Eco Sprout Review

Washing diapers can be a very frustrating thing to do. There are lots of mamas out there who are struggling with the 'stinkies'. I was one of them almost from the beginning of cloth diapering. We have super hard water. When we first started cloth diapering, we had an OLD top loading washing machine. At first we used Arm and Hammer Essentials which got 3 out of 5 stars on this site. I only had about 3 diapers at the time and we used it for about a week or two at the most. It seemed to work pretty good at first but out of no where BAM! Ammonia stinks. It was awful.

I immediately bought some Rockin' Green because of all the wonderful things I've heard about them. I did soaks and I was happy with all the junk that came out of our cloth diapers and the things around our house (sheets, towels, etc.). At the time, we had all microfiber diapers. RnG worked pretty good at first. I was still trying to figure out my routine because I was new to everything. I read lots of things online about the best way to wash diapers. I did a cold rinse, hot wash with detergent, and 2 extra rinses. I hung my diapers up outside to let them get 'fresh air'. They didn't get much sun but I thought that would be better than drying in the dryer. About a month or so later the stinkies came back. I bought Tea Tree Oil because I heard everyone rave about how good it is. That didn't help much. I did extra rinses and even went to extreme measures like boiling all my inserts. (I didn't boil anything with PUL in it. That can ruin diapers.) I thought maybe it was my washer. Since it was so old and the apartment we lived in was older, the water never got very hot. I tried adding a pot or two of boiling water in the washer before washing them.

I kept with the RnG for a little bit longer. I bought two bags and didn't want to waste the other bag before buying a new kind of detergent. Before I could even get through my last bag, I caved and bought another detergent. Everyone raved about Lulu's in the Fluff so that was my next route. It worked great and the stinkies went away! I was so happy! Finally no more stinky diapers. There were a few times where my routine would change (traveling or I would forget a step like adding the TTO) and the stinkies would start coming back. I would soak and soak and they would go away again. Until I got into my third bag. Then BAM! They came back full force.

I was frustrated to say the least. Maybe I just had no luck. Or maybe everyone secretly went through this and just didn't want to admit it. Either way, I was about to throw in the towel. I loved cloth diapering but didn't want to have to deal with such a hassle. Rockin' Green came out with a new product around this time (Funk Rock) and I hesitantly bought a bag. I soaked my diapers overnight and hoped they would be stink free in the morning. I rinsed and rinsed until my washer sounded like a helicopter was coming through my house. Nope. No luck.

We moved into a new apartment and I bought a new washer. It was another top loading washer but it was an HE machine. I was hesitant about getting an HE because of how little water they add. With washing cloth diapers, the more water you wash with, the better. We continued our battle. I bought samples of other detergents to try and there was no change. Until we came to one sample.

I had heard everyone raving about Eco Sprout. Again, I was VERY hesitant to try it. The last detergents I tried, everyone raved about them, but they failed. Miserably. But our old detergent wasn't cutting it so I switched. I soaked our diapers in the tub overnight (and caused our neighbors below us to flood, whoops!) and rinsed like a mad woman. I was nervous to try it on my son. I couldn't handle any more stinky or red bums. I kind of sniffed his bum after an hour or two to see if it stunk. Nope! I was happy but still nervous. We used it for about a month with great success. My bag was getting low and I knew that meant the stinkies were on their way once again. Maybe I would just have to switch detergents every other month to keep them at bay. We finished the bag and started onto our second. No stinkies still!

It has been almost a year since we started using it and I couldn't be happier! I never have to soak, strip, or do anything crazy to my diapers anymore. I moved into my parents house and it took a while for me to get a nice routine down (she has a front loading HE machine that does NOT add hardly ANY water) but now that I have a nice wash routine, everything is perfect. I can not believe it took me so long (and so much hassle!) to find a detergent that works wonders. Again, I have really nasty hard water. I recommend this detergent to everyone!!! It's amazing.

My wash routine: (With a front loading HE machine)
Warm or cold prerinse with a few drops of Tea Tree Oil. I've heard people say warm is better for getting out stains and some say cold is better for stains. I kind of flip flop and just randomly choose an option : )
Hot wash with 1&1/2 to 2 Tablespoons of Eco Sprout. The more diapers in the load, the more detergent I use. (But never more than 2 Tablespoons) I wash with the longest setting I can.
The washer does two rinses and I usually do an extra warm rinse because I'm a rinse freak.
 I try to hang up my diapers as much as possible but sometimes I do dry them in the dryer on ultra low heat. Super easy routine!
You can find more tips here!

*I was not paid or endorsed for this review. I simply wrote it because I love Eco Sprout and wanted to share my success with everyone. Just because a detergent didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. Everyone will have different success with different detergents and wash routines. I did not write this review to bash or talk bad about any company. I just wrote my story and what worked and didn't work for me : ) *

Oeko Popo Review and Giveaway!

