Chick-fil-A #freshmade Giveaway

May 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

There’s something new at Chick-fil-A!

If you enjoy dining at Chick-fil-A, you might be interested to know that they recently introduced three new premium salads (Asian, Cobb and Grilled Market) and an improved sandwich wrap! Even better, they are all under 430 calories and are made with premium ingredients. Chick-fil-A has launched a #FreshMade campaign to spread the word about their new menu offerings, and it comes with a fun game and a giveaway!

I took the starter quiz and it described me as a “Go with the flow” kind of person. :-) How about you?

One of my readers will win TWO coupons for a free Chick-fil-A salad! Just use the Rafflecopter form to enter.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

All images, videos and apps courtesy of Chick-fil-A and CFA Properties, Inc.

Disclaimer: I am working with Chick-fil-A to help promote the new menu additions. No compensation was received by me in exchange for  posting this giveaway. I was supplied with videos and the blog app to help publicize the promotion.

 
Filed Under: Giveaways

A Quiet Pencil Sharpener that Works!

May 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Today I’m going to talk about sharpening pencils. Yes, I know it’s not as exciting as counting flowers on the wall or matching up socks, but it’s something that needs to be talked about because we go through a LOT of pencils around here, and I’m fed up with the little hand-held sharpeners! They love to get lost. They love to create messy little piles of shavings on our table. And they especially love to devour the ends of our pencils. Getting a pencil sharp really shouldn’t be such a headache.

Troy DeCoff sells what he calls the “Quietest Classroom Pencil Sharpener” over at Classroom Friendly Supplies. The sharpeners are $24.99 with free shipping. He generously sent us one of his Classroom Friendly Supplies sharpeners to try out in our homeschool. It’s a burr-style sharpener with an 8 mm hole.

Upon its arrival, I was quite taken with the “old school” look of this sharpener. The shiny chrome and cherry red paint give it a nice retro feel. But it’s not just pretty. This sharpener is quite heavy, and is composed of mostly metal parts. The exception to that is the see-through drawer at the bottom which collects pencil shavings. Our sharpener also came with a clamp which mounts it onto a table edge.

Up to this point, we’ve always used the little hand-held sharpeners. They are cheap and readily available. However, these dollar store offerings have many flaws: we tend to lose them constantly because they are just so small. Quite often, we lose just the top or the bottom half. If you get the kind with a compartment to hold the shavings, you must constantly dump it because the hold capacity is ridiculously tiny.

And did I mention that many sharpeners will often eat the tips off pencils? The main reason for this is that you don’t know exactly when sharpening is complete, so you just keep on grinding. All of a sudden, you hear that telltale crunching sound. Your pencil sharpener is having a snack!<

Because of all these headaches, I was very curious to see how the Classroom Friendly Supplies pencil sharpener performed. I was especially hoping it would work well on colored pencils because we use as many of those as we do regular pencils.

I let Joseph give it a test drive. He pulled out the feeder and inserted a pencil into the sharpening mechanism. Little teeth help to grip and hold the pencil in place, so you can just let go. Joseph used his left hand to steady the sharpener and his right hand to work the crank.

I sharpened up one pencil with our little dollar store sharpener, and another with the Classroom Friendly Supplies sharpener. The results? It hones the edge of pencils to a finer point than our hand-held version. It also contains the mess in a nifty little compartment.

I also tried the sharpener on a broken-off pencil. It was a casualty of one of our cheaper sharpeners, and I’ve found they are almost impossible to sharpen back up without peeling back some of the broken tip and exposing the lead. I inserted the broken tip into our Classroom Friendly Supplies sharpener without doing any type of remedial work on it first.

The result? You’d never know it had been broken.

For review purposes, I did mount it on our table for a while. It was easy to install (no tools needed) but I found that after a lot of use, it loosened ever so slightly and wasn’t staying put as well. This wasn’t a big deal for us since we actually preferred to just use it unmounted. I like being able to quickly take it from place to place.

