Mama's Emporium Is Doing a BIG Giveaway!

Mama's Emporium is about to hit 1500 fans on facebook! Check out her facebook page here! The owner of Mama's Emporium is a WAHM who works very hard to get her customers the best products for the best price. She also provides customer service that I, as a customer, would say goes above and beyond!

 

To celebrate this huge milestone, Mama's Emporium is doing a huge giveaway! The giveaway ends Sunday, January 27th at 8pm MST and is AWESOME if you ask me! There are 10 prizes up for grabs in this giveaway! The prizes are:
One of Five (5) Packages of GroVia Organic Cotton Terry Cloth Wipes (12 ct) OR

One of Five (5) bottles of CJ's Carcass Cleaner Wipe Solution!

 

Like Mama's Emporium on Facebook and let her know that Anna from Cloth Diapering, A Hobby sent you!

 

Enter to Win this Giveaway Here!



 

While you are on facebook entering giveaways and liking Mama's Emporium, make sure to like Cloth Diapering, A Hobby on facebook!

Myths and Misconceptions: Cloth Diapers Stink!

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

 

Myth #3: Cloth Diapers Stink

 

Oh my do I hear this one a lot! When talking to new moms or moms to be who are curious about cloth diapering, the number one question I get is "Well don't they stink?" People assume that they stink when you change them, they stink when you are waiting for them to be washed, and they probably stink after they come out of the wash, just a little. People think that because they are pooped in you will never be able to get them completely clean and they will stink at least a little bit. They think stink is normal, but it's not. It doesn't happen to everyone but if it does happen to you, it can be fixed! It could take a little bit of experimenting, but you can figure out your stink problems and get rid of them once and for all, if you ever have stink issues in the first place! There are two main kinds of stink I've heard of, and that is Barnyard or "dirty" stink, and Ammonia stink. I've also had people who say they are worried about the smell while they store their diapers that are waiting to be washed.

 

Storage Until Washing

 

One thing that people think is that cloth diapers must smell while they just sit there waiting to be washed. There are plenty of ways to store your diapers while you are waiting for wash day, and if you experiment around you can figure out just what works for your family! First off, you rinse, dunk, or shake all the poop out before you do anything. See my blog post "So What Do You Do With All the Poo?" to see different ways of getting rid of the poop. So it's not like your diaper is sitting in a bag with poop in it. Some people choose to rinse wet diapers out too, especially if they have had ammonia issues (which we will talk about later!). Then you can either store them in a wet bag, or keep them in a pail. Some people use large zip lock backs instead of a wet bag, or put each diaper into a plastic grocery bag and tie it tightly. Whatever works, works I say! I have done the plastic bag thing while out and about and never ever ever have I smelt the smell through the bag. I've also used a wet bag, which is made of PUL which is waterproof on the inside, and a cute fabric on the outside with a zipper closure. I use both Planet Wise brand and Super Green Label wet bags and have never had a leak or a stinky smell come from either! It might stink for a second when you open the bag, but once you toss the diaper in there, you zip it back up and can't smell it anymore! A lot of people also use pails. You can get a Rumparooz pail liner from Mama's Emporium and a trash can from wherever. The pail liner is washable so you can toss it in the wash with your diapers. I've heard this open air system, where air is allowed to get to the diapers, actually keeps the stink away better than the wetbag system. I plan on trying it just as soon as I can convince my hubby! This is because the air helps inhibit bacterial growth which causes the smell.
Another thing that can help keep your diapers from smelling while you wait to wash is not waiting too long to wash. I wash every other day and have gone as long as three days when the need to wait was dire, but I wouldn't go longer than that, and I would still stick to every other day. If you must wait three or more days to do diaper laundry, rinse all the diapers off after each use, wet or dirty, and I suggest you get some BacOut from Mama's Emporium. It smells like limes and not only is it a great stain remover/preventative, but it will help keep the stink away and make your diapers smell like limes until you wash them. It doesn't hurt your diapers either.

