Change Three Things (C3T)- The Cloth Diaper Revoultion

         

          Have I mentioned how much I love the company Cotton Babies? In addition to having some amazing products, they also have the most wonderful customer service and outstanding advocacy initiatives! One such initiative was launched last week and is entitled, "Change 3 Things," or C3T.
       The goal of the initiative is to get 100,000 parents committed to change 3 cloth diapers per day therefore preventing 30-50 million pounds of landfill waste, and 100 million disposable diapers not purchased saving families 24 million dollars! (See their original blog post to find out how they came up with these numbers). WOW! Those are some goals :)
       In order to meet these goals, Cotton Babies is asking families to change 3 cloth diapers a day. It's as simple as that, hence the name "Change 3 Things." If you've ever wondered if even using cloth part-time is worth it, this challenge demonstrates that it is. So what difference can changing just 3 cloth diapers a day do? Listed below are the facts copied and pasted from the Cotton Babies Blog:

Why three diapers?
We are busy parents too and really appreciate achievable, manageable goals. Changing three cloth diapers a day is something that almost any parent can do (stay at home or working).

Do my 3 cloth diapers per day really matter?
Yes, it matters! When I get calls from mainstream media, one of the first questions they ask is "how many people use cloth diapers?" This has been true with every major parenting publication and news organization (including Time Magazine) that I've ever spoken with. It's next to impossible to answer that question because we don't know. This not only gives us a way to answer that question but it also gives us a way to measure how many cloth diapers are being used every day. Is it perfect? No, but it's a start.

How does it really change me?
Every cloth diaper saves about $.25 (depending on what brand of disposables you buy). If you save $.75 a day, it may not seem like much, but those three diapers can save you approximately $260 over the upcoming year. In addition to the savings per diaper, you can save yourself time, money and gas for those emergency trips to the store when you run out of diapers.

As parents, we know how frustrating it is to do those repetitive tasks like dishes, laundry, picking up toys, and changing diapers only to turn around and do it again a short time later. By joining the Change 3 Things revolution, you can take one of those repetitive tasks and turn it into an opportunity to create lasting impact that your two year old can’t undo in five minutes.

Building a foundation of accomplished goals makes us feel we can achieve more. The Change 3 Things campaign is a great place to start and could set in motion habits that build your confidence, empowering you to revolutionize your family. How does it change my baby?
By using cloth diapers, you choose everything that touches your baby’s skin. Additionally, you could brighten baby’s future by applying the financial savings of cloth diapering towards their education…$0.75 a day in a savings account adds up quickly.

Does it really change the entire planet?

Did you know it could take as much as 500 years for a disposable diaper to decompose? That’s right, disposables YOU once wore could be … still out there, full of well, you know. One baby in disposables could contribute as much as one ton of waste to a local landfill! Your participation in this revolution of change could prevent the disposal of as much as 55 million pounds of waste. 

        Convinced yet? To help make it even easier, Cotton Babies has designed some very affordable cloth packages to help families meet the C3T goal. 

The awesome pocket diapers, the Bum Genius 4.0, can be purchased for $53.10!

One of my favorite diapers, The Flip All-in-two, can be purchased for $49.95!

And the most affordable of all, the Econobum Trial pack is only $11.95!

         If you've wanted to try cloth, but have been intimidated to do so, now is the time! Modern cloth diapers have never been easier or more affordable. Cotton Babies even has live online support to help answer any diaper-related questions that you might have (located below the product index on the main store page). 

       So, how do you join the revolution? Simply commit to changing three cloth diapers a day and "like" the C3T Facebook Page.  Then spread the love by sharing this initiative with others. I've accepted the challenge, have you? If not, what's holding you back? (I'd love to hear your thoughts and promise to give non-judgmental feedback). 

**CLOSED The Cloth Diaper Hobbyist- (For the LOVE of Cloth Diapers: A Diapers Etc. Blog Party and Giveaway)

The giveaway portion of this post in now closed. Random.org chose comment number 102 made by erinnicole14@gmail.com. Erin, you should have gotten an email from Debbie. CONGRATS! Thanks to everyone that entered! 

