Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Well, I'm not really one to make New Year's Resolutions.  By the middle of January, most people's New Year's Resolutions have kicked the bucket.  However, this year, I decided to make a resolution, a lifestyle change of sorts.  You see, I've been cloth diapering since August and using cloth wipes since December.  Using cloth diapers and cloth wipes have made a pretty big impact on the amount of garbage and waste that comes from my home.  I wanted to do more though, so I decided that in 2012, I'd regularly recycle and take advantage of the recycling center that's only 10 minutes away from my home.  I've heard the slogan: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  You know what?  That statement should really be a modern day mantra for all of us, and in 2012 I plan to to do just that.

If you check out the website earth911.com, you can actually search for recycling centers in your area.  You can also search for specific locations that take items such as batteries, motor oil, cooking oil, antifreeze, other hazardous materials and of course cans, glass, bottles and paper.  Now, every recycling center is different as to what they will and will not accept.  For instance, my recycling center, The M.E.T. (Metropolitan Environmental Trust), only takes #1 and #2 plastics.  Maybe I'm just a little "green" (no pun intended!) in my recycling endeavor, but I didn't know there was a difference in plastics.  I thought that plastic, well, plastic was just plastic.  However, if check out your plastic bottles (soaps, shampoos, cleaners, condiment containers, water bottles, etc.), they will most likely have their plastic designation on the bottom or side.  Their designation (#1, #2 and so on) will be imprinted inside the recycling "logo."  I guess my local recycling facility is not yet equipped to handle plastics other then #1 and #2.  So, now I make sure to check all of items and make sure my recycling center will accept them.

Recycling has been easy this month.  My husband bought me a couple of plastic bins that I store in the garage.  When I'm finished with an item, I simply rinse out the plastic/glass container and place it in my recycling bin.  When I'm finished reading a magazine or browsing through the Sunday coupon ads, I simply place them in my recycling bin.  Once they're filled, I visit my recycling center on a day that my son has pre-school.  I'm already out-and-about, so it's not an extra trip.

So, I'm curious, but how many of you regularly recycle?  Do you have a local recycling center near you?  What made you decide to recycle?

I hope you'll join me in my recycling endeavor and recycle whenever possible in 2012.  It's funny, but I never remember being so green or eco-conscience until I began cloth diapering.  Hmmm... wonder if there's a connection?  

Happy Blogging!

Toni The Chic Momma

** If you enjoy reading Toni The Chic Momma's musings, please like me on Facebook  and follow me on Twitter!  Oh, and how about checking out the Networked Blogs box on the right sidebar and consider joining through Google Friend Connect, pretty please with a cherry on top?  Thanks for the social network lovin'! **

(Images from http://zedomax.com and http://www.nwpoly.com)

Honestly Speaking.

Earlier this month, Jessica Alba launched The Honest Company.  The Honest Company offers consumers a line of eco-friendly and organic products for babies, moms, dads and the home.  From diapers to wipes, lotion, soap and cleaning products, The Honest Company created an entire line of products for everyone in the family.  Upon hearing the news, I was excited to try some of The Honest Company's products as Jessica has been outspoken and determined in her quest for healthier and safer alternatives for families.  She is also actively involved with the charity, Safer Chemicals Healthy Families.

The Honest Company has two lines of products: The Diapers Bundle and The Family Essentials Bundle.   The Diapers Bundle includes diapers and wipes.  The Honest Diapers are disposable diapers that do not contain: chlorine, perfume, phthalates, lotions, optical brighteners, PVC, heavy metals, and organotins (MBT, DBT, TBT).  The diapers are also chlorine free.  The Honest Diapers come in the following sizes: Newborn through size 6.  The Honest Wipes come in a package of 80 wipes.  They contain no petro-chemicals, chlorine, or anything synthetic.  They are also biodegradable and hypoallergenic.  The Family Essentials Bundle includes a myriad of products: Body oil, shampoo, conditioner, diaper ointment (Healing Balm), liquid dish soap, laundry detergent and much more.  The Healing Balm (diaper ointment) is cloth diaper safe.  The Honest Liquid Dish Soap contain no phthalates, SLS/SLES, synthetic perfume, glycol, enzymes, dyes, phosphates, 1,4-dioxane, chlorine, DEA, formaldehyde, petrochemicals and caustics.  The Laundry Detergent  contains no SLS, synthetic perfume, glycol, enzymes, dyes, phosphates, 1,4-dioxane, chlorine, DEA, formaldehyde, petrochemicals, caustics,and optical brighteners.  It's also cloth diaper safe. 

