One year in cloth update!

One Year In Cloth

What worked and what didn't.

Hello Everyone,
Long time no talk! Seriously though. Life is a rollercoaster and it's been a rough year. More on that later. But I wanted to give everyone an update on cloth since I have a few friends expecting and I've gotten a few questions about what we are using these days.

Frist question. Are we still using cloth?
Yes!!! Yes, we do! But we do have disposables on back up from time to time. (blasphemy I know!) We keep them on hand for babysitters or outings when we aren't sure about the amount of time a dirty diaper maybe carried around or sitting in a hot vehicle ick. Otherwise. Cloth, cloth, cloth! All day every day.

Do we still use cloth wipes?
Yes again. Though on outings I haven't found a fail-safe way to keep the wipes wet/dry so I do have disposable water wipes on hand for such occasions.

Did we stick to the original diapers we bought?
Yes and no.
I had very little cloth diapering experience beforehand. Everyone who did cloth diaper around me used a different kind. So I knew I wanted a little bit of everything when I started buying diapers. And with that, there were ones I loved and ones I didn't love. Some of the ones that worked, in the beginning, didn't end up working later on.

Where do I buy and sell my diapers?
I will have a list of links at the end of this post. So stick with me a little longer.

So what did end up working out for you and what do you use now?
Technically speaking. It all worked. Let me explain that a second. All the brands and types worked. But not all of them stood up to our changing needs.

In the beginning... 6-8lbs. I had two Lil Joeys AIO's and nine fitted Cloth-EEZ newborn workhorses with 4 Thristies covers. I had read about leak issues with the Lil Joeys and at first, had no issues. That quickly changed once my milk came in. Leak issues began and washing the diapers took a lot of effort to get poo out off. Drying time took all day on low. Keep in mind I had other diapers. Just none fit him well with his skinny newborn frame. So next option became the fitted Workhorses. Those became my go to! They were absorbent they were easy to wash and dry. No complaints on those puppies and their resale value is great.

7-15lbs.
He grew into his pocket diapers! Those were my favorite forever. I used Alva pocket covers and Kawaii Baby with velcro instead of snaps (these were most like disposables if you want that convenience) But despite my best efforts my son outgrew their absorbancy after about 8 months of use. Didn't matter how many inserts or what type they ended up just not working for us. It was a sad day. But I still had diapers left from the stash I'd bought in the beginning. So we went to Fitted and flat diapers!

I had brands like Creaking Wood, Twinkie Tush, Sassybumz, Sloomb/Sustainablebabyish, Applecheeks, Nicki's diapers, and Happy Behinds. These became my go to's. Family and babysitters had no issues with them what so ever. Even got compliments on how much they loved them and how they had changed in the years that older family members that had used them.

Flats I had in various brands even some from Walmart, four sacks, hand me downs from grandparents you name it. And I loved them. Everyone else? They lived in fear of them. The name flats strike the name of fear in many apparently. But those diapers let me tell you. *gets soapbox* Those diapers are freaking AWESOME. They wash and dry easy peasy and quick. They hold copious amounts of poo and pee. And no matter the body type they will fit your baby. *steps off soapbox* But I returned to work and husband plus anyone else watching the kiddo that day said Nope. So they sat there collecting dust till I got rid of them.

15-25lbs where we are at now on our journey.
We have a very active very food loving little boy. Oh yes, I miss the days of breastfed/formula fed poop that had very little smell and was easy to clean. That being said we use fitted diapers. I have a wide selection still and I have a couple of AIO/AI2 diapers. But 75% is Sloomb. None of which did I buy brand new. I bought them from buy sale trade sites and from friends. Some with replaced elastics some with relaxed and honestly they go under a cover and you can't tell the difference. They absorb the most and are easy for us in general. Downsides are they should not be bleached ever and they can take forever and a day to dry. And my personal preference is the snapless ones. Makes laundry easier and since I do the majority in the house my vote wins. But I have quite a few and all those other brands listed above that my husband uses without issue.

