Cloth Diapers, Green Living and Going Green with Kids - The Eco Chic» Cloth Diapers

News & Updates from Around the Cloth Diapering Community – 2/11/12

Calley — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 04:01:55 +0000

Would you like to know the very latest happenings around the cloth diapering community? I thought so!

You all loved this feature so much that I thought I would continue again this week. It’s been a quiet week in the cloth diapering community but here are a few things to entertain you.

My Favorite Posts of the Week:

Do you love Pinterest? Find out which cloth diapering and green companies are joining the Pinterest revolution.
Would you like to win a ones&twos cloth diaper? You can enter one on my giveaway sponsored by Kissed by the Moon.
Wondering what else you can do with baking soda? Here are 5 Ways to Use Baking Soda for Babies.
and finally my work in progress – Learn to Speak Cloth Diaper Slang, a cloth diaper dictionary.

My Posts from Around the Web:

I posted a review of the ones&twos all-in-one cloth diaper on the DiaperShops.com blog.

New Products:

Coming soon from Swaddlebees & Blueberry is the Capri cloth diaper cover and insert.
Have you heard about Project Pomona yet? These adorable pants are designed by a mom to fit over your little ones fluffy (cloth diapered) bottom.

Sharing the Blog Love – Other Cloth Bloggers I Adore:

Danielle Elwood writes on the Babble Baby’s First Year blog. This week she wrote about being a Cloth Diaper Junkie.
Amanda with the Eco-Friendly Family blog is also one of the geniuses behind the new Kaia magazine. I’m excited to see this great magazine reaching more families about living a sustainable life in the real world.
Maria is the owner of Change-Diapers.com and has a great dictionary of Used Diaper Conditions. Have you ever wondered what EUC, VGUC, GUC, and UC actually mean when buying second hand diapers?
Emi from the Cloth Diaper Report did a guest post on the KellyWels.com blog (part of the Cloth Diaper Ambassador program) about 25 “Other” Uses for Cloth Diapers & Accessories. Brilliant article!

Tampa Bay Cloth Diapering News:

Kim Rosas, the owner of the Dirty Diaper Laundry blog, is moving to my town! Unfortunately she is moving to the FAR extreme other side of town and we’ll be about an hour away from one another. Kim and I finally met last year at BlogHer and ABC Kids Expo and have formed a pretty good friendship so I’m really happy that she’s moving this close. While we probably won’t see each other often it’s nice to know that Tampa will have another cloth diaper junkie! We’ll have to schedule a live cloth diaper event with the both of us…or perhaps we’ll be be guests at the Great Cloth Diaper Change in Tampa.
Speaking of the Great Cloth Diaper Change it looks like Mrs. Crystal (Tushie Ties Diapers) has been very busy planning this years event. If you are in the Tampa area you will not want to miss out on this fabulous event. To register for the Great Cloth Diaper Change Tampa Bay be sure to visit the RSVP page and be sure to “Like” us on Facebook.

Cloth Diaper Sales & Coupons:

Kelly’s Closet(affiliate) has several active coupons, free shipping over $49, and one of the best selections of cloth diapers on the web! Here is a list of their current coupon codes (may expire at any time):
ONESIZE: Free one-size diaper (guaranteed value of $17) with $59 order or more. *See site for restrictions.
SAVE10: Save $10 off $99 or more. *See site for restrictions.
FREEBOOK: Free copy of Changing Diapers book with order of $15 or more. *See site for restrictions.
FLIP4U: Free Flip diaper cover when you buy a Flip diaper cover (zinnia and noodle colors only). *See site for restrictions.
No coupon required: 25% off select itti bitti products.

Did I miss anything exciting? Leave a link or comment below to share your favorite cloth diapering news around the web.

News & Updates from Around the Cloth Diapering Community Would you like to know the very latest happenings around...
Cloth Diapering 101 – Which Cloth Diaper is Right for Us? This series is intended for the first time cloth diaper...
Changing Diapers – A Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering I am so honored to be a part of our...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

My Favorite Sponsors & Companies on Pinterest

Calley — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:36:59 +0000

Are your favorite companies on Pinterest yet?

