Tomatomania!

We are always looking for fun, inexpensive things to do, and yesterday headed to Cornerstone in Sonoma for Tomatomania - an heirloom tomato sale with more than 100 varieties. It was our first time to Cornerstone, and we were surprised to find this little gem right off the road on 121! There are art shops, winery tasting rooms and a market for lunch, but the crown jewel is the gardens. There are at least 20 or more garden art installations by different artists, making it a great place to go just to walk around.

We of course did hit up the tomato sale, although since my husband Matt has started more than 20 tomato plants, we only bought one - a type called Carbon that he's read about in many blogs, magazines, etc. It's supposed to have great flavor and do well in our coastal climate - I guess we will see!

The afternoon was beautiful and it was our first 'outing' with our son Will (notwithstanding weekly grocery trips, which have become quite the adventure now that we have a little one). He slept for most of the time, but we did get in a nice stroll through the gardens with him in daddy's arms.

Besides our $4 tomato plant, the afternoon was free! You don't get much better than that.

The great cloth diaper experiment

I never knew I'd be so excited about baby poop, but today's cloth diapers are something to behold.

Little engineering masterpieces, these poo containment devices are proof that there must be a diaper god. Many sport features like 'all-in-one' functionality (meaning they operate pretty much like regular diapers, notwithstanding the whole washing thing) or sizing options that reconfigure one diaper to serve from birth to potty training. And by golly, they are pretty darn cute to boot.

Researching which diaper to choose is akin to researching your next car purchase - there are countless brands and each one fits differently, has different features like Velcro or snaps, etc. Like cars, you don't really know what your'e going to get until after you purchase it...because its not like you can take these puppies out for a test drive. Well, at least that is what I thought until I discovered Jillian's Drawers.

Jillian's Drawers is a cloth diaper retail store in Ithaca, NY that also has an online store. I discovered them through an article on the Parenting Magazine website that referenced Jillian's Drawers as having a cloth diaper trial program for $10. I was shocked - how in the world is that possible when some diapers retail for $25 each or more? Well, I'm pleased to say the program does exist and I've been so incredibly impressed! I'm not asking questions - I'm just enjoying the fact that I can give these things a go without forgoing a ton of cash.

After the trial, I have to admit I'm in love with cloth diapers. They've sold me - hook, line and sinker. They're just so stinking (no pun intended...sorry, couldn't resist) easy - literally throw them in the wet bag (we use FuzziBunz), chuck in the washing machine (we use Tide original powder) and wash. Then line dry (or dry in the dryer on the low heat setting). That's it. Seriously.

After much consideration/testing/budgeting, here is our diaper stash:

Bum Genius: 2 rotating diapers for nighttime use with extra hemp liners for absorption. They never leak.
FuzziBunz: 18 for daytime use
Tots Bots Easy-Fit: 8 for daycare. The Velcro makes them so easy to use - just like a disposable! My daycare originally wasn't open to cloth diapers but when they saw these, they were on board.

While we have yet to experience cloth with, shall we say 'solids,' I'm hopeful that I'll be able to make it through that shift in the bum department with my love of cloth in tact. Only time will tell....

August update: We've been using cloth for four months now, and I'm still just as excited about these diapers as I was at the very beginning! They are holding up great. By now, we are close to net zero in our outlay of cost for the cloth diapers vs. disposable. From here on out, it's just gravy. Not to mention that they're better for our son and the environment. Have I mentioned I'm in love with these diapers?