Flip Diaper by BumGenius

Hi, my name is Torey, and I’m a cloth diaper dropout.  There.  I said it.  When people ask me how long I’ve used cloth diapers, I never know what to say.  I mean, it’s complicated.  I’ve used cloth for just over three years between my two children.  What I have trouble explaining is my brief foray into cloth that ended in failure.

To understand where I’m coming from, I think I have to start at the beginning.  Warning! It’s about to get personal.  My first child, Isaac, was a surprise.  While I’ve always wanted to be a mommy, I hadn’t planned on being one that year, or maybe even that decade.  However, it’s one of the best surprises I’ve ever had.  There was never a moment where I thought my life was over, or that this was a terrible mistake.  He was a welcome surprise from the first of many (I wanted to be sure!) positive tests.

My surprise meant that I had no idea what kind of parent I wanted to be, or would be.  My parents were and are amazing parents, as are my husband’s parents, so we had great role models.  However, unlike previous generations, we have the Internet.  So I spent hours (months!) researching birth, sleep, gear and parenting choices online.  Who knew there was so much controversy over raising children?  People have been doing this for centuries, and yet parents are constantly doing it “wrong” and being judged.   I vowed to NEVER be “that” mom who didn’t do the ABSOLUTE best for her children.

When Isaac was six weeks old, I ventured to Tree City Diapers (The Little Seedling’s origin) to attend the well-regarded Cloth Diapering Workshop.  To be honest, before I became a mommy, I thought cloth diapers were not only a thing of the past, but something best left in the past.  Like most expectant parents, I envisioned pins and plastic pants and swishing the. . . .poop (GAG!) in the. . . toilet (shudder!).  Then I read on the Internet that GOOD moms ONLY use cloth because it’s better for the environment and your child.  You know, cloth diapered babies are more likely to graduate Suma Cum Lade from Harvard.  It’s a fact. I read it on my Birth Board.

Luckily for me, I had Tree City Diapers and Molly to help me see the light.  Turns out cloth diapers are totally different than what our parents (and their parents!) used.  And not only are they WAY easier, they’re super cute too!  So on the advice of Molly and the staff at TCD, I purchased a few cloth diapers, a wetbag and some Allen’s Naturally Laundry Detergent and headed home to give it a go.

It. Was. A. Disaster.  Well, the diapers weren’t, I was. As a first-time mom, I was completely overwhelmed by so many things each day, and cloth diapering was just too much.  And in my head, I had made it into a crusade that was “all or nothing” and made me a superior parent if I succeeded and the dreaded “that” mom if I failed.

I was “that” mom.  I didn’t have enough diapers to make it through a day (let alone two!) with a newborn.  I didn’t have a good place to store them (no pail or liner) and most importantly (in my situation) I had disposable diapers at my disposal (pardon the pun) from my baby shower. I mean, if you had paper plates and plastic silverware right there each night, why would you do dishes? Especially when you’re dealing with jaundice and nursing issues and thrush.  Oh yeah, and you’re getting four hours of sleep a night? Only a crazy person would do that!

As my experience as a mom grew, and I became more comfortable with our days (and nights) and was able to actually just BE a mom instead of READING about it on the Internet, I was able to reevaluate my priorities.  Not just as a parent, but as a person.  I’m a product of hippies. So is my husband.  We were raised in homes where recycling was not a choice, it was a way of life, and we’d brought that into our own home.  Watching my garbage fill up with disposable diapers and our wallet empty with each trip to the store made me rethink my choice to quit cloth.

This time, I dove in a bit more. (By the way, the BEST thing that came out of my failure was my gallon of Allen’s that we continued to use on our clothes after the diapers found a new home.)  I bought 36 diapers (of different varieties) and a pail with two liners.  And I let myself have a break for the first two weeks.  If I couldn’t make it work full time, I would be content to use cloth sometimes.  But after the first week, I decided that I COULD do this. I was more confident of my parenting abilities and my choices and I had made the decision that cloth diapering was important to me. Plus I learned that when you have a baby, you have to deal with poop no matter what.

My son is now four and completely day trained, and he wore cloth from the time he was 10 months until he potty trained; he still wears

Gro-Via "My Choice" Trainer

cloth at night.  My daughter just turned two and has worn cloth since she was born.  We brought our cloth diapers to the hospital and used them right away.  And it was great. But most importantly, it works for our family.

Now The Little Seedling offers a Cloth Diaper Trial.  Any of your diaper purchases can qualify; buy it and use it for up to 21 days.  If any of your choices don’t work for you, then you can bring them back for full-price store credit within those 21 days.  So if you find some you love, you get rid of what you don’t and put that credit towards what you do like.  And if you find out that cloth diapering really doesn’t work for you, then you use your store credit to buy a baby carrier or toys.  Obviously there are a few rules (please wait until you’re sure you’re keeping the diaper to bedazzle it) and right now it’s only available in store, but it’s a great way to try out cloth diapering without too much risk.   Our whole staff uses cloth diapers and we’re happy to help you find something that will work for you family, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.  And it’s never too late to go back to Cloth Diapering 101 and get your degree!

*Torey works at The Little Seedling and is mom to a 4 year old and a 2 year old.  Torey is also a Certified Passenger Safety Technician and is very passionate about car seat safety.  If you have any questions about your car seat and how to use it properly feel free to ask for Torey at the store!

If you didn’t win, don’t worry!  We have tons of Wahmies Wetbags in stock at The Little Seedling, so stop in this weekend to pick out your favorite print!

