Why We Switched to Cloth Wipes

Originally, I was going to write about our switch to cloth wipes in my cloth diapering one year later post. However, that post got to be rather long so I decided to do a whole separate post about wipes.

Back when I was still pregnant and researching cloth diapers the idea of using cloth wipes didn't really cross my mind. I was too busy researching what type of cloth diapers to use, what brand, how to wash them, etc... I came across them right around the time we actually started using cloth with Harrison. I made a mental note to look into them further. Pretty soon my husband and I were lamenting about how we hated disposable wipes. They seemed so thin, poop always seemed to be threatening to seep through to our hands. We had to use so many. We hated actually buying them (even though they are cheaper than diapers). Apparently we are not alone in our loathing because we also had a discussion in my mommy group about how much we hated them. So finally around Christmas I had had about enough of using them and decided to switch to cloth. Needless to say, we love them! Oh let me count the ways; 

1. They work way better than disposable ones, the poop just comes off easier. 
2. I use 1-2 per change (occasionally more for major poopage) whereas I was easily using four or more before  
3. They are gentler on Harrison's skin 
4. They do double duty as face/hand wipes- some people keep a separate stack on their kitchen table for this very reason.
5. You can use them wet or dry so you can pat baby's butt dry to avoid irritation.


If you're using cloth diapers you might as well use wipes. It's just easier. It was annoying to be changing Harrison's diaper and putting the diaper in the wet bag and then having to find a trashcan for the wipes. This was especially annoying when changing him while out and about. I'd lay him down on the changing table in the public bathroom, get him all changed, and then have to carry a handful of dirty wipes out of the stall and into the trash. If I'd managed not to get poop on my hands changing him, I certainly did now. I bought a stack from a wonderful Etsy shop KathyHowesCreations. You can pick from a ton of different prints and Kathy was really wonderful to work with. When buying cloth wipes I recommend keeping it simple. Get the cheapest, but still best quality, ones you can find. Mine are basically a rectangular shaped piece of fabric that has been surged on the edges to prevent fraying. You can find organic cotton ones, "designer print" ones, "plush" ones, two or three layered ones, etc... I've seen some that are are $12 for 6 wipes. What?! To me, they aren't worth it. You're supposed to be saving money right? Mine were about 50 cents a piece and they are holding up well. If you have the time and inclination you can make your own wipes pretty simply. Or, you can use cloth wash cloths.

This is exactly how mine looks just
with different scents/colors. I highly
recommend the honeyed almond
and vanilla bean scents. 

When using cloth wipes you'll want to use some sort of wipe solution. I purchased soap bits from another Etsy shop, Wee Essentials, and love them. The store's owner, Candy, was great to work with and answered all my questions. The bits are basically little cubes of handmade soap that you dissolve in hot water and then store in a container on your changing table. I also pour some in a mini spray bottle to keep in my diaper bag. You'll probably need to make a new batch every couple days. I normally make a new batch every time I do diaper laundry. Wipes can also be stored wet in an old disposable wipes container (here's a video about how to make them pop up like disposable wipes) or other tupperware type container. If you want to store them wet in your diaper bag you can simply put them in a zip-loc bag or buy a waterproof wipe pouch. 

You can buy a mini sampler of the bits (like I did) and select 5 yummy scents from more than 2 dozen she has available. They arrive in a container with each scent labeled and instructions for making the solution. You get around 100 bits, enough for about 8 months! Which, for $17, is a great bargain. If you love them (you will!) you can buy a bigger sample set that'll last over a year. Or you can get jars of just one scent. These are made to be gentle on your baby's skin and you can get them in either dyed or undyed scents. The only issue Harrison had was with the lavender chamomile scent. It gave him a rash so we stopped using that kind and it cleared right up. I plan on dissolving a couple in water and using them in an old foaming soap dispenser, so not all is lost. At his next check-up I asked the doc about a possible allergic reaction and she said that she has occasionally seen reactions from both lavender and chamomile. So, you may want to shy away from that scent if you think your baby has sensitive skin. If you would prefer to make your own solution, recipes can be found here and here. Another tip, I wouldn't use just water- it can be drying to the skin. 

To care for the wipes you just wash them right along with your diapers. I throw mine in the same wet bag and dump them all in the wash together. It's super simple and we are so much happier with these than the disposables. 

