Smart Bottoms - Smart One 3.0 Review

I feel like I've been very lucky in my review diapers lately in that they all make me say, "Wow, I LOVE this diaper!" The Smart One 3.0 from Smart Bottoms is no exception.

I wish I could explain the way the outer layer feels - not cheap like some PUL diapers, but a good solid, "I will contain all messes" feeling. And the prints and colors...awesome! The print I received, Little Boy Blue, is so fun - I love the big polka dots (my 2 year old calls it the "blue bubble" diaper) :)

One of my favorite things about the Smart One 3.0 is the back elastic...nothing is escaping that! Even better - no red marks left on my sweet baby's skin!

Ok, maybe this is my favorite feature...look how trim! It's crazy.

The amount of snaps and sizing options available on the Smart One 3.0 is great! The diaper claims to fit from 8-35lbs. My 2 year old is about 33lbs (and WAS showing signs of being ready to potty train...until we broke out the potty training materials). While he still has a lot of waist room left, I feel that he is definitely reaching the max of this diaper - so the sizing is pretty accurate.

But, with 4 rise snap rows, the Smart One 3.0 can get super tiny!

The Organic Cotton inner is delish. SO soft. And dries incredibly fast.

The insert is free to dry away from the diaper, while attached at the back of the diaper. You fold up the attached insert to provide the maximum absorbency where it is needed.

What'd I tell ya?? Trim!!!  And look how snug at the back - love it!

This was the best I could do for a frontal shot - my little guy had ants in his pants ;) But you can see what I mean about the waist snaps, there are 8 per row, and only 1 on the top row is visible - skinny waist! Definitely room to grow there.

I also love the 'further back' snap (not the technical term, I'm sure!) to help prevent wing droop. Love. Love. Love.

I just had to include this pic because every time I said, "I need to see your bottom" he'd start shaking his heiny and patting his bottom...wow. Full of himself.

My husband doesn't make too many comments about our diapers unless I straight up ask his opinion. With the Smart One 3.0, he has commented numerous times that he likes the feel, fit, and the 'solidness' of this diaper (so he shouldn't get too upset when I ask for more, right?! haha) :)

We have definitely been more than thrilled with all aspects of this diaper.  My only complaint is that it was a little hard to get, what I felt, a 'perfect' snug fit across the front. But, even with that being said, the Smart One 3.0 has never let us down - all messes, liquid, or otherwise, have all been contained. We would happily recommend this diaper to anyone looking for a trim, OS, AIO with natural fibers. 

Be sure to fan Smart Bottoms on Facebook and follow on Twitter to keep up with new products, sales and giveaways!

Disclaimer: I received for review one Smart One 3.0. All opinions are honest and my own.

Paintchip Contractions

I saw this great idea to help teach children contractions (not labor ones) ;-) (Example: Can't, Won't, Don't, etc...)

Take a paintchip (free at your local hardware store, and found in GLORIOUS colors!) I was so excited about this project, that I forgot to take a picture of one before cutting it!

So, pre-cut, it would look sort of like this:

I guess you don't HAVE to cut the sides off, but, I wanted all extra words/letters/numbers (that might distract/confuse), gone.

Then, write your words.

In the first box, your first word, second box, your second word, leave the third open, and your 'contraction' in the fourth.

Accordion fold the last box:

So it'll fold over like this:

And then you can see your contraction:

Here are all the ones I made. I only scratched the surface of contractions for my budding reader!

Londonware Fleece Cover Review & Giveaway

I was thrilled when I had been selected via Facebook to review a fleece cover from Londonware! Finding Londonware on Etsy many moons ago was how I first learned about fleece covers. Wendy, the WAHM behind Londonware, was amazing to work with, and her fleece covers are top notch.

I rolled the dice and went with a sized cover (my two-year olds size measurements are crazy). For reference:

• Waist: 21"
• Rise: 17.5"
• Thigh: 11.5"

I decided to go with a large (knowing we had some mediums that he had long outgrown). And then I got to browse through her in-stock items and pick out my favorite - always a hard decision!! :-) I finally decided on Orange Dream (I'm a summer gal, and while the colors are decidedly "fall", I choose to think of it as a summer cover) ;-)

Here you can see the sewn-in doubler in the wet zone (this is on the inside of the diaper) for extra absorbency.

