Pretty Patterns All In a Row

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Two posts in one day? Say it isn't so ... the little one is napping well, so I'm taking utmost advantage of the time. And while he slumbers, I'm loving the findings I've recently stumbled upon.

So now dear reader ... Meet Mae(www.lovemae.com.au). This sweet Australian shoppe offers fabric wall decals that will brighten the room of any little boy or girl. The premium quality decals are reusable and can be applied to nearly any surface; they also won't damage walls. If I am ever blessed with a little girl ... this may be the first place to earn my patronage.















































The Mother Huddle

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I recently stumbled across this blog (while the kiddo was peacefully napping, of course) and fell in love. It's a breath of fresh air amidst the chaos of everyday motherhood. So when that newborn falls asleep in your arms, your toddler finally succumbs to shut eye or you convince your hubbie to take the whole brood so you can have a couple hours of calm, pour yourself a cup of coffee, log on and love it too.

www.themotherhuddle.com

Nine Months of Memories

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If you're an expecting mum, it may seem like the long-awaited day when you will finally meet your little one is far off. In truth though, it will likely sneak up on you quicker than you might anticipate. And though the unsurpassing joy of holding your tiny tot is indescribable, you will also never again have this time of carrying your precious cargo in utero.

So to help you remember the sweet, and sometimes not-so-sweet, moments that come with pregnancy, PreNexa--the manufacturer of prenatal vitamins boasting plant-based DHA--is offering soon-to-be mommies a free pregnancy journal. Simply log on by clicking here or go to www.prenexa.com/journal.lasso and enter all relevant information. The journal even includes diet tips, exercise ideas and travel suggestions. So order yours today and start moving those hands across the pages, because in no time, your hands will be quite busy with a teeny tiny bundle of joy.


This Christmas, Give the Gift of HOPE

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This Christmas season, give the gift of hope to a recipient who needs real help. Fort Worth's Pregnancy Lifeline is a nonprofit, Christian ministry devoted to helping women in crisis pregnancies. The center shares "accurate information about the risks of abortion and the other options of marriage, single parenting and adoption." The ultimate goal of Pregnancy Lifeline is to encourage these women to give life to their unborn child.

But more than simply counseling and advising, Pregnancy Lifeline meets the tangible needs of these women by supplying maternity clothes, diapers, wipes, formula, baby clothing, baby furnishings and more. Lately, the center has been seeing approximately 45 women a day, and each of these women have needs. We heard from the Pregnancy Lifeline executive director today, and though we typically think of women in crisis pregnancies as being young and unwed, the executive director said they've actually had an influx of married women who simply feel they can't afford another baby due to a job loss or tough economic conditions.

So in the spirit of Christmas and in an effort to help meet the needs of Pregnancy Lifeline and the women the center serves, we're collecting gently worn maternity and baby clothing, blankets and stuffed animals, as well as new baby care items (diapers, wipes, formula, etc.).

To give hope to soon-to-be mothers by donating these items, please call us at 817.992.4498 or swing by the center and drop off your donations.

Pregnancy Lifeline
4747 S Hulen St # 103
Fort Worth, TX 76132
(817) 292-6449

One toy = One Tree planted!

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I'm simply loving these adorable organic wooden toys over at the Little Sampling Toys shop on etsy.com. Feel good about your purchase, because for every toy sold a tree is planted. Local beeswax and jojoba oils are used to finish the wooden toys, or you can specify that you desire your wood to remain unfinished.

An eco-friendly option for your little one's playtime.

Your Literate Little Ones

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With the first day of school either just behind us or looming quite near, we find our thoughts naturally turning toward academia. So to commemorate the start of this school year, consider stocking your little one's bookshelves with a collection of page-turners that might inspire a lifetime love of reading. And rather than breaking the bank to do it, we love the brilliant idea of an old-fashioned book exchange.

