It's been so long since I've updated on here about how cloth diapering is going for us, but I finally got a chance to look at everything and put a little video together for you. Linc is now 2 years old (2 years and 3 months to be exact), and nowhere near potty training. His cute little potty just sits there in the corner feeling lonely and rejected, but alas, anytime I even bring up sitting on his potty for even a second, Linc turns up his nose and walks the other way. No way mom! That's what my hip looking diapers are for. Point well taken little man. You win.
I'm sure you all remember that my stash has not been on the small size. When it came to testing diapers, I was gaga for the latest new craze or the newest mommy made diaper. I just had to see if it was the ultimate diaper. Lining up all of my Linc's diapers in the past took up our entire King sized bed. OMG! Yes, I had a little problem. Haha! I'm proud to say that I've gotten my addiction under control though. A few Diaper Addicts Anonymous meetings, shaking hands as diaper ads skimmed across my e-mail inbox, and a few cancelled credit cards later, and I'm down to a manageable 14 diapers in my main stash, and 9 diapers in my backup stash.
So what do I mean by main stash and backup stash? Well I have to admit that there are days when I'm just not on top of my diaper laundry like I should be, so the backup stash is for those days that I forget to do laundry and my main stash has run out. Boo! I hate when that happens, but alas, it happens now and then. So here's what's in my stash. You might be amazed (at least I know I am), that I have pretty much settled on one brand (and if I could, one style). I always said that one diaper brand was just too boring, but I love these so much that I just don't care, and I'm not bored at all. Although I'm sure Linc would be happier if there was a Mickey Mouse, Hulk, or Spongebob design in the mix. Sorry Linc!
I've received numerous requests to see what Lincoln’s
current diaper stash looks like, as well as what I grab for first. It seems like Linc’s diaper stash is ever
changing here in the Putnam household. I
just can’t help myself when it comes to trying something new. You’ll notice when you look at my stash that
I will rarely buy more than one of the same type of diaper. I have a very eclectic stash and I like to
keep it that way. Yes, there are diaper
brands that I’ve grown to love, but even those I’ve tried to limit myself so
that I can leave room to try even more brands.
I’m always on the search for the next star in the cloth diapering
world.
With that said, I’ve listed below
what’s in my stash currently and I’ve placed a star next to my favorite diapers
in each category. Just because I didn’t
place a star next to a diaper doesn't mean I don’t like it. It just means it’s not my first pick of the
stash. Check out my video for a better
visual.
Flat Cloth Diapers – my back up nighttime solution
*I have a ton more flats than this, but these are the only
ones I currently have in rotation*
(Qty: 2) Orange Diaper Company Bamboo Terry Square
TOTAL: 2
Fitted Cloth Diapers – my nighttime solution
(Qty: 1) Kissaluvs Cotton Fleece Fitted
(Qty: 1) Baby BeeHinds Organic Bamboo Fitted OS
(Qty: 1) Juicy Toots OS ***
(Qty: 1) Green Scene Diapers ***
TOTAL: 4
Cloth Diaper Covers – my nighttime solution
(Qty: 1) Gen-Y Universal Cover *
(Qty: 1) Baby BeeHinds Wool Wrap Cover
(Qty: 1) Flip OS Cover
(Qty: 1) Blueberry Coverall ***
(Qty: 1) Thirsties Duo Wrap ***
(Qty: 1) Swaddlebees Capri ***
(Qty: 2) Wool Knit Longies
TOTAL: 8
All-In-Two (AI2) Cloth Diapers – my favorite out of town
solution
(Qty: 2) GroVia AI2 ***
(Qty: 2) SoftBums Echo ***
(Qty: 1) SoftBums Omni
(Qty: 2) Chelory AI2 ***
(Qty: 4) Ragababe 2 Steps *
(Qty: 1) Couture Fluff AI2
(Qty: 1) Home-Made Mickey Mouse AI2
(Qty: 1) itti bitti tutto
(Qty: 2) Oeko PoPo
(Qty: 1) Smart Snugs Bamboo Pocket
(Qty: 1) Doodle Dypes AI2
TOTAL: 18
Pocket Cloth Diapers – not currently my favorite diapering
solution
(Qty: 1) AppleCheeks Envelope Cover ***
(Qty: 2) Bunnzoo ***
(Qty: 1) FuzziBunz Elite ***
(Qty: 2) BumGenius 4.0 *
(Qty: 1) Charlie Banana OS *
(Qty: 2) Tiny Tush Elite V1 *
(Qty: 1) Rumparooz
(Qty: 1) Swaddlebees Econappi
(Qty: 1) LUXbutt
(Qty: 1) Kawaii Heavy Duty HD2
(Qty: 3) Blueberry Minky Pocket
(Qty: 3) BabyKicks 3G
(Qty: 1) Alva Baby
(Qty: 1) Kawaii Baby Minky
(Qty: 1) Kawaii Baby Bamboo Minky
(Qty: 2) FuzziBunz OS
(Qty: 1) Happy Heiny’s One For All
(Qty: 1) Mommy Loves Maddy Organic Bamboo
TOTAL : 26
All-In-One (AIO) Cloth Diapers – my favorite daytime
solution
(Qty: 6) Ragababe Easy AIO ***
(Qty: 1) Bum-Ware Extreme ***
(Qty: 2) Thirsties Duo AIO ***
(Qty: 1) Ones & Twos ***
(Qty: 1) Blissful Booty AIO *
(Qty: 1) Bummis Tots Bots Easy Fit *
(Qty: 1) Kissaluvs Marvels AIO *
(Qty: 1) BumGenius Elemental *
(Qty: 1) Chelory AIO *
(Qty: 1) BumGenius Freetime
(Qty: 2) GroVia AIO
(Qty: 1) Oh Snap! AIO
TOTAL: 19
TOTAL DIAPERS: 69
TOTAL COVERS: 8
And in case you're interested I have a few diapers on the way too... : )
Goodmama Fitted (Yes, it's my 1st !!!)
