Family Archives

Doing Without (for now):

Recliner for mama

Changing table or pad

Dresser for the nursery

A designated nursery, so to speak

Air purifier

As parents, we have the daunting task of providing for our children. And sometimes, companies use that to their advantage. The commercial market for baby stuff has really gone down the deep end. They have redefined the term “newborn essentials” to include everything that would grow the economy. Everything has become essential – or so they make it seem. Where has our discernment gone?

My own mum scoffs at changing tables and changing pads, especially those connected to large dressers that increase the price. Back in the day, our loin-cloth nappies would be swiftly changed on the bed. If you’re worried about your changing skills, placing another square cloth underneath the booty catches any accidents. I take my mom’s disdain as a sign that perhaps we can survive the first year of parenthood without a changing table. At the very least, we can wait and see how things go.

I also had a friend communicate with me her dissatisfaction with an expensive stroller she purchased for her first child. It was big, bulky, heavy, had useless functions, and was expensive. I took her advice and accepted a hand-me-down jogging stroller to start. My aunt offered it up to me even though its years old. I figured it’d be useful for our active lifestyle. These are the types of money saving tips that families need. Not only will it help families stay within budget, but it will also help allocate dollars to the REALLY important stuff.

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If you’d really like to go on a deep dive, I highly recommend reading the book Not Buying It. Luckily, I found mine at our public library. I devoured its contents in one day, as I sat painfully awaiting my 3 hour glucose test to end. The joys of motherhood!

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This post is in partnership with Esembly, an organic and sustainable company dedicated to making cloth diapering accessible to all families. As a beginner parent, I found the notion of using reusable diapers as both endearing and scary. Quite frankly, I wasn’t sure we could navigate this new world of child-rearing while holding onto our ideals of less waste. However, Esembly has put those worries to rest with their easy cloth-diapering system. I wanted to take a few moments to share with my audience what they have to offer. We now look forward to our diapering days with excitement and I hope you do too. If you wish to try Esembly, make sure to check out the 20% discount code at the end of the post (valid until January 30, 2023).

We have decided to take on the challenge of cloth diapering. Pursuing a life of less waste, we teeter-tottered between convenient and conscientious and decided on the latter. When I researched options for cloth diapering, I was dismayed to find that services available to big-city dwellers in New York are not readily so in our remote area. Luckily, Esembly has created a cloth diapering system that would work well, as long as we took to the laundering ourselves.

I figured, my two siblings and I were cloth diapered 100%, back when linen loincloths were the only option and our parents had to hand-wash whites in a drum. Paddles were used to slap the cloths clean and bleach was occasionally called upon to keep them white. Fast forward 33 years to automatic washers and innovation. Cloth diapering has come a long way! I am excited to give Esembly’s Try-It Kit a go. And to share with you guys what their well-thought-out system has to offer.

The Impact of Cloth Diapering

First and foremost, let’s talk impact. There are 11.4 million babies in the United States according to a 2022 census. An average infant uses 55 diapers a week. This amounts to 627 billion diapers entering the landfills per week. This also equates to 2,860 diapers per infant per year. Compare that to 48 Esembly diapers for an infant’s entire diapering saga.

Even if environmental impact wasn’t enough to make poopy diapers enticing, there are also dollars savings to be considered. If you purchased the cheaper brands on Amazon, it would still cost thousands of dollars to get your baby through to potty training. Shall you choose to purchase Earth-saving bamboo diapers or healthier, chemical-free alternatives, the price you’d be paying can so much as double or triple. Lastly, cloth-diapering isn’t as scary as it seems!

Esembly’s Cloth Diapering System

Esembly’s cloth diapering system is organic and sustainable. It was designed with parents in mind. The company wanted to take the edge off of cloth-diapering in general, which is stigmatized as being a hassle and downright gross. However, by simplifying the steps, Esembly has managed to make it fun and stress-free. Arming parents with the right products to turn this venture into a wild success story, Esembly has lowered the bar to access cloth diapering for people who live outside of big cities and who have had zero experience with cloth diapering in the past.

Pre-prepared bundles make purchasing easier for those wishing to cloth-diaper full-time, part-time, or simply give it an experimental whirl. Or you can take the Esembly quiz if you want a custom-fit solution. A subscription model also allows products to magically appear on your doorstep as you need them.

Additional Cloth Diapering Accessories

Multiple accessories make the laundering process more manageable. A diaper pail by way of a bag can hang from the back of a door, in the laundry room, or go directly into a sturdier option such as this Dekor Pail. A pail deoderant keep smells at bay until laundry day. Esembly users swear by the detergent and agitators that turn poopy diapers into unsoiled reusable cloths. And if you breastfeed like we plan to, the clean up is even easier as breastfed babies make biodegradable poop. However, poops must be thrown own before soiled diapers enter the pail once formula and solids are introduced.

Another thing I love about Esembly is that they are organic. Esembly diapers have less reactions than other disposable brands which may contain chemicals. Esembly also provides an array of skincare products for your babe such as rash relief cream and everyday balm. Reusable, sturdy cloth wipes are available to wipe away messes with ease.

Less Stress with Esembly

There is an argument to be had for cloth diapering, and that is one that relates to a life of less stress. With the right system in place, cloth diapering shouldn’t be too different from using disposable nappies. For fully breastfed babies, there is no need to clean the diaper at all. Simply remove and store in the diaper pail until laundry day. Wipe bums with their foaming cleanser and reusable wipes, and place a new inner. Wash all used inners, outers, wipes and diaper pail on laundry day. Just throw everything in the drum!

Another thing cloth diapering does is lower the cost of child-rearing. Forty-eight reusable diapers until potty training is all one needs. Cost reduction of child-rearing goes a long way in reducing overall stress in a growing family. Any opportunity wherein we can cut costs further enables us to work less and spend more time at home. And with Esembly’s subscription system, there is no need to run to the mart for detergent, wipes, or additional diapers!

Of course, all of this with the caveat that we are still awaiting the arrival of our newborn. But with excitement and gusto! Like all other things in life, we embrace the challenge of navigating cloth diapering. I feel much better and well-equipped with Esembly. And truly, Esembly aligns with our family’s values of intentional living, less waste, and simple living. I’ll be sure to circle around with a final evaluation in a few month’s time.

In the meantime, my audience with newborns or expecting family growth can start cloth diapering with Esembly today. Esembly is gifting my audience 20% off with the code THEDEBTIST on Esembly products purchased via my affiliate link until January 30, 2023. If unsure of your commitment, I highly recommend starting with the Try-It kit.