Why cloth pads are the bomb & review of Öko Creations Cloth Pads

I've been a "mama cloth"/ "R.U.M.P.S" / "cloth pad" user for almost two years - and it all started when I dove into this for my postpartum with Ruby. Talk about jumping into the deep end!

Since that time I've had about 9 cycles and I'm so glad that I've made the complete switch to reusable menstrual products. I'm a cloth diapering mom, so it made sense to also make a change for myself. Periods, menstruation or "Aunt Flo" aren't really topics of conversation that we usually have in our culture but let's just unveil that stigma for a second and talk about a few really key points on why cloth pads are the bomb.

1. Your period overall will be better. Many women report that by switching to cloth pads that their cramps aren't as painful and their periods are lighter and shorter. I can personally attest to that! Mine used to last about 9 days prior to switching to cloth and now I average about 5 days. One might call me a conspiracy theorist, but part of me wonders if all those extra chemicals in disposable products affect the menstrual cycle to last longer because that means you need more of their products and they get more money. Even disregarding that, cloth is a beneficial alternative because you are now removing that chemical contact with your body. Montsano stays out of my vagina.

2. Cloth pads are way prettier than disposables!  I actually look forward to my period because I get to look at the pretty patterns. I know that parents get hit with the "fluffy bug" when it comes to prints and cloth diapers...but seriously, I was not prepared for the level of excitement when I saw unicorn print pads. It's a little empowering, isn't it? Instead of the blah pads from the store you get to choose what you like and it kind of represents you. You might quickly find yourself re-evaluating the hum drum boringness of another cycle to thinking about the great social impact it has on you and all of mankind. But I digress, that is a very deep topic for another day!

3. You will save boat loads of money. In this day and age, women menstruate for about 40 years or more. Think about your average cost of disposable products per month. Cloth pads can be an "expensive" start, just like cloth diapers or most other reusable alternatives, but the long term financial benefits outweigh greatly. Take this: you spend $8 on disposables per month, which comes out to $3840 (without any breaks for pregnancy, postpartum, etc) in your fertile lifetime. Instead, you purchase a starter stash of 8 pads (for a conservative 2 day stash) and you have an investment of $80 that will last you many years.

4. You're being earth friendly. Pads, tampons and disposable diapers take 500-800 years to decompose. As mentioned in Reason #3, your stash will easily last you 3-5 years. Meanwhile, you are no longer adding a disposable impact on our Earth. The process of creating disposable products is also very damaging to our environment.

So now that I've gotten you on the cloth pad band wagon, let me introduce these lovelies to you.

 Öko Creations won my heart last fall with the ever adorable snail hat and I was so excited to get to try cloth menstrual pads out. I've become a bit of a pad addict due to my current endeavor and found it serendipitous that my cycle started the day after I prepped these.

Like other Öko Creations products the material and build quality was excellent.  Öko Creations is a family owned and run business with deep roots in eco-ethics in the textiles they choose and actions within their workshop. This is a business who not only cares about my lady-business but the impact of their work too.

The topper and core are an organic cotton and hemp blend, meaning they are extremely dense and absorbent. The feeling of the natural fibers is soft and helps you feel dry. You don't have the issue of 'compression leaking' like you might with other core choices. Like many cloth pads, it includes a hidden waterproof layer to prevent leaking; but it's not PUL like most. In fact, it is the first pad that I am aware of to use a breathable waterproof layer that is best related to Saran-wrap. The result is a very trim pad with high absorption efficiency.  The wings that snap together under your underwear to prevent shifting. Even though they are trim, I have zero problem using them overnight. These have quickly become a favorite!

 

You can buy them online and follow on facebook instagram pinterest

 

Disclosure: I received complimentary product in exchange for my honest review.

No other compensation was provided.

Lotus Bumz cloth diapers and leggings!

This post was originally part of the Favorite Things Giveaway Hop

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Spring has almost sprung and I am particularly excited because that means OFF come the warm cozy pants and OUT come the cute little dresses that show off those cute fluffy bottoms :) #clothmom

But alas, spring isn't a true season here in Washington and half the time we are still in cozy clothes. That typically hasn't stopped us because we can always opt for baby leg warmers, right?

So today I want to share with you the cuteness of Lotus Bumz cloth diapers and her line of coordinating leg warmers!

Lotus Bumz is family owned by Lorain and the diapers are ethically made in China. The diapers that I got to review are a one-size pocket diaper. If you are new to the cloth diaper lingo game, "one size" means that the diaper is made to fit most babies from usually 8 - 35 lbs, and "pocket diapers" means you stuff an insert inside the cover. The insert doesn't get bunched up or out of place so it's really a great option for many families.

We've been using Lotus Bumz cloth diapers for about 6 months and love em. Just plain love em. They have the cutest prints and fit my (now potty trained) toddler and infant really well. Each diaper comes with a microfiber insert.

The outer material, PUL, is thick and high quality. I have had zero issues with leaks and I can see these diapers standing up to a lot of use. Even though I use cloth diapers because I think they're cute, my main goal is to be able to use them through multiple children and I don't have any doubt that I'll be using these for another child. Here's my full Lotus Bumz cloth diaper review.

The leg warmers are also great quality. They have been a life saver for Ruby's knees while she motors around between carpet and hardwood. The best part about them is that they make diaper changes a breeze! A bonus is that when your kids get a little older and their legs are too long or thick for the leggings, they become great arm warmers. They are the right mixture of warm and lightweight that you can use them most of the year.

Are you ready to win a set of your own? Lotus Bumz wants to give a Pierogie Mama winner a coordinating cloth diaper and leg warmer set! Just enter via the giveaway widget below.

This giveaway has ended.

