You know you have a problem - perhaps even an 'addiction' to cloth diapering when...
- you see a woman wearing a top and think "hey, that'd make an awesome diaper print"
- you arrange your childs outfit around what cloth diaper they'll be wearing
- you dream about cloth diapers, night after night
- one of the big excitements of your month is a diaper company releasing new prints
- you don't want to put pants on your baby, so that their diaper is on display all the time
- you rub a [clean, obviously] diaper on your face because it's so soft
- in a baby store you audibly squeal when you realise they're stocking a new brand of diaper
- when asked what YOU want for YOUR birthday, you ask for cloth diapers
- owners of cloth diaper stores know you by name
- the decision you put the most thought into is 'snaps or aplix'
- you sit at your computer with your credit card in hand, and your fingers poised to start typing upon the 9am release of brand new special edition diapers
- you naturally buy a size up in clothing to accomodate for the cloth bum bulk
- you know the difference between microfiber, microfleece and microsuede
- you buy a brand new washing machine just because you want a better wash cycle for your diapers
- you fake a headache at midday at work so you can go home to open your fluffy mail
- even though you have 100 diapers already, you can justify buying 'just one more'... fifty times...
Aug 24, 2011
Aug 17, 2011
thank you Tasha
on JustMommies there is a board where a group of fabulously talented ladies make 'siggies' for the rest of the members. I requested on yesterday with a cloth theme, and the fabulous tasah_mae made this gorgeous 'siggy' for me... because of the cloth theme, I had to share it with you all...
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| isn't it just GORGEOUS.... thanks Tasha :) |
Aug 15, 2011
it's all about the theme, baby
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| for the second time in three weeks we have SNOW... very very rare for Christchurch - and this time it's expected to last for three days... |
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| this was Emersyn's reaction to the snow last time, so this time I'm not even going to take her outside in the horrible white stuff... but I do have a way to involve her in it all... |
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| it's a snowman diaper :p |
Aug 13, 2011
Aug 10, 2011
upcycled cuteness
In with a bunch of nappies my friend Lauriel gave me, was this utterly adorable upcycled diaper. I couldn't resist putting it on Emersyn ASAP... I'm sure you can see why!
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| made out of old jeans! what an awesome idea... |
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| the back! it even has a pocket! |
review - close parent pop-in
reviewed by Casey
If I was stuck on a deserted island (with my baby) and was only allowed to bring 1 type of nappy with me, this would be it. In fact, I have daydreamt on more than one occasion about selling my entire stash of nappies (50+) in order to purchase a full time pack of Pop-Ins!
The Pop-In nappy is a OSFM nappy, with 2 inserts (one larger than the other) that snap into the waterproof shell with aplix tabs. It comes in two types, bamboo and minkee.
Bamboo vs Minkee
Bamboo is more absorbent, so less changes are needed. It is also a natural fabric, so good for sensitive babies. However, it takes quite a while to dry. (you can tumble dry the inserts on a low heat but air drying is preferable.)
Minkee is a microfiber which dries much faster than the bamboo – but is less absorbent. The minkee inserts also have a stay dry suede top sheet wicks moisture away from baby's skin so they feel dry. (I use a cloth liner on my bamboo inserts, so baby doesn’t feel the wet so much).
I like to mix and match my inserts – one bamboo and one minkee.
What I love about the Pop-In:
They have double leg gusset for extra protection against leaks.
They are OSFM with poppers on the front and claim to fit from 3.5kg to 16+ (I only started using these when my son was 6 months, so cannot comment on the fit for newborns...)
The inserts snap in meaning they dry faster, and you can use spare inserts if the cover is still clean, making them better value for money.
They are a great day nappy, and turn into a wonderful night time nappy simply by adding the bamboo booster.
I love the colours - Coconut, Custard, Pumpkin, Pistachio and Duck Egg
What I don’t love:
The only major dislike I have about the Pop-In is that the aplix wash tab is in the back of the nappy, rather than one of each side like some other nappies have. It is soft to the touch but I worry that this extra fabric and stitching will irritate my sons back.
The colours may not be to everyone’s tastes, and there are only 5. However, I believe they are releasing new colours (and features) in a few months time.... (yay!)
