Looks like our new friend Natali got a little excited with her 30 Day Cloth Diaper Challenge and decided to take a step back to re-group and organize.  She found out that cloth diapers should be washed before wearing – some more than others – and didn’t have enough prepped and ready to go yet.  Today’s reason to love cloth diapers is dedicated to something we all LOVE and something that I’m sure Natali is just starting to understand…

Day 3: Fluffy Mail! Since most of us don’t have a local retail store to go pick out our fluff we mostly rely on the retailers we find and love online.  I have my favorites of course like DiaperShops.com and DiapersEtc.com (go check them out)!  When we place an order for new cloth diapers to add to our stash the hardest part is WAITING (it may be considered considered stalking to some) for them to arrive.  When your first package arrives it’s almost like Christmas morning.  Depending on the retailer your new stash will arrive by USPS, FedEx, or UPS.  I’ve actually made friends with all three of my delivery guys and they have me on saved in their GPS for frequent deliveries!  (A sign of a true cloth diapering addict)

Fluffy mail can come in envelopes or boxes – large or small.  Sometimes it even comes eco-friendly with a reused shipping box (like my last box from Rumparooz).  However it comes to you fluffy mail actually makes going to the mail box fun again.  It’s even more fun when it comes marked with the words – FLUFFY MAIL – in big letters all around the envelope!

Tips for handling fluffy mail:

1. When you hear the delivery truck pull up DON’T beat the delivery guy to the door!
2. DON’T tear the box open wildly before the driver gets back in his truck!
3. DO make sure that it’s a package for you – I’ve been known to open my husbands packages thinking they are my own (why would HE get mail other than bills? LOL).
4. DO let your children play with any bubble wrap that may be included.
5. DON’T let your dog play with the packing peanuts – it’s a huge mess!
6. DO take lots of pictures of your new stash!  You’ll need them to handle the lows between shipments.
7. DO be sure to read all the manufacturers directions for washing and wearing before you trash the packaging.
8. DO review the flyers that come with your fluffy mail – they may contain tips for using the products, washing the products, and maybe even coupons for MORE fluffy mail!
9. DO wash your cloth diapers before you put them on your baby.
10. DO reuse or recycle your packaging materials and boxes.

Caring for new cloth diapers: When you get a new cloth diaper you will want to pay special attention to the care instructions.  Most instructions are very similar but some may be worded slightly different.  My standard pre-wash routine is one cold rinse (no detergent), one hot wash (with detergent), and one regular rinse (no detergent) – this should be enough washes/rinses for most diapers.  (Hemp and Organic Cotton may require up to 6 wash/rinse cycles to reach maximum absorbency) I will normally dry the diapers the very first time but after that they get treated to a sun tan.

What was your last fluffy mail?  Do you know your mail carrier by name?  Does he (or she) know what fluffy mail is?

My last package was from Rumparooz and contained their new prints.  I’m currently waiting for a special package to arrive from Canada.

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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.

Need a guest post on your blog? Email me for more information.

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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?

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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.)

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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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Today we celebrate the day that our baby girl blessed our family!  About this time last year I was welcoming her to the world and introducing her to our family and friends.  Our lives have not been the same since!

Today we not only celebrate her first 365 days but we also celebrate our first year of cloth diapering (almost a whole year at least) and 365 days of breastfeeding! 

I thank the Lord everyday for all that you have brought into our lives!  Happy Birthday Lil’ B!

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Giveaway Alert! Growing Green Bums is giving away one bumGenius 3.0 cloth diaper AND one set of bumGenium bamboo wipes!  ECO-ngratulations Amy!

Yes, you read that correctly…we are giving away a bumGenius gift set!!!  I met Marissa, owner of Growing Green Bums, a few months back online and she has been an inspiration to me.  Not only is her online cloth diaper and Earth-friendly store awesome…she is also a member of the Real Diaper Association (RDA) training to become an RDA Cloth Diaper Circle Leader (cloth diaper advocate) with me.  She’s located in Northwest Florida so we immediately clicked (being that I’m also in FL).  If you are anywhere near Navarre, FL I’m officially jealous of you!  Growing Green Bums offers local consultations, Cloth Diapering Workshops, and Home Reward Programs.

