Ramblings of a Cloth Diaper Addict

GroVia O.N.E. All in One Review and Giveaway!

2015-04-29T16:01:00.000-07:00

On the largest and the smallest settings.

Meet GroVia's new diaper, O.N.E. It is an all in one and the really cool features of this diaper include super absorbent materials, your choice of either snaps or velcro in ONE diaper. Yes you heard it right! There is a velcro strip you can attach to the front snaps to turn it into a velcro diaper. How awesome is that? So you prefer snaps and your babysitter or significant other likes velcro, well now you can both enjoy this diaper.

The diaper fits from about 10-35 pounds. It's pretty tight on my chunky 1 year old but it still fits pretty well with a little room to grow. The diaper doesn't need to be prepped like their other diapers and inserts. It comes with two inserts. One is smaller (the booster) and is great for using on smaller babies or kids who don't produce a lot of urine. Use both inserts together and it's great for heavy wetters or even for night time!

I have been using this diaper for the past few weeks and I am really loving it. It has been lasting my heavy wetter for hours. I wish I would have gotten a few more because I love it! The velcro strip is so strong. Sometimes it's hard to pull off which is great. Just means it will last longer and better than lot of other brands. The only downside is that it's a little bulky when using both inserts but I don't mind and the baby doesn't seem to mind either. They are planned to be released May 11th.

Look how adorable it is with the matching onesie! Want to win one for your baby? Head over to our Facebook page and enter to win. Good luck!

A Big and Awesome Giveaway

2014-08-10T21:01:00.001-07:00

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Gamin Project Review and Giveaway

2013-12-16T20:07:00.003-08:00

Look how adorable they are packaged up!

I heard about Gamin Projects and the amazing thing they do and was so excited to review their diapers. For every diaper sold, they donate a diaper to an orphan in an underprivileged country. How awesome is that? You can read more about their mission and the orphanage that they donate to here.

They make one size, hybrid, fitted diapers. The outside is made of adorable knit fabrics. They have some of the cutest prints I've seen. The inside of the shell is made of super soft organic bamboo velour with a layer of organic bamboo fleece sandwiched inside the two layers making it extra absorbent.

The soaker snaps into the shell and is made of organic bamboo fleece and topped with the squishy soft velour. It has a fold down rise making it a one size diaper (similar to other popular brands of fitted diapers like Goodmama).

I tested the diaper out on my chunky 16 month old. I'm guessing she weighs around 25 pounds. The fit was great. I put it on her without folding down the rise. It was a pretty trim diaper and was very absorbent. I've tried a few other brands of fitteds and they do not compare to Gamin Projects diapers. With other diapers, I can feel the outside of the diaper damp or wet after just an hour or sooner. After an hour in these diapers, the outside was still dry. I tried to always test the diaper out for nap times and they always held up great. (With a cover on.) My daughter takes longer naps and we never had a leak in these diapers.

It's blurry but look how trim it is!

So trim and adorable!

I am loving these diapers. I am pretty amazed at how absorbent they are even though they are so trim. They are very well made and are holding up beautifully in the wash. Their diapers are $28.99 which is a fantastic price for a unique, adorable, and even organic diaper. (Most fitted diapers will cost the same or even more.) Want to win one? Enter our giveaway here for your chance to win a free gender neutral diaper! Giveaway will end Friday the 27th at 11:59pm. The winner will have 72 hours to reply to my email before I pick a new winner. Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Q & Lu Cloth Diaper Review

2013-07-28T01:22:00.001-07:00

I was asked to review Q & Lu's pocket diaper. I received a size 2 pocket diaper (which is meant for taller, chunkier babies). She makes 4 different sizes so you get the best fit possible for your baby. The outside of the diaper is PUL which makes them waterproof. The inside of the diaper is soft microfleece which helps wick moisture away from the baby.

The diaper on the biggest rise setting.

The inside of the diaper. You can see there is a pocket opening in the back of the diaper.

The diaper on the smallest rise setting.

There are 3 snaps on each of the tabs (see picture below). The top two snaps are male snaps and the bottom is a female snap. It's a little different than most diapers but I actually liked this feature a lot.

I used this diaper with a few different inserts and the results were the same. We loved this diaper! We never had any leaks. In these pictures, it is stuffed with a charcoal bamboo insert. The diaper is pretty trim no matter what insert you are using.

My baby is pretty chunky. She is about 23 pounds (or more) at 11 months old. She is on the medium snap rise, as you can see in the picture. The fit is great! The diaper is adorable and affordable.

You can find her Facebook page here. You can also see some of the other adorable diapers she's made here. She also makes fleece covers, nursing pads, and more. Go show her some love and check out everything she has to offer.

Hip Huggers Review

2013-05-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

I have been testing out this new diaper from Hip Huggers. It it a charcoal bamboo one size pocket diaper. Charcoal bamboo is becoming very popular recently and for good reason too. Bamboo charcoal is extremely absorbent and thin. (You can read more about it here.) The inside of the diaper is also made of the charcoal bamboo. It helps wick away moisture and keep your baby dry. The leg gussets are wonderful! They have contained several messes.

Here is my chunky monkey. She is 9 months old and is over 20 pounds. (I think. I actually have no idea how much she weighs but she's a chunker. I will try to get her weighed shortly and update this.) She is on the middle snap so there's still plenty of room to grow.

I told you she was chunky!

Here is my niece with the same diaper. She is a super small baby. She is 6 months old and very skinny. You can see how trim it is even on a small baby.

I am loving this diaper. Many of you know I am not a huge fan of pocket diapers, but I am really enjoying this diaper! The charcoal bamboo is very absorbent! When you first get the diaper, I would recommend washing it a few times before using it. I have found that washing at least two or three times makes the insert more absorbent. The more you wash the insert, the more absorbent it will become. You can also boil the insert (Insert ONLY!) for a little bit before throwing it in the wash that way you don't have to wash more than once. Another thing I really enjoy about charcoal bamboo is no stains : ) Everything washes off easily and since the fabric is dark, it doesn't tend to stain like white fabric.

