by Derek Markham on April 30, 2009 · 1 comment
Hankettes began in 1996 as a small home business in the founders’ attic, making simple handkerchiefs out of organic cotton. Today, they make and sell some of the greatest in reusable “green” products out there. And there’s now much more than just handkerchiefs!
What makes Hankettes so great? There isn’t a single aspect of “green” production that they’ve missed. All their products are hand-sewn. The cloth is all organically-grown cotton. Coloured fabrics are either colour-grown or hand-dyed with fiber reactive dyes. Production is all local, along the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia, Canada. It’s still at heart a small family business. Their practices are transparent. Their website links to “green” information, resources, and even competitors. And the family itself is a homesteading, homeschooling, compost toileting role model, that truly walks the walk. They are proof positive that sustainable and ethical business practices can be successful.
Our business truly reflects our lives and enhances the lives of our environmentally conscious customers around the world who purchase our natural based products.
[read the full article...]
gDiapers fans are no doubt excited to see that they have some new and adorable options for flushable diapers. Their web site is now boasting several new prints for their “little g” pants including Ga, Ga Pink, Goo Goo Blue, Good Vibe Girl and Good Vibe Stripe, which are pretty snazzy if I do say so myself. It has no doubt been hard to compete with the cuteness of cloth diapers but they are certainly making strides.
The little g pants are the outer shell of the gDiaper system or the diaper cover that holds the flushable inserts. The inserts are the disposable and absorbent inner liners that you toss (flush, throw away or compost). You reuse the gDiaper pants again and again. For about 40 years there have been only two basic choices in diapering. Cloth or disposable. gDiapers offers consumers a third option….a hybrid cloth diaper with a disposable element.
[read the full article...]
by Derek Markham on February 5, 2009 · 1 comment
Open any pregnancy or baby book, and you’ll find that list: the baby essentials, the things you absolutely cannot live without. While many accessories are easily recognized as frivolous, certain items are truly indispensable: the basic necessities for life with a baby.
Or are they?
In this weekly series, we’ll be looking at several baby essentials that really aren’t. They may be useful in certain situations, but if money or space is tight, or if you’re just looking to simplify and reduce consumerism and waste, here’s how to get along just fine without these so-called “essentials.“
In Part 1, we questioned the crib. Part 2 bemoaned the bucket. Part 3 scrutinized the stroller. This week, let’s ditch the diapers! [read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on January 27, 2009 · 3 comments
I’ve seen some nasty diaper rash in my day (thankfully those days are over). My only solution was bare buns for awhile, but sometimes you got to put a cloth diaper on the rash covered bum to head out of the house.
Many parents rely on diaper rash creams and talc, but the solution to diaper rash is much easier and cheaper in the long run if you use cloth wipes.
Bummas has the solution! What are Bummas? Bummas are:
Bummas are small soft, luxurious baby-sized cloths made especially for drying baby bottoms, as well as blocking those surprise squirts. And with a little douse of water, they can also replace wet wipes for clean up of sensitive bums. They are small enough to conveniently carry on the go and durable enough to wash over and over again and won’t pill shrink or fade. We think you will find Bummas to be an indispensable item in your diaper changing regimen.
[read the full article...]
Moms everywhere have slowly begun to see how easy and planet friendly it is to use cloth diapers. I have been using cloth diapers on my children since 2004, and I am still delighted to see new brands and diapering innovations. Some of us cloth diapering moms are almost like kids in a candy store choosing the cutest print designs, the most luxurious organic velour inners, and alternating colored snaps. There is even a big market for used cloth diapers. Who knew diapering could be this much fun?!
There is now even more fun in store since one of the biggest and most respected cloth diaper brands, bumGenius has just teamed up with another big favorite, BabyLegs! My youngest son is a fan of both products and has worn them since he was an infant.
[read the full article...]
by Jennifer Lance on November 11, 2008 · 0 comments
There is a lot of discussion revolving around diapers. Cloth, disposable, hybrid or diaper free? What is the best choice?
For the Earth, a diaper free baby (Elimination Communication or EC) is the absolute best choice. This method requires complete dedication for the parents (as the parents must watch for cues and put baby on the elimination pot when needed). It works wonderfully for many families and there is no “potty learning”, the children make a natural transition to being able to recognize cues and go to the potty.
If going diaper free isn’t for you, then cloth diapers are the way to go. In order to keep this as environmentally sound as possible, some precautions need to be taken. [read the full article...]
