Diaper laundry

This is something people write about a lot.  If you do cloth diapers you fully understand how it can easily take over your life if you let it.

I find that I now schedule things around washing diapers or will was my diapers early if I can help it.  Hopefully this won't last much longer for a few reasons.

Here are some helpful hints to consider.

1. Find a routine, keep it simple, and stick to it.

2. Get a schedule that is easy for you.

3. Buy a few more diapers than you really need.  It helps if for any reason you find yourself having to delay your schedule.  This is also a good idea because an illness can dramatically also speed up your need to wash.

4. Hang dry as much as you can.  This is especially true if you have aplex diapers.  It can greatly extend the life of your diapers.

5. Sun them, but don't over sun them.  Don't leave them hanging for hours at a time.  This will cause a shorter life span for your diapers.

Can you think of any hints that have helped you with your routine?

BumGenius - Aplix vs Snaps

I meant to do this yesterday, but I'm sure you'll forgive me.  I'm trying to get back into the swing of things where I actually update this thing on a daily basis.

I love my BumGenius diapers.  I really do.  I love the ease, the colors, and the fact they are so easy to get.  Just about every seller I know carries them.  They're not hard to find and very often they're on sale.  Who can beat a combination like that.

I love their snaps.  Their snap diapers are awesome.  I love the double rows of snaps because my daughter has chunky thighs and a skinnier belly.  It requires a custom fit.  So, very often I use up my Snap BGs before my Aplix BGs.  I'll tell you why.

I hate the aplix BG uses.  I hate it with a burning passion.  It is the worst crap I've ever encountered.  The tabs are small and and they wear out fairly quickly.  I'm very not happy about that part.  I don't like how the aplix is a separate part of the diaper.  I much prefer my Happy Heinys for Aplix because it's part of the tab.  The Aplix is not exposed at all and the tabs are much larger. 

So, BumGenius is an awesome brand.  It's a great brand for if you're just starting out, but please save yourself some annoyance and skip the Aplix.  The snaps are so much nicer.

Do you have BGs in your stash?  Have you run across the same problem I have?

I don't like snaps at 1 AM

I love my snap diapers.  I love washing my snap diapers.  I have a love/hate relationship with my hook and loop diapers.  They're easy for my midgets to take off by themselves and they're a pain in the ass to wash.

However at 1 AM I am all about the hook & loop.  Actually I save them in case I have to do a late night changing.

Snaps are great and snaps are more durable.  However, trying to snap a diaper on a wiggly, crying child at 1 AM while half asleep is not my idea of a good time.  I want to slap on a diaper and be back to soothing this child to sleep.

So, while part of me would like to 100% convert to snaps.  For the sake of my SO and for the sake of my sanity, I'm always going to have at least a few hook and look diapers.  1 AM changes happen and I'd like to be prepared for them.

Do you prefer snaps, do you prefer Hook and Look diapers, or do you keep a blend of the two?

My new hobby

I have gotten to the point with Cloth diapering that it's almost a hobby for me.  I'm constantly on the look out for a diaper that the girls might like more.  I love looking at patterns.  I even like washing them.  Which is funny because I hate doing laundry.

As a matter of fact I will talk about it with people who CD and I talk about it with people who don't.  I get excited about Fluff coming in the mail.  I don't care what you use for diapers.  I want to talk about it.  I want to talk about the different styles.  I want to talk about my plans for Ella next summer so she doesn't get a heat rash again.  It's definitely become my new hobby.

I get excited just thinking about cloth diapers.  I really do.  I'm thinking of switching to mama cloth just so I can continue to be excited about that after Ella is finally potty trained.  Either way.  Do you CD?  Is it your new hobby?  Have I lost my mind?

Making a change

As some of you may know I plan to go cloth with my children.  For those of you not in the know of what that means it means I'm ditching my disposable diapers for cloth diapers.  It's cheaper in the long run, it's better for the environment, and they're cute as all hell.

I spent years considering this.  I spent years talking to everyone I know about what I'm getting myself into.  I hate using disposable diapers.  It gives my children rashes and it's horrible for the environment.  I like the planet I live on and would like to do right by it.

However I'm completely afraid I'm going to screw this up.  Standing on the outside looking in it seems complicated and confusing.  There are rules about how you're supposed to wash them.  I'm sure some of this is fanatics making it seem more than it is, but to us on the outside it's overwhelming.  I want to do this, but it's like thinking you have to jump in ice water.  You stand there as long as you possibly can because it's going to be a shock and you know you're going to be overwhelmed.  I'm sure at first I'm going to screw up at least a little...I think.  Either that or it will come naturally to me.  I don't know.  I just needed a push.  I'm sure I'll thank the people who pushed me for it later.  Even the jack asses that got the economy to the point where the reason I'm finally really doing this is so I can stop buying disposables and start using that money toward things like food and clothing.

I just had to write this out because I feel like I'm going crazy.  I feel like I'm going to disappoint myself and I feel very anxious about the whole situation.  I feel like any time I ask questions I'm being stupid.  I know I'm being hard on myself, but you can't help how you feel.  As soon as I get my stash I'll start posting about the different diapers I got and how things are going with them.  I'm going to start with Lily because she needs less diapers than Ella does.  Soooo, wish me luck?