This Just In: Lifefactory Sippy Lids and Newborn BabyLegs

We have two new great products this week from companies you already know and love.

We're really excited about the great new sippy caps from Lifefactory. These lids are great to take your favorite Lifefactory 4 oz or 9 oz bottles through the next stage with your little one.

Great for toddlers, the Lifefactory Sippy Caps are leak resistant and have steady flow control. Lifefactory Sippy Caps come in a 2 pack for only $8.99! Each 2 pack includes one each of raspberry and royal purple colors. Bottle not included.

Like the original, this smaller version of BabyLegs leg warmers is sure to be loved by all! Newborn BabyLegs make frequent diaper changes a breeze and provide a cozy layer of warmth both in the hospital and after returning home.

Newborn BabyLegs are 7cm wide by 21cm long; compared to the regular BabyLegs 8cm wide by 33cm. Newborn BabyLegs are made with a very soft blend of 85% organic cotton, 13% nylon, 2% latex free spandex.

Newborn BabyLegs are available in popular Rainbow, Orange / Aqua stripe and Baby Blue color options for only $10 per pair!

Be sure to keep an eye on our What's New section for great new items each week at Cotton Babies!

Real Mom Talk: How to Make New Friends

"Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other's gold." - Author unknown

Life is full of changes, and arguably, none is more life altering than having a baby. It can be difficult if your friends aren't having babies at the same time you are. Maybe their children are older, maybe you are the first within your social circle to have children. You may have found, like I have, that it's difficult to have social outings, especially with those who don't have similarly aged children.

So, if you need new friends that are parents, how do you find them?

While there is no magic formula, one of the best ways to find new friends is to join a class. The class could be a book club, fitness class, library story time, religious study group, Mom's Day Out program or anything you might be interested in. If you live near a Cotton Babies store, try visiting a Tiny Socialite Gathering to meet new parents. If you live in an area with limited class options, keep your eyes open. Watch around at the places you frequent, whether it's the neighborhood park, daycare, a church nursery or anywhere else where moms and kids are around. Look for parents with children of similar age to yours. Put on your best outgoing personality and strike up a brief conversation. If it's a place that you visit regularly, in time, you may discover if you have enough similar interests to build a friendship on.

Shortly after my fourth child was born, I joined a book study. It cost $25 for the book and an additional $10 for childcare, several hours each Wednesday morning for about 12 weeks for the study. I was a sleep deprived mama of 4, all under age 3, but even I could do the math to figure out this was a GREAT deal on childcare. Honestly, I signed up for the book study just to be out of my house and have a small parenting break each week. What I didn't expect was that I would meet new people, some of which were parents of young children as well. I really needed that, as my husband and I had relocated to a new city just months before our baby was born.

What began as pure survival has bloomed and grown into some of the best friendships of my entire life. Granted, four years have passed. No, I'm not friends with everyone from that first group, but I met a few good friends. Those few friends introduced me to new friends, and so on down the line. It took a lot of effort. I had to chose not to be passive; but to smile, chat and step outside of my comfort zone to meet new people. For me, making friends as an adult was much more difficult than making friends as a child, but the effort has paid off in many positive ways.

Do you have real life friends in your town? How did you meet? How do you make new parent friends?

New! Update on Change 3 Things and bumGenius Giveaway!

Last weekend, many of you celebrated Earth Day in lots of great ways - festivals, crafts, The Great Cloth Diaper Change and more. Last week, we celebrated 700,000 cloth diapers changed since we began counting in early March through Change 3 Things, which may have prevented waste equivalent to more than 400 babies wearing disposable diapers for a year! We also released a new addition to our Change 3 Things challenge, a way you can report more than 3 cloth diapers changed per day.

To keep the Earth Day celebration going, today we are giving away prize packs that each include TWO bumGenius 4.0 cloth diapers (one for you and one to share with a friend interested in cloth diapering), a Change 3 Things t-shirt, silicone band and 25 Change 3 Things Share Cards.

