Review- Infantino Squeeze Station and Fresh Squeezed Product Line

Today we tried the Infantino Squeeze Station and Fresh Squeezed Line. Let me start by saying that I received no free products, these were purchases that I made and have chosen to review here.

The Squeeze Station comes with ten disposable packets and lids. I was impressed with the quality of everything in the station, including the disposable packets. If you know me, you know that I don't LIKE Disposable. At all. We don't DO Disposable. We reuse everything. We cloth diaper, we use cloth wipes, mama cloth, the whole deal. I didn't order the disposable refills, but instead I ordered the Infantino Keeper Squeeze Pouches (two of them, one for the main course, and one for the dessert... just to try and see if they were what we would like.) The Keeper Squeeze Pouches seem to be taking longer to arrive than the station itself... I will update the review when I receive them.

Happy Babe

Now, for US, the idea behind the squeeze station was to find a portable method for feeding baby that wasn't messy and didn't require me to take glass baby food jars or a thermos container, or spoons, etc... everywhere we went. This isn't a big deal when you have like, your first child.... but when you have three kids and two of them are in school in different school districts and you spend more time driving back and forth than you care to think about, there are times when your baby is hungry and you just don't know what the heck you will do. There isn't a high chair. There isn't a wipeable surface surrounding them. I need something small, portable, and simple that creates little mess. I don't need a baby spoon that baby swats away and splatters food all over. I don't need to worry about keeping said spoon clean in the bottom of a crumb infested diaper bag. I just need simple and efficient.

I have three kids. I am not ashamed to admit that I have done LOTS of things as far as baby food. I've done Baby Led Weaning (BLW) and Annabel Karmel books and recipes. I've made my own purees and other homemade baby food recipes. I've purchased baby food in glass jars and plastic rectangular lidded packs. I've received food purees free from WIC. This gives me the opportunity to give a pretty full review.

Let's start by saying that the pouches hold a surprisingly generous amount of food for their slim and portable size. Baby Ewyn (I know you can't pronounce it. Haven't you people ever heard of Ewan McGregor? well, just think "yoo-win" and you've got it. Scottish. Gaelic. It's not that hard people.) is 7 months old in 40 minutes. His puree spitting techniques are spot on, although he is usually more interested in getting things down the hatch. Feeding him does take a lot of time and it makes a big mess. I usually feed him naked and I HATE feeding him in public because it's much easier to "lift shirt, attach boobie" than do the baby feeding gig. I hate public highchairs (assuming you can find one) and for a while I was taking my own high chair here and there and I had an okay (although stressful) system down where I had everything in a ziploc bag inside the tray lid and I also took a dry washcloth and a wet washcloth (we don't DO disposable wipes, remember) but I felt like it took 22.75 hours of planning to leave the house (I doth exxagerate) and so this was a much better solution.

Pouch baby food that can be pre-purchased has a few issues. You can't control ingredients. Lots of waste (garbage) that isn't green minded. Prices are higher than regular or homemade baby purees. WhatKindOfCancerCausingChemicalsAreInThatSpaceAgedPackaging?! Can you heat it?

My biggest issue is, that I see parents feeding the babies squeeze pouch food all the time. At home. At daycare. At babysitters. And all I can envision is the futuristic people in Wall-E. When will our kids learn to use spoons and forks? Using utensils is a skill that you hope your child develops at a decent age, and feeding them every meal in a squeeze pouch is likely going to hamper that skillset. This is why I am only using pouches when away from home in an inconvenient setting. At home I will still be using spoon. I think. Although there are also spoons that can attach TO the pouches. I don't believe these are the devil, but I do know that they aren't going to mesh with me "cleaner eating away from home" plan that I envision in my head. I will try them later. At this point the reviews on them are not promising.

I purchased the fresh squeezed line and pouches and tested them with items like applesauce for the big kids, and also homemade purees and store bought baby food.

Trying out the Squeeze Station

To start, the Station allows you to be filling three pouches at once, and they can be filled with the same or different purees. You have three chambers to fill and ONE Plunger (aka Infantino Food Press) that comes with the kit. You can purchase additional plungers (which I did, although they also have not arrived yet and it wasn't a HUGE pain to just quickly rinse the plunger between purees if needed.) You can purchase an additional funnel ($20 on amazon?!) and it seriously is NOT necessary. The opening is plenty wide to pour into and if you can't hit that opening, you have bigger issues. I do like to use these tiny spatulas (I have a bunch of them) to get remains out of food processor and baby food jars. These are slick little guys. I bought them back with baby #2 when I got smart.

Station Includes Three Tubes, but one plunger.

You attach the pouches to the station by sliding them into the grooves. They don't "secure" in place until you screw a tube on to the top. The tube secures directly on to the pouch, the stand just sort of "holds" them upright for you. As another reviewer stated, you can easily do this without the stand at all. If Infantino wasn't in the money making business, I am thinking they could sell the pouches and one plunger/tube for less than $10 and still make everyone happy. But I can see if you are doing lots of baby food (homemade) that this stand and doing several pouches at a time would be much nicer and less time consuming than doing it by hand. So that said, you can fill the pouches without the stand itself. I do like that the stand is versatile and allows you to store all the pieces inside when you are finished, which takes up less space and prevents your cupboards from having all these pieces roaming around to be lost in the depths.

I only made a few at a time as the fridge life is very short.

