Cloth Diapering

I have been wanting to cloth diaper Harper for a while now and we finally are! I'm so excited to share this adventure with all of you too :)

I did a lot of research after hearing that a disposable diaper can last in a landfill for 500 years. Yes, you read that right 500 YEARS. One baby also uses around 5,000 diapers before being potty trained so think about that. 5,000 diapers for each child who uses disposables for 500 years a piece for each diaper. Just sitting there. Pretty disgusting right?

Also, the price of cloth diapering is much less than that of disposable diapering. You might need to make a big investment in the very beginning, but in the long run you will save a lot more money and you will be glad you did.

There are lots of different types of cloth diapers such as: prefolds, all in ones (AIOs), all in twos (AI2s) , hybrids, fitted, one size, and pockets.

Prefolds:

Prefold diapers are made of a very absorbent material (cotton, bamboo, hemp) and are just a big piece of it. You have to hand fold these, pin or use a snappi to put onto your baby and then put a cover over them since by themselves they are not waterproof. These are great for newborns because you can pretty much fold them in a ton of ways to fit the shape of your new baby. 

AIOs and AI2s:

These do not require a cover and are the easiest(in my opinion) to use. AIOs have everything you need all together in one diaper. Just snap or Velcro onto your baby and you're ready to go! They do take longer to dry and this is a huge turn off to some parents.
AI2s have two separate pieces that you usually snap together to form the whole diaper. It's a cover and an insert (usually cotton) that snaps in and then snaps out when you are ready to wash them. In some, the outer shell can be used for multiple diaper changes because it is made of PUL(waterproof material). They don't take as long to dry

Pockets:

These also do not require a cover. They usually fasten with velcro (hook and loop) or snaps. There is a pocket on the inside of the diaper where you stuff the insert (absorbent material) and then remove when washing. The outside is usually made of PUL (waterproof material) and the inside is a soft absorbent material. 

Hybrids:

Hybrid diapers have either an insert of cloth or an insert of a disposable material. The main hybrid out on the market right now is the g diaper. The g diaper has a flush-able insert. You can also put in a cloth insert. The flush-able insert is biodegradable. These hybrid diapers usually close with velcro (hook and loop) or snaps.


 Fitted and One Size:

Fitted diapers are exactly what they sound like. They are fitted in different sizes to fit your baby. Most in simple small, medium, and large. If you get fitted diapers, over time you will have to buy all new diapers since your baby will grow.
One sized diapers are just like it says, one size. These can be used from as small as 5-6 lbs all the way up to around 36lbs.




Have I lost you yet? ;)
There is so much to look at and figure out when it comes to cloth diapers, but in the end it is all worth it! I recommend getting a few of each to start and then decide what you like and stick with it! These are also lots of shops on etsy.com and hyenacart.com where work at home mom's sell homemade cloth diapers. Sometimes you can find them for cheap and they always have the cutest fabrics and patterns!

Now you are probably wondering what kind of cloth diaper we are using.
We decided on the Best Bottoms cloth diaper. It is an AI2 diaper with a snap in insert. So far we love them! They are also one size so I will not have to buy all new diapers as Harper grows. The inserts are different sizes however, but that's okay!

A great website for buying cloth diapers is nickisdiapers.com
The owner of nickis diapers, Nicki, created the Best Bottoms system ;)

Maybe I haven't quite convinced you to choose cloth diapering for your little one, but at least now you are slightly informed! To close, here is a picture of Harper in her Best Bottoms diaper and pictures of a few of the Best Bottom diapers we have. :)

This next picture also has a picture of our Planet Wise wet bags. Great for wet diapers!

And finally a picture of Harper in a cloth diaper I personally made :)

Thanks for reading!

Tutorial: Felt Flower Clip

I make this felt flower clip often because it is SO easy and so cute!