My thoughts about this sharpener overall?

PROS

  • It’s quiet and makes a gentle grinding sound during operation.
  • The auto-stop mechanism keeps your pencil from being sharpened too much. When it’s done, you’ll feel all the resistance in the crank handle disappear.
  • The handle operates smoothly and quickly.
  • My children can use it without any difficulties.
  • It looks great!
  • It sharpens pencils to a super fine point, yet without leaving a “point” at the tip that is so needle fine that it immediately breaks off when you start to write.
  • The price, compared to other burr-style metal sharpeners, is very competitive.
  • When leads do get stuck, it’s easy to remove the crank handle assembly and get the piece out.
CONS
  • Alas, I found that this sharpener doesn’t particularly care for colored pencils. Every once in a while, the tips would break off and clog the mechanism. I will have to bite the bullet and buy a sharpener that’s specially made to handle colored pencils.
  • The teeth that hold your pencil in place are so sharp that they cut into the wood. For regular pencils, we really didn’t care too much, but the children didn’t like having their “pretty” and “fun” pencils getting marked up like that.
  • The clamp mechanism performed well for a time, but eventually loosened up.

I’m quite happy with how this sharpener handles all our regular pencils, and I can highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for something sturdy, reliable and attractive.

At Classroom Friendly Supplies, you can find this same great sharpener in your choice of color: red, blue, black or green. There are also replacement blades for sharpeners that really take a beating (think daily classroom or office use) and need a new lease on life after a few years. There are package deals with discount pricing to save you money when buying lots of sharpeners all at one time.

You can connect with Classroom Friendly Supplies on Facebook and Twitter. To purchase a sharpener for your home, office, or school for $24.99, visit the online store. And stick around, because very soon I’ll be giving away a FREE pencil sharpener on my blog!

 

 

 

 

 

 
Filed Under: Home and Family Reviews Tagged With:

How to Make a Beautiful Strawberry “Rose” Garnish

May 14, 2013 By 14 Comments

My Mother’s Day cake needed a pretty garnish, and I had a basket of strawberries just waiting to fill the bill. However, I wanted something different than the usual method of slicing and fanning the berries out. So I Googled around and was struck by one photo in particular; it was a strawberry cut to look like a rose. What a perfect garnish for Mother’s Day!

After a couple of clumsy attempts, I executed a decent rose to bloom on top of my pineapple cake. Here’s the method I used.

#1 Pick a nice fat strawberry. Wash and dry it. (You might try practicing first on a few small ones.

#2 Turn it upside down and grab a small but sharp knife in your other hand. Make four half-moon cuts around the bottom, but don’t slice all the way through.

#3 Fan the four cuts out ever so slightly.

 #4 Continue working your way up the strawberry, making half-moon cuts around the sides. I staggered mine to give a more authentic look.

 #5 Gently fan the “petals” out. You might want to borrow some leaves from the other strawberries to fill out your garnish. After it’s fanned out, the leaves on the bottom get obscured.

#6 Carefully set the garnish in place, and you’re done. I accented my cake with some red sprinkles.

If you have some more strawberry garnish ideas, or ANY easy ways to make a cake look extra nice, I’d love to hear them!
Filed Under: Home and Family Tagged With: , , , ,

Mother’s Day Giveaway: Moody Sisters Skincare

May 10, 2013 By 7 Comments

 

This month we’ll celebrate Mother’s Day, and if you’re looking for gift ideas, inspirations or maybe just the chance to win something fun for your mother, this giveaway hop is just for you! Hop around and read some great reviews, and then enter to win from May 10th to May 26th. A special thanks to the Blogging Mamas Network for hosting this!

Make sure you also enter the Grand Prize – a $250 Gift Card to Mía Mariú! One lucky Mama is going to look so pretty with all that eco-friendly makeup!

