Cloth Diaper Tip: Wing Droop What It Is and How to Prevent It

Most of us have experienced wing droop even from diapers that claim not to have wing droop. Wing droop does not discriminate. Chunky babies or thin babies can all get the dreaded wing droop which can lead to gapping and leaks. Lets start with a simple explanation of what wing droop is, for those new to cloth and those who have yet to deal with it. Wing droop is when the front end of the diaper, typically were the soft side (the loop) of the Velcro is or the Socket snaps are located, dip down below the wings of the diaper. It looks like the picture to the right. 

There are a few reasons wing droop can happen. The first possible cause, and the most common, is that the diaper is too big for the baby. One Size diapers can have this reputation because One Size diapers are meant to fit on larger babies more easily and securely. One size diapers also rely on the fact that younger babies move less. However, some of us have little ones that decided crawling at 6 months or walking by 8 months is a great idea. Take my children, my oldest one didn’t walk until right around a year while my youngest walked right before 8 months which lead to us having more issues with wing droop.

Avoiding OS diapers and buying only sized diapers could help solve some of the wing droop issues. Unfortunately, OS diapers, for most of us, are the most economical choice buying lots of sized diapers means buying more diapers in general which can get pretty pricey. On that same note, it is advisable to purchase more than one type of diaper as 29 Diapers Green Baby on a Budget strongly suggests. Its a great idea to have a mix of diapers to help you find which diapers work out the best for you and your little one. The great thing about having a variety is that sometimes as baby grows a diaper that worked great when they were 6 months might not work as well at 12 months and the diaper that didn’t fit a few months before fits great as they get older. Variety is also good for when different people are watching your little one and changing their diapers. I personally have always liked pockets the best while my husband thought changing AIOs was the easiest.  Check out all the variety available from our Etsy Cloth Diaper Team!

Another cause of wing droop is simply that the diaper is being pulled too tightly. When there is back elastic you can easily pull the wings much further on the baby than it needs to be causing the wings to pull from where the diaper is snapped, typically in the middle. Let the back elastic do its job! It is there to help hold the diaper to the baby’s waist it doesn’t need to be pulled so tight. If gapping happens because it is Velcro (or even on Snaps) simply add a prefold diaper folded trifold style to help fill the diaper. By adding the prefold it should help eliminate the worry of leaks coming from the top.

A few other suggests are to make sure the wings connect straight across and not at an angle, meaning the back of the diaper is not sitting much higher on the baby. If the rise is too high use the fold down snaps to lower the rise or if that is not an option invest in a few cloth diaper safety pins. Not to mention get creative! Try arranging the snaps in different ways to get the best and most convenient fit. If that means creating some folds then by all means create some folds! Trial and error will be the best solution of wing droop. Here is a great little video (only a 1min and a half long) that shows how to be creative with the snaps! Good luck with tackling wing droop and hopefully you won’t abandon those diapers that have been giving you problems. Save some money and be green by being able to use all of your diapers. Happy Diapering.

*Picture from Cloth Diaper Shops Blog

Eco Tip: Line Drying Everything!

Eco Tip:  Line Dry More Than Just Diapers

    Summer is here!  Warm breezes and sunny skies make it perfect for line drying cloth diapers.  Many of us know the benefits of line drying cloth diapers such as preserving PUL in AIO or Pocket diapers.  However, many of us over look the benefits of sun drying our everyday clothes.  And one of the great things about the warmer weather is the softer and nicer the clothes seem to feel.
    Line drying clothes is an easy way to help cut the electric bills during the summer months.  A few different sites quote the savings around $156(1) a year or about $25(2) a month for electric dryers.  The lower your electric bill the lower your family’s carbon foot print is.  Its a great way to get outside and get some sunshine especially with a continual rise of  Vitamin D deficiency.  The summer months are especially great because the warm weather keeps clothes from getting stiff and they will feel just as soft as if they were in the dryer.  Another good reason is that clothes last longer think of all that lint, which is a sign of the fabric being worn down. 

