Review: FuzziBunz One Size

Diaper:  FuzziBunz One Size - $18.95 (Without extra elastic $17.95)

Materials:  Outer layer PUL, inner layer Fleece, Snaps for closure, buttons inside of the legs for the one size adjustment (I will explain more later on that), one regular sized microfiber insert and one microfiber doubler.

Fit:  7 - 30 + lbs.

How it works:  FuzziBunz One Size Diapers are a pocket diaper in which you place inserts to adjust the level of absorbency.  The rise on this diaper is not adjusted from the outside like most OS diapers.  This diaper's rise is adjusted with the elastic inside of the leg casing of the diaper and secured at each end with buttons.  The elastic is marked with a numbering system to help you adjust the room in the thighs to fit your child better than a diaper that adjusts with snaps on the outside.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  Very vibrant diapers.  The colors are bright and cheery.  There are 12 colors available for these diapers.  I own yellow and orange and they are like neon...so keep that in mind when looking at the brighter colors.  They do not have prints though if that's what you're looking for.  

Functionality - First off I didn't find that the fleece inner wicked moisture away very well.  My son was damp to the touch each time I used this diaper.  I also find the fleece to be very thin and of poor quality.  The microfiber inserts that it came with also don't seem to absorb very well.  I often found myself replacing them with inserts from other diapers before making the switch to prefolds as inserts in all of my diapers.  (Which I highly recommend if you have a heavy wetter.)  

Regarding fit...I found the waist of this diaper to be even a little loose on my (at the time) 7 1/2 month old.  Now at 9 months I am just moving off of the smallest waist setting.  There is no way that this would fit comfortably on a newborn in my opinion.  This diaper seems to run a little big. I also find the thigh snaps to be placed a little too close to the leg opening.  I have a hard time getting a comfy with those snaps around my sons legs.  There are only 4 snaps to choose from around the thighs and even though the waist has two snaps on each side the thigh snaps seem to pull down on the wings of the diaper creating wing droop anyway.  Annoying!  

As far as adjusting the rise of the diaper.  FuzziBunz provides a handy dandy chart on their website to aid you in figuring out the proper setting for your child.  FuzziBunz utilizes a system in which the elastic inside of the leg casings has button holes and at the front and back of each leg opening there is a button.  You can pull on the elastic to adjust the rise of the diaper by making the leg area smaller or larger.  There are 6 or 7 setting on each end of the leg elastic.  The excess elastic then tucks into a "hideaway hole" in the diaper.  So, for example...my 21 lb., 9 month old son, is on the 3rd hole on the leg elastic.  This can become complicated and can take a while to figure out if your child doesn't fit into the 50% for everything.  (And really...how many of them do?!)  With buttons and snaps this diaper just becomes complicated to figure out at the beginning.

Now once I got everything set right, it worked, but it's still not a favorite of mine.  The elastic comes out of the "hideaway holes" in the wash and the elastic curls (which is the nature of elastic that isn't sewn down on the ends).  The buttons don't stay tucked away so the press up against my sons skin.  (He's not uncomfortable but it still bothers me.)  All in all I am just not overly impressed with this diaper.

If I get a chance sometime I'll make a video of this diaper as I think a visual will help you to better understand how this diaper works.

Durability -  The inner fleece of this diaper seems to get thinner and thinner with each washing.  I'm not sure why, as my other fleece lined diapers don't have this problem.  Otherwise this diaper is of good quality.  I like that mine came with extra elastic for the legs incase mine break.  But, I think if mine broke I would cry over it and would probably discontinue use anyway.

*** I know people who swear by this diaper.  They love everything about it.  Which just goes to show...it pays to try different brands which is why a starter pack is such a good idea when starting out.  

Cloth Diapering and BEYOND..............