Oeko Popo diapers are an All In Two and a cover! They also have a sleeve to make it a pocket diaper. It is very versatile.
I was impressed when I first got the diaper. The cover is well made and is soft. They have a little white stripe around the leg gussets which help prevent leaks. The insert is soft as well and has a PUL layer on the back of the diaper to help prevent leaks. The insert is made of 3 layers of microfiber and topped with a stay dry lining. It comes in two sizes. Size one is for newborns and the early months of a new babies life when OS diapers don't quite fit yet. It fits 5-18 pounds. Size two which is more like a One Size diaper. It fits 8-40 pounds. It is such a unique diaper. I love that!

Here is a great video from the company which explains the whole diaper.

I don't usually buy OS diapers because they just don't seem to fit my LO right. I have about 2 or 3 OS diapers that have a snap down rise. I did not get a very good fit on my son. The middle setting seemed too big and baggy but the smallest snap setting was way too little all though it wasn't baggy. I really liked the insert and the idea of this diaper. It was very absorbent and worked great even though the fit was a little bit big (I have a very small baby)! The insert is a OS insert so you might have to fold it down if your baby is on the smallest snap setting.

We also used this cover over our fitted diapers. It worked great. We have never had a leak while using it! We tried our Nifty Nappy and BSRB diapers underneath. One of my Nifty Nappies is a larger cut so we used the cover all the way unsnapped and it worked great. I like that they have hip snaps but you don't have to use them. The hidden snaps are ingenious.

Using the diaper as a cover over our NN

I would definately recommend this diaper to anyone! They aren't expensive compared to other AI2. They range from $11.95 to $20.95. They offer embroidered diapers which is why they go up to $20.95. They have some seriously adorable colors and options! You can buy the diapers here.

Win a $20 gift card here!! Giveaway will end on the night of December 24th at midnight. 

Top 10 Favorite WAHMs!

I've been thinking about some of my favorite WAHMs (Work At Home Moms) lately and wanted to share my top 10 favorites. It was hard to narrow it down. (There are SO many wonderful moms out there!) There is no particular order. I am not including diaper makers because that would make the list even harder!
1.) Crafted By Cassie. She is an awesome WAHM who makes some wonderful things. Everything she makes is high quality and she has such a big heart. Some of the things she makes are chalkboard mats (I bought my son one for Christmas! I'm so excited!!), cooking aprons and chef hats that match (they are adorable), custom nap mats, and so much more! Everything is so unique and adorable. You can see all her albums of everything she makes here.
2.) The Ruffled Cupcake. She makes some of the *cutest* headbands, bows, and hair things ever! They are not the normal kind of hair accessories you see on Facebook. They are fancy, classy, and vintage. I've bought a few things from her (I'm actually wearing one of them right now!). They are high quality and not expensive (and not just for babies!). She makes a wide variety of  items. You can see all of her amazing things here and her Etsy page here.
3.) Educated Mama Decals. She makes car decals (or decals for windows and walls). I have 3 decals (and plan on ordering 2 more soon!) and I love them!! They are made very well (I've had my first decal on the car for months and they look great even through the weather and all the dirt roads I drive on.) and are fairly priced. You can see all her customs here and her HyenaCart page here.
4.) OrangePiggy's LittleDog. She makes custom wool knit pants, shorts, sweaters, and more! I found her forever ago and won a little bear. My son loved it! It was made so well. If I had the money, I would totally buy some custom longies from her. (They are on my wish list) Everything she makes is so pretty. You can see her work here. (Aren't they gorgeous?)
5.) Sugar Sweet Baby. She makes bamboo baby carrier wraps (like a Moby wrap but super cute and comfy). Someone gave me one when I was pregnant and man oh man! It was such a life saver. We went out when my baby was 3 days old. I wrapped him up and he slept the entire time we were shopping. Everyone commented on how cute the wrap was and how crazy I was for going out and about after just giving birth 3 days ago. We used it for 9 months. Almost every single time I wore him, he would fall asleep. I wore him almost all day long at our family reunion (when he was about 4 months old). It was so amazing to be able to make sure he got his naps during the day and not have to leave so he could nap. There were lots of parents there (we have a HUGE family) who had to leave so their kids could nap. He was being held and was happy the entire day. The mama behind the business is awesome as are the wraps. They are SO soft and cute! She has tons of cute prints and colors. You can see pictures on her Facebook page here and her website here.
6.) Ever Sew Clever. She makes a ton of awesome things. Some of the things she makes are reusable bowl covers (They rock. You can see my review of them here), reusable snack bags (I have one and I love it!),  a ton of cute toys for the kids, and more. Everything is made very well and is reasonably priced. She also does FFS giveaways (usually on Fridays).You can see more of what she makes on her Facebook page here and her Etsy page here.
7.) Little Lady Designs. I know I don't have a girl but I have bought many things from her. She makes cute little bows and clippies for girls (and moms too!). I have given some of them to my nieces and even worn some myself (I totally rocked a turkey clippie for Thanksgiving last year. Everyone loved it). They are well made and are pretty cheap. She always does sales and even has a monthly giveaway on her Facebook page. You can see all her work here.
8.) Pink 'n Yellow Butterfly. She makes adorable hats and custom knit things. I won a custom hat last year and I'm SO glad I did. It's gorgeous and SO well made! Everyone loves his hat and always acts where I bought it. She's one talented mama! You can see all of her custom work here  and her website here.
9.) Bouncing Woolies. She makes dryer balls. I rave and rave about how wonderful they are all the time (you can see my review of them here). She does some AMAZING custom work! (She needle felts them by hand, no tracing or outlining. Done all by imagination.) I have said in my review about how well they are made. I've had mine for about a year and a half with no problems. (I have her older 'yarn wrapped' styles and they are still going strong!) She's an awesome mama who puts a lot of love and time into her products. You can see her products on her Facebook page here and her website here.
10.) Cotton Cheeks. I know I said I didn't include diaper makers and even though Cotton Cheeks does make diapers, she also makes a bunch of other great things! She makes my favorite mama pads (You can see my review here), fleece pants/shorts/covers, wet bags, trainers, and some adorable dresses (her mom makes them). Everything is very reasonably priced and SO well made. I love everything she makes. You can see custom work here and her HyenaCart page here.

