Rock in Green soap giveaway by Letters from Momma!

I stumbled upon Letters from Momma via the Cloth Diaper Whisperer and one of their past posts by her. I visited the blog and read as much as I could about her CDing trials and errors, and now I'm determined to invest in a good CD detergent! What would be neater would be if I could win it, but the giveaway gods are not with me as of late (or ever), so we'll just have to see.

Try your luck at: Letters from Momma Giveaway!

gDiapers: The Gateway to Cloth Diapering!

I thought I might as well kick off the posting with a Cloth Diaper (CD for short) review. We recently made the switch to CDs when the little mister's diaper area began to look very angry and agitated. I always intended to CD, but I was somewhat hesitant to begin because of the initial cost, and the fact that though my current living situation boasts of a high efficiency, wonderfully high-tech washer and dryer, they are shared. Well, once my son's skin started to look the way it did, I couldn't keep making excuses. Here is some interesting information on disposables that also spurred my interest:

Chemicals found in Disposable Diapers

Dirty Little Secrets

I don't want to overload you on reading as I have a short attention span, myself... However, I find it becomes limitless when it's in regards to my baby. Anyway, I'm hopping off my mini-soap box to continue on with this review. 

gDiapers

Shown here in "Galley Blue" and "Glacier Blue".

There are three parts to this diapering system, although I think it's still classified as an AI2 (All-In-2), because you don't necessarily need to remove the pouch unless it is soiled. I've chosen to feature only the disposable inserts because it's a great way to start CDing without dealing with an overwhelming amount of laundry, to begin with. What's great about g's is that you don't have to buy nearly so many. One cover can get you through a full day if you don't have any blowouts or other diaper mishaps. I bought four to start with and have only had to throw one in the laundry, so far. I was even lucky enough to find and purchase them at BabiesRUs for $26.99, which is, in my humble opinion, more than fair for two covers. But if you need to be more frugal, there are many CD trading sites and even Facebook groups where you can get them used and, honestly, dirt cheap.

Without further ado, here is a little demonstration on what gDiapers consist of, and how they work:

Shown: Left to right... gDiaper cover in "Guppy Green,"  and the waterproof pouch.

1. Locate the snaps on the pouch.

2. Match them to the loving snap receivers (I'm sure there's a real term for them) on the cover.

2. See? Now they are as one. Repeat with the remaining two snaps.

3. Grab your handy, planet-friendly disposable insert.

4. Place the liner in the pouch.

5. Scooch the liner so it's nice and flush with the pouch.  These guys are not just neighbors, they're best friends.

If you've done everything correctly, you'll have a wonderful little diaper boat.

So, what do I think?

They're exceedingly user-friendly, even for a first time CDer.  And once you make the leap and graduate to cloth inserts, you'll have a very easy transition. All in all, I really enjoy my g's. I have had very few issues. The only thing I'm a little disappointed with is stiffness. The waist band isn't too comfy feeling, and I've tried to mess with the degree of tightness, to no avail. Other than that, I'm very happy with these "hybrids," and they will most certainly remain in my stash.

Let's begin, shall we?

I've never been too good at introductions, but I'm going to give this a shot anyway. My name is Melanie, and I'm the proud (somewhat eccentric) mom to a beautiful little baby boy who goes by the name of "Mister Man," or "Liam," or really whatever I feel so inclined to call him when he's being his (mostly) charming self.

Refer to the following picture:

My mini granola.

Really, everything I do is for him. I never knew what it would feel like to live for someone like I live for him. Everything down to switching to cloth so that his little bum wouldn't be surrounded in chemicals (forgive the shameless crunchy opinion shoving), to starting a compost bin, and buying a sewing machine just so that I can sew my own wipes; all of it, I do for him. It may be little, in the grand scheme of things, but it's the little things that count. I'd like this planet to be in the best shape it possibly can be for him, all things aside.

So, what's this blog about? It's a chronicle of my journey towards green living and motherhood, and maybe some how-to projects here and there. Who knows, really. I imagine this will be an ever-evolving concept, sort of like life in general. Here goes nothing (or something; something big).