 

Barnyard or Dirty Smell

 

The most common smell issue I hear about is that diapers just smell icky after each wash, or maybe not icky, but just weird. If you are washing your diapers and they come out of the wash or dryer smelling like anything, there is something wrong. Something that can be fixed, as any smell issue can be fixed. This one is actually a super easy fix usually. Usually a barnyard smell or a dirty smell usually means there is a problem with your wash routine and/or detergent. Most of the time it means you aren't using the right ammount of detergent and you need more. This is especially important if you have hard water. I've struggled with this because we have VERY hard water and very old pipes. It can also be that you aren't using the right detergent. Different detergents work for different people and it depends on your washer, your water, and your personal preference. I started out using BumGenious detergent but didn't love it so I tried a bunch. I liked Rockin Green till we got very stubborn ammonia issues, so we switched around until we found the one we liked. Remember, liquid detergent doesn't work quite as well as because it doesn't rinse out as cleanly and easily as powder detergents and that can cause repelling issues in your diapers, which you can read about in another Myths and Misconceptions post called "Cloth Diapers Always Leak". Some people find Free and Clear powder detergents such as All Free and Clear or Tide Free and Clear work great. Others find that Cloth diaper detergents work wonderfully and they don't always work for others. I have heard about using original tide on your diapers but as my son has a sensitivity to tide we haven't used it. I've considered trying and making sure it all gets rinsed out but I found something that works so I don't need to bother. I suggest you experiment with different detergents and amounts. I also suggest stripping in between trying a new detergent. So if you are going to stop using what you are using now and try a new detergent, strip first! I have had the best results using GroVia Mighty Bubbles, which you can read about in my review of them. We use 4tbs of EcoSprout detergent in our wash cycles and it has turned out to be great. We had to experiment with going from 2tbs to 3, and then from 3tbs to 4. But once we found the right detergent and the right amount, the issue was no longer an issue!
You may also want to adjust your wash routine. I found what works best for us is a cold rinse cycle, so I'm not washing the diapers in water that has a ton of poop and pee in it, then a hot wash on heavy setting with detergent, and then a hot wash on heavy setting with no detergent to make sure all of the detergent gets rinsed out.

 

Ammonia

 

Ammonia is a smell that you kind of know when you smell it. It will smell like a strong cleaning chemical or just very strong urine but worse than that it will burn your eyes and nose as soon as you get a whiff! It seriously burns to smell it! You may also notice a rash on your child. Ammonia is really bad and unfortunately, all to common, especially for overnight diapers because  the urine sits in them longer. Some good things to do to prevent ammonia is to rinse each diaper, even the wet ones, before putting them in your pail or bag. You can also spray each diaper with a spritz or two of BacOut to make it smell like limes and neutralize bacteria. You could also try adding a presoak to your laundry routine. If you already have ammonia however, you will have to strip the diapers to get rid of the ammonia. I had stubborn ammonia issues and I tried everything. I tried a strip with bleach, a strip with RLR, washing multiple times each load, a presoak with detergent, a presoak with RLR, all sorts of stuff. I couldn't get rid of it. Finally I tried GroVia Mighty Bubbles from Mama's Emporium and it worked! If you have a lot of buildup you may need to do it two or three times but these little packs really got rid of our ammonia. Then we changed our detergent and wash routine to what it currently is and we have not had issues since! I'm also finding I have to strip less and less compared to what I was before.

 

Bottom Line

 

Bottom line is, cloth diapers do not need to stink! If you are having stink issues, you can cure them! You just need to experiment and find a wash routine and detergent that works best for you, and you may need to strip your diapers. I suggest anyone having any smell issues strip first before adjusting anything. I use GroVia Mighty Bubbles and have never been disappointed with them. Please don't give up if you have stink issues! You can fix them! There are plenty of ways to prevent stink issues though, such as storing them correctly, rinsing diapers well, and using BacOut on every diaper before putting it in the pail or wetbag. 

A Brand New Giveaway!

So the Trainers giveaway is over, but Mama's Emporium isn't done! I am once again participating in another giveaway being put on by Mama's Emporium! You can find it here.