There are just some of my favorite WAHMs! Who are your favorites? I love finding new shops. Feel free to post a comment here or on our Facebook page and let me know who your favorites are.

What's My Favorite Diaper?

I have been cloth diapering for about 16 months now. I have always loved All In Ones. I go through different stages (trying new brands or styles) but I always go back to my AIOs. They are easy! Simple as that. Maybe it's because my first diapers I tried were AIOs. They are trim, absorbent, and cute!

LO in his first cloth diaper! A BumGenius AIO. Even though the PUL was messed up (He peed straight through the diaper in less than an hour, as if it were a fitted.) I LOVED them! They were easy to use and easy to get started with. The only thing I hated about the BG AIOs were the VERY long drying time. But I still used them and bought many more. 

Then our new love because our GroVia AIOs! They were even trimmer than the BG (which shocked me. The BG were very trim), just as absorbent, and the best part. Quicker drying time! YAY! I love the natural fiber (even though I would prefer to have a stay dry top) and love the side snaps. The tabs are super soft and stretchy and it seems like a very comfy diaper! 

In his GroVia Nature print. 

And then I found RagaBabe. I had heard tons of great things about them but couldn't justify the price. $28 plus shipping for just ONE diaper? I'm cheap. Spending that much was very hard for me. Heck, spending over $20 was hard for me. But I quickly learned, you get what you pay for. I bought plenty of cheaper diapers and they leaked and fit horribly.
After months of looking and looking, I finally made the plunge. I bought one to try out. It was a tie dye diaper. I knew I would love it just because of the way it looked. Very cute and unique. When I first got it I was excited and impressed. The cute star shaped velcro was adorable and STRONG! Way stronger than any other Velcro diapers I had. I love Velcro on AIOs. I am not sure why. Maybe because I know anyone can use it and it makes it even easier for those who are unsure about snaps (like grandmas or dads).

We tried it and I loved it. The fit was amazing. I love the wide elastic at the back of the diaper. Makes it seem like such a comfy diaper. So trim and such a cute little bum. It is very absorbent and actually has a very quick drying time. Another thing I love about RagaBabes are the stay dry lining. I have taken the diaper off my LO and even though it's wet, he feels DRY! I also love that the absorbent part of the diaper is made from bamboo rayon so you get the natural fibers plus a stay dry lining! Perfect combo.

I ended up buying two (3 if you count a newborn diaper) more as soon as I could. I actually sold most of my stash just so I could afford to buy 3 RagaBabes. Right now I have  5 AIOs and I wish I could have my whole stash RagaBabes! I usually like to have a nice variety of diapers. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a fitted or a pocket diaper or I like different prints and colors other brands offer. I like to have a big variety. Since getting RagaBabes however, I would love if my whole stash was RagaBabes! I love to buy and trade every few months but I could never even being to imagine giving up my Rags!  

My little stash.

My Star Candy 2 Step

What is your favorite kind of diaper? What type of diaper do you love and prefer? Tell me your experience! 

SoftBums Omni Review!

SoftBums asked me to review their Omni diaper with SUPER DryTouch pods. I was very excited about it. I have heard nothing but good things about their diapers and was glad to be able to try one for myself. The Omni diaper is an All In Two, pocket diaper, AND a cover! Plus it is a one size diaper which is a HUGE plus! Their unique design makes the diaper trim for any age. (Even newborns!)

