Category: cloth diapering

Stack ‘Em Up!

We took our Memorial day easy after having two packed days on the Saturday and Sunday before. Unfortunately, my “sleep in” dreams did not happen as I had a fantastic visit from Mr. Charlie Horse TWICE at 5am. I stayed up for 45 minutes of potassium and prenatal vitamin consumption, as well as water rehydration. Then I “napped” until 8am.

After doing the diaper laundry, I came to a realization while putting it away that we have virtually no room for Hannah’s cloth diapers. Being as how we had a lazy Memorial day ahead of us with plans of hot dogs in the backyard amid the girls playing in the swimming pool (will post those pics in a further post), my creative wheels started turning. I eyed my dwindling stack of receiving blankets, noting that 3 color coordinated.

Backstory: Saturday morning I got the privilege of discovering a woman selling her newborn cloth diaper stash (24 prefolds and 6 covers) for only $25 on craigslist. Since the prefolds themselves cost $2 a piece and the covers cost $8 a piece, I knew I wanted to jump on that deal before someone else did. We were in her area Sunday and were able to complete Hannah’s diaper stash until she gets into our current pocket diapers. I WAS (and still am) PUMPED!!!

So looking at the stack of 39 (I made 15 myself) newly washed and ready to be stored Hannah diapers/covers, while putting away Abi’s diaper stash, I decided to take advantage of our “lazy day” with a little sewing project.

I used this free diaper stacker pattern (though mildly vague).

And primarily this picture over the pattern words, which were a bit confusing to me. I read another pattern (“simple design” one) with pictures and figured I had the hang of it enough to improv.

I grabbed my three coordinating receiving blankets and, after reading reviews on other diaper stackers being too thin, grabbed some extra polyester to line the diaper stacker with reinforced durability. I laid out my fabric, measured twice, and cut once (though nearly twice. LOL).

This is my starting picture (minus my piece of cardboard to stiffen the bottom of the completed diaper stacker.) 

And this is the finished product:

 It is hung by a “child sized” hanger inserted into the stacker. I chose a metal skirt clip for two reasons: we have a plethera of these and I wanted the hanger head to be able to swivel and hold the weight of the cloth diapers.

** See Hannah’s cute cloth diapers in there? =D All 39 fit with extra room.

This hangs wonderfully on the end of our changing table in the nursery. YAY! And it’s also easily transported to the laundry room for refilling on laundry day. 

A close-up of the primarily hand-sewn part. I took the butterflies off an old and semi-useless burp cloth (it was really small and thin), then sewed it onto a few leftover pieces of the receiving blanket material I used in the diaper stacker. 

It took me about 4 hours (I hand-sewed a little of it so I could watch the girls “swim”) and cost me $1.59 (I ran out of thread. hehe).

I think it came out pretty cute! =)

P.S. For those of you concerned about Hannah potentially being a boy: 1. They got a really good “tell all” peek. 2. If Hannah turns out to be an Elijah, Elijah will get over the butterflies since “he’d” be sharing a room with his sisters for a good while. hehehe. But I’m pretty sure Hannah is 99% more likely. 😉

P.P.S. Matt was impressed that I created this in one day. His exact response: “You made that (smiling and surprised) just today?” =D YAY! I did!

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Brand Cloth Diapering

I wanted to share some tricks of the trade and a compilation of my personal reviews and the reviews I’ve heard universally about some cloth diaper brands. I’m not going to review all cloth diaper brands (there are a bunch) and I’m only going to briefly review the cloth diapering brands that are connected to our diapering system and therefore I have chosen or chosen to by-pass.