            Hi! My name is Robin, and I'm a "fluff" addict... For those of you that know me, either online, or in real life, you know that one of the things I'm passionate about is cloth diapering. I have chosen to use cloth for my baby for many reasons (all of which are outlined here), but an unexpected perk of switching from disposable to cloth was that I found it to be a new hobby. 
        Ok, so I know what you may thinking (unless of course you are already a cloth diaper nut like myself), "Really? Diapers? What could be so exciting about diapers?" (also a question that the hubcap has asked me from time-to-time). And my answer of course is, have you seen modern cloth diapers? There are sooooo many options out there as far as brand, model, and style, and also, they are so stinking cute! Once I made the switch to cloth, I quickly found myself researching and participating in online discussions about the latest trends and designs (check out Eco Chic Parties for the latest cloth diaper happenings and events). I was completely sucked in and couldn't wait to get my hands on more diapers (again, you're probably thinking, "Seriously?" but go ahead, I dare you to make that first cloth diaper purchase and see how quickly it becomes fun). 
          The love of cloth diapers has sparked a huge underground online movement and community! I'm so proud to say I've "met" many amazing mamas and papas along my cloth diaper journey that I probably wouldn't have run into otherwise. Mothering, as much of a blessing as it is, can sometimes be such a lonely and monotonous lifestyle, but using cloth has added a bit of fun into the every day ordinary. It sounds crazy, but having cloth diapers as a hobby has made life not just another day another diaper. Changing a diaper that's fun, stylish, and uber-cute, takes a bit of the pain out of diaper changes. 
         Now, to you, my insanely awesome cloth diaper hobbyist readers and friends, I salute you for your love of cloth and the difference you are making for baby bums, budgets, and mother earth. My fellow cloth diaper advocates, I'm sure you have found cloth diapering to be both addictive and exhilarating. To my cloth diapering community, have you admit-tingly become a "fluff" addict like myself? 
        Here's a "You Might be a Cloth Diaper Addict Top Ten List" to check and see if you are indeed a bit more than a simple cloth diaper advocate. If you find yourself, thinking, saying, knowing, or doing any of the following, you may indeed need some retail therapy.

You Might be a Cloth Diaper Addict if:

10. A "snappi" has nothing to do with tomatoes or pizza...

9. Your "stash" is not made up of anything illegal...

8. You spend your free time arranging your stash into fun designs (for contest purposes only, of course!)

7. "OH-MY-GOSH! It glows in the dark?" 

6. "FLIP" has nothing to do with gymnastics...

5. To significant other, "But I don't have this print!"

4. "OH! It's been an hour- I can tweet AGAIN!"

3. "ARTIST SERIES"  warrants third child...

2. Diaper inspires photo opps (see slideshow below). 

AND the number 1. way you can tell if you are a cloth diaper addict is, 

The thought of potty training makes your stomach churn and causes it 

to be tough to get out of bed in the morning....

          I hope you enjoyed my "Top Ten" list. I may or may not be guilty of any or all of the above statements. My addiction love certainly has nothing to do with the below slide show...

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read my post. Make sure to visit all of the awesome blogs participating in the very first Eco Chic 

Parties Blog Party sponsored by Diapers Etc. To read more about the 

blog party, check out this post by Eco Chic Parties. (And listed below,
are all the other blogs participating!)

       Diapers Etc. is a wonderful online retailer where you can feed your 

fix and support your cloth diapering habit (notice the links above in the 

top ten list). The Happy Heiny's Skull Print diaper in the above slideshow 

came from Diapers Etc. You can find that print, along with many others, at the newly made-over site.

      AND, here's the really exciting part- Debbie, the owner of Diapers Etc., has graciously offered to giveaway a $25 gift certificate to Diapers 

Etc. to one lucky reader (each blog participating in the blog party is also hosting a giveaway).

SO, how do you win?

