Favorite Things

It's my favorite time of year! Family...food...chilly weather...warmth inside...glittering lights...thankfulness. The month between Thanksgiving and Christmas is filled with lots of fun, shopping, surprises and togetherness!

Let's talk about one of my favorite baby items - cloth diapers. And my favorite brand - AppleCheeks! The first time I mentioned cloth diapering to a friend in person, I got a response along the lines of, "Why on earth are you doing that?!" with a puzzled "You must be crazy" facial expression. I explained that I needed a better leak solution and, of course, that they were cute. "Oh, right, cute. Well, that I *can* understand. They are cute!" A nod of approval. Cloth diapers are SO cute! And in the realm of cute, AppleCheeks and their fluffy ruffles can't be beat!

 Orange You Glad and St. Lucia - aren't they lovely together?

 Aw, how cute...my first stash shot! My, how you've grown!

 Forget-me-Not...sweet baby blue color

 Delicious after a bath. See the ruffles?!! Love.

 

 

 

These ruffles aren't just for looks, though...one reason that AppleCheeks are so effective against leaks is that there is elastic at the legs, back and on the FRONT. Many diapers don't have an elastic waist on the front. That tummy protection is vital, especially for my side/tummy sleeper. But the ruffles sure make diaper laundry my favorite kind of laundry!

 

 No clothesline, no problem!

 

 

 

But even then, with adorable ruffles, gorgeous colors, superior fit and awesome leak protection, AppleCheeks are something MORE than just cloth diapers. They are a fantastic company with a very personable and fun social media presence. The owners, Amy and Ilana, are quite approachable, caring and happy to interact with fans. They even agreed to answer a few questions I had to ask them about some of their favorite things!

 

 

What is your favourite AppleCheeks colour (or top 3, if it's too hard to pick just one!)

 

Amy: Too hard to pick one for sure.  My three are: Appletini, Steel Me and the next limited edition we are planning now - it is so hot!

Ilana: Steel Me, hands down!! 

 

I love that you are both so active on Facebook and Instagram. What is your favourite thing about the AC online community?

 

Amy: Everything; The feeling of community itself, the enthusiasm, the genuine love.

Ilana: That they are SO incredibly creative and supportive and just generally loving and warm. I'm worried sometimes about participating in conversation because I'm afraid that it will result in people not being totally open and honest because I'm there, but now I get that they realize I'm just one of them!

 

I think just about all AppleCheeks fans would love a peek into the office. What is your favourite thing about your job?

 

Amy: I wake up every morning and look forward to going to work.  I especially love working with Ilana.

Ilana: Our employees. We have the best staff EVER. And also, i love the fact that I can direct myself creatively and don't have to satisfy anyone else's vision except for Amy's. But 9 times out of ten we're on the same page anyways. And that other one time I manage to get my way anyways.

Even with a job you love, time away from it is a must! What is your favourite thing to do on Saturday or a day off?

 

Amy: My favourite thing to do is cheer my kids on in their sports, which include swimming, basketball, soccer, running, etc.

Ilana: I love to bring my kids to their various activities and just watch them enjoy themselves.  And I love Saturday nights when they are all in bed and my husband and I just get to hang together and watch violent superhero movies. Or Sherlock. Or Downton Abbey. But actually, we've seen them all so I need new show suggestions BADLY.

 

It's a giving time of year - what is your favourite gift ever from your kids?

 

Amy: The homemade cards from the kids are the best because they include sincere words of love and affection.

Ilana: Oooh, that's a tough one. Are you speaking esoterically? Because I suck at that stuff.

I've never been to Montreal. What is your favourite thing about your city?  

 

Amy: The many inexpensive ethnic restaurants.  My husband and I go on a date every second week or so and enjoy the many varied tastes of Montreal's interesting restaurants.

Ilana: Just one thing? I'd say the Anglophone mom community. It's because of them that I'm where I am today, both as a business owner and as a parent.

I know Canadians have already celebrated Thanksgiving, but this week starts the month I do the most baking and cooking - between US Thanksgiving and Christmas. What is your favourite holiday food?  

 

Amy: Turkey!  I love a good turkey.  We eat it all year round in my house.

Ilana: Well, I'm new to all this stuff as I didn't celebrate either until I met my husband. But I'm still SUPER impressed by people who can cook a turkey and not dry it out completely. 

Along those lines, what is your favourite kitchen tool/item?  

 

Amy: I love a good cast iron skillet.  It is so good for so many things!

