Bring on the mama cloth, I finally have somewhere to put it!

Jan 19,2011 / By Maria / 17 Comments

>I don’t know if you remember my post asking where you keep your “supplies,” but we previously had zero space in our half bath, and I was trying to figure out what to do/where to keep stuff. I am so excited that we’ve finally updated our half bath to new, more modern decor and I have storage space now, woo-hoo!

My husband received Lowes gift cards for Christmas, and I received one to Bed, Bath and Beyond. We went to Lowes to get salt for our water softener, and they had a gorgeous vanity with granite top and under mount sink for half price! We got that, some beaded wainscot, trim and other things, and spent around $200 for the update (money we received as Christmas gifts.)

Here’s a reminder of what the bathroom looked like before:

I chose the towels/rug ten years ago, so I think it was time for a change. My tastes have definitely changed since then!

We’re not completely done yet, we need to paint over some caulking, put some knickknacks on the shelf, and I’m working on some modern artwork for the side wall.

I’m so excited! I was just hoping for an above the toilet storage thingie, and I got this! I can’t get over how nice it looks, and I’m so proud of my hubby for getting it (mostly) done!

So, yay! Now I definitely want to start getting some mama cloth now that I have somewhere to keep it. Though, can you imagine if someone decided to snoop in there? That surprise would serve them right, hee hee!

If you use mama cloth (I swear I’ve asked this before but I can’t remember?) what is your favorite brand?

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Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

GoGreen Champ Pocket Diaper Winner

Jan 19,2011 / By Maria / No Comment

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205 people entered this giveaway with 472 entries total!

The winning entry is #178, which is Brittany P. Congrats Brittany, I’m emailing you now!

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GroVia All-in-Two Review & Giveaway courtesy of Bippy Diapers (CLOSED 1/25)

Jan 18,2011 / By Maria / 14 Comments

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Bippy Diapers sells cloth diapers, accessories and Moby Wraps, and they sent me a GroVia AI2 in blackberry to review. I’ve been curious about GroVia (love GroVia wipes) but haven’t had a chance to try one until now.

GroVia diapers come in snap or aplix closures. The aplix closure diapers have tuck under laundry tabs. I did find them a little tough because the loop to tuck under is made of the same soft, but grabby material as the front of the diaper, so they wanted to grab on!

soaker with elastic and attached doubler

The GroVia pack I received (includes a shell and insert) is being discontinued. In the future you will have to buy the shell and insert separately, but Bippy Diapers still has the sets in stock while they last! Bippy Diapers sells the sets for $20.95, or shells alone for $16.95.

The GroVia shell is waterproof and the organic cotton soaker is backed with TPU as well. The soaker also has its own elastic, for an additional defense against blowouts. If the shell is clean, you can re-use it by snapping in a new soaker. If it’s damp, let it air dry between uses. If it’s soiled or very wet, you will of course need to wash it!

The GroVia is one-size via a snap down rise, and is estimated to fit babies from 8-35 pounds.

You don’t have to worry about a Velcro strip rubbing baby’s belly because there isn’t one! The whole upper front of the diaper is soft fabric that the tabs will stick to.

I think the blackberry is a nice purple; not too girly for a boy!

Here’s the diaper on the small setting, folded and stretched:

Medium:

Large:

The medium setting fit well on my 21ish pound little guy. Yes, I realize I have it closed crooked. Diapering this child is like trying to diaper an angry donkey sometimes! I actually really like Velcro closure diapers for this reason, I’m much faster with them than with snaps! Despite the uneven closure, I didn’t have any trouble with the fit or leaks!

Bippy Diapers sells other AI2s, plus AIOs, Pockets, Covers and accessories. Items new to the store include Bumgenius brights, GroVia prints and Moby Wraps. They offer free shipping on regular orders over $50, and flat $5 shipping on discounted orders, or orders under $50.

Giveaway: Bippy Diapers is offering one of my readers a GroVia set in their choice of boy, girl or gender neutral color (Bippy Diapers chooses the color.) ARV $20.95.