To help get you started, we've included (below) a copy of a letter detailing instructions for the exchange. Simply copy and paste this into a word document and use it as your template, then follow the instructions detailed within the letter.

--

Date:
Dear:

Welcome to our book exchange! This is not a chain letter; it is only for fun!

Please send one book to the first child listed below as #1. A manila envelope will work for mailing, and you can request the media/book rate for shipping. Then send two copies of this letter (one completed and one blank) to six friends. Move my child's name to the #1 spot, and list your child's name as #2 on your letter.

Soon, your child will receive 36 books! That's right ... you only send one book, and your child receives 36 in return. You should receive your new books in about two weeks if you mail your letters right away.

When sending the book, please be sure to include your child's name and address. If you can't complete this in one week (give or take a few days), please notify me, since it isn't fair for the children who have participated and are waiting for their own special books to arrive.

#1 NAME
ADDRESS
ADDRESS
AGE

#2 NAME
ADDRESS
ADDRESS
AGE


--

NOTE: If you're the first to start the exchange, leave the #1 spot blank and put your child's name in #2. Or you can get creative and list in the #1 spot a local charity or other entity that might benefit from receiving 6 books. Your friends will then move your child's name into the number one spot and send their letter to 6 friends each.

For a fun variation, consider sending the letters to friends in different states or even different countries. Then hang a map in your house, and as you receive each book, mark the location it was sent from on the map. You'll be teaching your child geography while also reaping a library of treasured reads!

Riding in Style! Custom Infant Carseat Covers.

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If you are letting the gender of your baby be a surprise until you deliver, or if you are like me and planning on using your baby gear for subsequent children, you may already have stuff that is gender neutral. Gender neutral is typically fine for boys, but typically unless it is pink, people assume that the shades of brown, green and yellow mean boy, not girl. So, how great would it be to be able to change out the cover of the seat depending on the child without having to reinvest in the actual car seat itself?! Here are a few sites that offer these custom covers. 




The "Right" Diaper: Cloth vs. Disposable

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What diaper is the right diaper for my family? I set out to solve this question and in the process of discovering the answer, I found a host of additional information that educated me on all sides of the cloth vs. disposable diaper debate. I thought I would share the information I found with other "mommies" out there who might want to know. (By the way, the answer to my diaper dilemma is at the end of this post.**)


The Rub:

With purse strings getting tighter during this economic crunch, I began looking for ways to cut-back on our spending, and with a huge chunk of my monthly grocery bill being eaten up by purchasing disposable diapers, there had to be a less expensive option. Was it time to go cloth? I needed to take a step back and evaluate my choices with the big picture in mind. What was the impact on my pocket book and the world going to be with my diaper decision over the span of time from birth to 30 months (or roughly until my child began potty-training)?

A skeptic:

I have several friends who use cloth diapers and love it, however I hesitated to invest in that diapering system because I didn’t know if I could handle the extra laundry (I get behind now with just a family of three) and I honestly just wasn’t buying the fact that you save money and really save the planet. I just kept hearing things from both sides, disposable vs. cloth, on environmental impact that led me to believe that it was a wash (the all to popular pun when describing this debate).

The Quest:

I knew about Bum Genius, several friends used them and I have heard great things about them, so they had to be one of the choices I would investigate. In the diaper aisle at the grocery store and at Babies R Us I began to look for alternatives. For price, I found Target’s store brand Up & Up, and for going green I found Nature Babycare. I went online and began my research, googling and visiting diaper reviews on blogs and message boards to find out what options were being talked about the most. From my findings I boiled down the options to come up with the following diapers to compare. I have obviously not exhausted the market, but I researched options that consistently hit top ranks, were familiar to me and were easily accessible. Through my research I discovered a slew of additional information that has helped me make an informed decision.

The contenders:

in the cloth category:

Bum Genius 3.0 One-Size

Bum Genius 3.0 Organic All-in-Ones

SmartiPants

in the hybrid category (cloth & disposable):

gDiapers


in the disposable category:

Up & Up, Target’s store brand

Nature Babycare

Pampers Swaddlers


..................................


