I've been contemplating for awhile whether or not I like knickernappies diapers. There are things about them that are definitely positive, but overall I find them awkward. When you buy knickernappies you have a choice of two inserts--regular mircofiber, or for $6 extra, the loopy do inserts which are a mixture of hemp and microfiber. I opted for the loopy dos, and they are favorite part of the knicernappies as they are extremely absorbent. However, since you can buy loopy dos separately, I won't be buying KN again in the near future.
My daughter currently weighs 12 1/2 pounds and for her size, the diaper is bulky and has an awkward fit. The snaps on the rise pull when I put the diaper on her, but she isn't big enough yet for the next size up. The snaps at the waist pull the leg elastics painfully tight around her legs while the waist is not nearly tight enough. I finally decided to snap the bottom snap near the legs further in so that the leg holes are looser while the stomach remains tolerably fitted. In addition, since the knickernappies snap to the side, it leaves lots of fabric to gather by her belly button.
Knickernappies is not a bad diaper, it's just my least favorite mostly for the poor and bulky fit. Some women say that it's a great diaper for toddlers, and I can imagine that it might be. However, since a one size diaper needs to be functional from 10-35 lbs, this diaper is not doing its job if it is not comfortably functional for my daughter.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sweet Doll Baby One Size Pocket Diaper Giveaway!
Babee Love is giving away a kind of cloth diaper that I've never heard of before! It's called "Sweet Doll Baby." The name alone is enough to make me want to buy it, and besides, the price is amazing! Check out their website. If you're interested in winning this amazing looking pocket diaper, go here and enter yourself!
Rumparooz giveaway
The Cloth Diaper Whisperer has another Fluff Friday giveaway. I've never tried Rumparooz diapers but they look pretty good! So if you're interested, head on over to enter!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Coupon Code
Get 15% off Bamboo Bums until December 15th with the coupon code: ecochic
Just go to www.bamboobums.com and start shopping!
Just go to www.bamboobums.com and start shopping!
Thank You Card Giveaway from Uprinting
My girl over at Adjusting to the World is giving away some custom thank you cards with plain envelopes from Uprinting.com. She never has very many entrants in her giveaways so if you enter, you have a really good chance of winning. I've already won one of them--a great CD a month or so back! So, go over there and check it out. You can use them to thank all the people who will buy from your wish lists on your favorite cloth diaper sites!
Econobum giveaway!
I have to say that I decided long before seeing this giveaway that Nicki's Diapers is my favorite place to buy cloth and other accessories. I recently bought a Moby Wrap there which is a GREAT way to wear your baby and make her (him) feel secure while still having hands free to do other necessary things like laundry, or blogging ;-D. I also just started buying diapers there. Why do I love it? Because their prices are GREAT, they have great sales, great selection, and they offer free shipping on many popular items like pocket diapers and baby carriers! Really, you should check them out!
So, they're doing an econobum giveaway and as I have yet to try prefolds/flat diapers with a diaper cover, I'd really like to win this one. So check it out here. I think it would be worth your while.
So, they're doing an econobum giveaway and as I have yet to try prefolds/flat diapers with a diaper cover, I'd really like to win this one. So check it out here. I think it would be worth your while.
Gro Baby Diaper Giveaway!
The Cloth Diaper Blog has a new Feed Your Stash Friday (I love their giveaways the best!) and this week they're giving away a Gro Baby diaper! I've wanted to try those, but keep putting it off so I'm excited about this one. Gro Baby diapers can either be hybrid diapers (They come with the option of a disposable insert) or regular cloth diapers with a cloth insert. They look quite interesting and they have the most vibrant color choices. Check it out for yourself!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Fuzzi Bunz One Size Pocket Diaper--The Verdict is In!!!
So, I've been using my new Fuzzi Bunz for almost a week now, and after my initial dislike of the diaper, I have to say it's grown on me and is now my favorite diaper!
The Pros:
1) It has the softest inner layer of fleece ever! Even after washing it's still soft despite the natural pilling of the fabric.
2) The three snaps give the waistline a unique fit. The bottom snap is the "hip snap" according to fuzzibunz.com, and gives the diaper a more customized fit.
3) There are no snaps in the rise. My daughter is at a weird stage in between the smallest and the medium size so sometimes when I'm putting her in any of her other one size diapers they sometimes pop open.
