Fluff Mail!

Well, Lion Cub is still growing like a weed so I had to purchase some size mediums!  I had a few from R-Man but a lot of them the elastic was shot and so forth, so buying a few more was really the best option right now. Plus, R-Man still wears his fab fitteds as a just-in-case during naps (which he rarely wets, but still) so now that they are in the same size (crazy right?) I just couldn't resist!

So I got 4 new Fuzzibunz Onesize (which I TOTALLY Love!!), 4 Thristies Fab Fitteds and 2 snap in soakers to go with my GroBaby!  Very exciting and helpful!

Have you received any fluff mail lately?  Link up!

Changes for the fall

So, now that The Summer of Baby Love is over, I have decided to restructure my memes a little bit.  Basically, each meme will be posted once a month, instead of weekly.  Memes will be posted every Tuesday.  When each meme is posted I will also be announcing the meme for the next week, along with the topic, so that it is easier for everyone to participate.  Here is what the new meme schedule will look like:

1st Week of Month:  Chic Cheeks
2nd Week of Month: Where I Babywear
3rd Week of Month:  I Was Here... Breastfeeding
4th Week of Month:  Mama Time

I decided to do this so that I could participate in more of the wonderful memes that you ladies have out there, and because I feel like it will be more feasible for people to join in my memes if I only host one a week!

So, with that said, this week's meme will actually be on Wednesday (because of the holiday) and will be Wear I Babywear- you can post whatever recent babywearing pic you want, to join in!  I can't wait to see where you all have been wearing your babes! 

Chic Cheeks- Slacker!

Alright, honestly, sometimes I slack off on certain things about my CDing life. I always use cloth but I don't always execute the full cloth practice as I should. Such as lately I haven't been spraying my dirty dipes off, which I know you don't have to do but it seems to cut down on smell when I do. So, (at the prompting of my husband) I should probably start doing that again.

I also haven't been using my wipes solution, instead I have just been wetting the wipes down with warm water. I think that the water works fine, but the solution seems to help the wipe slide across his skin easier. SO, I should probably start making that again too.

Now, if only these children would stop screaming so I could do some of these things! Here's to hoping!

Can you relate? Share about it! Just include the Chic Cheeks button then come back here and linkup! Come on, let me know I am not the only one!

Chic Cheeks- Least Favorite Dipe

There are some diapers that just don't live up to their hype- and everyone has a different opinion of what they are. For us they were Happy Heinys. I had heard so many great things about these dipes, and they were in the first batch of dipes that I ever bought, but for us, they just didn't cut it. I found their cut to be unflattering and not particularly trim, and above all, they leaked... like mad! And I am not just talking a little bit through the leg holes, they leaked straight through the PUL! They also developed holes very quickly in the microfleece. So, yeah, that's what I have to say about that!

What is the least favorite dipe you have ever purchased? Post, Add the Chic Cheeks Button, & Link up! Can't wait to hear your warnings for my future purchases! Haha!

Chic Cheeks- Gro Baby!

I won! I won! I won!!!!!! I still can't believe it! I feel like I have entered so many contests and never see any results! I have especially been entering contests for Gro Baby diapers (since the day they came out) because I have wanted to try one so badly but just couldn't bring myself to pay $24 for one! Well, Barefoot Mommies recently held yet another Gro Baby contest and my number was finally drawn!!


So, what's the verdict? I LOVE this diaper! I really didn't expect to like it as much do, but I do! The first time Lion Cub wore it he made quite a mess in it, but much to my surprise, it all stayed within the liner and didn't leak out onto the shell at all! Woohoo! The snaps hold very snugly which I appreciate since sometimes when I am pulling up other one-size diapers (such as BGs) in front, the snaps come undone and I have to start all over again. I don't have that problem at all with the Gro Baby!


Also, in case you haven't heard, Gro Baby is coming out with a bio-liner at the end of this month that sticks to the shell and can be flushed or thrown away (similar to gdiapers). This could be a nice option for travel. I have also considered using the bio-liners for R-Man at night since we are using gdiapers for him right now (although I am not sure if it will be more economical once I figure in shipping). The only downfall I can see with this dipe is that it runs pretty small. Lion Cub is only 10 weeks old and already on the largest setting, so it probably won't last much longer- bummer!

Have you tried a Gro-Baby yet? If so, I would love to hear what you think of it! If you haven't, then you are welcome to link up any other post about CDing you make on your blog this week- just make sure to include the Chic Cheeks button in your post and leave the direct link to your post!