The shell is made of a waterproof layer on the outside and a micro fleece inner. There is a pocket opening (if you prefer to use it as a pocket diaper) and a snap on the inside of the diaper (to use it as an AI2). [The snap does not touch the babies skin if using it as a pocket diaper.] The elastic is soft and stretchy. There is a small hole in the front of the diaper which is where the drawstring elastic can be found (to adjust the diaper). [Video on how to adjust the drawstring elastic coming SOON!] I preferred to use the diaper as an AI2 (you get more bang for your buck if you use it as an AI2 since you can reuse the diaper more than once).

You can see that the insert is much longer than the diaper. That is actually a great feature! Not only does it mean more absorbency for your baby, but it also means that you don't have to buy sized inserts like other AI2 systems. What I do is lay the diaper down like it is shown above. Lay the baby on top of the diaper.

I fold down the insert on the baby as shown above.

Then I stretch the cover up over the insert so that it doesn't bunch up and so it goes up high enough.

Perfect fit!

It is such a trim diaper! We really like this system. We have never had any leaks in this diaper even when the soaker was very wet. I love that it is a one size diaper and that it fits your baby perfectly no matter what your babies body type is! Some OS diapers don't fit right because the rise is too short or the legs are too lose or tight but you never have that problem with the SoftBums diapers!

Another great thing about these diapers is that the cover rarely gets wet or damp like other AI2 diapers that have a micro fleece inner. The back of the insert is wide which helps prevent leaks. Since the insert folds down in the front, there is less of a chance that the cover will be wet by the time you change your baby. We have used this diaper at night and haven't had a leak! Very very amazing! (I used one pod plus the newborn insert)

I would highly recommend this diaper! You can buy it here.

"Changing Diapers" by Kelly Wels Review.

I was excited for the chance to read and review this book. I love talking about cloth diapers to friends and other moms who don't know about modern cloth diapers. I have always wished there was a pamphlet or book I could give to them to help them learn more about how different cloth is today. This book is great for just that! It is simple yet detailed about everything they need to know about cloth diapering.

It took me about 2 hours to finish the whole book (with little breaks here and there in between). The chapters are short and easy to read which is great! Plus the pictures are adorable. Kelly covered everything from different styles of diapers to even using cloth at daycare! She gave great advice on everything. She also gives great websites at the end of the book which is great for moms and dads interested in trying cloth.

I think this is a must have book for every cloth diapering parent! It also would make a wonderful gift for soon to be parents. I plan on giving one to all my pregnant friends and moms interested in trying cloth for the first time.

Kelly is giving each each of my lucky readers a 50% off code! Pre-order your own autographed copy at half price here! Use the code ADDICT to get the book at half price. (The book is normally $17.95 but you can get one for only $8.97) The book will be released on October 1st, 2011.

She is also giving one lucky fan

• 1 OS diaper (Winner gets to choose either a RumpaRooz or FuzziBunz)

• 1 ”I’m a Hip Mom and Love Cloth Diapers”

Eco-Friendly Tattoo

*CLOSED*

To enter:

LIKE Ramblings of a Cloth Diaper Addict on Facebook
LIKE Kelly Wels on Facebook and thank her for the awesome giveaway!

Please leave your Facebook name!

Post a comment saying you are a fan of both pages (1 comment)

For extra entries:

1.) Follow @CDAddict on Twitter (Please leave your Twitter ID)

2.) Follow @KellyWels on Twitter (Please leave your Twitter ID)

3.) Tell me why you want to buy this book

4.) Become a follower of my blog (through Google Friend Connect which is off to the right)

(Please post a separate comment for each of entries)

If you have any problems or questions please feel to email me at addicted2clothdiapers@hotmail.com or post on our Facebook page.

Giveaway will end the night of August 29, 2011

Ever Sew Clever Bowl Covers

I recently bought some reusable bowl covers from Ever Sew Clever and I LOVE them SO much that I am going to be reviewing them : ) They are made of a cute cotton print on the outside layer and a food safe material (water resistant nylon ripstop which is PVC and BPA free!) on the inside. There is also an elastic band to hold onto the bowls for a tight fit.

Here is my custom set she made for me. I sent her the fabric (it matches my kitchen set). I was very impressed with how well it is made. I also bought a snack bag and it too is made very well! Didn't it turn out perfect? I explained what it is to my husband and he seemed interested. The first night we got them we used them on our left overs. Husband was the one to clean up and he told me that they were "Really neat" and that we "Should get more"! How awesome is that? He doesn't really like my whole 'save money by reusing' stuff so I was really shocked that he liked them. He is set in his 'easy' ways (Disinfectant wipes instead of unpaper towels and all purpose cleaners, etc) so I was really blown away that he liked these.

I ended up buying more of these because I love them so much! They keep your food fresh and they are a TON easier to use that plastic wrap. That is why my husband love them so much. He HATES trying to use plastic wrap. It always sticks together and he can't pull it apart but then doesn't stick to the bowls, you know how it is. It's a pain in the butt and expensive!

