11 (Plus Linky for All Giveaways)

May 20,2011 / By Maria / 1 Comment

Cloth diaper giveaways galore in this week’s roundup! I hunt down cloth diaper and baby wearing giveaways, and post them here for you to enter.

If you’d like me to list your cloth diaper, accessory, baby wearing (etc.) giveaway next week, send a link and description to maria at change-diapers.com, or Fill out my contact form for readers.

Note: My site is not set up to open links in a new window (that can be really annoying if it’s site wide.) Try right clicking the giveaways you want to visit, and select open in a new window/tab.

My Episencial Summer Skincare Set Giveaway ends 5/23

My Real Nappies Cloth Diaper Giveaway ends 5/26

My Kissaluvs Wet Bag Giveaway – 3 winners – ends 5/27

Cloth Diaper Package from Sandbox Lane Mandatory Twitter Follow (No set end date)

Cloth Diaper Package from The Tree Huggin’ Momma Mandatory GFC follow (No set end date) Open to the U.S. and Canada

*$20 Wee Little Changes GC from Oh So Savvy Mom Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/20)

*Lovely Pocket Diaper from What Mama Wants Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/20)

*Cottonkind Diapers Package from West Coast Mama (ends 5/20) Open to the U.S. and Canada

*Thirsties Duo Wrap & Prefold from Mama Days Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/20) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Wooly Rounds Dryer Balls from Kelly Wels (ends 5/20)

Babykicks Diapers from Jillian’s Drawers (ends 5/20)

Fuzzibunz Diaper from The Feminist Breeder (ends 5/20)

*$15 GoGreen Pocket Diapers GC from Love Lives Here (ends 5/22)

*Ergo Baby Carrier from Katydid and Kid (ends 5/22)

$15 Diva Diapers GC from Cloth Diaper Geek Mandatory GFC follow or Twitter follow or Facebook “like” or tweet (ends 5/22)

Fuzzibunz Diaper from Chic Cheeks and Darlin’ Deals Mandatory Facebook “like” and commment (ends 5/22)

*Mother-Ease Cloth Diaper & Cover from Nault’s Nook (ends 5/23)

*Rumparooz Diaper from The Changing Table and Journey Through Mommyhood Mandatory Facebook “like” (ends 5/23)

*Best Bottom Diaper from Freckleberry Finds Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/23) Open to the U.S. and Canada

*Best Bottom Diaper from Mommy’s Peanut Gallery Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/23) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Comfy Rumps Diapers from Cloth Diaper Contests & Giveaways Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/23) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Bare Bums Swim Diaper from Cloth Diapers Eh! and Modified Momma Reviews Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/23) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Boba Baby Carrier from So Easy Being Green Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/23) Open to the U.S. and Canada

*Baby’s Booty Wipes, Solution & Detergent from Mama’s Passions Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/24)

*Blissful Booty Cloth Diaper & Wipes from Marni’s Organized Mess Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/24)

*Bumgenius Artist Series Cloth Diaper from Comfy Cozy Diapers and Mama B (ends 5/24)

*Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag and Changing Pad from Minnesota Mama’s Must Haves (ends 5/25) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Tiny Tush Diaper from Biehl Adventures (ends 5/25)

Bug on a Rug Diaper from Nicki’s Cloth Diaper Reviews (ends 5/25)

HipKiddo Diaper from One Smiley Monkey Mandatory GFC follow and Facebook “like” (ends 5/25)

GroVia Diaper from Wee Little Changes and So Easy Being Green Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/25)

*Cloth Wipes from CurlyMonkey and Natural Parents Network (ends 5/26) Open to the U.S. and Canada

*GoGreen Pocket Diaper & Rockin’ Green Detergent from The Momccupation Mandatory GFC follow and TWO Facebook “likes” (ends 5/27) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Sleepy Wrap from Jewels and Treasures Mandatory GFC follow, two Facebook “likes” and a Facebook comment (ends 5/27)

Itti Bitti Diapers from Sweet T Makes 3 Mandatory GFC Follow (ends 5/27)

Sweet Pea Diaper from Freckleberry Finds Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/27)

Itti Bitti Diaper from Madison Organics and Mommy and Me Giveaways Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/27)

The Willow Store Wool Dryer Balls from Oh So Savvy Mom Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/28)

Thirsties Duo Diaper from What Mama Wants Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/28)

Wild Mountain Mommies Diaper from Cloth Diaper Addiction (ends 5/28)

*Knickernappies Diaper from Wee Little Changes (ends 5/29)

