Fluffy Cheeks Giveaway!

And the winner is....

Jenny H said...

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April 6, 2011 9:11 AM

Remember last month when I introduced you to Fluffy Cheeks?

Well, the awesome folks over there sent me a Flip diaper to review.

I have tried about every cloth diaper out there, so I was very excited to try one I hadn't seen yet.

I really like the Flip Diaper.

It is a cover with an insert that just lays in it.  This is great for a quick change, or if you are going to be out and about.  It is trim and easy to use.  It reminds me a bit of the Bummis Super Snap Wrap, but is one size and I love that.  It will fit both my newborn and 2 1/2 year old.  Love not having to have a lot of different size covers laying around.  It makes diaper changes especially easier for Jeremy, who never knows whose is whose when it comes to anything related to the kids!

They come with 2 different options for the liner - a stay dry insert and an organic insert.  The one pictured above is the organic insert.  I have also used my prefolds in it and it works great.

I love how absorbent the liners both are, and the stay dry one really does just that, stay dry.  Libby wore a stay dry liner with another cloth diaper to bed one night, and when she woke up in the morning, her skin was just moist.  Color me impressed!

My friends at Fluffy Cheeks want to share the love with one of you and are giving a $25 gift certificate to their store.

That is such a great deal, you could get some great diapering supplies with $25!

To enter, go on over to Fluffy Cheeks and look around.  Come back and tell me what you would get with your $25.

For additional entries you can:

1. Tweet about this giveaway and be sure to include @prairiemama in your tweet so I can see it :)
2. Subscribe to my blog
3. Go Like Fluffy Cheeks on Facebook

You may enter as many times as you like, I like to stack the odds in favor of those who work for it ;)  Remember to leave 1 comment for each entry, or you will only be entered once.

Contest will run through Wednesday, April 6 at 9 pm CDT.

Good luck my cloth diapering lovelies!

*I was given a Flip cover, 2 stay dry inserts and 2 organic inserts to assist me in my review.  However, the words, as always, are mine and can't be bought.

New Sponsor :: Fluffy Cheeks Diapers

I have been using cloth diapers for 8 years now.  I can't believe it's been that long.

I started out using prefolds with pins and covers.  Then I graduated to prefolds with snappi's and covers.  I discovered my love of wool early on and have used it since day one.

It wasn't until I was pregnant with Seth, that I was introduced to the "fancy" diapers that are out there.  FuzziBunz were my first foray into the fancy diapering world.  Then I tried Kisssaluvs fitted diapers and Goodmama's fitted diapers.

I love cloth diapers.  I really do.  There are few things I am REALLY passionate about, and cloth diapers are one of them.

That is why I am so excited to introduce you to the newest sponsor on this here bloggity blog.  Tiffany from Fluffly Cheeks Diapers. 

Tiffany and I have been Mamas for the same amount of time, but our journey to cloth diapering has been a bit different.

I had my first daughter 8 years ago.  At the time, we lived in a high rise apartment building with a laundry room, so cloth diapers never even crossed my mind.  Plus, the only thing I had ever heard of regarding cloth diapers with pins and plastic pants like my mom used in the 70's, and I was not at ALL interested. 

Around the same time I had my 2nd child, my son, there were 2 girls at church using FuzziBunz.  I saw them and was immediately interested.  I went home and told my husband that I thought we should use cloth.  He was less than supportive, thought it would be too much work, didn't like the upfront cost, etc. 

Besides, disposables had worked fine so why would we switch?  I gave up on the idea, but it always nagged at the back of my mind.  My son had much more sensitive skin than my daughter, and it seemed that he ALWAYS had a diaper rash.  I spent a lot of money on creams, and his little bum was always red, sometimes to the point of rawness and bleeding.  For some reason, though, although I had the desire to use cloth, I had never heard of the
health benefits of cloth.  I had always heard how much money I would save, how it's better for the environment, etc., but I had never heard how much better it was for the baby's bum.  Well, about a year ago, I had my 2nd daughter, and by this point, I was firm in my resolve to cloth diaper her.  I had done my research and knew of the health benefits.  