To enter today's contest, visit the Change 3 Things website and complete the form telling us how many cloth diapers you change a day. Then, return here and leave a comment on this post telling us how many cloth diapers you change a day and who you would share your bonus bumGenius 4.0 cloth diaper with if you win.

Eligible entries must be posted today, Tuesday, April 26, 2011. U.S. Residents only. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win. Winners will be drawn at random on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 and notified via e-mail. (Please make sure Cotton Babies staff can see your e-mail in your comment or through your Blogger profile page, please.)

Celebrate Earth Day with Cotton Babies!

We're celebrating Earth Day in style with a great deal that lasts all weekend at Cotton Babies! Now through Sunday, April 24 use coupon code EARTHDAY11 at checkout to receive $10 off your purchase of $50 or more. This is a great time to stock up on naturally minded products for your whole family. Good for cloth diapers, green toys, mama care, and more! Treat yourself to a little green friendly shopping spree! As an Earth Day bonus, do a load of laundry on us! Every order received now through Sunday will also include bumGenius cloth diaper detergent samples. This detergent is specially formulated to care for your cloth diapers but is also great for all your laundry. NO NEED to add the samples to your cart, every order will include 2 detergent packets! On January 16th one of our customers, Gwendolyn said: "I LOVE this detergent! After one use our diapers smell so fresh! My baby also has a very sensitive bum and hasn't had any redness or rash from wearing the dipes. I am very happy I decided to give this a try! I only wish I had done it much sooner."

Celebrate Earth Day with Change 3 Things Today, we hit an exciting milestone with the Change 3 Things campaign, just in time for Earth Day. Since we began tracking Change 3 Things commitments in early March, together, we have changed more than 700,000 cloth diapers, which may have prevented the waste equivalent to 400 babies in disposable diapers for year! Have you joined the Change 3 Things challenge? To join, commit to change at least 3 cloth diapers a day instead of disposable diapers. Next, visit the Change 3 Things Facebook page and click "Like". For each "Like", we count 3 diaper changes daily, to show how every little change has significant positive impact for our environment.

Celebrate Earth Day 2011

Did you know Earth Day is more than 40 years old? The first official Earth Day was celebrated in the U.S. on April 22nd, 1970 and was created by Senator Gaylord Nelson, who desired to find a way to "put the environment into the political 'limelight' once and for all" (his words). This day is now celebrated in most countries across the world. Earth Day is a great opportunity to reflect about what we can do to protect our planet.

Check out some of these simple family oriented activitites to kick up your heels on Earth Day 2011:

• Make an Earth Day Feast - visit a local farmers market and create a delicious meal from local produce. Decorate your table with recycled decorations (Thanksgiving in April... why not) or potted plants that you can plant in your yard later.
• Be like the Flintstones - human powered transportation... get outside - go for a walk, ride your bikes, work on getting out and about with just your own two feet.
• Plant...something - a tree, seeds, flowers... something in your yard. It's a great opportunity for an annual family tradition ... and get some of that yard work taken care of. ;)
• Read The Lorax by Dr. Suess with your little ones. It's a great way to introduce the idea of protecting the earth to little ones.

Maybe you are feeling a little crafty? Here are a few fun Earth Day crafts your family may want to try:

• Get a head start on May Day with recycled May Day Baskets.
• Use those egg cartons to make flowers or bugs to decorate for spring.
• Make robins for your windowsill out of recycled cardboard boxes.
• If your little one is too little to craft with you, you can make your own baby toy out of recycled baby clothes or make your own cloth napkins for your family.

How will you celebrate Earth Day with your family? Have a tip or Earth Day craft? Share it with us!

April Showers Deals & Giveaway!

April shower bring May flowers, but here at Cotton Babies we are showering you with two great deals!

If you need to stock up on cloth diapers or have a few colors you need to add to complete your collection, now is the time to buy with the bumGenius 4.0 Buy 5, Get 1 Free sale. This is one of our most popular sales. This is the first time ever that we have offered the mix and match solid color 4.0s with bumGenius 4.0 Artist Series.

