Econobum #ClothDiaper Kit #FluffyXmas #Giveaway - A $65 value!

Welcome to the greatly anticipated 5th annual Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Event!! There are over 20 blogs that are giving away cloth diapering prize packages $50 and more! Make sure you enter here and then hop to all the others!! There are hundreds in fluffy prizes to be won! This year, there are also two HUGE Grand Prize packages, on both of the host blogs, And Then There Were 5 and Mommy’s Favorite Things! So make sure you enter to win those as well! Good luck!

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This year, Baby and the Chi's blog is giving away a starter kit for any new cloth-diapering mom - an Econobum full cloth diapering kit!

The full Econobum cloth diaper kit includes:

3 - one size adjustable waterproof covers with snap closure

and

12 - one size unbleached prefolds

This kit includes everything you need to get started in your cloth diapering journey, and the natural organic cotton is easy to wash and keep clean. Enter to win this kit via the widget below!

Entry-Form

Linky code:





Disclaimer: Baby and the Chi's blog received the product(s) mentioned in this post for the purpose of review and evaluation. Baby and the Chi's is not responsible for prize delivery. No monetary compensation was received for this post. This blog contains affiliate links.

Merry Fluffy Christmas #Giveaway worth $50+! #FluffyXmas

Welcome to the greatly anticipated 4th annual Merry Fluffy Christmas Giveaway Event!! There are 56 blogs that are giving away cloth diapering prize packages $50+! Make sure you enter here and then hop to all the others!! There are thousands in fluffy prizes to be won! This year, there are also two HUGE Grand Prize packages, on both of the host blogs, And Then There Were 5 and Mommy’s Favorite Things! So make sure you enter to win those as well! Good luck!

Here at Baby and the Chi's, we're happy to offer a nice little starter package this year! Our prize package includes the following:

• a $20 Kissed by the Moon gift Card
• a "Changing Diapers: The Hip Mom's Guide to Modern Cloth Diapers" book
• one dozen infant size prefolds from Cotton Babies

Giveaway is open to US residents only (due to the cost of shipping) who are age 18 or older. Please enter using the Giveaway Tools form below! 

Entry-Form

Softbums Omni & Echo Review & Cloth Diaper Giveaway

A big debate when parents first jump into cloth diapering is what brand to buy, or what brands to try out. Fortunately we bought a single brand for Gabe when I was pregnant and they worked great! Our needs and preferences had changed and we ended up selling those diapers, and have had a hard time finding diapers we love lately. Gabe is now 2, is skinny and tall, and super duper active! So many diapers fit him weird. The rise is too short, the waist is too small, the legs don't fit right... there are just so many variables we never dealt with before!

I would like to introduce you all to Softbums! This amazing company holds its home right here in Minnesota. Softbums offers two different types of shells, the Echo and the Omni. Both complete with their signature Slide2Size leg elastic system and fit 5-40+ pounds!

image from Softbums.com

The Echo is Softbums AI2 cover. Made to fit ultra-trim, with snug coverage, and more narrow crotch, this diaper (when paired with a bamboo insert -getting to those) is almost as trim as a disposable. This was never a concern for us, but I hear a lot of parents complain about cloth diaper bulk, and the Echo is a great solution if this is an issue for you!

with a one size bamboo pod

with a one size bamboo pod

The Omni is a double duty shell offering the ability to be an AI2 shell or a pocket. The Omni is also a bit wider cut, making it easier to stuff if you do use it as a pocket, and also a good option for larger or thicker inserts if you choose to use this as an AI2 cover.

with a super dry touch pod

with a super dry touch pod

As I mentioned earlier, we have been getting a weird fit with so many diapers lately. My default Flip covers are on the very bottom of our pile now as they no longer fit like they used to. I can make everything work, and I've never had a big problem getting diapers to fit correctly, but Softbums really are like a custom-fit diaper! And that customization grows with your baby, giving that perfect fit from birth to potty training that other cloth diapers can only dream of providing. I was sucked into the one-size phenomena while I was pregnant and felt that had to be the way to go when purchasing diapers. I was lucky (well, in the sense of diapering I guess...) to give birth to an 8 pound baby who fit in some one-size diapers from birth, so I didn't have to go through the headache of a separate newborn stash to supplement the OS diapers until they fit. I am now at the other end of that spectrum, however, where the OS diapers that claim to fit until potty training, are not fitting anymore!