This nappy is on the pricy side at NZ$39 – BUT, if you take into account that it is a OSFM – and that it converts into a night nappy by adding the $13 booster, and that you can buy extra inserts for $17 – it is not really that bad.
Now for the ratings:
fit: 4/5
leaks: 5/5
ease of use: 4/5
washing: 4/5
OVERALL RATING: 17/20
If I was stuck on a deserted island (with my baby) and was only allowed to bring 1 type of nappy with me, this would be it. In fact, I have daydreamt on more than one occasion about selling my entire stash of nappies (50+) in order to purchase a full time pack of Pop-Ins!
The Pop-In nappy is a OSFM nappy, with 2 inserts (one larger than the other) that snap into the waterproof shell with aplix tabs. It comes in two types, bamboo and minkee.
Bamboo vs Minkee
Bamboo is more absorbent, so less changes are needed. It is also a natural fabric, so good for sensitive babies. However, it takes quite a while to dry. (you can tumble dry the inserts on a low heat but air drying is preferable.)
Minkee is a microfiber which dries much faster than the bamboo – but is less absorbent. The minkee inserts also have a stay dry suede top sheet wicks moisture away from baby's skin so they feel dry. (I use a cloth liner on my bamboo inserts, so baby doesn’t feel the wet so much).
I like to mix and match my inserts – one bamboo and one minkee.
What I love about the Pop-In:
They have double leg gusset for extra protection against leaks.
They are OSFM with poppers on the front and claim to fit from 3.5kg to 16+ (I only started using these when my son was 6 months, so cannot comment on the fit for newborns...)
The inserts snap in meaning they dry faster, and you can use spare inserts if the cover is still clean, making them better value for money.
They are a great day nappy, and turn into a wonderful night time nappy simply by adding the bamboo booster.
I love the colours - Coconut, Custard, Pumpkin, Pistachio and Duck Egg
What I don’t love:
The only major dislike I have about the Pop-In is that the aplix wash tab is in the back of the nappy, rather than one of each side like some other nappies have. It is soft to the touch but I worry that this extra fabric and stitching will irritate my sons back.
The colours may not be to everyone’s tastes, and there are only 5. However, I believe they are releasing new colours (and features) in a few months time.... (yay!)
This nappy is on the pricy side at NZ$39 – BUT, if you take into account that it is a OSFM – and that it converts into a night nappy by adding the $13 booster, and that you can buy extra inserts for $17 – it is not really that bad.
Now for the ratings:
fit: 4/5
leaks: 5/5
ease of use: 4/5
washing: 4/5
OVERALL RATING: 17/20
Aug 8, 2011
review - bumgenius elementals
reviewed by: Tam
These make up 98% of my nappy stash!! I LOVE them!!!
They are an organic cotton diaper so do require a bit of prepping before first use. They are SUPER absorbent! I have rarely had leaks in the 12 months I have been using them.. In fact the number of leaks I have had during that time I could count on one hand with.
Price – I rate this nappy 1 star for price... Here in the USA they are $24.95 each but I know in NZ/AU it is A LOT more than that! However I do think it is good value for money and I would (and have) definitely purchase more.
Leaks – 4 stars, I have rarely had leaks, and when I have had leaks it is because I have left my son too long between changes. Most of the leaks occurred when he was itty bitty and would take unexpected long naps. In the 12 months I have been using these nappies I have had 5-6 leaks tops.
Fit – 5 starts for fit. I have never had fit issues with this nappy. My son is on the smaller side, he was born 6lb 15oz and at his 12 month check up he was 17lbs 8oz.
Ease of use – 5 stars what isn’t to love? This is an AIO (all in one) nappy no stuffing required!!
Washing – 3 stars, being it is organic cotton it does stain... But nothing the sun can’t handle. So while the stains DO come out they don’t come out during the wash, they require some sunning to get them all nice and new looking. It washes very easily but it does take a long time to dry (because it is an AIO) I usually pop mine in the dryer for 20-30 minutes on medium heat and then hang them to dry. We live in an apartment so I don’t have access to an outdoor clothes line, when I have visited family who have had an outside line I line dried them every time and they dried in a day in the hot summer sun.
