Washable Swim Diapers!

 Tomorrow is June 1st and the weather is warming up so I thought I would post about Swim Diapers!

For the past few years we have used AppleCheeks washable swim diapers for our youngest 3 children. Not only do we never not have to worry about running out, or not having anything on hand for an impromptu swim or trip to the splash pad but we don't have to put disposable swim diapers on their bums. Which is extremely important to me. Why would we do that when we are trying to stay away from disposables and all the chemicals in them? So crazy not to have swim diapers too, at least to me!

Well, we do! Lots of them!

They go on like our normal AppleCheeks. But fit a little differently. Because of not using inserts they generally fit bigger therefore sometimes if your baby would be in a size 2 regular AppleCheeks diaper they could fit into a size 1 swim diaper. This has been the case with us. Jayden was the only one to fit into size 2 swim diapers, but he has since moved on to just swim trunks -- Jackson is still so tiny, he fits into 1s nicely and even with Justin's huge chunky belly and thighs he fits nicely into them too (on the same snaps, go figure!)

 

You may be wondering well what catches the pee since these swim diapers are just a mesh material (two actually! Outside coloured and the inside white!) NOTHING! Did you know disposable swim diapers don't catch pee either? Sure, they may get huge and absorb tons of water and you may see some yellow in there but don't be fooled. No swim diaper is absorbent, they are meant to catch and hold solids. That's it and AppleCheeks swim diapers do just that!

So if you think you may swim a lot or play in a water table, head to the beach or even just keep the kids home to run through the sprinkler a few times this summer why not try a reusable, washable swim diaper? Why not try AppleCheeks? Why waste your money on something you will throw out and will end up in a landfill for the next 25+ years. Also, how cute are these?  With no harmful chemicals either!

To wash simply throw them in with your diapers or even with your swim wear. You can even just rinse by hand and hang them up to dry. They dry really quickly. They are really great and easy to care for! Simple, huh?:)

For more information on AppleCheeks and AppleCheeks swim diapers please visit the official website at http://applecheeks.com.

Disclosure: although I am an employee of AppleCheeks I was a customer longer before an employee. These are my own opinions and I was not asked to write this, these opinions and posts are solely my own.

Fun Filled Weekend!

Where do I begin?

Saturday morning was the Great Cloth Diaper Change & that night a pretty big AppleCheeks dinner!

The Great Cloth Diaper Change was held at the Direct Energy Centre here in Toronto. I'm so glad I was able to participate for a 2nd year! At 11a a whistle blew and all of us changed our babies at the exact same time into cloth diapers!

Here I had just finished changing Justin's bum and holding him up for the group "we did it!" Shot!

This was also a day of firsts for me because it was the first time I nursed Justin while babywearing! More specifically the ring sling! I was even able to shield him from the wind with the tail of the fabric and it worked perfectly. He fell asleep and slept the whole way home!

 

We sat right outside the Direct Energy centre where the cloth diaper change was and I was able to nurse him right there!

 

After the change Jordan and I went for lunch then we came home and I tidied up wasting time for our big dinner.

You see, co-owner of AppleCheeks - Ilana, who is also my boss was in town for the weekend so there was a dinner event created on Facebook in her honour. We went to a Mexican place to eat. There was a ton of AppleCheeks fans and friends and it was a great time! I finally got to meet some people I had been waiting a very long time to meet!

I was completely out of my comfort zone, felt a little out of place at first but once Ilana arrived all was right. She lights up a room and any ounce of nervousness I had instantly left. When she walked in, everyone cheered and it was like we had all known her forever! At least I felt that way, it was like seeing an old friend for the first time in a long time - because we've known each other over 2 years online and via Text! It's something I never thought would happen, but now that it has I wish we all lived in the same City (and Country for that matter, BETH AND KATIE MOVE HERE!) because it would be incredible to be able to actually work together in one building!

It was a really great night. Although I will say I wasn't too fond of our waiter at Playa Cabana Cantina here in Toronto. I found him to be rather rude, short and not at all personable like I am used to {my husband works in restaurants, and I couldn't imagine him ever being like this guy!} the good was wonderful though which makes up for the waiter being less than stellar.

If you have Instagram and are interested I posted a ton of a photos from that night. It was a ton of fun and I really hope we can do it again! Here are two of my favorite pics from that night.....

 I hate this photo of myself, but Ilana looks flawless and perfect as usual :)

Hey look! Heidi was there too!!! (photo cred: Katy!)

Then Sunday Ilana came over - got to meet all my kiddos and we went out for dinner just the two of us. We got to talk about work and basically everything we could think of! We were at the restaurant for over 2 hours. Then it was time to go home, she took me home and we sat in the car for a bit longer chit chatting. I can honestly say she is beyond what I imagined. She is so full of life, and happiness just pours out of her all over and you can't help but feel wonderful when with her! AppleCheeks fans - If you ever get a chance to meet Ilana, do it! Shes incredible.