* Get it while you can, sale runs through May 31, 2011 or while supplies last.

If cloth diapers aren't your thing, we're offering a free pair of bumGenius Baby Legs for purchases over $100. BabyLegs are a must have in every baby shower gift I give now. Whether you cloth diaper or not, these are a must have item for any new mom, they make those frequent diaper changes so much easier. They are also great for diaper bag emergencies, they take up a lot less space than an entire outfit, but will keep baby warm in a pinch.

To get your free Baby Legs with qualifying $100 purchase, you must add your choice of the bumGenius BabyLegs to your cart and input the code FREEBABYLEGS in the coupon code line at checkout.

To celebrate these two great specials, today's blog giveaway package will include your choice of bumGenius 4.0 cloth diaper (solid color or Artist Series) and your choice of bumGenius BabyLegs. To enter, just leave a comment below sharing your favorite rainy day activity.

Eligible entries must be posted today, Tuesday, April 19, 2011. U.S. Residents only. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win. All winners will be drawn Wednesday, April 20, 2011 and notified via e-mail.

This Just In: New Piggy Paint colors and JJ Cole Swag bag!

We have some great new products this week to fit any budget. In fact, these items would make great baby shower gifts for any mom-to-be!

First up, two great new products from Piggy Paint. Piggy Paint is pleased to introduce a line of polishes with sophisticated colors called Piggy Paint Refined. These are great colors for moms and are safe to use during pregnancy!

Why do we love Piggy Paint? Piggy Paint is specially formulated from natural ingredients and dries to a hard, durable finish. There are no toxic chemicals; it’s free of formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, Bisphenol A, ethyl acetate and acetone.

Piggy Paint also has some great new additions to their other two great product lines. Sweet Pea is a new sparkly, light pink color and Sea-quin is a new pastel turquoise addition to the traditional Piggy Paint Nail Polish line. The Project Earth line has a new purple color called Groovy Grape. Also new to Cotton Babies is the Piggy Paint Topcoat. The Piggy Paint Glossy Topcoat is a revolutionary water-based formula that adds scratch resistance and shine, and works perfect to seal Piggy Paint 3-D Nail Art.

We're also pleased to introduce a new style of our popular JJ Cole bag, the Swag Bag. Now you can enjoy a bag that is both stylish and functional. This stylish bag comes in either Silver Drop or Bronze Drop color combinations.

The adjustable strap allows it to be worn either messenger style or like a purse. Or forgo the carrying all together with the stroller attachments.

Organize your life with style with the Swag's stylish exterior and practical construction. It includes a coordinating wallet and changing pad. The water resistant finish is easily wiped clean. Safe for you and your family, the JJ Cole Swag Bag is PVC and phthalate free.

Find the JJ Cole Swag Bag, new Piggy Paint products and more great new items on our What's New page.

Cotton Babies Share the Love

Here at Cotton Babies we have a lot of goals. Sure, some of them are business minded, but many revolve around finding new ways to help parents and families. One of the overriding themes of Cotton Babies is that we believe in building bridges, not walls. We believe that every family, every parent, every baby is different. We believe that you (and all your lovely differences) deserve to be treated with respect. Therefore, our staff and products assume nothing about you.... and in the process of providing more families with what they need, we have made the cloth diapering world a bigger, better place for more, different people.

Jenn has shared her personal story of how she began cloth diapering out of need, and she is not alone in her experiences. Many of the Cotton Babies staff have experienced financial difficulties and need, and those experiences drive us to find ways to help families in similar situations. That's why Jenn we shared the Almost Free Diaper post, above all else, we want families to be successful, regardless of style or brand of cloth diaper used.

Last Friday, we announced via Facebook that we are in the early formative stages of a program that will assist families in need with a one-time gift of used diapers that would allow them to begin their cloth diapering journey.