In summary these really are great nappies and I am very happy with my purchase. The only downsides are the long drying time and that over time they do develop small holes on the legs and where the soaker is attached, this does not effect their function it is purely a cosmetic issue. Out of the 24 that I own only 3-4 are developing holes and they are tiny.
Now for the ratings:
price: 1/5
fit: 5/5
leaks: 4/5
ease of use: 5/5
washing: 3/5
OVERALL RATING: 18/25
These make up 98% of my nappy stash!! I LOVE them!!!
They are an organic cotton diaper so do require a bit of prepping before first use. They are SUPER absorbent! I have rarely had leaks in the 12 months I have been using them.. In fact the number of leaks I have had during that time I could count on one hand with.
Price – I rate this nappy 1 star for price... Here in the USA they are $24.95 each but I know in NZ/AU it is A LOT more than that! However I do think it is good value for money and I would (and have) definitely purchase more.
Leaks – 4 stars, I have rarely had leaks, and when I have had leaks it is because I have left my son too long between changes. Most of the leaks occurred when he was itty bitty and would take unexpected long naps. In the 12 months I have been using these nappies I have had 5-6 leaks tops.
Fit – 5 starts for fit. I have never had fit issues with this nappy. My son is on the smaller side, he was born 6lb 15oz and at his 12 month check up he was 17lbs 8oz.
Ease of use – 5 stars what isn’t to love? This is an AIO (all in one) nappy no stuffing required!!
Washing – 3 stars, being it is organic cotton it does stain... But nothing the sun can’t handle. So while the stains DO come out they don’t come out during the wash, they require some sunning to get them all nice and new looking. It washes very easily but it does take a long time to dry (because it is an AIO) I usually pop mine in the dryer for 20-30 minutes on medium heat and then hang them to dry. We live in an apartment so I don’t have access to an outdoor clothes line, when I have visited family who have had an outside line I line dried them every time and they dried in a day in the hot summer sun.
In summary these really are great nappies and I am very happy with my purchase. The only downsides are the long drying time and that over time they do develop small holes on the legs and where the soaker is attached, this does not effect their function it is purely a cosmetic issue. Out of the 24 that I own only 3-4 are developing holes and they are tiny.
Now for the ratings:
price: 1/5
fit: 5/5
leaks: 4/5
ease of use: 5/5
washing: 3/5
OVERALL RATING: 18/25
Aug 7, 2011
review - bitti tutto
I have been wanting to try Bitti Tutto for a long while now - and was lucky enough to have my sister send me/Emersyn one for her birthday this year.
The first thing that caught my attention with the Tutto was the lush minky outer fabric - all I wanted to do was rub it against my face, I wonder who can even think of using disposables, when cloth diapers can be made out of such gorgeous fabric.
The Tutto is a one size fits most, snap in diaper - the absorbent pads are snapped in, meaning that if the 'shell' [ie the cover of the diaper] doesn't get wet or soiled, it can be used again. I did find the Tutto was a little fiddly at first - and I had a little bit of confusion with regard to how to actually use the soakers... I knew they snapped in, but I wasn't sure which soaker went on top or bottom, and which snaps to use to make the soakers suit Emersyn the best. It didn't take that long though, before I worked out the right combination for my little girl - and I really like that they are so adjustable. I think you could quite easily have two in diapers at the same time, and just stick with this diaper - even a boy and a girl, you just need to adjust the absorbent pads. It can take some trial and error to get it right though. I love the internal gusset - which acts as a 'poo fence', I think it's an excellent feature of the diaper, and I wish I had had one to use when Emersyn was a newborn and still in the liquid poop stage of things.
I must say I'm not a huge fan of the fit for MY daughter... being that I have some [large] Bitti D'Lish diapers, and love them - and their fit, I figured the Tutto would be a similar size on the largest setting, however they seemed to be a lot more fitting [ie not as big] around the crotch area, and around the waist they are a lot smaller too. I find that with the D'Lish, the two tabs meet up in the middle, but with the Tutto they were done up on the last two snaps. Admittedly Emersyn does have a chunky build - she is well over the average size for a child her age, so this may have something to do with it. She is also not walking yet, so I wonder if when she does start walking, and trims down - the Tutto may fit better around the waist.
