Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Random Question Wednesday


Do you cloth diaper? Would you with triplets?

I do cloth diaper and I would like to say that I would cloth diaper if I had triplets but I honestly don't know that I would. Life is hard enough with triplets (i'm assuming) why add to the stress of it all with even more work to do. But then again it would save in a WHOLE lot of money. So, hmmm. If by some GOD giving miracle I have triplets, next, I'd give it a shot.
 

Get it while the getting is good!

I just wanted to warn you that all bonus entries are due by nine o' clock pm, pacific standard time, today! (AKA in 14 hours). There are many ways to get your bonus entries and all of them are great!


Speaking of bonus entries... did you all notice that I forgot to delete the "code word" in a post, yesterday? I've noticed that some of you have seen it and have commented. Well, since I'm not on top of my game, I'm giving you all bonus time to enter that code word! Please keep in mind that all bonus entries count for EACH giveaway!


All bonus entries close at:
June 30, 2010 at 9:00pm PST

This applies to bonus entries, ONLY! Please continue to enter all giveaways, as usual.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Poll Question

If you haven't seen it, yet, I've posted a new poll question in our sidebar. If you could please answer it real quick, I'd give you a million dollars love you forever! I'm just thinking of new, super cool ways of writing our reviews. It may speed up the process, it may not. I'm just thinking. If it gets enough votes, I just may do it!

CSN Stores - Another Sneak Preview


Now you all know that I am a huge fan of CSN Stores. I love everything about them. I shop there, personally, as well as send those that I love over there. They have something for even the hardest shoppers. It's the only place where you can buy a bed, a pair of shoes, baby toys and pet products or kitchen appliances all at the same time. CSN Stores really is amazing. One stop shopping, for sure!

So come back, ya'll, and hear about another great product from CSN Stores!

Her Quiet Hands In Mine

All my amazingly faithful readers, meet Cynthia. Cynthia, meet all my amazingly faithful readers.

Cynthia K. is the author of She Puts Her Quiet Hands In Mine. She is the wife of a super fab husband and the mother of a gorgeous little sweet pea named Isla. Pronounced like island. Isn't that the cutest?

She also has some super sweet looking cats who have super cool names! Want to know what they are? You'll have to go check her out to find out. I asked her what she thought about cloth diapering and this is what she had to say:

1. What diapers do you currently use? Are there certain ones you use at night or during certain times?
I started out with Econobum diapers, but I've made the switch to pocket diapers by Babyland. I use the Babyland diapers at night as well as during the day. During the day I can change her frequently so I don’t put anything extra in the pocket, but I add 1/3 of a prefold (I cut 3 prefolds into threes so I have 9 thin pieces) at night. That’s mostly for my piece of mind. She has yet to soak through a night diaper though.
2. What features do you like most about the cloth diapers that you use?
I love the snaps, but mostly I love the price... Which isn't really a feature, but it makes our credit card happy. I also love the colours, it’s so cute to see Isla roaming around in a pink diaper.
3. What was the most influential reason you decided to go cloth?
I feel like we should take responsibility to ensure that we give our kids a fighting chance to enjoy and save the planet... If that means cutting down on our landfill contributions, so be it!
4. If there was one thing you could change about cloth diapers, what would it be and why?
I would love to make them affordable for everyone! Essentially, we could afford to spend $25 on each diaper, but we just couldn't justify it. It's not just the rich folk who want to cloth diaper! (code island) I wish there was some sort of program to try out different cloth diapers for a minimal fee and I wish the government could give us some sort of tax break for investing in cloth and making the city dump work less.
5. What do you consider a "MUST HAVE" cloth diapering accessory?
A wet bag and a giant diaper bag! We cloth diaper when we're out of the house as well, and I wasn't going to buy a wet bag at first... Boy, am I glad I did. A giant diaper bag is a total must have as well... Lugging those diapers around is no small chore for an average diaper bag.
6. If you could talk to someone who's considering making the switch to cloth, what would you say to them?
I would let them know that I feel their overwhelming frustration. It's hard to really educate yourself on all of your options... I would know. After three months of research, I thought I made a solid decision in which cloth diapers to go with, two weeks into it, I abandoned that ship in favour of another brand and style. I would tell them to do their research and make an informed decision before spending any money at all.

If you would like to follow Cynthia via her blog, twitter or facebook, please let me know and I'll give you an additional entry (for each way you follow her) into each giveaway during our fluffy bottoms event.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Twitter Hop Tuesday - Week 3



Welcome to the third edition of Twitter Hop Tuesday, hosted by My new life as... MOM, Simplify With Sybil and The Hubbs Family! It's great to see you! Please have fun following all those that you would like. There's no minimum or maximum limit to follow. Do what you want and feel comfortable with. Please use your twitter handle as your link title, like spot #1!! We format our links like this in case our links aren't working people can still find us using our twitter handle. Thanks and have fun! Oh and please link to your twitter account, ONLY. Blog posts, website links and any other spam link will be deleted.

Please add your twitter handle, ONLY! It messes up the formatting to add other wording such as "I WILL FOLLOW BACK", it's also unfair to those who format their link correctly. Thank you so much!

Tuesday Tag Along

Welcome to this week's Tuesday Tag-Along blog hop, hosted by Twee Poppets Review and Giveaway! This is a great way to discover new blogs while increasing the number of followers for your own blog. Please feel free to grab the TTA button for your blogroll to help bring more bloggers to this blog hop!




Tuesday Tag-Along button art adapted from the "Follow the Leader" illustration by Diana Jones. I encourage you to visit her at her blog, Sketch & Jones, and her online shop to see more great illustrations and all sorts of wonderful crafts!

