Justin and I were a bit skeptical at first - $25, for free? No way. But it's really not as odd as you'd think.

In college, I signed up for a checking account with Bank of America. At the time, they were doing a promotional - I could get up to $500 just by referring friends to have an account with BoA. $25 for me, and then $10 for every friend I signed up.

Revolution Money Exchange is doing the same thing, except it's an online bank that is trying to compete with PayPal. They don't charge a transaction fee to transfer money, so they are hoping to run PayPal out of business I guess. (PayPal charges a certain dollar amount plus a percentage for each transfer.) But to get people interested and get as many people signed up as possible, they are offering $25 to all new account holders (before May 15) and $10 for every person you refer.

I asked my friends, I checked known scam alert sites - it all seemed legit. So I did it - I signed myself up, then signed Justin up as a referral from me. So far, so good, it all looked real. But is the money really there?

Well, I'm pleased to announce that we actually HAVE OUR MONEY. In our bank, right now. $60 for spending 10 minutes signing up. Now, true, I will certainly use their services, their customer service has been fantastic and, like I said - no transaction fee to transfer money. But for now, I'm happy sitting on sixty free bucks.

Click the link above to get your own $25, it's really worth the few minutes you'll spend.

Oh, and you have enter your social security number. This is because it's an actual BANK, not just a money transfer site, and ever since 9-11, the government mandates that all new bank accounts require a social security number to open.

Go! CLICK! Get $25!

...seriously. This morning I was reading Ariana an original Mother Goose book I got when I was 2, and I read this poem, familiar to us all:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the King's horses and all the King's men
Couldn't put Humpty together again

There is nothing in this poem nor it's title that suggests that Humpty was an egg. There are some other nursery rhymes that are pretty disturbing: babies falling out of trees, children being ravished by the plague, children splitting their heads open while doing chores, thieving children being beaten by their parents, blackbirds biting off noses, children being burned alive in house fires, giant man-eating snails, psychotic children who drown small animals, children drowning in frozen lakes... Why is Humpty Dumpty an egg instead of a person? Why isn't it a person that falls to their untimely demise, splattering entrails so far and wide that they cannot be found? It certainly wouldn't be the first time that a person has met a disgusting end in a poem written for small children.

Note: If you are reading this on Facebook, the links will not work. Go to my blog here:
http://thebutlerclan.blogspot.com/2008/04/cloth-diapers-where-to-buy.html

I have been getting asked about where to buy cloth diapers, both new and used, so I thought I would make the information public.

The best place (I have heard; no personal experience here) to buy used cloth diapers is through a cloth diaper consignment. There are brick and mortar ones (like Young and Restless in Houston or Saturday's Child in Katy) and some online (such as The Diaper Jungle, Apple Blossom Baby, and Diaper Deals). Just do a Google search for "cloth diaper consignment" or "cloth diaper consignment near [your city here]" on Google Maps to locate one near you.

You can also buy new cloth diapers in brick and mortar stores as well as online. If you live in the Dallas area, the only brick and mortar new cloth diaper store I know if is Babies, Bottoms, and More in Farmers Branch. Diane, who works there, helped me pick out which cloth diapers to get (which is the advantage of brick and mortar stores). She was also the one who suggested Thirsties diaper covers, which I adore. Some popular places to shop online include Punkin-Butt, Tiny Tush, Diapers Etc, Diaper Pin, Kelly's Closet, Cotton Babies, and more.

Of course, the cheapest way to get cloth diapers is to sew them yourself. This you MUST do over the internet. Diaper fabric is not sold in major retail fabric stores. I have been told that occasionally you can get a mom and pop store to carry it, but as most diaper cloth is a specialty item, there is just not enough demand; only 10% of America uses cloth diapers, and a much lower percentage sews their own. So for support, patterns, and cloth, I would recommend visiting Very Baby, Celtic Cloth, The Diaper Hyena, Sew Diapers Community (powered by Very Baby), and Diaper Jungle. For the very easiest, try buying a kit from Diaper Kit, Wazoodle, or Kayla's Cloth Kits.

