Happy Heinys!

Next on our list of one-size pocket diapers is Happy Heinys! They come in so many different colors and prints you won't believe it!

They come in snaps or velcro. Both closure styles overlap so you can be sure you'll get a perfect fit on even skinny babies.

Both snap and velcro closure diapers grow with your baby and will fit from 8 pounds all the way up to 35+ pounds. To adjust the rise of the diaper, snap the front down to shorten the diaper. The snaps are under a lifetime guarantee too! For tiny newborns, Happy Heiny offers a mini one-size diaper with an adjustable rise for babies 5-15 lbs too!

Each diaper comes with two microfiber inserts. One insert is smaller than the other. The smaller insert is used when the diaper is in the smallest setting. The larger insert is used when the diaper is in the medium or largest setting. The smaller insert can also be used as a booster for nighttime, naps, or long car rides. Each insert is three layers of super absorbent microfiber.

Many parents prefer velcro because it's so easy, but some toddlers grow curious about their velcro diapers and try to undo them. Thankfully, since Happy Heinys' velcro overlaps and hides the scratchy side, it's harder for toddlers to undo and still easy for mom and dad!

Happy Heinys are 100% made in the USA - including their microfiber inserts! The outside is waterproof and the inside is soft micro-fleece. All you have to do is stuff their absorbent insert inside the large pocket and they go on and off like a disposable!

Depending on whether you decide to get solid colors or prints, and velcro or snaps, the price for Happy Heinys varies from $18 to $22 per diaper. For a full stash of 24 Happy Heinys, it would be approximately $480.

Happy Heinys, as a company, feels very strongly about the best way to care for their diapers. In particular, Happy Heinys does not recommend using 7th Generation, Charlie's, SensiClean, or SportWash. It's a good idea to do your homework on any brand of diaper and learn how they suggest to care for their products. Some detergents, although recommended by one brand of diaper, may void the warranty of another diaper brand. You can learn about how to care for your Happy Heinys by clicking here.

Stay tuned! We have a lot more one size pocket diapers to feature!

AIOs: Easy-Peasy!

"Hey everybody! Wanna do some math?! Woo-hoo!"

So, I know that conversation probably hasn't ever happened. That's why I'm going to do the math for you so you can just sit back and use your cell phone for more exciting things like sharing the link to this article on Facebook. Hint!

Disposable diapers come in lots of different sizes and brands. Smaller diapers cost less per diaper, but you use more. Bigger diapers cost more per diaper, but you use less. They essentially average out to about $0.22 per diaper. At this price, you can expect to spend an average of $60 per month on something you throw away. Per year, it's $720, and if your child potty trains at two, that's $1440. Many kids aren't totally out of diapers by two, though, so it's more likely that you'd spend about $1800. Some kids are in Pull-Ups well into their fourth or fifth year which cost about $0.50 per Pull-Up! The price (not coincidentally!) continues to averages out to roughly $60 per month. Over five years that is $3,600 per child for disposables.

So, why are we doing math? I thought the title of this post had the word "easy" in it! Here's why: All-In-Ones, or AIOs, are definitely the easiest options for cloth diapering, but can be one of the more costly. However, when you put things into perspective, they are still so much cheaper than disposables that you could literally take a vacation with the money that you'll save!

AIOs are the easiest diaper because they just go on and off exactly like a disposable. They don't require any stuffing, folding, snapping or adjusting. These are the perfect diaper choice for anyone uninterested in the extra steps other diapers require. They're a great choice for babysitters, grandparents, daycare, new daddies, or anyone who wants the simplest possible option.

The only drawbacks are that they do take a bit longer to dry than other types of diapers since everything is sewn together. Adjusting for absorbency can be challenging in AIOs since not all brands have a pocket for stuffing. And lastly, they do cost a bit more than other options, but you don't necessarily need to buy the entire stash at once, so you can break up the cost over time. Additionally, if you plan to have more than one child, AIOs can be one of the cheapest cloth diapering options since they should be able to get through at least two kids.

AIOs are sized, as in:

• Newborn
• Small
• Medium
• Large
• Extra-Large

Just like with your baby's clothes, after your baby outgrows a certain size of diaper, you put them in storage, or hand them down to a friend and move up to the next size. Since each size gets less use over time, they should be able to last through multiple kids, saving you even more money!

We carry three different brands of AIOs. The first is Monkey Doodlez. Inside, they are fully lined in soft, non-pill fleece. The outside is waterproof and microfiber or bamboo sandwiched in between make them super absorbent. They have overlapping velcro closures so you can get a perfect fit on skinny babies. They come in lots of sizes so you can be sure your baby will get a great, trim fit:

• Newborn
• Small
• Medium
• Medium-Long
• Large

If you decided to use Monkey Doodlez AIOs for your baby from birth to potty, it would cost about $1560 for a total savings of $2040 over disposables! If you wanted to break it down over time, it would be:

• $480 for 24 newborn sizes (if needed)
  
• $480 for 24 smalls
• $360 for 18 mediums
• $240 for 12 larges (if needed)
  

Obviously, if you use them on two children, you'd cut the price in half to $780- a little bit more than the cost of one year of disposables. Have a great vacation!

