Welcome To Cloth Diaper Addiction!

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June 29, 2012

Joy's favorites!

These are a few of my favorite things... =)

Cover:  We're just starting to use covers around here - for night over a fitted.  I REALLY like the bumGenius Flip cover - it fits really well on our daughter and the tabs are nice and stretchy.

Fitted:  Tots Bots Bamboozle Stretch - I'm in LOVE!  I was always scared to death to cloth diaper at night, changing bedding and giving baby a bath first thing in the morning is not my idea of fun.  I'm SO glad I was introduced to these - they're awesome!  We use the Flip cover with them and haven't had a leak! =)
I know it's hard to see the actual diaper - she wasn't cooperating on the changing table!

Prefold:  I've only used one prefold and I've managed to lose it.  How in the world do you lose part of a cloth diaper?!?!  So, I can't even look up the name of it!  Anyway, if we have another baby, I plan to use more prefolds - rumor has it they are awesome for newborns.

AI2:  We're big Best Bottom fans around here!  Easy peasy!

AIO: bumGenius FREETIME!!!  I'm in LOVE!  I'd do my whole stash in these if I could.  Hands down my favorite diaper.

Isn't Lovelace gorgeous?!?

Pocket:  I'm a big fan of Knickernappies.  The diaper is a little bit more narrow, so stuffing can be a little more difficult, but I LOVE how it fits on Ella and we haven't had a leak. =)

Detergent:  We use Country Save.  Haven't had a problem!

Wipes solution:  Water here too. =)

Wet bag:  I really like my Planet Wise Large wet bag.  It has a handle so I can hang it on a door handle.

Wipes: Confession: I'm not a huge cloth wipes fan...I just have a hard time getting baby cleaned off with them.  BUT, they are great for when your baby has a major diaper rash and the chemicals from store bought wipes burn, as well as to use for blowing baby noses.  For these purposes I really like the Grovia wipes - the colors are beautiful too!

Day time diaper:  Ummm....I think I made that one clear: FREETIME! =)

Night time diaper:  Tots Bots Bamboozle Stretch - a.m.a.z.i.n.g!

Daddy friendly diaper: Anything with velcro. =)  I much prefer snaps, but for those that don't change diapers very often (Daddy certainly isn't opposed to changing them - he's just gone to work 10+ hours for work), velcro is much easier to get a good fit.  If Daddy tries snaps, we usually have a leak thanks to "drooping wing syndrome." =)

Enjoy your weekend!


June 28, 2012

Jen's Favorites

Jen's Favorites

One of my favorite times of the year is when we get to tell you our favorites when it comes to cloth diapering. I can tell you that it is very hard to choose because I honestly love cloth diapering and have been very pleased with just about every diaper that we put on Kynlie. I am truly addicted to cloth diapering!

Cover
: Thirsties Duo wrap and covers. I love that the duo wrap comes in two sizes so you will be able to use them for much longer. And the diaper cover is great with the leg gussets to keep in all those messes. And there are some super cute prints! (Have you seen the new scottish rose and scottish storm? So adorable)

Fitted: We are not huge fitted fans at our house-well my hubby isn't so we don't have too many but I recently discovered the bamboozle by Tots Bots and we really like it! It has the same hook and loop as the Easy Fits. There are two sizes that each have a rise as well.

Prefold: Bummis organic cotton-we really don't use prefolds anymore because we have such a wiggle worm but when we did, we loved the bummis!

AI2: Grovia hybrid-you can choose from hook and loop, snaps, stay dry inserts or organic. We love our snaps with the organic insert! We have the older style print called Mod flower and they do have some adorable new prints out as well!

AIO: I am a huge AIO fan so this is very hard for me to pick! I love the ease in which you can throw the diaper on and how quickly they are to put away after washing. My current go-to AIO diapers are BGEs(BumGenius Elementals) and Tots Bots Easyfits. We use the BGEs as our nighttime diapers and they work great for us. Our easyfits take up most of our stash and we have a "set" that goes in the diaper bag. We love these for babysitters and to take to Grandma's house because they most resemble a disposable.

Pocket: I love all pocket diapers! I may be a nut but I love to stuff diapers while I watch tv after the kids are in bed. It is so relaxing for me. My top three picks though are BG 4.0s, Fuzzibuns sized (we are still in smalls so they last a long time) and Sunbaby.

WAHM: Chelory-She makes AMAZING diapers. It is tricky to get them because they are on a stocking schedule but they are so worth it! We love the AIO style in both organic and stay dry. See my review here.

Detergent: I have tried many different kinds of detergent but Kynlie does the best with Ecosprout. I have a review coming up soon with Soft Bottoms so wait to see what happens!

Butt Cream: Grandma El's-this stuff is amazing. It has always worked well for us and I have not tried anything else because we have not needed to!

Wipes Solution: I like to dissolve some wipes cubes into warm water and squirt it over the wipes. If I am out of it though, water works just great. I like to warm it up for Kynlie. :)

Wet Bag: Planet wise. I love that is folds into itself and then comes out for washing. And how can you go wrong with over 50 prints!

