The Cloth Diaper Whisperer: 2011-06-12

With the "Extreme Couponing" craze going on right now, everyone is in the money saving and couponing mode, which is a good thing!

I myself have started to coupon and I'm constantly on the lookout for good deals and ways to be a better steward with our money.

While going through all the ways we can save, my diapering came to mind. Not only does using cloth diapers already save us a good amount of money, but it would save us even more if we did what most of the extreme couponers do, and never buy anything at full price! It is possible, and takes about ten minutes of research to find a good deal!

Reward Points
One easy way to save when buying diapers is to shop at stores that have rewards points. At Kellys Closet, you get 1 point for every dollar you spend. When you hit a certain amount, you get a gift card to use at Kellys Closet! If you are buying diapers already, its just money back into your pocket! Kellys Closet makes it easy to track your points and purchases, this takes no time at all, and can earn you up to $75!

Blog
Did you know that by submitting diaper blog entries to Kellys Closet, you can get 75-100 diaper dollar points per entry if they use it? Yep! Just writing three entries will get you a $10 gift card! And of course, the more you write and your entries are used, the more points and money in gift cards you get!

Giveaways
Theclothdiaperwhisperer.com has giveaways every week! Its easy and fast to enter, and you can win some pretty awesome things! Follow them on facebook and twitter for exclusive giveaways as well!

Spotlight Mom
Every month Kellys Closet has a Spotlight Mom who answers questions about their family, hobbies and of course, cloth diapers! Sign up to be a spotlight mom, and you can get a $25 gift card to Kellys Closet!

Cute Baby of Cloth
A monthly photo contest of your cute baby in cloth! All you do is submit a photo of your baby in cloth that goes with the theme for that month. If your baby wins, you get a $15 gift card to Kellys Closet!

Seconds
Cloth diaper "seconds" are diapers that are either used, or have some type of manufacturing mistake. My first seconds diaper was a brand new bumGenius 3.0 for $9 because one of the dryer tabs was not in the right spot. To this day, I have no idea where else the tab is suppose to go! It works just like all of my other BG's that have the tab in the right spot! Check out your favorite diaper shop for deals on seconds diapers!

Last, but not least...Coupons!

Coupon codes! There are almost always some kind of coupon codes to use at Kellys Closet and other major cloth diaper shops, giving us no reason to ever buy a diaper at full price! Take advantage of free shipping offers, B1G1 deals, and money off your orders! Kellys closet, retailmenot.com, facebook, twitter and signing up for the Kellyscloset newsletter are all great ways to find coupon codes and sales.

With all of these easy ways to save, there is no reason to pay full price for a diaper! Do a little looking around before you make your purchase, and you can save big time on cloth diapers that already save you money!

-Shay P.

Extreme... Diapering!

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Fluff Friday
2- GroVia One-Size AIO Cloth Diapers

Question of the week:
What is the cloth diaper you grab the most from your stash? Leave your comment before Thursday, June 23rd at 7pm EST. (You can only answer the "Question of the Week" ONCE PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY.)

Other ways to enter:

Head on over to the GroVia Facebook. Leave a comment on our wall letting them know that The Cloth Diaper Whisperer sent you. Leave a comment in response to this post by letting us know you commented on their wall.
Being a follower of our blog or subscribing to our blog, gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower.
Commenting in other posts during the week will give you ONE EXTRA comment PER EACH comment that you make. Simply post a comment on this one saying the title of the post where you wrote your comment. So, what are you waiting for?? Participating in other posts pays off!!! You must have your Blogger profile accessible to be selected as a winner.
Advertising the giveaway in a forum or other blog gives you ONE extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a advertising and where.
Using our button on your blog (or starting to) gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are using it and where.
Being a fan of our Facebook group gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Post a comment with your facebook id as a comment to this post.
Being a follower on Twitter gives you one extra comment PER GIVEAWAY, NOT PER DAY. Simply post a comment saying that you are a follower and your Twitter ID.
One entry for signing up for our newsletter at Kelly's Closet. Post a comment when you sign up or if you are already signed up.
Tweet @GroViadiaper fluff friday #clothdiapers giveaway Enter at http://www.theclothdiaperwhisperer.com/. Then come back and comment that you tweeted AND the exact tweet (not tweet id status).
Tweet any unique tweet with @diapershops #clothdiapers. Cut and paste your tweet (not tweet id status) and post as a comment. You can get 1 entry for EVERY unique tweet!
Being an affiliate of Kelly's Closet. Please post your affiliate id in your comment.
Place an order at any DiaperShops store between 6/17-6/23. Post your order # and order date in the comments.
Leave a product review at Kelly's Closet and return to the blog and comment which product you reviewed.
Start a thread about our giveaway or comment on a thread that is about or giveaway on any chat room (http://www.diaperpin.com/, http://www.diaperswappers.com/, etc) . Post the name of the thread AND the url of your comment.
Start a new discussion (or respond to a current discussion) on either DiaperShops Facebook or The Cloth Diaper Whisperer Facebook. Come back and leave a comment with the title of discussion AND which Facebook page you posted on as a comment to this post.