Pinterest is quickly becoming a favorite hangout for companies. Retailers and manufacturers are realizing that Pinterest is one of the hottest social media pages and it’s bringing in lots of traffic to their websites and some very nice brand awareness. Here are just a few of my favorite companies who have joined Pinterest:

DiaperShops.com – Sharing cloth diaper tips, laundry organization, and great cloth diapering baby pictures. They’ve even shared tips on how to replace the elastic in FuzziBunz.

Source: blog.diapershops.com via DiaperShops on Pinterest

Cotton Babies – I love their Take a Look in the Mirror board which features my favorite colors.

Source: online-jewelry-review.toptenreviews.com via Cotton on Pinterest

Earth Mama Angel Baby – Take a look around their boards for some herbal remedies, beautiful breastfeeding photos, and more natural goodness.

Source: frugallysustainable.blogspot.com via Earth on Pinterest

ones&twos – this brand new cloth diaper company is already getting off to a great start with their new page.

itti bitti – who doesn’t love all things minkee?

AppleCheeks Diapers – their boards are under construction right now but I’m sure they will be “Delicious.”

FuzziBunz - their boards are also under construction. I’m sure you may spot a few bunz on their boards.

Kaia Magazine – a new sustainable living e-magazine. Kaia’s boards include Easy DIY projects and DIY Household Cleaning.

Source: connectthedotsons.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Project Pomona – a new company that makes jeans and capris specially for those cloth diapered fluffy bums.

Source: etsy.com via Project on Pinterest

LunaPads are also on Pinterest sharing their mama pads, Diva Cup (which I am in love with), and a little menstrual humor.

Is your favorite company on Pinterest yet? Who have I missed from the eco-minded and cloth diapering realm? Share your links below and I’ll be sure to add them to the list.

Don’t forget to follow me and my boards on Pinterest too. I have some fun projects coming up that will include a little pinning.

Are you a company who wants to learn more about the social media capabilities of Pinterest? I’m becoming quite fluent in all things pinnable and would love to help you develop your Pinterest accounts. Contact me for more information.

My Pinterest Boards Yes, I am addicted to Pinterest! You can read more...
Start Pinning – Pinterest Addiction Explained Are you on Pinterest yet? I got an invitation to...
My Favorite Homemade Play Dough Recipe This is the easiest play dough recipe that I’ve ever...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Kissed by the Moon and ones&twos Giveaway

Calley — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:30:46 +0000

Sponsor spotlight: Kissed by the Moon (and a giveaway)

I would like to introduce you to Tami from Kissed by the Moon; a cloth diapering mama and diapering retailer. I asked Tami a few questions about cloth diapering and her business and wanted to share them with you.

How long have you been in business?

Tami: We just opened this past August, even though this has been a dream in the making for a few years.

Do you have a local store or is your business online only?

Tami: We are online only- I am definitely an “online” person and love interacting with chat blogs, forums, and facebook.

Do you participate in any local community education and outreach for cloth diapers?

Tami: I am slowly finding out about the local cloth diapering community and meeting local mamas. I created a group on meetup.com called Cloth Diapering Mamas of Sacramento County, and am hosting the Great Cloth Diaper Change in Sacramento. If anyone locally wants to meet to discuss diapers, I am more than happy to meet up and chat diapers.

Using only 3 words how would you describe yourself?

Tami: Hardworking, passionate, and creative. I think to run any business you need to work hard and pour your heart and soul into it, but you also need to have passion for what you do and love it. Plus it doesn’t hurt to be creative and fun with it.

What is your favorite cloth diaper and why?

Tami: That’s a really tough question because I’m not a one-brand diaper girl. FuzziBunz and bumGenius are my go-to diapers that I’ve been using for years. I’ve just discovered the Thirsties Duo All in One diapers and they’ve been great for us. GroVia shells with organic pods are great too, as they dry quickly. And my latest finds are the Swaddlebees and Tots Bots! At night we use Rumparooz.

One cloth diapering tip you wish all your customers knew?

Tami: Don’t be too hard on yourself. If something doesn’t work, try something else. There are so many options and styles out there, that just because one kind doesn’t work, doesn’t mean that everything won’t. Cloth diapering should be fun.