Hip Huggers Cloth Diapers has a big variety of products. They have the diapers but they also carry wet bags, panty liners, breast pads, and even these adorable key chains! They also do custom diapers and they are SO cute! You can see them here. I know that you will fall in love with these diapers! Go show them some love on their page.

gDiapers Review and Giveaway

2013-02-02T20:10:00.002-08:00

gDiapers are probably one of my favorite diapers. Actually I can safely say, they are my favorite diapers. I first tried gDiapers when my son was about 4 months old. I loved the fit and the look of them. We bought them used and they didn't work too well. I ended up reselling them. About a year later, I ended getting sucked back into them. They have such cute prints and colors. They usually do 2 new releases a year. I fell in love right away. Not only was the diaper adorable, it worked fantastic!

My son in his first gDiaper. How adorable is that?

gDiapers are a very unique diapering system. Not like anything you've ever seen before. The outside of the diaper is cotton. There are 4 snaps on the inside of the diaper.

The liner snaps into the little gPant. It is made of breathable nylon which is waterproof.

They have a few different choices of inserts. They have gCloth which is made of hemp/cotton on the bottom and microfleece on the top. They are okay. I have heavy wetters so I usually have to double up or add a booster with them. They also have a flushable (YES flushable!) insert. This is one of the things I love about gDiapers. You can toss them in the trash (don't worry, they are 100% biodegradable!), compost them (don't ever compost poopy ones!), or flush them.

Stuffed with a flushable insert.

How awesome is that? It makes cleaning them so much easier. It's a great transition from disposable to cloth. Especially if you are nervous about the whole cleaning part of it. You can also use other inserts in them as well. Prefolds (which are much cheaper and absorbent), charcoal bamboo, even other brands (I like Flip stay dry inserts). They are velcro diapers and they attach on the back. It is perfect for little toddlers who like to undo their diapers. Having the velcro in the back makes it harder for them to get off.
These are trim and absorbent diapers. They are adorable and totally eco friendly! They come in 5 sizes. Tiny 6-10 pounds, Small 8-14, Medium 13-28 pounds, Large 26-36 pounds, and Extra Large 34+ pounds. Get ready for some picture over loads.

My daughter in a tiny g. She was about a week old here.

My son in a medium g. He was about 2 years old here.

They also make matching tees and dresses that match with the diapers. I love them! They are soft and comfortable.

gDiaper is an awesome company. Go like their Facebook page and show them some love. They are currently donating a portion of their proceeds from their new XOXO (Gift of Love) diaper to go to Hands to Heart International. Want a chance to win one? Well you are in luck! We are giving away a large Gift of Love gDiaper. Want to buy one? Check out everything they offer in their store. They offer tons of stuff including wipes, wet bags, custom Sea Bags, and even adorable sippy cups.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BabyKicks Premium Pocket Diaper Review

2013-01-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

I've been testing out BabyKicks Premium pocket diaper and I love it! It is a one size pocket diaper with side snaps. (They also have a velcro version.) It will fit from 7 pounds (YES it will fit your newborn! See video below.) to about 40 pounds. It has a water proof outer, fleece leg gussets, and a bamboo velour inner. The unique fleece leg gussets allow for air flow to help your babies bum breath. It's great for rashes and it helps regulate the temperature. It comes with a super absorbent one size JoeyBunz hemp insert. The insert is 6 layers of hemp/organic cotton jersey. You also get a stay dry liner which is great for naps, nights, or if your baby is sensitive to wetness. The pocket opening is at the front of the diaper. I love this feature especially when it's a soiled diaper. Makes clean up much easier!

The insert is a bit longer than the diaper which is great! You can fold it up to increase absorbency into the wet zone.

You can see the fleece gussets and how trim the diaper is!

On my chunky monkey who is 5 months old. It's a great fit!

I put it on my almost 3 year old as training pants. They worked great! Easy to pull down and the inside of the diaper adds a little extra absorbency for accidents.

You can buy these awesome diapers here. They are only $21.50 which is a great price for natural fibers. I think you will be very happy with your purchase of these diapers. Babykicks is an awesome company! Go like their Facebook page and show some support to a made in the USA company!

Here is the video that shows how to make the diaper fit on a newborn. It's ingenious!

1,500 Fan Giveaway

2013-01-06T11:18:00.001-08:00

Thank you everyone for being a fan! Feel free to enter any and all giveaways : ) Giveaway will end on the 22nd at midnight. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me on our Facebook page. Good luck everyone!

Medium RagaBabe (14-30 pounds)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Moraki

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rarpz

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mandi's Menaggrie

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pandora's Cardboard Box

a Rafflecopter giveaway

LoveLace Designs

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Clarks Customs

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rarpz Review

2012-10-11T23:13:00.001-07:00

I was asked to review Rarpz pocket diapers. Rarpz is a company out of New Zealand. She sent me two of the cutest diapers! One is a little shark (with a fin on the back of it) and the other is a glow in the dark Halloween diaper.

They are made of minky which is a super soft fabric. The inside of the diaper is super soft microfleece. The inserts are half bamboo and half microfiber. You fold the insert into thirds and then stuff it into the diaper. There is elastic around the opening of the pocket.

Sorry for the sideways picture

At first I was a little nervous to try these diapers out. First of all, I do not like pocket diapers. I've tried many brands and I usually end up selling them because pockets just don't work for us. And secondly, I do not like minky. As nice as the fabric is, I've found that minky really leaks and wicks around the legs. I've tried multiple brands and for some reason, minky diapers all do that for us. But that is not the case at all with Rarpz diapers! They are such great diapers! We've been using them for both kids (2 month old and 30 month old) who both happen to be very heavy wetters. We have never had a leak in these diapers. I tried them out for naps on the first day and both kids slept longer than usual. They held up perfectly.
The inserts are very absorbent. I love that they are made of two of the most absorbent materials. The inserts are easy to stuff and can hold a ton of pee! They fit perfectly on both kids. They are a tiny bit bulky on my 2 month old but it doesn't bother her and they work great. (All other One Size diapers are still bulky on her as well.)

