How do you use your Oeko Popo Diaper? A review

How do you use your Oeko Popo Diaper?

The Oeko Popo Diaper is an up and coming unique diapering option. Undecided on what style of cloth diapering to use? There are pockets, all in ones, all in twos, fitteds, and prefolds.  Well with the Oeko Popo Diaper, you can try ALL of these with a little help.  The Oeko Popo Diaper is designed to be a pocket, an AIO, and AI2, and a diaper cover! This is AMAZING and this is just the beginning of what I have to tell you about their wonderful diapers!

This diaper is super trim when used with their inserts. The inserts may be super thin, but they absorb quite well!

The prices for these diapers are ONLY $11.95 for size 1, and $13.95 for size 2. This can build up a stash for a low price! Not to mention the lovely lady who runs Oeko Popo is super nice!

The diaper I received for review is the Versatility diaper in red.  The first thing I noticed was how trim it was... but when I put it on my son, I noticed something I REALLY liked. The extra wing snaps on the inside! When your diaper is snapped tighter and you have extra snaps on the outside, without these snaps the fabric tends to stick up...but this solves that problem

Onto the uses! I will show you a few I really like

Used as a cover with a prefold (no snappis needed!)

Use as a cover with a fitted diaper

And then as an AI2 or AIO, you can leave this snapped when you wash or unsnap it and use it as an AI2 and replace the soaker with a clean one

They also sell a snap in pocket, but I don't have one or else I'd have photos of that for you as well!

Another thing I noticed about this diaper, is that it looks like it will fit a much larger baby. My son is currently around 25 lbs and is all the way unsnapped for rise on all his one size diapers EXCEPT for the Oeko Popo! I actually have the rise snapped down one. You can see the size difference here comparing the BumGenius Elemental with the Oeko Popo Versatility at their largest snap settings

But the diaper can also get super small as well as seen here comparing smallest setting again with the BumGenius Elemental

The crossover tabs are especially nice for those small babies

My son really enjoys wearing this diaper as well, works great for an active toddler!

You can purchase Oeko Popo Diapers at http://oekopopo.com/

or visit them on facebook http://www.facebook.com/oekopopo

Dri-Line Bamboo Baby All in One Cloth Diaper Review

The Dri-Line Bamboo Baby All in One Diaper is a one size diaper, adjustable by snaps for the rise, and either a snap or aplix closure.

The inside of the diaper is a super soft Bamboo Rayon (80% bamboo Rayon / 20% Polyester) and the waterproof layer is PUL.  The absorbent liner is attached, so you won't need to go fishing for it in the wash.  This diaper does not need to be stuffed, simply lay the liner inside the diaper, fold over the excess, and put it on your baby.

Dri-Line products are made in Canada

I received a diaper in blue with snap closure, and one in chocolate with aplix closure to review.

This is a newer version diaper, if you experienced the old version, they have vastly improved the aplix!  I have not had any issues with the aplix on this diaper, it sticks well to the laundry tabs in the wash.  This version also comes in snaps for those of us that prefer snapping diapers.

I have my son on the middle setting, and it fits great! This diaper will be able to fit him for quite a while longer than some other one size diapers.  The inside is very soft, even after several washes.  I love using this diaper since it is easy to use, I just fold down the attached soaker and put it on my son.  No hunting for liners, inserts, and no stuffing.  I also LOVE the new colors!  The chocolate diaper is my favorite color.  This diaper is great for taking in the diaper bag, during the day, or even naps.  The absorbency is amazing, probably due to the use of bamboo instead of cotton.

This diaper retails for $22.95

Dri-line Baby Website

Dri-line Baby Retailers

Mother-Ease Cloth Diapers All in One Diaper Review

The Mother-Ease Cloth Diapers All in One diaper is a sized diaper that runs from S-XL

This AIO is a side snapper, and only comes in snaps, and only comes in white.  It is made of cotton terry and a PUL outer.

The Sandy’s Absorbent Liner offers an extra boost for overnight or heavy wetters.  This liner just needs to be laid inside the diaper, no stuffing or fuss.

