Meet Saskia

Saskia writes one of my all time favorite blogs.  As soon as I see that she has updated, I quickly scoot over there to see what she's said.  I think I like her blog so much because it's so real, down to earth, and raw.  She kindly opens a window into her world and I feel very refreshed every time I go over there to visit.

Saskia has an Etsy shop where she sells the most adorable Waldorf Inspired Dolls.  She is also selling some adorable baby shoes.  I haven't tried those shoes, but you can check out this blog for a review of them!  I've wanted to get something from her shop for awhile, but it just didn't fit into my budget.  So I was delighted when I won one of her cute little dolls--well two, actually-- from the Nifty Nappy blog!

I really hoped that the dolls would arrive before Easter because I wanted to add them to Bunny's first Easter Basket, so when they came last Saturday, I was delighted!!!

Okay, so I couldn't wait to give her the doll until Easter, so I let her have it as soon as I tore the package opened.

She, of course, decided that the best way to enjoy the doll would be to experience it in her mouth!

\

It's SO soft, and just the perfect size for her tiny hands! She loves it!

The Waldorf inspired doll also came with a "root baby,"  a tiny, baby Waldorf inspired doll.  It is really a bit too tiny for her yet (Saskia even warned me so on her business card), but I let her play with it anyway under my watchful eye.

That, too, went right to her mouth! Right now, her mouth is the vehicle through which she discovers the world!

The root baby really is very tiny and adorable.  

She's so excited about the doll! I love the movement in this picture!

I love the tiny features of her face.  Well, I love the features of Bunny's face, of course, but I was referring specifically to the doll :-D. It's so soft and delicate--perfect for tiny fingers to explore.

Even though I'd already given it to her, I added it to her Easter basket on Sunday.

She had brought it to church that morning and played with it in the nursery during both services. 

I think you'd love these dolls too if you could just get your hand on one.  She has dolls from as small as 5 inches up to 8 inches--and of course the tiny root babies :-D Go check them out and support a WAHM while you're at it! You won't be sorry! They're SO adorable!!!


Disclaimer:
This post is wholly my opinion and I was not compensated in any way for this review.  I just love Saskia and her dolls!

FuzziBunz Organic Cotton Wonder Wipes review and giveaway from Wee Little Changes

Wee Little Changes is an adorable store located in North Carolina that offers such baby necessities as cloth diapers, burp cloths, bottles, crib sheets, and toys.  April, the owner of Wee Little Changes (and stay at home mom) strives to offer quality items in her store.  Also, she offers many natural and organic products such as Fuzzi Bunz Organic Cotton Wipes--which is what she sent me.

As far as her story goes, April has this to say:

 "My family and I own and operate Wee Little Changes out of Wilmington, North Carolina.  Being a SAHM has been so rewarding and I will be forever grateful for the time I have gotten to spend with my children. 

The most important thing my family has taught me is how to just live simply and enjoy the little things in life.  I think this quote captures it perfectly, “If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live.”  -Lyn Yutang.  I hope when my children are grown, that they will be able to find joy in the little things life has to offer.  A parent’s job never feels complete, but with each new day comes with it an opportunity to learn, grow and love more than the day before.

Wee Little Changes is dedicated to provide quality (and cute!) products that are good for your baby, the environment and your purse.  I have done countless hours of research on all of our products, and each one has been tested by my family and found to be a winner.  Please let me know if I can assist you in any way or if you have questions or comments.  Thank you for the opportunity to help you and your family in some 'wee little way'."

Besides the fact that she offers a great selection of baby needs, I absolutely love that April offers FREE SHIPPING on her items.  It's the most frustrating thing to me when I go to buy some diapers or accessories that are on sale from a diaper retailer only to see another $5-$10 and sometimes more get added to my total.  In my opinion it makes all my effort to find a great deal for naught.  So, I always look for the things I need from shops that offer FREE SHIPPING.

I loved working with April.  She was very helpful, and patient with me and had great communication.  I will definitely buy from her in the future.  She's great with customer service and very encouraging as well.

