Out with the old, in with the simplified

Once upon a time... in January of 2010... I discovered that life, as I knew it, was about to change.

I was pregnant!

In those nine, glorious months, I found myself becoming very conscious of chemicals in my life and  I started the process of eliminating many of them. The first and biggest change, of course, was quitting smoking. On the day I discovered that I was pregnant, I quit instantly. It was surprisingly easy- I just threw away my cigarettes and never gave them a second thought. Following that I chose to use cloth diapers, wanting to reduce my new little bundle's exposure to nasty chemicals. Cloth diapers got me thinking about the mountain of waste I was sending to the landfill every month with feminine hygiene products and so I gave washable feminine pads a whirl (Thanks Fuzzibunz!) That led me to the endless joy that I call The Diva Cup, the virtues of which I extol in great length on my Facebook page every month. I also started eliminating chemical cleaners from our household. It was around that time that I stumbled upon the hero of natural cleaning: Baking Soda. Oh Baking Soda, how I love thee! Baking Soda has a seemingly endless number of uses- you can read about 75 of them here. Over these past two years, I've whittled down my arsenal of cleaning products to just four ingredients: baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice and tea tree oil. I love being able to scrub the tub with a baking soda-vin combo and just a quick rinse later, I can fill up the tub for my son's bath without having to worry about some residue in there that's going to give him a rash. Using natural, gentle ingredients to clean my home gives me peace of mind. Having said that, I can't believe how long it has taken me to discover and embrace the use of baking soda as a shampoo. My sister was the first to tell me about it. She casually mentioned that she was no longer shampooing her hair and my response was:

Ew. Disgusting.

I have to admit, "Ew. Disgusting" is my classic response. It is my catch-phrase. My famous last words, uttered right before I jump on that very band wagon that had me saying "Ew. Disgusting" in the first place. I said "Ew. Disgusting" about cloth diaper pails and spoonfuls of Apple Cider Vinegar as a pregnancy-safe cure for heart burn. I said "Ew. Disgusting" about cabbage leaves in my bra to relieve clogged milk ducts and I even said it about (don't judge me) extended nursing. I definitely said "Ew. Disgusting" about Fuzzibunz and The Diva Cup (no wait, that was "OH HELL NO!"). I guess I'm just wildly reactionary like that, first I'm grossed out, then I'm intrigued, then I'm a diehard fan.

So it went with baking soda shampoo.

I held out for a long time, mainly because I didn't think it was possible for me. I have fine, thin hair that demands to be shampooed every single day otherwise I tend to look like I just combed my hair with the deck of an oil rig. I just didn't think that baking soda stood a chance against my greasy, disgusting hair.

Well, I was wrong.

I have not shampooed my hair in seven days and I probably never will again. I followed the instructions found on Tea for Tamara's blog here

1 tbsp baking soda, dissolved in warm water to cleanse.
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, diluted in warm water to condition.

It's just that easy. I've spent the last week trying out different variations and tweaking the measurements based on my own hair history. For those with oily hair (like me), use more baking soda and less vinegar in your rinse. For those with dry hair, use less baking soda and more vinegar in your rinse. I love the apple cider vinegar- although it stinks to high heaven when you're in the shower, it leaves your hair feeling absolutely silky and, once dry, there is no odour whatsoever. As my hair is on the oily side, I just use it on the ends of my hair. I've read that it also is used as a remedy for dandruff. For those who experience itchy scalp, a few drops of tea tree oil added to your baking soda mixture will solve the problem. For those who miss the sweet fragrance of store-bought shampoo, try adding a few drops of lavender oil. For a truly invigorating shower experience, add a few drops of peppermint oil, rosemary oil or BOTH! Why not? For a deep conditioning experience, skip your vinegar rinse and opt for smoothing a little coconut oil over the ends of your hair instead. The beauty of this natural method is that it is fully customizable. Whatever your hair needs, mother nature has it. It's out with the old and in with the simplified, people.

Can I get an amen?

xoxo
Diadima                                

For more tips on simplifying your life at home, check out http://simplemom.net

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

give peace (and pre-folds!) a chance

I'll admit, at first blush, I wasn't exactly knocked over by the pre-fold.

They lack a certain...shall we say...curb appeal. No patterns, no prints, no fancy packaging, no fanciness of any kind in fact. They're easily lost in the crowd, especially compared to the high-tech appearance of all-in-ones and fitteds.

Perhaps you've never noticed them. Perhaps you're even wondering, "What in the hell is a pre-fold?"

