I’m always looking for ways to continue that love outside of the nursery, to make every day an earth day, and I believe you all are doing the same. I’ll be posting green tips as I find them, but I’d love to hear from you all as well. I’ll group them together and turn them into a one-click online resource for parents who are just getting started on their eco-conscious journey.

Today’s Green Tip: Green Cleaning
When I was growing up, my parents made decisions that were about being less eco-conscious, more about being cash poor. Whatever their motivations, the end result was that we used what we had versus buying expensive disposables. In our house, there were seven kids and only one income. For us, baking soda was akin to a miracle.

• Round one: baking soda plus toothbrush. For the first 30 days or so, it was the combination we used it in our mouths to clean our teeth. Not so tasty but it did the job.
• Round two: scrub around the sink fixtures. A little bit of baking soda and water kept those faucets sparkling clean.
• Round three: Baking soda plus vinegar or lemon juice. Who needs expensive cleansers when you can combine two natural ingredients that do a foamy, fizzy, delightfully clean dance over soap scum and bathtub rings?

We also used baking soda to clean countertops, baking soda to freshen diaper pails and baking soda in our carpet to absorb any smells. With all the chemical options on the shelves, isn’t it nice to know that one of the best and most versatile cleansers is eco-friendly, inexpensive and non-toxic?

Do you use baking soda? Let us know how it worked (or didn’t work) for you!

Being a newbie to cloth diapering I wonder if much I have to say will be helpful information to other mamas, seeing as how I don’t have a ton of experience. Maybe, at the very least, I can be helpful to mamas just starting out on their own adventure in cloth diapering!

Just a few weeks ago I was very lucky and won a giveaway for a cloth diaper from this blog’s FYSF (FEED YOUR STASH FRIDAY). At this time I had maybe 4 cloth diapers to my name, so I was super excited!

I won the Tots Bots Easy Fit Diaper. I think these are fairly new as I have not heard much about them, and I don’t think it’s because they aren’t good diapers! I absolutely love it!

Before posting this review I made sure I gave myself enough time to test out different kinds of diapers so I, as a cloth diapering newbie, could give the best review possible. I have to say, as of now, this truly is my favorite diaper. And here is why.

Why Tots Bots Are My Favorite Diaper

First, I really am all about one size diapers right now. Why? Because I don’t have the money to buy diaper after diaper after diaper…and even if I did, saving money is one of the many reasons I switched to cloth.

For my 14 pound 1 month-er the Tots Bots Easy Fit Diaper fits great and contained his “blowouts”. There is no gap around his legs, and so far, leaks haven’t been a problem. They also have a “Tiny” size for smaller babies 5-12 pounds, but my 8 pound newborn jumped to 13 pounds in a month so we won’t use the tiny size ever here!

Second, this diaper is so soft on the inside! It must be the bamboo/cotton blend. So far I really like bamboo blend diapers; I have felt nothing softer for my babies little bum! Every time I feel it I think, “I want this fabric on my own bum!”

Third, it is nice that I don’t have to seek out the insert in the diaper laundry because it is already there! You still have the option to stuff it if you need more absorption for a heavy wetter (I haven’t needed any extra for my munchkin in this diaper yet). On top of that, you do not need to pull the attached insert out before washing – it agitates out in the wash! I wondered if it really would work, but sure enough it did!

Easy on, Easy off Closures

When I first looked into cloth, I wasn’t sure which type of closure I would like better, Velcro or snaps. Maybe someday I will change my mind, but right now, I prefer Velcro. It is easier and I don’t fumble around to get the right fit. I just pull the wings around my baby, adjust the velcro to where it fits snuggly, and voila!

The Tots Bots Easy Fit Diaper has the Velcro type closures. As of now the “hold” is nice and strong and the laundry tabs worked great for washing too.

All in all the Tots Bots Easy Fit Diaper is a great diaper and I have nothing bad to say about it!

Easy on, easy off, contains the mess, is comfy for baby which makes for a happy mama (and baby too of course)! In my opinion this diaper would be great for anyone without cloth diapering experience and for experienced mamas as well!