 I cloth diaper my youngest and my oldest is starting to "Potty Train/Learn."  So, I wasn't necessarily interested in the Diapers Bundle.  If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I'm an avid fan of Earth Mama Angel Baby and Sweet Knee Skin Care For Baby.  So, I wasn't super excited about the personal care items either.  I was really more interested in the household items, such as the dish soap, laundry detergent and dish detergent.  The Honest Company also makes a surface cleaner, but again, I clean with vinegar, water and baking soda.

Anyhow, you may be wondering, "How does all of this work?"  Well, rather then being "a la carte," where the consumer can purchase exactly what they want, when they want it, The Honest Company offers the two product bundles on a monthly basis.  There isn't a contract and you can cancel your membership at anytime, which is a plus.  You will be charged $79.95 plus $4.95 shipping and handling for your monthly supply of Diapers/Wipes, or $35.95 plus $3.95 shipping and handling for your monthly supply of Family Essentials.  With the Family Essentials Bundle, after your first month, you can choose any 5 products from their entire line that your family needs & wants most.  That said, the monthly service is one thing I'm not a fan of, as I would rather purchase on a as-needed basis.

You may like a monthly membership.  You may not.  Either way, you should take advantage of The Honest Company's "Discovery Kit."  Choose a "Discovery Kit" of Diapers and Wipes and/or our Essentials and pay only $4.95 for shipping and handling.  FYI: With your "Discovery Kit" you will become enrolled as a MEMBER of The Honest Company.  You have 7 days following receipt of your Discovery Kit to cancel your membership at any time, for any reason.  If you choose to not cancel your membership, you will be charged $79.95 plus $4.95 shipping and handling for your monthly supply of Diapers, or $35.95 plus $3.95 shipping and handling for your monthly supply of Family Essentials.

I ordered the Family Essentials Discovery Kit which included: The Honest Shampoo/Body Wash, The Honest Lotion, Honest Hand Soap, Honest Healing Balm and Honest Laundry Detergent.  

The Honest Shampoo/Body Wash smells great and I enjoyed using it.  The aroma reminds of Earth Mama Angel Baby's Angel Baby Wash, but I have to admit, I like the smell of Angel Baby Wash better.  I did not like The Honest Lotion.  The consistency was too watery and "thin" for me as I prefer a thicker, more luxurious lotion.  Guess that's why I'm a fan of Earth Mama Angel Baby's Body Butter.  The Honest Lotion can also be used on your face, but my extremely sensitive skin couldn't take it and I had to immediately wash it off my face.  Honest Hand Soap is made from organic lemongrass.  Gosh, I feel like a real "Debby Downer" because I didn't care for  the smell of The Honest Hand Soap.  Actually, the lemongrass smell gave me a slight head ache.  Now, it's not all negativity for The Honest Company as I did really like Honest Healing Balm and used it on my little ones at diaper changes.  A little goes a long way and the ointment would be great for other patches of dry, irritated skin.  I used Honest Laundry Detergent on my husband's work clothes.  My husband does concrete work (pool decks, patios, driveways, decorative concrete interior flooring), so his work clothes can get pretty messy and dirty.  I was super happy with how clean smelling his clothes were after one wash.  So, two of the five trial products worked great for my family.

I would love the opportunity to try The Honest Company's liquid dish soap, dish detergent and sun screen and hope one day soon an "a la carte" style of shopping will be available.

