Healthy Baby Cloth Diapers Blog

Emompreneurs

2009-12-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

So, I wanted to share something with everyone that I have found so helpful. It is Emompreneurs.com. It is a website built by two mom's, both named Ashley, who have extensive knowledge and exsperience working in the world of internet! It is a great place to start that business you have always wanted, or build your business up! It is a website built strictly to give you all the tools you would need to start making money online. If you want to do an ecommerce store, an affiliate site a blog or countless other things. Ashley and Ashley will help you through it all.

The two things I love most about this website is that they offer a money back garuntee like no other: if you are unhappy at any point you can cancel your membership and will receive a 100% money back for that month! Awesome right!! Also, they have a forum on their site so that you can ask any question that you have and get feedback from other members as well as both the Ashleys. Check it out here! And good luck with all your ventures!

Wow where did December Go?

2009-12-17T13:57:00.000-08:00

So, I am sitting here working on nothing and I realize that it is already December 17th. My son will be ONE in a week and Christmas is in 8 days!! We have a birthday party for our little man on Saturday and We are doing a lot of traveling this holiday season, starting tomorrow!! Trying to see everyone in the family (well the immediate family anyways) makes for a lot of driving!!

I have been doing a lot of baking this week, getting ready for the holiday's! We also did a lot of shopping, mostly for the little man, for Christmas and his birthday. Luckily we got it all done the day after Thanksgiving because mommy has been sick since the last day of November and our little man shortly there after. We both seem to be doing a lot better now, though the energy just hasn't come back yet.

I am excited to have our NEXT big Sale!! Followed by some HUGE changes in January!! We will be changing the look of the site in January as well as ADDING more Brands to our alerady great line of diapers and Diapering accessories!! I hope to have everything changed and all the brands introduced by the end of January!!

I am going to announce the Christmas Sale on Monday!! It will last from Monday to Saturday Night!!

Also, Please Don't forget that for every referral that you send to Healthy Baby Cloth Diapers that spend $75 YOU will receive $5 cash!! Just tell them to let me know your name/address (If I don't know your address) so that I can send you the check!

Well, I hope you ALL have a wonderful Holiday Season and an even better New Year!! I will try and post a few more times but since I will be on Vacation I make no Promises!

Menu Plan for the Modern Family

2009-12-03T20:41:00.000-08:00

I have tried different menu plans in my life, always looking for more variety! However I have NEVER found a menu plan that fit our family. That is until I came across Stolen Moments Menu Planning! It is completely custom made for your family. And it is run by a WAHM which is always a great thing to support in this house, being one myself!

Stolen Moments Menu Planning is custom in every way. They give you a questionaire to fill out when you sign up so that your menu planning is the right fit for your family including family size, budget, allergies, dislikes, likes and lifestyle. Another great thing is that the menu plan is set up for the time of year as well. So, you wont get soup in August. Another great item is that they have an option to include breakfast and lunch as well as dinner, something that most menu plans fail to include.

The owner of Stolen Moments is also a wonderful person. I had some questions about different things on her site and she emailed me back within the day, and was so pleasant and very helpful! Lastly, they are working on creating a menu plan for people on restricted diets as well, hoping that will be out by the middle of 2010 if not sooner! To say the least you can't go wrong with Stolen Moments!! Good Eating!!

How Many Diapers Do I Need?

2009-11-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

Out of all the questions I receive, this has to be close to the number one, if not the number one. When it comes to cloth diapering it really comes down to how many do you want. It is all going to depend on lifestyle, access to laundry facilities, type of diapers and most important is money.

There is a minimum I usually tell new families, the key being new, and that is 24. The reason behind the 24 is simple math; new babies usually get changed 10-12 times (my son was at least a 12 as a newborn) so with 24 diapers a new family would be doing diapers every day, 12 would be in the wash while the other 12 were being used. Now this is the bare minimum and something that I see parents do all the time, myself being one of them. Usually a child will start to reduce the amount of diapers he/she uses at three to four months and with it the laundry will decrease. In my own house we started stretch the laundry out to every other day by the time my son was six months and at almost one year we are down to every two to three days, depending on my son.

