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.

Just in time for Canada Day, we thought we'd point the spotlight on the diapers and accessories available at New & Green that are made right here in the Land of the Maple Leaf. And there's good reason to feel proud about these products - across the board, these are some of the best quality diapers on the market today, earning great reputations for excellent craftsmanship, thoughtful design, and sustainable manufacturing. All of these products are manufactured right here in Canadian factories, workshops, and studios offering fair wages to skilled sewers and designers. Way to go, Canada!  

AMP - Annie Marie Padorie

This mom-run business in Winnipeg provides hemp fitteds, the ever-popular Duo and One-Size Duo, and bamboo flats to New & Green. The hemp fitteds are soft and absorbent, the Duos are super-cute and known for fitting any baby well, and the bamboo flats add a touch of luxury to any diapering system.  

Bummis

Bummis is perhaps the most recognized brand among cloth diapering parents across North America - and is based right here in Montreal. Bummis offerings at New & Green are extensive and include several covers - the Super Whisper Wrap, the Super Brite, the Super Lite, the Super Snap, and the Whisper Pant - plus organic prefolds (including a handy-dandy ready-to-go organic diapering kit and organic newborn packs), Fabulous wetbags, Fabulous diaper pail liners, fleece liners, training pants, and Swimmi swim diapers.  

Aristocrats wool covers

Aristocrats is based right here in BC and their double-layered wool cover, made of virgin, untreated, Canadian wool, performs unparalleled for naps and at nighttime, keeping babies dry, warm, and rash-free. A fantastic choice for parents wanting to use natural fibres against their baby's skin and for anyone wanting the best breathability available in diapering.

Muggabug

Muggabug hails from right here in the Lower Mainland and manufactures bamboo/cotton and wool doublers. The bamboo/cotton doublers excel at boosting the absorbancy of any diaper and the wool doublers are especially handy for extending the life of a wool cover.

Monkey Doodlez

Our wipe cubes come to us from the fabulous people at Monkey Doodlez just outside of Toronto and these wipes cubes make cleaning bums easy and squeaky clean. Just dissolve one cube in hot water, let the mixture cool, and then use it on your wipes to get all the uric acid and other rash-inducing agents off of your baby's skin. Even better, one jar of wipes cubes can last you months and months!

Organic Bum Bum Balm

Bum Bum Balm is made here in the Lower Mainland and is an all-natural, organic salve to soothe and heal any irritation - be it on your baby's bum or on your dry skin. This is definitely a best seller and a popular option among parents wanting an all-natural, non-petroleum-based, zinc-free diaper cream for their babies. It smells good too! One toddler we know repeatedly opens the container to smell it during his diaper changes and makes sure it gets packed in his diaper bag before going out. (Please note: Bum Bum Balm is fragrance- and chemical-free! The wonderful smell is merely due to the lovely oils used in its formulation - coconut, beeswax, jojoba, calendula, and lavender, just to name a few...)

Taslie Cheeky Bum Spray - NEW!

We've totally fallen in love with this new item here at New & Green, which is made right here in Vancouver. It's an all-natural spray that you use right on your baby's bum and simply wipe off with your favorite cloth wipe. It smells great, is toxin-free, is packaged in a BPA-free bottle, and is getting fantastic reviews. Made for happy babies and parents everywhere!   We hope your Canada Day celebrations will be full of family and friends and you'll have ample time to recharge your batteries. In amongst all the chatter and clamor, may you also have lots of opportunity to show off the lovely Canadian diapers that clad your baby's bum! Happy Canada Day!

Up until now in our series on cloth diaper fabrics, we've covered the most common natural fibre fabrics - cotton, bamboo, and hemp. But there are some very popular synthetic fabrics used as well within the cloth diaper industry - today we'll look at microfibre. Microfibre is popular due to its very absorbent nature (it can absorb up to 8x its own weight) and the fact that it dries very quickly. It's usually made of a blend of polyester and nylon and is spun into ultra-thin threads, thus the name "micro-fiber." While microfibre is not biodegradable, it is considered an eco-friendly fabric because of its extreme durability and the fact that it's designed for repeated use. And, of course, since that's the whole premise of cloth diapering, it's a "natural" fit. There are very few diapers that are made completely of microfibre, however. Since it is so absorbent, it can dry out a baby's skin if left in contact for extended periods of time. Thus, it's usually used as a absorbent core inside an all-in-one diaper, such as the Easy Fit (where it's paired with bamboo - talk about a no-leak combo!) and the AMP AIO, or as an insert in a pocket diaper, as in the Bum Genius and Fuzzi Bunz diapers. If it is designed to be directly against the baby's skin, it's usually topped with a layer of suede fleece to provide a soft, stay-dry barrier between the fabric and the skin, such as with the Flip diaper microfibre insert. Microfibre is certainly versatile and diapers are only one of its many applications. Do you use microfibre in your home for cleaning or in diapers? Do you like it in diapers? What's your opinion of diapers using synthetic components - is it the best of modern technology or should diapers only contain natural, renewable fabrics? We'd love to hear what you think!

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.