Operation Fluffy Bomb - We Want Babies Shakin' Their Cute Fluffy Booty On The Ellen Show

So I have official joined the ranks of cloth diapering moms bombarding (Ellen (through tweets and blogging) about getting cloth diapers on her show. It was started by the blog Dirty Diaper Laundry and it is a noble cause! Now there are many reasons Ellen should feature cloth diapers. It ranges from good for the environment to being wonderful for the baby's skin and saves money. But the reason I love (just cause I am so vain) they look just so darn cute!

I never dread or hate diaper changing time...in fact I kind of look forward to it. I see this a way to interact with my daughter. As she grows older we take more time to tickle, laugh, and sing songs. I also get enjoyment picking out her next diaper. It is not just something to cover her bum; it has become part of her outfit.

But for a more comprehensive and well written reason why to use cloth diapers I turn to the blog the Dirty Diaper Laundry (so I will quote the blog instead of screwing it up):

"I could bore you with facts about the waste produced by disposable diapers, the chemicals they contain (same chemicals outlawed in tampons), the raw resources involved to make the diapers, and even the fishy tactics used by the big disposable companies to keep parents buying them.

Without mass media exposure, something the mom run diaper businesses simply cannot afford, we can’t really let the moms of the world know that there is a better way. Mention cloth diapers to a room with 100 new moms, and maybe 10 would have heard of the Modern Cloth Diaper. The rest would think of pins, rubber pants, and stinky wet pails. The internet is full of niche cloth diaper communities, but we are preaching to the choir! They already know the benefits of cloth. The mom who watches your show every day doesn’t. She might recylce, buy organic food, compost, and drive a hybrid, and still use disposables. Why? Because she has no idea how easy they are. I have actually met people who are very green, and still use disposables for that reason!"

Help us out and follow the plan set by Dirty Diaper Laundry. When you tweet use @TheEllenShow and #clothdiapers and #operationfluffy in the tweet. Also if you want a chance to get a free diaper also include #rumparooz in your tweet. If Ellen features cloth diapers and Rumparooz is on her show, Rumparooz will give everyone who tweeted a free diaper!

So go out there and tweet and blog to hearts content. Spread the word about how wonderful cloth diapers. Cause the more people we reach the better. We can show the world how easy and even fun (yes I said fun) cloth diapering can be.

TTYL

Money, Money, Money

Well, it has been pretty hard to get some blogging time in...it appears that I have a baby that loves to be held...a lot...but I plan on dealing with that issue at a later post.

I have decided (after reading my friends blog ; the actual post can be found here) to also take the plunge and be the financial wizard in the family. So the start was to find a budget software (cause my husband loves programs with all sorts of gadgets and wizards on them so just an excel spreadsheet would not do...sigh).

So I have decided to give YNAB a try...it is free for 7 days but after that you gotta pay for it. So between consoling a crying baby, and breastfeeding her in front of the computer (really hard to type with one hand) I managed to set up most of the program. The problem is that I am starting to make a budget in the middle of a month were most, if not all, expenses have been paid; so I am setting up for next month. I am finding the biggest issue is when I import our bank accounts it is hard to remember what each transaction was for. So it makes it hard to categorize each part...but I am trying.

I am also using the budget from the show Till debt Do Us Part to help allocate what should be in each portion of the budget. I like it cause it shows what percentage you are using on debt, life, transportation, etc. It can be found here.

Well, I am crossing my fingers that everything balances (I am on maternity leave...but EI is taking their time to figure out what I will be getting a month...not to mention my work was really late in getting my ROE to me, but oh well). I will post in February to let you know how the whole budget thing is going.

TTYL

Life's A Whirlwind

Well, I have been MIA for a bit...for good reason though!

On December 20th 2009 @ 0103 we welcomed our little bundle of joy into this world. Her name is Hannah Rozalind and we couldn't be happier! She was 7lbs 11oz and 19 3/4 inches long. We are doing well and getting into the swing of breastfeeding and cloth diapering.

We had a visit from our public health nurse today and found that Hannah is now 7lbs 13.5 oz (the lowest weight that Hannah was ever at was 6lbs 14oz at 1 day old). The visit went well and no concerns for Hannah or myself.

But I have to say I love, absolutely LOVE our cloth diapers. At this point we are using orange edged Green Mountain Diapers (GMD) prefolds and Kissaluvs fitted size 0. Both are very good, hold in her pee and we haven't (cross our fingers) had a blow out yet. Everything is being contained, so far...