Growing Green Bums sells all types of cloth diapers (prefolds, pockets, fitted, all-in-ones, all-in-twos, and organics) and accessories.  In addition to cloth diapers they also sell baby carriers, mama care, skin care, laundry supplies, and wooden toys!  All the fluffy mama’s have cloth diapers on their holiday shopping lists and I bet Growing Green Bums has everything they want! 

Website:  http://www.growinggreenbums.com/
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/growingreenbums
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/GrowinGreenBums1
Blog:  http://www.growinggreenbums.com/blog/
Coupon:  Use coupon code Twitter to save 10% off your next purchase at Growing Green Bums!

Win It!  Win one bumGenius 3.0 cloth diaper AND one set of bumGenius bamboo wipes from Growing Green Bums.  Visit their website and leave me a comment telling me something you learned about Growing Green Bums and Marissa.  Leave your comments below (this is a mandatory entry). 

Extra Entries:
-Enter any of my other Eco-Holiday Gift Guide Giveaways (Leave a comment telling me which one’s you’ve entered.)
-Follow my blog with Google Friend Connect
-Subscribe using Feedburner or other reader (Leave your email addy)
-Add my button to your blog or site (Leave a link to your blog)
-Blog about this giveaway and the Eco-Holiday Gift Guide  (Leave a link to your blog)
-Share this giveaway with your friends (Leave me a comment telling me how)

Giveaway open to all residents in the US over the age of 18 yrs old.  Must leave a comment for each entry with a maximum of 10 entries total for this giveaway.  Giveaway ends December 15, 2009 at midnight (EST).  Entrants must leave their email to be contacted if they are selected. 

LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS HERE TO ENTER!

Giveaway has ended.  ECO-ngratulations Amy!

More from the Eco-Holiday Gift Guide.

*This post was sponsored by Growing Green Bums.

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I wanted to write about a challenge that we faced today not because I want to put blame on any one person but because it might help others out there.  We have a new nanny (I hate that word…makes me sound spoiled which I’m not) this week and with that comes another lesson in how to use cloth diapers.  She left at 5pm today while I was getting myself cleaned up to go to a function at my sons school.  To my surprise the hubby came home a few minutes early and I didn’t have to take Lil’ B with me to the function that started at 6pm.  So off I went leaving the baby at home with daddy. 

Came home and she was sound asleep on the sofa with daddy.  She woke up just before dinner time and was a little fussy but calmed as soon as she was in my arms.  I fed her while we ate our own dinner but she really wasn’t interested.  Now it’s almost 8pm and it’s bedtime for Big B and that’s our special time together (just me and him) to read. 

It’s now been 3 hours since I left the nanny left and I go to undress Lil’ B and get her ready for bed….she’s still wearing the same diaper she was wearing before the nanny left!  She had probably been in it for over 4 hours now!  SHE HAS A HORRIBLE RASH ALL OVER!  She actually breaks out in the front and back (unlike her brother who just broke out on the rear!).  Well she must have pooped at some time during the afternoon and evening and none of us realized it! 

Note to all involved:  Cloth diapers need to be changed about every 2 hours!  They don’t have all the gelling stuff that disposables have that keep the moisture away from the babies skin.  While the micro-fleece will wick some of the moisture away it won’t keep the poop away!  Anyways, if she’s fussy or it’s been over 2 hours the first thing I would do is change her diaper. 

Now, I can’t get mad or upset with anyone here.  The nanny probably changed her about an hour before she left.  I left an hour later and assumed that my husband would change her.  She fell asleep on his lap so he didn’t want to wake her.  And so on and so on!  This is just another one of those areas that work differently than disposables.  With disposables you could literally leave a baby in them all day and they would just keep pulling liquid away from the baby until the gel exploded out of the diaper.  Seriously…just add a few cups of water and see what happens.

On a positive note, since she had a rash I decided to try a little elimination communication (or EC).  If you aren’t familiar with EC it’s a method of training parents to use cues from our babies to know when they need to pee/poop (or eliminate).  The best way to learn these cues is to watch them while they are naked.  A baby doesn’t naturally want to eliminate on themselves which is why they become fussy after they pee/poop in their diapers.  With cloth diapers they feel the pee/poop more than they would if they were wearing disposables.  This is why a baby may become extra sensitive when they eliminate themselves in cloth.  Anyways, after about 20 minutes of playing Lil’ B pulled herself to a standing position and peed all over the floor.  It was kinda funny because it was like she intentionally stood up so she wouldn’t pee on herself. 

