What Kind of Diapers Do YOUR Baby Wear?

What does your baby wear, and why?

Bubbles Couture Diaper Review & Giveaway!

 Meet Bubbles Couture, maker of the cutest diapers in the world.

 

Handmade in Canada, these cloth diapers are both luxurious and adorable, and as far as I know, are the only diapers designed by an actual fashion designer. By using cotton embellishments on PUL, your child's bum is taken to a whole new level while also being comfortable thanks to the VERY soft plush or suedecloth inner lining.We were sent the above diaper, a style named "Woof!" along with a matching bamboo insert.

What we think: You already know that I think it's an exceedingly adorable diaper, and also super-duper comfy on my little one's bottom because of the soft lining. The elastic doesn't leave marks unless it's truly too tight, and I never had a problem with the snaps coming undone. The insert is the thinnest I think I've ever seen and so is easy to stuff into the pocket opening and doesn't bulk up the diaper. Even when I double the inserts, they stay snugly in the pocket and I've had zero wicking problems! Overall, this diaper wins out because it's so fashionable and soft.

Cons to this diaper include that the leg adjustment system is tricky. You adjust the legs by reaching into the elastic casing that's left open and pulling on the elastic. Along the elastic, there are snaps put through so that you can pull a snap through the opening and it can't slide back in unless you push it into the casing. The good thing to this is that it really isn't going to un-size itself once you set the elastic where you want it. The bad news is that it's hard to pull through and I'm worried that I'll stretch out the elastic in the process. When adjusting the waist snaps, it can also look a little funny since it wont always look symmetrical to the other snap placements. I think this is just due to the triangular design.

I also found that I really needed to add a microfiber doubler to use with the bamboo insert for my toddler daughter. Otherwise, the appliqued decorations on the diaper would start to soak through.

Other stuff...We also received a can of their organic diaper rash balm. It's certainly the most unique I've seen! Instead of being made with the typical ingredients like zinc oxide, it has things like clay, vanilla and lavender essential oils--and is all vegetarian and hand made! I liked that it went on smooth, but there is a little grit to the texture from the clay. While it didn't clear up any diaper rashes over night, it didn't make them any worse, and it didn't irritate any little bottom skin, either. It does smell a little like play doh. :-)

Buy It! Bubbles Couture just released a whole new bunch of diapers in their line up! Check them out on their website at http://bubblescouture.ca. Diapers retail for about $45.00 (USD), so they are a bit pricey, but really are a special treat for your fluff stash!

Win It! Bubbles Couture is giving away a diaper, insert, and diaper rash balm to one of my readers! *You MUST be publicly following this blog in order to win. Just click the "Follow (with Google Friend Connect)" button in the far right hand column near the top of this page. Problems? Send me an email and I'll help you out! lifemoresimply@yahoo.com.* Contest ends 12/2/10 at noon, EST.

To win, leave me a comment below telling me what print diaper you want--be careful, because what you choose is what you'll get if you win! Be sure to include your email address in EVERY entry and leave a separate comment for each entry as well.


Additional entries (after the above is completed):
1) Tell me WHY you want to win this.

2) Subscribe to Life More Simply via email.

3) "Like" our Facebook page.

4) Follow us on Twitter (LifeMoreSimply).

5) Blog about this contest ---3 entries!

6) After you've "liked"/"friended" Life More Simply on Facebook, put this as your status: "Bubbles Couture cloth diapers are the cutest! I just entered to win one at http://tinyurl.com/2adshlq from @Life More Simply" (my name will come up in BLUE if you did it right). 1 entry/day.

7) Tweet this message (up to two times a day for 1 entry each): Win a Bubbles Couture cloth diaper from @LifeMoreSimply! http://tinyurl.com/2adshlq  (ARV $45) #giveaway #contest #clothdiaper #baby #green


8) Spread the word on a parenting forum, message board, or any other way and tell me how you did it with a link!

9) Sign up to Design America's Next Diaper:  http://lifemoresimply.blogspot.com/p/life-more-simply-review-panel.html

*Note: Bubbles Couture supplied me with the product for review and giveaway. No other compensation was received and the opinions expressed are all mine.*

Help Design America's Next Diaper!

Ooh, big news folks: Life More Simply is going to launch a diaper and clothing line.

Oh yes.

When? Not entirely sure of the "you can buy it" date yet, because everything's still in the works.

We need mamas and papas all over the nation to get on board in helping to design this diaper line, so go ahead and join the Review Panel by clicking HERE, then tell your neighbors, friends, and everyone else you do and don't know on the Internet so they can sign up too.

Why join, you ask?

Because you get FREE diapers and clothes, HUGE discounts, and will be the first-to-know about everything!  

Click here to learn more: 

http://lifemoresimply.blogspot.com/p/life-more-simply-review-panel.html

Wordless Wednesday - New Baby Parts

Kelly's Closet and DiaperShops Discount Codes

Just heard word from Kelly's Closet  and DiaperShops about the following deals...

http://kellyscloset.com/

Here is the list! Have fun and remember there is a limit of 1 code per order. (You can use more than one code but you would need to place multiple orders.)


*Free shipping on your entire order with a $10 purchase of bumGenius,Flip,or Econbum. Use code BGFLIP . (Excludes bumGenius detergent). Coupon can expire at anytime.

