Blogging for Change - Blog Action Day '09: Climate Change

Today I am blogging for Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change. What does that mean? Thousands of bloggers everywhere are blogging about the same issue on the same day, writing based on our individual interests/knowledge/experiences/etc. Learn more about it all here.



My take isn't going to be an in depth discussion about something complicated. No, I think in order for many of us to get involved, things need to be simple, easy. So....in light of that, I want to post on the many different EASY ways to get involved. Lots of little things that can add up to make a big difference. That's how I started...with one little change here and there. Before I realized, we had made MANY changes. I thought I would share some of those little changes for those interested. Please comment with your own to add. I'll try to keep it short and sweet by listing the things we do.

First of all, cleaners are easy to start with... Keep those toxic, bad-for-the-environment as well as bad-for-your home/children/etc. out of your home. It's easy to get non-toxic, biodegradable cleaners that work and work well. I'll share some things we do/use. Some of the things listed might make you wonder what they have to do with the climate...but think in terms of packaging, transportation, waste, etc...

* * *

Homemade green cleaner. This is our go-to cleaner. It is so easy and quick to make; you probably have the ingredients in your home already; and it works so well. Many have told me how much they love this after passing on the recipe. Recipe here.

Biokleen Bac Out. This is the best stain remover I have ever used. I've used it on carpet stains in our old aparment -stains that were there before we moved in and remained there after being professionally cleaned. I put this stuff on and followed the directions, which said to let sit for 5 minutes and blot out. I didn't think it would work, but thought this was a good test. Ummm...totally came out. I've gotten out berries, tomatoes rubbed into clothes by a baby, and so much that otherwise would have never came out. You can even use this with cloth diapers. This stuff works - without scrubbing. You can get it at Kroger's, Whole Foods, many other places.

Dr. Bronner's Soap. What a cleaner this stuff is!!! You can do so much with this stuff - from washing hands, cleaning clothes, household cleaning, body wash, even use it as a toothpaste. Now - I have not personally used it for anything other than cleaning in my house, but I have heard of others who have used it for all of these things. It cuts through it all. We use it to clean the tub by mixing it with a little baking soda to make a paste. You don't ever have to scrub - rub it all over, wait a while, then wipe it off...sparkling clean. You can get this in all sorts of scents. I like citrus. We get ours at Whole Foods. I've heard it's at Target near the makeup aisles.

Baking Soda & Vinegar. These two cleaners can take care of most of your household needs. Really, they can. You can even unclog drains with these two and some boiling water. Try it. No need for those highly toxic cleaners to do that. There is so much you can do with these, I won't even bother going into detail. Try a simple google search - you'll find more than you need to know!

You'd be surprised at what you can use to naturally get rid of pests, too. Any time a single ant has come around, we've used my homemade cleaner to keep the area super, super clean. It works well because it has borax in it. We also sprinkle borax around the area they are coming in - and they stop! They hate that stuff. Here in NC, we can get some really huge spiders in our home. Spiders scare the crap out of me. A friend suggested this to get them out, and it works. Plus, it's fun for the older kids - Camden immediately wanted to use it outside to see spiders and other bugs. No need for a spray in the home, which I wouldn't want around the kiddos.

Green Clean. This is a great book, taking on each room in the house and telling easy ways you can clean your home using green methods. The book itself is waterproof and stain-resistant. Throw it in with all your cleaning products and always have it on hand.

Laundry - We use Country Save, a great biodegradable laundry detergent. Works great, doesn't have ingredients that might irritate those with sensitive skin (e.g. someone with eczema, like some in our family). It's even a top one recommended for cloth diapers. Instead of fabric softener in the dryer, we use dryer balls. Do you know about all the stuff that is found in laundry detergent and softeners...stuff that stays on your clothes. Read up on it sometime. You might want to switch, too. If you really don't want to give up fabric softener, I've heard Ecover is great and can even be used with cloth diapers.

Dishes - We recently made the switch to ecofriendly dish detergent for both handwashing and in the diswasher. We use Ecover. I looked into this a lot before settling on a brand to try, after hearing negative reviews about many brands (from what I've heard, Seventh Generation is not a great one...just fyi). Ecover consistently had wonderful reviews. Even skeptical Ryan admitted - after the very first use in the dishwasher - that the dishes came out CLEANER than they ever had before, even with something like Cascade. We also use the Ecover soap for handwashing dishes, and they both work really well.

Get some of these for your liquid hand soap. Foamers make the soap last longer, which is nice for you and your pocket book, but they also help keep extra plastic bottles from being used, keeping more of them out of the landfills. They also keep the kiddos from using too much - and the foam makes washing hands a bit more fun and easy (and less messy). You can actually put other kinds of soaps in them, as well - for the shower or other areas in the home. And get those big bags to refill soap bottles...and these will save even more money, plastic bottles, and last quite a long time.