CONSIDERATIONS for choosing a diaper:


Environmental impact: If going green is important to you, you may want to look into how the diaper was made, what the diaper consists of and what you can do with the diaper after use. You may need to look past some of the manufacturer information, since sometimes you may be getting green-washed with marketing buzz words such as “eco-friendly” and “biodegradable.” Also something to consider with eco-friendly options is not only the environmental impact, but the impact on the health of your child. Most, if not all, disposable diapers include Sodium Polyacrylate or Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) which is the super absorbent gel that allows such a thin material to soak up the mess, and SAP has been linked to asthma and may lead to hormone problems (see wired.com article). With most biodegradable "earth-friendly" diapers the materials are not home compost-able, and most US cities are not equipped with a public composting center. Therefore the only real added bonus with these diapers being eco-friendly is the means by which they are made and that they contain earth-friendly materials, not their impact once used. Until measures are taken to make facilities available that are equipped to handle the treatment of “biodegradable” disposable diapers, like a compost treatment facility, the diaper will end up sitting in a landfill somewhere NOT properly biodegrading due to its environment. Plus, diapers in landfills can take over 500 years to decompose, watch video at gDiapers.

Closure style: Hook-and-loop fasteners (velcro) is easy to use, but can wear out over time and could cause snags if it comes in contact with another piece of clothing in the wash. Plus, in the constant state of discovery, some babies learn how to unfasten the tabs, allowing the diaper to come off -- a messy situation indeed. Snaps are durable and easy to fasten. However, snaps are not as adjustable as hook-and-loop and sometimes take more time to fasten.

Size: One-Size diapers are convertible with snaps to varying sizes from birth – toddler, so these diapers grow with your child. Sized diapers are sized based on a weight range. Duration your child is in a particular size, depends greatly on your child’s height and weight. So, you need to purchase different covers for the growth stages of your child.


..................................


OVERVIEWS of the Contenders:


Bum Genius, Cloth Diapering Made Easy


The One-Size (grows with baby) 3.0 is a widely available award-winning pocket cloth diaper and is consistently ranked high among comparative cloth diapering lists. It has functionality very similar to disposable diapers, so switching from disposable to this style of cloth diaper is easy. It has high absorbency performance, with the option to customize absorbency by adding additional inserts into the pocket for heavy wetters or for overnight. Must stuff the liners into the pocket prior to use, and un-stuff the liners prior to wash. Inserts are included with each cover purchase. (Personal Note: I was able to borrow one of these from a friend, and both the fit and the performance were outstanding. A little bulky on my long and lean little girl, but the diaper did its job well.)


The Organic One-Size All-in-Ones (cover, liner and insert are all sewn together), are an easy one step system to go cloth. It seems that they decided to put all of their eggs in one basket on this diaper, an organic, one-size, all-in-one diaper with snap closures -- wow! So, all you do with these is put on baby, take off of baby, wash and reuse. No stuffing or un-stuffing the inserts, just a little more time drying these due to all of the layers.


Made in USA and Egypt.


Smartipants, The world’s smartest one size fits all diaper.


A trendsetter among the group, Smartipants employs the inventor of the first one-size fits all pocket diaper, Wonderoos which hit the market back in 2003. She joined the Smartipants team and designed another smart option for the Cloth Pocket diaper market. Smartipants are made in the USA, Eco-friendly because they are reusable, and are the lowest priced One-Size pocket cloth diaper currently on the market. A patented smart sleeve pocket means that you don’t have to remove the insert prior to the wash, it is designed to agitate out in the machine. Which means, less mess to deal with after a dirty diaper. One insert is included with each cover purchase. Made in the USA.


gDiapers, Happy baby. Happy Planet.


