Thursday, January 20, 2011

Duo Decisions!

Thirsties diaper company has produced a great line of diapers and accessories.. all with the name Duo. A few of my customers have had some confusion over which "Duo" is the best option for them. In this post I will attempt to lay it all out for you and hopefully help you decide which Thirsties option will work for you and your baby!
The Duo Wrap - The "Duo" that started it all! The Duo Wrap is a diaper cover that is designed in two sizes instead of the traditional four (XS, S, M, L). Duo means two sizes.. size one and size two. The Duo Wrap is available in snap or velcro, and prints or solid colors.





The Duo Diaper - The Duo Diaper is a type of pocket diaper that is available in size one or size two. It comes with a two part insert made of microfiber terry and hemp, with seven layers of absorption. The outer sleeve has two openings which allow the insert to agitate out in the wash, which makes this diaper super easy to use. No pulling wet inserts out before placing the diaper in the pail! An excellent diaper all the way around. The Duo Diaper is available in prints and solid colors as well.


The Duo Fab Fitted - The Duo Fab Fitted is a two sized fitted diaper, which means that it does require a diaper cover to be waterproof. These fitted diapers are extremely soft on baby and very absorbant. I like using these without covers when we are home so that I can see as soon as baby is wet. The new Duo design allows you to add additional inserts to the diaper for naptime or nighttime. The Duo Fab Fitted is available in velcro or snap. Pair this with the Duo Wrap and you have an adorable combo!


The Stay Dry Duo Insert - This insert an excellent, trim option to use in your Duo Wrap. The insert is comprised of two pieces - one is made of microfiber with a stay dry microfleece top, and the other is a hemp insert made of 5 layers. One of my customers tried these with a baby who had diaper rash problems and her diaper rash cleared up quickly. Truly an excellent insert! Available in size one and size two.


The Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold - Made of soft hemp jersey, this prefold allows for a more trim design in two different sizes. The Duo Hemp Prefolds allow for maximum air flow and minimal drying time. A great option to pair with a Duo Wrap!



So there you have it! I hope that this post helps to explain a bit about all the different Duo options from Thirsties. You can view all of these Thirsties Duo options on my site, tlcdiapers.com. Another great reason to try Thirsties? All of their products are made in the USA!!


Amanda
tlcdiapers.com

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Cloth Diaper Accessories 101

So you know you want to use cloth diapers or you have just bought your stash of cloth diapers and now what? What do you need to make cloth diapering easier for you and anyone else that will change your little one's bum? We've put a list together of what we think are the top five cloth diaper accessories that you need.

1. Diaper Sprayer. The diaper sprayer is one of those purchases that you think you don't need to make. But trust me, it is worth every single penny. If you exclusively breast feed you essentially don't need one. But as soon as you start solids or you bottle feed your baby, a diaper sprayer is worth its weight in gold. Rinsing off a soiled diaper is far easier and less messier than swishing in the toilet, which to be honest doesn't really work.

2. Wet Bags. Sure one wet bag is handy for going out. But you really need an extra. Once one is dirty, you don't want to reuse it the next day. You can... but it won't smell so great. So while one is in the wash, you have an extra. Plus, reusable wet bags go along with the whole reusable diaper thing. Doesn't really make sense to use a plastic garbage bag for your cloth diapers.

3. Bioliners. These are very handy for when you're out or in the beginning with a newborn. Newborns poop A LOT. Bioliners (if you don't have a diaper sprayer), make clean up super easy. Dump the soiled bioliner in the toilet and you're done. They are flushable and septic tank safe. Also very handy if you do have to use diaper cream as they will protect your diapers.

4. Cloth Wipes. Since you're washing diapers anyway, you might as well be washing cloth wipes. A dozen or two and you are good to go right up to potty training. Cloth wipes save you a ton of money and also go along with the whole reusable diaper thing.

5. Laundry Detergent. Cloth diaper safe laundry detergent is a must have. There are a lot of "natural" laundry detergents on the market, but most of them still have ingredients such as coconut oil in them. Coconut oil will leave a residue on your diapers which will cause them to repel. A good cloth diaper detergent is important. It will clean your diapers and keep away any smells.

What are your "must have" cloth diapering accessories?

For those of you in Canada, you can find all these great cloth diaper accessories and more on my site, Little Monkey Cloth Diaper Store.

Come check out our blog and enter our "Flash your Stash" photo contest to win a $25 gift certificate to our store.

~Julie
www.littlemonkeystore.com
Blog: www.littlemonkeystore.wordpress.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LittleMonkeyStore
Twitter: www.twitter.com/LMSDiapers

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

3G Tester Update!

