The 2^nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge: Day 1 – Why am I doing this?

Today is the first day of the 2nd Annual Flats and Handwashing Challenge hosted by Dirty Diaper Laundry. Each day from May 21st-27th our family will be using flat cloth diapers and washing them by hand. You can learn more about the rules and why this challenge was started by visiting the announcement post. This year there are over 450 participants from all over the world—I am totally psyched to be one of them!

The intent of this challenge is to increase awareness of the need for affordable diapering options and to prove that cloth diapering can be accessible to all families. I don’t think it’s any surprise that I am a huge cloth diaper advocate. But more than anything, I like to help people. I really do. One of my favorite things about working at Diaper Junction is helping families. I love consulting with our customers in store, offering advice on Facebook, and trouble-shooting over the phone. I have tried pretty much every diaper we carry in our store and I am a bit of a fit expert. I pride myself in my knowledge of laundry science and I dissect wash routines in my head like I’m solving algebraic equations. I know all the hows and whys and can give advice all day, but I admit I am lucky to live in a home with a great top-loader in a city with awesome water. I’ve also been fortunate enough to choose the diapers my family uses based on my personal likes and interests and not solely based on our checkbook. I am the first one to say that any family can cloth diaper successfully regardless of their financial or living situations—and I firmly believe that—but I think it is time for me to lead by example and do something I have advised so many mothers to do. So, to be honest, I am hoping that my participation in this challenge will give me some street cred.

Now, with all that said, I have a confession: I love folding flats. I love it. Kite. Neat. Origami. Diaper Bag. Airplane. Happy Anteater. I know them, and can fold them, all. Flats are like little puzzles because you can make them fit any baby if you fold them just right. I am kinda geeky and kinda crafty, and folding flats satisfies both of those sides of me.

I will be blogging throughout the week to keep you updated on our progress. Hopefully I can learn a few things by next Sunday and will have all acquired all sorts of geeky, crafty street cred.

-Valerie

Want to learn the Flats Origami Folding Technique? Watch the video below!