How adorable are these Shark Pups?

On my 30 month old who is around 28 pounds.

On my chunky 2 month old. She's around 11 pounds.

Perfect for Halloween! Are these so adorable?

Glow in the dark!

I must say that these are now one of my favorite diapers. I've been set on my favorite brands of diapers for the past year and no other diaper I've tried has come close to becoming my favorite. (Trust me, I've tried a ton!) Until these came along! These are the first diapers I reach for after they come out of the wash. I can't wait to buy more of these awesome diapers!

Visit their Facebook page or their shop. They have such unique and cute diapers. They have different colors of 'Shark Pups' so even girls can wear them. They also have really cute 'Pumpkin Butts' which are similar to the Shark Pups. They do amazing custom work too.

The winner of the giveaway will receive a Halloween glow in the dark diaper. The giveaway will close on the 23rd at midnight. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to an email to claim the prize (that way you can get it in time for Halloween). The email address that I will use to contact you is the email associated with your Facebook profile so make sure you check it and our Facebook page for updates.

*Rarpz recommends washing the glow in the dark diapers in cold water to help keep the glow in the dark intact with the fabric. I have been washing ours in warm for about a month and the glow in the dark is still intact.

Click read more to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Favorite Diapers for a Newborn

2012-09-27T20:57:00.001-07:00

This was my first time cloth diapering a newborn and I had no idea what to expect so I bought a whole bunch of different kinds of diapers to try out. My son was 7lbs 9oz. when he was born. I wasn't sure if I should expect a small baby or a large one (My sister has 8-10 pounders). I mostly bought AIOs and a few hybrids. Everyone told me to not buy so many AIOs and to just buy prefolds and covers. I wish I would have listened to them. In total, I believe we had 25+ AIOs (XS BumGenius, lil Joey's, GroVia NBs, etc), 5+ fitteds (KissaLuv 0, Nifty Nappy, WAHMs, etc), 0 prefolds, a few covers, and a few hybrids (gDiapers). We had a few other sizes (smalls, mediums, and OS diapers) as well. I loved lil Joey's at first. They fit perfectly and were so cute! I had about 8 and we mainly used those and NB GroVias for the first few weeks. They both fit perfectly under her stump. Other diapers fit but went over the stump and I wasn't too fond of that. A lot of other cloth diapering moms who I've talked to have had no problems doing it though.

After about 2 weeks, my daughter started peeing a ton and most of her newborn diapers could not hold it all. I tried adding more absorbency to the diapers but she would still pee out of them in an hour. We did not get our money's worth out of all of our diapers. To be quite honest, most of the diapers were only used about twice. I bought a lot of them new and have lost a lot of money on them. If you are in the need for newborn diapers, BUY USED! Don't waste your money like I did. I ended up buying prefolds, covers, fitteds, and more size small gDiapers around this time. I stopped using our BumGenius AIOs (which didn't get much use out of them at all), lil Joeys, and GroVia NBs.
So what were my all time favorite diapers? I would say gDiapers and RagaBabes were hands down my favorites. (They are also my favorites with my son too!) I've tried a whole bunch of different brands and styles and these are what worked best for us.

My daughter was 7lbs 4oz. when she was born. She was about 4 days old in this picture sporting a tiny gDiaper. They worked great! They never leaked for us. We used their disposable inserts in them. They even fit under her cord stump too! The only thing I didn't like about them was that they gaped a little in the front. It never caused leaks but I just didn't like it and just moved her into smalls.

About a week old in a NB RagaBabe. She wore the NB size for about 6 weeks before moving into size small. I don't really have any complaints about these diapers. They are wonderful!

This is an old style gDiaper in size small. These were great when smalls were too big and tiny's were a little too small. She was about a week old here. They fit perfectly under her cord stump as well.

Here she is in a size small gDiaper around 7 weeks old. She is now moving up to size medium (or the old style mediums which work great). She has grown quickly and is getting so chubby! I have no clue what she weighs now but I'd say around 9 pounds? Maybe a bit more.

My advice? Buy more of a variety. I had mostly all of the same brands and after 2 weeks, I didn't have hardly any diapers that worked for us. Skip out on the expensive diapers and go for cheap prefolds and covers. Only splurge on a few nice diapers for daddy or on the go. Buy size smalls and even mediums. My little girl has grown out of everything SO quickly! She started wearing OS diapers at 6 weeks old. If you have any questions or are wondering about a certain brand, feel free to contact me or leave a comment. We have tried a lot of different diapers so I might be able to help and let you know what I liked or disliked about that brand.

The Silver Liner Giveaway!

2012-05-12T09:53:00.000-07:00

Enter to win a $5 code to The Silver Liners Store!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review ~ The Silver Liner Swiffer Mop Pads

2012-05-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

I was asked to review a Swiffer reusable mop pad made by The Silver Liner. I happily said yes. We have a Swiffer Mop and as much as I love it, it's expensive! The costs of the refills and the mop pads really add up quickly! I really hate wasting those pads and throwing them away into more landfills. We try to use a regular mop more often but the Swiffer is more convenient and easier to clean up little messes (and trust me we have tons of those with a 2 year old). I really like the Swiffer but I also don't feel like it cleans all too well. The mop pads are thin and don't seem to pick up all the dirt too well.
I was so impressed with the high quality of the mop pad that The Silver Liner sent me. It is made of microfiber and topped with a special fabric that is perfect for sticking onto the velcro on the mop. It stuck on the mop well and didn't come off when I was mopping. I was worried about it because our kitchen floor is really rough and is hard to mop with any kind of mop. The day I received the pad in the mail, my son dropped a plate that had a bunch of ketchup on it. I pulled out the mop and started to test it out.
I sprayed the area like normal but it didn't push all too well so I added a little bit more mop spray and it worked great. It picked up the ketchup right away and didn't smear it around at all. It seemed to work better than the disposable mop pads. I mopped the bathroom (which is tile and is smoother than the kitchen) and it worked great. It picked up the dust and lint a lot better than the disposable pads too.
I had my mom test it out too and she said she really liked it and that it cleaned a lot better than the disposable pads. My mom is weird about all my 'natural/crunchy' types of things. She is very hesitant on trying new things and is stuck in her own ways. So for her to say she liked it was a big deal : ) We both really love this and are going to order more. They are amazing!