Prefolds (old-school cloth diapers)

  • You can use pins or snappis. I prefer snappies – snug, secure, no baby stabbing. But less cost-effective than pins. 
  • Generally prefolds cost about $2 a diaper unless you are buying in bulk.
  • Material: generic cotton – decent, Chinese cotton – holds up well, little rough, Indian cotton – BEST! holds up great AND soft. Comparison. Our Indian cotton prefolds have had more wear/tear on the edges in terms of the edge stitching, but I like softer over needing to re-edge a diaper (which I haven’t had to do yet).
  • Bleached or unbleached – depends on your preference. I prefer unbleached since my kids tend to have sensitive skin and the cost is maybe a few pennies different. To me, why risk that your kid has sensitive skin if you can just buy the more sensitive skinned ones (unbleached) for about $0.10 more.
  • Best brands I’ve found for the cheapest cost: 
  • Osocozy brand (prefer unbleached) runs about $13 a dozen on Amazon.com. Best brand if you have to buy new. Easiest on the pocketbook unless you can find some incredible sale.
  • Green Mountain – a little more expensive, but if you can find them used they’ll last through many childrens’ bombings.
  • Econobums – I’ve heard they are a good/absorbent brand that is financially savvy but not experienced them personally. And they seem to always come in a pack with other stuff when sold new.
  • Bummis – strong, thick, quilty and gentle on the pocketbook if you are buying them second-hand. Otherwise about $4.00 A DIAPER.
  • Gerber brand birdseye = good for burp clothes, BAD for cloth diapering. Birdseye shreds in the wash after about 3 months of use (if it makes it that long). 
  • If your prefold doesn’t have sizes – it’s a bad prefold. No one’s 3 month old is going to fit into a toddler prefold. Best economical expense = small gaps between sizes, but you will be choosing to fold down a portion of the fabric while baby grows into the full fabric, which some people call bulky and I call “extra poop safety” as well as “financially savvy.”
  • Check out some youtube prefold folding videos if these intimidate you, they might change your mind. 
  • To double a prefold for naps/night put extra insert OUTSIDE of prefold but inside of cover to allow best pull away from skin.
  • Fleece on sale at a hobby store is best call for more sensitive skinned kids. Buy a yard, cut down into insert-sized strips and throw into inner lining against skin, making a barrier between baby’s bottom and the prefold itself. I found fleece on sale for $4.50 for a yard and it made 24 “barriers” of fleece.
  • Wash (water for every cycle but the last) 4-5 times when bought new to maximize absorbency. OR my preference: boil for 15 minutes in water alone and then wash. Cuts down on water use and gets the job done faster than 5 times through the wash. 

    • Covers

    • You will only need a rotation of 3-5 over the span of 2 days depending on preference, material inside, and the age of your child (young baby wanting to err on the higher amount of covers, vs. older/more controlled BMs = less covers). If baby dirties cover beyond recognition, then wash. If baby spots on cover, then wipe clean and lay aside to dry while baby wears another cover. Less changing of covers = less laundry.
    • Can be used with just an insert (see below) or a prefold with or without a snappi/pins.
    • Thirsties covers are by far the cheapest with the best overall reviews throughout the sizes. Offered in velcro (hook and loop closure) and snaps. I prefer velcro for tighter/trimmer fit. Lasts through multiple kids may need to replace velcro with multiple kids. 
    • single sized thirsties covers (ex. Extra small, small, etc) – fit best for newborns, especially if your newborn has a slim waste. Most reviews talk about thirsties covers being one of the few that work on that “fresh out of the oven” time. Single-sized covers cost about $10.50/cover. 
    • duo wrap covers – 2 sizes from birth to potty training. Size 1 (6-18lbs) Size 2 (18-potty training). Just the covers run at about $12.75/cover. Again, you’ll only need 3-5 to use in a rotation over the span of 2 days. 
    • duo diapers (different than wraps) have insert included in diaper that can be flush against baby’s skin. These also come in 2 sizes (size 1 and 2) and run about $18 a diaper (sometimes $16 for the solid colors). A little more pricey but you know for sure you have all the pieces to get started if you are uncertain. These diapers can also be used without the insert as a regular cover. I would suggest getting extra inserts or using your prefolds as extra inserts.
  • Prorap covers run about $8.00/cover and come in 5 sizes (newborn, small, medium, large, XLarge). Medium, Large and XLarge start to get more difficult reviews in terms of leaking (kids start to thin out in the legs so it gets more varied to make a cover that will get the job done for everyone). Newborn has the umbilical cord cut-out which is VERY good for keeping irritation away from baby til they lose their cord. Newborn and Small get best reviews for being a cheap in price, but good in fit diaper cover. Inner shell is more plastic than some covers, making it easily handwashed, quick-drying, and washer-safe. Not suggested to dry these in the dryer due to how quickly they dry and the risk of melting them. GREAT pick for newbie to 3 month old size, especially cost effective. Reviews say they last through multiple kids, but I have no personal experience with this.
  • LOVE Wonder Wraps, but they’re less cost-friendly unless you get them second-hand. They usually range about $18-$20 a wrap (if you can find them in stock), but are a one-sized cover. The shape of these is slightly different than other covers (more pear shaped) and therefore covers VERY well with 0 leaks. Lasts through multiple kids. May need to replace velcro after 2 kids.
  • Wash at least 3x if new before first use to remove factory chemicals. 