Only problem? I wish I had the money right now to buy more of them! :)

GUEST BLOGGER

Sally Louk is a full time SAHM to two beautiful little boys and wife to a wonderful man. Her life revolves around her boys and is filled with the love, laughter and magic of her children! When she is not changing diapers, feeding, bathing and all the other things that go along with being a mama she is doing crafty things – gardening, taking pictures, and whatever other projects she can get her hands on in her spare time.

You can read more about Sally at her blog, Inside My Heart.

For a month now, I have used the Bum Essentials Bumbino One Size Diaper; I worked hard to make sure it was the first cloth diaper selected so I would have as much experience as possible before reviewing it.

I have to say, it is one of the most unique diapering systems I have ever tried! Comparatively, the Bum Essentials Bumbino One Size Diaper is closest to the GroVia One Size Diaper because of its interchangeable inserts that snap into a shell. There certainly are other similar systems, but they are simply not the same.

Absorbency

The Bumbino comes with two types of snap-in inserts.

One, the “Terry Towel” Bum Pad is a very soft terry towel made from a cotton/bamboo/polyester mix. I love how soft and pliable this insert seems to be no matter how many times it has been washed. It is gentle against my baby’s skin even when wet.

The other insert, the “Classic” Bum Pad is made of 100% all natural materials as they have omitted the polyester. This insert feels a little bit like a soft, thick T-shirt and gets very stiff when wet.

Both of the inserts are very trim; I was able to easily use the large and small insert together without my daughter’s diaper becoming too bulky.

Let me tell you, I never use two diaper inserts together because of the bulk! I always add a trim Hemp Babies doubler or GroVia Booster because they’re so thin. With the Bumbino Bum Essentials Bum Pads, I did not have to add any other cloth diapering accessory to make this system work; I was successfuly able to ONLY use what came with this diaper. The Bum Pads were also sufficiently absorbent. I used this diaper both overnight and on long car rides and did not notice any leaking.

Fit

The diaper fit pretty well, especially when I first put it on my daughter. It has snug elastic in the front and back of the diaper, and with the sturdy Velcro you can really get a custom fit around your baby’s waist.

I felt the legs also fit nicely when I first put the diaper on my daughter, however, as she wore the diaper over a couple of hours (or all night) gapping occurred in both the stomach and at the inner thighs.

I have to say, with the elastic at the stomach, there was less gapping than in most of my pocket diapers. Also, the gapping in the legs didn’t seem to cause leaks, but I was afraid if there had been a really messy poop, we might have had a problem.

Colors

The Bum Essentials Bumbino One Size Diaper comes in four bright colors – red, yellow, green, and blue. They are all very vibrant colors and I would love to own them all, but can’t wait for Bum Essentials to come out with more variety of colors, including some girly pinks and purples.

Ease

My husband and I really liked how easy the Bumbino was to use. We have traveled three times since owning the Bumbino and each time, we found it was our favorite to use for long car rides.

Changing a baby’s diaper in the confines of the front seat is difficult enough without having to switch out a diaper. With the Bumbino, we only had to unsnap one insert and snap in the next without having to remove the shell.

I like that you can use the same shell for multiple diaper changes before having to switch them. I would imagine if you went exclusively with this system, you could really save money that way. However, I’m not sure how I feel about having a diaper shell lined with fleece. On the one hand, it’s nice to have soft materials against my baby’s skin – still the fleece is underneath the bum pads, so it doesn’t seem to have any stay-dry properties. On the other hand, I like diaper shells/covers that wipe dry and I question whether or not I want to reuse a fleece-lined shell that might have some pee on it.

All Natural

I love how Bum Essentials gives parents an all-natural option with their Classic Bum Pad. I don’t often do it, but when I have the option, I love putting all natural fibers against my daughter’s skin. They often seem to prevent, and even cure, the mild diaper rash she gets every once in a while.

Last Thoughts

Over time, my husband and I have accumulated a very large stash of cloth diapers so its not always in our best interest to keep them all. If we find there is a diaper we don’t use often, I set it in the “to give away” pile. A couple of days ago I asked Dave what he thought about the Bumbino.

“Should we keep it or give it away?”
Without even pausing for thought, he said, “Keep it.”

He loves to keep easy-to-use, Velcro closure diapers in our stash. Ultimately the Bum Essentials Bumbino One Size Diaper is a very neat and simple cloth diapering system that is really worth trying out.