Country Baby Designs Swim Diaper
Yay! It's Day 2 of the DDL Flats and Handwashing Challenge! I've got my diaper laundry going and I'm still having fun. For those of you that have not been following my recent journey, I'm currently taking part in the Second Annual Flats and Handwashing Challengehosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry. For 7 days I will be using only flat cloth diapers and handwashing them in an effort to prove that cloth diapering can be affordable and accessible to all. You can learn more about the rules and why this challenge was started by visiting the announcement post. This year there are over 450 participants from all over the world!
Today I've decided to share with you all what I'm using for this challenge. I've got way more than I need since I wanted to test several options, but better too much than too little. Here's a list of what we're using.
Accessories:
2 - Snappis
4 - Pins
Various Cloth Wipes
Cleaning Supplies:
Diaper Sprayer
5 Gallon Bucket
Lid For Bucket (broke after first wash)
Plunger w/ Holes Drilled In
Various Detergents (Tide, Eco Sprout, Rockin' Green)
Clothes Line
Clothes Pins
DAY 2 NOTES:
- Last night went really well. I used two of the Hemp Babies Flat Weeds folded up into an origami fold. They were soaked in the morning, but absolutely no leaks! Oh, and I used a Blueberry Coverall on top.
- Washing yesterday went well. I washed 5 flats, 2 washcloths, and 3 diaper covers (some of these were from the weekend). They all washed up very nicely. The birdseye flats dried the fastest (1hr). The hemp and bamboo terry flats took 2 hours. The covers and wipes (double sided wipes) took three hours. Just for reference I live in CA with a dry temp of about 95 degrees.
- Today I plan on trying some different folds. I need to try more than just the padfold and the Origami fold.
A LITTLE DIAPER HUMOR FOR THE DAY:
And the winning diaper is...
Created with a bib, scarf, & napkins.
Want to read more great posts from other bloggers taking the same challenge. Check out the links below.
I've been meaning to write this post for awhile now, but when DiaperShops.com posted their "No Pins Required Pinterest Contest" it really pushed me into gear. I've been officially cloth diapering Lincoln for over four months now and have a pretty good idea of what I bought that helped, what didn't, and what I couldn't live without. Listed below are my top 15 must haves for cloth diapering. Stick to this list and I assure that you will be ready for any and all cloth diaper situations ... Adventures In Fluff style.
DiaperShops.com
#1 - Supportive Community - Why is a supportive community number 1? Because you just can't do this alone. I don't know how many times my cloth diaper support groups have helped me. Too many times to count I would assume. This was especially true in the beginning. In the beginning I had nobody near me that knew about cloth or even supported my decision to cloth diaper. Where do I start? What do I do? How do I fix this? So many questions. Who else are you going to run to when you get a new diaper in the mail and want to share your excitement? Certainly not your next door neighbor that's going to think your pregnancy knocked one too many screws loose in your head. So where do you find these communities? Online forums like DiaperSwappers is great. There are tons of Facebook groups. If you have a local cloth diaper store then start there. Maybe they have a group. The Great Cloth Diaper Change is coming up April 21st. You'll meet LOTS of cloth mamas there. Whatever your source, you're going to need a group of parents that you can go to when it comes to The Good, The Bad, and The Poopy of cloth diapering. My Faves: Fertility Friend "The Cloth Diaper Crew" (paid subscription), Facebook Group "Cloth Diaper Chat", & all the cloth diaper Facebook pages (I tend to frequent my favorite brands, stores, & blogs).
