2016 Flats & Handwashing Challenge Day 1: Why I'm Taking the Challenge

             Hey folks! It's day 1 of this year's Flats & Handwashing Challenge! This is my first year to participate, so I'm excited to be a part of it. Today we're talking about why we chose to take the Flats & Handwashing challenge.

             For me, there are a few reasons. I had come across this challenge in the past, but decided not to participate in it because the handwashing was off-putting. I've been using cloth diapers a lot longer now, though, so my initial thought upon seeing the challenge this year was, “Hey! That might be fun! I already use flats all the time during the day, so that won't be that challenging! The real challenge will be handwashing everything.” Although, I already rinse everything pretty thoroughly before regular washing, so I have a feeling it won't be all that hard. I try to line dry my diapers as much as possible, so that shouldn't be an issue either since they dry so quick!

             I also thought it would be fun to participate since it's a way to help spread the love for “old fashioned diapers”. I feel like flats (and prefolds) still get kind of a bad rap since there are so many more “convenient” and new and improved cloth diaper options out there. I used flats with my first daughter and am already using them with my second, so I love them and want to share with others why they should too and not write them off immediately!

             Once I got to reading more about the challenge's origins, I thought the idea of trying this out for a week to see if it's a viable option for those who don't have much money to spend on cloth diapers and/or don't have access to a washer and dryer was really neat too. I'm all about being frugal, especially with kid/baby stuff, and used to like sharing that sort of thing on my blog. Also, to be honest, I'm so used to having a washer and dryer that I never even thought about others who may not have access to them and that hindering their decision to cloth diaper! I know. I feel like an entitled brat now.

             There you have it! Those are my main reasons for participating. Are you joining in the 2016 Flats & Handwashing Challenge too? I'd love to hear your reasons why or why not below in the comments!