I read last week that Earth Day is one of most important holidays on many school calendars. While Earth Day was Sunday, April 22, it is important to keep Earth Day in mind every day – not just once a year. At the very least, Earth Day is a good reminder for all of us to up our own personal commitment to the environment, revisit our everyday habits and look for ways to further “green” our lives. In short, this day should inspire action. In kids and adults alike.
Last year on this blog, I made a few Earth Day resolutions hoping that you, my fellow cloth diaperers, would join me. This year, I thought I would recap my resolutions and my progress in the past year. And I’m adding some new ones for the coming year, hoping you’ll do the same. I mean, we are already on the right track by using cloth diapers…from here it’s easy to add green practices to your everyday life.
To recap my 2011 resolutions:
Compost. Done. Since August, we’ve been faithfully collecting our kitchen scraps in an old coffee canister under the sink and adding it to the composter along with dry leaves and yard waste, even through the winter. No useable compost yet, but we’re getting there and the rising temperature can only help. Grade: A
Join a CSA. I’m on the right track. I’ve done the research, but haven’t signed up quite yet. Grade: C
Eliminate paper napkins and reduce paper towels by half. The paper napkins are still in the cupboard. BUT, we’ve invested in several sets of cloth napkins that we use almost every day. I moved the paper towels under the sink where they are not as easy to grab and started dating the inside of the new tube when open it and it’s been taking us anywhere from 3-4 weeks to use an entire roll, which is a significant reduction. Grade: B+
Run at least one errand on foot per week. This is a work in progress. I probably do this once every two weeks on average. Some weeks, I run three errands on foot and other weeks I drive everywhere. Grade: C
Reduce trash-to-curb. Apparently we had been using the wrong size trash can for two years, so even with a smaller one, we are only filling it about half full. This week, we’ll be putting out two kitchen-sized bags of trash. Not bad for a family of four. Grade: B
Now, for the new Earth Day Resolutions. In addition to continuing to work on the above, my Earth Day Resolutions for 2012:
Garden. We recently bought a large raised bed for the backyard and filled it with a mix of soil and compost (purchased, ours wasn’t ready yet). The goal is to grow a kid-friendly garden full of vegetables that are organic and ready to eat from our back yard like carrots, corn, peas, lettuce, tomatoes….and hopefully a couple of pumpkins!
Shop and eat local. I’m resolving to buy local whenever it makes sense both to support local businesses and reduce our carbon footprint. Frequent the hardware store in my town, farmers markets, my garden and local restaurants, especially those with a locavore attitude.
Reduce wrapping paper waste. The amount of paper we threw away after Christmas was sickening. Multiply that by every house on our block and every block in the country. I do love a beautifully wrapped gift (probably more than the next gal), but I need to do better. I’ve started to recycle wrapping paper and bags, use old book pages or newspapers – or better yet a scarf or something cool – to wrap gifts. My friend has been making cute gift bags from scrap fabric for her gifts, they are beautiful and reusable!
Adjust the temperature. Our standard indoor temperature is 69 in the winter and about 75 in the summer. I’m thinking we can go definitely dress warmer in the winter and get by with 68, possibly even increase to 76 in the summer (though my sweaty husband may disagree on that one!).
Keep talking about cloth diapers. As my girl gets older and cloth diapering is just a part of daily life, I don’t talk about it quite as much as I once did (to anyone who would listen!). I’m making it a goal to continue to be a champion for cloth diapers and talk to the new and expectant moms I meet about the benefits of going green and using cloth!
So that’s it. Nothing drastic. Totally doable, right? Here’s to Earth Day 2012 and inspiring action in our own families and communities. What are your Earth Day resolutions? Join us on Facebook and tell us yours!
Sarah is a mom of two and blogs about her adventures in motherhood, cloth diapering and everything in between. Catch her “Cloth Diapering Unwrapped” series on the FuzziBunz blog every Tuesday. Learn more about Sarah here.
Autism Awareness is an important cause for FuzziBunz. As a mother of a child impacted by autism, FuzziBunz’s CEO, Tereson Dupuy, has committed herself to helping others impacted by autism too.
To thank those of you who shared precious photographs of you and your babies wearing FuzziBunz ‘Light It Up Blue’ cloth diaper, we’ve compiled a video to show off all of the babies in ‘Bunz! We appreciate your support and help in making a difference for autism awareness.