Next, these are Lil' Joey's made by Rump-a-rooz. These super cute diapers will fit babies from four to twelve pounds and are the perfect choice for preemies, multiples, and newborns who don't quite fit into their one-size diapers yet. Lil' Joey's only come in one size since once they outgrow them, they should be ready to wear a one-size Rump-a-rooz diaper.
They come in tons of bright colors and prints. They are sold in two-packs with one solid color and one print per pack. You can mix and match to get the colors and prints you like the best!The waterproof material on Lil' Joey's is TPU, not PUL, which uses heat bonding instead of chemicals to adhere the waterproof coating to the fabric. These also biodegrade in 4 to 5 years as opposed to 500 or so years for disposables.

The front of Lil' Joey's snaps down to steer clear of a healing belly button. They also have two snap settings so you'll always get a nice, snug, comfy fit.

The inside of Lil' Joey's have their signature double-gussets to contain messy breastfed poos! No blowouts or leaks and nothing but soft fleece against your baby's precious new skin.

Lil' Joeys cost $30 for a two-pack. For 24 total diapers, it would be $360 and they should last for at least 4 months. Some kids could make it to 6 months, which would be the exact same cost of disposables for that period of time. After only 4 to 6 months of use, the diapers could definitely be put in storage for another baby in the future, cutting the cost in half!

And lastly, these are Bum Genius AIOs. They come in newborn, small, medium, and large sizes.

The newborn size is the only true AIO, since it doesn't have the pocket that the other sizes have to adjust absorbency. All the other sizes have a sewn-in microfiber insert and a pocket to add another insert for naps or bedtime. Here's a pink newborn size:

This orange diaper is a large size with an extra insert half-way inserted. Before you put these in the laundry, it's a good idea to pull the dirty insert out so it gets just as clean as the actual diaper.

I have good news and bad news: The bad news is that Bum Genius just announced that, except for the newborn size, they are soon discontinuing their AIOs! The good news is: that means ours are going on sale! Sizes small, medium and large are 40% off!

For 24 newborn AIOs, at $13 a piece, you'd be set for $312. If you act quickly, you can buy our small, medium, and large sizes for only $9.60 per diaper! At that price, you could get from birth to potty in the easiest cloth diaper for only $830.40!

You'd better hurry and book your cruise from your cell phone, while you're at it since you're saving $2770 over the cost of disposables!

Stay tuned as we continue to go through each of the different types of cloth diapers!

Estrogen in Your Sippy Cup?

An alarming story was recently in the news: studies conducted in three major cities show that girls are hitting puberty much earlier than before, some as young as seven years old. I don't know about you, but when I was in second grade, I didn't even know what puberty was! Some of these little girls are being treated with a device implanted under the skin which stops hormonal spikes, thus putting puberty off for a few more years. But wouldn't it be better to prevent the whole problem in the first place?

The obvious question is, why? What has changed in our world that our little girls are maturing so quickly? You'd think that with a lengthening average lifespan, girls would be hitting puberty later, not earlier. As a mama of a sweet little girl (almost a year old!), this article got me thinking.

The study didn't go into the reasons for the phenomenon, its job was just to document it. There will need to be further studies to explore the real causes. However, several experts weighed in. Dr. Frank Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and lead author of the study suggests there is a link between the obesity epidemic in children and premature puberty. Dr. Stanley Korenman, an endocrinologist at the University of California, Los Angeles believes exposure to estrogens in plastics, chemicals and foods may be to blame.

I'm no plastics engineer, but if I were making, say, plastic sippy cups, it wouldn't occur to me to throw some estrogen into the mix. And I have yet to see "estrogen" listed under the ingredients of any recipe I've used. So where are our kids getting it?

Another study found that one of the most concerning endocrine disruptors, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (or PBDEs), are found in relatively high concentration levels within our own homes and that for some reason, small children carry higher levels of it than their parents. Again, the specific cause of this circumstance is unknown, but, the most common sources of PBDEs in the home are furniture, carpet, and cleaning supplies used within the home. PBDE is a flame-retardant, that, when given to still-developing laboratory mice, disrupts thyroid and estrogen hormonal levels, causing hyperactivity among other developmental issues.

So, what can we as parents do to avoid these endocrine disruptors? Dr. Biro suggests that families live "green," eat a healthy diet, and get plenty of exercise outside. If you are expecting a child, or are currently a parent, please see our website or come into the store to see our selection of "green" cleaning supplies, as well as safe bottles, sippy cups, food containers, plates and eating utensils. Let's keep our kids healthy, safe, and happy!