And the winner of the Lalabye Baby $20 gift certificate code is…
Ashley Tolliver!!!
Congrats, Ashley! You’ll be contacted by email shortly. You will have 48 HOURS to claim or another winner will be drawn. So please… CHECK YOUR EMAIL!!!!! 🙂
Don’t miss your chance to win Chaplin and Audrey in bumGenius 4.0 today on the TGN Blog!! (affiliated link) Ends 7/30
Do you have a favorite cloth diaper? Have you ever thought, “This diaper would be perfect if only…” I know I have. Many times! So had Melissa, the mama behind Lalabye Baby cloth diapers. Before making her own diapers, Melissa dreamed of finding THE perfect diaper. She tried different brands and styles, but couldn’t find one diaper with all of her desired features. Since the diaper she was dreaming of didn’t exist, she decided to create her own! Melissa put pen to paper, and the Lalabye Baby cloth diaper was born.
I have heard only great things about Lalabye Baby diapers. Whenever I’ve seen someone mention the brand on social media, mama after mama would comment on how wonderful these diaper are. It got me curious. I wanted to see what made these diapers so special. I reached out to Melissa and she graciously offered to sponsor this review. She sent me Itsy Bitsy Spider II to review and I was immediately impressed. Besides being totally adorable, the outer TPU fabric just looked and felt like such high quality. Was this the diaper I’d been wishing for??
Have you ever thought…
“I wish I could find a diaper that will fit my baby from infant to potty-learning…”
The Lalabye Baby cloth diaper is a one size diaper, meaning it should fit your little one all the the way through potty-learning, with a weight range of 8-35 lbs. My little guy is 23 months and a little over 25 lbs. I love the fit of this diaper on him! He is on the third rise setting and still has quite a bit of room to grow.
Whenever I’m reviewing a diaper, I always wonder how it would fit at different weight ranges. Luckily, I have a newborn up my sleeve 😉 My friend recently gave birth to the sweetest little guy and she let me test out the Lalabye Baby diaper on him…
It did fit her 8lb 9oz little squish. The cross over snaps help to make it really tiny around the waist. We had to do a little adjusting to get it to fit around his scrawny little legs. However, he’s a breastfed baby and when he put the diaper to the ultimate test, it passed! I personally would prefer newborn diapers until he put on a couple of pounds, but it did do the job and did it very well.
I’ve thought many times about other cloth diapers…
“I wish this diaper came with something other than microfiber inserts…”
More often than not, you’ll find that many cloth diapers come with microfibers inserts (at least the ones that come with inserts). The reason microfiber is often chosen is because it is very absorbent, plus it’s inexpensive so it doesn’t increase the price of diaper too much. But there are some issues with microfiber… because of the structure of its fibers, it can be prone to compression leaks and build up. Caring for microfiber can be especially tricky for those with really hard water and with HE washers.
With the Lalabye Baby diaper, you don’t have to worry dealing with microfiber. This diaper comes with not one, but TWO, rayon from bamboo inserts! Rayon from bamboo inserts are very absorbent, yet trim at the same time. Plus, they’re less likely to hold onto stink. These inserts have a terry cloth texture, like that of a towel, and are nice and soft.
This diaper comes with a smaller, lightweight insert and a larger, one-size insert. Once baby has outgrown the newborn insert, it can be snapped to the one-size insert for extra absorbency overnight or for heavy wetters. I found the one-size insert alone worked perfect for day-time use. At night I snapped them both together and even with my son nursing through the night, we still woke up to dry sheets!
Have you ever thought…
“I wish these pockets were easier to stuff…”
Some pockets are easier to stuff than others, and this diaper is definitely one of the easy ones! It has an opening at each end, making it a sleeve style. You can easily stick your hand in one end and pull the insert through to the other side. You can also stick your hand in both ends to smooth the insert down if needed. I find the openings to be nice and wide, so I’m not struggling to get my hand inside.
The diaper is lined with a super soft micro-suede fabric, which helps to protect baby from wetness. The lining doesn’t absorb, only lets wetness pass through. It acts as a barrier between baby and the absorbent inserts underneath, giving him or her that stay-dry feeling.
When I used pocket diapers exclusively, sometimes MANY times, I found myself saying…
“I wish I didn’t have to stuff these diapers…”
Although it only takes me about five minutes to stuff an entire load of pockets, sometimes I just don’t feel like stuffing them. One of the many great features of the Lalabye Baby diaper is if you don’t want to stuff it, you don’t have to! This diaper is also an all-in-two style! There are two snaps, one on each end of the diaper, where you can snap the insert in place.
When it’s time for a change, simply removed the insert and snap in a new one! The cover can be used multiple times before having to be switched out. You can purchase additional inserts separately. Because they are made from rayon from bamboo, they’re perfectly safe to go against baby’s skin.
I also like using this cover with my flat cloth diapers. It has a generous cut, so I don’t just have to pad-fold. I can do my fancy folds and don’t have any trouble with coverage. I also like using it with a tri-folded prefold. There is a waterproof insert stopper at the front of the diaper so you can tuck the insert underneath it to prevent leaks at the tummy. This comes especially in handy for those tummy sleepers!
Another issue I have with pockets is that I hate when I have to remove a dirty insert by hand. Whenever I’m doing this task, I often find myself thinking…
“I wish the insert agitated out in the wash…”
Because the Lalabye Baby diaper is a sleeve style, when used as a pocket the insert should agitate out on its own. I mainly use it as an All-In-Two, but the times I have used it as a pocket, the inserts agitated out for me every time.
Something that bothers me about using cloth diapers with snap closures is trying to remember which snap row to secure it on. Once you get a good fit on your baby, it’s good to remember exactly where you’ve snapped it, so you can use the same row for the next change. Sometimes that’s easier said than done. This is especially a problem if my husband is putting a diaper on him. Many times I find myself thinking…
“I wish there were an easy way to remember where to snap the waist snaps…”
I love that the Lalabye Baby diaper has color coded waist snaps! It really makes for an easier, quicker change. I found it great to be able to tell my husband, “He’s on green! No adjusting and readjusting until you find the perfect fit. Plus it looks super cute!
You may be thinking…
“I wish I had all these features in a diaper, but didn’t have to pay an exorbitant amount…”
Looking at this diaper, I’m pretty surprised at the quality compared to the price tag. Compared to other diapers I’ve tried and their price points, I would expect the Lalabye Baby to go for much higher! You get all these great features, high quality materials, AND rayon from bamboo inserts for less than $20! Lalabye Baby is definitely a name I would take note of. Although it may be new to some, I have a feeling, as word gets out, it will soon become a household name among many cloth diapering families!
Want to try one for yourself? Lalabye Baby is giving away a $20 gift certificate code to one lucky reader! Enter for you chance to WIN via the Rafflecopter. Click here to check out their website and see all the great colors and prints they have available!
DISCLOSURE: Although I received this product free of charge for this review, I have not received any other monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are genuine and 100% my own. The winner will receive the prize directly from the sponsor of this giveaway, as they are responsible for the fulfillment of the prize. I cannot be held reliable for prizes that are not fulfilled. This giveaway is not associated, sponsored, administrated, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest, or any other social media network. Open to US and Canada only and entrants must be 18 years of age or older. The winner will be contacted via email and has 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
The lucky winner of the Spray Pal Splatter Shield is….
JESSICA MILLER!!!!!
Congrats, Jessica! You’ll be contacted by email shortly. You will have 48 HOURS to claim or another winner will be drawn. So please… CHECK YOUR EMAIL!!!!! 🙂
Didn’t win? You can purchase your very own Spray Pal here! This is an affiliated link. If you purchase through my link I earn a small portion of the sale. All purchases through my links are greatly appreciated ❤
Stay tuned for another great giveaway coming soon!
WARNING: You’re going to hear the word poop in the post… A LOT.
The diaper sprayer. It is a cloth diapering family’s best friend! If you don’t know what a diaper sprayer is, I’ll fill you in… You know your the handheld sprayer you use in the kitchen every day to spray off your dishes? Instead of being attached to your sink, the diaper sprayer is attached to your toilet. And instead of spraying off dishes, the diaper sprayer (affiliated link) is like a little handheld power washer used to address those poopy diapers. It honestly makes dealing with the poop so much easier!