*Take 10% off all Rumparooz. Use code PN042010

*Free one-size cloth diaper with a $25 purchase. Use code PGNBMAY Exp. 7/1/2010

*Free shipping on your entire order when you purchase $20 or more of GroVia brand. Use code GROVIAPROMO

*Free one-size cloth diaper with $25 purchase. Use code OSMOTPROMO Exp.7/15/2010

*Buy 5 bumGenius 3.0 one size diapers, get 1 free. See website for details.

Rules for coupons: Sorry, NO previous or pending orders discounted. No exceptions. Limit 1 code per order.

--------

...and if none of these strike your fancy, be sure to check out Diaper Junction. They always have great deals and I get like a 5% commission (store credit), so I'm always happy when someone clicks on my link and orders from them. :-)

The Diaper Free Baby book Review & Giveaway!

A big thanks to A Mother's Boutique for being a big sponsor of the Baby Mama Shower!

The Diaper Free Baby book Review & Giveaway

The Diaper Free Baby is a book about elimination communication (EC) by mother and Dr. Christine Gross-loh . I didn’t know much about EC before reading this, except that it sounded too good to be true (and a bit crazy) to think that an infant could use a potty instead of diapers. Well, I started reading and ended up not being able to put the book down. I highlighted it, thought about the principles explained, and then tried it with my then 17-month-old daughter. I am now a convert to EC and think that every single mama should receive this book at her baby shower!


Here are the basics in a nutshell: throughout history and even currently today, many countries only have their babies in diapers for a few months if even that. The US keeps our kids in diapers the longest, and this is really a more recent phenomenon with the invention of disposable diapers. Babies don’t particularly like to sit in their waste (have you ever noticed that a young baby will pee when you take the diaper OFF?), and in fact, we condition them to go in diapers. Eventually, a baby will ignore and then not realize his elimination signals. We as parents could notice these signals from very early on, just like we notice hunger or sleep cues in our child…however, we are taught that an infant isn’t able to eliminate in anything but a diaper, so we ignore those signals. As our baby turns into a toddler and gets to the age when she doesn’t want to do as she’s told or emulate mommy anymore, then we decide to “potty train” and teach our children to stop eliminating in a diaper and to start eliminating in a potty…except they don’t know their own elimination signals anymore! All sorts of interesting things are put into play during our traditional potty training, and often, it turns into a power struggle instead of something that just happens naturally.

Elimination Communication, in contrast, is about the caretaker or parent paying attention to the baby’s elimination cues and not ignoring them. That’s it. It’s not about “potty training” an infant, really. It’s not “training the parent”, as many well meaning people tell me is what I’m doing (haha!). It’s about me paying attention to my child and responding to what she is communicating to me. I wish I could tell you everything about the book—it covers the history and cultural aspects of potty training, the reasons behind using elimination communication, personal stories, photos (which my daughter loves—in fact, I had to read after she went to bed because if she saw me pull the book out during the day, she would take it from me so she could look at the photos of babies on potties!), and detailed information on how you can practice EC with your child.

The biggest thing that struck me (other than the fact that ECing makes a lot more sense than potty training) is that I can do it as a working mom. If I had known this before, I would have read this book before. I had thought that only stay-at-home moms who can chase behind their child with a bowl all day long could do this. In The Diaper Free Baby, it’s explained that you can actually practice ECing part time and even if you’re a working mom who only has a half an hour a day to spend going diaper free. I was pretty skeptical about the whole thing even though it sounded brilliant, but decided I would try it and not feel bad if it didn’t work out (the book offers great support to parents for the times when their child will NOT use the potty, too). LoveBug had just turned 17-months and I had ordered a little potty (which turned out to be a big potty, but I hadn’t gotten to the potty suggestions in the book yet and so didn’t realize that the typical “little” potties available in our US stores are actually fit for a 3-year-old, not my 20-pounder!). I let her go without a diaper for about an hour two different evenings during the week. I paid attention to what she did before she eliminated, and said “pepepepe” when she peed. When Saturday came, I let her run around without a diaper all day. She peed on the floor three times, and each time I tried to whisk her to the potty before she was done, all the while talking to her about it and making sure I said “pepepe” and made the sign language sign for “toilet.” I was about to give up when I decided to just let her try one more time. Sure enough, the next time she had to go, she pointed to herself and I took her to the potty where she peed. The second time, the same thing. The third time, she ran over by herself and sat down! This is my girl who uses sign language but who won’t say more than “da”!

Needless to say, I am completely impressed and I think it has nothing to do with her or I being extra talented or smart. It’s simply because I learned things in the Diaper Free Baby that I didn’t otherwise know. Now at 18-months-old and me being home with her full time for the last two weeks (thanks to being taken off of work early due to pre-labor symptoms), she is using the potty multiple times a day. She still wears a diaper sometimes and goes on the floor sometimes, but it’s almost always because she’s too “busy” to go potty. If I ask her to go, she goes every time! She’s also now telling me when her diaper is wet (she wants it off now), is recognizing her own elimination signals full time, and has started using the “potty” ASL sign.