What do we use at night?
We have sort of a schedule that baby made all on his own. Oh no my child doesn't sleep through the night yet all. But I'm cool with that. At 9PM we get baby in jammies and nighttime diaper. We have 2 go to diapers it's either a Sloomb regular terry cloth with three inserts and Nicki's diaper cover. Or Applecheeks cover with two of their trifold inserts. At around 2 in the morning he wakes up and we change him into the next diaper. By his 6AM wake up he has to be changed again for the day and we put him into his regular during the day diapers. No issues, no leaks.

But, what about the freaking poop already?
Okay, listen up. Poop is poop. That's something everyone has to get over. Once baby eats solids games over for pleasantries. But this ties into my #1 biggest complaint in cloth diapering and the biggest reason I didn't like pocket diapers... I HATE digging inserts out of poopy diapers. I was not blessed with being able to shake the inserts out of diapers like some people can. And the fitted diapers above I love so much? If they have snap in, inserts I leave them unsnapped. I'm lazy and I want to be able to throw the entire dirty diaper laundry into the wash without worrying I'm going to wear out a diaper because I forgot to take out the insert. But to each their own.

What do we use to get rid of the poo?
Plopable poop is the bee's knees. Ha, yeah I went there. If you can take a diaper and gently hold it over the porcelain throne or trash can and the poop just falls off you my friend are in diaper heaven. For not so plopable poop we use a designated kitchen tool we dubbed the sPootula.  It's on a high shelf in the bathroom and cleaned after every use. I'm not brave enough for the dunk and swish method. Because germs. And I live in an apartment so the sprayer isn't doable. The diaper is then transported to the diaper bin in the laundry room and diaper laundry is done every three days.

Moving or vacations?
I just use disposables. Why? Depends. On vacation or a move. Time wise I don't have a lot of it, to begin with, and you don't know when and where you will be able to wash diapers again. And from experience, a forgotten diaper is not a pretty thing. I've seen and smelled things... Terrible things. When a diaper got forgotten about for a week during our move. Is the diaper is usable YES absolutely. After being washed four times and sanitized. But it's cover is now speckled with mildew I tried every trick in the book to unsuccessfully get off.

That's pretty much it. My friends. Our wash routine hasn't changed. Our diaper pail is a regular kitchen trash can without a lid that we rotate diaper pail overs on. One is a bum genius the other is a planet wise bag. No lid on the can and no stink issues to note.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and if you have any questions please message me directly on my facebook page or email.

List and links to where I get my diapers.
Very rarely do I buy one that's completely new from an actual site. But I've gotten questions on a couple of diapers. Halloween theme diaper is Twinkie Tush bought from their facebook page, Ziggy Stardust AKA David Bowie is Sassybumz bought new from their page. Teal Skulls, Sons of Anarchy, Pokeball, Viking's theme diapers are all Creaking Wood they have a facebook page but sell of Hyena Cart. Tye dye with Ravens is Binky D. All these pages have random Buy/Sell/Trade's as well.

For Sloom brand and covers I use facebook groups I'll list below and if you want them new https://www.nickisdiapers.com/

For all other brands like my AIO/AI2 and covers and most cost-effective
https://happybeehinds.com/

Facebook groups:
Cloth Diaper Swappers

Cloth Diapers $10.00 or less

The End!

Cloth wipe solution recipe.

When I decided to cloth diaper decided what the hell, let's go all the way. *cue that Sly Fox song*
And looked into cloth wipes as well. After all I did this is part to help the environment right? Anyway it became an afterthought. I do have disposable wipes in my diaper bag I know.... I'm so bad. But because I haven't found the right bag or case to keep them in yet so don't you start thinking  "Rayna that's blasphemy!"

Anywho, when I bought diapers from a friend she included a set of wipes. And it was instant love. They were soft! And you don't havvvve to buy new either. Just like the diapers the wipes are cleaned regularly and stripped with bleach so no germs, passing from baby to baby. You could use old t-shirts, old or new receiving blankets cut into squares or regular baby wash cloths. Okay back on topic I swear I'm ADD sometimes... Oh look a cookie no ones eaten yet!

Here's what you'll need for my main solution.