Without further ado...
Here's how it works:
  • Create a new Tuesday Tag-Along blog post. Include the Tuesday Tag-Along button by copying and pasting the code above. (You are also welcome to copy and paste these instructions in their entirety, or any portion of this Tuesday Tag-Along blog post!)
  • Add your blog name and the URL of your TTA post to the MckLinky below.
  • Follow Twee Poppets, the hostess blog listed in the first slot. Twee Poppets will follow you back! (Note: If you want Twee Poppets to follow you back, you MUST leave her a comment saying that you are a new follower and leave a link to your blog!)
  • If you can, please follow the blogs in the three slots before you (e.g., if you're number 20, follow numbers 19, 18, and 17). This is not mandatory, but it will help ensure that everyone who signs up gets a few new followers!
  • Follow as many other blogs as you want. The more you follow, the more that will follow you back! Be sure to tell them that you're following from Tuesday Tag-Along! You may also want to leave a link to your blog so they can return your follow more easily.
  • When you get a new follower through Tuesday Tag-Along, be sure to follow them back! It's just common courtesy. :)
The weekly Tuesday Tag-Along MckLinky opens every Monday night at 8:59pm Pacific Standard Time (that's 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time), and the TTA blog post will be posted well in advance of that time. The MckLinky will be open to add your blog until 11:59pm Tuesday night. You then have all week long to visit blogs and return follows!

There is a new list every week. The link you enter one week will not carry over to the next week's MckLinky. Please link up again each week to join in the fun!

This Adventure Our Life

Okay my wonderful, amazing, ever so talented readers, that I love so dearly... are you ready to meet a pretty freaking amazing woman? Here she is. I would love for all of you, some you know, some of you may not, to meet Cindy. Cindy is someone that I would absolutely love to hang out with in real life. Fo' shizzle! She is the super great wife to her ever so hard working husband. (he must be hard working because I never hear much about him.. just sayin') She's also the mom to a super spunky pup and the most gorgeous little girl that I've ever seen in my entire life. Yep, we've already agree that we're going to arrange a marriage. The marriage of who, you ask? Of her daughter and my son. They would make the cutest couple in the world. Ever. E.V.E.R!  They both have brown hair and the most stunning blue eyes. They're both almost the exact same age (she's like 2 weeks older) and they're both have fluffy bottoms. When I talk about her, I always say Jr's girlfriend's momma. Her name is Bailey and yep, she is the cutest! I'm not kidding you guys, I seriously wished we lived closer together so I could go hang out with her.

I would also like to say that this is the person that got me 100% into cloth diapering. Before I talked to Cindy, I was SURE that I didn't want to do it. I just had so many preconceived ideas of how it was supposed to be. I was wrong. She explained it all to me and I went out a couple days later and started my stash. Recently, I asked her what she thought about cloth diapering and this is what she had to say:


1. What diapers do you currently use? Are there certain ones you use at night or during certain times? Currently I have 3 diaper brands I use:  BumGenius 3.0 One Size, GroBaby, and Flips (also by BG).  In the day we use all the types!  I tend to grab the GroBaby's one day, the Flips another day along with some BG's.  Both the Flips and the GroBaby's have re-usable shells, so it makes for less in the diaper bag!  At night we use pockets only, so our BG's.  In our house the blue pocket BG's are night diapers.  We now stuff the night diapers with 2 BG newborn inserts and 1 GroBaby organic booster, it works great  right now, we have a pretty dry diaper in the morning with no leaking as of yet!


2. What features do you like most about the cloth diapers that you use?
I am sort of a cloth diaper addict, so I like many brands and many features.  For the diapers in my rotation:  The Flip's I like for their trim fit and the reusable shell which is also easy to wipe and reuse; The GroBaby's I love their company and the people who operate it, they care about their customers, I also like the fit of these and the absorbency is fabulous; The BumGenius's are great for beginning cloth diapering, easy to use, make a great night diaper, and come in so many cute colors.  In all of the diapers I look for a one size, which means they all fit from 8-35 pounds approximately, I am definitely not into buying multiple diapers, I would like to save money with this choice!  I also look at fit, being able to be quick, fast and easy on the go, because Bailey and I are always out and about!  I do not have a snap/ velcro preference, I have both and they both do the job! 

3. What was the most influential reason you decided to go cloth?I wanted to do cloth before I got pregnant for many reasons:  Safer for my baby, better for the environment, and cloth diapering saves money.  For me, it was a very easy choice.  I am not anti-disposable, and I think cloth is not for everyone, but if people knew how easy it was, then I am sure a lot more people would choose it.  I also have chosen diapering systems that may cost a little upfront, but to me, I needed to make it work for our lifestyle, which is on the go a lot of the time.

 4. If there was one thing you could change about cloth diapers, what would it be and why?
Something to change, ahhh, nothing.  Okay, if I were complaining it would have to be the poop.  I wish the sun were out everyday and that my diapers would be "pretty" without hang drying them.  I also wish that sometimes the poop was easier to clean up, but really it is not that bad...just an extra step or two! 

5. What do you consider a "MUST HAVE" cloth diapering accessory?Must haves for cloth diapering assuming you have all the diapers:  a couple good wetbags (for in home and on the go, I love Planetwise), a diaper sprayer (a lifesaver with poopy diapers), a good diaper cream that is cloth diaper safe (I like California Baby although you may not need it, we have only had one rash thus far), Cloth wipes (cause why not!), diaper liners for occasional use, a clothes line, and lastly good detergent!!  Okay maybe I named too many :)!!   


6. If you could talk to someone who's considering making the switch to cloth, what would you say to them?
I would tell them to try it.  To try it not only for a week but for a couple.  I can almost be assured  once they try it then they would like it.  I would also try to tell them about all the nasty chemicals in disposables touching your baby (just google it), how you can prevent up to 1 ton of landfill waste (plus soo many other environmental pluses for using cloth), I would also tell them about how yes cloth upfront is a commitment money wise, but they will pay for themselves in 5-6 months and save them quite a bit over time, not to mention if they have a second or third baby.  I would also stress to them how easy the systems have gotten, there are no more pins, no more folding, and so on!  Lastly, I would tell them to talk to everyone they know that cloth diapers, it is important to talk to as many people as possible, what works for one person may not work for another!!

