Smartipants Little Smarti Newborn Cloth Diaper Review & Giveaway (CLOSED 7/12)

Jul 5,2011 / By Maria / 22 Comments

My Smartipants cloth diaper was one of the first diapers in my stash. I bought it in December 2009 when I had only been cloth diapering for about two months. After 8 months in use, it turned out to be one of my favorites!

I’ve been curious about the “Little Smarti” Newborn Cloth Diaper since they came out. Made by Smartipants, but newborn size, all-in-one style, and Velcro closures. I was a little surprised though that a single Little Smarti retails for $17.95, vs $14.95 for a one size smart sleeve diaper. I generally expect newborn diapers to be less expensive than their one-size counterparts.

While the smart sleeve diapers come in over a dozen colors, the newborn diapers come only in “think pink”, “aqua breeze” and “bright white.” I thought the aqua was a pretty color, and also suits a boy or a girl (not that it really matters, they’re diapers after all.) I would love to see some more gender neutral color options though!

Though the Smartipants snap closures are pretty simple as far as snaps go, I love that the newborn diaper has Velcro closures. They are incredibly easy to use and the laundry tabs held tight during my initial wash.

The Little Smarti has leg and rear elastic, as well as a sewn in (all in one) microfiber soaker under the stay-dry inner.

While the one-size Smartipants diaper fits babies approximately 7-35 pounds, the Little Smarti fits 5-12 pounds, and fills that gap between birth, and when most one-size diapers start to fit.

Here is is compared to the Smartipants O/S diaper on the smallest setting:

Here is the newborn diaper measured folded and stretched:

As usual, here is my newborn model, pictured also in newborn and size 1 disposable diapers, so you can compare:

Finally, here he is in the Little Smarti:

Of course, I haven’t gotten to try the diaper on a newborn for fit and absorbency, but this diaper is the same great quality I know from my Smartipants O/S, and I expect it to perform as great as it looks. I do wish these diapers were a little less expensive, and came in a few more colors! See this on my newborn.

Giveaway: Smartipants is offering one winner a Little Smarti Newborn AIO Cloth Diaper in his/her choice of Aqua Breeze, Think Pink or Bright White. (ARV $17.95)

Here’s how to enter: All entries go in the form below. I love comments (great way to remind yourself you entered) but comments do not count as entries. One entry per person please (not per day.) If other members of your household enter, I ask that they enter for themselves and that you do not enter on anyone else’s behalf.

Mandatory entries include your name, email address and what color diaper Smartipants should add next.

You may receive a bonus entry if you “like” The Smartipants Fan Page.

I will accept entries until Tuesday, July 12th, 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. only.

# of entries received as of giveaway close: 351

Loading…

FTC compliance: I received the pictured product at no cost in order to review it. I was not otherwise compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own. This post does not contain affiliate links.

Disclosure: This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, nor associated with Facebook. By entering, you release Facebook from any responsibility and understand that the information entered on this form will not be disclosed to Facebook.

0

Natural and Organic Food Review

Fage Greek Yogurt Review

Jun 28,2011 / By Maria / 15 Comments

When my daughter started eating solid foods (she is almost 6 1/2 now) I made an effort to feed her wholesome foods, making my own baby food (for both kids) and buying organic whenever I could. My husband and I started making a conscious effort to eat more “real food” and less processed, artificial foods, sweeteners and flavorings. Being a new mom, I was also struggling to lose the baby weight, and I ended up discovering that real food was much more satisfying than “diet” foods, and helped me get fit and feel great.

Previously, my yogurt of choice was a light yogurt with artificial sweeteners and flavors. When I started buying plain, whole milk yogurt for my daughter, I discovered how darn delicious and filling it was. A friend turned me on to Fage Greek Yogurt, and before I knew it, I couldn’t stomach the fake stuff anymore. I tried a while ago, and I actually gagged and had to throw the rest of the yucky stuff away!

A few months ago, I caught a sale on Fage, and I grabbed all kinds to sample (I’ve been buying the plain 2% for a few years now!) I consider it a bit of a treat since it’s rather pricey (I’ve seen it as low as $1.69-regular price, all the way up to $2.09 for a single cup.) A good sale is when they are 4/$5, or $1.25 each. Still rather spendy if you ask me! However, if you “like” the Fage Facebook page, they often have coupons that make it an absolute steal (as in 25 cents per cup when it’s on sale!)

