Dreaming of a Green Christmas: 9 Gift Ideas for the Eco-Conscious

I love reusable products.
Have you seen the people who fit a whole year's waste into a mason jar? Talk about serious goals. I love making small swaps to reduce our household waste.

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Reusables make AMAZING gifts because they are something that people sometimes struggle to buy themselves (upfront investment), but will be used all year long... for years and years!

Here's a list of my favorite green items:

Silicone Straws: Unlike their hard, stainless steel counterpart, silicone straws are soft and safe for little (and big!) teeth. They're bendy, easy to clean, and completely safe to chew on! These are one of my favorite "green" switches.

Wool Dryer Balls: I haven't used dryer sheets in years. I actually haven't used anything. BUT dryer balls are amazing for softening up clothes and speeding dry time, which in turn saves energy. I would LOVE to receive these. It's one thing you can't have too many of!

Wetbags: Not just for cloth diapers! Wetbags are awesome for storing dirty clothes, wet bathing suits, used kitchen towels...the possibilities are endless, really. There's even small, food safe varieties that are amazing alternatives to ziploc bags!

Reusable Grocery Bags: We do most of our shopping at Aldi, so plastic bags are out for this household. Many states are even putting a ban on grocery bags, which I think is amazing. Reusable grocery bags hold so much more, and they can even double as a gift bag!

Unpaper Towels: Another favorite switch for me was going to real towels in the kitchen instead of paper towels. I'm going to be real honest and say it was actually the wanna-be chef in me watching the Food Network that made me switch to using real towels while cooking. Whatever works, right? You can get fancy and buy unpaper towels, decorate your own flour sacks, or just go for the fancy ones they have at Target!

Cloth Wipes: Another, whether-you-cloth-diaper-or-not item. Cloth wipes are amazing for wiping up messes and little faces. My favorites are Grovia or Bumgenius. I love the terry fabric because it's super grabby, but still soft.

Cloth Diapers: I put this WAY down the list but... it probably would be my number one gift for myself. I've been known to tell my husband to skip the flowers on special occasions and use it to buy a new diaper instead. Any cloth diaper mama would LOVE to receive a new diaper "for her baby."

Menstrual Cup: Okay, maybe I'm getting into crazy-land here, but I definitely feel like the biggest inhibitor of cup converts is the initial price. They would make a great gift for someone who has been wanting to make the switch. Here is the deal though: they are not one-size-fits-all. It would be a safe bet to go for a medium height and firmness, like a Lena or Ruby Cup. Check out Put A Cup In It for more information on buying a good cup for the "average" woman. And for the love of all things, DO NOT buy a Diva cup. They are one of the worst cups for beginners, being too hard and too tall for the average. I am partial to Ruby myself. They donate one cup for every one bought.

Cloth Pads: Let me tell you how long it took me to buy cloth pads... oh wait, I NEVER actually did. I was finally sent some from a certain company I adore. It's one of those things that you want, but you just cannot suck up to buy for yourself!


I could probably title this "Kaitlin's Gift Guide" because I would love any of these gifts!
Are you shopping green this year?  What are your favorite reusables?

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more cloth diaper tips and reviews!

For my cloth diapering system, check out my complete Guide to Cloth Diapering

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4 Reasons Flour Sack Towels (FST) Fall Short For Cloth Diapering

I'm all about keeping it real.

Cloth is amazing, but it does have it's downsides.

I did a post about why I'm obsessed with FST, and why they are my insert of choice.
But they are not perfect inserts, by far.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. I'm saving up to buy myself a cup of coffee so I can keep this thing going. As always, I would never recommend something I don't stand behind and use myself!

I wanted to share three areas they kind of suck at:
  
1. They need to be folded. For me, this ain't no thang. I love folding laundry, and how easy FST are to wash without issues is totally worth the time it takes to fold. I could pad-fold in my sleep.
And some days, I actually think I do.


