Posts Tagged ‘cloth diapers’

Monday Mama: Cristy S. Tells New Moms ‘Don’t Give up on Cloth Diapers’

Monday, July 30th, 2012

Cristy S. is a stay-at-home mom to a fast-growing six month old daughter, Amalia and two stepsons, ages 4 1/2 and 2 years. Cristy loves spending time with her family, cooking, crafting and figuring out ways to cut down her growing family’s budget…including using cloth diapers!

Q: How have cloth diapers changed your life?There are so many ways! It of course, has been a huge money saver. We always planned on cloth, but started out with disposables because cloth was so bulky on our newborn. We saved some in the beginning with Amazon mom, but transitioning to cloth is now definitely saving us in the long run – once those tiny disposables were gone the larger sizes are so much more expensive.

Cloth diapering is also a conversation starter with other moms, whether you meet a kindred cloth spirit when they spot your baby’s cute diaper, or introduce a mom to the new and improved cloth diapering systems out there. So many women stick to disposables with prefolds and pins in mind, and are really thrilled to find out there are cloth diapers like FuzziBunz out there that are so easy to use, and fashionable to boot!

Not to mention, by way of researching cloth, I discovered attachment parenting, babywearing and so many more things that I had no idea existed that just felt instinctually right to me, and which we practice with our family.

Finally, I have met so many people, online and off, that I would never have met if not for cloth who are amazing people!

Q: If I could travel anywhere, I would go to…
Italy, hands down. My father’s family is from Northern Italy and Sicily and I have always wanted to visit. I grew up hearing the Italian language, eating my grandparents’ regional foods and hearing the comparison to the cultural differences between their generation and our Americanized Italian culture. I would love nothing more to explore it all in person, where our roots came from! And of course, eat the food!

Q: What do you think is the best invention of all time?
The internet. No seriously. It sounds cliche and silly, but the internet is an extremely valuable tool that allows us all to connect to people all over the world in real time, for minimal cost. So much of what the media portrays is the internet being this scary place where danger lurks around every corner - and you certainly do have to be careful - but there are communities and support for every single person, every issue and every cause. There is a wealth of information out there for anyone to find and educate themselves. As a new mom, I am especially thankful for the internet. Without it, I would never have discovered alternatives for prefolds, breastfeeding support, communities of women going through our pregnancies together, and so on. You get instant information on every product imaginable from reviews to recalls. The entire world is now at our fingertips and we take it for granted!

Q: If I could live in one outfit for the rest of my life, it would be….
That one pair of comfortable Gap jeans and a black v-neck fitted t-shirt. I like classics and a really nice quality T-shirt can be very versatile. That sounds so incredibly boring, but I am definitely a jeans type of girl. You can look casual, chic, trendy or bummy depending on what you add or remove from the outfit. Sneakers and a studded belt? Pumps and a dressy jacket and necklace? Boots and a flowy sweater? Yes, please.

Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to a new mom/dad, what would it be?
Be flexible, Be flexible, Be flexible! You can make all of the plans and decisions in the world when preparing for your baby, but just like life, babies are unpredictable. Some of your plans will fly right out the window! I was so black and white about everything I planned on doing, but once Amalia was born, I realized that she was a little person and some things needed to change or compromised. But also remember, if you are passionate about something that becomes difficult for you but you really want it to work, stick through it! I was determined to cloth diaper, became exhausted and intimidated by it in practice and kept falling back on disposables. But…I kept going, using diapers that I was uncomfortable with and trying new types. Once I found pocket diapers and AIO/2′s, everything finally fell into place.



Cloth Diapering Unwrapped: A to Z: What Cloth Diapering Means to Me

Tuesday, July 24th, 2012

Both my son and daughter love it when I “write” letters on their back with my finger. In fact, it’s my favorite way to get them to drift off into peaceful sleep. At nap time today, after a morning at the pool, I didn’t make it past “T” with either of them, but it got me thinking. Here’s the A to Z of what cloth diapering means to me:

Air dry: Getting the wet diapers out in the sun as often as I can to bring out that bright white is my preferred drying method. Air-drying inside on a drying rack in bad weather is my second favorite method.

Bag (wet bag): I’ve said before that my wet bag is my favorite cloth diaper accessory. They keep the dirty diapers out of my way until wash day and they do double-duty on-the-go…even for wet swimsuits!

Cash: Lots of the green stuff saved by using cloth diapers on our second child!

