12 Days of Clothmas Rules and Tips

We are so excited to be bringing to you our first major holiday event:

12 Days of Clothmas

This event will be taking place for the next 12 days (December 1-12). Each day a new post will go up on the blog offering a new great giveaway. We have around $500 worth of great items, all cloth diaper related to give thanks to some amazing sponsors.

As a kick off to this event I would like to share some things to keep this event as happy as possible. Please be sure to read through the following items to make sure your entries will be counted!

1. In order for any of your comments/entries to count you MUST be a PUBLIC follower of our blog. If you are not a follower we will remove all of your other comments/entries before selecting a winner.
2. We strive to provide our readers with a great quality blog about cloth diapering and other great parenting products. As stated above you must be a follower to enter to win any of the giveaway. We would love for you to continue following us after this event is over.
3.Please include your email address in every comment you post. This will make it much easier for us to contact you, rather than us having to go on a wild goose chase looking through your blogs profile to find one. If you don't have an email address posted your comment/entry will not count as an entry.
4. We have some amazing sponsors who have donated some amazing prizes. Please show your kindness to them and thank them on their pages! They have put their own time and money into these items and do not have to give anything but are because they rock!
5. Please be honest with us. If you say you like a certain page on facebook make sure you actually do. If you are chosen as the winner for one of the days all your entries will be checked. If any of them are not true you will not be allowed to win and we will pick a new winner.
6. We would love to see a picture on our facebook page of the items you win when you receive them. A lot of these items are custom made for you so we do not know what you are getting and would love to see!
7. All the items that are being given away are being sent directly from the sponsors except for the Snappi's. The sponsors are responsible for getting the items to you in a timely manner. For custom items it might take a little longer to get them to you. If you do not recieve your items by the end of December please email be back and I will get in contact with your sponsor to see what is going on. Hopefully this will not happen!
8. Please make sure the items you are entering to win are able to ship to your country!
9. If you found our secret code don't forget to use it. You may only use it once per giveaway. You will have also had to follow the guidelines posted below the code in order for it to count. If you see other people posting it and do it to when you haven't actually found the code then ALL your entries will be removed for that giveaway.

NO CHEATING PLEASE!

I hope you all have a great time checking out these new companies and businesses. They have all been great to work with and I can not wait to see all the great items you pick out! Thank you all for following Cloth Diaper Addiction! As a little present to you I will let you all in on a little heads up for the giveaways. Below you will find a list of all the different sites you will need to like or follow for entries. There will be more than these on the actual post but if you do these now you don't have to worry about it later!

Cloth Diaper Addiction
-Be a public Follower of our blog
-Like Cloth Diaper Addiction on Facebook
-Follow Cloth Diaper Addiction on Twitter

Green Belle Designs
-Like Green Belle Designs on Facebook

Winkydinks
-Like Winkydinks on Facebook

G-Diapers
-Like G-Diapers on Facebook
-Follow G-Diapers on twitter

IttyBittyBums
-Like IttyBittyBums on Facebook

Go Green Pocket Diapers
-Like Go Green Pocket Diapers on Facebook
-Follow Go Green Pocket Diapers on Twitter

BooBearBuns (slings&sacks)

Charlies Soap
-Like Charlies Soap on Facebook

Zookies
-Like Zookies on Facebook

Stinky Moose
-Like Stinky Moose on Facebook

Robyn's Sweet Cheeks
-Like Robyn's Sweet Cheeks on Facebook

Bloom Boutique
-Like Bloom Boutique on Facebook

Ecobuns
-Like Ecobuns on Facebook

Little Muffin Bottoms
-Like Little Muffin Bottoms on Facebook
-Follow Little Muffin Bottoms on Twitter

Baby Legs
-Like Baby Legs on Facebook
-Follow BabyLegs on Twitter

Forward Thinking
-Like Forward Thinking on Facebook

Grandma Els'
-Like Grandma El's on Facebook

Leena Loves Crafts
-Like Leena Loves Crafts on Facebook

Planet Wise
-Like Planet Wise on Facebook
-Follow Planet Wise on Twitter

Northern Mom
-Like Northern Mom on Facebook

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

We would like to wish everyone and happy and safe thanksgiving! We are thankful for everyone of you and appreciate you all for following us on our blog, facebook and twitter!

Yesterday I listed off all our sponsors and what they are giving for each of the twelve days of clothmas over on our facebook page! Check them out if you haven't already!

Enjoy this beginning of a great Holiday season!

And be smart and safe tomorrow while hitting up the black friday sales, also if you reach 1000 likers on facebook by tomorrow afternoon we will have some flash giveaways!

What I Am Thankful For

Pictures do a pretty accurate job of describing what I'm thankful for most:

My husband. This picture goes way back...pre-kids, pre-engagement even. He encourages me to be a better mom, wife and person. His infectious smile lights up a room. He puts up with my cloth diaper/babywearing/birth loving addictions and encourages me in the pursuit to share these passions with other parents.

My oldest son, Keaton. This sweet boy made me a mama and, as an adventuresome 3.5 year old, has increased my patience in ways never imagined! He has his daddy's creativity, imagination and smile. He loves his little brothers more than anyone would believe! He's a rule follower to a "T" and has my quirky organizational tendencies.

