Monthly Archives: Nov 2010

Friday Giveaway Linky Giveaways Linky

Weekly Friday Giveaway Roundup for November 19th, 2010

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giveaway

It’s Friday, which means it’s giveaway roundup time, when I will post cloth diaper and babywearing giveaways that I’ve found, or that readers have submitted. The post will be accompanied by a linky where you may enter any family friendly (no “adult” products please!) giveaways, they do not need to be diaper related.

If you have a cloth diaper/accessory/babywearing giveaway you would like to be featured in the next giveaway roundup post, please email a link, blog name, giveaway title, end date and photo (if applicable) to maria at change-diapers dot com. I want to keep the featured giveaways to cloth, accessories & babywearing only please.

This week’s giveaway finds:
The Cloth Diaper Whisperer

Funhog Felts Wool Dryer Balls from Marlie and Me (ends 12/2)

Bummas Wipes from Marlie and Me (ends 12/3)

Pooters Pocket Diaper from Marlie and Me (ends 12/4)

Kawaii Snazzy minky Diaper from Life of This SAHM (ends 11/26)

Babykicks 3g Pocket Diaper from Baby Dickey’s Giveaways Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/27)

Planet Wise Medium Wet Bag from The Not So Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom Mandatory GFC follow (ends 12/4)

Planet Wise Wet/Dry Bag from Bum Covered Diapers and It’s Me Melbie Mandatory GFC follow (ends 12/2)

Happy Heinys Pockets Diaper from Nature Bumz and The Cheap and Choosy (ends 12/12)

Rumparooz One Size Diaper from Kelly Wels Mandatory GFC follow – I think?  it’s listed as entry method #1, but doesn’t say it’s mandatory! (ends today, 11/19)

Applecheeks diaper from Life With My Littles Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/28)

Katydid Cloth Diaper from Diary of Momma Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/23)

Kawaii Pocket Diaper from Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique and The Cheap and Choosy (ends 12/15)

GoGo Green Wet Bag from Mommy’s Blessings (ends 12/3)

Nifty Nappy Wool Longies from Biehl Adventures (ends 11/23)

Baby K’Tan pink baby carrier from Mama to 4 Blessings Mandatory GFC follow (ends 12/11)

Bunzoo cover from Cloth Diaper Addiction Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/22)
Doopsy SD Diaper from Life with my Littles Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/30)

Doopsy SD Diaper from Luvs Jurn (ends 11/25)

NykiBaby One Size Pocket Diaper in Mint Chocolate from Monkey Toe Diapers and Etsy Cloth Diapers (ends 11/24)

FuzziBunz Perfect Size Diaper from Thanks Mama and The Cheap and Choosy (ends 12/17)

Babee Greens Organic Cloth Diaper from Children Teaching Mama (ends 12/6)

Giveaways still running from last week:

Babee Greens Wool Diaper Cover from Crunchy Beach Mama Mandatory GFC follow OR Facebook Like (ends 11/22)

Boba Carrier from Born 2 Impress Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/28)

FuzziBunz O/S Pocket Diaper from Thanks Mama and Mama to 4 Blessings Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/24)

GoGreen Pocket Diaper from The Girl is A Mom (ends 11/24)

Babykicks 3G Pocket Diaper from Chubby Cheeks Thinks (ends 11/26)

$10 GC to SweetBottoms Baby Boutique from Chubby Cheeks Thinks (ends 11/26)

$10 Bumbledoo Gift Certificate from SAPsMaMa Mandatory GFC follow (ends tomorrow, 11/20)

Mother-Ease Diaper & Cover from This Mama Loves Her Bargains (ends today, 11/19)

Katydid Cloth Diaper from The Cheap and Choosy (ends 12/2)

Kissaluvs Marvels AIO from Hip Tips For You Mandatory product review OR Facebook Comment (ends 12/1)

Wool Dryer Balls from The Cheap and Choosy and Tree Huggin’ Mama (ends 11/25)

You may enter any family friendly giveaway in the linky below. The form Blog name – Giveaway Item – Ending date works well. At a minimum, please include the item and end date, and link directly to the giveaway.

Please view my post on where I list my giveaways to find more great places to link up!

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Giveaway Natural Personal Care Products Review

Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste Review & Giveaway (CLOSED 11/22)

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Tom's of Maine

I’ve been a Bzzagent for several years now, and my most recent campaign is for Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste.

