Don’t you want me to tell you? Well to find the answer you are going to have to go visit my weekly guest post on the Soft Bums cloth diapering blog.
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There has been so much going on in my personal life lately that I haven’t been online as much but I couldn’t miss the opportunity to take part of the Cloth Diaper Carnival (VI) hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry! With Kim’s wonderful campaign and our many voices I am confident that we can….and will…
GET CLOTH DIAPERS ON THE ELLEN SHOW!
And you can participate too. All you have to do is write a blog post, link your post below using McLinky, and tweet a link to your post on Twitter using @TheEllenShow #operationflully and #clothdiapers in the tweet. For example: @TheEllenShow you should see how cute my baby looks in #clothdiapers #operationfluffy!
Operation Fluffy actually began last night during our weekly cloth diaper chats on Twitter (which if you don’t chat with us…you are missing a lot of fun!) when hundreds of tweets went out to The Ellen Show. We plan to continue Operation Fluffy until Ellen helps us laugh, dance, conquer! You can read the rest of the plans of Operation Fluffy on the Dirty Diaper Laundryblog…there will be videos, pictures, blogging and so much more! We really want to get Ellen’s attention.
So who’s with me? Do you want to get cloth diapers featured on The Ellen Show? Write your own letter to Ellen telling her why you love cloth diapers and want them on her show.
Here is my letter:
Dearest Ellen,
You can call us what you like but here are just a few titles that we are known as; mom, mommy bloggers, wives, sisters, daughters, caregivers, dads (yes there are dads in the revolution too), housekeepers, professionals, stay-at-home parents, working parents, environmentalists and revolutionists (to name just a few)! We have all made a commitment to our children when we decided to use cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers…a commitment to our childrens health, the environment, and our bank accounts.
Did you know that disposable diapers contain toxins and carcinogens like Tributyl-tin (TBT) and Sodium Polyacrylate? These are known to cause cancer, skin irritations, and allergic reactions (including staph infections)? Cloth diapers are much healthier for our babies and cause much fewer diaper rashes than disposable diapers.
Did you know that the average baby uses 6,000-9,000 disposable diapers in the first 3 years of life? At an average of $65 a month that is $2340 over those same 3 years spend on disposable diapers alone. That doesn’t include diaper wipes and diaper cream to cure diaper rashes. Cloth diapers range in price (depending on the type) from $300-1000 for a stash of 24-36 diapers and when your baby is out of diapers you can resell them. Cloth diapers can be reused over and over again saving you a ton of money.
Did you know that it could take anywhere from 250-500 years for disposable diapers to decompose in a landfill? Did you know that disposable diapers use twice as much water as cloth diaper; and that’s mostly in manufacturing. Over 27 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills each year. Cloth diapers are much better for the environment and will reduce our children’s butt-print (carbon footprint) significantly.
I want to see cloth diapers on The Ellen Show because the only way to change a diaper is one baby at a time and if you could help us reach just one more family than Operation Fluffy will be a success.
We are your fans and we look forward to meeting you and showing off our babies adorable fluffy butts. I’m sure you would fall in love with all of them…especially this one…
Much love and and lots of dancing,
The Eco Chic and family
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As I continue my cloth diaper journey over this past year I have become associated with many wonderful companies, organizations and people who support the modern cloth diaper revolution. I’m still trying to decide how I can best serve the cause and bring cloth diapers into more homes. One way I have began advocating cloth diapers is through the Real Diaper Association (RDA). I am in the process of becoming an RDA Circle Leader…an advocate for cloth diapers in the community.
The RDA is a non-profit organization who works with parents all across the US to encourage the use of reusable cloth diapers 100% of the time! I like to say that I use cloth diapers 99.99% of the time…and I cringe every time I put Lil’ B in a hard, crunchy sposie.
My commitment to cloth diapers is primarily an environmental commitment. Research shows that cloth diapers are far better for the environment than disposables. Even though you will use slightly more water for washing…your babies environmental butt-print (hehe!) will be greatly reduced when using cloth diapers.
