We asked our customers why they love working with New & Green and this is just one of our very kind reviews:

 ”I was first introduced to New and Green when my sister enrolled me in a cloth diaper workshop. The workshop turned out to be the most informative prenatal class I took. The woman who ran the course was so knowledgeable! I was totally convinced cloth diapers would be the way for us to go. I was also convinced that there could be no better service in the lower mainland. I also appreciated the fact that when I would go to pick up the diapers, I was able to ask questions and get great explanations. New and Green has the best customer service!”

Thank you L.  We are happy to help and to provide you with all the information you need to put little D into cloth diapers! 

Baby E. is wearing one of our favourite night time choices – the Aristocrats Wool diaper cover.  These 100% wool covers are naturally absorbent and breatheable, allowing for dry beds and happy mornings!  Pair this cover with a bamboo or hemp fitted diaper for a super trim and ultra thirsty combination.

Photo Credit:  Vairdy Photography.  Vairdy is a Vancouver Photographer who works with newborns, children & families.

This year, we are going to continue to bring you lots of great diapering info to help you along your way but thought we’d also draw on some of the experts that we’ve met over the years.  We’ve got some great information lined up for you to help you with your day to day parenting.  We can’t wati to share!

First up, we’d like to introduce you to Chloe Dierkes of Urban Doula.  We chatted with Chloe and asked her to share with us some common themes from her experiences working with brand new parents.

N&G: When working with parents to be, what are the top 3 things that you tell them to expect in the first weeks with a newborn?

Chloe:

1. Expect breast-feeding to take some time to establish.  Read a book on breast-feeding during pregnancy so that you are not trying to learn while caring for your newborn (you will not have the time!).  Attend a local Le Leche League meeting (http://www.lllc.ca/get-help) before the birth so you can talk with and observe breast-feeding moms.  Be sure to get lots of support immediately following your birth.
2. Expect your sleeping patterns to change drastically.  Newborns are often awake more at night than during the day.  This will soon reverse, but until it does, you will have to make up for lost sleep with many naps throughout the day (your total sleep time should add up to the same number of hours as before).
3. Expect your emotions to be fragile.  Be gentle with yourself and your partner.

N&G: When visiting a family post-partum, what are the top 3 things that families tell you they were surprised about?

Chloe:

1. How quickly newborns change.  This requires constant adaptation since every solution is temporary and often once new parents feel things are figured out, something else becomes difficult.
2. How nervous and unprepared they felt.
3. How difficult it is to get 3 meals and enough sleep in each day.

N&G: What is your favourite piece of wisdom to share with parents to be about the first days and weeks with their new baby?

Chloe: Before your baby arrives, arrange for support from friends, family and/or a postpartum doula.   In our society it is custom to shower new parents with lots of toys, clothes and physical gifts, but in retrospect parents often feel that practical support would have been much more beneficial.   Have a close friend arrange a “meal train” for you, where each night for the first few weeks you have someone deliver you a healthy meal.  Set your own parameters based on what you like to eat and make sure you have boundaries outlining the rules (for example, “please come at 5:30pm, stay for no longer that 15 minutes and do some tidying before you leave”).  Set up your support systems before baby arrives.

About Urban Doula: Chloe Dierkes is a birth and postpartum doula in Vancouver, BC who offers guidance and care for pregnancy, birth and newborn families.  She has worked in childcare for almost a decade and thoroughly enjoys supporting families and helping them to find creative solutions.

Find out more: www.urbandoula.com

Today our featured mom is Gina.

How old are you?
I’m 30

What did you do (from a working perspective) before your baby arrived?
I was an auditor and just received my CA (accountant certification) before going on mat leave.

Are you currently at home with your baby/children or working in/out of the home?
I am currently a stay at home mom and am working towards becoming a Hypnobabies instructor and doula.

How old is your baby?
Kaiden is 8 months

When did you decide to cloth diaper?
I started researching cloth diapers when I first got pregnant and decided that we would cloth diaper after taking the 101 workshop in my 2nd trimester.

When did you start cloth diapering?
Kaiden has been cloth diapered since day 1, the only disposable he has worn was the one the nurse put on him when he was born.

What is your favourite diaper(s)?
My favorite diaper changes all the time   Right now it’s my Bum Genius 4.0′s.

My day in a nutshell
Here is a peek into what a day looks like for us.  We don’t keep to a schedule so all times are definitely approximate!

6:30 am – Kaiden wakes me up, I roll over and am greeted by a big smile!  Then dad gets up with him, changes his diaper and gets him dressed.  After that he keeps Dad company while he gets ready for work and I get a little more sleep.  Dad puts the diapers in the dryer (they were washed after dinner the night before).

7:30 am – Kaiden joins me in bed again and it’s breakfast time.  He still has no interest in solids so he is still powered mostly by mommy milk.  Dad leaves for work.

8:00 am – Kaiden hangs out in the bathroom with me while I get ready for the day. I have perfected the art of showering and getting ready before Kaiden gets bored, which doesn’t take too long.

8:15 am – Time for another diaper change and a little hang out naked time.  Kaiden LOVES being naked.

8:30 am – Now we have some fun.  Sometimes we play, sometimes we go for a walk, and sometimes we do both.

10:00 am – Kaiden and I hop into bed, he has another bite to eat, and I lay with him until he falls asleep.

10:20 am – Now I get to have a bite to eat, prep some food for dinner, and get as many other tasks that I can done before Kaiden wakes up.

10:50 am – Kaiden gets up and we chill for a bit in bed and then change his diaper.

11:00 am – This is where things get switched up.  Some days we just go for walks & play, sometimes we get adjusted by our chiropractor, sometimes we go to a La Leche League meeting or meet up with friends to visit, go for walks, snowshoe – it is always something fun and exciting!

1:00 pm – Kaiden will have another meal and nap while we are out.  Sometimes he skips this nap, sometimes he doesn’t.  But it’s definitely time for another diaper change.

2:00 pm – We’re usually home by around this time and you guessed it, it’s time to hang out and play again.  The dogs are also a great source of amusement in the early afternoon.

4:00 pm – Back into bed for another meal and nap after another diaper change.

4:20 pm – Sometimes I’ll nap with him but if I sneak away I’ll try to get in some computer time.

4:50 pm – Kaiden gets up and we’ll play or hang out in the kitchen while I prep some more food for dinner.

5:40 pm – We suit up, go for a walk and meet dad at the train station.  If we have time we’ll pop into the library on our way and read some books.

6:15 pm – Dad and Kaiden hang out and play for a bit.  This usually involves a ton of giggling and smiles, dad is way more amusing than I am. 