Tot Bots AIO from Squishy Tushy (ends 5/29) Open to the U.S. and Canada

*Diaper Bundle from Baby Baby Lemon (ends 5/30)

Blissful Booty Diaper from Happenings of the Harper Household Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/30) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Kawaii Pocket Diapers from Jack Be Natural and Sugar Pop Ribbons Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/30)

Tetro Fitted from Cloth is Green and Dirty Diaper Laundry (ends 5/30) Open to the U.S. and Canada

*$80 BabyHawk Credit from The Clothspring Mandatory GFC follow and Facebook “like”/comment (ends 5/31)

*Seven Slings Sling from Kerrific Online (ends 5/31)

Ergo Baby Carrier from Mama Dweeb (ends 5/31)

Rockin’ Green Funk Rock from Tree Huggin’ Mama Mandatory GFC follow (ends 5/31) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Dinkle Dooz Diaper from GoGo Natural and My This n That Life (ends 5/31)

Hiney Lineys Diaper from Sweet T Makes 3 Mandatory GFC follow (ends 6/1) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Swaddlebees Simplex AIO from One Smiley Monkey Mandatory GFC follow and Facebook “like” (ends 6/2) Open Worldwide

The Willow Store Wool Dryer Balls from Your World: Healthy & Natural (ends 6/2)

GoGreen Champ 2.0 Pocket Diaper from Mama to 4 Blessings Mandatory GFC follow (ends 6/3)

Bum Covered Diapers from Beautifully Bella Faith (ends 6/7)

*$600 Rumparooz Package from Kelly Wels’ Changing Diaper Book Project Mandatory Facebook “like”, entry is through a FB app (ends 6/15)

Lovely Pocket Diaper from Mommy Kat and Kids (ends 6/15) Open to the U.S. and Canada

Blissful Booty Diaper & Wipe Concentrate from The Clothspring Two mandatory GFC follows and Facebook “like and comment (ends 6/21)

*giveaways that have been listed in a prior week’s roundup

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

View my where I list my giveaways post, to find more places to link up your giveaways!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Oh Katy Cloth Diaper Winner

May 19,2011 / By Maria / 1 Comment

296 people entered this giveaway, with 526 entries at the close of the giveaway. The winning entry is #325, which is Sara Myrick. Congrats Sara, I’m sending you an email now!

Cloth Diapers Diaper Covers Giveaway Prefolds PUL Review Sized Diapers Velcro/Aplix Closure Warranties

Real Nappies Cloth Diapers & Covers/Wraps Review & Giveaway (CLOSED 5/26)

May 19,2011 / By Maria / 19 Comments

Real Nappies makes quality cloth diapers and covers, swim diapers, training pants and accessories at affordable prices.

I received the Real Nappies “Top up Pack” to review. The top up pack retails for $39 and contains 6 cloth diapers (100% Indian cotton prefolds, 6 diapers retail for $19.99-$29.99 separately, depending on size) and 2 snug wraps. The wraps in the packages are available in white only, but sold separately for $12 each, you can get them in red, blue or pink!

The diapers and covers come in 4 sizes. Newborn (6-13 lb), Infant (11-20 lb), Crawler (17-30 lb) and Toddler (29-40+ lb.) Even though my son is almost two, I chose the crawler size based on weight.

As I expected, the prefolds shrunk a good bit in length after washing & drying (before on left, after on right.)

They did not shrink noticeably in width.

Cloth diapers (no matter what kind) look so pretty stacked up after washing!

The snug wraps are high quality PUL, and you can reuse them for several diaper changes.

They do have laundry tabs for the Velcro closures, but I do wish they were a little bit bigger!

The covers have gentle (but effective) elastic at the rear and legs.

Here is the crawler size measured both folded and stretched. The elastic isn’t super tight, so it doesn’t have tons of stretch.

There is a flap of PUL at the front of the diaper:

Though it seems to be calling out to have the prefold tucked under it, don’t do it! The flap is there to prevent any wicking through where the Velcro strip is sewn on.

To use the system, simply fold the prefold and place it in the cover. The guide included with the pack includes tips on how to best fold for boys, girls etc. I was thinking it was going to look really bulky the way I folded it, but it didn’t!

Here’s the crawler size on my 22ish pound almost 2-year old:

I think it fit him quite well, and the prefold was very absorbent! (They also sell boosters to make them work better at night!)

Real Nappies has tons of packages available, from a $15 intro pack (1 cover & 1 prefold) to a $499 birth to potty pack. For $69, you can get 12 diapers, 3 covers and 100 liners in the Essentials Pack. That would get you in cloth full time (though you would be washing a lot!) for about the same cost as a month of disposables!