Would you like to know more about Kissed by the Moon? Check out their store, “Like” them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.

GIVEAWAY:

Tami is also offering up a brand new ones&twos AIO cloth diaper for one lucky reader. To enter to complete all of the steps below in the Rafflecopter application. The giveaway will close on 2/24/12 at midnight ET.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Kissed by the Moon is sponsoring this giveaway and is an advertiser on The Eco Chic blog for the month of February.

#BlogHerROCKS – A Giveaway by Rockin’ Green Giveaway: While this giveaway announcement is only open to my...
Isn’t It Printilicous? The New AppleCheeks Prints Revealed (and a Giveaway) Giveaway alert! You can win your very own AppleCheeks ™ print...
Diapering Today – the Video Review What type of learner are you? Do you learn things...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

5 Things I’m Looking Forward to at Blissdom 2012

Calley — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:28:49 +0000

In just a few short weeks I’ll be boarding a plane and heading North to Nashville for my second Blissdom conference. Last year I decided on a whim to go and it was the best decision I made all year. I actually learned so many valuable lessons last year that I can hardly wait to see what I will learn this year. I’m excited to see that they have revamped their schedule this year too. For those who have never been to Blissdom or for those who may be going for the first time here are a few things I’m really looking forward to…

5 Things I’m Looking Forward to at Blissdom 2012

NEW! Handmade Marketplace – I need to remember to bring some cash and be ready to shop! I can’t wait to see what these creative moms have in store for me. It will be like shopping on Etsy only in person – I think I may get in a little bit of trouble. Perhaps I will find some inspiration for some craft projects of my own or perhaps I’ll find some new site sponsors. Only time will tell. This will be taking place Thursday afternoon so as soon as my flight lands I’ll be heading over to the Marketplace.
Business Track Sessions – Since I’m now working in Social Media full time I can really learn some lessons in this track. The 2 sessions I’m looking forward to here are the Legal Confidence and the Facebook sessions.
Mobile Photography Session – OK, I’m going to have to choose between Facebook and Mobile Photography because I really want to do both. I’m addicted to my iPhone (even if it is an old 3GS) and I’m constantly taking photos and posting to Instagram.
Lorax Party Friday Night!!! I’m an eco-junkie so of course I’m excited about seeing the Lorax and having a themed party around the movie is going to be so much fun! Maybe I should come up with a clever little outfit for the evening. Hmmmm….
Networking and Connecting! I really had the opportunity to make some amazing connections last year and meet up with some old friends (and some new friends). The difference between Blissdom and BlogHer (the only 2 conferences I’ve attended) is that at Blissdom you can really make those lasting relationships with brands, companies, and some amazing bloggers/writers/photographers! Everyone is so welcoming that I can’t wait to see some of the people I met last year and make some new friends.

Now I just need to organize some friends locally to help the hubs with drop off and pick up at school. I’m pretty sure I can sweet talk some of my friends to help us out for a day or two.

This year I’m going to Blissdom for myself and my job. DiaperShops.com is sponsoring part of my trip and I’m super excited to share my passion for cloth diapers with new friends. I would love to find a few non-cloth diapering parents (or parents to be) who would be interested in giving cloth diapers a try – I might even be able to provide you with part of your fluffy stash (slang for diapers) if you’re up for the challenge! Let me show you just how similar cloth diapers are to disposables and how you can save money, help protect the environment, and provide a healthier, more natural diapering system for your baby.

Are you going to Blissdom? I’d love to connect with you! Leave me a comment here, visit me on Facebook, or send me a Tweet and I’ll be sure to add you to my ‘must meet’ list at Blissdom. 15 days and counting….

Change 3 Things (C3T) A week ago I joined a Revolution – A Cloth...
Pledge to Go Green in 2012 What do you think? Can you make one teenie tiny...
Cloth Diapers, #FlatsChallenge, Potty Training, Shari Criso, and a hand washing meltdown! So here is my stream of thoughts inside my head...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

5 Ways to Use Baking Soda for Babies

Calley — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:00:19 +0000

Many parents don’t start looking for environmentally friendly options in their lives until after they have babies. We want only the most natural of items to touch those precious little babies and all of their baby parts. We clean their clothes in gentle detergent. We wash their skin in sensitive soaps. We put the softest diapers on their little bums. Here are a few ways you can use that little yellow box of Baking Soda – for your baby!