There are many, many, MANY more resources than I have listed here. If you find one that you think is worthy of addition, let me know. Just do a Google search and you'll find you have ended up in a whole 'nother world ;). Once you find one site, you've pretty much found them all - I find the cloth diapering community to be very intertwined. Good luck! :)

...might be the greatest thing ever. For those of you who don't know, it's kind of like an email service for your blogs. I have about 20 blogs I like to keep up with from various friends around Texas and the globe. Now, there's no way that I could check those every day and see if there's anything new. No problem - I just go to my Google Reader homepage. Just like an email inbox, it tells me if there are any new posts, and I can read those just like I read my email. It's really easy and makes keeping up with blogs a TON easier. If you have more than a couple of blogs that you keep up with, or if you aren't good at keeping up with the ones you do, I would highly recommend trying it out. There's nothing to download, you just need a Google account. (If you have Gmail, you're all set.)

Just go to google.com/reader.

If you don't make the decision to go entirely green and do cloth diapers, you can go a little green, save a bit of green, and be healthier by only doing cloth wipes.

Cloth wipes can be made out of anything cloth - old wash clothes, strips of fleece, etc. I purchased hemp wipes but all you need is some old fluffy fabric.

Wipes solution is also very easy to make. You can purchase Baby Bits or Diaper Potion or make your own. This recipe list is a good place to start.

It can be as simple as the stuff you have in your house. I boil a couple of cups of water with a bag of chamomile tea, a bit of honey, and a squirt or two of natural baby shampoo or body wash for a calming and gentle yet refreshing wipes solution. You can keep the wipes in a warmer or squirt bottle or just put them in a pan and dip each wipe before you use it. I even take mine on the road in a Rubbermaid container that I microwave for 1 minute before I leave and it says a comfortable warmth for hours.

Any way you choose to slice it, cloth wipes are an easy and cheap way to save the environment and your baby's behind! :)

Read the story from CNN here.

In short, 416 children aged 5 and over were removed from their homes where they live with a fundamentalist sect of the Church of Latter Day Saints, otherwise known as Mormons, after a single phone call from a 16 year old girl claiming to have been raped by her 50 year old spiritual husband.

I'll be real honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this. In my most natural instinct it is wrong, base, horrific, and unconstitutional that Texas has felt it has the right to do this. Yet part of me is thinking, "But what if the kids are being abused?" Still, does the state have the right to remove HUNDREDS of children from their parents based on ONE phone call from ONE child?

Do I believe in the way they are raising their children? Absolutely not. Do I think it's right, or good, or healthy? No. Does that matter? A resounding NO. If there is truly abuse going on, then it's a different story. But I have known lots of Mormons in my life. I have lived with them and next to them and have gone to school with them. And if they are anything, it is NOT child abusers. It is true that you cannot classify people's actions based on their religion, especially when comparing fundamentalists to those who are not, but I think people in general are so terrified of anyone practicing something that seems as deviant as polygamy that we tend to overreact.

So I'm really torn. I absolutely believe that these people have the right to raise their children however they please within certain basic human rights guidelines. Are we overreacting? I recognize that CNN does not have the whole story and that I have no idea what that phone call actually sounded like or said, and maybe they meant to lean my views this way with the way the story was written, but I'm having a hard time getting on board with the state about this one.

You know, it might be because I have had so much more contact with those who would be viewed as "outsiders" than most people in America. I absolutely adore Mennonites. I spent an entire summer once at a school where many of them attended and they are the coolest, sweetest, most devout, genuine people I have ever met. They scare most people, even Christians (can't tell you how many arguments I've had over that one!), which is sad because they are genuinely exceptional people. I don't have any experience with the FLDS church, but "sects" and "communes" as such don't scare me, so maybe I'm looking at this situation from the eyes of someone who really believes that these are just people trying to live their lives in peace. I'm not sure if the government should have the right to destroy and disrupt what they hold so sacred all over one single phone call.

Dogs are not humans. ::ahem:: I will state it again, clearly, and for the record:

DOGS ARE NOT HUMANS.

I come in contact with a lot of people at my job. People who believe that anyone who does anything less than cook for their dog is lazy, and people who believe Ol' Roy really is just fine. (My favorite line: "Oh, but he likes it, it must taste good!" Yes, and I'm sure you always fed your children everything they wanted to eat all the time just because it tasted good. Funny, the people who say that are always very large...)