over a trifolded Econobum prefold

 I tried both the Softbums Echo and Omni, along with one each of their bamboo one-size pods and their stay-dry microfiber one-size super dry touch pods. We rotated the covers almost exclusively for the past couple months lining them with tri-folded prefolds and the mentioned inserts.

over a trifolded Econobum prefold

I have to say, I am sad that I had not tried Softbums earlier in our diapering journey. Gabriel is now nearing the end of his diaper days, but Jer and I both agreed that Softbums will be our diaper of choice if we are able to have more children someday due to the adjust-ability of these diapers. Besides always being able to find a perfect fit, the aplix holds up great (ours still looks like new!), the fleece is very stain resistant, and the fleece doesn't pill easily (ours hasn't at all so far). I am very impressed with all of the products of Softbums line we were able to try out.

over a trifolded Econobum prefold

As far as my honest opinion goes, these are now our favorite diapers! They can be a cover, an AI2, or a pocket if you have an Omni shell. The customization of these diapers is endless, and nearly impossible to NOT get a perfect fit!

Softbums has very generously offered one of my readers their choice of in stock Echo or Omni shell paired with a Super Dry Touch Pod! Enter using the Giveaway Tools form below :)

Entry-Form

DISCLAIMER: We were sent the product(s) mentioned in this post for review purposes only. We were not offered monetary compensation for review, and our opinion is 100% our own. 

Booty Buns #clothdiapers Review and Giveaway

You may remember reading about Booty Buns Cloth Diapers when I participated in their huge "Go Green, Give Charity" Giveaway. After participating in the giveaway and reading more about the company, I decided I just had to try one of their diapers out for myself! So I contacted them, and they were more than happy to help me out :-)

There are a few things I loved right away, before even trying out the diaper on Gabe. First, the extra set of rise snaps. Most One-Size diapers have 3, sometimes 4 rise settings, which is sufficient after the "newborn" stage of diapers, or after 8-12 pounds depending on the brand. Booty Buns are a true OS diaper, from the feature of 5 rise settings. Their pocket diapers will fit most babies from 3 pounds up until 45 pounds. Yes, you saw that right, they can fit already at THREE POUNDS!

Photo Courtesy of BootyBunsClothDiapers.com

 Of course the other immediate favorite feature of mine is the suede-cloth inner. There seems to be a fine line in the world of pockets between mamas who love fleece and those who love suede-cloth. Of course there are some who love both, but I'm a suede-cloth lovin' mama! For me, it washes up so much easier, as in, it rarely holds onto stains. It still feels so soft and smooth after many washes. Fleece always gets so pilly for me after just one or two washes, and pockets with fleece inners always seem to wick for us too. I've never had wicking with a suede-cloth pocket.
The only thing better than a suede-cloth pocket now, is a suede-cloth pocket with double gussets! Yep, Booty Buns have that too! As well as a double opening, which means no more pulling out dirty inserts before washing. Just toss the dirty dipe in your diaper pail, and let your washer do ALL the work ;-)

Photo Courtesy of BootyBunsClothDiapers.com

 Booty Buns also includes a super soft cloth wipe, and a nice smooth flannel liner with each of their diapers.Both were so soft to the touch (and of course, to my little mans' bum), and seem to hold up nicely. The wipe has made it into my regular wipe stash, and the liner is my single favorite liner we now own. I love the idea of fleece liners, but I hate that much bulk in a pocket. I also love the idea of disposable liners, but I think they are far too thin to be using with something that can bond to your diaper make it repel. I never would have though to use flannel! Genius! Booty Buns recommends using a flannel liner to help clean up when your baby poops, and the flannel is said to be a nice barrier for babies who may be sensitive to suede-cloth.