These are cute and last a long time! All you have to do is wipe it out or wash them in your washer (NOT dishwasher) after you are done using them. SO easy and simple. I let mine air dry and it doesn't take long for them to dry either. She makes them in whatever fabric you want (she has a LOT of cute fabrics here) and makes them in small (6 inch bowls), medium (8 inch bowls), or large (10 inch bowls). I have found that even my larger sizes can fit smaller bowls. The prices are $6.50 (sm), $7.50 (med), and $8.50 (lrg) which is a great price for something you will be using everyday over and over again!

You can find her Etsy page here. Her web page here. Her Facebook here.

Just Imagine Tutu Review

I got the tutu in the mail and I fell in LOVE! It is gorgeous and sparkly! It fits 12-24 months old. The waist is super soft and stretchy. The length of the tutu is 7 inches (from where the tulle starts to the bottom of the tutu).

The colors are SO bright and vibrant. I am in love with the glitter too. It is SO much cuter in person (I'm sorry I do not have my nice camera to take pictures with).

It is very well made. I looked all around at the tulle and it is on there very securely.

The adorable peace sign bow is unattachable! How awesome is that?! You can attach different bows or flowers onto the front and make it look like a brand new tutu every time you put it on.

I tried to get a close up of the tutu so you can see the glitter. Again, sorry for the crappy camera. You can also see how well made it is. Isn't it just so adorable?! I LOVE it!

Here it is on my LO. It fit pretty well. My LO is 15 months and 22 pounds so VERY skinny. It fit well but had TONS of room to grow. I think it adorable! The length is perfect. Not too short or too long.
You can buy a tutu here and they start out at $15. A tutu like this one is $20. She even makes tutu's for adults. How cool is that?! You can view her price and size list here. All prices are very reasonable!

What Works For Nights?

We've always had a hard time finding something that worked at nights. Even before we cloth diapered, we had leaks with disposable diapers. It has been very frustrating to wake up in the middle of the night/morning because your baby is sopping wet and can't sleep. Or even worse when YOU wake up wet because you cosleep! My son sleeps about 10-13 hours at night and is a very heavy wetter which makes it very hard to find something that works.

Disposable diapers leak a lot. There have been so many times my son has peed through a disposable diaper in 2 hours (happened more in the day time).

All In Ones never worked very well for us. I would stuff it with an extra insert but we'd get leaks for the most part. If your LO isn't a very heavy wetter, it would work great. I know a lot of moms use this with success. (I tried BumGenius AIOs.)

I've only tried one brand of All In Twos. I had a few different hybrids but never tried them at night because I knew they wouldn't work with our heavy wetter. I did try one brand (Doodle Dypes) and it worked great! I only tried it a few times but I never had a leak. (I used two snap in inserts. By the time I had tried this, I had found another solution that worked better.)

Pockets have mixed reviews. For some people, they work GREAT and never have problems! For us, it has worked sometimes, and other times NOT AT ALL! I've used mulitple brands and inserts and still have had leaks. I've used major brands, "overnight" diapers, 2 microfiber inserts, bamboo inserts, hemp, you name it, I've probably tried it. I've tried messing with the rise of the diapers, snapping them looser and tighter. It was a long frustrating road. They worked great at first for about the first month and then we started having problems. Maybe it was because my LO was getting older and peeing more. After 5 months of having to change him in the middle of the night because he had peed through his diaper or waking up to a very wet baby I was sick of it! I HAD to find a new solution. (The brands I tried were BumGenius, RumpaRooz, Kawaiis [a few different kinds of them] and no name brands.

And this is where Fitteds come in. I kept hearing about people using fitteds at night and I was very skeptical. I bought one brand of fitted a few months prior and my LO had peed through it in 10 minutes. I thought "How can this last overnight?" After about a month of hearing about how wonderful fitteds are, I finally bought one. I was VERY nervous to try this. I had also bought a pair of Wool longies because I heard that is the best to pair with fitteds. I prepped the wool and very nervously, put it on my son. I kept checking him every hour just expecting him to be wet. I went to bed and just knew he was going to be sopping wet in the morning.

I woke up and rushed in to check him. He was DRY! I was amazed! I took off his longies and the fitted was SOAKED! I was in awe. Why did I not try this sooner?! The next week I kept expecting him to be wet and every time I would use a fitted, he would wake up dry. I ended up buying 3 more of the same brand and couldn't be happier. We have NEVER had a leak when using fitteds and wool. (We use sustainablebabyish fitteds and wool and HIGHLY recomend them!)

What kind of cover should I pair with my fitteds?

Fleece is a great, cheap option. It is water resistant (not waterproof) so it may or may not work. I have never used this at night but if your LO isn't a heavy wetter, this would be a great option to try. I do not think fleece would hold up for heavy wetters at night. I love fleece covers for day time though.

PUL is a waterproof cover and is a good option for nights. I have used a Rumparooz cover at night and we didn't have leaks.

Wool is the option I would prefer and recomend. It is more breathable that PUL and when wearing a diaper for 12 hours, I would prefer my LO to be in something that is more breathable. The wool we use is SOFT and squishy! It is not itchy and scratchy like most wool is. It is amazing!