I thought about how careful I am about what I put in the mouths of my babies, and wondered why I had never done enough research about what I was putting on their skin.   I immediately switched over to cloth. 

Tiffany has recently opened up her online shop and hopes someday to have a Brick and Mortar.  Fluffy Cheeks carries all kinds of diapers - prefolds, fitteds, all in ones, and pocket diapers.

They really make an effort to be mindful of what Mamas want when cloth diapering, and are going to be adding to their store as they grow.

They even offer pros and cons of each of the diapering options.  This is something that I think is vital for folks who are new to cloth diapering.  I so wish I had something like this when I started using cloth.

I am so excited to have Fluffy Cheeks advertising on my site.  I try really hard to only accept advertising that will be useful to my readers, and I know you all will love her store.

As a hello to all of you from Fluffy Cheeks, they are offering 10% anything on their site until February 28!  Just enter the coupon code PRAIRIEMAMAFAN. 

Diaper Business

I have a matter of business that I must attend to with you, my dear friends. It is about diapers. Yep, lovely, wonderful cloth diapers.



You might remember that I cloth diaper and have for 6 1/2 years. I have used prefolds with covers, Fuzzi Bunz, Mother Ease, Kissaluvs, Happy Heiney's and a variety of other fitteds. I have tried just about every diaper out there and have found a new diaper that I am in LOVE with!


When we were in Kansas, we got together with our friends Sarah and Jason. Sarah is done having babies for a bit and was kind enough to let me borrow 18 of her most beautiful diapers. She brought me a bin of Good Mama's Diapers and I about fell over. These diapers are so soft, absorbent, and BEAUTIFUL!

I really am in love. These diapers have snaps (something I LOVE), are ONE SIZE -- so yes, they will fit your newborn and toddler at the SAME TIME, they are made with Cotton Velour or Organic Bamboo Velour. Seriously, they are divine.


I am planning on saving my pennies so I can buy more of these fabulous diapers. Not only are they a fantastic diaper, but they are SO cute too. Go check them out....NOW!

By the way, Good Mamas did not ask me, nor do they know I am writing this review. I just love them that much!

All About Cloth :: Part Deux

Ok, so now you know a little about your options out there for cloth. But there is still so much left. Covers. This can be kind of daunting, PUL, Wool, Fleece, Nylon, Aplix, Snaps...what?!?!?! I am going to break it down for you with pros and cons of each again.

PUL - otherwise known as polyurethane laminated fabric, is a lot more technical than just a plastic backing on fabric. The original application is the medical field, and it is still used for this purpose. Like cloth diapers, it is used to replace disposable products with reusable. It provides the waterproof barrier needed in the medical field that can survive multiple institutional washings. The laminate can also be autoclaved, which is a very high heat steam sterilization process, to make it safe for reuse even after it comes into contact with blood or other bodily fluids.

The polyurethane laminate can be customized by the manufacturer and comes in different thicknesses. For cloth diapers, 1 mil or 2 mil is generally preferred. This allows for a good stretch, complete waterproofing, and is still comfortable enough to wear next to the skin. There are other options for waterproof fabric, but PUL is so durable and reliably waterproof it has become a favorite for cloth diapers. It has been truly kid tested! (info taken from here).

This is what most diaper covers are made from. I love the PUL diaper covers I have. Mother-Ease, Bummis, and Thirsties are my favorite PUL covers.

Pros: These are LONG lasting covers. You can get them with velcro or snaps. They are great at containing leaks and wash really easily. You can find PUL covers in a variety of designs and colors. Good price for the cover.

Cons: They are not as breatheable as wool or fleece.

Nylon: The first diaper covers I ever bought were nylon. They are more lightweight than PUL covers and equally as protective. I really love nylon. They are more breatheable and quite cost effective. The company that made my original diaper covers is no longer (sob sob sob), but I have found some nice alternatives.

Pros: Breatheable, great price ($5!), wash very easily.