I recently had lunch with a friend who is newly pregnant and she started to ask me questions about cloth diapering. Once we went round and round about the diapers, I realized there was so much more to tell her. There is more to cloth diapering then just the diapers and a good subject to bring up and start with is cloth wipes because you will use wipes quite often as well. There are many cloth wipes out there to purchase, but I got about a ga-zillion of those mini baby wash cloths at my baby showers so I use those. They are just the right texture to wipe and still be soft on the skin. I have heard and read of many "solutions" to make for the wipes, but take this from me.... not necessary and in fact can seriously irritate the babe's skin. I use warm tap water or a little baby oil if necessary and my LO who has slightly sensitive skin has never had a diaper rash or redness (well, there was one time I fed her papaya) down there. The wipes just get thrown in the wash with the diapers.

I hope this helps you on your journey to cloth diapering!

-Natalie

Trials of a Dum Dum: Overnight Part 3

So, I had a long sit down talk with my husband.  We talked about money.  I hate talks about money.  You know...the kind where he tells me I spend too much and then I feel guilty.  Yeah.  Those talks about money.  Actually he didn't say I spend too much.  What he said was that figuring out night time diapering was going to cost us an arm and a leg possibly.  That I just bought a bunch of diapers for daytime, and Christmas is coming up which is a lot of money going out at once.

We discussed that the Huggies Overnites are working every single night.  No leaks.  So, for now we are going to stick with those.  I feel a tad guilty about it as I'm supposed to be promoting CDing to y'all.  With that said, I was also tiring of washing sheets and mattress pads every morning and trying to get them done before his morning nap.  Between doing that, doing the household laundry, and cloth diaper laundry...I was going a little bonkers I think.

I'm not necessarily giving up.  I'm just taking a break for a while.  He only uses one Huggies Overnite a night so it's not breaking the bank to use them.  Maybe if I can get my hands on a reasonably priced TIAN I might give it another go in the future.  But, for now...we're leaving CDing for the daytime.

Don't hate me!

Review: Preston's Pants

Diaper:  Preston's Pants - Pricing varys on the diaper you get.  She offers diapers anywhere from $20.95 - $37.00.  Pricing depends on the style, fabrics, and if you get embroidery. 

Type:  She has several styles. Some are fitteds in Small, Medium, Medium Long, Skinny Large, and Large.  Others are OS.  She also carries Wool Covers.

Materials:  Her diapers vary in materials.  You will want to check out her website for details on what kind of diaper works for you.  I got a PUL outer layer OS pocket diaper, the inner was a printed micro-fleece, and it came with 2 inserts (1 microfiber and 1 hemp).  The elastic in her diapers is Lastin so it is a latex free elastic in the leg casing.

Fit:  7 - 35 + lbs.

How it works:  Preston's Pants are a WHAM snap on fitted or OS pocket diapers.  She has many fabrics and styles.  You just have to check out her website to familiarize yourself with all of the options.  :)

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  Really there is so much variety here that you can't go wrong.  You would be hard pressed to not find a diaper that at Preston's Pockets if you're looking for a wide range of colors, patterns, fabrics, and so on.  The snaps on my diaper (Trains!) were in a contrasting color from the outer PUL.  On my diaper the PUL is a deep blue and the snaps are brown.  The inner liner is a micro-fleece with a train print on it.  I LOVE IT!!!  I know...some of you are thinking...what's the point of having a print inside of the diaper.  You can't see it!  Well to those of you thinking that...I say it is the undergarment mentality.  No one may see my bra, but I know it makes me feel good because it's pretty.  :)  Usually my son is wearing pants over his diapers, but that doesn't mean I don't like to know there is a cutie patootie print there!  

Functionality - These diapers work well with the inserts that are included with them.  The microfiber/hemp combo absorbs well and my son was able to go 2 1/2 hours with this diaper on.  Keep in mind he is a SUPER SOAKER!!!  lol  2 1/2 hours is great for him.  Be sure to prep the hemp though, and to wash it separately from your other diapers to make sure any natural oils are washed out and don't get on your other dipes.  The snaps are in good placement so I can get a nice and secure fit on my son, and the rise on the diaper is of a good height as well.  The micro-fleece inside is of good quality and extremely soft against baby's skin.  It does a fair job of wicking away moisture, but not as great as suedecloth.  (I find that to be the case most times though.)  The Lastin in the leg casings is a nice touch if your child has a latex allergy; however, I find the width to be very thin and I worry that it could be uncomfortable on my sons thighs.  He doesn't have red marks though and doesn't complain so maybe it's just me.  :)  I see the leg Lastin as a potential issue down the road though if his thighs get larger.