You can buy SBISH fitteds and wool here.

The Flats and Hand Washing Challenge

Why I am doing it and how I am preparing?

(I was going to post this a while back ago but my grandmother died and it spaced my mind. So here it is finally!)

I first heard about the Flats and Hand Washing Challenge and I was interested! I read an article a few weeks prior about families who have to leave their babies in diapers for long amounts of time and even wash out DISPOSABLE diapers to reuse them! At the time I read the article I thought "Why don't they just rewash cloth diapers?!" I understand why some families don't want to or don't even know about cloth diapers. When I first heard about diapers I thought "EW! I am not going to do that! That is gross." Then I found out about modern cloth diapers. I looked through a few different brands and the price is what drove me away. I was broke at the time and having to spend $15-$20 on ONE diaper?! NO I could not afford that.
So I understand (kind of) why some families don't want to do cloth diapers. Whether it be the grossness factor or the start up cost. The start up cost CAN be expensive BUT it doesn't have to be! These poor families who rewash disposable diapers could EASILY do cloth diapers if they just knew about them! I am so glad Kim from Dirty Diaper Laundry has set up this challenge. This is a great way to help spread the word about cloth diapers and how easy they are/ can be!

So why am I doing it? To help spread awareness about cloth diapers. I LOVE them and I know that even a family who is struggling to afford food or diapers can do this. I was in the same place when we first started cloth diapering. I still had to buy disposable diapers and try to save up money to be able to afford one cloth diaper every few weeks and it was hard! If I had known that cloth diapering could have been cheaper I would have gone the cheaper route first. I want to show those families that you don't have to spend a fortune every month on diapers! You CAN diaper your baby and not have to break the bank!

How am I preparing? I have 12 huge flats from Diaper Junction and 3 flour sack towels from Target. I am not going to be using a lot because I really want it to be realistic. (All though we will see how it goes after the first few days. I may buy one more package of flour sack towels) I will be using 2 fleece covers, one wool cover, one RumpaRooz cover, and a large Charlie Banana pocket diaper for a cover. (I have the 'Goodbye Disposable, Hello Cloth' diaper and it's way too big to use as a diaper so I am going to get as much use out of it by using it as a cover : ) It's way too cute to just let it sit there!) The wool cover will be used mostly at night. Fleece covers are a great cheap way to go for covers. They are more breathable than PUL covers and are usually cheaper/just as cheap. The RaRz cover it the only real cover I have so of course I'm going to be using that too!

I've practiced folding my flats and pinning them/snappi-ing them. I LOVE it! I don't know what it is (maybe the simplicity of it all) but I love pinning flats. I love folding them! I was very scared about doing all of this but the more I do it, the easier it gets. The thing I'm worried about it washing them. I am planning on washing some in the sink by hand. I believe my mom has a bucket style washer (like Kim from DDL showed you how to make). So if I decide I hate it, I can go and get hers. She told me she paid about $15-$20 to buy. I will try to find where she bought it.

I will also be washing my flats with normal detergent just like a normal family would (Cheap liquid detergent and powdered Tide). I will not be using cloth diaper safe detergent because I know when you are struggling for money and can not diaper your baby, you sure as heck don't have enough money to pay for extra detergent (and the shipping costs too!). I really would like to make this as realistic as possible. I will be drying them a few different ways. In the bathroom, outside (Attached to hangers and hung up on my balcony), and any just hung up on hangers in the house. I dried one of my flats the other day outside and it took about 30 minutes or less to dry! It was hotter and windy so it dried SO fast!

I really hope this challenge will bring light to families who do not know about cloth diapers. I hope these families who are struggling to afford disposable diapers will be able to see that cloth diapering is easy and cheap. I also want to say to anyone who is struggling, there are programs to help families in need. There are people out there who will donate diapers to families in need. If you need help, ask for it! I try to donate to families as often as possible because when I was starting up, someone helped me and it made a world of difference. I was able to cloth diaper my baby full time and I could finally stop using disposable diapers. So if you have extra diapers you, please consider donating them instead of selling them!

GoGreen Pocket Diapers Review

GoGreen has generously given me a diaper to review. It is a OS Pocket diaper with snap down rise settings. It is one of their print silky diapers. It will fit 8-35+ pounds. It is soft PUL on the outside and suedecloth on the inside (like what BumGenius is on the inside) and comes with one microfiber insert. See more FAQ here

At First Glance~

It was very similar to other pocket diapers that I've tried. It has cross over snaps for smaller babies which is really nice! I liked everything about this diaper from the start and was excited to try it out.

How It's Held Up~

I've used it a lot and during the day, I've never had a leak. We both loved it! I've used it for nights twice and both times it leaked. BUT the ONLY thing that works for my super soaker is fitteds and wool. He can not wear any other diaper at night (even disposable diapers leak for us).