• Cloth wipes *duh Rayna we got that geeze.*
• A mixing bowl
• Container you will use for your wipes. (mine is a munchkin wipe warmer but it's not necessary)
• Measuring cup
• Tablespoon measuring spoon? *proper name anyone?)
• Whisk
• Baby wash
• Coconut oil
• Tea Tree oil

Recipe as follows.
2 cups of water, pour half in the mixing bowl save the second half for later
1 tablespoon coconut oil. It's melting point is 72 degrees I use warm/hot water to melt it.
2 tablespoons baby wash.
1 drop tea tree oil. (no more than that it's really powerful and can irritate baby's skin.

Mix all together make sure all the coconut oil has dissolved and add the second half of water. Mix again and set aside or pour over wipes.

Notes:
I roll my wipes as follows so they fit better in the container.

15 wipes usually lasts a couple of days and get washed every other day so they stay in rotation and I haven't had any issues with mildew/mold in my warmer. And Tea Tree oil is antibacterial/antifungal helping as a preventative for icky things. Along with smelling great.

Used wipes go in the wetbag with used cloth diapers. And washed the same way.

Coconut oil works great to keep baby's skin soft and dry. I've been using it for a month now. Also helps with any diaper rashes as I'm told.

Instead of pouring the solution over the wipes you could keep it in a Peri Bottle (postpartum bottle they give you in the hospital) or a spray bottle. And spray the dry wipes as you need them.

************
You could  substitute olive oil or Castile Soap instead of coconut if you or baby is allergic. I haven't had staining issues with wipes or diapers so far the couple of times I have used it.

Ju Ju Be Diaper bag review of the B.F.F and HoBoBe

First off my new baby Squish has been born! Having a 3 week old has taken some getting used to as my other two are eight and ten years old. A LOT has changed since they were little. Including the diaper bags and thank all that's holy for that! Of course you can still find the old style over the shoulder diaper bag. But I'm here to introduce you to the world of Ju Ju Be. Or my Jujubag according to my husband and older boys. 

(I'm not sponsored or associated with the brand in anyway)

I was never a huge fan of the old messenger style diaper bag. Just saying... It was always unorganized, hard to find things in, never closed properly with nothing more than a magnetic strip to hold the flap down and if anything spilled in it, good luck getting it cleaned out again. Ju Ju Be has thought of all those things and more. Let me introduce you to the B.F.F!  

This is the retired Bubble trouble print by Tokidoki

I got this second hand from a friend who bought it from someone else. If anything these bags have good life and great resale value. Buying new online the average cost ranges from $115.00 to $180.00 so I'm not going to lie these bags are pricey. I recommend looking on buy/sale/trade sites but be wary some of those bags or prints can cost more on those sites then you would pay for new.

Now for the reasons I heart this bag. Seriously. I'm not a purse girl I'd rather carry a wallet. Reason one. The storage is AMAZING. It has four pockets and three interior zippered pockets. Reason two. It opens from the front instead of on top and the front is gusseted to ensure things that could potentially fall out don't. Everything is easily seen when you first open the bag. And the pockets all have two holes on either side of the bottom so crumb build up is a thing of the past. Reason three.  My favorite reason for this bag... It's machine washable! of course there's a few other bags out there on the market that are machine washable. But this bag has held up great for me. 

What's in my bag? Main pocket.

1. Three newborn outfits
2. One Hooter Hider nursing cover
3. One crocheted baby hat
4. One burp cloth
5. One receiving blanket
6. One muslin swaddle blanket
7. Two Cloth-Eez newborn cloth diapers with Kawaii baby covers. 
8. Two wet bags for cloth diapers. One is in the laundry at the moment. 

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Interior Pockets: Starting from the left side and going around the back to the right.

1. Three pairs of baby socks, two pairs of mittens. A plastic baggy with three pacifiers. 
2. My first aid bag. I keep everything in there from bandages to lip balm.
3. Nothing in back zipper pocket.
4. Back zipper pocket contains my back up disposable diapers x 2 and disposable wipes. 
5. Front gusset pocket Babyganics sanitizing wipes, and honest company disposable wipes.
6. Right front gusset pocket keeps burt's bees bottom balm, honest company sanitizing spray, poo puri spray, and Paci wipes. 

