Newborn Cloth Diapering, Part #1

Top, clockwise: Kissa's, Fuzzibunz, Bitti Tutto, Grovia, Lil' Joey

We are about twenty days away from our due date and I cannot wait to start cloth diapering our little princess!  There are tons of options out there for newborn cloth diapering; most people seem to prefer prefolds and covers.  My brother is twelve years younger than I, and my parents decided to use prefolds and covers.  While there are at least a dozen in our stash, I don’t remember that experience fondly, and choose to skip prefolds as our primary choice for cloth diapering.   Serving as my parents’ diaper service was the reason our daughter wasn’t cloth diapered until after age one when allergic reactions to disposables forced me to take another look at cloth.

Luckily, I was able to get my hands on several different types of newborn diapers.  Five will be discussed in this “pre-baby” review.  Expect part two after we’ve had a few weeks using these.  During prep time, all of these were dried outside and in the dryer to determine which had the fastest drying time.

Fuzzibunz X-Small
In general, we were pretty impressed with Fuzzibunz when our daughter used them.  I heard from a friend that the Fuzzibunz Elites are too bulky for newborns, even when on its smallest possible setting, a comment which started my research on newborn diapers.  This diaper, classified as a pocket diaper, had the fastest drying time.  It also appears to be the trimmest and is a very soft polyester fleece.  The absence of laundry tabs does mean that it will stick to other items in your laundry.  Because it is so small, the pockets are quite annoying to stuff.  There are no cross-over tabs and no way to shorten the rise in the front to allow for the umbilical cord stump.  They come in the same colors that all Fuzzibunz do, and are available for purchase at Kelly’s Closet.  (The one I am reviewing was free from Kelly’s Closet, via a coupon code used mid-May.)

Grovia AIO
These diapers are so stinkin’ cute and I hope they are our favorites because they make up the majority of my newborn stash.   I purchased these as “seconds” from eBay in EEUC condition, but still followed the typical prep routine.  I was not happy with the drying time.  Because the soaker is sewn into the diaper, it is considered an AIO (All-in-One).  It’s only attached at one end, and that’s the part that was still damp after two dryer cycles and stayed damp the longest out in the sun.  The soaker extends beyond the front of the diaper, which seems like a design flaw.  The rise does snap down to allow for the umbilical cord stump, and the snaps appear to be sturdy enough.  The inside is organic cotton.  While it isn’t as soft as some of the other diapers I reviewed, it appears as if it will be more absorbent.

Kissa’s by Kissaluvs
This diaper looks much cuter in photos than it does in person.  Drying time was decent for this AIO on the line and in the dryer, but the inside of this polyester fleece diaper was super pilly after the recommended 2-3 prep washes.  The rise cannot be adjusted, but there is a single-snap, option to allow the umbilical cord stump.  This was one of the more expensive diapers from Kelly’s Closet; I still have high hopes for it.

Bitti Tutto – One Size
This is the only “one-size” diaper I considered including in our newborn stash.  I’ve heard rave reviews about this Australian AI2 (All-in-Two) diaper, including how well it actually fit newborns, even though it is the largest of the lot.  These were purchased as seconds, in EEUC condition from one of the many diapering boards I belong to.  As with anything I buy pre-loved, I still follow the manufacturer’s prep instructions.  The Bitti Tutto can be quite overwhelming if you haven’t read the instructions.  It comes with three different soakers that have color coordinated snaps, so you can “easily” adjust absorbency.  Yeah, right!  I should have my doctoral thesis on cloth diapering complete before I figure out exactly how this diaper should be put together.  The minky outer layer is super soft, while the organic cotton soakers appear to be quite absorbent.  The inside is an adventure in cloth diapering technology that includes double leg gussets covers for the extra interior snaps that prevent wing droopage when being used in the smaller settings.  There are cross over snaps, but I’m annoyed that they aren’t all the same color (the cross over snaps are white, while the others match the diaper’s color)  Next to the Fuzzibunz, the drying time on the Bitti Tutto was the fastest, but I’m guessing that was because there are four different parts, instead of just one.

