Stuff Parents Need

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

Cloth Diaper Rental Program: My Overall Thoughts

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We started using cloth diapers on Layah just a few days after we got her home from the hospital. We had a stash of 24 diapers thanks to the cloth diaper rental program at Earthy Crunchy Mama. If you missed my first post on why I decided that renting makes the most sense for newborn diapers, be sure to go back and check it out.

Cloth Diaper Rental: Worth It?

Now that we’ve been using the diapers, I wanted to share my thoughts about how it is going.

Here’s the short answer: FABULOUS!

Now for the more detailed response.

The first 24 hours that we used the diapers were not so fabulous. We had leaks out of the legs every. single. time. we put her in a cloth diaper. That was frustrating, and of course, made for a huge laundry pile (clothes, blankets, sheets, etc.). I contacted Jen, the owner of Earthy Crunchy Mama to seek her advice. She promptly got back to me and said that it is not an uncommon problem, and usually the culprit is that parents aren’t putting the diapers on tight enough. She encouraged me to go tighter and see if it helped.

And she was exactly right! The leaks have completely disappeared, and now the cloth diapers are holding their own against disposables, even with that fabulous, runny baby poop that we all know so well. Having access to a personal “help” line with Jen is one added benefit of using her service; she is there for you and will do everything she possibly can to make your experience with cloth a positive one!

I have also really enjoyed getting to try out several different types of cloth diapers. This has been my first experience using FuzziBunz, for example, and I’ve been really impressed with them. I’ve also enjoyed the Mini Maestro brand (pictured on Layah below). I’d never heard of this brand AT ALL before using this service, but now I know them and love them, and would definitely buy more of this brand. And my love for BumGenius products has also been re-affirmed while using them with Layah. Those are just some seriously good diapers! cloth diaper rental

Now I want to talk with you about the cost for renting the cloth diapers. Post one had all the information about what,exactly, is included in the package, so be sure to review that. The cost for the program can vary, depending on your particular wants and needs. Here’s the breakdown from the website:

$125 up front deposit gets you:

  • cloth diaper safe detergent and rash cream stick, cloth wipes, and diaper liners to keep
  • 1 pail liner and wet bag
  • 24 new and gently used newborn diapers (GroVia, bumGenius, FuzziBunz, Bummis, and/or Thirsties)
When you return your diapers, you receive a refund minus:
  • $25 starter kit
  • $15 if you choose to keep the pail liner and wet bag
  • $15/month for Store Credit OR$35/month for Cash

So, you need to send in $125 (via credit card is fine) as a deposit. This makes sense as you are being sent hundreds of dollars worth of products. Once you return the diapers (and shipping is already covered for that expense! Yay!), you will get your deposit back, minus a $25 starter kit fee (which covers all those awesome things you get to keep), and minus $15 for the month if you choose to get your remaining deposit back in store credit (so you can buy diapers you need for the next size, of course!) or minus $35 for the month if you choose to get cash back. I know this seems a little bit confusing, but here’s a scenario for you to help you make sense of it.Let’s say you want to rent the diapers for one month and you want to get back store credit so you can buy some great one size diapers once you are finished. You also want to keep the pail liner and wet bag because they rock (and they do rock…I’m pretty sure I’m keeping mine). Once you return your diapers, you will then have a credit of $60 to put towards diapers ($125 minus $25 for the starter kit, $15 for the liners, $15 for the store credit route). So you cloth diapered your newborn for a month for $65, which is probably less than what you would have spent on diapers (because they DO go through 10-12 diapers each day, I promise). AND your remaining $60 can be put toward great new diapers, and you will have the experience of using different brands so you will know what you want to buy. PLUS, you’ll have your wet bag and pail liner, cloth wipes, some detergent and some baby balm.

All this is to say, this is a really good deal. I’ve been very pleased with the quality of the products and the quality of the customer service. I think what is offered is a tremendous value and gives you a jump start on cloth diapering that for me, at least, would not have been financially feasible without a program like this. Thank you so much Jen and Earthy Crunchy Mama!

If you are hoping to use cloth from the beginning, please consider Earthy Crunchy Mama’s diaper rental program. I know you will be pleased with the experience! If you tell her that I referred you, I will also get a $5 credit to her shop, which would totally rock!