I will be using EC much, much earlier with my son, now that I understand it. I actually feel bad now leaving a child in a dirty or wet diaper—why should they have to sit in that when they could just go in a potty?! This book has shown me that EC makes sense, is better for the child (and environment), and really can be done. I also feel good about myself now, knowing that I’m allowing my child to naturally develop her ability and choice to use a potty instead of me forcing it upon her, and that I’m not having her sit in her own waste just because she doesn’t mind.

Buy It! Visit http://www.amazon.com/Diaper-Free-Baby-Natural-Training-Alternative/dp/0061229709?ie=UTF8&tag=life0fd-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969and buy two copies-one to keep and one to give to a friend.

Win It! Just tell me why you want to have a copy of this book. Be sure to leave your email address and a separate comment for each entry! Contest will end on or after June 15th at 1200 hours, EST.

*Blog about this contest or tell people about it through a parenting forum (2 entries)

*Subscribe to or follow me (each different way = 1 entry; Blogger, Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
*Fav me on Technorati or otherwise vote me up somewhere
*Grab my regular button (2 entries)
*Have another great idea to spread the word? Do it and tell me how you did!
*Tell me your own potty-training or elimination communication story

This review is based on a sample book provided by Dr. Christine Gross-loh No other compensation was received.

Charlie's Soap Review & Giveaway

A big thanks to A Mother's Boutique for being a big sponsor of the Baby Mama Shower!

Charlie's Soap Review and Giveaway

My first experience with Charlie’s Soap was shortly after we started using cloth diapers. We tried using a Tide detergent for them and sure enough, pretty soon our diapers were leaking. After stripping them, we bought a jug of Charlie’s Liquid Soap and have never looked back. I had the awesome opportunity to not just try their liquid soap (of which my own jug had recently run out), but also to use their powdered soap and all purpose sprayer. After thoroughly testing each of these products, I can say without a doubt that I think this may be one of the best cleaning agents out there. The folks over at Charlie’s have figured out what they’re doing and it works!


Liquid and Powdered Laundry Soap

These are both very easy to use and very economical (as all of their products are). There is hardly any odor to begin with (you really have to take a big whiff of the liquid soap to smell anything, and this is coming from a pregnant lady), and none once your clothing has been rinsed. The best part is that the detergent really does rinse clean and doesn’t cause any build up on diapers in particular---so everything stays fresh and absorbent! It is also true that you don’t need to use any fabric softeners when using Charlie’s Soap on your laundry. Now, I’m probably going too far here, but I have even stopped putting stain remover on clothing unless it’s a particularly bad stain and haven’t had any problems with my clothes coming out clean. I love this soap because it 1) actually cleans all of my laundry so I don’t need three different detergent brands, 2) is affordable, and 3) takes up very little space because you’re using very little soap per load of wash. I think everyone should try Charlie’s Laundry Soap, especially if you’re sensitive to regular laundry detergents, have little ones, or use cloth diapers. Or if you just like plain old clean laundry.

All Purpose Sprayer

The first time we “tested” this product was on tile. My husband had just finished tiling a bathroom floor for some friends of ours and needed a way to remove the extra grout from the tiles themselves. I brought him the Charlie’s Soap spray bottle with a rag and whola! It cleaned the grout from the tiles with no problem whatsoever. My husband was really impressed since it’s a gentle and non-toxic product. Overall, it saved him a lot of time and effort—and kept him from having to breathe in scary chemicals!

I’ve also used the All Purpose Sprayer on carpet stains, to clean objects, and to scrub our bathroom. It smells…well, soapy. No fancy scents are added or anything, so you just get a soapy smell when using it. I like that both my toddler and I can breathe the fumes without worry, and that I don’t have to freak out if she gets it on her hands as she “helps” me clean something. I didn’t find that it worked any better than any other product for these purposes, but it does the job and creates bubbles which is always fun if you’ve got a little person who’s watching.

Overall, I think these are great products and I’m actually planning on switching all of my laundry to using the powdered soap just because it does such an awesome job, is affordable, and then I only have one soap to sit on my shelf instead of multiple ones. I just heard word that Charlie’s Soap is going to be changing their packaging very soon, too. Check it out:

From The Company...

Coming in just a month or so, our Charlie's Soap Laundry Powder gets a much needed facelift. The new jar will be air-tight to avoid any clumping, will ship, store, stack and show much better than the bag. But we'll keep our commitment to being friendly to the Earth. This new container will be recyclable and reusable. Shortly after its release, we will make available an easy-open 4 gallon container which is tailor-made for refilling stations! Customers can bring back their Charlie's Soap jar and get them refilled at your store. You can't get much Greener than that!

Buy It! Visit http://www.charliesoap.com/, Amazon.com, or your favorite “green” or natural parenting store.


Win It! Charlie’s is giving away to one of my readers the same soap pack that they sent to me (All Purpose 16 oz sprayer, 16 loads of Laundry Liquid, 80 loads of Laundry Powder)! You will love it and it’ll last you a while, for sure. To enter, please visit www.charliessoap.com , learn something interesting (it isn’t hard), and come back and tell me your fact. Be sure to leave your email address and a separate comment for each entry! Contest will end on or after June 15th at 1200 hours, EST.

