So along with gas and food prices, disposable diapers have increased in price. Click here to read an article on how inflation is affecting the cost of disposable diapers.
I know I've seen the cost of fuel and groceries rise sharply the past year and it has particularly impacted the amount of money we spend on groceries each week. My family goes through a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables, which are very costly, and we've definitely noticed a difference at the checkout counter. I can't imagine adding the cost of disposable diapers to that total.
With consumer confidence low and personal debt levels high, perhaps one way to increase the cash in parents' wallet is to consider reusable diaper products. The overall investment is significantly less than the cost of disposables and practices such as line drying clothing and cloth diapers will allow you to save even further on your energy bills.
Inflationary pressures are something we're going to be keeping a close eye on in the coming months. As the start of our workshop season begins once again, we will continue to educate parents on the benefits of using cloth diapers. One of the topics we include is a detailed financial analysis of the cost of cloth versus disposable products. Most parents are shocked at the total cost of disposable products and now that they are increasing in price the gap is widening even further between them and cloth diaper products.
Cloth diaper systems will cost anywhere from $250-$1,000 depending on the type and number of diapers purchased. If properly cared for they can last beyond one child and often multiple children. Disposables will cost anywhere from $1,800-3,500+ per child. As you can see, the potential cost savings are huge.
Some raw material costs will be impacting the cloth diaper manufacturers as well however despite an increase in production costs, cloth diapers are still a very affordable and cost effective choice for families.
For more information on the costs of cloth versus disposable diapers, please contact us: inquire@babyluvboutique.com.
Baby Luv Boutique
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
The Best of Summer - Right in Your Backyard
One of the reasons I love summer is the fact that this time of year I get to enjoy the fruits of my labour - literally - from my garden. When I was growing up I remember my Mom planting a huge garden. We had everything from potatoes, tomatoes, peas, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, pumpkins, beets, radish, beans, corn, onions and garlic to strawberries, rhubarb and raspberries.
I used to think it was a ton of work to plant, water and weed it. Not to mention I hated shelling bags and bags of peas or cleaning bags and bags of beans to blanch and put in the freezer when I'd rather be doing something else fun outside. But everything sure tasted good when she cooked those vegetables or made jam and desserts with those fruits.
Well now that I'm an adult and have my own family guess what? I've got my own garden and we enjoy potatoes, tomatoes, peas, carrots, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, pumpkins, beets, radish, beans, peppers, corn, onions, garlic, herbs, zucchini, squash, strawberries and rhubarb. My husband wants us to plant raspberry canes and my kids want an apple tree as well. Those are next on the list to add to our yard.
Another treat we will enjoy this year is fresh Saskatoon berries. For those of you not from the Prairies who have never tasted a Saskatoon berry, you are sadly missing out. They are a little smaller than a Blueberry, but a little sweeter and they make wonderful pies, jam and jelly. We are lucky enough to have a stash of Saskatoon berry trees in our yard scattered among the native trees surrounding the property. We went out a few nights ago and picked enough to make a pie and have a few for fresh eating - yum!
I don't do as much canning and storing for winter as my Mom did but that's something I need to be more diligent about. I do make my own tomato sauce and sometimes Salsa as well if the tomato bounty is big enough. I don't think I've eaten a commercial jar of tomato sauce for quite a few years now and if I have to, the taste just doesn't compare to homemade.
Things not only taste out of this world good but I feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment when I can walk outside my house to the garden and pick enough vegetables to make my family a meal. I don't have to worry about how much or how long I'm washing things since they are chemical and pesticide free. I know I'm saving a ton of money this time of year as well since a trip to the store for groceries has tripled over the past couple of years with fruit and produce being most expensive. Don't you hate it how all the things that are good for you cost the most?
If you have the ability to plant a garden, big or small, I encourage you to do it. If you're like me when I was growing up I swore I'd never do all that work but here I am, carrying on the tradition I saw my family take part in. So far my kids like to help plant the garden and they sure like picking (and mostly eating) fresh strawberries, peas and carrots. I can only hope I'm instilling in them the importance of knowing where your food comes from and to take pride in the fact that you can grow it yourself. With numerous communities taking initiatives to begin community gardens, you may just be able to enjoy the fruits of your labour as well!
When the weather turns cold and snowy here as it always does later in the year, I'm going to try some indoor container gardening with fresh herbs and lettuce. Maybe that will keep me inspired as I wait for spring next year!
Off to make some new potatoes with dill, butter and onions for supper - yum again! We hope you are enjoying the fruits of summer too - whether in your own garden or someone else'. Another great way to reduce your carbon footprint by growing food close to home. Gotta love summer!