Mother-Ease Cloth Diapers products are made in Canada.  They have been manufacturing diapers for over 18 years and continue to improve their products.

I received the All in One diaper in size large.  My son is at the bottom of the recommended weight range, but I knew the medium would be too small or wouldn’t last us long since he’s a growing boy!  I also received the Sandy’s Absorbent Liner in unbleached cotton size large.

This diaper may not be the most glamorous diaper, but it sure does absorb!  It works well for long naps, and appears to be very comfortable for my son.  It leaves no red marks, the elastic is not too tight at all, yet it is enough to keep the diaper on and functioning properly.  I never tried this without the Sandy’s Absorbent Liner, since I was afraid my son would wet straight through just the diaper.  My son can soak the entire diaper & liner, but it has not leaked.  The only (minor) issue is if he wet heavily, the diaper will wick through the manufacturer’s tag.  Generally, this only happens overnight or after a very long nap.

The Mother-Ease All in One Diaper retails from $15.95-$17.95

The Sandy’s Absorbent Liner retails for $2.30

Mother-Ease Cloth Diapers Website

Mother-Ease Cloth Diapers on Facebook

Envibum AIO Diaper Review

**** WARNING**** at this time several people are having issues receiving their orders from Envibum. This is something I just heard so proceed with caution. Their website is currently down and their facebook page appears to have been removed.

Every baby will have ENVI for your baby’s BUM in these diapers!  With an outer layer of minky in a fashionable color, your baby will be styling.

Envibum diapers feature a unique inner fabric that channels the moisture away from baby.  There is an attached soaker that you tuck into the pocket, and it agitates out in the wash.  You can also purchase additional boosters to get more absorbency.  

WAIT—there’s more! $2 from every diaper is donated to a worth cause based upon the color you purchase. 

From their website:

Every time you purchase an envipolka diaper, we help support mom4mom ministries!
Every time you purchase an envipurple diaper, we donate $2 to special needs orginazation!
Every time you purchase an envigreen diaper, we donate $2 to Food for the Hungry!
Every time you purchase an enviaqua diaper, we donate $2 to Living Water International!
Every time you purchase an enviyellow diaper, we donate $2 to Helping Hands in Africa!
Every time you purchase an envired diaper, we donate $2 to Salvation Army!
Every time you purchase an envipink diaper, we donate $2 to Crisis Pregnancy Center!
Every time you purchase an enviwhite diaper, we donate $2 to Homes of Hope!
Every time you purchase an mom4mom diaper cover, we give another cover to a mom in need!

AMAZING, right?  Now I want to buy some to help support these great causes!

The verdict:

Well this diaper may not be as trim as some other AIO’s but this has the absorbent power to make up for it!  My son has not had any leaks with this diaper yet.  The bulkiness may make the fit a bit different, but it WORKS, which is all that matters to me. Two thumbs up, and I wish I had more!  There is definitely room for my son to grow in this diaper.

Price: Diapers are $22.99

Check out their website:

http://envibum.com/

Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Envibum/138372129561800

And guess what else? You can now purchase Envibum on Amazon!

Blissful Booty AIO Diaper

First, I’d like to say the lovely Cathy who runs Blissful Booty is very nice, and awesome! 

These diapers come sized, from newborn to toddler.  Sized diapers provide a better fit, while matching the absorbency needed for the size of the child.

So far, these diapers come in two colors: celery and buttercream, but there are more colors coming soon!

What makes this diaper unique:

·        Double gussets

·        Ultra soft interior

·        Front elastic

If you have an ultra-wetter like my son (heavy wetter +) then you can boost the absorbency power of the diaper by laying in a few booster pads.  I use two for my son’s diapers.

This diaper uses an aplix closure, but you can also upgrade to snaps & aplix.  The aplix is good quality, and the laundry tabs really work!

These diapers are great for the diaper bag or for everyday use.  They are very trim and compact.

Drying time: these do not take much longer than a pocket diaper’s inserts to dry.

This is a true AIO, no stuffing or fussing involved, just wash, dry, then put on baby!