The most frustrating people, however, are those who have done their research. The reason is simple: most of their information comes from the internet. ONE person wrote ONE thing ten years ago and now everyone believes it even though it flies in the face of nutritional wisdom, years of survival, and common sense. Why? Because it sounds good to humans. Perhaps I'm most frustrated because I used to BE one of those people. But DOGS ARE NOT HUMANS and have their own dietary needs! Feed a dog like a human, and he will not thrive.

Myth #1: Dogs can thrive on vegetables.
No. They can't. Dogs cannot be herbivores (or, as we say these days, vegetarians). They need MEAT. They are CARNIVORES. If your vet tells you that your very healthy dog needs to be fed only steamed veggies, FIND A NEW VET. Preferably one that isn't going to sacrifice the health of your dog for his own moral gain.

Myth #2: Don't feed your dog corn.
This is a confusing one. Don't feed your dog corn that hasn't been properly processed. In the wild, dogs eat corn - out of the stomach of other animals (see Myth #1 above). This means it has been digested already - i.e., no complex carbohydrates, only simple ones. Extruder machines (the machine most dog food, from Kibbles and Bits to Eukanuba, is made on) hard cook corn and don't break it down. That is why the premium brands have taken corn out of their foods - it was a good move, because they can't cook it correctly on the machines they have. It's not, however, harmful in BilJac, because our food isn't cooked at high temperatures, it's vacuum dried (correction from earlier, BilJac is not freeze dried), which breaks apart the carbohydrates. Corn is actually FANTASTIC for dogs - if it's processed correctly.

Myth #3: Dogs need holistic and organic meat.
There is nothing wrong with buying holistic meat for your dog. But if you cook it in such a way that all the goodness, all the vitamins and amino acids and good stuff are actually cooked out of it, what's the point? Your feeding him holistic rubber! Cook the chicken right and then talk about "holistic" and "organic."

Myth #4: Don't give your dog byproducts.
OK. Everybody. Repeat after me. Ready? "DOGS ARE NOT HUMANS." Yes, it's true, humans don't eat the intestines, and bones, and organs of chickens or cows or whatever. DOGS. DO. And they do this for a reason. It is very difficult for a dog to maintain the correct calcium/phosphorus ratio without every part of the animal. Dogs chew on bones for a reason - they need the byproducts. The problem is that there is no way to distinguish between the word "byproduct" meaning "the entire chicken" and "byproduct" meaning "this animal was diseased." Trying to explain that is like trying to explain why it's okay that researchers keep rats in dark, small, cages - they prefer it, but the poor rats have no way to tell all the activists that! Sometimes I think people just need an excuse to get in a fight, and in the name of defending and protecting animals just hurt them more in order to feel better about themselves.

Myth #5: Oh, he can eat whatever, he drinks out of the toilet, after all!
Yes, and my daughter sticks all manner of ungodly things in her mouth - that doesn't mean I'm going to let her! The smartest dog has about the intelligence of a two year old. My Pyre once ate a chicken bone that had been covered in motor oil. This doesn't mean she needed it or it was good for her. It means she's dumb and needs someone to keep her from killing herself. ;)

Well, I've gotta go - my dogs need to eat their DOG FOOD. :)

Reusable grocery sacks are all the rage, and for good reason. Those little plastic disposables wreak havoc on our environment - from their production to their final resting place in our limited supply of ground. At Ikea there is a sign next to their plastic sacks that says, "25 cents. We are charging for plastic sacks in the hopes that you'll stop using them." Brilliant.

Well, I have been wanting to get some reusable sacks for some time now, but the price was stopping me - $15 at Whole Foods. I decided to make some myself, for about $3-5 apiece. However, I just got back from Wal-Mart a little while ago, and found that they have reusable grocery sacks on sale for $1. Now this is a GREAT deal. They are made from recycled plastic bottles and look like they will last at least a couple of months. They aren't nearly as sturdy as if they had been made out of heavy duty pack material or canvas (like the $15 ones are) - but how heavy duty do you need a grocery sack to be? The bags are also much bigger than they seem - instead of 8-10 regular plastic sacks, I barely needed 2 Wal-Mart reusable bags. So next time you're at Wal-Mart, budget an extra couple of dollars and grab a few reusable sacks. You won't have to replenish your supply for a while, and you'll be helping the environment. Besides, they're easier to carry. ;)

I just want to say that I have developed a new pet peeve - people who do not understand the proper usage of simple and common English words. So I thought I would spell it out, very simply, so we can all understand. ;)

Your and You're
Your is possessive. You're is the conjunction between the two words in the phrase "you are."