Lil’ Joey’s by Rumparooz
This is the diaper that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on!  The super cute prints, the impossibly adorable design and rave reviews may have me considering packing this diaper in the hospital bag.  There is a single-snap down to allow for the umbilical cord, and two rows of snaps to adjust the rise of the diaper.  My only complaint so far is the drying time.  This was, by far the diaper with the longest drying time.  I cringed while putting it through the dryer a third cycle, and the entire diaper was still damp as the sun was setting over my clothes line outside.  The inside of this AIO is super soft polyester fleece.  With its trademark double gussets, I’m hoping this diaper protects all the cute outfits from poop explosions.  While it appears to be the least trim of all the diapers, it still gets my vote for being the cutest. (Shown in "Lux," Purchased from Kelly’s Closet.)

Recap...

Which newborn diaper is my favorite?  Although the drying time sucks, my favorite is the Lil’ Joey.

Which was the most trim? In the picture below, the most trim appears to be the Fuzzibunz X-Small.

From left: Lil' Joey, Kissa's, Grovia, Fuzzibunz & Bitti Tutto

Which had the longest drying time? Lil' Joey's, followed by the Grovia AIO

Which had the shortest drying time? Fuzzibunz, then the Bitti Tutto

Which had adjustments that accommodated the umbilical cord? Kissa's, Lil' Joey & Grovia

Which one will fit the longest? Bitti Tutto, because it is a "one-size" diaper.  All of the others fit up to 12-15 lbs.  I can't see any of them (except the Bitti Tutto) fitting past 12 lbs.

Which newborn diaper is my least favorite?  Kissa’s by Kissaluvs is my least favorite.  There are no added perks to having this diaper and it is the most expensive.

Which newborn diaper is my husband’s favorite? Kyle also like the Lil’ Joey best.

Which newborn diaper is my husband’s least favorite? The Bitti Tutto.  He’s already said that while he’s doing diaper laundry, those will be left on the clothesline for me to assemble.  He doesn’t want to be held responsible for losing all five hundred pieces that come with it.

So, which diaper is going with us to the hospital?  Check back in a few weeks to find out!

Stay crunchy, friends!

Disney with a newborn? Are you nuts?

So, my Disney writings have been a bit more sparse than I prefer, but only because the child I’m carrying decided it was a good idea to shift and move into areas that cause me a great deal of pain.  Are you wondering how I’ll reward this baby for taking away my ability to walk and breathe normally?  I’m taking her to Disney World, just as soon as I possibly can!  If Crunchy Baby #2 arrives on or near the expected delivery date, she will be just over three months old on her first trip; a trip planned AFTER we found out I was pregnant.  

This will not be our first trip with a very young child.  Crunchy Baby #1 went twice before her second birthday, but she wasn’t quite as young as #2 will be when she meets Mickey Mouse for the first time.  How and why would you plan a trip with a child so young?  In my opinion, that’s the best time to take them for several reasons:

CJ checking in at the Contemporary

1. They are free.  No added expense for food, plane or park tickets.
2. While they require a lot of extra stuff, they don’t take up as much space in your resort room as an older child would.  No need to upgrade to that family suite just yet.
3. Nothing worse than hearing, “Mommy! I have to go potty” while halfway through Pirates of the Caribbean.  The only potty breaks you have to worry about are yours.  You can’t exit an attraction in motion because your child has to go to the bathroom.  Travelling with a child in diapers is awesome.  (If you cloth diaper, check out my post on cloth diapering at Disney)
4. You can keep the souvenir budget low because babies don’t ask for anything.  The only reason personalized mouse ears come home will because I want them, not because she asks.
5. You are forced to stop, take breaks and observe all of the fabulous details Disney World offers its guests.  Babies want to nap and eat often, so going commando is out.  Enjoy the parks at snail’s pace.  You will be surprised what hidden treasures you will find.  Besides, all the stopping to rest mean your feet won’t ache as much at the end of the day.
6. It’s easy to guilt trip the grandparents into going.  Grandparents are great back up when on a Disney vacation with children of any age.  You may even get to pawn the kids off on them for a night and enjoy dinner alone, at a restaurant that isn’t kid friendly. (Victoria & Albert's, anyone?)
7. A hot, tired, hungry adult can’t go to one of the Baby Care Centers and take a break.  A hot, tired, hungry adult with an equally exasperated baby can.  Those places are awesome!  Find them on the map as soon as you get to the parks.