5 Ways to Use Baking Soda for Babies

Stain remover – add 1/2 cup of baking soda with your favorite detergent to remove those pesky baby stains (like spit up on your favorite shirt or brand new onesie).
Clean toys – make a solution of 1 part baking soda to 4 parts water and rub down your favorite baby toys. Follow with a quick rinse and their toys will be squeaky clean.
Diaper pail stinkies? Sprinkle a little bit of baking soda in your diaper pail or wet bag to help keep the odors away. This trick works for both disposable and cloth diapers. With cloth diapers it’s not recommended to use baking soda in the wash so sprinkle the baking soda in the bottom of your pail or wet bag instead of directly on the diapers.
Diaper rash – you can add 2 TBS to a tub full of warm water to help soothe your babies skin if they happen to have a diaper rash. (Be sure to consult a doctor or medical professional if rash is severe or for open sores)
Cradle cap relief – make a paste using baking soda and olive oil (or baby oil) and gently rub on babies scalp to remove the flaky areas.

There are a million and one other uses for baking soda for your baby, cleaning, pets, and even for a little homemade spa treatments. How do you use baking soda around your home?

Cloth Diaper Laundry Do’s and Don’ts – Part 2: Whitener’s Day 16: What about alternate whiteners? Lemon juice, baking soda,...
Giving Diapers, Giving Hope Helps to Diaper Babies in Need I am in the minority – many Americans face the...
10 Ways to Green Your BlogHer ’11 Experience Last year I was honored to be on the BlogHer...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

News & Updates from Around the Cloth Diapering Community

Calley — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 04:39:36 +0000

Would you like to know the very latest happenings around the cloth diapering community? I thought so!

For starters, let me say that while I may not get my blog updated as much as I like I am still very active in the community. You can find me most days on Facebook where I moderate several cloth diapering community pages including my own. I can also be found blogging for other companies and appear as a guest of a few blogs as well. I’ll try to do better with cross posting here so you don’t miss a single article from me.

News from this week:

Wednesday night Kim Rosas from Dirty Diaper Laundry hosted an amazing Twitter Party for the Giving Diapers, Giving Hope organization. The community raised over $1,500 so far in their fundraising efforts to become an official non-profit and to continue supporting families in 2012. You can read more about the campaign on Dirty Diaper Laundry and enter to win some amazing prizes through Feb. 14th on her Facebook fan page. To review the community tweets on this campaign follow #GivingHOPE. They are always accepting donations of any size – even $1 can help! Oh, and be sure to wish Kim a Happy Belated Birthday!
Jennifer Labit, the founder and owner of bumGenius and the Cotton Babies line of products met with Congresswoman Rosas DeLauro this week in Washington, DC to discuss the DiaperACT and what steps we can all take to ensure that cloth diapers are included in this legislation. Watch Jenn’s blog for a follow up post soon with additional information about her visit and follow her on Facebook for real time updates. << Updated post has been published about how you can Share Your Story to Help Support the DiaperACT.
Kelly Wels reveals her all new Cloth Diapers Ambassadors Team including some of my favorite bloggers (and friends). Are you following all of her Ambassadors yet?
Get Ready! It’s time to start planning for the Great Cloth Diaper Change 2012!! The Real Diaper Association is accepting early bird applications for 2012 hosts until February 29, 2012. If you are in the Tampa area you can already register for our 2nd annual event organized by Tushie Ties cloth diapers and a few guest appearances (perhaps myself AND Kim from Dirty Diaper Laundry) on April 21st at the Great Explorations Children’s Museum!! Be sure to follow all the action on our Tampa Bay Area Facebook Page for the GCDC.

My posts around the web:

Cloth Diapering 101: How to Prep Cloth Diapers on the DiaperShops.com blog. Be sure to read the follow up by another guest author on Prepping for Cheaters.
5 Steps for Successful Potty Training on the KellyWels.com blog with my graphical introduction post here.