I can't wait for the day I get to meet Amy, and hopefully one day Beth and Katie too. That would be absolutely amazing!

Great weekend, Great memories!

Guest Blog: Diaper Liners vs Diaper Sprayer

Hello to all you wonderful readers it's Heidi blogging for you on this freezing Wednesday.

Today I am going to discuss - Diaper liners vs Diaper Sprayer

In our home we use AppleCheeks cloth diapers exclusively. They make phenomenal products that I am proud to use on my son. It wasn't until a few months ago I decided to give their diaper liners a go. I knew without a doubt that they would be a great product with superior quality, just like everything else they produce. I have always been a diaper sprayer kinda girl so this was a whole new ball game for me. After hearing more and more, how spraying your diapers can have significant wear and tear, my mind was made up. There was no way I wanted my precious stash being ruined all because of what? Water? I don't think so.

I immediately set off to buy some liners, and can I say how glad I am. This has made cloth diapering with AppleCheeks even more user friendly, if that's even possible. My hubby was never a fan of spraying. He always made a huge mess and lets face it, you're dealing with poop and well, it's kinda gross to know it's spraying who knows where. You just lay the liner inside of your diaper cover, snap and away you go. Once the child poops you pop in the toilet, flush and your cover and insert easily goes in your storage sac. The liners come in a roll of 100 and if they aren't soiled they can be rinsed off and used again once dry.

I seriously cannot believe it took me 17 months to discover the beauty of these liners. I went from being a spray only mama to a complete disposable liner advocate. If anyone is on the fence about using a sprayer or disposable liners, take my advice and buy the liners. They are so much easier, so much cleaner and your husband might thank you like mine did. ;)

Thank you AppleCheeks yet again, for another amazing product that surpassed my expectations.

Do you cloth diaper? Do you spray or use liner?

Thanks so much for reading, have a wonderful day. Heidi <3

Is Cloth Diapering for you?

Cloth Diapering has recently become what some would call a "trend"... but is it for you?

Cloth Diapering has really changed my life. Not only have we saved hundreds of dollars not having to buy disposables all the time and not putting out extra bags of trash on garbage day.. We have also not had to battle more than 2 rashes ever which were due to sickness, and we've never experienced leaks or blow outs even though we've cloth diapered 3 boys now.

Our electricity or water bills haven't gone up dramatically either, to be honest there wasn't much of a change as we are doing laundry all the time anyway having 8 people in the house. It's 1 extra load a week. I don't use the dryer, so that also helps keep things low...

Do you think cloth diapering is gross? Do you think you really couldn't do it? Sure, it's not for everyone - but the only reason it's not is because you don't think you can do it! Everyone can do it, it's just a matter of wanting to and making that switch! Sometimes the initial cost upfront can scare people, but I promise you it's not that bad... You can start buying a little at a time and in the end, you save a ton. Not only do you save but you don't have to fear running out in the middle of the night, or in the middle of a storm. You never run out!

I get questions all the time about cloth diapering, so much so I started writing them down. I've decided now is as good a time as any to post them and answer them too!

• How do you dry your diapers if its snowing or freezing cold outside? - Simple, I hang them or lay them flat to dry inside. I only put them out in the summer time before 10a to hang for a few minutes, then I take them down anyways so this is no different. As long as you don't hang or lay your diapers near a heat source they should be fine, and dry rather quickly.

• How do you cloth diaper two kids, isn't that a tremendous amount of laundry? - It's not. I do diaper laundry every 3rd day. I have enough diapers for longer than that, but leaving them to sit too long isn't good for them and can cause them to get pretty stinky. Both boys diapers can go in the same load so that doesn't make extra loads either.

• Do you have to touch the poop? - Do you touch the poop with disposables? No! It's the same as with cloth. You never touch the poop, and if that's what you are worried about there is even disposable liners that you can inside the diapers for easy clean up by dumping soils into the toilet, and flushing it all away.

• Don't they smell? - The opposite actually. I can't ever tell if one of the boys has popped with smell. I always just have to check because I never smell anything when they've pooped in cloth. Unlike disposables when I could smell it a room away :x

• How do I know what detergent to use? There's so many conflicting answers?: The easiest answer would be again to research and do some testing. How can you truly know which detergent works for you if you don't try? I think I tried 3 different cloth diaper detergents before settling on a 4th which I used successfully for almost 2 years before switching to a mainstream "free and clear" detergent. Some detergents can become pricey if you can only find them online. If you can find someone you know to lend you a small sample to try for a few washes, that is always a good idea that way you can see for sure before purchasing. My only suggestion? Don't buy in bulk until you know which detergent will suit your washer, wash routine, baby's bottom and your diapers.