• Your mother is so fat she sat on a rainbow and jelly beans popped out.
• You're going to have to figure out how to use these two words correctly.

Weather and Whether
Weather is how it feels outside. Whether is the choice between two options.

• The weather outside is ____ful. (Fill in the blank.)
• I am not sure whether or not you're really understanding anything I'm saying.

Its and It's
Its is possessive. It's is the conjunction between the two words in the phrase "it is."

• The dog ate its homework.
• It's not plain to see whether or not this is making any impact on your grammar skills.

To and Too
To can function both as an infinitive particle used before verbs and a preposition. Too means "also" or "to an undesired or inappropriate extent."

• I can go to school, but it doesn't mean I'll learn anything.
• She can't figure out how to end her book - should the boy marry the girl?
  
• It's time that Americans, too, learned correct English.
• This list is too short.

There, Their, and They're
There is a placeholder. Their is possessive. They're is the conjunction between the two words "they" and "are."

• You should stand there to have your picture taken.
• Their child speaks perfect English!
• They're going to let August Rush into Juiliard!*

Well, there it all is. I hope this has helped your grammar knowledge. It's certainly been good for me to write it. These rules, they're complicated sometimes and their application taxes the mind. Whether or not you're able to use this information, its entrance into your brain will have certainly been helpful. Weather.

*Yes, this has quickly climbed to the top 5 of my all time favorite movies EVER.

With 90% of Americans using disposable diapers, I am often asked about cloth diapers and why I chose them. I answer it differently every time depending on who I'm talking to. Well, I decided to consolidate every answer I give all into one so that people who ask can get the whole picture. In fact, I've decided to give the answers in order of importance to me, even though I have a feeling I'll get a bit of flack for it. ;)

By the way, for those of you who have given me disposable diapers because you didn't know I clothed (yes, I have just turned that into a ditransitive verb), I do use them. I like to keep a package of disposables in my car in case Ari has one too many "blow outs" and I run out of diapers. It has happened.

And now, without further ado...Why I Cloth Diaper.

1) Health
This was by far my biggest concern. There is a highly absorbent gel used in disposable diapers called sodium polyacrylate. It has been linked with respiratory and skin problems with occupational use. This means that if you use way more SAP than you would find in a disposable diaper that it could cause asthma and skin problems. This is why it is still allowed to be used in disposable diapers - there just isn't enough of it to prove anything. However, to my knowledge, no one has EVER done a longitudinal study on the problem, which means that no one has ever studied a kid who was diapered in normal disposables (Huggies, Pampers, Luvs, etc) and followed them into their teens and early adulthood to see if anything manifests. If there is one thing I learned from college, it's that it's a bad scientific move to draw a conclusion without studying the long term health effects of something. Sodium polyacrylate has also been shown to increase scrotal temperature in boys, with unknown effects on fertility.

But this is actually the least of the problems. Regular disposables (again, Huggies, Pampers, etc) are treated with chlorine bleach. Chlorine reacts with sodium polyacrylate to create VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, including dioxin. Dioxin is a known carcinogen, which means no one is debating the fact that it causes cancer as well as brain damage and respiratory problems such as asthma. Why is it allowed? Because, just like with sodium polyacrylate, there is not evidence to show that there is a high enough level of dioxin in diapers to cause a problem. In the only study I know of, researchers placed a disposable diaper in a room with mice and, in the next room, left the mice alone. They came back to determine that, in the room with the mice and the disposable diaper, the mice developed more respiratory irritation that led to "asthma-like" attacks in the mice. Their conclusion? There need to be more studies done to see if dioxin in diapers can cause asthma. As far as I know, no studies have been done. (If you know of one, please tell me the journal, year, and page so I can read it.)

The debate over levels of carcinogens is, to me, a completely moot point. If it causes cancer in any amount, don't put it in direct contact with my child's skin for years; regardless of the lack of scientific evidence (which is not a lack because it has been disproven, but because there aren't enough studies), that just doesn't strike me as a great idea. I'm not going to wait for the study to come out 25 years from now that directly links disposable diapers with cancer, asthma, or brain damage; I think I'll just go ahead and not use them.

