Why I'm Participating in the Flats Challenge with Dirty Diaper Laundry

April 28th, 2011
10:58am

When Kim from Dirty Diaper Laundry posted this video about people reusing disposable diapers because they could no longer afford the rising costs, it broke my heart. It is so incredibly sad to me that the public has been so trained to think that disposables are the ONLY way to diaper your baby. If I were running out of diapers and couldn't afford to buy more until payday, my first thought would go to towels or something else that you could wash. Personally the thought to re-use single use diaposable diapers would have never occurred. As a single income family with three children trying to make it work, we experience hardships with budgets frequently. I'm lucky enough to stay at home with the children. Besides, if we put them in daycare I'd have to get a job that paid at least $60/hr. I just can't do that "legally".

This challenge really spoke to me as a way to get the message across that you can cloth diaper your baby no matter your situation. One of the things that I feel might hold people back from cloth diapering is the initial cost. Yes, there is more of an upfront cost with cloth diapers but you can see the savings in the first couple of months (and you can see it immediately when you see your bill get $20.00 cheaper at the grocery store). Another reason why cloth diapers might not appeal to people is the washing involved. Also, not everyone has access to a washing machine and using public machines can leave build up from others detergent. In this day and age, we have taken the machines that do everyday jobs for granted! That is why during the week of May 23rd-30th, I along with many other bloggers will be handwashing and line drying flat cloth diapers.

Picture from http://www.clothdiaper.com

Flats are an excellent and inexpensive way to cloth diaper. The great things about flats is that they are truly one size fits all. The fit is all in how you fold them. Before this challenge, I didn't really understand what flat cloth diapers were. Flats are just one big piece of cotton, usually in the shape of a square or rectangle, that can be folded in different ways to form a diaper. They can either be pinned or snappied closed. You can also use the "pad" fold and lay them in covers.
The most common fabric they are made out of is birdseye cotton. You can find some that are a cotton/hemp blend.

The challenge is to use only flat cloth diapers and 5 covers a day to diaper baby. You are also required to handwash and line dry the flats. It's as simple as that. No "modern" cloth diaper accessories allowed.

I've been using flats for a couple weeks now. Not as my primary diapering system but using a couple a day with Charlotte. To my surprise, I really like them! Charlotte has an incredibly high rise (18") and it's hard to find diapers that her bottom doesn't hang out of. Flats have worked really well because I can customize the diaper for her. I have been adding doublers with them and I'll change that when the challenge starts. I'll use a pad folded flat laid in another flat.

You can read more about the Flats Challenge over at Dirty Diaper Laundry.

If you would like to sponsor this event please contact me at knockedupandnursing@gmail.com

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A Greener Home Event Extended!

I sincerely apologize for the late start on A Greener Home. For some reason, April has seemed to slip by me unnoticed! Where did April go?! I was still thinking it was March... AND Easter is next in a few days! It's going to be busy around here.

I do admit, blogging has taken a backseat for the past few weeks. Learning how to discipline a child when they are going through new stages can be hard! It's taken a toll on me emotionally. I feel like everything I do lately is not working and I'm running out of ideas. I just have to remember to take a deep breath before I speak! Any parents out there with really spirited children?

Needless to say, Expect some great features these next few days!

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Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish Review and Giveaway

April 11th, 2011
10:36am

In this day and age, many are looking to companies as examples of how to make our world a better place. It might seems hard as an individual to bring about change and "do what is right" but a company has more resources (and a pr firm). Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish is one of those companies. They set the bar high and want to help facilitate the same in their customers. Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish is a wonderful cloth diapering resource. They have a line of fitted cloth diapers (sized and multi-sized) and flats along with an amazing line up of wool (covers and longies). When you purchase a diaper from Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish, a tree is planted in Southeast Asia to offset the carbon generated during the making of the diapers.

Organic bamboo fleece fitteds and Knit wool covers (Taken from Sloomb website)

Sloomb has a whole page devoted to their Ethos (the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations). They use organic or an organic blend of fabrics, use low impact dyes, donate seconds to communities in need and run a paperless office. I also love that the mailer I received my review products in is compostable and recyclable. Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish have also ensured that their products will last and they hope that when finished using them, they will be passed on. Most products are handmade here in the US by women getting paid fair wages. Some products are manufactured responsibly in China.

The Review:

I had the chance to review an Organic Fleece Bamboo Fitted in Natural with Lemon contrast size small and a Wool Cover in Mocha size small. The Organic Fleece Bamboo Fitted is a sized system that features a snap closure, snap in six layer liner, crossover tabs and a snap down umbilical cord front (XS size only). Included is a matching three layer doubler. There is a total of 11 absorbent layers of thirsty bamboo.