I try to buy natural products for my kids whenever possible, but there really hasn’t been room in the budget to “green up” my own health & beauty routine.  Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste contains fluoride (which I know some people avoid) and also contains sodium lauryl sulfate.  It does not contain alcohol, or any artificial ingredients.  It’s easy to find in “big box” stores nationwide, and it’s available in both Cool Peppermint and Spearmint Ice flavors.

tom's of maine box

Tom’s of Maine is cruelty free, with no animal testing or animal ingredients, no artificial colors, flavors, fragrances or preservatives.  They share every ingredient, it’s purpose and it’s source on their website.  Sustainable practices are a priority for their business, and they maximize the recycled content and recyclability of their packaging.  They dedicate 5% (12 days) of employee time to volunteering, and 10% of their profits go to human and environmental goodness.
 

tom's of maine box 2

 
My daughter, husband and I used the sample size boxes, which were all cool peppermint flavor.
 

tom's of maine wicked fresh

The toothpaste had a natural looking color, slightly gritty texture, and a natural, almost herbal-y (not sure how else to put that!) mint flavor.
 

tom's of maine toothpaste

 
After I brushed, my teeth didn’t have quite the same slick clean feeling that I’m used to, but after I flossed and used my mouthwash, they felt very clean.  I didn’t notice any extended freshening though!  The suggested retail price for a 5.2 ounce tube is $4.19.  I’ve been CVSing (yeah, I used it as a verb) for about three years now, so I haven’t paid any “real” money for toothpaste since before then.  The Tom’s of Maine toothpaste really isn’t much more than other brands, but for someone not used to paying for toothpaste, it’s a lot!!
 
Giveaway: I am sending the full size, 5.2 ounce tube to one of my readers. 
 
Here’s how to enter: All entries go in the form below.  Simply enter your name and email address.  Post will be updated with the # of entries received.  I’d love for you to leave a comment, I’m always interested to hear what products others use.  Keep in mind that comments don’t count as entries.
 
I will accept entries until Monday, November 22nd, 2010 at 9:00 P.M. Eastern.  This is a short one.  I will select a winner using random.org’s true random number generator and notify him/her by email.  Winner has 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is chosen.  View my giveaway rules page for complete details.  This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S.
 
Entries as of November 22nd at giveaway close: 78
 
https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dGY2S3NyQ2dKM0hqdnJmNDB5Qnd6Z1E6MQ

FTC Compliance: I received the above samples at no charge as a Bzzagent.  All opinions are my own.

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Composting Eco-Friendly/Green Review

Nature Mill Composter Update

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tomato plant august 24

If you missed my Nature Mill Composter review, I bought one at a tidy discount, as my birthday gift to myself.  I may have been eating PB&J and grilled cheese on my birthday while my husband was in Italy, but I was having fun with food waste, tee hee.

The photo above was our tomato plant on August 24th.  We’ve been using the composter and have transferred and used the compost several times in the past 3 1/2 or so months.

Below is the same plant on September 4th, after putting some compost around it:

tomato plant sept 4

After building our house, we had nearly an acre to seed, but we couldn’t afford to pay someone to do it for us.  Some of it was coming in nicely, but we had areas where it just wouldn’t take root it seemed.
 

grass aug 24

This is one of those areas on August 24th.  My husband had tried tilling and seeding it many times before with so-so results.  He threw some more seed down, but also spread some of the compost on the area.  Here’s what it looked like on September 8th:
 

grass sept 8

 
The difference really is striking, the compost made all the difference in the world.
 

grass close up sept 8

 
The composter was pricey, but it’s awesome to have this rich compost right at our fingertips, and to be keeping all that food waste out of the landfill!

FTC compliance: This composter was purchased at a discount.  I was not requested or required to write a positive review.  I was not asked to write an update post, all opinions are my own.

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Mailbox Mondays

Mailbox Mondays 11/15/10

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email me
Every Monday, I will answer user submitted questions in a “Mailbox Mondays” post.  They don’t have to be about cloth, anything you’d like to ask me is fine!  I love to answer cloth questions when asked, but if you’d like your question to be answered in a MM post, send it to Maria at change-diapers.com with “Mailbox Mondays” in the subject.
Sara Says:
Maria,

I’m using cloth wipes full time now, and am wondering if you have any suggestions on where to put them for ease of use and if you use a solution? Right now my wipes are by the bathroom sink where I can get one wet when I need to change someone. It doesn’t work to have them on the changing table (top of the dresser with pad) due to lack of space, boys kicking them off the dresser, etc. I’m always trying to think of different places to do/put things to make it easier. Thanks so much!

~Sara

I think that cloth wipes are a must have when you cloth diaper!  When I first switched, I was using up some disposable wipes I had, and what a pain to remember to pick them out and throw them away. 