MANDATORY ENTRY:

Visit Diapers Etc., sign up for their newsletter on the homepage of

their store, and tell me what you would buy if you won the $25 gc.

Extra Entries:

Mandatory entry MUST be completed first.

1. Like Diapers Etc. on Facebook (one entry).

2. Follow Diapers, Etc. on TWITTER (one entry).

3. Follow my blog through Google Friend Connect (at bottom of blog, one entry).

4. Like Eco Chic Parties on Facebook(one entry).

5. Follow Eco Chic Parties on TWITTER (one entry).

6. Tweet about my post with link back to this page. Must include  

@EcoChicSidekick and @Diapersetc. You may tweet once a day and each tweet counts as an entry. Something like, "Are you a #clothdiapers addict? #Win a $25 gc 2 @DiapersEtc from @EcoChicSidekick http://bit.ly/euE0zS "

Leave a comment for each entry and make sure to leave your email if

it's not visible in your profile. Contest runs from midnight Feb. 14, 2011,

until midnight Feb. 28, 2011. Winner will be chosen via Random.org and 

then notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new

winner will be chosen.

To participate, you must be 18 years of age and live in the continental

US.

Disclosure:  This party is part of an integrated marketing project between 

Eco Chic Parties and Diapers Etc. I received the Happy Heiny's Skull Print

for participating in this party however my opinions and post has not 

been influenced by my participation. 

          

Funk Rock Review

        Got stink? As much as I love cloth diapers, I have to admit that nothing is more frustrating than dealing with the dreaded ammonia stench. I use Rockin Green Soap for my diaper laundry and for the most part, it does a good job at keeping the stink at bay. Every few months, however (especially in the winter when I can't get my diapers on the line as much), I notice the ammonia smell to creep it's ugly head back into my diapers. It starts as a mild nuisance and gradually builds its way up to an eye watering, wretched stench as soon as one of the boys pees (I use mainly pocket diapers). I've tried every stripping method I can find, but still, the smell rears its ugly head...
         Enter a new product, FUNK ROCK from none other than the geniuses behind Rockin Green Laundry Detergent! Known as the "Ammonia Bouncer," Rockin' Green describes its product as :


Do you have the funk? Stinkies? Ammonia problems? Diapers that make your eyes water? Have you considered a kryptonite lined diaper pail to contain the smell of your dirty diapers? Did fluffy or fido have an accident on your bunny slippers? Dealing with the dreaded toddler pee? You need funk rock! This 100% natural compound is unlike anything you have tried before. It targets funk at the source and leaves no prisoners. Just 4 tablespoons is enough to de-funk up to 20 diapers in one sitting. A little to your pre-wash to keep the stinkies from coming back. That’s right, this little 9 ounce bag will keep the diaper funk away for over a month! Phosphate Free – Enzyme Free – SLS Free


      Kim, the creator and owner of Rockin' Green, graciously gave me the opportunity to review her newest product. Since both of my boys are in the toddler stage (and beyond), I was more than happy to get this opportunity! I received the 9 oz bag of Funk Rock, pictured below, about a month ago. 

Notice the size of the bag compared to the regular detergent.

          The first thing that caught my eye upon arrival was the size of the bag. In my head, I was thinking it would be the same size as the regular detergent bag, but it was quite a deal smaller (and if you read the product description it does say 15 loads compared to the 45/60 loads of the regular detergent). The 9 oz bag retails for $12.95 and should help you maintain your cloth diaper stink for about a month. The directions on the bag read:

How to Use:

1. Throw everythin in the washer, sink, tub, or bucket.

2. Add 4 tbs of Funk Rock with hot or warm water.

3. Let it soak for 30-60 minutes.

4. Rinse, and wash like normal using Rockin' Green detergent.

(The bag also states that you can maintain your diapers by adding a tablespoon to your cold pre-rinse or wash every load and also recommends doing an overnight soak in Rockin' Green prior to doing a Funk Rock treatment for best results). 

