Sunday, May 8, 2011

Mom Products I Found Through Cloth Diapering

When we started cloth diapering my oldest daughter, I was hooked right away. I loved the decline in trash, the cuteness of her bottom, everything! When I started looking at the sites we were buying from, I saw there were other great reusable products for the whole family. More reading on cloth diapering blogs and diapering forums introduced me to lots of great ideas. Cloth diapers set off a chain reaction that will last long after my younger daughter is out of diapers. Here are some products I found through cloth diapering and love!

Reusable nursing pads: The first time around, I used those disposable pads. They were itchy, uncomfortable and expensive. By the time my younger daughter came, I had a supply of reusable nursing pads. Made of organic cotton, bamboo or microfleece, these pads were far superior, more comfortable and easier to hide under clothing.


Cloth menstrual pads: I am SO glad that cloth diapering led me to learn about cloth menstrual pads! They have made each month a more enjoyable experience, and I have none of the previous irritation I used to suffer. Just like a cute diaper makes changing more fun, pretty cloth pads help during an otherwise 'blah' time.



Dryer balls: We have about 6 dryer balls in our dryer at any one time. They help to make the laundry softer without chemicals, residue and scents. They are great for cloth diapers and make our towels a lot softer.

Reusable snack and lunch bags: As my daughters start to go to preschool, I've found that I need to have easily portable snacks ready to go. Resuable snack bags are easy to open, help keep food fresh and are fun to use. I love the fact that whether my husband needs to wrap his sandwich or my daughter wants raisins in her lunch box, I don't have to worry about running out of plastic bags.

What are some products you'll reach for after diapering is over?

~Michelle
Snooty Booty Diapers
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Cloth Diapers Made Simple

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Sweet Pea One Size Diaper

Hi I am Sharni, I own the Nappy Shoppe in Allen Texas. If you are local to the North Texas area, please be sure to stop by to say hi, if not, stop by our Facebook Page and say hi :)

I stock quite a few brands of pocket diapers, and sometimes you have to wonder what makes one pocket diaper stand out from the rest. What feature makes the Sweet Pea pocket diaper worth stocking when I have others? This diaper has become commonly reached for diaper at night for us, and I do own more than one (which says something about a diaper when I bother to buy a second after I product test with the first and Braden has enough diapers to diaper triplets for a week without washing).

The Sweet Pea Pocket Diaper is a one size diaper. While I have not actually tested it on a newborn, or not necessarily recommend it on a newborn, babies are not that tiny for long, so even if it doesn't fit on that first diaper change, or even for the first couple of weeks, this pocket is an incredible value for money. If you are looking for a pocket to last through to potty training then this one will fit the bill for most babies. Braden at 35 pounds still has room to grow in it.

This pocket closes with snaps, and while my husband is not a fan of snaps, he has managed to put this one on Braden with success. Snaps are far more durable than hook and loop and will not need replacing. There is two rows of closing snap. I really like the way this diaper fits. Even when stuffed with two G-Flappers for night time, it is still trim looking. It has a good rise on it and a decent size pocket which allows for it to be stuffed for night time. Stuffed for day time use, it is a trim diaper.

So what makes this unique? Well it has a feature that I like about the Thirsties DUO Pocket diaper, and that is the fact that has openings at each end for the stuffers, and inserts will work their way out in the wash, so you do not need to unstuff this pocket before washing. While I love the Thirsties DUO Pocket Diaper for night time, it is only available with hook and loop closures, so when someone tells me they love the idea of the Thirsties DUO Pocket, but do not want hook and loop, I point them in the direction of the Sweet Pea Pocket. The other advantage this diaper has over the Thirsties DUO is that it is one size, not split into two diaper sizes. So this diaper will go all the way through from birth to training. I have however tested Size 1 Thirsties DUO Pockets on newborns and I know they do work from around 6 pounds. This diaper does say it will fit from 8 pounds though, which covers a lot of newborns. It has 4 size settings, which is more than some other brands.

What else do I like? This diaper comes in a colour not commonly seen in other brands. Yes it has the standard blues and greens, but it also had BLACK! While black on babies is not for everyone, for those who like it, this is one of the few brands that offers it.

The other thing that makes this diaper great value for money is the inserts. While most pockets at this price point of $18.95 offer two inserts, in general they are just microfiber. This diaper comes with a microfiber insert and a hemp insert. These two fabrics work great together, and for many babies these inserts would be sufficient for lasting the night. For those that need more, just add an all bamboo G-Flapper and you will find that will do most heavy wetters.

So when looking for a one size pocket, be sure to consider the Sweet Pea One Size Pocket. With its snap closures, no touch insert removal, and hemp and microfiber inserts, its great value for money.

Monday, May 2, 2011

My First Friend

Little Joe
Every baby needs a friend, The Friendly Pacifier™ is the new “must-have” in pacifiers. This patent pending concept combines a soothing pacifier with a plush toy to maximize security and comfort for baby helping her calmly discover the world around her.





