Cloth Diapers: Where to Buy?

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http://thebutlerclan.blogspot.com/2008/04/cloth-diapers-where-to-buy.html

I have been getting asked about where to buy cloth diapers, both new and used, so I thought I would make the information public.

The best place (I have heard; no personal experience here) to buy used cloth diapers is through a cloth diaper consignment. There are brick and mortar ones (like Young and Restless in Houston or Saturday's Child in Katy) and some online (such as The Diaper Jungle, Apple Blossom Baby, and Diaper Deals). Just do a Google search for "cloth diaper consignment" or "cloth diaper consignment near [your city here]" on Google Maps to locate one near you.

You can also buy new cloth diapers in brick and mortar stores as well as online. If you live in the Dallas area, the only brick and mortar new cloth diaper store I know if is Babies, Bottoms, and More in Farmers Branch. Diane, who works there, helped me pick out which cloth diapers to get (which is the advantage of brick and mortar stores). She was also the one who suggested Thirsties diaper covers, which I adore. Some popular places to shop online include Punkin-Butt, Tiny Tush, Diapers Etc, Diaper Pin, Kelly's Closet, Cotton Babies, and more.

Of course, the cheapest way to get cloth diapers is to sew them yourself. This you MUST do over the internet. Diaper fabric is not sold in major retail fabric stores. I have been told that occasionally you can get a mom and pop store to carry it, but as most diaper cloth is a specialty item, there is just not enough demand; only 10% of America uses cloth diapers, and a much lower percentage sews their own. So for support, patterns, and cloth, I would recommend visiting Very Baby, Celtic Cloth, The Diaper Hyena, Sew Diapers Community (powered by Very Baby), and Diaper Jungle. For the very easiest, try buying a kit from Diaper Kit, Wazoodle, or Kayla's Cloth Kits.

There are many, many, MANY more resources than I have listed here. If you find one that you think is worthy of addition, let me know. Just do a Google search and you'll find you have ended up in a whole 'nother world ;). Once you find one site, you've pretty much found them all - I find the cloth diapering community to be very intertwined. Good luck! :)

First Hospital Visit, Possible Move, TV Obsessions, and More

First Hospital Visit

Well, we've had an eventful last week! I had to go to the ER - it was Ariana's first time in a hospital. I was nervous having her around so many sick people, but she did fine and stayed healthy. I was better about the third day and it looks like things might finally be looking up for me, I'm so tired of being sick! I'm looking forward to being good and healthy from now on. :)

Smiles and Coos

Ariana is really starting to show her little personality! She grins at me every morning after she's eaten and her favorite game is making faces with me. We coo and giggle back and forth and she just thinks it's the greatest thing in the world. What I don't think she fully appreciates is that it is the greatest thing in the world. :) Here is a video of those little smiles and coos I love so much:

Are We Moving Again?!

We are caught in a bit of a dilemma right now! Justin and I both really want to move back to Dallas because we want Ariana to be around her grandparents, but Justin absolutely loves his job. We've decided that the best plan (if it's at all possible) will be for Justin to do summer school here and then we'll pack up and move! I have a feeling him finding a job is going to be fairly easy, Spanish teachers are a "critical needs" area in many places. Right now we're really wanting to move to Carrollton, and when Justin spoke with them last week they apparently sounded desperate for Spanish teachers. We are going to hate moving from Kingwood and Justin's great job and our great apartment and the great church we have here, but we've decided that it's time to make our life a bit more permanent and stable. If we do move to Dallas, it's going to be the first time we've ever moved anywhere with the intent of staying! We'll probably rent a place for a couple of years before buying a house, but we're looking at living in the northern Dallas area, Carrollton or Plano or even Richardson. Nothing is set in stone yet, we certainly don't know if this is even going to be possible or even likely, but that's the plan we're hoping for.

A Bit Sad...
On a bit of a more personal note, I am really bummed right now, one of my best friends is moving to HAWAII in a couple of months and while that's a cool deal for her I'm SO sad about it! I hope to enjoy the couple of months we've still got!

Lost in Obsession
Justin and I have returned to our obsession about Lost. Greatest. Show. Ever. We have a standing appointment with ABC every Thursday at 7. If you don't watch it - you're missing out, and don't start! I told Justin it's like a drug - you can't wait to get your fix and after you do, the only thing you can think is, "What am I doing to myself?! I hate this thing!" Really, though, it probably is one of the greatest and most brilliant shows ever devised. Very clever and smart and entertaining and kind of obsessive. ;)

Cloth Diapering
I love cloth diapering, especially now that I have enough cloth diapers! It's a lot easier than I thought it would be and saves a ton of money and landfill space. I would recommend anyone with a baby (and a washer/dryer in house) to look into it, it's not nearly as complicated as I think people think it is!

Well that's all that's new with us! I should go do the dishes while my sugar plum is still asleep. :)