Pail Liner: We love our WHAHMIEs pail liner. It is still super stretchy and has never had any stink or stain issues. It even has a little tab for TTO if you wanted to put some on!

Wipes: There is a local mama who makes them for our brick and mortar store and they are AMAZING! You can get them at Ecobuns!


Daddy Friendly Diaper: My hubby actually prefers anything with snaps!


We'd love to hear some of your favorites! Share them in the comments or on facebook!




GIVEAWAY ALERT!


I am sure you have heard us talk about Ecobuns before-it is an amazing local brick and mortar store located in Holland MI. Well they are calling all Dads for the CAN Challenge! If you haven't heard of the CAN challenge check it out here! It is a fun nationwide event happening now with great prizes!! If you are local, Ecobuns will be hosting a challenge in store from 11-1 on Saturday, June 30th. Just bring your baby, Daddy, a diaper and a will to win! The top two dads who can change baby's diaper the quickest will each win a BG Freetime! (In store only) If you aren't local-don't worry! You can also enter to win a BG Freetime in Noodle from ECOBUNS here!

Winner will be picked on Friday July 6th.

Some links you'll need:
Cloth Diaper Addiction on FB
Ecobuns on FB
Ecobuns website
Cloth Diaper Addiction


June 26, 2012

Terra's Favorites

It's my turn to pick favorites...this is so hard for me! We have such a variety of diapers and brands, and really, we have been thrilled over the past (almost) 5 years of cloth diapering to discover so many amazing products. But, I have to narrow it down for this post, so here goes

Cover: Sweet Pea OS Cover (You can read my review here)

Fitted: I LOVE Thirsties fitteds on newborns....squish ;-) But for my bigger boy, I found a Goodmama fitted on a swap group. Dreamy. I could never justify paying full price, but LOVE it!

Prefold: DiaperRite Unbleached

AI2: Nifty Nappy AI2 from Amyzing Creations (you can read my review here)

AIO: The Eli Monster OS AIO

Pocket: Tots Bots Easy Fit (I did a "guide" on my personal blog here)

Detergent: Deetergent (You can read my review here)

Butt Cream: We only use coconut oil, and it rocks ;) (You can read my post and the following discussion from way back when, here)

Wipes Solution: We just use straight tap water

Wet Bag: Right now, I'm in the market. We had a Planet Wise one that we bought less than 3 years ago, and it's ripped to shreds :( So...yeh, still looking for the perfect wet bag... (Feel free to hit me with your best bag in comments!!!) ;-)

Pail Liner: We've never used one, we just store in a wet bag, so I have no clue.

Wipes: Kissaluvs

Day Time Diaper: Oh, goodness... I think Mud Butt - I totally trust it for those "long outings". It's trim, it's incredibly absorbent, it's cute ;-) (You can read my review here)

Night Time Diaper: Rump-a-rooz (You can read my guest post at All About Baby Boutique Blog)

Daddy Friendly Diaper: Maybe my husband is brilliant, but he can figure out any diaper without instruction ;-) So I asked him his favorite, and he said the Nifty Nappy AI2 from Amyzing Creations! (See Favorite AI2 above)

WAHM Diaper: As WAHM Contributor, this is HARD! So many awesome mama's out there, but I think, The Eli Monster. Off a swap group, I received a used Eli Monster AIO and it has become one of my go-tos (I'll do a review beginning of July).

Name Brand Diaper: It comes down to a tie between Tots Bots Easy Fit and Rump-a-rooz


What are your favorites??

June 25, 2012

Kristina's Favorites

Every now and again I like to share what some of my favorite cloth diapering items are. You might think it becomes kind of repetitive but honestly, what I love is constantly changing! So below you will find some of my favorite cloth diapering items!

Cover: Bummis Super Whisper Wrap - I really like how strong and durable this cover is. It doesn't feel thin or cheap and I Like that it doesn't have the exposed PUL on the inside like other covers have. I wish it were more of a OS or two size option rather than having to get it in all three different sizes. I also found that there is a pretty big gap between the sizes but haven't had issues with the fit being to big when sizing up.

Fitted: PoopsieDoodles fitted diapers are my favorite. I have tried out quite a few and have found that they tend to get hard after they have been peed in which I am sure isn't that comfortable. However with the PoopsieDoodle it is made of a knit cotton outer and a velour inner so its so soft and doesn't get so stiff after its wet. We use fitteds mainly for night time so DS is in it a long time and he is comfortable in this one. It also has an incredible soaker that snaps in to it and drys nice and fast.

Prefold: This one is a little trickier for me as we don't really use prefolds a whole lot anymore because, well DS outgrew the ones we have. However I think the Bummis prefolds and the OsoCozy prefolds are both really nice. I do however like using the Smart Botoms hemp prefolds for night time, tri-folded and stuffed inside a pocket diaper for night time usage.