Chic Cheeks- Tiny Bubbles

A couple of weeks ago I blogged about receiving the new Tiny Bubbles detergent from The Natural Baby Co and said that I would let you all know what I thought after I tried it. Well, we have been using it for about our last 4-5 washes and I am happy to report that it is every bit as wonderful as they say it is! Our dipes come out smelling and looking fresh as a daisy! I really couldn't be happier! I have been leery of ordering our detergent over the web for a few reasons, including shipping costs, but with these results I think I will have no choice but to do so!The real test will be on R-Man's nap-time diapers to see if this detergent helps rid us of the dreaded ammonia stink! We have been combating ammonia build up from his toddler pee for over a year now and it is just the worst! I will keep you posted on how it performs on those!

Now I want to hear what your favorite detergent is! What is your washing routine? What has (and hasn't) worked for you?! Write your post (and include the Chic Cheeks button- left sidebar) then come back here and add your direct post link to the MckLinky! Share your washing knowledge with us!

Chic Cheeks- The CDing World!

This past week I have found a couple of things going on in the cloth world that I thought I would pass along to all of you!

First off, there is a great new community called Cloth Diaper Bloggers that I am sure a lot of you would love! It was started by Kim from Dirty Diaper Laundry and it is just getting rolling! There are carnivals being planned and lots of fun cloth talk, so head on over and check it out!

Also, Real Diaper Association is hosting a fluffy photo contest for pics to put in their first ever calendar! How fun to have your baby featured on a month!

In honor of the contest I thought we could all post our prospective entry photos this week for Chic Cheeks!

(My pic will be coming- I promise!)

So, post your pics, include the Chic Cheeks button and come back here to post your direct link to the MckLinky! Can't wait to see your cute babes!

Chic Cheeks- Look what I got!

Well, Lion Cub is growing so darn fast I had to make an order for some small dipes last week. They came really quickly from KellysCloset.com which I was very thankful for- we were starting to have a lot of blowouts as his dipes were getting too small! Here is what I got for fluff mail:

(not all the dipes are pictured- some were in the wash! Lion Cub is sporting a Thirsties Fab Fitted and cover. On the left are some Fab Fitteds and the Stacinator, on the right are a FB and a BG)

1 Fuzzi Bunz One-Size, 2 BumGenius Fleece (but the stitching came undone on one, so I have to exchange it- I might get another Fuzzi Bunz in its place), 9 Thirsties Fab Fitteds, 1 Stacinator Fleece Cover (which is a little bulky for my taste but it will work for at home), 1 Thirsties Cover and a Batural Baby Company Pail Liner.

I hope to be able to add a diaper or two a month until I have my stash the way I want it- plus I just like try out new dipes!

Chic Cheeks- Already Outgrowing!

Well, at 3 weeks old Lion Cub has officially outgrown his newborn Nanipoos- he could still fit his waist into them (he has the tiniest butt I have ever seen!) but his thighs are just too large! As of Monday he was already 9.12 lbs- that's a 2.6 lb gain in 3 weeks! The weigh babies grow so fast always amazes me!

So, obviously, we are on our way to needing some small diapers! His Kissaluvs size 0 dipes and his newborn Thirsties still fit, but I don't know for how much longer. We started using our BumGenius 3.0s this week, along with the one Baby Kangas we have, and I have been suprised by the fit- they really aren't that huge on him like I thought they would be. Sure, they aren't as trim as a sized diaper, but they sure are effective! Bum Genius have become my go-to diaper for night times right now since I am able to stuff them enough to withstand a good amount of pee- Lion Cub tends to nurse and fall right back asleep during the night (soooo nice- especially since we cosleep!), so I only need to change him if he has poo-ed, which he is doing less and less at night! Yeah- more rest for mama!

Anyway- back to diapers- I plan on making a pretty significant order as soon as we get paid from our last job. Here is what I am planning on ordering (mostly from Kelly's Closet- some from The Natural Baby Company:
12 Thirsties Fab Fitteds
2 Fuzzibunz one-size (to try out- will possibly buy more later)
2 Bum Genius Fleece
3 or 4 Dream-Eze fitteds
1 GroBaby (to try- I am hoping to get this one but am not sure)
2 Pail liners (for our upstairs changing table)
1 planetwise medium wetbag

So, are any of you adding to or making changes to your stashes? What have you recently tried that you love or hate?

Post about it, include the Chic Cheeks button then head back here and post the direct link to your post in the Mr. Linky! I can't wait to see what you all have been trying out!

Chic Cheeks- The First Dipe!!

