So, I have always wanted to be one of those moms that only buys organic wooden toys for her kids. But really, it has just never happened! Oh we have a few, but for the most part my kids just seem to prefer noisy mass-marketed plastic toys!

Don’t get me wrong, I was never ever like “Fisher Price  is the Devil and plastic will kill my child and expensive wooden toys will make her smarter and healthier”…more like “Man those things are are loud and gaudy. Maybe some quiet wooden toys would be fun and less annoying to have around”.  Some of the wooden toys we have are very well liked. The Melissa and Doug wooden dolls with magnetic outfits are huge winners with the girl who has liked them from when she was about 3 until now. Charlotte now loves wooden puzzles…especially the Melissa and Doug ones that make animal noises.

But she likes plastic Fisher Price toys more. I really do love Fisher Price toys myself…out of all the big manufacturers they seem to have the best handle on what babies and toddlers really enjoy! Especially the Laugh and Learn line! Here are some of Charlotte’s favorites:

The last one was Charlotte’s Hanukkah gift from her grandparents, and she loves it!

I just wish they would not package them as if they are atomic bombs that will explode if any one of the 700 pieces that need to be assembled by an adult with a screwdriver moves a fraction of an inch. I have gotten into buying them used…more to avoid dealing with all the packaging and assembly than to save money, though that is a nice bonus!!!

This post is brought to you by a comment on a friend’s blog, and postings on 2 bulletin boards. The three conspired to create, with some editing, a comprehensive posting on Cloth Diapering…AKA my new obsession. I am too lazy to do links, you can easily find any of the diapers I discuss on google.

Here it goes, the diapers I use, and when I use them:

1) Pockets.  There are a cover with a pocket in it, that you stuff with an absorbant insert. Mine are BumGenius 3.0, I use these at night only, with a superdo insert.  Other popular pocket brands are Fuzzibuns, Happy Heineys and Haute Pockets.  Many pockets come in one size, so they adjust for about 8-35lb babies, which is very conveneint.

2) AIOs. All In One’s.  A diaper that has it all…use it like a sposie, then throw it in the laundry. I use these for going out and to keep in my diaper bag, since they are easy to use, waterproof and all one piece.  These are also all the man will use. I like Drybees, Swaddlebees, BumGenius Organics, Piddles Poddles (these are all in twos, since the soaker snaps in), and Mommy’s Touch. Many of thsde have a pocket under the absorbant part so you can add an extra insert for added absorbancy if needed.  Here are some AIO reviews.

3) Fitteds. These look kinda like an AIO, but not water-proof. Very absorbant. I use them at home and for short outtings-with covers, of course.  Some of my favorites are GoodMama, Muttaquin Baby, Bububebe, Northern Baby, and Bagshot Row Bamboo. The adorable dipe in the post two down is a fitted, from Northern Baby. OK, here is is again:

4) Pre-folds. These are like flat diapers but have a thicker more absorbant part in the center, and need a cover. They can be folded and laid right in the cover, or folded around the baby in a diaper shape  (like old school diapers), fastened with a pin or snappi (google it) and covered.   I only have a few pre-folds I got when swapping diapers with someone, and I usually use them for short periods-for example if I get the  dressed shortly before we are going out, and she needs a fresh diaper.  I always change her diaper right before we go out, so I put on a pre-fold for that short time period.

Now, a bit about covers:

I use 3 types of covers over my fitteds and pre-folds:

1) PUL. These are waterproof covers that snap or velcro on. Thirsties, Gen-y and Bummis are good ones. They work well, but look…like a cover. I do not use them out of the house much since it is too mcuh effort; to change a diaper with this sort of cover you need to take off the pants, take off the cover, change the diaper, and replace cover than pants. At home, I just use the cover.

2) Fleece. Fleece is naturally water-repellant. They make nice covers since they are cute enough to wear as bottoms. They can be a soaker (covers just the diaper) shorties (like shorts) or longies (like pants). The colourful striped pants most of you have seen here are fleece longies. Yeah, these:

3) Wool. Wool is a my favorite. Like fleece, they can be soakers, shorties or longies. They are absolutely adorable,  and naturally absorbant and waterproof.  They can be expensive (Luve, Wild Child Woolies, Sustainable Babyish) but ETSY has a lot of fabulous crafty people (I hate craftly people) that recyle wool sweaters into affordable and adorable wool covers.