The plunger isn't a complete tight fit, but it does create a nice seal in the tube. The downside is that you can be plunging the pouches full of air (which would be worse if the plunger fit super tight.) Once I fill a tube with puree, I insert the plunger but tilt it slightly to one side so that there isn't a "seal" created until the plunger is flush with the puree. Then I straighten the plunger to create the seal and press the puree down into the bag completely. This prevents you from injecting a bunch of air into the bag. Remember to unscrew the bag slightly before retracting the plunger or the puree will be sucked back out of the packet. A little puree will leak around the top of the packet when you unscrew, but it's minimal. If it's your first baby, just sterilize the pouch spout with bleach or alcohol before putting the lid on. If it's your third, just lick it and put the lid on. (kidding. About the bleach and alcohol part, not the licking part.)

The upside is that these packets can be frozen (and of course they sell a packet organizer.) The downside is that they aren't shelf stable like a purchased packet and they only recommend keeping them in the fridge for 48 hours (yes, again.... if it's your

I don't get it mom.

first baby you'll listen. If you're me, you might go a week:) Another downside? These packets can't be microwaved or boiled. I assume you could put them in a hot glass of water to warm the food if you wanted, or maybe a bottle warmer? Some baby food is good cold or room temperture, but Ewyn made a horrid face at me when I tried to serve him cold green beans "ala packet" today.

The "tubes" have marks on the sides of them. The lowest mark is approximately the equivalent of a Gerber First Foods Plastic pack of puree. The second mark is about the equivalent of a standard Gerber/Beechnut baby food Jar (not the tiny ones that meats come in) and you can get two Gerber Puree Packets (plastic lidded smaller packs) into one fresh squeezed pouch. You can also get an entire jar of baby food in a pouch with wiggle room.

I think I can. I think I can.

My kids wouldn't eat green beans or peas. Ardyn would gag and puke. Marek and Ewyn just gag and spit and refused to swallow them at all. They were much happier with orange veggies like Squash, Carrots, and Sweet Potatoes. This time around I learned that mixing green beans or peas with fruit (seriously) is a big yum-o for baby and that I can get them to eat green beans and peas NO PROBLEMO if I mix them. Green Beans with Pears is a big hit with Ewyn. It's really nice because if I was trying to feed green beans on the go I would have to have a way to mix them with pears... or mix them at home ahead of time. In this case I mixed them right in the station tubes. I used the lines on the tubes to pour equal amounts of pears and beans into each tube and then mixed with my little spatula and pressed the mixes right into the packets. This would work well with homemade purees as well. Voila, green beans and pears on the go.

Aha! Suction!!!!

Of course the directions say do NOT reuse pouches (yes I tried it. yes it worked. No it isn't all super sterile and clean.) but the pouches do write on very nicely with a fine sharpie. I would recommend labeling them BEFORE filling *duh*

I also have purchased some of these really cool spout toppers that are silicbooginhead pouches (which I already have four of because the big kids pack them for snacks and lunches in place of disposable applesauce pouches.) However, the threading on the tube doesn't match the threading on the booginhead SqueezEms... and they must thread in order to work. Unfortunate. The alternative would be to OPEN the top of the squeezems pouch by booginhead, and using the tube and plunger in a handheld manner, you may be able to fill the pouches. I am not sure if this would be more difficult than just spooning into the SqueezeEms like I have been doing... because that seems like more hands might be needed than God has graced me with. Booginhead pouches are dishwasher, microwave, and freezer safe.... which is quite the edge over the Infantino Line. Although I have yet to get the reusable Infantino pouches to compare. In the product photo it appears that the infantino reusables are more of a bottle than a pouch, and I wonder about the "squeezeability" of them as well as how easy it would be for a baby to self feed with one when all they have is a suck reflex and can't properly squeeze the food out with their hands.

Gross Mom! Who Leaked??

one and I hope that they fit these infantino packets. They make the opening all soft and easier to suck food through, which should be a big plus for little babes. And will help protect from chewers too I hope. The infantino packets might be a little tricky because I get the idea they aren't the industry standard as far as spout/threading/size goes. I was hoping to use the station with my reusable

That leads me to another angle. Mess. At first I was disappointed because it seemed that these pouches were going to cause as much mess or MORE than spoon feeding. Baby wanted to grab the pouch and squeeze it all over. Think Juice box... aha! How about using this little device to solve some of that "excitable squeezing" ?? I have one or two somewhere around here but haven't been able to figure out WHERE so that I can test that theory... but I bet it would work nicely! Or it could become a baby projectile object....

At first Ewyn had a hard time figuring out how to suck the puree out. I was discouraged because as a breastfeeder he has major suck power. But he needed mom to help squeeze and it was practically impossible to do because I couldn't SEE what I was squeezing into his mouth so it was constantly an overflow situation. And he would just let the excess drool out below the pouch where I couldn't see it. Annoying when you have a high chair tray under baby, catastrophic when you do not have a high chair (away from home.) By pouch four, I was feeling much better about it, as he had mastered sucking the food from the pouch with very little waste. Much improved. I think this might be the solution we've been searching for!

Stay tuned for updates on other items that I am waiting for! and while you're at it... WATCH the video!

A FREE Internet Scavenger Hunt? Count me in!!

Sign up for FREE to be a seeker in the Internet's GREEN Scavenger Hunt. Great Green Prizes, including items like cloth diapers and mamma cloth. Check out the website at www.GreenQuizQuest.com

And also find them on Facebook- just search for Green Quiz Quest.
You know you want to!

