Seventh Generation Free & Clear Diapers Review & Giveaway

While my children have been primarily cloth diapered, I am finding that my son's skin actually does better in disposable diapers as of late. Clearly, the thought of those harsh chemicals and the non-biodegrading ingredients in most disposable diapers does NOT thrill this mother, so I was pretty interested when contacted about trying Seventh Generation's Free & Clear diaper line that they just revamped. Here's what I think:


1) One diaper fits a variety of sizes. I tested on both my toddler (overnight) and my baby (daytime/overnight) with no problem for each. The diapers hold up well and didn't leak.


2) They are not real attractive. No cute prints, and the color is a cream off-white, so it looks kinda gross when soaked with you-know-what. But then, who really looks at a used diaper, anyway?


3) No rashes! AND I didn't have to feel badly about putting them against my lovies' skin because they are so much gentler than regular disposable diapers. :) :) :)


Here's a little info from MyBlogSpark, who provided the sample for me to try and is also providing a package for one of my readers to try:

What Seventh Generation leaves out is just as important as what they put in. Free & Clear diapers do not include chlorine processing, fragrances, latex and petroleum based lotions. In an effort to contribute less overall landfill waste and continue to ensure a premium standard of absorbency, the new Free & Clear diapers have been redesigned with a lighter-weight core. With processed chlorine-free wood pulp in Free & Clear diapers, Seventh Generation also makes certain that no chlorine is released into the environment during the totally chlorine-free (TCF) whitening process of the diapers and training pants.

Seventh Generation has also reduced the size of the diapers’ plastic packaging, meaning that each pack now contributes even less overall landfill waste than before. In fact, Seventh Generation Free & Clear diaper packaging can now be recycled at local supermarkets where plastic bag recycling collection boxes are available. 

My vote? YES! Please buy these diapers instead of regular disposables. Can't afford them? I'm not promising anything and I HAVE NOT talked to Seventh Generation, but overall, they seem to be a great company to work with and I wouldn't be surprised if they would send people coupons for the asking. 

Win it! The first person to do the following two things will snag a FREE package of Seventh Generation Free & Clear diapers:


1) Leave us your best (or worst?) diaper story below. It had better be worthy of winning diapers! Feel free to tell us why you do or don't use cloth, free & clear diapers, etc.. INCLUDE your email address.


2) EMAIL me your full name, phone number, and mailing address, plus what size diapers you want!


Good luck and be blessed!


Disclosure: MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation provided samples for this review and giveaway. I was not otherwise compensated for this post and the opinions expressed are all mine. :)

Veggie Tales 'Twas The Night Before Easter DVD Giveaway and Review!

Big Idea's newest 50-minute "Easter" themed video is an entertaining, colorful, and positive addition to any child or adult's easter basket. Falling in line with other Veggie Tales' movies, this one is well made with clean computer graphics, comprised with a story line that captures the interest of little ones, but also dotted with pop culture humor for older siblings and mom and dad making it a film for the whole family.

Here's the description according to Amazon.com:

It's Easter time in Crisper County and cable news reporter Marlee Meade (Petunia Rhubarb) is hunting for a way to help others. On a tip that the old town theater will be shut down, Marlee cooks up a plan to save the stage and make a difference through the power of musical theater. With a cast of costume-clad townies, massive props and a 20-foot robot rabbit - Up With Bunnies is hatched! There's only one thing missing the star of the show! When news spreads that singing sensation Cassie Cassava (Melinda Doolittle) is arriving to perform in her hometown church s Easter service, Marlee gets worried.  Concerned about the competition, she schemes to steal the starlet for her own pageant! But when things go haywire, will it be curtains for Marlee s dreams   or will she discover the true meaning of Easter and what helping others is really all about? Find out in this hare raising adventure!

As soon as we got the DVD, my two-year-old couldn't wait to watch it. The next time I did let her watch the TV, this is what was on...and the next time after that, too! She loved the music and action, even if the plot may have been a little beyond her. I enjoyed the parallels to modern things, such as American Idol, but even more so, the polyphonic musical parts that were so intricately designed!

The only thing I was disappointed in is that the video eluded to Easter having a deeper meaning than bunnies and chocolate, but it never was really elaborated on. Now, I can't say that this ruins the movie for me, though, because I don't think that people taking Christianity and trying to combine it with the actual holiday of Easter really works...so I guess I kind of appreciate that this movie promotes more than the materialism of Easter but then leaves it up to parents to determine explaining what relationship they want between Christ's death and resurrection and Easter. For my family, this video provides a great opportunity to talk about what Easter means in our modern day culture, how many Christians attempt to blend Easter with the resurrection, and then how this all relates to what we do in celebrating Passover and the resurrection separate from Easter.

Any way you look at it, this is a positive item you could put into an Easter basket, so add it to your list for Sunday! Not only can you buy it in stores, but you can purchase it on Amazon.com. If you want it real quick, Amazon.com has an instant buy or rent feature for this movie that allows you to download it and view it on your computer or TV.