          I have a rather large stash, since I have two in cloth, so I was ready to start my stripping right away, and crossing my fingers that Funk Rock would perform as promised. I did four loads of 15-20 diapers and couldn't wait to see how the freshly washed diapers smelled upon being soiled (LOL- things you never thought you would be excited about). And guess what, you know that awesome, fresh, exhilarating smell of nothing that happens when your diapers are washed properly, well that's what I smelled- NOTHING! Absolutely NOTHING- WAHOO! The ammonia smell that had been eluding me for so long had finally seemed to disappear! My mostly microfiber inserts were suddenly light and fluffy and I was thrilled! The true test, however, would be to see if the smell stayed away for good...

           Fast-forward about a month. Since using Funk Rock a little more than a month ago (and  I also got about 2 maintaining loads out of the bag), I still have fresh, smell-free diapers! I am truly amazed at the power of this product. Nothing has worked this long at keeping the ammonia stench away! My only sadness is that the product was used so fast. I give this product :

     5 out of 5 Diapers for Quality 

and

3 out of 5 Diapers for Quantity 

           Bottom line, if you are currently battling the ammonia stench, this product may save your sanity and your love for cloth, but it is a bit on the expensive side so may be hard to use continuously. I would love to see Rockin' Green add whatever extra ingredients (can't find the Funk Rock ingredients listed anywhere) of Funk Rock to their existing detergent for an "Extra Hard Rock" formula option (and would gladly pay a few bucks more for that product). Overall, I'm very pleased to have my diapers smelling clean once again and would recommend this product to the cloth community.

Disclosure: The Funk Rock product reviewed above was given to me free of charge by Rockin' Green Detergent for the sole purpose of review. The opinions of this post are strictly my own. See my PR Friendly tab for my full disclosure policy. 

Funk Rock 22/365

A little 9 oz of heaven (or at least I'm hoping anyway-LOL) arrived in my mailbox for review today! We've been dealing with the ammonia diaper stink off and on for about the last three months. I've read rave reviews about this new product from Rockin' Green Soap, and can't wait to try it! My full review will be up next week. Wish me luck! Any other tried and true ammonia busters that you've found?

Cloth Diaper Limerick/ Sweet Pea Diaper Cover Review 17/365

CLOTH

There once was a sweet, tiny boy;

who disposables did annoy;

his bum was so red

that changes he did dread

until cloth made him enjoy!  

Sweet Pea Diaper Cover in Indigo

Diaper Cover pictured above with prefold- very trim!

Sitting down shot- no bunching or gapping! 

LOVE that these diaper covers have gussets

Action shot! Little Man is on the second setting and is 14 mths- 24 lbs; plenty of room to grow!

SItting down shot- again, no gaps or shifting! 

Awesome laundry tab for easy line-drying! 

And this one is just because I love how he's being a ham :)

        I met Nancy, the owner of Sweet Pea Diapers at #MeetSweetPea, an @EcoChicParties twitter party a few months ago. I was instantly drawn to her diaper covers based on affordability and a few unique features. 

       The first thing that I LOVED about Sweet Pea Diaper Covers is that they retail at a very affordable $10.95. Since they are one-sized, that means that you could cloth diaper a child on a budget! I'm actually a pocket lover at heart, but I've been wanting to add some more affordable options to my stash to share with other local mamas that are wanting to start their own stash with limited funds. If you are looking for a thrifty alternative to cloth, consider purchasing 6 or so Sweet Pea Diaper Covers along with a dozen or two prefolds , and you could have a starter stash for under $200 (the amount of diaper covers and prefolds of course would depend on the age of your child as well as how often you would like to wash- please don't hesitate to contact me if you want to talk cloth or have any questions). And just b/c the diaper cover is affordable, doesn't mean that the quality is compromised! Of all the one-size diaper covers that I own, the Sweet Pea is the most affordable while still being of high-quality. 