Benjamin is the epitome of what they call a "mama's boy" and I wouldn't trade it for one second. If you look up "Boy" in the dictionary, his picture would be there! He is my rough and tumble, rock collecting, yet free spirited child.

My sweet boy, Caedmon. He, like my other boys, stole my heart within seconds. He too, has his daddy's smile (you know, if Zach had no teeth, ha!) He loves people and will be quite the charmer with his dimpled cheeks. He has my stubbornness, proven from inside the womb, and I'm certain he'll find ways to use that to his advantage to do great things! For now, he's my snuggle buddy and side kick.

Other things I am thankful for:

Our family - we are "far" away, but not too far. Far enough that we don't see each other often enough, but when we do, the times are sweet.
Our church family - they have been such blessings to us on countless occasions, and been a true family to us as we adjusted to life away from ours.
For the roof over our heads, food in the fridge, clothes on our bodies and cars in the driveway - the many things we take for granted every single day.
And above all, I am so thankful for a sweet Savior.

Thankfulness!!

It is the week of Thanksgiving again already and there is so many things that I could say that I am thankful for! Most of all I am thankful for my Husband who works his butt off for me to be able to say home with our 4 small children. We have been married for almost 8 years and have 4 beautiful children Xavier who is 5, Alydiah and Elijah (twins) who are 3 and Kaiden who is 20 months old! I am so thankful that God put these wonderful little blessings in my life. I am also thankful for God and the relationship that I am able to have with him freely in my country! I have wonderful family that helps me out greatly and helps me anytime that I need it!



We recently had to move away from our apartment and I am so thankful for my mom and dad who gave us their basement to live in for a while so that we were not out on the streets. Thank you mom and dad!

As Kristina mentioned we have a wonderful blog that she has started and I am able to contribute my thoughts on too! Cloth Diaper Addiction has been a huge success and we thank all of our faithful readers each day! Wonderful to be able to help others and show others the routine of cloth diapering! Also I too would like to thank Kellie over at Ecobuns for getting me back into cloth diapering the right way. If it was not for her class I would not be doing cloth. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!!

My family and I hope that everyone has an awesome Thanksgiving weekend! My kids are thankful for mommy and daddy and Xavier says "going to get a Christmas tree so we can get presents and celebrate Jesus" So awesome to hear a 5 year old say that just had to include it!!


HAPPY THANKSGIVING :)

Thankfulness

With thanksgiving just a few days away everyone starts thinking about what they are thankful for (although we really should be doing this all year round). I know there are so many things in my life that I am thankful for. I have my wonderful husband who I've been married to for 4 1/2 years. I have my two amazing boys Elijah (2) and Ezekiel (6 months) who never stop to amaze me. There is nothing better then seeing smiles on their faces or hearing them say I love you. It really makes you realize how special they are and I don't know what I would do with out them. I have an amazing, big family who help each other out and are supportive and loving no matter what happens in life. I am thankful for my church and the relationships and friendships that I have with other believers of Jesus Christ who are uplifting and encouraging. There are so many things to be thankful for, like the roof over my head, the food on my table, my wonderful husband who works which allows me to be a stay at home mom to our children.A rare photo. I don't typically like to post personal photos of my family but here is one from Halloween of all of us.

I am also thankful for the opportunities this blog has brought me. I have met some amazing moms who also love providing their children with the best that they can give. I am thankful for Kellie at Ecobuns who taught me a lot of what I know about Cloth Diapers. I am thankful for all the sponsors who are willing to work with Cloth Diaper Addiction, providing opportunities to review their items and give some away to our amazing followers, which I am also thankful for. In a matter or just 5 months this blog has gone from 0 to 465! Our facebook page has gone from 0 to almost 1000! I wouldn't be able to do this blog without all my followers!

As we approach this Holiday season and start thinking more about what we are thankful in life I challenge you to visit the blogs and facebook pages that you love and Thank them for all the hard work they do. I might not seem like it but keeping up a blog is a lot of work as well as running a business.

Inspired by Finn - Review

I was so excited to have the chance to try out a Baltic Amber necklace from Inspired by Finn. Many friends of mine have raved about how much these necklaces have helped relieve their children's teething pains, and since my 2 year old is dealing with those wonderful 2-year-molars, this could not have come at a more appropriate time!

The necklace I chose, the Honey Round, came with minimal packaging (which is a big deal to me). It was simply laid in a tiny box - beautiful! (And my little guys have used that box to harbor treasures to their hearts content!) It also came with a few sheets of information on the necklace and a small flyer to join their Facebook page for special offers - all great information to have.

I immediately called over my 2 year old, Benjamin and showed him the necklace and explained that it was going to help his mouth feel so much better. He looked at me like I was a crazy lady, but allowed me to put the necklace on him. About 3 seconds later, he was screaming that he wanted it off and that he didn't like it. I immediately removed it, and in hopes of getting him to see that it was OK, put it on myself. He was very much uninterested, so I didn't push the issue.

(Benjamin whining about wearing the necklace, ha!)

However, getting into bed that night, I took the necklace off and I remembered how bad my headache was earlier in the day (I remembered my first thought when Benjamin started screaming was, "My head!!"). Here it was, 8 hours later, and my headache was gone. I thought maybe the necklace had something to do with it, but brushed the thought aside.

