DIY Compost Bin

I haven't been blogging much lately, but I actually have a good reason! I am having a lot of pregnancy problems (again) and have been pretty limited on what I can do. I haven't been doing a lot of projects lately, but this one is pretty fun! Maybe I just say that because I'm not really the one who did it. We had some extra dirt and no where to put it, so my husband decided to build a compost bin. My husband works a lot but has taken up woodworking a little bit in his spare time (something that his dad does too.) I wasn't able to find very good plans for building a compost bin, so we guessed. I don't recommend trying to do math in your head at 8AM, we ended up forgetting something and having to go back to the lumber yard. 

The Materials: 

• Chicken wire, 12 feet (3 feet high) and we had extra so 10 feet would be enough
• 2x4 - 32 feet (10, 10 and 12 feet, I don't recommend getting 12 feet unless you have a very large vehicle, we had to tie ours down.)
• 1x4 - 20 feet (10 and 10)

Total Cost: Around $40. This could be cheaper if you could find a discount lumber yard, or use scraps. He had just used most of his scraps to build a shelf for our laundry room, so we had to go out and buy new materials. $40 is still a good price. We bought a $50 plastic compost bin at Sam's Club a few years ago and it fell apart in a few months. This will last a lot longer. 

 

I should have taken more "in progress" shots, but I wasn't feeling well and he got a lot done in a short amount of time.

 

Almost finished.

 

 Close up

 

This is where we decided to put it. As you can probably see, our yard is on a VERY steep incline. This was the only place other than the backyard (which would be very inconvenient from the kitchen) to put it. 

 

It might look a little unstable but it actually isn't at all. 

It only took a couple of hours and it turned out pretty nice. Now I just have to remember to stop throwing the compostable things away. :) 

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Why Use Wool Diaper Covers?

If you are new to cloth diapering or if you are considering it, you may be curious about wool. Wool is used as a cover for cloth diapers. Wool covers can be in the form of soakers, shorties, longies, and a few other options. There are many variations of wool covers, but they all do the same thing. Wool keeps sheep dry, and it can keep your baby dry too! Wool is very breathable, so it even can be worn in the summer months. Wool that has not been chemically treated is not scratchy at all, it is actually very soft. Wool is able to absorb moisture without feeling damp, so it is ideal for heavy wetters, for naptime, or for bedtime. You can even use wool over a disposable diaper! Wool is naturally anti-bacterial, and doesn't have to be washed as often as other fabrics. I know that sounds gross, but it really isn't! If your wool gets damp, you just hang it to dry and any smell will dissipate. If it doesn't, it's time to wash!

Washing Wool:

Washing wool isn't as difficult as some people think that is is. There are many different methods for washing wool. If you buy your wool from a company or work-at-home mom, the wool will usually come with instructions. Some people wash their wool (especially interlock) on the "wool" setting on their washers with a gentle soap. Most hand wash with either special wool wash, or a simple chemical free baby shampoo. I will put up a more detailed post of various washing and re-lanolizing methods at some point.

Types of wool covers:

Knit or crochet: Crafty moms can make their own wool covers if they know how to knit or crochet. There are many work-at-home-moms who make and sell knit (or sometimes crochet) wool covers. 

Interlock: Wool interlock covers are very popular. They tend to hold up very, very well. They can be bulkier than other options, but they also can work the best.

Recycled: Recycled wool is made out of recycled sweaters or other materials. Recycled wool is one of the cheapest options, especially if you know how to sew. 

 

More About Wool:

As you can see, wool covers can also double as clothing. Wool pants (or longies) can be worn over a diaper and used as pants. Wool soakers can also be worn underneath clothing or pajamas without adding a lot of bulk. Other types of wool clothing include skirties, leggings, dresses and just about everything in between. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of using wool over other types of diaper covers?

