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Friday, November 30, 2012

Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway #FluffyXmas


Welcome to the Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Event hosted by And Then There Were 5! This giveaway is all about cloth diapers! What a fantastic chance to win and build your stash and learn about the many cloth diapers and accessories in the process! Each prize package is worth at least $50! With over 50 blogs participating there is bound to be some amazing prize packages! 

______________________________________________________________________

For my giveaway you have a chance to win the following:
( $83.95 retail value)
• $40 Gift Certificate to For the Monster (Review)
• Any color diaper of your choice from Oh Katy (Review)
• Custom diaper of your choice from Smush Tush (Review)(update: New Pics)

Enter here on the Rafflecopter then hop to the other participating blogs for more chances to win!
Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight: {For the Monster: Kissaluvs Marvels}


The big Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Hop is coming up fast and I've got wonderful sponsors to share with you! Cloth diapering has been one of the best decisions I've made. There is truly a diaper that will fit each individual needs and budget. Whether you are new to cloth diapering or an old pro read on to find out more!

I came across For the Monster online store while researching cloth diapers. First and for most the name stuck and was so cute! I was excited they agreed to be a sponsor in the upcoming giveaway!
About For the Monster
This store truly fits their slogan, "We've got your monster covered." This is a one stop shop for everything cloth diaper related, baby wearing, breast feeding and more! Owner and Work At Home Mom Gena started her online store in 2004 in order to share her love of natural parenting. She uses and supports the products she carries. She is very passionate about natural parenting and will happily answer any questions you may have.

For the Monster and Kissaluvs Marvels Review
As I mentioned above the For the Monster site literally has just about everything you need to get started cloth diapering or for any natural parenting need.

• Aden + Anais
• ShooShoos
• Ergo
• Boba
• Pacifiers
• Hooter Hiders
• Healing Amber
• LunaPads
• and so much more!

That is just to name a few items that popped out at me. That doesn't include the many different cloth diaper brands and other items as well. If your looking for a good site to get started or do some research for the best on the block, look no further than For the Monster!

I had the chance to also review the Kissaluvs Marvels One Size Fitted diaper in the Two-Hoots design from For the Monster. This was my first time using a fitted and this diaper is simple yet effective.
The Marvels diaper is one size and will fit most babies from 10-40 pounds. Little Brother is about 25 pounds and this diaper fits fine, although he is right between sizes on the snaps. One snap was too tight and one too loose. I usually love hook and loop for this reason. The Marvels is also a bigger bulkier diaper. But this might be the case with all fitteds, I'm not sure as this is my first time using one.

The outside of the diaper is 100% cotton and comes in three designer prints. I chose the Two-Hoots owl design and it is so cute and really gender neutral. The inside is a super super soft bamboo velour. The SOFTEST inside of a diaper I have ever felt. It feels luxurious! There are no inserts or anything to mess with in a fitted as they are built inside the fabric. This particular diaper has three body layers and a micro fiber soaker. This is suppose to hold in leaks from even the heaviest of wetters.
Now with a fitted diaper you can use it alone, especially around the house or quick trips. But for full leak proof protection you will need a cover as well. I use this diaper mostly for night time because Little Brother is a heavy wetter, so I always use a cover. I use one of my Grovia covers and it just barely fits. Some fabric still peaks out of the cover. Although it hasn't leaked on me yet and absorbs a ton.
This diaper only has one row of snaps so there isn't any snapping up and down size configurations. Instead you simply fold the fabric to your desired rise and then snap it on. This diaper definitely has plenty of rise for even the largest of babies.
One of the things I don't like about this diaper is the dry time. If you only line dry then this diaper may not be for you. I usually tumble dry my inserts and diapers that can be dried half way, then line dry the remainder. Even partially drying in the dryer this can take over a day to dry. But I guess that my be the price to pay for such an absorbent diaper, which I really need for night time.

The other thing about this diaper is the price. Normal retail price is $24.95. Which wouldn't be too bad, except you really need a cover to make this a go everywhere diaper. So there will be some additional cost as well. If you can find it on sale then this diaper would be awesome! (As of writing this post you can get these for $17.47 on For the Monster!)

Make sure to keep up to date with For the Monster on Facebook and Twitter! Great resources for all your natural parenting needs and questions!

WIN IT: You will have the opportunity to grow your stash and pick and choose the cloth diaper or accessory that works best for you! For the Monster is offering $40 gift certificate to their store in the upcoming Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Hop that will start December 1-7! So make sure to come back and enter!Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight - {For the Monster - Softbums Cloth Diaper}

The big Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Hop is coming up fast and I've got wonderful sponsors to share with you! Cloth diapering has been one of the best decisions I've made. There is truly a diaper that will fit each individual needs and budget. Whether you are new to cloth diapering or an old pro read on to find out more!

I came across For the Monster online store while researching cloth diapers. First and for most the name stuck and was so cute! I was excited they agreed to be a sponsor in the upcoming giveaway!

