It’s that most blessed of events, the monthly paycheck!  For the past several days I’ve been debating which diapers to purchase this month.  I may be able to swing getting both of my top choices, but for starters, I had to choose.

Goodmama fitted diapers has been doing some amazing stuff lately.  Suzanne, who runs the show, has long wanted to have an “in stock” store instead of always having her customers have to “stalk” her stockings.  And it looks like that time is here!  Right now, there are 11 (count ‘em, ELEVEN) print fitted diapers in stock and 23 “Switched” OBV diapers in stock.  WOW.  I had my eye on the pretty fitted diaper above.

On the other side, I was also interested in some Rumparooz diapers, one of my favorite one size pocket diapers (next to the bumgenius, of course), especially if they have snaps instead of aplix.  They’re having a “seconds” sale, which means these diapers have something that’s “off”, making them not exactly storefront-worthy.  However, they’re still operational and offered at a very decent discount.  I was eyeballing some of their “minkee” snap diapers which run for about $25-$27 and the seconds sale had them offered at $16!  Add in a microfiber insert and they’re $17.50 each!  At those prices, I could get two for the same price as one of the goodmama diapers above.

Decisions, decisions…

I ended up going with the Rumparooz because a) I kinda feel like we need more pocket diapers more than we need another fitted and b) two diapers versus one.  Value wins out.  But I still feel like I’m going to have to get a print fitted from goodmama eventually.  Because, really, who can resist?

Tags: Fitted, Good Deals, Goodmama, One-size, Pocket, Rumparooz, seconds sale, shopping

I just saw this and had to rush right over here and post about the awesomeness:  Cotton Babies has released FOUR new colors for their uber-fantastic bumGenius 3.0 One Size pocket diapers!  Besides an option for snaps instead of Aplix, new colors have been one of the most often requested features from customers and devoted fans of bumGenius.  And here they are!

Okay, so they’re basically just deeper shades of the existing bumGenius diapers.  But that’s the thing.  They’re deeper and darker and all around just cool.

I’m thinking I’ll have to at least have a Zinnia.  Though Clementine really appeals to me too. The other two are more overwhelmingly boyish (I would probably stick to Grasshopper and Twilight rather than get those for my wee little girl), but if you have a boy, that might be just what you want.  Like I said, a lot of people have griped about the pastel colors of the bumGenius diapers before so this should make a ALOT of people happy.

Still, I hope in the future to see some simple prints, maybe a red and definitely some purple or lavender diapers!  A girl can dream, can’t she?

SQUEE!

Tags: bumGenius, Cotton Babies, One-size, Pocket, Pocket Diapers, Pockets

As I’m sure you’ve heard, I love BumGenius diapers.  I’m not sure why I love them so much.  It could be that they’re nice and trim.  Could be that the aplix is easy to use and husband/babysitter/grandparent approved.  Could be that it will fit Kitten for a while to come.  Could be because we’ve never had a leak, even overnight (with both inserts).  I am sure, though, that if you’re unfamilar with BumGenius diapers, you might be a little confused when I talk about them.

There are three types of BumGenius diapers, the 3.0, the AIO, and the new Organics.

The 3.0 is typically the diaper that most people are referring to when they say BumGenius.  It’s a one-size pocket diaper, that has three rise sizes that are adjusted by snaps.  It has a pocket at the back, and comes with 2 microfiber inserts (one is a “newborn” size, and the other is an adjustable size).  It has PUL on the outside, and white suedecloth on the inside (this is a lot like microfleece only a lot thinner, and more fine).

BumGenius also offers an All-In-One diaper.  The AIO is a sized diaper - meaning that you have to buy different sizes as your baby grows (unlike the 3.0).  It still has a PUL outer, Suedecloth inner, and microfiber inside.  The difference is that you don’t stuff this diaper - it’s a very easy diaper to use.  The only problem is that AIO are notoriously hard to dry.  They take a long time because only one size is permeable.  Plus, you have to buy more than one size, which increases your cost.