She sent me some of her Fuzzi Bunz Wonder Wipes to review.

 They are one layer of soft, knit cotton, surged on the edges.  They are thin and soft to the touch, and have a natural beige color because they are organic and unbleached.

When I first saw them, I wasn't sure what to think.  I use my homemade, two layer flannel baby wipes and I've gotten used to them.  These are nothing like those wipes.  So I washed them, and then proceeded to put them in with my flannel wipes next to my spray bottle.

 When I went to use them with the spray bottle, the water reacted differently than it does with the flannel.  I didn't need nearly as much water as the bottle was spraying and it got everywhere.  Flannel is quite absorbent, and the thin layer of cotton was not.  So I decided to store them wet--which is a new thing for me... and I fell in love.

 Using these baby wipes is like using disposable wipes, only better.  Because they are thin, they form around your hands easily as you wipe allowing you to get in all the crevices to clean your baby's diaper area thoroughly.  They store well wet, and can be stored dry and used with a spray bottle as well, with practice.  They just need less water than your more absorbent wipes.

I put the wipes in my little plastic "Huggies" travel case--you know the one--you've seen it in most moms' diaper bags.  They fit quite well in there--all ten of them--and made for great travel wipes.

I decided to replace my stash of diaper bag flannel wipes with these ones, but then I liked them so much that I robbed my diaper bag to use them while at home.  So now, I'm to the point where I can't decide whether they'll travel with me or not.  They just go with me everywhere I go and I use them first.

If you're new to using cloth wipes, or even if you're an old pro at them, I think you should try these little guys.  All natural so they're the best material imaginable against your baby's skin, and amazingly easy so that diaper changing sessions go much more smoothly.  I highly recommend them to anyone who has chosen to cloth diaper.

And if you don't cloth diaper, I recommend them to you as well.  They make for great on-the-go washcloths for when you're feeding your baby pureed veggies and messy oatmeal, and for those "oops" moments when drool, spit up, or both find their way in places where they don't belong.  At my bible study the other night, I also discovered that these are great teethers.  I pulled one out and let my daughter chew and suck on it to her hearts content--watching her carefully of course, and having rinsed all my wipe solution away with some tap water.  Bunny's swollen gums couldn't get enough of the Fuzzi Bunz organic Wonder Wipes!

If you want some of these wipes for yourself, you can head on over to Wee Little Changes, and buy some--they're currently ON SALE for only $11.99, down from $21.  Sweet deal!

You can also try to win some here, since April has graciously offered a set to give away!

How?

Leave the following comments, making sure to include YOUR EMAIL on EACH ONE.

Mandatory entry:
 Follow my blog, then tell me one interesting thing about April's website at Wee Little Changes.


Additional entries: 
10 entries: buy something from Wee Little Changes and comment here (10 times) leaving your order number in at least one comment so I can verify your order.


5 entries: blog about it, and leave me the URL to the post.

2 entries: Follow April's blog.

1 entry: Become a facebook fan of Wee Little Changes

1 entry: Tweet about it and leave the URL to the tweet here.  

1 entry: Add the "Makin it" button to your blog

This contest will run from April 1st until April 15th because, well, it's tax day and I'd like to make that day delightful for someone out there!

Diaperkit.com: Review and Giveaway CLOSED

Here's the thing, guys.  Diapers are expensive.  Disposable diapers are the worst, and though even the most expensive cloth diapers save lots of money over disposables, they are some times just way too much for our wallets to handle when it comes to that one time investment.  I've grown my stash gradually for that reason, just buying 1-3 diapers with each paycheck--less now that I have somewhere around 30 diapers.  But I have to say that sometimes I just don't feel like spending $18 on a diaper even though I'm absolutely in love with all the cute brands that are out there.

Well, Amber at Diaperkit.com must have felt the same way because she did something about it. She offers pre-cut and ready to go kits for making fitteds, covers, AIOs (All In Ones), and more for about $5-$9 each.  You get the same exact quality as other modern cloth diapers but you spend half as much.  AND you get the satisfaction of sewing the diaper yourself and getting those bragging rights!