Review: Little Beetles "Little-To-Big" OS Organic Wool Cover (snapping)

Well, long long ago, in the land of diapers (that's my house, dontcha know?) I was looking for some wool that was gender neutral and would work for both kids, but was unaware that such a fabulous thing existed. I came across the news that Little Beetles had JUST released a new cover, the Little Beetles OS Wool Cover.... and that it was available in snap or aplix! How cool!!! I was so excited! Marek was still a newborn (ish) and Ardyn was just starting to do some potty training, so I was wary about dumping a chunk of change into anything, and this really was a chunk of change at near $40 for one cover. But in the name of research, and of finding what might be the perfect solution, I bought one, back when I also bought two pair of little beetle learners- training pants for Ardyn.

When it arrived it was SUPER cute. I promptly hand washed and lanolized it (according to directions, don't fear, this isn't my first pony ride.) Then I decided to start trying on the babies!

First I started with Ardyn, because Marek was sleeping, and he was still not quite 2 months old...

It was a really good fit for her. She was wearing 24 months or 2T size and this picture was taken when she was 20 months old and just beginning potty training. I liked the fit overall, and it was trim and I could see wearing it under clothing. These pics are over a Goodmama fitted, so it adds some bulk of course.






I love how nice and trim it looks from the back. Fast Forward two weeks and Marek was almost 2 months old, and I decided to try it on him. I had used it about 2 times on Ardyn, because she was PLing it really wasn't necessary because I had her in trainers almost full time.... but she did wear it overnight once just to test, and there was no leaking whatsoever. Very nice.

Well, per most OS covers, well, really most OS diapers in general, it fit Marek, but was WAYYYYY Bulky (he was after all, still young- not quite 2 months old in fact, it was May 2009.) I knew that he wouldn't be wearing it under ANYTHING and my main goal was to also find a wool diaper cover that was smooth and thin enough to wear under clothes. This was a no-go for someone still so small, but honestly I was not surprised. Here is a pic of him in the cover- Basically it was a try-on session and we took it right back off. :)



One thing that I really did NOT like was the way the snap configuration was on the front to allow for wing overlap. It didn't seem to lay right no matter how I tried, and I am a wing professional, especially since we've been using Goodmamas for 2+ years. I don't quite know why the wing overlap is wonky, but it added unnecessary bulk that was not only unattractive, but confusing.

Overall, I knew that when Marek got bigger, I would like the cover. So we used it about 4 times, had only washed and lanolized it that one initial time.... and then a few months later I pulled it out when Marek was wearing Goodmamas consistently and I felt he would fit the OS cover nicely. And he DID! So we tried it on, and it was great! I was so excited, and then the next time I went to put it on..... What's this? SERIOUSLY?!?! The fury. The sadness. The regret. The LEG ELASTIC!!! OMG you are kidding me. The leg elastic in one leg had completely given out. I was SO upset. How does a $40 cover get washed by hand once and worn a max of 5 times, and then have no leg elastic left? By this point in time, my 30 day "one wash" warranty was over by about 5 months. What a horrible experience!

I don't know what caused this, perhaps I purchased a lemon? It was when the covers were first released. I kept meaning to call the company, but it was one of those things that got put on the back burner, and so now I have this EEEEEUC like new, barely touched, beautiful, soft, bulletproof, organic, one-size, snapping, LOVELY wool cover.... with elastic in one leg. Well. So much for good ideas on my part.




I look forward to hearing experiences from others with this cover. I am unsure if the leg elastic issue is isolated to me, or if it happened to anyone else, but it made me very sad. I keep telling myself that I will just rip the seam open and peek inside, to see what type of elastic is in there and try to determine what happened..... if I ever get to that I will try to repair and let you know what I find by updating this post!

So, I really wish I could provide a better review on the quality and longevity of what I initially thought was a great product, but I just can't give this one the stars that I so desperately wanted to.

Overnight Soak with OxyBoost does Wonders!

Well, I recently decided to try out an overnight soak with Oxyboost on some clothes. I have always had a tough time with stains on kid clothes, and I have posted several times before about that. One of my favorite products was Shout Advance, but you really have to let the stain fighter SIT on the clothes for a long time, and that doesn't always mesh with my laundry groove. I LOVE the natures source stain treatment, but I already went through my first bottle, and I just thought that I should explore more options with the OxyBoost that I already use for cloth diapers. I hadn't really had time to read up on the other recommended uses, and so I was thinking there must be a way to make a stain fighting paste or something with it. In the past I have done overnight soaks on diapers (especially when Ardyn had real poo issues when she was having the dairy allergy problems) and they had done wonders. So I read the bucket (novel idea, eh?) and they recommend a soak with 4oz to every 2 gallons of water (I think that's the ratio, anyway, what do you care? LOL. Read YOUR Bucket!) and I put in four shirts of Marek's. Three of the four were brand new ones that he destroyed on the first wearing, one was WHITE with spaghetti sauce all over it, one was striped with chocolate ice cream, and the third was orange with mashed banana ground into it. I had washed all of them on warm with color safe bleach, two of them had been washed TWICE and none of the stains had come out. One of them (the striped one) had actually been washed AND dried at least twice since it got stained. I grabbed a 2 gallon bucket that I used to buy OxyBoost in (when I wasn't buying in as MUCH bulk as I do now) and that little bucket was the perfect little handy size. I added hot water and my oxyboost and used my little whisk that I keep in the laundry room (for tie dyeing, mixing, and tasks such as this.) and stirred it well. Then I dunked and soaked the shirts, and put the lid on the bucket (for some reason the shirts keep bubbling up OUT of the water otherwise) and I literally came back in two days (I was sick so it wasn't overnight as I had planned) and washed them with a regular load of my clothes, and EVERY SINGLE STAIN was completely gone. Completely! Even the chocolate ice cream stain that had been set by the dryer a couple of times! Miracle? I believe so. So from now on, no more wasting money on additional stain fighters... I will just stick with the oxyboost for an overnight soak! For those of you who have been asking, OxyBoost and OxyPrime, and many other green cleansers and home products, can be purchased via http://www.ecogeeks.com/greenstore/ The large quantities that I buy need to be purchased via telephone.... and if you want that information I would be happy to provide it :)

Just say NO to antibacterial soaps!