Advantages:

Wool is the only type of cover that is anti-bacterial

Wool absorbs moisture, unlike other covers wool rarely leaks

Wool is a natural material and is gentle against babies skin

Wool is a very "green" and sustainable product

Wool covers can be very budget friendly, if you are crafty

Disadvantages:

Unless you make wool covers yourself, they typically cost more than other covers

Some people have allergies to wool 

Wool requires more upkeep than PUL or fleece covers

If you have never tried wool, I strongly recommend that you give it a shot! Wool, like most parts of cloth diapering, has a learning curve, but once you learn you can save a lot of time and effort because it really does eliminate a lot of laundry by preventing leaks. Do you use wool covers? If so, what brand is your favorite? I love Wild Coconut Wear interlock covers, but there are many other brands and lots of work-at-home-moms that make great covers too.

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Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Review

Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Review: 

We recently did some renovation and purchased new hardwood bamboo floors. The floors look awesome when they are clean. The problem is between two kids and a dog, they get dirty really quickly! Anyone who has ever had hardwood or laminate floors knows that they start looking dirty before carpet does. That doesn't mean that carpet isn't just as dirty (gross) it just hides the dirt better. I had been using a Shark Steam Mop in my kitchen and bathrooms, but it just didn't cut it on the wood floors. I found the Rubbermaid Reveal on Amazon for $39.99. I was going to buy it on Amazon, but then I found it at Target (in store) for $19.99! The only difference is that the mop from Amazon comes with two microfiber pads. I don't know about you, but I don't think that one extra microfiber pad is worth $20. If you find the same deal at Target, you can always buy an extra pad on Amazon here for under $6.

How did it work?

I LOVE this mop!! Is it weird to love a mop? Oh well, I guess I am weird. I used to have a Swiffer mop and I HATED that you had to either use their solution (yuck) or go through a huge hassle to use your own. With the Reveal mop, you can choose whatever solution you want to use, or make your own. I love this because you can easily use different solutions for different floors. I also love how well it swivels and that the mop itself is pretty wide. I will definitely need to purchase an extra microfiber pad, but they are pretty cheap. I don't really have any complaints about the mop, it work great! It doesn't spray too much liquid, so the floors dry quickly.

If you are looking for a new mop, I highly recommend this one! It is definitely the best of it's kind that I have tried, especially for the price. I strongly prefer this mop to my Shark steam mop. I will probably use the steam mop only in the bathrooms. The Shark mop is narrower, which seems like that would mean more work. I do have a cheaper version of the steam mop, but it still cost over $50 and this mop was under $20. If you can find this at Target (or maybe Wal-Mart) fo $20, it is a great deal!

 
**NOTE** This is my personal opinion and experience with this product. I purchased it at full price and have not been compensated by Rubbermaid in any way.

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Easy DIY Disinfecting Cleaner

I haven't posted anything like this in a while. Here is a recipe for a very easy DIY disinfectant cleaner. Only two ingredients! All that you need is regular white vinegar and orange peels. Put the peels in a container with the vinegar and let it "infuse" for a while. I used a mason jar because I think they are pretty, but you could always just put the peels directly into a spray bottle with the vinegar. Use this spray anywhere, especially in the kitchen. The orange peels give it a nice smell, and vinegar is one of the best cleaners out there, enjoy!

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The Many Uses of Baking Soda

I have been cleaning with natural products for quite some time now. Baking soda is one of my
favorite products for natural cleaning because it is cheap and it works great! I love baking soda for cleaning, but is is also a great bath and body product! I have a large box sitting in my bathroom, and I have been using it a lot. Before you get completely weirded out, just keep reading! It really works. 

Baking soda as a face wash:
I have been using baking soda, a little water, and some coconut oil to wash my face. The coconut oil removes makeup, and the baking soda is an excellent cleanser for the skin. You really do not have to use baking soda every day. Sometimes I just remove eye makeup with coconut oil and wash my face with water. The baking soda makes your skin feel extra clean and smooth.

Baking soda as a toothpaste:
You can use baking soda as a toothpaste! I ran out of my Tom's of Maine, so I have been using baking soda for toothpaste. Just make a paste with water and brush. It's really simple. Your teeth feel really clean, and it helps make them brighter. You can also use hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda. My mouth is really sensitive right now (pregnancy) so I am not currently using the peroxide. If you can use it, it will whiten your teeth! If I want some minty-freshness, I just use my Tom's of Maine mouthwash. 