Organic Fleece Bamboo Fitted Diaper:
Ease of Use: This diaper was a joy to use. The snap closure offers a great fit. The elastic on the legs and back is very sturdy. It's unlike anything I have seen in a diaper before. There is elastic at the front of the diaper as well. There are a total of four snaps you have to secure with one crossover snap on the right wing of the diaper.

Fit: We never had any leaks with this diaper. Not even with newborn poo. Like I said before, the elastic is really sturdy and sometimes left marks on Charlotte's extremely chubby legs. The serging on the legs sometimes left her with chaffed thighs that got better with a little coconut oil rub. Not the trimmest diaper but never disappointing. We have a large bamboo fleece fitted that James has used and after Charlotte grew out of the small she went right into the large no problem (yeah for crossover tabs). This is great and economical so you don't have to purchase the medium size.
Performance: I loved the thirstiness of the bamboo! This is a go to in my house for overnights. Paired with the Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish wool cover, mornings were always dry! I have to say, I never needed to use the extra doubler that is included. During the days, I would often leave Charlotte without a cover in this diaper and she would be dry to the touch on the outside after a couple hours.

Care: The diaper washed up really well. No pilling and it retained its original softness. I did notice some shrinkage to the diaper (which Sloomb says they account for in their measurements). If you decide to line dry, try fluffing the diapers up in the dryer for 10 minutes or so.

Materials: A blend of Organic bamboo fleece (70%) and Organic cotton (30%)

Cost: $24.95. Click here to purchase.

Overall Opinion: Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish knows what they are doing! These diapers have held their own and look just like they did the day I got them. I've had no loose strings, or any malfunctions. The pricepoint is high at almost $25.00 but to me, containing pooplosions is well worth it! Fitteds and covers are my preffered system for that reason; it contains everything. If you sign up for Sloomb's newsletter, you can get informed when they have sales. The quality of these diapers is great and will stand the test of time. A nighttime diapering solution that every family should try. They also offer a snapless multi sized (essentially a one size fitted that can be snappi-ed or pinned) that is more economical.

The Wool Cover:

The Wool Cover is a double layer knit with a high rise to fit a variety of diapers. These cover come in many different colors that are made using öko-tex certified wool yarns & dye.

Ease of Use: This cover is of the pull on variety. Not the easiest to get on a small, newer baby (they offer it in an extra small size and I bet it is the cutest little cover ever!) but when baby gets more cooporative it's very easy. If you can put pants on baby, you can do this. In fact, these covers actually take the place of pants. Plus they are offered in a variety of great colors that can coordinate with any outfit. I'd love to see a snap on wrap from Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish.

Fit: At first, the small cover was big on Charlotte (when she first wore it, the cover came up almost to her baby boobs). She grew into it though and it now sits just above her belly button. This give you full wetness protection and allows you to use prefold, flats or fitteds. The cover can accomidate really fluffy bums as well as trim diapers. I loved this cover so much that when Sloomb had a buy one get one half off sale recently, I bought 2 covers in the next size up!

Performance: This cover held up wonderfully. Charlotte doesn't do too much moving around yet but the cover is really well made. The cover worked great overnight as wool holds 30% of its body weight in moisture. Even then, it won't feel outright wet, just damp.I also loved the fact that when wearing this cover, I didn't have to find a pair of pants for Charlotte. The knit has kept a nice apperance. It has just now started to "fuzz". If you use a sweater shaver, it'll look good as new.

Care: Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish ships their covers without lanolizing them. When you puchase a cover, you get a sample of wool wash and lanolin. This was my first attempt at lanolizing anything and Erin and everyone on the Sloomb facebook page was very helpful! I added too much lanolin and added it at the wrong temperature and was sure I had ruined the new wool cover! There were spots of lanolin everywhere that I thought would stain. After talking with her, she told me to try to scrub out the spot with warm water and some dish soap. These cover can really take some scrubbing. Erin told me not to be afraid to really work out the stains and that gave me so much confidence when working with wool! These covers have held up better than any wool cover that I've used! For more wool care information, visit here.

Materials: 93% wool and 7% lycra. This allows for some stretch.

Cost: $42.95. Click here to purchase.

Overall Opinion: These are my favorite covers! Well worth the money. The cover should last well beyond one child. The double knit is very durable and helps regulate your baby's temperature. The colors are vivid and once you have one, you'll want another! Wool is a great fabric for procrastinators (raises hand), because if you have two to four (or more) covers in your line up, you can let one dry and use the others. Wool contains lanolin which neutralizes urine and allows you to go up to 3 weeks between washings. The Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish wool covers are something that everyone should have in their stash! A must have in my book!

The Giveaway:

Sloomb | Sustinablebabyish is giving away a pair of their knit longies to one very lucky reader!

Mandatory Entry:

• Visit Sloomb and tell me your favorite item.
  