How can I help? By introducing cloth diapers to others in my own community (and online!). We’ve already worked to educate our babies caregivers, our family, and our friends to the world of cloth diapers. I have several friends of mine who have recently given birth or are expecting…and I continue to share my own experiences with them. Disposable diapers are readily available and accepted as the norm…cloth diapers are not. When I mention to my friends that we use cloth they think I’m some new aged, hippie chick! I’m just a normal working mom with a normal family. Yes, we (OK…I) am a little obsessed with eco-issues and my friends have learned to love me for it. Just like with recycling and CFLs…I believe that cloth diapers will one day be considered the norm as well.
And I will continue to share my own cloth diaper journey with others…one baby at a time! What about you? Is your baby in 100% reusable cloth diapers all the time? Do you want to learn more about cloth diaper or the RDA?
PRESS RELEASE: February 1, 2010
Miracle Diapers is now The Cloth Diaper Foundation; empowering families, improving the environment!
As Miracle Diapers has grown so has the number of families they assist. In 2009, they helped over 450 babies directly, more than 100 babies through sponsorship and local distribution, and assisted other charities with the same mission as well! To better serve those families Miracle Diapers reaccessed it’s structure and practices. They have:
• New leadership with Roxanna Jolly—CEO and Lisa Johnston—Operations Manager and Board Chair
• Relocated their headquarters to Katy, Texas
• Restructured how they process and accept applications
• Opened a retail store for fundraising
• Founded a new membership program
• Welcomed several new board members from the cloth diapering industry.
In it’s fifth year Miracle Diapers wants to continue moving forward and has decided to take on a new name that better describes the organization and it’s mission.
Miracle Diapers is now The Cloth Diaper Foundation.
“We felt that a more appropriate name would help the community have a better understanding of who we are, as we have often been mistaken for a diaper manufacturer. Our desire to move forward and build a legacy of support for the cloth diapering community will be reflected in our new name: The Cloth Diaper Foundation.” -Roxanna Jolly, CEO, The Cloth Diaper Foundation
Monetary donations fell last year do to the economy. Which means there are more families out there for The Cloth Diaper Foundation to help! While diaper donations are always appreciated, we must be able to financially support organizational growth. Let’s make this happen together and spread the CD love. Visit http://clothdiaperfoundation.org today to find out how you can help!
To assist in fund raising efforts, in the month of February, Tracy Whittemore and Lisa Adkins from The Cloth Diaper Company have so graciously offered to match, product for product, each Cloth Diaper Company product sold (Drybees, Wahmies, Rocky Mountain Diapers) in The Cloth Diaper Foundation Retail Store with an equal donation to our organization. (Example – Purchase a Rocky Mountain Diapers OS Pocket, CDC will donate our organization a RMD OS Pocket, Drybees for Drybees, etc.)
It is now 382 days (and counting) into our 2nd journey with breastfeeding and things are still going strong. I’m still excited to have this bond with Lil’ B today. My journey the 2nd time around has been different than with my oldest. Primarily because 98% of the time I work at home.
For the first 8-9 months I was blessed to be able to have Lil’ B home with me at all times. After I returned to work at 3mo Lil’ B had an amazing nanny part-time. Whenever she was hungry the nanny would bring her to me and she would eat. As the months went on I actually decided to start pumping because I had to travel.
I am an experienced pumper….with my oldest I had to pump everyday since I worked out of the home. I had a Medela hand-me-down (actually it was only used 1-2 times before I got it) from a friend. That was one of the items that I kept to use again. Unfortunately after just a few short months it started to have some issues. I was frustrated beyond belief…I rarely used the breast pump but I needed to have one for when I traveled for work. I never leave for long; usually just a day or two. Either way, a good dependable breast pump is a necessity.
I decided after one trip to buy a hand-pump because I just couldn’t see spending any more money on a pump that would get used once a day. That was a disaster…it was horrible! It took me almost an hour one trip to get both sides expressed and my arms were killing me.
