapers off. I felt like I was wasting my money. But I did like the flushable aspect until my toilet backed up from all of the liners I had flushed. Evidently, they do not dissovle as well as toilet paper.

So, I did a little experiment. I put a liner in the washer for 3 cycles. You read correctly. 3! This is what was left.

I think my washing maching is a little more forceful than my plumbing. This should have dissovled if it were truly flushable. Toilet paper would never come out of three wash cycles looking like this.

The end result: Diaper liners are not as convenient as they may seem and if you care about your plumbing at all don't flush them! These may work for some people out there but for me it was just flushing my money down the toilet and then watching it get clogged.

Getting Started: What you need to be a cloth diapering parent

It's no lie, getting started cloth diapering is the most difficult (and expensive) part especially when you are not familiar with the cloth diapering world. Below I made a list of what I think a parent needs to start their baby on cloth diapers. Below the list are explanations regarding some of the items in the list.

The Cloth Diaper Getting Started List

• 12-24 Cloth diapers per child
• 20-30 Cloth wipes
• 2-6 extra inserts
• 1-2 Med or Large Wet bag(s)
• 1-2 Pail liner(s)
• Pail (I just use a trash can with no lid)
• Items for wipe solution (baby soap, sweet oil, and essential oils)
• Spray bottle for wipe solution 
• Baby Booty Balm or the Magic Stick if you don't want to make your own 2oz stick for the changing table and a 1oz stick for the diaper bag
• Laundry detergent that is cloth diaper safe. My personal favorite is Norwex Ultra Power Plus Laundry Detergent.
• Diaper Sprayer (This link will take you to how to make one yourself. Click here for one to purchase.
• Laundry drying rack (optional)

• I also recommend 5-10 set of nursing pads for breast feeding moms.

How Many Cloth Diapers and Wipes do I Need?

How many cloth diapers you need depends on how often you want to wash them and how long it takes for them to wash and dry. A newborn baby goes through about 8-12 diapers a day and toddlers use around 5-6 a day. Diapers must be washed at least every other day. When I wash my diapers I usually am a bit leisurely about it. I put them in the washer to soak first thing in the morning on the third day. Then after they wash and double rinse I put them on the line to dry. Often I leave them on the line sometime longer than they need to dry so they can sun bleach. In the evening I take them off the line and stuff them with inserts before putting them away. I need at least 3 days worth of diapers to compensate for washing every other day and my long wash/dry cycle. The same goes for wipes.

What Kind of Cloth Diapers Should I Get?

There are a lot of different types of diapers out there. To save time I'm only going to talk about the two main types of cloth diapers: One Size and Fitted. It doesn't really matter if you choose to do prefolds, pocket or no pocket inserts (I really prefer the pocket diapers though) the outside shell will tend to be One Size or Fitted note . The great thing about Fitted diapers is that it tends to be a much better fit for small babies which means less bulk in the behind and, with some brands, less leaks. Another positive note is that because these diapers are worn less they can usually be saved for another baby or exchanged for a different size at a used diaper swap. They usually come with inserts already so there is no additional cost there. (I do recommend buying a few extra inserts for double stuffing at night or when your inserts aren't dry yet but the diapers are and you need a diaper.) The down side to the Fitted diapers is you will need to buy a whole new set when the baby out grows the size.

The One Size (my absolute favorite is the Rumparooz One Size with double gussets) diapers can be adjusted from small to med or large (or even extra large). You can have the same set of diapers from birth (8lbs) to potty training (less than 40lbs). They come with inserts as well and have good leak protection no matter the size of the baby (8-40lbs). They do tend to be a bit bulky on babies 0-3 months. Their lifespan is about 2 years of daily use so this would not be a diaper you could save for other babies down the road. They run a few dollars more than the Fitted diaper.

Note: Fitted Diaper Covers and One-Size Diaper Covers are meant to be used with prefolds or inserts that can be directly against the babies bottom (i.e. the gdiaper). The difference between the pocket diaper and the cover-prefold/insert method is you will need to buy your prefolds/insert separately. I am not a fan of prefolds and only use them if it is my last option. Putting on a prefold doubles changing time. It is nice to be able to switch out the prefold/insert a few times without changing the cover. Diaper Covers run a few dollars cheaper than other diapers and overall is the cheaper, but less convenient, option.

If you are new to cloth diapering and you don't know your favorite I recommend getting a few of each kind of diaper so you'll have experience with each and know if the future which you prefer. The number of diapers you get is based on your wash cycle preference.

Why Do I Need 2 Pail Liners and Wet Bags?

They will need to be washed and when they are being washed what are you going to use? Going somewhere without a wet bag can result in a very messy situation. And no one wants to scrub poo out of the bottom of a pail every other day. You really only need 1 of each but it is so much more convenient to have 2.

What Essential Oils Do I Need for My Wipe Solution?

I personally recommend Lavender, Tea Tree (Melalueca), Rosemary and Geranium. This specific blend of essential oils are meant to help with diaper rash and sooth the skin. At the very least I recommend lavender. Visit www.everythingessential.me for more information on essential oils.

Why Do I Need a Diaper Sprayer?

A diaper sprayer is basically a kitchen sink sprayer hooked to your toilet. You can put one together yourself with a kitchen sprayer or buy one preassembled. You need one because sometimes you can't get all of that poop into the toilet before washing without getting down and dirty. There are a lot of people that do cloth diapers without a sprayer and have no complaints. I am not one of those people. A diaper sprayer is very convenient and I'm all about making cloth diapering as easy as possible. Babies that are strictly breast fed do not need their messy diapers sprayed. Breast milk poop dissolves and can go through the washer. As babies get older their "messes" tend to have more form and can be dropped into the toilet. (Am I really blogging about this?) It is the times that it is not formed that you will be so thankful for a diaper sprayer.