Visit The Honest Company's web site for more information and for your chance to take advantage of the "Discovery Kit" for only $4.95.

So, have you tried any of The Honest Company's products yet?  If so, what did you think?

Happy Blogging!

Toni The Chic Momma

** If you enjoy reading Toni The Chic Momma's musings, please like me on Facebook  and follow me on Twitter!  Oh, and how about checking out the Networked Blogs box on the right sidebar and consider joining through Google Friend Connect, pretty please with a cherry on top?  Thanks for the social network lovin'! **

Cloth Wipes... One Month Later.

If you cloth diaper your little one, do you also use cloth wipes?  I have to admit, when I first began cloth diapering in August 2011, I didn't use cloth wipes.  Fact is, I didn't even think about it.  That all changed when in December I had the honor of participating in Lullaby Organics' Holi-Daily Deals Giveaways and was given the opportunity to try cloth wipes!  Lullaby Organics sent me Under The Nile's 6-Pack Organic Egyptian Cotton Terry Baby Wipes.  I wrote a review about the wipes and also included my experience with making my own wipe cleanser.

So, I've been using cloth wipes for about a month and have really liked it!  After a month, I've made my own wipe cleanser solution, plus I've also tried Thirsties Booty Luster that I purchased from my local cloth diaper store.  As much as I liked using Thirsties Booty Luster, I prefer making my own wipe cleanser solution using products that I already have in my home.

Making your own wipe cleanser solution is easy.  I discovered the easy formula from Earth Mama Angel Baby's web site where they have a video posted showing you how to make your own cloth wipes and wipe cleanser solution.  Click here to view.  So, to make your own wipe cleanser solution, just use 1 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of baby wash and 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of baby oil.  I simply mixed the ingredients together and put them in a small squirt bottle.  At diaper changes, I simply squirt the wipe cleanser on my little one's bottom and then wipe clean with the cloth diaper wipes.  Of course, you can use any brand of baby wash and baby oil, but I prefer to use Earth Mama Angel Baby products.  Their Angel Baby Wash and Angel Baby Oil is awesome.  My little one smells heavenly because Angel Baby Wash smells of vanilla and orange.  Here's an image for you... think of an orange creamsicle.  Your little one's bottom is not only clean, thanks to the Angel Baby Wash, but is also soft, thanks to the Angel Baby Oil.  Definitely worth mentioning, Earth Mama Angel Baby products are organic, zero-toxin, and contain no artificial fragrances, dyes or artificial preservatives.

Now, I've since discovered two other brands of cloth diaper wipes that I've tried and have also liked.  I purchased GroVia's cloth wipes from my local cloth diaper store, Booty Duty Cloth Diapers.  The GroVia cloth wipes are soft like the Under The Nile cloth wipes, yet bigger in size.  I also purchased Kissaluvs Organic Cotton Wipes from Kelly's Closet.  The Kissaluv Wipes have super cute prints.  The fashion print side is made of soft flannel and the other side is a sumptuous organic cotton velour.  I bought the "Dino Mino" print which is just adorable.  After trying three different cloth wipe brands, I'm not 100% sure which one is my favorite.  I love the size of the GroVia cloth wipes, but prefer the organic cotton that the Under The Nile and Kissaluvs brands offer.  That said, I use all three brands in my cloth diaper wipes rotation and have found using cloth wipes to be an easy, green and more economical solution for diapering.

While there are great brands of cloth diaper wipes to choose from, you can also make your own cloth wipes or simply use baby wash cloths.  The Feminist Breeder recently shared a wonderful blog post about "How To Make Pop-Up Cloth Wipes" using baby wash cloths that she purchased from Target.  Check out the blog posting here which includes pictures and easy step-by-step instructions! 

Now, I still keep disposable wipes on hand, however, I've noticed a huge difference though in our usage in disposable wipes... it's decreased drastically.  My husband's pocket book has noticed some savings, too.  Win, win, I think.