For those of you who want to use disposables but are concerned about the health (and, as we will see in the next section, environmental) impact, see the section "Child and Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Cloth" below.

2) Environment
I know I'm going to "get it" from some who think anyone concerned with the environment is a fascist, but it really is the NUMBER 2 reason I chose cloth. The waste associated with disposable diapers is ASTOUNDING.

First, let's look at disposable diaper production. This is environmental impact before you ever even see them on the shelves. Runoff from the chlorine bleaching process carries bleach and, with it, trace amounts of dioxin, into the ground. This causes reproductive problems in animals and, because dioxin stays in the ground for so long, it actually ends up in the nonorganic food you eat just like pesticides.

Then comes disposable diaper waste. Unknown to most parents, proper protocol for throwing away disposable diapers includes dumping fecal matter into a toilet before throwing away. Who does that, seriously? Fecal matter in the diaper breeds viruses and bacteria which thrive in landfill environments. Leaking landfills being an undisputed and known problem, those viruses and bacteria can actually end up in our water supply and don't get broken down because they are surrounded by protective plastic (i.e., housed in a diaper).

Finally is the most horrific part - the landfills themselves. In 2006, 3,630,000 tons of disposable diapers (around 18 billion of them) were discarded in landfills. None of this is biodegradable. If a diaper claims to be "biodegradable," that's only technically true. By adding cornstarch to the plastic it causes it to break up into tiny pieces - tiny, non-biodegradable plastic pieces. This is simply TOO MUCH WASTE and needs to be eliminated.

A word on the environment and Christians: we have an OBLIGATION - yes, you heard me right - to be concerned with the environment. We were given this planet by God to take care of it (it was His, what, THIRD command EVER?) We have been doing a TERRIBLE job. One of my favorite quotes is an old Native American proverb: "We did not inherit this earth from our fathers and grandfathers. We are borrowing it from our children and grandchildren." I really believe that, and believe that it is our job to be concerned for the environment. It is, in fact, our DUTY as Christians. ::soapbox over::

3) Cost
This one is simple math. Buying a regular disposable brand like Huggies, a parent can expect to spend about $4,000 per child on diapers and wipes during the pre-toilet years. If you go more environmentally friendly and buy a chlorine-free or wood-pulp only brand of diaper, you can expect that number to be around $7,000 per child. This isn't counting wraps for your Diaper Genie or other costs. The math is easy to do - by the time you are done with your 4th kid (a cloth diaper will last about 4 children) you could have spend around $28,000 on diapers alone. That's a lot of cash.

Compare that to a cloth diaper plan. Using the cheapest cloth diapers (prefolds) would be much cheaper, but with this one-size (the easiest) example, you spend around $500 for every 4 children. The cost of detergent, electricity, and water is around $5 a month, which means about another $500 for every 4 children. So that means that with cloth, you have diapered 4 children for $1,000. An environmentally friendly disposable would have cost you $28,000, and a brand disposable about $16,000. Seeing as how "Health" was my #1, I would have gone with the chlorine free brand, and I would frankly rather have the extra $27,000.

4) Potty training.
Yep. It's easier with cloth. Why? Because disposable diapers are super absorbent. They wick so much moisture away from the skin that the child can't even tell that he has wet himself. Cloth diapers must be changed more often because, though they don't wick, they aren't as absorbent as disposables. This means that the kid can actually feel himself urinate, which makes it easier to detect, which makes potty training easier.

5) Ease and convenience.
You heard me right. I would rather cloth diaper because it's easier. Diapers today are not like the kind my parents used. They had cotton prefolds with pins and nylon covers. Covers today are made with PUL, a waterproof, breathable, industrial grade material originally designed for medical use. They use velcro or snaps and are generally very fleecy and soft next to the child's skin. They wick better than old diapers, which keeps the child drier, and are more absorbent. They are offered in a plethera (10 points for using the word "plethera") of fabrics, from organic cotton to hemp to bamboo and more. You can get AIOs, or all in ones, which is basically like a disposable that you don't throw away - just one piece is the entire diaper. Or you can use prefolds, contours, or fitted diapers with a cover. Most moms (including me) use a combination - I use prefolds with a cover at home, and AIOs on the road. They are much easier to use and wash than I imagined and it doesn't take nearly as much of my time as I thought it would, and I have to do a load every couple of days. I told someone once that I like cloth because they were convenient, because I didn't have to run to the store every time I ran out of diapers. She said, "Well, yeah, but what if you run out and you haven't washed any? Your baby would just be peeing everywhere!" Well, I do the same thing you do with disposables - I pay attention. If I've only got 3 diapers left, I put them in the wash instead of running the store. Easy.