Us & The Grandparents

8. They will not remember the trip.  Hey! Isn’t that a reason NOT to take a newborn? Nope! No kid wants to remember the time they had a diaper blowout just before lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table or that they spit up all over the waiter at Hollywood Brown Derby.  Anything can happen with kids on vacation. Take note of the little moments they’ll never remember.  Use these memories to embarrass and blackmail them when they are teenagers.

If you are planning to take very young children on a Disney vacation, take things slow, remember to plan ahead, take lots of pictures, and most of all, have fun!

Stay crunchy, friends!

Reuse Your Plastic Eggs At Disney

Don't throw these away!

Did you get stuck with a lot of those cute little plastic Easter eggs? Don’t throw them away! Save them for your next Disney vacation and use them in the following ways…

1. Single serve snack containers for the kids. They are great for Cheerios, Goldfish, M&Ms and other small treats.  You can refill them and put them back in your bag for the next day.
2. Put sewing supplies inside them and toss them into the suitcase.  You never know when you’ll need to replace a button or fix the Aplix on your cloth diapers.
3. Cut up your old socks into little squares.  Add a few drops of your favorite scented oils to the sock squares.  Put the squares inside the eggs with the holes on the ends and toss them in your suitcase or diaper bag.  They are a great way to keep your suitcase, diaper or wet bag smelling fresh.  When you want a different scent, just toss the squares in the laundry.
4. Use them to hold change for the laundry room or penny presses.
5. Do you save your receipts while on vacation? Keep them inside an egg so they are easy to find when you return home.
6. Teaching your children to read? Make egg word-families.  On the bottom half of the egg, use a sharpie to write a letter or letters that work with the word family. On the top half of the egg, write the word family (examples: -and, -end, -ate).  Turn the bottom half to make new words.  This is great for keeping little ones busy while waiting in queues. 
7. Who dresses up at Disney?  Certainly not everyone, but maybe you need to dress up for a Disney wedding or a special dinner.  Eggs are a great place to store hosiery, earrings, bracelets and necklaces if you plan to bring those with you. 
8. If you have the larger eggs, use them to hold toiletries, instead of using plastic zip top bags. (Examples: cotton balls, cotton swabs, soap, etc.)
9. Keep extra media cards for cameras inside the eggs for protection.
10. Fill them with Band-Aids or other small first aid supplies and you won't need to find the First Aid station when someone scrapes a knee.

Also a solution for recycling old socks

Want a snack?

Bandages, Earrings & Floss

Let's make words!

If you decide to use more than one of these ideas on your next Disney vacation, be sure you label the eggs accordingly.  I’m sure your darling child would be upset if they thought they were getting a snack and ended up with mom’s pantyhose.

Happy Easter!
Stay crunchy, friends!

Eco-Friendly Disney Vacation Tips

You don’t have to be a “crunchy mama” to enjoy an eco-friendly Disney vacation.  Here are some tips on enjoying a greener vacation.

Conserve water: Choose to reuse linens and towels.  Do you really change yours at home daily?  I certainly don’t.  Disney has an immense irrigation system that uses reclaimed water the keep all the vegetation lush.  Even knowing this and that there are low flow toilets and shower heads in most guest rooms, we still keep the flushing and showering to a minimum. 

Recycle:  There are recycling bins in every guest room, and containers throughout the resorts and parks.  Even if you don’t think it’s necessary to use the bin in your room, be mindful that there are cast members who hand sort out recyclables.  Save them a little time and sort the items yourself by using the bins.

Resort Mugs: Use them whenever possible while at your resort. If you don’t have to use a disposable cup, why should you?  Also consider bringing a reusable water bottle with its own filter.  This will save you a few extra bucks on water as well. Filters help improve the taste of the water from fountains.  To keep it cold, bring reusable ice cubes.  Since all of the Value Resorts are getting refrigerators (all other resorts already have them), you have a way to keep them cold, and no excuse not to do it!