If your neighborhood collects recycling, then there you go. No reason not to join in. It's been made easy for you - simply put the reyclable items in the garbage can for those items instead of the other can. If your neighborhood doesn't collect recycling, like our old apartment complex, you can get containers to collect them and then take them to the recycling center once a week. Sound like tough work? It's not. Really. This is what we used to separate our recycling when we lived in the apartment. There are three different bins that stack and open easily to toss things in. To take them, simply put each container in the car, and drive it on over to the center. Easy peasy. (I can't stand that phrase, but it's true.)

Biodegradable garbage bags?? Yes, there is such a thing. These are great! Order them with the amazon.com's subscribe and save to get free shipping and a discount. When you recycle, you end up with lots less garbage to toss, so the tiny extra cost for these bags aren't even noticeable.

Speaking of bags, get some of those reusable ones for your groceries. Everywhere sells them, usually for 99 cents or so. I like the ones from Whole Foods that are made from other recycled plastic bags. And in case you always forget them, put one of these in your car/purse/diaper bag (that's where my extra is). We put the bags in a location we will see when on our way out the door - and a couple left in the car, too. After a while, it becomes second nature. And keep in mind, this doesn't just go for groceries...but any kind of shopping!

Ok, getting kind of personal here... But for the ladies, try using the Diva Cup instead of tampons/pads. Why? None of the chemicals/bleaching agents (yes, those are in tampons/pads...which go where?! Exactly...), they're reusable (not gross - you clean them, duh), and save a TON of money and keep a TON of tampons/pads from landfills (which IS totally gross...think about it!). Find out more info here. Please try it. You'll never look back.

In line with that, check this facial cleansing method out, too. I've been doing this since I first became pregnant with Aiden. Save $$, do good for your face, improve your skin quality, quit using harsh cleansers that aren't good for you anyway, and reduce waste (get rid of many other items you use with this one method). Try it for a month and then see what you think. Don't knock it till you've tried it.

Groceries... Buy local and organic when you can. Why? Save the earth from some of that fuel. Support local sources. And help keep some of those pesticides from being used - from the earth and from the food that goes into your mouth. When you can't do both...try to decide which is more important. Check out this site to see what the Dirty Dozen are (the top foods to buy organic b/c they are most affected by those nasty pesticides) and the Clean 15, those lowest in pesticides. Try to buy the Dirty Dozen foods organic when possible. Have a local farmer's market - visit it!! You'll get fresher items at a great price. (But not always organic, so decide which is more important.)

Diapers - go cloth. It's easier than you probably think. And there are so many styles and types available! I assure you, these are not the cloth diapers your mama (or grandmother or greatgrandmother...) used. Not ready for that kind of leap? Try gdiapers. Biodegradable insert, non-plastic liners, no chemicals or bleaching agents (yes, those are in disposable diapers...the part that goes against babies bum)...better for baby and the earth. Can't lose there. We actually use cloth liners in our gdiapers. It's a great method b/c we can switch to the flushable inserts if we need to for some reason, which doesn't happen often but it a nice option to have. Another thing you can do...use cloth wipes. We add our own soap solution to help clean baby's bum, but you can just use water. Disposable wipes include fragrances and other ingredients that can actually irritate, while we choose what we use with the cloth. And cloth is super cheap.

Outside, we use recycled rubber mulch in our flower bed. Sure, it may cost a bit more upfront than other store bought mulches, but it doesn't need to be replaced as often, so it lasts much longer. The color doesn't fade. It's ecofriendly and looks great!

Paper towels. We still use them some but barely. We reuse washcloths and towels. Easy.

Food - buy in bulk instead of smaller packaging. Instead of getting individually packaged items, like snack pouches, juice boxes, small yogurts, water bottles...buy those in larger quantities and divide them up in reusable containers, especially when packing a lunch, like both Camden and Ryan do each day. Not only will that save money, but it keeps the extra packaging from the landfills. Also...cook! Buying less premade foods, prepackaged, and processed foods is less costly, better for you, and better for the environment.

Baby food - make your own! Not only is it very healthy, and you get to have complete control over what you feed your little one, but there are many benefits. You can use all organic foods and still pay less than buying already made baby foods. You have fresher food. Many think babies that eat homemade baby food eat a better variety and aren't as picky, as well. That's been true for us (and I have my first child that was fed baby food to compare, too). You don't have to deal with all those little jars/plastic containers, as well. Your baby, your pocketbook, and the earth will thank you. You don't need those books with fancy "recipes." Just steam and puree or mash. Some foods..you just mash. ;) Here is a great website for tips; we used this site a lot.

* * *

I know there are more things we do. Some of it has become second nature at this point. Little things here and there easily become habit. Now it's your turn.... Please share some things you do, little or big! And then be sure to head on over to these sites to check out more about climate change.

