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6 Things to Know about Cloth Diapers (When You’re Starting Late in the Game)

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Hi, there!  I’m Sara, a recovering lawyer addicted to DIY projects and babywearing.  When I’m not doing diaper laundry, you can find me gabbing over at my blog, Embrace My Space, where I share my love for bold color, the coast and just a bit of quirk.  Please feel free to stop by to join me in my journey of falling in love with my home, one space at a time.

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I recently posted a question on my Facebook page about a brand of environmentally friendly disposable diapers. One friend caught me off guard with her response: “I’m surprised you haven’t switched to cloth!” Cloth diapers, what!?! So, yeah, I babywear, breastfeed, blend my own baby food and string Baltic amber beads around my son’s neck. But I had yet to consider cloth diapering, an activity of many moms with parenting mindsets similar to my own. After some research I got really excited about giving cloth a try! Despite this enthusiasm, I was reluctant to start because I worried about how my already unpredictable schedule as a first time mom would be disrupted by this new method of catching my baby’s poop.

If you’ve stumbled upon this post, you’re probably intrigued by the benefits of cloth diapering –environmentally friendly, easy on your wallet, gentle on your baby’s bum and undeniably cute – yet hesitant to give up the convenience of disposables. After eight months of using disposables, I’m happy to say I jumped head first into cloth and haven’t looked back. Like any new parenting venture there’s a learning curve at the beginning, but switching to cloth won’t turn your world upside down if you start out with the right mindset! I’m here to share a few things I learned as a cloth diapering latecomer to help prepare you to switch to cloth with fewer growing pains! [Read more…]

5 Ways to Repurpose Cloth Diapers

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What To Do With Your Diapers When You No Longer Need Them

The sad day has arrived. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure you’re excited that your little one is finally potty trained.  But you are sad to be packing up your cloth diapers, too, aren’t you?  So, what should you do with your diapers when you no longer need them?

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Don’t throw them out! Did y ou know that the US EPA estimates that 13.1 million tons of textiles are thrown out each year?  That means that the average American trashes almost 65 lbs of textiles every year… and you thought your little bruiser was getting heavy! [Read more…]

3 Reasons to Use Cloth Reusable Swim Diapers

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An Ode to Reusable Swim Diapers

Swim diapers are basically poop-catchers. Remember that. Their function is to keep baby poop out of the pool or swimming area. So how much are you going to pay for your poop-catcher swim diaper? How many are you willing to cart around in your suitcase on vacation? Using disposable swim diapers will cost quite a bit and take up lots of precious packing space. Cloth reusable swim diapers, on the other hand, are a one-time expense with essentially the same care-requirements as a swimming suit. Even if you don’t use cloth diapers full-time (or even part-time) a reusable swim diaper is an easy and wise choice! [Read more…]

Cloth Training Pants: the 4 Basic Styles

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Today’s guest post is from Anne, blogging over at Zephyr Hill.  Anne is a homeschooling, cloth diapering mom of 7 (with another little one due any day), who somehow manages to find the time to blog about family life, recipes, everything cloth diapers and rural living.

If you love cloth and want to continue using it through the potty training stage, you’ll have several different options when it comes to choosing a trainer. My best advice (after potty training 3 children with cloth so far) is to take some time to assess your child’s needs and your budget before buying too much of any one thing.

And you don’t have to limit yourself to one style, either. You might find that one type of trainer works well during the day, and another at night. Or that you’ll need one style when your child first starts learning and then something different as they are graduating.

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Here’s a quick rundown of the basic types and what situations they work best for.

[Read more…]

Featured WAHM – Sun Angels Sun Protection Sleeves

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Today’s featured WAHM, Stacy DeVreese, is the co-founder/owner of Sun Angels sun protection sleeves.  I worked with Sun Angels last summer, and absolutely love their no-mess sun protection gear; you can read my review HERE.

