Ahh, swim diapers, those diapers we only think about for part of the year, yet they are necessary. Necessary to contain the little accidents we don't want floating around in the pool.
All swim diapers are designed to contain poop, but not pee. If it was absorbent it would just soak up water and weigh the child down. Since the goal of the swim diaper is to contain poop, I began to wonder if the disposable swim diaper contained it better than the cloth swim diaper. I was leary because all my experiences with disposable diapers usually ended in me or my son being covered in poop. Any time my son has ever had a blow out it has been in a disposable diaper. I learned my lesson quickly and now when a disposable diaper is necessary we use the Flip with a disposable insert.
With this thought in mind, I decided to conduct my own little experiment to check them out. I began by placing uncooked oatmeal in each diaper while my son was wearing it in a tub of water for 5 minutes to see what would happen. I created a slide show of what I experienced. Run your arrow across the bottom to see the captions.
The experiment started by adding 2/3 cup of oatmeal to an ImseVimse swim diaper. My son sat in a container of water for five minutes. Pictures were taken of the water after the five minutes. The ImseVimse cloth swim diaper contained the oatmeal. The same amount of oatmeal was then added to the Huggies Swim Diaper. He sat again for five minutes (while eating a lollipop) in a container of water. After five minutes, the soggy oatmeal started escaping around the waist of the diaper. The water was foggy. The conclusion seems obvious. Which swim diaper would you want on a child in a public pool?
A word about cloth swim diapers ~ Cloth swim diapers come in a few varieties. I personally prefer the ones with snaps versus velcro. The velcro can scratch the adult's swimsuit while holding the child if it is not covered up with another swimsuit. When I have used a bumGenius or FuzziBunz one size diaper for a swim diaper it has worked fine. I'm not sure how well it works in comparision to the cloth swim diapers, but it must be better than the disposable variety. It does tend to hold more water than the slim fitting ImseVimse swim diaper.
Another great aspect to the swim diaper, is the savings. The Huggies Little Swimmers Swim Pants I bought was on sale for $6.99 for 10. That's almost $0.70 each! I can't imagine buying these for daily swim lessons. Most cloth swim diapers I have seen or bought have been under $15.00 each. They last all summer and then can be saved and used with another child.
CLOSED
Here's the good news ~ You can enter to win a FREE ImseVimse swim diaper or you can buy one on sale through July 25, 2010 at Wee Willie Winks.
To enter: CLOSED
US Residents may enter from July 10, 2010 through 11:59 pm EST July 20, 2010. Winner will be drawn through a random number generator on July 21, 2010. The valid comment number that matches the generated number will be the winner.
Please leave contact information in your comment(s). I will make every attempt to contact the winner and will also post the winner here. If I have not heard from the winner by July 30, 2010, another winner will be drawn. CONGRATULATIONS TO LORI! Comment 20 was chosen by www.random.org.
Here's how to enter (Please leave a separate comment for each entry. If you're already a fan or already subscribe, simply leave a comment saying so):
1. Mandatory entry: Stop by Wee Willie Winks and check out the selection of ImseVimse swim diapers. Post a link here to the size you'd like to own and the print you love!
2. Follow this blog for an entry.
3. Become a fan of CDRC on Facebook for an entry.
4. Become a Wee Willie Winks fan on Facebook for an entry.
5. Follow Wee Willie Winks on Twitter for an entry.
Good luck!
Carissa ~ www.weewilliewinks.com ~ Let us help you discover what works for your family!
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Heading up to NYC for the TODAY Show...and a giveaway!
Congratulations to comment @224-Bao! You've won a bumGenius 4.0 diaper. I didn't see any contact info in the comments, so please e-mail michelle@sbdiapers.com to claim your prize. A new winner will be drawn on July 20th if I don't hear back.
Many of you may have seen the TODAY show segment about the new "designer" diapers from Pampers. Check out Amanda's post below for more information!
In an attempt to make disposables more appealing, Pampers is teaming up with designer Cynthia Rowley to feature limited edition prints. My feeling is that if you want a diaper to be cute AND functional AND save money, then go with cloth! My hope is that many parents, in wanting their babies' bottoms to be cute and comfortable, will actually take a closer look at cloth.