    • Inserts

    • Wash (water for every cycle but the last) 4-5 times when bought new to maximize absorbency. OR my preference: boil for 15 minutes in water alone and then wash. Cuts down on water use and gets the job done faster than 5 times through the wash. 
    • Materials:
    • Microfiber (MF)= cheapest in cost, absorbs instantly unless repelling (detergent build-up due to not washing with cloth diaper safe detergent), holds up same as other materials. Quick absorbing. Debate of whether can go directly against child’s skin. I’ve put it against Abi’s sensitive skin and had no issues, but these have been washed MANY times before. There are some reviews that say MF should never be put against baby’s skin and results in hive-like spots of diaper rash. Your call. You can use a fleece barrier if you are using an insert alone in a cover. Can bleach if needed to keep white (though some argue against the sheer “harshness” of the bleach product in general, it is infrequently in reference to it being harsh to fabrics, but to sensitive skins – these people also tend to be the “all organics” people).
    • Hemp = very absorbent, absorbs slow. Preference for many cloth diaperers for a night diaper. More pricey cost – up to $5 per insert. Retains smell with repetitive use so you’ll need to treat extra for smell. Can be put directly on skin contact. Longest time to dry in dryer.
    • Bamboo = supposably more absorbent than Hemp and MF, but my personal results with bamboo have been much less absorbent (apparently I’m in good company too) than hemp. Retains smell like hemp. Dries quicker than hemp. Less expensive than hemp, but more expensive than MF.
    • Zorb = very absorbent, can be cost effective (especially if second-hand), no blue zorb material can touch baby’s skin so be sure to have it covered in fleece or another material if not already. Absorbs better than MF, better than bamboo, and less bulky than hemp. Material made specifically for heavy-wetters in the cloth diaper world. $5 an insert piece at this site for the non-sewers. $11 for a yard here if you make your own insert. I got them for $0.50 an “insert” off craigslist. 
    • Terry (towel) = now more than 2 layers at a time to avoid retained smell and allow for extensive washing. HIGHLY absorbent and cost-effective, especially if you use old towels and make your own. BEST night diaper material I’ve found for the cost. 4 layers of towel wrapped in material in the form of 2 inserts suffices our heavy wetter at nights/naps when all other materials have failed. Funny how the cheapest wins. 😉 
    • Comparisons of all the kinds of inserts here. and here. and here. Or there’s this method of testing. Or this one by brand and it’s part 2 [Gotta take a second to give a shout-out to the Sunbaby insert that beat out many high priced brand name inserts when you can buy them for up to a quarter of the price. 😉 ].