You can see she also makes Swiffer duster refills and Swiffer dry pads which would be great for wood floors!

You can like her Facebook page here. You can buy these reusable mop pads and tons of other awesome things in her Hyena Cart and Etsy store. These mop pads are only $5 or $9 for 2. It's a great deal and will end up saving you a ton of money!

Review ~ The Silver Liner Mama Pads

2012-05-01T03:47:00.001-07:00

The Silver Liner asked me to review a panty liner and I happily agreed. The liner is flannel but she also makes them with minky (my favorite!). The liner is 8 inches long which I think is about the perfect length. There are snaps on the wings which secures it in place. The liner was comfortable to wear and breathable. It worked fantastic! I couldn't help but notice the excellent sewing skills as I was looking over it to review. You can tell that everything she makes is high quality. I've been able to wash it a few times and it still looks brand new. I would highly recommend these pads to everyone!

Some of her other mama pads she's made before. (Made with minky) How wonderful do these look?!

The Silver Liner makes a wide range of amazing products. Not only does she made awesome mama pads, she also makes wipes, wet bags, breast pads, Swiffer reusable mop pads, dust pads, duster refills, and more! Everything is priced very reasonably. An all flannel 8 inch pad (like the one I reviewed) is only $3.25. What an awesome price that is!

You can find her on Etsy, Hyena Cart, and Facebook. Make sure you go and like her today!

Heather's Naturals Hiney Helper

2012-02-23T00:04:00.000-08:00

I was asked to review Heather's Naturals 'Hiney Helper'. It is a rash cream that is safe for cloth diapers. (I personally do NOT recommend using ANY rash cream without a liner. No matter the brand, please always use a liner to protect your diapers!) Here is a list of ingredients from her site "All natural unrefined shea butter (purest form and highest grade eases skin irritations), calendula oil (antiseptic and anti fungal), beeswax (anti bacterial), almond oil (soothing to inflammation), and grape seed oil (rich in fatty acid)."

The products comes in a 2 ounce tin which is the perfect size for the diaper bag (or just around the house). It was pretty easy to get out of the tin which I didn't expect. It rubbed into the diaper area well and left the skin soft. My little guy doesn't get rashes very often any more so we haven't been able to test it on rashes very much, but the few time he did get a rash, it helped clear it up very quickly. This is a great product and a great mom behind the business!

You can check out her Facebook page. She currently doesn't have a website up but is working on getting one up. You can contact and order through her FB page.

Buns Up Baby Review and Giveaway!

2012-02-10T01:49:00.000-08:00

Buns Up Baby is a One Size pocket diaper. It has a snap down rise like most OS diapers do. It comes with one microfiber insert. The diaper I received to review is minky on the outside with a PUL (waterproof) lining, and soft micro suede on the inside. It is made to fit babies who are about 8-35 pounds.

My son is almost two and is a super skinny kid (maybe 25 pounds?). We had the best fit with the diaper snapped down all the way. That surprised me because he is usually on the second snap setting on every other OS diaper.

It was pretty trim for a OS diaper (which I usually find a bit more bulky than sized diapers). We still got a good fit with the diaper snapped down on the second snap setting. I just found it had a little droopage in the butt when it was wet.

The only down side to this diaper is that I do not think it would fit smaller babies very well. You may need to wait until your baby has some meat on their legs before putting them in this diaper. On the flip side, I do think it would fit larger babies better than other OS diapers as well. Other than that, the diaper was great! We didn't have any leaks and the fit was great. I don't usually like pocket diapers but I did like this one. I love the minky on the outside too! It is so soft.
The diapers are made in China but the Canadian based mom designs everything about the diaper. She makes sure they are perfect before they leave her door. They are only $9.99. You can buy her diapers (or even wetbags, diaper pail liners, and extra inserts) here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Heather's Naturals Heavenly Hush Review

2012-01-27T00:17:00.000-08:00

I was given the opportunity to try out a new amazing bath product! Heather's Naturals Heavenly Hush is a blend of lavender essential oils and oatmeal. It leaves your child's skin soft and has a wonderful scent to it! When I first got the package the smell of lavender was powerful. I was a little worried it would be too strong (I don't like too many scents especially strong ones) but it wasn't strong once I added it to the bath.

The directions say to add one teaspoon to the bath water and let it dissolve. I added one teaspoon but I couldn't smell anything so I ended up adding one tablespoon instead. The oatmeal never fully dissolved, however there were only small pieces left in the bath.

My son loves it! He likes to try to pick up the little bits of oatmeal and splashes around a ton. I really like this product and would recommend it to everyone! I thought it would leave more of a scent on him but it didn't. I was kind of hoping the lavender would help calm him for bedtime but nothing calms him down before bedtime. (He's always a very hyper, active boy.) The only thing I wasn't too fond of was that it left a few little bits of oatmeal (very small) in his hair. His hair is kind of long but it brushed out and wasn't a problem. I really love this product and will continue to use it at every bath!

Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted Review and Giveaway (Sponsored by All About Baby Boutique)

2012-01-19T05:33:00.000-08:00

All About Baby Boutique asked me to review a Thirsties Fab Fitted and I gladly accepted. I have heard great things about these diapers. I received a size 2 (which fits 18-40 pounds). The outside of the diaper is a super soft cotton velour. The inside is mircofleece which is a stay dry material. The soaker is microfiber topped with mircofleece.