AI2: My favorite AI2 currently goes to Ragababe's snapped 2Step diaper...sounds like a mouthful of a name but the diaper works great so its worth saying. It also too me about a year to convince myself to even attempt to buy one which is a trick in and of itself but I was lucky to get a few and am very impressed with them. The 2step diapers come in 3 different sizes. You can get the different sizes with or with out snaps (depending on what has been stocked) I prefer the snapped ones which allow us to get a better fit. The snapless were still a little to big but with the snapped I can adjust the rise and get them to fit just right on my DS. The inserts on these are also very soft and the outer shell is reusable after just being peed in. I just let it air dry in between diaper changes.

AIO: TotsBots EasyFit hands down. I think this is one diaper on my favorites list that has not changed over the past 2 years. The fit has always been fantastic on my son from about 4 months old when we got our first one up to today where it still fits great at 2 years old. The Totsbots has the best aplix closure ever and the diapers are nice and trim.

Pocket: Pocket diapers are probably the trickiest for me to decide on. Right now we don't really use the pocket diapers that we have except for at night time. Those would be the bumGenius 4.0 pocket diapers (Snaps). And we use a hemp prefold inside of them, not the microfiber inserts. I do have to say we have had this for a very long time and I am honestly impressed with how well they have been holding up. I did have them converted to snaps because I hate BG aplix but other than that the elastic is great, the stitching is all holding up nicely, they don't really stain although they do have a little dingy look to some of them but overall the quality of the diaper is still really good.

Detergent: I have tried a ton of different detergents but what has worked great for us is Ecosprout. I am very happy with how well it cleans our diapers, we don't get much with stink issues expect for night time diapers but that is kind of a given. It also comes in some great scents too.

Butt Cream: Grandma El's is our go to cream for when DS's bottom starts to get a little red.

Wipes Solution: WATER! Yup, thats all I use! I keep a wipes warmer next to the changing table and when I refill it with wipes I pour a glass of water over top of them.

Wet Bag: Planet Wise medium wet bag that has a handle on it. Its a nice bigger size but not to overwhelming to fit into the diaper bag plus it can easily fit a day's worth of diapers in it as well as dirty clothes if you need someplace to put them.

Pail Liner: Planet Wise pail liner is also my favorite. The size is just right for both of my pails which are different sizes. These liners hold in water well that comes off diapers that have been sprayed and doesn't allow the water to seep though the liner into the pail itself.

Wipes: My favorite wipes are ones made with flannel on one side and either sherpa or terry material on the back side. I have found that having a little more rough but still soft material on the back side helps to get the poop off the bottom way better than just flannel. But I love having the flannel on one side because its soft and gentle, especially when baby has a rash.

Day Time Diaper: This one goes to the EasyFits (listed as favorite AIO above) Quick to put on, take off, great aplix, all around great diaper.

Night Time Diaper: This goes to poopsiedoodles fitted diaper with a bummis cover or thirsties cover over top. This fitted stays nice and soft even after being pee'd in unlike other fitteds I have tried that just get hard and uncomfortable.

Daddy Friendly Diaper: The one my DH always wants is the Easyfit! He loves how easy it is to go on and he loves the quick sticky aplix!




June 22, 2012

Where to find...?

Hello all!

Last day for back to the basics.  Now that you know a little bit more about the cloth diapers themselves, where in the world can you find the best deals?  Each area is different, but if you live close to one of us, here are our favorite places to shop:

Holland, MI
EcoBuns
www.ecobuns.com
12330 James Street, Suite B70
Holland, MI  49424

Madison, WI
Nicki's Diapers
www.nickisdiapers.com
739 N. High Point Road
Madison, WI  53717

Naperville, IL
Comfy Bummy
www.comfybummy.com
231 S. Washington Street
Naperville, IL  60540

Raleigh, NC
SmartMomma
www.smartmomma.com
8601-A Glenwood Avenue
Raleigh, NC  27617


South Elgin, IL
Fluff Envy
www.fluffenvy.com
1345 N. La Fox St.
South Elgin, IL  60177



The beautiful thing about a brick and mortar store is that you can touch and feel all of the diapers!  The women that we've encountered at these stores are incredibly helpful and want to see all of us cloth diapering mommas have success! 

However, not everyone is fortunate enough to live in an area where there is actually a cloth diaper store.  Never fear, in addition to the above mentioned websites, there are some GREAT online retailers that are also happy to answer your questions!  Here are a couple of our favorites:

Kissed By the Moon
www.kissedbythemoon.com
{Free shipping!}

Kelly's Closet
www.kellyscloset.com
{Free one-sized diaper with every $59 purchase!  Code: vacation}

Modern Cloth Diapers
www.modernclothdiapers.com
{Newborn rental program!  Still not sure if you want to cloth diaper?  Check out the program!}

Happy shopping!

June 19, 2012

Back To the Basics of Cloth Diapering

I love to be able to try out new diapers and review them for companies and sometimes we seem to get taken away from the whole scheme of cloth diapering. So this week we will be getting back to the basics of cloth diapering and sharing tips and tricks and suggest some great places to shop and other useful information.