Cons: Right now I can only find them in a pull up pant. This on it's own isn't too bad, but when paired with a poop filled prefold, you could get some poop down the leg and whatnot. But, that is really the only con and it is something I can (and do) live with.

Fleece: A good fleece cover is a MUST. Fleece is breatheable and is really easy to take care of.

Pro: Breatheable, easy to take care of -- meaning you can wash it with your diapers and put it in the dryer, quick drying, keeps your baby's bum cool. Great for night time.

Cons: A bit bulky. Really, that is the only con I've ever found with fleece.

Favorite Fleece Cover - Stacinator Fleece Cover. This is the first fleece cover I have ever bought and still use them all the time. I have 4 Stacinator fleece covers in my rotation -- 1 newborn 1 small 1 medium 1 large and I LOVE THEM! (Stacinator is not paying me nor do they have any knowledge of my humble little blog).

Wool: This scares people. When I told my Mom I was going to use wool covers with Emma she was a bit nervous. She warned me that wool is itchy and that it would probably cause Emma to break out in a rash. I was not yet a knitter, so I didn't know how soft wool could be. I just knew that everywhere I read, wool was being praised, so I knew I had to give it a shot.

My first experience with wool was great. I got a wool cover from Stacinator (this was back when it was a WAHM company). I quickly lanolised it (putting lanolin back in the wool to keep it waterproof) and realized I had done something terribly wrong. The lanolin was chunky and all over the cover. It was ruined, I was sad. I contacted Stacy of Stacinator and told her what had happened. She apologized profusely (as if she was the one who did it) and said that her instructions were not clear. She then sent me a NEW cover and a prepaid envelope for the ruined one. She made a life long customer of me.

Ok, so what is the big deal with wool? Why do so many people love it? Why is it so scary? I really could do an entire post just about wool, but I will try to keep it simple and give you lots of links so if you want more information about something you can get it, deal? deal. Ok, here we go.

Wool has antibacterial properties. It is also very absorbant and can absorb up to 30 times it's weight. The lanolin in the wool keeps it clean, as one of my friends said, lanolin plus urine equals soap. So, this is what keeps it clean. You don't have to wash your wool unless it's poopy. I recommend getting a wool wash bar for these occasions. You will have to relanolize it every month or so, but that is not a big deal. I love Green Mountain Diapers site for all things wool. She has the best selection of wool covers, and has a fantastic tutorial of how to wash and lanolize your wool. Click on that tutorial link and read what she says. She is so very smart about wool and says it much better than I can :) Wool is breatheable and you can make your own covers really easily. If you knit, this is a great pattern, if you sew, this is a great pattern.

Snaps vs. Velcro

This is really a matter of personal preference. I like snaps, my sister-in-law likes velcro. You really can't go wrong. My favorite snap cover is this one, and her favorite velcro cover is this one.

In the last post I was asked by 2 ladies how many to start with. This really depends on how often you want to do laundry. I will tell you what I recommend, but you can do whatever you want.

2-3 dozen diapers -- prefolds, all in ones, fitteds or pockets. If you are getting pockets, get enough inserts for them also.

4-6 covers -- PUL or Nylon.

2-3 wool or fleece covers for night time.

2 dozen cloth wipes if you choose to do cloth wipes.

1 diaper pail -- a big trash can works great for this.

If you want to sew your diapers, I recommend going to Diaper Sewing.

You can generally find great deals on gently used diapers and covers at Diaper Swappers. I love that site! Also, Diaper Pin has a ton of great resources and reviews on diapers and covers.

There we go...did I forget anything? Questions? Are you more confused than ever? I hope not!

To the cloth diaperers out there, what do you use and love? What advice would you give a newbie? What was most helpful to you when you first started out?

All About Cloth :: Part One

I have been asked several times to share my knowledge of cloth diapers and why I even do it, with my blogging friends.

When my sister-in-law had 3 in diapers (twins and one 20 months younger) I had my first exposure, as an adult, to cloth. She had 5 children under the age of 6 and being the resourceful woman she was, she used cloth. I thought it was really cool, but not for me. Fast forward 4 years to when I had Emma. I had a large stash of Pampers and they worked great. I'd talked to her about cloth, but wasn't convinced. After all, she had a 2 year old that she only did cloth occasionally with, so why would I want to do it?