6:35 pm – Kaiden gets ready for bed and we put him in his night diaper.

6:45 pm – Kaiden and I read Good Night Vancouver.

7:00 pm – Time for bed and the final meal for the day (well, except for the 4 snacks he’ll have throughout the night, hehe).  Once he’s fallen asleep I’ll sneak out.

7:30 pm – Mom and Dad make dinner, eat, and catch up on each others’ day.

8:15 pm – Take the diapers out of the dryer and fold them together (ok, I should probably be completely honest, Dad does 95% of the diaper washing and folding)

8:30 pm – Before relaxing for the evening I get some work done.

10:30 pm – Time to go join Kaiden in bed.

This interview was submitted on March 11, 2011.

It may seem from our title that we’re talking about food today, but as is inevitable in any conversation about diapers, today we’re actually discussing poo. (Sorry if we got your hopes up….) As any pediatrician or naturopath will tell you, watching your infant’s stools change from liquid to solid is an important, significant transition, and sometimes that can mean changing your diaper selection as well.

The Newborn Days

In the early days of life, your baby’s gut is immature. For the first few days, it’s excreting all the lovely, tarry meconium that is a by-product of life in the womb, and for the first few weeks is incapable of holding food for long. And obviously, the only food intake is in liquid form, so with all these factors together, you can count on a liquid-y, poopy diaper after every meal. (Diaper liners are a welcome accessory during this period!)

As for color and texture, due to the colonization of the gut with all the good bacteria it needs for nutrient absorption, you can watch the stool go from black to various shades of yellow and green. Your doctor or midwife will likely ask you at some point about the stool’s color and consistency as an indication of the baby’s health, especially if the baby has been jaundiced.

In terms of diapering, all of this liquid stool in the early days means that the most important factor to consider in choosing diapers is containment. You need a diaper or a cover that has good, snug elastic around the legs and waist to keep all the poo exactly where it belongs. Popular choices from New & Green parents tend to be a prefold, Snappi, and cover combo, a Kissaluvs size 0 + cover combo, and the (super cute) TiniFit All-in-One.

Regularity

At about 6-8 weeks of age, your baby’s stools will begin to change. While at the beginning poo tends to be runny, at this point it will begin to hold together and take on a firmer, more tacky texture. The upside to this is that the stool can be easier to shake off into the toilet, as well as that food is now moving more slowly through the gut, so it’s entirely possible that your baby will only move his or her bowels once or twice a day, sometimes at the same time each day. (Wahoo!) And as the months go by and as your baby begins to eat solid food, the poo will continue to solidify.

So as poo becomes more – shall we say, regular – containment is no longer the highest priority for a diaper, but absorbancy. Poo may not be as frequent, but the baby’s bladder is getting bigger and he or she is eating more.

Thus, parents’ favorite diapers tend to change: many still love the prefold + cover combo and the EasyFit All-in-One, but other favorites for this period include the Bamboozle bamboo fitted, the AMP hemp fitted, and BumGenius pocket diapers.

Watching your baby grow and change can be an incredible, joyful experience. We certainly hope that cloth diapering on that journey helps you celebrate the joy of watching your child grow and seeing the miracle of all the changes that your baby’s body goes through, including the myriad type of messy diapers.

And care to share your experiences? We welcome hearing your stories about how you have dealt with your “poo problems,” as questions about how to deal with poop are among our most frequent at our Cloth Diapering 101 workshops and here on the blog. Real-life stories are fantastic!

We asked parents why they loved working with New & Green and this is what the Dad of this family told us:

“New and Green offers a fantastic mix of informative and responsive customer service and great products.  We attended the Diapering 101 course and then did a follow up with one of the staff to help us find the best options for our family and lifestyle.  We appreciated the guidance and ease of the service.”

Thanks D, T and Baby E.  We love the opportunity to work with families like you!

Baby E is sporting an infant sized Organic Cotton Prefold Cloth Diaper with a Royal Blue Snappi.  In this photo Baby is just a couple weeks old.  Organic Cotton Prefolds are the absorbent part of your two piece diapering system.  Baby E needs a waterproof cover over top to complete the system.

Photo Credit:  Vairdy Photography.  Vairdy is a Vancouver Photographer who works with newborns, children & families.

Today our featured mom is Candace.

How old are you?
I am 28 years old.

What did you do (from a working perspective) before your baby arrived?
In my professional life I am a Registered Nurse.

Are you currently at home with your baby/children or working in/out of the home?
I am currently at home on maternity leave.

How old is your baby?
I have 2 children. My son is 29 months old.  My daughter is 5 months old.

When did you decide to cloth diaper?
When I was pregnant with Mr. H I had read an article online about the effects of chlorine on children and how diapers are one of the main sources.  I went into a local store looking for some advice but came away discouraged.  I was then at a baby shower for a friend and found out about your website and signed up for the trial.

When did you start cloth diapering?
I started cloth diapering when my son was 3 months old.  I started by doing your trial program and have never looked back.

What is/are your favourite diaper(s)?
I am in love with Fuzzi Bunz!  I initially used the Perfect Size and have added a few of their One Size diapers.  I like them because when I first started using cloth diapers they were the only ones that used snaps rather than hook/loop closures (I like not having to do the maintenance). I just started using Bummis and Kushies training pants.

My day in a nutshell
6:30 am – If I am lucky enough that Miss M has not yet woken up; my husband’s first alarm goes off.  I have yet to figure out his logic about the snooze button because all it does is wake me up since he doesn’t get up for another twenty minutes.  I guess it is the little things like this that make me love him so much.

7:30 am – Usually I hear stirring from one if not both of my children.  So starts the plotting of how I will breastfeed Miss M, get Mr. H on the potty and not loose my mind in the process.  I have started potty training Mr. H so I usually try for a short potty time while I change Miss M at the same time.  Stories in “Mommy and Daddy’s” bed give me time to breastfeed.

8:15 am – with a cloth diaper on Miss M and a cloth trainer pant on Mr. H our day can officially begin.  Breakfast and getting 2 kids dressed quickly is not a task I have mastered yet. However, a shower is my equivalent to coffee so it has to be squeezed in. Thank goodness for hot water!  Mr. H likes the big brother task of entertaining Miss M who patiently sits in her bouncy chair.

8:45 am – it is time to get out of the house! I usually change Miss M prior to leaving and check for any accidents from Mr. H.  I have come to realize that it is worth the effort to take the kids out.  You can catch us out and about in the Lonsdale area.  Strong Start and story time are currently our favourite past time.