Diaper rash: Haven’t had much of the stuff around this house (if you don’t count irritation from ammonia, which is not happening any more either!).

Elite: The newest pocket diaper model from FuzziBunz with lots of fabulous features. The Cadillac of cloth diapers, in my opinion!

Fleece: The soft and fluffy lining that fits right up next to my girl’s sensitive skin in her cloth diapers. Really makes me appreciate how hard and crinkly disposable diapers were.

Green: The way I feel when I reuse our cloth diapers instead of hauling bag after bag out to the curb on trash day.

Home: Everything I need to diaper my baby is right here at home. I never need to make an emergency-run to the store for diapers (though I have been know to run an emergency wash load!).

Insert: The super-absorbent pad that literally gets inserted between the water-resistant outer layer of the pocket diaper and soft and fuzzy fleece layer. This is the guts of the pocket diaper and why I love pocket diapers so much. The ability to customize the absorbency based on the situation is fantastic and the ability to remove the insert makes washing (and drying) so much easier!

Justifiable diaper addiction: How could you NOT have a diaper addiction? These things are so darn cute!

Kumquat: My favorite FuzziBunz color (this week!).

Leaks: Something I haven’t thought much about lately!

Microfiber: The material that makes the inserts so absorbent.

Natural resources: We are saving quite a few of these by not purchasing very many disposable diapers (yes, I still buy them once in a while for night time). But think of the resources necessary to run the factory that produces diapers, the actual materials that make up the diaper and the fuel to transport them to your local store (and then back to the landfill when they are used).

One-size: The adjustable version of the FuzziBunz line and the workhorse of my cloth diaper stash. They are fully adjustable around the legs, hips and waist to almost guarantee a snug fit.

Poop: A part of my everyday life, especially when I’m plopping it off diapers and into the toilet.

Questions from non-cloth moms: As all cloth diapering moms do, I get a lot of questions from my disposable-using friends. The ones about poop are always my favorite!

Reusable wipes: Either sitting on my changing table in a nice bath of water and a little baby wash or in with the dirty diapers waiting to be washed.

Snaps: The closures on FuzziBunz and some other cloth diapers. The keep the diapers on tight, yet are easy to fasten and unfasten – perfect!

Third baby: Though we are still undecided about whether another baby is in our future, sometimes I think… “well, at least the diapers would be free …” Since we already own them, that would be one cost we could avoid with #3.

Useful after: I’ve heard people talk about so many great other uses for cloth diapers, especially the microfiber inserts, when the diapering years are over. From soaking up spills on carpet to sweeping up wood floors, I have a feeling they are going to be floating around my house for years to come!

Very cute!: Cloth diapers are just cute and darn cute. Nothing else to say.

Wash routine: I finally have a wash routine that I can live with, and more importantly, that works! With the right combo of detergent, rinse/wash cycles, washing is a breeze.

Xtra rinsing: One of the keys to my wash routine success – lots of rinse cycles (one before the wash/detergent cycle and one, sometimes two, after the wash cycle is complete). A lot of water will do your diapers good.

You should cloth diaper too!: My refrain to anyone I meet that seems interested in cloth diapers… you should do it! It’s really not that hard!

Zzzz: I sleep easy knowing my baby has soft, absorbent, chemical-free diapers next to her skin… and I save money doing it! (A lame “Z” word, I admit… I had a really hard time coming up with a Z!!)

So there you have it, my cloth diapering A to Z. What does cloth diapering mean to you?

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 week.



Monday Mama: Ilissa Began Using Cloth Diapers after 8 months and Never Looked Back

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

fuzzibunz cloth diapers monday mama

Ilissa K. is  the blogger behind Everything Up Close. She is mom to a beautiful baby girl and enjoys spending time with family & friends, blogging, baking, trying new recipes, crafting, sewing and camping (seasonally). She also has a keen interest in natural living and natural parenting, as well as a particular passion for pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period…and of course, you guessed it: cloth diapers!

Q: How have cloth diapers changed your life?
It took us 8 months to start using cloth diapers with my daughter. We had always thought it would be ‘too much work’ and worried it wouldn’t work for us. We decided to take the plunge and haven’t looked back! Using cloth diapers makes me feel great because I know that with every single diaper change, I am saving the world by preventing more non-biodegradable waste! Using cloth diapers has been surprisingly easy after we got used to the new routine. I encourage every one I talk to try cloth diapers.

