Pimp Your Stash Winner #2 - Jackie @ 3 Little Ones

We had a great second week for our Pimp You Stash, and we look forward to many more.... Thanks for participating and this week's winner is #66 - Jackie at 3 Little ones... I took the time to check out her blog and not only her kids are gorgeous, but she has tons of fun things to say!!! We hope she enjoys new new wetbag!

Please, contact us ASAP so we can ship your winnings to you. Write Pimp Your Stash Winner on the subject line. Thanks! :)

Gateway to a Greener Life?

I am curious if cloth diapering has impacted the rest of your lives in any way? Inspired any other green lifestyle changes? Personally, the use of cloth diapers opened up a gateway, in a sense, to a greener more eco-conscious life for my family.

Having used disposables on my twins for at least the first 4 months of life I was no stranger to taking out the garbage and boy did we know how to make some garbage. Usually it was so heavy I'd actually have to wait for my husband to get home to lift it out of the can and bring it outside. This seemed like almost a daily routine.

Suddenly, after starting cloth, I realized that I could take the garbage out! It wasn't loaded with disposables and we also weren't having to take it out as often. Very quickly I realized, what's the sense in using cloth diapers if we aren't also going to recycle? We called our local sanitation department and had our recycling bins delivered a few days later.

After getting the hang of recycling we added two more bins to accommodate all of our recyclables. The end result was that we were only having to take our garbage out once a week and we were putting three bins full of recycling out twice a week! It felt good.

Currently I'd say we're somewhere on the "spectrum of green" between recycling, cloth diapering, purchasing more reusable goods as opposed to disposable ones, attempting to compost (although you might just call it feeding the raccoons), making our way towards eating more healthily, and trying to curb ours and our kids wasteful tendencies.

Could we be doing more? Absolutely! But baby steps are better than no steps at all.

Has cloth diapering led you towards making any additional eco-friendly changes or were you as green as could be before starting to cd?

I'd love to hear your comments!

Confessions of a CD Addict

Things began so simply. I was totally overwhelmed the first time I visited a cloth diaper store! I was 8 months pregnant and figured I would just cloth diaper part-time. My sister had dabbled in it with my niece for a few months several years earlier, so I guess I was expecting something similar. She had used cheap prefolds, pins and rubber pants from a discount store. WRONG! It was nothing like that, but I did settle on something similar.

When my son had several allergic reactions to the 'sposies, we went from part-time in cloth to full-time. Thankfully, it was very early on and I a had few diapers and covers. Now my stash is well over 40 diapers and covers, including some I made from recycled t-shirts. We have everything from prefolds to pockets, one-size, all-in-ones, and made from bamboo, cotton, and microfleece.

Since I discovered Twitter and a bunch of other Mommy bloggers, my son has won 5 diapers for our stash. He is only our first child, so this cloth addicted mommy will hopefully have many more fluffy bottom diaper changes ahead!

Contributed by Sara J.
http://johnsonandcollins.blogspot.com/

Just Julie: Share your cloth diaper related bloopers and/or funny stories!

I was recently reminded of a funny incident that happened back when I was just starting cloth diapering. I had only a handful of diapers to use on my sons and the day they arrived in the mail I knew I needed MORE! LOL

The thought occurred to me that I could "ask" my local freecycling group if anyone had any cloth diapers they weren't using that they'd be willing to part with. I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask and who knows, maybe I'd hit the jackpot.
So I posted to the group and got a response immediately! A woman who was about 45minutes away said she had a whole box of cloth diapers she wasn't using and that I could have them. I was excited, I asked if she knew what kind and she said she didn't know the brands. I was hopeful it was a box of fluffy bumGenius or FuzziBunz so I agreed to take them and make the long drive to get them.

My twins were only about 4-5months old at the time and I had never taken them for more than a 15 minute car ride. The ride went smooth, thankfully, but I soon realized the location was in a very bad part of town, I questioned whether or not I was making the right decision but my addiction to fluff just had to be met and my curiosity was getting the best of me.

I arrived at the mobile home and spotted the box outside in the carport. There were large barking dogs tied up outside which no doubt notified the homes occupants that I had arrived. However, they did not come out to greet me. The dogs chains were just short enough that they couldn't reach the box but were within just a couple feet of it.

I swallowed hard, left the kids in the car, ran up and grabbed the box, threw it in the car next to me and then took off. I got a couple blocks away and pulled over to inspect the boxes contents. There were at least two dozen diapers and an assortment of covers. They looked like they hadn't been used since 1969 and were riddled with holes and covered in dirt, dust and cobwebs. They were completely unusable and the trip proved to be a total waste of time.

I studied the box the entire drive home waiting for a giant roach or tarantula to jump out at me. I felt like a huge idiot for having gotten so excited and was sort of upset the people, who knew I lived almost an hour away, would allow me to drive all the way there for what was obviously garbage.

My husband got a kick out of my little adventure and since then I haven't asked for anything from my freecycling group.

