Cloth Diapers: Off Brand vs. Name Brand

Today we're going to talk about these "Ebay" diapers.  They are off-brand diapers that you can buy for less than $2 each (on EBay, hence the name I've given them!).  Incredibly cheap and often made of similar materials as brands like Kawaii, Thirsties, bumGenius, etc... these seem like a win/win - Cheap and effective... Right?  Not so much.

I'm not going to mention specific sellers or bad mouth anyone here - some of you may find these budget diapers to work perfectly for you and your baby.  I, however, have had some issues.  Here we go!

For this post, I'll be comparing my cheapest "name brand" one-size pocket diaper, a Kawaii Baby Cross-Over Squared Tab Pocket Diaper that cost $7.15, to an off-brand "cheapy" one-size pocket diaper that I purchased from EBay for $1.60.  

Below is a shot of the two diapers laying out flat - Perhaps it isn't as visible, but can you tell how bunched up the Kawaii diaper is, while the cheaper one is almost laying completely flat?  Both diapers claim to fit babies 8-36 pounds, but the Kawaii diaper is WAY larger and will likely fit my daughter for much longer... Not that this was a total loss though.  The EBay diaper actually fit my daughter when she was a newborn, while the Kawaii was far too big for her.

Now let's talk about the snaps.  Kawaii (and most other diaper companies) designed their one-sized diaper with three snap closures on each side of the diaper (this really helps with a one-sized diaper - seriously).  Two are for the fit at the waist and the third is for the fit at the thigh.  For a one-size diaper, this gives you the chance to adjust how the diaper fits based on the size of your baby.  The EBay diaper only has the two snaps at the waist, leaving you with less options for good fit... which allows for more shifting of the diaper around baby's thighs, thus increasing the chance of leakage.

One more thing about the snaps: I love the "pop" that you get when you secure a snap on a cloth diaper.  That "pop" lets you know that the diaper is secure... the EBay diaper has snaps that don't give you that "pop," and in fact, the snaps on these diapers tend to come loose.  Below is a shot of the diaper immediately after I put it on my daughter, with the outside snaps already pulling apart.

Another of my major issues with these cheap diapers is the leg gusset - the gathered area of fabric that fits around baby's thigh and groin.  This area needs to be snug and stretchy.  If it's not, the diaper won't work and you'll get leaks EVERYWHERE.  Here's the single gusset on both of these diapers - see the difference?  The cheapy diaper has an almost flat gusset!  The Kawaii diaper hardly ever has leakage problems.  The EBay diaper?  Every. Time.

Finally, since this is a post about pocket diapers, let's talk about the inserts and the actual "pocket" itself.  Both diapers came with two inserts - Kawaii sent microfiber, the cheaper diapers came with non-organic cotton.  The microfiber works better from an absorption standpoint... But even if you prefer cotton (which I do - preferably organic), look how massive that insert is!!!   It's incredibly ill-fitting for the diaper.  So much so, I don't even use it.  I have to fold it multiple times (both length and width) to get it inside the pocket, which drives me NUTS.

The pocket on the Kawaii diaper also has a lip of fabric that stops the insert from shifting out of the back of the diaper - we've had a few issues with the cheaper diapers, where the insert slid out of the diaper and started rubbing against my daughter's back.  Not good.

Final thoughts?  If you really want to save money, go with quality over price.  Find a brand that actually works and are still cost effective, like Kawaii Baby.  If you want to splurge, grab one or two bumGenius, Rump-a-roos, or Thirsties - maybe even put a few on your baby registry and have other people buy them for you - that's what I did!  

There are also a lot of great WAHM shops on Etsy that carry really high quality, handmade diapers - and they aren't that expensive.  While each shop and maker is different, I'd rather risk the chance on a handmade diaper than a mass-produced cheapy diaper.

For Those Who Gave All...

Memorial Day should be a solemn day in our country - a day to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.  Unfortunately, it's turned into a BBQ day for the vast majority of us.  My great-grandfather fought in World War I and my grandfather fought in World War II - both were sailors in the United States Navy.  My great uncle fought in the forgotten war, the Korean War, and my father was a paratrooper during peace time - both were members of the United States Army.