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Sun Angels was formed because sun protection is a big concern of mine. As a kid myself I spent too much time in the sun. I wanted to make sure my kids would understand that sun protection is important to their overall health and wellness. So from day one my kids have worn hats and sunscreen. But I found sunscreen to be so hard to get on a wiggly, squirmy toddler. I started brainstorming with my sister-in-law who was facing the same challenge with her two young boys.   Sun Angels was started with the goal of making sun protection easier. [Read more…]

6 Questions to Ask When Buying, Selling, and Trading Cloth Diapers

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I’m delighted to have Jennifer Hill, owner of Re-Diaper.com, guest post on the blog today.  A professional buyer, seller, and trader of cloth diapers, Jennifer offers some wonderful tips for entering into the wonderful cloth diaper B/S/T world.

The market for gently used cloth diapers is huge and only going to get bigger as far as I can tell.   There are multiple forums for you to choose from for your transactions:

  • ClothDiaperTrader.com
  • Diaperswappers.com
  • Spots Corner
  • Facebook B/S/T groups
  • Ebay
  • Craigslist

There are people looking to sell and/or trade cloth diapers for all sorts of reasons, and most of them are doing it with good intentions:

  • Their diapers aren’t fitting their little one properly
  • Their little one is having a sensitivity to the fabric
  • They purchased sized diapers and are ready to move up a size
  • They decided they hate stuffing pockets and are looking for alternatives
  • They went overboard and bought way too many diapers and just aren’t using them all
  • The list can go on and on

There are also some people out there with not so great intentions:

  • Scammers are just trying to make a quick buck or get a free diaper and don’t intend on sending you any diapers
  • Dishonest/unrealistic sellers will tell you what great condition their diapers are in… and then they arrive and they stink, have obvious flaws, or are delaminated
  • There are people out there trying to take advantage of HTF (hard to find) prints of certain brands and are willing to charge you an arm and a leg for that certain “special” diaper

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Be a Smart Shopper

Buying used cloth diapers can be a little scary, especially the first time. Here’s my advice for getting the best info you can before forking over your hard earned money for a used diaper. Most of this I’ve learned the hard way purchasing diapers for Re-Diaper, so I’m hoping you can learn from my mistakes.

What to ask:

Have you sold before? Do you have any feedback on Buy/Sell/Trade Forums?

This is a question I don’t need to bother with, as I have the advantage of paying for my inventory only after I’ve examined it. But feedback on a seller is a helpful way to avoid a scammer.

Did you purchase the diaper new or used?

I’ve had countless people receive hand me down diapers and try to sell them to me. They are usually honest when I ask this and will tell me they got it for free. Generally hand me downs are not in any shape to be paid for, so stay away.

How long/many times have you used the diaper?

This I’ve found to be a very helpful question. If someone is claiming to have diapers in EUC and they’ve been using them for over a year, they’re being unrealistic about the condition of their diapers. There are general guidelines for what to expect with conditions on my DeStash page: http://www.re-diaper.com/we-buy-gently-used-cloth-diapers.html

What is the condition of the elastic, aplix, snaps, PUL, etc.

People often don’t think to give the diaper a once over before determining it’s condition, this makes them actually think about it.

Is there any staining?

This is the question I have the most trouble with. Often “stain free” diapers arrive with shadow staining. If you don’t care, it’s not a huge deal, but I do deduct +/_ $1 for staining

Why are you getting rid of the diaper(s)?

The red flag you are looking for with this is laundry issues. If they’re having trouble washing them, you can expect stinky diapers to arrive. This is not a huge deal, but you should be paying accordingly, because you probably have some work ahead of you.

Honesty is the Best Policy

Selling diapers can be overwhelming as well. Sometimes it’s easiest to sell them locally, but often times the market is better online. Here’s my advice for selling diapers. Or… if you’re completely overwhelmed, shoot me an email at Jennifer@Re-Diaper.com and I can help you sort out what you have. Even if you don’t want to sell items to me, I can give you a starting point for pricing.

Be realistic

Think about the use you’ve already gotten out of the diaper before deciding on a price. If you’ve used the diaper more than a year, I won’t buy it… It’s no longer gently used, and you’ve gotten your money’s worth out of it. Price it accordingly and it will sell quickly.

