Out and About with Planet Wise {a review}

Disclaimer: Planet Wise provided me with a Wet/Dry bag for review purposes. All opinions are honest and my own. I would not recommend a product I wouldn't use myself. 

Cloth diapering while out and about means storing dirty diapers until you get home. It is one aspect of cloth that makes disposable diapers look slightly more appealing (change/toss vs. change/carry), but with a good wet bag you won't think twice about it!

A wet bag is a waterproof bag that you place dirty diapers (or wet bathing suits, messy clothes, gym clothes...you name it) in to contain the mess. They come in a variety of sizes to fit your needs, small enough to tuck in your diaper bag or large enough to hold everything until wash day.

Planet Wise was kind enough to send me one of their Wet/Dry bags in Teal Chevron (they have a HUGE selection of prints to choose from!) to review. I found it to be the perfect size (12.5" x 15.5") for packing in our diaper bag or to use AS the diaper bag while out and about. Because it has a "dry" compartment in addition to the "wet" (waterproof) compartment, you can store all of your diapers in one handy bag! Clean diapers on one side, dirty on the other. Genius. 

You can feel the quality in this wet bag. Seriously. It is extremely sturdy and very well made. The "wet" side of the bag is crafted from a PVC-free waterproof layer and cotton fabric. It zips shut and TRULY keeps the stink in. I found the zippers to be very sturdy and easy to use. They are on the smaller side, but if that bothers you, you could easily add a piece of ribbon or string as a "pull". (The zippers are also lead free. Did you know that some zippers are still painted with paint that contains lead? I had no idea!) The handle has a sturdy snap which enables you to hang the bag just about anywhere. I love to strap it to our stroller handle and save valuable space in the storage area! 

In addition to this Wet/Dry bag, I have been using two large Planet Wise wet bags (not review items, I purchased them myself) for the past 6 months. I started out with just one, but soon found that two would be much more efficient (one in the wash, one in use). Both of them have performed beautifully and I would buy a third (if needed) without hesitation. The fabric has held up brilliantly to heavy washing and the waterproof layer has yet to fail me. These bags have hung in our bedroom since day one and not *once* has stink escaped (until you open them of course!). On wash day I dump the diapers out of the bag and throw the wet bag in too. I always line dry my wet bags to prolonge their life, but you can machine dry them on low. Because the waterproof liner turns inside out I find they dry rather quickly. 

If you are in the market for a wet bag, or any other waterproof storage solution, check out Planet Wise! In addition to buying quality products you will also be supporting a family business based in the US! That's always a huge plus to me! You can currently purchase the Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag from most cloth diaper retailers for $21.00. A great value, especially since this bag can be repurposed once your little one is out of diapers! 

You can connect with Planet Wise on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram to keep up with all of the latest Planet Wise news! 

Do you use wet bags? What other uses have you found for them besides cloth diapers? 

5 Things I Learned About Cloth Diapering a Newborn

Cloth diapering a newborn can be intimidating. Heck, cloth diapering ANY baby can be intimidating. Especially if you don't know a soul "in real life" who uses them. I know. I've been there. I was overwhelmed with the choices and decisions, but I was determined to use them. I made some mistakes along the way, but I learned a lot as well! So pull up a chair, pour a cup of something and learn from my rookie mistakes! (Not that you won't make your own!)

1. Those One Size Diapers Aren't Gonna Fit

Unless you give birth to a baby gorilla, one size diapers ain't gonna cut it (for the most part). Sorry to be the one to break it to ya, frugal mama. I was right there with you. Not a single newborn or sized diaper in my pre-baby stash. Nope. I dismissed them as a waste of money and unnecessary. Silly, silly me. I struggled for several weeks trying to make the one size diapers (which are usually sized for 8 or 9lbs+) I had work. My SoftBums and Rumparooz were the only ones that made the cut and that gave me a grand total of FIVE diapers. For a newborn who pooped every 37 seconds. Yeah, you do the math.

2. Velcro is Your Bestie

Another huge mistake I made pre-baby was investing exclusively in snap closures. They were touted to last longer and be harder for an older baby to remove. Makes sense. Until you are trying to get that diaper on a squirming, screaming baby at 3:47 AM in a postpartum, sleep deprived haze. Velcro makes ALL the difference in that scenario. It also enables you to get a better fit on those one size diapers that DO fit a skinny newborn. Snaps are set intervals, there is no in between. With Velcro you can customize the fit SO much better.

3. Buy All of the Diapers

I wasn't kidding when I said newborns poop every 37 seconds. Okay, maybe it's closer to every two hours. Or every time they eat. Regardless, it's a lot of diapers. I started with five one size diapers that fit and added ten newborn diapers and three more SoftBums a few weeks in. It was tight, but it was doable. I was also washing my diapers every evening. If you plan on washing every other day you will need A LOT more diapers.

4. Don't be Afraid

Seriously. Don't be. It takes a couple of days, but once you get the hang of it you will wonder what the heck you were so worried about. And you will never look back. Until you go on vacation. Or the grocery store. Or when ever you have had it with laundry. It's OKAY. This is not all or nothing. This is what works for YOU.

5. Prefolds and Flats Are Awesome

This is one area I really could have done better in. I was terrified of prefolds and flats. I had six newborn prefolds to use in my SoftBums but they really didn't see a lot of use until she was way out of the newborn stage. Please buy some prefolds and/or flats. And for the love of Pete, buy a $3 Snappi. My prefolds would have seen so much more use if I had JUST bought a Snappi!

Have you cloth diapered a newborn? What would you do differently if you could do it again?