Don’t take extra supplies: Folks take the cute Mickey stamped soaps, shampoos and lotions all the time.  Housekeeping cast members replace whatever is missing. I cringe every time I see a parent grab a handful of napkins to use during a meal, then leave the unused stack on the table. Think of all the energy being used to make the things we take for granted. Use only what you need, and don’t take extras.

Keep the room temperature at a reasonable level: Why burn energy to cool/heat your guest room and you are not there?  Turn it off when you leave the room.  It will cool down or heat up when you quickly when you return to your room.

Turn off lights:  Disney has done an awesome job replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, which use about 20% of the energy of old bulbs, but it’s still a waste to leave them on when you aren't in the room.

Use reusable shopping bags: While the bags given at the many shops are made from recycled plastic, why not bring your own reusable bags from home to keep all of your magical souvenirs in? In the past, I've picked up some while shopping at my local Disney store for around $1.  Bring them with you on vacation and use them for items not being sent back to your resort room.   No reusable bags? Just put your items in a backpack. 

Change transportation habits: Whenever possible use the monorail and boats or walk.  They use up much less energy, and emit less carbon than the buses.

Buy Eco-Friendly souvenirs:  Interested in a t-shirt? Check to see if it comes in organic cotton.  Look for stuffed toys also made from organic cotton and jewelry made from sustainable sources.

Don’t throw away maps and other printed materials: If you aren't planning to recycle the paper, use the maps, napkins, fast passes, park tickets, etc., in a scrapbook to remember your awesome vacation.  We recycle all of our receipts after we've returned home and recorded our spending.

Stay crunchy, friends!

Crunchy Disney Ma’s Favorite Places to Nurse at Disney World

Lately, there has been a lot of media attention over a women’s right to breastfeed her baby anywhere she wants, with nurse-ins staged at numerous businesses and government offices.  You will be happy to know that no one will complain and send you to the nearest restroom (eww!) if you nurse your little one anywhere on Disney property! 

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a great set of boobs, but I’m not game for sharing them with the world, whether I’m nursing or not. It’s just an issue of modesty for me.  (For the same reason, you won’t find any photos of me nursing in this post.) There are tons of innovative covers and wraps for mothers to buy or make, and I suggest taking at least one with you if for nothing else but shielding your child from the sun, or for extra warmth inside chilly restaurants.

You can nurse anywhere on Disney property.  It’s a great opportunity pay attention to all of the fabulous Disney details while nourishing your child. These are my favorite places because they are cool, comfortable, and convenient.  If you are bottle feeding, these places will work very well for you, too!

All Parks: Baby Care Centers – I’m pretty sure I talk about these in every post that relates to small children.  There is one in every park; I wish there were more!  Find them on a map prior to arrival. They are one of the best kept secrets at Disney World.  They are air conditioned, private nursing rooms here that are quiet and well kept.  Problem is, most are near the entrance, and if you’ve ventured your way to the back of the park, it just isn’t convenient to make the trek all the way back to the front.  However, if you are nearby, take advantage. 

She really likes the TTA PeopleMover

Magic Kingdom: Carousel of Progress – “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow…” will be stuck in your head until you ride “it’s a small world,” but it’s certainly worth it if you need to stop and breastfeed.  I can never get enough of seeing how much the world has changed over time.  The animatronics and set details are awesome to see no matter how many times you’ve seen it.  It’s quite dark, air conditioned and the hum of carousel turning is sure to put your little one to sleep when they’ve had enough milk.

There are too many honorable mentions at Magic Kingdom to mention.  I just love sitting around, here!  Some attractions I routinely nurse on including, Haunted Mansion, Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, Mickey’s Philharmagic, and Hall of Presidents.  Carousel of Progress gets higher marks because there is usually no wait, the show at least 20 minutes, it won’t distract the baby, and stroller parking isn’t a mile away.

Sleeping after Spaceship Earth

Epcot: Spaceship Earth – Even though your ride vehicle’s position changes during the course of the ride, it isn’t too much to handle if you’re an established breastfeeder.  Again, there isn’t usually a long wait, stroller parking is nearby and others in your party have something to do (enjoy the attraction) while you are nursing.  There isn’t a whole lot to distract the baby’s attention away from his/her meal, just be sure you aren’t trying to establish a good latch when the camera takes your picture.  Honorable mention at Epcot is Living with the Land.  The cool breeze and soothing boat ride are sure to leave your little one in a milk coma.  This only works if you listen to your baby’s hunger cues, and park the stroller early enough to get inside and wait in line before the crying ensues.   Also worth mentioning are the many quiet spots all over World Showcase.  There are benches aplenty.  My favorite spots in the World Showcase are Canada and Morocco.

Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Express Train – Located in the African village of Harambee, The Wildlife Express Train is about twelve minutes long.  Grab a seat on the back row & start nursing while you take in the scenery en route to Rafiki’s Planet Watch.  You get to see some of the “behind the scenes” work going on at Animal Kingdom, something that’s always appealing to me.  I’m not a big fan of the Planet Watch itself; we usually stay on the train and ride back to Harambee.  Sometimes the wait time to get on board isn’t worth it.  You could easily find a bench nearby nurse and burp the baby before the train gets into the station.  If you can walk right on, it’s totally worth the ride.  Honorable mention at Animal Kingdom goes to any one of the many benches, especially those on the Discovery Island Trails.

Happy Baby, Happy Mommy!

Hollywood Studios: Character Meet & Greet Area, outside the Animation Academy – Right after you leave “Disney Junior – Live On Stage,” leave your stroller parked in the courtyard and walk through the Animation Gallery shop and into the character meet and greet area, outside the Animation Academy.  If you have folks in your group that enjoy drawing, like the folks in my group do, send them off to the class while you grab a bench along the wall, get comfortable, and nurse.  Keep in mind that this area is high traffic, but if you are discreet, and I believe you should be, no one will pay a bit of attention to you because they are too busy playing with the animation themed, touch screen activities, or waiting to take photos with the Incredibles or maybe even Sorcerer Mickey.  I’ve even nursed here while my husband stood in line, waiting for Mickey.  By the time I was finished, it was our turn for a brief visit the Sorcerer’s Apprentice, himself!  Sorry, no honorable mentions here.  Even though there are a few things for the little ones to do, I think this park primarily attracts thrill seekers.  The number of available benches or cool spots with seating is limited.

Remember, Daddy needs quality time, too!

Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club: Swings on the beach – With a front row seat to sand, water and excellent views of Disney’s Boardwalk, these swings are a wonderful place to put your feet in the sand and feel the gentle breeze off the water while you nurse.  Folks travelling with you have lots to explore nearby, so they aren’t bored.  Just bring a towel to get the sand off your feet afterwards and remember not to get into the water. I’ve gone here before and after breakfast at Cape May Café and it is wonderful.  This spot is my absolute favorite spot, just for its serenity value, but this location may not be on everyone’s “Places To Visit” list.

Place I avoid…

Parades:  It just isn’t safe to sit on a Main Street curb and try to accomplish this nearly impossible feat.  We all love a good Disney parade, but there’s just too much noise and commotion to make sure baby gets a good latch.  Grumpy but curious is what your baby will be if you try to attempt this.  Unless you’re baby wearing, it’s also downright uncomfortable to try and nurse standing up. 

Downtown Disney:  We usually only spend a half day in Downtown Disney, and unless we were in a restaurant, nursing here was just painfully awkward.  Benches are few and far between, and they usually are not in shaded areas.  There is a spot right outside Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop that has round tables with umbrellas that face the water; that’s about as comfortable as you can get…if you can call that comfortable.

Attraction Exit Areas: Even though it's a good spot to catch your party after they've left a ride you can't take the baby on (remember to use Rider Swap), they are much too busy, noisy and crowded to try to breastfeed a child. Pick a designated meeting area that's comfortable for you and baby before your group splits up and then trade your finally full little one for a seat on Tower of Terror!

Stay crunchy!