In the spirit of yet another headcold, I'd like to discuss my upcoming April "Going Green" resolutions. I have two of them. The first one is to avoid Tricolsan. Anitbacterial Soaps are causing a huge problem.... mainly the advancement of these super-germs that are resistant to antibiotics, and may one day be the death of all of us. From the over-prescribing of antibiotics by physicians to anti-bacterial hand and dish soaps.... it's a scary thing. Here is a bit of info:

The Bite (taken from the Bite daily newsletter.)
Take away the fiction part. While it seems like antibacterial cleansers would be more effective than plain, ol' soap, not-so-mad scientists have proven they aren't, and germs are getting stronger because we use so many antibiotics. Natural alts do the job minus the concerns.

The Benefits

• Getting just as clean. Germophobes rejoice: U of MI researchers reviewed 27 studies conducted between 1980 and 2006, and found that plain soaps are just as effective as those containing the antibacterial triclosan.
• Not encouraging the monsters. Antibacterial soaps with triclosan can reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics; our picks are naturally antibacterial.

Wanna Try?

• EO Products Hand Sanitizer - lavender, lemon, and jojoba oil help disinfect on the go ($4/2 oz).
• Naturally First Foaming Hand Soap - foaming, naturally antibacterial option with coconut and olive oils to keep your hands soft ($10/8.5 oz).
• CleanWell Foaming Hand Soap - uses naturally antibacterial essential oils (such as thyme oil) to kill germs; in three scents, including a spicy Lavender Absolute version ($14/28.5 oz).

Triclosan's in a lot of products, but you can avoid it by quickly glancing at the ingredients list - and yeah, your hands'll still get clean.

C'mon, people: A study by the American Society for Microbiology found 25% of men and 10% of women don't wash their hands after using public bathrooms.

So that's resolution numero uno. I have thus far eliminated all antibacterial soaps in our home, from handwashing to dishwashing. And my hands are still clean!

Resolution number two.... recycle newspapers and magazines. Although I haven't figured out the details, I have started a box. And there are newspapers inside it. Namely the Sunday paper and the Wednesday Focus. I am TRYING to get my husband on board with recycling cardboard, but he is resisting. When will he learn that resistance is futile? In the meantime, I am tentatively naming that my MAY resolution.... with the intention to do it entirely myself if need be. We have enough cardboard in our garage right now to build a city for the homeless. Seriously.

More Math

Since I have a calculator and all that, I thought I would share.

Figuring that the average baby uses 8 diapers in a 24 hour period.... although newborns use many more, perhaps as many as 10-12 per day....

This adds up to 2920 diapers a year, or roughly 36.5- $20 packages of diapers for an annual total of $730.00

Multiply that times the average of two years that each child is in diapers and you have $1460 of diapers for one child, for a total of 5840 diapers that go to landfills and leach their waste into our groundwater.

Have three children and you are putting an average of 17,520 diapers into landfills, at a total cost of $4,380

And that doesn't even count baby wipes.

When you do the math, it's really quite insane.
Okay, off my soapbox now.

Charlie's All Natural Laundry Soap saving me $75 a year!

I did the math last night, and wanted to share with you!

after two months of exclusive use, I felt comfortable doing the calculations. We use Charlie's for all our laundry now, including Cloth Diapers.

The past two months we averaged one bag of Charlie's a month, equaling 80 loads of laundry each month. By purchasing in bulk, I spent less than $100 on a 5 gallon bucket of Charlie's, which is 1280 loads. At the rate we are going, that should last us 16 months and cost us less than $6.25 a month.

A concentrated bottle of ALL Free and Clear (what I used previously) costs $4.97 here and does 32 loads. That's $0.155 a load, which would mean at 80 loads a month, All costs me $12.40 a month.

Therefore Charlie's costs me HALF of what All free and clear does. And the packaging waste is significantly less also. And that adds up to $75 a year that I am saving in laundry detergent. And tons and tons of plastic reduction for the environment, and the soap is also safe for the environment. How's that for good news!

All About Cloth Diapers.... Reviews and Tips

So I know that this may not appear to many of my regular blog readers, so please feel free to skip over this. But I recently wrote down information and reviews on cloth diapers, and I have had tons of people online and on flickr, and a few online mom communities, wanting information. I thought if I posted it here, it would be more readily available to people who are just starting out, or looking for real-life reviews on some cloth diapers and diaper products.

All my photos of cloth diapering and cloth diaper products are located here. I will try to link to photos directly within the post, but you may have to cut and paste links as I don't know that I will have enough time today to hyperlink each one, since I am just cutting and pasting this review.

I know that all moms have different preferences, different washing methods, etc., but these are mine and therefore.... here you go!

We started out with using pockets exclusively. I went to the house of a friend who CD's. I saw what she had. She uses primarily prefolds and pockets.

I thought One size diapers would be for me. They aren't. They are terribly bulky. BUT we use BG (Bum Genius) 3.0 OS (One Sizes) for nighttime, and they work like a charm, NEVER a leak for 12-13 hours. I now have Five Bum Genius 3.0 One Size's, and One Tiny Tush One Size, which I like Way less than the Bum Genius (icky inserts and one size snaps don't stay snapped.)

