Friday, September 26, 2008

being green baby bums



If you are not a mama who is slightly interested in cloth diapering then you might as well stop reading now.
When I titled this blog, "being green" a few years ago I had in mind the simple everyday life of our family and what it means to just be in the moments. I had no idea how culturally relevant the phrase would become or that I could have panties with the phrase emblazoned across my rear, or any other article of clothing for that matter. Yes, "being green" is definitely very hip at the moment. Though this was not my intention with the name of our blog, I do feel strongly that God has given us dominion of this beautiful earth to protect and preserve. It is important to be mindful of even the small ways that we can do just that.

Okay , down from my soapbox and on to the point of this post. After years of trying different things in diapering and surveying lots of other moms I think I've figured out a few things by trial and error. I thought perhaps I could save some moms some trouble and maybe encourage others to at least consider giving it a try.

They have made some advances in diapering from what our moms used for us. With the current state of our economy, lots of families are looking for ways to save money and make ends meet. Spending less money on disposable diapers is one practical way to save. With the price of food and gas lately decent cloth diapers are a worthy investment. Here are a few that have worked the best for me, the Motherease one-size with wrap, and the bamboo Bum-Genius. I recently got way too excited when I passed Bum Genius cloth diapers in the aisles of Target! Oh, another reason to love that store. After trying several, my favorite diaper is made by a Danish company I found on ebay; they are similar to Motherease but thicker and softer and made from bamboo velour and are worth the nine dollars they cost. You can read about the benefits of bamboo fiber for your babies skin here . The Bum Genius bamboo diapers took forever to dry because of there absorbency but the Danish ones dry easily in the dryer or sun. I use them with the Bummis Super whisper wrap which keeps the wet in but also is breathable. The wraps can be purchased locally at Greenlife or on line.
I use them mostly at home but disposable when we are out since it is a little more of a production and I don't want to give Juden and Ella any extra time to caress the surfaces of public bathrooms. Yes, they are a little more work, but worth it for the benefits, which are:

1 It feels good when the trash bag going to the dumpster, then the land-fill is a little lighter.

2 You end up saving $money$.

3 It is so nice holding a baby with a cushy soft natural bum.

4 They look very cool with pink patent leather boots( at least Naya seems think so.)




Check out this pose, is she a superb diaper model or what? I 'm sure she'll brag about it someday.