Q: If I could travel anywhere, I would go to….
I would love to tour Europe. I have always been amazed by different cultures, languages, and old world architecture. Visiting Europe, particularly France and Italy would be a dream come true!

Q: What do you think is the best invention of all time?
The internet. It has made communication around the world much easier and more affordable. I also think it has allowed people to become better educated by encouraging them to research the products they buy, the things they consume, etc.

Q: If I could live in one outfit for the rest of my life, it would be….
Probably a pair of yoga pants, a comfy fitted (yet not too fitted) 3/4 length shirt, ankle socks and a pair of runners (all stylish selections of course). It would be easy to go anywhere and be active with my daughter.

Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to a new mom/dad, what would it be?
When it comes to parenting…don’t worry about doing everything the ‘right way’. There is no right way; there is only what is right for you and your family. Follow our heart and your intuition.



Beat The Heat with a FuzziBunz Summer Photo Contest

Tuesday, July 17th, 2012

It’s summertime and the living is easy…and HOT! If you and your baby are battling triple digit temperatures and record humidity – or if you’re simply enjoying some fun in the sun, we want to see how you keep your babies cool in their ‘Bunz.

Join FuzziBunz on Facebook this summer for an exciting summertime promotion. LIKE us on Facebook and submit a photograph of your baby “beating the heat” on FuzziBunz Facebook page.

What does that mean? Show us how your baby keeps cool in the summer, from eating popsicles to swimming in the kiddie pool in the backyard or lounging under the ceiling fan!

After submitting the required image, you’ll be entered for a chance to win fabulous cloth diaper prizes. At the end of the summer, our panel of esteemed FuzziBunz judges will select two winners who will each win 5 FuzziBunz of their choice and 1 FuzziBunz accessory of their choice. Each prize is valued at about $120!

Judges will consider images that meet the following criteria:

  • Originality – get creative folks!!
  • Relevance to “Beat The Heat” theme
  • Photo quality – avoid cluttered backgrounds and fuzzy images. Get close up shots. Use good lighting. Wow us!
  • Inclusion of FuzziBunz cloth diapers

Remember to read the official rules before you begin. Enter today!



“Beat the Heat Photo Contest” Official Contest Rules

Monday, July 16th, 2012

THE FOLLOWING CONTEST IS INTENDED ONLY FOR LEGAL RESIDENTS IN THE 50 UNITED STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (EXCLUDING OVERSEAS MILITARY INSTALLATIONS, PUERTO RICO AND OTHER U.S. TERRITORIES) and CANADA. DO NOT PROCEED WITH THIS CONTEST IF YOU ARE NOT A RESIDENT IN CANADA or THE 50 UNITED STATES OR IF YOU ARE LOCATED IN AN OVERSEAS MILITARY INSTALLATION, PUERTO RICO, OTHER U.S. TERRITORIES OR FOREIGN TERRITORIES.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

THE CONTEST: CONTEST OFFICIAL RULES CONSUMER DISCLOSURE: YOU HAVE NOT YET WON.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.

PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

The Contest is sponsored by FuzziBunz (Sponsor). The Contest is governed by these official rules. By participating in the Contest, each entrant agrees to abide by these Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements, and understands that the results of the Contest, as determined by Sponsor and its agents, are final in all respects. The Contest is subject to all federal, state and local laws and regulations and is void where prohibited by law.

This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Wildfire. Any questions, comments or complaints regarding the promotion will be directed to FuzziBunz, not Facebook or Wildfire.

ELIGIBILITY The Contest is open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia (excluding overseas military installations, Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories), and Canada, who are eighteen (18) years of age or older at the time of entry and who have Internet access and a valid e-mail account at the time of entry. Entrants must submit all required information to be eligible to win. Entries missing required information will be disqualified. Required information will be clearly marked on the entry form by an asterisk (“*”). Current and former FuzziBunz and Red Jeweled Media employees (“Administrators”), and each of their respective affiliates, subsidiaries, retailers, agents, marketing and promotion agencies, and suppliers, as well as members of their immediate families (defined as parents, spouses, children, siblings and grandparents, regardless of where they reside) and individuals living in the same household as those individuals, whether or not they are related, are not eligible to enter or win. Furthermore, any entrant who has ever been convicted of a felony may not be eligible. Sponsor and Administrator have the right to verify the eligibility of each entrant and disqualify those who don’t meet the eligibility requirements. Entrants are allowed ONE submission per Facebook account. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Photos submitted must be taken by the entrant or the entrant must have legal permission to submit the photo. No professional third party images may be submitted. By submitting your photo for this contest, you agree that you own the picture or have permission to publish the picture and give rights to FuzziBunz to use the picture in promotional materials. FuzziBunz is not responsible for entrants who do not abide by these rules. If the entrant submits a photo that they do not have permission to submit, they are solely responsible for consequences, including by not limited to legal actions and fees.