Here are some tips to get the best results when line drying:

1.  hang the colored clothes inside out to help maintain clothes
2.  shake the wrinkles out and smooth as many as you can with your hands.  Reduces any need for ironing
3.  hang heavy jeans folded over then half way through drying flip and shack out wrinkles to optimize drying and helping to prevent stiffness

A helpful hint when line drying sheets fold over and allow to blow in the breeze like a sail to promote even drying.  Another good hint is if you want to hang out your “intimate” items hang them in between two layers of regular clothes creating a few walls to hide them behind.(3)

In our house, to help us remember to hang and dry our darker clothes inside-out we just inside them out when we take them off.  Its also better for the clothes to be washed that way.  We also try to wash most of, if not all our clothes in cold water.  This will help maintain your clothes and fabrics longer.  65% of Americans use hot water or warm water to wash clothes(2) lowing that percentage could help the environment as well as your personal pocket book. Cold water cleans most clothes just as well but if you plan to use warm or hot water save it for visibly dirty items.  Its even better to use cold water when cleaning cloth diapers, make sure to do a good soak ahead of time, especially with PUL which gets worn down from the rough hot water and then being heated in a hot dryer.

These are just a few of the many reasons that hang drying clothes can be great for you and your family.    

(1)http://gogreeninyourhome.com/how-to-save-electricity/save-money-doing-laundry-drying-clothes/

(2)http://www.laundrylist.org/en/line-drying

(3)http://www.momadvice.com/money/line_drying_clothing.aspx

Almost Homemade Easter Cookies

I love to bake- and I bake as often as possible, but sometimes, with two little ones, there just is not enough time. So here is a great recipe which doubles as a craft to keep the kids busy on a rainy day. I have made these for Christmas (my own ginger snap recipe though), Valentine's day, and now Easter. These are quick to make and would be a great addition to any bake sale.

First, buy cookie cutters of your choice for the theme needed (Dollar stores are great for these)- no need to buy metal ones- plastics work very well (especially if little hands will try to help with this part)

At the grocery store you will need

• parchment paper
• wax paper
• butter or margarine
• Betty Crocker's sugar cookie Mix( buy two bags)- at 2 dollars a piece
• sprinkles (optional- i tend to avoid this messy and high sugar bit)
• Cake Mate Cookie Decorating Icing - colours to go with your theme-about 2 dollars each  

Once home, just empty both bags of powder. Add the melted butter (i like to microwave my butter on defrost to let it melt but not boil).  Add a little water ( 1 tsp at a time)  until you get the right consistency (like playdough).  If you made a mistake and added too  much water, you can rectify by adding a little flour.

Divide the batter in half, wrapping each in wax paper, flattening it like a disk.  They should go in the fridge at least 15 minutes. When working with the dough, only take one out at a time, as when it gets hot its gets even harder to work with.

Now I like my cookies thin- and these puff up like crazy, so you want to really have it rolled really thin.  Open up your pack of dough and by putting another wax paper sheet on top, use a rolling pin and smooth it out until it is very thin.

Next, just cut your shapes.  Put down your cookie cutter and wiggle it to make nice edges.  Now I have tried for years to lift the dough and put it on the cookie sheets and it was always an epic failure. So here is the trick.  Have your cookie sheets ready, lined with parchment paper. Now you take your wax paper, and cut out your shapes, not right on the edges but like in big square blocks. Take your more manageable wax paper sheet, and turn it and plop it on the parchment covered baking sheet. Now you can gently press and the cookie shape will come off. If a little bit of extra dough stays on the sheet, just lift it up with your finger to easily remove it. Now you will waste a lot of wax paper this way- so please reuse the parchment paper.
Cook in the oven at 375 degrees Farenheit.  The bag says 7-9 minutes, but i had to cook mine 12 minutes as I like them a little brown.  While you are waiting- prepare more cookies on the cookie sheets (this is when it is nice to have 3-4 sheets to work with).  When you take them out of the oven, let them sit on the sheet for another 2 minutes as they will continue cooking.Next, just take your parchment and slide the cookies on a cookie rack (and reuse the parchment for another batch).
You can easily make 35-40 cookies in one hour.  Let them really really cool down before using them as a craft for the little hands to decorate.