Show your FuzziBunz pride on April 21, 2012 as all of us cloth diapering moms and dads attempt to break the world record for the most cloth diapers changed at one time at the Great Cloth Diaper Change. Last year, a Guiness World Record was set for the most cloth diapers changed simultanously with 5,026 participants at 127 locations in 5 countries.
This year, we hope you’ll join a local event to help shatter that record – and you’ll show your baby’s FuzziBunz pride too!
WHAT: If you’re attending the Great Cloth Diaper Change event this weekend, dress up your baby in your favorite color FuzziBunz! Whether it’s Light It Up Blue for Autism Awareness or Apple Green in honor of Earth Day, show off your baby’s “Bunz”. Then, please snap a photo of your baby in their FuzziBunz at your local event. Email your photos to us at press@fuzzibunz.com. We’ll be featuring some of your snapshots on our social networks and blog next week. Snap away!!
WHEN: Saturday, April 21, 2012. Attend your local Great Cloth Diaper Change event on April 21, 2012.
WHY: This world record attempt is a great way to show the world how many people are already using reusable cloth diapers successfully. At the same time, you can help us educate people who don’t yet know about cloth diapers.
WHO: To continue to encourage all of us to support this very important cause, we invite YOU to change your FuzziBunz diapered babies at your local event.
Are you attending a Great Cloth Diaper Change Event? Join the discussion and let us know on Facebook!
Editor’s Note: In our initial post we linked to the incorrect soap nuts brand. Please note that the brand of soap nuts that Sarah used in her review was from EcoNuts. We apologize for any confusion! -FuzziBunz Editor.
When they arrived in the mail, I put them on the counter and went upstairs. When I came back, my husband is turning them around in his hand muttering, “what the…?”
He’s put up with many a new “eco-fad” that I’ve been crazy excited about for the moment, but I think he thought I went over the edge with this one. He was standing there holding my new soap nuts, wondering what the heck I was up to now.
Soap nuts come from a berry that grows on trees mainly in Asia. Yes, a berry that has cleaning properties and work much like detergents do to get clothes clean, but without the chemicals unnecessary foaming action. The dried berry shells contain saponins, a natural surfactant that advocates claim to be better for people with sensitive skin or allergies. Soap nuts have been used in other countries for eons and are now gaining popularity in North America and Europe. I love the fact that they are organic, biodegradable and compostable.
And yes, they even work for cloth diapers.
So, I tried them. Following the directions that came in the packaging, here’s what I did.
Put about four of the nuts (both whole nuts and a couple halves or pieces) into the included cloth bag.
Loaded the cloth bag right into the wash drum with my dirty (but already rinsed) diapers. For me and my HE machine, that act of putting the “detergent” right in with the diapers gave me a little pause, but I went with it.
Washed on a hot cycle with a cold rinse (no need to remove the bag for the rinse).
Removed the cloth bag containing the soap nuts and laid it out to dry while I dried my diapers.
Since the first use, I’ve washed the diapers with my soap nuts several more times (the same ones – you can reuse the same nuts up to ten times!). The diapers definitely come out clean, scent-free, soft and fluffy. Our newer inserts, in particular, came out noticeably fluffier.
I did notice a bit of a filmy feeling on the diapers that is hard to describe. I’ve been struggling with stink and hard water issues, so that could be something that is easily solved, but I’m trying not to add anything else to my list of issues. The instructions do recommend regular diaper stripping.
The great news is that soap nuts work incredibly well on regular laundry too. I’ve used them with my kids’ clothes and they come out buttery soft, fluffy and easy to fold. When I used them for the first time on my husband’s and my whites, he actually asked me if I’d changed detergents because he loved the way his undershirts felt.
Bottom line, I am still undecided on soap nuts. They are definitely not my go-to method for cleaning the diapers, but they do work and I do use them occasionally. My skeptical husband, on the other hand, is completely sold and wants me to use only soap nuts on his undershirts.
A far cry from his baffled “what the…?”
Sarah is a mom of two and blogs about her adventures in motherhood, cloth diapering and everything in between. Catch her “Cloth Diapering Unwrapped” series on the FuzziBunz blog every Tuesday.
Several weeks ago on Facebook we asked “what is your favorite cloth diapering tip or trick?” Well, you answered. Your answers were so helpful and informative that we couldn’t choose just one.
Last week we discussed tips and tricks about cloth diapering on-the-go. Today’s Monday Mama feature is from a compilation of moms (and dads!) who have great tips and tricks about how to wash your cloth diapers quickly and efficiently.