Durability -  Great quality.  This diaper has held up well to washing and a turn in the dryer to seal the PUL around the snaps.  We are really enjoying this diaper.  I hope you'll take a chance to check out Preston's Pants.

Shop Review - Giggle Britches

Physical Location:  Troy, Illinois
Phone Number:  618-795-8301

Website:  http://www.giggle-britches.com

Store Basics:

Giggle Britches was started by LeAnn Kitchen because she 
noticed a need for a "cloth diapering and natural parenting
store in the St. Louis Metro-East area."

She has a great Cloth 101 section that gives a quick rundown 
of how she does her cloth diaper laundry and what you would 
need to get started which can be handy when you are looking 
at a shop and just getting started in the cloth diapering world.  

What Giggle Britches carries:  Prefolds, Fitteds, Covers, 
Pockets, AIOs, AI2s, Package Deals, Inserts/Liners, and 
Accessories (i.e. wipes, Snappies, Charlie's Soap, wetbags, 
and pail liners).  

Selection:  The selection is small but 
seems to be growing with more and 
more quality products over time.  
They do carry some of the major tried 
and true brands such as bumGenius, Thirsties, Happy Heinys, 
Fuzzi Bunz, Haute Pockets, Tiny Tush, etc. so it's definitely 
worth checking here and comparing prices with other stores 
before buying.I only give this category a three because 
compared to larger stores this store is small in comparison.  
But, I think you'll see in the next few categories that LeAnn 
is in a leagueof her own in customer service.

Level of Service:  LeAnn is friendly 
and helpful.  She's great about 
keeping in touch with her customers 
and has a great fan page for her store 
on Facebook which you should join to hear about the latest
sales, discontinued products, or new items that will be added 
to the store.  

I also want to say that she has the FASTEST delivery of a store 
I've ever experienced.  My order was at my house within a 3 
days of purchase.  I was majorly impressed and it is one of the 
many reasons I check her store often when hunting for diapers.  
After all...when you're addicted don't you want to get your fix 
fast?  I know I do!  

Package Deals:  Giggle Britches has 
some of the best small diaper packages 
I've seen.  If you know what you're 
looking for in a diaper this is a great 
place to buy a package to try different versions of one type.  
For example...if you know you're a pocket diaper person then 
you could try her One Size Pocket Sampler.  She has them for 
several different categories including nighttime diapering so 
check those out for sure.

My favorite feature:  Some of the 
diapers come with a 15 day Risk Free 
Trial.  This gives you an opportunity to 
buy 1 diaper (only 1), try it for 15 days, 
and return it for a full refund.  All you are out is the cost of 
return shipping!!!  (Don't forget to wash and dry it before you 
return it!)  I don't know about you, but that sounds like a great 
deal to me.  

Definitely check Giggle Britches out and see what they have to 
offer.  Quick shipping, packages, and Risk Free Trials?  I think 
you'll be impressed too!

Review: Tiny Tush Elite Pocket Diapers One-Size

Diaper:  Tiny Tush Elite Pocket Diapers One-Size  -  $17.95 

Type:  One-Size, Pocket

Materials:  PUL outer layer, snaps or Aplix, micro-fleece inner fabric, 1 regular microfiber insert and 1 microfiber doubler

Fit:  7 - 35 lbs.