Surprisingly, this is the only fleece cover I have that has come with a size tag - and for that I'm grateful! No having to compare it to other covers to figure out what size! ;-)

The fleece is so soft, and the cover is very well put together. We've had many covers that come apart fairly easily, but you can tell Wendy puts a lot of consideration into her covers.

The fit - considering I took my chances, fits great! Here is the Londonware cover with a Goodmama fitted. I was excited to see he still had a bit of growing room!

I love the extra high waist (not sure if that is intentional in the design, but I was not at all worried about any diapers slipping out and soaking sheets!)

Side view.

The Londonware cover worked wonderfully. I love the extra coverage I feel this cover has, as I really wasn't worried at any point - play time, nap time, or bed time - if some fitted might slip out and soak everything.

Kudos to Wendy for a very high quality product!

If you would like to try a Londonware fleece cover for yourself, you're in luck! Wendy has offered one of her covers to one of our readers! Simply enter the form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received one fleece cover for review. All opinions are honest and my own. Londonware is sponsoring the giveaway of one fleece cover.

Rump Arounds Review & Giveaway

I was thrilled when Rump Arounds let me know I was selected to review one of their diapers. If you haven't had a chance to check out their site, I urge you to take a few minutes to see what they have to offer! I chose the One Size, Rump-ALL-Arounds Pocket diaper (RAA).

First, some information on the RAA:

• With a 4 rise snap setting, adjusts from XS, Small, Medium, large permitting the diaper to be used from true birth weight 6.5lb up to 40lbs dependent on body frame. 
• 2 rows of 10 snaps across waist for size adjustment & extra protection against leakage and drooping of wings.
• 4 snaps per wing & 2 over snaps for size adjustment & extra protection against leakage and drooping of wings.
• "Snap wrap" feature, just roll up like a disposable and snap closed until ready to wash.
• Double gussets for extra barrier protection.
• Includes one 100% Bamboo (3 layer) Insert each
• Breathable Laminate Outer Shell, waterproof to prevent leaking & do away with diaper covers!
• Soft Inner liner, gentle against babies skin while keeping baby dry. 
• Stretchy & Soft around legs and waist

Um. Wow. So get ready as we take a little tour of this diaper...

Here is the RAA in all its glory! If I could explain how incredibly soft this diaper is. The outer is minky...love.

Here you can see the two rows of 10 snaps across waist...

...4 snaps per wing & 2 over snaps...

...double gussets...

Here is the included insert (reminder with bamboo, it will take 5 washes to prep, and upwards of 10-12 washes to reach maximum absorbency).

So how did the RAA fit? Reminder that my 2 year old is approximately 31.5lbs.

I was able to get an amazing fit around his waist - with room to tighten, and room to grow, if needed on either side.

LOOK at how trim!!!! Oh my goodness. I was floored the first time I put this diaper on Caedmon.

So how did the RAA work for us? Incredibly. I had intended on making the first use a "short time" use, but my little guy wasn't feeling too well, and I suspected an ear infection, so what was supposed to be a short trial run turned into a long, nearly 4.5 hour trial with an outing to the peds office included...not a single leak, and it was still going strong. And since bamboo gets better with time, the more I use/wash, the better it works.

I loved the snug fit around the legs, and there are never any red marks from the elastic. The back elastic is amazingly snug as well.

We have loved trying out this diaper. It has definitely been placed in our "favorites" pile!

Rump Arounds has offered one RAA (winner may choose print) to one winner! To enter, please enter via the Rafflecopter form below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclaimer: I received one RAA for review. All opinions are honest and my own. You may have a different experience. Rump Arounds has offered one RAA for giveaway.

A couple Pin Wins, Fails, and To-Do's

I have a love hate relationship with Pinterest...as I'm sure most people do! I love having a bajillion ideas at my fingertips, but 2 hours later...nothing has gotten done ;) I thought I'd share a few things that have been major wins for us (and a couple fails, just to keep it real) ;-)

PIN WINS!