Mia Mariu Giveaway

I’m giving away a $25.00 gift card to Moody Sisters Organic Skincare. To read more about these wonderful products, take a look at my full review here.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

According to Jenny, So Easy Being Green, the Blogging Mamas Network, and the Something Special for Mom participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsors who do not fulfill prize obligations.
Filed Under: Giveaways

Moody Sisters Organic Skincare Review

May 10, 2013 By 16 Comments

 

The concept behind Moody Sisters Skincare is very simple and appealing: natural, organic ingredients are best for sensitive and sometimes “moody” skin, and sustainable packaging is a responsible choice because it can easily be recycled and reused.

Moody Sisters sent me a few of their skincare products to try: the lightweight moisturizer and three lip balms.

The lightweight moisturizer is packaged in a sustainable aluminum container; it’s a clear liquid formulation that you dispense onto your hand. This moisturizer is oil-free and has a light, minty fragrance that I love. For the past month, I’ve put it on every night, and I wake up with nice soft skin every morning. It truly is lightweight and after applying, I feel like there’s nothing on my face. This would be an especially ideal product for any woman who has acne-prone skin. My only issue with the Moody Sisters moisturizer was getting it out of the container. You have to shake it out in drops, and so it tends to splash every which way. I mentioned this to the PR rep and so maybe a different type of packaging will be offered in the future. But as far as the product goes, it’s a complete winner in my book!

All three lip balms I tried were very smooth and creamy, and the scents are delicious! Regular Moody Sisters lip balms come in Mint, Mocha, Orange, Almond and Lime. They are light and pleasant flavors, but not overpowering at all. Moody Sisters lip balms are fortified with vitamins and have really helped to keep my lips soft and hydrated. One of the three balms I received was “Berry Tinted Vanilla. The tinted balms don’t just smell and taste good; they are naturally pigmented with mica to give a blush of color to the lips. You can choose Bronze, Berry or Rose. I like wearing my tinted lip balm around the house (you never know when someone might show up at the door) or just to run a quick errand or two. Fooling with lipstick is not always convenient. In the photo, you can see how the Berry tint is just enough to add some color to my lips.

Everything we tried from Moody Sisters was fantastic, so it makes me really happy to share it with you. I would love to try some of their other skincare products – there are lotions, sprays, scrubs and cleansers, deodorants and baby care items. And some are labeled as vegan, if that’s important to you.

They’ve got you covered for summer, too, with an all-natural Sunscreen Lotion Bar and Bug Off repellant!

* Get Something Nice for Your Skin! *

You can find the entire lineup of natural, organic
skincare necessities at the Moody Sisters online store.
Receive a free shipping coupon when you subscribe to the Moody Sisters newsletter!

* Enter to Win! *

One reader will win a $25 gift card to go on a
Moody Sisters shopping spree!
My “Something Special for Mom” giveaway is posted here.
Filed Under: Home and Family Reviews

All the BEST “Mother’s Day” Cloth Diaper Sales

May 9, 2013 By Leave a Comment

 

Shopping for cloth diapers this week and looking for deals?

My biweekly report includes
links to over 35 different cloth diaper stores
(some are affiliate links)
so you can find just what you need for baby, at a great price!
(and you might get some FREE STUFF, too)

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!

BabyLegs
Join the VIP program and receive FREE shipping, member only discounts (up to 20%) and 5% loyalty rewards
Click the store button to start shopping.

 

Baby Beduga Cloth Diapers
All products at Baby Beduga are buy 6 and get 1 free! Write the word “mama” in your notes at checkout and specify color of free item.

Click store button to start shopping!

BALM Baby
Happy Mother’s Day!! Take 15% off sitewide and 25% off all “Mama” products! May 11 and 12 only!
Click store button to start shopping.

Cloth Diaper Outlet:
Free shipping on orders over $35
Get 10% off storewide until 5/15
Save 15% on all Woolbybug diapers and covers
Save 5% on orders over $75 with code Bonus75
Save 10% on orders over $150 with code Bonus150
Click on the Outlet Store and Gently Used diapers for more discounts!