The industry’s only hybrid diaper, offering both disposable and cloth insert options. Their claim, “the best of cloth and disposable in one earth-friendly diaper.” This diaper has three components: 1) the cloth cover, little gPant, 2) the snap in liner 3) the inserts (disposable option or reuseable option). The snap-in plastic liners can be interchanged for a clean one without having to change the cover, resulting in a smaller number of covers needed. On the one hand you can invest slowly, a lower upfront cost, in these diapers because the covers are sized, on the other hand you will spend a little more in the long run because the inserts are sold separately. People have used this diaper system with their own cloth inserts for some time now with much success, but recently gDiapers introduced their own custom designed cloth inserts, gCloth inserts, for the little gPant (gDiaper cover). gDiapers have been rated the most economical diaper with the option to flush, home compost, or toss the disposable inserts, and now with the gCloth inserts you can add wash and reuse to that list. gDiapers are the only diaper to receive a Cradle to Cradle Certification with the highest rating of gold. Made in the USA and China.

Up & Up, Target store brand


This is a fairly inexpensive disposable diaper option ($6.34 for a 48-count, Size 2). Only available at Target, in-store and online. The design is pretty cute with blue and green dots and the fit is okay. These are a stiffer disposable diaper option, and therefore are not as soft on baby’s skin. The absorbency is average. (On a personal note, I didn’t like how these diapers performed. Too many dirty diaper blow-outs made these diapers, not worth the price. Plus, the material didn’t breathe well and turned my daughters skin pink after just one wet diaper). Click on the link below for further reviews of Up & Up diapers. babycheapskate or practicingthrift

Nature Babycare, Go green without giving up performance


Award winning eco-friendly diaper, founded in Sweden by a mom, Marlene Sandberg, of 2 boys searching for a better eco-friendly disposable diaper. These diapers are 100% Totally Chlorine Free, and based on natural materials. The diapers come in a “100% Natural & Biodegradable” packaging. The print on the outside of these diapers is nice, cute little green leaves against white, no cartoon characters. The diapers are designed to be breathable and absorbent without being bulky. (Personal note: I liked these diapers performance, but was disappointed when this “Eco-Friendly” diaper still impacts the environment the same way as the average “non-green” disposable diaper. There is no way to compost, or biodegrade any or all parts of this diaper at home (see FAQ on Nature Babycare website), and with most US cities not equipped with a public composting center, your diaper ends up in the landfill with all the other diapers).


Pampers Swaddlers, Because your baby changes, so does Pampers


Pampers Swaddlers, part of the Pampers stages diaper line are uniquely designed to fit, or swaddle, new babies (Swaddler style is in the New Baby stage only, up to Size 2-3). They even offer a sensitive option within the line that includes an exterior color change bar to let you know when to change baby’s diaper. (Personal Note: Of all of the disposable diapers I’ve tried from Luvs, Huggies, & Pampers Baby Dry, Pampers Swaddlers has the best fit and performance. These are a very thin, can hold a big mess and they even have a great baby fresh smell. However they aren't earth-friendly and contain materials that could be harmful to baby, and they do end up costing a lot of money in the long-run.)




AND THE WINNERS ARE ...


Best Performance [overall winner: gDiapers]

(fit, absorbency, & ease of care)


Cost [overall winner: Smartipants]

(taking into account the life span of the diaper)


Eco-friendly [overall winner: gDiapers]

(must have some of the following attributes: reuseable, biodegradable, and/or made with earth-friendly materials (example: pulp from sustainable forests)


..................................


Further backing to my research was found. After choosing my diaper contenders for this head-to-head comparison, I found that three of the diapers were the same top three winners of a Cookie Magazine independent poll.


**SO, MY ANSWER ... try gDiapers! I plan on posting my review of their performance after I have used them with the new gCloth inserts. Stay tuned.


..................................