The front pocket under the clear picture tabs I keep a few cloth wipes, The weird three headed white thing is a cloth diaper closure and it usually goes into the picture tab next to the tissues.

The exterior of the bag has three front and back pockets and two side pockets perfect for water bottles. A cell phone pocket. The lower front pocket has the "mommy pocket" with an extendable keychain, eye glass pocket that actually cleans the glasses and a few pockets of its own. Fits my wallet and a few nursing pads at the moment. Back pocket holds changing pad. The straps are for backpack style easily removed for cleaning. With the option of a messenger strap.

Thing's I like about BOTH bags.

Both bags include changing pads. Though the B.F.F's is a memory foam one. The bottle pockets on either side of the bag are insulated to keep bottles warm or cold. Heck have a different one on each side if you want. The shoulder straps have a memory foam non slip pads so they stay put. Made of Teflon yep the same stuff on pans so stains don't stick! They are both machine washable. And both have metal hardware that I really like.

The Hobobe:

The Hobobe in the print Black Magic with the interior print of Black Beauty. It has matte black hardware on the bag. It has the more traditional diaper bag set up but easily works as a purse. The bag has four inside mesh pockets and zippered one. The mommy pocket and cell phone pockets on the outside and the changing pad pocket on the back. Oh and the same insulated bottle pockets on the sides. 

Picture one and two is my wallet inside the mommy pocket. it's a tighter fit but works I have a size reference later in the blog.

Loaded diaper bag doesn't look like much.

But it holds a lot! Almost as much as the BFF. 

I love this bag. Although it's more traditional it doesn't feel that way. It feels like a regular sized purse. But it holds so much more. With the added bonus of the insulated bottle holders. Handy dandy changing pad uses the back pocket so the inside pockets are free and hold a tone [Not pictured is the inside zippered pocket that runs the length of the bag.] And there's so many storage solutions it's insane. I should know I watch way too many packing tutorials on youtube... The front mommy pocket is the same size the one in the BFF I can't say the same for their other bags these are the only two I have. But I hear the Be Prepared has an amazing one. I did have an issue with my older wallet. But to be fair the thing was huge and still had a spot for a checkbook. So my loving husband bought me the Be Spendy in the Sweet Scarlet print wallet by Ju Ju Be for our anniversary. And I must say the wallet fits like a dream. Same as the bag has lots of storage options and could be used as a clutch.

Why we are Cloth Diapering.

Cloth diapers, cloth diapers... Where do I begin? I feel like they should come with a warning label!

Spot the preggo belly!

Warning: They come in cute prints and soft fabrics!

You will spend every last penny on the search for 90's cartoon theme or one that matches your nursery, purse or outfit perfectly. 

Seriously, 90's cartoon prints stole my heart the second I saw them. But I guess that doesn't answer the some many "Why's" I've gotten since I said we are choosing to use cloth over disposables. Granted I still have time to change my mind. Baby is in utero. But for now these are my following reasons.

One. C.o.s.t..... Upfront they are more money I'm not going to lie. I gave myself a $500.00 budget. Then I bought the diapers over the course of my pregnancy. Spending $100.00 on pre loved or used diapers from a friend. And then off local sales and custom sites. [FACT: I only spent $350.00] There's a huge market for cloth diapers. Who knew? Over all it saves money. My first child did not potty train till he was older then the average kid. [Because, reasons.] If my child now follows either of his brothers steps we would still save roughly $1,000.00 without having to purchase disposable diapers over the next 4 years. 

Two. The environment. I use hand towels instead of paper towels because I find they are gone to quickly and are a waste of money. Why would I want to have the same issues with diapers that add more bulk to my one trash can? And the fact once it makes it's way to the landfill can take 250 years to 500 years to decompose. Then add chemicals that can burn a baby's bum and ultimately end up in our air and water supply? And logistically speaking.. It takes 3.4 billion gallons of oil to make disposables every year. 20 times more in raw materials, 2 times more water and 3 times more energy to create than cloth diapers. All eating up our renewable energy sources. 

Three. Sustainability. Yes I know I just sort of hinted on that in two. But a good cloth diaper should last you roughly 3+ years and through multiple children if cared for properly.