Click store button to start shopping.

Diaper Daisy

Check out the Deal of the Day – each one lasts only 24 hours
FREE shipping on orders over $35
Join the Boutique Bunch and receive a $5 coupon, a free shipping coupon code and other exclusive offers
Military families receive a discount on every order
Check out the Gently Love Fluff section for great deals on pockets, AIO diapers and inserts

Click the store button to start shopping:

 

Diaper Safari:
Diaper Safari one-size covers are just $8.95 and come in 15 different colors!
10% off all Planet Wise products
Get a FREE pocket diaper using code DSPC49 with your order of $49 or more
BumGenius 4.0 pockets are buy 5 get 1 free
Save 25% on Rumparooz with aplix

Click the store button to start shopping!

Dearest Diapers:
Mothers’ Day freebies!
Use code LOVEMOM40 for orders over $40 and LOVEMOM80 for orders over $80
5% off orders of $20  or more with code MILITARY
Refer a friend and get $7 store credit

Click the store button to start shopping!

Diaper Junction:
Mother’s Day Freebie: Between May 9-12 one random order will be chosen each day – your purchase will be refunded and shipped FREE!
Check out the home page for the Diaper Junction “Deal of the Day” (diapers marked 15% off or more)
BumGenius 4.0 pockets are buy 5 get 1 free
OVERSTOCK SALE! Save 10% on Planet Wise and Best Bottoms
Free shipping on orders of $35 or more

Click the store button to start shopping!

Diva Diapers:
Every Monday is Mama Monday, one lucky customer who places an order receives $25 Paypal cash!
Every Tuesday is Two-For–Tuesday: one lucky customer will receive TWO of one of their items!
Every Wednesday is Wacky Wednesday: one item on the website will be 15% off
Every Thursday is Thankful Thursday: one random Facebook fan will be chosen to receive a $10 store credit
Every Friday is Freebie Friday: one lucky customer has an item in her shopping cart refunded
Select Best Bottom covers on sale for 20% off
Free shipping on all orders over $50; flat rate of $5 for orders under $50

Click the store button to start shopping!

Green Baby Goods:

FREE lip balm with orders of $49 or more (choose your flavor!)
Kawaii one-size covers are just $5.95!
Kawaii pocket diapers are ALL under $10 each!
Get 10% off LunaPads until 5/15
Check out the Used Fluff section for some great bargains!
Click the store button to start shopping.

Happy Baby Company
Free Planet Wise snack bag with orders over $39 – code is REUSE
NEW BumGenius prints Irwin and Maathai are in stock
Check out the Gently Used section for huge discounts!
Check out the Daily Deal – each lasts only 24 hours!

Click store button to start shopping.

 

H3idiho Designs
All-natural, organic and handmade nursing and teething necklaces starting at just $2.99

Click the store button to start shopping

Hipkiddo Cloth Diapers
Classically Hip pocket diapers are just $10.00 each
Click store button to start shopping!

Irresistibly Green!

FREE shipping on orders over $20
Drybees AIO are 30% off
Receive a FREE Cloth Grab Bag (pocket diaper, wet bag, detergent sample and balm) with any purchase over $150!
Palm Tree diaper covers are just $10.99 each
Check out the Bargain Bin for diapers under $15
Fuzzibunz, Oh Katy and Ones & Twos are all on sale
Click on the store button to start shopping!

Itsy Bitsy Bums
10% off Jellystone and Chewbeads until 5/12
Fuzzibunz Elite clearance sale
Pre-loved diapers have been discounted even more – an additional 15% off
Changing Diapers book now just $5.00!
FREE shipping on orders over $35

Click on store button to start shopping!

The Joyful Giraffe:
Enjoy 10% off your order AND a surprise Earth Mama freebie with every order placed between Thursday – Sunday 
Use coupon code MOMMA2013
Deep discounts on pre-owned Thirsties covers, wraps and AIO diapers
Use code FREESHIP to get free shipping on orders over $49

Click the store button to get started!