About 10 minutes later she did it again but this time she peed all over my leg and decided to splash her feet in the pee…yuck!  Off we headed to the bath!  Not really sure what we learned about EC but she really enjoyed being free for a little while and she needed a bath anyways.

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Yes, I’ve been on vacation!  My Twitter followers have followed my adventures with my family at Disney this past week but I wanted to share a few fun things with everyone. 

Cloth Diapers and Traveling:  We didn’t have a washer or dryer so we took disposables to Disney.  This made me very sad but it was very stress-free.  One day I’ll try to travel with my cloth but I have to be able to wash them. 

Breastfeeding:  In honor of World Breastfeeding Week…we have a long way to go to educate people about breastfeeding.  You would think at Disney World, a place for kids, breastfeeding would be easier than it was.  The parks have these great baby care centers where you can nurse but they are not always where you need them.  There is only one center per park and the parks are huge!  I ended up breastfeeding in some odd places and got quite a lot of different reactions…including the one mom who made her family leave the bench I was sitting on while breastfeeding (PS…I was not exposed in any way!).  The worst experience were the water parks.  There were NO baby care centers or air conditioned areas AT ALL!  With a 6 year old we are very active and the baby comes along to everything.  There aren’t many places she doesn’t go with us.  I’m not asking for nice cushy nursing areas everywhere I go…but a simple bench in some air conditioning would be helpful! 

Baby Wearing:  We took the stroller, our Dittany Baby pouch sling, and our Ergo Baby Carrier with us to Disney.  Which worked out the best?  All and None!  Honestly they all came in handy at one time or another.  The Ergo is great for Dad and it works well for me when carrying her for a long time.  It started to hurt my hips though after a while and it was H-O-T!!!  The Dittany pouch sling was lighter weight and great for short carries (waiting in lines).  The great thing about the Dittany pouch sling is that it also served as a nursing cover and a stroller blanket and it folded down very small!  The stroller was great for naps.  Like I said earlier…our life doesn’t slow down often so she just adapts and sleeps wherever we are. 

Eco-Must-Haves:

1. To-Go-Ware sidekicks.  These small stainless steel food containers were perfect for the baby finger food snacks (those puffs) that kept Lil’ B happy while waiting in line! 
2. To-Go-Ware RePEaT utensil sets.  I wish I had 3 sets of these.  With all the eating out we did we went through a lot of disposable forks and spoons.  I did use mine a few times and it was much nicer than the cheap plastic stuff. 
3. Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag.  Yep…even though we didn’t use cloth diapers I still took my wet bag with me!  I hate diaper bags with a passion…they are so BIG!  Instead I packed my wet/dry bag with diapers and wipes and off we went.  It fit nicely inside our small backpack and didn’t weigh us down.  It was great for the water parks too, the wet bathing suits went right down inside the large pocket and our backpack stayed dry!

Disney itself has made a great effort to go GREEN with their Enviromentality program.  There is recycling everywhere, even in the hotel rooms.  The best part is that they encourage guests to help them go GREEN by educating them on small steps they can do during their stay (like reusing towels and sheets). 

Now that I’m back I have a lot of catching up to do.  The Knicker Nappie OS diaper giveaway ends in just a few hours and I will be picking a winner tomorrow.  There are over 175 comments right now so it’s going to be quite exciting to pick a winner!  Thanks for all your comments, tweets, subscriptions and follows!

Coming up this next week I have LOTS of fun stuff!  I have another cloth diaper giveaway (GADbaby) and some Rocking Green Soap giveaway for those cloth diapers!  Not into cloth diapers?  No worries!  I have some great jewelry to review, e-cloth giveaways, Tropical Traditions Coconut Oil giveaway, and more!  Oh, and school is starting soon so I have some great waste free lunch solutions to share too!  

