eLeMeNO-Pee Rep Spotlight : Cayla Barrett

Cayla Barrett 
Goose Creek, SC  Consultant

Cayla is a stay at home mom and her husband is in the military.  They have an eight month old daughter (who wears cloth diapers, of course!).  She is from Georgia, and her hobbies include playing the flute (11 years), cooking, baking, thrifting, and doing anything eco-friendly. 


Who introduced you to cloth diapering? How old was your child when you made the switch?
I introduced myself to cloth diapering while I was pregnant, since I was looking for ways to save money and be Eco-friendly!  I LOVE it so much I decided to start selling them.


What was the first cloth diaper you purchased? 
The first diaper I purchased was a Bum Genious Freetime in Lovelace.  My daughter was 3 months old when I finally was able to switch full time, and hasn't been in a disposable at all since (even when we travel!). I fully intend to cloth diaper our next child from his/her first diaper. :) I'm obsessed.


What is your current favorite diaper? 
My current favorite diaper is a prefold in a Thirsties cover.  I love the simplicity and ease of washing it.

  
What led you to eLeMeNO-Pee?
I was led to eLeMeNO-Pee when my mom told me I should start selling cloth diapers and do parties like Mary Kay.  I laughed and told her I highly doubted there was a company like that...little did I know.  I googled it and eLeMeNO-Pee came up... I was so shocked and excited. 


What is one thing you want for your child's future? 
I want my child to grow up to be responsible, caring, loving, smart people who make a difference in the world.


If you could only read ONE book for the rest of your life, which would you choose? 
If I could only read one book for the rest of my life, I would probably choose the Bible because there is so much to read there!  


Do you have pets? Tell me about them if so! 
We have two dogs, one of which is a miniature daschund and yorkie mix, and the other is a sweet, energetic, super hairy and loving mutt from the pound.


Now that Spring is just around the corner, do you have any plans to start a garden -- vegetable and/or flower?
I would LOVE to start a vegetable garden, but unfortunately I do not have any space for a garden...I hope to have a yard for one next time we move!


To get in contact with Cayla for a personal consultation, you can visit her website : www.elemeno-pee.com/cayla 

eLeMeNO-Pee Rep Spotlight : Vicki Kershner

We're going to start highlighting the backbone of our team : our reps/consultants! We want you to get to know them a little better, know why they chose to be part of our team, and all of the insight they have to offer! 

Vicki Kershner 

Vicki is originally from New Jersey but now resides in Greenville (Greer), South Carolina. She has been married for six years and is a stay-at-home mom to three children: a six year old boy, a four year old girl, and a ten month old baby boy. Vicki's friends know her as a coupon nerd and cloth diaper nerd. She loves to educate others about natural childbirth, breastfeeding, baby wearing and general natural living. Her family is also very active in her local church and God is a big part of their lives.

Now that you know a little bit about Vicki, it's time for a little Q&A!

Vicki, tell us one random fact about you! 

One random fact about me is that I'm technically only seven - that is, I've only had seven birthdays because my birthday falls on February 29th. :)

Who introduced you to cloth diapering?

I pretty much introduced myself to cloth diapering. In the beginning of my first pregnancy I wasn't working so I had a lot of time on my hands to do research about all things pregnancy and babies. In a forum I was a member of someone mentioned cloth diapers and I decided to do my own research on them. At first my mind went straight to my cousins growing up who wore huge diapers that drug the ground with big rubber pants. That was not something wanted to do. After doing more research I found that there were so many more, easier options that were cute too! Being a couponer, I of course like to save money everywhere so that was a huge perk for me (and a selling point for my husband who was definitely more skeptical than me about it). 

What was the first cloth diaper you purchased?

The first cloth diapers I bought were the old-style pointy tabbed Fuzzi Bunz. I was SO excited to get them in the mail, I took a picture. I still have those exact diapers today! 

What led you to eLeMeNO-Pee?

Last year, I was looking at ways I could make some extra money but still stay home with my children. The local brick and mortar cloth diaper store, which was really popular, closed down last year and I felt like people needed another place they could go to touch and feel diapers. At first I considered having my own store but after weighing the options and researching other opinions, I decided against it. However, in my research I happened upon companies that hire cloth diaper reps. I had considered doing something like Mary Kay or Thirty-One in the past but never felt that I was passionate enough about their products to actually sell them. But THIS, I could do. Cloth diapers I could do - I mean, I was already telling my friends about all the pros of them and I had also been leading a local play group based around it so why not make some money doing it?  I contacted someone on a forum who had been a rep for eLeMeNO-Pee. She had nothing but good things to say about the company so I decided to apply for a position and I got it! Although I still feel like I'm just getting started, I really love meeting new people and talking to them about one of my passions.

What is your favorite quote?

I don't know that I have a favorite quote. But my favorite Bible verse, along the lines of pregnancy and childbirth of course:

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be. -- Psalm 139:13-16 

What is something you've always wanted to try but haven't?