I use wool mostly over fitted diapes. The fitted absorbs the liquid and then the wool absorbs it once it starts coming out of the fitted, and then the wool holds onto it due to lanolin. How bullet-proof a wool cover is depends on the wool. Interlock or thick tightly knit (or felted) wool is great. Looser knit lighter wool needs to be kept a better eye on, but I still find it as leakproof as pockets. When it gets too full, I can feel that it is damp through the outside, but it doesn’t really leak or get onto anything (though I guess at this point it would if I did not change it soon).

I do need to lanolize every few weeks to keep them working. I just soak them in a sink full of warm water, with a bit of baby wash and a drop of melted lanolin, then wring lightly, and lay flat to dry. The amazing thing  about wool is, because wool is naturally anti-bacterial, I only need to wash every few weeks (unless poop gets on them!). When it feels damp I just hang it up, and when it drys, no smell!

I use mostly wool and fleece covers.  I use them over fitteds at home, and then when I go out I usually change to an AIO. and use the wool or fleece over top. I like the extra protection of a waterproof AIO, out of the house, and the wool or fleece looks great AND ensures that even if the AIO leaks or wicks, it will not be a problem. The blue pants with the flowers I recently posted are wool longies. Yeah, these:

Here is a wool soaker:

People always want to know how gross cloth diapering is

Not so much.  Reality is, if you are dealing with a baby, you are dealing with baby shit. Pee too. I have far less blow outs with cloth than I did with sposies though, and I do not find it gross at all .  But I also do not find the diva cup (google it) gross, so maybe I am just wierd.

I can  honestly say that  in 5 months of 100% cloth diapering, home and out, I have NEVER had a bad leak. I have had a bit of wicking or leaking around the legs when the diaper is too loose, or too full, or the material pulled the liquid out…but I have never had clothing or anything else soaked.

Trouble-shooting a leaky Diaper, particularily a pocket or AIO

I am c&ping this directly from the blog comment, since I think it might be helpful to those that end up here via google and have cloth diaper problems:

Make sure the dipes have been washed and dried, in additive free detergent, several times before using. No matter the material, this should fluff up the absorbant layers. Make sure there are no soap bubbles in the last rinse cycle. DO NOT put fabric softener (sheets or liquid) anywhere near your diapers! It can coat the fibres and make them repel instead of absorb liquid.

When putting the diaper on, ensure no gaps, and that the inner material is all tucked in and only the outer waterproof cover is exposed.

If they are well washed, seem to be a good fit, and still leeak ing…you may want to try holding them under a slow flow (not just dripping, you need some force to the water to replicate a peeing baby) of water to see where the problem is.

-If the water is rolling off the diaper instead of absorbing into it, you’ve got repelling for some reason (usually dtergent build-up or diaper cream or fabric softener on the diapers) and I would strip the diapers (wash them on hot with a couple drops of DAWN detergent, then rinse on hot until there are no bubbles left).

-If the diaper is filling then leaking, you probably need more absorbancy than your diapers offer. You can get “doublers” online, or try laying some thick soft bamboo or terry washclothes in them to increase the absorbancy. If you are using a pocket, play with adding inserts, folding long enserts differently. I find hemp/microfibre inserts to be the best. Loopydos and (at night) superdos are great.

-If they are absorbing but the water is soaking right through the waterproof layer, well, there is not much you can do but use covers over them.  I have some AIOs form independant fiaper selller that shoudl be waterproof, but just leak right through anyways. I treat them like fitteds.

Laundry

Another question I am always asked. I hate laundry, but it is not so bad. Since I love my dipes so much, it is almost….fun. Here is how I do it:

I do laundry every 1.5 to 2 days (I did a load yesterday morning, I am doing one tonight). Not a huge load, but not nothing either. That is usually about 15 diapers, which is just right. Too few is a waste of water and energy, too many and they don’t get as clean. 