If you would like to follow Cindy via her blog, twitter or facebook, please let me know and I'll give you an additional entry (for each way you follow her) into each giveaway during our fluffy bottoms event.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Kushies Review & Giveaway



Kushies was originally established as Diana Dolls Wear LTD back in 1953 by Mary Marlinowski in Ontario, Canada. It quickly grew into the only Canadian manufacturer of doll clothing and accessories. Today, Kushies is located in Stoney Creek, Ontario and now covers a wide variety of products and has maintained their love for nature and our eco system. They've even merged their entire operation under one roof to minimize their ecological impact.

Kushies has a pretty amazing variety of products. Everything from apparel to diapers. Swimwear to bedding. Toys to accessories. Complete must haves for every mom, new or old. You can also find great gifts for others if you don't have children of your own, yet. So make sure to check them out. They have an amazing line up for sure. Hilary was gracious enough to send us a Kushies Ultra-lite Trial Pack in boy colors for review.

Likes: I love that this trial pack comes with 2 AIO (all-in-one) style diapers with two extra inserts, 2 wash cloths for drying or cleaning bums, as well as a 10 pack of disposable liners. I also love that you can use the extra insert to 'pad' the diaper for a better fit (it works, don't ask me how, but it does). I also love that this cloth diaper packages has everything you could want or need to start cloth diapering and have a happy experience. I love that you don't need a cover and I love that the diapers work well. I was a bit nervous because I'm not used to the design or 'cut' of the diaper on my son's bottom, so I was pretty sure it was going to leak. However, even with the super slim design, this diaper absorbs well! He even went down for a nap and woke up completely dry! That's saying something! I love that these diapers are VERY eco-friendly and I love the prints! Totally rad! Yes, I just said rad. Oh and the price is a HUGE bonus, too!

Dislikes: I have 3 issues with this diaper. Some may apply to you, some may not, but here's what I think. First issue is the obvious. If you know me, you'll know my first and foremost issue. The velcro. I really... really dislike velcro and this diaper is no different. Second issue is the way the velcro tabs are designed. My son is VERY narrow in the waist and sense the tabs are so long, it makes it hard to tighten them enough. If I tightened them as much as I need to, they would have to overlap, but this diaper isn't designed for that. Did it make any difference in terms of leaking, no, but I still wish they were a little shorter. Third issue is the almost plastic feel of the outside. They remind me a lot of the old style plastic pants but not NEARLY as plastic feeling. Just a subtle reminder. But I wish it was a little more 'cloth' feeling. Oh and the inserts are really thin, but this had no affect on the absorbency. As I said, they worked great and I have nothing but two thumbs up as for effectiveness.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Would you like to have a Kushies Ultra Lite Diaper Trial Pack for you or someone you love? Here's how you can!

Buy It! Visit KushiesOnline and purchase an Ultra-lite Trial Pack for $32.99. That's $16.50 for each diaper, plus you get a bonus insert, 2 bonus wash cloths and 10 disposables liners!! WOW! If you enter code: mynewlife2010 you'll receive 10% off your entire order!


This contest is CLOSED!
Congrats to the winner, Kendra!

I would like to send a special Thank You to Hilary at Kushies for providing the review and giveaway items! I was not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are of my own and honest opinions.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

To this, I pledge!

Attention Bloggers

The Department of Transportation has asked American bloggers to spotlight the critical importance of staying sober behind the wheel this Independence Day. As a blogger and more importantly, a mom, it's my job to teach responsibility to my son and in what better way then to be an example. Show him exactly what is responsible and right. I don't drink but still, I pledge not to drive drunk on Independence Day or any other day for that matter.

To this I solemnly swear.


Together We Can Spread the Message
Stay Sober Stay Alive
July 4, 2010

1. Simply
pledge your driving sobriety this Independence Day by noting your blog URL and blog name.

2. At the bottom of this “
Blog Hop” you will see text in which you can grab the code for this McLinky. Simply click the link and copy and paste the code into your very own blog post’s HTML section. Then click “compose” and copy and paste this pledge, adding your own message to the top as I did above. Copy the pledge fromtogether we can stay alive” above.

3.
Follow the host Hollywood Chic [-first on the linky-] of this Independence Day Pledge for more information on the Department of Transportation, Buzz Driving, and Stats.

Also an
optional badge was created to spread greater awareness and linked to this pledge, please wear it proudly until July 5, 2010 when this pledge will close.


Don’t Drink & Drive





The Lungos

Hello, my super fab followers that I just can't get enough of. Another super fab mom that I'd like you to meet is Amanda. Amanda, blog world! Amanda is the super wife to her hubby and super fab mom to two gorgeous little sweet hearts. She's the author of The Lungo's. I asked her what she thought of cloth diapering and here's what she had to say:

1. What diapers do you currently use? Are there certain ones you use at night or during certain times? We use Flip diapers with stay dry inserts almost exclusively. We recently got 2 bumgenious 3.0 and have tried them at night with a doubler.

2. What features do you like most about the cloth diapers that you use?
I like that we can re-use the covers. This is great for daycare. They also don't take up much room in the diaper bag.

3. What was the most influential reason you decided to go cloth?
We didn't cloth diaper our first, now 3. We went to cloth with the baby because he developed a terrible diaper rash from disposables. It was gone with in a few days of switching and he hasn't had one since. I wish I had know how easy it was and done it with our first.

4. If there was one thing you could change about cloth diapers, what would it be and why?
The cost! The initial cost is a lot of money right out the door and I think that deters a lot of people. Yes, you save money over time but it is a financial commitment up front and I knew my husband would not like the cost but I bought a lot of diapers right off the bat because I knew we wouldn't stick with it if there weren't always clean diapers ready and I don't have time to do laundry everyday. We got lucky and like the Flip diapers so it was money well spent. I do want to try other types of diapers but that is more money.

5. What do you consider a "MUST HAVE" cloth diapering accessory?
A good soap, something that cleans wells and gets rid of any odors. No one likes dingy stinky diapers.