• Aren't they too much work? I don't have time! - They aren't too much work at all. If I can do it with 6 kids, you can too! But if you don't want to that's fine!It can be intimidating, and scary for some! For me - I put them in the washer for a rinse, click buttons to start a wash, add soap and walk away. Click more buttons for a final rinse, then hang them! I didn't think I would have the time either when I was thinking about making the switch when pregnant for baby #5, but I decided to take the whole half an hour it all adds up to when the kids were in bed for the night and I was having my tea reading a book or watch tv. Once a week isn't much for the money saved, and to have fluffy cloth on those cute little bum cheeks.

• How do I know what to use? There's so many brands and Types? - Research. I had to do tons of research and even then I chose completely wrong for me when I started. I was so lucky to have found AppleCheeks 2 years ago, ever since then it's been easy and smooth for us. I'd suggest looking online, reading reviews, and even going into diaper stores to see and feel the diapers. Often times some retailers do offer test programs at a low cost which gives you a few brands to try and at the end the option to keep the diapers you find work best for you. I use pocket diapers, which are the most like disposables. I wash them, stuff them and put them away so when we need them we just grab and go!

• The cost can be a lot at first, how is that saving money?  - The cost upfront can be difficult, I started buying a few at a time and eventually ended up with a huge gorgeous stash. I also started buying on FSOT pages on facebook as well as new from online stores. The cost also depends on what brand and type you choose. I happened to find a brand that not only holds their value on normal line up colors, but also has an amazing re-sale value on discontinued colours that they no longer sell. You can make some cost back by re-selling basically any brand of diapers... Different brands vary with how much you will get back though. You just have to think of it as an investment. A wise investment. One that over the course of your diapering journey can save you greatly. 

 Cloth diapering has really been wonderful for us. My husband was on board from the get go, he even washes them and hangs them when I'm sick or just because he wants to. He changes them with absolutely no problems too! 

We save the money from not buying disposables, or putting out extra trash and can use it doing other things with our kids. Using cloth has also opened my life up to a whole new set of people in a community I would never in a million years think good friends could be made. It's been wonderful. I also have had the privilege of working from home for an amazing cloth diaper company from the last year that I truly believe in and has made all the difference in the world when it comes to cloth diapering for me. 

When I started I tried a bunch of brands, and had some issues. I found a brand that worked for me (AppleCheeks) and then those issues were non-exsistant. The only time I ever had a leak was when we had to buy a new washer when our old one died, and I had to play with my detergent amounts, to see how my new washer truly worked ... But as soon as I did, It's been smooth sailing ever since.

I know a lot of people feel they are too busy, they don't want to do the extra load of laundry, or just truly think cloth diapering is gross. That's fine. That's your choice! But if you truly want to save money, and have a diaper on your baby's bottom that isn't a disposable, and that you will never run out of I promise it's worth a shot!

So the answer to the title of this post? "Is cloth diapering for you?" - YES! Cloth Diapering is for everyone. You just have to have to want to make the switch and jump right in! If not, that's alright too - but I promise, it isn't as bad as you think! ;) 

GIVEAWAY: AppleCheeks STEEL ME Mini Zip!

I thought it would be fun to have a mini giveaway before my big giveaway next week (you wont want to miss that giveaway, there will be MULTIPLE winners!!) So, here is a little one to hold you over... 1 AppleCheeks mini zip all purpose sac in the beautiful new Steel Me. It ends when my big giveaway will end so I can send everything all at once.. There are lots of ways to win, good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 Year Anniversary!

Today I celebrate 1 year of being employed by the most amazing company in the world, AppleCheeks. I am so incredibly thankful for even getting the chance to work for a company I truly love and believe in, but a whole year? That is incredible. I consider myself extremely lucky.

"How did you get your job?" - I'm asked this a lot. In the cloth diaper world my job is considered a "dream job" and believe me, it is! So, I'll tell you.

I would like to thank a little app known as Instagram! I was, and still am an obsessed photo taker and poster on IG. AppleCheeks was one of my very favorite things to photograph, especially on little bums! It was August 2012 when I was asked by the beautiful Ilana co-owner of AppleCheeks to become an Ambassador for the company, a few months later she told me she had a proposal for me. I was offered the position as customer care... Of course, I took it!

My job I get to do from home - Most people don't know that, they assume I live and work in Montreal at HQ but I don't I'm all the way in Toronto. So really, it's the best of both worlds. I get to work from home in my pajamas (if I want to!) while being with my kids AND doing my dream job! I absolutely love helping people with their issues - fit, laundry, stripping you name it! It brings me great joy to know someone who may be having a small issue that may be very frustrating to them but a small little fix that they hadn't even realized and I get to help with it! Awesome, right?

Well I think so, and for that I am doing a wonderful giveaway on my Instagram. I am giving away 3 little bundles in winners choice of size and color! So, if you love AppleCheeks and would really like to snag a new little bundle (cover and insert) check me out on Instagram for you chance! The giveaway is running for a whole week and its open to EVERYONE!

I will do a blog post at some point this weekend all about AppleCheeks so those who are new and thinking about using them can get a little look into my world and why I love them so much!

Do you cloth diaper? Why did you chose to, or not to?