So says Dave Matthews, at least... Check it out: Dave Matthews digs cloth diapers.
Though I've never been a huge fan of his music -- not since I realized that all of his songs sound exactly the same (ssssh, don't tell that to my psycho friends who go to every single concert he holds on the West Coast) -- I have to say, my opinion of him has just skyrocketed.
This even makes up for the 800 lbs of -- ahem -- human waste his tour bus driver dumped into Chicago River a couple of years ago.
After all, at least the "human waste" his baby's going to produce over the course of his diaper-wearing career is going to go into the sewer system -- where it belongs...
On a side note, I'm not sure I like the euphemism, "human waste" for excrement, poop, crap, fecal matter, sh*t, or whatever you want to call it. To me the term "human waste" is better applied to this... or this... or this.
Just sayin'...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Cloth diapering update: which are my favorites now?
Looking back at the all early posts I wrote about my cloth diapers makes me laugh... WOW, was I ever keen about cloth diapering. To the point of obsessive, perhaps.
I choose to blame the breast-feeding hormones.
I still use my Wonderoos -- though to be frank, they haven't held up as well as my all-time favorites.
(Which are, you ask?)
They're made by an online company you've probably never heard of -- AMP Diapers (aka diapers by Annie Marie Padorie). She's a WAHM mom based in Winnipeg, Manitoba -- which is in Canada, my home and native land, etc. etc.
(You can check out her full selection of diapers here: http://www.ampdiapers.com)
The quality of her diapers is unparalleled, in my experience. We have about 8-10 of her all-in-two diapers and pocket diapers and have been using the two oldest ones for over 1 1/2 years now.
Yes... that's right. Monkey Boy has been wearing the same cloth diapers since he was six months old, and they fit him just as well now as it did back then. And they look just as good, too.
Now THAT'S the definition of a great cloth diaper.
One of the things I really like about AMP diapers is the coloured lining Annie puts into them. You can have an orange cover with a blue lining... a red cover with a yellow lining... or green cover with a red lining (great for Christmas!) -- whatever your heart desires.
The coloured linings do a great job of hiding any faint stains (not sure if there are any, to be honest) and make the diapers look like more of a swimsuit than something you'd expect to find nasty piles of poop in.
(Although you do. Alas, you do.)
Annie's service is excellent, too. When a snap came off a year-old diaper and we told her about it, she asked us to send the diaper back and gave us a brand new one free of charge!
My only criticism is, AMP cloth diapers sure aren't as cheap as they used to be. I think our first pair cost us around $12.50 CDN. They're now selling for $16.50, which ain't exactly cheap when you probably want to have at least 12 diapers -- plus liners -- in your stash. (More if you're dealing with a newborn.)
However, these diapers HAVE lasted us more than 18 months. And they'll probably still be perfectly usable even after Monkey Boy is potty-trained and no longer needs them.
(A development that won't be happening any time soon, I fear, given his fondness for sitting in his own squishy warm poop).
So in my mind, we've definitely gotten our money's worth.
AMP diapers: Too cute to poop in. Try telling that to Monkey Boy, though...
I choose to blame the breast-feeding hormones.
I still use my Wonderoos -- though to be frank, they haven't held up as well as my all-time favorites.
(Which are, you ask?)
They're made by an online company you've probably never heard of -- AMP Diapers (aka diapers by Annie Marie Padorie). She's a WAHM mom based in Winnipeg, Manitoba -- which is in Canada, my home and native land, etc. etc.
(You can check out her full selection of diapers here: http://www.ampdiapers.com)
The quality of her diapers is unparalleled, in my experience. We have about 8-10 of her all-in-two diapers and pocket diapers and have been using the two oldest ones for over 1 1/2 years now.
Yes... that's right. Monkey Boy has been wearing the same cloth diapers since he was six months old, and they fit him just as well now as it did back then. And they look just as good, too.
Now THAT'S the definition of a great cloth diaper.
One of the things I really like about AMP diapers is the coloured lining Annie puts into them. You can have an orange cover with a blue lining... a red cover with a yellow lining... or green cover with a red lining (great for Christmas!) -- whatever your heart desires.
The coloured linings do a great job of hiding any faint stains (not sure if there are any, to be honest) and make the diapers look like more of a swimsuit than something you'd expect to find nasty piles of poop in.
(Although you do. Alas, you do.)
Annie's service is excellent, too. When a snap came off a year-old diaper and we told her about it, she asked us to send the diaper back and gave us a brand new one free of charge!