4) I have to say, despite the fact that it is difficult to size at first, the adjustable elastics in the legs and the waist are wonderful once adjusted. Ideally, you'll only have to adjust it every time your baby has a growth spurt, and it guarantees the best fit possible. However, to make things easier, you can go to fuzzibunz.com where they have suggested guidelines for which button holes to use for sizing different babies.
5) The diaper has a high rise.
6) It line dries easily due to the fact that there is no velcro and no snaps in the rise.
8) Durability--snaps will endure repeated diaperings longer than velcro will, and should the elastics wear out, the diaper pack comes with a second set!
9) The insert is incredibly soft and thick.
10) ONE diaper for all your baby's stages of diapering development.
The Cons
1) The insert is thick--it could be bulky if you have to use a doubler
2) Though they do provide a great fit, the snaps can take a bit longer to fasten than velcro or even other snapped diapers.
3) There is a lot of extra PUL fabric between my two month old daughter's legs right now--it doesn't make the diaper any more bulky because she's on the smallest size, but it might be a problem for some.
4) My daughter's 12+ pounds and I can't imagine the diaper fitting a baby much smaller than that well.
5) The adjustable elastics are hard to figure out at first, and somewhat complicated.
The Pros:
1) It has the softest inner layer of fleece ever! Even after washing it's still soft despite the natural pilling of the fabric.
2) The three snaps give the waistline a unique fit. The bottom snap is the "hip snap" according to fuzzibunz.com, and gives the diaper a more customized fit.
3) There are no snaps in the rise. My daughter is at a weird stage in between the smallest and the medium size so sometimes when I'm putting her in any of her other one size diapers they sometimes pop open.
4) I have to say, despite the fact that it is difficult to size at first, the adjustable elastics in the legs and the waist are wonderful once adjusted. Ideally, you'll only have to adjust it every time your baby has a growth spurt, and it guarantees the best fit possible. However, to make things easier, you can go to fuzzibunz.com where they have suggested guidelines for which button holes to use for sizing different babies.
5) The diaper has a high rise.
6) It line dries easily due to the fact that there is no velcro and no snaps in the rise.
8) Durability--snaps will endure repeated diaperings longer than velcro will, and should the elastics wear out, the diaper pack comes with a second set!
9) The insert is incredibly soft and thick.
10) ONE diaper for all your baby's stages of diapering development.
The Cons
1) The insert is thick--it could be bulky if you have to use a doubler
2) Though they do provide a great fit, the snaps can take a bit longer to fasten than velcro or even other snapped diapers.
3) There is a lot of extra PUL fabric between my two month old daughter's legs right now--it doesn't make the diaper any more bulky because she's on the smallest size, but it might be a problem for some.
4) My daughter's 12+ pounds and I can't imagine the diaper fitting a baby much smaller than that well.
5) The adjustable elastics are hard to figure out at first, and somewhat complicated.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
My Washing Routine
I've researched many sites for the best method of washing cloth diapers and it seems that everyone has their own routine. Even from one brand of cloth diaper to another the washing recommendations are different. Almost every time! So here's my routine, despite what others say or do because it works for me:
-1 wash on cold with 1/4 the recommended detergent.
-1 was on hot/cold with no detergent.
-Dry the diaper inserts in the dryer.
-Line dry the diapers.
-When necessary, strip the diapers. It seems that the method I used before worked nicely because I haven't had any leaks since.
-1 wash on cold with 1/4 the recommended detergent.
-1 was on hot/cold with no detergent.
-Dry the diaper inserts in the dryer.
-Line dry the diapers.
-When necessary, strip the diapers. It seems that the method I used before worked nicely because I haven't had any leaks since.
Bamboo Bums Giveaway
Go check out the Eco Chic's blog to see a really cool looking giveaway of some bamboo cloth diapers! I've never heard of these so I'm really intrigued and eager to enter. If I don't win it--as I normally don't--I'll definitely check it out and possibly try it out for myself. It's worth it since the Eco Chic also gives out a coupon code for %15 for these bamboo diapers.
bumGenius--will it really last three years?
