Kalasz Krafts - $15 Gift Certificate (handmade baby items)
Some Notes About this Giveaway:
Enter on the Rafflecopter form below. There are no mandatory entries, but the more entries you have, the greater your chances of winning. Remember that there are tons of prizes to be given away, so that increases your chances even more!
In order to be eligible for the Mystery Twitter ONLY Party Prizes, you still must enter on the Rafflecopter form below, but you must also tweet at least once during the twitter party on July 24th (9-10pm)
All prizes will be announced at the Twitter Party. All winners will be contacted by the e-mail provided on the Rafflecopter form.
In honor of Mother's Day, FuzziBunz is offering a deal of 5% off your total purchase and FREE shipping (my favorite!) using the code "MOTHER" at checkout. This is just in time for their release of two new prints.
Check it out and let me know if you get anything! Happy shopping!!
Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique is a favorite cloth diapering and green living store of mine. They are located in North Carolina {and online, of course!} and they offer free shipping on all products. This is one of my favorite aspects of an online store! They carry lots of great products and brands, including one of my favorites - Bumgenius.
The first time I ordered from Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique, I was very very very impressed with them. On top of the free shipping {which, of course, won me over} they had great customer service. The package came wrapped in an eco-friendly brown paper bag and tied with a simple ribbon. It was an unnecessary but appreciated touch. Rather than pulling my order out of the shipping envelope, I got to pull out a lovely package. It also included a handwritten note using my name and thanking me for the order. It really is the little things that mean so much.
Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique was kind enough and generous enough to send me a new Bumgenius Freetime AIO diaper to try out. I received this diaper in the new mirror color, which I am absolutely madly in love with!
When I first heard of the Bumgenius Freetime AIO diaper, I was both intrigued and a little alarmed at the same time. The diaper was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It was an AIO {all in one} that had two inserts sewn in. One sewn to the front of the diaper and one to the back. The premise was that you could fold these inserts in a variety of ways to adjust for absorbency in the places you needed them most -- depending on if you had a boy or girl. I really didn't know what to expect when I tried it out. But I will tell you this much, I was pleasantly surprised!
both inserts pulled out
After playing with the inserts a little bit, I decided to lay the insert sewn in back down flat and fold the insert sewn in front over on itself. This gave me three layers of absorbency in the front, where my little guy needs it most. I expected it to be very bulky with all those layers in front. Instead, it was only slightly bulky from the one-size snap down design in addition to the layers. The back was very trim and I had no problems fitting his pants over-top of the diaper. He was free to move around unrestricted while wearing it and after being in it for a normal amount of time {several hours} he remained leak-free.
The diaper washed up well and dried faster than I expected. It took no longer to dry, despite the sewn in inserts, than my other diapers did. I usually let my diapers line dry overnight and keep my AIOs line drying for a day or more. This diaper was ready with the rest of my pockets!
I thought for sure I'd be disappointed with it for nighttime use but again, I was pleasantly surprised. I placed a Bumgenius doubler {or newborn insert} on the bottom and then folded the sewn in inserts in the same way as before. This gave me an incredible FOUR layers of absorbency up front and two layers of absorbency in the back. Amazingly, we went all night with no leaks. I think it would have held up well even without the added insert.
Overall, I am very impressed with this diaper and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites!
PROS:
- Adjustable absorbency with unique design of sewn-in inserts
- Ability to add additional inserts if necessary for more absorbency
- One size design allows for use from approximately 8 - 35 lbs.
- Works well for overnight use
- Quick drying time
- No stuffing necessary!
- Available in both snap or aplix closure
- Comes in a variety of cute colors and prints
CONS:
- Like most one size diapers, it can be a little bulky when on smaller rise settings
- The design of the inserts may be slightly confusing for those not accustomed to using cloth diapers (like babysitters or daycares)
As you can see, the pros far outweigh the cons on this one!
Do you want to try this diaper?
You can purchase one {or more!} from Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique here. Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique has also been generous enough to allow one lucky reader their chance to try out this diaper for themselves! Use the rafflecopter form below to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: I received the above mentioned product free of charge in exchange for my review. However, all opinions are 100% mine. Your experiences may be different than mine.
** Disclaimer: I have teamed up with several other bloggers to offer this giveaway to you. This post was not written by me, nor have I personally tried these diapers {but I sure would like to!}. The content below was written by Ashlyn of Daily Mothering **
Welcome to the Go Green ♥ Give Charity Cloth Diaper Giveaway Event sponsored by Booty Buns Cloth Diapers! Over 175 blogs have teamed up to present this amazing cloth diaper giveaway hosted by Daily Mothering.
Here's your chance towin an entire stash of one-size cloth diapers!
This amazing cloth diaper prize pack includes:
20 Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diapers
(these true one-size cloth diapers fit 3-45 lbs!)
20 matching flannel/terry cloth wipes
40 microfiber inserts
20 cotton flannel liners
(picture does not show inserts or liners also included)
First, a little about Booty Buns...