Baking soda as a shampoo:
Is this advice getting weirder? YES. Use baking soda to wash your hair. Use just enough water to make a paste, scrub into your hair, rinse. It's easy, it works, your hair is clean. I have been doing this and my hair doesn't feel any weirder or more disgusting than when I used regular shampoo and conditioner. Oh, and it's CHEAPER!! You can get a big box of baking soda for less than $2. I use apple cider vinegar to rinse my hair after, and it feels great. he vinegar smell goes away within a couple of minutes. I don't really know why I would go back to using normal shampoo and conditioner, this works just as well!

I have heard that you can make deodorant out of baking soda. I haven't done that yet. I am pretty happy with my Tom's deodorant. If you think these ideas seem crazy, just try them! If it doesn't work for you, you aren't losing anything. I was very skeptical about using baking soda as a "shampoo" but now that I have used it, I love it! If you have any "strange" uses for baking soda, leave a comment and let me know what you use it for!

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Gluten Free Bagels and Freezer Meals

You want to eat these!

I went to Wal-Mart in a different town today and found GLUTEN-FREE BAGELS! I have been craving bagels since.. um.. always, so this was wonderful news for me. I actually had a regular bagel a few weeks ago and it was NOT worth it. Every now and then I get this genius idea that maybe I can start eating gluten again and I will be fine, it never goes well for me. Anyway, this Wal-Mart didn't have a dry gluten free section (I was looking for granola bars) but oddly enough, they had a small section of gluten free foods in the freezer aisle. Neither Branson Wal-Mart has anything like this, in fact I have never seen one in any Wal-Mart in the area. I don't shop at Wal-Mart very often.. I am hoping it is a new thing and will catch on. The Bagel's are Udi's brand. Udi's also has really yummy cinnamon rolls and double chocolate muffins, but sadly my grocery store rarely has them in stock. If you eat gluten free and can get your hands on some of these bagels, DO IT. I wouldn't call them healthy or cheap, but they are delicious! Udi's website even has a handy dandy store located here, so you can find a location near you that sells their products. Their bread is also pretty good.

I may have eaten four bagels today (yes, four.. don't judge me, there is one left!) but I also did something productive. I have decided to try making crock pot freezer meals. I use my crock pot all the time, but it seems so much easier to spend a couple of hours once a week prepping all of the meals. Some you can cook before hand and just re-heat, but most of what I did isn't cooked yet. This is what I made today:

Chili (cooked in the CrockPot, I will freeze half for later)
Taco meat (browned before freezing, made with home-made taco seasoning)
Hamburgers (not pre-cooked)
Orange Chicken
Brocolli chicken alfredo
Beef Stew
Marinated Steak
Chicken and Steak Farjitas

I will make another post in the next few days with ingredients and recipes. All recipes are gluten free. I am also working on eliminating GMO soy and corn, which means buying organic or non-GMO certified. I need to get some kind of system together, but ideally I would like to do this once a week or every two weeks. I think that the entire prep time took less than two hours. I had to run to the grocery store in the middle of prepping (ran out of freezer bags) so I didn't really time myself. I am pretty bad about following recipes and taking measurements, so I will need to figure all of that out before the next blog post. The only things that I pre-cooked were the chili and taco meat. If you make freezer meals ahead of time, I would love to hear about how you do it! Feel free to leave some recipes in the comments!

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Make Your Own Laundry Detergent - Part 2!

Back in 2010, Meagan wrote this post about making your own laundry soap. It was fairly popular, and we have sent several people to the post to check out how we make our laundry detergent. I made the liquid version once and I liked it but didn't love it. Meagan uses the powder version, and she swears by it. While I liked the liquid version, I wasn't completely comfortable having a large bucket of laundry soap on my laundry room floor. I used a lid, but it still didn't feel completely safe. I usually stock up on detergent during sales, but I had recently ran out and decided to make my own again. I found another variation on the homemade laundry soap recipe. It uses the same ingredients in similar quantities, but has a very different texture!