Well, a pre-fold is a square cloth diaper insert. It consists of several layers of organic, unbleached cotton with stitching that allows you to easily fold it into thirds along the seams. Once folded into thirds, you simply lay it in a diaper cover and put it on dear baby's bum. It's so simple it makes simple look complicated! I used to think pre-folds were so archaic looking that they just HAD to be a lot of work.

How did I end up a lover of the pre-fold?

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my dear baby's rosy red rump. He had a lobster-esque rash all over his bum and I couldn't figure out why. At the time of the post, I thought I had solved the problem by switching to cloth wipes, however, a few days later the rash was back. It was suggested to me by my fabulous cloth diaper guru at ReDiaper that my dear baby may have a sensitivity to the polyester in my bG's and Flip inserts. She suggested that I try a natural-fiber insert and so she sold me a six-pack of Bummis 100% Certified Organic Cotton Infant-sized Pre-Folds for $16.50.

Yes, you read that correctly. Six all-natural, certified organic, maintenance free, beautifully absorbent diapers for about HALF the price of what I pay for a single organic bumGenius diaper. I am at once delighted and outraged. I mean, honestly, I've seen these pre-folds in diaper shops for ages and I've never thought twice about them because I assumed that the low price meant low quality.

So what's the verdict?

I totally love them. They are remarkably soft and absorbent. There is no pins, no stuffing, no rinsing, no fuss, no muss- just wash, fold and away you go. Dear baby's rash has cleared up (although I have also switched several other things, and therefore am yet to determine what caused the rash exactly). I am head-over-heels for pre-folds now. You can purchase your entire diapering system, from birth to potty training (including covers, wetbags, liners, boosters, 24 infant diapers and 18 toddler diapers) for $300! Now don't get me wrong, I do love my bG's and will continue to use them so long as they are not the cause of dear baby's red caboose, but I am kicking myself for not giving pre-folds a try sooner. I really have no excuse because my good friend and diaper papa, J, recommended them to me months ago but I was in designer-diaper snobland and didn't give pre-folds a second thought.

So there you have it, if you are looking for a truly economical cloth diapering system that gets the job done, give pre-folds a chance. I am still using my bG's (with an organic-cotton washable liner against dear baby's bottom) overnight, but I can't say enough about how great the pre-folds have been for day-time and, in particular, travel. I can easily fit a half-dozen pre-folds in my diaper bag whereas 6 pocket diapers would take up the whole darn thing. These diapers definitely have a permanent place in my stash and will be added to my list of top products that I use.

Diadima xo

Get the funk out

There comes a time in every cloth mama and papa's adventure when you need to address a little thing known as "the stinkies".

Oh, yes.

The stinkies.

If you're wondering what the stinkies are, then you're still safe. Trust me, when it happens, you'll know. When dear baby wets his diaper, you'll notice it's quite smelly when you take it off. When you crack that diaper lid on wash day and your eyes start to water as if you're dicing an onion, you know you've got the stinkies. For whatever reason, it seems to be more of an issue for microfiber inserts. Not surprisingly, synthetic fibers trap the ammonia smell more intensely than organic cotton, hemp or bamboo fibers.

There are a few things you can do to get the ammonia out of your diapers. Washing them frequently, adding vinegar to the rinse cycle and storing your diaper pail in a relatively cool spot (warmth increases the intensity of the ammonia smell) will all help the problem.

I have used vinegar in the rinse cycle a few times and it works well, especially for prefolds. However, if you have hard water, vinegar may not solve your problem. Also, microfiber can be a tough nut to crack when it comes to ammonia, so if you feel that you need something a little more aggressive, I would recommend that you try a product made by Rockin' Green detergent called Funk Rock Ammonia Blaster. I personally have had excellent results with this product. I've mentioned Rockin' Green in previous posts; their detergents are made with all-natural ingredients and THEY WORK. As I've said, they aren't cheap- but then again, neither are your cloth diapers and you want to keep them in good condition so that they will last from infancy to potty-training. The Rockin' Green website describes their products perfectly, so rather than losing some of the beauty through paraphrase, here is what they have to say about Funk Rock:

"This 100% natural compound is unlike anything you've tried before. It targets funk at the source and leaves no prisoners. Just four tablespoons is enough to de-funk up to 20 diapers in one sitting. Add a little to your pre-wash to keep the stinkies from coming back. That's right, one little bag will keep the diaper funk away for over a month!"

So there you have it, folks. You can attack the funk and stay green while doing it.

Diadima xo