Have questions?? Visit our FAQ's.

How? We will draw one winner randomly with an "Online Number Generator" and will make a post with the winner on Friday, June 24th. It is the responsibility of the winner to contact us to claim their prize.

Who can participate? US Residents are welcome!

Important note about the winner: If we haven't heard from the winner by the closing time of next week's giveaway, we will choose another winner that will be published TOGETHER with next week's winner.

Good luck, and don't forget to tell all your family and friends about the giveaway! In case that you don't win, what a better person to win than a friend of yours!!

Fluff Friday 135

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This week's Fluff Friday winner is MamaG!

She will receive:

1- Mini-Shower Diaper Sprayer

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Please, contact us ASAP so we can get your winnings out to you!!!

Fluff Friday 134 WINNER!

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Once you have made your cloth wipes, what solution should you soak them in and how should you store and wash them?

There are many many recipes online that you can find by googling “cloth wipes solution.” Finding the right one for your baby’s bum can depend on many factors:

Is your baby’s skin very sensitive?
Do you like to measure or approximate?
Are you into all-natural essential oils? Or do you hate having to make a special trip to Whole Foods for stuff like that?
Do you have any ongoing rash issues?
And the list could go on...

Ultimately it just takes a little trial and error to find something that works for you and your baby. Here’s what I ended up doing for my son:

I didn’t want to take the trouble to measure! I just wanted to squirt a little of this and a little of that into a container, shake it up and go. I started by doing about 2 cups of water (I did measure the first time or two to get a feel for how much water that looked like) and then adding 1 squirt of baby oil and 2 squirts of baby shampoo. Mix up a bit, add wipes, squeeze out excess, put in container, done!

I ended up cutting out the baby shampoo because it made the wipes smell a little musty after a few days, in my opinion. Additionally, when we moved to tropical south Florida where mildew abounds, I started adding a few drops of tea tree oil (natural anti-funk agent) to make sure that nothing funky was growing in that dark, moist environment. It does the trick nicely!

So now my “recipe” is: Eyeball how many dry wipes are in my stack, run some water into my wipes container, 1 squirt baby oil, a few drops of tea tree oil, swirl with fingers, add wipes stack, squeeze out and pour off excess, lay wipes back in container and done!

One note about the baby oil - go easy on the amount because while it helps the wipe to glide over baby’s skin, you don’t want to put oily stuff into the same wash load as your diapers. The amount I use makes the wipes feel slightly softened but not oily to the touch. I’ve been using this method for over a year and have had no problems with the very small amount of baby oil I add to the solution.

There is no wrong way to make wipes solution! Try out a bunch of different things, tweak it to how you like it and then go from there! It’s so easy!

One last note on storing and washing:
I use an old Huggies wipes container to store my wipes, but you can also use whatever you want! Any plastic container will do - an old tupperware from your kitchen is fine! Some people also like to use a wipes warmer, but beware the funk because warm, dark and moist is a favorite habitat for heebie-jeebie growth.

To wash, just throw them in your diaper pail with all your other diapers, put them through your regular wash routine all together, and lay flat to dry. At least with flannel, laying flat is helpful. They can be kind of stiff if they dry all bunchy. Just depends on whether bunchy wipes bug you or not.

Good luck making your own cloth wipes!!

By Stephanie G.

How to Make Your Own Cloth Wipes: Part 2

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My name is Erin and I live in sunny Florida with my hubby and two little lovelies: Leonard (nearly 3) and Isabela (20 months). I am a SAHM and a full-time Elementary Education student as well. I am also the author of a little blog called The Hesitant Domestic. I blog about everything under the sun, but mostly crafting, faith, and healthy living.

My first experience with cloth diapering was when I was pregnant with my son and I got it in my head that I really wanted to cloth diaper. I wanted to find an affordable option so I purchased a prefold kit from Bummis. Once my son finally got here, I kinda freaked out about using the cloth diapers. He was a few weeks old when we started with them and I was completely unsure about the fit, how I put them on, would they work right, were they comfortable, etc. They seemed so bulky on him and I just didn’t know what to do. Being the only person in my group of friends who cloth diapered and with no one to ask for help, I sold them on Craigslist and continued on with sposies feeling pretty defeated.

When I was pregnant with my daughter I was really fortunate to be a part of a really great mommy message board and it seemed as though many of the moms were going to be cloth diapering their babies. With the thought of buying sposies for TWO babies looming over my head, I figured some serious research was in order. I would no longer be working once my daughter was born and anywhere we could save money would be a good thing. After much research, questions, I tried out a couple used Haute Pockets from a mom on my message board, I was HOOKED!