How it works:  Tiny Tush Elites are a OS Pocket diaper which allow you to adjust the rise of the diaper to accommodate a growing child and to stuff the diaper with inserts to adjust absorbency.  They can come in either snaps or Aplix tabs.  I have Snaps.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  A good quality diaper.  It reminds me of a Haute Pocket Diaper in the rise in that the rise is higher than, say, a bumGenius 3.0.  The snaps are white which contrasts with non-white diapers, but that doesn't bother me.  It comes in a decent variety of colors.  I wish they had an orange diaper.  That seems to be the only color they're missing.  There are no patterns available though.  The logo tag on this diaper is fairly large and old fashioned but that doesn't bother me.  I give this a 4 because of the limited color choices and lack of patterns.

Functionality - This is one of my favorite diapers, and I would happily have a whole stash of these if I wasn't so intruiged by variety.  :)  Then snaps are spaced out nicely so as to give a nice fit.  My only qualm with the snaps on this diaper is that they do not overlap on the front wings which will make it difficult to use on a small baby.  The 4 snap rise setting is great as it gives you some more flexibility.  And while my son is on the highest rise setting in some other diapers.  In these he is on the Medium-Large setting (or the last row of snaps before having it open all of the way).  The legs have some good stretch to them, but stay tight around the thigh, and the inner micro-fleece is sooooooooo soft.  And unlike my Fuzzi Bunz OS diapers this micro-fleece does a good job of staying dry to the touch.  The inserts are also nice and fluffy.  They are soft to the touch and absorb well.

Durability - So far this diaper has held up well.  It's nice that you don't have to contend with diaper chain in the washer/dryer due to the snaps, but I love that you  have the option to buy this diapers with either snaps or Aplix (velcro).  That will help it to appeal to a lot more customers.  I don't have any piling on the inner micro-fleece so it lives up to it's "anti-piling" claim.  As always I hang my diapers to dry so I have no comment on how it is in the dryer.  But, I'm sure it will do fine.  There has never been a stray thread.  Ever!  This is my favorite diaper to pull out of the drawer.  I save it for a time of day when I know my son is going to get to spend a good 2 hours in it because I know he'll be comfortable.  I HIGHLY recommend the Tiny Tush Elite Pocket Diaper OS.  I have another one on the way as I type!

Review: Haute Pockets

Diaper:  Haute Pockets  -  $17.95 (Nicki's Diapers - $12.95)

Type:  One-Size, Pocket

Materials:  PUL outer layer, snaps or Aplix, microfiber inner fabric, 1 regular microfiber insert and 1 snap-on microfiber doubler

Fit:  8 - 35 lbs.

How it works:  Haute Pockets are a OS diaper which allows you to adjust the rise of the diaper to accommodate a growing child.  They can come in either snaps or Aplix tabs.  I have Aplix.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  A decent quality diaper.  I would say it's comparable to the bumGenius in appearance.  The Aplix (velcro) tabs on this diaper are a little longer which I find makes it easier to undo the velcro.  The snaps are white which contrasts with non-white diapers, but that doesn't bother me.  It comes in a decent variety of colors.  There are no patterns available though.  The only issue I've had with the appearance of the diaper is the logo tag tends to have thread pulls giving the tag a sloppy appearance.  This does not affect the way the diaper performs though.  I give this a 4 because of the limited color choices and the fraying tag.

Functionality - This diaper works well for me.  It has a nice high rise which I love.  I know this will grow with my son for a long time.  The inserts are wider at the back to help absorb more from newborn or watery bowel movements.  And I LOVE that the doubler snaps on to the regular insert.  That makes stuffing this diaper so easy.  This feature also keeps the doubler from bunching.  The Aplix tabs work nicely when putting the diaper on or taking it off.  They do cause a problem in the washer though (probably the dryer too, but I hang dry my diapers).  Unfortunately the laundry tabs on the inside of the diaper are too small and sewn too close to the tab itself.  The tabs stick to the laundry tabs fine, but in the washer/dryer they come undone and create a diaper chain in your wash, sticking to anything and everything they can.  This hasn't caused a problem for me with the quality of any of the inserts or other diapers it comes in contact with.  It's more of a pain then anything.  I have tried attaching the tabs to themselves by turning them backwards, but they still come undone.