Extra Entries:


*Blog about this contest or tell people about it through a parenting forum (2 entries)

*Subscribe to or follow me (each different way = 1 entry; Blogger, Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

*Tweet about this contest with a link (1x/day)

*Fav me on Technorati or otherwise vote me up somewhere

*Grab my regular button (2 entries)

*Have another great idea to spread the word? Do it and tell me how you did!

This review is based on sample products provided by Charlie's Soap. No other compensation was received.

Cloth Diaper Cake Review & Giveaway from I Dream In Green!

A big thanks to A Mother's Boutique for being a big sponsor of the Baby Mama Shower!

Cloth Diaper Cake Review & Giveaway

Today, I am here to tell you about one of my very favorite products I've tested for the Baby-Mama Shower Event. It is the ultimate eco-friendly baby shower gift, cute as all get out, and maybe the most useful gift you could receive (or give to yourself). What is it, you're wondering? A cloth diaper cake from I Dream of Green. When I first heard about this business through Diaper Swappers, I was excited. After all, it's an awesome idea but one I've never seen actually put forth by anyone. Who WOULDN'T be excited to receive something like this for a baby? Even if you don't use cloth diapers, you will still use the contents in one of these cakes (prefolds make the best burp and dust cloths, and the cloth wipes in these cakes are so luxerious that you'll want to use them for every possible body washing need of yours). I Dream of Green is the business making these cloth diaper cakes, but the owner, Elizabeth, doesn't stop there. She offers all sorts of awesome "green" creations including flower boquets and cupcakes, all made out of great quality, reusable cloth and baby-friendly items.

I was able to choose items and try out a custom made cloth diaper cake for this review. The choices were endless and even when I changed my mind about things, Elizabeth was gracious to make sure everything was perfect for me--and it was! She will build a creation specifically for you, including everything from diapers and covers to teething toys and wet bags. The components of the cake she made for my soon-to-be son is: 7 Bummis organic cotton infant size prefolds, 7 double-sided hand-dyed cloth wipes, 1 XS Thirsties cover ($48.00 value total). That's a LOT of stuff for a new baby, and it came so beautifully packaged that I actually couldn't bring myself to unassemble the cake for about a week after I received it. :-) When I did finally start to pull it apart (very easy, by the way), my daughter had a blast playing with the "roses" (washcloths). She and I had lots of fun pretending to eat our pieces of "cake" for a few days before I unwrapped them for washing's sake.

Here are the things I love most about I Dream In Green:

1) Owned by a mama who not only knows WHAT other mama's and baby's need, but who has access to a huge variety of earth and human friendly products to put into her creations.

2) Her creations are simply delightful to look at. This woman seriously pairs colors and objects together in a fantastic way.

3) The quality of the items! These are by far the BEST washcloths/wipes I've ever used. They're double sided, colorful, just the right size, and SOFT. I've been using them to wash my face every day since getting them and I want more!

4) Everything she sends is reusable, right down to the ribbons.

5) She can make a great eco-friendly and useful gift for any new baby or mama--not just those of us who use cloth diapers! And since she'll do custom work, your budget can definitely afford something.

I honestly can say that I have zero recommendations to improve this product or business except to continue expanding the website and online marketing capabilities of I Dream in Green--everyone needs to know about this! Goodness, I want to go and buy myself at least 3 things that she has available right now...

Buy It! Hurry, she has some ready-to-send items and a ton of custom slots. Visit http://idreamingreen.net/ to view the selection and to contact Elizabeth.

Win It! I Dream In Green is giving one of my readers a $20.00 gift certificate good towards anything at http://idreamingreen.net/ (will be emailed to the winner and will be good for 1 year). There are a ton of things you can do to enter this contest (see below), but you first MUST be a Google Friend (Blogger) or Feedburner subscriber (email) of Life More Simply. Be sure to leave an email address and separate comment for each way that you enter below! Contest will end on or after May 7th, 2010 at noon, EST.

Entries:

• 
  
  Become a fan of I Dream In Green on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IDreamInGreen
• 
  
  Follow I Dream In Green on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dreamgreenshop
• 
  
  Publically Follow the Etsy Cloth Diaper Team blog: http://etsyclothdiapers.blogspot.com/
• 
  
  “Favorite” I Dream In Geren on Etsy: http://www.idreamingreen.etsy.com/
• 
  
  “Friend” I Dream in Green on Flickr and “Favorite” one of my diaper cakes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/idreamingreengifts/
• 
  
  Post I Dream In Green's Etsy link on your Facebook or Twitter status (and give us the link here)
• 
  
  Post here what YOU would want on a diaper cake if you were giving or receiving one.

Even MORE Entires:

• Tweet about this contest with a link @LifeMoreSimply and @dreamgreenshop. Tweet 1x/day!
• Follow @LifeMoreSimply on Twitter (check the sidebar link) (2 entries)
• Become a Facebook fan of Life More Simply (check the sidebar link)
• Blog about this contest! Tell your friends on a parenting forum! Just spread the word and tell me how you did! (1 entry per way)
• Grab any of my buttons and put them on your blog (1 entry/each).

Note: I Dream In Green provided me with the samples to do this review. No other compensation was received and I was under no obligation to write a positive review.

Rockin' Green Soap Review & Giveaway

A big thanks to A Mother's Boutique for being a big sponsor of the Baby Mama Shower!