Little Kate
Having one of the cutest little animal faces combined with the silky softness of fleece and satin is just what any baby would want.  The great attributes of this new plush toy are:
Calms a fussy baby for longer periods of time and promotes self-soothing.  
Offers a temporary distraction while boosting a baby’s motor skills. 
No longer have to search, dig or reach for dropped pacifiers.
These are a must have for you and your little one and a perfect gift for that upcoming baby shower.Our little friends Kate, Jack, Joe, Lex, Louie and Annie are just waiting to come play with you.
We are offering 10% off these great First Friends no need for codes, just click and save.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Aubrey's Undies #3 - Imse Vimse Trainers and Aristocrats Wool Soakers


Aubrey is now 3 and has been day trained for some time, but with her kidney problems having an easy to use night time solution was hard to find.  It was important that we use something that would breathe well, but still help keep her sheets and bed dry at night.  Most important for her was that she was able to use it by herself!  So when she needed to get to the bathroom quickly she could easily pull them down and make it on time.

Aubrey will tell you that she loves her big girl undies!  She loves the fun designs and that they pull on just like her big sisters undies do.  I love how trim they are, fitting easily under her clothes.  ImseVimse Training Pants are functional and stylish and are made with organic cotton.


What are they made of?
Organic cotton knit outside with two layers of absorbent organic cotton terry on the inside, and one inner layer of PUL. ImseVimse training pants absorb just enough to protect clothes from getting wet when small accidents happen.

Although they are recommended for day-time use only, we add an aristocrats wool cover for the perfect nap time and overnight combo.


Aristocrats pure wool pull on diaper cover is made of stretchy, double layered knit wool.  Designed for extra absorbency and protection.

Why wool?
Wool is breathable, helping to maintain normal body temperature.  Wool can actually absorb a third of its weight in liquid before it feels wet.   

It's that time again!  Moms and Bums will once again be sponsoring the upcoming Mom to Mom Charity Sale being held on Mother's Day Weekend, Saturday May 7th from 9am to 1pm at Judith Nyman Secondary School (formerly North Peel).  Come on out and support Peel Children's Safety Village!



Sunday, April 17, 2011

Sustainablebabyish Knit Underwoolies REVIEW and GIVEAWAY (closed)!

Hello! Noreen from Merrimack Valley Diapers here. I have a confession to make...

I am addicted to wool!


Now, I don't own any wool for myself to wear... all of the wool that I own is for my son, Wesley, who recently turned two years old. As a cloth-diapered baby, he has had the great luck to have a godmother who can knit custom longies and soakers like nobody's business! We have a pretty good selection of hand-knit wool, as well as some fabulous interlock wool soakers that I have bought from my favorite WAHM on Etsy.com.

But, up until now, we didn't have any wool that was trim enough to fit under my son's regular pants. So I was very excited when Sustainablebabyish | Sloomb introduce their newest item - Knit Underwoolies!

These little underpants are just the perfect cover to a prefold diaper with a snappi (my husband's favorite diaper!) or a fitted diaper (like the Sbish snapless-multi, my favorite fitted!).

From the manufacturer:
sustainablebabyish knit underwoolies are made from öko-tex certified wool yarns and are double-layer knit in the wetzone, making them trim, breathable, soft, and comfortable–perfect for cloth diapered children from newborns to toddlers.

They come in two sizes (size 1 for 0-12 months, and size 2 for 12 months+) and currently only come in natural wool, but I am thinking seriously about getting another pair and hand-dying them. (I'll probably let Wesley decide what color he wants his new underwoolies to be!) Hmmm... now that I think about it, I like this cover so much that maybe I'll get two more! In the meantime, you can win your own pair of underwoolies...

______________
The GIVEAWAY! (closed)

Merrimack Valley Diapers is giving away one pair of Sustainablebabyish Knit Underwoolies! You choose the size (size 1 or size 2). Giveaway ends Sunday April 24, 2011.

To enter:
(Mandatory Entry) Visit the Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative 'Locate A Retailer' page and find the cloth diaper retailer closest to you. Visit their website, and leave a comment below with BOTH the name of the store AND whether or not you have ever ordered from them before. (If you do not complete this entry, all other entries will be void.)

Follow @MVDiapers on twitter and tweet this giveaway. Please tweet, "Win a pair of Sbish Knit Underwoolies from @MVDiapers! http://bit.ly/i2WKmc #clothdiapers http://bit.ly/cdrcoop". Leave a comment below with a link to your status.

You can tweet once each day for the length of the giveaway. Leave a comment below with your status for each daily tweet.

Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect. Leave a comment below.

Become a fan of Merrimack Valley Diapers on facebook. Leave a comment below.

Become a fan of Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative on facebook. Leave a comment below.

Noreen
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Helpful hints and other fun stuff on our blog: http://merrimackvalleydiapers.com/blog

Friday, April 15, 2011

A few fun new products...







