Bluum November 2012~Review~

Last month I had an offer where I received the Bluum box for half price at $6.  For those who don't know, Bluum is a subscription service that sends 5-6 deluxe sized samples of items for mom and baby.

I wasn't going to continue it to save money, but I forgot to cancel by the first of the month....that's something you have to be careful about with these types of services, they usually automatically renew without letting you know.  If you want to cancel, you have to manually cancel your subscription.

Anway, the theme for November was "Bundle Up" so I guess it was all about being comfortable as the the temperatures dip. (Bad picture-taking warning...lighting was bad)

 The first thing I pulled out of the box was a teether toy.  It's a super cute walrus, but my 18 month old doesn't use these.  I've recently found out Bluum is supposed to be for 0-12 months (though I thought originally they were 0-24 months) and they will be making a toddler box soon, so that's good.

 The next item was two tea packets. I love tea. (Oops mega-flash)

 Then a sample of organic agave nectar and organic coconut sugar.  I'm anxious to try the coconut sugar, I didn't even know that that existed! Apparently it can be used 1-1 in your recipes in place of white sugar...too cool.

 This is one issue of a "baby magazine." I really like this.  It is filled with short stories and poems, beautiful illustrations, and Bibbit really likes it too.  These are expensive! 9 issues costs over $30 bucks normally! Wow! To me, that is A LOT of money to spend on something like this, but the quality is really nice and the stories are cute.

 As a bonus, I received two small samples of Caldrea stain remover. I just used some earlier, and one little packet actually goes quite a way.  This also has a really sweet floral smell, almost old-fashioned but in a good way!

We were also supposed to receive a mud mask, but because of Hurricane Sandy, the product didn't arrive to Bluum in time (they are based in NYC), so they sent out an email saying the product would be in next month's box.

However, I did in fact remember to cancel my subscription this time around.  The baby box is too young for Bibbit, and besides the teether and magazine, a lot of the other samples seem like things you could just get for free. Maybe with the mud mask (I don't know if that was just a sample or a full-sized product) the $12 would be more worth it, but for me this time around, it just wasn't.

The Finished Product~~all new quick dry fitted prefold!

Well, here it is!

Lamb Babies new fitted prefold!

All natural and one size fits all (10-35+ pounds)!

I blogged about the original design here, and it took some time to figure out how to place the elastic and how to make this a turned and topstitched diaper (many of the diapers that are similar to this are serged) but I like turned and topstitched better because its gentler on baby's skin. :o)

 6 total layers of absorption!!! I can make these in bamboo and/or hemp organic cotton.

 Bamboo fabric (folded over part) and hemp (part laying flat)!

Here's the current snap colors I have (though I'm running low on orange and green).

For $2 extra, you get to choose your color snaps for a fold down rise like the other Lamb Babies diapers.

I love these!!! I will be putting a few made-to-order ones up on Etsy this Friday 11/30 at 5 pm if you're interested! They will be $18 without snaps (they can be pinned or Snappi-ed) and $20 with snaps.

I'm so excited about these and I hope you are too!

Lamb Babies is getting a facelift!

I'm changing some things up as far as diaper design!

Right now, the Christmas diapers I have available on Etsy feature these new changes! (The "character" diapers have the new larger rise as well.)

I am so happy to be unveiling these new changes that will make easier to use and more absorbent diapers!

1) Larger rise.  This means that the diapers now come up higher in the back so they'll fit more babies for longer!

The cover is longer from top to bottom!

2) Cover can be machine dried! The new design and pul allow for machine drying on LOW, even with PUL!

3) Thicker inner.  The previous diapers had a layer of bamboo fleece attached to pul for the inside of the diapers.  Now, I plan on using a separate hidden layer of pul, topped with thick and soft hemp organic cotton fleece.  This will make for a more absorbent diaper.

4) Hemp+Bamboo.  The inner is hemp/oc, the insert is bamboo/organic cotton fleece, topped with hemp/organic cotton fleece.  My favorite fabrics combined to make a super diaper!

5) New insert/soaker design.  Four layers of a thicker than previous bamboo/organic cotton fleece (still in a quick-dry fold-out style) topped with an optional lay-in soaker of hemp!  So, now you can customize your absorbency and decide whether you want hemp or bamboo next to your little one's skin!

 Four layers of thicker bamboo/organic cotton fleece.

Snaps in and can unfold for quicker drying!

Topped with an added soaker of two layers of hemp/organic cotton fleece.  You can always tuck it in between layers of the bamboo soaker too!

I'm so excited for these new changes! The new diapers will be squishier, more absorbent, larger, and still as cute as ever!  

I will be incorporating this new design full-time in 2013! Meanwhile, help me clear out the old stock, and get your Christmas diapers in this new style! :o)

My Thankful List

This year I am so thankful for many, many things.  Here's my list in no particular order:

 

1) Family.  Both my biological family and my church family.  They are all wonderful, unique, caring individuals.