Please let me know in the comments if you have any additional questions about cloth or about the cloth diaper rental program. If I can’t answer your question, I know Jen can!

 Disclosure: I received a complimentary one month subscription (minus a $15 fee) in exchange for my honest review, which I have provided. 

Cate and Levi People Puppet Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Our new house is just across the street from the downtown fire station. Tim and I took the upstairs bedroom that was the closest to the station, deciding that we’d prefer to be the ones listening to late night sirens over the girls.

On our very first night in the house, we were awakened by sirens no less than 5 times. Totally serious. It was AWFUL! I’m very pleased to report, however, that this was a freak incident, the likes of which we have not experienced again. Hopefully nights like that one will be very rare and we won’t see our proximity to the fire station as a big negative of our location.

Darah loves her room, but she does wish that she had the view of the fire station, herself. In her mind, being neighbors with fire fighters is nothing short of spectacular. We love to stroll over and visit with the fire trucks. She also loves to watch them leave the station with their sirens on. She quotes a book she loves and says, “Firefighters to the rescue!” as they leave. She also loves to see the fire trucks “getting a bath” every week. I think firefighters are one of those occupations that children admire early on, and Darah is certainly no exception.

When I learned that Cate & Levi, the makers of some of the most beautiful and well-constructed puppets and other handmade items in the world, started a new line of People Puppets, I had to check out the fireman puppet! He is a most welcome addition to Darah’s toy collection, and he is frequently used to play fire station at our house.

The fireman, just like every other Cate & Levi product, is made from reclaimed materials. It is upcycling at its most beautiful! So every handmade creation has its own unique look. Darah’s fireman is unique, and won’t look exactly the same as someone else’s fireman. I love that! I have given the fireman a very careful inspection, and he is put together SO well. He will not be falling apart any time soon! I also just love that sweaters that may have been destined for a landfill have been repurposed to make toys for children that are safe and built to last. The sweaters that the products are made from have all been sent to an eco-friendly cleaner prior to being used, as well. So there are no harsh chemicals on the Cate & Levi products!

I’m very impressed with the aesthetic of Cate & Levi toys, as well as the thoughtfulness behind each creation. If you are looking for something truly special for your little one or for a gift, please check out Cate & Levi products. They have puppets, stuffed animals, pillow pals and change purses, just to name a few of their product categories! The People Puppets retail for $30.00.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a Cate and Levi People Puppet of your choice!

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mombo™ from Comfort & Harmony™ Nursing Pillow Review

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Breastfeeding, on the whole, is a very simple and cost effective way to feed your growing baby. But in my experience, you do need to purchase a few accessories to make the work a whole lot easier. One thing I think every nursing mom could benefit from is a nursing pillow. I had one with my first and knew that I was going to want one with my second, as well. Without one, in my experience, you find yourself in positions that are bad for your posture and bad for nursing, which lead to a whole lot of other problems. A great nursing pillow can eliminate many of those issues.

With Layah, we are using the mombo™ from Comfort & Harmony™. It’s a great upgrade from our first nursing pillow, as it has some features that make it oh so very useful.

First and foremost, the pillow has two different levels of firmness. One side is more firm for nursing. I LOVE this feature. The pillow is not so firm as to be uncomfortable, but it keeps baby more elevated while feeding, whereas other pillows I have tried before can be so soft and squishy that the baby is not ideally positioned. Here you you will see Layah and me during a middle of the night feeding. It’s really nice to not have to get out of bed and go over to the rocking chair at 4am! 

The other side of the pillow is softer, and that makes it great for the baby to lounge on during awake time. We like to use this side when we are showing Layah her black and white flash cards or doing some baby massage on her legs and feet.

Second, mombo has a vibrator inside the pillow that you can turn on, and this is SO nice for times when baby is just a little bit fussy and in need of extra soothing. What a clever idea!

I also think the line of covers that mombo offers are really cute; I appreciate the variety. Overall, we are really impressed with this pillow and I would highly recommend it to other expecting families!

mombo™ from Comfort & Harmony™ retails for $29.99 and covers can be purchased for $19.99 at places like Babies R Us.

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

MABU Newborn Cloth Diaper Kit Available at Walmart!