    Pockets/All-in-Twos (AI2)

    • Designs for 12lbs to potty training crowd, and not little babies. 
    • One-size = most economical verses buying and rebuying specific sizes. (That’s why one-size are less frequently available in resale markets due to their versatility). 
    • One-size is especially helpful if diapering more than 1 child at one time since the sizes can be altered by snapping down to fit the child on the spot. 
    • Sunbaby and Alvababy (in China) make most cost-effective and quality diapers. Soft fleece inner-lining and durable, can be used for multiple kids, outer PUL. Cute patterns/colors or solids available. Plan ahead: takes 3-4 weeks to arrive. About $5 a diaper with some combination deals.
    • Most like disposable diapers, excluding use of inserts to customize for child. 
    • Stuff insert into pocket post wash and shake holding opposite end of pocket to dump insert out before wash.
    • MF insert = good til about 9 months then need additional insert. Suggest less bulky material as second material to avoid leaking through legs. 
    • Snaps survive far better than velcro on these diapers.
    • Wash at least 4x if new before first use to remove factory chemicals.  

    Diaper Rash Creme

    • Cannot use regular diaper rash creme on cloth diapers due to most cremes being made with Zinc Oxide or Fish oil. Both stick to your cloth diapers and do not wash out well, if they ever wash out. These ingredients repel water – not a good feature when you want your diapers absorbing urine. 
    • Pure, Organic Coconut Oil is the best and cheapest cloth diaper safe creme. It costs $17 for a 32 ounce jar. You only need a fingertip’s worth for a diaper change so this stuff goes a long way. (Also great for eczema.) Washes out easily and safely from cloth diapers in one wash. [Sure beats a 3.75 ounce jar for $15 of “cloth diaper creme”.]

    Okay, that’s all the wisdom I can think to share for now. Hope that’s helpful.

    Have a great day!

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    For Newbee

    I made two newborn prefold diapers today thanks to some old towel pieces and flannel sheets (thanks again, Rachel). It’s nice to use things here, donating about an hour to figuring out what I was doing (woot!) and about a half hour to forty minutes (if I had to change to bobbin) a piece to each diaper following. Planning on just adding about 6-12 newbee diapers to the stash with maybe only the cost of thread (if I run out). From what I’ve researched it’s helpful to have a few tiny diapers for the freshie stage up until about 2-3 months when they can go into more “normal” sizes. Abi was gracious to play nicely on the floor to the hum of the sewing machine (after waking up early from nap). 

     One is layered 2x4x2 (I) and the other is 4x6x4 (II). 

    My old doll from childhood modeling. 

    With the assistance of Abi. =) 


    I’ll probably make more of the 4x6x4 or a 2x6x2 combo since the middle thickness is the real hero in the pottying story.

     

    – Kind of exciting to slowly start the “get ready for baby” preparations. 

     – If we find out on Friday that we’re having a boy, he’ll be relieving himself in flower-print prefolds. hehe. I don’t think he’ll care and it’s what I have to work with. Eh! Baby’ll just be sleeping through newbee life anyway. And we could find some cute neutral covers to help him out if he’s a he. 😉

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    It Overflows.

    I sat in the quiet, drinking in the rest. Overhearing the nursery fan on the baby monitor which blended in well with the ceiling fan’s rotation behind me. The quiet hum of the dryer, spinning my latest load of diapers. The sight of the other diapers dancing on the clothes line in the backyard sun through my peripherals. Silence filling the house. Rest.

    I prayed throughout my project. Painting rubber cement on a blank index. Thank You, Lord for this rest. Bonding a blank index to the former. Thank You, Lord, for Esther‘s heart. Squaring the corners. In stepping up with Your passion inside her to share the Word. Picking up a magnet and painting on rubber cement. Thank you for the hearts of Will and Theresa. Strokes of the brush. How they are giving it all daily for Your Kingdom. Pressing the magnet to the cards. Please breathe into them rest… peace. 

    A smile crept on my lips at the thoughts and prayers for Emmanuel – his growing heart in the Lord. And Ayuba‘s willingness to serve. Those beautiful faces. Beautiful people. Almost as a lullaby did my soul sing it’s thankfulness. King of kings…. Lord of lords… I remembered the Psalm I read just this morning.

