Cotton diapers have obvious benefits: they save trees, lessen landfills, and cut taxpayers’ costs. But it’s tough to face the rigorous routine required to launder cloth diapers at home. It’s one thing to deal with a big baby blowout in the moment, it’s another thing to deal with it again at the laundry machine.

Enter Changing Habits diaper service operated out of Deerfield, MA. The owner, Donna Grybko, is a bit of a kooky koala bear but boy, is she committed to cloth diapers. She even arrived on our doorstep with the first delivery to give us a cloth diaper demo. We loved the service and it was reliable and efficient on all counts.

Changing Habits travels many miles to serve towns in Western Massachusetts and Middlesex County. Check the website for town listings then call to confirm that they can service your address.

Cotton diapers have obvious benefits: they save trees, lessen landfills, and cut taxpayers’ costs. But it’s tough to face the rigorous routine required to launder cloth diapers at home. It’s one thing to deal with a big baby blowout in the moment, it’s another thing to deal with it again at the laundry machine.

Enter Changing Habits diaper service operated out of Deerfield, MA. The owner, Donna Grybko, is a bit of a kooky koala bear but boy, is she committed to cloth diapers. She even arrived on our doorstep with the first delivery to give us a cloth diaper demo. We loved the service and it was reliable and efficient on all counts.

Changing Habits travels many miles to serve towns in Western Massachusetts and Middlesex County. Check the website for town listings then call to confirm that they can service your address.

Think you have all the latest gadgets? The July/August 2006 issue of Cookie Magazine features a potty that looks like an iMac. The Boon Potty Bench is available for $29.99 at TargetTarget or Amazon and features side storage for supplies, pull out drawer for easy clean up, toilet paper holder, splash guard for the gents, and best of all: the “large, sturdy bench can support up to 300 lbs.” Whoa. That’s one sturdy toddler.

Think you have all the latest gadgets? The July/August 2006 issue of Cookie Magazine features a potty that looks like an iMac. The Boon Potty Bench is available for $29.99 at TargetTarget or Amazon and features side storage for supplies, pull out drawer for easy clean up, toilet paper holder, splash guard for the gents, and best of all: the “large, sturdy bench can support up to 300 lbs.” Whoa. That’s one sturdy toddler.

Distraction is a masterful tool in the mama arsenal. When your babe next experiences teething pain, try Healthy Times’ Premium Organic Biscuits. These kosher hard baked teething biscuits satisfy baby’s need to bite down, dissolve slowly, and are soy-, wheat- and dairy-free. Pick up a box at your local Whole Foods Market; alternatively, vanilla or maple are available at Amazon.

Have a camera ready for cute photo ops. Our 7.5 month old spent nearly an hour (I kid you not) working on her first biscuit; by the end she was a very happy and messy baby – teething woes were long forgotten!

Nothing dresses up a room and hides baby-induced stains quicker and more economically than throw pillows. Pier 1 Imports has a dizzying array of eye-popping pillows, such as the fresh and fabulous Loft 21 Floral Pillow (shown). This pillow is priced at the higher end of Pier 1’s collection ($30), but you can snatch up sale pillows for as low as $5-10.

Head over to a local store, or check out the collection online; the online search engine (keyword: “pillows”) also leads you to coordinating décor selections.

Nothing dresses up a room and hides baby-induced stains quicker and more economically than throw pillows. Pier 1 Imports has a dizzying array of eye-popping pillows, such as the fresh and fabulous Loft 21 Floral Pillow (shown). This pillow is priced at the higher end of Pier 1’s collection ($30), but you can snatch up sale pillows for as low as $5-10.

Head over to a local store, or check out the collection online; the online search engine (keyword: “pillows”) also leads you to coordinating décor selections.

Interested in a different kind of fitness activity? A mama pal in search of higher ground recommends Volo Farm in Westford. Riding instruction is offered to riders of all levels; beginners start in private lessons and move up to small group lessons once they have mastered simple control of their horse. Individual lessons can be purchased for $49 each. Packages are available for monthly sessions.

Interested in a different kind of fitness activity? A mama pal in search of higher ground recommends Volo Farm in Westford. Riding instruction is offered to riders of all levels; beginners start in private lessons and move up to small group lessons once they have mastered simple control of their horse. Individual lessons can be purchased for $49 each. Packages are available for monthly sessions.