The laundry is one of the main factors in determining how many diapers to get, however other factors will play into how many diapers a family will get. If a family decides to purchase one size diapers then they will purchase less over the long haul allowing many parents to get the initial 24 diapers and never buy again. However, if they get sized diapers then families will have to purchase for each size when their diapers have gotten to small. In addition, if a family chooses to do prefolds the cost to diaper is much less so they are able to purchase more diapers. As well, if a family as both parents working and children in daycare they may choose to purchase more so that they don’t have to do laundry as often or so that they have one type of diaper for home and one for child care.
I have seen people with as few as 10 diapers and as many as four dozen in each size. It truly does depend a lot on many different factors. Families need to look at their personal preferences to decide how many will work for them.

Flying with Cloth Diapers

2009-11-28T10:07:00.000-08:00

Though cloth diapering and flying may seem like an oxymoron at first, it really is just as simple to fly while cloth diapering as it is to drive while cloth diapering. You will need the same supplies as with traveling in a car: a bag for all your clean diapers, a bag for all your dirty diapers and your normal diaper bag for use while you are out and about. You will also need to find out what your airline’s rules are on baggage. Most airlines will allow for 2 carryons per traveler. If two parents are traveling with a diapering child that is six bags that they can take on the plane. Also some airlines will allow for one checked bag per traveler without any additional costs. So, in theory a family of three could have six carryons and three checked bags. If a family is still tight on bags I would suggest that they combine the dirty and clean bags. Usually the dirty bag will be empty so you can place it in the clean bag or one of the other checked bags. Another thing to remember is the wet bag for the diaper bag, use the wet bag and diaper bag like you would when you go out at home. Once you are at your destination you will need to locate a laundry facility for washing the diapers, so don’t forget to pack a little soap. If you want to save money on laundry I suggest air drying the diapers over night or in the sun! It will take longer to dry but it will save you money. Lastly, if you are trying to save on space try prefolds and covers as you only need a couple covers for your prefolds; they take a little getting used to but they are still cheaper and healthier then disposables! So, it does take a little bit of thought to cloth diaper while flying however it is something that is very do able.

Cloth Diapering While Traveling in a Car: is it Possible?

2009-11-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

This is a question that I receive a lot. Though it can be a little more work thandisposables; if you have the right supplies it is possible and really is not that much harder. There are some things that I always suggest to my customers, no matter what kind of traveling they are going to do. One is that they take two bags, one for the clean diapers and one for the dirty diapers, as well as their normal diaper bag. The reason for this is because a person doesn’t want to be carrying around a bag of 2-3 days worth of diapers when they are out and about. Another is to make sure the dirty bag has some type of liner so that they don’t have issues with leaks; it doesn’t matter what type of liner it is as long as the diaper isn’t cloth throughout. Lastly, if I have a customer that wants to reduce the amount of “bulk” in their diaper bag, I suggest prefolds and covers. Prefolds are simple to use once you get the hang of them and are much cheaper than disposables, and a family can use them every time they travel.

Short Distances – If you are traveling in a car to go to family, friends or your vacation destination and it is less than a day away chances are you will have access to a laundry facility within a day. In this case you can take whatever supplies you would use at home in a 2-3 day period. Keep the “major” bags of diapers, in your main living quarters. You can take your diaper bag with your daily essentials with you, just like you would when you are at home. Then you would do your laundry every day or two.

Road Trip – When my customers tell me they are road tripping I tell them to do just like they were going to grandma’s. Keep the “major” two bags (clean and dirty) in the back of the vehicle with all of your other bags and keep your daily stash in the diaper bag. You may want to take along more diapers, maybe even your whole stash. Then you will need to find a laundry mat along the way to do the diapers. This may cut into driving time a little but remember that it is cheaper for your family and healthier for your baby and the planet!

Camping – If camping I tell families to take a little soap with them and find a water supply to wash their diapers. They can take a basin with them and then fill it up with water or use a waterhole that isn’t used by swimmers. Then, wash the diapers by hand, making sure to rinse them out really good and then hang them out to dry. Though this may seem like a lot of work it really is very easy to do and takes very little time at all. The longest time will be taken drying them as they are sun dried. I suggest to do laundry every to every other morning in this situation, or to avoid washing all together take enough diapers to diaper everyday without washing!