My family was lucky enough to never loose a soldier in combat - but many other families cannot say the same.  Today I spoke with my six year-old for the first time about what Memorial Day means.  He's too young to understand war, but I did my best to explain that sometimes, soldiers don't come home.  His response?  "Mommy, that's sad."  And it is.

I told my son that because it's sad, we take today to remember.  If we always remember, those soldiers will always be with us.  So, for all of those who gave their lives for me and my family, I remember you.  Thank you.

They fell, but o'er their glorious grave
Floats free the banner of the cause they died to save.
~Francis Marion Crawford 

Beach Bottom Cloth Pads

This post was super fun for me... But note that it talks about our "monthly friend," so if that makes you uncomfortable... well, we're all adults here, right?  If you're a regular to the blog, you know that I'm a HUGE advocate for cloth diapering.  But one thing that I've never touched on is the idea of reusable cloth pads... Yes - I said it: REUSABLE pads.  Ladies, it's a thing!

While some of us cloth moms will talk to anyone who will listen about diapering with cloth, it seems to be a much more taboo thing to discuss handling our own hygiene needs with a reusable product.  Why is that?  Disposable pads and tampons are just as expensive and harmful to the environment as disposable diapers are!

Beach Bottom is a small business based out of California, run by someone very much like me - A mom.  Jaime is fantastic and seriously creative, so please check out her store on Etsy  or the Beach Bottom Facebook Page to see all of the amazing reusable pads she has made by hand.  I love the idea of supporting small businesses, so this really is a win/win for me.  I even have a coupon code for you below, so stay tuned!

Below is a shot of three sizes in Beach Bottom's collection - Pantyliner, Light, and Moderate (there is also a "heavy" option).  A fun element of these is that all of the sizes have their own snap/closure color - pink of pantyliner, white for light, purple for moderate, and teal for heavy.  That way, when you're looking for the size you want, it's easy to find!

Fabrics: What are they made of?

Much like cloth diapers, cloth pads need to have both barrier layers and absorption layers.  Beach Bottom uses cotton, flannel, and micro fleece.  The fun fabrics that make up the top layer of the pads are 100% cotton.  Beach Bottom has numerous prints to choose from, all of them fun and bright - One of the reasons I like cloth diapering is that the diapers themselves are adorable, and the same can be said for cloth pads.  My favorite of Beach Bottom's options is the dream catcher design - super cute!

To absorb and retain liquid, the middle layers of the pads are cotton flannel.  Each size has a different level of absorption - Pantyliners, for example, only have a single layer of cotton flannel.  As you go up in size, more cotton flannel layers are added.

The bottom layer (the backing of the pad) is a soft micro fleece.  This helps to form a barrier from the liquid reaching your undergarments, and also serves to help anchor the pad in place - no one wants their pad slipping around as they go about their day, right?  Beach Bottom even incorporates fun colors for this part too.

How to Travel with Cloth Pads

As a cloth mom, I had several wet bags on hand that I use for my daughter's diaper bag.  When I went to work, all I did was put a small wet bag in my purse, snapped the used pads closed after use, and put them in the wet bag for sanitary storage until I got home.  It really wasn't any different than a disposable pad, only I threw nothing away.  If you don't want to buy a "wet bag," small makeup bags would be ideal for this too, and would easily fit in your purse or handbag.

Comfort and Use

I'm being 100% honest when I say that once I used these cloth pads, I knew I couldn't go back to disposables.  The cotton fabric is SO much more comfortable than the synthetic and bleached wood pulp or viscose rayon (ew) that disposable pads are made from - and Beach Bottom's pads are WAY less bulky than your typical pad.  I almost forgot I was wearing them... No joke!

I used the pantyliner as I was getting the indications that my cycle was coming, then the light and moderate once my cycle actually started.  I have a heavy flow, so these pads were most suitable for the first and last days of my cycle in order to limit any potential staining to my clothing - the days in between would have been ideal for the heavy pad (I'm heading over to Beach Bottom's store to load up on heavy pads soon!).