When I think about getting back to the basics I think about some of the most frequently asked questions I get from moms and dads who are considering cloth diapers for their little one. How often do you change the diapers? How do you store the diapers? How do you wash the diapers? and the big bomb of them all...WHAT ABOUT THE POOP! Let me let you in on a little secret...{the poop is not as big of a issue as you might think}. But lets start at the begining...

How often do you change your baby when they are wearing cloth diapers?
-This is such an important question to ask and important to know the answer too. Cloth diapers can indeed hold a lot of liquid so you would think that changing baby every 4-6 hours would work but I highly recommend sticking to changing your child every 2-3 hours.
-Why would this matter? Some diapers have a material in them referred to as 'stay dry'. This material is typically a micro fleece or micro suede. Found more commonly in pocket diapers but can also be found in other styles of diapers. When a diaper has this kind of material in it, it will allow the baby to wet themselves and not really feel it. It helps to keep the moisture away from skin as well by wicking it away into the soakers. However, just because they can't feel the moisture doesn't mean that its not there. When the wetness sits against babys skin it can cause irritation, redness and sometimes even sores and blisters to occur. Also, urine eventually starts to transform into an ammonia compound after sitting for a while so if you keep your baby in a wet diaper for hours on end they could end up with an ammonia burn from their own urine.
-So you might now be wondering about what to do for night time if you should be changing baby every 2-3 hours. Find a night time diaper that has the stay dry material in it. This will help keep baby more comfortable at night. What I have found that works for my DS is a pocket diaper stuffed with a hemp prefold usually does the trick. I also change him as soon as he wakes up in the morning.  Night time I think is an exception for the 2-3 hour rule of thumb because sleep is so important.
-If you are worried about changing diapers every 2-3 hours don't be. You are using cloth diapers and they are reusable so your not 'wasting diapers' by changing them. You are actually helping your child out more by changing them more often then not!

How do you store the diapers?
-With my diapers that currently are in use (the ones that fit at the moment) I keep in bins on my changing table shelves. I have a bin for covers and fitteds, a bin for my OS AIO diapers that we use regularly during the day, and I have a bin for Night time diapers and pocket diapers. On my bottom shelf I keep a bin with wet bags and pail liners as well as a bin full of diapers that are to small for DS to wear.
-For diapers that don't currently fit I store either in a bin (small diapers and prefolds) or in my DS bottom dresser drawer (thats where you could have found my NB diaper stash). If you have no children currently in cloth diapers you can easily put them in a tote and put them in storage but make sure its in a place that has a steady temperature. You don't want to keep them in a dry or super hot area because it can cause the elastic in the diapers to become brittle and dry and crack. Some even recommend washing the diapers every 3-4 months to help keep them fresh as well.
-For dirty diapers I have a pail with a pail liner in it sitting next to the changing table. All wet diapers {not the poopy ones} go into this pail. I also have a pail in the bathroom next to the toilet with a pail liner that I use for the poopy diapers. When I am out and about I usually put one or two wet bags into the diaper bag. When I get home and take the wet bag out I usually just toss the whole bag next to one of my diaper pails or on top of the washer that way I don't find a wet bag 2 weeks later with a super stinky diaper in it.

How do you wash your diapers?
-Collect all dirty and stinky diapers
-Put in washing machine with the fullest load setting to get the most water possible and do a rinse to get out some of the yuck. I use cold water for this part.
-After rinse, wash diapers with the highest water setting again, using warm or hot wash. I typically use the hot water wash. Put your detergent in with this step. Make sure it is a cloth diapers safe detergent. You can find a list of safe ones here.
-After hot wash rinse diapers 1-2 more times with warm or hot water, again on the highest setting to make sure that all detergent has been washed clean and is out of your diapers.
-Drying time: If you are able it is best to hang dry all items with elastic and PUL in them. This will help prolong the life of your diapers. However if you are unable to hang your diapers you can put them in the dryer but be sure to use a low heat option.
-Line Drying outside is a great way to help get stains out of your diapers because the sun is a natural bleaching agent! Works great on stains. If your weather isn't the greatest or you can't have a clothes line I suggest purchasing a drying rack and using it inside your home. I bought one for $10 bucks at Meijer and you can also find them at Walmart or other similar stores for around the same price.

WHAT ABOUT THE POOP!?
-I kind of have to laugh when I am asked this question. Changing a cloth diaper that is poopy is really not that much more different from changing a disposable diaper that is poopy. You still have to take the diaper off, wipe off  the bottom and put a new diaper on. However the next step is probably what really freaks people out. With a disposable diaper you just chuck it in a waist basket. With a cloth diaper here is what works best. Take the diaper to the toilet. If the poop is pretty solid just plop it out into the toilet, flush, and then put the diaper into your diaper pail. If the poop is kind of squished onto the diaper don't worry! Fold your diaper in half with the poopy part on the outside. Dip into the water and swish around to get the poop off then put into the pail, however if you want something a little less involved, or maybe something a little more fun I recommend a diaper sprayer. You can purchase them for around $50 bucks depending on the brand you get or if you are a handy person you can google or youtube "Make your own Diaper sprayer" and you will find a ton of tutorials and instructions on how to make your own diaper sprayer for $20-$30 bucks! Once you have your diaper sprayer hooked up you just take your diaper (I still fold mine in half with poopy part on the outside) and spray off the poop. Once the diaper is cleaned I put it in the pail and its waiting and ready to be washed. So easy to do! So don't worry to much about poop if you are thinking about cloth diapering.