The newest addition to the BumGenius lineup are the Organics.  It is an AI2 diaper, which means that it isn’t quite as streamlined as the AIO above.  A typical AI2 has a lay-in soaker, or a snap in soaker, but from what I can read, there’s nothing to undo or do up about the Organic.  You do have to fold the inside back up.  It’s loose so it dries faster, which is really something to be interested in.  The major difference is that this diaper is made of organic cotton, so babies who are sensitive to man-made fabrics should be able to wear this diaper no problem!  It’s also great for moms who are sensitive about what they put on their baby’s bottoms.  This is a one-size diaper, so you don’t have to buy multiple sizes (just multiple colours for fun!).  Don’t forget with organic cotton fiber, it needs to be fully prepped.  This means washing and drying several times before it reaches it’s full absorbency.  You can use it before it’s fully prepped, it just won’t absorb as much (AKA - maybe just use it for the day for the first half dozen uses).

BumGenius also has a slew of other products.  They have an Odor Eliminator, a bottom care spray (cleaner to use with cloths), diaper sprayer (to hook up to your toilet), Egyptian Cotton flat diapers, and flannel baby wipes.  You can view their whole product line-up at cottonbabies.com.  If you need replacement (or extra) inserts for your existing BG diapers, you can buy those as well!  The cottonbabies website also lists a BumGenius bamboo fitted, but the links don’t go anywhere.  I’m not sure if it’s a new product or a discontinued one, but I would love to get my hands on one of those to try out!

The only BumGenius I own is the 3.0.  Hopefully sometime this week, we’ll be able to branch out and pick up an Organics one (as well as 2 more 3.0’s).  I’ll definitely let you know what I think of the Organic diaper, how it stacks up against the 3.0.

Tags: All In One, bumGenius, One-size, Organic, Pocket, Pocket Diapers

I’m a little sad that I’m only just now starting to use cloth diapers, now with my third and final child.  Why didn’t I start with my first, back when he was born in 1999?  I knew people then who were using cloth diapers and was aware enough that I knew the process of cloth diapering was different than it was for my mother’s generation.  But something held me up.

I know exactly what that something is.  It’s the same something that holds any of you who are reading this from trying cloth diapers.  It’s the poop.  I was nervous about having to deal with it more than I already had to.  And dunking a diaper in a toilet to rinse poop off?  Oh hells NO.  Anyone who even remotely knows me knows that’s about the LAST thing I’d ever want to do.  I’d rather throw the damned thing away than do that.  Which led back to disposable diapers.  It’s a lot cheaper to throw away something that is meant to be thrown away, you know?

I was also nervous about the cost.  It’s a lot of money upfront.  It’s a tremendous savings in the long run, pretty much no matter what you do.  But having a couple hundred dollars on hand to start a stash of cloth diapers?  Well, that doesn’t happen too often around here.  It’s a lot easier to rustle up the $14 for a box of cheap diapers from Walmart than $300 for a couple dozen pocket diapers.

But I’m here to tell you that it’s not as hard as all that.  If you are unfamiliar with today’s cloth diapering methods, take everything you think you know about cloth diapers and throw it out the window.  I thought I knew, only to learn that I don’t.  It’s like learning to read all over again.  It’s so much different, so much easier, than I ever expected.

There is no dunking diapers in toilets if you really don’t want to.  Honest!  First off, if your child is a newborn you don’t even need to do anything with the poop since it easily washes out.  You just toss it in the pail and you’re done with it.  You can use flushable liners that catch all the poop and just dump them into the toilet.  The best solution, the one I’m going to be using, is a diaper sprayer (like Brit mentioned in her post).  Just spray the diaper and it’s contents into the toilet and voila.   Toss it in the pail and you’re done.  And that’s another thing.  You don’t have to have a “wet pail” or anything like that.  I have a regular garbage can from Walmart with a lid that closes.  Inside, I have a waterproof and washable liner and when it’s time to do laundry, I just take the whole liner upstairs and dump the whole kit and kaboodle in the washer.  Never have to touch a diaper.

And, believe it or not, I realized that you don’t have to buy your entire stash all at once.  If you are still pregnant, you can set aside money each month or buy little by little until the little one arrives.  If you already have a child, you can buy a diaper here and there and fill in the gaps with disposables.  Using prefolds and diaper covers is a lot easier than I would have figured and it’s VERY inexpensive.  Trust me, if I can afford it, anyone can.  I use those in the day, when we’re going to be home and it has worked out great.  One dozen prefolds lasts me about a day and a half with using the pocket diaper at night.  I do laundry every other day.