Jenn from Cottonbabies is thinking along those lines as well. She's organized cloth diapering families to stand outside the TODAY show tomorrow, July 8th to promote cloth. Parents will be outside, showing off their babies in cloth diapers. The hope is that it will help to bring awareness about cloth diapers even without a scheduled segment in the show.
I'm excited about venturing there this morning to help promote cloth diapers. I'll update after my trip with more details!
So...
It was a good time! My daughter was extremely well-behaved, considering she woke up much earlier than usual and is not used to the hustle and bustle of the city. We met Jenn from Cottonbabies and her daughter. Everyone was very nice and it was great seeing other babies in cloth diapers. Since I didn't get there at 6, it was hard to tell how many moms and babies showed up. Everyone was scattered through the crowd so that the signs and babies could be more visible. I'm positive that one mom spoke about cloth diapers on camera, but I haven't seen the tape to know how visible the diapers were.
Win it! Win a new bumGenius 4.0 diaper (given by Snooty Booty Diapers)
To enter:
US Residents may enter from July 8, 2010 through 11:59 pm EST July 15, 2010. Winner will be drawn through a random number generator on July 16, 2010. The valid comment number that matches the generated number will be the winner.
Please leave contact information in your comment(s). I will make every attempt to contact you and will post the winner here. If I have not heard from the winner by July 20, 2010, another winner will be drawn.
Here's how to enter (Please leave a separate comment for each entry. If you're already a fan or already subscribe, simply leave a comment saying so):
1. Mandatory entry: Stop by Snooty Booty Diapers and check out the selection of bumGenius, Flip and Econobum diapers and products. Post a link here to the product you'd most like to try and tell why!
2. Follow this blog for an entry.
3. Become a fan of CDRC on Facebook for an entry.
4. Become a Snooty Booty fan on Facebook for an entry.
5. Subscribe to the Snooty Booty Diapers mailing list for an entry.
6. Follow Snooty Booty's blog, Cloth Diapers Made Simple for an entry.
Good luck!
Many of you may have seen the TODAY show segment about the new "designer" diapers from Pampers. Check out Amanda's post below for more information!
In an attempt to make disposables more appealing, Pampers is teaming up with designer Cynthia Rowley to feature limited edition prints. My feeling is that if you want a diaper to be cute AND functional AND save money, then go with cloth! My hope is that many parents, in wanting their babies' bottoms to be cute and comfortable, will actually take a closer look at cloth.
Jenn from Cottonbabies is thinking along those lines as well. She's organized cloth diapering families to stand outside the TODAY show tomorrow, July 8th to promote cloth. Parents will be outside, showing off their babies in cloth diapers. The hope is that it will help to bring awareness about cloth diapers even without a scheduled segment in the show.
I'm excited about venturing there this morning to help promote cloth diapers. I'll update after my trip with more details!
So...
It was a good time! My daughter was extremely well-behaved, considering she woke up much earlier than usual and is not used to the hustle and bustle of the city. We met Jenn from Cottonbabies and her daughter. Everyone was very nice and it was great seeing other babies in cloth diapers. Since I didn't get there at 6, it was hard to tell how many moms and babies showed up. Everyone was scattered through the crowd so that the signs and babies could be more visible. I'm positive that one mom spoke about cloth diapers on camera, but I haven't seen the tape to know how visible the diapers were.
Win it! Win a new bumGenius 4.0 diaper (given by Snooty Booty Diapers)
To enter:
US Residents may enter from July 8, 2010 through 11:59 pm EST July 15, 2010. Winner will be drawn through a random number generator on July 16, 2010. The valid comment number that matches the generated number will be the winner.
Please leave contact information in your comment(s). I will make every attempt to contact you and will post the winner here. If I have not heard from the winner by July 20, 2010, another winner will be drawn.
Here's how to enter (Please leave a separate comment for each entry. If you're already a fan or already subscribe, simply leave a comment saying so):
1. Mandatory entry: Stop by Snooty Booty Diapers and check out the selection of bumGenius, Flip and Econobum diapers and products. Post a link here to the product you'd most like to try and tell why!
