Loving Cloth Diapers

This was a letter to Celebrity Baby Blog that was posted about us using cloth diapers. Abby was just a week old, maybe two in the picture.

In sharing our happiness, we also would love to pass along to other parents and or parents to be, one of the best discoveries in baby products that we have found, Happy Heinys cloth diapers.

Being conscious of the health of our baby and the environment, we had been discussing alternative ways to diaper our baby while Christie was pregnant. At the same time, part of our discussions were on how to make alternative diapering, like cloth diapers, work. We found ourselves facing many of the same worries I'm sure others have: What about washing and handling the diapers? How much time it would take to do so with our busy schedules? Where do you keep them until you wash them?

We first became aware of Happy Heinys while at the Boom Boom Room event in Hollywood where we met the owner and creator of Happy Heinys, Linda Byerline. There we were able to spend a lot of time with Linda discussing the pros and cons of cloth diapering. We went home and kept researching, looking online at reviews, and reading about how other parents did it. We went to www.diaperpin.com and saw that Happy Heinys were one of the highest reviewed products available. And thus we decided to make the leap and use Happy Heinys when our daughter Abby was born. We are so happy we did!

I called Linda and told her, "I want to be that person, because I believe and am passionate about not just the environment but our planet and the message we send to our kids and others through the choices we make. Although I have contributed in other ways through various charities, environmental causes, cleaning up beaches, etc ... there will never be a better opportunity to do one simple thing that will help make such a difference for our planet as using cloth diapers. When you think of all the plastic diapers, sitting all over the world, buried in our dirt, seeping into our waters ... waters we all enjoy ... you have to. When our children have babies and they face the same choice what will we tell them we did?"

And after using Happy Heinys for the first 6 ½ weeks of Abby's life, here are some thoughts that Christie and I have on using the diapers:

What we have found in Happy Heinys is a wonderful complete system of cloth diapers that makes it very easy, affordable, and with all the color choices, fun.

We all live in a world where brilliant minds have made things easier for us through technology, however in many cases, as we later find out, to the detriment of our health and our planet. Thankfully, we all are becoming more educated and aware about these issues. And, at the same time, that's when the rub happens.

We struggle with choices on how to make a difference in how we live, to live greener, but, we've all become accustomed to the ease and it's hard to step out and make a decision when many, even our friends and family, laugh at the idea, because they think it's impossible, or wasn't the way they did it, or that it doesn't make a difference.

Yet, it does come down to each one of us, individually, doing something, one thing, in different areas of our lives, doing what we can, that does make a difference, for the planet we all enjoy, and ultimately for us and our children.

Some of our debate about using cloth diapers was whether the handling and laundering would be overwhelming, considering our busy schedules. From day one, it's been nothing but easy. Once you change one dirty diaper, every parent finds out that the dirty doesn't bother you anymore. And 5 minutes, 5 minutes or less is all you need to get them in the washer. We argue, they're every bit as easy as using disposables.

Why do we really care? In our minds they just seemed healthy and clean, a nice choice over some plastic disposables that contain chemicals to absorb. And 500 Years!! Disposables made of plastics, sit in our earth, for 500 years. Christie and I both surf and are avid ocean and water lovers. We love the beaches and the beauty of the ocean. It so saddens us that after a rain storm it is advised that no one enter the water for at least 3 days because of the run off of pollution that the rain washes from our lands into the ocean. How does this effect the fish, the dolphins, the seals, the birds? How does it effect us? They warn us that you could get sick swimming in the water. We know many people who have.

Again it hit us; dirty diapers sitting in landfills for 500 years all over the United States, all over the world, being piled up on top of each other, day after day. Eventually, we have to believe, the waste will find it's way to water, our ocean, the water we drink. Using cloth diapers allows the waste to be disposed of the best way we all know how, through the sewer system where it belongs.

We have found tremendous fun, diapering our little girl in Happy Heinys. These bright, colorful diapers add great personality to her outfits. But we must say that we are most impressed with the care and quality with which Happy Heinys are made. Wash after wash they continue to look like new and easily work as well or better as any disposable diaper throughout the day and night. It's great to see brilliant minds like Linda Byerline and Happy Heinys coming up with and offering healthy alternatives that we can all feel good about.