In case you haven't heard about them, Booty Buns Cloth Diapers are incredible one-size cloth diapers that truly fit from birth to potty training! They feature a snap-down rise with 5 different snap settings (most one-size diapers only have 3!) and a waist with 10 regular snap settings plus 2 crossover snap settings. The diapers have hip snaps to prevent wing droop on smaller sizes. The incredible size range of this diaper fits from 3-45 lbs!
Booty Buns Cloth Diapers are pocket diapers and each diaper includes 2 snap-on microfiber inserts that can be stuffed into the diaper or laid on top with the included cotton flannel liner against your child's skin. The diapers have a waterproof PUL outer and a soft suedecloth inner with dual gussets on the inner lining to ensure everything stays IN the diaper! Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diapers come in an assortment of bright colors and each diaper includes a matching handmade flannel/terry wipe. You can find out more about the diapers at Booty Buns, or check out the detailed Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diaper Review at Daily Mothering!
Booty Buns is dedicated to encouraging others to "go green" and "give charity." Shannon, the owner of Booty Buns Cloth Diapers, leads by example. For every diaper that Booty Buns sells, she donates one Booty Buns Cloth Diaper to a child in need in the US and third-world countries. Booty Buns is the exclusive cloth diapers donator for Operation Showers Of Appreciation, and they are also donating diapers to babies that have severe medical issues here in the US. Shannon hopes to donate a lifetime supply of cloth diapers {20 diapers} to every baby in need around the globe. You can join in this effort by purchasing your own set of Booty Buns Cloth Diapers and telling your friends about Booty Buns!
Make sure to stop by and follow Booty Buns via Facebook, Twitter and Blog for news and giveaways!
And now for the giveaway!!
ONE WINNER will receive this gigantic cloth diaper prize pack valued at $546!
And, the winner will get to select their choice of diaper colors!
This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada.
Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.
Sign in using your Facebook account OR your name and email address.
Click "Do It" for instructions on how to complete each entry.
There is no mandatory entry. Complete as many entries as you wish.
The more entries you submit, the better odds you have of winning!
Would you like to win a LIFETIME SUPPLY of cloth diapers?!
The Go Green ♥ Give Charity Cloth Diaper Giveaway Event sponsored by Booty Buns Cloth Diapers starts this Saturday, March 24th!
Over 175 blogs are coming together to present this fantastic fluffy giveaway hosted by Daily Mothering. Mark your calendar because you don't want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win an entire stash of one-size cloth diapers!
ONE WINNER will receive a gigantic cloth diaper prize pack valued at $546! And, the winner will get to select their choice of diaper colors!
Today I'm a featured guest blogger over at Me Oh My Desserts talking about my experience with cloth diapering. Go check it out and let me know what you think!
1. It's better for the environment. When I started cloth diapering it was all about the impact on the environment. It made me physically sick to think about the amount of diapers we were throwing away using disposables and how long they would sit in the landfills.
2. It's better for baby's skin. This wasn't so much an issue for Jacob. He can tolerate anything on his buns, including the awful Pampers Baby Dry that gives most babies rashes. Jordan, on the other hand, is almost guaranteed to have his buns bleed if he's been in a disposable diaper that day. And they are most certainly red if nothing else. Poor kid has very sensitive skin!
3. It saves money. Yes, it's expensive to start out with cloth diapering, but it saves SO much money in the long run. $20 for one diaper? Yeah, but I can reuse that diaper. Versus the $40 we were spending a week that we're never getting back!
4. They are customizable. Disposables are what you get. With cloth, you can add extra inserts for more absorbency at night. You can change the kind of inserts for more or less absorbency, bulk, etc. You can use different styles for different times of day or different activities. I can even take the inserts out of my diapers and use the shells as swim diapers. There are so many options!!
5. They are adorable! Would you believe that when I was first wanting to cloth diaper, I said to Matt "I'll probably order all white diapers" Now I'm all about fun colors and prints. There are so many adorable diapers out there that it's become quite addicting. I have my eye on a few new ones!
6. They are SO easy! Disposable diapers are, of course, about as easy as it gets. But cloth diapers are really just as easy. It was overwhelming when I was considering switching to cloth diapers. But I am SO glad I had the resources I did (Thanks Jen!) and overcame that. It is so easy to wash and care for my diapers.
Okay, so I can only think of 6 solid reasons why I cloth diaper instead of 10. Either way, I am so thankful that I made the switch. I love using cloth so much! And it was definitely a stepping stone into "greening" up our lives in other ways.
Here's a picture of part of my diaper stash. They looked so pretty when I was folding them on laundry day (this was a double load!) that I couldn't resist a picture. What are your favorite diapers?
If I'm being honest, I want to try every single diaper ever made. I'm totally addicted to cloth diapering! Here's my top ten list, in alphabetical order.
1. Bum Essentials Bumbino One Size Diaper: I have heard good things about these and I love the bright colors they come in.