Anyhoo, the yogurt comes in classic (whole milk, this is what we fed my son when he started eating solids/dairy), 2% and 0%/non-fat. I’ve tried other Greek yogurt; I’ve even made my own homemade yogurt, but none compares to Fage. Greek yogurt is yogurt with active cultures, which has had most of the whey removed, giving it a thick texture and slightly tart flavor. It takes 4 pounds of raw milk to make one pound of Fage Greek Yogurt!

The final product is thick and packed with protein.

Check your packages for the most up to date nutrition info, the information listed on Fage’s website varies slightly from what I have here (which is based on the packaging.) Sorry for the blurry photos!

The whole milk version is a 7 ounce cup and contains 260 calories, 20 grams of fat and 14 grams of protein. I loved this for my son since he definitely needed the fat and calories, but it’s a bit much for me!
The 2% version (my favorite!) is also a 7 ounce cup, and contains 130 calories, 4 grams of fat and 17 grams of protein.
The non-fat version is a smaller package (6 oz) and contains 100 calories, 0 grams of fat and 18 grams of protein.

If you’re not into totally plain yogurt, they have 5.3 oz split cups with a smaller portion of yogurt, and a little bit of fruit in a tiny cup. They come in all 3 versions (whole, 2% and 0%) and come in cherry-pomegranate, blueberry acai, mango guanabana and strawberry goji (non-fat) strawberry, peach, cherry and blueberry (2% and whole), as well as a version with honey in the little cup. I haven’t tried the honey version (makes more sense to get more yogurt for the same price and add my own honey, since I eat these at home instead of “on the go”), but I’ve tried most of the others. I’m not actually a huge fan of fruit in yogurt, something about the texture bugs me (especially if there are seeds, yecccchhhhh…) but I like the peach, and my daughter likes them all! I try to hide them but she always finds them. 🙂

Of course, the split cups don’t pack quite the same nutrient punch as the plain versions, but they still put “regular” yogurts to shame. Again, nutritional info I list here is based on the packages I have (sorry again for the blur.) Double check on your packaging since my info is slightly different than Fage’s website. Each flavor varies a bit in sugar content etc. but calorie, fat and protein content is largely the same.

The whole milk fruit cups contain about 210 calories, 12 grams of fat and 8 grams of protein.
The 2% fruit cups contain about 130 calories, 2.5 grams of fat and 10 grams of protein.
The non-fat fruit cups contain about 120 calories, 0 grams of fat and 11 grams of protein.

The versions with honey of course have higher stats.

If someone who was used to processed, artificial foods tried this, I’m not sure they’d like it plain. If you already enjoy whole, natural foods, you may love it! If you’re somewhere in between, the versions with fruit are perfect.

You could dip your spoon in the fruit, or flip it over and squeeze it on top. The package says not to stir, but my disobedient daughter stirs hers anyway. 😉

My absolute favorite (as in I savor it and practically lick the cup) is the 2% Fage with a drizzle of light agave nectar on top. Ohhhh my…so good. The protein keeps you full, and it makes a fantastic snack!

I love Fage and I hope you will grab some if you see it at your store. Just save some for me!

FTC compliance: I paid normal retail prices for all pictured/mentioned products. I was not asked to write this post, I was not compensated for writing it, and all opinions are my own.

0

Bottombumpers One-Size AIO from Mom’s Milk Boutique Review & Giveaway (CLOSED 6/28)

Jun 21,2011 / By Maria / 19 Comments

I first heard of Mom’s Milk Boutique shortly after starting my cloth diapering journey. Of course, they have lots of cloth diapers, but they also sell tons of accessories (wipes, solutions, creams, detergents, dryer balls etc.), carriers, wraps, nursing accessories, skin care, Haba toys and so much more! U.S. orders over $25 get free shipping every day and they use eco-friendly EcoEnclose polymailers. They have a gift registry, affiliate program and a brick & mortar store for those of you in Southern Illinois. (Please note that while I have an affiliate link to Mom’s Milk Boutique on my affiliates page, links within this post are not of the affiliate variety!)

Mom’s Milk Boutique sent me a Bottombumpers one-size all-in-one cloth diaper to try. I received the buttercup color, but they also have colors like black, cherry, pumpkin, espresso, and a gorgeous cobalt blue (among others!) The one-size diapers retail for $22.95 and the limited edition prints are $2.00 more.

The package included a Bottombumpers business card, which had handy washing instructions right there.

They have gentle, but effective leg elastic, and a soft inner lining.

The Bottombumpers is a really trim one-size diaper, thanks in part to the side snap closures (which also makes them nice to use in the early stages of potty training.)