As awesome as the diaper sprayer is, I admit, it’s not flawless. One thing I don’t love about my sprayer is “spray back”. Spray back is when the stream of water from your sprayer hits the diaper just right (or should I say hits it just wrong!) and instead of going down into the toilet, droplets of water and even tiny pieces of poo shoot out, most times landing on the rim of the toilet bowl. If you aren’t careful, splatter can also end up on your floor, shower curtain, feet, child standing nearby… YUCK!
I’ve known about Spray Pal for a while, but I’ve held out because I didn’t think it was something I really needed. The Spray Pal (affiliated link) is a splatter shield that keeps any potential yucky spray off right where it belongs… in the toilet. I’ve worked on perfecting my technique, keeping the diaper low in the toilet, folding it in half, spraying at a particular angle… but more often than not, I still end up with some splatter. On a few occasions while spraying off a particularly messy diaper, I’ve thought to myself out loud, “I wish I had a Spray Pal…” Well folks, my wish came true!
I have to say, when I received my Spray Pal, I’ve never been so excited for my child to poop! 😉 Here’s how you use it:
Spraying with one hand… taking a photo with the other… still no splatter!
Another nifty thing about Spray Pal is that you can also wring the diapers out with it! Just unsnap the doors and squeeze the water into the toilet! Then hold the Spray Pal horizontally, like you would a serving tray, walk over and unclip the diaper into your wet bag or pail without having to worry about drips on your floor!
Photo credit: Erin Human at http://www.eisforerin.com
Now that I own a Spray Pal, I see how beneficial it is to have a flat surface for the diaper to lay on while you’re spraying. The clip holds it securely in place, and I don’t have to worry about folding it a certain way, or keeping it low in the toilet. I can spray away full blast with no worries of spray back or the mess going anywhere other than in the toilet. During the entire process, my hands stay clean. More importantly, so does the curious toddler who likes to stand right next to the toilet when I spray! In fact, he actually likes to take over spraying for me!
So easy, even a toddler can do it!
When you’re finished, the Spray Pal folds flat and can easily be stored in a wet bag between uses (although some prefer to leave their’s assembled sitting next to the toilet). I have a large Planet Wise WET/DRY bag (affiliated link) that I hang from the handle of my bathroom closet. I simply unclip the diaper into the main wet storage compartment at the top of the bag, then slide the Spray Pal into the front dry compartment. Unlike the wet compartment, the dry portion of the bag is not waterproof, but I haven’t had any trouble with dripping. I find it works great for storing my Pal in between uses!
When your little one is ready to potty learn, the Spray Pal can still come in handy! For little boys learning to use the potty standing up, the doors can be left open and it can sit in the toilet to help with aim and keeping little dribbles off your bathroom floor. You can even add a bullseye with a Sharpie so your kiddo knows just where to point and shoot! 😉 My little guy is slowly warming up to the potty, but without lots of encouragement from me, he’s still perfectly content to go in his diaper. I decided to try it out, and was disappointed that since my toilet is pretty rounded the doors wouldn’t stay open. I figured out though, when I folded the doors the opposite way, it stayed open and worked perfectly! I even got the cutest photo of my little guy using it, but I think I’ll keep that one for the baby book. 😉
Some like to set it up before going to bed, so that when their potty-learning kiddo uses the bathroom throughout the night, there’s no worry about bad aim and wet floors in the morning.
Although I’ve been a Spray Pal hold out (which I’m kicking myself for now!!), I’ve followed the Spray Pal family and their story on Facebook and Instagram for a while now. When you purchase a Spray Pal, your money is not going to some big business, it’s going to a small, family run business. Mr. and Mrs. Spray Pal are elementary school teachers who operate their business right out of their garage. They created their product once their daughter, Mini Spray Pal 1.0, started solids and they couldn’t find the perfect spraying technique to prevent splatter. Then along came their son, Mini Spray Pal 2.0, many weeks earlier than expected. The proceeds from their sales go directly toward his medical expenses. During his entire seven month stay in the NICU, they were able to cloth diaper Mini Spray Pal 2.0 full-time! If that doesn’t inspire you to want to #giveclothachance, I don’t know what will.
FUN FACT: Have you ever seen or used the hashtag, #makeclothmainstream? In case you’re wondering, Spray Pal originated it! Whenever you use #makeclothmainstream on any social media platform, you can connect with others who want to do the same… make cloth mainstream!
