10 Months in Cloth

Organic Blueberry Simplex in
"Hippo and Friends"

So life has been crazy with two littles so I haven't been blogging in oh just eight months, but I am coming back to update on where we are and what we have loved over the past few months.

Diapers
My stash has evolved and what is now my favorite is not what I would have expected.  My stash is exclusively Blueberry and SmartBottoms. I didn't have any of those brands in my stash when I started but the ease and convenience of the AIOs just hooked me.  Right after my last blog post is when I started to go Blueberry crazy.  I ended up with a newborn Simplex stash that we wore until she was almost six months old and then we just started with one size and haven't looked back.  We don't have any issues with leaks or explosions.  I think I have had maybe two while we have used these brands over the past eight months.  I had more than that in a single day of using disposables on my recent vacation.

Blueberry Simplex in bucket 4,5,and 7
and SmartBottoms in bucket 8

Brand Preference
I love each of the brands for their own
merits, but I do have a preference.  I will probably only be buying Blueberry in the future because they seem to wear MUCH better than SmartBottoms.  My oldest SmartBottom is 4.5 months old and I can already see a tiny bit of edgewear in the organic cotton inner.  None of my Blueberries have any wear except for the slight relaxing of the elastics.  I know that some people have SmartBottoms that have been through many children without any holes forming on the inners, but that isn't the case for us and it seems like it is becoming a frequent complaint about SmartBottoms based on the number of complaints about it on their FanChat Facebook page.

If I didn't have such an issue with the edgewear I would probably buy more SmartBottoms because they have the BEST prints.  I seriously have to restrain myself because I probably wouldn't be saving money using cloth is I bought all of my favorites :-)

Wipes
I have switched entirely to cloth wipes after a chemical burn with a disposable back in September and strangely enough I really enjoy using cloth wipes.  It really hasn't been any more work and is very convenient to just toss the wipes in the pail with the diaper after each change.

Storage
My Target storage system is still going strong.  Keeps me organized and always on top of my diaper laundry.  It also makes it very easy for non parents to find all the items needed for a diaper change.  I really hope it has made some cloth converts as well since all my pretties are out for display!

 Love it and it will definitely be gracing our wall until our last child is out of diapers!

AppleCheeks Pocket Review

Ruffly diapers elastics in cute solids and prints.  An option to work as a pocket for all your prefolds and flats.   Who makes these diapers?  Applecheecks that's who!!

Company Overview
Applecheeks is a Canadian company owned by the dynamic designer owner duo Llana Grostern and Amy Appleton.  Just check out the company Facebook page and you can "meet"  these hilarious women.

The Diaper
Applecheecks is an envelope style pocket diaper.  Coming in three different sizes, it offers one of the widest weight ranges currently on the market.  The brand new size three diaper fits children up to 65 pounds.

The lining of the diaper is made of soft microfleece which is sewn to the outer PUL.  There is elastic in the front and back to help contain even the messiest of blowouts.

There is no need to unstuff this diaper as the inserts will agitate right out in the wash.  I tried this with multiple style inserts and this is actually true!

Our Experience
The Applecheecks pocket is super soft and has a bit of stretch to the cover.  I love how snug you can get the legs without leaving red marks.  The pocket allows you to choose your insert.  I personally used my bamboo Diaper Rite prefolds as my insert.  It did make it one of my bulkier diapers, but the envelope pocket kept the insert in place which makes this an easy change and I can assemble this diaper straight out of the dryer.

I have used the diaper for about two months now without even a hint of a damp spot with Homegirl.  I was pretty impressed since my only other pocket diaper was horrible and we battled leaks for months.  I do like the flexibility to use my prefolds from the newborn stage all over again.

Care
Prepping this diaper for use is incredibly easy.  Just wash once to get all the manufacturing ickies out and you can use!  If you purchase the inserts you will need to prep several times since they are made of a natural fiber and washing will remove the natural oils making it more absorbent.

Affordability
Applecheecks Pockets are run about $19 each at most cloth diaper stores.  The branded 2 ply inserts are $17.75 for a pack of two inserts. If you need extra absorbency you can buy a 3 ply insert for $23.75 for a 2 pack. You can apply coupon codes for applecheeks at most online shops which helps with the cost.

At $19 for just a pocket and the added work of assembly, I think that this is a bit pricey.  Each complete diaper if using the Applecheecks inserts would be about $29 so be sure to wait for a big sale before you invest in a giant stash.