Never give up! “If you have stink (or rash) issues, it could be a number of things: detergent build up, using too little detergent, needing to switch detergent or washing method. Don’t give up on your diapers, because there is always a solution!” – Elizabeth Rivera
Stick to a schedule. “My best cloth diapering tip is to create a laundry schedule and try your best to stick with it. It is harder to get behind and end up with super stinky diapers if you plan ahead. If your schedule stops working, change it! My schedule was originally Tuesday and Thursday nights as well as Sunday morning, but I was finding that Thursday just wasn’t a good day. I switched to Monday and Wednesday night as well as Saturday morning and now that works great for my family!” – Lauren Brodt
Get some sun! ”I like to sun dry my cloth diapers. We don’t do it every time, but there are so many benefits to it. Sun drying helps us reduce staining and we love that lovely fresh air scent. Of course, we like saving some money too!” – Kris Marie Mery
Space saver. “I use a stainless steel hanging rack for my diapers instead of a large foldable rack. It saves lots of space in my laundry room.” -Lindsay Rosselle
Save some H2O. “After I take a super hot night time bath, I re-use the water to soak my diapers! Since I only use Burt’s Bees baby shampoo, I feel safe about letting them soak. It helps rid the urine smell and I always hand wash the “funky” ones before hand (using a liner, of course!). My diapers never smell.” – Leslie Duncan.
I realized something today. Nothing momentous in the least, but I couldn’t believe it hadn’t occurred to me before.
I was taking a break from laundry and cooking for the week and playing with my daughter (almost 16 months – where did the time go?!). Her new favorite toy is one she got for her first birthday a couple of months ago. She didn’t pay it much attention when she received it, but has been carrying it around with her pretty much everywhere she goes this week. Some of you have probably have the same one, I think it’s called “Dress Me Emily.”
Our Emily is one lucky girl. I mean, she is constantly dragged around by her synthetic blonde locks, receives endless rides in a mini-stroller, is given lots of hugs and kisses…what could be better? It actually reminds me a lot of a certain “Dressy Bessie” that I used to treat much the same way. Or so I’m told.
Anyway. So, we’re playing with Emily and I’m helping my daughter take off her shoes, undo and redo her button, zip and unzip her purse and unsnap her dress. I had noticed before that her snap is the same type of plastic snap as the snap on FuzziBunz cloth diapers, but had never realized that my girl cannot undo it.
The snap, like the snaps on FuzziBunz, is tight and secure. As you mamas know, it’s not difficult in the least for me to unsnap it, but as hard as she tried (and as frustrated as she got!), my toddler could not get that darn dress off Emily. As poor Emily was getting whipped around the room by her snapped strap, I realized why my daughter hasn’t been able to – and probably most toddlers can’t – get their FuzziBunz off their bodies: the snaps!
I love her spunk, but my girl is one that would try it. My son never tried. Even with disposables. But he would come home from daycare and tell me about a classmate: “De-wai-wah takes her shoes, her socks, her pants and her diaper off!” Lord help Delilah’s parents. I’m sure that phase was no fun to deal with. I’ll just say that my daughter’s personality would be more like “De-wai-wah’s” than her brother. I’ve heard many a story about duct-taping disposables on kids to keep their curious hands out of them – just glad I don’t have to deal with it duct-taping anything to my children.
Those fantastic snaps. They keep those diapers on, don’t they!? Just one more thing to love about our FuzziBunz!
Have snap closures kept diapers on your baby? Have they ever managed to get them off? Join us on Facebook and let us know!
P.S. Despite her mass-produced background, Emily does make a great companion for my girl. And remember my post from last week about newborn cloth diapers?! Well, I forgot to mention another good use for outgrown newborn diapers…doll diapers! These AIOs fit Emily perfectly – no leaks. Even at night!
Sarah is a mom of two and blogs about her adventures in motherhood, cloth diapering and everything in between. Catch her “Cloth Diapering Unwrapped” series on the FuzziBunz blog every Tuesday.
Last week on Facebook we asked “what is your favorite cloth diapering tip or trick?” Well, you answered. Your answers were so helpful and informative that we couldn’t choose just one. Today’s Monday Mama feature is a compilation of moms who have great tips and tricks about how to cloth diaper when you’re on the road, leaving your little ones with a babysitter or preparing the diaper station for dad to take over diaper-changing duty.
