Guess My Baby’s Gender! (Giveaway)

This is the first official part of our Surprise Delivery baby event running during June and July.  The event is the celebrate the birth of my second child, who is due to arrive around June 29th!

From now until the baby’s birth you can weigh in on what you think my baby’s gender is.  I can’t give any hints, because I don’t know myself! 

From those who guess the correct gender, one person will be chosen to win a $20 gift certificate to Doable Diapers!

Just enter using the form below.

Fine Print: Only one entry per person.  View the entries in this giveaway by clicking here.  Sensitive information has been removed to protect your privacy.  Entries must be made using the form.  Comment entries will be deleted, however feel free to leave a comment to remind yourself that you have entered.  Winner will be chosen using a random number generator, and will be announced on the blog as well as contacted via email.  Winner has 48 hours to respond and claim prize or a new winner will be chosen. 
Gift certificate may not be used on detergent. 

Living a Natural Lifestyle

Besides using cloth diapers, what else do you do to make your lifestyle more natural/organic, and to create less waste?  There are several things that we have been doing in our household for some time.  I recently added a few other things, so I thought I would share them with you.

I admit I was not much of a “green” or organic type person before I started using cloth diapers.  Then I realized the money I was saving, the waste I was not creating, and the “plastic” I was not placing next to my baby’s bum, and I started to think along the lines of changing other areas of our lifestyle.  It’s been a little bit of a slow process, but here are the things we do at home to support a “natural” lifestyle.

:: To state the obvious, we use cloth diapers.  We also use cloth wipes, and I make my own foaming wipe solution.  This has saving us tons of money with Elaine, and with #2 due to arrive in about 5 weeks, the savings are about to pile up big time!

:: I made my own baby food.  I did not do this exclusively.  I am a bargain hunter, so if I could steal a great deal on store-bought baby food, I would use it.  I also bought the store bought containers for on-the-go.  I would often just mash up some fruit as we went, and a couple of times I made bigger batches of baby food for the freezer.  Once we started to leave purees, Elaine just got a little bit of our dinner mashed up.

:: I make my own laundry soap and household cleaners.  It did not use to bother me to use chemical-laden products.  But with a toddler running around the house, I feel much safer (despite my baby locks) knowing exactly what is in those cleaners.  Everything is comprised basically of baking soda, soap, vinegar, washing soda, borax, and essential oils.  I use these recipes for my cleaners, and this recipe for my laundry soap.  I still use Rockin’ Green or bumGenius detergent on my diapers, just to be safe!

:: We use cloth napkins and clean-up rags (no paper towels).  I try very hard to remember to bring my canvas shopping bags to the grocery store.  This habit is getting better!

:: I make all of our bread.  This helps ensure there are no unnecessary preservatives.  I do use a bread machine – no wonder woman here!

:: I use less energy by line-drying all of my clothes and diapers.  I don’t really have a choice in this – the apartment came with a washer, but no way to hook up a dryer!  I do love my clothesline, though!

The Multi-Purpose Diaper Sprayer

You are probably tired of hearing me talk about my diaper sprayer, but I just really think it is one of the greatest “gadgets” in my house!  In the last couple of weeks I discovered some more uses for my Multi-Purpose Diaper Sprayer, and I thought I would share them!

We went puddle splashing on Saturday.  Elaine doesn’t have rain boots, so we just let her have a ball in her canvas tennis shoes. And let me assure you, she hit every puddle in the park, at least once! Since the rain was fresh and the park was muddy, everything came home with dirt all over it.  I just took my handy diaper sprayer and washed all of the dirt down the drain before chucking them into the washing machine.  Easy peasy!

My husband is a carpenter/wood-worker.  He often comes home with a lot of dust, dirt, and sawdust on his clothes, shoes, and bags.  Every so often I just spray the dirty stuff into the tub or toilet, and then leave them to air dry.

Elaine is becoming very independent, especially when it comes to eating.  Breakfast is often worn all over her pajamas!  If it’s milk and Cheerios, that’s okay – they shake off easy.  But oatmeal?  What a sticky mess!  Nothing that a quick spray from my diaper sprayer can’t handle, though!

Ways I have used my Diaper Sprayer:

• Spraying off dirty diapers (of course)
• Helping to remove rash cream from reusable liners before laundering
• Spraying off messy clothing
• Removing dirt and dust from hubby’s items
• Cleaning the mud off my stroller wheels
• Rinsing the bathtub before Elaine’s bath
• Rinsing the bathtub after scrubbing to ensure all cleansing products are removed
• Spraying out the mop bucket
• And so much more!