Whew! That was a lot of information to read but I hope it was helpful. If you have any other tips or suggestions for any of the above topics or even questions to go along with these please share and/or ask in the comments below!

June 18, 2012

Back to Basics - How to get Started With Cloth

If you're a veteran cloth diaperer, you might think this post is not for you - but, pros, we would LOVE for you to chime in! Getting started with cloth diapering is one of my favorite topics. I have had a lot of friends thinking about making the switch lately, and it is so fun to sit and discuss! So, what do I share when someone asks me "how" to get started with cloth?

First, I share a couple of tips -
  • Cloth diapering does not have to be an "all or nothing" thing. Using cloth diapers does NOT mean you can never use a disposable again (you probably won't WANT to, but, that's another story) ;-) I usually see a huge look of relief when friends hear this! Seriously though, it can be overwhelming, and while most people can take any cloth diaper, wash it however, and have no problems, you might have to troubleshoot a little. Don't stress over it!
  • I would not suggest investing in 2-3 dozen of the exact same diaper. What works for your best friend might not work at all for you! Your neighbor may love one system of diapering, like pockets, but you may love another, like the simplicity of prefolds.
How do you figure out what will work? 

First, figure out what type of diapering system you would like to use. The options may seem completely overwhelming to those starting out. Your options include the following:
  • Pockets - These are a two-piece (or more) system. Consisting of a cover with a pocket and an insert. Most Pockets require you to remove the insert from the pocket before washing.
  • All In One (AIO) - This style is most like a disposable (in terms of looks). It has all the absorbency sewn into the diaper. Nothing needs to be removed or inserted.
  • All In Two (AI2) - This style has removable absorbency. The layer(s) of absorbency is either sewn in, or snaps in and removes for a quicker dry time.
  • Fitted - These do not have a waterproof lining sewn in and require a cover of some sort (more on covers in a minute). Depending on where you purchase from, the absorbency is either in style of AIO or AI2.
  • Prefolds - These are most like your "parents" cloth diapers. They resemble a towel, and are folded in various ways to contain messes.
  • Covers - There are three types of covers: PUL (which ultimately means "waterproof", but it stands for the type of material used), Wool and Fleece.
Many cloth diaper retailers (that sell a variety of diapers), have "trial packages" - you can rent this and included will be a little bit of everything. That way you can figure out if learning "all" the different twists/folds for prefolds is just not for you, and using All-In-One's (AIOs), that resemble disposable diapers, is! You may think that you will love Pockets and find out that Fitteds and Covers is your dream come true!

If a trial package isn't an option for you, I would still avoid purchasing a lot of one style or brand. Get a couple different kinds, see what you like. Cloth diapers have great resell value, and you will earn back most of what you spend!

What ever you decide on is great! AND you don't have to decide on just one kind! It's your diaper stash - make it what you want! I have found that as my children grow, and their (getting gross here) poop and pee (textures and amounts...sorry!) change, as well as their body size and shape, my preferred diapering style has changed.

So, you know what you want (or are open to anything!) 

How do you go about acquiring diapers and building your stash? A quick google search of "cloth diaper retailers" will bring up oodles of stores, fanning their Facebook pages will probably also earn you a discount code (eventually, if not immediately!) Then, you're free to shop your heart out!

But what if finances are an issue?
  • If you have a local Freecycle, ask - the worst you'll hear is nothing. 
  • Check on Craigslist - many people buy a ton of diapers, and then their child outgrows them, or they decide not to use cloth anymore. Some people are selling a diaper they thought they'd like, but find out otherwise. You'll never know what you'll find! 
  • There are swap websites (like diaperswappers.com) and many (many) groups on Facebook that are Buy/Sell/Trade (including CDA's own swap group!)  
  • Ask your friends! True story: we were looking to build up our newborn stash with our 3rd (as we were told he would most likely be smaller than our first two due to a cord issue restricting his growth). We didn't have a lot of money to spend, but knew that we wanted our 3rd to be in cloth diapers from the start. We had about 4 newborn diapers at the time, and knew that I didn't really want to wash every couple of hours ;) I put a call out on Facebook and a friend was looking to sell her entire newborn stash for $100+shipping. For about $115, I received about 4 dozen prefolds (if not more), along with pockets/AIOs/fitteds/and covers, coming out my ears! It was a HUGE box. I actually tallied the amount and it came to nearly $600 worth of diapers - yes, used, but, she was done, and I needed them! We all won in that deal!  
  • Borrow! That huge box of diapers I bought for just $100? A dear friend across the state borrowed it for her newborn...and then she sent it back and another friend borrowed it...and she's done with most of them...and the ones she is done with...another friend is starting to borrow! So, I won, the selling friend won, and 3 other friends have won in this deal! 
  • Almost all cloth diaper retailers have sales, clearances, coupons, and more often than not, a Seconds and/or Gently Used section on their websites. Take advantage of these! You will find amazing deals! 
  • I've also noticed the past year or so that cloth diapers are becoming a hit at our local Consignment Sales. Again - rock bottom prices for something you NEED!
So, your diapers are in hand - now what?