Disclosure: The Pierogie Mama is not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Overnight Potty Training?!

You're going to hate me. Potty training has been soooo easy for us!

As more and more of Penny's cohorts were potty training, I grew anxious to see what was in store for us. We had a couple experiences with potty interest when she was about 15 months old, and then I got pregnant and *I* lost interest in potty training and resigned myself to the couch. This past summer was also a failed attempt (mainly because, again, I couldn't keep up while having a 3 month old strapped to me). So we relaxed, enjoyed the fall and as the holidays approached, I had no hopes of her potty training because what kid potty trains around the holidays? We're constantly out of the house, out of our routine, the excitement of aunts, uncles and cousins...and how do we deal with public bathrooms?

It all started a couple days before Thanksgiving, where Penny woke up from her naps dry. I decided to give it a shot and put her in some Gerber cotton training underwear. I maniacally followed her around, pestering her if she needed to go potty and within 20 minutes or so she said she did so we got out her princess potty seat and plopped her down. To her great delight, it came and I rewarded her with a chocolate chip from a pretty jar that sits in our bathroom. We continued this for the next 3 days (with diapers during naps and bedtime) and she even stayed dry all through Thanksgiving weekend while visiting my in-laws and running around after all of her cousins.

For the following 2 weeks I would reward her with each successful potty by giving her a chocolate chip from the jar. She knows that a poop = two chocolate chips, a couple Frozen stickers and perhaps a tattoo if I have them laying around. We'd make a big deal out of successful attempts; I'd list of each person who is proud of her and I'd tell her to announce to Ruby that she went potty (because her sister's admiration is already important to her!).

Over the last week I cut out the chocolate chips for going potty. The little stinker was starting to play me and would go potty even if she just had one drop (because any potty meant a chocolate chip). So mama wised up and changed the rules to chocolate chips for poop (and she won't let me forget that she gets 2 Frozen stickers and a tattoo).

If I were to give anyone some tips on how we did it, this is what I would suggest.

• Keep it simple. I'm sure that she could have potty trained when she was 15 months old (not kidding), but the timing wasn't right. I was in my first trimester and exhausted. The following round of interest was when Ruby was brand new and it just didn't work for me to wear newborn Ruby and be standing over the toilet with Penny. So even though the timing wasn't ideal and I didn't get to capitalize on an early potty trainer, waiting until she was absolutely ready made it so much easier and less stressful on each of us.
• Figure out what reward system your child wants, and go for it. Even though we generally stuck to the one or two chocolate chip rule, if convincing her was a little more difficult that time I would allow her to grab more than her allotment. The stickler for rules in me had a problem with this at first, but I remembered that we're dealing with a child and honestly the toilet can kind of be a scary thing. Keeping it upbeat, happy and rewarding is important.
• If you are crafty by any means, sew a panel of fabric with your child's hero onto the front of the underwear. As you can see by my picture, it doesn't have to be perfect. Whenever I would put Penny into her underwear I would tell her "Remember, we're wearing our Frozen underwear. So don't pee on Elsa and Anna!" That was a huge motivator for her! I know that there is Frozen print underwear available, but I couldn't find the Gerber training underwear style and I already had a bunch of plain ones and also extra fabric laying around. 

I have to say, after cloth diapering 2 kids for 9 months, I am relieved in the break from laundry work. Penny is now 33 months old. It's a bittersweet transition though, because I miss that fluffy butt of hers. We still put on a diaper for naps and night time, even though most times she ends up dry. It just ensures that she will sleep longer. She's also passed the torch to her little sister is my resident cloth diaper model. 

How is potty training going for you? Any tips to share? 

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Newborn Fitted Cloth Diaper Hen and Chick

Cloth diapering can seem like a big pool of unknown to jump into; but newborn diapering? That seems even harder! 

As we began preparing for the arrival of our second baby, Ruby, I knew that I would definitely want to continue with our investment of cloth diapering our children. I had started Penny in cloth at about 3 weeks using a cloth diaper service. But this time around, as a seasoned cloth mama, I knew that we can handle the newborn phase too. But finding the perfect fit is an extremely difficult task, and the best I could do was guess on sizing based on what we experienced with Penny - which was an extremely small tush.

I contacted Heather from Heather's Green Home Goods about her very unique style of fitted diapers (which come in all sizes, but I specifically saw a great possibility with her preemie/newborn line) and waited patiently for my diapers to arrive :)

A "fitted" cloth diaper means that it requires the use of a cover. They can be a specific size; such as small, medium, large or by approximate weight range, or the currently very popular "one size" option that most cloth diaper manufacturers offer. The benefit of a sized cloth diaper is that it is more closely tailored to the size of diaper that your child currently needs; which is extremely important in the newborn phase, especially if your babies run small.

Hen and Chick fitted cloth diapers have a unique feature because of their foldable wings. They add that extra absorbent layer that an insert would provide in a pocket diaper, but are attached so it makes for a very easy wash, dry and prep for the next use. This has been a lifesaver for me! As you can imagine, the life of a mama with a newborn is already running on steam (and coffee), and when you add in that this specific mama has two under two then efficiency requirements skyrocket! Not having to really "prep" these diapers for their next use has been of great benefit to us.

The diapers are made from 2 layers of flannel, but with the wings folded in you now have 6 layers. To some this might seem like not that much; but remember - you've got a newborn. They need diaper changes like every 15 minutes because of how quickly they are processing breastmilk. You don't need a super fluffy diaper for the little ones and having a quick drying diaper in the early stages is so important. One way to add additional absorbency is to add another layer, such as a newborn microfiber insert that typically comes with Bum Genius diapers.

Ruby fit in these from birth (7 lbs 15 oz) to 9 weeks (12 lbs 10 oz) - so they fit a great range of weights for newborns.