If you're talking about just in general in life, I'd love to do more traveling. I've been to Spain and Mexico but I'd love to do more traveling in the western US and to more of Europe.

If you could give one important piece of advice to a family considering making the switch to cloth diapers, what would it be?

My one piece of advice would be to try different systems in the beginning and stick with the one(s) you like. Different systems work on different babies and especially if you don't know what body type your baby will have, you don't want to be stuck with a bunch of one thing that you can't use. Buy a few different things and when you find what works best, you won't be out much money and then you can invent more into what you know works for you.

To get in contact with Vicki for a personal consultation, you can visit her website : www.elemeno-pee.com/vicki 

Cloth and the Working Mom, pt. 1: Enlisting your daycare

The first obstacle that many two-income, would-be cloth diapering families find standing in their ways is the Daycare Question.

Can daycares use cloth according to the Nat'l Resource Center for Health & Safety in Childcare?

"Would any daycare or in-home sitter around here even do cloth?" 

"My friend said her daycare told her it was against the law.*" 

"We LOVE our daycare, and I just hate to ask any more of them."

Chances are, though, your daycare will be able to be persuaded, and if they're not amenable right now, they will be in the near future--as soon as they see how many potential cloth diapering families want to make use of their childcare services. After all, an estimated 25% of American families are cloth diapering now, and that number is growing! Being able to advertise as a 'green daycare' can only be a bonus in a competitive market.

What goes in the daycare bag when you cloth diaper? This stuff!

Whether you're still in the interviewing stage or whether your baby is already enrolled in a daycare, there are a few things to shore up and square away before you start sending your cloth diapered baby to daycare so that everyone--you, the daycare's director, and your baby's teachers--feels confident that cloth will work and be easy.

*There are no states in which cloth diapers are illegal for accredited or licensed daycare centers to use; however, a handful of states (not Louisiana) require a doctor's note prescribing their use.

So what can you do ahead of time?

1) Request a meeting with the director and the teacher in charge of your child's classroom; strongly request that they meet with you at the same time so that everybody's questions are answered at once and each one gets the benefit of hearing the other's questions answered.

2) Bring in a demo. Bring a diaper to the meeting that goes on like a disposable (so no pull-ons or pins), and have it assembled already if it comes in more than one piece, like a pocket, AI2, or prefold trifolded into a cover. If you're using prefolds and covers, you might want to purchase a cover for every prefold in your daycare stash rather than requesting that a cover be re-used several times throughout the day. Keep it as close to disposable diapering as you can as a courtesy.

3) Bring in your baby--or a baby doll--as well as a wet bag. Demonstrate a diaper change from start to finish! Let them know whether you'd prefer them to remove a pocket diaper's insert with their gloved hands immediately after the diaper change or whether you'll take care of that when you get home (more painful for you, but less work for them!). Show them how to fold the diaper in half before putting it in the wet bag, rather than rolling it up--this is especially important for a #2 diaper, as I'm sure you can imagine. On that note...

4) Be prepared with clear answers to the poop question. It's best to tell them, "Don't worry about the poop. I'll take care of it when I get home." Some daycares, especially corporate ones, will have company-wide regulations about cloth diapers that include the workers not being expected to remove feces from the diaper to put it in the toilet, as this takes extra time away from the children they are minding and can just plain (and understandably!) gross them out--even more than having to change dozens of diapers a day. As long as the only difference between a cloth diaper change and a disposable diaper change is where the diaper goes (in a wet bag rather than in a trash bag), they simply can't object! If the daycare assigns each child a cubby hole or a hook, have them keep your wet bag there.

5) Let them use disposable wipes. They'll throw them away with the disposable diapers and wipes they'll be using for other children, and it will be easier for them than worrying about a wipe solution. If environmental friendliness is paramount to you, gWipes are biodegradable and made with friendlier materials than the leading brands.

6) Provide ample, mess-free cloth diaper-safe diaper rash treatment. We love the soothing simplicity of Butt Balm by hosie naturals. Request that the balm only be used when your baby's diaper area is irritated, not as a matter-of-course 'just in case' barrier treatment. Even a cloth diaper-safe balm can be used too often and lead to build-up being left behind on your diapers; it's also just not as frugal to use it when it isn't needed. Cloth diapers are chemical-free and gentle on your baby's skin... No barrier necessary!

7) Send your baby with only one style of diaper. A single brand might make it even easier, but if you have a varied stash because you're still finding out what you like, try to pack the same style of diaper every day. If you're sending a diaper with a snap closure, include a diagram paper-clipped to the diaper that indicates which snap settings will best fit the diaper to your baby--with a friendly note about how you wanted to make the diaper change quick and easy for them!

When you get home: it's time to deal with the poop.

Want to hear a daycare experience straight from a cloth diapering mom's mouth? We'll wrap up the first installment of Cloth and the Working Mom with Jill's tale: