Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

Thirsties Diapers: Introducing the Thirsties Duo

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All in One (AIO) cloth diapers were my first love when it came to using cloth. Or to look at it a different way, they were my gateway drug. AIOs are the very best way for someone who is new to cloth to get started because they just couldn’t be any easier.

Thirsties Diapers has come out with a new diaper, the Thirsties Duo AIO diaper, and it has something I’ve never seen before on an AIO and it makes my heart skip a beat! I love it! Watch my video to see what it is!

Pretty sweet, right?!

thirsties diapers, thirsties duo

You can purchase one of these totally rad diapers from any Thirsties retailer or you can get them on Amazon!. Solids are $15.75 and prints are $16.75.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Thirsties Duo AIO solid color diaper of your choice!

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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

BabyKicks NEW Premium Pocket Diaper Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Today I’m pleased to be featuring a new diaper from BabyKicks! It’s called the Premium Pocket Diaper and it has several really impressive and clever features. Check out my video to see just what this diper has to offer!

My personal favorite aspects of the diaper are the air gussets (which I thought was going to be my least favorite!), the JoeyBunz insert and the newborn snap. Great design, BabyKicks!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a BabyKicks Basic Pocket Diaper!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Lotus Bumz Cloth Diaper Review

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Lotus Bumz is a cloth diaper company started by a mother named Lorain who saw the need for affordable cloth diapering options on the market. She has, in my opinion, come pretty darn close to perfecting the pocket diaper, all thanks to one especially clever feature, which I’ll tell you about shortly!

I was sent the one size pocket diaper in a cute star pattern (they do offer newborn pocket diapers, as well). We had to wait about a month after Layah was born to start using the diaper. Layah was 7 pounds 3 ounces when she was born, and was right around 9 pounds at 4 weeks. I will tell you that for the first week or two that we used the diaper, we had inconsistent results with it, in the form of leaks out of the legs (a problem we seem to frequently have with Layah in most cloth diapers). I think that Lotus Bumz simply require a little bit chunkier of a leg!

Now that we are further along and Layah has really started to chunk up big time, we aren’t having leaks at all with this diaper. So I don’t think our problems were the fault of the diaper, just a timing thing. I wouldn’t recommend the one size Lotuz Bunz for your newborn, but would definitely say to start using them around 6 or 7 weeks, which is when we started to have good luck with them. lotus bumz

Lotus Bumz one size pocket diapers feature 3 rows of snaps so that younger babies and toddlers alike can wear the diaper. Also note that there is a snap on each hip. I think this is a fantastic addition, as it does allow for a more snug fit around the legs, which as we discussed, is very important for Layah.

But the feature that I’m absolutely bonkers about, and that I think catapults Lotus Bumz diapers to the top of the pocket diaper pile is the hole in the back where you stuff the diapers. The hole is pretty small. Well, it really isn’t, it just  has elastic around it on both the outer and the inner sides, and this keeps the microfiber insert from coming out of the back. Trust me when I say that it is literally a pain in the rear to have your inserts start creeping out the back of your baby’s diaper. When your baby pees and the insert is sticking out, you are about to have one wet mess on your hands! Lotus Bumz nips that problem in the bud by having a back pocket that is not wide open like so many other diapers are. Three cheers for this feature, Lotus Bumz!

Lotus Bumz one size pocket diapers are available for just $16.97 in an adorable assortment of patterns and solid colors. You can also stock up and save by ordering 10 diapers at once, and in return, you’ll receive an extra diaper and a wet bag for FREE!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Lotus Bumz printed pattern diaper! Yay!!!

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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Sunbaby Diapers Review

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Attention all cloth diaper users who are on a tight budget! Have I got a treat for you today!

Sunbaby Diapers

There’s a brand of diapers called Sunbaby Diapers, and they are a frugal family’s dream come true! These are one size pocket diapers that are cute as a button and extremely easy on the wallet. Wanna hear just how inexpensive they can be? How’s $5/diaper for you?!