Next come accessories! While these aren't required to cloth diapers, depending on who you talk to, you may hear (or find out from personal experience) that one or more of these items will help make your cloth diapering journey easier!

Cloth Wipes:
This can be as cheap or expensive as you'd like. Some families cut up receiving blankets and use that, while others prefer some thing more uniform and with nicer materials (like bamboo or velour!) You can find wipes through any online cloth diaper retailer, or support WAHM's through etsy and Hyena Cart shops. Many moms continue to use disposable wipes with their cloth diapers, so this isn't required (we at CDA would encourage you to give it a try though!) :-D

Wet Bags: 
A wet bag is simply a waterproof bag that holds dirty diapers. And to wash, you simply dump the contents of the bag and wash! Wet bags come in a variety of sizes (and usually really cute fabrics) and some have the option to hang. Having a smaller sized one is a great addition to a diaper bag for outings, as well.

Diaper Detergent:
A cloth diaper specific detergent is not required to successfully cloth diaper, but many moms find that the gentler, more natural ingredients help to get their diapers cleaner. And of course, these detergents are better for the environment, and your family, as well. 

Diaper Cream: 
Most diaper creams are not safe for cloth diapers, due to ingredients in the creams.  Just about every cloth diaper retailer carries cloth diaper safe diaper creams, or you may find that coconut or olive oil work just fine for your little one without causing damage to your diapers.

Other Accessories:
Other accessories you may find that you need include:
  • Liners  - to help keep diapers looking new on the inside, as well as make removing poops easier
  • Diaper Sprayer - to clean off dirty diapers before washing
  • Doublers/Boosters - To add more absorbency to your diapers - especially helpful for nap/night time and traveling
  • Snappi or Pins - If you choose to use prefolds, or snapless fitteds, you might find that you need something to help close the diapers
So, there is the very basics of cloth diapering in a nut shell. The rest of the week, our other contributors will be sharing other basic cloth diapering information!

Please feel free to leave a message here, or on the CDA Facebook page or on Twitter, if you have any questions!

June 15, 2012

Joy's highlights from the past "year"

Hello all!

Well, my year starts in October when I joined the Cloth Diaper Addiction crew!  
I was really excited to have been given this opportunity! =)




October
My first review was a Thirsties Duo Diaper - graciously given by Comfy Bummy.  I LOVE those ladies!  Every time I walk into that store, I learn something new.



December
I shared about Muffin Tin Monday presents.  The kiddos LOVED it!  Perfect for doing with birthday wrapping paper or any other paper to mix things up and create excitement. =)



January
Ella and I journey to Denver, CO to visit my dear family!  I learned about flushable bamboo liners thanks to readers like you!  I'm not afraid to travel with cloth anymore. =)



March
I gave you our bullet proof steps to stink free diapers.  I still swear by this method!


April
One of my favorite kid-oriented posts!  We LOVED the rainbow rice and it's time to make a new batch...  Try it this summer.  I definitely recommend playing with it OUTside and on a sheet!



May
I introduced the Friday Four.  This feature won't be running in June because of our anniversary fun - but I can't wait to get back to it in July!  I LOVE sharing cool ideas that are floating around online.


I ditto Kristina and Terra - a HUGE THANKS to all who follow!  
We're happy to share in this addiction with each one of you! =)


June 12, 2012

Terra's Highlights from the Past Year

Kristina asked me to share some of my favorite blogging moments from the past year...

July: We featured WAHM's and I discovered so many amazing creators! One of my favorites, Mama Hooks - my little guy can no longer fit in these shorties, but I love them!

September brought discovering ButterBeans & ChickPeas and her amazing creations!

In October, each of us shared a little bit about ourselves, our cloth diapering journey, and our families - it was so much fun to learn more about all the writers!

The new year brought new tots bots (!!!) but also the opportunity to share a friend and her awesome creations, Ruthie Truthies!

In March, I was able to discover our new favorite detergent, Deetergent! We have loved this detergent!

And, of course, in May, I loved sharing about my oldest sons' 5th birthday party and a Cat in the Hat theme!

Thank you each for being such awesome, faithful, and dedicated readers of Cloth Diaper Addiction!!!

June 11, 2012

Kristina's Highlights from the year

I can't believe that we have hit our 2 year mark already! Its hard to believe that 2 years ago I was just getting started out with cloth diapering and wanted a place to share my thoughts and ideas and to look and see what Cloth Diaper Addiction has become is just amazing! I never would have thought that this blog would become what it is today.

I thought I would share some of my favorite things from the blog that I have posted over the past year with all you readers and would love to hear what some of your favorite things have been as well! Let us know in the comments below.