Pockets have the advantage because they can be stuffed or de-stuffed based on what works for your child in terms of absorbency. AIO's (All in ones) are nice but they take longer to dry because the insert is built into the diaper. And you can't add extra stuffin per-say, because there is no pocket. There are also AI2's (AIO's with a snap in soaker-piece that is absorbent.)

If you want to cloth diaper cheaply, you want prefolds. But warning- these are not for the DH's who are uncooperative- and probably not for daycare or most grandparents/babysitters. They are old school but they are cheap and work well. I use prefolds now and then, we have BananaPeelDiapers and Thirsties prefolds and I use Thirsties covers because I love the leg gussets.

Almost Everything I own is used and purchased on Diaperswappers, with the exception of some purchased inserts for those used diapers and one new diaper that I won for free.... and the prefolds and new Thirsties AIO's. All diapers can be resold and if you take care to get stains out, they can really make your money back or be used for second kids. I recommend buying used and trying different brands to get a good fit for your LO and spend money on new ones only when you KNOW what you want.

Reviews and Details, about the pocket brands I have/use(d)

Ewe Need It's- Okay. Soft. Cute. Trim. Huge gaping pocket holes that I don't like.... have yet to find an insert that fits right

KND's (Knickernappies Disposanots)- like them. Very trim. Narrow pocket space, requires specific stuffing, made for KND. I have and use the Just Hemp inserts and the Hemp/Microfiber Loopy-Do Inserts, which are a great insert that is sewn in a loop so they dry faster. However, don't like it when she poops, it always goes up the front and gets all over the side snapping tabs, and then causes a mess when changing. It's practically impossible to keep her flailing limbs/socks/onesie snaps out of the poo. Ugh. They also have been leaking on us lately. Just too bad because I have like 8 of them. I like that they have elastic at the waist in front and back to help contain. But have found that it isn't necessary to contain a leak.

Fuzi Bunz- great diaper. Seem to get really pilly inside. The newer ones might have resolved this issue, but they have been made in Mexico, and the US, and have a new version, and all of them fit differently so even though you might have mediums, the newer ones run big, so you have to be careful. I have about 7 real ones and 6 fakes. I like them. They aren't my favorite but they are great. I like that they can really take lots of different inserts. I use Hemparoos because they are AWESOME hemp inserts that are contoured and hold lots of wetness and fit in lotsa dipes. I also use prefolds in the FB's

Bum Genius One Size 3.0 (BG OS 3.0)- nice dipes. Way too bulky when snapped down to use under any clothing. ESPECIALLY JEANS! Difficult to get pajamas on over them sometimes. Nice nice inserts, great elastic, strong Aplix (velcro) These are the only velcro dipes I have that will stay velcro'd in the wash. Downside: Poo Stains on Microfiber are practically impossible to get out without bleach. Bleach tears down the absorbency of inserts and is bad for the environment, not to mention not your first choice against baby's skin. Dislike them for that. I think sunning would remove the poo stains, but not after drying in the dryer, so I hate them for this. There is no sun in Illinois in the winter!

Snapez- Probably my FAVORITE pocket. Trim. Low Rise. Snaps seem in the best location. Fit a wide variety of inserts, I use Hemparoos or prefolds, or microfiber/flannel inserts that I make myself. Love love love these dipes. Super trim and cute. I think I have 5. Prints leak/wick badly once they are shot, but the solids are awesome and I would love to have more.

Drybees- Great Aplix Diaper. Don't leak. Use these at daycare. Also DH's favorite. Downside- pilly aplix and they don't stay velcro'd in the wash and then stick to themselves and other dipes and worst of all to all my microfiber inserts. We have 9 of them. But they fit great. Don't try to roll the leg fleece back in, or they will leak. They are designed to roll out.

Happy Heiney's- Nice Dipes. Cute. Velcro doesn't stay closed in wash. Very trim. Microfiber inserts (staining hard to get out) Not sure how they would hold in a poo because they are so so trim, haven't had a poo in one yet (we have 3 of these dipes)

GAD's (Green Acre Designs) - we only have one and haven't used it much. Snaps. Nice trim Design. Similar to KND's.

Thirsties AIO Pockets- I just ordered 6 of these AND I LOVE THEM! The combine the convenience of an AIO with the added ability to stuff, and even better, they have the Thirsties leg gussets to hold in everything. I love them dearly, except for the long drying time, and the inside FOE on the leg gusset (Fold-over-elastic) will stain with poo, but it isn't noticeable unless you are REALLY Looking for it. It looks a little like a tea stain. I don't know that anyone besides me has noticed it on mine. These are great for DH, daycare, and out on the town.

I also think that Thirsties are the most awesome prefolds, but they aren't made anymore. I have bought all of mine used.

Other things that I learned - some of the best advice I was ever given about CDing-

Snaps over Aplix (velcro) - because it is cleaner, doesn't stick in the wash, doesn't pill and get hair/fuzz/strings in it. Not difficult to use once you get the hang of it, but daycare prefers velcro or they don't get them on tight enough and we have leaks.

Don't buy just one brand of diapers for your entire stash. Stick to 2-4 different types/brands because as babies grow, they will grow out of certain brands, or they won't fit correctly for a while. If you have all one brand, you will be screwed and have to go buy all new dipes to get through. If you have a varied stash, you will be better able to have something on hand that will work through an awkward growth stage. At first I didn't take this to heart, but now that it's happened to me, I love that I have lots of variety on hand.