10:30 am – I try to take Mr. H to the potty while out, which I have come to realize must look like a day at the circus with a 5 month old strapped onto my chest.  Oh well, all in a days work. Right?  I also change Miss M’s diaper while out and use our Bummis wet bag to carry home the dirties.

12:30 am – Lunch gives me a break, a moment to check my Facebook and e-mail.  I must keep up with the outside world somehow

1:00 pm – NAP TIME!!! Both kids get new diapers at this time. After a couple books and a glass of milk Mr. H will go down first giving me a chance to breastfeed Miss M and put her down as well.  During naptime I prep dinner and hope to catch a nap of my own.

3-ish – Mr. H is awake followed shortly by Miss M.  Potty time and fresh diapers are put on.  We usually go to the park or the library prior to dinner.

5:00 pm – my husband is home and dinner is served.

5:45 pm – playing, reading books and tidying up keep us busy till its time to get ready or bed.

7:00 pm – Mr. H has a bath with dad.  One last try on the potty and Mr. H is ready for his diaper.  Stories and teeth brushing lead to bedtime.

7:45 pm -  Miss M has been bathed and we are ready to start diapers!
I currently live in building with shared pay laundry, so to save money I have decided to do the cold soak in the tub.  I wear rubber gloves to ring them out and I must say my tub has never been cleaner as I am forced to clean it every other day along with the diapers.

8:15 pm – All kids are now asleep!  Time to finish the diapers.  I ring the diapers out and put them back in the diaper pail.  They are washed on hot and I do a cold rinse about every second time.  I have not seen any increased leaking with missing the rinse.

8:45 pm – Having more than one laundry machine means I can wash clothes and then combine the laundry with the clean liners in the dryer.  I still hang the waterproof liner and now I have clean diapers and trainers for the next 2 days ?
I must say that I am not always done diapers by 8:45 pm and some days it is almost 10pm before I am done.  I try to remember that I am doing my part for the environment and limiting chemicals from being on my children’s skin.

9:00 pm – Clean, organize, and read the New and Green Blog!

11:00 pm – Goodnight!

This interview was submitted on March 1, 2011.

We want to know what makes a mama, papa and baby happy when comes to the dirty work of cleaning bums. We have some brand new wipes in stock and some new-ish (and reportedly fabulous) locally made bum wash as well and we’re looking for 6 families to test these products for us.

If you’re interested, fill out an application by clicking on the link below. You must be an {avid} facebook user and be available over the next few weeks to participate.

Thanks so much; we really appreciate working with our Parent Review Panelists.

Apply here to be a part of our parent review panel.

Keep up with the reviews on Facebook or check back on http://www.newandgreen.com in a couple weeks for real-time reviews of the products.

Today our featured mom is Pamela.

How old are you?
28

What did you do (from a working perspective) before your baby arrived?
I work as a medical/surgical LPN.

Are you currently at home with your baby/children or working in/out of the home?
Home with my daughter

How old is your baby?
3 months

When did you decide to cloth diaper?
Many, many years ago. As long as I can remember I have planned to cloth diaper my children.

When did you start cloth diapering?
2 weeks after Claire was born

What is/are your favourite diaper(s)?
Right now I love my Micro Doodlez. Very trim on my 10-lber, nice and absorbent. The only downfall is that they take sooo long to dry! (Hey Pamela – have you considered Easy Fits – they offer that same great trimness AND a much reduced dry time!)

My day in a nutshell

8:30 am – Claire starts fussing, I roll over and nurse her trying to get her to go back to sleep…I’m not much of a morning person, so this is how most mornings start. She starts kicking and cooing after she is done eating, so I know I’m done for….Time to get up! We head into the nursery to change and dress her for the day. Today is BootCamp day, so I get dressed in my workout clothes and brush my teeth while she plays on the bed.

9:10 am – Alright Monkey, your turn! Diaper change…EEK! Guess I didn’t get the new diaper on quick enough and she peed everywhere. She thinks it’s hilarious when she does that, full of smiles! Clean her up, new diaper on. Reach for the clothes, and hear the unmistakable sound of a full diaper….I turn to her, and with my cutest baby voice “You’ve GOT to be kidding!” I don’t mind though…It’s moments like this that I’m glad I use cloth, so I don’t care if a diaper is only worn for a minute….Just get to pick another cute one!

9:30 am – We go downstairs, Claire spends a bit of time in her swing while I have breakfast and get us packed for the day.

9:50 am – We head out the door for some Stroller bootcamp. Time to work off the babyweight!

11:30 am – Home from bootcamp, thank goodness it wasn’t raining today, and Claire napped through! Feed & change Claire, and then she spends some quality time with her bouncy chair while I take a shower.

12:15 pm – put Claire in the Ring Sling and start the laundry. Diapers go into the wash for a quick wash on cold, extra rinse, heavy soil, with one scoop Funk Rock

12:30 pm – Claire isn’t liking the sling today, so she goes into her exersaucer/jolly jumper while I put on the coffee and make some lunch.

1:15 pm – Nap time! Nurse Claire to sleep in the sling, and turn the diapers on for their wash load.  Heavy duty, Heavy soil, Hot/cold, extra rinse, with two scoops Rockin Green Classic. Sit and enjoy coffee while Claire naps.

3:20 pm – Claire starts fussing, nurses a little, and then dozes off again.

3:40 pm – Yay, DH is home!! He puts the diapers in the dryer for me, low heat, sensor dry.

4:00 pm – Claire is up for good….Hand her over to DH for some Daddy-Daughter time while I make supper.

5:00 pm – she’s hungry again….Nurse her, then feed myself!

6:00 pm – DH is going to be out for the evening, so they enjoy a bit more quality time while I have some quality Mommy time and fix her bibs! I spend some time sewing some snaps onto them, as they are all too big for her skinny neck and the drool just skips them altogether!

7:00 pm – Back on Mommy Duty. Claire feels warm, and has been pretty snotty and fussy all day….Temp of 101, bit of tylenol, nurse her to sleep, wrap her up in the Woven Wrap for a  nice cozy cuddly Mommy nap.

7:30 pm – Take the diapers out of the dryer, and realize they’re kind of smelly….Ick! I’ve never had this problem before, so I do a bit of reading. Toss them all in the laundry sink with 4tTbls Rockin’ Green…..we’ll be rockin’ a soak overnight.

8:30 pm – Up to bed, Nurse Claire to sleep while I read a bit, then doze off myself.

