Fall Owl

Looking for something fun, creative and EASY to do with your children? Here is something I did with my boys yesterday. All you need is construction paper, washable paint, glue and a paint brush/roller.


I Started by folding a piece of paper in half and then cut out an owl body shape. Put glue on the back and stick it to a slightly larger piece of paper. I taped two pieces of white together for the background.
Here are the two body's glued down
I couldn't find any thick paint brushes to paint on the boys hands with but I had this mini paint roller that worked for us. You can also just smash their hands into it too. I also didn't have anything to put the paint onto so I took one of my dinner plates and covered it with foil. Worked great for us.
Cover the whole hand with your paint.
Stamp with the painted hand on the sides of the owl to make wings. My 1 1/2 year old did the blue and was a little to fast for mommy. He got a little slap happy with his painted hands. But its still so cute anyways! My 3 year old did the brown one.
Then after you have painted out the hands/wings on the owl cut out some white circles, draw some black dots in the center and glue them on. I then cute out from a yellow/orange paper some feet and nose. The boys loved helping to put these together!

Bee-Bop Baby Diaper Cover - Review

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to try out a sized cover from Bee-Bop Baby and it did not disappoint! Not only is the cover adorable and eye-catching, it handled the job at hand perfectly.

I love that the snaps are at an angle. This allows you to secure a great fit, adjusting as necessary for those skinny waists or chunky thighs (or vice versa!)

The inside is a solid PUL, and it is heavy duty - works great!The first test I put it through was a typical use of a couple hours during the day, and without batting an eye, it held up great with a fitted diaper.Look mom, no gaps!

Since the first test went so well, I quickly moved to phase 2 - all night use (we don't mess around here!) I paired the Bee-Bop Baby PUL Cover with a fitted (over stuffed!) and said goodnight to my little dude. In the morning, he awoke dry as a bone (well, on the outside. The inside was as soggy as the Mississippi! He is a wetter if I've ever seen one!)To top it all, we had an evening with some tummy issues requiring many overnight diaper changes. Without getting entirely too graphic, let's just say, it held in all contents of what should have been an over-explosion (this time it was paired with a prefold).

The size I received was a Medium, and as you can see, it fits my guy like a dream. Bee-Bop Baby's Mediums fit those who weigh 15lbs - 28lbs (for reference, my guy is 13 months and about 25lbs here). Bee-Bop Baby sized covers retail for $15. They also sell Small and Large covers.You can shop Bee-Bop Baby via their Hyena Cart and their Etsy site! You can also stay up-to-date on all the happenings by becoming a fan of their Facebook page. Bee-Bop Baby offers a variety of cloth diapering and eco-friendly items other than sized covers, including fitted diapers, AI2 diapers, snack bags and cloth wipes!

Where you can find Bee-Bop Baby:

Bee-Bop Baby on Facebook
Bee-Bop Baby on Hyena Cart
Bee-Bop Baby on Etsy

Disclaimer: I received one (1) Medium size PUL cover for review from Bee-Bop Baby. Opinions expressed are my own and you may have a different experience.

FaceLift

Please bear with us as we work on some updates and changes on our blog today! Thanks!

Kristina

Nursing Bra Express: Le Leche League Wrap N Snap Nursing Bra

I was thrilled when Dara contacted me regarding another review of one of the nursing bras she sells at Nursing Bra Express, as she was fantastic to work with the first time. This time she was interested in having the LLLI Wrap N Snap Nursing Bra featured. Let me start by saying this nursing bra is nothing short of awesome.

For starters, I love the most obvious feature - the fact that it is fully adjustable.As you can see, you wrap the bra around and snap at the bottom, allowing the bra to grow with you. When I received the bra, I was battling a mild case of mastitis and didn't want anything touching me, however, that Monday I had to take my guy to preschool and needed to wear something while out in public. My nursing tanks were all to constricting and hurt so much, but this was perfect, I could wrap it loosely, allowing comfortable support.

I would think this bra would be perfect transitioning from pregnancy to having a newborn - knowing how my own ribs expand while pregnant (and how hard it is to get that perfect fit!) and allowing for much adjustment during the time when your milk is coming in and regulates.

I thought that the outer 'wrap' would bug me where it ends:but I don't even notice it (see how it just...ends?) I thought it would be totally noticeable under clothing - it's not!

It hooks just like a traditional nursing bra:and is very easy to do one handed (very important with a squirmy baby!) Also, the cups easily stay out of the way while nursing.

