Flats... Oh, how I love thee.
I'm going to be real here. I'm playing catch up on my blogging today. I planned to write this post yesterday after I got home from work. My husband needed the car so I got a ride. I had the keys to the house, but...the storm door was locked. (G has been playing "escape artist" lately so we've had to lock it so he doesn't go running out on his own.) S works a half hour away so while waiting for him to bring the garage door opener, I decided we would go to the park. Well, the park we went to was further than I remember. I also live in a very hilly neighborhood. I'm talking steep hills surrounding a lake. A lake we live across the street from. The park is a mile away...up hill. There are no sidewalks. I had no carrier or stroller. What I did have was a toddler who wanted to, "walk, please" and then as soon as I'd set him down, he would take off running. So I'd have to lug him up and over my shoulder and keep climbing the never-ending hill. He'd fuss and kick until I gave up and set him down. Rinse and repeat... Needless to say, I was exhausted. As soon as we got home, I changed G into a new diaper (leaving the dirty ones in the wetbag in the diaper bag, of course) and we climbed in bed for a nursing session. We both passed out. At 6:30 PM. For the night. So... here is day 5 on day 6. Ahem, as I was saying...
Flats...Oh, how I love thee.
Before deciding to participate in this year's challenge, I had *zero* experience with flats. I had tried every other style of diaper out there but I had completely bypassed "my grandma's diapers." I so wish I had tried flats sooner.
I had picked up my first flat (ODC square) a few months ago but didn't actually use it until a couple days before the challenge just so I could get in some practice using the Snappi & Boingo. (The hardest part of using flats, in my opinion. I still can't really get a hang of the Snappi and find the Boingo to be much easier.)
Suffice to say, I am in love with flat diapers.
If I wasn't so attached to some of my awesome WAHM print diapers, I'd probably donate a majority of my hybrid fitted/fitted stash in lieu of my bamboo terry flats. They are just so soft, stretchy, trim and I always get a great fit. AND...now that I have found my favorite folds, they are nearly as absorbent as my fancy hybrids. I would probably stick with my current overnight solution, but I would be just fine using nothing but flats during the day.
Biggest surprise throughout this entire challenge: my husband agrees. (More on this tomorrow as I will be doing a mini-interview with him and his thoughts on the challenge and flats overall.)
I'm going to be sharing some of the folds I've tried and I will be linking to the YouTube videos that I watched in order to learn these folds.
My first fold was the Origami Fold. I think this is a pretty common first fold. It is very easy to learn and gives all over absorbency. However, I have a boy who lets it go full force so I need lots of layers up front. I used this fold a few times during the first day of the challenge but have since stopped because it just wasn't what we needed.
The other fold that I practiced with before the challenge was the Airplane Fold. I was convinced that this would be our go to fold because it really does provide many layers up front, exactly where I need it. However, after an unfortunate incident with the Snappi, I was hesitant to use it as often as I expected. This is when I decided it was time to look into a few more folds. I did, however, find that this fold (doubled with a NB flat) was the best fold for us for overnights.
The next fold I tried was the Diaper Bag Fold, after hearing a ton of praise for this fold on the ODC boards. I actually really like this fold, but it isn't something I used often. My son is almost 2 and generally, he either tells us that he has to poop or we catch him about to start and bring him to the potty. Also, his surprise diapers are usually fairly solid, so we didn't need the "poop pocket" created by this fold all that often. (This will definitely be my go to fold when I have a newborn.)
Then...I tried the Skinny Neat. I didn't think much of this fold at first. It was easy to fold in a hurry, but it didn't seem all that special. Of course, as usual, I should learn not to write things off so easily. This has, hands down, become the most used fold here. It's quick, it works, and as the name implies, it looks nice and neat when on G. Super trim with just enough left over to fold down the rise and add absorbent layers, easy to jelly roll. Overall a fantastic fold!
In the last day, I've discovered the Jo Fold. I am really loving this fold too. Just as quick and easy as the Skinny Neat, but the extra layers along the center make this ideal for car rides or even nap time.
So, my favorites? Skinny Neat, followed closely by the Jo Fold. For overnights, I am all about the Airplaine Fold.
Also, if I didn't say this enough before...I love flats! The great thing about them is that I can use so many different folds to fit my needs (I'm sure I'll prefer Origami to Airplane if I ever have a girl to diaper) and if I don't know of a fold that will work for any given situation, I can easily experiment with creating my own. (I've done this, but I apparently am really good at making horribly complicated folds that I cannot replicate. :-P)
What are your favorite flat folds? Are there any others that you really like that I haven't listed? Share them with me!
No comments:
Post a Comment