EPA - http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/

We Add Up - enter the huge giveaway that includes tons of awesome prizes... http://www.weaddup.com/climategiveaway

Blog Action Day - find other blog posts and learn what BAD '09 is all about http://www.blogactionday.org/

Looking forward to seeing your comments and tips!

Winners are...

#172 Holly at Daytime Sunshine
#77 Becky over at The Berry's Blog

Winners selected using random.org.

Enjoy your new (free!) gdiapers courtesy of Sharni at the Nappy Shoppe!! Winners have already been contacted, so they know what to do from here. :)

Thanks to everyone that entered. There was a pretty good turn-out!

And check back soon because there might just be a gflapper giveaway in the works... Think Christmas gifts (for you, someone else, you....)

Congrats to our winners!!

gDiaper GIVEAWAY Reminder!! Ending soon...

The gdiaper giveaway ends soon - this Sunday night. Spread the word and be sure to enter yourself. Two winners will be selected; winners each get a free gdiaper in their choice of size/color, courtesy of The Nappy Shoppe. Here are the details. Be sure to comment on THAT post to enter; not on this one. :)

Hurry up!! Remember, there are TEN ways to enter.

gDIAPERS Giveaway!!

Giveaway time is here!

The giveaway item is.....gdiapers! (In case you didn't notice what the title of this post was., you know.) Wait, what? Didn't gflappers (just barely) win, based on the poll? Well, technically, yes, though gdiapers was ahead for most of the time. BUT there was recently a giveaway on another blog with gflappers, and with some thinking and taking the poll into consideration, we decided to go with gdiapers THIS TIME around. (We're working on getting a giveaway for the gflapper inserts sometime soon...so stick around!) So, if you're new to the idea of something other than typical disposables or want to use something more environmentally friendly and baby friendly on your little one's tush, this is the way to go. Or if you use other cloth diapers - try this out, too! You can use cloth inserts in them; we do! Or if you know of someone that might be interested or is a user already, and you need a great gift for them... OR if you just love gdiapers and can't get enough... OR you have just started out and want to grow your stash - for free!.......you get the point. Enter this giveaway!

Never heard of gdiapers? I have other posts about them. Check those out HERE. In short, they're a whole other way of diapering. There is an outer gpant that is cloth, into which a waterproof, snap-in liner attaches. Inside that, you can use the gdiaper flushable inserts (yes, flushable! or compostable. or throw them away...they break down in a mere couple months. Disposables?? Take over 500 years!). They are plastic-, chlorine-, and chemical-free. And they are CUTE! You can take it one step farther and use cloth inserts in them, as well. gDiapers makes them, and so does Sharni (the lady doing the giveaway!). Hers are called gflappers, and that is where we get ALL of our cloth inserts. (They're fabulous.)

You have two weeks before the giveaway closes. Winner will be chosen by random (using random.org). If you want to up your odds, though...there are TEN ways to enter! Do them all at once or spread them out. Whatever floats your boat. Just be sure to do it before time is up. TWO winners will be selected, each receiving one gdiaper - size and color of your choice.

Ways to win... You need to leave a SEPARATE comment on this post for EACH way; the comment is your *ticket* into the giveaway! Winners comments (did you follow/tweet/subscribe/fan/etc?) will be verified before announced. :)

• Visit The Nappy Shoppe website - comment and share what your favorite item is, if you have ordered anything there in the past, or what you would want to get if you had your choice

• Subscribe to Sharni's blog - here (click on "rss feed" in the left corner; leave a comment saying you did so)

• Fan The Nappy Shoppe on Facebook - here (leave a comment saying you did so)

• Follow The Nappy Shoppe on Twitter - here (leave a comment saying you did so)

• Tweet the giveaway (leave a comment saying you did so)

• Link the giveaway on facebook (leave a comment saying you did so)

• Blog about this giveaway on your own blog and link back to this post in your own (leave a comment and link to your blog on here)

• Email about this giveaway to your friends, linking to this post in your email (cc me in the email - daisyryan.adkins(at)gmail(dot)com and leave a comment here, as well)

• Subscribe to my blog via email or reader (leave a comment saying you did so)

• Follow my blog (see column on right to click to follow)
  

Count that...TEN ways to enter the giveaway!! Remember to leave a separate comment for each way to enter. Also, be sure to leave your email address in the comment so we can reach you.

Contest ends Sunday, Sept 20th. Winners announced shortly after that (once verified).

Spread the word!!

Giveaway Poll...

If you haven't voted on the giveaway poll (to the right, in blogger), then do it now! The poll closes on Friday, and the giveaway will begin soon after that. Right now it is extremely close!! There are five votes each for the gflappers and wet bags and six votes for gdiapers. Vote and enter the giveaway even if you don't cloth diaper or don't use gdiapers...it's a great opportunity to try something for free!