TIDE Ultra Detergent
#2 - Laundry Routine And Detergent - This was a VERY close second for me. I almost put it as number 1. I don't know how many people I've seen quit cloth diapering because they can't get a good laundry routine down. This was one of the areas that I spent most of my time researching before Lincoln was born. There's nothing more discouraging when you really want cloth diapering to work, but you keep getting leaks, stink, buildup, and stains. This is a tricky one though because everyone's laundry routine and detergent that works for them is different. It all depends on your water, your load size, the age of your child (pee concentration and poop type), the washer you have, and the types of diapers you have. Do you have hard or soft water? Do you have large or small loads of laundry? Do you have a newborn or a toddler? Do you have a top loader or a front loader washing machine? Do you have mostly synthetic diapers or natural diapers? It all comes into play when trying to come up with your laundry routine and detergent type. I don't mean to scare you. It's really not that bad. Most routines are fairly similar in fact. It's just a matter of tweaking it to fit your needs. My Faves: My Cloth Diaper Wash Routine with Tide Ultra.
Bumgenius 3.0 All In One
#3 - Easy All-In-One Diapers - These diapers are perfect for dad, grandparents, and childcare facilities. To tell you the truth I LOVE them for myself too. They're just so easy and about as close to a disposable diaper as you can get. Get these with hook and loop closures and you pretty much have a disposable diaper. Sure they take longer to dry and you can't customize the absorbency as easy as a pocket diaper, but they are soooooo easy. I just love them. These are my out and about diaper. If I have to run errands then you can bet an All-In-One diaper is what's in my diaper bag. My Faves: Ragababe & BumGenius 3.0 AIO (discontinued)
SoftBums Echo AI2 Diaper
#4 - Economical All-In-Two Diapers - When I first started researching cloth diapers I totally did not understand the point of an All-In-Two diaper. How could a little snap in insert contain everything? How could you possibly re-use the diaper shell again? Wouldn't that be gross? Wouldn't it be soaked with pee or smeared with poop? Ick!!!! Then I tried a few. OMG! I love them! I just love being able to take out a wet soaker (I just use my wipe to unsnap it and throw it in the laundry bag) and then snap in a new soaker for the next change. It makes me feel so great that I get to use my super cute shells more than once. If the shell is slightly damp then I let it dry and use it for the next diaper change. If it gets poop on it (Linc doesn't poop as often as I thought he would), then I just throw it in the laundry. Not only do I love that I can use my cute diapers more than once, but I'm saving money by doing so. The shell is the most expensive part and if I get to use it 2, 3, or even 4 times, then I'm usually paying wayyyy less than any other diaper system (except prefolds and covers). I also find that my All-In-Two systems are much trimmer fitting than most other diapers. Great when you're trying to fit jeans over a diaper. That said, I normally use my All-In-Two's at home so I have somewhere to hang my diaper shell up in between changes. I also use these for long distance travel since they take up the least amount of space in my luggage. My Faves: Ragababe Two Steps, SoftBums Echo, & Grovia Shells.
Tiny Tush Elite Pocket Diaper
#5 - Night Time Diaper Solution - When your baby starts sleeping through the night ... or more than a two hour stretch, you're going to need a night time diaper solution. Now that solution is different for everyone. It depends on several factors. Is your baby a heavy wetter? Is your baby sensitive to wetness? Does your baby sleep on their back, tummy, or side? Linc is easy. He sleeps on his back, he's not a heavy wetter, and he's not sensitive to wetness. We can do almost anything. That said, Linc does go 12 hours without a diaper change at night so we do need a solution that can hold a lot of liquid just in case. Some parents use fitted diapers with PUL or wool. Some parents use pocket diapers with lots of inserts. There are many other options as well. I myself am a pocket with inserts type of girl. My Faves: Tiny Tush Elite or Kawaii Heavy Duty, paired with a Thirsties Hemp Insert
Hefty Pail & Planet Wise Liner
#6 - Dirty Diaper Storage Solution - You're going to need somewhere to put all your stinky diapers until laundry day. There are lots of options out there, but I've found that it's best to take the following into consideration. A diaper pail with airflow keeps stink away better than a diaper pail that is tightly closed. I also find that a plastic container is best, just in case your pail liner springs a leak. Once in awhile I like to set that bad boy outside and let it air out with the fresh clean air. Using a pail liner will help to keep your pail clean and avoid having to wash it every other day. I own two so that while one liner is in the wash, the other goes into my pail. Another option is to use a large hanging wet bag. This is a great option if you just don't have the space for a diaper pail or if you move your diaper changing station from one area to another depending on what time of the day it is. My Faves: (2) Planet Wise Pail Liners and Hefty 13.3 Pivot Lid Wastebasket
Home Made Cloth Wipes
#7 - Cloth Wipes - I can't say enough good things about cloth wipes. I LOVE them! Gone are the days where it took 10 wipes to clean up a poopy mess. I use at the most 2 cloth wipes for each diaper change and 90% of the time I only need one. I have about 50 cloth wipes on hand, but you could easily get away with about 35. My Faves: Ragababe & My own home made cloth wipes made with terrycloth and flannel (tutorial here)
#8 - Newborn Diapers - Some debate on whether newborn diapers are necessary or not. Some go with prefolds and covers till their baby can fit in one-size diapers. Some just go with disposables. Not me! There's something about newborn diapers that just makes your eggs drop in hopes of another newborn to put them on. Newborn diapers are just toooooo cute to pass up. Not only are they too cute, but they have a great resale value so you usually get a lot of your money back on them. Not in the mood to buy newborn diapers and deal with selling them? Try renting them instead. I almost did. My Faves: Kissaluvs Cotton Fleece Fitted Diapers (Size: 0) with a Thirsties Duo Wrap (Size: 1). See more of my favorite newborn diapers HERE.