Now for the rub: you have to buy the diapers in larger quantities (group of 12) to get this great price. In fact, that’s the only way you can buy the diapers on the Sunbaby site. But for $60, you get 12 Sunbaby covers, or for $78 you get the 12 covers and 24 microfiber inserts. Shipping is FREE! I challenge you to find a better deal on diapers.

At this point you may be thinking what I was thinking…are these diapers being responsibly made if they can be sold for such a low price? The answer is yes! A wonderful lady named Sun Pei owns this company, and she oversees the production of her diapers. Here’s what she has to say about how the diapers are made: “Sunbaby Diapers are manufactured in Shanghai, China. Our city has strict laws forbidding cheaper labor. People who use child labor will be put into jail or fined huge amount money. So buy confidently! Your diapers are manufactured under fair labor conditions. I am the only seller of Sunbaby diapers in China, I never make wholesale business to retailers in china so that I can ensure that I have a reasonable profit and workers in our factory can get paid well and don’t have to work overtime.”

Sunbaby diapers have a very soft interior for a comfy fit for baby. They also have those awesome snaps at the hip to give an extra snug fit around the legs, which is where most cloth diaper leaks happen. They also have 3 vertical snaps so that the diaper can grow with your baby. Layah is still using the shortest setting at 2 months and it is working very well.

I also like that the one size diapers actually come in two sizes. Size 1 diapers are simply designed for a thinner baby, and size 2 diapers are the best choice for a chunkier baby. The website needs to be a bit more explicit about this information, as it is sort of buried in the site.

I do think that the outer PUL fabric is a bit thinner than some other brands of diapers I have used, but if you consider that the diapers cost about 1/3 (or less) of what other diapers cost, this difference can be overlooked. I have not noticed the thinner fabric to cause more leaks.

I also think the Sunbaby website should show the fabric colors and patterns offered so that customers can get an idea of what their package of 12 diapers might look like. My diaper had a cute Hello Kitty character (Melody) on it, but I had no clue what the diaper might look like before it showed up. sunbaby diapers

I’m very pleased with the Sunbaby line and would recommend these affordable cloth diapers to anyone! If you need to build a stash super cheap, this is the way to do it. You could also get together with a friend and split an order, too!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Sunbaby diaper!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Ahmelie Swaddling Blanket Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: if you are going to swaddle your baby, don’t even attempt to use a receiving blanket or the vast majority of swaddling blankets on the market. They are TOO SMALL!

I think many parents give up on swaddling their infants because they don’t realize that they have equipment that does not prepare them for success! When Darah was born, we were gifted with 3 blankets that seemed ridiculously huge. The woman who made them for us said, “You need a bigger blanket for swaddling than you realize.” She was SOOO right. Darah was a small baby, and even she had outgrown her other swaddling blankets within a month or so. We used those “huge” blankets on her for the better part of the next 2 years. She actually still has one in her big girl bed with her!

There’s a company that realizes how big swaddling blankets actually need to be in order to be effective. Ahmelie has been featured on this site several times, not only for her swaddling blankets, but also for her hooded towels and her beautiful burp cloths. The fabrics Ahmelie uses are absolutely stunning. I have truly never seen prettier baby accessories.

And I really appreciate the size of her swaddling blankets. I’ve actually purchased swaddling blankets from Ahmelie several times for friends who have had babies. While I typically don’t like to veer from the gift registry for people, I am eternally grateful that someone knew to get me a huge blanket for swaddling, so I try to pay that forward by gifting them to others. Plus, these blankets are so gorgeous that I know the recipients will be pleased!

Here’s a picture of our Ahmelie swaddling blanket at its full size. Pretty big, right?

Now, here’s a picture of Layah all bundled up in her beloved blanket:

If you are currently expecting and want to try swaddling (which I HIGHLY recommend as a way to comfort and calm your baby), please do yourself the biggest favor and get a huge swaddling blanket, like the ones found at Ahmelie’s shop. Her blankets are $16.00 each are are worth so much more than that! AND…you can use code STUFF10 to save 10% off your purchase at Ahmelie.com! Woo hoo!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a swaddling blanket from Ahmelie!