There are 2 inserts included with the Booty Buns OS Pocket, both microfiber, both have a snap to snap it into the top of the diaper to prevent shifting, but one is a newborn size while the other is more medium size. Because of our shared laundry room, I usually end up with stinky microfiber. I tried these inserts a few times, and while they worked just fine, I have swapped them out for an infant-size prefold. The microfiber is more trim, but I feel like cotton washes up a bit better.

Gabriel has always been a pretty easy baby to find diapers for. He never hit that "chunky baby" stage, and wasn't really tiny as a newborn (a little over 8 pounds...) so everything fit him. However, I still love the adjust-ability of Booty Buns. I cannot wait to be able to test this on a newborn. (Shh! That's a post for another day!)

Overall this diaper really didn't have much that I didn't like:
Positives:

• Highly adjustable, fits babies ranging in weight from 3-45 pounds
• Suede-cloth inner
• Double gussets
• Comes in snaps, which, ultimately, last longer than most other parts of the diaper itself (lol)
• Comes in a wide variety of colors
• A wipe and liner are included with each diaper, cutting down on the need to order more accessories
• Booty Buns donates 1 diaper to charity for each diaper sold
• Has a double pocket opening so inserts agitate out in the wash

Negatives:

• Microfiber inserts - although I know a lot of moms LOVE them ;)
• Does not have a hook-and-loop option, which may turn off someone new to cloth unsure about snaps

Considering the very wide weight range and extra customizable fit, the price tag of $25.50 is a bit more appealing knowing you won't need extra diapers for the newborn or potty learning stages :)

Booty Buns is offering one of my readers the chance to win their very own Booty Buns cloth diaper in their choice of color (I will pay the shipping). Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

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DISCLAIMER: We were sent the product(s) mentioned in this post for review purposes only. We were not offered monetary compensation for review, and our opinion is 100% our own. 

Ecobubs "Cloth Diaper Butler" Review and Giveaway

If you're a follower of many different cloth diapering clogs as I am, you may have heard of Ecobubs before. Ecobubs is well known for their beautiful wool-blend pockets, which is the reason I had reached out to them. However, instead of reviewing a pocket diaper, I was given the opportunity to try out a brand new product that they just recently released: the Cloth Diaper Butler! Grin Unlimited, the distributor of Ecobubs, has a site specially dedicated to the butler, though it is offered though the Ecobubs website as well.

Photo borrowed from ClothDiaperButler.com

I immediately thought upon opening my package that this would be a very handy product to have along with our diaper sprayer. I simply clip the top of the diaper and let it soak inside-down in the toilet for about 5 or 10 minutes, then spray and hang by the handle in our tub to drain excess water. No more wringing! The really nice thing I've found out, is that the Cloth Diaper Butler also makes it easier to "dunk and swish" if you don't have a sprayer. No more sticking your hands in the toilet water and swirling the dirty diapers around. I've been soaking the diapers with the Butler, swishing with the handle, then simply hanging to drip-dry as well before tossing in the pail. Soaking alone with the help of the butler still removes large portions of waste and keeps your hands clean, and is so much cheaper than a diaper sprayer!

Photo borrowed from ClothDiaperButler.com

I created a slideshow on Flickr to show how easy it is to use, just be forewarned about real live poop! LOL
(if you click "show" on the full size slideshow, it will show my notes about the Butler)

I have been so impressed with this handy tool, that I had to be sure I could offer one of them to my readers. Please enter using the Rafflecopter entry form below.



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DISCLAIMER: We were sent the product(s) mentioned in this post for review purposes only. We were not offered monetary compensation for review, and our opinion is 100% our own.

Kissed By The Moon: Green Line Diapers #Review

There's been a buzz around the cloth diapering world lately about Green Line Diapers. I kept hearing about the "cute prints" and "soft inserts" and had to know more! I got in touch with Tami from Kissed by the Moon and after a little hassle from good ol' USPS I got a chance to try out a Green Line Diaper cover and soaker for myself.

Green Line Diaper covers are lovingly made by a husband and wife in Canada. Kissed by the Moon is the only retailer in the United States who sells them. An added perk is that Kissed by the Moon also offers free shipping on all orders, and they have a rewards program!