I pre-set my machine: Hot soak, hot wash, cold rinse, second cold rinse. Most people use a cold soak, but I find hot soak works better for me. However, if I know there is no poop in the load (Charlotte only poos every 3rd day) I do all cold.  Still a soak, wash, rinse, extra rinse. The AIOs, fitteds and prefolds go in the dryer on medium high, as well as the inserts for pockets. The pocket shells and pul covers dry on the rack. Anything that comes out stained gets dried on a sunny window-sill (works great!). I use Purex Free dtergent, and about a 3rd of a capful, with a half scoop of oxi-clean.

Last but not least, the fun part!!!  I took pictures of my stash for a thread on a bulletin board today, and will share them here, with details (I am c&ping this directly from the board, which is a Cloth Diapering community where everyone knows that acronyms. If you look hard enough, you can figure out most of them from the information above! It is like a quiz):

Just some pictures I took recently.

I  have 3 slings, a wrap, a mei tai, a connecta…and a beco on the way.  (and yes, I actually use all of these carriers, often over the course of 1-2 days!)

I have sold 2 bjorns and 2 slings, and free-cycled a mei tai.

i. want. a. kokopax.

help me.

P.S. if anyone here is loving on Hotslings, but not the price…check this out. Lovely, lovely slings. Well made with lots of options (though I just like the basic with no frills-does the job and folds up small enough to fit in my purse). I have the Heat Wave / Heat Wave Floral and it is gorgeous. I actually prefer this to my Hotsling and my Peanut Shell…just a better fit and the reversible fabric (you can get that on HS and PS too, but then they get even pricier) looks so nice when I fold over the shoulder for a snug carry.

Those of you that know me, like, at all, know that I am the least crafty person out there. One of my mottos is “I don’t make things, I buy them”. In the past, I have generally meant buying them from mass market retailers, or from individuals who are selling things they bought from mass market retailers.

Recently, though, I have started buying more and more hand (or home) made items for my girls, and myself. Accessories and diapers are excellent items to get from those in this world that are craftier than I am. Generally you can get beautiful and unique items, and at reasonable prices.

I love to shop at Etsy. It is a fabulous place to find some great stuff. I especially enjoy buying from Canadian sellers, just because it is nice to support my fellow Canadians. It also means faster, cheaper shipping and no customs.

Here are a few of my  favorite Canadian sellers on Etsy:

Northern Baby 
Northern Baby makes wonderful diapers. I have several fitted diapers from this shop, and LOVE them. The Organic  Bamboo Velvet used is super soft and only gets softer everytime I wash the diapers. I also have some washcloths that are so soft that even though they are for Charlotte, I use them on myself too.

Someday Sarah
Sarah is super local, lives in my city (well, the city next to mine!). She makes wonderful recycled clothing from wool, fleece and cotton, as well as doing some of her own knitting. I have some adorable Wool Shorts and Soakers from her, as well as these awesome Fleece Longies that make sure Charlotte’s diapers never leak and keep her look ing so hip!

My Sunshine Designs
Beyond adorable, well made hair clips are what I’ve gotten from this wonderful WAHM (Work At Home Mom). She also makes lovely ribbon paci clips (great for clipping teething toys to within reach as well), and other girly accessories!

Time Designs
Dawn makes beautiful Jewellery, mostly focused on mothering though she also has some unique boutique pieces.  I have an Amber Teething Necklace for Charlotte (google it, and yes, it does work!) and a Nursing Necklace from Dawn, and recently ordered  an Amber necklace for myself, in hopes that it may calm my headaches and other aches and pains.

First there were 2. the Aria, beacuse it matched the car-seat I wanted and looked nice and lightweight, and the InStep Ultra, for jogging (since I jog…or have jogged, anyways) and to keep in my enclosure for neighborhood walks since I find dragging a stroller in and out of the trunk while holding a baby in my arms is a huge PITA and prefer to have a stoller just for this purpose. I know, I like things too easy!

Anyway. There were 2. Then I discovered that the Aria, though awesome with the car-seat, did not have good long term potential for me, due to the fact that when the car-seat is not used, the stroller on it’s own is so light that it tips over everytime I take Charlotte out of it, which I do often. The only way to avoid tipping is to never hang the diaper bag or any shopping bags or anything on the handle, which is not an option as I need to carry things and though the basket is generous, it is not generous to carry my diaper bag, my purse, outerwear, baby carrier, and any and all shopping bags I may fill on a given trip.