CONTEST PERIOD The Contest begins at 12:00 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EDT Friday, August 31, 2012 (“Contest Period”). All entries must be submitted through the third party app (Wildfire) on or before 11:59 p.m. EDT on or before 11:59 am EDT Friday August 31, 2012. Winners will be announced on or before September 7, 2012.

HOW TO ENTER: You can enter the Contest by submitting a photo entry and required details on the Wildfire “Contest” tab on Facebook. Limit one entry per Facebook account. Mass entries or mechanical reproductions, or late, lost, stolen, illegible, misdirected, damaged, inaccurate, incomplete, and/or postage due entries are void. Any attempt at entry except as above stated is void. All entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned.

Additional Entry Conditions: Sponsor has no obligation to advise an entrant of an incomplete or otherwise non-compliant entry. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, invalid, unintelligible, incomplete, garbled, or misdirected entries, which will be disqualified. No mailed, telephoned, faxed, or mechanically reproduced entries will be accepted. Proof of submission of an entry will not be deemed proof of receipt. Receipt of entries will not be acknowledged nor will proof of submission of an entry form be deemed proof of receipt. In the event of a dispute as to any entry, the authorized account holder of the e-mail account used to enter will be deemed to be the entrant. The “authorized account” holder is the natural person assigned the e-mail account. Potential winners may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder.

WINNER SELECTION: All eligible entries received during the Contest Period will be considered by a panel of judges to win. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries Sponsor receives. The potential prize winners will be notified via the email provided if they have won. Each entrant is responsible for monitoring their email for communications related to this Contest. FuzziBunz is not responsible if the email goes into their spam folders. If a potential prize winner cannot be reached by Administrator (or Sponsor) within two (2) days (24 hours) using the contact information available, or if prize notification is returned as undeliverable, that potential prize winner shall forfeit the prize. At Sponsor’s sole option, the potential winner may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability Release and Prize Acceptance Form and IRS W-9 form and, unless prohibited by law, and a publicity release within fifteen (15) days of date of issuance. If a potential winner fails to comply with these official rules, that potential winner will be disqualified and, at Sponsor’s discretion, awarded to an alternate winner. Prize may not be awarded if an insufficient number of eligible entries are received.

JUDGING CRITERIA: All entries will be judged based on the following criteria: originality, relevance to “Beat The Heat” theme, photo quality and the inclusion of FuzziBunz cloth diapers.

PRIZES: Two grand prize winners will receive five FuzziBunz diapers of their choice and one accessory of their choice. Incidental expenses and all other costs and expenses which are not specifically listed as part of a prize in these Official Rules and which may be associated with the award, acceptance, receipt and use of all or any portion of the awarded prize are solely the responsibility of the respective prize winner. Prizes subject to availability and substitutions may be made at the Sponsor’s discretion. ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES AS WELL AS ANY COSTS AND EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY PRIZE ARE SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries Sponsor receives. All prize details are at the sole discretion of the Sponsor.

ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS Prize is non-transferable. No substitution, transfer or cash equivalent of prizes is permitted; however, the Sponsor reserves the right to substitute any prize (or portion thereof) with another of equal or greater value in Sponsor’s sole discretion. Entry into the contest and acceptance of a prize constitutes permission for FuzziBunz, and its designees to use the entrants and winners’ respective photo submission, name, city and state of residence and likeness for advertising and promotional purposes in any and all media now or hereafter known throughout the world in perpetuity at discretion of Sponsor without additional compensation, notification or permission, unless otherwise prohibited by law. Sponsor and its respective representatives, and employees (“Released Parties”) are not responsible for any typographical or other errors in the offer or administration of the Contest, including, but not limited to, errors in any printing or posting of these Official Rules, the selection and announcement of any winner, or the distribution of any prize. Any attempt to damage the content or operation of this Contest is unlawful and subject to possible legal action by Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right to terminate, suspend or amend the Contest, without notice, and for any reason, including, without limitation, if Sponsor determines that the Contest cannot be conducted as planned or should a virus, bug, tampering or unauthorized intervention, technical failure or other cause beyond Sponsor’s control corrupt the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the Contest. Use of bots or other automated process to enter is prohibited and may result in disqualification at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. In the event any tampering or unauthorized intervention may have occurred, Sponsor reserves the right to void suspect entries at issue. The Released Parties or service providers, are not responsible for incorrect or inaccurate transcription of entry information, or for any human error, technical malfunction, lost or delayed data transmission, omission, interruption, deletion, line failure or malfunction of any telephone network, computer equipment or software, the inability to access any website or online service or any other error, human or otherwise. ATTEMPT BY ANY PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. SPONSOR’S FAILURE TO ENFORCE ANY TERM OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE A WAIVER OF THAT PROVISION. INDEMNIFICATION AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, EACH ENTRANT AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE RELEASED PARTIES, THE SOCIAL NETWORKING PLATFORM THAT HOUSES THE CONTEST (must be released according to Section 3.7.2) ADVERTISING AND PROMOTIONAL AGENCIES, AND ALL THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS FROM ANY LIABILITY, DAMAGES, LOSSES OR INJURY RESULTING IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM THAT ENTRANT’S PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST AND THE ACCEPTANCE, USE OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE THAT MAY BE WON. SPONSOR AND ITS AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, SHAREHOLDERS, AND EMPLOYEES DO NOT MAKE ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO THE CONDITION, FITNESS OR MERCHANTABILITY OF THE PRIZE. SPONSOR AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, MARKETING AND PROMOTIONAL AGENCIES, AND ALL THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS DISCLAIM ANY LIABILITY FOR DAMAGE TO ANY COMPUTER SYSTEM RESULTING FROM ACCESS TO OR THE DOWNLOAD OF INFORMATION OR MATERIALS CONNECTED WITH THE CONTEST.

In the event of a dispute as to any entry, the authorized account holder of the email address used to register will be deemed to be the entrant. The “authorized account holder” is the natural person assigned an email address by an Internet Service Provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted address. By entering the Contest, all entrants agree to (i) be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which is final and binding on all matters and (ii) release and hold harmless Released Parties from any liability whatsoever for any claims, costs, injuries, losses, actions or damages of any kind (including, without limitation, related to personal injury, death, damage to property, infringement of proprietary rights, rights of publicity or privacy or defamation) arising out of or in connection with participation in the Contest and/or the acceptance and use of any prize (including any travel or activity related thereto).

BY PARTICIPATING IN THE CONTEST, ENTRANT AGREES THAT THE RELEASED PARTIES (I) MAKE NO WARRANTY, GUARANTY OR REPRESENTATION OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN FACT OR IN LAW, RELATING TO THE CONTEST AND/OR THE PRIZES; AND (II) DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY.

PUBLICITY: By participating, each entrant grants Sponsor permission to use his/her name, photograph, submission, likeness or comments for publicity purposes without payment of additional consideration, except where prohibited by law.

COPIES OF THE RULES AND WHO WON Requests for copies of these Official Rules or a winner’s list may be sent to press@fuzzibunz.com. All requests must be received by 12:00 midnight EDT on August 31, 2012. Winners will be announced publicly via the FuzziBunz Facebook Page on or before September 7, 2012.

SPONSOR:  FuzziBunz 1318 Camellia Blvd Lafayette, LA 70508 www.fuzzibunz.com

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED AND/OR RESTRICTED.

 

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

 

By providing your email address, you agree that FuzziBunz can send you information and special offers. Any information collected will be used for communications between the sponsors and its intended recipients. FuzziBunz does not share personal information with any third-party companies.



Cloth Diapering Unwrapped: Sarah Comes Full Circle with Cloth Diapers

Tuesday, July 10th, 2012

laundry room for washing cloth diapers

I’m having a full circle moment. It’s easy to wonder if it was worth going around that impossibly big circle just to end up back where I started, but I believe I needed to take the journey to make it back. That’s how it is with life, isn’t it? The journey is sometimes the most important part.

Before I get all philosophical on you, let me take a step back. What I’m talking about is not a life-altering, spiritual or emotional journey. What I’m talking about is figuring out how to get my cloth diapers clean.