Green Line covers are made from Ultrex, not PUL, so they truly are breathable, which means you may feel a cool dampness once the soaker is wet as the diaper "breathes." This is something that I really do love about them, because it means Buggie won't get a heat rash like he does with regular PUL diapers. The one size covers also only come in aplix, but this is the stickiest aplix I have ever seen. Green Line does recommend hand washing the covers to keep both the aplix and the Ultrex in tip-top shape. I recently purchased a Breathing Mobile Washer, so this has been fairly easy!

My only complaint about the cover is something that is also handy the other half of the time. Green Line covers do not have any elastic. I've been able to get a good, custom fit around the legs with the toggle and cord adjustments. You also don't have to worry about any elastic wearing out. However, Bug finds it completely necessary to poop every - single - time he wears this cover and after the antibiotics from surgery and then having the flu, it has been leaking out... Which is also why I haven't been able to get any pictures of his wearing the cover either. He poops before I can get the camera out. I know he'll grow out of this eventually though! :)

The soakers I have no complains about. They are so soft! Even if I hand wash and hang to dry, it never felt rough. It's a single layer of 70% bamboo and 30% cotton blend, so it absorbs well with tri-folded then folded down to fit, but it's super easy to clean too!

Tami is generously offering a $20 gift card to her store! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. {CLOSED}



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Winter Baby Birthday Blog Bash Giveaway 2: Twin Cities Diaper Co: Thirsties Fab Fitted

When I found out a few months ago that the root of Buggie's rashes were from PUL, I wanted to love prefolds, but honestly they weren't always feasible. I have a nice simple prefold stash on hand that gets used at home, but  my biggest love right now is for fitteds! I was thrilled to finally be able to try Thirsties Fab Fitteds thanks to Twin City Diaper Co. in Columbus, OH.

The Thirsties Fab Fitted is very easy to prep. Being made from polyester and cotton blends it only requires 1 wash to be cleaned of any residual oils from the manufacturing process. I ran it through with a regular load of dirty diapers and we tried it out. I was immediately re-aquianted with my lost love for Thirsties! I had been in love with their Duo Wraps  when Buggie was born, but over the months he developed a PUL sensitivity and I had to de-stash ALL our diapers and covers with PUL :( Bug is a tall and somewhat slender baby. Now being 12 months old, he is 23 pounds, but 34 inches long! Wowsa! :) Many people (myself included) like the idea of a one-size system that will more than likely last from birth to potty training. Thirsties makes a two size system. Size one of their duo system fits most babies from 6-18 pounds, and size two of the duo system fits most babies from 18-40 pounds. Some parents might cringe at the thought of still having to buy 2 different sizes, but I personally think Thirsties are worth it. You really do get an incredible fit on almost any baby by having just 2 different sizes (each size complete with a set of rise snaps and available in both snaps and hook and loop).

My only issue with the Thirsties Fab Fitted is absorbency. With a single microfiber insert, this alone just isn't enough for Bug. We were changing him after about 30-60 minutes. However, with Thirsties amazing "tunnel" system in their fitteds (and also in their new all in ones) they are very easy to stuff and allow you to skip "un-stuffing" and allowing your extra insert to just agitate out in the washer.I added a trifolded newborn prefold and we were good to go for about 2.5 hours!

All in all, this is a diaper I would buy more of. They are easy, they'd be great for grandma and daddy if I buy some with hook and loop.
Twin City Diaper Co is also offering one as part of the Winter Baby Birthday Blog Bash! Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below.



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Winter Baby Birthday Blog Bash Giveaway 1: Bummis Beautiful Basics Review and Giveaway

I contacted Bummis about their prefolds and covers and they generously offered me a BeautifulBASIC set as part of the Winter Baby Birthday Blog Bash!

The Beautiful Basic set consists of 3 organic cotton prefolds and 1 Super Whisper Wrap. The set is available in 2 sizes, infant (8-15 pounds) and baby (15-30). As well as the option of a "boy," "girl," or "unisex" cover. I chose the baby package with a boy cover, and received the rocket print.