The Fit~

I was able to put my 13 month old on the first snap setting. He is skinny but he normally he is on the second snap setting on my OS diapers. I put it on the second snap setting and it worked just as great as the first snap setting. I love the fit. It is a little bulky (like most OS diapers are) but it didn't bother me and it didn't bother him. For a one size diaper, it was pretty trim though!

Would I Recommend It?

OF COURSE! It's only $10-$15 which is such a great price! If you are on a tight budget this is the diaper to buy! Or even if you aren't on a tight budget, this would be a great diaper for anyone. I love all their prints and colors.

**4** out of **5*** Stars

The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it doesn't seem like it would fit really small babies well and it didn't work at nights for us.

Sorry these aren't the best of pictures. But you can see it's pretty trim for being a One Size Diaper!

Cross over tabs! I love these.

Cute print :)

On the smallest snap setting.

Side view of the smallest snap setting.

Largest setting. It was pretty big!

I tried to show how big the legs can go. They go even bigger when it's stretched onto a toddler!

You can buy it here.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED!

Winner was Jessica Peirce! Congrats!!!

To win a GoGreen Pocket Diaper~

Required:

Like Ramblings of a Cloth Diaper Addict AND GoGreen Pocket Diapers on Facebook. Then comment here telling me you did it (AND leave your Facebook name. Entires that do not leave their FB name will be deleted). Make sure you show GoGreen some love for sponsoring this giveaway!

Extra Entires (Post a separate comment for EACH of of the extra entires you do):

1) Share on Facebook (once) and leave a permalink (Make sure it is open for EVERYONE to see! If you have questions on how to do this, please ask me on my wall!) You can post this once on your wall and once on your business wall if you have one.

2) Go to GoGreens website and tell me which diaper you like the best.

Giveaway will end on May 18th, 2011. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at addicted2clothdiapers(at)hotmail.com or on Facebook.

Dryer Balls. Which Are My Favorite?

What is a dryer ball? Dryer balls are a natural alternative to dryer sheets. Did you know dryer sheets can cause repelling on cloth diapers or even towels? There are also chemicals in them that take the fire retardant out of children's sleep wear. Dryer balls are all natural and made out of wool. No harmful chemicals and will never make your clothes or diapers repel. I never thought about chemicals in products like dryer sheets before I started cloth diapering. Once I researched it, it kind of freaked me out to be honest. (Chemicals are the whole reason I started using cloth diapers) I gave away my dryer sheets and bought two dryer balls.

My first dryer balls I bought were Bouncing Woolies. I started out with two (even though the recommended amount is 4) because that is all I could afford. The first time I used them was on a load with my biggest blanket and my sheets. We have an older dryer so it would take 2 loads to dry the blanket (and one and a half to dry any other normal load). I put in my two dryer balls with the load and it was completely dry after one cycle! I was amazed! I would buy one extra one every time I could afford a new one. (I was REALLY broke at the time plus trying to build up my cloth diaper stash. We were just starting out) *See more FAQ here*

It has been 10 months ago that I bought my first dryer ball and they are still holding up! I have never had one come unraveled or misshapen. I have tried a few different brands of dryer balls and Bouncing Woolies are by far my favorite. Hers are the biggest and heaviest (which is very important. The heavier, the better. It makes the clothes dry faster) than any other brand. Her FUNKtastic woolies are SO cute! I have 2 of them and I love them! I love the look of them. They are a really cute original design. I also have one of her customs. WOW!!! I have no clue how she does it but she has some REALLY amazing work that you can see here or here.

I have bought 3 different brands and I had one of them come undone and the other one was a little smaller and lighter than these. I ended up giving the other brands to my mom (which is why they are not pictured). The one pictured here is much smaller and MUCH lighter than the Bouncing Woolies!

I also have a car freshener and I love it as well. It's SO cute and makes me smile when I'm driving. You can also use them in a closet for an air freshener. They are multipurpose.
You can purchase any of her wonderful products here! Trust me you will LOVE them!

*Disclaimer* I have not been paid or endorsed for this review. All opinions are my own**

EXTRA Entries into the Goodie Bag Giveaway

If you refer a friend and have them post on the wall, you get an EXTRA entry into the Goodie Bag giveaway! Make sure they say that YOU sent them and you will get an extra entry. Make sure you have entered the giveaway FIRST! Remember, the more addicts we have, the more giveaways we do : )

Subscribe to Fluffy Emails!

You can now get an email any time I write a new blog post so you don't miss out on any of our fun giveaways! It's off to the right >>>> Thank you!

~CLOSED~ Box of Goodies Giveaway!

Beth from Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique is amazing! She has fast, free shipping and even offers samples! She has some great products and always has some awesome sales going on. You can find her website by clicking on the button on the left.
For this giveaway make sure you like Ramblings of a Cloth Diaper Addict and Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique on Facebook.
Once you do that, fill out this form. Easy as that! Giveaway will end on Tuesday the 22nd. Good luck!