Price: Diapers run $17.99 for one or $64.99 for a 4 pack.  Boosters are $12.99 for a 5 pack

Check out Blissful Booty's Website for all your diapering needs; they have wipes, wipe water concentrate, diaper detergent, pail liners, DIAPERS of course, and wet bags as well as the boosters.

http://blissfulbooty.com/

And follow them on Facebook to be in-the-know when they have sales & giveaways!

http://www.facebook.com/BlissfulBooty

Update on the AIO Project

Well, it's been some time now since I announced the start of this project so I figured it's time for an update!

Currently in testing:
Blissful Booty Diaper & booster
Bamboo Baby in snaps & aplix
Envibum diaper & absorbency pad
Mother-Ease diaper & sandy booster


I am hoping to have the diapers all here and through the testing phase so I can finish the reviews by mid-April.  The comparison will have to be done last, and may take some more time.

Additionally, there will be mini reviews on diapers I already own that fit into the AIO category:
BumGenius Elemental
BumGenius All in One
Bummis Tot Bots Easy Fit
GroVia All in One

This has been challenging for myself and giving a true test to the AIO's.  My son has been growing and has increased his wetting abililty, which was already heavy.  Booster & extra absorbency pads have been added to the review to reflect options for heavy wetters & overnight.

Scentsy, that wickless wax warmer stuff

To be honest, when I first heard about Scentsy, I wasn’t interested.  I did win a few scent circles in a cloth diaper chat that was focused on fire safety, but I just set them aside for a while since I thought I had no real use for them.

Then I kept seeing Scentsy…………everywhere on Facebook.  There were giveaways for bars, buddies, warmers, circles, tins…all kinds of items everywhere!  I started to try to win bars, not really knowing what I would do with them if I did.  Well, I never did win a bar.  The social groups started to be created on Facebook, and one of my friends added me.  I suddenly had an obsession…I HAD to get myself some one way or another.

Well somehow I found Jeanene’s group.  I found a nice place to hang out in the group’s chat as well as posting in the group.  I made a few friends, and also really connected with Jeanene.  I then discovered her team, led by Hollie, which was made up of a group of wonderfully nice women.  If you are looking for a great consultant to purchase from or work under, I recommend any of these ladies.  The Facebook groups are great because you can talk with the consultants, and they offer free games as well as great deals on product.

I made a few purchases, then another, and another…and somehow I have a whole house’s worth of warmers and bars.  I have two plug-ins, which are compact warmers that plug into an outlet like a nightlight, only it’s for scent!  I have found that just one cube from a scent bar is more than enough to keep your bathroom smelling great.  I have one mid-size warmer, which I’ve had on my kitchen counter.  The first time I used it, I warmed two cubes.  WOWWIE ZOWWIE.  That was a LOT of scent power.  I now use only one cube in it now.  I just got in my first full size warmer, and haven’t figured out where I want it yet.  It is the gorgeous warmer of the month, Dottie.

If you’re like me and not into floral or manly scents, no fear!  There are plenty of scents for you to try.  I am currently obsessed with cucumber lime, which smells like a freshly sliced cucumber.  Jumpin’ Jellybean is also a favorite, which my brother thinks smells like juice, and always makes my mouth water.

If you’re concerned about safety, especially with kids hanging around, I have a story for you.  Just this weekend I was at a friend’s house, she had her plug-in going for a while.  Her little niece was sitting on the counter with grandma right nearby, and somehow managed to reach her little hand into the warmer on accident.  Other than scaring her grandma half to death, she was fine.  The only downside was the wax stuck to her hand nicely, reminding me of Elmer’s glue.

So why am I telling you all this?  Well I have a party going on over at Jeanene’s and would love it if you made a purchase from my party.  Also, I think Jeanene is an AWESOME consultant and would love for her to get more customers.  Not to mention, I am thankful to have a nice smelling house now with the added benefit of no wicks, no fear of fire!

Jeanene’s Facebook Group

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_163713100344351&ap=1

Jeanene’s Scentsy Website

https://jketchum.scentsy.us/Home

Please place orders under Jennifer’s Party

POOP..........the scariest thing about cloth diapering

The first thing many disposable using moms say when they find out that you use cloth diapers is "Ewwww but then you have to touch POOP!"  Yeah, poop is scary.... or is it?  Do you really touch more poop when cloth diapering?