So, with a little thinking and a little prep work before you leave cloth diapering while traveling really isn’t that hard at all.

Thanksgiving As a family of 3

2009-11-25T21:27:00.000-08:00

I am not much for Thanksgiving. I celebrate it with my family every year, have since I was a kid, but it has never been a favorite of mine. This is a different year though. This is our first Thanksgiving as a family of three. It makes it a special Thanksgiving for me. I have to admit that it brings tears to my eyes, mostly because my son was born on Christmas Eve so Thanksgiving means that it is almost time for my sons first birthday and I don't know if I am ready for that, but the other reason is because I have become a sap since giving birth, crying at way more then my share of things. So, for our first Thanksgiving it was important to me to spend the holiday with the three of us! If family was around that was perfectly fine but I wanted it to be the three of us as a family doing our own thing! I am happy to say that it will be and that makes me so thankful!

The other reason I am excited about this Thanksgiving is because I am going to be doing my BIGGEST SALE on Monday and I am so excited to see how it turns out. I going to be having a lot of items on HUGE savings. You can Check it out come Sunday (CLICK HERE), or if you want to know what is on sale earlier become a fan of my facebook page, or follow me on Twitter!

I want to Thank everyone for their support!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU AND YOURS!!

Follower Give-Away

2009-11-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

To try and spread the word about Healthy Baby Cloth Diapers we have decided to a giveaway on both Facebook and Twitter!

Facebook:
Become a fan of Healthy Baby Cloth Diapers, once we get to 100 fans we will do a random drawing and someone will win a full years worth of Deo Disks!

Twitter:Follow HealthyBabyCD on Twitter, once we get to 100 followers we will do a random drawing and someone will win a full years worth of Deo Disks!

If you join both you will have 2 chance of winning and 1 chance of winning 2 years worth!!
(click the user name for each site to be directly linked to the page where you can become a fan/follow us)

Wow What a Diaper!

2009-11-24T07:02:00.000-08:00

Today I have decided to do a review on a diaper that I have recently started using that I have been greatly surprised about in such a good way. I am a fan of one size diapers and of snaps over Aplix or hook and loop. I am also a fan of front snaps over side snaps. This diaper really tested me preferred diaper. I found that this diaper wasn't anything like my typical diaper but I wanted to try and I fell in love almost immediately!

The Diaper is the Green Acre Diaper (GAD) AIO. It has so many qualities about it that I loved! There was very little that I disliked about it, in fact I don't think I can think of one thing that I hated about it.
1. It is a very trim diaper, in the world of cloth diapers. I found that a lot of the clothes that were tight around some other brand diapers fit without a problem.
2. The diaper is made with snap closure only, which some may not like but I prefer snaps so I was very happy about that. The snap closure is a hip snaps which was a new one for me, however I found that I liked the hip snaps. It would be great for those babies that are constantly trying to take the diaper off but my baby isn't there yet. However, I thought that the diaper looked trimmer with the hip snaps and more streamlined! The other thing I loved about the snaps was how secure they are. It took some time to snap sometimes but it was nice to know that the diaper was not going to come undone, even if my son was pulling at it!
3. The Diaper is a AIO, however it does have a pocket opening in the back which is great for two reasons. First and most obvious it can be stuffed for times when baby is going to be in the diaper for longer periods. The other reason that is not so noticeable is that the sewn in material is only sewn in the front and the back allow a person to turn the diaper in side out and it will dry just like a pocket does! Being that we have all pocket diapers this was something that appealed to us because we don't have to sort out the AIO to dry a second time.
4. There were several other little things about this diaper that I loved. One was the softness and the color choices. She does solid colors but you can get a inner and outer color choice that always look good together. Another thing I loved was the elastic on the front, which allowed for great play in the fit of the diaper! Lastly was the sizing options; with three mediums to choose from (medium, medium long and husky medium) this diaper will fit every child out there.

There were a couple things that I thought could be turn offs on the GAD. The first would be the absorbent material not being sewn on the sides. This could be a turn off for some since you do have to work on spread the material out flat after washing them, but for us it wasn't an issue since we go through and stuff most all of our diapers anyways. It was still faster then a pocket. Another issue could be the snaps. Some people really like hook and loop feature, but again this was not an issue with us. There really wasn't much else I found to be a turn off on this diaper. I think that anyone who receives this diaper will be a happy diapering parent!

