What incentive does a modern day mom have in choosing cloth diapers instead of disposables?

They’re a lot of fun, says Lisa Clarke—a local expert on cloth diapering who created greenearthbaby.com a full-scale online diapering store. As more mothers are exploring alternatives to the plastic disposable diapers that have virtually monopolized the business, Lisa has answered the call. If you are lucky enough to live in the Pittsburgh area, you can benefit from one of her in-home instructions that aim to demystify the process. And, demystify it she does. With so many options available nowadays, she will not only explain the choices, but will customize a layette (collection of babywear essentials) to your needs. Lisa is also a certified childbirth educator and mother of two, so she speaks from experience and is simply a great person to know.

I decided to contact Lisa to learn more about diapering my toddler. I knew so little about current trends in cloth diapering that I chose to use disposables the first time around. Now, with my second child well into toddlerhood, I figured better late than never.

I spent the better half of a late summer morning with Lisa as she explained that the current cloth options go well beyond folding and pinning (see cloth diapering 101.) She gave me a complete overview of diapers, tackling everything from pre-folds to “fitteds” to all-in-ones. And, yes, she even gave me a tutorial on how to fold and pin an old-school cotton diaper. We discussed general laundering and care. By the end of the instruction, I was able to confidently buy enough to get me started.

I’ve been using cloth for several weeks. I admit they are a bit more maintenance than disposables, but not unreasonably so. The biggest adjustments were having more direct contact with my toddlers output (to put it politely) and the need to launder her diapers. Lisa’s tips on wash and care were very helpful and made the transition less painful. I have found that I’ve gotten into a rhythm with it and truly wish I had taken the plunge much sooner.

My best advice would be to begin using cloth diapers as early into parenthood as possible. This will be the most cost effective, and you’ll won’t have to change habits and routines midstream like I did.

Yes, Lisa was right. Cloth diapers are cute. And, soft. And, easier than I imagined. If you’d like to learn more about cloth options or to schedule your own private instruction visit greenearthbabycom. You may just find that cloth diapering your baby can be fun and not at all what you expected.

Have you ever wondered what to do with all of the clothes, toys, books, puzzles and just general kid gear that accumulates around the average home? A group of women in Pittsburgh, PA took on the challenge of finding something useful to do with these items and had a ton of fun in the process.

The Recycle Circle is a group of moms and tots getting together for a morning of instituting the three R’s, all under the guise of playing, relaxing, and having fun. The goal is to Reduce Reuse Recycle—that is, reduce the amount of unwanted misfit toys that get thrown away and end up in landfills by trading/sharing with another family who will reuse, recycle, and give them a new home. Likewise, the hope is to reduce the amount of money spent on mountains of toys and, instead, provide these items for other families with young children—especially those who may not otherwise have the resources.

For this first event, I partnered with Mary Beth Yount, the director of the Brookline Kids Preschool, a free preschool program at Brookline Boulevard U.P. Church. Mary Beth graciously offered one of her preschool classrooms for us to use. The location was great because the children had a great time playing in the kid-friendly space, and it easily accommodated this initial gathering of 30 people. With everyone bringing a light-lunch-type dish to share, we had more than enough food for all the guests, and the preschool had tables and chairs for the kids to sit and eat. As for the donations, each mom brought bags full of toys/books/clothes/like items that were in good condition and suitable for sharing. Truthfully, the amount of gear brought was well beyond what was expected! We had a blast browsing the goods and selecting items to take home. The browsing and sharing was a great ice-breaker for those guests who had just met. It was good to see everyone getting into the spirit of things, and at one point I wondered aloud, “why is it that our friends toys are usually more fun than our own?” The kids enthusiastically agreed.

The mountains of great items remaining were donated to two locations where families will be able to take items free of charge. The first receiving charity is our local Angel’s Place house where assistance is given to young mothers who are in need of support and resources. The second location is a new Family Resource Room at Brookline Boulevard U.P. Church. Inspired by the Recycle Circle concept, Rev. Marsha Sebastian ,the pastor at the church, has donated an entire room for items to be available to anyone in the community. In less than a week, director Mary Beth has already gotten the room organized and ready to welcome guests. The room will provide clothes for both kids and moms as well as toys, books, puzzles, and even bigger items such as baby baths and bouncy chairs. In addition, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank will provide jars of natural baby food; making the Family Resource Room an extension of the already existing on-site Food Pantry. With the well-equipped free preschool program, the Family Resource Room and the Food Bank, the church is truly a unique community center for families in the Brookline area in the city of Pittsburgh. I tip my hat to these remarkable programs and the passionate way in which these ladies serve their community!