 The Betty Crocker Cookie Icing is hands down, the best I have ever used (better than any I can make at home). It pipes really well (my 6 year old can do it) and hardens quickly so you can stack them quickly.

That is it. You are done. You have made Homemade cookies, and the kids have had a blast. Clean up is super easy as you just thrown out the parchment and wash the one bowl you used with the cookie cutters- that is it. Now it is time for MaMaJo to have a latte. Happy Easter Everyone.

You can read more blogs from MaMaJo at http://www.mamajo.ca/mamajos-blog/

Making cloth diapers....the inexpensive way.......

When I became pregnant with my twins last year, I realized I needed to get some inexpensive cloth diapers. Then, I thought, why not make them myself. Though I have a lot of sewing experience, I think making your own diapers doesn’t have to be daunting! I wanted to make a total of 40 diapers.

First, I needed to find a pattern and style of diaper. There are many patterns out there, some are free, some are a few dollars. Here are some of the sites I found helpful:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:FECLujiyoHoJ:www.diapersewing.com/+how+to+put+snaps+into+a+diaper&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&source=www.google.com

http://mayna.livejournal.com/198548.html

This site offers all kinds of diaper making supplies: http://www.assuntastore.com/cart.html

This site has kits that INCLUDE everything you need to sew your own diapers! How cool is that! You don’t have to do any of the prep work!

http://www.kaylasclothkits.com/catalog.php?item=1&ref_catid=3

I wanted to make my diapers as inexpensively as possible, so I opted for a free pattern. I found it here at cloth revolution. Their directions were a bit confusing, so I used a combination of some of the other sites to figure things out.

http://themafiatutu.blogspot.com/search/label/Pattern

Once I had figured out the type of diaper I wanted to use and I found a pattern…then I had to decide on my material. Again, since I wanted to spend hardly any money, I went to my local Goodwill store and I found lots of inexpensive flannel sheets. I spent approximately forty dollars on the flannel sheets. I decided this is what I would use to make my diapers!

I also decided that I would make my diapers with four layers, and use a liner. I figured that way they weren’t too thick and would dry quicker. For my liners, I went to my local dollar store and bought wash clothes. They were two for a dollar, so for forty dollars, I got eighty liners. Each diaper change, I use two liners.

I had to decide between Velcro or snaps. I had never made diapers before, so I decided not to make the investment of buying a snap press. Though I have been told this is the best one to get:

http://www.kamsnaps.com/Snap-Press-amp-Dies/Snap-Press-Dies-not-included-Free-US-Shipping-p112.html

So next, I needed elastic and Velcro. The patterns tell you how much Velcro and elastic you will need. I went online to do some price comparisons. I figured out that I could get the elastic cheaper by going to my local sewing shop with a 50% off coupon. The Velcro I found here:

http://www.itapestore.com/velcroand174brandsew-onwhiteloop1x1yard.aspx

http://www.itapestore.com/search.aspx?find=VELCRO+ONE-WRAP+Roll+-+White+1%22+X+25+yds

For the Velcro, you need a lot more of the loop than you do the hook, so buying it separate is best. If I made the diapers again, I would not use this type of Velcro because it started to curl. I think instead I would buy it from another site. For the Velcro, I spent about thirty dollars. For the elastic, I spent around fifteen.

I cut out all the diapers first. Since I was making forty diapers and they each had four layers, that was a lot of cutting! Then I was ready to get started on the sewing. The first diaper took me a long time. I got confused and had to redo some things, but I looked at the different sites and figured things out. I loved how it looked and I was quite proud of myself. I did the diapers in an assembly line routine…first all the edge sewing, then all the elastic, then all the inside out flipping, then the closing sewing, then the Velcro. It probably took me about a week to make forty diapers!

All in all, it cost me approximately $125 for forty diapers…that’s about $3 per diaper. They aren't perfect..but they work and I did it myself!

I would be more than happy to answer any questions you had about making your own cloth diapers. It really was a fun experience!!