So the search for the perfect stroller began.

It started with the I’coo Pico, from Once upon a child. I loved this stroller because it is cute, sturdy, has a huge basket. However after a few days, I decided it was not quite right, since Charlotte cannot face me in it, and it does not steer well one handed (I often need a hand to hold onto the girl’s hand, or carry Charlotte).

So I found the I’coo Infinity  (not online, no longer made) on Craigslist and got it. Almost perfect. This stroller looks great, faces rear or front, steers like a dream. Not perfect as it can be a bit tippy (not nearly as much as the Aria though), cannot carry the carrier car-seat (which I still like to use in the mall if it is raining or if Charlotte is sleeping in it…so I started carrying the Aria in my front seat and Infinity in the trunk just in case one of those things happened), is very big and difficult to get into my trunk (once it took me 10 minutes in the rain, needs to be just right to go in) and the basket was smallish. Even though the Infinity was not perfect, I was planning to keep it since it seemed good enough and I knew some of the issues (car-seat, trunk) would resolve as Charlotte grew out of the carrier car-seat and I got more accustomed to fitting the stroller in my trunk.

But then I went to Safety Superstore  to get the new car-seat I ordered and saw  the Kolcraft Contoursstrollers. I have seen these online and noticed them, they are super popular in the U.S and have a great reputation. I asked about it and learned it was quite affordable ($199 for the 3 or 4 wheel model). Then I went home and obsessed and obsessed, as well as researched and researched. I finally decided to put the Infinity on Craigslist and if it sold for enough to buy the Kolcraft, do it. I got 3 responses right away, and started tyo make arrangements for the potential buyers to come see the Infinity.

While I was waiting for the Infinity to sell, I went to play with the floor models at the store and make absolutely sure this is what I wanted to do. It was. I loved the stroller and it had everything I wanted-sturdy, huge basket, reversable seat, better fit in my trunk, car-seat adaptor I can use with my seat, nice look, great steering. So, with my decision made, as I was leaving the store to go sell my Infinity, they offered me the floor model of the one I really liked for 30% off. I LOVE floor models. Not only for the price, but also since it mans no boxes, packaging or assembly to deal with. I HAD to do it.

Of course, now no one has followed up on the Infinity. So I have the Kolcraft in my trunk, the Infinity, Picu and Aria in my enclosure, and the Jogger in my basement.  The Jogger (since the new Kolcraft is a 3 wheel and can be used for jogging-and I really doubt Iwill jog with the baby anyways, I like to jog alone late in the evening) and Infinty are still for sale. The Kolcraft is my everyday stroller (and I am SO happy with it, it is perfect!) and I am still deciding if I want to keep the Aria or the Picu as my “stroller in the enclosure for neighborhood walks”. I am leaning towards the Picu, since it is really cute and has a great basket and I am getting better at steering it. Or maybe the Aria, since it is lightweight and easy to throw in my trunk and will be good in a year or so when I no longer want a big heavy stroller for Charlotte and no longer carry a diaper bag big and heavy enough to tip it. Oh well, I’ll figure it out.

The moral of my story. I have none. I do have 5 strollers though.

P.S. My new stroller:

Sharing some things Charlotte really enjoys these days:

A day late,  I sent this e-mail to Gagou Tagou:

update

Not so much.

 Charlotte turned one month on Friday, here is her one month picture (we plan to do one with this bear every month):

and another shot of the outfit, one of my favorites:

 The girl also did her own photo shoot with the bear:

Here is Charlotte relaxing in the wrap at my mom’s surprise 60th birthday party yesterday:

and another view (ignore the greasy roots please!):

and a gorgeous picture of the girl, from the party.  She is like a doll, isn’t she?

Advice needed

The girl is now going to be home with me 2-3 days a week. I need some ideas for things to do with her, preferably out of the house since I find Charlotte is easier to keep content when we are on the go.

I have looked into classes and lessons, but they are all up to age 5, I guess since most kids are in grade 1 by age 6. The girl was a March baby though…so not her. Of course there are play-places…but she’ll get bored without other kids her age to play with.