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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Sid’s Backyard Camp Out DVD Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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We don’t have television in our home. Now, before you think I’m trying to sound all high and mighty about this, I will disclose that we have Netflix instant service AND I watch my share of programs online. But I still miss out on a lot of television programming and am pretty behind the times when it comes to the latest kid tv shows.

Sid the Science Kid is one example of an entire program that I had never heard of until I got a new DVD in the mail. It’s called Sid’s Backyard Camp Out, and it is really cute! It stars Sid, of course, and if you are also unfamiliar with him, he’s a very curious little boy who likes to get to the bottom of why things are the way they are. This leads to lots of science talk, which I think is pretty cool!

In this DVD, Sid, Gerald and Dad are making plans for a big backyard camp out. It’s rather humorous seeing Gerald prepare for the event. He pretty much packs everything but the kitchen sink. But through their adventures, they learn about just how little you really need to have a great time, and how few things are true necessities. There are definitely some great lessons in there!

Sid’s Backyard Campout runs for 45 minutes and also includes 12 Teacher Susie songs. It retails for just $6.99, making it a very affordable summer treat!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Sid’s Backyard Campout!

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Be sure to enter my other giveaways, found at the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

 

Preparing Space for Guests When You Don’t Have a Closet: Spectrum Products GIVEAWAY!!!

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The house we moved into has 4 bedrooms.

Sort of.

You see, in my opinion, a room cannot be classified as a bedroom unless it has a closet. Chattanooga realtors appear to think otherwise.

Honestly, I’m not really sure what the builders of this house were thinking when they made this home (in 2007! It’s not even old!). You see, the largest “bedroom” in the house has its own bathroom but completely lacks a closet. It is supposedly the master bedroom, and I definitely would have been tempted to move into it, but what in the world would we do with all our clothes? It doesn’t make any sense to go upstairs to get dressed!

So this nice big room has become our guest room. Which means that now our guests have to figure out where in the world to put their clothes when they visit. We do have a hall closet downstairs that can hold a few things, but you have to walk through the living room to get to it. That could be sort of embarrassing for company if other folks in the house are awake and hanging out in the living room (a very likely incident with two small children who are early risers).

But I found a solution at Spectrum Diversified that will make a big difference, and it takes up precious little space. Check out this over the door wardrobe rack. We put this on the door in the guest room and it is the perfect place for our company to hang up their clothes. We could have purchased a large wardrobe, I suppose, but those are expensive and they take up a ton of space. I much prefer this option, and at $11.99, my wallet is absolutely ecstatic about the choice!

Spectrum also has some fantastic wall hooks that can help you create more space in cramped quarters. We installed this metal wardrobe rack in our bathroom so that we could get the girls’ towels off the floor. Since all 4 of us use one bathroom, our towel rack was not sufficient, and there were constantly towels on the floor or hanging on door knobs. Now the girls’ towels have their very own dedicated space! This hook is just $8.49 and looks really sharp.

Finally, we installed the CUTEST bird wall hook in Layah’s closet. This created a space for her diaper bag to hang. Before installing it, the diaper bag’s “home” was wherever it landed, which meant that it was frequently lost. Now it has a place to return to after every outing, and space in the closet that wasn’t being used now has a purpose. Gotta love that! And at $3.49, how can you say no to something this adorable?

I have been extremely impressed with the creative storage and organizing solutions offered by Spectrum Diversified, as well as the price points. All three of the products I now have in my home were less than $25, and look at how many problems they solved!

I have a feeling that some of you could use a bit of help getting organized in your home, so…

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a $25 gift certificate to put towards anything you’d like from Spectrum!