Next morning….
Wow, I can’t believe the water the diapers are soaking in is still warm! Toss them in the wash on Quick Wash, Hot/Cold to rinse out the yuckies. Half hour later, I do another hot/cold quick wash cycle with 4Tbsp. funk rock, and let them soak for an hour. Another quick wash, hot/cold, extra rinse, and into the dryer they go! Finally, 20 minutes later, they come out smelling fresh, cleaner than they’ve ever been!

This interview was submitted February 17, 2011.

Today our featured mom is Caroline.

How old are you?
30

What did you do (from a working perspective) before your baby arrived?
Previous occupation: Member Accounts Manager at Hollyburn Country Club. BBA majoring in Human Resources and Strategic Management. Administrative and financial background.

Are you currently at home with your baby/children or working in/out of the home?
Current occupation: happy housewife & mom of two  =)

How old is your baby?
Evan, 2 ½, 100% toilet trained
Rhyan, 11 months, 100% cloth diapered

When did you decide to cloth diaper?
I first thought I would try cloth diapering when I was still pregnant, despite my mother’s discouragement, friends’ shrugs, and blank stares.

When did you start cloth diapering?
When Evan was a few weeks old. I truly had no idea what I was doing, not having a single friend that used cloth diapers with their kids, but I really wanted to make it work. I went to The Bay (the only baby store I could think of) and bought three 5-packs of Kushies diapers. I brought them home and immediately put one on Evan. Within minutes the diaper was soaked and so was his outfit. I tried another couple diapers with the same result. I drove back to The Bay and bought two Kushies diaper covers – maybe he’s supposed to be wearing plastic pants over these cloth diapers? More tries, more leaks, and the diapers were HUGE. After about 15 tries I returned the unopened pack of Kushies, posted the used diapers and covers on craigslist, and went back to disposables.

It bugged me that I failed at cloth diapers. I looked into diaper services, gDiapers, and finally cloth diapers. I bought my first cloth diapers (little g pants & bumGenius pockets) secondhand off craigslist to keep costs down in case I really couldn’t make it work. Once I got the hang of it, I searched for a local company to buy new bumGenius pocket diapers from, and found New & Green.

What is your favourite diaper(s)?

As I mentioned, I’ve tried Kushies, gDiapers, and bumGenius pockets. I’ve also tried cotton prefolds and Bummis covers, hemp prefolds, Fuzzi Bunz pockets, Monkey Doodlez AIO’s, Thirsties pockets, and Babykicks Bumboo pockets. My favourite by far are bumGenius pockets – I use them during the day for a nearly foolproof staple. For overnights, nothing works better than two prefolds and a Bummis cover. I almost always use BioSoft flushable liners.

Tell us about your day

Sometime around 6:30 am -  Evan climbs into bed with my husband and me. We tell him it’s too early and try to convince him to sleep for another 45 minutes. Sometimes (like this morning) he does; other times he refuses and we put Sesame Street on while we groan and rub our eyes. Morning always comes too early. One of us pads into the kitchen to make tea and get Evan a sippy of juice and water.

7:45 am – Rhyan wakes up. I go to her room, turn her little heater off, and pull up her blinds while she giggles and claps her hands. I change her soaked, heavy (but never leaking!) prefolds-n-cover diaper and put her in a bumGenius pocket diaper. We go back to bed for one of my favourite activities of the day: nursing belly to belly in bed.

8:30 am – After Daddy goes to work, we all go into the living room for breakfast. (Our dining room has been turned into a playroom, so the dining table is in the living room – we’re in somewhat cramped quarters!) If I’m lucky, I get breakfast too, and if I remember I make myself some coffee.

9 am-10 am – The kids and I get dressed, brush our teeth, and generally get ready for the day. I guzzle a cup of coffee before I forget and it’s left somewhere to get cold. If it’s a diaper laundry day, I collect all the diapers from Rhyan’s room (there are two diaper pails to hold them all) and take them downstairs to the laundry room. I run a rinse cycle on warm-cold. Then, 20 minutes later, I run a full cycle on hot/cold using a tablespoon of Rockin Green detergent.

10:00 am – I change Rhyan’s diaper. We venture out of the house, usually to Maplewood Farm, the Aquarium, Nonna’s house, or a “libby ride” (bike ride on Evan’s little run bike) around the neighborhood.

12:15 pm – We return home for lunch. I run downstairs to the laundry room, hang dry all the diaper covers, and toss the inserts into the dryer for 50 minutes on warm. I make lunch and we eat lunch together.

1:00 pm – Evan goes to the bathroom and I change Rhyan’s diaper. Then we go into Evan’s room for two stories and one song. Evan then falls asleep for his nap in his bed while I take Rhyan out to the living room. I put on Snatam Kaur’s “Grace” (her sleepytime music) and nurse her until she’s drowsy, then put her in her crib for her nap (usually by 1:30 pm).

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm – A blissful, blissful break for Mommy. Time to check email, Facebook, clean up the morning’s mess, and put my feet up. I might take the diaper inserts out of the dryer and fold them if I’m feeling energetic, and leave them on the dining table for stuffing later. It takes about three minutes to sort and snap a load of inserts and I do it while watching The People’s Court (my secret weakness).

3:00 pm – Rhyan usually wakes up from her nap first. I change her diaper, we nurse again, then play quietly until Evan wakes up.

4:00 pm – If Evan hasn’t woken up by 4pm, I wake him up, usually by climbing into bed with him and drawing on his back. Sometimes he’s grumpy, but sometimes he wakes up with a giggle because I’m tickling his back.

4:15 pm – 6:30 pm – Playtime at home if it’s lousy outside, or a trip to the bike park or playground, often with Daddy. A diaper change for Rhyan happens sometime in there.

6:30 pm – I make dinner and by 7:00 pm we’re eating. We usually watch TV or a movie. Lately it’s been Garfield, day after day … sigh.

7:45 pm – I start running a bath and make a nighttime bottle for Rhyan. I let it stand in the kitchen while we’re in the bath so that all the bubbles in the formula rise to the top, otherwise she wakes up gassy and uncomfortable around 9:30 pm.

8:00 pm – I get in the bath with both kids. They love it and it’s a bit of a break for me too. Paul gets 15 minutes of blissful quiet to check his email and Facebook.

8:15 pm – We all get out of the bath. I go into the living room with a jammied, cloth-diapered Rhyan and give her her nighttime bottle. Paul reads Evan two books in his bedroom and sings him a song.

8:30 pm – Rhyan finishes her bottle and has a good burp. I nurse her until she’s drowsy, then put her in her crib.

8:45 pm – Both kids are in bed. Paul and I quickly clean up the kitchen and tidy up the living room and playroom.

9:00 pm – I head down to the laundry room and check the diaper covers. In the wintertime they’re usually still wet (the room is unheated), but in the summertime by evening they’re dry. If it’s winter I bring up just the inserts from the dryer, and if it’s summer I bring up all the diaper gear. My husband and I settle in the living room for an episode or two of How I Met Your Mother (we love PVR!) while we sort and stuff the diapers. Within five minutes or so, I’ve got a three-day supply of diapers for Rhyan.

Sometime around 10-10:30 pm we head to bed to do it all over again!

This interview was submitted February 2, 2011.

Today our featured mom is Michelle.

How old are you?
34

What did you do (from a working perspective) before your baby arrived?
Legal Administrative Assistant for a busy lawyer downtown Vancouver

Are you currently at home with your baby/children or working in/out of the home?
Working out of the home 4 days a week

How old is your baby?
4 years (girl) and 22 months (boy)

When did you start cloth diapering?
When my daughter was 12 months old.

What is your favourite diaper(s)?
AMP One Size, for now…this seems to change as my son grows

Tell us about your day
4:55 am – yawn, stretch and wake up to the alarm to get in the shower and get ready for work before my son wakes up at 5:45 (ouch!)

5:30 am – eat breakfast and get a cup of coffee (I get it ready the night before)

5:45 am – get Dexter out of bed and get him some milk

6:00 am to 7:20 am - rush, rush – get dressed, get kids dressed, change diaper (my nightime diaper lasts 12 hours - phew), brush teeth, pack cloth diapers for daycare (yes, I have a daycare that enjoys using cloth diapers, score),  pack clothes and extras for daycare, get shoes and coats on, get out the door to drop kids off at daycare

7:30 am – drop kids off at daycare, give hugs and kisses and run to the car to catch my 7:47 bus at Phibbs (I barely make it)

8:00 am to 4:00 pm – work all day (do yoga at lunch, another score)

4:00 pm – leave work to catch the 4:15 bus (I listen to music and read on the way home – ahhh!)

4:45 pm – pick kids up at daycare (count how many cloth diapers I have to bring for the next day)

5:05 pm – get home with the kids, get them settled, prepare dinner, eat dinner, clean up from dinner while the kids play (let’s be honest, they mostly fight at this time of the day)

6:15 pm – bathtime (thank goodness they love bathtime)

6:20 pm – while the kids are in the bath put a load of cloth diapers in the wachine machine so everything will be dry and ready to go for the morning (cold soak and rinse, hot wash, cold rinse, cold rinse, hang all covers and machine dry inserts)

6:45 pm – get the kids out of the bath, get their pajamas on, sit down and play with them while they eat their bedtime snacks

7:45 pm – get ready for bed, brush their teeth, before bed pee, brush hair and put on Dexter’s nightime diaper (AMP One size with Flip organic cotton insert and hemp insert) and hop onto Mom and Dad’s bed for bedtime stories

8:00 pm – lay Dexter in his crib, give him his soother, turn on his noise machine and light machine, give kisses – goodnight

8:05 pm – Marisa gets another story

8:15 pm – Marisa goes to bed to read by herself before falling asleep (she is fully potty trained so no nighttime diaper for her)

8:30 pm – take diapers out of the washing machine, hang covers to dry and place inserts in the dryer

8:45 pm – 10 pm – get ready for work the next day (make lunch, pack yoga clothes), shower (sometimes) and try to sit down to relax a bit before heading to bed

10 – 10:30 pm – bedtime for me – finally

This interview was submitted February 10, 2011.

Today our featured mom is SB.

How old are you?
I am 35 years old.

What did you do (from a working perspective) before your baby arrived?
I am an Elementary School Teacher.

Are you currently at home with your baby/children or working in/out of the home?
I am at home on maternity leave.

How old is your baby?
My first child is 3 years old and my second is 3 months old.

When did you decide to cloth diaper?
I was interested in cloth diapering when baby number one was born but because of her medical issues, it seemed too overwhelming to get organized to cloth diaper her.  I made a commitment to myself to cloth diaper for baby number two.

When did you start cloth diapering?
I started cloth diapering when baby number two was a month old.  I would have started earlier but I didn’t realize that cloth diapers came that small.  I bought a bunch of Bum Genius and was told by a friend not to use them until baby was 10 lbs.

What is your favourite diaper(s)?
Right now… I love my Fuzzibunz for overnight because the snaps give a perfect fit every time and the inside liner holds all of the overnight pee.

Tell us about your day
5:00 am -  wake up before anyone else in the house is awake so that I can get a shower in… that’s the only way I can fit one in.

5:30 am – throw a load of dirty cloth diapers into the washing machine to soak in warm water… wake my 3 month old to change his cloth diaper and nurse him.

6:00 am – put my 3 month old back to bed to finish his sleep … make myself a cup of coffee and check my email while I have a few minutes of peace and quiet.

6:30 am – hear my 3 year old stirring in bed… turn the washing machine onto a hot water wash and add 2 scoops of Rockin’ Green to clean my cloth diapers…  go up and get my 3 year old and set her up with a glass of milk and breakfast… kiss my husband goodbye.

6:45 am – empty and load the dishwasher… fold the laundry that was sitting in the dryer from yesterday … prepare my 3 year old’s snack and backpack for preschool … organize my diaper bag… basically get ready for the day ahead.

7:15 am – turn the washing machine onto a second rinse cycle for the cloth diapers…make breakfast for myself … and share it with my 3 year old (because really… do I ever actually get my own meal).

7:30 am – put the load of cloth diapers into the dryer and put a new load of clothes in the washing machine… convince my daughter to use the potty (potty training is still undergo)… help her brush her teeth… dress my daughter for the day… get myself dressed too.

8:00 am – wake my 3 month old to change his cloth diaper, get him dressed, and nurse him.

8:30 am – load both kids into the car to drop my 3 year old off at preschool.

8:45 am – drop off my 3 year old at preschool… take my 3 month old on a bunch of errands while he naps in the car seat (grocery shopping, drug store, drycleaners, book store, etc. and usually for a coffee too).

10:30 – change and nurse my 3 month old.

11:15 am – pick up my 3 year old from preschool … ask her all about her day … return home.

11:30 am – make and eat lunch (usually something that my 3 year old picks).

12:00 pm – turn the dryer on a second time to dry the cloth diapers (only because our dryer is SO slow at drying anything) … playtime for my 3 year old.

12:30 pm – take my 3 year old up to her room for her nap time routine (potty, story, lots of hugs and kisses for mom and baby brother)… put my 3 month old down for a nap as well (I can dream right!)… listen to my 3 year old make believe with her stuffed animals while I comfort my 3 month old.