KAEL&KAED Wet Bag
#9 - Wet Bags - You're on the go and you've got to change a diaper. What do you do? Yes, you could throw it in your diaper bag and hope it doesn't leak (yes, I've done this before). You could leave it on the floor of your car till you get home (can someone say hot stink box? ... ummm no thank you!). You could just leave the diaper on the baby and let them marinate in their own sloshy mess (hmmmm ... not a bad idea. Ok, I'm not that mean). What you do is get a wet bag. Wet bags are waterproof bags that zip up and hold your wet stinky diapers till you get home or it's time to wash them. They come in several sizes and I recommend you get a couple sizes. I have a couple small ones (they'll hold about one or two diapers), and a couple medium ones (they'll hold about 6-8 diapers). The small ones are great for really quick trips out of the house. The medium ones are great for all day trips out of the house. The large ones are great for overnight trips (I still need to get one of those). The best part? When you're done with cloth diapering these can be used for pool or beach bags to hold your wet swim suits. My Faves: Planet Wise & KAEL&KAED
CJ's Butter
#10 - Diaper Rash Cream - Now one of the reasons that I decided to cloth diaper Lincoln was because I heard that babies got less diaper rash when cloth diapered due to the diaper being more breathable and less chemicals being used. For us that has been pretty much true, but we do still get the occasional diaper rash. When using cloth diapers you can't use the typical diaper rash creams that you would use with disposable diapers. They would leave a buildup on your diapers that would cause your diapers to repel and leak. You need to use a diaper rash cream that is labeled to be cloth diaper friendly. My Faves: CJ's Butter & Mum Mum Crafts Baby Booty Balm
Blueberry Pocket Diaper & Ragababe Doublers
#11 - Diaper Doublers - A diaper doubler is basically anything that you can use to boost up the absorbency of your cloth diapers. There are many reasons why you might want to increase the absorbency. You'll probably need a doubler at night since your baby will be in the diaper for a long time. You'll probably want a doubler for long car rides since your baby will be pressing on their diaper in a seat. You'll probably want a doubler for a heavy wetter baby. There are many options out there to choose from. You can use hemp, cotton, bamboo, microfiber, prefolds, etc. My Faves: Thirsties Hemp Inserts, Ragababe Doublers & Inserts & BabyKicks Joey Bunz
Sigma Diaper Sprayer
#12 - Diaper Sprayer - I haven't used my diaper sprayer yet, but you can bet that it was at the top of my list to buy one for later on down the road. We're actually only about a month or two away from breaking that bad boy out. So what's a diaper sprayer you ask? Oh well let me tell you it's a super fun device that you hook up to your toilet plumbing to spray your @$$ with after you take a dump. Haha! Ok, that's what my husband thinks it's for. Actually it is a device that you use to spray the poop from your diapers onto you, your toilet, and the walls of your bathroom (if you're not diaper sprayer skilled). That said, I plan to conquer the diaper sprayer technique so that I can avoid having to swish Linc's diapers in the toilet... and clean my walls The point of the diaper sprayer is to get as much poop off the diapers before you throw them in the wash. You don't need to do this with breastfed poo since it's water soluble (thus I have not broke my diaper sprayer out yet), but as soon as babies start solids or formula then you're going to need to break that bad boy out. I'll be practicing with a clean diaper at first. My Fave: Sigma Diaper Sprayer
Ju Ju Be . BFF Diaper Bag
#13 - Diaper Bag - Now here's an area where I splurged. I knew this item was going to be with me everyday and a part of my cool mommy wardrobe for the next 2-3 years (nothing says cool like a big teddy bear on the side of your diaper bag). I knew I needed something big enough to carry all of Lincoln's stuff as well as my stuff (this would be my new purse), plus some little things for the girls such as snacks. I also knew that I wanted a backpack. I just think that backpacks are super easy to carry around while trying to manage two kids and a baby at the same time. My Fave: Ju-Ju-Be B.F.F.