I started out using disposables, I had a c-section and there was no WAY I was going to figure out cloth diapering and make my MIL wash the dirty diapers for me when I wasn't even sure how to do it myself.  I have used disposables and cloth, and let me tell you....I think I touched more poop with disposables.  Yes, cloth may give your baby bubble-butt since you need enough fabric to soak up all the pee, but the cloth has other features...it actually fits better!  Real elastic backed up by fabric puffiness keeps the poops in.  If you have ever breastfed a baby and used disposables, I can guarantee you have had a blowout.  What does a blowout entail? well poop escaped the diaper, usually up the back, sometimes through a leg hole.  So not only do you have poop in your diaper, but you have it on the baby's clothes, whatever they were lying on, and ALL over your precious child.  Not to mention you have to touch all these poopy items in order to get everything cleaned up.  I haven't had any blowouts since switching to cloth, so no more poopy clothes for me!

How much poop does one really need to touch when using cloth?  Well you still have to wipe your baby's butt, but that's a given either way.  If your baby is exclusively breast fed, their poop WILL simply wash away in the washing machine.  I know this may seem a bit gross, but it works, and your washing machine is not going to suffer, and all your clothes will NOT smell like poop.  If you are using all in one diapers (AIO's), you wont even need to unstuff a poopy diaper.

Next up, one of my biggest fears the last few months....what happens when you start solids? Surely you will have to touch way more poop, right?  Well, when I started feeding my son baby food, the first few weeks I feared the poop.  It was this sticky chunky peanut butter consistency poop that really stunk and didn't was well in the washing machine.  Well, you can buy disposable diaper liners if you are totally afraid of poop, or you can be like me and grab your rubber gloves.  A simple dunk swish and flush in the toilet should take care of the poop.  Make sure you have the diaper pail nearby to dump the wet diaper in, and make sure you unstuff the diaper before you flush....or you might flush an insert!  This is why I love my AIO's with poop.  If the poop isnt too bad, I don't even need the rubber gloves...I just dump the diaper in the toilet, holding onto a dry corner, and flush.  Not so bad, right?  Once I started feeding my son two solid meals a day, his poop solidified enough that I can just dump it into the toilet.  NO more serious poop fears here.

Your child may differ from mine, and the poop may not be so easy.  Well they make disposable liners for that.  Just place the liner in your diaper, and when it comes time to flush the poo, just flip the liner into the toilet.  There is also the good ole diaper sprayer, which I have no experience with at all.  Some people swear by it, but with the way my son poops, I don't need one.

If you're thinking...well with disposables I can just throw it away and not have to deal with the poop.  Well guess what, technically you are breaking the law if you do that.  You're supposed to flush the poop down the toilet and THEN dispose of the diaper.

After all is said and done...how scary is poop anyway?

A few thoughts

I am super excited about my upcoming reviews, but I do want to say a few things...

First off, these will be actual reviews, not a re-posting of what is on the manufacturer's website.  I will be telling you my experiences with the diaper, take my own photographs, and I will be telling you all the details about each diaper & manufacturer (in hopefully an interesting way). 

Secondly, I believe that every diaper has a purpose, what may work for me may not work as well for you and vice-versa.  That is why I will be describing each diaper and comparing features.  All in all, I am not doing this to get free diapers out of manufacturers, I genuinely hope that my reviews help you make decisions in purchasing diapers that fit your needs and lifestyle the best.

I am a mom, a parent, just like the rest of you.  I would like to help educate everyone on how easy and simple it is to use cloth diapers, and help make your choices easier.  I hope my reviews and posts will be helpful to you.

The Grand AIO Project

Well some of you asked for it on facebook, and I'm making it become a reality.  I have contacted several companies regarding a review & comparison of AIO diapers.  So far participating we have:
Dri-Line Bamboo Baby (aplix & snaps)
Eco Bumz
Blissful Booty
Mother-Ease
Envibum

I already have diapers from 3 other companies, but am hoping for an official sponsorship.  So there will be at least 7 diapers reviewed & compared!  I will help you choose the right AIO for your lifestyle, ease of use, or for economical or environmental reasons.