Many of you have shower heads that do the same thing for you.  We have always rented, and have not been blessed with such a shower.  But my versatile diaper sprayer makes cleaning up just about anything super easy!  It is definitely high on my list of must-have accessories for the cloth diapering family!

Helpful Links for Tots

I don’t know about you other mommy’s out there, but my little girl (though only 18 months) is very busy, and she picks up on everything.  Lately I have been struggling to keep her busy, and also fit in “teaching” time.  Recently I came across a couple of blogs with tons of helpful ideas, pictures, and free downloads to help me fill this gap.  I thought I would share these valuable resources with you in case you also need some inspiration for working with your little one!

Some of the things are beyond Elaine’s age and capability, but I am saving them for the “later” file.  Some things can be easily adapted to fit her current comprehension level.

I have taught children before, and worked with several different age groups in Sunday School and church activities.  However, I have not really ever worked with the little kids, so I easily find myself at a loss on what to do with Elaine.  Now I feel inspired and motivated!

Busy Bags
Someone had a brilliant idea here!  My Delicious Ambiguity features these activities are housed in a Ziploc bag and designed to keep your tot busy.  Some of them work great for quiet time or to occupy a busy toddler/pre-schooler while you do your own tasks.  Some of them aid in teaching and development.

I loved the idea of using a cookie sheet for magnetized activities.  I am planning to make several of these magnetic busy bags to take on our car trip to NC next week.

Tot Books
1+1+1=1 has designed these simple books go inside a manilla file folder which you cut in half width-wise and fold in to make a book.  With lots of free downloads (for personal and home use) and great themes, you can’t go wrong.  Activities include counting, colors, coloring, and more.  I especially love the Brown Bear, Brown Bear theme, adapted from Eric Carle’s book.

Do you have a particular blog or website you read for ideas and inspiration on teaching your little ones?  Please share! 

Calling All Bloggers

Dear Doable Diapers readers -

I am looking for some special guest posts to be published here at Doable Diapers.  I have a baby coming in just six weeks or so, and I would love to have a couple of posts ready to go for that time when I won’t be blogging!

Though I have a lot of experience in cloth diapering, there are a few areas which I know nothing about.  If they fall into your area of expertise, then I would love to feature a post written by you. 

Here are a couple of topics I am looking for specifically:

• Using cloth diapers when baby is in day care
• Cloth diapering twins/multiples
• Having two little ones in cloth diapers (I will be there soon!)
• Transitioning from cloth to potty training
• Anything unique – a special tip, how you solved a problem, an unusual situation, or something you feel would be helpful to other cloth diapering moms

We would be able to offer some small fluffy rewards in exchange for these posts.  If you are interested in submitting a guest post, please send an email to info@doablediapers.com with your topic idea.  I look forward to hearing from you!

A Child Grows in Brooklyn

As Brooklyn residents, we love it when we get orders from local New York City customers.  Many people in NYC are concerned about the environment, yet many of them know nothing about modern cloth diapers.  Not only are cloth diapers a more responsible choice environmentally, but they are better for your baby and have the potential to save you a lot of money!

Not long ago my husband stumbled across a parenting blog that is local to Brooklyn – A Child Grows in Brooklyn.  While many of the posts and resources are specific to Brooklyn, A Child Grows contains a wealth of information and recommendations for parents.  This blog encompasses everything from pregnancy to school age children.  I found a lot of helpful advice regarding baby wearing, as I am in the market for a baby carrier.

Recently we contacted Karen, the writer and mommy behind A Child Grows.  We asked her to write an editorial about cloth diapers.  Karen wrote a wonderful blog piece today entitled “Making Cloth Diapering ‘Doable’”.  Karen not only spotlighted Doable Diapers as a local resource for Brooklyners who are interested in cloth diapers, but she also summarized the benefits of modern cloth diapers to those who are unfamiliar with them.

Stop by A Child Grows and read more about Doable Diapers.  Then browse the archives and find answers to parenting questions, recommendations on baby gear, and advice from experts in various fields.

Comparing Pocket Openings

I have three main brands of pocket diapers in my stash: FuzziBunz, Rumparooz, and bumGenius!  I like all of these diapers for different reasons.  They all have different features and serve different functions in my cloth diaper routine. 