The quality Velcro closures and the interchangeable Bum Pads won us over. It is also a diaper I wouldn’t think twice about giving as a gift to new mothers. I enjoy giving moms-to-be the gift of a good variety of cloth diapers to choose from as they begin their stash because it’s nice to see all the different options out there.

The Bumbino is a good option and I would definitely recommend that others at least try it to see if it works for them.

As for myself, I think I’d like to get a couple more bum pads for the rest of the long car rides that await us this summer, and maybe I’ll splurge and get the other three colors as well .

GUEST BLOGGER

Becca is a part time Spanish Teacher, a part time Stay-at-home-mom, and the wife of the best husband imaginable. Becca’s absolute favorite thing to do is to spend time with her little family. She also enjoys doing anything crafty – from making jewelry, to writing, to sewing, to photography.

You can read more about Becca at her blog, Becca’s Cloth Diaper Blog.

The Smartipants “claim to fame” is the smart sleeve which allows the insert to agitate out in the wash cycle, rather than requiring you to touch the soiled insert in order to remove it. My overall opinion of the Smartipants diaper is that it is a good diaper for a reasonable price.

The Value

The Smartipants diaper is priced at just $14.95, making it an economical choice, especially for a one-size pocket diaper. There is nothing additional needed to use this diaper.

Extra and/or replaceable Smartipants Smart Sleeve Diaper Inserts are also priced very reasonable at $9.99 for five inserts.

Pocket diapers are one of the easiest to use in cloth diapering, but some people may be unwilling to pay the price. For these reasons the Smartipants would be an excellent choice, giving you the convenience and ease of a pocket without as much expense.

The Function

The Smartipants One Size Pocket Diaper has a patented “smart sleeve” rather than a traditional pocket. The sleeve is open at both ends, so the insert is not actually completely encased in a pocket. The sleeve is made of a soft stay-dry fabric that wicks the moisture into the insert and away from the baby’s skin. The benefit of this smart sleeve is to allow the insert to agitate out of the sleeve during the wash cycle. This means you don’t have to touch the soiled insert to remove it prior to washing.

The outer fabric of the Smartipants is a waterproof fabric. You do not need to use a cloth diaper cover with this diaper.

There are three rows of snaps to allow you to adjust the rise to small, medium, and large. The waist features overlapping snaps so that you can get a better fit. Soft elastic forms the back of the waist and the legs of this diaper.

The Scoop

Here is what I think of the Smartipants diaper:

I prefer to have an enclosed pocket. I found that on the small setting, the insert was too long, and therefore it stuck out at both ends. Since it was not enclosed in a pocket, it was easier for the insert to poke out at the back of the diaper (from baby’s movements), and I ended up with a leak. I do not believe this would be a problem on the medium or large rise setting.

Many one size diapers on the market today come with two sizes of inserts to correct this problem. However, the Smartipants is offering value, and including two inserts would increase the price. I did find that the insert was well made and very absorbent.

To correct the leaking problem I used the smaller insert from a different pocket diaper and it works great – no leaks. I use the Smartipants Smart Sleeve Diaper Insert in an enclosed pocket diaper, and it also works great. The problem is not with the absorbency of the insert, but with the length of the insert.

The smart sleeve really does work – the inserts agitate out in the wash! I personally do not have a problem grabbing the edge of a pocket insert in order to pull it out and place it into the diaper pail. For this reason, the smart sleeve did not grab my attention as a major selling point. But I must admit that it is nice to just pull the diaper off baby and throw it in the pail! I got curious and decided to try throwing other pocket dipes into the wash without removing the insert. They only agitated out around 50% of the time. I guess it is the difference of the smart sleeve!

I love the idea of the overlapping snaps on the waist. I have both a fitted diaper and a diaper cover that also offer this feature. However, on the Smartipants I think the overlapping snaps are set too far apart, or in the wrong places. I have a skinny four month old weighing in at twelve pounds. There is no way she would have ever been able to use the overlapping snaps – the diaper would have been too tight.

I also wish that there were either snaps on the hip or leg, or double vertical snaps on the waist. To fasten the diaper with just a couple of waist snaps doesn’t seem to give the best fit. I have other pockets with a snap on the leg, or two snaps on the waist and I feel just a little more secure when I use them.