You can try the gdiapers if you have been wondering what they're all about. You can try the gflapper in just about any pocket cloth diaper or the gdiapers... And wet bags are handy whether you use them for diapers or anything else that could get wet (and you want to keep separate from other dry things...).

Just vote soon. Like now.

Giveaway coming soon!!

I'm so excited about this giveaway that I get to do soon! Actually, just a few days until I post it! BUT...we're trying to figure out what some of you would like to win the most. My friend, Sharni, makes gflappers - the cloth inserts I use in my gdiapers. I've mentioned them on here a number of times. I also have gotten a custom made blankie for Aiden, some of the softest wipes/cloths you could ever find, and a very cute diaper bag from her website (mine is the very first one you'll see - the one that's sold out because I bought it!). I want to post about some of those items soon because they are wonderful. The blankie is made from organic bamboo velour and is extremely soft. If I lay it in the floor, Aiden will roll all over it, lie his face on it, wrap it around him...you can tell he likes the feel of it! And I like knowing that it is a safe material for him to be rubbing on himself. The diaper bag is the cutest thing ever, and Sharni makes all kinds of diaper bags, custom ordered. You can even pick out the fabric from swatches she has picked out to go together or from websites she can order from.

Anyway, I digress... We want to know if you would rather win one of five all bamboo gflappers (my personal favorite), one of two medium size Nappy Shoppe brand wet bags (great for carrying cloth diapers but also anything else that could get wet, if you don't use cloth diapers - to keep the inside of your diaper bag dry), or one of two gdiaper gpants (that's my baby boy you'll see if you click the link!). Please indicate your choice on the survey on the right-hand side of the blog page. You only have a couple days to vote, so do it now!!

What about FREE gflappers?

If you recall, I have mentioned gflappers in most of my posts about gdiapers. These are the cloth inserts we use with our gdiapers and bumgenius diapers. They are WONDERFUL. I'm not even tempted to consider trying any other kind of inserts because we are so happy with these.

Yesterday I posted last minute about how to win some gdiapers, but today I can tell you a week in advance how to enter to win FIVE free gflappers made from all bamboo (my favorite!). Just go here. :) If you don't want the gflappers for yourself, feel free to enter and give them to me if you win. I won't mind.

PS - I will also soon be doing a giveaway for gflappers, so stay tuned! (This means you could possibly win them twice....)

Our Model Baby

Aiden's a celebrity!

(I almost typed "ya'll" at the end of that...but I caught myself. Yikes! I may live in a southern state where many people say that, and I may even be from KY - which some people consider to also be southern....but I am not one of those people that has "ya'll" in my vocab, no offense to those of you that do say it. Thanks but no thanks.) ;)

Click HERE to see what I mean! How awesome is that?!

Sharni, the lady that owns this website, The Nappy Shoppe, is now selling gdiapers from her store. She makes the most wonderful cloth liners for gdiapers - called gflappers. My favorites are the ones made with organic bamboo velour. Oh my, what softness!

And she is now making these blankies out of that organic bamboo velour!! I am dying to get one (or two or...) for Aiden. This material is the softest stuff ever! Plus, it's ecofriendly. And organic.

If anyone is itching to get me, I mean AIDEN, a gift for whatever reason....this would suffice. Maybe a light blue on one side and brown on the other or the light blue and medium blue or light blue with light blue? She's even looking into getting some satin edging to put around the edges... As you can tell, I haven't put much thought into what kind of blankie would be perfect for Aiden. Clearly.

She's almost out of brown, though, so you might want to step on it......you know, if you really wanted to make me, I mean AIDEN, smile. ;)

If those of you with little ones are interested in getting a blankie for YOUR little one - she has pictures of the material, along with some of the blankets she's already made and sold, on facebook on her business page and on her website. She just started doing the blankies to sell, and those babies are selling like hotcakes!! She's already running out of some of the blues and the brown.

She's also selling these really adorable diaper bags on her site. She and another lady are making them. I would also LOVE to get my hands on one of these. (Hint, hint...) For Aiden, you know, and all his stuff we have to lug around. ;)

The Great Thing About Parenting... DIAPERS

Topic #2...Diapers! Let's share what we do, how we do it, and why... If something really impacted your decision, do tell. Here's the link back to the original post if you're new to the parenting series and aren't sure what this is all about.

I did a post on disposables vs cloth (and gdiapers) a while back. Some of this will come from that post. So, yes, I'm cheating a bit. That's ok. It's my blog, so I'm allowed. ;) That was a debate, though...THIS is not.