A look back at 2011:
July:
We did a fun WAHM event where for the whole month of July we featured WAHM's and all the great products that they had to offer. I loved trying out new items from all the different WAHM's!
Pictured is For The Love of Bugs - Hooded bath towel - Still love and use every bath time!

August:
In the beginning of August I shared a nice AI2 cloth diapering system {Best Bottoms}. This was a fantastic and affordable system to use. We took our stash of Best Bottoms diapers with us on our week long vacation to Chicago and had a huge success!

Also in August I share a great product called EcoPaint. Doing crafts with my boys is something I always love and to find a natural, safe product to use with my children was just great!

September:
In September I re-shared a post we had done earlier in the year for our Under Cover Month on How to use prefolds. This is a handy video of different ways you can use a prefold on your little one. A lot of times people are scared to use prefolds because of the sterotype that have for the pins and the whole 'what your grandma used' atmosphere but once you give them a try they really are a great affordable way to cloth diaper.

October:

The month of October was fun when we did Store Feature Month, sharing some great stores to shop with as well as amazing men and women who own and run these stores.

December:
We had our second annual "12 Days of Clothmas" Which was tons of fun and we had some great giveaways from awesome sponsors. I also shared a fun craft here.

January brought on the new year for us. I started doing a newborn cloth diapering series on Mondays on the blog. We also got some extra help from Jen and Joy with posting once a week.

Now that June is here again I am looking forward to sharing with everyone my experiences with the newborn cloth diapers and what it is like to cloth diaper from the beginning.

I hope everyone is enjoying Cloth Diaper Addiction. We would love to hear from you, leave us some questions, comments, or what ever else you would like in our comments below! Thanks for following!

-Kristina








June 10, 2012

The Hunter, and the Prey

Hi, my name is Kristina, and I am a hunter. No I don't go tracking out in the woods with a big ole' gun slung around my shoulder looking for animals to kill. I hunt other things...and you might think I am crazy for it but if you haven't noticed the title of my blog I suggest looking at it again. I have a cloth diaper addiction! And I find myself hunting for the perfect diaper all the time. I sometimes think I am crazy because of this, I know my husband thinks I am crazy because of this and the rest of my family...yeah they think I am a goner pretty much.

This past year I have been 'hunting' different prey. Starting around January I started hearing more and more about Ragababe cloth diapers. You can't just go to any store and buy one of these bad boys, you have to hunt, and hunt and hunt some more often times throwing in an arm or a leg as bait. Now did I really need to spend $36 bucks on a (new) diaper. No, I didn't but seriously its all about the hunt. And after bagging one of these beasts it almost want to make you hang it on the wall so you can enjoy your trophy with out worrying about it being crapped in.



What does it take to hunt a Ragababe cloth diaper? Mad skills and pure luck is about it...oh and a large paypal account. Currently Ragababe is switching to a new server which hopefully will make scoring one of their diapers a little less hectic but we won't know for sure until that actually happens. However before their last attack (thanks to godaddy.com) and getting shut down while people were trying to get a hold of a mystery diaper they had a fairly good system of stocking their diapers.You would have to sit at your computer for about half and hour hoping to see a yellow drop down box saying the diaper was in stock and then add it to your cart as quick as possible and
 check out faster than possible hoping that it didn't jump out of your cart before you made it to the final purchase confirmation number. I was lucky enough to get the diaper I wanted each time that I tried to get it.

You also can have the chance to win a 'stock free' diaper where you still have to purchase the diaper at full price but don't have to hunt for it. This is called their 'golden ticket' diaper. You enter to win on their facebook page by answering their questions. I was also lucky enough to win one of these diapers, a rare black 2 step with blue stitching and green fade snaps (which is gorgeous by the way).

So it is possible to buy a new Ragababe diaper you just have to know what you are doing to be able to actually get one. You can also find used Ragababe diapers on Spots, Ebay, and occasionally on the Ragababe B/S/T swap page but you will find yourself paying retail (for used) or even more.

Ragababe cloth diapers are not the only diapers that you have to hunt for if you want one. There are other great WAHM diapers that stock their stores one a week and sell out of their diapers before you even realized they has posted them for sale. I currently have 2 size 2 steps for my son to wear and I find the fit is great on him. The ones I have do have the rise snaps on them. I didn't care for the snapless as well as the snapped ones because they tend to sag in the middle when he was wearing them just because it was a tad to big. I also have 2 newborn AIO diapers, 2 small AIO diapers and 2 size 0 2step diapers for our new baby to wear. Overall the Ragababe cloth diapers are really nice, they do get the normal piling that almost every cloth diaper gets. Their aplix is pretty durable and sticks well. I don't recommend ever drying the shells or AIO diapers because it will affect the aplix on these diapers and make them curl. The 2Step diapers also worked well for us overnight when Zeke hadn't had a massive amount to drink after dinner and I usually use them for when we are going out for the day because I know they can hold in what we need them to.


