The Diaper Lab – Cloth Diapering Workshop

If the concept of cloth diapers scares you, you’re not alone.

If you don’t know where to start with cloth diapering, you’re still not alone.

Luckily for my wife Felicia and I, we live in the Greater Boston Area and can take advantage of the resources offered by The Diaper Lab in Davis Square, Somerville, MA. We attended their Introduction to Cloth Diapering Workshop over the weekend -- and it was money well-spent.

For an hour-and-a-half (and at $10 per couple), we sat in a small room with other equally confused couples and listened to Jen Patashnick discuss the ins-and-outs of all things cloth diapers – including varieties, use-cases, and laundering requirements.

Jen made cloth diapering seem easy. And fun.

She began by demonstrating the cheapest (yet most difficult) option – pre-folds – before moving her way through pocket diapers, one-size, all-in-ones, and hybrids. Each time passing around examples so the expecting parents can see what they’re getting themselves into.

As an expecting father, three key points stuck out for me:

1. Cloth diapers are cheaper
2. Cloth diapers help prevent blow-outs
3. Cloth diapers make potty training easier

And for me, this outweighs the cons of having to deal with washing soiled cloth vs. throwing away disposable diapers. Additionally (and surprisingly) Felicia and I even think the more difficult pre-folds aren’t even all that difficult at all, and are a great option for us.

After the class, all couples were invited into their adjacent retail store to poke around and were each given a coupon. In addition to everything you’ll need for cloth diapers, they also carry several slings and packs for baby-wearing, diaper bags, and a small assortment of toys and stuffed animals.

Cloth diapers may or may not be a viable option for you and your little one, but if you’re interested in learning more, please check out www.diaperlab.com, or visit their brick-and-mortar store at 200 Elm St. in Somerville, MA.

Please note: The Hipster Dad is not affiliated with the Diaper Lab, but will gladly accept free samples.

HOLY SHIT MUST LISTEN: Sledding with Tiger's cover of "Let it Go" from Frozen in Kermit the Frog's voice.

San Diego based folk-punk band Sledding with Tigers have put up a cover of 'Let it Go' from the Frozen soundtrack in the voice of Kermit the Frog. It is amazing.

“Disrupting the Pink Aisle” with GoldieBlox

In case you missed it during the Super Bowl this year, GoldieBlox won over the “parents and soon-to-be parents of little girls that want their daughters to be more than just princesses” demographic. Alright, maybe not the largest target audience for the television commercial event of the year, but it was hard for anyone to ignore this one.

Founded by Debbie Sterling, a Stanford-trained Engineer, GoldieBlox designs toys for girls that promote engineering principles while “disrupting the pink aisle.” Their product line contains building kits that focus on skill concepts such as; wheel & axle, hinge & lever, and belt drive systems. Their apparel contains their “more than just a princess” slogan complete with images of tools.

GoldieBlox earned this 30-second commercial by beating out tens of thousands of other small businesses as part of the "Small Business Big Game” contest sponsored by Intuit. Take a look at the (extended) clip below and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments! Personally, I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough for one (or all) of these kits.

 -Xander