My only criticism is, AMP cloth diapers sure aren't as cheap as they used to be. I think our first pair cost us around $12.50 CDN. They're now selling for $16.50, which ain't exactly cheap when you probably want to have at least 12 diapers -- plus liners -- in your stash. (More if you're dealing with a newborn.)
However, these diapers HAVE lasted us more than 18 months. And they'll probably still be perfectly usable even after Monkey Boy is potty-trained and no longer needs them.
(A development that won't be happening any time soon, I fear, given his fondness for sitting in his own squishy warm poop).
So in my mind, we've definitely gotten our money's worth.
AMP diapers: Too cute to poop in. Try telling that to Monkey Boy, though...Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Cloth diapers, revisited
Wow. When I said I was off to "join the pack" I never imagined those cloth diaper hyenas were going to take me on a tour of the world's biggest diaper pail!
It took me 1 1/2 years to crawl out of that sucker -- and the things I saw? Yeesh. You don't want to know.
I kid...
Actually, the reason why I haven't posted to this blog in so very long is simply because I could no longer find the time to do so. Other writing projects demanded my attention, and then I ended up going back to work full-time in June 2006... and before I knew it, I'd pretty much forgotten this blog altogether.
ALMOST. Because every few weeks, one of my soon-to-be-a-mom friends would email me a question, asking for advice on where to buy discount cloth diapers.
Or how to wash cloth diapers.
Or what the difference is between a pocket diaper and an all-in-one.
OR what the heck "UBCPF" means... or what the pros and cons of Chinese vs. Indian prefolds are!
And so, to keep up with the ongoing demand for information, I've decided to start up this blog again. (I even gave it a bit of a redesign. You like?)
Because now that Monkey Boy's a running and jumping two-year-old, my perspective on cloth diapers is a little different.
And for those who asked? Yep, once your baby starts eating solids the *romance* of cloth diapers is definitely, um, tarnished.
But have I ever regretted my decision to use cloth diapers for the past two years and counting?
Not for a moment.
It took me 1 1/2 years to crawl out of that sucker -- and the things I saw? Yeesh. You don't want to know.
I kid...
Actually, the reason why I haven't posted to this blog in so very long is simply because I could no longer find the time to do so. Other writing projects demanded my attention, and then I ended up going back to work full-time in June 2006... and before I knew it, I'd pretty much forgotten this blog altogether.
ALMOST. Because every few weeks, one of my soon-to-be-a-mom friends would email me a question, asking for advice on where to buy discount cloth diapers.
Or how to wash cloth diapers.
Or what the difference is between a pocket diaper and an all-in-one.
OR what the heck "UBCPF" means... or what the pros and cons of Chinese vs. Indian prefolds are!
And so, to keep up with the ongoing demand for information, I've decided to start up this blog again. (I even gave it a bit of a redesign. You like?)
Because now that Monkey Boy's a running and jumping two-year-old, my perspective on cloth diapers is a little different.
And for those who asked? Yep, once your baby starts eating solids the *romance* of cloth diapers is definitely, um, tarnished.
But have I ever regretted my decision to use cloth diapers for the past two years and counting?
Not for a moment.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
The diaper hyenas are closing in
The Internet is being overrun by stalkers. Diaper stalkers, that is. They come from dozens of different countries and are constantly on the prowl, sniffing out deals on the best and most beautiful cloth diapers available online. They are the connoisseurs, and they call themselves hyenas.
Here are a couple of great articles that describe this growing Internet phenomenon. Enjoy!
If you'd like to actually meet some hyenas in person -- or at least chat with people who have some experience using cloth diapers and are eager to exchange information on the subject -- I suggest you pay a visit to the Diaper Pin. There you'll find hundreds of raging diaper fiends who would love nothing better than to share their cloth diapering stories, give you buying and washing tips, and rave about their own latest purchases.
'Bye for now. I'm off to join the pack.
Here are a couple of great articles that describe this growing Internet phenomenon. Enjoy!
If you'd like to actually meet some hyenas in person -- or at least chat with people who have some experience using cloth diapers and are eager to exchange information on the subject -- I suggest you pay a visit to the Diaper Pin. There you'll find hundreds of raging diaper fiends who would love nothing better than to share their cloth diapering stories, give you buying and washing tips, and rave about their own latest purchases.
'Bye for now. I'm off to join the pack.