The next day was a repeat of this incident - he just did not want anything to do with the necklace! Keaton, my 3.5 year old, was very curious about the necklace, so I let him wear it around in hopes that his interest would spark Benjamin's curiosity (but all Benjamin did was scream that Keaton got to wear it - of course). Later, Keaton decided he was done, so I put it on myself, telling Benjamin that it was OK and how it might have helped mommy's headache.

(Keaton showing the proper way to wear Baltic Amber)

The third day, Wednesday, I woke up, fairly certain that I had strep throat. I chose to keep the necklace for myself and see if it would help. Knowing that I wasn't ready to rely on the necklace alone to help me (and not knowing if it was even intended for helping with colds), I started a regimen of garlic cloves and tea to help my throat (I was already on an antibiotic for a recurring bout of mastitis and my midwife suggested to continue that along with my garlic and tea. When I asked her about the Baltic Amber, she said that it "definitely couldn't hurt", but she really had no idea if it would help. Now, I don't know if it was one of my tricks I was already trying, but by Friday morning, my sore throat was completely better (though I still had a cough and a touch of congestion). Was the necklace to help? I can't say for certain one way or another, but I'm all for something non-invasive (and gorgeous!) that could help (not certain that I would rely fully on it for something like strep, but, as an addition to other measures, definitely).

I know. I know. You're wondering, "Did you ever get the necklace on your toddler? Does it help with teething?" I can answer with great enthusiasm, "Yes I did! And I really do believe so!" Finally, that weekend, I was able to convince Benjamin that the necklace was not hurting him and that it was "cool" to wear - he went for that! There was an afternoon that he was fussy and drooling everywhere. I knew this was my chance and I had to take it. Within the hour, his demeanor had completely changed. Leading up to his wearing the necklace, he kept asking for teething tablets (of which we were out of, of course), after starting to wear the necklace, he did not ask for them again while he was wearing it. It is recommended on Inspired by Finn's website for the child to not wear the necklace around their neck while sleeping, but to place it on their ankle, covered with a sock (as you can imagine, Benjamin wanted nothing to do with that, so we just discontinued used altogether at nap and bedtimes).

The necklace did not relieve and drooling associated with teething (I saw no claims to this on their website, but I was curious if it would or not!) but his pain did seem to diminish (and the attitude change was worth the necklaces' weight in gold!)

We continued for about 2 weeks (and we are continuing) to use this for teething issues and I really have noticed a difference in him. After a couple of days, I would notice him begin to chew on fingers and toys, and within a few minutes, he'd ask for the "Ne-las" (necklace).

To answer the main questions we keep asking - HOW does it work? From the paper included with the necklace, it says: "When Baltic Amber is worn on the skin, the skin's warmth releases trace amounts of healing oil from the amber. To receive a therapeutic benefit, Baltic Amber cannot be in a metal setting - the amber must come in direct contact with the skin." The amber also needs to be worn as much as possible.

Another note of interest includes that the lightest color of amber is best, as that color generally possesses "the greatest amount of succinic acid (which is a natural component of plant and animal tissues, and its presence in the human body is beneficial in many ways) and thus the greatest therapeutic benefit."

If you would like to buy a Baltic Amber necklace for yourself, head it Inspired by Finn's Facebook page to learn how to save 20% off ANY purchase.

Disclaimer: I was given a 17"-18" Honey Round necklace to review. I was not paid for this review and the opinions are my own. You may have a different experience.

Bootyful Baby Boutique Review

I love to support WAHM diapers. When I heard about Bootyful Baby diapers I decided to check them out and found out that they were local to me! This got me even more excited so I contacted Ashely, the owner of Bootyful Baby Boutique and was able to review 2 of her great diapers! I chose to review the Side snapping AI2 Diaper. I was slightly hesitant when I received these because I really didn't know about the whole side snapping aspect of it. I had seen pictures of kids wearing the side snapping diapers and I just really wasn't a fan. I thought they looked kind of funny to be honest! So Here is the diaper:

This AI2 diaper has an insert that snaps in at the back of the diaper with two snaps. I like this because it helps keep the insert straight in the diaper.
Here is a shot of the liners. The back of this diaper is made with an organic hemp and is nice and soft, even after washing. I don't think I have used it enough yet to see if it will eventually get stiff like some other hemp inserts. But I have used it quite a bit and have not had an issue with it getting stiff. The top is lined with a nice fleece to wick the moisture away and that is super soft!
I love the different color combination that you can get with these diapers. I got a brown diaper with a nice blue snap and I got a nice blue diaper with cream colored snaps. I also love that on the front of this diaper there is elastic across the stomach. This helps keep the front of the diaper down instead of puckering out while on the baby.
The back of the diaper also has elastic across the top of the diaper. There are plenty of snaps to choose from to get the right sizing on your child. My youngest wore this diaper on the second from the inside set of snaps so there is plenty of room for stomach growth in these diapers. You can also use the lower row of snaps to make the legs tighter or looser if needed on your baby.
The inside of the diaper is lined with fleece. As you can see in this picture, with the insert snapped in that there isn't any extra bulk.