These diapers do require a diaper cover, as they don't have a waterproof layer. We tried them out with a Thirsties cover, Blueberry and Buttons cover. Our favorite fit for Ruby has been the Blueberry Weehuggers cover. 

Heather also loves to customize her Hen and Chick cloth diapers! I opted for teal serging with a candy red snap - this kept it gender neutral but also pretty fun. Her Etsy shoppe features a ton of other options, such as prints instead of plain white and over 20 color options for thread or snaps.

Want to try some of your own? 

Check out Hen and Chick Cloth on Etsy to see all of what Heather has to offer - including nursing pads, wet bags, baby dresses and so much more!

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Royal Fluff Cloth Diaper review & giveaway

I recently got to try out the Royal Fluff one size microfiber liner with microfiber insert as well as their wet bags. 

These one size diapers are rated to fit babies that are 9-35 lbs. With both of my girls in that weight range (Ruby is about 10 lbs at 2 months old, Penny is about 23 lbs at 26 months) they both fit into the diaper very well.

You can expect the same type of fit from Royal Fluff cloth diapers as you do from most other cloth diaper brands. Because my older daughter is on the small side I tend to be wary one size diapers because they just never seem to fit correctly on her; but we've had great success with this diaper. I really like that the pocket is kept snugly closed with elastic versus the flap system that most other diaper brands use.

The wetbag features two PUL lined pockets - perfect for keeping everything wet contained or keeping things dry...even better, combining the two ;) In addition to carrying cloth diapers around in, I could see taking this with us to the pool or camping.

These are a few of my favorite prints (cue Julie Andrews):

Now you can win a Royal Fluff cloth diaper + insert too! Enter using the options below.

This giveaway has ended. Thanks to everyone who entered!

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review.

Wonderful Bambino Cloth Diaper Review

Two of my favorite things:

"Fluffy mail" (aka: cloth diapers that come in the mail)
Bamboo cloth diapers

We recently got to test out Wonderful Bambino fitted cloth diapers and I knew it'd be a hit simply because of the wonderful bamboo!  I had the opportunity to try these on our toddler, Penny, who is about 23 lbs and 25 months old. Yea, she's a little lady. But we love her that way :)

I'm a little new with fitted diapers; typically I like pockets or AI2s. But my love for bamboo material in cloth diapers over ruled my preference for the other styles. A fitted diaper looks a lot like a disposable diaper (in shape) and can be made with a variety of materials. It always requires a diaper cover because it has no waterproof material. They are a nice addition to any stash because they hold a lot of liquid but also wash/dry quickly.

Wonderful Bambino diapers are made of 100% bamboo material and are so absorbent. I've really developed a love for bamboo once Penny reached toddlerhood and although she wets diapers less often I found that the microfiber diapers that we had were leaking. After removing determining that the diapers didn't need to be stripped and that the fit was correct, I found that instead of the constant gentle trickle of pee that comes from babes, she pees less frequently but with more..force. Kind of like an adult. So the nature of microfiber just couldn't keep up with it, I guess. Bamboo has been our saving grace!

The Wonderful Bambino fitted diaper is rated for 12-40 lbs. Penny is currently 23 lbs and I find that it's a great fit on her. In addition to having nice stretchy elastic around the legs and across the back for a snug fit, the Wonderful Bambino diaper features 4 rows of rise snaps (most other one size diapers only have 3!). Ruby is about 11.5 lbs at 7 weeks, and although I know I can adjust the snaps to fit her, I would hesitate putting her into it just yet because of the amount of super fluff we'd have on our hands. Wonderful Bambino also has additional 4 layer bamboo inserts that you can lay down into the diaper for extra absorbency...I am SO happy that I don't have that much of a heavy wetter!

If you're new to bamboo, prepping bamboo diapers is different than synthetic fibers. Bamboo needs to be washed multiple times to help clear out the natural oils present in the material. The more you wash it, the softer and more absorbent it is. When prepping bamboo, I run it through a hot wash and dry cycle at a minimum of 5 times. This can take a while if you only do it with cloth diaper laundry, but I use the same cloth diaper safe detergent on our clothes so that helps cut down my prep time.

We have tried several covers with this diaper and have found that most one-size covers fit it just fine. We have had great success with Buttons diaper covers and Flips.

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review. The Pierogie Mama is not responsible for prize fulfillment. This post contains affiliate links.

Postpartum Care with MamaCloth Boutique + Giveaway!

I'm going to talk about a somewhat TMI topic with you all today - post partum bleeding care.

Here's a little back story. I've been a cloth diapering mama for about 2 years now (wooop wooop!), but for most of that time I've been "Aunt Flo Free." Breastfeeding does that to ya! I was blessed to be period free for the 9 months of pregnancy with Penny and through about 13 - 14 months post partum. Then I had a couple cycles and was pregnant again! I knew I was interested in reusable cloth pads but my cycle came back for such a short window of time that I barely got any research done.

Switching to cloth pads was sort of a no brainer to me, I was well aware of the reasons to cloth diaper and a lot of the same health reasons apply to disposable menstrual products. But a lot like cloth diapers, jumping into the reusable cloth pad world was daunting to me! What kind of pad do I want/need? How many? Plus, if I am to expect the same situation with my cycle to happen with Ruby as it did with Penny it will probably be well over a year before my cycle returns again. However, there is the case for post partum bleeding.

I got in touch with the Mama Cloth lady - aka, Meg, the owner of Mamacloth.ca. She gave me the run down on why you want to switch to reusable cloth pads (affectionately called "mama cloth" all across the board) and we worked out a package of what I could expect to use for my post partum bleeding. She also threw in 3 pairs of of pretty coordinating nursing pads. What a doll!