What Harrison Eats

Shortly after Harrison turned one I found myself in a rut when it came to what to feed him. I asked members of my mommy group for help, and they happily gave me a ton of suggestions. I figured I couldn't be the only mother out there in a rut and finding herself feeding her baby/toddler the same things over and over. So, I decided to write about what we've fed and feed Harrison. We try to feed him as many all natural or organic things as possible. My theory is that all those chemicals, additives, and preservatives can't be good for adults let alone babies, so as long as our budget allows we buy all natural or organic. There are some exceptions (like meat- just too expensive right now), of course, and I'm ok with that. I feel like if he is getting say 85% all natural or organic stuff at home then if we're out somewhere or someone else is watching him it's not a big deal if he isn't eating organic. I am laid back about it. I want him growing up with a healthy notion of food. I'm a believer in everything in moderation. He eats pretty much everything including sweets and "junk" like ice cream, Nilla Wafers, and Oreos. He just doesn't eat "junk" every day. My goal is that Harrison will love a wide variety of foods and become an adventurous eater. That's why we offer him pretty much every type of food and flavor we can think of. Sometimes he loves it and wants more, sometimes he doesn't. But, we keep trying and will reintroduce the disliked food a few days later. Harrison used to hate broccoli, but now it's one of his favorites.

I breastfed him until a couple weeks after his 1st birthday and at around 6 months started him on purees in addition to breast milk. Closer to 10 months he was ready for more "adult" foods. We started giving him jarred organic meals from Earth's Best. I love their products and Harrison does too. They have a wide variety of foods, are reasonably priced, and are available at a lot of different stores. Their organic purees are about 25-50 cents more a serving than non organic brands, but to me that isn't that big of a deal. We've also tried Gerber's organic purees and jars and Harrison has liked them as well. His favorite jarred meals from Earth's Best are the chicken and stars and the vegetable beef rice pilaf.

As he was getting closer to his first birthday I started having him eat what we ate. But, this is when I started getting in a rut. Dinners were fine because we were usually cooking chicken or pork, fresh veggies (90% of the dinners we make are no carb) and would cut up some of that for Harrison. Sometimes I have to modify the protein a bit, though. For example, if I'm making something spicy or with a sauce he doesn't like I put some of the meat aside for him before adding the seasoning/sauce. Lunches were a different story, however. Normally I eat a sandwich or even skip lunch (not the healthiest I know), so it was harder for me to come up with lunches besides leftovers or jarred foods; which were getting to be a little expensive. My friends had some great suggestions which included; pancakes, eggs (why didn't I think if that?), rice or quinoa with ground turkey or chicken, black beans, and pasta. So here's a list of what Harrison loves;

Breakfast: We pretty much alternate between two things

1. Stonyfield organic plain yogurt sweetened with a little Crofter's organic fruit spread. I also sprinkle in some ground flax seeds for the health benefits.
       -We used to buy the Stonyfield YoBaby yogurt, which Harrison loved. But, it was getting a little pricey. I have found that buying the giant tub of plain yogurt and a big jar of good quality jam lasts longer and is cheaper.

2. Smashed banana with a scoop or two of Earth's Best organic whole wheat baby cereal, a little organic whole milk, cinnamon, and flaxseed. I sometimes add a tiny spoonful of all natural peanut butter.

Harrison goes nuts for both of these. I've also occasionally given him a scrambled egg with some whole wheat buttered toast as well as pancakes made with fresh blueberries. Since they are finger foods and Harrison loves feeding himself, I am going to try to do more eggs and pancakes. I'm also starting to buy up berries (organic if they are not too expensive) when they are on sale and freeze them. That way I always have some on hand for pancakes and smoothies.


Lunch: I am still working on getting more variety, but whatever I make for lunch I try to make enough for several servings. That way I can portion it out into bowls, cool it down, put the lids on and store them in the fridge. I do this with fresh steamed veggies, pasta, macaroni and cheese and quinoa. That way I can just grab a bowl and heat it in the microwave. Easy peasy. Sometimes these double as dinner depending on what we're eating (i.e. if we order a pizza Harrison eats one of these).

1. Annie's (or generic brand) organic macaroni and cheese with some sort of veggies; either frozen peas and carrots or fresh broccoli. If I'm using broccoli I just add it to the boiling water 2-3 minutes before the pasta is done. Then I strain it all and pick out the broccoli and set it aside. I'm all about less dishes and clean up. :)
       -I started adding frozen peas and carrots during the last couple of minutes of cooking and then mixing the butter, milk, and cheese powder in with both the veggies and pasta. I figured Harrison wouldn't be able to tell the difference and would eat everything. Wrong! He just picked out the pasta. Little bugger. But, he does like veggies. So now I keep everything separate and I don't let him see the pasta before giving him the veggies. Once I'm satisfied that he's eaten enough veggies I give him the pasta.

2. Eden Food organic pasta made with veggie powder (or any pasta you like) with or without pasta sauce. If I'm not using sauce I add a wee bit of butter. Harrison loves these little shells. They are all different colors; red/beet, orange/carrot, green/spinach, etc... and he can't get enough. I portion it out into a kid size bowl and once it's gone it's gone.
       -I also tried mixing in veggies with this, too, but same deal as the mac and cheese. So I offer the veggies first.

