Happy Flats and Handwashing Day!

That's what my sister said when she called me this morning.

If you haven't heard, I'm taking part in the Dirty Diaper Laundry Flats and Handwashing Challenge!  Here's the gist: I can only use flat diapers for 7 straight days.  I can fold them any way I want.  I could use my "regular" diapers overnight, but I'm not going to.  I can use covers, but I can't have more than 5 in my rotation.  I MUST hand wash all diapers/covers (I'll be handwashing wipes as well), and I MUST air dry.  I'm guessing this will be a little bit of a challenge, but, well, it isn't called the "Flats and Handwashing Fun Zone," is it??

So, today when Stinky woke up, I said goodbye to my pockets and AIOS.  I said goodbye to my wonderful prefolds.  I don't want to be tempted, so I actually packed them away where I can't see them!  I laid a pad folded Target flour sack towel into my Thirsties duo wrap cover, and we were off!

(This is actually the next change.  I forgot to take a pic of the first one!)

So far, we've had one diaper change since then.  I know Stinky needs another because I'm pretty sure he's...well...stinky...but he's just finishing up his lunch, so I'll wait.  Wanna guess what he ate??

(The ravioli made him orange...the banana made him sticky...and the chocolate chip cookie made him giggle.)

When I took the wet flat off of him, I had to make an instant decision.  I have to admit, I almost tossed the flat into the pail with his other dirty diapers.  Thank goodness I remembered!  I tossed it into the since instead.  I hadn't decided ahead of time, though, how I would wash the diapers!  Ugh.  That's the part I've been dreading!  So, quick thinking, and I washed that individual diaper in the sink.  It took about 3 minutes, tops.

And then I took it out to the line to dry!  Today is gorgeous...at least until the rain comes.  I'm hoping for a nice sunny week, but there's a good chance I'll be air drying a lot of my diapers indoors.  For today, though, that one diaper flapped in the breeze, and was dry in (I am NOT exaggerating!) less than 45 minutes!

So far, so good.  So far, this is easy.  But today...today we're at home all day.  Tomorrow we'll be gone all day.  Tomorrow Bugsy has a couple of long appointments an hour away at the children's hospital.  We'll get to try this crazy adventure "on the road!"

Oh, as a side note, I'm starting this journey 2 covers down.  I'm allowed 5 in my rotation, and 2 of my 5 are still en route!  I could probably substitute them until they get here, but I feel that would skew my trip a tad.  So, in the meantime, we're flying high with just 3 covers!  I'll probably take a couple "spares" tomorrow just in case.  I'll take the full 5 even though I don't have those other 2 yet.  But other than tomorrow, I'll be diapering with just 3 covers until the other two arrive.  Dear mailman, please bring them soon!!

I'm excited to have you on this adventure with me!  Stinky's done eating now, so I will clean him up, was another diaper, and throw it on the line.  Until tomorrow...

Dirty Diaper Laundry Flats and Handwashing Challenge

As some of you know, I have joined the Dirty Diaper Laundry Flats and Handwashing Challenge!  What does that mean?  It means that for a full week, at the end of this month (May 23-30), I have committed to diapering Stinky in only flats...with a maximum of 5 different covers...and handwashing dipes for the whole week!

You all think I'm crazy, right?

I might just be.  But here's the thing.  Some people can't afford to buy diapers.  Some can't afford cloth or disposable!  Honestly, if it weren't for blog reviews, I would probably be in the prefolds and covers boat myself. (For the record, Stinky's sleeping in his Thirsties cover and prefold tonight, because it almost always holds in the pee!)  SOME people can't afford even cheap prefolds or flats and covers!  And THAT is why I joined this challenge.

I joined the Flats and Handwashing Challenge to show that cloth diapering...or diapering in general...can be accomplished for a low cost.  I have a dozen flats.  That's it.  12.  I'm debating, and may turn a couple of tshirts into flats as well, just to show how they can be used.  Shoot, you can buy a tshirt for a quarter at a garage sale.  Can you imagine??  A whole diaper stash for $5?  I might even buy a couple of wool sweaters at Goodwill and make a couple of covers.  Yep...you can even make covers on the cheap if you do it right!  So, that's one reason I joined.  To show that it can be done.  And cheaply.

Another reason?  A lot of people argue that they can't cloth diaper because they don't have easy access to a washer and dryer.  Well guess what?  Neither did our grandmothers.  Or their mothers.  You know how they washed their diapers (and other clothes)?  By hand.  I wish I had a bucket and plunger to use.  I've seen those kits and they're really neat.  But I don't.  And some other people don't have the $10-15 to spend to buy one.  So I won't.  You know how I'll wash?  In the tub.  Or the sink.  Or the hose out back if I have to!  And I'll dry them on the line.  Or in the tub, if it's raining.  Or wherever I can find a bit of space.

Need one last reason?  (Trust me, there are more!)  One last reason I joined this challenge is to prove to ME that it can be done!  Yep, that's right.  I guess I know, intellectually, that this is totally doable.  I know other people are going to do it, and I know they'll succeed.  But I want to prove to me that I can do it.  I want to prove to me that, should I ever need to, I can do this.

Do I forsee any problems with this challenge?  Perhaps.  The biggest is that Bugsy has a full-day appointment at our local Children's Hospital smack dab in the middle of that week.  I'll still plan for the flats.  I'll probably pack them ALL.  But I'll pack a few other dipes too.  You see, Stinky's tummy is very unpredictable.  Very volatile.  Very temperamental.  And if he's having a bad belly day, even though he'll be 15 months old, he may go through 10 or 12 diapers during the day.  (Yes, I said that right.  Today, for instance, was a bad day.  14 months old, and I did 11 diaper changes today.  11.)  So I forsee a potential issue that day.  But I'll do my best!

Thank you, Dirty Diaper Laundry, for suggesting this challenge!  And thank you, Diaper Junction, for sponsoring me with a dozen flats!  You are making this challenge a possibility for me!