1:00 pm – transfer clean clothes to dryer… fold and put away the VERY clean cloth diapers… check my email again with a hot cup of coffee beside me.

1:30 pm – change and nurse my 3 month old… then playtime with my baby.

2:30 pm – return calls and do any household chores.

3:30pm – hear my 3 year old stirring… go up and get her from her room… get her a snack.

4:00pm – playtime with both kids… alternating between something my 3 year old wants to do (usually crafts or make believe) and entertaining my 3 month old until he decided to nap.

5:00pm – greet my husband when he arrives home from work … start preparing dinner.

5:30 pm – change and nurse my 3 month old.

6:00 pm – thank my husband for finishing dinner prep… eat with my family.

6:30 pm – quiet play or watching tv for my 3 year old … washing dishes for me.

7:00  pm – both kids in the tub for a good scrub!

7:30 pm – bed time routine for my 3 year old … potty, brush teeth, story read by mom and dad … lots of kisses goodnight.

7:45 pm – finish any chores and get organized for the next day.

8:00 pm – change and nurse my 3 month old… put him to bed.

8:30 pm – YAY! some much needed down time… watching tv, reading a book, connecting with hubby.

11:00 pm – change and nurse my 3 month old one last time before bed.

11:30 pm – bedtime!

This interview was submitted February 10, 2011.

Today our featured mom is Caroline.

How old are you?
I’ll be 31 years old this year.

What did you do (from a working perspective) before your baby arrived?
I worked as an RN on a hospital ward with a maternity focus, with both expectant and new mothers/families.

Are you currently at home with your baby/children or working in/out of the home?
Currently, I am off on mat leave until mid-June, but am already very anxious about returning to the hospital part time after my maternity leave has finished…eek!

How old is your baby?
My little boy is 8.5 months old now.

When did you decide to cloth diaper?
We started thinking about cloth diapering after we found out I was pregnant. At first we looked into diaper services, but found that it was fairly similar in cost to using disposables, but with the benefit of being a greener option. We realized that if we were going to cloth diaper, we wanted to do it ourselves and save more money with our own better fitting and cuter diapers. We thought we could also have more control over how they were washed and what detergents were being used/not used.

When did you start cloth diapering?
We had wanted to cloth diaper our son from birth, but were nervous about it being ‘more work’. We didn’t have any friends who were cloth diapering their children. We knew that a newborn would be a lot of work and didn’t want to add more stress to our lives. We finally got organized and started cloth diapering when our son was 2 months old, and, honestly, we wished we had started from the beginning! – it was so easy!!! And so much more economical (among many other positives)! If I could do it over again, I would have gotten at least a small stash of cloth diapers or prefolds before baby was born and started right away.

What is your favourite diaper(s)?
Well…. our favourite diaper is the AMP pocket duo. Both my husband and I really like the way it fits, that it’s a ‘one-size’ diaper, and the ease of using it. It seems to be of excellent quality and you can stuff it any which way you please, customizing for your baby’s ever-changing needs. However, we also have several other kinds of diapers in our stash – oh, how I love trying new diapers.

Tell us about your day
7:00am – Baby E starts wriggling beside me and soon starts babbling away and trying to climb up on top of me. I usually try and fake sleep at this point, in desperate hope that he might just go back to sleep … it’s never worked.

7:20am – I give up on the sleep. Baby E is squealing by now and is excited that the day’s activity is starting. I sleepily (and often grumpily) plod into our bedroom  (I should say my husband’s bedroom, which is really what it’s become) and E wakes ‘dada’ up with a big sloppy face chomp and some hair pulling.

7:30am – ‘Dada’ gets up and carries away the munchkin to do his morning routine, dressing and diaper change. Do I have a shower now? Or do I sleep in? SLEEP. Sleep always trumps hygiene. I climb into our bed, put pillows over my head and fall asleep for what seems like 2 seconds.

8:40am – ‘Dada’ is off to work and I now have to face the reality that it’s time to wake up. Baaah.  I start to make breakfast and some tea for myself, while I simultaneously try and occupy E, who is super active and has the attention span of a flea.

9:15am – Ok, time for E to go for a nap. Yay! (Naps make me very happy.) We have a cuddle and a feed, and if I don’t fall asleep again right there with him all warm and snuggly, then I slowly and quietly escape from the bedroom to have some me time – which usually starts with a check of Facebook and email, etc. Then I put on a movie or show and fold some laundry, heat up my cold tea, and pour myself a new bowl of cereal to replace the soggy one that I didn’t get to finish earlier – do mums ever get to finish what they are eating?

10:00am – And he’s awake. Unfortunately, he’s a power napper. A quick diaper change, toss the diaper and the cloth wipe (LOVE my cloth wipes – we have absolutely ZERO diaper garbage) in the wet bag by his change table. Seems like it’s pretty full this morning. I’ll plan to do laundry this evening …  Now starts my quest to occupy E until his next nap. My Raffi song and dance routine is usually a hit, as is our current favourite of building towers out of blocks so that E can immediately knock them down again – BOOM!

11:30am – Enough of this. Mama has to get dressed at some point today and maybe even get some chores done. This can be surprisingly entertaining. I’ve mastered the playing-peek-a-boo-while-brushing-your-teeth trick, as well as the dancing-a-jig-while-changing-into-your-jeans skill. E likes it. And I love that he likes it because we avoid a meltdown when I leave the room to get dressed and wash my face, etc. (I won’t even get started on how I take a shower…)

12:00pm – Some lunch for Mummy and E. Sitting at the table, I eat my food, while E spits much of his out. He hasn’t quite decided if he likes eating or not. And I’m always in search of that magic baby friendly recipe that will miraculously have him licking his bowl clean. Lunch is followed by a massive clean up of baby, highchair, and dining room floor (if not a change of clothes also).

12:30pm – Yes! Time for another nap! We have another diaper change, and a cuddle and a feed, then I rock him to sleep while I finish watching some of that movie that I started earlier in the morning…

1:00pm – While E is sleeping, I do some of the boring, but much needed chores around the house… a load of laundry, prepping some veggies and filling the slow cooker for tonight’s dinner, paying bills online, etc. Of course, all I really want to do is have a nap… I’ve realized how little sleep a human actually needs in order to function…CRAZY isn’t it?!

1:45pm – Lucky day! He slept for a full hour! Now to get ready for an outing…perhaps a walk in the rare sunshine of a Vancouver winter, and a stop at the grocery store. First, wrestle baby into coat, mittens, toque, and booties. Then, make sure to pack the stroller bag with an extra cloth diaper and a couple of wet cloth wipes in a small ziplock baggie…. and we’re off. OH! Almost forgot Sophie – can’t go anywhere without the ‘emergency toy’.