2. Follow this blog for an entry.
3. Become a fan of CDRC on Facebook for an entry.
4. Become a Snooty Booty fan on Facebook for an entry.
5. Subscribe to the Snooty Booty Diapers mailing list for an entry.
6. Follow Snooty Booty's blog, Cloth Diapers Made Simple for an entry.
Good luck!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Designer Diapers (and a Giveaway - CLOSED)
By now most of us have probably seen the new Huggies Jeans diapers and Cynthia Rowley's new designs for Pampers. As soon as I saw the little baby strutting his stuff in his disposable jeans diapers I immediately wondered if it was the disposable diaper company's answer to the super cute print cloth diapers, such as Happy Heinys 
cloth diapers which are available in prints or the new Thirsties Duo Wrap prints 
which are so super cute. Alas one may never know, but it does allow us to analyze them a bit!
There are other factors to consider when looking at these "designer" diapers. Besides the obvious cost differential, they are still disposable diapers. According to Thirsties (a cloth diaper company), disposable diapers are the third largest contributor to our landfill and will remain in tact 500 years from today. Many disposable diapers also contain harmful chemicals such as Tributyltin, Sodium Polyacrylate, and trace amounts of Dioxin.
cloth diapers which are available in prints or the new Thirsties Duo Wrap prints 
which are so super cute. Alas one may never know, but it does allow us to analyze them a bit! First is the cost. On diapers.com the Huggies Jeans diapers are only available in two package sizes - Jumbo and Big. The Big pack is shown only in sizes 3, 4, and 5. The cost per diaper is .33, .40, and .46 respectively. If you read this blog a few days ago, Sara from Diaper Daisy did an awesome price comparison of disposables vs. cloth here. The Jeans diapers are .02, .05, and .06 more than the Huggies Supreme diapers Sara used in her example when comparing the same sizes.
When I plugged the numbers for using the Jeans diapers for sizes 3, 4, and 5 into Sara's example, and just used the regular Huggies Supreme for sizes 1 and 2, I came up with a total number of $2542.30. This is $247.91 more for using the "designer" style of disposable diaper for sizes 3, 4, and 5 in addition to the Huggies Supreme for sizes 1 and 2. What else could you buy for $247.91? I'm sure you can think of a large number of items, including a very nice double stroller which is what I've recently been pricing myself. I can also think of a lot more that I could purchase with the $1800 - $2000 that could be saved by using cloth from the start.
There are other factors to consider when looking at these "designer" diapers. Besides the obvious cost differential, they are still disposable diapers. According to Thirsties (a cloth diaper company), disposable diapers are the third largest contributor to our landfill and will remain in tact 500 years from today. Many disposable diapers also contain harmful chemicals such as Tributyltin, Sodium Polyacrylate, and trace amounts of Dioxin.
When considering which diapers to purchase for your child, or to give as a gift to others, please consider cloth. Using cloth provides a considerable cost savings, and allows you to wear "designer" diapers every day. DryBees Lacies 
are just one additional example of a super cute cloth option. Pair these with a sundress and your baby girl can enjoy the summer in style!
are just one additional example of a super cute cloth option. Pair these with a sundress and your baby girl can enjoy the summer in style! Never tried cloth before? Want to add to your stash? You may be able to get a diaper free! I will be giving away one free regular Happy Heinys One Size diaper in velcro or snaps to a lucky reader. To enter: CLOSED
1. Like Tender Loving Cloth Diapers on Facebook
2. Like Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative on Facebook
3. Follow this blog
4. Post a comment letting us know that you completed the requirements and telling us what your favorite Happy Heinys print is and a winner will be chosen via random.org
5. Only one entry per person will be counted
3. Follow this blog
4. Post a comment letting us know that you completed the requirements and telling us what your favorite Happy Heinys print is and a winner will be chosen via random.org
5. Only one entry per person will be counted
6. Contest ends 7/20/10
Monday, July 5, 2010
Cloth at Daycare
Hi, I am Sharni of Nappy Shoppe. My youngest son, Braden, is still in cloth diapers. Although, at 2 he is starting to train. Recently he started going to a Mothers Day Out program at the local church a couple of mornings a week. He goes to the same one his older brother went to a couple of years ago. So when I called to book him in, I said, he is in cloth, is that a problem? Given that the coordinator is a good friend who has watched my business grow, I think she felt obligated to say that it was fine. I do wonder if she worried that it would be tough to do.
