Know anyone in Michigan?

I wish I knew someone in Michigan, specificially Ferndale, Michigan. There is a store called No Pins Required (http://www.nopinsrequired.com) that if I lived there or knew of someone there I would recommend them to drop in.

I recently placed an online order of GroBaby, new name is GroVia (http://www.gro-via.com) Biosoaker pads from No Pins Required. First off the web store front is adorable and easy to locate what you need. Secondly, they offered great customer service. How many of you are finding customer service to be less and less these days? The web site made it easy to order, I got a cute little note saying the product was shipped and the delivery was right on time. Plus, inside the box, which had old newspapers for filler!!! I got a personalized, hand written note saying thank you, here is a sample to try and please shop with us again!

This is hard to find these days. Will I shop with them again? Of course. Do I recommend you check out their website? Of course! Should you tell anyone who lives near or around Ferndale Michigan to stop in and see what they are all about? .....of course.

No Pins Required is Helpful Sister approved!

Happy shopping!

Helpful Sister,

Linda

Cloth vs. Disposable

What to do? When you think of "cloth" diapers do you think folding up rectangle pieces of cotton and pinning our baby in the middle of night? Do you think $$$$ and lots of it? Do you think I would rather just use disposable and once you put them in the trash never think of them again? 

I have put some thought into this. So much so that my 10 month old just starting using "cloth" diapers. My thoughts were of the money I had to invest to get the diapers I wanted but also I guess I was OK with the fact that the current disposables diapers take 100's of years to biodegrade. I guess I was OK with that since once I put them in the diaper bin, I did not have to think about what they were doing to the environment.

Well now I am thinking. Why? Because these days "cloth" diapers have come a long way! There are many sources for you to look at to make up your own mind. I just read a great article out of Mothering Magazine (May/June) issue which goes through the different kinds of cloth diapers. The diapers I have come to love are called "hybrid" cloth diapers and the maker is GroVia (http://www.gro-via.com). These diapers are so great because they grow with the baby. You buy their cute little shells and you can do 3 things. Purchase their soaker pad (snaps in shells), biosoaker (diaper like, sticks in shells) or get both. I have found so far I like the biosoakers since I just peal and stick in the shell. They are easy to use and cute to show off. Plus, I have found I wash my shells about every 3 days. Not because a blow out or they got peed on but just to keep them clean. Not much laundry for these cloth diapers.

What about leaks? What about the cost? What about the landfills? 

Well my 10 month old boy has been using these diapers for 2 weeks with a total of 2 leaks. I personally think it was because we, the parents,  put it on wrong.  This little man is a mover when changing!!!

As for the cost, I have spent very little, about $100. How? Because GroVia used to be named GroBaby and the GroBaby brand is on sale, so I have got some amazing deals from other online stores like http://www.thenaturalbabyco.com, http://www.nopinsrequired.com, http://www.thegreennursery.com and http://www.amazon.com. Plus since our baby was born we have invested over $700 in diapers which are made with gels which could cause rashes plus stay in landfills for 100's of years!!!

The investment is well worth it. The diapers are well made and the quality is just perfect for little buns. Don't forget that that the biosoakers take around 90-100 days to decompose!!! DAYS!!!! You can even flush them or use them as part of your compost. What a great way to do your part and help make sure this Earth is going to be around for your kids or the kids you know. Check out GroVia and learn for yourself. 

Also, I will be posting other reviews on other diapers later on. 

So to cloth or not to cloth?

The Helpful Sister,

Linda

The Start of Something....

Thoughts become things, don't they? My thoughts have now created this blog called The Helpful Sister. After about 3 years of wondering what to do with my "spare" time, I have decided to start to do something for other moms, kids, babies, aunts, grandparents, friends!!! This blog is for you. 

Come here every week, yes every week. There will be reviews of products that I have used, my friends have used, sales that are happening NOW, or coming, sites to check out, products to check out and much more.

Why so many links like to Amazon, Franklin Goose? These sites I approve of. You click here and it takes you to the site, no having to type or save the link. Go ahead use the technology and try new and different things. Expansion is good, idling is not. Click, click, click!!!

Action! Save this as a bookmark, send on to friends, family, co-workers. This blog will be something I am sure you will get something out of. Send me requests of products to look into, or to find. I love looking up unique things that maybe you would not find at Baby-r-Us, Target, etc. 

This is my passion and it is to help you find, search and locate cool things that will help you, your baby, your friend who is expecting, your niece, your granddaughter. Whomever. 

Help is on the way and it will be glorious!!

The Helpful Sister,

Linda