Last month we put a call out looking for a special tester for the new 3G pockets by BabyKicks. We got some great responses from you! In the end we chose Katie and her 6 month old son Ayden. Over the course of the next few months Katie will be sharing her experiences with all of us. Here is Katie's entry submission.

Why I want to test a 3g Pocket Diaper

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_GhOcB9yjNYI/TRFj4ABMxqI/AAAAAAAAATg/0OmtcTdPI6Y/s1600/3g-redbum-80x80.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_GhOcB9yjNYI/TRFjvXHFAnI/AAAAAAAAATA/GwBmFMgmrK8/s1600/3g-bluebum-80x80.jpg

I am a mommy to the cutest chunky monkey who is rapidly outgrowing the small size cloth diapers I have. Ayden is 6 months old and 17lbs. I started cloth diapering my son in August. I have used a small selection of pockets (BG, Fuzzi Bunz, and Monkey Doodlez) during this time. We are now cloth diapering full time with hopes of continuing until potty training. We are looking to expand our stash and replace the diapers that he is about to outgrow. I have experience with pockets, however the 3g pocket diapers offer some advantages I would love to try. The front stuffing pocket and side snaps look like awesome features to help with the ease of cloth diapering a baby that is always on the move! Sizing up for pants has been an issue for us in the past, and it would be great to find a solution to that. As an added benefit I LOVE talking fluff and spreading the word about my favorite store (Moms and Bums of course) and diapers, plus I think fluffy bum pictures are adorable so there will be lots of photo documentation if I am picked :o)


Overall I would be a great choice, as I have enough experience to be able to compare this diaper to other pockets but not so much that I have tried everything out there. I will offer a fair, well written review with cute fluff pictures to boot!

Katie

Stay tuned for more review posts from Katie!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Can I Register For Cloth Diapers?

I've found that when you have a baby, people want to buy you gifts. Lots of gifts. I've also found from experience that a baby only needs so many onesies, hats, and socks! Here is where the baby registry comes in...

Today, most expecting parents register at major-name and big-box stores in order to make it easier for their friends and families to purchase gifts for their baby. My feeling has always been that if I'm going to buy you a gift, I would also hope that it is something that you need. The registry is there to help those of us who want to purchase something for the new mom get her what she wants and/or needs, rather than something that is going to have to be returned.

If you are planning on using cloth diaper once your baby is born, then the major baby registries aren't going to be very helpful to you. What you need is to find a cloth diaper store that hosts registries. (I suggest Merrimack Valley Diapers!) Once you have found a place to register comes the big question... 'What do I register for?'

Here are a few different registry ideas...

Registry #1 - Basic plan for a newborn

  • 24-36 cotton prefold diapers. More diapers means more days between doing the wash!

  • 4-6 waterproof diaper covers. Meant to keep your little one's clothes dry and contain poopy messes!

  • 2-6 fitted diapers. These are great for use at night... who wants to be fumbling with pins or Snappis in the dark at 3:00 am?

  • 1-2 Snappi diaper fasteners. These are great for holding prefold diapers closed - no need for pins!

  • Accessories: 1-2 diaper pail liners or hanging wet bags, 1-2 small wetbags for the diaper bag, 1-2 changing pads, 12-36 cloth wipes, etc.

Registry #2 - Basic Plan PLUS (great for dads/grandparents/caretakers)

  • 12-24 cotton prefold diapers. More diapers means more days between doing the wash!

  • 2-4 waterproof diaper covers. Meant to keep your little one's clothes dry and contain poopy messes!

  • 1-3 fitted diapers. These are great for use at night... who wants to be fumbling with pins or Snappis in the dark at 3:00 am?

  • 1-2 Snappi diaper fasteners. These are great for holding prefold diapers closed - no need for pins!

  • 8-12 pocket diapers. Pocket diapers go on just like disposable diapers, making it easy for helpers to change the baby, too!

  • Accessories: 1-2 diaper pail liners or hanging wet bags, 1-2 small wetbags for the diaper bag, 1-2 changing pads, 12-36 cloth wipes, etc.

Registry #3 - Birth to Potty-Learning Plan

  • 24-36 One Size (OS) diapers. These diapers can be adjusted for size, and fit most babies from sizes newborn through toddler. Never need to buy bigger sizes!

  • Accessories: 1-2 diaper pail liners or hanging wet bags, 1-2 small wetbags for the diaper bag, 1-2 changing pads, 12-36 cloth wipes, etc.
No matter which plan you prefer, register for you diapers early enough so that you can have all of your diapers washed and prepped before your little one makes her/his appearance!

Noreen
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