I love the simplicity of my FuzziBunz, and the fact that there are not a million snaps down the front of the diaper!  Rumparooz are my #1 overnight diaper, and the double gussets are great for containing big messes.  bumGenius! diapers boast stretchy tabs that ensure a perfect fit, every time.

One difference between the three brands is the style of pocket opening.  While they are all pocket diapers (and thus completely customizable), they all have different pocket openings.

The FuzziBunz opening is flush with the waist line in the back.  The gentle fleece fabric usually sticks out of the top of the diaper, and keeps the elastic (though encased) from rubbing on my daughter’s skin.  The opening is generous, making it easy to stuff and un-stuff.  I l.o.v.e. that there is no flap covering the opening!  It really makes clean-up easy when there is no flap to get messy.  I think the FuzziBunz type pocket opening is my favorite.

The Rumparooz pocket opening sits slightly below the waistline on the inside of the diaper.  It is elasticized, yet there is no flap covering the opening.  On occasion, if I am not careful when diapering my baby, the opening will slide down, allowing the insert to touch baby’s skin.  It’s not really a problem, but it’s something to watch.  The opening itself is not extremely wide, but the channel of the pocket on the Rumparooz is wider than that of the FuzziBunz.  This makes it much easier to double stuff when extra absorbency is needed.  When I need a doubler or an extra insert, I reach for my Rumparooz.

The bumGenius pocket opening is also flush with the waistline of the diaper.  Unlike the FuzziBunz and Rumparooz, though, it has a flap covering the opening.  This flap has pros and cons in my book.  It ensures that the insert will never touch the baby’s skin.  It also means that no matter how active your baby is, the insert will never work it’s way out of the pocket (but I have NEVER had that problem with any diaper!).  Yet the flap is more of a con to me..especially wen my daughter poops.  Somehow, she always gets it on the flap.  This means that I have to carefully get my hand inside the messy pocket flap in order to remove the soiled insert prior to washing.  I absolutely despise doing that!  With no flap, you can always shake the insert into the pail if you prefer not to touch the insert at all.

It may seem like a minor difference, but depending on your diapering needs, the style of pocket opening may make a difference in your routine.  Which do you prefer?

Doable Details: Doopsy Bamboo Velour Fitted Diaper

We recently added to the Doospy One Size Fitted Velour Bamboo Diaper to our line-up at Doable Diapers.  I have not been using fitteds mainly because they contain a lot of layers, and we line dry everything (we don’t have a dryer).  They were very hard for me to get dry, so it just wasn’t worth it for us.  I really wanted to see how the Doopsy would work for us!

I love this Doopsy version of the fitted diaper because the absorbent core snaps out, and there is also a doubler that you can add.  Since the many layers can be easily separately, it is perfect for my situation because it dries fast.

Doopsy One Size Bamboo Velour Fitted Diapers are made of wonderful bamboo viscose and organic cotton fabrics inside and out.  This makes it extremely soft next to Elaine’s skin, and that makes me feel good too!

The snap-in tri-fold insert is made of two layers of bamboo jersey and a layer of bamboo velour. The booster is also made of two layers of bamboo jersey and one layer bamboo velour.

This fitted diaper is a one-size, which is rather unique for a “fitted” (usually sized) diaper.  It is side snapping, and the snaps go all the way around to the back.  This would allow you to get a good fit on a little baby.  There is gently elastic at the waist in both the front and back, as well as soft ruffled leg openings.  You can adjust the absorbency with the snap in insert and the booster/doubler.  (For comparison purposes, my daughter is 18 months and 20 pounds.  She is tall and skinny).

I love this diaper for going “coverless” – it is very absorbent and I always change Elaine before I feel the wetness coming through. I also love the softness.  Even after being line-dried, the bamboo viscose remains luxuriously soft (unlike other bamboo diapers which I have used). 

I think that this diaper is also economically priced for a fitted diaepr.  While many sell for $20-25, the Doopsy is priced at just $14.95. 

I have used it as a nighttime diaper as well when we were out of our normal nighttime diapers.  I used a Flip One Size cover and there were no leaks, though the diaper was very wet in the morning.

Here are some pictures of my daughter in her Doopsy Bamboo Fitted Diaper – she was learning to use a hammer as she “helped” Daddy with a home project!  They are not the best for showing off a diaper, but she moves so fast right now that it is hard to capture a good shot!