The back is 'solid' (in that it is very similar to a sports bra back). There are no hooks or anything, allowing bra to be very comfortable, even while sleeping. It is very smooth under clothing and incredibly comfortable to wear!

And the colors are fantastic (who doesn't love a bit of color to spruce things up?!) The Wrap N Snap comes in Black Jacquard, Chocolate, White and a fun Print.

My only complaint was that all of my cloth nursing pads would slip around inside the cup and fall out! (and as you can see - the cups are not padded and very thin! Great for breathability, but, I personally need more 'coverage' than this bra offers alone!)I spoke with Dara to see if this slippage was a common problem and she said that she had not encountered this before. She suggested finding disposable nursing pads that have a sticky back to them, such as the Lansinoh Disposable Pads, and see if the problem remained. I tried a different brand of disposable pads and this did resolve the problem. If I'm home, I just use my usual cloth and adjust as needed and save the disposables for outings.

If you're looking for a great transition bra, you should definitely consider the Le Leche League Wrap N Snap. It retails for $22 and comes in two sizes: S/M (which fits 32-34-36 A-B) and L/XL (which fits 36-38-40 C-D). If you have any questions regarding which size you should purchase (or anything else!), contact Dara and she'll help you out!

You can find Nursing Bra Express on Facebook and Twitter.

Disclaimer: I received a Wrap N Snap Nursing bra in Chocolate for this review. All opinions are my own and you may have a different experience.

ButterBeans&ChicPeas Review

A few months ago, I stumbled across a cute little Etsy shop, ButterBean&ChicPeas. If you are in the market for handmade cuteness, you need to check her out! She's got dresses and pants, shoes and toys, headbands and bibs...the list goes on and on. While she definitely has a lot for the girls out there, I was thrilled to find two things: something for me, and something for one of my guys.

First up, The Mom Top! When I first heard the name I thought of Mom Jeans (you know what I'm talkin' about!) but, I quickly saw the other end of the spectrum!
Think, grown up pillow case shirt for mommy. When I purchased this, I was able to pick which fabric I wanted, and I get nothing but a slew of comments whenever I am out!
The back is very simple. The fabric is very breathable and cool - perfect for this ridiculously hot summer we have had! The Mom Top is great in that I've been able to dress it up with jeans and cute shoes, or dress it down with khaki shorts and flipflops. It's very versatile. I'm wondering if I can layer it this fall....? :)

My next find was originally in her "I Am Not Perfect" album, but, I was too slow to order. Beverly quickly whipped me up another and I had just the little stud to wear it...Due to anger from teething, and legs that won't stop moving, this was the only good picture I could get of the little dude in his shirt. A close up of the image and stitching detail. I mean. Super cute. We haven't had any days nearly cool enough for him to wear long sleeves yet, but I {almost} can't wait! {I do love my hot summers!}

You can keep up with all the latest ButterBeans&ChicPeas happenings on Facebook, as well as her blog (which has a feature I'm look forward to each time, What I Wore Wednesday - check it out!)

Head on over to ButterBeans&ChicPeas and let Beverly know we sent you!

Disclaimer: I purchased both The Mom Top and the Chick Magnet Onesie for my own personal use. These honest opinions are my own, and you may have a different experience.

Changing Diapers by Kelly Wels

Really a book about cloth diapering? YES! And I had the opportunity to receive an early addition of it before the official release to share with you! Here is a picture of the book cover:


The inside of Changing Diapers is filled with a lot of great chapters that cover a wide range of very helpful information...and really cute fluffy butts!It discusses why to choose cloth, different kinds of diapers, where to buy etc.

The chapter on different kinds of diapers is really neat because it gives easy and clear descriptions on the different kinds of diapers.And its a nice thick book that is easy to read!
So what do you do with a book about cloth diapering? You read it, learn a lot of great information and then you...SHARE THE LOVE! I have shown this book to a good handful of people and they were pretty impressed. Its a great conversation piece to carry around in your diaper bag as well.

With that being said...you should purchase a book for yourself and to share! My blog readers are being given the awesome opportunity to get this book for 50% off! Just use the code:

CDADDICT

*please note that this is an affiliate link.

Putting Baby in a Prefold

If you are deciding whether or not prefolds are for you because you're worried about being able to get it on your baby correctly, or having to use pins or snappies then watch the video below. I show some easy simple ways to use a prefold with and without a snappi!