Ingredients:
4 cups of water
1 bar of Fels-Naptha
1 cup of Borax
1 cup of Washing soda

Note: you should be able to find all of these ingredients at any Wal-Mart, Target, or Grocery Store. Fels-Naptha is about $1 per bar. Borax and Washing soda are $2-$4 for fairly large boxes. They should last a while!

Materials:
2 quart sized mason jars
Medium-large sauce pan
Blender
Grater or food processor

Directions:
Grate the bar of Fels-Naptha. If you have a food processor, this should be easy. If you don't, use a hand grater. It's really a pain, but it works. I don't have a food processor so that is what I had to do. Now put four cups of water into a medium or larger sauce pan and bring to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, mix the Borax and Washing Soda together thoroughly. Slowly add grated soap to the pan, it should look like this:

   
Turn the heat down to medium. Now you are going to stir. You will be stirring for a while, so I suggest you find something else to occupy yourself. I used Pinterest on my phone. You will need to stir until the soap dissolves. Don't skip this step. You will regret it. Don't ask me how I know. It is not "good enough" until all of the soap is dissolved, this took me about fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the dry mixture until it no longer feels grainy. This should take about five minutes. BONUS: Your house will smell really clean, and your pans will BE really clean. I use stainless pans and this one is sparkly now. 

 

Borax and Washing Soda

Now you will want to carefully pour your mixture into two mason jars. They will be about half full (or half empty, hahaha..) Add water to the jars until they are nearly full, leave about 1/2 in. Seal the jars and shake them, and then turn them upside down. Now leave them on the counter (upside down) for about a few hours. I left mine for four hours. The mixture will separate. Sorry I don't have a picture of that, my camera died. Open the jars VERY carefully, the top layer will be liquid and it can make a mess. Again, don't ask me how I know. I would put a towel (or prefold diaper) under the jars when you open them. Pour the contents of one jar into the blender. You may need a spoon to get the stuff at the bottom. Blend until you get a whipped consistency. It took less than a minute in my Cuisinart blender. Carefully pour back into the jar, and repeat with the other jar, You're done!

Finished Product

Use 1 TBSP per load of laundry. It is safe for top loaders, front loaders, and YES, it is safe on cloth diapers! I didn't want to post anything until I had actually used it. I have washed both blankets/towels and diapers with this today, and it works great! This recipe will make two full jars and only using one tablespoon per load, they should last a while! The entire recipe cost less than $2 to make I didn't count the entire cost of Borax or Washing soda since 1) I already had them and 2) I didn't use all of it! I love this recipe because it is less messy than powder, but safer and less of a hassle than liquid. I am posting a video below to exactly what it looks like. Let me know if you make this and how it turns out! Make sure to clean your blender and pan right away to avoid any big messes later! What other home products do you make yourself? We'd love to hear about them in the comments!

 
NOTE: This is NOT my original recipe! I found a few different sites that had tweaked the original recipe and kind of combined them.

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VIDEO - My Favorite Cloth Diapers

This video is about my favorite diapers, and what I use right now. I have done a few blog posts about diapers that I like, but this is my first video. I tend to ramble a lot. Sorry :) My favorite diapers are AI2s and Hybrid Fitted diapers from Bumstoppers (right) and BumGenius Elementals. Feel free to comment with any questions!

 
 

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VIDEO - Cloth Diapering a Newborn, Is it worth it?

This is a "quick" video that I did about cloth diapering a newborn. I share my experience as well as some of my favorite diapers and what I plan to use this time. I was told that I haven't been doing enough cloth diapering posts lately, so I will change that! Thanks and feel free to post here if you have any questions! In case you are wondering, no, my house is not always so quiet! I had to wait until Miki was napping, Kainan was playing Sesame Street on the Kinect and the dog was trying to get in my room. :)

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All Natural "Flu Shot" Juice Recipe

I found a few recipes for various juice drinks for when you have a cold or the flu. Everyone in my house is a little bit sick right now. Nothing too bad, just colds. I am pregnant, and I don't like to take medicine anyway. I don't know whether drinks like this actually help you feel better or not. The fruits/veggies do have vitamins and minerals, so it certainly won't hurt anything! This particular juice is my own adaption on several that I found. I have the Tru Juicer, and I love it. I got it on clearance at Wal-Mart for about $25.