Hemp is the most absorbent for inserts, but it takes time for it to absorb. Mirorfiber absorbs quicker. A combo of the two is awesome. Hemp alone can cause diaper rashes because there isn't much to keep the wetness away from baby's skin, even in a pocket. Flannel atop a microfiber insert is excellent because the flannel keeps baby dry and the microfiber absorbs alot of liquid quickly. This is why the inserts I make at home are from Microfiber automotive towels and 2 layers of soft flannel. See pics of what I make at home in my Flickr photos.
www.flickr.com/photos/dazed81/sets/72157603831532446/

Don't dry your pockets, covers, etc. - They can be dried but will have a shorter life, particularly the elastic and the PUL. Once PUL is shot, dipes leak and wick. You can replace elastic but it can be time consuming. Even if the dipes are okay now, if you pack them away for a second baby, the elastic can rot and snap when removed from storage. Air Dry. I Air Dry everything except prefolds and inserts, so I don't like AIO's for how long they take to dry.
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Don't use any fish oil based rash creams in cloth diapers. Don't use rash creams at all unless you have done your research or they stain the dipes permanently. Balmex works well for us. I lay a cloth wipe in the diaper first to protect it, just in case. I rarely need rash cream.... but it sometimes helps with redness. Also- to reduce redness and rashes, use a hairdryer to dry the diaper area thoroughly between diapers. I have a travel hairdryer that I keep plugged in and hanging on the changing table and it works great and entertains the baby to no end. Now when I dry my hair she cranes her neck to see what's going on with the hairdryer!

Choose a natural detergent that won't leave residue in your dipes. It's better for baby's bottom and also prevents the detergent buildup that causes odors and prevents absorbancy. The wrong detergent can ruin diapers. We use Charlie's Powdered Detergent and Oxy Boost Natural for stain removal, in each load. Oxyboost works better than Oxyclean baby (I know I have used both) and it's also less expensive and if you buy in bulk like I do you save money and reduce packaging waste. Right now I have a 5 gallon bucket of Charlie's Detergent and a BIG Pail of Oxyboost.
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Washing:
Cold Rinse all dipes on the highest water level setting, regardless of the number of dipes you are washing. I use the prewash cycle with no soap or oxyboost.

Then Do a HOT WASH and COLD RINSE with 1 full tablespoon of Charlie's and 2-4 scoops of Oxyboost (depending on the soil level of the load). Use the highest water level setting.

Do a Second Cold Rinse.

Inspect ALL DIAPERS for stains. Re-wash everything that has stains, this time you can skip the prewash, but still use the second rinse, hot/cold, and you can lower the water setting and decrease the amt of oxyboost.

If using detergents other than Charlies, use half the amount of recommended. Charlie's needs you to use 1 TBSP per load to be effective. This is directly from their Cloth Diapering Letter that they mailed to me.

Handling Dirty Dipes
A wet pail is a no-no. I know there are people who still use them, but they have determined that it is a breeding ground for bacteria growth.

We use a tall kitchen garbage can that has lift up handles so I can carry it right to the laundry room. My favorite pail liner is a Monkey Doodlez pail liner that has PUL sandwiched between two layers, so you never SEE the plastic, and it has an elastic top to fit a tall kitchen garbage. We also have a wetbag by WET HAPPENED for on the go and at daycare, it's just a smaller zippered version.

I place a cloth wipe with a couple of drops of Tea Tree Oil inside each one (pail/wetbag) to contain odors. I put the wipe under the rim of the pail lid to keep the nice smell at the top so it doesn't get buried in stinky dipes. No odor problems with that.

Diaper Pail (Garbage) with inside Handles:
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Monkey Doodlez Pail Liner:
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Wetbag:
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I don't rinse dipes. We are EBF and BF poo is runny and spraying doesn't make a difference. Instead of a toilet diaper sprayer, I got a new utility sink to use when the time comes... we will put the poo that is solid in the toilet near the laundry room and then spray down in my new sink.
Sink:
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Fancy Faucet with Sprayer:
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As far as cloth wipes go, there are lots of WAHM's that make wipes that are adorable on diaperswappers, and you can buy them from several brands like Bummis and Thirsties, and others. Check some out at luvingmammadiapers. I personally use baby washcloths. You can get big packs for cheap at Wal-Mart and we have about 40. I make a wipe solution of Babywash, warm water, and a drop of Tea Tree Oil (it's antibacterial and stops mold growth, plus is a great essential oil fragrance- just a teeny drop will do) and then I soak the wipes, wring them out, and keep them in my wipes warmer just like sposie wipes. I also fill my peri bottle from the hospital with the solution and keep it by the changing table to use if I need to add more to the warmer. They work great and we even use them at daycare (cloth wipes.) Here are my cloth wipes....
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I buy pretty much everything from Brandi at LuvingMammaDiapers. She has a LOT of choices for cloth diapering, she is extremely helpful in answering questions, and she is wonderful about communicating the status of your order and the tracking numbers. She also has wonderful sales and coupon codes that you can get if you sign up for her email newsletter. If you place an order, be sure to tell her that I sent you. Just type my name (Meagan Johnson) in the comments of your order and let her know that's where you heard of her. I really love her site, and her help has been enormous. I also write reviews over there for all the products I use/try, so that other customers can read up and make informed decisions.

Short Feedback sent to Wal-Mart

I want to tell you that I really appreciate when a cashier is pleasant and educated about reusable bags. I had a recent experience at your store in Princeton Illinois when I was using reusable bags. The cashier was a younger girl and when she thought I wasn't looking, she was giving me dirty looks and rolling her eyes. I ended up holding the bags open for her as she filled them.

Then a week later I went to the same store and associate Pat Larson was the cashier. She was incredibly pleasant, and commented that I was doing a good thing by using reusable bags. She never once acted as though she was inconvenienced. I believe that your cashiers need to be EDUCATED on how to handle and use reusable bags for customers. I have read online several instances of your cashiers trying to place items in Wal-Mart bags and then put them INSIDE of canvas bags. They really need education on how to handle these bags, especially now that you are selling reusable bags in your stores. Thank you for your time.