With my first son (almost ten years ago...wow!), I never questioned using disposable diapers. It was just a given. I didn't consider how much waste was being produced and what I was adding to the landfills. Or what was IN the diapers and, therefore, going against my son's bum all day long. When I got pregnant this time around, I was in a different place and doing a lot of things differently - I was more green, to say the least. So, when I heard about gdiapers, I was immediately sold! These are a mix between cloth and disposable - an outer cloth pant with a snap-in waterproof liner (not plastic!) and then flushable (yes, flushable! or even compostable!!) inserts. The insert is the "disposable" part - you can toss them, too. They decompose within a couple months, whereas a disposable diaper takes more than 500 years. Anyway, we used these right away with our new baby that was born in August - left the hospital with them on him. And we've never gone back.

gDiapers are kind of the best of both worlds when it comes to the whole cloth vs disposable issue - disposable inserts with cloth pants and a waterproof (that is not plastic so it is breathable) liner. About 18 BILLION diapers go into landfills each year, taking about 500 years to break down. gDiapers take just a couple months to break down. There is an obvious and significant difference there. And there are no plastics, chemicals, chlorine, perfumes, etc. Oh - and no diaper smell!! I mean, if you flush the insert with all the pee and poop down the toilet, you have no diapers sitting around, and therefore...no smell. Some people say that gdiapers are more expensive, but they don't have to be at all! And from what I hear, the cost of disposables is going up lately. The cost of g's is not. Plus, if you use cloth.....well, then the cost definitely does not increase. And more good news - gdiapers is coming out with their own cloth insert within the next couple/few months!!

Some other great things about g's (aside from their obvious cuteness factor!!!)... The company is top-notch! Really great customer service; wonderful, friendly people. Recently, some test Babies R Us stores started carrying gdiapers...now they ALL do!! Target also has them online, as does diapers.com. And many other stores carry them (many Whole Foods and other stores that carry cloth diapers). Check out gdiapers.com and do a search if you want. As I said, they will be introducing a cloth insert very soon. They recognize what their customers want and really try to respond to that. Some folks that sell cloth inserts to fit the g's will be carrying the new gdiapers cloth inserts, so even they don't see this as competition. How great is that?

Aiden in his g's - he clearly loves them!

We have gone a little farther, though. We now use cloth inserts that a lady makes to fit the g's (here is her website in case you're curious - you know you are! We love the gflappers - named that b/c of how they are made to dry quickly - with the organic bamboo velour. Those things are incredibly soft! And in case you're wondering about the whole smell issue, I can honestly say that the only time I smell any "diaper smell" from using cloth is when I open the pail to take out the bag of diapers to put them in the laundry - and really, I can hold the bag closed and barely smell a thing!) . I never would have thought I would be using cloth diapers, but here I am loving it. We use the g's with cloth during the day and BumGenius cloth diapers at night (since he pees a lot but we don't change during the nighttime - they hold a lot and keep him dry), stuffed with some gflappers. I am happy to say that we have not bought him any disposable diapers - oh, wait - we have. We bought one package of Seventh Generation diapers when he was first born, as a backup to the g's since they were a new concept and to use during those middle of the night changes that happen with every feeding with a newborn (so that we didn't need to have a light on to change the "new" diapers). We didn't even use the whole package. I gave about half the package away after we realized he had grown out of them, actually.

Aiden caught helping with the diaper laundry
(yes, they're clean!)

So, here are some of my thoughts on why we use cloth.... And in case you're wondering, I lump g's in with the cloth side b/c they do have a cloth component, the flushables are, well, flushable and decompose so much quicker than typical disposable, and - we use cloth in the gdiapers...

Cost - Disposables are not cheap, we all can admit to that! Cloth has a bigger start-up cost, but that's about it. Yes, you have to wash them, which uses money, but we use an energy efficient washer/dryer, so it doesn't factor in as a higher cost with us. Once you have a supply of cloth, there is no more cost (except for those of us that get addicted to some of those adorable cloth dipes or covers and can't stop buying more - but they are still cheaper than disposables, in my opinion!). It can be a couple to a few hundred dollars for the cloth supply versus a couple thousand dollars for disposables.

Baby's Skin - Cloth doesn't have a bunch of nasty chemicals in it. And you can use organic cloth if you really want. Yes, organic materials can be a bit more, but it still will be less than using disposable during the diapering years. Also, I change diapers pretty often to make sure Aiden's skin is not wet or irritated - and it doesn't cost me any more to do so. I change at least every two hours if not more often. This way, I know that he does not have urine against his skin for long periods, which exposes babies to bacteria and other things that cause rashes and infections.

Environmental Impact - This is a BIG one for cloth. Disposable diapers contribute an enormous amount to our landfills, and they take over 500 YEARS to decompose. Cloth is a greener option b/c you reuse them. You can even use the supply from one child for other children you may later have. Some say that once you factor in the use of water/energy to wash the cloth, using cloth isn't much better than disposables from a "green" standpoint. But this isn't true, especially if you use an energy efficient washer/dryer.