6. If you could talk to someone who's considering making the switch to cloth, what would you say to them?
If you can afford it, try a couple of different types/brands of cloth and when you find the one or two that work for you, stock up. It is nice to have a solid diaper stash and keep the washing to every 2 or 3 days. Also, they really do work better than disposables in keeping baby dry. With our stay dry inserts there are mornings that the diaper is so heavy because it is so wet but Little Mans bottom is dry to the touch. You will never get that with a disposable.

If you would like to follow Amanda via her blog, twitter or facebook, please let me know and I'll give you an additional entry (for each way you follow her) into each giveaway during our fluffy bottoms event.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Money Money Money

When it comes to cloth diapers, the first thing that I find that turns people off is the up front cost of the cloth diapers. However, the thing that most people don't realize is that most often than not, cloth diapers will pay for themselves within the first 6 months, if not sooner. All diapers will pay for themselves within the first year!

I've taken the time to do a little bit of research for you and compare the prices of cloth diapers with disposables as well as the different brands.


*For the purpose of saving time and confusion, I'm only comparing pocket or aio diapers*

The first number is how much you'll spend when purchasing a system of 24. The second number is how much you'll spend when purchasing a system of 36. Please remember that cloth diapers can be used for more than one year and more than one child!!!

Disposables: $800-$1000 PER YEAR!

SoftBums: $215 - $372
Econobum: $239 - $358
Mother-Ease: $299 - $448
Smartipants: $359 - $538
Bella Bottoms: $360 - $540
Flip System: $407 - $ 611
Bummis: $408 - $612
BabyKicks: $444 - $666
Blue Penguin: $431 - $646
BumGenius: $431 - $642
Bumkins: $431 - $642
BumWear: $431 - $642
Wahmies: $431 - $642
Thirsties: $444 - $666
Happy Heinyz: $454 - $682
Applecheeks: $456 - $684
Monkey Doodlez: $456 - $684
Tots Bots: $456 - $684
Green Acre Design: $467 - $700
FuzziBunz: $479 - $718
Knickernappies: $479 - $718
BumEssentials: $480 - $720
Pixie Poppits: $504 - $756
GroVia: $526 - $790
Envibum: $528 - $792
Nifty Nappy: $528 - $792
Kissaluvs: $550 - $826
Rumparooz: $575 - $862
Bubele Bums: $576 - $864
Cutey Baby: $599 - $898
Little-to-Big: $599 - $898
Goodmama: $624 - $936
Swaddlebees: $647 - $970
Lollidoo: $672 - $1010

*please remember that different brands have different styles of diapers that cost different amounts of money! If a certain brand seems a bit expensive, please check out their other options before deciding against them.


**please also keep in mind that many places will offer a discount for bulk orders! I only calculated the price of individual diapers.

As you can see, most cloth diapers will pay for themselves within the first 6 months! The average cloth diaper system costs between $300 and $600 which is a STEAL when you think that this amount of money wouldn't even get you into the first 6 months of disposables!

Also, many people think that water, power and energy used to clean the diapers makes up for the rest of the money that you spend for disposables. NOT TRUE! (code green) Think about all the energy, time, money and power used to run the plants to make disposables. One little washing machine doesn't compare, at all!

I'm not going to go into the details of the economical differences because I feel like that's the MAJORITY of what people talk about when it comes to cloth diapers vs disposables so I'm sure you've heard it ALL before.

Regardless, I hope this helps you consider switching to cloth just for the price difference alone. The economy is crap right now and it isn't going to change overnight. Saving money is big right now and this is an easy way that you can do so.

*If you were paying attention, you noticed that I hid a code somewhere throughout this post, too. If you actually read this and noticed the code, please submit a comment with the code word as well as your email address. It will give you 5 extra entries into each giveaway during our Fluffy Bottom Cloth Diaper Event. *Your email address will only be used to notify you if you win! Bonus Code Entries end tonight, FRIDAY, JUNE 25th, 2010 at 11:59pm PST! Any entries entered after 11:59pm are VOID.*

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Blog Hop Friday - Week 7



Welcome to the seventh edition of Blog Hop Friday, hosted by My New Life As Mom, Chubby Cheeks Thinks, Take A Mom's Word For It, Bree Bee's, This Adventure Our Life and Belly Charms! We continue to invite you and your friends to link up every Friday and join us for a wonderful blog hopping adventure! We're all about making friends and having fun so come join us! Here's how you can join in on the fun;
  • Link up to your blog, using our inlinkz link list, below.
  • Follow the host/hostesses located in the first 6 slots.
  • Follow any other blogs that you feel appropriate! :)
  • If you get a new follower, please feel free to reciprocate the love!
This is a new list every week, so please remember to come back and link up, every week!

We understand that not everyone has time to follow and comment on every Blog Hop Friday Participant, just do what you can and are willing to do. We will do the same! Take your time and go at your own pace. FYI, however, if you follow me and leave a comment, guarenteed, I will follow you back!

The link list is only open to add new blogs on Fridays but will be visible all week long.

Please make sure you have a way for people to follow you!

*ALL SPAM LINKS WILL BE DELETED!* 

This is a BLOG hop not a website, forum or any other type of site hop. Please link to your blog only! If you do link to another part of your site, it will be taken down. Thank you.

So go link up and hoppy blog hopping!

Biehl Adventures

1. What diapers do you currently use? Currently I use BumGenius OS diapers. Thanks to some contests, I also have a FuzziBunz, BumEssentials and Bubele Bums that I use as well. I've got a Pixie Poppits on the way that I can't wait to try out -- you gotta love those cloth diaper contests!

