Cloth Diapers

Many of you might know that I use cloth diapers. I absolutely love them, and Hunter's little bum is always adorable with all the different colors of diapers that I have. If any of you out there have considered cloth diapers I highly recommend it. It has saved us a ton of money, and will continue to do so with every other kid that we have. Below are some reasons why cloth diapers are great. These ideas are a collaboration from several of my favorite cloth diapering websites listed at the bottom. (My thoughts are in italics and the information from the websites in regular font). Any questions about cloth diapering feel free to email me.

Cost of Cloth Diapering (from the Uncommon Bottom)

If you haven't already noticed, babies are expensive. Currently name brand disposable diapers cost near $0.20 per diaper. With an average number of 8 diaper changes per day, and an estimated 3 years of diaper changes equaling 1095 days, this amounts to a total of $1,752.00 spent on disposable diapers for one child. That's a lot of money, and store brands aren't much cheaper.

The good news is that reusable diapers cost much less. The cost being anywhere from $300-$1200 for those three years depending on the brand of diaper you choose and how many diapers you decide to purchase.

I personally bought two sets of cloth diapers. First I bought some Kissaluvs, (Kissa’s fitted diaper size 0), to use when Hunter was an newborn. He outgrew those by the time he was two months and then I bought some Fuzzibunz, perfect fit diapers which will fit him until he is potty trained. Overall I spent about $450 on my cloth diapers and will be able to use them for the next couple kids. I also made my own cloth wipes for about $20 but that is a whole other post.

There are also different types of cloth diapers: prefolds, all in ones, fitted and pocket. Whichever kind you use all depends on what works for you. Some of the brands I am familiar with are: Fuzzibunz, Kissaluvs, Bummis, Thirsties, Mother-ease, bumGenius and that is only the beginning. I choose mine because I found great deals on each. I bought my Kissaluvs used and my Fuzzibunz new. Cloth diapers get more absorbment the more they are washed so buying used is a great deal. Many moms only use the diapers for a short time before they give up and then sell them at a fraction of the cost.

Comfort for the Bum

Reusable diapers also provide a level of comfort to your child that a disposable diaper can't achieve.

We can't ask a baby whether they prefer reusable or disposable, but which underwear would you choose for yourself, plastic or cotton?

According to the Journal of Pediatrics, 54 % of one-month old babies using disposable diapers had rashes, 16 % having severe rashes. A study done by a disposable diaper manufacturing company shows that the incidence of diaper rash increased from 7.1% to 61% with the increased use of throwaway disposable diapers.

Why choose Cloth? (from Jillian’s Drawers)

Cloth diapers are easy to care for

Perhaps cloth diapers were hard to care for at one time. But modern cloth diapers are so easy - with inventions like the Mini-shower and flushable inserts, the rewards are worth the little bit of extra work!

Cloth diapers leak less than disposables

Modern cloth diapers actually leak less than disposables! Did you know that many moms switch to cloth diapers because they were fed up with disposables leaking? Yes, it's true!

Cloth diapers minimize diaper rash

The rate of diaper rash has increased from 7% to over 78% since 1955, comparable with the increased rate of disposable diaper use. The chemicals, ultra-absorbent gels, and the formation of ammonia associated with disposables are the culprit. We have met many moms who finally switched to cloth diapers specifically to help their baby's bottom heal. Of course, they never turned back!

Cloth diapers are so soft against your baby's skin

Your baby's skin is so delicate. What could feel better for your baby than soft cotton or fleece? What would you rather have against your skin every hour of every day for two or more years? Cloth, of course!

Cloth diapers can save thousands of dollars

Depending on which cloth diaper system you decide to use, you can save approximately $500 - $1,000 per child. If you decide to use cloth diapers for more than one child, you can save thousands of dollars!

Modern cloth diapers don't require pins

Gone are the days of sticking you or your baby with a pin! Yikes, who would want that? Modern cloth diapers use snaps, Velcro, or a wonderful new invention created by a dad: a Snappi!