Rockin' Green Soap Review & Giveaway

Rockin' Green Soap is a powdered laundry detergent used for cleaning cloth diapers (well, and other clothes, too). Newer on the market, a lot of cloth diaper users still haven't tried it and I must say that you are missing out on one of their key features: the scent. Who would have thought you could use a scented detergent for your diapers?!

The first thing I noticed about Rockin' Green is their advertising. Really, the graphics are great and it does make you want to try their product. This psychology major though, knows to not rely on the picture alone, so I was glad when they agreed to send me a sample to try.

When I opened the box the soap was in, I was a little dissapointed that their product packaging wasn't to the same caliber as their website's marketing. This could be because I was only sent a small packet to sample though, so I'm guessing their full sized products come in something other than a zip-loc type baggie. :-) Really, though, the smell of the package overcame any aesthetics. I've never used a scented detergent to clean my diapers in, so I was feeling very luxerious when I got to put something that smells GOOD into my washing machine! I was able to test the "fresh linen" scent and thought it was pretty awesome. The nice thing is that while your washing machine smells good when you use Rockin' Green, it really does rinse out of your clothing so you're left with nothing but the smell of clean clothes (or diapers) when everything's done. We all know how important a clean rinsing detergent is!

Some things I learned about the detergent is that it does clean your diapers and clothes well, but you do need to use the suggested amount. I didn't use enough when I first washed a load of diapers and so had to re-wash them with more Rockin' Green. The detergent doesn't bubble up like commercial ones that cmtain bubbling agents. Don't be misled by this--you don't need bubbles to get things clean!

What they say about Rockin' Green...

Dye free
Comes in 11 yummy scents (& an unscented version for sensitive skin)
No fillers
No enzymes or optical brighteners
100% Phosphate free
Vegan
Great for sensitive skin
Easy rinsing formula
Approved for military use
Works wonders on microfiber stink!
Perfect for cloth diapers
HE compatible
Reusable packaging
Great for all water types (in fact, they make three different formulas for different water types)
Economical at .13 cents a load!

Buy It! Rockin' Green is economical with a bag of 45/90 (meaning, it contains enough soap for either 45 regular loads or 90 HE loads) only costing $13.95 with shipping as low as $1.00. You can also sample scents and buy powdered pail freshener from them as well! Visit http://www.rockingreensoap.com/.

Win It! One lucky winner will receive a classic Rockin' Green 45/90 bag in the scent of your choice. To enter, you need to visit their website and tell me what scent you'd like to try. Be sure to leave an email address and SEPARATE comment for each entry. Contest will end on or after May 7th, 2010 at noon, EST.

Extra Entries:
*Blog about this contest or tell people about it through a parenting forum (2 entries)
*Subscribe to or follow me (each different way = 1 entry; Blogger, Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
*Fav me on Technorati or otherwise vote me up somewhere
*Grab the Baby-Mama Shower button (2 entries)
*Grab my regular button (2 entries)
*Have another great idea to spread the word? Do it and tell me how you did!


Rockin' Green provided me with the test samples and contest prize for this post. No other compensation was received.

Snappi Baby Fastener Review & Giveaway

A big thanks to A Mother's Boutique for being a big sponsor of the Baby Mama Shower!

Snappi Diaper Fastener Review & Giveaway

A lot of moms don't even consider using prefold cloth diapers because they're worried about the hassle and safety concerns of using pins to keep the diapers on. Some of my earliest cloth diapering memories involve trying to force a pin through one of my younger sister's diapers, praying that it would go through and not poke her skin...If that were still the only option today, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be using cloth diapers on my own kids. :-)

Today, the cloth diaper industry and culture has been revolutionized by the creations of pocket diapers, all-in-one-diapers, and a variety of others. Many parents still want to use prefolds, though, as they're the cheapest method out there and often considered to be the most absorbant and least likely to irritate a baby's skin, too. Thankfully, pins don't have to be used any more!

The CPSIA compliant Snappi Baby Diaper Fastener was designed by a father who was sick of using pins and knew there had to be a better way. The "Snappi" is simply a stretchy T-shaped plastic fastener with teeth on each end that grip the diaper to hold it in place. It's quick and easy to use, holds up well after many uses (you are supposed to stop using them after 6-months, but I'm not sure who really sticks right to that...), is able to be sanitized, and won't leave you wondering if you're going to make your child bleed. :-D Any time I use a prefold, I use a Snappi to go with it. They come in 8 different colors and in two sizes (infant and toddler for those over 16-months). Since most cloth diapering parents will have at least a few prefolds or contoured diapers on hand, I would definitely say that every cloth diapering parent should have a Snappi on hand, too. It will make your life easier.

Here's what they say...

The benefits of this fastener include:
SAFER THAN PINS - no more pinpricks for baby or parent!!

RELIABLE - a snug fitting diaper to prevent those dreaded leaks

DURABLE - no snaps that can become brittle/rust, nor any velcro to catch all the lint in the wash!! At least if your Snappi® fastener needs to be replaced, your expensive diaper is not wasted!!