2. Are there certain ones you use at night or during certain times?
I triple stuff my bumGenius OS for night time.  I am currently searching for a less bulky option for nighttime diapering. 
3. What diapers do/did you use with your newborn? When Collin was brand new, we used thirsties diaper covers and unbleached cotton prefolds (no pins or snappis).  We chose this method because of the frequency of the diaper change.  I have 36 prefolds (a mixture of unbleached cotton and hemp babies) and 4 diaper covers.  This allowed us to wash every couple days. The OS would have been a bit bulky on a newborn.  We did have a couple of bumGenius AIOs that we received as gifts; those were awesome! But we knew we wanted to use OS, so we didn't buy anymore AIOs. 
4. What features do you like most about the cloth diapers that you use? 
I love the Aplix closure verses the snaps.  While snaps will last longer, Aplix is just easier to use all around, for me and my husband.  The only exception to this is with the Bubele Bums diaper.  I find the snaps to be extremely easy to use! I love the pocket option on the bumGenius OS.  It's nice to be able to stuff an extra insert if we're on the go or at night time.  I think the adjustability of the OS is fantastic! It's great that I won't have to buy additional diapers as my little man grows.  Lastly, I love, love, love the color options!
 
5. What was the most influential reason you decided to go cloth? Initially, it was the cost effective option.  While there was going to be an upfront cost, we knew that these diapers would pay for themselves within 6 months.  Now that we've been cloth diapering 6 months, I've come to love the fact that only cloth touches my baby's bum.  After seeing all the stuff come out about Pampers, I thank my lucky stars that my friend Nicole filled me on modern cloth diapering before Collin was born.  Additionally, it feels good to know that we aren't sending thousands of disposables to the landfills.  I feel good that I'm doing my part to make sure Collin has a better world to live in. 
 
6. Was it difficult trying to convince your spouse/partner to use cloth? Thankfully, my husband was on board from the beginning! While he was a little nervous during the covers/prefolds stage, he's a pro with the OS diapers.  He knew we were saving money and he continues to tell me how glad he is that we chose to cloth diaper.
7. If there was one thing you could change about cloth diapers, what would it be and why? I would change the marketing of the cloth diaper. I don't understand why we don't see these on the shelves in mainstream stores. I know target carries bumGenius but that's all that I'm aware of. Also, I often think about how many people have misconceptions regarding modern cloth diapering and how an infomercial/commercial could open the eyes of so many!


8. What do you consider a "MUST HAVE" cloth diapering accessory?
2 things:
Diaper Sprayer:  My husband built me a diaper sprayer right before we introduced Collin to solids; I wish I had used this from the beginning! It's so nice to spray off the diaper before it goes in the pail; on wash day, I just grab my pail liner (filled with diaper), dump in the washer, throw in the liner, and I'm done! I also feel better about my diapers sitting in the pail, without yuck on them!
Cloth Wipes: I used disposables wipes for all of 3 days! It was just silly to have to go to the trashcan just to throw away a wipe.  Now, you can buy cloth wipes, which I did to begin with; however, you can also make your own for very little money! Cloth wipes are nice because you can just throw them in with the diaper and never look back.  Some people spray off their wipes, but I don’t because not much gets on them. 

9. If you could talk to someone who's considering making the switch to cloth, what would you say to them? I would show him/her a cost comparison of disposable diapers/wipes versus cloth diaper/wipes.  I would be sure to include an estimate of the cost to wash those diaper; I would not include drying costs because I prefer line drying! I have read that you would spend between 9 and 25 cents per each disposable diaper that you use! And you just throw that away! At least the money you spend on cloth diapers goes a long way!  There are many different options in cloth diapering, depending on your budget.  Additionally, if you can make the decision to cloth diaper earlier, you can build your stash slowly, before the baby comes.

If you would like to follow Crystal via her blog, twitter or facebook, please let me know and I'll give you an additional entry (for each way you follow her) into each giveaway during our fluffy bottoms event.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Testing a New Service

I was reading through some blogging posts on other blogs and read about a new service called LinkFromBlog where they pay you to write reviews. Regardless of whether or not I'm getting paid, you all know that I will give you my God's honest truth. If I don't like a product, I'm going to let you know. Why? Because I want you to let me know if and why you don't like a product. It saves people from buying things that won't work for them.



Buy blog reviews


So if any of you have any experience with them, please let me know. Good or bad! I would just love to use my talent to help bring in some $$. Who wouldn't, right?

Twitter Tweet Tweet


Welcome to Twitter Hop Thursday, hosted by Simply Stacie, The King’s Court IV, Little Yaya’sReview Retreat and Moms Wear Your Tees!

Would you like more Twitter followers and be introduced to more neat blogs and businesses out there? Come and join us!!

Sunshine - I feel loved!

I have been awarded The Sunshine Award by two different bloggers, lately, and I couldn't feel anymore blessed! Thank you to Kim, over at Chubby Cheeks Thinks and to Jess, over at And Then There Were 4! You girls are so sweet!

The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world.”

Of course, awards come with rules…

1. Put the award on your blog and/or within your post.
2. Pass the award on to your favorite bloggers.
3. Link to the nominees within your post.
4. Let them know they received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and the link to the person from whom you received this award

Here are a few of my favorite blogs:
  1. This Adventure Our Life
  2. Her Quiet Hands In Mine
  3. Belly Charms - The Blog
  4. Becoming Sarah
Thanks for giving me great things to read, ladies! You're all amazing!

SoftBums Review & Giveaway



SoftBums is an amazing company creating some pretty freaking amazing diapers. They have an amazing set up where you can order aplix or snaps. They also have a Dry-Touch diaper system or an organic bamboo diaper system. They also have a wide variety of packages that can help you try them out or purchase a whole system with big savings.

SoftBums has a lot of your cloth diapering needs covered! Not only do they carry diapers, but they also carry a wide variety of inserts, wet bags, pail liners, cloth wipes, diaper cream and more! I'm sure you can find something you'll love with Soft Bums. Sarah was wonderful enough to send me a SoftBums Basic Pack in their new Chocolate color!! My SoftBums Basic Pack came with one SUPER DryTouch insert, one Organic Bamboo insert and one doubler. I do have to say, however, that their standard SoftBums Basic Pack does include 3 inserts and 1 doubler which is enough for 3 changes.