Clean Up

But, while all of this is great, I haven't brought up why most women don't want to try a cloth pad... the clean up.  It's the same with any reusable hygiene product - people don't want to see it or touch it, so they just keep using synthetic and bulky disposables.

So here's the truth - hand washing for all three took less than five minutes and was amazingly simple.  The care instructions that Beach Bottom sent over said that the pads were machine washable following a rinse, and could be dried in a conventional dryer (Beach Bottom pre-washes all fabrics so potential shrinkage is minimal).  I, however, opted to hand wash to see how it would go.  As directed, I used cold water to limit staining.  I started with rinsing out all three pads until the water in my sink ran clear.  

At that stage, I opted to use OxyClean (a handy product for cloth diapers as well) with a tiny bit of my plant-based cloth diaper detergent and scrubbed the powder into the fabric with my fingers, then rinsed again.  All signs of possible staining were gone and the fabric looked just as great as it had before use.  Below are the pads following wash, laid out flat to air dry:

Final Thoughts & Coupon Code!

I wouldn't recommend anything if I didn't love the product - and seriously, I LOVE Beach Bottom's pads.  They are adorable, comfortable, easy to clean, and super cost effective considering how long you'll be able to use them.  I am thoroughly impressed with the quality of the product and I know that I'll be a customer for a long time.

In celebration of Memorial Day, Beach Bottom is offering 10% off all products this weekend using the coupon code NYU2015.  It's a limited offer, so don't wait!  This limited offer has expired!  But don't worry - Beach Bottom's cloth pads are actually much more cost effective than other cloth pads out there, so still check them out!

Beach Bottom's Etsy Store

Beach Bottom's Facebook Page

Beach Bottom on Instagram

 

Images Copyright Beach Bottom

Grocery Shopping, Made Fun!

One of the hardest things to do when grocery shopping with your kids is keeping them entertained.  One section of the store that I've always found particularly challenging is the produce section.  Why?  Well, if you were a six year-old watching your parent load up on nasty tasting vegetables, you probably wouldn't be having a great time.

So what can we do?  While some parents might not have the patience to deal with it, I think it's a good idea to make things fun for your child.  Here's an idea that kept my six year-old son happy while I was looking around for the ingredients I'm trying in a "detox" green juice.  It has a few things in it that I don't typically purchase, so I was wandering around in circles trying to find things - My son was patient for about... two minutes.  Then the whining started.

"Are you done yet?"

"Can I get fruit snacks?"

"Can we go home?"

"Ew, that's gross!  Don't buy that!"

I was far from done with my shopping, so I put him on a project.  Looking around the produce section, my favorite thing has always been the color.  Raw vegetables and fruits are actually quite beautiful. Basing my idea around that, I decided to have my son focus on color and create me a rainbow.

I gave him a few ground rules to get him started: 

• First, he had to hold on to the shopping cart and stay with me while he looked (safety first, right?).  
• Second, we used the "normal" rainbow - no black, pink etc.  
• Third, he had to find the colors in order.  Red first, orange second, etc.

With the rules decided, he got started.  The store was running a bell pepper sale so red was easy - those things were EVERYWHERE.  Orange was another easy one - oranges!  As the rainbow went on, though, it got a bit more challenging.  Here's what my little guy ended up with:

• Red: Bell Pepper
• Orange: Navel Orange
• Yellow: Lemon
• Green: Avocado
• Blue: Blueberries
• Purple: Red Onion

As you can see, my boy did a good job!  It kept him occupied for about ten minutes, while I gathered everything I was looking for.  Getting him involved and excited in the produce section made our trip to the grocery store seem a lot quicker.  Plus, he was in a good mood and felt like he accomplished something.

I'm a huge believer in empowering kids.  Give them the occasional challenge or fun project and see what they can do!  I'm looking forward to challenging myself more as my son gets older.  The more he learns, the harder it is for me to keep him on his toes!

Open Letter to my Mom

I know that I tried your patience growing up.  You had three daughters, and as your middle child, I didn't always make your life easy.  In honor of Mother's Day, 30 years after my birth, I wanted to apologize for a few things.  I'm a mother now, and it's time to admit that I wasn't the perfect child.

