by the dozen - cheep cloth diapers

we want to know!

if you could create your very own, dreamy cloth diaper package - what would it look like?

please send us your thoughts and comments and you just might win it for FREE!

(all packages must include items that we currently stock in our shop .)

The SposoEasy™ is simply the best all-in-one diaper with natural fabric on the market today: the trimmest, softest natural cloth diaper out there! It was developed over more than six months and provides leakproof leg openings with no bindings to leave red marks; an adjustable fit at the waist with either aplix or snaps; a quick-dry attached doubler that easily accomodates a second or third doubler for night diapering; and a soft knit PUL exterior shell. There is no other diaper out there that provides all this and natural, 100% cotton next to baby’s delicate skin.

Available in either aplix or snap versions.

looking for some great deals on cloth diapers, mama cloth and baby carriers?  we have just what you need!

this week only:

fussybutt mama cloth bundles are on sale!

easy start mama cloth bundle $140 $133

postpartum bundle $121 $115

new arrivals:

the Sposoeasy is simply the best all in one cloth diaper with natural fabric on the market today: the trimmest, softest natural cloth diaper out there! get yours in money saving bundles!

specials:

free shipping on all sleepy wrap baby carriers - every baby loves to be carried!

all orders over $100 ship for free!

(prices and specials good until feb 11. 2009)

There are a lot of mamas (and daddys) that are ready to welcome their new little one into the world and cannot wait to put that sweet little tush into cloth diapers.  But, where to start?

There is a lot of advice out there regarding cloth diapers and newborns - so we thought we would give you a little advice from us. Just in case you need a little more!

Here is what we think will be a great, and super simple newborn cloth diapering stash .

24 xs Thirsties Fab Fitteds
4-6 xs Thirsties Covers
9 xs Thirsties AIOs

Wow.  That is a lot of diapers right?  Just keep in mind that your baby is going to be changed often and you are going to be wiped out!  This amount of diapers will make it possible to do laundry about every other day.  You will thank me!

Your baby may grow out of the xsmall diapers quickly, so you will want to have a few other diapers on hand for that day when all the sudden your precious baby grows like a weed!

12 s Thirsties Fab Fitteds
2-3 s Thirsties Covers
6 s Thirsties AIOs

Now, this is the easiest and simplest stash out there.  Thirsties Fab Fitteds in xsmall, fit tiny little bodies perfectly, are squishy soft and contain all those "blowouts" you hear so much about.  Paired with a Thirsties cover, you are in perfect shape to cloth diaper your newborn successfully.

For one-step changing (for dads, siblings and grandmas) the Thirsties AIO is the ticket!  It goes on just like a disposable.  Just wrap around baby and go!  These are also great for sleepy, late-night changes.  To make them an even better diaper, there is pocket for stuffing extra inserts if needed.

So, what else will you need to cloth diaper your newborn?

1-2 pail liners (one in the wash and one clean)
1 wetbag
24-36 cloth wipes (you are going to wash your diapers, so you might as well wash your wipes!)

Please note, these are only guidelines and suggestions to help you to get started. You have the freedom to choose a cloth diapering system that works best for your family! That is the best part about cloth diapering. There is not a wrong way to do it.

Cloth diapering is a matter of trial and error (hopefully not too many errors).  However, every baby is made differently, so what works for your friend might not work for you.  The best thing to do is jump in, get your feet wet and see what you like!  The stash that we have suggested above will do just that, get you started!

Thirsties is truly a green company looking for inovative ways to protect our planet - and keeping your baby looking cute and stylish!

Here is a blurb from the Thirsties website and the reason why Thirsties is our favorite cloth diapering company.

Our mission…

Thirsties® line of cloth diapers were launched in an ongoing effort to offer quality diapers at affordable prices.  Our mission is to make it easy and affordable for every family to choose cloth. We are very proud of the fact that all of our products are now USA made by a group of very talented women many of whom work in the comfort and convenience of their own homes. We use only the best of US sourced components to ensure your diapers will last wash after wash and provide the very best in comfort and leakproof cloth diapering.

What makes us GREEN?

In addition to offering a green consumer product, we strive to keep the carbon footprint of our business to a minimum.  Here is how we do it…

· Packaging materials are recycled and new packaging is made from the highest post-consumer content available.

· All of our printing is done on recycled paper with 100% post-consumer content.

· Our office and packing/shipping space (where we spend most of our days) is heated by solar hot air collectors and supplemented by a pellet stove on cloudy days.  Luckily it is sunny in this part of Colorado 325 days of the year, and the average high temperature in the winter is 50F (11C) so we only need to use about 1/4 ton pellets each winter.

· Our 1000 sq ft overstock area is heated with strategically placed southern exposure windows to allow for passive solar.

· Only high-efficiency Energy Star rated compact fluorescent light bulbs are used.

· Lights are turned off when rooms are not in use and we shut down all computers and components completely at the end of each day.

· All of our fabric and components are sourced as locally as possible thereby cutting down on unnecessary transportation.

· We choose fabrics that dry quickly and remain soft even when hung to dry to encourage our customers to retire their dryers.

· All cutting and sewing is also done in Colorado so as to keep transport carbon to a minimum.

About us…

We honestly believe that we are in the best possible business as you, our customers, share in our values and concerns for happy and healthy baby beginnings and fighting for sound futures.  If ever you have any suggestions on how to improve our products or the way in which we operate our business, we’d love to hear your suggestions!

Celebrate the GRAND OPENING of By the Dozen with us!

Just like you, we are feeling the pinch of the "economy crisis" and want to ease the burden a bit by offering everyone a one time savings discount on ALL items in our shop!

