Mommy's Favorite Things: January 2012



Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Teething Bling Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*



I have a few diamond necklaces that Jon has bought me. There has been one that I've worn the entire year since I got it Christmas 2010. I love it! But Emerson was starting to pull it. So it had to come off. I love wearing necklaces so I was looking for a better option. It might not be diamonds, but I came across Teething Bling. For the next 2-3 years I WILL be wearing this necklace. 

I received the Spice Pendant and I love it. It will truly go with everything


My pictures just don't do it Justice
Mine seems to be more red/brown than orange like this one.

I LOVE this necklace. The Pendant is firm, yet still soft and flexible. This is used as a great distraction while nursing or for your baby to chew on with they're teething. 

The necklace is quite long. It hit me right below the breasts. So I tied some knots in the cord and now it hits right where I want it too! And it still looks quite cute! 

If Emerson grabs it hard and pulls (which I'm sure will happen a time or two) it has an easy break away clasp
I've heard from other bloggers that their child chews on this and never leaves teeth marks. So it's a durable product. 
I will use it for years to come AND it looks stylish!

They also have bangle bracelets, and sets with one necklace and 2 bangles.

They even have men's ties that have a squeaker and rattle inside!! HOW awesome is that?

Price: $23.99 for a necklace! Definitely worth getting 2-3 to switch them out from time to time! 

Overall: *****
*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Teething Bling in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*
A big thank you goes out to Teething Bling for allowing me to review this product and for offering a giveaway



Newborn Cloth Diaper Celebration: Cloth Baby Giveaway *CLOSED*



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Cloth Baby you have seen featured here a couple times now. The Merry Fluffy Christmas giveaway, a review and now another giveaway!

Our Papoose diaper is still going strong. I LOVE that diaper. It's pretty much bullet proof. It's great for at night!

The Wipe solution is still great. It smells good and is lasting a long time. I'm sure we'll easily get 6 months out of it. 
And the wipes are holding up very well. They are Tiny Tush so I'm sure they'll last our diapering days no problem.




Monday, January 30, 2012

Newborn Cloth Diaper Celebration: Should you invest in Newborn Diapers



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Yes and No. I know, I know, but hear me out!

Yes you should buy newborn cloth diapers, they are cute, affordable, fit perfectly and you can still get 1/2 or more your money back. 

No, if you're expecting a baby that's around 8 pounds or so, then I would just buy one size, use disposables for the first week or 2 and then use the OS diapers. 

Emerson was fitting in OS diapers at about 8 pounds. We never had any leaks with them EVER. Still haven't to this day and he's 10.5 pounds and 1 month old now. 

Yes the newborn diapers fit great, right from the beginnings. They had the stump cutout which was nice for letting it dry out and fall off. But honestly half his newborn diapers don't fit anymore. But since we had such a large rotation and none of them have stains I can get probably 3/4 of my money back and I won't be out hardly any money at all. So for me it was worth it for those aspects. 

But he has outgrown quite a few of his newborn diapers as of right now. I don't reach for them nearly as much. 

What newborn worked the best and longest. For us our Work At Home Mom diapers have lasted the longest. They are still fitting with ease. Our Smartipants Newborn is still working like a charm, but it's a little big on a smaller newborn. I would recommend the Wild Mountain Mommies as well. This one still has a few pounds left in it! Fuzzibunz XS is another good one. They claim 12 pounds and I'm sure that's accurate as Emerson is still easily in them!

The Rumparooz Lil Joeys were outgrown a LONG time ago. I feel they are too trim in the crotch area and they just don't fit that great. The GroVia NB AIO stopped fitting as well. 

It's great to find what works for you! If you want to invest in newborn cloth then do so. Especially if you're expecting a smaller baby. Avery was 6lb 10oz and she grew slowly, so newborn would've been great for her. Emerson was 7lb 6oz and grew FAST (10.5 pounds at a month) so newborn cloth wasn't really the best option for us. 

What OS worked from the beginning for us. Oh Katy, Best Bottom, GroVia AI2, and Fuzzibunz have been the best. 

Use newborn or don't use newborn. Entirely up to you!


Sunday, January 29, 2012

LilyPadz Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*




I have to say that when I came across LilyPadz I was quite intrigued. Basically they apply pressure to the nipple so you don't leak. 
Leaks are embarrassing right? Sometimes even with a pad on you can still leak. 
Well this creates a suction type barrier so you don't leak!
I was sent the Starter Kit which includes 1 LilyPadz set, 1 Lily Wash and 1 Lily Wipes (24ct)
Wipes on left, Pads in middle, Wash on right and an organza storage bag as well
 The pads come stuck to a plastic insert.
 Wipes (there are 24 total) and the wash
So I was very intrigued when I saw this product. HOWEVER, they didn't work for me. 

You flip it inside out so the tacky side is facing you, then you push in the middle and push it against your nipple, basically push your nipple in, then take the edges and smooth them out over your skin. So now it's flipped right side out and your nipple is contained and pressed inside the pad. 