My little guy in his #makeclothmainstream t-shirt ❤
THE GIVEAWAY
I want to thank Spray Pal for sponsoring this review and giveaway! I’m also very excited to announce that my favorite retailer, The Green Nursery (affiliated link) now carries Spray Pal! If you are looking for super fast shipping, an awesome rewards program, and excellent customer service, look no further!
Want a Spray Pal of your own?? Enter to win via the Rafflecopter below. This giveaway will ship anywhere in the United States.
*This post contains affiliated links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I earn a small portion of the sale. All purchases made through my links are greatly appreciated. Thank you! ❤
DISCLOSURE: I received this product free of charge for this review, but have not received any other monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are genuine and 100% my own. The winner will receive the product shipped to them direct from the sponsor of this giveaway, as they are responsible for the fulfillment of the prize. I cannot be held reliable for prizes that are not fulfilled. This giveaway is not associated, sponsored, administrated, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest, or any other social media network. Open to US only and entrants must be 18 years of age or older. The winner will be contacted via email and has 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
I announced the winner of the aden+anais swaddle giveaway two days ago, but after two separate email attempts the prize is still unclaimed. To be fair to all those who entered, since 48 hours has passed (as sad as it makes me to say!) that winner is now disqualified 
That means, WE HAVE A NEW WINNER!
The winner of a set of aden+anais swaddles is……..
Melissa S.
Congrats, Melissa! You will be contacted by email provided by Rafflecopter and will have **** 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.****
PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL IF YOUR NAME IS MELISSA S!!!!!!!!!!!! 😉
*Remember! If you are using Rafflecopter to enter giveaways and log in through Facebook, the email that is associated with your Facebook account is the one that shows up. I also check extra info for any other email addresses you may have provided.
Stay tuned! I have another great giveaway coming on Monday!!! You won’t want to miss it! 😉
“If you say, “I support breastfeeding, BUT…” then you don’t support breastfeeding.”
If you follow a breastfeeding advocate Facebook page or support group, chances are you’ve heard this quote a time or two. I agree totally with it. A lot of times, you’ll hear someone use this quote about breastfeeding in public. Like, “I support breastfeeding, but I think the mom needs to do it in private or be discreet.” This infuriates breastfeeding advocates, like myself! No one should dictate how a mom feeds her baby!
We should support moms who breastfeed uncovered.
Recently I’ve read a couple of articles and seen some posts saying those individuals don’t support covering because that implies the mom is doing something inappropriate. When I first read these posts, I thought to myself, “Yeah! Right on! No one should tell a mom she needs to cover up while feeding her baby!
Then in a Facebook breastfeeding support group, during a heated debate on whether mamas should cover while breastfeeding, one mom posted, “We don’t support covering [in this group].” Wait… what?? That really struck a nerve with me…
As someone who is very shy and self conscious, I struggle with worrying about someone confronting me when I breastfeeding my son in public, especially now that he is a toddler. I do my best to try to put it out of my mind and just focus on him, but honestly, it’s hard for me. Sometimes I use a light blanket to cover myself (not him) or where layers so that I don’t feel as exposed. Given the situation we are in, sometimes that just makes me feel more comfortable.
We should support moms who breastfeed partially covered.
But when you say, “We don’t support covering”, it sounds like you don’t support moms who cover up while breastfeeding… like they are doing something wrong. There is something really wrong with this picture… we need to support breastfeeding moms. ALL breastfeeding moms.
I support moms that breastfeed their babies without a cover in public.
I support moms that have both breasts fully exposed while feeding their babies in public.
I support moms who wear layers and have just a bit of skin showing while breastfeeding in public.
I support moms who pump or use donor milk and give their babies bottles of breast milk in public.
AND I support moms who breastfeed fully covered in public.
I understand where those advocates are coming from, and how they can feel that wearing a cover implies that they they are doing something wrong. But if wearing a cover makes that mom feel comfortable enough NOT go to the bathroom to feed her baby or make them wait until they go to the car, then that mom needs support too. In fact, that mom may need the most support of all!
We should support moms who breastfeed fully covered.
Maybe she wants to have the confidence to breastfeed without a cover, but she’s just not there yet. She should feel like breastfeeding advocates are on her side, rather than judging her because she chooses to cover. At least she’s breastfeeding her baby, which is what we all hope for… more babies being breastfed.