Ingredients:
2-3 stalks of celery
1 green apple
1 piece of ginger (about 1")
handful of carrots
1/2 lemon

Juice all ingredients together. This will make about 4 shot sized servings. Sprinkle your "shot" with cayenne. The juice by itself doesn't taste too bad, but I couldn't get my son to take more than a zip of it (without cayenne.) You might want to grab something to wash it down with, the cayenne will really get you!

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Deal of the day: bumGenius and Flip Diapers

Cottonbabies.com has some seconds up for sale today. Run fast because these never last long. Newborns are priced at $7.50 (read my review here) and Elementals are $17. I strongly recommend that you try either of these because even if they don't work out, you can re-sell them for about the same price that you paid. I also spotted some Flip covers on sale as well as an Econobum cover for less than $5. Economy shipping is free! I have used their diapers that are marked as "seconds" and I have never been able to tell a difference, sometimes it just means that they are dirty (so wash them first, which you should do anyway!)

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New Youtube video!

I have a new video on youtube. It's a little long but it's a general look at different types of cloth diapers. I talk a little bit about AIOs, AI2s, pockets, fitteds, prefolds and covers. This would be a great video to send along to someone who is totally new to cloth diapering, but interested in what is out there! Comment on this post, or on the video, and let us know what YOUR favorite kind of cloth diaper is!


Please excuse all of my rambling. I am not used to making videos :)

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Discontinued Items = HUGE Discounts

I was at Weis Markets the other day and whenever I go there, I always check out the dollar aisle. Right next to the "dollar buys" is the small shelf of discontinued items. Sometimes I find some great deals there. Well sure enough, I found diapers. Not just any diapers, but chlorine free, eco-friendly diapers. They were Full Circle brand diapers. I'd never used them before, but I know a good deal on name brand diapers when I see it. I knew they had to be pretty expensive considering, it's a grocery store, and they are eco-friendly. We all know eco-friendly products are always more expensive. So, I checked the regular price before mark down, and sure enough it was $13.99! These diapers were on clearance for $3.49. I couldn't pass up saving over $10 on a pack of diapers. Besides, Jake was running low on his disposable stash. So, I grabbed two packs and felt very satisfied that I'd just saved over $20 on diapers, and that I walked out with 60 diapers for just under $7! That's less than $0.12 per diaper. That's a great deal on Pampers or Huggies, much less chlorine free. So, I went back in about a week later to pick up some grapes for Luke, and checked just to see if they had anymore. Well, I ended up leaving with 3lbs of grapes and two more packs of diapers. Yay! What an awesome deal. So, if you have a Weis (or any store for that matter) near you, definitely check the sale aisle for discontinued items. You never know what you might find.

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New YouTube Series - Intro to Cloth Diapering

We are super excited to introduce our very first video on our new YouTube Channel - Naturally Thrifty Moms!

We have had so many posts about cloth diapering, but we are also aware, that as a new parent to cloth diapering, it can be very overwhelming. Their are so many different kinds of cloth diapers; AIO's, AI2's, pockets, fitteds, prefolds, flats, etc. When most cloth diaper shopping is done online, it's hard to know exactly what your getting, especially if your new to CD'ing. We try our best to describe things the easiest way possible, when talking about them in a post, but they always say a picture's worth a thousand words, so we decided to run with it.

Our first series on our YouTube Channel is called "Intro to Cloth Diapering". In this series, we will be focusing on one type of diaper during each 3-5 minute video. We will show you what it looks like up close, the benefits of using it, any downsides we might have with the diaper, and how to use it. Hopefully this series will be extremely helpful to those who have been following our posts about cloth diapering. If you're nervous to start cloth diapering, these videos should help ease you into it. Don't forget to subscribe to our channel - Naturally Thrifty Moms, if you want to be the first to watch the new videos in this series.

