Last Day of Under Cover!

I just want to let everyone know how much fun I've had working in conjunction with the other blogs participating in this event.  I have learned so much starting out as a newbie to the more traditional styles and I have to say that The Raconteur Daddy and I are highly impressed by all the great information that has been put out there for everyone.

This has been an eye opening experience and I can't wait for another opportunity to work with these other blogs again.  Thank you to all the sponsors that helped make this event fun....especially to our personal sponsor, Zookies.  And a BIG thank you to all my new followers and the new friends that have been made along the way!

Even though I've had a lot of fun being able to talk about one of my big addictions this last month, I am looking forward to getting back on schedule and back on track with a little non-fluff talk too.  Here's a little snippet of what you can expect.  I'll be doing my next 'How To' concerning one of the most important rooms in the house.  I will also be hosting an amazing Amber jewelry review and giveaway!!  We'll talk a little about my journey with breastfeeding Little Man and what our next transition will be.  I'm looking forward to it all!  I also have some other great reviews in the works for May and June too!!  So, stay tuned....and thank you for listening!!

It can be SO easy.

So, to round out our month long even of celebrating the more traditional styles of cloth diapering, I am very surprised at how easy it all is.  We've been modern cloth diaper users for 11 months now and we have primarily been pocket users.  Now, while I prefer pockets and they will always be my go to style; I am very happy to have an alternative that is not intimidating anymore.

I am in love with my Zookies cover.  I love all of the choices and variations that it lends itself to; between using prefolds in different folding fashions or just putting in a pocket insert.  What ever I have on hand, I can use.  I really love that I can use it a couple of times through the day before needing to wash it.  I also love how easy it is to wash too.  I find that the covers and prefolds don't hold in build up stink like my pockets do and they are much easier when it comes to a wash routine....not to mention the cost effectiveness compared to high end pocket diapers.  (Which I would classify my Zookies cover as a high end cover!)  I love how Little Man likes his cover too.

My favorite use for our cover is for daytime play.  I also love having it around for those times (once a month it seems) that I have to strip or soak our pocket diapers.  It is just so much easier to do them all at once than to try to split them into two loads.  Now I have the convenience of our cover to use during those times.

I think that when the next little one comes around, I am going to try using a newborn sized cover and prefolds for those first few weeks when our one size pocket diapers are still just a little too big.  I think that this would be the most economical solution for that time, plus I know that I can do it now!  I'm looking forward to picking a few out.

Thank you for following during Under Cover month.  I have many fun things in store for the next coming months!

How Many Types of These Are There?

Hello everybody!  Raconteur Daddy sharing a few of my thoughts.

Happy UnderCover month to you all.  Here in the home of the Trophy Wife we are all busy singing diaper carols and gently hanging prefolds up by the mantle.  Everybody has their own traditions.  But however you celebrate UnderCover month, I hope it is filled with joy and light and in the company of those you love.

When I heard that a few blogs out there were spending an entire month talking about all the diapering options available with covers I immediately wanted to be a part of it.  Thus began a campaign of constantly badgering my wife until she finally gave in and gave me access to guest post on her blog.  The "relentless begging" strategy has worked well for me in the past.

So here I am, and I am thrilled to share with you my experience with cloth diapers.  To be fair, the vast majority diapers in our 'stash' are pocket diapers, but we were generously given a cover from Zookies to try out so we could participate this month.  

Let me tell you a secret.  Lean in close to your screen.

<whisper> I change way more diapers than the Trophy Wife. </whisper>

So I feel I am in a position to give you the real story.

I'll start with the fact that I really love our diaper cover.  I dig the funky design, I dig the fact that it is a medium size and fits well, I dig being able to use it a few times before washing (provided the little man doesn't 'unload' on the thing), and I dig being able to customize how we fill it depending on our absorbency needs at the time.

One thing I have noticed with purchasing a good stockpile of pocket diapers is that we have more inserts than we could ever use.  We use them to stuff all our diapers and still have dozens left over to clean up household spills, insulate the hamster cage, and make improvisational toys for the kids.  So we always have plenty of pocket inserts for use in filling our cover.  

One of my favorite fillers for our cover has been a hemp insert with a prefold wrapped around it.  The prefold is excellent for wicking away moisture and the hemp insert is unbeatable for moisture storage.  I know that our prefolds are nine years old, but while there may be some new fabrics out there with different properties, there haven't been a whole lot of advances in prefold technology in that time. You can still buy a dozen cotton prefolds for about a buck each and, without some serious modification or accessorizing, they're still pretty much only good for burp rags.  However, when you combine them with a quality cover they can certainly meet your diapering needs, especially if you're on a budget.  Remember that (if you're lucky) you'll get a handful of changes from each cover before it needs to be washed.  So a person could conceivably create their entire diaper stash using covers and prefolds for a fraction of the cost of other diapering options.  Seriously, CD advocates should really make this their first response when confronted by people who balk at the idea of the start-up costs of cloth diapering.