       Pictured above on Little Man, is the Sweet Pea One-Size Diaper Cover in Indigo with snap enclosures along with a Bummis (toddler-sized) Indian Prefold (tri-folded). The fit, is super trim which I feel is extra important now that Little Man is up and running around - who wants a bowling ball between their active little legs? In addition, the Sweet Pea has inner-gussets to provide extra protection from blow-outs and leaks, how cool is that? 

       The final unique feature of the Sweet Pea Cover is the laundry tab- the little white loop is a simple yet brilliant added feature to make line drying even more convenient.
      So in review, if you are a thrifty mama looking to start a diaper stash while on a budget, or a current fitted or prefold mama looking for a new and innovative cover, then I think the Sweet Pea Diaper Cover is for you! It's a snap closured, one-sized cover with bonus features of inner gussets and laundry drying tab that is sure to please both your pocket book and your aesthetic side (go check out the fun colors available here).
       Sweet Pea Diapers have been described as the, "Most competitively priced multifunctional cloth diapers on the market." Now I know from first-hand experience that that is true! Make sure to check Sweet Pea out on FACEBOOK and TWITTER for more information. 

Laundry Limerick - 5/365

Laundry Limerick 

  There once was a mom of two-

     Who had so much laundry to do;

But then it got fun,

              For smells there were none,

   And now she enjoys it, it's true!  

       Today is laundry day at my house (really, what day isn't with children-LOL), but specifically, it is cloth diaper laundry day! We've been battling the ammonia stink for quite some time now but Nellie's Laundry Soda has finally seemed to solve our dilemma. I prefer to line dry my pocket shells, however, freezing Cincinnati temperatures are not conducive to productive drying (note-to-self: frozen diapers = too cold to put on baby's bottom). I scored this Hanging Dryer from my Mother-in-Law and I'm in love! They are $4.99 from IKEA, and as pictured above, I am now winter drying my diapers in my bathroom shower with this awesome PRESSA. Do you have a favorite cloth diaper laundry routine, or any tips for winter line drying that you would like to share?

How to Encourage an Artistic and Creative Spirit in your Child...

        Cottonbabies, the creator of the Bumgenius line of clothdiapers has just come out with an incredibly beautiful set of Artist Series clothdiapers by artist Chelsea Perry. To celebrate their launch, the company has generously decided to host a giveaway in which two lucky winners are awarded one of each of the five Artist Series prints. In order to win, Cottonbabies has asked contestants to answer to the following question on their blog, "How do you encourage a creative, artistic spirit in your baby, toddler or young child? "


      Well my answer to that question starts with a book, ISH, by Peter Reynolds. 

"One spring morning,

Ramon had a wonderful feeling.

It was a feeling that even ish words

and ish drawings could not capture.

He decided NOT to capture it.

Instead, he simply savored it..."

OK. Not going to lie here, this "children's book" is just as much for us adults- if not more so, than our children and that's why it is so very important!

Ish, by Peter H. Reynolds is the beautiful story of Ramon- a child that overcomes his insecurities to live "ishfully ever after." There's something so amazing and pure about children- they are naturally confident, risk-takers, but it seems that our society jades them all too early pushing them to focus on what is the "right" way to do something rather than encouraging their age-appropriate approximations and creativity. 

The main character in the story,Ramon, thinks of himself as an artist until his older brother sees one of his paintings and bursts out laughing, "What is that?" From that day on Ramon starts focusing on getting it "right" rather than enjoying his art. Eventually he ends up giving up on drawing altogether until he visits his little sister's room to find that she has turned all of Ramon's trash "wrong" drawings into a crumpled art gallery on her walls. "That was suppose to be a vase of flowers," Ramon says, "but it doesn't look like one." "Well it looks vase-ISH! " she exclaims.

This one, simple children's book has become a parenting and life mantra of sorts for me. I remember reading it to my kindergartners for the first time a few years back and tearing up at the end. One of my students consoled me by saying, "It's ok Mrs. Sayers. You can make a vase-ish flower too!" Aw, the innocence and loveliness of childhood!