Here’s how to enter: All entries go in the form below. I love your comments (leaving a comment is a good way to remind yourself you entered), but comments don’t count as entries! Mandatory entries include name, email address and what else you’d like to try from ~~Bippy Diapers~~ ~~. You can receive a bonus entry if you “like”~~ ~~Bippy Diapers on Facebook~~.

I will accept entries until Tuesday, January 25th, 2011 at 9:00 P.M. Eastern. 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.

# of entries received as of January 25th at 8:55 P.M.: 300

https://spreadsheets.google.com/embeddedform?formkey=dFl2WFdYUXBxMFBTeS03blpaa00tM0E6MQ

FTC compliance: Bippy Diapers sent the above product at no cost, for review purposes. I was not otherwise compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

Mailbox Mondays 1/17/11 – Wet Bag/Pail Liners and Washing Natural Fibers

Jan 17,2011 / By Maria / 4 Comments

Every Monday (if I receive submissions, that is!) I will answer reader submitted questions in my Mailbox Mondays post. Questions don’t have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with “Mailbox Mondays” in the subject!

Tamara says:

I have a question! I meant to get it in in time for submission today, but alas, life got in the way. So…..Which side of the pail liner do you put toward the diapers? I have a planet wise pail liner, one side is the shiny PUL and the other side is the fabric. I’ve always put it in the pail so that the diapers are touching the shiny side. But, I had a friend of mine ask if that was right and it made me wonder….. I investigated and noticed that the tag is on the fabric side and I know that sometimes manufacturers recommend putting a drop of essential oil on the tag so then I was confused. Does that make sense? What do you do? Does it matter? Have I been doing it wrong this whole time?

Diapers do go on the shiny PUL side, so you are doing it correctly!

Whamies Pail Liners have a patch of fabric at the seam for essential oils, but as far as I know, Planet Wise’s tags are just for brand identification and laundering instructions. If you’re having trouble with smell, you might try keeping the pail open a crack. It seems counterintuitive, but I find that air circulating actually helps with the smell. Washing every 2-3 days at most helps of course too!

Hope this helps!

Stephanie says:

Hi Maria!

I was wondering if there was any rule of thumb about washing microfiber inserts with natural fibers. If so, do you have any recommendations?

Thanks! 🙂

—
Stephanie

When you get a new diaper or insert that is made from natural fibers, wash it separately to prep per the manufacturer’s instructions. For example: a hemp product may say to wash and dry it 2-3 times before use. This will remove the natural oils and get it ready to use. It will continue to gain absorbency up to 10 washes.

Once you have prepped it, there’s no issue washing them with your microfiber products!

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Friday Giveaway Linky Giveaways Linky

Weekly Friday Giveaway Roundup for January 14th, 2011

Jan 14,2011 / By Maria / 4 Comments

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It’s time for the weekly cloth diaper giveaway roundup. Every Friday, I link to cloth diaper/accessory and baby wearing giveaways I’ve found. Each post is also accompanied by a linky where you can enter any giveaway, as long as it’s family friendly.

If you’d like your cloth diaper, baby wearing (etc.) giveaway featured, send a link, description and photo (if you have one) to maria at change-diapers.com.

This week’s giveaway finds:

My GoGreen Champ Pocket Diaper Giveaway ends 1/18

My Thirsties Duo Wrap and Hemp Prefold giveaway ends 1/20

This week’s giveaway is a Bumgenius Diaper Sprayer

Punkin Butt Organic Wipes Solution Concentrate and Bottom Balm from The Mommy Goods and All About Baby Boutique (ends 1/23)

Bummas Wipes from The Momccupation Mandatory GFC follow and Facebook like. (ends 1/22) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Nana Pants by Betsy Diaper from Goodbye Disposable, Hello Cloth Mandatory GFC follow (ends 1/31)

Rumparooz Lil Joey from Diaper Junction and Monkey Tales Mandatory GFC follow (ends 2/1)

