Author Archives: Maria

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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 Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Rockin’ Green Detergent Winner!

Apr 22,2010 / By / No Comment

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Random.org has spoken and lisha is the winner!
Lisha, I couldn’t find your email address in your profile or in any of your comments.  Please contact me at change.diapers.change.the.world at gmail dot com or I will have to choose another winner. 

Thanks and congrats!
The New winner is Kelly!
New rules for giveaways.  I will do a little hunting for your email address.  I know sometimes we can forget to put it in a comment.  However, if it’s not in your comment, not in any other comment you’ve made on  my blog, not in your profile, and you don’t have a blog I can comment on, I’ll choose another winner without trying anything else to track you down.
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Eco-Friendly/Green Giveaway Handmade Items Made in the USA Reusable Products Review

Spotgirl Cloth Napkins Review & Giveaway CLOSED 5/1

Apr 21,2010 / By / 145 Comments

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Over the years, we’ve cut way back on the amount of paper products we use.  Everyday cloth napkins have been on my list for a while.  For most people, disposable products are a big expense, and switching to reusable can save them a lot.
Not so for us.  The last time I bought napkins was 6 months ago.  It was two packs of 180 napkins, and we still have about 120 left.  So, we used 240 napkins in 6 months.  That’s around 10 napkins per week.  We only use one every few days (we used dish cloths, towels and wash cloths in place of paper products), but whenever we have guests over, the napkin holder is emptied quickly.
In October, I paid $3.00 for 360 name brand napkins, and that’s more than I usually pay.  So, at less than a penny each, it would take a long time for cloth napkins to pay for themselves.
Since my son has been eating solids, we’re more likely to reach for a napkin to clean up spills if we’ve forgotten to grab a washcloth before we start.  I know I could just put some wash cloths in the napkin holder, but darn it, I want them to be pretty!  I had been looking for a while and I knew that napkins that fit what I was looking for weren’t going to be cheap.  When I saw the napkins that Spotgirl had for sale on Etsy, I had to get them.
The print was awesome.  The first I had seen that I really, really liked (and I’ve been looking for a while).
They are double sided.  Three have dots and three have stripes.
They are topstitched, so the edges stay flat with no ironing.  The stitching is absolutely impeccable.
The woven cotten fabric is soft, but durable.  I am sure the color will start to fade and the fabric wear over time, but not like cotton flannel or other fabrics.
The napkins are 12 x 12, making them the same size as a paper napkin when folded.
They look great on my table!
The napkins are sold in sets of three for $9.00, plus $3.00 shipping.  I bought two sets, so the shipping for the second set was just $1.00.  No outrageous shipping charges.  The net cost for each napkin was $3.67.  That’s less than two packs of napkins on sale.  I wouldn’t be surprised if a family of four went through a pack of napkins every week or two if they’re accustomed to using them at every meal.  For me, this was a splurge purchase (and a save the earth purchase), but I am certain they could save other families money.
My daughter was really excited when she saw the colorful package in the mail!
I was so excited to get these, it definitely felt like a present!
Spotgirl also has a personalized stationery store, so it was neat to get a little thank you card.  But what I realized when I took it out of it’s sleeve is that it was blank inside, so I can use it as a thank you to someone else!  So really, it was a thank you and a sample rolled into one.
Want some?  Shop Spotgirl on Etsy or her stationery store spotgirl.net.
Want to win it?

Spotgirl is offering up a set of three cloth napkins in the Little Owls print.

Sweet owls on a chocolate brown background, backed with pale lime polka-dots.

These napkins are 100% mom tested! We use ours every day as lunchbox napkins or snack time place mats. Ideal for lunches on the go, especially picnics at the playground.


Napkins are double sided, making them extra durable. Top stitching ensures that edges stay flat – no ironing required! Cotton fabric has been pre-washed and becomes softer and softer with every use and washing.


Set of three: one for lunchbox or table, one for the cupboard and one in the wash. Napkins measure 12 x 12″ square.


You will feel good about using these adorable napkins over and over again. I hope you like them as much as we do!
 
Here’s how to enter:
 
1. Comment on this post.  Anything you like.  Flattery gets you everywhere with me, but it won’t help you win this giveaway.  😉
2. Follow my blog publicly.  Current followers count.  Comment saying you’re a follower to get your entry.
3. Fan me on Facebook.  Current fans count.  Comment saying you’re a fan to get your entry.
4. Fan spotgirl on Facebook.  Comment saying you’re a fan to get your entry.
5. Follow me on Twitter.  Current followers count.  Comment saying you’re a follower to get your entry. 
6. Tweet about this giveaway.  One tweet/entry per day.  Comment with a link to your tweet to get your entry.  (Please be sure to include @chgdiapers and a link to this post)
7. Write a blog post about this giveaway and link to it. Post a comment with a link to your post for your entry.
8. Add spotgirl as a favorite shop on etsy.  Comment that you added her as a favorite to get your entry. 
 