Then heaven arrived…my Hygeia EnJoye breast pump! The EnJoye is slightly larger than my old Medela but is very similar. It actually looks more like the pumps that the hospital rents than the personal pumps. It has an internal rechargeable battery which is a blessing. My old one took 2C batteries which were always dead…and pumping was WEAK! With the EnJoye I often forget to plug it in because the battery is so strong. I’m on a business trip right now (just for one night) and I didn’t even bring the plug.
The pump and all of the parts that would come in contact with breast-milk are all BPA/DEHP Free and safe for your baby. There is also a button on the front that allows you to record your baby’s voice or cry to help with letdown. I’m not a big fan of the carrying case though…as a parent who is a frequent flier the bag is rather large and awkward. I always try to fit the pump into my carry on luggage so I don’t have to carry their bag.
The greatest eco-features of the EnJoye are 1) it’s approved by the FDA for multi-users, and 2) it’s recyclable! When you no longer need the pump you can sell or donate it to another mom. All they need to do is replace the plastic tubing and accessories (Retail $35 for accessories). I’m actually excited that I’m going to be able to pay-it-forward when I’m done with our breastfeeding journey. The EnJoye has a 3 year 3-year limited warranty…but never fear…if it can’t be fixed you don’t have to landfill your pump! Hygeia will recycle your used breast pump for you (only Hygeia brands are accepted for recycling).
And face it…no one really LIKES pumping! Hygeia has brought a little Joy back into my life with the EnJoye….Thank You!!! My journey into breastfeeding wouldn’t have lasted this long without you.
One thing that I don’t talk about often is my art background. As a child I was heavily involved in all things artistic. I was an oil painter at age 10 and continued to pursue my passion through college. In college I was studying to become a graphic designer. At the same time I was working my way through college as a sales associate at the local art supply store…making a whooping $7/hr. You might have guessed by now that I didn’t finish my degree in art…instead I attended a different university my final 2 years (actually more like 4 more years…LOL!) and now hold a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. I decided that graphic design was very competitive and I wasn’t a competitive person. That plus all of my coworkers at the art supply store all had their degree in graphic design and were still working 9-5 at the art supply store!
I recently received a beautiful piece of artwork from Lillunia, a collection of artwork by Laura Hill and Eve Gianni Corio. The piece is Ashley’s Bears, a giclee print of the original watercolor painting of three polar bears snuggled up to their mother trying to stay warm. A giclee is simply the process of making fine art prints from a digital source using ink-jet printing (Thanks Wikipedia!). Each print is hand numbered and signed by the artist (Deborah Bassino).
The artwork on Lillunia is all nature-inspired and is perfect for a nursery or child’s room. You can buy one piece or you could buy a collection (or mosaic) of work. The mosaics are different sized pieces of the same animal in different poses. I’m not sure which animal is my favorite…the polar bear, giraffe, monkeys, ducks, zebras, or dolphins. I’d have to say the dolphins, but that would be the water lover in me.
All prints can be customized with your child’s name and date of birth to make this an extra special keepsake. The pieces can be shipped either matted or custom framed.
As a fellow art lover I was drawn to the Lillunia collection. Maybe because it is so similar to the type of art that I used to paint. I really should make time to get back into my artwork. I still have all of my supplies in a box in the garage along with my easel and art desk. It’s a part of me I never really let go…even if I don’t practice.
Buy It Now! Whether you like original watercolors or prints Lillunia can provide you with quality work for your child. Prices are very reasonable; an 11 x 14 print of Ashley’s Bears is priced at the low price of $95. Don’t forget each piece is signed and numbered by the artist and comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity. Lillunia is located in New York.
My husband and I have a great relationship but like all spouses we pick on each others weaknesses when we get frustrated. This weekend he picked on my green weaknesses so I decided to turn it into a blog post. (Love you huney!)
Whether you are green-minded or not you will appreciate knowing that I’m not perfect and I don’t claim to be. While I am The Eco Chic that doesn’t mean that I am always living the perfect green life. I am human and there is no way that I will ever be 100% green. Our current lifestyle just does not allow for me to do everything to the greenest level possible. Like most parents out there I have real life responsibilities such as a career, a family, kids, house work, church, extra curricular activities, and so much more to juggle each day…being green is just one aspect of my life.