Elizabeth
Catchick6 Creations
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Catchick6Creations
http://www.catchick6creations.com/

Meet the Team-- Jessica from Living Green Baby

Today we meet Jessica from the Etsy shop Living Green Baby. After learning more about her, check out her shop where you will find a great variety of fleece longies and soakers, bamboo baby wipes, and nursing pads.

Where did you get the name for your shop?
When we were trying to think of a name for our shop we sat down with a good old yellow note pad and started to compile words that made us think of living a greener life and Cloth Diapering. A couple scribble scrabbles later we had a simple name that defined who we were and what we believed in.

Is it big business or a hobby?
A couple Years ago I opened a little shop on Etsy (www.bullfrogboutique.etsy.com) where I made and sold little hair bows and such. Then I learned about cloth diapers and thought "I could make those!" Then I decided to list a couple and quickly found my calling. When My husband saw what was happeining he decided to step in and that was when Living Green Baby came to life. With his Business know how and My love of cloth diapering we make a pretty good Team!

Why do you like selling on Etsy?
Etsy is a wonderful site. It supports small business and Hand Made items, 2 things we love! Who wouldn't want to be a part of something like that? Etsy also gives us alot of tools and resources to help us along the way. Starting a new business can be intimidating but Etsy makes it very simple!

How long have you been sewing?
I grew up in a home where my Mother was sewing all the time, and for as long as I can remember I've been a crafty person. I really got into sewing after my husband bought me a sewing machine for Christmas 3 years ago, I used it so much I actually wore it out and had to replace it!

What is your favorite thing to make at the moment? What are you passionate about?
Right now my favorite thing to make is diapers... diapers of any kind! We're really Passionate about Cloth diapering, Breastfeeding, baby wearing and anything else that involves giving our kids (and others!) the best that we can!

What is your favorite thing in your shop at the moment? Why?Our current favorite item is our Natural Luxury Bamboo Cloth Wipes. They are sooo soft, they clean any mess that you could imagine easily, they're very gentle on any skin type, and best of all they're all natural! We have a 2 month old Son who is a very heavy wetter and we fold one in half and stick inside all of his diapers (even his prefolds!) They are so multi-functional, even People who don't cloth diaper can make use of them.


Who/What is your inspiration?
Our Primary inspiration is our 4 children. My husband works retail and has long hours so he's away from home alot. We decided to open our own small business with the hopes that someday he won't have to be away from home so much. Our other big inspiration is our love of cloth diapering and how good it is for our planet and for our children’s health. We want to spread the word and make affordable quality products so that anyone in any financial situation and enjoy the benefits.

Why is cloth diapering important to you?
We decided to give cloth diapering a try with our 3rd child. Unfortunately the thought had never even crossed our minds before then. My husband was skeptical at first, he didn't think it would work for us because I have an issue with laundry (it’s my least favorite part of being a stay-at-home mom and I can never seem to get it under control) he thought there would be no way that I would want to (or be willing to) wash dirty diapers of all things. I was hooked the very first time I snapped her pretty little pink diaper on her! My husband claimed he "didn't know how to do it" and got out of diaper changing for quite a while but was fully supportive of cloth diapering because we were no longer spending money every week on disposables and he knew the health benefits. Now he's a full on cloth diapering Dad, using Snappi's and stuffing pockets! He even helps make the diapers.

What factors are the most important to you when choosing a cloth diaper?
To us the most important factors in choosing a cloth diaper are price, function, and style. (Ok so maybe the style only really matters to me, my husband is more concerned about how much it's going to cost him and how well it’s going to work.) We've tried to incorporate all of that into our products. We try to offer a little of everything so that anyone can buy in any price range.

What is the kind of diaper you like the best at home? On the go? For travel? For budget?
At home our 2 little ones live in fitteds and fleece soakers or longies most of the time. On the go we like to use our One-size PUL covers and Bamboo inserts because its less to put in the bag, they fit both our 2 year old and 2 month old so there's no worry about bringing enough of the right sizes for each of them. For Budget we Love Prefolds and covers. Our Grandmas used them for a reason, they're easy, they work, and they're inexpensive!