So, my introduction to cloth diapering was a bumGenius diaper. With the little research I'd done I kind of liked the idea of using this particular brand of diaper, and then, when it was given to me as a gift, I fell in love with it and proceeded to slowly buy all the colors. As mentioned in one of my other posts, I also bought a few Happy Heinys, a few Smartipants, and just the other day a Fuzzi Bunz and a Knickernappies. So here's the thing. My stash (now 19 diapers) is made up of a majority of bumGenius... and I'm starting to see that it's not really my favorite diaper. I mean, the fit is great, it doesn't leak... but I don't think it's going to stand the test of time. It's only been 8 weeks and the hook and loop closures are already starting to fray slightly. I mean, they're still going strong, but I really wish I hadn't invested all that money in 13 bumGenius--well, five of them were gifts but still. So, I don't plan on buying any more diapers with aplix closures. I want to stock the rest of my stash with snaps (which aren't as convenient for quick changes but should last long) and Happy Heinys--which has a hook and loop closure, but it's reinforced nicely for longevity.
Mom Tips for $25
OUR365 is the website that my hospital used to publish my daughter's newborn pictures. In signing up to get the pictures I started getting updates from them on my daughters weekly developments. It's nice to read, but I still prefer babycenter.com--the site I used throughout my entire pregnancy to track her growth and development. In any case, they ask for you to send them Mom Tips and if they use one of your tips they'll pay you $25. I just sent them a Mom tip about cloth diapering. I'm not sure if it's what they're looking for but I figured I'd give it a shot in order to possibly spread the word about cloth diapering I'd post it here but they ask that it not be previously published. If they do use it, I'll post a link. In any case, if you want a shot at earning $25, check out this link. Good luck!
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Fuzzi Bunz Giveaway
Wouldn't you know it? I just tried Fuzzi Bunz for the first time and then I find a giveaway! My original impressions weren't so positive but I must say the diaper is growing on me and I'd LOVE to get another one! In any case, check out this mom of three's blog for the giveaway details!
New Diapers
So, I got two new diapers in the mail today: a bright orange One Size Fuzzi Bunz, and a chocolate colored Knickernappies. I can't tell you how excited I was! I'm way too excited over these cloth diapers! I really wanted to get some pretty girl colors but I already have two pink diapers and one lavender and I don't want to have to start from scratch when we have a boy so I'll have to stop there. Well, for now at least.
My first impressions of the diapers are these:
1) They both have very soft fleece inside. That's what I love so much about my Happy Heiny's. Granted, it does pill when you wash it but it's still softer than whatever's inside the bumGenius and Smartipants.
2) I know I'm supposed to prewash them before using them for the best absorbancy, but I just can't resist using them as is so that she can have that amazing, soft, untouched fleece against her baby skin. I'll take the consequences if they leak.
3) Fuzzi Bunz are REALLY HARD to adjust. They do not have a row of snaps on the rise, but instead elastics in the legs and waist that you adjust by pulling to different button holes. Their website has a general chart you can start with to tell you which number button hole you should use for legs and waist when your child is a specific size, but it's a guess at most. I had her on the changing table for a full five minutes or more getting that thing sized. But, now that it's sized I know I won't have to re-size it for a while. All the work I did to get it just so may be worth it in the end. We´ll see.
4) Fuzzi Bunz are hard to snap shut. They have THREE different snaps and it takes a while finding where to snap them. Granted, I've only used the diaper once and it may grow on me through time, but for right now I'm not the biggest fan.
5) I like that knickernappies have an elastic on the waist for both the outer PUL fabric and the inner fleece. On the Happy Heinys and Fuzzi Bunz the fleece just flops around at the pocket opening and you have to shove it in the diaper opening when you put it on. However, the elastic in the fleece lining makes it difficult to fish out the insert when the diaper is soiled.
6) I bought the more expensive version of the knickernappies becuase I wanted to try their combination fleece/hemp insert. It's supposedly trimmer and more absorbent to help babies sleep at night. It awaits to be seen. IT doesn't look that much trimmer to me, but maybe that will come with washing it.
I´ll do a more formal post on these diapers once I;ve used them for awhile. For now I´m just excited to add two more to my stash. That makes 19 now!!!
For the next paycheck, I want to try the Rocky Mountain diapers. Then, maybe I'll get another Happy Heinys or another Knickernappies if I really like them.
My first impressions of the diapers are these:
1) They both have very soft fleece inside. That's what I love so much about my Happy Heiny's. Granted, it does pill when you wash it but it's still softer than whatever's inside the bumGenius and Smartipants.
2) I know I'm supposed to prewash them before using them for the best absorbancy, but I just can't resist using them as is so that she can have that amazing, soft, untouched fleece against her baby skin. I'll take the consequences if they leak.