Likes: Everything. Yep, that's it. That's all I have to say. These diapers have become my new favorite. If I would have tried them out sooner, I would have purchased a system of 24 without thinking twice about it. They're amazing. My husband even loves them and that's say a lot, for sure! To go into detail, though... I love the drawstring leg adjustments. It's super easy to use and amazingly versatile for each and every child and each and every leg. I love how long the inserts are and the fact that you can double them over for 8 layers of protection! I also love how soft they are and the fact that they're designed to reuse the liners and replace the inserts, when needed. I do have to say that They're wonderful. I love the softness of the inserts and it's great to know that my son will be comfortable when wearing this diaper. They're luxuriously soft and I honestly want a bed covering made with the bamboo fabric because it's divine! I also love the ultra trim design and even my husband noticed a difference. When I brought my son out in this diaper, he said, "I don't know if it's just me, or what, but that diaper looks like it fits him really well! All the other ones look bulky and way too big but this one is perfect!". The great thing is that I know it will stay perfect as he gets older, too. Oh and I also have to comment on SoftBums customer service! It's just about as amazing as the diapers themselves! I chatted back and forth with Sarah for a while because I really didn't want to try the velcro but not only did she convince me what a great product it was, she also assured me that if I didn't like it, she'd replace it. Now I can't guarantee that she'd do that for everyone, but I will say that the customer service is PERFECT. I couldn't have had a better experience working with them. *If you aren't sure whether you'd like velcro or snaps, I'd suggest buying one of each to test them out before making a commitment to either style.*

Dislikes: As I've already told Sarah, the ONLY thing that I don't like about this diaper is the aplix/velcro. I am 100% a snap girl so I love my snaps and kind of wish this one did, too. However, I will say that this aplix/velcro is better than other aplix that I have seen. By far. It's just my personal preference that it have snaps. I know some don't like snaps so I'm okay with that.

Rating: 9.9 out of 10

Would you like to have a SoftBums Basic Pack for yourself or someone you know? Here's how you can!

Buy It! Visit Sarah and purchase a SoftBums Basic Pack for $36.95! Remember, that also comes with 3 inserts and 1 doubler. That's 3 changes!

This contest is CLOSED!
Congrats to the winner, Katie!

I would like to send a special Thank You to Sarah at SoftBums for providing the review and giveaway items! I was not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are of my own and honest opinions.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Seven Months: Seven SWEET Months

Dear My Sweets,

You amaze me everyday. Everything that you've accomplished. Everything that you say. Everything that you do. Every single time you look at me, I melt inside. You are growing into this amazing little man and I couldn't be any prouder of you. You have the most precious smile and the most forgiving eyes. How I love them so. To watch you get excited every single time I look at you is the most amazing feeling that a mother could feel. You teach me, everyday, that every single day is new and all we can do is start fresh and do our best to make it worth while. Over this last month you have grown so much. You amaze me. Pure and simple. You, my son, are amazing. In every way. Here's what we've been blessed to watch you accomplish, so far, since you were born.

first giggle - 03/02
first time in your crib - 03/04
first time falling asleep alone - 03/08
first roll (belly to back) - 03/11
first roll (back to belly) - 03/17
first 360* roll - 03/17
first bite of food (sweet potatoes) - 04/04
started solids - 04/11
first flight - 04/14
first trip to the beach - 04/14
first trolley ride - 04/17
first boat ride - 04/17
first time rolling to sleep on your belly - 05/05
first time in your own room - 05/05
first day without a 'BINK' - 05/18
first tooth (bottom left) - 05/23
second tooth (bottom right) - 05/30
learned to clap - 06/05
first scoot - 06/06

I can't believe you have come so far in such a short amount of time. It seems that you're doing new things every single day and I can't imagine what our lives have in store for us in the coming months. You drink from a sippy cup and eat solids like a pro now and have to have your ice water with every meal now. You also LOVE to drink Dad's ice water from his cup and every once in a while you'll get an ice cube and spit it back out at Dad. He loves that. You love to scoot around the floor and love to watch baseball. The Seattle Mariners are your absolute favorite and if we try to interrupt you watching them, you have a fit. You love to say "ah-da!" and "na na na na na" and "momomomomomomom". We just love you saying your favorite little words. When your dad walks by you and doesn't pick you up, you love to scream "ah-da ah-da ah-da ah-da ah-da!!!!!!!" until he comes back to get you. If you're ready for me to come get you, wrap you in a blanket and cuddle you to sleep, you'll be on the floor crying, "na na na na na na" to let us know that you're unhappy. But as soon as we start to come get you, you have the biggest smile on your face that could melt anything. You are so expressive and it has been so easy to know what you want. You are the easiest kid that we could have ever asked for and you make Mommy and Daddy so happy.

You are amazing, my sweet boy. Don't ever change.

With all of my everything,
Your Mommy!

Bummas Review & Giveaway


Bummas was created after the birth of Casey's first son and they were trying to find something to dry off their little man's bum before replacing his diaper. Many mom's notice that baby's bum is way to wet after a change to replace the diaper right away and Casey really wanted something handy to dry his bum preventing diaper rash. Thus, Bummas was born. Since then they've grown their line and their products just keep getting cuter!

Bummas carries a wide variety of colors that will match any nursery or any decor. They really do have pretty much any color under the sun and you'd be amazed at how bright and vibrant they are, even after washing. They have so many uses, too. You can have a stack in some wet wipe water in a wipe warmer for diaper changes then have a dry stack on the side to use for middle of the diaper change coverage, if ya know what i mean. Then have another dry stack to use to dry off the bums after the change. You can also use them on the go and keep a stack next to the high chair for after meal cleanings as well as over the shoulder for catching babies spit up during burpings. A million uses, really. Casey was super generous enough to send us a pack of her Wild Ones for review.

Likes: My favorite thing about these wipes is that they're the perfect size to fit in our wipe warmer. I make my own homemade wipe water and I use cloth wipes, so it's nice to finally find one that fits in our wipe warmer without having to fold it or roll it up. I also love the super duper softness of these wipes. They're soft when they're wet as well as when they're dry. Perfect for sensitive bums. Oh and the colors?! LOVE them! And yes, I even use the pink ones on my son!