There is no expiration date, the only catch is that you can use the code only once.  So, load up your cart and get shopping…and saving!

Christmas shopping already?  Cloth diapers, mama cloth and baby slings make great gifts for the natural family (and even for yourself!).

When you are ready to checkout, use the code SAVE10 to receive 10% off your order AND free shipping!

One of the most common questions we get is "how do I wash cloth diapers?"

We say it is simple.

How Often To Wash

Depending on the amount of diapers you own you will need to wash every 1-2 days. If you decide to go much longer than that you diapers will be a little harder to clean and might retain odors. So, we wouldn’t recommend it on a regular basis.

Washing instructions:

1. Remove the inserts or soakers (all poo should be shaken into the toilet before washing).
2. Run a cold rinse cycle.
3. Wash on hot with slightly less than 1/4 cup of detergent.
4. Run an extra rinse cycle depending on how well your washer rinses out detergent and the sensitivity of your child’s skin
5. Dry inserts and diapers on high heat. Hang covers to dry or use low setting in the dryer.

When washing diapers it is really important to have an idea about the quality of your water - if you have hard water, always use less detergent. In hard water the detergent does not rinse well and your diapers can start smelling and repelling (leaking). Try using only 1 or 2 tablespoons of detergent and give the load an extra cold rinse after the washing cycle is complete.

What Type of Detergent Should You Use?

Recommended detergents:
Use a detergent that does NOT have brighteners, whiteners or enzymes (Purex, Sun, Tide, etc). Please read all labels carefully.  And usually the cheaper the brand, the better.

Detergents to avoid:
Natural soaps often contain various oils. These should NOT be used because they will leave a residue on fleece, causing it to repel liquids.

The following detergents will cause a soap build up. Do NOT use them.
Dr. Bronner Soap
7th Generation
Ivory Snow
Dreft

Never use fabric softener of any kind on cloth diapers. Liquid fabric softeners and dryer sheets both leave a waxy residue which causes fleece to repel urine and decreases the absorbency of diapers.

Diaper rash creams can also cause repelling. For best results when using a cream, either place a small wash cloth or liner between the baby and the diaper.

See, it is simple.  And the earth will thank you!

The Real Diaper Association is a fantastic non-profit organization that provides support and education to parents all across the U.S. for the use of simple, reusable cloth diapers. The goal of the Real Diaper Association is to put more U.S. babies in cloth diapers. To do this we aim to create a cultural shift in understanding cloth diapers-their environmental impact, their ease of use, their accessibility, and their acceptability. The Association will help parents understand that cloth diapers are real diapers.

How does diapering your baby affect the environment?

In 1988, over 18 billion diapers were sold and consumed in the United States that year.⁴ Based on our calculations (listed below under "Cost: National Costs"), we estimate that 27.4 billion disposable diapers are consumed every year in the U.S.¹³

The instructions on a disposable diaper package advice that all fecal matter should be deposited in the toilet before discarding, yet less than one half of one percent of all waste from single-use diapers goes into the sewage system.⁴

Over 92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.⁴

In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.⁴

No one knows how long it takes for a disposable diaper to decompose, but it is estimated to be about 250-500 years, long after your children, grandchildren and great, great, great grandchildren will be gone.⁵

Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste.  In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.⁵

Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste and use twenty times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.³

The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.³

Over 300 pounds of wood, 50 pounds of petroleum feedstocks and 20 pounds of chlorine are used to produce disposable diapers for one baby EACH YEAR.⁶

In 1991, an attempt towards recycling disposable diapers was made in the city of Seattle, involving 800 families, 30 day care centers, a hospital and a Seattle-based recycler for a period of one year. The conclusion made by Procter & Gamble was that recycling disposable diapers was not an economically feasible task on any scale.¹⁷

Now you decide if you want to use cloth diapers or disposable diapers.  Choose for your family and for your children’s future.  Choose cloth!

(all data was copied directly from the RDA website )

Why cloth diaper?  Cloth diapers are affordable.

On average, you will spend $2000 on disposable diapers per child during the diapering years. Compare that to an average of $700 for your first child’s cloth diapering system. A second and third child will cost much less, as many of the diapers can be re-used. Plan on spending a little more or less, depending on the type of cloth diapering system you choose.

Cost analysis of 2.5 years in diapers…

Cost of disposables: $2000
Cost of disposable wipes: $800
Total cost disposables: $2800

Cost of cloth diapers: $840
Cost of cloth wipes (24): $40
Total cost of cloth: $880

Savings: $1920! *

Figure washing time as 15 minutes every other day. That adds up to just over 60 hours a year. With a savings of $800 a year, the time you spend laundering diapers equates to an earnings of $17.50 an hour. If you hang dry your diapers, you are spending more time…but saving more $$ in utility costs.

*The savings will go up even more if a family chooses a more affordable cloth diapering option such as prefolds.*

You can also re-sell many of your cloth diapering items and get half or more of your money back!

Still not convinced?

Cloth diapers allow for more air circulation which will reduce diaper rash.  Yeah!  You will also find that cloth diapered babies are changed more often, as the diaper starts feeling damp.  Disposable diapers hide the wetness, therefore giving no indication of how long the child has been wearing a wet or dirty diaper. If your baby has sensitive skin, the reaction to the chemicals in disposable diapers may also cause diaper rash. Ouch!  This can be avoided with chemical free cloth diapers!

And did you know that one disposable diaper can take up to 500 years to decompose?  Yuck!!! And double ick!

Cloth diapers are simple to use, save you money and are practically environmental!