Recent Cloth Diaper Articles & Reviews:

Did you read my review of the mabu baby eco diapering system last week? I talk briefly about why selling cloth diapers at Wal-Mart can be beneficial to the community. I’m still working on another post about why I think it’s a bad idea too (with every good there is typically a bad side also).
I’m still a few days away from posting my review of the ones&twos AIO system but you can watch a brief video from another blogger, Tara from Padded Tush Stats. I can tell you that we tested it overnight on our tot with the extra booster added and it held up for 11 hrs with no leaks. It sure was soaked but it held up like a trooper!!
Have ammonia issues? Concerned that your detergent might be causing the problem? Be sure to read the Cloth Diaper Geek’s Fact or Fiction post. She shares great tips and advice along with some facts from the leading detergent manufacturers.

Cloth Diaper Sales:

Kelly’s Closet always has great coupon codes worth sharing! They also just REDUCED their shipping fees for standard shipping under $49. They always have FREE SHIPPING (standard US shipping only) on orders of $49. Right now they have 4 active codes to choose from including:

BABYBUM code for a free $22+ valued diaper with purchase of $99 or more,
CLEANDIPE code for a free bag of Ruby Moon detergent with purchase of $75 or more,
FREEBOOK code for a free copy of the Changing Diapers book with purchase of $15 or more, and
2012ROCKS code to save 10% off your purchase of Rockin’ Green detergent.

Note: These offers have limitations and exclusions and may expire at any time. For additional details please visit Kelly’s Closet.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Giving Diapers, Giving Hope Helps to Diaper Babies in Need

Calley — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:53:21 +0000

I am in the minority – many Americans face the decision between diapers and food every day because they simply cannot afford both. Like many Americans I tend to turn the other way and pretend like these problems don’t affect me – but they do. They may not affect me personally but they do affect my community and they do affect hundreds (probably millions) of Americans – some that I walk past every day. That person in line next to me at Wal-Mart, or that child who attends school with my babes, or that family who is attending our church for the first time - or maybe it’s you!

There aren’t many places that I decide to give my hard earned money to without questions. I donate/tithe to our church community (almost) every week. I donate to the Real Diaper Association once or twice a year. And most recently I have donated both diapers and money to an organization that is helping to diaper families across America.

This is my little helper carrying 2 boxes of diapers that we donated last week. One box was shipped to a friend on mine who just lost her job, has 2 babies in diapers, and a very small and aging stash of bumGenius 3.0s. The second (and larger) box was shipped to Giving Diapers, Giving Hope.

Inside the box for Giving Diapers, Giving Hope you can see some of my favorite diapers – many of which were provided to me by the manufacturers to review on this blog.

Since we are mostly potty trained (only in diapers at nighttime) I decided it was FINALLY time to let some of the stash go to babies who are in need. My husband suggested that I sell some of them but I just couldn’t do it – my heart has been leading me to this organization for months now and I had to listen to my heart.

In April 2010, Giving Diapers, Giving Hope was started by Kristen McCarthy and Emily Glover (whom I had the pleasure of meeting last August at the ABC Kids Expo) as a local cloth diaper lending foundation for Gloucester, MA. Within weeks of beginning their local service, GDGH’s Facebook page and email inbox were full of inquiries from parents across the country. To meet this need, Kristen and Emily decided to expand and accept applications from families throughout the United States. Over the last 10 months, Giving Diapers, Giving Hope has already managed to help over 70 families cloth diaper their babies.

Because Giving Diapers, Giving Hope expanded so rapidly to meet the needs of families they are still working to obtain enough funding to file for their 501 c3. A 501 c3 is needed to become a recognized non-profit and will further their ability to help lend free cloth diapers to families in need.

In addition to filing for the 501 c3 Giving Diapers, Giving Hope is in need of funds to purchase office supplies such as business cards and letterheads, packaging materials, and buy supplies needed to repair donated diapers that need them (like a few of my well loved bumGenius 3.0s). To make it happen a fundraiser campaign was planned by Kim of Dirty Diaper Laundry.