The poop - Ok, ok - cloth can be messy. I know you're thinking that. BUT I don't see this as a great argument against cloth. While baby is exclusively breastfed (I don't know as much about formula fed b/c mine does not get formula), you simply throw the poopy diapers in with the others and wash - there is nothing to get out of the cloth b/c it (sorry if this is gross, but we ARE talking diapers here) is runny and is absorbed into the cloth. Now, once baby is on solids, there is "real" poop, and you can't throw that in the wash, no. Some "swish" it in the toilet to get it off. We have a diaper sprayer, so we touch no poop. Spray and throw in the diaper pail with the others. Simple. Also - I hear most people that use cloth say they hardly ever or never have "blowouts" - and it's very rare with gdiapers. Blowouts are rather common with disposables, though - I'm not just thinking that; I've used sposies and have worked in a nursery...I know it. We never have blowouts - saves lots of clothes that way, too. ;) (Ok - we've had two...one was my fault b/c I put on a smaller diaper for just a moment b/c I had the others in the wash. My prayer that he didn't poop was not heard... The other time, he pooped without me knowing and was bouncing on his bottom...so the bouncing caused some...leakage - but still hardly any! Both times...not the diaper's fault.)

Laundry - Some people think you'll be doing so much laundry if you use cloth. No fun. Well, not-so-much. If you have a baby, you know you are already doing a TON of laundry. Heck, if you have a family of four or more, you do it often. Probably every other day or so. We do. So, what is another load along with that? I wash the diapers every third day, at least. It's simply one other load to do, and it's not a lot of work. Dump the diapers in the washer (I don't have to touch them b/c they're in a lined bag, so I just push them out from the bottom of the bag and throw in the bag, as well), do the wash, put them in the dryer, and then fold. Whoop-de-do, right? :) I feel that it takes just as much time to do this as it would if I had to go buy diapers and take them out to the trash when the pail is full of dirties. I usually load the diapers to have ready while I'm sitting down watching tv or something; doesn't take much time at all and requires little thought. And I spend no time trying to find coupons or the best deal on diapers. If you really aren't into the laundering thing, another option is using a diaper service. This would still cost a lot less than using disposables, from what I understand.

Another issue with laundry is what to launder with, as in detergent. You can't just use any ol' detergent and you can't use fabric softeners. They coat the cloth and will prevent absorbancy. We have looked into this some and use the same detergent for all of our laundry (and it's one that's better for the environment than many typical detergents). We use Country Save and love it so far. We also cut out using fabric softeners and use dryer balls. So the detergent issue isn't really an issue for us b/c we found something that works for the diapers and everything else. This stuff is also better for us with both boys having eczema - and Aiden's being pretty bad and easily aggravated. Once we're not using diapers, we'll still use this detergent, too. Also, instead of bleach, we use Grapefruit Seed Extract in with the diaper load to disinfect.

Potty Training - Ahhhhh...potty training. It is said that babes in cloth potty train earlier. They feel wet when they go in the cloth, unlike when they wear disposables. When Camden was potty training, I did not use pull-ups. In my opinion, they are just disposables that pull up instead of fasten with tabs. I used cloth trainers. And he was trained in NO time. Seriously.

Oh, and we use cloth wipes, too! We actually just bought some microfiber cloths (from Target - in the automotive department, of all places!). They were really cheap and do a great job. So, one more thing we never have to shop for. And we don't have to worry about all the things they put in disposable wipes. This wasn't something we planned on doing (whereas the diapers were planned - well, using gdiapers was planned...cloth was not planned, but here we are!). Our little one had some skin issues when he was born, and we didn't want anything to contribute and possibly make things worse, especially while we were still going through all the tests to find out what was going on. So, it was a very easy decision for us to eliminate any possible skin irritants, such as the disposables and wipes.

For the longest time, we just used water to wet the wipes before using each one. We just kept water in a small squirt bottle on the changing table. Once Aiden started on solids, his poop was thicker, so we felt we needed a bit more to feel like it was really clean. I put a squirt of California Baby Calming wash (that stuff smells soooo good!) in the bottle, along with 1-2 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE). That's it. You can buy special solutions for wipes and what-have-you, but many people use similar homemade solutions. It's easy, cheap, and works. The GSE is great for keeping bacteria away and reducing rashes, too.

***

Ok, your turn!! Share what you do and why. And be sure to vote on the poll (see sidebar), even if you choose not to comment. I would especially love to hear from people that have tried both cloth and sposies.

Remember the rules.... Be nice. No debating. This isn't about what is "right" or "wrong" - just sharing our methods. If you read this on facebook or via email, comment on the blog itself so we can keep the discussion in one place. When you comment, please include your name, as well. :)

PS - If you're interested in gdiapers, visit back soon. I'm going to post the tips and tricks I have learned with fit, cost, and everything else. :) Plus, I'll have coupons....