• Leave an email address where you can be reached.

Extra Entries:

• Become a fan of Sloomb on Facebook.
• Become a fan of Knocked Up and Nursing on Facebook
• Become a follower of Sloomb | Sustainablebabyish on Twitter
  
• Become a follower of Knocked Up and Nursing on Twitter
• Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a URL. You can use: "#win a pair of @sloomb Sustainable babyish knit longies. Visit http://bit.ly/gO8seO to enter. @knockedupnursin #clothdiapers " (can be tweeted once a day until the giveaway ends)
• Follow Knocked Up and Nursing via GFC *Plus 2 entries*
  
• Subscribe to my blog via Email (See "connect" tab on top right)
  
• Blog about this giveaway and link to this page/or my blog.*Plus 5 entries* Leave a URL.
• Share on Facebook (Leave a link)
• Grab my button and leave me a link to find it.*Plus 5 entries*

If you have questions, don't hesitate to email me.


Giveaway will run from Thursday April 11th, 2011 at 10:00pm (CST) until April 30th, 2011 at 11:59pm CST. Winner will be chosen using random.org's true random number generator upon the close of the contest. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hrs to respond or a new winner will be chosen. I was given a product to review and my opinions on the product are my own. Must be 18 year old to enter. Open to US and Canadian residents only. Subject to changes.

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Green Sprout Baby Review and Giveaway

April 8th, 2011
4:14pm
Green Sprout Baby is a home-based cloth diaper company run by Rena and her mom, Lyn. Like many mom-trepreneurs, Rena couldn't find a cloth diaper that fit all of her cloth diapering needs. Using her skills as a fashion designer, she started making her own diapers. Green Sprout Baby has been offering fitted cloth diapers and fleece and wool covers since 2007.

The Green Sprout Baby line of diapers includes 5 size options to find the optimum fit for your baby (see chart below). The EVO and the ML (Medium Long) are essentially the same, but the EVO has some great added features. The EVO can accommodate smaller babies (6 lbs and up) as it has a snap down rise. It also has 3 hip snaps to prevent wing droopage. The EVO can work like a one size diaper for most babies. The EVO also offers a snap flap for the third snap when baby doesn't need it any longer. The flap makes it so the male end of the snap does not dig into babies skin when wearing.

The Review:

I received the EVO in Zen Garden for review. This fitted diaper is equipped with a total of 11 optional layers of bamboo. The diaper is comprised of an outer shell with a knit print, a hidden layer of bamboo and another layer of organic bamboo on top. There are two snap-in inserts, one with three layers of bamboo topped in organic bamboo velour. The other insert snaps into the first insert on the bottom so no snaps touch baby and has four layers of bamboo (somehow the doubler I received has three layers instead of four).

The EVO has three snaps on each tab. Since the EVO can fit babies 6-35lbs, it has a Snap Flap that protects you baby from the male end of the snap when they no longer need the third snap. Since I received my diaper for review, Rena has updated the Snap Flap design. The diaper I have has a flap that folds down instead of to the side. I found these to add bulk to the front, especially for smaller babies.

Ease of Use: If you dislike snaps, this diaper is not for you! There are a total of six snaps that need to be done. Plus you will need a cover since these are fitted diapers. After using the diaper the first few times to figure out what snap your baby is on, it's not bad. I prefer snaps to velcro, so it doesn't bother me.

Fit: I'm really sorry to say that this diaper doesn't fit Charlotte anymore. She wore it for a little less than a month and a half. Being the EVO, this diaper is suppose to fit babies 6-35lbs. I have no doubt this diaper would fit a newborn; straight out of the womb even. I don't know if it would fit a larger baby. Charlotte is chunky and has a high rise (17.5lbs at 4 months and a 17.5" rise) but that is well within the diaper's limits. I measured the diaper and it has shrunk significantly. The rise is now that of a newborn diaper (14") and the snap down rise setting looks like a premie diaper (11.5"). I washed it per care instructions. To me it looks as if the knit has shrunk and the bamboo velour inner has not. When I stretch the diaper, the cotton is taught but the velour looks like it still has more room to stretch. Because of the shrinking, the inserts now hang out the top of the diaper.

That being said, I really like this diaper when it fit. It was snug around the legs, yet gentle and left no marks. Great for my chunky baby. It was slightly bulky around the snap flaps but those have been re-designed. Surprisingly trim with 10 absorbent layers.

Performance: I loved this diaper for overnight! Charlotte is an above average wetter and this held up nicely! Paired with a wool cover it was bullet proof. We didn't have leaks until she started to outgrow the rise (her booty crack is literally hanging out of the diaper like a little baby plumber). I really enjoyed this diaper and am sad that the knit shrunk. There is some slight pilling on the knit print. I also experienced a hole in the knit near the leg elastic. It appears as if the elastic was rubbing on the print and made a slight hole. (See photo below) This might also have happened because of the uneven amount of tension on the cotton and the velour due to the shrinking.

