The Life of a Trooper Wife: Fresh delivery from Fabric.com!!

Getting mail (that isn't bills) is always exciting.
Getting packages is even more exciting than evelopes.
And when the package is a new shipment of fabric, well, I don't think it gets more exciting than that!

First, let me explain why this particular shipment is so exciting.
Anyone in a law enforcement family knows that we've gotta get creative and stretch those paychecks further than most. So I've spent most of my pregnancy trying to come up with ways to cut costs on baby costs. Of course, one HUGE expense when it comes to babies is diapers. So I decided to use cloth diapers in an attempt to save money. My rough math is telling me that diapers for one child will cost about $800 EACH YEAR. If we are to have another baby before baby #1 is potty trained, we'd be DOUBLING THAT. (I'm no math or diapering expert, but that's the calculations I came up with...don't hold me to that!) As a state employee family, that's ridiculous.

But when I started looking into cloth diapers, I was shocked at the cost there also! At a rate of $15-$20 per diaper, I'd have to come up with about $400 upfront to buy my "stash". Obviously, this is still a more economical option and we'd be coming out ahead in less than a year, but we didn't have $400 to spend at once. So I came up with this crazy idea to make my own. I have a sewing machine and what I would call "moderate" skill...how hard could it be?

(Note: It's not hard at all!! Be looking for another post later with how I made my diapers)

I spent the next few months listening to most everyone I know tell me that I'd never actually make my own diapers and even if I did, I wouldn't actually use them. Well, that only sparked that competitive sickness that lives in my brain and forces me to win/be right ALL THE TIME. So now I had to do it, if only to prove everyone wrong.

So I did some research and found what I needed to make this happen and started sourcing out my materials. That's when I stumbled upon www.fabric.com. WOW. It's like the promised land of all things fabric and yard and craft supplies. And great prices!! I went nuts and placed one big order...flannel and PUL (waterproof fabric) for diapers, cotton for crib sheets and curtains and all the "extras" like elastic and snaps.

This is when my love affair with Fabric.com began. You can buy fabric by the 1/2 yard or full yard, but you always get 37" in each yard. It doesn't sound like that extra inch would be a lot, but it's an awesome gesture. Delivery times vary depending on how close you live to their warehouse (which is in Georgia). For me here in Virginia, it's usually 4 days. Can't beat that!

That first order was enough to get me started on my diapers, but since then, we found out that baby is a boy and settled on a nursery theme of woodland animals. So once I needed the next round of fabric, I veered away from the solid colors and ordered some fun patterns...which have just arrived!! There's nothing like coming home to that fabulous box!!

Yay!!