Here is a picture of it snapped down on the smallest setting.

Here it is on the largest setting all the way unsnapped.

The inside!

A side view of the inside. You can see that the soaker is not fully attached. I love this feature because that means it dries faster and it's easier to add an additional insert!

My son has the rise snapped down all the way. He is about 25 pounds (I am totally guessing. I actually have no clue, but he's pretty small).

This diaper is SO absorbent. I love this diaper. I'm mostly an All In One kind of girl but we do have a few fitteds. This one is by far the most absorbent one we own. I love that there are two sizes to choose from and it's not your standard One Size diaper. We never get a good fit with our OS diapers but we got a perfect fit with this diaper! It is a little bulky but it doesn't bother me or my son.
I'm very confident that this diaper would be great for nights too! If you added a really great hemp insert under the opening and paired it with a great wool cover, it would be bullet proof!
Want to buy it? The awesome Thirsties fitted is only $17! Buy it here.
Want to win it? All About Baby Boutique is sponsoring a giveaway for your chance to win one for yourself! Please remember to say a big thank you to AABB for sponsoring such an awesome giveaway!

*All opinions are my own.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eco Sprout Review

2011-12-29T03:49:00.000-08:00

Washing diapers can be a very frustrating thing to do. There are lots of mamas out there who are struggling with the 'stinkies'. I was one of them almost from the beginning of cloth diapering. We have super hard water. When we first started cloth diapering, we had an OLD top loading washing machine. At first we used Arm and Hammer Essentials which got 3 out of 5 stars on this site. I only had about 3 diapers at the time and we used it for about a week or two at the most. It seemed to work pretty good at first but out of no where BAM! Ammonia stinks. It was awful.

I immediately bought some Rockin' Green because of all the wonderful things I've heard about them. I did soaks and I was happy with all the junk that came out of our cloth diapers and the things around our house (sheets, towels, etc.). At the time, we had all microfiber diapers. RnG worked pretty good at first. I was still trying to figure out my routine because I was new to everything. I read lots of things online about the best way to wash diapers. I did a cold rinse, hot wash with detergent, and 2 extra rinses. I hung my diapers up outside to let them get 'fresh air'. They didn't get much sun but I thought that would be better than drying in the dryer. About a month or so later the stinkies came back. I bought Tea Tree Oil because I heard everyone rave about how good it is. That didn't help much. I did extra rinses and even went to extreme measures like boiling all my inserts. (I didn't boil anything with PUL in it. That can ruin diapers.) I thought maybe it was my washer. Since it was so old and the apartment we lived in was older, the water never got very hot. I tried adding a pot or two of boiling water in the washer before washing them.

I kept with the RnG for a little bit longer. I bought two bags and didn't want to waste the other bag before buying a new kind of detergent. Before I could even get through my last bag, I caved and bought another detergent. Everyone raved about Lulu's in the Fluff so that was my next route. It worked great and the stinkies went away! I was so happy! Finally no more stinky diapers. There were a few times where my routine would change (traveling or I would forget a step like adding the TTO) and the stinkies would start coming back. I would soak and soak and they would go away again. Until I got into my third bag. Then BAM! They came back full force.

I was frustrated to say the least. Maybe I just had no luck. Or maybe everyone secretly went through this and just didn't want to admit it. Either way, I was about to throw in the towel. I loved cloth diapering but didn't want to have to deal with such a hassle. Rockin' Green came out with a new product around this time (Funk Rock) and I hesitantly bought a bag. I soaked my diapers overnight and hoped they would be stink free in the morning. I rinsed and rinsed until my washer sounded like a helicopter was coming through my house. Nope. No luck.

We moved into a new apartment and I bought a new washer. It was another top loading washer but it was an HE machine. I was hesitant about getting an HE because of how little water they add. With washing cloth diapers, the more water you wash with, the better. We continued our battle. I bought samples of other detergents to try and there was no change. Until we came to one sample.

I had heard everyone raving about Eco Sprout. Again, I was VERY hesitant to try it. The last detergents I tried, everyone raved about them, but they failed. Miserably. But our old detergent wasn't cutting it so I switched. I soaked our diapers in the tub overnight (and caused our neighbors below us to flood, whoops!) and rinsed like a mad woman. I was nervous to try it on my son. I couldn't handle any more stinky or red bums. I kind of sniffed his bum after an hour or two to see if it stunk. Nope! I was happy but still nervous. We used it for about a month with great success. My bag was getting low and I knew that meant the stinkies were on their way once again. Maybe I would just have to switch detergents every other month to keep them at bay. We finished the bag and started onto our second. No stinkies still!

It has been almost a year since we started using it and I couldn't be happier! I never have to soak, strip, or do anything crazy to my diapers anymore. I moved into my parents house and it took a while for me to get a nice routine down (she has a front loading HE machine that does NOT add hardly ANY water) but now that I have a nice wash routine, everything is perfect. I can not believe it took me so long (and so much hassle!) to find a detergent that works wonders. Again, I have really nasty hard water. I recommend this detergent to everyone!!! It's amazing.

My wash routine: (With a front loading HE machine)
Warm or cold prerinse with a few drops of Tea Tree Oil. I've heard people say warm is better for getting out stains and some say cold is better for stains. I kind of flip flop and just randomly choose an option : )
Hot wash with 1&1/2 to 2 Tablespoons of Eco Sprout. The more diapers in the load, the more detergent I use. (But never more than 2 Tablespoons) I wash with the longest setting I can.
The washer does two rinses and I usually do an extra warm rinse because I'm a rinse freak.
I try to hang up my diapers as much as possible but sometimes I do dry them in the dryer on ultra low heat. Super easy routine!
You can find more tips here!

*I was not paid or endorsed for this review. I simply wrote it because I love Eco Sprout and wanted to share my success with everyone. Just because a detergent didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. Everyone will have different success with different detergents and wash routines. I did not write this review to bash or talk bad about any company. I just wrote my story and what worked and didn't work for me : ) *

Oeko Popo Review and Giveaway!