ECONOMICAL – affordable fastener that works very well with the less expensive flat, prefold or contour cloth diapers

EASY to use – allows first time parents, grandparents and people with arthritic problems to cloth diaper with ease. It is as easy as 1 – 2 - 3

Buy It! These are available at just about every natural parenting store, but you can also purchase them through Amazon or through Diaper Junction (use code AFL550 to save $5 off $50) .

Size 1 - Baby: Single Pack - $3.95 each

             Double Pack - $5.75 each
            Triple Pack - $7.55 each

Size 2 - Toddler: Single Pack - $4.55 each

             Double Pack - $7.15 each

Win It! Two lucky readers will each be sent 2 Baby sized Snappi Cloth Diaper Fasteners. Sorry, you can't pick the colors. To enter, just tell me why you want them! One winner will be chosen at random while the other will be chosen based on my interpretation of who needs them the most. :-) Be sure to include your email address and a separate comment for each entry. Contest will end on or after May 7th, 2010 at noon, EST.

Extra Entries:

*Blog about this contest or tell people about it through a parenting forum (2 entries)

*Subscribe to or follow me (each different way = 1 entry; Blogger, Google Reader, Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

*Fav me on Technorati or otherwise vote me up somewhere

*Grab the Baby-Mama Shower button (2 entries)

*Grab my regular button (2 entries)

*Have another great idea to spread the word? Do it and tell me how you did!

Using Cloth Diapers While Working Full Time

We began using cloth diapers on LoveBug before our stash of newborn sized disposables that people had given to us as gifts even ran out. It was a decision that I carefully researched and knew would be the BEST decision for the health of our baby and our sanity (who really wants stinky, oily diapers sitting in a can? Not to mention the cost...). Her grandmothers would be the primary caretakers of LoveBug during the day and when we mentioned using cloth diapers, we were met with a look of horror and a comment of "well, you can just buy disposables for me! I'm not using cloth!" from one of them. Yikes.

Day care and family providers both may show resistance to cloth diapering your child. On top of that, there are a lot of logistical factors to figure out when your child is watched outside of the home during the week. Here is a list of things that can help you make the transition to or maintaining your use of cloth while still working outside of the home:

1) Educate your provider. Instead of telling her that your child will be using cloth diapers, bring a diaper to show her when you approach the topic. Most people still envision prefolds, pins, and Gerber rubber pants when they think of cloth diapers! Showing them a ready-to-go, cute, and easy to use diaper may make the entire difference. It wasn't until my mother-in-law actually saw one of our pocket diapers that she decided she could try it.

2) Only send easy-to-use diapers with your child. The easiest diapers would be an all-in-one, sized diaper (not a one-size which requires more snapping), that uses aplix (Velcro) to keep it on. That way, your provider doesn't have to stuff anything, doesn't have to Snappi or pin anything, and doesn't have to try to remember which snap setting works best for your child. An AOI aplix diaper is as close to the convenience of putt on a disposable that you can get! If you want to keep using pockets or something (like we do), pre-assemble everything for the provider. Make it easy.

3) Be educated yourself. A provider may still have reservations if she doesn't know about the benefits or ease of cloth diapering. Bring a wet bag to show her about storage and come prepared with a list of benefits to using cloth. A little information can go a long way as long as you don't come across as rude!

4) Have a big wet bag on hand. If your child is going to need 7 diaper changes, your regular sized wet bag that holds 4 diapers may not do the trick. For any size, I recommend using a bag from Monkey Foot Designs. They're the best made bag I've used and come in a variety of prints and sizes. You certainly don't want a leaky bag or one that isn't big enough. Should your provider ever run out though, tell her to just use a plastic grocery bag for used diapers!

5) Consider using disposable liners. The Diaper Junction offers a variety of liners that you just lay on top of your diaper like usual, but then can throw into the toilet, taking any solids with it. Biodegradable and easy to use...and you won't have to deal with 8-hour-old poo.

6) Buy a diaper sprayer. There will be times where your dirty-diaper bag sits for a few days before you can get to them (embarrassing to admit, I know). In those moments, a diaper sprayer will make your life a lot easier. My top recommendation is the bumGenius Diaper Sprayer.

That's it! Continuing to cloth diaper while working is not only easy (with planning), but affordable, better for your baby, and better for the environment. More questions? Shoot me an email!

How To Start Using Cloth Diapers

Cloth diapering a child for the first time can lead to many questions and a sense of being overwhelmed. You'd think that the concept of putting a cloth on your baby's bum wouldn't be so complicated, but with all of the different diapering choices out there it can become a daunting task! Having helped cloth diaper many of my siblings and one child of my own (soon to be two!), I've learned a thing or two about where to start.

Educate Yourself

Do you know the difference between a fitted, all-in-one, pocket, and prefold? Do you know how to take care of a wool cover? Do you know which types of diapers even need a cover? Take the time to familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of each sort of diaper. Take into consideration your child's needs and your family's abilities (time and financial constraints). Remember that some diapers are easier to use than others, which will come into play if you are using a babysitter or if dad just can't handle a diaper without velcro or snaps!

Here are some articles that may help:

Types of Diapers, Washing Diapers, and my Everything Else diaper page.

Test Before You Invest

Before LoveBug was born, we spent hours researching cloth diapers and had determined that Green Acre Design (GAD) diapers were the best. Cute, trim, absorbent, who could want more? We invested in a 24-or-so diaper stash of used GADS as well as two new ones from a friend of mine before LoveBug was even born. After she was born, we found that she didn't fit the GADs all too well and Dad's hands were too big to easily stuff the pocket.