That is what makes prefolds so useful.  On it's own its pretty much useless, but when you mix a little ingenuity and creativity into it they become exceptionally useful for a number of tasks.  Combining that with the fact that they are arguably the most affordable baby accoutrement makes them an indispensable staple in the nursery.

See more from The Raconteur Daddy at http://raconteurdaddy.blogspot.com. You can also 'like' him on Facebook.  Which you should do because he would totally 'like' you if you asked him to.

There are Names too?!

I figured that there were all sorts of different ways to fold a prefold for use when cloth diapering.  What I didn't realize was that there are actual names to go with the different ways!  I have to say Thank You to Trisha who opened my eyes to that knowledge.  After she told me about the Angel Fold, I just had to start my many hours of research on all the different names for the ways that I've been folding his diapers!  Here is what I have found.

This is how I tried laying
the prefold in the cover.

Then I tried opening the
back part.

The Newspaper:  This seems to be the way I have been doing it when I just lay the prefold into the cover.

To start, lay your prefold
down.

Fold top edge up.

Fold edges to middle.

Fold up and secure.

The Angel:  I like the added absorbency capability with this one for my little man.  It is different from the newspaper fold in that you can choose how much of the front to fold after lifting the front instead of before.

Start with your prefold

Fold edges toward middle.

Bring top up.

Fold top edge down toward
the inside.

Fold back edges forward
and secure.

The Bikini Twist:  That is so cute...but also pretty functional too.  I can see where it may lead to more mess with solids because of the twist, but I think that it would work really well for chunky legs and girls.

Start with prefold.

Twist front end.

Bring front up.

Fold over top edge.

Secure.

The Jelly Roll:  This seems nice for those covers that are a little loose around the legs.  It makes a little gusset around the legs.

Start with Prefold.

Start by rolling corner.

Roll at an angle.

Roll both sides.

Bring top up.

Fold down top edge.

Secure.

Origami:  I think that this would be a good fold for heavy wetters.  It requires a bigger flat or prefold than the others (a square shape would be best) and it makes a built in doubler.  It is also requires a little more patience.

Start with your prefold and
fold upward in half.

Fold in half again from
left to right.

Pull the top right corner
across to the left
creating a triangle.

Here's the triangle.

Now pick it up....

And turn it over.

Start folding the
rectangle side.

Fold it to the center.

Bring the top up.

And secure.

I have to give thanks to the other blogs that I learned my information from.  http://diaperpages.com/pf_folds.php  

http://www.diaperjungle.com/folding-diapers.html  and  http://www.angelfire.com/id/megnkatesplace/folds.html

*These are all my pictures and my personal explanation of the different ways that I learned by doing research on the internet.  I used the aforementioned blogs for the purpose of learning how to do these folds and as guides to be able to pass on the information.

Trials of a Prefold

Raconteur Daddy and I never used prefolds or other traditional ways of cloth diapering until January this year.  We have always been pocket users.  When I was approached with the idea of participating with Under Cover, we were excited to have an opportunity to try it out and talk about them from a 'first timer' perspective.

Now, I know that we aren't 'doing it right'.  I know that there are better products out there to use for prefolds than our 9 year old Gerber prefolds that were used as burp rags for Sweet Pea.  But, when we received our Zookies cover, we wanted to use it right away and didn't know what to put inside!  So, out came the old Gerber prefolds.  I have to say that it was a bit awkward at first.

I figured that I would fold them in a tri-fold width wise and put the folds inside, then I laid it into the cover and wrapped the corners across his little belly and put the cover on top.  I found that by doing this, it ended up with the prefold in a bunch.  But to my surprise, there were no leaks...so I guess it did it's job anyway.  Plus, Little Man didn't seem uncomfortable at all.

I also tried ways of folding the prefold around a FuzziBunz microterry insert or a Thirsties hemp insert.  They worked okay but still bunched into the front after an hour or two of playtime.  I think that the only way to successfully use a prefold though is by using a snappi or other type of fastener too.


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Why haven't we used fitteds?

To round out fitteds week....I'd like to talk about why we haven't used them yet.

Well, the simple answer to that is that we just haven't had the extra money to buy any new diapers.  There are more reasons though.  I was always intimidated by the idea of having to put on a fitted, fasten it, and then put on a cover.  It seemed like a bunch of steps that you don't have to worry about when using pockets.  Also, the cost of having to buy fitteds (which is similar or more than the cost of pockets) and then having to buy covers to go along with.  Before getting involved with Under Cover month, I never thought about trying out covers, fitteds or prefolds.  I wanted to try other types of diapering but they were AIO and AI2's that I was interested in.  It wasn't until I was chatting with Cloth Diaper Addiction that I learned that the more traditional ways of cloth diapering are still fairly easy.  Then my interests were piqued.