I will accept entries until Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at 9:00 P.M.
 
I’ll use random.org’s true random number generator to select a winner, then notify the winner via email.
 
Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment if it isn’t in your profile
 
Thank you to spotgirl for providing the napkins for the giveaway!

Edit August 2010: We are still using these napkins daily and love them!!

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Baby Food Made in the USA Natural and Organic Food Review

Happy Baby Organic Finger Food for Babies

Apr 20,2010 / By / 2 Comments

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I’ve made baby food for both of my children, but commercial finger foods still come in very handy when kids are learning to self feed.  Easy to pick up and melt in their mouths quickly, letting them get used to picking things up and “chewing.”
Happy Baby Food wasn’t available when my daughter was little (at least, not in my area!).  I ended up redeeming points through the Stonyfield Farms rewards program for coupons.
The stores where I shop price the puffs between $3.19 and $3.29 and the yogurt melts between $3.49 and $3.69.  Toys R Us also sells this brand in my area.  It looked like the prices for the puffs were maybe 50 cents higher than Gerber (but contain 40% more product).
The puffs remind me of Gerber’s puffs, except that Happy Baby doesn’t add sugar (they’re sweetened with 100% fruit juice & have half the sugar content of Gerber).  They have apple, banana and greens flavors, and they come in green packaging. 
The puffs are made with organic whole grains, fruits and vegetables and are fortified with vitamins and minerals.  The whole ingredient list for the banana flavor is: organic rice, organic whole oats, organic wheat, organic apple juice concentrate, organic whole grain brown rice, organic wheat starch, organic banana; vitamins and minerals: ascorbic acid, citric acid, di- and tri-calcium phosphate (calcium), mixed tocopherols (vitamin e), ferric orthophosphate (iron), vitamin d3, niacin (vitamin b3), zinc oxide, d-calcium pantothenate (vitamin b5), riboflavin (vitamin b2), thiamin mononitrate (vitamin b1), pyridoxine hcl (vitamin b6), vitamin b12, folic acid
I chose the banana mango flavor yogurt melts, but they also have Strawberry and Mixed Berry flavors.  We’ll try those later once my son has been introduced to all of the ingredients.  Gerber also has yogurt melts, but since they weren’t around when my daughter was a baby, I haven’t tried them. I compared the nutrition content to Happy Baby’s and it was pretty similar, except that Happy Baby was a bit higher in protein and some vitamins, as I can recall. They are also organic.

Oh.  Em.  Gee.  These things are so good.  I could eat a whole bag myself (if they weren’t so darned expensive).  Especially since there’s only 120 calories in the whole bag!  They’re organic and contain live, active cultures, but no preservatives, chemical fertilizers, or genetically modified ingredients.  There’s also no soy, gluten or wheat, and they’re sweetened with organic cane juice.  They’re freeze dried and melt quickly in baby’s (or Mommy’s) mouth.
The whole ingredient list for the banana mango flavor is: Vitamin D fortified culture pasteurized organic nonfat milk, organic banana, organic evaporated cane juice, organic mango, organic tapioca, pectin, organic locust bean gum, inulin, natural flavor, live and active cultures streptococcus thermophilus, bulgaricus, lactobacillus acidophilus, B. lactis, lactobacillus paracasei, lactobacillus rhamnosus.
I’ve also seen the baby food pouches at Toys R Us and the cereals at a few stores.  They also make Happy Tot Pouches, Happy Bites Meals and Happy Baby frozen food cubes.  I missed the boat on that one, I had that idea as I was making my daughter’s food 4 1/2 years ago!
If you sign up for the newsletter, you can receive coupons for Happy Baby products when they send the newsletter about every three months.
In conclusion, I would like a truck load of Happy Baby yogurt melts to be delivered to my door.  :-p
Last minute addition:  After I wrote this (but before I published it) I spent a bunch more time on their site.  I’m still a big, fat chicken when it comes to contacting companies, but I thought some of you (me included) might be interested in more of their products.
Happy Family is sponsoring a very generous review and giveaway (unfortunately not a truck load of yogurt melts!), so you will definitely want to stay tuned for that in a few weeks!  I think I may turn the review into a play date/taste test!
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Cloth Diapers Diaper Covers Fitted Diapers Made in the USA Natural Fiber Diapers One Size Diapers Review Snap Closure Velcro/Aplix Closure Wool