If you don't use cloth wipes on your little one, would you ever consider it?  Why or why not?  Thanks for reading and stopping by!  :)

Happy Blogging,

Toni The Chic Momma

** If you enjoy reading Toni The Chic Momma's musings, please like me on Facebook  and follow me on Twitter!  Oh, and how about checking out the Networked Blogs box on the right sidebar and consider joining through Google Friend Connect, pretty please with a cherry on top?  Thanks for the social network lovin'! **

Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide To Modern Cloth Diapering GIVEAWAY!

Recently, I wrote a blog post about Kelly Wels' book, Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide To Modern Cloth Diapering.  I've been cloth diapering my youngest for about five months now and it's been EASY.  Yes, that's right, it's been a breeze.  I love sharing with other parents how truly easy, affordable, convenient and fun cloth diapering can be!  Fact is, I wish I would have cloth diapered from the get-go with both of my little ones.  I had no idea how incredibly flufftastic (that's my new word - wink, wink) the world of cloth diapering truly was.  If I'm blessed with a third baby one day, I'll be cloth diapering from the beginning and simply can't wait.

The Changing Diapers book is a 215 page easy to read book on modern cloth diapering.  Let's face it, today's cloth diapers have come a long way since your grandma's cloth diapers.  Heck, they've come a long way since your mom's cloth diapers.  My mother-in-law cloth diapered my brother-n-law, my husband's younger brother, some 20+ years ago.  So, those are the cloth diapers that my husband remembers and when I asked him about cloth diapering, his answer was a resounding, "NO WAY!"  Then, fate stepped in, and after meeting Jennifer Labit, cloth diaper entrepreneur extraordinaire, I was blessed with the opportunity to try some fabulous bumGenius diapers from the "Tiny Socialite" collection designed by Chelsea Perry.  I mean, how adorable are those diapers?  Thus, my fluff obsession began and after five months, I've completely fallen in love with cloth diapering.  Oh, and more importantly, my husband loves cloth diapering now, too. 

So, why join the cloth diapering movement?

• Baby loves a soft, fluffy butt.
• You save big bucks and the planet.
• Eco-friendly cloth diapers are fashionable too.
• Yes, cloth diapering is fun AND easy for moms (and dads).  

(Above quoted from: www.changingdiapersbook.com)

So, in 2012, I want to spread my love of fluff and what better way then to do so with a fun giveaway.  If you've been curious about cloth diapering, then reading the Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide To Modern Cloth Diapering book is an absolute must for you.  I want to give you that opportunity.  Plus, an extra goody!

This giveaway is for a copy of Kelly Wels' Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide To Modern Cloth Diapering book AND a $15 Gift Certificate to Cotton Babies.  

Simply follow the easy Rafflecopter instructions below!  There are TWO MANDATORY entries and the other entries are extras for more chances to win!  This giveaway will run Monday, January 23, 2012 until Monday, February 6, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST.  The winner will be randomly chosen via Rafflecopter and will be notified by e-mail.  The winner will have 48 hours to respond and confirm their prize, otherwise, a new winner will be chosen.  Good luck!  


Thanks for following my blog!  I enjoy interacting with all of you!  Hope your 2012 so far has been blessed and full of peace!


Happy Blogging,
Toni The Chic Momma

P.S. - This giveaway is sponsored by moi, Toni The Chic Momma.  "Changing Diapers" book images from changingdiapersbook.com

** If you enjoy reading Toni The Chic Momma's musings, please like me on Facebook  and follow me on Twitter!  Oh, and how about checking out the Networked Blogs?  Thanks for the social network lovin'! **

Fluffy Bummer.

Yesterday, Jennifer Labit announced the winner of her "All I Want For Christmas..." Blog Contest.  Hence the title of this blog posting, I didn't win.  Honestly, I was a little disappointed because I really, really wanted to bless some mommas with some awesome fluffiness.  That said, the winning blog post from Life With My Littles was full of wonderful information, pictures and charts and is a perfect blog post for someone who is looking to start down the fluffy road of cloth diapering.  So, how could I really be too disappointed, you know?  Go check out the winning blog post and congratulate this momma.  She did a great job!

