Check out the photo gallery at the end of this post to see how other parents have made their change areas work for them! Diaper changes - perhaps surprisingly - can be a delightful bonding time between parent and child. However, if you're not organized, sometimes the change time turns into more of a game of hide-and-seek for diapering accessories than it does a game of peek-a-boo with your little one. Here are a few tips for keeping yourself organized.

Keep it simple.

The only "need" in organizing diapers is to have everything in reach. This is not only to make it easy on yourself, but once your baby is old enough to roll, it's for safety too. You want to be able to keep one hand on your baby and still reach everything you need. Also, separating your diapers according to type (pockets, prefolds, all-in-ones, etc) can keep things simple too - that way you can grab exactly what you want, especially if you're in a hurry to get out the door or you're bleary-eyed from lack of sleep. Just remember to keep your wipes handy too!

A change table doesn't have to be a change table.

There are as many types of change tables as there are parents (well, almost, at least). There are certainly many styles of change tables that are designed exactly for that purpose, but there are lots of other options too. Some parents place a pad or a blanket on top of a dresser, a wide shelving unit, or a long countertop in the laundry room or bathroom. Others repurpose other furniture, such as a TV stand, for that purpose. Find what works for you, your budget, and your space.

Make it pretty (or at least pleasant).

Find bins and containers that fit your style and your space and that make diaper changing time enjoyable. These can be baskets, decorative bins, hanging shoe and shirt organizers, shelves, decorative hooks and bags, dresser drawers - anything that makes the job easy for you and that makes you feel good about your system.

Gather your accessories into one central location.

Keeping all your diapering and baby care accessories together, such as snappis, diaper balms, and nail clippers, will help little items from disappearing. Designate a decorative drinking glass, a basket on a shelf, or a clip-on basket on a hanging rail for this purpose.

Create a Mobile Change Unit (MCU)

For the times when you end up changing diapers on the bed or in the living room, or if you want to forgo creating a change table altogether, create what we at New & Green affectionately call a "Mobile Change Unit." This is a canvas bag or handled basket that is easy to grab and take with you anywhere in the house and has everything you need for a diaper change - a change pad, fresh diapers, wipes, a bottle of wipes solution, extra snappi's, diapering balm, a toy for distraction, and a bag to temporarily hold the dirties. The best part is, all you need to organize your diapers are a bookshelf or dresser where everything is easily grab-able when you want to restock your MCU. Easy as pie!

Want ideas? Here are how other parents have organized their change tables:

 

Using dresser drawers...

from Liz

Using decorative baskets and bins...

from Christine

Using a bookshelf...

Using a wide shelving unit with cubbies...

Re-purposing a TV stand...

 Using a dresser top...

Using lots of baskets and a hanging rail to dry covers...

from Mrs. Faber

Do you have ideas for organizing a change table? What has worked for you? We'd love to hear your ideas!

 

Many thanks to the close to 100 respondants that gave us the virtual thumbs up, wholeheartedly stating that they would recommend us to a friend.  We appreciate your kind words and are working through some more continuous improvement projects to ensure that we are delivering the best customer care possible. We've randomly selected a winner for the Shake it Up Pail Freshener and if it was you, you've been emailed.  Because we chose not to collect names with our survey and to protect everyone's email from spam bots we will not be publishing the email address of the winner. But if the winner would like to head to facebook and let us know what you think of the product, we'd sure like to hear. Again, thanks so much for your efforts in helping us to continue to improve and thank you for choosing us to support you through your diapering days.  Customer care is the centre of our business and it's what we love about what we do!

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 :-o 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://blog.newandgreen.com in a couple weeks for real-time reviews of the products.  

Thanks to our host Gymboree North Shore and our fabulous guests, we had a rockin' time at the Sale. There were lots of bargains to be had and lots of happy mama's going home to wrap their baby's bottom in some of the best cloth diapers we know. Everyone who RSVP'd to the event was entered into our prize draws.  If you purchased somthing at the sale, you got another entry and if you brought a friend, you got one more entry. Drumroll, please.... 1. Winner of the BabyKicks 3g One Size Diaper is: Sarah Pivnick 2. Winner of the 1 month of FREE classes at Gymboree North Shore is: Carina Chow. Congratulations!  Sarah, please email customercare@blog.newandgreen.com by September 30th to claim your prize.  Carina, please email heather@gymboreeclasses.ca by September 30th to claim your prize Want to check out photos of the event?  We have a few of the crowds, the playspace at Gymboree and the empty tables at the end of the sale.  Head over to our Facebook Page to check them out. We'll be posting washing instructions and another deal for our fans on our facebook page in the next while.  If you're not a fan of the facebook page, head there for the info and details. Should we make this a regular event at New & Green?  Would you like the opportunity to sell your diapers to other families?  Let us know in the comments below.