The stay-dry fabric is not a fleece, and the Smartipants website does not say what comprises the fabric. I tested it after my baby had been wearing the diaper for about three hours, and the inner fabric was still dry next to my baby’s skin. The insert was very wet!

Overall I would say the Smartipants is a good diaper.

Overall I would say the Smartipants is a good diaper. It’s not my favorite, or the one I reach for first, but the problems that I have with it are more personal preferences rather than actual functionality issues. It is a great value for a one-size pocket diaper – I haven’t seen anything cheaper.

Just keep in mind that in order to offer a great price some things have to be sacrificed. It should really appeal to those who have a problem with the “ick” factor in cloth diapering because you don’t have to touch anything.

The Smartipants is a smart choice!

GUEST BLOGGER

Andrea Hamilton‘s full time job is being Ben’s wife and Elaine’s mommy in Virginia Beach, VA. She started cloth diapering in November 2009 – initially to save money, and now because she loves it. In her “spare time” she enjoys studying God’s Word, playing the piano, scrapbooking, blogging, and bargain-hunting. Andrea has a Bible & Missions degree, and her family is preparing to move to NYC where her husband will be an assistant pastor.

You can read more from Andrea at her blog, Random Issues.

Below, I am going to list my experiences with some different cloth diapers. However, you have to try them out for yourself. What works for me, may not for you.

Fuzzibunz One Size Diaper with Snaps – Super cute shades of color. I love that they snap and have leg elastic adjustments. I also hate that they have leg elastic adjustment. I found they absorbed really well, but I was constantly changing the elastic settings to find the perfect one.

Going through crawling and walking, little ones thigh and waist proportions change so rapidly it was frustrating. Also, I did not enjoy retucking the elastic after each wash. These were my first cloth diapers. They did teach me that cloth diapering was worth continuing. They are very customizable, but the elastic was frustrating and cut into my little ones thighs.

bumGenius! 3.0 One Size Pocket Diaper – I bought these while waiting for my second fluff mail to come. I thought I would not enjoy them because of the Velcro. I like things to look clean and neat. The loop closure gets a little fuzzy and worn after a few washes. However, they are so easy to use, absorb well, are trim, and the cover material is a smooth texture. These are my favorite for taking the baby to a caregiver or staying home with dad.

bumGenius! Organic All In One One Size Diaper – Once I discovered my love of bumGenius!, I ordered some all in ones. They are great. It is nice to not have to stuff a pocket. They have snaps that keep them looking great and are pretty absorbent.

They do take two days to hang dry and the material gets stiff over time. I also do not like the moisture being on my little one’s skin. I cut some “by the yard” fleece and laid it on top; this puts a slight moisture barrier between the diaper and my little one’s skin. Fleece is also great for cleaning up poop. You can shake it or rinse it without staining your diaper. Yay fleece!

The snap closure is great for product endurance. These are harder to keep from leaking. It took me awhile to realize I had to check around the legs. If any of the liner is peaking out, it will wick to your little one’s clothes. Do not learn that the hard way.

Flip One Size Diaper – I LOVE the Flip. It allows for easy cloth diapering out of the house. My little guy goes number two every couple of days. I hated having to take so many diapers. Flip allows you to change the cover only when soiled. Otherwise, just switch the insert.

The Flip Stay Dry Insert absorbs so much more than the organic. I love the feel of the organic. It is just not as effective for my heavy wetter.

The cover took some getting used to – is not super substantial. If you stuff the cover full, it is hard to get a snug fit. Overall, I LOVE the Flip. It is great for absorbancy, traveling, and your wallet.

Happy Heinys One Size Pocket Diaper – These diapers are great for large babies. My little one is a 19 lb. at 6 month old and is too small for these to fit well; they are in the closet for later.

I like the pocket, they are absorbent, and I love the Velcro closure. These have fabric in between the Velcro to make it more stable and it keeps a clean look.

Rumparooz G2 One Size – More to come on these. They are great for mommies that love prints. My little one’s bum is so cute in these. I am still in the prepping process. They fit well on a large bum, but trim down for tiny ones as well. I love the versatility of the insert. There are six ways to snap the Rumparooz 6R Soaker to create different absorbency levels.