I've had a chance to try out a few new products lately here at The Green Baby Store. And to my surprise I really liked all of them! Here are a couple of my new favorite products:



The Charlie Banana Traning Pants. These are fantastic! They are super trim, and fit only slightly thicker than regular undies. They are organic cotton with a hidden PUL layer, so they are waterproof, comfortable, absorbant and oh so trim. I tried them on both my 35 pound 3 1/2 year old daughter (the second picture)--who is already potty trained but agreed to be a model for them--and on my 26 pound, 17 month old son (this first picture). They fit both kids well with a little bit more room to grow. I would put the weight range on these at 20-40 pounds; however, as with most diapering products fit can vary based on baby's shape as well. I only washed the training pants once before trying them out on my son and they worked great. He wore them for about two hours like a diaper under pants, and they held everything in. His clothing stayed dry and his skin felt dry to the touch after removing the wet trainer. He has worn them a little more after additional washes and they have become more absorbant and haven't leaked at all for us. We love this new trainer for daytime use on all toddlers, but it may not be aborbant enough to heavy wetters to wear to bed. The only other downfall is that the leg elastics are a little on the small side, so if your child is at the top of the weight range and has thicker thighs the trainers may be too tight around the thighs for him or her.

Another new product we have from Charlie Banana are the swim diapers. Just like the trainers they are super trim and fit great under bathing suits. But they are cute enough to wear without a suit too! They come in small, medium and large and each suit has a drawstring waistband (hidden inside the diaper) to make sure you get the perfect fit everytime.


The inside of the swim diaper is lined with a light weight cotton fabric making it more comfortable for baby then an unlined PUL diaper. What makes this swim diaper even more exciting is it has a small sewn in soaker. Just enough to protect your lap during those preswimming moments when baby is changed and ready to go but hasn't gotten wet yet. The absorbant strip helps keep accidents contained to the diaper and not dripping down their legs onto the pool deck or your lap. The absorbant strip is thin enough that it won't weigh down the diaper when wet. I can't wait for our weather to warm up so we can try these out in the pool, the bathtub trial wasn't nearly as fun.



And finally we are exciting to be carrying the itti bitti tutto one-size diaper. These are true luxury diapers for your little one. The itti bittis are super soft, squishy, luxurious diapers. They come with a set of three different organic soaker pads that you can snap in to customize absorbancy for your little one. The two larger pads are both topped with a stay-dry layer to keep wetness off of baby's skin, something rare in organic inserts. The diaper has a waterproof outer topped with wonderfully soft minky fabric. And the minky stays soft wash after wash. The diaper can used as an all-in-one with snap in soaker that does not need to be removed for washing, or as a hybrid system. You can purchase editional soaker pad sets and reuse the shell a few times, or you can match the shell with any brand of disposible inserts. This diaper will make you want to cuddle your baby in your lap all day long.




We are celebrating Earth Day all month long with a different sale each week. See our homepage and facebook pages for more details. And don't forget to order the special edition Charlie Banana and Fuzzibunz one-size diapers to show your support of our great planet.




A chance to save: Enter to win a 50% off coupon code on one product from our store (some exclusions apply). Like our facebook page and the Cloth Diaper Retailers Cooperative facebook page and then post below what product you'd love to try at 50%!



Thanks for reading!

Melissa, Owner of The Green Baby Store

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

To Spray Or Not To Spray.. That Is The Question!

Are your cloth wipes getting the most bang for their buck? Perhaps you are a bit intimidated by the little cloth wonders or don't know what to use with them. Let me be the first to recommend trying some spray solution with your wipes. There are some great benefits to using cloth wipes and a spray solution as well.

If you are already a cloth diaper user, you already have a system in place to store dirty diapers and launder them. Usually you have a wet bag for travel and a dry pail or hanging pail at home. When you use cloth wipes you can save a large amount of money over time since you do not have to keep buying disposable wipes. Also, since you already have your cloth diapering system in place all you have to do is put the dirty wipes in your pail and launder them with your diapers.

Some people prefer to use just plain water or essential oils with water as their wipe solution. I truly love using a spray solution with my cloth wipes. First, it travels well. Stick it in the diaper bag and you're good to go! Second, it's easy! It's right there on the changing table ready for use. I just spritz it on baby, wipe, and then throw the cloth wipes in with my cloth diapers to be washed. Very easy and extremely affordable! No more trips to the grocery to pick up more wipes!
























Happy Heinys makes a nice organic wipe solution. The solution is derived from plants and is completely safe for baby's skin. Available in 8 oz amounts for your changing table and 4 oz for your diaper bag!



























Thirsties also has a 4 oz and 8 oz wipe solution called Thirsties Booty Luster. This solution is non-irritating and 100% biodegradable. The luster is blended by hand in small batches and cleans, moisturizes, and helps protect against diaper rash.



**Giveaway closed ** Want to win some Booty Luster? Here are a few ways to enter. You may leave a comment for each item that you complete.



*Like Tender Loving Cloth Diapers on Facebook

*Like Cloth Diaper Retailer Cooperative on Facebook

*Follow This Blog






The contest will end 4/24/11 and the item will be shipped free to the winner!



Amanda

Owner

 

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