HOT TOPIC - Cloth Versus Disposable Diapers

A friend of mine, Gwenn, does Hot Topic discussions on her blog. I am joining in as a "guest blogger" and doing the Hot Topic this week: Cloth vs Disposable Diapers. Well, cloth versus disposable versus gdiapers. Please join in on the discussion by leaving a comment (or more - especially after seeing what others have to say). There is one big rule we all need to adhere to: use your NICE WORDS. These can get pretty heated because people have different opinions. It's fine to voice your opinion even if it's different, and it's encouraged. But we all need to be nice. With that said, here we go!!!

With my first son (nine and a half years ago), I never questioned using disposable diapers. It was just a given. I didn't consider how much waste was being produced and what I was adding to the landfills. Or what was IN the diapers and, therefore, going against my son's bum all day long. When I got pregnant this time around, I was in a different place and doing a lot of things differently - I was more green, to say the least. So, when I heard about gdiapers, I was immediately sold! These are a mix between cloth and disposable - an outer cloth pant with a snap-in waterproof liner (not plastic!) and then flushable (yes, flushable! or even compostable!!) inserts. The insert is the "disposable" part - you can toss them, too. They decompose within a couple months, whereas a disposable diaper takes more than 500 years. Anyway, we used these right away with our new baby that was born in August - left the hospital with them on him. And we've never gone back.

We have gone a little farther, though. We now use cloth inserts that a lady makes to fit the g's (here is her website in case you're curious - you know you are!). I never would have thought I would be using cloth diapers, but here I am loving it. We use the g's with cloth during the day and BumGenius cloth diapers at night (since he pees a lot but we don't change during the nighttime - they hold a lot and keep him dry). I am happy to say that we have not bought him any disposable diapers - oh, wait - we have. We bought one package of Seventh Generation diapers when he was first born, as a backup to the g's since they were a new concept and to use during those middle of the night changes that happen with every feeding with a newborn (so that we didn't need to have a light on to change the "new" diapers). We didn't even use the whole package.

So, here are some of my thoughts on the cloth versus disposable debate.... And in case you're wondering, I lump g's in with the cloth side b/c they do have a cloth component, the flushables are, well, flushable and decompose so much quicker than typical disposable, and - we use cloth in the gdiapers...

Cost - Disposables are not cheap, we all can admit to that! Cloth has a big start-up cost, but that's about it. Yes, you have to wash them, which uses money, but we use an energy efficient washer/dryer, so it doesn't factor in as a higher cost with us. Once you have a supply of cloth, there is no more cost. It can be a couple to a few hundred dollars for the cloth supply versus a couple thousand dollars for disposables.

Baby's Skin - Ok, another argument is that cloth is better for baby's bottom. Disposables have chemicals and plastics in them. Cloth does not (and you can get organic, if that suits you). Many say babies in cloth get less rashes. I don't know about this myself b/c my little one gets rashes very easily - but he has had skin issues since birth and has eczema, so it's not because of the type of diapers. (Though I wonder if it would be worse in disposables with all those chemicals - I can't see how that is good for the skin.) BUT many people (not accusing anybody but this is what I have heard and seen) think that b/c disposables are made to keep baby feeling dry, they can leave the diaper on longer. With cloth, that's not an option. I actually change diapers more often in cloth - more than many would do - b/c of his skin issues. But since I'm using cloth and it just adds a couple other diapers to the laundry load (that I would be washing anyway), it doesn't cost me more to change more often. It would with disposables. And when disposables are kept on baby longer - even if they feel dry, they still have urine up against their skin for longer, which exposes them to bacteria and other things that cause rashes and infections.

Environmental Impact - This is a BIG one for many that use cloth. Disposable diapers contribute an enormous amount to our landfills, and they take over 500 YEARS to decompose. Cloth is a greener option b/c you reuse them. You can even use the supply from one child for other children you may later have. Some say that once you factor in the use of water/energy to wash the cloth, using cloth isn't much better than disposables from a "green" standpoint. But this isn't necessarily true, especially if you use an energy efficient washer/dryer. Then you are certainly not using enough water/energy to make that a good argument.