What makes them far trimmer than other one-size diapers (in my opinion) is the unique size adjustment, which is inside the rear of the diaper, under the soaker. To picture what you’re looking at, the elastic you see at the top of the photo is the rear elastic of the diaper.

The soaker has two parts (better cleaning & quicker drying) that are 2 layers of organic cotton each, and it’s topped with 2 layers of super-soft bamboo velour (6 layers of absorbency total.) The soaker snaps to the white snaps in the rear of the diaper, so it covers any unused size adjustment snaps.

On a side note, I consider this an all-in-two (AI2) since it has a snap in soaker (Bottombumpers recommends removing the soaker for laundering.) However, some people consider a diaper an AI2 only if the shell is reusable. You will see this style marketed & sold as both an AIO and an AI2, it depends on the company. I don’t think it matters what they call it, as long as you know what you’re getting. I was mighty confused the first time I received an “all-in-one” that looked like this. As a cloth diaper newbie, I had only seen AIOs with sewn in soakers and AI2s (or fitteds) with snap in soakers!

There are 4 size adjustments. The top (white) snap is what the soaker snaps to. The green snap is the male snap used to adjust the size. The blue snap is newborn/small which fits about 8-15 pounds. The orange snap is small-medium or 12-20 pounds, yellow is medium/large or 16-28 pounds (the size my 23 pound 2 year-old is using) and unsnapped is large/x-large for 25+ pounds.

I’ve measured each setting folded and stretched, but as always, it’s not an exact science! 🙂

Newborn/small:

Small/medium:

Medium/large:

Large/extra-large:

I did notice that the difference between sizes is a little more subtle than some other diapers. Here are the sizing snaps on the Bottombumpers compared to another brand with 4 rise snaps, so you can see that they are a bit closer together:

I put my 23 pound, 2 year old son in the medium/large setting. This seemed to be a great fit for him. He still wears a lot of mediums, but I’ve had to move him up to some larges, just in the past few weeks.

He has lots of room to grow, and I think he could probably fit in the small/medium setting as well!

To make a long story short, this diaper was on my son the other day, while Daddy was on diaper duty (I took a blissful solo trip to the grocery store!) I typically change him every 2-2 1/2 hours (or sooner) but this ended up on him far longer than that! It is very absorbent and we didn’t experience any leaks!

Mom’s Milk Boutique also has Bottombumpers Sized Side snapping AIOs and Bottombumpers Sized Hook & Loop Closure AIOs

Giveaway: Mom’s Milk Boutique is offering one winner a Bottombumpers One-Size AIO in his/her choice of solid color. ARV $22.95.

Here’s how to enter: All entries go in the form below. I love comments (great way to remind yourself you entered) but comments do not count as entries. One entry per person please (not per day.) If other members of your household enter, I ask that they enter for themselves and that you do not enter on anyone else’s behalf.

Mandatory entries include your name, email address and feedback on Mom’s Milk Boutique. It could be what else you’d like them to carry, feedback on their web design or navigation etc.

You may receive a bonus entry if you “like” The Mom’s Milk Boutique Fan Page and/or follow Mom’s Milk Boutique on Twitter and/or leave a review on Mom’s Milk Boutique for any item on Mom’s Milk Boutique. It doesn’t have to be an item you’ve purchased from them, just something you own that they sell.

Instructions for receiving the bonus entry for reviewing: At the bottom of each product page, there is a link above the existing reviews that says “click to review this product.” Click that, enter your name, a heading for your review, your review text, then submit it. In the entry form, please leave me a link to the product you reviewed, and the name and heading you used in your review. Please be sure you are reviewing on the website, then leaving me the info on the entry form to identify your review. If you just leave me a review in your entry form, it doesn’t count. One bonus entry for reviewing please! Thank you! 🙂

I will accept entries until Tuesday, June 28th, 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. only.

# of entries received as of giveaway close: 426

Loading…

FTC compliance: I received the pictured product at no cost in order to review it. I was not otherwise compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own. This post does not contain affiliate links.

Disclosure: This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by, nor associated with Facebook. By entering, you release Facebook from any responsibility and understand that the information entered on this form will not be disclosed to Facebook.

0

Renpure Organics Shampoo & Conditioner Review + Deal at CVS

Jun 16,2011 / By Maria / 4 Comments

So again I’ll say that I’ve had a hard time switching my personal care products over to more natural alternatives. I admit, I love the way my shampoo, conditioner, soaps, body wash etc. smell and work. Since I started “CVS’ing” in 2007, I haven’t had to pay real money for any of that kind of stuff. It’s also given me the opportunity to try a lot of new brands I wouldn’t have otherwise.