Babies that use cloth diapers potty train sooner

You can count on your baby potty training earlier with cloth diapers! Babies generally become more aware of their wet diapers, prompting them to potty train earlier. Average is about 1.5 years old.

Cloth diapers are better for babies

Disposable diapers contain dioxin, a carcinogen listed by the EPA as the most toxic of cancer causing chemicals. They also contain Sodium Polyacrylate, a chemical that was banned from tampons in 1985 due to its link to Toxic Shock Syndrome. Researchers have found that the scrotal skin temperatures of baby boys were significantly higher when they wore disposable diapers than when they wore cloth. The researchers concluded that prolonged use of disposable diapers as infants was an "important factor" contributing to the decline of sperm production among adult males. Finally, asthma has been linked to gases emitted by disposable diapers.

Cloth diapers are better for the environment

27.4 billion disposable diapers fill up our landfills every year. This makes them the third largest single consumer item in landfills. Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to manufacture disposables for one baby EACH YEAR.

If you would just like to try cloth before you commit the investment, Jillian’s Drawers has a program for only $10 that lets you do that.

Favorite Cloth Diapering Websites

· http://www.mother-ease.com

· http://www.diaperpin.com

· http://www.fuzzibunz.com

· http://www.uncommonbottom.com

· http://www.kissaluvs.com

· http://www.thecentsableshoppin.com (Yes she does cloth)

· http://www.jilliansdrawers.com/newtocloth

Saving Money - Making Your Own Cleaning Products

Making your own cleaning products...sounds intimidating! Well, it does for me. I haven't actually ever made my own cleaning products. I do know that it is a great way to save money AND is better for the environment then using store-bought chemical cleaners. Hopefully, writing this post will motivate me to stop being a sissy and try it for myself!

Powdered Laundry Detergent
12 cups Borax
8 cups baking soda
8 cups washing soda
8 cups bar soap, grated (use fels-naptha, ivory, sunlight, kirk's castile, zote, or another more natural soap)
Mix all together and store in a sealed tub.
Use 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) per full load.

Dish Soap 2 cups soap shaving in a large bowl Stir until smooth. You can add more water if you need to. Add 1/2 cup lemon vinegar to fight grease. Shake well before using.

Dishwasher Soap
1 part Borax
1 part Washing Soda
Add 2-3 cups hot water and let sit overnight

Stain Remover
Put grated soap in a jar. Add boiling water. Pretreat stains by globbing this on them.
Use 1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) per full load.8 cups bar soap, grated (use fels-naptha, ivory, sunlight, kirk's castile, zote, or another more natural soap)

Liquid Soap 1 bar of soap
6-10 cups water (depending on the size of the bar of soap)
Heat the water to a simmer. While the water is heating, grate the soap. Add the soap to the simmering water, and turn off the heat. Let mixture sit for 15 min. Beat with a whisk or in the blender until smooth. Let sit overnight until thoroughly cool. Blend again in the morning and funnel into a dispenser. Save extra in a large jar to refill your dispenser as needed.

(Note: These are my cousins' recipes. She has tried most them. You can check out her blog HERE to get her thoughts on these recipes.)

Before I started writing this post I was perusing a blog that I stalk and found some air freshener recipes/ideas. I wanted to share these with you too.

Mix 1/4 C. baking soda with water in a spray bottle. Shake well....& spray! The baking soda will absorb the odor. You can also add scents to this like vanilla extract or peppermint.

Spray white vinegar (undiluted) in the air. The vinegar smell will dissipate quickly, and will take the odors with it.

Take your parmesan cheese shaker from your spaghetti nights, and fill it with baking soda (you can also mix essential oil or cologne with it). Sprinkle it over the carpets and let it sit as long as possible (overnight for example). Then vacuum. You can add a bit of salt to the baking soda.....which sounds odd but it absorbs the moisture and acts as an abrasive when you vacuum - your carpet will look a lot better with a tad bit of salt added in than by vacuuming without it.

To get rid of odors heat white vinegar on the stove, but don't boil! Heat it for 30 minutes, and then take off the burner. The vinegar-ish smell will dissipate and take the odors with it.

Save your citrus peels from oranges, lemons, etc. Boil them in a pot with water.