If you would be interested in applying for this program, we ask that you fill out this survey: Cotton Babies Spread the Love

Feel free to pass the survey link along to those you may know who are interested in cloth diapers and need a hand to get started.

Again, we are in the early stages of building this program. While this is not an application, if you submit this form, we will be able to notify you as more information becomes available regarding the official application process.

Change 3 Things / bumGenius 4.0 Cloth Diaper Giveaway

Last weekend marked another new milestone for our Change 3 Things Facebook page. Since we began tracking cloth diaper changes on March 3, 2011, together we have changed more than 500,000 cloth diapers; that more than HALF A MILLION cloth diapers changed in a few weeks' time! Also this weekend, we passed the number that represents the potentially prevented waste equivalent to more than 300 babies in disposable diapers for a year.

To celebrate, today we are giving away prize packs that each include a bumGenius 4.0 cloth diaper, a Change 3 Things t-shirt, silicone band and 25 Change 3 Things Share Cards.

To enter today's contest, visit the new Change 3 Things website and leave a comment here on the blog telling us what companies, organizations or cloth diaper advocates you would like to see join Change 3 Things as a supporter. Would you attend a Change 3 Things event if the tour came to your area?

Eligible entries must be posted today, Tuesday, April 12, 2011. U.S. Residents only. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win. All winners will be drawn Wednesday, April 13, 2011 and notified via e-mail.

Cloth Diapers 101: Washing In a Laundromat

Did you know on CottonBabies.com we have an entire category of "How-To's" many of which were written by Jenn Labit? They cover a wide variety of topics including cloth diapers, baby wearing, swaddling and more. You'll find the How-To category in the left hand column on every Cotton Babies page, in the information section, near the bottom.

One of the How-To topics that is frequently requested by customers is How to Wash in a Laundromat. It's practical advice from Jenn, who began her cloth diapering experience with prefolds and covers washing in a laundromat. So today, we're reposting it here, on the blog, to make it easy for you to find, bookmark or share with someone else:

Cloth Diapers: Washing In a Laundromat

When we started cloth diapering, we lived in an apartment and did not have our own washer and dryer. We were cautious about diving into cloth diapering so we started with a diaper service for three months and then decided that we were ready to venture out on our own. We've discovered that cloth diapering is very doable -- even when you're washing in a laundromat!

The system that we found that worked for us was simple:

• Wash everything together.
• Wash the load one entire cycle on cold using just a little detergent or none at all.
• Wash the load again one entire cycle on hot using 1/4 - 1/2 the regular amount of detergent.
• Sort the pocket diapers and the covers out of the load and dry everything else.

A few extra things to note:
It was important to have enough diapers to wash once or twice a week (at the most). I also used a pail liner to avoid hauling the entire diaper pail to the laundromat. I felt like the diapers got cleaner in the top loading machines.

Costs:
It cost us $3 a week to wash diapers once a week. I paid $1 for each wash and $1 to dry the diapers. When evaluating the cost benefit of cloth you'll want to calculate how much extra you'll spend washing twice a week versus just buying enough diapers to last all week. If you spend an extra $3 a week washing diapers, in four months you could have purchased another two dozen prefolds with the money you saved by washing once a week. We found that it cost less in the long run to have a seven day supply of diapers.

We hope this information is helpful for you or someone you know. Be sure to check out our other "How-To" items on CottonBabies.com

As always, if you have further questions, give us a call at 1-888-33-BABIES

(1-888-332-2243) Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.

We'd be glad to assist you.

This Just In: NEW Green Toys For Spring!

Just in time for spring activities and Easter baskets, we have some great new items from Green Toys for your family. Green toys are a favorite at my house. I was surprised at the quality and durability of these items, knowing they were created from recycled plastic.

Green Toys use recycled milk containers as the main ingredient in creating their toys. They are packaged in recycled corrugated boxes with no plastics, cellophane or twist-ties, and are 100% recyclable. All Green Toys products are 100% made in the USA. To be more specific, they are produced in California, a state known for strict toy safety and environmental laws.