So enough about Ragababe, I still stick around the Ragababe pages just in case something appears that I might want to get but right now my prey has changed. I have a favorite diaper. It is the main part of my stash, its the first diaper I reach for, my husband reaches for, the diaper I use in the diaper bag, its my "I love you forever" diaper...the Totsbots easyfit. Right, so everyone has heard of this diaper, a lot of people have probably used these diapers and/or own a bunch themselves but this past March Totsbots made an announcement that they were releasing new prints and new materials for their diapers! WHOA!! I was so excited. The new versions have a super soft minky interior which my son loves against his bottom. Its dry's so fast and when line drying it doesn't get all crunchy and hard like the bamboo version does. I can simply take it off the line, fold/stuff it and put it away. With the old version I would need to 'fluff' the diapers before folding and putting away because they get so stiff. I stay they hold about the same amount of pee as the other version but they clean off much nicer because poo doesn't stick to the minky like it does to the bamboo. I was lucky enough to be asked by Bummis to try out the new version and review it for them and fell in love all over again with the Easyfit diapers. I now have 2 in my posession (red and orange) and have 3 more on the way. Of the three I am waiting on are 2 of them are the snap version of the diaper which I am really nervous about but willing to try out, and they are both prints (Three Little Pigs and Jack and the Bean Stalk and the Tunip one). But they are not what I am really hunting for. They just happened to be something that crossed my path at the right time.

What I want really bad, the diaper I refer to as my 'unicorn' diaper (my dream diaper), is the Chicken Little easyfit in aplix. I want it so bad and look everywhere for it new or used and can't find it. If you are not to familiar with TotsBots you might not know that they are a European company and so their have to make then ship their diapers over to Canada to Bummis who is their North American supplier. The shipment of diapers that they sent over took way longer to arrive then they had though so instead of end of April for sales to start it was more like end of May but they were also shorted a lot on the diapers and so hardly any retailers have even gotten the aplix ones to sell (at least the prints anyways). You can find the solid colors in aplix or snaps and you can at some stores find the snapped prints but that doesn't do me any good. So for now I am on the hunt (with the help of some great friends) looking for the diaper pictured below. I was really hoping to get it before this baby arrives into the world but its looking like that will not be happening. What I am hearing is that the prints in aplix will not really be available now until July! YIKES!
 So if you happen to see this diaper in stock somewhere let me know! (kristina{at}clothdiaperaddiction{dot}com)

What diapers do you hunt for? What is your 'unicorn' diaper, the one you are dying to have but just can't seem to get your hands on? I would love to know about your hunt! (and hearing other peoples items might make me feel a little less crazy. (: )

June 5, 2012

Cloth Diaper Addiction Anniversary giveaway

Welcome to CLOTH DIAPER ADDICTION's anniversary celebration!
Our anniversary giveaway will run June 5 through June 11th. Winners will be announced on June 12th. You may enter to win any and all that you would like. Some are open to US only and some are open to US and Canada. You will need to become a follower of our blog as well as like each of the sponsors Facebook pages. We would love to also have you follow us on Facebook as well! Thanks for celebrating with us!

-Kristina, Terra, Jen and Joy

AND NOW LET THE FUN BEGIN!

WoollyBoolly
is giving away a wool cover valued between $20-$45 dollars.
(USA Only)



Cowboys and Crowns
Winner gets to pick one hair accessory from their Facebook albums entitled "Bows and Headbands" or "Clippies & Flowers".
(USA and APO shipping included, anywhere else shipping is $3.00)



Happy Ewe
is giving away a set of three wool dryer balls and a lavender scenting kit.
(USA Only)



HipHuggers
is giving away a stenciled pocket diaper and a hip hankie.
(USA and Canada)




Thirty-One Gifts- Beth O.
is giving away an organizing utility tote in pin dots. (Great for a diaper bag!)
(you will need to ask to join her FB group)
(USA and Canada)



EcoSprout
is giving away a 48 ounce bag of detergent in winners scent of choice.
(USA only)



Coffey Can Creations
is giving away a $10 store credit. They make Bibs, Burpees, Blanket and Cloth wipes!
(USA Only)




Nanny News - Sponsored by Kristy S.
is giving away a "How to Hire a Nanny" Book and a TotsBots easyfit with snaps in Red.
(USA only)




12 Prints included in Glow Bug Girl
Glow Bug Cloth Diapers
is giving away a diaper (in your choice of girl, boy or gender neutral) to one lucky winner!
Glow Bug Cloth diapers
Glow Bug Cloth diapers on FB





DeeTergent
is giving away a large bag of Cloth Diaper Safe detergent (valued at 21.95)
Winner picks scent of their choice
DeeTergent
DeeTergent on FB






Creations By Cathy
is giving away a little pink monster hat (0-3 mos) from her shop!
valued at $13
Creations By Cathy on FB
(USA only)


Jungle Animals White Minky-minky, jungle, lion, monkey, elephant, crocodile, cloth diaper, fancy pants
Fancy Pants Diapers
is giving away a $25 gift certificate to their store!
Fancy Pants Diapers
Fancy Pants Diapers on FB




THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!