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
Kushies diaper wraps: great if your baby's into rubber pants
As I mentioned in my previous post, I went on a bit of a diaper-buying spree a couple weeks ago. While shopping, I found a rack of Kushies diaper wraps that were on sale for CDN $7.49 (US $6.28) . I wasn't really in the market for a new diaper cover, but who am I to resist the lure of a sale? Besides, I hadn't been aware that Kushies even made diaper covers, and was curious to see what the quality of the wrap was like. After all, when you're writing a blog on cloth diapers, you have to do your research, right?
As soon as I opened the package and felt the diaper wrap with my own hands, I was determined to dislike it. It's made from a waterproof PUL (polyurethane laminate) that's far thicker and tackier (and by that I mean, tacky to the touch, not the eyes) than the Bummis SWW and Motherease covers I've been using. The Bummis and Motherease covers are thin, soft, and extremely pliable, and remind me of the finest Gore-tex jacket linings. In contrast, the Kushies wrap felt like the inside of a rubber boot.
The Kushies diaper wrap: thick enough to stop a speeding bullet!
On top of that, the Kushies wrap has a band of gathered elastic running along the inside of it, just above where Milo's diaper reaches. The thought of that elastic lying against his bare skin makes me shudder.
Having said all that, I must admit that the Kushies wrap isn't as bad as I first feared it would be. So far, it's worked just fine -- no leaks or rub marks on Milo's back or belly yet. I'm still not very fond of it, however. It's just not very pleasant to the touch. And, given the thickness of the PUL, I highly doubt it's at all breathable. I hesitate to let Milo wear it for very long -- I'm afraid he might develop a rash from it.
So that's my initial take on the Kushies diaper wrap. Overall, I give it a 2.5/5.0 I plan to keep on using it, though, just to see if it grows on me. But for now, all I've got to say is that diaper wrap is anything BUT cushy.
As soon as I opened the package and felt the diaper wrap with my own hands, I was determined to dislike it. It's made from a waterproof PUL (polyurethane laminate) that's far thicker and tackier (and by that I mean, tacky to the touch, not the eyes) than the Bummis SWW and Motherease covers I've been using. The Bummis and Motherease covers are thin, soft, and extremely pliable, and remind me of the finest Gore-tex jacket linings. In contrast, the Kushies wrap felt like the inside of a rubber boot.
The Kushies diaper wrap: thick enough to stop a speeding bullet! On top of that, the Kushies wrap has a band of gathered elastic running along the inside of it, just above where Milo's diaper reaches. The thought of that elastic lying against his bare skin makes me shudder.
Having said all that, I must admit that the Kushies wrap isn't as bad as I first feared it would be. So far, it's worked just fine -- no leaks or rub marks on Milo's back or belly yet. I'm still not very fond of it, however. It's just not very pleasant to the touch. And, given the thickness of the PUL, I highly doubt it's at all breathable. I hesitate to let Milo wear it for very long -- I'm afraid he might develop a rash from it.
So that's my initial take on the Kushies diaper wrap. Overall, I give it a 2.5/5.0 I plan to keep on using it, though, just to see if it grows on me. But for now, all I've got to say is that diaper wrap is anything BUT cushy.
Friday, November 11, 2005
Is it wrong to drool over diapers? Not if you're talking about Motherease organic unbleached cotton terry dipes
Okay, I have to admit it. I'm a total sucker for all things organic. I'm not going to get into that whole "what's best for the environment" argument here; I figure it's one of those topics that people should research for themselves. For some people, organic goods are worth the extra money and effort involved in producing them; for others, they aren't. To each his own and all that, right? Right.
(Just in case you are curious to learn more about organic farming, however, Wikipedia's always a good place to start your research.)
At any rate, I am one of those people who gets all starry eyed and drooly when presented with the words "organic," "unbleached," "cotton," and "diapers" together in one sentence. So you can imagine my delight when I went to Discount Diapers, a local cloth diapers store, and discovered Motherease Sandy's and One-Size diapers. I bought one Sandy's and two of the One-Size dipes.
Both kinds cost CDN $14.75 each, which works out to about US $12.40. A little pricy, but worth it if they last a long time and actually keep Milo dry all night.
The Motherease diapers are made from organic unbleached cotton terrycloth that's OH SO thick and soft, I almost wish they came in adult sizes. But then, that would make me a bit of a sicko, wouldn't it? (Heh heh heh...)
The Sandy's comes in two sizes: small (8-20 lbs) and large (20-35 lbs). We bought a small for Milo just to give it a test drive. I put it on him at bedtime last night and it fit him perfectly. I'm guessing it will probably be a little too small come January or February, but nothing good lasts forever, right?