I am not going to lie, cloth diapering two children is NOT easy at first, especially when you are just starting out and building a stash. I didn’t have a ton of money to buy fancy diapers so we bought a lot of Kawaii pockets. I really love them and recommend frequently to CD newbies. We also use Bumgenius pockets and I even bought some prefolds and covers as a desperate attempt to expand our CD supply on the cheap. I actually LOVE my prefolds now and am so thankful for a little contraption called the Snappi! It’s a little overwhelming at first, but after a month or so you get the hang of it.

Here are some tips for the mommy with two bums (or more, yikes!) in fluff.

Build a stash. You will be doing laundry every single day if you don’t have an adequate stash. My kids were a bit older when we got started so they weren’t going through a ton of diapers a day so we were able to get by with a stash of 50 diapers, maybe a bit more. Decide how many you use a day for each child and multiply by 2 or 3. That’s how many you will need. We had to CD part time for a little while to build a stash, but it still made a huge difference.
Keep up with the wash! Nothing worse than 5 days worth of stinky diapers. I washed every 3 days when mine I had two in cloth. Try not to stress about all the stuffing, just separate the pockets from the inserts and be on your way if you are too busy.
Try prefolds! Even if they scare you now, give them a shot once you are comfortable in your routine. They are cheap and so much easier to use than you think! Plus, no STUFFING!
Get connected! Keep up with blogs, message boards and websites where you can learn from other CDing moms and get tips and encouragement.

Now that I only have one in diapers, it’s a breeze! My stash is half the size and while I still wash every 3 days (it’s just a good idea to prevent stinkies) they are much smaller loads. Cloth diapering has been such a special experience that I am a little sad that my daughter is starting to show signs of wanting to potty train! What will I do with no fluff?!?! I guess I will just have to keep spreading the word and hopefully help other mommies choose fluff.

Second Time's a Charm

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We always talk about how trim diapers are under clothes, but I'm more interested in how trim my diaper bag can get!

With a 2 year old and a 2 month old in diapers, having enough cloth in one bag for a day's outing was bulky and not working out very well. I could have purchased a bigger diaper bag, but I am addicted to my Skip Hop Duo! (And I reeeally didn't want to carry around a bigger bag!).

Enter the GroVia diapers!

When I pre-snap 2 shells with soakers in the center of the bag, there is still room for 2 soakers in each interior pocket. That means no fumbling around for an insert when I need it. When I pack it this way, there is a total of 6 diaper changes in my bag! That is enough changes to get us through a full day of activity!

The amazing benefits of having these diapers especially for my diaper bag are that I don't have to worry about packing the right size for both kids. (This makes my husband really happy...I can't seem to remember very much!). Plus, I love to advocate cloth diapers, and GroVia is such a user-friendly option for showcasing the ease of cloth diapering.

There is also enough room in the bag for other necessities:

- Wet Bag (I love my Fuzzi Bunz).
- Wipes in front pocket for easy grabbing.
- Planet wise snack bags with trail mix or crackers.
- Muslin receiving blanket (perfect for a nursing cover).
- Sippy cup.
- 2 changes of clothes for baby.
- A handful of small toys/books.
- My wallet! (If I can find it somewhere around here!).

Of course, sometimes I throw in one of my other diapers to coordinate with their outfits, but for a full day out, this is what works best for us. I'm happy that I have a super-trim diaper bag ready with cute fluff!

By Julie G.

My Super-Trim Diaper Bag!