Green Toys products are tested by nationally recognized, independent, third-party labs. They contain no traceable amounts of Phthalates or BPA.

My First Green Toys™ Stacking Cups are a colorful and fun spin on a classic toy. Stacking cups teach basic counting and math concepts. Each cup is numbered on the bottom from 1 to 6 and is volumetrically accurate. Fill cups 1 and 2, for example, and it will equal the volume of cup 3. Perfect for home, classroom, outdoors, or the tub.

Each set includes six graduated cups with dozens of possibilities for bath and play time. Scoop and pour water, build towers by turning upside down, or just sort sizes to nest.

They are dishwasher safe, which makes for easy clean up, no matter the style of play. Available at Cotton Babies for only $9.95 a set.

The Green Toys™ Race Car is ready to tear up the track without harming the planet. This cool hot rod is better than any hybrid, and proudly displays the #2 recycled plastic symbol from which it is made on its hood.

The ultra-eco design has no metal axles. Available in your choice of blue or red, at only $7.99, this will race off the Cotton Babies warehouse shelves!

Keep your toddler's green thumbs busy this spring with the Planting Kit from Green Toys. Let your toddler watch nature at work by growing a small indoor garden in just days with the environmentally friendly kit. Each kit comes with a 100% recycled plastic pot, package of organic sunflower seeds, soil disk, and easy to follow instructions. Kits are only $5.99 each and eligible for Cotton Babies' free economy shipping.

Not just for toddlers, they are great for the entire family. Melissa, a Cotton Babies employee, recently included one of these sunflower kits in a wedding shower gift for a couple who loves to garden.

Be sure to check out all the great Green Toys products we have in stock. Other great spring favorites from Green Toys include jump ropes, Ecosaucer flying discs and indoor gardening kits. Do you have a favorite spring toy for your outdoor family fun?

Share The Cloth Diaper Love: Econobum Giveaway

If you've been following the blog recently, you know we've been thinking a lot about how to spread the word about cloth diapers to families who may not know cloth diapers are a viable option. Last week, Jenn shared how to diaper your baby when you can't afford disposable or cloth diapers.

To keep with the idea of spreading the word about cloth diapers and sharing the love to families in need, today we're giving out two Econobum trial packs - one for you to keep and one for a friend. We really like the simplicity and value of the Econobum trial packs, each comes with one diaper cover and three prefold diapers. It's enough to give cloth diapering a try and at only $11.95, it's about the same price as a small package of disposables, but will last a lot longer than 30 diaper changes.

To enter today's blog contest, leave a comment below telling us your favorite tip to share with someone new to cloth diapering. It can be simple, easy, a must-have product or a laundry tip. What would you tell your friend to ease the beginning of their cloth diapering journey?

Eligible entries must be posted today, Tuesday, April 5, 2011. U.S. Residents only. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win. All winners will be drawn Wednesday, April 6, 2011 and notified via e-mail.

cloth wipes: all the cool people are using them

When I first ventured into the world of cloth diapering I was hesitant about a lot of factors: washing, leakage, practicality etc. I was ultimately won over by the environmental impact of disposables AND their impact on my wallet. Why then was I not as excited to jump on the cloth wipe band wagon? For some reason I held onto that last vestige of disposable diapering. I was happy to ditch the paper diapers but I felt like the wipes practical and inexpensive enough to keep using them. I was so wrong!

After about a month of cloth diapering I realized the disposable wipes were cramping my style. First, I discovered how flimsy they were and just how many I needed to clean up an atomic #2 diaper. Second, I could no longer just wrap them up in the disposable diaper and throw them out (ohhhhhhhhh the landfills........). It actually ended up being MORE work to separate them out without making a mess. I ended up banishing disposable wipes from my house (I do keep them in the car for emergencies!) and making an effort to use the cloth option.