Baby Luv Boutique
I used to think it was a ton of work to plant, water and weed it. Not to mention I hated shelling bags and bags of peas or cleaning bags and bags of beans to blanch and put in the freezer when I'd rather be doing something else fun outside. But everything sure tasted good when she cooked those vegetables or made jam and desserts with those fruits.
Well now that I'm an adult and have my own family guess what? I've got my own garden and we enjoy potatoes, tomatoes, peas, carrots, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, pumpkins, beets, radish, beans, peppers, corn, onions, garlic, herbs, zucchini, squash, strawberries and rhubarb. My husband wants us to plant raspberry canes and my kids want an apple tree as well. Those are next on the list to add to our yard.
Another treat we will enjoy this year is fresh Saskatoon berries. For those of you not from the Prairies who have never tasted a Saskatoon berry, you are sadly missing out. They are a little smaller than a Blueberry, but a little sweeter and they make wonderful pies, jam and jelly. We are lucky enough to have a stash of Saskatoon berry trees in our yard scattered among the native trees surrounding the property. We went out a few nights ago and picked enough to make a pie and have a few for fresh eating - yum!
I don't do as much canning and storing for winter as my Mom did but that's something I need to be more diligent about. I do make my own tomato sauce and sometimes Salsa as well if the tomato bounty is big enough. I don't think I've eaten a commercial jar of tomato sauce for quite a few years now and if I have to, the taste just doesn't compare to homemade.
Things not only taste out of this world good but I feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment when I can walk outside my house to the garden and pick enough vegetables to make my family a meal. I don't have to worry about how much or how long I'm washing things since they are chemical and pesticide free. I know I'm saving a ton of money this time of year as well since a trip to the store for groceries has tripled over the past couple of years with fruit and produce being most expensive. Don't you hate it how all the things that are good for you cost the most?
If you have the ability to plant a garden, big or small, I encourage you to do it. If you're like me when I was growing up I swore I'd never do all that work but here I am, carrying on the tradition I saw my family take part in. So far my kids like to help plant the garden and they sure like picking (and mostly eating) fresh strawberries, peas and carrots. I can only hope I'm instilling in them the importance of knowing where your food comes from and to take pride in the fact that you can grow it yourself. With numerous communities taking initiatives to begin community gardens, you may just be able to enjoy the fruits of your labour as well!
When the weather turns cold and snowy here as it always does later in the year, I'm going to try some indoor container gardening with fresh herbs and lettuce. Maybe that will keep me inspired as I wait for spring next year!
Off to make some new potatoes with dill, butter and onions for supper - yum again! We hope you are enjoying the fruits of summer too - whether in your own garden or someone else'. Another great way to reduce your carbon footprint by growing food close to home. Gotta love summer!
Baby Luv Boutique
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Preparing Cloth Diapers for Use
You've made the choice to use cloth diapers and you have your stash purchased. Now what? What do you have to do to get them ready for baby to wear?
Whenever you purchase cloth diapers you will want to wash them before baby wears them just to ensure they are clean for the first use. Some types of cloth diapers and the corresponding fabric used in them will require different levels of preparation. We'll cover them all so you know where to start no matter what type and style you have.
Synthetic fabrics like polyester, microterry and microfleece often comprise the components of pocket diapers and/or All In One diapers. These materials should be washed and dried once prior to first use to clean the diapers. A wash cycle on hot with the recommended amount of cloth diaper friendly detergent with a cold rinse cycle and an extra rinse will be sufficient preparation. Dry them in the dryer or on the line, especially in the summer, and they are ready to go. Even in the colder months you can line dry diapers (and other laundry) inside on a drying rack. Line drying is a great way to save energy and reduce your costs all while helping to lessen your carbon footprint.
Natural fabrics like cotton and hemp will require some additional steps in the preparation process. Natural fabrics contain oils and wax in the case of unbleached cotton. These oils and wax are released from the fabric during the initial wash and dry cycles. These fabrics will also shrink and fluff up so washing cotton and hemp products in hot water, rinsing and drying in the dryer multiple times will remove the natural oils and prep the fabric. Each time these fabrics are washed and dried it helps to prime the fabric or make it more absorbent. Hemp will require 8-12 wash and dry cycles to allow it to reach it's maximum absorbency. It can be used after the first wash and dry cycle however after each washing it will gain more absorbency each time.
If you are using hemp or cotton inserts/prefolds inside of pocket diapers you will want to wash these fabrics separately from your pocket diapers and microfleece products for the first 4-6 wash and dry cycles in order to prevent the natural oils and wax from coating the interior fabric of your pocket diapers potentially causing them to repel liquid and leak. Once these initial wash and dry cycles are complete, then all your diaper products can be washed together without concern of the natural oils/wax coating your diapers.