I started doing more research on fitted diapers and found that they are a great thing to use around the house for those times when you want your little one to get a little 'air' but you don't want your furniture watered....(Little Man taught me a lesson there!)  Now I really want to try out a fitted...my poor ottoman wants us to use them too.  I'm no longer intimidated by the two step process of putting on a fitted and then putting on a cover.  I can't imagine it being all that much more work.  Plus, you can reuse your cover a few times.  I would think that this would make laundry easier too because you wouldn't have to worry as much about water or drying temperatures when washing just fitteds like you have to with pockets and their PUL.  And I've heard that stink issues are lower with natural fibers than with microfiber.  That would be a huge bonus!

I was hoping to find a sponsor to help me test out fitteds for this event, but it just didn't happen.  I am proud to say though that I finally won a fitted diaper!  I am very excited to get it and give it a good try....I think it would be a good mate for my Zookies cover.

Zookies Giveaway! - CLOSED

 To celebrate the Under Cover Event

I am hosting a Zookies Cover Review and Giveaway!

Zookies so generously sent me a beautiful cover in the mail.  I have never had experience with anything but pocket cloth diapers.  I was so excited to try out a new way to use cloth!  When I received the package, the cover was so neatly tied in a beautiful ribbon.  I knew right away that they take a lot of pride in what they do.

Little Man loves playing with brand new diapers!

I had a hard time making up my mind when picking out our cover.  They have so many amazing prints.  Plus I couldn't decide if I wanted snaps or hook and loop.  Every other diaper that I have has snaps, so I decided to give hook and loop a try.  Personally, when I get another Zookies cover, it will be with snaps.  That is just my personal preference.  I am very happy that I chose the hook and loop though; it is nice to have some variety in my stash!

Even with the hook and loop, I love how easy it is to use!  I was really intimidated at first.  Besides trying to figure out what to use to stuff it, I did get it on the first try.  I really like the tabs for the hook and loop for when it's not in use.  They have held up well in the wash!  The outside is a very cute cotton print, and the inside is waterproof PUL.  The Zookies cover also fit very well on Little Man's chunky baby legs!

The Raconteur Daddy has even used the Zookies cover!  He says that he really likes them.  The hardest thing about using the Zookies cover, that we've found, is figuring out what we want to stuff it with today!  We've used microfiber inserts, hemp inserts, Gerber prefolds, and combinations of all.  The Zookies cover never once leaked!  We have both been very impressed.

It was very difficult getting Little Man in action...but he loves his Zookies!

I am so thankful that Zookies was so generous to send me a custom made cloth diaper cover.  I will talk more about my trials as a first time cover user in a later post.

To Buy It:

Head over to Zookies where you can purchase directly.

Also check out all of their other cute items!

To Win It:

One lucky person will win their own custom made 

Zookies cloth diaper cover!

All entries must follow the rules or they will not be posted.

I do check every entry, so please play fair.

Mandatory Entry: 

Follow OTTW using Google Friend Connect.  You have to follow publicly for it to count.

Let me know and leave your email address. 

This is mandatory and must be done first for any extra entries to count.

Extra Entries:

Please leave your email address with each entry.  

Please use one comment for each entry.

1.  Follow OTTW using NetworkedBlogs.  (Just click the button on the right.)

2.  Like OTTW on Facebook and leave me a note that you stopped by.  

3.  Like Zookies on Facebook and tell them 'Hi' from OTTW!

4.  Stop by Zookies and tell me your favorite cover color.

5.  Follow OTTW on Twitter.

6.  Add the OTTW button to your blog.  (Worth 2 Entries, please leave separate comments)

7.  Tell me what your favorite OTTW post is or something new you learned from OTTW.

8.  Subscribe to OTTW by email.  (Just enter your address to the button on the right.)

Zookies will send the lucky winner a custom made cover of their choice!

This giveaway will end March 16th, 2011 at 9:00 pm CST.  The winner will be drawn via random.org.  The winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner will be drawn.  Giveaway is open to US and Canada citizens who are 18 years or older.

 

* All information in this post is my personal opinion.  It may differ from your own personal opinion.  I was provided a cover by Zookies to review, and was in no way monetarily compensated for my opinion. 


***I just want everyone to know that I am having technical difficulties with IntenseDebate commenting system.  I really like it, but it has given me some glitches.  I think that they are all worked out now, but that explains the manually entered comments by me.  I assure you that everyone is following the rules in those entries, but to save time I didn't re type them all.  Also, I will assure that everyone's comments are being entered too!  Thank you for understanding!