Care: I chose to unsnap the doublers from the diaper when i threw it into the washer. It washed up nice and fluffy. The diaper dried fairly quickly but the doublers sometimes took longer than one cycle. I often just hung them to dry if they were damp.

Materials: Cotton knit outer, hidden organic bamboo fleece, organic bamboo velour on top. Soakers are made from organic bamboo fleece and may be topped with organic bamboo velour.

Cost: From $19.50. There are many options you can add such as an extra doubler for heavy wetters or organic outer knit. Click here to purchase.

Overall Opinion: I think I got a lemon! After talking with Rena, it seems like the problem was the shrinking cotton outer. She did do a pre-wash before sewing but had not done many diapers with this print. All fabrics shrink at different rates and I can see that with this diaper. I really loved the performance of this diaper and the style. I would like to try another diaper from Green Sprout Baby like her Sapling Sprouts which is made of all bamboo. It's the same as the print diapers, just minus the outer print layer. Hopefully this would prevent the issues that I had with the diaper.

****UPDATE****
My husband, the problem solver, was trying to figure out a way to still use this diaper. He started stretching and pulling at it for about 10 minutes. He wasn't doing this gently! He said he was trying to stretch back out the cotton knit. Well, guess what!?! It worked! He stretched it out enough that Charlotte was able to wear it to bed last night with no problems! It's in the wash right now so let's see how it keeps. I can't tell you how excited I am to have this diaper back in rotation!

Picture of the hole near leg elastic.

Love how trim it is between the legs.

The Giveaway:

Rena has offered a Busy Little Bee fitted diaper!

Mandatory Entry:

• Visit Green Spout Baby and tell me your favorite item.
  
• Leave an email address where you can be reached.

Extra Entries:

• Become a fan of Green Sprout Baby on Facebook.
• Become a fan of Knocked Up and Nursing on Facebook
• Become a follower of Green Sprout Baby on Twitter
  
• Become a follower of Knocked Up and Nursing on Twitter
• Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a URL. You can use: "#win a @GreenSproutBaby Fitted Diaper. Visit http://bit.ly/frTvbV to enter. @knockedupnursin #clothdiapers " (can be tweeted once a day until the giveaway ends)
• Follow Knocked Up and Nursing via GFC *Plus 2 entries*
  
• Subscribe to my blog via Email (See "connect" tab on top right)
  
• Blog about this giveaway and link to this page/or my blog.*Plus 5 entries* Leave a URL.
• Share on Facebook (Leave a link)
• Grab my button and leave me a link to find it.*Plus 5 entries*

If you have questions, don't hesitate to email me.

Giveaway will run from Thursday April 8th, 2011 at 12:15pm (CST) until April 21st, 2011 at 11:59pm CST. Winner will be chosen using random.org's true random number generator upon the close of the contest. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hrs to respond or a new winner will be chosen. I was given a product to review and my opinions on the product are my own. Must be 18 year old to enter. Open to US and Canadian residents only. Subject to changes.

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Welcome to The Bunny Hop!

April 5th, 2011
11:00am

Welcome to the celebration of the grand re-opening of TerraMade Products!

Today a re-opening of TerrMade Products on Hyenacart. To celebrate, you are invited to participate in The Bunny Hop! Starting today, April 5th and running until Saturday, April 9th, players are encouraged to "hop" down the list of sponsors and collect entries into the Grand Prize Basket valued at over $300! A complete list of sponsors is HERE on TerraMade's website. When the event ends, you can email Terra with all your entries (some entries will be mandatory and others will be extra entries). A winner will then be chosen randomly for the gift basket with fluff and stuff and be announced on Monday, April 11th. For a complete list of rules visit here.

During the contest there will also be some other great giveaways going on at TerraMade and some of the other sponsors so keep in touch. You don't want to miss this.

Connect with TerraMade Products:
Facebook
Hyenacart
Website

To Play:

• Become a follower of Knocked Up and Nursing via Google Friend Connect (on the Right hand side).
• Feel free to leave a comment to remind yourself of your entry.
• After you have entered all the mandatory "stops" and as many "hops" as you would like, email Terra at customerservice@terramadeproducts.com. Include your full name, address, and telephone number, along with an email address we can use to contact you. Also include a list of all of the stores and blogs that you supported on the trail, so we know how many entries to put in that hat for you!

Contest begins on Tuesday, April 5, 2011 at 12:00pm EDT and runs through Saturday, April 9th, at 8pm EDT. All email submissions for entries must be received by this time. Submissions received after this time will not be eligible. Winner will be announced on or about Monday, April 11th, and prize package will be mailed to the winner at that time.

Good Luck!

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