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Woolzies Dryer Ball Giveaway

While browsing a few blogs today, I stumbled upon a great giveaway over at Cheerful Homemaker. She is giving away a six pack of Woolzies Dryer Balls. These dryer balls retail for $35.99, so this is an awesome giveaway to enter! Who can't use an extra set or two of dryer balls? 

So, if you want to take a shot at winning these dryer balls, head on over to her blog, and enter to win the Woolzies Giveaway! This giveaway ends on August 15th, so hurry over and snag a few entries before time runs out! Good luck! 

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Fuzzibunz One-size Cloth Diaper Review

Hey guys! It's Amy and I'm finally back. A few of my cloth diapering posts were some of the most popular posts on the blog so far, so I have decided to make Friday's "Cloth Diaper Friday!" Basically I will either share some info on cloth diapering, do a cloth diaper review, or MAYBE even finish my eight weeks to a cloth diaper stash posts! Would anyone be interested in seeing that finished? If you have no idea what I am talking about, start here. The posts were pretty popular and I'd like to finish them if there is any interest. 

Anyway, I'll kick off the first "Cloth Diapering Friday" post with a review for Fuzzibunz one-size diapers. You can buy these directly from Fuzzibunz or almost any site that sells cloth diapers. I got mine on Amazon. I own three of these diapers in Apple Green, Crushed Berries and Grape. The colors are really great! I got mine really cheap (Amazon coupons back in 2011) and I wish I would have gotten more! Fuzzibunz is probably my favorite one size pocket diaper, or at least tied for first with Happy Heiny one size pockets. 

What makes Fuzzibunz different from many other one-size diapers is  the unique adjustable elastic. Most OS (one-size) diapers have a snapping front. Because of Fuzzibunz patented adjustable elastic, FB OS diapers tend to be "trimmer" (less bulky) than most OS diapers. They also come with extra elastic, although I've never had to use mine. I found that the adjustable elastic fit smaller babies better than my other OS diapers. The picture on the right is Mikaela in Crushed Berries around three weeks old (yes, she was fat.) Most of her other OS diapers didn't fit until a few weeks later. The Fuzzibunz one-size diaper only has a snap option, so if you prefer aplix they may not be for you. I think that aplix is easier, but snaps hold up better. Diapers with snaps look "new" much longer and possibly have a higher selling value because of that. 

So overall I definitely recommend the Fuzzibunz one-size diaper. I've only had ONE problem. My Apple Green diaper has had about four snaps fall off, and my Crushed Berries diaper has a loose snap. I have never had any problems with my other snapping diapers (Bumgenius, Flip, Sunbaby, etc.) so I'm not sure if I just got a bad batch or if this is common for Fuzzibunz. I have not contacted Fuzzibunz because it had been about a year since I bought the diapers, and I did not think they would be covered. So the Fuzzibunz one-size diaper gets a 9/10 from me. Other than possible faulty snaps (which is an easy fix) these diapers are trim, have a great fit, hold up well, and are very cute! 
 

 
Note: This is my personal opinion about my use with these diapers, I have not been compensated by Fuzzibunz in any way! I bought these diapers at full price, with coupons, and this is just my personal opinion!

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Petunia Farms Natural Soaps - Save Up To 50%

Petunia Farms is offering their natural soaps for up to 50% off for 3 days only, if you purchase through No More Rack. Available in packs of 6 bars each. You can choose from:

- Aloe Vera & Avocado Beauty Bar ($24.00)

- Handmade Exfoliating Soap Bars Oatmeal Milk and Honey ($18.00)
- Handmade Natural Mixed Soaps ($18.00)
- Sophisticated Handmade Natural Soap ($18.00)
- Lemongrass Natural Handmade Soap ($18.00)
- Soap Poochie All Natural Dog Soap ($18.00)
- Handmade Patchouli Soap Bars ($18.00)
- Handmade Sage and White Tea Soap Bars ($18.00)
- Especially For Her Handmade Soap ($18.00)
- Handmade Natural Gardener's Soap ($20.00)


These deals come out to between $3-$4 per bar. For all natural soaps at this weight, this is a great deal!