2) Our abode.  At the end of last year, my husband graduated from college and we moved to a much better place.  I love our little home and I am so grateful for it!

3) My husband.  He is the salt to my pepper.  He's goofy, I'm mellow.  He's mechanical, I'm artsy.  He makes me laugh every single day and I heart him to pieces.

4) Bibbit.  This past year Bibbit has started crawling, then walking, now running and jumping.  He can ride his bike, talk a little bit, drink out of a big boy cup, and *sometimes* sit on the potty.  I'm so proud of him.

5) Creativity.  I'm so thankful that God has given me a talent to be creative, to make things like cloth diapers for all of you, and the ability to make our home beautiful.

 

 Our family tree I painted, and the mushroom footstool we built together.

And oh, there's many more, especially Thank YOU for supporting me in this little endeavor of mine! I appreciate it so very much!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you enjoy your day :o)

Black Friday Sales & Stocking Preview

Admittedly, I've never gone to any Black Friday sales...I'd rather stay in bed.

So, I will be doing a special Black Friday sale at the Lamb Babies shop so you mama's can stay home in your pjs and shop for some cloth! YAY!

1) There will be FREE SHIPPING ALL DAY!

2) Any purchase made before 9 am gets 25% off your entire order!

3) There will also be super markdowns 

I will be changing up the design slightly for Lamb Babies (I'll make another post all about it) starting full-time after January 1st, so the older designs need to sell!!!

Here's what's coming up for the Black Friday stocking!!

"Christmas & Characters"

(These are getting snaps real soon!)

 

1) Mickey Mouse Flannel Hybrid Fitted

2) Minnie Mouse AI2

3) Star Wars AI2

4) Snowflake AI2*

5) Snowman AI2*

6) Snowflake AI2*

7) Winnie the Pooh Hybrid Fitted

8) Snoopy AI2

*The Christmas diapers feature the new design features like higher rise & more absorbency!

Stocking for these ones will be Black Friday @ 5pm est, tentatively.

Enjoy & I hope to see you then!

:o)

Citrus Lane November 2012 Review

Okay, so once again this doesn't have to do with cloth diapers...

BUT, once again, I was able to score a mega-deal on Facebook getting this box for only $12.50

AND, I really like that this company focuses on eco-friendly products.

So, the theme for the November 2012 box was "Fun With Food."

 I was really happy with everything in this box,  and Bibbit was too.  He had a ton of fun helping me open it up.

And yes, he does wear his bike helmet around the house like that just because.

This is the inside of the box for an 18 month old. A little paper tells you about the theme, and the products received as well as their prices.

Bibbit sucked down the Plum Organics squirty pouch ($1.69) within 2 seconds...I stole a taste too, it was yummy :)

These snack bowls are awesome.  Bibbit is so proud of how he can carry his own bowls of snacks around, and we don't have very many, so these will definitely get used.  They are from the same company as Green Toys, and are "nasty stuff" free and made from recycled milk jugs.  Pretty cool, huh? ($6.99)

This item is from Goodbyn, it's a small meal compartment container with a snap-on lid.  We don't have anything like this so I'm super excited to try it out.  We just have little snack pod kind of things to put crackers in, so this is perfect! I plan on using it this weekend, in fact, as we travel to have an early Thanksgiving with the in-laws. ($6.49)

The next item is a moisturizing lotion by Juice Beauty for mama! :) Haven't tried this yet but it is made with organic ingredients! ($9.00)

This next item from Plan Toys was my (and Bibbit's!) favorite!

It's set of 3 "cutting" fruits and veggies! I've been wanting something like this for Bibbit for a while and I'm so happy to have gotten one in our box! We got the tomato, orange, and super-cute kiwi, all with a little wooden "knife" to "cut" the fruit which is held together with velcro. ($8.50)

I LOVE these for so many reasons:

They're made from wood

They are great for a matching game

They will help Bibbit learn to hold utensils (he still prefers finger foods)

They are great for pretend play

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

Bibbit having fun, and then to top it off, he played with the box for like 45 minutes!

Way to go, Citrus Lane!

This was well worth the $12.50 that I paid!!!

NOTE: All opinions are my own. I paid for this box with my own money.

A Prefold Fast Drying Fitted~~New Design~~

This is a soon-to-be new design at Lamb Babies!

 I have seen diapers similar to this here and there, thought of designing one of my own, and then out of the blue, someone asked me to make some!

 It is what I call a "prefold fitted"....a fitted diaper that has wings that fold in to provide 6 layers of absorption in the wetzone! NOTE: These are pics of the diaper BEFORE it is even sewn together, I will post "after" pics later too.