Coming Soon!

2009-11-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

We are happy to announce that come new year we will be adding more brands!! We are currently working on building relations with several cloth diapering companies and plan to have several more brands. Check out our website to see what and when it will be available in the coming weeks!

Happy Diapering!

Local Action

2009-11-20T13:58:00.001-08:00

Being a cloth diapering mom it is easy to see that I am a "green living" person. Though I am not perfect, I have my things that aren't green, I try to be as green as I can when I can. I love my country, my planet, my family and most of all my son! It is because of all that I try to be as green as possible!! I came across a great way to be green and possibly win something in return! It is called Local Action and it is being sponsored by SustainLane.com and I am sure through their sponsors! Check it out and win some prizes along the way!

Cloth Diaper Myths Debunked

2009-11-18T18:44:00.000-08:00

Recently I was talking to a friend and mommy to be for the first time when our conversation turned to cloth diapers. It was during the conversation that I remembered about all the myths and misconceptions out there. Cloth diapering my own child I forget about all those things that many people are led to believe so I thought it would be a good idea to write a blog about a couple that I have heard a lot of.
“I can’t deal with the poop!” Whether you are going to use disposable or cloth diapers you will be dealing with poop! The question becomes how you want to deal with it. In the 11+months I have diapered my son I have NEVER had a blow out with poop, it has always stayed in the cloth diaper. As far as cleaning the poop out of the diaper, with modern technology this issue is truly a thing of the past. There are liners that you can purchase and then just throw away or flush down the toilet (depending on what you get). Or you can purchase my personal favorite, which is a diaper sprayer. Diaper sprayers attach easily to your toilet in just a few minutes and looks and acts like a small shower head. You simply spray the poop into the toilet; never touching the poop making it a clean fresh way to get rid of the poop. Another thing to think about is that breast fed babies’ diapers don’t need any spraying or lining. Breast fed poop is water soluble so it dissolves in the wash.

“Cloth diapers cost WAY too much money!” in another blog post I break down the cost of buying cloth versus disposable (click here to read it) so I won’t go in to depth about how much cheaper it is to buy cloth. However I hear a lot how expensive diapers are upfront. I always tell people to look at buying one diaper like buying a whole box of disposables. Another expense that people talk about is the increase in water and power however the cost of these runs an average of .61 cents per load so if you wash every 2.5days a week you’re looking at $79 per year(click her for a detailed report on this). So cloth diapering a child is an all around better cost saving choice than any disposable diaper would be.

These are just 2 of the many misconceptions and myths out there but two of the biggest that I deal with on a daily bases. Hopefully this will help people to understand cloth diapers better.

Top 5 Accessories for Cloth Diapers

2009-11-18T10:07:00.000-08:00

When looking at cloth diapering it is easy to see all the accessories that a family can get to go with their cloth diapers, from doublers and inserts to diaper sprayers and Deo Disks. Some of these “accessories” are really necessities and others truly are added items to make cloth diapering easier but are not absolute must. Here I am going to put out there the top 5 Necessities, the items that every cloth diapering family should have.

#5 Diaper Sprayer: This is a newer item in the world of cloth diapers but I have listed it because it makes cleaning your diapers streamlined, making removing the “poo” less messy. Though a lot people diaper without a diaper sprayer it is one of those items that I feel needs to be a necessities for all of its benefits.

#4 Pail Liners: A pail liner is simply a laundry bag you place in your pail/laundry basket that holds your dirty diapers. The pail liner should have some type of a waterproof liner in it; usually a PUL. The reason it is a necessity is simple, it stores your dirty diapers until wash day without ruining anything it would come in contact with while they are dirty. Pail liners are also great for containing smells in the bag!

#3 Insert/Doubler: Inserts and/or doublers are necessity for one main reason, additional absorption at night and with naps. Pocket diapers usually come with inserts however it is a good idea with all diapers to add a few extra to your list for those extra long diapering times.