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Did you know that not everybody likes to shop online? I am so comfortable shopping this way that I sometimes forget that not everybody is! But it’s true. I don’t think my mother, for example, has ever purchased ANYTHING online. I make online purchases a few times each month! 🙂

Not wanting to make online purchases can definitely be a tough obstacle to overcome if you want to cloth diaper. Not very many cities have cloth diapers storefronts (we had one in Chattanooga, but it closed, I assume due to lack of sales…such a bummer). And the big box stores don’t carry cloth diapers. They are still carrying those horrific plastic pants that parents were using 20 and 30 years ago. Yuck!

Cloth Diapers at Walmart

That is, until now. There’s a company that has managed to get itself into select Walmart stores, and I’m so thrilled to see it! It makes cloth SO much more accessible to so many people! It’s called MABU Baby, and they have put together entire starter kits so that you can get started on your cloth diaper journey with ease.

So why did Walmart choose this particular line? MABU Baby has worked really hard to make their cloth diapers VERY affordable. Affordability is another hurdle for many people when starting with cloth. Yes, there’s no doubt that over time you will spend more on disposables than on cloth, but spending several hundred dollars to build your stash at the beginning is simply not doable for many people’s budgets, whereas $13 for a package of disposables this week IS doable.

The MABU Starter Kit comes with everything you need to try out a few different ways to cloth diaper, and it is priced right at $33.99 (as compared to $20-25 for one cloth diaper in many other brands).  cloth diapers walmart

  • 2 diaper outers
  • 2 snap-in pad holders,
  • 2 washable diaper pads
    plus
  • 2 disposable diaper pads and
  • 5 liners
With the MABU system you can try out full cloth diapering, and you can try out the hybrid method, where you re-use your shells, but have disposable diaper pads inside the shells. This second system is more expensive than going fully cloth, but it is a great way to transition from fully disposable to fully cloth if you need some time to adjust or if you are still feeling nervous about the extra laundry and want to minimize the amount you will have.
Our experience with the MABU system has been very positive so far. We have the newborn kit and the diapers fit Layah wonderfully. While MABU diapers lack some of the bells and whistles of more expensive cloth diapers, they still get the job done just fine. I think their greatest asset is their affordability, and I applaud Walmart for starting to carry this brand so that more people can discover the savings to be had by switching to cloth diapers.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win an MABU stater kit in your choice of size! Sizing information found here: http://mabubaby.com/use-and-care/sizing-secure-fit

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A (Rare) Apple a Day Keeps You Looking Fairest of Them All (#EclosBeauty GIVEAWAY!!!)

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This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

My skin is changing. While it is far from “wrinkly”, it has lost some of its youthful glow, for sure. Perhaps some of that is due to being tired since I’m in the midst of raising young kids, but I also think a lot of it is just the reality of getting older.

Fortunately, there are some really great products on the market that can help your skin looks so much better than it would if left on its own. For the past week, I have been using various products from éclos Skin Care. They have an Anti-Aging Skin Care Starter kit that gives you the opportunity to try out the following products from their line:

  • Facial Cleanser Skin Prep
  • Cellular Activator Face Serum
  • Moisture Therapy Regenerative Cream
  • Restorative Eye Cream
  • Instant Radiance Facial Scrub
  • Skin Renewal Clay Mask
  • Bonus: eclos Terry Cloth Head Band

I really love being able to try out several products at once without having to invest in each and every product. This kit retails for $19.99 and gives you the chance to see which products you love the very most. For me, the Instant Radiance Facial Scrub has been a stand-out. It is very warm when you apply it to your face (which feels SO good) and it has a nice “grit” to it, though that quickly disappears as you rub it onto your face. You are eventually left with a really nice foamy lather. I would definitely purchase this product in its full-size and recommend it to others.

I am also particularly drawn to the Cellular Activator Face serum, which you apply to a clean face before you apply your moisturizer. It contains apple stem cells that have been extracted from rare Swiss apples and that studies have shown to have a tremendous ability to stimulate skin stem cells, which means your skin will behave more like younger skin. I don’t have anything quite like this in my skin care aresenal, and it would be something I’d like to have in its full-size, for sure.

I’ve been using the products for a week, and I have a before and after shot to show you. My “before” shot is actually me in the hospital right after having Layah. I started using them the day I had her! 🙂 The after shot is me without makeup one week later.