3) Fuzzi Bunz are REALLY HARD to adjust. They do not have a row of snaps on the rise, but instead elastics in the legs and waist that you adjust by pulling to different button holes. Their website has a general chart you can start with to tell you which number button hole you should use for legs and waist when your child is a specific size, but it's a guess at most. I had her on the changing table for a full five minutes or more getting that thing sized. But, now that it's sized I know I won't have to re-size it for a while. All the work I did to get it just so may be worth it in the end. We´ll see.
4) Fuzzi Bunz are hard to snap shut. They have THREE different snaps and it takes a while finding where to snap them. Granted, I've only used the diaper once and it may grow on me through time, but for right now I'm not the biggest fan.
5) I like that knickernappies have an elastic on the waist for both the outer PUL fabric and the inner fleece. On the Happy Heinys and Fuzzi Bunz the fleece just flops around at the pocket opening and you have to shove it in the diaper opening when you put it on. However, the elastic in the fleece lining makes it difficult to fish out the insert when the diaper is soiled.
6) I bought the more expensive version of the knickernappies becuase I wanted to try their combination fleece/hemp insert. It's supposedly trimmer and more absorbent to help babies sleep at night. It awaits to be seen. IT doesn't look that much trimmer to me, but maybe that will come with washing it.
I´ll do a more formal post on these diapers once I;ve used them for awhile. For now I´m just excited to add two more to my stash. That makes 19 now!!!
For the next paycheck, I want to try the Rocky Mountain diapers. Then, maybe I'll get another Happy Heinys or another Knickernappies if I really like them.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Econobum Giveaway
Econobum is a cheaper way to cloth diaper by bumGenius. It's a couple of prefolds and a diaper cover. Anyway, there's a giveaway for it at this blog. Check it out!
Stripping diapers
So, I've been diapering with cloth for about 8 weeks now and I've just hit a new milestone. Stripping. My lovely bumGenius which never leaked for me before began to leak like crazy. Now, I normally wash my diapers with two cycles--one wash on cold with 1/4 the suggested detergent for a non-diaper load, and one wash cycle on hot/cold with no detergent. For stripping them I did as suggested from some of my research and after washing the diapers with regular detergent as I normally do, I did a "rinse" with some dish detergent in it. After washing with dish detergent you're supposed to do as many rinses as it takes for there to be no bubbles in the wash... except that I have a front loading washer so that was hard for me. I rinsed it twice and then just counted them done. But apparently that didn't work because they leaked this week as well. So, my new regiment is as follows:
One regular wash with 1/4 the detergent used on non-diaper washes.
One regular wash with a small amount of dish detergent.
One regular wash with nothing.
One regular wash with 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
We'll see if it works!
One regular wash with 1/4 the detergent used on non-diaper washes.
One regular wash with a small amount of dish detergent.
One regular wash with nothing.
One regular wash with 1/2 cup of white vinegar.
We'll see if it works!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Baby Beehinds giveaway!
Check out Banana Peels Diapers blog to see a new cloth diaper giveaway. It looks pretty sweet!!!
My adorable daughter
At Two weeks in bumGeinus
Also two weeks.
At 3 weeks in a bumGenius
At 5 weeks in a Smartipants
At six weeks in a bumGenius
At seven weeks in Happy Heinys--currently my favorite cloth diaper
At eight weeks in bumGeinus
Why I cloth diaper
I'm the oldest of seven children. That means that I did a LOT of dirty diapers before I ever hit puberty. In fact, I've always loved to tell people that I changed diapers straight from the age of 7 until the age of 17. That's no lie. Oddly enough, I remember changing cloth diapers. Of course, back then what my mom used was a prefold diaper washed and delivered to her weekly by the diaper service. I couldn't have been very old but I remember clearly the scent of a new load of fresh diapers delivered to our doorstep. I remember the man dressed in a white uniform bringing them to us with a smile. I remember how at the age of seven I was very adept with a diaper pin and I only ever pricked a baby once. I also remember how awkward cloth diapers could be and how leaky, but the good memories outweigh the bad ones.
So, when I found out I was pregnant nearly a year ago, I decided I had enough prior experience to conquer the cloth diapering thing again. I had no idea how cloth diapering has changed. I went into the baby store and saw the packages of gerber pre-folds and the rubber pants that go with them and thought that pre-folded diapers would be my only option. Thanks to a dear friend who diapered her infant with Fuzzi Bunz, I soon discovered there were other more convenient, more cute, and more functional ways to save money by diapering with cloth.