I do believe that the only way to normalize breastfeeding in public is for others to see moms breastfeeding their babies in public. I am so thankful for the badasses of the world spreading the word and making great strides for breastfeeding. But I also believe we need to support ALL breastfeeding moms, whether or not the they choose to cover.
The winner of a set of aden+anais swaddles is:
WINNER DISQUALIFIED. DID NOT CLAIM PRIZE WITHIN 48 HOURS AFTER TWO SEPARATE EMAIL ATTMEPTS, AND I HAD TO REDRAW 😦
Congrats, (WINNER DISQUALIFIED)! You will be contacted by email soon. You will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.
Stay tuned! I have another great giveaway coming on Monday!!! You won’t want to miss it! 😉
*This post contains affiliated links. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I earn a small portion of the sale. All purchases through my links are greatly appreciated. Thank you! ❤
When I think of babies, one of the first images that comes to mind is a tiny newborn sweetly swaddled in a natural muslin blanket in his or her mother’s arms. I first took notice of aden+anais swaddles when my little guy was almost a year old. Although I really wanted to try them, I thought he was probably too old for me to buy him any more baby blankets.
When I started blogging for The Green Nursery (affiliated link), I heard more and more about these swaddling blankets. Whenever people would ask my opinion, I would tell them what wonderful things I had heard, but since I live hours away from TGN I had never actually seen or touched them in person… just admired them from afar.
Then one morning, during a La Leche League meeting, I saw one in-person for the first time. A mama had it draped across her shoulder as a burp cloth. I oohed and ahhed over her sweet little one, and I couldn’t help but do the same over his adorable blankie in the Jungle Jam print. 🙂 Seeing it outside of a computer screen made me realize that these blankets could have so many more uses than just swaddling!
I reached out to aden+anais to see if they’d be willing to let me review their swaddlers and was super excited when they agreed! When they came in the mail, I was finally able to see why so many families love these blankets. They sent me a set of swaddlers in the Mod About Baby print, and I have to say, they are simply adorable. My little guy particularly loves the fishy print, probably because we just got one as our new family pet.
The first thing I noticed when I opened the package was how extremely soft these blankies are! My little guy immediately snuggled up in them in a pile on the floor. I admit, I wanted to snuggle up in them too! They get even softer after you wash them!
Aden+anais classic swaddlers are made from 100% cotton muslin fabric, and are light weight and very breathable. They’re 47 x 47 inches, which is MUCH bigger than your typical baby blanket. As a former Labor and Delivery nurse, I’ve swaddled quite a few babies in my time and in my opinion, these blankets are perfect for that!
Although we don’t have a real baby at home, we’ve found so many other uses for them with our toddler! Right away, I could tell he enjoyed these blankets. He loves to wrap them around him as he runs through the house, and let them drape behind him like a cape. We’ve even been brave enough to take them outside. The only concern I have with all muslin blankets is that they can snag, so you have to keep in mind.
We’ve also had to deal with our first “learning to sharing” experience. When one of his brothers tried use a swaddle to cover up on the couch, he grabbed it from him and said, “Mine!” That was the first time he had ever said that! So that’s something we are working on now…
Whenever we are sitting on the couch together, just snuggling or when I’m nursing him to sleep, I love that these blankies are large enough to drape over both of us. Then when I lay him down for a nap, I can use that same blanket to cover him up.
The swaddles are perfect for the mornings when we take his older brothers and sister to school. I just drape it over his car seat to keep him warm. Or even on hot days when the older kids want the AC on full blast… they’re lightweight, but still have enough weight to them to keep him from getting chilly.
Since they are so lightweight, they’re perfect as a nursing cover. Instead of dealing with an actual cover with a strap, to me it’s so much easier to drape it across your shoulder and give you just as much or as little coverage as you and your baby are comfortable with.
I am so happy that I was able to review these swaddling blankets. They are seriously worth every penny! While kiddos out grow most baby blankets pretty quickly, these swaddles are big enough to last well into the preschool years and beyond.
I’m very excited that aden+anais has generously agreed to sponsor my very first giveaway! Enter below via Rafflecopter for your chance to win your very own set of aden+anais classic swaddles! You can also purchase your own swaddles here (affiliated link).
