Zephyr Hill

A Family Blog

Lalabye Baby All-in-Two Review & Giveaway

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Lalabye Baby sells one-size pocket diapers with bamboo inserts, biodegradable liners, cotton terry wipes, wet bags, laundry care products and other cloth accessories. Melissa, the mother behind Lalabye Baby, kindly sent us the “Pat-a-Cake” diaper to review, which is white with teal snaps. All of her diapers have cute nursery rhyme themed names like “Twinkle Little Star” (yellow) and “Peter Pumpkin Eater” (orange).

When you open the diapers all the way up, there’s a surprise: a rainbow of colored snaps – so you can have something to look forward to as baby fattens up and grows! The colors also help you to quickly fasten the waist snaps by size. For example, you might use red for a big toddler and green for a larger baby. Tip: you can also steer your husband or your mother-in-law in the right direction by using the color code.

Here is the Lalabye diaper opened up. You can snap the bamboo inserts in, or just lay in the shell and tuck under the flap. There are two pocket openings on this diaper, if you prefer that style.

The pocket openings allow the inserts to slide out on their own in the washing machine. So you won’t have to reach in the pocket to pull out a wet or dirty pad. There’s also a waterproof PUL band on the top inside to further guard against leaks – especially when your child is on his/her tummy. When stuffing this diaper, I always use the front opening because the back one is very narrow.

With your diaper purchase you get two 4-layer bamboo inserts – one is newborn size and the other is standard size and they have a snap to fasten them in the shell; you can also snap the two inserts together before securing them in the shell if you want more absorbency. Bamboo is buttery soft and stays that way even after many washings. It’s also super trim and highly absorbent. On a scale of 1 to 5 for soaking power, I would give the Lalabye a 4 when using the two inserts together, so it’s definitely above average. I’ve also discovered with time that bamboo doesn’t hold on to odors like microfiber, although it does tend to stain more easily. There’s a trade-off with every diapering fabric. With Susanna and Samuel (ages 1 and 2) I use both bamboo inserts. For newborn Erik I used just the small to cut down on bulk.

Want to see the Lalabye pocket on some kiddos? Here is my tiny little guy first. Erik is 10 pounds and the Lalabye actually works on him, although there’s a lot of extra fabric which makes it bulky overall. Most one-size diapers start fitting best at 12-15 pounds or more.

Here’s how it fits on Susanna who is 18 months and about 25 pounds:

The fit is really sleek and trim:

Here’s my toddler, Samuel (almost 3 and weighing 35 pounds).

The price tag of $14.95 is great for a diaper that can function as either an All-in-Two or pocket, and has two inserts.

Share your thoughts and questions with me in a comment below; I’d love to hear from you!

 * Enter to Win! *

Wouldn’t it be nice to go shopping at Lalabye
with $20 to spend? One lucky winner will receive  a gift card!
Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. US only.

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Baby Roo Review & Giveaway

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Shandell over at Baby Roo on Etsy nurtures her love of sewing by creating cloth diapers, toy slings for dolls and bears and nursing accessories for attached mothers. She was kind enough to send me an assortment of products from her shop so we could sample the best of everything!

First up is a one-size pocket diaper that Shandell made from duck-print PUL. It has a soft microfleece inner, crossover snaps on the waist and three snap settings on the rise to adjust as baby grows. With one standard microfiber insert, the absorbency is average and works well for when Susanna wets just once. It’s easy to boost this diaper by adding an additional insert, as long as it’s not too bulky. Baby Roo pockets are designed to fit from about 7 pounds to 26 pounds, depending on how your child is built. This is a super cute diaper with a nice slim fit and comfortably encased leg and back elastics! Compared to some of our other pockets, it seems to run a little small so the size range to me is very accurate (many on the market are advertised to fit up to 35 or 40 pounds). So how does it fit on a newborn? Scroll down to see our Baby Roo pocket on 9-pound Erik!