Durability - I have 5 Haute Pockets.  So far the Aplix is holding up really well.  And even though it is attaching to other diapers, inserts, and fleece liners, I haven't had a problem with the tabs becoming bogged down with fuzz.  Also I believe that hang drying them helps the velcro to last longer.  Out of my 5 diapers the elastic came away from the diaper itself in one of them on one leg.  I'm so sad.  It just happened on Friday!  :(  I'm a little disappointed that this happened so quickly, but things happen.  I have contacted both the company and the store I bought them from to see if they can get this resolved for me.  Haute Pockets have a warranty of 6 months and they will replace diapers that have defects based on their discretion.  I will update my review to let you know how well they handle this situation.  So, stay tuned....


Thoughts from Natalie: 

Aesthetics - Looks like many of the Bum Genius style pocket diapers out there. It also has a similar look to wonderoos . From what I understand they don't sell prints and come in all the common colors out there that PUL comes in. The diaper looks just fine, cute and fluffy.. I give it four pins simply because I like prints.  

Functionality - I really like this diaper, it is very soft and fluffy. The aplix is as strong as 50 oxen. After washing the diaper I had a hard time pulling the tabs off the laundry tabs. The diaper is trim and fit very well around Ella's legs. She is almost 9 months old, 21 pounds and has chunky legs. So the diaper really wrapped around her legs perfectly. 

Durability - After a few washes, the diaper looks like I just took it out of the package! The aplix is strong and not curling and the PUL fabric is not looking broken down yet. The insert cleans and dries perfectly. I really like how the inserts snap together so after getting totally soaked at night, it did not bunch or move around. 

I have tried the Haute for naps, play time and night time and NO leaks!

Trials of a Dum Dum: Overnight Part 2

Well, we tried our indian prefolds in the diapers overnight (and during the day).  Remember, my son is 8 months old, about 21 lbs..  We've only used it at night twice because we only have one and I do laundry every other day.  So here is a run down of our last 2 nights:

Night 1:  bumGenius 3.0 on highest rise setting.  The pocket was so full with the premium indian prefold and the microfiber insert that it was really difficult to even get it on my son.  I find that the BGs seem to have a lower rise compared to some other pocket diapers.  But, after some work I got it on.  My son had the biggest bum I'd ever seen.

We made it through the night without any leaks on the highest rise setting (which is what he is on normally anyway)!  Woo!!!  The prefold did a great job of absorbing all of the way down.  Microfiber always seems to just absorb in one spot.  He woke up as dry as could be.

Lesson learned:  The bumGenius is a good way to go because the PUL layer overlaps on the top locking in moisture.  You'll see why that is important in a second.

Night 2:  This time we tried the same setup, premium indian prefold topped with microfiber insert.  We attempted a different diaper this time though and used a Haute Pocket.  Normally my son is on the medium rise setting in this diaper during the day so I used the same setting for the night.  MAJOR LEAKAGE!  He was soaked down to his feet in the a.m.  (Yeah, my son doesn't wake up when he pees in his bed.)

I have a couple of theories:
1)  The Haute Pocket does not have the protective PUL at the top of the diaper like the BG and that's where his diaper was wet in the morning.  So, I believe compression caused the diaper to leak out of the top (my son is a tummy sleeper of his own accord).  This got his pajama pants wet and then caused the pants to wick the moisture all of the way down to his toes.

I will attempt this diaper again as it was much easier to get it on him being a slightly larger diaper compared to the BG.  Next time I will open the snaps to the largest setting to see if that gives the top a more snug fit so as to trap any moisture.

I know that this can work since it happened once so I just have to figure out what diaper it is going to work best in.  Also, I guess it will depend on how much he pees each night.

The trials continue...

Daytime:  The regular indian prefold alone did help my son to last to the 2 hour mark each time it was used.  Woo!

Trials of a Dum Dum: Overnight

I thought I'd do some posts for all of the newbies like me out there.  Or shall I say Dum Dums?  Yep, I'm the first to admit that I am one of those people.  Although CDing off and on since Gabriel was born there is still much I have to learn.  Isn't that the case with anything you take on though?  Such as being a mom?  And look how many of us are jumping on that band wagon?  :)  For good reason!  So, no fear....  Right?