 

This is an AWESOME giveaway with a cool twist: you choose! That's right, if you are the winner you choose either a $15 gift certificate to Mama's Emporium or a GroVia One Size All in One Cloth Diaper and get this, you can even choose the print! (choices are choice of surf blue, cloud grey, bicycles print, or robots print!) The best part about this giveaway is how EASY it is to enter to win! There are pleanty of entries and you can do as little or as many as you want. I think it took me 5 minutes to do ALL the entries, plus you can tweet about the giveaway every day for even more chances to win!

 

Want to be updated whenever I find awesome new giveaways to enter? I don't always post them on my blog, but I do make sure to tweet them! Follow me on twitter to see all the awesome giveaways I enter! I also have my twitter set to post directly to my facebook page now, so if twitter isn't your thing, don't worry! You can still get all the awesome giveaway news by liking my page!

Myths and Misconceptions: Cloth Diapers Always Leak

I've decided to do a series of blogs all about common myths and misconceptions about cloth diapering! If you have any ideas feel free to comment here, share on my twitter, or post to my facebook page any myths or misconceptions you have heard, especially ones that really drive you nutso!

 

Myth #2: Cloth Diapers Always Leak

 

Today we are going to talk about another myth of Cloth Diapering. That they always leak. This is simply not true. Yes, cloth diapers can leak. They can also repel liquid, but if you are taking proper care of your diapers, cleaning them correctly, changing as often as is needed, and getting the right fit, you shouldn't experience leaks.

 

An Improper Fit

 

One of the leading causes of leaks, and what I would look at first when troubleshooting leaks, is the proper fit. You want the diapers to be snug enough to keep the contents in while loose enough to not leave marks on baby's legs and waist. You should take notice of when and how much the leaks are happening, and where they come through. For instance if I don't use the correct snap setting on my son, I will get leaks out his belly and legs. If I am using the proper snaps but not the proper hip snaps on diapers with hip snaps, I get leaks out the legs because while the waist is the proper fit, the legs are too loose causing leaks. Sometimes some diapers just will not fit right on a baby's body. This is one reason I don't suggest stocking up on one brand or type before baby gets here, or buying only one type to try. I suggest trying many different brands and types of diapers because what works on one child may not work for another. Even what works on your first cloth diapered baby won't always work on your second or what did work for your first few cloth diapered children won't always work for the next. Also, as your child grows and change you may find you get different fits from diapers that did fit well or didn't fit so great before. If you think fit is the issue, try experimenting with the fit, how tight or loose you have it, the rise, how long it is, etc. They try experimenting with different brands or types.

 

Repelling

 

Repelling happens when something is introduced to the diaper that causes it to repel. This can be caused by hard water buildup, where the minerals in the water build up in your diaper, making them not as absorbent. This can also be caused by detergent buildup, when you are using too much detergent, not the right detergent, or not rinsing enough and the detergent builds up, causing the diapers to not be as absorbent. It can also be caused by using non cloth diaper safe rash creams or too much of any diaper safe rash cream which can also cause your diapers to become not as absorbent. If you think repelling may be your issue, try taking a clean, dry diaper, and pouring some water on it. If it rolls of, you have repelling issues. If it's absorbent, it could be either starting to repel, or that may not be your issue. If you think repelling may be an issue, try striping the diapers. If you think it's because of a rash cream, use liners in your diaper when you use cream. If you think it may be a detergent issue, try switching your detergent, using less, and/or rinsing more. To strip I recommend GroVia Mighty Bubbles, which you can find at Mama's Emporium. You can also find flushable liners at Mama's Emporium, I suggest EcoSprout flushable liners. I also suggest using CJ's BUTTer rash cream and EcoSprout Detergent, all of which can be found on Mama's Emporium. If you think hard water buildup is the problem, try using GroVia Mighty Bubbles to strip once a month. I have VERY hard water and that is what I do. LOVE it!