I was super glad to try out the bamboo nursing pads since Erik has arrived and my milk is in! Shandell makes hers with super soft bamboo and a waterproof PUL backing to contain leaks. I think the guitar print on mine is really cute and the side that goes against my skin is blue minky! My pads have worked to hold in leaks even at night when Erik will go 3 hours or more without nursing. They aren’t too thin or too thick; perfect for wearing at home or while sleeping. I can wear them out with a sweater, but they do show through a little with a knit top or lightweight blouse. At just $3.00 a pair, Baby Roo pads are a great bargain and if you buy 3 or more pairs Shandell offers 10% off with the coupon code “breastisbest.”

Now look at this neat wet bag which has two separate zippered pockets and an attached handle. Don’t you love the damask fabric? So chic! I like that you can store items separately because there are two compartments. Baby Roo wet bags start at just $12.00 and go up from there. Again, I think these are really great prices for the quality workmanship and boutique fabrics.

And I saved one of the cutest things for last! Catherine was thrilled to use this little pink doll sling for her baby Mary. She said “Look, mama, I can carry my child just like you!” The sling is completely adjustable, so Catherine can loosen it to fit her big plush teddy bear inside. I love toys like this that aren’t just cute and fun, but teach useful lessons and help children to feel a little bit “grown up.”

What we received is just a small taste of what’s available at Baby Roo. Everything Shandell makes is gorgeous! I absolutely love the fabrics she digs up for her creations!

* Get Some Baby Roo! *

Check out all the cute stuff Shandell’s been sewing
in the Baby Roo Etsy Shop

* Enter to Win!! *

One lucky mother will receive a super chic gray Chevron pocket diaper
AND a pair of bamboo nursing pads. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

*GIVEAWAY CLOSED*

Little Green Bird AI2 Diaper Review & Giveaway

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Shannon at The Little Green Bird specializes stylish cloth diaper covers, AI2’s and hybrid fitteds and cute children’s clothing. And she is happy to take custom orders.

Here is the gorgeous AI2 she made for Susanna. It features a colorful cotton fruit print on the outside and heavy organic bamboo fleece on the inside. The bamboo insert is two-side and is color coordinated to match the diaper:

Our Little Green Bird diaper is very soft and absorbent. I like how the insert has two sides and either one can be against your baby’s skin – the smooth or the fleecy side. It washes up great, doesn’t hold on to stains and takes about 1 cycle to dry. It fits really nicely and the double row of snaps on the waistband is my favorite style.

Prices at The Little Green Bird start at $10 for newborn PUL diaper covers. Regular diaper covers and AI2 shells are custom-made and are just $15. Shannon’s fabric choices are listed on Facebook and are super cute! And if you still don’t see exactly what you want, she’ll search for the right fabric.

I’m happy with everything about our Little Green Bird diaper. The only issue we had was the wait time, as things were very busy on Shannon’s end. I would suggest that with any custom order you place, to check the estimated turnaround time beforehand.

Here is some more of her work!

* Add a Little Green Bird Diaper to your Stash *

See what’s in stock right now at Shannon’s online shop!
And  join the Little Green Bird Buy/Sell/Trade group on Facebook for more great deals.

* How to Win One! *

Enter for a chance to win the cute AI2 diaper pictured below from Little Green Bird by using
the easy Rafflecopter form.

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Woodland Owl Bird’s Nest Necklace Review and Giveaway

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If you wanted to display your love for those closest to you right near your heart, what would be the perfect way to do this? How about a custom-made bird’s nest necklace, with jewel-tone beads that signify anything you desire – the number of children you’ve been blessed with, or perhaps their birth months? Or what about a pair of beads to represent you and your husband?

My friend Jessica crafts these lovely nest necklaces and offers them through her online shop, Woodland Owl. She was kind enough to make a special necklace just for me, and I was thrilled when I opened up my mail because Jessica packaged it so prettily in a tiny paper box tied with string inside an opaque organza bag!