Bummis Tini Fit from Mama Chocolate Mandatory GFC follow (ends today, 1/14)

FlufflyRumps Custom Fleece Cover/Longies from Cloth Diaper Addiction (ends 1/19)

GoGreen Pocket Diaper from Leaves of My Tree (ends 1/18)

GoGreen Champ Pocket Diaper from Modified Momma Reviews Mandatory GFC follow and Facebook “like” (ends 1/31)

GoGreen Champ Pocket Diaper from Mommy is Green (ends 1/27)

Thirsties Duo Wrap and Duo Hemp Prefold from on Frugal Lady (ends today, 1/14)

Tiny Tush Elite Pocket Diaper from Happenings of the Harper Household Mandatory GFC follow (ends 1/24)

Dinkledooz Diaper from GoGoNatural and Cloth Diaper Addiction (ends 1/17)

AMP Diaper from Adventures of the Domesticated Mama (ends 1/24)

Applecheeks Diaper from Simply Stacie (ends 1/24) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Bummis Cloth Diaper Kit from Terraloving (ends 1/31) Entry is through a Facebook app, which requires you like the Beterra Facebook page.

Sweet Pea One Size Diaper Cover from Dirty Diaper Laundry (ends 1/24) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Nicki’s Best Bottom Diaper from Simply Stacie (ends 1/24) open to the U.S. and Canada

Bumbledoo Mama Cloth from SaPsMaMa (ends 1/22)

Bambino Mio Intro Kit from Childish Notions and Simply Stacie (ends 1/26) Open to Canadians only

Bumwear Training Pants from Kelly Wels (ends 1/21)

Wool Wash from Sweet Violet’s Mama and Etsy Cloth Diapers (ends ?)

Knickernappies Custom Fit Diaper (ends 1/19)

Homegrown Mommy wipes from Real Mom Reviews Mandatory Facebook “like” and Facebook comment (ends 1/27)

$10 Abby’s Lane GC from Fabulous Family Reviews & Giveaways (ends 1/27)

$15 Abby’s Lane GC from Luv My Two Girls (ends 1/20)

$20 Thanks Mama GC from Crazy 4 Fluff Mandatory GFC follow (ends 1/21)

AMP Diaper from Simply Stacie (ends 1/27) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Bummis Wet Bag from Simply Stacie (ends 1/27) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Thirsties Duo Diaper from Monkey Tales Mandatory GFC follow (ends 2/5)

Giveaways still running from last week:

Boba Carrier from Guessing All The Way (ends 1/18)

Better for Babies Hemp Diaper and Doubler from Your World: Healthy and Natural Mandatory GFC follow (ends 1/17)

Tiny Tush Elite One Size Pocket Diaper from One Little Mister (ends 1/24)

My Baby’s Green AIO from The Not So Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom (ends 1/25)

Comfy Rumps Diaper from That Mama Gretchen (ends 1/31) Open to the U.S. and Canada

GoGreen Champ Pocket Diaper from Go Long Go Green Mandatory GFC follow and Facebook “like” (ends 1/20)

GoGreen Pocket Diaper from Life With My Littles Mandatory GFC follow (ends 1/18)

RagaBabe Easy AIO Diaper from Kelly Wels (ends today, 1/14)

Sleepy Wrap from Born 2 Impress (ends 1/20)

Tiny Tush Elite One Size Pocket Diaper from The Not So Secret Confessions of a First Time Mom (ends today, 1/14)

$10 GC to Go Green Diapers from Arizona Mama Mandatory GFC follow (ends tomorrow, 1/15) Open to the U.S. and Canada

$10 Abby’s Lane GC from SAPsMaMa Mandatory GFC follow (ends today, 1/14)

You may enter any family friendly giveaway in the linky below. The form Blog name – Giveaway Item – Ending date is good. Please at least include the item and end date, and link directly to the giveaway.

Check out where I list my giveaways to find more great places to link up your giveaways!

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