Meagan Johnson
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Contact retailers online:

• Bed Bath & Beyond
• Costco
• Home Depot
• Kmart
• Office Depot
• Petsmart
• Target
• Toys R Us
• Wal-Mart

Ten Teenie Things to Make the World Greener

1. Turn off the Water when brushing your teeth (Barney has a song that {Unfortunately} I sing to Ardyn each morning while brushing my teeth... "I never let the water run.")

2. Unplug your cell phone charger when not in use. (ohhh I think there are THREE Cell phone chargers plugged in at our house right now. Bad bad.)

3. Use a revolving Door. (Well, not many of those in these parts.)

4. Shut down your computer down at night (Hmmm..... We have four running at our house, but they automatically go into standby mode- and the laptops then turn "off.")

5. Wear Fleece. (?)

6. Enjoy a meatless meal once a week. (Okay, is this green, or just vegetarian? Angela help?)

7. Use a manual Can Opener (We have both. Sometimes I use manual. i.e. when someone unplugs mine and it is not charged.)

8. Adjust thermostat one degree up in the summer and one degree down in the winter. (Well, the best I can do on this is to reprogram my thermostat which needs to be done anyway.)

9. Drive one mile per hour slower.

10. Replace one closet lightbulb with an energy saving fluorescent bulb. (Evan and I have been discussing this. I guess the closet is a good place to start. I hate fluorescent lighting and generally use the reveal bulbs at home, but who cares in a closet, right?)

64 degrees

So it's 64 degrees. And there is a Tornado Watch and a Thunderstorm Warning. On January 7th. In Illinois. Need anymore proof of global warming? LOL.

All the snow melted by Saturday morning. It was 64 on Sunday too. I washed my car on Saturday. I also did TONS of other stuff. We have been on the run this weekend... I keep saying I am going to blog... but keep doing things like researching online and laundry instead.

So I don't think I have been here to mention that we are going to start cloth diapering. It's part of our green resolutions... and also part of containing breastfed poo. I have been researching for a couple of weeks now. It's a large investment, and a lot to learn.... but the money is well saved in the long run, Especially if you use the diapers for multiple children. And the environmental impact it has is overwhelming.

Just a few things we have bought in preparation.... 6 Fuzzi Bunz Cloth Pocket Diapers, with 6 microfiber inserts. 6 Hemp Inserts for a Knickernappies Disposanots Diaper- that's a KND in cloth diaper lingo. (I won a new KND in lavender from a website) I also bought 6 pounds of Charlie's Natural Soap. Your soap choice is a HUGE part of cloth diapering. You have to either change your entire laundry soap routine, or run a rinse cycle in your machine before each load of cloth diapers (CD in the lingo.) We will be switching to an all natural detergent without dyes, oils, scents, or emollients. For everything. It only takes 2 tablespoons per load of laundry. I also bought a cute Wet Bag, which is a fabric zippered bag lined with a plastic like interior, where wet and dirty cloth diapers and cloth wipes are stored when you are out and about (or at daycare in our case.) That arrived today.

I bought two Bum Genius 3.0's, which are a One Size pocket diaper with velcro closures... to test out. I also purchased some used misc small fitted diapers... and small pockets.... to play around with. At the end of this week I will be getting a paycheck finally (YAY!) and then I should be able to invest in a full stock of cloth diapers. I am expecting to have to purchase about 26 diapers if I want to CD full time and wash every 2-3 days. New Cloth Diapers range about from $15-22 EACH (yes each diaper) and can be cheaper if you buy them in large lots, as you get a discount. I also have all of my cloth wipes ready to go. I purchased tea tree oil to use as an anti-microbial in our wipes warmer (assuming she doesn't get a rash from it) and also bought a huge bunch of infant washcloths which we will use as washable wipes.

Evan and I are both SO excited! We had our first "date" (just the two of us) since Ardyn was born last September, and we went to Home Depot to buy a utility sink for the laundry room. I am so excited I can barely stand it! We got a double utility sink and a NICE and EXPENSIVE industrial strength stainless steel faucet with a big sprayer built in. I also got two new shelves for the wall of the laundry room, which will allow a place to put my detergents and brushes and things that I keep down there, and get rid of a plastic PVC shelf that I had previously, which will save floor space and give me more room to work. I have to admit that while most people hate laundry, I get a big satisfaction from folding piles of fluffy towels and silky baby blankets. I also love hanging up all Ardyn's little clothes. I live for the day when her hamper is full. I could really care less about our clothes, but I do take a read pride in hers... and love how soft and sweet and small they are.

So after our Friday night Home Depot trip, we went to Target- and we also ate at Steak N Shake. Saturday morning Ardyn and I drove to see our friend Melissa, who I have known since 1998-99. She is a teacher, specifically in preschool and ECE, and also ran a licensed Daycare center from her home. She is a mom to three cloth diapered boys, and has been at this for about 5 years. We got to try on some of her diapers, and see her stash of different brands/types/and sizes, and also ask all kinds of questions about stuffing, washing, preferences, etc. It was great, and nice to visit. Ardyn got to meet her 8 month old son Cameron, who was army crawling as fast as I can walk. On the way home I stopped at a different Wal-Mart and they had completely different children's and infant's items than our local store, so I got some washcloths (wipes) and a few pairs of pants and a neat pack of onesies, using up a gift card that Ardyn got for Christmas. then we went to my mom's house for a visit and to work on her computer and setup her new iPod.

to be continued.....