As I’ve written about on this blog, we had a looong struggle with stink in our diapers. Just as I would think it was under control, it would come back again with a vengeance. Looking back, it was probably a combination of factors that led to the ammonia- stench in the first place – specifically, changes in my daughter’s eating habits (starting solids and weaning from breastmilk), leaving dirty diapers for too long a couple of times, not stripping them correctly, a suddenly harder water supply and the wrong detergent (hmmm…really sounds like I didn’t know what the heck I was doing!).

The truth is, maybe I didn’t. But thankfully, my daughter’s insides seem to have sorted themselves out, I learned how to strip effectively (which helped a lot), developed a consistent wash routine and cleaned my washer. Still, the biggest hurdle was not knowing that the water flowing from my pipes was now very hard while our water treatment plant undergoes an upgrade. Once it dawned on me that the water could be causing my angst, I began a serious search for a new detergent that would cooperate with my front loader, compensate for our hard water and get rid of the stinkies for good.

Thus, I began a (sort of) methodical review of several different detergents. First, I tried differing amounts of the detergent I was already using (that had worked great for me forever): didn’t help. Then I tried Eco Nuts: awesome for my other laundry but didn’t solve my diaper issues. Next I did Charlie’s: helped a little, but stink came back. Finally, after reading this post, I reluctantly tried HE Tide Original,* the straight-up blue liquid HE detergent that I was using on our laundry before my daughter was born and we started using cloth diapers. And guess what? It worked.

So what finally solved our stink issues was the Tide that had been hanging out on the back of my laundry room shelf this whole time. I know. I couldn’t believe it at first either, but it’s been about four months now and the stink hasn’t returned.

Oh, and I should mention the amount is critical. When I first tried Tide, I think I was using too much and it was leaving a little residue and scent behind. Now I use very little and it produces perfectly clean, fluffy diapers (for those of you that need me to be more exact- I use “glugg, glugg” on a normal load and for my normal load of diapers, I use about a “half-glugg”).

See what I mean about coming full circle? Ending up with the same detergent I had on the shelf. But had I not gone through this whole process, I probably wouldn’t have realized how well it worked. I needed the journey.

Have you successfully solved stink issues in your cloth diapers? What finally worked for you?

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 week.

*While HE Tide Original is Sarah’s preferred brand, FuzziBunz recommends Tide Free, among a number of other detergent options for best results when washing cloth diapers. Please visit our Washing & Care Instructions for more information.



Monday Mama: Sarah Can’t Resist the Cuteness of Cloth Diapers

Monday, July 9th, 2012

Sarah F. is an army wife, as well as mom to eight-month old son Boston and two half-chihuahua/half-dachshunds that she adopted at only 7 days old.  She blogs at Dogs, Dogtags and Diapers about raising (and cloth diapering!) her son. She began cloth diapering when she discovered how much money she could save by forgoing disposables…and how much cuter cloth diapers looked on her little one!

Q: How have cloth diapers changed your life?
I didn’t start cloth diapering until my son was 3 months old. I had heard about them before, but never seen anyone use them in person, so always imagined that they were all prefolds with a pin. My close friend has a daughter who is one day older than my son and showed me her adorable cloth diapers, they were not at all what I was picturing! She let me borrow a few of them for a few days, and I instantly fell in love. That same day I put in a big order to a co-op and bought a few used diapers from a friend. It’s been an addiction ever since.

Cloth diapering has changed my life by saving us so much money. I have a fairly good sized stash of diapers, and I have only spent approximately what 2 months of disposable diapers would have cost us. Plus, they will last until he potty trains as well as for any following children. In the end it will be a HUGE savings. It’s also a good conversation starter – when it’s warm out, I like to dress my son in a cloth diaper as his “pants” with a t-shirt over it. So many people have asked me about them and complimented me and I’ve even convinced quite a few moms and moms-to-be to convert over to cloth diapering.

Q: If I could travel anywhere, I would go to…
If I could travel anywhere, I would go to Russia. All of the pictures that I have seen of the buildings in Moscow are just amazing to me and I would love to see them in person. Quite a few books that I have read are also set in Russia and that makes me all the more interested hearing about the great landmarks that are all over, especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Q: If I could live in one outfit for the rest of my life, it would be….
If I could live in one outfit for the rest of my life, it would probably be just jeans, a blank tank top and my purple Converse sneakers. That is my favorite outfit and it’s very comfortable. I have had those Converse for quite a few years and they’ve seen better days, but I love them!

Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to a new mom/dad, what would it be?
Trust your instincts! There are so many people who are going to give you advice, whether you want it or not. Family, friends, doctors, strangers. But YOU are the parent, and you know best. No matter what books say, or what other babies are doing, or what your mom tells you, if something doesn’t seem right to you then you are probably right. Don’t measure your babies’ progress by those around you, as every baby is different. If the doctors are telling you to start feeding solids and you know your baby isn’t ready, trust your instincts! It applies in almost any situation regarding your child.



Cloth Diapering Unwrapped: You Know You’ve Been Cloth Diapering for Awhile When….

Wednesday, July 4th, 2012

I’ll admit, there have been times lately when I have a little bit of trouble coming up with topics to write about for this blog. It’s sometimes hard for me to believe because there was a time that cloth diapering was all I thought about, all I talked about and article topics seemed to be spilling out of my brain night and day.

I guess that’s how it is when something becomes completely ingrained in your day-to-day routines. I’m not thinking about cloth diapering quite as much anymore because I don’t need to. And because I’m not thinking about diapering very often, topics aren’t swirling around in my mind quite as freely. And that’s exactly how it should be.

So, here are the top five ways I know cloth diapering has become second nature:

1. It’s truly part of the routine. Like everything else with babies, cloth diapering quickly became part of the humdrum life of this mom (Yes, for all of you new-to-cloth moms out there or those still on the fence about cloth diapers wondering if cloth ever truly becomes easy…it does. And fast, I promise). The washing, drying, stuffing and adjusting that seemed so incredibly daunting at the beginning of the cloth journey is something I could do in my sleep these days.

2. I speak the language of cloth diapers fluently. I remember reading blog post after blog post trying to educate myself on cloth diapers before my daughter was born. I would have to google at least a word or two in each post just to understand what was being discussed. I’d sometimes say words like “PUL” and even “FuzziBunz” out loud to myself in front of my computer, just to see what they sounded like coming out of my mouth. It seemed like a foreign language and now it’s like I’ve taken an immersion course and can speak it like a native.

3. I’d much rather talk about my daughter’s latest word than diapers. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good convo about cloth diapers (and still love to sell people on them!), but it’s not what I bring up during a lull at playdates anymore.

4. I feel like I’ve finally conquered the stink beast. When you cloth diaper, you are faced with challenging stinkies or leaks or rashes at least once (mine was a particularly long struggle), but when you fix the issue and get back to normal washing routines, it feels like you can take on the world. Just washing the diapers and knowing they will come out clean is such a nice, relaxing feeling. I’m more confident about diapers now after slaying the stinkies!

5. I don’t go on cloth diaper shopping sprees (as much) anymore. I think it’s also a product of knowing we are nearing the end of my daughter’s diapering years, but I’m not spending every naptime trolling cloth retailers for good deals, wondering what colors we need more of to complement this season’s wardrobe or dreaming about how to better organize the stash. Don’t get me wrong, I still buy a new diaper (or three) here or there and have started to rotate some old ones out, but I haven’t had to justify seven new diapers at one time to my husband recently. And I am happy with my stash. They are just our diapers. They work, they get clean and we are happy.

I guess that’s why I sometimes struggle with a fun, interesting or useful cloth diapering topic: its just part of life now. In a good way!

When did cloth diapering become second nature to you? And how did you know?

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 week.



Monday Mama: Carissa Pulls Double Cloth Diaper Duty

Monday, June 25th, 2012

Carissa M. is a mother to 1 year old twins and a very energetic 3 year old. Though her days are packed with bottles, bathing and cloth diaper changing (she even schedules her showers!) she loves to spend time playing with her brood and sharing her daily experiences on her blog, Mommy2Multiples.

Q: How have cloth diapers changed your life?
Cloth diapering has changed my life in so many ways! Since they were born, my twins have never once had diaper rash and I credit that to their cloth diapers – especially for my son who has eczema and extremely sensitive skin. I think cloth diapers are just as easy to use as disposable diapers especially with pocket style cloth diapers.

Q: This summer I am looking forward to…
Taking the twins to the beach and Sea World for the first time. They love to explore and see new things as much as I love the look on their faces when they are really taking something in.

Q: The most unusual thing in my diaper bag or purse is…
I would say Hot Wheels cars, because for some reason my kids will stop crying and start playing with them whenever they are upset. I have learned I usually need to have at least a couple for entertainment or to stop meltdowns.