About For the Monster
This store truly fits their slogan, "We've got your monster covered." This is a one stop shop for everything cloth diaper related, baby wearing, breast feeding and more! Owner and Work At Home Mom Gena started her online store in 2004 in order to share her love of natural parenting. She uses and supports the products she carries. She is very passionate about natural parenting and will happily answer any questions you may have.

For the Monster and Softbums Omni Review
As I mentioned above the For the Monster site literally has just about everything you need to get started cloth diapering or for any natural parenting need.
• Aden + Anais
• ShooShoos
• Ergo
• Boba
• Pacifiers
• Hooter Hiders
• Healing Amber
• LunaPads
• and so much more!

That is just to name a few items that popped out at me. That doesn't include the many different cloth diaper brands and other items as well. If your looking for a good site to get started or do some research for the best on the block, look no further than For the Monster!

I had the opportunity to review and test out the Softbums Omni One Size Pocket Diaper in the limited edition Cowies print. With so many optiona on the market these days, how can one really know what will work best for their baby? I wish I had found Softbums sooner or had an opportunity like this to try one out when I first started cloth diapering. The Softbums Omni is amazing and just like it's name, it is so soft!

The Softbums Omni is a one size diaper. But this one size fit is unique to all others. It has the patent pending Slide2Size for a super fit. Instead of having a snap down rise to fit different sized babies, you have leg elastics and a toggle adjustment. You choose the size that best fits your baby, not a set rise setting. It will fit all leg widths from 4" to 14". You can get a fit that truly fits a newborn with this diaper or that will fit a 25 pounder like Little Brother.


With the Slide2Size elastics you find the best fit for your baby and with this you will never get red elastic marks on your babies legs, EVER! And this is truly the case. The soft fleece lining and adjusting the fit to our liking, Little Brother has never had any pinch marks from this diaper.

Each Omni diaper comes with 2 Dry Touch Pods. One Large and one mini. The large is 4 layers of absorbent microfiber and topped with soft microfleece. The small are composed of 3 layers of microfiber terry and topped with a soft layer of microfleece. The small is perfect for newborn and small babies and then for use as a doubler as your child grows. I love their are no extra purchases with this diaper. You get everything you need in one package.



I also absolutely love that this diaper can be customized to fit your diaper style. You can snap in the pod and wear it over the fleece lining like an AI2, you can stuff it and use it as a pocket diaper or you can use it as a cover to a prefold, flat or fitted. So many options no matter your preference.

I personally like to snap in my pod and wear it over the fleece as a All In 2. This makes it easy to snap off and put in the diaper pail. I also like this diaper at nap time and stuff the small pod in the pocket while wearing the large pod over the fleece.

We have had zero leaks with this diaper and it is the softest diaper in our entire stash. Little Brother also loves to pick out the cow diaper and so do I because it is so darn cute!

The Softbums Omni is $24.95, one of the higher price range on cloth diapers. However I think once you try them and see the options they offer and the quality it will make up for the price tag.

We love our Softbums Omni and have enjoyed working with For the Monster as well!

Make sure to keep up to date with For the Monster on Facebook and Twitter! Great resources for all your natural parenting needs and questions!

WIN IT: You will have the opportunity to grow your stash and pick and choose the cloth diaper or accessory that works best for you! For the Monster is offering $40 gift certificate to their store in the upcoming Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Hop that will start December 1-7! So make sure to come back and enter!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Merry Fluffy Christmas Sponsor Spotlight: {Oh Katy}

The big Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Hop is coming up fast and I've got wonderful sponsors to share with you! Cloth diapering has been one of the best decisions I've made. There is truly a diaper that will fit each individual needs and budget. Whether you are new to cloth diapering or an old pro read on to find out more!

With so many options on the market for cloth diapers, how do you choose? COLOR! That is what drew me to Oh Katy Cloth Diapers!

About Oh Katy
A husband and wife team out to change the way people think about cloth diapers...

"Our Mission is to convince the skeptics and the naysayers that reusable diapers are easy, fashionable and fun. Try an Oh Katy™ diaper, love your Oh Katy™ diaper, buy more Oh Katy™ diapers, and find yourself cringing at the feel of disposables in no time!"

Oh Katy Review
I love color! Ant that is what literally drew me to the Oh Katy Diapers. I mean just look at this picture of all the little diapers in a row! Doesn't that just make you want to buy one of each color, or if you currently use disposables, maybe you might just want to start using cloth for this cute little fashion statement?

They currently have 14 colors to choose from! For my review I chose black. I know, I know, out of all the colors. But I didn't have a black one and it is so classy and goes with everything! I love it!
Oh Katy are one sized pocket diapers. They are lined with a super soft microfleece to keep baby feeling dry and are designed to fit most babies from newborn until potty training. Each diaper comes with two inserts. A full size adjustable insert and a small newborn size. The newborn size can also then be used as a doubler as your child grows and you need more absorbency. I love that you can size the large insert to fit your child best. I like to have mine snapped down and put the fold in the front for double protection for boy wetness up front.
This diaper fits Little Brother well, although it has a shorter rise than most cloth diapers I've used. I thought this could be a problem, but so far it hasn't been. He is 20 months old and weighs about 25 pounds. He is just about average height and weight for his age. So unless you have a larger baby, I do believe this will fit even the smallest of newborns until potty training. My hopes is to start potty training Little Brother at age 2 and this diaper should easily make it a few more months for us.
The pocket for stuffing your insert is in the front on Oh Katy diapers. This is a patented design and keeps inserts laying flat while making it not only easy to stuff but to remove a soiled insert as well. 
Oh Katy diapers also have a unique wing hip snap giving you a little extra fit customization for your baby. This is especially helpful on little newborn legs to guarantee you don't have any leg blow outs. This is the only diaper I've seen with this feature.