What you will need:

- felt of the color of your choice

- scissors

-a cup or something with a round bottom to trace

- a pen/sharpie 

-something to bare down on (like a book, desk)

- needle and thread (any color, you won't be able to see it)

-glue gun

-clips (you can get them at Hobby Lobby)

Okay to start trace out six circles on your felt using your pen and the bottom of a cup (or whatever you have found)

It will look like this when you are done tracing:

Then cut out all of the six circles

One of these circles is the bottom of the flower. 

Next take a circle and fold it in half and then in half again

Next sew this circle onto your bottom circle only sewing the very middle, like so:

Then do this again three times with three more circles, fold in half, fold in half again, then sew to the middle

Then take the last circle and fold just like the others and sew into the middle of the whole flower.
Its easier to do this if you go ahead and put your needle through it to keep it together and then sew to the bottom like so:

Then you will have your flower finished!

Next you need to hot glue the clip to the bottom of the flower

And Vuala! Your felt flower clip is ready to be worn :)

 

 

And this is Harper wearing one I made :)

Bow Holder For Harper

Okay This has nothing to do with BLW, but sometimes I can be a little crafty (haha) and I'd love to share some of that stuff on this blog too!

My most recent creation is a bow holder for Harper's many bows! It only cost me about $2.00!

Alright so what you will need is

-Empty Frame
-Ribbon
-Hot Glue Gun
-Scissors


(The ribbon I got at Hobby Lobby, they have a "ribbon scrap" bag for $1.99! Search for it, it's worth it! Also, I got the frame from my sister therefore it was free!)


1. Cover the outside of the frame with ribbon/fabric using the hot glue (or you can paint it)

2. Use different sized ribbons and hot glue them across the frame to the back. Place them wherever you want! You can also do them longways instead of sideways

3. Use some more ribbon to make a bow for the top and hot glue it on!

4. Put your bows on!


And that's it! So simple and cheap. I've seen these things for sale for $20 and they are half the size of the one I made


Hope you enjoyed my tutorial! :)

Green Grapes

 Just a short update about today, thanks for reading!

Grapes were interesting today. We had a few green grapes so i got some and ate the outer layer myself. Then I held them up for her to bite a piece off (she has two teeth now! :))

They must have been a little sour so Harper made the funniest face! She kept coming back for more though.

Technically I did not let her hold them herself since I knew she might just shove the whole grape into her mouth. I did rip a few pieces off and handed them to her to eat. I'm not sure she REALLY liked them, haha. This is something I will try again with sweeter grapes

A Very Long Awaited Update :)

Wow, I have not updated in so long! There have been so many things going on and on top of all of that, Harper wasn't taking to solids too well in the beginning. She didn't seem interested so we held off for a few weeks and started back and it has been going great!

Since my last post Harper has had, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, green beans, mango, organic puffs, yogurt, eggs, and so much more! She has definitely come a LONG way and knows exactly what to do with her food! She chews like a champ :)

Now as far as most vegetables go, I give them to her raw.

Cucumbers:

These I have done two different ways and both work great! The first way was to cut them into wedges and then the second way is to just slice it like you normally would for a salad and things like that. Cucumbers are Harper's favorite!

Also, we don't do "meals" yet or anything like that. Harper is still mainly breastfed. However, if we are out to eat, she does so well if she gets something too :) Cucumbers seem to always be at restaurants! haha! Whether you pull them off your salad or ask for one sliced up (they don't mind, trust me!), it's great to be able to easily give her something and gives this momma time to eat herself! ;)

Carrots, Bell Peppers, and most veggies that can be eaten raw:

So simple! Just wash, cut, and eat!




Yogurt and Eggs:

For this one i cheat! I guess I cannot call myself a TRUE BLW momma because I do feed her yogurt and eggs every once in a while on a spoon, but i do give her to opportunity to feed herself with the spoon. Just know that it is VERY messy! With eggs you can also just put some scrambled on their highchair or bumbo tray and let them go at it.



Organic Puffs:

Harper eats Happy Baby Organic Puffs. The sweet potato and greens kind. She really loves these and they are so simple, just hand them to her and she knows what to do. Her pincer grasp is keen now :)