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Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Brighten Up Your Kitchen with Dexas Products: Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Since we have joined a community supported agriculture (CSA) program and are now getting loaded down with fresh veggies every week, I’m spending a lot of time with my new cutting boards from Dexas. I have three new boards that are just perfect for what I need, and having more than one gives me the opportunity to have a little helper in my kitchen. Darah ALWAYS chooses the apple cutting board, and asks me to choose the tomato cutting board. I’m happy to oblige, because I think the tomato is so cute! Both of these designs are absolutely perfect for the petite chefs you may have in your house. Even though Darah isn’t getting to cut the veggies at this point, I always put some on her board to inspect and to scrub for me. We talk about what each veggie is, the color it is, and I show her what it looks like on the inside. We also talk about which parts we can eat, and which parts we need to compost. She’s getting a great education while I get lunch or dinner ready!

If we are making something that needs to go in the oven, I reach for my amazing silicone grippers (called nib mini-mitts). I love how little space these take up in my kitchen. In fact, they just sit on top of my range for easy access, and that way they don’t take up any drawer space at all! They do a great job of keeping the heat off my fingers as I take stuff out of the oven.

But perhaps one of my very favorite products in their new line are these fabulous ice cube trays. Now, I know what you are thinking, “Why get excited over ice cube trays?” Well, let me tell you! First of all, our freezer doesn’t have an ice maker, so ice cube trays are the only way this girl gets any ice at home. But those traditional long trays just take up too much real estate inside the freezer (we have the smallest standard size fridge. Boo.). These ice cube trays are in the shape of a square! Brilliant. But here’s what is even better: the cube trays are deep, so you get big, fat ice cubes instead of those wimpy ones that usually come from the longer trays. Less space, more ice! ROCK!! They will be for sale at Target in just a few weeks!

If your kitchen could use a pop of color and a bit more fun, especially as a way to get your kids to step up and be your sous chefs, then Dexas products definitely have something to offer you! You can find their great line of products at Amazon and Bed, Bath and Beyond. For a complete listing of retailers, click here.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win those amazing ice cube trays and TWO cute cutting boards (one tomato and one watermelon!). ARV $40!
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Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. 

Natural Sunscreen: Beyond Coastal Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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About a month ago I was at the zoo with a friend. We had a “sighting” while we were there. As we were checking out the macaw exhibit, something through the bushes caught our eye. It was something unusual and unexpected just beyond the greenery.

Was it some sort of animal, escaped from its cage? No, silly. It was WAY cooler than that!

It was….

wait for it….

A WATER PARK!

(Image from rain-drop.com)

Yes, true story, there’s a water park in my city and my friend and I had no clue it existed. It’s part of our public pool system. It costs just $3 to go. What an amazing find! We literally spied it while we were strolling around at the zoo, and we vowed to figure out what it was and get ourselves over there.

I should also mention that this place is a 6 minute drive from my house. Life is good, people!

On Mondays between 5-7 pm they offer family night. Everyone in your family can get in for just $5 total! I also like the timeframe for two reasons. First, it’s just after work for Tim, so the whole family can go. There’s no way I could handle both littles by myself!

The second reason I like the timeframe is because this is after the peak sun hours. Since melanoma runs in Tim’s family, it is especially important that we limit our exposure to the sun during those hours.

But even though the rays are not at their most powerful from 5-7, you can definitely still get sunburned. So we lather on the sunscreen before we head over there, and usually reapply once after we’ve been there an hour.

Lately we’ve been using these great products from Beyond Coastal. These products are natural, so icky and questionable chemicals are nowhere to be found in the entire line. Love that! I have never enjoyed having one set of sunscreens for Darah and a different set for us. We should all be using the same stuff! I’m guessing if ingredients aren’t good for Darah, they probably aren’t good for the grownups, either. The Beyond Coastal line is great for everyone.

I have enjoyed trying all the products in the line, but I think my very favorite is the face stick, which is SO easy to apply on squirmy and impatient toddlers. I like the thick, quick application!

As you head into the summer months, be sure that you are well-stocked with sunscreen, and skip the stuff with nasty additives and go straight for the good stuff, like Beyond Coastal!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will will a Beyond Coastal prize pack (pictured below)! ARV $36!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my page.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own.