When line drying hemp it can get a bit hard and stiff but you can always put the hemp in the dryer on the fluff or wrinkle release setting to soften them up. You can also take them off the line while just slightly damp and place them in the dryer for a few minutes to soften them as well. The addition of PVC free or wool dryer balls in your dryer will help to soften clothes and reduce drying time as well.
Once you've got those diapers washed and dried you are ready to begin using them. I can see baby's smiling face already - so comfortable in their new cloth diapers!
Be sure to contact us if you ever have questions regarding preparation and care - we luv to help!
Baby Luv Boutique
Whenever you purchase cloth diapers you will want to wash them before baby wears them just to ensure they are clean for the first use. Some types of cloth diapers and the corresponding fabric used in them will require different levels of preparation. We'll cover them all so you know where to start no matter what type and style you have.
Synthetic fabrics like polyester, microterry and microfleece often comprise the components of pocket diapers and/or All In One diapers. These materials should be washed and dried once prior to first use to clean the diapers. A wash cycle on hot with the recommended amount of cloth diaper friendly detergent with a cold rinse cycle and an extra rinse will be sufficient preparation. Dry them in the dryer or on the line, especially in the summer, and they are ready to go. Even in the colder months you can line dry diapers (and other laundry) inside on a drying rack. Line drying is a great way to save energy and reduce your costs all while helping to lessen your carbon footprint.
Natural fabrics like cotton and hemp will require some additional steps in the preparation process. Natural fabrics contain oils and wax in the case of unbleached cotton. These oils and wax are released from the fabric during the initial wash and dry cycles. These fabrics will also shrink and fluff up so washing cotton and hemp products in hot water, rinsing and drying in the dryer multiple times will remove the natural oils and prep the fabric. Each time these fabrics are washed and dried it helps to prime the fabric or make it more absorbent. Hemp will require 8-12 wash and dry cycles to allow it to reach it's maximum absorbency. It can be used after the first wash and dry cycle however after each washing it will gain more absorbency each time.
If you are using hemp or cotton inserts/prefolds inside of pocket diapers you will want to wash these fabrics separately from your pocket diapers and microfleece products for the first 4-6 wash and dry cycles in order to prevent the natural oils and wax from coating the interior fabric of your pocket diapers potentially causing them to repel liquid and leak. Once these initial wash and dry cycles are complete, then all your diaper products can be washed together without concern of the natural oils/wax coating your diapers.
When line drying hemp it can get a bit hard and stiff but you can always put the hemp in the dryer on the fluff or wrinkle release setting to soften them up. You can also take them off the line while just slightly damp and place them in the dryer for a few minutes to soften them as well. The addition of PVC free or wool dryer balls in your dryer will help to soften clothes and reduce drying time as well.
Once you've got those diapers washed and dried you are ready to begin using them. I can see baby's smiling face already - so comfortable in their new cloth diapers!
Be sure to contact us if you ever have questions regarding preparation and care - we luv to help!
Baby Luv Boutique
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Update: Pampers Dry Max Lawsuit Results
We had covered the issue surrounding the Pampers Dry Max diapers last year when it was suggested that a number of families in the US and some here in Canada, had their children experience severe skin reactions after using the product.
Here is a recent article on the outcome of this and the lawsuits pursued by parents whose children experienced those reactions while using the Pampers product. Click HERE to see the full article.
This series of articles certainly gives parents more food for thought on the choice to use cloth versus disposables and potential health issues that can arise as a result.
We feel that cloth diapers are the best option for families for many, many reasons. The lack of education and true understanding about the latest innovations in cloth diaper products is why we host our regular Cloth Diaper Workshops.
If you want the real story about cloth diapers and their benefits, attend a workshop and get the facts. Articles like the one listed here motivate us to continue educating families which we feel is a very valuable service to provide.
Here is a recent article on the outcome of this and the lawsuits pursued by parents whose children experienced those reactions while using the Pampers product. Click HERE to see the full article.
This series of articles certainly gives parents more food for thought on the choice to use cloth versus disposables and potential health issues that can arise as a result.
We feel that cloth diapers are the best option for families for many, many reasons. The lack of education and true understanding about the latest innovations in cloth diaper products is why we host our regular Cloth Diaper Workshops.
If you want the real story about cloth diapers and their benefits, attend a workshop and get the facts. Articles like the one listed here motivate us to continue educating families which we feel is a very valuable service to provide.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Summer's Hot - Your Diaper Pail is Not?