Kelly’s Closet:
FREE one-size diaper with a purchase of $69 or more using code SPICY
Itti Bitti diapers are 30% off
All Sloomb/Sustainablebabyish products are 10% off, Saturday and Sunday only (5/11 and 5/12)
Use code FORBABY for a free one-size diaper with a purchase of just $29 or more
Use code FORMAMA to get a free set of 3 reusable pads with an order of $45 or more
Use code TEETHER to get a free teething toy with orders of $55 or more

Click store button to start shopping!

KellyWels.com
Get FREE shipping on cloth diaper advocacy t-shirts and tote bags
Changing Diapers book is now only $5.98 – great gift for a mom who’s new to cloth
CJ’s Butter, as low as $4.98

Click store button to start shopping!

Kissed by the Moon:

CJ’s Butter is 10% off
Osocozy soft unbleached prefolds on sale for just $17.99 per pack
Spend $35, get a free Planet Wise sandwich bag with code CAMPBAG
5% off $25+ for military families with code: MILITARY (unlimited use)
$5 off a $45 purchase with code: WELCOME (This is a one-time use)
Free shipping on orders over $49

Click the store button to start shopping!

Lalabye Baby
Bamboo pocket diapers for just $16.95! New colors just arrived!
10% off your entire order until 5/13 with code MOTHERLOVE

Click the store button to start shopping.

 

Lil Tulip’s
Get 10% off anything in the Moms category with code MOMS10
FREE CJ’s Lip Balm with any order over $25, no code needed
Fuzzibunz Perfect Size, on sale for $9.95 and up
Free shipping on orders over $25

Click the store button to start shopping!

Mama’s Emporium
Hyland’s Homeopathics are buy 1 get 1 FREE
Bumkins One-Size pockets on sale for $12.95
Rumparooz on clearance!
AppleCheeks are now in stock!
Mother’s Day cloth diaper auction on Pinterest – bid now!
Click store button to start shopping.

 

Mom’s Milk Boutique:
FREE shipping on orders over $25
Layaway available
Kissaluvs $10 off mail-in rebate
Get a FREE pair of BabyLegs with a purchase over $35 with code BabyLegs
BumGenius 4.0 pockets are buy 5 get 1 free
Fuzzibunz seconds as low as $10.95

Click the store button to start shopping.

 

My Sweet Pickles
Get FREE shipping on orders over $49
Use coupon MOTHERSDAY To get 10% off your order through 5/12
BumGenius 4.0 pockets are buy 5 get 1 free
10% off CJ’s products all week long
Rumparooze one-size on sale for $17.95

Click store button to get started!

Lil Helper Diapers
Save 15% on the Lil Helper starter diaper kit
Free shipping on all orders over $79

Little Spruce Organics:
Save 15% on your entire purchase with my exclusive Zephyr Hill Blog coupon code ZH15
All organic nursing tops and baby clothes are on sale right now
Children’s apparel just added!
Anamalz wooden toys on sale
Free shipping on orders of $100 or more

Click store button to start shopping!

MomBecks Cloth Diapers

Free shipping every day, no minimum purchase needed
Free one-size diaper with $49 plus purchase!
Osocozy unbleached flats – just $20 for one dozen

Click store button to start shopping!

Natural Littles

NEW! Be sure to join the Natural Moms Club rewards program and earn 10% in store credit – details here!
New Bumgenius prints Irwin and Maathai in stock
SweetPea newborn covers in stock, just $9.95 each
Planet Wise wet bags and sport bags on sale
FREE shipping to US on orders over $35
Click store button to start shopping!

Nicki’s Diapers

Get 10% off all Best Bottoms through 5/12
All Imagine diaper products are on sale for up to 38% off
GenY covers are 30% off
FREE shipping on diaper covers and pockets and Planet Wise products
Visit the Closeout section for 30 to 50% off
Click on the store button to get started!