6) Cuteness.
Okay, so this is the least of my reasons for a reason, but it's still a fun one. Cloth diapers are ADORABLE. They come in all sorts of colors and patterns and you can even buy custom diapers (or make them yourself!) to match other outfits. Sometimes when it's warm enough I let Ariana be "naked baby" in only a diaper - she's so much cuter than if she were wearing white paper!

Some Notes on Cloth
Here are some explanations for those of you who are just so confused you wouldn't even know where to start:

1) Types of diapers
There are 5 main types of cloth diapers, and I will list them in order from generally cheapest to generally most expensive.

• Prefolds: This is most like the kind of diaper your parents would have used. They are just a square piece of cloth that are divided into three sections, the middle one being heaviest. You fold the diaper in thirds, make little wings on one side, and fold them around the child. You generally then fasten them with a Snappi or a diaper cover. There are many different kinds (Indian, Chinese, etc) made out of many different kinds of fabric. They can be anywhere from $1 up to $8 or more apiece, depending on the material they are made out of. I use hemp because it is organic and more absorbent than cotton, but it is also a bit more expensive and bulkier. Prefolds will be listed with numbers like this: 3/5/3, etc. This means that the outside sections have 3 layers of whatever cloth it is made out of, and the inside layer has 5. The higher the number, the bulkier and more absorbent. These diapers require a cover and fastener (some covers act as fasteners).
• Contour: These are kind of like prefolds but are already shaped, meaning you don't have to fold the diaper into thirds and make wings before putting it on your baby. They are bit more expensive than prefolds but are also easier to manage. These diapers require a cover and fastener (some covers act as fasteners).
• Fitted: These are like contour diapers but you don't need a fastener. Fitted diapers have elastic around the legs to help contain messes, and you fasten them with velcro or snaps included on the wings of the diaper. These diapers require a cover.
• Pocket: These diapers are a cover and soft material in one. There is a "pocket" near the back of the diaper where you will stuff your own absorbent material, such as hemp or cotton. This makes them cheaper than all in ones because you can make your own "soakers" as they are called. You can also customize a single pocket diaper to be more or less absorbent depending on your child's needs and the time of day (night time diapers need more absorption, obviously). These diapers require a soaker.
• All In Ones: AIOs generally range from $16-$25 apiece, depending on the type you get. These are entire diapers in one: cover, soaker, and Aplix (velcro) or snap to close the diaper. Some have pockets to add extra stuffing if necessary. They are the easiest diaper and the most expensive - I use AIOs when I go out and when someone else is watching Ari, because they are as easy to put on as disposables (I think easier). These diapers require nothing but the diaper, though you can add soakers to some for nighttime or car rides or other high-absorbency situations.

(2) Soap and Detergent
Flying in the face of the instinct of most cloth diapering parents to use the most natural solution possible, you CAN NOT use natural soap on cloth diapers. Soap leaves behind a residue that is very difficult to get out and will decrease the absorbancy of cloth diapers. You must use a detergent (a detergent is just a man made soap) but you can choose an environmentally friendly option. Charlie's Soap is a popular choice. I use Bio-Kleen, which works great and is sold in Whole Foods. The main key is this: the detergent MUST NOT contain bleach or enzymes. Enzymes are particles that help break down organic matter. Sounds great for washing poop out of cloth, right? Right - but NOT for diapers. Enzymes are almost impossible to wash off of the cloth, which means if you use a detergent with enzymes, they stick to the diaper. The next time your baby poops, the enzymes do their job and attack - leaving a nasty rash. In the links below there is a website that lists detergents and whether or not they are good for cloth diapers, but my personal recommendation would be Bio-Kleen, just because I love it so much. ;)

3) Stains and smells
You can eliminate stains and smells from your diapers by line drying them in the sun. The rays of the sun are not only antimicrobial (meaning it kills the bacteria that cause smell) but it also naturally bleaches the cotton in a safe way. If you, like me, live in an apartment where you actually had to sign a paper saying you would never, ever do this, you can remove smells by adding a cup of baking soda to the final rinse in the wash and then drying on high heat. Stains can be removed with a little bit of bleach, but - as the stain is just that, a stain, and doesn't mean the diaper is dirty - I just live with them. It doesn't look pretty but I don't want to bleach my diapers as this can cause them to break apart and not last as long.