Q: If I could live in one outfit for the rest of my life, it would be…
Jean shorts, tank top and flip flops. When keeping up with my kids I am all about comfort — no more spending hours getting ready or making sure I am fashion-forward. By the end of the day, I usually wind up covered with some kind of food or stains on myself from my twins.

Q: If you could offer one piece of advice to a new mom/dad, what would it be?
No mommy or daddy is perfect and you’ll always learn new things that work for your family as you go along. You get into a routine and before long, it becomes second nature, whether it’s shopping with your kids or by yourself for groceries or making sure you have everything you need in your diaper bag for a day out. You learn as you go along.



Families Can Buy FuzziBunz® Cloth Diapers Directly at FuzziBunz.com

Thursday, June 14th, 2012

FuzziBunz®, the inventors of the modern cloth diaper, this week announces it has converted its website into a full ecommerce cloth diapering shopping site. Fans of FuzziBunz® can now buy FuzziBunz® cloth diapers and accessories directly at FuzziBunz.com without leaving the site!

“Our goal was to make FuzziBunz.com a one-stop-shop where our fans could find the largest selection of FuzziBunz® products available on the Internet – and they can buy those items directly from the source,” said Tereson Dupuy, the founder of FuzziBunz® and The Mother of the Modern Cloth Diaper.

Customers who especially love FuzziBunz® cloth diapers, including supporters, cloth diapering enthusiasts, childbirth educators, doulas, bloggers and more, also have the ability to sell them through FuzziBunz®’s new commission-based Affiliate Program.

Dupuy says FuzziBunz® is what it is today because of moms sharing their love of FuzziBunz with other moms. Now, for the first time, FuzziBunz® is proud to compensate them for these efforts.

“I have always been an advocate of moms helping moms. Over the past 12 years, I have seen hundreds of mom-owned businesses get off the ground due in large part to FuzziBunz®,” says Dupuy. “I’m proud to offer the opportunity to empower even more moms to earn income while sharing something they use and love.”

How to Become a FuzziBunz Affiliate Member

To become a FuzziBunz® affiliate member, an individual or company can apply at: http://affiliates.myfuzzibunz.com/signup. Once the application is approved, the individual can begin sharing the link with her friends, family and through her social networks such as her blog or Facebook and Twitter pages. When someone clicks on the link, Internet “cookies” track the visitor. When a purchase is made, the affiliate gets a 10-15% commission on the total sale.

FuzziBunz® provides its affiliates with access to resources such as graphics, button and banner ads, cloth diapering information and product details – all tools to assist in sharing their links.

Kelly Wels, the author of “Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom’s Guide to Modern Cloth Diapers ,” is one of the first FuzziBunz® advocates to become a FuzziBunz® affiliate.

“FuzziBunz® was the brand that sparked the entire modern cloth diapering revolution and I have always used and admired the brand. Through FuzziBunz®’s new affiliate program I’ll now be able to not only share my love of FuzziBunz with my fans through my website, blog and social networks, which I’m already doing, but now I’ll also be able to earn income for doing so – a win-win for my fans, me and FuzziBunz®!” says Wels.

FuzziBunz® forever changed the modern cloth diapering world when it was introduced in 2000. Today, FuzziBunz® diapers are available in the award-winning One Size Elite cloth diaper and popular Perfect Size cloth diaper options. The One Size Elite diaper is one of the most adjustable cloth diapers on the market and is made to grow with a child from birth through toddlerhood. The Perfect Size cloth diaper, which comes in x-small, small, medium and large sizes, is made for parents who want a sized diaper that fits perfectly every time with no adjustments.

To shop for cloth diapers or become a FuzziBunz® affiliate, visit: www.FuzziBunz.com.

About FuzziBunz®

Known as the gold standard in cloth diapering, the patented FuzziBunz® cloth diapers are a modern, convenient and sustainable diapering solution for today’s busy parents. The reusable pocket cloth diapers ensure no leaks, no rash and no waste. Stay-at-home-mom Tereson Dupuy invented FuzziBunz® in January 1999 in response to her infant son’s chronic diaper rash and her overall dissatisfaction with all available diapers. Tereson stitched the first FuzziBunz® in her home and a short time later, the modern cloth diapering movement was born. For more information or to buy FuzziBunz® cloth diapers and accessories, please visit: http://www.FuzziBunz.com.




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