On a personal note…Lil’ B had a blast meeting all the Disney characters!  She squelled (literally) everytime a character came near!  It was priceless!  Her big bro still got excited too!  While we were gone she learned how to take a few short crawls across the floor!  LOOK OUT WORLD…here she comes!  To top it all off…her first tooth started to come it yesterday.  I think I need to look into some new teething toys!  

Have an eco-friendly product you would like to know more about?  Leave me a comment and I’ll try to do a review or giveaway on it!

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GIVEAWAY ALERT!  Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for the first contest of The Eco-Summer Blog Party!

Let the party begin!  It’s July 1st (Canada Day as I’ve been told by my dear friend Cindy Loo) and that means The Eco-Summer Blog Party (ESBP) is officially under way!  I’ve gotten many questions about the ESBP over the last few weeks by curious readers wanting to know, “What exactly is The Eco-Summer Blog Party?”

To understand what The Eco-Summer Blog Party is you must first understand who I am. 

As a new MOMMY who DOODLES in her spare time I hope to one day DESIGN a wonderful legacy to leave my children.  This MOMMY wears many different NECKLACES each day as I breastfeed my newest little angel (Lil’ B), work my full time job, blog about the environment, and look for great HOMEMADE BABY FOOD RECIPES.  Each and every day I try to make an effort to Reduce, Reuse, and RePEaT my actions from the day before.  It’s not always easy since my life was not HAND PICKED by me but rather by my PUMPKINS that I love so much.  Some days I wish I could escape to ERBA and drink some wonderful ORGANIC wine grown from the TERRA.  Instead I am asked by Big B to CYCLE around the block in the 92 degree heat of Florida.  My friends have called me an ECO-freak, but I prefer the LABEL of Eco Chic.  During the school year you will find me FUNDRAISING for the local PTA or T-ball team.  I rarely have time to pick up the PAPER or enjoy the high CULTURE that I once enjoyed by visiting museums.  I dream of the day my husband will take me to the Greek Isles to see the wonderful DITTANY flower of Crete along with my BABY and little boy.  I try to remember my SOFT sweater when I travel for work, it makes the LANDING much smoother on my head which is propped against the window taking advantage of a few minutes to myself.  I quickly return to reality when my LADYBUG dirty’s her cloth DIAPERS that I’ve been using for a few months now.  In my spare time I am trying to find time to get the PIGGYs soaked and coated with a fresh color of PAINT.  It is my PURE desire to DESIGN a world where my KIDS THINK GREEN and take pride in this wonderful GREEN PLANET that we live on.  The hubby and I will continue to hold our pool PARTIES, cookout with friends, and TRAVEL around the world.  Maybe one day we’ll even take a train from the DEPOT or watch the STELLA BLU in the night sky.

Why are there words in all upper-case?  Well those are the fine sponsors of this party!  Without their help there would be no party and I wanted to start by thanking them all.  If you are a regular reader of The Eco Chic you may have noticed that things look a little different around here.  With the help of my first sponsor, MOMMY DOODLES DESIGN, I have a fresh new blog header, background and logo buttons.  Mommy Doodles (AKA Melanie) is a graphic designer from Massachusetts who I met over a year ago when she was holding a giveaway on her own blog.  I actually won the contest and we’ve been friends ever since.  

Did I say CONTEST?  I did indeed!  The ESBP is full of contests, starting right now!  One lucky winner will receive a blog design and/or redesign including a logo header, background and button.  This also includes one image or clipart download from istockphoto.com (valued at $95) compliments of Mommy Doodles Design. 

Click HERE to enter to win!  A winner will be selected at random (using Random.org).  Contest ends July 14th at midnight (EST).  You must leave your name, email, and answer to the first question to be entered to win.  Extra entries can be earned by:

1. Subscribing to both The Eco Chic & Mommy Doodles blogs.
2. Following both @theecochic & @mommydoodlesblg on Twitter.
3. Become Fans of The Eco Chic & Mommy Doodles on Facebook.
4. Other:  Add our buttons to your blog/site, blog about the contest (or ESBP), tweet about the contest, etc.  Just be sure to leave a link to where you have posted the information. 

The Eco-Summer Blog Party will continue from now until July 15th.  Join me tomorrow (July 2nd) as I explore the world of Breastfeeding!  As a sneak peak at other contests and giveaways here is a picture of what is to come!  See you tomorrow!

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