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.

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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.