The question, “What is working” for the Flats and Handwashing Challenge also implies that there are certain things that just aren’t.  As much as I feel that this event can be a powerful tool to showcase how easy using flats can be,, it is also a way to showcase what doesn’t work.  Even better, it is a way to compare notes on things that work better than others to make handwashing and using flats, when necessary, easier. The thing I have heard most often this year in the “chatter” has been how great the flats are working for participants!  Several people have decided to sell off their stash and go back to flats.  Maybe they will use them with covers, or they might start using them as inserts in their pockets.  The reason?  Flats work!  They are absorbent and wash and dry like a dream.  In 2011 I had “I’m [...]

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On the fourth day of the Flats and Handwashing Challenge the topic I and the other bloggers linking up will be discussing is an important one- the handwashing part. I think out of this entire event the handwashing is what people find the most terrifying and most curious.  Why, WHY would anyone do something so crazy and what is it like?  Is it hard?  Is it gross? This is my third year participating in this event and I’ve handwashed my diapers on various other occasions when traveling.  Each time I learn more about what works best when handwashing my diapers, pick up tips from others involved, and realize that handwashing is not easy but it is possible.  I have a how-to handwash video using the camp-style washer from the first year as well: How to Handwash Cloth Diapers.   I store the dirty diapers in the bucket I plan to [...]

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Day 3 means we are almost halfway through our 7 day challenge to use flats and handwash for 7 days.  This week there are over 60 bloggers participating who have been linking their posts and today instead of there being a prompt for writing they are picking their own topic. For me I wanted to expand on a tip I shared a few days ago about using this time in flats as a way to start practicing Elimination Communication!  *Post contains affiliate links. Before disposable diapers were the norm all babies wore cloth diapers and almost all of them potty trained far earlier than babies do today.  It isn’t unheard of for children to still be in diapers when they start school! Each year when I do this Challenge I find myself more inclined to give my baby “diaper free” time or to let him wear a flat with no [...]

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It is Day 2 of the 3rd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge, that yearly even where we only use flat cloth diapers and handwash them for 7 days.  Our second day will focus on the diapers and other items we are using.  Since flats are so economical it will be fun to see what our other participants have spent to participate!   This year I didn’t purchase any new flats for the Challenge since I already had quite a few. My flats- 4 Ikea Flats (2 packs of 2) from last year- $6.00 8 Target Flour Sack Towels (2 packs)- $8.00 9 Diaper Rite bleached flats from Diaper Junction- $13.50  (I have given some away… which is why I don’t have a dozen) 3 t-shirts as diapers- $1.50 total from thrift store 4 flats made from an XXL shirt- $1.00 for all 4!  (Tutorial to make cheap and easy t-shirt [...]

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On the first day of the 3rd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge our topic of discussion is “Why take the Challenge?”  Rather than repeat my own reasons that you’ve read again and again I asked others who are taking it to see why they wanted to participate.  We have had over 400 people sign up from all over the world to participate in the Challenge.  At the end of the post you can find blog posts from bloggers who will be writing about their experiences. “I’m taking the Challenge to bring awareness that flats are very much a viable option in today’s modern world. I am using 24 flats and 6 covers to cloth diaper TWO boys!” -Callie Fritts, mama of 2 boys and consultant/blogger for www.diaperparties.com   “I am taking the challenge because I love to challenge myself. I want to be able to teach others how to cloth [...]

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Even though I don’t have a newborn to show the fold on, I was able to get a good grasp of how well the Mini-Kite Fold would work on one.  The shelf in the back and the jelly-rolled legs make this a perfect fold to hold in those runny poops and prevent poopspolsions in conjunction with a good fitting cover. In the video I am using an Ikea flat (a burp cloth purchased from Ikea that is square and perfect as a flat) and it measures about 28″ by 28″ and is close to square after being washed. I made this tutorial based on the requests of so many who wanted a newborn flat fold tutorial.  I have several other flat fold tutorials already and you can find them all by visiting this YouTube Playlist: Flat Cloth Diaper Fold Tutorials. Pin It

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The 3rd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge begins this Monday, May 20 and will go until the evening of May 26.  As a quick reminder, this event will involve hundreds of families from all over the world; they have signed on to only use flat cloth diapers and handwash them for 7 days.  That’s why we say “No Washer.  No Dryer.  No Problem.”  On the surface this event may seem like fun and games (well, as much fun as handwashing dirty diapers can be!) but the goal is to prove that cloth diapers are possible in almost any situation.  1 in 3 families struggle to afford diapers for their babies but flats are the cheapest diapering option available and they are easily handwashed and air dried, unlike other styles of cloth diapers. If you have decided you would like to participate but think you won’t have time to get prepared, [...]

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I want to share a little story with you.  It all started at 1 am two Sundays ago.  I woke up to my son screaming in pain.  At the time I assumed it was tooth related.  I nursed him what ended up being all night and he was still in pain the next day.  Turns out the kid had strep throat, double ear infections, and lymph node infections.  (I wrote about Everett’s illness just a few days ago in greater detail and his eventual hospital stay) Let’s just say that the next few days were HELL.  I know my kid was sick but holy cow, I was miserable too.  He didn’t like sitting down so I walked him around the house all day Sunday.   He got as much boob as he wanted but even that didn’t help. I didn’t eat, hardly bathed, and watched far more cartoons that any person [...]

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I have a pretty amazing life, a beautiful home, two incredible kids, and a handsome husband who has worked hard to move up in life and provide his family with everything we have.  I don’t have anyone to thank except him, and myself.  We made this happen.  While, in our lives, I’m sure events transpired that were “lucky” or “fortuitous” that helped us get here but we are the result of hard work.  Our lives exist because of that work. Since there have been a few remarks about how fortunate I am, and how “out of touch” I am with those I am reaching out to help with the Flats and Handwashing Challenge, I thought today was a good day for a back story. Kim today is pretty different from the Kim of 20+ years ago.  I didn’t live in a house until I moved in with my boyfriend (current [...]

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There really isn’t a great way to write a post about your 2.5 year old son being admitted to the hospital and it is even harder to title.  It all started last Sunday (7 days ago) when Everett started screaming in pain at about 1 am.  He was awake most of the night crying out and I spent all night trying to comfort him.  All day Sunday it was the same thing and my husband and I took turns walking him around to keep him happy.  While we first thought it was teething pain related we decided to take him to urgent care since he was grabbing at his ears to rule out an ear infection. Instead we got the news that he had strep, double ear infections, and lymph node infections.  He spent the next week in misery.  He didn’t walk at all except on a handful of occasions. [...]

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