Summer’s almost here… and with it comes lots of wet bathing suits, popsicle-stained shirts, and muddy flip flops. Keep the mess contained with a Wahmies Wetbag! Yes, they’re awesome for storing wet diapers, but they’re great for so much more. I have one of every size stashed all over to store small toys, wet towels and napkins, undies and diapers… I’m always coming up with new ways to use my wetbags. What will you do with your new Wahmies Wetbag?

To win, head over to Wahmies Facebook page and “Like” them, then come back and tell us you did so and what you’ll do with your new Wahmies Wetbag!

{ Entries will be accepted until Thursday, June 23rd at 10pm EDT. Winner will be announced June 24th. Wahmies will surprise you with a regular size wetbag in a print of their choice! }

BumGenius Gift Pack winning ticket is: 567713

Flip Gift Pack winning ticket is: 529634

itti bitti Gift Pack winning ticket is: 8791440

Baby Jogger City Mini Stroller winning ticket is: 8791879

Congratulations to all the winners!

{ If you didn’t win… hold on to your tickets! We’ll redraw in 2 weeks if no one claims the prizes. }

Hello!

Thank you for preregistering for the Ann Arbor area Great Cloth Diaper Change!  The date is fast approaching and we now have many of the details to provide you.  Please read through this information COMPLETELY.

Come and Help Set a Guinness^TM World Record!

Cloth diapers have come a long way in past 10 years, and it’s time to stand up and be noticed. Join the cloth diaper community on April 23rd, 2011 to set a world record for the most cloth diapers changed simultaneously. There will be families on several continents joining us!

Information about your local event

Event Date: Saturday, April 23, 2011                        Event Start Time: 11:30am-12:00pm is checkin, change will happen at exactly 12:30pm

Event Location: Forsythe Middle School, 1655 Newport Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Telephone: 734-418-2392             E-Mail: info@thelittleseedling.com

Due to space constraints, pre-registration is advised.

If space is available on day of event, onsite registration will be accepted but cannot be guaranteed.

Event Rules

There are a few rules to keep in mind:

1. Arrive on time!
2. For this record, each baby must be changed from a cloth or disposable diaper into a reusable cloth diaper that must be able to be purchased online or in a retail store. Unfortunately, homemade diapers that are not commercially available cannot be used. This is a very strict rule from Guinness World Records^TM.
3. All babies and toddlers must be 39 inches or shorter.
4. Each baby must be paired with exactly one adult participant.
5. Babies will be changed on the floor so you may want to bring a blanket!

REGISTRATION

Due to requirements from Guinness World Records^TM we actually need everyone to “sign up” on a new site called Eventbrite.  This site will then email you a scan-able ticket that you can use to enter the event.  Please sign up and bring your ticket on the day of the event! This will help keep us within the guidelines required.  Every participant needs a ticket to enter.  The link to the event is here:

http://tinyurl.com/3no7zpe   ß— GET YOUR TICKET HERE!

Goodie Bags/Raffle

The first 50 people who originally registered will be receiving goodie bags at the door, we will email the first 50 to notify them that they will be receiving a goodie bag.  The bag is ONLY available at the event… if you are a no show your bag will be given to the next in registration order.  This new registration will not affect that order.   We also will be holding a raffle for all participates.  You will receive tickets when you enter and we will do the drawing after the change.

HELP NEEDED!

We do need your help.  We have a few slots that we need volunteers for.

-First off we need witnesses!  The witness according to Guinness World Records^TM must have knowledge of cloth diapers, must have standing in the local community, cannot be affiliated with the host and cannot participate in the change.  If you know someone who would be willing to volunteer their time to witness please let us know ASAP.

-Videographer services are needed.  Guinness World Records^TM needs video documentation of the event in order to qualify us.  Again, the videographer needs to be independent from the host, cannot participate in the change and must be willing to give all footage to from Guinness World Records^TM.

Questions?  Email info@thelittleseedling.com or call 734-418-2392!

Thanks!

Molly Ging

http://thelittleseedling.com

In honor of Earth Day on April 23rd, The Little Seedling and friends will be joining with thousands of others at 12 noon EDT to set the Guinness World Record for the most cloth diapers changed simultaneously!  Want in on the fun??  Visit The Little Seedling’s Registration Site to register your baby or toddler and join us for food, prizes, and diaper changes.  Let’s show our country and the world that cloth diapers are a real option for today’s families!

{ Learn more here! www.greatclothdiaperchange.com }

Rain pants feature a durable nylon outer fabric made waterproof with sealed seams and a polyurethane coating (similar to diapers!) The quick-release buckles, side snaps, elastic waist and boot straps ensure a perfect fit.  We have a variety of sizes in stock to make sure your little one will stay dry this spring!

{ Available in yellow or black. }

Looking for an excuse to buy some new diapers?  Aren’t we always?!?  Well, now you can bulk up your stash for less!  Bum Genius 4.0 diapers are 15% off for a limited time… March 17th through the 20th.  We’re all stocked up, so hurry in this weekend!

Curious about cloth?  Now’s the time to try it out!  As always, you can try one of any style diaper for 21 days… if you don’t like it?  Bring it back and try something new!

{ The Bum Genius Spring Sale is also available online at www.thelittleseedling.com! }

The easy-to-recognize Green Toys brand has done it again!  The fantastically durable brand that began with tea sets and dishes made from recycled milk jugs are now available in food so your little ones can serve up a gourmet meal of pizza and sandwiches in eco-friendly style!

The 27-piece pizza set features four slices and lots of stackable toppings, plus a cutter, order forms and delivery box.  The 15-piece deli set is also stackable and comes with all the fixings to create two complete sandwiches. Both sets are BPA and phthalate-free, dishwasher safe and fit perfectly on the Green Toys kitchen play sets.  Bon appetite!