Oh Sew Smitten
One-Size AI2 and pocket diapers in designer prints – customs welcome!
Check for stockings on Hyena Cart  and follow on Facebook for promos and giveaways

Click the store button to start shopping!

 

Over the Moon Diapers
Get FREE shipping with orders over $60
Osocozy flushable liners – closeout price of just $4.00
Cloth-eez Prefolds just $2.00
Check the Gently Used and Final Clearance for great deals
Check the great Customer Referral and Customer Rewards programs – you can earn gift codes!

Click store button to start shopping!

Smart Snugs Diapers
Diaper layaway plans available First-time customers who place an order over $100 get 10% off with code 10plz
Use code BONUSDIAPER at checkout to receive a free diaper (value is $13 to $18) when you order $20 or more

Click on store button to start shopping!

Squishy Tushy
Free shipping over $80
Get a $5 gift card for every $40 spent from May 7 to 11 – code is MOTHER13
Sloomb/Sustainable Babyish diapers are 15% off
Chewbeads and mama cloth are 15% off
BumGenius 4.0 pockets are buy 5 get 1 free

Click store button to start shopping


Sweetbottoms Baby Boutique
FREE shipping on all orders!
FREE stuff with every order
- Write Free Tiny Bubbles at checkout for orders over $10 to get Tiny Bubbles sample
- Write Free Lip Balm at checkout for orders over $30 to get Tiny Bubbles and lip balm
- Write Free CJ’s Spray at checkout for orders over $50 to get CJ’s Bottom Spray and Tiny Bubbles sample
- Write Free CJ’s Lotion at checkout for orders over $80 to get CJ’s Lotion and Tiny Bubbles sample
Beautiful satin brocade diaper bags on clearance
Everything in the FOR MOM category is 20% off
10% off seleted Kawaii diaper products
Bumbledoo swim diapers are just $6.99
Click on store button to start shopping

 

Thanks Mama Cloth Diaper Store
Get 15% from May 10 to May 12 with code mothersday
BumGenius 4.0 pockets are buy 5 get 1 free
Kissaluvs – $10 mail in rebate offer
GroVia drawstring wetbags are just $4.99 on clearance!
Happy Heinys one-size pocket diapers reduced to just $6.99!!
Purchase a Kissaluvs Fitted or Contour diaper package and get a FREE cover
Buy a Thirsties Duo package deal and receive extra FREE microfiber inserts

Click the store button to start shopping:

Up on the Hill Diapers
10% off Goodmamas plus double rewards points
10% off Sloomb/Sustainablebabyish
Everything in the Just for Moms section is 10% off with code MOTHER
One order over $100 gets a free Great Cloth Diaper Change goodie bag
NEW AppleCheeks swim diapers in stock
Check the Facebook page all this week for a new deal or coupon code each day!

Click the store button to start shopping!

 

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN…….

Lilla Rose Hair Clips – Jasmine Bass, Consultant
Shop for beautiful, comfortable hair clips in a huge range of styles, and help support Jasmine’s adoption fund!

Click button to start shopping.

Bare Body Organic Soaps
Free shipping on U.S. orders of $25 or more
Free soap given away every Friday!

Click the store button to start shopping.

New Creation Apparel
Shop for long skirts and modest maternity apparel
Visit the Sales and Closeouts section for incredible markdowns of up to 50%!

Click store button to start shopping.

NOTE: If you are placing an order from Canada with a merchant offering “free shipping,” it wouldn’t hurt to check first. Sometimes free shipping applies only to the continental U.S. Thank you for supporting my sponsors and affiliates! If you’ve got some coupon codes and sales to share, or find an error/omission here, please leave a comment below.
Filed Under: Cloth Diaper Coupon Codes and Sales

Deemas Hand-Dyed Clothing Review

May 8, 2013 By 43 Comments

Custom dyeing of natural fibers is Diane’s specialty, and she uses her talent to support a growing family of eight. Colorful yards of bamboo and cotton find new life as blankets, cotton prefolds and fitted diapers. At Deema, you’ll also find store-bought tees and onesies that Diane has tie-dyed and swirl-dyed in a rainbow of colors to give them a completely fresh and new look.