 

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I’m actually wearing makeup in the first shot (don’t judge me for putting on makeup right before having a baby!) and the second one I’m not wearing a stitch of anything. But you can see the shine on my face (and I have VERY dry skin, so that isn’t oil). I do believe the products work!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the same kit I received to try out! To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me which product in the kit you are most excited to try! Giveaway ends at 12:01am on 5/24.

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

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Baby Name Wizard Subscription Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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When I was pregnant with Darah, I came up with her name long before we even knew that she was a girl. I was completely confident in my choice for her first name. Her middle name did take us a while longer, but we had it all settled by the time I was 7 months pregnant.

This time around, we settled on Layah at 38 weeks pregnant. Talk about a nail-biter! I do believe that we over-thought the process, and I also think that naming your second child, particularly of the same gender as the first, is just a lot harder!

I started out quite optimistic, having roughly 25 girl names on my list. I got that list thanks to the book, The Baby Name Wizard. This is a book that I HIGHLY recommend. It is so different from your typical name book because it divides names up into categories. Some categories will resonate with you and you might find 5 or 6 names from that list that you love, while other categories you will find yourself skipping right over because you don’t like how any of them sound. It’s a much smarter approach to thinking about names, and it just really made a lot of sense to me. It certainly got us off to a good start when we were first thinking about names.

And then I made the mistake of over-analyzing each and every name, picking them apart until I found flaws. So I was left with nothing!

But then I got some additional help. I got an expert subscription to babynamewizard.com. This online resource takes the information found in the book to an entirely new level. It has a tremendous database that you can access and that can help you find the right name match for your child, based on particular preferences or dislikes that you have (for example, are you drawn to Irish names? Do you NOT want the name to start with a particular letter? Do you want a name that is popular or more rare?). This database gave me an entirely new crop of names to consider, and I really loved that I was able to save anything I liked online so that I could go back and look at it later.

I also really liked that for each name, there was a place for people to leave comments about the name. For example, people would leave comments about how much they enjoy (or don’t enjoy) having that particular name and why, or why they chose that particular name for their child. Reading that insight was extremely helpful, as it caused some names to rise further up our list, and others to fall off of it.

But the very best resource of all for me was the forums. There’s a section where you can post your baby name dilemmas and ask for advice, and we did just that! We didn’t mind sharing out list of possibilities with people who weren’t personally invested in what we name our child, so their feedback was more objective. What we discovered is that the name at the top of our list was preferred by ABSOLUTELY NOBODY. And there was one name that stood out quite a bit from the rest. In the end, we didn’t go with the online crowd favorite as her first name, but gave it to her as her middle name, because we realized based on feedback that a name we thought might be perceived as incredibly weak actually wasn’t, and in fact, was seen as quite strong by many. We really needed fresh perspectives on our names, and we definitely got it on this site. I can’t say enough what a big help it was.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a nine month expert subscription to The Baby Name Wizard!

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Olay Launches Products for Sensitive Skin! Review and GIVEAWAY!!

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Spring is such a beautiful time of year. Everything is in bloom and looking absolutely stunning. The beauty of nature is positively breath-taking this time of year.

It’s also a nightmare for your allergies, if you have them. I actually didn’t suffer from allergies at all (except for a random allergy to goldenrod) until I left the South for 2 years and then came back. My body, it seems, had completely forgotten how to handle all this pollen and threw a complete fit! That was back in 2004, and it hasn’t been able to recover yet. Every year when the flowers start blooming, I have to reach for some allergy medicine to help get me through.

This year, in addition to sneezing all the time, my skin is also extra-sensitive (I attribute this to pregnancy). Things that never used to bother my face are suddenly giving me rashes or burning when I apply them. Yikes!

That’s why I’m turning to Olay for my skincare needs right now. Did you know that they have several fragrance-free options, which are designed for sensitive skin (and are also great for those folks currently suffering from allergies….your skincare products can make your suffering worse if they contain irritants!).

There are 3 products I have been using this month, and I’ve had absolutely no problems with any of them.

First and foremost, I have to sing high praises for the Olay Clean & Mild Makeup Remover Cloths. I don’t usually buy this type of product, because to be honest, it seems a bit indulgent. I mean, just get out a wash cloth for goodness sake! But let me tell you, in the last weeks of my pregnancy when it took all of my strength just to think about washing my face, these were invaluable. If I hadn’t had them on hand, I probably would have just gone to bed with a dirty face. Just being honest. These also are going with me to the hospital. I really love them! This product retails for $4.99.

