Eco Fabulous Family

I was lucky enough to attend The ABC Show and the RDIA Conference this past week.  The ABC Show is an expo for those in the children products industry.  Manufacturers and distributors have booths and retail buyers get to see all the neat new stuff coming out!  I can tell you I spent way too much money.  The Real Diaper Industry Association is a trade association for those in the cloth diaper industry.  It was very educational and great to see old friends and meet new ones.

Here is the shocker!  I left my boys and husband home alone for 6 days and was anticipating a disaster of a house.  I was certain it would be a mess.  Well, it seems my husband is in the running for hubby of the year.  The house was spotless!  Clean kitchen and dishes, toys put away and the laundry was washed AND put away!

They also hung a sweet sign to welcome me back home.

After I got home I collapsed into bed with arms and legs all over me.  There was no way Peanut and Bug were going to sleep in their own beds last night!

It’s common for families to be skeptical of cloth diaper sprayers.  They’re seen as a rather pricey accessory and after investing in cloth diapers many decide to go without one, or at least try to.
The truth, diaper sprayers can save you time and money and a lot of unnecessary hassle.
Using one will  help you remove the majority of the poop before you wash your cloth diapers.  The less poop, the less water you’ll need.  You’ll save water, electricity and detergent because your diapers will be easier to launder and require less rinse and wash cycles which are commonly required for extra soiled diapers.

You wont experience as much staining because your diapers won’t be dirty for as long and stains will have less time to set in.

Less diaper stink!  The cleaner your diapers are before placing in the diaper pail or wetbag the better off you’ll be.  Ammonia and other funky smells are caused by dirty diapers sitting for way too long before washing.  Even without a sprayer, it’s recommended by some that you at least rinse your diapers before placing in your pail or wetbag.

After using a sprayer you’d quickly find that they’re well worth the investment.  They’re easy to install, easy to use and even daddy will become a believer once he’s had a chance to see the difference they make!

What are your thoughts?  Do you have one?  Want one?  What’s stopping you?

If you’re looking for great cloth diaper demonstrations and tutorials you should definitely check out youtube.  There is a real wealth of cloth diapering information there and it’s always helpful to be able to see how products work firsthand.

We picked a video below, to demonstrate how to use what we consider to be a must-have cloth diapering accessory…the biodegradable/flushable liner!  It helps catch the poop, prevents messy cloth diaper stains and makes cloth diaper laundry so much easier.

Watch the video for a glimpse at how easy life can be when you combine flushable liners with the popular Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers!

We’re celebrating the Grand Re-Opening of Little For Now!

Little For Now online cloth diaper boutique celebrates our Grand Reopening! We’ve been around for quite some time but Little For Now has changed ownership and now has a brand new look. We’re kicking off our new design and complete site makeover with a sale, save 15% off! Make sure to head over to our FaceBook Page for details.

Little For Now carries a great variety of products like

• Cloth Diapers
• Cloth Diaper Accessories
• Greener Disposable and Hybrid Diapering Options
• Breastfeeding and Nursing Gear
• Eco Friendly Toys
• Baby Gear
• Green Living
• Books, DVD’s & Music!

Little For Now is based out of sunny Los Angeles California. For more information please contact me!

Cloth vs. Disposable by: Lisa M. Carey

Many women don’t consider using cloth diapers unless their child has a reaction to a disposable diaper. However, there is a growing trend for many parents, and even celebrities in using stylish cloth diapers on their babies.  You will want the best for you baby, including the best diapering option out there!  Every parent chooses cloth diapers for their own personal reasons; however, the facts within this article are sure to have you consider using cloth diapers on your next baby.   We want parents to make informed decisions, so use the information within this article to help guide you in making your final decision.

One child will require between 5000-7000 diaper changes in the first two years of life. This means a family can spend upward of $2,600.00 in diapers by the time that child is potty trained.  This does not include the additional costs associated with using disposable diapers such as, creams, wipes, diaper genies or other plastic bags, and swimming or training diapers. With the wide selection of modern cloth diapers from single or dual system diapers, a family that chooses to use cloth diapers can save anywhere from  $1,600.00 per child over the child’s diapering life. This is a huge savings and families save even more when there is more than one child in diapers.

Parents often are not told of the health risks associated with using many baby products, including the potential hazards in a disposable diaper. Often they turn to cloth diapers as a resolution to their child’s skin problems or even asthma after they have tried everything else.  In a 1999 study, it was discovered that lab mice exposed to the chemicals released by 3 different types of disposable diapers experienced eye, nose and throat irritation and bronchoconstriction- a reaction similar to an asthma attack ¹. Cloth diapers did not produce any of the same reactions. It is not common for parents to know that the dioxins in a disposable diaper are a highly carcinogenic by product of the paper bleaching process. It is banned in many countries, but not the US ².  It is also imperative that parents remember that these ‘off-gasses’ are present in many baby products including crib mattresses and mattress covers.  It is always better to be proactive and preventative when it comes to our children’s health and safety, and it is a reminder to parents to not always accept messages given by manufacturers.

Have you ever stopped to think where the dirty diaper goes after you throw it in the garbage? It is estimated that 92% of disposable diapers make it to the landfill ³. Once there, the fecal matter left in a diaper contaminates soil and water, affecting the water quality and wildlife. Although fecal matter should be deposited into the toilet, whether you use cloth diapers or disposable diapers, most parents don’t bother depositing it into the toilet when they are just throwing out a diaper. However, when using cloth diapers it is recommended you dispose of fecal matter into the toilet where it belongs, prior to washing the diaper.  Therefore, the fecal matter is disposed of in a more sanitary way so it can be treated properly in a sewage plant once flushed down the toilet.  In addition, disposable diapers not only affect water quality when disposed into a landfill, but can take up to 500 years to decompose.  When you factor in 5000 diaper changes for one child,  that is a lot of diapers hanging around a landfill for the lifetime of that child and longer!

The next time you are shopping for that package of diapers, stop and think for a moment of the facts within this article. As an alternative shop at your local cloth diapering store or natural parenting boutique to ensure you are doing your best to care for your baby and the Earth.

¹. “Disposable diapers linked to asthma”. Mothering Magazine. January/February 2000, Issue 98. Retrieved. from: http://www.mothering.com/green-living/disposable-diapers-linked-to-asthma

² Allsopp, Michelle.  Achieving Zero Dioxin: An emergency strategy for dioxin elimination.  September 1994.  Greenpeace.  http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics/reports/azd/azd.html