When there's pressure on a nipple it won't leak. So in theory this should work. It worked for me all day, no problem. Even when I pumped the other side didn't leak (YAY), but when I woke up in the morning I noticed there was some milk in it. I sat up in bed and IT LEAKED EVERYWHERE. If I was wearing a cloth pad it wouldn't have been bad because it would've been absorbed. But with this the seal must have broke when I sat up and my shirt and bra was SOAKED!

I tried it a second time, thought it was user error. Well same thing happened. It was at night and when I sat up in bed, yep HUGE leak! 

So I can use these during the day, but not at night. But at this point I no longer leak at all, so I really don't need them. I'm bummed they didn't work for me!

The wash was super easy to use though. You just pump out a squirt and handwash the pads and then rinse them. SUPER easy!
I love the organza bag they come with, great for in the diaper bag or even just wherever you store your pads. 

I didn't try the wipes. 

Price: The Started kit is $36.95. You can also get the starter with 2 sets of pads for $49.95. Normally 1 set of pads is $22.95

Overall: *** 1/2. They just didn't work for me. I don't leak that bad so I'm sure for a woman who leaks really bad these definitely wouldn't work. 

*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from LilyPadz in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*
A big thank you goes out to LilyPadz for allowing me to review this product and for offering a giveaway


Friday, January 27, 2012

Newborn Cloth Diaper Celebration: Emotibums Review & Discount



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One thing EVERY cloth diaper user needs if fleece soakers. Whether it be soakers, shorties OR longies Emotibums has you covered. She makes them all and she does an amazing job. 

We received a custom pair of her longies to try out on Emerson. 
We chose the Cherry with Sky and the Glee face
Love her Logo Ribbon!
 I thought they looked so tiny when I got them
 Glee face!
 Extra protection in the wet zone.
 So cute!
 They're so precious!

 Guess they weren't as small as I thought!
These pictures were taken when Emerson was 4 days old. They fit him better in the length now that he's a month old (tomorrow, EEK). But they still fit really well in the waist. I'm pretty sure we'll get the winter out of them. They have a bit of growing room in the waist and length. Eventually I'll probably have to use trimmer fitted diapers under them so the booty has a bit more room, but that's fine with me. 
I also use these over pockets too. If a diaper leaks it ensures that we don't get soaked!! YAY

I love these. They are adorable, her fleece is super soft and she offers custom sizing which is PERFECT! We received the size small which is the smallest she makes. She also does Medium and Large and again custom! So you can get these for your 7 year old if you'd like too!

She has many different color choices and also many different faces!
They're all so adorable!

Price: Small are $18! Large are $22! Very reasonable!

Overall: *****

Emotibums is offering 20% with Free Shipping to the FIRST 5 ORDERS. Just email her and let her know that I sent you and she'll make the adjustment! 
*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Emotibums in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*
A big thank you goes out to Emotibums for allowing me to review this product and for offering a discount code


Thursday, January 26, 2012

Newborn Cloth Diaper Celebration: Baby Belle Bottoms Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*



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Baby Belle Bottoms is a store that carries a lot of diapering items. They have diapers and covers, inserts and liners, Laundry and diaper supplies, Elimination Communication items, potty learning, babylegs, nursing pads and more. 

I received a GroVia AI2 diaper in the owls print for review.
She sent me the Shell and 1 soaker pad
 The inside is a mesh material
 Insert snapped in
 Smallest Setting
 Medium Setting
 Largest Setting
Fits Emerson on the Smallest setting perfectly

 The last diaper left the red marks, it wasn't this one!
It fits his thighs great.
I've been using this diaper a lot. It works great for us. It's perfect for night time because it's a OS diaper so it has more coverage and contains any leaks. We haven't had a leak with this diaper and the insert holds a lot! Emerson is still quite the super soaker. 

2 nights ago I went to change his diaper after 3 hours and it was DRY... I put this GroVia AI2 on him and when I changed him 3.5 hours later it was soaker but didn't leak at all! YAY GroVia. 

I love the diaper. It washes up nicely. The velcro tabs STAY on. I love GroVia's velcro. It's so different but is SUPER sticky and stays. 
I have an old GroBaby (what they were before via) AI2 diaper and the tabs are still super sticky. That diaper is 2.5 years old and it still works wonderfully. The GroVia has a larger cut on it and will last a lot longer size wise I think. 
Plus the owls are SUPER CUTE.

If you went solely with this system I would recommend 8 shells and 24 pads. That's 3 changes per shell (but you can swap them out to let them air dry) and a total of 24 changes which should last 2-3 days.

Price: The Shell is $16.95 and 2 pads are $17.95. It comes out to $17.45 per change which is good because when you use a pocket diaper you spend about that anyway! Plus with this system it takes up less space in a diaper bag and wet bag so it's great for traveling. 

Overall: *****


*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Baby Belle Bottoms in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*
A big thank you goes out to Baby Belle Bottoms for allowing me to review this product and for offering a giveaway


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Tommee Tippee Review



I did a review for Tommee Tippee just earlier this month on their pump. Well shortly after that review I started pumping 6oz at a time and since the bottle that was included was only 5oz I needed to transfer the milk to another bottle in the middle of a session. 