Not much about cloth diapering scares me.  But, there is that one itty bitty part of our day called nighttime.  Yep.  Nighttime.  Sure, all day long you're moseying along.  Maybe you have a leak to deal with, but nothing like you will experience in the middle of the night or the next morning.  Finding the right nighttime diaper is like looking for a needle in a haystack from some.  Others get lucky on the first go 'round.

I have a super soaker.  My son can soak through 2 microfiber inserts in 30 min. - 1 hour during the day.  We tried 2 microfibers at night, and we tried adding the wrong kind of hemp doubler at night.  I use all pockets, and I stuffed it with a Hemp Night Stay Dry Doubler from Green Mountain Diapers.  The problem was they had fleece on top...good for a fitted diaper, but not for a pocket.  As the fleece and the inner of the pocket diaper work against each other somewhat slowing absorption.  I even tried lying that on top of the pocket and yet, still didn't work.

So, I got in touch with Stephanie at Abby's Lane and explained my nighttime situation.  I told her that my son was 20ish lbs., 8 months old, and what I had already tried.  She informed me that many people have kids who outgrow the absorbency of microfiber by 6 months old.  (Some even 2-4 months old.  So, if you're having daytime leaking problems regularly this could be why.)  I told her that on his bumGenius 3.0s he was on the large setting, and a medium on his Haute Pockets.  I also told her that after buying a large number of diapers I was on a tighter budget and wanted to be economic about my purchases.  I LOVE that she completely respected that.  Thanks, Stephanie!

She suggested getting some indian cotton twill prefolds.  One in regular size for the daytime and one in premium (topped with a microfiber insert) for the nighttime.  These apparently have a lot more absorbency than the microfiber inserts or towels.  They showed up today and I can't wait to try them out.  They're going through a few wash and dry cycles as we speak so they're prepped for tomorrow!  :)  I will definitely keep all of you posted on the nighttime trials.  (And the daytime...we'll see if he can go longer than 1 hour in a CD.)

My goal (and Stephanie whole heartedly agrees) is to try everything I can to make my normal pocket diapers work for him at night.  To only buy a different diaper if nothing else works.  Fingers crossed that this will do the trick.  If not it's on to the next step.  Keep your fingers crossed for us!  I'll update you soon on our progress.  Maybe we'll find that elusive needle in the proverbial haystack.

Review: Rockin' Green Detergent

Detergent: Rockin' Green Cloth Diaper Detergent; $2.50 for sample size and $13.95 for larger bag.

Materials:  Clean rinse detergent: sodium carbonate , sodium percarbonate, sodium citrate, sodium sulfate,  surfactants, fragrance oils (if scented is chosen)

How it works:  Rockin' Green Soap is an all natural clean rinse formula detergent that is said to make your diapers sparkle and not create the residue build up like other detergents can. 

Thoughts from Natalie:

Smell -  I am not a fan of anything that smells like baby powder so many products that are dubbed for baby stuff I avoid with fear of it smelling like fake baby powdery gunk.

Rockin' Green is so much fun to buy because all of her amazing scents. It's like being in a candy store with Grape Soda and Pumpkin Crunch. I purchased the samples of Cherry Lemonade and Vanilla Lavender. I loved the the Cherry Lemonade and wanted to eat it!

Functionality - I used the Rockin' Green soap as soon as I got it. (after I stripped the diapers) I soaked my diapers for 3 hours in 2-3 tablespoons and then washed them and rinsed twice. My diapers came out smelling like wet dirty gym socks. I was so turned off. I assumed I used it wrong so then I washed my diapers without anything, then ran the diapers with 2-3 tablespoons of soap then a clean rinse cycle. They still smelled wet and gross. Kim, the creator said maybe I have too many diapers in the wash so I tried with half the amount of diapers roughly 5, and the same thing happened. I stopped using the soap for a few days then kept hearing rave reviews about the soap so I was now determined. I spent a whole day washing my diapers with this much then that much and then more rinse cycles. I never got my diapers to smell clean. They felt clean and looked super clean but never smelled clean. 