Definitely note that even though these are affordable, Real Nappies has a Two-Child Guarantee. They guarantee that you’ll be able to use Real Nappies Cloth Diapers and Snug Wraps for at least two children, and will repair or replace a diaper or cover that fails before your second child outgrows it! Now of course, there are caveats (click the link to read all the details) and in order for the guarantee to apply, you have to wash them no more often than every two days, using at least the minimum recommended # of diapers. So, you can’t wash them 2 times a day (like I did with my first 6 diapers) and have them replaced.

Giveaway: Real Nappies is offering one reader an intro pack in his/her choice of size (ARV $15.00.)

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.

Mandatory entries include your name, email address and what size Real Nappies you would need. You may receive a bonus entry if you “like” The Real Nappies USA page . They are giving away a $150 prize pack when they reach 1,000 fans!

I will accept entries until Thursday, May 26th, 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 giveaway close: 302

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FTC compliance: I received the pictured items at no cost in order to review them. I was not otherwise compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

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.

Cloth Pads Coupon Discount Eco-Friendly/Green Made in the USA Reusable Products Review

“Party in My Pants Pads” Mama Cloth Review & Discount

May 17,2011 / By Maria / 8 Comments

This is your fair warning that this post is about mama cloth. Though I try to use discretion in order to not be gross (and not attract weird google searchers!) there is bound to be at least some “TMI.”

Those who have been reading for a bit know that I’ve been interested in Mama cloth for quite a while. Though I know I’m not alone when I say I initially though “reuseable WHAT?!,” it didn’t take long for the idea to grow on me. I think it was after switching my son to cloth that I started to think “hey, I want this soft cloth instead of paper too!” A few weeks ago, Party in My Pants Pads had a special offer where they sent the first 1,000 people (who had never tried mama cloth) a liner, absolutely free to try. Who can say no to that?

From the very beginning, I was impressed with the company. They were understandably overwhelmed by the traffic the promotion brought, and I had trouble getting my form to go through. I wasn’t sure if the 1,000 liners were gone, or if it was just a traffic issue, so I sent them a quick email. I received a personal, very sweet email from Melissa almost immediately. I chose my options (I could choose from mini, demi or luxe in cotton or flannel fabric, I chose the mini in cotton) provided my address, and I was set! About a week later, I received my shipping notice with tracking number.

The package arrived so discreetly that I didn’t realize what it was at first! I opened the package while I was waiting to pick my daughter up from school. I wanted to rip into it immediately, but it was packaged so nicely (see the first picture) that I had to photograph it first to show you! I love how the liner folds up onto itself and the wing snaps keep it closed. Also that there’s a little tag labeled “mini liner,” so you don’t have to try to keep track of what’s what.

Look what I found when I opened the liner! This was such a fun surprise. It was such a small thing, but just very neat, and speaks volumes about the company. My daughter spotted the chocolate unfortunately, but I did get a bite (and boy, was it delicious!!)

One fun thing about mama cloth is all the prints you can get! I didn’t get to choose the print for my sample, but when I saw what I received, I had to laugh! If you think about it, you are wearing money in your undies when you use disposable feminine products (only you throw it away afterwards!)

Of course, there’s no adhesive on mama cloth, the wings snap closed to keep it in place. I love this. Once you snap it on, you can slide it a bit to get it placed just right. With disposable products, I always have the trouble of needing to try to peel it off and re-place it, without the adhesive sticking to everything & having the wings stick to themselves.

The top of my liner is cotton (you can also choose flannel) and honestly, it just feels so much nicer to have cloth against my skin instead of paper (not to menton it doesn’t crinkle, making me feel like I’m wearing a diaper!)

I wanted to see how it stacked up next to a disposable liner, so I grabbed what I had in my stockpile, these Kotex long liners.

I think they are very close in size. Once I got the liner situated and the wings nice and flat, I didn’t even notice it. initially I felt like you could/should be able to see the line through my jeans, but I checked (I’m sure I looked silly bending over and looking over my shoulder in the mirror, LOL!) and you couldn’t.

The mini liner measures about 7″ x 2″ and is for very light flow/every day use. They’re available in a variety of flannel, cotton and organic cotton prints and have a breathable nylon layer to guard against leaks. The snaps are also nickel free. The mini liner retails for $9.99.

The pads are available in a huge variety of sizes, from thong liners to queen pads. The Party in My Pants (P.I.M.P hee hee) website has an awesome PIMP prescription page to help you choose the right pad. They sell kits to help you get started, and even have a “Mama Rama Kit” and a “Mama Mini Kit” for postpartum Mama Cloth (you can buy the Queen and Overnight pads separately too.)