Moody Sisters Organic Skin Care Review

I've been desiring to make the switch in all my body care products from those filled with a bunch of things that I cannot pronounce (and not to mention, who knows WHAT they do!) to products that are a bit more friendlier for myself, my family and the earth.

I started with a deodorant recommended by a friend. My next biggest concerns were my body wash and face scrub. I was so excited when I happened upon Moody Sisters Organic Skin Care on Facebook. I browsed their Etsy shop and quickly found two products I thought I could love.
First, their {Foaming} Face & Body Wash. Mine is Lift Me Up Lemon and has such a clean, fresh scent. The ingredient list rocks: Olive Oil. Castile Soap. Sunflower Oil. Aloe Vera. Tea Tree Oil. Vitamin E. Lemon. Herbal Extracts and Essential Oils.

That's it.

And this:
Is all you need. (maybe a little more, but a little bit goes such a long way). I can wash all of me with that little handful.

I never thought that my previous body wash left me feeling anything but clean, until I left this foaming soap at home on a trip, and I had to use that other body wash....

gross.

I felt so...covered...in gunk.

Moody Sisters washes off so well and leaves you feeling like you should...clean.

Amazing, huh? :)

I have also been using the foaming body wash in place of my shaving gel and it works so much better. Clean cuts and no irritation.

The second product I purchased and fell in love with: their Face & Lip Scrub. The ingredients, again, are awesome: Kaolin Clay. Ground Oats. Almond Meal. Arrowroot Powder. Peppermint. Pumice. Strawberry Seeds. Witch Hazel. Lemon Peel. Salt.
I've only used it once on my lips (you know when they get all peely and icky...please tell me that isn't just me!) It was like I had new lips or something :)

However, I've used it a bunch on my face and I can not fathom using anything else. Ever. Again.

I simply shake a little handful into my hand and add water or a small squirt of the foaming body wash and rub it on my face. Rinse and enjoy!

I have never used anything on my face that has left my face feeling so clean, so fresh and so 'bright'. It's great!

There was a third product I wanted to purchase, but the budget wouldn't allow. However, the Moody Sisters sent a sample with my order, and I'm still kicking myself for not ordering it - Whipped Body Lotion. The best way to describe this product is 'airy'. Think hair mousse without the greasy residue. I only had about one use in the sample container - just enough to tease me for not purchasing! - but it is amazing. It left my skin so soft, so smooth - I can't imagine if I could use it every single day! (I will. SOON!) :)

If you are looking to make the change to more organic skin care, or do use it and are looking for something different, be sure to check out Moody Sisters - they know what they are doing and do it great!

Be sure to fan them on Facebook to keep up with all the latest happenings!

***Please use code GIVEAWAY for 20% your purchase!!!!***

Disclaimer: I purchased the Foaming Body Wash and Lip & Face Scrub for my own personal use. All opinions are my own and you may have a different experience.

RLR Laundry Treatment

We all know that horrible nasty smell that diapers get after being used A LOT. They get a build up detergents bacteria and more. I seriously wanted to either barf or pass out in the mornings when I changed my son's diaper. It smelled so bad (we had 4 diapers that where used only for night time purposes). We had tried all different ways of stripping our diapers and have had some pretty good success but I found myself having to strip them a lot more than I really should have been. Plus, the smell kept coming back! I don't know if there will ever be a way to get a diaper immaculately clean and have it stay that way wash after wash but I found something for me that has done wonders to my diapers.

Allow me to introduce you to RLR Laundry Treatment.
This is not a detergent but a treatment. Here is what the Nappy Shoppe has to share about RLR:

"RLR Laundry Treatment is a laundry additive that enhances fabric quality. It is not a soap, bleach, bluing agent, or detergent. It can be used on both white and colored fabrics without harm. RLR contains no phosphates or perfumes and is a biodegradable product. RLR added to the wash removes all the residue trapped within the fabric and suspends it in the water. The unwanted particles are prevented from being redeposited and are washed away in the rinse cycle. RLR was made with the intention of being used once a month to help clothing appear vibrant and clean."