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Awesome Blossom Cloth Diaper Sale

Breathtaking Pink - $9.99

If you are new to cloth diapering, or just looking to add to the stash that you already have, at these prices, you should definitely check out the Awesome Blossom deal going on at Zulily today. If you don't have a Zulily account yet, you can sign up here. Zulily is a daily deal site just for moms. They offer deals for moms, babies, and kids at a fraction of the cost everyday. Some of their deals are definitely worth the free sign up. Also, make sure you sign up for the Daily Events through your Email Preferences page. If you don't, you could miss out on some great deals!

Take these Awesome Blossom cloth diapers for example. If you bought this One Size Breathtaking Pink Pocket Cloth Diaper from the Awesome Blossom store, it would cost you $19.99! But, today you can get it for 50% off from Zulily for only $9.99! What a steal!

Happy Forest Owls - $10.99

Your probably thinking, "Yeah, yeah... That color is great, but I want some cute prints to add to my stash!". Well, Zulily has those too. What about this One Size Happy Forest Owls Pocket Cloth Diaper that is regularly $21.99, and Zulily has for only $10.99 today!

I would definitely hurry if you plan on purchasing some, because at these prices, they are going fast! The Microfiber Inserts are already sold out, and it looks like the Wet Bags will probably be next at the awesome price of only $10.99!

If you don't know anything about the Awesome Blossom brand, and want to read about their cloth diapers before you buy, you can check out the Reviews & Testimonials section of their website. So, head on over as fast as you can and start adding the diapers you want to your shopping basket, because I have a feeling they won't be available till the end of the sale.

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The Hot Fluff Cool Baby Giveaway: Still Accepting Entries!

Don't forget to fill out some more entries before The Hot Fluff Cool Baby Giveaway ends! You can find out everything you need to know about it here. It ends at 11:59PM EST on July 31, 2012 (which is tomorrow), so if you haven't entered yet, head over and do it now!

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Potty Training a Cloth Diapered Baby

There is quite an abundance of cloth training pants available on the market today. Unfortunately, the price can be a bit steep, considering you don't know how well they work. With my oldest son, we tried everything from cloth training pants to Pull-Ups. We finally found the perfect combination, and got him 100% potty trained in less than a week.

Gerber Training Pants

When he was finally ready to sit and attempt to pee on the potty, we picked up some Gerber Training Pants from Walmart for about $8, and he loved the designs of little cars and footballs. He thought they were the coolest big boy underwear in the world. They are great, because they are thicker than underwear, but not too thick that your child won't feel wet if they pee themselves. 

We also bought some Gerber All-in-One Training Pants for $12 for bedtime. They work great. They aren't too bulky, but bulky enough in case he has an accident, he doesn't get all wet.

Gerber All-in-One Training Pants

We actually got very lucky while potty training Luke, because he picked it up the second day of training, and hasn't worn a diaper, or Pull-Up and hasn't had an accident since then. He thinks it's the coolest thing to be able to wear big boy underwear and go on the big potty like Mommy and Daddy. Every once in a while, if we're going on a long car ride, I'll put him in one of the All-in-One's, but he never goes in them. Also, if he's running low on underwear, and I need to do laundry, the Training Pants are a decent substitute. Of course, now that he has Toy Story, Cars, Nemo, Star Wars, Thomas, and Star Wars underwear, the little cars and football designs aren't comparable, but they work in a pinch.

Also, a word to the wise. When it does come time to buy your little one big kid underwear, do not go to Walmart expecting to get a deal, because you won't. Underwear is so expensive! I scoured the clearance sections of TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Ross, and Burlington Coat Factory to find 3 packs marked down to $3 and 5 packs marked down to $4-$5. Do not, I repeat, do not spend $10-$12 on a 5 pack of underwear if you don't have to! Luke outgrew his first pack of underwear within 3 weeks, and we had to go out and find some larger ones. When you find two or three packs on the clearance rack at a store in your child's size, let them pick out their favorite pack. Luke loves that! Sometimes, you can find good deals on ebay as well. So, good luck with the potty training, and remember, this is just another baby step, like learning to walk and learning to talk. They'll figure it out before you know it!

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