1 "All in one" organic bamboo velour, 2 layer hemp cotton fleece with PUL fabric (in hot pink / damask)
1 "Pocket" pad with several inserts (floral print)
PUL pad wrapper (damask)
3 pairs of nursing pads

As it turns out, mama cloth is kind of similar to cloth diapers if you're already familiar with it. The "All in one" style is just like an AIO diaper - no inserts required, it's all good to go just like you'd expect a disposable pad to be. The "pocket" style pad is just like a pocket diaper - add however many inserts you need based on your flow. It all looks pretty easy to me! Washing cloth menstrual pads is also very similar to cloth diapers; I rinse them prior to putting them in a wetbag that hangs on the door handle in our bathroom. Then we throw them in with the cloth diaper wash since we've been on wash overload with a newborn and toddler in cloth too!

You've got to be wondering how exactly these hold up with the super heavy, crazy flow that happens after birth. In my case I had a unique tear and coming into contact with anything was excruciating! Thankfully Mamacloth's AIO pad features an organic bamboo velour top that is what your skin comes in contact with. Seriously a life saver!!! I would trade all the underwear in the entire world to have this material be my underwear! It was so soft and truly absorbent. This is an important luxury to have when your lady parts are healing after birth; whether you had tearing, stitches or no damage at all. 

The pocket style mama cloth pad was really nice because as I mentioned before, you can customize how many inserts you need based on your flow.

A new mama can never have enough nursing pads either, so I loved trying out Mama Cloth's version of nursing pads. These come with two layers of so-soft fleece and an inner layer of absorbent cotton fleece. I never leaked a whole bunch during let down while I nursed Penny but this time my milk production is in crazy overdrive. These pads have done well with getting me through the night and their cute prints are a plus! :)

As you can see, MamaCloth.Ca is not just all about your period, it's all about reusable cloth products for the home. So in addition to menstrual products, she's got cloth/family wipes, wet bags and un-paper towels. 

So make your period a happy one - am I kind of a geek for getting really excited about these beautiful prints that she has for her products? Periods are rarely roses and unicorns but it does help a little to have these pretty pads to look at, right?

Here's your chance to win a $30 gift certificate to Mamacloth.ca! You can use it to buy anything in her shop - doesn't have to be just cloth pads!  Be sure to follow Mamacloth.ca on facebook and twitter to get the scoop on any new prints or deals that she's running!


This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all who entered!

Disclosure: I received product in exchange for my honest review, all opinions expressed are my own. 

Family Cloth... Really?? (Guest post from Momma Jorje)

Momma Jorje is one of my go-to natural parenting and green living blogs. She has so much to share and has opened my eyes about a ton of new ideas! While we haven't dove into the family cloth idea, we definitely use cloth wipes with our cloth diapers and I much prefer them to disposables. I love to learn about new ideas and keep an open mind about things, so if you ever had any questions about the 'family cloth' thing - here you go. 

~Bianca

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The first time I really read about "Family Cloth" was on OrganicSister.com. I thought it was a nice, green idea... but a little too far out there for this self-proclaimed "slightly crunchy momma." Still... I read the entire thing with some fascination.

Over time, I got involved in some crunchy circles and heard mention of others that practice the use of family cloth. In the Fall of 2011, we traveled to a gathering of just such a crunchy circle (the Natural Parents Network Volunteers).

This was to be my very first in-person experience with family cloth. Our host (Code Name: Mama) offered regular toilet paper, but I immediately recognized a stack of family cloth in a basket on the back of the toilet. After looking around a bit, I realized that the bag on the doorknob was a "wet bag." I could hardly believe I was in the situation. So... I tried it! What did I have to lose?

The perfect cloth diaper detergent: Country Save

I've been on my cloth diapering journey for just about 23 months now - I am so amazed at how much has changed and yet really a few things that have stayed constant. We've changed up our cloth diaper routine based on Penny's age and needs, but even through 4 moves in those 23 short months (and vastly varying water types) - one thing has stayed the same: our laundry detergent.

I'm a die-hard Country Save fan. Its single formula has worked for us through hard, normal and soft water. A 10 lb box lasts us well over 6 months, and that's including using it on regular clothes loads too. And I'm not even using an HE washer; I've got a 5-10 year old washer/dryer combo that we inherited when we got married and it's probably not as efficient as most others, but it definitely gets the job done.

The key is that it is a super concentrated, powder formula. It leaves no residue or scent behind - my clothes and diapers just smell...clean. No artificial "mountain air" or "fresh linen" (that one always cracks me up) scents. If I ever want my laundry to have a special scent to it, I just add a little bit of essential oil to my wool dryer balls and its still all natural.

My cloth diaper washing routine is as follows:

1. Always using the largest water setting, I run a cold/cold rinse without any detergent. This rinses out any soils on the diapers.
2. Then I run a hot/cold load, filling the provided scoop about 1/4 of the way with Country Save detergent and add it to my hot load. I keep the door open and let it agitate (restarting it several times), so that the cloth diapers have extra time in the hot water and detergent. Then I let the cycle finish up with the cold rinse.
3. One final cold/cold rinse!
4. Natural fiber inserts can go into the dryer (with wool dryer balls, never any softener or sheets!), microfiber and all covers are air dried. During the winter I dry them on a rack in front of our pellet stove over night and in the late spring / summer / fall I dry them outside using the natural bleaching power of the sun - aka "sunning."

Country Save is always:

• 100% Phosphate-Free
• Completely Biodegradable
• Safe for Septic Tanks
• Ideal for Sensitive Skin
• Fragrance & Dye Free
• No Optical Brighteners
• Cruelty-Free
• No Animal Testing
• No Animal By-Products
• Ultra Concentrated Formula
• Highly Economical

What else can I say about Country Save besides that is is awesome, economical and I don't have to worry about harsh chemicals coming into contact with my family's skin? Oh, it's Pacific Northwest locally owned! I love my local businesses!