And here is my lovely Woodland Owl necklace, with custom colors to match the blog! I love the way Jessica did this for me as a surprise! Two beads represent my husband and me, and the third bead is for all 7 of our children.

The nest hangs on a sturdy chain and is very comfortable to wear. And I like how it matches with lots of different outfits because of the multiple colors. Whenever I’m out and about wearing my nest necklace, I get compliments and people love to hear the story behind it.

Jessica can also do add-ons like bird charms and initial charms:

And she just added something brand new to the store…..custom branch necklaces!

* Where to Buy Woodland Owl Necklaces *

You can shop at Jessica’s online store, where in stock
nest necklaces start at just $25.00! Or you can request a custom creation.

* Enter to Win a Woodland Owl Nest Necklace! *

Jessica is giving one lucky mother her choice of a custom
nest necklace or in stock necklace! (Note: Bird charm not included in custom)
Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

*GIVEAWAY CLOSED*

Fuzzibunz Elite Pocket Diaper Review

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After four years of diapering, we’ve finally gotten around to trying out the famous Fuzzibunz diapers at Zephyr Hill. And this is thanks to my friend and a fellow cloth-diapering mother, Erica, at the Green Baby Goods store. At Green Baby Goods you’ll find pretty much anything to satisfy your cloth diapering needs: pockets, AIO and AI2 diapers, prefolds and flats, covers, creams, detergents and more! Erica carries one of my favorite brands – Sweet Pea diaper covers. I picked up one of their just-released covers for my newborn the other day, and can’t wait to try it in January 🙂

There’s also a great section called Fluff Under $10 and an amazing line-up of green cleaning products for your home. Even better, every order of $25 receives free shipping!

Erica sent us this gorgeous grape FuzziBunz Elite Pocket Diaper (retail $19.95). It includes two inserts and a set of replacement elastic:

This is a very trim diaper and it truly is “one size” because of the adjustable internal elastic in the waist and the legs. You simply locate the elastic inside the band and fasten the button at the proper setting for your baby’s size. There are even tiny little numbers marked on the elastic to insure that the button settings match on both sides. It takes about 30 seconds and you can tuck any excess elastic back inside the hole so it won’t bother your little one. And extra replacement elastic means that if your guy or gal reaches the toddler stage and is still in diapers, you can easily add “new life” to your Fuzzibunz diapers so they’ll last longer.

There’s also a quick video tutorial at the Fuzzibunz website that shows you how to adjust the Elite, and how to replace elastic later on, if needed.

The Fuzzibunz Elite followed the popular one-size pocket and was engineered to be trimmer fitting, faster drying and easier to adjust. The inner is also made of a higher quality, no-pill fleece.

WHAT I LIKE

  • The diaper and inserts barely take a 1/2 cycle in the dryer before they are done.
  • The minky inserts are very soft and cozy, and trimmer than standard microfiber.
  • The diaper is super trim and fits Susanna, who is short, really well.
  • The adjustable elastic gives you a fine tuned fit around the legs.

WHAT I WOULD CHANGE

  • The inserts are difficult to stuff inside the pocket
  • The diaper has a low rise and may not fit larger babies or toddlers well.
  • The minky inserts don’t seem to be quite as absorbent as regular microfiber inserts. The diaper hasn’t leaked, but Susanna can’t wear it as long as other pockets.

In addition to selling points like trimness and adjustability, you’ve also got the lifetime PUL and snap defects warranty that Fuzzibunz offers to back up their diapers. The sewing/workmanship is covered for one full year.

My overall impression of the Fuzzibunz Elite is definitely positive. It was so much fun getting to try this very popular pocket. Here are some of the beautiful colors you can choose from:

* Cloth Diaper Deals at Green Baby Goods *

Right now you can get a free diaper with your purchase over $39!
Just enter code FREEFLUFF when you checkout at Green Baby Goods

Free shipping on US orders over $25 and Canadian orders over $50

* Enter to Win *

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