Well, we finally got to use our first dipe on our darling little boy and here it is:

And here is the same style diaper but a different pattern:

These diapers were both Nanipoos newborn fitteds and we LOVE them!! They contain everything so well and are the perfect fit on our little man!! I couldn't be more happy with how these diapers have performed and highly recommend them to anyone buying newborn dipes (plus, the price is unbeatable!)! To top it all off, the patterns are adorable and they are just soooooo soft! My favorite diapers we have used so far, by a long shot!

Since so many people seem to be leery about CDing a brand new babe, I wanted to give a few simple tips for cloth diapering a newborn:

1. Make sure you have enough dipes- this cuts down on laundry and makes CDing a newborn much more manageable, even for a new mama (and daddy).
2. Post washing instructions next to the washing machine so that daddy and other people who come to help can easily wash the dipes for you!
3. Spray or wipe a little olive oil on babe's bum at each diaper change to make the next meconium clean-up much easier.
4. If you are worried about meconium sticking to or staining the dipe, use a flushable liner such as these from Kelly's Closet, or simply make your own reusable liners by cutting up strips of microfleece.

So, now it's our turn! I have a couple of questions for you to answer in your own Chic Cheeks posts this week:
1. Which diaper did you or do you plan to use as the first one for your new babe, and why?
2. What are your tips for cloth diapering a newborn?

Don't forget to post the Chic Cheeks Button on your post (HTML in left sidebar)and be sure to come back here and leave the direct link to your post in the Mr. Linky! You can go here for all the Chic Cheeks Meme details if you are new. Can't wait to here what you all have to share!

Chic Cheeks- Wipe Solution

Ever since I mentioned my bottles of homemade wipe solution I have been getting lots of requests for my recipe, so I thought this week we would hit on just that!

What do you use to wipe your babe's bum?

Obviously, we use cloth wipes with a spray of wipe solution, that is honestly always changing! Wipe solution can be simply made with just a few ingredients- distilled water (keeps longer), a little bit of oil (makes things easier to wipe and adds moisture to the skin), and natural baby soap. My all-time favorite recipe (because it just smells so darn yummy!) is this:

Sweet Clean Wipe Solution:

• 1 TBSP Apricot oil (you could also use almond, olive or grape seed)
• 1 TBSP natural baby soap (I usually use Dr. Bronner's Baby Castile Soap or California Baby)
• 2 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
• 1 drop Lavender Essential Oil
• 1 Cup distilled water

This recipe is an adaptation from one I found in this article by Amy Nogar. She has a bazilion more in this article for every type of skin senstivity, smell preference or need, so you should really check it out!

I usually double or triple my batch so that I can fill my bottles and also have some stored in a mason jar in the fridge. My favorite bottle to use to dispense the solution is a peribottle (you know, the kind you use for yourself after birth)- it gives a nice spray to the wipe and is super easy to use and store. Also, if you like, you can put it in portable bottle warmer (the only reason many of us would ever need one of these gadgets) next to the changing table to keep the solution at a comfy temp for baby. I have also tried storing wipes that I pre-moistened in a standard wipe warmer, which works also but can sometimes turn into a bit of a hassle, since the wipes take up more space than disposable wipes so you typically have to refill it a couple of times a day.

My favorite way to travel with our wipes is to just put a little solution in a small spray bottle that I can use either on the wipes or directly on baby's bum. Some mamas I know like to use a small wetbag to take along pre-moistened wipes, but once again, for me that is too much of a hassle and I always feel like I won't have enough.

As far as the wipes themselves go, I have a few favorites on my list, but the best wipes I have used so far I bought from Small Wonders Wipes on Hyenacart. This mama makes her wipes out of a variety of soft and absorbent fabrics that work like a dream and are cute to boot! Plus, you really can't beat her prices- only $1 a wipe! With R-Man I mostly used baby washclothes (and still do for poos and messes), but I find that they are a little rough and nowhere near as nice as our actual wipes!

So, now it's your turn! Share with us all what you use to clean up your babe's diaper messes and be sure to stop by everyone else's posts to find out their great ideas too! Just place the Chic Cheeks Meme Button (HTML in left sidebar) on your post and then come back here and leave the direct link to your post in the Mr. Linky below! For more details about the meme you can check here!

Happy Wiping!

Chic Cheeks- How do you store your dipes?

This week I thought we could discuss how everyone stores their diapers. Everyone seems to do it a bit differently & I think I am always gaining tips from other mamas in this area!

