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Maria is an aspiring "fit mom" of 3 children, writing about cloth diapers, going green, and her life as a single mom. Maria works with many companies within the cloth diaper industry and beyond, providing social media management, product development, and other services.

Giveaway!

Mar 13,2010 / By Maria / 11 Comments

>I have no idea if anyone has stuck with me through this stomach virus, if you have, bless you. Round 2 1/2 is almost over I hope. I think it’s thoroughly unfair that mothers aren’t immune to these illnesses!

If you are still reading (I have over half a dozen posts in the works!), I have a giveaway for you.

This FuzziBunz Comfort Pads for Mom Combo set was free with a coupon code when I placed a $49 online order recently.

Why should only babies have the comfort, dryness and leak protection of the best selling FuzziBunz diaper? Now moms can have the same dry, super absorbent and flawless comfort that they have for their babies in a reusable menstrual pad! Put some “Comfort” into an uncomfortable time with the easy to wash, stain resistant, and leak proof Comfort Pads only from FuzziBunz Diapers.

Materials: 100% micro fleece (top layer)
100% polyester laminated (waterproof bottom layer),
85% polyester 15% polyamide (inner layers)

Size: 6″ L x 6.75″ W (15cm L x 17cm W)
8″ L x 7.25″ W (20cm L x 18cm W)
10″ L x 7.25″ W (25cm L x 18cm W)

These are obviously sealed, unused and unopened. Sorry for the rotten photos, stuff wrapped in plastic is a beeyotch to photograph.

Here’s how to enter:

First entry: Leave a comment stating the one item you’d most like to see me review. It doesn’t have to necessarily be diaper related, just any “natural” item that you’re interested in, would like to try or would like to know more about.

Second entry: Write your own blog post, or post in an appropriate group (no spamming!) about my giveaway and link to my post. Comment with a link to your post for your entry.

Third entry: Follow my blog. Comment stating you are a follower.

Fourth Entry: Become a Facebook Fan of Fitteds and pockets and snappis, oh my! Comment stating you are a fan to get your entry.

I will accept entries until Friday, March 19th at 7 PM, EST.

Please make sure I have a way to reach you, either through your public profile, your own blog, or by posting your email address.

Allow me up to one week to ship your loot to you after confirming your address.

Uncategorized

Drool Drool!

Feb 26,2010 / By Maria / No Comment

>I want this diaper!! I’m so in love with that print!

You need flash to view their website and I can’t link directly to the item, but I really want to try one of their night time diapers with the optional zorb added. I just prefer a cute print over the utilitarian look.

Here’s the info:

Diaper Mechanics:

Outer: Bamboo Rayon Fleece

Hidden: Bamboo Rayon Fleece

Inner: Bamboo Rayon Fleece

Styling: This diaper is turned and top stitched for your baby’s comfort

Soakers: 2 snap in soakers each made from 3 layers bamboo fleece with an extra Precision Doubler
(2 layers of bamboo fleece plus 1 layer of wool) for extra coverage

Size:
Original: Fits from 10-24 lbs
Toddler: Fits from 25-35 lbs

They are awfully pricey, but worth it if they work!

*edit* turns out that Mama sent that fabric in herself. The maker can make a nightime diaper with a knit outer though. I might see if I can get in on the turquoise ooga co-op!

*edit again* Between the co-op turnaround and the diaper turnaround, it would be 2-3 months before I got the diaper. If I can find some in-stock fabric I like, I will buy a diaper cut and a custom slot. Otherwise, I might go ahead and buy one of the utilitarian diapers!

Cloth Diapers Diaper Covers Fitted Diapers Inserts Made in the USA Overnight Diapering Solutions Pocket Diapers Retailers Review Sized Diapers Velcro/Aplix Closure Wool

DryBees Fleece Night Diapers

Feb 25,2010 / By Maria / 9 Comments

I’ve been hunting for a night diapering solution that won’t leave clothing and sheet soaked in the morning.

I had been using a Bumgenius 3.0 on the large setting (we use medium during the day) with an insert and 3 doublers. It was working OK I suppose, though usually my son’s pajamas were wet on the back right above the diaper.

Since it’s winter, he’s also been using a fleece sleep sack. That has helped somewhat, since it at least keeps the sheet dry.

Lately however, he’s woken up even wetter. All the stuffing also sometimes causes a gap at his leg. He often rolls onto his side to sleep, which caused him to pee right out of the leg gap, soaking everything and waking himself up!

I’ve been looking for something else to try. Enter DryBees.

I bought a DryBees Fleece Night Time diaper from Abby’s Lane. I found a coupon code for 5% off, got free shipping, had $3 in my Paypal account from a survey, and Abby’s Lane included a free microfiber insert. not bad for $15.52!

I really liked the charcoal color, but they didn’t have the size I needed, so I bought sage. I chose a medium, which should fit 14-22 lbs.

The outer is heavy weight Malden Mills Windpro fleece and the inner is suede cloth.

The inner is definitely stiffer and rougher than the micro fleece inner most of my other diapers have.

I tried the diaper on Saturday during the day, just to see how it fit. I used just the microfiber insert it came with, and it was great. It fit fine and didn’t leak.

I tried it overnight on Sunday. I stuffed it with the microfiber insert it came with, a Blueberry bamboo doubler and two hemp doublers. It was a tight squeeze into the pocket, which is tighter than the Bumgenius pockets.

It didn’t seem any bulkier than the BG I usually over-stuff at night.