What is your favorite cloth diapering memory?
My favorite cloth diaper memory was the first time we put our newborn son in one of our cloth diapers and fleece longies. He was 2 days old and we were still in the hospital, he looked so cute in them!

www.livinggreenbaby.com
www.facebook.com/onthegreenside
www.livinggreenbaby.blogspot.com

Meet the Team-- Sheila Steggall from Soft and Scrubby

Today we meet Sheila Steggall from Soft and Scrubby. After you've read all about her, check out her Etsy store to see all the great products she carries, including: Soft and Scubby wipes, basic baby wipes, nursing pads, wool diaper covers, and makeup remover pads.

How long have you had your store? I’ve had my Etsy store since Jan 2008. I sold at other venues for a couple years before that.

What cd products do you sell? Soft and Scrubby carries two styles of baby wipes, diaper inserts and wool soakers. I also carry nursing pads and facial items. I’ve been playing around with some pocket diapers, but have not yet decided to sell them.

I mainly use 100% cotton flannel. I love choosing cute prints for my products. The wipes, inserts, nursing pads and cotton rounds are all made from my own pattern.

What made you decide to start selling your items? The first Scrubby Baby wipe was created about 9 years ago when trying to find a creative use for some older flat diapers. Unfortunately, I did not get to use them and gave them to a friend who thought they were great.
A couple of years later I finally got my new baby and used and loved the scrubby wipes!

Later I found quality birdseye, sewed super cute flannel to the front and a business was formed! The Soft and Scrubby business has been busy for almost 6 years and now includes Basic Wipes, Diaper Inserts, Nursing Pads, and Wool Soakers.

A couple years ago my mom joined in and started knitting wool soakers and shorties to add to my shop.

What is the best cd advice you’ve heard?
Sample a few styles of diapers before you purchase a lifetime worth of cloth! Chances are you’ll settle into something you never thought you’d like. If I ever have another baby I’ll probably go for some quality prefolds and wool covers! I’m thinking basic, economical, and breathable!

Tell us something about your cd experience? My first cloth diapering experience was about 39 years ago! Of course I don’t remember that because I was just a baby. Disposable diapers were just becoming common and wouldn't you know to my mom’s chagrin I was allergic to them!

My first baby wore cloth out of necessity as she also developed an allergy to paper diapers. At the time I didn’t know anything about cloth diapering except that you could by Gerber prefolds in the store and a velcro cover. I was not very impressed, but had to do what I had to do.
Later I found out about all the great options in cloth diapers and by the time my fourth child was born I was truly excited about cloth! During my pregnancy I was busy sewing him quite a stash of fitted diapers and had bought some all-in-ones, Chinese prefolds and some great covers. He was cloth diapered this time by choice and not out of necessity. We even used cloth when we were camping!

I discovered wool pants around the time my son was potty training. We never got to use them over diapers but were so pleased with how well they worked at night with cotton training pants. I never again had to get up in the night to change wet sheets.

And now my oldest daughter and her husband have made the cloth choice also. When I get a sufficient stack of pocket diapers made for them I may just make some for my shop.

What makes your products stand out? I really enjoy choosing cute prints, matching the thread, and making sure everything that goes out in the mail is something that I would want to receive if I were a customer. Most of what I make, I originally made because it filled a need in

my family.

What is your favorite item to make? My favorite item to make is anything custom! I love to work with my customers to make something just for them. I’m always open to changes in size, shape, color or print. I’ve made dolly wipes, dolly dipes, facial tissues, cleaning cloths, rectangular inserts for gdiapers and even up-cycled some receiving blankets all because customers requested them. I started making make-up remover pads when a customer saw my nursing pads and wanted to know if I could make something small for using with face cleanser!

Etsy Shop: www.softandscrubby.etsy.com

Meet the Team--Michelle from LagamorphLounge

Today we meet Michelle from LagamorphLounge. After you've read all about her, check out her Etsy store to see all the great products she carries, including: flannel fitteds, hand-knit and repurposed woolies, nursing pads, fleece covers, and cloth wipes!

Where did you get the name for your shop? Well, I have a serious love of rabbits. I ran a rabbit rescue in Alaska for a few years until a change in my personal life put an end to that. Lagamorph is the scientific name for rabbit so it only made sense to go with it. I currently have 2 pet rabbits, Emmit & Raindrop.