Pull Double Duty. ”When out and about, I bring two wet bags: one to hold the clean diapers, wipes and change pad and another bag to keep the dirty items after changing the baby. This will help you keeps everything in your little one’s diaper bag neat and organized.” – Erika Isenor
Diaper Prep for Dad. ”I like to “prep” my night time diapers ahead of time so that my husband knows the difference between lighter diapers and heavy diapers for our heavy nighttime wetter. To make it super easy, I keep our “night diapers” in a separate place and prep each one with the extra insert/doublers and an additional fleece liner if that diaper needs it. That way, all he has to do is pick a diaper from that stack and put it on her. He can be helpful and I don’t get frustrated that my daughter was in the ‘wrong’ diaper for the night!” – Jennifer Peplowski Perrite
Get Supplies Ready To-Go. ”Instead of wet bags, we use quart-sized freezer bags to store wet bunz when out of the house. Before leaving, I prep our bunz by putting a wipe and a freezer bag folded inside each stuffed diaper, so i just grab one “packet” per change. The bags are airtight, smell-proof and pretty much leakproof. FuzziBunz diapers fit really well inside.” – Benoit Pascale
Insert Insight. “When you’re away from home, remove the insert before you put the wet/dirty diaper in the wetbag. Then you don’t have to fish through dirty diapers when you get home. I like to remove the insert, lay it across the open diaper and then fold up the diaper with the insert on the inside, that way the wet/dirty part of the diapers doesn’t touch my wetbag.” – Jodi Jordan
Be Prepared. “I always keep two extra diapers in the car in case I forget to bring them when we’re out and about,” – Mallory Templeton
Most of our longtime readers know that as a mother of a child impacted by autism, FuzziBunz’s CEO, Tereson Dupuy, is committed to helping others who are also impacted by autism. With Autism Awareness Month (in April) on the horizon, Dupuy is proud to announce that her modern cloth diapering company has raised more than $13,000 for Autism Speaks™ to date.
Through the “Light It Up Blue” cloth diaper campaign, which launched in June 2011, Dupuy pledged to donate $1 to Autism Speaks™ for every “Light It Up Blue” FuzziBunz cloth diaper sold. Since making that pledge, she says her fans have “showed up” to support the cause.
To further support autism awareness, we are also hosting a “Light Pinterest Up Blue” Pinterest contest and invite friends, fans and customers to “Pin” images of your babies in our “Light It Up Blue” FuzziBunz cloth diaper or alternatively showing your support for autism in any way that’s personally meaningful.
Autism is a very personal cause to Dupuy, as her son, Eden, was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, in 2006 when he was just 8 years old. With the help of the medical community and support from friends and family, Dupuy says she believes her son has been able to overcome many obstacles along the way.
Dupuy will continue to donate $1 to Autism Speaks™ for every Light It Up Blue FuzziBunz cloth diaper sold through December 31, 2012.
The FuzziBunz® “Light It Up Blue” cloth diaper comes in both the one-size “Elite” cloth diaper, which adjusts to fit babies from 7-30+ pounds, and the “Perfect-Size” cloth diaper, which comes in sizes x-small through x-large. Light It Up Blue FuzziBunz are available for $13.95-$18.95 (Perfect Size) and $19.95 (Elite One-Size) at a variety stores on- and off-line worldwide.
A week or so ago, I attempted to organize my daughter’s room. Lately, the clutter had grown out of control, with piles and bins of outgrown clothes behind the chair, in the closet and in the bookcase. Baby toys and other gear was stacked precariously in her tiny closet and our cloth diapers looked like they were exploding out of the changing table at all times. Clutter seems to grow exponentially in their rooms, doesn’t it?
As I was sorting and folding and carrying endless bins to the basement, I ran across some of my daughter’s newborn cloth diapers. Eeps – was she really that tiny?! I vividly remember stressing over which ones to buy for those first precious weeks – what about the cord stump, will these hurt it? What if they are too big and fall off? Will the one-size options adjust to someone so tiny? I think a lot of expectant moms have the same stress.
…And new or expectant mamas, don’t want any stress, do we?! It can be all too easy to say: “I don’t think I can do cloth diapers, I’ll just use disposables.” That’s why I decided to dedicate this post to cloth diapering a newborn (and I know you experienced cloth mamas will comment and add even more great ideas!). Here’s a few do’s and don’ts:
DO survey any friends who have used cloth to see if they have newborn/tiny diapers to lend to you. Or even do a search on CraigsList to find some used ones. The truth is, babies are in the super-duper small size for such a short time (about 4-6 weeks) so the diapers get very little wear and tear. I lent all of mine to a friend and was so happy to get some more use out of them.