Instead of investing in only one style and brand of diaper, be sure to test a variety on your baby. All of the research in the world still won't compare to your child's personal experience. You will find that you prefer one or two styles over the rest, and that one brand of those will probably fit best. Once you've figured it out (give yourself a few weeks), sell the ones you don't want to keep and use that money to invest in more of the kind you do want to use.

Buy Used

Not only will this save you a significant amount of money, but most often, the diapers will arrive in as-new condition. You should be aware of any problems before you choose to buy, so just don't buy them if you're worried. Common problems and solutions would be:

Stains = lay in the sun to bleach them out

Worn elastic = repair it yourself or send it to someone else (we don't have the time, so we don't buy these)

Not repelling water = strip the diaper

We've always bought our diapers used and haven't had a problem. The resale value is tremendous on cloth diapers, often getting you 75% back if you bought new, and 90-100% back if you bought used. I would only recommend going through www.DiaperSwappers.com or Craigslist.com. Sometimes, you can find great deals on new diapers through Amazon or by watching natural parenting stores.

Determine when You Want to Start Cloth Diapering

Cloth diapering from the hospital versus when your baby is 4-weeks old makes a difference. Even a lot of "small" sizes won't work on newborns, so you'll need to get a separate stash of X-Small, Newborn, or Preemie sized diapers if you want to start from the beginning. Don't be fooled--those "one size" diapers don't actually fit tiny babies!

With LoveBug, we waited to CD until all of the meconium had passed (it's a bear to get off of anything, especially fleece lined diapers!). Instead, we just used up newborn sized disposable diapers that had been give to us and went right into the "small" size of CDs. If you do want to CD from the start, I'm finding that the general consensus is to use prefolds or fitted diapers with covers until your baby is ready for a "small" size in other types of diapers. With Baby #2, I'm *hoping* to CD from the start with fitteds/prefolds and wool covers (later switching to pocket diapers). We'll see what happens!

And just in case you're wondering...our favorite diaper is the Pocket Change brand simply because we don't have to remove the inserts before throwing the diaper into the wash. :-) We use a bumGenius! diaper sprayer to clean off diapers before putting them in our dry pail, wash with Charlie's liquid soap, strip with Sensi-Clean, and dry everything in the dryer. My favorite insert is Knickernappies' Loopy-Do, but we use a variety of inserts to increase the absorbancy.

Bummas Review & Giveaway!

After having a baby, one soon realizes that you can't have enough wipe-sized cloths lying around. They get used for everything from runny noses to cleaning bottoms. As LoveBug has grown older, one of her favorite past times has actually become stacking clothes and pulling them out/putting them into drawers and containers...and she also loves to take them and "clean" the house by wiping things down! When Bummas agreed to be featured on Life More Simply with a review and giveaway, I knew that these would be a perfect give for LoveBug's first birthday.

Originally made to "avert the squirt when changing diapers" and provide for an easy way to thoroughly dry bums after cleaning (so to avoid rashes), Bummas come in four different color sets of terry cloth "wipes" and are an economical, eco-friendly, and great way to keep messes (and other things) at bay. I received "The Wild Ones" set to review, which is a combination of many different bright colors (the wipes were all white with colored surging around the edges).

Product Features:
• Eliminates the use of talcum powder.
• 100% Cotton - Woven Velour Terry Cloth.
• Variety of color combinations for nursery themes.
• Handy 5” x 7” size.
• Durable. Just throw them in the washing machine and use them again.
• Won’t pill, shrink, or fade.
• They will last until your little one is out of diapers and beyond!


We've been using these for a few months now, and I have yet to see any unraveling around the edges or other wear and tear. I keep them in a drawer in the bathroom, and grab them for everything. We've used them as a washcloth, a bottom wipe, a bottom dryer, a tissue, a cleaning rag, and of course, a toy. The 5"x7" size is perfect for fitting in my hand without providing too much bulk. With 100% cotton, we did have slight shrinkage after washing and drying, and the fabric isn't as soft as other velours I've used. The texture of the terry though is fabulous especially for cleaning solids during a diaper change--and like I said, the fabric is soft enough to wipe against a runny nose! Even if you don't use cloth wipes for diapering, you will still find that these little cloth rectangles will come in handy for just about everything.
 
Buy It! Amazon offers "The Boys" collection right now, but you can buy any of the collections directly from Bummas' website at http://www.bummas.com/!  Each collection contains 10 wipes and cost $16.99.

Win It! Bummas is blessing one of my readers with her own collection. To win, you must be a subscriber of mine. Then, you'll need to visit http://www.bummas.com/ and let me know which color collection you want if you win! Contest will remain open until 1/29/10 at noon, EST. Be sure to leave a separate comment with a valid email address in it for each separate entry. Good luck!