Bootyfull Baby Diapers are prefect size. I had the small for my little guy and the medium-long for my 2 year old. I have to say that I absolutley LOVE the fact that you can get this diaper in a LONG! How great is that. Here is the sizing chart.

Here is a picture of the side snaps. I was really happy with the fit on these diapers. It took me a minute to figure out the snaps and get the right setting for my boys. Once I had it the front of the diaper laid nice and flat across their tummies.

Here is the medium-long diaper on my 2 year old. As you can see in the picture on the right that not only is my child super skinny but that this diaper is really really trim. I love how it fits under his jeans. I also love that it goes higher up in the front with the rise. It also has a higher cut on the legs which I like because I have found that when the leg has a lower cut by little guys legs will get dry skin and are more likely to have red marks. But with this diaper I haven't had those problems.
Here is the diaper on my infant. The fit was pretty good but he did grow out of this about a month after we got it. He was close to the top of the weight on it and has chubby thighs so he out grew it...I was sad. But he now fits into the medium-long diaper that we have!

We were having fun playing when I was taking diaper pictures so I thought I would show the diaper in action. My two boys on the left, the middle is of Z trying to do the worm (or just wiggling around) and the last is of my E-man who has a very hard time standing still and likes to wear his cowboy hat.My Experience with these diapers:
-Over all I was pretty happy with these AI2 diapers. I wasn't sure about the fact that they were side snapping but I actually didn't mind them and I know that I am going to be more willing to try other side snapping diapers in the future.
-Once Z got to the point of being almost to big for the size small he did start leaking out of it. He also starting leaking out of a lot of his other diapers as well so I think he is going through a pee spurt. You can easily add an extra insert to this diaper if you need to.
-I love how trim these diapers are. The insert is actually pretty think so I thought it would cause the diaper to be big and bulky but its not at all.
-These come in great colors and are nice and soft, they wash up very nice.
- I love that the insert has two snaps to hold it in place. You can remove the insert and put a new one in if the cover isn't soiled.

Would you like to buy a diaper from Bootyful Baby Boutique? Good new! We have the wonderful opportunity to share with you their GRAND OPENING! How awesome is that! There is going to be great sales, and lots of giveaways going on. Head over to their site to check it out.


***I received 2 AI2 diapers to use and review from Bootyful Baby Boutique. These opinions are of my own and your experiences may differ. I was not paid to write this review.***

Coconut Oil & Cloth Diapers

When I had shared my Things I Wish I Had Known Before Cloth Diapering post, I mentioned using coconut oil as a diaper cream. So often I mention this and people inevitably say, "What?!" I confess, I did too! But, after 3 year, we have found this is the best for us as far as diaper creams go.

Coconut oil is simply amazing. I started using it, as most people do, in the kitchen as a healthier oil option (and on occasion, a sweetener in my tea). As I started learning more about the benefits of coconut oil, I wondered if it could be used ON the body, as well as IN the body. Sure enough, there are countless ways people use coconut oil.

Our second son had horrible eczema and everything our pediatrician suggested just made things worse. On a whim, I decided to try some coconut oil - within a day, his eczema had calmed down considerably! We've also used coconut oil on sunburns, a facial moisturizer and as a massage oil.

So here's the big kicker about coconut oil. It is anti-fungal, anti-viral and antibacterial. WOW! Simply put: it's pretty amazing stuff (wait, did I say that already?!) Our second son caught thrush (thankfully, I never did!) - it was all in his mouth and all over his poor bottom. Every time I changed his diaper, I added a swipe of coconut oil (he was only a couple weeks old and I could not find credible information on whether or not it was to directly give him coconut oil, so, I took it myself -which is probably why I never got it). Once I started that regimen, his thrush was virtually gone. (to read more on coconut oil and yeast, visit this site).

When you purchase your coconut oil (more on that in a minute), it will most likely be in its solid state. As it warms, it liquifies (usually around 72-76 degrees Fahrenheit). Whether it is in the liquid or solid state, it is fine to use (no need to put it in the refrigerator either. We leave our kitchen jar by the stove for easy access, and our "diaper jars" right with the diapers). If it is in the solid form, once you scoop some out, it will start to liquefy, and by the time it is on baby's bottom, it will be very oil.

Here are pictures of our diaper jar (in a total solid state) -
And our kitchen jar (starting to liquefy, as I was baking in the kitchen and it was starting to warm up!) -
So, where do you purchase this stuff? Good question! I've yet to see it at your regular grocery store (WalMart, Kroger, etc...). We typically purchase ours as needed (which isn't too often, as a little bit goes a long way!) from a local health food store. But there are many places to purchase online in bulk (my favorite being Tropical Traditions). They even have a whole section with FAQs on coconut oil!

And of course, what everyone here is wondering, yes! Coconut oil is totally safe for cloth diapers. There is no need to use liners, and no need to do any special wash routine when using coconut oil. We use it every night on our toddler before putting his night time diaper on (as being in a diaper for too long really irritates his skin). We notice such a difference when we forget to put it on and when we remember - he notices too, and is pretty much at the point where, if we forget, he asks for it! We used coconut oil on our newborn when he was just days old and the detergent we were using irritated his skin.