For those that are skeptical (or scared) here is "Cloth Wipes 101".
Lots of cloth diaper makers have gotten in on the cloth wipe action: BumGenius, Fuzzi Bunz, Kissaluvs, the list goes on and on. You can also use washcloths (baby or otherwise- the baby ones tend to be a little softer on the bum), pieces of old textiles- you get the picture. You can use them dry with a spray bottle, wet with plain ol' water, or wet with a diaper wipe solution. There is no wrong way- just what you find that works best for you.

Here is how I "get my wipe on":

I use Thirsties Fab Wipes (and let me tell you, they ARE fab!


For a solution I use Punkin Butt Organic Wipe Concentrate:

I love that one little bottle makes 50 batches!!!

I use a plastic wipes container but any tupperware (or even a wipe warmer) will do. I use an old Huggies tub because I like the opening better for "pop-up-ability". I won't include a picture of that because I bet our readers are super smart and know what one looks like ;)

Now here is where I get kind of fancy. I like my wipes to pop out of the tub like a disposable wipe would. Here is how I make that happen:

Step 1: Lay out the first wipe and put the second wipe halfway over it.


Step 2: Fold one wipe over the other.


Step 3: Lay another wipe over the side you just folded over.


Step 4: Fold the opposite side over the cloth you just laid down.


Continue folding this away until you have used the desired number of wipes and place them in your wipe container. Next, add your wipe solution to one cup of boiled water and pour over the wipes. You're done!! Once you get the hang of folding the wipes this will go a lot faster :) If the folding is not your think you can skip this step. Other mamas prefer to wet wipes as needed or just keep a spray bottle with water or wipe solution on hand to spray dirty bottoms. No matter which way you do it cloth wipes saves you money AND benefits the earth!

Jenn's Thoughts: Almost Free Diapers - How to diaper your baby when you can't afford disposable diapers or cloth diapers

Over the weekend, a customer shared with us this news report from Manhattan's NY1: High Cost Of Diapers Forces Some Parents Into Risky Practices. It breaks my heart because I personally know what it feels like to have to choose food OR diapers. When my husband and I started Cotton Babies, we were living on $30 a week for groceries plus a WIC check. That certainly wasn't enough to buy a cloth diaper stash and it didn't buy very many disposable diapers either. Thankfully, we were given three months of diaper service at one of my baby showers and then a friend gave me her stash of prefolds and diaper covers. Without those gifts though, we would have been looking for information about how to diaper your baby when you can't afford disposables OR cloth diapers.

30 years ago, most babies were cloth diapered using flat diapers or prefold diapers. 100 years ago, most babies were cloth diapered using homemade diapers. Those diapers were simple squares constructed from cotton fabric. The diaper was covered with rubber pants or a wool sweater, if a cover was even used. Believe it or not, diaper covers were a source of parenting drama years ago because doctor's were sure that they would cause diaper rash (we will talk about diaper rash another day... that's a topic for a week of blog posts).

We have seen several media reports recently about low income families reusing disposable diapers. These families are forced to choose between diapers and food. In an effort to keep budget available for groceries, they are blow drying a disposable diaper dry and putting it back on their baby. We recently heard about a local family who almost lost their baby to an infection as a result of reusing disposable diapers.

Within the cloth diaper industry, it's widely know that prefolds and covers are the most economical way to cloth diaper. But what if a family doesn't even have $5 dollars to spend and they are out of diapers? Our goal today is to TEACH you how to use things around your house to diaper your baby. Your great-grandmother probably did this. Your grandmother might remember... it's time that *we* re-educate ourselves, our friends and our families that before modern disposable or cloth diapers, people found safe, healthy ways to cover and protect their little ones.

Life is unpredictable. Jobs, income, natural disasters like we've seen recently in Japan, anything could leave any of us in a position where we have to make adjustments in our normal diapering routine. Let me share with you some ways I've found to diaper your little one in a reusable way with things you already have around your house.