Ilana: My BLENDTEC!!
 

It's obvious from the fun reveal videos that you stay in touch with pop culture! What is your favourite book/movie genre?  

 

Amy: Right now I am reading Khaled Hosseini's third book and am loving it, just like his other two, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.  They are heavy reads but enthralling.

Ilana: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, except I'm really struggling with the fifth book. 

I always love seeing your lovely faces in photos. What is your favourite makeup brand?

 

Amy: MAC for sure.  It is expensive but lasts a long time so I only buy one new MAC item every few months and build up my supply that way.

Ilana: Zorah! I should say Mac because the colours are amazing but I don't feel comfy wearing that stuff every day. But Zorah is completely natural and argan oil based and they have an AMAZING mascara.



 

 

Thanks, Amy and Ilana! That was fun! I hope everyone enjoyed reading about favorites. Feel free to share about YOUR favorites in the comments!

From the archives - Night Rocks (4/25/09)

Dear Chickadee,

I lift you up onto my chest after your last bedtime snack. Your tiny head nestles perfectly on my shoulder and your mouth opens as you pass out, gently breathing sweet milk breath onto my face. I gently rock us in the rocking chair. You are totally asleep.

I watch the clock, as I pick a time 15 minutes from now when I will lay you down in your little bed as you drift off to dreamland. I have to make sure you're really asleep - at least, that's what I tell myself. I really just soak up the minutes getting to hold you - an entire other human - when you are so small.

I think about the fact that you are not just a baby girl - that you are just the baby version of a little girl, and later, a bigger girl. I don't let myself think of you growing past that stage, because the time is already flying by. You will bring me weed flowers and I will put them in water in a vase for the rest of their interrupted brief life. You will run in with a skinned knee or elbow from a bicycle tumble. Mommy kisses will make it all better. And maybe some ice cream.

The minutes are going by so fast on the clock so I add 10 more to my deadline. I try to not stay up too late once you are asleep so I can take advantage of sleeping when you do. Soon you will be too big for the little bed at the foot of my bed and we will move you to your own room. While I will probably sleep better not listening to your little nighttime movements and noises, I will miss you. I will still run to you when you cry out, though.

And I will hold you and rock you whenever you need it.

Where's the Poop, Mommy?!

(Any HIMYM fans? I used to watch but simply don't have time for TV shows anymore. But the Where's the Poop query was funny whenever it surfaced.)

I have been using cloth diapers for just over a year now. Several things happened all around the same time that led to us making the switch from disposables:

• Leaks at night. We co-sleep. I was tired of wet sheets!
• Lil Dude pees way more than Chickadee ever did, and I hate the smell of disposable peed-in diapers! Yuck!
• I read an article about the explosion of a factory in Japan that makes the SAP (gel inside disposable diapers) and I was horrified at the loss of life and injury just so that my kid has a place to eliminate, that I spend tons of money on and then throw away.
• Target had Charlie Banana diapers as their Daily Deal at a price I couldn't pass up, especially considering the excellent resale value of cloth diapers. (Note: I took advantage of that resale value and have since converted my stash fully to AppleCheeks, my absolute favorite cloth diapers EVER!!!)

I took the plunge one morning, from my smartphone, by ordering 2 6 packs of CB diapers. Just to try them out. I couldn't wait until they arrived - my first fluff mail! I met the UPS driver just as I was heading out for an evening run. I excitedly prepped the inserts over the next few days, and then got them ready to put on. Lil Dude was so gracious as to christen one properly during a quiet Sunday afternoon - but I was so stoked to tackle a poopy cloth diaper with my diaper sprayer! I knew if I could handle the poop, I could cloth diaper. YOU CAN HANDLE THE POOP.

However...there are these handy dandy things called FLUSHABLE DIAPER LINERS. Yup. Lay them in the diaper, and then just plop them in the toilet. Very little, if any, spraying is needed!

I first tried some Charlie Banana bamboo flushable liners, since they were readily available at Target right before we were going out of town for a week, and I didn't think our host had a diaper sprayer. They worked...ok. They caught some of it. I wasn't totally thrilled with them and so once we got home, I didn't use liners because they just seemed to bunch up and were kind of messier to get off the diaper than they were worth!

After seeing several people discuss the AppleCheeks flushable liners on AppleCheeks Anonymous (yes, we have a group...no, we do not help end addiction to these diapers! We enable.) on Facebook, I decided to give liners another try. AppleCheeks recently changed their fleece to one that stays gorgeous, fluffy, white and non-pilly! Yippee! However, the consistency of the poop in this house seems to stick worse to it. Booooo. So I need a solution other than spraying it!!