DISCLOSURE: I received this product free of charge for this review, but have not received any other monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are genuine and 100% my own. The winner will receive the product shipped to them direct from the sponsor of this giveaway, as they are responsible for the fulfillment of the prize. I cannot be held reliable for prizes that are not fulfilled. This giveaway is not associated, sponsored, administrated, or endorsed by Facebook, Twitter, Google, Pinterest, or any other social media network. Open to US only and entrants must be 18 years of age or older. The winner will be contacted via email and has 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
Because we celebrated Memorial Day yesterday, we had a nice long weekend. We camped out in the backyard, made many, many smores, enjoyed some great food and a little time in the pool with family, and we also had a little adventure…
If you follow me on Instagram, you may already know that my kids and enjoy spending time in the woods, playing in the creek and exploring nature. We usually do this in our own backyard. When we saw some beautiful pictures of my sister and her boyfriend enjoying a day of hiking and horseback riding, we decide to take the kids to explore a whole new woods.
We went to a state park that my husband and I had both been to when we were younger. We both had went canoeing there, but I had never been hiking. He said he had many years ago, and when he put the map in his back pocket, I just assumed he knew where he was going, so I let him lead the way. The plan was to take the easy trails. That was the plan…
After crossing a suspension bridged that swayed back and forth, our older kids decided to jump over a wooden fence that was designed to keep you on the trail. There was an area to walk along a rock wall that sloped down to the creek. I could tell people had walked it many times before, because the lack of grass along the ridge that led back to the intended trail. It wasn’t too treacherous, so I let them go, but walked with them while my husband took that safe path while wearing our little one.
Along the path, we spotted a large skink which is a type of lizard. My oldest is an animal expert and told me exactly what kind of skink it was, but I can’t remember what he told me. There were so many little tidbits of info he told me during our hike, that I just didn’t retain this one 🙂
My kids love chasing skinks around our yard, but we had never seen one this big before! This little guy was missing his tail, which they release to escape from predators and are able to regenerate. This actually happened when one of the kids caught a lizard recently and I found it with a bandaid on it’s tail! They felt bad about it, and bandaids make everything better, right? 😉
After our little friend scurried away, we made our way back to the beaten path. We came around a corner and we were suddenly surrounded by large rock walls on both sides with a small creek streaming through the middle. The kids took off, climbing up on the rocks and exploring the cracks and crevices. I walked a fine line of trying to let them experience and explore and wanting to keep them safe.
Once they had gotten their fill of climbing and playing, my husband handed our little guy off to me, and I wore him the rest of the way in the Ergo. If it wasn’t for babywearing, we wouldn’t be able to have adventures like this because there is no way a stroller could pass through. We got back on the trail, which was along the creek… little did we know that creek actually became the trail!
As we walked we could hear the sound of rumbling water. The kids got really excited because they knew that had to mean there was a waterfall close by! We came to a point in the trail that veered off in two different directions. We followed the sound of the water to discover a small waterfall.
It was small, but still beautiful! I hope one day we can go somewhere with even bigger waterfalls for the kids to see since they were so amazed by this little one. We got back on the path, and the rock walls around us narrowed until the only way through was through the creek. At first we tried to keep our feet dry be holding onto the side of the walls and walking along dry rocks that lined the edge. Eventually there was no way to avoid it.
In all honesty, walking with a baby in a carrier along a creek is not the safest thing to do. Luckily it was not too slippery, but I was still nervous about it. I kept my arm ready to brace his head in case I fell. I considered turning back, but we had already come this far. In a couple more years, he should be able to walk with us, but until then he was still getting to experience it with us and I had both arms available to brace myself if I felt unsteady.
As we walked along, my little guy kept reaching his hand out to touch the rocks and moss. He loves exploring nature and being in the woods as much as the older kids. Eventually we came the end of the trail through the creek and walked up and down hills via MANY stairs. Once we came to a crossroads in the trails, my husband finally pulled out the map. I told him there was no way that could have been considered an easy trail. We then realized that it was actually listed as one of the most rugged!
We asked a couple coming from one direction if that was the way back to the entrance and were a little relieved when they told us it was. We followed the trail back and decided to let the kids cool off for a little in the creek.
Surprisingly, my little guy was a little unsure of the water. He usually is the first one to try to get his feet wet, but today he was fine with looking for rocks along the shore.