• No Sew, Folded T-shirt Cloth Diaper This one takes no sewing, no cutting and just a diaper pin to secure it. This would be great for anyone to know, just in case. You never know when you'll be short a diaper, and this works.
• T-Shirt Tie Diaper No pin or snappi? This one just takes a pair of scissors and a few quick snips to create a tie-on cloth diaper.
• Receiving Blanket Origami Fold Diaper No t-shirts? Out with just a diaper bag and a receiving blanket. This video shows you how to fold a cotton flannel receiving blanket into a diaper that can be secured with diaper pins or a snappi.
• Start Cloth Diapering for $20 This tutorial and video shows you how to create a budget stash with a dozen prefolds, 4 fleece receiving blankets, a Snappi and an infant bodysuit. This could idea would be great for a family's emergency kit.
• Need a cover? Upcycle an old wool sweater into a diaper cover. There are lots of tutorials online, but I like the photos and directions on The Sewing Dork.
• No sewing skills? Find a pair of little girl "bloomers" (the matching panties that come with most little girl dresses). Using a can of Atsko Permanent Water Guard, spray the outside and inside of the bloomers to create your own pull-on cover. Let it dry before using. This solution will not be completely waterproof, but it will certainly help .
  

Keep in mind: Many household linens, hand towels, kitchen towels, bath towels, washcloths, flannel or cotton sheets, etc. can be folded or cut into a prefold size or insert shape suitable for diapering. Have an old t-shirt, cotton flannel shirt hanging in the back of your closet? Take a look at the label. You're looking for a natural fiber. Natural fibers are made from plants, not chemicals. That class of fabrics typically includes cotton, hemp, bamboo, etc. If the shirt you find was made of a natural fiber, you can repurpose that into a cloth diaper as well. Overwhelmed with what to do with a square or a rectangle? You can cut just about any absorbent fabric into strips, fold it into enough layers and you'll have an absorbent pad that will function as a diaper. If you go this route though, you'll need to have a diaper cover to hold the pad on your baby. The directions for making a diaper cover out of a wool sweater above are great... in a pinch, you could even cut up an old tablecloth.

If you'd prefer to buy a diaper cover, the least expensive diaper covers on the market, are these Dappi Nylon Pants. At Cotton Babies, we sell these in packages of 2 diaper covers for $5. At $3.95, a Snappi is another good purchase. It holds fabric, a cloth diaper, a towel... whatever... on your baby without the use of pins. Our free shipping on any order gets that package to your door hassle free.

Washing diapers: If you don't have a washer and dryer, you can easily wash your diapers out in the sink with a little dish soap. If the diaper was poopy, rinse it out in the toilet before washing in the sink. Wash each night and hang the diapers to dry in the bathtub or over a railing. Depending on your climate, most diapers will be dry by morning. As long as you stay on top of it, this will only take a few minutes.

Have you ever cloth diapered with household items? Do you have experience with the suggestions we made above? Share your tips and ideas with others... you never know who you're going to help.

This Just In: Baseball and Ladybug Bink Links

Just in time for the start of baseball season we have new Bink Links in stock!

Yesterday was opening day for the St. Louis Cardinals and we know this weekend has other opening days for other Major League Baseball teams as well. Get your little slugger a Bink Link to keep that pacifier from falling on the dirty stadium floor! If baseball isn't your style, how about a ladybug Bink Link as a celebration of spring?

Wood beads on this pacifier clip are red, black, and natural with a ladybug crawling off the natural beads. The predominate bead is red with ladybugs crawling around it.

We carry a variety of Bink Links in addition to these new styles including Rodeo, Peas and Carrots and Candy Man. We also carry pacifier chains by Haba.

The Construction Site Chain is made of Beech Wood, 100% water based non-toxic stains and lead free paint. This pacifier chain is a safe and colorful alternative to plastic pacifier chains. You can also check out Haba's Lady Bug pacifier chain, in red, blue and natural wood colors.

Bink Links and Pacifier Chains make a great package toppers for a baby shower or birthday gift. What other gift items do you like to use to decorate the top of your gift packages?