Extra Entries:
* Subscribing to me
* Sporting my button
* Emailing some friends with a link about this contest, CC me in: lifemoresimply @ yahoo.com
* Faving me on Technorati, Digging me, or otherwise voting me up somehwere
* Spread the word through a social network (like Facebook) with a link!
* Blog about this contest
* Tweet about this contest with a link (1x/day)
* Otherwise spreading the word--tell me how!
 

bumGenius One Size Diaper Review

bumGenius provides cloth diapers and accessories to the US and many countries around the world. They are the first company I've seen to have diapers sold in chain stores (Target), unless you want to count the Gerber “pre-fold” diapers that aren't good for anything other than burp cloths. My first exposure to a bumGenius diaper was actually at Target before my daughter was born. We looked at the diaper in the baby department but ended putting it back in our cart. If I had known what I do now, we definitely would have purchased that diaper!

BumGenius sent me a one size diaper in their Zinnia color to try on Amara. I found it to be the trimmest one size diaper we've reviewed and I love the color. Most cloth diaper companies share the same color palette, but bumGenius seems to have quite a few colors unavailable through other companies including the Zinnia one. Two inserts come with the diaper—one whose length can be adjusted with a snap and the other which is shorter and thinner but great for throwing in as extra absorbency at night.

Closed by velcro type tabs, a neat thing is that the fabric attaching the tabs has more stretch to it than the rest of the diaper cover. I imagine that this creates more comfort for baby as their bellies aren't always in the same place and shape throughout the day, and this will allow for a little “give” while still keeping the diaper snug. I have found throughout the two or so months

that we've been using the diaper that the tabs have gotten slightly fuzzier than when we first received the diaper. The edges of the tab can also be scratchy against bare skin, so watch out if you co-sleep with your baby. As for the adhesion strength, I have had two times when the diaper came undone while she was sleeping. The diaper didn't come off, but one side did come undone. You may want to put pajama bottoms or something over the diaper when your child's sleeping for this reason.

The inside of the diaper is the softest diaper fabric I've felt aside from bamboo valour. It seems to be a cotton blend valour and is oh-so-soft on the skin. The back of this diaper also uses this fabric to create an overlap of the pocket area opening. This keeps your insert from the dreaded leaks that can occur of the insert works its way up the diaper and out the opening since the insert now can't get out of the diaper. As long as the diaper's snug on Amara, we haven't had any leaks with this diaper even at night.

The only improvement I would want to make for this diaper would be a snap system instead of velcro. It's harder to get on, but it definitely wouldn't come undone and would be harder for Amara to figure out when she's older. Even without that though, I think this is a high quality diaper and great for the price!

Buy it: visit http://www.CottonBabies.com to buy them from their sister company!

Extravaganza Extended + another Snappi Giveaway

Well my Blogging has taken a back seat these last few days. I spent Saturday-Monday up at Watkins Glen International Race Track as a paramedic for the NASCAR events (curious as to what I was doing? Check out this YouTube video. Tuesday was blissfully spent with my family, so I wasn't really too interested in trecking to the Library for Internet usage. Today, I'm back at the daily grind in my windowless office, so here I am!

Needless to say, I didn't get to choose any winners for the Cloth Diaper Extravaganza contests. So let's extend them! All of the contest (not including the daily Snappi giveaway) are officially extended until Friday, August 14 at 0730 hours (EST). And, I also want to offer another pair of Snappis to my fantastic readers! Here's how it will work:

- For each Cloth Diaper Extravaganza Contest that you entered, you may enter once here (so one entry per contest).

- Leave a separate comment for each entry, telling me which contest you already entered. I will be checking to make sure that you actually did!

- Include a valid email address in each entry. No email address = no winner. Unfortunately, this happens quite often. :-( Don't let it happen to you!

This contest will also end on Friday, August 14 at 0730 hours, EST. Good luck and be blessed!

Petunias Feature & Discount

Don't have a wet bag yet, but want to get a cute one at a discounted price? As seen in Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine (July, '09) and Wild Blue Yonder Magazine (July, '09), Petunias offers their trade marked "ICKY Bag." The Icky Bag is a zippered wet bag that comes in various sizes, made with waterproof ProCare and fun fabric with a lightly padded snap shut handle. The great thing about having a ProCare lining is that it is:

• Highly abrasion resistant (40 times greater than vinyl)
• Mildew proof
• Waterproof
• Washable and dry cleanable
• and Soil wipes off with a damp cloth
  

Petunias doesn't stop at Icky Bags, though. They also offer 5x5" reusable snack bags, bibs, zipper pouches, organizers, and pocketbooks! Who would have thought that so many things could be made with fabric, waterproof material, snaps, and zippers? All of her fabrics are posted online at http://petuniasfabrics.blogspot.com/. I'm not sure where she's found all of this beautiful material, but looking at them alone just inspires creativity!

When looking through Petunia's other blog at http://petuniasbykelly.blogspot.com/, I found out that some of the proceeds from each purchase are donated to World Vision or CRWRC. This definitely warms my heart as I also support each of these organizations. If you don't already know about them, definitely Google them--they help provide sustainable living physically and spiritually to children and families around the globe.

My favorite thing that I've seen on her sites is actually not an ICKY Bag, though. It is a shopping cart handle cover. It's a brilliant idea! Less cumbersome than an entire shopping cart seat cover, and more interactive for your child, too.

Buy it now! Through August 15, 2009, Petunias will be giving you 10% off of your order (shipping not included) if you use the code LMSBLOG10.