Diane sent a pretty amazing assortment of her creations to us: a velour blanket and dyed bodysuit for Erik, and a swirl-dyed shirt for Susanna! Her eye for color is undeniable.

The dyed onesies are just $10 in the online shop!

 

Erik really turns heads in this bodysuit. The colors are so vivid and bright! It looks cute on its own or with a pair of baby overalls.

There was something pretty in the package for Susanna, too – this swirl dyed long sleeve shirt:

I love the colors in this one, too. It reminds me of melting ice cream, and the blues really bring out Susanna’s eyes. It’s yet another completely unique creation from Deema. Most of the shirts also start at $10, which is such a reasonable price.

And to top everything off, Diane also made this velour blanket, which is dyed with a rainbow of colors and very generously sized. Everyone from baby Erik up to the oldest children love this plush blanket. Everywhere we go, people want to know where it came from!

I would love to learn to dye fabrics and clothing like Diane does. It must be a lot of fun to work with color like that. Here’s how Diane describes the process: “Deema uses all natural fibers, that are CPSIA certified. We hand cut these fabrics to make the most out of the natural variations of the fabric and to optimize procion color uptake….As each batch of dye is hand mixed in small quantity to ensure the correct hue, as is each cut of fabric is placed with care onto the surface medium. With this there are natural color and fiber variation, no two applications are alike and this creates a semi custom and completely unique end product each time!” 

If you are handy with a needle and have your OWN projects in mind, Deema sells hand-dyed fabric in your choice of color and size. Or, you can request custom dyeing if you already have something that could use a facelift.

You should visit Deema’s Rainbows and check out the amazing photo gallery to see the possibilities!

 
Filed Under: Home and Family Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Deema’s Rainbow and Lucky Little C’s Diaper Review & Giveaway

May 8, 2013 By 53 Comments

Is there anything more beautiful than a handmade cloth diaper? What if the fabric used to make the diaper was hand-dyed with swirls of delicious colors, customized by you? That’s the kind of diaper we were given by our friends at Deema’s Rainbows and Lucky Little C’s Cloth Diapers!

Diane is the talented lady behind Deema, and she swirl dyes everything from luxury velour fabrics to store-bought shirts and onesies. I used the color wheel at her website to choose my hues – blues, greens, teals and lavender. And then the magic began! After dying the cotton velour with my chosen colors, Diane sent the fabric to Amanda at Lucky C’s, where it was sewn into a plush fitted diaper for Susanna. It’s a size 1, which fits from about 9 to 29 pounds (Susanna is 26 right now).

Here’s the fitted diaper opened up. It features a cotton velour outer, a heavy Windpro poly fleece hidden layer and a color-coordinated cotton velour lining. The petal soakers are a soft blend of heavy organic bamboo fleece, hemp fleece and cotton velour.

This picture illustrates how the snaps are situated on the waistband. To shorten the rise, you simply fold down the waistband and fasten the snaps which are sewn on the inside of the diaper.

And now look at these photos!! Amanda put some really incredible details into this diaper. Each soaker is embroidered with her signature “L” to mark it as a Lucky Little C’s creation. And each is serged on the edge with sparkling metallic thread! Her exclusive label is sewn onto the waistband. The photo at bottom right is just to show you how plush and thick the leg gussets are. They are great at keeping messes inside the diaper! This one-of-a-kind hybrid fitted retails for $38.00. It’s a higher price tag for a true “Cadillac” of cloth diapers.

Because there’s a layer of Wind Pro in this diaper, it can resist a lot of moisture. However, if it’s going to be on your baby for a long time, a roomy PUL or wool cover will provide good back-up. Our Swaddlebees size 2 Capri cover worked well paired with this diaper, as did Sweet Pea covers.