1. I’m a lazy recycler and I don’t recycle everything. We pay to have our recyclables picked up once a week where we live. I am guilty of letting the recycling gather in the garage until it’s overflowing. I usually wait until my husband decides to take it out to the road. Unfortunately they will only pick up plastic and aluminum. I really let the cardboard accumulate in the garage…for over a month! And hubby will usually get sick of looking at it and take it across the road to the drop off center. Glass…gets tossed because there is no place local to recycle it (easily).
2. I don’t compost. I’ve tried…I made a redneck compost bin from chicken wire 2 summers ago with all the intentions of composting our kitchen scraps. This failed because I never turned the compost bin…so essentially it has become a leaf bin and is overgrown with weeds.
3. I don’t have a green thumb when it comes to gardening. I’ve tried that too…and failed. I expect the garden to be self sufficient and it’s not.
4. I’m not a vegan and I don’t eat organic (all the time). I tried the vegan lifestyle in college for a few years and did ok with it. Then I married a meat and potatoe man. Just adding green beans to a meal is a chore! I do try to buy organic when the prices are competitive and I usually buy apples organic. Hubby doesn’t understand the whole organic craze, nor does he believe the claims. Don’t tell him…but I sneak in several meat-free meals all of the time and he never complains!
5. I use plastic. Even with my understanding of BPA and plastics I still use plastic food storage containers and I allow my children to play with plastic toys.
Why am I telling you all of these things? Because I don’t want you to think I’m a hypocrite. I’m just a human being trying her hardest to be green. While my life may be greener than most it’s certainly not as green as it could be. My goal is not to shame or guilt anyone into changing their lifestyle…my goal is to educate you of your options and provide you with small steps you can take to change your life.
Giveaway Alert! One reader will receive a Softbums Cloth Diaper of their choice. For details keep reading. Giveaway has ended and the winner is Khrys! @momof3dolls! ECO-ngratulations! Continue reading to learn more about SoftBums cloth diapers!
As we enter our second year of cloth diapering I’m excited to try new brands. We recently added a Blazing Orange Softbums to our stash and I wish I would have found this one early on. I can honestly see why they claim to have the “Perfect Fit.”
Softbums is an all-in-two cloth diaper with a snap in insert. The inserts are available in dry touch (a micro-fleece/micro-terry combination) and also in bamboo. Each diaper also comes with a doubler for those heavy wetters. One great advantage to an all-in-two is that you can reuse the cover a few times just by snapping in a new insert. There is no need to wash the cover each time unless it’s soiled. This will extend the life of your cover and save you time in the laundry room.
Softbums are available in both Velcro and with snaps. As my regular readers already know; I’m a huge fan of Velcro. The Softbums tabs are similar to the Happy Heiny’s and fold over on themselves for washing. 
What makes the Softbum such a ‘perfect fit’ is the unique tiny snuggler system that is hidden inside. This unique toggle system allows you to truly adjust the leg gussets without the use of snaps. When this diaper arrives it is set to the smallest setting. My husband actually laughed when he saw it because he didn’t think it would fit Lil’ B. If only we had found Softbums when she was first born. Most one sized diapers really don’t fit infants until they are about 11-14 pounds. The Softbums cloth diapers will honestly fit a baby as small as 6 pounds. Softbums will also fit the larger baby up to about 35 pounds. Lil’ B is currently right at 20 pounds and it fits nicely. The only item I will note is that the Softbums seems more narrow in the middle than most one sized diapers (not a problem for Lil’ B but might be a concern with an overly chunky baby).
Sarah, the owner of Softbums, provided me with 2 extra tips to ensure success with our Softbums. 1) Be sure you wash your Softbum several times to maximize the absorbency. 2) Adjust the leg gusset slightly tighter than you think you need to since the elastic is so stretchy. I didn’t have a problem with either one. Our Softbums cloth diaper is not a leaker and I don’t normally add the doubler. I’ve adjusted the leg gusset one time in 2 months and haven’t needed to readjust yet.