2011-12-14T01:53:00.000-08:00

Oeko Popo diapers are an All In Two and a cover! They also have a sleeve to make it a pocket diaper. It is very versatile.
I was impressed when I first got the diaper. The cover is well made and is soft. They have a little white stripe around the leg gussets which help prevent leaks. The insert is soft as well and has a PUL layer on the back of the diaper to help prevent leaks. The insert is made of 3 layers of microfiber and topped with a stay dry lining. It comes in two sizes. Size one is for newborns and the early months of a new babies life when OS diapers don't quite fit yet. It fits 5-18 pounds. Size two which is more like a One Size diaper. It fits 8-40 pounds. It is such a unique diaper. I love that!

Here is a great video from the company which explains the whole diaper.

I don't usually buy OS diapers because they just don't seem to fit my LO right. I have about 2 or 3 OS diapers that have a snap down rise. I did not get a very good fit on my son. The middle setting seemed too big and baggy but the smallest snap setting was way too little all though it wasn't baggy. I really liked the insert and the idea of this diaper. It was very absorbent and worked great even though the fit was a little bit big (I have a very small baby)! The insert is a OS insert so you might have to fold it down if your baby is on the smallest snap setting.

We also used this cover over our fitted diapers. It worked great. We have never had a leak while using it! We tried our Nifty Nappy and BSRB diapers underneath. One of my Nifty Nappies is a larger cut so we used the cover all the way unsnapped and it worked great. I like that they have hip snaps but you don't have to use them. The hidden snaps are ingenious.

Using the diaper as a cover over our NN

I would definately recommend this diaper to anyone! They aren't expensive compared to other AI2. They range from $11.95 to $20.95. They offer embroidered diapers which is why they go up to $20.95. They have some seriously adorable colors and options! You can buy the diapers here.

Win a $20 gift card here!! Giveaway will end on the night of December 24th at midnight.

Top 10 Favorite WAHMs!

2011-11-21T02:51:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about some of my favorite WAHMs (Work At Home Moms) lately and wanted to share my top 10 favorites. It was hard to narrow it down. (There are SO many wonderful moms out there!) There is no particular order. I am not including diaper makers because that would make the list even harder!
1.) Crafted By Cassie. She is an awesome WAHM who makes some wonderful things. Everything she makes is high quality and she has such a big heart. Some of the things she makes are chalkboard mats (I bought my son one for Christmas! I'm so excited!!), cooking aprons and chef hats that match (they are adorable), custom nap mats, and so much more! Everything is so unique and adorable. You can see all her albums of everything she makes here.
2.) The Ruffled Cupcake. She makes some of the *cutest* headbands, bows, and hair things ever! They are not the normal kind of hair accessories you see on Facebook. They are fancy, classy, and vintage. I've bought a few things from her (I'm actually wearing one of them right now!). They are high quality and not expensive (and not just for babies!). She makes a wide variety of items. You can see all of her amazing things here and her Etsy page here.
3.) Educated Mama Decals. She makes car decals (or decals for windows and walls). I have 3 decals (and plan on ordering 2 more soon!) and I love them!! They are made very well (I've had my first decal on the car for months and they look great even through the weather and all the dirt roads I drive on.) and are fairly priced. You can see all her customs here and her HyenaCart page here.
4.) OrangePiggy's LittleDog. She makes custom wool knit pants, shorts, sweaters, and more! I found her forever ago and won a little bear. My son loved it! It was made so well. If I had the money, I would totally buy some custom longies from her. (They are on my wish list) Everything she makes is so pretty. You can see her work here. (Aren't they gorgeous?)
5.) Sugar Sweet Baby. She makes bamboo baby carrier wraps (like a Moby wrap but super cute and comfy). Someone gave me one when I was pregnant and man oh man! It was such a life saver. We went out when my baby was 3 days old. I wrapped him up and he slept the entire time we were shopping. Everyone commented on how cute the wrap was and how crazy I was for going out and about after just giving birth 3 days ago. We used it for 9 months. Almost every single time I wore him, he would fall asleep. I wore him almost all day long at our family reunion (when he was about 4 months old). It was so amazing to be able to make sure he got his naps during the day and not have to leave so he could nap. There were lots of parents there (we have a HUGE family) who had to leave so their kids could nap. He was being held and was happy the entire day. The mama behind the business is awesome as are the wraps. They are SO soft and cute! She has tons of cute prints and colors. You can see pictures on her Facebook page here and her website here.
6.) Ever Sew Clever. She makes a ton of awesome things. Some of the things she makes are reusable bowl covers (They rock. You can see my review of them here), reusable snack bags (I have one and I love it!), a ton of cute toys for the kids, and more. Everything is made very well and is reasonably priced. She also does FFS giveaways (usually on Fridays).You can see more of what she makes on her Facebook page here and her Etsy page here.
7.) Little Lady Designs. I know I don't have a girl but I have bought many things from her. She makes cute little bows and clippies for girls (and moms too!). I have given some of them to my nieces and even worn some myself (I totally rocked a turkey clippie for Thanksgiving last year. Everyone loved it). They are well made and are pretty cheap. She always does sales and even has a monthly giveaway on her Facebook page. You can see all her work here.
8.) Pink 'n Yellow Butterfly. She makes adorable hats and custom knit things. I won a custom hat last year and I'm SO glad I did. It's gorgeous and SO well made! Everyone loves his hat and always acts where I bought it. She's one talented mama! You can see all of her custom work here and her website here.
9.) Bouncing Woolies. She makes dryer balls. I rave and rave about how wonderful they are all the time (you can see my review of them here). She does some AMAZING custom work! (She needle felts them by hand, no tracing or outlining. Done all by imagination.) I have said in my review about how well they are made. I've had mine for about a year and a half with no problems. (I have her older 'yarn wrapped' styles and they are still going strong!) She's an awesome mama who puts a lot of love and time into her products. You can see her products on her Facebook page here and her website here.
10.) Cotton Cheeks. I know I said I didn't include diaper makers and even though Cotton Cheeks does make diapers, she also makes a bunch of other great things! She makes my favorite mama pads (You can see my review here), fleece pants/shorts/covers, wet bags, trainers, and some adorable dresses (her mom makes them). Everything is very reasonably priced and SO well made. I love everything she makes. You can see custom work here and her HyenaCart page here.