3. DaVinci dried mini ravioli or tortellini with sauce. I stumbled upon these in the grocery store and they have been a staple ever since.
       -Just like the mac and cheese and shells I steam or boil veggies and offer them first.

4. Quinoa with ground chicken has also become a favorite of Harrison's. Sometimes I buy organic quinoa sometimes I don't. I've bought the boxes with flavoring and dehydrated veggies already in the mix (like rice-a -roni). But you have to watch out for the salt in those sometimes.
       -I just brown up the chicken (or you could use turkey) while I'm cooking the quinoa then I mix everything together, portion it, cool it, and store it in the fridge.
       -I'm looking to try more quinoa recipes with fresh veggies and different herbs, too.

In addition to what's above, Harrison also eats plenty of leftover grilled or bbq chicken from dinner the night before (we are big on grilled chicken around here!). He doesn't always eat carbs with lunch even though that's pretty much all I listed. Soon I'll probably start offering sandwiches and wraps/roll ups. I love using whole wheat breads and wraps as well as pitas for my sandwiches, and I am excited to introduce these to Harrison.


Snacks: I will offer a snack after Harrison's afternoon nap to hold him over until dinner. I also offer most of these at lunch/dinner time after he's eaten everything else.

1. GoGo Squeez applesauce pouches; these are a every day go-to in our house. We love these! They are all natural, but not organic, and the sugar content isn't crazy. Harrison can feed himself one of these; which is also awesome. I don't leave the house without at least one of these.
       -I buy these in 12 packs at Target for about $7.

2. Nature's Promise (Giant brand I think) organic teddy bear cookies (basically teddy grahams) and animal crackers. I always have some of these in my diaper bag for a quick snack on the go.

3. Freeze dried strawberry and banana slices. Right now my favorite are Target's Archer Farms brand. They're $2-3 dollars a bag and have 3 servings of fruit and only 90 calories in each bag. Plus, they are just strawberries or bananas- no added sugar.

4. Happy Tot or Earth's best fruit and veggie puree and smoothie pouches. Portable, healthy, and Harrison can feed himself. Check, check, and check!

5. Happy Tot freeze dried yogurt puffs, cereal puffs and rice cakes. Harrison is growing out of these a bit, but he was in love with them a couple months ago. We didn't go anywhere without these.

6. Raisins. Harrison isn't the biggest fan, but I think they're growing on him.

7. Fresh fruit like blueberries and strawberries. These get offered at breakfast, too. I'm starting to branch out into more fruits, like melons, as they come into season.

8. Back to Nature chocolate chip cookies. I like these because they are all natural (Yay for no high fructose corn syrup or preservatives!) and the cocoa is sustainably harvested.

9. Cheese; Harrison is a cheese fanatic! Often times he'll snack on a piece while I'm making dinner. Also, if we're out to eat and I get a salad with cheese on it, or better yet if they have a salad bar, I'll give Harrison some shredded cheese to munch on.

10. Whole wheat cinnamon swirl bread; I sometimes offer this with breakfast or, since it's sweet, in place of dessert after dinner.


Soon I'll be trying raw veggies like carrots, but right now I'm concerned about choking (Harrison seems to choke easily). But, if your toddler is able to eat raw veggies, they would be a great snack with some low fat ranch or hummus. Pita chips, pretzels, and crackers dipped in peanut or almond butter, hummus or with cheese would also be good choices. I love that there are so many natural and organic snack choices out there. For pretty much every snack (goldfish crackers, pretzels, cookies, fruit snacks, etc...) there is an all natural or organic option. And, often times, the cost isn't that much different. If you can afford it, I recommend all natural or organic snacks whenever possible. And one more thing, try not to get sucked into the "kid food" trap. So many things are marketed for kids these days and it's so easy for us parents to get sucked into only buying kid food like chicken nuggets, frozen dinners, etc... The parents end up making an "adult" meal for themselves and something kid friendly for the little ones. Why can't all food be kid friendly? Obviously, your kid might not like something no matter how hard you try, and sometimes heating up chicken nuggets is just easier after a hectic day. I get it. There certainly isn't anything wrong with that. :) I just encourage you to think of all food as kid food. Offer your kids everything and encourage them to take at least one "try me" bite. Maybe they'll love it! If not, at least they tried it.

Peace, Love, and Happy Eating!

Cloth Diapering, One Year Later

So it's no secret that I love using cloth diapers with Harrison. We've been using them for a little over a year now, so I thought I'd write about how our diapers have held up, what things we've added and learned over the year, and basically just what our experience has been.