There were a few runners-up and I have to say, Jennifer sure had her work cut out for her for this contest.  There were some amazing blog postings and I'm thrilled that I was able to be a part of this contest!  Actually, Jennifer Labit mentioned my blog as one of the "Top Ten Influencers" of the contest.  So, I was super excited about that recognition.  :)

Jennifer Labit mentioned her favorite post which was from Companion To The Wind.  This posting was probably one of my favorites, too.  Jennifer mentioned that this blog posting had "amazing content and one of the best pictorial guides to cloth diapering I’ve ever seen."  You should definitely check it out and pass it on to any momma you may know who may be considering cloth diapering.

I want to thank you for commenting on my blog posting that I submitted for the contest.  I hope you enjoyed my story.  Thanks for reading it and letting me share it with you!

Happy Blogging!

Toni The Chic Momma

** If you enjoy reading Toni The Chic Momma's musings, please like me on Facebook  and follow me on Twitter!  Oh, and how about checking out the Networked Blogs box on the right sidebar and consider joining through Google Friend Connect, pretty please with a cherry on top?  Thanks for the social network lovin'! **

Prayers For Tripp.

Earlier today, I shared a link to a blog posting by Courtney from "EB"ing a Mommy on my Facebook page.  I'm not sure how many of you follow Courtney's blog or Facebook page, Prayers For Tripp, but I have been following her blog for the past few months.  Let me give you a little background...

From Courtney's blog: "Tripp was born on May 14, 2009. He was diagnosed with a rare genetic skin disease called "EB." Any type of friction on his skin or mucous membranes causes blisters. They told us he would not live to be a year old. Every day he amazes us by his strength. He is a fighter and with all he has been through, he has never given up. He is the strongest person I know. Tripp wakes up each morning with a smile on his face. Every day spent with him is a blessing. God has a special plan for him. I'm just blessed to be able to witness that plan."

I was instantly drawn to Tripp because he's the same age as my oldest and having two little boys myself, I just love little boys.  Like I mentioned above, I have been following Courtney's blog for a few months now.  Her blog is raw, genuine, emotional, heartbreaking, joyful.  Kind of strange for one blog to be joyful, yet heartbreaking at the same time, huh?  I read Courtney's posts and am usually moved to tears.  Tears of sorrow and tears of utter amazement.  I can't begin to imagine what this momma and her little boy are going through. Courtney shows such determination and courage, and her precious Tripp is a fighter.

In Courtney's most recent blog posting, she shares that Tripp may not have much time left.  I hope you will take the time to visit Courtney's blog and Facebook page and leave her some warm, encouraging thoughts.  If you're a praying momma, please say a prayer for Courtney and Tripp.

Hug your little ones OFTEN and give them loads of kisses...

Toni The Chic Momma

Images from - http://randycourtneytripproth.blogspot.com

It's Easy To Use Cloth Diapers.

Is it easy to use cloth diapers?  Why, yes.  Yes, it is.

If you've been curious about cloth diapers and have been wanting to dip your toe in the fluffy end of the pool, I have the the perfect solution for you.  You need to read the book Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide To Modern Cloth Diapering.  The author, Kelly Wels, is on a mission to share her love for cloth diapers and advocate for diapering change.  Kelly's personal goal is to make the world a greener place by changing how parents think about how they diaper their baby.  

Or perhaps, you're a cloth diapering momma already who is wanting to spread the word how easy cloth diapering truly is and share the gift of cloth diapers with a friend or family member.  In which case, I have a solution for you, too!

Kelly's latest campaign, "It's Easy To Use Cloth Diapers," has recently begun and she has a phenomenal offer right now.  Select retailers nationwide are offering the Changing Diapers Book for FREE with ANY $15 purchase (a $17.95 retail value!)  There is no limit on how many free books a customer receives, however, it is one free book per order.  This flufftastic promotion is valid until February 29th or while supplies last.  Click here for a list of retailers who are currently participating.  This is a wonderful opportunity to pick up a copy for yourself or a friend. 