I met Landra in our Bradley Method Childbirth classes. She lived around the corner from me and would often walk over to say hello. I thought this woman was amazing. She rode her bike throughout most of her pregnancy. And not just on flat surfaces, she rode up to the campus of KU, anyone who knows that campus knows there are some major hills there! One week before Emma was born, Landra came over with sweet Elsa in her sling. I oohed and ahhed over this sweet new baby and we talked about her birth. She told me she was doing cloth diapers and I told her that was great, but just not for me.

That was on Thursday...Emma was born on Sunday. For the first two months, I bought diapers every week. I didn't like the perfumey smell (little tidbit about me, I don't like perfume or smelly stuff), but what else could I do? It was better than the smell of dirty cloth diapers, right???

When Emma was about 2 months old, I started talking to people about cloth. I went to Landra's house. It didn't stink like diapers. I went into Elsa's room where the diaper pail was (a big industrial trash can), again, it didn't stink. I asked and she showed me several different types of diapers and covers she was using. I started to think...maybe....just maybe....

The next step was to talk to my sister-in-law. She got out her diapers and showed me them. She talked to me about washing diapers, my different options and why she loved them. In the course of this talking, she decided to start using cloth again on her 2 1/2 year old.

I talked to Jeremy. He was the hardest sell. He was in his senior year of undergrad at KU and we had less than no money. We were living on Pell Grants and scholarships, oh and his very megar income from his job at the campus library. So, he said that we could do cloth on the following conditions -- 1. He would never wash the diapers, so don't even ask and 2. it had to cost equal or less than disposables would until he graduates -- in 3 months.

With $50 and a lot of determination, I set out to find the best deals and start cloth diapering. I was a woman on a mission and I was excited!

Over the last 6 years, I have tried MANY different kinds of diapers, from the cheapest to the most expensive. I will give you an overview of my favorites and what has worked for us.

When I started I had $50...not a lot. So, I went with 3 dozen prefolds, 6 covers, 1 snappi and 2 sets of pins. The company where I got my diapers from is no longer (still makes me sad, they had the best covers!), but I got all of that for $50. I had 5 nylon covers and 1 wool cover.

The day my diapers came I was so excited. I threw them in the wash with a tablespoon of detergent and washed them exactly like I was instructed. I washed them again and again and put them in the dryer. I was THRILLED with how soft and fluffy they were. I put one on my sweet Emma's bum and the angels sang. Ok, not really, but we were all pretty excited. I never pinned her, and we really liked them.

It didn't take long until I found that there were TONS of diapers and covers on Ebay. So, I got a few fleece covers and was good. I even dyed my nylon covers with food coloring and vinegar. She had a cute bum for sure.

I was a convert, there was no going back. In the last 6 years I have used disposables on occasion -- if my baby has a really bad rash (anytime there is a rash that isn't going away switch whatever you are doing -- if you use cloth switch to 'sposies for a bit and vice versa), if we are travelling and I don't want to tote them, and right now at night for Amelia.

Now that you know how I got into it, what about all the different kinds of diapers out there? I can't tell you about ALL of them, because I only have experience with some. But, I can give you the information I have and point you in directions to find more info to help you find what is best for your family.

Prefolds -- I love these. I use prefolds on my kids, always have, always will. They are great, great, great.
Pros: They last a long time (I'm still using some from when Emma was a baby) and when they wear out, they make great rags. You can make them fit any size baby and they truly are the most versatile. If you don't have a lot of money, this is a great way to get started.
Cons: They don't hold in the poop, so it's going to get on the cover. If you don't mind giving your nylon covers a quick rinse, then you should be ok with these. You need a snappi or pins with prefolds.