Is it a business or a hobby? It was strictly a hobby for a number of years, then kind of slowly progressed into a hobby/business hybrid. I think I'm still a long way off from being a full on business, but who knows where 2012 will lead me.

How long have you been sewing? I have been really sewing since I was 18, when I got my first sewing machine. It just took off from there. I'm now 27 and am the proud owner of 7 sewing machines, including that very first one which I now use to teach 3 of my 4 kids how to sew. Baby #4 will be learning too once he's a little older. I learned to knit when I was still pregnant with him and that was the summer of 2010. It's become one of my favorite things to do.

What is your favorite thing in your shop at the moment? Why? I love my Maple Leaf Wool soaker so much. It was hard to list it. It's entirely too small for any of my kids so keeping it for myself would have been kind of silly. I love the rich warm fall colors and the way it reminds me what my homestate looks like in fall. I'm from New York but have lived in Alaska for the past 6 years and there is virtually no fall here. We go from a short summer, to a sadly short fall and then into a really long winter.

Why is cloth diapering important to you? It's important for so many reasons. We are a family of 6 living on my husband's ever changing commission based income so knowing that I never have to run out and buy diapers with money we really don't have takes a huge stress off my shoulders. Knowing that what I am putting on my little one's bums is safe and for them and the environment is so important. I know exactly what is touching their skin, no mystery there.

What kind of diaper do you like best at home? On the go? For travel? For budget? It's the same answer across the board....a fitted with wool longies, shorties, or a soaker on top. You can't go wrong with that combo! I have tried so many types and always seem to come back to these! I do really like fleece covers too, but can't handle pockets. I know some families love them to pieces, but I've found they just aren't for me.

Favorite CD shop on Etsy? I love Bundlesofjoy. She's a fellow
Alaskan and has such beautiful items! Now that the holidays are over I'll be
making a purchase or two :)

Etsy Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/LagamorphLounge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lagamorph-Lounge-Handmade-Fabric-Goods-Custom-Sewing/296047370412584

Meet the Team-- Theressa from Tiger Tooshies

Today we meet Theressa from Tiger Tooshies! After reading all about her own cloth diapering experience and her business, take a moment to check out her Etsy shop and let her know which of her many great products you love!

Where did you get the name for your shop?
My shop Name came from a Nick name, I got as a Child, Tiger so it was only
natural to use it and add Tooshies at the end.

Is it big business or a hobby? Right now it is a Hobby that I hope to turn to a business one day.

Why do you like selling on Etsy? I like selling on Etsy because of the ease of setting up and listing your homemade goods and it a worldwide site where your diapers could be sold anywhere in the world.

How long have you been sewing? I started to sew in high school but gave it up for years. When my Girls were young they went into dance and skating that is when I decided to start to sew again. I loved designing and creating their dance and skating outfits for competitions, I have been sewing again for about 12 years.

What are you passionate about? Right now I am passionate about making diapers from a new pattern made from almost all natural fabrics, cottons, hemp and bamboo.

What is your favorite item in your shop? My most Favorite thing in my shop right now is my Oh, Chickens diaper ...I like chickens ... it is fun and bright and just a happy Chicken and egg diaper.

What is your inspiration? I have a few things that inspire me, One I love seeing the handmade stuff I create and I also love that something I created is a benefit my daughter and the environment.

Why is cloth diapering important to you? In the small rural community I live in we have to look after getting our own garbage to the dump, after seeing the garbage that was leaving our house from just diapers and seeing the dumpsters at the dump and all the diapers in the dumpsters. You can not help but think what are we doing! and how long it will take for those diapers to disappear ?

What factors are the most important to you when choosing a cloth diaper? I think the most important thing is my baby and what is close to her skin and is she comfortable? I look for a trim diaper that is absorbent, soft and made with natural fibers.

What is the kind of diaper you like the best at home? At home I usually use the ones I make all thought I have a few BG and Sweet Peas that I like. On the go? When I go out I usually take my Sweet Peas and the new AIOs I make as they hold better .. Once the new AIO lasted a 5-hour shopping trip ... For travel? And when we travel (red face) we use disposables.