I'm sorry for telling you that I hated you when you wouldn't let me get gummy bears that one time when I was six.  I've never said "I hate you" before or since, but I remember how you cried in the car afterward.  I still feel guilty about it.  I hope you know that it wasn't true - I just temporarily allowed my addiction to gummy bears to take over.  I promise it will never happen again.

I'm sorry for ditching school and then lying about it.  I thought I could get away with it - and, you know, teenager.  Oops.  I know I was frustrating and wasted my potential.  As a mom, I know I'd FLIP if I found out either or my kids skipped class... but you were patient and graceful about it, giving me support and taking the time to ask me WHY I did it - not just yelling at me about it.

My "give and take" was more of a "take and take" as a kid.  I demanded a lot, even at times when I knew you and dad couldn't afford it.  I'm sorry if I made you feel like you didn't do a good job providing for us - you were and are an amazing mom... and you gave me SO much.

I'm sorry for making fun of your "on the farm" stories.  Yes, you were raised on a chicken farm... and that still sounds kind of funny and I giggle about it - but your childhood wasn't an easy one.  You learned about hard work and sacrifice from a very young age.  You should never have been the butt of any jokes because of it.

I'm sorry for dropping out of college.  You worked so hard to get through school as a working parent and you tried to teach us by example - but I didn't learn.  Now that I've earned a degree, and did it as a working parent, I can only imagine how disappointing it was to see me drop out of school after only a single semester.

I'm sorry for not listening to you.  You give great advice... and I've ignored the majority of it.  You are amazingly intelligent and I'm sure I made you think you were stupid on many occasions with my "I know better" attitude.  You have led such an amazing life and you deserve all the praise in the world.

I'm sorry for making you feel like I love dad more.  Yes, I'm a daddy's girl - and I've always admitted that.  When my first child was born, he was there - and you weren't.  I know why... you thought dad's presence would mean more to me than yours... and that's really sad.  I love you just as much as I love dad - it's just a different love.  The love between a mother and daughter is special - so please don't think that you aren't just as special and precious to me as dad is.

But most of all, I'm sorry for not appreciating you like I should have.  You're a truly wonderful mom - many people don't get to have a mom at all, let alone one as amazing as you.  I'm sorry for not seeing how giving and loving you were and are - you deserved a lot more "thank you's" and "I love you's" than I gave.  Know that you deserved them all, and I'll spend the next several decades attempting to make them up to you.

 

Review: NewAir Outdoor Misting Fan, AF-520B

If you're new to my blog, you may not know that I recently relocated to the central valley of California.  The weather here is NUTS - super dry all year-round, and crazy HOT during the spring and summer (we're talking 100°+ for six months out of the year - yuck).  So when I had the chance to try out the NewAir Outdoor Misting Fan, I jumped at it (it's the AF-520B model if you want to check one out!).  

Assembly

While the fan arrived in an impressively sized box, there was still assembly required.  Luckily, I've spent hours putting together modular furniture in the past, so I figured this would be a breeze.  The fan came in five large pieces, taking around five to ten minutes to put together.  As far as what you'll need - all it takes is a phillips-head screwdriver (though I had to use two - one small, one large).  The instructions were a little confusing, but I was able to figure them out once I re-read a few parts and consulted the handy diagrams they included.  I felt that the fan itself was really high quality and well designed, which is huge plus.

Indoor Use

This fan is technically an "outdoor misting fan" but I gave it a go inside first, just to make sure everything worked right.  While you will have the water tubing to deal with (I wrapped it around the base of the fan), it works just fine inside - the fan is a good size and the three different speed settings make it work for small and large rooms.

Outdoor Misting Use

My son was so excited to hook up the fan to water and give the misting a try - what I really liked was the "on" and "off" switch for the water - I can imagine this will help me avoid future "accidental misting" issues when setting up the fan :)  The set up was fairly simple, but I did have to use an extension cord because the plug on the fan was too large to hook up to our exterior power outlet, which has a safety cover (as most outdoor outlets do, I would assume).  