Dislikes: There really isn't one! You can't go wrong with cloth wipes and I am super stoked that I finally have wipes that are funky and functional at the same time. Now if only I had another 2-3 packs for full time use, I'd be good to go!

Rating: 10 out of 10

Would you love to have a pack of Bummas for yourself or someone you love? Here's how you can!

Buy It! Visit Casey and purchase some Bummas for $16.99!


This contest is CLOSED!
Congrats to the winner, Jackie.

I would like to send a special Thank You to Casey at Bummas for providing the review and giveaway item(s). I was not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are of my own and honest opinions.

    Monday, June 21, 2010

    Twitter Hop Tuesday - Week 2



    Welcome to the second edition of Twitter Hop Tuesday, hosted by My new life as... MOM, Simplify With Sybil and The Hubbs Family! It's great to see you! Please have fun following all those that you would like. There's no minimum or maximum limit to follow. Do what you want and feel comfortable with. Please use your twitter handle as your link title, like spot #1!! We format our links like this in case our links aren't working people can still find us using our twitter handle. Thanks and have fun! Oh and please link to your twitter account, ONLY. Blog posts, website links and any other spam link will be deleted.

    Tuesday Tag Along

    Welcome to this week's Tuesday Tag-Along blog hop, hosted by Twee Poppets Review and Giveaway! This is a great way to discover new blogs while increasing the number of followers for your own blog. Please feel free to grab the TTA button for your blogroll to help bring more bloggers to this blog hop!







    Without further ado...
    Here's how it works:
    • Create a new Tuesday Tag-Along blog post. Include the Tuesday Tag-Along button by copying and pasting the code above. (You are also welcome to copy and paste these instructions in their entirety, or any portion of this Tuesday Tag-Along blog post!)
    • Add your blog name and the URL of your TTA post to the MckLinky below.


    Follow Me Back Tuesday





    Follow Me Back Tuesday is hosted by Survey Junkie, Little Yaya's, Review Retreat & Boobies,BabiesAndABlog.. 


     How it Works
      Follow ALL of the Hostesses
    (If you're a new follower make sure to leave us a comment so we can follow you back!) 
    WE DO FOLLOW BACK!
    1. Add your blog to the list (only have to add once) NOT YOUR BLOG HOP
    2. Grab our fabulous button & the link code to post on your blog.
    3.  Start to follow as many blogs as you would like. (Make sure you leave a comment so they can follow you back!)
    4. And when you receive a comment from a new follower,  return the favor & follow them back.

    Code Word Bonus Entries

    I've received a few comments regarding curiosities when it comes to the code word bonus entries, so I wanted to shed some light on how it works.

    All you have to do is find the code word in each specific post that has a code word and submit a comment letting me know that you found it and let me know what the code word is. DONE.

    That's all you have to do. I will do everything else.

    Please do not submit your own bonus entries. I have a way that I'm doing it so it actually takes me longer to delete your bonus entry posts than it would if I were to do it myself.

    Thanks a bunch, I assure you that each and every bonus entry (up until this very moment) has been counted and marked.

    Thanks and continue entering those giveaways! There will be many more to come (even after the fluffy bottoms event is over! :) )

    Lulu's In The Fluff Review & Giveaway

    Lulu's In The Fluff is dye free, phosphate free, free of fillers, enzymes, optical brighteners and whiteners. It's great for sensitive skin, it has an easy rinsing formula and it's perfect for cloth diapers, as well as other laundry!

    Lulu's In The Fluff carries glamour wash, glamour wash for hard water, sparkles deoderizing pail freshener as well as samples of their glamour wash! Michelle, the owner of Lulu's in the Fluff was kind enough to send a bag of her Lavender Vanilla for the review.

    Likes: First, I have to say that I was prepared to receive a little 8 load sample pack when she agreed to let me review her product for our event, however, I was wrong! She sent me a full pack of her Glamour wash and I am glad she did! I love the smell of this wash and I couldn't be happier with it's effects. My diapers smell great, again!

    Dislikes: The only thing that I could possibly dislike about this wash is that if you smell it too much, like I probably did, it starts to smell a little old lady-ish. However, I had my nose in the bag for a good long time making sure it smelled good before I put it on my son's diapers. I don't want to put something on his diapers that I think is going to stink a few days after smelling it. I did give it a day then went and smelled it again and it's fine, now. I just don't suggest putting your nose in it, or anything else that fragrant, for too long, ha ha!

    Rating: 9 out of 10

    Would you like to have a 45/90 bag of Lulu's in the Fluff Glamour Wash for yourself or someone you love? Here's how you can!

    Buy it! Visit Lulu's in the Fluff and purchase a 45/90 bag of Glamour Wash for $10.95 for their original formula or $11.95 for their hard water formula.

    This contest is CLOSED!
    Congrats to the winner, Tiffany!

    I would like to send a special Thank You to Michelle at Lulu's in the Fluff for providing the review and giveaway item(s). I was not compensated in any way and the statements within this post are of my own and honest opinions.

      Sunday, June 20, 2010

      Monday's Little Miracles - Animals of the Gulf



      Today's Monday's Little Miracles Blog Hop is different.  There is no blog in the Miracle Spot.  I am sending you to the ABC News website to read this article



      photo courtesy sodahead

      I am a huge animal lover and the images I am seeing on the news of these poor birds, turtles, etc...covered in oil is just heartbreaking.  In the article above there are many links to organizations who are helping the animals and most of them are accepting donations and volunteers.

      photo courtesy neaq

      Please join us in making a difference : Belly Charms - The Blog, Boobies, Babies and A Blog, and My New Life As Mom  by sharing Monday's Little Miracles to save the Gulf Animals.  Here is how you can make a difference too - this is easy:
      • Copy this post and put it on your blog
      • Join the linky below
      • And of course, follow any or all of the wonderful bloggers in the linky who want to save the animals who are suffering in the Gulf of Mexico.
      Have a wonderful week and thanks for being a part of Monday's Little Miracles: Animals in the Gulf.