Win it! The first three people to comment here with their email address and then also email me with their full name and mailing address will each win a copy! A big thanks to Big Ideas and EMG Promotions for providing DVD's for this review and giveaway. :)

Check it out!

Twas the Night Before Easter Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_EbQLOhDRQ

Silly Song – “The Hopperena”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_7rbspKE20

Homepage:
http://veggietales.com/nightbeforeeaster/

Purchase the DVD:
http://store.veggietales.com/twas-the-night-before-easter-veggietales-dvd.html

Babies 'R Us is giving away an ENTIRE Registry!

I thought this was pretty exciting, even if I am not pregnant...but if you are pregnant, you need to do this! Imagine how AWESOME it would be if you won!

If you're expecting a new baby, chances are that you're registered at the go-to spot for all things baby- Babies 'R Us. And even if you're registering days are long behind you, we have a feeling you know some moms who are expecting a new little bundle of joy. If you fall into either of these categories, you're definitely going to want to hear about the new Babies 'R Us sweepstakes, sponsored by Baby Brezza, the makers of The Baby Brezza™ One Step Baby Food Maker!

From January 13^th until February 13^th, you have the chance to win your entire Babies 'R Us registry*, just by adding the Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker to your registry. That's right, one lucky mom-to-be will win her entire wish-list, including the Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker! And trust us, this is one must-have that you'll want to add to your list anyway, since it's the only baby food maker that steams and blends in one simple step.

 

I've been wanting a Baby Brezza for a while, and the good Lord knows I would love a Babies 'R Us shopping spree...so maybe I'll go create a registry real quick for my two already-here babes...;)

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a gift card and Baby Brezza One Step Baby Food Maker in exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place.

Guidecraft Complete Kitchen Center Review & Giveaway!

Win a new Complete Kitchen Center from Guidecraft (ARV $370)!

What they say...

 This compact Kitchen Center features 5 major appliances in one attractive play island. Complete with stove, oven, microwave, sink, and dishwasher with removable plate rack. Ergonomically kid-friendly counter-top provides food prep and dish washing area. Features turning knobs, silk-screened controls, acrylic windows on appliance doors, write-on wipe-off board, and wooden shelves for loads of storage.

What we think...
This is a FANTASTIC play kitchen that will become an heirloom toy in your family! The materials are very high quality and I was impressed by not only the strength of the wood it's made with, but the beauty of it as you can see the grain patterns. Once assembled, everything sits snugly and is balanced so you don't need to worry about your child tipping it over. The benefits of a child having a play kitchen are so many as it helps develop social skills, problem solving, organizing, large and small motor skills, and even verbal communications if you facilitate it. Since the colors and style of this kitchen are clearly gender neutral, I think it's an excellent choice for any family!

The only downside I found to this was that the directions were a bit tricky. It took me 2.5 hours to assemble this and I had to elicit the help of my carpenter husband to help me out. :-\ Granted, this was done very late at night and I was watching TV while I put it together, so you could probably get it down to 2 hours if you were snappy about it and didn't have to waste time figuring out how to do certain things.

The directions are only picture ones, which is actually faster for me than deciphering written ones. HOWEVER. The directions fail to mention that you need a philips' head screw driver (not included) and also fail to mention how to use certain hardware pieces (and I don't know what these pieces are called, so you'll just have to take my word on it that I would have not ever figured it out unless my husband had already known how to use these things). The tricky part is Step 3. What you need to do is take the screw and screw the bottom part of it into the "holes" of the counter bottom using the phillips' head. Only screw in until the threads change thickness. Then you place the round thing-a-ma-jigs into the holes in the kitchen base's side and lay the countertop down on top. The screws will then end up sitting in the round thing-a-ma-jigs which you need to turn clockwise to lock down the counter top. I thought I had done this (after being told how to), but my husband's strength was needed to really get it locked down. Once everything was said and done though, the kitchen looked awesome and I am not at all worried about it going anywhere.

We gave this to LoveBug for her second birthday (October 31!). It definitely passed the toddler-test. She kept saying "woah! WOAH!" while opening it (wide eyed and with a smile)...and then she couldn't wait any longer to play, so she ducked herself under the remaining wrapping paper so she could get to the fun. It's been a whole 28.5 hours now and she hasn't stopped playing with it except to sleep!

 

Can it get any more fun than the Guidecraft Complete Kitchen Center?!

 Buy It! Give your child the gift of learning through play by snagging one of these kitchens at Guidecraft's website (www.Guidecraft.com) for $370 or at Amazon for $277.99 (best price I found while writing this post).

Win It! *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 12/1/10 at noon, EST.