4) Sanitation
I actually had someone say to me once that I should switch to disposables because they are more sanitary. I would just like to point out that this is a farse. With cloth diapers, the waste goes exactly where it is supposed to - out with the waste water. With disposables, the waste is left to fester underground in overfull landfills that leak into our water supply. That doesn't sound very sanitary to me. Also, with cloth, you actually DO dump the feces in the toilet, meaning it doesn't sit in your house. So as far as at home goes - do you, every time you change a diaper, promptly go to your dumpster or outside trashcan and dispose of the diaper? No? Then how is having a dirty disposable diaper sitting in a trashcan in your house any different than having a dirty cloth diaper sitting in a lined and covered pail in your house?

Child and Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Cloth
Okay, for those of you who are concerned with the health risks of disposables but aren't too concerned with the other reasons I mentioned, there are better alternatives that have lower environmental impact.

1) Tushies
Tushies are the premium "friendly" disposable in my opinion. Not only do they not use chlorine, but they do not use super absorbent materials. Tushies are bulkier than brand disposables because they are made with pure, unbleached wood pulp and no chemicals come in contact with your baby at all. They are produced with an environmentally friendly process and can be ordered online and bought in some brick and mortar stores such as Whole Foods.

2) Seventh Generation
These are much easier to find as Seventh Generation is a brand that is even sold in places like Target (though I don't know if they have their diapers). Seventh Generation uses a highly absorbent polymer, but it is not bleached and therefore does not contain VOCs such as dioxin. They can be ordered online as well as bought in Whole Foods.

3) Nature Babycare
These look promising but I have yet to figure out where to buy them. Their website says that the diapers are "the first ECO-friendly high-performance diaper, based on new green technology, protected by a Swedish patent. The diaper is soft, thin, comfortable and with perfect sizing. It’s performance is as good as the best ”traditional” diapers. It has an exclusive 100% chlorine free absorbent material and the material against the baby's skin is based on corn instead of plastic like traditional diapers, 100% compostable, breathable and extremely kind for the baby. The packaging is 100% compostable and based on corn." "Compostable" means that, if you have a compost pile for your organic garden, you can actually add the diapers! Worth doing some research on, I'd say.

Update:  I have tried these.  They are terrible. Unless they fix their formula it's never going to work.  They are crunchy and uncomfortable and leak horribly.

4) Nature Boy and Girl
I'm unsure whether these are actually the same diapers as Nature Babycare. They also claim to be made with cornstarch and are found online at drugstore.com and natureboyandgirl.net.

5) gDiapers
gDiapers are a cloth-disposable hybrid that are made with a flushable liner. They are just as expensive as disposables and not as reusable as cloth, but are the most environmentally friendly of the disposable choices as NONE of the diaper ends up in landfills and they are 100% compostable after two months (instead of 500 years like even the chlorine-free and wood-pulp only disposables.) They can be found at Whole Foods and Central Market as well as other stores and online.

If you know of any other baby and earth friendly disposable options, let me know and I'll add them here!

Further Reading
The Diaper Jungle's Detergent Chart
EPA 2006 Stats
The Daily Green Blog
Claudia's Choices
Mothering.com
Healthy Child - Disposables
Healthy Child - Cloth
Rumparooz - Cloth vs. Disposable Cost Charts

Buy Cloth Diapers
Diaper Pin
Kelly's Closet
Cotton Babies
Tiny Tush
Punkin Butt

Sew Your Own Cloth Diapers
Diaper Sewing
Diaper Jungle
Very Baby (materials)
Sew Diapers (by Very Baby)
The Diaper Hyena
Celtic Cloth (materials)
Fern and Faerie (frugal diaper sewing)