I first sat down with my Big Boy when he was two and read him the story. Of course he was too young to fully comprehend its message, but we immediately started talking about "ish-ish" things he could do. 
       You see, as most of my readers know, Big Boy was diagnosed with mild CP when he was nine months old. He is a very bright and creative little guy and has made tremnedous progress, but is still noticeably behind in his motor skills. This year, before starting preschool, we sat down and re-read ISH. My fear was that he would see other children capable of doing more than he could and become discouraged. We talked about the things he loves to do like color, create , and play, and how there was no one best way to do these things. We talked about how he was going to be trying many new things at school and that they would be hard at first. I explained that he might not get something "perfect," or "right," but that he can try his best to make it "ish." 
       The Ish mindset is applied daily in our home to help foster Big Boy and Little Man's creativity. One particular day, we sat down to do some painting with water color. I've never thought of myself as an artist, but with the ish mindset you can let go of your insecurities about making something that is "good" and/or "right" and embrace the beauty of discovery and trial.I'm a big believer in leading by example, and so I feel like it would be hypocritical to expect my children to be creative without fostering that skill in my own life.

Below you will see Big Boy paining his "Bus-ISH" art and the finished product. Please excuse the facial expression- we'll just say he's being 3 :) And below his art is a little something that I call "Flower-ISH." By no means perfect or right, but I sure had a blast painting it with my son :) I think all of us adults could use a good dose of ish in our lives!
Using the Ish mantra helps me to dare to develop my own creativity, therefore, encouraging my children to also embrace an artistic and creative spirit in their lives! 

DISCLOSURE: This post was written specifically for the contest posted by Cottonbabies on their blog. I wrote it in the hopes of winning their new Artist Series Diapers! 

AND the winner is...

          Thanks so much to everyone that participated in the Fluffalumps giveaway. Random.org picked comment number 25 !

True Random Number Generator

Min:  1

Max:  100

 Result:

25

Comment 25 was by Colleen M said...

I liked Fluffalumps on Facebook (Colleen Maurina).

My favorite color is Harold's Purple Crayon!

colljerr at comcast dot net

September 21, 2010 7:40 PM 

Congrats to Colleen! I'm emailing you now! 

Diary of a Wetbag

          Hi! I'm Goldie, the large wetbag designed by BumEssentials ClothDiapers. Those Bumbino diapers are always getting ALL of the attention, so I'd figure I'd share my story with you.

           I first arrived at the Sayers' residence on August 23, 2010 all nice and cozy wrapped in plastic. I was quickly removed and placed in the washer along with those Bumbinos. A few tablespoons of Rockin'Green soap and a hot wash -cold rinse later, I was found staring into the wide-eyes of my new owner (I'm not TOTALLY sure, but I think she fell in love with me based on the starry-look in her eyes).

Notice I'm to the left in this picture :)

          Next, I was placed on a 30-gallon black trash can to await my first dirty diaper... The owner was observed from time to time with her nose sniffing close to me, always followed by a goofy grin...

          When I reached my full capacity (about 20 or so diapers), the lid of the trash can was removed, my drawstring was pulled, and off to the laundry room I went. My owner placed the drawstring over her shoulder and easily carried me down to the basement to be cleaned. Dirty diapers were removed, I was thrown in and enjoyed a cold soak followed by a hot wash and double cold rinse.

          After I was done spinning, my owner threw me on the line, and I was dry in about 15 minutes. The owner asked me to inform you to please ignore the hot-mess of a picture above and also to not hold it against her that laundry is that exciting- I guess I make it easy for her....

Ok, so I'm kind of in a goofy mood today but really wanted to share my love for the Bum Essentials wetbags! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them! Not only are they practical , keeping the smell of dirty diapers at bay, but they also are color coordinated to the Bumbinos and  are reversible- so fun! The small wetbags are equally as fun! I ended up purchasing another one for on-the-go and now carry two small wetbages-one with clean diapers, and one for dirty in my diaper bag! I highly recommend these wetbags for their stink coverage as well as the awesome material. Even if you don't cloth diaper, they are amazing for dirty clothes and especially wet swim gear!