And here’s how it fits on Susanna. She loves to touch the soft fabric and says “pretty!” when I put it on her. This diaper definitely attracts attention!

I was actually quite surprised at how quickly this diaper dries. Although it’s on the bulkier side because of the plush fabric and thirsty soakers, drying time is average. Unlike some of my other fitted diapers, I don’t have to run a second cycle to get our Lucky Little C’s diaper completely dry. Another observation: because the fabric is thicker and so well-sewn, the wings never curl back but always stay nice and flat.

* Shop Deema’s and Lucky Little C’s *

You can find lots more of Diane’s hand-dyed creations, starting at just $8.00,
at her Hyena Cart store.  Lucky Little C’s also has  an online shop; her stuff goes FAST!

* Enter to Win *

One lucky reader will win this hybrid fitted, which is almost identical to the one I reviewed!
It features dark green snaps and a luxurious teal inner lining.
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Quick and Easy Ideas for Garden Statues

May 5, 2013 By 4 Comments

I love and appreciate beautiful landscaping, but don’t have the time or talent to do anything very elaborate. Fortunately, if you have a nice focal piece to work with like a lovely statue, monument or bird bath, the setting is not too difficult to execute. Here are a few outdoor shrines we spotted in our local community. The fourth photo shows how a family simply placed a statue of Christ in the crook of an old tree for a very nice effect.

A few more from local neighborhoods:

With just a few paving stones and some well-chosen plants, it’s easy to put together an attractive little spot in your yard. Here are some ideas I assembled from the web:

UPS will soon be delivering a classical statue of Saint Joseph holding the Christ child. My plan is to set it in a small half-moon shaped bed edged with stones that are arranged in a staggered pattern. Lilies would be perfect to complete the flower bed.

What are your gardening plans this spring? Have you ever thought about adding a shrine or memorial to your yard or garden?
Filed Under: Home and Family Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Reusable Nursing Pads I’ve Tried and Liked

May 3, 2013 By 15 Comments

When Erik was born in December, I decided that I would try out reusable nursing pads for the first time. Cloth diapers have saved us a lot of money, so it made sense that washable pads would, too. I don’t leak as much while nursing as I did with my first few babies, but pads are still appreciated, especially at night.

I wanted something trim, comfy and affordable. Cute colors or prints would be a nice plus!

Our bamboo pads from Baby Roo scored high marks for softness and cuteness. The minky fabric feels very luxurious and the fabrics are one-of-a-kind. However, of the three I tried, they were the most bulky. Still, they did absorb well and hold in a lot of leaking, and the bamboo fabric seems to help keep odor at bay. These were my favorite for wearing around the house and at night during the early weeks.

Next up, nursing pads from the makers of Fuzzi Bunz cloth diapers. Last year we tried the Elite Fuzzi Bunz diapers and I was pleased with the quality, so I was curious to see what their pads were like. They come in white (which I bought) and pastels (which I couldn’t find in stock anywhere), so that was a disappointment. These were trimmer than the WAHM pads. The inner layer is microfiber, and there’s a PUL backing plus a stay-dry microfleece top. At $11 for 3 pairs, the price is average. These pads work well at keeping moisture from sitting up against your skin, and the absorbency level is very good. You can check Diaper Junction to see if they are in stock; if not, you can get on the waiting list.

Last of all, I gave Snap-EZ’s pads a whirl. They went on sale and the pretty pastels caught my eye! They are made with 4 layers of cotton velour, a PUL backing and stay-dry microfleece on the top. Although not the thirstiest of the pads I tried, they are definitely the trimmest and the price is great. Retail is $12 and you get SIX pairs of assorted colors! If we are blessed with another baby, these are the pads I will buy again. I’m four months postpartum now and still using them daily; they are holding up great. The fact that there’s cotton inside, instead of microfiber, especially appeals to me.

Have you tried reusable nursing pads?
Filed Under: Home and Family Reviews
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