Fitted Diapers -- I have a lot of fitted dipes. When I was pregnant with Amelia, one of my friends got me 13 Kissaluvs. I fell in LOVE with these.
Pros: These are my favorite when they are little ones. I love that they keep the poops in. We all knows babies can have very explosive poops, and these contain the most expolsive ones I've seen! They are relatively trim and fit for a long time. Libby is still in the size 1's.
Cons:The only problem I've found with these is that after 2 kids, the elastic is pretty worn out and they are not as fitted around the waist as they once were. I find that the size 0 diapers are lasting a lot longer because they don't get used nearly as much. They don't keep their resale value, so if that is something you are worried about, and you intend on having multiple children use these diapers, take that into consideration.

We also use the MotherEase One Size fitted diapers. I like these a lot. They seem to hold up a bit better than the Kissaluvs in the elastic area. I like that you can get the snap in stay dry liner also. These are the ones we use the most next to prefolds in my house. I find that the cons are about the same with these as with the Kissaluvs. I have a few used ones that are really threadbare, but I find when paired with a liner, it gives them a new life. They're great.

Pocket Diapers -- I have used two different brands of pocket diapers - Happy Heiney's and FuzziBunz. I liked them both. They have fleece on the inside and a pocket to stick a prefold or a doubler into for absorbancy.
Pros: These are great for babysitters or someone who is maybe not very familiar with cloth diapers. You can have them stuffed and ready to go. They are very easy to use and now come in One Size! This wasn't an option when I bought them, I would love to try these new pocket dipes! Both companies are great to work with. One of my Fuzzi Bunz had a broken snap and the company replaced it, no questions asked. I love them! The fleece keeps the little bum dry and is great for babies that might have a bit more problems with rashes. These diapers keep their resale value really well also. I sold all of my FuzziBunz and got most of my money back.***
Cons: You have to wash the outer and the inner seperately. Well, you don't HAVE to, but if you want your fleece to stay nice and soft, you really should. This isn't a huge con, but if you have limited time for diaper washing, this might be a bit of a deterrant. These are a little more pricey than prefolds, but you have to remember that you have your cover and diaper in there. Also, remember the resale value.

***you might be wondering if I love them so much why did I sell them? Well, I needed something that would fit more than one child in diapers -- like prefolds or MotherEase One Size, so I had to sell my FB's to get money to buy the other diapers I needed. If they had the one size FB's when I was using them, there is no way I would have sold them. I love Fuzzi Bunz!

All In Ones -- the name says it all. This is a diaper, doubler, and cover in one. I don't have any of these and I really don't have much experience with them. From what I've read you either love them or you hate them :) So, my pros and cons are not from my own experience, but from that of others. Please chime in if you have first hand experience with these.
Pros: It's all in one!!! These are trim and ready to go! Very easy for night time diaper changes, and for those who aren't very familiar with cloth diapers.
Cons: They take a long time to dry. The PUL (cover part) wears out quickly from repeated washings and dryings.

Now, a little about washing. I was afraid of washing them to be honest. I had heard that you didn't need a lot of detergent and if you used too much your diapers would stink. But, then don't you want to get all the urine and poop out? How can I do that with just a tablespoon of detergent??? I was confused. I read, I read some more and then I came up with my own washing system. This has changed a bit in the last 6 years, but it is basically the same. Here is what I do --
1. Throw all the diapers and covers in (not wool covers -- I'll do a separate post about covers in a couple of days) and do a cold cycle with a couple squirts of BioKleen Bac Out.
2. Hot Cycle with one scoop of detergent. Do not use anything with smells in it or softeners.
3. One more hot cycle. At this point you could add some vinegar to your wash. I used to but then stopped. Here is a great article talking about the pros and cons of vinegar.
4. Into the dryer they go -- oh, and I take the covers out after the first hot cycle. It is also really important to not use any type of fabric softener or dryer sheets. This will cause a film to build up on your diapers and that will reduce the absorbancy.

Not too hard. I wash diapers twice a week and this I can handle. Oh, and now that the weather is nice, I love hanging them out on the line to dry. This is also a great way to get the poop stains out!

Stay tuned for All About Cloth Part Deux coming later in the week!!!