This is my personal experience with cloth diapers thus far. Try for yourself.

The “Try Cloth Diapers” 30 day challenge at Diaper Junction was so helpful to find what worked best for us. I am so happy I am cloth diapering. It is addictive. I have yet to find a diaper that is absorbent enough to let my little one go more than 2.5 hours without a diaper change. I have decided to stop doing organic and switch to microfiber inserts. They hold moisture better for my little guy.

Good luck on your adventures in cloth diapering!

Ashley Williams is a 24 year old first-time mom to an amazing little boy and wife to a great husband. She is taking a year off school to be a stay at home mom. Before going back to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Ashley considers herself a “cloth diapering, baby food making, sling carrying, warrior momma” and loving every minute.

In her free time Ashley cooks, scrapbooks, goes to a mother’s bible study, watches TV, and sleeps (if she’s lucky).

Recently, I’ve started using Rumparooz One Size Pocket Diapers for my daughter, and my overall impression of them is quite positive.

Obviously, the first thing that caught my attention about them was the “poop scoop” – the two rows of inner gussets that claim to keep the diaper leak free. When we got our first Rumparooz diaper, I was so excited about it that I put it on my daughter without even prepping it with a pre-wash because I wanted to take some pictures. Ironically, she tested the poop scoop right away. Even without being prepped, that little sucker kept the mess inside and away from her clothing or my house. I was duly impressed!

Since then, I’ve upped my Rumparooz stash to five diapers, including the cute Powder Blue Rumparooz Diaper Junction sent me for this particular review. The Rumparooz One Size Pocket Diapers is always one of the first diapers I use; it is definitely a household favorite.

Now, after using the Rumparooz One Size for a couple of months, my husband and I have the discovered which features really work for us and those that aren’t best suited to our daughter’s needs.

Our Favorite Features:

Colors: We love the colors. I don’t have anything against pastels for babies, but there is nothing like choosing from a bright, bold range of colors. Some of my favorites are Amethyst, Root Beer, Platinum, Powder Blue, and Bermuda, but I also can’t wait to get my hands on some of the other colors like Spring and Cherry Blossom!

Leak protection: I’ve had a Rumparooz diaper leak once; it was brand new and only washed once. At first I was sure that the diaper was faulty, but it never leaked again after that particular instance; I think the leak was caused by an improper fit at the waist.

I can honestly say that since I’ve figured out the best fit for my daughter, this diaper has never leaked. I use them at night and during the day because they are reliable. I think it’s safe to say that the Rumparooz One Size Pocket Diaper is truly leak proof.

Materials: I love the materials Rumparooz uses. First of all, their PUL is some of the softest PUL I’ve ever felt! It’s stretchy, unlike the waterproof layer in any of the diapers I currently own, and I have quite a collection of the most popular brands for comparison. The inner layer of micro-chamois is equally and amazingly soft, and remains so even after many washes. I feel good about putting those materials against my daughter’s sensitive baby skin.

Easy or Difficult? Even though we chose the snapping Rumparooz, the diaper is very easy to put on. My husband even goes for this diaper on his own! There are many snapping diapers we own that he avoids like the plague, leaving them at the bottom of our stash. However, I’ll often come home from work to find our daughter in a Rumparooz rather than the Velcro diapers he loves so much.

Absorbency

It’s really nice to be able to choose from six different sizes and levels of absorbency with the Rumparooz 6R Soaker.

Fit

I really like the fit around the waist and legs. Because the PUL is stretchy, you can get a nice, snug fit even when using snaps! To me, snugness around the waist and legs is one of the most important things I look for in a diaper.

Room for Improvement

Though we love our Rumparooz One Size Diaper, there are a few things that I would change about it if I could.

Bulk: I find the Rumparooz a bit bulky if you use both inserts. The 6R Soaker is great because it has so many different adjustments for maximum absorbency, but it also has a lot of layers of microfiber!

During the day, I stick to just the larger insert, and if I use the diaper at night, I’ll occasionally add the newborn soaker. Sometimes, I use a hemp doubler instead because I just can’t take that many layers on my baby’s bum.