2. Bumgenius Elementals: My Bumgenius diapers are some of my favorite diapers. I love the elementals because they are organic and they are all in one.
3. Charlie Banana: Even though these are essentially identical to my Fuzzibunz, I have wanted to try them since I first heard of them. I am totally in love with all the fun bright colors they come in.
4. Diapeze: You can make these diapers totally customizable, including custom prints on the PUL. How fun is that? I'm thinking of having a GVSU and MSU diaper made
how cute is this one???
5. Envibum: Another diaper I've wanted to try since I first heard of it. This is a one size diaper without bulky snaps. It also has hidden PUL so they diaper itself is completely soft. And the company donates money to charity based on the color of diaper purchased.
The purchase of this diaper, for example, donates $2 to Food for the Hungry
6. Itty Bitty Bums: This is another customizable diaper that is offered in lots of fun prints. She has lots of oogas to choose from and I am totally obsessed with ooga print!
one of my favorites!
7. Kawaii Baby Goodnight Heavy Wetter: I love my bamboo Kawaii and am always in need of an overnighter.
(plus they are cute!!)
8. Softbums Omni: I have heard great things about this diaper but it wasn't until I heard about its unique hidden size adjustment that I was hooked. This diaper adjusts on a drawstring-like system allowing a fully customizable fit. It also makes it super easy to adjust a one-size diaper between two babies. It can also be used in three different ways: an all in two, a pocket, or a cover.
9. Rumparooz One Size: This is another diaper I have heard really good things about. I love that it comes in bright colors and fun prints. Here are two of my favorites.
10. Thirsties Duo Diaper: I have yet to meet a Thirsties diaper that I'm not in love with, so it only makes sense to also try a duo diaper. They make the softest diapers ever!
I think this print is really cute
So there you have it. I've been on a diaper-buying kick lately so I'm not going to be allowed to try any of these any time soon. But maybe some day I'll try all the diapers from my list and post reviews :-)
I entered a cloth diaper photo contest. You were supposed to enter a picture of your baby wearing your favorite cloth diaper. Since my favorite cloth diaper changes frequently, I entered the picture of both the boys wearing a FuzziBunz One Size diaper in their matching J t-shirts.
I am wondering if everyone can do me a favor and go vote for my boys! I will win a new cloth diaper if my picture gets the most votes. They are giving out 3 prizes so I am hoping to be in the top 3 :-) Here's how to vote.
Yesterday Jordan turned three months old. He weighs 13 lbs 3 oz and is 24 inches long. His head circumference is 40cm. These measurements were taken at home so they may not be 100% accurate, especially his weight. He still has blue eyes and red hair. He is getting a little more hair but he is also getting a little bald spot on the back of his head from sleeping on his back. He still has a little bit of fuzz on his ears. He is wearing mostly 0-3 month clothes, with some newborn still and some 3 month or 3-6 month.
Jordan sleeps ten hours most nights. He usually goes down between 10-10.30pm and he usually gets up between 8-8.30am. He sleeps swaddled in the bassinet in our bedroom with the NICU frog on his chest. Although the frog usually slides off during the night. When Jordan wakes up, he lays calmly in his bassinet cooing to himself until someone comes to get him. Rarely does he cry when he wakes up. Once he sees us come over to him, he gets the biggest smile on his face. It's a great way to start the morning.
Jordan is still 100% breastfed. He's also been taking bottles of pumped breastmilk since I went back to work. He does well taking these. He still goes through phases where he is a terrible nurser but he's getting better. He usually goes 4-6 hours between feedings but will occasionally nurse after 2 hours. He still never spits up (polar opposite of how Jacob was) but he has started bubbling and drooling.
He coos a lot and smiles a lot. He squeals in excitement. He smiles on command. If I say "Can you smile?" or "Do you have smiles for Mama" he will smile. So cute! Weird. But cute. He makes laughing sounding coos but no giggles that I would consider to be real laughing yet.
Jordan usually enjoys tummy time. His favorite thing, though, is to snuggle. He likes to be held constantly. He is getting better about being put down without crying. He spends some time in his swing or his bouncer or his tummy time mat. He also likes sitting in his bebepod for a few minutes. He's getting really good at holding his head up. He can sit supported.
Now that Jordan is getting bigger and can fit into more of his diapers, he wears cloth almost 100% of the time now. This makes me very happy. We still put an occasional paper diaper on him though. Now I am trying to get back in the habit of using cloth wipes instead of disposable wipes. They are much nicer on his bum.
This past month we celebrated Jordan's first Christmas. Between our families, we had 5 Christmas celebrations. Jordan did really well with everything. Of course, he has no idea what is going on yet. Santa brought Jordan a tummy time mat, an inflatable penguin (both of which Jacob had lol), a Lil Shoppers fill and spill toy, a crawl along snail toy, new pacifiers and new bottle nipples. None of the toys he can really use yet but he enjoys laying on his mat and looking at his snail. The rest he'll enjoy in another few months.
Well I will leave with some pictures from the last month.
