New Bumgenius 4.0 Artist collection prints~ review

   Today at 1pm  central time Cotton Babies released a new line of prints. I've been anticipating the launch since the day they announced they were coming...Unfortunately I was a bit let down when after watching the youtube cast. But I've looked back a few times throughout the day and have to say they're growing on me!

     I love BG 4.0's, and can't wait for Cotton Babies to bring back the brights (clementine, zinnia, ribbit and moonbeam) and put out more patterns.

     Bumgenius makes my favorite diapers. I have tried several other brands of pocket diapers and BGs keep my daughter driest the longest, absorb the most urine, wick moisture away the fastest and fit the best.
The price on these is also unbeatable! $17.95 for a one size diaper is an average of 5 bucks less than other brands! Fuzzibunz retail for $19.95, Kissaluvs $23.95 and Rumparooz $22.95, while some all in one or pockets go for upwards of $30 a pop!! Bumgenius is also very consistent in pricing; the Aplix version of their diaper and the snap version cost the very same.

    Bumgenius 4.0's feature a super soft, no-pill stay dry inside with the stuff pocket at the back of the diaper. These are a snap-to-size diapers that fit from approximately 8- 35 lbs, possibly even heavier depending on your little ones body type! They're designed to fit after your babies umbilical stump falls off, though most mommies don't have great success with them until around 4 months and up. I didn't start using them on my daughter until she was about 25 pounds ( when i finally got up the nerve to divert from prefolds and pony up the dough! ) but I do intend to use them on our next child, who we're still trying to conceive. But I've only had wicking or leak issues once or twice in the several months that I've been a devoted Bumgenius user- on heavy soaking nights.

   I've highly recommended the 4.0's to every cloth-mom I know, and continue to do so! They're definitely worth the money, and if you come across a seconds sale, THAT'S the time to spring for them.

Diaper Rash

Last week my daughter's hiney was a horrible mess of red bumpy patches. Yes, it was the dreaded-slightly yeasty diaper rash.
I use mostly Bumgenius pocket diapers on her so rash cream is a no-no...Which is heart breaking when I open a diaper and see her ouchy bum and know that cream would be so soothing...But I really didn't want to ruin her rather new stash of pocket diapers...especially at 12-25 bucks a pop.
So I caved. I opened up my package of Flip disposable inserts yesterday and slathered on the Balmex (it's not an all natural product...but Oh.My.God does it work!) Guess what? Her rash is gone today.
I guess real life really does demand options now and then...which is almost word for word the Flip slogan. lol

Dirty Laundry. Diaper Laundry that is!

I woke up this morning and wasn't quite sure what to write about-I knew I should write; both for myself and possibly someone interested in cloth that stumbles upon my blog someday...
I looked around my house and realized that all of my pocket diapers are hanging to dry on anything that will stand still! (I may just make a trip to bed bath beyond for one of those drying racks this evening....) So I figured why not talk about washing diapers? It's what everyone asks first when you tell them you use cloth: "what do you do with the poop? do you shake it off behind a tree??" I'm serious, I've had multiple people say those exact words to me...
I have about 10 pocket diapers currently and i always use them at nap and overnight plus whenever we're out of the house etc. In addition to pockets ( I love bumgenius 3.0's and their newer diaper, the 4.0) I use Indian cotton prefolds and stay dry doublers, which are a couple layers of microfiber topped with fleece to wick moisture-I have around 10 of those, all of which are never used up when it's time to wash-but it's great to be prepared. The purpose of telling you how many diapers I have is to lead up to the explanation of my diaper pail. I don't have multiple kids in diapers and i don't have a newborn that goes through 10-15 diapers a day, so all I need to make it every 2-3 days for laundry is a large paint bucket. You know the kind, they live in the home improvement section of walmart and sometimes fall out of work trucks and splatter the highway with white! Yep, those. They cost all of 4 dollars with lid included and come with a handy dandy handle to cart to the laundry room.
     So, now that we've discussed the business of storing the stink, I'll move on to washing it up! Bumgenius manufacturers recommend using 1/4 the amount of detergent yours says to use. I say save yourself the horror of detergent residue, rashes and stripping diapers and go with a laundry soap from their website   www.cottonbabies.com. I like Nellie's Natural Laundry Soda right now, but I really haven't tried any others besides Biokleen, which was horrible. Bumgenius has also recently started manufacturing their own powdered detergent which I'll probably try when I'm out of Nelllie's!
The tags on my Bumgenius say one cold wash, one hot wash (both with detergent) and an extra rinse. Personally, I rinse out overnight diaper pee because it stinks something awful, so I think that one wash with detergent is more than sufficient. I start a hot load, add my 1 tbsp. of Nellie's and every few washes 1/2-1 scoop of OxiClean Free and then toss the diapers in. I let the first cycle run, then run another hot cycle to really rinse any residue away. If I happen to be doing just prefolds adding a cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle really softens them up!! I hang dry all of the  covers and pocket diapers and dry prefolds, inserts, doublers and cloth wipes on high. It's a good routine :)