What’s in your diaper bag? Want to see what’s in mine? You’ll have to go see my guest post on I Love Cloth Diapers, the blog of Soft Bums diapers.
Visit the Soft Bums blog every Monday as I continue my guest post series. Next week I will provide you some tips to gain the support of your family and friends with cloth diapering. After all, not everyone is as enthusiastic as you are about cloth diapers.
Giveaway alert! One lucky reader will win a BabyKicks Bumboo Pocket Diaper and a Premium Duz-it-All. Details following post. Closed! Eco-ngratulations to DebbieLG @MSU_MOM_TO_2 you are the winner!
Despite how lame I know this is going to sound…I got a total KICK out of BabyKicks newest diaper, the Bumboo pocket. I mean seriously, look how adorable it is when it arrives in the mail.
BabyKicks is a small family owned business that hand makes about 90% of their products in Maryland. In addition to their new Bumboo pocket diaper they also sell fitted diapers, pre-folds, nursing pads, burp pads, and blankets.
When the Bumboo first arrived I was in love with the softness of the inside and the interesting leg gussets. The Bumboo is a one-sized diaper that fits babies from 7lbs to 30lbs (comparable to most one-sized diapers). As you can tell from the picture above it has snaps but they are side snapping. Side snapping simply means you don’t snap the diaper by pulling the side tabs to the front…instead you pull the front snaps to the side. It actually takes a little while to get use to it but I like it. Although I fear that if you had a very hefty baby or toddler that it might be snug around the middle. (updated 2/23/09…BabyKicks is working on a new wing design to correct this potential issue with size!). One advantage of the side snap is that it prevents tab droop. The snaps are available in green (as shown here), blue or multi-colored.
I mentioned the interesting leg gussets. They are soft bamboo/fleece like the inside barrier but there is no PUL. It’s amazingly soft on their little legs but I feared that it would leak….guess what? It didn’t! The leg gussets were designed like this for 2 reasons: 1) to reduce rubbing on your babies legs, and 2) for better air flow (thus reducing the possibility of rash).
The Bumboo is a front loading pocket which allows for a more trim fit and helps to prevent that extra fluff in the rear. It comes with one Joey-Bunz 100% hemp insert. I love hemp inserts….they are so trim and so absorbent. My only other hemp insert came with our GADBaby diaper which Lil’ B recently outgrew (boo!). Why hemp? Hemp is super absorbent and anti-microbial (no bacteria or mildew here). Look at this pic of Lil’ B and you can tell that the Bumboo pocket really does have a nice trim fit.
Did you know that hemp is better for the environment than cotton? Hemp does not deplete the soil and actually adds rich nitrogen back into the soil. This allows growers to use less fertilizers and reduces the need for crop rotation.
But it now! The Bumboo pocket diaper sells for an amazingly low $18.50…this is incredibly LOW for a diaper of this quality! It’s very difficult to find a diaper with organic cotton and bamboo for less than $20-25 each. You can buy the Bumboo pocket diapers directly on their website or at many cloth diaper retailers nationwide.
Win it now! Visit the BabyKicks website and leave a comment below telling me one interesting fact about hemp. This is a mandatory entry.
Extra entries: (Leave an individual comment for each extra entry.)
1. Follow me on Google Friend Connect.
2. Follow both @TheEcoChic and @BabyKicksUSA on Twitter. Tweet about this giveaway a maximum of 2 times per day. **Be sure to include @TheEcoChic and @BabyKicksUSA along with a link back to this post in your tweet.
3. Subscribe to have The Eco Chic blog delivered to your inbox via Feedburner.
4. Add The Eco Chic blog to your Google Feed Reader or other RSS reader.
5. Add my button to your blog and/or blog about this giveaway.
Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. Must be over 18yrs old to enter. Contest will end on March 8th at midnight (EST).
Good luck!
ECO-ngratulations DebbieLG @MSU_MOM_TO_2 You are the winner! Watch your email for details on claiming your diaper!
Last weekend I spent some time away with my parents, my kids, my brother and his family. I love my sister-in-law and I’m so excited that they are close by finally. They have always lived several states away so it’s nice to have them 2 hrs. away!
The talk quickly turned to blogging and cloth diapering. Because I don’t think it’s possible for me NOT to bring those two subjects up in a conversation.
My SIL actually tried cloth diapers with her son (now three) for a short period of time but stopped because of the poop!
Poop? Yes, all babies poop! She revealed to me a strong dislike for poop. Not a normal ‘poop is gross’ dislike…a very extreme dislike.
She brought up the biodegradeable diapers and how she thought they offered a better benefit to most people than cloth…still good for the environment. Hmmmm…she must not know much about how these diapers degrade. I mean they need ideal conditions in a compost pile before they can begin to degrade. You can’t just send them to a landfill in the trash bag and expect them to degrade. Did you know that??