I have a handful of mainstream shampoo/conditioner brands that I love. They smell good and leave my hair clean, soft, shiny and silky. At any given time, I have 4-6 bottles of shampoo (plus their matching conditioners) in my stockpile. If one of my favorites comes up free (or better than free) it goes in the back of the stockpile. If it’s not a favorite, it gets donated.

CVS usually has a lot of great deals around Thanksgiving/Black Friday, and they are open on Thanksgiving! So for the past 3 years, I’ve taken a break from cooking Thanksgiving morning and gotten a haul of good stuff. Nothing like the buzz of a great bargain shop to get you through the cooking. 🙂

Last year, CVS had Renpure Organics shampoo & conditioner on sale for $4.99, and when you bought it, you got $4.99 Extra Care Bucks back (limit 2.) Renpure has quite a selection of shampoo/conditioners, but my CVS didn’t have many. So, I got the “I love my hair” body & shine shampoo/conditioner. I’d love to try the “my savvy hair needs sleek” smoothing formula, or maybe even the revitalizing or strengthening formulas.

Anyhoo, the Renpure products do not contain sulfates, parabens, dyes, gluten, phthlates or propylene glycol. It’s made with 100% certified organic extracts and the formula I got contains hydrolyzed soy protein, green tea, chamomile and sunflower oil.

Shampoo ingredients:
•Water (Aqua)
•Decyl Glucoside
Sugar derived foaming agent based on Coconut Oil
•Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
Vegetable Oil based foaming agent
•Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Coconut Oil based mild foaming agent
•Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
Sugar derived foam stabilizing agent based on Palm Oil
•Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
Certified Organic anti-inflammatory
•Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract
Certified Organic anti-oxidant to protect hair color
•Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Natural protein replenishment
•Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Natural protein replenishment
•Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
Certified Organic natural hair lipid
•Panthenol
Pro-Vitamine B5 moisturizing and hair repair
•Polyquaternium-10
Hair conditioning agent
•PEG-150 Distearate
Palm Oil based thickener
•Glycol Stearate
Palm Oil based pearl opacifier
•Polyquaternium-47
Hair conditioner
•PEG-100 Stearate
Palm Oil based thickener
•Cetyl Betaine
Coconut Oil based foaming agent
•Coco-Glucoside
Coconut Oil based foaming agent
•Glyceryl Oleate
Palm Oil based emulsifier
•Amodimethicone
Modified silicone hair conditioner
•Glycerin
Vegetable Oil moisturizing agent
•C11-15 Pareth-7
Solubilizer
•Laureth-9
Solubilizer
•Trideceth-12
Solubilizer
•Benzophenone-4
Sunscreen to protect hair color
•Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Food grade pH stabilizer
•Citric Acid
Fruit acid based pH adjuster
•Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
•Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
•Fragrance (Parfum)
Pineapple Olive

Conditioner ingredients:
•Water (Aqua)
•Cetearyl Alcohol
Canola Oil based emulsifier
•Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Hair conditioner derived from Rapeseed Oil
•Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
Certified Organic anti-inflammatory
•Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract
Certified Organic anti-oxidant to protect hair color
•Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Natural protein replenishment
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
Certified Organic source for Vitamin E
•Panthenol
Pro-Vitamine B5 moisturizing and hair repair
•Tocopherol Acetate
Vitamin E for sun protection
•Limnanthes Alba (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil
Natural hair lipid
•PEG-100 Stearate
Palm Oil based thickener
•Dicetyldimonium Chloride
Palm Oil based hair conditioner
•Cetrimonium Chloride
Palm Oil based hair conditioner
•Glyceryl Stearate
Emulsifier based on Palm Oil
•Stearalkonium Chloride
Palm Oil based hair conditioner
•Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Food grade pH stabilizer
•Citric Acid
Fruit acid based pH adjuster
•Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
•Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
•Fragrance (Parfum)
Pineapple Olive

It had a pleasant smell (not quite what I’m used to, but not bad) and was sudsier than I expected for a non-mainstream product.

The best part by far is that both bottles I bought had “try me free” hang tag (around the neck of the bottles) rebates. Keep in mind that I paid $10.58 in Extra Bucks, then got $9.98 back. So all it “cost” me was 60 cents Extra Bucks for the tax. Even so, I figured it was worth a stamp to try for the rebate. The forms did not limit the rebate to one per household. So, I sent both completed forms and my receipt, not expecting much. Lo and behold I was refunded for both bottles!! $9.98 was the rebate check amount, meaning the shampoo earned me $9.38 in real dollars (vs. Extra Care Bucks A.K.A. monopoly money, LOL.)

