In the past, as a cloth diaper maker, I wondered what people wanted in a diaper, so that I could create that “perfect” diaper.  Today, I know there is no perfect diaper for everyone, but some do get pretty close.

In your opinion, what makes the perfect cloth diaper?

Update (2010/06/26): Since a couple of people have asked, here is what I consider to be the perfect diaper:

• Hidden snaps
• Not too few and not too many snaps
• Breathable
• Made of organic and/or OekoTex certified (natural) fabric
• Does not leave red marks on the baby
• Very absorbent, but not too bulky
• Not too wide or too narrow between the legs
• Does not create a “bubble” butt
• Does not create wing droop
• The fabric stays relatively soft
• Lasts more than a couple of years

I bought the Canadian-made Grasshopper Bamboo AIO diaper after reading some great online reviews.  Since my daughter outgrew most of her diapers, I was in real need of some trim AIOs for going out.  I didn’t have much time to design and make top-stitched AIO diapers at that time, so I decided to buy a couple online – one Rain Shine Designs and one Grasshopper AIO.

When I first saw this diaper, I thought it was very small and wasn’t sure it would fit my 32-lb daughter for very long.  Once I tried it on her, I was pleasantly surprised.  The diaper fit and there’s still some room to grow.  The elastic is not encased like with most other top-stitched diapers, but it doesn’t bother me.  Actually, my daughter has no red marks on her thighs because the elastic is not encased.

What I like about the diaper:

• Very trim
• High quality
• No red marks on my daughter’s thighs
• Natural fibers on the inside, so no polyester touching baby’s skin
• Sized diaper

What I do not like about the diaper:

• Not sure this diaper can fit up to 40 lbs as mentioned on the site.  I suspect the rise will be a bit short for most 40-lb toddlers.
• Not a very absorbent diaper if you have a heavy wetter.  I think heavy wetters might need a doubler in this diaper.
• The price is quite high.  I think I paid $24.95 CAD + tax and shipping for this diaper which makes it one of the most expensive diapers I’ve ever bought.

Overall rating: 4.25 out of 5

I have not been paid to write this review. The Grasshopper diaper was purchased by me.

Today, I wanted to tell you about a beautifully-made diaper from Rain Shine Designs.  I’ve wanted to try this diaper for a while, but it usually doesn’t make sense for me to buy diapers when I can make well-fitting and cute diapers for my daughter myself.  Sometimes I get bored with my own diapers though, so I do purchase a cloth diaper made by someone else every few months.

Photo courtesy of Rain Shine Designs

When I first looked at the diaper after opening the envelope, I thought it was very cute.  I then started looking at the stitching, fabric, etc. and was very impressed with the workmanship.  Megan, the creator of the Rain Shine Designs diapers, is a very talented and hardworking seamstress.  I rarely see such incredible top-stitching. [Read more →]

I bought a Large DreamEze AIO Cloth Diaper a while ago after reading some good reviews about how absorbent and trim it was. It took me a while to find a store in Canada or in the US that had it in stock and would not charge an arm and a leg for shipping to Ontario, Canada.  Once I received the diaper, I was really excited and was hoping it would work well for us.  Unfortunately, my excitement did not last long.

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Recently, I have started to make my own peanut butter.  I wanted to be able to control what is in our peanut butter since I give it to my daughter every day and it’s important for me that it be as healthy as possible.

Ingredients:
1½ cups (organic) unsalted roasted peanuts
1-2 tablespoons oil (for example, peanut oil)

Directions:
1. Pour the peanuts into the food processor and add oil.
2. Process the mixture until quite smooth.
3. Store the peanut butter in a sealed container in the fridge. It should be good for up to 2 weeks.

From Linda Byerline, CEO of Happy Heinys:

We have been very saddened to hear that due to the recent earthquakes in Haiti in the Port Au Prince area, a couple of the orphanages we have worked closely with over the last fews years have been completely devastated. Through the years we have not only sent them diapers and clothing for these babies but also toys and help with food. When we work with any orphanage in any third world nation we work closely with missionaries who actually travel to the orphanages and personally bring our donations to the babies in need. We opt to work this way because sadly we have found that when attempting to donate directly the goods do not always arrive to the proper place due to the civil unrest of many of these countries. [Read more →]

I have finally decided to write a post on potty training after trying to potty train my 27-month-old daughter for more than a month without much success.  Partly, I did not want to write about it because who wants to write about your child failing to potty train when you know a few people whose two-year-olds have been potty trained for a while.  In the end, I decided to write it because I’d love to hear any suggestions you might have.  Also, I’m hoping this post will help some of you out there, who have been through something similar or who are planning on potty training your little one(s) in the near future. [Read more →]

One of the gifts my daughter received this Christmas was a pair of Padraig slippers. Up until this Christmas she has been wearing her Robeez slippers, but because we keep the house a bit cooler this winter, we needed something warmer for her. When I found out about Padraig slippers, I just had to get a pair for her.

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Courtesy of SuperFantastic on Flickr

It seems that everyone around me has been baking a million things for this Christmas.  I’m the only one that has made NOTHING so far.  A lack of time is partly to blame for this.  Another reason is that I just do not have great recipes, except for one, a Dutch Shortbread recipe.

If you have any good cookie recipes, I would really appreciate it if you left me a comment or send me a message via the contact form.

Thank you so much and Happy Holidays!

Just as most cloth diapering people, I occasionally use disposable diapers. Since plastics and the chemicals found in disposable diapers are a concern for me, I do try to look for diapers that contain as few of those chemicals as possible. [Read more →]