Thursday, October 29, 2009

To Our Readers

I just wanted to tell you all that you are amazing. I love *LOVE* reading your responses to these posts and your entries on these giveaways. Your answers are amazing, touching and inspiring. It is so wonderful to see so many people make the choice to at least try to do their part for our earth and for the health of themselves and their families.

I always think that it's about the small steps, but looking at all of you and reading about the choices you make just makes takes that picture and makes it *so* much bigger.

Sorry to be mushy, but it truly blesses my heart to see it and I wanted to share that with you.

Thank you :)

Fuzzibunz One-Size Review & Giveaway!

I recently had the pleasure of trying out a new FuzziBunz One-size Diaper. They generously sent me one to try out and they are also going to be sending one to a lucky reader! More on that later!

I'd like to start out with a few of the things that stood out to me about this diaper right off of the bat.

The sizing system is an elastic with sizable button holes. Much like what you find in childrens' pants. It's not quite as easy to change as a button down or fold down type, BUT the great thing about this is that it's easily replaced, and chances are you won't need to change sizes often, so it's really not a big deal. I'll talk a little more about this later.

The tag. This might seem silly, but the tag on this is great! It has the best care instructions. It reads: "Knock solids into toilet / shake insert out of pocket / store in dry pail / machine wash hot / do not bleach / tumble dry low / do not iron"

Now some of that seems common sense, but the solids, insert and dry pail especially are often answers to common questions that I notice on message boards. I think it's really great that they put this right on their product :)

The inside is incredibly soft and there are tons of snaps on the front, which is great to get a good fit. The great things about snaps is that it can be harder for older babies to get off and you don't have to worry about velcro pilling and catching on everything in the wash.

Okay, back to the elastic for a moment and then we'll get to the fit :)

Elastic on diapers is one of those things that simply can't last forever. It goes out and on many diapers it can be a pain to replace and/or costly to have someone else do it for you. The great thing about this sizing system is that because the elastic is the sizing, it is not fully enclosed and it's incredibly easy to get to. That is a budget saver and would (I image) allow these diapers to last much longer and through more children if needed.

The waist elastic in this is also adjustable, which is a great unique feature.


Below is my almost 2 month old baby girl wearing the diaper. It's actually really trim through the legs, which I was surprised by. She seemed really comfortable in it.

You can see here that the butt is a bit fluffy for such a small baby. It got a great fit though, especially around her thighs, check that out! I do have to say that after I got her clothes back on, I really didn't notice the size of the diaper. It was more fluff than firm, if that makes sense. I would use these on a baby her size, no problems. She's sitting somewhere around 12-14 lbs btw.

I wanted to show this diaper on a larger baby too :) This is my older daughter. She is around 25 lbs and is 19 months old. The diaper fit her great. Really trim and really not bulky on her at all. She seemed to like it too :) She did a dance and show for me. Again, I was really able to get a good fit with this diaper and she is def. shaped different than my youngest, aside from the obvious size difference :)
I had very little experience with FuzziBunz going into this, but I really like this diaper. I love the snaps and I love the fit. I didn't have a single leak or wicking problem with this diaper. I am really pleased and I think they'll actually fit longer (larger) than some of the other diapers I have, so that's another big bonus.

I do wish that the size change was a little faster, just because I have two in diapers and it would be really great to have a couple to toss in my car diaper bag and be able to use it on either girl. I could, but it would take an extra moment, which isn't a big deal, but I'm lazy, what can I say?

I want to mention too, that FuzziBunz is doing a promotion right now. When you buy 9 of these One-Size diapers you get $40 in FuzziBunz rewards to use on their products. It's only good through October 30th (I know, I'm so late on this!) BUT if you hurry and buy now, you have through December 15th to redeem your rewards. Now would be a great time to buy.

----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to Justine M. for winning this giveaway!


Are you ready to win one of these?
Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Post here telling me what your best cloth diapering tip is, your email address and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Win a FuzziBunz One-Size Diaper from @FuzziBunz and @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1" Leave a comment with a link to your status.

*Follow FuzziBunz on twitter, leave a comment

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :)

*Become a fan of the EFF blog on facebook, leave a comment.

*Become a fan of the FuzziBunz on facebook, leave a comment.

*Post this giveaway to your Facebook and leave a comment.

*Post about this giveaway on your blog. Leave a comment with a link.

*Follow the FuzziBunz blog, leave a comment.