Motherease Sandy's -- cushie and cute
Wrong. The Motherease One-Size are made to fit all babies from 8-35 pounds, so they should last a baby for his or her entire pants-wetting career -- in theory, at least. (I'll let you know how well the diapers satisfy this claim a couple of years from now.)
Motherease One-Size -- Here's hoping that one size really DOES fit all!
Like Wonderoos, the Motherease One-Size dipes use a snapping system that allows the diapers to be adjusted to fit babies of all different shapes and sizes. You can also buy a snap-in liner that provides extra protection for night-time use.
That's actually why I bought these new dipes -- the nighttime system we'd been using with Milo just wasn't cutting it anymore. As I said in my last entry, his Aristocrats wool soaker has finally become too small for him (sob!). Same with the Driline fitted dipes we were using inside the soaker. We'd been stuffing a cotton prefold into the Driline fitted, and then putting the soaker on top of them. This whole combo was getting pretty tight and Milo didn't look like he was having much fun wearing it. And since he's a very LONG little boy, neither the diaper nor the 'crats soaker rose high enough up his back to prevent leaking. For the past three or four days in a row, Milo has just been SOAKED when I've gone in to get him in the morning. Yick.
(Not that he seems to mind very much -- which is good in a way, because it means that he's not waking up earlier because of his wet clothes. But on the other hand, how hard is it going to be to toilet train him, if he doesn't care if his pants are soaked? Shudder.)
Clearly, the time had come for us to try out a new nighttime diapering system. That's why we made the run to Discount Diapers. In addition to our marvelous new Motherease dipes, we also bought a new wool soaker (size medium -- should last Milo at least until he's 10 months old, we're hoping) and a Kushies diaper cover.
Joy of joys. Nothing makes a diaper addict happier than a whole new bundle of "fluff"!
Of course, all my lunatic raving aside, I wouldn't want you to get the impression that I think every cloth diapering option is the bestest thing on the entire planet. Tune in for my next blog entry where I give my first negative review...
Gasp!
(Just in case you are curious to learn more about organic farming, however, Wikipedia's always a good place to start your research.)
At any rate, I am one of those people who gets all starry eyed and drooly when presented with the words "organic," "unbleached," "cotton," and "diapers" together in one sentence. So you can imagine my delight when I went to Discount Diapers, a local cloth diapers store, and discovered Motherease Sandy's and One-Size diapers. I bought one Sandy's and two of the One-Size dipes.
Both kinds cost CDN $14.75 each, which works out to about US $12.40. A little pricy, but worth it if they last a long time and actually keep Milo dry all night.
The Motherease diapers are made from organic unbleached cotton terrycloth that's OH SO thick and soft, I almost wish they came in adult sizes. But then, that would make me a bit of a sicko, wouldn't it? (Heh heh heh...)
The Sandy's comes in two sizes: small (8-20 lbs) and large (20-35 lbs). We bought a small for Milo just to give it a test drive. I put it on him at bedtime last night and it fit him perfectly. I'm guessing it will probably be a little too small come January or February, but nothing good lasts forever, right?
Motherease Sandy's -- cushie and cuteWrong. The Motherease One-Size are made to fit all babies from 8-35 pounds, so they should last a baby for his or her entire pants-wetting career -- in theory, at least. (I'll let you know how well the diapers satisfy this claim a couple of years from now.)
Motherease One-Size -- Here's hoping that one size really DOES fit all! Like Wonderoos, the Motherease One-Size dipes use a snapping system that allows the diapers to be adjusted to fit babies of all different shapes and sizes. You can also buy a snap-in liner that provides extra protection for night-time use.
That's actually why I bought these new dipes -- the nighttime system we'd been using with Milo just wasn't cutting it anymore. As I said in my last entry, his Aristocrats wool soaker has finally become too small for him (sob!). Same with the Driline fitted dipes we were using inside the soaker. We'd been stuffing a cotton prefold into the Driline fitted, and then putting the soaker on top of them. This whole combo was getting pretty tight and Milo didn't look like he was having much fun wearing it. And since he's a very LONG little boy, neither the diaper nor the 'crats soaker rose high enough up his back to prevent leaking. For the past three or four days in a row, Milo has just been SOAKED when I've gone in to get him in the morning. Yick.
(Not that he seems to mind very much -- which is good in a way, because it means that he's not waking up earlier because of his wet clothes. But on the other hand, how hard is it going to be to toilet train him, if he doesn't care if his pants are soaked? Shudder.)