There are just some of my favorite WAHMs! Who are your favorites? I love finding new shops. Feel free to post a comment here or on our Facebook page and let me know who your favorites are.

What's My Favorite Diaper?

2011-10-31T02:07:00.000-07:00

I have been cloth diapering for about 16 months now. I have always loved All In Ones. I go through different stages (trying new brands or styles) but I always go back to my AIOs. They are easy! Simple as that. Maybe it's because my first diapers I tried were AIOs. They are trim, absorbent, and cute!

LO in his first cloth diaper! A BumGenius AIO. Even though the PUL was messed up (He peed straight through the diaper in less than an hour, as if it were a fitted.) I LOVED them! They were easy to use and easy to get started with. The only thing I hated about the BG AIOs were the VERY long drying time. But I still used them and bought many more.

Then our new love because our GroVia AIOs! They were even trimmer than the BG (which shocked me. The BG were very trim), just as absorbent, and the best part. Quicker drying time! YAY! I love the natural fiber (even though I would prefer to have a stay dry top) and love the side snaps. The tabs are super soft and stretchy and it seems like a very comfy diaper!

In his GroVia Nature print.

And then I found RagaBabe. I had heard tons of great things about them but couldn't justify the price. $28 plus shipping for just ONE diaper? I'm cheap. Spending that much was very hard for me. Heck, spending over $20 was hard for me. But I quickly learned, you get what you pay for. I bought plenty of cheaper diapers and they leaked and fit horribly.
After months of looking and looking, I finally made the plunge. I bought one to try out. It was a tie dye diaper. I knew I would love it just because of the way it looked. Very cute and unique. When I first got it I was excited and impressed. The cute star shaped velcro was adorable and STRONG! Way stronger than any other Velcro diapers I had. I love Velcro on AIOs. I am not sure why. Maybe because I know anyone can use it and it makes it even easier for those who are unsure about snaps (like grandmas or dads).

We tried it and I loved it. The fit was amazing. I love the wide elastic at the back of the diaper. Makes it seem like such a comfy diaper. So trim and such a cute little bum. It is very absorbent and actually has a very quick drying time. Another thing I love about RagaBabes are the stay dry lining. I have taken the diaper off my LO and even though it's wet, he feels DRY! I also love that the absorbent part of the diaper is made from bamboo rayon so you get the natural fibers plus a stay dry lining! Perfect combo.

I ended up buying two (3 if you count a newborn diaper) more as soon as I could. I actually sold most of my stash just so I could afford to buy 3 RagaBabes. Right now I have 5 AIOs and I wish I could have my whole stash RagaBabes! I usually like to have a nice variety of diapers. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a fitted or a pocket diaper or I like different prints and colors other brands offer. I like to have a big variety. Since getting RagaBabes however, I would love if my whole stash was RagaBabes! I love to buy and trade every few months but I could never even being to imagine giving up my Rags!

My little stash.

My Star Candy 2 Step

What is your favorite kind of diaper? What type of diaper do you love and prefer? Tell me your experience!

SoftBums Omni Review!

2011-08-17T15:53:00.001-07:00

SoftBums asked me to review their Omni diaper with SUPER DryTouch pods. I was very excited about it. I have heard nothing but good things about their diapers and was glad to be able to try one for myself. The Omni diaper is an All In Two, pocket diaper, AND a cover! Plus it is a one size diaper which is a HUGE plus! Their unique design makes the diaper trim for any age. (Even newborns!)

The shell is made of a waterproof layer on the outside and a micro fleece inner. There is a pocket opening (if you prefer to use it as a pocket diaper) and a snap on the inside of the diaper (to use it as an AI2). [The snap does not touch the babies skin if using it as a pocket diaper.] The elastic is soft and stretchy. There is a small hole in the front of the diaper which is where the drawstring elastic can be found (to adjust the diaper). [Video on how to adjust the drawstring elastic coming SOON!] I preferred to use the diaper as an AI2 (you get more bang for your buck if you use it as an AI2 since you can reuse the diaper more than once).

You can see that the insert is much longer than the diaper. That is actually a great feature! Not only does it mean more absorbency for your baby, but it also means that you don't have to buy sized inserts like other AI2 systems. What I do is lay the diaper down like it is shown above. Lay the baby on top of the diaper.

I fold down the insert on the baby as shown above.

Then I stretch the cover up over the insert so that it doesn't bunch up and so it goes up high enough.

Perfect fit!

It is such a trim diaper! We really like this system. We have never had any leaks in this diaper even when the soaker was very wet. I love that it is a one size diaper and that it fits your baby perfectly no matter what your babies body type is! Some OS diapers don't fit right because the rise is too short or the legs are too lose or tight but you never have that problem with the SoftBums diapers!

Another great thing about these diapers is that the cover rarely gets wet or damp like other AI2 diapers that have a micro fleece inner. The back of the insert is wide which helps prevent leaks. Since the insert folds down in the front, there is less of a chance that the cover will be wet by the time you change your baby. We have used this diaper at night and haven't had a leak! Very very amazing! (I used one pod plus the newborn insert)

I would highly recommend this diaper! You can buy it here.

"Changing Diapers" by Kelly Wels Review.

2011-08-11T21:09:00.001-07:00

I was excited for the chance to read and review this book. I love talking about cloth diapers to friends and other moms who don't know about modern cloth diapers. I have always wished there was a pamphlet or book I could give to them to help them learn more about how different cloth is today. This book is great for just that! It is simple yet detailed about everything they need to know about cloth diapering.