Once the water was going, I knew I was in LOVE with this fan.  The amount of "mist" is perfect - keeps you cool but doesn't drench you - and once the weather heats up, I can see my family using this thing A LOT.  Depending on how far you want the misting to spray, you can increase or decrease the speed of the fan.  The product itself is very sturdy as well, so I can see it handling windy days with no problems.

Final Thoughts

If you had asked me before trying this fan whether I would want to buy it or not, I probably would have said no.  Who needs a fan that shoots water at you??  ... but now that I've tried it, I'd recommend it to anyone that lives somewhere hot.  This fan might actually get us outside more in the summer, which will mean a lot to my kids. If you want more information on this product, check out the NewAir website or like them on Facebook!

Demonstration

Here's a quick video showing the fan in action!  Take a look:

Super Hero Movies & Our Kids

The "super hero movie" phenomenon is EVERYWHERE lately - This week, Avengers: Age of Ultron is opening in theatres and kids everywhere (and some parents) can't wait to see it.  Most kids don't realize, though, that us parents are weighing the pros and cons of these action films pretty heavily before we make the final decision on whether or not our kids are ready for "comic book violence."

As a child, my parents didn't censor much.  We were able to watch R-rated movies from a pretty young age and I became fairly desensitized to film violence and sexuality - but I'm being a bit more selective on the ages that my kids become exposed to this stuff.  So what should we be concerned about when it comes to these types of movies?  When the main characters are labelled as "Heroes," do we need to be more careful?

"Comic Book Violence"

I put that in quotes because some people consider the violence in Super Hero movies to be different from "normal" violence.  I suppose that if the violence stems from Captain America's shield or Thor's hammer, some would say that the violence isn't as bad for kids as, say, gun violence.  But here's the thing - the "bad guy" is typically carrying a gun - a BIG gun - and a great deal of the violence in these movies is "old school," with super punches, super kicks, and super ass-whoopings.  By taking our kids to these movies, are we opening ourselves up to them "super ass kicking" other kids at school while they wear their Iron Man t-shirt?

Super Spandex Girl 

While this isn't a problem unique to Super Hero movies, it is something to consider.  Many of the women portrayed in these movies are wearing a great deal LESS spandex in their super hero uniforms than the guys are.  The "super girls" are, at times,  more of an object than hero, and their story lines often have them being cold and damaged - Why can't these women be simply awesome, like Superman and Captain America?  Why do they need to have been abused or have lost a family member before they became a super hero?  ...and why can't they wear more clothes??

Violence is the Answer 

Here's my major problem with these kinds of movies and my son watching them... The big movie climax is always a HUGE fight sequence.  Things get blown up, super powers are flying everywhere, and the bad guy gets his ass kicked.  To an impressionable child, this might be telling them that in order to solve problems, violence is the answer.  Not compromise, not friendship - Violence.

A key element of these films are the idea that the main character (Iron Man, Batman, Thor, etc) is a HERO - they are good, strong, and fight for justice.  So when our kids see them resorting to violence to solve all of their problems, aren't we encouraging that idea? 

Do my kids watch Super Hero movies?

Yes.  My kids do watch super hero movies and they love them.  As you may recall from this post, I have two older stepchildren - They have seen many of the popular hero films, including Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America.  They have not, however, watched the recent Batman trilogy, as my husband and I feel that it's too violent for them.

But what about my six year-old?  As you can see below, he LOVES super heroes - Seriously.  His favorite right now is Iron Man, though he also likes Black Widow and the Scarlet Witch.  For a long time, the only super hero film I let him watch was the Pixar film, The Incredibles - it still has a lot of the same violence, but censored down, animated, and the topic of strong women is addressed well.

We also took him to see the new Avenger's film this weekend.  Some of you may be thinking, "What?!?!?  How could she?!" - But here's the thing that we parents have to consider with our kids: EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT.  My 12 year-old stepdaughter, and even in some cases my 6 year-old son, can handle films that are too "dark" for my 14 year-old stepson.  Each child will react to things differently based on their own maturity level.  As a parent, it's our jobs to consider our kids and their uniqueness when we tackle this topic of what films "aren't appropriate" for them.