Ragababe Easy All In One Diaper
#14 - Super Cute Diapers - You might say "What??? Why do I need cute diapers???". Ok, all cloth diapers are cute, but I'm talking super cute. Those diapers that just make you squee with delight and bust your budget trying to collect them all. Now you don't have to bust your budget to get super cute diapers. Just get at least one or two. So what's the point you ask? The point is to make other parents swoon and other babies wish they had back like your baby does. I find this really helps when all your friends and family can't understand your cloth obsession and swear you're going to quit one day. Oh yes! When they see that cute fluffy bum they will secretly wish they had picked cloth too. My Faves: Ragababe (I also have a Doodle Dypes on the way and Chelory on my purchase radar)
Smart Snugs Diaper & My Little Legs
#15 - Leg Warmers - I know technically leg warmers are not a cloth diaper accessory, but oh how they make cloth diapering easier. Don't be deceived by the name and have visions of Flashdance in your head (Oh memories! I should watch that movie again). They're basically really long socks with no feet that cover the entire leg. Ok... they're leg warmers, but I try not to call them that around my husband since Linc is a boy. I love that I can leave them on during diaper changes and I don't have to worry about pulling pants over his fluffy bum. Plus they come in so many cute prints and I can show off Linc's cute diapers since they're not covered up with pants. At the same time his legs are warm and protected while crawling. My Faves: My Little Legs & Making my own (tutorial here)
So there you have it! Those are my Top 15 Cloth Diaper Must Haves. Not sure what I would do without them. I definitely wouldn't be having as much fun as I am right now. I definitely had a lot of fun creating this list. Thanks DiaperShops.com for hosting such a great contest. Here's a link to my Official Adventures In Fluff "No Pins Required" Contest Entry. I'd LOVE to see all your entries too!!! Feel free to post a link to your No Pins Required contest entry below so we can all get some great ideas of new products to try.
Well, it's official... Linc is finally out of all his newborn diapers. Sniff Sniff. I actually sold most of them today. It's a bittersweet feeling. Yay! I've got more money to buy new diapers! Booo! Linc is growing too fast and I'll never get to use these little diapers again since 3 kiddos is the max limit for us. Bye Bye itti bitti fluff. We had a nice two months together and now you'll move on to another little baby's bum.
That brings me to the exciting part. Big boy fluff!!!! Linc's been in his big boy fluff for a month now, but I realized I hadn't shared it with you all. He looks soooo cute! I love having so many options on styles and colors and it seems like the possibilities are endless. Too bad my wallet isn't... or so my husband says. Darn! Listed below is my post newborn diaper stash. I'll be testing these babies on Linc to find out which ones we love and which ones we don't. In the process I'll be writing up reviews for you all to see. Can't wait to find out which ones we fall in love with and which ones we don't. If you're trying to decide upon a certain diaper I have listed below and you'd really like to see the review sooner rather than later then comment below with your diaper selection. I'll try and review those diapers first.
Now that I'm done posting my Newborn Cloth Diaper Reviews (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4) it makes me wonder. What would my newborn cloth diaper stash look like if I was to do it all over again? Mind you I don't plan on getting pregnant again so Lincoln will be the one and only newborn I get to cloth diaper, but it's fun to wonder... What if ?
I'm not sure if you remember way back when I wrote a post titled "The Newborn Stash". It went over all the diapers I planned to use during the newborn phase. LOL! I guess it changed a lot. Yes, I ended up getting the diapers I listed ... but I also got a lot more. Ok, "My name is Chana, and I'm a cloth diaper addict". I wonder if I still would have been happy if I had stuck to my original plan. I think I would have been. Would it have been my perfect newborn stash? No. But it would have worked. Here's a list of what I had planned on using for the newborn stage.
(Qty: 12) Green Mountain Diapers Cloth-eez Prefolds - Size: Newborn
(Qty: 12) Green Mountain Diapers Cloth-eez Prefolds - Size: Small
(Qty: 3) BabyKicks Hemparoo Fleece Prefold - Size: Small
Now that would have been all good and dandy, but having went through the newborn stage and knowing what I know now, I would have done things a little differently. Although I tried to spread the love and use all my newborn diapers I definitely had my favorites that I always grabbed first. Each diaper had it's specific purpose with a certain time of day I would use them or a certain activity that I preferred to use them during. Having said that, here is my perfect newborn stash. I only wish I was brave enough (or crazy enough) to have another baby so I could create this perfect stash and use it. Boo! Oh well. Maybe one of you could use it and let me know how it works out.
This would be my go to daytime diaper especially if anyone was going to see him in a diaper. Love the look. Love the fit. Love the absorbency. Don't love the price, but they have a great re-sale value so I would anticipate on getting a lot of my money back.
This would be my go to out of the house diaper during the first week or two when the umbilical cord is still on. I hate having a two piece system when out of the house. I loved the fit of this diaper and the price was pretty good as well.
This would be one of my daytime diapers. I love all the patterns that these come in and I love that they are so adjustable and last a long time size wise. They fit nice and are super easy for dad to put on. I also like that it's a pocket diaper and super easy to stuff.