Four. Less blow outs. This is a big one for me but simply put the cloth diapers simply hold more poo then regular diapers do when properly put on baby. 

Five. They aren't your mother's and grandmother's cloth diapers. Though those are still an option I even have a flat my grandmother used on my mom, aunt and uncle. They have several options to chose from. From snap closes, velcro, snappies [they hold the diaper with soft plastic teeth] or diaper pins. They are CUTE! So many prints to chose from cartoons, to flowers, to plain solid colors. Worried about stains? In most cases simply put the in the sun light and they will be gone in an hour.

Six. Did I mention you can get custom prints? There's nothing cuter. You can have your last name written across baby's bum if you wanted to. Favorite characters, music, colors nothing is off the table. And the diapers are soft. Often made of velour or fleece fabrics. So nothing rough touching baby's sensitive skin. The diapers actually breath better this way causing less rashes as long as changed in an appropriate time frame.

The negatives...

The poop. Isn't that whats on everyones mind? Well exclusively breastfed babies poop can even go directly into the washer without the need of washing off. It's water soluble! If baby is on formula or solids it's easily washed off without ever needing to touch it. Then last but not least... you have to carry some soiled diapers around with you, till you get home and they can be washed or put in the diaper bin. 

Washing cycles and diaper strips. Roughly a normal wash routine requires a pre rinse then a long hot wash. No heat on the dryer or hanging outside to dry equals longer dry times depending on the diaper.  And strips can take a few hours with all the diapers in a soak before a wash cycle.

They are bulky and can still leak. What diaper is not prone to some leaking. Sh!% happens.. Bulk is another issues not all clothes are cloth diaper friendly especially if baby has a large bum to begin with.

Resources:
Friends. Brooke, Brittaney and Rose between the 3 of them have 5+ years of cloth diaper experience

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Live strong article by Amber Keefer.
Live Strong

How to clean a pack n' play.

Hello all,
 A lot has changed since I've last posted. I am now expecting my third child. A miracle in itself. And I've had a major life change happen.

Anyway upon finding out I was pregnant I realized that I no longer had any actual baby items. I got rid of everything. As in we thought we were done having children and there wasn't going to be another. Did I mention my kids outside of the womb are ages 10 and 8? So not only do I not have any baby stuff but it's been gone for years!

So I found myself in the position of needing to obtain the basics. Luckily I have some amazing friends that helped out and procured a few of those items in our time of need. One of those items was donated to her through an online source. And I am really, really grateful for it. A received a small pack n' play. It was used but it good condition. Me being the germaphobe I am, I still have to clean it. Ha, ha, ha I also have OCD and I'm nesting so let the fun begin!

Step one. Brake pack n' play down. Remove pad and put in a bathtub. Fill halfway with hot water and add a capful of laundry detergent I used Oxyclean. Then add half a cup of white vinegar and a cup of baking soda powder. Let soak for half an hour.

After 30 minutes turn it over and agitate the water a bit. Like a washing machine would. I also used this time to take a brush and scrub any set in stains or stuck on grime. 

Water looked a bit grimey after that. (Then the cat fell in and I was forced to clean cat and bathroom. She's so talented...) Let stand for another 30 minutes then either use your shower or a garden hose and rinse away any further residue. Let drip dry for about 15-20 minutes if you use your shower. Then take it all outside and set up pack n' play and the mat to dry in the sun for about 2-3 hours. Make sure that the mat is on a flat surface to dry. Some of the boards in the pack n' plays are card board. So drying flat is a must. The sun will help dry the mats and remove any stink or stain that may have naturally occurred. 

All the stains have come out and I couldn't be happier. They were just light stains from use. Something that happens to everyone. Even if this had been used by my older boys or if it had sat in storage I would be doing the same thing.

This is the mat now stain free. Smells good. The sun can do amazing things for your laundry. I recommend it for more then just pack and plays. It takes the funk smell out of washed bathroom rugs to. But that's a post for a different time. Hope all enjoy this post. It's something I never thought of with my other kids I would have thrown a sheet over it back then. Times have changed. 

Living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Lactose Intolerance.