It took me about 2 hours to finish the whole book (with little breaks here and there in between). The chapters are short and easy to read which is great! Plus the pictures are adorable. Kelly covered everything from different styles of diapers to even using cloth at daycare! She gave great advice on everything. She also gives great websites at the end of the book which is great for moms and dads interested in trying cloth.

I think this is a must have book for every cloth diapering parent! It also would make a wonderful gift for soon to be parents. I plan on giving one to all my pregnant friends and moms interested in trying cloth for the first time.

Kelly is giving each each of my lucky readers a 50% off code! Pre-order your own autographed copy at half price here! Use the code ADDICT to get the book at half price. (The book is normally $17.95 but you can get one for only $8.97) The book will be released on October 1st, 2011.

She is also giving one lucky fan

• 1 OS diaper (Winner gets to choose either a RumpaRooz or FuzziBunz)

• 1 ”I’m a Hip Mom and Love Cloth Diapers”

Eco-Friendly Tattoo

*CLOSED*

To enter:

LIKE Ramblings of a Cloth Diaper Addict on Facebook
LIKE Kelly Wels on Facebook and thank her for the awesome giveaway!

Please leave your Facebook name!

Post a comment saying you are a fan of both pages (1 comment)

For extra entries:

1.) Follow @CDAddict on Twitter (Please leave your Twitter ID)

2.) Follow @KellyWels on Twitter (Please leave your Twitter ID)

3.) Tell me why you want to buy this book

4.) Become a follower of my blog (through Google Friend Connect which is off to the right)

(Please post a separate comment for each of entries)

If you have any problems or questions please feel to email me at addicted2clothdiapers@hotmail.com or post on our Facebook page.

Giveaway will end the night of August 29, 2011

Ever Sew Clever Bowl Covers

2011-07-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

I recently bought some reusable bowl covers from Ever Sew Clever and I LOVE them SO much that I am going to be reviewing them : ) They are made of a cute cotton print on the outside layer and a food safe material (water resistant nylon ripstop which is PVC and BPA free!) on the inside. There is also an elastic band to hold onto the bowls for a tight fit.

Here is my custom set she made for me. I sent her the fabric (it matches my kitchen set). I was very impressed with how well it is made. I also bought a snack bag and it too is made very well! Didn't it turn out perfect? I explained what it is to my husband and he seemed interested. The first night we got them we used them on our left overs. Husband was the one to clean up and he told me that they were "Really neat" and that we "Should get more"! How awesome is that? He doesn't really like my whole 'save money by reusing' stuff so I was really shocked that he liked them. He is set in his 'easy' ways (Disinfectant wipes instead of unpaper towels and all purpose cleaners, etc) so I was really blown away that he liked these.

I ended up buying more of these because I love them so much! They keep your food fresh and they are a TON easier to use that plastic wrap. That is why my husband love them so much. He HATES trying to use plastic wrap. It always sticks together and he can't pull it apart but then doesn't stick to the bowls, you know how it is. It's a pain in the butt and expensive!

These are cute and last a long time! All you have to do is wipe it out or wash them in your washer (NOT dishwasher) after you are done using them. SO easy and simple. I let mine air dry and it doesn't take long for them to dry either. She makes them in whatever fabric you want (she has a LOT of cute fabrics here) and makes them in small (6 inch bowls), medium (8 inch bowls), or large (10 inch bowls). I have found that even my larger sizes can fit smaller bowls. The prices are $6.50 (sm), $7.50 (med), and $8.50 (lrg) which is a great price for something you will be using everyday over and over again!

You can find her Etsy page here. Her web page here. Her Facebook here.

Just Imagine Tutu Review

2011-06-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

I got the tutu in the mail and I fell in LOVE! It is gorgeous and sparkly! It fits 12-24 months old. The waist is super soft and stretchy. The length of the tutu is 7 inches (from where the tulle starts to the bottom of the tutu).

The colors are SO bright and vibrant. I am in love with the glitter too. It is SO much cuter in person (I'm sorry I do not have my nice camera to take pictures with).

It is very well made. I looked all around at the tulle and it is on there very securely.

The adorable peace sign bow is unattachable! How awesome is that?! You can attach different bows or flowers onto the front and make it look like a brand new tutu every time you put it on.

I tried to get a close up of the tutu so you can see the glitter. Again, sorry for the crappy camera. You can also see how well made it is. Isn't it just so adorable?! I LOVE it!

Here it is on my LO. It fit pretty well. My LO is 15 months and 22 pounds so VERY skinny. It fit well but had TONS of room to grow. I think it adorable! The length is perfect. Not too short or too long.
You can buy a tutu here and they start out at $15. A tutu like this one is $20. She even makes tutu's for adults. How cool is that?! You can view her price and size list here. All prices are very reasonable!

Ramblings of a Cloth Diaper Addict

GroVia O.N.E. All in One Review and *Giveaway*!

A Big and Awesome *Giveaway*

Gamin Project Review and *Giveaway*

Q & Lu Cloth Diaper Review

Hip Huggers Review

gDiapers Review and *Giveaway*

BabyKicks Premium Pocket Diaper Review

1,500 Fan Giveaway

Rarpz Review

My Favorite Diapers for a Newborn

The Silver Liner Giveaway!

Review ~ The Silver Liner Swiffer Mop Pads

Review ~ The Silver Liner Mama Pads

Heather's Naturals Hiney Helper

Buns Up Baby Review and Giveaway!

Heather's Naturals Heavenly Hush Review

Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted Review and Giveaway (Sponsored by All About Baby Boutique)

Eco Sprout Review

Oeko Popo Review and Giveaway!

Top 10 Favorite WAHMs!

What's My Favorite Diaper?

SoftBums Omni Review!

"Changing Diapers" by Kelly Wels Review.

Ever Sew Clever Bowl Covers

Just Imagine Tutu Review

GroVia O.N.E. All in One Review and Giveaway!

A Big and Awesome Giveaway

Gamin Project Review and Giveaway

gDiapers Review and Giveaway