Amber Edwards is the lead writer for JadeLouise Designs. A known book-a-holic, avid crafter and movie lover, Amber is a homemaking mother of 3 children, including 2 boys and a little girl, Jade Louise.
Q: How have cloth diapers changed your life? I first switched to cloth diapers because my husband was finishing his military career and going back to school full-time. We were going to be losing an income and we needed to cut monthly living costs as much as possible. That is when I finally listened to my sister about cloth diapers. It has been amazing, because not only has it saved us a lot of money, but I have loved how the cloth diapers work so much better than the disposable diapers worked!
We have far fewer leaks with cloth diapers, thus my daughters clothes last a lot longer, and I don’t have to wash her laundry as often! I was surprised that it wasn’t as hard as I originally thought, and I’m not always a slave to cloth diaper laundering! I have fallen in love with all the different colors and print options that are available through cloth diapers – they are much more fun than regular disposable diapers.
The biggest benefit of cloth diapers is not having to worry about the chemicals in disposable diapers. We don’t have to deal with diaper rash quite as often as when my daughter was in disposable diapers, so I wish I had used cloth 8 years ago when my oldest son was a baby. I will definitely be using cloth with all future children, as cloth diapering has made a vast change in my outlook on child raising and I no longer think that what everyone else is doing is always the best choice.
Q: This summer I am looking forward to….
Allowing my daughter run around in a shirt and diaper! With the warm weather, I won’t have to wrap her up in a lot of layers to keep her warm, thus we can show of her adorable cloth diapers more. When people actually see the diapers, they start to think maybe cloth isn’t so bad! It’s a great conversation starter. My kids are probably most excited to bring out the swimming pool, sprinklers and water guns and have a lot of outdoor water fun!
Q: The most unusual thing in my diaper bag or purse is…..
You mean besides the constant supply of fruit snacks, diapers, wipes, little diaper bags to wrap up the dirty diapers, little treats and toys to keep my daughter entertained anytime we leave the house? Yes, I have both my purse and diaper bag stocked with all of that at all times! I’d probably have to say the 6 different lip balms, as I am always misplacing and losing them! I have to keep a large stock with me at all times because my lips are always chapped in our dry Idaho weather. Plus my daughter has to always have some herself when she seems me applying lip balm, so she has one special just for her that is chemical free and safe for digestion.
Q: If I could live in one outfit for the rest of my life, it would be…. My pajamas! They are quite comfortable, and fit very well. I love being comfortable, yet at the same time, they are cute so I don’t feel so self-conscious!
Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to a new mom/dad, what would it be?
Don’t close your mind off to options when raising your child until you have done your research – even if you are advised by someone you trust! Always do your homework when it comes to your choices on raising your children. With my oldest boys, I refused to consider cloth diapers, certain brands of baby gear and even refused some methods of feeding but I regret it now.
I wish I had been more open minded and did more research on brands, products, and even parenting methods. Looking back, a lot of what I refused to use with my oldest boys are now my favorite brands/products and methods with my new daughter, because they have worked very well, saved us money and are more reliable. I could have saved myself a lot of money and headaches if I would have just done my research myself instead of listening to all the advice that strangers and even family and friends gave me.
Tags: cloth diapers, FuzziBunz, Monday Mama