 If you have any questions about Getting Started or anything in the post please send me an e-mail or leave a comment. You can also follow the links above to other posts about the products.

PUL Design Flaw: What I made with the fabric

A few months ago I bought several yards of different printed PUL fabric only to discover the PUL was on the front side of the fabric instead of the back meaning the back of the fabric would be showing when I made diapers and it was not nearly as pretty. Click here to see the original post for a better explanation and pictures.

So what did I do with 5 yards of fabric? Tons of stuff! I took pictures of some of the stuff but I forgot to with quite a few of my wet bags, diapers and pail liners. There was an awesome tie-dye pail liner I would have loved to show you all but, sadly, I remembered to take a picture after I'd sold it. Below are the pictures of some of what I made.



Jungle Print Changing Pad 1




Jungle Print Changing Pad 2



Jungle Print Changing Pad 3

Polka Dot/Green Changing Pad 1

Polka Dot/Green Changing Pad 2

Monkey Print Med Wet Bag. Isn't it cute!

Monkey Print and Camo OS diapers

Polka Dot XS diaper

Laundry Rack for Drying Diapers

It has been so long since I posted! I've had a few drafts going but could never find the time to finish one and post it. I hope this one makes it today.

There has been a lot going on in the past few months but for now I'll do a post that's short and sweet.

I dislike drying my diapers in the dryer. It cuts the life of my diapers down to nearly half even on low heat. This includes many different brands that I have tried. (There will be a post on this coming soon. I have some pictures of diapers I have only air dried and diapers I have put in the dryer. After a few months the difference is substantial.) My personal favorite way to dry diapers is outside on the clothes line. They aren't damaged by the excessive heat of the dryer and the sun helps bleach away the stains and lingering stink. But we can't line dry our diapers all the time. Some people are not able to line due to living conditions and such. And often times the weather does not permit. But there is an alternative to the dryer in times such as these.

A laundry rack.


I'm drying some diapers and a wet bag on my laundry rack.

I know laundry racks aren't a new thing but it never occurred to me to use one until a friend I made some diapers for told me this is how she dried her diapers. Since then, if the weather does not permit line drying, my diapers are on the rack. I still will put my inserts and wipes in the dryer in these circumstances but anything with PUL goes on the rack.

In the winter I even put the laundry rack by my sliding glass door when its sunny. My thought is that maybe it will help. I'm not positive how effective this is but I do think it makes some difference for stains. (Not equivalent to outdoor line drying though.)

The diapers don't take too horribly long to dry either. In only a few hours they are ready to fold with the exception of AIO diapers which take forever to dry no matter what method you use.

Laundry racks are pretty cheap too. They run close to $20 for one similar to the pictures below. I really think it's a good investment and helps lengthen the life of the diapers compared to drying them in a heated dryer.

I checked out 3 locations with laundry racks:

Bed Bath and Beyond laundry rack. This is the one I got.

WalMart laundry rack



Target laundry rack





Sun Bleaching Diapers and Inserts for Stains and Stink

One reason that I chose to make my GreenCheeks inserts 100% cotton is from my experience with microfiber. I have dozens of microfiber inserts and while they are slightly more absorbent that cotton they have a tendency to hold odor. There were many times when I would change my little one's morning diaper and the ammonia smell would sting my eyes. I would wash and wash and wash the inserts yet I could not get the odor to dissipate.

It wasn't until I sun bleached all my diapers that I realized it got rid of stains and the horrible smell too!

These are all the diapers and inserts sun bleaching. I couldn't find my tarp so I used and old blanket and then weighed it down with a cement block so the wind wouldn't take it away.

GreenCheeks AIO diaper AFTER

GreenCheeks AIO diaper BEFORE

So why sun bleach diapers and inserts? As a cloth diapering parent the less cleaning product I use on my diapers the better. The diapers last longer, its better for the environment and better for baby's skin without all those cleaners still in the fabric.

A Flip diaper insert BEFORE

A Flip diaper insert AFTER sun bleaching

How do you sun bleach diapers and inserts? This is the best part! It's so easy. All you do is after a wash lay your diapers and inserts (still damp) flat in the sun. I let my diapers sit outside for the majority of the daylight on a tarp (anywhere from 6-12 hours depending on the time of year). The longer they sit in the sun the better they'll look. If it was raining while my diapers and inserts were "tanning" I run them through an extra rinse cycle before letting them dry.

A Bum Genius 3.0 OS diaper insert

 BEFORE

A Bum Genius 3.0 OS diaper insert AFTER

Can you still sun bleach your diapers when it is overcast? Of course it doesn't have to be sunny! It can be overcast or even RAINING! The UV light still penetrates through the clouds and bleaches the diapers for stink and stains. The pictures I have posted were after sunbleaching on a rainy day. It does seem to bleach the diapers better the more the sun shining though as more UV light can reach the diapers.

A 100% cotton large insert BEFORE

A 100% cotton insert AFTER

How often do you sun bleach? As often as you need too. Unlike chemical bleach and cleaners, sunbleach is a natural and safe way get rid of stains and stink. I have a customer who had a lot of issues with smelly inserts and sunbleached the inserts after every wash for a few hours. It worked great for her. 

A Bum Genius AIO OS Organic diaper BEFORE

A Bum Genius AIO OS organic diaper AFTER