Buy Country Save at Amazon.com or 

search for local retailers near you. 

Disclosure: Thank you Country Save for sponsoring this post, though I only share about products that I truly love! This post contains affiliate links.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Cloth Diaper Edition (Review & Giveaways!)

Welcome to the Favorite Things Giveaway Hop, hosted by the Cloth Diaper Revival. 

Each blogger participating has a great cloth diaper prize for you to win, worth at least $20, so after you enter mine, be sure to hop around to all the others in the linky!  Don’t forget to enter to win one the GRAND PRIZE for the event!
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Oprah gets to giveaway some of her favorite things, right? So here's your chance to win some of mine!

1 Funky Fluff Bamboo Fusion 2.0 cloth diaper 

This diaper saved my (well, Penny's mostly) butt for night time. We were beginning to go through a phase where it seemed like anything and everything leaked throughout the night and then I got to try the original version of Funky Fluff Bamboo Fusion diapers. Worked like a charm! Then I got the opportunity to review the revamped 2.0 Fusion diaper and was just as pleased!

1 10lb box of Country Save Detergent

At the beginning of cloth diapering, I gave several brands a shot. Country Save has withstood the test of time and our diapers have consistently remained clean and a 10 lb box lasts me a LONG time. In the almost 23 months of cloth, we've probably gone through about 4 10 lb boxes; and that includes at least 75% of our clothes being washed with this detergent too!

Doodle Pants

Every mom wants her little cuties in adorable outfits, right? I first discovered Doodle Pants because they make cloth diaper friendly leggings, which we absolutely adore! You will get a chance to win 2 pairs of Doodle Pants leggings. Now they've come out with a line of clothing to coordinate with some of their most popular styles of leggings! I can't wait to share pictures of Penny in her Pink Monster outfit.

1 box with 6 Woolzies Wool Dryer Balls
Woolzies Wool Dryer Balls have been essential in my laundry regime. They've cut down on my drying time, are all natural and mean ZERO fabric softener or dryer sheet use! That's been a huge help in making sure that our cloth diapers have zero build up. Learn more about how Woolzies wool dryer balls save money.

$20 egift certificate to Irresistibly Green
Now it's your turn to get you get one of your favorite things, or try something new! The Irresistibly Green family has so much to offer; from cloth diapers to skin care to something for the home. They even have a great bargain bin to stretch your dollar further!

Enter here!

Entry-Form

Disclosure: The Pierogie Mama, Cloth Diaper Revival and the Favorite Things participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations. This post contains affiliate links.

Get some #freshfluff with Buttons Diapers & Woolzies

This post was originally published as a part of the 
Fresh Fluff Giveaway Hop.
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I'm excited to giveaway two products that are no strangers on The Pierogie Mama blog -

Buttons Diapers cloth diapers

Woolzies wool dryer balls

Going the natural route is important to me, but heck, let me admit it - saving money is super important too! That's why these two products are a part of my arsenal. Cloth diapers save an immense amount of money - a full Buttons Diaper system will cost you about $240 from birth to potty training! Dryer balls save you time and money by increasing air circulation in your dryer and physically beating the water off your laundry.

One lucky winner will win a prize pack of a Buttons Diaper set and a box of Woolzies dryer balls!

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

Disclosure: The Pierogie Mama, Fresh Fluff participating bloggers 

are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Bamboobies: Best for Breasts!

You don't have to be a Pierogie Mama reader for long to know that I'm passionate about breastfeeding. If you can and have the desire to do it, more power to you! I believe that breastfeeding is making a huge comeback in our generation and proper education and support are a big factor on this.

One of my all time favorite boobie products has been Bamboobies. When I first started breastfeeding, I battled a lot of really uncomfortable issues - ligaments that needed stretching, I thought I was getting vasospasms, the typical soreness/cracking/dryness that many mamas experience. In addition, there was the leaking. Some of my post-lactating mama friends passed on their almost empty boxes of breast pads for me to try out. Maybe these pads worked well for them, but those suckers stuck to me so bad and pulling them off was like ripping off a scab each time. Not exaggerating. Oh, and of course, the appearance of being a biscuit smuggler was always so attractive. I was thankfully introduced to Bamboobies very quickly and learned that breastpads can be luxurious and no one has to know you're wearing them. HALLELUAH!

But what is the third most important factor of a good breastpad? Leak proof. Doesn't matter if it's comfy or hidden. It just plain has to work. Ladies, Bamboobies work. I did a small test to see exactly how much water it would take to soak into a Bamboobies breastpad before it showed up on the other side.

3 1/2 tsp of liquid before these beauties leak! Amazing! I can tell you from personal experience that it takes way less than 3 1/2 tsp of liquid to soak through disposables. Also keep in mind once you get past the initial engorgement stage, your letdown should ease up as your body acclimates to how much milk to produce for your baby so leaks will become less of an issue.

And of course, being a cloth diapering mama, my favorite part is buying once and never having to buy again. No running to the store because you're out. Just pop these in the wash (I stuck mine in a small lingerie bag to make sure they didn't get sucked up) and they're as good as new. As I prepare for Pierogie #2, I'm stocking up on these beauties!

Bamboobies also offers thicker overnight pads, different bundles and gift packs, nursing wear and Boob-ease products to help soothe your girls in the early days.

Want to know one more thing about just how awesome Bamboobies is? Pierogie Mama readers get 20% off at checkout by using the discount code PIER20! WOOOOAHH! A pack of 2 sets of regular nursing pads is $16.99. You can also buy them on Amazon and Babies r Us.