    Spinning of the fans. The persistently light humming of the dryer. Thank You, Lord for this rest. 

    My cup is full…

    Instant thought of the list of names to be written on these new magnets. Those dedicating themselves unto the Lord and those that have yet to meet Him. Those I have the privilege to pray for.

    In utero dancing.

    it overflows…

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    The Cute Newbee

    I’m posting this for my friend, Jess. … Because I know that it will give her a delight in cloth diapering cuteness.

    This is our cute newbee to the stash.

    For a whoppin’ $5 (and free shipping) from Alvababy.

    To get my stash to about 30 (maybe a few less) in prep for the new baby, I am just adding in one of these per month (or every other) from my allowance money til I hit “about” 30. I like the “snapping over” feature for itty bitty and the versatility of the one-sized, pocket diaper. And the print….. =D

    – Thanks for sharing this moment with me. =)

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    Diamonds

    So I had a friend email me asking the average cost of a child per month in her and her husband’s attempts to have her stay home for at least the first year of her daughter’s life.

    It got me thinking about budgeting and things small tips I would include in a “ways to stay home and stay on budget to best benefit your family,” guide.

    Since Matt and I have been perfecting this skill for over two years now, feel free to laugh at my newbee-ness to this whole concept. But there are certainly some seriously wonderful diamonds in the rough that I have found along the way.

    Babies:

    1. Cloth diapering verses disposable diapering budgets
    2. Basic essentials – though I’d add a good baby carrier to the list, you know one of those ones that straps baby onto you so you can carry on with life and supply their need to be snuggled. And i never had a Bumbo seat, despite the hype, and my kids don’t have flat heads nor were they socially deprived. 😉
    3. Hit up those $15 for all-you-can-fit-in-a-bag sales that come in the Spring and Fall at Once Upon a Child. We fit almost $250 of clothes into a bag for $15 (onesies can roll up to smalled than a toothbrush size).
    4. Check out Kidz Again if there’s one in your area. They have clothes for kids up to 12 years old for cheaper than Once Upon a Child and even match together outfits for your “the baby is screaming and we have to leave the store right now” moments for as cheap as $2. Their toy selection is also wonderful (we found a $40 reading system and 2 $10 books for $8.50 all together).
    5. Check out the Thrift Stores (like Valley Thrift or Goodwill) and you’ll be surprised how “my kids don’t look like we shopped at the Thrift store” your kids will look wearing their second-hand name brand clothes. 
    6. Check out freebies for new moms and new-again moms offered through Similac (for those of you that are going formula for feeding) and other companies. Many of the companies will mail you a “sample” of their formula which is a regular sized container in hopes to hook you on their brand.
    7. Breastfeeding is free-er than formula (just saying) so give it a good shot if you can. =)
    8. Second-hand is a WONDERFUL addition to any child’s wardrobe, especially for play clothes.  

    Budgets:

    1. Don’t be afraid to set up a budget of what you need, be serious, and then add on a little “play money”. 
    2. We have “allowance money” each month to spend on whatever we’d like and it makes budgeting our other funds realistic.
    3. Always include a date night fund – unless you ABSOLUTELY cannot. Even i it’s $5 for a movie once/month and then you have free date nights in between. But by setting aside a date night fund you are placing it as a priority to invest in your spouse. Free date nights can include walking around the mall, going to a local park, walking the neighborhood, a movie night in, etc. Be creative and just try to be “just us” to keep things sane. =)

    Food:

    1. Happy Homemaker Cindy does the couponing and store ads work for you (compiling multiple sites and researching all the large grocery store chains weekly). She even has a section on her site with bulk cooking recipes and meal plans to help drive the cost of each meal down. She has practical and useful tips as well in grocery store management and budgeting well in the food category. (You will need access to a printer and paper to print specific coupons so count that and time into the cost of couponing.)
    2. Make a list – and force yourself to only buy what’s on the list (And don’t bring a pen in to write more things on the list while shopping – that’s cheating).
    3. Don’t grocery shop hungry or with a cranky baby if it can be avoided. Take the time needed to really weight the cost and do the math.
    4. If your name brand picky know what areas matter and what areas don’t. Ex. Toothpaste may be a “hill to die on” but applesauce may not matter. And some things really are better name branded because they last longer and are the one with the versatile features you really want.
    5. Set up a monthly meal plan and then only buy accordingly instead of buying weekly and having to run out and buy the extra sides you forgot. 
    6. Planning is most of the battle.
    7. Think about bulk cooking – it can save time on weeknights that you would otherwise be spending in a drive through line, wasting your money on overly-priced-but-nutritious foods, or cheap-in-nutrition-and-price foods.

    Children:

    1. Seriously consider child labor – just kidding! Only testing to see if you’re still paying attention. 
    2. They don’t know the difference between name brand and non-name brand until they are exposed to the need for name branded toys and characters (usually television over other kids). If you promote a one-character only toy explosion you will find yourself replacing more toys when the fad is over and the child has moved on to something else. We have found great joy in our “built to last” generic toys while finding the balance of adding on a few specific characters only as the phase continues. For example, buying a child’s clothing line in Dora wear is only as helpful and frugal (if the character print shirt was indeed cheaper) as the phase is long.
    3. Some toy name brands are indeed better and worth looking for – but don’t settle for one store’s price. Look for the item on sale or better yet – at a garage sale or craigslist. Being willing to wait for the quality item to be in your price range will save hundreds over last minute “we have to have this tomorrow” buys. 
    4. Again, planning is most of the battle.

    General Expenses:

    1. Creativity and resourcefulness are very helpful in keeping your cost of living down. Check out “how to” videos on youtube or google search to see if there are ways you can make or practically substitute household tasks/organization/products. I’m not talking about using tree bark only in substitution for soap, but I am saying there are many practical and cheap methods to fixing problems verses buying an expensive organizer or product. Ex. Concentrated lemon juice ($0.89 a bottle) and sunning on the laundry line helps get those “impossible to get out” stains from clothes instead of buying a new shirt or buying an expensive stain remover product. 
    2. Where there is a will, there’s a way. And there’s also a whole lot of people out there with good ideas on how to “cut the corners” of “must have” expenses without cutting on quality and end-product. 
    3. There are also a lot of really bad and “much more expensive” ideas out there too, so be sure to check out how other people are rating the idea before putting all your eggs in one basket. 
    4. The local library – a HUGE resource bank and financial friend with movies (not just the old or dumb ones), CD’s, audiotapes, and of course books. 
    5. Redbox your movies over expensive rentals. 
    6. Netflix is quite nice allowing an $8 a month subscription with many local kids show episodes (excluding Disney for the bottom line subscription), great documentaries, and all kinds of movies. Plus, no commercials means the kids are less encouraged to be “I need that” oriented.
    7. Bunny Ears (Rabbit Ears) on a TV allow for basic channels without paying to watch TV.
    8. Less TV = more activity and free outdoor play. (I’ve found monitoring TV also cuts down on whining and neediness due to encouraging creativity and self-entertainment, let alone the family perks of doing fun things together).
    9. Check out a local site for free/cheap entertainment. In our area, activedayton is a great site to research local events with price listings and kid-friendly vs. non-kid friendly listings.

    Again, where there is a will there’s a way.

    Seek budget-friendly advice, cheap and fun entertainment, and look at value of experiences and products for duration and durability and lasting memories. When you start weighing the value in things, it allows you to invest in those things with the most lasting joy for all family members.

    It’s about being intentional with your budget to serve your family the best you can with thankfulness for all you have been given.

    – Hope this was helpful in some way to you.

    And please, please, do share your tid-bits of wisdom with me in the comments section. I always love learning new tricks of the trade. 😉

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