The poop - Ok, ok - cloth can be messy. I know you're thinking that. BUT I don't see this as a great argument against cloth. While baby is exclusively breastfed (I don't know as much about formula fed b/c mine does not get formula), you simply throw the poopy diapers in with the others and wash - there is nothing to get out of the cloth b/c it (sorry if this is gross, but we ARE talking diapers here) is runny and is absorbed into the cloth. Now, once baby is on solids, there is "real" poop, and you can't throw that in the wash, no. Some "swish" it in the toilet to get it off. We have a diaper sprayer, so we touch no poop. Spray and throw in the diaper pail with the others. Simple. Now - disposable diapers... If you read the directions, you really are supposed to put the poop into the toilet before throwing out the diaper. You are not supposed to put human waste into the garbage. But who does this?? If you use disposables, do you shake out the poop and flush it down? Or do you wrap up the diaper, poop and all, and toss? I have never seen anyone flush it before throwing out the dipe. If you do, GREAT! But I've never witnessed it. Allowing the fecal matter to get into the trash takes it into landfills, where it will sit. And the bacteria and possible viruses can live in the landfills for a long time and possibly contaminate water supplies.

Laundry - Another one that many people seem to think is a good argument. You'll be doing so much laundry if you use cloth. No fun. Well, not-so-much. If you have a baby, you know you are already doing a TON of laundry. Probably every other day or so. We do. So, what is another load along with that? I wash the diapers every three days, at least. It's simply one other load to do, and it's not a lot of work. Dump the diapers in the washer (I don't have to touch them b/c they're in a lined bag, so I just push them out from the bottom of the bag and throw in the bag, as well), do the wash, put them in the dryer, and then fold. Whoop-de-do, right? :) I feel that it takes just as much time to do this as it would to have to go buy diapers and take them out to the trash when the pail is full of dirties. And I spend no time trying to find coupons or the best deal on diapers. I know if I used disposable, this would be another effort I would have to make. If you really aren't into the laundering thing, another option is using a diaper service. This would still cost less than using disposables, from what I understand.

Another issue with laundry is what to launder with, as in detergent. You can't just use any ol' detergent and you can't use fabric softeners. They coat the cloth and will prevent absorbancy. We have looked into this some and use the same detergent for all of our laundry (and it's one that's better for the environment than most typical detergents). We use Country Save and love it so far. We also cut out using fabric softeners and use dryer balls. So the detergent issue isn't really an issue for us b/c we found something that works for the diapers and everything else. Just thought I would mention in case some people were thinking they would have to use a separate detergent for the diapers (which I guess I'm saying you kinda do). Also, the detergent we use is cheaper than most. We bought a case from Amazon and got a two-three years' supply for $40 (when using subscribe and save), free shipping - not bad. This stuff is better for the environment and better for us anyway, especially with both boys having eczema - and Aiden's being pretty bad and easily aggravated.

Potty Training - Ahhhhh...potty training. I haven't experienced this with a child that has been in cloth diapers yet, but it is said that babes in cloth potty train earlier. They feel wet when they go in the cloth, unlike when they wear disposables. Now, when my older child was potty training, I will say that I did NOT use pull-ups. In my opinion, they are just disposables that pull up instead of fasten with tabs. I did use cloth trainers. And he was trained in NO time. Seriously.

gDiapers - I haven't really said much about these like I meant to. So, I'll just write a little bit here. G's are kind of the best of both worlds - disposable inserts with cloth pants and a waterproof (that is not plastic so it is breathable) liner. About 18 BILLION diapers go into landfills each year, taking about 500 years to break down. gDiapers take just a couple months to break down. There is an obvious and significant difference there. And there are no plastics, chemicals, chlorine, perfumes, etc. Oh - and no diaper smell!! I mean, if you flush the insert with all the pee and poop down the toilet, you have no diapers sitting around, and therefore...no smell. (I can honestly say, though, that the only time I smell any "diaper smell" from using cloth is when I open the pail to take out the bag of diapers to put them in the laundry - and really, I can hold the bag closed and barely smell a thing!) Some people say that gdiapers are more expensive, but I would have to disagree. They are actually about the same. The cost of disposables goes up with the size changes (I can't remember if the dollar amt per package goes up or if the amount of diapers in the package goes down, but the cost per diaper does increase.) With g's, there are two sizes of inserts - small and med/large. After all things are considered, the cost is very similar. And from what I hear, the cost of disposables is going up lately. The cost of g's is not. (Plus, if you use cloth.....well, then the cost definitely does not increase.)

Oh, and we use cloth wipes, too! We actually just bought some microfiber cloths (from Target - in the automotive department, of all places!). They were really cheap and do a great job. So, one more thing we never have to shop for. And we don't have to worry about all the things they put in disposable wipes. This wasn't something we planned on doing (whereas the diapers were planned). Our little one had some skin issues when he was born, and we didn't want anything to contribute and possibly make things worse, especially while we were still going through all the tests to find out what was going on. So, it was a very easy decision for us to eliminate any possible skin irritants, such as the disposables and wipes.

OK, so I think that's the majority of my argument. You might say I'm a little biased. ;) And I think my baby's bottom would agree with me. Plus, cloth diapering is just CUTE! Case in point...

Now, it's your turn. Say what you think BUT keep it clean and keep it nice. And be sure to read others' comments and comment again, if you would like.