The Fundraiser involves two parts: the first is a kickoff Twitter Party. January 25 at 9 PM EST join @KimRosas, @GivingDiapers, and friends and tweet using the #GivingHOPE hashtag. There will be prizes given during the party but to be eligible you must RSVP on Kim’s website. Some prizes include gift certificates to Abby’s Lane and Kelly’s Closet, 6 Diaper Rite Pockets from Diaper Junction, 8 CJ’s BUTTer’s from Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique, a Prize Pack of all natural, vegan balms from “THE” Balm, a One Size Gro Via, Thirsties Duo Diaper, GroVia Magic Stick and GroVia disposable Biosoaker inserts from Jack Be Naturaland more! But this is just the TIP of the iceberg.On January 25 the Facebook Fundraising Campaign will also open. With over $1,700 worth of prizes you do not want to miss out! All prizes can be viewed easily on the Fundraiser Announcement post. There are prize packs from The NOW Family (ARV $124), Orange Diaper Co (ARV $100.00), Tushie Ties Tie on Prefolds ( ARV $90.00), a $100.00 Gift Certificate to Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique, a BabyKicks Prize Pack (ARV $78.00), an Oeko Popo Prize Pack (ARV $84.00), a “Try Cloth Diapers” Prize pack from Go Green Baby Shop (ARV $70), a GroVia and more Prize Pack from Jack Be Natural, an Accessory Prize Pack from Abby’s Lane (ARV $75.00), another Accessories Prize pack from Modern Cloth ($ARV $80.00), an Incredibum Package (ARV $100.00), “The” BALM! Package (ARV $75.00), a Thirsties package with 3 new DUO AIO’s and more (ARV $75.00), 2 bumGenius Freetimes donated by All About Cloth Diapers, and much, much much more! Whew! All of the prizes are listed on the Dirty Diaper Laundry Facebook Page and the contest will open first thing in the morning on January 25 and ends midnight on February 14. To enter just like the sponsor’s pages using the easy to use Rafflecopter widget. You don’t have to like every page but you must like the sponsor’s page to win their prize.

It should be noted that every sponsor you see listed has generously given a monetary donation to Giving Diapers, Giving Hope so please, please show them your appreciation and support! (Yes, I am a sponsor and I did donate financially from the money earned on this blog to this organization.)

How can you help? Just spread the word to all of your cloth diapering friends! Share the giveaway on your Facebook, Twitter, Message Boards, or by carrier pigeon to your buddy on a deserted island.

If you want to do more to help out a worthy cause you can, and you even get more entries into the giveaway! If you donate any amount, anything, you get 25 extra entries. Send a donation to givingdiapersgivinghope@gmail.com via Paypal then choose the Donation option in the giveaway. By donating any amount you increase your chances to win one of these amazing prizes!

I hope you will join me in supporting this organization I believe so much in. This Fundraiser will help them continue operating for the rest of the year.

To learn more about Giving Diapers, Giving Hope you can visit them on their website: http://givingdiapersgivinghope.org, or their Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/givingdiapersgivinghopefoundation.

2011 Diaper Awards – Vote Now! Do you have a favorite cloth diaper? Favorite accessory? Favorite...
Changing Diapers – A Twitter Party with Kelly Wels I am so excited to be hosting the #ChangingDiapers Twitter...
Changing Diapers – A Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering I am so honored to be a part of our...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

5 Steps to Successful Potty Training

Calley — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:24:44 +0000

To read more about these 5 Steps for Successful Potty Training you’ll have to visit the Kelly Wels blog; where I am one of the Cloth Diaper Ambassadors. I’m already planning a potty training series for later this month that will discuss the training pants that are available on the market today and some ugly truths about potty training. I hope you’ll follow me and learn more about the Cloth Diaper Ambassador team.

Potty Training?! Potty Trained?! The Saga Continues… **In my whispering voice so I don’t jinx myself** I...
The Light at the End of the Potty Training Tunnel Yes, I think I see the light at the end...
Potty Training & Cloth Diapers – Not there yet! I feel like I’ve been writing about potty training for...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

mabu baby eco diapers (WalMart Cloth Diapers)

Calley — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:52:28 +0000

Select WalMart stores now carry a line of cloth diapers called mabu baby.