Plastic Bags Blow. BYOB (Bring Your Own Bags)

Christmas was good. We did a bit of running. We did a lot of packing and unpacking. The house is a disaster. But it was fun. Ardyn got one outfit, one new pair of pajamas, three new books, three stuffed bears, a stuffed dog, a September Snowman Ornament, a new Graco Comfort Sport Convertible Car Seat (nice one with cup holders) for when she hits 1 year, and a dog rattle... and a few other things.

I got some good stuff, About $200 in cash (gone) and the Jessica Seinfeld Cookbook, a book called "Play Unplugged", some kitchen towels, some other small stuff... a Targus Chill Pad for my laptop (mine quit working and needed to be replaced) and Evan and I together received a Shiatsu Heated Chair Massager which is completely awesome and I may be addicted to.

I also got a $30 gift certificate to Austin Parker Naturals and a Cookie Lee Butterfly Pin. Ardyn got a $20 Gift Card to Wal-Mart which I will probably use for diapers and wipes, and she got a $20 Gift Cart to Target from Josh and Lisa, which I used to buy 4 new pair of cotton pants and 6 pair of socks for her. Good daycare essentials. And Lisa also finished a crocheted blanket for Ardyn, which I am totally in love with, because back with I was pregnant, Lisa asked if I would like one and what colors, and I told her if it was a girl I wanted pink but not baby pink- hot pink and orange. And she SERIOUSLY did is justice. Ardyn used it Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I love love love it. Anya and Brad and Ava got Ardyn a Gund Boo-Boo Bear that has a little ice cube in his belly for boo-boo treatment. It's so cute!

I plan on using my Christmas Money to buy a shelf for Ardyn's room, that we can store toys on. I saw some modular stackable units at the Company Kids Store... I want them in white. A set of open dual bins for the bottom, and two stackable units with adjustable shelves above that. Which will run me about $300 and all of my Christmas money. But having her toys stacked on the floor is already driving me nuts and she is not even 4 months old yet! Plus with all my research, I decided these would be the best buy because they are modular and versatile and would grow with her. She could either take them to a big girl room or they could stay in the nursery for our next child. I like that the shelves adjust either vertically or horizontally. I expect that the quality must be pretty good for the price. Anyone ever order from Company Kids before?

I am pretty sure we are "officially" teething, based on the low grade fever and the rosy cheeks that she has had two nights this week, and the constant gnawing of hands and toys, and the out of control drooling and nighttime fussiness. AND the congestion that only seems to be there overnight.

I have been thinking about New Year's Resolutions. I have never been a big fan. I get so sick of the "lose weight, quit smoking, etc." Bullshit resolutions that everyone makes and never follows (although I lost 25 pounds in 2006, gained 12 while pregnant in 2007, and lost 40 after having the baby... so weight loss CAN work)

This year, my resolution is a real one. I am determined to make one positive lifestyle change that will affect the environment. Not one for the entire year. Oh no. One for every month of 2008. Yep. Lofty goal? Nope. Perfectly do-able. My first resolution? January= reusable grocery bags. As a matter of fact, I am ordering them today. And not just reusable bags. Reusable PRODUCE Bags too. Yeah. We don't mess around. I bought two of "these kits" from reusablebags.com A totally cool website with a ticker across the top to determine how many plastic bags are being wasted. It freaks me out to just LOOK at the ticker.

Of course while I am there I start to want a Kleen Kanteen bottle with Insulator Sleeve but honestly one person can only own so many cups, mugs, and water bottles before it gets obsessive. Of course the reusable water bottle that I have is plastic, doesn't have a cool insulator sleeve, and doesn't fit in any cup holder, so in general it pisses me off royally. It's an eddie bauer with the ice cores but I almost never use it now because it doesn't really stay cold. Ice core or not. Doesn't work. The Kleen Kanteen would totally hang on the stroller or diaper bag handles and I could totally drink out of it. It would hold hot or cold liquid. It would be greatness. But It would be obsessive. It's not like I am going mountain climbing and would need a carabiner or anything.

Top Facts - Consumption

Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year. According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year. According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion) According to the industry publication Modern Plastics, Taiwan consumes 20 billion bags a year—900 per person. According to Australia’s Department of Environment, Australians consume 6.9 billion plastic bags each year—326 per person. An estimated .7% or 49,600,000 end up as litter each year. Top Facts - Environmental Impact Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals die every year from eating discarded plastic bags mistaken for food. Plastic bags don’t biodegrade, they photodegrade—breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest. As part of Clean Up Australia Day, in one day nearly 500,000 plastic bags were collected. Windblown plastic bags are so prevalent in Africa that a cottage industry has sprung up harvesting bags and using them to weave hats, and even bags. According to the BBC, one group harvests 30,000 per month. According to David Barnes, a marine scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, plastic bags have gone "from being rare in the late 80s and early 90s to being almost everywhere from Spitsbergen 78° North [latitude] to Falklands 51° South [latitude]. Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal cleanups, according to the nonprofit Center for Marine Conservation. Top Facts - Solutions In 2001, Ireland consumed 1.2 billion plastic bags, or 316 per person. An extremely successful plastic bag consumption tax, or PlasTax, introduced in 2002 reduced consumption by 90%. Approximately 18,000,000 liters of oil have been saved due to this reduced production. Governments around the world are considering implementing similar measures. July 2003, ReusableBags.com goes live, advancing the mainstream adoption of reusable shopping bags. Each high quality reusable shopping bag you use has the potential to eliminate hundreds, if not thousands, of plastic bags over its lifetime.