Wash your walls with white vinegar and a wash rag. Simple.....easy, and best of all? Works better than any other expensive cleaner, without the scent.

For your bathroom, dampen a cotton swab with your favorite perfume, cologne, or essential oil and then swab the inside of the toilet paper roll. Each time you roll the toilet paper, the scent will release and fill the bathroom.

Purify your living room with vanilla extract! Dampen cotton balls with pure vanilla - put in a dish and let them sit. For a big living room you should be good with 3-4 cotton balls in a dish. Your living room will smell like you've been baking for hours!

Lastly make your own renuzit crystals. Mix 1/2 C. salt and 1/2 C. flour in a bowl. Add 1/4 tsp of essential oil, and 2/3 C. of boiling water and a few drops of your favorite color food coloring to create a custom shade. Blend them all really well, and form into balls, dry, and viola! Scented rocks!

Thanks, Sheryl @ Centsable Shoppin!

Saving Money - Produce

Question of the Day:

Why does have to be SO expensive to eat healthy?

I've been couponing for about 6 months now and I have come across very few coupons for fresh fruit and vegetables. There are some out there, but not many. So how would one save money on produce. Well, there is always growing your own. Which, let's face it, is not easy. What do you do if you don't have the time/space/know-how to grow your own produce?

I'm going to let you in on a little secret....Bountiful Baskets.

This is a volunteer based program that takes fruit and vegetables grown in your general area, puts it all together, and then sells it to the general public.

What I have loved about Bountiful Baskets is that the price is amazing and often I will get things that I wouldn't normally buy. It's been fun cooking with different produce. One of the down sides is that you don't know what you are going to get as it is different every time.

You can buy a basket/baskets (up to 3) every other week. They start selling at 9:00am on Tuesday (tomorrow for Arizona) and close at 10:00pm the next day, Wednesday.  You pick up your basket, at the location you choose when ordering, on the next Saturday.

For example, Tomorrow morning (Nov. 2) I will order a basket and then Saturday (Nov. 6) we will go pick it up. We won't be able to order again until November 16th.

The baskets include fruit and vegetables for $15.00 + 1.50 handling fee + $3.00 (for first time participants only).

There is also the option for organic produce for $10.00 more.

They also sell whole grain bread (it's yummy!), tortillas, boxes of fruit and vegetables (which is good if you want to can a whole bunch of something), and tons of other things. Again, every week is different. They won't always have all of the things I mentioned above.

After we pick up out basket I make our two-week menu based on what we got in the basket. Allrecipes.com has the option to list what you have and it will generate recipes based on those items. (SO COOL!)

If you are interested in ordering or getting more information just click on Bountiful Baskets. I would suggest setting up an account now just so things will go faster when the time comes to order.

(I was in no way compensated for this review. I just really love this program!)

Who Wants To Save Some Money?

When it comes to saving money I want you to ask yourself one question. Where, in your budget, do you have the most wiggle room?

Really think about this. In our family it came down to the two most common areas. First - Eating out, going to movies, etc. (or what we call "Crazy Money"). Second - Groceries.

What I am going to focus on is how to decrease the amount you spend at the grocery store. How, you might ask, are we going to achieve this?

One word.....Coupons.  

I am what you might call a "coupon nerd". I love them. I have always wanted to use them but been to timid or confused or worried what others might think if they saw me using them, until about six months ago.

I got over caring what people thought very quickly. It was actually one of my first trips using them when I saved around 70% at the grocery store. I thought, "Who the heck cares what people think because I am saving money!" And then I found myself with a really, REALLY addictive hobby.

It's almost like a game, seeing how much you can save. My personal best was 102% saved. (No, that's not a typo.) I walked out of the store with an extra $1.08 in my pocket. (Yup, they PAID me.)

In the "Saving Money" tab at the top of the blog I will start by going over coupon lingo, how they are processed, when you can use them, where to find them, how to organize your coupons, and many other things.

If you have a coupon question or want to know about something specific when it comes to coupons just leave a comment below.

Until next time...and then the real fun begins!