If you’ve been wanting to try fitted diapers, you’re looking for a super soft diaper, or you need customized absorbency, then I can recommend the Doopsy One Size Fitted Bamboo Velour Diaper to you!

Surprise Delivery Baby Event

Good morning Doable Diapers fans & readers!  I have exciting news to share today…

I have been working behind the scenes to plan a special giveaway event in celebration of my second baby’s arrival (*due* June 29th – we’ll see if he/she is on time!).  So now it’s time to spill the beans and let you in on it too!

This event will be called Surprise Delivery because we are still waiting to find out if we are adding a son or daughter to our family!  Surprise Delivery will start in June, and run into July.  Some of the reviews and giveaways will depend on when the baby arrives.

I primarily used prefolds with my daughter when she was a newborn.  I am excited to try several new products on this baby!  Look for some newborn diaper reviews, as well as checking the fit of one size diapers on a newborn.  We also have some exciting sponsors lined up for some really great non-diapering products!

The fun will begin at the beginning of June with a game to enter your guess on the gender of our baby.  We’ll also have a referral contest to see if we can hit 1,000 Facebook fans before the official start of the Surprise Delivery event!

If there is a particular product you are interested in, or would like to see a review about, please send an email to info@doablediapers.com and we will see if we can accommodate your request!

FuzziBunz Needs Your Baby Items to Help Alabama Tornado Victims

From Tereson Dupuy, creator of the FuzziBunz pocket diaper:

As you may know from "Cloth for the Coast" we are a company that does not sit well with disasters that affect the South (and many other areas of the world) and not take action.  

Very recently a storm of tornadoes has hit the South devastating many families, leaving them with nothing and killing many!  

I am fortunate to have a friend and activist that can fly in supplies to the most remote areas to bring supplies to them.  They need baby clothing of any size and any kind!  FuzziBunz has already and will continue to donate diapers and wipe supplies as they have expressed the need for "reusable" and not "disposable" diapers.  

I am asking that any of you that have spare baby clothing please send it ASAP to our distribution center so I can bring it to the pick up location.  Bonnie Shumaker of "Wings of Care" operates out of Louisiana and California in her own plane will pick up and drop off the much needed supplies!  

If you have baby clothing to donate please send it immediately to:

FuzziBunz Diapers
315 Weeks St
New Iberia, LA 70560

We very much appreciate any help that you can give.  We can really help!  Many families down here need it.  

We are in need of clothing donations and would like to get an air delivery out by early next week or this one if at all possible.   These people need a lot of things but one thing we have helped and will continue to help with are baby items such as diapers (which we have donated and will continue to do so) as well as baby clothing which is desperately needed.  Ages newborn to Tween sizes. 

After this week we will be flying these supplies to where they are needed - I am hoping to be able to accompany Bonny on the next flight in to help in whatever way I can - even if it is teaching some of these moms how to use FuzziBunz as many asked for cloth diaper donations and not disposable because there is just no money for them to buy disposables even if they wanted to use them! 

If possible, please mark on the boxes what size range is included so we can sort and re-box the items for transportation.

Thank you for your generosity and help!!!!!

New Earth Day Winner

Our first winner never claimed their prize, so the new winner of the Earth Day insert sampler package is:

Rebecca Orr!
(entry # 290)

Congratulations!

Please email iwon@doablediapers.com to claim your prize.  You have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Obsession Confession: Becky O’Brien

Name: Rebecca O'Brien

Children: Kira 13, Allison 12, Jason 10, Emma 2

Occupation: Home maker

Where do you live? Oak Creek, WI.

Is your hubby on board with using cloth diapers? Yes because he doesn't change her either way!

When did you start cloth diapering? With my adult daughter 23 years ago.

What was your main reason for switching to cloth diapers? I've always used them!

Share the short story of how you started using cloth diapers. When I was pregnant with my oldest my neighbor had a diaper service for her son! She turned me on to them!

What is your favorite brand and style of diapers? Pockets are my favorite and I love HH's

How many diapers are in your stash? I have 20 pockets, 12 prefolds, 4 fitteds and 5 covers so 36 in all.

Share a blooper or “newbie” story from your cloth diapering experiences. With the newer styles sometimes it's hard to tell pocket fitteds from pockets with PUL, I put one on y LO only to have her pee all over me!

Do you have a tip to share with others? Never wait longer than 2 days to wash diapers! You will have less ammonia issues if you wash more often!