*Subscribe to Fuzzibunz on Youtube, leave a comment.

This giveaway ends November 5th. I will use random.org to pick a winner. If I do not hear back from the winner within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

Check It Out Ladies!

Homestead Emporium came highly recommended as a cloth pad maker.

I contacted them to see if they would be interested in helping to give someone the chance to try cloth pads and generously offered up a $10 gift certificate good for anything in their in-stock shop, or *even* towards a custom order!

You should see the beautiful pads that they make :) Here is just a sampling!



That's not all they make though. While you're there, have a look at their other products. Things like reusable cotton balls (how great is that!), children's squishy soft blankets, nursing pads, and more!
----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to Wilma for winning this giveaway!

Here's how to enter!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Check out Homestead Emporium's store and post here telling me what product design you like best, your email address and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Try cloth with a $10 gift certificate from @HomesteadMama and @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1" Leave a comment with a link to your status.

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :)

*Become a fan of the EFF blog on facebook, leave a comment.

*Become a fan of the Homestead Emporium on facebook, leave a comment.

*Post this giveaway to your Facebook and leave a comment.

*Post about this giveaway on your blog. Leave a comment with a link.

This giveaway ends November 4th. I will use random.org to pick a winner. If I do not hear back from the winner within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Thirsties Duo & Fab Fitted Review & Giveaway

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love cloth diapers! I love that they work and I love that they are great for the environment.

I also love helping more people become green and I hope that doing these reviews and giveaways gets people to look at, read about and try cloth.

I contacted Thirsties and they were more than happy to help. They generously donated a Duo cover and Fab Fitted for me to look over, try out and review. They want you to have one too! You'll have an opportunity to enter to win a Duo and Fab Fitted in the sizes you need and the colors you want!

Thirsties is a small (but growing!) cloth diaper company committed to greener parenting and eco friendly solutions, not to mention 100% USA made quality! Their diapers are made by work at home mothers, and very close to their Canon City warehouse, reducing their carbon output. They donate to Miracle Diapers, a company in which one can apply for free or low cost diapers to those with financial need. Their diapers are made of a Micro Fleece that is very soft to the touch. Please take a moment to read more about them, their commitment to our planet, and how they choose to operate. You can find that here.

Thirsties has lots of other products too, you can even request a catalog by going here :)

The Review!

I go the package, opened it up and fell in love with the vibrant colors and oh so soft fitted. I'm talking crazy squishy soft. Okay, sorry. I love fluffy mail.

I washed them up and gave them a go. The fitted washed up super soft by the way!

Here you can see it on my one month old baby girl. The Fab Fitted is a size Small. She is on the small end of the size range (about 12 lbs or so), but it still fits securely, trim through the legs (important to me) and no leaks! There is nothing more frustrating than having to change covers because the diaper inside won't hold in the solids.

The Duo seen here is a size 1.

As you can see even with the diaper being a little large on her and the cover on, it's still very trim.
I wanted to try it out with a prefold as well. Here is my youngest again, with a newborn prefold on. I adjusted the rise down one on the Duo and voila! Perfect fit and *incredibly* trim! I love it.

The fitted is working great. It does feel very wet when she's peed, but that's fairly typical of fitteds and any other diaper that requires a cover. I haven't had any leaks, so it does do the job. It's really easy to get on and a favorite of mine for night time changes. I am also very happy with how it launders. It is staying really soft and I'm sure my daughter appreciates that.

I began using the Duo and wanted to try it out and review it for my older daughter as well, so I bought one in her size (Size 2) :) She's 19 months and about 25 lbs.

Here it is over a prefold. Again, incredibly trim and I love the fit. I'm not sure what the design difference is between this and their original covers, but it seems to stay up better on her waist and I am really liking that.

I don't believe the Duo was meant to go over large fitteds, but I thought I'd try it anyhow, just for kicks. I didn't even adjust the rise. Here it is over a Goodmama fitted. These things are rather bulky as you can see. It fit, I could have adjusted the rise bigger, but it worked just fine. No leaks and she didn't seem bothered by it.

I loved Thirsties covers before, but now I love them more. I really love these covers. They fit very well through the legs and I love that the tabs cross over. I've yet to have any problems with the velcro on these. They seem to stay put during the washing process and have yet to snag on anything in my wash.