Emersyn wore the diaper for 3.5 hours, and I was very impressed to see that she had no leaks in that time - that was including a nap, which is when ALL of our leaks happen. I often find that minky diapers leak quite easily, but I think because of the sturdy leg elastic and also the internal gusset, leaks would probably be hard to come by in a Tutto, worn under normal circumstances [ie changed regularly].
Another thing that has impressed me with the Tutto is that it washes up really well. Emersyn has put her Tutto to the test with regard to soiling it - there were a few occasions I was sure there would be a stain - but no, we still haven't had even the slightest discolouration after it's been washed. Drying time is something that I expect to be slow when it comes to air drying in winter, but the Tutto soaker pads seems to dry relatively quickly - and in the drier they dry just as fast as the rest of the diapers in with it. The fact the soaker pads come away from the shell of the diaper helps a lot with this - and the long soaker pad dries a lot faster than other inserts or soaker pads that would absorb the same amount of liquid - because of the fact you fold it in half when it is in the diaper, meaning it [the pad] doesn't have to be as bulky.
Sadly the price of the diaper [34.00 USD, 40.00 NZD] means that having a whole stash of these isn't a possibility for me - being on a tight budget my 'allowance' for buying a diaper is more half of that price... but it doesn't mean it isn't a lovely present, or treat every once in a while.... I think the price is worth it though, they're a lovely diaper, made out of beautiful fabric - and they were extremely well made, and they certainly work well... anything that can contain Emersyn's super pee is A grade in my books.
Now for the ratings...
price - 1/5
fit - 3/5
leaks - 5/5 [night time use not tested yet...]
ease of use - 4/5 [once I had the soakers worked out it was easy to use]
washing - 5/5
TOTAL RATING - 18/25
The first thing that caught my attention with the Tutto was the lush minky outer fabric - all I wanted to do was rub it against my face, I wonder who can even think of using disposables, when cloth diapers can be made out of such gorgeous fabric.
The Tutto is a one size fits most, snap in diaper - the absorbent pads are snapped in, meaning that if the 'shell' [ie the cover of the diaper] doesn't get wet or soiled, it can be used again. I did find the Tutto was a little fiddly at first - and I had a little bit of confusion with regard to how to actually use the soakers... I knew they snapped in, but I wasn't sure which soaker went on top or bottom, and which snaps to use to make the soakers suit Emersyn the best. It didn't take that long though, before I worked out the right combination for my little girl - and I really like that they are so adjustable. I think you could quite easily have two in diapers at the same time, and just stick with this diaper - even a boy and a girl, you just need to adjust the absorbent pads. It can take some trial and error to get it right though. I love the internal gusset - which acts as a 'poo fence', I think it's an excellent feature of the diaper, and I wish I had had one to use when Emersyn was a newborn and still in the liquid poop stage of things.
I must say I'm not a huge fan of the fit for MY daughter... being that I have some [large] Bitti D'Lish diapers, and love them - and their fit, I figured the Tutto would be a similar size on the largest setting, however they seemed to be a lot more fitting [ie not as big] around the crotch area, and around the waist they are a lot smaller too. I find that with the D'Lish, the two tabs meet up in the middle, but with the Tutto they were done up on the last two snaps. Admittedly Emersyn does have a chunky build - she is well over the average size for a child her age, so this may have something to do with it. She is also not walking yet, so I wonder if when she does start walking, and trims down - the Tutto may fit better around the waist.
Emersyn wore the diaper for 3.5 hours, and I was very impressed to see that she had no leaks in that time - that was including a nap, which is when ALL of our leaks happen. I often find that minky diapers leak quite easily, but I think because of the sturdy leg elastic and also the internal gusset, leaks would probably be hard to come by in a Tutto, worn under normal circumstances [ie changed regularly].
Another thing that has impressed me with the Tutto is that it washes up really well. Emersyn has put her Tutto to the test with regard to soiling it - there were a few occasions I was sure there would be a stain - but no, we still haven't had even the slightest discolouration after it's been washed. Drying time is something that I expect to be slow when it comes to air drying in winter, but the Tutto soaker pads seems to dry relatively quickly - and in the drier they dry just as fast as the rest of the diapers in with it. The fact the soaker pads come away from the shell of the diaper helps a lot with this - and the long soaker pad dries a lot faster than other inserts or soaker pads that would absorb the same amount of liquid - because of the fact you fold it in half when it is in the diaper, meaning it [the pad] doesn't have to be as bulky.