 

Not Enough Absorbency

 

Another issue you can run into is that you don't have enough absorbency for how much your child is wetting. Some children are light wetters, others are medium/normal wetters, and others still are what I call super heavy wetters. My son is a super heavy wetter. He eats a lot and is very hydrated, so he pees a lot. Therefore, I need extra absorbency in his diapers. You might try adding a booster to your diaper if you suspect this may be the problem. Anything made of natural fibers like bamboo and hemp works great and can be right next to baby's skin. Synthetics like microfiber should not touch baby's sensitive skin. Any type of diaper can have a booster added for extra absorbency. Pockets are especially easy to add absorbency to though, you just stuff more or less depending on your needs. I like to stuff my pockets with an OsoCozy Better Fit prefold. If I need even more absorbency like for nap times, I add a bamboo insert or two either inside the pocket or inside the diaper. For my GroVia AI2s I found my son was too much of a heavy wetter for them, so I added two GroVia boosters and it did the trick! You can find all sorts of boosters to add extra absorbency here. When in a bind, anything can really be added. You can always add a prefold, flat, receiving blanket that has been stripped, flour sack towel, etc to give your diaper the extra boost.

 

Not Changing Enough

 

One thing that can be a little difficult to get used to when switching to cloth is how often you sometimes must change your child. Depending on the child, you may need to change as often as every hour and a half to two hours, or as little as every four. I encourage you to pay attention to when your child wets or soils the diaper and change as soon as possible. Just because the baby isn't uncomfortable and the diaper isn't completely full, doesn't mean a rash cannot occur, or that it's good for your little one to be sitting in that. Even with disposable diapers, just because it's not full doesn't mean it doesn't need to be changed. I am of the belief that no child should have to sit in a diaper for 6 hours or more unless they are asleep. It just cannot be comfortable or healthy, in a disposable or cloth diaper. I know sometimes if my son sleeps a little longer than usual for a nap, he will leak. If you don't change the baby soon enough, they will eventually leak. Obviously this makes a mess for you but is also not very good for the poor baby. So if you think this may be your issue, try to change your little one a little sooner. If it's happening to the point of you needing to change every hour or less, I would suggest adding more absorbency because your baby is probably a heavy wetter. You should still change after every diaper is used, but this will keep it from leaking out.

 

Bottom Line

 

The bottom line is if you do run into leaking issues, there are ways to fix them. Try troubleshooting before you give up, and do not let the fear of leaks keep you from trying. Cloth diapering can actually prevent blowouts and other leaks as long as you are using them correctly. Find and use a good wash routine and detergent, use liners when you use cloth, strip if you think there is buildup, change your baby often enough, use the right absorbency,  and experiment with fit, type, and brands of diaper until you find what works best for you and your little one. Leaking doesn't have to ruin cloth diapering for anyone!

I'm taking part in a giveaway!

Go enter the giveaway here http://www.facebook.com/#!/MamasEmporium?sk=app_228910107186452&app_data for a chance to win a GroVia cloth trainer! Much softer and more effective than pull ups, GroVia Trainers are the reusable alternative to expensive pull ups and other training pants! People who like my page on facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cloth-Diapering-a-Hobby/369767526444079 for an extra chance to win! A special thanks to Mama's Emporium for putting the giveaway on!

GroVia Diapers: A Review!

I started out cloth diapering with simple prefolds, one snappi, and econobum covers. Since the beginning of my cloth diapering journey I have constantly been trying new things out. I know when I first started I had no clue what to get or where to start, what was good, etc. I will say what is good for one person is not what is good for everyone, you have to find your own groove and what works for you. The same goes for different babies. What works for one of your children may or may not work for the next, so I am a firm believer in experimenting and trying a little of everything, then when you have your next baby (if you have another baby) you will already have one or two of everything you tried before to try on them. For instance I didn't think that what worked for others may not work well for us. I got a BUNCH of sunbaby diapers (china cheapy) They worked alright, but as I tried more (Alva, JCTrade, OsoCozy, etc) I realized that while they worked OK, they were not what was best for my son. So I sold all except a few that I keep on hand for laundry day and my future children, then I invested in other things that work better for him.

