Ada's chariot

I've gotten a few emails lately asking to review the stroller I have. Their questions: What kind do you have? And would you recommend it?

Short answer: Phil & Teds Explorer. And Absolutely.

 Here's why:

Babies come with enough stuff anyway, I'm always looking for things that perform multiple functions. I knew several things before I got a stroller: I knew I wanted a jogger; I knew I wanted a travel system; I knew I wanted to have more than one kid; I knew I needed something that could hold up in an urban setting (where I would be walking to the grocery store, walking to pick up Dad from work, walking to the park etc.); I knew I didn't want it to weight 100 pounds or take up my entire trunk.

I concluded that the stroller we purchased would be one contraption that did it all. I can jog with it, it fits my car seat, it can become a double stroller (that still fits through a single doorway), and it folds up easily and isn't too bulky. And we use it ALL THE TIME. Which is the best part. Walks rock.

So rather than having a jogging stroller, a travel system, and a double stroller, I have one stroller that fits the bill in all those categories.

Other things I love about it: The sunshade that has pockets in it. The customer service. The bassinet attachment. The fact that you can pimp it out.

Ada slept in the bassinet until she was 4 months old. We popped it out on a few occasions and just took it on some weekend getaways and it folds down completely flat and slides under the seat in the car. I loved that when she was a newborn I could put her down to sleep and go on a walk or head to the grocery store with her in a little pod. (Attention new-moms or moms-to-be: GET OUT OF THE HOUSE GET OUT OF THE HOUSE GET OUT OF THE HOUSE. Your emotional stability will thank you.)

We haven't gotten the double seat yet, but we will when baby Anderson #2 arrives. I also love that rather than buying a bouncer, you can get a little frame that the doubles kit hooks on to and viola! you have a bouncer. But when your baby grows out of the bouncer stage (which was like at 2 months for Ada) you don't have a big thing to store, you only have a little bar.

Here's my stuff philosophy: do more with less things. Or rather, find less (great) things that do more (great) things.

Doth Cliapering

Or cloth diapering if you don't have mild dyslexia like we do. . .

I've been asked for an update from a few friends on how this whole cloth diapering adventure is going. For those interested, here's my recap of the cloth diapering adventure so far.

First: Why cloth?
I have a few reasons and I think it's pretty much the same reason that everyone else these days cloth diapers.

1. Disposables are ex.pen.sive. Most estimate anywhere between $2,000 and $3,000 bucks. Sure, sure, you can get GIANT BOXES of diapers at Costco on the cheap, but after asking my parents (who go with generic brands 90% of the time unless a formal test--aka "hey Paige, which of these syrups do you think tastes better?--reveals a far inferior product) if Kirkland diapers stack up to Huggies and they both gave an emphatic "NO" I decided to price out name brand diapers. Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Ka-ching! Personally, I'd rather spend that on a hot date. Or a pedicure. Or paying hospital bills (ha).

2. Plastic disposables take 500 years to decompose (When I told my mom this she skeptically said, "What?! Disposables haven't even been around for 500 years. How they heck can they claim that?" Good point. But I believe it. Can't they do some science and figure it out?) and Americans alone toss 50 million a day. That's 20 billion a year. So while I don't expect the world to cloth diaper, and I admire mothers whether they use cloth or disposables, I feel a little less guilty by reducing the gross amount of trash I already produce.

3. They're freaking adorable. When I diaper my baby, I get the same feeling I used to get when I would put on a cute pair of undies. It's a simple pleasure.

Sporting a Golly Molly Pink gDiaper. And a Barbie Band-Aid courtesy of the Doc's.

Second: What brand?

There are an overwhelming number of choices for the new-cloth-diaperer. After a considerable amount of research, I went with gDiapers for a variety of reasons. One of which was because of the hybrid system (aka cloth and disposable--but not just any disposables. Flushable, biodegradable disposables!) I wasn't sure if the babysitting grandmas would be as excited about cloth diapering my child as I was. This also gives me a nice option when I travel or don't have time to do laundry or feel just plain lazy. I also thought the gDiapers were the cutest. Ever. The little "g" on the bum basically screams "Gee! I'm darling!" Yes, "g", yes you are. So far, I love them.

There are three parts to every diaper which seems like a lot of complication, but it's not. At all. There's the cover (the colorful exterior), a plastic, snap-in liner, and a hemp insert (the actual cloth that is next to the baby's skin). Most often, the only part I have to wash is the insert. I have 3 dozen of these and it's perfectly sufficient for full-time cloth diapering. I have 10 covers and 6 extra liners.

Our stash. Disposable inserts are folded on the left. The covers are lined up in the front, and the cloth inserts are stacked behind.

Surprisingly, I hardly ever use the disposables. I think we've used somewhere around 20 in a month and a half? The grandma's (and other babysitters) were actually totally fine to do the cloth diaper thing once I introduced them to the system. I use a wet/dry bag from Planet Wise (after a great tip from a friend). When I change a diaper, I have the clean one already loaded, swap out the dirty diaper (cover, liner and insert) and set it aside until the new diaper is on. Then I'll shake the liner and wipes into the Wet Side and put the cover/liner back in the dry side (unless it was a poopy diaper. Usually what I'll do in that case is unsnap the liner and toss both the liner and the insert into the Wet Side and put just the cover in the dry side). Basically anything dirty or wet in the Wet Side and anything clean and dry stays in the Dry Side. I've never smelled a thing and I carry this bag with me everywhere (unless I don't have Ada with me. That would be weird).

Third: Bottom line

So far, I have yet to have even a hint of a blow-out  (which is amazing considering our little Ada Lou saves them up for a good 2 or 3 days and unloads all at once) or a rash. Laundry has also, surprisingly, been a non-issue. I do it every other day which may sound killer. But guess what?! The loads are smaller so it doesn't seem as bad AND I HAVE YET TO LOSE A SOCK since we have started doing it so often. What a perk!

The cost upfront seems fairly considerable, especially when facing all the other costs that come with having a baby. But we found that by ordering through Diapers.com (first time users got some 30% cash back deals on diapers) it was completely affordable and HOORAY we haven't spent a dime on diapers since. (When Ada grows out of this size, however, we'll have to order the next size up...) Plus there are always sales and deals to be had. Always.

I'll keep you updated on how I like this cloth diapering business once the real poop arrives . . .


Questions? Email me. I've got a lot more where this came from.