Rumparooz Cover Compared to BumGenius and Rumparooz Pocket Diaper

I am just going to do a quick post comparing the cover with a BG 4.0 and a RaRz pocket diaper. It's hard to truly compare them though because the elastic is so stretchy on the cover. It makes it look a little smaller than what it really is.
The BG is the blue one on the left, the cover is in the middle, and the pocket is on the right.

All diapers completely snapped down. The pocket is the smallest diaper and the BG is the biggest.

All diapers on the second snap setting. The BG only has 2 snap settings.

The BG is completely unsnapped. The other two are on the 3rd snap setting.

All diapers unsnapped. You can see the cover is the biggest. I don't have any other covers (besides wool and WAHM fleece covers) to compare it to. Sorry!

Hope this gives you a good visual of the cover : ) You can buy them from plenty of retailers. Mami's and Papi's and SweetBottoms Baby Boutique are two of my favorite retailers (their buttons are off to the left) and you can buy them from either of these wonderful WAHMs! (Supplies are limited. This was a mini release until summer.) Happy shopping fellow addicts : )

Video Review of Rumparooz Covers

This is my first video review so don't be harsh : ) Sorry the sound kind of sucks and it's a little bit crooked.



This cover will fit from about 6-35+ pounds. It is a very generous cover. (I know I say that a LOT in the review, sorry!) You can get it in either snaps or hook and loop closure. The insides are made of biodegradable TPU waterproof material. Biodegradable TPU is solvent-free. Biodegradable TPU is a polyester fabric that has been laminated with a thermoplastic polyurethane using a heat bonding process. This process is low in toxicity and is better for the natural environment. Both the TPU laminate and the polyester fabric the laminate is applied to are biodegradable. When composted they will biodegrade in 4-5 years. It is more breathable and "earth friendly" than the usual PUL.
I have yet to test it with a poopy diaper but I'm sure it would hold everything in very well! It is so strechy! I thought it would leave red prints on my son if I snapped it down too small but it didn't (and he took a long nap in it). He is 1 year old and he is pretty skinny (about 20 pounds or so). He is on the second snap setting and I LOVE the fit on him. I put a fluffier diaper on him today and it still fit wonderfully! I am excited to keep using this diaper cover. He still has room to grow in it too which I love.
I would give this diaper 5 stars. So far there has been no problems and I am loving it!

*EDITED TO ADD* I have used this over night and with poo dypes and it still is working great. I still give this a 5 star review, months after I have bought it.

NEW Rumparooz Covers!

I was excited when I heard Rumparooz made covers! I have been getting more into fitteds and prefolds and I needed a good cover for when we go out and about. I am not a huge fan of their pocket diapers. They run REALLY small in my opinion and I've had a few issues with them. My 12 month old can wear the pocket diapers completely unsnapped and he is a very skinny guy.
This was on the last snap setting with a SBISH snapless underneath. I didn't like the fit AT ALL! But I had it on the wrong snap setting. I was worried about the elastic being too tight on him.

Definately was too big on him!

Can you see how much extra fabric there is?

FIXED! I fixed it to the second snap setting and it was a MUCH better fit! I was surprized at how generous it was!

The fit (once I fixed it) was great! Very trim! I am going to put a bulkier option under it and see how that works too.

He ended up napping in this and no red marks! YAY! The diaper was SOAKED (he is a crazy heavy wetter) but no leaks out of the legs or back or anything. I was happy!
It worked really great! I have only used it once but I liked it so far! I am going to post more pictures of this compred to a few name brand diapers later. (And more detailed pictures of the actual cover)

PureBebe Super Stars ~Giveaway Closed~

These stars are wipe solution and they are awesome! It is very simple. Just put a star in at least 8 oz. of water (I use a little about 12 oz.) and heat to dissolve.

I fill up a cup of water and put a star in. I heat it up for a minute in the microwave (stirring half way through). They dissolve very quickly and smell amazing! I fold my wipes so they pop up like disposable baby wipes (in an old container of baby wipes) and just pour the water mixture on top. Very easy!
I am planning on giving two of you lucky ladies a sample of PureBebe's super stars! Make sure you "like" Ramblings of a Cloth Diaper Addict on Facebook and tell me which scent you would pick if you bought them. (If you win you get Strawberry Fields) There will be 2 winners for this giveaway! After you've done this, come back and comment here! (Only ONE comment PER PERSON on the blog) VERY simple to enter : )
For every person you refer to my Facebook page, you get an EXTRA entry into the giveaway! Just make sure they post on the wall who sent them. (Example: Sara Smith wrote on the wall "Michelle Smith sent me". Michelle gets an extra entry.)
If you have questions you can write them on the wall of our facebook page and I will answer as soon as possible.
Winners will be contacted by email so make sure you put your email address in the comments. If the winners don't respond in 48 hours, I will draw new winners.
You can also buy them here!