The GMD had to be shipped from the states as they are not available here in Canada but I have to say that it is worth it! I can't say how they are compared to other prefolds but I find that I am not struggling to get the right fit and they are not very bulky (just a slight fluffy bum :D). Which is what I heard on some cloth diapering boards was the biggest problem some people had using prefolds on a newborn. So if you can I would splurge and get the GMD...so far they are worth it. I paid $70.95 for 1 doz orange edged and 1 doz yellow edged. Also for some reason they came across the boarder with no tax or duty applied on top of that $70.95.

I have to say that the best cover we have to this point is our x-small. I have two of these covers and they are the first ones I reach for. They fit amazing with both the GMD and Kissaluvs. The leg gussets fit very well on Hannah's thighs but haven't really been tested with a blow out.

The next best cover we have is a fishnoodle that I also got shipped from the states. It was on a recommendation that I got from a lady on "The Pin forum" (which I highly recommend to anyone who is cloth diapering; but they also have a subtopic of things like healthy living, frugal living, and even a creative corner). Unlike the Thirsties covers, this cover has snaps which can be nice cause sometimes I forget to attach the tabs and cause a nice diaper chain in my washer.

Here are a few things that I am looking forward to this up and coming weeks (and hope to post about soon :D):

- getting some infant/newborn photos done

- trying out our wool covers (still need to prep those too...oops)

- getting the house completely organized (half way there :D)

Thank you for ready my blog and I hope to continue with postings (I will try for at least once a week) about how the cloth diaper and life with a new baby is going.

TTYL!

p.s will post pictures of the model in her diapers but a cute pic of just her will have to do.

sigh...so ashamed

Well....I did it...I became one of "those" people...I broke down and purchased my first Goodmama diaper.

Not saying that they don't look like amazing diapers...or that they won't be awesome. (well I don't know about function yet cause my model has yet to make his or her appereance)

It is all because I told myself I would't give in...that it was all hype...so why would I want to try them. Well that is when i fell in love with two of their one diapers (The Western One and The Spotted One). Then my favorite fabric from the Fabric Shoppe was made into a diaper (Grass Menagerie)...then it went downhill from there.

I had to make the shipping worth it right?? Well that is what I told myself...so I ended up getting OBV Good.Night!; Yellow Good.Night!; Chocolate serged; Butterscotch serged; and Spring Green serged. (I will point out that I saved money because I got three serged diapers at the same time...which also makes me feel better)

But that is it! I can not get anymore Goodmama Diapers...well not until my baby is born...cause maybe they won't be the best fit. So back to ignoring their too tempting website...well unless I happen to be by the computer and bored. I do still follow them on live.journal....which may not be a good thing. So tempting....

Sigh....so ashamed.

TTYL

p.s. Did I mention that I am on their custom diaper list...I send in the fabric and then they make me some fitted diapers out of it with input from me (colour of inner fabric, snaps etc.). However, I am waaayyyy down on the list so I suspect that I won't have my custom diapers till next December. Which is good...cause I should know whether the diaper style works for us by then.

way too long since my last post...

Well, it has been quite awhile since my last post...

I guess I can blame that on work and trying to get my research done for CDing. There is soooo much information out there to weed through...it's amazing!

Well I have settled on a couple things so far. I have decided I will give fitted and wool covers a try. I have purchased from a couple WAHMS and online stores. So far I have Royal Bunz pull-up soakers (one small and one medium), Luxe Baby longies (SM), Baby Luxe pull-up soaker (SM), and a Kiwi Pie Peels pull on soaker (medium).

As for the fitted diapers I am most excited to try out the OS Bamboo by Kiwi Pie.

So now an update...

I have had another Ultrasound and everything looks good! I have been seeing my Dr and Midwife...started as every 4 weeks, now at every 2 weeks...then mid November it will be every week.

Other than that just have been trying to take it easy at work....though I am concerned about the H1N1 spread (as I am an RN...so may be in close quarters with people infected with it). Hopefully I will be on holidays before the real wave hits.

TTYL

p.s. I will try to compile a list of all the current diapers I have that way I can do a review on each one when the baby comes.

Here are pictures of the covers

I plan on posting these pictures by the change table with a note

"Dear Dad,

If my diaper cover looks like this please do not put in wet bag...it will shrink in the wash cause it is wool.

