*CLOSED* HootHootBaby OS Diaper Review & Giveaway

The winner is...

Wendy F. who chose the Blue Dot Minky!!!

 

 I have this little obsession with owls. I think it began with a stamp I got in a scrapbook kit and I've been hooked ever since. C'mon, they're cute! :) So, of course I was intrigued when I heard about HootHootBaby. I became even more curious when I found out they were from our neighbor state of Kansas. But once I saw their owl fabric, I was hooked!

There was no way I could resist reviewing a diaper like this! Of course, as my husband says, it doesn't matter how cute I think a diaper is if it won't hold poop! Such a wise man!! Luckily, this diaper works as good as it looks. 

When I first got our HootHootBaby fitted diaper, I was immediately impressed with the materials used. With it's Organic Bamboo Fleece and Organic Cotton Velour, it's one of those diapers that you'll rub against your cheek. Any of you CDing mamas know what I mean! When you use both soakers, there is a total of 8 layers of absorbent material! If all that isn't enough for your heavy wetter, just let Libby know and she can add another soaker to your order. 

Inside of the diaper

 My husband put this diaper on little man one morning thinking it was one of our AIO or pocket diapers. I didn't know until I took little man's pants off to change him a couple hours later. I was amazed that his diaper was only slightly damp on the outside. If he'd been running around without his pants compressing the diaper, it probably would've still felt dry on the outside.

You get 2 soakers with your diaper

Another great thing about the HootHootBaby OS diaper is that it truly is a One Size Diaper. Most of our other OS diapers, especially our fitteds, fit our 17 month old son great around the waist still, but their rise is too low so they don't provide the best coverage anymore. Libby had told me that she was sure the rise of the HootHootBaby diaper would fit our son and she was right. I really believe that this diaper will last us through potty training. 

Soakers snap together

The diaper features cross over flaps that will fit a wide range of sizes, from itty bitty babies to chubby toddlers. As with any one size, it might be slightly bulky on an eight pound baby but with diapers this cute, I say put some babylegs on the little one and call it good. HootHootBaby does make a Newborn diaper that will fit babies 6.5 to 14 lbs. I'm pretty sure I'll be buying some of those whenever we have our next baby!

On the smallest settings

I wanted to get some thigh, waist, and rise measurements of our HootHootBaby diaper for this review, but my son took off with my tape measure and I still haven't found it. I promise I'll post some measurements as soon as I get another tape. :)

All in all, I'd say this is a pretty fantastic diaper. If you're having issues with nighttime leaks, I'd definitely suggest trying out a HootHootBaby OS with a wool cover. It also makes a fantastic daytime diaper that could easily be worn up to a couple hours without a cover. The OS diapers cost $20 but for the amount of time your child will be able to wear this diaper, it is completely worth the investment.

Want to get your own HootHootBaby diaper? Visit their website where you can also find Ring Slings and Training Pants. During the month of November, if you spend $45, you'll get 10% off your order. Spend $65, you'll get 15% off your order plus a free doubler. Every order comes with a free wipe and a 2 load sample of Ruby Moon Cloth Diaper Detergent!

Training Pants

Want to win a custom OS HootHootBaby Diaper? Just like HootHootBaby on Facebook then pick out your favorite HootHootBaby fabric at this link: http://www.hoothootbaby.com/fabulous-fabrics.html

Fill out the form below, and you're done!

*Here's a hint - If you don't want to forget that you entered, just leave a comment on this post. You can comment with something as simple as 'Entered' to remind you.

This giveaway will end Tuesday, November 23rd at 11:59pm CST and the winner will be selected the following day. Good Luck!!!  

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*CLOSED* Jodys Designs Review & Giveaway

The Winner is...

Ronnette C!!

Since my main focus is, obviously, on cloth diapers, I don't often get the chance to review non fluff items like toys. So when Jody from Jody's Designs contacted me, I jumped at the chance to try out some of her absolutely fabulous and super cute items!

Imagine my excitement when I opened up my mail and these were waiting for me...