Disclose EVERYTHING

If you’re charging good money for a diaper, be sure to disclose everything you notice, even if you think it doesn’t matter. What doesn’t seem like a big deal to you, might be a deal breaker to someone else. This is the best way to avoid an unhappy customer and the hassle of a returned diaper.

Consider shipping costs

Many diapers are priced PPD (postage paid), so this includes shipping costs. Do your homework on how much it will cost to ship (especially if you’re trying to sell a lot of diapers) so you’re not caught off guard at the Post Office if you’re priced your diapers PPD.

TRACK YOUR SHIPMENT

Make sure you get tracking and send it to the buyer to cover you in case they try to claim they never received their package. USPS is catching up to the private shipping companies and offers tracking on almost everything now for free or a nominal fee. It’s worth it.

Ready to begin buying, selling and trading your cloth diapers? Here are 7 Places to B|S|T Cloth Diapers.

Jennifer hill is the owner/operator of Re-Diaper.com, a retail site devoted entirely to buying, selling, and trading cloth diapers [with security and ease]; Re-Diaper.com encourages you to “Reduce, Reuse, and Re-Diaper for a Greener World!”  

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Interested in winning an EUC bumGenius Oops diaper from Re-Diaper.com?  Click HERE to go to the giveaway page.

Featured WAHM: Re-Diaper.com

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 This week, I’m pleased to be featuring a two-part feature by Jennifer, from Re-Diaper.com.  This work-at-home-mom turned her passion for cloth diaper thrifting into a thriving business, helping other cloth diapering families build amazing stashes without breaking the bank.Re-diaper.com

 

First Time Cloth-Diapering Mom to Re-Diaper.com Owner

 

When I found out I was pregnant for the first time, I knew right away I would cloth diaper. I’ve been a dirt-loving tree hugger most of my life, so becoming a cloth-diapering crunchy mama was a natural progression. It also helps that my husband is… well… let’s just stay he’s “thrifty.” He was on board as soon as I showed him the math. [Read more…]

Featured WAHM: BabiLovLinks

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I am delighted to be featuring a ‘local’ WAHM & artisan: Eva, of BabiLovLinks.  Eva makes beautiful, child-friendly jewelry, allowing moms to wear stylish statement pieces without the worry of them being broken by babies/toddlers.

 

WAHM Mondays: Mercedes Donis, author of “Twin Manibreasto: A Success Story of Milk & Multiples”

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I’m delighted to have Mercedes Donis, author, blogger and SAHM, stop by to share her ebook: Twin Manibreasto.  Mercedes has written an anecdotal guide, full of experience, tips and encouragement, illustrating how very possible it is to breastfeed twins.  For more twin advice, and other great [natural] parenting tips, you can visit Mercedes’ blog, Project Procrastinot.
Hello, Median Mommy readers! My name is Mercedes and I’ve got a story to share.
Back when I was pregnant in 2012, I got the news of a lifetime: I was carrying twins! It was a major shock, and the revelation changed the course of my and my husband’s lives.
One of my earliest concerns and biggest priorities was (and still is!) breastfeeding. Would I be able to breastfeed twins? Would I need to supplement with formula? How long would I be able to nurse two babies?
These questions, along with many others, swirled furiously in my brain until I gave birth, and continued to lurk there in those difficult first three months. But the good news is that, despite all the challenges, my twins and I have had a successful breastfeeding relationship that continues to this day! They are seventeen months old and still breastfeeding.

I recently wrote an ebook, “Twin Manibreasto: A Success Story of Milk & Multiples,” because I want other twin-mama-to-bes to have hope. You don’t have to resign from breastfeeding simply because you’re having more than one baby!
This ebook is part memoir, part manual, as I reminisce on the painful early days of our journey and beyond. I give my recommendations for gear to buy, tips and recipes for increasing milk supply, and even a printable feeding log to keep track of your babies’ feeds.
I never imagined just how much breastfeeding would mean for our family, or to me. It has become an important part of my life and I’m so happy to be able to share our experience with you! To buy the book, just come visit my blog.

Are you (or is someone you know) expecting twins? I’d love to hear from you! Let’s connect on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook! You can also stop by my blog, Project Procrastinot, for more stories on life and parenting twins.