When you started using cloth diapers, what is one thing you wish you had known? This was forever ago but I wish I would have known to store my pins in a bar of soap to make pinning easier!

What is the greatest issue or problem you’ve had with cloth diapers, and how did you resolve it? I have had no issues! Honestly! No rashes, no ammonia, and no build up!

Regarding cloth diapers, is there anything you would like to know? How does an all in 2 work?

What are your other hobbies, interests, and obsessions? I like to bake, and watch movies with my kids.

What are your favorite blogs and websites? I like Marine Parents, The Leaky Sippy and Life with My Littles!

Tell us a little about your personality? I am a big jokester/ prankster! But in a fun loving way!

FuzziBunz Leggies Promotion

I have a special offer for you today…a package of two one size FuzziBunz diapers with matching Leggies, at a fantastic price!

There is a girl set, The Butterfly Pack…

You get one Buttercream FuzziBunz, one Cotton Candy FuzziBunz, and a pair of matching Butterfly Leggies.

And there is a boy set, The Snail Package…

You get one Choco Truffle FuzziBunz, one White FuzziBunz, and one pair of Snail Leggies.

These packages are priced at 20% off of regular retail.  You get all three items for just $39.90!  Plus, Doable Diapers always offers FREE shipping within the United States.

To sweeten the deal even more, these packages are eligible for the Bonus Bunz promotion which is running from May 1-31.  For more information on the Bonus Bunz, please click here.

Foaming Wipe Solution

We love using cloth wipes!  Not only does it save us money, but the wipes are soft and thick.  Though I didn’t start out using cloth wipes, I soon became convinced that they are a better choice (at least for our family).  We even use them on-the-go. 

I used to make my own wipe solution.  I blogged the “recipe” here.  I’ve also tried wipes solution drops, but found that they were hard to dissolve. I recently switched up our method of wetting cloth wipes…again.

I had a sick little girl over the weekend, so while she was sleeping (a lot!) I was able to catch up on some blog reading.  I came across a post on So Easy Being Green, which led me to this post on Cloth Diaper Diaries about making a foaming wipe solution.  The foam is not as cold as other solutions may be. 

“That’s a really great idea!” was my initial thought.  However, I didn’t think my hubby would go for it.  But, when I presented the idea Ben actually really liked it.  He thought that wetting the wipes individually would give a better clean, because the solution wouldn’t dry out as it sometimes does when I pre-moisten wipes. 

I was still a little skeptical…would I have to use a bunch of foam to get my wipe wet enough?  Would it leave soap behind on Elaine’s bum?  I decided to give it a shot.

So we made the switch.  The ingredients are basically the same as what I was using before.  Some water, baby shampoo, and Tea Tree Oil if you wish.  I had not been using Tea Tree Oil, but I did start adding it recently.  I has antimicrobial and antifungal properties, and I decided we needed a little extra “clean” in our solution.

Below are the directions.  By the way, you can use the same method for refilling your foaming hand soap bottles inexpensively.  We have been doing that for a long time – I just use cheap shampoo or dish soap.

Directions:

1. Start with an empty foaming soap bottle. 
2. Add about 2 Tbsp. baby shampoo or body wash.  I l.o.v.e. Baby Magic…it smells sooooo good, and their lotion is even better!
   **By creating a foam, you use less shampoo than other solutions.  Therefore, you are getting more bang for your buck.
3. Add a couple of drops of Tea Tree Oil if desired.
4. Fill bottle with warm water.
5. Replace pump and gently swish to mix ingredients.

The verdict?  I love it!  I only use one pump per wipe.  The wipe gets plenty wet.  Elaine doesn’t squirm as much when it first touches her skin.  I do think it delivers a better clean than my pre-moistening method.

And here is an older post I did on how to fold your wipes so they “pop” out of an old wipes container.  Here is a follow-up post on the same topic that includes a link to a video tutorial at Dirty Diaper Laundry.

How about you?  What is your preferred method of wetting cloth wipes?  Do you make your own solution?  Leave a comment – I always love to get new ideas and learn better methods!

Earth Day Giveaway Winner

The winner of the Earth Day Giveaway
(an inserts sampler package) is…

Entry # 257
Rebecca Spiers

Congratulations!

Rebecca, please email iwon@doablediapers.com with your shipping address to claim your prize.  You have 48 hours to respond, or another winner will be chosen.

Thanks to everyone who entered!