Together we can change the world – one fluffy butt at a time! ~Kelly Wels

Happy Blogging, 

Toni The Chic Momma

** If you enjoy reading Toni The Chic Momma's musings, please like me on Facebook  and follow me on Twitter!  Oh, and how about checking out the Networked Blogs box on the right sidebar and consider joining through Google Friend Connect, pretty please with a cherry on top?  Thanks for the social network lovin'! **

Living The Fluffy Dream... My Cloth Diapering Story.

I love fluff.  No, I'm not talking about yummy, delectable marshmallow fluff, but doesn't that sound good right now?  Oh goodness, my mouth is watering, but I digress.  I'm talking about adorable fluffy cloth diapers.  My love affair with cloth diapers began back in August after a fateful meeting with Jennifer Labit, the owner of Cotton Babies in Saint Louis, Missouri, and the creator of bumGenius, Flip and Econobum cloth diapers.  And so our story begins...

Once upon a time, a Facebook friend (we'll call her Jo-Momma) "liked" a few pages and they showed up on the Facebook news-feed wall.  Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to check out these pages.  The first page I visited was the Facebook page of Cotton Babies.  After perusing the page for a few minutes, looking at their info and pictures, I decided to like it, too.  Cotton Babies was an online/brick & mortar baby store with fabulous baby and toddler products.  What wasn't there to like?  I'm always on the look-out for new baby products and stores, so this was a perfect fit.  Jo-Momma also liked the Facebook page of Jennifer Labit, so I decided to check out that page as well.  Again, after looking over Jennifer's page, I decided to like her page, too.  Come to find out, Jennifer Labit was the owner of Cotton Babies, so it made perfect sense for me to like her page.  OK, Jo-Momma liked a third page, bumGenius cloth diapers.  I'm sure you know the rest of the story by now, huh?  So, even though I wasn't a cloth diapering momma, I decided to also like the bumGenius page.  

Over the course of several months, I would get updates from the three pages and stayed up-to-date with all of the latest Cotton Babies and bumGenius news.  I had also grown to really like Jennifer Labit's page.  I enjoyed reading her comments and stories, as well as looking at the photos she would post.  You could tell from her status updates and various posts that Jennifer was a genuine woman with a tender heart.  She was also a smart, savvy business woman who had been instrumental in turning the cloth diaper industry into what it is today.  One evening after putting my little ones down for the night, I decided to unwind and catch up on the latest Facebook news and updates.  When all of a sudden, BAM!  A status update from Jennifer Labit popped up on the computer screen.  Jennifer was going to be in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the following day and wanted to meet with local mommas in the area for coffee.  Oh. My. Gosh.  I H-A-V-E to meet her.  I immediately told my husband what my plans would be in the morning and he agreed to watch our boys, so that I could meet Jennifer as well as some other mommas in the area.  I had secretly been wanting to dip my toes in the deep end of the fluffy pool, so I brimmed with excitement and thought that this meeting could be a wonderful opportunity to not only meet Jennifer, but to pick her brain about cloth diapers.  I would also have the opportunity to meet with other mommas who cloth diapered and hopefully get some support in "selling" cloth diapers to my husband.

You see, I had to "sell" my husband on the idea of cloth diapers because he had witnessed his mother cloth diaper his little brother some 20+ years ago.  I knew what my husband would say... No way, too hard, too gross, not worth it.  I mean, when we were first expecting our little ones, cloth diapering was never an option.  Maybe it was because we didn't know anyone currently cloth diapering.  Maybe it was because I had heard my husband talk about how difficult cloth diapering was back in the day.  Who knows the reason, but after two years, loads of disposable diaper waste and loads of money later, I desired a greener and more economical diapering solution.