Little Beetle Little to Big Diaper and Wool Cover

Apr 19,2010 / By / 12 Comments

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I’ve been really getting into using wool and fitteds at night, so when betterforbabies.com told me they were sending me a Little-To-Big Beetle diaper and a Little-To-Big Organic Wool Cover, I was really anxious to try them.
No doubt what I pulled out of my mailbox was what I’d been waiting for!
Better For Babies sells natural and organic baby products including diapers, covers, soaker shorts, trainers and other accessories. 
Better For Grownups sells reusable facial rounds, sateen tissues (really want to try these!) and family cloth, all crafted from fair trade organic cotton.
As the package says, the diaper is 100% organic, fair trade cotton, and is sweatshop free!  They’re actually made in the U.S.A. wow!
That’s the first time washing instructions have made me giggle.  Tee hee!
The orange is adorable, and the diaper is super soft and squishy.
Nice velcro closures.  Thus far, they are actually easy to get off of the laundry tabs, but still stick to them in the wash.  I have too many that I struggle to free from the grasp of the laundry tabs, but in the washing machine they’re all like “Meh, whatever, we don’t like you anyway,” and become besties with 3 other diapers.  Gah.
The velcro strip on the front of the diaper had that funny, stiff feel/sound like the Rumparooz.  I actually debated taking a video of me crinkling it, but decided that would be a little weird, ha ha.  Once I put the diaper on him though, it wasn’t stiff and didn’t dig into his belly.  I think it must just be whatever the velcro strip is backed with making that sound.
This diaper is a one size (6-36 pounds) and it’s the first one size fitted I’ve owned that has the snap down rise for sizing.  Love this.
The diaper comes with a soaker and a foldable “beetle booster.”
One thing I found really unique is that the soaker is sewn in, just at one point on each side of the middle.  So, no matching up soakers or snapping them in after washing, but it’s not sewn all the way into the diaper, allowing for better cleaning & easier drying.  You can slip the booster out to fold it and place in where needed (wet zone), or you can tuck it under the soaker to be held in place.
At first glance, it seems a lot smaller overall than other one-size fitteds, even all the way unsnapped.
Actually though, it just seems that way because the elastic is drawn a bit tighter.
Fully stretched, they are just about the same size.
Snapped on the smallest rise setting and unstretched, they are quite small.  I don’t doubt they really would fit on a 6 pound baby!
I used it on the medium setting on my little guy (who is about 16.5 lbs and 27.5 inches).  It fit wonderfully, and I think he could wear this setting for a while.
This was so easy to put on him.  I love my other fitteds, but this is so much more Daddy friendly.  My hubby gets really frustrated by the soakers to pull up and fold over and adjust, rises to fold over and rows and rows of snaps.
I folded the booster in half, placed it in the wetzone, and used the diaper coverless the first time. It was the last diaper before bed and he hadn’t uhh,  “used the facilities” by the time I put his night time diaper on him.
Because the soaker is in the middle of the diaper (it’s very trim too!) rather than being snapped into the back, his tush wasn’t fluffy like I’m used to.  I actually joked that it was weird to be able to feel his hiney through the diaper instead of a mound of fluff!
The next time I used it, I put fleece pants over.  He wore it for a good two hours and it was fabulous! 
I also tried it with the Little-To-Big Organic Wool Cover.
The cover is 100% organic merino wool and fits 6-36 lbs.
It’s mamajammin, yo.  I feel like I’m looking for Waldo.  I don’t want to miss anything funny on the packaging.
Yeah, Mother Nature is a smarty pants, but who figured out we could shave the wool off the sheep and make diaper covers out of it, huh?  Who’s the smarty pants now, huh?
100% USDA certified, organic wool.
I received a cover with snap closures, though both the diapers and covers come with your choice of snaps or velcro.
I think velcro on the diaper and snaps on the cover are the perfect combo, especially since my son has figured out how to open velcro!  Better For Babies said “we find it’s good to pair one closure with the other…snaps and aplix lining up exactly against one another can cause a funny fit.”  You can overlap the snaps for a smaller baby.
The cover has the same snap down rise size adjustment that I love.  It’s especially nice on a cover since you may need a slightly bigger cover to go over a diaper with a higher rise.
The first time I used the cover, I used it over my Licorice Lane Fitted.
It’s so nice to be able to adjust the rise on the fly, depending on the diaper you have on under it.
The cover didn’t really add any bulk.
So cute!!
I of course also used it over the Little Beetle Little-To-Big diaper as well.
The snaps are so easy to do.  With some others, the snaps can be really “sticky.” 
Better for Babies told me that the “snaps do have to be opened and closed gently (since the 100% organic Merino wool doesn’t have any synthetics), but it’s easy to do so.”  That makes me wonder if these are intentionally easier to undo, to avoid yanking on the wool. 
I do wish the rise snaps were just a tiny bit “stickier” though.  I sometimes inadvertently pop a rise snap on any diaper, usually when I am pulling the diaper to adjust it as I’m putting it on.  With the cover, I did it about 3 times in a row and really annoyed myself.  I’m sure it is just a learning curve with that.  I also popped one somehow with him on my hip.  That seems to be my only “complaint” though!
This was really trim over the super trim diaper!
I love that both the diaper and cover will fit babies from “Little-To-Big.”  They may be a bit of an investment, but they will last.  I also love that they are completely natural, with no synthetic materials at all and that they’re socially conscious as well.  See this diaper on my newborn.
Thank you so much to Better For Babies for sending them to me to review!  Of course, my love can’t be bought with diapers, so the freebies in no way affected my review! 
Check out Better For Babies and Better for Grownups.  I’d love to hear what products interest you, and what else you’d like to see me review.
(also see BFB on Facebook, BFG on Facebook, BFB on Twitter and BFG on Twitter!)
Edit August 2010: Although fitteds aren’t really my favorite (I prefer pocket diapers) this is so, so trim, and soft and squishy, I can’t help but love it!
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Giveaway Review