Do you want to start a Recycle Circle in your community?? We encourage families to create a group among their friends and families to keep the circle spinning. If you would like more information on how to start a Recycle Circle, check back to earth mother next Wednesday, August 15 when we’ll share some tips and guidelines that helped make this first event so successful. We can’t wait for the next Circle!

If you have a family-serving charity in the Pittsburgh area that could benefit from our next Recycle Circle, please contact our admin e-mail: admin@earthmother.org

Today we’re kicking off the first day of World Breastfeeding Week by posting a fabulous video chronicling the birth of the La Leche League. The League began in the 1950’s when seven revolutionary women held their first meeting. Their aim? To support the women in the community who wished to breastfeed their babies but found few resources. The group was so successful in promoting awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding that subsequent chapters formed in other communities and, eventually, the LLL spread nationwide. Currently, the LLL is considered the foremost international breastfeeding support organization. Thought by some to be a militant group of suburban moms, the LLL is anything but. They are simply just a compassionate group of women who strive to be a listening ear and provide positive encouragement for moms who take on the sometimes difficult task of breastfeeding. You may be surprised by the origins of the organization, the easy-going nature of it’s founders, and the global impact the LLL has made on mothers and babies in the last 50 years. Check it out!

For a thorough resource of breastfeeding information, check out the La Leche League’s seminal publication The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.

The planning phase for our first Recycle Circle is well underway. A circle of moms and their tots will get together for a morning of instituting the three R’s, all under the guise of playing, relaxing, and just plain summertime fun. The goal is to Reduce Reuse Recycle—that is, reduce the amount of unwanted misfit toys that get thrown away and end up in landfills by trading/sharing with another family who will reuse, recycle, and give them a new home. Likewise, we hope to reduce the amount of money spent on mountains of toys and, instead, provide clothes and toys for families with young children—especially those who may not otherwise have the resources. To the event, each mom will bring a bag full of toys/books/clothes that are in good condition and suitable for donation. Parents are encouraged to discuss the event with the kids (as age appropriate) so that they know what to expect. The little ones will arrive knowing that they’d be able to swap a few of their items for a “new” one thereby communicating the value of sharing in the process. The remaining items will be collected and donated to a charity in which families with children will directly benefit from the items free of charge.

For this first upcoming event, we will be donating to the Angel’s Place, a support center for young, single mothers who have little or no support. The invaluable work the staff does with the families who benefit is truly compassionate. Women are provided with academic services and career counseling, child care, parental support and health counseling as well as practical items i.e.: clothes, toys, and such. For more information, check out Angel’s Place online.

You may notice a new link to the left under the parenting category: liddlekidz.com
Last week, it was our pleasure to be contacted by the site’s founder, Tina Allen. A licensed massage therapist with many other certifications and affiliations to her credit, Tina spends her time educating families and practitioners about the amazing benefits of infant/child massage, traveling for speaking engagements, and volunteering for family focused charitable causes. It’s obvious through their dedication to the field, that the LiddleKidz team holds the “belief that children are our greatest gift and should be treated with extraordinary care!” And, we quite agree.

LiddleKidz is a great resource for families interested in learning more about infant/child massage. Check it out.

After writing the post on celebrating the first day of spring, I got to thinking about what I might do to make the day special for my tots. My pre-school-aged son loves to plant seeds, bulbs, flowers — generally anything that is growing or will grow. I’ve made it a point to foster this love since he was wee by laying him on a blanket in the grass next to me while I tend to my gardening. He has his own mini-flowering can, hand-shovel and hand-raking-claw, but mostly he just uses his hands to dig and play. We were all getting pumped for spring because even in the modest flower garden I do have, this time of year means planting the pretty colors of the rainbow in our front yard while getting dirty and wet in the process.

So, I decided to ask my little guy what he’d like to give his friends as a gift to celebrate spring. Without hesitation he said, “maybe we could give them orange flower seeds, Mommy.” Spoken like a kid with a truly green thumb. Of course, the potential flowers from the seeds would have to be orange, his favorite color. We bought a packet of orange cosmos seeds for each of his friends at school, and he and I made little “Happy First Day of Spring ” labels for each. We had fun the next morning placing a packet in each of his classmates’ bins before any of the others arrived. It was a secret mission to spread the joy of the sunshine, blue skies and new life that’s ushered in when winter fades out.

Naturally, I bought a packet of cosmos for my son and 18 month old daughter as well. We welcomed the new season by digging in the dirt, sowing the seeds and testing out that watering can. It was a fun way to encourage a love of all things living and to embrace our roles in taking care of the earth… while getting dirty and wet in the process.