Second, I’ve been LOVING the Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream. This product, itself, is not new, but the fragrance-free formula is new. In my experience, sometimes skincare designed for sensitive skin seems to lack the same powerful punch that other products have, particularly when it comes to anti-aging properties. Not this one! Olay Regenerist has won MANY awards for its effectiveness, and I’m thrilled to be using it without any worries that my skin will negatively react to it. This product retails for $31.99.

Finally, for these tired mama eyes, I’ve been using the Olay Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum. If there’s one facial product that you should definitley seek out a sensitive skin formulation for, it’s eye cream! Imagine if it contains irritants in it and then it gets into your eyes. Ouch! This product from Olay is fragrance-free but still works really hard to hydrate the skin around your eyes and to life and brighten the entire eye area. Love it! It retails for $24.99.

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a gift set from Olay, containing the same products I reviewed!

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Pure Pearls Necklace Review and GIVEAWAY!!! (ARV $101!)

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I have to say, I have a pretty wonderful collection of pearl jewelry. I was gifted a long strand of gorgeous pearls from my mom when I earned my master’s degree. I have a short pearl necklace and matching bracelet that my sister-in-law brought back for me after a trip she took to China. And I have these really beautiful pearl studs from Pure Pearls (they are the PERFECT size…I wear them weekly!).

All of these pearl pieces are lovely. They are also all white. But did you know that you can get pearls in other colors, as well? It’s true! PurePearls.com has a great selection of pearl necklaces in white (of course), but you can also find pink pearls, lavender pearls, and even adorable multi-colored pearls. These are all colors of pearls that are found in nature.

You can also get black pearls, and these, my friends, are SPECTACULAR! I recently received a black pearl necklace. I was a little nervous about it…how does one pull off black pearls, exactly? Well, they happen to look AMAZING with purple, which is one of my very favorite colors to wear! This necklace is 18 inches long, which is known as Princess length. It is a very versatile size, and goes with most any cut top I pair it with! I also appreciate knowing that every pearl has been double-knotted on silk thread, so there’s no need to worry about re-stringing your pearls for several years. The clasp is 14K gold filigree, which you can get in white or yellow gold, whichever you prefer!

Now let’s talk about the price. This necklace (and the same necklace in the other colors mentioned) is offered for $101.00. It comes in a beautiful velvet necklace box, as well. Want to hear what it appraises for? $495.00! It comes with an official letter of appraisal (getting one of these costs you $40 at my local jewelry store, so it is AWESOME that it already comes with one!). This necklace is an excellent value, my friends!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win Freshwater Pearls in your choice of white, pink, lavender or multi-color! 

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Peter Rabbit Organics Introduces 5 New Flavors! GIVEAWAY!!!

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One company whose products are a HUGE hit with Darah is Peter Rabbit Organics. They make squeeze pouches of fruit and veggies that are organic and taste fantastic. I pick them up for Darah as the occasional special treat, or if we are about to go on a car trip. She usually empties one pouch in about 30 seconds!

Peter Rabbit Organics has just launched 5 new flavors, all designed to help parents squeeze (get it?) more fruits and veggies into your children’s diets. We don’t really have a problem getting Darah to eat her fruit, but getting her to eat vegetables can be a bit more hit or miss. Here’s the list of new flavors, and I’ll give you one guess about which ones are my favorites:

  •          Peach and Apple
  •          Banana and Apple
  •          Pear and Apple
  •          Pear and Pea
  •          Pumpkin, Carrot and Apple
Darah has eaten every single one of these, but the ones I’ll definitely be picking up again are Pear and Pea and Pumpkin, Carrot and Apple. I need some extra help getting Darah to have enough veggies, and these are the perfect solution. I watched her extra carefully when offering her the Pear and Pea, thinking that she might hesitate after giving it a taste. NOPE!

If you’ve never tried Peter Rabbit Organics, I want to encourage you to pick some up the next time you head to Target, or the next time you find yourself placing an order on Amazon. Their other flavors include the following:

  •          Apple and Grape
  •          Mango, Banana and Orange
  •          Strawberry and Banana
  •          Pea, Spinach and Apple
  •          Sweet Potato, Corn and Apple
  •          Carrot, Squash and Apple

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win the 5 new flavors of Peter Rabbit Organics squeeze pouches!

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