The fitteds are very good. I think I would prefer if they had a bit more of a natural element, but that's just me. They do work well on her and so I can't complain :)

----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!
Congratulations to Laura for choosing cloth and entering this giveaway!
Here's how to enter to win!
Please leave a separate comment for each entry in order to have it counted.

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Post here telling me why you were inspired to try cloth, your email address and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Win a Duo & Fab Fitted from @ThirstiesInc and @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1" Leave a comment with a link to your status.

Twitter Button from Poonico

*Follow our blog and post letting me know that you are :)

*Post this giveaway to your Facebook and leave a comment.

*Become a fan of Thirsties on Facebook HERE, leave a comment.

*Post about this giveaway on your blog. Leave a comment w/ a link.

This giveaway ends November 1st. I will use random.org to pick a winner. If I do not hear back from the winner within 48 hours a new winner will be picked.

Friday, October 23, 2009

theBump Mommy Blog Awards

You helped make us a finalist on theBump's Mommy Blog Awards. Thank you!

We were picked to be the #1 Eco-Friendly blog (of the nominated blogs) and on top of that!!! Chosen as an editor's pick! How great is that!?!

The voting is now in the final phase. Best over-all blog. If you like this blog, what it stands for and think we deserve it. I ask you to go over and let them know why.

The voting is a little different this time around, due to some unfortunate circumstances, but I think words speak louder than a number vote anyhow. So perhaps this is a great blessing in disguise for all involved :D

Thank you so much for your support. Our blog traffic has picked up and that's so great. More people reading these tips means that perhaps more people will make an effort to be earth conscious, and that is our purpose and goal!

If you'd like to write a little bit about why you like this blog, please head over by clicking the picture below!

(image removed)

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Thank you!

Nothing has been announced yet, but...

This is the screen at poll closing!

A big "Thank you" for all of your votes :)

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Vote for us!!!

We are a finalist in The Bump's Mommy Blog Awards! Who better to win the Eco-Friendly category then the Eco-Friendly Family Blog. So please click on the link below and vote for us.

http://pregnant.thebump.com/extras/mommy-blog-awards/articles/eco-friendly-mommy-blog-finalists.aspx

And you can vote more then once! Voting ends Monday so have fun this weekend and send a few votes our way.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Curling Velcro Tabs

This is a method that I tried not because of the curling issue I was having, but more because my laundry tabs weren't working so well. It also straightened out my curling tabs and I haven't had an issue since :)

This can be applied to any diaper w/ velcro tabs. I think the added structure is what helps this work. It has worked for me and I hope it works for you too.


Diaper
This is how most brands work, attaching the tabs to 'laundry tabs'.

Take one off!

Attach it to the other tab. Voila! Done! Wash and dry as usual!

If your laundry tabs are old and worn out, don't worry about attaching the one to it. It's not a must. I just do it to try to keep them in place a bit more.

Good luck and I hope this helps fix your curling tabs too :)

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Cloth Diaper Giveaway!

I love doing my part for the environment, and I love using cloth diapers. Not only are they an eco-friendly option, in my experience, they work better than disposables.

I love promoting cloth, so I contacted an amazing woman and asked if she would like to help.

Thanks to Nicole at Bebeology, we are giving away 3 BumGenius One-Size pocket diapers and a quart of Allens Naturally detergent, all in a, too cute, reusable shopping bag.

Not only is she offering this amazing giveaway, for the month of October, her followers on Twitter and followers on this blog can get 15% off of all regular priced merchandise, including all of their cloth diapers!

Go to Bebeology &
Use code: 15EFFBLOG

Bebeology is a wonderful new business. I have had the pleasure of talking with Nicole on several occasions and have found her to be so amazingly sweet and helpful. Since meeting her and watching her business grow (all while carrying and having her first child!), I've noticed many rave reviews of her service and helpfulness to customers. It has been a blessing to watch.

Bebeology offers a wide range of environmentally friendly baby products. Cloth diapers, clothes, furniture, toys, strollers, the list goes on! Things that I didn't even know were available in eco friendly options! It's a great place to one-stop shop for all of your baby needs and know that the choices you're making will impact our earth as little as possible and be healthy choices for your family and your baby.
----Update! We have a winner!----
The giveaway portion is over :) Thank you to everyone that participated!

Congratulations to Crunchy Mama for entering and tweeting this giveaway!

So, you want to enter the giveaway? Here's how!