2. They are linty. Linty, linty, linty.
The package may say "lint-free" but that is a LIE.
The first time you wash them, DO NOT wash them with your diapers, especially anything fleece-y that will act as a lint magnet.
After they've been washed the first couple of times, the lint will slow, but my favorite dark covers still collect it, after eternity.
Sad face.

3. They are not the most soft insert on the block.
They're miles ahead of disposable diapers, but compared to some of those soft, luxurious prefolds and inserts, these guys are scraping by.
Or maybe scratching.
Okay, they're really not that bad, but they are more rough than your average cloth diaper.

4. They aren't the most trim insert, either.
I see a lot of people say they like them because of how trim they are. but in my opinion, they're not. They fold up more thin than a flat, more than your most plush prefold, but I would never call them trim.
Hemp is trim.
Run-of- the mill inserts are trim.
Flour sack towels? They're big boned.


I also believe that it is the cover/shell that makes the trimness of the diaper.
It doesn't matter what you stuff in your Button's Diaper, it's going to be trim.
And that's why I'm crazy in love with Buttons:

Best Bottom and Lalabye Baby covers also meet my trimness standards.


Cloth diapering as a whole is a very preferential experience.
Most people either LOVE or hate flour sack towels as inserts.
What side are you on?

Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more cloth diaper tips and reviews!

For my cloth diapering system, check out my complete Guide to Cloth Diapering 


Shop Diaper Junction:

7 Reasons I'm Obsessed with Flour Sack Towels (FST) for Cloth Diapers

If you have been following me for any amount of time, you know that I have crazy mad love for flour sack towels as diaper inserts. I started using them shortly after I started cloth diapering (in 2015) and I am obsessed with them, still. I live, breathe, and preach this diaper system.

This post may contain affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I receive a small commission for my referral, at no extra cost to you. I'm saving up to buy myself a cup of coffee so I can keep this thing going. As always, I would never recommend something I don't stand behind and use myself!

Seven reasons why:

7. They can be conveniently bought at Walmart or Target, or most big box stores with a kitchen towel department. This was huge for me when I was building my stash on a budget, because I'd throw in a package every time I went shopping.

6. They're kind of great for everything- clean ups, as a changing mat, snot noses, as a nursing cover, their actual use as a kitchen towel, and I've even used one when I've forgotten my son's swaddle blanket (that he needs to sleep). It's a lifesaver to keep in my diaper bag!

5. They are so versatile as a diaper. Whether you want to do a quick pad-fold or get fancy with a Snappi, these guys are down for whatever.
You can use them with a pocket diaper, cover, with wool, or whatever diaper system you choose.

4. They are a natural fiber. Being 100% cotton, the boast all the advantages of natural fiber diapers: they don't harbor stink, don't hold unto diaper creams, are super absorbent, and don't lend compression leaks.

3. They cost a freakin' dollar. Actually, Walmart sells them 10/$7.88, so it's less than a dollar. That's a good deal for a diaper insert. I've been using the same ones for two kids, for over two years and they haven't shown any wear yet.
They are perfect for cloth diapering on the cheap (like for less than $200)

2. They dry quickly. They are a single layer of fabric when unfolded, so they dry crazy fast. Thirty minutes in the dryer, and the same amount of time out on a clothesline. Seriously! They save energy and so much time. This has been one of the biggest draws for me, and what prevents me from going into other inserts. I don't like having to run a long, or more than one, dryer cycle.

1. They wash like a dream. Since they open up to just one thin layer of cotton, they wash CLEAN, even if you haven't perfected your wash routine yet. This makes them AMAZING for hand washing! No washer, no problem!
Actually, I think it's pretty bad-a$$ to be so dedicated to cloth you will wash by hand! If you do, flour sacks are the way to go!

I pad-fold and keep them in the drawer ready to lay in my covers.
Have you tried FST in your diapers yet? What are your thoughts?


Don't forget to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest for more cloth diaper tips and reviews!

For all the deets on my cloth diapering system, check out my complete Guide to Cloth Diapering