Straight from the mouth of Amber herself:

DiaperKit.com is a WAHM (work at home mom) owned business. I have five children, three of whom are old enough to be in homeschool.

"I decided to start DiaperKit because I love cloth diapers and love to sew them. I have used cloth on all of our children and twice we have had two in diapers at the same time. I've tried many different patterns and fabrics. Through my sewing experiences I came to realize that I hate cutting out patterns. There is so much tedious work that often leads to a sore back and neck before you can even sit down to sew. Why not have someone else do all of the boring part and I could just sew! So, after much discussion and a lot of preliminary work, I designed my own pattern and moved forward with what has become DiaperKit.com."

"YOU can sew fabulous modern cloth diapers  and we've got everything to get you started!

Forget about paying $16 (or more) each for modern, easy to use cloth diapers. Sew your own cloth diaper stash!

Get started sewing & saving money right away with our pattern and pre-shrunk, pre-cut, ready to sew cloth diaper kit package. For the cost of ONE pre-sewn modern all-in-one diaper you can get our cloth diaper pattern for fitteds and all-in-ones and a ready to sew kit! We've got great tutorials and all of our patterns and kits come with fully illustrated instructions as well as scraps to practice sewing with. DiaperKit is easy on the budget, easy on the earth, and easy on you!"

So, Amber was kind enough to send me one of her Deluxe Flannel AIO kits in the mail to review and giveaway.  Since I'm a huge fan of one-size diapers I asked her if she had any one-size kits.  She does not, but she told me that many people just buy the largest kit and adjust it themselves to make it a one-size diaper.  It sounded good to me, so she sent me a size 4, and I turned it into a one size, AI2 (All In Two) diaper.  Check out THIS POST if you're interested in that process and product.


I was so pleased with her kit, that after making a one-size AI2 diaper from her Size 4 AIO package, I really wanted to try a diaper in my daughter's current size.  Her kits just seemed so easy but I'd made mine more difficult by adding changes (which I loved, btw!).  If I was really going to review her diaper, I felt I needed to sew it her way as well as mine.  So I ordered another kit--a beautiful royal blue, size 2 Deluxe Flannel AIO kit.  I was able to sew it in about 45 minutes.  Check out THIS POST if you're interested in seeing that process and product."

 After using both of her diapers for a couple of weeks, I've decided to rate the Diaperkit AIO on a series of levels: 

Instructions: The instructions were clear cut and easy to follow.  They included illustrations and even alternate instructions for if you want to turn your AIO diaper into an AI2.  

Ease of Sewing:   I found it very easy to sew and I feel that this is a project that beginners could easily handle.  If you've never used a sewing machine before, I recommend practicing on something simpler like making a pillow or cloth baby wipes just to get the hang of using a machine. 

Ease of use: This diaper is very easy to use.  There is no pre-stuffing because it's an AIO, and even if you use it as an AI2, all you need to do is snap the insert in before using it.  It is so easy to use, in fact, that when I left my daughter in the nursery during church a week or so ago, I found that one of the attendants who is not familiar with modern cloth diapers was able to easily put this diaper on her (though she did put it on loosely but I find that most babysitters have put all of my daughter's cloth diapers on her loosely).

Absorbency: I was skeptical about how absorbent flannel alone would be.  I'm used to more fancy absorbent layers like microfiber, sherpa, and hemp.  When I decided to review this diaper I was worried that it wouldn't work and I would have to say negative things about it.  But I put it through all the paces and it was surprisingly absorbent!  Even more surprising was that, without a "stay dry" layer such as microsuede or microfleece, my daughter's skin was still relatively dry to the touch when I changed her.  Yes, the diaper felt wet to the touch when wet (unlike some popular pocket diapers) but it didn't seem to affect her any differently.  


Night diapering: My daughter wore this diaper a couple of times at night.  My daughter is not normally a heavy wetter at night so it was fine most of the time. However, on one particular night when she woke up to nurse many times, she leaked through the diaper.  I talked to Amber about this and she says that that most of her children needed more than just this diaper at night so she uses one of her fitteds with an doubler and a cover.  The next night, I just added some trim hemp inserts I already had and there was no leakage. 