This would be one of my daytime diapers while I was still using my fitted diapers at night, but later turn into my go to night time solution in the later months. I love the fit of these. I love the inserts (especially when you add an extra hemp insert for the night). The prints and colors are nice and you can't beat the durability and absorbency of these. I'd pick snaps over aplix because I found it to hold up way better than the aplix.
Gotta love a One-Size diaper that works on a newborn. I LOVE the Rump.a.rooz prints too. This diaper works great and looks even better. I like the snaps because even when your baby can use their hands, they'll have a hard time opening the snaps. Snaps last longer anyways which is great when you have a OS diaper. These will be great from beginning to end.
I LOVED my Kissaluvs for nighttime on a newborn. They were easy to put on, easy to take off, and oh so soft! They also helped to contain everything including those messy newborn poops during the night. I felt that because these contained so well, I didn't need that many covers. I NEVER got poop on my covers. I love that these have an umbilical cord snap down and fit on babies up to 15lbs.
Love my Thirsties Covers! These are great for those first couple of weeks. The Duos are great in the long run, but I feel that the sized covers fit better on a bitti newborn and look nicer. I'd only get three though because I'd want a couple covers to last past the newborn stage.
Love the economical value of the Duo Wraps. They get as small as an XS Thirsties cover, but last wayyyy longer. Although I think the snap version lasts longer, I wouldn't plan on using the wraps past the newborn stage so longevity isn't an issue for me with this one, thus I'm going for ease of use here.
Now, I'm not much of a prefold girl, but since I didn't like most of the newborn options with an umbilical cord snap down I would probably use these for the first week or two until the cord fell off (in addition to my Kissaluvs AIO's and Fitteds). After that point they'll just be use for back up diapers, doublers, burp cloths, and covers to lay over my changing pad.
So there's my perfect newborn stash! You'll probably notice I'm still a bit eclectic, but I think one type of diaper is just too boring. I like to spice it up a bit. Please note that when I selected my perfect newborn stash I took into consideration the size of my children when they were born. They were all 7lbs or above so I never had a bitti baby. If I had then my choices might be a bit different. But for the average size to large size newborn, I think this is the perfect stash that takes into consideration style, price, durability, longevity, and of course function. Hope this helps you in your newborn cloth diaper research. Happy Fluffy Shopping!
Before I got pregnant earlier this year my sewing machine just sat in the closet and collected dust. I used it for a project or two, but nothing extravagant or anything. I think I lined some curtains I had and then re-vamped a bedding set my friend had. That's about it. Then I got pregnant and I realized that I didn't like a fabric on the bedding set I wanted so I sewed over that, then I needed curtains so I sewed those, and then I got into cloth diapering so I started sewing some prefolds, and it all snowballed from there. I was addicted to my sewing machine. Sewing my own cloth diapers had been on my list from the beginning, but I really had no idea where to start and nobody around me to show me how to get started.
It was like Christmas in August the day I heard that Babyville Boutique was coming out with a line that would have all the cloth diaper making supplies that I needed and the books to help guide me to make them. They have cute PUL fabrics, snap pliers, snaps, fold over elastic, hook and loop rolls, decorative appliques & labels, super cute buttons, and books with all the directions you need to get started on making your own cloth diapers and accessories. This is exactly what I needed to get started ! ! ! Now all I had to do was wait till September. Arh! I'm not good at waiting. Finally in September our local Joann's store got the Babyville Boutique products in. I'll admit, it took me awhile to get in there since Joann's is clear across town but I finally got in there and was so excited to see the display. I bought one of their three packs of PUL coordinates, the snap pliers, one package of snaps, and a package of their EZ Adjust Tape. I was totally bummed that they didn't have the books in but I went back a week later and was able to get the "Cloth Diapers Made Easy" book, as well as some Fold Over Elastic. I was ready to roll!!!!
I'm sure you can guess what I was doing later that night. Oh yes, I was reading my "Cloth Diapers Made Easy" book. Just looking at all the pictures got me excited enough, but I loved how in detail the book was written and all the helpful photos that showed how to make each diaper step by step. I could totally do this!!! The next day I attempted my first diaper. I started out with the "Diaper Cover with Fold Over Elastic (FOE)". I wanted to make newborn diapers though and I don't really like the idea of using a cover that doesn't have interior gussets so I added in the advanced technique of adding gussets to my cover on the first try. My first gusset was a failure. I didn't pull the FOE correctly and it wasn't stretchy like it should be. I chucked the first one and started over. My next try was a success as well as the entire diaper! I still can't believe how great my first diaper came out. It totally looks like something I would buy!