Oh Katy diapers are priced at $17.95. They can be purchased on their Oh Katy website and at many different retailers as well. You can search here for the nearest retailer to you. Oh Katy also offers $5 flat rate shipping!

Keep up to date with Oh Katy on Facebook for new colors, sales and more! You can also find them on Twitter!

We love our black Oh Katy diaper! Unless you have a larger, chunkier baby I believe Oh Katy is a great affordable one size cloth diaper solution for any family!

WIN IT: You will have the opportunity to win and choose your favorite color Oh Katy diaper in the upcoming Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway event that will start December 1-7! A perfect addition to any cloth diaper stash!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Mini Me Paper Dolls - by Lily & Thistle Review {Rally 4 Jillie Sponsor}

Of all my reviews, I think this one is my most unique and special. Something you can't just waltz in a store a purchase. These are one of a kind, custom and personal. They are also a sponsor in this weeks Rally 4 Jillie Giveaway!

Let me introduce you to Mini Me Paper Doll Boutique. Customized paper dolls for the child in you, or in your life.

I came across Mini Me Paper Doll Boutique in my search for items that would be a good fit for Jillie in the hospital. When I asked, they immediately said they would like to help!

About Mini Me Paper Doll Boutique
Mini Me Paper Doll's are the creation of Hannah Stevenson. She is a Mother to four adorable kids and also an artist. She starting creating paper dolls during her kids nap time and things grew from there. To Hannah paper dolls are magical and bring back the nostalgia and innocence of girlhood. She loves that she can bring to life this memory of paper dolls that many of us share.

Mini Me Paper Doll Review
This was such a fun review as I played with paper dolls as a child. It did bring back memories and has been so long since I've even seen a paper doll! That is what is so great about them, they are timeless!

Now having two boys I wouldn't necessarily think to get them paper dolls, but Mini Me does have a line for boys too. Each doll you order is customized to look like your child. You choose from a list of options and Hannah designs your doll and outfits.

This is our boy set we were so lucky to review. And below a sampling of the extra outfits we reviewed from the Boy Fairy/Folk Tale Line and the Boy Fall Outfit Line.
 
The details on the dolls and outfits are amazing. You can see the time and care that goes into each piece. Jeans actually look like jeans with fading and the clothing actually has shading and texture and patterns. Teeny tiny patterns that totally make each piece come to life!
Big Brother wasn't sure at first what to do with them. Once I showed him what to do and what they were for he thought they were pretty fun. We were just using the tabs to hold on the outfits and Big Brother was a little rough. I would definitely recommend at his age to get them laminated and use the "sticky strip" Mini Me recommends as well. The sticky strip is a double sided reusable adhesive that is used so the clothes stay on yet you can change the clothing easily. This won't damage your dolls in any way and can be purchased at any office supply store.
This is the special set created just for Jillie! I know this will be a fun activity for Jillie and her mom to do while they are confined to their hospital room. Fun, safe and quiet activity. Easily stored and transported.

There are many different Mini Me packages you can purchase for the special little one in your life. And with all packages you can choose the option for Mini Me to print and ship or for you to purchase and print yourself. There are then all the additional outfits you can buy to go with your doll package. They are all so amazing I don't know how you can choose. There is even an outfit of the month club! So fun! You get a new outfit each month for a year sent right to your email! Tell me this would not be the best gift idea!
The Standard Paper Doll Package is $24 and the Print It Yourself Doll Package is $14.50. Extra outfits vary in price depending on the package chosen. And right now the Outfit of the Month Club is just $5!

If you follow Mini Me Paper Doll Boutique on Facebook, Pinterest and on Hannah's Lily & Thistle Blog you will also find regular giveaways, fun tutorials and free printables!

With Christmas right around the corner this would be the most amazing and unique gift idea! Even a fun stocking stuffer! The dolls could be peeking out! Fun, affordable and offering hour and hours of play time!

Special Thanks to Hannah and Mini Me Paper Doll Boutique for their amazing generosity and kind hearts and supporting Jillie during this difficult time! People like you really do make a difference!

WIN IT: To win your own special paper doll package and other fantastic gifts, please enter the Rally 4 Jillie Week 6 giveaway that will run through December 2, 2012. ENTER HERE!
Disclosure: I received this product for the purpose of review. I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions in my reviews are my own, and others’ opinions may vary. This post was written by me and not edited by anyone.