This entry is mandatory! If you do not do this, your other entries will not count!
Go to Bebeology and post here telling me what item you like best that they sell, your email address and the words "Live Green" somewhere in your comment.

Want more entries?

*Follow us and tweet this giveaway! Please tweet, "Win cloth diapers from @Bebeology and @EFFblog http://bit.ly/1jtGb1" Leave a comment with a link to your status.

Twitter Button from twitbuttons.com

*Follow our blog and post letting me know :)

*Post this giveaway to your Facebook and leave a comment.

*Post about this giveaway on your blog. Leave a comment w/ a link.

This giveaway ends October 21st. I will use random.org to pick a winner. If I do not hear back from the winner within 48 hours I a new winner will be picked.

Washing Cloth Diapers

This is for typical washing.

If you need to strip your diapers, try this.
If you need to prep your diapers, try this.
If you have ammonia issues with your diapers, try this.

Storing Dirty Diapers
Most people use a plain old trash can with lid. It's cheap and very effective. Some people use a pail liner or pillow case as a 'bag'.

This is a dry pail. Don't fill with water, there is no need.

What to do with Solids
Exclusively breastfed poop needs nothing. Just toss it in the wash. It will simply wash away.

Everything else should be sprayed, plopped or scraped into the toilet and flushed away. The diaper can then be put into the pail or wash.
You may choose to use a flushable liner for easier removal.

Methods of Washing
Here are the top methods. They are not the only way, but simply the most tried and used (as I have found).

Method #1
Cold Wash/Cold Rinse Cycle with Detergent
Hot Wash/Cold Rinse Cycle with Detergent
Dry (machine medium heat or clothes line/rack)

Method #2
Cold Soak/Rinse
Hot Wash/Cold Rinse Cycle with Detergent
Dry (machine medium heat or clothes line/rack)

With any of these methods an extra wash cycle or rinse can be thrown in for an extra dirty load of diapers.
Vinegar can also be added to any cycle, or (most commonly) the last wash/rinse in a downy ball or the softener reservoir.

Drying
You can use the dryer if you like. Use a medium heat at the most. You don't want to damage the PUL (covers, pockets, all-in-ones)

You may also line dry your diapers. This has the added benefit of the sun's stain removal powers :) Seriously. It's amazing what stains the sun can get out.

What type of detergent can you use?
You can make your own. (We have a recipe on this blog.) or purchase a detergent.

There are several brands. I'm sure I will miss some. Just because a detergent is listed here does not mean that I personally support it! I have not had the chance to try these, as I have always made my own. Detergent can be different from one household to the next. Baby's skin sensitivity, water hardness, wash routine and other things can play a factor in effectiveness.

Okay, onto brands you can buy :)

Allens Naturally Laundry Detergent - http://www.allensnaturally.com/
BumGenius Diaper Detergent - http://www.cottonbabies.com
Charlie's Soap - http://www.charliesoap.com/
Country Save - http://www.countrysave.com/
Crunchy Clean - http://crunchyclean.com/
Nellie's - http://www.nelliesallnatural.com/
Planet - http://www.planetinc.com
Rockin' Green - http://www.rockingreensoap.com/
Seventh Generation - http://www.seventhgeneration.com/

Wearing Your Baby

There are so many carriers out there. Here is a quick rundown of the types I am currently aware of, and have pictures of. I will add more as I get photos.

Didymos with Twins
Wrap Style CarrierErgo
Soft Structured Carrier
Hotsling
14 mos old

Loveyduds
Wrap Style Carrier
Maya Wrap & Ellaroo
Ring Sling
Mei Tai
14 mos old
Moby
Wrap Style Carrier
Patapum
Soft Structured Carrier
Thank you to everyone that has helped by contributing photos!

Do you have photos of you in using a carrier that you would like to share?

I'd be happy to add them!

Post a reply or email me :)

Handmade Holiday Decorations

Just some fun DIY things that might make some wonderfully personalized holiday decorations.

This list will grow, so check back!

Fabric BasketFabric Gift BagsMagazine Gift Bows

Sweater Trees
Sweater Wreath Ornaments

Handmade Gifts for Teens & Adults

An assortment of DIY gifts for teens and adults.

This list will grow, so check back!

Fizzy Bath BombsJean Purse
Personalized Towels
You could always embroider on these too!Salt Scrub
Newer Older Home
 
Copyright © 2010 The Eco-Friendly Family