 

 This particular one has one side hemp/organic cotton fleece and one side bamboo/organic cotton fleece.  I wanted to combine the best of fabrics, and these two are my favorites: bamboo for its softness, and hemp for its thickness and durability.  And of course for their awesome combined absorption powers!

Thus, when you fold the wings in, the layers of the wetzone alternate: bamboo, hemp, bamboo, etc.

This is a super eco option!
 

And I will be offering the semi-custom option of deciding whether or not you want snaps (and what color you want).  Some mamas like to keep it as real as possible so decide not to use plastic snaps, and some mamas like the ease of snaps and the colors!
(These will have elastic in the legs and back as well.)

Do you want your diaper completely out of hemp, or completely out of bamboo?  Yeah, I could probably do that too ;)

These are in the semi-testing stage and I hope to bring them to you real soon!

Keeping your baby comfy and dry all night...

 Solution?! Fleece liners!

(my pile of fleece)

 Do any of your little ones experience redness or rashes after a long night spent in a cloth diaper?

The prolonged exposure to wetness and the bacteria created can leave our little one's bum-bums feeling not-so-great in the a.m. Bibbit regularly sleeps 13 1/2 hours at night and sometimes this happens to him too...it's so sad. :o(

And all you cloth diapering mama's of little boys know that nasty ammonia smell in the morning when you unleash the beast and change your baby's diaper....phew! For those who don't know....it can make your eyes water...no joke.

Well,  I have heard of some mama's stripping diapers with bleach (yikes!) to remove the ammonia or switching to disposables at night time.

ENTER:

Poly fleece! Poly fleece has this AMAZING property of allowing liquid to pass through it while still remaining dry to the touch! Bibbit is trying this out right now with great results.  He just woke up from his nap and although the fleece was slightly damp, the soaker underneath it was SOAKED!

...so I'm happy to say...I will be making a few of these to put in the Etsy shop!

They are about 5 inches wide and 12.5 inches long (I will also be making some contoured ones), a perfect fit to lay on top of your cloth diapering routine to keep your little one extra dry!

Of course they work well in Lamb Babies diapers as well (wink, wink)!

They will have two layers of fleece for extra protection.

While poly fleece is not an *all natural* fabric, it is one of the most effective and economical options for heavy-wetters and those with sensitive skin!

Check out Etsy this Friday at 5pm to snag some!

Give Thanks for Fluff Giveaway Event!!!

I am so excited to be a part of this giveaway! 

Cloth diapers are so much fun and my goal is to help you become better acquainted with the world of cloth diapers and to build your stash!

Welcome to the Give Thanks for Fluff Giveaway Event sponsored by Organic Eco Baby and hosted by Happy Mothering and Eco Crazy Mom at Green Moms Network. This Thanksgiving we are thankful to have our trusty cloth diapers, for without them our babies would have rashes and our landfills would be 50x as high! If you haven't had the chance to use cloth diapers yet then you will be pleasantly surprised at how easy they are to get the hang of. Find cloth diapers and other natural and organic baby items at Organic Eco Baby!

A few words from our sponsor:

“Hi everyone! Being a busy Mom, like most of you out there, I know how hard it is to find the time to research every product before you buy it. But researching is what I do! So, I want to pass the knowledge I have aquired on to each and every one of you. At Organic Eco Baby I personally handpick all of the products and brands based on safety and environmental impact. I strive to find products that are organic, eco-friendly, fair trade and made in the USA. I ask important question and I would NOT sell something I wouldn't give to my own children. I keep everything at a reasonable price and I do it all from home! Come shop at Organic Eco Baby with confidence and peace of mind. Please feel free to email me with any questions. I am here to help. You may also visit my blog and forum for useful information, recipes and tips on living green and non-toxic. Thank you for all the amazing bloggers for making this event happen and GOOD LUCK to everyone!” -Angela

For this wonderful event we will be giving away TWO prize packages of FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers. (RV over $200)

Prize 1: (6) Elite One Size Diapers and (1) Travel Wet Bag (RV $131.65)

Prize 2: (6) X-Small Perfect Size Diapers and (1) Travel Wet Bag (RV $95.65)

 

Enter to win one of these great prizes with the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is open to US residents only and you may enter until Nov. 20th 11:59pm EST. The winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email. Good Luck to everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fall Cloth Diaper Drive for Appalachia, Giveaway & Auction #LoveAppalachia

#LoveAppalachia

We all know that the initial costs of cloth diapering can be daunting, though it has been proven time and time again to save money and resources in the long-run.  

Please support this great cause to help provide impoverished families with cloth diapers, and enter for your chance to win some great cloth diapering prizes, including your choice of a Lamb Babies diaper from the Etsy shop, as well!

Welcome to the Fall 2012 Cloth Diaper Drive Giveaway & Fundraising Event hosted by Leettle Baby!