I was so excited at how great my first diaper looked that I instantly started working on my second diaper the same day. This time I attempted the "Pocket Diaper with FOE" using a butter suede cloth for the interior lining and adding gussets like the first diaper. This was a little trickier, but a total success!!!! Another awesomely cute diaper to add to my stash. Ok, I did make one mistake and added one of my EZ Adjust Tape laundry tabs to the wrong location, but it didn't affect the use of the diaper. I just sewed over it instead of removing it since I didn't want to add more holes to my PUL fabric.
The next day I was at it again. This time I was going to attempt the "Hidden PUL Turned and Topstitched Pocket Diaper". I'll admit. I bombed this one totally. I didn't get the pocket opening correct and the elastic in the legs was not tight enough. I think this was part my fault and part the book's fault. I didn't follow the directions to the T, but then again I still think I would have made a mistake even if I did. The directions on this particular diaper were not quite as clear, but I'm sure if I read them all the way through before I started then the pocket opening would have turned out better. I'm not sure about the elastic though. I think the designated quantity is just too much. Overall this diaper is still really cute ... just not sure if it will be usable. I'll give this one a try again later.
The next day I attempted my fourth diaper from the book. This time I attempted the "Fitted Prefold Diaper". This diaper was also a turned and topstitched diaper like my last one and utilized the braided elastic in the legs and back instead of the FOE. I read the directions carefully this time and decreased the length on the braided elastic from 5" to 4" in the legs. I also decreased the length on the back elastic, but didn't measure it. It was a success!!! This was also my first diaper with snaps too. I wish the snap pliers would open a bit further, but then again I've never used snap pliers before. The little rubber thing fell off a couple times too, but it wasn't a big deal and was easy to stick back on. I was surprised at how easy it was to put the snaps on. It didn't hurt my hands at all and I only messed up one snap that I had to pry off (totally my fault). I LOVE my cute little prefold fitted diaper!!! I also altered this diaper to have a pocket so that it would clean easier and dry faster. If I would have thought about it before hand I would have put on the snaps differently so that I could have used a full insert inside of it. I'll do that next time.
My last project was an insert. I just did a standard insert using three layers of microfiber with a layer of suede on top. I figure I can use it as an insert with the microfiber up, or a doubler with the suede side up depending on the diaper I'm using it in. I turned and top stitched the insert since I don't have a serger and it was very easy.
So that's as far as I've gotten on my diaper making quest. I plan on trying all the designs in the book and making lots of cute little diapers for my little guy. I really want to try an AIO, AI2, and a OS diaper. I also want to try out some of those cute applique's and labels. I'll pick them up the next time I'm at Joann's as well as some more PUL. I do have some leftover PUL from my other projects, but not enough for a diaper. I think I'll get the other book "Baby Essentials Made Easy", and try a wet bag. You can bet I'll be sewing up a storm of new diapers and accessories, and when I do you will all be the first to know how they came out.
All I can say is I LOVE the Babyville Boutique line and how much it's helped me to create my own diaper creations. I don't know that I ever would have attempted such a big project without their easy to use guide and conveniently available products. I also can't wait for their website to be fully functional. They're going to have tutorials on how to make other diapers on there as well as a whole community of other diaper crafters that you can talk to. For now I like to check in on the Babyville Boutique Facebook page where a lot of information is passed around. For those of you that have or will be trying the Babyville Boutique products, please let me know what you think and any tips you've gained along the way. Feel free to post pics on my Facebook page too. I'd love to see them. Till then keep tuning in for more great products, information, tutorials, reviews, and giveaways. I've got lots planned as I continue on with my Adventures In Fluff... and other mommy stuff.
**This review is comprised of my own opinions and was not influenced by any outside source. The products were purchased by myself and were not given to me or asked to be reviewed by any outside source. No advertising was purchased in order to feature this product. **
With only about a month till Lincoln gets here and my diaper stash pretty much complete, I thought it was high time that I get the diaper changing station organized and ready to go. Let me tell you, that isn't easy when you've got a nursery as small as ours is. Well, it's really about an average sized room, just awkward in the space that's available. It took some pretty creative thinking in order to get everything I needed easily accessible for diaper changes.
I started out with a basic changing table just big enough for a changing pad on top and two shelves underneath. Baskets were the obvious choice for the shelves so I started there. I found a cute set of baskets at Home Goods that were already embroidered with the words "Baby Stuff" and "Baby Things",and the colors were a perfect match for the nursery theme. Score! Unfortunately I realized after I got home that I also needed to put my wipes warmer on one of the shelves, so that meant that two of my baskets would need to be skinny and long in order to utilize my space the best. I found these two canvas baskets at Lowe's of all places, but Target also has some great ones right now too. My bottom left basket holds my AIO's, AI2's, and Pockets. My bottom right basket holds my prefolds and covers. The top left basket holds my disposable diapers that I'll use for the first couple of days. Later this basket will hold all my covers. The top right basket holds my fitted and easy winged prefolds. I also have one basket in the back that holds all my rarely needed items such as wool wash, wipes solution, etc.