The team at mabu baby was nice enough to send me a few of their products to review and test on Lil’ B. When the box came I was quite impressed with the contents and the different options that they have available. Most parents who will find the mabu baby line will probably stumble upon them at the actual store so looks and packaging is very important.

If I saw this packaging at the store I would probably stop and look. Read the box. Add it to my gift registry. And maybe even purchase a box to try out. They come sized similar to disposable diaper sizing (newborn, size 1, size 2, and size 3/4) so those are additional similarities to disposable diapers. The box even says, “goes on easy like a disposable.”

The Maxi Starter Kit included:

2 diaper outers with 2 snap-in pad holders
2 washable pads
2 disposable pads
5 liners

and the size range is for 15-40lbs. That’s actually a pretty good size range for someone who may have stumbled across these diapers at WalMart. It would certainly intrigue me to give them a try.

Honestly it’s not much different than stumbling across a package of gDiapers at your local natural food store. This system gives parents the option to try a hybrid diapering system with both a reusable option and a disposable option. What it offers you however is a more affordable option than gDiapers. Also – more people shop at WalMart than natural food stores. They certainly have the market but how will people respond to them once they get them home and how well do they work?

Let’s look at the diaper and the pieces one piece at a time:

The Maxi cover seen in the picture is for toddlers 15-40lb. It has a simple hook & loop closure that reminds me of the old GroBaby (the old version of GroVia) aplix. It’s a very fine aplix that attaches to a very soft section across the front. There is a small laundry tab that uses the same ultra soft fabric that goes along the front of the shell. The laundry tabs are smaller than the actual aplix. The shell is made of 100% recycled polyester and is lined with a 100% recycled polyester fleece that is very soft (backed with PUL). Along the inside of the front/back of the diaper the polyester outer material is used to create a flap that hides the snaps for the snap-in pad holder. My thoughts: I like the softness and the fine aplix but it’s not very strong. When washed I ended up with the dreaded diaper chain. The diaper doesn’t have a cross over closure either so if you have a small waisted baby you may need to go with a smaller size.

Aplix and laundry tabs.

Inside of the Maxi Cover.

Inside of Maxi Cover with Snap-In Pad Holder. You could easily reuse the outer shell and simply replace the snap-in pad holder and insert. However if the outer shell gets soiled or wet it’s fabric so you’ll need to wash and dry before you can use it again.

Snap-In Pad Holder with 3 snaps on the front piece. Simple to use, easy to attach, and the snaps are covered with an additional polyester layer so no snaps will touch your baby.

Snap-In Pad Holder has 2 snaps to secure it to the Maxi Cover in the back.

Washable cloth pad insert. Stay dry on one side and microfiber on the other. When folded to fit inside the cover you’ll have 4 microfiber layers and 2 stay dry layers. This was plenty of absorbency for our tot at night but an extreme heavy wetter may need one more insert.

Maxi cover with snap-in pad holder and washable pad in place. The insert was a little long but I was able to fold it over just fine inside the pad holder.

Disposable pad. Reminded me of a postpartum mama pad. Very absorbent but needed to be folded to fit my tot.

Flushable diaper liners. 5 samples included with the Maxi Starter Kit. Strong enough you could actually wash them once if you wanted to try to get 2 uses out of these.

A very poor photo of my tot modeling her mabu baby from behind. She’s 3yrs old and about 25lbs. There is plenty of room to grow in these diapers. I think the Size 2 would have fit her skinny booty better.

From the front.

What do I think about mabu baby? It’s a diaper and it works! It’s certainly nothing fancy and doesn’t have all the amazing features of my favorite diapers…

…but I don’t think it’s suppose to either! The customer of these diapers are hopefully going to be the parents who stumble upon them at WalMart who have never seen a modern cloth diaper. They may have only seen those horrible Gerber prefolds and flats that now reside at most WalMart stores and the plastic pants that accompany those. If this is the customer who finds mabu baby and gives them a try I think it’s a good start.

5 Reasons I think mabu baby diapers are good for the cloth diapering community:

More parents have the opportunity to to learn about modern cloth diapers.
More babies will be protected from the nasty chemicals of disposable diapers.
More families will have extra income to feed, cloth, and house their children and themselves.
Less disposable diapers will end up in our landfills.
More families will come online to research cloth diapers…and hopefully finding out just how large the cloth diapering community really is!

