What's New in our Neck of the Woods

Did you think I forgot about my dear ‘ol blog? Truth be told, it has been awhile. Truth be told, I have been really busy….. and stressed…… and tired. Closing in on 30 weeks pregnant in the middle of the AZ summer is no fun!


What is new in the Smith casa…..one thing is our new cloth diapering venture. After lots of minor bouts with Porter being red tush’ied and a few major bouts, we decided that with the new baby, we will skip all that and just straight cloth diaper her. There are so many reasons to cloth diaper. My top ones were one, Porter’s sensitive skin. Cloth diapered babies tend to not get diaper rash as bad or frequently. Two, harsh chemicals. I’ll leave you to research that one. Suffice it to say that it is pretty harsh stuff babies getting chemical burns from disposables and the list of chemicals is crazy. Yeow-za. No good. Three, cost savings. Duh, no brainer. Although, I tend to go a wee bit crazy and I will have 2 kiddos in dipes. My saving grace… name brand cloth diapers in excellent condition get 80% or so of their investment back. So, I can always sell them and not be out any more money than if I used disposables.

I am fortunate to have lots and lots of cloth diapering friends that held my hand through this process. My girlfriend Laura is a Go Baby Go representative and she came over and went through all different kinds and types with me. I have bought most of my diapers through them. They are fantastic, check out their fluff here. With Scarlett coming soon, we decided to semi switch P-man while he is at home with us to test them out, save some money and become cloth diaper experts by the time Scarlett comes. The verdict? So far, so good! I really like it. It is easy and Porter has really taken to it. I think he likes how soft they are and they just look so darn cute on him!

Cloth diapers have come a long, long way. They are not your old school diapers that is for sure. And like most things, everyone has a brand preference. My favorites so far are Grovia’s,

Grovia Hybrid Diaper

These are a hybrid diaper that can be a disposable and re-useable. Pretty great concept. They can be used with a disposable insert or a re-useable one. Great for on the go and travelling. They fit P well too.

My new favorite….. RUMPAROOZ!! These are a pocket style diaper so you can adjust the absorbency. The new G2’s have a super soft, non piling inside and the coolest insert ever. You can snap it to fit a boy or a girl so they get maximum protection the areas they need it. Another bonus, based on the reviews I read, they snap down to be really small, so they are a true birth to potty training diaper. I love the gussets on the sides and it is really maximum leak protection for the bigger babies like Porter. These are just awesome!

Rumparooz G2

Third favorite, one of Neil’s most favorite, is Bum Genius. We only have one or two. Neil likes Velcro closure and really liked the way it fit Porter when he got him dressed for bed the other night. I like them too and they come with a slightly more affordable price tag.

Bum Genius Pocket Diaper

Last but not least…… my splurge…… made by the same company as Rumparooz are Lil Joey’s. They are newborn all in one diapers. And ohmygosh are they cute. Teeny teeny tiny. They snap down for the umbilical cord and fit from 4-12 lb. Hence the splurge. They will only fit her for a few months. But, because they will be in such good condition, I , again can sell them and probably recoup 80% of my money. On cloth diaper forums they are usually gone in a matter of hours. They sell quick and for a high price. I won’t buy a ton of them but she will have a couple pint sized diapers to wear. I just can’t help myself. But I scour for good deals and use my reward points. I have been good about not buying anything this pregnancy so I feel ok with my obsession splurge purchase! Serious cuteness going on.

Lil Joey's aka the cutest things ever!

So there you have it. One of our latest ventures in Casa de Smith. I never knew I would be so excited about stuff my kids pee in but I am! I am constantly searching and reading. I love that my husband is on board. He says our diapers are so easy a husband can do it! While Porter still is in his Huggies at daycare, he is cloth diapered at home. I have already been able to skip one of our Amazon Mom diaper shipments and that put $35.00 in our pockets. So, even though Porter is more of a test, we are still saving a few bucks. Even for this cloth diapering novice, it is much easier and much more fun than I thought. I wish we would have switched sooner!