3:00pm – Ended up stopping at ‘Little Nest’ on Commercial Drive for some tea and a treat ….. Baby E decided to take this opportunity to ‘fill’ his diaper. Why do they always do that!!? It’s like they are plotting against us … No problem though. Off to the washroom to change baby. Use my cloth wipes to clean up his bum. Wipes and diaper tossed into my handy wet bag. In a flash the new diaper is snug on baby E and we’re back out enjoying our afternoon.

4:00pm – Get back home just in time for E’s last nap of the day. Cuddle and a feed. This one I join him on. Afternoon naps are the best. ZZZZzzzzzz.

4:40pm – Awake. Two more hours until bedtime bath… the countdown is on. I’m on damage control now. Baby E is into EVERYTHING now that he’s learned to crawl – I give him almost every non-lethal kitchen utensil to occupy him while I make some more preparations for dinner and clean up a bit.

5:00pm – Another quick diaper change. I also shake the contents of the wet bag from our outing into the big wet bag that I keep next to the change table in E’s room, then I toss in the small wet bag itself. This way I don’t forget the smaller bag and it’s contents when it’s time to do diaper laundry later this evening.

6:00pm – ‘Dada’ is finally home! Baby E is excited to see him and ‘dada’ provides some great distraction for us both before bedtime…plus, I was running out of safe kitchen items.

6:30pm – Bathtime. Splash splash splash! Baby E loves his baths. One of us gives him his bath while the other goes around the house and picks up the explosion of toys that has erupted and puts them away.

7:00pm – All dressed for bed in his PJ’s and his double stuffed pocket diaper (’cause I’m not changing him overnight and risking a full wake up!). We head for bed and snuggle in for a bedtime feed and cuddle.

7:30pm – Asleep. Phewf. No two hour struggle tonight. Goodnight Baby E. I slump down on the couch and revel in my independence for a bit. I made it through another day…

8:00pm – Today is diaper laundry day. I can usually go 3 days between diaper washes, which suits me just fine. Not too much stink, and not so often that I feel I’m washing diapers all the time. I dump the contents of the large full wet bag from E’s room directly into the washing machine, then throw in the bag itself. I set the washer for a long cold wash and rinse without any spin drying… Meanwhile, it’s time for this mama to EAT!!

9:00pm – Put on the extra long hot wash with two rinses… Back to vegging on the couch with ‘dada’. There’s a million things I could be doing, but I’ll admit it – I’m LAZY. I tell myself I’ll do all those things tomorrow…which I won’t.

10:30pm – So I like to hang dry my diapers whenever I can, which is why washing them at this time of night works well for me. I hang them up on my clothes horse and they always dry by the morning, allowing me to stuff and fold them during E’s first nap tomorrow. Saves a little electricity and lessens the wear on the diapers…makes me feel a little more ‘green’…’cause I’m of the tree-hugging variety of domestic goddess.

10:45pm – I crawl into bed beside my sleeping little boy, and hope that we both get a decent amount of sleep tonight… Ha. Is that even possible?

This interview was submitted February 12, 2011.

Meaghan and Baby C at the pool - it's a Saturday morning and C is wearing her Swimmi under her swimsuit (you can see a tiny bit of it peeking out)!

Today our featured mom is Meaghan.

How old are you?
34 years old

What did you do (from a working perspective) before your baby arrived?
I am a Speech-Language Pathologist working with ages 0-5.

Are you currently at home with your baby/children or working in/out of the home?
Just returned back to work 4 days a week after a year’s maternity leave.

How old is your baby?
Baby C is 11 months old.

When did you decide to cloth diaper?
We decided to try cloth diapering when I stumbled across the N&G website and their newborn rental program.  We were lucky enough to get the last rental kit around our due date.  We were solidified in our cloth diaper decision after the N&G cloth 101 workshop, which we attended while still pregnant.  And we were even more gung ho when we actually got to put the newborn rental kit into action and saw how easy and effective it was.

When did you start cloth diapering?
We started with the rental kit about 3 days after arriving home from the hospital.

What is your favourite diaper(s)?
Newborn: Kissaluvs

After the rental kit: bummis organic cotton prefold kit (infant size until she was 10 months old! She’s petite.)

Now: larger size prefolds with whisper wraps at home, Easyfits and Bum Genius pockets for daycare

Tell us about your day
Well, I have to say that my days have changed significantly in the past two weeks since mat leave ended.  They currently look very different on days I have to go to work and days I don’t.  My husband has very long work days, hence my example doesn’t include any help from him.  If he happens to have the day off on a day that I go to work, the following example would include a latte (made by him!) before I leave for work and no diaper laundry when I get home, because he does it during the day .  Those are good days.

Here is an example of a work day + diaper laundry day:

6am – wake up, get myself ready

7am – if little C isn’t up yet, reluctantly wake her up, breastfeed, change out of the overnight diaper (usually hemp prefold+doubler+aristocrat wool cover) and into a prefold/whisper wrap combo

7:30 – a bit of breakfast

7:50am – to daycare for 8am drop-off
I send a bag of at least 5 cloth diapers (Easyfits + Bum Genius pockets) preloaded with biosoft liners + pre-moistened cloth wipes (make sure there’s at least 10, use wipes cubes solution to soak them, use the small Huggies travel pack case for storage) + a medium wet bag for dirty diaper storage + bum-bum balm

8:10am – off to work

8:30-4pm – work, work, work

4:45pm – pick up from daycare
Daycare gives me back the bag with the unused cloth diapers (usually they use 3 over the day), full wet bag, and cloth wipes pack for restocking

5pm – home, walk dog

5:30pm – dinner for little C and the dog

6pm – bath or straight to bedtime for C, depending on the night and the level of fatigue

7pm – Little C is asleep, time to prepare for the next work day (if it’s Friday, breathe a sigh of relief, have dinner, crash in front of the TV)

7-9pm – eat dinner

-Unpack bag from daycare – full wet bag (the day’s used diapers and cloth wipes) goes right in the washer after I’ve taken out the inserts of the BGs (I love that this step is skipped with the Easyfits), along with the larger wet bag of diapers from our at-home diaper bin – cold soak, hot wash (1tbsp wonder wash), cold rinse, dryer (hang up Easyfits, BG’s and whisper wraps to dry, they’re dry by the next morning)

-make sure diaper bag is stocked for the next day – I have a total of 6 BGs and 3 Easyfits and these are just barely enough for two days at daycare, washing every other day – I have around 30 cloth wipes, so plenty enough to replenish each night (make sure there’s 10 for the day)

-prepare my lunch and C’s lunch for the next day

-some sort of relaxation if time (usually something on the PVR)

-to bed by 9:30pm at the latest … zzzzzzzzz

Some mornings I have to stuff a couple of BG’s that have been drying overnight to add to the diaper bag for the day, but I try to have everything ready the night before.