I also wish that the diaper were more trim between the legs, because I feel that when she’s wearing it, my daughter couldn’t put her legs together if she tried – especially when wearing the newborn doubler.

Price: I find this diaper a bit pricey for my tastes. Obviously, this hasn’t stopped me from adding it to my stash, but I stayed away from it for a long time due to the higher price tag.

A Bonus Feature

Swimming: Did you know that you can use your Rumparooz One Size Pocket Diapers as a swim diaper? It’s pretty easy too! Take out the inserts, adjust the diaper to a size smaller than your baby usually wears, and you’re set to go in the pool!

Overall, this diaper ranks high in the list of my favorite diapers to use. It’s cute, it’s soft, it fits well, it’s easy to use, and it never leaks. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone!

GUEST BLOGGER

Becca is a part time Spanish Teacher, a part time Stay-at-home-mom, and the wife of the best husband imaginable. Becca’s absolute favorite thing to do is to spend time with her little family. She also enjoys doing anything crafty – from making jewelry, to writing, to sewing, to photography.

You can read more about Becca at her blog, Becca’s Cloth Diaper Blog.

Did you know that…

…it is possible to cloth diaper and spend only $100 on your start-up costs?
…buying used baby gear will save you about 40%?
…breast milk is not only cheap and readily available but that it’s so healthy for your baby that in one study cancer cells died when exposed to it?
…you are supposed to knock the solid waste off of disposables, into the toilet, before throwing them away just like you do with cloth diapers?

Did you know that it is possible for living green to actually be easier and less expensive than the popular alternative?

I have to admit, I always felt somewhat judged by people who strive to leave the smallest carbon footprint possible. I watched No Impact Man and though I was intrigued, and somewhat inspired by his example, I was also a little overwhelmed.

It isn’t that I don’t want to help the environment, but in my limited experience, it seems more expensive and more difficult to do so. Given the option of being green or saving green, I will always choose the cheapest route.

I’m sure a lot of you feel the same way. In this economy, we just have to look out for our wallets and stretch our budgets as far as possible. So, I was so delighted to have the opportunity to read The Eco-nomical Baby Guide: Down-to-Earth Ways for Parents to Save Money and the Planet, because it completely changed my idea of what I thought it meant to be green.

In this book, Joy Hatch and Rebecca Kelly from The Green Baby Guide, decided to fit living green on a budget and a tight schedule. They were so successful at it that they shared what they discovered in this very informative book.

The Eco-nomical Baby Guide is non-judgmental

One of the things I really love about this book is that it’s non-judgmental. These women don’t make you feel badly for not recycling everything or for using a disposable diaper once in a while and they sweetly invite you to skip over the section about breast-feeding if you have opted to use formula. Hatch and Kelley approach the green concept practically, from a busy mom’s perspective, rather than accusing you for buying brand new nursery furniture or for not pureeing your own baby food.

This book is very simple to read and lays out the tools for you to save money, time, and the environment with an easy-to-read layout. All throughout the book you’ll find eye-catching blue boxes with information that compares prices, tells you where to go for the greenest and cheapest stuff, and feeds you tidbits of useful information on your green journey.

Cloth Diapering

I especially loved the chapters (yes, there are more than one) on cloth diapering because I just happen to be a cloth-diapering fanatic. These chapters compare cloth diapers to disposable diapers and give you easy tips for starting your own stash for as cheap as $100 to as much as $390 – which is still far cheaper than using disposables.

The The Eco-nomical Baby Guide breaks down exactly what you will spend when it comes to cloth diapering, in addition to the initial cost. It lets you know, down to the dollar, how much water, energy, detergent, and time it cost them and their families to cloth diaper.

It also breaks down the pricing of some of the most popular disposable diapers and the generic brands so you can compare how much you will save by going with cloth diapers. And should you choose to use disposable diapers, it highlights some of the more environmentally friendly options.

Since modern cloth diapering can almost be a new language to someone who’s never heard of it, The Eco-nomical Baby Guide breaks it down into sections that explain (with illustrations) how to fold your cloth diapers, and how to put them on with diaper covers, and includes lists of some of Hatch and Kelley’s favorite cloth diaper brands.

There are convenient lists of online cloth retailers, likeDiaper Junction, where the cloth diapers can be purchased.