DO buy two Perfect Size cloth diapers in extra-small. They are just too cute for words, they fit those teeny tiny bodies best and many of them have indents so they won’t bother the cord stump.
DON’T go overboard with the newborn-only diapers. Think about how many you’ll realistically need for those first weeks (hint: I would go with just 4-5). Round out your stash with some One-Size Elite cloth diapers that will last. These are fully adjustable and will last you until you potty-train your little bundle (hard to imagine right now, isn’t it!?). Depending on the size of your baby, they may not fit right away even on the smallest setting, but will fit before you know it! And they are the most cost-effective, longest lasting option.
DON’T be afraid of pre-folds! I would invest in a up to a dozen (or more!) of high-quality cotton pre-folds. They are the workhorse of any cloth diaper stash. They are fully adjustable for even the tiniest newborn and they get deliciously soft after a couple of washes. Diaper covers work well over the top of the pre-fold to keep her precious clothes – and yours! – dry. Check out YouTube for some how-to videos and practice on some dolls if you’re nervous about it. (Even if you absolutely can’t do it, you will use them as burp cloths, wash cloths or doublers).
DO wait until the meconium has passed before cloth diapering. This is my own personal opinion, but I would wait that day or two so you don’t have to worry about that sticky black mess staining your diapers.
DON’T wait too long! Start using your cloth as soon as possible after you get home from the hospital (and the meconium has passed). The longer you wait to start, the easier it is to NEVER START. And the more disposables you put out in the trash.
DO plan on doing diaper laundry almost every day in the beginning. Newborns go through approximately 10 diapers a day in the beginning and I would not recommend having enough diapers to get you through three days – they are just not in them long enough to make the investment worth it.
DON’T worry about the poop. Newborn poop, especially breastmilk poop, is liquid so you don’t need to rinse it in the toilet or spray it out before putting it in the wash. Just throw them in. Believe me, they come out clean. One day, your little sweetie’s poops won’t be quite so pleasant and you will need to rinse them, but you’ll be a cloth diapering pro by then! Baby steps…
DON’T wait until baby arrives to prep your diapers. Practice washing and stuffing or folding your diapers a few times while you’re still in pre-baby nesting mode. It will make the process less scary and give you one less worry once he’s born.
DO give yourself credit for doing this! Cloth diapering is a wonderful thing you’re doing for your child, our environment (and your wallet!), so you can feel really good about your decision!
What other tips for newborn cloth diapering would you offer expectant mamas? Anything you would or wouldn’t do again? Join our discussion on Facebook to tell us your thoughts!
Sarah is a mom of two and blogs about her adventures in motherhood, cloth diapering and everything in between. Catch her “Cloth Diapering Unwrapped” series on the FuzziBunz blog every Tuesday.
Lisa Kuhl is a busy mom of three (3) kids blogging about cloth diapers, breastfeeding, parenting, babywearing, co-sleeping, green and natural products, pets and more at The Secret Life of a SAHM. Let’s hear a few of this cloth diapering mom’s favorite tips and tricks that she’s learned along the way.
Change it up! When starting out buy a variety of diapers instead of all the same ones. Diaper work and fit differently for each baby. Ones that work great for your friends might not work great for you.
Keep ‘em clean. Strip your diapers once a month to keep build-up at bay. Stripping diapers regularly will keep them nice and fresh – no one wants their diapers to smell like a barn!
Reduce build-up, naturally. When you wash your diapers be sure to do a cold rinse before washing them with hot water and detergent. The cold rinse will get all the “nasties” out of the diapers and lower your chances of staining. After your hot wash, do a second wash on hot without soap to help lower build-up in diapers.
Got stains? No one likes stains, but every cloth diapering parent knows that they happen from time to time. Spray some lemon juice on them and lay the diapers in the sun for a natural way to “bleach” your diapers.
Reduce redness. Leg elastic leaving red marks or indentations on your baby? Try running your finger along it after you put the diaper on. That will make sure there is no bunching up and ensure a proper fit, which should rid your little one of painful redness.
Eco-friendly, reusable diapers. No leaks. No waste. No rash.