Thanks!

-Baby"

that way my husband knows what is wool...cause he will not remember.

Royal Bunz small pull-up wool cover

Royal Bunz medium pull-up wool cover

Luxe Baby SM wool Longie Cover

Luxe Baby SM wool pull-up cover

Kiwi Pie Peels medium pull on cover

Dr. Visit and first ultrasound

Well I have my physical and prenatal blood work on Monday (May 11th) and then off to the big city (lol...where I live we are a "city" but I got in faster for U/S for some reason in the city close to us) on Tuesday (May 12). I also will be delivering there so it's no big deal to drive an hour for a U/S when I will be doing it while in labour (I will be explaining this more in a different post). 

I am kinda looking forward to the U/S rather then the physical. I guess being able to see your in utero child is more exciting and even possibly less painful...I was informed in my last visit that I need a pap test as my last one was last summer. 

Not to mention if I don't see multiple in the U/S I will not be staying with my GP but transferring to a midwife rather then a OBGYN. My GP is fine with this, however....it was kinda odd that she mentioned that she was going to book two separate appointments with an OBGYN to "make sure everything was still going smoothly". I didn't make anything of it but I will talk it over with my midwife to see if this is necessary. I will be having two U/S this one and at 20 weeks so maybe that will be enough. But it doesn't hurt I guess to check....as long as they are not anti-midwife. I worked in the postpartum at that hospital as a grad nurse and have run into several Dr. and Nurses that are anti-midwife. So I just hope that they don't make excuses to want to change me over from my midwife care. I guess I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

Crossing my fingers hoping everything will go good!

TTYL

More Fluff Mail & AppleCheeks Contest!

Well I just got home today from a nice trip to Winnipeg....and what did I find in the mail!!!! Fluff!!! I was really excited to get home from the post office to open the box. I found the most perfect diapers inside. I now have another 2 small and 2 medium Fuzzi Bunz. Not to mention another AppleCheeks diaper! I am sooo excited for December (again) so I can try them out.

So this leads me to my second part of my post. The AppleCheeks. Now I can't say how they have worked for me...because...well...my little guy/girl is still in utero...but this is one part of my stash that I am REALLY looking forward to. I have bought (so far) 2 envelope covers (Cherry Tomato and St. Lucia) and bamboo inserts. They are soooo soft and the leg elastics looks like it will hold up. Not to mention I have googled pictures of babies in AppleCheeks and they all look so cute in them. I have heard very positive reviews from diaper pin (very good place to go for reviews) and from my supplier (www.storksandberries.ca out of Okotoks Alberta). So if you have any comments (pros or cons) please leave them here I would love to hear more from those who have used them.

So I guess the final reason I am posting is to tell you about the wonderful contest being held by Diaper Style (diaperstyle.blogspot.com) They are giving everyone four ways to enter (blogging being one of them...lol) for an AppleCheeks starter kit...and as you can see I am really excited and would love to win! I would also like to point out that besides this contest Diaper Style has lots of information that you should check out. Search their site and you might learn some pretty cool things!

So get out there twitter, blog, comment, and facebook your way to winning!

TTYL

P.S. the link is http://bit.ly/uyfMU

First Post

Well, this is my first posting as the cat is mostly out of the bag. My husband and I are expecting our first child in December of this year! I also can fess up to the fact that I am a cloth diaper addict and I don't even have a child yet to diaper. I started researching cloth diapers when we decided that we were possibly ready to start a family. I have since purchased 12 size 0 Kissaluv fitted, 4 covers, 1 OS Happy Heiny, 1 OS Bumgenius, and 1 OS Fuzzi Bunz. I then added a couple weeks later 1 Applecheeks size 1 and 1 Fuzzi Bunz size xsmall. I am also now waiting on 4 Fuzzi Bunz (size small and medium) and another size 1 Applecheeks. I can not wait till we can get started using them. I have also purchased Allen's detergent to wash our diapers (which I have started doing the prewashing) and maple sugar design wet bags...they have a nice snap handle to go on a towel rack.

I am already planning my diaper stash so that I have some of each but not too many so that if we don't like them or they don't work for us it is not a complete waste of money. I am think I will get some Berry Plush AIO, Dream Eze, Organic AIO Bumgenius, and more of the Applecheeks, Fuzzi Bunz, and Bumgenius.

I am looking forward to this new part of our life...I am sure I will keep you posted!

TTYL!