I do like how Kim lets you get scent cards and you can purchase samples that are nice sized for $2.50 so you can have fun. Maybe it is my washing machine, but no matter how much I want to love this product, I just don't.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Smell -  I tried the Vanilla Lavendar, Vanilla Buttercream, and the Peppermint Cocoa.  I personally didn't find the Vanilla Lavender or the Vanilla Buttercream to be that fragrant.  To me they just smelled like laundry detergent.  The Peppermint Cocoa is the only one that I really got a good smell separate from the detergent itself, and it was a nice scent for winter.  Personally it didn't really matter to me if the detergent smelled nice because the smell won't linger on the diapers since it is a clean rinse detergent.  But, I guess it's fun to smell it as your pour it in.  I hear good things about Grape Soda, which I will have to try another time.

Functionality - I followed the directions that came with the sample packs just as Natalie did.  I too ended up with a stinky diaper.  Which is weird because I've never had a smell issue before.  But, I decided to stick with it.  (My hot water temp. is around 135 degrees.  FYI)  I'm glad I did.  After a few subsequent washes (3ish) the lingering smell has been gone ever since and I have a nice clean diaper.  Although it wasn't as fast acting as my other detergent was (Planet Ultra) I am pleased with the long term results. 

My only qualm is that I wish it came in a liquid form.  I'm not a big fan of powder detergent.  I find it messy and I like the convenience of a lid as the measuring device.  With that said at 13 cents a load you can't beat that!  

Customer Service - Natalie did comment to me on what a great help Kim was in her quest to make Rockin' Green work for her.  I contacted her regarding my hard water and she was a big help.  She recommended the Classic Version.  I also wanted to say here that their delivery is insanely speedy.  I had my detergent in 2 days!  Good thing for a procrastinator such as myself.  

Review: smartipants OS Pocket Diapers

Diaper:  smartipants  -  $14.95 (Kelly's Closet - $13.32)

Type:  One-Size, Pocket

Materials:  PUL outer layer, snaps, suedecloth inner fabric, 1 microfiber insert

Fit:  7 - 35 lbs.

How it works:  Smartipants is a OS diaper which allows you to adjust the rise of the diaper to accommodate a growing child.  The only closure type on these diapers is snaps.  The inside of the diaper has a patented "Smart Sleeve."  This pocket differs from others in two ways:

1. The pocket is open in both the back and the front which allows you to stuff from one end and continue pulling through from the other.
2. The insert (or inserts if you double up) come out in the wash, so no need to pull out a wet insert before laundry day.

Thoughts from Amanda:

Aesthetics -  This is an incredibly trim diaper.  The fit is beautiful on my son (20.6 lbs. currently).  It is great as a diaper bag dipe since it doesn't take up too much room.  The snaps stand out since they are white, but that's okay with me.  My only qualm...more colors please!!!!  I love these diapers but I want more variety.  I'm not a fan of a whole drawer of pastel baby colors.  So, I give this diaper a 4 only because it needs more color variations, and maybe some designs too!

Functionality - I love everything about this diaper.  There is a good number of snaps at the waist and you can overlap the wings for a tight fit on a very small baby.  It is also very trim and sits close to the body which is great when trying to fit your child into clothes that were made to fit their actual size and not a giant diaper.  lol  Stuffing these pockets is a breeze.  I just push them through and one side about half way and then pull them through the other side of the "Smart Sleeve" pocket.  No more shoving an insert into a deep pocket and just feeling around to make sure it's in correctly.  I never mis-stuff with smartipants.  And how can you not love that the insert comes out on its own in the washer?!  Even with a doubler in place both will still come out, every time.  Love it!  It's also a great out and about diaper.  Being so trim it fits well in the diaper bag, doesn't take up too much room in a wet bag, and I don't have to worry about the insert being removed at any point.  