I would buy Renpure again (with a good deal of course) but I wouldn’t buy this formula again. I felt it weighed my hair down, and as though I had residue on it. It didn’t really feel clean. My husband finished the bottles because I couldn’t bring myself to use it anymore! No, it’s not exactly baking soda and apple cider vinegar, but I think it’s a good compromise for those of us would-be-crunchy ladies, who are still clutching our mainstream shampoo products in our white-knuckled, sudsy mitts. With the CVS deals, it’s certainly a great compromise for those of us who are pinching pennies too!

There’s another Renpure deal at CVS next week (6/19-6/25.) Please keep in mind that deals can be regional, so check your local ad before you buy! Renpure Organics Shampoo/Conditioner is on sale for $4.99 and when you buy a bottle, you will receive $3.00 Extra Care Bucks. That makes your net cost $1.99. Unfortunately, the limit is just one this time, so you’ll have to choose shampoo or conditioner. You can buy more than one bottle at the $4.99 price, but you will only get one $3.00 Extra Care Buck back. If my CVS has any of the other shampoo formulas I wanted to try, I might try again!

0

Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Mouthwash Review + Deal at CVS Next Week

Jun 14,2011 / By Maria / 2 Comments

So I tried the Tom’s of Maine Wicked Fresh Toothpaste as part of a BzzAgent campaign last year, then I tried the Tom’s of Maine Natural Deodorant a few months ago.

I’ve explained before that since I’ve been “CVS’ing” since 2007, I haven’t paid more than a few pennies (paid in CVS ExtraBucks mind you…not real money, LOL) for my personal care products, including toothpaste (I only “buy” that if they pay me to take it, and I donate a lot as it is!) deodorant and mouthwash. The deal with the deodorant was that it was on sale for $3.99, and you got $3.00 Extra Care Bucks back. It’s regularly around $5.29 for 16 ounces.

I’ve struggled with switching my personal care products to more natural alternatives, largely because I can’t bring myself to pay $5, $8 or more for things I can get for free (when they are for me anyway, my kids are worth it of course.) Even though 99 cents was “a lot to pay” I figured it was worth a try for something more natural.

If you read my deodorant review, you know that was a bust, but the deal was limit 2, and included the Wicked Fresh Mouthwash. I recently finished the bottle and it was OK. It was definitely worth 99 cents!

Here are the ingredients:

(Name/Purpose/Source)

Water/Consistency/Maine aquifer
Glycerin/Skin moisturizing/Vegetable oils
Sorbitol /Moistener/Corn (Zea mays)
Aloe vera leaf juice (organic)/Soothing feel/Organic aloe (Aloe barbadensis) plant
Propanediol (vegetable source)/Consistency/Corn (Zea Mays)
Natural flavors/Flavor/Natural oils derived from the leaves of mint and other aromatic plants
Benzoic acid (natural)/Preservative/Apples or Cinnamon leaf/bark
Zinc chloride/Fresh Breath/Derived from purified zinc from the earth
Menthol/Flavor/Brazilian cornmint (Mentha arvensis) oil

Sounds a little better than this, eh?: THYMOL (0.064%), EUCALYPTOL (0.092%), METHYL SALICYLATE (0.060%), MENTHOL (0.042%) INACTIVE INGREDIENTS: WATER, ALCOHOL (21.6%), SORBITOL SOLUTION, FLAVORING, POLOXAMER 407, BENZOIC ACID, SODIUM SACCHARIN, SODIUM BENZOATE, FD&C GREEN 3

Anyhoo, I’ll be honest that I don’t think it was quite as effective as the traditional stuff. My breath didn’t seem as fresh and my teeth weren’t slick-clean. However, I would continue to buy it if I can get good deals!

~~FreeVS~~ CVS has another deal on Tom’s of Maine next week, 6/19-6/25. Please keep in mind that some deals are regional,so check your local ad before you buy!!

Tom’s of Maine Toothpaste, Mouthwash or Deodorant will be on sale for $3.49 and you will get $1.00 Extra Care Buck back when you buy it (limit two.) The 6/19/11 Smart Source Coupon insert is supposed to have $1 coupon for Tom’s of Maine Toothpaste or Mouthwash, as well as a $1 coupon for Tom’s of Maine Deodorant. (Make sure you’re buying the largest paper in your area, ex: my local paper doesn’t usually have the good coupons, but the Washington Post does.) So your net cost would be $1.49 each. Not bad if you’ve been wanting to try their products, or if you already use them!

0