Are you one of those families who found cloth diapers because of mabu baby diapers? I would love to hear your experiences.

More about mabu baby: http://mabubaby.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mabu-Baby/148231378586512

Twitter: @mabubaby

How to Prepare an Emergency Kit with Cloth Diapers This week there was an Earthquake in the East and...
30 Reasons to Love Cloth Diapers – Real Diapers Industry Association Reason 19: Because it really it one big community working...
Changing Diapers – A Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapering I am so honored to be a part of our...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Do you believe your efforts make a difference in the world?

Calley — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:26:20 +0000

When I first thought about my Pledge to Go Green in 2012 I couldn’t help but wonder, how many people feel hopeless in the world – like their efforts don’t really make a big difference. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever asked yourself a question similar to these:

Will using these fabric grocery bags at the store really make an impact?
Will using cloth diapers really save us money?
Will switching to CFL bulbs really save electricity?
Does it really matter if I turn off the lights when I leave a room?
If I stop using paper towels will it really save trees?

I know my husband, my family, and my friends ask me questions like this all the time. Of course there are lots of studies that are done but often times it takes years before we really understand the impact our small changes have on society and the planet. How do you decide which efforts are most important? Which areas of your life you should change first? You can’t possibly change all of your habits and routines at one time (well – you could but the average person isn’t THAT dedicated).

In order to make any change in your life you have to first BELIEVE that YOU can make a difference. You have to BELIEVE that your efforts really matter. You have to BELIEVE that what you are doing is the right thing to do – for you and for your family.

Resolutions and goals are only good if you BELIEVE in them. Think about dieting and exercise – it takes more than just setting a goal to make them happen. You first have to set the goal, then you have to BELIEVE in the goal, and finally you have to have a plan for how you will reach and achieve your goal.

Here is my first challenge for you (and for me – because to be honest I’m not much of a planner) – write down one new goal for January and a plan on how you can achieve it. What is the first small change that you think you can make (or start to make) in one month. Do you need any resources to help you achieve that goal? How much time and effort will you need to invest in order to reach your goal? How will you know when you have reached your goal? Or is your first change more of a lifestyle change (like making a commitment to stop using paper towels)?

Tips to help you achieve your goal:

Write it down – make it real!
Post it – put it somewhere you have to look daily! On your desk, your phone, or even as a background on your computer screen.
Reward yourself – catch yourself making good decisions and find a way to reward yourself.
BELIEVE in yourself!

I can preach these tips all day long but can I actually live my own challenge? I’m going to sit down first thing tomorrow morning and take my own challenge with you. I’ll come back and share my goal – my resolution – my commitment – with you!

The one thing that I do know is that I BELIEVE that I can make a change. I’ve seen the changes that I can make. I’ve seen the impacts that my decisions have made on others. Over 3 years ago when I was pregnant I decided to research and try cloth diapers. Once my daughter was born I did just that. At that time I didn’t even consider that I had the ability to (or the need to) educate others about cloth diapers. However, once I started using cloth and writing about cloth I realized that I had something that was valuable to others – experience. Even my limited experiences were valuable. I didn’t have anyone (aside from people I met while online) to go to with questions about cloth diapers. Now, my mother did use cloth diapers on us but she used a diaper service so the questions I had were not experiences that she could share with me (she’ll even tell you that the diapers I use are far different than what she used).

I BELIEVE that by sharing my experiences with you (anyone who may be reading this on my blog, in an RSS feed, in an email, from Facebook, from a shared link on Twitter, however you found this) I have the ability to teach you, to educate you, to share my failures and my successes with you about cloth diapers (or any subject that I know about really). How do I know if my words have an effect on others? How do I know if others will chose cloth diapers because of me? I DON’T! But I BELIEVE that I can (and have)….

Do you BELIEVE?

Can I Really Make a Difference? A few weeks ago I had lunch with a very...
30 Reasons to Love Cloth Diapers – Real Diapers Industry Association Reason 19: Because it really it one big community working...
Change 3 Things (C3T) A week ago I joined a Revolution – A Cloth...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.