So given I had heard from others who had been told that they were NOT welcome to bring cloth to their day cares, I decided to make it as easy as possible for Braden's new caregivers. I didn't want them turning around saying that it was too messy or too hard to do.
So we raided Daddy's stash of diapers (You can read about Braden's Daddy here). Daddy's stash consists of AIO (All in One Diapers) with Aplix/Velcro closures. These are the simplest diapers I bel
ieve to use and remove. There is no stuffing before hand or afterward.I then "purchased" a double wet bag for myself. I love these double wet bags. You can read my review on them here. But the big thing I wanted was a single carry bag for Braden's diapers, a change of clothes and dirties. This bag has two large pockets. Each closed with a zipper of a different colour. So I was able to tell them in the case of Braden's bag, that blue was clean and brown was for dirties. In the clean side I loaded up three diapers ready to go and a change of clothes. I hung a double wipes pouch to the bag (it matches by the way) and put several dry cloth wipes in the blue side. They have access to water there so they don't need to be made wet for them. But if I know I am going somewhere where I don't have easy access to wetting my wipes, I can pre-wet them and have them ready to go for the day.
So on our first day, off we went. Braden wearing his mini starwars backpack with his lunch in it (which included a stainless steel bottle with sippy adaptor) and with me carrying my double wet bag. The double wet bag is brown with blue paisley, so it looks like a decorative bag. We didn't need any other bag because the wet bag held all he needed for the day except his lunch.
I explained the zipper concept to the "teacher". She said it looked simple enough. So off I go to run errands without an active 2 year old in tow. And boy did I get a lot done!
Several hours later, I pick up Braden, who incidentally is having a ball playing with the other children. I asked his teacher, did all go well with the cloth diapers. And she says she was surprised how easy it was. How cute the diapers were, and that the bag system worked great!
The next time we go, he wet through everything however. I figure out they are so used to using disposables they are not changing him as frequently as I would at home. So I had to adjust the diapers that were being sent with him. I chose Monkey Doodlez AIO diapers. Because of the fabrics that are used in this diaper, they last longer than some of my other AIO's that only have a microfiber inner. It still closes with Aplix, still easy to use, just means that if they do not change him as often as I do, his clothes will not be wet through. The other thing I have sent is a Thirties DUO diaper stuffed for nap time with two inserts. And because I don't have to unstuff this diaper, I can just empty the wet bag into the pail without having to do anything else.So its now about 2 months of going to Mothers Day Out for Braden at time of writing. And a new teacher started this week in the room next door, and I overhear his teacher is telling the new one all about these wonderful cloth diapers!
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Shopping with Us Vs. Box Stores like Walmart
In this economy, I understand how families are struggling financially, struggling to make ends meet. We're also in an era where we can check for the cheapest price at the convenience of our home using the internet. Sure you might find a "deal" or lower price at the box stores but let's take a look at the bigger picture.
When you support family-operated businesses like Ecological Babies and all the other retailers in our cooperative, you actually get more value to your purchase. We offer personal guidance, education, and support. When you make a purchase, chances are you'll actually be contacted by the owner thanking you personally for your purchase. Do you get that in Target, Babies R Us, etc?
Love babies? Most of us (if not all) in this cooperative have them running behind the computer screen and on the other end of the phone line. When you support us, you're helping us to provide for our families. Many us of (including me) works directly from my home, operating mainly when our 2 kiddos are sleeping.
So I encourage you to be a conscious consumer. Look behind the curtain and ask yourself, who am I supporting. Value what we offer for you because we might not always be here. It's our pleasure serving you and getting you know you and your family. This is why we do it- the personal side of the business. Honestly!
Happy Freedom Day!
Warmly,
Jen Starks
850.284.5887
Ecological Babies on Facebook
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