RESOURCES:


Best comprehensive "eco-friendly disposable" reviews

Diaper Review: Seventh Generation, WF 365, gDiapers

Green Diapers: SAP, biodegradability, chlorine, woodpulp


Disposable diapers = 3.5 million tons of landfill waste, see article at sustainableindustries.com.


Read more on environmental problems with disposable diapers in article on euphoriababy.com.


Estimated cloth diapering washing costs & comparative diaper chart at babyboms.com


Figure out your own washing costs using washing calculator on energystar.gov


Great info on Cloth Diapering 101, at austinbabyonline.com


Helpful Blog, theclothdiaperwhisperer.com

My How Time Flies

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To our dear Mom's Dish readers:

We regret that we have been terribly tardy in posting anything new to the site in months! It seems that the task of mommyhood has occupied all of our time. Nevertheless, we haven't forgotten you, and we promise that we will once again give you the attention you deserve.

So as we begin to resurface from a mess of sticky Cheerios, apple juice sippy cups and nibbled-on crayons, we'd like to know what you'd like to see on this site. If you have any suggestions for topics, ideas for fun activities or anything else that suits your fancy, just leave us a comment. Also, if you'd be interested in regularly contributing to the Mom's dish, let us know. Afterall, being a mom is an all-consuming responsibility, and we all need a little help!

Blessings,
Your frazzled Mom's Dish friends

Just Between Friends

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Ah, spring is in the air! The grass is turning green, the daffodils are in full bloom, the fragrant honeysuckle is wafting through the air ... oh yeah, and your little one's wardrobe is severely lacking because your tiny tot has shot up like a spring reed!

But have no fear! There's no need to take out a second mortgage just to restock with a host of adorable threads. Head instead to Just Between Friends, a knock-your-socks-off children's consignment sale. With bi-annual sales events from California to Pennsylvania, Just Between Friends is a savvy mom's can't-miss shopping excursion. The Spring/Summer Fort Worth sale is going on now, so head to Will Rogers Memorial Center to discover 50,000 square feet of new or gently-used clothing, children's equipment, furniture, books, toys and more.

Event details:
March 2 - 10
Will Rogers Memorial Center
Cash, Mastercard, Discover and Visa are accepted.

The Invisible Mother

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As moms with tiny tots underfoot (or little ones on the way), it's easy to get lost in the mundane, day-to-day tasks of motherhood. And so at times, we all need a little encouragement, a gentle reminder that the incredible, difficult, rewarding work of loving and raising our children is worth far more than we may ever realize. This was sent to us by a friend and Mom's Dish reader. We don't know where it originated nor can we testify to its authenticity, but the message is nevertheless worth repeating.

The Invisible Mother
Author unknown

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously, not.

No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself.

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I bought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Designer Duds

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Desiring designer duds for your tiny tot but not loving the designer price tag? Whether you're a chic mama who's a bit strapped for cash or a sassy mommy who simply loves a good deal when she spots it, no matter the depth of your pocketbook, you'll love The Mini Social, an invitation-only online sale featuring covet-worthy infant and children's threads.

Visit the web site to sign up, and you'll instantly be invited to peruse the current and upcoming sample sales. Brands include an array of such labels as Nest Children, Kumquat, babysusu and more, and all up to 60% off. And if the savings weren't incentive enough, a portion of the proceeds benefits women's and children's charities, including United States Fund for UNICEF and Shoe4Africa. It's just one more opportunity to do good for your little one and good for others.

Solving the Diapering Dilemma

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The economy and the environment ... these two reasons (and perhaps myriad more) may have you seriously considering cloth diapers. Afterall, they're a green alternative to landfill-clogging disposables, and they won't eat away at your pocket book on a monthly basis. Still, it means a bit more labor when donning your little one's tush, and really, who has time with tots underfoot?

To help shed some light on the issue, we asked one cloth-diaper devotee and Moms Dish reader to share with us her own personal experience. Kathleen Welnack, mother of Jacqueline, 3 months, dishes on her love affair with Bum Genius. Read on and then decide for yourself.