My favorite part of this chapter are the results when the authors recorded the amount of time it took to care for cloth diapers. They discovered it takes only 10 minutes/week. Ten minutes! And, of course, they break down exactly how each minute is spent so you can do it too!

I learned so much from reading this book!

I learned so much from reading this book! I’ve since asked my husband to put in a clothesline so that I can save energy in the warmer months (and get the added benefit of sunning my cloth diapers)…

…and I’ve started breaking up a garden bed so that I can grow my own vegetables.

I’ve also started looking into getting used baby gear at places such as The Freecycle Network and Craig’s List, and I have switched out the paper in my kitchen for real towels and cloth napkins.

I have discovered that pureeing my own baby food is very rewarding and, of course, I use cloth diapers all the time.

I had really wanted to live a greener and more financially responsible life before reading this book but I just didn’t feel I had the tools. Joy Hatch and Rebecca Kelly give you the tools and make it look so easy to raise a baby in an eco-nomical manner.

I love this book and will definitely keep it around for reference for as long as I’m raising children, and after too, because lots of the tips written inside are useful even if you don’t have kids.

AND NOW YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO WIN THIS BOOK TOO!

Joy Hatch and Rebecca Kelly from The Green Baby Guide have generously donated one (1) copy of the
The Eco-nomical Baby Guide for us to give to one (1) lucky reader!

WHO CAN PLAY?

Anyone 18 years of age or older and living in the Continental United States can play.

HOW DO I PLAY?

Follow the guidelines below and be sure to leave all of your comments by Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 11:59 pm (CST). There are TWELVE DIFFERENT WAYS to enter this Giveaway!!

• Your first chance to enter is to leave a comment right now to the question below.
• Go and share this Giveaway on your BLOG, linking back to this post.
• Talk about and link to Diaper Junction from any cloth diapering or natural parenting forums and come back and comment with the link. If you post about us on a forum in 10 different posts it counts as 10 different entries!
• Earn one entry (comment) for each new review on ANY PRODUCT at Diaper Junction during the dates of this giveaway and return to comment for each review you completed.
• Join our newsletter at Diaper Junction (or if you already are, comment and say so) and come back and let us know you did in the comments.
• Join Cloth Diaper Blog through Google Friends (or if you already are, comment and say so) and comment to let us know you did.
• Follow us at Twitter @Diaper_Junction and comment to let us know you did.
• Tweet @Diaper_Junction GO GREEN! Win The Eco-nomical Baby Guide. http://www.clothdiaperblog.com/the-eco-nomical-baby-guide-a-review-and-giveaway (One extra entry per person, per day.)
• Tweet any tweet @Diaper_Junction including #clothdiapers. Copy and paste your tweet and post as a comment (One extra entry per person, per day.).
• Become a fan of our Facebook group; if already a fan, you can still comment below that you are and it allows for yet another entry here in the comments.
• Place any order at Diaper Junction between 5/1/2010 – 5/7/2010. Enter your order date and number in the comments.
• Join the Diaper Junction Affiliate Program (or if you already are, comment and say so).

With 12 different ways to enter, be sure to come back next Thursday to see if you won!

HOW DO I KNOW IF I WON?

The winner will be announced/posted here at Cloth Diaper Blog on MOTHER’s DAY, Sunday, May 9, 2010!!

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE WINNER?

On Saturday evening at midnight (CST) we will enter the number of comments into the number generator at Random.org and take the first number it spits. out.

DO WE CHECK THESE ENTRIES?

Yep, we do. Once the Comment # is selected, we will check to verify valid entry. If it isn’t, we’ll select a new Comment #.

AND THE QUESTION IS…

What are YOU doing to “GREEN” your lifestyle economically? Hints/Tips for like-minded parents? Is Cloth Diapering part of your GREEN regime?

GUEST BLOGGER

Becca is a part time Spanish Teacher, a part time Stay-at-home-mom, and the wife of the best husband imaginable. Becca’s absolute favorite thing to do is to spend time with her little family. She also enjoys doing anything crafty – from making jewelry, to writing, to sewing, to photography.

You can read more about Becca at her blog, Becca’s Cloth Diaper Blog.

SHARE THIS GIVEAWAY!