I change most of my son’s diapers downstairs in the family room, so I just keep diapers, wipes and solution on a ledge by the couch. 

cloth diapers

The wipes are just in a stack, nothing fancy, but you can also fold them to pop up in a wipes container.  I made a quick video if you aren’t familiar with how to do it:

Upstairs, I have just a few diapers and a handful of wipes (plus solution) in a drawer.  It’s rather messy, I just have them stuffed in where I keep nail clippers, comb etc. 

cloth diapers

If you don’t have drawer space, and you don’t have space on your dresser/changing table, I love the idea of a small shelf mounted on the wall, right above the dresser/changing table.  You can get inexpensive ones that are very basic but do the job, or you can get stylish, decorative ones that match your decor.  A small shelf just big enough for a few diapers, wipes and solution can be used later to store knick knacks, keepsakes, stuffed animals or decorations.

Speaking of solutions, I really liked the Thirsties booty luster I reviewed, but I’m cheap frugal, so I’m just reusing the bottle right now.  I’ve used booty cubes, Ruby Moon Wipes Bits and Lil Outlaws Rump Solution as well.  I use mine in a spray bottle, so my lasts seemingly forever.  I’ve used a booty cubes sample pack, I still have some Ruby moon bits left, and I’ve barely made a dent in a single pack of Lil Outlaws bits, so it’s very cost effective for me.

I spray directly on my son, then wipe, so I use very little.  Now that it’s gotten cold again, I’ve been spraying the wipes, which takes more solution to get the job done.  The cold spray didn’t bother him last year, but it seems to this year!  If you make the solution and pour it over your wipes, you will of course need more.

I have seen some amazing setups where people have this beautiful, neatly organized shelf with all of their diapers, covers, prefolds and so forth arranged just so.  For me, the best setup/storage is out of reach of my kids!

How about you?  How do you store your stuff?

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Friday Giveaway Linky Giveaways Linky

Weekly Friday Giveaway Roundup for November 12th, 2010

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giveaway

It’s time again for the Friday giveaway roundup, where I will post cloth diaper and babywearing giveaways that I’ve found, or that readers have submitted. The post will be accompanied by a linky where you may enter any family friendly (no “adult” products please!) giveaways, they do not need to be diaper related.

If you have a cloth diaper/accessory/babywearing giveaway you would like to be listed in the next giveaway roundup post, please email a link, blog name, giveaway title, end date and photo (if applicable) to maria at change-diapers dot com. I want to keep the featured giveaways to cloth, accessories & babywearing only please.

This week’s giveaway finds:

wool diaper cover

Babee Greens Wool Diaper Cover from Crunchy Beach Mama Mandatory GFC follow OR Facebook Like (ends 11/22)

fluff event

Marlie and Mommy is offering advanced entries into her Fluff and Stuff (ing) event which starts next week.

The Cloth Diaper Whisperer

Boba Carrier from Born 2 Impress Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/28)
Giveaways still running from last week:

$11 GC to Wee Little Changes from The Cheap and Choosy (ends 11/29)

Sleepy Wrap from Mama Dweeb (ends 11/17)

Beco Mini (doll carrier) from Familylicious Reviews Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/14)

Beco Mini (doll Carrier) from Sugar Pop Ribbons Mandatory GFC follow AND Facebook “like” (ends 11/16)

$10 Bumbledoo Gift Certificate from SAPsMaMa Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/20)

Rethink Crafts Diaper Cover from Sugar Pop Ribbons Mandatory GFC follow (ends today, 11/12)

Mother-Ease Diaper & Cover from This Mama Loves Her Bargains (ends 11/19)

Apple Cheeks Little Bundle from Mama B Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/17)

BabyKicks 3G Bumboo Pocket Diaper from A Mom’s Take (ends today, 11/12)

Katydid Cloth Diaper from The Cheap and Choosy (ends 12/2)

$100 Diaper Junction Gift Cerfiticate from The Cloth Diaper Report (ends today, 11/12)

Kissaluvs Marvels AIO from Hip Tips For You Mandatory product review OR Facebook Comment (ends 12/1)

Mother-Ease AIO from Mama to 4 Blessings Open to the U.S. and Canada, Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/18)

Go Green Pocket Diaper from Luvs Jurn (ends 11/17)

Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag from Chubby Cheeks Thinks (ends 11/18)

$25 Gift Card to Thanks Mama from Luvs Jurn (ends 11/18)

DyPeas Pocket Diaper from Familylicious Reviews Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/14)

BabeeGreens Diaper from Familylicious Reviews Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/14)
Ergo Baby Carrier from Familylicious Reviews Mandatory GFC Follow (ends 11/14)

Planet Wise hanging wet/dry bag from Monkey Tales Mandatory GFC follow (ends 11/18)

You may enter any family friendly giveaway in the linky below. The form Blog name – Giveaway Item – Ending date works well. At a minimum, please include the item and end date, and link directly to the giveaway.

Please view my post on where I list my giveaways to find more great places to link up!

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