Durability - These have held up well to washing.  I do hang dry all of the outer parts of my pocket diapers so I can't really comment on time in the dryer.  The inserts stay soft and no shrinking.  :)

***I highly recommend smartipants diapers, especially if you are going to be out and about with your CDs.  It is definitely a "go to" diaper in my stash.

Review: Diaper Change Pocket Diapers

Diaper: Diaper Change Diapers  starting at $17.95 per diaper not including the inserts

Type:  Side-snapping Pocket Diaper ranging in sizes from small to large

Materials:  PUL outer layer with a micro-chamois inside (super soft!)

Fit:  Newborn 7lbs. to Toddler 35lbs. The designer will also create a custom sized diaper for you.

How it works: Diaper Change Diapers are side-snapping pocket diapers which require inserts. These are as easy as it gets with any diaper and this is why a lot of people go towards the pocket  cloth diapers when first starting out and stay very loyal to them. Plain and simple...they work.

Thoughts from Natalie:

Aesthetics -  I adore all of the prints that come with the Diaper Change  Diapers. She has so many to choose from and the fabrics are lush and of great quality.  I love the side snaps as they don't make the diaper look industrial.  It is all print on the diaper.  The one thing that I thought about the diaper was that it looks much bulkier than most of the other diapers I have for the babe.  I think it is because there is elastic on the front and the back. I am sure this makes them fit as well as they do though.                                                    

Functionality - Easy to use.  Easy to clean.  The diapers do not come with their own insert.  But, from the advice of the website, I used two tri-folded micro-fiber towels. Yep, towels that I bought in the automotive section at Target. 

Durability - two things I did to test these diapers:

1. I left the diaper on baby one day for 3 hours. She is a major pee-er.  No leaks and her bum was bone dry, but the inserts were soaked completely.
2. Night time!  The ultimate test on any diaper. We tried the diaper as our night time dipe and no leaks, no crunching and again her skin was dry as a bone. She wore the diaper from 7PM to 7:30AM.

- If Pockets are your favorite diaper so far, or pockets are what interest you the most, please try these. I am completely impressed.

Thoughts from Natalie:

Aesthetics -  Great great great prints!  The snaps are color coordinated which I love as well.  Cute little (slightly) ruffled legs and elastic on the front and back.  Definitely not a trim diaper though, and a rise comparable to the bumGenius 3.0.                                               

Functionality - Very easy and no problems with wicking for us.  Even in a onesie.  You do have to make sure to stuff them properly seeing that the insert meets the edges of the diapers.  If it is too small through the crotch then that leaves gaps where the insert won't absorb leading to leaks in the legs.  However, the nature of cotton covered PUL is to wick some so if it does happen to you don't be surprised.

The way this diaper snaps is unusual in that the wings go toward the front on the inside of the diaper rather than towards the back.  I have a love hate relationship with that feature.  It makes it super easy to put on even a squirmy baby.  But, on a boy baby sometimes the wings come in contact with urine and this can lead to a slight wick at the top of the diaper if the wings are positioned straight across the front.  The wings are covered in the micro-chamois on the inside so if done correctly the wicking shouldn't occur.  So, watch out for mommy error.  :)

The inside stays mostly dry.  There have been heavy wetting times where ours has felt a little damp on the micro-chamois.  If that irritates your baby's skin I recommend a simple fleece liner inside.  Voila!  Problem solved.  :)

Durability - I know my son couldn't wear these at night.  He is a super soaker...especially being a boy who sleeps on his tummy.  With that said these have made a great daytime diaper for us.  I usually change them at 1 1/2 hours just to be safe.  I hate wicking and I love onesies.  But, we've gone 2 hours without an issue before.  The instructions that come with the diaper do recommend to hang dry regularly so as not to wear the diaper out fast.  These do take a long time to air dry though, so don't count on them if you are in a rush for a diaper unless you want to throw them in the dryer.  Follow the instructions that come with the diapers to get them ready for use or you may have wicking around the snaps.