Buy it now! A solo Softbums pack sells for $25.95 and includes one cover, 1 insert and one doubler. The basic pack sells for $36.95 and includes one cover, 3 inserts and 1 doubler. If you buy a six pack (or larger) of Softbums you can save 10% using coupon code ECOCHIC. Don’t forget that you can reuse the cover a few times before having to wash it making it a great value.
Win it! To register to win your very own Softbums cloth diaper you MUST visit Softbums and tell me which color you would try if you win. Leave your response in the comments section below and don’t forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner. (email (at) xxx (dot) com format for your safety)
Extra Entries: *Be sure to leave an individual comment for each extra entry.
1. Make a purchase from Softbums during the contest period and earn 5 extra entries.
2. Follow The Eco Chic on Google Friend Connect by clicking on the Join This Site button in the sidebar.
3. Subscribe to The Eco Chic by email using the Feedburner button in the sidebar. You must confirm your subscription for your entry to be valid.
4. Follow @TheEcoChic on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway. (Maximum of 5 extra entries for tweeting)
5. Add my button to your blog.
Contest is open to residents in the United States and Canada over the age of 18 yrs. All entries must be in by January 25th at midnight (EST). Good Luck!
ECO-gratulations Khrys @momof3dolls!
For a complete review of my disclosure and privacy policy click here.
I wanted to share some new items that are available at Sprout Baby for January. If you are looking for eco-friendly toys and art supplies for your little ones be sure to check out the following items:
- Lana Organic plushed toys
- Eco-kids Gluten Free Finger Paints
- Melissa & Doug toys and puzzles
- PlanToys
Don’t forget to use discount code SBBL055 to save 15% off your first order.
To view my Disclosure and Privacy Policy click HERE.
Since I’m celebrating our 365th day of breastfeeding (i.e. my Lil’ B’s first birthday) and another nasty cold I thought I would share some alternative uses for breast milk.
1. Clogged tear ducts and other eye infections. Simply place a few drops of breast milk in the infected eye and it should clear up the infection. I actually had to use this when Lil’ B was only a few weeks old and it worked wonders for us.
2. Chapped or cracked nipples. Yet another personal use for myself both with Lil’ B and her brother. Simply allow the breast milk to air dry on the chapped nipple.
3. Stuffy nose. I still haven’t tried this one but since Lil’ B is battling a runny nose and cough I am going to try it today. I’ve had friends swear by this to help their little ones breath easier.
4. Ear infections. I have to admit this one was new but not surprising. Place a few drops in the infected ear to help speed up the healing time.
5. Insect bites. Again, another new use for breast milk to me. Allow breast milk to air dry on the bite.
6. Diaper rash and eczema. This one would be perfect for use with cloth diapers too since you can’t use heavy ointments. Again, simply allow breast milk to air dry on the rash prior to placing the new diaper on your baby.
7. Contact lens solution. Yep, try a little breast milk next time you run out of contact lens solution. It’s a great moisturizer.
8. Make up remover. Breast milk can be used as a gentle, natural make up remover and moisturizer.
9. Donate your milk. Yes, there are many milk banks that will accept breast milk for both infants and adults. Did I just say adults?
10. Caner treatment. Infants, children and adults can possibly benefit from breast milk as a cancer treatment. When I was researching alternative uses for breast milk I found several touching stories where adults were healed of their cancer by adding breast milk to their diet each day.
Now, I know that some of you are seriously looking at me like I’ve lost my mind! The research is out there and mom’s all around the world are using what God gave us to help treat mild (or severe) ailments naturally. I must also say that while research does say the ‘breast is best’, that not all women can breast feed. I respect your right as a parent to make the best choices for you and your family.
For us, both our children have been breastfed. Our son was breastfed for 11 months, 3 weeks, and 3 days. For me that was quite an accomplishment since I worked outside of the home and none of my friends or family had breastfed before me. Our Lil’ B who is celebrating her 365th day of breastfeeding today will continue to breastfeed.
For how long? Only time will tell. Reseach is supporting extending breastfeeding past the first year. There are women who still breastfeed their young children…some up to 8 or 9 years. Again…that is a personal decision for the parents and children.
My plan is to continue for as long as it benefits both myself and my child. Happy Birthday Lil’ B!
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