Solving the Diapering Dilemma
by Kathleen Welnack

Deciding between disposables and cloth diapers can be a real challenge, especially when considering cost, efficiency, convenience and waste. After much research and lots of deliberation, I chose the cloth diaper route for the financial savings, waste savings ... and, well, truth be told, I think they're cuter and appreciate their nod to the way things were done before our world of on-demand convenience.

Yet it's a new day for cloth diapers. There are a wide variety of styles (old-fashioned fold/pin, all-in-one, one-size-fits-all), brands, designs, and pricing (from bare bones inexpensive to fashionable high-end models). BumGenius 3.0 diapers are about $18 each, which is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive. They are made by Cotton Babies and are one-size-fits-all, adjustable diapers. Each diaper comes with a newborn insert (thinner and only fits the smallest setting) and a heavier adjustable insert. They come in an assortment of pastel and bright colors.

As for my personal experience: We had leakage from the start, which I initially chalked up to my baby girl's rather tiny backside. However, after a few more leaky attempts over the next several weeks, I finally discovered the error was mine in not taking better care to either a) change them more frequently or b) double up on the absorbent inserts. After learning how to better use the diapers, I have yet to experience a leak or blow-out (knock on wood!).

For overnight (or extended outtings, etc), I use two inserts, and I have no issue with leaks. Plus, unlike some cloth diapers, BumGenious 3.0 diapers actually wick away moisture like disposables, so babies are not uncomfortable, and their bottoms are kept dry (which also prevents diaper rash, something else I have not encountered at all with these diapers).

Laundering them is a breeze: one wash cycle on cold, one on hot and tumble dry on medium. They do recommend certain detergents (free of perfumes, dyes, etc). We use All Free & Clear without issue, however a friend of mine encountered diaper rash and was advised by the company to use their recommended detergent. We wind up doing a load of diapers and cloth wipes about every other or every third day. And they wash up great - with the waterproof outer lining, the outside stays free of unsightly stains.

As for convenience and ease--changing a BumGenius 3.0 diaper is no different than changing a disposable. The Velcro tab design gives you the same ease and efficiency. When outside the home, a wet bag (or even a plastic bag suffices) will store up to three dirty diapers and can be tossed in the wash as well.

My one and only complaint: the additional padding (as compared to a disposable) means that some pants (e.g. denim, khaki styles) are sadly just too tight. Going up a size in pants likely solves that problem, however.

Final verdict: I absolutely love my BumGenius 3.0 diapers! It's great to know we have no real waste (other than my daughter's, of course!) and are saving a bundle.

Still a skeptic? Try one and see for yourself, risk-free. Cotton Babies offers a money-back guarantee on the BumGenius 3.0 diapers (use one within two weeks of purchase and if you're not happy, send them back for a full refund).

Where to Buy
Direct from manufacturer (they also sell seconds at a discount): www.cottonbabies.com
For a list of retailers, visit www.bumgenius.com/retailers.php.

Note: I purchased an 18-pack set (not available from the manufacturer) through EuphoriaBaby.com and also received 6 Bigger Weeds (additional inserts for super absorbency) free. Their current special offer is even better! Click here for details.

Additional sites I like:
EuphoriaBaby.com
Cotton Babies
BumGenius.com

One Step Further ... A DIY, Homemade Wipes Solution

You can purchase cloth wipes from the same makers as cloth diapers, however I made mine myself and love them. I simply bought some flannel fabric in fun prints, cut them down to an 8x8 square, and stitched the edges to keep them from fraying. As for wipe solution, I boil 2 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of baby bath soap (I use Aveeno). I usually make a double batch (lasts several weeks) and fill a small spritzer, keeping the rest in a glass jar. I spray the wipe before cleaning my daughter's backside, and typically only need one wipe per diaper change.

For additional wipe solution recipes, click here.