We had so much fun and we can’t wait to do it again! I would say, next time I’ll take the map, but I’m actually really glad we took a trail that we wouldn’t have tried had we known it was the most difficult. If you always take the path of least resistance, you may just miss out on all the fun along the way…
Last week I participated in Dirty Diaper Laundry’s Flats and Handwashing Challenge. The week seriously flew by! Here’s what I’ll take away from the Challenge…
Using Flats
There are a couple of reasons why I plan to continue using flats full-time. The majority of my stash is made of pocket diapers with microfiber inserts. With my super hard well water, I use Calgon to wash diapers with each load or I end up with barnyard stink. Not everyone has this problem and adding Calgon is not a huge deal, but I’ve liked not having to worry about all that last week.
Plus, if you read my post from a couple of days ago, you know that using flats full time is helping my son potty learn. He’s more than content doing his business in his diaper, but since last week he immediately alerts me when he is wet. He had been doing that for dirty diapers for a few weeks now, but the natural fibers allow him to feel wet, and he doesn’t like it. Hopefully it will eventually give him some incentive to learn to use the potty.
Line Drying
One thing I really looked forward to last week was a drying my flats out in the sun like I was able to do the previous year. I always line dry my covers, but typically toss my inserts, prefolds, fitteds, and flats in the dryer to save time. It seriously rained the ENTIRE week. The very last day of the challenge, although it was chilly and cloudy, it wasn’t raining. I decided to go ahead and throw them out on the clothesline. As I was hanging them, all of the sudden the sun came out! It was a great way to end the week. I had another load to do Sunday morning and it was so nice and warm. The flats dried so quickly. As long as I’m just using flats, I will definitely keep line drying them to save money… and I just love seeing them drying in the sun 🙂
Folding Flats
When I first started the challenge, I planned on pad folding and laying them in a cover like an insert. When I participated in the challenge the previous year, my son would not lay down long enough for my to try out different folds, so that was the way to change him the quickest. This year, he actually let me try different folds! A couple of things I love about folding… when he takes off his cover, he still has a diaper on! I let him get a lot of naked time, but there are times when he just decides to go. It’s nice that if he is in a carpeted area of the house, that keeps the floor safe. Plus I find that it makes the diaper appear to be trimmer.
and here’s what I will not… 😉
Handwashing
I honestly didn’t mind the handwashing too much. I will definitely use it on vacation if he’s still using diapers by then, but I am glad to be back to using my washer and dryer! When I hand washed, I had to do so daily or I’d end up with a large load that was difficult to get clean. Now I can wait until every other day to wash.
Dunking and Swishing
I decided to forgo using my diaper sprayer this year (and last year too) because I feel like if I was struggling to afford diapers, I would do without it. Last year, it was the worst part of the challenge. This year, while it wasn’t pleasant by any means, it wasn’t as bad. Don’t get me wrong, it was still bad… but not as bad! I’m very happy to be reunited with my sprayer! It really makes taking care of number two so much easier!
Bucket storage
There were things I liked and things I disliked about bucket storage. I had the bucket right next to my toilet (dry pail method), so after I would dunk and swish, I would just drop it right in. I hang my wet bag on the closet door in the bathroom, so I have to make a few steps, unzip, and rezip. Not a big deal, but being lazy, I just found dropping it in the bucket a little more convenient. I am happy to have my wet bag back because I feel it holds in smells better, it’s easy to toss in the washer with the diapers to wash, and it’s great for travel.
Small stash of covers
I limited myself to only five covers for the challenge to see how difficult it would be manage handwashing a small stash. As long as I washed each after I switched them out, it was fine, but there were a couple of times I forgot and nearly ran out of covers. It was really fine if I ran out, because he could always go coverless, but if I wanted to leave the house, I would definitely want a cover to protect his clothing. Having a large stash I don’t have to worry about this as much.
Participating in the challenge these past two years has really been a great experience. It taught me a skill that I was able to use on vacation last summer and maybe this summer as well, it made me grateful for the conveniences we have, and it opened my eyes to a very important issue. We need to spread the word to families that they have options and shouldn’t have to choose between buying diapers and other necessities. Next year, although I may not be participating if my little guy is potty-trained, I will definitely be cheering everyone on and will continue to help spread the word any way I can!
Apron Strings Attached 