On August 13, 2011, I headed to Starbuck's in Tulsa.  Honestly, I was giddy about meeting Jennifer.  Several other mommas arrived and everyone chatted, enjoyed the pleasant weather and of course shared the love of the fluff.  Most of the time I was quiet and just tried to take it all in.  I then revealed that I didn't cloth diaper, but was really wanting to do so.  All of the mommas there were so quick to lend support and advice.  Jennifer even said, "I would love to help you.  What can I do?"  I was amazed.  I had only known these women for a little under an hour, but they were so willing and wanting to help me.  They were genuinely supportive.  Before our time together ended, Jennifer handed everyone a card to send in to Cotton Babies for a free bumGenius cloth diaper.  I was super excited to be able to try one of Jennifer's creations and of course sent mine in right away.  You can read more about my meeting with Jennifer and the other fab cloth diapering mommas from a previous blog posting.

Fast forward to August 30, 2011, when I received a fluffy package in the mail.  This awesome fluffy care package was from Cotton Babies.  Rather then 1 bumGenius cloth diaper, they sent me 5.  I was ecstatic.  I was thrilled to be receiving 1 diaper to try, but receiving 5 super adorable cloth diapers was incredible.  Jennifer said that she wanted to help me get started with cloth diapering and she truly meant it.  Her desire to help and generosity is something that I will always remember. 

In my blog posting about coffee with Jennifer Labit, I mentioned the Cotton Babies Change 3 Things Challenge.  If you visit the Cotton Babies web site, you can purchase a 3-pack of cloth diapers to join the challenge.  The challenge is simple: Commit to using 3 cloth diapers a day instead of disposables for 1 year.  Every cloth diaper saves about $.25 (depending on what brand of disposables you buy). If you save $.75 a day, it may not seem like much, but those three diapers can save you approximately $260 over the upcoming year. In addition to the savings per diaper, you can save yourself time, money and gas for those emergency trips to the store when you run out of diapers.  Change you, your baby & your planet.  When you change your BABY's diaper, YOU create a new habit, save money and prevent unnecessary waste on your PLANET.  

The Change 3 Things Challenge was instrumental in getting me started with cloth diapering.  I thought, I can change 3 cloth diapers a day.  That's easy.  What turned into only changing 3 cloth diapers a day, turned into cloth diapering full time.  My first week of cloth diapering was E.A.S.Y. thanks to my ever-faithful bumGenius diapers.  Five months later, cloth diapering is still easy and I have since added to my stash taking advantage of two bumGenius cloth diaper sales at www.CottonBabies.com in the summer and fall. 

I've been wanting to share my story with you, but was inspired to share it now, thanks to Jennifer Labit.  By writing this blog posting, I have the opportunity receive a gift of 12 bumGenius One-Size Cloth Diapers for my family.   But that's not the best part.  Here's where it gets really good.  If my blog posting wins, I'll be given the opportunity to bless another momma with the gift of 12 bumGenius One-Size Cloth Diapers as well.  One super lucky momma who comments on this blog posting will be selected to receive this generous gift from Cotton Babies.  

I really hope I win because I'd love to pay-it-forward.  Jennifer Labit and Cotton Babies blessed me and gave me my start in cloth diapering, so I'd love the opportunity to do the same for another momma and her family.  Rather then helping 1 momma, I'd actually be helping 2.  You see, I have been blessed and have a pretty good diaper stash now.  So, if I win, I'd like to bless a 2nd momma and give her my winning of 12 bumGenius cloth diapers.  It's better to give then to receive, and I have been blessed beyond measure.

Wishing you a blessed 2012... thanks for reading and stopping by!

Happy Blogging,

Toni The Chic Momma 

P.S. - I haven’t received any form of compensation for the content of this posting, I'm simply entering what I've written in Jennifer Labit's blog contest.  Visit the contest page here.

Happy New Year!

Image Credit 

Wishing you a Happy New Year! 

At the end of each service at my church, Pastor Willie George shares the following blessing with the congregation...

May the Lord bless you and keep you. 

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, 

and be gracious to you. 

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, 

and give you peace.

My prayer for you is that 2012 is a year of peace, prosperity, health and wonderful blessings for you and your entire family!

Toni The Chic Momma