And I lied. There is one more awesome thing.. Bamboobies is partnering with The Pierogie Mama for a $25 Bamboobies gift certificate giveaway starting on Oct 22. Mind = blown. Make sure we're friends on Facebook and on BlogLovin' so that you don't miss out!

Keep up with Bamboobies via Facebook, Twitter, their blog and online store. 

And a parting secret tip - keeping in touch has some definite perks. 

Bamboobies fans are the first to know about their very awesome freebie offers 

that only come once or twice a year.

I've got more important things to do besides wait on my laundry: Woolzies

Have you ever experienced the awesomeness of wool dryer balls? Their awesomeness goes beyond gaining you crunchy mama points, you know.

• By adding a pack of 6 Woolzies wool dryer balls to your dryer, you can reduce the drying time to about 25%. Me - I've got a dozen. I hate running the dryer and am experimenting with how many balls is too many balls before they don't make an impact on dryer time anymore. Today I washed and dried our sheets which normally takes a couple hours for our king sized stuff (along with stopping, untangling and removing already dried parts)- and it was done in less than an hour!!
• When you save money on energy, you also save money on buying fabric softener. That's because the dryer balls are karate chopping and kneading your fabrics into submission.
• Wool allergy? Don't worry - it's not an issue with wool dryer balls. The wool isn't touching your skin and the fibers don't shed.

Check them out online, Facebook and Twitter...
Keep an eye out for a giveaway for a pack of Woolzies Wool Dryer balls 
from The Pierogie Mama in October!

I received a pack of Woolzies Wool Dryer Balls for free using Tomoson.com. 

Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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Camping with Cloth Diapers: Guest Post on My Cloth Diaper Stash

I've written a guest post over at My Cloth Diaper Stash 

on my experience with cloth diapering while camping in the great outdoors! 

Check it out and let me know if you've braved this old timey experience. 

What tips would you add?

The Cleanest Cloth Diapers with Country Save #summerfluffing

This giveaway was originally published as a part of the Summer Fluffing giveaway hop.

_____________________________________

One of the first questions that I get asked by friends who are interested in cloth diapering is about how to wash them. Poop and pee just make people uneasy. I talk to them about how it's not terribly time consuming but does take a little bit of work getting your formula down right. I steer them away from the mainstream detergents (for all of your laundry, not just cloth diapers) and tell them about my favorite household product: Country Save detergent.

Recently I've switched from reserving the 'special detergent' (as I would tell my husband) for cloth diapers and baby clothes to simply using it for all of our laundry. Country Save doesn't add a bunch of extra ingredients (enzymes, brighteners, fragrances) and all you get is the stuff that cleans your clothes, so this box of detergent goes a long way.

Country Save has partnered with me to share the love! One winner will receive a 10 lb box of detergent and a 40 oz package of their Oxygen Bleach. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

Disclosure: No compensation was provided, just love this product and want you to love it too! The Pierogie Mama, According to Jenny, So Easy Being Green, the Blogging Mamas Network, and the Summer Fluffing participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.

Giveaway rules: Open to US residents only. Must be 18 years or older. The Pierogie Mama is not responsible for prize fulfillment, though I will advocate with you to make sure you get your prize. This giveaway is not associated in any way with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Google. Winners will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

Brighten Whites Using the Sun

A long, drizzly overcast winter leaves my cloth diapers a little...dingy. They're definitely clean but especially with a child who is on solids they're a little tougher to get out. This Washington mama is lucky because summer is around the corner and the sun is making its appearance more often- that means sun bleaching!

This was a concept I had totally forgotten about since elementary school. Oh yes, sun bleaching your hair with lemon juice, or science experiments with leaving a bunched up wet towel to dry in the sun for weeks. The sun does have some pretty cool powers.

Sun bleaching or "sunning" has a lot of great benefits:

• It's all natural. Why would I want to use harsh chemicals (like bleach or brighteners) on the cloth that I've worked so hard to keep safe for my baby's bottom? 
• It is so economical! How about free?! Even in Western Washington where true hot sunny days are hard to come by it's completely possible to sun stains out of fabrics. It just might take a little while longer on those damp days ;)
• UV rays from the sun are a great disinfectant. 

How do you do it? Really simple, silly! Just lay your stained item (be it a cloth diaper insert or even your husband's shirt that got stained) in the sun and wait few hours. Pretty soon your whites will be back to normal. I've even had success with sunning out a spaghetti stain on a white sweatshirt that has been washed at least a dozen times - that regular detergent was not able to get out.

Some additional tips:

• Use a clothes drying rack or hang a laundry line to get more sun exposure and aid in more effective drying. 
• Add a squeeze of lemon juice to give it an extra boost!
• Don't leave the cloth out for more than a few hours, because eventually the fibers will become damaged and weak. If it needs more time, wait a day or so and get it damp again and set it out for a few hours.
• This isn't limited to your whites, it's just easier to see the difference in them! 

Woolzies Dryer Balls Review and Giveaway!

While on the path to a chemical-free and more natural home, the first place I started was with my laundry. It was sort of a given because with cloth diapering one begins to have an obsession appreciation of washing clothes. After all, you're washing poop - you want to be sure that your diapers are clean and that they don't leave a residue that will spread to your clothes and muck up your washer.

All things aside, cloth diapering is super easy and the fear of poop getting on your clothes is the last thing you really should be worried about. What you really should be worried about are the products found in most laundry rooms that are harmful and downright unnecessary.

But the purpose of today's blog post isn't to talk to you about your wash routine (you can read my post about the benefits of going "green" with your laundry detergent here), today I'm talking to you about your drying routine!