The next morning, his back was wet, but the inserts weren’t completely soaked. I thought maybe it was user error? I quickly washed & dried them to try again Tuesday night. Wednesday morning, he woke up with EVERYthing soaked. Pajamas, sleep sack, sheets, everything. The microfiber insert was not soaking wet but the hemp was. That made me suspect that it had something to do with the hemp being up against the fleece.

Wednesday (last night), I tried again. First, I tried to use the microfiber insert it came with, along with 3 microfiber doublers (two from Happy Heiny’s and one from FuzziBunz).

I actually couldn’t fit all that in the pocket, so I ditched one of the HH doublers.

I fit it all in the pocket!

Fluffy and squishy, but no leg gap!

This morning, all the inserts were soaking wet, and so was he.

So, I’m trying other things! I ordered a Heartland Dreams fitted, a Kissaluvs Wool Soaker and Eucalan Wool Wash (click that link for info on requesting a free sample. I’ll post about wool when I get that stuff.

I also ordered Knickernappies LoopyDo and SuperDo inserts. I’ll figure this out yet! I’m guessing I will end up having to use multiple super inserts along with a wool cover!

November 2010 update: I gave up on this diaper; so many people love it but it just didn’t work for us. Here’s what worked for us at night, after a lot of trial and error:

Dypes by Dixon Sweet Slumber Fleece Diaper or a Bumgenius pocket, stuffed with a Superdo insert, a loopydo with an added natural fiber doubler, or a regular microfiber insert with a natural fiber doubler. I always put the microfiber in the pocket on the baby side and the doubler underneath (or in the middle of the loopydo.) This allows the microfiber to quickly absorb liquid, and the doubler locks it away (yes, I feel like a paper towel commercial.)

What has also worked for us is a super absorbent fitted, like the Guerilla Fluff Utilitarian with a night-time wool interlock soaker over top.

Cloth Wipes Diaper Accessories Wet Bags & Pail Liners

Planet Wise Wipes

Feb 22,2010 / By Maria / 8 Comments

The color is a little weird on the photos in the next few posts. When you have munchkins you gotta do what you can when you can. Thusly, I had to take photos when it was getting dark, plus the mountains of snow we still have outside make things look awfully weird.

Anyway, I’ve been looking for an on the go wipe solution for a while. I don’t change tons of diapers while out and about, so the plastic cases tend to allow the wipes to dry out before I use them all. I also think they’re really quite bulky for the amount of wipes in them.

I like the little 10 packs of wipes that just come in a pouch with a resealable sticker closure, but I can’t find 10 packs anymore!

In my wish list post, I was wishing for the Planet Wise wipe pouch but it was out of stock forEVER.

I FINALLY got it! Yippee!!

I’m wondering if it was OOS so long because it was changed slightly. The photos I saw before had it zippering on the long end, but what I got zippers on the short end.

They are stacked and then folded, making the pouch full of wipes really quite trim.

They are really quite thin, and single ply. However, folded in half, they are about the same as the double thickness wipes I made out of burp cloths. When you think about it, you don’t want them to be too thick, or you will have a big brick of wipes in your diaper bag.

They seemed to shrink in size a good bit after washing, and fluffed up a little bit. I folded each one singly knowing that if I didn’t, I’d end up yanking them all out at once trying to get one.

With all ten wipes in the pouch, it was quite fluffy, probably as thick as a plastic travel wipe case. Of course, you can smoosh it if you need to!

The very first photo in the post shows it with just 5 wipes in it.

When I’m out and about, I take my wet/dry bag with diapers and wipes. I usually leave this in the car, unless I’m going to be in a single place for a while (like when we go visit my parents). This will work just fine to tuck it in the dry section.

The thing I love about Planet Wise bags is that they won’t wick, not even from the zipper (as long as you have it locked closed). So, you can mix up some wipe solution, dunk and wring the wipes, and put them in the wet bag. Stick the wet bag in with your clean diapers without worrying about getting them all wet!

This brings me to my dilemma (I’m so good at making a long-winded post even more long-winded!) When we’re at home, I just use a squirt bottle. I’ve been looking for a small travel size squirt bottle, but I have several issues. First, even the smallest travel size squirt bottles are pretty large, as well as expensive (in my opinion anyway, $3 for a squirt bottle??) Then I’d have to worry about it getting squished/crushed, dropped or leaking. It takes me so long to go through wipe solution in the squirt bottle, that it would probably get kind of icky after a while.

So, I could pre-moisten the wipes instead. I have some issues with that too. I might go a whole week without changing a diaper away from home, then next week I may use 6 travel wipes in a single day. If I pre-moisten them, I’ll be using a lot more solution. Would I pre-moisten all 10, or just 5 at a time? Would I then wash them all when I got home, or would I just wash the ones I used and then freshen up with new solution?

Would I wash the whole shebang once a week or so to keep it fresh? I don’t want to over wash and cause more wear than necessary. I don’t want them to sit and get icky, but then I don’t need to add one more step to getting everyone ready and out of the house either (storing them dry and moistening before we leave)!

I’ll have to just play around and see how it goes. This is the hardest part for me. I need a plan darn it! It’s so hard to just figure things out as I go.

In any case, I still really want to find the little 10 wipe pouches of Lansinoh (my favorite, they smell so good and are so compact!) Pampers, or Huggies wipes to keep in my purse for emergencies. If you see any of the smaller count pouches anywhere, please let me know!

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Author Archives: Maria

Giveaway!

More posts coming

Drool Drool!

DryBees Fleece Night Diapers

Planet Wise Wipes

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