Summer's in full swing and it's been sweltering hot the past few days. How's your diaper pail doing in this weather? If you don't enjoy the luxury of air conditioning in your home it can make diaper pail management a bit of a challenge. We'd love to give you some tips and some relief if you have been struggling with keeping things smelling fresh and odor free.
We've always recommended our clients use baking soda in the bottom of their diaper pail. A generously sprinkled layer in the bottom will do a great job of eliminating odor. Washing your diapers no more than once every 2 days maximum will also help reduce odors in your nursery.
Recently we've come across a new product that can make this task even easier to do and we loved the idea so much, we brought it into our store. Ever Bamboo, located in Canada, offers a Diaper Pail Deodorizer product made from bamboo charcoal. We've had some of our clients test this product and it has performed very well.
The bamboo charcoal is made from moso bamboo which can grow two feet or more in a single day, reaching up to 60 feet tall in two to three months.
Due to the growth characteristics of moso bamboo, millions of tiny holes are created as the plant densifies as it matures, a process taking approximately five years. It is these tiny holes that ultimately give the resulting bamboo charcoal its revolutionary abilities as both a deodorizer and dehumidifier. These benefits have been enjoyed for more than five centuries in Asia. Compared to regular charcoal, bamboo charcoal has 10 times more surface area and is 4 times stronger in its absorption rate.
Bamboo forests are widely planted throughout Asia, and due to the resurgence in the recognition of its benefits, many more acres are planted every day. And as bamboo takes only five years from seedling to mature plant, it will be readily available for all future generations.
With proper care, your bamboo charcoal product can last an entire year or more. To recharge your diaper pail deodorizers, place your bamboo charcoal product outside under direct sunlight (2-3 hours per side) monthly or weekly for optimal performance. After it's useful life, and because it is a 100% natural product, it can be recycled into the ecosystem.
Using the Ever Bamboo Diaper Pail Deodorizer couldn't be easier. You can simply place it in the bottom of your diaper pail/pail liner or tape it to the lid of your pail and it will do an awesome job of keeping your pail smelling like, well nothing really. No knock-you-over ammonia smell when you walk into your laundry room or nursery.
A very eco-chic and inexpensive product, the Ever Bamboo Diaper Pail Deodorizer will make diaper pail management a breeze and your summer sensational! You can find them right here at Baby Luv Boutique.
Enjoy your summer and don't worry about company dropping in - your diaper pail will be odor free no matter what season it is!
We've always recommended our clients use baking soda in the bottom of their diaper pail. A generously sprinkled layer in the bottom will do a great job of eliminating odor. Washing your diapers no more than once every 2 days maximum will also help reduce odors in your nursery.
Recently we've come across a new product that can make this task even easier to do and we loved the idea so much, we brought it into our store. Ever Bamboo, located in Canada, offers a Diaper Pail Deodorizer product made from bamboo charcoal. We've had some of our clients test this product and it has performed very well.
The bamboo charcoal is made from moso bamboo which can grow two feet or more in a single day, reaching up to 60 feet tall in two to three months.
Due to the growth characteristics of moso bamboo, millions of tiny holes are created as the plant densifies as it matures, a process taking approximately five years. It is these tiny holes that ultimately give the resulting bamboo charcoal its revolutionary abilities as both a deodorizer and dehumidifier. These benefits have been enjoyed for more than five centuries in Asia. Compared to regular charcoal, bamboo charcoal has 10 times more surface area and is 4 times stronger in its absorption rate.
Bamboo forests are widely planted throughout Asia, and due to the resurgence in the recognition of its benefits, many more acres are planted every day. And as bamboo takes only five years from seedling to mature plant, it will be readily available for all future generations.
With proper care, your bamboo charcoal product can last an entire year or more. To recharge your diaper pail deodorizers, place your bamboo charcoal product outside under direct sunlight (2-3 hours per side) monthly or weekly for optimal performance. After it's useful life, and because it is a 100% natural product, it can be recycled into the ecosystem.
Using the Ever Bamboo Diaper Pail Deodorizer couldn't be easier. You can simply place it in the bottom of your diaper pail/pail liner or tape it to the lid of your pail and it will do an awesome job of keeping your pail smelling like, well nothing really. No knock-you-over ammonia smell when you walk into your laundry room or nursery.
A very eco-chic and inexpensive product, the Ever Bamboo Diaper Pail Deodorizer will make diaper pail management a breeze and your summer sensational! You can find them right here at Baby Luv Boutique.
Enjoy your summer and don't worry about company dropping in - your diaper pail will be odor free no matter what season it is!
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