#2 Wet Bags: A wet bag is similar to a pail liner except for that it is much smaller, holding anywhere from 2-5 diapers. Wet bags are meant for traveling with. Wet bags are placed in your diaper bag and will store your diapers until you get home.

#1 Cloth Wipes: Cloth wipes are my #1 necessity because it make since for so many reasons to have cloth wipes. Cloth wipes will reduce your costs and you can place the wipes in with the diaper; you don’t have to worry about going back through your dirty diapers and pulling it out. Cloth wipes will wash right with the diapers.

The Hottest Diapers on the Market

2009-11-18T09:51:00.000-08:00

When it comes to cloth diapers there are a multitude of choices for people to choose from, most of which can be confusing and overwhelming to a new cloth diapering parent. From flats to AIO, and prefolds to pockets the list is long and the choices even longer. Probably the most popular right now is the One Size Diapers.

Just like everything else cloth, one size diapers come in a variety of choices and each one has its own pluses and minuses. The common benefit in all one size diapers is that they will last your little one from birth to toddler which is why they have become the hottest thing in the cloth diapering world! However, the other options of each diaper will vary greatly. Some of the more noticeable options will the choice of absorption; the most popular are either pocket diapers (like Fuzzi Bunz) or AIO diapers, (like Dirty Devil) but there are several newer options popping up. Pocket diapers, including Fuzzi Bunz, will have the absorption material completely separate from the diaper and a pocket that the parent will stuff the materials in. The AIO, or all in one, will have everything together. The benefit to the pocket diapers is that it will dry faster and is easier to add additional material too for longer periods of diapering, where the benefit to the AIO is that there is no prep work making it an easier faster diaper. Some of the newer versions that are becoming very popular is a cross between AIO and pocket diapers(like Dulce Wrappers); the absorbent material is sewn in the diaper however it is sewn on the outside of the inner part of the diaper and it is only along one side, usually the back. The benefit to this is that the diaper is both fast and easy to put on as well as fast to dry. Whatever option you choose you are sure to find a one size diaper to fit your needs.

A Cheaper Way to Diaper

2009-11-18T09:36:00.000-08:00

With all the expenses out there it is expensive to have children. Most parents are constantly looking for ways to cut costs without cutting convenience. Diapers are probably one of the largest single investments in a child’s life the answer to this is cloth diapers. With the price tag on cloth diapers many parents don’t realize the amount they can save on diapers. Most articles show the average savings, but I am going to be a little more specific and show several options through the whole diapering time period so everyone can see a more accurate savings!

70 diapers from 0-6months 56 diaper from 6-12months and 42 diapers from 12-30months (2 ½ years) per week.

Disposable:

Huggies from Target’s online:

Average cost for lower sizes=$.22 per Diaper: 70x.22=$15.40x26=$400.40

Average Cost for Middle sizes= $.30 per diaper: 56x.30=$16.80x26=$436.80

Average Cost for larger sizes=$.40 per diapers: 42x.4=$16.80x78= $1176

400.40+436.80+1176=$2013.20 TOTAL

Target Store Brand Diapers online:

Average Cost for lower sizes=$.12 per diaper: 70x.12=8.40x26=$218.40

Average cost for middle sizes=$.16 per diaper: 56x.16=8.96x26=$232.96

Average cost for larger sizes=$.22 per diaper: 42x.22=9.24x78=$720.72

$218.40+$232.96+$720.72=$1172.08 TOTAL

Cloth Diapers:

Prefolds: 2 dozen infant 2 dozen regular and 2 dozen toddler: 2x$18=$36 2x21=$42 28x2=$56

Covers: 3 small 3 medium 3 large: 9x$8=$72

Snappis: 2 infant and 2 toddler: 2x$3.50=$7 2x$4=$8

1 Wet bag & 1 Pail Liner: $17 $21

$7+$8+$18+$42+$56+$72+$17+$21=$259

One Size Fuzzi Bunz Diapers

24 Diapers Total: 24x$19=$456

1 wet bag & 1 Pail liner

$456+$17+$21=$494

With these numbers you are looking at a 58%-88% saving. This is just with one child, however with cloth you can use them with more which makes it 100+% savings depending on the number of children that you have. Diapering your little ones is no longer the investment it was with cloth diapers!