Hi,
 I'm Rayna and I'm 1 in the 15% and 75% of the population living with IBS and Lactose Intolerance.

You may have heard about IBS in movie's like Along Came Polly or lactose intolerance from the movie French Kiss.
The main character doubled over in pain and their stomach's making audible noises. With the promise of them running to the nearest bathroom. That has been me... Well a few times and not always to that extent.

Here's what I know:
IBS is a intestinal disorder causing gas, belly pain and bloating, nausea and a combination or one of the other of constipation or diarrhea. Yuck. And fun stuff right?

It can't be cured. But, it can last a few years and go into remission or it can last a lifetime. Let's hope for the latter of the two.

The causes of IBS are relatively unknown. There are factors that key in but everyone has different ones. It can be the health of your gut, your diet, stress/anxiety levels, family history or sometimes it seems everything. Everything causes you to be miserable.

Lactose intolerance is caused by not being able to produce enough of the enzyme Lactase. Lactase is an enzyme that brakes down a surgery product found in milk and other dairy products called lactose. It is not a food allergy.

The symptoms of this include gas, nausea/diarrhea, and belly pain after eating dairy. (Kind of sounds like the same at IBS at this point am I right?)

Much like IBS it's another debilitating disorder people find them selves dealing with on a day to day basis. But if you think about it from a digestive stand point LI can be managed. Avoid dairy. Avoid it like the plague. If only it were that simple. Dairy products are in EVERTHING and under hidden names.
Whey, curds, dry milk solids, malted milk, cream, Casein, whey protein concentrate, milk by-products, non fat dry milk powder, margarine, nougat, Caseinates. All these names can be found in normal day to day things no one thinks about eating. I wish I could say I that I don't eat processed foods but I can't. So I'm left with a few options.



How I manage:
I have figured out some ways to make my life easier when dealing with this issue and some of the side effects of lactose.

1. Research and doctors visits. You have to be diagnosed by a doctor to confirm you have both diseases. But take advantage of it when you are. Ask questions!
2. immediate relief medications. They aren't everyone's first choice. But then again neither is pain. There are many options. Some people found that anti spasmatics help, some use alternative medicines. I personally have different medicines for different occasions. If I know my IBS/LI is going to be a problem I take Imodium I can't thank the makers of it enough. For other occasions I suck on really strong mints or essential oils. Mint is proven to help with the effects of IBS and other stomach issues. 
3. Preventive medicines: Pre and Probitics I highly recommend them. Prebiotics help the good bacteria already in the digestive track and keep it healthy. Probitics introduce new good bacteria to the digestive tract. I take one every morning. Digestive Enzymes  These brake down a majority of the common food groups we all eat. I take them every morning at breakfast. If you simply can't go without having some cheese in your life their or diary pills called Say yes to dairy. Or Lactaid that have the enzymes you need to help digestion and allow you to eat it in small portions.
4. Learning what foods to avoid. This was the hardest part. For everyone it's different. For IBS there's options called the Fodmap diet allowing you to see what foods are proven to cause IBS and by following that diet some people have "cured" themselves by healing their gut. I personally avoid greasy foods, foods that would create a lot of gas. I avoid Eggs they are notorious for gas but for me it's a whole new ballgame. And I actually CAN eat some diary. I can eat aged cheeses, some butters and on occasion chocolate (which has caffeine a stimulate also associated with the cause of IBS) I cannot, cannot, cannot eat ice cream. This is the number one cause of pain for me associated with lactose intolerance. It will instantly cause stomach issues that will last all day and into the night.
5. HEAT. Using a heating pad or shower works wonders over an upset tummy. I find mine eases up almost instantly.
6. Tell your family/friends and bosses! They are your supporters. And most may have a few questions. That's okay let them ask. In the moment of you having to rush of to the restroom they will understand. If you have to pull off on the side of the road right then and are late to an event this is kind of important information to have. Most wont judge I have found most people to be supportive. You don't have to live with this alone, you don't have to be scared to go out places, and you don't have to be embarrassed.