Inspired by Finn Baltic Amber Jewelry review and giveaway/discount! CLOSED 5/2

Apr 18,2010 / By / 162 Comments

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Inspired by Finn sells Baltic amber and hazelwood jewelry, including the beautiful teething necklace I was given to review.
The first time I heard “amber teething necklace” I thought people must be nuts.  Then, I learned about the benefits of Baltic amber.  I figured out that no, people weren’t allowing their children to chew on jewelry.  When Baltic amber is worn on the skin, the skin’s warmth releases trace amounts of healing oils from the amber. These oils contain succinic acid and are absorbed into the skin.
Read more about the benefits of Baltic amber and check out the available shapes and colors.
I asked Inspired by Finn to choose the shape, color and length of my son’s teething necklace for me.
It came in a cute gift box.

All jewelry is lead-free and phthalates-free and it meets all US legislative testing (CPSIA) requirements for children’s jewelry.

Each bead is individually knotted and while it isn’t “stretchy,” it does have a tiny bit of “give” to it.  It will break if pulled, which is good for safety’s sake.  Even so, I, personally, did not put the necklace on my son for naps etc.

The necklace has an easy to use, secure closure.

After I took these photos, I tucked the necklace under his shirt, so it was in contact with his skin.

The necklace is absolutely beautiful, and I want one for myself, if only because it is so pretty!
I couldn’t resist taking this photo, he gave me the biggest grin when he saw the camera!

My husband says he looks like a hippie, and the cashier at Old Navy thought he was a girl.  My mom said it was because of the necklace, but several weeks ago, a Dad at the park told me he was “too pretty to be a boy” because of his big brown eyes and long lashes, LOL.  I think he looks adorable!

I can’t really say whether it has eased his teething pain.  However, since he started teething, he has never really napped. 

After wearing the necklace, he napped for an hour and a half!!  So  yeah, I love my Inspired by Finn teething necklace!
Want it?  Buy it.  Use coupon code BLOG68  for 20% off your entire order!

Or, win it!  Inspired by Finn will send the winner of this giveaway one item 16 inches or SMALLER that is in stock.

How to enter:



1. Visit Inspired by Finn’s store and select the item (16″ or smaller and in stock) you would like to receive (mandatory entry).
2. Follow my blog (current followers count). Comment saying you’re a follower to get your entry.
3. Fan me on Facebook (current fans count). Comment saying you’re a fan to get your entry.
4. Blog about this giveaway and link back to me. Comment with a link to your blog post to get your entry.
5. Follow me on Twitter.  Comment saying you follow me.
6. Tweet about this giveaway.  Comment saying you did so, to get your entry.  1 tweet/entry per day.  “RT @chgdiapers Enter to win an Inspired by Finn Baltic Amber teething necklace (or other jewelry) until 5/2. http://bit.ly/98R6Ub #giveaway”


Note: Inspired by Finn has a Facebook page now.  It would be awesome if you beame a fan, but I can’t add an entry option for that this late in the game, since it wouldn’t be fair to those who already entered.


I will accept entries until Sunday, May 2nd at 9 P.M. EST.  I’ll use random.org’s random number generator to choose a winner. Please make sure to leave your email address in your comment if it isn’t in your profile.

Thank you to Inspired by Finn for providing the products for the review and giveaway.  The freebie in no way influenced my review.

Edit August 2010:  We stopped using this when my son kept lifting it from under his shirt, over his chin and putting it in his mouth.  I have been wanting to buy a short one but haven’t yet!

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