Bring on the mama cloth, I finally have somewhere to put it!

I don't know if you remember my post asking where you keep your "supplies," but we previously had zero space in our half bath, and I was trying to figure out what to do/where to keep stuff.  I am so excited that we've finally updated our half bath to new, more modern decor and I have storage space now, woo-hoo!

My husband received Lowes gift cards for Christmas, and I received one to Bed, Bath and Beyond.  We went to Lowes to get salt for our water softener, and they had a gorgeous vanity with granite top and under mount sink for half price!  We got that, some beaded wainscot, trim and other things, and spent around $200 for the update (money we received as Christmas gifts.)

Here's a reminder of what the bathroom looked like before:

I chose the towels/rug ten years ago, so I think it was time for a change.  My tastes have definitely changed since then!

We're not completely done yet, we need to paint over some caulking, put some knickknacks on the shelf, and I'm working on some modern artwork for the side wall.

I'm so excited! I was just hoping for an above the toilet storage thingie, and I got this! I can't get over how nice it looks, and I'm so proud of my hubby for getting it (mostly) done!



So, yay!  Now I definitely want to start getting some mama cloth now that I have somewhere to keep it.  Though, can you imagine if someone decided to snoop in there?  That surprise would serve them right, hee hee!

If you use mama cloth (I swear I've asked this before but I can't remember?) what is your favorite brand?

Planet Wise Changing Pad Review and My New Diaper Storage

Until now, I had just been changing my son's diapers directly on the leather couch.  It's easy to just wipe it off, but it occurred to me that this might be a little gross (ha ha.)  The Planet Wise Changing Pad retails for $11.99 and I snagged one for even less with a Black Friday sale/coupon/free shipping.

The changing pad comes in several colors, but I wish they had some of the cute prints the wet bags come in! They do have them in the prints for $16.50, they just don't have them listed on their site, and of course not everyone who sells the changing pads has the prints.  Thanks Samuel's Momma!
 

The white side is super soft (I mean soft!) fleece, and the colored side is PUL, so it's waterproof.  Of course, since it's fleece, it's not wipe-able like the plastic ones that come with some diaper bags.  So, you'll probably want to have at least two on hand.  It is simple to wash with diapers and dries quickly.
 

The specs say it is 13x21, and that's pretty close.

 

 
Even though it's not wipe-able, it has a leg up on the old plastic changing pads because you can fold it up really tiny and stuff it in a bag!
 
This revelation about the possible grossness of couch diaper changing came along with a furniture rearrange in our family room.  I used to have my diapers stacked on a ledge by the couch, but we shifted things so that we have a "family room" on one side of the room and a "play room" on the other side.  This means my diaper ledge was no longer handy, and I really didn't love how they looked out in the open anyway.
 

 
I ended up at Target on Black Friday (OMG I know, horrors!) because my 11-year old hair dryer decided to die on me while I was trying to get ready for a baby shower that morning.  Incidentally, boiling your hair dry with a straightening iron isn't really all that effective, and leaves you smelling like burned hair.
 

 
In any case, I found this "milk crate" size basket for about $17, and it's the perfect size to hold all my stuff.  I'm also able to tuck it back behind the end table, so I can reach it, but sticky-fingers McStinkypants can't.
 

Baskets make me happy.  Oh who am I kidding?  Any organization makes me happy!

How about you all?  Did you get anything fluff related with all the great Black Friday sales?

Mailbox Mondays 11/15/10

Every Monday, I will answer user submitted questions in a "Mailbox Mondays" post.  They don't have to be about cloth, anything you'd like to ask me is fine!  I love to answer cloth questions when asked, but if you'd like your question to be answered in a MM post, send it to Maria at change-diapers.com with "Mailbox Mondays" in the subject.

Sara Says:

Maria,

I'm using cloth wipes full time now, and am wondering if you have any suggestions on where to put them for ease of use and if you use a solution? Right now my wipes are by the bathroom sink where I can get one wet when I need to change someone. It doesn't work to have them on the changing table (top of the dresser with pad) due to lack of space, boys kicking them off the dresser, etc. I'm always trying to think of different places to do/put things to make it easier. Thanks so much!

~Sara

I think that cloth wipes are a must have when you cloth diaper!  When I first switched, I was using up some disposable wipes I had, and what a pain to remember to pick them out and throw them away. 

I change most of my son's diapers downstairs in the family room, so I just keep diapers, wipes and solution on a ledge by the couch. 

The wipes are just in a stack, nothing fancy, but you can also fold them to pop up in a wipes container.  I made a quick video if you aren't familiar with how to do it:



Upstairs, I have just a few diapers and a handful of wipes (plus solution) in a drawer.  It's rather messy, I just have them stuffed in where I keep nail clippers, comb etc. 

If you don't have drawer space, and you don't have space on your dresser/changing table, I love the idea of a small shelf mounted on the wall, right above the dresser/changing table.  You can get inexpensive ones that are very basic but do the job, or you can get stylish, decorative ones that match your decor.  A small shelf just big enough for a few diapers, wipes and solution can be used later to store knick knacks, keepsakes, stuffed animals or decorations.

Speaking of solutions, I really liked the Thirsties booty luster I reviewed, but I'm cheap frugal, so I'm just reusing the bottle right now.  I've used booty cubes, Ruby Moon Wipes Bits and Lil Outlaws Rump Solution as well.  I use mine in a spray bottle, so my lasts seemingly forever.  I've used a booty cubes sample pack, I still have some Ruby moon bits left, and I've barely made a dent in a single pack of Lil Outlaws bits, so it's very cost effective for me.

I spray directly on my son, then wipe, so I use very little.  Now that it's gotten cold again, I've been spraying the wipes, which takes more solution to get the job done.  The cold spray didn't bother him last year, but it seems to this year!  If you make the solution and pour it over your wipes, you will of course need more.

I have seen some amazing setups where people have this beautiful, neatly organized shelf with all of their diapers, covers, prefolds and so forth arranged just so.  For me, the best setup/storage is out of reach of my kids!

How about you?  How do you store your stuff?