Here is a comparison of the two liners: CB is on the top, AC is on the bottom:

As you can see, the CB is a bit longer and narrower than the AC one. Also, I'm not sure if it is very visible in this, but the "grain" of the material runs side to side in the CB, and lengthwise in the AC one. The AC one is perfectly adequate in size to cover the area of a diaper in question for the task at hand! The CB liners are a bit silkier than the AC ones, but also flimsier. I believe that those three differences - difference in relative shape, grain direction, and thickness/texture - lead to their difference in use! The CB ones just bunched up and didn't stay flat in the diaper, leading to only partial success. In the times I have used the AC liners, however, they have performed their duty quite well and provided coverage for at least 95% of the substance in question!! Which is...poop. I'm sorry. I'm trying to be all professional and delicate, and not talk about potty things, but, well, that's what I'm talking about, isn't it?!

Here are the liners inside a Size 2 AppleCheeks: (CB in Emerald City [Green], AC in Steel Me [Grey]).

 

You can really see how the AC liner provides wider coverage across the diaper. It doesn't need to go the full length to work very well! Remember, AppleCheeks come in 2 sizes, and these liners can fit in either size. Here it is in a Size 1 cover, folded in half!! If you were really bored, I suppose you could cut the liners in half if you mainly used Size 1. ;) 2x the liners! It provides approximately the same relative coverage to a liner in a Size 2!

 

 

 

I'm so glad the online AppleCheeks community convinced me to try the liners! They come in a roll of 100 and are packaged simply in a plastic bag. One thing I love about AppleCheeks is the minimal packaging! Starter diaper kits come packaged in a wetbag - how handy is that?! The Charlie Banana liners are in a paper box that is kind of bulky for the product.

 

Now then...are you ready for the best part?!! Charlie Banana liners cost $10.99 for 100. AppleCheeks liners cost only $7.95 for 100!! Have I convinced you yet?! They are available at many retailers! Some even have free shipping, but I'm sure you can find enough other cute stuff to bring an order up to a shipping minimum if needed - I usually do! ;)

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Stay fluffy!

 

 



From the archives - Sleep When Your Baby Sleeps (9/17/09)

People always tell you that - sleep when your baby sleeps. I don't know about you, but I used to think it was just for those first few weeks, when you are stumbling about unaware of what time a day it is, or even WHAT day it is.

But 6 months later, it still holds true. I get the best sleep when I sleep when my baby sleeps.

 Chickadee really didn't improve on her crib sleeping habits. I was pretty tired of shuffling to the nursery 2-3 times a night, so I brought her to my bed. I resisted that for a long time despite wisdom of older mothers telling me to do it. I was worried about the battle later to get her to her own bed, my mind filled with images of a whiny 5 year old clinging to me, begging me to not leave her in her own room. But...who knows if that will happen. All I know is that I get sleep now. And it is grand.

 Chickadee has also entered a clingy phase of life. So her attachment to Mommy (and can you blame her? The little tiny thing lived inside my tummy for longer than she's been on the outside of it) + sleeping in the big bed (for night and most naps) = I am holding or actively caring for her upwards of 22-23 hours a day. I usually get a shower later in the day, when Mr. FR finishes work, or in a brief break when she will take a very short nap in her crib. It's ok, since I shower fast.

It's amazing how non-stressed it makes me, though. I don't dread bedtime - I used to start the night with optimism, but it was dashed completely by the 2nd trip to the nursery. I go to bed LOTS earlier, which is better for me. I get to watch my little sweet thing drift off to sleep right next to me. I get to watch her wake up - so sweet - her long dark lashes against her chubby little soft cheeks. Watching her expressions is like watching time-lapse photography of clouds in the sky - all sorts of emotions flicker across her face, wrinkling her brow and changing her breathing. My favorite, of course, are little lingering smiles. Those few minutes make the whole experience worthwhile.

There is much less crying in the house - no sad baby crying out for me in the middle of the night or the morning. She sometimes protests if I put her down to go do something for a few minutes, but today was better. I don't know what her little baby needs are, but I try to meet them. She is happy when she goes to sleep and happy when she wakes up. That's a good thing in my book.

[Current update: I'm happy to report that Chickadee left my bed when Lil Dude was born to sleep in a toddler bed in our room. And just weeks after that, at age 3, she decided she wanted to sleep in her own room, where she has been happy ever since!]