To win, leave me a comment below telling me one other toy you would LOVE to have from Guidecraft! 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: "I'm hoping to win the Complete Play Kitchen Center from Guidecraft for Christmas ($370!!!!) at http://tinyurl.com/WinGuidecraft ! @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 the Complete Kitchen Center from @Guidecraft and @LifeMoreSimply (ARV $370)! http://tinyurl.com/WinGuidecraft #play #toy #win #contest"

8) Post this message on Guidecraft's Facebook Wall:  I'm hoping to win the Complete Play Kitchen Center from Guidecraft for Christmas ($370!!!!) at http://tinyurl.com/WinGuidecraft ! @Life More Simply

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

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

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

Win in the 1800Flowers.com Birthday Smile Sweepstakes and on Life More Simply!

Enter to win the Birthday Smile Sweepstakes with 1-800-FLOWERS.COM at www.birthdaysmilesweepstakes.com. You can enter to win awesome prizes including Birthday Floral Cupcakes, Gift Cards from 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, and even a 4day/ 3night trip to the Grammys!

Just visit www.facebook.com/1800flowers or www.twitter.com/1800flowers for details on how 1-800-FLOWERS.COM will be celebrating Birthdays in your area.  

 Who doesn't love flowers? Well how about for FREE! 

Come back to Life More Simply on October 29th, 2010 to read a review of this flower birthday cake  and to find out how YOU can win a $40.00 gift certificate to 1800Flowers.com!

Yoplait Splitz Prize Package Review & Giveaway

I'm a big fan of yogurt, as anyone who has been reading my blog for a while knows. Because of that, I am always excited to do a review of any yogurt products. :-) I was sent a coupon and prize package from MyBlogSpark and Yoplait that gave me the opportunity to try one of Yoplait's new "Splitz" yogurts. There was quite a selection of different GoGurt types for me to choose, but all had some things in common: 1) it's marketed towards kids, and 2) it comes in a tube package instead of a cup. This lets you squeeze it into your mouth or freeze it and then eat it like a pop ice sort of desert.


I chose to try the "simply...GoGurt" yogurt. It contains NO high fructose corn syrup, NO artifical colors, and NO artificial flavors. That's a win for this mom! I only want to put natural, healthy food into my own and my kids' mouths. It can be quite the challenge and particularly if you want to buy something that is marketed towards kids (why that is, I don't know). We found that simply...GoGurt tastes good (although I wouldn't mind if it was less sweet), looks good, and feels good in your mouth. Yup, that's about all there is to it: it's good.


As part of the prize package, I was also sent a cool insulated picnic tote and roll up picnic blanket (one side is soft and the other is water proof) that I'm pleased to report are really cool and uber-handy for softball season. They are manufactered by Picnic Time and are of good quality. I have them ready to go in my basement for the next outing we have. :-)

What they say...

Now you can drive past your local sweet shop without looking back. Yoplait Splitz is the new yogurt that tastes like a sundae. Providing all of the goodness of 100% real yogurt, Yoplait Splitz is a good source of calcium and vitamin D. With no artificial flavors or sweeteners and no high fructose corn syrup, this 90 calorie dessert is the treat your family craves.

For an even “cooler” experience, just pop a Yoplait Splitz in the freezer and in a few hours you can enjoy a cool, creamy cup of authentic frozen yogurt. Available in three delicious flavor combinations including Strawberry Sundae, Strawberry Banana Split, and Rainbow Sherbet, Yoplait Splitz is sure to have your family screaming for more.

Buy It!
Visit http://www.myblogspark.com/uc/main/7b3a/ to download a printable coupon for $0.75 off any flavor Yoplait Splitz today! 

Win It! One lucky reader will receive the same prize package I described above: a coupon for a free box of Yoplait Splitz, as well as a sweet insulated picnic bag and blanket. To win, all you have to do is follow me through Google Friends/reader (be a Blogger follower) and leave me a comment telling me why you want this package. Make sure you leave an email address and separate comment for each entry! Contest will end September 6th at noon, EST.

Please Read: *This coupon offer for a free pack of Yoplait Splitz is not valid in some states, including California, Idaho, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, North Dakota and Tennessee


Extra Entries:

• "Like" Yoplait on Facebook or Follow Yoplait on Twitter and let them know I sent you!
• Like Life More Simply on Facebook 
• Follow Life More Simply on Twitter
• Subscribe to Life More Simply by email (be sure to verify) 
• Two entries if you email 4 friends about this contest (CC “lifemoresimply(@)yahoo.com
• One entry per tweet about this contest (max: 3 tweets per day, at least one hour apart): #win a Yoplait Prize Package worth $50 from @LifeMoreSimply ! Enter at http://tinyurl.com/2g6pytn.
• Two entries for each time you share this on a parenting/contest forum or site (leave me the link!)
• Two entries if you have my button on your site (leave the link)

Note: this review is based on free products I received from MyBlogSpark and Yoplait. No other compensation was received and the opinions are mine.

Win an AIO Grovia Diaper!

Win a new Grovia AIO cloth diaper and set of wipes from Franklin Goose! All you have to do is comment on their Facebook page and tell them what your favorite blog is. Now, I do hope that you'll say http://lifemoresimply.blogspot.com/! :-) Click here.