 

GroVia

 

GroVia is a cloth diapering company that makes a wide range of products. I love their wipes and the mighty bubbles laundry aid for stripping so I thought, why not try their diapes? I recently got a GroVia diaper and snap in insert (AI2) from Mama's Emporium. When I first tried it out, I will admit, I HATED it. It has a mesh inner and is water proof, then there are snaps you snap the insert into. The insert is kind of small and funny shaped, and because I have a boy who is a heavy wetter, I wasn't loving it! I tried it a few more times and hated it more and more with each turn! Then I won a GroVia Organic Cotton Booster from a Mama's Emporium raffle. I thought "Great, something for the stupid Grovia that doesn't work!" My husband urged me to prep them and try just in case, since I got it for free from the raffle, it might make me love my GroVia or it may make no difference and then there was no harm done! Well I tried it and LOVED it! My son had a massive poopy right after I put it on him and the booster contained the poop and he wasn't soaked like previous times! There wasn't even a slight leak. I was over the moon! I tried it another time and, like I've mentioned before, he is a heavy wetter, we still had no problems. We won a two pack and have only used the one.

 

Final Verdict/Bottom Line?

 

Final verdict is I love GroVia, but only with the organic cotton booster. I have heard they work better for girls but I have no complaints once I used the booster. You can buy them online at Mama's Emporium. Try them with the Organic Cotton Booster or not, but if they don't work for you alone, try them with, it may just work better than you thought it would! 

GroVia Mighty Bubbles: A Review!

So I have been trying different things for a while, and I honestly have been meaning to review a bunch of the things I have tried but I've got so caught up with trying awesome stuff, work, family, and much more, that I haven't gotten a chance. I wanted to review BacOut next but I recently tried these and love them so much I just HAVE to gush about them!

 

I'll start off by saying we have hard water so we strip frequently anyway, usually about twice a month. We have also been struggling with ammonia lately so we have been stripping more often. The methods of stripping vary, as discussed in a previous post of mine. I have used a few different methods to strip and for the longest time my go to was RLR. RLR powder is $1.74 a packet making it affordable, but a little pricey if you are doing it often. You use one packet per strip unless you have an HE washer, then you only use half a packet. However, at Mama's Emporium you can buy GroVia Mighty Bubbles for $8 for a pack of 10 packs or $14 for 20. That makes them $.80 a pack for 10 or $.70 a pack for 20. This is a super great deal because one pack does it all. It is HE safe, neutral, has no alcohol or ethers, no ammonia, and is phosphate free. Unlike RLR, the ingredients aren't top secret, they are printed right there on the back of the package. All you have to do is pop it in your washer with your diapers, wash on hot with no detergent, and do an extra rinse. No other detergent is needed, although I prefer to wash my diapers with detergent before I do it.
If you are using an enzyme free detergent like most cloth diaper safe detergents, Rockin Green and EcoSprout (my favorite!) come to mind, you will need to use them regularly, because of the enzymes, and it's a good idea to use them every 6-8 weeks anyway just to make sure your diapers are at their freshest and most absorbent.

 

 

Here I took a picture of it next to the bag and the cup holder of the high chair to show it's size.

Where can I buy GroVia Mighty Bubbles?

You can buy GroVia Mighty Bubbles at Mama's Emporium A delightful store in Aurora, CO ran by a fellow mom who is dedicated to bringing you the best products at the best price. She even has an online store that I frequent! She offers layaway, wish lists (with 10% back on all completed wish lists!), and registries.

Bottom Line

Love them! They are more affordable than RLR and strip better. So far it's really helped with our ammonia issues, as well as our hard water build up. I plan on using them occasionally to keep my diapers at their freshest and most absorbent. They can be purchased at Mama's Emporium online or in Aurora, CO. I give it a 5/5 for functionality, affordability, and ease of use.

This review has been done in partnership with Mama's Emporium. If you are interested in helping me bring a review or giveaway to my blog, please email me at blueturtlesweetie@gmail.com!