So, there you have it. Coconut oil in a...well, nut shell! I know there are cloth diaper friendly diaper creams out there, but this is what works for us and we love it! (Ok, and yes, we love the smell too!

Grovia Magic Stick

There are TONS of butt creams out there and trying to find the right one can be very tricky. I used to use bag balm for everything until I started cloth diapering my youngest son and I was told that you can not use that on the diapers. So again I was searching to find something that would suit my son and his cloth diapers.

I went to our local cloth diaper shop Ecobuns and was looking around and I came across the Grovia magic stick. It was new in her store the day I happened to go there and she was telling me and my sister in law about it. So me being the dare devil picked it up and decided to try it out. She told me that I was the first person to buy it and try it out.

Grovia Magic stick is the best invention out there for a butt rash! I use this product on all of my kids. Alydiah, my 3 year old daughter has had a red blotchy rash all over her butt and the back of her legs and I could not get anything to take care of it. Then I decided that I would use the magic sick on it. Its so easy to use, it is like a huge thing of chap stick. You just click it up and roll it on the area just like you would chapstick on your lips. There is no mess on your fingers to wipe off and baby can not put their legs in it during changing time and get it everywhere. Alydiah's rash after a week of using it only at night is GONE! I wish I could put up pictures but I can not do that because its on her butt! But this product is WONDERFUL and I would recommend it to anyone!

The magic stick is $13.95 online at grovia and as well as many other online retailers. Its all organic and healthy for baby's skin. Also a side note if you go to Grovia's website on November 19, 2010 which is the Friday before black Friday, they are doing a pre black Friday sale. 25% off all grovia products and free shipping and a free grovia shell if you spend $100 or more (they pick the color shell) Great deal! Head over there to check it out!

Dapple Baby Cleaning Products.

How many of us moms like to clean? Yeah I know what you are thinking...Your thinking Im crazy asking you if you LIKE to clean. I guess I should ask who likes to clean with cleaners that are safe for your baby and your family? I think I have a few more yes' with that question. While searching for safe cleaners for baby and family I found a company called Dapple Baby. Here is a little from them:

At Dapple, we know that babies come with their own unique cleaning challenges – whether it’s trying to get rid of the milk, odor, and film you find on baby bottles, or keeping baby’s toys and hands clean without harsh chemicals. Created with input from leading pediatricians and a team of chemists with expertise in green cleaning technology, each one of our products is specially formulated to solve a different baby-related cleaning problem, with natural-based ingredients that are baby-friendly – and designed to address the specific issue at hand.

Dapple Baby carries some neat and unique products. They have their Dapple Baby Laundry, Dapple Baby dish soap and dish washer powder, and Dapple Baby toy wipes and spray.

I was sent a travel pack of toy wipes to try out and use. I typically will use some spray bottle that I got from the store that is not really child friendly and smells horrific, or I will use baby wipes. One night I was doing some deep cleaning and putting some toys away for the winter and decided to go to town and do some deep cleaning. I busted out my pack of toy wipes and took a good smell. I was pleasantly surprised that my nose didn't fall off and that my stomach wasn't churning from a nasty smell. I actually think these wipes smell pretty good for a cleaner! I also love that these are a natural, organic baby friendly cleaner.

I decided to clean my sons tool work bench that he had attached earlier in the day after eating some left over Halloween chocolate. Its kind of hard to tell in the picture but the white faucet and knobs as well as in the sink and on the top flat area with the lines on it were smeared with chocolate. (there is also some of his lovely art work inside of the sink created with crayon...)


I started with the clean side of the tool bench and worked my way around to the dirty side. The wipes gave the bench a nice and fresh look. When I got to the sink I got out a new wipe and went across the flat area. It took the dried on chocolate off really easy. I had to use a couple of swipes across the faucet because of the bend and hidden places. It didn't do much as far as the crayon marks but I was over all very happy with how they did on the sink! I then went on to wipe down his ride on car and slide that I was going to put in storage for the winter. They were not to dirty but I was watching where I was cleaning and did notice a difference after I was finished.

My husband HATEs smelly things. So when I get a new dish soap or detergent in the house that smells I get comments about it. When I opened these wipes he did give a comment but it was more like 'they still smell but not as bad.' lol

If you are looking for some baby friendly cleaners check out Dapple Baby. Their laundry detergent is even cloth diaper friendly.
You can go HERE to find a store near you that sells Dapple Baby Products.

Have you ever used the Dapple Baby products? What did you think?

Teething Bling Review

My baby is 6 1/2 months old and has not had any teeth come through yet. I keep thinking one of these days something is going to happen. He is constantly wanting to chew on something, he is drooling like crazy so you would think it would be soon. But until then my little guy needs to have something to soothe those sore gums. I was given the chance to test out some Teething Bling by Smart Mom. They have some really neat items to help your baby's become more comfortable during the teething stage while helping mommy to stay fashionable. They even have a new item for the daddies called 'Babe Magnet Ties' that have little rattles and squeaky toys inside to help entertain baby. How fun is that! They also have teen bling and bangles for mom. The teething bling come in donut shape and you can get a solid color or a patterned one. They have lots of great colors and their patterned donuts look like the 'cats eye' marbles that you used to play with as kids. They have a cool swirly in them. I got the brown snowflake donut teething bling to try out.When I first found out about Teething Bling the donuts looked a lot like stones. I couldn't figure out how these would be any good for babies who had babies, but after receiving this necklace I was surprised to see that the donut is actually softer and bendable. Teething Bling products are made from a food-safe, phthalate-free, federally-approved silicone. I can see where this would feel great on a babies sore gums.