So I contacted them about reviewing their 9oz Bottles. I could use it with my pump and not have to take a break to transfer milk!

They quickly obliged, sent my 3pack of bottles and a 2 pack of Pacifiers and I had them just 2 days later!!! Talk about fast shipping!

 They are 6-18 month though


I love these bottles. At first I didn't care for them because the flow was a little fast for him (it is with the 5oz bottle too) and he collapsed the nipple often. BUT after more use he's gotten used to them. It's still a bit of a faster flow, but he doesn't choke like he did. AND he's figured out the nipple so it doesn't collapse. So now I'm just loving them!
And it's super nice to just pump and then feed right out of the bottle at his next feeding. 
Now about 2 weeks after receiving these bottles my supply went down and now I only pump 2oz at a time, but it's still nice to have 4 bottles that are compatible with my pump. And they're still good for using formula with as well. 

The pacifiers are 6+ month so we haven't even tried them yet, they have quite a big nipple. But I'm sure he'll love them in a few months. They are Tommee Tippee after all!

Price: 3 9oz (or 5oz) bottles are on sale for $17.99 (instead of $19.99) at Babies R Us. And the Pacifiers are  $5.99

Overall: *****
*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Tommee Tippee in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*
A big thank you goes out to Tommee Tippee for allowing me to review this product


Bringing Home Baby: Sew Silly Designs Review & Discount Code!



This review Concludes the Bringing Home Baby event!! Hope you all had fun and enjoyed the fun baby products!

I received a wonderful Newborn AI2 Diaper for review!



 Her logo on the back
Her Newborn diaper goes from Preemie-15 pounds. 
I don't think it would fit before 6-7 pounds personally. 

For some reason I haven't gotten any pictures of Emerson in this diaper, but it fits him very well. We tried it on first when he was about 8 pounds. It fit him great. The tabs touched in the front but overall was a great fit. It fit his thighs nice and tight and didn't leak anywhere. 

I'm always leery to use an AI2 that has a cotton on the outside, sometimes the inner wicks to the outer through the legs and then the outside of the diaper is wet... But not this diaper! Even if the pee on the inside is right to the edge of the thigh it doesn't wick to the outside. Just to be safe I don't use this diaper with onesies so we don't have compression leaks. 

This diaper obviously has a hidden layer of waterproof PUL so it's leak free and no need for a cover. It has a cotton print outer. It has rise snaps on the front as well. Just one. But it definitely helps make the diaper fit longer. Since Emerson is now over 10 pounds this diaper is unsnapped in the rise, but the tabs still come close together (one snap in the middle shows) so I'm sure we'll get at least another 3 pounds out of it!

The inside of the diaper is OBV (Organic Bamboo Velour) and the insert is 2 layers of hemp fleece topped with a layer of OBV for wicking properties.

Diaper fits great!
Sew Silly has offered a 15% discount code using MFT15OFF

Price: $14.50 for her Newborn AI2. AWESOME price. Her OS AI2 is $18.75 and her newborn fitteds are $12.50 and lastly her OS fitteds are $16.50

Overall: *****
*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Sew Silly Designs in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*
A big thank you goes out to Sew Silly Designs for allowing me to review this product


Newborn Cloth Diaper Celebration: Cloth Canoe Review & Giveaway *CLOSED*



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I received a wonderful fitted diaper from The Cloth Canoe. These are Handmade by Genevieve right here in the U.S.
Love the OBV!!
 Lots of Snap Options. You can snap it to the bottom row for tighter thighs, or the top row when the thighs get bigger.
 OBV isnert
Also has a doubler
 Fairly trim for such a thick fitted
 Logo and NB size
 It is a great fit!
 Fits perfect!
Those pictures were taken when Emerson was 4 days old. The snaps were on the bottom row and it was an amazing fit. 
Now he's 4 weeks, this diaper still fits and the umbilical snap is unsnapped and he's snapped to the top row. The tabs still come all the way together in the front so it's a pretty long lasting NB diaper. He's already 10 pounds and this diaper fits him great!

The diaper washes nicely and it dries fast. There is no staining on it at all. The OBV is so soft on his skin and it's really nice because the poo doesn't stick to it like it does other fibers. So it washes out quite nicely!

Diaper is nice and plush, but still fairly trim. It's SUPER absorbent too. I use it with a cover, but unless I leave it on him for more than 3 hours I don't really even need the cover. It's that absorbent! I don't use the doubler during the day either. I usually change him every 1.5-2 hours throughout the day so I don't need it. But at night for his 3.5-4 hour stretches I use the doubler and a cover and it works great!

She also sells wet bags, Cosmetics bags and cloth pads!
Cosmetic


Price: Her newborn diapers are $20. For the OBV (like I received) $22. Her pads are Regular for $11, pantiliner for $9, Overnight/Postpartum for $15. 

Overall: *****
Check out her Facebook Page for her diaper prints
This certificate can be used for a custom item! 



*Disclaimer* I received an item directly from Cloth Canoe in exchange for a review. I was not paid to try out these products*
A big thank you goes out to Cloth Canoe for allowing me to review this product and offering a giveaway