That brings me to the issue of laundry.  You might be thinking: I don’t think I can handle ALL THAT LAUNDRY.  I thought the same thing.  I can hardly stay on top of the regular laundry around here, after all.  Anytime I would look into it, I would see instructions on all the different cycles of wash and the process and get freaked out.  But, seriously, it’s not too bad.  If I had a real nice washer that had programmable cycles, it’d be even easier.  Still, it’s not at all bad.  And while I may have piles of regular laundry stacking up around me, I have no trouble getting the diaper laundry done.  I do a cold wash or a cold rinse first (depending on how dirty the diapers in the wash are), followed by a wash in hot water.  I use maybe 1/2 the detergent you’d normally use (and I’m using Purex Free and Clear, which comes recommended and is so far working really well for me).  I finish up with another cold rinse before putting the diapers in the dryer on medium heat.  I take the prorap covers out and let them air dry.  I also take out anything that has a stain on it.  All you need to do is let that lie or hang in the sun and the stain will be gone.  BELIEVE ME, IT’S TRUE.  And that’s it, ya’ll.  It’s that easy.  I stuff the pocket diapers with their inserts when they come out of the dryer, fold up the washcloths we’re using as wipes and put them in the container and stack up the fleece liners and prefolds and I’m ready to go.  It is as easy as that.

Today’s cloth diapering is all about convenience.  Well, convenience and cute patterns, soft fabrics and adorable designs.  But convenience and functionality most of all.  In the immortal words of Alka-Seltzer and Kathy Griffen, “Try it, you’ll like it.”

Tags: cloth diaper, One-size, Pocket, prefolds, prorap

Remember when I said that I had to have a Rumparooz diaper?  Well, I must be a spoiled brat because I got one.  And I watched the tracking information online until this diaper ended up in my hot little hands this last Tuesday.  It was probably the highlight of my week.  No, let me rephrase that.  It WAS the highlight of my week.  I mean, look at this thing:

So how beautiful it is?  While the “bubble” aspect of the minky fabric is less bubbly than I would have expected, the minky is still incredibly plush and I couldn’t stop running my fingers through it.  The inner lining isn’t to be discounted either, though.  The fleece that is used in there is also insanely plush.  At least, I think it’s fleece.  Whatever it is, it’s heaven on my wee girl’s bottom.  The inner gussets are very cool and I found they worked great.  Evie had her daily poop while wearing this (of course), and the gussets contained the mess easily.

Evie seemed very comfortable in this diaper, though I couldn’t help but fuss about the fit.  I wondered if Evie was ready for the “medium” setting yet.  The “small” setting seems very small.  The stretchy tabs are very stretchy, though, and allow for a lot of fine-tuning of the fit.  I do worry about the fabric catching and snagging on the hook portion of the closure, but I don’t think I can really avoid it.  Also, the aplix closure doesn’t seem near as “sticky” as the ones on the bumGenius, but I don’t have a problem with that (yet).

There is a definite “bubble butt” effect with this diaper.  Could be because of the “small” setting adding extra bulk.  Could be because it’s a pocket diaper and they are notoriously bulky.  I find I don’t mind so much.  I think you just need to plan the wardrobe while the baby is wearing such a diaper accordingly.  Of course, today was a warm day so I just let her wear a top with her diaper and that was it.  Very cute.

I actually have three MORE Rumparooz coming my way courtesy of the FSOT forum at Diaper Swappers.  None of them are minky, so I’m interested to see if I’ll love them as much without the FABOO fabric.  I’m betting that I will.  Because, at the heart of it, these diapers performed just as I would have wanted them.  Add in that they look good while doing it and you’ve got yourself a winner!  I think this is a great diaper for anyone who is a fan of the one-size bumGenius diapers since the performance is very similar.  And seriously.  Can you turn this down?  I don’t think so.

Tags: cloth diaper, FSOT, KangaCare, minky, One-size, Pocket, Rumparooz