Thanks for letting us share with you all. It's only through all of us sharing our human experience that we are able to come together as communities and people, to help and inspire each other. We look forward to sharing with you all more in the future.

Here is a deal I'm happy to share with you that Happy Heinys included on CBB

CBB Deal: Use coupon code CBB to save 10% at www.happyheinystore.com

Having Our Baby...

From an article posted on Celebrity Baby Blog about the birth of our daughter, Abby Ryder

So many people have asked us about our daughter Abby being born that Christie and I wanted to share a little with you and all our friends out there as well as a few of our favorite pictures so far.
We have been truly blessed by the birth of our daughter Abby Ryder Fortson. Becoming parents is a magical time and you find every single cliché coming true whether you want it to or not. Your life will change. You'll fall in love. You won't sleep. You'll just stare at your baby for hours. Etc ... It's all true.

What amazes both of us is holding her in our arms and watching her study our faces. Mesmerized, she seems to be so wise as she stares calmly back at us. Then for whatever reason the most beautiful little smile grows on her face. Filled with happiness, her smile seems to say how much she loves us.

At that moment, no matter where we are, standing in a store, at the farmer's market, at the park, the rest of the world dissolves around us. It simply disappears and there we are papa and baby and or mama and baby, alone, smiling contented at each other, hearts filled with love and with the singular purpose of nurturing this little angel of a creation.

In that moment of love and light, the sleepless nights, the fussing, the crying, the emotions, the questions of doing it all right or wrong, the impact our imperfectness will have on her, the worrying; it all fades away. Our world balances perfectly.

Read the entire article: http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2008/05/introducing-abb.html

Director Terrie Silverman Coming Back On Board

Hi all. I'm excited to say that my director, Terrie Silverman, was happy to come back on board to direct the second installment of LOVESWELL, my critically acclaimed and audience loved one person show.

Director Terrie Silverman is an amazing artist, storyteller, teacher and director. Writing, play writing, performance art, she is an extremely dedicated visionary who works intimately and intricately to bring out every pearl of a story. She's able to bring humor and see the big picture as a director, always putting the show first, the journey of the audience. I so look forward to working together again. You can find out more about Terrie and what she does at http://www.creativerites.com/

This time Loveswell will be put up in Hollywood and we are currently looking for just the right theatre in which to do this. And we are looking at putting the show up sometime toward the end of March 2009. So lots of fun work to do.

Again Loveswell will dedicate all earnings and work to raise awareness for charitable causes. Last time we raised awareness to thousands of people for The Surfrider Foundation and The Roy and Patricia Disney Cancer Center in Burbank, California.

Again I look forward to working with The Surfrider Foundation. They work so hard not just for surfers and the waves, but for all our beaches around the world and the health of our oceans and everyone who loves the ocean.

The second charity I'll be teaming up with hasn't been decided yet, but I'll let you know as we'll make an announcement as the show gets closer.

Loveswell was a great success with over 400 people coming to enjoy the show during it's run. The greatest thing was that it truly sparked conversation about what relationships are all about, what it takes to maintain one, and what people would put up with, not put up with, and how they deal with each other. That was my greatest satisfaction.

What will you say? I can't wait to hear what you will say when you see Loveswell. Here I'll be posting reviews, quotes, and conversations about Loveswell and the run. So come to the show, support a great cause and let's hear what you have to say.

Loveswell is about man's view of how to make his relationship work through all the ups and downs of marriage as seen through the eyes of a surfer. It's hilariously, nakedly, honest. Is that a word, nakedly - it is now. If you've ever been in a relationship and who hasn't then you'll love the show.

It's exciting for me and scary at the same time, just as it was the first run, just as it was the first day I sat down to write, Loveswell, just as it was walking into Terrie's workshop for the first time, as it was calling Terrie and announcing my intentions. But a year and a half after that phone call I was on stage in a critically acclaimed show that I had written and in which I was starring. So I set out tonight on this journey again, knowing that if there is a degree of fear I'm heading in the right direction.

Find out more at http://www.loveswell.com/ and the site is constantly being updated so hang in there if the info reflects the first run.

Best John