With her birthday right around the corner, I am trying very hard these days to remind Harper to clean up her toys when she is done. We have begun a tedious but effective routine, after she removes a toy and plays with it, I repeatedly remind her to put it away before taking out another toy or moving on to some other game. Sometimes she gets as exasperated as I secretly feel, but it is worth it to not spend an hour on her room each night. My favorite part is when I give her simple, clear, and attainable instructions and she follows through. When she finishes, I jump up and down like a lunatic and sing a made up song about how happy I am her room is clean and there’s enough space to dance. We dance in circles on the rug and she laughs and claps. I don’t mind embarrassing myself if it makes her happy and encourages her to be tidy. How do you handle toddler tasks like cleaning up?
Fuzzibunz holds a special place in my heart. When I was expecting my second child, my stash of cloth diapers suddenly seemed less impressive. I remembered going through dozens of diapers a day in those early weeks, and adding to that a toddler and less time to do laundry as often as I prefer, and I felt a bit overwhelmed. It was around that time that a new friend I’d met at the bookstore mentioned she had some Fuzzibunz from her daughters’ diaper days and would be happy to bring them to me. I got SO much pleasure out of washing and assembling rows of perfect matching diapers, tugging the adjustable elastic to the smallest number slots and lining the folded diapers in baskets like rows of candy. Fuzzibunz now has a new Sweet Beginnings collection, and I’m reviewing a one size option for you today.
Ease of Use ✩✩✩✩ The first time I attended a cloth diaper class at a local boutique, the shop owner demonstrated how the buttonhole elastic in a Fuzzibunz diaper could be reached by slipping a hand into the pocket lining, and how the elastic could easily be loosened or tightened for a perfect fit. I had a few other pocket diapers at the time, and was still learning, and I recall thinking ALL cloth diapers had this ingenious feature. I was quite disappointed when I inspected my meager stash to find no adjustable buttonhole elastic in sight. While this feature may require a brief explanation for parents who have never experienced this style, it is quick and intuitive to learn and allows for a far more custom fit than a more traditional snap down rise.
Bang for the Buck ✩✩✩✩ For $19.95 you receive a pocket style diaper as well as a contoured organic cotton/hemp insert. If you require additional absorbency, you can purchase a two pack of the inserts for $13-13.75 for a small or large set. The price of the diaper with a single insert is quite fair, though if you have a heavy wetter and need an additional insert it can seem a little high, you’re better off purchasing a two pack of inserts and two of the diapers, or one of their popular starter kits. I do think the price is acceptable considering how incredibly adjustable these diapers are if you have a larger baby. The footprint of the diaper when the elastic is at the loosest setting is HUGE and would easily fit an older child as well, even a school age child who may need to wear diapers. Having the option to easily adjust the size to last as long as you need them makes this diaper a terrific choice for parents with babies who are in a high percentile for height and weight, or older children who wear diapers.
Performance ✩✩✩ The insert provided with this diaper is a natural fiber which requires several washes to become prepped and fully absorbent. Once you reach this sweet spot of laundering, the insert is extremely powerful, and it is not subject to some of the flaws associated with other types of soaker. You don’t need to worry about compression leaks with this tightly woven trim insert, and it does not seem to carry odor the way some synthetic materials do. I did find for my girls that this diaper worked best for us with additional absorbency, especially if going for a long drive. The footprint of the pocket is giant, even with the elastic adjusted for a trim fit there is still a lot of room for added soakers, prefolds, tee shirts, whatever you fancy. Whereas the included medium/large insert is actually an entire inch smaller in width than the soaker channel of the pocket. My personal wish is that a larger soaker that fills the central channel of the wet zone would be offered with the diaper, considering it is marketed towards babies and children who are generally larger and it is not absurd to think they may need a bit more absorbency.
Fit ✩✩✩✩✩ This diaper is perfect for parents who are raising their eyebrows at each doctor visit, watching the graph recording their baby’s growth climb higher and higher, and dubiously attempting to snap those final exterior snaps on their existing cloth diapers. For any parent who has ever wondered “Will my baby outgrow his one size diapers?” this is the one size diaper for you. Rated for 10-40 lbs without breaking a sweat, this Fuzzibunz one size has your back. While it’s true some babies will slim down once they start crawling, or “grow into” their bodies, some of us simply have loveable chunky babies, or perhaps older tykes in need of that extra security. This diaper is not great for tiny babies, as the sheer size may seem overwhelming, but the adjustable elastic will help to ensure there are no blowouts, and the crossover snap and hip snaps can help to secure a snug fit at the waist. Regardless, this diaper will impress you with its strength and size.
Overall: This diaper is available in a variety of fun new design choices, and it is a great option for parents looking for a generously sized yet still adjustable option. The wide opening allows plenty of space to add additional soakers if needed, but when using the included insert the fit is surprisingly trim (though with a smaller elastic adjustment at the back you may notice the interior lining can bunch up a bit which can cause some fluffiness)(but seriously, who doesn’t love a fluffy bum?). These diapers are a great choice for anyone who is ready for a diaper that will last until potty training (no matter when that day comes) as well as a fun choice for a gift.
Where to Buy: Kelly’s Closet