Clearly, the time had come for us to try out a new nighttime diapering system. That's why we made the run to Discount Diapers. In addition to our marvelous new Motherease dipes, we also bought a new wool soaker (size medium -- should last Milo at least until he's 10 months old, we're hoping) and a Kushies diaper cover.
Joy of joys. Nothing makes a diaper addict happier than a whole new bundle of "fluff"!
Of course, all my lunatic raving aside, I wouldn't want you to get the impression that I think every cloth diapering option is the bestest thing on the entire planet. Tune in for my next blog entry where I give my first negative review...
Gasp!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
All I want for Christmas is some new wool dipes
The Boy's Aristocrats wool soaker is starting to get a little small for him. It breaks my heart to admit it. Oh, how I love that piece of fluff.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the 'crats wool soaker is the best possible night-time cover I can imagine. It soaks up a huge volume of pee, and only needs to be washed every two or three weeks (unless poo gets on it, in which case it must be washed. More about wool washing soon...).
But alas, the soaker does not stretch to fit the needs of a growing baby boy. And so now I'm on the prowl for some more wool. I don't want to stop at getting just another soaker, though. I'd like to try a range of wool diapering options. Wraps, longies, shorties, bring 'em on! Bring 'em all on!
To further this end, I recently gave my mother-in-law a free downloadable knitting pattern for wool longies to pass on to her mother, who, at the age of 89, is still an avid knitter and is always looking for new projects to keep herself busy. I'm hoping that Great Gramma will knit The Boy a pair of wool longies for Christmas -- that would be so unbelievably awesome!
(If any of you think I'm getting a little over-excited about a pair of hand-knit wool pants, consider the fact that such pants often cost up to US $85. Now do you understand why I'd be excited to get some for free? Especially when they've been knit by a great-grandmother? It doesn't get any cooler than that, I tell you.)
In the meantime, I'm thinking about blowing some of my hard-earned (heh) maternity leave money on some wool dipes and covers that are available for sale online. I've been hearing some good thing about the Sugar Peas line of wool diapering products. I'm especially interested in one of their wool flannel covers. Here, check it out:
I mean, seriously. Doesn't it look cozy?
And what's especially cool is that you can buy a wool diaper that snaps into the sugar peas cover and turns it into an all-in-one diaper.
Wool + wool = 1 drooling Diaper Dame!
So far, all I've done is a bit of research. But once I make a final decision and make a purchase, I'll be sure to post a blog entry that relates where I bought the wool, how much it cost, and what the customer service was like. And I'll give my new wool fluff a spin and let you know how well it works on The Boy.
Wish me luck on the wool hunt!
Here, sheep sheep sheep...
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the 'crats wool soaker is the best possible night-time cover I can imagine. It soaks up a huge volume of pee, and only needs to be washed every two or three weeks (unless poo gets on it, in which case it must be washed. More about wool washing soon...).
But alas, the soaker does not stretch to fit the needs of a growing baby boy. And so now I'm on the prowl for some more wool. I don't want to stop at getting just another soaker, though. I'd like to try a range of wool diapering options. Wraps, longies, shorties, bring 'em on! Bring 'em all on!
To further this end, I recently gave my mother-in-law a free downloadable knitting pattern for wool longies to pass on to her mother, who, at the age of 89, is still an avid knitter and is always looking for new projects to keep herself busy. I'm hoping that Great Gramma will knit The Boy a pair of wool longies for Christmas -- that would be so unbelievably awesome!
(If any of you think I'm getting a little over-excited about a pair of hand-knit wool pants, consider the fact that such pants often cost up to US $85. Now do you understand why I'd be excited to get some for free? Especially when they've been knit by a great-grandmother? It doesn't get any cooler than that, I tell you.)
In the meantime, I'm thinking about blowing some of my hard-earned (heh) maternity leave money on some wool dipes and covers that are available for sale online. I've been hearing some good thing about the Sugar Peas line of wool diapering products. I'm especially interested in one of their wool flannel covers. Here, check it out:
I mean, seriously. Doesn't it look cozy?And what's especially cool is that you can buy a wool diaper that snaps into the sugar peas cover and turns it into an all-in-one diaper.
Wool + wool = 1 drooling Diaper Dame!
So far, all I've done is a bit of research. But once I make a final decision and make a purchase, I'll be sure to post a blog entry that relates where I bought the wool, how much it cost, and what the customer service was like. And I'll give my new wool fluff a spin and let you know how well it works on The Boy.
Wish me luck on the wool hunt!
Here, sheep sheep sheep...
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