Seriously, 2 years ago I would have laughed all the way to the loony bin if I knew I would spend any of my free time writing about washing and drying clothes.

Do you want to learn a little secret on how to save money by way of your dryer? Did you know that wool dryer balls will cut down your drying time up to 25% and completely eliminate the need for fabric softener (which saves money and actually helps your laundry get cleaner)?  Well it's certainly true!

But why go with wool dryer balls? Why not use those spiky plastic dryer balls you can buy at the grocery store? Because those are usually not PVC free and honestly, break apart a few months and you have go to out and buy more. In the past I've made my own wool dryer balls, with some success, but they've mostly unraveled.

After trying out Woolzies Dryer Balls, I'm pretty much in love. They are perfectly felted (and not
wound by a strand, so they will never fall apart!) and are made of 100% New Zealand wool. Ever since kicking fabric softener a small part of me has missed some scent with my clean laundry so I even added a few drops of lavender oil to each ball and now my laundry smells SO heavenly.

Wool dryer balls work their magic by physically bouncing around and separating your laundry as the dryer is running. This helps air circulate more efficiently. They act as a softener because they are punching and karate chopping your clothes as they dry. 


Some other awesome facts about wool dryer balls:

• Woolzies dryer balls last for 1,000 loads! At my house, my washer and dryer are typically running every day (between laundry and cloth diapers). That means mine will last me almost 3 years.  How much would you save if you didn't have to buy fabric softener for 3 years? 
• As I mentioned before, they cut down drying time up to 25%  (another way of saving moolah).
• Don't worry if you have wool allergies! The wool isn't directly touching your skin, instead is just bouncing around in your dryer.
• Using wool dryer balls instead of fabric softener helps your laundry get cleaner. Fabric softener coats the fibers in your laundry (that's why it feels soft yet almost waxy) and it's really hard for a standard wash cycle to fully remove this buildup, especially in towels. So have you ever noticed that after a while your towels smell funky even though you'd only used them once? Because just like what happens to cloth diapers sometimes, your towels are experiencing build up and the fabric softener is actually preventing the laundry detergent from stripping away the residue of the softener and other ickies in your towel.  
• A quick way to fix that though is to wash your towels in super hot water with add a cup of vinegar and allow it to soak for an hour or so before finishing out the load. Then they'll be as good as new!

So are you ready to save some cash and start your journey to a more natural laundry routine? Woolzies has graciously provided a set of 6 wool dryer balls for a Pierogie Mama reader to win! Take a look at the Rafflecopter widget below.

This giveaway is over - thanks to all for entering! 

Keep an eye out for more Pierogie Mama Giveaways.

How to buy used cloth diapers

Buying used cloth diapers is a great way to test out if you are interested in making the switch, or as a way to build up your existing stash. But sometimes it may seem a little daunting. Fear not, here are a few tips on what to look for when shopping craigslist or consignment sales.

• Look at the velcro. If you know how to use a sewing machine, replacing worn out velcro can be very easy.
• Look at the elastic on the legs. If there isn't really any spring in them, then you'll be looking at replacing those too (not as easy as replacing velcro)
• Snaps - are all the snaps there?
• Smell - clean cloth diapers are not supposed to smell. 
• Stains - most stains are easily sunned out. But once the baby starts eating solid foods, there are some stains that are harder to sun out than others. Stains shouldn't necessarily be a deterrent but they can give you a clue as to how they were taken cared for. 
• Condition of the PUL - any "snags" in the material or tears? Take a good look around each of the snaps if it is a diaper with snaps. Sometimes pulling too hard on the snaps will begin to tear the PUL (see picture below). Torn PUL = high chance of leaking.

Questions to ask when buying used cloth diapers:

•  Price: Used cloth diapers hold their value pretty well. Have an idea of what that brand of cloth diaper sells new.
• Type of detergent used
• Air or machine dried
  
  • Machine drying is not necessarily a bad thing - many companies say it's ok to machine dry. However drying at too high of heat for too long and delaminate the PUL and you've got yourself a diaper that doesn't work. Air drying may take a little longer but it helps prolong the life of the diaper.

What happens if you buy a diaper and it is smelly?
Try "stripping" your diapers to start with. "Stripping" means removing any build up in the diaper. All About Cloth Diapers has a good tutorial on cloth diaper stripping. I personally have used the "blue dawn" method when I was given some hand-me-down diapers and after rashes that don't clear up in a day.

There are a ton of cloth diaper retailers who sell "seconds" (which are brand new diapers that may not completely meet all QA standards, but are still useable) or have clearance sales too. My favorite way to get quality used diapers is through the Cotton Babies $1 Diaper Sale. You read that right. Every once in a while, Cotton Babies purges its stashes and sells used cloth diapers for $1-$10. So if you live near St. Louis or Vancouver, WA - you should keep an eye on their facebook and blog for when their next event will be. 

It may seem gross to buy used diapers.. but think about it. Cloth diapers are meant to be used over and over, and many families use the same stash on multiple kids if the diaper holds up. So as long as you keep a few things in mind and feel comfortable with the source you are buying the diapers from, there's no reason why not to save a few bucks and go the "pre-loved" route!

Have you ever bought used cloth diapers? What was your experience? Would you add anything to this list?

Going "green" with laundry detergent - why you should consider the switch

Before becoming pregnant, I never really gave laundry detergent too much thought besides "does it smell good?"  I figured that detergent is detergent. I would also load up on the fabric softener sheets to a totally ridiculous level. When I became interested in cloth diapering and living more naturally, and I learned that what is in most mainstream detergents and softeners is not something I want close to my baby's (or my family's) skin at all!