We still use Bum Genius and Sunbaby diapers. Both have held up well over the year, but I will say that the Bum Genius ones we have seem to be holding up better. Two of the snaps on one of our Sunbaby diapers is coming off and we'll have to replace it with a Bum Genius soon. It isn't causing leaks just yet, but every time I undo the diaper I am afraid it is going to pop off. I've never machine dried the diaper (which can harm them), so it isn't from that. Just wear and tear I guess. But, it should be noted, that the Bum Genius are showing virtually no signs of wear and tear other then slight staining  on the inside from poop. But, they are diapers after all. The Sunbaby ones are showing the same thing, too. When we are pregnant again and it is time to buy more diapers I will not buy any more Sunbabies. I do like them, and still think they are a great value for the price. But, we plan on having more than two children, and I'm hoping to use a lot of the diapers again and again. I just don't think the Sunbaby ones will hold up to more than one baby. 

A diagram of a Flip diaper. 

Since my last posts (which can be found here and here) we have been on vacation to the beach. We used cloth for the entire week and had no issues. The condo we stayed in had a washer and dryer, so it was super easy to keep up with the diapers and little was different from being at home. We brought a drying rack with us, but they had one of those, too, so we didn't need to use ours. If you are staying somewhere that doesn't have a washer/dryer and you don't feel like using the laundromat while on vacay you can use Flip diapers.  Basically you start with an outer waterproof shell and add one of their inserts on top before fastening it on your baby. They make disposable inserts as well as cloth. So if you find yourself without a washer/dryer, simply buy a pack of disposable inserts, throw them away after each changing and reuse the shell just as you would if using a cloth insert. Then, when you're home from vacation, go back to using the cloth inserts.

Cloth diapers can be used as swim diapers, too. We didn't buy any disposable "swimmers" for Harrison. We simply removed the inserts from the diaper and just used the shell/cover as the diaper. Easy peasy. This has worked great and we are using the same method this summer as well. Although, this summer I have noticed that we are going through our stash a little faster than I would like since we are at the pool a good amount of the time. To remedy this I stopped at my favorite local shop Hello Bluebird and bought 3 BrookiEllen diapers covers/swim diapers. I haven't used them yet, but I'm excited to. :) Having a few swim diapers on hand will allow me to still wash my diapers ever 2-3 days. Although I always recommend buying from local small businesses, I have even seen reusable swim diapers at Target. They aren't one size like the BrookiEllen and Bum Genius ones, though. So you have to buy a bigger size as your child grows out of them.

I have even put Harrison in just a diaper cover and swim shirt with no swimming trunks on top. It kind of looks like he is wearing a speedo, which I happen to find adorable. I think this is a wonderful idea for girls as well. A little girl in Harrison's swim lesson class wore a bikini bottom and swim shirt a few times and I thought that a diaper cover could easily replace the bikini bottom and be super cute! BrookiEllen makes incredibly adorable ruffle butt diaper covers that would be absolutely darling as a bathing suit bottom and swim diaper all in one. 

I mean come on! Just pair this
 with a pink or white
swim shirt and your daughter
is sure to be the best dressed at your
local pool or beach!

We are still using and loving our Planet Wise wet bags. I have noticed a little wear on the water proof lining of our large hanging wet bag, but it hasn't effected the performance of the bag. It's still as waterproof as it was in the beginning. When the next baby comes along I will probably just purchase another large wet bag and use the old one for wet cloths at the pool/beach. Our medium wet bag that we keep in our diaper bag is holding up very well and I have noticed no wear at all (probably because it is washed less). The cotton fabric and zippers on both bags are holding up really well and have no wear and very little color fade. I love Planet Wise and fully endorse them as a company! Their goods are made in America, which I love. Here is a quote from their website that perfectly illustrates why I love them and why you should too,  "All products are manufactured in a locally women-owned facility helping to support the local economy and reduce our environmental impact.  All business decisions, either big or small, are evaluated with our planet’s health and social harmony in mind." Gah, I'm in love! In addition to wet bags they make backpacks, lunch bags, reusable sandwich and snack baggies, swim diapers and shirts, diaper covers and many more great products. 


The next time I buy diapers I plan on buying more that are made in the good ol' U.S.A. I have only done limited research so far, but Blueberry and Thirsties diapers are made in America. And, of course, you can search Etsy for other great brands like BrookiEllen. I am passionate about buying products that are made in America or are at the very least fair trade. This extends beyond diapers into food, clothing, and cleaning products as well. Looking back, I just didn't do enough research before buying my diapers. When you know better you do better, right? As I do more research I'll do yet another diaper post illustrating all I've learned and what I recommend. :) 

Peace & Love