Please spread the word, if you want to see more reviews of other brands I need more GFC followers!  Help me help you & new moms learn more about cloth diapers.

*added envibum 3/21

My Diaper Routine

Since one of my friends asked, and I will be showing her what I do...I felt I should write this out to share....

What diapers do I use?  Well MANY different types.  I have everything from Fuzzibunz to Rumparooz.  At night, I like to use either a Fuzzibunz size medium stuffed with a microfiber & a hemp insert OR a bumGenius 3.0 or 4.0 stuffed with both inserts.  During the day, I LOVE my GroVia AIO's they are trim, plus easy to change and easy to clean.  Rumparooz are nice for just about any time.  bumGenius works well for anytime as well as night.  My favorite to pack in my diaper bag (and favorite daytime diaper) is the Bummis TotBots Easy Fit.  I also love to tote around my bumGenius elemental due to its small size.  Others that I like include Happy Heinys (anytime) and my diaper from Cloth by Tel.  I have a few others that are at the bottom of the totem pole that are currently taking a break from circulation.

Where do I put my used diapers?  Well I have a tall kitchen garbage bin with a lid that I use a pail liner in.  When it fills up, I do laundry (yes, I have THAT many diapers and more).  I miss the days of exclusive breastfeeding because now I have to deal with that "in between poo" that is the consistency of peanut butter (and just as sticky).  Since my son poops only once every two days, the diaper bin filling up & the poopy diapers coincide, making my life less smelly.

Wash routine:
Poopy dipes...best to be taken care of ASAP. Last time I took them and did the dunk and swish in the toilet (with rubber gloves on) plus a hold on to the diaper for dear life and flush.  That worked pretty good, just don't forget to take out the insert if it's a pocket!
I must admit, I am lazy and wait until wash day to unstuff my pockets.  This just makes my life easier and a little less messy.  So I take the garbage bin in the laundry room with me and start picking diapers out, unstuff them into the washing machine, and grab another till its done.  I then grab the pail liner and throw it in too.
IMPORTANT: I do LOTS of rinses...this helps with ammonia buildup, repelling issues, etc.
The first thing I do is a prewash with NO detergent on COLD.  I may experiment going back to just a rinse before wash, but this is what worked best on a previous detergent, so I just kept doing it.
Next up, I do a HOT wash with Ruby Moon Cloth Diaper Wash http://www.rubymoonlaundry.com/ruby-moon-natural-detergents.html if you don't have ruby moon or prefer another brand, make sure it is cloth diaper safe! otherwise you may end up with buildup, or give your poor baby a rash... best not to have any enzymes or brighteners.
My machine is a top loading HE machine.  I use one tbsp detergent and I have it set for an extra rinse.
Once that is done, if you do an extra spin cycle it will take less time to dry in the dryer.
I follow manufacturer's guidelines for drying: bumGenius 3.0, 4.0 pockets should NOT be dryed in the dryer.  The inserts are fine in the dryer however.  If you want to extend the life of your PUL (the plastic coating that keeps your diapers waterproof) and the elastics, then line dry.  However I am laaaazy and I throw everything except the bumGenius in the dryer.  I also throw in a dry towel and 4 dryer balls.  Usually everything except maybe a hemp insert or two is dry on one cycle if I do the extra spin cycle on the washing machine.

RASHES:
I use the Gro Via Magic Stick for any rashes.  DO NOT....I repeat DO NOT use the creams you can buy at the drug store unless you use a liner to protect your diapers!  The creams will make your diapers repel like crazy.  IF perchance you did do that, rinse rinse rinse, or check out the tutorials some people have with stripping with blue dawn.

Stripping:
I used to have to strip my diapers when I was using another detergent...I used RLR previously and it worked great.  You do this if your diapers are repelling...usually caused by detergent buildup.

Stains:
I generally don't get stains that last more than a few washes now, but if you get stains the easiest way to get them out is the sun.  Here I can set a diaper out in the sun for a few hours and the stain is magically gone....line drying outside also works great for getting out any funky smells....but your diapers shouldn't be smelling funky.