These doughnuts are the perfect size for my little man's hands and are made with acrylic yarn so they're machine washable - a must have when those hands are sticky! The colors grabbed his attention and it wasn't long before he realized how fun these soft toys were to throw around. The doughnuts are small enough to carry in my purse and a great toy for little man to play with while we're at a restaurant or at church. 

Close up of our doughnuts. Unfortunately, little man has already moved the Strawberry doughnut to a place only he can find. :)

Besides these awesome doughnuts, Jody's Designs also includes dolls...

stuffed toys... 

and a variety of other play foods...

 

What I really love about Jody's toys is that they'll grow with your child. They are safe for babies, but still fun for older children to play with. Her toys are made with such quality that I know we'll be playing with these for years to come. 

Want to buy your own Jody's Designs toys? Visit the Jody's Designs Store. She has a few items available now, but will be stocking even more items on the 18th.

Want to win a pair of Chocolate and Vanilla doughnuts from Jody's Designs? It's super easy to enter! Just like Jody's Designs on Facebook, then fill out the form below and you're done! 

*Here's a hint - If you don't want to forget that you entered, just leave a comment on this post. You can comment with something as simple as 'Entered' to remind you.

Since I had some technical difficulties with my internet connection, I'm leaving the giveaway open until Tuesday, November 23rd at 11:59pm CST and the winner will be drawn the next day. Good luck!!

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What's with all the Mama Drama???

Bottle vs Breastfeeding

Cloth vs Disposable

Crazy Organic SAHM Mom vs Tightly Scheduled Working Mom

Tell me I am not the only one that finds it so discouraging to ALL mothers when I come across an article or another specialist telling us the RIGHT way to raise our children. One person says that the only type of milk that should touch your baby's lips before their 1st birthday is breastmilk. Another person says that breastfeeding is a prison that reverts women back to the dark ages. One study says that children of working moms are extremely happy children, another study shows that children of stay at home moms are even happier.

Maybe it's because I'm sort of a contradiction. Some of my parenting beliefs fall right into the attachment/natural parenting category; but I still do plenty of things that are far from the natural parenting concepts. I feel like I don't really fit into any parenting stereotype. I'm not natural enough to be an attached parent and I'm not conventional enough to be considered mainstream.

My labor was not natural. I was induced and gladly accepted the epidural. I breastfed, but we also used formula. I made our own baby food and we eat mainly organic, but I don't freak out when a family member gives my son processed foods. We vaccinate. I loved our sling and I wore my son all the time, but we never once considered co-sleeping. We now use cloth diapers, but we did start out with disposables. I am now a work-at-home mom, but if we hadn't had the daycare drama, I'd probably still be working outside of the home.

My point is, why do women always have to judge each other? I could care less if another woman is making her own baby food or babywearing. What I care about is that she loves her child and is giving her child the best that she can. By now, I'm sure we all know that breastfeeding is best for babies, but it can be very hard for some women. I worked outside of the home until my son was a little over 4 months old and I could pump all day long and still only get anywhere from 4-8 oz. I pumped as much as I could and it just wasn't enough, so we had to supplement with formula. Thankfully, my son easily transitioned from breastmilk to formula and back so I was still able to nurse while I was home.

I think that instead of pointing fingers at each other, maybe we should look into ways to educate each other without all the judgment. Look into educating our doctors about the dangers of inductions and epidurals. Get involved with state agencies to help educate new mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding and where to find help if they need it.

I know there are great resources out there that are already involved in these types of education, but those resources are usually centered in large cities and rarely found in less populated areas. If I had access to this education while I was pregnant, I would've fought the induction and I probably would've tried harder to exclusively breastfeed. Alas, the only nursing help I had was while I was in the hospital by a nurse that was a little bit too touchy for my taste and told me if my son ever bit me while nursing, "just slap his cheek and he'll stop". No, of course, I never did slap my son while he nursed - but that gives you an idea of the sort of education I received.

So, maybe the next time a pregnant friend tells you there's no way she could breastfeed, or cloth diaper, or babywear, or whatever else, instead of breaking out the "Don't you want to do what's best for your baby?", how about saying something like, "Well if you decide to (fill in the blank) let me know, and I'd be happy to help."

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