After a brief lesson in biodegredation I asked her more about this poop factor. Was she willing to let poop sit in her compost pile in her back yard? No! she would just prefer to send it away. Her fear of poop goes even farther…she doesn’t want poop in her washer. She said it was gross to think about poopy water and clean clothes. It’s really just an image of poop really since you flush the poop before you wash it (unless it’s breastfeeding poop that is water soluble).
So I continued to question her…afterall we’ve all experienced disposable poop-plosion haven’t we? What did she do when poop got on his baby clothes?? Want to know her answer?
She threw those clothes away!! That’s how extreme her poop issues are!! She wouldn’t even wash poopy clothes in the washer. I was just in shock! I was at a loss for words.
Nothing I could do or say would shine a positive light on poop. There is nothing I could do or say that would change her mind. It’s a great reminder that cloth diapers may not be for every parent…but it’s a great story to share.
I personally don’t care about poop…I’ve had poop on my hands! It’s just a part of parenting and I’m ok with that. What about you? Does poop bother you? How do you deal with poop?
From my iPhone so please excuse any typos!
I recently participated in a great cloth diaper swap. This was my first swap of this type so I didn’t really know what to expect but it was hosted by 2 amazing women so I joined in. Emi at The Cloth Diaper Report and Danielle at There’s No Snakes in New Zealand organized the entire event.
I had 2 diapers that weren’t getting as much use as they deserve. One was a little snug (a sized diaper) on Lil’ B and the other was just not our style. Both were very nice diapers and were difficult to part with…but I was excited to see what came my way.
The first fluffy package I received was from Heidi J. It was a yellow and blue Rocky Mountain diaper. I’ve been hearing good things about them. So far this diaper has not disappointed. I am very happy with this diaper (even if it is a little on the boy color scheme) and it will fit in well with our rotation.
The second fluffy package I received was from @MamaCampbell. It was a bright pink BumJoy (you can find them on Etsy’s if you are interested). To be honest it wasn’t what I was expecting. To be fair, this diaper came with a very nice letter explaining that she realized afterwards that it had some minor scratches/tears on the front tab. To try and make the swap a little more fair she included a few handmade cloth diaper wipes as well.
I haven’t had a chance to take pictures of Lil’ B in either diaper yet but I hope to share some cute pics with you soon. Thank you to the organizers for their efforts to make this swap such a great event. And thank you for the ladies who sent me the 2 newest fluff in our stash.
I have just received a glamorous and much needed SUNSHINE AWARD! It’s been freezing cold in Florida this week and the sunshine is exactly what I needed.
This sunshine award was given to me by @Zealandsmom at There’s No Snakes in New Zealandblog. Danielle and I met on Twitter while talking over cloth diapers one day and I’m stoked that she has finally moved back to town! I’ve never met her in real life (IRL) but we have a play date coming very soon…as soon as we both find time! LOL! Go check out her blog. She talks about her kids and does product reviews and giveaways too. She certainly has more time to spend on her blog than I do…I’m slightly jealous. Thanks D for passing on this wonderful ray of sunshine to me!!
Now…I have to pass it on to 12 bloggers I know. I spend a lot of time each day on my own blog, networking on Twitter, and yet I only visit a few blogs each day. Here are some on my Google Reader:
1. Diapers and Dimples - For some lovely Wordless Wednesday pics.
2. Dirty Diaper Laundry – Because I love her passion towards cloth diapers! This would be me if I didn’t have a full time job.
3. Paisley and Pretties – For her witty tweets.
4. Mommy Doodles – Because I truly wouldn’t be able to blog without her! **And because she has become one of my greatest friends! Love ya!
5. Retro Housewife Goes Green - Always thought provoking.
6. The Mommy Blog - For a little bit of everything.
7. Smiling Green Mom – Because she always makes me smile on #Follow Friday.
8. Mama Dweeb – Because we’re all a little silly!
9. The Crunchy Wife – watch soon for a guest post from yours truly.
10. So Fawned – for gorgeous pictures of a brown-eyed little fawn!
So each of these ladies are asked to pass this award on to 12 other bloggers themselves. Please take a moment to visit each of them and see why I love them.
Why dancing babies? Because they are all in cloth diapers dancing to get Ellen’s attention. #OperationFluffy is underway and we (cloth diaper moms) are trying to get Ellen to have a featured show on cloth diapers! I mean who can resist all this cuteness?
How to join #OperationFluffy:
1. Watch the video and share it with everyone you know! Tweet it, Facebook It, Stumble It, Email It, you name it! We want the world to see our cute cloth diaper dancing babies!
2. Join the Facebook page dedicated to #OperationFluffy, I want to get cloth diapers on The Ellen Show!
3. Tweet about #OperationFluffy and share pics of your own kids in cloth diapers.
4. Read more about #OperationFluffy on Dirty Diaper Laundry blog and follow @KimRosas on Twitter for updates!
OK, Ellen…we really want you to see all these cute fluffy bums in person! So give us a call, tweet, or email! Thanks!!!
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.
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.)