After I opened up the package and starting wearing it my little guy noticed it pretty quick. He liked to look at my regular necklaces so when he seen this and was actually able to play with it he was pretty happy. The clasp is a simple click together type so if he was to pull on the pendant to hard it would simply pop open with out breaking anything or having little pieces going everywhere. The chord is made of a black silky material and is comfortable to wear. After doing the initial once over of the necklace it went straight for the mouth. Z love chewing on it. He rubs it side to side and back and forth and he chomps down on it pretty good. He does produce a lot of drool while using it but I can tell by watching him that it feels good on him gums.

I thought I had more pictures than just the one but I guess not! I will try and get some of the necklace in use to share. My toddler seen the necklace on the counter and said "Thats Z's necklace" and had to go and share it with him. These necklaces should not be given to the babies to use unsupervised because of the long string, it could cause strangulation.

Overall I would have to say that I really like this necklace. The color is great and I can wear it with what ever, the style is simple yet cute to wear and its baby friendly.

Head over to Teething Blings website to purchase one for your self. They run $12.75 a piece which I think is pretty good.


**This review is entirely of m own opinion. I was not paid to write this. I was sent 1 teething bling necklace to use and review.**

Modest Middles Review

When I first started nursing my oldest son 3.5 years ago, I discovered super-comfy nursing tanks. For my duration of nursing him and our second son, I pretty much lived in these tanks. I did buy a nursing bra, but it wasn't comfortable and I hated how my back, sides and belly hung out while I was nursing. Before our third child was born, I mentioned how great it would be to find something that would still cover my sides, but allow me to wear my nursing bra with nicer shirts (being not so "endowed", there's nothing like wearing a super cute shirt, but being smashed flat with a tank and unable to 'fill out' the shirt!)

A few weeks ago, I came across Modest Middles. I literally shouted, "THAT'S IT!" I was so excited to discover what I wanted - a tank that allowed me to be covered while nursing, but being able to wear my 'flattering' nursing bras.

I had a few concerns about the Modest Middle tank - would it ride up normal use? Would the straps stay in place? Would the material be comfortable? Would it at all interfere with nursing?

Upon opening the package, I knew immediately it would be comfortable. The tank is made out of a very soft, silky spandex, so it conforms to you, but it is not confining in any way - it definitely moves with you. It does not ride up while walking - stays in place, perfect! It also did not interfere with nursing at all, it completely stayed out of the way and my little guy never knew anything was different.

My initial worry about the straps was answered in a picture e-mailed from Amy, the designer of Modest Middles:

Enough said! The white strap you see is the Modest Middle and the black is the nursing bra - stays put perfectly! I did try wearing the straps outside of my nursing bra and they did tend to slip off my shoulder. For the most part though, once I placed the Modest Middle straps 'inside' my nursing bra strap, even after nursing, they stayed put 'inside', so slippage was not an issue.

If you are looking for a nursing tank alternative, I would highly recommend Modest Middles!

Modest Middles come in three colors:
Black -

White -

Nude -

Disclaimer: I received a Modest Middles nursing tank to use a review for free. All opinions are my own and you may have a different experience. All images are provided by Modest Middles.

The Top Ten Things I Wish I Had Known Before Starting Cloth

This is just my personal list of things I wish I had known before starting our cloth diaper journey. Everyone's list will vary...

1. Despite what you think now, cloth diapering is really, really easy! - They really are just like disposables - just a lot more fun!

2. Cloth wipes are the way to go! - I still can't believe we waited as long as we did to make this switch (about a year of cloth diapering with disposable wipes!) It made so much sense and we wondered why we spent all that time trying to get poo-covered wipes into the diaper champ without it clogging...over and over...

3. The love that I would end up having for cloth - I'm not sure if it's the dollar signs, the environmental impact or the ingredients inside a disposable (probably all the above), but my stomach turns at the thought of having to use one on my sweet boys' bottoms.

4. How much money we really would save - I saw the numbers on all sorts of websites telling me how much we would potentially save, but actually seeing that money in our account has been amazing.

5. How the wash routine would naturally fit into our lives - I anticipated loads of laundry to consume my life, but it's just one load every couple of days and it does anything but interrupt our lives! I also expected to spend hours slaving away over diapers, but when you think about it, the washer does all the dirty work, then hang to dry, or toss in the dryer, then stuff - so easy!

6. How accepting our family would be - We have great family, and instead of laughter and criticism, we got offers to help purchase what we needed.

7. How fun it would be when friends would announce their switch to cloth - I love when a friend calls me up and asks for advice as they make the switch to cloth! I feel that I, too, get more educated as they ask more and more questions.

8. How my hubby would join right in! - Well, that's misleading! It was his idea to make the switch, so it's a very good thing he joined in!

9. We never thought we would be using coconut oil on our boys' bottoms! - Coconut oil has been our go-to diaper cream - it's very effective and cloth diaper safe, not to mention, yummy smelling!