Last spring, with your help, we were able to send 30 diaper covers and 30 cotton prefolds to the DFW Cloth Diaper Project. This time around we would love to make an even greater impact. For this event, we would love help the Tomahawk Sustainment Mission in their efforts to expand their cause to begin a cloth diapering program that will benefit the people living in the poverty-stricken Appalachia region of Kentucky. The founder, Terri, has estimated that there were 500 children that could benefit from this program.

DID YOU KNOW? The Appalachia region covers 13 different U.S. states, encompasses 420 counties and includes 25 million people? Sadly, some of the most distressed areas have 150% poverty rate over the average U.S. rate.

Why Cloth Diapers?
As many of us parents know, diapering our children can cost us a fortune. According to the Real Diaper Association, using disposables costs a family about $66 dollars per month, and about $1,600 for the first two years. Now imagine if you had to decide if your family was going to eat or spend money on buying more diapers. Some families even have to re-use their babies DISPOSABLE diapers because they cannot afford to buy more. The wonderful thing about cloth diapers is that you do not have to worry about purchasing more diapers and you can always have clean ones readily available! With this diaper program, these families will not have to spend a penny on diapers for their children.

In addition, disposable diapers are not compostable and are estimated to take 250 - 500 years to break down! Now imagine if you did not have a trash service to remove those diapers (like some of those living in the Appalachia area)...where would they go? Cloth diapers provide a more sanitary option to the environment and reduce landfill waste.

How You Can Help
A donation in any amount is greatly appreciated and is tax deductable.
There are quite a few other ways that you can help us get as many of these precious children cloth diapered as possible, just click HERE.

As a thank you for spreading the word about this cloth diapering program, Leettle Baby and a team of amazing bloggers are going to reward you with an awesome giveaway...with the opportunity to win one of the two cloth diaper prize packages!

Grand Prize

• Thirsties 3 Thirsties Duo Wraps (valued at $38.25) 10 Thirsties Duo Hemp Pre-folds (valued at $80.00)
• SoftBums Choice of Echo/Omni Diaper One-size Shell & One-Size Pod (valued at $29.90)
• Little Bee Creations Ma Ma Cloth Starter Pack - Sizes 7, 10 &12 inch mix (valued at $27.50)
• Little Bee Diaper Co. One-size Bee Changed Cloth Diaper in Choice of Color (valued at $19.95)
** Jona from The Little Bee Co. has graciously offered to send one Bee Changed Diaper for EACH one purchased during the diaper drive event, make sure that you put "LoveAppalachia" in the comment section when you order! Shop HERE! **
• Lamb Babies Choice of Fitted or One-Size Cloth Diaper (valued at $19.00)
• Green Bees 2 One-size Diapers (valued at $16.00)
• Rock In Green 45/90 Load Bag of Detergent in Choice of Scent (valued at $14.95 - $15.95)

Second Prize

• Funky Fluff 1 One-Size Cloth Diaper (valued at $18.40)
• Glow Bug 1 One-Size Cloth Diaper (valued at $12.50)
• Smart Snugs NatureSnug™ Bamboo Diaper (valued at $18.00)

Giveaway is open to US residents (US & CAN residents for second prize) ages 18 and older only, beginning on November 5th, 2012 and ending at 12:01 am on November 21st, 2012. Winners will be notified by e-mail provided by the Rafflecopter form and has 48 hours to claim prize before another is selected.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bamboo vs. Hemp: The Great Debate

There are many great debates in the world of cloth diapering:

Wool vs. Pul      Snaps vs. Aplix      Snap down rise vs. Fold down rise

Need I go on...?

Another is bamboo vs. hemp.

Both are awesome fabrics, 4x more absorbent than cotton, and more sustainable too.

Bamboo is softer overall, while hemp is thicker.  I can't decide what I like better.

I need YOUR help!

280 gsm bamboo/organic cotton fleece

(This is what I currently use for the inserts-6 layers total)

340 gsm bamboo/organic cotton fleece

This is what I may start using instead.

Comparison of above two types of fleeces--280 on top, 340 on bottom...

see how much thicker the 340 is?

Hemp/Organic Cotton Fleece

(Very thick, and more cost effective as opposed to the thicker b/oc fleece)

LOVE!

Thickness of hemp

Just 4 layers of hemp! Wow! Soo thick! 

Organic bamboo/hemp blend

I LOVE this...

2 layers of bamboo/hemp

Bamboo fleece PUL...

bamboo on one side, pul on the other but one piece of fabric

The fleece on top, I may move to a different method, so as to create more absorbency...

Maybe like an actual layer of pul and then one of the above fabrics on top? I'm thinking hemp/oc fleece...

  I'm still on the fence about what to use full-time....in general, though not always, the all in two diapers have bamboo, and the fitteds have hemp.

Hmmmm, I see some super special and fast drying fitteds in the future!
 ;o) wink, wink, nudge, nudge