Kelly's Closet Haul

I have assembled my cloth diapering stash, but I still needed those final pieces to truly be ready to go. Luckily Kelly's Closet was there to fill that gap for me. Kelly's Closet is an online resources for all things cloth diapering. Despite Arizona's size, they really suck for cloth diapering stores and so I am forced to shop online or drive nearly an hour away. It was clearly not a difficult choice for me to stay in my pj's and shop vs making the epic journey across town. This is my first purchase from Kelly's Closet.

Wet bags are something that I consider a baby essential. Yes, not a cloth diapering essential, but a baby/ life essential. This is simply a waterproof bag. Think of the possibilities. You can put your wet items in this bag to protect everything else, or put the items you want to protect in here is everything else is in danger of getting wet. When the diapers are dirty and awaiting the wash, this is where they live. Then at laundry time I empty the bad and throw it in the wash. 

Naturally, I now own 4... 2 small, 2 large. This way I am never without. 

I needed a new stain remover so I wanted to invest in something natural and safe to use on babies gear. This fit the bill and had excellent reviews. When I say invest I mean under $4.00. 

Not all diaper cream is created equal. Using the wrong diaper cream can cause some serious issues in your cloth diapering and so I needed some cloth diapering safe options. These little beauties are samples of CJ's Butter. It has amazing reviews and even better scents. My concern was that a scented diaper cream can be harsh on babies rash. The reviews said this is not at all the case. I immediately opened them to smell them and I have to say that I may never purchase a full size and just stick with samples so I never actually have to commit to a scent. These are both delicious smelling. 

Like the label says, these are biodegradable liners. These are my gift to my husband. When baby does his business and I am not home, my hubby can use these in the diapers to just plop yuckiness into the toilet so he doesn't need to spray the diapers. Mark is an amazing man in many areas... dealing with poop isn't one of them. 

I hear SO much controversy on what detergent to use with both cleaning your cloth diapers and your babies clothing. What I have learned is that everyone has an opinion and if it works for you, do it. This is Rockin Green Hard Rock Smashing Watermelons. What this means is a cloth diaper safe detergent designed for hard water with an awesome scent that is safe for baby. I will try this and when I am out I will probably switch to something new.

Last but not least, my free one size diaper with purchase. This was  something I didn't get to pick. With a purchase of $59 or more you got a free one size diaper valued at $19 or more. Not a bad deal. In black too so it is nice and neutral. 

If you are interested in checking Kelly's Closet out for your self, they are always running a promo in addition to offering a rewards program. This site does offer primarily cloth diapering supplies, but they do have lots of great deals for mama's in general. 

This is what my life has become...

A friend and I have started jogging 3 days a week. Don't get too excited because it is mostly talking and walking with the occasional jog added in. Either way, I figure it has to be better sitting at home and watching Netflix for 4 hours straight. 

My best friend L calls me to find out if I am ready to head on over and start jogging. To which my response is, "hold on a second, I need to put my diapers in the wash". 

Yes, this phrase actually came out of my mouth. It was a very surreal moment. I felt like I had a small glimpse into my future as a cloth diapering mama. I asked myself am I really ready to have to do a load of diapers every 2-3 days?

Then I snapped back to reality and realized in just under a month I have collected all the items I will need for cloth diapering including 6 months of detergent, 2 large wet bags, 2 small wet bags, a diaper sprayer, cloth diaper safe cream, and 30 pocket diapers with various inserts. I have managed all of this with spending under $250. Plus, look at these things!!! It doesn't get much cuter!

By the way, any of you cloth diapering mammas want to share your wash routine? I ordered several samples of Rockin Green Detergent to try, but other than that I am clueless. 

Killing Time...

I have been absolutely dreadful at keeping up with this blog at all. Not to make excuses, but without being licensed for kiddo's we are painfully boring. This weekend for example I cleaned and hung around the house on Saturday and watched football on Sunday. I know, I should have warned you with news that exciting.

We do actually have a few updates since we last spoke. First off, we were submitted to the OLCR for licensing 8/30! That is great news because as soon as that is done we are officially licensed foster parents and will have a child shortly. They are averaging anywhere from 2-6 weeks. I am hearing more of the 6+ week range, but every once and awhile someone will have a random quicker process.

Secondly, we have made a big decision in regards to our foster babies. After an insane amount of research and discussion, we have made the decision to go cloth... as in cloth diapers! I NEVER imagined myself using cloth diapers, but alas I am.

My reasoning's for cloth diapering are:

1. The price. Yes I have had to invest a bit up front (yes, I bought some already and so I will share that with you below), but nothing horrible. I have made the choice to go with used diapers. I am extremely picky about the condition they come in, but I have been able to save a TON by going this route. For example, I purchased 24 one size pocket diapers, 24 microfiber inserts, 12 bamboo inserts, and 1 large wet bag for $70.00! The best part was that only 4 of these diapers were ever even used! These were from a fellow foster momma and so she gave me a smoking deal! I currently have 30 one size pocket diapers and have spent only $130 (including shipping).

2. They are gentler on babies behind than real diapers. Foster babies have a higher likelihood of coming to me with some not so pleasant diaper rash. These diapers will be nice and soft on those raw behinds.

3. Convenience. People laugh at me when I say this because they are like, "you think washing them every 2-3 days is convenient?!?". Well yes, I do. I think it is more convenient than having to have a range of diapers on hand for any age child we get, and running to the store weekly (or more) to buy more diapers. I think it is more convenient than getting up at 3 am when we get a call for a baby and needing to run to the store to buy diapers. I can handle washing my diapers every 2-3 days and having them on hand and ready to go instead of always having to run to the store to pick up diapers.

4. They are CUTE!!! I am that person that is totally a sucker for something cute. These diapers are just about the most adorable thing ever. They come in almost any color imaginable and a whole slew of prints. Even just a plain white diaper is still cuter than a disposable for me!

These particular diapers are Sun Baby. If you would like a full review on them once I start using them, let me know. I also purchased some Fuzzibunz, so let me know if you want to know about those too.