10. That our children would come to know cloth as a way of life - It is SO great to see our children playing with their stuffed animals and using itty bitty cloth diapers and scraps of cloth as wipes. Hopefully, one day, our boys will come to us with the news that they will be cloth diapering their own children!

What do you wish you had known?

Bunzoo Review

Have you heard of Bunzoo? They make all kinds of fun animal print diapers, covers and pillowcase dresses. Plus they have great prices! I had the oppertunity to review their Zebra Fleece double gusset AIO diaper. This diaper runs $14.99 a piece which is a good price, and their butterfly cover which runs around $10.00 depending on the size you get. This diaper features:
Zebra print fleece, elastic back and legs, double inner gussets, front opening for extra inserts if needed and the opening has a velcro closure. It also has a hidden layer of PUL between the fleece on the outside and the anti-pill fleece on the inside. It is an AIO and comes in snaps.

The AIO diaper I received had two snaps on each side.
Here is the opening of the pocket in the front. You can see the blue, which is the swen in insert but there is also plenty of room for stuffing an extra insert in. There is also velco on the pocket to keep it closed.
This diaper features double inner gussets. The gussets are pretty deep, maybe about an inch and a half. Here is the diaper on my2 year old from the front.

Here is the diaper on my 2 year old from the side.

I also got this butterfly cover to try out.

It has wide velcro tabs on it and comes with laundry tabs as well.

My experience with these diapers:
-I was really nervous about this diaper because it seemed kind of large for my boys. I put it on my toddler and it fit pretty good. I had to make sure to tuck in the gussets because they were tall. For some reason my toddler knows when he has a new diaper on and makes sure to poo in it first thing. This diaper held everything in quite well. This diaper also came with a fleece liner which fits perfectly into the middle of this diaper and tucks into the gussets. This worked great for cleaning out the poo! I put this on my toddler a few more times and no leaking. I then put it on my 6 month old and he did pretty good in it. I think it leaked once but that was probably because he was still a little small for it.
-One thing I think would have helped this diaper out would be adding more snaps across the front. There are only two snaps on each side of the diaper so you can't adjust the tightness around the waist. I think if it had more snaps on the waist it would have fit much better on my infant. I was looking around on the bunzoo site some more and seen that this diaper now comes with more snaps on the waist as well as the option of velcro.
-The cover came in a cute butterfly print. The velcro is strong and the cover is nice and strong. I used my Thristies stay dry insert in this because its nice and trim. This cover was a little bit small for my guys so I didn't use it to much.

Check out Bunzoo's great selection of items here, here and here


**I received a diaper and cover to use and review. This review is entirely of my own personal experience and yours may differ. I was not paid to do this review. **

Dana's Top Ten

I have a lot of likes and dislikes in cloth diapering. These here are just a few of my top tens that I would like to share with you!

Number One:
My detergent, I have tried so many different kinds and I have found my favorite to be the Rockin Green! That seems to clean my diapers the best in my HE washing machine and with the hard water that we have! The next favorite would have to be the Mountian Green but that does not do well with the hard water!Number Two:

My Bumgenius AIO organics! These are my all time favorite cloth diaper ever made! I at one point when I started doing cloth diapering had 2 of them full time in cloth and I had tried so many different kinds of diapers and this one hit the spot! I love that its all one piece and it has the seperate layers yet all sewed together so its still an all in one! The one draw back is it takes forever to dry I usually have to put them in the dryer about 3 times to get it fully dry and it does stain very easily.Number three:
I love my new Smartipants diaper! Has a nice trim fit and fits over top of all of Kaiden's clothing. I just got this diaper a few weeks ago and its been used tons of times. This is one that is on the top of my stash so when my bgs are all used I grab it! I love the pocket that holds the liner its so easy to slide in and out for washing! Cute colors too!
Number Four:
Thirsties duo diaper! I have tried the covers and prefolds and I did not like them at all. I hate bulk and so does Kaiden. He would pull them off every time. I got this diaper thinking he would do the same but he does not! I like that the two liners snap together and then slide inside the diaper. They have really cute prints too, not that you see them much but they are still cute. The inside of the diaper is really soft on babys bum too.

Number Five:

I just got a Bootyfuly baby side snaping diaper. I really like this diaper. Though its kinda tough to get on a wiggly lil guy but once its on its nice. I used it for night time 2 nights ago and it worked wonderfully! I inserted the snap in liner and put another one of top of it so it had 2 liners and BAM no leaks at night. I love that these diapers come in long too. My son has a very long torso and a skinny body so its nice these come like that! I have found no flaws with this diaper yet!
Number Six:
I have a planet wise wet bag that I use for my diapers. I use it at home and on the go. At home I have the HUGE one that I hang on the door nob in the bathroom and I put all my dirty and wet diapers in there after they are rinsed and I never smell them even with the bag open. I have a small planet wise bag also that I use for on the go. I never smell stuff in there either! I love my bags. I have made a few of my own too and I really like them also!