      Crunchy Clean Review & Giveaway



      Crunchy Clean was created by Ashley in an effort to reduce her families exposure to chemicals and to reduce her imprint on mother earth. She wanted something that was more eco-friendly and in her efforts, she's created an amazing detergent that is safe on the environment as well as the most sensitive of skin. There are no optical whiteners, brighteners or soap to build up on those sensitive items like cloth diapers. There's also no fillers, enzymes or dyes to irritate sensitive skin. Crunchy Clean is HE compatible and great for military use. Don't use cloth diapers? Don't worry! Crunchy Clean can be used on ALL things machine washable!

      Crunchy Clean has a wide variety of products on their site, such as; detergents, sample detergents, detergent scoops, deodorizing powder, and linen spray. They also carry a scrumptious line of scents that sound amazing enough to eat. They also have a a formula specific for those of us with hard water! Ashley sent us a bag of Monkey Fart in the original version as well as another bag in the new version. She also sent a bag of Lavender Vanilla detergent and a bottle of Orange deodorizing powder for review.

      Likes: Really? What's not to like about this soap? All the scents that I tried were AMAZING and I honestly would love to try more. Just a small amount is needed and it rinses clean and lives a lasting fragrance that is sure to please. I, personally, have to say that the vanilla lavender is HEAVENLY. I was quite a bit hesitant in ordering that one as I was sure it was going to smell like an old lady but I was pretty surprised when I opened it up and smelled it. To be truthful, I wanted to eat it. It smells GREAT. I wouldn't hesitate to use it or the Monkey Fart scent on J's diapers or any of our other cloths. I'm definitely going to have to order more, it's devine.

      Dislikes: Um, nothing. I don't like the fact that I didn't get a bigger bag. I know, I'm greedy, but it really is that great! Oh, here's something that I didn't like about the product. When I followed the line that is marked to cut it open, at the top... it didn't work. I had to cut MUCH lower, pretty much cutting the zip top part to get it open, but really? Who cares. The zip top is still very functional and I honestly could care less, I just had to post something, amiright?

      Rating: 10 out of 10!

      Would you like to have a bag of Crunchy Clean to use for yourself or give it to someone you love? Well here's how you can!

      Buy It! Visit Ashley and purchase a 80/160 load bag of Crunchy Clean for $10.95!!


      This contest is CLOSED!
      Congrats to the winner, Madeline!

      I would like to send a special Thank You to Ashley at Crunchy Clean for providing the giveaway item(s). I was not compensated in any other way and the statements within this post are of my own and honest opinion. 

      Saturday, June 19, 2010

      Common Misconceptions

      I don't know about you but when I first started learning about cloth diapers, I had so many misconceptions. Misconceptions about everything. The way they looked. The way they worked. Everything about them.

      I'll be the first to admit that when I thought about cloth diapers, I thought they were hand towel looking things that you held together with safety pins. I had always thought about using cloth. I heard it was the best for babies and of course I only wanted the best for my little ones. However, when I did become pregnant, my husband didn't want the extra laundry work load and I couldn't blame him. I quickly agreed to go with disposables and called it a day. After all, when you're pregnant you don't have much energy for anything, much less for arguing. At least that's how it was, for me.

      Here's some of my misconceptions and the real truth about them!

      Cloth diapers are expensive! It's estimated that on average people spend around $800, per year, on disposable diapers. $800, per year, on something that will be used once then thrown into the garbage. Cloth diapers are different. Depending on the type and style of cloth diapers you use, you can spend anywhere between $200-$600 on a system that will last from birth to potty training as well as for subsequent children. That's a savings of approximately $1800-$2200 in savings! Not to mention if you use them for more than one child! That, alone, speaks for itself!

      Cloth diapers use massive amount of excess electricity and water! Not true! While cloth diapers do use water and energy to clean think about the comparison between your average washing machine and the factory machines used to create disposables. The washing machines these days are designed to use minimum amounts of both water and electricity to clean the average load of cloths, diapers, etc. Machines that are used to create disposables are not designed to save on water, electricity or anything of the sort. They're used for mass production. Period. Also, think about all the forests that are saved from being cut down and turned into paper pulp to create disposables.  Thus reducing carbon emissions and reducing our fossil fuel usage.

      Cloth diapers leak! Not necessarily! Depending on the type, size or style you use, it doesn't have to be that way. Cloth diapers have held in WAY more messes than disposables ever have. The inserts are designed to hold in quite a bit of liquid and the design of the diapers are meant to hold in quite a bit of mess. The idea, however, isn't to hold in more liquid. If a diaper is soiled or wet, it needs to be changed, period. If a diaper is changed soon after it becomes soiled or wet then the chance for leaks is slim to none.

      Cloth diapers smell and are unsanitary! I, personally, will tell you that as long as you care for them properly, they are neither. A diaper thrown in a diaper pail is no more offensive then a disposable thrown into a garbage can. However, I've never had my nursery smell once the diaper is in the pail. Once washed in a cloth diaper safe detergent (such as RnG) the diapers will smell fresh and clean after every wash! No stink! On the other hand cloth diapers don't need to be sanitized!! Think about it, do you sanitize your underpants or the underpants of your older child who has an accident in their pants? No. You simply throw them in the washing machine and call it a day. Cloth diapers are the same! Simply remove the excess poo and throw it in the washing machine with an approved detergent and either line dry or dry on low heat in the dryer. Simple as that.

      Cloth diapers are hard to care for! There aren't many more steps to cloth diapering than there are to disposables. Removing of excess waste in the toilet then throwing it in the pail has been proven just as effective as removing the waste, rinsing/spraying, then putting it in the pail. There's no need to take the extra steps if you don't want to. Cloth diapers only add 1-3 loads of extra laundry, per week, depending on the size of your stash. Washing is generally the same as any other type of laundry and shouldn't pose any more trouble on laundry day.

      So if you have been considering cloth diapering and had the same common misconceptions that I did, I urge you to reconsider the thought and at least try it out. I am sure that once you do, you'll realize that it's not anymore work than disposables and it's much safer, cleaner and cheaper!