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Other moms are probably your best resource. Just like with almost anything else baby related, it is immensely helpful to be able to ask other moms about what has and hasn’t worked for them. While it’s still true that every baby is different, in an area that involves such a large initial investment, it’s helpful to know what other moms have found useful, functional, and also not worth it. There are many websites dedicated to cloth diapering (e.g. The Cloth Diaper Whisperer, I Love Cloth Diapers, etc.) that offer advice, such as this post, but there are also online communities, with other moms, discussing all things cloth (e.g. Diaper Swappers). Take advantage of all the information available to you.
Get wet bags for your diaper bag. I was hesitant to get one because I didn’t want to invest to much in accessories before I had all the actual diapers I needed. While you can absolutely get away without them, unless you already have some sort of washable waterproof bag, you end up using plastic bags, which then have to be thrown away, which feels like it defeats the whole purpose. Plus, unless you are home most of the time, that’s a lot of plastic bags. I love the planet wise small Art Deco one I just purchased. It’s adorable, and incredibly functional. There was also a sort of wet bag included in the Econobum kit (which comes with 3 covers and 12 prefolds), and I know I will get a ton of use out of both of them. I plan on using the larger one to store the extra clothes we tote around in case of accidents or spills, and the smaller one for the diapers.
Don’t stress too much about the detergent. There are websites with tons of information about the different kinds of detergent out there. I was admittedly freaked out when I started. Then, I discovered that Whole Foods sells Planet detergent, and it even occasionally goes on sale. I use that for my diapers, but know that if I run out, it’s probably not the end of the world to use my Tide Free & Clear. Authorities on the matter differ about whether enzymes are helpful or harmful to your CDs.
It is invaluable being able to see products in person, before you buy. Manufacturers maintain a list of all of the store fronts that carry their products, and there are many across the country. My first time at a local retailer, I was able to ask questions about the different kinds of prefolds, which would fit a certain child better, which was more absorbent, and make cost comparisons based on the diapers I was holding in my hands. It’s quite different than the conjecture you are inevitably forced to do online. And of course it’s always nice to interact with other human beings face to face, rather than through a computer. Personally, I would not recommend bringing little ones (preschool age and younger), because they can get into things, and distract you from being able to take full advantage of the local store. If you don’t have a physical retailer nearby, you can still take advantage of all the aforementioned information online. I have found the staff at Diapershops.com (and their affiliates) to be incredibly helpful and diligent with response times.
Major retailers are slowly catching on. Babies R Us and Target now carry Cotton Babies, Charlie Banana, and other Cloth Diapers. I was quite excited to see that I could register for detergent, diapers, and a diaper sprayer, along with clothes, bottles, and the like for my new little one. Be aware, however, that these retailers do not (at least here in California) carry them in store. This was quite a let down. Thus, when it comes to ordering online, unless you are getting a sweet shipping deal on your other baby stuff, I would still recommend ordering from an online diaper retailer. They usually have great incentives, and sometimes samples, to accompany your order, and diaper rewards are the best!

Most of all, have fun! Everything is a process, and you learn from your experiences.

Caitlyn is a stay at home mom/attorney. A newcomer to the cloth diapering world, she has two girls, Isabelle (3.5), and Maya (almost 2), and baby brother Adam (born 5/19/11 via VBA2C). Her website is http://www.obolskytaxlaw.com.

5 Helpful Tips To Get You Started

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Before I got pregnant, I didn’t give diapers much thought. When I did look into them, it was really an easy decision. I didn’t want to be creating all that trash using disposables, and when I found out that using cloth was cheaper, well why wouldn’t you go cloth? There are so many benefits to cloth diapers.

Cloth diapers save money. (Prefolds save more, but even All in Ones cost less than disposables). Use cloth wipes to save even more. If you have a second kid, they get free diapers! Plus, you can sell cloth diapers when you are done with them. These two points make even a fancy, spendy diaper stash more economical than disposables.
Cloth diapers have less waste. I’m changing my girl about 15 times a day or more. That’s 105 diapers a week or 5460 for a year! She should be going less often as she gets older, but that is a lot of trash that we are not making and lot of disposables that we are not buying.
Cloth diapers keep poop out of the landfill. You’re supposed to remove and flush the poop from disposable diapers. Does anyone do that?
Cloth diapers are better for baby’s skin. Disposables have chemicals such as dioxin in them. I say less diaper rash with cloth as my daughter got a little rash the few times she wore disposables and hasn’t since we have been using cloth full time. Some people say it is because of not changing often enough regardless of diaper type, but my experience indicates less rash with cloth.
Cloth diapers smell better both on the baby and in the diaper pail. I know I wash the diapers more often than I take out the trash. I don’t think we would even have enough room in our trash can to use disposables; we would have to pay for extra trash pick up (another money saver of using cloth)!
Cloth diapers help with potty training. If you are using a diaper with cotton next to the skin instead of a stay dry type it helps baby associate peeing with feeling wet. Hopefully helping baby get out of diapers earlier.
Cloth diapers are convenient. You don’t have to run to the store to get more; you just start the laundry. Does not spending that gas money count towards the money cloth saves?
Cloth diapers are easy. If you’re trying to convince someone to give them a try, try some All in Ones, or ready to use sleeve or Pocket style. My husband’s favorite is the GroVia All In One. You just put it on the baby, no stuffing or unstuffing or covers there. It’s that easy.
Cloth diapers are super cute! There are so many different styles and price points; there is something out there for you!
What if you like the idea of using cloth, but don’t like the idea of washing poopy diapers? You really can have someone else do that part with a diaper service.

Hopefully I have mentioned some benefits of cloth diapers that you may not have thought of. Saving money with cloth was the biggest factor in the decision for us, but I’m definitely happy about the benefits to baby, the environment, and me; I’m happy that diapers are something that better actually costs less.

Melissa is Mom to one little girl and she enjoys talking about baby gear. She is also the fiber artist at RainyDayArt.

The Diaper Decision

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