Well the diapers took up all my shelving space so now I had to figure out what to do with the rest of my necessary items. That's when I decided to add a cabinet above the changing table. I still wanted the cabinet to look good though, so it mostly holds decorative items, but a few of my diaper changing necessities are also up there. On the bottom left and right cubbies I have my wipes and the middle cubbie has my q-tips. The rest is all decorative with pictures and dolls. Under the cabinet I put three hooks. These are great to hang a couple outfits so that you always have a change of clothes nearby. They're also great for hanging toys for your little one to play with during diaper changes or hang your diaper cover to dry between changes.
I still had lots to organize though. What about all my inserts, doublers, snappi's, liners, and more? Where was I going to put all of those?!?!?! This took me quite a bit of time to figure out. I knew in my mind pretty much exactly what I wanted ... I just couldn't find one. I wanted something skinny (about 6 inches) and deep (about 18 inches). I wanted it to be as tall as the changing table and attach to the side. I also knew that I wanted it to be canvas to match some of the other items in the room. I just could not find one!!! I almost broke down and completely sewed a storage unit, but then at the last minute I had an idea. I decided to buy some small canvas bins that I saw at Babies R Us, string them together with ribbon, and hang them from the side of the changing table. The storage bins even have dividers already built into them. It was PERFECT! In the top bin I store my wee wee covers, brush and comb, snappi's, diaper rash cream, and liners. In the second bin I store my extra wipes and a few inserts. The third bin has inserts and doublers. The last bin has breast pads, my extra pail liner, wet bags, and disposable inserts. If you don't want to take the time to modify all these bins I also found this great hanging storage unit that's ready to go at Babies R Us. All you have to do is add ribbon to the top so you can hang it from your changing table.
You might laugh, but this is just storage for my newborn stash. I also needed storage for my post newborn stash. For that I purchased one of those hanging canvas storage units for the closet. It's the perfect size to hold everything that Lincoln won't fit in when he's born. I love that it's easily accessible so I can check now and then to see what diapers I can pull out next for Lincoln to use.
All that's left for my changing station is my diaper pail. I have a basic swing top trash can I got from Target and I use a Planet Wise pail liner inside. I love the way the top swings in so all I have to do is drop my diaper on top and the diaper will fall in. I also love that the trash can is plastic so it's easy to clean if I need to. Another detail that's great about my changing station is that our nursery is attached to a restroom so I have quick access to a sink as well as the toilette for diaper spraying. The laundry room is also just next door so everything is in close proximity. I love it!
Well, that's another thing I can check off my list. Diaper changing station is prepped and ready to go! I think the setup is going to work out great and I hope it helps to stir some ideas for you when you're organizing your changing station. Feel free to share your changing station pics on my Facebook page. I'd love to see them and see if I need to make any changes. Till then keep checking back for more posts about my Adventures In Fluff.
Now that I'm nearing the end of my pregnancy and Lincoln will be here soon, I'm pretty much done with my diaper stash. Haha! Are we ever really done though??? Well, I am pretty much done with my newborn diaper stash and post newborn diaper testing stash. Lately I've had lots of requests to see what my stash consists of. Hmmmm... I have a list, but I've never really pulled it all out and saw with my own eyes exactly what I have. Yay! Time to pull it all out and have a lookie.
Eeeek! I have a lot! I didn't want to pull it all out at once, so listed below and shown on my video are just the diapers in my newborn stash. Mind you, some of these diapers are two size diapers that are noted to fit newborns (Noted with a *), and a very few OS diapers that are also noted to fit newborns (Noted with a ***). I also have quite a few transition diapers of all types (AIO's, Pockets, Fitteds, & Prefolds) that will help my little guy transition from the newborn phase to the OS diapers. I did not include my transition diapers in my list though. I'll add those into my post newborn stash list that I will post later. I'm also not done with all my sewing projects. You never know. I might add another diaper or two .... or three or four (hehe!) by the time I'm done.
Phew!!!!! That was a lot. At least now I know I'm pretty much covered on my newborn stash. Even if not all the two size and OS diapers fit at first, I should still be fine. I also didn't note that I have about 12 Gerber flat diapers that I got for free, but I'll only use those if I'm in desperate need of a diaper. I know the Gerber diapers aren't the best quality, but they were free.
I hope you enjoyed taking a peek into my newborn diaper stash. I'll pull out all the post newborn stuff later and let you all take a peek at that. I'm still waiting on a few of those dipes in the mail. I also want to do a post on how I'm storing all these diapers. That was quite the project in my tiny little nursery. Till then it would be fun to see pics of your newborn diaper stash as well. You can post some pics on my Facebook page. I'd love to see them! Don't forget to check back for more Adventures In Fluff.
**If you would like to purchase any of these diapers please help support my blog by visiting my Affiliates Page and making your purchases through my links. Thanks!**