My first impression of the set was that the cover appeared very durable compared to others I've tried. The material seemed much thicker, while still pliable, and wouldn't be so easy to wear down or get holes. There is a soft polyester layer on top of the PUL so no laminate touches your child's skin. The only down-side to this is that you cannot really wipe the cover clean, but I personally don't mind just tossing it in the wash. Bummis advertises the Super Whisper Wrap as the "workhorse" of diaper covers, being able to withstand even industrial washing. I instantly loved how soft the prefolds were! I felt like they prepped very easily, after 3 washings they absorbed instantly, though I know they will get more absorbent the more we use them. I hang dry our diapers to save money on our apartment laundry, but I was completely amazed at how soft the Bummis prefolds stayed even after hanging to dry. Our other prefolds become stiff and crunchy, while these were just as soft as when they first arrived. Of course by not drying them in a dryer I cannot comment right now at how well they quilt up.

I was very impressed by the fit of the prefolds and the cover. I usually use GMD (Cloth-eez) or Diaper Rite prefolds which have the average dimensions of 15" wide x 17" long. After prepping the Bummis prefolds they measured at about 13.5" wide x 19" long. That inch and a half made a noticeable difference on my skinny little man. I always struggled getting prefolds tight enough around Bug's waist, but never thought that "maybe our prefolds are too wide." I had to fold down the back a couple inches to get a good fit on the rise, but these fit perfectly around his waist! I also found that they wash up nicely, as to not get stained as easily, but this could also be that the rest of our prefolds are bleached, and these are organic (so also unbleached) so the light brown color could just be masking stains too.

The cover I found fit nicely, but seemed too big depending how I folded the prefold. If I pinned or snappi-ed the prefold on, I had no gaps at the legs, I saw comfortable fit around the waist, but the crotch seemed a little baggy. If I tri-folded the crotch filled out nicely, and still got a good fit around the legs, but the waist was almost too big! The medium cover included in the Beautiful Basic kit fits 15-30 pounds, but if my 24 pound son were any thinner I don't think it would fit him if I were to tri-fold exclusively. I am very impressed with the hook and loop on the Super Whisper Wrap, being sticky but easy enough for mom to open or pull apart. The laundry tabs I found to work better than on any other hook and loop cover I've tried. It is the soft side of the hook and loop, holding the tabs very nicely through the wash, but also being soft enough to not irritate Bug's skin if it happens to touch.

Since I don't find a generously sized cover to be a deal breaker (lol) I think the Bummis Beautiful Basic cloth diaper kit to be an incredible value at only $20.95! Bummis has so kindly offered one kit up for grabs to one of my readers! Please enter on the Rafflecopter form below.


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A new giveaway for the Winter Baby Birthday Blog Bash will be opening next Sunday!

529 Baby Review

The wet bag. Considered a cloth diapering essential by most, and something that has failed me time and time again over the past year. I've tried pail liners of different brands, only to find a pool of, uhm, diaper... leftovers.... in the bottom of the pail on laundry day, followed by a dripping mess from the bathroom to the laundry room. I've tried hanging wet bags that literally drip, more...diaper... goo... from the seams. Nasty. Especially with a curious toddler and 2 dogs who lick every off the floor. Yuck!

Out of desperation, I contacted Kristen from 529 Baby about her variety of hanging wetbags. She sent me a large hanging bag with top center handles for easy hanging on hooks or door knobs.

Although her wetbags have a zippered top, I do prefer to leave them open at all times. I honestly feel that it does help with air circulation in the bag and keeps stink down. I use the same practice when I use a regular diaper pail.

Not only does Kristen offer bags with a top center handle, but you can also choose towel bar handles and a side-snapping handle:

Photo from 529 Baby Online Shop

I've been using this bag for about 2 months now, very regularly, and am very pleased so far. I tiny holes in the PUL like I've found with my big-name pail liners, and no leaky seams like I've seen with my other WAHM (work-at-home-mom) hanging bags. Kristen did point out to me however, that bags that hang with a corner down (like side-snapping bags) are more prone to leaking.

The large bag I received measures 19.5"x22" and holds 15-18 diapers, which is 2 to 3 days worth for us, depending on what diapers we use. 529 Baby also offers medium (6-8 diapers) and small (2-3 diapers) wetbags as well.

Please visit her on Facebook, Hyena Cart, or eBay!