Day diapering: It worked great.  No problems whatsoever during the day.

Poop bombs:   The first time I put the diaper on my little bunny, she christened it by pooping a big, messy, breast milk poop all over it and none of her liquid mess came spilling out onto her legs, sleeper or anywhere. I was very pleased. 

Closures:  The closures are touch tape with laundry tabs and very adjustable.  However, if you dislike touch tape, you can feel free to change that by adding your own snaps!  That's the great thing about this diaper is that you can customize it to your needs and preferences.  

Laundry:   The only thing I needed to get used to about this diaper is the drying time.  It's my first AIO diaper and I didn't realize that those types of diapers take longer to dry than my pocket diapers. So, rather than line drying it with my pockets, I stick it in the dryer with my inserts which works just fine.  As far as washing goes, the diaper gets more absorbent with each wash and the flannel gets slightly more stiff and I haven't noticed any stains, even after her poop bomb.


Price: Amazing! You'll spend from $7-$9 on one of these beautiful diapers.

Fit: Very good.  It's trim and the elastic is soft and gentle so it doesn't pinch her at all around her legs or her back. 

 Materials: One layer of waterproof PUL, and six layers of soft, white, flannel.

Colors: It comes in 18 different colors.  Also, there seem to be limited addition prints available from time to time and she has hand-painted diaper kits available.  

What I would change:  The first time I tried sewing this diaper, I felt that I needed a little more information.  First, I wanted to know what length of elastic should be used in each leg.  So I emailed Amber and she guided me to a page on her website that has this information.  Problem solved!  The second thing I felt could change to improve my experience was having a piece of hooked touch tape to practice with.  I asked her for one in my second diaperkit and she graciously sent it.  I since discovered that she sells extra squares of the hooks for only $.12 each.  I could have just added it to my order. 

Overall Rating: I feel that how this diaper works is partially Amber's responsibility in her choice of materials and her design, but also partially the responsibility of the seamstress.  My first diaperkit had a couple of obvious mistakes--one being that I sewed the elastic wrong in one of the legs and the inner flannel shows no matter what I do.  However, despite the flaws that I created in my diaper, it still works great.  So, even if you kind of both up your first try at a diaper kit, it will probably still give you great results.  My second diaper is close to perfect and has the same performance as my first, flawed attempt.  I rate this diaper a 9 out of 10 and I would highly recommend it to anyone who asks.  It's wonderful and when it's not in the wash, it's the first diaper I go to in my stash. 

Since I love these diapers so much I'm sure you will too! And besides, it's very empowering to be able to sew your own diapers!  If you're interested, you can go on over to Diaperkit.com and buy one of these adorable diaperkits, you can enter to win one here. 

Today is my birthday which is the perfect day for a giveaway!!!  Because my birthday is on the 14th, I will give you 14 days to enter to win.  If you want to win a Deluxe, Flannel, AIO diaper kit in the size and color of your choice, please enter this contest by Wednesday, February 28th at midnight.  

(For each entry, please leave your email address so
I have a way to get in touch with you)

MANDATORY ENTRY: 

Go to Diaperkit.com and tell me what kind of diaper you would like to buy including the size and color.  

EXTRA ENTRIES:

*1 entry: Tell me how you feel about sewing your own diapers and why.

* 3 entries: Blog about my giveaway and leave a link to your post in your comments letting me know you did so.


* 1 entry: add my button to your blog and leave a link to your blog in a comment letting me know you did so.

*2 entries: Follow my blog and leave two separate comments letting me know you did so. 


* 1 entry: subscribe to my blog via feedburner and leave a comment letting me know you did so.


* 1 entry: Go over to Amber's blog and then leave me a comment here letting me know one thing you learned from her sewing and knitting wisdom. 


* 15 entries: Order something from Diaperkit.com. Comment for each entry separately making sure to include your order number.  




Good luck and I can't wait to hear from you and share this wonderful gift with one of you!!!