Blinged Out Baby Bums: Cloth Diapering Accessories

Before I became a mother, I was all about finishing a look. I never left the house (even for a 9am class) without showering, doing my hair (that means washing, blow-drying, flat-ironing and spraying), doing my make-up and co-ordinating clothes, shoes and accessories. I have always loved accessories- earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, scarves, handbags, I have a hundred of everything and I was always on the look-out for something new and eye-catching. Even throughout my pregnancy, even though I gained 60 lbs (!!!) and couldn't wear regular shoes because my feet were so swollen- I was still accessorizing my maternity clothes and looking pretty fly...for a whale.

Well...

Then along came my baby and, of course, a shift in priorities. These days, I'm more interested in Bink Links than bangles and although I still love the smell of leather shoes- it's Robeez, not Nine West that I'm sniffing with glee. In my former life, my ultimate accessory indulgence was handbags. Oh, how I loved me some handbags. In my new life...I'm sure all of you have already guessed...it's cloth diapers, of course!

With all of the patterns, prints, bright colours and funky stitching, cloth diapers are practically accessories unto themselves. I never could have imagined how excited I'd be about containing my dear baby's pee and poo. It's true, cloth diapers are a lot of fun. And what's more fun than fun? Accessorizing your fun! From exquisitely patterned travel wetbags to adorable and practical diaper covers, there is a lot of "extras" out there for a diaper mama looking to get her fix.

Here are a bunch of my faves:

Thirsties Duo Wrap Covers $15.50 ea.

These wraps come in snap or aplix (hook and loop) closure and the patterns/colours are ridiculously cute. You can use them with fitteds, pre-folds or the insert of your choice. The legs are gusseted which helps to keep everything in. One of these little cuties plus a t-shirt and you have a perfect summer outfit for your dear baby. I have a lime green print and an owl print and I love them both!

Bummis Fleece Liners $5 for 5

A common complaint about my newest love, the pre-fold, is that the cotton keeps the moisture against dear baby's skin. Bummis fleece liners are made from 100% recycled polyester and they wick the moisture away from baby's skin and into the pre-fold underneath. I started using pre-folds because they are made from all-natural, organic cotton and I was concerned that my dear baby had a sensitivity to polyester. Now that we know he is fine with polyester, I have added these liners to my stash to help keep his bum dry and my love of pre-folds going strong.

Planetwise Wetbag $24.50

I can't say enough about this wetbag. It comes in a multitude of patterns and every one of them is beautiful. I get so many compliments on mine and people are always surprised to find out what it is.

"What a lovely tote bag!"

"Thanks, it's where I keep dear baby's poopy diapers when I'm out!"

"Oh... cool?"

I consider these bags to be somewhat of a luxury item. At $24.50 a pop, I'm not sure I would have shelled out the dough, but I was lucky enough to win mine at The Baby Expo back in October. In combination with the JuJuBe diaper bag that I also got at the expo, it satisfies my handbag/accessory fetish nicely.

GroVia Magic Stick $16

I thought about doing an entire blog post dedicated to the GroVia Magic Stick, but then decided that stating, "I love it" over and over again might be a bit lean on content. This item was recommended to me by my diaper guru at The Little Bird to help with dear baby's mystery diaper rash. A nice alternative to harsher petroleum-based ointments, The Magic Stick is made with all-natural ingredients like grapseed oil, beeswax, meadowfoam, jojoba, rosehips and shea. It is one of my fave items because it's mess free- it looks like a giant tube of lip balm and you just rub it on dear baby's bum and go. No messy, oily hands to wash off.

Snappi Diaper Fastener $4.50 for 2

If you're planning on going old-school with your diapers and using the flats that our parents were diapered in, but you're nervous about using diaper pins, Snappis make a great alternative. I used these for my dear baby when we were using home-made diapers in his first weeks of life. If you are using a cotton flat or pre-fold diaper, they are perfect. For fleece diapers, pins will still be your best bet because the Snappis tend to yank at the fleece fibers and fall off. They come in lots of different cool colours too- so you can make your old-school diapers look hip and happening.

AppleCheeks Gentle Cleansing Spray $10

For those of you who are using re-usable wipes (commonly known as washcloths :-), you may find that from time to time you need a lil something extra to get dear baby's bottom clean. Also- if you're carrying dry wipes around with you, you may not always have access to a sink to wet them before use. The solution is all-natural and soothing for baby's bum. Word to the wise, it does have a tiny little cap which could be a choking hazard if left in tiny hands, so keep an eye on it or toss it out. This is an excellent cloth diaper accessory as it makes using cloth wipes on the go a breeze. Another good use for this product is to keep dear baby's hands clean. Babies touch EVERYTHING and then stick their nasty little fingers in their mouths. So a quick spritz and a little towelling off with a dry wipe and you're good to go.

So there you go, mamas. A few of my favourite cloth diapering accessories- they're practical and, of course, help to feed the need of this accessorholic-turned-cloth mama.

Diadima xoxo