I just want to say that I’m really thankful that my daycare will do cloth!  I can imagine if you’re used to sending a pack of disposable diapers and a big bucket of wipes to daycare and not having to think about it again (for awhile at least), then the routine I’ve described probably sounds like a bit much.  But I’m so used to using cloth and so committed, it really doesn’t feel like a big deal to me.

This interview was submitted February 5, 2011.

Recently on our Facebook page, we asked moms to chime in about what a typical day looks like in their home, especially on a laundry day. We’re receiving fantastic responses and we hope these peeks into other mamas’ lives will inspire you as much as they inspire us!

We’ll be posting responses throughout the year, so stay tuned!

Today our featured mom is Elaine. We’ll let her introduce herself…

How old are you?
32 years old

What did you do (from a working perspective) before your baby arrived?
I’m a kinesiologist turned graphic designer. I worked as a researcher in occupational health and then as a graphic designer for a non-profit
organization.

Are you currently at home with your baby/children or working in/out of the home?
Currently at home with children and do graphic design part-time from home.

How old is your baby?
Son #1: 3 years old (not in diapers) and Son #2: 19 months

When did you decide to cloth diaper?
The chaos and sleeplessness of having a fussy infant (we didn’t figure out that he had acid reflux until he was nearly 7 months old) and also being a first time mom didn’t really allow any consideration for cloth. When all this settled down, we started to look into cloth diapering.

When did you start cloth diapering?
Started cloth diapering when Son #1 was 10 months old. Son #2 was in cloth from birth during the day.

What is your favourite diaper(s)?
FuzziBunz Perfect fit, Bum Genius, Happy Heinys

Tell us about your day
7:45 – 8:15 a.m. I hear Son #2 wake up. I usually give him a few minutes to roll around in his room while I roll out of bed and do some things in the bathroom. Hubby has already left for work awhile ago.

8:15 a.m. I nurse Son #2 and then change his diaper. He sleeps in a disposable diaper so that goes into the garbage and a cloth diaper goes on the bum. Son #1 usually wakes up and wanders into the room while this is happening. Son #1 uses the toilet and then we all get dressed. (I’ve given up on taking a shower in the morning during the week; just doesn’t work well.)

8:30 a.m. We all go downstairs for breakfast and eat something simple: cereal and milk, toast, or homemade muffin.

9:15 a.m. Wait for it…. Son #2 is quite regular and I can expect a poopy diaper just after breakfast. Rather than drag him back upstairs, I usually grab the change pad and wipes from the diaper bag (which is sitting downstairs in the foyer) and change him in the living room. I let him go play again while bring the poopy diaper upstairs (where our laundry room is). Poop into the toilet (yay for the Biosoft liner!), separate pocket diaper into two, and it goes into the diaper pail which sits on top of our dryer (out of reach of curious hands).

9:30 a.m. Teeth are brushed, kitchen is clean-ish, shoes on, two diapers in the diaper bag and we usually go out to a playgroup, gym time, library storytime, run errands, visit a friend, etc.

9:30 – 11:30 a.m. We’re out and about. Don’t usually have to change a diaper unless we get a surprise code brown (AKA second round of poopyness). If I do have to change a diaper, I take the dirty one home in a used produce bag (we don’t have a special wet bag).

11:30 a.m. Back home again. Son #1 uses the toilet if he didn’t while we were out. Son #2 gets a diaper change if he didn’t while we were out. Again, he gets changed in the living room and I run the soiled diaper up to the laundry room. If necessary, empty produce bag into diaper pail.

11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. I nurse Son #2. I make lunch while the kids are playing (and hopefully not antagonizing each other in the living room). We eat, they go play, and I clean the kitchen.

12:30 – 1:15 p.m. Play inside or outside (weather permitting).

1:15 p.m. Son #1 gets to watch 30 minutes of a video. He has somehow associated this with eating sliced apples (some do popcorn, others like apples… who am I to complain??) and usually polishes one off. Son #2 isn’t interested in TV so we play and he eats apples too. Often lunch prompts another poopy diaper. Son #2 is changed in the living room unless I go upstairs to run a load of laundry. Then I’ll bring him up with me.

1:45 p.m. Stories in Son #2′s room with both boys. Diaper change (upstairs) for Son #2 if it wasn’t done since lunch. Nap time.

2:00 p.m. One more story in Son #1′s room. Toilet. Nap time.

2:00 – 5:00 p.m. ME TIME! Both boys are usually napping for the same 3-ish hours. I work, read, start dinner, clean the house, revel in the silence, etc.

5:00 p.m. Boys wake up. I nurse Son #2. Hubby comes home sometime in the next half an hour or so. Son #1 uses the toilet. Diaper change upstairs for Son #2; diaper into pail.

5:15 p.m. We all go downstairs. Dinner is made.

5:45 – 6:30ish p.m. The whole family eats dinner. Hubby cleans the kitchen (isn’t he great?).

6:30 p.m. We play, read, run errands, go to drop in ice skating or swimming, go for a walk, ride bikes, etc. Son #1 has been interested in baking lately (actually I think he’s been interested in EATING the baking), so we’ve been doing that in the evening also. Son #2 usually has a poopy diaper after dinner. Diaper change usually takes place upstairs while other things are being done upstairs. Diaper to laundry room.

7:30 p.m. Son #2 has a snack.

7:45 p.m. Last cloth diaper of the day off and Son #2 has a bath. If it’s a diaper washing day (happens every other day), diapers are dumped into the washing machine for a cold rinse cycle (no detergent). After bath, a disposable diaper goes onto Son #2 with pajamas.

8:00 p.m. Son #2 has stories, I nurse him, we sing songs, and it’s bedtime. Meanwhile, Son #1 has a snack.

8:15 p.m. Cold rinse is done. Washing machine is run again for a hot wash/cold rinse with Rockin’ Green detergent. Son #1 has quiet play time, usually doing puzzles or playing a game.

8:30 p.m. Son #1 has a bath and uses the toilet.

8:45 p.m. Stories and songs with Son #1. Bedtime.

9:00 p.m. Both boys are in bed!

9:00 p.m. Diapers are now clean and hung to dry.

11:00 p.m. Hubby and I go to sleep.