So, what my verdict?

-I’ve only used this liner for “everyday” use, so I haven’t had to figure out the washing issue yet, since right now it’s no different than washing undies. However, when my disposable pads bunch up on me, I wash my underwear, I don’t throw them away. So I’m really not that intimidated about washing cloth pads.

-They’re soft and comfy. I find disposable pads irritating in many ways, and since I had my son, tampons aren’t comfortable for me anymore.

-They’re better for the environment, and I find it far more disgusting to have that stuff sitting in my trash can, than to have cloth in a wet bag for a day or two.

-If you normally pay for feminine products, these will save you money in the long run. Like cloth diapers, there’s an initial investment, but it will pay off over time. I’m a big couponer and haven’t paid more than a few pennies for this sort of stuff for years. Still, the benefits of mama cloth are worth it to me. Be sure to check out the sale section, where they have the “Cloth Pad Curious” (what I got) available for $3.99 now that the 1,000 free liners are gone.

-I’m loving this company. Their products are great and well made. The people who own/work for the company obviously care about their work and their customers. The little things like the packaging really impressed me.

So, what are you waiting for? Go try some mama cloth!

Discount: Use coupon code MM52011 to receive $5 off your order of $35 or more. Coupon expires 6/10/2011.

FTC compliance: I received the pictured item at no cost (along with 999 other people) as part of a promotion unrelated to this blog. I was not asked to write this review, I was not compensated for this post, and all opinions are my own.

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Episencial All Natural Skincare – Baby Safe Summer Skincare Review, Giveaway & Discount (CLOSED 5/23)

May 16,2011 / By Maria / 10 Comments

Episencial sells natural skincare products designed just for babies and kids. Their products don’t have any icky stuff like parabens or phthlates, are manufactured using solar power, and are packaged in recycled and sustainable materials!

I received the SPF 35 Sunny Sunscreen (the MSRP for a 4 oz tube is $14), the SPF 6 Protective Face Balm (MSRP $5.99 for .75 oz) and the Soothing Cream (MSRP $10.99 for 4 oz.)

The sunscreen blocks UVA and UVB rays with zinc and titanium. It contains organic green tea extract, sesame, safflower and avocado oils, so it’s great for baby’s skin! Beeswax and organic shea butter make the sunscreen water resistant (not petroleum or chemicals.)

I have “issues” with the texture and feeling of products, but I love this Episencial sunscreen. It goes on smoothly without a lot of leftover white goop, and it doesn’t feel greasy. I am used to applying water resistant sunscreen, then washing my hands with soap 10 times to get the gross feeling off, and finding greasy spots all over everything my kids touched or leaned on!

The face balm is perfect for faces and lips, and contains aloe vera, cocoa butter and shea butter to soothe and moisturize. It’s fortified with vitamins A, C,D & E and contains raspberry juice, cranberry extract and grape seed.

Like the sunscreen, it has a nice texture and isn’t too heavy or greasy.

The soothing cream is perfect for itchy, irritated skin. It contains probiotics, cucumber extract, aloe vera, borage seed oil, jojoba seed oil, oat extract, safflower, green tea, neem oil and calendula extract. All ingredients are designed to soothe and heal dry skin and ezcema.

Keeping with the theme, it has a wonderful texture as well!

You can view complete and up to date ingredients lists on Episencial’s website. Be sure to check out Episencial on Facebook and follow Episencial on Twitter to keep up on all the latest! Check out the Episencial Store Locator to see if these great products are available near you.

Skin Cancer Awareness Month Special: Did you know it was skin cancer awareness month? Episencial has a deal for you this week only (May 16th-23rd) at Dermstore.com.

Offer: Get 15% off all Episencial products with the purchase of Episencial Sunny Sunscreen!
Promo code: DSSUNNY.
Offer valid: May 16-23 only.

Giveaway: Episencial is offering one of my readers an Episencial Suncare Kit containing a 4 oz SPF 35 Sunny Sunscreen, .75 oz SPF 6 Protective Face Balm and .75 oz Soothing Cream. The combined value of these products is $30, the ARV of the kit is $14.99.

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.

Mandatory entries include your name, and email address. You may receive a bonus entry if you “like” The NEW Change-Diapers.com page. Please note: this is a new page. You must like the new page to receive this bonus entry. Feel free to “unlike” the old page after you do!

I will accept entries until Monday, May 23rd, 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 giveaway close: 187