Hence began my quest.
I registered for three sizes of Kushies diapers on my Babies R Us registry and no one who looked at the registry took me seriously because I wasn't given any of them. Dismayed by the high cost of the new cloth diapers I resigned myself to the fact that I'd probably be using pre-folds.
On September 9th I had my first baby, a wonderful 9+ pound baby girl and my friend came to visit with the best new baby gift ever--three One Sized bumGenius diapers, and a coupon for Diapers.com to get $10 off my next order of diapers ($50 or more). Almost the moment I came home from the hospital I went to said website and bought three more diapers. Granted, I had to call into their help desk to get them to apply the coupon to my order since I bought cloth diapers and not disposables. But they applied it and for $43 and no shipping (Diapers.com graciously waives shipping for orders over $50) and my diapers came the next business day.
(If you'd like to do the same at diapers.com, use this code: BECC7547, but remember, you'll have to call the number and ask them to apply the $10 off)
With a stash of six cloth diapers it was easy to see that if I bought the diapers little by little then I'd have a good sized stash in no time.
I'm now up to 17 diapers with 2 more on their way from Kellyscloset.com. I currently have 2 Smartipants, 2 Happy Heinys, and 13 bumGenius diapers--all one size. They all have their pros and cons but over all I'm a huge fan!
I'm also learning that there are lots of different websites out there where I can get my diapers and there's even a store about a half hour from me that has them new and used. There's something great about being able to go online and actually HANDLE what you are about to buy :-D.
In any case, my daughter is nearly two months old and I feel like an old pro. Sort of. I'm currently struggling with stripping diapers that have built up detergent residue on them. That, and the fact that my daughter has just started soaking through the newborn inserts so I'm trying to find a slimmer alternative. I'm about to experiment with some hemp!!! But I'm sort of enjoying the journey--weird as it sounds. I'm absolutely in love with cloth!!!
So, when I found out I was pregnant nearly a year ago, I decided I had enough prior experience to conquer the cloth diapering thing again. I had no idea how cloth diapering has changed. I went into the baby store and saw the packages of gerber pre-folds and the rubber pants that go with them and thought that pre-folded diapers would be my only option. Thanks to a dear friend who diapered her infant with Fuzzi Bunz, I soon discovered there were other more convenient, more cute, and more functional ways to save money by diapering with cloth.
Hence began my quest.
I registered for three sizes of Kushies diapers on my Babies R Us registry and no one who looked at the registry took me seriously because I wasn't given any of them. Dismayed by the high cost of the new cloth diapers I resigned myself to the fact that I'd probably be using pre-folds.
On September 9th I had my first baby, a wonderful 9+ pound baby girl and my friend came to visit with the best new baby gift ever--three One Sized bumGenius diapers, and a coupon for Diapers.com to get $10 off my next order of diapers ($50 or more). Almost the moment I came home from the hospital I went to said website and bought three more diapers. Granted, I had to call into their help desk to get them to apply the coupon to my order since I bought cloth diapers and not disposables. But they applied it and for $43 and no shipping (Diapers.com graciously waives shipping for orders over $50) and my diapers came the next business day.
(If you'd like to do the same at diapers.com, use this code: BECC7547, but remember, you'll have to call the number and ask them to apply the $10 off)
With a stash of six cloth diapers it was easy to see that if I bought the diapers little by little then I'd have a good sized stash in no time.
I'm now up to 17 diapers with 2 more on their way from Kellyscloset.com. I currently have 2 Smartipants, 2 Happy Heinys, and 13 bumGenius diapers--all one size. They all have their pros and cons but over all I'm a huge fan!
I'm also learning that there are lots of different websites out there where I can get my diapers and there's even a store about a half hour from me that has them new and used. There's something great about being able to go online and actually HANDLE what you are about to buy :-D.
In any case, my daughter is nearly two months old and I feel like an old pro. Sort of. I'm currently struggling with stripping diapers that have built up detergent residue on them. That, and the fact that my daughter has just started soaking through the newborn inserts so I'm trying to find a slimmer alternative. I'm about to experiment with some hemp!!! But I'm sort of enjoying the journey--weird as it sounds. I'm absolutely in love with cloth!!!
Cloth Diaper Giveaway: Nicki's Diapers
Check out this link to win a Bummis Cloth Diapering kit from Nicki's Diapers. I've never used diaper covers, I prefer All In Ones, but it's worth a try!
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