I was pretty excited to have the opportunity to work with the Nappy Shoppe in reviewing the RLR and putting it to the test on my diapers. Here is a quick look at the product:

You can get RLR in a '2 pill pack', a canister (equal to 11 loads) or a pouch( 1 load). I received the 2 pill pack. The come in a simple little canister like you would get out of a quarter machine. They are wrapped tightly in a plastic wrap so they wont pop open. The powder had a dingy tint to it, it almost looked like sand from the beach but no where near as grainy.I did a good rinse on my diapers in cold water to get out any yuck that was in them. I even threw in as many clean diapers as I could while still having some left over to use on my baby. After the rinse I filled the tub up with HOT water and added the RLR treatment. I let it agitate for a couple of minutes and then stopped it to let it sit and soak. The picture above shows the dingy water...gross, especially since most of those diapers were CLEAN to begin with.Here is a progression of agitation. The top left is about 5 minutes into the wash, then top right is about 7 minutes, bottom left is about 9 minutes and bottom right is about 11 minutes. Depending on how much build up you have on/in your diaper will affect how soapy and sudsy your water will become. I have seen some diapers with so much build up in them that the owner has had to stop the wash cycle to scoop out suds into a 5 gallon bucket to prevent their machine from overflowing! Luckily mine were not that bad. The above picture is the last one I took of the wash with RLR. There was quite a bit of suds. Hard to believe there was that much build up in my diapers!

After the wash was done the diapers did look a lot brighter and cleaner.

My thoughts on RLR Laundry Treatment:
AMAZING! Are you satisfied with my response or do you want more? I had heard a good amount of times about RLR and people liking to use it on their diapers but I could never find it. They say you can get it at your local grocery store like Walmart but I 1) don't like Walmart and 2) wouldn't be able to find it in my Walmart even if I tried and they did happen to carry it. So I looked around online and found quite a few different placed that carry it. I contacted The Nappy Shoppe to see if they would want to do a review and giveaway and they did! So anyways, I am so thrilled I was able to test out the RLR. It did wonders to my stinky diapers. They don't stink anymore. I will be making purchases of RLR when ever my diapers start to stink. I have gone at least 2 months now with out my diapers getting stinky. They also look a lot brighter and not as dingy. AND the best part of all is that this stuff is so cheap! Its only $3.35 for a 2 pack which will last you a long time. You can do it once a month to keep your diapers from getting build up or you can do it as needed (as I do). I really recommend checking out RLR if you are having some problems with stink.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Don't worry, I'm not going to break out in song! However, I am going to follow in Kristina's footsteps in sharing some of my favorite cloth diapers like she did on Wednesday. Portions of our lists might be similar, so bear with me.

She started with covers, so I will too..

• Thirsties Duo Wraps by far. These fit my itty bitty 7 pounder last summer and my 30+pounder both like a dream.
• We also love Bummis Super Whisper Wraps as we use them at night on our toddler with some jam packed prefolds. However, we use the snaps version (I really don't like velcro) and have for over 3 years - they still work as well as they did the first day. Since we use them at night and fill them up with absorbency, we go up a size, so we have all the sizes and love them all.
  
• Fleece and wool tie in a win, hands down. If I could keep my guy in fleece or wool all day, I would in a heart beat (and some days I do!)
  

Pockets. These are probably our favorite type of diaper as well.

• My favorite is probably FuzziBunz. I felt they were so-so on my toddler, but when I received a set for Caedmon when he was born, I fell in love (with the sized, not OS).
• I love the old school Pocket Change (you can see my refurbished Pocket Change here. I will hang on to these as long as I can! But I'm not a fan of the new style (new meaning about 2 years ago, haha).

AIO/AI2. I don't really have a favorite AIO, but I shared yesterday about one of my new favorite AI2's.

• So, Wild Mountain Mommies is definitely on that list.
• Bright Star Baby is another AI2 that I love.

Prefolds. Other than trifolding prefolds for nighttime use with our toddler, we had never used prefolds until our 3rd baby came along. I have a conglomeration of prefolds, but my favorite

• Definitely our Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold. This thing is soft as all get out!

Fitteds.

• For newborns, Thirsties Fab Fitted (which I think have been discontinued??) Love those things. The XS fit my guys like a dream.
• Nifty Nappy is probably my absolute favorite.
  

Wet Bags. No real favorite here.

Wipes.

• Kissaluvs wipes

If I could say only one diaper could be in my stash, hands down, I would say, Tots Bots Easy Fit Diaper. OS (that really is). AIO. Absorbency liner comes out for fast drying, but it's attached. With a pocket to add absorbency. Bamboo liner. Reliable velcro. Fun colors.

What are some of your favorite things?