The moral, of course, is that most of the time when things seem to good to be true, they usually are!

Do you have a silly cloth diapering story, a blooper, or something to share? I'd love to hear from you!

The Cloth Diaper Geek Explains it all! 1st Edition

Welcome to the first edition of The Cloth Diaper Geek Explains it all! Here, every Tuesday, at Diaper Discussions you'll find answers to reader submitted questions. No question is too big or small for The Cloth Diaper Geek! Post your questions as comments or feel free to use our Reader Contribution Form to submit your question.

To kick it off, below you'll find some frequently asked questions answered by The Cloth Diaper Geek!

Question: I've heard that you aren't supposed to place microfiber directly against the babies skin, is this true? If so, why?

The Geek's Answer: Great question! Microfiber is a super absorbent synthetic fiber and while it does feel soft to the touch (especially when new), some theories are that it can dehydrate babies sensitive skin when placed directly against it and cause dryness, rashes, allergies, etc. While microfiber is miraculous at soaking up liquids, it is not known for feeling dry to the touch. A quick dry liner of fleece or suedecloth is recommended or use the microfiber inside pocket diaper where there will be a barrier between it and your babe's precious bum.

Question: What is sunning and why is it recommended for cloth diapers?

The Geek's Answer: Sunning is the practice of either putting your diapers out to dry in the sun or sunning them in order to remove stains. Not only is it going reduce the wear and tear on your diapers compared to drying in a machine, it will also save you money off your electric bill! Plus, the sun's natural UV rays kill germs and bacteria naturally, help prevent undesired odor buildup, and it's a sure fire way to remove stains without the use of harsh chemicals.

On top of all those benefits, there's nothing quite as pleasing as seeing all your colorful diapers and accessories hanging out on the line on a nice sunny day.

Have a question for the Geek? Post your comments below.

Fluff in the Spotlight: Wet Happened? Designer WetBag & Diaper Clutch

You might ask, "What's the point in a fancy wetbag for dirty diapers?" Many mom's wonder, "can't I just use a plastic bag?" Well the truth is, you can but should you?! Wetbags are very versatile and can be used for a variety of purposes besides just dirty diapers. Some of their many uses include

• Soiled Clothing or Bibs
• Soiled Reusable Nursing Pads
• Dirty Diapers
• Potty Training
• Wet Swimsuits, Gym Clothes
• Toiletries & Cosmetics
• Camping/Hiking
  & much more!

This product is not just some fancy, unnecessary accessory that you NEED because of the designer prints it's available in.

Imagine this scenario, you send your cloth diapers to daycare with your child and you provide a plastic WalMart bag for them to place your soiled diapers into so that you can bring them home at the end of the day. Another employee, unfamiliar with your cloth diapering routine sees a bag with dirty diapers inside and throws them away thinking they are garbage. I have read horror stories on Message Boards from moms who are devastated that they or someone else accidentally tossed their valuable diapers into the garbage never to be seen again. Don't let it happen to you!

Check out Wet Happened? WetBags and Cloth Diaper Clutches and see what the Buzz is all about! Treat yourself to one and experience all the possibilites for use besides just cloth diapering. This accessorie is sure to last you through the years.

Available in a variety of prints and sizes to suit your needs.

Pimp Your Stash #2 - Ends Friday 08-28 *** CLOSED ***

This week the winner will win a brand new Wet Happened? Designer WetBag! This weeks question is "What is your favorite print and why?"
Guidelines for Entry
-In order to participate in our weekly contest and validate all extra entries you must first answer the weekly question.

-Please include your email in each post or ensure that we have a method of contacting you should you win.. OR, if you have a blog, make sure to post your comment signed in with your blogger account.

-Each contest runs from Sunday 12am to Friday 9pm.

-Winners are chosen using random.org, notified on Saturdays and winners name also posted on Blog.

-Winners have 7 days from contest end to claim their prize.

-Participation is open to mamas and papas worldwide! Anyone and everyone is welcome to join in the fun, however we are not responsible for lost packages and prizes that do not reach their destination will not be replaced.

-How to earn extra entries:

* Become a FAN of Earth Angels Diaper Co. on FaceBook
*Join our Yahoo/Newsletter Group
* Follow Us on Twitter
* Follow Diaper Discussions Blog
* Place the Diaper Discussions Animated Banner on your site or Blog
* Tweet About the Giveaway (post with your comment your twitter id, url, and twit time)
* Advertise our Giveaway in your blog, forums or site (post with your comment the direct link where you posted about it).
* Contribute an Article, Product Review or relevant story regarding Cloth Diapering. 10 extra entries are given for contributions submitted during the week of the contest.
* Comment to any post on the Diaper Discussions Blog (one entry per each comment)
* Register (or being already registered) in our Affiliate Program (please post your affiliate link with your comment).


--- Please post a separate comment for each extra entry and let us know which you've chosen to do in that comment ---

Good Luck!!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED..

WINNER WILL BE POSTED AFTER MIDNIGHT.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!