Favorite CD shop on Etsy? Annie Matheson - Allen, Dick and Jane diapers, I have one of hers and love it!

What is your least favorite cloth diapering memory? ... Well just when things get real yucky ... that is all I want to remember (or perhaps forget?--author's note) about that ! :)

Facebook : www.facebook.com/pages/Tiger-Tooshies/213208772096039?sk=wall
etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/TigerTooshies?ref=si_shop

Quickie Eco Tip of the Week...

Well, this quickie tip actually came from my good friend who started me out in using cloth diapers without even trying.

If you are not so lucky or so talented as to be able to make all your own breads, you probably go through a good many bread, buns, rolls, and tortilla packages. Those flimsy little bags hardly seem worth saving, and they take so little room compressed in the garbage pail, right? Think again. Their compact nature and light weight make them perfect for tucking into a diaper bag, out-and-about bag, or even a purse. If you don't already have a travel wet bag, bread bags make great storage for wet and soiled diapers, especially the nasty ones! Tie it off tight and when you get home, just rip it apart over the diaper bin and toss the bag in the trash. One standard bread bag can hold 3-4 diapers!


Already have a great travel wet bag? Use your bread bags in the kitchen. We usually buy sandwich bread but make homemade dinner breads. Leftover rolls usually get stored in a saved bread bag. Bread bags also make great storage for things that you want to toss in the fridge for the next day, like leftover pizza. We also use them for unused portions of veggies that come in packages that must be torn off, like cabbage, lettuce, and broccoli.

I'm sure if you thought about it, you could find many other handy uses for your bread bags. Leave a few out on the counter and you might be surprised at what you do with them--just make sure they're out of reach of little one, of courses! We have recently been trying to reduce our use of ziplocks, plastic wrap, etc. and those little baggies have served lots of interesting purposes.

Do you know of any other great uses for bread bags? Let us know!

Indoor Line Drying and Stains

Fridays are Cloth diaper Info days.  Yay!  But what does it mean ?  Each Friday a member of the Etsy Cloth Diapers team will share tips and infos about cloth diapering.

And today we start with : Indoor line drying.

Why ?  Because not everybody likes/want/can machine dry their diapers, for many reasons.  Usually for them, line drying or rack drying is the obvious choice.

 That's is where I, Marie-Aude from Colibi Créations, have a problem.  I live in Canada, where half the year the weather is not exactly appropriate for outdoor line drying.  It gets even worse when the said person works full time and only do laundry when the sun has set...  And in winter, it means 5 PM.


When I was in my first maternity leave in 2007  ( my son will be 4yo in a few days!), I was scared to use the dryer for my son's diapers, and I had a little drying rack.  It went well, until stains began to bother me. 

Then I had the IDEA:  window drying !  I would use clothespins to hang stained diapers to my curtains, in my most exposed to the sun windows.

Clothespin, diaper, curtain and a sun exposed window, that's all you need!

I must admit if the said window is facing the street, it can look weird a little bit...  And if one day you don't find a diaper you need, look  behind your curtains.  I had the bad habit to forget I hat put diapers to dry and de-stain.

Does it work ?  Yes it does, but it can take more time to dry and get the stains off in snowy January than sunny July.

If satin are not an issue, but you like to reduce machine drying time, or you still have a few diapers not entirely dry, here is an other money wise option:

Clothes hangers with clips!  !

Kids cloth hangers!  We always have too many of them at home!  Very practical.  Each hanger can hold 2 items, one per clip.  I usually hang them on hooks or wherever  I can in my smallish laundry room.

Not only for diapers, but also for trainers, cloth pads ( there is one in the far right of the picture)

That way I must admit it is less visible for the neighbours, and they are still easy to see for me :)



That's all for today:)

P.S. : Sorry for the bad lighting.  I do prepare my blog articles at night, and the light in the laundry room would NOT cooperate today...

P.S. 2 : See you tomorrow!  I'll share with you one of my favorite recipe.  Something yummy, a dessert.