Sadly the price of the diaper [34.00 USD, 40.00 NZD] means that having a whole stash of these isn't a possibility for me - being on a tight budget my 'allowance' for buying a diaper is more half of that price... but it doesn't mean it isn't a lovely present, or treat every once in a while.... I think the price is worth it though, they're a lovely diaper, made out of beautiful fabric - and they were extremely well made, and they certainly work well... anything that can contain Emersyn's super pee is A grade in my books.
Now for the ratings...
price - 1/5
fit - 3/5
leaks - 5/5 [night time use not tested yet...]
ease of use - 4/5 [once I had the soakers worked out it was easy to use]
washing - 5/5
TOTAL RATING - 18/25
Last [???] night time update
Well, I think night time issues are definitely a thing of the past for us. I was getting by fine using the prefold/microfiber/pocket/fleece cover combination - I still got the occasional leak, but it was only if she had a super long sleep, and a bottle during the night.
Last week decided that I would see what would happen if I added an extra microfiber insert, and used a pul cover - rather than inserting it all in a pocket... So I added a Real Nappies night time booster pad on the top of the prefold, and put the microfiber insert under the first layer of prefold - used a pul wrap, and whaddya know - NO LEAKS...
I actually preferred that combo over the pocket combo, so started using it each night, and so far there have been no leaks. I think it's the extra layer of microfiber [Real Nappies night time booster pad has a top layer of microfleece so it can go against the skin] that helps to prevent any of the sneaky little leaks that I was getting with the pocket combo. Another bonus to this little combo, is that it's a little trimmer - not having the fleece soaker over top actually makes quite a lot of difference, and I guess trimmer means it is a little more comfortable too.
Now my sister is having night time issues with my niece - so I am helping her find a combo for Bronny. Night time issues are never ending it seems.
Last week decided that I would see what would happen if I added an extra microfiber insert, and used a pul cover - rather than inserting it all in a pocket... So I added a Real Nappies night time booster pad on the top of the prefold, and put the microfiber insert under the first layer of prefold - used a pul wrap, and whaddya know - NO LEAKS...
I actually preferred that combo over the pocket combo, so started using it each night, and so far there have been no leaks. I think it's the extra layer of microfiber [Real Nappies night time booster pad has a top layer of microfleece so it can go against the skin] that helps to prevent any of the sneaky little leaks that I was getting with the pocket combo. Another bonus to this little combo, is that it's a little trimmer - not having the fleece soaker over top actually makes quite a lot of difference, and I guess trimmer means it is a little more comfortable too.
Now my sister is having night time issues with my niece - so I am helping her find a combo for Bronny. Night time issues are never ending it seems.
Aug 1, 2011
strange how the world works
I blogged the other day about being sad that when Emmy is done with diapers, that there will be no more cloth diapering for me - and how I was thinking of starting some sort of business related to cloth diapering... WELL, my wonderful sister came to me with a business proposition, one that we both think there is a need for - that there is a market for.
I won't give away any details yet, because there isn't really a lot to give away at this stage - but it is something that has us both rather excited, and I've been thinking about it all afternoon. This 'little idea' definitely has potential, and is something that can be built on over time - admittedly it's a little hard to not get ahead of myself with the ideas, I need to slow myself down and just concentrate on the INITIAL idea, and building a nice little foundation.
All I CAN say is this - stay tuned.... and if anyone would be willing to help us out with research at some point [probably just answering questionaires], please let me know.
I won't give away any details yet, because there isn't really a lot to give away at this stage - but it is something that has us both rather excited, and I've been thinking about it all afternoon. This 'little idea' definitely has potential, and is something that can be built on over time - admittedly it's a little hard to not get ahead of myself with the ideas, I need to slow myself down and just concentrate on the INITIAL idea, and building a nice little foundation.
All I CAN say is this - stay tuned.... and if anyone would be willing to help us out with research at some point [probably just answering questionaires], please let me know.
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