We have decided to split our diapers between two separate changing tables- one upstairs and one downstairs in our bedroom. This is our table upstairs:


We have everything split into baskets based on what it is: Fitteds & Prefolds, AIOs & Pockets, and Covers & Doublers. All of the wipe stuff & accessories are in the basket on top of the table for easy access during changes. This is my basket for Fitteds & Prefolds:


Downstairs I have a smaller selection of diapers in the top drawer of our dresser (I figure we will mostly be using these dipes at night right now and the rest of our time will pretty much be spent upstairs):


I also have a basket for the wipes, wipe solution and accessories for on top of the dresser:

This basket has wipes, Snappis, olive oil (for baby's bum- to help meconium be more easily cleaned off), wipe solution (in the peri bottle), baby oil (for massage), & diaper liners (also for the meconium days).

So, what does your diaper storage system/changing area look like? I am very curious!

Chic Cheeks- Promoting Cloth!

This week I thought it would be a good idea to give some links to some awesome information about promoting cloth diapers and ask you what you do to help spread the cloth lovin' word! I find for myself that I am so in love with cloth that it is not hard to share my experiences and findings with other mamas, especially mamas who would not normally be prone to cloth diapering (which was totally me when I started!). In fact, I love doing it so much that teaching about natural parenting concepts and products is a big part of my business, Chic & Savvy Mamas.

I recently read this article on the blog Cloth Diapers and was very alarmed, although I won't say surprised because these are just the sort of tactics the big companies use (and it's smart really!). They are spreading the word about their products where we are growing to listen most- blogging mamas! So what can we do? Well, I think if we matched the sposie bloggers post for post and even surpassed them, it would make a huge difference! Participating in memes like this one is not only a fun way to share with other cloth diapering mamas, but spread the word to those mamas who would not normaly give cloth a second thought! Let's make CDing the norm!

Something else you can do in support of cloth is participate in this survey about how you diaper. It is a great way to share your experiences, knowledge level, and preferences- even if you don't use cloth. In fact, I would really encourage you to point your non-CDing friends to this survey too (they may be surprised by what they learn from a simple and quick survey!)!

Need other ways to spread the word? How about in real life? Hop on over to RealDiaperAssociation.org for not only wonderful information about everything from environmental to health reasons to switch to cloth, but also a wide selection of brochures, postcards and other cloth diapering advocacy gear! You can also direct your friends to this calculator on diaperpin.com that shows parents the cost differences between sposies and cloth- very compelling in this economy!

So, what do you do to spread the word? Do you just show off your little one's cute cloth behind or are you more vocal? Join in and tell us what you do!

Chic Cheeks- The Newborn Stash

I thought it would be a good idea to post pics of our newborn stash while it is all clean at once- which I am sure will not be the case soon! So here it is!

So, how does it break down?

• 14 Nanipoos Newborn Fitteds (2 aren't pictured because they are sealed up for the birth!)
• 1 Sirius Fluff Fattycakes Fitted
• 12 Newborn Indian Prefolds
• 12 Kissaluvs Size 0
• 1 Monkey Doodlez Micro
• 2 Thirsties AI2s- X-Small
• 6 Thirsties Fab Fitteds- X-Small
• 4 Thirsties Covers- X-Small
• I also have a pair of boy longies and girl longies, but those are sealed up for the birth as well! You can see them here though!

I would have liked to have had a few more covers, but we will just have to make 4, plus a couple pairs of longies work! I am thrilled with the number of dipes though!

The dipes I am most excited to use are our Nanipoos! They were a custom order (for the most part) and I just think they are the cutest things on the planet! They are really well made and were an AMAZING price! I will report soon on their performance, but if it is anything like what these dipes look like, it will be wonderful!


So, what do your newborn stashes look like? Are there things you are still wanting to get? Which diapers are you most excited to use? I can't wait to see!

A Meme for Chic' Cheeks!

If you cloth diaper your babe than I have no doubt that you are probably as addicted to the whole experience as I am! Cloth diapering is not just a way of taking care of your babe's bathroom needs- it's a culture! With trends, styles and flat out addictions there are few (if any) baby products I love and adore more! And so, Mama Kenz Studio's final meme being introduced this week is all about what we put on our little one's bums!

Join me in sharing our favorite (and least favorite) diapers, the trials and tribulations we encounter, the latest tips and tricks, and where to go for the best deals and contests, among other things I'm sure! Just post a direct link to your Chic Cheeks post in the Mr. Linky and take part in the wonderful cloth madness! Oh, and make sure that you post the Chic Cheeks button (code in left sidebar) on your post if you would like to be included! Happy Diapering!