I usually shred my chicken in recipes...and while using two forks isn't difficult, it was definitely a win when I found this tip to make use of your stand mixer to shred chicken... (in the comments, someone said that a hand mixer worked just as well). If you're in the lazy crew, like me, give it a try! Just takes a few seconds!

One of the main reasons I love Pinterest, is for the recipes my friends pin. One of those was White Chicken Enchiladas. I don't really love enchilada sauce, but this was...oh. my. word. Our new favorite meal. We are still working on how to jazz up the flavor of the chicken, but it's so creamy and yummy and...wowzers.

PIN FAILS

My biggest fail as of late, this cutie:

I wrapped up my door, it rained, he drooped. Sad Mummy :( Sad Mommy :( It was SO cute, but just not meant to be. I think next year, I might do inside doors or something, because the boys thought it was so funny. Just not made for the humid South ;) 






Brine your T-shirt: I REALLY wanted this to work. I adore soft t-shirts. And this project had SO much hope. I waited the three days I was supposed to... nothing. I retried it, same shirt and waited 5 days. Still the same, rough t-shirt. Tried again, for a week. Nada. If anyone tries it and WINS, PLEASE let me know!!!

TO DO

I'm trying to re-vamp my clothes so I don't always dress, well...frumpy ;) I found a tutorial for this shirt. I have a dark gray shirt eerily similar to the one in the pic, so I'm going to try soon! It's so ...quirky!








We always get together with friends for Thanksgiving potluck (due to work, church, and school schedules we can rarely make traveling work). I usually make a Sweet Potato Casserole and something went amiss last year ...it was horrible, and I'm scared to try again. I saw this recipe for Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes and I can't WAIT to try them out!

Do you have some Pin Wins (or fails?!) to share?

LoveMuffin Goods - Prefitted Review

In our nearly 5 years of cloth diapering, I had heard "prefitted" only a few times. Recently, I heard it more frequently. A few months ago, I polled our awesome Facebook fans for their favorite WAHM's and products, and Cassy from LoveMuffin Goods came up. I contacted her, and she was eager to allow me to try out her Prefitted!  Having never held/seen (in person) a Prefitted, I wasn't 100% certain what to expect - in terms of fit, and performance.

To start, let's take a tour of the Prefitted. It is simply a modified Prefold.

The sides are cut to a form like a Fitted diaper and elastic added in the legs.

And very trim!

Cassy includes a Doubler Insert for extra absorbency.

The fit is amazing! Since the Prefitted doesn't have snaps or velcro, you can use a Snappi or pins to secure it. You can even go without a closure, and just wrap and secure in a snug cover (very SNUG...otherwise, it'll get lose and it'll get messy) ;)

Prefitted on my 2 year old (approx 31lbs)

Trim!!!!! (Diaper red marks from a different diaper!) ;)

Paired with a Sweet Pea OS cover

The Prefitted can be used for a long time if you fold down the front (as demonstrated in Cassy's picture) to become One-Size

 

I was VERY happy with this Prefitted.

• It contained major messes. 
• It was super easy to add absorbency to (we made it all night with a couple of hemp boosters added). 
• It seemed to dry much faster than other fitteds we own. 
• And the simplicity of it was great.
• Oh, and I can use my fun covers which haven't seen a lot of action lately ;) 

Cassy made fans out of this family for sure!

Let me end by saying that Cassy was fantastic to work with! And Cassy doesn't just do diapers - she has shoes, belts, luggage/diaper bag tags, and more! Be sure to check out her Facebook page to keep up with all her new goodies that she comes out with!

GIVEAWAY ALERT
Cassy has generously offered a Prefitted to one of our amazing readers! To enter, simply enter via the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received one (1) Prefitted from LoveMuffin Goods for review. All opinions are honest and my own. You may have a different experience. Cassy at LoveMuffin Goods is sponsoring the giveaway of one (1) Prefitted to one (1) winner.