When you cloth diaper, using more natural detergents helps prolong the life of your diapers, keeps them from "repelling" (which means they are no longer absorbent and you have a leaky stinky mess everywhere) and of course keeps only safest ingredients closest to your baby's butt. Some cloth diaper manufacturers list certain mainstream detergents as being ok for their cloth diapers, but for the most part they typically recommend more natural or "green" detergents. I did a little bit of research and found that there are a ton of natural detergents out there- and many are just as reliable as the brands we're all accustomed to finding at the grocery store. I mean, come on, their main job is to clean baby poop. So I experimented with Rockin Green and Country Save (a locally based company for me!). Both are family owned, dye/optical brightener/enzyme/phosphate free. I'll explain below why this is important.

I knew I was hooked when after washing my first load of cloth diapers, I completely smothered my face into a few freshly washed (but not yet dried) prefolds - and hesitantly expected to smell poop (oh, the glamorous parts of motherhood).  And...nothing. All I smelled was the freshest and cleanest cloth I have ever smelled in my entire life. It was like breathing in a field of grass after a rain. So weird to describe, but I was totally sold after that. 

Prepping our cloth diapers for the first time

After using this detergent solely on our cloth diapers for a few weeks, I decided to try it out on some towels that were just... stinky. They were clean, but after towelling off they'd leave a bad smell on our skin. I tried our "special" cloth diaper detergent and with one wash they also had that fresh after the rain smell.. Even after a couple uses later.

That led to the transition in my laundry regime that my "special" detergent was for cloth diapers, baby clothes and towel use only. Admittedly, we still use "regular" detergent for the grown up clothes. The main reason for that is because we still have a lot of it left. However, the plan is to switch completely over very soon.

So what about Dreft, the "baby detergent"? I'll admit that we used it on Penny's clothes before we started washing our own cloth diapers at home because it seemed like the "normal" or "right" way to do it. Dreft claims to use "milder" ingredients to be safer for a baby's sensitive skin. But, like many other baby related products, marketing pushes you towards using a specific baby formula because they know people want what's best for their baby, but many simply don't do their research on why they should use one product over the other. This allows companies to use a higher price tag, and even then people will believe that it's a better product because it costs more!  Some suggest that All Free and Clear is similar enough to Dreft and is much less expensive. However, these detergents still contain harsh chemicals, fragrances, enzymes, brighteners, often times bleach, and are not good for the environment. None of these things I really want in contact with my baby's skin.

But besides your laundry smelling super clean and not like fake mountain meadows, why would you want to use a more natural detergent? Like I mentioned above, enzymes, brighteners, fragrances and bleach are ingredients that cause build up in cloth diapers and clothes (source 1), lead to diaper rash and ultimately you don't want coming in contact with your family's skin.

• Enzymes in your detergent aren't necessarily a bad thing (source 2), because they help break down stains. Even though they don't always fully wash out of clothing, most people don't have a problem with them coming into contact with their skin. But, babies and people with sensitive skin do.
• Brighteners are literally chemicals that trick the eye into making colors appear brighter (source 3) - they have nothing to do with how clean your laundry gets.
• Fragrances are another additive to laundry that aren't essential. Sure, we all love our laundry to smell good, but when you consider that this is another chemical being added to your clothes that you wear all day every day, I don't need that extra exposure thankyouverymuch. If my clothes smell real clean, I'm happy! Have you noticed that there are detergents which actually feature the "fresh linen" smell? How ridiculous!  
• Environmentally speaking, you want to consider how the manufacturing process leaves a carbon footprint as well as what happens to all those chemicals that you use to wash your clothes (source 4).  Biodegradable, phosphate and fragrance free is the way to be.

If you're curious how your detergent stacks up, Diaper Jungle has a chart that compares most detergents for their use with cloth diapers. Both Rockin Green and Country Save rank highly on that chart - whereas Dreft is at the very bottom. 

Same goes for fabric softener - I haven't used fabric softener in a few years, simply because it is expensive, breaks down the material faster and it's another chemical (source 5). It also is the reason behind why my towels got stinky - they just started to repel and didn't get clean. Instead, I use wool dryer balls (that I made myself!). Here's a great tutorial.  Besides bouncing around in your dryer and beating up your clothes, wool dryer balls help dry your laundry faster and reduce static.

source

Ever since switching to natural detergent and wool dryer balls, I can definitely feel the difference between that and laundry done the mainstream way. When I do my laundry, I feel like I can feel the cloth as it was meant to feel.  Fabric softener just makes clothes feel oily to me, like I have to wash my hands after touching it. Weird, right? I also like my infant to smell like herself, not other fragrances. Have you ever noticed when you let someone else hold your baby, and you get her back that she smells like who ever was holding her? I feel the same way when I put her into clothes that were washed with other detergents or chemically softened.

As far as loyalty between Rockin Green and Country Save, I think both do a great job. I like that Rockin Green comes in a variety of scents (but once your clothes are washed, they are scent free) and they have different formulas based on if you have hard or soft water.  But I find that Country Save is  more affordable and my dollar goes further. I can also purchase Country Save locally whereas I have to order Rockin Green.

Bottom line for me is that I want to use products that leave minimal residuals on my family, whether it's the detergent we use or the food we eat. Limited exposure to certain chemicals may have been researched as ok/safe, but we're talking about things that we use on a daily basis for our entire lives, and we all react differently.  At the very least, I want to limit my kids' exposures to non-natural products for as long as I can.

Sources:
1. http://clothdiapers.blogspot.com/2009/09/good-detergent-bad-detergent.html
2. http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/95240839_Are_you_wearing_your_detergent_.html
3. http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/video/no-glow
4. http://home.howstuffworks.com/laundry-detergent4.htm
5. http://wisdomofwool.com/?p=710