Tips and Tricks I've learned:

 For lack of a better word.. I used to be scared shitless to leave the house. Oh yes I cursed and shitless is anything but what it was. I would use the bathroom at least 5 times before I left the house. Then I'd be so nervous about my IBS acting up in public that it of course would act up in public.

So first thing learn how to transcend the bullshit. Whether that's medication to help anxiety, or meditation. It will help! more then you know. Non spastic human > then a spastic colen.

If your a germaphobe about public bathrooms. Bring some sanitzer and wipe the toilet seat then your hands.

If your worried about smell. There is this magical stuff called Poo~Pourri it's essential oil that coats the surface of the water. 2 or 3 sprays over the toilet and the only thing the next person will smell is oranges or vanilla. Heck I put this stuff in my kids and guest bath for everyone to use. You can find it here at their site or on amazon.

If your worried about noise. Play an app on your phone. All of these help lesson anxiety's power over your stomach. 

So that's it. To the bitter end. It's me and what I live with and how I deal with it. If you are new to the IBS/LI community I wish you well. And know that there is some hope.

The Ranger Roll. Part one.

So my husband was in the Army. In basic training they are taught/re-taught how to fold clothes. ( I hear some mothers and wives out there singing "Hallelujah!") Shirts can't be more then a dollars length long. Everything has to be rolled and put away. Uniforms are often the exception and can be hung up ... blah blah army reg's speech blah... Anyway my husband brought the experience home. And it's one thing I can say that I can do BETTER then he can!

*Que the 5 year old in me as I say* "Nana, nana, boo,boo stick your head in doo,doo"

See the extra amount of space?!?! Ain't it amazing! That's a regular retail folded shirt on the left.
My apologies for the look of the suitcase my cat spilled coffee on it when unpacking awhile back.

Anyway, after many moves and trips I have got this style of folding down to a T. I can do t-shirts, tank tops, sport's bras, sleep pants/yoga pants, underwear and socks. In this blog (it's a two parter) I will show you how to do shirts, tanks and sports bra's. 

T-Shirt:

Take a regular t-shirt and lay it flat on it's back.

 Next, fold the shirt about two to three inches up back under the shirt.
 

 Fold at the collar of the shirt over. Keeping sure the bottom stays intact.

I can add a long sleeve tutorial for this as well.

 Next fold the opposite side directly over the old fold. If the sleeves fold over just fold them back into the shirt so you have this long skinny line. The bottom part will create a pocket in the back as you fold it.

Flip the shirt to where the neckline is now facing you and the bottom is now the top. Make sure said pocket is still on the back of the shirt. (when I'm watching T.V or get distracted by the million other things moms deal with on a daily basis I sometimes flip the shirt to the wrong side and have to start all over again.) Begin your roll from the new bottom on the shirt where the neck is. And roll up towards the folded fabric.

 Begin your roll and roll it all the way till you meet the other fabric and keep rolling mind the back pocket.

 Fold the pocket over the back of the shirt. Leaving you with a finished product like this.

Pull the pocket back over the shirt

 This little pill from works amazing when you need to pack a lot of stuff in a little bitty space.  In the army the sizes and standards are a tad bit different. I've fixed it to where it gets what I need out of it.

 The Tank Top / Spaghetti strap:
Pretty much the same thing. The only difference is the sleeves. Try and make it as flat as possible. I've noticed those shirts with the built in LIES I mean bra's can be hard to fold unless they are absent of padding.
Lay it flat on it's back and fold the bottom of the shirt up a finger length up.

 Next fold one side of the shirt over to the center. Then the other. Bunch the straps up at the top and begin to roll.

Fold it over again and remember to flip it.

Roll it up to the top again. And begin to pull the pocket back over the shirt.

 Sports Bras:
Same deal here. Sports bras are a tad bit trickier because there's less fabric to work with. But it can be done! I promise it can!

 Roll here but keep it tight and it will require both hands. But If you aren't careful you will pull the inside of the bottom up over the the fold and have to start over.

 So there you have it. My space saving tip that I never leave a for a vacation without doing. The best part is you can just about fit your entire closet into one bag. stacked up it little rolled pyramids. Stick around for a part 2 on pants, underwear & socks. There maybe a part three on organization.

 Coming soon part 2.