Number Seven:

Rockin Green makes a shake that you can put into the bottom of your pail liners. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!! I have used it in my trash cans, my kid floors and then vacuum, my sock drawers put it in a sock and leave it in the drawer...awesome stuff just leaves a fresh smell in your pails and in your bathroom with the stinky diapers in there.
Number Eight:

My handmade diaper sprayer! My husband did not want me to spend the $40 bucks to buy a sprayer so I told him to come up with one for me. HE DID! He is so awesome! I would reccomend to everyone that you get a sprayer with cloth diapering! This one costed me about $25 bucks with everything! I just put the diaper in the toilet and spray the poo away! It has an adjustable water pressure so you have to be careful not get it too high or you get a face full of nasty poo water or it sprays all over the floor. Once you get the hang of it, ITS WONDERFUL!

Number Nine:

Bac-out! This is a must have for me! I spray every poopy diaper with it and throw it in the bag. It retails for about $10 for a big bottle of it and I get it at the health food store around us! This is amazing. You may have seen my post on here before about the blueberry stained diaper. I sprayed the heck out of the diaper with Bac-out and washed it with my Rockin Green and it came clean. So yeah, this is a must have in my house!Number Ten:

My Grovia Magic Stick! This stuff is amazing! I use it on all of my kids including my Five year old! This stuff is like $13 or so dollars and I bought it because I hate putting stuff on my finger to put on their butts. This is also safe for cloth dipaers. You just wipe the stick right on their butt and away you go. Kaiden had an awful red rash when he went to bed one evening and i put this on and he woke up and it was gone. Same with Xavier my five year old, he has accidents alot and he gets red so we put this on him and the next day its gone! Another one of my MUST HAVES!!

A lot of people have differnet Top Tens in cloth diapering and these are mine! Hopefully I have helped some of you in making some decisions! Got questions just ask one of us, we will always try to will help you out!!!

My Top Ten Picks

While looking over all my cloth diapers and cloth diaper accessories I started thinking about what I like the best of all the different types I have. I thought I would share my TOP TEN favorites. Please keep in mind that What I have in my stash is different from your stash and that our children are built differently so different diapers work better for me then they do for you!

Here we go:

1. Favorite detergent: Allen's Naturally. This is one of the top five detergents recommended for cloth diapers. I have been using this from the beginning and have tried other kinds of detergents (which have worked out alright) but I seem to have the best of luck with Allen's. My diapers usually come out nice and clean after using this, my boys seem to have the best of luck with not getting rashes or red bums from this detergent.

2. Favorite Wet bag: Planet Wise - I love my large wet dry bag. I hang it from the changing table in the nursery that my boys share. All non poopy diapers go into it and I can never smell the yuck. I love that this also had a 'dry' zippered section that you can put clean diapers in if you plan on being gone for a longer period of time. (Or if you send your boys to the grandparents for an overnight trip!).

3. Favorite pocket diaper: Bumgenius 4.0 - I love this diaper. My boys are super soakers and this diaper seems to be the best one to hold it all in. I like how the insert snaps over to fit the correct rise size of the diaper. That way you don't have to worry about finding an insert that fits or worrying about the folded over part bunching up. I seem to have the best of luck with this diaper. The back of the pocket is nice and wide and easy to stuff. The only thing I don't like is on the velcro diaper the laundry tabs are against the babies back and seem like they would bother my baby's back.

4. Favorite AI2 diaper: SoftBums Echo - I have a couple AI2's. I liked the GroVia until I got the SoftBums. The snap in insert is soft and will stay soft after many washes because its lined with fleece. Plus the insert is long so you can fold it to where the most pee will be, middle for girl and front for boy.

5. Favorite AIO diaper: BumGenius Elemental - I love that this diaper has separated layers so that it will dry faster. Plus this is the trimmest diaper I have yet to find. Fits great under pants as well. I don't like that this stains pretty easy with the poopies.

6. Favorite Cover: Bummis - These are perfect size you have to put out a little more money for covers but its worth it. The material is nice and thick, won't stretch out while on baby, and the velcro holds up well.

7. Favorite Prefold: Bummis - These prefolds are so soft and stay soft. They wash up nicely and come in three sizes, preemie, infant and toddler. They fold up nicely and are easy to put on.

8. Favorite One size diaper: BumGenius - My boys both are built differently, one tall and skinny, one average height and chunky. They are both on the same rise currently and rarely a leak from this diaper. Its easy to adjust the rise if needed. I found this to be helpful because with snaps it is versitile. I would use the same diaper on both boys and could easily change the rise of the diaper and get it on the baby. I have some other diapers that you have to open it up and pull out the elastic and use a toggle or buttons to adjust and even though they are great diapers, they DO NOT work well if you have two in diapers that are different sizes.

9. Favorite Perfect size diaper: Drybees AIO - I really like the sizing and fit of these diapers. And even though they are an AIO they have a pocket so you can add extra inserts if needed and can be turned inside out to help try faster. This diaper also seems to not stain very easy from poo!

10. Favorite Night time diaper: Drybees fleece. Even though this will drop you 20 bucks just for the shell its worth it. I stuff it with a 13 dollar superdoo soaker from knickernappies and never have a leak with my toddler. I also have it for my 6 month old and Im working on finding the perfect insert solution for it. I think I might have it with two loopydoos from knickernappies folded just right.
I would love to hear what some of your top picks are! Share below in the comments section.